#a specific *type* of good person

[flintbian]

There's a disabled angel in good omens 🥺

#listen im only in episode two and i know there's some drama going down but im focusing on this lol #i love that not only do they show the angel using a wheelchair and being ambulatory #but they also visibly show them miracling innaccessibility issues so that they Can still use the chair #instead of just getting rid of the disability #part of my is conflicted bc im like... there's disabilities in heaven? and that makes Me sad bc my disability is hell and painful as fuck #But getting rid of disability in fantasy is eugenist crap and showing that god made a disabled angel is a net good thing #while it personally makes me sad to think if there was a heaven i could still be in pain all the time #not all disabilites are bad and need to be cured we're a wide spectrum and we've been fighting for disabled rep esp in fantasy for ages #it's objectively good my personal feelings about my own disability aside #part of me thinks it's cliche to say 'you were made perfect' bc they're an angel But it's not we literally havent had this type of rep lol #anyways it made me happy to see #and im so glad it's a power chair user that's ambulatory it's important for abled ppl to see that #anyways y'all keep your drama and spoilers off my post im not far in and im only talking about this shoo #oh also!! love the fantasy hover chair they use in heaven specifically too i wish we had that it kicks ass #p

[anxiously-sidequesting]

Big shout-out to the ocs and lore that depicts physical/appearance changes due to high concentration and uses of magic btw that shit is so cool. Whether your wizard's hair turns blue or straight up grows an extra arm due to the excessive amount of powerful magic they use everyday I eat that shit up. Bonus points if it's a rare/newly discovered condition or if your wizard is just straight up unrecognizable from arc 1 to arc 4. Bonus bonus points if the wizard gains a disability from it and has to learn to adapt to their new condition

#holly steelcry was shroter than average before the paradox in empyrea thing. they grew 3 ft after that #also got personal hcs of shadow magic in particular having physical and mental adverse effects to those who practice it regularly #i froth at the mouth whenever i see wizard ocs that have extra or atypical features due to their magical experiences #i actually have an eldritch wizard au where they slowly become less Human and more Thing. personality wise theyre still chill- #-but physically they look like Nyarlathotep #one random shadow magic hc - physical scars start to form on your body based on that person's biggest mental block/trauma #shadow practioner young wizard has strange scars that looks like a clawed hand wrapped around their throat or an azteca constellation #<- due to their unresolved guilt over azteca #or scars over their stomach that look like monsteous spider legs stretched outwards due to their guilt of being fooled by gf spider #wizard101 #w101 #wiz101 #text posts #ALL WIZARD OCS ARE BOMB BTW I DIDNT MEAN JUST ONE TYPE OF OCS. EVERY OC IS AWESOME #i just get the Good Feelings whenever i see that specific type of oc/lore for some reason

[oaxleaf]

watched nimona, am a bit crushed now, but something i noticed that i found quite interesting is how she wears ‘nimona’ not just as a name, but also as an identity. it’s not just what she’s called, it’s also what she is. and, if i’m correct, ballister hardly, if ever, actually calls her by it until quite late, when he fully starts to accept her as a whole - the shapeshifting part of that whole which he loves rather than a flaw he looks past. and i think that really adds to the trans narrative of it all. it’s not just a name. it’s an integral part of who she is. and how ballister rather calls her a kid or a girl rather than that name, that identity, i think really quite reflects the really common experience of having people in your life that might not outright and purposefully show their hatred or disbelief of your identity, but who are clearly uncomfortable with it and does their best to skirt around it and to not have to acknowledge it

#i think this is a really common experience actually #specifically with parents or relatives or mentor-like figures #like they love you but your queerness is a thing they are willing to look past #rather than see as a true part of the person they love #also how ballister demands some type of explanation #how it simply being who she is isn’t enough for him #he’s unable to understand it as a part of her person #nimona #ballister boldheart #nimona film #anyways this film was so so good and it did make me sniffle a bit

[yellowsubiesdance]

i think i’ve learned a lot when it comes to not applying my own values to the media i consume

for my script analysis class yesterday, we discussed two gentleman from verona, and nearly every classmate of mine was up in arms about how sexist the story is.

and i'm not saying it's not, or that it's not infuriating to read. but i'm also not putting my energy into getting upset about something written 500 or so years ago. and i'm not about to put my own beliefs onto these characters that are not me. i'm going to let their choices speak for themselves, and interpret it in the context of the story.

all that said, this now brings me to the point of alastor in episode 5, and how viscerally people are responding to it. those of you up in arms about the choices he’s making, and the violent threat he gave husk, you’re missing the entire point of his character, of this place they’re in, of the story being told. he’s an overlord, and he became an overlord by killing much bigger overlords and broadcasting their deaths over the radio.

HE IS NOT A GOOD PERSON.

if you started this show with the belief that every character working the hotel is a good person, you’re in the wrong place. watch the good place if you’re looking for a good wholesome story about getting dead sinners into heaven, because that’s not what this show is about.

you’re more than welcome to hate him after seeing the way he exerted power over a being whose soul he owns, but you’re doing the media you’re watching a disservice by writing it off so quickly. if you don’t like to be uncomfortable watching media, watch something else. this is an uncomfortable show, it handles uncomfortable topics, and it’s going to be an uncomfortable ride, and if you’re not up for something like that, then you should take a break from it and pick up something else. you don’t have to get online and defend your own ideals while you watch a show that goes against your ideals.

#hazbin hotel spoilers #that’s not even touching on the fact that husk was an overlord too #he also owned souls that he used as currency to supply his gambling addiction #he’s also not a good person!! #the majority of these characters are in hell for a reason: they’re not good people #i quite frankly love the way this show blurs the lines between good and evil #our heroes are sinners and overlords and demons. while the enemies are angels. but that doesn’t mean our heroes are good people. #you HAAAVE to come to terms with that!! you have to stop seeing the world in black and white or you’re not going to survive this world #if you’re upset because alastor was cruel to husk fine! be upset! but explore why you’re taking yourself out of that world. #in this world sinners own other people. there’s no ifs ands or buts #‘oh alastor is a poc why would he own people’ he was a serial killer when he was alive do you really think you can apply your values to that #(and this is me speaking as a poc. specifically a mixed race poc.) #i cannot speak to who vivzie is as a person. but i’m interested in the message she’s writing and thus far i’m finding it compelling #it’s a similar story as the good place but it’s going the distance to explore even worse people than those in the good place #i don’t think it’s responsible to write something off just because unsavory things happen in it. #and she’s giving us so many different types of representation that don’t involve race (although we’re also getting a lot of hispanic rep) #just like cool your jets and maybe process some of the anger you’re feeling. and maybe nothing will change. #but if you act. instead of react. if you understand why you’re feeling some type of way and then make a choice. #that’s so much stronger and more responsible than reacting and not thinking anything through #hazbin hotel #alastor #husk #hazbin alastor #hazbin husk #anyway let me get off my soapbox #long post

[calangkoh]

love finding ppl irl who prefer 2003 like my cousins bf and i got into a talk and one of his first points was “idk brotherhood seems so tone deaf with the subject matter in comparison” and i felt truly seen and heard in that moment

#he also was ‘YES YES YES’ about how ed and al are significantly better characters #and he said his perspective is that brotherhood is an amazing SHOUNEN but 03 is an amazing ANIME #and i was like ‘yes because the writers specifically set out to subvert shoune tropes and characters’ #and i admitted ‘im just not a shounen anime type person and it is all preference but i feel like the shounen tone wasnt good for the heavy #themes that it wanted to address and 2003 addressed them better #but in fmab those themes are more background while 2003 its like. the central themes

[desire-mona]

dps boys hcs! this has been requested of me! lets make it modern bc thatll be fun

- todd absolutely DESPISES "booktok" and its addiction to smut. can go on a VERY long rant abt how only reading things with sex scenes is, in fact, a porn addiction.

- knox has tried on many occasions to become an influencer, failing every single time and blaming it on the algorithm or whaver

- neil, type of mother fucker to not be on social media like at all. has one private instagram that he posts on maybe twice a year, and has a tiktok only to watch the videos todd intermittently sends him.

- ^^^ followed immediately by a text saying "i sent you a tiktok go look at it" which always sparks a mini argument about whether or not its easier to just save the video and text it to him. goes nowhere every time.

- meeks has fashion taste that makes him look insufferable, band tee's and the worst jeans you ever did see, exclusively. also modern meeks would have clear glasses frames.

- saw someone say charlie would vape, id like to add to that. has a COLLECTION of elf bars, its vast, its colourful, it's annoying, it's turning his coughs wet.

- pitts was a fast fashion guy for a total of 6 months before finding out all the shit about how unethical the industry is. didnt get rid of any of those clothes bc thats wasteful but he IS fighting for his life whenever anyone looks at his wardrobe.

- cameron is a BIG analog horror fan, local 58, walten files, fnaf tapes, thats his jam. can we popularise cam being a big horror fan in general bc im so attached to that hc. horror cam i love u.

- all the boys have a life360 circle (enforced by cam and pitts due to charlie's horrendous reckless driving) and todd CONSTANTLY needs to be yelled at the charge his phone.

- neil's phone is ANCIENT, had the same one for nearly a decade, and its evident. has a bigass crack right down the middle, the back is shattered and held together with tape, a phone case, and a dream. theres marks from shit burning into the screen, most notably a rectangle in the bottom corner from the billions of facetime calls with todd that ultimately set his phone on fire every time.

- todd is secretly a grade A yapper but ONLY in digital form. his online presence is VAST, but impressively anonymous. has a very active substack, letterboxd, poetry tumblr, and even started his own blog. no, not a tumblr blog, a blog blog.

- charlie's car is decked out in the most idiotic add ons that you can think of. comically large mirror dice, a bumper sticker that says "honk if you want me bad", stupid car door lights that project a photo of jimmy fallon onto the ground when u open them, the whole 9 yards. took neil, pitts, and cameron 20 minutes to talk him out of getting flame decals (as a bit.)

- knox refuses to play any other videogame besides GTA, which he plays concerningly often. if ur having trouble reaching him then odds are hes on GTA. its the only hobby of his that his parents know about. christmas is tough for the overstreets.

- meeks is well aware of his general ☝️🤓 demeanour so he started making jokes about it before anyone else can. any time he says anything remotely smart sounding then he MUST do the voice and put up a finger. it became a force of habit and he did it while talking to a teacher once, he left the room mortified.

- pittsie lives on spotify, he has a playlist for every possible emotion, over 3k liked songs, and 200k+ minutes listened when wrapped season rolls around. additionally he does every spotify stat game available, and forced the boys to download a spotify activity widget thing. (WHAT DO YALL KNOW ABT AIRBUDS ‼️‼️ add me @ monahatesya xoxo)

- cam loves to make jokes about DARE and the "this is ur brain on drugs" ads but he is, in fact, the main demographic of said ads. said this before, saying it now, will most definitely say it again, he is beyond susceptible to peer pressure. marijuana isnt a gateway drug for everyone but it certainly is for him.

bonus! chris and keating! just for you!

- chris is avoiding the lesbian masterdoc purely out of fear. not out of fear of being gay, but out of fear of the sheer amount of subsequent other things she'll likely also have to find out about herself.

- keating spends an inordinate amount of time on youtube, which nobody actually expects. big video essay fan, imagine the shock from the boys when he pulls up youtube for a lesson and he's halfway thru the 4 hour iBinged iCarly video. was previously a james somerton fan but considering... the james somerton part.. hes now a defunctland loyalist.

#desire mona #WHOO #i successfully remembered all the hcs that got deleted please clap #i forgot how fun these types of posts are #i luuuvvvv getting specific with it #also congrats swifties on the new album release personally i very much dislike her (for the carbon emission reasons not the misogyny reason #) but im glad yall are eating good #dead poets society #neil perry #todd anderson #charlie dalton #knox overstreet #steven meeks #gerard pitts #richard cameron #chris noel #john keating #banger

[uncanny-tranny]

I think as we grow up, we have to be really conscious of romanticizing the world we grew up in in order to scorn how the next generations are growing up.

Nostalgia isn't inherently bad, but especially in political spaces, be very wary of this idea that there is an Ideal Past we must Harken Back To.

It sucks to feel left behind, but such is the human condition. It isn't bad to feel nostalgic, but that doesn't mean that these new generations are inherently "lost" and "need to be saved (by you)", and I think that is very important to remember and try to be conscious of.

#politics #'the world you grew up in no longer exists' frankly... GOOD! #the world i personally grew up in was scary and lonely and traumatizing. no kid today should STILL be growing up like that #the whole 'nostalgia as a poltical means' is rooted in this idea that... #1) we all grew up in a hegemony 2) we all turned out the same 3) the way we grew up had more privileges afforded to us #and i personally like nostalgia! i like watching videocamera videos from 2005 and looking up super specific shit #but nostalgia does not a good world make #INSERT UMBERTO ECO'S FOURTEEN POINTS ON FASCISM #(though i don't always think nostalgia can lead to this in a political sense there is a fine line) #be very mindful of what motivates nostalgiaposting #is it because people miss childhood and how 'simple' it felt? or is there a different reason that motivates this type of posting? #are you romanticizing childhood to the point you are not remembering your childhood /at all/ but the *idea* of it? #and honestly it is SO jarring when my peers are nostalgic because it's like... we aren't even that old!! #it comes across like... the world is hard and it's getting harder and so we cannot chnage and must wistfully think of the past... #...and to me it comes across as almost... doomerist in how end-stage feelings of nostalgia and hopelessness seen #i feel compassion for the impulse to feel like your old life is over and you need to grieve it... #...but certainly that isn't the younger generations fault? especially because WE are now the ones rasing them and we still yet live #(even at our completely decrepit age of not even close to a mid-life crisis (sarcasm and lighthearted))

[grumpyoldsnake]

One of these days. One of these days, I will figure out what the hell makes the tipping point beyond which either a) there’s socialization that I feel insulated from and kind of numb about and too tired to pursue, or b) socialization where the very notion of so much as expressing one (1) internal thought or emotion suffuses my whole body with adrenaline and blaring Nope instincts.

#don’t get me wrong I think I *do* feel fairly Normal about. idk. a good portion of my social interactions #enough that I can go about my daily life just fine #but the numb times and the freeze-or-flight times are always Mightily inconveniently timed #with regards to actually forming new friendships #and there’s a certain threshold of Acknowledging that I Personally Exist where it *all* becomes freeze-or-flight fffff #(it goes like this: I start to think ‘it’d be kind of neat if—‘) #(and then I consider the actual logistics of getting TO the If. and one way or another — fear or tiredness — it becomes ‘ah. right. nvm.’) #(and then if it’s a bad day I have the further thought that the If probably wouldn’t be fulfilling for other involved parties anyway) #(which is. self defeating in the extreme and a distortion and I know it. >_>) #(but it’s ALSO objectively true on some specific axis and like. mm. some nights finding that balance is hard I guess) #(on the one hand not putting myself down but on the other hand being realistic about what I need vs. what other people need) #(and the fact that there are just some types of socialization that just aren’t a good fit for me) #(and that I can’t be for or have with other folk without burning out spectacularly) #life flails #mental health flails #my stuff #complaining

[icewindandboringhorror]

I can't do much productively during the heat wave/health issue flare up/etc. like work on my games or anything where I have to sit at the computer/type for long periods of time, BUT.. I did passively sculpt a few tiny foods lol. I wanted to do one of my bigger usual sculptures, but those take so much more time and concentration, I thought something small just to keep my hands busy would be better.. close up photos look kind of weird and blurry from my camera settings or something, but overall they came out okay, especially in person.. Nearly the only reason I ever wanted to buy dolls as a kid was to get my hands on the miniature foods and plates and stuff that came with them, I've always just been obsessed with small versions of things like that, so.. why not make some! lol

#sculpture #ooops.. i could have posted this on the art blog but I forgor and do not feel like reuploading everything #into a new drafted post on a whole other blog.. not in this heat.. i have no patience lol #items are: tomato. asparagus. a four leaf clover (not food lol). some sort of folded bun or dumpling with meat inside (not based on #anything specific. I just wanted to fold a flat sheet of clay into a shape). pomegranate. cheese wheel. lemon slice. some sort of mushroom. #fish (not a real one. just made up. if it looks like any specific fish that'd be interesting). and fig. #I haven't been able to get many avocaodo pits to carve again. so sculpting. then is good for a tiny craft #WISH I COULD DO COSTUMES OR SOMETHING.. i have some pikced out. bundles of clothes laying on the floor of the closet #but GODS even before the heat wave it's just been so warm.. I know.. it's the summer. of course it's warm #but WHYYYyy............. what if it just snowed all year around and was awesome and beautiful and i was so cold and could wear 25 blankets #at all times.. what about THAT hmm?? .. the ideal.. #anyway.. my favorite is the pomegranate and the mushroom maybe #The fig is hard because in the pictures of figs I googled a lot of them have that sort of white powdery type of thing on the outside #that grapes and plums and stuff have sometimes and it's hard to convey that weird like.. sheen.. plus the purple with almost powdery blue #and little lighter specks plus streaks of light green and a little orangey on some of them. #It's okay in person I think but this doesnt show up as much in pictures. The cheese also looks betterin person than images. you can't tell #the slight shine in the pictures lol. but the pomegranates look cool and also photograph decent.. hmm #I should have made toast with an egg on it or something. that would be a nice addition #OH ALSO ASPARAGUS MY BELOVED.. though they look a little wonky. the cuticle pusher tool that I sculpt with in leiu of any actual sculpting #tools has a kind of triangle edge that was suite for the little leaf details of the asparagus so that was cool. its like..ALMOST right lol

[metanarrates]

What do you think about how most people summarize orv's themes as love. I saw one of your reblogs about how it's too simplified for other works?

my general opinion is that saying "x is about love" is usually too damn vague as an analysis. while love is not a universal emotion (shoutout to loveless aros,) it's a common enough human experience that I really think that you need to specify what ABOUT love is being explored. is this a work about the depths of love? is it about the transformative potential of love? there are a thousand different ways love can manifest, and about a billion different ways a story can offer insight on the nature of love. I think it doesn't do justice to a story if you're not specifying what exactly it has to say about love.

all that out of the way, yes. many of orv's major themes are about love. specifically, it relates the love a reader has for a story to the love that a person can have for another human being. a story, like a person, can contain depths unknown to both author and reader - it is impossible to ever reach a complete understanding. there is always some element that will be impossible to communicate. something left hidden behind a wall.

but you can love that story, that person, anyway. you can offer your own interpretations, and try to understand as best you can. and the love and effort you put in matters deeply. the way that you can affect other human beings, specifically, matters deeply. even if it seems like your efforts will never reach that person, even if they are justifiably hurt by your efforts, even if your interpretations are wrong, even if you are the sole reader of a story. it matters that you were there and tried to love it as best you could.

orv also has a lot to say about love, self-sacrifice, and salvation. kim dokja's love of the story and his companions is a major motivator to why he destroys himself over and over. it's paralleled to his own mother, who sacrificed herself for his sake, and who he resented all his life and yet can't stop making the same choice when it comes to the safety of others. that sort of love and salvation hurts as much as it saves. it's as selfish as it is selfless. it's the same choice his companions make in order to get him back. they love him. they would be able to live with his resentment and guilt if it meant he would survive.

kim dokja's love for yoo joonghyuk, specifically, is both selfish and selfless. it is his love for yoo joonghyuk that was (unintentionally) responsible for much of yoo joonghyuk's suffering. the choices kim dokja makes out of love are what mitigate yoo joonghyuk's suffering, and eventually are what allows him to free himself from his eternal cycle. again, it is the love a reader has for a story, and the way that a reader both craves conflict and craves for the characters they love to overcome it.

it is the same love that drives yoo joonghyuk and han sooyoung to repeat the cycle again, as a choice this time. selfishly and selflessly. han sooyoung damns the world to apocalypse because she wished to save kim dokja's life. yoo joonghyuk chooses both regressions and his time in space to grasp at the chance to keep kim dokja alive. neither of their choices is guaranteed to save him. they know that. love alone isn't enough to save someone. but they make this choice because they love him, knowing that he would hate the choice. they create the story together because they want their sole reader to be understood by it.

and that's the end theme of orv's meditations on love and the nature of stories. if you love a story enough that it saves you... well, perhaps it's possible that the story, too, loves you back.

none of this is easy to describe in a sentence. I agree that it's probably easier to just say "orv is about love?" but I wish more people identified it further beyond that, since that usually is where the discussion just stops. I find orv's discussions on love to be some of the most compelling presentations on the topic that I've ever seen in fiction, and I like discussing it! i want to treat it with the complexity that it deserves.

#narrates #orv #see even with THIS long post I don't think I've captured everything orv has to say about love #it's a gigantic fucking novel and has SO MANY THEMES #also imo. when people say 'x is about love' it does often come at a cost of dismissing other themes in a work #in addition to either simplifying or straight up misrepresenting the work's actual depiction of love #which is why I tend not to enjoy it as a type of analysis. at least when it's expressed without much complexity or nuance #however i will say that I have seen some good posts on orv's handling of love lmao. i don't mean to say they aren't out there #or that they're not operating under the same level of specificity that i prefer #just that I personally want to always keep the conversation specific and complex whenever I get asked about it!

[gertritude]

I binged🏴‍☠️ hazbo hotel like an hour ago and the songs and voice talent are insane. They carry the show. I especially liked the ones with alistor. Maybe I'm cringe but I find him very fun

There are nitpicks I have with it but overall I didn't find it too bad except for the horrendous pacing and way too many characters. Slow the fuck down

The post I accidentally deleted was actually about the poor pacing - specifically, I was a little peeved at people who excused it because "they might not get another season!" Like, if you're only getting eight episodes.... Then I'm sorry, but you're gonna have to start cutting plotlines and characters. I'm so extremely baffled by the decision to include what seemed to be every idea the creator ever had for the series in one season. Is it because they decided to have it be canon with the pilot, while also not including the pilot with the season and just kind of assuming you watched it...????

Also anon I am so sorry but alastor is the character that works the least for me. The writers want u to think he is so cool and scary and badass but he isn't. He's like if Jeff the killer and fandom bill cipher had a baby. One of my least favorite character archetypes/personalities in general. His design is terrible. Sexymancore but no sexy. The writers made him associated with voodoo solely because they thought it was spooky and it pissed off every actual practitioner of the religion. As if that all wasn't enough, he even has an undercut under that fuckass bob. I think his voice is cool and the general concept of "old timey radio demon who hates modern tech" is good, but these are the only bones I can throw him. Why does he have to be in two of the really good songs. My OC Mordred would kin him that is how goofy he is to me

#this turned into a rant im sorey #the songs in the show are very good though no complaints with them #i think the best experience u can have is to listen to the soundtrack and hallucinate a better version of the show #but yes uh. anon if you find his antics fun then power to you he just really has a specific personality type i do not like 😭

[aydascomprehendsubtext]

Ive been trying to collect my thoughts for like two weeks now on what sally reed’s real happy ending would look like and I have found absolutely no answer but it is I think helpful in understanding what’s going on with her last episode before she agrees to go with barry.

Because it’s an absolutely bonkers decision and we see absolutely none of her deliberation really - in fact she has a connection with an agent and might be able to get some minor roles! So it’s kind of surprising when you see her decide to go to her home where you both know he is. Like it’s weird! Until you remember Barry is about how the entire entertainment industry is inescapably exploitative especially towards women. The thing is that Sally wants to be famous but tied up in that is needing to feel safe and powerful. Its not worth disentangling the two theyre co-constitutive. And with Joplin? When she was her own boss with recognition and power? It was taken away from her in a heartbeat and there was no recourse. And she’s furious because she thinks if she’s just good enough and if she works hard she should be owed it. And if someone else like Natalie or Barry gets it she can’t handle it.

And so her entire subplot in episode 4 is in this frame the most concise perfect storytelling. She gets back and is so close to the Thing that will Make it Better, it’s the moving and fame and production and the lights flare. And then she meets a famous oscar-winning director who’s working on a project she hates, with actors cast to be conventionally beautiful and a nonsense plot and 90% green screen. And Sally acts for her, assuming that being good will actually get you something, and fails! (Don’t EVEN get me started on the gender politics here. the only man is the agent offering her a gig but it also doesn’t move the needle because women in barry do misogyny too)

So the realization that HAS to come is that this is futile. She will absolutely never be powerful without someone holding a trapdoor that can take it all away. You can direct CODA and you’ll still be stuck here. She will never be safe. And she can’t go home. So after that, well. Barry.

#as a person for whom straight patriarchy has just a low emotional valence #(ie. it factors into my conscious day to day experience very little even as it has enormous unseen impacts) #barry is genuinely a ridiculously good portrayal of it #its fairly isolated to a specific context (white entertainment gender politics) #so like. outside of LA the idea that sally reed is too ugly for fame is very very silly #but its so enmeshed in that context that it scans. it doesn't reach. its about entertainment and it knows it #barry hbo #this is too long but im on my laptop so typing is too easy and. yknow. sally

[sysig]

What your fave says about you: Sona/Undertale edition (Patreon)

#Doodles #UT #So many sonas and characters lol #Ended up filling the other side of the zine with something self-indulgent :) #Actually came from the same kernal as a digital-specific idea but these are what I've ended up with in the moment! #Zine doodles end up...silly lol #I draw with pen logic! And mm... I won't say I'm Displeased with them but there are things I'd change for sure #Overall the vibe is there just not completely the execution lol #I'll get it better when I do the digital version >:3c It'll be like how I see it in my head and then I'll have both! Nice #For the moment tho doing an eight-highlight reel of the who's who was fun :) #Obviously starting with myself and my fave <3 This terrible little flower whom I love with my whole heart #I really do love him - I'd go and rewatch my fave scenes with him but the in-built guilt haha #The next was easy! My fave sona gets my second fave character! Papyrus only loses to Flowey by a hair's breadth anyway lol #Anyone in the thread remember that time I compared Charm to Papyrus lol #They both want people to like them so badly! They go about it very differently tho lol #Papyrus would be a good influence on her :) Just be nice to people! Ironically she'd probably agree more with Sans lol #Speaking of! Eli would be the type of person who goes digging around in the backend and Totally claims to like Gaster the most #Y'know because secret values and stuff! Super sneaky like! But actually their fave is Snas lol #You are Basic Eli just accept this lol #Ficus was an easy pick for Napstablook - they would absolutely lay on the floor and think about being garbage with them #That deadened gaze lol #Ulex looks so uninterested in Alphys lol they're just bad at talking - dissimilar from Alphys in that they've got the stoic thing going on #They're not awkward just not good at making friends lol #Hall of Mirrors would absolutely love Undyne lol - being friends with her and cooking together would make HoM So Happy haha #Another obvious one - Othersona already comes with spider imagery! Muffet was the clear choice haha #They are having a cup of spiders and they are enjoying it :/ Lol #And finally Holosona and original calculator-body Mettaton haha - she prefers this version over EX and NEO #She'd probably like NEO - she absolutely plays the Genocide run on purpose - except for how OHKO he is lol #A different sona likes NEO tho... #Anyhow ♪ Might talk more about their different play styles in the digital version :D When I get there anyway lol

[fatcowboys]

gotta b honest sometimes it makes me sad how often i see the word butch replaced w masc lately like. butch is one of my favorite words. i love butch. butch is so special to me. and i know so many butches who would really just want you to say butch and not masc please. which i am not saying masc does not have a purpose either! its a good word! but more and more i see masc used places where i would use butch and maybe especially when we are talking abt lesbians we should still use butch actually please maybe

#like masc is a good word! but idk #i saw a video on tiktok from cowboyjen #who is an older butch lesbian and makes just good content #and was asked something and the person used masc and they very gently corrected them that butch is the word they used #and that just resonated a lot w me like. ive been hearing masc more and more and o miss butch #like masc is good and also makes sense esp if ur not talking abt specific parts of the community anf stuff #but also. butch lesbians <3 #i turned rbs off bc i was migrainey and foggy when i typed it and i have a lot of feelings abt this #and abt the word butch in general and if people are gonna rb it i want it to be a better version of this post lol

[automatonknight]

id under the cut

image id: a digital drawing of a fallout: new vegas courier. there are two drawings showing it, one in full view and one just a head shot. it’s white and slightly tanned, has grey eyes, dark brown hair and a stubble.  it’s wearing a long brown coat, a light brown cowboy hat, a white tank top, blue jeans, dark brown cowboy chaps and light brown cowboy boots, as well as a long glove and a pip-boy on its right hand, and a fingerless glove on its left hand. all of its clothes are tattered. on it’s neck, there are two necklaces, one is just a screw cap on a string and the other is two dog tags. their left eye is covered with a black eyepatch. they have one hand stuffed into the pocket of their pants and one adjusting their hat, they’re looking down, slightly nervous. on the second drawing, they are only visible to their shoulders and the drawing is uncolored. it shows them looking up and to the side with a neutral expression. below it, text says “greying hair+moles”. next to the courier’s head on the first drawing there is “kurier” written in bold, yellow letters. underneath it, in black text it says “any pronouns (it/its preferred)”. all around the canvas there are notes referring to certain parts of the character, next to its head it says “eyepatch NOT optional” and “necklaces optional”, next to it’s side it says “outfit can be changed” and next to its boots it says “boots have spurs”. the background is white. end id

#hi. did this kinda quickly but ^__^ #her clothes should be more beat up honestly but i didn't feel like drawing all that sooo #art #doodle #sketch #courier oc #fnv #fallout oc #i guess #anyways in terms of personality its like a typical loner type of character #ed-e is its main and only companion idk what more to say ummm #although it think i'd also be friends with arcade. maybe not super good close friends but still #if you have any specific questions then feel free to send me and ask and stuff #<:3

[birdmenmanga]

@raventhekittycat

hi okay so I've been mulling this one over for the past day or two and I think I have the answer. not to be using hamburger to explain anything to an american but you're my detco mutual so I'm going to try and explain it in detco terms

There's a post going around recently about how if you've read detco and only detco, the first time hakuba shows up you're going to be totally flummoxed, because damn this guy is clearly important, he gets to be even cooler than Shinichi, he's got a half-page shot of him (in such a panel-dense series such as Detective Conan, no less!!) and he's got a fucking hawk. he's CLEARLY important. everything about the narrative is indicating that you need to PAY ATTENTION to hakuba and that he's the coolest guy and he's important!!!! and then he dies in the case lol (not for real. but still.)!! and you're like huh??? what was that. why did aoyama do that.

But with the context of magic kaito this totally makes sense. He's a beloved character that people have been waiting decades to see again. Of course Aoyama is going to hype him up!! It's his big moment after years of being locked in the backrooms!!!

Anyways reading birdmen for me was kind of like that. The author's previous series, Kekkaishi, was pretty one-dimensional at the beginning, and even after the main plot started picking up at around volume 6, it still felt quite understandable. I knew what she was trying to get at, and the spectacular job she did with the anthropocene and climate change metaphor towards the end of that series really made me interested in the rest of her works. That and the way she writes familial relationships is absolutely DEVASTATING. (I mean this with the highest of praise)

But when I read BIRDMEN for the first time, I was probably in... middle school, maybe? And I read it, sure, but I didn't get it. I could see what was literally happening on the page but the narrative choices were absolutely baffling at times. Why skip over the entire part of the plot where they figure out who the birdman that saved them was? She blatantly doesn't care about that. What does she care about then?? I knew I didn't get it, I knew there were parts of it that were important and I couldn't figure out why and THAT'S how it dug its pretty little claws into me. Even after I finished catching up it nagged at me a little bit, not often at all, but enough that every once in a while I go, huh, right, that was a thing, let me go read it again.

For the record this type of story haunting has happened to me twice. First time was the Heart of Thomas, second time was BIRDMEN. I think the thing is that these are both stories which are not what other people say they are and I think I came into both of these stories with a misconception, trying to look too hard for things that weren't important and therefore missing the things that were.

Because sure, BIRDMEN is about mental illness. Yeah, it's about an evil scientific organization growing mutants in a lab. Yeah, it's about what it means to leave your humanity behind. That's all technically correct, on a surface level, and the fandom at large likely agrees with these takes for the most part, but in my opinion none of that really delves into what the thematic messaging of the story is about.

There are cryptic conversations about authority and human extinction and peculiar outfit and ability choices. You can tell these choices weren't made to serve the purpose of "writing exciting shonen manga" because that was what she did for the most part in Kekkaishi and you can tell she wasn't putting her whole pussy into doing that here. So what was she doing? What's like. All of this. Waves my hands at this.

The short answer is that it's really about the interplay between capitalism (represented by humanity) and communism (represented by birdmen), and explores the role institutional white supremacy (EDEN) plays in enforcing capitalism. It is ALSO about queer liberation and the importance of community, but hey, that double-stacks conveniently with the communism metaphor.

But also take this opinion of mine with a grain of salt. As far as I know I'm the only one who really truly deeply believes that it is not only AN interpretation of the work, but one that was fully intended by the author.

So basically, I like it, because I think it says something true and beautiful that I also believe in, even if I didn't have the words for it the first time I read it. But I don't really think that's what people really look for in a media recommendation.

Do I like it? Yes, I love it. Will I recommend it to others? Yeah, sure. But do I think it's deeply flawed? Yeah, absolutely. It's flawed in the same ways as The Witch from Mercury— a rushed ending, too many threads that were opened and never tied together. The pacing and characterization is perfect in the beginning, and too rushed at the end. There are prerequisites you basically HAVE to read in order to understand the story (tempest for G-Witch and the communist manifesto for birdmen). I think a truly good story wouldn't have any of these things so if people don't like it I never blame them.

It's my personal experiences that make birdmen so profound to me. If you are not queer I just don't think Eishi coming out as a birdman to his mom will hit the same, just as an example. Sorry that I wasn't the kid you wanted me to be. I know you love me and you just want the best for me and that's why you're so controlling, because you think I can be saved by conforming to societal expectations. But I can't live like that. I can't be like that. And that's why I must go. etc.

Aesthetically I do love birdmen a lot. If I had to describe it in a few words it would probably be "chilling", "beautiful", and "powerful", which nicely coincides with the type of things I personally like to draw. It's also silly to a small degree but it's so serious and I know Tanabe can be way way way funnier (read kekkaishi for this. kekkaishi and hanazakari no kimitachi he were foundational to my sense of sequential art humor) so that's not really the standout trait of this series.

I can't let it go because I'm chewing this series like a bone. And it's taking me years but I am getting that sweet sweet marrow. By god. We are on year 3 of this shit and I am GOING to understand this series. and I'm going to make 3 video essays about it

#just thinking thoughts... #stray bird thoughts #so it's like... I don't like it because birdmen is good #I think I like it because I am a certain type of person and the author was trying to say something specifically to the type of person I am #OH #I'M THE TARGETED AUDIENCE THATS WHY I LIKE IT. #YEAH THATS REALLY IT!!! #A long time ago I said that birdmen wasn't written for the people who read it at the time it serialized. #it was written for the people they would become. #and I stand by that 100% #if it really stays with you there is going to be a reason even if you can't articulate it yet #and it may APPEAR sloppy to someone who doesn't see the queer or communist metaphor #like 'what is she doing what is she saying here she's not saying anything meaningful and emphasizing the wrong things' #but that sort of presumes she is gunning to make 'the best shonen manga ever' #which she clearly isn't. #I remember when I was reading fma with a bunch of my classmates and I'd lend them a volume or two every day #and a piece of feedback I received that has stuck with me was 'volume 15 was so boring' #(that was the volume recounting the ishval civil war. it was boring because we were middle schoolers and didn't REALLY get it.) #and like. I think to people who are looking for something like kks. the whole thing is going to feel like fma volume 15 #like WHAT is she going on about? ? ? #like witch hat and dunmesh I think are similar types of stories but I think these two are just executed way better than bm #but because of that it is just not as compelling to me you know. #like yeah yeah it's well constructed. we all see it's well constructed. #the metaphor is so well constructed that I don't feel the need to point it out. everyone is saying it already you know #but bm is cryptic enough and just slightly missed that execution enough that I feel like I'm pulling the analysis out of a smoking wreckage #recently I've been watching mentourpilot videos about airplane accidents and like. that's exactly it. #there's nothing to say about a perfectly executed flight. #it's the ones that failed. and in particular the ones that just barely failed by a little bit. that compels people the most. #cue my de communism is failure post. bc that bm sure did fail.