#I'm sorry anon this got really long

[dreamingpartone]

Do you have any tips for working on sketches and proportions?

ooh! that's a good and tricky question, anon…. I’m not sure how helpful I can be without a bit more specific direction (especially sketching; there are all sorts of ways to sketch all sorts of things) but I've tried to come up with some general tips! just let me know if you were wondering about anything else in particular!

*usual disclaimer that I’m not an expert and different art strokes work for different folks*

SKETCHES:

✦ Very basic, but start light and loose with sketching — the first thing you want to get down is just gesture/shapes/positioning, then worry about refining and adding detail afterwards

Purely for personal ease, I often use a light pencil (2H) to start my sketches, and then go over it with a mechanical pencil (B). On the other hand: thicker, softer pencils (like 3B+) are really fun to work with for rougher, more gestural sketches or studies!!

(You can replicate this digitally too, by changing brush size and opacity)

✦ Try working small? I’ve never been great at drawing large-scale, but I also think keeping sketches on the smaller side helps me think about what the most important features to capture are

✦ If we’re talking figures, try sketching things in different orders to find what suits you; obviously a lot of people start with the head (including me 90% of the time), but I also like drawing in the angle for shoulders or blocking in the torso first sometimes, so feel free to experiment!

✦ Probably the most important thing: don’t worry about making mistakes in sketches, and especially don’t worry about how nice they look! Unless you have to or want to share them, sketches are just for you, and they’re not meant to be masterpieces. As long as you get what you need from them (whether that’s jotting down a quick idea for later, getting the base ready for a big piece, or practicing drawing xyz) then that’s their job done!

PROPORTIONS:

✦ I'm gonna guess you probably mean the human anatomy kind of proportions? (In which case, I am going to skip over the standard “look at and draw a lot of people” because that is obvious and not-particularly-motivating advice in my experience :’))

✦ Again, make sure to start with simple shapes, and know that it’s okay to use easy references! You're not gonna love working on proportions if you jump immediately to a really complex pose or angle and then get frustrated when you can't get it right

✦ Doing studies is great, but make them suit you. I've never been that diligent about studying anatomy and proportions; I enjoy doing quick pose sketches every now and then, but tbh I mostly took the long road of improving proportions by sketching a crap load of fanart over the years, and therefore using references that I have more of an investment in than just “random man #5 posing”

(e.g. I’m pretty sure just absorbing 45 volumes of Haikyuu gave me a little art boost because Furudate is so good at it  — but it also meant I started using actual volleyball photos for sketches and art references, which was great fun! I have also used cricket, classical sculptures, various tv screencaps, meme-y kpop pics, etc, as studies in the past, because they make me actually want to sit down and draw, which is the important first step!)

(ALSO: taking photos of yourself as a reference is 👌 very quick and useful. I have many random photos of myself posing on my phone)

✦ There are some very general but handy proportion guides that I've absorbed over the years, like: a person’s thumb is about the length of their nose, their foot is about the length of their forearm, when arms are relaxed at the sides elbows reach to the navel and fingertips reach about mid-thigh, from the front nipples are in line with the ears, eyes line up at the edge of nostrils, ears are placed between the top of the eye and bottom of the nose (actually ear placement is super handy for getting head angles to look good), etc etc !

(Obviously though, these aren't accurate for every single real life person and can be broken for interesting character design anyway)

✦ Also the Measuring In Heads trick — a classic and pretty common guide for (standing) proportions, once again not 100% foolproof, but measuring your figure in heads can get you a good basis for overall proportion. The “rule” is that a person is generally 7.5 heads tall, so in my art I usually go between 7-8 heads, with the waist at about 3 heads from the top

(I only bother with/remember those two points, but from a quick google apparently you can also measure where the nipples (2 heads) and pelvis (4 heads) are with this one!)

#anon sorry this got long dhdjdjd i went into it going ''i think i have like three tips'' and then suddenly i wrote all that #this is ur warning that there's a bunch of text behind that readmore #is any of it useful? who knows. i hope so :') <3 #anonymous #ask #art asks #and as i said feel free to send another ask if there were any specifics you wanted!! #these art questions really always make me go ''hmm. how DO i draw actually?'' #it's all habit at this point and i'm never certain if they're good ones lmaoo

[cassianandfenrysaremyboyos]

hey! I only recently started reading acotar (i'm on the third book) and I love love love Lucien, and I'm super excited at the prospect of him and Elain... actually they are the main reason I'm reading at this point but all I've seen on twt is about the other ship for Elain 😔 Is there any hope for Elain x Lucien in the later books?? I'm asking bc I don't want to get major spoilers but also I'm tired of getting my heart broken by non endgame ships lol

Welcome to the Lucien and Elucien train!! We're very happy to have to you! 😊💕

I wouldn't worry about what people are saying on twitter. Just because one part of the fandom is more vocal doesn't mean their ship is more popular or that it has more chance of happening in canon. Right now neither ship is canon. But absolutely there is hope for Elucien!!

First Elucien are mates. Sarah loves mates/soulmates. We've seen that with Feysand and Nessian, and I don't know if you've read Throne of Glass but the main ship in that series are also mates and the main ship in Sarah's other series, Crescent City also show signs of being soulmates. Sarah loves writing about that deep soulmate type of love! They might have to overcome obstacles but ultimately they choose each other.

Also Sarah has talked about how in her early planning she briefly considered making Nesta and lucien mates but quickly realised they wouldn't work together/would tear each other apart. If Sarah really wanted to write about a rejected mating bond she could have left Nesta and Lucien mates and had them reject the bond. But she didn't because she loves soulmates.

Sarah has also said this about Elucien "there was actually a great deal of tension, growth and healing to be found for both of them together" She's never said anything ever about the other ship as far as I know? Certainly nothing romantic.

There is so much potential for healing between Elain and Lucien. One of the things I love about Elucien is they have so much in common. They're both gentle souls. Some people might not realise that about Lucien, but he really is. Lucien is someone who is deeply traumatised from violence, you see it in the first book in the scene when the injured Faery is brought into the Spring Court manor and he's deeply distressed by it. It clearly triggers his ptsd from his own trauma, but it also shows us that Lucien is someone who can't stomach violence, at least not in the way some of the other characters do. And Elain, well at this stage, since we haven't really seen her development or gotten her pov yet, being a kind gentle heart is really her defining character trait. They're two characters who would cherish a peaceful life away from war and violence. Two characters with the potential to be so soft together, to provide each other with a safe space to be vulnerable, and show their weaknesses and talk about their trauma. And be comforted by the other and have the other understand. They have such complimentary personalities. Something the other ship doesn't have. Azriel is a torturer (I love Az btw so this isn't a critiscm just observations about his character) he is filled with a cold hard rage, something Elain hasn't seen from him/doesn't truely know about him. And currently he's most definitely not one to open up and share about his own trauma, which certaintly doesn't work for two characters making a healing journey together. Something Sarah, as shown above see's as important. Elain and Azriel are simply too different imo. And I know people can argue opposite's attract. But opposite's attract only applies to a certain point, with certain things. If two people are just fundementally different a relationship won't work between them long term.

Meanwhile Elain and Lucien have just enough differences that they're not too similar but have enough in common to mesh really well together.

And even their differences are complimentary. Lucien has a bit of bite and sass about him, and that's something I think Elain needs to help bring her out of her shell. Elain is someone who has been coddled and infantalised and sheltered, people don't challenge her or speak freely to her, they censor themselves around her. Very minor spoilers seeing as you're only up to the third book, but in the 5th book, Acosf there's a moment where Nesta snaps/swears at Elain, and Nesta immediately regrets it because you don't talk to sweet precious Elain like that. But Elain just laughs. Elain wants people to speak freely to her, to stop sheltering her and show her some sass and bite. And who's the perfect person to do that, our boy Lucien!! Again some minor spoilers but I love this comparison

Lucien in Acotar

Elain in Acosf

Look at this parallel between them *chefs kiss*

Like Sarah said these are two characters that will push growth in each other and challenge each other. In a way that Azriel and Elain don't. Azriel, and this is very apparent in Acosf, coddles Elain, he speaks for her, makes choices for her, wants to stops her from doing things, without ever thinking about or asking Elain what she wants. He does it to protect her but is disregarding her choice. Lucien on the other hand, and again some spoilers if you haven't reached the end of Acowar yet this is after the final battle

He's clearly worried about her but he doesn't let HIS worry/fear get in the way of HER agency.

"And I heard you made the killing blow" He sounds almost proud of her, like he would encourage her despite his own worry, and wants to see her strong and flourish.

What I also love in this scene is that again it shows how their both gentle hearts. "Well I never want to fight in another battle as long as I live" Lucien will fight and do what he needs to (and so will Elain if she has to). But Lucien isn't a warrior he would much rather never have to see war or battle ever again.

And then we have multiple references to Elain needing sunlight, needing to get outside, needing light to thrive. Again minor spoilers but there is also a scene in Acosf where Elain is wearing black and it's mentioned how she looks plain, overwhelmed, subdued by the colour, like it doesn't suit her at all. There are a lot of subtle references suggesting Elain doesn't quite truely belong in the Night Court, that it's not where she can thrive. And who is associated with two courts, Spring and Day, where Elain could thrive? Who is associated with fire and warmth and light? Who is the heir of the day court? You got it our boy Lucien. Elain needs light and Lucien is light!! Literally the name Lucien means light! Coincidence? I think not.

Another similarity between them is Lucien is a diplomat, someone who uses words and charm and communication to keep the peace between courts. And Elain is said by Feyre to be be able to convince people to do anything, to charm them, to excel in social settings. And she was the one who kept the peace between her family, was the bridge between her father, Nesta and Feyre. And Imagine if in the future Lucien takes on a role in the day court or (and I'm sorry Helion) for whatever reason becomes the High Lord of Day Court, Elain could be an amazing Lady of Day, would flourish and charm at court balls or social occassions. Not to mention they both have great hair and are always put together/dressed immaculately. Like they would be A PAIR!

Then there's the gifts Lucien gives Elain (again minor spoilers for Acofas and Acosf) which are so thoughtful. In Acofas he gives her magical gardening gloves knowing gardening is something she loves and that she doesn't have any. And in Acosf he gives her pearl earrings, and pearls are somehing that are mentioned in relation to Elain a couple of other times. But it's like Lucien has noticed they're something she likes? These are just minor things but it's interesting that Sarah included them in her writing. It's almost as if she's subtly trying to hint that Lucien notices things about Elain, and see's her in a way that perhaps other's don't?

Also there's that Elain is very traditional and adheres to a quite a traditional type of femininity and Lucien is a complete and utter gentleman, who absolutely respects Elain and her needs. The potential for them to have an old fashioned courting romance asdgjkgfsa my heart the softness!! I also think they're going to end up being the epitome of your lover is your best friend.

And lastly, in Acosf there is a bonus chapter from Az's pov which ends with Azriel's focus on another character, and I would say personally that this chapter very clearly sinks that other ship.

Anyway in conclusion Elucien are going to be the most beautiful, softest, sweetest, supportive, with some sass as well, ship. So don't worry my friend. And even in the very small chance they don't become canon we can still enjoy all of these things about them in fanon. They will be canon though lol

#elucien #lucien vanserra #elain archeron #lucien #elain #asks #long post #this got really long I'm sorry lol #but i hope this allays some of your fears anon

[drysdaales]

you seem to have feelings about the buckley parents… carrot share more?

anon how does it feel to be the funniest person in my inbox ever

lol but i do have feelings about the buckley parents (and parenting in general) which is funny because i'm not a parent, but i was a teacher and a nanny and have therefore interacted with a lot of parents and children so i have some...experience? i guess? in dealing with children/parents. so a lot of my thoughts come from that. (general tw for child death in this post) (also this got away from me so under the cut)

my first thought is that losing a child has to be unbearable. i cannot imagine the grief, how guilty you'd feel, etc. i lost a kid in a museum once for about 10 minutes and was beside myself later (after the adrenaline/panic subsided) so. losing a child permanently? when they're so young and so vulnerable and you are never supposed to outlive them has to be just devastating.

that said, the buckleys had two other children, maddie (9-ish) and buck (1-ish). and as much as we say "maddie raised buck" like...they put that on their 9 year old child. to raise a fucking baby. babies are vulnerable and can't quite communicate their needs beyond crying/pointing/signing. and that's okay, but guess who had raised two children past infancy? margaret and philip. maddie was a child herself, and margaret and philip made her a) forget her little brother ever existed, erasing all that grief, and b) raise her other little brother from age 1 until she left when he was like...14 ish?

margaret and philip say it was "too hard" and they were "living with the reminder" of daniel every day (i.e. buck). buck, who looked so much like daniel that he thought the picture of daniel was a picture of him as a kid. maddie had to hear that? and know that they only saw buck as some warped, pseudo version of daniel, who she grew up with and was close in age with and, knowing her massive capacity for love, loved so much. and she didn't get to grieve him, and had to parent buck at age 9.

and poor buck just grew up knowing his parents didn't love him. at all. they can pretend and they can say that all they want but he grew up neglected by them. i think a lot about both of these exchanges:

"you never made it easy on us, either one of you." - margaret "we were supposed to? we were kids." - maddie

and

"evan, i don't know what you expected us to do!" - margaret "love me anyway." - buck

like. margaret and philip can make their fucking excuses all they want, say that the grief of losing daniel was too hard for them to parent THEIR CHILD, but they throw it all in maddie and buck's faces, as if asking for love and care from a parent is some sort of hardship? they strike me as the type of people who say "we fed you, bought you clothes, let you live in our house, and you're going to complain?" which is abhorrent. feeding/clothing your child is the bare fucking minimum you can do when you have the clear means that the buckleys did. i had friends who, for part of their childhood, grew up houseless but with love from their parents and have different traumas (around food, money etc) but never doubted their parents loved them. loving your child should not come with conditions. loving your child!!! should not come with conditions!!!

children are children. they are people. they have thoughts and worries and anxieties and nightmares and ideas. they are not stupid. they don't have the worldly experience you would expect from someone in their mid-twenties, but that's to be expected! their brains haven't fully developed yet! they rely on adults/parents/guardians to shape them and their worldview and to keep them safe. kids are not mini-adults, they are kids. that said, kids additionally deserve at the minimum basic respect from adults in their lives, even if said adults don't "like" children or don't ever want kids. do you respect other people? yeah? respect children then.

the buckleys had no respect for either of their children, and at this point have venerated their dead child and hold him as the epitome of a child. to tell your son, who was in the hospital after a CRUSH INJURY??? that it's "hard to see your children in the hospital" or to tell your daughter who KILLED her husband in SELF DEFENSE after years of horrific abuse that you always knew he wasn't good is so goddamn dismissive and fucked up of them. maddie and buck deserved so fucking much better than the buckleys and it is a testament to their giant hearts that they turned out as kind and caring and loving as they did. clearly some other adults in their lives did not fail them so magnanimously as their parents did.

i feel bad for daniel, too, who, had he lived, surely would have dealt with his parents' smothering. how guilty he already felt for "burdening" them, i'm sure, at age 7 because he was sick. because it's "hard to see children in the hospital." how fucked up it is for the buckleys to disappear into their grief and in doing so erase daniel's memory entirely. so yeah. i have some feelings about parents and about how nothing the buckleys will ever do will redeem them to me. "not bad people just bad parents" is like the nicest, most undersold possible way of even hinting at how terrible they were.

and all that to say. if you have the means and ability to provide for a child and you don't want children? like definitively don't want children? do not fucking have children. i mean it.

(and it should go without saying that (a) grieving a child is understandable and absolutely warranted, of course, but maybe speak to someone about how you feel like you can't take care of your other children anymore, and (b) there are societal problems surrounding people feeling like they need to have kids/lack of accessible birth control, etc, but i'm not talking about that. parenting mistakes are different than neglecting your children because you can't be bothered to take care of them.)

#grace speaks #for too long about parenting #hi anon yes i do have thoughts on parenting and the buckleys sorry #i mean i'm not really sorry but sorry this got so long lol

[chaoslynx]

Can you make ?

“  stay with me tonight.  ”

“  don’t go. please.  ”  

“  you look beautiful.  ”  

"you look beautiful" for asheiji with one of them getting horribly flustered?

“You’re leaving again?” Eiji says, and it sounds like a plea.

Ash already has his jacket on, but now he hesitates. “That’s the plan,” he says softly. “Got to ...” Got to go be the murderer that I am.

“Right. I know.” Eiji’s voice is bitter, but not harsh. Not nearly as harsh as it should be, given the circumstances.

“Sorry,” Ash breathes.

“Ash ...” Eiji shifts uncomfortably on the couch. “Stay with me tonight.”

“I wish I could. But ...”

“I know,” Eiji says again. He rubs at his eyes. “Sorry. It’s just hard. I mean—I know it is harder for you. I’m sorry. But being on this side of things ... I don’t know what to do.”

“You don’t have to do anything, Eiji. This is my fight.”

“I want to help you.”

Ash scoffs. “Little late for that. I’m beyond help.”

There’s a beat of silence.

“Shit,” Ash hisses. “I—I’m sorry, Eiji. I didn’t mean that.” Ash tightens his jacket closer around himself. “I’ve gotta take off.”

“Ash?” Eiji whispers.

Ash freezes.

“Don’t go. Please.”

“I ...” Ash swallows.

And what’s one night? One night, here alone with Eiji? This process is taking weeks anyway. Why shouldn’t he ... ?

“Please?” Eiji repeats.

Ash nods, without a word, and slips his jacket off.

“Thank you,” Eiji whispers.

Plopping down on the couch with Eiji, Ash looks away. “So what do you want from me?” He winces. That’s not what he meant. “What do you want to do?” he amends.

“It doesn’t matter what we do. What matters is that you are here with me.”

Ash feels his face heat. How does Eiji say things like that so easily? ... Like he means them?

Eiji places a hand on the couch between the two of them, and Ash has the ridiculous urge to take that hand in his own. What the fuck is wrong with him?

“You know ...” Eiji starts. He hesitates. “I don’t mean to hurt you. But ...”

“Whatever it is, just say it,” Ash says. He looks away, away from Eiji and from that delicate, untainted hand. “You can’t hurt me.” Eiji could never. Ash has been hurt too many times by too many people for words to matter.

Especially from Eiji.

“You look beautiful,” Eiji whispers.

Ash looks back to Eiji now, startled. “I—what?” He tries to demand it, but he barely squeaks the words out. Fuck. He just knows his face is bright red now.

“When you’re like this,” Eiji clarifies. “Not gang leader Ash Lynx. Not holding a gun. Just ... when you have a chance to be yourself. Like this.”

Vulnerable? Ash’s mind provides. Of course I’m most attractive when I’m vulnerable.

But that’s not what Eiji means. And the fact that Eiji was worried about that—about something as simple as calling Ash beautiful—that it would hurt him?

Eiji’s just so fucking considerate, and ...

Ash can’t help it. He hides his face in his hands. “Eiji ...” he whines.

“Sorry, was that too much?”

“No, it—it’s fine, it’s just—”

“Oh!” Eiji realizes. He claps his hands. “You are embarrassed.”

“I’m not!” Ash says, but that comes out as a squeak too. Fuck. “I’m just—ugh!”

Eiji laughs, the asshole. And the truth is, Ash is embarrassed. Which is fucking dumb. It’s not like he’s never been called beautiful before. This shouldn’t fucking matter to him.

But ... when it’s Eiji ...

“Fine!” he declares. “I’m embarrassed, okay? You make me feel ... different. Than other people do.” Ash pulls his hands away from his face, despite how hot it still feels, and looks over to Eiji.

Eiji’s just smiling. “It doesn’t hurt, you mean?”

“... Yeah.”

Eiji sways back and forth gently for a moment. “I am glad. I hope I never hurt you.”

“You won’t,” Ash whispers. “You could never.” Ash notices that Eiji’s hand is still on the couch in the space between them, and this time he gently places his hand on top of Eiji’s.

Eiji glances down at their hands, then up at Ash. He doesn’t seem upset. “So you will stay with me tonight?” he asks.

“Yeah,” Ash mumbles. “Just for tonight.”

Just until the world tears us apart again, like it inevitably will.

“That’s enough, Ash,” Eiji says. He’s still smiling. “That’s all I can ask for. One day at a time.”

And suddenly Ash lets himself collapse to the side, laying his head down in Eiji’s lap like he did on that night when Eiji promised forever.

Maybe one day at a time is easier.

“Sorry,” Ash whispers.

“No sorrys here. Only thank yous. Because I am so grateful for every moment of yours that you give me, Ash.” Eiji threads a hand through Ash’s hair, and Ash closes his eyes. He feels ... content, here. Even with his head in another man’s lap.

“Okay,” he says. “Then ... thank you.”

“Thank you, too. Thank you so, so much.”

Sorrys turn into thank yous, and maybe forevers, and maybe ... maybe one day, they’ll turn into I love yous. Not yet, but maybe one day. Maybe soon.

Because maybe soon, Ash will be willing to admit what that flustered feeling means, when Eiji calls him beautiful. Why it feels safe with him, and only him.

Sentence starters!

#banana fish #asheiji #ash lynx #eiji okumura #this got really long sorry #and tbh i'm not a big fan of it? #hope it works for you two anyway though #answers #anon #prompt fill

[oifaaa]

1. Love your art. Find it greatly amusing you drew Star Wars while I was hyperfixating on it and now am drawing Batman, my current hyperfixation.

2. Is Damien and the whole animals thing fanon or canon? I haven’t seen much of that in the comics but that might be because I read the other Robins more.

My hyper fixation didn't actually go straight to dc it took a quick pit stop at marvel when they were releasing their shows which got me back into reading comics which I had stopped doing during uni just bc I wasn't really into the stories being released at the time and it'd been so long that I ended up having to catch up on batman and nightwing specifically and my brain just decided yes this is what you like now which greeeaat

As for Damian I'd say it's based off Canon but fanon does do what fanon does and exaggerates it, tho with the whole Damian and animals it has like a lot of bases in Canon, examples are the time batman and Robin were fighting crime in a slaughter house and Damian decided to become a vegetarian and to adopt one of the cows (batcow) from the slaughter House bc of what he saw there, his pet dog Titus which was a gift from Bruce, his pet cat Alfred which was a gift from Alfred (I'm pretty sure this was during batman incorpurated but I couldn't be sure) and his pet dragon bat goliath which Damian found when he was a baby in some ruins. So yeah Damian does love animals but half of his pets are more gifted to him then him serial adopting them but its honestly not the biggest difference from Canon to fanon

#Ask #Anon #Oof #Long post #Also sorry for not giving exact comics #I'm really bad at remembering names of comics #I just remember events #Also going from star wars to dc / batman #Was a big oof #Funnily I feel like less people got made at me when I was being goofy about star wars #Which was like just shocking in general #Not expecting that

[pocketramblr]

Hey uhhh quick question for no reason really but have you been reading the secret projects? The fact that i am asking you this the day the fourth books chapters were released is absolutely a coincidence btw (it's not i wanna hear your thoughts but if you arent reading them dw abt it)

I have decided to not read anything of the previews of the secret projects, but I'm also not blocking anything about them either (until they're actually released and I start reading) so like, if I see something I see something but I'm just not going to seek anything out, if that makes sense?

#.... is it really a coincidence you asked after the fourth one though bc ngl i saw the ask and I'm aware the 4th preview dropped today #and i got a rush of !! opening the ask bc from what i can see the two main theories are: sigzil backstory novela or silence (or family #member of silence) backstory novela and like if it's the first one i would die of happiness and if it's the second one I'll just be sad its #not the first djgjgjhhk #and i thought maybe the ask was about that and i would Know #tho idk my love of vivenna and blushweaver and nightblood are well documented faves of mine so i guess it could have been about them #but!! but!! moot point this ask is a coincidence i know nothing except something Wild is happening in book 3 and book 2 isn't cosmere #if i see more i see more- I'm not gonna read the previews though #sorry for taking way too long to answer your question #sanderson secret projects #Sanderson secret books #ssb #ssp #anon #pocket talks to people #uhhh for the tags: #ssb spoilers #ssp spoilers

[actuallysara]

Let's spread some love: tag your favorite people/bloggers and let them know how appreciated they are 💗

Thank you for this anon! Gotta rant about my friends so get ready cause it's gonna get long lol

Special mentions to:

First of all @aj-asellus — AJ, my friend, my bruh, my favourite person, I'm so glad we met and I can't believe we have to thank Ronen for that 🙄 lol I love that I get to talk to you about everything and anything. I know that you're always there for me and that I can always count on you. I appreciate your friendship so so much and I'm so used to talk to you every single day that It feels weird when we don't. So thank you for your friendship, for your support and for simply being in my life. Love you lots 💚 

@rafael-silva — Bones bones bones. Your talent is unmatched and I simply adore everything you do. Consider me your number 1 fan, I won't take any competition just so you know. I'm so glad we started talking and that I can call you my friend. I love our chaotic energy when having 300 conversations at the same time lol and I love that we talk about literally everything. I don't think there's a topic we haven't discussed yet and if there is, I’m sure we’ll cover that soon enough lol You're such a beautiful person inside out and I’m so glad we met 💚

@tkstrrand — AJ, you're my spilling scalding hot tea partner. You're a beautiful person inside out and I'm so happy I get to call you my friend. You're such a talented writer and I'm your biggest supporter when life doesn't get in the way (we hate adulting here) and I have to fix that asap. I love that we get to talk about everything. I know that I can always count on you and I hope you know that the feeling is mutual. Love you 💚

@ourdiningroom — Kenny is a delight to talk to and to have on your dash. She's always so kind to me and I love that we get to talk about anything life or fandom related. I'm so glad we started talking even if time zones always get in the way. I love having her on my dash and screaming with her over anything fandom related, which happens too rarely if you ask me, gotta fix that asap dear 💚

@jddryder — Julia is just the sweetest and kindest soul ever. She makes my dash a better place simply with her presence. Her edits are extraordinary and her taste is excellent. She's a wonderful and lovely person and I wished we talked more 💚

@evanbuckleys — I haven’t known Emma for long but I can already tell that she is such a lovely and wonderful person and I'm glad that we started talking recently. She's really passionate about things and we share a lot of common opinions so you can say I'm already a fan. Her blog and her edits are amazing. Plus, our matching chaotic energy when it comes to Ronen is everything and you should probably fear us lol (ps. imagine us meeting Ronen together, uh Emma? just putting it out there 😌💚)

Also tagging: @phantomtarlos @httpavngers @kylosolo @briannabaker @malikjavaddzayn @buck-evan and the whole “love, firefam” discord, I love y'all 💚

And since I’m already here, I’m also tagging some wonderful blogs that I enjoy having on my dash a lot and that I'd love to get to talk to *grabby hands at new friends* @kiras-sunshine @bucktks @dreamronans @strandtk @reyescarlos @danieljradcliffe @herlade @lire-casander @theedorksinlove @evanbukley @paramedictk and so many others that I'm probably forgetting about, forgive me about that! ✨ 

#THIS GOT VERY LONG SOZ #felt like spreading lots of love #I'm really sorry if I forgot someone #it wasn't intentional I swear :( #I love all my mutuals #post #ask #anon #sara answers #spreading love

[azazelsconfessional]

What’s a fave memory that you have?

"A favorite memory. . . ."

Arsalan laughs at the abrupt contemplative silence that overtakes them.

"Most of us are quite old, so we have a lot of memories to consider!"

"Many are good, but. . .there are also plenty of unpleasant ones."

It always seems easiest to remember something painful than something pleasant.

"I think my favorite is. . .meeting Maria!" Gabriel finally chirps first, wrapping arms around the aforementioned human, who also gently returned the embrace with softly flushed cheeks. "I was feeling really down when I met her. . .and she really made me feel a lot better and made me see just how much good I could do in this world. It wasn't long after that that I became an idol, so it really set off a chain of great things for me!! Maybe that's a bit of a copout, but it's one of my favorite recent memories! Oh, but there’s also the first time I did a Christmas concert--I hadn’t felt so happy singing hymns in a long time, y’know? And when I got everyone to wish Maria a happy birthday in the middle, she was so embarrassed. . .! I felt a little bad, but Maria’s important to me and so is her birthday, so I make sure to do it every year!”

"I worked in a cabaret in Tir na nÓg while looking for a girl I was interested in--it isn’t my absolute favorite memory, but it was definitely a great time! Wahahaha, with what I was doing on that stage, anyone would’ve fallen for me! And fall she did!! Among others!”

“We talkin’ other Worlds!? Speaking of riddles, aren’t I one of them? They think so! That World, it was awful grand! I’m just a black bat making glass sculptures of sand! Our staffs aren’t so different, and isn’t he Set on chaos himself!? Ash makes glass, too! That’s two whole dreamers! D’you think anyone else knows more!?”

“Something interesting about one’s Role is that you don’t always know right away what it means you’re meant to do or want to do. You might disagree with it because you don’t see its true meaning when you learn what it is.  But it’s still yours--even if you haven’t quite confronted that desire or purpose yet.

“The first time I saw a human soul was while I was Watching over Gehenna for a while. Eden had recently invaded another World, and had brought some of its people to Gehenna, as they do.  I think, even though that were frightened and confused and in pain and sad. . .that first time I ever saw humans is one of my favorite memories that I hold very dear. I truly understood my purpose in life and what I wanted most then and there.”

“There’s nothing like realizing who you are, right?” Kimun laughs, ears twitching in a way that says Wen must be giving him answers. “I had a similar experience! So maybe I shouldn’t share that memory?”

A pause. “That one’s wonderful, but it might be a bit morbid to share with a human. . .?”

As his memories from his previous lives, Wen simply takes Kimun over to answer, which he deems pretty fair.

“How about this--when Ainurakkur decided to leave Kamuy Kotan and take on the Role of the Wanderer, he said he was disappointed by the way humans ended up bein’. I ain’t felt that understood before--we all saw that kid grow up around humans like he was one of ‘em, so hearing that even someone like a human knew humans were bad. . .I dunno, it resonated with me when I’d been through so much shit for humanity’s sake. Anyway, he told all of us to think of him whenever we saw lightning. Kinda silly, since his dad’s the lightning kamui but it still works.

“Huh? You thought of somethin’?”  Wen shakes like a dog trying to dry itself off, and Kimun is back just as quickly as he was gone. “I did! Oh--hello again.

“Early on when I came to this Tokyo, I met all of the children living here at this church. I had to start going to school as well--so I met a lot of older children and young adults and grown-ups as well. I quickly learned just how much people are willing to help one another here--no matter their age.  I learned that food wasn’t in short supply for most people, that most people had warm, safe homes. . .for the first time in my life, I’d seen a world that wasn’t in strife. I don’t think ‘culture shock’ even covers it! But it made me so happy to know that it was possible. That people don’t always have to sacrifice themselves for one another. That growing up is scary, but people are there for each other while they do it, and that no one has to die simply for being a little too old."

“. . .can I mention a memory from a previous loop?” Jacob fidgets with one of the halos floating over his hand for a moment, spinning it as though it isn’t immaterial. “It was a very early one. One when everyone was still friends and we weren’t really doing this war. At the time it was nothing, but thinking back on it it was really nice compared to what we live right now. Michael used to go to Daikanyama with us--and back then, the moment school was over, one day out of the week, he’d leave the building as fast as possible. For a long time I didn’t know where he was going until I decided to follow him--or, until my artifact led me to follow him.

“As it happens, he was going to Shinjuku to see MC. He complained to them about not getting to see his big brother all week, like he was a little kid. Even if they couldn’t spend much time together, he insisted on doing this. As much as he apparently looks like a child, he isn’t one, nor does he particularly act like one, so it was certainly a strange experience, but. . .he said he allowed me to follow him because he wouldn’t mind spending time with ‘two’ of his brothers in one day, and he led us around town doing all sorts of things. He said that next time we should try and bring Gabriel as well, and that perhaps Azazel could come ‘if he were to behave for once in his life.’”

“I’m hurt. I’m always well-behaved.”

“That’s exactly what you said when I told you then, too!”

“I can’t really. . .think of anything. I remember everything that I do--it would be a disservice to the people I’ve hurt if I didn’t--but. . .I haven’t done many things that were particularly. . .good.”

“It doesn’t have to be something you did--and it doesn’t have to be something big, either! Just a nice memory--I know you have some!”

“Well. . . .”  Zabaniyya continues to be quietly awkward for a moment. He’s honestly trying to think of something that doesn’t involve Shaytan or MC--it isn’t like they’re the only thing he cares about, but. . . .  “Nothing seems. . .pleasant enough to share. Everything good seems very small compared to what others must deem valuable memories. . .if that’s okay, then. Meeting everyone was very influential for me.

“Father Azazel. . .didn’t like me at first. He then told me he’d mistaken me for someone else he found irritating, and that I shouldn’t apologize for something I hadn’t done. Lord Arsalan and Lord Jacob gave me a chain of command I could easily follow--but encouraged me to be myself, as well, though I still don’t quite understand how to do so. Lady Gabriel helped me to consider that. . .perhaps the messages that made the law aren’t always so clear cut as the law attempts to be. From Kimun Kamui I’ve learned that changing isn’t easy and that it’s okay to struggle with it--and that I’m not the only one with a tendency to harm myself for others’ sake that’s hard to get rid of. And Lady Maria. . .is someone I once would have insisted is worthy of punishment. But now I understand that she’s the kind of person the law was meant to protect, not hurt. From her I’ve learned that a sinful means is not a sinful end.

“Everyone has taught me that I’m not alone and that I don’t have as much to fear as I thought. My memories with everyone mean a lot, even if they’re small things that they’ve surely forgotten themselves."

“. . .Well, jeez, way to make everyone else’s seem small!!”

“I--I apologize! I was--” Arsalan throws his arms around Zabaniyya and presses their foreheads together, purring loudly. “I. . .didn’t even follow the instructions, in retrospect. . .I apologize. . . .”

“I kinda want a do-over! Can I get a do-over!?”

“I think we’ve taken up enough of their time as it is. Maria hasn’t even given her answer yet.”

"O-oh, I hadn’t even thought about it! Especially not after Brother Zabaniyya said something so wonderful. . .it's certainly not all of that and it’s. . .vague to say this, but a long time ago, I was saved by someone important to me. It wasn't right away, and for the longest time I was certain I was going back to the life I suffered before then. . .one day, we were just. . .going grocery shopping. It was nothing special, we were simply going to the store. But by then I had gone with that person so often that people began to recognize me. It was. . .terrifying, being known and recognized, but. . .I was offered something. It wasn't anything special. It was just a free sample. But the employee had said they had done their best to get it offered because they said I always looked curious about it.

"That consideration enough was enough to make an impact, but. It was something that person wasn't very interested in, that they would never buy otherwise. So when they bought it for me. . .it was something that was just for me. That someone would go to such lengths. . .somehow, that experience made me feel like, perhaps, the world was warm and I was welcome in it."

“Aww, I really feel like I said something superficial now. . .! I should’ve said something more impactful! That kind of dramatic answer would be super gap moe of me. . .!”

#long post #answers #anon #event | special guests #((backlog so jacob's here too)) #((this is probably the most nonsensical nyarl's been when i wrote him)) #((and yet if you know what he's talking about then he actually makes plenty of sense he's just wording it in a Nyarly way.)) #((SORRY THIS GOT SO LONG)) #((i ended up staying up and hyperfocused af on answering this and i started with gabriel and everyone got better and better after that)) #((i did gabriel a real injustice lol maybe i'll have her share a fancier memory another day I'M SORRY GABE)) #((anyway now that i'm done i'm really aware of how dizzy i am lol. . . . .)) #((i put it behind a cut in the off chance any of you want to reblog it))

[wild-aloof-rebel]

What advice would you give to someone who really wants to write David/Patrick SC fic but is totally intimidated by the caliber of writing in the fandom and fears they can never measure up? Asking for a friend, who is me. Thank you!

to answer this, i could talk about how all writers start somewhere, and you'll never get better if you don't try, etc etc etc. but i think there's something way more important to consider here:

who cares if you're good?

believe me, i get that the fear of failure isn't easy to shake, but at the end of the day, it honestly does not matter at all if your writing is as good as whomever you consider to be the top tier of fandom writers. there are plenty of fics in this fandom (and ALL fandoms) (and tons of novels that have been published too) that are extremely popular and yet not what i would personally consider to be high caliber writing. but quality is subjective. just because i don't think something's well written doesn't mean everyone else feels the same. and just because something is "poorly" written doesn't mean it can't be enjoyable either.

we all have absolutely awful movies that we love. (i’m not saying your fic is going to be terrible, but bear with me for the sake of argument here.) personally, i LOVE the room—so much that some of my friends gave me a signed movie poster for it as a wedding present—and it is generally considered to be one of the absolute worst movies ever made. and it is. it's awful. writing, directing, acting, every single bit of it is completely terrible. and yet i've gotten WAY more enjoyment out of it than i have out of a lot of well-made movies.

so like i said, who cares if your fic is good? good is overrated. make it enjoyable. make it funny. make it sad. make it weird. make it whatever the fuck you want it to be, whatever satisfies that part of you that's itching to get the story out.

make it yours.

at the end of the day, that's way more important than making it good.

#also i am SO sorry how long it's taken me to answer this #i've been here but not really HERE lately #and now i've got a backlog of asks and i'm sorry yours ended up as part of it #but seriously just write the story you want to write #as best as you can write it #and it will find its audience #you can't be anyone else so just be you #write it the way that only you can write it #anon #replies #writing #about writing

[heffrondriving]

I'm sorry if this is a little assholely but after seeing your vent post I went looking for where you said to not tag names and the only place I saw it was at the end of your very long tags,, so assuming i didnt miss another more obvious place...? Have you thought of just putting that in the post itself? Because anyone who's seeing it second hand (as in seeing it after someone else rebloged it) won't see that tag + not everyone reads tags, you know :( sorry that it makes you uncomfortable but if you put it somewhere more visible, like in the body of the post, then at least people def will see it. Sending love either way 💕

nahhh nothing to be sorry for issall totally cool and encouraged and you are very kind,, tbh i was lowkey waiting around for something like this and i'm kinda glad for it and also surprised it's not at least fifty times worse??? in all honesty i think i am in dire need and deserving of the hardest dose of criticism at this point for all the stupid messy personal posts i make on a sleep-deprived whim, as i am fully aware that this is not the place for it, and i am and should never be exempt from getting my necessary comeuppance should it arise. and like i said, this quandary was completely of my own fault. i have made my stance on personal comfort posts clear numerous times before and only put them in subtler places like the end of my annoying-ass rambly tags because i really don't wanna bother people with something that sounds so trivially inconsequential, and it makes me incredibly anxious to add them in the post itself (as i reckon it just outright ruins the whole content and that's such a selfish and gross thing for me to do personally,, like who tf am i to ask anything of anyone ech :-/). but this is still my sole responsibility to properly handle and conduct myself online, and i'm so sorry if i came across like i'm attempting to pass the blame for my own self-implicated neglect, as no one else should be subject to dealing with my mistakes. (like no joke i screamed aloud when i read that you looked through my posts or tags??? PLS LICHRALLY NEVER DO THAT EVER THAT'S A VV BAD IDEA ACTUAL ONLINE EQUIVALENT OF DUMPSTER DIVING VIBES EXCEPT THE DUMPSTER'S ON FIRE AND CAUSES MAJOR BRAINROTOFFISITIS!!!!! (;´༎ຶД༎ຶ`))

i've had a well-needed rest hrk composed myself, deleted my prev post (i'm also thinking of removing the post that spurred it just to be sure, t'was super terrible anyway lmao), and muted my notifs for the time being, so please do feel free to tag anything however you wish at this point—i know i'm making an absolute fool out of myself for this full 180 departure (just in time for april 1st tho so swings and roundabouts-) but yeah that's completely fine idk, and if my walnut brain has anything otherwise to say abt it they will be catching These Hands according to the Fists Of Fury Code!!!!! ᕦ(ò皿óᕦ) but in all seriousness, emotional dysregulation is the absolute worst but i understand that maybe i can't really set boundaries for something fully well out of my control, so i just give up the ghost on this bc what else is there to do. c'est la vie if it sucks for me, tough shit @ self tough it out bebs u asked for this :^) though i hopefully can, however, keep everything else out of sight and out of mind so that i don't have to deal with the self-imposed repercussions by willingly setting my triggers off and lashing out incessantly. like mmm that's toxic shit girlie no one wants that here bls get u some therapy pare *whaps myself with an abaniko fan*. it's 100% on me if i choose to expand the tags on my notifs, and what happens in other ppl's blogs should be none of my fucking business and i'm just a super nosy lurker goblin sometimes ig exhibit a: this is what being a chronic cave hermit does to the human psyche. irreversible damage u.......*steven he voice* EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!!!!! my sincerest apologies again for all the trouble and i really hope this answer doesn't come off as too sardonic or acerbic or anything of the sort, i know i goof a lot but i really do mean all of it, even if trying to convey appropriate tone indication in text form is so whack 😩

also i'm really sorry for this mf ten-volume novel series of an answer (i really hope no one's insane enough to actually read this....whatever the hell this is .-.). thank you so much for your patience and understanding, and please keep the love and give it to another funky cool blog who's worthy of it and not deserving of getting squished like a pestilent vermin under your steel-toed bootheel!! /lh ~(இ௰இ~) anywayyy let's ignore (slash unfollow hardblock permanent dni etc. etc....very good ideas, those, bc if i could block myself i would without hesitation smh get this chernobyl elephant's foot outta my feed) this and my other inane bullshittery and let bygones be bygones and go back to our silly manband content, shall we??? this blog is for no-braincell shits and pure dumbassery first and foremost i promise......also i have more poorly-made sh!tposts and kendall's pretty grampa face stuff which i wanna plague the btr tag with if that's still allowed pls ¯\_( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)_/¯

(^^^ i can't believe i actually got to use this gif for something sdjsfjksd)

#tbh i'm genuinely shocked i'm not getting more hatemail at this point (this is an implicit urge to action!) bc lawd gawd i am obnoxious?? #you know when you say things and the moment it leaves your mouth you instantly know that you fucked up??? that is me all the time #i have zero filter and it gets the best of me and i just really need ppl to tell me to shut tf up so this is good. more of this is good #i'll delete this too just so it wouldn't clutter up the feed i'm so sorry ahh ;-; #full disclosure there was another ask regarding this matter that i never answered bc it got washed out of my slow braim and by the time i #remembered it felt too uncomfortably late to respond yk so. i hope this could be some kinda reparation #fr why do i look forward to getting slammed down;;; watching me get my ass kicked is cathartic ngl. painful and tr//um//tic but still >:3 #this is what u get allen!!! hoshit here comes the undertaker with a folding chair ready to body avalanche the weak spine outta u hofuckk #i'm rambling nonsense in tags again when this answer already has no right being this long sorry drank too much coffee fushfuahj #anon #all the windows down #do pretty girl don't speak

[lonelier-version-of-you]

Any unpopular Holby opinions?

Sorry for answering this like an hour after you sent it, I only just realised it was in my inbox because Tumblr didn't bother giving me a notification for some reason...

Okay, here we go. Here's a controversial opinion: Holby is TERRIBLE at representation, and the idea that the show shouldn't have been cancelled because it's "so diverse and progressive" is legitimately laughable.

This is a show that, just this very year, had an entire storyline depicting Middle Eastern men as paedophiles who shouldn't be allowed around children because they'd just end up abusing them. That is literally, LITERALLY alt-right propaganda rhetoric - one of the most basic tricks in their playbook, actually - what the fuck is progressive about that?

In general, the treatment of characters of colour on the show is rubbish. They get side-lined or compared unfavourably to white characters (e.g. Donna and Fletch's respective reactions to the abuse their daughters had suffered - Fletch was supposed to be reacting perfectly and to be this paragon of good parenting, and Donna was almost demonised. oh, and don't even get me started on the treatment of Max vs. the treatment of Henrik, both in regard to their competence as CEOs and the fact that the show felt the need to "punish" Max for her early transphobic remarks by making her kid trans - which, by the way, is queerphobic storytelling, queer kids do not exist as punishments! - whereas Henrik has never been punished for his long history of misogyny). When they're killed off, they tend to get more brutal, graphic deaths than the white characters do (compare the way Zav or Kian died to Essie's peaceful, bittersweet death).

Like I'm not going to go too deep into this because it's not really my area, but the racist writing on Holby is pretty blatant to anyone with common sense.

And let's not get started on the treatment of disability, shall we? This year we've had two storylines involving characters acquiring disabilities solely so the show could use them for shock drama (Dom and Lucky). We have a whole recurring autistic character (Jason) who literally only exists either to be mocked or to be portrayed as a burden, depending on the episode. One of the writers, Martin Jameson, openly harassed and bullied autistic people on Twitter and kept his job on the show afterwards (admittedly he hasn't written any episodes in a while now - but the fact that his last episode was December 2019, when this Twitter bullying was ten months earlier (February 2019), indicates he didn't lose his job over it...), all while the producer who was letting him stay on claimed that disabled representation was "important" to her.

The LGBTQ+ representation... people only think Holby's LGBTQ+ rep is good because Casualty, admittedly, has set the bar right on the floor with things like Lev's storyline. But when you look at Holby's rep on its own, all sorts of issues jump out.

Bi characters have repeatedly been portrayed as cheaters - Lofty and Serena both cheated on their partners, Lofty even cheating on his husband with a woman just to really drive home the "bi people are so greedy, they can't be satisfied with just one gender!" stereotype. Additionally, the show has a problem with not actually acknowledging that bi characters are bi - Serena was referred to as a lesbian (and not in a way that seemed to indicate the writers had put actual thought into it and decided she'd been a closeted lesbian all these years, just in a way that seemed to imply their thought process was "well, she's fallen in love with a woman, she must be a lesbian now!"), and despite the fact that Lofty was blatantly portrayed as bi (and even explicitly referred to as such at one point, albeit by Dom rather than by Lofty himself), the writers and producers always claimed he was gay.

Donna's bisexuality has been totally forgotten about and erased. The show has been endlessly queerbaiting with Jac for years. Gay and bi men of colour on the show are often portrayed as antagonistic and bad partners at best, or downright villains at worst. Then there's Bernie suffering a Bury Your Gays - I know they brought her back (and while I guess it's good that it happened, that was Holby's biggest shark-jumping moment ever lol) but they shouldn't have BYG'd her in the first place. I could go on.

Then there's Louis. Okay, he's better now than he was when he was introduced, but he still tends to come across as a token. Most of his storylines have just revolved around being trans. And his introductory episodes were terrible. As I said, he was literally brought in to "punish" Max for being transphobic in her first episodes. The idea of queer people existing as punishments for their parents... I don't think I need to explain why that's gross and harmful representation. The show literally had Ric tell Louis that he needed to be more sympathetic to Max's transphobia because it was "so hard for her to adjust" to him being trans, and I'm pretty sure we were supposed to think this was kind or mentorly somehow? Yikes.

Also, remember how the only trans woman recurring character the show has ever had AFAIK (that old friend of Louis's from earlier this year) was portrayed as antagonistic and violent? The transmisogyny of that storyline wasn't subtle.

I'm sure there's more I could go into, but I think I might drive myself mad if I think about how much Holby loves to be faux-progressive while putting no actual effort into representation.

Some more unpopular opinions, for good measure...

- Not unpopular on here, but unpopular on most other social media sites, it seems: Henrik's CSA storyline was a disgusting, offensive mess. It didn't "raise awareness" or whatever, it was just triggering and exploitative. Same for the Jeni storyline really but the Henrik one was just, like, a whole other level of offensive nonsense.

In general, Holby handles abuse storylines awfully. Like, I'm not saying Casualty always gets it right either (*cough*Faith has faced no consequences for her treatment of Lev and in fact we're still supposed to sympathise with her*cough*), but at least they get it right sometimes (the Jacob/Tina SL was excellent). I can't remember the last time an abuse storyline on Holby was handled well.

- Holby's treatment of mental health is Bad, actually. I guess Josh's storyline is pretty good so far (although the things they've been showing, it could really do with trigger warnings - it's not as graphic as it could be, as we haven't really seen anything yet, but it's still enough to deserve a warning IMO), but that's the first respectful mental health storyline since Sacha's depression SL in 2018.

And even Sacha's storyline was dragged down by the fact that it coincided with the Gaskell storyline. Gaskell was very clearly, very obviously mentally ill, we literally saw him hallucinating for Pete's sake, and we were supposed to think those traits made him scary and evil (seriously, an awful lot of "scary Gaskell" scenes are actually just him being mentally ill, only a relative few of them are him actually doing bad things). The only explanation we got for why he did the things he did was "well, he was abused and it made him crazy, so he murders people now!". How did so many people not seem to see how ableist that was?

I can't weigh in on Jac's breakdown storyline because I couldn't bring myself to watch it knowing the damage it did to Rosie Marcel's mental health, but I hear that was sensationalised to hell and back too.

Chloe's and Henrik's respective self-harm storylines were just offensive disasters that treated SH as something you can just "get over". Henrik's OCD is portrayed as a quirk 99% of the time instead of as a serious disorder. I could go on.

- Jac and Fletch had no chemistry. Henrik and Roxanna also had no chemistry. That's it, that's the opinion. I thought I'd better end this with something silly based on a matter of preference, given how serious I've been for the whole post, lol.

#asks #anons #long post #like really long post i'm sorry i got carried away #tw;abuse #tw;csa #tw;self harm mention #tw;eating disorders mention #tw;bulimia mention #(just tagging because like. i'm implicitly mentioning them by referencing the josh storyline and all that)

[ellewords]

“you know i’m in love with you, right?” hinata mutters into your shoulder, arms wrapped around you in a tight embrace.

he had to leave. a team had invited him to play in japan. an opportunity of a lifetime had presented itself to him, and he would be an idiot to pass it up. but that also meant leaving brazil. leaving you.

the pair of you had met pretty soon after hinata had arrived two years before, and there had been a spark from the second you laid eyes on each other. you had never been happier than you were during the time you got to spend with him, and as far as you could tell, hinata shared that sentiment. but you knew from the very beginning that your time was limited. that was why you had never made anything official; it would hurt too much when time ran out. you had too much of your life rooted in brazil to validate leaving, and hinata was rooted in japan. it would be unfair to expect that to change just because of how you felt for each other.

yet here you guys were, hinata holding you like you were his lifeline, face pressed tightly into the curve of your neck, confessing like he’d wanted to from the very start as you sniffled. it was cruel, getting a taste of what could have been just as he was about to board a plane out of your life, but you couldn’t help the watery laugh that escaped your lips.

“i love you, too, sho. always have.”

he pulls back, and his smile is wide and wobbly, and his eyes hold so much love and so many tears, and it hurts. neither of you look away.

you don’t know who leans in first, but before you know it, your noses are nearly touching. he looks just about ready to plunge in and seal the deal when the intercom interrupts with the announcement to begin boarding his flight. he winces, pulling away slowly to look at the throng of people beginning to line up. he needs to go soon, but he can’t make himself move. he doesn’t want to move.

he squeezes your hand and looks like he’s debating whether he should pick up his luggage and begin his departure or stay by your side for forever. instead, you make the decision for him, tugging him towards you gently and pressing a kiss to his lips. it’s quick and light, but it starts a fire in your chest. you almost regret it, feeling the longing begin to start up again, but the thought quickly leaves your mind when you see the way hinata blinks rapidly and a smile finally makes its way to his cheeks. then he pulls you tightly into his chest and spins you around, once, twice, a third time as he peppers kisses across your face. when your feet finally hit solid ground again, he’s buzzing with the energy he always seemed to have as he gathers his things and leads you as far as airport security will allow.

“i’m gonna make you so proud, (y/n)! i promise! and then when we see each other again, i’m gonna take you out on a proper date and ask you to be my girlfriend and—“

“i know, sho,” you interject, heart feeling just a little lighter as you watch him get further and further out of view. “i’m already so proud.”

his smile gets impossibly bigger then, and he turns on his heel to walk the rest of the way up the walkway. he stops right before he can disappear, and he looks serious again.

“i love you.”

“i know.”

“i’ll come back to you.”

your heart skips a beat, but before you can respond, another passenger pushes him forward. he’s out of sight instantly, and it finally feels safe to cry. but your smile is still in place.

“i know, sho. i know.”

-💛

— from elle! 💛anon you make my heart hurt and for what?? oh my gosh this is amazing! like legitimately so perfectly bittersweet !! gosh, i love this so so much and the fact that it's timeskip!hinata just makes it all the more *chef's kiss* anyways, i'm picking up where you left off for my little scenario (under the cut, as usual; feat f!reader to go along with what 💛anon sent in). hopefully, i'm able to do justice what you've sent in. thank you so much for this, i hope you're having a wonderful day <3 also i'm not too sure if this is for the first date margins q but i'm considering it as that just in case

᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃

it’s one of those rare moments wherein he had gotten more than just a couple of days off; in fact, he actually had a couple of weeks. the off season for volleyball had begun — no matches, no tournaments, and for a short while, no practices. just giving the team some rest after months of non-stop playing and training.

the second he had gotten the email that confirmed his time-off, hinata’s fingers found themselves booking a ticket on the nearest flight to brazil, the flight that would bring him back to you. he promised that he would take you out on a date, he couldn’t just show up without a plan. not when all he thought about for most of his waking moments was running home to you.

so he packs his nicest suit, folding it as carefully as he could as to not get it crinkled, and spends all of the 26 hour flight daydreaming of the moment you two would finally meet again in person. would you run up to him? wrap your arms around him? he hopes you would. 

you had kept in touch of course, hinata couldn’t allow himself the displeasure of not talking to you at least once a day. but late night video chats, early morning phone calls, and text messages throughout the day could only do so much. he wanted to feel your skin against his, to hear your voice untainted by the thousands of miles of distance, to run his fingertips along the apples of your cheeks and cup your face in the palm of his hand.

and hours from now, he would finally be able to.

__

hinata stands in the reception area of your office building, flowers in hand, nervous smile on his face. after a nap and a shower, he raced out of his hotel room in his suit, making a reservation to one of your favorite restaurants.

his foot taps on the marbled floor, glancing at his wristwatch every few seconds. he had placed himself by the elevator doors, making himself the first thing you’d see the second you stepped out of it. hinata’s growing more and more impatient as the seconds ticked by, rocking back and forth on his feet. the clock strikes six, any second now.

__

hinata wishes he could capture the bewildered look on your face, the way you stopped in your tracks the second you made eye contact with him. he gives you a sheepish smile, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck before gesturing into a wave. a quiet little “hi” leaving his lips.

you approach him cautiously at first, tentatively, like you were unsure if he was actually there in front of you. he had told you that he had gotten a couple of weeks off, but he never mentioned using them to fly back to brazil. you’re stunned, breath caught in your throat as your eyes move along the entirety of his figure. there’s no way he was here, this is all just a figment of your imagination; the section of your mind that missed him had finally lost control. you want to keep your steps slow for fear of disappointment.

but your heart and your feet betray you, picking up the pace just as you were a couple of feet in front of him. you practically throw your body against his, wrapping your arms around his neck, hoping he’d be strong enough as to not make the two of you fall on the cold floor of your office building.

hinata takes a few steps back from the force of your body impacting his, but he places an arm around your waist, steadying both himself and you. he hears it, the beating of his heart, loud and clear as he takes in the familiar scent of your perfume.

you pull away, placing your hands on his face just to make sure he was really in front of you. gazing directly into his eyes, you breathe out, “you’re here.”

“i'm here.” hinata confirms, pressing a kiss to your temple; just to let you know he's real.

__

hinata gazes at you from across the table, reaching out for your hand so he could hold it in his; he needed this, the warmth of your touch, a gentle reminder that he was once again in your presence.

and you were not one to deny him such a simple thing, mostly because you need that reminder as well.

this isn’t the first time you had eaten at this particular restaurant. during his two year stint in brazil, the place had become a source of comfort for the two of you. it’s where you celebrated birthdays, big promotions, or just had dinner when neither of you felt like cooking.

hinata still knows your order by heart, surprising you. in all honesty, you thought he would forget all about you the second he step foot in japan. there’s a small pull at your heartstrings, a flurry in the pit of your stomach, a fluttering in your chest.

most first dates are spent trying to get to know the other person, but hinata already knew you like the back of his hand. and the same could be said of you with him. you knew in the light in his eyes as he talked about his new teammates how much he adored playing with them. and he knew in the smile on your face as you rambled on about the book you had just finished reading that it would become one of your favorites. 

you can’t help but stare, how could someone change in just a short amount of time? he had grown more confident, looked the happiest he’s ever been. and it certainly helped that he was wearing a suit — you had mostly seen him in sweatpants and pyjamas, so this was an entirely different look to you.

“you know, i wish you had told me you were coming,” you frown, looking down at your work clothes, knowing that somewhere deep in your closet is a dress that would have been perfect for a night like this, “i would have dressed for the occasion.”

“but you’re already perfect.” hinata says it without missing a beat, with such complete and utter sincerity that your heartbeat pick up just as he said it.

__

like a true gentleman, he walks you back to your apartment. a place that isn’t exactly foreign to him, his feet leading him on muscle memory alone. 

the walk back is filled with his and your laughters, arms looped around the other’s as you made your steps as slow as possible; trying your hardest to extend the time you had. 

when you finally reach the front door, hinata stuffs his hands in the pockets of his jeans, suddenly unsure of himself. was this too much for you? was he coming on too strong?

you chuckle, seeing the complete panic in his features, stepping closer to him. you hold his face in your hands, voice barely above a whisper, “i still can’t believe you’re actually here.”

hinata’s breath evens out at your touch, heart finally calming down, blush on his cheeks. and just like that day at the airport, it’s unclear who leans first, but did that matter at this point? everything hangs in the air, months of unsaid words between the two of you, breath hitching as your noses touch.

“i told you i'd come back.” he mumbles against your lips before letting them meet his in a kiss. 

᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃

a question: what are the hq characters like on a first date?  |  written on the margins masterlist

taglist : @haikyuutothetop @crystal-lilac @tobioespresso @sushijimawakatoshi @itsmeaudrieee @pantherhappy @jesssobs @mysticstrawberryballoon @cloudedsky_29 @sakusasimpbot​

join my hq taglist here. <3

#my addition got so long and why?? #pls i'm really sorry i had a lot of fun tho:<< #thank you sm for this 💛anon !! #trying not to think about how that last line rhymed 🤧 #written on the margins 🔖 #hinata x reader #hinata imagines #hinata scenarios #🎐 — 💛anon! <3

[ohoshi]

as a hyunjae stan, it was horrible seeing what went on in twitter :/ like i couldn’t believe “fellow miraes” would say such things about eric. unfortunately, most of the hate came from the k-deobi side as personally, most of the international stans were siding with eric. sad how their own domestic fanbase is like this. k-deobi bermuda (especially hyunjae’s akgaes since i think he’s the “biggest” there) are another level of ruthless and selfish :/ most international deobis sided with eric on this

@ anon who asked how is eric's hiatus connected with hyunjae akgaes

i have to apologize bc i forgot to specify it was mostly kdeobis being rude to eric !! and yeah basically what this anon said kahsks kdeobis are a very toxic fandom (tbf international deobis can be pretty bad too but kdeobis are worse) and especially hyunjae akgaes bc yes he is the most popular in sk out of bermuda line

#kind of sad seeing that tbz are very popular in sk rn and these are their fans #we're talking about people who were shitting on chanhee too #and who were complaining bc tbz got a chance to rest for so long saying they shouldn't rest and they don't deserve it #AND WHO MISINTERPRETED CHANGMIN'S WORDS when he asked them not to take pics of him if they see him #like kfans attack tbz easily for the stupidest things and kdeobis just... support like yeah as a kdeobi i agree no consider shutting up pLS #i hate kdeobis from the bottom of my heart can you tell jsgskshsjsg #AGAIN !! NOT ALL KDEOBIS ARE THAT BAD !!!! of course there has to be some normal kdeobis out there lol #personally i love eric and hyunjae and the rest of tbz all the same which is why this whole thing made me soooo sad and angry #ESPECIALLY WHEN I GET TO SEE that eric was really affected by this A LOT he even needs a break now like #are you insane no but are you insane #sorry anon for ranting so much jshsjshs I'M JUST MAD #answered #anon

[dourpeep]

Seeing people complaining about the lack of anniversary rewards is getting so tiring. The game's ratings dropped to like 2 on Google play, all comment sections of official accounts are full of complaints. I know and understand that people are upset but it's just so so tiring to the point where I unfollowed most accounts that aren't related to fanart or fanfiction because of all that negativity

I personally spent (a little) money on the game so I get where p2w players come from but idk. I saw that we didn't get anything and moved on pretty quickly. Maybe that's just me, idk

Maybe you have a different view on this and if so, I'd like to hear it

Sorry for ranting in your inbox

hehe no need to apologize because I have quite a bit to say myself nodnod

Read if you like, don't if you don't--this is just my opinions and stuff based off my experience knowing Eastern gatcha games as well as talking about using a 5* vs 4* of the same build + slot

This got kinda long ehe-

Like really long.

Anyway

My turn for a Hot Take (tm)

Yeah I understand this--I've been feeling so drained and my enjoyment of the game and writing has diminished immensely because all I see everywhere is just that.

I understand that the event rewards suck but at the same time? I realize how gacha aren't really popular here in the West--and I have seen a lot of comparison between Genshin and Cookie Run but they're also two entirely different genres despite both being gacha. Not to mention that Cookie Run is fast at first until you get to around uhh Kingdom lvl 37~~ and you're stuck and can't go forward because things cost too many materials or your cookies aren't strong enough even though you have several stars on your team consisting of epics built as optimally as possible-

So the maintenance rewards for Cookie Run have been the only significant amount of gems I've been getting for a few weeks now compared to when I first started and could do 10 roll after 10 roll.

Also also, Cookie Run is PvP (arena, guilds, etc). Being able to get more rolls is absolutely a gamechanger. If you can't get a good defense cookie or healer cookie, you're fucked.

So!! That's why Cookie Run is more generous with rolls. You're not going to want to keep fighting other people in the Arena or doing Guild stuff if they don't add in those generous rewards.

On the other hand, Genshin Impact is an open world rpg w/ co-op (note, co-op doesn't count as pvp because you're collaborating) where you can build pretty much any of the characters to be viable (dps/vampire Barbara is one major example, Noelle is a guarantee roll character for that beginner's banner and she can easily be built to be a tank/healer/dps to fill whatever slot you desire)

So they're not going to be incredibly generous w/ rewards because the characters you have--meta or not--don't really effect your ability to play the game (unless we're talking spiral abyss which really is considered endgame anyway) when you're able to get at least one character of each element for free I mean, you start out with traveler who can be anemo, geo, or electro once you get to the respective places, Amber, Kaeya, Lisa, Barbara (iirc, you need to get to rank 20?), Xiangling (complete spiral abyss floor 3), and Noelle (reduced cost 10roll w/ guaranteed Noelle).

Which would be one of each element and a variety of one of the 5 weapon types nodnod.

Time to talk about builds and why it's not necessary to have a 5* unlike in other gatcha games like Cookie Run (again, a kingdoms builder) before going back to the anniversary stuff

But continuing, like Eula is considered a fantastic 5* character who features a kit that is based around her being a physical damage character. My sibling, C, has her built and she does some insane damage.

On the other hand, I have Xinyan built as a physical dps and if you were to compare their damage?

With crit, C's Eula deals 9k to 14k with Skyward Pride (5* claymore w/ energy recharge substat). With crit, my Xinyan deals 8k to 13k with Song of Broken Pines (5* claymore w/ phys substat) OR 7k to 10k with Prototype Archaic (4* craftable claymore w/ attack substat).

Both C and I agree that they're pretty evenly-matched in the sense of damage output.

We have similar builds focusing on physical damage, however, C's Eula uses 4pc Pale Flame and my Xinyan uses 2pc Bloodstained, 2pc Pale Flame (both have the 25% phys damage bonus for the 2pc). It's also good to note that both their Eula and my Xinyan have a physical dmg % cup.

So just by stacking up more phys on Xinyan, you get a physical dps (with some elemental support capabilities due to her E and Q) you can easily make her deal consistent, reliable damage that is comparable to a fully built Eula. Ofc, I'm sacrificing Xinyan's shield, but since she's built to be a physical dps, it doesn't matter anyway.

Another thing is Zhongli is an incredible shield support. His shield?? Absolutely insane because it's based off his hps. Guess who else has a hp-based shield and heals??? Diona. Another incredibly good support 4* with a shield and healing would be Noelle!

But with Diona, specifically since I did kinda cover over Noelle already, she can easily be built along with her shield having over 100% uptime (like how Zhongli has over 100% uptime). The fact that Diona is also a healer definitely is a perk too.

Ofc the difference with this is that Zhongli can be built as a burst support/dps while Diona is not. But the point isn't that--the point is that you don't need a 5* shield support to have a good, reliable shield support.

But regardless of 4* or 5*, to get a viable character, you need to build them well. So if your character isn't doing satisfactory damage, you just have to take a quick peek at what artifacts they're running and fix as needed!

Another thing--

Talking about the rewards and stuff for the anniversary-

Generally, gatcha games aren't really that generous with rewards and instead usually have some sort of event. In this case, I'm pretty sure that Moonchase is considered a part of the anniversary which is why it's giving so many rewards- just the primos from the first day alone with the chests and quest was enough for two rolls (40 chests * 5 primos each + 60 from the quest and a few that I forgot where they come from but are from the event) as well as the 4* Luxurious Sea Lord claymore.

Before you say that it's shitty for them to make a festival into the anniversary event, I'm certain that people would complain if the anniversary rewards were just a little more than the 10x fates and stuff and that's it because it'd feel like they're skipping over the anniversary entirely. (keep in mind, festivals don't normally give this much stuff in terms of primogems from what we've experienced so far--they're mainly focused on the free event weapon you can get and build like with Festering Desire, Windborne Ode, Dodoco Tales)

Also companies love taking advantage of festivals to make an event bigger + more fleshed out. It'd be otherwise kinda boring to have to just log in every day for a week (not to mention, not everyone does that) and encourages players to play to get rewards.

yeah, that's supposed to work in their favor because they want to keep interest.

So the fact that there's a lot of backlash on everything going on is tiring and also?? I want to make the point that they'll only listen to so much. Getting heard is important, but there will be a point where Mihoyo will just stop listening to the players entirely because all they're getting is a constant barrage of "this event is the worst" "no one likes that character" "(insert character) when???" "okay but where's (blank) rerun?" pasted over the forums, discord, twitter, facebook, instagram--

You can't keep demanding more while also talking shit constantly about the new stuff added because then they'll just not add those new stuff because we (general) seem to never be satisfied.

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if they end up just cutting Genshin Impact as a loss entirely if this continues as it has and gets even worse.

But I digress.

Anyway, I agree that it sucks that the daily login rewards for the anniversary are just cut and pasted from the Lantern Rite, but as someone who's played a lot of gatcha games, it's pretty much the standard.

Have a daily sign in for rewards and a big event featuring a ton of stuff you can get instead of having an 'official' anniversary event.

I'm sure there's a lot I'm missing because it's not coming to mind, but yeah. These are my general thoughts on what's happening with the discourse.

#anon asks #discourse #anyway that being said--make sure to get some rest anon #stuff like this is incredibly draining so take care of yourself nodnod #I'm not sorry for this being so long I got carried away but at the same time this is something I'm pretty passionate about #And I'm not at all excusing the stuff going on but at the same time us (general as players) are also not really being the best

[glitteronadumpsterfire]

#heeeey <3 just checking in to tell you that I'm trying to get away from tumblr for a while #(not a long long while tho. like at least overnight lmao) #so y'know I might not reply to asks or messages immediately! #speaking of which sorry if I'm whack at replying lately but especially today??? I'm not ignoring you I swear #it's just. especially today my brain started lagging towards the evening lmao guess those anons really killed some of my brain cells #like I usually use tumblr to decompress but it has been a major source of stress today and it got me fucked up #like not so much to negatively affect my mood but. very overwhelming nonetheless #so I don't know I'll try to get my bearings a bit and I'll be right back at you <3 I just felt I had to put it out there #so you just idk. think I've disappeared under mysterious circumstances again #or maybe I will who knows 🤷‍♀️ #but i'll be back #and no this is not a promise but a threat <3 #witchy.txt #sldhjddbdk all of this for saying that I need to step away from my phone for a few hours 😂😂😂 great job alexi #also it's storming outside wooooooo #maybe that's why I feel like the riff of live wire today

[kakusu-shipping]

Hi! I've been enjoying your Leahy stuff. Are you open to doing the others by chance?

Yes.

Er. Kinda? I probably will be. When I actually get to anyone else....

See, I'm still in what I think is Act 1? I haven't directly met any of the other scrybes yet, so I don't know a lot about them.

Feel free to send a request for any of the other characters, it'll just take me longer to answer those because I actually have to like. Get there. And meet them.

So as long as you're willing to wait for me to stop being a simp fussing around in Leshy's cabin, send in whatever requests you want!

#I'm so sorry I'm going so slowly #I just. Really like Leshy. And wanna get all his dialog #So as long as he's still saying new things I'll be in the cabin #but it's not like I'm gonna delete a request I will do anything someone asks for really #Just. It might take me a while. Like a long while #I know the robot kinda of because it seems to be getting sexymaned just a touch and like. Good for it #Got that it/its swag from what I've seen #I know the big plot points but I know next to nothing about the painter wizard ball of fur #Not even positive on their name??? Was it Magnus??? #I know Leshy because I'm obsessed with him and p03 because everyone else is obsessed with it #seriously tho just send in the request I have no problem just letting something sit in an ask box for a while #I'd suggest requesting off anon so you actually get a notification for whenever I post it