Ember Set Link [Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom] 1st Anniv

Hot take: Alya is a good friend. Sometimes, being a good friend means looking into a situation more deeply, and digging for evidence, instead of just going with your friend’s perspective. That friend can still be right of course, but fact-checking and listening to the other people involved, and THEN making your own judgement, is the right thing to do. Also, sometimes even your friends need to be reined in, like Alya did in Risk, or to at least stop and think about a situation more. Choosing not to participate in something that could potentially be harmful to others if your friend’s perspective is inaccurate or incomplete is reasonable.

Alya’s kind to Marinette and tries to help her where she can, but Marinette’s as human and flawed as anyone else, and it’s good that Alya thinks and does some digging before helping Marinette with something that could go wrong, or hurt someone else. Even if Alya’s conclusion is incorrect (usually based on lack of data), her method’s decent.

OVERHATED CHARACTERS POLL: Alya Césaire / Rena Rouge (Miraculous Ladybug)

Feel free to explain your position in the comments or tags, but any harassment, over-the-top fighting, or personal attacks will result in you being blocked. Do not attack real people, be they fans or creators, over fictional characters.

The hate she gets is so blatantly disproportionate and hypocritical I just...

Look. There are valid reasons to dislike her. Some people find her role in the narrative to be an Adrienette cheerleader to be annoying, or are frustrated that she thinks Marinette's hatred of Lila is purely based off of some sort of possessiveness or jealousy over Adrien. I can get that.

But that does not justify the level of hatred and malice that has been thrown her way for YEARS.

There are THOUSANDS of fics, entire sub-fandoms, that characterize Alya as being some mean, evil bully, someone who pressures Marinette into constantly doing things for her, one who will outright pinch, punch, or otherwise physically hurt Marinette, that she'll destroy her things, and rally the class around her to help beat down on poor Marinette - usually at Lila's behest, but sometimes her cruelty shocks even LILA.

Of course, all of this is to justify Marinette or one of her new best friends (who are tooootally better than that old abusive traitor Alya) going out of their way to deliberately try to harm Alya, tearing down any of her future prospects, as a revenge fantasy.

This stuff is just made up. Alya's main role in the narrative is as Marinette's bestie, the person who will help her at the drop of a hat, who will try to calm her down when she's freaking out. Even with the Lila conflict, which is generally what she's vilified for the most, Alya only ever tries to get Marinette to stop attacking Lila, she never actually attacks Marinette herself - in fact, she defends Marinette, even trying to clear her name when Lila frames her in Ladybug.

Her thinking that Marinette might have a more negative opinion of Lila because of her making moves on Adrien isn't even unwarranted! Marinette DID freak out about Lila wooing Adrien when she first met her, and Marinette HAS outright tried to sabotage Adrien's other main love interest, Kagami, twice. Once by helping with Chloe's plan to get Kagami to sit on a chocolate cake at a red carpet movie premiere (she was Adrien's plus one) and once a little while later, when Marinette and Kagami were paired up for a "friendship game" that had spending time with Adrien as the prize, and Marinette deliberately tried to lose them the game so that Kagami wouldn't be able to spend that time with Adrien. So while it's annoying, just believing that Marinette might be unfair to someone who has flirted with Adrien before is pretty fair.

Also, Alya's just held to these insanely high standards. Like, when Lila first arrived, Alya (who is 14, mind you) did an interview with Lila where Lila claimed to be best friends with Ladybug and posted it on the school blog. Ever since Chameleon aired 5 years ago, that fact, that Alya posted an interview without having verified that everything the person she interviewed said was true, has been used to demonize Alya constantly, with one of the common "punishments" for Alya in the many, MANY fics that demonize her, being that she receives harassment from Parisians and is blacklisted from being a journalist for life, all because she posted an interview on her blog with unverified information. Do I even need to go into how absurd this is? Most major news networks would have shut down a long time ago if this was the standard journalists were held to, and need I remind you, she's FOURTEEN!

And then there's things where there's an extremely blatant double standard. Like, one of the things that she's demonized for in saltfics is how she supposedly pressures poor, poor Marinette to babysit for her siblings (and her boyfriend's sibling) all the time, how she never pays Marinette for her work, and how this is done without ever notifying her parents about the arrangement.

Now, Marinette DOES babysit for Alya and Nino...

ONCE.

At least, that's the only time it actually ends up happening. She's scheduled to babysit for them three times, including the time I just mentioned. For one of the occasions, in Timetagger, she's busy fighting an akuma, so she calls Alya last minute to tell her she can't make it, literally as Alya and Nino are heading out the door for there date.

Do you know how this exchange goes?

What do ya know? Alya's fine with it. No guilt-tripping, no frustration, she just made other arrangements. Huh. Funny how utterly different she is from the saltdom's portrayal of her.

And then there's the other occasion when Marinette was scheduled to babysit for her, in Simple Man. She accidentally booked herself to babysit for Manon, Alya's sisters, and Nino's brother. Alya spotted that she was already babysitting Manon, and do you know what she said?

Yep, Alya immediately moved to cancel her date with Nino, without Marinette saying anything.

Remember how I said that Marinette hadn't completed this babysitting though? That goes into what I said earlier about how hypocritical the hatred towards Alya is. Because the reason she doesn't complete this babysitting job is because Adrien calls her to ask if she could help with a photoshoot, so she decides to shove all the kids off on her grandpa against his will.

Funny, that sounds a lot like what Alya's accused of doing, and is demonized and put through the wringer for.

That's not the only occasion where this sort of thing happens either. In Prime Queen, Marinette accidentally books herself to babysit Manon while she's supposed to be having an interview with Nadja, Manon's mom. She resolves this by calling Alya over, pretending that she wants to watch the interview with her, while instead tricking Alya into babysitting for her while she does the interview.

Note: I'm not demonizing Marinette here. These weren't perfect things to do, but it's understandable for a young teenager who's in a tight spot. But it IS a great illustration of how blatant the double standard is in this case, with Alya being demonized for something that there's little evidence she ever did, and Marinette, who has CANONICALLY, most definitely, done those things, just... seeming to be forgotten about when it comes to whatever insane babysitting standard Alya's being held to.

The degree and type of demonization Alya receives... it doesn't seem to have much backing from the stuff that's actually in the show, and at this point, a lot of it seems racially charged, especially whenever a fic shows her as being physically violent towards innocents. I've never even heard any sort of justification for why Alya is supposedly so violent and cruel. But man, it does seem to line up with some of the worst racial stereotypes out there. And with how incredibly prevalent and popular it is (seriously, I think 10-20% of Miraculous fics published in the last five years have used these incredible negative portrayals of Alya, going out of the way to revel in inflicting punishments on her), it seems like there's something deeper-rooted and malicious going on here.

Does anyone else start thinking about the fanfics they’re writing and gets really anxious about it? Especially if it’s multiple chapters? Like ‘oh god im taking too long people are going to be upset at me’ kinda anxiety?

Nah, people can’t get upset with me for taking too long if they’re not reading it.

Can't afford art school?

After seeing post like this 👇

And this gem 👇

As well as countless of others from the AI generator community. Just talking about how "inaccessible art" is, I decided why not show how wrong these guys are while also helping anyone who actually wants to learn.

Here is the first one ART TEACHERS! There are plenty online and in places like youtube.

📺Here is my list:

Second part BOOKS, I have collected some books that have helped me and might help others.

📚Here is my list:

As for Supplies, I recommend starting out cheap, buying Pencils and art paper at dollar tree or 5 below. For digital art, I recommend not starting with a screen art drawing tablet as they are more expensive.

For the Best art Tablet I recommend either Xp-pen, Bamboo or Huion. Some can range from about 40$ to the thousands.

💻As for art programs here is a list of Free to pay.

Those are the ones I can recall.

So do with this information as you will but as you can tell there are ways to learn how to become an artist, without breaking the bank. The only thing that might be stopping YOU from using any of these things, is YOU.

I have made time to learn to draw and many artist have too. Either in-between working two jobs or taking care of your family and a job or regular school and chores. YOU just have to take the time or use some time management, it really doesn't take long to practice for like an hour or less. YOU also don't have to do it every day, just once or three times a week is fine.

Hope this was helpful and have a great day.

Incase people missed this.

cant let a post like this pass me by without mentioning the website line of action!

drawing from life, I.E., figure drawing (and still lifes), is a great way to better understand the human body and proportions and such, but a lot of people don't exactly have access to nude models and figure drawing sessions. this is a pretty great alternative! the site also features animals, still lifes, scenery, mock-classes with timed exercises, and an option to not see nude models for anyone uncomfortable with nudity or who may be doing art in a shared space where you don't need your pal to glance over and see boobs or peen on your screen. 10/10 do recommend, I use it a lot!

I also really recommend the Morpho books for anatomy references! particularly the Fat and Skin Folds book is legendary.

:->

I have many things to post but this needs to be seen by the world

All That Hurts Us Chapter 15

Preview:

Zelda smiled when the light from the first few buildings of Maritta came into view, the warm glow of candles through windows beckoning travellers in the night. She’d been in Maritta once before and had quite enjoyed it.  

She found herself suddenly wondering whether the Hero would be expecting trouble here as well, like he had for Midah. Judging by the fact that Link had a song that led here, it seemed likely that he was familiar with Maritta, but that was just a guess, she couldn’t know for sure. She’d hate to think he’d be needlessly apprehensive about going to such a welcoming place. IF it was indeed as welcoming to everyone as its reputation claimed and her own experience led her to believe. 

“Poe, Peace,” she said. Then: “Hero? A word please?” 

Link turned his eyes on her and stopped Butter. “Of course, your Highness,” he said. “Is Poe still nervous?” 

The question was legitimate: Poe had lost her mind upon being magically transported by the ocarina’s music and the Hero had spent a good long while patiently soothing the mare and his own stallion, whose nerves weren’t helped by another horse panicking right next to him. 

“No,” Zelda replied with a smile. “This might be rather foolish on my part, but I was simply wondering whether YOU were. What do you know about Maritta? Your song hints that you’ve been here before, but it could be that someone else taught it to you, or that you haven’t been here in a long time.” 

“A very fair concern after our experience in Midah, your Highness. I am glad to say, however, that I have never had cause to be weary of Maritta: I travel here several times a year, and I have always found it to be very hospitable, provided you have at least a few rupees to spend. Its prosperity is entirely dependent on visitors, after all.” 

 “Your experience matches mine then. I’m very glad to hear it,” Zelda said. “Let’s find an Inn.” 

They weren’t long doing exactly that: the very lights Zelda had spotted were from The Wanderer’s Inn, a large establishment fronted by a billboard advertising “Comfort and merriment to soothe your wounds and ease your weariness”. 

How many have you read?

The BBC estimates that most people will only read 6 books out of the 100 listed below. Reblog this and bold the titles you’ve read.

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen 2 Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkein 3 Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte 4 Harry Potter series 5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee 6 The Bible 7 Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte 8 Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell 9 His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman 10 Great Expectations – Charles Dickens 11 Little Women – Louisa M Alcott 12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy 13 Catch 22 – Joseph Heller 14 Complete Works of Shakespeare 15 Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier 16 The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien 17 Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks 18 Catcher in the Rye 19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffeneger 20 Middlemarch – George Eliot 21 Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell 22 The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald 23 Bleak House – Charles Dickens 24 War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy 25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams 26 Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh 27 Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky 28 Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck 29 Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll 30 The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame 31 Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy 32 David Copperfield – Charles Dickens 33 Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis 34 Emma – Jane Austen 35 Persuasion – Jane Austen 36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – CS Lewis 37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini 38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres 39 Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden 40 Winnie the Pooh – AA Milne 41 Animal Farm – George Orwell 42 The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown 43 One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez 44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney – John Irving 45 The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins 46 Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery 47 Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy 48 The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood 49 Lord of the Flies – William Golding 50 Atonement – Ian McEwan

51 Life of Pi – Yann Martel 52 Dune – Frank Herbert 53 Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons 54 Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen 55 A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth 56 The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon 57 A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens 58 Brave New World – Aldous Huxley 59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon 60 Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez 61 Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck 62 Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov 63 The Secret History – Donna Tartt 64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold 65 Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas 66 On The Road – Jack Kerouac 67 Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy 68 Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding 69 Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie 70 Moby Dick – Herman Melville 71 Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens 72 Dracula – Bram Stoker 73 The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett 74 Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson 75 Ulysses – James Joyce 76 The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath 77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome 78 Germinal – Emile Zola 79 Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray 80 Possession – AS Byatt 81 A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens 82 Cloud Atlas – David Mitchel 83 The Color Purple – Alice Walker 84 The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro 85 Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert 86 A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry 87 Charlotte’s Web – EB White 88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom 89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 90 The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton 91 Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad 92 The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery 93 The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks 94 Watership Down – Richard Adams 95 A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole 96 A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute 97 The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas 98 Hamlet – William Shakespeare 99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl 100 Les Miserables – Victor Hugo

5 i am a disgrace im calling bs on anyone who claims they read ulysses tbh

22 full reads. I have read more, but I just didn’t finish them, ex. Dracula and Count of Monte Cristo

I’ve read 13 so far

I’ve read 10

14 for me, some on my own and some because of school

All That Hurts Us Chapter 15

Preview:

Zelda smiled when the light from the first few buildings of Maritta came into view, the warm glow of candles through windows beckoning travellers in the night. She’d been in Maritta once before and had quite enjoyed it.  

She found herself suddenly wondering whether the Hero would be expecting trouble here as well, like he had for Midah. Judging by the fact that Link had a song that led here, it seemed likely that he was familiar with Maritta, but that was just a guess, she couldn’t know for sure. She’d hate to think he’d be needlessly apprehensive about going to such a welcoming place. IF it was indeed as welcoming to everyone as its reputation claimed and her own experience led her to believe. 

“Poe, Peace,” she said. Then: “Hero? A word please?” 

Link turned his eyes on her and stopped Butter. “Of course, your Highness,” he said. “Is Poe still nervous?” 

The question was legitimate: Poe had lost her mind upon being magically transported by the ocarina’s music and the Hero had spent a good long while patiently soothing the mare and his own stallion, whose nerves weren’t helped by another horse panicking right next to him. 

“No,” Zelda replied with a smile. “This might be rather foolish on my part, but I was simply wondering whether YOU were. What do you know about Maritta? Your song hints that you’ve been here before, but it could be that someone else taught it to you, or that you haven’t been here in a long time.” 

“A very fair concern after our experience in Midah, your Highness. I am glad to say, however, that I have never had cause to be weary of Maritta: I travel here several times a year, and I have always found it to be very hospitable, provided you have at least a few rupees to spend. Its prosperity is entirely dependent on visitors, after all.” 

 “Your experience matches mine then. I’m very glad to hear it,” Zelda said. “Let’s find an Inn.” 

They weren’t long doing exactly that: the very lights Zelda had spotted were from The Wanderer’s Inn, a large establishment fronted by a billboard advertising “Comfort and merriment to soothe your wounds and ease your weariness”. 

I do apologize for the fact this is not a botw!coffee shop AU but you might still like it if you read it.

“May I please draw your OC?”

Reblog this message if you encourage anyone that wants to draw your OC to do so.  No need to ask for permission in advance.

Go for it.  Draw my OC.  If you want, I’ll even give you reference posts.  Go to town on it.

You are welcome to draw my OC and surprise me with the result.  Seriously.  In fact, I encourage it.  I will proudly display whatever it is you submit to me regarding my OC.  There is a chance that I will squeal about it for several days.

Even if you feel you aren’t good at whatever artistic adventure it is you do, please feel free to submit it to me.  I want to see what you have done.

TOTK - Eternal (part 2)

part 1 here

TOTK - Eternal (part 1)

part 2 here

people telling you they reread your fic is the biggest compliment you could ever receive. there are thousands of stories out there begging to be found, to be explored, but your story meant so much to someone that they came back to it eagerly, they went over every word again. to love is to return and loving a fic is rereading it. thank you to all readers and rereaders <3333

😳 <- this emoji but without the blush or romantic connotation. im not blushing im staring you directly in your fucking eyes

if you excuse the bad editing it would look like this

can we hit 150k before this piece of shits one year anniversary

u know before yellow emojis took over as automatic, the one we used for this exactly was O_O . which has unfortunately become the shortcut for the stupid blushy one. but we also used to emphasize the emotion by making the mouth bigger, O_________O . there was also o_O , for when you're weirded out, and o_o for small weirds or intrigue. you could use a period instead of an underscore for the mouth, o.o, O.O, which was a little more like shock.

there was also -_- for when you're annoyed. -_-* for pissed. the asterisk is a forehead vein. a very bad day or very bad joke could result in -___________-********** .

anyway that's your history lesson for the day, dont forget your roots.

let us also not forget the meekest of them all: ._.