#but to be fair that's good advice

[oldkamelle]

Still accepting Ideas? If so, Spy asking advice on Sniper on how to tell Scout that he is his dad.

#tf2 sniper #tf2 spy #tf2 fanart #traditional art #traditional comic #pen doodles #oldart #mercs #(gently holds your hands) anon. what the fuck. /lh #this was such a behemoth of an idea cuz it raises so many questions?? #why would spy suddenly want to tell scout the truth given how he only chose to when scout was two seconds away from dying #(also. cant remember which comic this is but when spys about to drive off after scout begs him to take him as well #he only does so when scout mentions his ma so thats on my mind as well) #hes never shown like he feels the need to yknow #if spy decided to tell scout the truth why would he be asking for advice like wouldnt he want to keep it out of anyone elses business #(which fair enough wouldnt really happen given scout but eeh) #also he already did it good enough besides the cosplaying #and if spy for some reason was gonna ask for advice why would he go to sniper specifically #did i answer any of these questions in this mess? #the answer to that is the same as to 'do i have a good understanding of the characters' or 'do i have storytelling skills' #which is to say no #i also couldnt think of a way to make it funny to try and get away with that so i had to go with the more serious route so #anyway. sincerely hope its good enough anon (thumbs up)

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Hello! I was wondering if you’d be willing to take commissions someday 👀. No pressure tho! I just love your art so much

The short answer: "not at the moment, but it is very possible in the future'!

The slightly longer answer: I would have to figure out a good pricing and payment system! PD-MDZS is also where most of my free time goes, so until my life settles down a bit, I would be on the slow side to complete them.

#Ask #Even longer answer: I technically do - but it's been people I know irl asking and handing me physical money/bank transfers. #I'm working on one right now but the tricky part with pricing is that they want the physical copy of it - which is different to online comm #Fun fact: I have gotten a fair amount of commissions from a local hobbiest quilting club. #They show me their pintrest inspiration board and tell me size specifications and I draw out patterns on parchment paper. #I am probably being undervalued by a group of 50-60 year old women but they call me handsome and say I'm doing a good job so... #There was also someone a while back who asked about a tattoo design and I was *so* enthusiastic but I just got too busy to commit. #I truly do appreciate people asking - It is *extremely* flattering that you like my art enough to want to commission something! #I will re-examine my situation in a few months! Someday really is the keyword here; I think I'd have a lot of fun with it! #(All the money would go back into buying more artbooks and supplies too! What a dream!) #Through this blog I've gotten to know a few people who do commissions for a living who I will probably pester for pricing advice #Time really is the only barrier for me right now B*(

[mejomonster]

On a serious note, I do feel mysterious case lotusbook has a lot of sincere themes about getting older, realities of responsibility and dreams realized, how it's difficult to succeed and not always the direct path one expects, how there's value in little aspects of life. Almost every li lianhua scene seems to be about that to some degree. The murder cases aren't particularly deep as far as super complicated to figure out or Able to be predicted super well (since they don't always give all the details in the initial setup), but the themes about who was killed and why do connect to li lianhuas situation.

#mysterious lotus casebook #lb #by all this i mean: a lot of the positive things li lianhua AND di feisheng say are fairly good advice tbh #like a fei? hes like you need to be fair in your decisions for your actions to be worthwhile and earned #li lianhua: sometimes being the one taking all responsibility was bad for you and the people you led who felt burdened #by You taking the burden. and stepping back can be a respectable choice. #cooking is more difficult than fighting. keeping yourself alive is Hard and its the hardest thing we do #and its admirable even when youll never be a hero never be able to achieve what those around you might #your peers are worthwhile if they choose diffetently than you (qian wanmian isnt lesser for not choosing to lead a sect and instrad #dissolving it. di feisheng doesnt think li lianhua is no longef worth his time even though hes weaker now. li lianhua is still someonr he #wants to see alive see brlieve in himself see passionate about things. the monks think its never too late to #reconnect to people again. that people who love you will want you and accept you even when you fail. #even fang duobing by knowing li lianhua gets the experience of someone who wants him alive #and fondly smiles and Is proud of him. evrn if hes learning and fails and moody #fond of him in a way his family wasnt that strangers lied about due to his status #in a way that he clung to li xianyi for ALSO seeing value in him when he felt he didnt live up to expectstions of the world #its the Kindness of little moments of acceptance. of being kind to yourself and kind to others (even down to #not wantjng to kill suspects but take them to trial. not wanting scapegoats blamed. which arent usually done in wuxia) #its the fact this show is quite about gentleness and healing (i see the Love and Redemption screen writing ismilarities) #rather than about power struggles. do you know what i mean?

[reyryz]

anyways heres my nostalgic childhood kuroo and daishou being best friends before everything falls apart and they become enemies/rivals in high school piece im not sure i'll ever finish

#reezdoodles #hq!! #kuroo tetsurou #daishou suguru #kuroshou #but theyre platonic in this piece #i am so normal abt them..... #backstory to this #uhhhh first year middle school daishous in a new school and he just lost his first game and kuroos giving him advice #its good advice to be fair #the beginning of the end #insert my headcanon of 'why dont u do everything u can in ur power to win' quote comes from kuroo actually #and daishou rlly takes it to heart

[sysig]

Hey wait they’re really fun to draw how did this happen (Patreon)

#Doodles #DQIX #LAC #Doug Peterson #Corvus #Serena #LAC Russ #I already knew I loved the LAC lads but uh?? Serena and Corvus???? Sorry????? #They're literally so cute what #I really wanted to keep with the crossover energy tho lol - a little bit of everything! #Classic Doug giving Corvus some Really Good fashion advice lol - as soon as I saw he had sandals I was like ''Oh perfect'' #Gets him some pink striped toe socks and they're so comfy and match perfectly but are still so cursed lol #(For the record Aquila would absolutely inherit that trait - he's a socks with sandals dad we all know this) #Okay now it's time for me to gush about Corvus' Celestrian form??? He's so fucking cute excuse me??????? #His fair features his paler-than-ice-blue eyes and blond hair and white and pink armour over the wing-design white dress?? ExCuse Me????? #This man is too precious to exist who allowed this #I can't believe my grandfather was a twink - Nine probably lol #Serena only gets a brief cameo this time but she's the best too I love her #They - Happy - Now pls #Also very inspired by Corvus' flirty off-the-shoulder look to his under-dress like fuck- gods what a strong look #''Corvus do you know what that mean'' ''No but Serena said it suits me :)'' It does... Lol #Pink oversized shirt - ripped jorts - flip flops - unrestrained summer fun #And then a little more of the LAC switcheroo :D #As much I like keeping Exact to the details I thought it was a little too corny to have Russ threatened to be one of the soldiers' bride #He's still beautiful make no mistake <3 Just 1% more realistic to the scenario haha #The Gittish Empire doesn't want him he goes into random bloodlusts enemy or ally don't let him behind the line lol #And then an aggravated Guardian Doug - I wonder if he'd still call down lightning strikes :0 Maybe pillars of divine flame?? #Either way he's gonna protect his village and his boy <3

[mymarifae]

the issue of killing off characters in stories is interesting because like..... it’s not necessary, but i can’t call it unnecessary either. if you’re writing a story with very high stakes and lots of dangerous situations, it only makes sense for a couple of characters to end up dying. but it also might make your message more profound if no one dies.

you should never rely on character death to spur on another character’s development, but it can be a powerful tool. if it’s in line with your story’s tone and themes.

using death as a means to wrap up a character’s arc will usually come off as lazy and will alienate your audience. but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to pull off. there are circumstances where it’s an appropriate route to take, like giving a really awful villain their karmic punishment - but death can serve as a satisfying end to a good character’s arc as well.

it’s just one of those things that you really have to think about. like, is this character’s death actually necessary? am i using this for shock value? (hint: never fall back on killing off important characters for shock value or plot twists. be more creative than that. [although it can be used effectively in some genres. namely horror.]) am i using the death of a loved one in lieu of thinking of a more interesting motivation to give this character? am i killing this guy off because i need them out of the picture for the plot to progress? am i sure there’s no other way i can nudge them out of the main story for a bit? (i would ask you to really revise your story and your characters if the presence of one completely impedes the plot’s progression.) is any of this appropriate to the tone and themes i have established thus far? if not, is it appropriate to drastically change the tone of my story via character death? (hint: look back at the first hint. the answer is Probably Not. there are other ways to shift from a lighter tone to a darker one. and those other ways will probably leave more of an impact on your audience than a random character dying.)

just think critically about all the possible avenues your story can take... write a dozen versions of the same plot if you have to (you will have to btw i promise). and don’t let anyone tell you “kill your darlings” means something it doesn’t 👍🏾

#and that was millie's random writing tip of the day #like my advice will Never be 'don't EVER kill off ANY character EVER' because well. death is a part of life. #and telling stories is how we navigate our feelings about life. it's only fair we tell stories about death too. #it's a very scary thing for a lot of people so y'know don't... shy away from it in your stories. #when you work through your own fears through telling a story you might just help someone else conquer their fears too. #i'm rambling but i don't think it's good to be so petrified of death. it's just life. and life is beautiful and thus so is death. #anyway. wanders off and explodes

[apricops]

I kind of love the Story Grid site because it started as “look, I’m a veteran editor who’s read a *lot* of books, let’s come down from all the woo and talk about the lunchpail side of writing” and now it’s like “the THRESHOLD GUARDIAN is a TURNING POINT for the AVATAR” like the harder you try to make a no-frills all-business Guide to Writing the easier it is to sound completely bonkers

#to be fair I also unironically like parts of the story grid #it’s writing advice. It’s got good stuff and dumb stuff

[common-grackle]

so kinda random but you see cool enough to know the answer maybe idk. but uh how do you know that you aren’t straight. like is there a magic fairy that visits you in the night and is like “✨yOuRe gAy✨” because that seems to be the easiest explanation but i wouldn’t know. also follow up question, should i tell my religious parents because i think i would simply die. anyway if you don’t have any answers no worries just thought it was worth asking. have a wonderful day <333

hi!! i am so flattered that you think i am cool enough to know and i will try my best to answer this o7

so the way i figured it out was kinda weird because i knew i was queer as soon as i decided that being queer is not a sin. so after minimal self reflection i kinda went "oh makes sense. cool" which i understand is not a universal experience (and then i dealt with specifics later but honestly who gives a shit)

the thing is it's like ... do i have any concrete evidence that i'm straight or is that just the "default"? and the other thing is. you can do whatever you want forever. you can define yourself a ton of ways and grow out of all of them and that is literally fine

anyway there's not a concrete answer to "how do you know you aren't straight" but there Also isn't a concrete answer to "how do you know you ARE straight" so it is truthfully all very blurry. basically you have to stare at a wall and think about it and then at some point pieces come together

talking to people about it helps too, if it's safe for you to do that, or something that helped me figure it out was reading about other people's experiences finding things out and going HEY THAT'S LIKE ME

anyway my best advice is to let yourself figure things out on your own time - i know i sound like somebody's mildly homophobic parents but there's no pressure to decide whether you're queer or not Right This Minute. eventually you'll be comfortable with whatever it is that's going on and i promise it'll be easier then. the self discovery is not fun but there is hope !!!

but yeah the truth is you can't rush it. it took me years to figure out i was trans after first knowing that i was queer and honestly i have questioned Everything that i at first thought for sure was true, and that's just how it is unfortunately. it's a process !! things change ! and as you keep figuring things out you're going to be more comfortable with a lot of it but it will NOT be fun to make that transition in the beginning. i believe in you though !!! you are already making good progress!!

about your parents - it really, really depends on your situation. if you don't feel safe telling them then YOU DO NOT HAVE TO. you don't owe anyone an explanation of your sexuality, particularly not if you know it will be poorly received. even if your parents are going to be okay with it, you don't have any obligation to tell them, especially if you're uncomfortable with it. talking about it is often really hard at first too, so the rules to live by here are (a) make sure you're safe and (b) you don't have to tell anyone anything you're not comfortable with!!

i don't know if any of this is coherent or anything but i hope it helps maybe somewhat? i hope you have a wonderful day too <33

#(hi [name redacted] btw) #also: if the restraint is 'it would be easier if i were straight' then there's a good chance you are queer #but - if you do turn out to be straight after questioning for a while that is totally fair and okay! #any way that it ends it means you have figured things out! yay self discovery!! #<3 #i don't feel super qualified to give advice on this but i hope this is something ???

[cottonvanjogh]

New users, it is very easy to become the butt of a post if you fail to notice that you're about to speak to Neil Gaiman.

#in light of #good omens 2 #coming soon #advice for new users #because oh my god that shit was funny but we should still put out a fair warning #good omens #neil gaiman #don't get me wrong neil is not going to be a dick to you mans very professional very respectful #the vibe is not that he's a celebrity and 'oh how do you not know who he is' #the vibe is that a guest comes along to a family reunion and starts trying to tell grandad how to grill the burgers #on the 50 year old grill that we all know grandad built himself

[maeamian]

I'll scream my little head off about this forever, but any post still mad about the 2016 election fundamentally needs to note that we fucking outright won that one for the email lady except that our allegedly democratic system of government does not award the supreme executive role to the person with the most votes. As much harm as Trump and did and is still doing, the people to blame aren't the marginal voters who didn't like their choices it's the fuckers who built the electoral college and senate, we need serious systemic changes to our voting to undo the damage, which is a lot harder of a fix than yelling at people about how they didn't vote enough when so many of us fucking did but live in a fundamentally undemocratic system that doesn't reward the winner of the vote with the office they were running for.

#If your takeaway was 'some people weren't enthusiastic about an objectively unimpressive candidate' that's fair #But if you then want to insist *that* and not fundamental problems with the system are why it went bad #IDK what to tell you learn more about how American politics works. #The electoral college is a fundamental problem and couldn't even do the one fucking thing people who excused its existence said it'd do #If it were an actual democratic protection they could've defected to the popular vote winner instead of the obviously fascist jackass #But it's obviously not designed as a protection for people who aren't deeply invested in the status quo #Fail country with cringe electoral systems. #Voting is a basic buy-in but like... maybe google disinfranchisment before being sure you're aiming your rage correctly on this one #Most of the states we lost it on engaged in that at margins easily enough to swing the fucking thing #It just rings a lot like Joe Biden's advice to out-organize voter suppression and I don't take kindly to it #I'm not saying don't be mad that election was a fundamental betrayal of the people of this country and should be treated as such #But you can't make it about the voters without acknowledging the system the voters were voting in #At least not if you want me to think of you as a serious person making as serious argument about American politics #But Jareth weren't you all in on Voting these past few months for the CA primaries? #Yes I think voting is good and important and that's why I think that the system should be set up to reflect the results of votes taken #Rather than the one we've got now. #Which does not meaningfully reflect the will of the voters in any way shape or form #Also CA's system is much fairer on the whole

[echidnana]

also talked to our tarot deck again last night and. she's like she's NICE but also very direct and straightforward lol

#she thinks we should primarily use her for system exploration and stuff #which yeah we agree #and she was also like. hey how about you actually prepare for readings. and maybe do actual structure. #and when we asked if she would do divination for us bc we were wondering about trying it she was like #i am PERFECTLY capable of divination. id even say im good at it. #and then we were like. wait so should WE do divination with you? #and she was like. oh no i was just saying i can do it you shouldnt lol #anyways. she told us to actually research tarot more which fair #but yeah weve been appreciating the system related advice from her #the confluence does cartomancy #aaliyah.txt

[pynkhues]

Do you have any drivers anxiety tips ? lol so random I know! . I’m so very embarrassed how long it’s taking me to finally have the courage to sign up for lessons 😭😭

You shouldn't be embarrassed, anon! I know so many people who experience driving anxiety, and so many people who are well into their 30s who still don't have their driver's license as a result of it (including a few of my very good friends). Driving is, ultimately, operating a heavy machine, so I totally get why that can cause a nervousness. Hell, while I don't really experience driving anxiety in my own car (I've had it for 14 years though, haha), I absolutely can when driving other people's and especially when driving a 2-tonne truck, which I sometimes do for work.

I think the best thing for driving anxiety is giving yourself a minute after you get in to take a breath and orient yourself. There'll be things your driving instructor will take you through, like checking your mirrors, the gearstick, the lights, the dash, but I think it's also good to check yourself and your posture too.

If you're like me and shorter than the average height (constant reminder that cars are really built for men, haha), check how comfortable you are looking over the dashboard. I drive a Toyota (and try to hire Toyota's when renting) because they have a really low dash which makes them a lot more comfortable for me to drive and makes me feel like I have a better scope of the road. Recently, I drove a friend's Honda and had to get a cushion to sit on to feel more at ease behind the wheel as the dashboard was pretty high.

Similarly, test the pedals before you turn the car on, get a sense of any stiffness (or lack thereof), and feel how much weight or how light a touch you might need to put down to accelerate or brake.

Once you feel oriented, just turn it on and give it a go! Starting off with an instructor is a great thing, because I can promise you that there's nothing they won't have seen before, and don't be afraid to start slow, take your time, and don't take any risks. Driving is definitely one of those things that gets easier the more you do it, and some of the things that might seem a bit confusing at first will become intuitive with a little time and practice.

I also find it's worth remembering sometimes if you're feeling anxious that cars have to go through a lot of road testing and safety testing before you're ever even allowed to glimpse them in a catalogue, let alone get behind the wheel, so know that you have that on your side too.

Good luck, and happy driving!

#one of the most wild things about moving to my city is that the public transport is so good a lot of people flat out don't drive at all #i prefer to catch pt but i do still drive a fair bit too #but even though in theory driving should be irrelevant to my day job they asked me in my interview if i had my license and were so relieved #when i said yes #because so many of the staff at my workplace don't have their licenses #it's why i drive the trucks so often haha #anyway i hope this is helpful anon! #having a way to wind down afterwards if you think you're going to be stressed while you're learning is a good thing too #welcome to my ama #life advice

[todayinmagicalgirlhistory]

throwback to 2020ish when I made this meme after one of my friends realized too late that there was a brownie in her home that she accidentally invited in by leaving out her homemade baked goods to cool overnight only to subsequently accidentally piss said brownie off by not leaving out baked goods anymore so it proceeded to mess with her things and give her nightmares until she left out an apology plate of cookies

#magical girl talks #faerie witchcraft #faerie witch #brownies #faeries #fair folk #fae work #it was literally me talking about the fae and her mentioning some problems she had #and i was: O.O umm sis i think you accidentally invited a brownie into your home when you kept leaving out those baked goods #she wasn't even trying to #she was just leaving them out overnight because she got too lazy to put them up after letting them cool #it all ended up working out after i gave her some advice about it #but damn that was a time

[yououghtaknow]

JUST DID SOMETHING THAT USED TO BE A BIG TRIGGER FOR ME WITHOUT GETTING TRIGGERED AT ALL!!!!!!! RECOVERY WORKS!!!!!!!!!

#i've been getting better at Texting (i'm still very bad at it but i'm working on it) #and i was able to listen to someone vent over text and give them advice without having ANY effects of ptsd about it #which!!!!!! has never happened for me!!!!!!!!!! #and it made me feel better??? to know that my friend trusts me and values my thoughts and advice about things???? #guy who is learning how to have healthy relationships: omg this shit rocks why haven't we been doing this the entire time??? #ALSO i have SO MANY plans for the next few days. #i'm going to an artist collective meeting tomorrow. then to a leftist book fair on saturday. and ROCKY HORROR on monday!!! #i will be getting So Many Buses. #i'm also going to Attempt to have some Me Time tomorrow and go thrifting because the charity shops here are So Good #but also my brain has been So Strange lately and i do not know. i may try and journal. i may also just be hungry. #but this is a big w for me personally

[linguenuvolose]

finally got the push to do something about my lower back + mid back + shoulder + neck pain/tenseness so that's something! found a chiropractor that only has times in 3 weeks but I'm like... if I've already postponed this for 3+ years I can wait a little more. Unfortunately though now I've started to think about it so I notice it's hurting lmao I usually don't but I think when I do solve this I will be like hmm I didn't realise life could be like this

#usually it's just bad when I do more intense physical activity #so like day to day I don't really think about it or notice it #and when I try to search about it all advice is like go for a walk <3 and I'm like well that's not a problem #once I went for a run though and had to stop because ..... my shoulders were hurting ? like that's not fair #I do think it's caused by bad posture which feels embarrassing but like I've spent 5+ years in front of my laptop basically every day #that's famously not good for any part of the body #at least now I have a good chair and a real computer at work so that won't make things worse at least #although so often at work I realise I'm not sitting on the chair properly so... let me start there perhaps #snicksnack #anyway if anyone has advice on exercises for better posture/less back pain please tell me because </3 this isn't good #funny thing is that in like 2015-16 I apparently had such good posture that people were commenting on it and it's like ok ?? what happened?

[mejomonster]

Every time a tarot reading for me says divine timing/universe has a plan I'm like dhjdjd

OK universe you can just say you don't wanna tell me and don't think it's any of my fucking business even though it's My Life shdhjd ToT

#tarot #rant #i know its random like horoscopes randomly sayung shit and if it gives u helpful stuff to xontemplate #and helps u think thing thru great! if not then let it go! #but also like?! youd be fucking shocked by the coincidence that is me #without fail getting wheel/magician/surprise/moon cards over and over and ONLY them #universe said im noT FUCKING TELLING YOU ANY ADVICE. #universe says over ans over i know ur cards are cute but luck aint giving u variety #i get cards to Randomly Consider and its always:unknown. itll be a surprise. u make ur own future. THANKS YEAH I KNEW #life is by definition UNKNOWN AND BASED ON MY ACTIONS i aint got no new random qords to contemplate!! #i finally got a different reading with a friend lmao and guess what?!!! #instead of any advice or any future considerations. cards/friends interpretation was ONLY #hey u mejo u have trauma. ur trauma versions of you are ALSO you and u need to integrate them and be kind to them #which like. yeah thats always true. i didnt need cards to say my own intwrnal state for years #but it was funny INSTEAD of any shit about random future guesses or advice on things to do? #my cards were just like lmao do some more self therapy! thats always a good idea right! #which to be fair. i did think it was a good idea so now im doing more true self exploration #but like. thats for my own quality of life and treatinf myself better and taking better care of self #thats still NOTHING to do with events/advice for future events lmao #i Love tarot and pretty cards but mostly only read for others #cause for me my fucking cards just say: lmao why did u ask? im not telling u. go live life and find out bitch