#you did awesome translating the style

[laismoura-art]

About Grandmaster Harumi Shirai:

Ok, so, Harumi is Head of her Clan. She has a clan.

Which ultimately means her help was requested by Kuai not only because they are long-time besties but also because she has actual clan leading experience!

Cause like, Kuai is the Grandmaster's son, but we can assume only Bi-Han was trained to be a Grandmaster. Older son and all.

So even though Kuai is a natural leader, he has no actual clue on how to assemble or even lead a clan! Which gives this scene:

A whole other meaning cause it's not that "it's hard to find initiates" in a way that they don't find anyone who really fits.

These two morons just don't have the SLIGHTEST IDEA on how to pick their initiates!

And their expressions are just so perfect cause Kuai is just "We are so dead!" And Tomas is like, "is that supposed to happen???"

And then there's Harumi!

She is the leader of her clan, which means, much like Bi-Han, she was trained! She knows how to pick students, so for once, she knows how hard that task is, which explains why she looks more apologetic than frustrated!

Which probably extends to the whole experience, cause Kuai came to her saying he needed to assemble a clan ASAP, "teach me yo-yo man" style, cause he might have just promised a god he would build him a whole ass clan to defend the entire realm!

I can only picture Harumi going:

Harumi: Oh, baby... no. Just no.

I can also imagine them bringing her students she can tell from a glance are unfit, like

Kuai: So this is--

Harumi: No.

Tomas: But you didn't even--

Harumi: Hard. Pass.

Which really makes me wonder how that went with Hanzo. He was their first successful initiate, so imagine he was also the first one to actually have Harumi's blessing!

Tomas: So this is Hanzo, I found him on the woods!

Harumi, without missing a beat: He's perfect.

On other notes, Tomas also implies the Shirai Ryu was built on Harumi's lands. So, like... did she just say they could use her backyard?

Or her family's lands extended beyond her clan's location, and she was kind enough to give it to Kuai?

Did she make them neighbours? IS SHE THEIR LANDLORD??? (Do they pay her rent??) @mikka-minns 👀

Also, imagine Bi-Han hearing Kuai and Tomas were about to make a clan of their own and he mocks them (as he also knows this is not a simple task and they have 0 clue on how to perform it) and them Harumi goes:

Harumi: Oh, you wanna bet?? I'm gonna make Grandmasters out of these morons. Just wait and see! Cause they might be clueless, but they have heart!😤🫶

Kuai:

Tomas:

Translation: I'm confused. Are you a fan or hater?

Man, Harumi being Kuai's guide makes so much sense and has SO MUCH POTENTIAL! It's amazing and potentially hilarious and just SO FREAKING AWESOME!!

The more I realise things about Harumi, the more I'm glad I fell in love with her!🩷🩷

Tagging the whole gang so y'all can brainstorm with me @mikka-minns @dinainsun @thedragonholder 🩷

[banqanas]

Yamada Yuki acting as Todoroki and Maeda Goki acts as Murayama + them talking about the infamous forehead flick scene

From: Yamada Yuki 2020.05.21 instagram live translations

Above version is only for parts I managed to sub. Full version (around 12 minutes) is here (without subs). Text translations for full part under cut:

Note: Yamada Yuki did a lot of instalive during the pandemic. In this episode, he had 4 guests over: Ozawa Yuta (Daruma Ikka's Kato), Saotome Taichi (Mighty Warrior's Ryu), Nakajima Ken (Oyako's Nakaoka), and Maeda Gouki (Todoroki Yosuke)

Y: *reading comments*

“Yamada Yuki-kun, just once in my life, I want to be beaten up by you.” Please don’t say that.

“I saw Kimi wa Petto movie” That’s the drama Shison starred in! The actor’s Shison Jun not me!

Y: Ah there he is! Gouki! I was thinking of doing (instalive) together with Gouki. Did he get the invite?

Y: He’s here!

M: Hello~

Y: You know just yesterday, I was with Uchida Rio-chan and Inaba Yuu-kun (Kizzy). We were playing MonHun. And I said, I wanna do a High&Low collab since I’ve been doing instalive a lot lately. And I thought I wanna do it with Gouki.

(バイゆう baiyuu is probably some shortform for something but i couldnt figure out what it is, sorry)

M: But just now (Saotome) Taichi and (Nakajima) Ken-kun were going live with you too and I was like “Woah, they’re really doing it!”

Y: For some reason a lot of High&Low cast were doing it like one after another. And I was thinking of contacting you asking if you wanna do Murayama and Todoroki together... But I didn’t think it’ll come true this soon.

M: Sorry for suddenly dropping in!

Y: It’s fine!

M: But I’m happy to know that my name popped up eventhough I wasn’t there. Thank you.

Y: Not at all. You’re already an important part (of the cast).

Y: Considering the times we’re in I was seriously thinking that I want to do an instalive with Todoroki-chan.

M: Right now I’m entirely in a Murayama-style though. With my headband and all

Y: I was thinking about that too! I’m gonna try putting on glasses then.

M: My hair totally grown out like Todoroki’s now

M: That glasses look like Shiono Akihisa’s character though (lol) with the tinted sunglasses

Y: Ah, the one with chains, right

Y: I wonder if I have any other glasses

M: I’m gonna take the headband off for a bit

Y: Was it black framed glasses?

M: Whose?

Y: Todoroki’s. It’s not black right, he has silver framed glasses, right?

M: Yeah it’s not black, it’s silver.

Y: This is Todoroki.

M: Wait a minute—

Y: Todoroki is here.

M: *dying laughter*

M: Sorry for going out of screen

Y: Nice, Murayama’s here. It feels weird calling you “Murayama”.

M: “Y’know Todoroki-chan~”

M: Do you want to say some lines together, since we’re already doing this.

Y: The one where you pushed back your hair like this and said, “You talk too much.” That scene was so cool!

It was so freaking cool I went all Woooo~~

M: Thank you very much!

Y: Yeah where you went wham! to shut the other guy up. That was so awesome!

M: Ah, I know! How about the scene from the drama series for old times sake?

M: The line that goes “I don’t need your greetings.”

Y: You went bang!

M: It was... “Our leader is going around greeting other gangs...” and immediately after that line I went bam! And pushed my hair back a bit and said “I don’t need your greetings.”

Y: That scene was great too.

M: What was Murayama’s line during that scene again...

Y: What was it...

M: Nothing’s coming to me other than, “Let’s go, you assholes!”

M: Oh yeah, during the (The Worst Episode. 0) drama, there was that scene where (Murayama) lightly punched me in the chest, right.

Y: Right, right.

M: What was your line during that scene?

Y: The one I said to Todoroki-chan?

M: Yeah, yeah!

Y: AH! What was it again?!

Y: I think it was (same time with mdgk)

M: Wasn’t it

Y: I think it was “You have to uphold it...” or something.

M: Yeah, something like that!

Y: I can’t remember...

M: You were replying to something (Todoroki) said.

Y: “That’s how a Oya student should be.” I think it was something along those lines.

M: Then, how about that line at the start of the movie?

Y & M: (reading comments)

Y: “You should be using this (your fists) too.”

M: “You should look at the people around you better.” Exactly, that’s the line. It was something like that.

Y: I remember, I remember. “I’m here to lecture you.”

M: Oh yeah that’s right! You were lecturing (Todoroki).

Y: “Look at the people around you better.” Yeah, that’s how the script goes.

Y: The fans remember our lines better (than us).

Y & M: Everyone’s amazing.

Y: Thanks to your help I’m starting to remember.

M: I think it’s interesting that when Murayama was talking, Todoroki didn’t say anything at all.

Y: Todoroki was properly listening to Murayama and taking it in, wasn’t he! Surprisingly.

M: Yup, yup. That might be it.

M: He probably didn’t like it when (Murayama) revealed his bad points.

Y: (reading comment) That’s it! “If you’re an Oya High student...”

M: YEAH THATS IT

Y: But I still can’t remember much of the remaining lines after that (lol) Sorry!

Y: Everyone, if you have any of Murayama’s lines that you want Todoroki-chan to say, please write them here (in the comments).

M: Same with (Todoroki’s lines) too, okay!

Y: Sorry, I’m going to drink for a bit.

M: Okay.

M: But really... For Yuki-kun to think about Todoroki to that extent. I’m really happy to hear that.

Y: Of course I’d consider about him too.

M: “If you’re an Oya High student, you should try thinking using your fists more...” THAT’S PROBABLY THE WHOLE LINE, RIGHT.

Y: Ahh, that’s right!

M: (tl note: i cant figure out which line this is, sorry) kenka yori haika

M: “Just having a strong fist isn’t enough.”

Y: “Go back and learn, idiot!”

M: Ahh, I remember that line.

Y: Brings back memories, doesn’t it?

M: I was really scared when you flicked my forehead the first time.

Y: LOL

M: It was terrifying, really! Your fist was really close (to my face) and then suddenly you changed your hand like this. I thought you were holding a weapon or something!

(TL note: the forehead flick was an adlib from Yamada Yuki)

M: I was really freaked out!

Y: Was that, did we did it all of a sudden?

M: The forehead flick wasn’t written in the script in the first place... And during filming you just put it in, if I remember correctly...

Y: Yeah, I was going for a punch..!

Y: But then I thought, this (using a fist) isn’t what Murayama wants to teach to Todoroki, thats why I changed it to a flick instead.

Y: And then in the THE MOVIE, Todoroki-chan did it back (to Murayama), tying it all back to that original scene.

M: Ah, yes, I thought it was fitting.

Y: Thank you for that, really.

M: The director mentioned that too.

Y: I’m really grateful that you did it.

M: Someone commented that “Murayama has a lot of wise quotes”, exactly!

Y: Then, please choose any line you like.

M: Is it okay for me to choose?

Y: Of course. Whichever you like

M: *reading comments* Are you okay with the time? Sorry for taking so long

Y: Not at all. I was planning on being live or around an hour or so

M: There’s quite a lot of lines that I want to say

M: Ah, but I definitely wanna say “Todoroki-chan~!”

M: Okay I’ll go with the “If you’re an Oya High student, you should try thinking using your fist...” and punch! Yeah, that’s the line I wanna say.

M: But that’s kinda. So like, please say your Todoroki line as soon as I’m done saying mine. Because it’ll be embarrassing otherwise.

Y: Wait, what line was it again.

M: I know! Let’s make it like we’re talking with each other.

M: I’d say “Todoroki-chan~ “If you’re an Oya High student, you should....”

M: But it doesn’t really match with “I don’t need introductions.”

M: Eh...what other line can fit...

Y: Todoroki-chan, Todoroki-chan

Y: You say “Yahoo~!” And I’ll say “I don’t need introductions.” Then you do the punch thing. Sounds good, right?

M: Ah, okay, I get it! I’m the one who say “yahoo~” right

M: Okay, okay, let’s do it!

M: I haven’t acted in a while so I’m pretty excited

Y: I’m gonna channel my inner Todoroki now

M: Me too. Should we start?

*nods*

“Yahoo~!”

“I don’t need introductions.”

“Todoroki-chan~ if you’re an Oya High student, you should think using your fist more.”

M: I can’t help wanting to smile the whole time!

Y: Embarrassing!

M: Sorry after the yahoo I didn’t say “Todoroki-chan”

Y: Yeah, it’s probably the nerves getting to you.

Y: I’m so embarrassed... Oh, Ozawa-san from Daruma Ikka had a good laugh out of it.

M: That was fun~

Y: Nice yahoo~

M: Thank you. I don’t think I’ve talked with Ozawa-san before.

Y: Yeah we don’t really interact with Daruma much, especially Todoroki-chan...

M: Nice to meet you, I’m Maeda.

Y: Thanks again for doing this together with me. It’s a top of the top instalive.

M: I’m happy to hear that

Y: If possible. If there’s a chance to do this again, would you come and be a guest again?

M: Of course, anytime!

Y: I’ll contact you if that time comes.

M: That was really fun, thank you!

Y: Thanks again for that amazing performance. Truly, thank you!

M: Bye bye, see you again!

Y: That was really cool. It became a High&Low skit thing.

[momo-t-daye]

Momo's unofficial Snapetober for 2023

I have had such a delightful time with Snapetober the last couple of years and wanted to celebrate Severus Snape again this October!

Since I haven’t seen an official list of prompts for 2023 just yet (if anyone does have an official list, please do let me know! I don't want to step on toes), I compiled a list from a few previous Snapetobers, Inktobers, etc. and then added in some other words that struck me as October-ish and/or autumnal and/or Snape-esque to challenge myself If anyone else would like to participate with my unofficial prompt list, that would be glorious and I’d be thrilled!  It is such a treat to see all sorts of new Snape art and thoughts and creativity and all the ways the Snapedom can have fun with a concept and theme.

As I understand from previous years, the Snapetober rules are that you can do any number of prompts you fancy, combine prompts (I will!), respond to prompts in any order and on your own schedule (Snapetober can last until March and beyond if that is the timetable that works best for you!), and/or use prompt lists from previous years and that entries can be anything you wish to create from fic (any length, format, point of view, pairing, alternate universe or canon, featuring any additional characters), art (in any style and any level of effort), head-canons, plot bunnies, mood-boards, ballads, etc. etc. just so long as it is focused on Severus Snape and it is yours (also, if you have older art that fits a prompt that you want to circulate upon the metaphorical refrigerator, I think that’s awesome and would love to see it!)

I expect this list is a bit more plant and animal themed (because that is where my brain resides most of the time) and I did gravitate towards words that tickle the tongue (if there are any words that don’t translate well or don’t quite make sense, I am happy to try to help clarify). I hope there is sufficient wiggle room in the prompts to be interpreted in any direction!

Foliage

Harvest

Path

Home

Smoke

Mushroom

Corvids

Crepuscular

Invention

Flight

Water

Amphibian

Ephemeral

Perpetual

Serpent

Filthy

Apple

Gaze

Hands

Spider

Paradox

Power

Remembrance

Maze

Mask

Superstition

Bats

Scarecrow

Pumpkin

Ghost

Costume

[pantmonger]

Cell shade experiment, trial 01, results meh. For a first attempt, its ok.

1: Less is more. It would have translate better with less shadows/highlights 2: Don't drink coffee while doing inks outlines. Neatness is key for this style and I was all over the shop. 3: Larger mini would be better read on the style, small looks a bit like bad, normal method. 4: Although these are the colours I wanted. I recommend if you want to give it a go, pick ones with better coverage. Trying to be consistant and neat for 3 -4 coats is unfun. Being unable to easily paint over errors… also not fun.

I learned a bunch trying this, and I'm glad i did it, even if I didn't really like the results. I think it would look awesome on big robots and aeldari vehicles. I'll try again at some point. But not for a little bit (it got frustrating in spots :P) If you have a go, let me know.

Process. All flat colours first. Then paint in the darker shadows. Then ink lines, then highlights. Why? Basically you want as much done before the inks as possible, but the highlights oft don't want to touch the inks, so getting inks in place first is helpful.

[candysims4]

BE MY VALENTINE MINI SET

For Valentine's day this year, I did a mini set themed. I loved how adorable both items turned out together or not. They are cute and awesome for Valentine's Day outfits but easy to style for other occasions.

NAME TRANSLATIONS: "Te amo" means I love you, and "Te adoro" means Adore you in Portuguese-BR.

TEEN TO ELDER

BASE GAME COMPATIBLE

MADE FOR FEMALE FRAME

DISALLOWED FOR RANDOM

THUMBNAILS (HOSTED IN IMGUR)

TE AMO DRESS

5.480 POLYGONS

80 SWATCH COLORS - 50 plain colors - 30 patterned

YOU WILL FIND IN FULL BODY/SHORT DRESS

TE ADORO TIGHTS

50 SWATCH COLORS - All plain colors

YOU WILL FIND IN ACCESSORIES/TIGHTS

MY SITE (NO AD.FLY): DRESS | TIGHTS

I hope you'll enjoy playing with these two new items. 

As it's a gift, I have preferred to keep the same link for everyone, so the download link for this mini set is exclusively on my site; that's the host of all my cc that are available for free already.

I did a post on Patreon for it but only to inform my patrons about it, but if you want to, here you can find the post on Patreon. 

TERMS OF USE | SEND YOUR FEEDBACK | REPORT AN ISSUE

Thanks to all the cc creators that I used in the pic. And thanks to @maxismatchccworld, @love4sims4, @s4library​, @wewantmods​, and everybody who reblogs this post!

If you’re a cc finds and want to be tagged when I post, please, let me know. You can send me an ask or DM.

With your help, more people can know about my work! 💖 Love you all, XOXO <3

[leverage-secret-santa-exchange]

Sign Ups are Open!!!

Welcome back to the 15th Annual Leverage Secret Santa Exchange!

Drum roll please!

We are doing sign ups differently this year! Instead of a google form as we have done in recent years we are instead using AO3's awesome Gift Exchange Style Collection. What does this mean?

It means that instead of filling out a form and us mods having to hand sort everything AO3 tags will help us along. We (and by that I mean Mod Ink) did our best to translate our form to the AO3 format but there are a couple things missing.

One: There is no way for us to ask about pinch hits so that will have to go out through discord or a mass email.

Two: Going off of that, the email we will have is the one attached to your AO3 account. If you need us to communicate with a different email you will have to reach out via DMs or email.

Now on to the fun stuff.

HERE is the link with our FAQ and rules. Nothing much has changed from previous years on that front but we have a much more extensive Minimum Requirements list for more forms of works.

And last but not least HERE is the sign up form itself! They close on October 13th. (note: it can take a little to load but be patient it will)

We are as stoked as ever to be here and can't wait to see all the amazing ideas y'all come up with!

- Mods Ink, Leif, Nikki, and Zia

[girlswhowantboystobegirls]

This is my girltwinkboyfriend ♡ Leo Valdez x Genderfluid!Reader

summary: Leo loves your drastic changes in styling and clothing when you feel more masculine, feminine or neither.

prompt???:

"Wassup, boygirlpersonfriend?"

"Wassup, loverboy?"

740-ish words (it's short but it fueled me with serotonin)

warnings: use of spanish (dont worry bbgs i translated it to english. papi's home), i didn't use bad words this time (i tried hard not to)

tags: established relationship, reader tends to communicate their genderfluidity through styling, clothing and perhaps behavior, Leo is madly in love, bi!Leo, unspecified sexuality for reader (but they are head over heels for their boyfriend)

a/n: I'm definitely projecting. But I suppose there are loads of people like me, so I'm doing a favor to all the liquid gender fellas.

♡ ☆ ♡

Leo wasn't one to absolutely adore changes. He did freak out whenever you came with a cute outfit though.

This time you are wearing a maxi skirt, combat boots and a shirt. Nothing really new on the oufit, maybe your earrings or necklaces you used to complement a little.

Yet Leo wouldn't shut up about it.

— Wassup, girlboypersonfriend? — he greeted while having his flirty demeanor on.

— Wassup, loverboy? — you answered with a grin. Your boyfriend's face soon had a wide, loving smile.

— How are you feeling today? — he asked. He wasn't only saying it for you to say 'good, thanks, you?', at this point it was casual for you to reply with that and add how your gender felt like that day.

Leo couldn't stop looking at you, and it was funny because the combat boots did the height difference even more evident.

— I feel fine. Bonita, even — you joked. The Hephaestus' son had showed you latino memes quite often —. How do you feel?

— Awesome — he pulled you into a tight hug. The height difference was funny at this point, you almost surpassed him a whole head.

Leo looked up at you, not breaking the hug yet:—. Y sí pienso que eres muy bonita, pero con esas botas uno no puede besar a su noviecita en paz* — he talked at a normal speed (at least not in actual Latino speed, just so you could understand).

* And I do think you are pretty, but with those boots I can't kiss my cute girlfriend in peace.

— Then I will kiss you — you said as you grabbed his chin and you had to lower your height a little for your lips to meet. You both felt euphoric.

Leo didn't stop complimenting you through the day, even when you weren't near (which was strange enough so it only happened like two times)

Leo liked all your days.

☆

Masculine ones weren't an exception. And it was his personal favorite when you had one of his tshirts on.

That day you had a long sleeved turtleneck, a pair of long shorts and (fueling Leo's obsession) one of his few graphic tees he ocassionaly left in your cabin after he snuck out to sleep for the night.

It was a cold weather day, but how could you feel it when you had your heater significant other always hugging you and giving you kisses?

— I love how combat boots look on you, but I like it more when you aren't so far, principe — he gazed at you dearingly while hugging you, you did the same to him. Leo saying prince in Spanish could be one of your new addictions, the euphoria it gave you on that certain day was indescribable.

— Well, well, media naranja, aren't you such a Romeo? — you teased him. And he loved how you said he was your soulmate, he truly agreed.

Leo rested his head on the space between your shoulder and neck, and he squealed like a fangirl who just saw a fanart of her favorite couple. He would have started kicking the air if he didn't know he could accidentally hit you, and he definitely didn't want that (not since that time he burned your hand without wanting to, he was just so in love!)

— Tan tiernooo — you said, not minding his little excited sounds. Now you were calling him cute in his favorite language to speak when being way too in love.

— If anything, you are the sexy one, yo soy el loco* — he joked and gave you a kiss on your neck and went back to resting in his space.

*I'm the crazy one

— Nah, you are the hot one, in any way possible — you gave him a kiss on the head and he went back to squealing as if he was on his pillow, trying to let his damn crushing for his partner out (spoiler: he couldn't).

The camp was already used to your loving actions and you both going crazy.

— Aren't they just made for each other? — Jason looked at you and your boyfriend from a long distance along with Piper.

— Yeah. I can feel both of them's cheesiness from here. It's really cute — the girl smiled, also happy for you both.

Leo's days were better when you were there.

Your days were better when Leo looked at you.

☆

a/n 2: kicking the air rn. This is the bare minimum for me. If you are not this type of hopelessly in love, it's below standards.

[sanctus-ingenium]

looking at the tags on your recent reblog like "wait, I'M a professional linguist and translator! when did we learn to do THAT?!" (but actually, you have me hooked for any and all lore on how being able to do THAT interacts with being a linguist/translator for them)

ahh awesome, i'm glad i can provide representation for you in the form of a horrible beetle

well I can explain a little - in this world, there could be as many language families in a small patch of forest as there are in an entire continent on Earth. each colony of eusocial insects has its own language which is often very distinct, and the colonies are considered to be similar to city states, a single political body. they don't have countries or territories otherwise. SO if you want to do trade or politics with another colony of insects, you will need a translator.

that character lived most of his adult life in a colony of eusocial caterpillars (small eggar moth style). pupating and becoming a winged imago is not when you become an adult it's just another stage of life, so as a late instar caterpillar this guy was a translator, he studied languages and learned to read and write in them for his job. he was unusually quick at it and considered naturally talented - which is sort of true. but the whole truth is that his species are brood parasite beetles with a naturally extended window of mental plasticity for learning new languages because they might have to grow up in many different types of colonies. he was not aware of this. he thought he was going to be a nice moth when he pupated, like all his friends.

[tagedeszorns]

Any good non fic recommendations?

That depends on your interests, of course. I'm particularly interested in the Roman Empire at the transition point from Republic to Empire (which could also explain my enjoyment of Warhammer, but there may be other reasons for that). And here especially military and everyday culture. I'm less interested in politics, but of course a lot of private matters were also political at that time.

Although I have to admit that this point in time is very soft and fluid. I'm just as interested in the Bellum Sociale and the whole Sulla/Marius tragedy as I am in the later British campaigns. I'm really not being very scholarly here.

A few good books for starters here are:

SPQR by Mary Beard. A quick and easy read and a tour de force through roman history from the kings to the fall of the emperors. I found it entertaining, but you should start with it, since if you are already deeper into the subject it doesn't offer much new insight.

A few books by my favourite experimental archaeologist, Marcus Junkelmann. I don't know if his books were translated into English, though. This guy builds and uses all the equipment he and his colleagues dig up! He marched across the Alps and along the Limes in legionary equipment, fought as a gladiator (various styles) and trained military horses the way the roman legion did. He's fucking awesome!

Gladiatoren. A very in depth look on the equipment, its ties to the development of military weapon and armour from the same time and on the living conditions of gladiators. Very good! If you can read/understand German, this book's a must have!

Die Reiter Roms, part one to three by the same author. So many details, so much context for archaeological finds! So many practical tests! Loved that. If you want to know why a letter from London to Rome took only a week in the first century? This is your book! Interested in the mounted police of the north-eastern border? This book.

A lighter read: 24 hours in Ancient Rome by Philip Matyszak. Exactly this. A whole day at augustinian Rome. With all the religious, mundane and political stuff that happened. You want to know more about roman firefighters? The system of political influence? Medical treatments for the poor? That's your book!

Some more military history: Roman Britain's Missing Legion - What really happened to IX Hispana by Simon Elliott. So much detective work and a lot of context, especially with the fleets, too. Liked that!

That's just a small slice of the cake - that field is vast and so much fun.

But if you are interested in some very good military fiction (backed by the most recent archaeological finds - so constantly changing, I'm afraid), you should absolutely take a look at the "Under the Eagle" series by Simon Scarrow. Very Warhammer in its own way. Great characters! The hard-ass Centurio Macro and the survivor of roman palace politics, young scribe-turned-Optio Cato become unlikely friends. And have lots of adventures. Blood and stuff.

And here's some roman AU Lucius as a treat.

[littleengine74]

20 Questions For Writers

Didn’t actually get tagged on this, but it looked like a fun one. 🤣

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

AO3 says I have 24. Huh.

2. What is your total AO3 word count?

288,626 since I started in 2021, which seemed like a lot to me until I realized 179,551 of those belong to the second thing I ever wrote, a massive 4 part series covering from Rio’s resurrection to their inevitable HEA.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Veronica Mars brought me to AO3. The Punisher (Kastle) made me think for the first time about writing prompts, but it was the Good Girls (Brio) fandom that finally got me to put the proverbial pen to paper.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1. Even If It Hurts (Part 3 of Walk Through The Fire series)

2. Sanctuary (Part 2 of Walk Through The Fire series)

3. Get Your House In Order (Part 1 of Walk Through The Fire series)

4. By My Side (Part 4 of Walk Through The Fire series)

5. What Would Elizabeth Do?

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes! I try to, at least. Sorry if I’ve missed any, sometimes I lose track of the notification emails.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Ooh, definitely Enemy of My Enemy. Hardest fic for me to finish. Not fluffy. No HEA. Rio is aaaaaangry.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Hmm… there’s a lot to choose from cause I looooove a soft, fluffy Brio. If you can slog through the 4 part series, it covers the most ground, ending years after the show. It’s loosely based on canon to start, but veers off.

8. Do you get hate on your fics?

Hmm… Not really. Luckily just one I can think of. A vague accusation that all my ideas were suspiciously like a lot of other ones on AO3… except those other writers did it way better. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I blocked them and figured if anything, it meant I’d finally “made it”. 😂

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I try to. I aim for the kind I think people will enjoy reading, but I often alternate between worrying it’s either a little too cheesy, or over the top.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I don’t, but I would never say never. There are some I would *love* for other people to write, though. Karen Page (Punisher) and Steve Rogers (Captain America)… Intrepid reporter interviews national hero after the Battle of New York. Neither are looking for anything, but sparks fly. Anyone? Anyone??? 🤣

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don’t think so?

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, but wouldn’t it be awesome if AO3 had a button that would do that automatically?

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Again, no. I won’t say it would never happen, but I’m a bit of a lone wolf writer. Strict deadlines, etc are tough for me, so I think I’d find a co-writing situation very stressful.

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

It has to be Brio. 🥰

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

This is a tough one. I don’t tend to release fics until they’re finished, so I don’t have any orphaned stories out there crying out for a happy ending. I do have a dozen or so ideas that are in various stages of completion. Some are almost done(ish), so I suspect the ones that are less likely to get finished are the ones that are literally a sentence fragment… barely a complete idea. I mean, they’re great random scattered thoughts, but… Yeah.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I’ve been told my Brio characterizations are good.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Hmmm… Dialogue and smut. My descriptions aren’t bad, but my writing style isn’t as “flowy” as I’d sometimes like.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I’m not bilingual, so if I include another language in a fic I tend to keep it fairly short and straightforward to lessen the chance of getting it wrong.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Good Girls. First and only.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

I don’t mind rereading (most of) my own stuff. I have a special soft spot for ones where Brio interacts with the kids, like Smarter Than Your Average Gang Friend (Rio gets shown up by the Jane), and In Sickness (Jane’s sick and Rio shows Beth an uncharacteristic kindness).

Not tagging anyone in particular. Please, jump in!

[frownyalfred]

So I've been reading through bloodletting and I'm very curious about how the Creator's Style works

You use it to give the translation hover option whenever characters speak in Mando'a and I'll be honest, I had no clue that was even an option or how to even go about doing that for my own fics

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but do you have a resource for how to use Creator's Style like that?

Hi anon! I'm copy and pasting a post I did with instructions and comments on how I use this function (below the cut). I hope it helps!

I had an awesome commenter (the lovely @notquiteaghost) suggest a CSS script, since the initial hover text translations I used didn't work on mobile.

Here's the link to the instructions: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30290274

Fair warning, it took me a little bit to get the hang of it. If you're like me and need a little hand-holding, here's how I implement the script:

Copy the code from the CSS section into a new work skin (or the one you're currently using)

Save that skin and make sure to enable it in the work you're going to implement hover text on

Open up your chapter or fic and switch to "HTML" instead of "Rich Text"

When you find the word or phrase you want to have hover text, paste this:

Next, replace the Text to hover over section with whatever your original word or phrase was -- this is the only place that word should appear, and it should still have whatever punctuation you need in it

Replace the text for the tooltip section with whatever your translation or hover text is

Finally, triple check that there's a space between the final section and the rest of your sentence or paragraph. If there isn't a space, sometimes the script pushes the translation onto the next word or shoves them together and italicizes them

Here's what this looks like in my HTML view:

Here's what that looks like in my rich text view:

and here's what the final product looks like:

You should be able to hover over those underlined sections on mobile or desktop and see the translation you inputted. If you don't see it, there might be an issue with how you set up the individual tooltip, or the workskin itself.

My other tips for using this:

Keep a copy of the basic HTML tooltip script to copy and paste into your work as you edit it

Test your hover text in draft view on ao3. You should be able to see it.

Using italics can make the HTML part a little bit harder but it's not impossible

Keep an eye out for your punctuation! Sometimes the formatting can throw your commas and periods around without warning

Try to keep any translations or comments to one sentence max, otherwise the hover text bubble can be cut off in mobile view or stretch the view strangely

If you're translating many words (like I am in my current fic) it's easier to copy and paste a HTML tooltip that's complete but shorter so it doesn't throw off every single line (like copying a one-word translation instead of the original tooltip template)

Hope this helps! I really love using this for my fics and I'm so grateful to @notquiteaghost and everyone else in my comments who offered solutions for my hover text issues.

Here's my current fic with the hover text if anyone wants to see how I'm using it throughout the chapters.

[happi-tree]

heart, liver, and other matters of the body

Each morning, Lincoln takes in the face in the mirror, and sometimes, he likes what he sees.

Other times, Link glances over the wide eyes done up in borrowed eyeliner, the jawline that seems too square, too sharp today, frets at the broad slope of shoulders, the indelicate scarred brow and callused hands and battered, ashy knees, tries to sculpt the features there into something more feminine with willpower alone.

Or: Lincoln tries on a dress for the first time and comes out to her boyfriend.

ao3

Here's my Swiftli Week fic for Day 6: Secrets! 🤫 I did some research for this one, and it was lots of fun. Hope you enjoy!

(P.S. A little context for the title: xīn’gān - Mandarin term of affection which literally translates to “heart and liver” but is equivalent to “heart and soul” or “my everything” in English. Implies that, like a heart or liver, this partner is something one cannot live without.)

Lincoln Li-Wilson is buzzing with nervous energy all throughout their shopping date.

Link’s boyfriend, Taylor, can clearly tell that something’s off (he’s let his emotions show more plainly over the past few months, but he’s always been observant, always cared, and that makes Link smile fondly).

Lincoln runs a hand along the racks of clothes, distracting anxious nerves through the textures and colors, and graciously, Taylor doesn’t ask.

Not yet , a voice in Lincoln’s head says, only to be batted away by Taylor’s hand brushing against his own as they sift through the clothes together.

The mall doesn’t see a lot of traffic, these days - hasn’t seen a lot of traffic since their parents were teenagers, to be honest - so it almost feels like they have the place to themselves.

It’s nice, Link thinks while thumbing through the hangers, stopping on a flash of buttercup yellow. 

It feels soft against the skin, weighty enough to be substantial but not stifling, and the silhouette…

Lincoln takes the garment off the rack, adds it to the others.

Today, today, I’m gonna tell him today, Link repeats like a mantra, disguising nervous, shaking hands by flapping them a little. 

“All good, qīn?” Taylor asks, meeting eyes over the rack, and Lincoln’s heart flutters a little at the affectionate name.

After learning how much Link enjoys terms of endearment, Taylor’s insisted on using Mandarin pet names, citing that they still keep up his “cool and slick” reputation in public. Lincoln frankly thinks it’s pretty silly, since anyone with eyes can tell how sappy Taylor is when it comes to…

“Mm,” Link nods. It isn’t a lie, but it isn’t exactly the truth either. “Gonna try these on.”

“Awesome, man!” Taylor replies, and Lincoln doesn’t even flinch. “Want me to, uh, join you in there?” he asks, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

The offer is very tempting, Link won’t lie, and definitely something they’ve done before - though the trying-on-clothes part historically has the tendency to be abandoned in favor of making out.

“Not today, shǎguā,” Lincoln tells him, voice kept purposefully light and teasing. “You’re gonna have to wait this time.”

“Boo. Have it your way, but I’m definitely sitting on one of those little benches so you can model for me! Plus, my legs could use the break.”

Satisfied, Link leads them through the maze of racks, tries not to dwell on things as they enter the changing rooms marked MEN.

True to his word, Taylor takes up his post on one of the cushioned benches in one of the alcoves, taking out his phone to scroll once he clocks which room Lincoln’s picked.

Link steps in, closes the door, breathes out, and comes face-to-face with the figure in the mirror.

Lincoln’s hair has grown out in the last year or so - rather than being buzzed at the sides, the curls now end around jawline length, depending on how they’re styled.

Taylor visits Hell more frequently, now that things have calmed a little, and Link’s gone with him, asked Terry a bunch of questions about upkeep and styling and braiding that were probably a little too much all at once but were met with enthusiasm and more in-depth answers than what YouTube had to offer. 

Link brushes back a few stray twists, meticulously dotted with colored beads and gold cuffs, complemented by the gold flowers dangling from each earlobe and the gold eyeshadow at the inner corners of each eye.

Satisfied, Lincoln begins trying things on, breezing through a graphic Garfield sweatshirt (comfy, but not big enough), a pair of joggers (right size, but the fabric feels a little weird), and an oversized tee shirt (soft and just roomy enough, definitely something to buy).

There’s just one last thing to try.

Carefully, Link takes off the shirt, hangs it back up, pulls on the last article of clothing, shimmies out of the gym shorts from underneath it.

Lincoln fumbles with the side zipper for a little, worried for the briefest moment that it wouldn’t fit around the torso, but manages to get the hang of it, clasps the hook and eye at the top edge awkwardly into place.

Link smooths down the fabric at the hips with nervous hands, then finally allows for a glance upward.

Lincoln stares. And stares.

Someone unfamiliar stares back. But it’s a good unfamiliar, a right unfamiliar.

Link has practiced saying the words in the mirror before, has felt how the shapes of them formed on the tongue, has spoken them into being in whispered, low tones. Link has treated it the same way as practicing his facial expressions, a daily ritual, trying to figure out how to show the right emotions, making sure they look and feel correct on the face as well as in the heart.

Each morning, Lincoln takes in the face in the mirror, and sometimes, he likes what he sees. 

Other times, Link glances over the wide eyes done up in borrowed eyeliner, the jawline that seems too square, too sharp today, frets at the broad slope of shoulders, the indelicate scarred brow and callused hands and battered, ashy knees, tries to sculpt the features there into something more feminine with willpower alone.

On those days, like this morning, Lincoln tries out the words again, mouths them out once more in the present. 

She. Her. 

And they feel real, feel as true as if she had just taken a whiff of that blue power from the FBI.

Sometimes, they don’t fit, just like he and him don’t feel right, sometimes, like a shirt with the wrong texture, a bite of food that’s a little too mushy. 

But sometimes, like right now, they fit Lincoln like a glove. 

They fit her like this dress. 

The bodice hugs Link’s torso, and though it’s painfully obvious that her upper body is all boxes and angles and no curves, she finds that she doesn’t mind too much.

Straps, about the width of two fingers, tie off in elegant bows that rest at the midpoint between her neck and shoulders, drawing emphasis to her collarbones in a way that makes them look almost delicate. Link frowns a bit at the way the neckline makes her shoulders look so wide. 

The light yellow fabric goes phenomenally well with her complexion in a way that makes her dark, freckled skin nearly glow, and the texture is a little stiffer than she’s used to, but it has a nice thickness to it and doesn’t chafe against her skin, with enough give that she instinctively knows wouldn’t hinder her range of motion. 

The skirt is full, gathered fabric flaring out around her hips and stopping a few inches above her knees, though she thinks it was probably meant to be a longer dress on someone with shorter legs.

She twists around in it, trying to catch a glimpse of different angles, and the way the hemline flutters around her thighs is completely alien to her, but she thinks she likes it.

She feels feminine. Girly. Is girly.

Lincoln feels like a girl. She is one.

“Link, you okay?” Taylor’s voice is muffled through the door, and there’s a small shadow beneath it, followed by a half-hearted little knock. 

Shit.

“You’ve been in there awhile.”

Fuck, has she? Maybe she got a little too carried away staring and lost track of time.

Link wracks her brain for a proper response, a yeah, I’m okay or yes, I’m fine, I’ll be out in a minute , but they get stopped up in her throat as she realizes that she’s still wearing the dress and she hasn’t come out to him yet like she planned to.

“Is it okay if I come in? No funny business, I just wanna make sure you’re okay.”

Shit shit shit shit shit. 

Taylor wears dresses and skirts all the time, it’ll be fine, he won’t be weirded out by it, Lincoln attempts to rationalize. It doesn’t really work, so she tries to speak again.

“‘M fine,” is all that comes out, high-pitched but not in a pretty way.

“You don’t sound fine,” Taylor argues, voice softened out at the edges so that it doesn’t sound accusatory. “Can I please come in?”

Link squints her eyes shut against it all and nods minutely, then realizes that Taylor can’t see her and manages a shaky “Yes.”

“Okay,” he says, and Link hears the door creak open, then shut, hears Taylor’s quiet footfalls.

“So, can I -? Woah .”

Cautiously, Link opens her eyes to see Taylor shaking off an expression of… bewilderment? Confusion? Curiosity? 

“Sorry, sorry,” he says, “I’m just - I wasn’t expecting - you look really pretty, dude.”

Feeling a little too overexposed, too raw, too much, Link can’t help the way she flinches. 

“Oh, baby,” Taylor says, sadness evident in his voice, and Link hates the sound of it, hates that she made him that way. “Can I touch you?”

Not trusting her voice, Link nods, and her boyfriend steps closer, winds an arm around her back, and she melts into his hold, crumbles into his familiar warmth. 

“You’re crying,” he observes quietly, reaching with his other hand to thumb away a tear, and Lincoln hadn’t even registered the wetness spilling down her cheeks until he mentioned it. 

“I’m fine, I promise.” Link’s voice sounds a little too deep to her own ears, discordant with the girl in the mirror, and another tear slips out anyway. “Just… overwhelmed?”

“Okay,” Taylor says, “We can work with that, xīn’gān.”

Xīn’gān , Lincoln thinks, heart and liver, my everything . Taylor only uses that when he’s serious.

“Can you tell me what you’re thinking?” he asks.

“It’s silly,” Link starts, then continues before Taylor can refute it. “I just… it’s hard, and I’ve been meaning to tell you, I promise, I just… couldn’t figure out when or how.”

She laughs a little, then, high-strung and nervous.

Lincoln pulls away, glances at their reflections, and Taylor’s eyes follow hers. 

“You’re not, uh, breaking up with me in this dressing room, right?” 

“No,” she says, a little too loud. “No,” she repeats, forcing her voice softer, higher. “This is a good thing, I swear, it’s just…” “Hard?” Taylor asks.

“Mm.”

Lincoln inhales shakily, reaches for Taylor’s hand, and Taylor latches them together, gives them a light squeeze.

God, she’s so lucky to have him.

Her free hand fists in the fabric of the dress, and she squeezes her eyes shut. 

“I think I’m trans.”

She said it. There’s no taking it back now.

Taylor’s thumb runs along the side of her hand. “That’s amazing, babe. I’m so proud of you,” he says, and Link knew in the back of her mind that her boyfriend would always be supportive, but that last irrational bit of fear finally vaporizes. 

Lincoln opens her eyes, and Taylor’s looking at her with so much open affection that it makes her eyes water up with tears again, and she brushes them away.

“I’m not… I still like being a guy, sometimes,” She says, the words leaving her in a rush, “but sometimes I feel more like a girl? And sometimes it’s a little bit of both?”

“That’s cool,” Taylor says with another encouraging squeeze to their joined hands.

“I think I might be… bigender?” Link tells him, and wow, it’s so nice to hear the word aloud, to tell someone. “Or maybe genderfluid? Genderqueer, definitely.”

“Thank you for telling me,” Her boyfriend says with a smile, looking a little misty-eyed himself. “Coming out’s really fucking nerve-wracking, isn’t it?”

“No kidding.”

“Is Link still okay to use?”

“I think so, yeah,” Lincoln responds, and she’s thought quite a bit about it. Despite how masculine her full name is, Link still likes it a lot. Maybe she’d find something later, but for now, she’s content with it.

“I, um,” Lincoln stutters, a little unsure of how to word it. “Is it alright if you use she/ her for me today? I still like he/him, but… feminine feels better right now.”

“Of course. Speaking of feminine, this dress looks fantastic on you.”

“Really?” Link asks, twisting a little and glancing back at the mirror, grateful to see that her makeup still looks okay.

“Really. You should buy it! If you like it, too, of course.”

“I do,” She confirms, wiping up the last of her tears, letting go of Taylor’s hand to pat her face dry with the backs of her palms. “I really do.”

“Did you do a little spin yet?” There’s a fond excitement in Taylor’s eyes as he looks her up and down - not just appraisingly, but lovingly.

She shakes her head.

“Trust me, it’s the best part. I know these things.”

Lincoln spins around a little, curious, and the way the dress floats around her, the way the fabric laps against her legs like waves - it’s addictive and oddly freeing. She twirls a little faster, reveling in the feel of it, and a smile stretches wide on her face as she lets out a little whoop of excitement.

“This is amazing, Tay!”

“It’s great, right?” 

Link comes to a stop, her dress still in motion from the force of her whirling, and she’s giddy as the fabric swooshes, then settles.

“Yeah. Wow, I kinda never wanna take this off.” She smooths her hands down her sides and over her waist, looking up again at her reflection.

She looks happy.

Lincoln is happy - really, truly, incandescently happy, in a way she doesn’t think she’s felt in a long, long time. 

“You do kinda need to take it off to buy it, though,” Taylor says. “As much as I love how gorgeous you look in it.”

“Guess so,” Link says, already dreading changing back. Maybe she can convince Taylor to help her out of the dress - with minimal making out. Maybe. 

“Have you told anyone else?” Taylor asks her, dispersing Lincoln’s brief fantasies.

Link shakes her head. “I thought about telling Dad, but, well, he’d want to tell Grant… things are still a little rocky between us, but, like, I still love him, and I don’t wanna hurt his feelings by not telling him directly? Does that even make sense?” “It does, I think,” Taylor says. 

“I’m gonna tell Normal and Scary, soon, obviously.”

“Obviously.”

“And… I was thinking of talking to Hermie about… this. Gender,” Lincoln confesses, though she still cringes at the thought of it. She didn’t like to admit it to herself, but they probably knew a lot more about gender nonconformity than Link’s figured out through her own research.

“Mm, my auncle probably has some good insights, even if the two of you don’t really get along,” Taylor muses, seemingly on a similar train of thought.

“She's probably not gonna make fun of me, right?”

Her boyfriend’s eyes gleam with demonic light even in the weird fluorescent lighting of the changing room, brows furrowed, and Lincoln’s stomach does a funny little flip at the expression. “Link,” He says seriously, “If they’re even the slightest bit mean about it, I’m fucking his shit up on sight. I don’t care if we’re related - Nobody messes with my girlfriend.”

My girlfriend, Link’s mind plays back, loops it like a broken record as something shining and effervescent floods the cavities of her lungs. My girlfriend, my girlfriend, I’m his girlfriend . 

Lincoln must not be making the right face, because Taylor hastily tacks on, “W-who is also my boyfriend! Sometimes?”

He blinks up at her, brows tilted upwards in concern, a silent are you okay? and god, Link is so, so happy that she lets out a little huff of laughter.

“No, no, it’s not that, I just… I didn’t realize how much I’d like hearing you say that.”

“Oh?” A shit-eating grin forms on her boyfriend’s face, and before she can do anything about it, he’s reaching up to cup her cheek in his hand. “I have the most beautiful, gorgeous girlfriend in the world. I adore her big brown eyes, her pretty hair, her stunning smile… oh, my god, look at that, there it is, my girlfriend’s smile.”

“Stop,” Link says, half-hearted and breathless, so much heat rushing to her dimpled cheeks that Taylor, even with his demonic heritage, can probably feel it. And she would look down, but she’d only meet Taylor’s smug, knowing smirk, and that would only make her more ridiculously happy.

Taylor moves his hands to her waist, squeezes at her sides, and though she’s sure he’s continuing his goofy little litany, she’s a little too overwhelmed by sheer exhilaration to make out most of it. 

Not quite sure what to do with all her joy, laughter tumbles out, lower and raspier than she would like at the moment, but loud and bright and full.

“Oh, wow, my girlfriend just laughed and it’s my favorite sound in the whole wide world!” Taylor says, and she can hear the beam in his voice, so wide that his eyes narrow to crescents. “My girlfriend looks so pretty in this dress. I’m gonna have to buy her a dozen more.”

“You are not doing that!”

“Of course I am,” Taylor refutes, shaking his head with that adorable vehemence of his. “I’m rich! One for every day of the week, at least. You look so happy in it. I’m gonna spoil you so bad, wô de tiānshî.”

“Wô de tiānshî,” Lincoln parrots, sounding out the rise and fall of the syllables carefully. “I haven’t heard that one. What does it mean?”

“‘My angel,’” Taylor tells her softly, thumbs gently circling at her waist, and the reverence in his eyes makes her feel simultaneously unmovable and unsteady on her feet. “I always thought it would suit you, but traditionally, it’s used for girlfriends. Unless that’s too, like, weirdly gendered, uh, if it makes you uncomfortable -”

Link crushes her wonderful, amazing boyfriend to herself in a tight hug.

In an instant, Taylor’s arms circle around her, too, and so much about her has felt wrong lately, but this has always, always felt right.

“I love it,” Lincoln says, “I love you . Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

“Love you, too,” he replies, and they stay like that for a few long moments.

Eventually, Link pulls away, and Taylor drops his arms.

“So, wanna get this dress and get out of here and go for froyo in the food court?” He asks.

“Only if you help me take this off,” Link answers, waggling her eyebrows like Taylor had earlier. "Seriously, the zippers on these things are kinda tricky."

Taylor laughs.

“That’s my girl.”

[the-himawari]

A3! Promotion Event Translation - Haunted Western-style House (5/9)

*Please read disclaimer on blog; default name set as Izumi

---

Masumi: Director’s gone… Even though I came all the way here…

Tsumugi: If you’re looking for Director, she just stepped out a moment ago.

Masumi: I was too late… *sigh*…

Kazunari: Aw, don’t make that face, Massu~. You can talk to us!

Masumi: …By the way, what were you talking to Director about earlier?

Kazunari: We were chatting about how tomorrow’s the day we’re going to have our photoshoot and help out at the Horror House!

Tsumugi: Oh, right. The day we’re assisting is also the Horror House’s opening day, isn’t it? That makes me feel a bit nervous.

Kazunari: But isn’t it super exciting to think that we’re gonna be the first ones to step foot inside?

Tsumugi: Ah. When I think about it that way, I feel more excited than nervous.

Kazunari: Plus, I heard they've decided which members are gonna be on the cover. This time, it’s gonna be Massu, the chief butler, and me, the mansion’s owner!

Masumi: Me…? I’ve already done it once, so I didn’t think it’d happen again.

Kazunari: Apparently, it worked out best that way considering our costumes!

Tsumugi: Great for you two. If I recall correctly, is this your first time on the cover of “VELUDO”?

Kazunari: Mhm. I’ve never appeared on the cover somehow~. So I’m super hyped!

Tsumugi: I can’t wait to see how the photo on the cover turns out with you two. Masumi-kun, you have something splendid to report to Hatsue-san again.

Masumi: Yeah, grandma will be happy. I’ll give her a copy “VELUDO” when she arrives back in Japan.

Kazunari: That’ll be awesome! I’m sure she’ll be over the moon receiving it directly from you!

Tsumugi: Fufu, I agree. I think she’ll be delighted.

-pause-

Tsumugi: So this is the new Horror House.

Kazunari: The interior is beautiful! You can tell it was renovated!

Tsuzuru: The fact that some spots are roughed up to create an eerie feeling gives it a nice atmosphere.

Juza: I see. They did that on purpose… impressive.

Kumon: I wanna see a ghost! I wonder where they’ll pop out from?

Izumi: Ghosts aren’t supposed to appear on film, so we might not able to see any.

Masumi: Huh...

Izumi: Hm? It’s surprising that you’re disappointed. Did you want to see a ghost too?

Masumi: That’s not what I meant…

-pause-

Photoshoot staff: Now then, we are going to start with the group photos! We plan to use this as a double-page spread on the special feature page.

Troupe members: Okay!

*click*

Photographer: Alright, looking good! Next, let’s try switching up your standing positions. …Yeah, just like that!

Izumi: (Our photoshoot is pretty early in the morning before the place opens, so I was a little worried. But everyone’s doing great as usual.)

*click*

Photographer: Alright, done! Thank you for your hard work! We’re going to have the photoshoot for the cover next. Usui-san and Miyoshi-san, please come this way.

Izumi: I think everyone else can take a break. What are you going to do?

Tsumugi: Can I observe their shoot? We did come all the way here, after all.

Kumon: I wanna watch too!

Tsuzuru: Alright, all of us will go together then.

Juza: ‘Kay.

-pause-

Photographer: First off, we’ll have the chief butler act like he’s reporting something to the mansion’s owner who’s sitting in a chair.

*click*

Kazunari: …

Masumi: …

*click*

Kumon: Kazu-san looks totally different than usual! It’s amazing!

Tsuzuru: Masumi’s expression also gives off a somewhat unsettling feeling…

Photographer: Let’s switch up the mood a bit. Yeah, change the poses up… yes, great.

Masumi: …

*click*

Kazunari: …

*click*

Juza: …I’m learnin’ a lot by watching them.

Tsumugi: Right. This also a part of acting.

Kazunari & Masumi: …

*click*

Photographer: And done! That’s a wrap for the cover shoot.

Kazunari & Masumi: Thank you very much!

Izumi: (The cover shoot finished without a hitch! Both of them had great expressions. I can’t wait to see the cover.)

---

previous | next

[loadednachosao3]

Any tips for someone who wants to get better at creative writing?

hoo boy there are a ton I could give! let's see if I can't think of some that might help!

first, read! read, read, read! read things you like, that engage you and make you feel something, and then read writing advice to figure out how to translate what you felt and what you liked into writing that makes someone else feel just as good (or sad, or angry, or whatever, LOL). Stephen King's book On Writing is a solid place to start -- learn from the people who have made writing their lifeblood! go to the library's 800s section and find all the writing tips books you can get your hands on! I STILL read those 19 years into writing!

don't try to edit while you write (small edits are fine so you don't forget them, but don't overdo it). remember: first draft, worst draft! the important part is getting the backbone of the scene down. once that's there, you can mix and match and scramble it up and change words and delete shit and do all sorts of things! I actually enjoy the editing process, since it makes everything come together. don't think "oh, this is so bad, I have to edit so much, I suck." try to frame it as, "damn, look how much writing I did! this is an awesome base to polish up! it's gonna be so rad once I correct these mistakes!"

on that note: there WILL be mistakes. you'll miss plot holes, forget shit, write stuff that doesn't make sense, whatever. beta readers are great for this, since a fresh set of eyes will be able to catch things you didn't. or do what I do: throw caution to the wind, post it, and if someone catches a mistake, say "oops!" and find a way to fix it, retcon it, or ignore it. either 1: you're writing fanfiction or something similar, so it really doesn't matter that much if you fuck up, or 2: you're aiming to be published, and an editor will help spot and fix those things for you anyway. don't let making mistakes discourage you, we all make them!

if you have tropes/character types/plotlines you like, don't let anyone stop you from writing them again and again. you know how many stories Stephen King writes about a writer from Maine with interpersonal issues who goes through supernatural shit? and look where he is! what you WANT to write will always be better than what you THINK people want to read! readers can sense passion. use that to hook them!

it is 100% okay to use your writing to work through things, on that note. encouraged, as a matter of fact! lots of great writers have underlying themes in most/all of their works. depression. substance abuse. daddy issues. optimism. pessimism. worldviews. whatever! doesn't have to be bad, but if it IS bad, writing is a phenomenal way to channel those feelings! don't let any shitty weirdo ever tell you anything else. projecting your emotions onto fictional characters is a very highly recommended therapeutic technique, so use it! (lbr, even if you don't do it consciously, you WILL do it subconsciously. sorry about that)

mmmmmblock out the haters! that is, don't let people tear you down and make you feel like you shouldn't write anymore! no matter your skill level, if you have something to say, something you want to see play out, make it happen. everyone else can suck a duck

figure out a plotting style that works for you. for some, it's a rigid outline with every conversation accounted for. for others, it's a looser one, some ideas and scribbled notes of general directions with the rest to be filled in as you go. for others still (this is mostly my style), you just start writing and see where it takes you. very chaotic, but very fun! I also like to have vivid daydreams sometimes and then just write them down. whether I do that or learn where the scene is going as my fingers are on the keys depends on the day. no method is better or worse, so do what feels right!

jot down inspiration in a notepad or on your phone or whatever's around as it comes to you. could be as simple as "this exchange I heard caught my attention" or "that gravestone has a badass surname I'd love to use for a character," or as complex as "I want to explore the themes of grief and trauma that that other book did, but with my own twist on it." a word. a color. a feeling. keep a list of everything that makes you want to write, and use it later!

if you really hate your first draft, scrap it! if you hate your second, scrap it! if you hate your third... you can always start fresh!!! don't sit around thinking, "aw beans, I couldn't get it right on the first try, I must not be a real writer." not every idea's gonna be a winner, not every scene is gonna work out! you gotta keep on keeping on, though! don't give up even if you hate it!!!

uhhhh that's all I can think of rn... the rest would be more stylistic/grammatical/nitpicky tips, which I CAN give, but maybe in a different post? let me know if you guys would ever like an insight into how I edit my stories with tips like that in mind, and maybe I'll make a lil guide!

but in general, yeah, those are my big, sweeping tips! hope they helped at least a little!

[shock]

hey! ik you work at a school and based on how you post about it, you really care a lot about your job and it seems like the kids really like and trust you. i'm about to start a job as a para working 1:1 w/ a middle schooler, and my prior experience is all tutoring college students- do you have any tips on getting kids that age to engage w/ you? im worried ill be awkward around him and he'll think im cringe 😭 would really appreciate any advice u have to give

middle schoolers are developmentally in a place where they are experimenting with independence for the first time. they will test rules, boundaries, expectations. be clear and consistent but not rigid. if you make it integral to your relationship and their success that they tell you what motivates them, they have agency, and that you want to work WITH them, they may not believe that immediately but the more you prove it the easier it will be to know how to support them.

if you know anyone who has worked with this student before, ask about and be ready to filter the information you learn. I ask questions like "do you remember a day that was successful, and how did you get there?". ask "was there a time you felt that you connected?". "What strategies did you find helpful?".

I don't always agree with all of my colleagues in their approach or their view of the kid in front of them, but that doesn't mean I can't learn from them and apply it in my own way. about the same student, I was warned that successful only happened when they were elevated by using a neutral tone and that they will try to trick me so be aware of that. another said that they are very funny and sometimes needs pressure to be grounded- when I suggested a weighted shoulder blanket, she lit up and said "that would be an awesome idea!!". another colleague said that they do very well with expectations given in the form of "If X happens, my expectation is to [action]". I can keep all of these things in mind and also not let them be more deciding than the kid that I will have in front of me.

You have your own style and that can be translated to a lot of ages if you take steps to learn to communicate with them and dont make them feel stupid or inexperienced. I invite suggestions and try to apply their voice as appropriate and safe. I don't make promises I can't keep, and if I can't keep them I am upfront about it. Model integrity and honesty.

Also, because of the rapid development both hormonally, socially, physically, 6th, 7th, and 8th are all WILDLY different. The ways I can talk to my 8th graders about deeply personal social-emotional reflections doesn't look the same my 6th or 7th graders. You'll naturally find out where your student lies in terms of maturity and understanding, and there will be a LOT of growth in a single year.

Kids will accept and grow fond of your cringe if they know you express it in solidarity and from a willingness to learn. Anything will be cringe if they want to haze you for it, including things YOU SEE THEM DOING ALL THE TIME 🤣 I tell my kids all the time that there are things that come naturally to them that amaze me and impress me that I don't know about. I put my kids in positions to be teachers. Being cringe is a natural part of working with kids and its ok to be silly and weird IF you are there for them when it counts. IF you don't patronize, condescend, or talk down to them. They are intelligent, thoughtful, and often know much much more than they ever say. They are extremely resilient. they will genuinely think you are just as likely 17 or 40 years old no matter what age you are. Don't worry about being awkward or cringe, take steps to understand the passions and joys of your students. Be willing to suck at things they excel at. Be willing to play basketball with them even though you suck ass, and ask them how to improve. Be willing to make bracelets that are so fucking ugly they're worth laughing about while they're making 400-braid works of art. Acknowledge when they have skills you aren't familiar with. They will learn to appreciate yours if they know you see theirs.

They don't accuse me of being lame when I act goofy, to them it's just part of who "Mr. Jack" is. I'm not above getting pranked. I'm not above getting razzed on. Im not above getting something wrong. I'm a professional who knows how to navigate systems and wants to share that with them. I explain why things happen. I answer "why" with a genuine, thoughtful response. Middle schoolers always want to know why, and if they don't know why by the time they get to high school because it's been held hostage by people in power, they believe there is no "why". I never say "just because" or "It's the right thing to do". I say what will come out of it. If I ever have to report something happening or have to have another colleague help with a mandated reporting/need help from social work to wrap around, I never just do it. I say things like "you know, X is someone I really trust and respect here. They have more information than I do and I think if we worked together we would be able to really find a solution, can we try to do that". I explain that I will never abandon them or shove them on others or destroy our trust, but I have Profesional obligations and that I will walk through the whole process with them. I have sat in ambulances with kids. I have stayed into the night at hospitals with kids. I have exercised my right to refuse to send a kid home out of an immediate safety concern and updated them the entire time what every call I made was about, what I did and did NOT share, checked in with them... and my worst fear of ruining my relationship with a kid and destroying their trust has not happened because I make sure that the pieces are not moving around them while they are helpless. So much is already out of their control.

I have coached multiple students who admitted to me that they vaped or smoked, and i think this is a good example of applying that mindset: My job isn't tell them to stop because it's bad. My job is to say "look, I'm not going to say what everyone else has told you or pretend that I've never done something that could harm my body. Anything you do, I want you to do research and use that to decide what is worth it." And I share knowledge, we get to the root of it, we talk about the reasons, we talk about the risks. One of my students who smoked nicotine without parents knowing didn't know that it would seriously impact a surgery they had coming up that they had been waiting for their whole life and were excited for. Me sharing that information not with the threat of consequences but with a need for them to understand how to move forward was how we got to develop a plan to quit that was seen through.

Sorry that was a lot of rambling!! Basically work as a team and find ways to come up with strategies together. You can be professional, "in charge", and provide direction without insulting the newly budding agency your middle schoolers are unfortunately learning that they don't have in a lot of environments. Start EVERY SINGLE DAY new. I have bad days and have cried because of how hurtful something was from a student, but I don't let that stop me from greeting them in the morning, or feeling like they have a right to education, or that they can't try to do things differently. They're incredibly impulsive, and you will have an hour long conversation that seems to really sink, and the second you get out of the room they will still immediately do the thing they shouldn't. Over time with consistency they really do change, and it's normal for that to not be always immediate. Days, weeks, years... sometimes you won't even see that growth, and that's really hard, but you have to trust that it will happen.

[solradguy]

hi! can you tell your whole process for learning japanese on your own? where did you start? what resources did you utilise? how did you find and manage your time and maintain discipline? also, how long did it take you to reach fluency?

I am sooooo far from fluent hahaha I'm stumbling through this language Gromit-style

Ok, so, circa 2014 I was studying Norwegian because I really wanted to learn a secondary language (thx American school system...) and I really liked the cadence/feel of Norwegian. That was my entire reason for studying it, I just liked how it sounded lol. But by 2016 I'd learned enough of it from Duolingo that it was time to move on to more difficult study materials.

Which I could not find for the life of me.

I got frustrated and decided it'd probably be best to pick up another language. Japanese was the one I saw the most since a lot of my favorite artists are Japanese, some of my best inking supplies come from Japan (with Japanese packaging), and there used to be a really good local Japanese restaurant too (RIP). Duolingo had just launched an absolutely shit Japanese course that motivated me to look for better practice materials.

I think I started practicing the kana through just writing them a whole bunch before finding out about Tofugu's hiragana and katakana mnemonics-based study articles. From there I did the three free levels offered by Wanikani. Wanikani is awesome, I learned a lot through that program and wish the full version one-time purchase was more affordable... It's worth it, I'm just broke haha

After a while I lost interest in studying Japanese because it's so difficult/time consuming and tried out reconstructed Classical Latin (HARD!), Norwegian again, and just barely dipped my toes into Esperanto. About a year before I got into Guilty Gear (2020), I picked up Japanese again by refreshing my progress on Wanikani. The Duolingo course still sucked but it had gotten a tiny bit better with its kana study tool, though I dropped it again before long. What helped the most this time were books. I tried out these:

Genki - Not bad. I liked how it broke down parts of grammar. However, it's definitely written for a classroom setting. The topics/vocabulary were all school themed and, on top of feeling like I was missing vital information by self-studying, it just got boring.

Tae Kim's Guide to Learning Japanese - This has a physical version but I read it through the free app/website. Much more advanced than Genki, but made for self-study and as a grammatical reference tool. It went a bit over my head and was too fast-paced, I learn kinda slow... Now that I'm much better at Japanese, I should try it again.

Japanese From Zero - My favorite of the books I tried. Goes slower, made more for self-study, and has some free supplemental materials on their website.

While Japanese From Zero was working great, I was losing interest again because my brain CRAVES variety. Straight up translating stories has helped me more than anything else. Japanese Short Stories for Beginners by LingoMastery was a good investment alongside Barron’s Japanese Grammar by Carl and Nobuo Akiyama and Japanese Verbs & Essentials of Grammar by Rita L. Lampkin to help with grammar concepts Japanese Short Stories doesn't expand on enough. IMABI (website) is also a very good grammar reference guide. It can be a bit dry, but I like that. It doesn't waste time and is very direct.

Lingodeer has been invaluable too. The free version is smartphone app only, but that's fine since I usually study right before bed anyway. It has a 5 minute quiz that's just snappy enough to refresh my knowledge without being so long that my brain gets bored of the repetition. The lesson modules also do a really great job at explaining grammatical concepts. There are some other study tools, like specific ones for practicing grammar and vocabulary, that I like.

Then in 2021 I got into Guilty Gear. Boy, did I get into Guilty Gear. Translating GG books has helped me more than all of these other materials combined (except the Tofugu kana articles). HIGHLY recommend going a little crazy for a piece of Japanese media if you wanna learn the language.

I can't speak it for shit though, to be honest lmao. But I set out learning it to read things so that's fine; there are very, very, few Japanese speakers where I live anyway. What I mean by this is that I don't have any materials to suggest for learning how to speak it or to improve listening comprehension, sorry...

If I'm not currently working on a translation project (which counts as studying!!), I try to do at least one of these forms of practice each day:

10-15 minutes of Lingodeer

Do Anki flashcards until I get bored. There's a deck that's all 60 levels of Wanikani, though Wanikani itself is still better.

Practice kana stroke order for the ones I still sometimes struggle with （ツ、シ、ン、ソ......）and at least 5 kanji

Read something in Japanese. Lately this's been Japanese-English Translation: An Advanced Guide by Judy Wakabayashi

There's a page on my Neocities with some study tools but it needs updated with a few things I've since found that work better: