saw this being debated and just wanted to talk about it too.
"is it rude if I politely ask a writer if they use ai or chatgpt on their works because I'm almost certain they do?"
yes, it is rude. no matter how polite you are being when you ask them this.
you say you are almost certain. so you are not absolutely certain.
unless you are absolutely, undoubtedly certain ā with actual proof ā that their writing is ai generated, never ever ask an artist if their work is ai generated.
I know several writers who would stop writing and delete all of their works if they were ever accused of using ai. so it doesn't matter if you are polite when you ask them this, you are suggesting that their works are ai generated, that they didn't create the works they could have spent hours, days, weeks, months or years working on.
ai and chatgpt are trained on real humans' works, they are trained to mimic the way real humans write. so if you say a genuine writer's work "looks ai", I'm gonna have to ask you what you think ai was trained on.
a writer whose English isn't their first language may also write in a way that "looks ai" to some, if they write in English and have to rely on translator.
using em dash isn't a sign of ai. I do it all the time. my fellow writers all love em dash.
having long paragraphs with "overly described scenes" isn't a sign of ai. I do it all the time, and so do my fellow writers.
all the "ai signs" are actually just what most writers actually do. they get mistaken for "ai signs" because sometimes the way writers write or describe a scene in a fanfic or an original work is different than the way people talk or text. because they're writing a fic and describing a scene, not chatting with a friend. the way I talk is different than the way I write my fics.
if you suspect a work was ai generated, but are not 100% sure, you can always just stop reading said work without saying anything.
if someone does use ai to write, they will either a.) deny and continue using ai to write or b.) admit because they see nothing wrong with it and continue using ai to write.
if a genuine writer was wrongly accused of using ai, they may stop writing altogether.
asking a writer if they use ai or chatgpt to write will always do more harm than good. witch hunting will always do more harm than good.
you are not "fighting against ai" by throwing around such accusations. you are harming genuine writers and artists.
all of the fanfic writers, whom I personally know, say the same thing that they would feel discouraged and might delete all their works if they were asked this.
itās not āhey do you like x or yā question. itās a subtle implication that your work looks like it was written by a robot within a minute. if you personally donāt find that offensive, thatās cool. but I know a lot of writers do. and they have the rights to be discouraged by it.
also we are talking about fanfic writers who write as their hobby, getaway or safe place, writers whose works you read for free. not writers who sell their works and are making profit from what they write. fanfic writers donāt owe you anything.
This just came across my dash. I'm going to be blunt.
Asking a writer or artist if they āuse AIā is an accusation, no matter how you dress it up. Itās not neutral. It implies you think their effort, style, or voice is artificial. It implies that their human work doesnāt look human enough for you.
You donāt protect the community by policing people who are actually creating from scratch. You protect it by supporting human creators, reporting confirmed AI misuse when thereās evidence, and learning the difference between this sounds different than what Iād write and this is machine-generated.
Writersāespecially fanfic authorsāalready pour their time, emotion, and identity into what they share for free. They donāt owe anyone proof of authenticity on top of that. And if your question makes someone want to quit writing, itās not protecting the community. Itās shrinking it.
If youāre not 100% sure, just scroll. AI ethics donāt need to turn into public inquisition season.
Fact: Apart from pure recognition factor, one of the major reasons your fanart gets more eyes on it than our OCs is because people are perverts for narrative context, and your OCs don't have any.
Corollary: You don't actually need to write a whole-ass graphic novel to achieve that narrative context. You do need to know what your OCs' story is, but once you do, you can literally just draw contexless snapshots from that story that raise more questions than they answer and people will fill in the blanks.
Zuko's eating habits throughout A:TLA: an analysis
in light of my most recent re-hyperfixation on Avatar: the Last Airbender, i was mulling over the changes in character designs from s1 to s3 and noted that a lot of these changes correspond to the nutritional intake that characters are receiving! so here's an analysis of zuko and how his eating habits affect his character design throughout the show!!
[cw: food, nutrition, and eating habits]
complete essay under the cut :DD
to start, i really like the visual detail that A:TLA pays to its characters. you can figure out the emotional state and lifestyle of a character based on details about their appearance. a specific detail can serve both of those purposes at once, and i think that A:TLA does a really good job of letting those facets shine through.
Season 1
in s1, Zuko's eating well thanks to the resources he has access to. he is exiled, but he's still a prince, and he has command of an entire ship, so he definitely has a reliable way to get food with a high nutritional/caloric content. also, he's training daily with Iroh, so those calories are very necessary because he's expending so much energy. as a result, he has a lot of muscle mass that is evident on his neck and shoulders. the fact that his output is so high and he can keep his muscle mass shows that he's eating very well at this time. furthermore, his face is quite soft and round, and the shading on his cheekbones indicates he's getting enough food. the softness of his face is also a physical parallel to his emotional childishness.
at the same time, because he's a villain to the audience at this time, his features are made somewhat sharper and heavily contrast with those of the main cast: broader shoulders and more visible muscle mass make him more intimidating, especially when compared to the other male characters we know like Aang and Sokka, who both don't eat a lot because one is a monk who doesn't indulge in earthly pleasures, and one grew up in a tribe that was robbed of nearly all its livelihood and was barely getting by during the events of the series. additionally, Zuko's eyebrow and creases near the eye are also more pronounced because he's supposed to be less visually appealing.
Season 2
after he becomes a refugee, Zuko visibly loses muscle mass. when he's just starting out (about to cut off his phoenix tail) on his journey with Iroh, his face is still soft and round because he isn't starving yet. at the end, he's clearly lost a large amount of muscle mass; his neck is much thinner with visible lines, his jawline doesn't have any fat on it, and his arms have also lost a lot of definition.
an especially rough time for him is the ep Zuko Alone: his cheekbones are extremely sallow and his jawline is a lot sharper than we see at the end of his time in Ba Sing Se. he's actively starving at this time, but he's still doing lots of physical activity (traveling long distances, hunting the avatar, etc.), i.e. losing way more calories than he can put back. the consequences of this time alone with a severe nutritional deficit is made very clear later in the series.
later, he's gotten back to Iroh and is living a life that keeps him from starving, but it's nowhere near the amount of food he was getting in s1. his face is still relatively sharp even though he's definitely gained back some roundness. not eating well but at least he's eating. the gradual sharpness also references the development of his emotional maturity, and he is more visually appealing as a complex character, which is shown in the softening of some of his facial features.
it's my theory that he's actually barely getting by in terms of nutrition at this time because he isn't training like he was in s1. the fact that he could keep all his muscle while exercising so much in s1 implies there was a lot of food that he isn't getting now even though his energy output isn't as high.
another thing is that Zuko is very stressed during s2, which reduces his body's ability to metabolize effectively. being a Fire Nation refugee in Ba Sing Se is hella scary, especially when your uncle is unbelievably nonchalant and has no problem with firebending his tea in broad daylight.
one side note is that i like how the art doesn't shy away from Zuko's scar. the ridges and creases of scar tissue, and the effect the burn has on the shape of his eye are really well done.
Season 3
here, Zuko's situation gets more complicated because he's in an environment where he could theoretically eat as much as he wants. he's royalty, and the Fire Nation is rich, so he has access to all the spoils of war and all the food he could ask for. but for him, eating well isn't possible in my opinion due to several reasons:
1 | the Fire Nation is very oppressive, both to the areas it has control over and its own people. okay, duh, but what does that mean for Zuko? this is probably true for a lot of the Fire Nation, but i don't think anyone is eating well over there. this is likely due to food shortages (resources are primarily reserved for war, so citizens have to make do with a calorie deficit) and maybe restrictive body standards. because if the Fire Nation government is going to control every aspect of life, it'll definitely push the restrictive idea of an acceptable body image to impose more control.
this is really evident in Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee. all three of them have prominent cheekbones. Ty Lee wouldn't be eating well because people aren't paying to see a circus during a war, and from the looks of how it's managed, the performers aren't receiving much of the profit. Mai's family has likely had to forgo good food bc they're on the war front. managing conquered territories usually means missing out on many of the resources the home country has to offer. And Azula would definitely restrict her caloric intake because her obsession with perfection wouldn't not apply to her body.
not all of these kids are getting enough calories for their respective outputs, even though it might be genetics for some of them. these aren't exactly the arms of people who are all very physically active.
Ty Lee is an acrobat and requires significant upper body strength. Mai commonly takes up the job of an assassin, which also requires considerable strength.
Azula, meanwhile, is one of the best firebenders of her age. her firepower surpasses Zuko's, and she can wield lightning. additionally, she has extraordinary core and arm strength (evidenced by her bent arm planche, which she does in full armor), but her muscle mass doesn't reflect that.
and in Zuko's case especially, it's very clear that this isn't enough food because we have seen him put on considerable muscle mass when his resources allowed for it. the extreme loss of weight that he's gone through indicates a severe calorie deficit, and the fact that he's not gaining it back even though he technically has the means to shows that something is preventing him from doing so.
2 | Zuko has been afraid in the Fire Nation since his childhood (Azula literally told him to his face that Ozai was going to kill him. what is even more astonishing than that is that she was right. Ozai didn't mind killing Zuko if it meant he could become Fire Lord), so there's no way he feels safe now, especially because he thinks the Avatar is still alive.
additionally, he's feeling a lot of emotional turmoil and guilt because he betrayed the Avatar and his uncle. he can't sleep and spends the night going to see Iroh in jail and hiring an assassin to kill the Avatar. the stress and moral struggle have a dramatic effect on how he eats. he's not able to eat as much, and he's burning calories at a higher rate. he's just not doing well at all and it's showing in his appearance. his entire ribcage is visible under his skin, and the shading on his face indicates both moral chaos (being in shadow) and lack of adequate fat storage (sharp cheekbones).
this is a huge contrast from the later part of s3 when he joins the Avatar. he's let go of his struggles (can't firebend from rage anymore) and he looks like he doesn't want to throw himself off the war balloon he's riding. he just looks a lot more secure and happy.
what that means for his caloric intake is that he's able to put away his food better, and he can eat more in general. his neck is still thinner than from s1 and his jawline is sharp, but the individual lines of his ribs have faded out and he's gained more muscle on his arms.
and finally, his facial features have softened from s1 bc we know him as a protagonist now, so the animators have worked to make his face more visually appealing. lastly, the combination of soft and sharp planes of his face can be attributed to a physical parallel with his emotional maturation into the person he is now. he actually looks a lot like he did pre-s1, but with the burn scar. and i like to think that the burn scar is a metaphor for his life experience: without it, he would not be who he is, and the pain and suffering that he has endured won't disappear, but it has healed.
overall, i think the A:TLA team did a really good job with showing Zuko's development through his physical appearance while adding in facets of his real-life situation.
I know some people have seen the news recently and may be doubtful of it. To the uninformed, Google Docs has started using AI to find "inappropriate" and "problematic" content, scraping your documents and deleting it. I know some people are unsure if this is real or think this is not going to affect them.
I regret to inform you that this is real.
As I was on a call with some writers and we were moving our documents as a precautionary measure, one person discovered entire pages missing that they did not delete themselves. This is happening to us, it's not a hoax or a rumor, it's happening right now. You need to move everything if you want to preserve it.
If you're a writer with writer mutuals, please reblog this so they know. I rarely write on Google Docs anymore, but I started my fanfics on there, and I would be devastated if I lost works more than ten years old because people decided marketing appeal is more important than creative freedom.
Kaveh is Sherlock, and Alhaitham is Watson: an essay
today i was thinking about how Alhaitham is like Sherlock because they're both amazingly smart and have great deductive reasoning and other people find it hard to relate to them because they're so brilliant, but then i realized that i failed to take Kaveh into context.
so after analyzing some stuff and some braincell battles, i have determined that Alhaitham is Watson and Kaveh is Sherlock.
complete essay under the cut :DD
the thing about Kaveh and Alhaitham is that i literally can't analyze one of them without considering the other. they're such good foils for each other, and without them, there are just little nuances about each of their characters that go completely unnoticed.
(i mean, just look at their voicelines. they make up such big parts of each others' lives that they're both mentioned by the other to the point where they're turning up in voicelines about other characters?? not to mention that if i hadn't read these voicelines, i would have missed out on so much characterization haha)
[disclaimer: it has been a very long time since i've read a Sherlock book. therefore, i might have some misconceptions about the characterization of Sherlock and Watson. please let me know if this happens!!]
Alhaitham is not Sherlock
going back to Alhaitham, he's incredibly logical and intellectually brilliant, like Sherlock, and he also doesn't have the best social skills and emotional intelligence. his most obvious traits (high IQ low EQ) just scream Sherlock.
but unlike Sherlock, he has no desire for status or reputation, and he certainly doesn't have a fragile ego like Sherlock. he's very stable in what he wants and doesn't exactly need someone to constantly bounce ideas off of, while Sherlock takes intense pride and happiness in describing and explaining his thought processes and discoveries, which implies a need for recognition and for someone to talk to about himself. plus, Alhaitham dislikes being recognized and credited, and would much rather work quietly behind the scenes and give other people more credit or recognition later (if they do their part, of course.) additionally, Sherlock is the one who leads investigations, and Alhaitham consistently refuses roles where he has to step up as a leader.
Kaveh is not Watson
meanwhile, at first, Kaveh seemed a little more like a Watson to me. he's brilliant in his own right, but his work appeared to focus on building up other people more, as does his trauma, guilt, and constant perceived need to justify or apologize for his existence. to me, these, along with everything he does to support other people and his values (plus the fact that he's good with people and Sherlock just. isn't.), pointed towards him being more of a Watson-esque character.
but i also forgot that Kaveh is an artist. Kaveh often insults Alhaitham for having no sense of artistry, proving that works of art, and thus Kaveh's success, depend on how other people perceive what he creates and who he is as a person. many people characterize Kaveh as not wanting recognition, and while i think that's true, it only is to a certain extent, because recognition is the very thing that Kaveh's entire livelihood is based on. additionally, Kaveh is already world-renowned as the Light of Kshahrewar (i can't believe i spelled "Kshahrewar" right on the first try), but he's still very insecure about himself in a lot of ways, which is a complete 180 from Watson, who appears completely mundane and normal next to Sherlock, but is still comfortable with it.
Kaveh is Sherlock feat. Alhaitham
like Kaveh, Sherlock already has a great reputation as a detective, but has a fragile ego. Sherlock also obviously benefits greatly from bouncing his ideas off of Watson and from talking about his thoughts, so Sherlock needs Watson to support him and give him feedback. Kaveh also receives lots of feedback from Alhaitham and other people, and as an artist, Kaveh will always be putting his thoughts into the world, and needs others' opinions to help him develop his works.
also, i've seen characterizations of Kaveh as a himbo, which is just sad to me, because Kaveh is intelligent and intellectually brilliant. sure, in terms of logic and sometimes common sense, Kaveh may be outshined by Alhaitham (e.g. buying keychains to support children getting free meals, when healthcare is already free in Sumeru), but Kaveh is still an Akademiya graduate, and he is still incredibly smart. and in terms of artistry and architecture, he is so head-and-shoulders above everyone else (especially since so many people in Sumeru devalue art).
finally, Kaveh is intensely passionate about his art, and Sherlock highly values his job as a detective. both of them essentially throw everything they've got into what they love.
Alhaitham is Watson feat. Kaveh
Watson is content with being a supporter of Sherlock, like Alhaitham is with taking a backseat. additionally, Watson is the protagonist of the Sherlock books, while we spend the most time with Alhaitham in the main Sumeru quests. our first impressions of Sherlock and Kaveh are from their points of view, and both Sherlock and Kaveh first appear to be very intense, which is a stark contrast to the more laid-back personalities of Watson and Alhaitham.
furthermore, Watson and Alhaitham both serve as great sounding boards. they're both very intelligent, so they have great insights to share. but they both tend to not do that, until someone asks for their opinion, which Sherlock and Kaveh do. their need for feedback is what prompts Watson and Alhaitham to give their own thoughts, and it also shows Alhaitham and Watson's ability to listen and be compassionate very well.
finally, Alhaitham and Watson both have inherent senses of self-worth, and these aren't dependent on what other people think. Watson doesn't mind being seen as mundane when put next to Sherlock, and Alhaitham knows that he's disliked by many people. but this doesn't necessarily affect their self-esteem, which again is completely different from Sherlock and Kaveh, whose sense of self-worth highly depends on other people.
Alhaitham and Kaveh as foils for each other
like Sherlock and Watson, Kaveh and Alhaitham are a package deal. trying to completely analyze one without the other is nigh impossible.
now about their dynamic: Alhaitham and Kaveh, in my opinion, complement each other very well, as do Sherlock and Watson. Alhaitham is Kaveh's sounding board and much-needed support and feedback, and Kaveh gives Alhaitham someone to listen to and base his life around.
in all their arguments and barbs, there's genuine care for each other, and i think that's one of the most beautiful things of their dynamic. it's that beneath all the perceived rivalries, they have a very strong relationship and that in the end, they'll support each other through their respective hardships.
and that's the end of this sort-of essay! apologies for the long post, and please let me know if there's anything i missed or if there's anything you think i should add!! and come chat with me about Haikaveh or Alhaitham and Kaveh in general; they're some of my favorite characters!!
3d artists are honestly some of the most powerful, admirable, scarily talented etc. people Iāve ever known. Their dedication and skill is just unfathomable
Like I already have enough trouble drawing on one side; and youāre telling me that some people have the courage and patience to do things on multiple sides from multiple angles??? Theyāre gods among men I tell you
why would 8 be brought up if itās EVEN in a post about ODDS??????? the post said āevery single ODD number has an āeā in itā not āevery single number with an āeā is oddā what the fuck
Kaveh is Sherlock, and Alhaitham is Watson: an essay
today i was thinking about how Alhaitham is like Sherlock because they're both amazingly smart and have great deductive reasoning and other people find it hard to relate to them because they're so brilliant, but then i realized that i failed to take Kaveh into context.
so after analyzing some stuff and some braincell battles, i have determined that Alhaitham is Watson and Kaveh is Sherlock.
complete essay under the cut :DD
the thing about Kaveh and Alhaitham is that i literally can't analyze one of them without considering the other. they're such good foils for each other, and without them, there are just little nuances about each of their characters that go completely unnoticed.
(i mean, just look at their voicelines. they make up such big parts of each others' lives that they're both mentioned by the other to the point where they're turning up in voicelines about other characters?? not to mention that if i hadn't read these voicelines, i would have missed out on so much characterization haha)
[disclaimer: it has been a very long time since i've read a Sherlock book. therefore, i might have some misconceptions about the characterization of Sherlock and Watson. please let me know if this happens!!]
Alhaitham is not Sherlock
going back to Alhaitham, he's incredibly logical and intellectually brilliant, like Sherlock, and he also doesn't have the best social skills and emotional intelligence. his most obvious traits (high IQ low EQ) just scream Sherlock.
but unlike Sherlock, he has no desire for status or reputation, and he certainly doesn't have a fragile ego like Sherlock. he's very stable in what he wants and doesn't exactly need someone to constantly bounce ideas off of, while Sherlock takes intense pride and happiness in describing and explaining his thought processes and discoveries, which implies a need for recognition and for someone to talk to about himself. plus, Alhaitham dislikes being recognized and credited, and would much rather work quietly behind the scenes and give other people more credit or recognition later (if they do their part, of course.) additionally, Sherlock is the one who leads investigations, and Alhaitham consistently refuses roles where he has to step up as a leader.
Kaveh is not Watson
meanwhile, at first, Kaveh seemed a little more like a Watson to me. he's brilliant in his own right, but his work appeared to focus on building up other people more, as does his trauma, guilt, and constant perceived need to justify or apologize for his existence. to me, these, along with everything he does to support other people and his values (plus the fact that he's good with people and Sherlock just. isn't.), pointed towards him being more of a Watson-esque character.
but i also forgot that Kaveh is an artist. Kaveh often insults Alhaitham for having no sense of artistry, proving that works of art, and thus Kaveh's success, depend on how other people perceive what he creates and who he is as a person. many people characterize Kaveh as not wanting recognition, and while i think that's true, it only is to a certain extent, because recognition is the very thing that Kaveh's entire livelihood is based on. additionally, Kaveh is already world-renowned as the Light of Kshahrewar (i can't believe i spelled "Kshahrewar" right on the first try), but he's still very insecure about himself in a lot of ways, which is a complete 180 from Watson, who appears completely mundane and normal next to Sherlock, but is still comfortable with it.
Kaveh is Sherlock feat. Alhaitham
like Kaveh, Sherlock already has a great reputation as a detective, but has a fragile ego. Sherlock also obviously benefits greatly from bouncing his ideas off of Watson and from talking about his thoughts, so Sherlock needs Watson to support him and give him feedback. Kaveh also receives lots of feedback from Alhaitham and other people, and as an artist, Kaveh will always be putting his thoughts into the world, and needs others' opinions to help him develop his works.
also, i've seen characterizations of Kaveh as a himbo, which is just sad to me, because Kaveh is intelligent and intellectually brilliant. sure, in terms of logic and sometimes common sense, Kaveh may be outshined by Alhaitham (e.g. buying keychains to support children getting free meals, when healthcare is already free in Sumeru), but Kaveh is still an Akademiya graduate, and he is still incredibly smart. and in terms of artistry and architecture, he is so head-and-shoulders above everyone else (especially since so many people in Sumeru devalue art).
finally, Kaveh is intensely passionate about his art, and Sherlock highly values his job as a detective. both of them essentially throw everything they've got into what they love.
Alhaitham is Watson feat. Kaveh
Watson is content with being a supporter of Sherlock, like Alhaitham is with taking a backseat. additionally, Watson is the protagonist of the Sherlock books, while we spend the most time with Alhaitham in the main Sumeru quests. our first impressions of Sherlock and Kaveh are from their points of view, and both Sherlock and Kaveh first appear to be very intense, which is a stark contrast to the more laid-back personalities of Watson and Alhaitham.
furthermore, Watson and Alhaitham both serve as great sounding boards. they're both very intelligent, so they have great insights to share. but they both tend to not do that, until someone asks for their opinion, which Sherlock and Kaveh do. their need for feedback is what prompts Watson and Alhaitham to give their own thoughts, and it also shows Alhaitham and Watson's ability to listen and be compassionate very well.
finally, Alhaitham and Watson both have inherent senses of self-worth, and these aren't dependent on what other people think. Watson doesn't mind being seen as mundane when put next to Sherlock, and Alhaitham knows that he's disliked by many people. but this doesn't necessarily affect their self-esteem, which again is completely different from Sherlock and Kaveh, whose sense of self-worth highly depends on other people.
Alhaitham and Kaveh as foils for each other
like Sherlock and Watson, Kaveh and Alhaitham are a package deal. trying to completely analyze one without the other is nigh impossible.
now about their dynamic: Alhaitham and Kaveh, in my opinion, complement each other very well, as do Sherlock and Watson. Alhaitham is Kaveh's sounding board and much-needed support and feedback, and Kaveh gives Alhaitham someone to listen to and base his life around.
in all their arguments and barbs, there's genuine care for each other, and i think that's one of the most beautiful things of their dynamic. it's that beneath all the perceived rivalries, they have a very strong relationship and that in the end, they'll support each other through their respective hardships.
and that's the end of this sort-of essay! apologies for the long post, and please let me know if there's anything i missed or if there's anything you think i should add!! and come chat with me about Haikaveh or Alhaitham and Kaveh in general; they're some of my favorite characters!!
Little Yunli is so cute!! Poor bby, the second image shattered me
Itās just so interesting how this sword and the lengths her father went to for perceived glory shaped her ideals and goals now. Beating the ringmaster of the Xianzhou Wardance would give a person so much fame, but Yunli doesnāt care about that; all she wants is to fulfill her grandfatherās wish!!
I just think itās amazing how Yunli didnāt give up her ideals or goals to resolve the problem in her quest
At first I was not a fan of Yunli, because my only impression of her was ātook bby Yanqingās sword and is being stubborn about not giving it backā, but this quest totally changed how I see her. I absolutely love how her experiences shaped her obstinate attitude.
If she defeated Yanqing, she would have had glory and that famous sword, but sheās so rooted in her ideals and trying to make sure her fatherās mistakes donāt harm anyone else. Her values completely triumph over any desire for recognition and I think thatās so admirable.
And Yunli is now a precious bby along with Yanqing <3
giving my thoughts and ideas on Ratio's character stories
I wouldn't call this much of an analysis but we'll see how it goes
Starting out with his first character story, most of it is Professor Rond's recommendation letter.
I'd like to start by sharing my thoughts about Ratio and Rond first before actually getting into dissecting the letter itself.
So, firstly, I'd like to mention that (to my knowledge) we have never heard of or from Ratio's parents. I find that ironic considering what a big shot he is, I doubt that his parents would ever willingly shut up about their son.
Reading that Rond had a 'significant influence on Ratio's upbringing' particularly stands out to me because, at least at the time of the original letter being written, Ratio was in secondary school (Grade 9-12, though some of the wording in the letter lead me to believe he was likely on the lower end of that range).
Now, a high school teacher having a 'significant influence' on someone's upbringing isn't necessarily uncommon, nor are old teachers proud of their past students becoming extremely successful. However these points, alongside the fact that Ratio's parents are nowhere to be seen in canon, lead me to believe that there was some sort of familial relationship between them, especially seeing Rond's reaction to being asked about Ratio as well as how he had kept the original letter.
Moving on to the actual letter.
Grade skipping is a pretty common practice where I'm from, as it allows learning at the appropriate/needed level (ignoring the fact that the school system is in shambles).
However, the way this is phrased is as if Rond were trying to convince him to be able to skip grades. If he were in grade 11 or 12 I feel like it would not have been phrased this way, which is what leads me to believe he was likely younger, possibly fresh out of middle school.
The highlight on creativity is just because it makes me smile honestly, also it ties into one of my earlier posts about how I think Ratio would adore the subject of art.
I would like to return to my point of Rond being a potential parental figure to Ratio, seeing as he seems to know his daily routine well enough to confidently write about it in his letter of recommendation.
On to his second character story, which is mostly online posts in a thread-like format.
It wasn't until his eighth doctoral degree that he was awarded with First Class Honors, also since he is the first person to receive such in two amber eras it means he was likely the only one on stage at that time.
It also states that at the time he was already a prominent figure in society, which doesn't surprise me given the accomplishments listed by Rond in the letter despite him being in high school at the time it was written. However, he would most likely be an adult by the time he finished his eighth doctorate.
No real comment on this I found it funny that they put etc instead of continuing to list fields.
I also just find these funny and wanted to share them, but the disagreement on the last comment shows how much people admire him. I feel like that's a topic that's rather watered down in the fandom, but people genuinely admire Ratio a lot and there's plenty of reason for them to.
full-time university teachers tend to teach about 5 courses per academic year, meaning Ratio has been teaching for about 10 years.
Moving onto the third story, which is a statement from a former assistant of his about his desire to join the genius society.
I find this to be an interesting point, it seems like joining the Genius Society would be an obvious next step for a man with so many accomplishments but it's stated not once, but twice that he has never spoken about the subject (to the public at least).
I am a believer in the theory that Ratio hasn't been allowed into the Genius Society due to his humanity/compassion and his desire to spread knowledge to everyone, and I feel like this specification that he's never spoken about the topic could add to this theory.
This paragraph never fails to break my heart, but I do want to talk about the mention of an anti-planetary weapon. I feel like this Anti-planetary weapon that he spent years perfecting was a final attempt at proving to Nous that he wasn't too compassionate or too humane to receive their gaze. I remember reading about this idea more in detail elsewhere and if I can find the analyzation then I'll link it here.
Also, I feel like deep down he always knew that he wouldn't be accepted into the Genius Society, but this day, as Margaret states, was the day he finally realized it, or, fully swallowed that pill.
I find these comments to be interesting as well since they specify the narrow-mindedness of the society however, there is this comment from the Data Bank;
This comment I admittedly stumbled across when looking for something else, but I feel like it perfectly encapsulates Ratio's entire dilemma with the Genius Society, maybe not to Ratio himself but it certainly applies to everyone who comments on his achievements being worthy of Nous' approval.
I am also quite curious about who exactly wrote the 'Decoding Dr. Ratio' that we have read from in all of his character stories. They seem to have a lot of connections for someone who would typically be seen as just another paparazzi or media interviewer, I'm surprised the people listed in his stories would agree to an interview.
Onto his final story, which is about his personality and methods of sharing knowledge.
I mentioned this comment in my character notes post but I find it extremely charming that Ratio remains the same and refuses to change himself or his personality to satisfy those around him.
It is also commented in his second character story by a previous professor of his that his honesty and straightforwardness were a 'Breath of fresh air' at the University.
I love the implication that either; nobody in the entire room had any questions (unlikely), or that they were simply too scared to ask them.
I also find the comment that 'Whenever someone agrees with me, I feel like I must be wrong.' Perhaps he's gotten used to being the only one thinking the way he is or the possibility that people only agree with him so they sound intelligent themselves and weren't truly listening or understanding.
I find these comments interesting as well, a majority of the fandom mischaracterizes Ratio as mean or rude although he literally explains his viewpoints where anyone can access it (which does honestly prove his point about how knowledge is not for everyone.)
Hi sunny :D Iām a tad nervous to ask questions but youāre one of my favorite artists sooā¦ šš
I was just wondering if you have any tips regarding making a comic :,3
thank youā¼ļøš«¶
heey thank you so much! š I'm sure I've responded to this multiple times before but I can't even find the asks on my own blog so here we go again dksjd
this is for a shorter type comic, for comics that are a lot longer like many hundreds pages it's more complicated!
1 - write down the plot with main things you want to have happen and divide it into scenes revolving around these things, expanding on what should happen in each scene with dialogue, notes etc. This helps making sure each scene connects well to the next and also gives you a general idea of how long the comic is gonna be
2 - sketch out pages as rough draft (thumbnailing) so you will know how the action will be distributed across the page, I usually sketch all the pages in one scene at the same time so you can know in advance where a scene is gonna end it's not gonna be 2 panels into a new page if u don't want it to
3 - when figuring out how a scene plays out you can sorta imagine it like a movie in your head and you choose angles you like or that make the scene flow nicely! (as for panel shapes and other technical things I suggest looking at tutorials or looking through comics or manga you like to see how they do them)
4 - this is just if you want to carry out a comic from start to finish! never underestimate how long it takes to make comic pages, so if you want a finished comic I suggest trying out doing something shorter of a few pages to see how you feel about that first, find a way to draw and color them that's comfortable for you! I think around 50-60 pages is manageable, if it goes in the hundreds it's gonna be a long haul (I kinda never want to go there again lmao) so imo avoid spending too much time on full coloring/details/backgrounds in every panel, it can look good but ur gonna get burned out SO fast (a lot of comics get dropped for that reason) most long running comics have simpler styles and assistants to help with coloring, adding text etc
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amandla
