#but this show is more about aesthetics than making actual connections with meaning

[transmutationisms]

Hi Caden don’t know if you listen to Ethel Cain but was wondering what u think abt her subverting the Americana aesthetic since I think she’s often compared to Lana, at least online. I do think she’s doing something different & to me more compelling than Lana, but I don’t really know how to articulate it.

yep i like ethel cain. i agree she and lana are doing very different things. like, i said before that lana uses american nationalism because she's playing off the fact that it makes/has an erotic appeal, and she places herself as the object of desire in that paradigm—tell me i'm your national anthem, etc. my read on ethel is that she's interested in the rural americana 'trad' aesthetic from a very different angle, where she's trying to connect the homestead and american rural social structures to the perpetuation of violence. there's some overlap here in the sense that lana is definitely also interested in sexual violence and sexuality-as-violence, but in her work the violent or abusive man is generally a specific figure who's aberrant from the norm, and a lot of the artistic interest for lana comes (i think) from her interrogating what it is about this man that's appealing to her and how she sees herself through his eyes. with ethel, on the other hand, she portrays violence as coming through the infrastructure of normal and normative social structures, like the family and the church, with abuse understood to be a feature of these and not a bug. family, church, etc are in turn understood to be part of the infrastructure of american rural communities, casting the critique she's making through the ethel character onto this entire social apparatus (& there is some implication here of how this is all a part of westward colonial settlement—which is a potentially fruitful direction to go in, the idea of expansion into the 'frontier' as a narrative of, or narrative prerequisite to, violence).

so for example this is partly why, for ethel, incest specifically is a mode of sexuality & violence that she continually uses and interrogates: she's invoking it as an intensification of the 'normal functioning' of the family, which means the whole family structure gets pretty ruthlessly questioned through the character of ethel and the violence she faces. she invokes the trad aesthetic and the idyllic family homestead, then shows you the brutality that creates and is created by them. for lana, the family is not a concern in this way and is not something she's questioning or challenging the way ethel does (the daddy/girl thing in lana's work is p far removed from even a pseudo-incestuous reading most of the time, even in her lolita references). there's a similar distinction with how ethel examines protestant theology and practice with the explicit goal of pointing out inherently violent aspects of it, whereas for lana, invoking god or christian imagery is generally more on the level of playing off the way that american nationalism resembles and uses rituals of religious worship. lana takes political phenomena like the appeal of nationalism, and expresses them through the erotic configuration of these relationships with older, dominant men. with ethel it's more that she looks at social structures and practices signified by the rural americana aesthetic, and pokes and prods at these structures until the violence inherent to them is glaringly obvious to listeners through the ethel character's story. it's a way of problematising these institutions and practices, not letting them hide in plain sight by presenting themselves as benevolent.

so yeah i can understand why people might want to compare these two artists, but i think they're actually doing very different things. i would probably not say either of them 'subverts' americana or signifiers of nationalism, which is not a criticism, i just think that concept is often poorly defined and less frequently applicable to art than people sometimes think lol. ethel uses her character's story to deconstruct and question the american aesthetics and institutions her work invokes; lana translates these aesthetics and institutions into explicitly erotic discourses and dissects them through the allegorical figures of the people and relationships in her songs. (this is not to discount the importance of erotics in ethel's work as well obvi but this post is already long :P)

#ethel cain #lana

[svsss-fanon-exposed]

Exposing SVSSS Fanon: 18/∞

SHEN QINGQIU WEARS A CINNABAR MARK ON HIS FOREHEAD

Rating: FANON-NEUTRAL

Many artworks, both fanworks and official art, will depict Shen Qingqiu with a red dot or vertical line in the center of his forehead. While this is not something that is mentioned in the novel, it is not something that would necessarily be unlikely.

Oftentimes in visual coding in guzhuang (ancient costume) dramas, a cinnabar mark on the forehead, over the location of the third eye (this is different than the huadian I discussed a bit in this post), will represent a person with strong spiritual powers or connection to the spiritual realm, especially when used for male characters. It also denotes a particular wealth and status-- basically, meaning that this person is someone powerful and important in cultivation society. Whether there is actual historical precedence to this, or if it is a purely modern aesthetic phenomenon, I am not entirely certain. If anyone has more details or sources on historical precedence for this depiction, please share those!

Cinnabar/vermillion also has a long history of auspicious significance in Chinese culture, both in regards to wealth and status as well as being used for religious or spiritual purposes in ancient Daoist tradition. To this day, vermillion red is still one of the most auspicious colors in Chinese culture, especially used in weddings and at new year's festivities.

Therefore, while it may or may not be historically accurate, because PIDW and SVSSS are novels written during modern times and with modern visual perceptions, it would not be out of the question for Shen Qingqiu to wear such a mark.

As for the common depiction in fanworks, my hypothesis as to the origin of the use of this visual signifier for Shen Qingqiu specifically is the official Thai cover art, which is one of the main influences of fandom portrayal, and depicts Shen Qingqiu with such a mark on his forehead, though I wouldn't be surprised if it were common before that release as well.

Sometimes in fanworks, the presence of a vermillion mark will be used to show a difference between Shen Jiu and Shen Yuan-- with Shen Jiu wearing the mark, while Shen Yuan does not. Personally, I think that this may be more of a visual distinguisher than anything else, but it also would make sense with symbolic design-- with Shen Jiu's character traits of placing high value on his cultivation and also portraying himself as someone of high status, it would make sense for him to wear such a mark while Shen Yuan, who takes those things for granted, does not. It would also make sense for both of them to wear it, as Shen Yuan does still like to portray himself that way, even if his concern about his image comes from a different source than Shen Jiu's. It would also make sense for neither of them to wear a cinnabar mark, if an artist chooses to simply not use this visual signifier.

The only characters actually mentioned in the novel as having any sort of forehead mark are the heavenly demons. Therefore, while Shen Qingqiu's cinnabar mark may be a solid visual depiction, there is no support for or against it in canon.

#svsss #fanon exposed #neutral #shen qingqiu #shen yuan #this is one i would really like to know more info on if anyone has it #ancient style clothing and makeup is one of my major special interests and i always love learning more

[bluntblade]

Realised that this never posted, but I stand by it:

It's really weird that Rogue One's aesthetic, which was specifically developed for a Star Wars film which had minimal space wizards and was instead about much more subdued characters and murkier moral themes, has now become the aesthetic which gets slathered over all new live-action Star Wars whether it fits or not.

Mando mostly works with that look because while there are some big personalities, they're almost all side characters, while the mains are stoic and reserved except for Grogu. Andor looks downright great, not least as much of it is shot on actual locations and on full sets.

But apply this to Ahsoka and Kenobi, and it rather cuts against the vibe they're going for. Space wizards, with their operatic cosmic conflicts and connection to a mystic energy, tend to want something a bit more heightened (which I think is an under-discussed problem in the PT which is very muted much of the time, and a major strength in the more stylised Empire and TLJ). The colours are muted, the angles mostly flat, and it ends up being at odds with the story being told.

To extend Kenobi some goodwill, lots of the latter seems to have come from the Volume. You keep seeing where the cinematographer wanted to crank a shot of Vader to be sharper and more impactful, but couldn't because the Volume doesn't permit that. Although I do think there are some baffling bits of blocking like in the chase and the first duel, the floaty shaky-cam is a generally poor look and really, Lucasfilm shouldn't lean so hard on the Volume (I mean, seriously guys, look at Monarch. That looks miles better than anything you've done on TV except for Andor.) But point is, they tried and ran into constraints.

Meanwhile Ahsoka seems exceedingly comfortable with both feet in Gordon Willis' metaphorical bucket of cement. The characters' energy levels are tamped way down from Rebels to match the muted presentation, and things often feel low-energy even just within the context of these shows. Even when the show steps into the World Between Worlds, an explicitly supernatural plane (or goes into Ahsoka's coma dream) there's no real change in look. Contrast the way that Empire employs that low shutter speed in the dark cave, while TLJ steps into something surreal complete with voiceover and an impossible CG camera move. In Ahsoka, though, there's little attempt to make the place feel otherworldly beyond how the scenery looks.

And these are largely missing a vital part of Rogue One's look, which is scale. Both Gareth Edwards and cinematographer Greig Fraser are great at portraying large-scale things in interesting ways, and that's something which will tend to get lost with a move to the small screen and the massive use of the Volume, without shots from locations or physical sets to balance it out and make spaces feel more real.

#Ahsoka critical #Rogue One #blunt blathers #Ahsoka show

[minamorsart]

🌌✨The Empyreal Within character designs of Lotor, Allura, and Ven'tar! I might do Honerva and Zarkon next, we'll see! This is part of an upcoming project that I am super excited about and will reveal in time!!! 💜

Explanations of the outfits below! I thought about them a LOT hehe.

18 year old Lotor: these designs I am the most pleased with! Lotor's official design in the show is very different from the rest of the Galra, which I believe is significant to him venturing further away from the precedents established by his father and cementing his own individuality. However, as an adolescent it makes sense that he would still wear Galra attire, hence the bulky armor (to make him look bigger since he is smaller than the average Galra) and red and gold colors which appear to only be worn by the royal family. I like to think that the insignia on his chest is a symbol for royalty, but is also exclusive to Lotor's identity, as no one else wears that particular insignia in the show. And despite wearing clothes specifically chosen to represent the Galra Empire, I can also picture him wanting to incorporate his own personal tastes, so there are accents of purplish-blue (as blue is part of Lotor's color scheme) and the addition of his waist cape, both of which represent his growing desire for change and independence.

Mid-20's Lotor: this is during the many years of his banishment. I imagine him hopping from planet to planet, concealing his identity as much as possible while adopting a more humble lifestyle and pursuing his passion for exploring. It is during this isolated pilgrimage that he does a lot of introspection, self-actualization, and gains self-confidence both as a man and as the Galra prince. But before that happens, the lack of identity really shows in his clothes -- lots of neutral colors (with a hint of desaturated blue), absence of any insignias or designs that would connect him to any culture, whether Galra or Altean. These clothes in particular were inspired by Jedi ponchos and Sasuke from Naruto: The Last, and perhaps are worn while Lotor is on a desert planet for a short time! And just like with his armor as seen in the show, he has started to wear gloves to cover himself up almost completely, indicating his avoidance of vulnerability and getting close to others.

Ven'tar: for her fortunately I didn't have to change much about her character design! She is Lotor's age when they meet and the only other change I made to her was to take away her big cape so that she appears younger. Since her planet and species name is not revealed in the show, I want to come up with one myself. Caelifera is the scientific name for grasshopper, so I'm thinking I could do something with that!

11 year old Lotor: this design is also taken directly from the show, so I didn't have to do much there :P The cloak he wears in the little doodle is inspired by the one adult Lotor wears in S6E4. In this case, however, it is several sizes too big for young Lotor and drags on the ground.

Allura: sadly we don't know much about Allura's life on Altea, however in S1E9 we get to see tiny snippets of different stages throughout her life and her good relationship with her father, so I used those as references! I gave her braids, short puffy sleeves, and a slightly shorter skirt to give her that innocent little princess look, and then used the colors from her dress in the show to create a cuter and more childlike aesthetic!

If you read all of that you're the best 😆🙏 I'm definitely by no means an expert in character design and have lots more to learn, but I had a lot of fun coming up with the original designs! Especially Lotor's, but no surprise there hehe. I studied many different Galra armor and clothing featured in the show worn by Lotor, Zarkon, Honerva, and Galra commanders. More than anything I just really wanted to see Lotor wearing something different for a change 😂 and then everything else took off from there!

#the empyreal within #dawn of empyreal #minamorsart #lotura #lotor #allura #ven'tar #voltron #voltron legendary defender #vld #voltron art #vld art #my art #fan art #digital art #non star wars art

[dnpanimationstudioclone]

Niffty Redesign🐛

Made my own take on Niffty for Fun!!!!!!!!💖 I def thought a lot on what to try with her!!!!

Pushed for a more 50’s Housewife aesthetic/hotel maid vibe. She’s wearing a pinafore apron which was very popular during that era and I took the poodle skirt idea and reworked it into the apron, but rather than a poodle it’s a bug 🐛. Also brought back warmer colors like the pilot look had. Pastel yellow was def a pop color!

Also added a name tag as to show she works for the hotel 🏨

Added more splotches and made them bigger on her apron. Polkadots were popular in that time and I think are cute(lot of her concepts had polka dots on her) plus I can see her wanting people to assume she’s a ladybug or Asian Lady Beetle 🐞 (@peeperscreeperz made a take of Niffty being that which is AMAZING and I considered making her that too but I ended up going a different route). I can see her also wanting them to give off flowers…only for most people to see them as blood stains.🌸🩸

Also gave her those iconic cleaning gloves 🧤. Shes the Hotels maid AND cook afterall 🧽 👩‍🍳

Gave her a bandana bow for the housewife and maid look and because I think it’s cute and lowkey gives off antennae. I LOVE the idea of her being a bug demon so I went with that. I was going for a subtle ambiguity of what she’s suppose to be(she’s hiding what she is).

Gave her warmer eye color back! Also made the pupil more leaf shaped 🍃.

Added gradient for her limbs.

Added extra limbs. Great for extra cleaning 🧹 🧼

Her hairs actually antennae…and extra legs 🦵

Gave her three fingers.

Made her eye bigger(bugs often got big eyes! Or for her case eye 👁️)

Added a lil bug instead of a poodle for her apron!🪳

For her color motif, went back to warmer colors and because for mine I’m going with a rainbow motif she’s Yellow💛🌈 the color known for its positives such as joy and friendship…but can also mean negative things such as Deceit, illness and often used as a warning color⚠️ it was also a popular color for Sci-Fi posters(she was based on B-Alien Movies)

Made her skin a kinda warm pastel orange🧡 I missed her having a warm palette but I also get why they changed it due to her roots 🇯🇵. So I went with orange!!!! Her hairs also a more brownish red-orange.

For her bug theme,

I went with something that I figure would connect her both to her ability to take down pests so well and Japanese origins. The Japanese Centipede! Centipedes are great for pest control but apparently to Japan they’re considered symbols of evil and rottenness, plus with how they look they often scare people even those they don’t pose serious threats to humans, which I think fits Niffty’s whole desire to be loved only to accidentally scare people away…shunned & unloved by a world she can’t seem to fit in💔

HUGE Spoiler alert!!!! Hazbin Hotel

With the reveal of Husk being once an Overlord I like to believe the same with Niffty but rather than souls(talked about this with @a-sterling-rose, she was an immensely powerful sinner like Alastor, but alas her form was far too big and scary for people to want to get close to and she was alone…until Alastor offered her a deal he’d provide a more approachable form in return for her eternal service)

A lot of her looks meant to be hiding what she is. Disguising her extra limbs as hair, her body’s color scheme based on a centipedes, poofy dress that could cover extra, even the bug design could be Interpreted as a long centipede. I was also going for a subtle sharp, mini legs for her apron ruffles, giving off her trying to look sweet and soft but could also be interpreted in another way…

I read and learned from a @lovesart23 redesign vid for her that, she was meant to be based on B-Alien Movies. LOVE that and I tried it myself(hardest part was figuring out what bug to make her and what themes to go with) but I ended up going for another Sci-Fi route. Kaiju/Giant Bug monsters. Creatures like Godzilla or those giant bugs creatures like “the Tingler” 1959(which was a centipede monster I read). I figure it’d connect well to both her struggles of fitting in but also her Japanese Roots.

Monsters are tragic beings. They are born too tall, too strong, too heavy. They are not evil by choice. That is their tragedy. They do not attack people because they want to, but because of their size and strength, mankind has no other choice but to defend himself. After several stories such as this, people end up having a kind of affection for the monsters. They end up caring about them."

— Ishir⁠ō Honda The Director of Godzilla

Plus some certain Kaijus could qualify as Aliens!.

There’s even a Yokai/demon based on the centipede know as the Ōkumade!

CW freaky Pictures of centipedes and Mice

What do u think? I’d love to know💖

I’ve also done Charlie, Vaggie and Angel🍎🦋🕷️

#Hazbin hotel #Hazbin hotel redesigns #Hazbin hotel niffty #niffty #nifty #niffty redesign #Nifty redesign #hazbin hotel redesign #hazbin hotel fanart #my art #my redesign #hazbin redesign #hazbin redesigns #Hh #hazbinhotel #Overlord niffty #hazbin hotel art #Hazbin hotel rewrite

[prince-kallisto]

So because of Wish's movie, does that mean the Dark Mirror being Meleanor is debunked now?

This is an interesting question! I haven’t watched Wish myself, but I recently learned about the King Magnifico becoming the Magic Mirror from Snow White, or at least a very strong reference to it.

Wish being a movie celebrating the 100th anniversary of Disney is what makes this a tricky question. Wish included many, many Disney movie references from the past. Considering how Asha becomes a fairy godmother, a lot of these seem more like Easter eggs than actual Disney canon- although many people have criticized that Wish was a bit too heavy handed with these references. Although as a movie celebrating the 100th anniversary of Disney, many people have said they feel like Wish could’ve had the opportunity to be its “own” movie, instead of filled with past and slightly forced references.

Wish is also a 2023 movie, and I highly doubt Twisted Wonderland has access to the development process of this movie, as Twisted Wonderland was released in Japan in 2020, but was officially announced in 2019. I’m sure was in production for several years before that too. Wish reportedly just began development in 2018, which even then, I feel like it would’ve taken a long time for King Magnifico and his fate to have been developed compared to the progress Twisted Wonderland made. I don’t think Twisted Wonderland knew about this plan with the King’s character, and although TWST has referenced modern Disney movies before (like Ortho and Baymax in Book 6), it seems like the game strays away from directly including modern characters in favor of the classic ones. Of course, this could change in the future, but if the Dark Mirror is as significant as I think it might be, TWST likely won’t include a modern character like King Magnifico

The Meleanor in the mirror theory also tends to assume that Meleanor is the second soul inside the mirror. The Magic Mirror is its own entity, but the Dark Mirror is the Magic Mirror AND Meleanor. Of course, this theory has several different interpretations, but this one seems to be a popular one!

But maybe this means Crowley is doing all this to release King Magnifico from the Dark Mirror instead of Meleanor, haha!

Wait…

Hmm…

should just take this as an opportunity to mention Crowley x King Magnifico🧍 Crowley is trying to release his beloved from the mirror, but it’s not Meleanor: but King Magnifico 😔🫡 And if King Magnifico is the Magic mirror from show white, it’s why Crowley is so obsessed with the Snow White aesthetic and Pomefiore 🤧💖💖 And in the prologue, his “benefactor” is King Magnifico who grants him wishes 🤧🤧🤧 And when he was talking to his “proud, beautiful flower of evil,” he was actually talking directly to the mirror, aka King Magnifico 🥹

Haha, jokes aside (I’m totally not making fanart or anything of this cursed ship…totally…), thank you for this ask, it was super interesting to think about! I hope I didn’t sound harsh in my reply or anything, I just wanted to answer this in many ways I could think of! Thank you for your question! 💖💖💖 And for everyone else who has questions in my inbox, I’ll be answering soon! I took a slight break from answering asks because of a bit of burnout, but I really want to get back to everyone’s questions! Thank you all for your patience! 💖💖💖🐦‍⬛

Edit: Apparently it’s been confirmed by the directors and writers in an interview published a day ago before I posted this!

It’s seems like this is not a deliberate connections for a “multiverse,” but really just a lot of Easter eggs for the 100th anniversary that aren’t meant to be taken too seriously!

#twisted wonderland #twst #twst dark mirror #ask kallisto #kallistopost #I have not watched the movie I’m just gathered all the info from Twitter and such!

[mixelation]

Thoughts on canon ships: NaruHina? SaiIno? ShikaTema?

send me a ship and i'll give you my brutally honest opinion on it

NaruHina

Having only read the manga for much of part 2, Hinata is not heavily featured as doing much at all, and this ship came off as pretty shoehorned in. As I've talked about before, I like Hinata's ~aesthetic~, but I don't find her very interesting. I additionally don't really find teen/adult Naruto that interesting. So like.... this ship is just very boring to me lol.

Their canon marriage did Hinata less dirty than Sakura, at least. Like I know Boruto is mad his dad isn't around more, but adult Hinata seems to have enough of a spine that I think she and Naruto have probably worked out compromises for his insane work schedule.

SaiIno

This ship also has barely any canon development and yet somehow makes perfect sense to me. They are the mean girl couple. They talk shit about you in front of you. They have matching midriffs. I also think Sai and Ino are weirdly compatible. Like, Sai is someone who seems to yearn for connections with other people, but he needs how relationships even work clearly laid out for him. He needs his partner to be able to very clearly communicate their emotions and how they want to be treated. Ino is both self-aware and confident enough to do exactly this. And I think, besides canonically finding him hot, Ino would find Sai's uncomplicated approach to interpersonal relationships to be a relief. He's mean and catty in a way that's fun, but also she can just go "when you say X, it makes me feel Y" and he will actually engage with that and have an honest conversation about it.

ShikaTema

This might be the only canon ship that felt developed besides SasuNaru. Like, the new one-shot I think did a lot for MinaKushi, but their original backstory was just kind of like, "Okay?"

Shikamaru and Temari have a certain edginess to their interactions that Compelled me when I was like 12. He impresses her in a fight and then forfeits and says she would have won, and everyone should know that. She shows up to save his ass in the Sasuke retrieval arc. When we see them again, they're working together on official Chunin Exam business. It really did feel like their relationship was built up purposefully. I don't remember ever actively seeking out content (probably because canon was enough for me), but I was on board as a baby teen.

That being said, now that I've grown and matured, I'm not really compelled by this ship any more. I don't really like the way Shikamaru's role in the manga kind of turned into "genius favorite character can do no wrong," and I don't like the way Temari was treated in her match against Shikamaru. Like, even though she won, it's painted sooooo firmly as Shikamaru being cool and mature. Given Naruto as a manga is very bad at giving any women agency, it's kind of annoying. But it is developed in canon. I'll give it that.

I do think I might click on a fic that was less about the ship itself and more about, like... navigating Temari's bizarre family. How does Shikamaru interact with her brothers? Do they ever visit Suna and have super awkward family dinners? What was integrating into Konoha like for Temari?

#ask meme answer #i like shitty little kid naruto alright because i just like bratty kids #but in general i don't really like naruto as a character lmao

[genericpuff]

I’m curious about some of your recent criticism of RS’s past making medical fetish art… in one post you mentioned there being a connection/continuation between her past art and the “problematic” parts of LO and cited DDLG and medical fetishism more specifically.

Can you say more about what makes those two things problematic? The obsession with Lolita and sexualizing actual minors is one thing, but kink isn’t inherently problematic IMO.

And, just to be clear, I appreciate your critiques of her art/the sloppy way that WT is shoving LO down our collective throats even though it’s way past its peak… I’m just more curious about how her past fetish art fits into your critiques of her as an artist.

I mean, that kind of enters "separate the art from the artist" territory which I don't feel you can actually do when the artist is inherently problematic and is sowing those problems into their art. But that's a separate topic.

Kink being a factor in her work is not an issue, and frankly, I didn't bring up any of the medical fetish art as to say it's an issue as a whole, more so to point out how this has pretty much always been Rachel's M.O. and it makes it make WAY more sense as to why LO is written the way it is knowing that (and more so just pointing out how weird it is that she apparently wants to ditch her life pre-LO but still keeps the usedbandaid name).

But I think it becomes far more of an issue when we all know her work is affiliated with Webtoons, a platform that predominantly markets to children as young as 11 years old.

Like, The Doctor Pepper Show was kinky as all hell, and it didn't try to hide that, it said right in its description that it was a medical fetish comic and it made it clear it was meant for people who were 18+. LO, meanwhile, is constantly trying to play this game of tug of war between its ideas and what it's trying to accomplish and who it's meant for. On the one hand, it's meant for teenagers who can identify themselves through Persephone's struggles as a teenage girl coming of age; on the other hand, it's meant for horny adult women who can insert themselves into Persephone's relationship with Hades and fantasize about getting swept away by a rich man who will solve all their problems, which isn't exactly something you want to be advertising/normalizing to the former demographic. It's trying to be both a serious deconstruction of misogyny and purity culture but it's also flippantly reinforcing misogyny and purity culture through the fetishization of Persephone as an "eternally 19" character who settles down with practically the first guy who pays attention to her.

When it comes to kink, I think it's more an issue of Rachel dangerously toeing the line between kink and predatory. There's nothing wrong with being into BDSM or the gothic lolita aesthetic, but there are people who use those labels as a way to normalize more abusive ideals and behavior (like what abusive men try to accomplish by infiltrating the BDSM community and claiming their abuse is healthy and fun, or when pedophiles try to infiltrate the gothic lolita community with the intent of fetishizing children).

Rachel being a fetish artist isn't the issue and that was never the point I was trying to make. The point is understanding Rachel's roots pre-LO and how they influence LO in ways that aren't necessarily good for the comic, its narrative, or the audience it's selling itself to. If LO were an 18+ series on a platform that marketed it as such and was unapologetically sexual/kinky the same way The Doctor Pepper Show was, then I don't think there would be quite as much of an issue (though it would still be held accountable if it did do anything morally questionable like what I mentioned above). But it's constantly being marketed to children and young teens, and it's being used as a self-insert power fantasy by Rachel to boot, rather than operating as an actual story with anything meaningful to say.

To use an example outside of LO, at least mongie had the nerve to step away from the WT's platform when she realized it wasn't going to suit the work she wanted to put out. She wanted Let's Play to be far more sexual than what they were allowing her to do, so she left. And while I don't like Let's Play all that much either, it has PLENTY of its own issues that almost seem to be adopted straight from LO, I can still respect her stepping away from the platform when she realized it wasn't going to be a good fit for what she wanted to pursue.

And no, none of that's to say that Rachel should leave WT or that she's in the same situation as mongie lmao but the identity crisis is evident in how LO is written, it feels very much like it can't decide what it truly wants to be.

That's all my two cents though, take it for what you may. That post about her medical fetish art wasn't meant to be like "LOOK AT HOW GROSS SHE IS, EWWW!" it was literally meant to just point out that she's still using a username from her medical fetish backstory for some reason despite the fact that she's tried REALLY hard to act like she never did any projects pre-LO. Shit, there are comics she's done pre-LO that weren't even fetish/kink comics, such as Castle Castle:

That's why I'm also not sharing much further and leaving it up to others to do their own digging, I don't think there's much to gain from sharing her kink art from 2004 unless it's somehow directly tied to her identity now in some way (like the madame issue drawing showing off the bandaids and self-insert aspects). A lot of that stuff is in the past. It's just odd that she's trying to leave much of it in the past but still couldn't let go of that one username that's still affiliated with it. I also think it's frankly ridiculous that she's trying to erase practically everything pre-LO, not just the stuff that she might cringe over or might be too sexual for her modern audience, but also the stuff like Castle Castle that she really should share, IMO! Because it's neat and it shows that she didn't just come from nothing, she made so much art pre-LO that ought to be shared and seen and preserved, but it seems like she's too focused on selling the whole "one hit wonder" image these days that she never bothers to mention the work that I'm sure even her own fans would love to see.

As a final note to wrap up this long response, it's wild that it's often only the critical community sharing these old art pieces, because a lot of the time, barring questioning of her values and ideals that are present in some of her old pieces, most people really like them and have lots of good things to say about them. I think the ultimate takeaway is how sad it is that she's fallen this low in terms of quality and effort. I think she is capable of making beautiful art, but somewhere along the way, she either stopped caring or lost the drive and that really sucks to see.

#lore olympus critical #lo critical #antiloreolympus #anti lore olympus #ama #ask me anything #anon ask me anything #anon ama

[chemicalarospec]

okay so! I have some relatives who own a winery and I’ve visited a few times. Here’s some general facts and observations regarding Dawn Winery in Genshin Impact that may help fic writers or just be interesting to fans:

The Location

you need a LOT of acreage to have enough grapes to run a self-sustaining winery. My dad likes to point out that any cutesy wineries in our area (not a grape climate) must import their grapes, and their small fields are just for show/to supplement it. The Dawn Winery has a frankly PITIFUL amount of vineyards for “Mondstadt’s biggest winemaker”. One relative has a vanity/personal vineyard at their house and it's the same size or slightly bigger than Dawn Winery's vineyards. I think it’d be cool if you mentally sized up the vineyards, and tbh I see this less “missing” and more like… just done by the nature of Genshin being a video game, if you know what I mean. Like the same way the Dawn Winery is the ONLY Winery in Mondstadt, and Springville is the only town.

apparently my family has a website and theirs is 95 hectares (235.5 acres). Here is a picture:

the next thing missing is vats: the wine needs to be stored somewhere. My tours of the winery mainly consisted of looking at many giant metal vats. Genshin obviously has a historical aesthetic that these don’t match, so I think there would be rows of big Oak barrels (think a little bit taller than a tall man — my relatives had a few for fun). You are NOT making wine or even storing long-term in those tiny barrels outside -- those are probably holding wine to export, if they're holding wine.

I think Diluc’s house is canonically the winery… which… just… where is the wine being made? The basement? The family winery has a hole in the ground for drainage. Diluc has a carpet. You just don’t make massive quantities of wine in well-decorated cozy house. Maybe he has a REALLY big cellar.

A funny idea I got due to the lack of grapes and lack of fermentation equipment is that the Dawn Winery is just a "display" place to be like, the image of their brand and all the winemaking is done elsewhere.

I didn't know this but Germany apparently produces a sizable amount of wine. According to Wikipedia, they are more acidic, as grapes ripen less in Germany's colder climate. Due to my connection to the French, I personally like Mondstadt to have a Mediterranean-like climate, with mild winters and rare snow, but do what you like.

More information about the harvest/winemaking process under the cut!

The Process

Making wine actually requires a lot of chemistry knowledge. When I first drafted this post, the wiki said Diluc’s not interested in the wine-making side of things (but is assumed to have aptitude in it) and some NPCs run that side of the business. I can't find complete evidence of that now, but it's still implied Elzer actually runs the place. Given that Diluc bartends and fights crime, he probably doesn't have a lot of time to devote to the winery.

Harvest season (about 6 weeks, around September) is VERY busy because you must get all the grapes off the vines quickly, before they rot.

Before harvesting tractors, people would be seasonally hired to collect them using wooden sticks & baskets. In Genshin, there's probably creative ways for Ameno, Dendro, and other Visions to be useful here.

In the fields and the winery itself, my dad would work a lot during this time. I'm not 100% sure what he did during 16 hour work days, but I do know the general idea was “processing tons and tons of grapes,” so lots of manual labor. There were also lots of pumps and valves involved.

Okay I asked my dad and this is the winemaking process: the grapes are dumped in this corkscrew machine that remove leafs and twigs, and then a cylindrical de-stemmer (this is part of a "modern reception" my relatives brag about on their webpage, so in Genshin they'd probably do it by hand?)… I think the juice drainage goes to making white wine (I just searched that up and it’s true??? go me).

(Wikipedia has an article that's both helpful and confusing if you want to know more.)

Red wine gets its color from the skins, so they're pressed and filtered after fermentation, while it's the other way around for white. That process is to remove all the seeds and skin, which you then must dispose of. In Genshin, a Geo vision could help with the crushing.

The grapes go into massive open-air containers to ferment. The fermentation containers CANNOT be inside, because they release a lot of CO2 so you would straight up die. After fermentation, the wine is moved to sealed off vats/barrels for aging and storage. (So my earlier bullet point about vats & barrels... keep this in mind; you couldn't just put raw grape juice in a barrel in the basement and except to run the business next year.)

did a quick search and whites are fermented chill (helps them to smell nice), reds warmer, whites take longer than reds, and while it takes a few weeks to ferment a wine, it's usually sold at least a year after harvest to age it a little.

Other

My dad noted that the winery is very seasonal -- there is equipment that is not used at all for part of the year, and then very frequently at another time.

The Ragnvindr "Family" business would be on the other side of this than my family, but smaller wineries will produce "generic" reds and whites and sell them in bulk to bigger companies, which will apply their own label to them (I think they usually mix them with the "genuine").

My relatives named a bottling of wine after their grandson. I just think that's cute.

I read an article once about vineyard falcons -- they are used to protect the grapes from smaller birds. So Diluc's bird has a purpose!

(tagging @blooming-cecilia @valberryventi and @autumnpens because you were interested!)

#diluc #genshin impact #diluc ragnvindr #diluc genshin impact #dawn winery #genshin #I said this #wine #fun fact my dad was in the vineyards when 9/11 happened #one of the moroccon workers found him and told him

[elisysd]

Power - Little Mix

Masterlist - Previously - Next Chapter

You shoud know, I'm the one who's in control I'll let you come take the wheel, long a you don't forget Who got the power?

After much hesitation, Lyanna finally agreed to appear in the interview that Charles would give on Ferrari's social networks. What neither she nor Charles had anticipated, however, was that Ferrai would make a public announcement of her participation and invite the tifosis to ask whatever questions they wished, resulting in an alarming number of questions about their relationship rather than Charles' ambitions and the 2024 season.

It was in the middle of the week, at 8am one morning, that the Scuderia media team and Silvia arrived at Charles' house with cameras and microphones. They spent an hour setting up the equipment and arranging the room to create an aesthetically pleasing setting for the shoot. Charles and Lyanna then had their make-up and hair done and the microphones set up.

Lyanna didn't feel comfortable, despite the fact that it was far from being her first interview and that the cameras on her didn't really bother her. On the other hand, it was the first time she had allowed her private life to be voluntarily exposed. She hoped she wasn't opening the door to too many excesses, even if Charles had made it clear to Silvia that this kind of interview was the first and last.

She took a seat on a chair next to the camera, which was pointed at the pilot, who, seeing the stress on the young woman's face, desperately tried to relax her by making faces in her direction.

The interview began. Charles recounted what it was like for him at the time of the crash, what he remembered and what happened afterwards. His convalescence, the importance of mental strength and how the desire to get back into an F1 car and wear the Ferrari colours again had motivated him, along with the importance of the support of those close to him, without whom it would not have been possible.

Then it was Lyanna's turn. She in turn took her place in the same spot where Charles had been sitting a few moments earlier as he stood facing her, taking care to remain within her line of sight to reassure her. Lyanna couldn't help fidgeting with her fingers.

“So Lyanna, can you tell us what you recall from the accident?” asked her Silvia

“Honestly? Not that much…It was like I was dissociating from everything. My body was there but my mind was elsewhere. The only thought I had was him, in that car, and not knowing if he was alive or…” she shook her hear as if it could keep away the bad thoughts. “I kept replaying the last words I said to him. Then, Fred gave me his headset so I could be connected to Charles’ radio, so could talk to him and when I heard nothing but white noise it felt like the ground was collapsing under me. I know that it was just two minutes between the actual crash and learning that he was alive, but to me it felt so much longer.”

“Is it something you had prepared yourself for? Having to witness a car crash.”

“I mean, I know that when Charles gets in the car, there is a possibility of him having an accident. But I’m not expecting the worst. There is a whole team behind that is supposed to make sure that he comes back in one piece. So I’m not scared. I try to not show that it’s stressing me out because I know that Charles doesn’t need to see me worried before a race.”

They continued talking for a few more minutes. Lyanna mentioned how she had been by Charles' side during his convalescence and how annoying he had been. This was supposed to be the light moment of the video. Charles then took his place alongside his girlfriend for the Q&A.

“So this question is for Charles: how important is your girlfriend in your day to day life since the crash.”

“She had been the most supportive person. Always there to help me when I couldn’t even get out of the bed. Always encouraging me. I haven’t been the easiest person to be around, and I’m sorry about that, Lya. I haven’t been appreciative enough.”

“Lyanna: What was the most difficult part about having Charles sick at home?”

“Watching him watch the races and endure all his complaints about how he should be there and how he would have driven every single corner. Positive side of it, I’m beginning to understand F1 better. Negative side, he was really annoying.”

“Could we expect to see you more on the tracks for 2024 season?”

“Well, it’s going to depend on a lot of things but even if I can’t be physically there, I will always cheer him on from whenever I am.”

The interview came to an end and Lyanna was relieved to see the team soon leaving the flat. She wasn't particularly looking forward to seeing the final result, she just hoped that the editing would reflect what she had said and that the video wouldn't be dramatised.

That evening, over pizza for Lyanna and a salad for Charles, who was on a diet, Charles asked her if she had any plans for the following day. He wanted to spend some time with his girlfriend alone, feeling that it had been far too long since that had happened, between their argument and his trip to Maranello. He was therefore surprised when she told him that she had planned a day's shopping to buy presents for her family and also for Charles's, not wanting to appear ungrateful by coming empty-handed.

“Do you want me to come with you?” he asked her.

“No, it’s fine. I’m already meeting someone there and it would spoil the fun if you already knew your Christmas present, don’t you think?” she replied, which piqued the Monegasque's curiosity even more.

“Who are you going to meet? You don’t know anyone in Monaco?”

“Well first of all, thank you for making me look like a recluse who won't come out of her cave. And second, I kind of befriended Charlotte.”

 Charles dropped his fork in surprise and it landed on his trousers, leaving a stain of vinaigrette in the process.

“When you say Charlotte, you talk about Charlotte my ex-girlfriend who was at my birthday or you happen to know another Charlotte who lives in Monaco?”

“We are thinking of the same Charlotte.” Confirmed Lyanna.

“But… Okay, I have a few questions. When? How? Why? Don’ get me wrong, I have no problem with it and I’m happy that you are making friends but… she’s my ex-girlfirend?”

“I mean… it happened. She really helped me understanding some things and put my thoughts in order. She was really straightforward about what I should expect as your girlfriend and she was kind enough to answer my questions. And then we just bonded over things. Don’t worry we are not talking about you. She has not revealed your worst embarrassments yet.”

“Well thanks, I guess? So you are meeting with her tomorrow? Where?”

“At the shopping centre and we will probably go eat somewhere so don’t wait for me. I’ll be out all day.”

Charles nodded. When Lyanna disappeared into the bathroom after dinner to take a shower, he quickly took out his phone and isolated himself on the balcony before dialling his best friend's number.

“Joris? It’s me. Tell me, do you have some plans tomorrow? I was thinking of going Christmas shopping.”

Far from imagining for a moment her boyfriend's intentions, Lyanna left the next morning excited at the idea of shopping for Christmas presents. She didn't really know what to get Charles's brothers and mother, so she was reassured to have Charlotte by her side to advise her. She met up with the young woman in a café near the shopping centre and the two of them wandered through the aisles looking for the perfect present. For Arthur, Lyanna had bought a comic book on the history of motor sport. For Lorenzo, she had opted for a stationery set, thinking it would be useful for him as he was partly in charge of Arthur's career, and as for Pascale, Lyanna had opted for a body and face care set so that she could take care of herself.

“Did you find a gift for Charles?” asked Charlotte as they were heading to a restaurant.

“Yeah, I have it already. I just hope he’ll like it.”

Caught up in their discussion, the two young women paid no attention to the all too recognisable Pista of a certain number 16 following them at a distance.

“I keep on telling you that we should have taken my car… they are going to see us.” Mumbled Joris, his face between his hands starting to question his life choices and how they led him to sit in his best friend’s car, spying on his current and ex-girlfriend.

“And I’m telling you that we are super discreet. And we don’t spy. We are just trying to see what they are doing. I just want to understand.”

“That’s the definition of spying, mate.”

“Shut up.”

Charles ended up parking awkwardly in a spot where he wasn't sure he was really allowed to, but at least it was out of sight. He took two black hoodies and sunglasses out of his trunk. He handed one to Joris before putting on the second.

“You really went overboard with the I’m definitely not spying my girlfriend.” Commented Joris.

Charles glared at him to shut him up and the two friends headed for the restaurant where Lyanna and Charlotte were eating. Fortunately for Charles, they were sitting near the window and he could see them quite clearly. They were laughing together and looked very friendly and Charles couldn't help wondering what was so funny.

It was the crowd around the restaurant that caught Charlotte and Lyanna's eye as they enjoyed a coffee with macaroons. Lyanna naively thought it was for her at first, but when no one entered the restaurant or seemed to be paying any attention, she discarded the idea. It was Charlotte who realised what all the fuss was about when she spotted Charles's best friend a little way back in the crowd, seemingly enjoying the warm greetings his friend was receiving.

“Did you tell Charles that we would meet today?”

“Yes, he knows. Why?”

“Because I think I see Joris, and unless he has become a superstar in the span of one year, I do believe that Charles is here.”

Lyanna sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. The two young women got up, took their time paying the bill and left the restaurant to approach the crowd. And indeed, the closer they got, the more Lyanna could hear Charles's name being called out. The two young women stood back for a few moments, just long enough for all the fans to get a photo or an autograph and then to leave.

When Charles saw Lyanna and Charlotte, both with their arms crossed and the same disapproving look on their faces, he knew he was in trouble.

“Hey… Girls… Fancy seeing you here.” He tried to play it nonchalant.

“Charles are you following me?” asked Lyanna bluntly.

“Following you? Babe, you are hurting my feelings. It’s just a pure coincidence. Joris called me this morning asking me to help him find a gift for his mom and being the great friend that I am, I accepted. Nothing more. Right, Joris?”

Charles stared at his friend, who cleared his throat and approached the group.

“Yeah… my sister… I mean my mom is picky and Charles has great taste so…”

“You don’t need to cover for him, Joris.” Said Charlotte.

“I promise you, Lya it’s not what it looks like…”

“So you are not spying on us?”

“Yeah okay, fine we were spying. But can you blame me? I just wanted to see by myself what a friendship between you and Charlotte would look like.”

“Were you scared that I would turn her against you by saying what an idiot you are sometimes?” intervened Charlotte. “Because if so, don’t worry I think she doesn’t need me to see that. You do wonders by yourself.”

“Haha very funny.”

“Since when are you following us?”

“Lyanna, believe me you don’t want to know.” Said Joris.

“We might have been behind you in that cosmetic shop. By the way my mom is going to love the gift.”

“I don’t know if I should be scared because your behaviour is creepy or admirative because how the hell were you so subtle.”

“Go with the second option, it will make me sleep better tonight.”

Lyanna rolled her eyes and turned to Charlotte.

“I’m so sorry about him.”

“Don’t worry. I see you around. Happy holidays to you both.”

Joris not wanting to spend another minute in Charles's company, took the opportunity to go his own way, leaving Lyanna and the pilot alone at last. The young woman handed her bags to Charles, who grabbed them sheepishly.

“You are so going to sleep on the sofa tonight.”

============

author's note: A little chapter to celebrate Silverstone week end aka one of my favourite race on the calendar! Next chapter will be Christmas at the Leclerc, I can't wait and then off we go for the 2024 season. We are slowly approaching the end of the story and I'm not going to lie, it makes me very sad. As usual, don't forget to comment / reblog / like the story since it's the best way to let me know that you are actually enjoying it. And see you for another chapter very, very soon!

taglist: @zendayabelova @purplephantomwolf @ru-kru @dakotali @blueflorals @aundercover @ruleroftheuniverse @fangirlika @writerscurse @elijahmikaelsonbitch @leclerc13 @karmabyfernando @stargaryenx @pitlanebabe @boiohboii @reengard If you are tagged but did not receive any notifications, please check your settings because it means that Tumblr didn't let me tag you.

#charles leclerc #fiction #writing #charles leclerc imagine #charles leclerc x reader #charles leclerc imagines #charles leclerc x female reader #cl16 #cl16 x reader #charles leclerc blurb #charles leclerc fanfic #f1 x oc #f1 fic #f1 x reader #f1 imagine #f1 fanfic

[opinated-user]

transcript of the clip LO posted: "some make the argument that star was meant to be this way because it's inspired by anime, but that's a statement that need qualifying. which anime? well, sailor moon obviously. but that sentiment is found on any of the other shows. anime is a pretty wide medium with many irons and many fires, but the phrase anime inspired always narrowed it in small niche and culturally embarassing side of it that even Japan doesn't like to be reminded of it" (source_not_found) "when someone says anime inspired they never say that they were inspired by hello kitty or hamtaro or that silly one where everyone is sharply dressed and ridiculously buffer" (an image of Jojo Adventures) "no, it's always this shit that no one in their right mind would be caught with."

the last part of the clip shows this:

let me debunk this clip piece by piece. 1. you literally just said that SVTFOE is inspired by Sailor Moon, the anime that really popularized and cemented the magical girl genre for the public. although it wasn't the first one, it's the one everyone immediately associate whenever "magical girl" it's mentioned. to say that SVTOFE is inspired by Sailor Moon it's already saying that it has magical girl elements and many conventions of that genre baked into it. that's what it means. even the less knowlegeable people in anime will know what Sailor Moon is and if you tell them "this is inspired by Sailor Moon", they would know what it means. the fact that you insist that needs more "qualifying" and go on this completely incoherent rant talks more about your own ignorance than anything. "this show about a magical princess that comes from another dimension to earth in order to fight bad guys was inspired by this other show about another princess from another world that comes to earth to fight bad guys" is not a confusing statement at all, so i'm confused as to what you thought was necessary to "qualify" here? LO, when people say that your video are becoming worse because you lack structure and keep pulling words that don't end up connecting to any central idea, this clip is an example of what people mean. this whole rant was entirely unnecesary and it didn't help your point come across. any editor would have told you to either remove it entirely or worded it a lot different. by your response i can see that you think you were doing something there. i promise that you didn't.

2. LO, Japan is not embarassed by anime. i actually don't know from where you took that one. otakus were seen as embarassing because they were our equivalent of the incel stereotype that doesn't interact with people and lives indoors all day, but even that's changing. anime by itself was always part of the cultural expression of the country. they treat Evangelion like here in the west we treat Mickey Mouse, they plaster the images of those characters everywhere in the most populated areas. similar to how you have the "baby sister" you decided to romance in baldur's gate all over your tumblr, while trying to insist you don't have incestuous attraction to your younger sibling. but at least they don't do it to flaunt their incestuous attraction. you keep projecting this image of Japan being embarassed and annoyed by the existence of anime without any evidence or even an attempt to explain how that makes any sense. the anime industry is huge, it's one of the cultural products that Japan more profits with because they can export it to the rest of the world and the rest of the world wants more of it. in what planet does it make sense that they would be "embarassed" by something like that? 3. do you want to know why nobody ever says that something was inspired by hello kitty or hamtaro, LO? that's because Hello Kitty doesn't have an actual story. it's an cutesy aesthetic around a bunch of cute characters that a company made in order to sell cute merchandize. there was to my knowledge only one show made with Hello Kitty, but i believe none of that had anything to do with the official canon of the character. if you think about it, Hello Kitty is kinda like Barbie. it's a recognizable icon completely by itself. there can be stories made with it, but Hello Kitty will never go through a character development moment and will never change. she will always be just a cute kitty, just like Barbie can be whatever is the most convenient for Mattell in any given moment. as to Hamtaron, it was just a slice of life anime about cute animals. it was cute, indeed. but it didn't do anything new that thousands of other people weren't doing after or before with their own spins on it. here, a list of anime/manga that were exactly the same as Hamtaro without being directly inspired by it because nobody really invented the "slice of life story through the perspective of a pet" genre. it took me one google search to find, there's more if you want to see. if you're so desperate for more content "like Hamtaro" it was always that easy to find. ... more so, again, what does this have to do with SVTFOE or literally any other show that isn't about cute animals being cute? about Jojo's Bizarre Adventure and nobody ever was inspired by it in the west... you have to be joking with that one.

here are videogames inspired by JJBA: https://www.thegamer.com/best-jojos-bizarre-adventure-video-game-references/#bayonetta

other manga and anime it inspired: https://www.cbr.com/jojo-bizarre-adventure-anime-manga-inspirations/

shows in the west that it inspired/have direct references to JJBA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHhNUVtozKY one of the shows mentioned is Monkey Kid, which her wife watches. do you know why you don't hear that something wasn't inspired by this, LO? because nothing of the shows you watch had anything that could be inspired by JJBA or you wouldn't even understand the reference in the first place. one of the other shows that also had references was Amphibia... which LO refused to see because *checks notes* it had a plot.

4. the two things i circled in red are not even anime. they're games. the one with two girls hugging and looking up with fear is Rape Lay, a infamous game about raping underaged girls and their mother until you get them pregnant and they either kill you or you force them to have babies. the other one is Doki Doki Majo Shipan, a game whose main objective is that you have to undress and touch the bodies of different characters in order to find a "witch mark". many of those characters are underaged, but a few are adults and you play as a highscholer so it's still not better.

i just want to ask the following. why did you bring two games, two infamous games about touching or raping underaged bodies for that matter, when talking about SVTFOE at all? just why? what was the thought process here? how does this make your point any more clearer? how it does examplify better that "anime inspired" is bad when you don't even show anime and is instead games? anyone should seriously question why you brought this games up at all when talking about a show that was made by Disney. a show about a underaged magical princess of another world. why did your mind ever went to those games when talking about this? you just exposed, with no warning mind you, a bunch of your audience to these games to discover by themselves. you did that. and that was bad and you should feel bad about it.

#lily orchard

[thelostgirl21]

Gotta love when people tell me sapioromantism/sapiosexuality isn't real...

While at the same time acknowledging that demiromantism/demisexuality exists.

So... You're telling me it's okay to be exclusively able to romantically fall in love with/be sexually turned on by an emotional bond you share with someone.

But you can't frakking be exclusively able to romantically fall in love with/be sexually turned on by an intellectual one?!?!?!

I mean I'm a frakking demisexual (not sapiosexual), and you've got zero problem convincing me sapiosexuality is real!

I feel a sexual rush SPECIFICALLY over the way I am emotionally relating with another person (regardless of the type of emotional relation), for frak's sake!

Imagining how it must feel to want to fuck someone over the way our brains work/connect together is super easy, barely an inconvenience! How is that not real?!?!?!

For the romantic aspect, all I've got to do is replace "wanting to fuck someone" by "having a crush on them", and voilà! Sapioromantism!

And yeah, I know that it's often phrased as "being attracted to highly intelligent people", but that's like saying that demi is "being attracted to highly loving people".

Guys, the way we perceive intelligence and emotions is a very intimate phenomenon. And I personally find friendships as sexually attractive as romances.

I've never been more likely to want to fuck a person I've got romantic feelings for, than I've been likely to want to fuck someone I've got platonic or alterous feelings for.

But I need to emotionally connect.

And there are many different types of intelligence a human being can express that makes them romantically or sexually attractive.

Emotional intelligence, spatial intelligence, musical intelligence, logical intelligence...

It's much harder to quantify intelligence than it is to qualify it, and sapiosexuals do have intelligence preferences.

On the TV show "The Witcher", sapioromantic Jaskier appears to have a romantic preference for (or be strongly romantically attracted to, at least) emotional intelligence and insightfulness, if you're wondering how sapioromantic attraction might look like.

I'm actually exclusively sexually attracted to people that gives off what I call a "geeky vibe". You know, that look like they tend to get really passionate about a specific subject/discipline they deeply enjoy (videogames, movies, series, science, music theory, rocks... Whatever it is!) and "geek out" about it on a regular basis.

My partner is insanely into electric cars technology, and each time he starts talking about it, the research that's being done on recycling batteries, etc., he goes from a usually introverted personality to really animated, passionate, and expressive one; his eyes get that light and happiness to them, his skin gets slightly flushed, there's a unique musicality to the verbal flow of his words, etc.

He's also a D&D player, and that's insanely hot to me (although I've never personally played D&D)!

Seriously, do yourself a favor, and watch a bunch of people play D&D together. If they're really into their characters, their quests, and have a good DM, it's pure geek porn!

Those are huge turn ons! You want to have sex tonight? Get your geek on, babe! That's what I'm talking about!

I don't care whatever gender you have, as long as you're a geek!

That's what I'm sexually into. Geeks. Not men, women, or people outside the binary. Geeks.

Actually, if "geekiness" is considered as a form of intelligence, perhaps I could be considered somewhere on the whole sapiosexual spectrum (I just can't say specifically what type of intellect geeks display that triggers the attraction), too!

Because developing an emotional bond with a non-geek fails to trigger any sense of sexual attraction.

I need to find you aesthetically attractive (let's face it, demi-pansexuals can be as "shallow", when it comes to being attracted to someone's looks as people from any other sexual orientations. There's just a secondary delay for us to get there), feel those "geeky vibes" emanating from you, and be emotionally bonded to you based on high levels of trust (specifically), in order to find you sexually attractive.

Those are the mains patterns I've noticed are a constant for me.

So yeah... Sapioromantism and sapiosexuality not being real? Get out!

#Sapioromantic #Sapiosexual #Aromantic #Asexual #Demiromantic #Demisexual #Greyromantic #Greysexual #Sapioromantism #Sapiosexuality #Aromantism #Asexuality #Demiromantism #Demisexuality #Greyromantism #Greysexuality #My posts #My thoughts #Personal

[friendsim2]

I’ve got to ask, why did you choose those specific characters for the dating sim??? I mean, a lot of the team have said they don’t like Vikare, Chixie is already in a relationship in FS2, and there’s not much bloodcaste diversity. Mallek and Lanque are obvious choices but why everyone else???

HEAVY SPOILERS AHEAD!

A few comments on that (this is Jonaya speaking, who wrote the entirety of TechniColor Heart):

None of the stuff in TechniColor Heart is directly related to the actual canon of Friendsim 2 (beyond the Dream taking inspiration from MSPAR's subconscious in certain areas) - like, these are explicitly different people (they're presented as humans, with human backstories). There's a ton of non-canonical lore introduced that while it sometimes kinda touches on FS2 canon (Lynera's crush on Bronya, Mallek does computer stuff, Cirava is a streamer) it also often doesn't (Chixie being Jewish, Cirava being from Tennessee, Lanque's relationship to his parents, Marsti being a former soldier, etc.) Also, because of the fact that they're being read as human, the blood color stuff is basically not a thing here - it has to do with their personalities as people and role in the story. The only meaningful bit of color stuff (outside of being used for aesthetics) here is Maria's being purple because of her connection to Gl'bgolyb.

While a few of the team have said they don't like Vikare as a character (or at least said he's kind of a nothing character in the original - which, like, he gets one of the shortest routes and never shows up again), I think that got turned into "y'all hate Vikare!" which is... not exactly accurate (if that were true, he wouldn't be in the game). He's got a role in the story the same as anyone else, and while he doesn't get much direct focus in the main Friendsim 2 canon, he's got more dialogue in the game than, say, Folykl or Kuprum!

Chixie can be in a relationship in the FS2 canon, but that's not set in stone! That's actually reactive to a series of choices involving her and Elwurd.

That being said, here's the reasoning behind them all! Most of them have some connection to how the Dream basis itself off what MSPAR wants, with a couple wildcards that exist because of para-narrative reasons (i.e. "I wanted to put them in" reasons).

Mallek: Given the role of the Dream, it makes sense that he's a romance option, since there's some level of an implied flushed crush between him and MSPAR (in Friendsim 2 especially).

Lanque: He was someone that MSPAR could canonically have a relationship with in the first game, again playing into the Dream picking up on subconscious desires or previous canon/semi-canon events.

Vikare: There have been a couple very vocal fans of Vikare - and while his role in the main story is the way it is for narrative reasons, I wanted to acknowledge that there's a segment of our fandom that really likes him. Specifically, wanted to give his TH version the same level of depth and development as anyone else. Think of it as a the Dream referencing metanarrative events.

Chixie: Another character MSPAR has a more-or-less canonical relationship with (as a moirail). She's presented as demi and is the only character you can't actually have sex with, hinting at the connection between her role as MSPAR's moirail in the canon world.

Skylla: Another character MSPAR can get very close to in the first game, physically (sharing the slime bath in her original Friendsim route) and the first character MSPAR meets in Friendsim 2 who expresses concern for them (urging them to get out before they get killed).

Lynera: One of the real wild-cards here, since her relationship to MSPAR isn't especially closer than a lot of other characters. The real secret here is para-textual: Lynera is probably Jonaya's favorite character, so you get to date her!

Xefros (stand-alone only): This is less about the role of the Dream (since it's in the stand-alone mode) and more about wanting to give Xefros some more screen time.

Marsti (stand-alone only): Also outside of the Dream, Marsti is part of the whole fucked-up Absent Place storyline, and her romance plotline is kinda fucked up and dysfunctional. Gotta include at least one absolutely messy storyline in the game, after all.

As far as the reasoning behind the non-dateable characters who have questlines:

Cirava: One of MSPAR's close friends and an important confidant in the main storyline. Picked partly to have them bounce off of Mallek in their storyline, partly because they fit well into the "streamer who spends most of their time inside" archetype and I wanted there to be a consistent touchstone in the form of MSPAR's roommate.

Elwurd: She had "lesbian BFF" energy - someone who MSPAR is cool hanging out with, but she tends to push people away in the FS2 canon in particular. This gets developed if you do her questline.

Aradia: One of the characters we see with metanarrative awareness at times, so she made sense to help guide MSPAR out of the Dream. Also, she was one of the sprites made for another game that could be re-used.

Maria (depends on whether you're in stand-alone mode): In the Dream, Maria (whose sprites are from another game that our Studio stopped development one) represents Gl'bgolyb, hence her vastly different appearance. In the stand-alone mode, she's got her own character and plotline that ties into the Absent Place storyline.

Tyzias (stand-alone only): Given her role in canon, it made sense to have her and Stelsa as FBI agents investigating the murder of Cridea Jeevik. A fair amount of Twin Peaks references with her too.

Ardata (stand-alone only): Needed someone kinda fucked up - originally was gonna be more-or-less a Twin Peaks reference as well, but ended up developing into her own thing. Also her role in the history behind the Absent Place plot ties into her FS2 canon role in the Alternian military.

[datamodel-of-disaster]

An Inquiry Into The Perfection Of Systems

(Or, Kevin Flynn is actually the worst and Clu never stood a chance)

So, this is a post about business analysis/project management, sort of. It is also, mostly… about Tron: Legacy. Hold onto your seats, we’re going to talk about IT project management.

Watch me.

Developing software and managing a software development project require surprisingly different skillsets. While intrinsically connected, Computer Logic and People Logic are not at all the same sort of logic. There is no better way to observe this than by putting developers in charge of managing a development project. (Looking at you, Flynn.)

I see you, Kevin Flynn.

There are a couple questions you have to answer in the process of a dev project. They are very common sense questions, like…

When will we call it done?

What does “done” mean?

How do we assess the quality of the result?

As is usually the case when common sense meets computers, the answer is more complicated than the question, to the point that a great many books and papers have been written on the subject. (1)

Does this look like a man who reads Project Management books? No.

Which brings me to a number of useful concepts: Definition of Done, Fit For Use, and Fit For Purpose. The terms may be more recent, but their spirit most definitely isn’t.

Definition of Done is what is says on the tin. It is formally defining what it means for an IT feature to be fully finished: what does it need to do, what does it need to look like, what quality standards does it need to meet, etcetera. This is not the place to be vague: you want concrete, measurable goals.

(Here’s a hint, in case that wasn’t already glaringly obvious: “Perfect” is not a good Definition of Done.)

Now, you can define this “done” in purely hard, technical terms. But typically, software is intended to do something for someone; Computer Logic, meet People Logic. That’s where the “Fit For” terms come in.

“Fit For Purpose” means, the software does what it was intended to do.

“Fit For Use” means, the software does what it does well enough to be actually usable.

THESE ARE NOT MUTUALLY INCLUSIVE.

But a good system is both.

A “Perfect” system would be both to the highest degree. Ideally suited to the requirements of its Users, in functionality and useability both.

Important here is that these are completely relative concepts, entirely dependent on what the users want out of their software. Regardless of how attainable it'd be, you cannot define “perfect” as a measurable goal without understanding what is required of the system in the first place.

Now… look at the Grid.

(Yeah. I know.)

The Grid has no users. The Grid has no user-end functionalities. The Grid isn’t set up to do anything, really, in the software sense. It fulfills no obvious function.

It’s a back-end environment accidentally turned front-end.

Which is… Imagine if someone walked into a factory and was like “oh wow I love the vibe of this place!” and then after getting home began setting up their own production lines, but based on vibes and aesthetic, with no regard to production output, worker safety, resource management, or even, you know, the goal of actually making anything.

Now picture being the manager of that factory.

They told you when you got this job that you had to make this the perfect factory.

But the place is falling apart despite your best efforts. People are getting injured left and right. The owner disappears for months on end, and when he shows up he just keeps adding more production lines that look cool to him rather than offering any clarity. The hope that he might have a plan for all of this is dwindling fast. You desperately try to keep track of anything quantifiable, trying not to think about the fact that you still don’t know what you’re even meant to be producing here. (Everything going wrong weighs on you; you were meant to make this perfect. You should have the ability to do what you were meant to do, right?)

And then, for some reason, random unauthorized strangers start walking into the factory breaking shit. And because the owner thinks they’re neat, they get to stay and do whatever, and you should be happy about it.

If this was an actual factory, you could... quit your job.

But this isn't a factory, it's a computer, and you, a piece of software, ARE your job.

Tell me this wouldn't drive you off-the-rails crazy. Like, actually full-on psychotic.

I know man. I know.

Computer Logic and People Logic are not the same thing. But Programs, being software and people both, have both influencing their experience.

So, was Clu evil? I rather think he never had a chance to be good.

After all, what is good, for a piece of software?

Allow me to refer to my explanations above.

..... ..... .....

(COMPLETELY UNNECCESARY) FOOTNOTES:

(1): One such book that Flynn could have read is “The Mythical Man-Month” by Frederic P. Brooks, which is very good and surprisingly relevant to this day, but I’m only mentioning because when I first heard the title I thought it was a Mothman pun.

#tron #tronblr #tron legacy #clu 2 #kevin flynn #Dys-Functional Analysis #clu

[thestupidhelmet]

I know we talk about Jackie and Eric being a thing in fanfiction. But how much of a game changer would it have been if it happened in real life? How would casual fans take to a J/E romance? Would ratings go up, or down?

This answer went far beyond the scope of the question. 😄

When the show originally aired, down. ⬇️ The majority of the fanbase shipped Eric/Donna and Jackie/Hyde while Eric/Jackie shippers were fringe.

Today, with new generations of fans -- still down but, perhaps, slightly less. The majority of fans still ship Eric/Donna and Jackie/Hyde. But Jackie/Eric shippers have increased and are more active in fandom.

J/H shippers have been and are far more active in making fanworks (fanfic, .gifsets, art, etc.) than Eric/Donna fans, but that could be due to Eric and Donna being together in some romantic aspect since "That '70S Pilot" (1x01) and are ultimately endgame in the series finale.

In contrast, T7S fans recognized the chemistry between Jackie and Hyde as early as "The Keg" (1x06) and began shipping them around then. Fanfic followed to explore the romantic possibilities. "The Best Christmas Ever" (1x12), for example, establishes Jackie experiences some kind of sexual attraction toward Hyde (however minor). "Ski Trip" (1x13) establishes Jackie's emotional connection to Hyde (however minor).

And "Prom Night" (1x19) blows the doors open for Jackie and Hyde. Recognizing the other's humanity overrides their antagonism. They find each other aesthetically appealing. Jackie trusts Hyde when she's most vulnerable e and isn't let down. In fact, he goes above and beyond -- to the point of reconciling her and Kelso despite in previous episodes trying to convince Kelso to drop her. Hyde exhibits significant empathy toward Jackie, and the ship was sea-worthy.

Eric and Jackie canonically treat each other like bickering siblings who insult each other (to each other's face amd behind the other's back). Jackie is sexually and aesthetically repulsed by Eric, and Eric is repulsed by Jackie's personality.

Their few times bonding stems from Eric's compassion for people in general, Jackie being obsessed with getting married and enjoying the shopping process, and the writers wanting to get a laugh from the audience.

For an Eric and Jackie romance to work canonically, the writers would have to develop and substantiate the changes in their characters over half a season of episodes, at least. Thirteen episodes (T7S aired back when shows had seasons of 26 episodes, split into thirteen for the fall/winter and spring/early summer halves of a season.)

That doesn't mean fanfic writers can't and haven't accomplished the above in their stories. But a romantic Eric/Jackie pairing simply isn't built into the show in any way.

Over the years, I've gone from finding the ship physically repulsive (my stomach actually tensed in an unpleasant manner 😅) to enjoyable in a well-written fanfic. Just because a relationship ship isn't show!canon doesn't mean it can't work if it's written well in fanfic. By that same token, well-written fanfic doesn't inject canonicity into the show. It might project it onto the show, but it can't create what doesn't exist.

Interestingly, the potential for a Jackie/Fez romantic relationship is built into the show (long before the OOC season 8). Their pairing in fanfic can be considered following show!canon.

I don't ship Jackie/Fez at all romantically, but I can't dismiss what's in the show. Whereas I enjoy the Eric/Jackie ship in specific cases, but the show well-establishes their romantic (and sexual) incompatibility.

For more about Jackie and Fez's relationship on T7S, check out the following meta:

#that 70s show #that '70s show #jackie x hyde #jackie x eric #jackie burkhart #ask #anon #my meta #my essay #meta #essay

[pokememes]

I have thoughts on ttpd

And I don’t know where else to share them without my criticisms and qualms being written off as blind hatred so here goes

Quantity over quality was definitely the motto with this one. She said at one of the eras shows that this album was when she needed writing more than ever. That doesn’t however, mean that everything she wrote needed to be on this album. Part of what makes an album good is an artists ability to edit their songs into a cohesive work.

Going off of that last point: I blame the vault tracks. Swift and her team saw how much people loved the vault tracks and went overboard with the concept of “give the people more.” The vault tracks worked so well because they felt like a bonus. When the whole album feels like “vault tracks” it loses some of the allure.

The concept is pretty weak overall. The aesthetic that was used to market the album only fits about half of the songs. I was hoping for literary references beyond just name dropping various poets and artists but so far Cassandra is the closest that I can recall that actually references poetry. I’m sure there’s some connections I’m missing so please enlighten me, (my academic background is in art history, not literature).

I feel like conceptually there are at least two albums here. The first is the actual ttpd concept of poetic sad songs, and then there’s a second set of songs that feel much more modern and feel like they belong on a different album (Florida!!!, down bad, imgonnagetyouback, etc.). I wish she would’ve taken the double album concept all the way and grouped the songs into more cohesive narratives.

Imgonnagetyouback is the exact same idea as get him back! by Olivia Rodrigo. I just feel like there’s some irony there because didn’t Taylor sue Olivia for something similar (I don’t know the ins and outs of that whole situation so forgive me if I’m missing some nuance)? Not that two people can’t write about the same thing but something about these two songs in particular seems too similar. They don’t sound the same but specifically the lines “key his car… make him lunch” in Rodrigo’s and “be your wife … smash up your bike” in Swift’s are the exact same “domestic tasks/destroy vehicle” dichotomy. Idk man something isn’t quite right about the whole thing to me.

A lot of the lyrics do not fit the melodies AT ALL. so many lines feel oddly paced, either stretched out where they shouldn’t be or too many words crammed in. The melody should fit the lyrics and it’s just not happening in this album as a whole. So many of the lyrics are just too wordy and awkward. Poetry doesn’t need to be long to be good.

Some of the lyrics are just so bad that they take me out of the song. I’m sure anyone that’s read this far can think of a few instances that made them pause. Hearing the words “finance guy” in a song was absolutely jarring.

Overall I just feel like it’s a poor representation of her abilities. She’s shown that she can write better. Her other albums were better sonically. There’s just nothing about this that is phenomenal. Very few memorable songs. No standout radio hits. It’s not the worst album ever made but it’s just so mediocre.

This album was made for a specific type of fan; someone who is up to date on her personal life and will listen to find Easter eggs, someone who will buy all of the vinyls just to complete their collection, someone who will love these songs just because they are Taylor Swift songs. I think every fan can find a few songs they like but I’d be shocked if anyone could genuinely say that they enjoy every song on this album, or that they think this album is one of Taylor’s better releases.

#ttpd #taylor swift #the tortured poets department #criticism and thoughts #media criticism