#classical studies and classically misunderstood

[jamisonsss]

Disappointed to find that there are no weird Greek rituals at university. However I did join a Sorority, so it’s as close as I’ll get

[ko-eko-ev-go-ms]

It continues to trip me up how much human brains are just weird organic computers

[fureliselost]

Dpxdc twin au in which Danny and Damian are fraternal twins

It's a classic "the Fentons misunderstood Danny's name and registered him as Daniel" but they accidentally transe Danny's gender and Danny never corrects them. Strangely, Danny likes it.

Eventually, the Fentons figure out, but Danny says he doesn't mind and they go with it.

(note: In this Danny is kinda nb/transmasc/gender weird, gender is neutral to him and he's fine with being called whatever, although male pronouns are the ones he uses the most)

Cut to Danny being dragged by Vlad to a gala (Vlad can be good but annoying in this idc) and Vlad is proudly displaying his "godson".

Duke: Hey, Damian, did you see the kid Vlad Masters brought?

Damian: I thought father said he wouldn't go into business with Masters.

Duke: He still attends for appearances. (Shrugs) Anyway, got any twins you didn't tell us about?

Damian: Yes.

Duke: 'Cause that guy looks just like—what?

Damian: I said I have a twin you don't know about.

Damian explains to the batclan that Danny was sent on a mission (as punishment) to keep track of the Fentons, since they studied "Lazarus Water". And then they forgot about it. The last time Damian heard of Danny was right before the accident.

On Danny's side, he knows Damian will be there before he goes — he's kept track of his twin's public persona (and vigilante life). He'd been doing a great job of not interacting and keeping from being spotted, as was protocol for if two agents ended up on the same field — he knew Damian wasn't an agent anymore, but assumed the protocol still applied. He knew, the moment Duke Thomas spoke to him and then went straight toward Damian, that he'd failed that protocol.

Now, Damian was trying to convince him to leave the League.

"Daniyah, there is another way."

"I know there is another way," Danny replied, "Except I told you about it for years and you never listened." During the years away from his family, Danny had missed them, his memory softened the feeling of anger at the way his twin always moulded his ideals to whoever ruled him. "We aren't supposed to be speaking, I'm still an agent, I'm breaking protocol by being here."

They'd sneaked off to a room along with Damian's siblings, who watched attently and and silently. "You don't have to be an agent anymore."

"Yes, I do." Danny spat, "You don't seem to have realized, but some of us don't have the privilege of being the favorite. I never had the privilege of being saved."

Damian scowled, "Being saved is not a privilege."

"It isn't," Danny agreed, "You're just forgetting that when you got freedom in reward, I got sent on a mission as punishment. You're still free and I'm still being punished, so I'm not sure you understand exactly what my position is." He moved to leave, "I'm not a damsel in distress, and I don't need your furry parade to save me."

[make-friends-with-the-rats]

you know, I think what has been fundamentally misunderstood about Newsies (1992) is that it was never intended to be a modern spectacle of a musical. Rather than modern choreography and belted power ballads, Kenny Ortega (who studied under Gene Kelly btw) wanted to pay tribute to the classics.

The original Newsies is much more in line with Singin' in the Rain and the 1961 West Side Story than it is with a musical like Wicked or even it's own 2011 stage adaptation. Which also makes it pointless to pit the two versions against each other because they are completely different in style.

anyways, just watch Gene Kelly sing Singin' in the Rain and Christian Bale's Santa Fe back to back and you can clearly see the inspiration

[conclaveconfessions]

I would love to know why Bellini stans need to post continuous essays about how he's misunderstood (despite being a feature of the second most popular ship in this fandom) with analysis that mostly consists of speculation, headcanons, and recounting huge portions of the text. Classic Tumblr blorbo mental gymnastics I guess.

Normally I'd leave well alone, but the reason it irks me especially is because this is always followed with some sort of dig at Bellini "haters" (a phenomenon I've honestly never encountered despite being pretty active in the fandom) and the suggestion that people who think that Bellini is a coward and has a series of serious canonical lapses in his integrity just "don't understand complex characters". My brother in christ you are the one who can't handle that your fav might actually have genuine flaws. The rest of us here are still appreciating Bellini for the kind of sucky, cowardly, insecure, multifaceted character he is without trying to make excuses for his behaviour. The mental gymnastics is pretty funny to watch, so I'm not blocking just yet. Studying these people like a bug, though.

~

[sukuna-ryo]

Jjk Men College Au

Headcannons

Nanami Kento

Finance Major

Blonde neatly styled hair, sharp cheekbones, thin lips, light brown eyes, glasses pushed up the nose bridge, dark circles, well-groomed and tidy, looks more professional than the professor, you thought he was a professor when you first saw him, calm and composed, stoic, mature, responsible and reliable, emotionally intelligent, good with people, helpful, no-nonsense-adult attitude, pragmatic, cynical, intelligent, tactical, tech-savvy.

Early morning lectures, blue dress shirts, khaki trousers, leopard print ties, networking, finance club, seminars, workshops, turns in assignments before due date, stockbroker internships, libraries, desk lamps, late night study sessions, midnight snacks, ink pens, vintage cars, leather seats, cracking knuckles, strained shoulder muscles, working out, not compromising on physical health despite having a demanding major, does jujutsu as hobby.

College-personal life balance, strength of character, disciplined, organized, heartthrob (unaware), husband material, would probably fall for someone just as diligent as him.

Ryomen Sukuna

Kinesiology Major

Red hair, fiery personality, strength, endurance, gym, MMA fighter, training, late night MMA matches, muscles, tattoos, tattoo artist best friend, frat parties, alcohol, girls, messy sex life, doesn’t do relationships, toxic, fans and fan clubs, future MMA champion, media coverage, athletic, strong-headed, willpower, intelligent, calculative, cunning, missing lectures, top ranker despite not studying much, arrogant, crazy, borderline criminal, don’t try to date him pls.

Leather jackets, ripped jeans, cologne, smirk, loud, reckless, always on the move, fights, wins, clubs, stays up late, doesn’t care, bad boy persona, high status, no commitments, love for chaos. Tension in the air when he enters, always the center of attention, fans everywhere, no time for weakness, doesn’t need to try.

Tattoo sleeve, arms covered, history of fights, scars, reputation, strength, untouchable, doesn’t play by rules, barely attends class, still aces it. Smirks, keeps moving, doesn’t stop. Drinks, casual, no relationships, cold heart. Only more battles ahead, all eyes on him, unpredictable, dangerous, charming.

Geto Suguru

Philosophy Major

Long black hair, weird side bangs, manbun, hidden tattoos, sharp dresser, classic casual but always expensive, calm and composed, mysterious yet friendly to those who matter.

Religious studies, top student, always reading something deep, debates with professors over lunch, having lunch with professors, doing pottery in his free time, sharp opinions, loud thoughts, a little racist, has a vision for an ideal society, probably loves Pythagoras and his cult, wishes to have something similar, always scribbling down ideas in random places, likes to keep things classy but low-key, sharp, calculating, deeply invested in his beliefs.

Volunteers at orphanages, good with children, art hobbies, loves to talk about philosophy, sometimes found debating late at night in the library, always in deep thought, a bit of a perfectionist, not easily impressed by others, enjoys challenging people intellectually, likes to put effort into his appearance, always carrying books on ethics, metaphysics, and society.

Popular amongst women, Gojo’s best friend, your grandma would probably like him, friendly but keeps a bit of distance, doesn’t open up easily but will be there for you when needed, composed around strangers, warm to those he’s close to, respects loyalty, his ideal partner would be someone with similar intelligence and values.

Gojo Satoru

Business major

6'4, blue eyes, trust fund guy, loud, jolly, eccentric, talented, arrogant, sarcastic, wants to make friends but misunderstood by those around him, comes off as off-putting, rich family, only heir, prodigy, diamond spoon kid, first in everything, Geto's best friend.

Gets bullied because of his white hair, shades, blindfolds, people think he has some weird kink, has fangirls regardless, popular loner, sharp dresser, stands out, hates attention, smirk always in place, makes people uncomfortable with his confidence, carefree but secretly lonely, sharp-tongued, cracks jokes all the time.

Easily gets on people's bad side, works to keep up his image, loves challenging authority, doesn't care about consequences, fiercely protective of his friends, holds grudges, always first to show up, leaves last, high-profile business role in his future, a bit of mystery that draws people in, keeps everyone at arm's length.

Wants to be understood, still pushes people away, walks into a room and demands attention, but doesn’t say a word, people notice him immediately, no one dares challenge him, but it’s not for lack of trying, takes classes seriously, skips boring ones, coffee in hand, shades indoors, professors secretly like him, students admire or fear him.

Doesn’t attend study groups, pulls through with perfect grades, natural intelligence, picks up info quickly, a bit of a mystery, high-profile events, networking, parties, center of attention at social gatherings, random comments that leave people laughing or wondering, doesn’t care about others, secretly craves connection but too prideful to ask for it.

---

Do not copy, plagiarise, translate or repost any of my content.

Likes, reblogs, and feedback is appreciated <3

[byhertorch]

Why do I consider Hekate a goddess of transgender people?

Trimorphe – The Three-Formed One

Hecate’s epithet Trimorphe (Τριμορφη)—“She of Three Forms”—has long been associated with her triple goddess nature: maiden, mother, and crone. But these are not only stages of cisgender womanhood—they are archetypes of change, transformation, and multiplicity. They defy fixed form.

Her triple nature can also be read through a transgender lens. She represents not one stable gender, but a divine affirmation of gender fluidity. Male, female, nonbinary—these too are sacred forms. In many ancient cultures, the idea of a "third gender" was not only acknowledged but revered: the hijras of India, the two-spirit peoples of Turtle Island (North America), the galli of Cybele’s temples in Rome. These identities were liminal, holy, intermediary. Like Hecate.

Her image—a goddess with three faces or bodies, often shown at crossroads—mirrors the modern transgender symbol: a circle at the center with three arrows pointing in different directions—♂, ♀, ⚧—one for male, one for female, and one for the in-between.

Enodia – She Who Walks the Road

Hecate is the goddess of roads, paths, and crossings. She is Enodia (Ἐνοδία), “In the Road.” When Demeter wandered the earth, grieving the abduction of her daughter Persephone, it was Hecate who met her in the darkness. Torch in hand, she guided Demeter toward the truth. She did not erase the pain—but she helped Demeter name it. She stood beside her in the search for loss, and reunion.

Every trans and nonbinary person knows this descent. The journey through questions: “Am I allowed to be this?” “What will they think?” “What if I change again?” And Hecate says: I will go with you. She holds her torches high and says: We will find who you are becoming, even in the dark.

Gender is not a static place we arrive at. It’s a process, a labyrinth, a road that splits and merges. She is there for the shifting ones.

Phosphoros – Light Bringer, Torch Bearer

One of Hecate’s most powerful names is Phōsphoros (Φωσφόρος), “Light-Bringer.” Like Lucifer in Latin or Eosphoros in Greek, this name carries the image of one who bears illumination into darkness. She holds two torches, not only to light her own way, but to show others the truth.

Transgender identity is often buried—under shame, fear, expectation, and silence. Hecate’s light is not soft. It is fierce. It blazes into the corners of our subconscious and says, “See who you are. Speak your name.” Her torches are not just for guidance—they are for revelation.

Like the moon reflecting sunlight, she gives us the clarity to look inward. In therapy rooms, in mirror gazes, in late-night journal entries, she is there.

For trans and gender-fluid people, gender often begins as a flickering light within, buried under layers of fear, expectation, silence. Some of us find our identity suddenly, others slowly. Some cycle through names and pronouns.

She lights up what was hidden—not to expose, but to honor. She shows us our own reflection, as we truly are, not as others demand. And she says: This is you.

Lyco – Mistress of Dogs, Companion of the Changed

In the aftermath of the Trojan War, myths tell us that Hecuba, the queen of Troy, lost everything—her children, her city, her crown. Some say that in her grief, rage, and despair, she was transformed into a dog. Others say she threw herself into the sea and was turned into a black hound that wandered the threshold between the living and the dead. But in several versions of the myth, one thing remains: Hecate took her in.

This story, often overlooked in classical studies, burns with meaning. Hecuba’s transformation into a dog, often interpreted as symbolic punishment or madness, can instead be seen as an allegory of bodily change—change that was forced, painful, and misunderstood by society, but embraced by Hecate.

Many of us who transition—whether socially, medically, spiritually—are told we are becoming something “other.” That our transformation renders us less worthy. But Hecate sees us in our new form and does not recoil. She says: Come with me.

She reminds us that transformation, even when painful, is a path to spiritual intimacy. She tells us: You are not broken by what you’ve become. You are closer to me than ever.

Liminalis – Goddess of Thresholds

Hecate is perhaps best understood as a liminal deity. She is always between: Titan and Olympian, above and below. She is found at gates, thresholds, crossroads, doorways.

To be trans is also to live liminally. We exist between genders, between names, between worlds. We know the in-between intimately. Society often fears what it cannot categorize. Hecate thrives in what is uncategorizable.

Kourotrophos – Nurse of Youth

Hecate’s title Kourotrophos (Κουροτρόφος), meaning “nurse of children” or “nurturer of the young,” is often overshadowed by her darker associations with ghosts and witchcraft. But this maternal aspect is crucial. She was invoked in rituals for protection of infants and adolescents, standing at the edges of cradles and beds, keeping evil spirits at bay. She saw the child as sacred—not just for what they were, but for who they might become.

This is profoundly meaningful for transgender youth. In a world where queer and trans children are targeted, erased, or forced to conform, Hecate offers sanctuary. She does not reject the adolescent in flux, the unsure, the questioning. She guards them. She is the deity who says, “You are still growing. You don’t need all the answers now. I will protect you while you find them.”

Brimo – The Furious Flame

Brimo (Βριμώ) is Hecate in her most fearsome form—Dread Goddess, Avenger, Furious Flame. She is the crackle of lightning, the scream of the wind at a crossroads, the fire that consumes lies. The name Brimo evokes awe, terror, and awe again. She is not safe. She is sacred.

Transgender people know this flame. It is the anger that burns after years of being misnamed, misunderstood, mocked. It is the fire that rises in us when we are denied care, dignity, safety, or visibility. But Brimo teaches us that rage is not something to be ashamed of. It is a torch. It is fuel. It is divine.

She does not ask us to be meek. She honors the trans people who fight back, speak out, refuse to be silent. The activists, the rebels, the survivors. The ones who are told they are “too much,” “too loud,” “too angry”—and keep going anyway.

Final Thoughts

This is just my personal interpretation of Hekate and what she means to me as a trans person. She makes me feel seen, protected, and safe—and that's why I wanted to share these thoughts. You don’t have to agree with any of this; mythology lives through the ways it speaks to each of us differently.

This is my very first post on Tumblr, and I just wanted to express something close to my heart. Thanks for reading 💜

[the-liars-art]

Jago “What-is-beauty” Sevatarion heard his primarch play the violin in the dark

Wrote a quick thing for Halloween, less than 600 wrds. More like a study or sad mindless stress relief but on Halloween. Straight out of the docs. No beta we die like our martyred father the Night Haunter

On an almost nightly basis, Sevatar followed the peculiar scent of his primarch in the reek of death that became too prevailing in the bowels of the Nightfall. When dawn drew close, Sevatar always retrieved Night Haunter from the darkest corners of the ship for Crusade duties. His lord tormented himself when he first returned to the reach of the Imperium and his legion, adapting to their radiant expectations as a master of men, though in his straining visions he had long foresaw them falling short. Now in these nights, entrenched in the sector of Thramas, Night Haunter tormented himself once more. Sevatar had always scoffed at the notion of the Night Haunter willingly standing as a general, a warlord, a misunderstood child among brothers. Duties to Horus were nothing but confinement. It stung him to see the deeply feared majesty of night reduced to a blind, warmongering pawn.

The hallway stretched on and disappeared into an endless tunnel, the distant gate obscured by spinning clouds of darkness in his vision. The reek of death grew too overwhelming to keep track of. Sevatar followed the sound instead. Was it a voice? It shivered in the freezing air, ringing closer than before. He ventured closer to its source in his mindless search. Now that he captured it with a little more clarity, he could make out the strained wail of a violin. His lord is near. Surprisingly, in a mood for some music. He never cared for any music in his entire life. Classical Nostraman pieces that used to move his family to tears, even the smallest siblings as young as he was, did nothing to his shrouded sense of beauty. He endured with them, unamazed, untouched like a potential statue yet to be wrought from a slab of marble. By the end of the concert, young Sevatar sat exhausted by the waves of sound, and the ceaseless voices from people’s minds that sang of emotions he could not comprehend. He returned with his family, the insides of his mouth tasted like blood. That was all music ever was.

He remembered little of the experience now, only that no sound had moved him, and no beauty had revealed itself to him the way it did others. As he treaded deeper into the lightless way, closer to his primarch, the familiar feeling came and went before he could realize what haunted the hallways was music. A string wailed, too high and too pure to be human. The hand that guided the bow shivered, delivering the music to the height of its almost continuous shriek, a purified agony. The rumbling and clicking noises of the ship receded, like fog blown away. The reek of bodies was gone.

The musical shrieks were darkness itself, but blazing and piercing as lightning crackling through clouds. The unseen skies of Nostramo opened above him, illuminating the acid-rainswept spires. Sevatar froze there, his hearts pounding but his brain heard nothing except for the sound of the weeping violin. The rest of the world came back within moments, but it was gone long enough for him to find himself unmoved, supported by his armor instead of his own spine and knees, claws clenched into fists that the servos in his gauntlets almost cracked under the pressure. His helmet wasn’t within reach. He couldn’t feel any expression on his own face. The air was cold against his skin. His scarred cheeks were warm with tears.

[leinielly]

🇺🇸: The following things I would do in the SAMURAI RABBIT series if I were the one writing it.

● WHEN THE STORY TAKES PLACE - when I watched it for the first time I was quite confused about when the series was set. From what was said in the series, it takes place A THOUSAND YEARS after the time when Miyamoto Usagi was alive, and from what I know he was based on a real samurai called Miyamoto Musashi who lived from 1584 to 1645 at the age of 61. So this means that the series would take place more or less in 2645. (Wow, it makes sense that technology is so great, Japan must have already dominated the world at that point!) So, at the height of my boredom, I thought about keeping it more or less at that time and finding a reason why there are shuguns, samurai and ninjas walking around, what could have happened in terms of making Japan return to its old traditions and such?

●KEEP THE ORIGINAL STYLE - You can judge me, but I liked the style of mixing old Japan with something more modern, it was visually readable to me. (Cries Boruto!) I'm even studying the style of clothes and designs of the characters in the series just for that reason, I really loved the style they chose. But since I should change something, I would say that some clothes would be like Kimonos imitating clothes from our current daily lives, or even the opposite of clothes we see today imitating classic Japanese clothes, depending on this it would become a new style with a really cool name.

●DESCENDANCE - I think it would be cooler in the series for Yuichi not to know that he is a descendant of Myamoto Usagi for now, but rather thinking that he is perhaps Kenichi's and even having a different coat of arms on his clothes reflecting the lack of knowledge of his kinship. The poor guy would only know the truth when he came into contact with the Ki stone and he wouldn't know if he should be happy to be a descendant of his hero or confused because for many generations this hadn't been revealed. So he would have to go after the truth somehow, although the only witnesses (the Yokais) are not so reliable because they see Myamoto differently. (This could be a loophole for an item that Myamoto had, which was a lock of Mariko's hair that he kept as a souvenir) so for now this truth couldn't be public so as not to cause chaos or something.

●THE YOKAIS- This one is going to be difficult, I actually thought it was cool in a way that the Yokais were just misunderstood beings that just wanted to live in peace, but there could also be some that just want chaos and bother the residents of Neo Edo (just like in some legends) so we would have some antagonists for now and we could choose one to be the one that gives the most work to our aspiring Hero.

●YUICHI USAGI- yeah, although I like his duality of being cocky and a little insecure inside, I think he could have more layers of personality. (For now I see him as a Sonic Silver in terms of personality) so I thought he would take some traits from Kenichi and even Yukichi, being a protagonist who is partially short-tempered when it comes to competitions and tournaments, wanting to have his name on something, being partially deluded about what life is like in a big city or with people of a certain level of power or fame and even looking a lot for a worthy rival to surpass him and show his potential. He would certainly be a formidable warrior and competitor if he knows how to balance his temperament and ambitions.

🇧🇷: As seguintes coisas que eu faria na série de SAMURAI RABBIT caso fosse eu que escrevesse.

● QUANDO SE PASSA A HISTÓRIA- quando assisti pela primeira vez eu fiquei bastante confusa sobre em que época era série se passava. Pelo que foi dito na série, se passa MIL ANOS após a época em que Miyamoto Usagi era vivo, e pelo que sei ele foi baseado em uma samurai real chamar o Miyamoto Musashi que viveu de 1584 a 1645 com 61 anos. Logo isso quer dizer que a série se passaria mais ou menos em 2645. (Caramba faz sentido a tecnologia ser tanta, o Japão já deve ter dominado o mundo nesse ponto!) Então eu no auge do meu tédio pensei em manter mais ou menos nessa época e achar um motivo do porquê tá tendo shuguns, samurais e ninjas andando por aí, oque poderia ter acontecido no nível de fazer o Japão voltar as antigas tradições e tals?

●MANTER O ESTILO ORIGINAL- Podem me julgar, mas eu gostei do estilo de misturar o Japão antigo com algo mais moderno, ficou algo visualmente lendo pra mim. (Chora Boruto!) Eu até estou estudando um pouco o estilo de roupas e dos designs dos personagens da série só por isso, eu amei demais o estilo que escolheram. Mas como eu devo mudar algo eu então diria que algumas roupas seriam tipo Kimonos imitando roupas do nosso cotidiano atual, ou até o contrário de roupas que vemos hoje imitando as roupas clássicas do Japão, dependendo isso viraria um novo estilo com um nome bem bacana.

●A DESCENDÊNCIA- acho que seria mas legal na série o Yuichi não saber que é descendente do Myamoto Usagi por enquanto, e sim pensando ser talvez do Kenichi e até tendo um brasão diferente na roupa refletindo a desconhecimento de seu parentesco. O coitado só iria saber a verdade quando entrasse em contato com a pedra de Ki e ele não saberia se deveria está feliz por ser decendente do seu herói ou confuso por durante muitas gerações isso não ter sido revelado. Então ele teria que ir atrás da verdade de alguma forma, embora as únicas testemunhas (os Yokais) não serem tão confiáveis por verem o Myamoto de forma diferente. (Isso poderia ser uma brecha para um item que o Myamoto tinha que era uma mercha de cabelo da Mariko que ele guardava como lembrança) então por enquanto essa verdade não poderia ser pública para não causar caos ou algo assim.

●OS YOKAIS- Esse vai ser difícil, eu até que achei legal de certa forma os Yokais serem apenas seres incompreendidos que só queriam viver em paz, mas também poderia ter alguns que só querem o caos e incomodar os moradores de Neo Edo (assim como em algumas lendas) então teríamos por enquanto alguns antagonistas e poderiamos eleger um para ser o que mais vai dá trabalho para nosso aspirante a Herói.

●YUICHI USAGI- pois é, embora eu goste da dualidade dele de ser convencido e por dentro um pouco inseguro, eu acho que ele poderia ter mais camadas de personalidade. (Por agora eu o vejo como um Silver de sonic no quesito de personalidade) então pensei nele puxar alguns traços do Kenichi e até do Yukichi, sendo um protagonista parcialmente pavio curto quando o assunto é competições e torneios, almejar ter seu nome em algo, ser parcialmente iludido sobre como é a vida em uma cidade grande ou com pessoas de certo nível de poder ou fama e até procurar muito por um rival a altura para supera-lo e mostrar seu potencial. Certamente ele seria um guerreiro e competidor formidável se ele souber equilibrar seu temperamento e ambições.

[meshlact9901]

“The Bad Batch's musical tastes”🤘🎶

While watching music videos of my favorite bands I came up with the idea of ​​doing this based on the personality of each of my boys and this is what came out.

💀💀💀💀

Hunter

He likes Rock and Metal. He is attracted by rough and guttural voices, voices like those of Mike Patton, Chester Bennington, Chris Cornell, Layne Staley will undoubtedly fascinate him.

Tech

Based on the personality of our intelligent boy, he will be attracted to classical music and Jazz and that type of mathematical music that makes him use his brilliant mind, although as usual he will study each genre he hears and will be fascinated, leading him to discover more good music.

Wrecker

Without a doubt, metal and thrash metal are the thing of our strong and tough boy, although with that chicken heart he has a guilty pleasure with a very cheesy song which he sings in secret and when he discovers it he will blame Omega for reproducing it.

Crosshair

It is a fact that our boy with a dark personality would be a proud Emo who loves Post Punk, Gothic Rock and everything that has to do with a misunderstood society with which he feels deeply identified and would undoubtedly be the person who would call you Poser when telling him your tastes.

Echo

A man with a maternal sense loves 80s music and classic rock without a doubt Queen, The Beatles and the Stones top his playlist and his favorite from the 80s would be “Everybody wants to rule the World” by Tears for fears

Omega

She shares tastes with her brothers but pop is something she loves

Adult Omega

Although now that she has more mature tastes, she plays her brothers' music now that she travels alone and her playlist is a mix of all her music.

Well, for being clones, their personalities are very different and I love them for that, it was fun to do this, I miss my boys 🤎

[yanklbonkl]

So I started reading Gideon the Ninth (spoilers, live review, plot predictions ahead)

Currently at chapter 12 and Gideon is puttering around this castle after just having both kicked ass and had her ass kicked in a classic dueling scene.

Overall I'd say I like it so far, my one complaint being that Gideon doesn't seem to have any real motivation right now apart from a desire not to be discovered as a fraud. This has made the last few chapters feel kind of boring even though there's very interesting stuff going on in the background. For example there's a lot of very cool mysteries that either A) Gideon already knows the answer to and has no desire to explain in greater detail (What happened to all the children in the ninth house? Who is the host fighting? Where is the Emperor if not at his home planet? How does the interplanetary (interstellar?) economy work? What's inside The Locked Tomb (hey that's the series title!)?) or B) something that Gideon does not seem to have any interest in investigating (Who was her mother? Why did the lord and lady of the ninth kill themselves? What is Harrow up to? What the fuck is going on with the third house? What's the ring all the cavaliers were given when the came in? What's behind that locked door she found? Why is the ninth house full of weirdos? What the hell even is this whole competition?). Hopefully we'll get some motivation for her soon.

The relationship between Gideon and Harrow is interesting. My guess is we're shaping up to be a buddy cop/classic rom-com dynamic where they come to realize that they deeply misunderstood each other and actually need one another (maybe not).

On a more textual level the entire book feels more like it was written for AO3 than a traditional print novel. There's a ton of cultural references (e.g. I think there's a part where Gideon says something like: "while you were doing X I studied the blade" and another line about a sword in each hand and one in the mouth which is 99% chance a reference to One Piece?). I kind of like it but it's just a bit odd. I'm not sure how it will read in say, 10-15 years, let alone 20.

Okay now for some predictions for the rest of the book (in no particular order and some contradicting others):

We learn that Gideon's arrival is responsible for the deaths in the house of the ninth (the mass loss of children and/or the lord and lady hanging themselves).

Gideon and Dulcinea of the seventh hook up

Gideon and Harrow hook up

The cavalier of the third house kills Magnus but it's in a duel and made to look like an accident

Either Coronabeth or Ianthe kill Dulcinea but it's made to look like her disease

The entire "contest" to become lyctors is a sham (FREE SPACE)

The emperor is dead

The emperor never existed

The emperor eats lyctors ("eats" may or may not be literal here)

Gideon's mom was a lyctor

The empire is losing their starship-trooper ass war

[jkflesh]

TECHNO ANIMAL — 2001 interview

(Google translate from German)

It's a blast. That's the most common description of Kevin Martin and Justin Broadrick. Kevin used to play in a band called God and Justin in a band called Godflesh, who toured together. They quickly noticed that they had a lot in common, e.g. musical preferences, but also social backgrounds: both came from fairly poor backgrounds, both parents separated, and both got through their childhoods with the help of punk.

Kevin: "It was very obvious and clear that we were obsessed with music, that it was practically running through our veins. We talked a lot about recording processes. God was a mixture of free jazz and improv rock band, an ensemble of 12 people. That definitely makes it a live thing, you can't really experiment in the studio. And Justin played in a metal band, and they obviously have certain formulas that they have to work with."

A collaboration became increasingly clear. In the following period they were very inspired by a lot of contemporary classical music like Penderecki, Lutosławski, Nono on the one hand, and soundtrack composers like Ennio Morricone, John Carpenter or Jerry Goldsmith on the other hand - and dub, tons of dub.

"A lot of the music we like most seems to have been made in the late 60s and early 70s, and that has a lot to do with the music technology that was around back then - electro-acoustics and synthesizers, for example. And, as I said, dub - enormous amounts of dub. Listen to King Tubby, Lee Perry or Scientist - it's incredible where that comes from and what is it? When we were growing up, and Justin founded Napalm Death at 14, I listened to Discharge and Crass - but listening to dub was inevitable, it was no other thing."

Justin comes from Birmingham, a very multicultural city. Kevin lived in a provincial town on the south coast, but he absorbed the reggae that Sir John Peel regularly played on the airwaves from the radio.

"In the 70s and early 80s, as we know, there was no such separation; the vibe of punk and reggae, Public Image and Misty in Roots, was on the same level. It's funny that nowadays, in interviews, most journalists are obsessed with genres, whereas we no longer see the difference - most of it is a hardcore fusion of garbage, at most 5% of the music of everything makes no compromises, is intense, deep, energetic, passionate - that's the kind of music we like, and that's why we founded Techno Animal."

The name was an abbreviation and describes humans as technological animals - it has nothing to do with a genre name, but Kevin and Justin were often misunderstood as hardcore rave bastards, but in the year they were founded in 1990, the two only had a vague idea of ​​what techno was. When the duo started in their home studio, it was logically lo-fi: a few effects pedals and a CD player on which they diligently looped. Looking back, Kevin and Justin sing the praises of the 8-track recorder with great enthusiasm:

"So amateurish, but it was amazing! At that point, many people said to Godflesh that it was just noise and din. They didn't hear the composition or the elements of silence in it."

Techno Animal distanced itself from group improvisations and transformed the socialization punk vibe and a certain interest and understanding of the structures of new music into one.

Justin: "Embracing sampling technology so openly at such an early point in time - the early 90s - was a challenge at the time. From today's perspective, it seems ridiculous in view of the technical developments and compositional possibilities."

Kevin: "In many pieces of so-called new music, we recognized for the first time the possibility of a kind of anti-structure, of going far beyond the usual framework and understanding of music through certain microtonal moods, changes, drone-like textures or even certain rhythmic elements. That was incredible for us and we thought: if these guys can do it... OK, we didn't study at Juilliard University and we can't record in the finest electroacoustic studios in France, but our instinct told us: why shouldn't we be able to do it too?"

Justin enthusiastically confirms this autodidactic and very self-made path to sound research:

"Others learn electroacoustic music in a 10-year course, with theory and constant work in this field - they may be completely happy with it, but they may be trapped in a self-made field. When I play a chord on the guitar, they come up and say: Oh, that's a diminished E 7 or whatever, and I say: I don't know what it is, but it sounds good, it feels great, and I'll take it."

Kevin laughs and gets to the point again:

"We work intuitively. It's pure instinct, even in technology - we really get into the machines, but in the end it's always intuitive."

Techno Animal's first credits in this country were contributions to the Electric Ladyland compilation on Mille Plateaux.

"It was the time when people realised that Mo Wax and the whole concept of trip hop was nothing more than coffee house music. But you could still do something with downbeats, with hip hop and with psychedelia."

In the winter of 1997 they went on an impressive tour with Alec Empire and DJ Spooky, among others. Their collaboration with Alec Empire also dates back to this time, which seems only logical, as the shared requirements are too great. The Sidewinder and especially Curse Of The Golden Vampire - one of the most fantastic and most underrated freeform improv electro records of the present day, are testament to this (the second part, which is due to be released on Ipecac, is currently being worked on) - although Kevin and Justin have no problem allowing themselves the creative lion's share of production. The current Techno Animal album was originally supposed to be released on Digital Hardcore Recordings - but both them and Grand Royal, which was also under discussion, ultimately turned down an album. A few more setbacks in 1999 meant that the duo ran into a bottleneck, but they by no means gave up and continued to remix diligently until they received an offer from Matador in late summer 2000.

Techno Animal's equipment has evolved and they are as precise as possible, but it is still, as Justin says, about "magical discoveries".

But, says Kevin, "Maybe we are now slowly entering the realm of nerddom... so be careful. Maybe it will become more scientific. It's a love-hate relationship, we are locking ourselves away with our machines for longer and longer, our lives have changed, my girlfriend has definitely complained."

"Our girlfriends are Mac widows," Justin sums it up to general laughter. "Recently we have become more and more concerned with textures, whereas before it was mainly about dynamics and the limitations of the equipment. Now we are obsessed with microscopy of textures, editing a bassline that we want to make rougher, for example, but not more distorted."

Frequency matching, tube emulation, sound compression - Techno Animal's sound vocabulary has expanded considerably. Nevertheless, they don't see themselves in the same league as producers who sometimes work very difficultly, such as Autechre: Justin defines the difference between them as Sean and Rob consuming new machines and then doing literally everything with them, while Techno Animal draws ever deeper from the familiar radius. I tell Kevin and Justin about the Autechre live set in Cologne, which was bursting with a compact tension and intense power that some people would never have thought the abstract pioneers were capable of - absolutely kicking. It was not for nothing that Sean Booth wore a striking Detroit shirt that evening.

"That's exactly what I heard from Team Daobi at Sónar, who support them: that Autechre were fed up with all the nerds who came to their shows and wanted to make metal rather than abstract art music," Justin replies, laughing.

And once again a logical circle has come full circle. Kevin and Justin respect Autechre's obsession with detail, but they are about emotions - in fact, "feelings in the machines."

They love Autechre, but they just sound colder, and "there's no bass in their tracks. And that's addictive like chili," laughs Kevin. "The first thought when you hear an Autechre album is: fantastic music - but: where's the bass?" And again a loud laugh fills the room.

The addiction to bass inevitably brought Techno Animal together with hip hop producers: the new album The Brotherhood Of The Bomb was recorded with the support of independent rappers and producers such as dälek, El-P, Toastie Taylor, Priest (Anti Pop Consortium), Sonic Sum and Vast Aire from Cannibal Ox. Of course, the files flew across the ocean, and within eight months a rough beat compendium was pieced together, which was given a succinct sharpness by the various MCs.

Kevin: "I had long since lost my trust in good lyricists, but these people brought it back - regardless of whether you are interested in everyday life, science fiction or the creative use of words - they are geniuses."

The collaboration with the legend Divine Styler was of course sensational, but the result ultimately did not make it onto the record: the sound was too weak, too flat and not wide enough - they practiced abstinence, but a continuation of the collaboration is likely.

"He chose one of the loudest tracks ever and rapped a version of Rakim's "Follow the Leader" over it - as an outsider, but during the mixdown we noticed the weaknesses in the sound. People would have said: "Hey, that COULD have been really big!" - so we decided not to do it."

Techno Animal is characterized by the class of intuitively understanding musical contexts and translating them into their own context, which at first glance has nothing to do with their sound world.

"Most of the music that I love was initially overwhelming for me," says Kevin, "like the voice of Billie Holiday."

And Stina Nordenstam? Our conversation slips a little into raving about the Swede's vocal uniqueness. What does this unique singer, who could silence a room full of noise and listen with an acapella album, have to do with the beat makers Kevin and Justin, who make the wildest MCs ride like the horsemen of the apocalypse over their music?

"Her voice is incredible. We couldn't believe that she wanted us to do a remix for her. When we spoke on the phone afterwards, she asked if we wanted to produce a whole album for her. I was speechless. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. We talked a lot with her about extremes, because we are naturally drawn to them.

Sometimes it feels childish and I say: Oh come on, stop it..."

Justin can't stop laughing: "And our mix was so destructive...! A journalist who knew us suggested us to her."

Stina Nordenstam is truly an extreme, she doesn't perform live and she doesn't give interviews. No one should come between her art and the viewer and listener. This woman, who seems so fragile and yet strong at the same time, has more to do with Techno Animal than meets the eye. Last but not least, Jon Hassell plays on her album "And She Closed Her Eyes", and who did he work with?

"The way he took on his parts and textures on our album Re-Entry was impressive. We explained it to him vaguely and he improvised it exactly. In white cowboy boots and a hat..." - the rest is incomprehensible.

We have rarely laughed so much together in an interview. And that must suffice as a reference to one of the most amazing producer duos of our time. Ruffnecks with depth.

"For me, everything that has to do with music is a translation of dreams. It's magic for me," says Kevin Martin in conclusion.

And if you hear kitsch ringing here, you'd better start again from the beginning. Shortly afterwards, Techno Animal flew to London to play with Fantômas. On. And on.

[be-gay-find-cryptids]

(Part 1) Film & TV Recommendations for Halloween

1. Over the Garden Wall (Miniseries, 2014)

Over the Garden Wall features two half-brothers, Wirt and Gregory, who have become lost in a mysterious wood called The Unknown and attempt to find their way back home.

...

This beautifully crafted animated miniseries is the best thing to come out of Cartoon Network even after ten years. The unique atmosphere, which blends fairytale charm with Gothic eeriness, perfectly compliments the early 20th-century Americana-styled animation. At just ten episodes, Over the Garden Wall is a short but impactful experience that lingers with you long after it ends. I highly recommend this series.

2. Coraline (Film, 2009)

Wandering her rambling old house in her boring new town, an 11-year-old Coraline discovers a hidden door to a strangely idealized version of her life.

...

This stop-motion animated film is a deeply unsettling and visually stunning experience. Blending a dark fairytale narrative with otherworldly imagery, it presents itself as a psychological horror for young and older audiences alike. Coraline explores the complex ideas about family, identity, and the dangers of wish fulfillment with grace. I strongly recommend this film.

3. ParaNorman (Film, 2012)

Norman Babcock, a young boy who can communicate with ghosts, is given the task of ending a 300-year-old witch's curse on his Massachusetts town.

...

This heartfelt stop-motion animated film blends humor, horror, and themes of ostracization and acceptance. While blending classic horror movie tropes with a coming-of-age story, it manages to portray strong themes of prejudice by using zombies, witches, and ghoulish imagery. If you're looking for a unique spin on classic B-movie horror, I highly recommend this film.

4. Happy Death Day (Film, 2017)

A college student must relive the day of her murder over and over again in a loop that will end only when she discovers her killer's identity.

...

Happy Death Day is an entertaining mashup of slasher horror and Groundhog Day-style time loop storytelling. This film stands out from all the rest of the horror-comedy franchise due to its emotion, mystery, and character growth. While it doesn't push boundaries for horror, it makes up for its uniqueness that balances humor and suspense. If you're looking for a horror-comedy film, I strongly recommend this one.

5. Jennifer's Body (Film, 2009)

A newly-possessed high-school cheerleader turns into a succubus who kills her male classmates and devours their flesh in order to survive.

...

Though it was sorely misunderstood when it originally came out, it has recently garnered rightful attention for its subversive take on the horror-comedy genre. This film blends teen drama and supernatural horror and uses its genre to touch upon the objectification of women in horror and in reality. Its wit, self-awareness, and social commentary have made it a standout in the horror-comedy genre, and for that, I strongly recommend this film.

6. Sinister: Recut (Film, 2012)

Ellison Oswalt is a struggling true-crime writer whose discovery of snuff films depicting gruesome murders and strange supernatural elements in his new house puts his family in danger.

...

Said to be one of the scariest films ever from a research study, Sinister is a deeply unsettling horror movie that perfectly mixes supernatural elements with psychological tension. The haunting score combined with the grainy, nightmarish footage of the murders results in an unnerving experience that sits with you long after you turn the lights out. Instead of watching the original movie, I strongly recommend this fanedit version of the film. It elevates the movie by removing some of the cheesy jumpscares and awkward dialog. If you're looking for a genuinely haunting movie this Halloween, I recommend this one.

7. 1408 (Film, 2007)

Author Michael Enslin, who specializes in debunking paranormal occurrences, checks into the fabled room 1408 in the Dolphin Hotel in New York City.

...

This film excels in building suspense, using minimal special effects, and relying on our main characters' isolation and psychological unraveling to create fear. While this movie isn't as overtly terrifying as other horror films, 1408 offers an eerie, slow-burn experience, blending supernatural elements with personal trauma. The film has two different endings, the theatrical version and the director's cut. I'd suggest watching both to come to the conclusion of your favorite. It's a must-watch for fans of psychological horror, and I strongly recommend this film.

8. Midsommar (Film, 2019)

A couple travels to Northern Europe to visit a rural hometown's fabled Swedish mid-summer festival. What begins as an idyllic retreat quickly devolves into an increasingly violent and bizarre competition at the hands of a pagan cult.

...

This is a visually stunning and disturbing horror film set against the backdrop of a bright, idyllic Swedish village. The movie stands out for its unique approach to horror, unfolding almost entirely in daylight, creating a sense of unease through its striking visuals, unnerving atmosphere, and slow-building dread. Midsommar is a polarizing piece of media, mixing folk horror with psychological drama, and is filled with symbolism and unsettling imagery. I highly recommend this film if you're looking to be disturbed this Halloween.

9. Skinamarink (Film, 2022)

A young brother and sister wake up during the night to discover that their father is missing and that the windows, doors, and other objects in their house have vanished.

...

Skinamarink is an experimental analog horror film that trades traditional narrative for a surreal, nightmarish atmosphere. Shot in grainy, low-light cinematography, the film immerses you in a disorienting and eerie world where fear of the unknown takes center stage. The film’s strength lies in its ability to evoke childhood fears, using abstract visuals and unsettling sound design to create a sense of dread. However, its unconventional approach may alienate some people who expect a clear plot or resolution. The minimal dialogue and deliberate pacing make Skinamarink more of a mood piece than a traditional horror film, relying on atmosphere over jump scares. For those willing to embrace its experimental nature, Skinamarink offers a haunting and disquieting experience that lingers long after it ends, tapping into primal fears of isolation and helplessness. For all these reasons, I highly recommend that you check out this film.

10. Heck (Short Film, 2020)

A child wakes up in the middle of the night to the sound of his mom's television blaring.

...

Heck is a short film that shares a similar atmospheric approach to the creator's feature-length film Skinamarink. Like Skinamarink, it explores the feeling of being trapped in a surreal, dreamlike space. The film's minimalist aesthetic, with grainy visuals and a haunting soundscape, creates a disorienting atmosphere that leaves much to the imagination. It builds tension through its slow pacing, relying on the viewer's discomfort with the unknown rather than traditional horror tropes. For people who thought Skinamarink's runtime was excessive, Heck is a great substitute that captures the same atmosphere of the former. I highly recommend this film to people who have enjoyed Skinamarink's take on horror.

[twisted-wonderland-memories]

Tantei Yusuke

Age: 19 years old

Gender: ???

Hobbies: Detective, Disguising as other people

Likes: Pink, Diamond Paintings

Dislike: Being misunderstood

Favorite Food: Classic Boba Tea

Main Emoji: 🧋 - A rookie detective that he was once known as an emo student in the academy. He was also known as the pretty emo.

[CW: His backstory is dark, mentions of misgendering. If you are highly uncomfortable about what happens next please do not read.]

Chapter 1 - Struggles of the Past to the Present

Born as a uniquely beautiful person, Marissa Tantei was from a wealthy 'loving' family. However the name 'Marissa' isn't the real name, that specific name was meant to be a child replacement.

Because of their unique appearance and pink eyes the poor person was forced to do dress up, had to be girly girly to keep up with the reptation of the family but it clearly take a deadly toll on them. They decided to end this dress up things once an for all but those 'lovely' family had to scream at knowing that they once beloved daughter was gone.

However the grandparents happen to caught them and had to take actions on their own hands, taking their own parents to the asylum for further treatment. They were now under the care of the grandparents.

They ask them, "What name will you give yourself?"

They responded, "...Yusuke....Yusuke Tantei.... And from now on I must be called as a male. But that is not only that... I need to find out about my older sister before I was born..."

With that they accepted his proposal, Marissa who is unknown to Yusuke. He decided to take his grandfather's footsteps to study detective, files reports, and solve puzzles. At first it looks complicated, but in reality it was the opposite, Yusuke loves knowledge to the extent of handing the worse case scenario. It was the only thing he can do to ignore he bullying on his experiences.

But deep down Yusuke hated being called as a female, but he cannot deny that he does have female features on his body.

All it takes for Yusuke's ego to be destroyed was one simple yet dark case that his poor heart can't handle. It took him a bad time of finding a culprit and as a result he was soon targeted for the next round of bullying, with no other choices the family decided to change homes and live in a different country as the final act of self defense.

Chapter 2 - Meeting to find redemption

When he was transferred as a transfer student, he change his appearance to at least hide one of his eyes, wear contact lenses of red and blend in the shadows. Of course much to his annoyance there are girls fangirling over his appearance and yet there was one particular girl that is more than meets an eye.

An albino, a rare person to spot at that, but he knows from a glance.

That girl is the appearance of living in a nightmare,

'She was a little younger than me, pale skin, messed up hair, and worse...she hasn't eaten breakfast lately and lunch is coming...'

Tho he isn't sure if he is capable of helping her since he knows what happened, the best he can do is to observe. But it was his own beginning of witnessing her nightmare that would also traumatize him. Investigating Yumi's daily life in school, she was barely there at the cafeteria, she often goes to the infirmary, she also barely avoids places that got her bullied. But they do manage to find her in every breaks possible. Not only that he notice that Yumi doesn't bring school supplies and rather go to the library, she does have at least a pen and pencil since they casually put on test papers themselves.

He tried to talk to her but it would seem impossible at the very end of the day. Ever since he is called as a pretty emo boy in school he cannot escape their love letters and sudden conversations, he had no other choice but to get along with the classmates while trying to understand Yumi from the distance. Time has passed and her life gets worse right in front of his eyes, and the ONLY evidence he ever got was recordings of their voices, photos of proof while helplessly watching the situation. All he needs is for them to get caught.

It went on successfully and ever since then he managed to to post the reports to the police, principal, and their parents in secret, and not only that he got Yumi to run to the room and just at the perfect timing without failing their movements they were finally caught as Yumi was now surrounded by doctors. Yusuke thought it was finally the end of the nightmare but there ARE consequences of his actions.

The headmaster can’t even handle the insane pressure and because of that the school went on a shut down, the innocent students free to transfer to a better school, bullies being scolded and punished, as the staff got their correct paycheck but fired, all from Yusuke who solve the entire school and expose all of their secrets.

They all put the blame on him and yet the exact proof and evidence was strong it forces them to accept justice.

Those fake friends confront him and yelled at him for betraying them, but they do have one more thing to tick him off. Calling him a ‘female’ out of disrespect and he almost got the worse part if it weren’t for Yumi who guided the police to them. They were arrested ‘talk’ to their parents, but Yusuke is forced again to transfer to another school because of that incident. He thought he did the right thing and yet…

Breaking News: A girl was found comatosed in the hospital

Yusuke cried that night, that was Yumi herself.

“I’m so sorry…..I am….sorry….. I can’t even save you!” Repeating the same apology with tears from his eyes, it breaks their hearts knowing that his own trauma was remembered.

Chapter 3 - What I need to solve…

Ever since the aftermath of the situation, Yusuke was comforted by his grandparents about the situation and helped him get a therapist along with the anti depressants to recover from the incident. It took 5 years and Yusuke slowly get back on his feat and decided to have a change one last time, a appearance that not only accepting his uncomfortable appearance but also to use his own disadvantage into something that he never thought it would work.

Thanks to his appearance, he can swap from female to male clothing while blending in. Because of that he learn that being a spy is probably the best occupation for himself even if he had to dress up. But it was successful to not only earn money but also to repay his grandparents for not giving up on him, after all they can’t live forever he decided stand up to do everything he can to solve cases, blend in, and help those in need to avoid the same fate he cannot forget.

And there it was, ‘her’ incident.

Marissa Tantei, his older sibling. It was now his turn to solve what exactly happens to his unknowing sister. But it was a very long case, it only happens ever since 12 years ago right before he was born. He was able to find a scrap ideas about her case, but before it even work…

Yusuke unfortunately ended up the same fate as Yumi.

Chapter 4 - The final moment even if it didn’t last forever.

To his shock, he landed in an unfamiliar place. Floating coffins, and the first thing he sees was a small raccoon like cat trying to attack one more person. After removing that life he took that hand and drag them to who knows what other place he ran into. But it was not only the beginning of the reunion…

At the Mirror Chamber, not only he learns who the other person is…

It was Yumi, the same girl he failed to save.

He decided to take care of that raccoon like cat Grim, and at the same time assist Yumi. She is the only person he recognizes in an unfamiliar place, but at the same time he can at least protect her. But something was…off…

Why did he feel like…. Yumi is hiding the real self he knows.

Yusuke know that Yumi unknowingly has smiling depression recently which he knows she lost her smile when he first meet her. As much he wanted to deny it, her knowledge DOES scares him.

As much he want to tell her, but…

“You don’t need too talk about it, Yusuke.” Yumi said with reassurance, as much he was REALLY concerned about her. Yusuke knows her, even if its not much he KNOWS what her real personality is like and yet deep down…

“I know… Your scared…” Yumi finishes his thoughts, “I know…. We both went through tough times and yet… We are still both scared of getting closer….” Yumi said admitting one thing.

They are scared of each other’s secrets.

“To be honest with you… I knew you got your eye on me the first time we meet. You knew I was going through hell… and I know your secret…” Yumi stared at Yusuke in the eyes concerned, “Its scary…knowing the fact that we are both smart… creating theories in the mind to know the truth.” She said as Yusuke was stunned, “You…You also knew I was…” He asked scared and Yumi nodded, “I was stunned…and yet… I can understand why…” She said before patting Yusuke on the shoulder.

“I do admit, I was stunned to meet an actual trans but… I am glad I trusted you even if you were stared to protect me. Ppfftt… I am an ass for saying it out loud now, don’t you think?”

“….Ppffttt…. yeah… you were… But… I am glad that I was able to set you free.”

Yusuke and Yumi did have a good laugh and yet… it has been a while since they both cried silently with cups of their favorite drinks.

“I knew you were that pretty emo boy since middle school!”

“Oh shut it, I wasn’t that pretty in the first place!”

Yumi laugh as Yusuke look around panicking, “Wait, won’t anyone eavesdrop?!?! Jade or Azul will take it as an advantage!” Yusuke said concerned but Yumi shrugged, “I doubt it, today is a massive event happening, sure others here it but they won’t believe them.” Yumi said as Yusuke, “But my secret?” Yumi looked at Yusuke eyes up and down before smiling confidently, “Listen, despite your appearance you’re still male to me. And even if they do, it won’t work.” Yumi said but Yusuke sighs and changes the question knowing that her reply can be offensive if he brings the subject up more.

However, despite them being a bit rude to each other, the best memory they will gladly cherish is to at least have drinks.

After all, it is a memory worth remembering.

Yusuke and Yumi gladly cheers in silence knowing that everything will still work out in the end.

[sunnysam-my]

Dark Academia is a subculture and it isn't problematic, just misunderstood.

I am so tired of people that aren't a part of this community shitting on dark academia literally any time it gains popularity again, claiming that it's pretentious, elitist and racist. It's not problematic, at least not in a way most people criticise it for.

What all of those people don't seems to understand is that there's the dark academia aesthetic and there is the dark academia the subculture. Even when they do understand they still put people who are only interested in the fashion and overall vibe together with people who are dark academia.

Why is dark academia a subculture?

First let's start with what even subculture is?

It's a cultural group within a larger culture, often sharing a collection of values, beliefs, rituals and traditions. Despite what many believes, it doesn't have to have any connection to music, like Star Trek and Star Wars fans, but there's no need for having a shared fandom at all, like the gays, bikers and youth.

Participation in the dark academia subculture is not limited to following a specific set of fashion. It suggest preferred activities, hobbies, philosophies and lifestyles. The focus is on reading and expanding one’s horizons, on becaming the best version of oneself no matter the cost, especially by engaging in classical literature, history, foreign languages, mythology, art and philosophy. On top of that DA is actually connected to certain music (classical and neoclassical) and fandoms.

The (incorrect) criticisms:

1. One of the more common criticisms of dark academia is that of its superficiality and pretentiousness – that it is more a fetishisation of intellectual life than real intellectual life. "Instead of being a reading society, it's a Dead Poets Society cosplay." This is just simply untrue. Yes, there are people who are purely here for the aesthetic and vibes, but they aren't part of the subculture. People who are genuinely part of this community do read all those books, write poetry, journal e.t.c regularly and try to be well educated.

2. The money issue. Now this is where it gets funny. Dark academia is often called classist and racist because of it's "idealised vision of the academic lifestyle in which the money is simply there". Obviously in places where higher education is strictly financially driven studying is a bitch. Nowadays there are even a lot of doctors who are homeless, especially in US. But DA is mainly a European thing, and in a lot of EU countries studying isn't that expensive, it's not cheap either (books costs a lot and not working doesn't help), but you don't need to pay for a good education, you need to study hard and compete with others to get good education.

This however is not a dark academia problem. It's a harsh reality. One that we need to fight with. Getting higher education shouldn't make you get into a debt. It shouldn't make you sacrifice social life for studying all your life only to end on the streets.

3. "Eurocentric obsession". This is so dumb I don't even know to say. How can you possibly call people, mostly from Europe, problematic for being fascinated by Europe's history, it's past culture, Greek mythology, mostly European philosophers (but American too), Latin that is still fucking taught at many schools here, etc. All of things are taught in schools here. There is nothing wrong with you being obsessed with Asian royalty and making it part of your personality, but God forbid, you, a white person, are obsessed with the best parts of your history and culture 🙄.

4. Another criticism of dark academia is that it encourages unhealthy behaviour, both physically (caffeine overconsumption, smoking, drugs) and mentally (perfectionist, constant competition). The pursuit of perfection comes at a price. The entire idea of DA is to study as hard as possible so you can reach enlighten. It's workaholism, except it's school, not work. Now this is why I think dark academia isn't problematic in a way people think, but is misunderstood.

A melancholic comforting dream

It's easy to understand why people think DA is unhealthy or fake. Nights spent studying, writing essays for hours on end, drowning in books and writing excessive notes. For many this sounds like a nightmare, but dark academia romanticise it. It see it as the true joy of university life. At the same time there's taking joy in reflecting on what is irretrievably lost, pessimistic and melancholic.

In reality most people in this community are overworked neurodivergent, usually twice exceptional, youth who struggles mentally. So many people are twice exceptional and it's very obvious. The hyperfixetions, the love for linguistics and humanities, the hate of math.

For many Dark Academia is a coping method.

Staples of dark academia fiction explore intellectualism, classic literature and self-discovery, but also the struggle of fighting for your identity, the way humans are shaped by their trauma, the way they destroy themselves to be better. The word "dark" in Dark Academia is primarily about those dark sides of the human nature, not just the dark colours of the DA aesthetic.

If you think that Dead Poets Society romanticised suicide or Kill Your Darlings academicly motivated drug use then you're the crazy one here. People loved those movies, because of how relatable they were, even the suffering.

Studying is a bitch. If you make it fun then you are less depressed about the fact that you don't have the choice to not study all night. It's not just nostalgia for what you haven't experienced, but what you have to endure all your youth. Some people are forced to study to be the very best and sacrifice their (social) lives, because the system is so broken, but if you can make it into your own, comforting, time - it's better. Sure, the movies and books have lots of harmful copying mechanism, but irl (or in this case online) this community encourages healthy methods like reading, making art, journaling, acting etc.

I do think there's a lot of to talk about when it comes to, for example, sexism, and I do agree DA needs more diversity than just white cis man, but like I said, it's not problematic in a way most people criticise it for.

[raven-the-claw]

A Complete Guide To Chaotic Academia

bc its my fav aesthetic and there is not enough content about it

Outfits

most people say that chaotic academia is just dark academia but a little bit more messy, and, well, chaotic. the truth is, chaotic academia is A LOT more messy than dark academia. you can still use dark academia as kind of a "base", but you are going to replace your blazers with flannels, your turtlenecks with tshirts. as for pants, you can go with litteraly anything: cigarette pants, tailored trousers, ripped-up jeans or normal black leggings. i personally really ike ripped up overalls bc they give that "i dont really give a damn, im so misunderstood, my parents didnt love me, im a crazy lonely introverted teenage child" vibe...idk. whatever you wear, make sure you feel comfortable in it! even tho in chaotic academia there are almost no rules at all, here are some things that might help you!

colours: any earthy tones are fine, brown, caramel, dark green, dark red, white, etc etc

fictional characters that might inspire you:

-remus lupin

- any dpc character

- jess mariano

- sydney novak

accesories: flannels (a personal fav + they make even the most boring fit look better), cardigans, converse (bonus points if you draw/write on them or if you have them laced in a weird way), bracelets or necklaces that mean something to you, harry potter back packs, tote bags...

hairstyles: whatever you want, just make sure your hair is ALWAYS messy, looking like you just fucking woke up

Activities and Traits

ok now we're getting to the actually important part bc (repeat after me): chaotic academia is not about how you look, its about how you live and how you act. so here r some thing that might help:

- annotating books with the most unhinged random thoughts

- learning poetry or speeches word for word but not remembering most of the things for school

- studying in the (school) library and being besties with the librarian (optional)

- leaving notes (on trees, mailboxes or library books) for strangers to find

- "studying while listening to classical music" and then instead of studying you end up agressivly mouthing your favorite song

- im sure yall already heard this one, but yes, swearing and slag while discussing deep academic topics is incredibly important

- speaking of important topics: posting something important on social media knowing no one will read it

- doodles on your hands 24/7 (NO SUSAN, I DONT GIVE A DAMN THAT ITS BAD FOR MY SKIN)

- sarcasm. a lot.

- random thoughts

- random quotes

- knowing a ton of conspiracy theories that you dont even beileve in by heart

- listening to all different types of podcasts

- one day reading the classics, the next ya fantasy and day after that ao3 smut

- multifandom, multishipper

- tea/coffee addiction

- adding b.c. to todays date when writing it in school

- random thoughts and the weirdest annotations in your school notebooks, especially the classes that you find boring

- "going to the bathroom" and then spending half of your math class drawing/reading/smoking/crying/thinking/whatever the fuck you wanna do there bc ur tired of everything

- stealing random stuff from stores (tho it is not encouraged blah blah blah)

- watching gilmore girls every fall

- telling people ur favorite colour is green even tho it isnt just to let them know that ur gay

- reading in class, on breaks, at home, parks, meetings, aethletic events, and generally all the fucking time

- doing (mostly) everything last minute

- bad at photography, but you enjoy it

- cold tea my beloved

- wearing one item every day: it can either be a necklace, a flannel, a bracelet, a badge, headphones, earrings etc etc

- extremely messy handwriting, always writing with black pen

- crying at least once a day, but only when ur alone, being super emotional but never showing it

- hobbies include reading, screaming in your pillow, learning unique languages that you will probably never use, rewatching dead poets society, harry potter, enola holmes, end of the fucking world and gilmore girls

- massive bookworm, reads all the time, always has a book with them

- skipping class, not that often tho

- 💫anger issues💫

- hyperactive and lazy at the same time

- uses big words but makes fun of other people when they do it

- writes (rebellious) book quotes everywhere, every single one of their notebooks had IF WE BURN, YOU BURN WITH US written in them lol

- random useless powerpoints

- analysing taylor swift's folklore and evermore instead of sheakspeare because its just better

- retired almost-emo, had a phase when they wore black and acted all mysterious but were never really emo i cant explain it

- likes mcr. this one speaks for itself.

- gay and sad. no explanation needed.

Books, Movies and Music

Books:

- Harry Potter by you know who (WE DONT SUPPORT HER THO)

- The Secret History by Donna Tartt

- Night School by CJ Daugherty (is that how u spell it lol)

- The Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

- Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

- Heartstopper by Alice Oseman

- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

- Emma by Jane Austen

- Hamlet by Do I Really Need To Say Who

- The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

- The Picture of Dorain Gray by Oscar Wilde

- Frankenstein by Marry Shelley

Movies/TV Shows

- end of the fucking world

- heartstopper

- harry potter

- enola holmes

- dead poets society

- gilmore girls

- httyd (no kidding lol)

im not really a film girlie so if yall have any recs please lmk

Music:

- Mother Mother

- Taylor Swift (obviously)

- Lana Del Slay

- Conan Gray

- Olivia Rodrigo

- My Chemical Romance

- Lovejoy

- Bowie

- Queen

- Radiohead

- Björk

- Those random Disney songs i know you scream to at 3am

also whoever sings the IMJUSTATEENAGEDIRTBAGBAABBYY song

here is my playlist if yall wanna listen to it

hope that helps lol