#formal criticism

[courtofterrasen]

Alright, clearly some of you guys are just not getting it. So no more emotion from me; I am simply going to write in factual terms.

It takes a VAST amount of work to go into creating a series like Bad Batch. You have to go through writing, scene painting, 3D modeling, rigging, lighting, SFX, voice lines, editing, final production, etc; just to name a few. It takes hours upon hours upon hours of work for those animators to create all of the nuances in a scene, let alone in Bad Batch where there is an extremely high level of attention to detail. It’s not like anime where a character and background are mostly stationary while they talk. There’s constantly stuff happening in the background and they intentionally make choices that provide extremely little to the overall story and, in all honesty, take up a significant amount of their time and can be argued that they’re wasting their time and money and effort (I don’t think so, but I’m sure people could argue it if they thought that effort should be allocated elsewhere). But they do it because it provides a deeper sense of realism to the story as a whole and make it feel like a living, breathing world. For example, when a character trips a little bit or they animated them doing something slightly harder than it would have been otherwise or eyes darting around and studying someone. These are all very little things that take them hundreds of hours to get perfect. And those are the kinds of things that go unnoticed by the vast majority of people watching the show. Either because they don’t noticed the little detail that was put in at all, or they don’t understand the level of work that goes into creating little minute decisions like that. And all of those decisions that they make, both big and tiny, are given to them in specific instructions by the directors. When you think about the insane amount of work that goes into creating a show like Bad Batch, you realize that every single little detail that they choose to add in is intentional and was given to them via specific instruction. It’s not like in live-action shows where the actor can choose to make a subtle decision on the fly. There are hundreds of thousands of hours of work that go into this and every choice that they make is intentional. The lighting dept. has even confirmed this for us, saying that all of the lighting that they did was done very carefully and intentionally and to pay attention to what’s happening in the scene. Because there’s an extremely high level of detail that’s put into the show, based off of very detailed instructions that were presented to them.

Now. Taken all of these points into account, it’s critical to look at all of the little choices that were made when it comes to her character and the way that both she interacts with the world and the people around her, as well as how they, in turn, respond to her. Because, like the lighting dept. has already made very clear to us, every design choice they has been made in the creation of the show is 100% intentional. Even if that’s not something that they had said or wasn’t something you were aware of, when you focus on the aspect of animation, it’s sometimes hard to get a clear grasp on just how long it takes them to do these things. And that every little choice that they made was carried out under specific instruction. And that’s not even getting into the nuances of voice acting and understanding the subtle distinctions in the way someone talks and being able to discern the meaning behind their words based on dialect and the instructions they were given. And for someone who just casually watches the show, absolutely none of these are important. They’re watching it to watch it and no further thought is put into it. And there’s nothing wrong with that. People are allowed to watch things at a surface level and get enjoyment out of it.

For every character, they can be broken up into various parts:

•Their visual appearance

•Their behavior

•Their interactions with others and the world

•How others respond to their character

•Their small, subtle behaviors (such as a particular twitch or repetitive body movement that can be used to convey a deeper meaning)

•And their internal motives

In that order from the least to most complex. And these topics can also be used to understand the complexity of a character. For someone like Cid, all of these topics are touched on in a variety of ways.

•She’s different from them

•She’s gruff and money hungry

•She speaks to the Batch like they’re a bunch of kids and she knows better than them

•They never fully bring themselves to trust her and, at times, they see her has a burden

•Towards the end of their time together, she gets snappier, and whenever she’s around them her movements slow ever so slightly and she furrows her brows slightly a lot more than in the past

•And in the end, she betrays them

And that’s putting her character into a single sentence for every bullet point, which, for well written characters like Cid or Hemlock or Rampart or Nala Se, cuts a lot of things out.

When it comes to the way that Phee is written and what she contributes as a whole to the show, she is not a very complex character. I’m not going to go into every single scene with her, but I am going to touch on a few. And if I need to continue the discussion further to cover more scenes, then I will. On multiple instances, she puts the Batch into very dangerous situations, and overall appears to care very little for them as people unless it gets her something that she wants. This is made very evident when, for example, she gets Omega, a child, excited about a big grand adventure and Omega then convinced the Batch to go along with it. Even though they were very adamant about not doing it. This is said with both their words and their tense body language. They don’t want Omega to get hurt and they know it’s a bad idea; but in the end she’s able to convince them. Then, when they get to the site, she shows clear lack for them or their safety and proceeds to put them in a very dangerous situation where someone could have gotten seriously hurt or killed. And she shows no remorse for it. Her language, both verbal and bodily, are very loose and nonchalant, assuring them that she had everything under control and that they were able to handle it, despite their very clear frustration. This type of behavior is shown again and again and again as they continue to interact with her. Her actions relay to the viewer that she does not respect their boundaries, or arguably, them as people. Her words are designed to be rocks with a pretty bow on them. And again, this is not personal opinion or speculation. Every single word and action was carefully designed by the team. All the tensed muscles were created by a team of people working very hard to convey that to the audience. Every thinly veiled word was guided by a director when the VA came in to record the sessions. Every single choice was intentional for a very specific reason.

Tech likes things in a very specific way. He likes his ship to be in a particular order and takes very good care of its maintenance and upkeep. He prides himself on being able to maintain a good ship. He spends a lot of time on his data pad. It’s how he was designed on Kamino. That’s his link to his role in the group. He can do everything he needs to from there and, in certain scenarios throughout the show, you can see it provides him with a sense of comfort and stability. You can see this, not only in his subtle body language, but also in his fairly obvious body language with how he hunches over it. It’s reminiscent of a child hunching over a toy to bring it closer to them and protect it. It comforts him. You can also see, when he interacts with the rest of the Batch, his aversion to touch. It’s not significantly often that you see it, given that the rest of the Batch knows him better than anyone, but there are still times when physical contact or even just very close proximity happens and he either has a reaction by tensing up slightly or leaning away from it, or sometimes he doesn’t react to it at all and almost seems to not register it; such as when he’s focused on his work. Every little reaction that he has with his brothers was scripted and orchestrated for a very specific purpose. It conveys the nuances of who he is as a unique and individual person.

Keeping that in mind, when it comes to the way she interacts with Tech specifically and the Batch, it’s very clear to understand the dynamic behind them when you look close enough. To recall a few instances, there was a time when she was recounting a story about finding a big treasure and Tech says something along the lines of “she changes this story every time she tells it”. He’s conveying to both the people in the show and us as viewers that she is a liar. She is either changing the story to make herself seem cooler, or maybe it didn’t happen at all and she’s making the entire thing up. Which, I will briefly mention again, are traits synonymous with narcissists. In another instance, Tech, Omega, and Wrecker were having a conversation where Tech is reprimanding them for bringing items back from a junkyard that they were in that they thought were cool instead of what he asked them to go find and bring back for him. I’m this conversation, Phee inserts herself and tells Tech that it’s not junk; also, in that same instance, not calling him by his name, which I will get to in a minute. Tech, in that moment, is trying to work, and his conversation with the other two was interrupted and fizzles out as Omega gets excited about the idea of a treasure map. A third is when the group is on Pabu and Phee is trying to get Tech to converse with her. His body language is hunched, tense, and he averts eye contact with her. When she prods him further, he is unsure how to engage in the conversation. And when he doesn’t respond in the way that she’s wanting him to, she talks about him to the rest of the Batch as he stands there around him and says to them how he “doesn’t know how to have fun”. And then they proceed to laugh at him. And again, you can see in his body language that he is confused as to why they’re laughing at him as well as uncomfortable being in that situation. And going off of that for another small fourth instance, there is another moment when they are getting ready to leave Pabu and she approaches Tech, who is working alone and trying to avoid contact with anyone, and says to him “So you’re just going to leave without saying goodbye?” His body language immediately tenses, he hunches further in on himself around his datapad, and his words make it clear he is both unsure and unwanting of the conversation. And when he does not respond in the way that she wants him to, she moves the datapad away from him to make him focus on her. She removes the item that brings him the most security to force him into engaging in a conversation he is uncomfortable with having. And again, these are all very intentional choices. They are not left up for interpretation. They are there to tell us what the character is feeling in that moment. They are trying to convey to us that he is uncomfortable. Not that he’s shy around a girl he thinks is pretty. And given on other scenarios that have happened throughout the show, it’s very clear that interpersonal relationships with anyone outside of Omega and the Batch is not something that he’s interested in. If they wanted to convey that he found her attractive, there are routes they could have taken to ensure that that comes across correctly to the audience, such as a faint little blush or rubbing a hand through his hair. But they didn’t do that, and instead chose for him to shy away and hide from certain situations or tense up and keep his head down in others. They are conveying to us that he does not like being around her. Because every single action they made him carry out took hundreds of hours of work to execute, and they would not go through all that trouble for no reason.

Branching off of that, we reach the topic of Tech’s name. When you watch the series as a whole, you can count on one hand the number of times that Phee refers to Tech by his actual name, while she refers to the others as their actual names. This is different from Cid in the way that Cid made that intentional choice to call them different things as a way to maintain distance from them. It’s clear from both her body language and her words that she did not want to get close to them. And really, wanted nothing to do with them unless they made her money. These are intentional choices. Phee’s character is designed to be flighty and unbothered. And she wants what she wants when she wants it. The choice to call Tech names and refer to everyone else by their names is an intentional choice. Him not understanding why she does that is an intentional choice. She does not respect him, which is why she does this. She can see that he doesn’t know what to do about it, so she keeps doing it. Like when a person presses on a bruise. These are all intentional choices made by the directors.

There was also a comment that said she behaves exactly like Crosshair does. And there are a few things I think did not entirely process when they made that comment. The first being that Crosshair was written to be one of the main antagonists for the first two season. I know they appeared in Clone Wars as well, but I’m talking specifically about Bad Batch. He was designed to be a bad guy that goes through a redemption arc; just like Zuko did in ATLA, for those who enjoy it. They both started out as antagonists, had horrible things happen to them, realized along their journey that maybe they were wrong, and are able to redeem themselves in the end and side with, or in Cross’ case, return to, the protagonists. In the beginning Cross was very sharp and defensive and thought he knew what was best. But he grew over time and learned how to care for people and share his weaknesses instead of putting on a facade all the time. And that’s the difference. We are reaching the end of the series and Phee has never had character growth to the level that Crosshair has and softens and opens up to the rest of the group. She hasn’t had any character growth at all. She is still the same exact person she was when we met her. There have been characters who have appeared for significantly less time that her, and if you pay attention to them, they have had significantly more growth than her as well.

The problem that I have begun to notice with people who are so quick to defend her actions is that they seem to be focusing more on her than on anything else. When you focus on just her, I can see how someone could mistake these interactions for being positive. Because all they’re focusing on is someone who’s having fun, and of course that would translate to something positive for him. But for the people who focus on Tech, it becomes very evident that these interactions are not positive. When you watch Tech, and I mean actually pay attention to him and not just watch him, you see all the subtle signs that you would otherwise miss. Him being annoyed and uncomfortable and confused and tired and generally not enjoying being around her. And this, unfortunately, happens a lot in real life too. People don’t take the time to absorb both sides of what’s happening. And since we as humans are quicker to pick up on people who are happy as opposed to people who are not, it’s so easy to miss the signals and just assume that what you’re watching is a happy interaction and put forth no further effort into making sure that’s actually what’s happening.

There is no other way to say that these things are all intentional. They wrote, designed, and sent out something that they have spent the past few years creating. When you understand the level of work that was put into it all, there are a lot of things that become very clear. And sure, headcanons exist and people can speculate what happens between the episodes. But headcanons can only go so far before it becomes ridiculous. We cannot confirm that Echo didn’t run off to go have a quiet life with Cid, but that doesn’t automatically mean that it’s true. Inferring things that are not within the realm of possibility is not conducive. Assuming that Phee spent a lot of time talking about her adventures that she may or may not have had with the Batch between the episodes? That’s conducive and we have clear evidence that would support that. Assuming that her and Tech had a very close relationship and she always listens to what he had to say between episodes? As much as some people want it to be true, it’s just not. There is no evidence that supports that line of thinking, and, in fact, there is a vast amount of evidence that would actually conform the opposite; such as Phee talking over everyone and commanding the conversation, not respecting things that Tech says, etc.

I’m going to wrap this up by talking a bit more personally now. There are plenty of people assuming that I’m a racist or a misogynist or that my literacy skills are lacking or whatever, but because you’re upset that someone is calling out the awful behavior of someone you like doesn’t make it any less true. And that applies to both this type of situation and in real life. I know who I am and what I stand for, and you trying to tell me that I’m otherwise changes nothing. And defaulting to assumptions like that shows that either you do not watch the show with a more attentive eye, or that’s all that you see Phee for. A black woman. Both of which are issues.

People are allowed to not like black characters, even if they are black.

People are allowed to not like Asian characters, even if they are Asian.

People are allowed to not like female characters, even if they’re women (or AFAB people).

People are allowed to not like LGBTQ characters, even if they are queer.

People are allowed to not like neurodivergent characters, even if they are neurodivergent.

People are allowed to not like characters that display particular traits or thought processes, even if they share those same traits or thought processes.

People are allowed to not like characters if they think that the character is bad.

Also, for the people saying I’m using my autism as a shield clearly don’t understand how autism works? I don’t say that to be an excuse. I say that to provide context and reasoning behind the things that I say. Like many other neurodivergent people do. You all are getting pressed about the wrong things. If you want to debate the time and study I’ve put into the show because I genuinely enjoy it, then be my guest. But don’t throw out petty insults and waste everyone’s time. At least put forth some more critical thinking behind it and try to figure out why someone could be saying the things that they’re saying

#phee is a bad character #you can try to argue all you want but that doesn’t make it any less true #she’s not good for them #you can try to insult me but it’s not going to work #try using some critical thinking #I’ll wait #I know you’re going to try to argue with fact #I’m not going to sit around and let a bad person be praised for the bad things they’re doing #this is not an opinion #formal analysis #critical thinking #star wars #the bad batch #tbb #tbb season 3 #bad batch #the bad batch season 3 #tech and phee #tech x phee #the bad batch phee #phee genoa #tbb phee #tech bad batch #clone trooper tech #tbb tech #tech #technology #technically #ct 9902 #clone force 99

[essektheylyss]

To no one's surprise, I have more thoughts on Ashton's feelings about faith and begging for divine intervention and never receiving it, because... well, look at what's in their head.

I tend to take the view that the Luxon as a divine entity does not necessarily have conscious intent in granting divine favor; it is closer to a foundational force of reality, with the rather nebulous thought that might accompany a living entity associated with that kind of force. So not inert matter, but not exhibiting the will and motivated action that the Pantheon or even the Primordials do. The Primordials are closer, in that they are active, but I think they are less willful. This isn't particularly relevant to this discussion except as evidential comparison, though, so I digress.

What this view of the Luxon results in, in practice, is the bestowing of power by seemingly random chance. The beacons are where they are, and any movement of their worship or use is in the hands of mortals who convey that—whether that's the expansion of dunamantic arcana in Aeor and possibly the larger world in the Age of Arcanum, or the missionary efforts of the Kryn Dynasty, or simply one person passing it to someone with ill intent who exploits another worker to expand its use and turn it into a weapon instead.

And what happens is that these smaller exchanges create ripple effects, and the path of this force being conveyed continues, which is how it has come to Ashton—by a series of circumstances that, when looked at individually, look like mundane random chance, but taken as a whole, are so unlikely that they seem meaningful in the end.

I think this gets to the heart of what the Luxon seems to rule—the world may be governed by chance and circumstances, but when those circumstances are accumulated—into an event, or a nation, or a life—they create not destiny but meaning.

Ashton's circumstances are a series of misfortunes that feel almost fated in how perpetual they are—when he spells out the course of his life, and says that he can count on his fingers how many genuinely good days he's experienced, the weight of that misery feels like an oppressive fate.

But within the amalgamation of that misery, they've also happened upon—one might say were bestowed with—power. This is the power that lets him decide to be a hero and decide to save his friends. And, by some accounts in Exandria, it would've been granted to them by a god, without even asking anything in return. It's not verbal, so it's not a concession or meant to be placating, which wouldn't do much in the long run—it's the means by which Ashton has been able to wield control over his own destiny.

So if there's any meaning to circumstance, maybe it means that when Ashton prayed, something already answered.

#this just in: marble tomes office of export controls actually just the missionary arm of the kryn dynasty. #luxon blogging #critical role #cr meta #cr spoilers #ashton greymoore #me: meta doesn't have to be super polished or formal stop worrying so much about it #also me: if I don't explain my methodology for this analysis I'll fucking die.

[triptych-of-voids]

ein löffelchen voll zucker bittre medizin versüßt ♫

#this came to me in a vision and i blacked out and suddenly it was on the canvas #tf2 #tf2 medic #medic tf2 #not tagging archimedes cuz i usually dont but there he is!! #so do i tag this as #mary poppins #or...? #doodles #here to submit a formal apology for drawing him as a character that is [checks notes] english. i think this song fits him so well though #i will not be taking criticism i did not listen to the german version of a spoonful of sugar on repeat for several hours for nothing

[ariadne-mouse]

the usual

Shadowgast, Rated G, 573 words, prompt: late night takeout

-

"We should perhaps take a break."

"We are getting somewhere, though." Caleb stood and cracked his back. A topographic map of papers, open books, and component jars was laid out on the floor before them.

"We are," Essek agreed. "But if we keep going, it will be several more hours before we pause a second time, and I may begin chewing on parchment to sustain myself."

As if on cue, Caleb's stomach gave a loud gurgle. He ruefully put his hands on his middle. "Ach, you've woken the beast. Well. I suppose you are right. Do you have food here, or should we go out?"

Essek straightened his robes and neatened his hair with an effortless wave of Prestidigitation. "The night is warm. Let us walk. I know a place." He twisted a ring on his finger and his image shimmered, though to Caleb - who wore a second, matching ring - he still looked like himself.

("You know it is an Empire tradition to marry with an exchange of rings," Caleb had teased him, accepting the plain copper band. Only a Detect Magic would reveal it as enchanted. Essek had looked a little embarrassed, but shrugged it away. "I only wish for you to see me as I am. You don't have to take it." And Caleb, warmed, had put the ring directly on his finger and it had been there ever since.)

Caleb followed Essek through the streets of Nicodranas, which were not vacant even at this late hour, but peaceful and welcoming by the presence of others strolling by to enjoy the balmy air and the stars.

After twenty minutes of walking in companionable silence, they came to a storefront whose cheerful interior made it appear as a lantern in the dark. Steam and smoke fled the chimneys on the roof, and the clank of pots and pans and the murmur of people's voices from within broke the spell of nocturnal calm that wrapped around the rest of the city.

"The usual, please," Essek said to an attendant who opened a side window, releasing a billow of air fragrant with herbs and spices. "And... your special for today."

Twenty minutes more, and they were sat on a wooden bench nearby with cheap clay pots in hand, heavy with broth, vegetables, fresh seafood, and translucent rice noodles.

"Your usual," Caleb teased.

Essek raised his eyebrows and did not reply, as he was busy transferring a cascade of noodles into his mouth with chopsticks. They finally vanished with a less-than-dignified slurp. He patted his mouth with a handkerchief. "You have cilantro in your beard. And a bit of oil."

"Oh. Would you?" Caleb tilted his chin forward. Prestidigitation washed over him a moment later. The tingle of it continued down the back of his neck and to his collarbones. Caleb laughed. "I did not have soup all the way down to there, did I?"

Essek sniffed primly and busied himself with his next bite, humor tugging the corner of his mouth.

When they were done, the clay pots set aside to return to the bin at the back of the restaurant, they simply sat there for a long time, watching the passers-by on the street. The warm air wrapped around them, every so often carrying a hint of the sea. The stars glimmered above.

"This was a good idea," Caleb said, Essek's hand in his. He lifted it to brush his lips against the back of it.

Essek smiled. "I know."

#thanks for the prompt jess! <3 #critical role #tumblr snippets #shadowgast #ariadne writes CR #my personal interpretation is that shadowgast probably wouldn't focus on something like marriage in their actual post-canon life #so it's fun to sort of write around its outline to show that they don't need vows or formality to be as close as they are #(note - this is not commentary on what people should/shouldn't write in fic! i've written them married in other ficlets)

[enjoymorestuff]

I always enjoy the energy of the Crown Keepers. Opal and Dariax are SO aggressively dumb that they keep things light even when things are rough. Dorian is always a good time. And Aabria's DM style is more freewheeling than Matt's; she's always willing to banter with players at times when I feel like Matt would lay back a bit more. It keeps things light.

So I am finding this unexpected interlude delightful. The energy change from Bell's Hells' exhaustion is huge.

#critical role #cr spoilers #also certain members of the party have so much more role-playing experience now #and maybe something about how aabria doesn't have Formal Designed Hair this time makes it feel more casual

[sparring-spirals]

"My mom wanted to show me a world that would be.... freeing, if I just went back to being normal.

But I feel like. Our weirdness is what makes us right. Is that dumb?"

"No."

"This locket says- the better halves make a better whole. You have to love it all."

[...]

"Look at us, do you really think we're destined for normalcy?"

"Hell no. These weirdos are gonna get shit done."

#critical role #cr spoilers #c3e49 #cr liveblogging #imogen temult #laudna #laura bailey if you did not INTEND for that to be a deeply resonant line for queer experiences and otherwise #i am formally letting u know it functions VERY well as one. thank u #quote #faves #scene

[robotslenderman]

Just an FYI --

It's not enough to reblog a post that links its sources, you need to actually read those sources and see that it actually says what the post claims it's saying. Right now I'm looking at a post on my dash that made claim X with a link, but when you click the link it's clear that the post actually distorted what the source actually said and took it out of context. Plus some of the stuff the source said outright contradicted what the post said it does.

I checked another link and it was just as misleading, saying "Y didn't happen" but if you clicked the link stuff that was JUST AS BAD as Y had clearly happened but it was fine because Y didn't happen therefore everything is fine.

Critical thinking doesn't mean just reblogging stuff that has sources, it means making sure those sources actually hold up. One tactic people use is that they overwhelm people with links and sources in the hopes that readers won't actually double check what the sources say and just mindlessly reblog because of how many there are. This post had dozens of links, nobody has time to go through every single one so they just assume this perfect stranger who compilated them all is totally legit and just mindlessly reblog.

Because of this a ton of misinformation gets reblogged because people don't actually check the sources and just assume that the post must be good because there's so many of them (this post had DOZENS of links, and this was just ONE). Like, for all these people know every link goes to Rick Astley, but they think that "critical thinking" means reblogging stuff with links VS reblogging stuff without links. no, it's not.

#critical thinking #just read a link where the post said there's no evidence of X #and the source says they were so overwhelmed they COULDN'T invest resources into formal investigation of X #whereas the post implies they DID investigate and found nothing #but the link says there are multiple eyewitnesses who attested that they saw things that directly correlated with evidence of X #things that would trigger an investigation in normal circumstances #which the post conveniently left out #and that was just ONE LINK

[kuni-kuun]

Elementary, my dear Kunikida !

#I formally apologize as the ceo of kunikidazai for the lack of content these past few days #i was as people say #not feeling it #also kndz is literally sherlock and john #no i am not taking criticism cuz im right and its perfect #bungou stray dogs #kunikida #kunikida doppo #bsd #kunikidazai #bungou stray dogs kunikida #dazai #dazai osamu #kunikida x dazai #bungou stray dogs dazai

[mensuited]

#ke huy quan #actor #tuxedo #bow tie #formal #boots #handsome #style #sharp #sexy #suave #fashion #suit #hunk #stud #tie #suited and booted #everything everywhere all at once #critics choice awards

[kidvoodoo]

Long May He Reign 🏴‍☠️👑🩸

#my art #kidvoodoo #critical role #the mighty nein #the mighty nein reunited #kingsley tealeaf #mollymauk tealeaf #plank king #Kingsley the Cutthroat #shortly after this eventful dethroning the members of the mighty nein receive a formal invitation to Darktow for a coronation #and it’s a hell of a party

[blackmensuited]

#lamorne morris #actor #tuxedo #formal #dress shoes #handsome #style #sexy #sharp #suave #men's fashion #phyne #attractive #fine #suit #critics choice awards

[sucre-sanguine]

More random takes but my biggest problem with ouji fashion is 1. A lot of it isn't nearly as good quality as old school lolita pieces and often has a very cosplay feel to it, 2. For a masc equivalent fashion, it isn't actually very friendly to masc bodies. And by that I'm not just talking about fit, as a decent amount of stuff is made in male sizing (at least given how few brands make ouji to begin with). Given that lolita fashion fits such a classically fem silhouette, I'd love something that works more with classical masc styling. Sure, the full shorts might work from a historical point if you go far back enough, but that hardly translates to the stylistic feel of the pieces, which does skew more towards late 18th and early 19th century imo, if not early 20th century schoolboy. Give me emphasis on shoulders. Give me fitted bottoms and high waists. Give me cape coats and Eton collars and emphasis on the neckline to contrast where lolita emphasizes the skirt! Give me a cut that goes for dramatic and frilly masculinity, not something that takes lolita principles and just says "what if there was a seam at your crotch"

#ive seen a lot more interest in ouji recently!!! #and i want the options to match that interest #ouji fashion #i know Gothic aristocrat is a thing but even that is limited #i just think ouji has more potential #ive seen some indie brands go for a more formal schoolboy look and its 10 times better imo #i say this all with love in my heart for the fashion #altho im also a bit of a critic for modern trendy lolita #the prevalence of ott coords as the norm is also looking very cosplay esque to me

[yashley]

fearne immediately after heckling percy for a monkey gun and brunch: lady de rolo if you get restless you can come to our room just so you know

#critical role #cr lb #fearne Honorary Member of Vox Machina like she Is in them so business cards are just a formality isn’t it!

[belle-keys]

what do you think about all those who whine about how they miss the old fandom culture of interacting with fanfic writers and fanfic artists as members of the fandom community who enjoyed engagement and discussion and feedback because now content creators are on a pedestal and don't need positive feedback but do need to churn out constant content to feed the a03 machine? like 8 years ago i was in harry potter fandom and people weren't so sensitive when dealing with constructive criticism. now every message that isn't praise to the sky is hate message lol sorry but now content creators are like anti democratic leaders. they want only approval, want readers to be brainwashed into total devotion to the point of obsession and act mad that their egos aren't petted with constant praise? if they need to be cuddled better do it irl peple no longer worship writers like gods lol or go to therapy, maybe it's not too late

I’m gonna selectively disagree based on what we’re talking about… Writers of original written content should man up and respect criticism, and moreover, stay out of reader spaces. People, even hardcore fans, are allowed to read works critically amd have negative opinions. That’s the whole point of literary criticism and media literacy. I don’t believe in unwarranted praise just because someone is a writer.

However, this should not apply to fanfiction writers from my point-of-view. No fanfiction is not worthy of overwhelming negative criticism – the characters do not even belong to the fic writers and were not created by them. Fanfiction is an exercise in indulgence, in comfort, in imaginativeness. But it’s not original content. No single person is truly qualified to tell a fanfiction writer how to write their fanfiction i.e. their borrowed creative property that exists purely for giggles and creative exercises at the end of the day. That’s as hilarious as “homeless man calls other homeless man a brokeass”. How the hell can “you characterized Draco as too much of a bully in this fic when he wasn’t even that mean in the canon and his relationship with Harry is abusive and toxic here” remotely qualify as constructive criticism? The whole point of fics is that there are no rules. Like, fanfiction is an exercise in emotional fantasy, not skill. I don’t believe in providing “constructive criticism” on unoriginal written content that exists for neither literary study not commercialization purposes. Keep your negative fanfiction opinions to yourself – fanfiction, unlike literature, doesn’t exist for the purpose of critique.

You can critique the genre of fanfiction on a holistic meta-level, absolutely, there are dissertations dedicated to that. But to go on an author’s fic and be like “your worldbuilding in this ABO Destiel fic is so bad here” is ridiculous. I’d lose respect for people doing that in online fanspaces. Ignore and move on and go read something else if you have nothing good to say.

#idk if this is unpopular or what but fanfiction is not literature bud #you didn’t pay for it and you can’t study it formally either because you don’t own the property #so move on if you think a fic is bad #you don’t need to exaggerate praise but like just move on #fanfiction #fanfic #fandom culture #fandom #fanfic writing #destiel #drarry #media literacy #media criticism #literary criticism

[librarycards]

what sorts of things do you think can help people deal with their mental illness besides therapy/meds? i’m not saying i disagree with anti-psychiatry, and i have had bad experiences with psychiatrists/therapists for multiple reasons, but what kinds of things actually help? i’m on wait lists for free therapy and multiple of them have long way lists and hotlines don’t help me, i feel at a loss. and i kind of feel like being being this mentally ill would be a burden upon any friend/partner i could potentially have. i honestly don’t know what to do bc i haven’t improved in years

first, a clarification: i'm not anti-med, i am only anti-forced treatment. i think you'll find many, though not all, anti-psych (and adjacent) ppl with this view, which is often shoehorned in with broad anti-med shit both because of the dubious history of some antipsych figures and because of strawmanning by pro psych forces. but i digress.

there is no simple solution for crisis/ongoing suffering, especially because the actual biggest help to all of us would be the abolition of white supremacy / ableism / carceral neoliberal capitalism / settler colonialism / cisheteropatriarchy. absent this, we're left trying to fill in the gaps, collectively, as best we can, while always acknowledging that we are putting interpersonal band-aids on systemic harms.

with all that being said, i think the best place to start would be to take stock of what and who you have as resources: are there any friends you feel comfortable sitting beside or watching a movie with, even if you don't feel ready or comfortable sharing "deeper" stuff with them? do you have internet people, or a place where you can shout into the void (like tumblr)? is there a public space you can go to, like a park, where you can at least get out of the house for a little while and be alone among others?

i personally take medication, though i'm tapering one of the last ones i'm on, and chose to discontinue the myriad pills i was prescribed as an involuntary psych inpatient. this isn't because meds are inherently evil, but only because i didn't like who i was when i was on them, nor could i tolerate the conditions under which they were forced on me. absent these meds, i have found other ways to move through my own brainstuff: occasionally weed (e.g. right now), more often forcing myself to sit next to other people who i know will make sure i don't do anything shitty to myself (even if we're not in active conversation). i have a bunch of youtube videos, books, audiobooks, podcasts, etc. on deck.

i have throughout the last few years cultivated an online and in-person community in which i'm not "burdening" / "dumping" my shit onto one or even a couple individuals all the time. you're right that the full extent of what we experience is definitely too much for one other interlocutor to take - we're designed to live in community, not in isolated couples. it's also true that, while occasionally and contingently helpful, a professional counselor or therapist can be inaccessible, abusive/violent, etc. etc.

while you're waiting to experiment with the free therapy you mentioned, it might be a good idea to reach out to people you do trust to have a frank, meta-conversation about your respective relational needs. this can feel weird at first, but i autistically love it, and it's also common in a lot of kink/bdsm communities (of which there's plenty of ND overlap haha). rules can be freeing. you don't have to worry about violating unspoken boundaries when you've spoken them, and established nonjudgemental ways of enforcing them and holding each other accountable when you haven't. in the past, i've established these both verbally and in google docs, etc. i've also established it - and found it especially helpful - in situations where myself and the other person(s) experience different axes of privilege and marginalization. but regardless, it's a great way of self-designing the boundaries that in many cases we expect therapy to do for us - except, without the carceral impulse endemic to the psych practice.

i also think it's okay to acknowledge that you might be a burden sometimes, and that the people who love you will carry you. they know you'll do the same for them. part of being in relation to others is sometimes receiving more than we give - it's part of being alive, being vulnerable. let yourself be cared for, let yourself be heavy. think about how good it feels to fall into bed at the end of the day. rest is the first step to feeling a little better.

#this is just a start and non comprehensive #but if i interpreted your q correctly you're looking for a psyc critical approach to mental wellbeing with materially actionable steps #and the possibility to help in the absence of formal supports #ask #anonymous #world healing #antipsychiatry

[annemarieyeretzian]

fearne saying happily “guys, this is my nana morri!” and imogen saying “wonderful to meet you.” and ashton saying “it’s so nice to meet you.” and fresh cut grass saying “pleasure to meet you, ma’am.” and orym saying “hi, nana morri.”

#I could write a whole dissertation on orym #who always greets people he's never met before with a 'ma'am' or a 'sir' #choosing to say 'hi nana morri' #fearne is his best friend #her family is his family #there's no formality here #I'm having A Lot of feelings about this choice #annemarie watches critical role #critical role #fearne calloway #fearne #imogen temult #imogen #ashton greymoore #ashton #fresh cut grass #fcg #orym of the air ashari #orym #bell's hells #ominous lectures #c3e45