#its just. a lot to kind of. not knowing family history and not being able to connect culturally and talk to them abt it...

[rewindremi]

i feel bad that daze isnt around long enough to actually participate in jewish holidays and traditions and learn. its honestly a combo of not being able to be around enough + jewish parts of family did/try to assimilate (bc you know. immigrated here to avoid persecution) + daze being nervous to step into "formal" jewish places bc she doesnt feel worthy to...

#its just. a lot to kind of. not knowing family history and not being able to connect culturally and talk to them abt it... #jason has different spiritual beliefs and my relationship status to religion is complicated. #but i want to support daze somehow and help him but idk how and what is best #freshman yr uni daze's main friends were 3 jewish ppl and that was the yr we were hospitalized. and friends had no idea when she was- #-going to get out and come back. of course the cell phone is dead so daze took the bus back and as she was stepping out. the three friends- #were entering the bus but saw her and immediately came over & brought me up to my room. #they were apparently on their way the seder at the synagogue but one if them had a circle of paper that was a paper seder plate with #everything 😭 and they stayed w her a little bit and i know daze appreciated that... #its just. so so difficult finding our roots and traditions an culture that was tried to be snuffed out in our family

[ftmtftm]

This isn't something I have fully articulated thoughts on yet but honestly? I really do think that transandrophobia and the way people who talk about their experiences with it are isolated is, in part, why transmedicalism existed (exists still? I'm very detached from that discourse now) as a primarily trans man/trans masc dominated ideology.

I'm going to share my own experience and I can only speak for myself here, but when I was a really isolated late teen/early 20-something dealing with a lot of unresolved trauma re: my assault (that happened as a result of me coming out as trans to an ex), some immediate family's reaction to my transition being "well why can't you just be a masculine woman", and frustration about not being able to medically transition yet combined with the mid-2010's pressure to be a non-threatening feminine soft boy, I got sucked into transmedicalism.

I do want to be upfront and recognize a lot of my feelings at the time were a trauma response and projection. I recognize this now but I had no resources to recognize that then. I just want to make it clear from the start that I know my own thinking was flawed, that's why I'm reflecting on it openly so others can potentially recognize something that resonates here within themselves and grow.

Getting back into it though- I felt really triggered all the time in general trans spaces because of that 2010's culture. I felt pressured to be feminine or a woman in trans spaces online, just like I did around my ex or at home. I didn't want to undercut my masculinity or manhood for other people's comfort, especially not for other trans people who I felt should've understood. In contrast to this though, transmedicalist spaces and the trans men within them DID actually offer the support I was asking for. I was actually given space to talk about my assault and the pressures I was experiencing with a bunch of other trans men/trans mascs who understood it for the first time, ever really.

The idea of "there is a medical explanation for gender dysphoria that can be treated with medical transition" was also really comforting to my traumatized mind that kept thinking "if I'm open about my assault someone is going to accuse me of just being traumatized and not actually trans, if medicine is on my side I can prove them wrong" Which - let me be clear again - was a very traumatized way of thinking. I do not think that way anymore thanks to therapy and cultivating a healthier relationship with my body and gender and transness. I was not the only trans man with a history of assault that felt this way in the transmed community at the time though.

And I'm not justifying any of this ideologically right? Like. Transmedicalism is fundamentally flawed and incorrect in many of its ideas about sex, gender, and gender identity. Many people who believe in transmed ideology spout some absolutely horrible, transphobic bullshit on the regular and often align their ideology with conservatism and TERFs. I'm not here to defend transmedicalism.

What I am saying is this: It makes sense that a group of ostracized individuals who felt like they had no space to express their traumas would cling onto transmedicalism because it was the only ideological community giving them space to talk about it. Hate movements thrive on preying upon those kinds of vulnerable, traumatized people.

I'm just thinking about a lot of the friends I met via transmedicalism back then and now they're all either TERFs with a lot of repressed trauma and internalized transphobia that I've since cut off completely or they had a similar realization to myself and discovered their attachment to transmedicalism was rooted in trauma and a desire for trans masc community, addressed it, and now they live much healthier, happier lives.

I'm losing steam fast thinking about all of this because recounting trauma takes a physical toll on one's body BUT tl;dr I really do think if we had healthier spaces to address trans male/trans masculine traumas within the wider trans community via conversations about transandrophobia back 5+ years ago we wouldn't fully be here now wrt: how large transmedicalism became as a movement. I genuinely think I wouldn't have been sucked into that space if there had been more resources and space to talk about the experiences I was having, all of which are things people naming transandrophobia are trying to address in healthy manners.

I think healthy, open, conversations about transandrophobia in wider community spaces can do so much good to protect people who were in vulnerable positions like I was and can absolutely potentially prevent more people from getting sucked into the false support offered by hate movements within our own community.

#transandrophobia #transmisandry #transmedicalism #discourse / #long post / #ftm #trans masc #trans man #original post #first post too wooo !! i figured i should make myself a space to actually talk about this stuff so i stop bothering my gf 💀 #she's cool with it i'm just autistic and talk a lot and knows she needs breaks lmao

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Bulbie

Debut: Pikmin

Pikmin 4 has a doggone good time being as doggy of a game as it can! I'm sure you are well aware by now of the new Funny Weird Dogs!

And I love these weird dogs! They are wonderful. I'm glad they are so important and beloved. But I would like to focus on a different dog, the very first Pikmin Dog, who we have known about since the very first game! Olimar's dog, Bulbie!

With this, I have shown you both official images of Bulbie that exist. I wish there were more! Bulbie is a dog even weirder than Oatchi and Moss, a whole different kind of critter that also happens to get called a dog. Isn't that great? These people have the concept of "dog", and so far we've only seen it used to refer to these funny bipeds! Olimar has no problem referring to both Bulbie and Moss as dogs, so I am led to believe that "dog" is more of a category of creature to these people, rather than a distinct species. Like how "mole" is a category of creature to us!

We know a precious little bit of Bulbie Lore. He is lazy, and able to sleep anywhere. He loves carrots. He farts a lot. That's about all we know. Awesome! Sure sounds like a Dog to me! And of course, Olimar loves Bulbie very much. Just like he loves his whole family! He is a Family Guy, complete with Funny Dog!

You may already know, or you may have noticed yourself, but Bulbie looks quite like a Bulborb. This is because Olimar named these creatures after Bulbie, due to their resemblance! It is also for this reason that they are members of the Grub-Dog Family. You see? Bulborb is just like a dog! While it is sweet of Olimar to name the species after Bulbie, it must also make his encounters with them even more disturbing. Not only is this a (comparatively) massive, hostile beast that could easily eat him whole, but it looks like his beloved little friend! That's like a nightmare! Especially with other, scarier Bulborb variants! I am happy to know that his Bulborb experiences do not affect his love for Bulbie one bit.

As much as I love and talk about invertebrates and funny fish, dogs have always been among my favorite animals, and always will be! They're an extremely conventional animal to love, and for very good reason. They're wonderful! And on this post about Weird Dogs, I would like to talk about how dogs are, in fact, weird in their own ways.

They're always sniffing with their wet noses, which they keep wet to smell even better. They love to lick, and lick to show love. And that love is such an important thing! Dogs are creatures of love! It is our love for dogs that shaped them into what they are today! It is what drove us to shape this single subspecies into countless distinct caricatures of its noble ancestors. All still members of the very same species! The amount of dog customization that has occurred is ridiculous. Need a better way to hunt badgers? Make a Long Dog. Yeah sure! Why not!

Obviously, most dachshund owners today aren't interested in hunting badgers. They are interested in having a Pet. And a Pet Dog is such a truly incredible thing! There are not many animals that should be kept in a house around humans, but then there is Dog, literally born to be among humans. Born to be loved, and born to love! If you don't think that's one of the most wonderful things ever then get outta here!

This is an animal that runs around and spins in circles because it sees an ape that it loves so much. An animal that ends up learning snippets of human language, because those are the snippets that make it happy. An animal that gleefully exposes its vulnerable underside, because it trusts a member of a different species to rub it in just the right way that feels so nice.

Even with the general consensus on dogs being pretty dang favorable, I feel that it's easy to take a lot of their behavior and history for granted, to see them as the "default animal", when they SO aren't. The default animal would be a parasitoid wasp, silly!

If I was not able to convince you that dogs are weird, then just look up canine transmissible venereal tumor, obviously using your own discretion, because there will be graphic photos. If you ask me, this one medical anomaly easily makes dogs a contender for one of the weirdest animals EVER! Bet you didn't know dogs could be contagious!

I like funny dog Bulbie

#bulbie #pikmin #bulborb #dogs #not mario #funky friday #mod chikako

[deadbeat-motel]

For my rewrite, I wanted to tie each sinner who's staying at the motel to a specific deadly sin to make it easier to understand what got them in hell and just for the fun of it.

It doesn't apply to the rest of hell to have a specific sin, but I thought it was interesting that the inhabitants of the motel will represent a sin.

Some of these characters are still rough ideas and will be subjected to some changes once i finalize the actual lores for these characters:

First up, Angel Dust is easy to confuse as Lust because most people might assume that since he's a sex worker, its probably what got him in hell right? Though, his sin had nothing to do with being lustful since he didnt become a sex worker until then (plus being a sex worker doesnt warrant someone a tacket straight to hell). Instead what really did him in was Gluttony since it was his appetite for vices that got him into trouble and also inadvertently lead to his death and it was that appettite that lead him to take any and all clients to feed his appetite for angeldust.

Nifty's sin is Lust, though not in the traditional sexual sense that we know. For her sin's sake, Lust is all about an uncontrollable desire that leads one to do horrible acts in order to attain what they've been obsessing over. In the rewrite, I was going to let her be a lot younger (most likely an adolescent-young teen) with a very skewed sense of what romance/love is like and have her lean in more towards a yandere-type character or a crappy creepypasta kid character (think Nina the killer levels of crappypasta). I'm torn between the two ideas at the moment.

[Also fun fact, hearing that nifty was a japanese woman from the 1950's kind of took me off because googling it, she wouldve been a woman who grew up in the middle of world war 2 and lived through a bit of the Post war boom if we assumed she's also american as well. Having someone with a background like that who acts like she's mentally a child makes it feel like Viv did no research at all.]

Husk's sin remains as Greed, as gambling just seems so hard to quit for him, even when his life is on the line, especially when he's cheating death so many times. Maybe it was after he had his first close encounter with death in his youth... or the few couple of times during the war... that he began to think of himself as too lucky to die. Unfortunately for him, he'd have to learn the hard way that whatever force that was trying to save him can't do anything about his own body failing from years of self-destructive alcoholism.

[Husk will literally kill me with all the research I'll have to do from 1910-1970 to get his story straight.]

Alastor is one Prideful mf. As an intelligent serial killer (possibly cannibal), he was able to evade the police whilst keeping the high-profile radio host job he killed others for. He enjoyed leaving clues and slipping little hints around his scene that stumped the entire police department. In the end, getting sloppy because of his own overconfidence in his abilities was what did him in and he was chased down and shot by a hunter in his escape.

Sir Pentious is Envious of the Victorian family and those above the middle class. He believed that he deserved to have the same kind of privileges they have especially since he was a brilliant inventor who believed he could forward Great Britain to a greater future. So he gave up 15 years trying to take over the monarchy by himself and failing miserably. He died due to an invention gone wrong and that was the day Great Britain was rid of its persistent annoyance.

[Some people may read about him in history books and confuse him for an anti-monarchist when this man's entire goal was to replace the monarchy with himself.]

Cherri Bomb grew up as a resentful youth of the Japanese 70's being a sukeban of a delinquent girl gang. Their Wrath was known all across the other local schools in their area and they were known for their sheer brutality. However, Cherri Bomb in particular was also feared by other members of the gang as she was ruthless punishing those who wanted to leave the group. She doesn't ever disclose how she died to others and thus no one is ever really sure how she ended up down here but no one really feels the need to ask.

[I'm extremely unfamiliar with Australian history so Cherri Bomb will have to have grown up in Japanese 70-80's delinquent culture.]

.

There's one sin left.... but since I don't really have anyone in the HH cannon that could realistically fit Sloth, I'm left with two options: Characterizing the blank slate that is Crymini myself or leaving the last resident as a community effort "Build-a-Sinner."

So first poll ive done but....

#hazbin hotel critical #hazbin hotel redesign #vivziepop critical #deadbeat motel rewrite #hazbin hotel criticism #deadbeat motel alastor #deadbeat motel angel dust #deadbeat motel nifty #deadbeat motel husk #deadbeat motel sir pentious #deadbeat motel cherri bomb

[absolutebl]

Hey Abl, trust you are well. So I took a month off bl to deal with life stuff and upon my return there's a lot of new shows and I'm feeling overwhelmed and need to prioritize. What should I start with that started airing in late October/November? Spanx!

BL Quick Picks - End of 2023 Releases

That finished its run? Sorry I don't keep that close track of things ending but stuff I loved that ended relatively recently as follows. (I'm giving you a range of styles to suit your mood.)

Felling light and fluffy?

Jun & Jun

(Korea Viki)

A delightful office romance about an ex-idol who joins cubical life only to find his new boss is his first love. Others boys are sniffing around too. Operative word being "sniffing" as much of this romance involves smell. With a snappy (sometimes even raunchy) script, enjoyable sides, a pretty as peaches cast, and descent chemistry this show made up for in style what it lacked in substance. I like fluff. I loved this. I smiled every moment I was watching. With tons of rewatch potential (especially the last few eps), my only caution is this is for fans of the BL genre only, I don’t think it’ll work for anyone else. 9/10

Feeling complex and drama llama?

I Feel You Linger in the Air

(Thailand grey, YT for some)

I truly loved this time travel romance. IFYLITA is an exquisite BL, from filming techniques to narrative framework (much like Until We Meet Again). Steeped in history and family drama it edges into lakorn (but no as much as To Sir With Love and with way less scenery chewing). This is an elegant and classy BL… from Thailand which normally doesn't even try for classy. The main couple (both as a pair and individuals) were excellent, particularly Bright (Yai) whose eye-work acting style is a personal favorite of mine. Pity about the ending. Oh it wasn’t that sad but it wasn’t good either. This show should easily have earned a 10 from me except that it fumbled the… erm… balls. Argh. Whatever. 9/10

Feeling odd and chaotic?

Why R U?

(Korea iQIYI)

Korea decided to remake, of all possible Thai BLs, Why RU? And that is exactly what we got: a short form, clean & pretty, slightly confusing, uneven chemistry, all the same tropes KBL that kind of cliff-noted the original but with none of the heat or complex relationship dynamics. I just … what world is this? Because it is BOTH bizarro land, and EXACTLY what I expected. How do I rate it? In the end I have to go back to simple questions: did I like it, would I rewatch it, and would I recommend it? Yes. Probably. And probably not. What the actual hell? 8/10

Feeling dark and complex?

Tokyo in April is AKA Shigatsu no Tokyo wa

(Japan Viki)

Two young men with a shared tragic past reunite and fall in love all over again, but the past will not stop hunting them. Based on a manga, this office set reunion romance is GREAT… damn it. It’s Japan in full on soft focus which means it gets emo, abusive, and chewy. These two characters are giving parts of their souls away in a desperate attempt to shape themselves to the expectations they have of each other. Japan gave us the Bed Friends that Thailand could never even imagine. But here’s the thing: I don’t enjoy my BL this heavy and cutting. I know that for The 8th Sense crowd this is peak BL and I can’t argue with the fact that the romantic devotion, domesticity, script, and acting IS all on point. It’s just not my personal preference for that point to be so damn sharp. I appreciate that this being 2023 I have the luxury of consistent quality (especially from Japan) and thus the ability to say… I acknowledge that this SHOULD get a 9/10 but I can’t emotionally go higher than 8/10

Feeling sappy and in need of comfort?

Stay By My Side

(Taiwan Viki)

This show was an interesting take on the "ghost boyfriend" trope. About a boy who is tormented by hearing the dead, except when he is around one other boy - desperation+proximity = love. Unfortunately, the story was erratic and waffled about. While the leads turned in solid performances and the sappy domesticity was off the charts, it never really had the strength of the narrative convictions such a strong concept should have supplied. Highly rewatchable and enjoyable for that sappy domesticity but not a whole lot more. Still I always give extra credit for the diabetes-inducing sugar content and rewatch capacity. 8/10 

Feeling sexy?

My Personal Weatherman AKA Taikan Yoho

(Japan Gaga)

I liked it a lot and it's classic yaoi of the kind that really only works from Japan. Basically: boys who fell in love in college end up living together but both are so repressed they actually don't realize they're in love. It's higher heat from Japan and well done, but it leaned into the "why don't they just talk for fuck's sake?" trope which is only exacerbated into undiluted frustration by the fact that they're already fucking. It's good, but watching requires more patience than usual, even from Japan. 8/10

Feeling sweet and earnest?

Sing My Crush

(Korea iQIYI)

This a cute coming of age drama around music and 2 kinds of self acceptance and actualization journeys. This was basically Korea’s version of About Youth, and was perhaps a bit too soft and ungrounded by comparison, like a marshmallow sculpture. Sweet but somewhat lacking in discernible flavor. 8/10

If you want to know what I'm enjoying that's airing right now, I'm mot yet caught up this week but I have time today so the weekly ranking will drop in a few hours. But I can tell you with confidence that very little is likely to unseat...

My Dear Gangster Oppa (Thailand iQiyi)

from my affections right now. I love it unconditionally and it's airing on iQIYI.

#asked and answered #2023 BL recomendations #end of year only #ouch burn on GMMTV none of theirs made the cute #stop fuckign up GMMTV #thai bl #japanese bl #korean bl #taiwanese bl #my dear gangster oppa #Sing My Crush #my personal weatherman #Stay By My Side #Tokyo in April is #Why R U? Korea #i feel you linger in the air #Jun and Jun #viki #gaga

[napneeders]

Lucius as red and Frenchie as purple

Okay, I'm sure we all know (and have our own takes on) the significance of red and purple for Ed's character, but I'm kind of surprised I haven't seen anything on the connection to these characters also marked by those colours, both of whom also - alone amongst the crew - have something of a personal relationship with Ed and play a key part in his story.

this is just my thoughts on the matter and I'd love to hear others. this is also very much from the perspective of Ed's arc, leaving aside the characters' own storylines.

First off, we see red a lot more than purple, and it appears both more interpersonal and more mutable (and yet more defined).

Take the red silk, which originally carries a connection to Ed's mother, with the no doubt complicated feelings there and the implications about "fine things" - the silk is a fine thing, but also just a scrap of the kind of things young Ed is barred access to, a reminder that they're "not for us". But the silk is also Ed's heart, and it becomes infused with new meaning when Stede touches it. When Ed throws it away, he's trying to let go of both his love for Stede and his desire for fine things, for soft things. Stede and fine things are woven together now. Throwing away something he's always had drives it home that Ed hasn't just lost what he recently gained, he's worse off than before meeting Stede. What was ambiguous before has to be denounced now.

(cf. the petrified orange - something that carries Jim's family history becomes something that reminds Stede of Ed becomes something that connects him to his family.)

Similarly, the red robe symbolises "the colour Ed brings to Stede's life", then becomes the breakup robe, both heartbreak and comfort, first for Stede, then Ed.

Red is the colour of love, and while Ed after Stede's abandonment rids it from his person, he adds it to his flag as if to publicly execute it.

I don't know if Lucius wearing red was intended to fall within the same colour symbolism, but it's hard to ignore. He, too, is a connection between Ed and Stede and their love specifically, nudging both of them along, being their confidante at various stages. And he gets tossed with the red silk. (crucially, I think, after the red silk.)

I've seen a lot of people say that Ed tossed Lucius overboard because Lucius was the one who told him to go for Stede, and I'm not saying that's wrong, but I think it's more because Lucius witnessed him in vulnerable moments. The Ed that Lucius saw is incompatible with the Kraken. Maybe he also reminds Ed of Stede, much like another plaything. This is on an overall motive level – in the moment for Ed the drowning doesn't seem premeditated. (I could go on speculating about what might have happened to Lucius if he hadn't come on deck at that moment, but perhaps another time.)

Actually, the scene in which Ed gets rid of first the silk and then Lucius is all but infused in red, practically the only colour apart from the blue tint of night-time. It's as if everything is coloured by Ed's heartbreak - and all of it has got to go.

The colour purple is also related to love, having been identified as a symbol of Ed's growing love for Stede – but I would say where red exists and signifies between the two, the purple is an Ed thing only. It's not just about the romance, but about the person Ed is able to be with Stede, the person he's uncovering beneath the leathers and salt. Its appearances are not as frequent as red's, and though the outfit Ed wears to the fancy party is very striking, the purple shirt he wears on the treasure hunt seems almost a shy visual sign, something tentative.

And whereas red features in numerous ways in Ed's heartbreak era, up to and including the bleeding heart added to his flag for all to see, the purple disappears. It symbolised something budding, the beginning of a journey that got cut short, and it retreats before it can be killed.

Now, this is probably less obvious - both visually and thematically - but it's definitely interesting to me that the one other Revenge crew member that Ed has a connection with wears purple: in a lighter shade on his jacket and as an accent on his fancy suit.

I as well as others have speculated before that Ed picks Frenchie for his "new crew" because a) he has shown himself to be adaptable and savvy, including in his reaction to Blackbeard, and b) because of the solidarity, recognition and validation when Ed is humiliated by the fancy party people. Like Lucius, Frenchie has witnessed Ed in a vulnerable moment, but in relation to the outside world rather than his inner feelings (though, of course, there is overlap). Whether Ed's recruitment of Frenchie is because he thinks he'll be an asset to the Blackbeard operation or out of some desire for a personal ally, I sure hope season 2 will tell.

I like to think of Frenchie as a kind of (largely unaware) messenger. He creates the cat flag that acts as a message of Nigel Badminton's death, sent back to the English in the dinghy and subsequently shown (dramatically) any time Chauncey talks about his brother's assumed murder. I think it's no coincidence that Frenchie is also the one to both sew and hoist Blackbeard's new flag – another message, an intentional one this time.

Whereas Lucius mediates between Ed and Stede for the benefit of their love, Frenchie mediates and carries messages from and to the outside world: bringing in the invitation to the fancy party, introducing Olu as Prince Azi, connecting Stede to the information he needs for Stark Revelations – introducing the whole series with his song…

He's smart and tactical, but also whimsical as fuck, both qualities Ed appreciates, standing for not just using what's there but also shameless reinvention. One of the qualities that originally enamoured me with the show is the constant play with identity and presentation. When characters dress up, whether that's Stede's captainy clothes or straight-up costumes like in the fuckery, they're rarely being "fake", but rather playing, exploring or emphasizing facets of themselves, or inventing or discovering new ones. Similarly, the question of Ed's fractured identity is more complex and nuanced than "which one is the real Ed".

…but I digress. If I have to pin down the connection I'm suggesting between Frenchie and purple, I'd consider it a sign that he could be someone who helps Ed stay in touch with himself. The themes I've outlined above have some common ground: self-discovery, self-invention, self-determination. If Lucius stands for a sexual and romantic liberation, Frenchie might stand for a personal one.

I've kept this mostly on the symbolic and abstract level so far, but the characters around Ed aren't just a greek chorus. I know many people agree that to come back from the Kraken, it's not enough for Ed to regain Stede's love; he needs to come to terms with himself in his own right. That kind of personal growth doesn't happen in a vacuum, and while Ed may be shoving the need for connection deep down with the advent of the Kraken, both Lucius and Frenchie have shown him that people can care about him and want to help him. I like to entertain the thought that in keeping Frenchie close, Ed is subconsciously holding onto the possibility of connection. (@uselessheretic has a post on similar themes of Ed opening up to the crew beyond Stede via Frenchie, noting the potential for poc solidarity between them, specifically as something Ed has been missing in his life.)

We've seen Frenchie act deferentially towards Blackbeard/The Kraken, and comradely towards Ed; what I'm most curious to see about their relationship in season 2 is how this balances out in the new status quo. Season 1 ends with both of them putting up their masks - Frenchie following Ed's lead, always reacting to what the situation around him demands for survival - and I'd expect this to be a setback in their relationship, mirroring the setback in Ed's personal growth as he shuts himself back off.

Anyway. All of that was supposed to be about four paragraphs.

#I've been sitting on this for a month so I'm going Good Enough on it #ofmdm #frenchie #ed and frenchie #edward teach #lucius spriggs #ofmd #colours

[rafedaddy01]

I cant believe out of all places my parents chose Outer Banks to move too. This place is a shithole, except for the nicer part of town, where the rich live. This place is completely different from where i grew up, a small town In California called Nevada City. Man it was wonderful! the town pop was about 3,000 people and everybody knew everybody. it was home. but this place... in lack of better words; is a complete shithole.

of course my parents being the rich pricks they are, stayed back home to "deal with business" whatever the hell that means for them. so im staying with an old family friend of theirs, great! not..

the driver picks me up from the airport and as we drive to said family friend i admire the scenery. Houses, boats, shacks, homeless people, shops, that was all in the "poor side" as it call it, eye roll, i never enjoyed being rich. i was born into it. my father on the other hand was a made man. He opened up quite a few banks in our little city and recently they have evolved into bigger states/cities, hence the move.

we lived in a big manor on a secluded acreage back home, thats weird to say, i guess its not home anymore. we were close enough to town for me to be able to pop in everyday and work at the local museum, we always had lots of tourists come in and i enjoyed telling people about the history of our town.

i sigh in the back seat of the limo as i think about was used to be home and prepare to make acquaintance with the kings of the island. The Cameron's. my parents told me a little bit about them since id be staying with them until mom and dad could come down here permeantly.

There was Ward Cameron, the father. Rose Cameron, the stepmother. Rafe Cameron, the eldest. Sarah Cameron, the middle child. and Wheezie, the youngest of the bunch. They seemed noraml enough and i was kind of excited to make some new friends.

we pulled up to the house and man oh man. Ive seen some houses in my day but heck! seeing all the worn out building on the way over? the hosue has two stories and is white, it almost looks like the white house!

my eyebrows raise to my forehead as we drive up the long driveway and stop at the front of the house. the driver comes to my side and opens the door, ugh i hate being waited on, "thank you, Scott. You dont have to worry about my bags, i can carry them" i tell the older gentleman who looks like he should be in a retirement home with his white hair that is swiped back and covered by that redicioulse chauffer hat and that outift that sits loosely on his visible scrawny bones. "No worries Miss, Morales, its my pleasure." he smiles as he wobbles over to the trunk and takes my luggage.

"You must be Avery!" a feminine voice beams as she embraces me in a hug. Ugh, i do not like being touch. This town is just getting better and better. "im Rose Cameron, welcome to our home" she introduces herself and i take a step back examining her, she has blonde hair that comes down to about her shoulders and its pampered to perfection. She wearing a baby pink dress that hug's her curves magnificently. she has gold dangly earrings on and black thin heels, the kind that a sophisticated women would wear, shes beautiful but theres something about her i dont really like. "yes, hello" i smile back at her. "thank you for being so kind as to take me in" i tell her "oh nonsense, your parents are lovely people and we told them wed be happy to let you stay with us. as long as it takes"

As long as it take? what is that supposed to mean. does rose know something i dont, should i be worried?

i scratch the thoughts from my mind as we step into the estate, its beautiful, the twisting stairwell that leads upstairs and the gigantic chandelier that dangles in the middle. "wow, very beutiful Mrs. Cameron" i say as i take a look around "oh please, call me rose" she smiles, theres a viscousness in her smile, its fake. Ive seen it before, from my own mother none the less.

"let me show you to your room, the driver has already set your luggage in there" she says as she leads me up the staircase.

we walk into one of the many guest rooms, but this one is mine. the walls are a shade of gold and its oddly comforting. theres a large king bed in the center of the wide room and a balcony that hovers over the green grass and water thats seen in the distance. The bathroom is in the room and seems to connect to the room next door, i wonder whose room that is, probably another guest room.

"ill let you settle in and once your done you can come down for dinner and meet the rest of the family" rose smiles at me as she shuts the door and lets me settle.

i take a momment scanning the room, theres not much in it besides a closet, a bed, some nightstands, and curtains that fall along the frames of the windows. its much bigger than my room back home. i decide not to unpack everything, i dont plan on being her long, i hope.

I decided to take a shower, i was in a plane for 15hrs overall.

I wash myself with some shampoo that is in there, it smells like cedarwood and ginger, an odd mix but also strangly comforting. i lather my hair and body and let the hot water relax my built up tension.

once i hop out of the shower i wrap a towel around my body and head through my bedroom door, i stop and stare at the door across from mine, i wonder whose room that is.

i walk up to my luggage and pull out a mini plaid green skirt with a matching top, i dry my hair and let the pin-straight black strands flow down my back

i step out of the room at about 7:20pm and head downstairs, the smell of chicken infests my nostrils and my stomach grumbles, i hadnt even realized i didnt eat much today. i stride into the dining room and everybody is in there seats, except for two open ones, mine and i presume rafes, whose is empty.

"ah, there she is!' Ward speaks as he stands and rounds the table to me "Avery Morales, Sir" i say extending my hand. Ive learned my manners from talking to my father, he is a kind man when he wants to be but money changed him. he and my mother have both become vicious and would do anything to fill their wallets. its sad really, we used to be the perfect little family in Nevada and we still are, were, but with much darker secrets now, thats a story for another time.

"Im happy to welcome you to our humble abode Miss Morales" he says pulling my chair out for me. The empty chair is beside me while who i presume are sarah and wheezie sit across from me and ward and rose sit on opposite ends of the table.

"Im sarah" the girl to the left in front of me says. She is gorgeous, she has a tan that sticks to her skin like its her natural color and dirty blonde hair that flows down her shoulders and chest, her lips are plump and full and her eyes sparkle with kindness, i like her. "Wheezie" peeps the little girl next to her, shes young, maybe 13 or 14. She had black hair thats braided in two braids and glasses that frame her face.

"lets eat!" rose cheers as we dig in

we finish dinner and i insist on helping clear the table but ward says they have staff that do that and that i should get some rest because ive had a long day. Hes right im exhusted. I got to know sarah quite a bit, wheezie doesnt talk much. it seems like nobody really notices her and they all just ignore her whenever she trys to speak up. But sarah told me about the island a little bit and even said shed introduce me to some friends tomorrow.

I walk up the stairs and head for my room but i couldnt help thinking about the empty chair next to mine. why wasnt he at dinner? does he not live here, does he even exist. My mind is heavy with thoughts as i walk to the bathroom and turn the doorknob, that weird, i didnt leave the light on

"oh my god! im so sorry!' i squeal as i cover my eyes.

There is Rafe. standing. naked. in my bathroom, well, our bathoom. I guess i found out whose room is next to mine.

Pt2

@f4ll-for-you @v21sstuff @rafeysworldim19 @baby19sthings @eventualoptimism @drewstarkeysbae @sevenwivesofrafecameron @rxfecameronsslut @findapenny @r1vrsefx

#outer banks #rafe cameron #drew starkey #smut #dark rafe cameron #outerbanks #drewstarkey #drewstarkey smut #rafecameron #fanfic #rafe fluff #dark rafe

[super-who-locked-me-in-here]

I think the most fun part to me with writing Hannibal fanfics is seeing how far I can run with the dialogue I make Will and Hannibal use. Because I feel like there's a scale of how to write them that also very much falls in line with how they are in the show.

There's Hannibal-esque writers. They know seem to know a lot about music, art, food, and/or mythology from lots of different places and communities. They're cultured and well-informed or at the very least, they've done a lot of research into these things.

And then there's Will-esque writers. Those that aren't necessarily well-educated on all those subjects, but they're smart enough and cognizant enough of the various subjects to be able to snap back with some metaphor of their own.

And these are both good types of Hannibal fic writers don't get me wrong, but I do very much enjoy being a Will Writer. I don't know a lot about music or dancing or art, and by God I try to avoid describing whatever meals Hannibal might be making at risk of sounding like an idiot, but I'm a history major and published poet. I can work with that.

I can be pretentious and flowery and philosophical with my words, and hey, maybe throw in some metaphor about:

Well, Hannibal is so headstrong because he's following his namesake. Hannibals are supposed to be leaders, like Hannibal, the Carthaginian general of the Second Punic War, or Hannibal Hamlin, the fifteenth vice president of the United States (and a revolutionary one at that as the first Republican vice president).

But then have a clap back of, well, General Hannibal of Carthage may have been one of the greatest military tacticians in known history, but he did lose the Second Punic War (like Hannibal Lecter lost Will to justice in the Second season), was exiled many times over (except Hannibal Lecter ran to Italy rather than being pushed from it and its surrounding territories), and then ended up killing himself after being betrayed (much like Hannibal Lecter gave up his life (hyperbolically) to the BSHCI after Will betrayed him and his feelings).

And of course Hannibal Hamlin wasn't all that bad either, until Abraham Lincoln decided he needed to appeal more to those that opposed him, and he dropped Hamlin and picked up Andrew Johnson because that seemed like the best thing to do (kind of like how Will dropped Hannibal Lecter in Digestivo only to pick up a shiny little family for himself, because it was what he was supposed to want and do).

And in the end I'll spin it all with "Is that all your namesake is, Hannibal? A crutch of greatness keeping you from falling directly into abandonment's gaping maw? One could wonder why you try to avoid your sorrows when the legacy of your name scrambles the letters until all they spell is rejection."

But uh yeah that explanation really got out of hand and I just meant to say that I love writing Hannibal dialogue even if I don't have all the culture knowledge that Hannibal characters seem to have. It's fun.

#jesus christ that got away from me #but whatever #hannibal #hannibal fic #my writing #dot says

[dk-wren]

Buddy Daddies & “Silent Night”

Happy holidays and Merry Christmas!

I’ve been busy working on other projects, so no time to write a fic for Christmas. However, I still wanted to do something, and thinking about the work I do outside of here, this is what I came up with. So, to celebrate the season, and the anniversary of Miri falling into the lives of Kazuki and Rei, I present a brief history of “Silent Night” and its relevance/connections to Buddy Daddies!

Brief History:

"Silent Night" was first performed in 1818 at the St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. The lyrics were written by Father Joseph Mohr, which were originally adapted from a poem he had written two years previously, while the melody was composed by Franz Gruber. The song was originally written in German for two voices and an accompanying guitar, though an organ accompaniment was composed several years later (presumably along with an arrangement for a choir since it is traditionally performed in Austria during Christmas Eve Mass).

In Buddy Daddies, Miri is heard singing the first of six verses, which is probably the most well-known verse. When translated to English (first in 1858), and what I gather as the most common/used translation, or the one I am most familiar, only three verses are translated (verses 1, 6, and 2, in that order). Since its original performance/publication, "Silent Night" has been translated into over 300 languages and dialects.

Connections to Buddy Daddies:

(Just to be upfront, this is more my interpretation. I also want to acknowledge that there are a lot of religious elements in this song, which I do not feel I can adequately address/discuss. Though I may be wrong, I also don't think the religious elements are really at play in Buddy Daddies)

First things first, it is more than a little ironic how the first time "Silent Night" is heard in Buddy Daddies, or when Miri enters the hotel in ep. 1, an instrumental version is heard in the background, and in ep. 12 during Miri's Christmas recital (also kind of in ep. 11 when Miri is practicing), a gunfight precedes or succeeds this song.

That being said, it works since those moments then act like the calm before or after the storm. While there will always be some craziness or hecticness in raising a four/five year old, the moments that Kazuki and Rei spend with Miri, especially after these fights, act as moments of comfort or reassurance that their family is all together and they have each other.

The final line we hear Miri sing, and of the first verse, "Sleep in heavenly peace," arguably represents Kazuki and Rei's wish for Miri: that she is safe, has nothing to truly worry about, and knows she is loved. Their drive and desire to let Miri sleep soundly at the end of every night is what causes them to choose their family over the organization and to fight back knowing that the organization disapproves of such "attachments" or the idea of Rei, Kazuki, and Miri being a family. While this scene is not connected to one of the times "Silent Night" is heard in Buddy Daddies, this comfort of having each other and being able to rest easy because of this feeling is also clearly seen in the ep. 3 after credits scene. The events of ep. 3 is the first time Kazuki, Rei, and Miri all seem to acknowledge that they are a family and will be staying by each other's side in the long run, which may then be why Rei quickly falls asleep as they are all relatively on the same page about their relationships to one another (and everyone he loves, whether or not he fully processes this yet, is safe next to him).

In having Miri sing this song at the end of ep. 12, the lines "All is calm, all is bright" also stand out because that is how Kazuki and Rei are seeing their future now. They've done everything in their power to walk away from the organization for good, and they did it without losing their lives. Now, their sole mission is to look after Miri and raise their daughter to be the best person she can be. The two walking into Miri's concert and standing in the back (not just because they were late, but because of their injuries) may give them some time for reflection about what they did that day and how that provided them the opportunity to successfully go after the future they've dreamed of.

Not directly related to the song, but during my research, I also found that another big accomplishment for lyricist Joseph Mohr was his role in building the first school in one village and setting up a fund that would help to cover the cost of education so that children from poorer families could still attend/be educated. His work as a priest could be interpreted as him having an affinity for providing for or working to better the lives of children. Considering how much Kazuki and Rei do to look after Miri's happiness and well-being, the personal life of the lyricist of "Silent Night" then adds some more depth into this song being featured throughout Buddy Daddies given Mohr's connections to looking after and taking into consideration the needs of growing children.

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Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed this quick little exploration into "Silent Night." There were more things I wanted to include in the history section, but I felt it would have been too much or gotten too long. I hope the little bit I included was enough though and not too boring.

Happy holidays, everyone!

-Dakota Wren

(P.S. gonna slide this announcement into the bottom of my post, but you know how I wrote at the top I've been busy working on "other projects?" Well, that's because I am currently planning to do a celebration week leading up to the 1 year anniversary of Buddy Daddies premiere. If all goes according to plan, I will have something posted each day from Jan 1st-Jan 7th. If I need to switch to plan B, then expect a mega-post or multi-posts throughout the day on Jan 7th. So while I don't have any new content for the holiday season, expect some relatively soon with the new year. Thanks for reading and again, happy holidays!)

#buddy daddies #buddy daddies anime #silent night song #miri unasaka #rei suwa #kazuki kurusu

[pansy-picnics]

Helloooo I just wanted to say that your trans Varian art is very special and comforting to me <3 it gives me warm soft feelings and it always makes my day thank you very much. The little details you include like what he uses to bind and his family supporting him and also him feeling comfortable enough to take his binder off at the end of the day or around certain people just makes me feel so seen and happy <3 I hope you have a lovely day

AUGHHGJGG THANK YOUUUU you have no IDEA how happy these kinds of comments make me,,,, 🥹🥹🥹🥹 i don’t even really identify my gender myself and im definitely not transmasc but varian is just So violently transgender to me and it doesn’t feel right to not portray him that way. i put a lot of effort into my portrayal of it so when ppl say my art makes them feel seen i literally. scream and cry and throw up /pos

and YES you get it omfg…..the little freak plagues my mind constantly he is SO loved and supported by his family. he’s a very practical guy to me so unless he’s going out for work or has visitors or something he can’t really be bothered to get dressed up or bind. he used to when he first started working in the castle,, but now he feels a lot more comfortable there and if he’s just gonna be hanging around at home he’s not gonna go through all the extra effort. and him feeling safe enough to do that is SO important to me!!!!! it makes me so unbelievably happy that people are able to notice all those details and i’m just so,,, oughggghh

ALSO!! the detail of the binder in particular is actually one of my favorite things i haven’t really gotten a chance to talk about it here…..i’m kind of a history nerd also and although tts doesn’t really have a set time period (and i honestly don’t want it to), i enjoy adding in some historical references here in there cuz i just think it makes the world feel a lot more immersive. but heres a fun fact for you if you want to read:

most modern binders are made up of some kind of nylon or spandex, both of which weren’t invented until around the 1930s or 50s. most people use bandages to portray trans characters in fantasy settings, but bandages by themselves wouldn’t really do much unless they were compressive, and compressive bandages as we know them today also weren’t invented until around WW2. THIS is where corsets come in.

corsets get a rlly bad rep most of the time honestly, because for some reason most people are still convinced they were like. medieval torture devices. and they were used to promote a slim silhouette a lot of the time but so were a LOT of other garments!! corsets alone were undergarments worn on a day to day basis, both by rich and working class women and even by some men in the victorian era. they were just used the same way we wear bras today!! it wasn’t any different!!!

but boned garments like this also had the ability to shape and form the body, and though obviously i can’t confirm anyone was making corset binders in the 1800s people have been able to make modern replicas with similar materials that have almost the exact same effect as a modern chest binder, which tells us that it would’ve been completely possible for someone to hide their chest with a corset like garment AND!! it was quite literally PROVEN to us during the 1920s flapper era!!!

i could go on and on about the flapper era and it’s influence on the general social culture but basically, a LOT of inherent gender roles were being challenged, so women were wearing shorter skirts and haircuts, and women’s fashion trends in general started to take on a much more androgynous silhouette to reflect that. a boxy, more boyish shape was actually strived for and a lot of women with larger chests would wear bodices advertised as “bust reducers” to create this appearance, a lot of which were made with similar materials to corsets of the time!!!

they obviously aren’t exactly the same as a binder we would have today but its shockingly similar i think, and it’s just neat to know that people really have been doing this stuff for centuries :’3

#pansy-art #tangled the series #rapunzels tangled adventure #varian #lance strongbow #catalina schnitz #ruddiger #ask #tangled ask #history #pansy rambling again

[sadquickchristmassnowman]

hi! what do you think are the best/most tolerable episodes in season 4 of community? it’s widely regarded as the worst season and I never know which episodes to watch each time I go through a community rewatch binge lol. so, I figured I would consult the encyclopedia! (this is my first time using the ask feature so I apologize if I am not using it correctly)

heyo! this is a great question. I actually have an abbreviated season 4 watchlist that cuts out the worst episodes (in my opinion), while staying comprehensible and making sure you're still able to follow the season's overarching plots:

4x01: history 101

4x03: conventions of space and time*

4x05: cooperative escapism in familial relations*

4x06: advanced documentary filmmaking

4x08: herstory of dance

4x11: basic human anatomy*

4x12: heroic origins*

4x13: advanced introduction to finality

the episodes with asterisks* are the ones I actually really enjoy watching. the others on the list are pretty mid, but are, in my opinion, important enough to the overarching plot and character development to be worth watching. when I'm showing other people season 4 for the first time, I adhere to this watchlist lol.

I’m going to do some (hopefully quick) explanations of how I came up with this list, but you don't have to read it if you don't want to lol:

✅ history 101: it's the first episode of the season, so it really does set the tone and establish some important details (jeff wants to graduate early, troy and britta are dating, this is their last year at greendale, etc.) as with most of season 4, the weirdness seems really contrived and unnatural, but it does have its moments of being genuinely funny. it's also a pretty abed-centric episode, which is always a bonus lol

❌ paranormal parentage: I don’t hate this episode, but it's just kind of boring and doesn't really add anything to the season. I love megan ganz but... yeah. a lot of the jokes seem forced, and there's way too much pierce for my liking. there are a couple good one liners ("you should probably tell your boyfriend's boyfriend" "I remember when this show was about community college") and it does help set up jeff finally contacting his dad, but imo it doesn't quite make the episode worth watching

✅ conventions of space and time: I’ve heard that some people hate this episode? couldn't be me. way too much trobed for me to hate it lmao. there is a lot of jeffannie in it too, but that resolves with the conclusion that annie is just a romantic who loves to fantasize, and doesn't actually have real feelings for jeff. it actually fuels my lesbiannie agenda tbh, because she is evidently just in love with the idea of a man but doesn't actually put that into practice. but that's another post lmao. we have some great one-liners, we have britta helping troy through his jealousy, we have "troy will find me :)" we have some more inspector spacetime lore, etc etc. I love this episode and rewatch it frequently.

❌ alternative history of the german invasion: for me, this episode has almost zero redeeming qualities. the jokes are lame, I hate professor cornwallis, there is so much discontinuity, it has zero importance in the bigger picture of the season and the show, it's out of character, etc. the one thing I like is the end tag.

✅ cooperative escapism in familial relations: this is a big one for me. I never see people talking about it, but to me this episode is one of season 4's saviors. we have HUGE jeff development, jeffbritta moments, some much needed shirley screentime and development, some great jokes ("-to eat garbage dip WHY DID I HAVE TO GO THIRD), classic trobedison shenanigans, and the shawshank redemption homage is very funny to me. plus! adam devine cameo! I like this episode more every time I watch it. unsung hero fr.

✅ advanced documentary filmmaking: okay so I won’t lie, I fucking HATE the changnesia arc. I think it is so incredibly stupid and uncreative. there are a million different and better ways they could have brought him back. but, this episode is just too important in the season's development to skip. and, honestly, if I ignore the whole premise, there are a lot of funny bits and jokes in this one. troy constantly smiling at the camera (read: smiling at abed), troy and annie being the silliest ever, jeff's trust issues, and ken jeong is truly very funny, I just hate this arc so much. but ultimately it's too important to cut. imo.

❌ economics of marine biology: I basically feel the same about this one as I do about alternative history of the german invasion. it's boring, the premise is stupid, it's out of character, it's unfunny, the guest character is lame, and it's pointless to the overall plot. abed and the delta cubes is a little bit funny? and I guess you could argue that the jeff and pierce development is important? but I’d refute that very quickly. it's pierce, who cares. not. worth. it.

✅ herstory of dance: this episode is honestly the upper end of mid, but it has enough good jokes and development to make it worth it. it is also Very abed-centric, which we've established is always a plus imo, and his whole bit with going on two dates at once is very in character. he also meets rachel, who comes back in season 5, so that's important. it also has some great jeff & britta development!!! which is sort of few and far between in the later seasons!!! yippee!!!

❌ intro to felt surrogacy: tied for my least favorite community episode of all time. it's clear they tried to do something similar to what they did with abed's uncontrollable christmas, but it is so incredibly contrived that it is physically painful to watch. I hate the puppets. the hot air balloon story is so stupid and out of character. the songs are bad. how dare they sully the legacy of my third favorite episode (lmao). the only redeeming qualities are troy as a whole (all of his lines are good, and that moment when he pretends his puppet is falling asleep is very funny), and the fact that pierce is not physically in it. but those do not make up for how horrific the rest of it is. in my opinion. haha.

❌ intro to knots: once again! Tied For My Least Favorite Community Episode! they're right next to each other, how convenient. and again: bad jokes, bad premise, I fucking hate professor cornwallis, the changnesia shit is back, the plot is ALL over the place, there is little to no actual character development, the dialogue just goes in circles, and it ends with a random litter of kittens that are never mentioned again??? I guess the only mildly important thing is the end tag with the evil study group, which comes back during the season finale. but yeah. not worth it. disgusting.

✅ basic human anatomy: and here we have a HUGE jump from the last one. this is my favorite season 4 episode, and is probably in my top 15 from the entire show. I could talk about this episode for hours. the troy development alone is so so so good and important. add abed into the mix and Oh Boy!!! britta is great in this one, jeff and the dean's whole thing is so fucking funny, shirley and annie competing against leonard for valedictorian on a technicality is very in character and silly, danny and donald's acting in this one is commendable, etc etc etc. there really isn't much, if anything, I dislike about this episode. jim rash being the credited writer makes me love him even more. legendary. outstanding.

✅ heroic origins: I actually really like this episode. it does still have that sort of unnatural and off-putting vibe that the majority of season 4 has, but I think it holds up. it's in character, it has some great jokes and one-liners, and although it does have its moments of discontinuity, it does a surprisingly good job of staying compliant with what has already been established. certainly much better than alternative history of the german invasion. abed's whole bit with the star wars prequels makes me laugh, the annie's boobs lore, footage of annie and troy in high school (surprisingly well done if you ignore the discontinuity of troy's injury), etc. it's also massively important for the overarching season plot, and we finally get to the conclusion of the stupid changnesia arc. I could go on and on, there's just a ton of really cool callbacks (including one to the pilot, which I only noticed a few months ago and am obsessed with), and I just. wasn't expecting this one to work out as well as it did. pleasantly surprised, all in all.

✅ advanced introduction to finality: this one is not great tbh, but it's too important plot-wise to skip. and, I mean, it does have some good moments. abed immediately recognizing evil jeff, the whole thing being in jeff's head a la remedial chaos all being in abed's head (insert something about how this being yet another demonstration of how fundamentally jeff and abed understand each other, which I could expand way more on but won't in this particular post), season 2 of the cape, "one of us is out of bullets" "is it you" "...yeah" "why would you tell me that," and more. overall, yeah, worth watching imo.

I do also want to say that I think season 4 is a bit overhated. I do agree that it is the worst season, I think most of us can agree that that is an objective truth, but it does have its moments and I do get slightly frustrated when people write the entire season off.

I’m also happy to hear anyone else's opinions on what you think is/isn't worth watching in season 4, especially if you really strongly disagree with me. I’m curious to what your reasoning is lmao.

okay! this is definitely way more elaboration than you needed, but I hope this was helpful 💯💯💯

#sorry again for the long wait on a response #thank you for your patience :) #community #nbc community #community nbc #media analysis #community encyclopedia

[minecraftbookshelf]

Lore? Lore? Lore for the poor?

Could you perhaps spare some marriage au lore for a poor soul?

Lore about Mezalia? Lore about Pixandria? Random culture lore?

Hello and welcome to World-Building Central! where the feral brain rabbits never stop running!

I did just post my Joel Character Design post, so if you haven't seen that yet it's here and is honestly as much about Mezalean style in general as it is about Joel in particular.

I'll ramble for a bit now and we'll see what we get XD it'll probably be more character based than general world-building, since that's where my head is at today, but we shall see!

Mezalea has two primary exports: Fish and terracotta. They also make some of the most beautiful pottery, but that is less of a significant trade resource.

Fishing in Mezalea has been the main livelihood of approximately half the population for a very long time. Fishing and sea-travel (mostly for merchant-ing reasons) are the primary focus of the coastal towns and villages, while inland it is mirrored by the terracotta quarries. This caused a brief tension when they first encountered the Ocean Empire, not because the Seafolk have an objection to eating fish, but figuring out who had rights to the waters and where Pixandrian and Mezalean territory ended and Oceanic territory began. (Was Joel basically traded for fishing rights? Well it wasn't not a factor :) )

Mezalea and Pixandria have a long history as allied nations, though that alliance has become a lot closer over the past handful of centuries due to Joel and Pix's friendship. There are some cultural similarities, both being desert nations with some seafaring tendencies, though there are plenty of differences too.

Pixandria has a somewhat interesting relationship with the other empires at large, due in large part to Pix's tendency to randomly show up in other empires, regardless of treaty or alliance status. No one in the Pixandrian government admits to this, but they are pretty sure that their Emperor sometimes forgets where they are in time and who they are currently having more tension-ridden interactions with. If this is actually the case or if it's just Pix being a troll, no one knows.

The WRA starting to call the Ocean Alliance the Cod Alliance is a source of amusement for Pix. He doesn't mind at all, Jimmy has very much been stepping up as a leader of the alliance recently (and they are all very proud of him) It's that kind of mostly fond amusement that older people get when they see younger people "reinventing the wheel" for lack of a better term. It's new to them but it's not new. A mixture of vicarious joy in the discovery of life and the world and "ah, the youth"

Pix is very fond of this generation of rulers in general. He thinks that, if the world is kind, they will all be able to accomplish great things, due in no small part to their much closer bonds to each other than their predecessors. While the Ocean Alliance has stood as a wonky little family for centuries, most of the more land-based empires were much more business-like with each other. So while politically and personally, his relationship with the Wither Rose Alliance is not the friendliest, he is very proud of them for what they have done.

One of Pix's titles is "Bringer of Storms" and is the other main reason, beside his absolute obliteration of war as a cause of death among the common folk, that he remains as Pixandria's ruler. If your priest-king can summon rain in the desert, you keep him. (This is not a standard ability of their priests or their kings and, along with the immortality, is a distinguishing feature of his.) He is usually very responsible with this power, and maintains an awareness of its impact on all surrounding ecosystems. Occasionally the urge for mischief does override good sense, but its mostly fine.

Pix is the only person outside the Ocean/Swamp and its Royal family who wields a trident, and the only one outside the Oceanic Royal Family who's trident is imbued with the level of enchantments it has. The landlocked empires consider this an odd quirk of his. The Ocean Alliance empires are more aware of the cultural significance of this and the indication of adjacency to divinity and treat him accordingly.

This is why Pix was the first person to make peaceful contact with the Ocean when they first emerged and were basically greeting everyone with murder. The ability to wield an enchanted trident guaranteed him safe passage and respect.

The Anthill and The Oasis are the two centers of Pixandria. The majority of the population actually lives in The Anthill, which, much like its name suggests, has been hollowed out into a series of tunnel-roads and cave homes. Most actual houses have at least one wall built into the outside of the mountain, but some people do choose (and it is usually a choice) to go full cave-dweller in the interior.

The Oasis is primarily a trade center and space for growing crops and tending to bees. Embassies and guest houses are also here, to host travelers and representatives from other nations without allowing them access to many of the more vulnerable citizens.

Pix developed the Oasis town himself over the course of the reign, but The Anthill was already ancient when he was born.

-

AU Masterpost

#ask and it shall be answered #mezalea #pixandria #smallishbeans #pixlriffs #empires smp #empires s1 #rain rambles #sleepingjasminetea #marriage of state au #mos: worldbuilding #mos: mezalea #mos: pixandria

[gacha99]

These sections of the game always sort of confused me because sometimes the "Narrator" would be talking directly to Vertin, and other times he was talking to himself without ever actually mentioning her. But now that he's gone it's making me wonder just what his relation to Vertin is.

Ever since Journey to Mor Panhk I've just been thinking about the whole "Arcanists can travel through the astral plane" thing and its making me wonder if these Narrators are an extension of that or if they are something separate entirely.

The first Narrator didn't really seem close to Vertin nor did he really attempt to get to know her because for some strange reason all of the Narrators seem to already be acquainted with her even though she has no memory of ever meeting them. It's making me think that maybe the Narrators are connected to Vertin's family history in some way, or they're connected to her ability to weather the Storm without abstracting away.

This Narrator seems way more friendly than the last, and unlike the last guy, she actually lets us know a few things about herself. We know she's an older woman, preferably elderly by the way she refers to herself as a grandma constantly.

My current theory is that these people are Vertin's family. The game does put a lot of emphasis on the importance of Arcanist heritage, and Vertin's whole bloodline is shrouded in mystery. I have no doubt in my mind that her mother is the reason she's able to weather the Storm, and that this ability is probably something that is passed down. As far as Vertin is aware she has no father or uncle or "grandma", and the only thing she really knows about her mother is what The Foundation will tell her.

We also know that actual real ghosts and spirits can persist in this world if they're strong enough too, so I don't think it's that far out there to theorize them being spirits who are just in that Astral plane.

In Journey to Mor Pahnk Kaalaa and Kumar both revealed that this isn't exactly common knowledge amongst Arcanists either, and I read a post a while back about how there might be things that only certain kinds of Arcanists can see, and that what is hidden could extend to both humans and Arcanists. They also mentioned that both Arcanists and Humans can sometimes slip into this Astral plane on accident just by sleeping, because in order to get there you need a lot of focus.

Vertin might not be aware of this astral plane at all, and we do know that she is canonically not that great at Arcanum, but these moments with the Narrator are always happening at odd moments when she's not around the others, which makes me think they're happening when she's asleep.

#reverse: 1999 #re1999 #vertin #the prisoner in the cave

[taryry]

Here’s what Nevermoor character you love the most to says about you:

This is for entertainment purposes only, im not trying to offend anyone by this im just really bored and obsessing over Nevermoor. Again.

1) Morrigan Crow - you probably have family issues. You are a kind of person who has inside jokes with themselves and enjoys it. You had a Mitski phase. Or you still do. You have a small group of people that you trust with your life. You are probably a bit morbid. You are a night owl yet you love mornings. A high achiever. Go rest. You dont tend to express your opinions, others have to ask whats on your mind. You prefer peaceful surroundings. You cant stand the dirt in general and probably take way more showers trough the day than necessary. Amazing intuition. Your favorite subjects is history or any kind of social study.

2) Hawthorne Swift - you are very loyal and optimistic. You sleep with the socks on. You study for the test only if its about the stuff you are interested in, the rest of your grades are probably good because of your friends that get u out of trouble. You tend to get distracted a lot. You say your thoughts out loud and your inside voice does not like to cooperate with you. You let your intrusive thoughts win. People are drawn to you and children love being around you. You own the chaotic neutral genre. You take PE seriously. You were biting other kids when you were younger. You give the best hugs.

3) Cadence Blackburn - you are actually very emotional but would rather sit naked on a hot grill than let someone know. You sideye everyone. You love reading and you love walking around the forest. You either love rain or hate it no in between. Both cat and dog person. You love wearing rings and styling your hair. You use sarcasm to the point where people cant tell if you are being sarcastic or not. People think you are annoyed by them but you are actually happy to spend time with them. Good at keeping secrets and hiding stuff at general.

4) Jack - you are annoyed easily and you dont care if it shows. You enjoy studying and politic discussions. You play a music instrument or have played at some point or you really want to. Amazing sense of humor. For all of your closest friends you have thought that they were annoying and you couldnt stand them at first. You like to tease others. A bit arrogant but a good heart. A great listener with a lot of patience. You hate when others ask you to repeat what you have just said and every time it happens u take a second while staring at the wall and taking a deep breath before talking again. Responsibleoldersiblingcommunity.com

5) Jupiter North - you are a fan of 80s music. You are very optimistic and people are naturally gravitating towards you. You read people like an open book that was written for 5 year olds. You like making jokes about others but you can take a joke about you. People are scared when you get angry. Patient. Mother of the group. You like dancing in the rain and talking to strangers. One of the greatest students but nobody cant figure out how is that possible. You love traveling and trying out new things . Getting out of the comfort zone isnt a problem for you. You drink milk straight out of the carton, partly because it pisses others off and partly bc it keeps you from spilling it Born leader. A heart of gold. Chaotic. People think u say everything out loud but you dont. Others find you very comforting. I love you.

6) Ezra Squall - dark humor™. People cant tell when you are actually joking and try their best to stay in good terms with you. Clean freak. You love children. Unhealthy perfectionist. You dont study a lot but you have amazing grades. U enjoy listening to Crystal Castles and low vibrational music. Ambivert. You. Have. Style. You are able to predict things before you see the outcome. You do stuff for yourself and you think that the end justifies the means. You never explain yourself unless really necessary. You leave people on seen just for fun. Rule maker or breaker usually the first. You know your way with words and people. Unique person.

I hope you enjoyed this, comment if you guys want part 2!!

Stay wundrous xoxo

#hollowpox #morrigan crow #wundersmith #nevermoor #jupiter north #jessica townsend #the trials of morrigan crow #the wundrous society #cadence blackburn #hawthorne swift #ezra squall #unit 919 #hachette #jack korrapati #silverborn

[zvezdacito]

Random TWST worldbuilding rewrite idea

I think it would've been cool if the Scalding Sands event had utilized more of the Cave of Wonders lore from the original movie as insp.

I'll elaborate on the idea I thought of in the images and text below ⬇️

-Maybe the Scalding Sands got its name from the sands of its deserts being magical and having an aggravated fierceness because of that, In my brain the magic sands kinda have the movement of unpredictable rocky ocean waves

-And that's why its a common semi-magic natural phenomenon in the Scalding Sands that in the danger desert zones outside the City there are just these sinkholes/gaps that can appear out of nowhere

-and it basically leads to the underground cave thing (the Cave of Wonders reference) but it's usually very unstable and collapses before ppl can get out

-So exploring is not advised and that's why researchers haven't found much on its cause and the full extent of what happens inside yet

-Maybe kalim's ancestors who helped found and stabilize the city were the only known people in recorded history who were able to successfully navigate past these 'caves'/get out when they were trapped inside

-Back to where the canon event starts Kalim Jamil and co. go to the city first but then Malleus wanders off to the desert area and they GPS follow him there, but then the sand suddenly sinks in and they get trapped in a Cave of Wonder where they find a bunch of like rare magic gems in there and stuff

-Because Kalim knows his ancestor supposedly survived this situation according to legend, it increases their hopes that they might make it out too

-Although exact record of how he made it out is lost, maybe he left something behind passed down to his family for generations that serves as a clue or guide to how

-The stakes are the gang have to get back to the surface in time for the fireworks launching ceremony, and before the sands shift too much and crush them to death underneath it (reference to Aladdin cave chase where he has to escape it being overrun by lava and stuff)

Ok that's it so far its still kinda unpolished cause this is kinda just the first things I thought of

For this to happen they need to cut on a lot of the details in kalim inviting everyone and them touring the town so rip to those crumbs but overall I think this is kind of a cooler concept for an event😭

-Like idk but I wished the worldbuilding of Twisted Wonderland felt more whimsical and magical for real since it's all based off Disney movies there is so much potential😭😭😭

-Currently they are underutilizing the source material in that regard so bad TWSTLand is literally just simplified earth and that's frankly kinda lame😭 Yuu might as well not have been isekaid to it at this point

-(Also I think they should've saved a city with its main thing being flowers for somewhere in the Queendom of Roses than the NBC city (I know its for those fire lilies plot point but whatever they could've found some other way for Rollo to attempt genocide on mages)

-Like I personally think NBC city should just be like twst Vatican tho idk what religions TWSTland residents have)

That's all I think. Thank you for reading

#twst #twst headcanons #twst wordbuilding #twisted wonderland #yasamina fireworks spoilers #glorious masquerade spoilers #jamil viper #malleus draconia #kalim al asim #cater diamond #trey clover

[soracities]

hi mim, i'm sorry if this comes across as rambling, but i wanted to ask you, how do you choose what to study/pursue when you don't know what you want? i recently moved to a new country with my family and i've taken a gap year to prep for an entrance exam back home, but i don't know whether i want to continue in the new country or go back to my home country, whether i should study x or y degree, i just feel torn both ways. and what makes it worse is that,secretly, i would love to study english lit or anything to do with languages, but my parents would never allow it unless it's a last resort. i just feel like i'm betraying myself no matter what i choose in the end. would really appreciate any advice on what the heck to do <3

Oh anon, this is such a tricky situation to be in and I can absolutely understand all the doubt, worry, and confusion you're going through. I grew up with a lot of friends in variously similar situations and it's never as simple as just telling you to "follow your heart" or "do what you want" because all the various considerations that you have to make and bear look different for everyone, and they cannot always be so easily dismissed or ignored.

I think one thing that might help in this is to focus less on what you want as a career, and maybe spend some time trying to figure out where your values lie and what kind of life you envision within those values--take the subjects that you enjoy most, for example: what exactly is it about those subjects that excite you? Do you value a host of different and new experiences, or do you prefer to deepen the experiences you've already had? If you enjoy working with or being around people, what capacity does that enjoyment reach its full potential for you? Is it in receiving new knowledge from others or being able to share new knowledge with others? Is it in providing aid, information, or comfort to people? Is it in working out a particular problem? How important is financial stability to you, and what are you willing to sacrifice or not sacrifice for that stability? What are the broadest possible options within that category? Do you want a stable 9 to 5 where it's easy for you to plan things out because you have a reliable routine? If not, why not? What does "stability" mean for you in the first place?

Some of these are all fairly vague questions, I'm aware, but I think it helps far more sometimes to isolate these things, rather than look at them in terms of what career you do or don't want, because focusing on "doctor" or "architect" or "teacher" or "accountant" disguises the day-to-day reality of what those jobs contain, and this reality is what will tally far more with the things you actually value. For example, my favourite subjects in school were languages, English, history and the sciences: my top two choices were biology and literature, but if I were to go to university now, I absolutely would not study English literature at all. I love it deeply, but what I love about it is not something that I can only get from a degree. What I value about literature is not necessarily something that would align with studying it as a degree. On the other hand, mathematics has always been something I had a very fraught relationship with; i also don't like the idea of being boxed in by expectations (my reading and watching habits are testament to that)--however: I'm not opposed to studying accountancy despite it being something most people don't associate with me at all. And I'm not opposed to it because the things accountancy involves--a fixed work week (which also means fixed free time), a particular set of problems requiring a particular set of tools (I enjoy that kind of focus)--are things I can see myself doing provided it's in the name of something important to me. Does this make sense?

I also want to add that whatever degree you choose, whatever job you settle on, is not a life sentence: just because you choose engineering or data science doesn't mean you will be an engineer or a data scientist for the rest of your life. You can, at any point in your life, at literally any age, change course or pursue something new or something radically different. You don't come with an expiration or a use by date--as long as you are still here, the world will still be here and the opportunities you find within it along the way are endlessly broad and full of surprises. It's a conversation that's cropped up quite a few times on this blog so I have an entire tag for it here, which I hope will go some way in giving you some hope, anon (and if it helps, I never went to university, but here I am losing my mind over literature on the regular and subjecting you all to it, too 💗).

As for the issue of what you want to study and where--I don't know how immense the pressure is from your parents, or how open they are to compromise, or exactly what their own reasoning for their stance is (I'm not saying that it's fair, only that it may help to know what "education" and a degree mean and symbolise for them, and if, once you know that, there's wiggle room available for you), I also don't know what your financial situation is or how much freedom you have in that regard and these are all things only you know. I will say though that it's important for you to make a list of concrete differences, pros and cons, and considerations between studying in your home country and studying where you are: what will accomodation look like for you? what universities are in your options and what do you value in those universities? what are the financial constraints between the two countries, if there are any? Are you able to mix programs between faculties so that you can do a major / minor degree? one that will allow you to compromise between what your parents expect and allow you to pursue a subject important to you?

I think the last one is something I would advise you to try and look at in line with all the questions from above (and you can absolutely add in more questions of your own for yourself). I don't know if your parents are set on a few, very specific courses by focusing on specific careers (i.e., the usual Big Three of Medicine, Engineering, Law), or if they are a bit more open and just looking at degrees themselves (which would be broader, if not by much). If it's the latter I think it is absolutely worth seeing if there is something that can align with the values most important with you and somewhat placate your parents also--just as an example, if they insist on something technical and scientific, there are a range of options in linguistics which also open up the pathway to languages for you: additionally, languages and multilingualism is something important and if it's something that helps broaden your prospects for employment (I hate talking in those terms, but you know what I mean) it might be worth bringing up, especially if you can tie it in or find a course that allows you to bridge the gap, even somehow, between your own interests and your parents' expectations.

Again, I'm sorry that you're in such a difficult position, anon, and I'm sorry too that I can't offer more to you. I really do hope, though, that some of this has been useful to you, even in just a small way. Sending you all my support and best wishes. Regardless of what you decide, please don't ever think that you are done for after decision. The world is so much bigger and so much broader than you can even imagine right now, I promise 💗

#ask #anonymous #the road is long and we have time