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#i have a lot of feelings regarding this sorry :
imagoddamnonionmason · 10 hours
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Can I say one thing?
Why do people have to comment on other people’s way of conducting themselves in a fandom? If there’s an aspect of a fandom that’s you’d rather not see/interact with, then appropriately blacklist, block or do whatever so you don’t see that content.
But DO NOT go to other people’s blogs, comment on their works or their art, or do anything that might ruin their day, undermine their confidence and hard work, or overall make them feel bad.
Yes. This is about oc x canon. Fuck, it’s even about self inserts.
If that’s how someone wishes to spend their time in a fandom because it brings them joy, LET THEM DO IT.
It does not hurt you.
It does not attack you.
You can do something really responsible and NOT INTERACT.
Aka. DON’T LIKE? DON’T READ/LOOK.
It really is that simple of a concept and I have never been more baffled that this is what fandoms have become like.
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Last request from me today, I promise 👉👈
Okay so, it looks like the Beasts may still have a few loyal followers, despite everything that they did and how long it's been since they've been sealed.
Could you write some headcanons of serious fem!reader with Shadow Milk Cookie?
Maybe she's his assistant and is constantly making sure everything is in order and checking to make sure he's not overworking himself (he only has half of his powers after all)?
I just really like the trope of goofy character x serious character 💖
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→ ❛Smile a little!❜
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→ Pairing ; Shadow Milk Cookie x Fem!Reader → Quote ; ❛❛Dropping into your arms, he’d sigh, tired and done with the day, he’d look up at you and then…❜❜ → Genre ; Headcanons → A/N ; Again, sorry it took me so long, but here you have it, some headcanons for a serious reader and a goofy shadow milk!
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“C’mon, smile a little!” Shadow Milk Cookie would say, his head leaning to the side as he’d gaze upon you. “You’re always so serious and stuck up all the time, why dont you just relaaax?”
“Because I have to make sure you’re not overworking and everything is in order” You answered plainly, to which Shadow Milk would just groan and lean back, all while you looked at the few followers Shadow Milk Cookie still had.
Being far more serious than Shadow Milk Cookie, it feels like you’re the one taking care of him and not viceversa most of the time, as if you’re the Beast in the story.
Shadow Milk still tries his best to get you to laugh or crack a smile most of the time, wanting to see that beautiful smile on your face
He enjoys seeing you on the crowd when he performs for his few spectators, and definitely appreciates having you backstage making sure everything is running smoothly
Holds you in high regards, perhaps because of your more dutiful side, or perhaps for your seriousness that compliments his goofiness from time to time, nonetheless, he cares a lot about you.
“...” It is rare to see Shadow Milk Cookie serious, if anything he’s rarely ever upset (as in, sad), mostly being either joyful or playful, but this time he was more serious than ever. The show had ended, the charade had finished and in the calmness of his room he’d look at you. Dropping into your arms, he’d sigh, tired and done with the day, he’d look up at you and then…
…A smile, as you sighed and pet his hair, he’d see it, a smile…!
There will be times where you’ll face a different facet of Shadow Milk, after all, he’s not all laughs and giggles!
In closed doors he’s more lethargic, specially after losing half of his soul jam, so his energy depletes usually faster, quicker, thankfully you’re there to keep him at bay!
Dosent usually say it but in private is more prone of saying how thankful he is to have you by his side, his loyal follower and lover, he’s greatly thankful to have someone like you and appreciates you in every step.
After a night of well rest will continue the action and the party! But not without you of course, he’ll expect you to follow along, right into other and many adventures more.
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corruptionasart · 3 days
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I followed for video game corruptions. Don't think I've seen much of those of late.
damn sorry i'll make sure you get a refund
Anyway i'm also gonna go ahead and lump this in here since it's related:
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So I'll forgive people for either coming in late to the party or just not paying attention to how this blog has changed over the years but I've spoken several times in the past about how rom corruption over time has become really boring to me. That's why over the past few years I've posted less and less of it.
Back when I started doing this stuff and really committed to it back in like 2016-2018 it was great, I started this blog as an excuse to do more of it, playing retro games and breaking them was, and honestly still is a lot of fun. Unfortunately I made the mistake of running a queue which meant I needed things to fill that queue which meant I was essentially turning art into content, and over time that took its toll and I burnt out hard on it. There was a point where basically all my free time was spent on some aspect of running this blog, whether it was playing the games or going through recordings to make gifs or tagging posts etc.
Over the past couple weeks actually I've been going through all my old ShareX screenshot folders (btw i wholeheartedly endorse sharex it rules and i donate to its patreon) I've been collecting all the screenshots I've made of rom corruptions (somehow I hadn't done this before) and what I've noticed is exactly what I noticed all those years ago, it's kinda all the same.
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You might disagree with that but again I've been seeing this stuff for like 8 years now and there's only so many times I feel like I could post something like that before it gets stale, the same goes with the gifs and videos. Again, I do enjoy making that stuff but I just feel like I personally feel like I need to make a change.
I'll get into the AI part of what I said this morning in a following post but I should be a bit more clear that the collage stuff I've been doing and anything else that I plan to do in the future isn't meant to be entirely about showcasing ai art or glorifying it, it's just another piece of the puzzle. I mostly made the post about ai stuff mostly because I wanted to see what the reaction would be in this community to that specifically. I wasn't expecting the "anything that isn't rom corruption is off-topic and shouldn't be posted on this blog" contingent. I may very well make another blog just about the ai stuff because I think there are things I could talk about with it with regard to pushing against the tide of garbage and making something new with it, idk yet.
THe last thing I want to say regarding rom corruptions specifically, though, is that it's interesting to me that despite the fact that I've posted the link to the corruption wiki multiple times now and people clearly do have an interest in this stuff that hardly anybody is out there posting this stuff either here or anywhere else online (at least outside of the Vinesauce community, which I feel goes for a very different vibe in what they do.)
The tools are out there, they haven't really changed all that much for years apart from being supported for more modern systems, and yet nobody's posting anything.
Maybe I should make another proper tutorial on my whole process, try to push harder to get people to make stuff.
Sorry if this response is kind of incoherent, I've been called away a lot in making this, I'll try to make the next few posts shorter
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yesterdayiwrote · 16 days
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So... quick update on the Eurovision situation
The EBU decided that Israel can compete despite their country being under an active Genocide investigation by the ICJ. Their delegation have gone on to antagonise other contestants by filming them for their social media without permission and refusing to remove it when asked, harass journalists who have questioned if their inclusion is appropriate, and their commentators have made horrendous comments about the Irish contestant... all without sanction.
Meanwhile the Dutch contestant got into an undisclosed 'incident' with a female member of the production crew and they've referred it to the police and flat out disqualified him from the contest with less than 12 hours notice...
Which seems like a tremendous act of double standards at an event that is already marred by serious controversy. Obviously the second is not acceptable, but very difficult to understand how the first somehow... is?
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accirax · 1 year
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Nene’s Role in Wonderlands x Showtime
The release of The Miniature Garden’s Coral seems to have confirmed some things I’ve recently speculated might transpire in future Wonderlands x Showtime events-- namely regarding Nene and how she may actually be the most important member of the troupe-- so, let’s talk about them! I’ll be using zui’s lyrics video for my translations, so hopefully they’re accurate.
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With the past couple of WxS events in mind, it’s easy to see that this 3DMV is also about endings. While the MV begins in a sunny blue afternoon light...
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...the characters and set eventually bask in a beautiful sunset orange, signaling the end of the day. The lyrics even mention being “between the end of the blue sky and the beginning of the night sky,” further emphasizing that we’re in the middle of the story. When the sky is blue, the troupe expresses uncertainty: Rui mentions that he feels lost, and Tsukasa, scared. But eventually, Nene admits that, in this beginning period, she was “spoiled by the sound of the waves,” AKA that the commotion surrounding WxS’s formation led to a troupe that became a source of comfort for all of them.
Once the sun sets, there are a lot of “even ifs.” Nene sings about how she’ll continue to sing this song, even if things are starting to look unsteady and she’s not sure if she should proceed. However, by the end of the song, she resolves to "still sing this song” while keeping up a smile.
I think that the fact that Nene says she will sing this song is incredibly important, because, as established, this song is about endings. Meanwhile, back in Mr. Showtime, Tsukasa firmly didn’t want WxS to end, and was holding out until closing time. Rui’s What Sort of Ending Are You Wishing For? and Emu’s Starry Sky Orchestra seemingly both acknowledge an ending as well, but it’s not at all easy. Rui seems to fall into a resigned depression at the thought, keeping a whimsical facade up when the very thought of separating kills him inside. The thought haunts him, MV riddled with hourglasses that he can’t get out of his head. Emu can only tolerate taking the first step towards a breakup with tooth-rottingly sugarcoated promises of eternal togetherness and literally holding hands as they go (I love her btw this is not Emu slander). She never even says the word “end,” only “tomorrow.”
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Rui, Emu, and Tsukasa are basically Denialx3. Rui tries to deny his emotions regarding disbanding, Emu tries to deny that the ending is coming at all, and Tsukasa tries to deny that there’s nothing he can do to keep them from inevitably drifting apart. And that’s where Nene comes in again.
Rui’s dream is to perform technically complex shows that will resonate with an audience. He can do that from Phoenix Wonderland. Emu’s dream is to keep the Wonder Stage up and operating forever. She has to do that from Phoenix Wonderland. Tsukasa’s dream is to become the number one world star and make everyone smile. While this would likely take him away from the park, in another story, I could see it being possible that, in the end, Tsukasa decides that making the people in his local community happy is more important than trying to change the entire world. Thus, he could also follow his dream from Phoenix Wonderland, even if it’s not ideal.
But then there’s Nene. Her dream is, and always has been, to perform in Broadway musicals. Broadway is a live performance in New York City. There is no possible way for Nene to get what she wants while staying in Phoenix Wonderland. And that is possibly why Wonderlands x Showtime’s ending is the easiest for her to process.
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Now, I’m not trying to say that Nene doesn’t love her friends. She adores them. Her three previous commissions have proven that. It’s the amount of love she has for them that will propel her to make what is actually the best choice for their dreams. Nene is the little mermaid, both when swimming freely the oceans with a beautiful, unstoppable song, and when enduring pain herself to stand with and for the ones she loves. Her friends, in this situation... are coral.
Remember that coral, “blurred” and uncertain in the water and “stained orange by the setting sun”? The miniature garden is Phoenix Wonderland; the coral is Emu, Rui, and Tsukasa; and that coral is stained orange by its desperation to keep rereading the final chapter instead of closing the book for now and putting it away to revisit in the future. Coral, while a beautiful living organism, is also completely static.
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Static like stone statues which, at least by my interpretation, is what the rest of WxS turns into at the end of the 3DMV. The three of them (and Kaito) are paralyzed with the fear of the suffering an ending would bring. Only Nene is alive and human to be the one to show the group the benefits it can bring as well.
There are a lot of aspects of this song and Nene’s entire personality that lead me to believe that she will be the one to bring about change in WxS. First, she most often “has the braincell,” so to speak. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that she performs this song with Kaito, the most mature of the WxS vocaloids, either. During April Fool’s 2023, she was put into the Solid Heart class. One might think that troupe leader Tsukasa should be the Solid Heart, and that shy Nene should be the Cautious Heart, but they (accurately) sorted it the other way.
Nene is a very strong-willed person. In other stories, it might be seen as a negative that Nene is always the most hesitant one to get into shenanigans, or that she would even dare to be the one to suggest a WxS split in the first place. What an ungrateful wet blanket Nene is, willing to throw away her friends for the sake of her own selfish dream. But in this story, staying at Phoenix Wonderland isn’t really what will make Rui or Tsukasa happy, and even Emu may have to graduate to focusing on the entire company instead of just one stage someday.
Nene’s friends brought her out of the darkness and into the light of day, and she is so grateful for that. She knows how amazing they are, which is how she knows that they can make more friends and continue to do even more amazing things in the future if they can bear to leave their high school part-time jobs behind and enter the real world, just like her.
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So, Nene’s role is to be Wonderlands x Showtime’s guiding light. She’ll tell Rui what sort of ending she’s wishing for, and then console him when he can’t repress his tears. She’ll be the one to hold Emu’s hand while they take that next step into tomorrow. Her three best friends helped her to grow from the loner who operated a robot from the theme park bushes, and she’ll help them step out of that theme park and be who they truly want to be.
There is one other thing I wanted to mention, though...
Tsukasa.
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As I mentioned previously, while all three of Rui, Emu, and Tsukasa are in denial, Tsukasa is the most actively in opposition to an ending. He’s also the troupe leader, and the sole creator of the Wonderland Sekai. If someone is going to actively try to stop Nene from suggesting separation, it’s definitely going to at least start with him. But as Nene has already stated in The Miniature Garden’s Coral, despite any opposition that makes her question whether or not she should proceed, she already plans to continue singing her beliefs about a bittersweet yet timely goodbye.
And, their conflict is something that’s basically been foreshadowed from the beginning too, right? Nene has always roasted Tsukasa, giving a counterpoint to his blindingly bright worldview. In upcoming chapters, however, I believe that may start to transform from simple fun banter into a genuine conflict with clear sides drawn...
And THAT’S why ColoPale gave them Childish War.
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Nenekasa nation get ready, ‘cause I don’t think this is the last Nene and Tsukasa fight we’re going to see.
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celecaster · 13 days
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So much of the sentiments I see directed towards socially alienated people relies on personal control alone. It's always 'You need to have the courage to ask for help and to reach out for others first!' while the absolute shame of the fact that nobody actually wants to help you is sort of just glossed over.
How do I say this... ideas like 'other people are kinder than you think' and 'if you communicate, people will want to work with you' are really threatening to me. Not because of a cynical belief that other people are bad but because of how it applies to personal reality. I know the idea that other people are kind and want to help others is true, because I can see how it works for everyone else, I observe people showing kindness and concern and effort for each other every day.
So when people you respect or view as kind and considerate won't say anything to you, it feels like the only good interpretation is that you are a person that is not worth being kind to.
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starflungwaddledee · 2 months
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What Starstruck Dee theory have people made that is your favourite?
there have been quite a lot, and i genuinely love them all!
early on i think the most popular theory was that she was possessed or had been possessed at some point, most likely by dark matter. she actually debunked this theory personally, but i think people just assumed she was lying! 😂
my favourite part is not any one theory, but watching a shift in thoughts over time as more things are revealed, and seeing people share theories/work together in comments and reblogs. i like the "OOHHH WWWWHAT...!?!" moments a lot; whether they are a reaction to my storytelling or to other folks' detective work!
early theories revolved around how she was weird for a waddle dee, or at least a native of popstar. despite my never explicitly confirming anything to the contrary, theories have now broadly shifted to assuming she is not from popstar at all, and most people do now generally agree she's not really a waddle dee.
i don't recall exactly who first came up with each theory (though some big players are @the-void-is-a-disappointment who did a huge amount of early deetective work and encouraged me to build it as a story for solving, @shibuya-toasted-with-extra-cream, @graycoin and @jojo-schmo) and i'm not sure which of these theories are still held by anyone
but here a few of my favourites, roughly in order that they started appearing...
♻️ she's a total mimic species like kirby or void, copying things around her either by intent or by accident 🗑️ similar to above, but she's an incorrect copy or a "beta" mock-up type of a waddle dee 🧚 that she was just born different, like a fae changeling, and might have been hidden away when young as a result 🕰️ she is something totally inorganic and/or mechanical, created by or like the clockwork stars or stardream, perhaps wish contingent 🥇 sometimes attached to the above, she was created to serve some sort of Greater Purpose. she might have failed at it or been flawed, and was subsequently discarded on popstar 🌠 a dozen and one wildly different things connected to the "falling star that hit her". alien life form on the meteor transferred into her on impact. infection by intergalactic bacteria/dark matter. simply massive concussive trauma that fucked up her signature (back when we thought that was the only thing wrong with her). the star was magic and fused with her. she hatched from it and is literally a star herself. probably missing some here. 🪐 waddle dee from a different place/planet. this one is quite a sensible theory, given that we do see many quite different dees! 🤍 she is a fragmented piece of void/void termina. this one in particular i know is @shibuya-toasted-with-extra-cream 's ongoing theory and she's put in a lot of really cool work towards it! ⚔️ she's somehow connected to the heroes of yore. this theory i think has only started popping up since galacta knight has become a reoccurring visitor in her storyline and we've started asking questions about her familiar looking magic spears, but you can certainly 1hko @moonverc3x with this one 🧿 she's connected to the matters. sometimes soul, because it's sometimes star themed and lacks a token representative. where as a connection to dream might link her to fecto forgo/fecto elfilis in some way (a creature also well known for a catastrophic meteor attack). i've also seen folks confident that she's connected to heart matter as well, probably again due to everyone's favourite grumpy swan showing up
this is all i can think of or locate right now, but there's been a pretty wide range of things. i feel there has been a rather interesting transition over time from "she's a messed up waddle dee" to "she's probably connected to a universal superpower of some kind" which i am genuinely really really thrilled about?! 😂 what a glow up for a pathetic little wawa!!!
i'm also personally really fond of seeing how people's existing biases influence what they can find and draw connections in. for instance: i know @jojo-schmo loves the forgotten land and elfilis, and digs into those connections and draws out some really cool stuff because her knowledge is already so specialised! i think this is the true highlight of working on this story for me, people theorising and engaging in the lore, and laser pin-pointing things that tie into our personal faves-- the way we tend to do with kirby lore as a whole-- is such uninhibited delight
i sincerely hope people will enjoy where starstruck's story does go, in the end!!
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butchhansolo · 1 year
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in-universe "logistics" aside, i think it's good that echo has the permanent scomp arm instead of a hand for like. real-world representation reasons.
in star wars sure they have fully articulated replacement prosthetics but we very much don't have that in real life, and i feel like echo with the scomp is good rep for that. he's one of the most competent characters and i think it's good to show that he can do All That as he is, especially with how irl people with only one hand usually are very capable, even more if they've been living with it for a long time, and very rarely do we see that in media.
like, mark hamill once said he talked to a kid for a make a wish thing who was about to have his arm amputated, and the kid said that he wasn't worried because luke did it too. i think that's important
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becauseplot · 6 months
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Oh god, it's you.
!!SPOILERS FOR 11/18 PURGATORY STREAM!! “GATINHO!” They’re holding him back. There are hands clutching his arms, fists curled into the back of his jacket, fingers digging tight enough to bruise, and he fights it he fights it he fights it he fights it he fights it— “GATINHO!” “Roier!” someone shouts. “Roier stop, the boat—” “NO!” “—has already pulled away, we’re too far offshore, you can’t—” “NO!! SUÉLTAME!” He throws an elbow behind him and hears a low grunt as he nails someone square in the gut. A set of hands releases his arm, but they’re replaced by another, lightning-quick, before he can even take a single step towards the railing of the ship. He thrashes and kicks and screams because he has to, because there is a lone, motionless figure up, up, up on the cliffside. It’s nothing but a dark shadow against the crimson sky, but he knows. He knows.
Or, Roier and Cellbit's final moments, and the distance between them.
(OR or, I wrote a more complete version of this post but because of how I decided to format it, I think it looks better on ao3.)
✨✨REBLOGS GREATLY APPRECIATED✨✨
HAPPY READING :D
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isfjmel-phleg · 4 months
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😐
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andthebeanstalk · 21 days
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ur post about queerbaiting and the dismissal of people in fandom to critical analysis is so incredibly true thank you. i feel like marcille's writing in the anime has been super misogynistic a lot of the time and every time i bring this up all anyone wants to say is "well maybe this isn't for you! and you shouldn't watch the show!" like. i don't think this is about taste lmao, i am analyzing the text in front of me and coming to conclusions about the craft of it.
[This is in reference to this post]
YES!!! THANK YOU!!!!!
It is so so frustrating!!!!
It's like being at a restaurant and being served a bunch of delicious appetizers, but then one of the bread appetizers is literally just a plate of crumbs; and then when you're like, "Hey, uhh, why are we being served literal crumbs?", a bunch of the other folks eating at the restaurant are like,
"WELL HOW ABOUT YOU JUST DON'T EAT HERE THEN??!? YOU MUST NOT BE THAT HUNGRY, SO JUST FIND ANOTHER RESTAURANT AND DON'T EAT WITH US!!"
And maybe they say it politely, but "Aw, sorry, maybe this restaurant just isn't for you 💖" is just trading out an aggressive dismissive tone for a patronizing dismissive tone. It's the same message.
And it's like! I was honestly happy to move on from the crumbs once my complaint was acknowledged because the meal overall is still delicious, but then all these folks got SUPER WEIRD AND DEFENSIVE ABOUT IT, so now I find myself double-checking all the other dishes -- and, actually, you know what those eggs DO look a Iittle misogynistic undercooked!!!!
#original#queerbaiting#dunmeshi#dungeon meshi#falin x marcille#marcille x falin#marcille donato#delicious in dungeon#dungeon meshi marcille#listen i like marcille but u r right she is basically there to be a wet blanket a LOT of the time and that is a sexist trope#i think the bar is super super low for female characters in adventure anime and the lack of constant ogling maybe makes the female#characters feel better written than they are. i mean falin basically has no personality. she's got an innocent heart but that's nothing.#and i think these conversations are worth having bc no piece of media is perfect and this is how we learn to do better#also like. I've seen media criticisms that make me go 'oh you straight up should reserve commentary bc you#haven't watched the show and you're wrong' or 'i see what you're saying but you are simply incorrect' but like#i don't think I'd tell someone to just NOT watch Hazbin Hotel bc they have a bad take - and certainly not bc they have accurately#pinpointed a real flaw about the show (of which there are more than a few but frankly not what became the biggest subject of Disc Horse)#Angel is actually an amazing character & i think people mistook a criticism on the way abuse is glamourized as actually glamourizing abuse#like his song about abuse is called Poison and he's trapped in an abusive performance contract - bringing to mind Britney Spears#i think it is a wildly triggering and painful scene but i think a lot of people took the pain it gave them to mean it was bad art#but tbh they are still allowed to eat at the table if they so choose!!!#sorry i got sidetracked - as an abuse survivor Angel just matters a lot to me. i have a couple serious criticisms of vivziepop's work but#Angel is very much not one of them#also in regards to the actual subject of this post i think the most audacity of the responses i got was the one that said#that by complaining about queerbaiting I was 'de-incentivizing writers to write any interaction b/t women that could look even a little gay#and I'm just like. good. I hope they stop writing entirely. if the takeaway from 'please don't sell me bread and then serve me crumbs' is#'WELL NOW I JUST WON'T BAKE ANY BREAD PRODUCT' then that person is a bad chef. they should find a different job.#or at least do a whole lot of work on themselves. but either way i wouldn't be too broken up to know i won't be getting any food from them.#'just leave then' is so obviously a gut reaction defense mechanism & it implies media criticism should only be for things you don't like
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rawliverandgoronspice · 8 months
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nothing is funnier than seeing huge masses of gamers having One Major Complain about a game that's about to come out and repeat it over and over as THE deal-breaking thing, meanwhile you (gamedev) are like "buddy that's not even in the top 3 of things that are wrong with this game you're all gonna forget it was even a thing that bothered you by the time you actually have the controller in your hands"
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lord-squiggletits · 2 months
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Between TF and my other fandoms like BG3 and TES, I keep finding myself making OCs that have some element of "battle hardened hero who is actually good and righteous, but so traumatized by the toll of war that even after the war ends they feel empty/wrecked and can't enjoy the fruits of victory" and I'm not sure if it's bc I gravitate to a certain type of media where such OCs fit in best, or bc I have a specific character archetype I like and gravitate towards media that contains those things.
#squiggposting#possibly a mix of both bc idk if i've gone into detail here but war stories are one of my favorite genre of stories#like for fun fictional reasons but also for real life political and moral and emotional implications#war stories are literally so fucking cool man i feel like they get a bad rap for just being propaganda tools#and obv a lot of them can be/are explicitly made to be but also like#(i feel like i'm stealing a quote from one such story) war stories are also a method for the soldiers of the war to tell their side#and usually the soldier's side of the story tells of the LESS glorious and propagandistic sides#maybe ive just had the pleasure of having really good teachers/professors but like#most of the war stories i've read are specifically ABOUT the bridge bt war propaganda and the actual experience of fighting in a war#and i think even the ones where the soldier in question supports the war (american sniper comes to mind)#it's very interesting and dare i say important to read it and understand when and why and how they came to support war#like idk i think it's one of those things where ppl shy away from war stories bc#'ew gross it's all pro war probably american imperialist propaganda written by oppressive killers trying to make us feel sorry for them'#without understanding... idk. the difference between an individual soldier's evil and the evil of an entire institution?#some sort of anti intellectualism regarding soldiers as being inherently evil ppl who aren't to be listened to or taken seriously?#it's not a matter of like. you don't need to like or sympathize with them per se. but i think part of understanding and criticizing#the institution of war is getting the ground level testimonies about it. and more of them are critical than some ppl believe#plus i mean FUCK usamerican imperialism it doesn't need to be about US wars! other countries lived thru other wars that are also important!#war stories may have their strongest association w american imperialism but that doesn't mean other war stories don't exist#idk sorry for rambling in the tags
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phoenix-flamed · 8 months
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Alright, let's see if I can get this all written out. Please bear in mind that this headcanon is written with general Anabella, Clive, and Joshua in mind, rather than based on any specific muses/portrayals -- so don't worry if you don't agree! Naturally, these subjects are going to vary based on interactions with individual muses of aforementioned characters, and based on the headcanons attached to those muses and their personal stories. But this will give insight into how my Elwin thinks, feels, etc., and why he makes decisions he does, be it for better or worse.
Considering this headcanon is going to be talking about my muse's relationships with his family members, which includes Clive's relationship with Anabella -- reader discretion is advised.
This is probably going to be a very long post, which I profusely apologize for.
Let's start with my Elwin's relationship with Anabella. Canonically, we aren't told much about their personal relationship, at least not from Elwin's side. Much of what I pull from for my headcanons regarding their marriage is the bedroom scene at the start of the game and how they interact during it, and Anabella's final confrontation with Clive and Jill, as well as little context clues throughout the game of things that Anabella either says or does.
My Elwin didn't have a necessarily "bad" marriage with Anabella. They were arranged to marry, both as the two eldest children of their respective branches of the Rosfield family, and, due to their close blood relation, as two of the most likely candidates to produce the next Dominant of Phoenix after Elwin's father had passed on. But at least in the beginning, they didn't dislike each-other.
He did care deeply for Anabella, though it wasn't necessarily full-on romantic love, or if it was, it wasn't necessarily the same type that he felt towards the two he had been in a relationship with before his marriage to her. (Obviously the depth of his feelings towards specific Anabella RPers is always subject to vary, depending on the Anabella RPer's headcanons, chemistry between our muses, and how the other mun feels regarding the two!) But he, if nothing else, loved her as a friend and a partner, and he trusted her, even if there were so many things they didn't agree on all across the board. She was not only his wife, but the Duchess of Rosaria -- his fellow ruler, his equal. It was his understanding of their relationship that the two should work together and fulfill their duty as the current heads of the ruling family, which was to faithfully look after for their people.
It was also their duty to teach their children of their family's legacy that would then be passed on to them as well, and to lead them by example of how to serve their people for when their own time came to take over.
When I say that my Elwin was "afraid" of Anabella, please bear in mind that it isn't fear of what she can do to him physically. Elwin wasn't, deep down at heart, an overly confident man, although he hid it well. Beyond his most trusted friends and his brother, the only other person he had shown his "real" self to was his wife. He trusted her enough to let his guard down and take off his mask, so to speak; he trusted her enough to be vulnerable around her, if only in glimpses. As a result, whether she chose to use them against him or not, she knew his weaknesses -- she knew where to wound him with her words and get into his head or appeal to his emotions. She knew how to manipulate him, and conversely, she also knew how to soothe and reassure him.
They were, in short, opposites, but two sides of a coin. And in this respect, and this respect alone, they did fulfill their roles as equals in power.
However, for all of their disagreements on how the duchy should be run and what the future should hold for it, and many other political matters -- the biggest divide between them, at least on Elwin's part, was Anabella's reaction to Clive's "rejection" by the Phoenix, and her resulting poor treatment of him. He didn't, and still doesn't in the post-Phoenix Gate verses, understand how she could base his worth as a person, and his worthiness of her love, on something beyond the child's control. Clive had done nothing wrong; if anything, their firstborn did his very best to do everything right, in order to prove his worthiness to everyone, but especially to her, and to earn her love. To see Anabella continue to shun him as a "failure" despite his efforts broke Elwin's heart each and every time, made all the worse by his father knowing of the rumors started by the other nobles of the court. In Elwin's viewpoint, and whether true or not, these rumors were likely an attempt at disrupting their family's relationship by targeting what could be perceived as the "weakest" part of their marriage. Whether it be for the end goal of planting a seed of distrust on his wife's side, or taking a swing at Anabella's pride and the importance she holds for things like status, reputation, appearances, and most of all her personal duty of birthing the next Dominant of Phoenix... he isn't sure which it might be.
But doubling back to that mention of my Elwin's "fear" of Anabella, this is another instance, and perhaps an even bigger one, where it comes into play: it's the fear of how deeply Anabella's words are hurting Clive, and a fear that with a single wrong move, Elwin could cause Anabella's attitude towards the boy to worsen. In short, it's a fear that his wife may redirect her frustrations or anger or discontent with her husband out on their child, who has himself done nothing wrong beyond being Elwin's son too.
Maybe it's because he sees so much of himself in their eldest son, right down to the fact that they are both "ordinary men" rather than Dominants, and thus have to work hard to make up for the inherent shortcoming in terms of power when compared to a Dominant -- but my Elwin is undeniably incredibly attached to and protective of Clive, even if he has a difficult time of outwardly expressing it. That is his baby, his first ever child, and he can't stand even just the thought of him being hurt in any capacity, be it directly or indirectly.
The subject of Clive and Joshua is an incredibly complex one for Elwin, and it's made even more complicated by his and Anabella's unsteady relationship, which I'll elaborate more on that specific part in a bit.
But first. As much as Elwin may have aspired to overthrow the traditional order and dismantle the societal hierarchy to ensure equality for everyone, including Bearers -- he was still the ruler of a nation, and he was still part of a royal family and lineage. Because of this, no matter how much he may have wanted to just do and say whatever he wanted, whensoever he pleased, the reality was that he couldn't. Even if he didn't give a damn about the opinions of his fellow nobility, and even if he didn't feel like he needed the support and favor of the court, he was still very much a servant to the people of the duchy. During the banquet scene, when Joshua asks why the Phoenix is always born into their family, Elwin explains it's because they, the Rosfields, have been chosen to uphold a duty to the people of Rosaria, which is to share the power granted to their family by the Mothercrystal's Blessing with all of them -- and the way that they have been chosen to do that is through the Phoenix first and foremost, and by using the magic that comes along with it for the betterment of all.
This was a duty that my Elwin held extremely close to his heart. He had been raised and taught and so wholly immersed in this mentality, that the Rosfield family was meant to use their power to serve and protect and guide Rosaria, and that the Dominant of Phoenix was more than just the rightful ruler of the duchy, but was also the symbol of hope and strength for their nation as well.
This isn't to say that he had ever viewed Clive as inferior or as a failure for not awakening as Phoenix's Dominant, or that he only cared about Joshua because he is Phoenix's Dominant. It's the opposite; he loves his boys unconditionally. But he also considered their family's duty of serving their people as something to be proud of and aspired to, whether it be through the Eikon of Fire's power or through swordsmanship and the life of a soldier.
Before the Night of Flames, he didn't understand that both Clive and Joshua needed reassurance on a more personal, emotional level from their father, or that there actually is a distinction between expressing his love for them as his sons versus expressing his love for them as heirs to the Rosfield legacy -- and that these two sentiments, while co-existing, are separate from the other. In his mind, the roles that the two of his boys each played are not what define them or their worth, no, but they were something for the two to each hold their head up high over. They are, at the end of the day, Rosfields, and it was the Rosfield family's traditional duty to carry out this obligation to Rosaria, as it had always been in generations before.
The same way that Elwin adhered to tradition in this sense, as is incredibly fitting for the Archduke of a nation referred to as the "Bastion of Tradition", he also tried to navigate his relationship with his children in a way that supported and encouraged their growth in their devotion to their people. Especially when it came to Clive being a part of the ducal army, and with them having been the ruling family, he felt that he must straddle the line carefully between expressing his love for his eldest son while avoiding showing favoritism or preferential treatment towards him versus the other soldiers. If the message he was trying to convey was that everyone deserves to be treated as equals, then shouldn't members of the royal family(including Elwin himself) be treated as equals with the common man?
He didn't want to be a hypocrite, nor did he want to unintentionally cripple his eldest son in terms of personal growth and strength, nor weaken others' opinions on Clive with the impression that Clive had been handed his esteemed position rather than earned it. In his mind, Clive very much deserved to be respected and admired for his unwavering devotion, perseverance, tenacity, and strength. But Elwin still tried to respect and love him as a person as well, which was why he did things -- or rather, didn't do things such as force Clive to join their fellow soldiers during celebratory events like the feast held at Phoenix Gate.
He knew full well that Clive was full of talent and promise. He saw it in every aspect of the boy -- from his demeanor, the way he regarded and treated others regardless of their status or position, his skills in combat, the quiet compassion he extended to people, so on. He wanted others to see it, too, especially Anabella. Because at the end of the day, there was also the fact that both Clive and Joshua were Rosaria's future, and he wanted his wife to see for herself that the future of the duchy -- and perhaps more -- were in good, capable hands.
This was why, for as many times as my Elwin had confronted the Duchess about the boy's capabilities, he did ultimately make the mistake of encouraging Clive to prove himself to her. He believed that he, even as the young man's father, was incapable of changing Anabella's mind and her harsh opinions about their firstborn son, despite his praise for him and reassurances to her of his skill. If she wouldn't listen to reason, he surmised, then the only alternative was for Clive to outright show her.
Should he have pressed the matter more relentlessly on Clive's behalf, and gone to greater lengths to curb Anabella's harsh, undeserved treatment of him? I personally believe so. By urging Clive to prove himself to his mother, and while Elwin's intentions were good, it was more likely to backfire than to succeed -- especially because of Elwin's turbulent relationship with Anabella. In short, whether he had intended to or not, he had put Clive in a position where he was being pitted against Anabella, and both of their sons were regrettably caught in the middle of the tension between their parents.
The fact that Elwin was so frequently away from Rosalith to attend to business, be it on the political front or on the battlefield, didn't help in the slightest. It ensured that no, he couldn't be there to defend their son each and every time the Duchess started in on him, treated him with contempt, or altogether refused to not ignore his existence.
When it came to Joshua, their youngest son was at a disadvantage with regards to forming a bond with his father. Joshua just happened to have been born during the onset of the conflict with Kanver, when Kanver decided it wanted its independence. As we find out in the Ultimania book, this entire situation lasted for around eight or so years, and at the beginning prompted Dhalmekia and Rosaria to enter an alliance, so that they could work together to stop Kanver from obtaining its goal. Towards the end of the conflict, things had escalated into full-blown war, with Dhalmekia and Rosaria fighting against Waloed after Waloed stepped in to stand against Dhalmekia in particular.
Both Rosaria's history, along with its "present" time, was filled with conflict and struggle. Before the Kanver situation, Elwin had to deal with the Northern Territories and Silvermane choosing to try to invade Rosaria in the wake of their Mothercrystal's death and the loss of more and more of their lands at the hands of the Blight. There was the issue of the Blight in and of itself, and finding methods to protect the duchy from the creeping devastation. Then there were the political relations that needed to be upheld across Storm, and all of these factors were just the tip of the iceberg in terms of responsibilities. They all ensured that, in short, both the Archduke and the Duchess had their hands full, and Elwin was often the one that had left Rosalith to accompany his men onto the front lines.
He missed much of Joshua's young life, and because of that, missed so many vital moments and opportunities that would have given him the chance to forge a deeper connection with the boy. He by no means meant to neglect Joshua, or to abstain from getting close to him emotionally, and he did try to reach out to him. But because he didn't know him in the same way that he had known Clive when Clive was little, because he hadn't been granted the same time and opportunity to get to know Joshua, to learn his needs and understand his thoughts and feelings, and at least to some degree watch him grow through the years -- Elwin struggled. But he did love Joshua, and he never considered Joshua's only value to be as the Dominant of Phoenix. The child was his son first, and the bearer of the Eikon of Fire second.
His decision to take Joshua to Phoenix Gate to have him carry out the tradition of communing with the Rosfield family's ancestors for guidance in the upcoming war with the Iron Kingdom was not a decision made lightly. It was also not a decision that he wanted to make, but it was ultimately a choice between his duty to Rosaria and his love and protectiveness as a father. The fight against Waloed's army, and Dhalmekia's abandonment of the fight -- and subsequent forced retreat by Rosaria -- highlighted one very important problem for Rosaria, in terms of strength and defense: unlike most of the other nations of Storm, they didn't have an Eikon fighting at their side.
His father, the previous Dominant of Phoenix, had passed away so many years prior due to sudden illness, leaving them to have to fight their battles after that point on their own. And even with Joshua's awakening as the next Dominant, Joshua was far too young during that time to go to war with them, leaving them at an extremely great disadvantage. Even Elwin, for as skilled and strong of a fighter as he was, for all of his prowess with a blade, was still just an ordinary man, and his strength would never be able to hold up against that of a Primed Dominant.
And so he had to make a heavy decision, one that he would continue to regret long after The Night of Flames had taken place: despite Joshua being a child, and despite the boy's susceptibility to illness, Rosaria needed the Phoenix with its army on the battlefield, as well as to gain that valuable insight from their ancestors -- because the Dominant of Phoenix was the only one who could enter the Apodytery and perform the ritual to commune with them. Even against the Iron Kingdom, who presumably had no Eikon of their own given their grim views towards Eikons, the Phoenix would give them a much-needed advantage, because remember, Rosaria has been struggling against the Iron Kingdom on and off for centuries by that point for control of Drake's Breath, and each time they've fought, Rosaria has been forced to retreat.
Unfortunately, because of this situation, it also meant that Elwin had to ignore his wife's pleas for him to reconsider when it came to Joshua, and had to ignore his wife's attempts at appealing to his better sense and emotions as Joshua's father.
Now, this leads into another glaring matter:
Elwin loved his family with all of his heart. He really, truly did. However, in the end, without fail, he always prioritized duty to his people, and the people of Rosaria in general, over the needs of his family. It wasn't right, no -- but it was what he believed at the time was right, regardless of his personal feelings. He was, after all, the reigning Archduke, and it was his obligation as both ruler and as a Rosfield to serve and protect and care for his people, no matter the cost. It was what he knew, what he had been shown, what he believed was a necessary sacrifice of a good ruler.
I think I managed to cover everything that I wanted to cover? Uh. You're one hell of a trooper if you've managed to read all of this.
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some thoughts on disability in fanfiction
I have so many thoughts about the common “trope” within the stranger things fandom to give specifically Steve a disability in fanfiction. A lot of my thoughts on this are mixed in with my own complicated feelings about becoming (physically) disabled over the past few years. Which is why i have a hard time writing about it objectively or maybe even fairly. Because some of it brings up a lot of negative emotions regarding ableism I’ve personally experienced. And I’m also still unpacking a lot of internalized ableism so maybe I’m not (yet) able to critique some of this stuff properly. And obviously a lot of these stories are written by people who deal with these (or any) disabilities themselves as a way to explore the topic. I love those! I think writing is such an excellent way of exploring your own feelings. So any of my critisisms aren’t about people using (fan)fiction to write about their own experiences. I’ve read some absolutely incredible works about this topic!!
A lot of these pieces of fanfic featuring Steve with a disability (you typically see either being HOH, having epilepsy or migraines) tend to fall within the larger hurt/comfort trope. And that makes sense, I guess. I also understand the need/desire for disabled people to read or write stories about characters being comforted through the struggles of disability. But I find that often these stories, especially when written by able bodied people, can fall into some harmful tropes.
The main issue that comes up for me is the romanticization of taking away bodily autonomy of the disabled person. The character, most often Steve in this case, is written as struggling with a disability and having a hard time coming to terms with this and then another character “forces” them to get better or accept help and by doing so takes away their agency in the situation. I don’t care if it’s “”the right thing to do”” or “”he really needed someone to help him”” if you’re taking away someone’s autonomy in a situation that’s kinda fucked up. (there’s some nuance there in cases of severe mental health issues where someone might hurt themselves, but even there autonomy is incredibly important and I’m largely talking about physical disability here). This also includes a lack of autonomy in who gets to know about a characters disability and how they find out. Disabled people aren’t owed anyone info about their health and people learning about it against someone’s will can be very upsetting. Another prominent trope is using disability as a way to explore self-sacrificial elements of Steve’s character. It’s the ‘he always cares for other people first and forgets to care for himself’-thing that is often explored with his character. Writers will turn this character trait on its head by ‘giving’ Steve a disability and thus forcing him to reckon with needing and being deserving of care. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that as an idea. I think many people who become disabled struggle with asking for help and feelings of guilt surrounding this. Which is what makes this a difficult concept to critique. I have a hard time puting into words exactly what rubs me the wrong way about this. But let me just say there is definitely a difference between attempts at exploring disability and turning disabled people into poor little babies who can’t do anything for themselves and oh isn’t that just so sad? Especially when a story lacks correct information about what a disabled person would or would not be able to do themselves. There’s also so much infantilization going on in those cases.
And there’s obviously disabled people with (very) high support needs, but pity and infantilization is never an appropriate reaction. Also! Plenty of disabled people have worked through that shit and are (no longer or were never) constantly feeling guilty about needing care! It’s a logical emotion to go through in our ableist society, but I feel like we could do with more representation of disabled people who don’t feel like horrible burdens just for existing. I say this because people irl are sometimes genuinely confused when I don’t feel bad or guilty or embarrased about asking for accomodation. There’s almost an expectation that we’re supposed to feel bad about requiring assistance and that’s pretty fucked up. I don’t want to give specific examples because I can’t think of any of the top of my head, but also because I’m not writing this to call anyone out. I feel like this fandom has correctly noticed that Steve’s had one too many hits to the head and I think the desire to explore this as a community could be a very positive thing. We should just be mindful of the actual lived experiences of disabled people and use this as an opportunity to educate ourselves about disability and ableism. Not just use it as a way to project fantasies about being cared for onto disabled people. I think that’s what sometimes can go wrong here. Able bodied people might project their desires about being doted on and cared for (VERY valid desires!) onto these characters. But disabled people have different needs and wants regarding being cared for! You often cannot copy your own desire to have a break from your insanely busy life (again, valid desire) and have someone take over for you for a little while onto disabled people without accidentaly perpetuating ableist ideas. You might also run into trouble when you project your own desire to be helpful and needed onto characters who take care of a disabled person. This can be a bit more of a gray area (imo) because caring for loved ones is obviously a great thing. I just think it’s important to keep in mind whether the focus is on wanting to be the person who helps someone and actually helping a disabled person according to their own wishes and standards. These are some very rambly thoughts, but I hope they can prompt some people to have a look at their own ways of reading and writing about disabled people. I think an absolutely necessary first step is to consider whether you are taking bodily autonomy into account, but there are many more nuances into properly writing about disabled people. There’s also always just the option of... not writing about disability if it’s not something you fully understand. Sometimes the latter might be the best route to take.
I’d loved to hear some thoughts from other disabled people!
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ravangie · 8 months
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hi hello!!
i adore your art so much. i love el dorado, but you have such a unique view on the characters and story that i feel like, seeing your fanart, is falling in love with another story entirely and all over again
i would really love to support you and have something of your art in real life! have you ever thought about opening a shop? although i know how much work would be needed to do so :(
Hello!
Ah, thank you for such kind words! I also feel like i have been leaving so much of myself with The Girls that they happened to become their own, separate from the movie, people. Thank you for confirming that! It's hard for me as a creator to objectively understand what exactly you mean by saying that i have a unique view of the characters, just like it's hard for me to understand what someone means when they say they like my art style, but i think it all comes down to the fact that i unconsciously project my own experiences and personality onto the women that i draw, so they get their own little quirks and views from me. And with all the love that i put into them, they can't help but become alive in their own ways.
As for your question - yes, i have thought about opening a shop. To be honest, it is a bit of a dream of mine - to be able to support myself by doing what i love and what keeps me sane and what i do on a daily basis anyway. I imagine it would be super fulfilling to see my artwork matirialised and to know that the love that it contains could reach another human being in a physical form. I'm not scared of the amount of work it would take, since i've been balancing a 9 to 5 job with commisions and drawing for myself anyway. But it does take a lot of time and energy - resorces that i could be spending on The Girls. So it would be nice if one of those points of income could be through The Girls.
What's stopping me is the fact that i happen to be from Russia, so most of the worldwide transactions are unavailible to me at this time. I do have an audience from Russia and it is very lovely, but it's not big enough yet to start making merch, it just wouldn't pay off money vise. So in the meanwhile i'll just continue doing what i've been doing: keep drawing my ladies, keep expanding their world, keep creating more girlfriends for them. Keep sharing bits of happiness that they graciously gift me with all of you. And hope that things will get better in the future.
Thank you for reaching out to me, it really means a lot, please have a good day❤️
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