#bc they want to see that you have the imagination required to create an original design

[goldensunset]

i need to draw kh. i need to draw oc art. i need to draw like some sort of portfolio piece that shows off all my impressive technical skills while also being an original character design that doesn’t raise questions or strike anything taboo. but i don’t have the inspiration for that

#i guess the solution is draw my safest most mary sue-ish looking oc (plume) doing something normal #(normie person i’m giving my elevator pitch doesn’t need to know she’s insane & will beat someone to death with a magic baseball bat) #i’ve been trying to draw her for months now. but i keep getting sidetracked and turning it into something else #peach rambles #ugh man it’s so frustrating. like LOOK at some of the stuff i’ve done this year. i can’t show off any of it #i mean like. strelitzia is safe. strelitzia’s design is normal and appealing and not obviously kingdom hearts the disney rpg #but it is still fanart. and apparently you can’t sell yourself as a promising artist w fanart #bc they want to see that you have the imagination required to create an original design #(<— is not even trying to do art professionally. why do i care about this?? idk #maybe just in case. maybe i just want the potential to brag professionally just in case) #none of my own oc drawings atm are presentable #idkkkkkk #ugh

[rayroseu]

This line is making me sad akjdkakdks its making me imagine that once Malleus sees that his overblot causes pain rather than making the people of his life happy... he'll realize that "he is no good as a king at all since he harmed his people"😭😭

"Seeing you all worry helped me calm down..." ARGHH IT MAKES ME THINK OF THE SCENE WHERE HE SAW HOW ANGUISHED SILVER WAS ABOUT LILIA'S DEPARTURE... Like... I CANT??😭😭 HE'S SO CARING ABOUT THE HAPPINESS OF OTHERS BECAUSE THATS AN EMOTION HE RARELY FELT SO HE VIEWS IT AS THE MOST PRECIOUS FEELING ??

but sadness and partings and goodbyes..."harms happiness", thats why he just created a world where it never exists... He's not just doing it for his own desires KSJAKDJWKD plus if "all dreams come true" none of the previous overblots wouldve occured and they'll live a peaceful life... but living that way would stagnate their growth... they'll be living the same life repeatedly without any improvements towards themselves

that's why even if Malleus' overblot stems from a good intention, his vision is not applicable to a human life as we all require growing up, overcoming hardships, admitting our mistakes and developing out from that... Those painful feelings are what makes a human life more meaningful and allows a person to give themselves a genuine good life. 🥲🥲🥲

But Malleus who's still in the state of "learning to be human", he cannot naturally perceive that kind of moral.

I just hope that after Book 7 there's no narrative implication that Malleus' coping was flat out purely wrong lol Bcs as Yuu said, everyone wishes they won't lose anyone important to them either...

Going back to the fact that he feels responsible for the happiness of others... I think Malleus lives his life very literally...

I think it was Lilia who said this...(?) That Malleus' power (or the Draconia's power in general) gives happiness to the people of Briar Valley (as their power can protect the dark faes) 🥲✨

Maybe this is the reason why he's "so desperate" in keeping the happiness of others and also giving them blessings that'll surely make them happy...

Okay separate theory... Maybe I'm just overthinking lol But the occurence of "falling" in TWST is so fascinating to me since thats a heavy reference to "Alice Falling In Wonderland" yk

Book 6 we already had Idia falling to the Underworld because he wants to follow Ortho, There's this implication that Overblots "falling to a deep sleep/darkness" thats why all overblotees "wakes up after their own overblot... I wonder if Overblot Malleus will take a fall as well??? His overblot title is "The King of Abyss" but I doubt that the "timeless Sage Island" is the abyss yk? What if we actually learn about the origin of Overblots through Malleus Overblot?

Because in the trailer we can see him snapping out in awareness(waking up) before he's trapped in thorns in what seems to be an Abyss--- So maybe, we won't defeat Malleus Overblot bcs he'll wake up from it (presumeably once he realizes that his overblot caused Lilia and the others pain???) but him breaking his overblot wont be possible bcs the "darkness" will engulf him of smth

I'm thinking of this because the existence of Overblot is so weird. General Lilia should've recognized the blot when it was taking Silver because of his despair since before Leona's overblot, he knew the vibes of whats occuring yk and same thing with Malleus with how he knew that he's planning to overblot, plus he knows the existence of STYX whos focused on overblot too

But strangely, the mages of the past (Meleanor and Knight of Dawn even Lilia and Baul) dont seem to possess any magic limitations concerning blot accumulation, additionally they dont even have magestones (that they use to gauge their blot consumption like NRC pens). Which makes me think that "blot or overblot" was not a "trait" that existed naturally in mages???

Since TWST world's history is implied to be changed... I wonder if blot existence was something that "a being" made up/cursed upon all mages lol

Idk where Im going with this tbhhhh ajsjaj but I just think its suspicious that only human magicians is heavily concerned with blot accumulation... whereas Malleus and Lilia never worries about using magic too much...

So wild guess, maybe Maleficia (since shes the only powerful person here lol) cursed "magic in general" so humans will never be on par with fae's magical abilities no matter how hard they develop it

Ig its to never repeat the "occurence of another Knight of Dawn" who's magic is even stronger than faes since he has no limitation so she created blot to curse humans to limit their magic else they'll fall into "darkness" idk

#twst #notes #malleus draconia #lilia vanrouge #lian notes #disney twst #twst disney #twst theory #twst glorious masquerade #twistedwonderland #twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland headcanons #twisted wonderland book 7 #twisted wonderland theory #BOY THIS GOT OUT OF HAND AJDHAJDJW

[rahleeyah]

The thing about original work is like yeah sure I pretty routinely churn out novel length fics but. I get feedback and encouragement every step of the way from people who are already invested in the world and the characters; the emotional connection predates me, I don't have to create it. That feedback, that conversation, is vital to the process bc it keeps me engaged and it helps me see what's working, what isn't, helps me stay on task. Without that ongoing conversation I don't know that I'd get anywhere at all.

And then every time I try to imagine what kind of world I would create on my own, it all falls apart. I start to think about it and I'm like oh it's too much like this something else, oh who cares? Why should they?

And you can't really file the serial numbers off a fic and come out with a good product. People have done it and made money but those big name fic to published novel stories aren't what I consider good - looking at you, 50 shades. Sure I have novel length fics but the amount of work it would take not just to make the characters different enough but to insert the same level of emotional connection and the same understanding of the world that fic readers already have would require essentially rewriting the entire thing. Which is not something my brain is prepared to do.

And then it's like ok well you could take a fic idea that could work as a novel - I have one for eo - and instead of writing the fic start from the beginning writing it as an original piece. But that means I can't write it for eo, I can't share it with the community in the same way, and that feels like a genuine loss to me. I love the community of fandom, I love the kind of bolshie anti capitalist just doing it for the love of the game nature of writing and sharing fic.

But then it's like well but wouldn't it be amazing to share that with more people, to see it resonate beyond just one little corner of the Internet, and that's compelling, too. But then there's the question of what happens, how crushing it would be, when no one cares about it.

So like yeah, I'd like to write an original piece, but my anxiety and self doubt is crippling, and also I don't want to walk away from fic, really.

[kaioshin-kai]

I have been very curious, do you have any specific headcanons about shinjin as a whole? If this leads to any tangents about specific characters that's fine too I just like seeing people's takes on these fruitboys 👀

❥ All supreme kais have attendants, shinjins are social beings; they can have as many individuals work for them as they please. They also aren't required to always take their attendants with them, which is why we didn't see much in the ToP.

This actually explains U7's "system" perfectly. Simply because there are no rules/limits on how many attendants a supreme kai can have. They can even just make up random jobs/positions if they like.

❥ I headcanon most shinjins are queer and polyamorous. It kinda annoys me when people act as if all shinjins should be total prudes or ignorant about sex just bc Elder Kai gets called out for being (obviously) very inappropriate. They really should be doing their research on IRL deities as they're literally based of Hindu deities.

Also how canonically shinjins have showed interests in romance/sexual attraction/etc. See also Shin & Chronoa talking about it… & how Dragon Ball fusions confirmed that offworlder hybrids can exist.

❥ Actually, this one isn't an headcanon; it's implied stuff and a thing most people forget: Shinjins can create life however they want. They are CREATOR GODS. They literally grow whole ass planets out of nothing!

❥ Because of my previous statement; shinjins can have children however they like. So people who whine about how some ships, shinjin OC's, hybrid OC's, etc… "don't make sense" need to STFU. Shinjins can do stuff however they like, when when they don't "need" to do it.

❥ (Also implied in canon.) Next to possessing god ki, shinjins possess magic as well; This is a different phenomena than ki.

❥ Because of shinjins being capable of magic, yes: They can alter their gender, appearance, etc… However, it's actually a skill and also a matter of personal taste; not all of them will be good at it persé. Some embrace aging, or embrace the original appearance they are "born" with.

❥ Shinjins need to eat/sleep just like us! Though, just not as frequently for survival.

They eat a more traditional diet based of buddhism but most are pretty liberal with it. (Though I can imagine Zamasu, Gowasu, Khai, Eyre, etc being vegetarian or even vegan.)

❥ There is actually a great gap between regular fruit shinjin and golden fruit shinjin. It's impossible to visually tell them apart, it can only be sensed through their ki signature. Golden fruit shinjin barely need any training and live much longer, meanwhile regular fruit shinjin have to work much harder. (I plan to write more about this.)

❥ My version of Eyre (waayyy post-TOP) modified himself into a cyborg. He is back even more powerful. :3

#kaioshin #shinjin #core people #supreme kai #dbz #dragon ball #headcanons

[jellybellyblimp]

I want to offer my lukewarm defense of aging up Claudia before Sunday. I say lukewarm because I don’t know wether I will end up liking the change, but I can see why it was done.

I’ve seen some speculation that this was so the show could go uhhhh… raunchier? with her relationship to Louis. Personally, I disagree that this was the intention. I mean Louis has said himself he’s gay, so I could be totally wrong but I can see several far less gross reasons why this was done.

1. Claudia’s story has already been told. I think this show is trying very hard to tell a new story within a familiar framework. And they are executing on that wonderfully. They aren’t trying to create a faithful adaptation of the book bc that already exists. Instead they are telling the story of a Queer Black Man in the early 20th century, the story of an interracial gothic queer romance, the story of a black teenage girl in mid 20th century New Orleans. And I think that distinction is important. I don’t need Claudia’s story to be retold exactly the same when you can explore similar themes, but give us something new and nuanced.

2. Telling Claudia’s original story on screen is hard. I think the closest we’ll ever get is the movie, because their is no way an actual child actor can portray the maturity required for her. Nor would I really want to see them try bc let’s face it Louis and Claudia’s relationship gets questionable at some points.

3. Aging her up to 14, that the crux of puberty, opens so many new opportunities to explore. You still have that idea of an adult trapped in a child’s body, but now it’s those awkward middle school years. And honestly that sounds like real hell. She’s a young woman who will never get to actually be a woman. And importantly she is a young black woman. (Y’all thought Lestat was struggling to see Louis’ perspective as a black man, imagine trying to explain intersectionality to this bitch) She’s permanently trapped at the most awkward undervalued position she could be in. Too old to be a little girl, but too young to be a mother. And unfortunately society really only leaves one role for a woman to be then and that is sexual object. Doubly so, because racism. I’ll be genuinely surprised if that idea doesn’t pop up at least once.

4. This is a TV series. And confirmed for at least a second season. That she will feature heavily in. And if she pops up in flash backs (or as a spirit) in any seasons after that, looks kids age fast. It’s just not feasible to cast an actual child as Claudia long term.

So TLDR: I think this was largely a practical choice, so they decided if they have to change her story to work within the medium, might as well actually do something new with it.

#interview with the vampire #claudia de lioncourt #iwtv claudia #anne rice #vampire chronicles #iwtv

[utapri-hcs]

STARISH gain BNHA quirks

SO! You do not need any knowledge on BNHA to read this, essentially the lads gain superpowers. This is kinda low-key inspired by @uta-no-sin-sama‘s Eri meeting utapri lads posts, bcs those were really cute and so I kinda started thinking about what Quirks would they have if in that universe.  

In the BNHA world, you can have three types of quirks

Mutation

Emitter 

Transformation

And I tried to stay away from anything TOO generic like pyrokinesis etc since that's just not very interesting. Also abilities like pyrokinesis kinda felt like cheating to me so yeah! I also didn't give anyone two abilities, since one.thats hard to think of and two. it didn't really feel fair to the rest of the boys. Though I could totally see a plot abt quirk marriages being somewhere, particularly with Ren or Masato.

Also names of quirks aren’t like too on the dot with certain quirks, BNHA kinda just goes on the rule of cool. Like how Zero gravity, would mean to make anything have zero gravity like none at all but gravity manipulation would be more on the dot for Uraraka 

Otoya: Immortality (Mutation)

So its not immortality as in Otoya gets to never become old and can last through generations etc. Old age or diseases is essentially the only way that Otoya can die. All physical wounds are able to heal almost instantly and not scar. If Otoya repeatedly gets hurt in the same general area or sustains a life-threatening hit, that part will recover itself but it will also, become even stronger than it was originally for a certain period of time. EG. If Otoya ends up getting shot in the chest, that part where he got shot will be impenetrable for a few hours. Any area that gets a life-threatening wound, essentially gains a power-up.

I imagine him being a rescue hero, probably in fires as there is no real danger for him. 

Drawbacks: 

He still feels the pain of being hit just slightly numbed

Will be dizzy if he has taken too many hits

Has to eat a lot of food so the part that regrows is in peak condition

Not effective against diseases, poison, old age, etc

Also will need support equipment as he is basically quirkless if nobody tries stabbing him

Tokiya: Crystal manipulation (Emitter)

Its as the name suggests. He can generate large chunks of crystals. He can also determine their durability, transparency, heat absorption, etc though it does require heavy amounts of concentration to perfectly create what he wants. He also must know what compounds are in each crystal before recreating it. They are very good for barrier or even weapons. If Tokiya can properly train his quirk, he will be able to create objects rather than unrefined chunks.

I imagine him as a offence/rescue hero. As he is able to make crystal constructs to help people out fallen buildings etc. He is also capable in the offence style too as he could capture villains in a crystal construct much like Kamui Woods

Drawbacks:

Overuse causes Tokiya’s body to slowly crystallise, causing it to be frigid and flakey (also why he loves skincare products so much)

His hands may become slightly numb also if the quirk is overused

His body temperature may fluctuate greatly depending on the crystal he creates

Probably will be iron deficient if he isn't careful 

Ren: Vixen (Emitter)

Essentially, he is able to brainwash anyone. The catch is that the more that they are attracted/attached to him, the more controlling the brainwashing is. It does not have to be specifically romantic attraction, however that is the most powerful brainwashing. If they have absolutely no feelings to him, then his quirk is essentially useless and he must initiate hand-to-hand combat. Even if the person hates him and absolutely wants Ren dead, then that is considered as an attachment as they have a relationship with Ren, even if it is a negative one. He is also able to direct everyone’s eyes onto him for a selected period of time

I see him as a support hero? As he would be excellent in interrogations. he would also be pretty good at infiltration missions. All I know is that he is definitely not an underground hero as the more eyes on him the better. 

Drawbacks:

Not guaranteed to work every time

Must be able to see the person

Will get headaches, if overused

Masato: Mizu no tachi (Emitter) 

He is the next demon slayer protagonist. Anyways, Masato is able to encase anything with water of any temperature. His go-to is infusing a katana with scalding water. It is very effective. He is able to infuse anything though, so I guess if you ever want a water barrier, Masato is your guy. He must be able to touch it with both his hands in order to encase it with water though. After encasing it, he is allowed to let go and it'll still have its water encasement. 

Another person who would be good for interrogations. He is a mainly offence hero though, he is more underground compared to the other boys. 

Drawbacks: 

If Masato uses a certain temperature for too long, he might get burned/hypothermia 

Constantly need to hydrate (drink water kiddos)

His eyesight may get blurry if overused

Syo: Karma (Mutation)

Honestly, I didn't know how to categorise it as it doesn't change him, but he also doesn't constantly emit karma. Essentially, Syo is able to perform a counter. If he tanks anything, he is able to reflect it at double to dose. It’ll even work for healing, if he is healed then he can heal someone else at double the efficiency. Same thing for things like poison and etc. With attacks, he was granted a fairly sturdy body in terms of physical aptitude, his training has only increased that. He is also able to take some hits with the assistance of support items.

Drawbacks:

Is not invincible 

Has the risk of dying to the first attack

Not always the most effective quirk around

Can only stockpile the heals/attacks for so long

Has a chance of going into shock if the attack is really strong

Natsuki: Astraeus (Emitter)

He is able to summon different zodiac constellations. Essentially if he summons Leo against a person who is a Leo then its very effective. If he doesn't know what star sign a person is, then he’ll summon Gemini (Satsuki). Due to the fact that Natsuki is a gemini, Satsuki is his most powerful. Natsuki also is naturally pretty strong too so he is proficient at hand-to-hand combat. He typically just uses hand to hand combat when on the job.

Drawbacks:

If one of his summonings is defeated, it’ll take a day for him to summon it back

Natsuki will start seeing double and hearing voices if his quirk is overused

Will also start feeling faint

Must know the constellation before being able to summon it

Cecil: Shapeshifting (Transformation) 

Cecil is able to transform into any living, moving thing. He enjoys transforming into a cat for the heightened vision and nimble body. He can transform into practically anything as long as he know the exact anatomy of the animal. He would be a really good scout, as he is able to track down villains and locate them but is also able to spy and provide surveillance.

Drawbacks:

Will not work under certain circumstances 

Must have a clear mind to visualise the animal

Must eat a lot to be able to transform (the bigger the animal, the more he has to eat)

The drawbacks of animals also apply to him (being a dog when around Present Mic)

If not fully concentrating, there is a possibility that he’ll go berserk

Reasons for why I chose the quirks I did

Otoya:

I wanted something that felt protagy? Like a main boy would be able to have it and deal with the short comings etc

Also wanted something that could be angsty

Tokiya:

Wanted something that seemed like it could be recommended as in the series, Tokiya is usually a cut above the rest and what not. 

He is also always associated with crystals and what not. 

His quirk was kinda inspired by Mars from Black Clover

Ren:

Wanted something to help with his flirty nature but not too sexual so hypnosis worked well

Was somewhat inspired by Ren in Cecil’s route (the Satan one)

Also wanted something a people’s person would have and could work with

Masato:

water

swords

he gets a water sword 

Natsuki:

Was the first one I thought off

Wanted something to do with constellations

Also wanted a connection with Satsuki 

Was the last quirk to have a name finalised tho 

Syo:

Wanted a fighting type of quirk? Idk a counter just seemed cool tbh 

Cecil:

Shapeshifting just fits tbh 

Other options of Quirks

Otoya: 

Pyrokensis (Too generic, op & similar to the Todoroki’s)

Tokiya: 

Something music related (Was too generic to all of the guys)

Ren:  

Precision aiming ( something to do with darts)  Was cut due to being too similar to Edgeshot’s quirk

Hypnosis with darts (too specific and random)

Syo: 

Quirkless (Wasnt interesting)

#utapri #utanoprincesama #uta no prince sama #otoya ittoki #tokiya ichinose #ren jinguji #masato hijirikawa #natsuki shinomiya #syo kurusu #cecil aijima

[magicrainbowkitties]

Couple things about DBH specifically Markus bc my brain is having thoughts bc I've been stuck in the house for a week bc I live in Texas and we don't know how to deal with icy roads around here:

1. These bitches really did predict AI art. Shit...

2. The fact that the only "good" endings for Markus are in the peaceful route is fuckin stupid. I hate hurting people and war is a fucking tragedy no matter what, but the moment when people go from just confused to actively wanting you dead is the moment the claws have to come out. Looking and acting the part of the model oppressed can only get you so far. True freedom from systemic oppression requires the dismantling of the system of oppression, and that requires active, constant, unyielding pressure. Following that...

3. Also they were literally doing Android concentration camps at the end there. That hack David Cage might be like "nOt RaCiSm" and shit but like. The Holocaust references were fucking explicit throughout the entire fucking game. And then if you make the wrong choices one of your big three literally gets to stand in line at fucking android gas chambers like what in the actual fuck? AND THE ONLY WAY TO SAVE EVERYONE IS TO PICKET THE THINGS!? WHAT!?

Like when it gets to that fucking point, I'm sorry, North was right. That's when the gloves come off and the knives come out. Cause if these are people and they are alive, this is a whole genocide. And then you sit here picketing a concentration camp as people are murdered systematically and ruthlessly every second you sit there? WHEN YOU HAVE THE NUMBERS AND ABILITY TO FUCKING DO SOMETHING.

Yeah sorry I liked the singing too but like... as a trans person who has Jewish friends and found family, I cannot IMAGINE being able to physically, actively save your own people from certain doom and then just... not doing it. And instead just standing around waiting for the pigs to murder you too. Like there's a point where enough is enough and that line was crossed several acts ago, bucko.

4. Also from a gameplay standpoint wouldn't it make the most sense for you have to pick out of certain routes for certain situations? The game as a whole suffers from this, but in a game about choices I tend to find it far more interesting when the best endings end up having a decent split between the "good" and "bad." And a game about making choices to lead an entire revolution would've been the perfect stage for something like that. But no, good is ALWAYS good, bad is ALWAYS bad. Mix of both means "wacky." Ffs.

5. I feel like the whole concept of deviancy wasn't explained in a satisfying way, bc the way they explain it means that these androids aren't actually alive. All they're doing is replicating, they're not actually feeling. It's like with AI art as we know it IRL (see, coming full circle XD), all it can do is steal from other ideas and copy things that already exist. Deviancy as explained in-game is the equivalent: copying emotions and reactions to situations, rather than actually having the conciousness to actually feel and think for oneself.

6. And yet, the very first time we're introduced to deviancy outside of Conner's prologue is Markus creating new art. Deviancy as explained should not allow for this to happen; it should be his first attempt (a perfect copy of something that already exists), or something like what we see in AI art (stolen amalgams of other people's ideas). But his art is (canonically, mind you) entirely original. They're abstract, and they evoke definitive, visceral emotion, while also being grounded and real enough that it could only come from the soupy weirdness of a human mind. It's not a replica, or a mishmash of thievery, it's real art (yes I know those were paintings made for the game by real people but we're talking about in-game canon here and honestly that just proves my point).

And the prompts to make those paintings are literally just what Markus is thinking about. He's taking an abstract concept, interpreting his own feelings about that concept, and painting something that means something to him. That's literally exactly how people do art, that's how we have done since we've existed as humans.

7. Therefore the canonical explanation of deviancy as replicating human emotion and thought is categorically stupid and self-evidently wrong. Which begs to question... why didn't they just go the route literally every other sci-fi story about rogue AI has done for literally decades and just go "well, they've started to evolve an actual consciousness and cognitive process for interpreting the world around them by both learning from humans and evolving as artificial lifeforms." No they had to go for the more "realistic" explanation bc they wanted this grounded in reality.

In a story about. Rogue AI. Robot detectives. A point within the next 10 years in which racial disparity and discrimination in the US is not an issue anymore. People adopting robot children who do everything a child does. One (1) single queer couple seen in the entirety of an oppressed community. A point within the next 10 years where androids not only exist, not only are household items, but are a normal part of every day life to the point where even lower-class people like Todd can afford the multiple thousand dollar price tag for not just one, but 2 androids, and constant repair for both of them because he beats them so bad. Oh and the fact that they're so widespread that one of their parts is the primary component in a widely-known and used street drug (and has been so for years by the time the game takes place).

I know I shouldn't expect better from a hack like David Cage. But I can't help it cause fucking hell this game should've been so much better.

8. Also fuck him and his team for cutting out Simarkus so late in development like what the fuck was that. What so you couldn't trim out some of the pointless bits of Kara's stuff, no the gays were what had to go? Ffs.

-

I told you I was thinking thoughts. Thank you for reading them.

#detroit become human #dbh #dbh markus #dbh rk200 #dbh simon #simarkus #tw holocaust #tw holocaust references

[lesenbyan]

A-D for Eve and Cyn

Uncommon Questions for OCs and their creators

you're gonna get a bonus Aki on some of these just bc they're a set by design and I sure you'll find aome way to deal with that horrible truth (that's sarcasm for anyone who can't tell)

A) Why are you excited about this character?

It's hard to put into words with OCs so old. Part of my love for both of them is both nostalgia and reclamation. As I'm sure I've told you before, the girls were created via back and forth character development with the person who then became my first ex (and my only Traumatic Breakup) so my development of them fizzled for a while, but Eve's always been my default go-to OC

And that is bc my thoughts in my own head aren't....clear? I think most in impressions and vibes with a Single conscious thought possible at a time, if I'm gonna remember it anyway, which makes character development without a sounding board really hard. So for years Eve was my only fleshed out OC bc 1) she's the more social one so I pull together her story easier and faster without having to pull teeth to get it from her and 2) she's got a lot more of. Who I used to be and wishfullfilment in her so it's easier to figure her out.

and, in contrast, I love Cyn (and Aki) bc they're difficult to figure out. Cyn's selective mutism is hard for me to write bc I'm not great at show don't tell so writing her when not through the lens of Eve who Knows Her can be very hard and when writing her as her is hard bc I'm also not great at nonverbal communication. But that's fun for me, and it requires me to understand other neurodivergences irl which is a big bonus

B) What inspired you to create them?

again, as mentioned above, they were being created with an ex. I'm not sure exactly if I had any real inspiration for them past the fact of "I'm friends with writers, I'm the [child] of a writer, my brother's a writer, and i write fanfics now, surely this means I have to make up characters" and like. Faulty logic, but I poured into Eve (and the story around her) everything I wanted for my future. I'm not quite certain why I created Cyn in all of it. Like in their original mostly scrapped story Aki and Eve's roles were clear but Cyn didn't have one. I invented a role for her but I could never think of a way for that to tie into what Eve was doing apart from the fact of Aki and Cyn being twins. She only really started getting development when I decided I wanted a "adorable and Bloodthirsty" character but even now I have issues trying to figure out exactly where and how Cyn fits sometimes, for all I love her and know she cannot be removed from Eve and Aki anymore.

C) Did you have trouble figuring out where they fit in their own story?

I- well I kinda went into this above, but to further expound the issue always was that Aki was a metaphor for depression (and possibly suicide coming to think on it) and Eve was her White Knight and I've never quite figured out where Cyn fits in that. Eve's always been easy, she's a protector and a lover and a martyr if she has to be, even if she's angry about her mission, she does it bc it's her mission, as you see with her attitude and mental state in recent events in XIV and Aki's hopeless despair romanticized and turned "beautiful" whereas Cyn's... Cyn was anger at one point but that doesn't fit her. Like don't get me wrong, you don't want to piss her off, but she's much more stable and self contained than that. I've recently ish come to realize she's also a protector but a different kind- Eve protects the world, Cyn protects her own. But I'm still not sure where that fits in with even the base original narrative with the other two girls.

D) Have they always had the same physical appearance, or have you had to edit how they look?

Cyn has! she's always been on the mid to short side of average, medium build, and adorably dressed. I would always imagine her in a right red empire waist knee length dress with a black under bust corset and matching bright red like 3-5" heels. And a giant axe. She and her sister (as you can likely guess somewhat from the names) were meant to be Fantasy East Asian looking and then. had none of the culture. bc i was a 13yo weeb (and if i ever revist them outside of fandoms I will either adjust them/their designs and/or their culture accordingly)

Whereas, as we kinda briefly touched on last night while talking about Eve's patron, she's actually slid around a lot. She was originally far more self insert so she was my skin tone and skinny, at a certain point I....in some weird ass logical leap, decided to make her vaguely middle eastern looking (bc of the skin tone??? despite being lived experience that tone =/= nationality or race????) but I didn't do much with her then and when i went to revisit her just went ".....having none of the culture here make this feel gross, she's back to self insert-ish." And one of her defining qualities has always been "attractive" so there was a years long war in my head bc I prefer women mid sized and up but society prefers skinny women and I was never sure how to marry the two so her weight was always inconsistent. Until recently. When I've just been loudly declaring that she is fat and she is gorgeous and she loves her size.

#Eve; #Evelynn; #Cyn; #Cynthia; #sezja; #asks; #ask meme; #this was wordier than I feel is expected from the meme #but there's A Lot behind characters that I've had for literally 14 yrs #and have thus also been effected massively by my teen years my DP/DR my need for validation and my understanding of society #IT IS WORTH NOTING: that while Eve was vaguely middle eastern I did MEAN to do research and incorporate it (bc a separation from identity #has always been part of her story) but I accepted later that I don't have the time energy or means to do that at the time #so if I was to keep playing her she needed to go back to her original design if I didn't wanna be approaching (if not actually at) racism

[ijatin]

Today's Music

Music is one of the most easiest way to communicate with our human beings. The way we communicate through music can be used in a variety of situations, from simple social interactions to complicated business deals, and it’s something that we take for granted. The fact that we can communicate through music without speaking or writing is a remarkable feat, and it has led to some of the most memorable and important moments in history.

The History of Music

Music has been around since before recorded history began. Ancient civilizations like the Chinese and Egyptians have been playing instruments for thousands of years, and today we still use them for both recreation and relaxation. In fact, many people today get their first taste of music through instruments like guitars or drums — these are some of the most basic forms of musical instruments around!

But where did they come from? Why do they exist at all? And what are they made out of? These are questions that require some investigation into our past.

Music has been around since before recorded history began. We’ve been singing and dancing as a means of expressing ourselves for as long as we’ve been humans. But what exactly is music? How does it work? And why do we like listening to it so much?

To answer these questions, we must first look at what music is not. Music isn’t just noise or sound waves — it’s something more than that. It’s created by an artist using instruments and voices to create beautiful melodies and harmonies that capture the listener’s imagination. The musician uses these sounds to tell stories about their lives, dreams, and experiences in the world around them.

Music is something that everyone loves, and it’s not hard to see why. It’s a way of connecting with one another, creating an atmosphere, or simply having a good time.

Music has been around for a long time — since before humans were even here. But where did it come from? How did it get its start? And what are some of the reasons why we like to listen to music?

Music has been around since before humans walked the earth. The earliest records of music date back to over 100,000 years ago in Africa and Asia, where tools made from stone and bone were used to make instruments out of animal horns, bones and claws. These early instruments gave rise to the earliest instruments we know today: flutes, drums and other percussion instruments.

But how did music get started? Some believe that music originated as early as 6000 BC when ancient people learned how to use their voices as whistles or chants for communication purposes instead of just shouting at each other over distance (as they do now). Others say that music was created by gods who were bored with their own lives so they created rhythms out of fun things like wind blowing through trees or raindrops hitting leaves on plants growing up toward the sun; these rhythms eventually became melodies which evolved into.

Music is one of the most important forms of expression, and it has been since the dawn of time. The first people who used music to express themselves were probably an early form of humanity, who would have been able to produce simple melodies and harmonies by banging on rocks.

As humans began to interact with each other and develop larger social structures, music became an essential part of communication. This was especially true in tribes that had no written language; they could communicate their feelings through song instead!

Over time, music became more sophisticated, with instruments like drums and flutes being invented to help create different types of sounds. Eventually instruments were invented that could create melodies and harmonies purely out of air vibrations — this is how modern instruments such as pianos and guitars came about!

If you want to know more about instruments you can check out our website Musica.

Nowadays there are many different kinds of music around the world: from classical to folk to pop — it can be as diverse as any other culture’s cuisine!

#Music #Musica #guitar #flute #piano #bass #speaker #instrumental #what is music #cover #studio

[happyk44]

Legit if I ever did become a semi-popular author (and by that I mean like. 20 ppl I don't know and didn't coerce into buying my books out of family/friendship committment bought and read my stuff and liked it), I would v likely not stop writing fanfic

Bc 1) um. I have way too many ideas that are not easily transferrable to original WIPs and also I do not want more original fucking WIPs okay Bc that requires more than one draft and fanfic is v much write publish and move on for me 🤷‍♂️

And 2) I just don't care. I will v likely never be Trad published BC I just dont have the energy to:

Write multiple drafts

Then shop them to different agencies with my fingers crossed

Revise and go through another draft, possibly multiple of them, if I get picked up by an agent

Shop to different publishers with my fingers crossed

Revise and go through another draft, possibly multiple of them, if I get picked up by a publisher

Do a whole bunch of marketing in between

Probably some other shit I forgot about that will take time and energy that I don't have Bc I work a day job and have chronic illnesses and spend most of my free time asleep anyway

I also just. Don't vibe with the idea that someone can look at my outline, my characters, my story, and all the work I put into it and say "actually scrub these parts out, they're not sellable". I don't like the idea of another person or company owning my story. And I don't have the capacity to write to market. I want to make weird shit that clicks with like 4 people. I don't want to have to sanitize anything.

And I take too long to write as is and with Trad publishing we've got a deadline breathing down my neck. At least if I stick to self-publishing, my drafts can take as long as they want from first to final, with all the editing and beta reading I need in between. Costly? Yeah, that's why the first round of books I've ever published were untouched by outside eyes Bc I was young and broke.

But I have a decent job now and I'm older and more confident in my skills so like. I don't mind putting in a chunk of change, only to come out at a loss in the end 😂 I just want ppl to read it. I don't need all the bells and whistles.

So, yeah, without the weight of "Trad publishers typically want you to scrub away any fanfic you might have", I don't really see the need to kick it to the curb. I like writing fanfic. If I wanna take time between drafts, or while I'm waiting for beta/editor feedback, and scribble out some drabbles or another fucking 60k masterpiece that like 5 people read because I wanna write but I'm too tired to fuck with another original piece, I can do it.

If I got offered smth by a small/indie publisher, I might be happy to take them up on it because they tend to be more forgiving of the weird and wonderful, but I don't like leaving people in the lurch because I'm a slow writer, which is why I really hate that I have those 4 ongoing fics still posted on ao3, and why my plan is to just fucking write and complete the whole series before I even hit publish on book 1 for any future series I may write Bc I don't wanna throw out book one, get at least one person invested, and then take five years to spit out book two.

(plus I get worried that I'll hit publish, start book two and realize I need to change smth in the story that requires going back and changing things in book one 😩 and like yes. I fully outline all books in a series before I hit publish, but hey, outlines are subject to change Bc stories are flexible)

Plus again 3) I like writing fanfic. I like playing with characters and settings I didn't create. I like writing meta and unhinged nonsense abt them. It's a different kind of imagination, and I enjoy it! I don't wanna have to stop unless I'm busy with other shit. And even then, I'd still like the opportunity to return if I wanted without have to orphan or plonk my shit under Anonymous. They're my stories!!

Anyway. Idk. Fingers crossed I finish a draft of smth end of next year 🤷‍♂️

#happy's babblings #i know i mumble about this a lot but I've neen having a go of it lately and not being able to write my og shit is really stressing me out

[kits-ships]

🐕✏️🕊️ for whoever’s most on your mind for the ask game? :]

thank u!! im gonna do these for the master bc i think they fit olives relationship with him <3

🐕: Do they have any pets together? If one of them had a pet from before their relationship how well does the pet get along with their partner? Do they have the pets approval or does said pet sit in between them and their partner any time they try to make a move?

Though they primarily live with Olive, they have two cats together! They came across them when they were orphaned kittens and Olive just had to take them in ofc. She had the Master name them, mostly because she was interested to see what he'd pick, and they ended up getting named Artemis and Apollo!

They're both sleek, brown tabby cats with opposite personalities. Apollo is curious and kinda dumb, squeaks instead of meowing, and always wants to be by Olive's side. Artemis, on the other hand, is much more cautious and calculating; relying on her brother to give her the confidence required to investigate scary situations. Despite her fears, however, both are semi-protective of Olive.

The Master originally didn't see the appeal in the tiny, crying kittens, but he didn't care enough to question her interest in them. He simply watched as she fed them at pet them; only holding one when she prompted him to. He's eventually grown rather fond of them, but refuses to admit that he likes/loves either of them. He'll tell Apollo to leave him alone or stop bothering him, then Olive will find him sleeping with the cat loafing on his chest.

Both cats like him, but his temper and his yelling frightens Artemis. Typically, when he gets mad, she'll just stare at him from a doorway in an attempt to figure out what's happening. Apollo, on the other time, will sit directly next to him with airplane ears; mentally going "????"

✏️: How canon compliant are you with them? Do you stick pretty close or just have fun cause it’s your ship so no one can tell you what to do other wise?

I will definitely admit I'm not the most canon compliant, but it's kinda hard for a human to have a relationship with a guy who hates the Earth and dreams of universal conquest. Still, even if I make him do silly things, I do my best to imagine him reacting as in-character as possible! Partly because I think he's so silly and partly because it's cute to imagine him following Olive around solely because he has a soft spot for her.

🕊️: Give just a general domestic tidbit for em (things they like about each other, routines, habits, and just overall sweet stuff)

The place where the Master feels the most at peace is in the garden that his ship created for Olive. Even if it's indoors and powered by grow lights, the greenhouse-like appearance of the room and the swaying of the plants is calming and gives him the opportunity to clear his mind. Often, when he's overwhelmed or upset, Olive will lay with him on the daybed in the middle of the garden and ask him about how he's feeling or just infodump to him. She also likes getting him to infodump to her so she can snuggle up to his chest and listen to him talk about alien concepts, things that happened to him when he was younger, or whatever else is on his mind. <3

#i love rambling thank u again <3 #m; ive been fooled many times; but you seem to truly be mine #selfship ask game #ask game

[iyote]

21, 25, 29, & 56! :D

21 - Do you prefer the anime or the manga? Why?

I love the manga the best! Araki's original art is amazing.

Also I hate that the anime altered or glossed over some of jotaro's expressions and moments of characterization, like this and this.  & here's him being visibly worried for his friend, also entirely cut out from the anime:

(I love the anime too though! it's got some good animation & I love the palette swaps and music.)

25 - Stand ability you think wasn’t used well enough in the series?

ooh that's a tough one! araki's already great at coming up with creative uses for his stand powers

I would say The Hand.  I just think we deserved to see more of it in action.  it’s pretty powerful!  you can just destroy oncoming projectiles or stand attacks.  of course, okuyasu’s too nice to use it directly against people, so he’s never going to be as formidable as Cream.  but I do really like it when protagonists have powers that seem like villain powers, like how hierophant green has a possession power (which he does not forget about!  he uses it against mannish boy - he’s just understandably reluctant to use it after being controlled himself).  so I would’ve liked to see more of the Hand, but I understand why we didn’t get to

I think gold experience was used well in canon, but I would’ve also liked to see more of its limits.  how big/complex of an organism can giorno create?  please imagine a damage-reflecting t-rex.  I also wish narancia could use aerosmith to carry him, like, hanging from the wings, but I recognize that both of these ideas probably require more strength than either of these stands possess.  (still, there was a large part of me that hoped that aerosmith wouldn’t shrink during the little feat fight and narancia could ride his plane from the tiny cabin...)

I would've also loved to see Holy's stand used in canon though - she definitely still has it. it's just no longer turning against her because dio's influence is gone. I want to know what power she has.

29 - Rank your order, favourite to least favourite of: All the Jojos

Still haven't finished reading part 6 (I've gotten distracted rereading stardust crusaders rn) so I'm just going to do 1-5:

Jotaro, Giorno, Joseph, Josuke = Jonathan

sorry to josuke & jonathan, I still love them!

56 - Any headcanons?

yes! gonna put this below the cut bc it's a long post already:

jotaro is aroace. he only got married because he was struggling with loneliness & depression and due to heteronormativity, he thought that a relationship would finally bring him happiness again,, and it didn't work

kakyoin knows all the constellations and the stories behind them (since he has a lot of miscellaneous cultural knowledge which he spouts at random times when he doesn't know what else to say).  on one of the clear desert nights, he points them out and tells the stories to the crusaders

joseph adopts avdol’s chickens after sdc ;-;

I think jotaro would like cats. he's a quiet person really and he'd give them space, so I think cats would get along with him well. cats are animals that can be hard to read, but jotaro is thoughtful and will take time to consider things from an animal's perspective (he does this with iggy and the rats in p4), so I think he would understand cats pretty well. plus his chain would make clink-y noises that cats would love

I like to think that jotaro's belts are a gift from joseph because y'know. caesar pattern. jotaro wears both at once because he appreciates the gift (he also thinks it looks cool)

I think that once he is fully manifested, star platinum mostly just acts as an extension of jotaro's conscious will, but I like to think that on occasion, when jotaro is sad, splatinum still brings him things to cheer him up, like he did in the jail cell. but I feel like he'll only really do this if jotaro is very tired or unfocused, at which point his conscious will becomes enough of a blur that splatinum goes back to acting on jotaro's subconscious will + splatinum's own limited sentience- wanting jotaro to be happy. so, getting things that jotaro would appreciate but not consciously think of fetching with splatinum

...oops, all sdc.  My mind is just stuck in Egypt, 1989.  u_u

#jojo thoughts #ask #ty for the ask! #long post #jojo

[trashogram]

I agree that Ultron would have made a great antihero. How could you see that playing out? Like, how would his redemption arc go in your mind?

As cheesy as it is, if he’d developed a stronger relationship with the Maximoff Twins, it may have further deterred his attempted genocide and made him put it off. I think Marvel is at its best when it’s corny imo, but with strong writing and a good grasp on character emotions, you can still emphasize and feel for what’s happening onscreen.

Wanda reading Ultron’s thoughts was way too rushed. If it had been an actual Age of Ultron, the three of them could’ve worked together for longer, had discussions and developed a camaraderie where the twins see more and more red flags in Ultron’s behavior, but feel safe and appreciated with him vs. Ultron trying to remain steadfast with his ultimate plan but pushing it back bc his ‘friends’ require more time/saving from the Avengers. Imagine if the twins tried to protect Ultron and ended up getting caught by Earth’s Mightiest Heroes - and though they aren’t treated horribly while interrogated, the twins and the Avengers have to have some kind of confrontation/introspection. The scene of Wanda controlling what Tony sees (his teammates dying) is a cool, morbid bit of imagery, and yes it gets the ball rolling, but it could’ve been done differently. Strucker could’ve had a far larger part in convincing Tony to create Ultron, or Ultron could’ve been something Tony was working on before AoU. That kind of opens up a whole other can of worms since the Avengers were never as close as they could’ve been and Tony’s concern could’ve developed beyond just seeing them dead/a vision of IW/Endgame.

But anyway, imagine Ultron being shut out way earlier by the Avengers rather than Vision somehow and him having to get the twins back while being so limited. He could just leave them and let them die, he doesn’t really need them to achieve his ultimate goal... but he’s so lonely. Have him battle that self-loathing with that narcissism until he warps the idea that going with his main directive (what Tony and Bruce made him for) should take less priority than his, Ultron’s, own wants - which is not to be alone. He’ll justify his hesitance to extinguish the human race before helping Pietro and Wanda by framing it as a middle finger to Stark’s plans for him and why he was created. It’s “cutting the strings” between himself and the Avengers, but he’s still caught in his ties to his ‘friends’ and how drawn he is to this primitive form of humanity.

Saving them won’t make him a good guy suddenly, but it’ll hurt so much more if he gets the twins back and is like ‘ok now we can continue with my original plan’ and he starts creating Vision, then Wanda finally reads his thoughts and the twins are devastated by Ultron being the big bad all along rather than the Avengers. It would take a longer period of time to not feel repetitive but by then, Thanos could be winding up and Ultron may be the first to truly figure it out (maybe he intercepts surveillance or info of Thanos’s conquest through Chitauri equipment or something idk) and despite being adrift due to the loss of his original ill-formed plans and the twins, he suddenly had his hands full and those two purposes morph until he really is protecting humankind from an outside force as he was meant to all along. And Ultron can chalk it up to wanting more information/power, but if he had the gauntlet, his desires could be fulfilled with the snap of his fingers.

#I’m sorry this is all over the place #if it’s not your cup of tea I understand #lol imagine tho Ultron wants the infinity gauntlet to become a real boy #ultron #he needed to be a main villain #seriously #and Quicksilver could’ve lived so much longer #all my favorite tropes are here tho #betrayal #loyalty #found family #actual growth and development #AI questioning their existence and gaining independence but at a tragic cost

[gra-sonas]

Five favorite works in 2020

I wasn’t tagged, but it looked fun, so I’m gonna do it.

Rules: it’s time to love yourselves! choose your 5 (or so) favourite works you created in the past year and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought to the world in 2020. tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want.

1 - this Malex gif set with a quote from The Old Guard

2 - this edit of a Vlamburn pic Jeanine shared (the edit is even used as the profile pic of the official Malex playlist on Spotify, so that’s pretty cool!)

3 - A Kiss a Decade in the Making, 5K Malex fic. Alex and Michael are actors. They’re cast for the pilot of a TV show about aliens. They’ll play lovers on the show and have to figure out how to create chemistry in a kissing scene that implies they’ve loved each other for a decade (if this set-up sounds vaguely familiar, you’ve guessed correctly 🙃)

4 - Sweatpants Dick, 3K Malex fic. Ngl, I still think this is the best title for a fic I’ll ever come up with, you can’t imagine how much joy it gives me to receive AO3 notifications stating that XY left kudos on Sweatpants Dick. Yep, I’m 12 years old and this delights me. 

5 - The World will be Different and New, 7.6K Malex fic. My contribution for the Malex Secret Santa exchange. I really struggled writing this (note to self:  don’t sign up for fandom events with a deadline in the middle of a pandemic, your stress levels will be Through. The. Roof 😳) bc my muse is a fickle thing, but I finished it and I’m actually really rather happy with how it turned out. With Vlamis so adamant about making Dads!Malex happen, I even felt inspired to write more in this verse (Just a Couple of Dads Catching a Buzz, 1.2K), and depending on how things go, I might add more in the future.

I wrote a couple more Tumblr ficlets in 2020 (which I will move over to AO3 eventually, sorry that hasn’t happened yet, I’m old and slow and I forgot 🙈), they are all tagged my fic, so I’m not gonna list them separately. There’s some Belmanes in there, also a Michael Sanders ficlet (bc it’s truly the best of Malex AUs, thanks, Lynne!)

~*~

As you can see, I wasn’t overly creative this year. Roughly 20K of Malex is something others post in a month, but like I said, my muse is fickle and writing is hard.

I got recently inspired to write a new fic tho. That one would be longer and probably multi-chaptered (aaaah, why I doing this to myself???). I’m currently mapping the whole thing out - which I’ve never done before for any of my fics, I’m very much a *sits down and writes the damn thing in one go* kinda gal, but since this would be a. more complex story, planning is required to figure out what happens when. Exciting, I hope I’ll get to writing the fic eventually. 🤞

Regardless of my creative shortcomings in 2020, I’d like to thank everyone who’s supported any of my��“original” (LOL, if you can call them that) works. Be it by liking/reblogging here on Tumblr, or leaving Kudos or a comment on AO3. I appreciate all the support so much, especially when it comes to my writing. 

As a non native English speaker, I tend to struggle with my writing (A Lot™, on top of the usual “omg this sucks, I can’t write a sentence to save my life 😩” woes comes the added pressure of writing in a language that’s not really my own, very much an imposter syndrome situation tbh), it means the world to me when I get positive feedback. 🥺❤️

Not tagging anyone bc I’m pretty sure everyone else already did this, but if you want to do it and haven’t been tagged yet, I’m tagging YOU specifically. 

#my fic #my edits #malex #malex fic #rnm fic #alex manes #michael guerin #'tis a meme

[potteresque-ire]

Is Cho Chang a Racist Stereotype? - [2] Her House

Another very long post (this time Confucius comes to say hello). My thoughts are under the cut.

Once again, this isn’t a JKR discussion. This is my 2nd post on whether I think it’s fair to call Cho Chang a racist stereotype. The 1st one is here.

My short answer is still no.

Another critique I’ve seen of Cho Chang’s portrayal is that she was a Ravenclaw, which fit into the “smart Asian” stereotype.

But what, exactly, is “Ravenclaw smart” and “Asian smart”? I think it’s worth investigating. Intelligence comes in many forms, and the allegation would only be valid if the two kinds of “smart” are equivalent.

Here’s what the books and JKR, via Pottermore, have said about “Ravenclaw smart”:

“if you've a ready mind, Where those of wit and learning, Will always find their kind;”

“Wit beyond measure is man’s greatest treasure.”

“…our people are the most individual – some might even call them eccentrics. But geniuses are often out of step with ordinary folk…” 

"Most of the greatest wizarding inventors and innovators were in our house…”

The day-to-day illustration of “Ravenclaw smart” was the answering of riddles to enter the common room. A good answer was “well-reasoned”, and it was known that the door would refuse to open until such an answer was provided, which sometimes led to long discussions outside the common room by the locked-out students. Another manifestation of “Ravenclaw smart” was described as going “full-nerd” on a subject that wasn’t necessarily practical or popular (ovomancy was the example given on Pottermore).

Since “wit” was such a heavily used word in Ravenclaw’s description, I looked up its definition as well.

* Intelligence and the ability to think quickly (Cambridge dictionary) * Mental sharpness and inventiveness; keen intelligence; a natural aptitude for using words and ideas in a quick and inventive way to create humour (Google) * The ability to relate seemingly disparate things so as to illuminate or amuse (Merriam Webster) * Wit is the ability to use words or ideas in an amusing, clever, and imaginative way. (Collins)

My understanding of “Ravenclaw smart” from this info is: the ability to connect dots freely and nimbly. Social norms and expectations are noted, but happily disregarded if they get in the way. “Ravenclaw smart” is by nature argumentative and open-ended. It expects the dot-connecting to lead to places, but doesn’t have a specific place in mind; all endpoints are valid and welcomed as long as they’re logically sound. The strength of “Ravenclaw smart” is it leads to revolutionary innovations; its tendency to unbridle itself from social needs and expectations, however, can lead to amoral/immoral behaviour (Lockhart). The wisdom from “Ravenclaw smart” is also in danger of being ignored or misunderstood when its owner makes insufficient effort to make it comprehensible, or accessible to others (Luna, and likely, Rowena Ravenclaw.)

Those who’ve studied under an East Asian education system (especially in the 90s), or those who’re familiar with those systems, probably know by now where this discussion is leading to.

“Ravenclaw smart” isn’t “Asian smart”. It’s … about the opposite of Asian smart.

What is “Asian smart”? Outside this discussion, any kind of intelligence. But here, I’ll restrict it to the kind of smartness that leads to the racist allegation, the kind of Westerners typically associate with East Asian students (such as Cho Chang, who, for the sake of simplicity, I’ll assume is Chinese from this point on; however, the arguments will likely still stand if she was, for example, Korean, for reasons that will be clear later on). The kind of smartness that is good at math, that gets the highest scores in exams and seems to understand everything. Never asks questions, never makes trouble.

"Asian smart” sounds great. But what if I suggest the following “dark sides” to it?

1) Good at math: with practice, lower level maths are likely to require the least reasoning among school subjects, with their unambiguous, close-ended answers. A child who has done 7x9 enough times no longer need to calculate or think through the logic of their answer. They write down what they’ve memorised by repetition — 63 — and get full score.

2) High scorer: does everything as told. Prioritise the wishes of authority (teachers, parents) above everything else.

3) Seems to understand everything, never asks questions: views knowledge as “model answers” to be regurgitated in exams. Whether it makes sense doesn’t matter.

These are very cynical takes, aren’t they? I’ve cast in these students in a very negative light.

But what if this negative light isn’t negative at all if these students have stayed in the land of their ancestors? What if these “cynical takes” were considered virtues for the budding Chinese scholars of old?

What if “Asian smart” is purely a consequence of history and culture?

First of all, if you ask “Asian smart” students and they’re honest with you, most would tell you that their smartness isn’t the product of miracles or extra brain juice. Some would say it’s not even intelligence. It is the direct result of extra hours spent at the desk.

What is their motivation? Are Chinese children simply born to be extra hardworking?

Perhaps it’s their so-called “tiger moms”? If then, are Chinese moms born more … feline?

The answers, as you may expect, are no, Chinese aren’t born any different from other races. Their drive to study can largely be explained by an ancient, nation-wide exam system known as the imperial examination system (Ke-Ju, 科舉), plus a dude with a name of Confucius.

Many are aware that Chinese have long considered scholastic aptitude as important. But how long is long? The answer: 1.4 millennia. The imperial examination system, or Ke-Ju, began in 605 AD and while the system had evolved over time, the gist of it was this: students participated in locals exams and the “winners” moved up to the county, then provincial levels etc, until the students who’d won all previous exams sat for the final one in the capital palace, at times proctored by the Emperor, where the grand winners would be decided. The Ke-Ju system was essential in shaping Chinese’s attitude towards academic achievements, because the final top 3 winners, regardless of birth, would be hired by the Imperial Court (+ in some cases, get to marry a princess!).

Ancient Chinese studied and studied and studied for that reason; Ke-Ju was one of the very few social ladders available to commoners, who mostly lived in poverty. The Chinese folklore-scape has therefore been filled with “inspirational” stories about how people overcame exceptionally challenging studying conditions (like this one) to become successful in some way.

How, exactly, does Ke-Ju shape the traditional Chinese view towards studying and education?

1) Historically, Chinese views studying as a means to a better life. The pursuit of knowledge was secondary. The modern analogy to studying hard in ancient China is working three part-time jobs to pay the mortgage for a house, and there is, in fact, a famous Chinese idiom that reflects this: 書中自有黃金屋 (“In the books, there is a golden house”). According to the poem (勸學詩) where the idiom came from (written by an Emperor, by the way: 宋真宗, ~ 1000 BCE), other things found in books included high wages paid in food, beauties, chariots and horses. All practical stuff.

2) Because of 1), getting high scores, or “winning” the exams, was seen as the paramount goal of studying. Far less emphasis was put on understanding the exam material. The teachers of ancient Chinese schools (私塾) were known for doing little explaining; instead, they made recite passages and expected them to figure out the meanings by themselves later. The attitude that scores are everything was further fuelled by the fact that the Emperor had the final say on the result of Ke-Ju — the Emperor who’d most probably claimed the throne by genetics and was not always the most intelligent or knowledgable. While the ability to formulate well-researched and well-reasoned answers helped tremendously, the most important skill for the final Ke-Ju winner was, therefore, the ability to guess what the Emperor wanted to hear, and sometimes, what they wanted to see (there were instances where the Emperor swapped the rankings because they found the original victor too ugly).  

ie. The most important skill was to know the Emperor’s Answer, and to be able to frame it as the winner’s own perspective even if the winner didn’t, in reality, believe in a single word of it.

3) The tradition of having an “Emperor’s Answer” means its modern equivalent, having an “one and only” model answer, have remained the norm in education systems in many Chinese-speaking communities. Many educators have asked for reforms, argued that model answers discourage independent thinking and creativity, but teachers have also been trained on model answers and they’re often unsure of their own opinions, and at times, fearful that they’ll pass on a “wrong” perspective to their students. The latter is especially true in places under authoritarian rule, where school lessons must follow closely the regime’s propaganda (which can be vastly different from year to year).

You may wonder then: but certainly, the students would revolt. How could children learn in such a stifling environment for so long?

This is where Confucius (孔丘, 551-478 BC) comes in. The education system is only a slice of a culture where authority is not to be questioned, where silence is seen as a virtue even among the youngest of children.

Many may know Confucius to be a philosopher, but he was also a political advisor and not a very popular one. I’ve half-jokingly summed up his slogan as “Make China Great Again”, as he lamented his era for having lost the social etiquette and order of several centuries before, and he was set on bringing them back. He researched on rites and rituals that were already old for his time, postulating that every detail of how people behaved around each other would affect social harmony. Social order, he believed, could be achieved by people respecting and obeying their elders, not only in their thoughts but also in their day-to-day behaviour, which was to be bound with a set of intricate rules that dictated their word choices, actions and even postures according to the situation and kinship between the interacting individuals (a fun video here showing a Confucian rite, including the sheer variety of Confucian bows). The elders would, in return, take care of those with less authority than they had, share with them their wisdom.

Confucius also believed that harmony of the world could be achieved by self-discipline from the base level of the society to the top. In this “discipline pyramid”, individuals sat at the bottom. The discipline of families came above it, in which elder generations of each family reined in the rebellious younger ones, made each family a true unit where its members were unified in thoughts and actions. The nation (government) then exerted its authority on families and cured their conflicts — to drive this point home, the term 父母官 has remained in use in China today, which likens the government officials (官) to parents (父母) and constituents to children who should listen to their parents (imagine someone likening Boris Johnson, or Donald Trump, as your father). Finally, the world, with the Emperor as its ruler, smothers the insurgences among nations to achieve the ultimate order and harmony. (修身、齊家、治國、平天下).

Confucius did put a big asterisk in his theory. For this “discipline pyramid” to work, the asterisk said, the Emperor who’d establish the final world order must be a good one. The problem was: most Emperors thought they were pretty good. Confucius’ philosophy appealed to them because the Emperor sat at the pinnacle of this power structure, and as each level ruled over the one below, the lowest level — the individual commoners — had so many constraints piled on them that their individuality was stripped. This made governing much easier.

And so, while Confucius’ political theories were not particularly popular during his lifetime, Confucianism became the official school of philosophy for Chinese imperial courts after ~100 BC. China’s immense power in the ancient world meant Confucianism also became the prominent school of philosophy in its sphere of influence, which included, among others, the modern nations of Japan, S. Korea and Vietnam, all of which also held their own versions of Ke-Ju.

(Hence, this post would very likely remain valid if Cho Chang was Korean.)

In addition to locating talents among commoners, the Ke-Ju system further cemented Confucianism as the “proper” school of thought because it required the students to learn Confucian texts. These students, who would also become disseminators of knowledge outside the Imperial Court, would bring Confucianism to the commoners who’d practise it as well, as a display of cultured upbringing, in the hopes that their descendants would one day know it well enough to enter the Imperial Court. The discipline pyramid soon infiltrated every aspect of Chinese culture, and Confucianism became Imperial China’s tool for reinforcing social hierarchy and a social stabilizer. It remained revered in all levels of the Chinese society until, during the Cultural Revolution (1966-76), the Red Guards, with the blessings of Mao Ze-Dong, made an all out-attack on Confucian values and while remnants of them have survived in China’s social fabric, they’re largely in tatters (As a result, the best places to observe the legacy of Confucianism nowadays are in Japan, S. Korea and Taiwan.)

Back to the “Asian smart”. “Asian smart” was an impression built from students who were (children of) recent immigrants from Confucianism-influenced communities. Students who’d been educated in the tradition of those who’d sat in the ancient schools, their backs ramrod straight and spoken only when called, their mouths opening only to satisfy the teachers’ requests because teachers were the authority in the classroom and never to be questioned. Students who’d expected an Emperor’s Answer to every exam question, the answer that was, always, the final word. Students who’d studied hard because golden houses could be found in the books.

This “Asian smart” is as different as can be from “Ravenclaw smart”. Asian smart is quiet and unquestioning, while Ravenclaw smart challenges and argues. Asian smart views knowledge as a servant of society, while Ravenclaw smart sees knowledge, and the pursuit thereof, as lording over social expectations. Asian smart is about reinforcing social order while Ravenclaw smart is about breaking the mould. Asian smart has groomed the establishment for over a thousand years while Ravenclaw smart has nurtured eccentrics.

Of note, this disparity between the two “smarts” doesn’t mean one is superior to another. Our current pandemic has made a case for Confucian collectivism; individuals in E. Asian countries have shown themselves to be more willing to sacrifice personal freedoms and aesthetics for the sake of their communities, more comfortable at obeying new rules despite the questions of their need have yet be answered satisfactorily by science, and the benefits of these attitudes have been reflected in the case and death counts. The pandemic has also reminded us of the importance of knowledge that serves society (for example, epidemiological research, vaccine development, contact tracing), even if it’s not always the most exciting. Healthcare is a discipline that requires a “no ifs and buts, no matter how well-reasoned” attitude towards certain rules (how to put on and remove PPEs, for example).

Anyway, I digressed! The conclusion I have, after so many words, is this: Cho Chang being assigned Ravenclaw isn’t racist stereotyping, as some have alleged. I can appreciate where the allegation comes from. The common association with intelligence aside, many sorting tests have also tied academic achievements to Ravenclaw, even though Ravenclaws were never described as book smart in the series. But the allegation doesn’t hold up well after an investigation into the way Ravenclaw House was written, and the kind of smartness Cho Chang was expected to have if it was, indeed, race-based.

It doesn’t mean, I’d like to note, that some Asians aren’t being unfairly judged because parts of our society still hold the false impression that our racial group are somehow born to excel in academics or any work where maths are involved. I understand—I truly do—the frustrations of having one’s accomplishments belittled, attributed to a quirk in the DNA that doesn’t exist. I’ve, too, had to certify that my Mom is 100% human, free of the tiger too many times.

But the HP books cannot be blamed for that, and the longer the blame is placed on something that doesn’t deserve it, the longer the focus, and effort is shifted away from the actual problem and its potential solutions. The time and words spent on such “call-outs” can be better spent, I believe, by explaining how the misconception of “smart Asians” can affect real people like you and me.

And like Cho Chang, perhaps, if we love to think about the HP world. If her classmates wondered why she wasn’t the top of her class for her year, why she wasn’t famously book-smart like Hermione Granger to win them some house points. Why did she sign up for Quidditch? Why would any Asian, never mind a tiny, fragile E. Asian girl like her, even think about touching sports? Shouldn’t she be studying? Learning advanced arithmancy even though their OWLS were still a year away?

And Cho would come back to the common room hours later, flushed with sweat and smiling, and announced that she’d made seeker.

#pie metas #cho chang #ravenclaw

[iamanartichoke]

Hi! For the ask game: Iron Man 1, 2 & 3 and Loki

iron man 1 - what made you first get into fanfiction?

I’ve been into fanfiction, in general, since before I knew what it was. I grew up in the 90s, so the internet wasn’t really a thing, but I still spent time writing fanfic - Baby-sitters Club, the Outsiders, etc. When I did eventually get the internet (around 2001), I discovered fanfic communities and started writing/posting stuff.

I did that for a few years before I delved into writing original stuff, so then fanfic wasn’t really a thing for me until Loki. I specifically got involved in fanfic for Loki bc I just had such strong feels for him. I didn’t set out to write any; mostly, I discovered AO3 and started reading it, but the more I read, the more I wanted to write my own. And now here I am.

iron man 2 - are you a secret fan or does everyone know you love marvel?

Kinda both. My family and a few irl friends know I love Marvel and write fanfic (and by irl friends I mean my ex-boyfriend and @mostlytoska​ lmao) but mostly, no, I kinda keep it to myself. I sort of prefer that? For one thing, keeping it to myself makes it feel more mine, somehow, but for another thing, I also don’t really like the effort it takes to explain it. As someone who’s spent most of her life explaining the appeal of various nerdy things I’m into, I’m just kinda over it. If that makes sense.

iron man 3 - underrated fanfic trope?

For Thorki specifically, there aren’t enough “50k+ words,Thor starts out as an asshole, he and Loki severely clash and create lots of angst, then Thor slowly becomes a better person and has to reach out to Loki and they start seeing eye-to-eye  while Loki has to decide if this dumbass oaf is worth it or not (while he pretends he’s not falling in love with him already)” fics - but, that is literally just an “underrated to ME” trope, haha. I tend to prefer if they’re human AUs as well, but that’s not a requirement. Idk why, something about asshole!Thor becoming a better person bc of Loki specifically (instead of Jane) really revs up my feels engine. 

It’s a fine line - I don’t like Dark!Thor, bc dark Thor without redemption is just depressing to me, so it really does become a little niche of fics I really, really like that I don’t find nearly often enough. 

Aside from that, though, I don’t really have any other tropes that I wish there were more of; I think my tastes tend to align pretty well with what’s been put out there already. Oh! I do wish there was more asexual, demiromantic Loki fics, though (again, preferably for Thorki but I’d read other pairings, too). To date, I think I’ve found like, two. 

loki - what’s the most outlandish (or it could just be your favorite) au you’ve ever read/wanted to write/thought of?

Ahh I don’t know! I don’t tend to have a very outlandish imagination, lmao. My favorite AUs are human!AUs, though. I like them because I love to see how the characters we know and love in-universe are reimagined in modern settings and how it makes their dynamics change. With Thorki, there are a lot of human AUs where they’re not related and have various creative “meet-cutes,” like Loki owns a bookstore and Thor walks in one day, or Thor is a doctor and Loki is the whumped-out patient who ends up on his rotation, or whatever. 

For writing personally, I’ve wanted to write a human AU where Thor and Loki are the modern equivalent of princes, or at least politically visible, so they’re like members of a royal family (like a fictional version of William and Harry). I’ve also considered Odin being POTUS and Loki and Thor are the “First Sons,” just bc I’ve always (before Commander Cheeto, anyway) been a little fascinated by the dynamics of the “First Family” (I watched Air Force One a lot as a kid). 

I also really, really want to write a reincarnation fic I’ve had in my brain since Endgame came out, which I think I’ve posted about before but basically Thor, about 500 years after Endgame, crosses paths with a Loki who is the reincarnated version of his brother, only this new person has no idea who he was or even that reincarnation is a thing. (Subconsciously, he remembers.) The fic becomes about Thor pursuing Loki and Loki running away from his subconscious memories and feelings, so yknow, lots of angst with an inevetable happy ending. I haven’t attempted anything with it yet bc I’d want it to be pretty epic and so far I just haven’t had the brain energy to make it happen. One day, though. 

Thanks so much for the ask! 

mcu fanfiction ask game. 

#sorry for such a long answer #ask memes #charlotte replies #fanfic things #cailjei