#year I think I'll be posting updates more often...

[rathologic]

Wiki updates of the day - I've rewritten the Scenes page (our oldest incomplete article) with a description of its file format, and added a writeup of gift items from walking around the Town :-)

[jadevine]

Preindustrial travel, and long explanations on why different distances are like that

Update March 1, 2024: Hey there folks, here's yet another update! I reposted Part 2a (the "medieval warhorses" tangent) to my writing blog, and I went down MORE of the horse-knowledge rabbit hole! https://www.tumblr.com/jadevine/741423906984951808/my-post-got-cut-off-so-i-added-the-rest-of-it Update Jan 30, 2024: Hey folks, I've posted the updated version of this post on my blog, so I don't have to keep frantically telling everyone "hey, that's the old version of this post!" https://thebalangay.wordpress.com/2024/01/29/preindustrial-travel-times-part-1/

I should get the posts about army travel times and camp followers reformatted and posted to my blog around the end of the week, so I'll filter through my extremely tangled thread for them.

Part 2 - Preindustrial ARMY travel times: https://www.tumblr.com/jadevine/739342239113871360/now-for-a-key-aspect-that-many-people-often-ask

Part 2a - How realistic warhorses look and act, because the myth of "all knights were mounted on huge clunky draft horses" just refuses to die: https://www.tumblr.com/jadevine/732043691180605440/helpful-things-for-action-writers-to-remember

Part 3 - Additional note about camp followers being regular workers AND sex-workers: https://www.tumblr.com/jadevine/740604203134828544/reblogging-the-time-looped-version-of-my

--

I saw a post on my main blog about how hiking groups need to keep pace with their slowest member, but many hikers mistakenly think that the point of hiking is "get from Point A to Point B as fast as possible" instead of "spending time outdoors in nature with friends," and then they complain that a new/less-experienced/sick/disabled hiker is spoiling their time-frame by constantly needing breaks, or huffing and puffing to catch up.

I run into a related question of "how long does it take to travel from Point A to Point B on horseback?" a lot, as a fantasy writer who wants to be SEMI-realistic; in the Western world at least, our post-industrial minds have largely forgotten what it's like to travel, both on our own feet and in groups.

People ask the new writer, "well, who in your cast is traveling? Is getting to Point B an emergency or not? What time of year is it?", and the newbies often get confused as to why they need so much information for "travel times." Maybe new writers see lists of "preindustrial travel times" like a primitive version of Google Maps, where all you need to do is plug in Point A and Point B.

But see, Google Maps DOES account for traveling delays, like different routes, constructions, accidents, and weather; you as the person will also need to figure in whether you're driving a car versus taking a bus/train, and so you'll need to figure out parking time or waiting time for the bus/train to actually GET THERE.

The difference between us and preindustrial travelers is that 1) we can outsource the calculations now, 2) we often travel for FUN instead of necessity.

The general rule of thumb for preindustrial times is that a healthy and prime-aged adult on foot, or a rider/horse pair of fit and prime-aged adults, can usually make 20-30 miles per day, in fair weather and on good terrain.

Why is this so specific? Because not everyone in preindustrial times was fit, not everyone was healthy, not everyone was between the ages of 20-35ish, and not everyone had nice clear skies and good terrain to travel on.

If you are too far below 18 years old or too far past 40, at best you will need either a slower pace or more frequent breaks to cover the same distance, and at worst you'll cut the travel distance in half to 10 or so miles. Too much walking is VERY BAD on too-young/old knees, and teenagers or very short adults may just have short legs even if they're fine with 8-10 hours of actual walking. Young children may get sick of walking and pitch a fit because THEY'RE TIREDDDDDDDDDD, and then you might need to stay put while they cry it out, or an adult may sigh and haul them over their shoulder (and therefore be weighed down by about 50lbs of Angry Child).

Heavy forests, wetlands and rocky hills/mountains are also going to be a much shorter "distance" per day. For forests or wetlands, you have to account for a lot of villagers going "who's gonna cut down acres of trees for one road? NOT ME," or "who's gonna drain acres of swamp for one road? NOT ME." Mountainous regions have their traveling time eaten by going UP, or finding a safer path that goes AROUND, so by the time you're done slogging through drier patches of wetlands or squeezing through trees, a deceptively short 10-15 miles in rough terrain might take you a whole day to walk instead of the usual half-day.

If you are traveling in freezing winters or during a rainstorm (and this inherently means you HAVE NO CHOICE, because nobody in preindustrial times would travel in bad weather if they could help it), you run the high risk of losing your way and then dying of exposure or slipping and breaking your neck, just a few miles out of the town/village.

Traveling in TOO-HOT weather is just as bad, because pushing yourself too hard and getting dehydrated at noon in the tropics will literally kill you. It's called heat-STROKE, not "heat-PARTY."

And now for the upper range of "traveling on horseback!"

Fully mounted groups can usually make 30-40 miles per day between Point A and Point B, but I find there are two unspoken requirements: "Point B must have enough food for all those people and horses," and "the mounted party DOESN'T need to keep pace with foot soldiers, camp followers, or supply wagons."

This means your mounted party would be traveling to 1) a rendezvous point like an ally's camp or a noble's castle, or 2) a town/city with plenty of inns. Maybe they're not literally going 30-40 miles in one trip, but they're scouting the area for 15-20 miles and then returning to their main group. Perhaps they'd be going to an allied village, but even a relatively small group of 10-20 warhorses will need 10-20 pounds of grain EACH and 20-30 pounds of hay EACH. 100-400 pounds of grain and 200-600 pounds of hay for the horses alone means that you need to stash supplies at the village beforehand, or the village needs to be a very large/prosperous one to have a guaranteed large surplus of food.

A dead sprint of 50-60 miles per day is possible for a preindustrial mounted pair, IF YOU REALLY, REALLY HAVE TO. Moreover, that is for ONE day. Many articles agree that 40 miles per day is already a hard ride, so 50-60 miles is REALLY pushing the envelope on horse and rider limits.

NOTE: While modern-day endurance rides routinely go for 50-100 miles in one day, remember that a preindustrial rider will not have the medical/logistical support that a modern endurance rider and their horse does.

If you say "they went fifty miles in a day" in most preindustrial times, the horse and rider's bodies will get wrecked. Either the person, their horse, or both, risk dying of exhaustion or getting disabled from the strain.

Whether you and your horse are fit enough to handle it and "only" have several days of defenselessness from severe pain/fatigue (and thus rely on family/friends to help you out), or you die as a heroic sacrifice, or you aren't QUITE fit enough and become disabled, or you get flat-out saved by magic or another rider who volunteers to go the other half, going past 40 miles in a day is a "Gondor Calls For Aid" level of emergency.

As a writer, I feel this kind of feat should be placed VERY carefully in a story: Either at the beginning to kick the plot off, at the climax to turn the tide, or at the end.

Preindustrial people were people--some treated their horses as tools/vehicles, and didn't care if they were killed or disabled by pushing them to their limits, but others very much cared for their horses. They needed to keep them in working condition for about 15-20 years, and they would not dream of doing this without a VERY good reason.

—

UPDATE January 13: Several people have gotten curious and looked at maps, to find out how a lot of cities are indeed spread out at a nice distance of 20-30 miles apart! I love getting people interested in my hyperfixations, lol.

But remember that this is the space between CITIES AND TOWNS. There should never be a 20-mile stretch of empty wilderness between City A and Town B, unless your world explains why folks are able to build a city in the middle of nowhere, or if something has specifically gone wrong to wipe out its supporting villages!

Period pieces often portray a shining city rising from a sea of picturesque empty land, without a single grain field or cow pasture in sight, but that city would starve to death very quickly in preindustrial times.

Why? Because as Bret Devereaux mentions in his “Lonely Cities” article (https://acoup.blog/2019/07/12/collections-the-lonely-city-part-i-the-ideal-city/), preindustrial cities and towns must have nearby villages (and even smaller towns, if large and prosperous enough!) to grow their food for them.

The settlements around a city will usually be scattered a few miles apart from each other, usually clustered along the roads to the city gates. Those villages and towns at the halfway point between cities (say 10-15 miles) are going to be essential stops for older/sick folks, merchants with cargo, and large groups like noble’s retinues and army forces.

Preindustrial armies and large noble retinues usually can’t make it far past 10-12 miles per day, as denoted in my addition to this post. (https://www.tumblr.com/jadevine/739342239113871360/now-for-a-key-aspect-that-many-people-often-ask )

[thrilling-oneway]

IKIZULIVE / LOVE LIVE! BLUEBIRD master post

I'll be compiling what we know about Ikizulive so far to try and bring info about the project over to people who don't use twitter and are interested in getting into it. This post will be edited as more information is released so check back for updates.

About Ikizulive

Ikizulive or Love Live! Bluebird is a new project under the Love Live! franchise. While little information is known so far, their activities will primarily be held on YouTube and Twitter. It's speculated that this will be a Vtuber project possibly similar to Bandori's Yumemita spinoff, but that hasn't been confirmed yet. The official youtube channel can be found here, and the official twitter account here. Each character also has their own personal Twitter account, which will be linked in character bios below.

The project officially launched on May 12th with the release of character designs and their debut song, What is my LIFE?. More information will be revealed in the first cast stream on June 17th.

Story information

Not much about the story is known so far, but you can piece some information together from the tweets made by the girls. The girls attend an online high school called Love High School (Love学院高等学校, Love Gakuin Koutou Gakkou), which they shorten as L High (L高, Lkou). The academy has satellites schools in Asakusa, Tokyo (near Otonokizaka) in a multi-tennant building, Fukui (Fukui prefecture), and Umeda (Osaka prefecture). The facilities at the schools are poor, and they don't have a uniform. There are rumours that they may have to close due to a lack of funding and decreasing enrolment. Four of the girls at the Tokyo branch have started a school idol club called (roughly) Hard Life Club (いきづらい部, Ikizurai Bu), named such because they claimed an unused club channel on their school server which used that name.

The story is set at some point in the future after the Hasunosora story. On the character page of the official website, there is a heading that says "What are school idols". The description reads:

Idol groups that once existed across the country. Winning Love Live, a school idol competition, attracted a lot of attention at the time.

Interestingly, the group/project color is orange. Honoka is also quoted on the website. Though I might be thinking too hard about it...

Polka Takahashi (高橋ポルカ)

Self-intro

Twitter: @/polka_lion CV: Honon Ayasaki Image colour: Yellow Birthday: August 18th

A first year at L high's Tokyo branch. She enroled in online school after to failing her high school entrance exams due to being really bad at maths. She lives with her grandmother in Tokyo while her parents live overseas in Argentina. She doesn't like tight clothes and prefers skirts and shorts that are easy to move in, as she likes to dance, so she's happy about not needing to wear a uniform. She's not very good at using a computer, and Mai had to help her with learning how to use it and signing into lessons. She learnt about school idols not long after starting high school and decides to find some friends to start a school idol club with. She officially started IkizuraiBu with Mai, Hanabi, and Akira not long after.

Additional info:

She is 157cm tall (the same as Chika and Honoka, etc)

She doesn't know her blood type

Her hobby is taking naps

Her skills are the ability to nap everywhere, getting approached for street interviews often, and winning lucky draws

Her favourite foods are noodles (especially udon) and chocolate

She also likes cola, McDonalds, and ham cutlets and croquettes from the shop over the Sumida River

She claims she can understand cats

She uses a lot of emojis in her tweets

She speaks in third person

Mai Azabu (麻布麻衣)

Self-intro

Twitter: @/My_Mai_Eld CV: Rina Endo Image color: Blue Birthday: February 13th

Another first year at the Tokyo branch. She enrolled in online school so she could focus on her hobby/'job' as a programmer. Her parents made her attend in-person classes, and she reckons this is because she missed a lot of classes in middle school due to staying up all night and sleeping during the day. She values simplicity and doesn't like wasting time on school because it takes away from programming time, so she plans on watching her online lessons at 2x speed. She finds Polka a bit annoying at first and thinks she is the type of person who could easily fall for a scam. Mai also seems to be interested in making money, and wants her name to be known around the world. She is vice-president of IkizuraiBu.

Additional info:

She is 154cm tall (same as Nico, Ruby, etc)

Her blood type is B

Her hobbies are programming, datamining, and playing Minecraft

Her special skills are using a soldering iron and DIY

Her favourite foods are fruit (melon and grapes) and hamburgers

She likes the TRON Project

Has a younger sister who auditioned to be an idol and passed without telling her

She uses the nickname Maimai (My Mai?)

She likes ice cream, and would like an ice cream machine at school

She mentions using an avatar for her idol activities, suggesting she may know about vtubers

Akira Goto (五桐 玲)

Self-intro

Twitter: @/G_Akky304250 CV: Seri Miyano Image color: Light green Birthday: July 9th

A first year who moved to Tokyo from Numazu to attend L High. She's aiming to be a professional wall climber and has a strict training regimen and diet, and trains every afternoon after school. She's amazed at Polka's ability to make friends so quickly. She meets and befriends Polka by the river after school one day, and at some point decides to join IkizuraiBu.

Additional info:

She is 164cm tall (in-between Mari and Lanzhu)

Her blood type is O

Her hobbies are climbing, cycling, and strength training

Her special skills are handstands, Athlete Food Meister qualification, gift wrapping, and making things by hand

Her favourite foods are kale and nut salad, dried fruits, granola bars, and milk

She has heard of both Muse and Aqours

She lives with her aunt

She uses the ocean wave emoji in a lot of her tweets

She also enjoys cycling, and sometimes sings on her bike rides

Hanabi Komagata (駒形花火)

Self-intro

Twitter: @/hanabistarmine CV: Kokoro Fujino Image color: Red Birthday: June 11th

A first year at L High's Tokyo branch. She enroled in online school so she could balance school with working at her parents' kimono shop, and so she didn't have to join a club. She loves kimonos and wears them all the time, even wearing one to school. People often stare at her because of this, but she wants to normalise kimono-wearing in everyday life. She is stalked and abducted by Polka after school one day, but they hit it off as friends and she joined IkizuraiBu. She wants to be a modern-day Yamato Nadeshiko and kimono idol.

Additional info:

She is 160cm tall (the same as Riko, Shioriko, etc)

Her blood type is A

Her hobbies are kimonos and reading

Her special skills are fitting kimonos, calligraphy, and cooking food in the microwave

Her favourite foods are matcha sweets, mochi, and pasta

She's the only daughter in her family (she could have brothers, it's not specified)

She's good at hanafuda

She knows some English from helping tourists at the shop

She mostly tweets about kimono, and about what kimonos she thinks would suit others

Miracle Kanazawa (金澤奇跡)

Self-intro

Twitter: @/MiracleGoldSP CV: Aiha Sakano Image color: Pink Birthday: TBA

A second year student at L High's satellite school in Fukui. She's a pastry chef and runs an online bakery called MiraMiraMiracle Patisserie. She enroled in online school so she had more time to practice baking on her own after not liking the methods taught at confectionary school. She meets Noriko at school and offers her a muffin, but Noriko is incredibly shy around her. She finds this cute, and keeps bringing her more cakes. According to her self-intro, Polka convinced her to join IkizuraiBu so she could promote her bakery, but this has yet to happen in the story.

Additional info:

She is 152cm tall (the same as Hanamaru, Natsumi, etc)

Her blood type is AB

Her hobby is baking

Her special skills are baking, cooking, and pulling all-nighters

Her favourite foods are sushi (especially urchin and salmon roe), karasumi, and monkfish liver

She refers to herself as Mii (ミィ) instead of a traditional first person pronoun

Although her name would normally be read as Kiseki, it is officially read with the English translation. She also often writes her name in katakana (ミラクル).

She's only following Noriko

Seems to like coming up with nicknames, considering she uses three different names for Noriko

She offers a discount to classmates who order from her bakery

Noriko Chofu (調布のりこ)

Self-intro

Twitter: @/Noricco_U CV: Ria Seko Image color: Purple Birthday: April 4th

A first year student at L High's Fukui satellite school. She wants to be a voice actress, and is part of an agency, but she failed her recent audition. She thinks she's a boring person, and is extremely shy and struggles with interacting with others (social anxiety?). She wants to go to voice actor lessons in Tokyo but says her mum won't allow it, so she's looking for a part-time job to pay for it.

Additional info:

She is 153cm tall (the same as Leah and Ceras)

Her blood type is B

Her hobbies are watching anime, and reading manga and light novels

Her special skills are singing (she has perfect pitch), cleaning, and playing setter position in volleyball

Her favourite foods are sweet things, including baked goods. She liked puddings, cream puffs, and things with custard

She likes VTubers

She's only following Miracle

Miracle calls her Norichan or Norinori

She likes SpyxFamily

Yukuri Harumiya (春宮ゆくり)

Self-intro

Twitter: @/Yukuri_talk CV: Yuki Okumura Image color: Light blue Birthday: September 22nd

A first year student at L High's Umeda branch who enrolled so she could prioritise her ballet and theatre lessons. Her dream is to be an otokoyaku (woman who plays male roles) in Takarazuka Revue, although whether this dream will be possible is uncertain. She has an unspecified illness that is affecting her ability to perform. According to her bio, she joins IkizuraiBu to help Polka, though this hasn't happened in the story yet.

Additional info:

She is 165 cm tall (the same as Lanzhu)

Her blood type is B

Her hobby is theatre

Her special skill is ballet

Her favourite foods are somen noodles, jelly, gratin, hambuger steak, baumkuchen, and pickled foods

She isn't following any of the other girls

Aurora Konohana (此花輝夜) / Rollie

Self-intro

Twitter: @/rollie_twinkle (lmao) CV: Akane Amasawa Image color: Hot pink Birthday: January 3rd

A second year student at L High School's Umeda branch who has transferred from America. She's originally from Japan, but moved around abroad a lot due to her parents' jobs, with them currently being in LA. She thinks taking care of your hair and appearance is very important. She also makes videos talking about cosmetics and describes herself as an influencer.

Additional info:

She is 162cm tall (the same as Eli, Dia, etc)

Her blood type is O

Her hobbies are fashion and beauty

Her special skills are makeup, making coffee, playing soccer and matchmaking couples

Her favourite foods are coffee, baked beans, fried egg, and crispy toast (english breakfast...)

Like Miracle, despite her name being written in Japanese as Kaguya, it's pronounced like the english translation

She calls herself Rora (ローラ) in some tweets, and Midori calls her this too.

She talks in a lot of English, similar to Mari

She brought back souvenirs from LA, including a local team baseball cap, Anastasia cosmetics products and Trader Joe's eco bags

She's only following Midori

Despite her profile saying otherwise, her character description says that her motto is "love is justice"

Based on the "born this way" motto in her profile, she might be a fan of Lady Gaga

Midori Yamada (山田真緑) / Little green

Self-intro

Twitter: @/LittlegreenCom CV: Honoka Kotomori Image color: Green Birthday: May 7th

A first year student at L High School's Umeda branch. She's an environmentalist, and is always thinking about ways that she and others can help the environment. She spreads awareness about climate change and ways that people can combat it on her twitter account and by putting up posters at school.

Additional info:

She is 155cm tall (the same as Rin, Kasumi, etc)

Her blood type is A

Her hobby is camping

Her special skills are puzzles, identifying plant specimens, bug catching, fishing, stargazing, and kendama

Her favourite foods are smores, waffles, cream stew, and strawberries

She's only following Rollie

She recently worked a Earth Fes event and she donated her wage to the WWF

She met Rollie while working at the Earth Fes

She hates dodgeball

She liked reading a lot as a child

Shion Sasaki (佐々木翔音)

Self-intro (No profile card, her intro is different to the others)

Twitter: @/ShaunTheBunny CV: Aoi Suzunose Image color: Grey Birthday: November 11th

A first year-aged girl. She doesn't seem to like school very much and often skips classes. She also has a difficult home life, and mentions feeling a constant weight of parental pressure, and gets into arguments with them sometimes. From many of her tweets, it's apparent that she has depression. She mentions in one tweet that people online probably know her better than anyone who knows her in real life. She also releases videos/streams on another platform, including a video of her new school uniform.

She does not have a school profile card on the website, and it does not mention what branch she attends. It's possible she has not enroled yet

Her height and blood type are not listed in her bio

Her hobbies are social media, puzzles, reading, and model kits

Her special skills are violin and piano

Her favourite foods are meal shakes, french fries, ramen, and spicy foods

We do not know where she is from or where she lives

She's not following any of the other girls

She uses the pronoun boku (ボク), the third main girl to do so after Mia and Tsuzuri

She likes her new noise cancelling headphones

She also likes nighttime/midnight, since it's time that she can have to herself, and sometimes wishes morning wouldn't come

She likes coordinating uniforms

Seiyuu information

Here is a list of the seiyuu and their known twitter accounts/birthdays:

Polka: Honon Ayasaki (b. December 31st)

Mai: Rina Endo (b. October 4th, 2005)

Akira: Seri Miyano (b. January 5th, 2007)

Hanabi: Kokoro Fujino (b. March 31st)

Miracle: Aiha Sakano (b. May 31st)

Noriko: Ria Seko (b. September 19th)

Yukuri: Yuki Okumura (b. October 13th)

Aurora: Akane Amasawa (b. January 19th, 2003)

Midori: Honoka Kotomori (b. January 23rd)

Shion: Aoi Suzunose

(Yuki Okumura does not have a twitter account, and no information about Aoi Suzunose has been found online)

The seiyuu will do live activities such as streams and concerts just like the other generations. Their first stream will be on June 17th!

[letterboxd-in]

note games are popular huh? i’ll give one a try, could use the encouragement (these are all “i will try to” but hey we’ll see where i end up!)

20 notes and i’ll wake up on time ⭐️

35 notes and i’ll reconnect with friends i’ve lost touch with ⭐️ (progressing!)

50 and i’ll start saving early and get more work (+ apply for other jobs) ⭐️ (done!)

60 and i’ll exercise and get sun more regularly ⭐️

75 and i’ll try and tailor a more comfortable, gender affirming wardrobe for myself ⭐️ (progressing!)

80 and i’ll buy a guitar and start learning it (and practice bass more frequently) ⭐️

99 and i’ll be nice to myself more often ⭐️ (progressing?)

over 100 notes and honestly no idea, dealer’s choice (never!)

retroactively adding more because dealer’s choice scares me

120 and i’ll get a septum piercing ⭐️

140 and i’ll get my book (hyrde) written and published ⭐️ (progressing!)

160 and i’ll make sure i have break days every now and then ⭐️

175 and i’ll talk to my teachers and careers advisors about work placement and university again ⭐️

190 and i’ll try and recognise when i’m splitting ⭐️ (progressing!)

200 and i’ll cry because how did it get that far resolve to try and be happy this year ⭐️ (progressing!)

update: holy fuck i guess ill think of more???? woah

update: HERE'S MORE I GUESS???

230 and i'll pick up drawing again and stick with it ⭐️

240 and i'll get a start on other writing projects of mine (yes that includes sunder & vale by @mysticstarlightduck's suggestion)

250 and i'll quit (for the most part) shortform content (meaning no tiktok, reels, shorts except for some creators i actively support)

260 and i'll pay more attention in school and actually study sometimes

270 and i'll try and figure out how to do original writing/editing commissions (i have posted about this a while ago but logistics didn't work back then)

280 and i'll begin drafting/composition for original music

300 and eyes to the future!!! i will keep planning! also maybe say one nice thing about myself for @ominous-faechild and @world-of-iridensia

[hughiecampbelle]

The Boys Preference: Reacting To Your Tattoos

A/N: I have so many ideas for The Boys cast! Be sure to look out for more posts! I'm updating my request list to include them 😊 I'm sorry I've been a little MIA! I'll be getting back to requests asap! Hope you like it! Feedback is always appreciated 💜

Butcher loves them. This is not the moment to say something, to react, but he definitely takes notice. You got hurt, really hurt, and the only way to save you was for Annie cauterizing your wounds, buying you a little more time. Butcher didn't need to hold you down, you'd already gone limp, losing all color in your face. He begs you to wake up, to stay with them. There was so much blood. So much red. He was covered in it, seeping through his shirt. Your jacket was thrown off, the collar of your shirt torn, ripped, for easier access to your shoulder and they both discovered the tattoos. Your chest, your arm, neck, you were covered. He had a feeling there were far more, wondering why you never showed any of them. You were always so bundled up, he never even questioned it. He warned you this was going to hurt, though he wasn't even sure you could hear him. Still, as Annie's hands grew bright, he cringes, hoping you were too out of it to feel anything, hoping this would all seem like a far away dream. Hoping you won't mind the large scar that will warp your ink.

Hughie is pretty intimidated by them. The Boys are already a scary looking group, but meeting you, he thought you were going to bite off his head. Your body was pretty covered. After getting to know you, he realizes how wrong he was. You're snarky and stubborn, but you're also thoughtful and funny. If it were up to you, you'd never hurt a fly, just Vought. Still, every so often you'll do or say something that reminds him of that first impression, especially when you feel threatened or your friends are threatened. You'll show up with a few new ones, filling in the gaps. When it comes to open wounds you're ready to treat it with a strong drink and duct tape. When it comes to your tattoos, you're meticulous in your aftercare. He's never seen you so serene looking as when you're taking care of them, so gentle. Something about that makes him feel like he shouldn't be witnessing it, but he's grateful that he is. When they're in tricky spots, he's the first to offer to help. He works with nervous hands, afraid he'll do something to ruin it. You just laugh, walking him through it.

Annie knows all about your tattoos. They are, after all, linked to the V in your blood. You didn't start developing them until your late teens, your parents assuming the V they injected was a dud. Images started appearing and with them, your powers. By the time she met you, you were covered. You didn't like showing off to The Boys. You still had a long way to go to gaining their trust. Parading around the fact that you were a Supe wasn't going to help. Still, when it was just you and Annie you were less reluctant to show her. All kinds of images adorned your skin: weapons, insects, animals. You liked the weapons the best. The thing could project itself from your skin as if it were real. In seconds, you had a sword in each hand, as real and sharp as if you'd physically gotten one. The best part? Your skin was indestructible. Every few months, maybe years, a new tattoo would appear, giving you a leg up in the fight against Vought. She thinks you have by far the most interesting powers of any Supe she's met.

M.M. hates them. Because they're linked to the V you got as a baby, he sees them more of a warning than anything else, the way brightly colored animals are poisonous. He hadn't realized the first time you met, what they were from, and you were smart enough not to tell him. It was only when you were fighting for your life did you use your abilities: the circles on the back of your neck, layered, you let out a sonic scream that shattered windows, set off car alarms, and drew blood. The group that had attacked you were coughing it up, it was running down their necks from their ears. M.M. was far enough away not to be affected, but the way he tells it, he was *this* close to having his insides turned to goo. Some were safe enough to run away. The ones who were closer dropped dead with a wet squelch. He trusts you even less for not telling him. When he breaks the news to everyone else, he's shocked to find out that they either knew (like Annie) or they were unfazed, more impressed than anything else, like you'd become this great asset. You apologize profusely, but you know it'll be a long time before he can even look you in the eyes.

Frenchie thinks they're so cool. He went with you once and got one of his own: while you were getting a rather large piece finished, he wants to get a smiley face on his ass cheek. Despite the discomfort, Frenchie's all giggles. He's more than excited to show this off to everyone he decides to moon. You try to tell him how to take care of it, but he waves you off. He's eager to show The Boys. He's lucky it heals properly and by the end of the week, everyone he comes into contact with has seen it. Besides that, his favorite thing is to study the ones you have. They're intricate and beautiful and some of them are pretty silly. You never understood the sentiment that there had to be some grand kind of meaning behind them. If you like it, you get it tattooed. He asks questions about them, most done all over the world or, a couple, in prison. He thinks you look badass, especially when you shed the bulky layers and show off what they normally don't get to see. Your back piece is his favorite. When you're wearing something with a low back, or disregard a shirt completely, he can't help but watch you. You're careful, covering them with clothes or makeup so that whatever illegal thing you're doing can't be traced.

Kimiko asks a lot of questions. Did it hurt? Why that image? What does it mean? How long did it take? You never mind, in fact you like talking about them. You spent enough time getting stabbed, you wanted someone to ask. She especially loves the ones on your hands. They look beautiful as you sign back to her. Some are still a little raised despite how well you took care of them, those are her favorite. She touches them delicately, afraid it might hurt, but you assure her they're all healed. She watches when you're getting changed together, how they move with your skin and muscles. They make her smile knowing you feel so much more at home in your body because of them, something you admitted to her late one night after a few drinks. They help you like yourself, covering up insecurities, making you feel cuter/cooler than you would without them. She's always the first to notice when you get a new one, making a point regardless of the situation to tell you how nice it looks and that she likes it a lot.

Bonus! Homelander thinks they're horrendous. Disgusting. Just another way you've defiled your body. He can't stand to look at them and made sure you understand that. Around him, you keep them covered, either by clothing or makeup. You know better than to draw attention towards them. Regardless of how you acquired them (Compound V or just an aesthetic choice) you know not to bring them up or let anyone else bring them up. A-Train noticed the one of the back of your neck and that put Homelander over the edge. You were both thrown out of the room. You consider yourself more than lucky. He could have killed you, both of you, but he was feeling generous. He had bigger things on his mind. You knew working for Vought would lead to sacrifices, uncomfortable situations, but being interrogated by Homelander about your tattoos was never something you ever considered. He thinks about using his lasers every time he sees them poking out from your sleeve or pants. But he needs you. As long as he needs you, you're safe. The moment you stop being useful, he's going to cut off every individual image until there's nothing left. Until you look normal again.

[kpop]

K-Pop Spotlight: DAY6

Come one, come all to a K-Pop Spotlight that is sure to dazzle and delight ’til the final curtain. This week, all eyes are on DAY6 following the release of their eighth mini-album, Fourever, and brand new title track, "Welcome to the Show." We caught up with the band to discuss their goals as they approach their 10th anniversary and their ever-growing connection to their fans through their music. Check out our full interview below!

Tracks like “Welcome to the Show,” “The Power of Love,” and “Get The Hell Out” seem to have very different themes. Can you tell us a little about how these songs relate to each other and what aspects make this album cohesive?

SUNGJIN: As we pursue the idea of being a 'band that sings every moment,' it seems like our albums, including the recent one, prioritize diversity in songs and situations rather than unity. Consequently, our albums contain various genres and narratives. However, there seems to be a commonality in most songs, depicting situations that everyone has either gone through or might experience.

Young K: First and foremost, I would say this album is a compilation of the best songs we could create. There's definitely a theme of love running through it. "Welcome to the Show," "The Power of Love," and "Get The Hell Out" all talk about the concept of love.

What goes into creating titles for DAY6 songs and albums, especially those that don’t come directly from your lyrics? Do you find it hard to condense the intentions and themes of a song into a title?

Young K: While there have been cases like that, all the songs on this album came from the lyrics. Sometimes, when choosing a title, we select the one that best describes the song—other times, we choose to give it a twist or make it more intriguing.

WONPIL: Naming songs involves a lot of deliberation. We often contemplate which title will catch the eye and capture the song's essence. Usually, we try to take it from a verse in the chorus. This can be a challenging part of the songwriting process.

Is there a creative project you’ve always wanted to work on but haven’t gotten the chance/found the time?

SUNGJIN: I'm very curious, and have a principle of "trying to experience as much as possible." There are so many things I want to try musically and personally, especially among the things I know but haven't tried yet.

DOWOON: I hope we can have a song that we can collaborate on with My Day, like a choir.

What does your work/studio setup look like? Where do you feel the most creatively inspired?

DOWOON: We try to keep the studio as tidy as possible and make it comfortable for practice sessions.

WONPIL: When working on songs, we talk a lot. We get inspiration from little conversations, joking around, sharing stories, and listening to music from various eras regardless of genre while giving opinions. We also try to build emotional connections with the songs. There’s a lot of communication going on. The songwriting process takes place in the studio of our long-time collaborator, composer Hong Jisang, with whom we've been working together since our debut.

How do you want to evolve as a musician/producer?

Young K: I want to be eagerly anticipated and awaited as an artist. Without those who wait for us, we wouldn't release or even step onto the stage. So I’m always thankful for My Day.

WONPIL: My biggest goal is to make good music for My Day and the public, so I think I'll continue to ponder. When working on songs, I pour my sincerity into them. I constantly strive to express this sincerity musically, fully capturing the emotions I want to convey. I hope to create songs that can still be listened to even after 10 or 20 years.

Design your own Tumblr blog: choose an aesthetic, a blog name, and would you be a frequent poster or lurker?

SUNGJIN: I think I’ll use it to catch up on friends' updates. For the blog name, THUMB BLUR sounds good to me. I might end up being a lurker who never posts.

DOWOON: Maybe a blog for plants? I think I'll post it like a diary.

Want more DAY6? Check out their new mini album Fourever and the music video for the title track “Welcome to the Show,” both out now!

[sparklykat-hideoutenthusiast]

I've seen people doing an intro post so I suppose I should do the same right? I have no idea how to do this, I'm just winging it :3

INTRO POST TIME WOOO!!

[last updated: sat dec 7th at 7:18 PM 2024]

(I update this often, a reread of it every now and then would be greatly appreciated!)

Maybe every week/month depending on your time scale? ↑

Follow my other blog where I reblog a bunch of stuff and things for the full experience of my personality and interests! @eckos-reblogs :3

@everytime-i-reach-the-postlimit ←Exactly as the name entails

@nature-is-mystical ←is my other random blog that you can follow as well if you want.

that blog is just for reblogging nature stuff and posting nature stuff. (Occasionally rhymes come with it ig)

side blog for fanart!: @sonar-fanart-hall

I'm always working on making reference sheets for OCs ^^

Chill dude side blog: @cool-dudes-official

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

I will continue to edit this, probably for the rest of time to get it right since I'm a slight perfectionist lol

Hello! I've been an artist for around 5 to 6 years, and I still kinda suck at it! I do traditional art normally but I've been branching out to digital art as well. I mostly draw animals, anthropomorphic creatures, creatures in general, whatever beautifully ugly faces I can come up with, and sometimes human faces!

I classify as a furry but do not reblog a ton of furry stuff nor do I have a fursuit. I just like drawing and seeing anthropomorphic animals :3

Furries, Therians, anyone of lgbtq+ community (including ace people cuz apparently there's a debate about that), weirdos (but NOT in the gross way), and more are welcome on my blog! :3 ❤️ (you're kinda automatically welcome if you're kind anyway lol but whatevs :3)

Tags and stuff! To help you find stuff in my blog better through search :)

#Ecko draws -exactly as is obvious, it will be for when I make art, digital or traditional.

#Echo Rambles -For posts of mine that include mainly me talking about random stuff

#Echo rants - for when I rant. Similar to #Echo rambles but different..

#Echo answers - For when I answer asks!! :D

#The Clowder seeks - For when you guys ask me stuff!

#Mama Change - For when I mention my mom. (Her name is change..or it's more of a nickname but no one calls her by her actual name except for professional/job people like a dentist or something)

#Echo asks - For when I ask questions :3 lol

#Eckos moots <3 - for interactions with moots, obviously 🙄 (I love y'all sm)

#Ecko irl - me irl

My main Media for traditional art is, pens, pencil, gel pens, paint markers (posca) and normal markers! I hope to soon branch out to ink! (Maybe one day you'll get to see some watercolor stuff from me. It's not that good of watercolor art and I don't enjoy painting too much tbh)

Anatomy You say? Don't know her 😔

If you are interested, I do art requests! It's not guaranteed to be good or to be done quickly but I will try my very best every time. You can even request multiple times if you'd like! Like a ton of times! I really don't mind!

You can also request art of fandoms I'm not in but make sure to give me a good reference or the drawing will look off :3

Art requests open until further notice.

If there's something I don't mention here that you're wondering if I can draw or not, give me an ask in my inbox and I'll let you know! (Pls, I'm friendly I swear)

You can also dm me if you'd like but I'd prefer the askbox instead (⁠´⁠-⁠﹏⁠-⁠`⁠；⁠)

I can't draw/don't want to draw: items, anatomy, bodies (unless you want the equivalent of a boxy stick figure), rendering, lighting, dragons (without a reference), romance/NSFW (no, just no.), hands, human legs (for the life of me 😭), +more

I can draw/like to draw: faces, animals (mostly cat related ones but you can request any animal and I'll at least try to draw it.), different hair styles (only with a reference), eye bags (I think they're pretty lol), dragons (only with a good reference), gore (not the best at it but I'll will try my best to make something nice and bloody for ya!), +more!

My name is Ecko and it's my preferred name but you can refer to me as Melleona (my OC) or by a nickname as well if you'd like! (just please ask me first if you want to use a nickname as I'm bad with setting boundaries.)

My pronouns are She/Her but feel free to refer to me as it/it's! :3

Speaking of which! This is my OC, Melleona:

She is 14 years old, she is introverted and blunt but also shy and insecure. She has anxiety, dealt with a bit of depression, and she's very casual as well as lazy (like me lol)

She's half Cat, she has greyish blue eyes (not visible in the drawing), slightly blueish black hair that's long enough to reach her ankles, she has a mushroom themed party hat, and some wicked whiskers!

If there's anything you'd like to ask me about her or ask her, go ahead and ask away! I love anons and normal asks! ❤️❤️❤️ (There is a slight filter on the drawing. I'll edit this later and put her color palette below ❤️)

I'm a minor! Mind your words, don't send me gross/weird asks or messages. (I've already had a few people message me asking for my age, a picture of me, and my sexuality. No, I will not be sharing my real appearance on here. my age? Minor, that's all you need to know. My sexuality? I don't know and you don't need to know either, respectfully ^^❤️)

IDC if I post something slightly suggestive or that says I know about 18+ themes. I posted it, not someone saying something to me of those themes. Sure, I understand the stuff but It really doesn't matter now does it? It just means I understand enough to know you shouldn't be saying that stuff to me. (Boundaries ✨)

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I do half-curse in posts from time to time. I do censor it a bit tho, like "f7ck" for example. Hope ya don't mind (⁠；⁠^⁠ω⁠^⁠）

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I'd appreciate it if people reblogged my art!

I don't appreciate reposting it however.

Just in case you don't know what the difference between reposting rather than reblogging: it's when you (typically) take a screenshot of the art, and then repost it on either Tumblr or a different app rather than hitting the reblog button!

While this has never happened to me personally, I do feel like it's worth mentioning.

Oh, and, don't under a circumstance feed my art to AI. I can forgive reposting my art. I put out there for people to see not to get fame from it but under no circumstances EVER will I allow feeding my art to AI. It is not human. It does not make art.

AI artists don't exist unless it's used ONLY to assist with a process that is still mostly YOUR OWN SKILLS THAT YOU'VE CULTIVATED OVER TIME. AI is NOT art but it can HELP with art.

ミ⁠●⁠﹏⁠☉⁠ミ-ミ⁠●⁠﹏⁠☉⁠ミ-ミ⁠●⁠﹏⁠☉⁠ミ-ミ⁠●⁠﹏⁠☉⁠ミ-ミ⁠●⁠﹏⁠☉⁠ミ

don't dm asking me to commission from you. like said before, I don't have money bc I'm a minor + I don't like being pestered for me commission you. talk to me like a person, not an ATM.

If I want to commission someone, I will dm them and even then, I'm most likely to commission art from a friend to support them.

I support the lgbtq+ community! And I don't discriminate against race. I really shouldn't have to say this. (˘⁠･⁠_⁠･⁠˘)

I will respond to money asks with "!!" And that's it. I don't have money and even if I did I don't got any money to spare. I'm broke and struggling too. Not to mention, I'm a minor and can't just go out and get the stuff. I hope you understand and I wish you all the best!❤️❤️❤️

Some games and shows and stuff I like:

Shows and stuff: Rick and Morty, adventure time, lost in space, bsd (never watched it but I've seen enough of it on the Internet to know a bit about it. Very interesting :3), Some of the Life Minecraft series, httyd, doctor who, and more!

Games/fandoms: Yonder(Yonder Cloud Catcher Chronicles.), Minecraft, the Stanley parable, tiny bit of South Park, cotl, MLP(childish I know but I don't care. I love them), creepypasta, SCPs, Trevor Henderson's creatures (mostly cartoon cat), plants vs zombies, fran bow, little misfortune, and more!

Stuff and things (hobbies?): Art, apparently I make rhymes now too??, rollerblading, climbing, Hiking (iffy), sleeping, being annoying+lazy, doom scrolling, interacting with people, and more!

(I'm not really in any fandoms really..kinda like on the edge of being in each and every fandom I come across..)

General facts about me! Yippee!

I think eye bags and wrinkles are pretty (odd, I know lol), I live in a bus (not decked out like you see on social media though. We just live in a bus lol), I live with my ma (my dad is my step dad and he and my mom just broke up psooo ye), I blank out a lot and just stare at people for no reason (which freaks them out), I have greyish blue eyes (a long with some, I'm pretty sure permanent eye bags lol), I get energy right before nighttime mostly (and then it disappears as soon as it reaches around 11 pm to 12 am), My favorite color is maroon (and any type of blue along with orange and yellow and forest green..mostly just comfy vibe colors tbh but maroon is a fixed piece), my favorite animal is a cat (although I have a dog. Muffin doesn't count as a dog, she's practically human. Apart of the family.), and more!

(I'll update this as I go)

[I will block as I see fit]

Do not interact with my blog if: You're racist, you only or mostly have sexual themes on your own blog (I apologize but it makes me uncomfortable. Have some other interests and it might make me less uncomfortable ^^), if you in general just enjoy hating on people for no reason (I like to make my area a safe space for people) if you're a Zoophile (No explanation really needed but animals can't consent.) (more will be added later when I think of what to add)

Don't dm me unless you're a moot or you say your intentions within the first 1-3 messages. (moots that I've interacted with can send me a dm unprompted with stated intentions anytime they'd like. Special privileges ✨)

(Added a specific part of that bc a moot felt they were making me uncomfortable by having such themes on their blog. I didn't really realize at first but yes that does make slightly uncomfortable but I don't really care as long as you have other interests. If s3x is your only interest, it weirds me out to have those types of people interact with me. Just know you're all good moot, you're not the type of person I was aiming it at. There are other people that just don't think about anything else but $ex and relationships that creep me out and you are not one of them. ^^❤️)

Things about me, (random stuff): I am cringe from time to time, my fav colors are maroon and any kind of blue, orange is nice too though,

I appreciate any and all constructive criticism. IDC if it sounds rude and might hurt my feelings, TELL ME so I can help better myself and my blog! I'm dum and will most likely not notice I'm doing something weird or anything :P <3

•Send me asks! Wanna to hug one of my OCs, Want to slap the sh1t out of one of em, Want to introduce me to a new (or old) fandom I don't know of but you think I might be interested in, Want to say hi, Want to give a music suggestion, send an ask!

I LOVE interaction and if possible, I want to be busy with asks at all times so send a ton!

•Moots:

@theachskid @voidsweirdthoughts @burningbutter @rafrfr @rateater2000

@footlongdingledong @ender-the-insomniac @thistlebriar @rspoetry @virtualcroissantflapcolor

@jawdoesstuff @storythesilly @yourfavoritecuntist @chamber-of-voices @i-draw-things

@2oo7xddd @catsreblogging @silli-billy15 @totally-not-a-commie @khloethecatsworld

@1nd13gh0st @cur1os1tyk1lledme @nonbinaryriverclan @ilove-fanart-and-lore405 @hermitchild

@my-mom-named-me-duck @hermitchild

@williamsart12345 @lilytheaxoltollover @twobraincellsremaining @nn-the-doodle @emmajasonartz

@bugba-bugbee @railway323 @xho-the-scribble @asqadia-banthen @nasthesilly @ceaselessbackflips

@the-anxious-acrobat @justuravghazbin @callmekiyo24 @maybeyoullfindthissomeday

@sensehumor ♥️

+any future moots/one's I might have forgotten (I hope I wouldn't forget anyone 🥲)

If you don't like being tagged in tag games, let me know and I'll move your name over here cuz I copy paste the ones above for tagging in stuff: (nothing here yet!)

Moot side blogs: @thistlebriar-tags @my-dad-named-me-goose @mysterious-other-being @

Btw, moot/friend privileges: tagging me in whatever the heck you want, sending nonstop and possibly annoying asks, dming me and having a convo at random, +more! I love all y'all and am more than happy to interact ❤️

My art ↑

Yippee!! That's all for now folks! ❤️

I'll update this whole thing as I go, any questions, just send an ask and I'll update this with the answer as well as you know- replying in general lol :3

I seem incredibly childish in this intro post and my general posts but do know, I am over 12 years of age lmao 🤣

I'mma keep some notes here as well... mostly for tone stuffs cuz I can't remember these 😭

/lh = lighthearted

/j = joking

/hj = half joking

[little-waterfly]

what are some of your giyushino hc?

Sorry for taking so long to answer. I don't check Tumblr so often 🥲

I'll be updating this post if more headcanons come to my mind 🙌🏻

Giyushino headcanons ~ ! (+ pics)

Shinobu thinks she saw Giyu smile only once when they had dinner together (Tomioka's gaiden), but he actually smiled many times at Shinobu when she wasn't looking.

Giyu's love language is physical touch and quality time. Shinobu's love language is physical touch, words of affirmation, and acts of service.

They have known each other for years, so Giyu saw Shinobu's change in her personality after Kanae's death. Giyu, out of many people, understood perfectly what it meant losing an older sister, so he never judged her for it. On the contrary, he made sure to always be there for her (despite his bad communications skills). Shinobu sees and appreciates his efforts.

Shinobu knows Giyu is competitive and uses that to encourage him into doing things he wouldn't do normally.

They started dating without realizing they started dating. Things went so naturally between them that they sought each other's company very often and stuck together.

Both think of the other before making decisions. For example, "How would Kocho greet this person?" "What would Tomioka say if he saw me like this?"

Giyu feels Shinobu poking on his arm even when she's not around.

They have very deep conversations, and probably they're the only people they have really opened to (besides Tanjiro).

Shinobu cooks, Giyu cleans. Sometimes, they do both together.

Giyu thinks that Shinobu's fish tank is relaxing. He loves looking at it.

They often make bets on small things. Shinobu is the one that brings them up, and Giyu accepts after a sigh (he enjoys the competitive feeling it brings, though)

Giyu stays at the Butterfly Mansion more often than Shinobu stays at his estate because of Shinobu's hard work. She can take a couple of days off and leave Kanao and Aoi in charge when she knows things won't be too busy.

They are very, very, very touchy of each other. Clingy as hell. Shinobu was the first on making the moves, but once Giyu got comfortable, with her touch, even her was surprised how Giyu couldn't keep his hands to himself anymore.

They argue a lot, but they never stop loving each other.

When they feel lazy, they help do their hair, bathe, and dress up the other.

Oyakata-sama is definitely aware of their feelings before they even could realize. (HE SHIPS THEM HARD AND SENDS THEM ON MISSIONS TOGETHER ON PURPOSE)

Gyomei also ships them hard. His eye condition doesn't stop him from sensing how Giyu is softer when Shinobu is around and how flustered and genuinely happy Shinobu is when she speaks with Giyu.

Both can see themselves on each other because they both have an inferiority complex. Giyu doesn't feel worthy to be a Hashira, and Shinobu wishes she was taller and physically stronger .

Giyu was the first to notice the effects the poison had on Shinobu. Even if he knew her reasons, he would focus on taking care of her and let her rely on him instead of getting angry or upset at her.

[redsugarx]

青白之魅 1: Introduction & Presentation

1 Introduction & Presentation // 2 Background & Influences // 3 Hair & Makeup // 4 Set Design // 5 Clothes & Accessories // 6 Conclusion

tw snakes i think? yeah if you don't like snakes you might wanna just skip this one

Taking a break from the informational stuff—I would like to present a project that my sister and I (Cloud9 Hanfu) just released on Lunar New Year: 青白之魅！This is a photo project that we've been working on since last summer, with the intention of celebrating the year of the snake, as well as to show the hanfu community that has supported us for so long what they've done for us and what they've made possible :>

I've got a blog now aka a poorly disguised excuse to yap for several hours straight, so I'm going to be documenting the design background and symbolism behind my work on this project through a series of long posts.

This'll be split up into 6 parts, which I'll link as they go up UPDATE they are all up!:

Introduction & Presentation (this post): introducing the project's intentions and the presenting the first set of photos

Background & Influences: going more in-depth about the particular sources and pieces of media that inspired this project

Hair & Makeup: opera references and stylistic choices in the design of the hairstyle for both characters and the makeup of the green snake

Set Design: references to Green Snake (1993), explaining the symbolism in some of the props

Clothes & Accessories: process of designing the clothing, behind-the-scenes sketches, archaeological background

Conclusion: reflection on the whole process + Things I Would've Done If I Had Infinite Money And Time

For those of you who just want to look at pretty pictures and move on with your life—this post is for you! If you want to see all the nerdy guts that went into this thing though, keep an eye out for more ;)))

Even if nobody reads this I'm gonna regard it as an exercise in reflection, or just an act of documentation that I might be able to come back to later on. But if you do read it and like it then yay! :)

青白之魅

青白之魅/qing1 bai2 zhi1 mei4/'Enthralled by Green & White' is a photo project primarily based on 白蛇傳/白蛇传/bai2 she2 zhuan4/the Legend of the White Snake. It's one of China's Four Great Folktales, one of the most well-known stories in Chinese culture.

It tells the story of two snake spirits who have taken the form of human women, the White Snake and her younger sister the Green Snake. The story is set in Hangzhou, China, and depicts a dramatic romance between the White Snake and a human scholar. We set the focus on the two snake sisters instead of the romance.

This project features my older sister Yulan and I as the White & Green Snake, respectively. This was a collaboration between three organizations: Cloud9 Hanfu, our brand; Art of Scales, a professional snake handler & ophiologist from Riverside; and Bloomin Studio, a comprehensive photography studio from Santa Ana, CA. None of this could have happened without them!

This year is the Year of the Snake. Snakes are often demonized, especially (though definitely not only) in Western culture, and seen as inherently evil or malicious creatures, partly because of the very real danger that some species pose. Like all animals, though, they are simply a part of the natural world—we happen to think they are quite beautiful evidenced by the fact that my sister owns a truly egregious number of pet snakes! We wanted to bring the Legend of the White Snake to life through our hanfu photoshoot with real snakes.

Our photo project aims to show that, much like the public interpretation of snakes, and the Legend of the White Snake, Hanfu is a multifaceted concept—full of rich history, self-contradictions, and a reflection of the people that engage with it. We hope that, similar to the rise of sympathy given to these characters with time, we can reduce fear of the unknown and share the beauty of our culture, our clothing, and (Cujo's) snakes with everyone this year.

青白之魅

白蛇之魅

The older White Snake sister is named 白素貞/白素贞/bai2 su4 zhen1/Bai Suzhen. Bai Suzhen, also called 白娘子/bai2 niang2 zi0/Madam White is the main character of the Legend of the White Snake.

Spirit the blue-eyed lucy represented the White Snake in this shoot! He's a blue-eyed leucistic (<- a highly coveted morph of ball python) ball python/royal python. He was truly one of the most beautiful snakes I've ever seen, an absolute sweetheart and posed like a dream. I applaud his core strength!

青蛇之魅

The younger Green Snake sister is named 小青/xiao3 qing1/Xiaoqing. 青 is a color that doesn't translate directly into English—it covers colors ranging across what we might call blue, green, teal, or black (see the grue phenomenon). Green is the translation that most people agree on.

Dragun the emerald tree boa represented the Green Snake in this shoot! He was super calm and chill, even when some of my hair got stuck in his scales (sorry bby :((((), which is saying something for an emerald tree boa (they considered extremely exotic and are usually cranky asf). He has a deviated septum and makes a funny hissing noise when he breathes! It was very calming.

If you actually read this whole post through, congratulations! Feel free to ask if there’s anything you’re curious about that I didn’t cover or doesn’t look like I’m going to cover. (And by ‘feel free’ I mean there’s a little guy in my brain doing his best impression of someone dying from thirst in the desert and only your validation can save him.)

1 Introduction & Presentation // 2 Background & Influences // 3 Hair & Makeup // 4 Set Design // 5 Clothes & Accessories // 6 Conclusion

[cryinggirlnamedhelen]

alright guys so important announcement...!

i'm probably going to be writing for blue lock way less now. don't get me wrong; i still love blue lock and it's still my 2/3 favorite manga series ever (tied with wind breaker), but i just think that now that we're finished with the nel and there'll be a barricade of new characters that we won't know much about, i don't want to write for one of them and look back on my fic a few months later when more of their personalities and background and egoist bible profiles are revealed and realize that i've mischaracterized them. as a writer, mischaracterizing a character is one of my greatest fears as a writer.

not only that, but i think that since characters like kaiser and nagi are both leaving blue lock and will likely not return until a few years later during the serialization of blue lock, it's a bit harder for me to write for them. they are both some of my favorite characters to write for, and having to constantly reuse and embellish my ideas for previous fics because we have such little content of them would be exhausting to me. i thrive off of new ideas and content; constantly using old content will drain me.

i also feel like i've just been losing passion for blue lock a lot. this could be because i just caught up to a manga i really enjoy and recency syndrome is catching up to me (wind breaker is the manga if you're interested) or because it's on breaks so often these days--which i do not blame kaneshiro and nomura for; their health is important--or because i know that the u20 world cup arc is going to be an excruciatingly long arc or maybe it's just because i'm complaining for no reason. i still really love blue lock, and it's always going to be special to me. i just think that at this current moment, blue lock is probably at it's lowest.

and i don't blame the authors nor the actual manga for it. i think that after such a series-defining arc such as the neo egoist league ended and so many characters are going to be leaving soon or have already left, blue lock is just really empty right now. and this is mostly a me problem; i tend to get pretty bored and irritated easily, and since this is the current state that blue lock is in, i'm just really having a hard time writing for blue lock. i've scraped wips after wips because of it.

with that being said, i'll still write for blue lock. not as often as i do right now, but still enough for you to see me every once in a while on the blue lock x reader tag. i promise; i won't disappear. if the manga has some sort of exciting update or a new volume of the egoist bible or some sort of big series development, i'll probably come back and start writing more often for bllk again. probably. no guarantees. i'll still try to be as active as i can with my writing (as many of you might know, i tend to disappear for a few days then come back for a few days then disappear again and the cycle continues), but i'll be in different fandoms. i'm currently thinking of focusing on wind breaker.

so don't get too sad; it's just temporary until my passion for blue lock comes back. and i'm so sorry to anyone who is upset about this! also btw, please don't see this post and get scared to send me any bllk asks or requests. i love all of your bllk asks and i think some of them are great ideas and really entertaining.

i love you all,

helen

[lj-lephemstar]

Progress Checkup! (Jan. 2025) | Scratchin' Melodii Devlog

Hey guys! Time for another progress checkup; This is actually the first one of the new year! I hope you were all able to enjoy the holidays. I took a bit of a break from working on most stuff last month and have been getting back on things this month. First, I wanna thank everyone who's wishlisted Scratchin' Melodii on Steam! So far, the game's gotten over 17,000 wishlists! Thanks so much for the support!

In the previous devlog, I mentioned some changes to the rhythm system. In the Dragon Funk preview, you can see the new rhythm system and character icons I mentioned in the previous devlog! Actually, let's unpack some of the new things you're seeing in action there:

Hold Notes This is the first song in the game to include hold-notes! They mostly work the same as they would in any other rhythm game. However, since this game has an emphasis on self expression, moving the control stick during these will let you tune the note's pitch-bend for extra expression points! I showed that off in a post here. As for Pow Notes, I've been working on a way to let the player get expression points from these too! I'd like for most of the special notes like these to be not just a gimmick, but a tool that the player can use to their advantage.

Quadruple Lines Yep! The first blue line in this one is extra long and has 4 rows! Fun fact actually, I had to implement this feature after I realized that part of the song was too long to fit in just two rows. It was pretty difficult to figure out both how to do it and how to execute it in a way that doesn't feel too jarring, but I'm pretty satisfied with the results! In fact, barely anyone's even noticed it; I guess that's just how natural it feels! Not sure how much more often I'll be having lines longer than two rows, but it's great that I have the option now.

AutoPlay You might also notice that the player inputs are perfectly timed... TOO perfect... that's because I've developed an autoplay feature for the game! At the moment, it's mostly for debugging and stuff, but if all goes according to plan, AutoPlay Mode and Replays should hopefully be available to players as well in some form when the game comes out!

"Next" Indicator & Other UI Related QoL Some of the top things players said they had trouble with in the demo were related to being prepared for the next line. So, if you look at the right-end of the rhythm bars, you'll see a little tab that shows the color and amount of rows the next line will have! Also, now each line's suggested notes can be seen before the rival performs them. This did take some thought, as I actually kinda still liked the idea of it appearing as if the characters were making it up on the spot, but to put game design first, it makes more sense to have it displayed as soon as possible so the player has more time to react and prepare. This also opens up more possibilities for future mechanics, so in the long run, I think I've made the best choice here.

Now, let's get into what I've been and/or will be working on that you haven't seen yet!

Act 2's Boss The music for the Act 2 Boss is  nearly complete! I'll likely be starting to animate it pretty soon. This song is the longest one I've done so far, clocking at a duration of a little over 3 minutes long!

More Animation Updates for Stir & Mix At this point, I've done even more cleanups on the sequence you saw in the last devlog and I've finished animating the "I wanna" scene of the song, which will probably have the most changes out of any other scene in the song. When I first animated Stir & Mix, I didn't quite have the time or skills to do everything I really wanted to do with it. That scene in particular I felt was WAY too stiff and boring, especially compared to the more dynamic and fluid scenes that appear in some of the other the stages now. I'd say I'm about halfway done retouching all the animations for this one!

Refined Model Sheets I don't talk about these very often, but sometime around 2023 I started using model/reference sheets for the characters. (I might show them off someday, but for now they're staying private!) Before this point, the designs are pretty inconsistent from shot to shot, so this helped a lot with that. Recently, I've done some revisions I'm really pleased with. Their designs are finally becoming... well, final! I'll be reworking the affected characters' hub world sprites at some point to reflect these changes.

Slight Reworks for some Act 1 Songs On the sound side, Stir & Mix's vocals have been reworked again! As I've mentioned in the previous devlog, 2cada's tuning style and techniques have evolved a bit since we first started working together, so we thought it'd be fun to go back and incorporate some of that into it. We'll also probably be reworking the structure of Nami's song a little bit at some point just to make it a feel a bit more solid, which may require a new line or two from her voice actor, Meggie-Elise! So funnily enough, it seems some of the songs will have end up having TWO unused beta versions after this.

Also, a quick PSA: Please note that beta versions of content will NOT be included in the full game. I've heard people ask for them to be "brought back" or toggleable, but in my situation something like that is both easier said than done and I also just... don't want to LOL. With as many directions I can take this game, I know I can't satisfy everyone, but I can make a game that satisfies me, so I'm aiming for that! And hey, maybe other people will like it too.

I think that's all I wanna talk about for now! Thanks so much for reading. It can be a bit of a daunting task to write these at times, but I'm glad to keep you up to date on the project when I can.

-LJ

[hai7ani]

every day i get closer and closer to leaving this blog for good :( i know i say this a lot, but i haven't felt the passion to write in a very long while. i have tried visiting my old works to rewrite them and also get my groove back, but lately it feels more forced than me wanting to do it because i want to write. i've been treating writing like a chore, always looking at it from a professional perspective rather than it being a hobby and what i've always wanted to do and frankly it's not fun anymore. maintaining this blog feels very stressful and i constantly feel the need to update every once in a while to keep interactions going, and oftentimes i get so fomo when i hop on here as hai7ani. writing doesn't feel the same and maintaining this blog just seems like a routine rather than a hobby that i used to enjoy. to be frank i also feel very lost on the direction that i want to proceed with this blog, but i guess that's mainly because i haven't been writing/posting so all i can update on here are reblogs and sometimes selfship things, so i don't know what to do on here as hai7ani. i do feel like maybe it is time that this chapter has come to an end, as i also have big things coming up and i don't want to drag this complication with me to that new chapter in my life, even more so that i view writing as a burden now. but at the same time, i don't want to leave this blog that i have worked so hard on for the past 2/3 years. i have been in the fandom since the anime blew up in 2021 and have been writing for rindou since 2023. this blog is very special to me and so is writing, and rindou as a character in general is a huge part of my life because i do selfship so i treat this blog as a part of me and him. but it hasn't been fun recently (it's been months) which has really fucked me up for quite some time, including some other personal matters that i have been losing sleep and stressing out over offline. i care a lot about what other people think of me/perceive me as and i like to think that i'm genuine with everyone i become friends with, but that would often spiral into me getting anxious over my relationships and caring too much about what other people view of me to truly be who i am, as i have always been one to struggle with keeping people close. it really messed with me for a while. so with all of this going on, i'm just so lost. i think it'd be fair to my followers (rindou nation 😭), even though i know i don't owe anyone any explanations, to say that i won't be writing anymore for the time being. i'll post stuff if i want to, but i won't be promising fics or anything like that so i don't get anyone's hopes up. i'll be on here sometimes, but obviously not posting fics and i'm not leaving tumblr of course as i still have my main blog and my own interests that i enjoy seeing on my dash. i'll think about the next step more maybe. whatever happens next, happens. and i will keep reminding myself that i'm not on tumblr just as a writer/creator, but as an ordinary person who just enjoys something.

thank you for all your love and time 🩷

- yves :>

[l00kingatthem00n]

━━ " COMPLIMENTS TO SMILE, A LIGHT TO SUN. "

━━ ABOUT.

hi! :] my name is west or crescent and welcome to my writing blog for oc x canon and x reader / yumeship shenanigans. here is a little bit about me!

i'm 18 years old and filipino.

i go by any pronouns, but he/him is preferable.

if you can't tell, i'm BIG into writing!!! i have an ao3 by the name of "inthemorningsun" i won't be posting tere as much as my tumblr, but you'll see me uploading my longer works on there.

my icon was made by my good bud @/enveelopes on twitter. please go follow them!!

━━ INTERESTS.

essentially, what i'll be willing to write for.

roblox: - block tales. - decaying winter. - frozen soul (dream game). - forsaken. - phighting. - regretevator. - starstruck.

project moon: - lobotomy corporation. - library of ruina. - limbus company.

━━ RULES.

please read thoroughly, if there are any questions just send them in my asks! they will also be updated accordinly.

first and foremost, this blog is more of a hobby and will not consume the majority of my time. i'll be taking 5-10 requests at a time. so, please understand that a select amount of requests will be taken. not only that, requests might take a while because i want to ensure it satisfies my standards.

while i will entertain instances of suggestive / smutty content, such as answering asks or writing works that involve it, please be aware that i am not currently willing to thoroughly write out actual smut. please be understanding of that- and don't worry, such content will be appropriately tagged "nsfw." regardless, feel free to peruse through posts that are "sfw" if you don't wish to come across those types of works.

whenever you request, it's completely optional, but i'd encourage you to be as specific as you can! other than whatever character(s) you want, please let me know whatever details you think are necessary! like if you want romantic or platonic, fluff or angst, or if you want headcanons or drabbles.

rapid-fire! what i will be willing to write: - fluff, angst, suggestive content. - romantic, platonic and queer platonic relationships. - headcanons, drabbles, and the occasional one-shot. - multiple characters x reader.

what i won't be willing to write: - romantic relationships with characters who are confirmed to be minors / children. - anything else that is problematic like incest, rape or anything non-consensual. - romanticized yandere. i can write it, but it will include how toxic and unhealthy a relationship like that is. - character x character / ships, but i do enjoy talking about them.

less of a rule, more of a heads-up, but sometimes i will write a character's appearance with my headcanons in mind, mainly to just add some more silly flares to their designs. this will most often apply to forsaken or phighting characters.

━━ TAGS.

sfw: self-explanatory

nsfw: also self-explanatory.

moonbeams: posts that are essentially anything that isn't writing! usual post stuff you'd see on tumblr hehe.

━━ MASTERLIST.

a compilation of all my written works.

n/a.

━━ QUEUE.

DO NOT REQUEST IN MY INBOX ANYMORE!!! PLEASE AND THANK YOU!! :'D

two time x reader fluff drabble.

1x1x1x1 x reader fluff drabble.

survivors & killer!reader headcanons.

yandere!survivors & doctor!reader headcanons.

━━ " THIS FEELS NATURAL, NO SUBSTITUTE, NO ONE. "

[smashmeleeganondorfsno1fan]

Hii. I was wondering if you could write some sort of Ganondorf Whump/ Hurt comfort? I would love to see some sort of vulnerable aspects especially with loss of consciousness and maybe delirium?

Thanks for the ask, anon, I really love being able to delve into Ganon's more vulnerable side. You didn't specify which Ganondorf you wanted or why he was delirious, so I just decided to go with OoT Ganondorf as I'm most confident with him.

I may end up doing more headcanons on this subject, or a drabble if the inspiration strikes me.

UPDATED AS OF 09/05/25

OoT Ganondorf when corrupted by the Triforce of power - Headcanons

As I've said in my 'ranking Ganons by how yandere I think they are' post (which I'll link at the end), Ganondorf gets worse the crazier he gets. Post-time skip, OoT Ganondorf is a 4, so more on the extreme side.

As comes with the territory of being a level 4 yandere, this Ganondorf would be exceptionally possessive of you, though would belittle you even more than he would have previously, his tone serious unlike his previously teasing comments.

Likely has you confined to the castle, "for your safety" he claims. "There are many in these lands who would gladly do away with you if it meant getting to me. If you have any sense, you will obey me on this".

Not to imply that he doesn't care about you, of course. It all comes from a mixture of his insanity and his desire to assert power over you, elevated by the Triforce.

Corrupted, he becomes rather erratic, manic even. Reliant on and vulnerable with you to an extent, yet somehow harsher and more cruel than he was before.

Similar to how TP Ganondorf views his beloved (the headcanons to which I'll also link), this Ganondorf would also view them as an emblem of his victory over Hyrule. Somewhat putting them on a pedestal as the one person he trust enough to be vulnerable with.

He rants, sometimes nonsensically, and will be absolutely peeved if you fail to listen.

His touches are either much more forceful than before, or much gentler depending on his mood. Sometimes he holds you as if you were made of glass.

The power of the Triforce has made him into a new man, in a sense. When he isn't releasing any amount of stress onto you, he can come off quite cold and distant, as if he has much more important things on his mind.

He has little desire to be vulnerable with you, and yet finds himself doing so very often. In moments of intimacy especially.

Ganondorf knelt almost submissively, his head resting just beneath your ribs as his long nose poked into the flesh of your stomach. His breathing was laboured as he pulled you closer yet, wrapping his muscular arms around your hips, nearly crushing you in his strong hold. You sighed, weaving your fingers through his crimson hair, long and beautiful, symbolic of the prosperity his reign was supposed to bring. Did anything prosper under him? Could anything? He lifted his head slightly, gazing up at you with intensity. Those eyes- it had been so frightening to see him change over these past seven years; seeing him grow taller yet, stronger, more powerful, the humane whites of his eyes turn yellow and sickly as they bore into you now. It was difficult not to pity him, in a way, driven nearly mad by the power granted to him. Poor, sweet Ganondorf...

There's nothing you can really do to "fix" him in this state. Just don't fight him on anything and let him confide in you and things will likely work out. Unless...

When he becomes Ganon, he elevates to almost a 4.5.

He hasn't lost himself, not completely anyways, but he's almost overwhelmed by an animalistic possessiveness when it comes to you.

He's more erratic, if such a thing were possible.

I don't think he'd lose consciousness for extended periods in his bore form, perhaps in brief spurts. When he does, he's almost gentler than he normally is with you.

Which is very when he's Ganon. He's definitely over 8 feet now, not to mention that his tusks could rip you to shreds if he isn't careful.

Though, this form is only temporary and he reverts back to his previous self along with all his previous behaviour in the end.

He'd be very touched if his beloved wasn't frightened of his boar form, something which may heighten his intimate connection with them.

TP Ganondorf headcanons:

https://www.tumblr.com/smashmeleeganondorfsno1fan/781623134038245376/hello-enjoyed-reading-your-work-very-much?source=share

Yandere tier list:

https://www.tumblr.com/smashmeleeganondorfsno1fan/781354574526169088/ganons-ranked-by-how-yandere-i-think-theyd-be?source=share

[admirationandromantics]

Teacher's Lounge

Another request! I'm thinking about not posting updates to anonymous requests, and instead just pasting said request in here? I'll tag you if you didn't ask anonymously. It's easier and more neat.

🍋‍🟩 Hear me out, Josh becoming a temporary teacher for film with his own office, he often let you study in there seeing as the campus didn’t have enough study space to accommodate everyone and you become quite overstimulated on a normal day (@b3rryb3t)

This is therefore maybe a teacher x student thing, but you're roughly the same age anyway (maybe 2 years difference), since he graduated before you and has already come out with his debut movie. You're still hanging out with the friend group as well.

Word count: 1,6k (Unedited)

It’s hard to find good reading spots on campus. My messy room could be an option, but I can’t get inspired there. I need different surroundings than what I’m used to. Booked rooms are a no-go, especially now that exams are coming closer. They’re always booked, and everyone uses them. I’ve tried going to the library, but if there’s room, the place is never quiet. The librarians don't care. I get it though, everyone is stressed, and the only place you can work on a group assignment is the library. You have to talk, you have to discuss. This means that I’m still left without a spot to study. I’ve tried other libraries, other cafes and even at my friends place. Nothing works. Maybe there’s something in the other buildings? Somewhere quiet where I’ll feel content. 

The first building that comes to mind is the Teachers house. A large building with some group rooms and many small study sofas. Many of the teachers have offices there, but if I'm quiet, they won’t mind. These spots are usually also taken, but maybe I’ll have a chance if I’m quick. 

I walk down the hall, stopping when I see the old abandoned office. This room is usually always empty, waiting for someone to inhabit it. But it’s not empty anymore. The previously collected dust is cleaned away, the wood door has a new furnish and a brand new slide-on plate reads a familiar name. Joshua Washington. 

I widen my eyes in surprise, it cannot be. Why is he here? Didn’t he already finish his degree? He just finished his debut movie, which was excellent. I saw him at one of Emily’s parties too, which was not long ago. About three weeks. He looked good then, very good. Like he felt fulfilled and accomplished. He should feel good about himself. Not many people do that on their first big project. He did talk about a new job he got, but I assumed it was another film-related gig. Was this the job? 

My curiosity gets the better of me, and I carefully knock three times. The sound is beautiful, hard and dark wood which doesn’t vibrate as I hit it. I wait, hearing shuffling and metal clinking inside. 

“Um, yeah, come in!” 

I open the door, holding the handle hard. If I was wrong, then this would be an awfully awkward encounter. The door glides easily without making any sound. They have really improved this place. He lifts his head, meeting my stare as he does. A smile creeps on his face, eyes lighting up by the sight. I stand still, mouth agape and furrowed brows. He’s really here. 

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite student” 

“You teach here?” 

“As of this Monday, yes” 

I close the door behind me, looking around the room. It’s cozy, filled with family pictures and a couple of movie posters. His diploma is also on the wall. On one surface are many small film trophies from his childhood, and in front of all of them, the price he got last year for his first debut Hollywood movie. I look around in awe, the yellow light making everything feel so professional and real. 

“And by the way, I’m not your student, I take another course” 

“That can’t stop me from stating that you’re in a superior’s office” 

“How did you get this job?”

“They offered it to me”

“Just out of nowhere? You don’t have experience in teaching. You’re not even a professor” 

“I guess my talent shines through”

I look at him and his smug face. He’s leaning back in the roller chair, feet upon his desk. Everything here is so neat, so unlike him. He also loves being able to joke like this, but honestly, I’m still surprised by the circumstances. He made one movie, and now, the university wanted him to teach a course? 

“If I know you correctly, you’ll probably be fired by the next month” 

“And why’s that?”

I take a seat in front of him, not surprised that the chair is lower than him. Oh, how he loves his power trips. The chair is comfortable, and suits the surroundings, but I feel small. 

“Because you can’t keep your hands to yourself” 

“That’s true” 

“There’s only a question about time, when will you fuck one of your students, and when will you get caught” 

He laughs, shaking his head as he fiddles with an expensive ball pen. He looks at me in disbelief, maybe a little surprised that I said exactly what I thought. 

“Who’s to say I haven’t done it already?” 

“One week into the job?” 

“Maybe” 

“You’re disgusting, Washington” 

“That’s Mr. Washington to you” he corrects, pointing at me with the same pen. I smile at him, almost unable to hide my laughter. 

“I’m not gonna start calling you that” 

“Ugh, damn you” 

A slight silence follows, and analyse his desk. Many, many pens, his laptop, a stack of papers and a couple of memory sticks. Again, everything is so neat. It makes me feel weird. 

“By the way, I actually haven’t had a teacher-student relationship” 

“You shouldn’t” I quickly shoot back. It would not be a good idea. Being in the filming industry is hard in itself, but he also has a shot of doing something more. This was not something to take lightly. 

“At least not gonna with my own students” 

“Jesus Chris Josh”

He laughs again, loving my overdramatic reactions. He knows what gets me to tip over, how to make me irritated and upset. Of course he’ll use it to his advantage. 

“Anyways, what are you doing here? Isn’t your building on the other side of campus?” 

I sigh loudly, leaning back in the chair and letting my head fall back. I’m tired, exhausted even. But just two more weeks, and I’ll be finished with the exams. My diploma isn’t far away. 

“Trying to find a study spot, but everywhere is taken”

“Why don’t you just use your dorm?”

“Easy for you to say, you never lived in one”

He leans back, furrowing his brows and being deep in thought. 

“You could sit here?” 

I look up, surprised by the offer. Is that even okay, am I, as a student, allowed to do that? I think about it, the place is quiet, cozy and a completely different atmosphere than usual. It could work. 

“Can I?” 

“Of course, it wouldn't be the first time you’ve been in my quarters” he teases, leaning back over the desk. 

“Haha, very funny, but are you serious?” 

“Yeah, I mean, my students usually don’t come here, too busy actually understanding the material, compared to some” he points at me and my backpack. I roll my eyes. 

“Well, if getting my degree consisted of knowing the on and off button of a camera, I would excel at it”

“Careful, or you might not get to study here” 

“Okay, okay, sorry. You’re an accomplished producer and teacher who’s totally awesome” 

“And you have to call me Mr. Washington”

I scoff at his request, shaking my head. He’s still smiling, biting casually into his lower lip. 

“I draw the line there”

“Fine”

I take up my laptop, immediately starting to type. This was gonna be great. Might have some negative effects though. We’ve got a history. Too much time spent together has usually led to more uncivilised activities, but that’s not something I have to worry about now. 

***

The weeks pass, and I truly enjoy his company, even if it’s in silence. He’s busy grading papers and making schedules. I’m prepping for my exams, writing, reading, and memorising. Everything was going great, and the day of the exam finally came. 

I took one look over the questions, and my heart fell. What the hell was this? I did my best, drawing out a mind map to help me refresh my memory. It actually went quite well, if I do say so myself. Not the best, but I’m definitely not failing. 

I walk down the hall yet again, not bothering to knock on Josh’s door. His head rises, noticing my presence, and he smiles. God I love how he smiles. 

“So, how did it go?” 

I close the door, biting my lip as I turn to face him again. He looks up expectantly, eyes big and round. He rises, walking around the desk to face me. 

“It went great!” I blurt out excitedly, arms going out. He smiles, meeting me in a hug as I throw my arms around him. His hands go to my waist, pulling me closer against him. I bury my face in his neck, warm skin against mine, smelling his expensive cologne. 

“See, you just needed a place to study”

“I indeed did”

We break apart a little, arms still holding tight so none of us leaves. He leans in, eyes lowering to my lips. I know what’s about to happen, it has happened a million times before. In his bedroom, a couple of random bathrooms, the mountain lodge, but never in an office. My finger finds its way to his lips, stopping him in his tracks. 

“Mr. Washington, what do you think you’re doing?” 

“Just celebrating” he whispers against my finger, hand going up to take it away. He finds his way to the back of my head, tangling in my hair as he pulls me closer. 

“You can get in trouble”

“Never stopped us before”

His breath feels hot against my skin, head getting dizzy and body warmer. How long were we going to keep this thing alive? 

“Fuck it” I whisper against him, capturing his lips on mine.

[kuzure-collapse]

Hi! So, to start off with, I'm absolutely obsessed with Loser's Bromance! Genuinely, I think it's one of the best Quote stories I've read in a while (and I read a lot). Please do not EVER give up on it 🙏🏻🙏🏻

Secondly, I was wondering what type of yandere each of them are? I have theories but only for two-three of the characters. Who would go as far as to kill someone for mc? Who would kidnap mc?

Thirdly (sorry if this paragraph comes off as impatient or rude), what's your updating schedule?? There's been times where I've been reading something then the author doesn't update for months before updating once more and I was wondering if you're one of those types of authors or not? It's totally fine if you are, no judgement here, but I just need to know so I'm not waiting around in anticipation for half a year 😭

Sorry if this is a big ask!!

thank you! i'm glad i could meet your standard. i don't plan to stop writing it, not until I've reached the ending i drafted.

this is a soft-yandere story, so nothing too crazy here. no one's getting kidnapped. maybe yanagi is killing people, but none of the main cast will be getting killed off. the yandere will mostly be shown in subtle hints at each character's obsession. the most yandere would probably be at the end, when yanagi decides to go off the rails.

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i'll explain how each character displays their yandere traits in the story:

Tomohiro:

likes leaving marks on mc, like bruises or scratches from their judo practices

he would bite if he could. wants to show that mc is his

Kotose:

mc is nice to everyone else, but only bickers with kotose. that must mean that mc likes kotose, right?

likes collecting items that belong to mc, just small things that he doesn't think mc would notice

likes to think of how mc would react if he caught him

Satsuma:

opposite of kotose, he likes giving items to mc

first food, then the ankle brace. what's next, big hoodies?

similar to tomohiro in that it shows mc belongs to satsuma

Yumeki:

likes drawing and taking pictures of mc, treating him like a muse

whether or not mc is aware

the drawings often make mc look better than he really is

wants to be useful to mc as much as he can

Yanagi:

mc puts his life on the line to help yanagi, that means he cares for yanagi the most, right?

his phone is filled with video recordings and photos of mc's embarrassing moments. enjoys humiliating mc in front of others with them

eventually becomes more than a joke and he starts taking candids, some even turn out good

watching the vids on his own and thinking "he's so fucking stupid haha what a loser" with a goofy smile on his face

i wont spoil what i have planned for his yandere phase. but if you've kept up with my earlier journal entries on quotev, you'll find a few one-shot pieces i wrote about him

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my goal for an updating schedule is every Sunday EST, Monday at worst. at the start i had chapters prewritten and would post consistently every week, but as chapters got longer, the time it took to post grew as well.

occasionally i'll go on a break to focus on life. I'm not the type of author that can update multiple fics at once, or even multiple times a week. i prefer my chapters to be at least 5 pages long and proofread many times over. sometimes my chapters get as long as 15 pages because i don't feel like it makes sense to split them up.

people praise my work but not many understand that the quality comes from how much time i put into it. while i could update more often, it wouldn't be a product I'm proud of. even chapters that I've worked on for months have me feeling iffy before i hit publish.

hope this clears things up! i don't particularly care if people hound for updates (i brush them off anyway), but i wouldn't recommend doing it too often since some authors find it annoying. most people prefer receiving nice comments like these. i personally like when people ask questions or make theories about the story. those comments are much more motivating compared to "pls come baccck" or "pls updattttee"