#i want to figure SOMETHING out tho cuz as it is my lines make my stuff feel so flat

[duskerot]

maybe i will stop lining my art . maybe i will just color under my sketches after cleaning them up alittle

[ginkgo-phyta]

I'm back again 😅

Hopefully, I'm not the only person with this opinion, but how do you think Spencer would react if his significant other told him that they thought he looked hot with his bulletproof vest on? 👀

omg is this injured spencer request anon?? I NEED TO KNOW im so sorry if it's not tho, whoever you are thank you so much for coming back!! i love you with all my heart you should use a special emoji as like ur own lil signature! :D

okay so i wanted to try blurb(?) format but mmm okay not really cuz just a wall of text was stressing me out but this is def more informal than my other work (look no capital letters!) and because i love you so much i present two scenarios for you :P... i cant fight this feeling anymore guys he rlly is so hot in his vest im becoming my most feral self grrrrr RAH RAH ALRIGHT hope you enjoy, my love!

OKAY SO SPENCER REACTING TO YOU TELING HIM HE'S HOT IN HIS FBI VEST gn! reader, fluff, second scenario a little steamy in tone but nothing explicit just h*rny vibes, no other warnings

if you weren't a profiler: you'd never thought about it before- spencer in his bulletproof vest. sure, you knew that his job required him to go into sticky situations where the prospect of gunfire was imminent and he would have to wear proper equipment, but you never put two nd two together. you never even thought of a kevlar vest as something that could be hot...until you saw a picture of him wearing it.

"what the hell is that." you blurt out, voice serious with hints of concern.

"huh?" spencer's as clueless as ever, a little worried about your reaction. he was just showing you random photos his team members had taken over the years, all printed out for easy viewing courtesy of the ever-so-accommodating penolope garcia. someone had taken a pic of a beautiful lake where the bau had saved yet another victim, the sun dipping below the horizon line of pine trees, painting the sky purple and pink. "um...the sunset?" spencer was confused, "i guess maybe it was kinda a weird time to take a photo, but no one was hurt and we caught the unsub and the sky really did look-"

you cut off his rambling with a wave of your hand, eyes never leaving the photo in front of you, "no, no...what's that." you point to what you were talking about, a figure standing off to the side.

spencer takes a minute, becoming even more bewildered "...me?" in that moment your world changed.

"oh my god... "you whispered in a daze, firmly pulling the picture out of spencer's fingers and into your own, "what...what are you wearing?"

"honey what's wrong? it's just my bulletproof vest. i know it might look a little funny, but it, y'know, keeps me alive..." he scratches the back of his neck. a couple seconds of silence pass, but to spencer it feels excruciatingly long.

"spencer," you look at up at him deadpan "you look so fucking hot." to say your boyfriend was shocked would be an understatement.

he was absolutely blown away by your response, so much so that the way his face contorted looked borderline disgusted. "wha-what?? huh? what?" he clamored, eyes flitting over your face to find any sign you were joking.

"seriously, baby, you look so good. oh, my God!!" you almost shriek, gripping the picture tighter, the widest, dumbest grin pulling up your cheeks as you giggle like a schoolgirl.

spencer smiles at your reaction, still a little perplexed "you really think so?" the notion begins to sink into his bones, making him giddy.

you very enthusiastically nod your head, "are there any more pictures of you like this?" you rip the rest of the photos out of spencer's hands, scouring through them at light speed. out of nowhere, spencer laughs out loud, his nose scrunching in delight.

"i...don't know what to say. i'm flattered you think that," a wonderful blush shimmers over his cheeks, "but no i don't think there are. sadly." he playfully adds.

you stop all movements, slowly turning towards him, suspiciously calm. "well then," you grab your phone and suddenly stand up "looks like i'll just have to ask penelope for some!"

"wait! wait, no!" spencer calls after you as you start speed-walking away, your shirt barely escaping his fingertips. he yells out your name, his serious tone interrupted by a giggle of his own as he begins chasing you, "get back here!" he knows: garcia can never ever find out about this...

if you were a profiler: you had seen spencer don his FBI branded bulletproof vest hundreds of times over the years. although you had pined over him for years and were now finally in a relationship with him, seeing him like that didn't make you feel any type of way really. sure, you thought he looked strong and handsome, but most of the time you were too caught up in the case or situation at hand to focus on how he looked. until now. something had shifted in him in the last few months, not just with his ever-changing haircut, but within the way he held himself; more confident, more sure of himself, even more cocky, if you will. whatever it was, it drew your eyes to him in his tight little vest like a lightbulb draws in moths- instantly and continuously. it all came to a head when you caught the unsub responsible for drowning and resuscitating his victims until they couldn't be brought back to life. spencer dove into the lake with emily to apprehend the killer while you had helped the kid he had hostage reunite with his mother. you smiled at the scene in front of you, the teenager running into his mother's shaking arms, her holding him close in a tight embrace. another good ending, you thought to yourself before turning back to watch your fellow profilers make the arrest. suddenly, you mouth goes dry. there spencer reid stood; soaking wet, clothes sticking to his skin, chest rising and falling as he panted to catch his breath, his hand pushing his wet hair out of his face. and that stupid, goddamn kevlar vest. oh, fuck. the others walked away from the dock to situate everyone and themselves in respected vehicles that sat back on the road a few hundred feet away from where you currently were. as spencer moved to follow behind emily, hands trying to flick the water off of him, your gaze stopped him in his tracks. he stood there, a bit confused as to why you were walking towards him, seemingly entranced, instead of beelining behind everyone else.

he spoke out your name, but you remained silent, stopping just a couple feet away from him. you took him in one more time: the way his shirt became translucent, granting you with peeks of his skin; his sleeves rolled up, showing off his delicious forearms; the way his soaked pants choked his thick thighs. you became woozy with desire. spencer watched as your eyes dragged over his figure, drinking in every inch of his dripping body. "oh, baby..." you voice drawled out as soon as your gaze landed on his bulletproof vest, "you're absolutely soaking wet." spencer's eyebrows shot up his forehead at the suggestive twinkle in your timbre. you approached him further, chest just inches away from his. if he wasn't so intrigued by your reaction, he would have been a bit more cautious of lingering teammates. your hands came up to ghost over his vest, "did i ever tell you how good i think you look in this?" you looked up at him through your lashes.

spencer chuckled, "in the bulletproof vest?" you nodded in response, but spencer still couldn't really believe it. "uh, no, actually, you haven't." his eyes glinted at the way you bit your lip, his hands moving on their own accord to rest on your hips. you could feel droplets of water seep into the material and lick your skin, but you didn't give a rat's ass.

"well, you do." you whisper, hands wrapping around the back of his neck as you pull yourself up to press a kiss to his lips, "really, really good." your mouth moves enticingly with his.

"oh? is that so?" he whispers against your lips, diving back in, his fingers digging in your hips. he graciously kisses you for a moment before it dawns on him that you're both still at work- in an active crime scene, at that. "mmh, mmh!" he vocalizes between kisses as he tries to move his head back a smidge. his eyes peak open just enough to see if anyone else was around. your lips are addicting, rendering him unable to fully tell you to stop, unable to fully pull away himself. he's relieved when he spots no one. still, he know this is far from appropriate. spencer's hands move up your body to wrap around your wrists behind him, pulling them away from him and the same time he pulled away from you, "okay, okay!" he breathes out with a chuckle, "i believe you now" he tries to catch his bearings, but your pouting face causes him to laugh again

"spencerrrr," you groan at the loss of your beloved's kisses and he turns you around and pushes you towards the spot where the others vanished, walking behind you with his hands on your shoulders, your body held at an arm's distance.

"let's go, angel." his words brought out a hmph! from you. "we can do more of that later at home" he whispers, leaning in ever-so-slightly.

you turn your head back to get a glimpse of him, your eyes and smile equally wide with excitement, "can you bring the vest with you?!"

A/N: OKAYYYY lemme stop myself before things get filthy LOL do yall know which episode im referring to in the second scenario? that end scene will always get me my eye are GLUED to spencer the entire time GODDAMN. okay anyway i hope you liked this anon!!! pls tell me yalls thoughts <3

[mellozheist]

hellooo!! first of all: I ADORE YOU your art is amazing and your animatics are so gorgeous and inspiring!! I'm sure you've already been asked this question but I couldn't find an answer so I figured it couldn't hurt to ask again: what program(s) do you use to animate? What's your process like?? I've been wanting to try and learn to make my own but I have no idea where to start and I figured I should ask a master :P

ello! I appreciated your kind words :D

sorry about the delayed reply, I thought I could have drawn my process out for you but it turns out I don't have enough time so here I go

I use Clip Studio Ex (still on ver.1) only Ex can do animation If you considering buying it

CSP Pro can only animate 12-24 frames which is difficult to work with

I wish to get back on Toonboom but I'm hella out of practice (It's a good program tho, though just not so friendly with beginners)

My process is to find inspiration first, for example

when I do fan animation/animatic like Hermitcraft or Life series

I just listen to the audio or songs on a loop until I have a rough idea in my head of what I want to draw

(When you start something, Just use the idea of "What you want to draw/express" not what others want to see, Just make sure you're having fun, and we can figure out along the way later)

TIP : If you don't feel like starting making animatic right away, I suggest you make other kinds of art for that Idea first, like some sketching art, illustration for catching the vibe you want to go for, or just character design as a reference! :D

after that, make rough sketches, It doesn't have to be pretty, just do a quick sketch so you won't forget the vibe and energy (it can be on paper, I recommend using a pen instead of a pencil cuz you won't have to delete and redraw, just make a new one, it's quicker)

I make re-sketching sometimes to fix composite or make a better pose sometimes, timing and spacing are also very important to make the movement smooth

I make a line of action guide for some difficult movements sometimes

When I do Lineart I just open all the videos to watch while head empty cleaning Lineart

There are many more processes for professional animators

I recommend you check out videos, there are tons on YouTube

here's some that I learned from

[suzukiblu]

I just wanted to say, yesterday I sat down and binge-read all your Timkon fics, as well as most of the WIPS, and I BADLY want to write some now. I've never really written Tim, tho, since I'm more used to writing Jason. Do you have any tips, or bits of Tim and Kon characterization you consider especially important? (The WIP I've made on my head, if it helps, is (Daemon AU) comics!Tim ends up on Young Justice!Cartoon universe, and he's very, very weirded out by how different Kon is to Conner, and very pissed off that this Conner gets a Daemon while his Kon doesn't have one.)

tbh it kinda depends on where you're trying to go with the fic idea, I'd say? Also why Conner DOES have a daemon and Kon doesn't, probably. Also-also, does Conner even actually have a daemon or is Tim just confused about Wolf or something.

Generally speaking, though, the thesis of Tim is that he is a ride-or-die guy who really fucking COMMITS when he makes a decision. Sure, he'll stalk Batman. Sure, he'll introduce himself to Nightwing and tell him he knows his secret identity. Sure, he'll put on the suit Jason died in to go save Batman and Nightwing from their own stupid selves. Sure, he'll be Batman's emotional support sidekick and lead Young Justice and the Teen Titans and try to clone his dead best friend and run around the planet solo to save Bruce from the timestream. Why not! SOMEBODY'S gotta do it!!

"Somebody's gotta do it" is a lot of Tim's motivation, from what I can tell, haha. He also comparmentalizes really well, is a very talented and skilled detective as his defining Robin skill, uses a bo staff as his signature weapon after convincing Lady Shiva to train him and was the dude who was smart enough to add pants to the Robin suit, and one of his more iconic lines is I think Cassie going, "you lied to Starfire?" and him answering, "I lie to Batman". Which he does. Frequently. Frequently and a LOT-ly. To be fair, Bruce is also a fucking liar, so he deserves it. Tim, however, actually has friends he will ADMIT are his friends without having to be waterboarded into it during an active apocalypse-level crisis.

The boy has no chill. He DISGUISES his lack of chill, but it is fucking nonexistent and the ONLY reason he looks "reasonable" is because his besties are the teen idol superclone with limited life experience and Stephanie "welp my dad's gone supervillain so I'm gonna go kick him in the dick with my intermediate gymnastics" Brown. And then there's Cassie "I'm just gonna ask Zeus for superpowers, natch" Sandsmark.

Also Bart. Also Bart is a thing. Bart is SO MUCH a thing.

So yeah, Tim is a full-stop no-holds-barred insane person, he's just also a better liar than any of his friends. Like so, so much better. AT LEAST THEY HAVE SUPERPOWERS, TIM. AT LEAST THEY'VE GOT THAT. He figured out Bruce's secret identity at NINE 'cuz he went to the circus as a toddler and Dick Grayson's flips were just that sick, and then just didn't tell anybody for FOUR FUCKING YEARS. Four fucking YEARS!! ACTUAL FUCKING YEARS. He just didn't think it was relevant, I guess?!!? So instead he just stalked them with his camera and took cool pics. So many pics. So, so many pics. And he skateboards.

Also he and Kon fucking could NOT stand each other at first because Kon was used to being a solo act and didn't want to answer to anyone else and Tim lacked the ability to convince him to listen to him and they just had VERY different personalities and priorities, and also for a little while in there Match was fucking shit up by pretending to BE Kon, and frankly it's a fucking miracle Tim and Kon didn't kill each other before they ever got to be Titans together, the way they totally failed to get along for the first YJ run.

Seriously, I think they actually had a literal fucking fistfight on Apokolips once, I think that ACTUALLY happened. In the middle of a literal WAR that happened. Tim. Tim, you KNOW better, buddy.

[fictionfixations]

wiki

I FIGURED OUT HOW PEOPLE ADD STUFF ON THE WIKI

there's TEMPLATES

(god i feel like sebek with all these caps)

ive mostly just been seeing how other people do it and referencing it (cause there's specific names for things. like the navigation box for events having its own thing and a specific name for its 'type')

so so.

You know that one post I made sharing Azul's birthday bloom lines because it wasn't on the wiki? I ADDED THOSE

not the recordings tho because i dont know how to do it and i dont think recent-ish cards have those audio files (you basically add stuff from a sort of 'storage'. Like. you put in the name and it just. appears. like, for card type or something like that you put in the card name, like, say, 'Birthday Bloom', and that card appears there. its cool.)

i dont know how to explain it.

I did it for tsumsitter kalim too

and then because i am insane i did his vignette too (MY HANDS HATE ME). im so bad at describing how the tsum moves around. it was repetitive with 'hops'

because i am undescriptive (also the tsumsitter doesn't have a icon as far as i can tell. so most of the parts with tsumsitter kalim i just switched to his dorm uniform one. but for that one bit where he picks up the tsum i set it to tsumsitter. so its just. red. ALSO i KNOW its tsumsitter because i went to riddle's and checked what outfit name they used for him and its Tsumsitter.)

i got lazy and stopped describing when it left. so if anyone wants to go do that be my guest.

anyway i dont know if there's some special thing for when a time skip happens. like when there's a black swipe to signify talking/time skip so. fshuif

i dont know how to add him to the vignettes box either so. whoops. (i didnt even know there was a vignette navigation box ngl)

and because. for some odd reason i like doing this. i added chapter 5-1, 5-2, and 7-1 of Sam's New Year Sale 2024 (That's Pomefiore's bit, and then Diasomnia's visit. contemplating adding Diasomnia's leave too but my hands hurt). because those are pretty short and dont make me die inside (everything else is so absurdly long and at that point when i feel like stopping i just dont want to leave it unfinished like that yknow?? so i just keep going until im done and then die inside)

i dont think there's a file for the hagoita thingy??? the paddle. thing. i know in some chapters in other stuff it shows images of the item itself. but i looked back to when it was first introduced and there's no image of it showing it. and i tried searching for the file but nothing. so. it prob doesnt exist.

anyway if there's any typos im sorry. its more noticeable on stuff like the name and outfit cuz any typos mess it up, but on text, unless it has that red squiggly, im blind

[leonenjoyer69]

Wanted to ask something about your bbg Elias, s there any difference between his face shape to Robert's the way Edward is different from Henry?👀

Been a while since I've last read your fic about Elias (two weeks in total but MAN those were some ling weeks-) so I might be forgetting stuff or small details about it cmdbcjbdksbxksbd

Don't worry, I forget things about my own fics very quickly 💀 I need to reread it and pump out the next chapter already, no matter how much I may dislike it. Also, honestly I've rambled and come up with so much stuff seperately from the story that I don't even remember what lore has been included in it! I just know there's really not much at all 💀 But!!! Yes there are differences! Uh, more below the cut cuz I'm gonna include art and stuff lmao

Okay, so, first of all, Elias's face is less round than Lanyon's, and a bit shorter. basically, his jaw is a bit more refined and also less chubby than Lanyon's, I guess. You know how hyde's face is shorter and chubbier/rounder than Jekyll's? Yeah, well, since Lanyon's already got his cute chubby cheeks, I figured Elias could lose some of that, he's still got very squishable cheeks tho, lil fella :3

otherwise, other facial differences include:

-lighter freckles, but still definitely visible, and he may have more than Lanyon

-lighter(?), less saturated skin

-usually has more of a flush on his cheeks

-less round eyes, generally have a more squinted look, since he's more sensitive to light (blue and green eyed gang with a sensitivity to light, rise up!)

-eyebags/sunken eyes

-hair is a pretty obvious one, they have completely different hair types (what those types are I couldn't tell you tho) and colors (and lengths, obviously)

-more scrunched up nose, basically always has that line between his eyes on his nose. kinda gives a small feeling that he's always a little disgusted, though people kinda got used to it as his usual appearance.

-funky lil eyebrows! They kinda end like Jekyll's do, with the little squiggle, but way less extreme and more up than down, if that makes sense? (pic of him bald for ref lmao) this is something that usually doesn't get noticed I feel because of how his hair covers them

-when front facing, he has the same lil nose thing that Lanyon has, that goes over the bridge of his nose and under his eyes. He's also just inherently got this insanely sad look I suppose 💀

And then there's,,,, this one. Uh, his body is far more lithe than Lanyon's, and his ribs show a bit. His freckles also span his chest and back and shoulders like Lanyon's do. His collar bones and such are also more present

OTHERWISE, for comparisons, this is,,,, one of the 3 times (basically) I've drawn Lanyon, and I don't really like it ngl, messed up the eyes too much, but some of the differences should kinda be visible.

Otherwise, there's also this piece--

Where I like how Lanyon looks and kinda,,, don't like how Elias looks, bc I kept messing up HIS eyes and mouth 💀 literally the best Lanyon I've drawn tho, shout out to this Lanyon specifically 🗣️🗣️

Anyways!!! Yeah!!! They certainly have their differences, as well as their similarities, I love my babies so much and I really really need to update my fic... Once the English language returns to me. Thank you for the ask, and I'm glad you enjoy my story and characters :D

[butterscotch-goat]

my dearest charlie, at last you're at peace

(lots of OC rambles under cut)

caption inspired by I believe a stage play version of Frankenstein? can't find it unfortunately :(( lmk if you do I'm happy to credit. Anyway OC time

CW for discussing of death, animal death, graves & corpses n stuff...

I know for sure she'll put in the box of deceased animals that were used for experiments in the grave, and I know she'll keep his glasses. Everything else tho I'm not really sure.

So I'm still trying to figure out exactly how Beatrice will and/or will not grieve. Cuz like. Yeah Charles needed to die and when he did Beatrice was not too fond of him, but at the same time, he was her best and only friend for over a decade. She loved him, and he loved her, until the uh. The plot. Happened. The Terrors™ if you will

I know she helps bury the body with Winston, but I'm not sure how many of Charles' belongings she'll put in the grave too.

I'm most stuck on how she will react upon finding the body, with aster there, gripping a blood-soaked candleabra.

I do know that she'll make sure Martha doesn't see anything while the body is being taken care of. Something along the lines of "Martha, stay in your room, close the door, and don't look out to the back yard. Draw the curtains, okay? Promise me you won't look and won't leave your room until we're done, okay? Read a book or practice one of your magic tricks or-or something. Occupy yourself for a bit. I'm sorry." Beatrice does NOT want Martha to see another corpse.

Not to be too cliche but I am a sucker for "character goes off on another character about pent up feelings and slowly gets sadder and sadder and ends up a crying mess on the floor" and something like that could work between Beatrice and Aster, with Beatrice having pent up feelings about missing Charlie (not Charles. Charlie. The shy boy she met in primary school who wanted to change the world) And aster maybe not exactly realizing that Beatrice is GOING THROUGH IT.

Anyway, that's all for now :)

[marshmallowsqoosh]

[Ghost (Band) | The Dancing (ficlet)]

Smol fluffy TerzOmega from discord that I wrote for my bestest enabler. I don’t remember why. Probably cuz he’s the bestest tho.

Once in a blue moon I am able to meet a fluff quota. The angst that follows usually makes up for me being marshmallow fluff though lmao. 

word count. ~1.300 warnings. minimum plot if any, fluff, author chooses to believe Nihil didn’t hate his kids and they have names that aren’t 1/2/3  (Special calls Terzo Vale for Valentino), headcanon that doesn’t line up with IRL (Era 2 and 3 Ghouls are separate people, not the same), Special & Terzo are BFFs, not beta read (if you spot typos lemme know!)

♥

[i. Crowded] 

Omega does his best not to let the disappointment manifest when yet another human catches Terzo as he's trying to cross the room and pulls him off for the next dance. He accepts, to keep up appearances; but, he still gives Omega an apologetic look over his shoulder as he's pulled back into the thicker part of the crowd.

Secondo's Ghouls have taken over a corner to themselves to dance with each other—Air constantly just barely hiding that he's floating and going out to bother Secondo in short bursts, only to be chased back to the corner he takes up with Water. It never seems to bother either of them, as they simply laugh it off. The other Era Three Ghouls got pulled into the dancing sometime earlier in the night and Omega lost track of them—he knows Alpha's skulking on the far side of the hall, doing his best to avoid getting pulled in for another dance. Because he doesn't have the same inclination to say no as Omega.

People ask Omega—or start to. They get close enough to ask him before deciding against it with little more than an unblinking stare. Alpha isn't allowed the same freedom, simply because he knows he has to be on his best behaviour and scaring any member of the clergy is... inappropriate and he tended to come off a bit more harsh than the others. Omega almost wants to tell him to just decline—that he'll deal with any repercussion the Fire Ghoul might face—so maybe people will get bored and leave faster—

He raises a brow when Special sulks around the edge of the dance floor and simply plops down on the floor next to him, knees pulled up to his chest and tail tucked inside of the suit jacket so he can chew on the spade without people noticing.

"I'm surprised you aren't dancing." He'd been remarkably social at the Grammy's—

"Everyone's scared of me." Omega almost doesn't hear him over the music and chatter. But, his ears twitch and he tilts his head a little to show he did hear. Special just puts his head against his knees. "People outside the Ministry don't know. They don't know to be scared and alcohol makes it harder for humans to know something's wrong with me. ... Doesn't work at home, though. Vale usually dances with me at least once, but I can't get him away from people. I tried. It didn't work."

He... maybe forgot that Special came off differently to people than other Ghouls did. As charming and approachable as he was... Omega's heard interviewers and venue staff comment on how unsettling he could be, despite doing his best to be friendly and easily being the most charismatic of… basically any of the band Ghouls.

“... It's not the same, but would you like to dance, with me? At least a little bit? I'll help you get Terzo's attention." Special looks up, giving him a skeptical look that Omega can't say he doesn't deserve, even as he extends a hand to help him up. "You shouldn't use his name in public, you know better."

Special might have something sassy to add; but, he seems to think better of it and finally accepts the offered hand up. Omega lets him figure out his hands—realises he's not used to dancing with people significantly bigger than him—before offering to lead. It's not much different than dancing with Terzo, in Omega's case, just... a little odd. Tense, at first—both of them more than a little aware of attention following them and Special trying hard to ignore the extra attention—but, as the smaller Ghoul start to relax and actually have fun, it... might make Omega smile. Just a little bit.

He might forget, a lot, that Special's probably the most emotionally fragile of the group, despite being the oldest; always setting his expectations as high—sometimes higher—than Terzo did and desperate to fit in when he knew he was different. But, it is nice to see him being a little less chaotic than normal while having fun.

It does work out as he intends. As the song ends and people begin meandering to find new dance partners, they're close enough to Terzo that Omega can give Special a gentle push towards their summoner and offer a tip of his head before he quickly escapes anyone trying to ask him to dance more. Terzo looks surprised and he thinks Special might look the smallest bit guilty; but, he can hear them laughing a few seconds later and Terzo declining other people asking him to dance by pointing out he's already got a partner for the moment.

Omega can be patient. He knows he'll get the last dance and... as much as he wants the world to know it can't have Terzo the way he does, he might be looking forward to a quieter dance without people watching them too closely.

[ii. Quiet]

As much as Terzo would love to just fall onto his bed, he knows he needs to wash his paint off. And get undressed. And wind down from the excessively fried and definitely dead social battery.

Instead of doing any of that, though, he decides on a far more important task and simply falls into Omega, face buried against his chest. The laugh floods him with warmth and safety—amplified when his Ghoul simply envelops him in a secure hug—and Terzo finally raises his arms to let them curl around Omega's torso.

"I'm proud of you for getting through the entire ball."

"I'm glad one of us is." He doesn't mean to grumble. "... Thank you. For letting Special have fun, too. You should have stayed close, so I could dance with both of you."

Omega hums and Terzo simply smothers himself in the reverberation in his Ghoul's chest.

Soothing. Sleepy.

"As much as I enjoy the world knowing it can't have you, I fear I would have become possessive if anyone asked you away after us, etiquette be damned."

Terzo laughs and finally looks up. He's so tired... but this feels right. And necessary. "Well. The world can't be upset if you're possessive now, can it? Dance with me?"

"You need rest." Despite the words, there's the smallest lilt of hesitation in the tone—hesitation that says he does want to dance, reflected in a shared warmth that Terzo feels in his chest that's just making him even sleepier as he relaxes. In the same vein, it makes him that much more determined to stay awake a bit longer and Terzo promptly rights himself, hands easily finding where they normally rest.

"Rest will be inevitable and frequent. I don't get nearly enough time to simply enjoy your company. Please?"

It's a quiet dance, at first—a few practiced, cautious steps just to ensure they have space to dance in the bedroom. An easy transition, especially when a gentle hum begins to fill the stillness, just before Terzo can ask if he should put a record on for music.

He doesn't recognise the melody right away, but it's soothing. Enough that he puts his head back against Omega's chest, only just staying awake as he realises the humming causes a steady, comforting rumble, makes the tune deeper, from his Ghoul's chest.

Safe. Comforting.

He' s only just staying awake because he wants to hear the song. He doesn't want it to end. He wants to ask what it is, but doesn't want it to end.

He hopes he remembers in the morning, because as the song—and, in turn, the dance—slowly come to a stop, Terzo simply lets out a slow breath and lets himself fall asleep with the most gentle nuzzle and prompting from his Ghoul.

I have you, Morning Star. It's time to rest... so you can shine all the brighter through the day.

He hopes he remembers to ask about that, too, because surely he must have misheard.

[urfavouritegirlie]

Chapter 6

(Part 6)

**The present**

Aaron POV

I recall on the memories of me and Maya from the old picture I have. The conversation I had with Miles has me really thinking about her. I really do wonder where she is now and what she could be up to. Since I have no job to do I had ordered a pizza and decided to be lazy for the night but then my phone starts buzzing. To my shock it's Jeff. I leave it and silence it. Minutes later my pizza finally arrives. I pay the delivery man and slump on the couch. My phone rings again. Him again. I sigh and pick up.

"What?"

"I called 5 times."

"And I watched ring 5 times."

"Why are you like this?"

"Cuz I'm your lil bro. Why'd you call?"

It's been a while since the two of us had talked. The last time wasn't so good either. It was about Miles being around me because I'm a bad influence to him because Jeff knows what I do.

"Rio wants you to come over on Christmas. We're gonna have a party and people are gonna be there."

"What your cop friends or sum?"

"No, family Aaron. Just be there man. Rio's been nagging me. Don't say I said that."

"Aight fine. Can't make promises tho."

Then the line cuts. Tsk. Man, this sucks. Maya would've dragged me without a doubt. Damn you Maya, why can't you just leave my head. I just miss her.

**Christmas Day**

I stand outside their apartment complex.

"UNCLE AARON, HEY"

Miles shouts from his bedroom window. I nod at him. Such a funny kid. I walk in and walk to their apartment. The door was already open with kids running in and out the place. I let myself in.

"Aaron hi, glad you could make it."

"Uh yeah, thanks for the invite Rio."

Miles almost tackles me to the ground from the side.

"Aye wassup lil man."

"Im 11 I ain't little no more but I'm good."

"All the guys are on the roof preparing the BBQ."

I walk up the stairs with Miles behind me. I open the door and there are more kids and grown adults. Downstairs was were the females were. Cooking and gossiping. The men on the roof talking, things that we talk about I guess.

"You actually came."

Jeff. I turn around and hook my arm around his neck.

"Well I can't miss a special Christmas invitation from my big bro."

Despite the distance between us, I will always love annoying the hell out of him. He shrugs his shoulder to remove my arm from him. He walks ahead with a bag of charcoal to bbq stand.

"Who's dumb idea was is to have a bbq in winter, in New York?" I ask so loosely.

"It was mine." Jeff so kindly replies;

"I figured that much."

I help out on what needs to be done, against my will. Honestly I didn't want to be here but Rio doesn't take no for an answer.

"You talked to Maya?"

I freeze for a moment and look up and shrug my shoulders.

"She calls me and Rio ya know. She's always asking about you."

I hesitate to ask but ask anyway.

"What did she say?"

"Maybe if you picked the phone you would know."

Here we go. Unwanted advice from my big bro. I roll my eyes and sigh.

"You know I can't do that."

He gives me a look and shakes his head.

"Maya is a good person, a great person even. Don't tell me you're gonna throw it away because of what you do. I know you didn't ask but I suggest you quit working for that man before something bad happens."

He's right, I can't lie, but the thing is I'm in too deep. I can't quit now because there are people who want me dead and out their way but I can't tell anyone that, not even Jeff. Being in contact with Maya would probably put her in danger. Having Jeff and his family close is a risk itself.

Jeff stopped the life of crime when we were younger, after mom passed and after we both spent a night in jail for robbery. I started hanging around with the wrong people that got me connected to Wilson Fisk. And now, I can't go back.

Maybe if I had continued that business me and Jeff had I wouldn't be in a predicament.

The party started and the music was flowing. Children of different ages playing and running around without a care in the world.

Maya had always talked about families. She used to have immense baby fever when she moved in with me. She would stare at every kid she would come across. She loved Miles like he was her own. She brought up the conversation of kids and I panicked. It was a not so good conversation. It ended in slamming doors, sleeping in the other room and tears.

How can I explain to her that bringing a child would be dangerous because of my job. That's a route I didn't want to go down. What if she would leave me for good. Even after all that she respected my decision. I honesty don't deserve her.

"Hola everybody, thanks for coming. Isn't it nice to have family for the holidays. I have a Christmas gift for everyone today. You're gonna love it."

This got everyones attention. What could she possibly have that everyone would love. Money? Nahhh.

She walks down the fire escape and small conversations emerge again. She came back as fast as she left. Everyone is now confused because she comes back empty handed.

"Well where is the present?" someone asked.

Then everyone notices another figure behind her. Then the world stops completely. Ain't no way.

"MAYA!" Everyone is rushing over to her and greeting her. She knows everyone here. No surprise. She's so likeable and approachable. Everyone loves her, well including me.

The atmosphere is filled with excitement as people are still talking to her. She lights up the room, well air with her smile. Her dimples haven't faded at all. I'm stood so still like a literal statue. Until I feel someone nudge me back to earth.

Miles.

"Huh?"

"I said go talk to her."

She's talking to people as she walks over. She's talks to someone and makes a brief glance at me with a smile. I'm not ready. I try to make an escape by turning around to get a drink or something but Rio is in the way. Giving me a look. A look with her arms crossed and shaking her head.

"What?"

Without a word she turns me back around and shoves me forward and into 'lo and behold' into Maya. She seems surprised to bump into me but I catch her out of instinct. She looks up and I look down. I'm so speechless I look like a fool.

"Uhh hey."

She attempts to hold a laugh but completely fails. She has me acting like a fool.

"Hi Aaron, how have you been?"

"I..ummm."

"Come on man don't stuttering on her now lil bro." Jeff mocks him.

"I'm doing good."

[otakween]

Digimon Adventure Drama CD 2 (Character Song + Mini Drama 2)

It's pretty funny how both this CD and the previous one begin with Butterfly. I guess the CD needed an OP just like the anime! Christmas isn't mentioned once on this CD by the way...

Download link

Drama Translation

Koushiro and the Missing Whereabouts of Love

In this mini drama Koushiro is writing a love letter on his laptop and the gang find out. Everyone mobs him with questions and excitement and then he flies away with Kabuterimon to escape.

I don't have much to say about this one because it was so short. The only thing I found kind of amusing was that Yamato defends Koushiro at first but then is like "actually, I want to see it too teehee."

When I read the translation for this, there were actually more characters involved than I realized. There were so many people talking over each other that I completely missed Gomamon was there lol.

Image Song 1 - VERSION UP (Koushiro Izumi)

Translation

I hate to say it, cuz Koushiro is my fave, but I think this was one of the weaker image songs. I like the appropriately nerdy title, but the lyrics were too abstract to be interesting. Something about changing the world for the better.

I did get a kick out of hearing Koushiro singing at least. I kinda wish the digimon had duets with their human partners. Hearing Tentomon singing would be hilarious (maybe that comes later).

Mimi’s Overly Self-Conscious Plans for World Domination

The gang capture Koushiro and continue debating over who he wrote his love letter to. Mimi is very confident that it's herself and goes on and on about how all men fall for her. Koushiro is apparently gagged so can't protest.

Kinda weird jokes in this one. They say that Koushiro would be unhappy with Sora because she'd have him whipped (which...where did that come from?) And then they do the whole "you can't date my younger sister" crap. Yamato chimed in that if he was Taichi he wouldn't let Koushiro date Hikari...why does he care? Just unfunny early 2000s gags lol

Another obscure reference joke. This time about The Kindaichi Case Files. Definitely had to wikipedia that one. This CD wasn't exactly written to hold up in the future, huh?

Image Song 2 - Because We Can See Each Other Anytime (Mimi Tachikawa)

Translation

I loved this one, extreme Mimi vibes. Nothing to do with saving the world or facing your fears, just a poppy love song. I guess there's definitely a tinge of melancholy to it. It sounds like it's about a long distance relationship.

I liked the lyrics and imagery in this one, especially the line about minds leaving bodies and meeting without any restrictions. It almost felt like a song about love during COVID lol.

Hikari’s Weak Constitution

Okay, this one was basically just a shit post lol. It starts off following up on the previous part with the gang discussing who Koushiro is writing a love letter to and then it just descends into chaos. Very "lol randum" kinda humor with the characters saying lines that have nothing to do with the situation. Kinda funny, mostly stupid.

Booo we don't even get to figure out who the letter was to because they beep it out. Hikari politely asking us to listen to her song was cute tho lol.

Image Song 3 - Holy Light (Hikari Yagami)

Translation

Another kind of abstract one only this one has weird psuedo-religious vibes. Typical of anime to do that though. I guess it makes sense with all the angel digimon. Gonna interpret this one as being about having faith in dark times. (Maybe not in the Christian sense tho lol)

Hikari's voice is really cute. I kind of wish there were animations of the characters singing these. Maybe if someone made an AMV with lip sync...

Preview for the Next CD

There's a little "next time on Digimon Adventure" preview at the end haha. Nice touch. No translation so I had to figure this one out on my own. Something about "hatsu yume" which is the first dream you have in the New Year.

I cracked the code, the reason why the cover art for this CD is Christmas themed is because it came out in December. Still weird, but okay...

[hellishgayliath]

19, 20, and 26 for the soft ask game!

19. Most important thing in your life?

I suppose my relationship with my siblings, my older sister especially. Compared to the rest of my family, we were and are always close knit with each other. We get each other in ways that our parents don't really get(sometimes). I live with my sister and i don't get to see my lil bro anymore except when i visit my mom. He had a bit of a fight with my dad last time he visited, got disrespected over his identity (we're both not cis) and now never wants to come back here and it sucks cuz me and my sister miss him. We're like the 3 scrooges yknow?

20. What do you want most in the world right now?

When i first read this question i thought it was more along the lines of what i want the most in life in general (like my own apartment or something), but right now right now tho: Motivation(summer makes it a lot harder to upkeep) , motivation to draw, motivation to read a lot of my unfinished books without losing the attention span to keep going, and my cats, i miss em :'U

26. What movie would you want to live in?

I legit spent a long amount of time trying to figure this one out, I even asked my sister and we were just pondering on it cuz frankly I have no idea! It's hard deciding on a world that if im gonna be an inhabitant of said world, I wanted to go with one that didn't get me roped up in drama or whatever shit was happening in it. I'm not an adventure seeking person so I would want the most chill and least stress inducing place to be in.

Superhero movies definitely not, I'd just be a poor sap that ends up as collateral damage during whoever's fight under a thrown car or fallen debris (including tmnt, spider verse and the incredibles sorry). I didn't go for disney princess movies either cuz i really wouldn't want to live whichever time period it takes place in. I love pokemon but i don't think i would handle living in it. The only one i think that wouldn't be too bad is maybe lilo n stitch, even if it is straight up Hawaii plus lil alien . Lilo's fun and a weirdo like me so i think we'd get along.

Did i overthink this more than was needed, eehhhhh just a bit, but that's just how my brain works.

[sungbeam]

here to flood your inbox with the questions✨

BUT HI DUCKIE MEIMEI 💗

3, 4, 9, 15, 18, 19, 21, 23, (IM SO SORRY FOR STEALING SO MANY NUMBERS BUT THESE QUESTIONS ARE SO GOOD), 28, 29, and 34

signing off with love

- ash

ash jie !!!! tysm for ur ask ^_^ and omg ty for the influx of numbers hehe <3

fanfic writer asks

3. What's been your most popular fic this year?

oh it was definitely my beomgyu drabble mine !! it was the fic that got me a ton of my followers and it's my first post to reach 1k and 2k+ notes which was super exciting :')

4. What piece of writing are you most proud of?

find my answer to #4 here!

9. What's a scene you wrote this year that you're particularly proud of?

hmm kind of a hard question cuz sometimes i think i'm a genius and other times i think a scene just doesn't work 😭😭 but ,,, i'll say i remember being super satisfied w lost at sea the pilot episode/chapter for my *cough* unfinished riptide!mark lee series ha,, haha

15. Are there are other writers or artists who have inspired you?

OH MY GOD SO MANY (´Д⊂ヽ i'm just gonna name drop :') @ethereal-engene ofc, @loveliestfelix @korijime @jaehunnyy @leejungchans @goldenhypen @/maijunejuly @petrichor-han @tranquilpetrichor @justalildumpling @polarisjisung @stayarmytinyzenmoa-l probs many more as well ksfbkenf but thank u all for being such amazing people who light up my dms and dashboard and make me want to keep writing and dreaming :')

18. Do you have a fic that you wish received more attention?

lmao a few tbh so i'll recommend a few 😁

— cruel summer (kim seungmin)

— the cage (yoon jeonghan)

— in all your endeavors, forever (kim hongjoong)

— 11:22am (jung sungchan)

19. What was your favorite comment, or piece of feedback this year?

definitely has to be ash jie's full review of in all your endeavors forever like having a whole post dedicated to a very through review of MY OWN fic just,,, omg it just made my day fr like woah mind-blown yk? so thank u sm jie :'( 💖

but in general, any feedback or comment just makes me so warm and fuzzy and excited !! once, someone told me they came back from the dead to remind people that i was one of the best writers here and tbh i could cry 😭😭😭 ??

21. Not a question, but a challenge! Say something nice about your writing!

*panics* UHM!! i,,, like that i've been improving in the description department? idk bro (´Д⊂ヽ like i'm trying to be more patient with my descriptions and i def have some work to do w solving my white room syndrome, but i think i'm getting better w touchy feely emotional things lol

23. What fic did you enjoy writing the most?

i actually really enjoyed writing the fics with crack/humor in them a lot! i write a lot of angst and i do enjoy writing that too, but i also love writing banter sm

will specifically mention this jungwon fic and this nct dream fic tho

28. What is your favorite story or chapter title you came up with this year?

OOH !!! uhhhhh i really like "cruel mercy" (wip), "bird hunt" (wip), and "dear chan, have you ever been in love before?"

29. What was the funniest comment or piece of feedback that you received?

AHAHHAHA when i posted the one beomgyu drabble for my october mini series, almost all the reblogs were talking abt how tf were those cheesy pickup lines attractive 💀🤡 tbh only beomgyu could make corny ass pick up lines attractive but yuh ✨ also whenever em rbs my stuff, she's so funny sjfnejfbj like i once posted a fic at 2am and she rb'd w smth like wait y aren't u asleep beam (ignoring the fact that she was also not asleep 💀)

34. What's the weirdest thing you researched for a fic?

LMAOO i don't think i remember half the things i google while in the moment tbh 🤣 but i vividly remember going down the rabbit hole of cheerleader positions and stunts for this one wip bc idk what any of that cheer stuff is called (´Д⊂ヽ and i think soon i'm gonna need to spiral down the dance rabbit hole too @_@ like figuring out waltzes and tangos and what that one dance intak did for isac :')

[sindumpster]

Hey Wiggs idk if you have any experience in storywriting but i really wanna introduce my own characters to the world but have no clue how. I can't draw to save my life and i'm too insecure about my writings i always delete the drafts. H e l p

STOP DELETING YOUR DRAFTS!!

Like I mean this in the kindest way, but how are you going to share anything you make if you delete it? Especially drafts, because the whole point of a draft is to serve as a stepping stone. How are you going to improve upon a story you no longer have? At the very least, make yourself a hidden folder and save it to that so you can pretend it doesn’t exist without actually deleting it. Or make a burner email or private account somewhere you won’t check often and copy-paste your drafts to it. There’s a butt ton of ways, but I recommend picking one until you’re comfy letting your drafts stay.

Cuz yeh I do have a bit of experience as a writer. I consider myself more of a visual arts person, but I do write a lot, both for college and for myself (and RPs with friends, which is also a practice option). And I started with writing stories years before I pursued art. Neither of which I was particularly good at when I started out. I’m not a savant-type lol, I had to practice and keep working at it. It’s like learning to play an instrument—nobody expects you play Bach the first time you pick up a violin, but if you stick with it, you can learn how to play Bach.

But you’re also gonna be your own worst critic, and you’ll also have to learn how to fight the gremlin in your brain that says you suck. Like if you think I’m a good artist/writer/whatever, know that I still have that voice that tells me I suck, and that I can’t draw or write for shit. There’s artists and writers out there that make me look like a baby by comparison, and they have to fight that gremlin too, because you can always do something better. There is no point at which you can no longer improve. But that’s also kinda cool because it means there’s no limit to what you can make, and no cap to how good you can get if you stick with it. As a creative, it’s both a blessing and a curse, but it takes time to appreciate the blessing side of it.

…weird ramble aside tho, I think you should also lower your expectations when it comes to drafts. Like I mentioned before, drafts are stepping stones. Sometimes my drafts are incoherent word vomit where I just throw up sentences and words as they come to me, or lists of things I want to have in a story. Drafts will never be perfect, and may not even be good, because they’re for sorting out your ideas and trying things. The point is to fuck around and find out. Give yourself permission fuck around. Maybe it’ll go somewhere, maybe it won’t. If you stick with it though, you’ll eventually start revising and honing it down, and it’ll sound more like complete story. Trust the process and give yourself permission to make mistakes. And if your end goal is to post it, figure out how to get it to a point where you’re okay putting it out in the wild. But ultimately, let yourself enjoy the process of creating, even if you think it’s flawed. Perfection is an illusion, so fuck perfection, and have fun instead.

Another thing I’ve found is that sometimes you just need to let a project sit (writing and drawings). I usually let art age a few days where I don’t do anything, and I don’t post it. It lets me come back to it with fresh eyes so I can spot anything I want to fix. But also I’ll dislike it less. Sometimes you just hate something because you’ve been staring at it for too many hours/days/weeks, and need to NOT look at it. Writing especially, sometimes I just need to walk away from a draft for a while, so that instead of being like “THIS IS ALL GARBAGE >:[” I can instead be like “I like the idea, and that last line is 👌, but this dialogue feels a little stale”.

Also if it helps, I’ve rewritten this ask 4 times now. I’ve been drafting, if you will I’mnotsorrylmao. And I’m certain there’s a better, more concise way to say what I want. But if I fixate on that, I’m never gonna post an answer to this ask, am I? And that would suck so much worse that this imperfect response lol.

PS: I know writing and drawing are super complicated and nuanced, along with all the feelings related to them, and there’s a ton I didn’t even touch on cuz otherwise I’d never finish writing this. But if you need any pointers or more specific help on how to start, feel free to ask or reach out.

[butmakeitgayblog]

May I ask your advice? I’m in a weirdly complex relationship situation. Got married 7 years ago to a dude, great person and everything, just realized I was queer about 3 years in. 5 years in I had to admit to myself I’m just gay and needed to figure shit out. Well, we’ve been going through a slow (1.5 yrs) separation to make sure we’re being kind and respectful to each other’s hearts and everything, and we got to the “seeing other people while the state we unfortunately reside in takes 9000 years to process the divorce” stage. And then I met someone. She’s understanding but also understandably a lil wary of “that” scenario, but knows the deal and as far as I can tell seems all in? But like… isn’t a very prolific communicator and I’m tripping over myself trying to build something while walking on all these eggshells because I’m scared of spooking her by getting too attached too quickly. She’s fully chatty and engaging and isn’t standoffish by any stretch, and I’m pretty sure all the worry is just in my own head, but like how do I gage if I’m overdoing it or not???? With dudes it’s easy. Oh and also the soon-to-be-ex is cool with it, but I think the fact that he exists is a ‘commitment deal breaker’ for her right now and I don’t know how to navigate.

I'm so sorry, I just realized I never asked this. This got kicked down in my inbox and somehow I forgot it, and now I feel like an ass cuz I know it's been here forever 😬 idek if you guys are still together at this point. Epic fail on my part

Honestly tho, from what little information there really is here, it sounds like you've done the best you can do. You're open about how you feel, and despite what weird ~cringe~ culture might try and say, that is a good thing. Yeah there is a line where interested becomes overbearing, but generally people put out signs of that. If you notice she's constantly reiterating to you that she's fine and likes you, you might be pressing the issue.

It sucks but at some point you have to just trust people at their word. If she's sayings she's into you, then believe it, even if she's not in the place to commit. And if she's saying that the whole ex deal makes her wary, then give her time. Let her see that your attention is on her and not him. Let her see that you guys aren't interested in each other like that anymore. In the end one of two things will happen, either she'll get the picture that you're actually single and only interested in her just like you said and realize her hesitation wasn't necessary, OR, she won't. In which case, it just wasn't meant to be. But either way, at the end of the day a relationship is never gonna be built on one person jumping through hoops to prove themselves/anything to the other. If she cares about you she won't want that either, she just needs time to figure her own shit out. Just relax, enjoy her company and all the fun parts of a new relationship 💕

[stepswowdsen]

【Magi】 JuAli Omake Rambles 🖤❤️💛

Snippets from a REALLY long convo I had with my friend Cinna (@/cinnamononions) who was reacting to the YGO DM manga.

It was mainly us going over the Kaiba centric scenes in YGO DM: Death-T arc, and she noted differences in the Finnish TL vs. Viz's official EN TL. I haven't posted that yet. I'll put it in a future post

The convo’s really long so I’ll mainly just post the Magi: JuAli tangent part of our big convo for now.

There's some YGO DM: KaiYami and YGO: GX JohaJu rambles and misc rambles from other series sprinkled in though.

I wanted to compare this Magi: JuAli omake between the fan-TL and Viz's official EN TL.

(I still haven't checked out the JP version for this scene yet. When I do, I'll make a new post)

Fan-TL

(Magi: Kou Empire Arc - Vol. 28 - Ch. 278)

Translated by @/arashidono

Official TL by Viz

Summary:

Fan-TL:

(+) More literal, which is interesting

(+) Usually more accurate in meaning

(+) I personally prefer the prose and wording, especially for important scenes

(-) Readable, but the text and pages aren't as clean obviously cuz they were scanned directly from the magazines at the time of Magi's release, so you can't see art details very well

(-) Fan-TL team had to figure out how to translate the names and terms, etc. So the names change overtime, and the fan scan team eventually adjusts to the most commonly accepted spellings

Viz (Official TL)

(+) Has higher res HD scans and much cleaner pages to see all the details of Ohtaka's art

(+) Well professional and sounds more natural, which is also interesting

(+) Typesetting is much better since it's done by professional typesetters rather than a hobbyist team of fans

(+/-) Consistency with how terms are translated, but they also choose really weird spellings tbh

(+/-) Viz's TL is ok. The translation generally gets the point across.

(+/-) Generally translates terms (ie. attack names) to English More distanced from the OG text in terms of meaning

(+/-) Character's speech styles can get lost with how Viz translates things though

(+/-) Often cuts dialogue shorter so it can fit within the speech bubbles, so Viz's TL often loses the full context for these lines

...

Me: Also first off I'm gonna start with my rambles that I genuinely prefer the fan-TL for this JuAli omake.

Alibaba's tone in his dialogue generally being much more calmer and softer and empathetic towards Judar (and thus, capturing the original intended meaning and tone much more closely to the OG JP version) is something I 100000% prefer. It feels more fitting to his chara.

Like WOOOOW the way Alibaba's "You seem rather spoiled and pampered, Judar," turns into "What a spoiled brat!" In Viz's version, does change the tone and way it comes across.

It loses the air of humbleness and maturity that his character has, late-Kou Empire arc and beyond

...

Me: What I cannot stand about Viz's prose is that they make everyone sound the same too. Their way of translating dialogue is so samey sounding. And it's not really the first time that a Viz official TL feels harsher. Like, a lot of softer nuances in charas' speech pattern just gets flat out erased in Viz's official TLs and it annoys me sm.

C: Yeah this is such a Viz thing, god. YGO DM’s Finnish TL still has this issue but at least like. Yugi and Jonouchi use different first person pronouns, etc. Subtle differences.

Me: RIGHT like I've seen tons of series officially localized by Viz and it's so typical of Viz's official TLs /neg

Me: Magi's official TL by Viz is fine, thank god. YGO DM and DGM by Viz are decent at least. My childhood series, KHR and MMBN/EXE were absolutely butchered by Viz's awful official EN TLs by them, tho, holy shit...

Also out of big manga EN localizers, my preferences for TL quality goes like this: Yen Press >>>>>> Kodansha >> Viz

Me: (Magi: Kou Empire arc - Vol. 28 - Ch. 278)

The JuAli omake

Judar's gay tsundere ass LMFAO 😭

Gay and a menace to women!

In the original, Judar just calls him haniwa ("Clay doll") but in the Viz version it's Sausage. LMAO

Like, one example that comes to mind for me is how Viz translates the JuAli scenes in the Kou Empire arc. Like their meeting on the Dark Continent with Judar and haniwa (clay doll) Alibaba.

Summary: Due to plot/story reasons, Alibaba is currently a sausage shaped haniwa (clay doll) like OoO and travelling with Judar.

Like it makes Alibaba's tone come off WAY different... Like he obviously has this air of humbleness and maturity to him, late Kou Empire arc and beyond, and it’s especially apparent in his scenes with Judar. But it loses that nuance with Viz's version.

The Viz TL is much less softer compared to the OG which is much softer in tone.

Can't say I'm a fan of how Viz translated this compared to the fan-TL tbh but it's. Ok. You get the gist of it. At least now I have Ohtaka's omake extra comics in HD though. I do appreciate Viz’s TL for that. It’s interesting to see cuz officials TLs almost always have more natural sounding liberal English, while fan-Tls are typically more literal and more accurate in meaning.

Magi: Vol. 28 - Ch. 278 - JuAli Omake

Fan-TL

Translated by @/arashidono

Alibaba: Looks like you were raised spoiled and pampered. I didn't expect that from you, Judar.

Official TL (Viz)

Alibaba: What a spoiled brat!

C: Oh yeah! Very different wording

Me: Like Alibaba's tone is clearly softer in OG

C: And a lot less sympathy in Viz's TL, too, even though Alibaba is supposed to be empathetic as a character.

C: Aaa yes this one

Lmao the tone is completely different

Me: Also Viz go fuck yourself for trying to make it sound like he's into women 😭 🖕

C: LMAOO

Me: But at least he (Judar) clears it up that he's not interested. Whews!

C: At least!

Me: Cuz I KNOW for a fact that Viz ALWAYS has a tendency for adding straight ship tease even when it doesn't exist in the OG text (source material), but tones down or erases gay subtext...

C: HKAKHLDKGKDNFKKDK YEAH THIS HAS INDEED HAPPENED.

Me: I think I just realized an example of this.

Iirc, Viz added MLW ship subtext that doesn't exist in OG with PokeSpe (Pokemon Special AKA Pokemon Adventures manga), vs. them toning down gay subtext with Kanda/Alma in DGM.

C: They really toned down actual queer coding in DGM 😭

C: And yeha I think Viz' PokeSpe TL adds some random fanservice for MLW ships

Can't remember specific examples but 🙄

Me: (Put the rest of the misc rambles at the end of this post)

...

C: Omg the sausage Alibaba story

Ahhh I see. That makes sense.

C: Viz is Viz, never expect too much /neg 😩

So valid

C: “WHAT A RUDE SAUSAGE” AJGKNAGNNANANANANS

Viz reducing the clay doll into a hot dog

Me: JUDAR IN THE VIZ TL CALLING ALIBABA "SAUSAGE" IN THE JUALI CHAPTERS I'M DECEASEDDDDD /POS /ENDEARING

Judar: Are you ok, sausage boy!?

THAT'S SO FUCKING FUNNY LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I accept Haniwa (“Clay doll”) turning into Sausage cuz it’s really funny

...

C: HELPPP

Alibaba: You're not popular with girls? Just like me!

C: YEAH VALID

Sausage boy omg

Jar of Alibabas be like 🌭 jar

C: This is hilarious

Alibaba: You abuse your power, so you get to wear damp clothes.

C: The little high five when Judar manages to fly again by thinking of Aladdin omg

Cute

C: Tbh I like it but it's also distanced from OG text as per Viz 😩

...

Me: Yeah I love the haniwa Alibaba JuAli omake. It's so funny

My JuAli crumbs come from the JuAli chapters late Kou Empire arc and the omakes

Really good crumbs though

Me: “Viz is Viz never expect too much”

HHH YEAH

Like their TLs for Magi, AkaYona, and ROTRK are fine at least though

Me: “Viz reducing the clay doll into a hotdog”

VIZ MADE JUDAR'S LINE "WHAT A RUDE SAUSAGE!" RATHER THAN "YOU RUDE HANIWA!" IN THE FAN TL LMAO

Ok I get this one. This one’s fine with me. Maybe they thought clay doll was too clunky. It sounds fine to me though but alas. Plus Viz always translates terms into English. Like they do that with the attack names in Magi

We got Judar asking Alibaba "Are you ok sausage boy?" Out of it though. I'll live with that LMAOOO it's so funny

Me: “You’re not popular with girls? Just like me!”

YEAH HHHH

Alibaba telling Judar in the fan TL, "You mean you're unlucky with love? For the first time I feel close to you!" Lmaooo

Judar's gay ass: 🧍

S: HAH

Me: Judar asking Alibaba, "Are you ok, sausage boy?" In Viz's version LMAOOO

HELPPPP

Me: Alibaba telling Judar in the fan TL, "Power is wasted on you. Half dried clothes suit you best. You're such a pampered one." LOL

Me: YEA THIS IS FUNNY

Me: “The little high five is so cute”

Yeah JuAli doing the little high five is so cute

When Judar learns how to fly again in a space where his magical power is weak while thinking of how to beat Aladdin 😭😂

Alibaba knowing how to motivate Judar lmaooo

Me: “Tbh I like it but it’s distanced from the OG text, as per usual Viz”

Yeah this is how I feel about Viz's Magi. I surprisingly like most of it. Tho tbf Magi already has banger dialogue as a story/narrative, so it explains it. You can’t really ruin goated text unless you translate it really badly.

The way some lines are translated is just grrr though. It's fun to see Magi translated in more liberal English and I like it. It's generally fine. But yeah, as you said, Cinna, it's distanced from the OG text in terms of the meaning. I like how we have access to the high quality scans of Ohtaka's art for seeing details. The typesetting and fonts are better.

But I prefer the fan TL cuz it's closer to the OG text and more accurate in meaning. And I prefer the wording and prose tbh

Also the other thing is that EN official TLs usually have to shorten the length of the lines so it can fit within the speech bubbles (which is understandable). They get the point across fine, but lose the full context of dialogue lines. But I like reading good fan-TLs cuz they usually give me the full context that the original text intended.

...

Me: Now that I think about it, my KHR OC, Selena, is also a water themed gal :)

Selena (KHR AU), Tatsumiya (WATGBS AU), Kougyoku (Magi), my water themed wifey wife trio 🫶 🌊

C: “My JuAli crumbs come from late Kou Empire arc”

That's so valid

C: “Viz’s TLs for Magi, AkaYona, and ROTRK are fine tho”

YEAH... Their DGM translation isn't too bad either but it's still well. Viz.

C: “YOU RUDE SAUSAGE!”

FRIGGING SAUSAGE

Right and they can't have too many Japanese words included I bet

C: “Sausage boy is so funny tho. I’ll live with that”

TRUE JAHFJSJA

C: “You’re unlucky with love? For the first time, I feel close to you!”

Yea that is. Such a whole different sentence.

C: “Are you ok, sausage boy?”

Why is there no sausage emoji I can put here

🌭

C: LMAO

C: “JuAli doing the little high five is so cute”

That's. Definitely amusing lmao.

C: Yeah that makes sense

Yeee very valid Viz TLs often follow a very specific tone for all series (Which can definitely cause issues!

Me: Yeahhh exactly

As Lumen said, Viz's Magi official EN TL is still interesting to see cuz it's in more natural sounding English

But the fan-TL still sounds good and is more literal and I prefer the prose more. Also it's closer in meaning

Me: YEAH SAUSAGE IS SO FUNNY

Yeah Viz also translates all the Arabic inspired attack names to English so yeah

Me: Yeah ngl I'm not a fan of how Viz tried to imply this scene was about women

Fan-TL

Judar: The stupid king told me that I'd have more success in love wearing middle eastern clothes. Ha ha... He's so stupid...

Alibaba: You mean... You're unlucky with love!! For the first time, I feel close to you!

Viz

Judar: Besides, Sinbad said women love middle eastern clothes!! Ha ha! What an idiot!

Alibaba: Oh! You're not popular with girls?! Just like me!

Me: Like of course Judar's gay ass is just gonna be like 🧍 I don't like Viz trying to imply that. But thankfully the next page is still fine and clears it up. Cuz it still shows how disinterested he is in women

Me: “That’s definitely amusing lmao (irt JuAli’s little high five)”

Yeah it's like. In a way, they definitely know how to push each others' buttons, play with each others' curiosity and motivate each other!

Me: “Viz TLs often follow a very specific tone for their series”

Oh yeah that's also very true. And yeah it can definitely cause issues

Viz's official EN TL for AkaYona is generally pretty bland and it sounds so samey/affects how characters' speech styles are translated. It's ok for Magi tho.

C: Yea like especially characters' speech styles can really get lost with how Viz translates things

Also understandable

C: “Viz translates all the Arabic inspired attack names to English”

SAD AS HELL

C: “Official TL with more liberal English while fan TL is more accurate in meaning”

Oh yeah that makes sense

Pros and cons to both

C: HJFJFDKD REALLY SO DIFFERENT

C: YEAH VALID

Me:

Summary of my personal observations

Fan-TL

(+) More literal, which is interesting

(+) More accurate in meaning

(+) I personally prefer the prose and wording, especially for important scenes

(-) Readable, but the text and pages aren't as clean obviously cuz they were scanned directly from the magazines at the time of Magi's release, so you can't see art details very well

(-) Fan-TL team had to figure out how to translate the names and terms, etc. So the names change overtime, and the fan scan team eventually adjusts to the most commonly accepted spellings

Me:

Viz (Official TL)

(+) Has higher res HD scans and much cleaner pages to see all the details of Ohtaka's art

(+) Well professional and sounds more natural, which is also interesting

(+) Typesetting is much better since it's done by professional typesetters rather than a hobbyist team of fans

(+/-) Consistency with how terms are translated, but they also choose really weird spellings tbh

(+/-) Viz's TL is ok. The translation generally gets the point across.

(+/-) Generally translates terms (ie. attack names) to English More distanced from the OG text in terms of meaning

(+/-) Character's speech styles can get lost with how Viz translates things though

(+/-) Often cuts dialogue shorter so it can fit within the speech bubbles, so Viz's TL often loses the full context for these lines

Since I wanted to see how the text was originally intended to be read, so I read the Magi fan TL first. But reading in any order is fine

C: YEAH HAVFJSJDS

C: Yuuup

A lot of charas’ unique speech styles get slaughtered in translation especially if Viz is at it

C: That sounds about right

Yeah Viz often tries to water things down and make everything same-y which is....

C: Very valid

Me: “Charas’ unique speech styles get slaughtered in translation especially if Viz is in charge”

Yeahhh exactly. I agree… Yeah I also noticed a lot of times Viz cuts the dialogue for it to fit in the bubble and make it shorter. While the fan-TL generally gives more context to these lines

Me: Yeah it's why Viz’s official TLs are either decent, or sound generally bland.

Like AkaYona’s EN official TL by Viz has such bland prose, it’s so boring sounding to me.

ROTRK’s EN official TL by Viz is so good it’s hard to believe it’s a Viz localization LMFAO

C: Oh makes sense

Yuuup

...

DGM & YGO: Rambles

(MASSIVE DGM SPOILERS)

(Original)

Alma: I love you, Yu…

(Official TL by Viz)

Alma: You are dear to me, Yu…

Like??? Viz you ain't fucking worth shit

Also I'm assuming that Daisuki (大好き, "I love you") is used in this scene in DGM

...

Me: Ok I just realized an instance of "Viz adding ship tease to MLW ships when it isn't present in OG text"

Yeahhh like one example that came to mind was between Gold and Crys in PokeSpe, I think

They have an interesting dynamic in that they bring out the worst in each other, but it's just super unappealing as a ship imo

C: RIGHT LIKE

And yes it is with Daisuki

But Iirc I've understood Hoshino has on her Instagram talked of Kanda and Alma in ways that kind of imply the queer coding is very. very intentional

But I haven't seen a source augh

Me: Yeahhh, like, unlike most shounen, it actually feels very intentional here (irt the confession scene in DGM), so it is actually queer coding.

Which is different from unintentional/accidental shounen gay subtext (which is the majority of shounens)

C: Alma is literally a woman's soul put to a man's body. SOMETHING is queer there

Me: Even the Kaiba/Yami ship in YGO DM still counts as gay subtext cuz nothing is confirmed. The food is great tho but it's still accidental/unintentional shounen homoeroticism

C: Right like Kanda and Alma are really unlike anything It's obviously intentional which is really rare in mainstream shonen

C: Iirc yes

C: Yeah. 😭

Me: The only exceptions that I can think of is newer YGO series getting more progressive. Like the one I showed. Iirc, the recent YGO series spin-off, Go-Rush, actually has a love confession between the protag and his rival

Cuz even in previous YGO series, even when love is spelled out in a gay ship, they go the cheap route of keeping it as subtext and not confirming/going with any canon ships

C: Johto Trio in PokeSpe are great besties but I feel like Gold and Crystal being involved romantically would be miserable for them both, lol

C: Yeah!

But YGO is progressing in this regard

(MASSIVE YGO GX: SEASON 3 SPOILERS)

Me: Ok I'll try to sum up YGO GX: Season 3.

Judai is YGO GX's protag and Johan is his best friend who he immediately got along well with. They developed great synergy.

In YGO GX, when Yubel, the agender Duel Monster who wants to "take back Judai," possesses Johan, and duels Judai, they say, "You're actually aching with someone you love… How come you weren't this serious when I was the one involved?"

And in the series it explicitly spells out that Yubel acknowledges that the "love that Judai gave to her past self/reincarnation is now for Johan."

But YGO GX still goes the cheap route of not confirming any ships/not going with any canon ships, not with Johan, or Asuka who is the token femme love interest.

C: OH YEAH HSHFHSHDHSSH BATSHIT INSANE STUFF

Whatever they were trying to say with THIS

Me: YEAH THIS IS CRAZY FOR AN OLD 2000'S SHOUNEN SERIES

It's still gay subtext tho since they don't go with any canon ships or confirm anything.

Me: Kaiba/Yami's food is also batshit as well, but it's mainly gay subtext, similar to JohaJu.

It's also so so so funny cuz Yubel chooses to possess Johan specifically. Not Asuka. But Johan.

YGO DM: KaiYami

(YGO DM anime)

Kaiba: I tremble with desire...

(YGO: Duel Links - Mobile Game)

Kaiba: Even if all 8 billion people were here, it wouldn't be enough. Because the one person I want wouldn't be around. Reviving him is what this world needs! And what I need!

(YGO: DSOD - Movie)

The entirety of YGO: DSOD, that canonically takes place 6 months post-YGO DM manga canon. Kaiba is mourning in his own way for Yami Yuugi (Atem), wanting to revive the Pharaoh Atem and meet him again, remaking an entire holographic replica perfectly, for him to duel against but not being satisfied cuz it doesn't have Atem's soul, having an entire space station built so that he can try and reach Atem in the afterlife, being extremely overprotective of the Millenium Puzzle since he believes Atem's soul is trapped inside so it's surrounded by glass and lasers and shit, etc.

There's SO MUCH I'm not mentioning but yeah. Here's a snippet of KaiYami. A little sneak peek into Kaiba's obsession with Yami Yuugi (Atem)

[toestalucia]

can i talk about sr joel's fate eps again cuz they make me lose my mind. fate eps i went into like hihi joel but was immediately hit with 1) ebisu & echidna talk 2) dealing with captain making assumptions about him leaving the crew and being upset about that all on their own. been dying for them to discuss that more and then they gave me it in JOELS fate eps.....

ive been over this in the past too, but stuff like the crew succeeded with its initial goal/get-together reason in erste & crew members who has finished the reason why they joined the crew (such as joel realizing there very likely isnt a sea to swim in in the crimson horizon -> the topic of 'joel has no reason to stay' comes up) & then decided to keep travelling..........................luna's 'i dont like bad end movies' or whatever the title is..............oughhhhh i looovvvvvvvv when characters say they intend to stay with the grandcypher/join for estalucia it makes me so emotional

Joel: So in Auguste, the mother of the Crimson Horizon became the Mother of Life. That's why we believe an ocean waits at the bottom of the sky.

Joel: The same thing happened with Ebisu, the primal beast of blessings. In Auguste, that name's no more than a good luck charm—something to name your hammer or saw after.

like out of all primals to namesdrop in some sr's fate eps

Lyria has only half-understood the captain's mood. (Captain) is indeed worried about Joel's dampened spirits. But heavier still is the knowledge that he no longer has a reason to stay with the crew. The thought of parting with a treasured friend does not sit well with the captain.

do u get why i lose my fkng mind. guy who assumes things all on their own. also captain who is so bothered by the entire thing joel asks if theyre sick when he sees their face like help....

Before Joel can fret any further, (Captain) takes a deep breath and speaks. Choose: Are you going home? Joel: What? Oh... 'Cause we're heading to Auguste, right? Yeah. Thought I'd swing by. I already made it to the bottom of the sky... And I haven't seen my family in a while. Realizing Joel really does intend to leave, (Captain)'s shoulders sag. Joel: Captain, you're not looking too good. Go figure. We've been stuck in Pandemonium this whole time.

CONVOS THAT HAUNTS ME. 'i thought id swing by' Captain who was alrdy worried joels leaving is now Convinced. unreal

(Captain) manages a slow nod at what might be the last lecture Joel gives on the Grandcypher.

BHADBADBBADBJADBJKADBJKBJKADAD THEYRE SO DRAMATIC....but also joels whole lecture truly does feel like a goodbye thing like my dude...u r 19......imagine being told by a 19yo that u should sleep early..... but also in general how a lot of the dialogue starts leaning into the 'joel is leaving' narrative captain deluded themself into LOL

Diving forward, (Captain) yanks Lyria back, but the momentum carries the captain overboard instead.

doing this when ebisu&echidna alrdy was mentioned is so funny. golden knight....

Joel's voice is cold. With a shock, the captain realizes how cruel it was to believe Joel would just disappear.

this. this line. this exact one. joel who's upset because captain assumed he was leaving for good (lyria too is like, if he did he would tell us tho...) like its ssooooooooo goooooood this is what ive wanted im so glad still they gave this to me

Joel: You really think I'm the sort of guy that would abandon the crew? Without a word? I can't believe you...

Anna: Well... It's hard to ask about something if you're afraid of the answer, right? I know what that's like...

anna desperately trying to vouch for captain i lov her sm. either way the rest of the fate ep is also unreal. 'my grandmother did this thing with my grandfather' you cannot be serious...... hold on i forgot he said some of this stuff what the hell.................give joel a vday unit alrdy..........

Now the captain knows that though their dreams and wishes may change with time, their bond will always remain strong.

also makes me so emotional tho....