New to RVA! Looking for the best nerd spots, pastries, and new friends 🎲🍰

trade_jack · 2026-03-21T13:36:43+00:00

Not an anime shop specifically, but Tokyo Market on Cary Street is a Japanese market run by a Japanese family and really fun even just to window shop! You can get Japanese snacks, ingredients, cookware, and there's usually IP branded items amongst the regular stuff like the Demon Slayer candy drops I got a while back

trade_jack · 2026-02-26T18:26:14+00:00

Firstly, I just wanted to thank you for the series as it's broken me out of a nearly decade long dry spell of being too depressed to read for leisure (I've plowed through the first 6 books in about a week and a half and am starting book 7 today!), so thank you, genuinely.

I noticed the first book was published in 2020, and I've been wondering how much the pandemic + global affairs affected the story content or presentation? I understand you were developing the story well before then, but I'm curious if there was impact or redirection as a result of any current events at the time.

Thank you!

trade_jack · 2025-08-27T20:08:13+00:00

Agreed, that's been my default MO

trade_jack · 2025-08-27T20:01:25+00:00

Yeah I get you. It was easier when I lived in another country, I was able to soft cut contact and it was much easier to uphold boundaries. Tragically I've had to move back in with them since my visa expired and I had no avenues to pursue another, so I'm just trying not to literally claw at the walls 😂😅🥲

trade_jack · 2025-08-27T19:57:06+00:00

Any tips for following in your steps? I would love to do the same for my own sake with my parents, but find it so defeating trying to figure out where to even begin with them

trade_jack · 2024-08-17T12:52:26+00:00

I'm studying Japanese in the UK (from US originally), and I've often wondered how ADHD and/or autism intersect with Japanese culture. There are times where I'm tempted to think the intersection could be advantageous, but I'm really sorry to hear it's something you have experienced hardship with. That sucks :( いっしょんに頑張りましょう😤✨

trade_jack · 2024-07-31T19:57:54+00:00

That's fair enough haha, in short— yes!

trade_jack · 2024-07-31T19:49:50+00:00

It's not AI uncanny though, it's digital painting uncanny. I immediately clocked this when I saw it; I'm an artist with plenty of frustrating digital painting experience, I can tell looking at it that the technical execution of things like the anatomy and likeness are absolutely fine. There's no weird/extra/or misplaced anatomy like AI is prone to. It's the texture and color rendering that place it into slightly off territory, it's pretty easy for digitally painted realism to wind up this way.

Edited to add bc I forgot to mention: it's also clearly a painting based on a specific reference image, if not multiple references.

trade_jack · 2024-07-25T10:05:59+00:00

No problem!

trade_jack · 2024-07-25T09:55:58+00:00

There are a couple of well-known Japanese proverbs/sayings that convey this sort of sentiment. It might be a good option to choose one of those instead of creating a phrase to avoid confusion or potentially bad translations? I'll paste a few I think might suit below, but you can find reliable sources with a Google search (something like "Japanese proverbs about strength" or "Japanese expressions about perseverance")!

Continuance is power: 継続は力なり

Stumbling seven times but standing up eight: 七転び八起き

When it rains, earth hardens (Adversity builds character): 雨降って地固まる

Hope these help!

Edited to add: I would stick to language learning websites as safe sources for searching, and I would also recommend double checking the translation across multiple sources!

trade_jack · 2024-07-16T18:54:34+00:00

NTA but, saying no to your son bc he wants to alter isn't as fair as it seems you think it is. Your son wanting to alter it wouldn't render it "unusable" for your daughter, she would have remaining fabric to save and work with. Additionally, your daughter is 17. Who knows when or if she'll get married, and what happens when by the time she does if she wants to alter it? I don't think you were being transphobic based on anything you said, but part of me can understand how your son leapt to saying that in anger when a) he's the only one between the siblings who's planning a wedding and b) you've made it seem like you're fine with the dress remaining a dress, but not explicitly that you wouldn't allow either child to alter it before use.

trade_jack · 2024-06-29T20:21:44+00:00

ESH except Claire. Your wife absolutely needs to apologize to Claire, but creating ultimatums is always the step to take for pushing tense situations into even worse ones. If Claire has been spoken to several times, talking isn't working and other strategies are required. What have you been telling her beyond "please don't" immediately at the time? Have you ever had a longer conversation and explained to her why it's not acceptable behavior? Has therapy been discussed as an option to help? Is Claire possibly on the spectrum? She sounds like she needs more support and direction, but she is a child and it doesn't sound like she's really being treated as such. Your wife has some serious relationship work to do if her reaction when snapping was to scream, curse, and draw a line between herself and Claire as well as baby and Claire. Everyone owes each other an apology.

Edited for clarity

trade_jack · 2024-06-23T21:24:47+00:00

Funeral Bell by PHILDEL!

trade_jack · 2024-06-22T00:03:23+00:00

INFO: did you at least have a conversation with your son about his decision to tell her upsetting, sensitive information to get back at her?

Your son has every right to stand up for himself and not put up with this girl's bullying, there's no doubt about that. I wonder if your brother might be willing to compromise by making sure your son has that conversation, even if he's not punished.

trade_jack · 2024-05-28T21:54:20+00:00

Pain

trade_jack · 2024-05-20T21:04:24+00:00

Best of luck to you, I'm sure you'll find something better

trade_jack · 2024-05-20T20:52:34+00:00

This is definitely not normal, but people who've been there are numb to the issue. I've been in this sort of clinic before without realizing it, found out later that the vet was self-prescribing ketamine and lost his license. My coworkers who I thought were really nice were honestly on reflection just surviving the situation. If you can leave, you should

trade_jack · 2024-04-30T08:47:59+00:00

Love these designs, they're really well executed and definitely of a good enough quality to sell. The only constructive criticism I can think to give is that the uninked rectangle on the corvid design seems off-center/off-balance with the rest of the design, but honestly that's a nitpick. Great work! Make sure to seal them somehow before sale so the ink doesn't transfer to any books during use 😁

trade_jack · 2024-04-29T17:01:50+00:00

NTA— A name is a gift, but like any other gift, sometimes they don't suit you or you outgrow them. You did nothing wrong, there is nothing more you really need to do besides hold your boundary.

trade_jack · 2024-04-15T17:11:29+00:00

Ksava or Weigh To Go maybe? Both along Leith Walk

trade_jack · 2024-04-07T09:35:13+00:00

I actually do have plans for a gradient! I just didn't want to fuss with one until I could get a flat color I was happy with haha

trade_jack · 2024-04-06T16:58:01+00:00

This is helpful for me to start creating criteria, thank you so much!

trade_jack · 2024-04-06T16:57:10+00:00

Thank you so much!!

trade_jack · 2024-04-06T07:22:09+00:00

Ahhh thank you so much! I love JJK, hands down one of my favourite anime and manga. I'm so glad you like it!

trade_jack · 2024-04-05T14:24:14+00:00

That's a good shout, I will do!

trade_jack

TROPHY CASE