#the visuals live rent free in my mind always

[caelstyx]

I realize that everything was born From the tender dust in the air of nothingness Embodying as the lion, eagle, bull, and angel

[damnation-if]

I just want to say, as a certified monster fucker, I'm already in love with your story hahaaa <3 I'm glad we're getting more adult stories and the themes in this one are so intriguing, can't wait for the rest ! Alsooo, I really liked the way you describe things? I do not know how to explain it haha but I could easily visualize what was happening and the general atmosphere you're going for and I thought that was neat :^)

thank you so much for your kind words!! i truly appreciate them and i'm so glad the descriptions were to your liking! i have at least some level of aphantasia, so i'm always worried that i'm not describing things enough haha... glad that doesn't seem to be the case!

i was actually talking to my friends just yesterday about how there's relatively few Creacher-y ROs around... so for whatever reason, i guess because it's on my mind, i thought i'd take a bit of time/space here to mention all of the Monsterfucker Approved (TM) ROs that i could come up with, in case anyone else might be interested. this list isn't meant to be exhaustive (in case i miss anyone) as sadly i am yet to become all-seeing and all-knowing 😔

Creacher (Alien)

Rhaxa and Imxa from Project Hadea by my beloved @nyehilismwriting. spikey, scaley, bitey, etc. 👌i also love and appreciate the attention to detail put into worldbuilding for the different ways their species communicates and thinks and so on, showing the culture gaps between them and humans. quality buggies!

Creacher (Eldritch)

Roach from The Passenger... the mc is also an eldritch creacher in this one, which may add or subtract to the enjoyment for various different people lol

Sysba from Attollo; i also think this game in general is pretty monster friendly, with a bunch of monstrous side characters and so forth. the cool kind of neo-gothic vibes give it a feeling a bit akin to a cyberpunk Penny Dreadful... it's about as Monsterfucker as cyberpunk gets i think!

Beacon from Stygian: The Abyssal Lighthouse by my good friend @salty-stories. this one is probably the most Lovecraftian of the eldritch creachers i think, heavy Call of Cthulhu vibes. it's still in progress but i'm personally willing to wait haha

Creacher (Parahuman)

Lorelei and The Other from The Golden Harp; pirates and sirens and mermaids, oh my!

Danny and Isla from When It Hungers by the wonderful @roast-ifs ... the game is still on hiatus but it still lives rent-free in my head always... the monster mcs are So *chef's kiss*

Oisein from The Nameless; due to the sheevra mc there's a Lot of really cool exploration of the boundaries of humanity and stuff like that... we love a "nonhumans shouldn't be able to feel/do this" story... we love it a Normal amount for sure.

Creacher (Indefinable)

Trace from Greenwarden by @fiddles-ifs; an iconique creacher... the game itself also has excellent kind of Appalachian gothic/supernatural vibes and a dark undercurrent of Lurking Monster Foreboding.

Games with Applicably Creacher-esque Vibes

Virtue's End by my beloved friend dani... the ROs might be human, but the mc most certainly is not<3 dark fantasy and sumptuous Monster vibes, what more can you ask?

anything by the extremely talented @thirtybythirty (links to their games in their pinned post). everything they write has a compelling undercurrent of... eldritch existentialism. perhaps the creacher is in fact the Narrative... or maybe the humans were the creachers all along...

the fabulous OFNA: Birds of a Feather - it has the perfect combination of things Not Quite Human and Not Quite Right to create a rich and ominous atmosphere, well-worth playing even though everyone is Technically human lmfao

anyway sorry for rambling on and i'm sure there's a bunch i have missed but. i do feel like it's worth giving praise where it's due for games and writers that we appreciate! thank you again for your kind message (and for giving me a chance to talk about this a bit lol)

[becauseimanicequeen]

WHAT I’M CURRENTLY WATCHING

ONGOING:

TO BE CONTINUED (Thailand): I’m having the time of my life with this one due to the main characters’ lack of communication, fear of fessing up to their feelings toward each other, the drama of the past, and Poppy (I always love Poppy!).

LOVE IS BETTER THE SECOND TIME AROUND (Japan): I love mature QLs (mature as in adult characters that are complex, flawed, and feel real, and that deal with real-life problems). This is no exception. I also love stories with the possibility of getting a second chance (because everyone makes mistakes).

1000 YEARS OLD (Thailand): This one is way too cute for me (I have a hard time vibing with too much cuteness). You would think this is a series about vampires and aliens, but it’s actually about soup and umbrellas. The only reason I’m still watching this is because of said umbrellas. The umbrellas got me hooked! (Welcome to the real struggles of a visual artist.)

CLOSE FRIEND SEASON 3: SOJU BOMB! (Thailand): There are too few episodes for me to say something substantial about this one. The neon lights in the first episode got me good, though (and I’m a slut for neon lights). Also, I love drunken shenanigans (in fiction, btw) and it’s delivering on that front.

TWO WORLDS (Thailand): This is another series with too few episodes for me to say something substantial. I like the vibe so far, though. Also, I always have a sweet spot for artists so Khram has a special place in my heart.

DEEP NIGHT (Thailand): I love the club setting (again, neon lights are my thing) and the chemistry between the characters (especially between Seiji and Pan). There’s also the possibility of a poly relationship (which I and so many others are hoping for).

(I hope I don’t get as clowned about this poly relationship as I got clowned about Non showing up alive in DFF.) (Either way, I’m staying in this clown car because I need poly! Hope is said to be the last thing leaving a person...)

CITY OF STARS (Thailand): This is really sweet. The characters are sincere and have great communication skills. Fueang and Krom maturely solve every issue that shows up. It’s nice to see a great relationship like this for a change (even though I do love watching miscommunicating characters as well).

ANTI RESET (Taiwan): I’ve recently started watching this and easily got into it since I could binge several episodes. It has an interesting story (falling in love with a robot that seems very real and human). The chemistry between the main characters is great and the visuals are gorgeous (Yi Ping’s house is beautiful, even though the front door never seems to be properly closed, like, ever).

A SECRETLY LOVE (Thailand): Right now, the only reasons I’m watching this is because of Kimmon (the actor who plays Pluem), Kut (who plays Khonprot, since I haven’t moved on from his role as Din in Chains of Heart), the sapphic side-couple (even though it’s a fake relationship right now) with rhyming names (Soi and Froi), and the neon lights. Mostly because of the neon lights! (I’m such a slut for neon lights!)

UNKNOWN (Taiwan): When I say that I’m obsessed with this series, it’s because I am. These characters live in my mind rent-free 24/7. The chemistry, the palpable yearning, the dialogue, the emotions expressed through the acting when there is no dialogue, etc., etc., etc. It’s just soooo great.

(Unknown does cover a topic that’s generally seen as taboo (“adoptive” brothers falling in love), so, be aware of that. I don’t have any issues watching series with taboo topics because there’s very little stuff I get uncomfortable with when it comes to fiction. So, I’m in love with this series with my whole stone-cold heart.)

[justlookatthosesausages]

My roman empire could be Shrek 2 tbh. That movie is an undeniable masterpiece and I always have a scene in my mind or have to restrain myself to complete someone's sentence with a reference when it gets close to a line from the movie.

Not only is Shrek 2 a beautiful animated movie with incredible CGI, but also, and I'm very serious about it, it's the only movie I've ever seen in my nerdy life that manages to make me smile or laugh every. single. minute.

There's no break in Shrek 2 it's like a high speed train that doesn't stop for one hour and a half of pop culture, mashups, musical references while maintaining its double viewing with double level jokes. Kids and adults have as much fun watching it. It has visual comedy, subtle humor, good voice acting, a ridiculously good soundtrack, the best cover version of Holding Out for a Hero ever made?????

Shrek 2 lives rent free in my head

[momentomori24]

Ok, can I ramble about the Poison remix real quick? Cool, thanks. You're so supportive, I always appreciated that about you.

Anyway, I absolutely loved it. It was awesome. I can't believe they made an entire remix for a character's birthday, but they did and I'm so impressed by that. Adding Valentino to the song was honestly the best decision they could've made. Not only are his lines super addicting to listen to (that "good boy" lives rent-free in my head like DAMN), but the way they're used in the song feels so intentional and fitting it's brilliant.

The "I own you or have you forgotten that?" at the start sets the tone perfectly, hammering down that Angel's his property, that he's unable to get away from him no matter what. Val in the original, despite not actually singing in the song, is the consistent looming threat in every scene, and being reminded of the context of the situation from the beginning helps retain that ominous presence he brought to the table for a remix with no visuals. When Angel sings about how he feels himself disappearing due to acting becoming natural to him, you can hear distorted, small "Action" from Val in the background, as if signalling him to get into character before the cameras start rolling. Angel puts on an act and tries desperately to make it his identity even outside his work because it's how he has to be, especially around Valentino, and hearing Val order him to perform really emphasises that. And my absolute favourite part is when during the "What's the worst part of this hell? I can only blame myself". Despite everything Val has put Angel through, despite being clearly deceived into something he didn't know would get this out of hand, he doesn't blame him-- he still blames himself for the decisions that have lead him to the position he's in now. And that internalised victim-blaming is met with positive reinforcement as Val praises him with a "good boy" (btw seriously that took me out like why does he have to sound so hot goddman). Val revels in control over his workers, even going as far as to use his and Vel's roofies to get them to behave. And should Angel do anything that even slightly appears to challenge his authority, he's not above using more physical means to put him in his place. When Angel agrees to get rid of Charlie and when he places himself between her and Val to stop her from fighting him and gets her to go, his submission and appeasement is rewarded with the temporary satisfaction of his captive, and it's still felt in the remix.

Poison is all in Angel's head. It's him lamenting his acting persona taking over his sense of self, his reflection on his relationship with Valentino and all the self loathing and resignation that comes with the revelation of how it will come to an end. It's a look into his psyche and that darkness he hides so damn well as he plays his part for his audience to a fault. While Val is an overwhelming presence in the song, he's only there visually; the vocals are entirely Angel and Angel alone. But in the Poison remix, Val's voice still lingers in the background. And what I like is that they aren't new lines-- they're things he's said to him before. Even in the safety of his headspace, his abuser's words still echo in his mind. Valentino still taints his thoughts, previous praises, orders or reminders reacting to and influencing his lyrics. Even in his own mind, he's still unable to escape him.

[adamsvanrhijn]

🕯️ ⇢ on a scale from 1 to 10, how much do you enjoy editing? why is that?

🍄 ⇢ share a head canon for one of your favourite ships or pairings

🦴 ⇢ is there a piece of media that inspires your writing? 

🕯️ ⇢ on a scale from 1 to 10, how much do you enjoy editing? why is that?

probably like an 8-10!! i love editing and i edit as i go and it's way easier than writing from scratch and i am a very lazy person in my heart so that makes it a lot more enjoyable

🍄 ⇢ share a head canon for one of your favourite ships or pairings

every man who has lived rent free in my brain since 2019 has a fun era-fashionable bathing suit. on this hill i will die

🦴 ⇢ is there a piece of media that inspires your writing? 

i'm going to try to take this question with the spirit of it in mind and share things i do Not write fanfiction about, although i do take serious inspiration from source texts when writing fic and generally am intentional in style according to source material etc

i am really trying to read some more contemporary fiction now that i'm out of school and have not been successful literally at all in this so i would like to perhaps have a different answer if asked this question again in the year BUT. i grew up reading and then formally studied in college late 19th/early 20th century fiction, both children's and adult literature, and i feel like i really lean toward the style of some of my favorites and can't shake that - like, describing something only the first time it comes up but in detail at that time, lots of adverbs in dialogue tags, etc - i don't necessarily intend for my writing to be charming but i do think there is something very charming and evocative about that style and it works especially well for fanfiction when readers already have an idea in their mind of what characters look like or a visual reference for the setting

and it's very important to me as someone who just Was a reader that even when it Is fanfic, and is fanfic for tv at that which is very recent for me relatively, to let the reader maintain their own idea of what things should look like and just prompt them in that direction, because The Autisms have generally always had me in a position where it was very jarring for things to look different than they were in my brain... idk!

[punch-love]

(currently in the middle of reading ch.8) I've been meaning to ask this for awhile now, and this feels like the perfect chapter release to finally ask it-

What (if any) pieces of horror media would you say inspire you in your own work?

I love this question! Horror is my favorite genre, and there are a couple different things I pulled from specifically for this project.

The two biggest influences were probably the Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson and the movie Girl on the Third Floor.

I really love the way that Jackson writes about the relationship between the house and Nell. It's such a slow, maddening spiral, and the house is so malevolent and also strangely entangled with her. It's such a psychological book, and the fact that Nell is an unreliable narrator really makes it that much more compelling. I also loved the way the house exists as a character and its unique way of communicating (and the terrible consequence of what it wants.) I like that it's a tragedy that couldn't be avoided, and that what the house ultimately pushes her to do is probably the biggest mercy anyone ever allowed her. I really like horror when the monster is kind in a way that is only justified by the sickness of outside circumstances somehow being worse.

Girl on the Third Floor is probably my favorite haunted house movie, again, because of how personable the house is. It's a haunted whorehouse, and the house takes on such a personality and sensuality in a way that I've never really seen done before. The way it interacts with the protagonist is so erotic and cruel, and there are so many hauntings in that movie that live in my brain rent-free even though it's been years since I've seen it. (I don't want to spoil it if you haven't seen it, but there's a specific shower scene that - I just - )

I love the visuals of Crimson Peak and the way that the ghosts are never going to leave, and how that's a fate sealed for them long before they ever become ghosts. The scariest movie I ever saw as a kid was Monster House and I think that cemented a sentient, living house in a relationship with a human being as one of the most terrifying concepts in my mind forever.

I'm sure there are more, but those are the ones that come to mind. If anyone ever has good haunted house/ghost media to recommend to me, I'm always open to adding new things to my queue.

[all-thestories-aretrue]

I am about 1 million years late to this but thank you for the tag @graphitekayla!!!

Rules: without naming them, post 10 gifs of your favorite shows, then tag 10 people. I'm definitely going to break this rule; you can't give me the opportunity to gush about my faves and not expect me to name them all!!

If anyone has followed me for any length of time none of this will be a shock lmao.

Shadowhunters, and more broadly speaking The Mortal Instruments. My first real fandom!!! I cannot overstate the impact the books and show had on my life. I wouldn't be who I am without it. I have an angelic rune tattoo. Magnus and Alec are some of the first queer characters I remember reading about. I remember where I was when they kissed for the first time in the show. You stupid nephilim lives rent free in my brain. This show (and the books) truly set up the trajectory my life is on now, and I will always always remember it fondly. Even with all the drama and discourse.

2. Critical Role, specifically C2. My first true obsession after the decade long Shadowhunters debacle. I stumbled into it to learn how to play D&D (which I now know is a controversy in and of itself lmao). But my friend @midnightellis wanted us to start a game, and I needed a way to learn that wasn't reading the books, so I started C2. It took 11 or 12 episodes, but then I fell in love. I spent the next almost year watching the entirety of C2 which culminated in visiting them to watch the finale together. I was extremely jetlagged. It was basically 8 amazing hours of nonstop crying. I have zero regrets. Except for the fact I still need to get the tattoo I had planned rip. One day!! I promise!!

3. Arcane!!!! A brief interlude between Shadowhunters and CR. There was about 4 months were I was OBSESSED and watched the entire show like 3 times back to back. I have many thoughts and feelings about Jayce. The show is also just so visually stunning. I cannot wait for S2 to drop in November!!!!!! I know nothing about League but I do really love this show.

4. House. Iconic. What else needs to be said? House is very much a comfort show for me; great to rewatch during the winter. I've watched the entire thing almost three times now, and even got my mom hooked lol. It was fun seeing all her reactions to everything before I moved.

5. If I had known what fandom was when this was airing, I truly would have been all over that shit. But I was 8 and didn't have access to the internet. Aang/Katara def my first otp lol. I did, however, ignore a friend that was over at my house to watch the finale, I believe. I definitely told them to go play so I could watch the show uninterrupted. Needless to say, they were not thrilled with that. I'm 90% sure it was the finale now, but I could be wrong about the episode. ATLA is also another comfort show that I could watch over and over again.

6. Shadow and Bone. I am still SICKENED this got canceled. Genya and David are the ultimate romance, and no one will convince me otherwise. I almost stopped reading when I found out his fate. I was devastated. Everyone in this show is also very pretty. I can't believe we won't get a s3.

I'm going to stop here because this is already long enough, and tbh I'm not sure I actually have four more shows. I can only be obsessed with one thing at a time, and the current obsession is Path of Night. And that does not seem to be waning any time soon.

Edit: Lost should 100% be on this list. I think I've watched it at least four times. My family and I watched it live as it was airing when I was a kid. And it still is one of my favorite shows. I know people got beef with the ending but I truly didn't mind it. Even if it's bad or whatever, I think Lost is still 100% worth watching. There are so many little hints and clues that I pick up something different every time, and each character death hits just as hard.

I'm going to tag: @gelatinouscute, @peppedstep, @midnightellis, @discordkittenterumi, @im-a-vampire-now, @zeena-athena , @syntia13treeman , @sapphicfugue , @dr-thumbs-brand-new-spot

If you want to do this :)

[sciderman]

hi sci! i hope you don't mind me asking, but what was your education route like? and if you have any tips for work experience to support illustration?

hello anon! i really wish i had a wealth of advice on this - but i'll talk a little bit about my experiences!

i was kind of the unofficial artist of my high school, actually - not that i ever explicitly volunteered but absolutely any time the school needed posters or graphic design or illustrations of any kind... "this looks like a job for sci." designed all the christmas cards, all the posters for all the school plays - even now, almost a decade later, they're still using my illustrations for like, education principles and for the student journals and everything. it's really cute.

i think doing all those illustrations for my school was a real boost of confidence - i felt like i was practically a professional already, because my illustrations were already so widespread and seen, in people's day-to-day.

i studied art, media studies, english literature and drama at A-level - and went straight into university after to study animation (i've kind of always known i wanted to be an animator since i was a wee baby, it's always been my path)

while i was in uni i had a freelance gig at a daily newspaper - so i did these daily little illustrations that were kind of like little visual poems.

i was kind of lucky that a lot of little publication opportunities would arise for me because of my interest in translated literature and being kind of part of the british-iraqi community - so i got to do a lot of small publications - little translated books - even a magazine cover or two. i think, if you're part of communities it's always worth it to volunteer up your talents - even for free - create art to promote events, etc - it's so, so important as an illustrator to have eyes on your work. i know exposure doesn't pay the rent - but it does wonders for your confidence, and looks so, so good on the portfolio. posters - promotional material - publications - all of that stuff is so, so great. art for function, that's what will push illustrators forward, i think.

straight after graduating (well - with a year devoted to the job hunt) i entered the world of corporate animation! i mostly do after effects motion graphics - here's my groovy (and in need of updating) showreel!

i currently work as lead animator in a small corporate film studio! i storyboard, i animate, i direct (sometimes live-action projects too!) - i love what i do. and because i'm quite active on social media, i've also landed a few pretty high-profile freelance gigs on top of it! for a time i posted lots of commute drawings and it caught the eye of someone at the bbc and f1 - which lead to a lot of really exciting jobs. so you really never know what's going to catch someone's eye and lead to opportunities. something small you did just to unwind might actually be just the spark someone was looking for. the number of times i've had someone point to some silly, small idea i threw out into the void for a giggle and they've said "that. i want that. and i'll pay you for it." everything you create has value. even if you can't quantify it just yet.

a lot of the time when i gain a bit of success or i land a job i always say "huh. i'm lucky." but actually - i work insanely hard. i'm almost constantly creating. i've been that way since i decided i was going to be an animator, and that was - well, i was like, 11 years old. i decided i was going to pick up the pencil and never put it down. (not saying that's a healthy way to be! but it's just the way i've been.)

i think the most valuable thing for an illustrator is to be seen. create a lot. share a lot. join art collectives - do art challenges - submit to publications and zines - pushing your art out there in front of eyeballs is the best place to start!

[the-blind-assassin-12]

Hi Alyssa!

Question for you— What is one of your favorite pieces of media (tv show/movie/book/album/etc) outside the Pedro-verse? And why do you love it?

Hi Kat! 🙋🏻‍♀️ I hope you’re having a great weekend! Thanks for swinging by, this is a fun question!!

And I’m actually going to answer it with two pairs of non-Pedro media, because why not? Also because whenever someone asks me what my favorite anything is, either A) everything I’ve ever enjoyed leaves my brain in that moment and I freeze and say something like “potato 👍🏻” or B) everything I’ve ever enjoyed rushes in all at once demanding to be chosen. It was the latter this time, so I’ve whittled it to two things. Really 4 because pairs. So I haven’t really whittled much, have I? Oh well.

Pair #1: Station Eleven by Emily St. John-Mandel & Station Eleven, the HBO limited series

This story - both versions of it - rewired my brain and left indelible marks on my heart. I say both versions, because the show differs quite a bit from the book, but in ways that are just as right and good and satisfying and that truly define the word “adaptation”. The show is not at all a 1:1 of the book. But it’s so extremely clear that these are the same characters and this is the same world and I think it was just really beautifully brought to life in both mediums.

It’s an apocalypse story that focuses on a group of people who never get face time in apocalypse stories: the creatives. Writers and actors and artists and musicians. It’s about family - the ones we choose and the ones were born into. It’s about life and love and the reasons we find for carrying on. It’s about getting to what’s important and holding onto it. And it’s full of some of the most beautiful and chilling lines/visuals I’ve ever experienced.

“Hell is the absence of the people you long for” and “To the monsters, we’re the monsters” and “What was lost in the collapse: almost everything, almost everyone, but there is still such beauty” and the entire “I remember damage”/text of Miranda’s graphic novel will live rent free in my head for life.

Bonus? If you’re absolutely heartbroken and soul sick over Joel & Ellie and the world of TLOU in general, you’ll find a balm in show version Kirsten & Jeevan. (It’s also a good apocalypse story for anyone who doesn’t like gore and/or zombies - the “event” in this one sweeps through very fast and doesn’t leave any mutant humanoid freaks behind 👍🏻)

Watch it, read it, read it, watch it - there’s no wrong order, just dive in.

Pair #2: How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful & The Odyssey by Florence + the Machine.

My favorite album from my favorite musician along with the short film created from the music videos. HBx3 is immaculate. The lyric in my header actually comes from one of the songs on it - St. Jude. Even the bonus tracks are pure gold. Caught, Make Up Your Mind & Mother are my favorites.

And The Odyssey scratches my brain’s itch for visuals in a super satisfying way. As someone who lived for TRL and Pop Up Video, I love me a good music video, and with this it’s just one after the other all excellently strung together. And it’s so dramatic. Like soooooo extra. 🖤

Thanks again for sending this in, lovely!! Surprise asks are always fun and welcome!! ☺️

[nuklearis-sutotok]

Some Tips For College:

On Books:

Always check your book prices at other places, college bookstores are ridiculously inflated and they will eat you out of house and home. Amazon can be much cheaper but isn't always the best deal either (Do take advantage of their student prime). Sites like Abebooks and Ebay can save you a bunch. Check with the professor to see if older editions of the text will work (I saved an absurd amount of money on most of my psychology books by getting the previous edition which was essentially exactly the same as the new one).

Likewise renting textbooks will not always save you money.

Check places like Harvard, MIT, Opentextbooks, archive.org, gutenberg.org, libby, and other websites to see if they have your books online for free. Your local library may have access to materials too!

DO NOT carry all of your books. This can weaken your back, neck, and shoulder over time and can lead to permanent nerve damage and injuries years later. Regardless if you feel fine now. Very seldom, if ever, will you need most of your books in class. Try to find some place to store them if you need a lot of the heavier ones.

Digital textbooks can be your friends but be mindful of code errors. Keep your receipts. Always.

Citing and resources:

Your local library may have broader access to websites like ebsco than your college may have. Reference librarians are your friends.

The Purdue Owl Citation tool is also your friend and has tips on how to cite in all formats. Citation rules change regularly, it's good to be up to date on them while in the field.

When doing papers check the backs of your books to make sure the books you are citing are not just citing each other. It's absurd how common this can be, especially in history. If they cite multiple authors it's a little better.

Speeches:

The first rule of order is don't panic. Everyone is nervous, even the guy who is pretending he isn't. Even the people who do this for a living. Try to have some fun with it! It's not the end of the world.

Keep your speeches and your papers concise, list who, what, and where, and be careful of your citations. Use visual aides if you can. Summarize at the end, listing your key points again. 70~ hours from now all your audience will remember is the key points and whatever jokes you told. Two weeks from now all they're going to remember is the summary. Keep it clear.

Move around a little but don't be distracting, just relax, try to keep yourself straight and enunciate your words clearly, make full use of your mouth to accent your projection, you want to be heard but you don't want to seem like you're screaming at people. Typically screaming at your audience unless you're in a play acting the part or being murdered on stage is frowned upon.

Watch speeches. Seriously. Go watch historical speeches on youtube and archive sites, take a glimpse of everybody and the speeches that get remembered. Presidents, movement leaders, world leaders, politicians... Take a look and see what it is that they're doing that is keeping the audience's attention so focused their speech is remembered decades later.

Health:

Try not to stress. Yes, you are here to learn, yes, you are paying money and putting in time for your future, you want good grades but not at the expense of your life. The colleges I attended all had the same motto for this, you are paying them, have them help you. If you need something related to the class, e-mail your professor, talk to your advisor, make use of tutor labs, ask your classmates. Not everyone will be helpful but that doesn't mean help is in short supply. It's supposed to be exciting. Do this for you and try not to overburden yourself. If you need to take less classes or drop one until a following semester or find a different teacher don't beat yourself up about it.

Join something fun, the college paper, the theater, the choir, a sports team, anything that gets you connected and a bit of a social life, even if you only hang out with these people in class. Usually they are 1 credit classes that take place in the evening or early mornings so they rarely conflict, but they get your blood plumping, get you some exercise, and can do more for you than you think, just as you can contribute to them.

[moonjxsung]

upon learning the term bedrotting i feel like 80% of my life has been just that. so i completely get it, i bedrot unless i absolutely need to go out (✨depression✨)

fr perv hanji brings out my past wattpad dramatic af 1D fic self. i love him, he also lives in my head rent free because the perv ji character just fits him soooo well. and that thing your ex did was super hanji coded too if he’s feeling especially confident. manifesting perv hanji everyday✨

choi minho, the man that you are. he’s also my baby, so pretty so hot and so nice😭 the greenest green flag to ever exist. i saw an article the other day bc someone accused him of being a bully in HS (and first off like wtf that man is like 30+yrs old, why you bringing up his hs life at this age). the thing is that his former classmates were like “wtf hell no, bro is obsessed with a soccer team that hasn’t one in 20 yrs, you really think he’s a bully?” 😭😂😂😂 they said that he used to get snsd autographs for his teachers and friends. literally an angel baby. also, ur minho dream, care to elaborate??👀

and frrrrr what’s up with these exes here? are you guys okay? i thankfully don’t think i ever had a situation like that with anyone, ex or not, and if i did, i def repressed it. but i always remember this situation a friend of mine was in. so she was my bestie for like all of high school (she dumped me for the church💔 my religious trauma fr) and she was in a band and one of her mates introduced her to this other guy who played guitar (conveniently, he was also really really good friends with my current bf at that time). anyways we were like 17 (my bf and i) and she was a year younger so 16. and we were just finishing our list of college applications, they saw each other randomly bc he auditioned for a band that she was in and he started texting her a lot and offering to take her to band practice (thankfully her parents were like overprotective so it never happened). mind you, he was born in 95 and she was 00. so if we were in like grade 11 or 12 he was like well into uni. so, she tells me that she’s going to this uni like three hours away from where i was going. and i’m like all happy and supportive and whatever and she’s just like “oh and _______ told me that he studies like 15minutes away from my campus so he said that i could go to his apartment and we could read comics” and i was just like 🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩and i told her that that was absolutely insane and reading comics def didn’t mean reading comics. so she got kinda mad and we stopped talking about him. and like a year later (she ended up not going to that uni), i stayed at her house once and she told me that he turned out to be a super sketchy guy. and she’s always been this really really physically beautiful person like main visual fr, but soooo naive, and shit like this happed so frequently. she once told me that in middle school, she was kinda dating a guy from 12th grade so she was like 13 and he was like 17-18🚩🚩🚩 so yeah, men suck. i’m thankful to have never experienced something like that or anything but im sure that my rbf and the paranoia and resistance my parents inflicted on me in terms of men helped.

so yeah, if there’s anything that the minors that sneak into ur blog should know is: that older guy that’s talking to you is 100% an absolute creep, pls stop talking to him🙏🏻

anyways bb, i hope you have soooo much fun watching the ateez coachella streaming!!! i will be with u @ heart bc im def watching it here, last week’s was really freaking awesome.

-🐈‍⬛

WE LOVE BEDROTTINGGGG my plans for tomorrow are just to bedrot bc this week was tiring as hell and my sister’s getting sick so I have preemptively planned to stay in and sleep as much as I physically can in between writing. I am so excited ‼️‼️

PLEASE something about perv Hanji just gets me GOING my ex is fucking trash but he did the most pervy shit sometimes and I just imagine it as Hanji au now to repress the bad memories 😭 I remember we were sexting @ thanksgiving dinner one year while he was literally sitting next to his entire family and he left the table to send me videos of him taking care of himself in the backseat of his car like if that’s not SO Hanji 😭😭😭😭 PLEASE. I would melt

THE MINHO THING PWLWAASSKKEKE I SAW THAT TOO AND I WAS LAUGHING SOOO HARD CHOI MINHO IS THE GREENEST FLAG EVERRRRR NO WAY YALL WANT TO PRETEND HE WAS A BULLY 😭😭 also my dream was v short lived BUT I dreamt that he had to go to work in my place for some reason and run some of my meetings for me and so we met up so he could give me business updates and we were just sitting so close to each other and laughing and getting zero work done LMFAO I remember thing “oh my god I have to fuck this man” PLSLSLWLEKEKSMJS HE’S SO FINE……….

Oh my god that story about your friend is insane 😭 that sucks that she ended up dropping you for the church (she’s missing out on the best friendship frfr) but I hope she’s gotten a little smarter about avoiding weird guys and sorta understanding the implications of what they say :/ my sister used to work at the movies when she was like 16 and one of her coworkers was this 25 year old weirdo who snapchatted her once inviting her to “watch marvel movies together” and we were instantly like OHHHH THAT’S NOT…….

Sagely words of advice from all of us here on stayblr stay away from older men w creep vibes AND don’t pursue anything with anyone who clearly isn’t over their ex 😀😀😀😀😀😀

ALSO BBY I JUST FINISHED COACHELLA STREAMING AAAAHQHWJSMSKS THEY SOMEHOW DID EVEN BETTER THAN LAST WEEK)????? HOWWW IS THAT POSSIBLE…, ALSO “GOLDEN HOUR” NEW COMEBACK IN SUMMER????? IM SO HYPED I LOVE ATEEZ SO MUCH FUCKKKK 😭😭😭🫶🫶🫶‼️‼️

I love you baby I hope you had the bestttt day !!!!!! 💓💖💘💗

[becauseimanicequeen]

Hi Queen! What did you mean by a triadic colour scheme in the post on The Rebound? And why would you scream about polyamory if Ryu was purple?

Hi, Anon.

The triadic color scheme is one way to create color harmony. You can do this in a couple of ways (which I might expand on in a separate post), but let's focus on the triadic color scheme in this one.

First, though, I need to bring in this visual aid and explain it a bit:

(This is a photo I took of a color-wheel illustration in Betty Edwards' book "Color".)

This is a traditional color wheel with 3 primary colors, 3 secondary colors, and 6 tertiary colors.

Since your question relates to Zen, Ryu, and Atom's colors in The Rebound, we'll focus on the primary and secondary colors in this post.

The primaries and secondaries are:

12: Yellow (primary)

2: Orange (secondary)

4: Red (primary)

6: Purple (secondary)

8: Blue (primary)

10: Green (secondary)

(Not that this will matter to the post, but if you're interested: The primary colors can't be created by mixing other colors/pigments. These are the basic colors you need to create the other colors on the color wheel. The secondary colors are those you get by mixing two of the primaries together.)

The triadic color scheme, which I briefly mentioned in that post on The Rebound (which you referred to), is created by using three colors with an equal distance between them on the color wheel. Since the traditional color wheel has 12 colors, there needs to be 3 colors between each chosen one. This is illustrated by a triangle (you can see two options in the image above). No matter how you turn the triangle, the points always point to the three colors that harmonize with each other.

The 4 triadic combinations you can get are:

The 3 primary colors together (yellow, red, and blue)

The 3 secondary colors together (orange, purple, and green)

And two different combinations with tertiary colors (1, 5, and 9, and 3, 7, and 11, but these don't matter in this post)

With that said, what we've seen in The Rebound so far is that Zen is connected to orange (even though he seems to be verging towards yellow at times)...

Ryu is connected to blue...

And even though we haven't seen much of Atom yet, he seems to be connected to green (because we've seen it in the trailer as well).

Orange and green align perfectly for a triadic color scheme, but blue doesn't. The color that would've made a perfect triangle with orange and green is purple (as shown by the downwards-pointing triangle in the image above).

In other words, had Ryu been purple instead of blue, I would've screamed about poly because that would've been as close to perfection as perfection could come when it comes to the colors (at least for me).

Also, one of the symbols for polyamory is a downwards-pointing purple möbius triangle, which is basically a never-ending ribbon that's shaped into a triangle (other symbols are the blue, red, and black flag with a pi symbol on it, and a red heart with a blue infinity symbol, to mention a few). This is just another reason I would scream about poly if I got a triadic color scheme.

But I didn't get that, so this is pointless. But I can't help it. I'm a "more is more" kind of person, lol.

To be serious, though... I don't think we will get poly here (even though I want it). Not only because I didn't get a triadic color scheme or other color harmonies between all three of them, but also because I don't think that's the story they want to tell. They might not even do the love triangle trope (but they probably will, lol).

Does this mean I'll stop suggesting poly, though? No. Because I'm delulu. Even when the colors are telling me to stop, I won't.

Because all I want to see are the three of them together.

(This image is living rent-free in my brain right now. And I don't mind. I don't mind at all.)

I will shut up about poly now. (Just give it to me!)

Thank you for your ask!

[travalerray]

ship ask meme: xiyao?

thank you for the ask anon!

Ship ask meme

Squick / Just nope / A trainwreck you can’t look away from / Mehh but they are bloody everywhere / Not interested but no negative feelings / I need to see how I could make it work / BroTP / Cute / I love them / They rented a room in my mind and are here to stay

There's something so enchanting about tragic sworn brothers~

“Lan Xichen! All my life, I’ve lied to countless people and I’ve harmed countless others. It’s just like you said. I killed my father, killed my brothers, killed my wife, killed my son, killed my teachers, killed my friends—I’ve committed every crime there is!” He[Jin Guangyao] inhaled deeply, then rasped out, “But never have I ever wanted to hurt you!”

~The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, Vol 5

A trainwreck that you can't look away from: This is mostly in reference to the whole fiasco at the Guanyin Temple. Like you bring your not boyfriend away from the Second Siege that could have easily caused a lot of deaths so that you can tenderly part ways with him and leave the country with your mother's dead body? Oh, it all goes to hell, regardless of all your paranoid planning? You get stabbed over a misunderstanding, stabbed by the person who had always trusted you until he found the skeletons in the far back of the closet? You STILL push him away from death? And he lives, lives on, haunted by the fate he can never achieve, haunted till the end of his life, repeating the doomed fate of his parents. LXC survived, but at what cost?

BROTP: They need to be together.

Cute: Mhm, this is more evident in the visual adaptations but the fondness in their body language is so dear to me.

I love them/They rented a room in my mind and are here to stay: MY providing shelter to LXC when he was on the run from the Wen, not even acquainted, but just doing it because that's how he is, MY serving as a spy and choosing to send LXC letters regarding the movements of the enemy troops, LXC and JGY meeting at the lowest points in their lives and attempting to cling onto their relationship made during that time, even with their very different stations in society, LXC being the only one to notice how MY was being treated during the tea party and purposefully drinking from it and thanking him, the two of them working TOGETHER on the watchtower project, LXC believing for all the years that whatever JGY did must have a reason behind them, the utter heartbreak at the perceived betrayal and using his dearly imparted knowledge for the murder of a mutual cherished person (was it? Or did he, LXC, just dream up his hopes and choose not to see? How much did he not see? Could he have prevented all this? What's the worse answer? Does he even want to know?), JGY pushing LXC away from the coffin—everything about them is so beautiful and painful at the same time. They live rent free in my head, stuck at the beautiful line from both the donghua and live action, "Stay here and die with me, er-ge"

[lv-iceprince]

🐯🐾...overall ship...🐯🐾

@quruxbadan

okay here's the tea, i was so excited to do this ship for you! i just love doing your requests, you're such an angel and it such an honour to ship you with the coolest idols ever.

i'm just biased with this ship, so sorry if you don't agree with me but this is where it's at.

know that i'm always here for your requests and just to talk and yeah! love you heaps mate xo

~seventeen~ hoshi 🐯🐾

This was the quickest choice I have ever made for a ship,  there is something about you that is so precious, your cloud photos, your face, your personality IT IS ALL SO PRECIOUS WTF????!!!! So, I had to do Hoshi a favour and ship you with him.

I think you would be doing him a favour by dating him, okay that sounds harsh, but  I mean it was all the love and respect I have for him. Hoshi is such a genuine, quirky, adorable, sexy  guy and he really does need someone who would make his days infinitely better and that is you.

At first Hoshi would just think you were a nice person, that you just wanted to have a mutual friendship and in some ways you did. However, you could not get over him, he lived in your mind rent free 24/7, he was your go to when you were sad, when you were excited or when you wanted to relax. He was your person.

Even though Hoshi is somewhat unaware of your feelings it took him .5 seconds to say yes to going on a date with you, he has a literal skip in his step and a sparkle in his heart whenever he is around you so he always knew he would date you one day, if you liked him that is.

I will try not to swoon over your appearance, but you are literally the cutest human being on this planet, I think I’ve said this before but you’re the only person I’ve seen who has Nayeon visuals, I still stand by this statement! I just can’t get over the resemblance, you literally have the same sweet smile and the most adorable look in your eyes.

There is also this sense of elegance that I honestly can’t get over, you just seem like such a good person. Besides that, imagining you in the same room as Hoshi is an overload, you are just so complimentary to each other and it’s actually insane.

Even though it’s so tempting to force the two of you together based on the overall, cuteness factor I have to say, Hoshi has something more striking in his visuals. It’s almost iconic, someone so sweet has such powerful visuals, he is the tiger.

For this reason, it’s just so complimentary, the contrast I mean. Visually speaking you’re quite distinct from one another but again that’s what makes this such a beautiful pairing. I know I’m gushing but you’re literally his best visual match.

Now onto my  favourite part (especially because it’s you we’re talking about), personality. I hinted at it earlier, but you are literally such an angel and I want to discuss this more. Since you have such a rich personality the only way, I can describe it like you are this beautiful cottage core fairy who enlightens everybody around you.

This is also the main reason as to why Hoshi loves you so much, you bring optimism, and you remind him of the sweeter more simpler aspects of life.

Though he tends to be very active and hyper most of the time, he would love nothing more than relaxing and indulging in your parfums, accessory making or any other artistic endeavours, he may act like he is clueless as hell but watch him make you the most beautiful things in the whole entire universe.

He also loves wearing anything you make.  Your quiet nature is something that also brings him in, he just feels so proud that he is cool enough to have someone who is equally as cool, just for him to love and to hold.  

[firewoodfigs]

♥️ and 🎨 for the ask game :)

❤️ What is your favorite line that you’ve written in a fic?

oooo!!! off the top of my head (and only scouring very recent fics/poems that i've written, which is to say not a lot), it would probably be:

sweet tea in the summer / cross your heart, won't tell no other

That summer, the desert barren, swollen with grief; dreams of glory frayed and worn. 

a study in reformation (chapter 7)

"Goodnight, Riza. Sweet dreams.” A chuckle, a prelude to something ludicrous. “And by that, I mean you have my permission to dream about me.”  “That would be quite the nightmare, wouldn’t it?” A noise of protest, feigning injury. Her smile doesn’t waver. “Goodnight, Roy. Thank you.”  “Anytime.” 

also i think there was a line i wrote in an earlier chapter that was something like "maybe it's simply a proletariat's fate, to trade impractical dreams for rent money" that was entirely personal lmao

i wove a wreath to keep us from death's tender breath

I wove a wreath to keep us from death's tender breath / a peace lily, settling in grief's buoyant sea.

also these are some lines from a song I'd originally intended to finish recording for royai week 2023, but will probably only get around to doing so in august haha...

in this dream, you were / shimmering / aurora in spring / chasing brass rings / wasn't worth our weight / in gold ... but all our wishes upon tarnished stars / have bled into / catastrophe and war / claimed our youths / and maimed our truths

🎨 If someone were to make fanart of your work, what fic or scene would you hope to see?

OOOOO omg honestly i adore fanart in all forms, but if i had to pick -- there was a scene in the latest chapter of the college au / ch. 7 of a study in reformation that really started out as a film scene in my head. specifically the scene where roy and riza were hanging out at the party alone, gazing at the party crowd uncomprehendingly as they lean back against the cluttered table of drinks and re-evaluating what they know about each other, with roy being all like "there's a lot you don't know about me, and i'm sure there's a lot i don't know about you, too" LIKE. to be known is to be loved and we are slowly getting there >:)))

honorary mentions go to: (i) the scene in sweet tea in the summer / cross your heart, won't tell no other where Roy braids Riza's hair after she gets ridiculed at school, and she sees her mother's reflection in her cup of tea; (ii) the scene in and if this is the long haul, how'd we get here so soon where they're sitting on a bench in the amestrian version of coney island, staring at the ferris wheel forlornly like it's a reel of everything that could've been, if they'd been unmaimed by their sins; and (iii) the scene in no matter the hearts you burn, in mine you shall always remain where Roy and Riza (and their gremlin child Ed) get shoved into traditional xingese garb by a herd of overpowering maidservants.

ANYWAY. I WOULD LITERALLY BE OVER THE MOON like these visuals lurk around in my head like film scenes but i am aesthetically challenged and incapable of drawing anything beyond stickmen unfortunately.

special shoutout to volvare for her incredible depiction of the balcony scene in memento amare and smoothshine for her breathtaking illustration of THAT scene in and you get lost when you're led by blind faith!!! y'all are insane and your art lives rent free in my mind <3

thanks for the ask, lovely! i had so much fun answering this one - have the best weekend!!! xx