#sorry not sorry for the essay but

[sorryimananti-romantic]

viviz's maniac's intrument sturcture is actually so unique n smart

idk the name of the instrument but they have only one beat stretching through the song until the first chorus, which is where a few more beats are added. then those beats continue until the second chorus, where even more beats are added. and the final chorus is like the result of the build-up ygm

also which group(s) do you think need more attention?

i say oneus and stayc. if those groups were under big4? you bet they'd be one of the biggest 4th gen groups. not to mention their songs, which are literal bops, and apart from one or two, their title tracks never miss. people fr be sleeping on amazing music!!

omg. i literally agree with all of this and it's like you've taken a peek inside my mind!

viviz maniac is such a good song, i cannot say this enough. the instrumental is so euphoric esp when it comes to the end with the amalgamation of all the beats. also doesn't help that the last chorus choreo hits the sweetest of spots hehe this song deserves all the recognition, it's so... gfriend. viviz. kpoppy. all good things.

i agree with you- oneus and stayc have so much potential, they've always done sth a bit different and unique and their sound is so pleasing to hear, they def would have had more recognition if they were from the big4 (or if ppl had taste bruh i know most of the ppl don't listen to groups that aren't from the big4 or close). and i don't think they've had a single miss-- they've always done their thing brilliantly and if we don't like a specific song, we should just accept that it's not our taste and move on instead of thinking that that cb was not it, yfeel? can't like every song from a group even when it's your fav 🤷‍♀️ and that's okay hehe. essay ahead:

i've been listening to oneus since debut, and they've always done that thing with their title tracks where all 3 chorus are different, with the first two being just one thing away from pure satisfaction- like they literally tease us throughout their entire song, and when the final chorus hits? utter relief, ascending to the clouds, 9999 levels of euphoric satisfactions achieved! not everyone can do that, and they do this incredibly well. their choruses always hit the spot! like in 'come back home' and 'lit' to name a few. i swear if ppl just listened to them, they literally have top tier discography

and stayc! i'm not familiar with their bsides, just the title tracks, but i bet their bsides are just as good. i think like everyone else my first song of them was asap and i started following their music soon after. i love how while trying different concepts and sounds, they're still so distinctively stayc. you just know it's a stayc song as soon as it plays. if i could have one word to describe their songs, it would be 'fun'. like even with their more sentimental song 'beautiful monster' (my underrated queen, literally my fav song from them) they have that fun element about them, bubbling with youth and it's so refreshing. i'm quite a fan of their recent cb too. they never miss, and i wish more ppl heard and appreciated them.

you can tell i'm serious about them LMAO i've written an essay. i do think kbands deserve a whole lot more too bc come on. they're just another level. however, for kpop groups... i must talk about weeekly.

weeekly literally have such amazing vocals and performances. i know prob everyone heard their song 'after school' but like, don't you think they have such a nostalgic sound about them? if you heard their recent cb 'vroom vroom', it's so... idk why it reminds me of sth and i can't quite put a finger on what. their songs do that to me. monday is amazing and has so much potential as a main vocalist, so does soeun. they're literally such a power vocal duo. i've been listening to them pre-debut so its sad to see they still don't get the recognition they deserve. idk if it's bc their company don't have the budget for them or they're not that popular that they don't have many comebacks but they always slay

dreamcatcher too. literally such an amazing group full of the best performers in the industry, dare i say. their presence, concepts, skills are on par with some of the greatest kpop groups and im glad they're finally getting some limelight. the fact that they have choreos like 'scream' and they're singing live blows me. they're like the ateez of girl groups.

there's so many more i could talk about- purple kiss, pixy -- both with unique concepts and amazing performances. i don't stan a lot of the 4th gen boy groups so i can't say for sure (i'm made for the girls i guess) but sf9 comes to mind.

#yumi snapped #no literally i didn't know i had this much buried in me LOL #sorry not sorry for the essay but #it's just sad to see when a group with sm potential stays in the shadows #just bc they're not from a big company #bc company does make a hell lot of difference with the promotions and well the name #as for hits and misses with title tracks #lets admit that every group has those but #that's purely a personal preference thing #a hit to you may be a miss for me #like atz may be my ults but i have songs i don't listen to at all they're just not that for me #bc i like bands more i can literally listen to all the songs from bands like day6/ onewe/ the rose #anyways yeah that's just my opinion #you're free to have yours #yumi.asks

[reallybadblackoutpoems]

secrets of farming (1863) - john w. large

"yeowch augh taking damage ough eurgh"

#sorry i havent been super active #have been dealing w personal and health issues etc #leave some good horror movies down below #or video essays #either one #we just closed the seagull #will forever be abnormal about that show #anyway! #blackout poem #blackout poetry #author #book #poetry

[metronn]

dichotomy of “nothing in the digital age is permanent, we are losing physicality and thus part of ourselves” vs. “everything in the digital age is permanent, everything you do is recorded and stored for later use against you or to exploit you”

#yeah i'm fucking normal about cyberpunk right now #sorry i get so ranty when i write essays lol #.txt

[yeti-zeus]

wow I can't believe they made cole sprouse transgender and gave him bottom surgery via murder and a tanning bed, glad to have my opinions agreed with on this one (that frankenstein's creation has always been trans)

#as a Frankenstein enthusiast its in the spirit of the novel okay #like literally #I'm sorry a man made through surgery who is seen as an abomination? and who's “father” won't give him a name to suit who he is? #I wrote my college essay on this lol #lisa frankenstein #cole sprouse #frankenstein #mary shelley #Kathryn newton

[fenkko]

one who had dreams of being a hero

This comic is based on Story 3, which speaks of his hobby of ice fishing originating from the days he'd go out with his father on the ice, 'accompanied by his father's unending tales of adventure,' and dream of being the protagonist.

Nowadays, he keeps up the hobby, though only as a method of training... and it seems he fishes alone.

I thought a lot about fairytales and stories told to children -- how they are used to impart lessons and shape a child's growing sense of morality.

I think these stories were Childe's father telling him what kind of man he hoped his son would become.

In Story 5, 'his father had no choice but to hand his beloved son over for conscription into the Fatui' in an attempt to discipline his temper, but was disappointed when Childe continued ascending the ranks, further and further from the gentle boy he was..

His father named him after the hero Ajax. Is he still disappointed in the path Childe has taken? Does he still see his son in the man he sees before him? Does Childe feel in himself the chasm between who he dreamed of becoming and who he is now?

It's interesting, that fairytales should often have a very strict good/evil morality. Childe professes he has no use for such things, and will gladly become a mindless weapon so long as he can continue honing himself for battle. And yet, has he truly given up on being human?

For a Harbinger, Childe is oddly principled, preferring straightforward battles without deceit. He retains a sort of moral code, reluctant to involve those who are defenseless in his plans.

And of course, he deeply cherishes his family. What sort of weapon has a family? Why does he cling so desperately to this identity as a defender of childhood dreams, of being his sister Tonia's knight?

Perhaps his own dream of being a hero died long ago, but a part of him still recognizes the tragedy of it and maybe... in some way, is still trying.

This is somewhat of a companion piece to my Scara comic "one who has given up on being saved". Childe, unable to live up to his childhood ideals of heroism, and Scara, whose pleas for help went unanswered.

A failed hero, and someone who never had one.

ARGHH yknow it drives me nuts. I haven't known peace since I started thinking about it.

#VERY LONG POST sorry i'm really normal about them. please enjoy my essay #childe #genshin impact #genshin impact fanart #childe fanart #teucer #fatui harbingers #my art #my comics #happy birthday childe.. sorry my present is a comic about what a disappointment you are to your father..

[fictionadventurer]

I have to talk about Chester Arthur. His story makes me go crazy. A mediocre president from the 1880s who's completely forgotten today has one of the best redemption stories I've ever heard and I need to make people understand just how cool his story is.

So, like, he starts out as this idealist, okay? He's the son of an abolitionist minister and becomes famous as a New York lawyer who defends the North's version of Rosa Parks whose story desegregates New York City's trolley system.

Then he starts getting pulled into politics and becomes one of the grimiest pieces of the political machine. He wants money, power, prestige, and he gets it. He becomes the right-hand man of Roscoe Conkling, the most feared political boss in the nation, a guy who will throw his weight around and do the most ruthless things imaginable to keep his friends in power and destroy his enemies.

Because Arthur's this guy's top lackey, he gets to be Controller of the Port of New York--the best-paying political appointment in the country, because that port brings in, like, 70% of the federal government's funds in tariffs. He gets a huge salary plus a percentage of all the fines they levy on lawbreakers, and because he's not afraid to make up infractions to fine people over, he is absolutely raking in the dough. Making the rough equivalent of $1.3 million a year--absolutely insane amounts of money for a government position. He's spending ridiculous sums on clothes, buying huge amounts of alcohol and cigars to share with people as part of his job recruiting supporters to the party, going out nearly every night to wine and dine people as part of his work in the political machine. He's living the high life. Even when President Hayes pulls him from his position on suspicions of fraud, he's still living a great life of wealth, power, and prestige.

Then in 1880, his beloved wife dies. While he's out of town working for a political campaign. And he can't get back in time to say goodbye before she dies. Because he's a guy who has big emotions, it absolutely tears him up inside, especially because Nell resented how much his political work kept him away from home. He has huge regrets, but he just moves in with Roscoe Conkling and keeps working for the political machine.

And then he gets a chance to be vice president. The Republican Party has nominated James Garfield, a dark horse candidate who wants to reform the spoils system that has given Conking his power and gave Arthur his position as Port Controller. Conkling is pissed, and he controls New York, and since the party's not going to win the election without New York, they think that appointing Conkling's top lackey as vice-president will pacify him.

They're wrong--Conkling orders Arthur to refuse--but Arthur thinks this sounds like a great opportunity. The only political position he's ever held is Port Controller--a job he wasn't elected to and that he was pulled from in disgrace. Vice President is way more than he could ever have hoped for. It's a position with a lot of political pull and zero actual responsibilities. He'll get to spend four years living in up in Washington high society. It's the perfect job! Of course he accepts, and Conkling comes around when he figures out that he can use this to his advantage.

When Garfield becomes president, Arthur does everything he can to undermine him. He uses every dirty political trick he can think of to block everything that Garfield wants to do. He refuses to let the Senate elect a president pro tempore so he can stay there and influence every bill that comes through. He all but openly boasts of buying votes in the election. He's so much Conkling's lackey that he may as well be the henchman of a cartoon supervillain. On Conkling's orders, he drags one of Garfield's Cabinet members out of bed in the middle of the night--while the guy is ill--to drag him to Conkling's house so he can be forced to resign. He's just absolutely a thorn in the president's side, a henchman doing everything he can to maintain the corrupt spoils system.

Then in July 1881, when Arthur's in New York helping Conkling's campaign, the president gets shot. By a guy who shouts, "Now Arthur will be president!" just after he fires the gun. Arthur has just spent the past four months fighting the president tooth and nail. Everyone thinks he's behind the assassination. There are lynch mobs looking to take out him and Conkling. The papers are tearing him apart.

Arthur is absolutely distraught. He rushes to Washington to speak with the president and assure him of his innocence, but the doctors won't let him in the room. He gets choked up when talking to the First Lady. Reporters find him weeping in his house in Washington. Once again, death has torn his world apart and he's not getting a chance to make amends.

Arthur goes to New York while the president is getting medical treatment, and he refuses to come to Washington and take charge because he doesn't dare to give the impression that he's looking to take over. No one wants Arthur to be president and he doesn't want to be president, and the possibility that this corrupt political lackey is about to ascend to the highest office in the land is absolutely terrifying to everyone.

Then in August, when it's becoming clear that the president is unlikely to recover, he gets a letter. From a 31-year-old invalid from New York named Julia Sand. A woman from a very politically-minded family who has been following Arthur's career for years. And she writes him this astounding letter that takes him to task for his corrupt, conniving ways, and the obsession with worldly power and prestige that has brought him wealth and fame at the cost of his own soul--and she tells him that he can do better. In the midst of a nationwide press that's tearing him apart, this one woman writes to tell him that she believes he has the capacity to be a good president and a good man if he changes his ways.

And then he does. After Garfield dies, people come to Arthur's house and find servants who tell them that Arthur is in his room weeping like a child (I told you he had big emotions), but he takes the oath of office and ascends to the presidency. And he becomes a completely different man. His first speech as president mentions that one of his top priorities is reforming the spoils system so that people will be appointed based on merit rather than getting appointed as political favors with each change in the administration. Even though this system made him president. When Conkling comes to Arthur's office telling him to appoint his people to important government positions, Arthur calls his demands outrageous, throws him out, and keeps Garfield's appointees in the positions. "He's not Chet Arthur anymore," one of his former political friends laments. "He's the president."

He loses all his former political friends. He's never trusted by the other side. Yet he sticks to his guns and continues to support spoils system reform. He prosecutes a postal service corruption case that everyone thought he would drop. He's the one who signs into law the first civil service reform bill, even though presidents have been trying to do this for more than ten years, and he's the person who's gained all his power through the spoils system. He immediately takes action to enforce this bill when he could have just dropped it. He becomes a champion of this issue even though it's the last thing anyone would have expected of him.

He oversees naval reform. He oversees a renovation of the White House. He still prefers the social duties of the presidency, but he's respectable in a way that no one expected. Possibly because Julia Sand keeps sending him letters of encouragement and advice over the next two years. But also because he's dying.

Not long after ascending to the presidency, he learns he's suffering from a terminal kidney disease. And he tells no one. He keeps going about his daily life, fulfilling his duties as president, and keeps his health problems hidden. Once again, death is upending his life, and this time it's his own death. He's lived a life he's ashamed of, and he doesn't have much time left to change. He enters the presidency as an example of the absolute worst of the political system, and leaves it as a respectable man.

He makes a token effort to seek re-election, but because of his health problems, he doesn't mind at all when someone else gets the nomination. He dies a couple of years after leaving office. The day before his death, he orders most of his papers burned, because he's ashamed of his old life--but among the things that are saved are the letters from Julia Sand, the woman who encouraged him to change his ways.

This is an astounding story full of so many twists and turns and dramatic moments. A man who falls from idealism into the worst kind of corruption and then claws his way back up to decency because of a series of devastating personal losses and unexpected opportunities to do more than he could have ever hoped to do. I just go crazy thinking about it and I need you all to understand just how amazing this story is.

#history is awesome #presidential talk #i thought about his story again this morning #and was once again struck by the desire to chase people down and make them understand just how amazing this story is #and instead of harassing random strangers i decided to inflict it on tumblr again #my original essay was rather too long and dry and tangled up in too many other details #and didn't quite capture the 'i want to chase you down and look you in the eye and make you freak out about this with me' vibe of this stor #this still doesn't quite capture it but at least it's shorter #and prevents me from rambling to unsuspecting family members #sorry for inflicting this on you again but what else am i supposed to do?

[aroaceleovaldez]

reminder that the only reason the "ADHD is actually demigod BATTLE STRATEGIES" and "dyslexia is DEMIGOD BRAINS HARDWIRED FOR ANCIENT GREEK" things exist in the PJO universe is because it's a very direct reference to early 2000s teaching/parenting techniques for neurodiverse and disabled children, which aimed to frame childrens' disabilities and hardships as a "superpower" or strength so that the children would feel more positively about their disabilities or situations. This technique has fallen out of favor since then for the most part since more often than not it just results in kids feeling as though their struggles are not being seen or taken seriously.

Yes, demigods are adhd/dyslexic (and sometimes autistic-coded) in the series. This is extremely important and trying to remove it or not acknowledge it makes the entire series fall apart because it is such a core concept. Yes, canon claims that their adhd/dyslexia is tied to some innate abilities, which is based on an outdated methodology. It's important to acknowledge that and understand where it comes from! But please stop trying to apply it to other pantheons in the series like "oh, the romans have dyscalculia because of roman numerals!" or "the norse demigods have dysgraphia for reasons!" - it's distasteful at best.

A better option is to acknowledge the meta inspiration for why that exists in the series, such as explaining potentially that Chiron was utilizing that same teaching methodology to try and help demigods feel more comfortable with their disabilities and they aren't literal powers. In fact, especially given Frank, there's implication that being adhd/dyslexic isn't a guaranteed demigod trait, which means it's more likely to be normally inherited from their godly parent/divine ancestor as a general trait, not a power, and further supports the whole "ADHD is battle strategy" thing being non-literal. It also implies the entire greco-roman pantheon in their universe is canonically adhd/dyslexic - and that actually fits very well with the themes of the first series. The entire central conflict of the first series fits perfectly as an allegory about neurodiverse/disabled children and their relationships with their undiagnosed neurodiverse/disabled parents and trying to find solutions together with their shared disability/disabilities that the kid inherited instead of becoming distant from each other (and this makes claiming equivalent to getting a diagnosis which is a fascinating allegory! not to mention the symbolism of demigods inheriting legacies and legends and powers from their parents and everything that comes with that being equivalent to inheriting traits, neurodiversity, and disabilities from your parents).

anyways neurodiversity and disability and the contexts in which the series utilizes representation of those experiences particularly during the 2000s symbolically within the narrative is incredibly important to the first series and the understanding of what themes it means to represent. also if i see one more "the romans have dyscalculia instead of dyslexia" post in 2023 i'm gonna walk into the ocean.

#pjo #riordanverse #percy jackson #analysis #meta #adhd #dyslexia #also this symbolism recontextualizes the relationship between demigods and their godly parents so much #particularly Percy and Poseidon and the whole ''I'm sorry you were born thing'' like DAMN that's an ENTIRE DIFFERENT IMPLICATION #honestly in general the first series' meta analogy of being a demigod as symbolism for being neurodiverse/disabled ROCKS SO HARD #that's SO COOL and im SO SAD NOBODY EVER TALKS ABOUT IT #i could write a whole essay on that alone like COME ON GUYS #can we PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE THIS I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE COOL DISABILITY METAPHORS.... #anyways i didnt proofread this cause. re: dyslexia so if it doesnt make sense dont worry about it #i can try to explain further in supplementary posts if people so wish

[rooolt]

guy whos sooooo normal abt the Mountains of Chaos fantasyhigh. Like, the fact that Brennan establishes it as this classic adventure location full of monsters and dungeons for learning adventurers to explore and gain xp, and it’s also the site of kalvaxus’ lair and the temple of the earth defiant its a very fantastical place. BUT, it’s also the place where riz’s grandparents immigrated from, and it’s the place where the cultures worshipping gods like ruvina and ankarna originated from, and the fact that solace literally has a border patrol for the mountains of chaos that the Applebees are literally apart of. It’s something about these fantastical elements that are so often focused on by the people in solace, so completely glossing over the people and cultures that live there and originate from there. I’m so regular about it and I think about it a normal amount

#Soooo obsessed with the politics of fantasy high #Like the fact that they have dignitaries from fallinel and people like the dawns from high court in solace #And provide people like bill seacaster with solace from the law #And yet they have an active border patrol on the mountains of chaos #The fact that it’s not even like it’s own nation and the members of solace probably don’t recognize the people that live there of having #An organized government #Sorry it’s so fascinating to me I would read literal fake academic essays about it #dimension 20 #fantasy high #fantasy high junior year

[mylight-png]

A while ago I was listening to Dara Horn's podcast relating to her book, People Love Dead Jews. Within this podcast she discussed the fact that Holocaust museums tend to center stories that highlight ways in which Jews were just like anyone else, putting secular Jews on a pedestal of sorts.

The podcast went on to make the point that we shouldn't have to be like them to be liked. A Jew in a kippah is just as worthy of being accepted as a Jew in a baseball cap, and to position one, the more assimilated one, as "better" is antisemitic.

This made me think of how movies and shows portray Jews, and I realized a similar pattern of idealizing assimilation is deeply prevalent.

There are two main ways Jews are portrayed in movies/shows that I've noticed that are problematic. (For a narrower scope I'll be discussing American media as I am more familiar with that than most other countries.)

The first kind of Jewish representation is the token Jew. This is the character that the viewer wouldn't even have known is Jewish had the show not casually mentioned them celebrating Hanukkah in passing. This is the character who is entirely the same as any other character. An example of this would be in Ginny and Georgia, where a few side characters are revealed to be Jewish. This reveal occurred only for the purpose of making a Hanukkah episode, and immediately one of the characters says the beginning words to most of our prayers, adding "bitch" at the end. This sort of absolutely blatant disrespect towards the words many of us wouldn't even speak fully in casual conversation is meant to indicate that it's okay to poke fun at our religion. (By the way, it isn't okay. Don't disrespect our religion, thanks.) (And no the actress wasn't Jewish.)

Then there's Ben Gross from Never Have I Ever, a similarly extremely assimilated Jewish character. Instead of making fun of Judaism, however, the show plays into Jewish stereotypes. Ben's dad is a wealthy influential lawyer who works with Hollywood. Come on, there's three in a row there. Ben himself is frequently made fun of for being very short (to an extent not befitting the actor's actual stature), and some of his mannerisms could be described as effeminate. All of these traits play into anti-Jewish stereotypes. The protagonist even says she wishes Ben was killed by Nazis and other than a scolding this isn't made to be the big deal that it is.

These sorts of characters are meant to show how Jews are "just like you!" and pokes cruel fun at the few remaining things that do occasionally set them apart. Yes, secular Jews exist, but the way these shows make fun of their Jewish identities is where the issue arises.

The second problematic representation is meant to make goyim feel good about being goyim. This is specifically done through how Judaism is portrayed in these movies.

A major example of this is the show Unorthodox, in which the plot centers a young girl trying to escape her very observant community. This show directly demonized the Jewish religion, making it appear inherently oppressive and twisted.

While some may argue that the show was merely trying to portray the social issues within the community, there are better ways to achieve this.

The book An Unorthodox Match takes on a similar task with a vastly different tone. The book centers a protagonist joining an equally observant community, but not for a moment does the book, author, or protagonist blame Judaism. The book is very clearly written by a Jew who loves Judaism, and yet it manages to highlight similar social issues to the show without blaming Judaism. In fact, Jewish traditions have a fair share of appreciation in the book!

This sort of media is meant to make the goyishe viewers be grateful they aren't part of those communities, but as a Jewish viewer I felt deeply uncomfortable with the positioning of religious Jews as a negative part of society. This media makes the characters seem like they have nothing at all in common with the goyim around them or the goyim watching the show. It's the polar opposite of the previous example.

The first example is showing Jews as "just like anyone else" until they aren't, while the second example portrays Jews as entirely other. Never have I seen an Orthodox Jewish character side by side with the non-Jewish characters in any other context than the Jewish character envying their non-Jewish peers.

Why is the choice either to be assimilated or othered? Why can we not have an observant Jewish character remind their friends that they can't hang out on Saturday, or maybe they bring their own kosher snacks? Maybe a Jewish character muttering a bracha over their food? Why not make being Jewish an important part of their character without making them self-loathe because of it?

Media almost only ever shows two extremes and neither of those extremes has a positive impact on the perception of Jews.

(There is also a pattern I've noticed with Jews and goyim being cast in Jewish roles and how that corresponds to the character, but that's probably another post for another time.)

#jumblr #jewish #judaism #jew #antisemitism #Antisemitism in media #long post #sorry for the mini essay haha

[kiwikiwiandkiwi]

HARRY BEING HARRY ON TOUR — Love on Tour: UK + Europe Leg, 2023

#harry styles #stylesedits #stylesnews #hledit #hljournal #hlcreators #hlupdate #hldaily #love on tour #love on tour 2023 #tw flashing #this turned out wayyyyy longer than what i was intending lol #but if could (and had the will) i'd make a thousand sets like this one #you can't really sum up a 31 show tour in just one gifset yk #i also didn't mean to use so many gay quotes but alas #and ALSO i didn't want to be too obvious but maybe this is a little too obvious idk #this has become an essay i'm sorry #wish i could use something else for the sat show but i dont have time i have to leave NOW #this leg was amazing and i'm going to miss it so much #*

[foursaints]

in my head the wizarding war never happened and these two are in the grocery store debating over plant based milks

#rare evan rosier smile. he’s so adorable i’m going to kms #😭sorry i’ve only been doing the messiest shit lately. i did this to make me feel better about my overdue essays lolol #foursaints art tag #rosekiller #barty crouch jr #evan rosier

[goosita]

hii, i loved what you wrote for billy so far and i thought i'd send you a request! maybe you could write something with a singer!reader who he sees perform at a saloon (kinda lucy gray & coryo vibes when he watches her sing at the hob)? hope you have a lovely day x

HI BABY yes hi hello, i’m here from the dead (finals week) to work through my asks!!! i love this idea sm—

poor thing would be so worn out, rubbing his tired eyes, ignoring the chatter going on beside him from jesse and the other boys. it’s been a long, hard day. his limbs ache, his shoulders and back tense. his hands have blisters from pulling at reigns all day and he can feel the heat on the high points of his cheekbones that radiate from a sunburn. all billy really wants to do is head back to their little hidey-house and collapse onto his bed, but the boys insisted on a drink.

billy would be blinking owlishly, chin resting on his hand as he tries to stay awake, but then someone is picking up a fiddle. a guitar joins in and then his eyes are wide open, perking up at the sweetest voice he’s ever heard. his back straightens up as he looks to the corner of the little bar, eyes landing on you as you twirl about the little makeshift stage. your dress swishes in the light of the oil lamps, your smile charming and fun.

he thinks he must be dreaming as the song goes on, especially when you meet his gaze and he watches as your brows twitch upwards, just barely. interestedly. he lifts the corner of his lips in a shy sort of smile, his cheeks now warm from more than just the hours he spent in the sun. you watch him watching you, your own smile growing when his does.

when you finish your song, you laugh and take a little bow, shimmying your ruffly skirts at the cheers of everyone in the place. then, you excuse yourself after blowing a kiss to the crowd. his eyes follow you, his heartbeat kicking up in his chest as you make your way towards him. surely this is all in his mind. maybe he’d fallen asleep propped up on his palm, dreaming up a pretty little thing like you.

but no, it’s very real when you come to a stop before him and lean on his table. jesse and the boys go quiet, all watching.

“hi there, cowboy,” you say, giving him a sticky-sweet grin. he flounders for a moment.

“h-hi, miss,” he manages to get out, standing politely and removing his hat. oh yes, he is wide awake.

his boyish stuttering seems to make your own face light up even more, amused.

“you got a name?” you ask, stepping a little closer to him. your hand reaches out to slide the tips of your fingers down one of his leather suspender straps and he doesn’t even try to hide his little shiver.

“i’m billy.”

#AAAAA SORRY THIS IS SO LATE #ive been so swamped with final essays and exams this week #also this is so short idk dhhdhdjjs #anyway #anon #billy the kid #billy the kid x reader #billy the kid x you #billy bonney x reader #william h bonney #tom blyth x you #tom blyth x reader #billy the kid fluff #billy bonney x singer!reader

[janearts]

okay but what is the state of astarion's kidneys? what has roisia observed in regards to astarion's kidneys? i must now know!

[Anon is referencing this post.]

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Who knows? Roisia's observations below the read-more.

[Just a wee reminder that I'm not a medical professional. Take everything I say below with a grain of salt as I am just as likely to be flat out wrong. I also want to acknowledge that I'm mixing in some stereotypical vampire traits with what we can figure out about vampires in BG3.]

Roisia believes that Astarion has a partially functioning cardiovascular system. That is to say, he certainly contains blood. He bruises and he bleeds. He can even perish from exsanguination himself. He can experience erections (presumably, anyway). Why he doesn't have a heartbeat is beyond her. Does his blood just sit stagnant in his arteries and veins? What the hell is going on in there?

In the living, kidneys form a pivotal function: they filter the waste (urea) in your blood and create urine to be expelled from the body via the bladder. They also perform a critical function by regulating the blood in your body (volume, pressure, acidity, etc.).

So Roisia knows, for example, that the average medium-sized humanoid has roughly 5 litres of blood in them. The kidneys make sure you stay at whatever level is natural for you, because excessive fluid will increase the pressure on your arterial walls. So the question for Roisia becomes: if Astarion drinks blood to excess, would he experience hypertension or bloating? Or perhaps both? Or maybe neither?

In some form or fashion, the waste that Astarion intakes (e.g., if you're into the vampire version of menstruation sexy times, if he drinks from Roisia's external jugular, etc.) or generates through his own bodily functions needs to be expelled. Does he piss it out? Does he sweat it out? Does he vomit it out? Does it misty escape out of his body while he rests?

The answer could simply be: the waste is magicked out of his body and that's that. If Roisia knew that Astarion urinates, then she would assume his kidney is probably functioning to some degree. If his urinary system is non-functioning, then she would be curious as to how the critical functions mentioned above are managed or if they're even necessary at all for the undead.

TL;DR: Roisia would likely have some sort of idea, but I (IRL) don't have the information I feel I need to even hazard a guess. And I must say questions like this would make Roisia want so very, very badly to take a peek at his insides or at the insides of any vampire or vampire spawn. She is not a Dark Urge character, but that is her dark urge born from an insatiable curiosity to figure out how people—living, dead, or undead—work.

Bonus Points:

Roisia would answer her own questions above with the following theories:

Digestive system could be partially functional if the blood that is consumed is sent to the stomach and then absorbed in whole or in part through the digestive process.

Respiratory system is also likely partially functional. I.e., Astarion can use his lungs (to speak or sigh, for example), but neither a vampire nor a vampire spawn requires air.

Endocrine system is likely no longer functional. (This is my own headcanon so Roisia doesn't have to worry about an unwanted pregnancy.) She knows that the endocrine systems of a Vampire lord are likely somewhat functional due to the existence of Dhampyr. His colder body temperature could be the result of the lack of function of the hypothalamus.

Integumentary system is likely functional to a certain degree. E.g., vampires and vampire spawn are naturally regenerative, but if you were to shave Astarion bald, would his hair grow back to the way it was prior to his death? Skin also helps with temperature regulation and provides a barrier from UV radiation, so it may not be fully functional if his body is a colder temperature and is extremely sensitive to sunlight. (Are his melanocytes dysfunctional or dead?)

Lymphatic system is likely functional to some degree. This would assist the blood consumption + waste removal processes, presumably. It's a bit of a stretch, but since Astarion can experience a diseased condition type (e.g., Flesh Rot, Contagion), perhaps surviving that (after 25 turns) could be spun as an indication of a non-magical immune response?

#Baldur's Gate 3 #BG3 #BG3 Roisia #Astarion Ancunin #Astarion #anon i wrote u an essay on tumblr.com and i am sorry #RIP ur dash

[rookflower]

on one hand yeah this is the kitty cat book fandom where at least 95% of the people here are just here to draw funny cats or for nostalgia reasons and it's really not that deep, there is nothing wrong with taking a critical backseat on this one. but on the other, the amount of people in the fandom who seem to genuinely believe that children's literature and xenofiction are both somehow inherently unworthy of any form of criticism whatsoever, to the point where random tumblr posts casually identifying shit like.... themes.... and narrative trends... is looking into things way too deeply and makes you a bad or stupid person in some way because "they're just cats", gives the literature student in me such a headache

#im literally writing an academic essay on picturebooks rn you draw the line at warrior cats??? #im sorry to tell you that any book ever is gonna have writing strategies and biases in it. and you can analyse em. it's how it goes! #if it helps stop reading critical posts in an accusatory tone towards your enjoyment of something specifically #i had 'steven universe critical blogs dni' in my about page when i was 13 i do remember what it's like

[overtake]

#really thinking so many thoughts about max and scotty today lmao #sorry to rand who received a whole essay of unsolicited max and scotty thoughts

[rpgchoices]

tw for abuse

So I tried to break up with Wyll and refuse his romantic dance and ask him about the tadpole, but why is the game SO CRUEL WITH ASTARION?

Like, if you want him to use the astral tadpole he straight up says no, So you can have a wisdom or intimidation check (if you fail them he is going to break up with you and be so mad).

But basically the wisdom check is trying to use one of his old memories (the worst possible memory) against him to remind him he is too weak, and he needs power if he wants to stay safe.

The intimidation is literally using his self hatred against him. If you play with the vampire lord ending you can break up with him and tell him you preferred him as he was, and he is shocked because he was "pathetic"

The thing is, to soften him/get the good ending (chosen by him without persuation checks) I think you need him to accept that he is who he is, and he is okay as he is. Coincidentially, trying to talk him out of the Cazador ritual is so insightful, both here in the video (this is before you get attacked by the other spawns) and later (after you get attacked) you have some options/dialogues about how he is so different now, he is not like "them"/his old pathetic self anymore.

This is the other post-attack dialogue:

When I played friendship Astarion, the most interesting part post ritual was the dev literally spells it out:

In the crypt you also find a book about Cazador's master and the rules he made for Cazador, and the abuse Cazador suffered before killing his master in revenge.

And of course:

#sorry i am mad because someone wrote an essay about how vampire astarion is the happy ending for him HOW??? it is not #if you want to play evil go ahead just know that it is not the good ending for him #astarion #baldur's gate 3 spoilers #baldur's gate 3 #so mad because the comment was like the vampire ending is the one where he is truly happy because he is the same confident astarion we met #at the start of the game