#the creators or future media of this continuity

[yansim-newsletter]

Content Bans Plaguing Indie Scene

This past week, an Australian hate group masquerading as a charity known as Collective Shout has harassed payment processors such as Mastercard and Visa into forcing game platforming sites such as Steam and Itch.io into delisting or outright removing many NSFW and Queer games, which has disproportionately effected the indie game scene and yandere simulators in particular.

However, not all is lost - there has been a massive turn-out of protests and calls in response to this, even outside of the indie developer community. Fans and creators alike are joining forces to call these payment processors and protest the puritanical censorship occurring following Collective Shouts campaign, and also to report Collective Shout itself.

If you would like to join in this protest, the following numbers will help you:

Mastercard (US): 1-800-627-8372

Mastercard (Int.): +1-636-722-7111

Visa (US + Can): 1 800 847 2911

Visa (AUS): 1 800 125 440

PayPal: +44-0203-901-7000

Alternative Mastercard numbers:

Mastercard (Aus): 1800-120-113

Mastercard (US): 1-800-307-7309

Mastercard (UK): 0800-96-4767

When this newsletter reached out to a few creators and big-name-fans in a group interview, a few had some very choice words to say.

@lavender-teardroplettes, aka Si, said "I’m sad to see so many friends and acquaintances being hurt by a random puritan group that shouldn’t have anything to do not only with foreign affairs, but the livelihood of those they deem as 'less than' for not following their conservative beliefs."

Hermit, the creator of @you-and-him, simply responded with "Fuck this ban", though did also express that she is trying her best to help in regards to the carrd she's compiling of all the delisted games she can, and that "If they're not comfortable with joining that's okay, but I want everyone to know the offer is available" in regards to fellow creators expressing shyness over reaching out to her.

@indycinders also seconded Hermit's sentiments of "Fuck this ban" - "Add it again with a x2 from me."

@will-you-pick-me, in response to Hermit expressing that not all games want to depict sunshine and rainbows, said metaphorically "Yeah - if everything is bright, without any shadows to rest, we'd all go blind anyways", expressing the thoughtful sentiment that a balance of content types available is needed.

- What are your hopes for the community following this ban?

Hermit: "For the ban to be lifted and for people to continue to write and create without restraint or fear of having their hard work taken down."

WYPM: "I hope we can remain a unified front even after this ban is over, and remember that we're stronger together, not apart."

Si: "I hope that we're able to come together for a cross attack and stand our ground not only as a community, but also as a fight for our freedom of creative expression and safety of LGBT+ media."

Cinders: "I hope the sense of community between everyone can foster a better supportive environment. I hope that in times like these, we can put aside whatever issues we might have in order to overcome and survive through these challenges. I also hope that this ban only affects these areas rather than extending to x, Bluesky, Patreon, ko-fi."

- Do you have any words of encouragement for the community at large?

Hermit: "For those just starting out, please keep going. Continue with creating. Never give up on what you love doing despite the odds."

WYPM: "Don't give up protesting and reporting Collective Shout. I've seen reports that they're already getting overwhelmed with calls - we're almost there!"

Si: "We’re stronger together than apart. 1000 calls can easily be made and more as we band together to protect not only ourselves, but future projects and creators."

Cinders: "Keep your heads up, guys. Things are weird and kind of scary right now. We need support more than ever, so keep creating. Continuing on this path is our big middle finger to the people that want to see us fail."

- And is there anyone who's response to this ban you'd like to commend?

Hermit: "The dev’s who are staying strong and were affected by this change (which are so many) despite everything being thrown at them at this point in time."

WYPM: "I think Hermy's work with the carrd is excellent, and I'm very proud of her for working to preserve this community and all its art."

Si: "I’d like to commend the first responders gathering resources together like petitions and phone numbers so we can organize a pushback, as well as devs banding together to help make their games easier to access despite the ban."

Cinders: "Honestly, Hermy's. She's been so great at figuring out how to get around the ban and getting people's games back out there. It was inspirational to see her so adamantly fighting and outspoken against this ban. I also appreciate every dev and creator out there, big or small, that has also gave a big FU to the people behind this."

[vixendoesstuff]

I've seen like, interpretations of the Transformers One bots being like, +20 or +30 feet tall while still being uncogged and-

To that I say nah, 'cause I lowkey vibe more with the height charts shown here, and other posts like it, so if I ever like, draw the TFO bots one day they'll probably be as tall as the Knightverse bots, or taaller by a small margin.

[illycanary]

Katara's Story Is A Tragedy and It's Not An Accident

I was a teenaged girl when Avatar: The Last Airbender aired on Nickelodeon—the group that the show’s creators unintentionally hit while they were aiming for the younger, maler demographic. Nevermind that we’re the reason the show’s popularity caught fire and has endured for two decades; we weren’t the audience Mike and Bryan wanted. And by golly, were they going to make sure we knew it. They’ve been making sure we know it with every snide comment and addendum they’ve made to the story for the last twenty years.

For many of us girls who were raised in the nineties and aughts, Katara was a breath of fresh air—a rare opportunity in a media market saturated with boys having grand adventures to see a young woman having her own adventure and expressing the same fears and frustrations we were often made to feel. 

We were told that we could be anything we wanted to be. That we were strong and smart and brimming with potential. That we were just as capable as the boys. That we were our brothers’ equals. But we were also told to wash dishes and fold laundry and tidy around the house while our brothers played outside. We were ignored when our male classmates picked teams for kickball and told to go play with the girls on the swings—the same girls we were taught to deride if we wanted to be taken seriously. We were lectured for the same immaturity that was expected of boys our age and older, and we were told to do better while also being told, “Boys will be boys.” Despite all the platitudes about equality and power, we saw our mothers straining under the weight of carrying both full-time careers and unequally divided family responsibilities. We sensed that we were being groomed for the same future. 

And we saw ourselves in Katara. 

Katara begins as a parentified teenaged girl: forced to take on responsibility for the daily care of people around her—including male figures who are capable of looking after themselves but are allowed to be immature enough to foist such labor onto her. She does thankless work for people who take her contributions for granted. She’s belittled by people who love her, but don’t understand her. She’s isolated from the world and denied opportunities to improve her talents. She's told what emotions she's allowed to feel and when to feel them. In essence, she was living our real-world fear: being trapped in someone else’s narrow, stultifying definition of femininity and motherhood. 

Then we watched Katara go through an incredible journey of self-determination and empowerment. Katara goes from being a powerless, fearful victim to being a protector, healer, advocate, and liberator to others who can’t do those things for themselves (a much truer and more fulfilling definition of nurturing and motherhood). It’s necessary in Katara’s growth cycle that she does this for others first because that is the realm she knows. She is given increasingly significant opportunities to speak up and fight on behalf of others, and that allows her to build those advocacy muscles gradually. But she still holds back her own emotional pain because everyone that she attempts to express such things to proves they either don't want to deal with it or they only want to manipulate her feelings for their own purposes. 

Katara continues to do much of the work we think of as traditionally maternal on behalf of her friends and family over the course of the story, but we do see that scale gradually shift. Sokka takes on more responsibility for managing the group’s supplies, and everyone helps around camp, but Katara continues to be the manager of everyone else’s emotions while simultaneously punching down her own. The scales finally seem to tip when Zuko joins the group. With Zuko, we see someone working alongside Katara doing the same tasks she is doing around camp for the first time. Zuko is also the only person who never expects anything of her and whose emotions she never has to manage because he’s actually more emotionally stable and mature than she is by that point. And then, Katara’s arc culminates in her finally getting the chance to fully seize her power, rewrite the story of the traumatic event that cast her into the role of parentified child, be her own protector, and freely express everything she’s kept locked away for the sake of letting everyone else feel comfortable around her. Then she fights alongside an equal partner she knows she can trust and depend on through the story's climax. And for the first time since her mother’s death, the girl who gives and gives and gives while getting nothing back watches someone sacrifice everything for her. But this time, she’s able to change the ending because her power is fully realized. The cycle was officially broken.

Katara’s character arc was catharsis at every step. If Katara could break the mold and recreate the ideas of womanhood and motherhood in her own image, so could we. We could be powerful. We could care for ourselves AND others when they need us—instead of caring for everyone all the time at our own expense. We could have balanced partnerships with give and take going both ways (“Tui and La, push and pull”), rather than the, “I give, they take,” model we were conditioned to expect. We could fight for and determine our own destiny—after all, wasn’t destiny a core theme of the story?

Yes. Destiny was the theme. But the lesson was that Katara didn’t get to determine hers. 

After Katara achieves her victory and completes her arc, the narrative steps in and smacks her back down to where she started. For reasons that are never explained or justified, Katara rewards the hero by giving into his romantic advances even though he has invalidated her emotions, violated her boundaries, lashed out at her for slights against him she never committed, idealized a false idol of her then browbeat her when she deviated from his narrative, and forced her to carry his emotions and put herself in danger when he willingly fails to control himself—even though he never apologizes, never learns his lesson, and never shows any inclination to do better. 

And do better he does not.

The more we dared to voice our own opinions on a character that was clearly meant to represent us, the more Mike and Bryan punished Katara for it.

Throughout the comics, Katara makes herself smaller and smaller and forfeits all rights to personal actualization and satisfaction in her relationship. She punches her feelings down when her partner neglects her and cries alone as he shows more affection and concern for literally every other girl’s feelings than hers. She becomes cowed by his outbursts and threats of violence. Instead of rising with the moon or resting in the warmth of the sun, she learns to stay in his shadow. She gives up her silly childish dreams of rebuilding her own dying culture’s traditions and advocating for other oppressed groups so that she can fulfill his wishes to rebuild his culture instead—by being his babymaker. Katara gave up everything she cared about and everything she fought to become for the whims of a man-child who never saw her as a person, only a possession.

Then, in her old age, we get to watch the fallout of his neglect—both toward her and her children who did not meet his expectations. By that point, the girl who would never turn her back on anyone who needed her was too far gone to even advocate for her own children in her own home. And even after he’s gone, Katara never dares to define herself again. She remains, for the next twenty-plus years of her life, nothing more than her husband's grieving widow. She was never recognized for her accomplishments, the battles she won, or the people she liberated. Even her own children and grandchildren have all but forgotten her. She ends her story exactly where it began: trapped in someone else’s narrow, stultifying definition of femininity and motherhood.

The story’s theme was destiny, remember? But this story’s target audience was little boys. Zuko gets to determine his own destiny as long as he works hard and earns it. Aang gets his destiny no matter what he does or doesn’t do to earn it. And Katara cannot change the destiny she was assigned by gender at birth, no matter how hard she fights for it or how many times over she earns it. 

Katara is Winston Smith, and the year is 1984. It doesn’t matter how hard you fight or what you accomplish, little girl. Big Brother is too big, too strong, and too powerful. You will never escape. You will never be free. Your victories are meaningless. So stay in your place, do what you’re told, and cry quietly so your tears don’t bother people who matter.

I will never get over it. Because I am Katara. And so are my friends, sisters, daughters, and nieces. But I am not content to live in Bryke's world.

I will never turn my back on people who need me. Including me.

[thatordinaryoddity]

I MEAN IT - DO NOT CLICK BELOW THE CUT IF YOU HAVEN‘T SEEN 3x08 YET!

(Please be aware that this also contains spoilers for the entire book series!)

I want to step back from my raw shock and anger for a moment and look at the bigger picture. Because what happened to Siuan Sanche in The Wheel of Time TV adaptation is not just a pointless, premature, and unnecessarily gruesome character death done for shock value - it’s a case study in how harmful patterns in queer representation persist across television in 2025 to weaponize queer women’s stories under the guise of “stakes”, “emotion” or “drama.” It’s also about how even creators who should know better continue to replicate those patterns.

Let’s be clear: Siuan’s death wasn’t just tragic, it was narratively regressive. In a show that prides itself on representation and complexity, she was stripped not only of her characterization and future arcs (and with that, the arcs of other characters like Egwene), but was also publicly humiliated, stilled, and - just to top it all off - beheaded. Her death wasn’t heroic, glorified, or thoughtfully written. It wasn’t even romanticized or poetic. It was humiliating and off-putting, and it existed solely to shock the audience in wannabe Game of Thrones fashion and to provoke emotional development in another character: Moiraine.

This is fridging! A trope in which a (usually marginalized) character - often a woman - is killed off to provide emotional stakes or motivation for the protagonist. And to be clear: it’s not that characters (regardless of their background) can’t die, it’s how and why they die that matters. And in this case, Siuan’s death is not about her. It’s about what she can provoke in someone else, and about feeding a true shocker to the audience.

This would be frustrating on its own. But it becomes outright infuriating when you factor in another layer. I’ll leave you to do the research yourself, but let’s just say there’s an overlap between the Siuaraine writing team and the writing staff of The 100. And if you’re not familiar, let me break it down for you: The 100 had one of the most infamous storylines and public outcries in the history of queer television representation. In episode “Thirteen”, Lexa - a beloved queer character - was killed by a stray bullet immediately after consummating her relationship with her partner Clarke. Lexa’s death became a flashpoint in media history, and the episode triggered global fan backlash. It’s now shorthand for the “Bury Your Gays” trope in the streaming age. But it wasn’t just the loss of a character, it was a betrayal by the showrunner and the writers’ room. Fans had been promised meaningful, lasting queer representation, only to see it snatched away in an unnecessary and trope-laden way. The outcry led to global fan campaigns, interviews, fundraising, and the creation of The Lexa Pledge, where writers and showrunners promised to do better by their LGBTQIA+ characters.

So how is it that - nearly a decade later - the same creative figure is involved in a storyline that plays out almost identically? Just like Lexa, Siuan reconnects with her partner after a break only to be almost immediately taken away. Just like Lexa, she is a powerful woman in her own right (even though in Siuan’s case, the show repeatedly undermined her and painted her as incompetent or a failure), and just like Lexa, her death is staged not for her own arc but solely to spark transformation in another character.

This isn’t just painful - it’s a clear repetition of an already well-documented mistake. It suggests not a lack of awareness, but a lack of care. To make matters worse, Wheel of Time showrunner Rafe Judkins has repeatedly spoken in interviews about how meaningful Moiraine and Siuan’s relationship is to him. He described it as “one of the central pillars of the show”, called their love story “unlike anything else in fantasy”, and emphasized how rare it is to see older queer women portrayed with such depth and power. That makes this decision all the more cynical. You do not get to publicly celebrate your queer characters as groundbreaking representation and then destroy one of them in the most violent way possible for the sake of another’s growth or fast-tracked future plotlines. That’s not brave. That’s not representation. That’s betrayal.

MAJOR BOOK SPOILER! And before anyone brings up “book accuracy” - yes, Siuan dies in the novels. But her death is vastly different, and she dies much later, after a fully fledged post–White Tower arc. At the very least, she dies in battle and is not beheaded in a public coup (sorry, but they really crossed a line here!). The TV version took liberties to make her death more brutal, more sensationalized, and more emotionally manipulative. This isn’t about source material, it’s about adaptation choices and what those choices reveal about whose stories are allowed dignity….. SPOILER END!

And the message it sends for me - whether intentional or not - is this: queer women can be powerful, but they will be punished or even killed for it. They can find love, but not keep it. They can drive the narrative, but only until it’s convenient to kill them for drama or beelining the plot.

It didn’t have to be this way. The Wheel of Time is a fantasy series - literally a genre built on rebirth, healing, time loops, and metaphysical bonds. If you must, there are countless ways to remove a character from the narrative while still honoring their legacy. Stilling and beheading one of the only queer women of color who is also a major character was not necessary. Making her go like that was not necessary. They had every narrative tool available to give her meaning, agency, and dignity. They chose not to.

And in making that choice, the showrunners have aligned themselves not with progress, but with a long line of creators who pay lip service to queer representation while continuing to exploit it for emotional weight and use the queer community as promotion. This was a devastating misstep, made worse by the fact that those responsible should have known better!

We are beyond isolated mistakes. We are in an era where queer trauma has been commodified for dramatic weight over and over again, and yet, the responsible creatives continue to repackage it as prestige television.

We’ve seen this story before.

We begged you not to tell it again.

You said you wouldn’t… and told it anyway.

And this isn’t just about Siuan. It’s about every story like hers and every showrunner or writer who promises, “This time, it’ll be different,” while making sure it’s exactly the same.

No matter what comes next, even if we get an explanation or apology: no. What’s done is done, and I won’t accept your excuses. If the backlash gets bad enough and we suddenly get a “surprise, surprise” fakeout - that it was all a dream, or she gets balefired back to life or whatever deus ex machina solution you can muster - no. That’s cheap and even more insulting. If she turns out to be a Dreamer in Tel’aran’rhiod or a Hero of the Horn - again, no. That’s still robbing her of her plotline and flatlining her arc. So no matter what the show does or offers us, my trust has been broken irreparably. You don’t get to play us like that.

That being said, things are about to change around here. I’m deeply grateful for the love this community has shown me over the past five years. You made me a fan, a friend, a writer, an artist, an enthusiast. But those times are painfully coming to an end - at least in their current form.

I’ll try to stick to art and writing, not for the sake of the show, but for the sake of the fandom and the community I’ve found here. I can’t say how much time I’ll need to breathe more freely again, but I do believe we need to stick together. If you need someone to talk to, my DMs are always open. However, if you just want to argue with me or mess around - you’ll be blocked! This post is not an open invitation to debate why my opinion is “wrong” and why the show was right to kill off Siuan like that.

#SiuanDeservesBetter

[nondelphic]

Where I’ve Been and the Future of nondelphic

TLDR; I’m coming back to this blog.

I’m so nervous to post this I literally had to take a nervous shit after drafting this post just THINKING about posting it but uhhh…

Long time no see!

It’s been well over 3 months since I posted regularly on this account. I never intended to take a break, but I got overwhelmed.

I started this account in the middle of August of 2024 with a very specific niche that, if you have seen my posts before, will recognise. 

Honestly, it started mostly as a distraction from my real-life problems. I’d began writing again last spring after a long time of writing block due to anxiety, depression, and getting used to my anti-depressants. Suddenly, I went from not being able to get out of bed to being able to get out of bed just to write. It became an escape. Just like writing fanfiction used to be when I was a pre-teen.

Through that, I rediscovered how much I actually love writing and creating. And when that happened, I also started craving community. I’ve never really had writing friends (the few I had were short-lived), and I found myself missing that connection.

That’s kind of where this blog came in. It was an experiment, not something I intended to take seriously. Just a low-effort, continuous space online that wasn’t too personal but could resonate with a wide diaspora of writers. Somewhere people could see themselves in my posts.

I’ve always been in fandom or hobby spaces online in some form—grew up in a developing tech society with zero internet safety guidance, so my relationship with social media is honestly decent, all things considered. But in recent years I’d mostly been a consumer rather than a creator. And I missed that. The active partaking. The sense of community. The external validation from like-minded strangers (very Gen Z of me, I know).

And also, it gave me something to do over summer, which is the worst time of year for me. I’ve struggled with seasonal depression for years, and writing got me through the worst days of my summer uni break. But it also stirred up so many thoughts and ideas I wanted to share.

So I committed to not only starting a blog about writing, but updating it continuously, with a fixed set of posts to be posted everyday. 

Part of the experiment was personal, but another part was professional. As someone studying and working in media and social media (amongst other things), I know how algorithms work. I understand how consistency, timing, and frequency affect reach and engagement. So I also wanted to test a theory—that’s not really a theory—that if you just post a lot, at the same time, every day, you’ll see growth.

And it worked. I gained over 4,000 followers in just six months.

Numbers aren’t everything, but I won’t pretend it wasn’t validating. Especially when I’d never had a following before. People were engaging, reblogging, sending kind messages. I felt seen, and I felt like what I was making had value.

It was also fascinating to experience it from both sides, both as the creator and as the media nerd in the background mentally noting what worked, what flopped, and why.

Everything was going great.

So why did I disappear?

Well, first of all, my seasonal depression carried on to constant depression and major social anxiety during autumn and into winter. I slept all day. Didn’t go to school. Could barely leave my apartment to go grocery shopping. All I did was write and update this blog. Make sure I had enough posts queued for the coming week. 

I had some visible breaks on this blog which I always announced. “sorry can’t post rn i’m stressed need time to update my queue”. Which was true, and I felt proud of myself for being transparent about it.

But the more my following grew and the more people interacted with me, the more I started doubting myself. I don’t know if it was my anxiety, depression or probable ADHD being the culprit of this, or just plain old imposter syndrome, but I started dreading opening tumblr.

I love coming up with post ideas for people to go “omg are you inside my brain rn?” or “I love your blog, your posts make me feel seen,” and I’ve had nothing but positive experiences with everyone visiting this blog. Yet, with the growing eyes on this page, I just felt this impending fear that someday it will all be gone.

So I do what I’ve always had a habit of doing! I self-destructed. And left this blog with the excuse (to myself) to work on myself and come back stronger.

And I guess that sorry excuse has kinda come true, although at the time, I was lying to myself. This post is literally me announcing I’m coming back. But back when I abandoned this blog, I, with a heavy heart, was really planning on not coming back. The more the weeks, and then months stretched on without opening tumblr, a growing guilty conscience brewed inside of me.

I’d open the app, stare at the little icon, and immediately close it again. I didn’t know how to explain myself without it sounding dramatic or like I was attention-seeking. And the longer I waited, the harder it got to come back.

Because what do you even say after months of radio silence on a blog that wasn’t supposed to mean this much to you in the first place?

But the thing is it does mean something. And even when I tried to let it go, I kept thinking about it. I’d see something funny and think, “that would make a good nondelphic post.” I’d draft ideas in my nondelphic ideas google docs, fully knowing I wasn’t posting them, but unable to turn off that part of my brain that wanted to connect with other writers, other people who got it.

I ghosted my own blog. And I won’t pretend I had a huge dramatic epiphany or breakthrough that led me back here. Just the quiet realization that I missed it. And I have better routines now. And expectations. That make it impossible for me to turn into the same all-or-nothing approach to this blog I had during my darkest days. Don’t worry, I’m still deeply insecure, anxious and depressed, so my self-deprecating posts will continue as scheduled! But I’ve found other coping mechanisms that don’t rely on…….. Tumblr’s algorithms.

I don’t need to be 100% healed or consistent or perfect to post. And everyone who has sent me a message during the time I’ve been away that I’ve been too scared to reply to has assured me of exactly that. Maybe I can just… come back. A little softer. A little slower. A little more human.

I’m not sure what the future of this blog looks like exactly. I don’t have a new “post 10 times a day” strategy lined up. But I do know I want to write again. I want to talk to you again. I want to rebuild what I tore down with my silence. Not out of pressure or expectation, but because I want to.

So this is me, stepping back into it. One foot in the door. No grand promises, just a little wave from the threshold.

Hi again.

I’m coming back soon. How soon? I think it’s best to not make any promises, but I’ve committed to coming back now, so I’m still gonna promise “soon.”

Also, genuinely thank you. To everyone who reached out in my DMs or sent something to my ask box while I was gone: I read every single message. Even if I didn’t respond, I saw you. My heart felt so big reading your well wishes and worries. Like genuinely, I didn’t know this little corner of the internet could hold so much kindness. So thank you, from the bottom of my stupid overwhelmed heart.

See you soon ♡

xoxo nondelphic

Ps. I’m gonna write another post over on @rebellenotes in the near future for anyone curious about what I’ve been up to in the last few months.

[cuckoo-on-a-string]

"Appropriate" responses to the Gaiman issue

TLDR: This isn't a Rowling situation, be wary of internalized purity culture.

He's a predator. I'm glad a proper journalist followed up where police have failed (and possibly given victims a better footing for future charges).

But I have a problem with the knee-jerk responses targeting the fandom.

Just to clarify, I'm not talking about insulting The Predator. This is about how you treat people who have/do/will enjoy the stories that unfortunately came into the world through his keyboard.

Fans aren't intrinsically evil/uncaring for continuing to participate in associated fandoms.

This is not another Rowling situation. Why? Let me clarify. The consequences of consumption are very different. Rowling is ACTIVELY using her popularity and income as a creative to target one of the most vulnerable minorities in the world. Buying official merch/books/movie tickets prove to the powers that be that she remains a good investment, so they'll give her even more money. This perpetuates the cycle - new movie/book deals, more income, more hate, rinse and repeat.

The push to avoid Rowling's work in full is driven by the fact that she has FACED NO CONSEQUENCES and is still powered by her creative properties. It's fandom/consumers trying to bring justice.

Gaiman, on the other hand, knew he was doing bad shit on some level because he kept his abuse hidden. His status and reputation let him get close to vulnerable fans and essentially intimidate authorities from going after a celebrity. He is FACING CONSEQUENCES. I would personally like to see criminal charges brought against him, but that's out of the fandom's hands. Things we could've influenced (his Disney deal appears to have gone to shit, he's been booted from the truncated final season of GO, and there's no news on Sandman 3) are already in motion. If his publisher doesn't drop him, I'd say avoiding his future works is beyond valid (I certainly wouldn't buy them). But I'm going to watch the new season of Sandman. And once I've taken time away, I'll probably finish my active fics.

"Judging" people who still enjoy his work stems from good intentions that grew out of the fetid ground of purity culture rhetoric.

Writing fanfic and enjoying shows that are already made do not make people soulless accomplices. The idea that unproblematic stories by saintly creators are the only things you're allowed to enjoy is not only flirting with censorship, but it's also impossible.

If you think people should have nothing to do with Gaiman's works, you better throw out anything Weinstein touched. That includes Jackson's LOTR trilogy, FYI. Also, anything his company officially produced (which still gives him money in some cases) should never, ever grace your screen. That includes some of the better Stephen King adaptations, The Orphanage (which was a breakthrough Spanish-language film in Western markets), The King's Speech, The Imitation Game, Woman in Gold, Paddington, and It Follows.

If you aren't willing to publicly announce your "disappointment" in anyone who continues to enjoy any of those films, then kicking up a fuss over how other people process and interact with problematic content from a fallen celebrity who is in the process of getting his dues is pure hypocrisy.

Personally, I'm maliciously complying with Gaiman's famous quote about how once a story is out there, it doesn't belong to the author anymore. Well said, Predator, these are mine now, and I shall fuck about with them as I see fit.

Attacking or snobbishly looking down your nose at the fandom also erases YEARS of beautiful critique and thoughtful exploration of existing, acknowledged problems in works like The Sandman.

People in these parts already know how to handle complex issues in complex pieces of media. Gaiman isn't our god. His canon is not our bible. He didn't teach us morality, as is apparently the case for a lot of people who grew up reading Rowling's works as a child.

If you have a problem with the censorship comment I made, I'd like to point out at least one writer friend is LEANING INTO the fandom as a way to process their own trauma. Suffice it to say they survived a very similar situation. They see it as empowering to take the stories away from the abuser and use the characters/settings to make something new.

I get the ick. I have it right now. But I'm not burning every copy of his work I own (full disclosure I have... *checks shelves* a copy of Neverwhere and The Sandman series). Doing so is totally valid, and if that helps you process and feel better - go for it!

But this is not the same as Rowling and the only ones you hurt by declaring your "judgement" is a complex group of individuals who are able to enjoy fiction, remain aware of potential social consequences, and found a place that doesn't align with your black/white morality.

With that said, judge away! I better not see any stories from Charles Dickens, anything in anyway associated with the Weinsteins, Nickelodeon shows, Charlie Chaplin references, or Francis Ford Coppola films touch your feed. If you scratch the surface, you'll find more things to judge others for enjoying, and they will inevitably find something to judge you for, too.

[hauntedradiotower]

I think it’s so beautiful that in some continuities, Earth is Unicron. Like this has the potential to be handled SO poetically and Transformers Prime actually did a pretty good job (compared with the movies (though if you ignore what the writers were actually going for you could argue those told a poignant and very different type of story in spite of themselves (Autobots and humanity are pure evil, the horrors of empire, etc. (but im four parentheses deep now so I’d better quit while I’m ahead). ). ). ).

Where was I? Ok, imagine you’re an Autobot, homesick and war-weary, but you’ve landed on a planet that isn’t half bad, and you’ve bonded with the natives of this planet more so than most planets in the cosmos. They look nothing like you, yet you click. They even drive around in vehicles that look like you (or that you can turn into, depending on continuity)! How did they know?

You always click with the earthlings, over and over and over throughout time and continuity. Like brothers from another mother.

But they are small, and weak, and have little capability to defend themselves against the greater weapons and forces out there in the cosmos. So you pledge your lives to defend this planet and its species. Earth becomes your home away from home; the Earthlings become your allies, your friends, your families.

And then you discover that the core of this home away from home is FUCKING UNICRON?! The devil from the Bible, greatest enemy of Primus, core of your homeworld???

The Earth’s inhabitants, your family, are by extension Unicron’s children. Oh yeah and suddenly all these human-built constructs which only serve to hurt the majority of their species suddenly start making a whole lot of sense. All their history? Starts making sense. And you realize you’ve let Unicron’s children into your spark and home. What does this mean for you and the future of your species? Do you still trust them? Are they by default pure evil, or is there hope for them? How do you separate them from their evil creator, the very core of their planet?

Naturally, this is the part of the narrative where fucking Unicron starts waking up and we don’t have time to have a crisis of eschatology right now, we’re rather busy trying to postpone eschatology another hundred years.

And the humans seem to be helping us put down the furious waking core of their own planet, hmm, maybe they’re not 100% evil. Maybe the line of good and evil is not so clear cut in this species. Thinking about Primus’ children as pure good does seem rather silly now that we think back on the centuries of war we’ve had.

Idk I just think there’s a lot that can be said here and I have only managed to scratch the surface of THE THEMES in this post. Every time media portrays the core of the earth as alive, it fills me with such a weird, thrilling feeling of meaning. The fact that transformers made it evil adds layers to the meaning. Idk what I’m trying to say yet. Just know that if I were in charge of directing a transformers movie, Unicron would be the slumbering earth’s core, and he would be hungry

[artificial-transmutations]

Immersive Mode™

Finally, Friday was here. It had been ages since they had a whole weekend dedicated to nothing but video games. "They" in that context were Kevin and Nick, best friends since pre-school and video game enthusiasts. Of course, having adult lives, with jobs and chores and - at least in the case of Kevin - a girlfriend left preciously little time for gaming, which was a shame, really. Their interests in games were diverse and they played pretty much everything - from mindless loot-shooters to farming sims, so they never felt like they had enough time.

This weekend, however, was different. Kevin's girlfriend was on a work trip, and the boys had planned for a whole weekend of gaming, which Kevin was really looking forward to.

He stood in front of Nick's door, his backpack with everything he needed for the days over his shoulder, and was just about to ring the bell, when Nick opened the door and almost bumped into his friend.

"Oh, hey bro, good to see you!"

They hugged - shortly - and Nick continued, as he passed Kevin:

"Listen, I'm gonna buy some energy really quick. Make yourself at home, I'll be back in ten minutes tops."

Of course, Kevin knew this wouldn't hold true. Nick was notoriously bad with times, so he didn't expect him to be back in the next half hour. But Kevin was in a very good mood, so he didn't mind waiting. He had finished putting down his stuff quickly and looked around Nick's apartment.

Unlike Kevin, Nick didn't have a girlfriend - no, a partner, Kevin corrected himself. Even though Nick had never explicitly *said* so, Kevin was reasonably sure he batted for the other team. It didn't matter to Kevin at all, really. If anything, he used to think that this left more girls for the rest of them, although that hardly mattered anymore to Kevin, at least not since he had a girlfriend.

He sighed. Yeah, his girlfriend. After this weekend of gaming, he was going to propose to her, and he wanted to ask Nick to be his best man, at a good opportunity. However, the truth was that he wasn't really all too happy with it. He knew that it was *expected* of him to propose, but... he just wasn't sure about his now-girlfriend-and-future-wife. He didn't really... connect. Nick and he were lifelong friends, understood each other without words and Kevin trusted Nick with all his life. The same couldn't be said about his future wife. If he had the choice, he'd much rather date Nick, but since Kevin wasn't gay, that was a mood point to think about.

He looked around Nick's untidy bachelor apartment until his eyes found the gaming rig of his best friend. It was running - of course - and showed the main menu of a game Kevin recognized as a new life sim that was pretty hyped in social media. It was a lot like the sams, but without the greedy multi-billion-dollar company behind it.

Intrigued, Kevin sat down in front of the screen. He was sure Nick wouldn't mind if he took a look.

The "continue" button was grayed out, which was a clear sign that Nick had started the game just for the first time, so, Kevin clicked "New Game". As he expected, an empty character creator loaded with a big prominent "+" button, probably to add a new person to the virtual household. Kevin clicked it, but instead of the character customization, a message box appeared.

"Do you want to try the new immersive mode™?"

That sounded fun. He knew that Nick had a surround system, so he guessed it was probably some kind of ambient sound design thing.

When he clicked "Yes", another message box appeared.

"How long do you want the immersive mode™ to last?"

Well, he was here all weekend so... Kevin set the timer to 48 hours.

"Bonus! For enabling immersive mode™ for 48 hours, you may select one trait to keep after."

Cool, thought Kevin. So, the game had a kind of progression system, nice touch.

He clicked "Ok" again, and was just about to start creating a character, when suddenly, the screen became exceedingly bright. Kevin had to close his eyes and felt really weird all of a sudden, a kind of pulling sensation all over his body. A few seconds later, Kevin was not there anymore, and the chair was empty.

Twenty minutes later, Nick came back from his shopping trip and entered his apartment.

"Yo, Kev! I brought enough energy for the whole weekend!"

He dropped his groceries on the kitchen table, and put the cans in the fridge, before he went to the living room.

"Hey, man, where are you?"

But there was no one. Weird. Well, he probably forgot something at home and would come back in a bit. Nick shrugged mentally and sat down in his gaming chair, cracking open a can of energy drink before looking at the screen. Had he already started the character creator? Apparently.

On the screen, standing in a featureless gray environment was an avatar. It did look kind of familiar, if he was being honest. Although it was clearly a comic-style 3D-model, it reminded him a lot of his friend Kevin. Of course, usually a shirt obscured the view of Kevin's slight belly, but the character on the screen was completely nude, safe for a pair of underwear.

The fact the avatar kind of looked like his friend didn't seem as out of the ordinary as one could think. After all, Nick had a tiny crush on his best friend - nothing too serious, but he still found him somewhat attractive - and often modelled his in-game avatars after Kevin. He just hoped that Kevin - the real Kevin - wasn't offended by him leaving the character creator open like that.

Well, since he was waiting for his friend to return anyway, he might as well finish the character creation. Nick indulged himself in the various sliders and started to change the avatars appearance. Even though a Kevin-lookalike was a good start, there were several improvements to make. He could be taller, for example. Nick found the slider and watched as the avatar morphed and grew taller.

On the other side of the screen, Kevin was unable to do anything. He was fully aware and stared at Nick's face through the screen as if it was a window, but he couldn't move. His body - his cartoony, but otherwise pretty accurate body - just stood there in his underwear and breathed. From time to time, there was a stretching idle animation, but that was about it. However, as Nick dragged the height slider, his body immediately reacted. Kevin felt a sensation of vertigo, as he grew taller in a matter of seconds. Next, Nick edited his body type. All of a sudden, his belly disappeared into a hard and flat stomach, with abdominal muscles becoming visible. Over all, his musculature expanded and became more defined, until he was fitter than Kevin ever thought he'd be. The next changes were in his face, and Kevin could only feel his facial features shifting as Nick resculpted the head to be a bit more chiseled and masculine. He was still recognizable as Kevin - but an idealized and handsome version of him.

"Wow, that's what you'd look like if you went to the gym, Kev. Damn." Nick said to himself as he clicked next. After the physical character creation, he was able to select character traits for the avatar. They were already prefilled with what looked to be pretty much Kevin's profile, which was weird. Nick was reasonably sure he hadn't been to this screen yet, and yet, the interests and settings looked a lot like they belonged to Kevin.

Well, there was no reason to change anything there, right? No, actually, one thing he should change. He looked through the traits until he found the slider he was looking for, which read 85% heterosexual right now. Yeah, no. This was his fantasy game, right? He quickly slid the slider over to 100% homosexual. There, that was more like it.

Kevin couldn't see what Nick was adjusting and felt strange for a moment. He knew something was different - but he didn't know what. Internally, he was panicking a bit. He still couldn't move and felt trapped - both inside the screen as well as within his own body. As strange as it sounded, he had somehow been sucked into the video game, and he didn't know how he could tell Nick, or how to escape this.

Nick, on the other side, decided he didn't need any more changes. He briefly considered making a second character but decided against it. Perhaps he could play a nice little dating story with the character that he simply named "Kev".

Finally, Kevi - no, Kev, was able to move again. His avatar body had been dropped into a simple flat, with cartoony looking furniture. He turned his head left and right and bobbed a bit on the spot before deciding to check out the fridge. He walked over to the cheap looking device and opened the door. Inside, there was only a flat texture of what looked like food, but he still mechanically reached inside and pulled out... a bowl of cereal, that he began to eat standing. When he was finished, he put the bowl to the ground in front of him and walked over to the PC, starting up a game.

It was clear to Kev now that he wasn't really in control. At first, it had felt like he was the one in charge, but actually, his body still acted on its own, likely controlled by some kind of algorithm. He wondered what would happen if Nick...

There it was. All of a sudden, Kev stopped playing and stood up, driven by a mighty force that controlled all of his movements. He walked over to the small bathroom and mechanically disrobed. He could basically feel the eyes of Nick on him, who had just ordered him to take a shower, watching every movement until he was completely nude.

Unlike the sams, this game sure was anatomically correct. Nick had not bothered to adjust his privates, so they looked pretty normal to him, but he was acutely aware that Nick was watching every movement he did and every swing of his cock. Still, he couldn't do anything about it as he entered the shower and felt simulated water on his skin.

He was still in the middle of his shower, when suddenly the doorbell rang. Immediately, he felt compelled to exit the shower and dress quickly, before running to the door. In front of him stood a delivery man, handing him a newspaper that Kev took automatically and put on the floor right where he was standing. The delivery guy was already back on his way to his car, but Kev ran after him. He didn't have much of a choice.

He chatted a bit with the guy and felt really connected to him after only a few minutes of talk. He laughed at his jokes and complimented his work. What was even more surprising was that he started to really find that guy... cute. He was smaller than him, now, and had a sort of twink-ish flair. Kev could feel his virtual cock stirring, which confused the hell out of him. He was straight, wasn't he?

No, of course. Nick must have changed that in the character creator. And now, he was... trying to flirt with the delivery guy.

Against his will, he started making slippery comments in the conversation and watched as the other man was flustered and blushed. Kev couldn't help but smile seductively before he leaned into a kiss.

It sure felt weird being controlled like that, but the kiss was nice, nevertheless. However, much to the dismay of his visible virtual erection, after they broke the kiss, the delivery man suddenly turned around and left. At least he had magically obtained his phone number, Kev thought as he re-entered his house.

Outside the screen, Nick couldn't help but be a bit aroused. This was clearly an adult game, and when he saw that the Kev-avatar on-screen had a boner, he felt himself chub up a bit as well. Kevin was still not there, so he could try to bring this a bit further along. He steered the avatar to the wardrobe and selected "Edit Kev" in the popup menu, after which the now familiar character creator opened. Nick was eager to see how far he could get and started adjusting sliders again. First, the muscle. In front of Nick's hungry eyes, Kev inflated from a very fit man to a true bodybuilder. His arms were stacked with muscle, and his shoulders appeared so wide they would probably clip through the environment when he was going through a door. Next was the face. Nick changed the brown color to a darker shade, fitting to handsome dark eyes. He adjusted the facial structure until the Kev on the screen had a square jaw, like an action hero, and a fitting dominant smirk. Perfect.

He zoomed out again and noticed a slider for body hair. He didn't quite put it to maximum, but far enough so that Kev's chest was covered with a layer of manly fuzz. Nick always liked hairy men, so this was just perfect. He was just about to save the appearance when he realized there was one more important setting. Yep, junk size. He quickly dragged the slider to maximum and watched as an obscene bulge grew in the avatars underwear. Nick couldn't wait to send the dude showering again so he could ogle the hefty tool.

Yeah, that was it. Nick was fondling his own bulge by now, as he clicked save. However, as he was just about to unbutton his jeans, he stopped himself. Kevin could be back any minute and he didn't want to catch him rubbing one out. Heavy hearted, he saved the game and clicked exit, but was surprised by a popup that opened.

"User 'Kev' is still in immersive mode™ for 47 hours and 22 minutes. Do you want to reproject?"

What did that mean? Reproject? Confused, Nick clicked "Yes" and almost jumped out of his chair when suddenly, the screen grew really bright and a large and manly figure materialized right in front of him, just as hot as he had just designed him, but not cartoony anymore at all. It was Kev. And, as it dawned on Nick, it was Kevin. Somehow, Kevin must have been sucked into the game and he... changed him and played with him.

Realization hit Nick hard. Kevin, in his muscular Kev form just stood there, in front of the PC and breathed heavily, but did not move, as if he was waiting for something.

"Woah, this is crazy. Fuck. Me." Nick exclaimed in confusion, and realized what he just said, when a dominant grin grew on Kev's face and he began walking towards Nick, the overly large cock already throbbing inside the underwear. Nick gulped but didn't object, although he knew that he wouldn't be able to walk properly for days to come.

It was Sunday evening when the timer hit zero. The weekend had not been filled with a single video game, but neither Kev nor Nick didn't get much sleep, either. Kev's body was a machine, in more ways than one, and the whole flat stank from the stench of sex and sweat. Finally, the screen grew bright, and a large dialog box awaited Kev.

"Congratulations, you have completed 48 hours of immersive mode™. Please select a trait to keep."

Finally, Kev was able to control his own body again. After the initial horror of something else controlling him, he had quickly found a liking to the feeling, and had the most erotic weekend of his life, as he had to watch his body fuck Nick senseless on every piece of furniture in the apartment. He wasn't even mad. It had showed him what was missing from his life, and that was, aside from the body of a Greek god with an untypically large cock, Nick. So, it wasn't a hard choice to make. Kev walked over and scrolled down until he found what he was looking for and clicked on "Orientation".

As he morphed back into his old body, he smiled at Nick, who was watching with uncertainty and fear how his friend would react to his direction of his body. Then, with a husky voice, he said:

"We should do that again next weekend, babe. I still have a lot of traits I want to keep, and I have the feeling, I'll have a lot more timing for fucking your cute little ass in the future."

I hope you enjoyed this little video game tf as much as I did! I know I certainly wouldn't mind stumbling upon a game with immersive mode™. There are some additional images of Kev in my Tip Jar.

[chattercap]

IMPORTANT NOTICE regarding itch.io

(I don't usually do this, but I do think this is an important topic, so I'm crossposting my itch.io post!)

(Random picture for engagement)

Hello everyone!

What happened?

In case you haven't heard, late last night itch.io made a massive move: they delisted almost all of the games on their platform labeled adult or NSFW, making them impossible to find through the storefront. They also straight up removed certain titles and barred creators from withdrawing funds for violating their terms of service if they were hit by this unannounced censorship.

This was a result of pressure from itch's payment processors, Visa and Mastercard, which received a lot of pressure from the Australian based anti-porn campaign, Collective Shout. For a more detailed rundown of the events, you can read Blerdy Otome's article here. 

Now, some of you might say "who cares about hentai/gooner games, they're not removing anything of value." 

First of all, even if you personally don't partake, media exploring sexuality and sexual themes are extremely important. They educate, they entertain, and they provoke thoughtful discussion. 

Second, this mass round of censorship has not affected only "pornographic" games. It has hit any game that deals with adult themes and thus has been tagged appropriately. This includes chimeriquement's "The Daughters of the Sun" trilogy, which is based on a famous Greek myth involving the taboo desire of a stepmother for her stepson. It describes both the twisted perceptions of the stepmother and the conflicts of the stepson as he struggles with the horror of his predicament. This censorship also includes other games about sexual trauma and surviving abuse. These are stories that have the right to be told and experienced.

Third, do you think this censorship will stop here? I've heard talk that "itch will look over the games and remove the bad ones and leave the good ones alone." But this is not a guideline that itch is setting for itself; it is a demand being forced upon itch by payment processors. Should your credit card have the power to dictate what you should or shouldn't play? First, we'll just get rid of the games glorifying SA. But what if they decide later, that all depictions of SA are gross? Even explorations of sexual trauma are too much for our family-friendly website. What about depictions of trans narratives, or LGBTQ content, or child abuse, or gore? If we say "it's all right for payment processors to censor art," then that's the first step towards a world that is far more dystopian than it already is. 

How am I responding to this?

First, I'll say that I'm fortunate: none of my current games have been affected by this extremely broad, vague, and poorly communicated act of censorship. As a person on the ace spectrum, I don't really include much sexual content in my games, if at all. However, I do plan to make at least one erotic game (that is very fully in the realm of erotica, and not simply "spicy"). I am currently not comfortable with posting this project on my main account as I do not want to be suppressed or shadowbanned, so it's possible I will create a side account for it or distribute it on alternative websites altogether. I'll make an announcement later.

Second, while my games don't specifically deal with sexual content, a lot deal with dark content and themes. I also try to be LGBTQ friendly, and I plan to delve more into queer narratives in future projects. I hope that I (and my games) can continue to exist on this website, but just in case, if you enjoy my work, I heartily encourage you to follow me on my other socials. You can find all of them here. You can also join my mailing list, which is the one form of communication where I can guarantee I won't be blasted off the Internet for one reason or another. 

As for me, I have decided to turn off donations on all of my games, at least until the current round of censored games have returned to the storefront, and possibly longer. (The exception is MindMindMind, so that people can still access the artbook.) I greatly appreciate everyone who opts to support me financially, especially since making games is not cheap. Even a little bit of support helps me pay the artists, VAs, and other collaborators that I work with. But the payment processors take a significant amount of the money I earn through itch, and it sickens me to think that money that players donate to me is used to fund these hateful campaigns of censorship.

If you would like to support me (and it's completely unnecessary), I'll still be taking donations/support through my Ko-fi and Patreon. I won't link them because that would be kinda crass, but if you want to find them, you can find them. 

What can you do?

If there are developers that you appreciate that have been affected by this censorship, I greatly urge you to support them in any way you can. Follow their other social media, play and rate the games that they still have on the platform, and leave kind comments.

I would also urge you to get involved! Call/send emails to Visa/Mastercard/Paypal/Stripe, encourage them to stop this censorship. Contact your local government officials. There are a few documents circulating around explaining how to do this:

Here

Here

I repeat once again: regardless of whether you play adult games, THIS AFFECTS EVERYONE. Please stand up and help to protect artists.

As always, thank you to everyone who supports me and my projects; I appreciate you every day.

Best,

Chattercap

[artisimpossible]

Look, I'm gonna be real with y'all. If there is a trans creator you really like--an author, an artist, a film maker, whatever--you need to find ways to stay aware of them that is not controlled by fascists. It doesn't matter if you subscribe to their newsletter or just write down their website with pen and paper to remind yourself to check it once a month. What *does* matter is taking the threat of fascism seriously and acknowledging that people are working *very* hard to censor trans people right now. It is important to follow trans creators on your/their terms and NOT at the whims of tech overlords. If you DON'T have a way to follow your favorite trans creators right now, you will likely slowly find that you never see them again. This is devastating for the creators, but it's also devastating for *you*. Please do not find yourself cut off from your favorite creators when the social media sites start deleting trans accounts, when Google starts burying trans search results, and all outlets you use to discover new trans media start pretending trans people don't exist. Build yourself a strong network of trans creatives you enjoy so you can continue to hear from them but also find new trans creatives in the future through the networks that those trans people have built.

Please do not let trans artistry die in silence because you didn't think it would actually happen. It's *already* happening.

[nepenthesremedy]

PEAR

A horror roleplaying game that drags you out of the comfort of your home.

You can’t even be bothered getting out of bed. 

But, somehow, your parents find a way to drag you to a mental health retreat. It’s cute, small, remote... and the perfect place for a cult to operate. 

Without any cellular signal, you’re forced to socialize, touch grass, manage your dwindling supply of medication, and interact with the otherworldly creature the cult worships. All while not going insane.

And no, seeing an inhuman creature does not mean you’re insane.

Have you ever wished that the classic indie horror RPGs—such as Ib, Mad Father, and The Witch’s House—had a bit more lore? Some character development? Maybe a tiny bit more spice? 

No? My bad, maybe it’s just me then... 

But! On the off chance that I am not alone in this, I would like to introduce you to PEAR—a psychological horror RPG with a heavy emphasis on storytelling. It’s inspired by the aforementioned games and the real life Jonestown; the events unfold in the haunting setting of a deceivingly cozy, (mostly) modernized retreat.

Through interactions with various characters—a cult leader, a doctor, a fallen angel, and Cloverwood’s residents—you discover not only the dark secrets festering in this settlement, but also the hidden truths that reside in your own head.

This game can be considered as an interactive visual novel with puzzles, promising horror, angst, and a sprinkle of unconventional romance.

kira is the creator, writer, and general project manager of PEAR. She loves fictional characters who have more red flags than she can count. (Granted, she can only count with her fingers, so that is not saying much.) She is also trying to be mysterious and nonchalant right now but failing miserably as she enjoys yapping too much. 

noodsies is the co-creator and assistant manager. He enjoys watchmaking, fighting games, noodles, and boats. He is shy so he will be rather mysterious and only slightly chalant. 

nemugyo is the lead artist for this game and also a silly fish enjoyer. She is extremely passionate about bear traps. (No further context will be provided.)

StarPaintAnimus is the assistant artist. Liking blue is one of her personality traits. 

bibi is the editor for the game’s script. She’s obsessed with gambling in gacha games and most things pink. 

Sammy is the marketing consultant for this game. He’s spent years gaining unexplainable traction through unfunny social media posts and to top it off, he is also Bri’ish.

All future updates and announcements will continue being posted on this Tumblr account, @nepenthesremedy. (For those who prefer Twitter, you can click here!) If you’re interested in the game, please follow us here! Additionally, any questions or comments about the game can be submitted in the blog‘s asks. 

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for taking your time to read this post. We appreciate your support for our work very much! ♡

[pastelclovds]

yo @trianglesimp, imagine after reader fucked the other alternates, they decide to keep reader and make their home as their hangout place or a place to gather more alternates into our world, and ofc reader is chill with it.

reader doesn’t fear going outside after dark due to the alternates they’ve befriended always guarding them from other alternates who’d want to hurt them. reader isn’t fazed when they see dark, distorted figures eyeing them everywhere they go. all they see are desperate creatures who want a taste of their dick and euphoric orgasms, and reader is always happy to indulge in their needs cause it’s 100 times better than using their hand to get off.

gabriel is both amused and surprised that reader had survived this long after encountering a number of his creations, and the fact that reader is not even afraid of them nor throwing a fit over them staying in their home is beyond impressive. not only that, but the stories his servants told him about your… sexual acts has him curious. gabriel feels torn over wanting to indulge in his needs or simply killing reader. he decides to let you live with the excuse fact that his creations find you entertaining, and that if they ever need relief; they can use you. your future is unpredictable at the moment, but one thing is predictable, you will have these creatures by your side for a long time (and meet their leader very soon).

i also have a funny scenario that involves reader and an acquaintance they have in their workplace.

you were currently chilling on the couch and sharing a bowl of popcorn with an alternate that was watching the television along side you. it was a cheesy romcom that you’ve quickly lost interest in, but the alternate continued to stare at the screen intently.

you had assumed that since they had used electronics to travel wherever they’ve please, that they would have known about the media that electronics produced. but the fact that their blank, dark eyes continued to stare at the show with curiosity and slight fascination was… kinda adorable.

but still, you remember this one very vividly because they were the first one whom you had railed the hell out of. you still have the looks of pleasure on their faces engraved in your mind as you made them lose theirs. you could tell they have never experienced pleasure that you have given them, and they were greedy for more.

their long, distorted limbs wrapped around your body nearly twice as you continued to ravage into their cunt. harsh thrust after thrust made them forget that their original purpose for you was, they continued to cry out to their creator as they squirted over your pelvis and you didn’t stop until you buried yourself to the hilt and filled them up with warmth that doesn’t compare to anything else. you’ve allowed yourself to drift off to your own fantasies of how it would feel if you had owned the alternate beside you.

make them wear a collar with your name on it, make them choke on your dick while their on all fours, and make them scream your name as you rail them in a park, church, anywhere public. so that if any poor, unfortunate soul were to see your acts, they would know who your alternate belonged to. you were snapped out of your thoughts when a frail looking claw-hand landed on your thigh.

the alternate was staring into your eyes, their pupils were pitch black and held a pleading and desperate sort of emotion within them. their hand moved from your thigh to your crotch, you let out a small gasp when they slid their cold, slim fingers inside your boxers and began to fondle your balls.

you let out a breathy chuckle as you imagined the alternate with a wet pussy, and like magic, it appeared between their thighs. the alternate began to shiver and let out low labored breaths as you slipped your own fingers to play with their clit. “i-i knew you were here for a reason, i asume you want the usual? fucking this pretty pussy until nobody else but me get to use it, filling it to the brim with my cum until you become pregnant, is that what you want, pretty thing?” you ask as you removed your sweatpants and threw it off to floor somewhere.

the alternate nodded quickly as they rolled their hips along with your fingers, and gasped when your fingers entered their pussy and began to finger them furiously. “as much as i love seeing you lose yourself to my fingers, i-i can spread for both of us when i say that we should get to the main event.” you spit onto your palm and stroked your cock to full hardness as well as to lube it, and once that was done, you pushed them down onto the couch and lifted their long legs over your shoulders.

the alternate let out a distorted howl when you entered them and didn’t waste time with waiting, the living room quickly became humid as you thrusted in and out of their drooling pussy, their warm walls made it hard for you to not cum right then and there, but you wanted to make them cry and beg you for more until they couldn’t.

a sudden ringing from your phone made your movements stop for a second, the alternate whined when your pleasurable thrusts came to an end, you simply pulled their legs from of your shoulders and wrapped them around your waist (you noticed how their legs immediately tightened around you) and grabbed your phone that was on top of a small cabinet beside your couch. “sorry baby, why don’t you ride me while i’m taking this call?” you almost couldn’t finish your sentence due to the alternate pouncing on top of you and moving it’s hips in a fast pace.

you looked at who the caller was, it was simon from your workplace, you answered him. “what do you want simon i’m— oh fuck-, r-really busy right now,” you tried your hardest to try to pay attention to what he was saying, something about him being worried because you haven’t shown up in work for the past few days or some shit. you were too fixated on the sight of your cock disappearing inside the alternate and the lewd noises of skin slapping against skin to focus on simon.

at the moment, nothing else mattered except for fucking this creature dumb. who needs work when you have this one and their friends at your doorstep. “what is that noise, are you okay?” simon asked, “oh- i’m more than okay, keep moving your hips faster baby, cum on my cock.” on your command, the alternate let out a cry that distorted all electronics nearby before creaming around your cock, the sight alone was enough to make you burst inside them.

“what the!? are you fucking somebody while on call with me?” your acquaintance asked in disbelief, you bit your lip when you saw your mixed releases drip from the alternate’s cunt and down your balls. “fuck yeah i am,” you chuckled before bidding simon goodbye and hanging up. the alternate let out a whimper as the began grinding on your dick once more, what a greedy little thing. you wrapped one of your arms around their waist and thrust your hips up into their used cunt, “you’re desperate to milk another one outta me, aren’t you?” the alternate nodded frantically, moving along with your thrusts as it spewed out strings of moans.

you were caught off guard when you heard static coming from your tv, the romcom was long gone. in the gray mess on your screen, a hooded figure made himself known, and he was staring intensely at the mess between your cock and the other alternate’s pussy.

you couldn’t help a grin overtaking your face, “hello six, the usual as well?” you we’re gonna be busy after all, and not with work.

authors note: well, i’ve officially descended into madness. that or it’s just my monterfucker brain going crazy because it’s nearly october. I hope you’ve enjoyed this, cause i did ;). love you! 💙

[apple-sapling]

PSA: Blanket Statements

What is a blanket statement?

A blanket statement is information on your preferences for other creators to interacting with your works. It is helpful for others to know if you welcome podfics, fanart, recursive fiction, translations, remixes, etc of your works!

How can I make a Blanket Statement?

You can use Fanworks Permission Statement Builder to build a version tailored to you!

Or if you want your Blanket Statement to be a Blanket Permission for all fanworks you can use/modify the sentence below:

I welcome transformative works based off of my fan works! This includes podfic, fanart, translations, remixes, recursive fiction and any other fanwork inspired by my works.

Once you have your BS add it to your Ao3 profile. You can also add it to a pinned post in your Tumblr profile or on any other sites you use (Dreamwidth, bluesky, etc).

Reblog with links to your Blanket Statements to let your followers know where to find it!

More info on Blanket Statements in below:

Do I have to allow all types of derivative/transformative works in my statement?

No, the statement is only an information on your stance on fanworks based on your works. You can allow all fanworks - amazing! You can say you'd rather be asked first before anything is published- great, it makes you more approachable! You can say you don't want any derivative works - thank you, now I know just to admire your works and not bother you with requests ^^

You can even have a mix for example: "Blanket permission for podfics and fanart. For translations or continuing my fics - please ask me first"

What are other information are useful to have with your BS?

How to contact you (comment/tumblr/other social media)

How would you like to be creddited? Is inspired by option on ao3 enough?

Are there any platforms you'd rather derivatives of your works be not shared on? (Note that ao3 doesn't have native hosting for audio and images, so any works in that medium will need to be hosted elsewhere, for example on Internet Archive, Gdrive, Tumblr, Youtube)

I'm worried about AI using my works.

That's understandable. You can add a note saying you do not allow your works to be used by AI in any way - for example to train in or to be used in AI prompts.

I don't have any/much works published. Is it still helpful for me to add a blanket statement?

Yes, in case you create something in the future you'll have it ready to go! And even if you don't it still normalizes having a BS and raises awareness about them!

Why don't people just ask for permission directly?

It can be hard for people to reach out with permission requests for a variety of reasons. They might be participating in time-limited event, where waiting for a response is not viable. They might be in the mood to create *right now*. Asking for permission sometimes feels like a commitment too, so it's easier for many creators to just surprise author with their creation after it's done. Sometimes people ask for permission, but never hear back, or get rejected.

Having an ask-first statement helps you be more approachable too! It shows that you might be open/welcoming to the request.

I've added a Blanket Permission to my profile! Is there a way for me to make it even easier to find for other creators?

Yes! If you have a Blanket Permission available publicly you can add a link to it and username to fanwork permission statement list. You can use this sheet to submit your own permission. There is a browser extension that highlights all usernames with BP in the fps database on ao3.

[raymantogether]

Rayman 30th Anniversary Community Spotlight #6 - ZyntCan_Animate

The Maraython:

Earlier last year, Willkakuti and I came up with a collaborative community project called the Maraython. To celebrate Rayman's 30th anniversary, the project's focus is to discover more about the members within the community and what makes the Rayman fandom so special. We tasked participants with creating a review of their favorite Rayman game and getting fans to show some creative insight about themselves.

So far we have seen ZetaXO, Unknown Rift, Plushpaw, Claire Aimée, and Awoken From You, who have reviewed Rayman CP, Rayman M, Rayman Raving Rabbids 2, Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc, and two Rayman fan games, The Spooky Raymansion and Rayman Washes His Hands.

Today's spotlight is something completely different. I would like to introduce you to ZyntCan_Animate. Zynt has chosen to review Rayman 2: The Great Escape. However, rather interestingly, this review draws inspiration from other games of that genre. Specifically Spyro 2! The review focuses upon the importance of continuity. I particularly adore the animation and humor used throughout this entire review.

I really hope you enjoy this very fun discussion and review by Zynt. Please don't forget to check out links to their socials, including more of their spotlight below.

Community Spotlight:

What is your name?

"My name is That Guy, or more formally, Zynt. I also go by other names, but those are my two main ones."

What country are you from?

"AMERICA ALL THE WAY, BABY"

Tell us about yourself.

"I am a small artist, animator, writer, creator, and yapper who's really REALLY into media older than me. I'm mostly found drawing and writing, but when motivation strikes, I'll make an animation or maybe a full YouTube video. I enjoy the fandom aspects of media and like to deep dive into what the people's opinions are rather than general facts. I do like to collect plushies on occasion."

What is your favorite Rayman game?

"Rayman 3 is my absolute favorite, but it's not just nostalgia (that would go to Rayman Origins). To me, Rayman 3 encapsulates all the charm and whimsy the Rayman franchise is and is a great send-off to the trilogy, in my opinion. I also do enjoy the lands you travel across, the more detailed combat system, and the jokes... I am a crude humor fan; I grew up on Captain Underpants, Battleblock Theater, and South Park (sadly). The replayability is also super cool as well! I enjoy games you can easily 100% (like Bugsnax), and in my opinion Rayman 3 is easy to do that (maybe not exactly 100%, but complete with good scores is enough)."

How did you get into the series?

"My dad is a Ubisoft fan, but "fan" as in he buys the games often. He also was a subscriber to Xbox Gold when that was still a thing. Gold was basically a service that had select games free every month, and Rayman Origins (and Rayman 3) happened to be free. My dad got the games, and later I tried playing with my brother. I was... not very good at Rayman Origins (or Rayman Original, as I called it as a kid), so I dropped it. I remember playing Rayman 3 as well, but I could only remember playing the Murfy flying section. Then, in 2022, someone I followed on Instagram drew Rayman, and I recognized him. I decided to boot up the games after a few years, and my life (and wallet) hasn't been the same since then."

What do you do in the community?

"I'm not very big, so I can't say I do much. But from the little things I do, I make Rayman animations (but animation memes) and Rayman commentary videos, mostly discussing spicier takes than the typical video. On the art platforms, I just draw and hope something sticks, mostly my rarepairs, OCs, and headcanons. In the future I do wish to make a comic series about my Rayman OC (the one I frequently post about on my YouTube channel), but that requires time, skill, and motivation. The most I do is on my Archive of Our Own account, but my works on there don't get a whole lot of attention either. I do own a fairly popular fandom-centric Discord server, so maybe that's my biggest contribution."

Thank you so much for joining the Maraython project, Zynt. I really enjoyed hearing your perspective and take on Rayman 2: The Great Escape. Thank you for sharing your passion and enthusiasm for Rayman and your love for Spyro. I am mostly a huge fan of Spyro, and this review hit the sweet spot.

Please don't forget to support Zynt. If you are eager to see more, I have included links to their social accounts below. See you next time. 

ZYNTCAN_ANIMATE LINKS:

[maxwellatoms]

Do you have any particular sense for how it is to be (or work towards being) an indie animator right now? I'm assuming that it's nigh-impossible to follow in the shoes of someone like you, or Rebecca Sugar, or Ian JQ, or... any of my idol-esque showrunners, frankly. But it seems like there's some interest to drum up about shows like The Amazing Digital Circus or Lackadaisy or Helluva Boss. What's your input on that front?

You nailed it.

I do think there will be some original animated show creators coming out of this next generation, but the chances of a studio supporting a young creator of an original idea seems much lower than it used to. CN is making some new shorts, so something interesting may come from there. Mostly, though, I think that the new stuff will come from people who just make something because they want to make something.

That's my current, sloppy plan anyway.

Things are going to get even weirder in the future, I think, as studios continue to push to replace or overwork their existing workers. LLMs are a bad investment all-around, but we may still end up fighting them for space on the internet. Studios would love to have complete dominance over the media space, so flooding the internet with AI trash is in their best interest.

So yeah. Make something. Make it now before things get harder.

[oracleofstars]

✦ 3VOLS ( THE HUGE MASTERLIST ) : ISSUE 2, SNOWFLAKE!

The spotlight has turned to @alistairea of this month

IM NEW, WHATS "3VOLS" THE MAGAZINE?

This will serve as a "mini masterlist" where we compile links of works from different creators based on the character. And yes, its not limited to fanfiction. This is open to artists, graphic design/gfx creators & editors. (Basically, if you've created any kind of creative media related to the character) Below the interview is a masterlist specifically made for the character!

YOU MIGHT BE THE NEXT CREATOR FEATURED IN 3VOLS!

Its pretty easy to join! There is a higher chance of being featured if you are a member of the network, but we plan on inviting other creators who aren't members as well. Our hunter's exam will be held on July 5 to July 15, a taglist will be made soon. Be on the lookout, future hunters!

MEET THE NEWEST NURSING STUDENT!

Arianna is a creative multifandom creator who makes content for Love & Deepspace, Genshin Impact & Star Rail! We have asked her five questions to introduce her content to all of us.

tell us about yourself!

ari : hello ^^ my name is arianna, I write love and deep space characters but I don't mind writing a character from another fandom and my content is about LANDPS boys - even the story characters

who is your favorite to write about in landps?

ari : zayne is my favorite character to write for. my smau of him is still ongoing ( SNOWFLAKE! )

what is your personal headcannon of your favorite l&dps character?

ari : my personal headcannon of zayne ( and may be canon ) is that he still continues trying to find mc in every life even though he is cursed.

what is your favorite sfw work that you have posted?

ari : right now the zayne smau is the only one ive written, but i hope to write more for the others as well!

how is your time in oracle of stars?

ari : its really good, i like it here. i hope everyone joins this network.

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE DEEPSPACE NETWORK

welcome to the zayne masterlist, find something that piques your interest here! show some love to the creators that work hard in this community by reblogging their work with a cute little tag! <3 there may be repeating works from the last issue

snowflake! smau masterlist - @ alistairea

zayne caring for you - @ alistairea

l&ds boys + their nicknames for you - @ lovexdeepspace

l&ds boys + choosing mc over you - @ lovexdeepspace

zayne gets a cat to love him - @ kakaventurine

taking their surname - @ beneathashadytree

jealous of… plushies? - @ beneathashadytree

“is he your boyfriend?” - @ beneathashadytree

hospital trip - @ chaos-in-deepspace

naming a puppy after him - @ strwberri-milk

turning into an evol kitten - @ strwberri-milk

when you (playfully) reject their kiss - @ chastiefoul

sleepy day - @ chastiefoul

saying i love you - @ chastiefoul

his not-so-secret love affair - @ kykyonthemoon

how to romance the lovely miss hunter - @ kykyonthemoon

the spaces between my fingers are right where yours fit perfectly - @ kykyonthemoon

distractions - @ odoraful

an aesthetic eye - @ odoraful

ladps men's reactions when they hear a little kid say he'll marry you when he grows up - @ manikas-whims

ladps men react to you taking in a kitten - @ manikas-whims

remnants of the heart - @ tulipdf

WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING?

its almost application season! our taglist will open soon. come join us in the discord & the network. the second issue is finally done, show some support to the creators by REBLOGGING their works with little comments-it encourages them a lot, trust me! thank you for all the support you've given the oracle. we'll see you again next time!