#i want to feel like my time that i invest in is worthwhile

[astrafell]

i think the thing that makes me sad is the fact that i’ve had geralt for around 6 or 7 years now and i can’t remember ever getting the chance to write a monster hunting thread that went somewhere. you would think that a man who hunters monsters for a living would have that be his main go-to prompt. but yea, when i think about it? i genuinely think i had about 2 threads in that area and neither of them were really wanting to go into horror or magic or mystic. i love complex npcs too. but sometimes, i just wanna write geralt killing things and protecting innocent people from monsters.

#🐺 ( out of potions -- ooc. ) #there's like... so much i wanna reconfigure with this blog now that he's active again #and there's so much i refuse to subject myself to that i did in the past #bc looking back it was really disheartening investing so much into threads and partners and not getting the same respect #and i really wanna go forward and explore certain plots that could blend a ton of different characters and relationships #i think we all kind of want that when we come on this site #but it's a lackluster experience for the most part #i dont want that to continue #i want to feel like my time that i invest in is worthwhile #not look back like i am now and go: jesus what was that time and why did i let that happen?

[worldsofdreamers]

.

#tw discussion of mental health in tags #specifically related to thought spirals #tw passive suicidal ideation #just a teeny rant that I’ll delete tomorrow probably #i know it’s just how my brain works sometimes but it’s really frustrating and hard to deal with the fact that things just get stuck in there #on a loop. like i don’t want to be upset and overthinking something someone said probably in passing because they don’t understand that the #things that we love are worthwhile and that love is just about the only reason im still here #but i can’t stop thinking about it #it’s been hours and i just keep circling back to those words and that feeling and i hate it. #I’m here because the things I love saved me in my darkest times and it just sucks that some people are so invested in being grumpy #that they willingly shit on anything and everything because they can #but despite that #I’m still here. I’m still fucking here. #and I’m grateful every day that the things that I love give me a reason to continue even as my world/the world at large is so messed up #because there are so many #beautiful thing and people and art. #things* #the cycle in my brain might not stop but at least I know that he’s wrong and that’s gotta be enough for now

[canisalbus]

Have you considered a discord server? I moderate for my own server, one for a youth group, and I keep an eye on my cousin's server, and you can set certain channels to 18+, or make them only accessible with an 18+ role. You could also just make it so that you need a specific role to access other channels. You can also set channels so that you need specific roles or permissions to talk in them (used mostly in announcement channels in my experience).

I've thought about it a couple of times, but to be honest I have no experience in moderating a discord server and I feel like I'd have to be continuously investing a lot of time and energy in it for it to be worthwhile.

There's also the fact that I'm extremely introverted, my social batteries are tiny and I don't want to be reachable every day, all the time. I may not be outgoing enough for discord environment.

#answered #fields-of-nightshade #in some ways it's tempting and it could be a lot of fun but I'm not sure if it's a good fit for me personally that's what I'm trying to say

[3zethe3zr]

STP Voices preening headcanons

These are mostly based off of my designs for the voices (silly little anthropomorphic corvids - each a different species with a different accessory) But i thought they were too fun not to share :]

Now, in some particular order:

Takes absolute shit care of themselves and their feathers:

Broken (Collared Crow)- I feel like this one is self-explanatory. Its Broken. His feathers are fifty shades of fucked up and hes trapped in too much self loathing to ever consider preening, social or not. The manacles have damaged his wing feathers to the point that even without the chains, he cannot fly. Cold (Common Raven)- Feeling nothing does not mean they experience any discomfort when unkempt and sees self maintenance as wholly boring. Is absolutely rank. Also considers social preening an absolute waste of time, is lucky to have Hunted as a bestie Cheated (Chough)- Never gets in horrid enough condition that Broken and Cold do, but somehow manages to be worse. Does not see the point in self maintenance when his feathers are just going to get fucked up in the future, but the second he feels he's too unkempt he will start complaining. Doesn't enjoy social preening either, so the others have to force him at metaphorical gunpoint, and he whines the entire time

Takes insanely good care of their feathers:

Opportunist (Eurasian Magpie)- First impressions matter! He is always ridiculously well put together and shiny. Wants the connections social preening could give (and maybe a friend), so tries to initiate it frequently. Often the one badgering Cheated to take care of himself by appealing to Cheateds' better nature. Cheated does not have a better nature. Hunted (Malayan Black Magpie)- Well maintained feathers have a fuck ton of benefits for a Weird Fucked Up Prey Creature so Hunted is insanely diligent about making sure every feather is in order, and gets cagey and on edge when this is not the case. Social Preening is its primary way of bonding and it greatly enjoys it. The one keeping Colds feathers from getting too nasty.

Perfectly average preening habits, nothing to write home about:

Hero (Carrion Crow)- Tries his best but often ends up a little scruffed up around the edges Skeptic (Taiwan Blue Magpie)- Normally keeps themselves very presentable, you can tell when their mind is occupied as they get unkept very quickly Contrarian (Steller's Jay)- Always looks perfect without having to try at all. Everyone else hates this.

Would have good care of their feathers BUT:

Paranoid (Rook)- Anxiety is a double-edged sword, he takes very good care of his feathers due to it, but can also over-preen and has a few bald patches. His gloves bend his wing feathers out of shape and that only stresses him out more. Does not trust any of the others to preen him. Smitten (Blue Jay)- His feathers are ridiculously well groomed, and he cares about looking good. However, he does not take that helmet off ever, and nobody else is allowed to take that helmet off- so his facial & head feathers are as fucked up, bent and grimy as Broken and Colds. Perhaps even worse. Outside of the helmet thing, he delights in social preening. Stubborn (Jackdaw)- Being in good condition means he can fight for longer, so preening is a worthwhile investment to make. Post fight, you're going to need a fucking construction crew to put him and all his feathers back into place. Doesnt enjoy social preening and gets fidgety and bored fast.

#fridge rambles #slay the princess #stp #stp voices #oh god im going to have to tag everyone arent i #voice of the broken #voice of the cold #voice of the cheated #voice of the opportunist #voice of the hunted #voice of the hero #voice of the skeptic #voice of the contrarian #voice of the paranoid #voice of the smitten #voice of the stubborn

[ms-demeanor]

Hopefully not a repeat question: in your professional opinion, is it worth getting modular tech like a fairphone or framework PC, over a normal device that has available parts and doesn't glue everything down or do the apple software locking thing? I just want to buy a device and then ship of Theseus it into eternity

My opinion is that a lot of these types of things hit a sweet spot where they have an extremely small functional audience. I think that for phones, there's probably a bigger market and going with a phone that will let you replace more stuff longer is going to be a worthwhile investment.

For the framework - I just sort of feel like I'm not the target audience but it probably IS really useful for a lot of people. If you're any good at repairing or replacing hardware, get a regular lenovo thinkpad and just work on that, it's not much harder but it is a LOT cheaper.

If you're not familiar with working with hardware, the framework might be a good place to start but looking at their specs and attempting to stay realistic, I don't think they're going to have a lifespan that's out of bounds for just your average laptop maintained by someone who knows what they're doing.

I feel like the framework is a great fix for people who need top of the line hardware every two years but who aren't good at dealing with hardware. Those people exist, but I don't know how many of them there are or if you're one of them.

But yeah if you throw in the "competent with tech" modifier I don't feel like it's unreasonable to expect to get seven good years out of a laptop and a further seven to ten years of minimal use out of that same laptop. I expect that a framework would probably fit in that same neighborhood of functional time and minimal time, but I suspect that it will cost more on a year-to-year basis.

[mazeinthemiroh]

i’m deep in my feels rn haha could i request a soft little skz reaction where their s/o puts a lot of thought into learning about their interests and stuff? i want the skzers to feel special and appreciated cos they are :(

stray kids reactions to their s/o putting effort into their interests

genre: general

word count: 0.7k

warnings: none

pls like and reblog if you enjoy! feel free to request anything <3

bangchan

channie is a workaholic and so his interests lie with what he is working on at the moment. he would absolutely love it if you took an interest in his work, and will even run you through how to compose a song, write lyrics, produce, etc... he might even let you make a song with him on the side for fun! i mean, it's not impossible. he's made a whole song on one of his lives! so doing it with you should be easy, and really makes him happy.

lee know

minho has quite a few interests but the one that dominates his heart the most is, obviously, his cats. he can't help but speculate on different toys he should buy them and whether they need any supplements or different meals. he loves taking care of his babies ;-; so when you take an interest in his fluffy children, his heart simply melts. it's definitely important to him to that you get on well with his cats because he loves them so much <///3

changbin

binnie's main interest is working out. which, of course, is not for everyone. if you are the type of person who likes the gym just as much as he does, he would love to share his time at the gym with you! if you are not the type to usually go to the gym or don't regularly work out, but still try your hardest to get involved with that interest of his, changbin will be really flattered and make sure he will help you and make your gym experience worthwhile, since you're doing such a nice thing for him.

hyunjin

hyunjin would probably appreciate his s/o doing this the most. he likes feeling understood. but also, he spends a lot of time on his passions and interests, in particular, his art so they have become really important to him. they are a part of him. so the fact you want to get involved in what he loves? he's over the moon. he would love to teach you how to do certain techniques and even share his hobby with him.

han

han loves getting into new things to watch, especially anime! forget sleeping, he's bingeing the new episodes of what he's currently watching atm. he loves it when you get involved with the shows he's watching because it means he has someone to completely rant about the plotline or openly simp over a character with someone who knows what he's on about. it makes him feel like he has a voice and he can express how passionate he feels about a character being killed off in the third episode because wtf?? he needs someone to talk about this with!!!

felix

this gamer boy would LOVE it if you joined him playing video games. he's so invested in the storylines of certain video games and will get so excited when you ask him about it and genuinely take an interest. and he will happily tell you all the things he knows. he gives you advice on what each of the characters does and which is the best character in his correct humble opinion. will be super excited to play these video games with you and will really appreciate you being interested in what he loves.

seungmin

seungmin has been getting into more artsy stuff lately. he likes photography, for instance, and likes to get outside and look at the world through a different lens other than his own eyes. he would love it if you were to join him on a little photography date uwu. ALSOOOO reading dates are totally his thing. he loves burying his head in a good book, and having you taking an interest in his hobbies means that he can share these peaceful moments with you.

jeongin

jeongin is a fashion lover. we know how well he dresses and how his style is always on point. even if you are not so keen on passion but find ways to make his interest feel understood, he will love you even more. like sometimes you will get him an expensive item of clothing or maybe even suggest going clothes shopping with him. he likes it when you ask for advice too, so he can put his fashion knowledge and expertise to good use!

#skz #stray kids #kpop #skz scenarios #skz imagines #stray kids scenarios #stray kids imagines #stray kids reactions #skz fluff #stray kids fluff #kpop scenarios #kpop imagines #bangchan #bang chan #chan #seungmin #kim seungmin #jeongin #yang jeongin #hwang hyunjin #hyunjin #han jisung #han #lee know #lee minho #changbin #seo changbin #lee felix #felix #kpop fluff

[carriesthewind]

Bye, I guess

Hi folks: I’ve enjoyed my time on tumblr while it lasted. Unfortunately, the new dashboard makes the site so unpleasant to use that I’m afraid that enjoyment (and thus my use of the site) has come to an end. I still have some reblogs queued up, and I may pop in now and then, but don’t expect me to be around much anymore.

For the record, here is the support request I put in yesterday:

Why is my dashboard now twitter. This format sucks. It's always sucked. It feels absolutely horrible to use on desktop (which I do exclusively and that will not change). This horrible ui is a big part of why didn't really use twitter (it sucked then to).

Here is tumblr’s answer:

Hello,  Thanks for reaching out to Tumblr Community Support and sharing your thoughts on the new dashboard layout. We often test new ways to make Tumblr better. It sounds like your account may have been selected to experience a test of one of these improvements. Thanks for your patience while we work on this! You may see your Tumblr experience return to normal as we continue testing.  Kind regards,  Chris

(Please note, this appears to be a copy-paste form response. You can see another example of it here.)

Here was my response:

Hi Chris! I "may" not see my Tumblr user return to normal, because I'm not returning to Tumblr until it is reasonably usable again for me. This "experiment" is effectively an update that has made the site so unpleasant for me to use that I will not be doing so. What will tumblr being doing to allow me to use the site? I do not appreciate being told that my support ticket is "sharing [my] thoughts on the new dashboard layout." I neither asked or appreciate being selected taking part, without my knowledge or consent, in an experiment to allow a company to do product development. My ticket is not my "thoughts on the new dashboard layout." It is my report that the site is effectively not usuable. Furthermore, while not illegal, human experimentation is generally considered unethical without proper consent and review process. If my dash returns to a status that I can use: 1) What guarantees do I have that tumblr will not experiment on me again?  2) What other experiments does tumblr think it is ethical to do on me without proper consent? Kind regards to Chris, and explicitly not to your employer.

24 hours later, I have not received a follow up response.

I was originally going to write a lot more about why I think this is such an atrocious set of moves and responses by tumblr, but I realized that being on the site long enough to format and post it (I’m doing this writing on my desktop) would be too unpleasant to make it worthwhile.

Instead, I want to make two quick notes about traps I see people falling in to:

1) Tumblr is not your friend. It is a company that wants to use you to extrude profit. This hold true regardless of whether it is shaped like a shareholder’s report, a formal staff post, or a blog that looks just like a user like you. Regardless of its form, it is no more your friend than the “intern” who runs a corporate brand account.

2) It is fine to pay money for a product you enjoy. This product might be a digital sticker or a minigame on a website, or some form of subscription to the site itself. However, if you are not enjoying a product, or if you feel that the product is bad or exploitative, you have no obligation to invest in it. And you should be particularly wary when a for-profit business is attempting to make you, as a customer, feel emotionally and personally invested in supporting that business (whether that be in terms of time, energy, or money).

Anyway, I’m still hoping that I will be able to unpin this post at some point, but for the foreseeable future: bye!

#tumblr #tumblr update #bye tumblr

[thebibliosphere]

Hello! My household is not gluten-free, but there’s someone who’s very important to me who has celiac and is planning to visit us next month. I’m hoping to be able to feed them while they’re here without inadvertently poisoning them. I’ve got some good gluten-free recipes, but I’m worried about potential cross-contamination from cookware since we do usually eat gluten (though we won’t be cooking with gluten while they are here). I’m wondering if you have any resources for what precautions are necessary to safely prepare food for someone with celiac. I’m happy to buy a few things to use exclusively for gluten-free food, but I’m not sure if storing that with the rest of our cookware would be okay or if it should be stored separately? Would we be better off just finding a gluten-free restaurant nearby and ordering delivery while the person is here? I just want to make sure they are safe and feel welcome.

Hello! Thank you for being willing to take such precautions for your friend. I'm sure it means a lot to them to know someone cares this much for them.

You are correct in thinking that gluten contamination can occur from cooking utensils. Gluten can stick to porous surfaces, even when thoroughly scrubbed, and while some people are not sensitive enough for that to affect them, some are and it's always best to err on the side of caution.

Things like plastic or wood cutting boards, plastic mixing bowls, wooden, nylon and even silicone utensils can all be potential risk factors, even when thoroughly scrubbed. Cast iron and non-stick pans and appliances, waffle iron, griddle, plastic components inside a food processor.) can also be a potential source of cross contamination.

I remember when we found out I was being glutened by an old mixing bowl. I yeeted everything out of my kitchen and bought all new utensils and cookware.

Now, I am not suggesting you do that as you do not live with this person full time. But depending on your budget and if you want to have utensils you know are safe for gluten-free individuals in the future, you could put together a little kit that you can store away for later. I'd suggest a cutting board, mixing bowl and getting a cheap set of utensils. You could also invest in a cheap frying pan/pot and maybe a baking sheet tray. That's pretty much what I take with me when I am traveling, so that I know I won't end up having an MCAS reaction when staying in someone else's house. (For those unaware, gluten is a mast cell destabalizer.)

Make sure they are not being washed alongside your normal utensils. If you normally dishwash your other things, I'd suggest handwashing the dedicated gluten-free things with a fresh sponge that hasn't been used on anything else. As for storing them, try to keep them away from places where wheat flour (or other gluten containing products) might be in the air. You've said you'll be eating entirely gluten-free while the person is visiting, but just remember that also means replacing things like butter and jams, as people often overlook those.

Again, this will all depend on how sensitive the individual is. There are some people with celiac who do not react to trace amounts, and there are other folks who can become extremely sick from even the smallest trace amounts.

Beyond Celiac has some more helpful tips and pointers as well.

If all of these recommendations sound too much, I fully understand. It was daunting when I had to do it for me, nevermind a guest. In that case, finding a dedicated gluten-free restaurant would be the way to go--and a worthwhile venture anyway so you can enjoy some down time not having to cook.

Also, talk to the person and see what their needs are. They might be able to eat just fine using shared utensils, or may even be planning to bring their own anyway, like many of us do.

I hope this was helpful, and again, thank you for being considerate. I am sure it will mean a lot to your guest.

#chronic health tag #gluten free

[snapscube]

so i just want to get confirmation

doesthe use of the heroes cutscenes in the shadow fandub mean you're not doing a full heroes fandub?

Yeah so, the truth of it is that the way we do dubs nowadays I really kinda like to make them a bit more of a feature-length affair. There hasn’t been a (mainline, not counting btdubs) dub shorter than 60 minutes since Sly Cooper, and I feel like my absolute minimum is 50.

There are a FEW reasons I elect to do this. One, I think it’s just really fun and inherently funny to create these large almost cinematic spectacles out of what ends up being some really stupid shit. That juxtaposition has kinda been at the core of SnapCubes Real-Time Fandub since the beginning, it’s what makes the show worthwhile imo.

Two, and this is the more practical reason, I find I am most satisfied with these dubs when they are not only funny, but when they can manage to pull together SOME sort of slapdash narrative that is actually gripping in some way. Whether it’s purely thematic, front and center, or entirely unintentional, I love when you can come out the other side of these and feel like they weren’t just a collection of jokes, but a story with legit characters you can feel invested in, even if only slightly. So, it turns out, long-form dubs are really the only way we have the SPACE to do that kind of thing as regularly as we have. Short dubs can still be very funny, and still great practice, but they rarely come together as cohesively because there just simply isn’t enough time.

Not to mention, we try to pick dubs that not only have a sufficient length of cutscenes, but that have cutscenes that flow together enough to help us put together a story in the first place.

ALL THAT TO SAY, for the current direction of our show, the truth is just that Heroes in and of itself does not have enough cutscene content to sustain its own individual dub. And yknow what, neither did Shadow until I decided on the time loop angle. And EVEN THEN, I included Heroes footage not only cause I thought it’d be a fun surprise but because it helped pad out that runtime to the hour mark. And I figure the best way to do anything Heroes-related from here on out is to also incorporate it into another, larger dub as well. So you very well might see more dubbed Heroes scenes in the future! It just won’t be its own entry. Hope this makes sense!

[theambitiouswoman]

Hi! I hope you're having a wonderful day!

Do you have any tips on how to make your twenties worthwhile? I'm 19 (currently unemployed but looking) and trying to read as many non-fiction books as possible to build my life in my twenties so that when I turn 30, I can rest easy and settle in [and possibly be financially free by my mid-thirties]. Any tips would be helpful <3

There are so many things you can accomplish in your twenties. So many experiences. So many versions of yourself that you can become.

It is just as important to take advantage of that, as it is to not put yourself on a timeline. I firmly believe the more we expose ourselves to new realities and information, the faster we learn and the sooner we can arrive at our personal goals. So dive into your passions, your dreams. Discover what makes YOU happy. Who you want to be. Be understanding and kind to yourself.

You can do this either way, but I would say to work on yourself only and make sure you love the person staring at you in the mirror. I would learn as much as I can about anything that interests me, figure out opportunities that align with those interests and then learn as much as possible. Opportunity is everywhere. You do not have to wait to start building your dream life. You have a very lucky opportunity, with the overwhelming amount of information and accessibility there is right now. The world is literally yours.

Learn how to budget and invest your money.

Learn all of the ways to make money and learn how to from the ways that interest you.

Build relationships.

Focus on your physical and mental health.

Do not listen to people who aren't where you want to be. At all. This includes "build with you" rhetorics. I can get into this in another post.

Travel (if you can) and learn how to become independent. This is important because codependency can hold you back and creates a ripple on how you do everything else in life. Ultimately having an adverse effect on your reality and mental health.

Start taking risks and embracing failure. I believe you always have time and its never too late. However, when you get older and set in your ways, it is very hard to change and establish a new mindset.

You said by your 30s, so I recommend you figure out where you want to be by 30 and work backwards. Set yearly or monthly goals.

Everyone's journey is different. Figure out what resonates with you and aligns with your personal values and aspirations.

The most important point I want to end with is, to remember that you can in fact do anything. There is more to the world than your current environment. Do not let anyone make you feel like you are limited to it. Many people restrain themselves due to fear or the familiarity of their current situation, trying to adapt to a place they might not belong. It is because they do not realize they are meant for so much more. They probably do not realize that more can exist for them. But there is. And they can.

[sunsafewriting]

AU. Chapter 4

Ava starts a dumb YouTube channel where she makes complicated recipes badly. Maybe people show up for that, but they kind of stick around for her conversations with her roommate — who stays off-screen. Mostly.

chapter 4 excerpt:

The new camera is so fucking shiny. Ava holds it, enjoys the newness of it, the sleekness, while Beatrice flips through the manual. This is how it goes, whenever they get a new thing; Ava wants to touch it, and Beatrice wants to read about it. 

Ava, as she does every time, takes the opportunity to say, "It’s probably super intuitive. We don’t need instructions."

Deriding guides, lists, textbooks, and other itemised sets of information is always a worthwhile investment: Beatrice, very predictably, gets this expression that suggests they may as well walk into traffic if all the structure of the world can be so easily jettisoned. 

"This is a very precise and multifunctional piece of equipment," Beatrice replies. "A thorough understanding of —"

Ava just lets the rest of it wash over her. The essence of the speech is more or less that Beatrice would like Ava to get the absolute most out of her camera, which necessitates an inventory of every single function and feature, so that she fully appreciates her options. 

Ava, by contrast, is of the opinion that the knobs and dials are things she can fuck around with and figure out as she goes, and that the way to get the absolute most of out of her camera is to point it at Beatrice. 

She appreciates her options just fine. 

Beatrice reads the manual in English and then in German; every time, for every appliance, Beatrice checks a minimum of two languages, to account for any lapses in translation. 

While she's doing that, Ava has managed to pop the batteries in and figure out the memory card.

She spins off the lens cap and brings the camera up to her eye, peering through the viewfinder. It's the first camera she's ever owned in her life, and she likes the feeling of it much better than her phone: the weight of it, how the zoom requires twisting and fiddling rather than swiping her fingers, the delightful tactility of the button under her finger.

And yes, it’s supposed to be for her channel, for making better quality videos, but there’s a reason she got this model instead of a lameass camcorder. She also wants to take four hundred million photographs of literally everything in existence — okay, some things more than others — and conveniently, she wants to push this button four hundred million times, so everything is going to work out terrifically. 

"This is going to consume my entire life and brain, I can just feel it," Ava murmurs, adjusting the zoom again, listening to the faint whirring sound it makes. 

She pans the camera across to the actual expert in consuming Ava's life and brain for comment, but Beatrice is frowning down at the warranty information and has very likely not noticed that Ava is talking at all.

"Bea?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I take a photograph of you?"

"Now?"

"Yeah."

"How about we go for a walk?" Beatrice suggests. "I'm sure there are plenty of photographable things outside that you’ll be able to experiment on."

The opportunity to make an experimenting joke is right there, but if Ava goes down that road, they'll never make it back. 

"Just a super quick snap of you, and then we can go on a walk," she bargains. 

Beatrice makes a vague gesture that Ava recognises as a yes before her gaze drops back to the instruction booklet, her finger curling the edge of one of the pages. "I suppose. What do you —"

"Got it!"

It took Ava an age to get Beatrice to smile in photographs without looking somewhat wary and pained — the pictures she has from the first few months of their friendship seem to suggest that Beatrice had a mild headache for all of it — but now, Beatrice smiles like Beatrice, even when there's a camera. 

[cont. on ao3]

#more nonsense from the nonsense conference #but at this point i feel like you all know what you're getting from me #avatrice #ava x beatrice #avatrice fic #avatrice fanfic #sunsafewriting

[hunxi-after-hours]

hey, anon from the anti-authoritarian wuxia ask a while back, took a looksee through Stephen Teo's The Wuxia Tradition and the essays about danmei you mentioned in your response, which was really great and insightful! i think what's so interesting to me about the modern wuxia tradition as we understand it now is that its purpose from the very beginning was to be nationalistic propaganda, which obviously carries into contemporary wuxia adaptations and new works today. (1/7)

(long ask, long response! conversation begun here; everything else under the cut)

but what makes the genre compelling to me is that wuxia offers so many glimpses into these potentially transformative visions of a radical future- wuxia presents a vision of a society in which communities have the autonomy to express themselves, support each other, and create their world through creative and collective activity. and all of this is facilitated by the the nebulous jianghu setting, which is this alternative space more or less free from the grip of the imperial state, (2/7)

which it unintentionally ends up being just by virtue of existing far from the imperial core. and obviously class hierarchies imposed by wealth and power still exist within the jianghu, but like, that autonomous nature of the jianghu is something I'd be curious to see be developed and pushed further. what would it look like within a wuxia narrative to explore the idea of an intentionally and explicitly anti-imperial, stateless, classless jianghu, and what would it take to get there? (3/7)

that vision of an alternate autonomous society is built upon these very rigid worldviews that don't challenge the audience (i.e. nationalism, pale-skinned conventional beauty standards, xenophobia, the idea of disability as something to be overcome, etc) that were baked into the inception of the genre, and which undermine said radical potential. and i guess that's my gripe with danmei too. (4/7)

i feel similarly about people who treat the consumption of danmei as an inherently progressive political act as I do to the way I feel about neoliberalism: it presents a facade of progressivism without actually meaningfully existing in opposition to oppressive structures. and, like you mentioned, both danmei and wuxia have yet to hit that moment of reckoning. i'm aware the direction these things go are massively shaped by geo-sociopolitical forces outside of the creators' control, etc. (5/7)

but so many people benefit from access to the imperial core in ways they aren't or don't care to be aware of. and to me, that is what makes art so important - it has the potential to not only expose the monstrous ways in which a society derives its power, it also has the hopeful ability to imagine transformative, non-oppressive futures. (6/7)

you're right that the cultural shift that would spark a post-colonial reckoning in Chinese literature and art needs to be spearheaded by Chinese creatives themselves. as an invested bystander, I'm curious to see where this goes. sorry this was so long, but thank you for your time! (7/7)

hello again anon!! glad you enjoyed looking through Teo and found his writing insightful! I think in many ways the conversations we’re trying to have about danmei, wuxia, internet literature, and some nebulous postcolonial reckoning are somewhat ahead of the curve, which is why we’re here being like “I want to read something like this!” only to find that said work hasn’t necessarily been created yet (again, if anyone’s got any leads, I’m all ears)

I do also think it’s worthwhile to note that a significant factor in why danmei and/or internet literature may not be as daring and subversive as we wish it were is the simple, starkly pragmatic fact that these works need to sell. they need to be attractive and fun, gripping and engrossing, to even make it in the cutthroat environment of the various literature cities. the competition is vicious and the readership unforgiving; last year saw at least one WeChat article about the intense pressure of being a webnovelist, and how the soul-crushing pressure of trying to break into the rankings has pushed authors towards suicide. with the popularization of the genre comes increased competition, and with increased competition comes a streamlining of new works towards established precedents of success (the proliferation of wuxia/xianxia/xuanhuan, particular distinctive CP dynamics, etc). 内卷 is here in the danmei genre as well, which makes it difficult to innovate or experiment, particularly if you’re not already an established author

it’s the Hollywood argument for keeping people of color out of leading roles; writing a text that tackles certain social issues (particularly ones that challenge current mores of Chinese society) is a risk, and quite frankly, most authors don’t have the time or the luxury to gamble. this is not to say that current authors aren’t leveraging their established readership and fanbase to write away from popular taste (priest’s 《桥头楼上》 comes to mind, which is a formal departure from her previous works and a trenchant examination of certain social issues), but that the current environment in which creative works are produced aren’t quite favorable to that kind of exploration and subversion — yet

another thing to keep in mind is the role that danmei (and other web literature) plays in the lives of its readers; yes, art has such powerful potential to call upon society to reflect on the injustices and cruelties built into it, but also art — and danmei in particular — is a powerful purveyor of escapism. many Chinese readers and consumers of danmei and related products/adaptations find a haven in these texts, and people seeking comfort are not necessarily prepared for critically examining social injustices in their escapism. again, I’m not trying to say that there is no place for subversion and exploration in danmei literature, but rather highlight the way reader preferences and demands might discourage writers from going too far afield

meanwhile, if I may be presumptuous enough to throw more reading in the air, here are some texts that this conversation is bringing to mind:

The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang (forthcoming): a genderspun reception of Shi Nai’an’s 《水浒传》, often considered to be the forerunner of the wuxia genre. Guaranteed to get in the weeds and messy about gender, power, imperial centers of power, marginalized marshlands of subversiveness just by the literal concept of its writing

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan: the closest work I know of to a fiercely diasporic genderqueered cdrama, in which Han centrism is examined and found wanting

《无污染，无公害》 by priest: priest is not necessarily the author I would suggest when it comes to, ah, postcolonial thought, but I just finished reading 《无污染，无公害》 last month and was struck by its profoundly cynical deconstruction of the wuxia genre. priest brings wuxia into the modern day and examines the many ways in which the 快意恩仇 fantasy of jianghu morality and subversiveness clashes with contemporary ethics and laws. beyond that, I think reading an author’s non-danmei works is profoundly enlightening critical and theoretical exercise that definitely re-contextualizes assumptions made about the danmei genre and its writers

“Zhang Yimou’s Hero: Reclaiming the Martial Arts Film for ‘All Under Heaven’” by Feng Lan: this was the first paper I ran into that really got into the weeds of the controversial “天下” at the end of the film, and also introduced me to the recent history and discussions of “tianxiaism,” which is particularly interesting when it comes to discussions about nationalism, imperialism, and postcolonialism in contemporary China in general and the wuxia genre in particular

“Homosexualizing Boys Love in China: Reflexivity, Genre Transformation, and Cultural Interaction” by Xi Tian: I know I’ve gushed about this paper elsewhere, but this is only paper I’ve found so far that examines how the danmei genre has shifted and changed over the past few decades in response to reader feedback, shifting societal opinions, and self-reflection, and it’s fascinating

whew, okay, this is long enough! one last thing, from one invested bystander to another: don’t let anything stop you from creating the content you wish to see in the world <3

#心怀杂念 字数无量 #further abuse of the one thinky tag I have #hunxi thinks about danmei and gender

[itsclydebitches]

Tonight I came across a post (that won't hit my blog until July because I queued it) about how it's unfortunate that "fun" has supposedly become a requirement of video games, given that this severely limits how they can function as works of art. We don't limit other mediums by insisting that they only produce positive emotions and experiences in the recipient, so why would video games be any different just because they're (more) interactive?

This post isn't actually about video games, but rather how that argument got me thinking about RWBY and the recent resurgence of this "Why are you still here if you hate the show?" question. Now, setting aside the acknowledgment that 99.9% of people asking that are merely trolling behind their faux-concern—they have no actual interest in hearing a RWDE poster's reasons for sticking around, they simply want a way to say, "Get out" with plausible deniability—but if we treat this question seriously, I think that post on video games may offer some insight. I have numerous reasons for keeping active in the RWBY/RWDE fandom (initial love of the show, intellectual exercises, the community we've made, etc.) but there is also some level of investment in what would traditionally be framed as non-positive emotions. RWBY can make me feel very frustrated... similar to how playing Pathalogic makes me frustrated. Many of its plot-lines make me angry... the same way numerous video games' discriminatory writing can make me angry. RWBY's community, at times, feels like an insult-laden battlefield... but I've been doing PvP in WoW since it came out, so that's familiar too.

There are so many times when I've enjoyed engaging with a piece of media even when I really didn't enjoy it. Perhaps a better way of putting it would be that I found something worthwhile in the experience, even if I couldn't label that as "fun" or "happiness" or "satisfaction." Sometimes sitting with negative emotions is a good thing. Yes, you can take that too far just like you can take any behavior to an extreme, which is where the continual demands to "watch another show" highlight those posters' willful ignorance. We're already watching other shows. Reading other books. Playing other games. Engaging with a huge, diverse variety of art. Those who gain their own enjoyment from targeting strangers online (and isn't that a significant aspect to all this) want to make it sound like RWDE posters haven't touched a single piece of art other than RWBY in ten years and if they just found something they enjoyed without reservations then they'd drop RWBY like a hot potato. But I'm already watching numerous shows that I love unconditionally and have nothing substantial to critique; shows that have me internally kicking my feet and twirling my hair because they're just sooooooo good. I have that! RWBY is a different experience. It scratches a very specific itch of "I once adored this thing and now it's disappointing, but I want to see it through to its end and unpacking the ways in which it fails is a fascinating, cathartic mental exercise." I can't get that from anything else—not right now, anyway—so why would I want to give up this unique experience to fill my time solely with art that only makes me feel Generically Good? Art I have little to say about because it already feels #perfect to my mind? Sure, I could analyze a show's positives and sing its praises (which I often do), but at a certain point you run of out ways to say, "I like it." There's a reason why transformative fandom is built around the gaps in media: missing scenes, plot holes, retcons, failures, missed opportunities, horrible disappointments. Transformation comes more easily when you're already inclined to change the canon in the first place.

Idk, I feel like there's also an element of purity culture here where there's this push to make people think they must only engage with art that aligns precisely with their moral stance, produces only positive emotions, and invites nothing but praise. If the art makes you feel bad in any way than it is bad and you have a duty to remove yourself from it post-haste just ignore that we wanted you gone the whole time. Frankly, I think we humans can handle a bit more complexity than that? Obviously, as said, you wouldn't want to make Art You're Upset With the be-all and end-all of your media engagement, and this certainly isn't a call for anyone to engage with triggers unless they're inclined to do so, but a story you're primarily here to critique, or—yes—even a bit of hate watching can be "fun" in a non-traditionally fun away. Just because the art hasn't made you grin and pump your fist in triumphant doesn't mean it's not worth interacting with as art.

#rwde #rwby #mymetas

[kaybronz]

Warning, incoming novel ahead.

If the Chris Evans shit show has taught me anything it's that you truly can't trust anything about public figures. There's always a narrative being spun or some kind of image being crafted and projected. I think that's the part that is the most disappointing to me that I bought into the image and it was nothing more than a mirage.

I had always liked the marvel movies, RDJ was my favorite for the longest, but I really started getting into Chris once he started being politically vocal. He seemed like a breath of fresh air, down to earth, relatively normal for his position in life, vocally on the right side of political history, and a self-proclaimed feminist. So I dove right in! It felt good to throw my support behind a famous person that for once, didn't seem to be so wildly out of touch with the everyday individual, whose values seemed to align with mine. I invested time and energy into promoting him and his work, I frequented and participated in his fan spaces, and I followed his ventures outside of acting. The red flags were there along the way, particularly with ASP, but I wanted to believe he had the best of intentions but was fumbling the follow through, so I pushed those to the back of my mind and kept supporting.

That investment and support existed solely because of the image he presented to the public, humble, down to earth, politically and socially conscious everyday guy. But that glass has shattered now. I'm a firm believer in the fact that you are who you surround yourself with. And I clung to the idea that this was pr because because it was some kind of hope that the image wasn't a false narrative and that he wasn't actually a phoney underneath a facade. But now it's quite plain that his morals and values very much align with his racist, fatphobic, antisemitic bride and her like minded friends. If he was the man he projected himself to be we wouldn't be where we are now. Who you marry says even more about you than your friends do and this marriage doesn't say anything positive about him and most certainly shines a light on who he actually is and how he actually feels about marginalized groups.

I do not believe in the ability to separate the art from the artist. I believe that continued participation and interaction with the work and other ventures of a problematic person is inherently showing acceptance and support to that person. Which I cannot condone any longer. This is why if you're a fiction writer and I unfollow please understand that while I likely think you are incredibly talented I cannot in good conscience continue to interact with your work as in my mind it supports and benefits him, even if indirectly. In my mind continuing to read and reblog like nothing has happened is a big fuck you to the most most directly affected by this farcical of a man.

With that being said, I've met some great people throughout my time in this fandom, and I hope that they stay on and pivot to other more worthwhile things (though I understand if they leave), I hope to be able to continue those wonderful interactions with the smart, kind, empathetic people I've encountered. I personally don't think I'll be jumping into another fandom space anytime soon for fear of another let down. But in the meantime I may venture back into my old faithful, I present to you Mr. Paul Wesley.

Paul who while not a politically active as Chris once was (and maybe that's a good thing as it's likely far less performative) he has directly called out his very own costars for their right wing political support and backwards ass thinking. And was one of the few on the vampire diaries set to stick up for Kat Graham and pushed back so far on the abhorrent treatment from the show creators that he as one of the main characters threatened to leave the series if they killed her character off.

#chris evans #paul wesley

[funbirdnest]

Atlantis - Below the surface chapter 1

(The first year of ES's establishment. Early February. The morning after Himemiya Tori had a nightmare—At the ES building; inside Starpro's office.)

Yuzuru: —Sanctuary is closing?

Well, it is what it is... I guess it can't be helped. Mankind wasn't quite ready for that strange amusement park.

Eichi: It's unlike you to rush to conclusions so quickly, Yuzuru.

No, I suppose you were simply speaking your mind. Still, it's unusual to hear you say something like this.

I really like Sanctuary, but it turned out to be quite unpopular in the industry... especially among active idols.

I'm well aware that a considerable amount of people out there would prefer to pretend it doesn't exist in the first place. It seems that you're one of them, Yuzuru.

Nevertheless, I still believe that it's a worthwhile enterprise that will increase the number of idol-related job opportunities and encourage newcomers to enter the industry.

Yuzuru: As I said earlier, Eichi-sama's ideas are too innovative; most people cannot grasp even their core concept.

And, of course, that includes the smug servant standing before you.

Saying this to you, Eichi-sama, may be akin to lecturing the Buddha himself, but people generally avoid the unknown and that which they cannot understand.

Eichi: I wonder whether that will actually be an issue. I'm used to responses like that—Besides, most people will probably keep their mouths shut if Sanctuary actually begins making money.

Profits—immeasurable amounts of money—have the power to dissolve all human reason.

That's why, even though many wise people preached in opposition to it, no one was able to prevent the Great Depression.

It's the same reason why gambling has never fallen out of fashion. Fufu, well, now it sounds like we're talking about Crazy:B instead of fine.

Anyway, there are no plans to close Sanctuary. It hasn't even officially opened yet, after all.

There's no sense in closing it before it has made a return on investment. And it's not as though I've experienced any major issues with it.

Yuzuru: If only you had said that from the beginning. You have been adding unnecessary embellishments to each of your responses.

Eichi: With Wataru absent today on theater business, I've been starved for a conversation partner.

Yuzuru: Did you really call us here simply because you wanted someone to talk to?

Eichi: No, by no means, I'm not that lonely. I have an actual reason.

Thanks to this bad habit of mine, I keep dancing in circles around the subject... But, to begin with, Sanctuary is—

Tori: —Yaaawn... Mm.

Eichi: Tori. You're not acting like yourself today. For you to yawn like that... Is something the matter?

It's quite improper. You've always been so well-behaved around me.

You've been silent this whole time and you seem quite sleepy... Perhaps you didn't sleep well last night?

Tori: Eh!? Aaah, I'm sorry, Eichi-sama! That was super embarrassing!

Eichi: It's alright, because Wataru Number 2—I mean, Yuzuru—was listening to what I had to say.

Yuzuru: I will pretend that I did not hear that unpleasant error.

Eichi: What an exemplary butler.

Tori: I-I'm sorry, Eichi-sama. I haven't gotten much sleep lately because I've been having nightmares.

Yuzuru: Yes. Bocchama awoke me quite late last night... And then he clung to my chest and cried like a little baby.

Tori: Hey, can you stop telling stupid lies? You know I'd never do something that embarrassing, right, Eichi-sama!?

Yuzuru: Forgive my impertinence. I was relaying the contents of my own dream.

Tori: Don't have dreams like that! Groooss! Super gross!

Yuzuru: Fufu. Even I am unable to control the contents of my own dreams.

Eichi: This all sounds very interesting. Are you familiar with the art of dream interpretation?

Tori: D-Don't fall for it, Eichi-sama! I feel like if you dig any deeper into Yuzuru's dream, something scary is gonna happen!

Eichi: It's not my intention to ignore your request by elaborating on the subject, but it's been said that a person's heart is laid bare in their dreams. Well, there's probably no real basis to those beliefs, though.

By projecting a favorable interpretation onto someone's dream, you can lighten their spirit, even if only slightly. That's one of the selling points of fortune telling.

Getting to feel better without medication—that's a good deal, isn't it? So, as long as it's alright with you, why not tell me about the dream you had?

Tori: I mean—no matter what, dreams are just dreams. You usually forget them as soon as you wake up.

Well... In my dream, I felt like I was sinking endlessly to the bottom of the sea.

It was just a dream, but it was so painful and cold—and way too dark to see anything. It was really scary.

Eichi: The sea? Hm, this is quite the strange coincidence.

Yuzuru: What do you mean?

Eichi: To be honest, it's probably hasty of me to tell you this now, but—There are plans in the works to build something akin to a second Sanctuary.

That's why I called the two of you here today—I wanted to talk to you about it.

Yuzuru: A second Sanctuary? Eichi-sama, is it your intention to create another bizarre amusement park?

Eichi: Yes. And I plan to build this amusement park under the sea.

#ensemble stars #enstars #enstars translation #tori himemiya #yuzuru fushimi #eichi tenshouin #atlantis #enstars: atlantis #enstars fine

[untiliendupdnf]

My Opinion

Feel free to ignore, I'm just going to have a little rant.

So, like I said, I wanted to wait before writing up any conclusions to this whole situation in the event anything else would be added and I think with George’s video I think we’ve reached that point. I’m aware Caiti has said she’s going to stream again but realistically she’s been so incredibly unreliable when recounting these events that I honestly don’t find it necessary to watch. That may sound mean but the truth of the matter is she has lied, whether it was through omission, stretching the facts or straight up fabricating messages the reality is she made the decision to turn this into something it wasn’t. At this point the only worthwhile addition she could make is whether or not she accepts George’s apology but that’s none of mine damn business and her forgiving him has no relevance to my opinion on George. It would be nice to know that both parties got some closure from the whole thing but it really doesn’t affect my consumption or creation of content.

With that out of the way I think the first thing I want to say is the “believe all victims” rhetoric has been twisted far beyond the point of being logical or helpful, especially in the social media landscape.  In my opinion believe all victims should apply to victims and victims only. By that I mean if your friend tells you she was raped or assaulted or abused then you believe them 100%. If you watch a streamer and they talk about an experience they had then again, believe them. But once fingers have been pointed then that belief has to be supported by facts.

Saying I was raped and asking to be believed is entirely different to saying I was raped and then naming or alluding to a person. There’s no reason to dismiss me if I just inform you of something tragic happening to me but if I then tell you it was done by, let’s say Obama, then you can no longer just accept that with no proof.

With regards to this situation, I believe in Caiti’s hurt and her feelings but I can’t in good conscience allow her emotional reaction to colour my logical one. She was made to feel uncomfortable and that sucks but her framing of this story has been highly exaggerated and honestly kind of manipulative. Now I don’t know anything about her but just like she’s allowed to feel how she feels I’m allowed to feel how I feel and as a victim the walk back that’s happened from that first stream has me feeling manipulated. Words were used with a specific intent and it’s honestly made me feel like my own trauma has been mocked so I’m sorry if my sympathy is lacking towards her.

George is a 27-year-old man, 26 at the time and I think he’s shown himself to be incredibly immature in this situation and showed a real lack of thought going in to this. Too much time thinking with his dick and not enough with his head. There’s no excuse for him not verifying ages and since he apparently lost his virginity at 19, he’s had plenty of time to learn this. I also think given the reality of the landscape at the time with the allegations it was foolish for them to invite them up to a hotel room in the first place. Sex isn’t a need to survive, if they were horny, they should’ve just fucked each other and saved us being dragged into this situation. I don’t see any of this as malicious so I’m fine with giving my support still but they really need to focus up and stop being basic white men. Put a little more effort in.

As for Caiti’s friends. 10000000000000% they did this on purpose and Dream was right to say so in his Reddit post and I’ll die on that hill. Caiti needs to invest in better friends because these ones are not it.

#if you have any questions feel free to drop an ask #perfectly willing to discuss this #nike writes #fandom discourse