Toko! I was thinking of creating an ask the character blog for IDV or Genshin Impact and wanted a few tips on how to start off. Anything you can share?

ey yo my dude!! thank you so much for this question, now im lowkey tempted (again) to make a genshin ask blog sjadhlkshgkahshglsaj anyway my 1.5 cents is under the cut, yall know how much i talk here HAHAHAHAH

uhhhhhh so i guess we start with picking a character u really Vibe with tm? I KNOW THIS SOUNDS LIKE COMMON SENSE BUT LIKE ive been considering making a genshin ask blog for a while now but i never really got to it cos i couldnt really decide on a character (plus the fact that their outfits are. so intricate. is also a hmm since i try to follow details to a t) (at first i wanted to do zhongli, but i feel like to be able to muse him well u need to know the lore super super well, which i dont n im too lazy to research on that aha. n u know how much i respect characterizations, especially for such a complex character like him. i also considered xiangling for a period of time mostly for guoba but also like i have 2+1 blogs here n having one more might not be a very good idea aha) (as for aesop he was my Hyperfixation Character tm also cos i looked at his kit n went Yep i could work with this. probably)

so assuming ur not a dumbass like me n u kinda know who u wanna pick, id actually say to snoop around here for other ask blogs n kinda get a feel of the... scene? is that the word? or like u know, other blogs that u can potentially vibe with. ive run a couple of ask blogs before this current one (both that have died for different reasons) n from my experience interacting with other blogs (if theyre okay with it, i think most should be) is pretty fun. it also kinda helps get ur blog around to other ppl on other blogs so they can go Oh whats this cool shit n check u out, n its also a reason why we kinda reblog promo posts for other blogs (also cos we’re always excited when someone new comes on, its really the more the merrier. we see all :eyes:). interacting with other blogs is also an option when ur inbox is looking real roomy too

another reason why i havent exactly done a genshin blog is that idk i cant actually seem to find genshin ask blogs around (i have seen rp blogs, or those that answer asks with mostly text instead of art, but thats. not my thing since i hate my own writing aha) (i did find one aether blog some time ago, but for some reason i hardly see them around anymore??? idk man i might be wrong). its not like im trying super hard to find them ask blogs, so im sure they exist out there (hopefully?? im not sure but im being optimistic). i mean theres nothing wrong with just starting an ask blog without others around, but for me i do find a difference when i interact with other ask blogs n when i dont, n i prefer when theres others to have fun with (unfortunately i couldnt find any ask blogs to interact with in my previous fandom. i tried, but the blogs i approached seemed to go inactive shortly afterwards...) plus u get to meet friends that way too :D (i made a lot of friends via idv askblogs n its really been a joy vibing with others)

as for the idv scene. gestures around me. unfortunately there are a lot of ask blogs that arent that active anymore, but theres still some of us who are alive n kicking empty inboxes, n im sure everyone would love to see a new face around. winks at u. also there seems to be a lot more blogs popping up lately, which is really heartening to see.

then u kinda just. make ur blog? n a starting introduction post so ppl can reblog it n spread the word XD n yay u have a blog i guess??? XD

i gotta say tho. dont expect ur blog to take off immediately (especially for smaller fandoms like idv, tvbh i didnt think my blog would even get half this far when i started cos of how non existent idv tumblr seemed to be) n ur inbox will probably be looking pretty empty a lot of the time (or at least filled with some that u havent quite thought of how to reply to yet aha) (but also like empty inboxes happen pretty often, im sure most of us here have experienced this problem)

in the case of the first ask blog i ever started, it never really took off at all. ngl it was kind of demoralizing n depressing but to be fair i had picked one of the more obscure characters in the series, so obscure that many ppl in the fandom would have never heard of this character before. if u wanted to know, i took a character that only appeared in the 2nd musical of the series, who also made a very brief cameo in the manga to acknowledge his existence within that universe. thats how obscure my character was, but i went with him purely because he was my favourite character. i will say though i did enjoy it while it lasted n i learnt a lot from the experience, n i think thats whats important really.

i guess this kinda leads on (not really but let me digress) to the whole uhhhh thing where if u choose a more popular character, u get more attention. which is fine i guess? if u really vibe with the character, i mean theyre popular for a reason. n choosing a more popular fandom (like genshin) would objectively also get u more viewers n numbers. but like honestly i believe that ask blogs are meant for u to have fun with, n like trying to get popular gets tiring pretty fast (this shouldnt be like a main goal, but u know sometimes u subconsciously also want that gucci follower count n bomb ass notes or something. i used to be guilty of this until i realized it isnt worth it) especially if ur not enjoying yourself in the process. (case in point: my previous fandom was considerably larger n my blog got about 700 followers within a year or so, but it got very tiring n stressful to maintain after my interest in it died, n no one was really interacting with the blog even though i tried which kinda made it even more depressing despite the so called success n popularity of the blog)

anyway on a less serious note, theres a lot of fun stuff u can do with the ask blog, like some ask blogs have really fancy tags that i really like n try to do but also like not really HAHAHAHA. i kinda just channel what i want to see in an ask blog into my own ask blogs (good art is one, i try very hard for it to be good :,DD another is characterization, n others is just extra miscellaneous arts n stuffs like au ideas or memes. these are also somethings u could work on during ask box downtimes perhaps)

uhhh another side thing is like a posting schedule i guess? like ppl would be more likely to interact (i think) if ur blog is relatively active, n this is usually determined by the last post u made (i think XD). but like generally for blog maintenence id say try to kinda find a frequency that ur comfortable with?? cos i know my once a day posting is kinda insane if i wasnt so hyperfixated on all of this n fight the urge to dump all ur replies when u finish them XD (though ive seen some blogs do that n they do it pretty frequently so its pretty nice to know once u see their post u can spend some time going through the latest batch of posts XD) the queue function is pretty useful here even though i truthfully have never really used it, i kinda just post from my drafts really but it also helps to space out ur content to seem somewhat active especially when u dont have the time to be working on replies sometimes. i hope u know what im trying to say here aha

ANYWAY that was like my 1.5 cents cos i dont even think its worth 2 cents HAHAHAHAH these are just my thoughts from running all my blogs up till now, some that are still running n the others that have just died a natural death. i wouldnt actually delete them (theyre still around actually XD) cos theyre kinda like archives n i can look back at what i did last time. cos ngl i made some high quality stuff back then, n i dont even know how i managed to do that aldhflhdsgk. also ppl do look at archive blogs every now n then for the content thats there yknow

BUT YES anyway if u do decide to join the idv ask blogs hmu, ill be sure to give u a lil shoutout here. winks

Album Analysis: Neotheater

neotheater is possibly one of my favorite albums of all time. i love the way the album opens and closes, it really reminds me of a show and almost like an overture while also being a unique song. the sentimental value each song obviously holds made me want to cry and smile at the same time. in my opinion, the click’s theme or message was about balancing what you want to be and what other people want you to be, and i think that this album is about the ‘human experience’ and things everyone goes through but never talks about (like the Peter Pan factor, which is explained later). I loved the messages of 100 Bad Days and Birthday Party when they dropped, and Dear Winter brought me to tears.

But it’s always better to go in order, so starting from the beginning, Next Up Forever: wanting to never actually peak because then it means you’re never going to be better/or as good as you were at one point or another. this song also pushes into motion the Peter Pan factor that reoccurs throughout the album, not wanting to grow up. but then the flip side shown in the song is not wanting to be left behind. “I know i have to grow up sometime, but i don’t think im ready yet” is the line that really drove it home for me. This song is also musically beautiful and i love love LOVE the chorus.

Next, Birthday Party: Firstly, i love the transition between the songs. i also love the little “wow”s! This song also captures the ‘human experience’ in my opinion because it mentions thoughts everyone has, but doesn’t ever really say out loud (with a few exceptions). Not to mention the upbeat music that for me represented the outlook that the song has, even if it is in a sarcastic way.

My personal favorite to get hype to, 100 Bad Days: this one i feel contributes the most to the theme of ‘the human experience’. the song is about surviving what hurts, and becoming more interesting because of it. it also talks about coping with failure and everything going wrong, which is something that everyone ever can relate to. “i aint scared of you no more” is such a powerful line, saying ‘hey yknow what? im not going to let this keep me down’ which is also something everyone can relate to. This song holds a special place in my heart because it has helped me through a lot even though it hasn’t been out for very long.

Don’t Throw Out My Legos: holy. crap. i heard this song first when i listened to clips from people on The Click tour, but hearing it produced and really complete is an entirely different experience. This song contributes to ‘the human experience’ because it’s about being stuck in this feedback loop of having to let go but not being able to. it also represents a first step to me, because moving out but not moving on is the first step towards being really independent. this song may have the most peter pan feel to it of all!

Break My Face: the way this song starts is my favorite thing ever omg. this song is kinda like realism, cause it gives the pros and cons to every situation in an unbiased way, but also makes a little joke out of it. human experience shows in this one through how it almost sounds tired of life’s crap. “life gives you lemons, at least it gave you something” is an iconic line, and the little callback to Birthday Party with “everything is going great” is super sneaky cause it sounds perfect.

Turning Out Pt.ii: wow. this song is really raw, and it honestly makes me feel so aware of everything. the universal shared experience of being in love with the idea of someone is already near heartbreaking, but then the way it is compared to growing up and, well, turning out and loving how you turn out really drives it home. not being able to actually tell someone and instead having to indirectly imply it is also something people can relate to.

The Entertainment’s Here: if someone were to ask me what song i feel embodies who i am, it would be this song. the alarm part really called me out to be honest. being someone who hyperfixates on things alot, this song is about being bored and starting to think about things way too much and getting bored but then content (in this case, entertainment) is available and i use it as a distraction. “you don’t even gotta use your brain from here” is the most hard hitting line for me. this song embodies the human experience, because it’s about needing to be distracted constantly which is how life is now.

Karma: This song is just.... beautiful. i love how the song is from the point of view of someone at a therapy appointment, because that is something alot of people will be able to latch on to and feel really close to home. another thing people will relate to is doing your best for as long as you can, but not getting any good karma in return and getting gradually frustrated. The callback to 100 Bad Days really hit hard, because it ties the songs together. One, about pushing through everything life throws at you, and the other, about being wound so tightly and straining from said pushing through and never getting a break. The outro of the song is another thing that is going to resonate with so many people. “the universe works in mysterious ways but im starting to think its not working for me” is the summary of it.

Beats: This song reminds me of Im Not Famous, cause it’s about the moral argument of selling out/not selling out. this song is very human to me because it has the recurring theme of being afraid of being forgotten/left behind/fading away. It also gives me Come Hang Out vibes cause of the end.

Wow, Im Not Crazy: This is another song that i think its the epitome of the ‘human experience’ because hearing someone else confirm that youre not alone in something you think is weird about yourself is such an amazing feeling that i feel was captured perfectly in this song. the tone is perfectly reflective of the feeling you get when you hear someone say something you’ve been thinking about forever.

Dear Winter: I have almost no words for this song. The first time i heard this song, i was having a really bad day, some of friends were out together without me, but i watched the video and listened to the song on repeat and things were a little better. The idea of planning your life and skipping over certain parts you can’t actually plan is so relatable, and i think that it says alot about us as humans. It’s in our heads from the beginning that we have to have a plan and we have to know what to do, but sometimes thats impossible and we can’t, so we don’t, and we hope instead. and i think this song reflects that beautifully.

Finale (I Cant Wait To See What You Do Next): The way this song echoes the first track but is still it’s own song is so beautiful. I also love how both songs are reminiscent of old movies or old shows that you would go and see in a theater, but theyre still new (hence neotheater!!!) “They wanted heaven from me, i gave them hell” is so powerful on it’s own, because it is about expectations piling up and just exploding and throwing them off. this song really does a good job of communicating that message. There’s also that little feeling of being behind and overwhelmed after such intense expectations that the song does a perfect job of putting into words and music. It also brings a little of the Peter Pan factor back, talking about not wanting to be forgotten or left behind. being welcomed to the neotheater at the beginning and the end was my favorite little detail in this album.

Overall, this album is an emotional rollercoaster. there are songs that make you think “hey, how did you get into my head?” Theres songs that you listen to get pumped up, songs you listen to to cry, songs you listen to to smile, and much much more inbetween. Overall, this album is about the Human Experience and the things we don’t talk about but always think. Congratulations on your bit of success! welcome to the neotheater, we can’t wait to see what you do next.

Mr Teeth Auxilery Information

But yeah, Anyway to the setting of that poem, Basically, It's a fuggin yuge city built over a ravine.  The Beneath is the name of the Chasm they're built over,  Like a bridge and it;'s filled with all sorts of Nasty things, Basically demons et al 

Fairly precarious at the outer edges but solid as a rock near the center actually paved and stuff Couple of feet thick whereas right out at the edge you can put your foot through the boards. So basically, Mr Teeth was a Magic dude who wanted UNFATHOMABLE POWER etcetera and so turned to communing with demons to get that The Beneathers really don't like humanity, especially those dicks what built a big ol' bridge over their nice view (in truth, the beneathers are actually thriving because they really dislike the light, so they're able to stay out for longer, but it'ss till the principle of the thing) So they aim to bring the bridge a tumblin' down and to that end, they do their best to corrupt people.   It's EASIER if the person is willing, Like Mr Teeth, But if they have someone who can act as a channel (Like Mr Teeth before he became a specter) they can be beamed right into the heads of whoever Also, some psychics are susceptible without but that's basically only those who are both powerful and untrained and most psychics are only one or the other and most are neither.   Ghosts are fairly common, but seldom last for more than a few days,  Unless they're being powered by demonses in which case they're called specters. Specters are visibly corrupted too,  Like, weird spectral glitches. Hence Mr Teeth being called Mr Teeth as his mouth is far too wide for his face and his teeth are fairly dang grody.   Like, when I say far too wide for his face I mean, there's his face and then theres his grin floating about 3 inches out either side.  It's also always facing whoever's looking at him even if they're behind him There're quite a few other spectres flying about the Bridgetown too, Including Ms Smiles who's a pleasant young lady who befriends people when they're at their lowest and escorts them further down, which is only partly a poetic way of saying she encourages people to commit suicide.  She has actually been known to show people ways to climb down to the beneath, Which is harder than it sounds since, while the bridge does have supports,  none of them are in the beneath if for no other reason than the Beneathers'd probably eat them.  the bridge is basically a miracle of engineering with a fair bit of magic backing it up and some of it is being reinforced with the ghosts of people who died during their prison sentences 27 Life sentences MEANS something in Bridgetown.   some poeple also donate their ghosts for the purpose Generally "in case of ghost shortage" Ms Smiles was one of the Powerful But Untrained psychics and had the Beneathers whispering into her head all her life. She thinks she’s being Helpful. 'cause, like, Hey, she died and look at her now! Cool Spooky powers and she can hear her friends talking to her even more clearly! Like Mr Teeth She also has weird Reality Glitch Shit up with her mouth.  It's, like, a Compulsion to hyperfixate on her mouth, and, like Be able to see it, even with your eyes shut.  Quite Possibly even if you're Blind (so like, You're trying to Ignore the fact she's there, and talking to you, eyes screwed shut, hoping she goes away, and nope. She's there. Talking to you.  You can see it through, like, Physical Objects that are between you and her, even if they aren't your eyelids, as well.  You also know when Ms. Smiles has her attention on you. You can feel it, like a physical sensation, The Compulsion to turn and follow the path of her smile as it travels to you. Ms. Smiles is probably the more dangerous of the two, because she can pass as a regular ghost until she decides you're interesting. She's legitimately friendly, she just has a very skewed perspective on The Beneathers and their goals. Mr Teeth is, like, Along with being kind of obviously Not Good What With How He Looks, his demeanour is, like, untrustworthy. The sorta person you think like "wow, he was a bit of a creep" He is legitimately somewhat Charismatic, but at the same time, just kinda. Off. and that was before he was a toothy Phantom The Poem This Ramble Is About Some Excellent Visual Representation Courtesy of @coonillo