#look i'd draw something really cool and meaningful but

[dreammeiser]

Is it okay to ask what where the inspiration for the characters of Dream along?

Of course! I'm always dying to talk about their creation and inspiration but worry about getting too wordy/annoying about it, so I hardly talk about it unless asked (please ask me about my brainrot heeheehee). I can only fit so much on an Instagram Story or a Tweet, so I'm glad you asked here. I guess this will be the master reference for them. Sorry in advance that this is wordy!!

I made these characters spanning the past 14-15 years, with their story only being worked on about 10+ years ago, give or take. I will mention that they were made with Earl as a starting point while I was working at the cool puppet place; the show I was interning on wasn't scratching the creative itch I had, so it was recommended to me to make the project that I wish I was working on. :oD

The Muppets, Sesame Street, Osamu Tezuka's works, and Moomin were some animated/puppet media off the top of my head that always stuck with me my whole life and have influenced my retro inspired work the most. They all had such sweetness and charm to them, and all felt like a found family :o) My favorite trope. Puppets were also just deeply meaningful to me because they were physical forms of creativity and childlike wonder you could hold and play with! I thought whenever you made one, you put a little bit of your heart and soul into them.

I wanted the Dreamalong Gang to have the charm of Jim Henson's and Tove Jansson's characters, but I wanted them to have the humor and intrigue of Gravity Falls, Over the Garden Wall, Don't Hug Me I'm Scared, and Welcome to Night Vale. DHMIS and Night Vale actually inspired the story the most because they were both a really nice mix of absurdist humor and horror! Sleep Paralysis Demons were a point of intrigue for me that I thought were perfect for a Dreamscape setting, so I started working on including those.

The Dreamalong Gang has little bits and pieces of friends that I had loved, but I leaned into the group dynamics more for them. They're composed of friends I wished I had growing up!

Visually, I'd think of a fun/dream adjacent theme for the characters to tie them all together thematically. I know people tend to bark at me when they see what I'm inspired by but, I don't like to copy directly from my inspiration sources. They're just there to inspire you, ya know?

Archie's theme was Wishing Stars and Bedtime Stories; Hunson Abadeer from Adventure Time used to be on here, but I moved away from anything that might've made Archie spooky. I forgot to include Peter Pan and his Shadow on here, but they inspired him as well!

When it came to palettes, sometimes I'd have something in mind for them already like with Roy G Biv, Archie, and Mae-- Roy has his kidcore rainbow/SMPTE bars, Archie had some of my favorite blues and creams with a pastel minimal rainbow, Mae's were based off the colors of a golden hour rainstorm I had seen on my travels. Other times I had to play around with what color I hadn't used much of yet. I wonder if you can tell which colors are my least favorite and which ones I like a lot hahaha :'o)

I would also think about stories and songs that went with the characters thematically and use those to shape their character a little further, like looking to The Impossible Dream from the 1972 Man of la Mancha and Moon River for Archie, as well as old Ole Lukoje fairytales. He used to draw inspiration from Hijo de la Luna, but I wanted his story to be more upbeat on surface level with hidden tones of sadness instead of dramatic.

I don't want this to get tooooo long, so I'm going to put a pin in it there. If people want to know more in depth inspiration sources for specific characters feel free to ask! I like being open about my inspiration sources and my process since so many other artists gatekeep stuff. I hope this was a nice read!! :o)

[tacoma-narrows]

Between the Sea and the Sky!

Hi everybody! Meet the TWO new guys I made between last night and today! Their names are Tarmac (an Aeromorph dog) and Soda (a pooltoy fox), and they've filled a desire for these two specific kinds of OCs I've had in mind for MONTHS lol. They were super fun to design and draw and I'm super excited to do more with them soon!! This piece is relatively simple but more so serves as their introduction hehe

See more about them, including refs and some additional pieces/information below the cut :] (it kind of turns into a huge braindump lmao)

Tarmac is an aeromorph, although a bit more towards the furry side of things rather than the plane side lol. His design is influenced primarily by the Concorde and the Space Shuttle! I couldn't decide for the life of me which of those two things I wanted to use so I thought "why not use both?" and here we are lol. I'm super happy with his design, with the black/dark gray markings mean to emulate the look of the Space Shuttle's thermal insulation tiles and then I really like how the red and blue stand out against the gray. I really like his icon too! I wanted to make it look like a stylized depiction of a plane (mainly a Concorde hehe) breaking through the sound barrier with a sonic boon! In terms of personality, I don't have a whole lot in mind yet. Mostly that he'd be the brave, adventurous type and since he can fly both in the air and through space, he's gonna be friends with Astro too :3

Soda is a pooltoy fox! I have wanted to make a pooltoy OC FOREVER (blame my mutuals for always posting/reblogging so many cool pooltoy OCs hehe). I finally got brave enough to actually give it a shot, and I love how he came out! I was mainly just thinking about summery themes and as I was just trying out different colors and stuff, I thought about orange soda, and that's the direction I ended up going! He's got a big stupid tail [affectionate] and can have either rounded bappy hands or have actual fingers, you're free to stylize that either way! I've only ever drawn a pooltoy character once ever before, so this was something way out of my realm of familiarity, but I'm so happy with how he came out! He's so shaped I love him so much already <33

So those are my two new guys! Making two new OCs at the same time is already a rarity for me lol. The only time it's happened before was when I made Rye and Pumpernickel back in August of 2021. And then making these guys when I had only gotten Astro about two and a half weeks ago means this is an exceedingly rare event for me lmao. My friends know how infrequently I make/get new OCs, so this just goes to show how much these guys have been bouncing around in my brain lately lol.

They are definitely gonna have some sort of connection to each other, but I'm not sure how I wanna go about that yet. Since I made them back to back, they are already connected in my brain, but I'm not sure how I wanna express that in a meaningful way. I don't wanna make them siblings bc, well, they're obv very different from each other lol, but they're kinda parallels (with one being in the sky and the other being in the water yknow), so as of right now they're definitely good friends with each other. I might upgrade that to bfs at some point in the future, but we'll see how things go hehe.

Anyways huge braindump of a post lmao, thank u for reading if u did! I'd love to hear your thoughts on these guys since they're so different from all my other characters! Also if anyone may wanna do an art trade of either of these guys (or Astro as well! I'd like to get more art of him too!) let me know hehe

[thelemonsnek]

The two legendary dragons, despite how long they've been alive and how much they've been through, have never been apart in any meaningful way. Zekrom!Ingo is not having a good time (neither is Reshiram!Emmet, but that's neither here nor there :) ) More on this under the cut!

[image id: a two page comic featuring Ingo and Melli from Pokemon Legends Arceus. The entire comic is a sketch, with guidelines still visible, and is done in black and white, aside from cyan lightning. The entire comic is set on a mountaintop cliffside, in the middle of a huge thunderstorm. Everything is very dark, and rain is visible throughout.

Ingo stands at the edge of a cliff, facing away from the viewer and looking into an intense storm. Lightning strikes off in the distance, and harsh winds are ripping at his clothes. The second panel is a closeup profile view of his face. He is leaning into the wind, eyes shut, seeming to be either looking for something within himself or trying to lose himself in the storm. The third panel is a closeup of Melli's face, shadowed.

Melli comes up behind Ingo, and asks him, "Why are you chasing storms, Ingo?" Then, gaining momentum, he seems to yell louder above the storm, "you have a life, so live it. the time before now is long gone." Ingo, still facing away from Melli and staring out at the storm, says nothing for a beat, then without turning around, asks, "Do you think that I do not know that, Warden Melli?"

The next panel looks out over the stormswept mountain. Multiple lightning strikes are visible as Ingo says, "I am well aware that my tracks are without destination. But I cannot switch over to new tracks, lest I risk derailment."

The next panel switches back to showing Ingo and Melli. Ingo has turned around now to face Melli. He has placed a hand to his chest, teeth bared as he shouts, "I know that this could be my home station, if I let it." His eyes now have lightning branching off from them, and his teeth are sharper. Black scales are visible, creeping up his hand. Melli is braced against both the storm and Ingo's sudden anger.

In the final panel, Ingo has somewhat collapsed in on himself, and half turns away. His hands are now twisted into claws, with more obvious scaling, and his teeth are sharper. "But I cannot," he says quietly, visibly defeated. Melli seems less ready for a fight now, and has drawn back, possibly out of sympathy or fear (and maybe both). End id]

Ingo and Emmet are Zekrom and Reshiram!

the gods are real and they're autistic about trains

they can "shift" in and out of their draconic forms, and have several stages in between (human, partial, mid, etc) basically it's a sliding scale of traits! Here we can see Ingo's "partial" state, where he has fangs, claws, and scales but not much else

the two of them have never really been apart. Oh sure they've been on differing sides of the continent, and sometimes one of them will work a differing shift than the other, but not in any meaningful way

not til Ingo gets eebied :)

separated for the first time with no way to reunite, they find themselves completely unable to shift fully, only barely able to get to a partial form. For Ingo this is pretty convenient! Not as much to try and hide/explain away :) for Emmet this is terrifying

there's another side effect to them being apart, and it's that their roles...don't switch, but Emmet finds himself endlessly driven by the ideal to find his brother, while Ingo is constantly seeking the truth of who he was and what he left behind. We get to see a little bit of the conflict this causes within Ingo here!

they do eventually reunite and it's cool as hell, I'd love to draw it out someday

[aibouart]

I hope this isn't a weird ask to send but:

I related really heavily to your post about what vent art has done for your psyche. Less specifically with vent art and more a vent blog where I privated the whole thing and would make unrebloggable vent posts (unrebloggable just in case if anything broke and slipped out of confinement)

I've had two of those kinds of blogs. Both ended up just being a negative confirmation bias zone for me to spiral out of control just if I looked at a post.

I'd see the timestamps and remember what made me make those posts and it'd make me lose myself all over again.

The second time I made the blog I told myself I wouldn't read back on the posts but 1) I cannot hold myself accountable to not do that so I did it and 2) the frequency of the vents ended up just achieving the same end result

Vent art for me is so much more work that it's rare, and I usually do end up very pleased with the end result and art typically helps more bc I can't just make art as quickly as I can make text posts. There's still some vent art that hurts like hell to look back on ofc but I understand that feeling of like...this art coming from someplace real.

I think learning to realize that drawing stuff without meaning can hold a meaning of its own (sharing joy, whimsy, etc etc with the world to remind ppl it's not all bad, or give them a safe place to indulge in something bright and colorful instead of the horrors of whatever reality they've currently got) can help ease into accepting the non-vent art as just as important and meaningful

It's tricky, but all of us who suffer more from our own vent posts/vent art can heal and move forward and find meaning in other expressions of other feelings.

Vent stuff can be such a powerful tool, so I'm glad you're learning how to be more careful with it. I wish you nothing but upward momentum from here!

thank you for the message, it does mean a lot to me to find others who went through something as similar that i did--even though it fuckin SUUUCKS

for me, ig my speedy art backfires with vent art. i have done pieces that i took (more) time with:

but for the most part it looked like this:

and they'd get posted within like 10 mins of each other (sometimes less)

i definitely think art doesn't need meaning to exist, but you spend so long hearing "what do you think the meaning behind this is" or making art like i had been doing that DID hold some meaning and i started to just feel like my own work was exempt.

it's hard to move past vent art and accept my work as worthy of existing even if it's just some pink furry staring at the camera doing nothing, instead of my sona ripping itself apart because of some deeper meaning. cuz like i do like my vent art, i think the limited colours i would use is cool and the compositions or expressions are intriguing, but getting into the headspace to draw all that just isn't worth the price anymore. but it sort of makes my current art feel shallow or empty.... like im not "trying", for sure.

and granted majority of people on this blog haven't even seen my vent art either it's not like anyone else's perception is skewed. it's just like a personal issue i've had as i recover from vent art/blogs WUURGG

but despite all that i draw what i want anyways, nothing can really stop me from doing that. i just kind of ruminate the whole time JKBSDBFBSD

thank you again for reaching out, i forgot i made the post when i woke up this morning and immediately panicked but nothing bad happened so i am feeling ok about sharing..!!

[acheronist]

how did you start learning tattooing? what made you want to try it?

ohh... hm. Well. Okay to be so honest and short and easy with you I was really depressed and having my quarter life crisis and so I picked it up as a way to try and get myself back on track with like. being alive + doing something semi-meaningful with my life lol

here's the longer detail stuff that I fear is a bit too tenderhearted to just have out in the open

💌

near the end of last year (november-ish) I was yapping with a friend of mine from art school who ended up getting into tattooing after we had graduated, and explaining that i didn't like how publishing illustration was treating me and i felt like i was spinning my wheels and going nowhere. so she really encouraged me to give tattooing a shot? because I needed to do something different and she thought my art style could be really well suited for tattooing... and ofc i've been tangentially aware of tattoo culture but i was always kind of too scared that I wasn't like........ GOOD OR COOL ENOUGH? FOR IT? it seemed very intense and like there wasn't going to be room for me yknow. but anyways after talking with my friend i started doing a lot of research about like.. the history of tattoo culture and how techniques developed over the centuries and what are the popular styles now and what modern health/safety expectations of tat artists are now etc. just kind of taking it all in. following a lot of artists on social media etc and talking to my friend about what her apprenticeship entailed... but I bought myself a shitty cheap tattoo kit online in december and spent most of december-february just trying to teach myself how to handle a rotary pen machine and get a feel for it? and basically spent all of my time either playing around with my machine and fake practice skins or drawing or researching about tattoo history. and then in february/march I redid my whole portfolio with some neo trad designs + my other illust work and started visiting some local shops and basically just begging for 15 minutes to talk to someone in the industry and figure out if I was hopeless or not lmaooo. I went to about five shops and got soundly rejected / turned down from all of them, so I was really taking it as a sign that I should give up? but then the last shop I was going to try was like. idk it felt different and way more optimistic than everywhere else I'd tried at.... the artists on break at the time all took a chance to look thru my portfolio and talk to me, the shop owner is an angel, and so we went from "can I just ask for your professional opinion on if I suck at this or not" to getting introduced to everyone as they were working like "this is isabel she's gonna be our new apprentice!😊" which was!!!!!! CRAZY.

and so it took about two weeks after that before one of the more experienced artists in the shop was like 🙄 Fine I will teach another fucking apprentice I guess. Whatever. and I was like oh no he hates me. (turns out there's some shop lore about how awful the last apprentice was and everyone was kind of waiting to see if I'd turn out the same way) so I've just been working really hard ever since to prove I'm serious and now I'm everyone's favorite little idiot in my shop eheheh

but yeah! so I've been apprenticing officially in my shop since the end of march!!! just learning and trying to be helpful for my artists and trying to take it on the chin that I'm brand new and still learning and have a long way to go yet without getting miserable about it... but I feel very optimistic and way better now than I did in december, and everyone in my shop is soooo so kind and encouraging of my progress it really does feel like... Oh there is hope for me after all!

but yeah anyways. I just wanted to have an archive of my work as I progress and improve? so now everyone who follows my stupid ass blog has to bear witness to me being slightly bad at tattooing for months yet xoxoxo

[cryptid-moose]

tattoo hcs for psych characters

Shawn: - Has a shitty, partially faded stick n poke tattoo of a pineapple on his ankle he did when he was 18 or 19 and couldn't afford to get a professional one done - He also has his mom's birthday tattooed on his wrist (professionally done this time), first line in roman numerals, the second in regular english numbers. Having that little reminder of his mom helps him during times when his mental health gets really bad. - Sometime after Henry gets shot Shawn considers getting his dads bday on his other wrist, idk if he went through with it or not tho.

Gus: - Gus doesn't have tattoos cause if his mother were to ever find out it would break her christian heart....and also she'd probably murder him lol /nsrs - He almost got a tattoo when he was drunk, but he bailed out at the last second. This actually happens quite often. - If he did end up getting a tattoo I'd like to imagine it'd be something space themed :)

Juliet: - Has this really cool floral design with lots of big flowers on the back of her shoulder - She wants to get DOZENS of other tattoos but currently hasn't found the time to schedule an appointment, especially cause most of the tattoos she wants to get done would take multiple, hours long sessions

Carlton: - He, unfortunately, committed the cardinal sin of getting your partner's name tattooed. He's got his ex-wife Victoria's name in a fancy font across his collarbone, probably another attempt to save his marriage -He's going to tattoo removal sessions tho thank god -His pain tolerance is usually higher than most people (he literally drank scalding hot coffee without screaming out in pain lmao), but getting a tattoo makes him so physically uncomfortable that i dont think he'd every get one again, despite how fun getting a tattoo of his favorite gun sounds lol.

Buzz: - Buzz canonically has had a Baha Men tattoo (removed), although this was according to Shawn so you can take that information with a grain of salt lol - Probably has a silly little lineart doodle of an alien somewhere - He and Francine have little matching tattoos of baby ducks <3, Buzz's has a cowboy hat and Francine's has a Wild Rag (the bandana thingies), the artstyle is very similar to the soft fluffy artstyle you see in older children's books, kinda like peter rabbit (but not quite peter rabbit) - Little banana wearing a cowboy hat 💪, Buzz likes cowboys and their hats - A couple doodles of his pets - He's like Kurtis Conner except not edgy (i dont actually think Kurtis is edgy thats just the only way i can describe the difference between them and their tattoos lmao)

Karen: - Has an Iris flower tattoo on her upper arm dedicated to her daughter - Probably has a book/movie quote somewhere - Other than that i don't really see her as being much of a tattoo person, she only ever gets tattoos if its something super meaningful to her

Woody: - Woody has a y2k style hello kitty tramp stamp, why? cause i think it would be funny as hell HSUADFVHUFE - He got it completely seriously too, was a gift from a "tattoo artist friend" (random guy he barely knows who bought a tattoo gun on amazon) - The linework is awful, Woody has never actually fully seen the tattoo, he just took the guy's word for it when he told woody it looked sick as hell. - Has shown it off to everyone at the sbpd, no one has the heart or guts to tell him how bad it looks, Lassiter almost did but Chief Vick stopped him - Has genuinely never occurred to him to ask someone to take a photo of it for him so he can properly see it

Henry: - You'd think he'd have a tattoo but surprisingly he doesn't yet - He would've gotten one already if not for the fact hes very indecisive about that stuff, the whole "drawing that will stay on your body for the rest of your life thing" is a lot of pressure for him - He just worries about getting something that he'll end up hating a few years down the line - Has considered getting a tattoo dedicated to Shawn on multiple occasions, but then Shawn pisses him off once more and he drops the idea again for another couple months lmao

[theofficialpresidentofmars]

I think the reason why I tend to like more controversial film Shakespearean adaptations (eg Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet, Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet) is to me, keeping the complete integrity of the play whole and intact is just slightly less important than seeing the story get to be told in new and exciting ways? Like don't get me wrong, I very much appreciate the integrity of a play and might be using the wrong word entirely but I don't care if not every single detail is the exact same and if some of the deep implications are lost in favour of things that look cool.

I guess my view comes from the fact that Shakespeare is so hard to get into for a number of reasons: the excruciating language barrier especially for first time readers, the fact that the plays are all like 400 years old, and the way that everybody seems so pretentious about his works all the time that it's hard to connect to them in any meaningful way when people are just going to tell you you're not reading it right. It put me off for a good many years to the point where I held contempt for the playwright and every English teacher who'd made me study his works because it all felt so stupid and uptight and so much fuss about nothing (much ado about nothing, you might say) and I'd been taken to see live plays of his multiple times and every time my parents had been like 'oh it's a cultural experience! it's high art!' and it confused me and frustrated me and just didn't resonate with me at all. and quite potentially the ONLY reason I got into his works at all was three straight years studying his plays in, Hamlet came up on my radar as the play we'd have to perform a scene from for a Drama assessment. And he was Danish, and I'm Danish, and I thought 'yknow maybe I'll give this one a shot for cultural heritage purposes or whatever' and so I put in extra work to understand the play and realised it kind of hit hard. And then, after all these years of reading plays and watching them without a clue what was going on, it was getting the chance to perform a scene from a play that I understood with the instruction to make of it what we wanted it to be, I finally got it. I realised why this name had been one to go down in history.

But I can't get over how absolutely hard it was to get here, and how close I was to never being here at all despite my close proximity at many occasions of my life. And it's because people treat Shakespeare's works like 'high art' which they are, but they also take it to mean untouchable. And okay, maybe if it was the Mona Lisa or something. But this is theatre! This is the most adaptational, most personal, most intimate art form! And it's not only art where the value lies in viewing it, but there's value in being the ones to perform as well! And treating it like some godly, better-than-thou, scripture from the heavens makes it unrelatable and unapproachable. When the whole reason these stories have lasted for four hundred years is because they're relatable!

But sometimes three-four hour plays are hard to resonate with, especially the Shakesperean worded ones, whether that be read or viewed. Mostly for newcomers. And often, that can be where film comes in. And here's where I should add, a large amount of people don't watch Shakespeare with the intent of acting like they know everything about it. Having an adaptation that doesn't fully do the original justice should be okay, because at the end of the day it's more important that the stories are being told and adapted to draw in a modern audience (who then if interested can go and properly sink their teeth in) than kept in a glass case to be seen but not felt.

I hope people make really shitty film adaptations of Shakespeare. I hope people make film adaptations that do something daring and original that wasn't in the play. I hope people make adaptations that go offscipt entirely, I hope they make adaptations that don't quite make sense but they're going for more of a vibe than anything. I hope they make adaptations that are campy and ridiculous and I hope they make adaptations that really suit the original plays and capture all of their themes that make every scholar's heart ascend with happiness.

I hope people make many, many adaptations of Shakespeare's works, each with a bit of their own creativity and soul handcrafted into them. I hope these stories keep being adapted again and again and that every adaptation, whether it resonates with a large audience or not, really resonates with someone. I hope people have self-indulgent fun adapting his works. I hope that no one ever feels afraid to put something out into the world just because it might be awful.

I should also add, if you happen to dislike any of the adaptations I mentioned for valid reasons that's totally fine and I understand why you might lol. But in an ideal world, Hamlet has like a hundred different modern versions and I actually hate like half of them but it's okay because the fact that so many were made means that one also got made that's so good and so perfect for me that it keeps me up at night. I currently do have takes on the play that I absolutely despise anyway (Freud when I get my hands on you) but I recognise that there's merit in them existing and people finding meaning in them (even if they're WRONG according to me). I also understand the potential frustration in people who haven't studied the play coming into academic spaces and acting as if they have full authority because they've seen one adaptation. I just hope you sort of get the point I'm trying to make because we're probably not on opposite sides and I have a fear of misarticulating myself on the internet LOL

anyway the Hamlet scene I ended up doing for my Drama assessment was the latter half of Act 5 Scene 2 and our group's take on it were that Hamlet and Laertes were bitter exes lmao

[natasha-in-space]

Hey i saw you reblogging a sailor moon post and i was thinking which sailor moon characters would mysme characters would be

The only ones i am 100% assured off are Usagi (Sailor moon) is none other than yoosung. Sailor Venus is Zen, Sailor Mercury is jaehee.

What is your take on this

Ohhh, honestly, it's been a while since I actually dabbled into the Sailor Moon universe, so I'm pretty rusty, all things considered! But I did talk about a similar topic with a friend once. More precisely, who the mm gang would choose as their favorite character. This turned into a kind of mix-up between who I think their favorite would be, and who I actively associate with them. So, these are just my silly thoughts! Some are more deep than others.

Yoosung - Sailor Moon/Usagi Tsukino

I have to agree with you there: Usagi and Yoosung are definitely a very good match. I actually headcanon Yoosung as a huge fan of Sailor Moon franchise in mm universe! Particularly because he relates to Usagi so much, with her being the main character. He may or may not have had a fictional crush on her... but that's a secret (Seven definitely knows). These two are both cheery and bright spirits with big dreams. Their individual journeys involve self-improvement and maturity. He definitely cried more than once at her romance with Tuxedo Mask... The start of his romantic nature.

Zen - Sailor Mars/Rei Hino

You'll be surprised who I put Sailor Venus with! But, as for Zen, I love putting him up with more fiery and fierce characters. I always associate him with fire, honestly. Zen and Rei are both self-sufficient and resourceful in their own ways. And while Zen is definitely not as spunky or sassy as Rei, he more than compensates for it when you put him in a chatroom with Jumin. They both share a very strong sense of justice as well. Zen will not hesitate to say it how it is, or voice his frustrations in the face of unfair wrongdoings. They are also fiercely protective of their loved ones, which is definitely a very important quirk of Zen's. Overall, they share similar vibes, and I think they would appreciate each other for their individual strengths.

Jaehee - Sailor Mercury/Ami Mizuno

And yes! I am in agreement that Jaehee and Ami are a perfect match. Personally, Ami was my favorite 'cause I share so many similarities to her in terms of how I behave with other people, so I love that girl to bits and pieces. The obvious 'logical smart friend' parallels aside, there is also a similarity to their personal growth throughout their journeys. Learning to believe in themselves, be confident in their personal strengths, and finding internal growth through meaningful relationships with people who truly care about you is something they both learn. I think that's really sweet.

Jumin - Sailor Neptune/Michiru Kaioh

Now, it is kind of funny how I put the more creative Michiru next to Jumin, and not Jihyun. But, hear me out. Michiru is frequently depicted as a figure of elegance and sophistication. Kind of similar to how Jumin is always followed by an aura of refined and luxurious charm. I also always picture Jumin as a very elegant and attractive man when it comes to meeting him in person. I'd say, he is actually right next to Zen when it comes to stealing your breath away with just looks alone. His alluring way of holding himself is what really draws you in to him. Jumin is also much more sensitive than people give him credit for. I just can't help but put Michiru's water powers next to his deep care for those he holds dear to his heart. They are both stoic, but loving souls. Stern but righteous. When faced with conflict, they will do the right thing.

Saeyoung - Sailor Uranus/Haruka Tenoh

Listen. They may not share much in terms of their behavior: with Haruka being on a more cool and mature side, while Saeyoung is notorious for his love for mischief, but... First of all, they both share a love for cars. Specifically, race cars. It's likely that they would find a common ground on that. Especially with how nerdy Saeyoung is with his interests. Not many share his love for speed and his lovely babies! On a deeper level, they do also share a similar undying loyalty to their loved ones. Saeyoung with Saeran, and Haruka with Sailor Neptune. Plus, Saeyoung is more than capable of remaining cool and determined in the face of danger. There is also the whole 'protecting the world from evil' aspect, and Saeyoung wanting to be seen as a defender of justice, but I digress.

Jihyun - Sailor Star Healer/Yaten Kou

Honestly, the reason behind this is mostly Taiki's love for classical music and her talent as a pianist. I also really like putting her thoughtfulness and reservedness next to Jihyun's more emotional and reckless nature. I just feel like they'd make a very interesting pair with a relatively balanced dynamic. Jihyun needs someone who will tell him upfront when he's getting lost in his mind or acting foolishly. Taiki is a character who is both loyal and selfless, and she is willing to put herself in danger to protect her friends. That's a sentiment they definitely share.

Saeran - Sailor Pluto/Setsuna Meioh

There's just something about mysterious characters with tragic backstories, isn't there? This choice is biased because Setsuna is my second favorite, honestly. She doesn't get much screen time, but she left a huge impact on me regardless. There is a tragic sense of duty to her, that I can't help but link to Saeran's invisible chains of responsibility to his Savior and Magenta. The circumstances are very different, no doubt. But the weight of their duties is weighing heavily on their shoulders in a similar way. The willingness Setsuna has to sacrifice herself is a trait that I can also trace back to Saeran. If we hadn't stopped him, he would have sacrificed himself for us with a sad and reserved smile on his face. And that thought always hurts me to think about.

Rika - Sailor Venus/Minako Aino

This is honestly more of a biased choice, but I'll try to explain it somewhat logically, hehe. They do share a similar sense of mystery around themselves, until we get to properly see them as a thorough and rounded character. Minako and Rika are both very cheerful and bubbly people on the outside. A sort of 'sunshine' of the group. But, much like Rika, Minako has so much more than just her bubbly smiles and happy-go-lucky attitude. They both have rather ambiguous dreams, with Minako wanting to become an idol, and Rika aspiring to help as many people as she can. They both have a profound sense of responsibility in some way or another. If we're talking about Rika before the whole Mint Eye nightmare, I'd like to think that she and Minako would become great friends.

[starburstfloat]

so i saw your tags on that reblogged post about hybe and removing the k from kpop, and i'm super interested in hearing your thoughts! and yeah i do agree that bts' music in recent years has lost a lot of what makes it unique :/

Oh I'd love to chat about it - thanks for giving me the opportunity to share more of my thoughts!

For those who don't know, we're referencing this opinion piece article that discusses, in an appropriately scathing tone, how bang pd/hybe executives are leading kpop to its demise by making poor creative choices for their artists (mostly BTS, but whoever comes after will evidently be affected by their creative decisions). Namely, releasing superficial bland pop music, in the attempt to remove the K from Kpop and make the genre more global and palatable for all audiences; essentially, taking away Kpop's core essence to appeal to the US music market.

Having been an avid kpop fan since 2010, and more of an observant media/pop culture enthusiast since 2016, the westernization of the genre doesn't come as a surprise to me. What does surprise me though are the masses of BTS army, whose demographic comprises the largest share of Hybe fans, who avidly support this trend. It's a reason I found myself getting distant to the fandom since the release of Butter, since the mere suggestion that BTS were losing their creative identity garnered hoards of angry responses of people retaliating with "well it's good they're getting the recognition they deserve!" and "it's catchy music for the radio, why would you be upset?"

I think what a lot of people who support Hybe's decision are missing here is that most of us don't really care if the lyrics are changed from Korean to English - if it's a good song, I don't care what language it's in. But that's not what bang pd means when he suggests removing the K from Kpop. He's removing the entire sound of kpop and, with most Korean artists not lyrically skilled enough to write their own verses in English, which will be the dominant language going forward for title tracks (at least for now; this may change as new waves of trainees and more stringently enforced English lessons hit the writing room), we're going to see most Kpop songs no longer written or produced by the members of the groups.

It's a bit ironic, since that's what kpop grew to embrace in third gen, especially with BTS's penmanship getting recognition from fans and non fans alike. BTS rose to fame for their authenticity, their songs crafted from personal experiences and imagination, and that's what attracted so many people to them, myself included. They had something meaningful to say. Then when they rose to popularity, the goal became to become as marketable as possible, and we witness a complete creative downfall at the start of the dynamite era, what the author of the article dubs the English Trilogy.

I could even look past the superficiality of a track if it's able to become something noteworthy or iconic. Consider the success of GIDLE's Queencard - a title track that rocks lyrics like "I'm hot, my boob and bootie's hot, spotlight, I'm Star Star Star". It completely dominated Korea's music charts this year, and saw success internationally too. Why? Firstly, the title references a well established Korean slang word (calling someone a King or Queencard in correlation to their cool aura). Secondly, it doesn't take itself too seriously. GIDLE said, Here's a camp song for the girls and the gays and delivered, without slapping on some forced heartfelt deeper meaning. Thirdly, the music video, from the styling and choreography, draws artistic inspiration from early 2000s films like Mean Girls and White Chicks - a creative choice that enhances the comical and vibrant tone of the track. Lastly, Queencard is so undeniably kpop - from the song structure, the vocal blending, the bridge, the choreo - it's kpop perfection. Is it a basic pop track? Yes, absolutely. But it's also bigger than that, for all the reasons I just mentioned, so it's a shame that hybe, in its pursuit of monopolizing the industry, sees something like that and goes, how about we just strip kpop of all its fun parts and give audiences the blandest cardboard cereal blend they've ever tasted? Evidently Jungkook's solo album Golden was this very attempt to experiment with a solely western style, detract from the vibrancy or intensity of what kpop was before. Where's the artistic charm in that? It's disappeared.

I guess it all comes down to the fact that hybe, and at this point we can assume the bangtan members too (since I don't subscribe to the "bang pd evil, members get no say in decisions" narrative that some people suggest) aren't concerned with the meaning behind their craft anymore, just the money.

It's a bit infuriating because I, and assumedly thousands of others who have been part of the kpop wave long before BTS's rise to fame, would happily pay big money to see live music from acts currently releasing quality music. But I guess that requires more effort, and for hybe that's the least of their concern.

[shiny-meowstics]

squats over here, anyway i picked up a pmd romhack (PMD Explorers of the Spirit) on a whim since i'd seen friends talking about it here and there and i was curious. and hooboy. pmd brainrot is not back in full force but I Have Thoughts about this romhack and they are all good

ful stop, i will be talking about spoilers. they are spoilers for both pmd2 and the romhack, so if you haven't experienced either I don't recommend reading through any of this. the dialogue may be a little dated but i still wholly endorse pmd2 (vanilla or sky) as something that should be experienced blind, and this romhack is a neat little treat for people who have experienced all of what pmd2 had to offer story-wise in a lot of ways.

so, spoiler warning! you have been warned! cool? cool

so anyway i knew from second 1 that the protag was darkrai. my nerd-ass has played through pmd2 way too often and is too particular about word choice to not have picked up on that immediately. i was wary, but considering "hero is darkrai" is a neat fandom theory i decided to let the game cook and see what it had to offer

and holy fucking shit i love this approach to that concept. these madlads really made a stealth sequel that is faithful to the original game, still keeps the time travel shenanigans and has them make sense narratively (!!!), and gives a lot more depth and development to a good chunk of characters. ESPECIALLY the protag, i really really like the direction the game chose to go. writing a protag that's intense but still relatable can be a challenge, but protag hits a nice balance that isn't too intense but, again, also makes sense considering the circumstances

i'm only a little over halfway through (in the nightmare section, just did the unwinnable boss fight with grovyle) but i'm hella looking forward to how it ends 👀 two darkrais technically existing at the same time but one having a support system that the other lacked is just. chef's kiss. that's gonna be some tasty conflict later, i can tell

slightly relatedly it is Once Again Giving Me some heron brainworms bc 1) i am playing as "heron" and ramsay and 2) is kicking my brain with the "haha, heron and darkrai might've had a lot of similarities and the only thing that kept them down to earth were their friends."

considering my original idea for them was to make them affiliated with darkrai, i am just... sitting here thinking... i do kind of want to draw darkrai!heron, bc i'd like to imagine that even though they'd look really similar, there are probably some minor key differences that would make confronting "them" if you were familiar with them kind of uncanny

but yeah, we love a game that plays into my love of a) time travel stories b) meaningful doppelgangers and c) arguably morally grey characters that can just as easily be seen as bad if your perspective were slightly different

[keefwho]

March 27 - 2024 Wednesday

11:05pm

4.5/10

This morning I took time to thoughtfully clean the left wing of my desk and take care polishing my entire lamp. It was kind of an exercise in self care, usually I'd rush cleaning but I tried to enjoy the process. For breakfast I made a breakfast sandwich and rice. I read a little bit of Atlas of the Heart and took some notes for Saturday's book club.

For work I warmed up with some torso sketches. I got 2 more YCHs done today and somehow ended up wasting a lot of time so I missed out on about 30 minutes of drawing. Part of it was because I had tracked down and messaged the artist that seemingly scammed DS. It turns out it was just a lot of miscommunication and poor management on their part. KT was in stream today and got a YCH as I was making them so hers got done immediately.

After work I did my workout. My ankle started to hurt 3 miles in so I had to slow to a walk but I got it all done. I watched Henry's Kitchen stream the whole time.

For lunch I made tuna spaghetti. I had looked forward to it all day but I didn't make it as good as I'd have liked. I think it needed more lemon pepper. I was watching Twitch while I ate which carried 30 minutes over into work time. I was just having too much fun procrastinating. But I got off my ass and did this week's last request and finished that animation I was working on. I hung out in DV's server and had some really good, deep conversation with his friend. The kind of talking I needed today. I left to join AE so I could work on his avatar. I made his COCK today and did the weight painting for everything so now it's ready for Unity.

I left for a small mental break and eventually convinced myself to get in VRchat even though I was feeling like I couldn't socialize very well. All I wanted was company so I knew I had to try at least. I joined BD and her friend which was a pretty chill time. She lead the world hopping for everyone and there were some pretty neat places. I got off after a bit to start dinner.

I put on chicken strips and rice a roni. DS dmed me some and then we called a little in bed but she had to be up super early so I didn't want to keep her up. We also talked about some interesting things tonight in a meaningful way. I played Kingdom Hearts and finished the Halloween world. After she fell asleep, I mostly sat around and drank my tea before bed.

~~~

Today the main feeling was lonely. I don't know why, all I know is some days are always going to be harder than others. I craved human connection today but I couldn't have it in the capacity I want so I was trying to accept that and see what else I could do to move myself forward. I considered self care alone time but figured out I did not want to be alone. I joined BD so early today because I was making a deliberate attempt to try and talk to someone for the sake of not being lonely. The situation with her is interesting because it seems like the other guys there only join for her and sort of simp? If thats true then I hope she doesn't think that of me, I'm just out here trying to make friends.

Also DS is going to be visiting her sister until Monday and I'm gonna miss her like always. I was also trying to accept that. Not the fact that she'll be gone but that I'll be missing her. Something in me tells me it's wrong, like I'm caring too much and need to cool it. But the reality is I have so much love to give in general and even the simple act of missing someone is an expression of that. I'll be okay as long as I can keep my emotional floodgates open and feel what I gotta feel. I think that goes for just about everything. All I want to do is FEEL, it's something I've been neglected for a majority of my life. I crave emotional expression. Damn anyone who doesn't understand that.

[denydestiny]

might as well say something. the biggest gamble one has to take with sequential storytelling - the likes of which felt in indie game communities if you're not the creator of a game, and so, you don't know what to expect - is that the next piece in the puzzle could have something in it that really dashes audience expectation. something that just really hits them the wrong way, to put it lightly.

it's felt to me most in the indie horror genre, in how content warnings tend to be vague if they're there. i think partly it's from a sense of wanting it be a surprise, partly from working with something so closely you dunno what you'd say about it, and partly because some circles seem to think labeling it "horror" tells you all you need to know. for now though, i'm talking more about when a game is released in parts.

by the time a few parts are out, there's a chance you'd know what level of intensity to expect from a project, but like... nothing's guaranteed

in particular, this is about yttd, in that it's last part seems to me that it'll end with some pay off. classic horror movie stuff. the cast dwindles down, and the survivors probably become friends? i'm hoping that the mentor character the lead has ends up as like, her new dad. i don't remember the names right now, but like to me, that's the best case scenario. more thoughts below but.

but i will say that if yttd doesn't stick the landing i'm going to reply to this saying i called it.

also if you plan to look into the videogame i wouldn't know how to warn for the contents, only that it's called a "death game" and people sure do die. it's like about what i'd expect from a slasher film, i guess is the best way to put it

the creator seems unpredictable to me in how he writes. and i've been told the manga for the game, that wasn't written by the game developer, was drawn by someone weird? i dunno the specifics, but my point is that makes me go :/ a friend also pointed out some weird writing choices surrounding a mentor character who's kind of a dad to the lead. so that's also making me go :/ because i'm really hoping the point of this story is the lead like... realizing that her dad is lame, and finding a new better dad. because i actually haven't seen that done in many horror stories where the new dad/mentor lives. so we'll see

and i didn't get super into the game, and i don't think i'd enjoy the ending a super great deal because the part that's out right now was like the climax of the story. the tables are turning, an ending awaits... that sort of thing.

so at this point, as october draws near and i think about indie games i've seen release in installments, i'm thinking about what it means to wait. sometimes the best thing a story can do is take you on a journey. even if it never finishes. i've seen plenty of cool projects fall through and therefore, never end

i don't think i need any closure past the part that's out right now since everything up to this point has been pretty standard stuff for horror/suspense films. the cast gets smaller as they have to make harder choices, and in the end it comes down to trusting other people or like... wanting to be the final girl. i think yttd's answering all of the questions that it's posing, and that's cool. i think one ending will involve a group surviving, and another will not

but i'm still kind of meh about it. anime, and anime-inspired indie games, sometimes try to say something really profound, but... sometimes they don't stick the landing. i'm fine with a good tragedy, but if it's done wrong, it feels like a waste of time. so i'd have to wait until it actually ends to say anything more profound

it's the same kind of feeling i think one gets when waiting for an author they like to continue a series. there's no way of knowing if the small red flags are actually red flags, or if it's a poor attempt at writing something meaningful. because it could be cool, what yttd is trying to do

[inexplicably-spookified]

so hey i finished wandersong

[langernameohnebedeutung]

I've seen many takes about The Secret History and the way it addresses elitism and pretentiousness and people defining themselves by their intellectual prowess and class dynamics. But I also think loneliness, anonymity, and the urge just to connect and be recognised - and how vulnerable that need makes us - are fundamental aspects of the story. It's not just about being the next great scholar but also just about being noticed and respected - and how young college students are vulnerable to have that used against them to draw them into specific belief systems.

I mean, yes, Richard's focus on aesthetic over values and his pursuit of things that make him actively uncomfortable are a fundamental aspect of his character and have been since long before he went to Hampden. I think it's very interesting to look at the chapters before he joined Julian Morrow's little group. He moved all the way from California to Vermont when we know that he never really had the opportunity to get away from home. We learn that he had a one-night-stand with some girl he is now avoiding. He has trouble connecting with others (here his elitism obviously enters the equation again). He doesn't really seem to have formed any meaningful connections - which is something many university students go through when they go to a new university. He is avoiding his parents and they're also increasingly avoiding him/pushing him away - his relationship with his father is bad enough but even his mother is very quick to turn his old room into a...sewing room I think it was? (which is. something that I also think is a very fundamental "leaving for college" experience but I will return to that).

On the other hand, the Greek gang is very close. And I think it's very interesting to look at them from the outside perspective of Richard who just arrived in this strange new college world: This is not just the illusion of being smart or being elitist or studying something for the aesthetic fulfillment of it, but also the idea of being part of something.

It's not just the exclusivity of being allowed into Morrow's courses (especially after being turned away when he tried for the first time) but the idea of a very close-knit group. Whenever the other, 'normal' students' talk about the Greek students, they talk about them as 1 entity, one group. They spend all their time together. While the others are having large, anonymous parties and everyone vaguely knows each other and people are simultaneously part and not-part of the college environment, these guys seem to spend every minute with each other. The lines are very blurred here - for example, Richard notices how the Greek students seem to be the only ones who follow certain routines during the day while the others just do whatever whenever. But with the gang, he always knows where to find each one during a specific time of the day. There is structure. Reliability.

Now, Richard is even warned of joining Morrow's courses - but if we look at Richard as someone who is in a new environment, who is isolated, then we understand more why these warnings fall on deaf ears. It is not elitism or some attempt to exclude himself from the general populace of the college - but the fact that despite being warned of completely putting his academic career at Morrow's mercy and being told about his favouritism and elitism and such, no one can present him (even thinks about presenting him-!) with a meaningful alternative.

There is one scene very early on where Henry basically cross-examines Richard on ancient authors he has or hasn't read and whether he read the original and the translation and Richard thinks: "He was like a policeman with the questions. Wistfully, I thought of my old class, the one I'd dropped for this one: Intro to Drama, with jolly Mr Lanin, who made us lie on the floor and do relaxation exercises while he walked around and said things like: "Now imagine that your body is filling with cool orange fluid." -> yes, the tone here is somewhat mocking towards that drama course, but considering that Henry is not a lecturer but a fellow student judging him, it is interesting that this is the first thing that a one-way street lecturer->class interaction comes to Richard's mind to compare it to. It's an anonymous group relaxation exercise. No intimacy there.

There is also one interaction with Laforgue I find very interesting:

"This is serious business," he said, "You understand, don't you, how limited will be your contact with the rest of the faculty and with the school."

"He's a good teacher," I said.

"No teacher is that good. [...] Pardon me, but I do not see the point of paying thirty-thousand dollar tuition simply to study with one instructor."

Now comparing that to the values of Morrow and his lot - and it's very different: Morrow immediately told Richard that to study with him, he would have to drop all the other lecturers. At one point, they even discuss how reading too many books instead of a select few is harmful. Richard, elitist as he is, is not presented with the opportunity to be admired or to become some academic beacon to the rest of the university - In fact, the Morrow-gang is pretty unpopular among the students to the point of being considered Satanists. Morrow himself is unpopular among the faculty. They don't interact with the others courses or course material and Morrow openly apologises for even being so vulgar as to refer to it. Basically, Richard is confronted with the choice of being a no one, an anonymous student to his lecturers, a loose acquaintance to his fellow students, the occasionial one night stand and to trudge on - or to become an outsider among the majority of the college but gain the actual eye and respect and attention of 1 (!) lecturer and gain 5 close connections.

And now to look at the dynamics he's confronted with: Richard is not obsessed with Greek literature, in the beginning, I'd argue:

"After high school, I went to a small college in my home town (my parents were opposed, as it had been made very plain that I was expected to help my father run his business, one of the many reasons I was in such an agony to escape) and, during my two years there, I studied ancient Greek. This was due to no love for the language, but because I was majoring in pre-med (money, you see, was the only way to improve my fortunes [...]) and my counselor had suggested I take a language to fulfill the humanities requirement; and since Greek classes happened to meet in the afternoon, I took Greek so I could sleep late on Mondays." He says he liked Greek and won an award - but rather than gushing about the great literature he read, he says it's because the rooms it was the only class held "in a regular classroom" with "no jars of cow hearts, no smell of formaldehyde, no cages full of screaming monkeys".

When he goes to Vermont, he says: "I was planning to sign up for Greek again, as it was the only language at which I was at all proficient." and: "I had not been particularly bent on taking Greek, but what Laforgue said [about Marrow] intrigued me".

After this, he goes on to watch the Greek students, study them. He learns their names, their relationships and stuff even after Morrow rejected him. We know Richard picked medicine for money even though he doesn't like it - but his interest in the humanities is definitely not rooted in his looking for a career or for pleasure or deeper meaning. He isn't even that invested in the Greek or in history itself. And while yes, this group is exclusive, joining them would actually make him a social pariah rather than earn him the respect of the rest of the school - so what does that leave? What reason does he have for joining them? I'd argue it's attention. Indiviuality. Respect. A close-knit environment around him. And yes, the idealised version of college and the fulfilment of his aesthetic desires that he could never even approximate in his youth.

Now, this brings me to Julian Morrow. The first thing he demands of Richard in exchange of letting him join is that he drops all other courses, cuts all connections to other teachers and general faculty. He effectively demands complete isolation - at times, they even talk about how the Greek students are basically not part of college life but their own school, in a way. Then again, we immediately see Richard go out with Bunny, they go to Francis' aunt's house together, they study together, they eat together - every day. With the same people.

Basically, on the one side we have a gifted kid who feels disconnected from his family, cannot connect to his peers - and on the other side is the opportunity to be noticed as an individual, to form meaningful relationships, be respected. And to join, he has to cut the ties with the majority - meaning pretty much all of Morrow's greatest critics.

And now, I've promised earlier that I was going to return to the important subject that is *checks notes* Richard's Mom's sewing room and how universal that is. Maybe I'm biased because my old childhood room has been turned into a sewing room as well but generally, thinking back to my early university days, I have several distinct memories of friends and acquaintances telling me about their parents refurnishing their rooms and what they turned them into after they moved out. And I think that's a pretty significant thing to happen in an allegorical kind of way. It's a pretty big "kicked out of the nest"-moment (I'm not saying that people are bad for repurposing rooms, just that seeing the room you maybe spend all your life living in changing into a completely unrecognisable space is something you cannot help but have feelings about, whether those feelings are excitement, optimism - or a sense of sadness). Likewise, the strangeness and anonymity of starting in a new place after you probably spent years at a school where you know the teachers, know the fellow students, know the buildings - that is also something pretty universal, whether you're happy about a new start and the opportunity to redefine yourself or feeling a sense of loss.

I'm not trying to say that The Secret History is all about the coming-of-age aspect or how isolation makes you vulnerable, though. It actually ties back into the classism and elitism aspect of it all. Not only does the philology and the literature serve as a currency to pay entry to those friendships and earn that support - but the nostalgic themes that make Dark Academia so compelling also play a huge role. This idea of secret clubs and going to Francis' secret mansion and eating at fancy restaurants and drinking expensive liquor - that is the history of university. Duels, secret clubs, nobility etc.

The present is for one represented by Laforgue who often talks about democracy, aka a take on education and university that at least gives everyone the same hurdle to enter (if, arguably, not the same opportunity, but then, there is financial aid and stuff at this college)

"With me," - he lifted an eyebrow - "if the student wants to learn what I teach and is qualified, I allow him into my classes. Very democratic, no? It is the best way."

[...]

He leaned back in his chair. "Forgive me, but I should think the elitist values of such a man would be repugnant to you," he said, "Frankly, this is the first time I have ever heard of his accepting a pupil who is on such considerable financial aid. Being a democratic institution, Hampden College is not founded on such principles."

And I think that is a very central dilemma of the novel: The idea of university is still coined by a period of very elitist period of education with a small number of rich students enjoying a particularly enviable status simple on account of being university students. Hamden College is established to have a very open admission policy - they even accepted Henry, who didn't finish high school and go out of their way to send flyers to students. University has become less exclusive than the romanticised idea of it. This is a central aspect of college culture that gives Morrow such a hold over his group.

Back in the day, if you went to university you remained the son of the factory owner so-and-so. You remained the Second Son of the Earl of Worcestershiresauce-Upon-Sandwich. But in a democratic environment, the Earl remains an Earl, the rich daughter remains a rich daughter - but if you're not part of the elite, you go from being a son, a friend, the guy-from-the-bus-stop in your home town - to a blank slate. And no matter how egalitarian university might ever become - you will never be able to recreate the romanticised promises of ye olde academia.

There is also narrative. simplicity. orientation - adding to the structure this microcosm gives the gang in the big anonymous macrocosm of the college at large. I already mentioned how Richard considers the way that his fellow students have no proper schedule for each day, while the Greek group has very established habits. ("Much in the way the Roman Empire continued in a certain fashion to run itself even when there was no one left to run it and the reason behind it was entirely gone, much of this routine remained intact even during the terrible days after Bunny's death. Up until the very end there was always, always, Sunday-night dinner at Charles and Camilla's, except on the evening of the murder itself, when no one felt much like eating and it was postponed until Monday.") - things are simplified for them, even when it comes to the material itself:

"Julian arched an eyebrow; his long nose gave his profile a forward tilt, like an Etruscan in a bas-relief. 'The more cultivated a person is, the more intelligent, the more repressed, then the more he needs some method of channeling the primitive impulses he's worked so hard to subdue. Otherwise those powerful old forces will mass and strengthen until they are violent enough to break free, more violent for the day, often strong enough to sweep the will away entirely. For a warning of what happens in the absence of such a pressure valve, we have the example of the Romans. The emperors. Think, for example of Tiberius, the ugly stepson, trying to live up to the command of his stepfather Augustus. Think of the temendous, impossible strain he must have udnergone, following in the foodsteps of a savior, a god. The people hated him. No matter how hard he tried he was never goood enough, could never be rid of the hateful self, and finally the floodgates broke. He was swept away on the perversions and he died, old and mad, lost in the pleasure gardens of Capri; not even happy there as one might hope, but miserable. Before he died, he wrote a letter home to the Senate: "May all the Gods and Goddesses visit me with more utter destruction than I feel I am daily suffering." Think of those who came after him. Caligula. Nero."

that's...that's really not how your average modern historian makes a point (ideally): Julian proposes a very abstract thesis on human nature, uses Ye Ancients of Olde(TM) as an example for this rule and presents historical facts in a certain way to make his point. Like...if someone held a speech like that over a dinner with historians, eyebrows would go up. (We encounter similar simplifications for example when Bunny talks about women, his girlfriend and Camilla in the restaurant scene, for example.)

I guess what I'm trying to say is that yes, elitism and pretentiousness are a central themes of the novel. But at the same time, it is also very often lampshaded as the defence mechanism and the signs of insecurity they are - and which get amplified if they're simultaneously the only cohesive connecting you to your friend group. And if that intellectualism is out of touch with the entire rest of academia, you're also effectively being ushered into an intellectual, academic, and professional cul-de-sac.

[that-was-anticlimactic]

Yes hi, I'd love to know more about your tourettes sokka hc if you're up for it 👀 I'm starving for tourettes hcs so 👀

Oh boy oh boy oh boy!! I can talk about this SO MUCH (I will warn now, there will be some Zukka in this) okay so I guess I’ll start at the beginning...

Sokka was six when he started showing symptoms

It started with just some motor tics but everyone kind of just attributed it to this kid has a lot of energy ahhh

It became more noticeable when he kept almost killing himself with weapons because of his tics and slight carelessness

That’s one reason why he loves boomerang so much, none of the other weapons felt right to him and they would always get in the way of his tics, but he could throw boomerang and it would come back to him so he could keep throwing it and it made him feel calm

Then, Sokka started saying stuff that he didn’t mean to say, but again, everyone was just like hyper kid because it’s not like he was doing anything wrong

But they realized something was up when Sokka started yelling “FIRE NATION” without intending to and sending the whole tribe in a panic

So, Hakoda took Sokka to a nearby trustworthy Earth Kingdom village and that’s where Sokka got diagnosed with Tourette’s (and ADHD)

One of the things with Sokka is touch, like, he feels like touch is constricting and restraining sometimes. The problem is, he LOVES touch, he is a touchy person, but when someone touches him without telling him first or asking him, he doesn’t like it.

Sometimes he mentally shuts down when it happens, sometimes he tics more, the reaction depends on his anxiety levels and who touched him and when and where

The only people he gave a pass to was Kya and Katara. He didn’t even like it when Hakoda put a hand on his shoulder.

It was weird, he could feel the difference when Katara and Kya touched him compared to anyone else and he felt bad because he wanted his dad to hug him, but it felt so wrong

So, Sokka loves touch, but he likes to initiate it

So, moving forward, Sokka and Katara meet Aang, he’s the Avatar, they join and you know, there’s Aang the Avatar, Katara the Waterbender, and Sokka the guy with Tourette’s on the team

At least, that’s how they are known amongst the Fire Nation

Going undercover is so fun for Sokka, but he also has to be really conscious of what he’s doing and what he says and trying to suppress

It takes a lot out of him, but he knows he literally has to do it or he could get caught or expose them and Aang or Katara could get caught

On occasion, he has tic attacks (and for those who don’t know, they’re essentially a really bad TS day or moment where your tics are more consistent and seem to hurt more or you just have like an unending moment of tics where you just can’t stop for a little while. They are usually caused by anxiety or overstimulation or something like that, but they differ for everyone with TS)

The first time it happened in front of Aang, the sweet child panicked because he didn’t really understand what was happening and why Sokka was doing that and really what TS was

Katara is an angel, seriously. She is so sweet to Sokka when this happens and she knows exactly how to ground him and help him get through it

(Seriously, Sokka appreciates her so much. She is genuinely the one exception and anytime she wants a hug or any kind of touch she is allowed to do it)

the first time it happens in front of Toph when she joins is in Bitter Work when Sokka was in the hole

Just looking at Sokka in the whole sends my anxiety up because he literally can’t move! So like, imagine being in a hole for like five hours+ and needing to move like physically and you can feel the sensation in your body and it hurts and burns and tingles but you can’t. Sokka is not having a good time

So, Toph drags him out of the hole and is freaked out because she can’t see what’s happening and it’s scary because Sokka is making noises and hyperventilating and his heart rate is through the roof and Aang ran to get Katara and she can’t touch him because when she pulled him out of the hole he shrieked

She’s cool with it after that, she doesn’t think of him any less or anything, but it terrified her the first time because no one told her he had TS because they forgot to mention it and she couldn’t see what was happening

We all know that Sokka loves Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors with his whole entire heart and once they kicked his butt and helped him learn that sexism is bad, they were so fun to work with?? They taught him their style, obviously, but they also helped him incorporate his TS into it and how to use it to his advantage, something he had been struggling with his whole life

One of the things Sokka loved most about Yue is that she never even mentioned his sounds or movements she just let him do it without questioning him and that doesn’t happen a lot

I feel like Sokka having TS would make his time with Piandao even kore meaningful because he really struggles to keep his hands still so sword fighting does not come naturally to him

Piandao loves it though because it just makes Sokka even more clever and resourceful and he takes his time with Sokka, helping him as much as he can and never getting angry or anything when he can’t stand still

He also added more to what Sokka learned from the Kyoshi Warriors about incorporating his TS into his fighting and using it to his advantage

Not only was his sword an extension of his arm, but his TS was an extension as well

Did Toph and Aang help Sokka incorporate his tics into their scams? Yes, yes they did

Zuko joining the team was weird for Sokka because they kind of just clicked and he realized that they both have a weird thing with touch

On the balloon to Boiling Rock, Sokka is just comfortable around Zuko and his tics are like “cool yeah, have a break” and so he doesn’t tic and Zuko just “why aren’t you ticcing?”

and Sokka is ??? “Huh?”

and Zuko “You usually tic but you aren’t now. Why?”

and Sokka essentially explains that TS is weird and random and sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t, but he’s really comfortable and calm so his body is like “ye, let’s chill for now”

and Zuko is like “oh. that’s good. I kinda miss it though”

and Sokka d i e s because what?? Someone likes his tics enough to miss them? Like, they don’t annoy Zuko and he doesn’t tune them out?

and the bender goes on to explain that he likes the noises, they remind him that he is doing the right thing and that he’s here and he didn’t hurt team Avatar and they’re just comfortable / pleasing to the ear

and Sokka DIES

but then Zuko is like mmm maybe you should stay in the balloon and I’ll go to Boiling Rock and Sokka got pissed because he thinks Zuko said it because he’s a nonbender and he starts panicking and ticcing and Zuko panics and kind of just grabs his hand and Sokka... Sokka doesn’t hate it? Like, it feels nice and doesn’t agitate him?

but Zuko was like no I mean because everyone in the Fire Nation guard knows about the guy on team Avatar with TS and I don’t want you to get hurt

At one point in the prison courtyard, Sokka verbally tics really loudly about the moon and some guards hear and head to where they are so Zuko covers for him by screaming about how much he loves the moon

One of the worst moments in Sokka’s life was when Toph was falling and he grabbed her, but he wanted to tic and he knew that if he did, Toph would fall and die and he couldn’t do that, he couldn’t

(he still has nightmares about it happening)

when Sokka becomes an ambassador, some people are pissed because well 1) Watertribe 2) he’s a child 3) they suck 4) they think he’s distracting with his tics and Zuko is not here for it so he will destroy them

Like one time (after they started dating) Zuko overheard some councilors mocking Sokka’s tics and he got PISSED like so pissed and he went off and the found Sokka and hugged him because he is allowed to

oh! Sokka and Zuko’s thing is like hand-holding okay? They both kind of hate it because weird touch stuff, but it’s okay when they do it to each other?? Like, it feels right and like they’re completed and whole and it’s nice

before they start dating, they kind of do it a lot. Like, night before Zuko’s coronation, Sokka finds Zuko and he’s freaking out because what if he ends up like his dad and Sokka kind of just... grabs his hand and they sit there

Sokka is panicking because chronic pain and the cold of home makes it worse and Zuko finds him crying in the library and just... holds his hand

Zuko keeps little things on him all the time like paperclips and paper and writing utensils and things that click and buttons and stuff so if Sokka looks stressed during a meeting he can slip something under the table to him so he can play with it

Sokka also draws a lot during meetings, like, he doesn’t look at anyone throughout the whole meeting, even when he talks. He is able to focus more and pay more attention when he is doing something with his hands so he draws and doodles and sometimes takes notes

Sometimes he just writes the same word or sentence over and over again throughout the whole meeting

Sokka has sensory issues and a lot of noise stresses him out

It’s kind of the opposite of Zuko’s sensory issues? Like, Zuko doesn’t like loud noises and Sokka doesn’t like kind of static-y noises, like... when things sound muffled or muted or people are talking kind of quietly over each other

(Zuko definitely gives Sokka massages when his tics hurt a lot)

Random, but after awhile “yip yip” became a verbal tic of Sokka’s. Sometimes, he would say “you need to yip yip” and then he’d apologize to Appa and tell him that he’s yipping just fine

Toph is kind of like Zuko in how she likes Sokka’s verbal tics

She can’t see-see, but hearing his tics is nice sometimes, especially when she worries

She likes falling asleep to some of his tics

Even though Katara and Zuko are allowed to touch him whenever they want, more often than not they ask first because friendship is magic

Suki is lovely, okay? Like, just her presence is enough to make him feel better and she approaches helping him in a different way, she just talks to him and asks him questions to help him take his mind off of it

Sokka really doesn’t hate his TS, like, yeah, sometimes it pisses him off more than he can even explain, but it’s a part of him and as much as he cherishes when he can sit still, it’s wrong, it’s not him? He sits weirdly in chairs and changes his position every two minutes, he rocks his legs in his sleep, he sometimes even finds his own tics grounding...

Over time and with help from his friends, he learned to not be ashamed and that having TS didn’t make him ant less of a warrior

also, he, Toph, and Zuko are the disabled club✌🏻(and it makes them feel better sometimes in their own little way)

I have a lot more I could say but this is already pretty long, so I’ll end this sweet with Katara is amazing and Sokka’s relationship with her is wonderful and she knows how to help him with his tics in the way that Zuko does and can help center him like no one else and Sokka just loves her so much

Okay! Ah! That was kind of a lot but I hope you like them! Anyone can feel free to add more to this or lemme know if you have any ideas!

Thank you for the ask! I enjoyed writing these:)

[corpsoir]

I very much enjoy your scrunglo!!! He's so cool!!! Epic fish man!! Do you have any tips for designing Jojo ocs?

AAHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH <333

this is the only jojo oc i've ever made actually, i don't know if i have that many tips specifically to jojo ocs, but here's my process kinda i guess??

but the first thing i did was pick a colour and a song, i knew i wanted to make something green since i'm very bad at using greens in my art, so that was my start. and i've had that song his stand is named after on my mind for a while now so it just felt right! the song is about sailing, rowing and getting separated from your friends without being able to control your tears, and i felt like the lyrics of the song very much impacted how the character took shape in my mind. and since the theme of the song was sailing, i just went nuts from there, dressing him partially in fishing net and a life jacket looking shirt and what not. i'd say just have fun and do the most out there thing you can think of with the character!! don't think too much about it just do it and the rest will come to you!

oh and also he's named skagen literally only because i was hungry and thought about skagenröra (weird swedish dish i'm sorry if you google it and find it disgusting, i only eat the plant based version of it which is amazing hehehe) and gipp (jibe in swedish) comes from the fact that i used to sail, and i HATE jibing because its scary when the boom goes from one side of the boat to the other, because it can happen really violently if you have a good strong wind lol

when it comes to sketching and actually visualising the character i just sit down and doodle with everything i've thought of in mind. often i draw something and it just happens to be perfect for the characters, other times i deliberately incorporate things into the design. like the little triangle things on skagens zipper? thats a nautical navigation marker that means west, you have those out in the water to mark like, big rocks to the west of the marker!

but yeah just doodle, play around, have fun! a lot of my character design is really deep and meaningful to me personally, so maybe take some things from yourself and apply it to them? maybe you have a necklace you really like! exaggerate it and give it to the character!

hope this helps a little, sorry if it's messy, this is just stream of consciousness stuff and i can talk all day lol