#aka content that is shared with the fans for their enjoyment

[doublel27]

So if I’m getting my timeline correct:

Santa surprised Perth with an unscripted kiss at LOL last weekend.

Aou surprised Boom with adding a sniff kiss to a JengPok scene they re-enacted at their Macau fanmeet today.

Considering the last time this kind of timeline happened, Boom filmed himself waiting outside Aou’s bathroom at midnight with a candle we went through JASP.er + partners surprise midnight birthday candles escalating until Dunk showed up at Joong’s house with a cake over a meter in diameter and someone else to film him…

Can’t wait to see how the rest of JASP.er finishes this one out, especially considering JoongDunk’s fanservice (which does not negate how much they actually care about each other let me be clear) has a level of campy drag to it that makes them irresistible and over the top.

[hibischush]

What kind of music, or song that instantly comes in your mind each FoM bachelors and bachelorettes would listen to?

God this is going to reveal so much about me y'all better not judge my odd musical escapades 😤🌺

Seriously though, I love character playlists so if any of y'all make one please share!

Bachelors;

Balor

Okay...I dunno why but

Fall Out Boy

Balor just seems like the type of guy to like the content sung in their songs and I think he definitely enjoys pop-punk

Like I immediately thought of "Sugar, We're Goin Down" from Fall Out Boy

Literally any other emo-rock/punk band too

Think MCR

March

Anything from The Offspring tbh

I was listening to "Want You Bad" and I was like. Yep that's him

Same goes for "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid"

For music that he listens to, I also think he would be a rock enjoyer

NOT BECAUSE HE'S A BLACKSMITH. OK?

But more specifically older rock (think Bon Jovi, Journey, The Rolling Stones)

Hayden

Yes I know he looks like he listens to country

But its more folk-country than the pop-country that's super popular these days

I thought of "Southern Nights" by Glen Campbell

Also pretty much anything from Johnny Cash

Specifically "Ring of Fire"

Ryis

I think he would like some country artists similar to Hayden, but I thought of Jimi Hendrix honestly

Like Hendrix's "Purple Haze"

Soft rock basically

"Drive," "Just What I Needed," and "You Might Think" all by The Cars

Eiland

This man definitely listens to classical/orchestral music I mean look at him

I can't really point out any artists for that

But like... if video games/movies existed in Mistria

He'd listen to video game OSTs too

Like you'd be catching him listening to Indiana Jones' OST while digging up artifacts 😭

Bachelorettes;

Celine

I think Celine would listen to pop or pop-punk for sure

Like she's listening to Billie Eilish idc

Esp Billie's HIT ME HARD AND SOFT album

I think she'd listen to Kali Uchi too (her "Moonlight" song came to mind)

But I think she'd also like R&B too (Specifically Ravyn Lenae)

Juniper

She'd get down with rap and R&B man

"Paint the Town Red" and "Agora Hills" by Doja Cat

"Dang!" by Mac Miller ft. Anderson .Paak

She likes the soft beat packed with words or hype music I suppose

makes her feel powerful

Reina

Reina is another R&B enjoyer-- but specifically a huge SZA fan

I thought of "Snooze" by SZA

But Reina seems like the type to enjoy any type of music honestly

Her family really encourages music as a past time with her mom singer and her father playing stringed instruments

Valen

Only piano music

Literally she's the type to dislike music that hypes her up/makes her feel strong emotions like anger

She likes music that calms her and piano music does just that

Adeline

Adeline is similar to her brother in that she enjoys classical music

She enjoys ball room dancing, and often "classic" or orchestral or waltz music plays

But I also see her enjoying Brazilian Bossa Nova music as well

"Brazil" (Aka Aquarela do Brasil) by Antonio Carlos Jor

"So Danco Samba" by Stan Getz & Luiz Bonfa

I think she likes bossa nova because the rhythm is so different from more western music

It challenges to adapt to the beat while dancing and she likes it

Bonus; Caldarus

For Caldarus, it has been a long time since they have heard music

When they hear it from your nearby farmhouse, they find it very pleasing

If they ever get outta statue form then I think they are very eager to seek out all types of music

Whelp hopefully none of these are musical hot takes.🥲 Whenever I mention certain artists just know that I primarily mean the vibes/style of the artists, cause you wouldn't find Doja Cat in Mistria lmao

[windydrawallday]

"To see a world in a grain of sand and a heaven in a wild flower… "

✦[WELCOME, peeps!] I'm Windy, a Latin American (Argentinian) adult female in her 30s who "draws all day" because of my creative mind and fingers always scheming new OCs for my infinite hoard of virtual dolls… or jumping onto the AUs my friends make me fall for.

I'm here mostly to get ✧INSPIRATION✧ from awesome art, writing, science news, and nature pics! When not reblogging, I share my artwork, too, hoping to return that inspiration or just have a good time with mutuals who enjoy creating stories and characters!

[More details on my ABOUT]

✦[My SOCIALs]

[INSTAGRAM] (More active, I post ahead there).

[DISCORD] (Only for close friends/mutuals).

✦[Currently WORKING ON]

[The Door to Barrioween (Intro Part I)] #the door to barrioween (Personal Original Project that integrates my love for monster designs, character bonding, and urban fantasy.)

Illustrations for Fan Zines! (2/4 Finished so far; Participating this year on: Fossil Figthers Zine, AllSpark Zines-I Starscream, Antology of Artists-Original OCs, Gachapon Collectible Creature Catalogue-Original Designs).

✦[OPEN for]

Art Process Questions (I like gushing about art! TALK ART TO MEEE).

Art Requests (With delays! And I have the RIGHT to decline if the subject and/or characters don't vibe with me).

Art Trades (Only with friends/close mutuals).

Art Collabs (Only with friends/close mutuals).

Art Commissions (Ask on DMs, depending on my current schedule and subject).

Gift Art (Feel free to draw my OCs and Fav Blorbos!).

Roleplay (Ask on DMs, depending on my current schedule and subject -I'm more experienced in Spanish-)

But there's still MORE! Under the cut I'll continue, please keep reading so you get a clear overview of the type of warnings and contents you'll stumble upon when following me!

"… Hold infinity in the palm of your hand… "

✦[Be AWARE… ]

English is not my first language. I have a tendency to Spanglish here and there so, if you read me funny, please tell me so I can explain/correct myself.

The foundation of my ideals spins around concepts of Friendship and Love (100% Platonic) so, please tell me ASAP if the way I apply those words to you makes you uncomfortable and I'll change that!

I'm an Aromantic Asexual very supportive of romance and sex in fiction (AKA I'm one of those crazy shippers) but I'm the worst at noticing intentional flirting and advances of that type make me sick so please: DON'T EVEN TRY.

I'm an Eclectic Witch and an animist who worships the Moon and favors Pop Culture Magic. I'm trying to learn to mix it with Arts & Crafts and Technomagic.

I'm quite a busy adult irl so be patient if I don't reply faster some days than others.

I'm a self-taught artist, an Amateur if you want to be fancy. I like to mix both traditional techniques (inking, clay sculpture) and digital techniques (photography, collage, digital watercolors). I have a dozen art styles I change seasonally.

I'm against the use of AI/Generative Art & Writing software (including ChatGPT and Character.AI). I suggest not following me if you don't agree in this: I will block you in a blink.

My other hobbies: reading horror gothic novellas, collecting plastic dinosaurs, watching animated movies, and playing adventure-exploration and farm-sim games.

As I mentioned before, I'm a shipper, mostly of Enemies to Lovers dynamics. I swing them in both fluffy and angsty situations. If something doesn't sit well with you, learn to flag the tags and move on. Thank you.

(In case you want to know my personal stand about shipping [here is my PSA]. TLDR; I'm not anti-shipper, I won't tolerate harassment and censoring of someone else's enjoyment; I'm not either pro-shipper: I have my own squicks and limits with themes, and I will block freely whoever crosses my boundaries.)

I enjoy monster designs, alien speculative science, eldritch horrors, and feral animal characters the most.

I find joy too in creepy-cute designs, especially if themed around Gothic and Halloween!

The emojis I use the most: 💖👀🎉📝🍀🌻✨💥🍪🍿🐦🐾🦡

✦[My TAGs if you wish to check/flag some]

#windy squawks for art and blog updates.

#windy squeals for personal babblings/vent.

#myart for my general artwork (And if you are here for my Transformers fanart, this #ifellinrobothellagain is the tag).

#windydrawallday ocs for my original characters.

#my beloved fav characters from other media.

#shipping to the moon and back fav pairings.

#witchy side of the wind for my witchcraft reblogs.

#windy taps the sign about personal stands related to shipping, interaction with me and my art online etc.

[Check the Masterlist for specific tags]

Thanks for reading! And I hope you enjoy your stay if following uvu/

"… And eternity in an hour."

[saiyanandproud]

6 and 8, and 25! :0

Munday Mumbling Asks - send a number for me to talk about one of the following topics!

6. Excessive OOC

I must say I only had a few occasions on this blog where I have witnessed excessive OOC behaviours. Also, it's a bit hard to determine what is 'excessive', it's all very subjective, so I will list a few examples that come to mind and could fit the definition.

First of all, I don't mind OOC posting about a mun's worldbuilding, characters, writing approach, headcanons on their muses and so on. If anything, I really like to read about them, they give me a lot more insight on their creative approach and are a big source of inspiration for threads to suggest them! The only excessive aspect I might think of it is when there is A LOT of that and... None of the actual interactions. Aka: it's great to read about all this stuff, my friend, but if you don't actually offer any chance to put this into practice and roleplay with you, it might feel a bit pointless. I had instances of finding very interesting blogs, but once I scrolled through their posts, it was a lot of OOC talking and... None of the writing. Which makes me a bit suspicious about what to expect from it, so I might choose not to followe because I like to keep my dash focussed on RPing as much as possible. The fact that I live in a GMT zone which is different from most of my mutuals makes it challenging to follow dash activity already, so I'd like not to fill it with content that wouldn't be relevant to my hobby here if possible.

Another instance of excessive OOC that comes to my mind (again, according to my perspective), is toxic OOC. We all get salty, it's human, but if every post a person makes OOC is to throw shade and sourness at others / the dash / anything in a constant manner without ever considering dialoguing, my wish to interact with them will plummet. It's not too different from real life stuff -- no one likes to engage with someone who is constantly negative and criticises everyone and everything, and I personally prefer when issues are discussed (and hopefully fixed) rather than casually dropping complaints and never being proactive in making the situation better (and fixing the issue in private where it's due rather than ranting about it publicly). The odd moment of irritation is fine, but if looking back one realises that they are constantly irritated about anything, well, maybe they should consider if it's not a matter of the way they process stuff, and whether it would be worth changing approach. Again, this is just my two cents on the matter.

8. Reblog karma

I am a fan of reblog karma -- in fact, it's in my rules. This is for a couple of reasons: one, I have been treated as a source of memes by certain blogs that followed me but never cared to interact, write, or even reach out, only reblogged the memes I shared and that was it; as I find it quite rude, I usually give it three strikes until I choose to block the blog because of it. Second, which is kinda linked to the former, because RPing, while being a personal hobby, does happen in a community, hence why I think that, as a common effort to keep the fun going and interactions flowing for everyone's amusement, it's a simple matter of kindness to send an ask to the blog we reblog a meme from -- it takes 0 seconds, it fulfills the purpose that meme was reblogged for by the RPing blog in the first moment, and it enhances the possibilities of more people engaging in the meme/game and make it all more enjoyable for everyone.

I completely understand that sometimes you might not have a way/reason to send a certain ask to said mun, not even on anon. But that's why I think that, in this case, is just better to reblog the meme from the source (that's what memes blogs are there for!). I personally prefer to engage as much as possible, but if people don't, reblogging from meme blogs/sources helps them thrive, takes nothing, takes the burden off your shoulders, and doesn't make the other user feel 'used'. Again, a personal opinion.

25. Your character

Oh boy. What to say about Mariko? I can't believe I have been writing her for... Eight years now. It's sweet to say how she has changed in the meantime, and at the same time, how she hasn't changed at all, which makes me both proud and annoyed about her.

Well, let's start with the positive stuff I guess. I am happy that Mariko seems to draw in sympathy from the crowd. I've had a few people telling me she's well written and feels 'alive', which I'm glad to hear (especially considering that I really could treat her in a way more serious way when I write her). I do my best to make her flawed and as imperfect as possible, not becuase of the 'Mary Sue' complex (we all grew past it I think), but mostly because I think flawed characters are the most intriguing ones, and imperfections are great triggers to spike rich threads.

On the other hand, I wish I could write Mariko in a more 'serious' way sometimes. Part of the reason why it doesn't happen is my own selectivity, both in terms of mutuals (not a massive issue here, I consider myself kinda lucky, it's just that simply I need the right muses sometimes), and in terms of story. There are certain narrative knots in Mariko's storyline which I wish could go in a specific way, but I don't want to force anyone on it. Like, the way she finds out she descends from Goku -- it would really challenge her perspective on her life, her predjudices on his historical figure and so much more, and I would like to dedicate it as much time and introspection as possible, but I know this is my need and mine only.

The issue with Mariko is that she isn't born out of a story I had in my mind already; I just wrote down the premises (her life on Earth) but everything about her story from once she arrived in Conton onwards has been litterally shaped by RP interactions. Which has been beautiful, and unexpected, and lots of fun! Some key threads (like the ones with her mentors, with Fu, with Shallot) did a lot to make her grow in Conton, and by accomodating to mutuals turnover and so on, other opportunities to develop her came naturallly -- Mariko's devotion to her mentors, for example. The mutual who wrote both Nappa and Raditz back then is no longer active, which sparked a sense of 'abandonment' in Mariko's character, a nostalgia for her acquired family in Conton, and a need to cling on their figures whenever possible, reflected in later threads with @risingsouls). So yeah, by extension, Mariko's storyline relies a lot on the interactions I get here. Which, while it can be creative and surprising, it can also limit my chances to explore the character because of this approach, based on the availability or people/threads/muses/anything.

Another "issue" (kinda) I have with Mariko is the way she grew. I decided to progressively age her at some point, so each year that passes is a year she gains. Mariko is currently 23 (or 24? Did I update it this last July??), and I might decide to stop at some point, or not. However, not sure if because of her faceclaim appearance, or because of her attitude, or because people first interacted with her when she was younger, I still struggle to make her come across as more mature -- she seems crystallized in a trope that I struggle to free her from, and it can be frustrating because sometimes I feel like it hinders chances of more serious topics and threads involving her. Maybe it's also the way I write her, and the bratty attitude she has at times. Then again, it is really part of her personality, and while she has become more mature over the years, it's hard to picture her without her 'youthful spark' at times. Not sure. Inputs and constructive criticisms are more than welcome, as always.

[tarzinnia]

Positivity Night Shout Out

This is for @withahappyrefrain 's Positivity Night. What a great idea! I hope I did this correctly Abby.

I follow a number of creators and some of them even follow me back! It's been a great experience and so here is some appreciation and good vibes...thanks Abby for doing this!

In no particular order and some with a lil blurb lagniappe as I've gotten to know them. This is long but ya know, I'm not at the Oscars on a time limit so read it or keep scrolling past. Your choice.

@blooming-violets aka @eatbrainsfordinner gave me some great advice when I first joined on how not to get blocked due to blog appearance and has an amazing library of fics that sent me down a rabbit hole. Plus in possession of a side-holding you will fall out of your chair sense of humor. Laughter can give us hope and I know that some of her comment/replies just put me in a better frame of mind.

@liz-allyn whose mob!peter fic Sugar and Vice (all of her work really) just blows me away. If you haven't got Honey, life just isn't sweet at all at all. All her content just radiates emotion. Depth. It's all there.

@webslingingslasher such a talent and so very very kind to everyone. Am enthralled with nerd!peter/frat!peter. I have no clue where the late night sleepover energy comes from though. I am in awe.

@sincericida no one tops her blog for Andrew Garfield content. No one. I check it more frequently than I do the daily news. Could get lost for days with the top tier content. A real sweetheart, too. Always answers asks.

@luvablehand a winsome writer with great imagination. Absolutely love that there is an updated list of WIPs on the blog so I know what is coming.

@periprose Nice blogger and her Peter Parker is adorable. Completed chapter fic Florence is great.

@theradioactivespidergwen aka @she-likesorchids great writer across multiple fandoms and great wit. We share a love of various sandwiches, know that dressing is superior to stuffing, and think sweater weather is amazing. It's glorious.

@reidslovely haunting haunting writing that stays with me. Love our interactions when I have questions about a story/plot/character. Has been writing more mob!peter and I am a member of the mob!peter fan club for life.

@loveroftoomanyfandoms I came for the Peter Parker fics and somehow acquired a Matt Murdock on the hot guy keyfob. Personality shines through on her blog and is such a joy. ((HUGS)) Always love interacting and living vicariously through the 'where is Charlie this week' adventures. (Couple more months and he's going to be eating some mighty fine food in NOLA) Our food chats have been awesome and when food found it's way as the theme in a story, well I cannot say enough about how enjoyable that's been.

@p3mybeloved another great Spider-man fandom creator. Read on here and AO3.

@ficthots writes for the fandom that is number one in my heart (TASM) and LIghtning Bugs makes me cry but it's that good kind of tears.

@delicate-dorothea sweet sweet writing that is addictive to read. Really looking forward to continuing to read and follow.

@backtothefanfiction someone I just started following but wow, am currently enthralled with a multi chapter mob!peter fic (The Angel In The Garden Of Evil) that has blown me away. Been a lot of fun to follow the character arcs and the twists and turns. Love writing essays for this creator when I reblog because the back and forth has been wonderful and enriching. I know the longer series can be so hard to write and maintain but they are a feast when you can find them. I've had a front row seat and am looking forward to more works in the future.

@helloheyhihowdyheya Love her works. Reading Rose Thorn Blues right now, and if asked to pick a fave out of the masterlist of Spider-man fics I'm not sure I could because they're all my babies.

@thursdaygxrls so much imagination in her writing, love it and love all the fics. Am currently following two: Thin Ice and Infrunami.

@withahappyrefrain Abby, whose Peter Parker won me over from the get go and then wrote TGM fics that added more hot male characters to the keyfob. Perfect sense of humor, never afraid to call out haters, and you just glow with sunshine and flowers right when I need it most. Big hugs and a shout out.

Other bloggers reblogging content is how I ran across many of you listed above so readers and content creators: reblog whatever you enjoy because it's really what keeps Tumblr active and engaging. When I'm not writing, I'm enjoying what others create and the inspiration and encouragement and words you share is wonderful and thank you for the effort you put into what you do!

[2singedthoughts]

the gods cry because they cannot strike me down / and the rain washes away / ashes of the ghost of me

Hello hello and Welcome to my page!

I've been lingering on tumblr for a while and just never got around to really posting or reblogging anything, as most of the time I'm alright to just lurk and enjoy things quietly.

That said, I've been getting more into posting fanart and whatnot recently, so I thought I'd make a blog! Not just to post art but to yap about my favorite fandoms and find people with similar interests, too. I'll hunt down that content - and if there is none, I'll make it myself!

Feel free to leave asks or anything, and enjoy your stay here. <3

Get To Know Me!

An individual of many nicknames! My name is Phoenix, aka SingedHazards. Phoenix, Singed, Hazard, or any variation of the sorts is fine by me!

I am 18! My birthday is May 4th. :<) (Despite the birthday, I am actually not a star wars fan.)

My favorite number is 2! hence the user. 2singedthoughts.

I don't care much about pronouns either way, but I prefer it/its or they/them.

I am LGBTQ+! Polyam and Ace <3

I like talking about my interests, and hearing about others'! My favorite color is brown. I'm an animal lover and an artist. You can probably tell from the whole aesthetic so far that I like fire. I like space, too, and storms, and flowers and birds and nature. I enjoy seeing the magic in things.

I have no idea what I'm doing most of the time! There's nothing I particularly dislike, other than math. I never have any idea what I'm doing when it comes to math.

Where to find me?

You can shoot me a message if you're interested in talking on discord! It's really the only social media I'm super active on.

Other than that I have a Twitter where sometimes, once in a blue moon, I post some art. https://x.com/2DesignHazards

Fandoms?

Yessir, I have my share of those! I'll try to keep the list small lmfao.

-Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss

-MCRP or other such Minecraft content. (FavreMySabre is my most notable fixation; TSSO, TSS, SL, RQ, TR and AR) (Calvin's From The Fog S1 and S2) (I do enjoy some good MC Horror. I've been into the ARGs lately.) (UHC Generations!) (HermitCraft! Grian and Mumbo on HC mostly, but I've been following Gem, Scar, Doc and Tango as well.) (I watch Hardcore YTers every now and again, whatever video happens to catch my attention on the recommended page)

-Dead By Daylight, Phasmo, Project Zomboid and Lethal Company are some of my more commonly played games. (I don't have specific content creators for these, if I watch anything I just click on whatever looks the most entertaining.)

-Roblox player! Flee The Facility, Abyss World and Spray Paint are my go-tos. (I don't watch Roblox content a lot, but when I do it's usually Flamingo or Remainings. Sometimes Rogurt and ratskewer)

-Some miscellaneous creators I enjoy as well; IGP, Insym, Matt Rose, AstralSpiff, LetsGameItOut, ManlyBadassHero and Fooster!

You may notice I'm a horror enjoyer lmaoo. Anything with some good chaos in it will immediately pique my interest. There's more than that too, so really just hit me up. If I don't know the creator or game, I love discovering new things anyway! :<)

Miscellaneous Information

I'm not like, a professional at making intro pages or anything so for now this is all I have to say. I'll probably come back and edit and add more or remove some stuff later as I see fit, but this is a good start!

Like I said in the beginning, feel free to send asks,

and I hope you've enjoyed the stay. :<)

[iamshay]

Hi lovelies,

I just had to share my excitement about the Elgato Neo Collection. Seriously, I am head over heels for this gear. It's like it was designed specifically with my dream setup in mind.

First off, let's talk about the design. When I saw the Elgato Neo Collection, I was hooked. The elegant white look is stunning. I prefer simple colors and am not a huge fan of patterns on things. The modern look is perfect, and it matches my setup so well. I like to keep my setup elegant and more grown-up. I'm not a fan of making my setup overly pink or patterned. Not judging overly pink setups either, its super cute it's just not my taste. I like nude, white, and black colors. These elegant, simple colors suit my taste. I like to keep my surroundings simple and clean, especially since I spend most of my time in my setup room for streaming and also making art.

It's clear that Elgato knows what they're doing when it comes to design. But it's not just about looks. The functionality of this collection is off the charts, from innovative lighting solutions to advanced capture technology. Every piece is designed to make gaming, streaming, and content creation easier and more enjoyable. I can already see how this collection would take my setup to the next level.

Now, here's the catch, and it's a big one. I can't actually afford the Elgato Neo Collection right now. Yep, you guessed it, debt. It's a bummer because I can totally picture how amazing my setup would be with this gear. But for now, it's just not in the budget. =( it's not easy live alone and inflation is kicking my ass over here in Eu- norway.

Even though I can't get my hands on it just yet, the Elgato Neo Collection is definitely on my wish list. It's motivating me to get my finances in order aka finish pay my debt, so I can eventually make it happen. For those of you who can afford it, I say go for it. This collection is a perfect blend of style and functionality, and it will undoubtedly enhance your gaming or streaming experience.

One day, the Elgato Neo Collection will be mine. Until then, I'll keep admiring it from afar and working towards making my dream setup a reality.

[lazyliars]

c!Tommy's relationship to violence is a pretty fascinating one.

Specifically I got thinking about this in regards to Techno, and his proclaiming that he only saw Tommy as useful once he had displayed a willingness to commit violence against others alongside Techno.

And I think a lot of the difference in analysis of these moments between c!Tommy fans and c!Techno fans is that this kind of violence means different things between the two.

For Techno, fighting for or alongside someone is a pretty important thing; for someone who feels like he is often dehumanized and viewed as a weapon, choosing who he fights for and who he lends his power to means a lot.

As I see it, It's why his feeling abandoned during the Red Festival has much more weight amongst Techno enthusiasts then Tommy or Tubbo enjoyers, and why his bringing it up during Doomsday is such a point of contention between the two groups.

For the people in Tommy and Tubbo's corner, it's a deep hypocrisy; Techno claiming to feel used as a weapon after he had admitted that Tommy's usefulness and status as a friend and/or equal was tied directly to his being willing to fight.

But for the Techno corner, that's not what it's about; For Techno, fighting for someone you care about is a big deal, especially for someone who ends up being a loner a lot of the time. The willingness to protect someone is something deeper, almost symbolic.

It's a pretty nasty spot of miscommunication, tied with genuine misrepresentations of what Techno wanted from Tommy and a complete misunderstanding of what Tommy wanted from L'manberg and Tubbo, largely because during the Bedrock Bros arc, Tommy didn't know either.

Which ties back into how Tommy's relationship with violence works, and how it is pretty much the antithesis of Techno's.

For Tommy, not fighting someone is often a better indicator of his caring for them then his willingness to fight for them.

The best example of this is the scene in the community house; Tommy realizes that hurting his friends (specifically Tubbo) is not worth it - it's not going to get him what he wanted, and it's the turning point where he starts to understand what he always knew subconsciously; that what made the discs important wasn't entirely linked to the physical objects, it was the feeling of a carefree 'before time' that he wanted to return to.

It's Tommy's refusal to keep fighting Tubbo that is a transformative and inspiring moment for him, and a deep betrayal for Techno.

And it's why it hurts them both so badly.

Tommy doesn't want to fight Techno. He's genuinely apologetic to him and very obviously feels horrible for leaving him, and I imagine, had Dream not escalated the situation, Tommy would've been protecting him if the Butcher Army had tried to press the attack and finish what they started.

But for Techno, this is a brutal betrayal - Tommy used him, despite the fact that Tommy had just lost the very thing he had joined Techno to retrieve, because Techno was conflating Tommy's willingness to fight with his willingness to protect Techno, because that's how Techno shows that he cares.

To Techno, Tommy refusing to fight for him is a betrayal. For Tommy, it is a reclamation of his sense of self, but not an abandonment of Techno inherently.

Another example is Tommy continuing to follow Wilbur during the Pogtopia era, even when it was becoming more and more clear that Wilbur's spiral was endangering the people Tommy cared about.

Tommy refused, at every point, to get violent with Wilbur, or even to abandon him. He refused to believe that it would come to that, and he continued to believe in Wilbur's ability to pull himself back from the edge.

(It also makes Wilbur's beliefs on violence in his conversation with Big Q during the elections even more tragic. It was never a belief set that Tommy shared, even when Wilbur was being consumed by it.)

And again, when the cabinet was talking about killing Techno, Tommy was the one piping up in his defense because he was (at the time) just minding his own business. This is the foreshadowing to bedrock bros.

And we can see the reverse of this when Tommy is being violent. It's generally portrayed as something negative for his character, as a failing.

It's why Revivedbur goading Tommy into fighting him while they're doing the tour is such a dark moment.

It's why the scene in the pit and Techno's killing Tubbo is such a sticking point for Tommy and why Wilbur's giddiness at the brutality is so disturbing; Wilbur was aware that this was a devolution for Tommy.

It's also why I personally consider his killing Jack to be the lowest point of exile. It was a full refutation of the kind of 'silly' violence, AKA violence with no consequences. What would have been a dumb joke before suddenly took on this somber tone, as Jack tried to swim back up and save himself. This ends up being further compounded by Jack declaring this a canon death - Tommy, at his lowest, kills someone he once considered a friend.

This is why many Tommy enthusiasts view Bedrock Bros as the closest he ever came to a villain arc; Tommy hurting people for the sake getting what he wanted was a massive shift in his character's morality - it's why his declaration of being "worse than everyone I didn't want to be" means so much.

And while it's easy to think that "someone he didn't want to be" means Techno here, I'd argue he's referring to Wilbur. Wilbur, who gave in to his worst self and ended committing violence against all of his loved ones, precisely when he realized that he wouldn't be able to recover the thing he wanted most. Wilbur, who was the one who taught Tommy to fight with "words, not violence."

"The thing I built this nation for doesn't exist anymore," and "The discs were worth more than you ever were" are lines that parallel each other.

But where Wilbur follows his words up with an act of tragic, self-destructive violence, Tommy catches himself. Tommy stops hurting Tubbo. He stops trying to hurt L'manberg. He tells Tubbo to give Dream the disc, refuting Wilbur's idea that "if I can't have it, no one can," that poisoned his mind.

None of this is to say Tommy is a pacifist. He will definitely fight when he has to - he's a war veteran, after all.

But I do think there's a distinct difference in how he relates to violence when contrasted against other characters, and how he's failed and succeeded with regards to that.

[brokubroo]

bokuroo fanfic recs by an avid bokuroo enthusiast

if you're reading this, i assume you're looking for bokuroo fanfic recommendations and well, you're in luck! because i read that shit on the daily!

as bokuroo's #1 fan, i'm glad to share with you some of my favorite fanfics for this ship! i hope i'm able to give some new content for you all to read and enjoy and gush over, because that's definitely what i've done with these fics.

without further ado, let's get into it!:

there are a range of fics included below, some of which may be rated e (explicit), so please mind the ratings and the tags included on each individual fic, especially if you do not fit into the age-range the fic was targeted for.

☆ my sun in your sky by cachedoeswrite

It's been a while since they've hung out and Kuroo thinks about how it started, how it's going.

rated: e (18+)

word count: 13k

tropes: canon divergent, post-time skip

why i'm recommending it: the dynamic between bokuto and kuroo in this fic is absolutely seamless! the way the author wrote them falling into each other was like remembering nostalgic memories that have settled warmly in your heart. i'd say if you're not too concerned about relationships being defined and more into how people interact within a relationship with each other, you'll really enjoy this fic!

☆ Better Latte Than Never by freolia

"You know any funny, clever, single guys to match me with then?" Bokuto asked, a hesitant smile on his face which was just so sweet paired with all the muscles and the crazy hair. Single, gay, and a genuine sweetheart too? The universe had manifested Kuroo everything he could have ever hoped for, wrapped in rippling muscle like a Greek god. The universe had a horrible sense of humour, dropping someone like Bokuto on his doorstep now; a sweet, single guy who he got on with like a house on fire just when he'd lost all faith in his own relationships. And besides, Bokuto was asking if he knew anyone else. Not about him. Kuroo couldn't let down someone like Bokuto. He was asking for help from his bro. aka; Kuroo is oblivious, Bokuto is eternally hopefully, and all their friends are disappointed, but never surprised.

rated: t (13+)

word count: 16k

tropes: coffee shop au, college au, fluff, angst, matchmaking, mutual pining, friends to lovers

why i'm recommending it: this is a really good, funny, down-to-earth fic that i think most people would enjoy. it has a little bit of everything and has a feel-good tone to it, even through the minor angsty bits the author included. i think what really makes it special is how effortlessly the characters interact with each other in this fic. when you see how many characters and relationships are tagged, you might feel apprehensive, but they make for a great cast to bring bokuroo together! i'd say give it a shot even if you don't gravitate towards the tropes.

☆ amarillion by drifloon

“So you and Kuroo finally dating?” “What?” Koutarou said, sure that he’d misheard. “Dating,” Akaashi said again, leaning forward slightly, his frown deepening. “No, no,” Koutarou said. “Haha! What? No." Or, the story of how Koutarou falls for his best friend.

rated: e (18+)

word count: 12k

tropes: friends to lovers, college au, mutual pining, requited unrequited

why i'm recommending it: amarillion is the classic realization of bros figuring out they're actually in love with each other and i'm totally here for it! also: "'we don't have bad ideas'" and "'it's you and me, right? of course we were something'" get me every. damn. time! this fic is just a really good time and while it's one of the most popular bokuroo fics in the fandom, i couldn't just not recommend it!

☆ Strawberry-Chocolate Mess by KuriKuri

“I didn’t expect to run into you two here,” Kenma says, his gaze shifting to Tetsurō, and Tetsurō stiffens a little, wracking his brain for an excuse. After all, most of the times he and Bokuto get food together, they just end up throwing fries at each other across a plastic table at Mos Burger. “We, uh – ” Testurō starts, glancing over at Bokuto. “We’re on a date!” Bokuto blurts out.

rated: t (13+)

word count: 10k

tropes: friends to lovers, fake/pretend dating, mutual pining, post-time skip, college au

why i'm recommending it: this is such a sweet and fluffy fanfic! i swear, i've never felt more giddy reading something in my entire life. the good ol' fashioned fake/pretend dating au has always held a piece of my heart, simply because the mutual pining aspect is so enjoyable to read through! the side kenhina in this makes it all the more adorable, and the ending is just a gem to get to. i feel like those who like a good fake dating au would enjoy this, and even those who don't go out of their way to search for stories like this might like it as well.

☆ Baby Makes Three by novashyperion

“He's so small, Kuroo, I could hold him with one hand, but I won't cause I don't want to drop him,” Bokuto went on. “Oh man, do you think we can get Akaashi to get him a tiny Fukurodani jersey to wear?” Kuroo paused then. “First of all, you're not putting him in a Fukurodani jersey. He's wearing Nekoma or he's going butt naked. Second, we can't keep him. We barely know how to take care of ourselves. We nearly electrocuted ourselves with the toaster last week.” Bokuto finds a baby and brings him home to Kuroo.

rated: g (everyone)

word count: 22k

tropes: established relationship, kidfic, accidental baby acquisition, canon divergence

why i'm recommending it: this. is. so. cute!!! you'll never find a cuter fic. i dare you to find anything more precious and wholesome and wonderful. no but seriously, this is one of my favorite fics. it's super cute to see how bokuroo would take care of a baby hinata (baby hinata!!!) and it's both hilarious and amazingly, spectacularly charming. they're both so endearingly cute around hinata and i think anyone can find something to take away from this fic.

and those are the fics i have to recommend for anyone looking for something bokuroo! i hope you all found something new to read! let me know if you recognize any of the fics as well!

[mythrilhusk]

Envy vs Popularity (aka why ‘deserving’ anything is a foolish concept, and posting neg purely due to envy at someone’s popularity is harmful to yourself and to them)

Envy. Most people don’t want to think of themselves as envious. But it still wells up, even in the best of us. 

Envy is the desire to have what another person has, often at the cost of tearing them down to build yourself up. It’s a cruel, painful emotion, and those who act upon it end up saying or doing cruel, painful things. It can be parasocially indirect, too, where fans become envious for the sake of their beloved. 

But I’m not talking about the massive scope of fandom in general. My scope is much smaller. I want to talk about this in the context of popularity for fanfics. Yes, this is (indirectly) about Bones in the Ocean and the negativity that the author has come across. I like Bones, I think it’s an enjoyable story. Does it deserve popularity, when a few envious claim it doesn’t? 

The idea of deserving anything is a flawed concept at its core, because it implies the existence of entitlement or prerogative: this is my due, I should be / have such-and-such. But the world doesn’t work on this foolish sense of divine right. The idea of karma is often misconstrued in Western culture, I think. Karma, simply put, is consequences. Cause-effect. Action-Reaction. It isn’t some wibbly-wobbly arbiter of “good things for good people and bad things for bad people”. 

Which is why you can’t say, Oh, this random fic deserves more popularity, and Bones doesn’t deserve its reception, because it doesn’t matter whether you think it’s deserved or not. Bones is popular, and your fic may not be, and that’s just how the cards panned out. There are reasons for these outcomes, sure, but they’re so convoluted behind-the-scenes, because there’s so many people, so many different reasons why each one saw a certain fic and liked it, saw another and wasn’t interested, didn’t see a fic they might have liked, or so forth. 

Bones is an enjoyable story. Is there room for improvement? Certainly, but that goes for everything and everyone. Whether Bones ‘deserves’ popularity or not doesn’t actually matter. It has popularity. Deal with it. 

Shallow criticisms of characterization and so forth hide the envy truly at play. Perhaps you wish for your fic to be popular, or for someone else’s fic to be popular. Perhaps you grow bitter, because you arrogantly believe your fic is objectively better than the fic that has attained popularity. Perhaps you grow envious, dreaming that the popular fic will crash and burn, and then everyone will flock to your objectively much better fic. It stops being I wish my fic was loved too, and becomes My fic should be loved instead. 

I know how it feels. In my old fandom (which shall remain unnamed), I grew bitter at the popularity of what I considered to be trash fics, and the niche nature of my own works. I never said or did anything about it, but it still festered like strangling vines dripping with venom. But I came to realize that I was thinking arrogantly and shallowly. My fics don’t deserve popularity. Nobody’s fics ‘deserve’ popularity, but some get popular and some don’t, and that’s just the way it goes. 

All anyone can do is focus on improving their own craft, without worrying about comparing themself to others. 

Popularity is a fickle thing and rarely reflects the quality of the story or person. Bones in the Ocean and Passerine are among the better stories to gain such massive recognition, and we should be glad for them. It’s okay to not enjoy the stories, if they’re not your cup of tea, but you should be wary of turning your simple disinterest into bitterness. Bones is not a bad story just because you don’t like it, or just because it’s popular while your works aren’t. 

Last note for the day, I believe we as authors should all learn to practice compersion for each other, replacing bitter envy. Compersion is a term more commonly known in polyamorous communities. It’s sharing happiness for another’s joy/pleasure/success. I think compersion should apply for the writing community, as well. 

Work on improving your own craft. If you’re not content with your own popularity, that’s fine, but you can take steps to market yourself and your works instead of tearing others down. Try to replace envy with compersion. And remember that you are valid, but so are other people, so is everyone else, so stop and think before you spew negativity, and try to be kinder. 

[thistransient]

ภาษาไทย

In the beginning, aside from watching some youtube videos that were pretty ineffectual at imparting a lasting understanding of the Thai script, I did not put forth any effort at it beyond turning up for class, and doing the extremely brief and easy homework. (Early on I tried to find a language buddy on iTalki but we skyped once, didn’t click, and that was the end of it.)

Once everything shut down and I wasn’t talking to anyone in daily life beyond “hello” and “thank you”, there was even less pressure to progress. Until one day I ordered the wrong kind of bananas, because the fruit stands on GrabMart often have no English translation and I can’t copypaste the text from my phone. Possibly unpopular opinion, but I am not a fan of kluai nam wa (กล้วยน้ำว้า) aka pisang awak, so suddenly learning to read became a pressing issue. I ended up signing up for a free trial of a site that had an actual in-depth, useful explanation of the alphabet (which feels like it has a billion rules accompanied by an equal amount of exceptions to those rules). However, because Thai romanization is terrible, inconsistent, and doesn’t really do justice to Thai having more vowels than you can shake a stick at, being able to read it really helps at being able to pronounce things. (The fact that changing the font can make it suddenly and totally incomprehensible is a bridge I plan to try and cross in the future.)

I decided to just go ahead and finish the rest of the class textbook on my own. It’s not a “real” textbook -  that is, it’s put out by the school company with no ISBN or author listed and I have no shortage of criticisms about its format and contents. However, in looking up a grammar pattern required in an exercise but not explained anywhere in the book (presumably it’s expected that the teacher will fill in all gaps, and indeed, we didn’t even use the book much in class), I stumbled up on a Chinese-speaking youtuber doing short, effective, and well-explained videos of beginner-level Thai grammar. This is delightful because I can kill two birds with one stone, and I feel Thai has more parallels with Mandarin than English anyways. Plus, not that I have that big of a sample size, but vloggers teaching Thai in Mandarin seem a lot more excited and energetic about it than those teaching Thai in English. On account of my uni days studying abroad, I’m not a stranger to learning a foreign language via another foreign language, but this is the first time it’s actually more enjoyable doing it this way.

I would hazard that things might go a bit faster if I tried to actually make Thai friends, but a) these are isolation times and b) I didn’t have any close friends who spoke Chinese with me (an abundance of curious ride-share drivers, yes, friends, no) til I was already at lower-intermediate level (which is probably the point where one can start having intellectually meaningful conversations anyways) and I still turned out fine. There is a distinct chance that I will never get anywhere near intermediate though, and simply wander off confident in my banana order but nothing else, but it’s certainly grown on me more than I ever expected it would, which means there is some potential. 

[knchins]

When your wife sends you a tiktoker that is able to explain why AOT/SNK is shitty way better than you can. While he is not saying you can't be a fan/enjoyer/etc. I am here to tell you that yes it is shitty for you to support, defend, and consume AOT/SNK content. Because the bottom line is that it IS antisemitic rhetoric that is harmful the Jewish people (aka my partner's family). I don't care if you unfollow me. I care more about my family than I do a following on tumblr. I'm in the slow process of unfollowing anyone who shares AOT/SNK content. New medication and a spiritual awakening has given me the clarity to set better boundaries. I am no longer joining servers or following people that support Isayama.

[zkfanworkweek]

ZFAW Content Creator Interviews: OwedBetter

Hey everyone! We hope you’re all excited for ZFAW, and to honor (ha!) ZFAW’s commitment to supporting and celebrating fan content creators in the Zutara fandom, we’re going to be rolling out a series of interviews with well-known and widely-beloved content creators over the next few weeks. We’ve got artists and fanfiction authors, some names you recognize as well as a few phenomenal up-and-coming talents, and we can’t wait for you to meet them all!

I’m super excited about this one! For the sixth (incredibly delayed, I’M SORRY) interview in the cycle, we have Jo, aka @owedbetter. Best known for the absolutely iconic Zutara fanfiction “I’m Still Here,” Jo’s works can be found at: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12312357/chapters/27990618

Tell us about how you came to ship Zutara. What does this ship mean to you?

To use one of my favourite lines from Jane Austen, "I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look, or the words which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun." I started watching Avatar: The Last Airbender when I was just a tiny little baby child at 10 turning 11 years old. I do know for a fact, however, that Zutara had simply always been it for me from the very beginning. I believe it was during "The Storm" that I just knew that there was more to Zuko than what was at surface level. As a brown girl trying to make her way into positions of leadership as a child, Katara's strength, rage, and bravery paved the way for me to survive in the way I have. As a survivor of child abuse myself, Zuko remaining kind and gentle and good was of paramount importance. Together, they were the joining of two souls that met in conflict and chaos but through merit, equal standing, and forgiveness, they were exactly what each other needed. They are not opposites nor two halves of a whole; they are the sky and between them is only the world. Everyone has the need to feel truly seen and understood as they are by another, and Zuko and Katara do exactly that. Other stories come and go, but they're the story I come back to and will continue to call home every single time. I will never tire of them.

2. What inspires you to create Zutara fanworks?

 I've been a professional writer for the last ten years. It's my job to imagine and create stories. I also love consuming stories through every medium possible. The well never dries when you keep it full to the brim. When you do the work I do and you consume as many stories as I do and you've lived a long enough life and paid attention to the life around you as I have trained to do, to be inspired is second nature. For Zutara, however, these are voices that have lived in my brain for fifteen years. When I get an idea for a story, literally any story, it's like my subconscious is naturally attuned to their dynamic that every prompt I come up with is automatically a Zutara prompt. Such is the way. If I ever publish a novel and/or lead my own show/movie, you can bet that it's probably Zutara if you squint.

3. Be selfish - if you could request one fanwork based on your own art/fanfic, what would it be? What would you absolutely love to see someone create? 

To this day, "i'm still here" is probably the single greatest thing I've ever done in my whole stupid life. It would be the greatest honour to see my work interpreted visually. Genuinely, I'd love to see certain scenes as comic panels or something. Katara's realisation at the beach over who she is and she thinks about Yue, her mother, and her grandmother. Zuko and Katara's mutual understanding. The scene that started it all: baby Zuko taking care of baby Azula at the beach. Katara and Iroh talking in Chapter 7. Toph meeting fear for the first time. The entire ending of Chapter 6. As of writing this, I haven't updated the sequel yet but I would love to see visual interpretations of incoming Original Characters because they've been fun to create. I don't even know. If anyone wants to draw something from "i'm still here", I would like to see it. Please let me see it. I will cry. But also, I would like to see visual interpretation of Zutara in my modern quarantine pandemic AU because I would like to see long haired 28 year old Zuko wearing autumn-wear in a public park filled with flowers with 26 year old Katara basically wearing anything I wear because I am projecting in that story for a reason. 

4. Any words for people who are new to the fandom and/or nervous about sharing their work for the first time?Buddy, we're all just a bunch of nerds who are creating things for our enjoyment and the enjoyment of likeminded individuals. Do things for you and because they bring you joy, first and foremost. Everything else can be ignored if you want to ignore it. You're doing great. 

5. What is your favorite Zutara-related thing you’ve made and why is it special to you?

 Again, "i'm still here" is literally the greatest thing I've ever done in my life. Something I get commended for a fair amount with ISH is how I handled Zuko being a child abuse survivor, and his conflicting emotions with his violent abusers because he's still a child who wants his family to love him. That comes from an extremely personal place for me and it means the world to know that other survivors out there resonated so well with it. Also, Masterchef Zuko with that chicken adobo meant me getting a LOT of people saying they tried out the recipe themselves and I can feel my grandmother radiate with pride over knowing I'm so great a cook that I can convince people to want my dish just by writing about it. I'm so proud of everything I did with ISH. I worked really hard on it and I'm so happy to know it means a lot to other people too. 

6. What’s an idea for a fanwork that you have but haven’t gotten around to making?

I have this one modern AU involving dogs that I've put on the backburner since 2017. One day... one day!!! I'm a bit of a workaholic, though, so most of the things I want to do, I just do 'em. 

7. Are you participating in ZFAW? If so, want to give us a hint as to your plans? 👀

I am! I have a draft ready based on one of Hayley Foster's animatics and I'm very excited. Tumblr user hayleynfoster, I owe you my entire life. 

[agentnico]

Spree (2020) Review

Hot diggidy dayum, his film brought back “Gummy Bear”! You know that viral song on YouTube back in 2010s that was all the rave? That was so gangnam style before “Gangnam Style” was even a thing!... Damn I feel old!!

Plot: Thirsty for a following, Kurt Kunkle is a rideshare driver who has figured out a deadly plan to go viral.

With the modern generation spending half of their lives glued to the screens of their smartphones or other technology, and with so many people building careers through their IPs, making a horror or comedy film based around this could not feel anymore befitting or contemporary of our times. Recent examples include the 2014 horror flick Unfriended and 2018′s Searching. Now Spree takes it up a notch, by bringing in live streaming and taxi-hire-over-the-phone (like Uber) and blending them into a dark comedy where things really end up a bit bonkers to say the least. And boy, do things get crazy! Some of the events that occur are in fact so farfetched that you have to suspend your sense of disbelief. The main character commits some heinous crimes and murders, and manages to walk away scot-free during most of the film leaving no evidence even though he’s posting everything online.... it is unrealistic. In reality the police would have gotten their hands on him very quickly, however the movie at least attempts to explain this by bringing in the idea of fake news, and how these days with all the special effects and props at people’s disposal streamers can create the most craziest content to go viral, even though its fake. Still leaves the movie come-off as far-fetched, but I give the filmmakers props for trying to come up with a reason. Additionally, this is a black comedy after all, so it doesn’t have to be overly realistic.

Spree also is a very fast paced and snappy motion picture. Due to the constant intercutting sequences of the various viral and live streaming videos , it can at times be easy to get lost and miss certain details. Again though, one can analyse this as a reflection of real world social media posting, and how so many videos and viral streams are uploaded and shared in a matter of moments from so many different users, and we’re constantly getting drowned in endless content and more content and more more content, that’s it’s difficult to be able to keep up with it all said content. I feel like I’ve mentally embodied YouTuber TOMSKA (aka DarkSquidge) with the repetitive mentioning of ‘CONTENT’! Basically, what I’m saying is that the internet is crazy y’all! And yes, I used the term “y’all”! As I was saying though, the editing is really fast-paced and there is a lot thrown at the screen all the time. There’s even an active commentary section show with people reacting to what is going on, and it’s definitely worth trying to capture all the details, as even though this is a comedy, the movie’s also trying to say something about our real world and technology. Very Black Mirror-esque in that sense.

Joe Keery (of Stranger Things) definitely brings the enthusiasm and energy befit of a vlogger/streamer to the main character, and also seems like he watched The Office US when researching this role, as he has truly mastered the art of eyeing the camera Jim-style. Krasinski would be proud! And with the entire film playing out mostly as a live stream from Kurt’s phone, Joe Keery (of Stranger Things) is tasked with playing out a one-man show, as he’s always on centre stage, and luckily enough he does have the charm, the puppy dog eyes and the magnetic presence to keep the interest of the audience. Also, even though he is a psychopath and a serial killer, you inadvertently find yourself rooting for him at times, since many people that he murders are actually vile unpleasant self-absorbed beings. Literally the first guy he kills is a white supremist who thinks he is better and above everyone else, and as I was watching this guy I was thinking “damn I hate your guts” and then Joe Keery (of Stranger Things) goes and kills him. And you know what, I was satisfied. Don’t look at me like that, I’m not bloodthirsty or anything. I simply enjoyed seeing a man kill another man, now is that such a crime??

In the end, I think Spree is an enjoyable black horror comedy that doesn’t take itself too seriously, with a very game Joe Keery (of Stranger Things) carrying the piece with his loveable yet lunatic performance. The movie also joins the ranks of many others in observing the social commentary of modern obsession of internet following, and how ‘like’, ‘subscribe’ and ‘share’ has become such a pivotal point for many people’s existence. There’s plenty of comedy and enough sadistic violence for fans of Saw and American Psycho too, so if that’s your thing, well, then I guess this will be your thing.

Overall score: 6/10

[blackwoolncrown]

How is fandom any different from any other hobby? If you go to a knitting club that's the thing that ties you together initially, your enjoyment of knitting and THEN you get to talk to people about other things that you might have in common.

Because if you have a knitting club it meets once or twice monthly. You come together to talk about knitting and to knit mainly, and were it not for knitting you would not be socializing with those people. Then you all disperse and go about your regular lives, having interactions w other people without being about knitting, and knitting without making it a central deal. You can meet some people through a knitting club that you may get along with outside of knitting, but if you go to a knitting club (or a book club or a baking club etc) expecting that everyone you interact with there is going to be your friend rather than a friendly acquaintance just bc you share a hobby, that would be an immature and mistaken idea.

A knitting club takes place somewhere, it starts and it ends.

However, fandoms are a largely online phenomenon these days, and the issue with the internet as it functions these days is that people are ‘always on’. You find a new thing? Oh that means you have to follow blogs/twitters etc allll about it so that you have a constant stream of it in your awareness at all times. You watch/play/read the thing in your personal life, but you also stay talking about it/consuming it whenever you are online which is statistically several hours of the day. Meanwhile fandom is touted as a familial community where people seek to find meaningfu belonging and friendship, which is why so many people in fandom become hyperattached and extremely defensive of their favorite media no matter how problematic it may be or no matter the fact that it is normal that many people may have criticisms of it; ppl get like this because unlike with the stereotypical concept of a knitting club, online ever-present fandom again becomes so much of a person’s life that they start to identify with it, and thus any attack on its central media is an attack on them.

Beyond that it’s just not healthy for the main thing you interact with and through mentally to be some consumptive media. It can be a hobby if yu’re a creative in the fandom (though even that can have its downsides) but for the most part ‘fandom’ is not in and of itself the same thing as hobby so don’t compare them this way.

Brainrot is real, I swear to you and it’s not particularly healthy (though of course sometimes ppl are coping and while that’s not a great long term thing  I’m not moralizing whether this is good or bad) to be so fixated on some show or game or whatever; especially when it gets to the point that people become averse to interacting with people outside of the fandom, or struggle to do so without some media as a go-between.

Insular communities are not your friends, and there’s a certain distance one should keep- in a sense you need to have a center, know where it is and be able to stay connected with it instead of dumping a huge amount of your attention into what is actually a fleeting source of interest and sometimes, sadly, and addictive replaacement for interaction that begins to make people more and more reliant on the spaces it creates in order for them to relate.

The key point here is that passively consuming and obsessing over media isn’t a hobby like knitting is (art creation can be of course! But that would be having a hobby within a fandom- being a fan isn’t a hobby and it’s not an identity though many people sadly treat it like it is) and our ‘always online’ culture makes it very difficult for people to maintain healthy boundaries, limits and perspectives on just how much they are letting something consume them as they consume this.

This can apply to anything really, from book series’, shows, social justice communities, lifestyles etc. ‘Online communities’ have very nebulous boundaries (or lack thereof, again, bc one tends to just consume and exist in a never-ending data stream of their chosen content) and don’t actually fulfill many of the things RL community can and that really should be kept in mind. Not to mention the effects of insularity (aka brainrot).

Beyond this, even the idea of ‘fandom’ as an actual thing is false. It’s a kind of false solidarity. One says “Oh I;m in the x fandom” but that isn’t actually a real community. There are just a bunch of people who like a thing and think that unites them but the reality is all fandoms are full of infighting and drama and that happens BECAUSE people are acting like they are supposed to have solidarity. They identify with their favorite show and think it has x,yz, meanings and when other people don’t feel the same, because actually everyone likes things for different reasons, they flip shit because they feel betrayed- again because of the notion that a fandom is an actual community of likeminded people. it’s not.

[ask-the-crimson-king]

Music Shill of the Day

[YOU HAVE BEEN BAMBOOZLED IT’S AN ENTIRE FUCKING ALBUM THAT I’M SHILLING MOTHERFUCKERS.

This album is called Epitaph and it is by Pyramaze and GOOD FUCKING LORD do I love this. 

It was released on November 13th, and I have been listening to it practically non-stop ever since. Since I’ve given it a few days to settle in my brain, I am now doing a full shill for it. 

TL;DR SINCE I’M ADDING A CUT! Album slaps and y’all should go listen to it. It’s power metal (of course), very intense and emotional/uplifting sort. Best songs (in my opinion) are basically all of them. They are all good.

But if I did have to choose a top 3, it’d be:

>Steal My Crown >Final Hour >Particle or Indestructible

BUT ONTO the very rambly and more song-specific shilling.

I’m going to take this song-by-song and also link the full playlist here (youtube link, the album is also on spotify) because you can only have four videos per post and I don’t want to flood people with this thing. 

Also fair disclaimer for people who understand music; I don’t, I just enjoy this shit enough to try and share it with others. So if this sounds like a five year old trying to explain music, I’m sorry. I just am like that.

Also also disclaimer that not all of the songs have lyrics that I can find, so for some (if I posted lyrics) they are what I can decipher.

ANYWAY.

Epitaph on its own is a very beautiful sounding instrumental. It feels quiet, a little somber, but also uplifting. After going through it a few times, I can hear bits and pieces of the other songs on the album, which is a neat touch. And then it ends and smoothly transitions into A Stroke of Magic. Now, I’ve already done a shill for A Stroke of Magic, however the song, even weeks later,

STILL SLAPS. 

I love it. It is definitely a shift from Epitaph with its intensity, but it still carries over some of the instrumental into the song. I love the lyrics, I love the musicality of it, I love everything. It is one of the slower, more... forceful, if that makes any sense, songs on the album. It feels like something is slowly building and building as the song goes on, and this intensity carries into Steal My Crown. 

Steal My Crown is an absolute banger. I love it for so many reasons. I love how it opens, I love its riffs, I love how the lyrics are sung, it just is an absolute BANGER of a song. I love it so very much. It is also a bit of a slower and forceful song, but it still has that more signature intensity I’ve come to associate with these guys. 

The verses contrasting with how the chorus is sung is something I’m a sucker for. Especially with the guitars and synths hyping up the chorus and adding to this wonderful buildup. It makes the chorus sound even more powerful and amazing. I absolutely LOVE THIS SHIT. It is AMAZING.

Also love how the song ends. Just. It’s so good, guys. It’s so fucking good.

And now we come to Knights in Shining Armour.

Or, as I know it, 

“THE D&D SONG!”

Knights in shining armour, On a quest for power, Taking charge of things you'll never know. To raise the name of glory, Is bloody mandatory, If you want to end this puppet show! Knights in shining armour, Embittered by the hour. Taking charge of things you'll never see. But the road is long and torturous, Paved with steady progress, To bring this villain to his knees!

Classic D&D, anyway. It has that jaunty adventurer feel to it, and the chorus is just. It’s D&D. It is simply D&D. It’s fucking great. It is a nice lil jaunt. Don’t have much more to say, it is just a very enjoyable listen.

Bird of Prey is next. It’s maybe the weakest song on the album. I do not hate it, nor do I dislike it greatly. This entire album is amazing and absolutely slaps. However this one just feels like a song I’d hear while watching a trailer for a romcom or some sort of superhero movie with a romance b-plot for the hero. It’s not as particularly amazing as the other songs, but it’s far from horrible. Nice lil song to listen to.

Your Last Call is interesting. It’s intro is a bit different, a bit choppy, but it still definitely works for the song. That choppiness carries over throughout the song and it fits. Very nice to listen to. This one is also a bit weak on the album, but it’s still a nice song. 

AND now we come to Particle.

LET’S TALK ABOUT P A R T I C L E.

I'm chasing every particle of you, I don't wanna fight no more. But I can't believe it, I'm following your shadow's out the door. Calling out your name, but I know, I'm easily deceived and alone!  

First off, love it. Love love love it. It has a similar style and feel to Steal My Crown with that intense opening and then a more subdued verse that begins to lead into a very powerful chorus. Plus it has that little choppiness in it. 

The pre-chorus leading into the chorus just gets you ready for it to just... explode. AND IT FUCKIN DOES.

AND IT SLAPS.

And then it gives you some time to try and catch your breath before it punches you in the face again. But it’s still just... amazing. Wonderful. 

Also the lyrical content is grand and I enjoy it immensely even if it is maybe potentially a love song? Not sure completely. Still love the song anyway. 

I’m gonna be 100 with you okay.

Seeing this next song’s title I thought it may have been a cover.

It is not.

INDESTRUCTIBLE STILL FUCKING SLAPS SO DAMN HARD THOUGH.

I don’t know what we’re fighting for, Why are we trying to die so young? We are in-de, We are in-de. I don’t know what we’re fighting for, Why are we trying to die so young? We are in-de, -structible in life.

It is intense. It has that buildup. It has a great chorus. It has everything I praised the last few songs for. 

Its pacing does feel a bit different to that of Particle or Steal my Crown, but that’s part of why I still think it slaps. It just. Slaps. THE WHOLE ALBUM FUCKING SLAPS OKAY-

Alright so Transcendence.

It has a guest singer! She has a nice voice to listen to. I’m not a fan of femenine singers personally, but I like her voice.

The song itself, it feels... more somber, more like the title track than some of the other songs. Of course it has that signature intensity, but it also feels just...

Can’t really describe it. Slower. Calmer. Like a bit of a breath, for the last leg of the journey. 

Anyway.

Final Hour.

Uh.

Feels.

First of all, it just jumps right into the song. Not much of an intro before the lyrics begin. I like that. And the rythym of it is nice to listen to. 

And then the chorus...

Oh honey.

In our final hour, When the times are rough. We were sworn together, Last chance -- it's now or never! In our final hour, For the greater good. One man, of fifty million, In our sense of brilliance.

(Don’t feel too confident about those last two lines to be honest).

Fuck man. I just. Undescribable love for this song. Its entire feel of it just makes me feel kinda sad. This has a similar feel to Heroes (of Dundee) by Gloryhammer. I can’t catch all of the lyrics, and I can very well be wrong, but it feels like it has a similar theme. Of a sort of inevitability that something huge is about to happen.

Warriors are about to go off and potentially sacrifice themselves to save lives. 

A bit heavy, but I love it. 

Anyway. From something a little heavy, we get to World Forgone.

Aka something even MORE heavy. If I’m reading the lyrics correctly, it’s a song referencing how the world is becoming polluted, and how it’s dying. 

Mournful. Depressing. That somber feeling is back. Still a really good song.

And now.

We come to the end. A 12-minute song called The Time Traveler.

And GOOD FUCK I WOULD LOVE LYRICS BECAUSE THIS SOUNDS LIKE A REALLY COOL STORY IF I AM HEARING THIS CORRECTLY.

May do a Bonus Shill for this song in particular when the lyrics are released. 

This song features two guests in it, and I will say the guest singer kinda reminded me of Fabio Lione. However I haven’t heard much of that guy’s stuff outside of the song he did with Ancient Bards. 

(The guests are Lance & Matt King)

This is a very nice way to end the album. There’s talk of timelines, of maybe a sorcerer or warlock who is gaining power/succumbing to darkness. I say maybe cause THERE ARE NOT LYRICS OUT YET. I would LOVE them. I will do another shill when they come out.

SAME FOR THE OTHER SONGS WITHOUT LYRICS. Damn it. 

Anyway, this is a very good song, of course it is. The pacing of it doesn’t make it feel like you’re listening for eternity, which is something I appreciate. 

But I suppose that’s all I have to say. This post is long enough. 

THIS ALBUM SLAPS. LISTEN TO IT. ITS GOOD.]