#i rambled so much in the post that i can keep my tags concise!

[averlym]

HI I DIDNT KNOW YOU WERE INTO ADAMANDI HOLY SHIT. Can’t believe so few people know about this masterpiece of a musical

:OOOOO hai i agree it is criminally (haha yknow bc there are crimes..) underrated!! and really brilliant!!! discovered it literally midway through the week and akdfjgsjhdsjhjgdf

have a doodle of the saints :3

[loftec]

Last week's Weekly Tag Wednesday!

Because I was festival prepping last week and had zero time for anything else but now I'm back and ready for some tags! Thank you @wehangout @mmmichyyy @michellemisfit for the tag (and also @deedala & @jrooc for the picrew tags!) <3

Name and A03 handle: lofty / loftec

Current Location: Sofa, living room.

Favorite picrew (don't have one? you can skip this or do this one)? I can't remember if I have a favourite one, so I'll just do this one!

The "SF" probably stands for something, but I immediately thought of Svensk Filmindustri and thought that was fun.

What's one thing you want in a picrew?

MORE GLASSES OPTIONS omg please. Colour and shape. I also really love it when I can build the hair in sections so I can colour my roots differently than the rest of the hair. Also, worse hair options. Come on, normalise 'I've got no hair texture or interest or time to do anything about it'. I feel like an imposter whenever I pick one of these perfectly swooshy dos.

Favourite thing you’ve created (or seen created) for the fandom?

None the wiser

Why is it your favourite? It's mad to think about but it was the first thing I decided to make for this fandom, and I'm still working on it (very very slowly) I don't know if I've ever spent this much time and effort on anything else. It's very special to me.

Did it come easily or was it hard to create? Both, right now it's very hard, but it usually comes back around.

Last ao3 fic you commented on? A Dead Boy Detectives fic, I'm pretty sure.

Biggest WIP heartache you’ve ever experienced? I'm embarrassed to admit that I don't usually read WIPs, not really because they're unfinished but because I don't often read long fic lol. My ideal fic for reading is a concise 5k oneshot, I am a terrible hypocrite.

Favorite trope or head cannon you like included in a fanfic? I do love a good outside perspective on Ian and Mickey's relationship not fully getting their dynamic and misunderstanding their special flavour of love. Also really like different canon-divergent stories where they get separated in different moments and then reunited in the future in various ways.

Least favourite? For most ships / fandoms I read fic of, I usually develop a set of icks that cause me to click out more or less immediately, often it's to do with a certain nickname or expression or act that I can't physically stand, or, you know, which signal a fundamental mismatch between mine and the author's focus/interests/views. Unfortunately, any mention of anything happening after season 5 has become a bit of an ick for me, which is deeply unfair to writers who embrace the later half of the show.

Secret or surprising kink or trope? No, I'm extremely basic tbh. My favourite time to read fic for a new fandom is always at the very start when everybody is writing the same super basic story over and over again.

Describe how you feel after you’ve created something new? The best feeling is when I know I've written the last sentence of a story or a chapter, it's always so clear that this, this is it, that's where it ends. I feel really accomplished and complete in that moment and it's great. Then there's still hours and hours of editing after that and it's usually 4 in the morning and I'm feeling slightly unhinged when I actually post.

Top hype man you have that always helps you get across the finish line: I tend to keep to myself when I'm working on something, but I can always rely on @mittimellan @wideblueskies & @the-rat-wins if I ever need to ramble about anything.

It's been a bad day, you turn to the fandom and you _____? Lurk and enjoy the good vibes and crafts. I probably also find something in my bookmarks that I've already read a thousand times and read it again.

[mezz-merizing]

hi everyone, i'm mezz!

so!! now that we're about a week into you all deciding that my aimless rambles about hypno things i like are worth a follow, i figure it's probably about time for a belated introduction, and also a pinned post!

i'm Mezzmer, and you can call me Mezz! i'm sure you've caught the general drift by now: i'm an extremely hypnokinky nineteen-year-old enby with a passion for long-winded infodumping about things that interest me, and this blog is my new and shiny place to do that about something that interests me a lot- the infinite art form of hypnosis!

we have to do all the things a pinned post does, so let's get that out of the way! all that below the cut :3

so! first things first, who don't we want around here? to put it concisely, please don't interact with me iiiif:

you're generally cringe (bigot, terf, nazi, et cetera. you know you're not wanted here, don't make me waste my time blocking you)

you're under the age of 18, for my safety as much as yours

you're a completely blank blog (it's nothing personal! i'm just gonna assume you're a bot if you've got absolutely nothing on your blog- as long as you've got something in your name, or a pfp, a description, whatever, you're cool with me! i don't care if you don't post, i was a lurker too, last week xP)

you post medfet content that revolves around mental hospitals and/or institutionalization, and that's not obvious by your blog title (again, not personal! i just like to scan through the blogs of people who show up in my notifs from time to time, and that kind of thing is a major trigger for me. please follow me on an alt account or something)

and that's it!! i'm pretty lenient with all this stuff- don't be Literally The Worst, and don't cross my boundaries, and we're chill :3

some personal stuff i think you should know: i'm canadian, i'm not a man but i prefer masculine pet names (good boy, pretty boy, etc), i'm autistic, and i will not tell you what's between my legs! i've got a decent amount of experience with hypnosis but i'm always learning and always exploring, and i'm almost always on the subby side. almost.

generally i appreciate hypnotism for the actual hypnosis involved- triggers and suggestions are good and fun, but expect to see a lotttt more from me about inductions, about the experience of trance, that kind of thing! i'm also a firm believer in the inherent eroticism of trance, and i don't often find myself needy for actual sex to spice it up, so don't come expecting a ton of that either

my dms and my askbox are always open to cool people!! if you don't want to literally kill me, i probably want to talk to you!! please come and say hello, i promise it'll be nothing but a good time for me <3

and with all that out of the way, all that's left is my special little tags! there aren't a lot right now, but i'll edit this to add more as i need them

taglist:

#not hypno - believe it or not, i think about other things sometimes! if you'd rather keep your mezz-merizing experience as pure as possible, or if you're seeking out my opinions on stuff that isn't, um, hypno, this is for you >:3

#mezz personals - sometimes i talk about myself on purpose! and sometimes the things that i post reveal interesting things about me! when i think that's happened, i'll tag it with this, and you can peruse it to get a better feel for the boything behind the pretty words

#the box with asks in it - posts where i answer asks sent to me!! :3 i always love getting asks and i do my best to answer all of them, so don't be shy! all asks are answered publicly unless you specifically request otherwise

#🖤🦋🖤 - unfortunately i have been through a significant amount of trauma, and sometimes i process that trauma through kink. this tends to get dark quickly! if that's something that's not for you, well, that's why this tag exists

#serious shit - exactly what it sounds like! if this tag is on a post i'm not fucking around. there is no character and there is no horny stuff. i mean to use this as little as possible, so! let's see how low we can keep that count

that's all! thank you for reading! i'll be back to rambling before you know it <3

[stevie-petey]

Hello! I just wanted to start off by saying I LOVE your Come Home series and your writing with it. It has inspired me in so many ways, and in all honesty, I’ve enjoyed it more than I have actually watching Stranger Things! I cannot wait to see where you take the book, and how you navigate whatever comes with season 5!!!!

I was also wondering, how have you found so much success with this series on Tumblr, and do you have any tips for growing fics in general? It has gained so much popularity and I am so happy to see it because you totally deserve it, your hard work is paying off so good!

Have a great day or night,

Anon 🦋

hi dear !! first of all, thank you so much <333 i appreciate the kind words so much and i adore you for being so supportive :’)

long post ahead !!

as for how come home managed to become what it is now: i truthfully cant really say. it still amazes me that its so popular now, but even then i dont necessarily consider it “popular” in my head lmao shes just my lil story !!

i want to start off by saying i never intended for come home to become such a well loved fic. i uploaded the first chapter simply because i wanted to, i liked what i wrote and hoped someone would like it as well. never did i think “cool ok this fic will def become an overnight sensation”.

honestly, one day i was averaging maybe 60 notes per chapter and then the next day i was suddenly averaging 300-400. the fic quickly took off before i could even really process it, and i want to emphasize that this is rare !! so so so incredibly rare. i got lucky, thats all there really is to it :/ sometimes amazing stories dont get the recognition they deserve and sometimes they do. i have personally written fanfiction for 10 years now and i never once had a fic “blow up” how come home did.

i also want to say how fucking grateful that my story managed to find its own community and become this amazing thing. every day i cannot believe any of it is real and i genuinely love and adore each and every person who reblogs and recommends the fic.

what i CAN say is that tags help !! ive noticed some new authors dont know how to tag their fics, which can really diminish their reach. for tumblr, the first five tags are the most important. these are the ones that show up on dashboards !!! i think what also helped me was having a very clear and concise story structure with pretty frequent updates. im fortunate to be able to write and upload a lot faster than i probably should (it concerns many but i find it funny).

and lastly i also just think its super important to interact with everyone !! answer all the asks, reblog all the responses, reply to every comment. i firmly believe its the least i can do if someone has taken the time to read my story and found time to say a quick praise or simply tell me they laughed :)

at the end of the day, its a game of luck and perseverance if anything else, but the general creator rule of thumb is that you should never create something just for the notes/reblogs/praise. create for yourself, create because you WANT to !!! its a slippery slope keeping track of clicks and hit and whatever. i stopped keeping track of come homes own traction because i simply dont care enough to follow it. im happy where i am and i love how the story has grown :)

hope this helped a bit and that ya enjoyed my rambles <3

[dilatorywriting]

Hi hi, first let me just say that I love your works.(Especially Monster Mayhem. ReaperRookmakesmyheartgobrrr) I have been reading your work on A03 and was even happier when I found you on Tumblr.

So I guess this isn't a traditional "Ask" but, im trying to start a fanfic blog here on Tumblr. I'm mainly writing twst content. Do you have any tips on how one should start posting their work on Tumblr? I haven't posted any works since I have no followings. If you don't have a precise answer to this, thats fine. But any tip of advice is very much appreciated.

Hmmm... I am also fairly new to the Tumblr sphere side of writing all things considered (just started really posting in earnest on here back in December? Very late November maybe?), so I'm still definitely a bit lost sometimes! But I can give my top tips! Or at least things that I notice tend to help!

Formatting is super helpful! If you keep things neat and concise people really seem to appreciate it! Using the cut-off/little squiggle on the side to split your posts under a 'read more' is also generally appreciated. I tend to like the format of 'Pairing, Word Count, Summary, Banner, Cut Off' because that's what I was used to on AO3, and also the things I most care about when I'm looking for stuff to read. I do like the banners on Tumblr--which is definitely different from AO3--from like a very superficial perspective, in that a lot of times if I didn't know who a character was 100% yet, I could look at the picture and go 'oh wow yeah that one's definitely my type' and would read it anyways lol

Tagging is a nightmare, but get the big ones! If I'm posting something for Malleus, I make sure to include both Malleus/Reader and Malleus/Yuu for example, just in case people go looking for one but not the other. For your own ease of access, pick a tag that's specific for different things! Like all my writing is tagged, very creatively, 'My Writing.' This just makes it so if I lose a post in the ether, or my taglist crashes, it's very easy to find everything again

Short form does better on Tumblr. It's the way of the world. Long stories tend to get less traction on average--both in terms of literal length and also like multi-chapter splits. Which is terrible for someone like me who likes to ramble on for ages but I digress. I actually started a Tumblr with the intention of teaching myself how to write shorter prompts. Write more often and less intensively sort of thing and look how well that went lololololl *sobs* I'm right back where I started But yeah don't be discouraged if your long, hard won, chapter is getting less notes than someone's two-line remake of a Brooklyn 99 quote. It's just the way it is. Tumblr is social media, AO3 is a library. They're just very different that way.

Hope any of that can help at all! I'm still so lost on how this Hell site functions too lol

Best of luck! :D

[bonesandthebees]

hi sorry just speaking up on account of fun personal knowledge regarding the ask sayinng ypu should get a typewriter and your tags on said post . my personal favorite beginner level typewriters are smith-coronas, theyre user-friendly and relatively easy to maintain in my eyes. id honestly recommend looking for an electric rather than a manual for your first typewriter - its very different from writing on a modern day computer keyboard, and electrics do a relatively good job of easing you in . the keyboards are more similar to your blocky, 90s-tech keyboards you see out in the wild . my first electric was a smith-corona coronet super12 and honestly its one of the best typewriters i own; the quality is stellar, shes comfortable with me, she actually Likes Being Typed on .

manual typewriters are beasts. theyre often angry if you are not the owner theyve always known (speaking of this - a good place to look for typewriters are estate sales . usually you're lookjng at 20-50usd for a functional typewriter at an estate sale, compared to 100+ at an antique shop or online). but yes manual typewriters are angry creatures . they fight you on everything. my first manual was a hermes3000 in a light powder blue and honestly this typewriter does not like me i think. most typewriters you find out in the wild are going to need a little work - new ribbon, a nice deep clean - but will be relatively functional (esp, again, at estate sales. ppl dont usually keep broken shit). manuals are fussy and will probably want a little more out of you . my hermes needs a full realignment and more than a few of the keys stick . not optimal for your first typewriter .

most importantly - and something they dont tell you when you first start using typewriters, cough - manuals take A LOT OF FORCE TO PRESS THE KEYS. more than you are expecting. it is not like your hp or your mac or dell or alienware or whatever - you have to WORK to type on a manual. i was typing with just my index fingers for the first few months i owned my hermes because i physically couldn't 1) get a feel for the keyboard and 2) press down on the keys comfortably with my other fingers. it hurt after a little while .

that being said, owning a manual is an extremely fun little knickknack to show off. double points if its functional and you actually put it to some use . typewriters are one of those things that get better the more you use them ; you kind of have to break them in, and more use means theyre easier to work with. electrics are similar but are often more forgiving . all this to say that a manual is worth it if youre willing to make the commitment. theyre fun to use . make you feel like a 1940s office worker .

as far as actually writing goes, all manuals and early electrics are not going to have any sort of backspace functionality. honestly i think its rlly helped with being deliberate about what words im using. you can get correction tape (obviously) but it feels a little bit different . i think it helps with just getting ideas onto paper concisely .

no matter what kind of typewriter you get (if any at all) the most important thing is going to be the user manual, whether you actually have the original paper copy or a scanned version youve found online. understanding your typewriter is like reading a recipe. its important to know what each button does and how to use it . if you grew up learning typing on a computer you do not know how to use a typewriter ; youll be able to type but probably not much more . instructions are your best friend . your typewriter is an animal .

typewriters need a little more love in the world . i highly recommend looking around at garage sales, estate sales, thrift stores if youre interested in owning or using one, theyre honestly such an efficient and modernly-under-appreciated piece of technology that really revolutionized the world . thanks for allowing me to ramble i hope this isnt too unwanted

oh this is so informational thank you!! I know next to nothing about typewriters except what they look like and that they make the nice clicky noises. I don't know if I'll ever get one, but if I do it's not gonna be for a few years just because money + I'd wanna set that up and have a nice space for it once I'm living in my own place, and atm I'm still in the 'post college graduate living with parents' phase of my life.

that's really good to know about electric vs manual typewriters though!! I'd probably get an electric for my first one because I rely so heavily on my typing speed. typing stuff on my laptop is muscle memory at this point so I'd be very annoyed if my typing was super heavily impaired on a typewriter. I do know the manual ones take a lot more effort to push down. I've encountered them at antique stores before and have tried to type a tiny bit and it's definitely a challenge

this wasn't unwanted at all it was super helpful!! I love the way you talk about typewriters too. I can definitely imagine that manual ones are like beasts you have to figure out how to work with lol. I'm gonna be saving this as a reference note for if I eventually start looking into getting one for myself

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

I just found your blog and I wanna say you seem really cool and I like your posts. some of them are exactly the kinda thing I like when it comes “liveblogging”, and you also seem to have good opinions. I hope you’re having a good day (sorry if this is a weird ask to get I’m not very great at putting my words together or social things, and I was going to ramble more but it seemed even weirder and I didn’t want this ask to be even longer)

Wow, thank you, I appreciate that! That is a lovely thing to get on this morning, I love reading that. I do write this for myself firstly - if Tumblr didn't exist this would all be in a Word document on my hard drive somewhere - because when I think things I just need to write them down. But I love knowing other people enjoy the stuff that occurs to me, stuff that is mostly worthless except to some small sub-section of the population that shares my specific interests, that is so much fun.

Also, never apologize for rambling on my blog. As rambling is both something I do all the time, and it is kind of one of those opinions I have. That I genuinely think people underestimate how much Twitter has ruined the world - I mean, people know it's ruined the world, but because of toxic discourse and stuff, and I think people don't talk often enough about how Twitter has created an expectation that anything you say should fit into a couple of sentences. Which is bad because it strips nuance out of arguments, and that ruins the discourse in the world. But also, it strips joy out of things! It make you curtail self-expression! If you find someone's blog and like it, you should tell them without feeling like you've intruding by using more than 280 characters! Obviously that's a very selfish position for me to take on this specific post, because someone just said nice things about me, so of course I want to encourage it. But I also just believe that in general, say nice things and don't believe that a paragraph of them is too long! You sound like a lovely person with nice things to say that I'm sure people want to hear!

I recently heard a radio thing about internet comedy (a thing Josie Long did in about 2009, which is interesting as it was just emerging then), where Richard Herring was interviewed and said he likes putting comedy on the internet because people don't have as much right to be bothered by it. On TV or radio, if people don't like you they can complain that you've taken a slot that could go to something they'd like better. But the internet is vast with room for everyone, you can take up all the space you like and it doesn't cost anyone money or take space away from anyone else or force anyone to look at it, so say what you like! I don't love everything Richard Herring's ever said, but I liked that.

...Obviously, this is also a selfish opinion because it defends my own lack of ability, and/or lack of willingness to put effort into being concise when writing. And holding this opinion makes me feel better about when I feel pleased with myself for writing a post that I've managed to keep short and not too rambly, but then I'll see another post that is shorter than mine tagged "sorry this is so long". Or when people reblog my average posts with "long post", which is fine to do, just makes me remember... oh right, most people don't go on for as long as I do. But if you want to go on about something - anything whatsoever - I personally will always encourage you to do it, and there is no need to apologize to me for that. (And if the thing you're going on about is that you like my blog... I mean, you definitely don't need to apologize for that.)

I have rambled again, but the point is thank you for the message, I greatly appreciate it!

[oakskull]

genshin as wof dragons designs I drew by @wings-of-impact ! plus all my brain thoughts about it under the cut

Links to Mod Anemone's posts: Childe Albedo Ganyu Zhongli Klee

Let's start with Childe! Its the most resent design released by mod Anenome which I Did alter a tiny bit for my brain thoughts. I based the colors off of their drawing but obv it wasn't perfect. I tried to make the tail get lighter in color but I'm not sure if you can really see it all that well lmao. But!! headcannon time!! for Childe as a hybrid I think he's got cold scales like ice wings but like only barely, but it fucks up with his fire, so instead of being able to make flames the closest he can get is like smoke. So mostly it's an intimidation thing, but even if the smoke is Pretty Hot it doesn't do nearly as much damage as fire. Also! about his gauntlet; it was supposed to be black but I forgot to paint part of it and I had already cleaned my desk and put all my stuff away so I just used a silver colored pencil. It is shiny tho!

Next up! Albedo! He was actually the one i drew last, and it was kind of hard to figure out what little bobble from his og clothes to add. (like how childe has the shoulder cauldron and earring) His main visual characteristics (not lore) to me are his hair, his big boots, and his big Ole coat. None of which dragons really Wear. In the end I gave him his little drawing clipboard and the throat diamond. Also, I think we was probably made with animus magic, and studies it. What happened to his tail? I have no idea, but it probably has something to do with never wanting to hide his imperfections. For the bracelet from Klee, I couldn't decide whether it would be a peice of scrap metal she shaped for him, or a some fireproof fabric, but in the end I never had to decide because you can't see it LMAO. pick your favorite ;)

Now Ganyu! Her little blurb is going to be a bit short, mostly bc she was pretty straight forward to draw and I don't know her well enough to have any headcannons haha. Because I didn't color my sketch of her I couldn't do any horn details to make it look more like Ganyu. I had a similar problem to albedos design, because her notable design thing is just her horns. The bell and the rope on her vision were easy to add as accessories but I'm not sure if they really scream Ganyu.

Zhongli is next! I wanted to give him a nightwing scale pattern but a mudwing body shape to look majestic while giving him little glowing bits thst glow amber. I gave him the shiny scale by the eye to imitate his eyeshadow, and I think he has the power of mind reading but is like, sick of it. So the black part of his earing is the rock that blocks nightwing powers (I can't remember if it has an official name lol) I'm unsure about Anenome's world building for their designs but my thoughts on Archons are either that they are animus for each kingdom and they get their powers how Qibli did from enchanted artifacts (the nosis, the spell would be "whoever holds this gets animus powers" or something) or archons are just leaders, where its no longer a queen only world (or zhongli and venti are just queens, i think they can do it) If the archons are just leaders than animus dragons could be in Khaenri'ah, where they're are killed or cursed by the other dragons for their hubris. OR Celestia is the animus dragons. and how do the Pantala dragons fit in? I have no idea. I'm rambling. this au lives in my head rent free.

Okay last but not least Klee! I added her hat first because she needs it. then I wanted to do her backpack but I hit my first dilemma: dragons don't really wear things on their backs. It inhibits their ability to fly properly. But Klee's comically large backpack is a huge part of her charm for me, so I wanted to add it. I decided on big ole saddle bag type things on her haunches. Okay so, elephant in the room, if you've seen the wings-of-impact post about Kler then you know, she has fire scales! So how can she wear clothes? Well I actually just forgot, but I've decided that Tevat! Pyrrhia is actually cooler and sexier and has fireproof stuff for our resident arsonist. For headcannons, I think she has an unhealthy obsession with those cactus bombs and has to constantly be reminded that she Cannot touch them. She's been trying to make her own bombs with limited success, on account of melting the ingredients and not being allowed near gunpowder.

[netscapenavigaytor]

im gonna go rb the stuff i saved in my likes to reblog later so my condolences to anyones dash who may get destroyed (actually your dashes may not get destroyed i dont remember how much i had in my likes. well we will see)

[nim-lock]

Art Career Tips, 2021 Edition

Here’s an edited version of my 2019 answered ask, because... this feels relevant. 

It is a problem of capitalism that folks equate their income as a judgement of their value as people; and let me preface. You are worth so much. You have inherent value in this world. Your income is not a judgement on who you are (plenty of billionaires are actively making the world worse). LARPing self-confidence will go a long way to helping you get paid more for your work, because clients will believe that you know what you are doing, and are a professional. 

& real quick—my own background is that I’ve been living off my art since 2018. I went to art school (Pratt Institute). I work in a publishing/educational materials sphere, and a quarter of my income is my shop. Not all of this information may apply to you, so it is up to you to look through everything with a critical eye, and spot pick what is relevant. 

So there are multiple ways of getting income as an artist; 

Working freelance or full-time on projects

Selling your stuff on a shop

Licensing (charging other companies to use your designs)

This post primarily covers the freelance part; if you’re interested in the other bits there is absolutely info out there on the internet. 

IF you are just starting (skip to next section if not applicable) dream big, draw often (practice helps you get better/more efficient), do your best to take "a bad piece” lightly. You’re gonna RNG this shit. At some point your rate of “good” works will get higher. Watch tutorial videos & read books. A base understanding of “the rules”; anatomy, perspective, composition, color helps you know what the rules are to break them. This adds sophistication to your work. One way you can learn this stuff is by doing “studies”—you’re picking apart things from life, or things other people have done, to see what works, and how it works. 

Trying to turn your interests into a viable career means that you are now a SMALL BUSINESS; it really helps to learn some basic marketing, graphic design, figure out how to write polite customer service emails; etc. You can learn some of this by looking it up, or taking skillshare (not sponsored) classes by qualified folks. Eventually some people may get agents to take care of this for them—however, I do recommend y’all get a basic understanding of what it takes to do it on your own, just so you can know if your agent is doing a good job. 

Making sure your portfolio fits the work you want to get

Here is a beginner portfolio post. 

Research the field you’d like to get into. The amount people work, the time commitment, the process of making the thing, the companies & people who work for them. 

Create work that could fit in to the industry you’re breaking into. For example, if you want to do book cover illustration, you draw a bunch of mockup book covers, that can either be stuff you make up, or redesigns of existing books. If you’re not 100% sure what sort of work is needed for the industry, loop back into the portfolios of artists in a similar line of work as whatever you’re interested in, and analyze the things they have in common. If something looks to be a common project (like a sequence of action images for storyboard artists), then it’s probably something useful for the job. 

CLIENTS HIRE BASED ON HOW WELL THEY THINK YOUR WORK FITS WHAT THEY WANT. If they’re hiring for picture books, they’re gonna want to see picture book art in your portfolio, otherwise they may not want to risk hiring you. Doesn’t have to be 100% the project, but stuff similar enough. If you aren’t hired, it doesn’t mean your work is bad, it just wasn’t the right fit for that specific client. 

If you have many interests, make a different section of your portfolio for each!

Making sure you’re relevant 

Have a social media that’s a little more public-facing, and follow people in the career field you’re interested in. Fellow artists, art directors, editors, social media managers; whoever. Post on your own schedule. 

Interact with their posts every so often, in a non-creepy way. 

If you’ve made any contacts, great! Email these artists, art directors, editors, former professors, etc occasional updates on your work to stay in touch AND make sure that they think about you every so often.

Show up to general art events every once in a while! If you keep showing up to ones in your area (when... not dying from a sneeze is a thing), folks will eventually start to remember you. 

Industry events & conferences can be pricey, so attend/save up for what makes sense for you. Industry meetups are important for networking in person! In addition to meeting people with hiring power, you also connect with your peers in the community. Always bring a portfolio & hand out business cards like candy. 

Active job hunting

Apply to job postings online.

If interested in working with specific people at specific companies, you could send an email “I’d love to work with you, here’s my portfolio/relevant experience”, even if they aren’t actively looking for new hires. Be concise, and include a link to your work AND attached images so the person reading the email can get a quick preview before clicking for more. 

Twitter job postings can be pretty underpaid! Get a copy of the Graphic Artists’ Guild Handbook Pricing & Ethical Guidelines to know your rate. I once had a twitter post job listing email me back saying that other illustrators were charging less, and I quote, “primarily because they’re less experienced and looking for their first commission”. This was not okay! For reference, this was a 64-illustration book. The industry rate of a children’s book (~36 pages) is $10k+, and this company’s budget was apparently $1k. For all of it. 

Congrats you got a job! Now what?

Ask for like, 10% more than they initially offer and see if they say yes. If they do, great! If not, and the price is still OK, great! Often company budgets are slightly higher than they first tell you, and if you get this extra secret money, all the better for you. 

Make sure you sign a contract and the terms aren’t terrible (re: GO GET THE  Graphic Artists’ Guild Handbook Pricing & Ethical Guidelines) 

Be pleasant and easy to work with (Think ‘do no harm but take no shit’)

Communicate with them as much as needed! If something’s going to be late, tell them as soon as you know so they aren’t left wondering or worse, reaching out to ask what’s up. 

And if all goes well, they’ll contact you about more jobs down the line, or refer you to other folks who may need an artist, etc. 

Quick note about online shops/licensing and why they’re so good

It’s work that you do once, that you continuously make money off of. Different products do well in different situations (conventions vs. online, and then further, based on how you market/the specific groups you are marketing to), so products that may not do well initially may get a surge later on. 

Start with things that have low minimum order quantity and are relatively cheap to produce, like prints and stickers. 

If you are not breaking even, go back to some of the earlier portions of this and think about how you could tweak things as a small business. Ease of access is also very important with this; for example, if you only take orders through direct messages, that immediately shuts off all customers who don’t like talking to strangers. 

Quick resource that you could look through; it’s the spreadsheet of project organizing that I made a while back 

Licensing is when people pay you for the right to use your work on stuff they need to make, like textbooks or greeting cards. This is generally work you’ve already made that they are paying the right to use for a specified time or limited run of products. This is great because you’ve already done the work. I am not the expert on this. Go find someone else’s info.

“I am not physically capable of working much”/ “I need to pay the bills”

Guess who got a hand injury Sept 2020 that messed me up that entire month! I had a couple jobs going at the time that I was terrified of losing, but they were quite understanding when I told them I needed to heal. So:  Express your needs as early as you know you need them. Also do lots of stretches and rest your hands whenever you feel anything off; this will save your health later. Like, the potential of a couple months of no income was preferable over losing use of my hands for the rest of my life.

This continues to apply if you have any other life situation. Ask for extra time. Ask for clarification. If you tell people ahead of time, folks are often quite understanding. Know how much you are capable of working and do your best not to overdo it. (I am.. bad at this)

Do what MAKES SENSE for your situation. If doing art currently earns you less money than organizing spreadsheets, then do that for now, and whenever you have the energy, break down some of the tips above into actionable tiny chunks, and slowly work at em. 

The original ask I got in 2019 mentioned ‘knowing you’re not good enough yet’. Most artists experience imposter syndrome & self-doubt—the important thing is to do your best, and if anything, attempt to channel the confidence of a mediocre white man. If he can apply to this job/charge hella money for Not Much, then so can you! 

Check out this Art Director tumblr for more advice!

Danichuatico’s Literary Agent guide

Kikidoodle’s Shop Shipping Tutorial

Best of luck!

–

Once again disclaimer this post is just the ramblings of a man procrastinating on other things that need to be done. I’ve Long Posted my own post so that it turns into mush in my brain if I try to read it, but I wrote this so I should know this content. If you got down here, congrats. Here’s a shrimp drawing.

Yee Ha. 

My reference post tag My tip jar

[author-a-holmes]

Considering reading your series :) probably will but just for fun and to give you another chance to ramble about it, as an author i know how fun it can be, tell me about it, get me hooked!!

Hello! Thank you for the follow, and the chance to ramble!

Although, now you've put me on the spot and I'm not sure what to say :D I could talk about Fey Touched forever. I could introduce the characters. Tell you about the vampires, the fey, the kavians, and the history of how the kavians emerged and the fey created their own realm, Arbaon, in response...

But I'll try and keep this concise ^_^

Let's start with the blurb for book one;

Fey go missing in the mortal realm. Everyone knows that.

When Lizzy's mother is the next to vanish she is expected to grieve and move on. Instead Lizzy wants to find out what happened, but the answers she seeks can't be found in the fey realm of Arbaon. With the help of her best friend, Booker Reed, Lizzy is determined to retrace her mother's final steps, straight through an illegal portal and into the mortal realm.

Whatever leads she expected to find, it wasn't an academy of vampires, and a world stalked by their rabid cousins, the kavians. Forced to rely on the vampires for protection, and secluded away behind the high walls of Speculo School, it quickly becomes clear that not everyone is pleased with Lizzy and Booker's investigation.

With danger building the further they dig, the two fey need to decide if the answers they seek are worth risking their lives for. The longer they remain with the vampires, the more Lizzy begins to suspect that her answers instead lie amongst the deadly kavians.

So, the Fey Touched trilogy is a world filled with Fey, and Vampires, and Kavians, oh my!

Lizzy Hail is a fey, but she is a fey who lacks the distinctive bee-like wings that all fey should have.

This has left her growing up in Arbaon as a bit of an outcast, but she doesn't care. She has her mum and her best friend, Booker. Until her mum goes to the mortal realm and doesn't come back.

Lizzy doesn't know why her mum chose to leave, but the laws of the fey court say that anyone who goes to the mortal realm, accepts the risk that they may not return and so Madeline Hail is declared missing, presumed dead.

Lizzy won't stand for that, and hatches a plan to leave on her own and track down exactly what happened to her mum.

Lizzy's best friend, Booker Reed, isn't about to let her wander off to the mortal realm alone though.

So together they manage to sneak their way through a portal tree.

But the two fey don't know what they don't know. They find themselves in a world that's centuries removed from the textbooks of Arbaon. Cars have replaced carriages, and trade is no longer an accepted form of purchase. Something called 'money' is needed, and they are very much out of their depth.

When they are discovered, and aided, by a kavian hunter named Andric Roche, Lizzy and Booker's plans are derailed entirely, and they find themselves amongst a community of vampires.

Cara Evelyn, left. Mia Harris, right.

They make friends with some, but also enemies, and all the while the trail for Lizzy's mum gets colder and colder.

Eventually, Lizzy and Booker will have to make a decision. Leave the mortal realm for Arbaon, abandoning their new friends and their search for answers. Remain with the vampires, and resign themselves to never knowing what happened to Madeline Hail. Or strike out on their own, face the rabid kavians that stalk the mortal realm alone, and maybe, just maybe, find some answers.

Fey Touched also has a dedicated Side Blog where I post updates and information. I usually crosspost to here, but I figured a side blog for people who were interested to follow directly, and have notifications for, would be easier.

It's also easier for me to find content I've shared previously when Tumblr's tagging system decides not to work.

[evilvarric666-archive]

This is gonna be long, so sorry in advance, but as someone who enjoys long fics here are my two cents:

I get why some ppl may not want 75 tags in fics, but this is gonna hurt long fic writers. On a long fic there are probably gonna be more relationships that are central to the plot that aren't the main ship. And side pairings that may be a squick to some ppl. Not to mention trigger warnings and tone tags.

For example: a long fic with the pairing Y x Z. Z had an abusive relationship, and that's gonna be explored. So the author tags abusive relationship, bc that's a trigger, but an explanation next tag saying "not current ship" or smth.

Then Y has very important friendships with some of the cast. These are central to the plot so they're tagged too.

Turns out, character W is controversial in the fandom, but they're central to the fic too. The author is gonna tag after the character tag W positive/negative; so ppl who don't wanna see positive/negative things about W can skip this.

And guess what? Ship A x B appears in this fic too. Maybe it's not that central, but this ship is also disliked by some people, so the author will tag it, so ppl can filter through.

Another problem is with media that has different mediums, like, the media Y, Z, etc are from has movies, and books, and games and a tv show. All these things actually have different stories, different enough at least that ppl may only want to see fics written for the movies! But the author wants to take plot from the movies and the books. So instead of just tagging the all media tag for that media, they also tag media (movies) and media (books)

These tags end up accumulating. And especially in long fics. The author could make the first chapter a list of tws and stuff that they keep updating, but that destroys the purpose of ao3 tags: you can't filter content like that, you can only filter tags.

I honestly think they should just find a way to delete the fics with the trolling tags, or make a readmore thing so it doesn't hurt the browsing. At the very least make the tag limit longer.

sorry in advance that this is going to be rambly and weird. I have a lot of thoughts.

I get where you're coming from but I also still disagree. Like it's definitely going to change the way longfic writers tag, but I really don't think it's going to hurt them. I think it's going to encourage more effective tagging and that that's going to be better for everybody in the long run. If anything, I think that overtagging is what's hurting longfic writers, it makes their works look unappealing, and actually important information gets buried in a wall of text.

i will admit though that I do understand better now why less room for trigger tagging is going to be an issue. My preferred tagging style is "General/umbrella warnings in the tags, with whatever elaboration/specifics the author deems necessary in an author's note/author's notes at the beginning of each chapter" (example: "animal death" in the tags, so that the filters catch it + people who can't handle the subject At All know to keep scrolling, and then the author's note specifying that its in the context of game hunting & not a pet death, so that people who were uncertain and needed more info could click in and get the specifics.) and I thought that preference was pretty universal? But apparently a lot of people use the tags as an exhaustive list of warnings, which I didn't know because when I see a work with more than, well with more than 75 tags, I just start scrolling until it's gone.

(this is a tangent and I get that my experiences are not universal. but I genuinely dislike full warning lists in the tags because, for me at least, it makes it harder for me to figure out if the story is something I can/want to read. The things I Really Do Not Want To Read about are rare, and rarely tagged the same way twice, so the exclusion filter isn't really helpful for me. I have to actually read the full list of warnings and if the things I'm looking for are sandwiched inbetween a bunch of trope/character tags in a big wall o text I am going to miss it. This has happened to me multiple times.)

I think that that's an ineffective tagging style, basically. Lots of tags is kind of the opposite of useful tags, imo. Short, to the point and consistently worded warnings are better and I think having less space will encourage people to do that. I understand why people do this other style, though, and also why it would frustrate them that they can no longer do that. I think it really sucks that ao3 let everyone wild west their website for so long that it managed to spawn like three distinct groups of people who all use the website in completely incompatible ways, and now it's at the point where any new rule implemented is going to screw a lot of people over no matter what. But I digress.

Anyways, as long as someone isn't putting Revolutionary Girl Utena levels of warnings in their tags (and if your fic needs that much... maybe you should just put yur top 10 biggest warnings on there and slap a Dead Dove Do Not Eat on the end there, yknow?), I think that 75 tags will fully accommodate them. I get that tags start adding up, but also I think a lot of people are underestimating how many tags 75 tags is.

Like to just add up how many tags are used in your example: three / pairing tags, lets go crazy and say three more & pairing tags, tag every character tag in those pairings that's twelve, #abusive relationship + #not main pairing tags, three fandom tags bc multiple source mediums, a #[controversial character] positive tag... that's 24 tags. Like all the necessary character & pairing tags are handled in less than a third of the space given (and personally I consider this slightly over tagged. I think the only character tags you should put on a fic are the very mainest/pov characters, but yknow) and honestly if you can't then figure out a way to communicate the rest of the necessary information about your fic in 51 tags and a 1250 character summary then I really don't know how to help you. I personally would have to really push myself to figure out how to put more than 75 tags on one fic, regardless of the length of the fic. And I can't help but notice that a lot of the fics I could find with over 75 tags while searching last night had a lot of... unnecessary duplicate tags, often for information that could've been easily otherwise intuited (tagging #mandolorian #mandolore #mandolorian character and #mandolorian culture on a Jango Fett pre-series fic, for example)

I do have some criticisms about the current change though. I think it would've been better to have individual tag number limits for each individual field (x number of fandom tags, x number of character tags, etc.) instead of a 75 tags over all limit (or make a "warning tags" field that's separate from "additional tags" but that's a separate essay and would... probably mean overhauling the whole site. so not very practical.) A readmore option would be good too, and I'm not sure why they didn't go for that? I also think that this change will be most effective if done in combination with other changes. Like posting very loosely or not at all enforced official tagging/style guides for the site. I really think that even a tepid attempt at standardization will increase the site's usability like, A Lot.

I'm not sure how cohesive that was. TL;DR I appreciate hearing your thoughts, mine are that I still think this is a step in the right direction. And that cutting back on overtagging will lead to more concise, effective tagging which will make browsing and filtering easier in the long run.

[zhansww]

I’ve been wondering how exactly the misunderstanding of my last rambling post came to be and I think it’s cuz of one of two things; cuz I didn’t make it clear what I consider the word “queer” to mean or cuz I didn’t make it clear that the post itself was my own, subjective opinion. I’m not sure how consistent I’ve been with tagging it but I kinda differentiate between (what I think are) rational opinions I have vs emotional ones. The latter ones are obviously subjective and should not be taken as me, lecturing anyone or implying that everyone should feel the same. You either share the same sentiment or you don’t, there’s nothing wrong with it either way. And if my words in those posts seem hostile/condescending, it’s cuz I don’t feel the need to censor any of my subjective views/feelings. What I do think is important and what I try to pay attention to is not to let the negative emotions that certain things evoke in me control my actions. When I see something that I disapprove of in any way, I don’t hijack that post or report it. If my emotional reaction is particular strong, I’ll vent about it in my own post, not theirs. I considered this to be the decent thing to do but I’ve been told by at least one kind, respectful and open-minded person that I am actively making people’s lives worse with those posts, that my words are violent and that my behavior is that of an “unhinged monster” (the irony here is not lost on me). So I’ve been reflecting and I think the next time I feel a particular strong, negative emotion that makes me want to vent, I’ll put a disclaimer beforehand. And now, let me just actually clarify what my point was of that post. I believe that yz is real so I obviously do not assume they are straight. If they are indeed together, then they are queer - i.e. not straight - but that’s literally it. I have no theories or thoughts about what their specific orientation might be and I won’t ever speculate about that either. I wouldn’t mind knowing but unfortunately, they can’t be openly together right now but when they someday are, they’ll hopefully also feel safe and loved enough to share something like that with us. I know for a fact that figuring out your sexuality is a confusing and intimate process which is why I am opposed to speculating about it. I consider it to be too intrusive. But again; that is my subjective opinion based on my own experiences. I do not expect everyone to share this sentiment. One person said that I should expect such speculation and that might be true, maybe I should expect it but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. Seeing certain bxg get mad at solos for assuming yz are straight but then turn around and assume they are [insert any specific sexuality except het] is hypocritical and disappointing in my opinion. I think it’s perfectly fine to have such emotional opinions as long as you don’t let those emotions cloud your judgement and lead to you, reacting in a way that is unreasonable and possibly harmful. I also think that everyone should be willing to have their rational opinions questioned but when it comes to an emotional opinion, it doesn’t have to make sense and it’s probably not gonna change either. To give another example; I hk disapprove of yz r/p/f. And that’s not me, saying it is inherently wrong and that no one should do it. In fact, you could try to make a case about how I should like it and approve of it but it wouldn’t make me change my mind precisely because this opinion is not based on logic but just on emotion. And again, as long my emotional reaction to something doesn’t lead to unreasonable actions, then the emotion itself is alright to have. And like I already said, I thought it was okay to vent those emotions in my safe space but apparently, it isn’t. No one should take those posts personally or like I’m talking to them or lecturing them. I thought that this was all obvious but since I got told otherwise, I will be more concise from now on.

You know, when someone starts a “discussion” by insulting you (implicitly or not), that’s usually a clear sign that they’re not even trying to understand you. I’ve seen at least one person reblog the reblogs and seemingly take some kind of vicious pleasure in seeing someone else sh-t on me. Something like that leads me to think that they already had a negative impression of me to begin with which is why their minds gladly misunderstood me and jumped to the worst possible conclusion. They also all seemed to either ignore my explanations or seemed intent on misunderstanding me, no matter what. To be clear, I don’t blame them entirely for it because I could have expressed my point better but for them to immediately think their misunderstanding is the right one - instead of asking me to explain myself perhaps - is also wrong. Mind you, I don’t expect those people to see or care about this post. The main reason I’m trying to clarify myself is for myself. I said I’ll try to be more concise in expressing my views (regardless of whether it’s a subjective one or not) from now on and I thought I should let this be the start of that. There was one reply in particular that ... affected me a lot harder than I thought anything could. I think it’s cuz my depression already makes me feel like I’m a waste of space 24/7. One thing I take comfort in, though, is the fact that, at the very least, the only one who’s hurting because of it is me, no one else. At least I don’t hurt others. But I got told otherwise. I got called an unhinged monster. The unhinged part is true but also being a monster... it made me feel like I’m less than a waste of space. Like, let’s say if normal people always feel like a 1, I always feel like a 0. Getting insulted like that made me feel like a -1. Instead of feeling like a read newspaper, that’s just waiting to get thrown in the trash, that insult made me feel like I’m the asbestos in the house, something that is actively harmful and you need to get rid of. Does that make sense? Anyway... I engaged in “discussions” despite my better judgement and now, I have to pay the price for it so I also decided that I won’t do that again. Hopefully, there won’t even be any more misunderstandings but if there are and someone hijacks my posts and insults and/or willfully misunderstands me, I will just block them. For my own sanity. And for the record, if there’s something in this or any of my subjective/emotional posts that can be misunderstood, that I didn’t make clear enough; please feel free to ask me about it. Please don’t immediately think the worst of me. And when it comes to my more objective/rational opinions, I am always open for discussions as long as we can remain respectful throughout.

I would also like to express my gratitude to anyone who reached out. I’m not sure if the damage can be undone to be honest (it doesn’t feel like it right now) but anyone who offered words of advice, understanding, support or kindness helped soften it. I cannot express how grateful and appreciative I am for it all, any replies or private messages. You helped make me feel less shitty and I thank you so so much. I’m definitely gonna save all the mental health advice cuz I really did not know how to deal with that overwhelming desire to... stop existing in that moment and I want to keep it in mind if (or when) I get affected this badly by something again. I intend to also reply to the messages privately ofc but for now, please accept all of my love and gratitude~

I’m gonna put the rest - which is more personal - under a cut and also tw cuz I’ll elaborate on my mental health/depression. This isn’t exactly something I want to share tbh but I think I shouldn’t shy away from it either. And I feel like I need to explain myself, just for anyone who cares to know.

—

If you compare life to walking on a path, then I at some point - I don’t even remember when - stopped walking and starting digging a hole for myself. It musta been years ago. Right now, that hole is so deep that I have no idea how to get out of it on my own, much less how to move forward. I think I always knew that there must be something wrong with me mentally. This isn’t something that is being talked about in my family, though, so I never extensively thought about it. Not until earlier this year, when my sister told me that she thinks I’m sick and I should see a therapist. My immediate reaction was to reject the idea but I really couldn’t do that for long. As of right now, I have been tentatively diagnosed (not sure if that’s what you call it in English) with depression but I haven’t actually found a permanent therapist and therefore also not started therapy yet. I have no idea what exactly is wrong with me and this not-knowing makes it somehow worse. I haven’t been properly functioning for the past two days - ever since I got called unhinged monster - cuz those words are burned into my brain by now and keep repeating themselves. It feels like my mind was given another weapon to slowly k-ll me with. It keeps reminding me that that’s what I am and then I start trembling and my breathing gets weird and it’s harder than usual for me to distract myself. And this is all so overwhelming for me, I have truly no idea how to deal with any of it. I don’t even know if I named it right, if it really is called a “depressive episode”. I’m hoping I’ll get to find out what exactly is wrong with me and how I can cope with it once I find a therapist. My lack of knowledge regarding what I myself am going through makes it all very confusing and difficult. Another reason why I kind of organized my thoughts and wrote them all down here is cuz I hope it will help me somehow, make my mind stop letting those really bad thoughts in. But in that moment when I felt especially f-cked up, any words of advice or kindness helped. I hope everyone who reached out knows that. Just... thank you. So damn much.

[inmyarmswrappedin]

Hi, you are one of the few blogs who write really intelligent well thoughtout metas for Skam. Can you suggest more such blogs I could follow. Suggest anyone, really. I trust you. Vapid fangirling has its benefits, but I need to balance it with some quality analysis and opinion pieces. I'm sadly not able to find many such. I do not mean to sound condescending to other members. Each fan has equal worth in fandom but I am just not able to easily find what I want, could be looking in wrong places.

Hi anon 💞💖✨ This is SUCH a flattering ask gvhvh, it’s honestly so gratifying to think that I’m not just rambling into the void and people out there care. Thank you so much. (You didn’t mention it but I’m going to pretend that you’re also talking about the Amira M posts, because I want to think people are liking those. 😂)

As for recs!

(DISCLAIMER: when it comes to these blogs, I don’t necessarily agree with everything they post or on every single topic. We’re all different people coming at these shows from different perspectives. Recommendation isn’t necessarily 100% endorsement!)

@lightsandlostbells is inactive these days, but posted some of the best and most comprehensive posts comparing the remakes to Skam. And by doing so, pinpointing what made Skam so special and where the remakes were failing. I made an easy list of all her reaction posts. I still eagerly await her wtfock s3 post which will probably murder it.

@norgestan has written some really good meta for Skam España, and is making her way through the other remakes as well. In her posts, she has pointed out things that had escaped my notice or I hadn’t seen as harmful. Super worth it, particularly if you’re interested in Noora seasons.

@norwaydumpsterfireremakes should be listed in any such rec post tbh. Her interpretation of the remakes from a (US) postcolonial POV should be required reading for any Skams fan, just to get people to watch these shows more critically. If you’re interested in any Skams character of color, then follow asap.

 @floraflorenzi doesn’t post meta all that often, but when she does, it’s well-written, concise and decisive. Flora was one of the people whose posts I would keep reading before I made my own tumblr. I also consider her gifsets to be meta in animated form, because she makes her points by highlighting certain scenes and dialogue.

 @naybetamira has posted a bunch of Skam España meta. Her writing style is more warm and loving, for a change of pace. 💛

@cfgc I started following recently, specifically because I was interested in her analysis of Lola Lecomte’s sexuality. I don’t even like Skam France or watched Lola’s season, so that should tell you how interesting I find her posts to be. 😛 I would also recommend her tags to the gifsets she reblogs. (As I would with pretty much everyone else on this list.)

With Amira Naybet’s season coming up, I would also check @rumaan (white hijabi), @nolabballgirl (hijabi of color) and @overthemoonwithme to get the perspectives of Muslims and/or women of color. I can’t remember if Overthemoonwithme is Muslim (sorry 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♂️). 

If you for some reason feel like venturing out to twitter, @procrastinatingbisexual is there at @zoskazu, and her understanding of her own generation (Gen Z) and female characters have influenced and impacted the way I think about these characters, particularly for Druck and lovleg. (She’s currently into The Umbrella Academy but I’m hoping the upcoming seasons bring her back to the fold gvvhvh.) 

@skamenglishsubs posted a commentary series going over cultural and subtext elements in Skam, which I recommend if you want to have a better understanding of the motifs Julie Andem used for each season. 

And finally, though you asked for meta, I do want to recommend a couple of gifmakers, because their gifsets have often made me notice a detail I overlooked or a microexpression that informs a character: @matteoflrnzi, @kikimachwitz, @katyazhuravlik, @naslostcontrol.

Honorary mention to my friends with whom I discuss these shows privately, but don’t post meta on their blogs or very rarely: @thescorpioracer, @wodrueckts, @feingeister, @dusuessekartoffel, @hachibe

[alphasmoonlit-selfships]

Hi! I hope you don't mind asking but can you tell us something about Dany? Maybe her story or interesting facts? I really want to know more about her <3

Oh! 🥺 your ask honestly made all bashful and soft like, “Info on my dear s/i? ;w; really?”

But of course’n I can say a bit if I can! I tend to ramble a lot, but I will keep it concise!

I do have some facts and trivia about her that I’ve posted some while back under the tag “Dany Facts and Trivia!” I’ll definitely go on and tag it on here too if you want to see other details about her! 🤗

Dany was born a single child, the only daughter of her two parents.

Her mom was a non-gifted, while her dad was a shapeshifting animal gifted, able to use his ability as any animal he wanted!

She was isolated in the countryside for a good chuck of her childhood, a Wolf Children kind of scenario, her ability appearing very early on and would often have temper outbursts.

Made it hard to consider leaving her with a caretaker and even take her on city outings, so she never really got to socialize other than with her parents.

Her Shadow Sneak/Shadow Manipulation ability was born during a very traumatic and violent moment in her life and is...in a sense, parasitic. It drains her of her energy more and can’t hide no more than 2 people within her ability for a long time.

She has control over it, used more as defense and adding to stealth, but in a more ‘loss of control’ stance it acts to overwhelm her and covers her in a black mass, even controlling her wolf ability. It’s just bad at some point when she least expected it.

Dany loves cats and often chased the poor strays around her house, got scratched up a lot but gradually learned to calm a bit in order to get them to even near her!

She loves to sing, mostly to herself and very rarely in front of others due to shyness; encouragements usually ease her and gradually does open her voice more! Often sings old lullabies her mother would sing to her. Especially to under anxiety or lonely moments.

She does have vivid and blurred memories of her childhood and parents, partially due to trauma and abuse she was violently expose to from a group that took her way before the Guild swooped in and saved her.

Learned the violin and piano while in the Guild, tends to jitter her fingers or tap her feet rhythmically when anxious or is lost in her thoughts. Just also as a relaxing method.

She loves plushies and stuffed animals, you want to win her heart, give her the softest animal plush and she will love you forever, you can’t stop her affection 🤗

She’s a shy lass upon meeting, she’ll be nice and kind, though don’t push her to talk if she doesn’t want; often times she enjoys listening more than anything. Let her be comfy, and she’ll be much more open and you’ll hear her laughter!

Dany is hella stubborn and fussy especially when irked or irritated by...specific people ~ Dazai, dear Ranpo at the start 👀

All she craves is a simple life much like that of her childhood...she knows the likelihood of that is slim especially considering the growth of her ability and working under the Agency.

Nonetheless, it’s not something in achievable, it’s just...adapting and shaping it into something she once knew to something far better. The Agency is beautiful, a family she found unexpectedly, but wouldn’t trade the world for. It’s home, simple as that, they are her home 💖

Much thank you for the asks! 🥺 I hope you have a learned a little on my s/i! She’s a nice lass and loves meeting people, just hella shy. Also fiercely devoted in protecting those she cares about! — 🐺✨

[study-not-procrastinatiing]

So I got tagged in my first tag game (game? challenge?) by @gliagirlphd​, this is so exciting, thank you so much! 

Rules: Answer 10 questions, then tag and pose 10 questions to ten people. 

Long post warning, press J to skip to the bottom if you want. 

1. How would your best friend describe you in 5 words? 

:: Excitable, quiet (but rambles alot once you get to know me), ambitious, procrastinator, independent? I guess? 

2. What’s one thing (if any) that you still have with you from your childhood? 

:: I have a jade necklace that I got from my grandparents (who raised me until that point) when I boarded the plane to restart my life in Canada. I never take it off and probably will continue to keep it on for a long time into adulthood. 

3. If you were a book author, what genre would you write?

I actually co-published a short story anthology with my friend when we were in grade eleven of high school (not, I will not tell you what it was, it sucked). I wrote fantasy stories, and he wrote mystery stories. 

If I were to have the time to write another book now, I would probably do a combination of fantasy and Sci-fi, where the sci-fi is completely unexplained and the fantasy rigorously lawyered. That would be fun, I think. 

4. What is one thing you wish you knew how to do?

To articulate my thoughts concisely without having to write a script beforehand. Five years of putting myself through debate and model UN has only served to make me understand how inept I am at debate.

5. Name one thing on your bucket list this year?

Actually, get good at drawing anatomy and to know how muscles work without making them look fake. 

6. What’s your favorite hobby to do alone?

I like to draw or to play video games. I’m boring. 

7. If you could meet your favorite historical figure, who would it be and why?

Oh goodness, never meet your heroes.

I guess I would meet Ching Shih, the pirate queen lady? She’s not really my hero, but it would be so much fun to meet her. As, first, we can actually communicate because we speak the same language. Second, she would be like the one person historically who might actually take a young Chinese girl seriously without either being racist or sexist. Three, swashbuckling adventures, what is there not to love? Fourth, even if I'm stuck in that timeline, I would at least get pardoned, get rich, and die more or less naturally without being killed. And fifth, even if she does kill me on sight, what better way to go than at the hands of the most successful pirate in history? At least it would be a hell of a death. 

8. Someone comes to your town to sightsee. Describe 3 things/places around your town as boring as possible.

A bunch of really tall trees in the middle of a river, some tall rocks, and a structurally questionable bridge

9. Do you believe in deja-vu? Is it mere coincidence or something more to it?

I get deja vu all the time, I’m pretty sure it is just my terrible memory. I think it is mostly one subconsciously manipulating their memory to draw patterns with a current sight when slightly zoned out. 

10. Imagine you are the character in a movie; what would your soundtrack be like? 

I want it to be epic, it's probably Mambo No 5 

Alright, ten questions

How would you like to be remembered in two hundred years? 

If you can get any director for a documentary about yourself, who would you pick and why? 

What would be a museum exhibition that would definitely grab your attention? 

If you can commit any crime and get away with it, what would you do? 

Which anime/movie trope do you want to be? 

Which anime/movie trope are you actually? 

At what age would you tell a child that Santa isn’t real?

Which artist, either dead or living, would you pick to create a portrait of yourself? 

You can turn back time and rewrite one book that you read in high school English class, what would you change, and why? 

If you are a billionaire, what is the one totally self-indulgent and weird things that you would have, and everyone around you would have to pretend it’s cool? 

sorry for the super long post, for this challenge I am tagging @studyoncaffiene, @ishouldbestudyinghehe @nouvellestudy @studyingnotstressing @coffeesandyandstudy @captainofstudies @jessicastudiesx @myhoneststudyblr @ghostsnotes @laertesstudies