acryl1cpain - Tumblr blog

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meet penis from my new cartoon "steamboat penis" where the titular character penis pilots a boat shaped like a penis right into some sharp rocks killing himself and all other 42 passengers on board

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Pomegranates are the most dramatic fruit ever.

Bitch you are a piece of fruit why does it look like I murdered you. Why do you leave my fingertips red and stained. Why do you run down my hands to my elbows when I tear you apart. Why must I rip your body into bloodied chunks to get what's inside of you. Why do you sound so lovely when I crack you open. Why must I eat you with a knife and my bare hands. Why is there so much of you and why is there never enough.

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Should we update the Fictionkin symbol?

PLEASE REBLOG AND SPREAD THIS

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#this is explained wonderfully

A Take on Dreamtale's Village as a Cult

Per an ask that invoked a suggestion that the Village is a cult entity: I entirely agree, and @moonstones-and-mangoes as well as several others in the community have discussed this concept at length! I can't remember them all but let it be known I'm not the first.

CW: Lengthy + explicit discussion of cults / cult behavior, child abuse, neglect. Darker themes, don't read if you are sensitive to such. Etc.

REVIEW: Dreamtale's Village and its Villagers are a mob-like, homogenous group who operate under a seemingly unanimous mission to use and/or abuse two individuals: Dream and Nightmare. They worship the sacred Tree of Feelings, which created these two, and take to heart the meanings of which they guard.

(I am not heavily referencing Dreamtale canon, but I am operating with what I recall of both canon + fanon in mind. The motive is not to achieve accuracy or total literary analysis. This is a fun, lengthy response to a question, albeit on darker subject matter.)

Being from a fairytale-esque AU, one naturally thinks that a magic tree of apples golden and dark would inspire some fear/awe. However, we can review the signs of a cult to see the similarities between the Villagers and their treatment of the twins. I'm basing my thoughts on this website. This infographic was also heavily referenced. There are other factors that may be unmentioned simply for brevity or oversight.

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Signs of a Cult (that apply)

Dissent is discouraged / punished

Us vs. Them

Ends justify the means

There is no life outside of the group / Leaving isn't an option

Shame / Guilt is used to persuade + peer pressure

Members required to cut ties with "outsiders"

There are some themes I've excluded.

Infinite money accumulation / Bringing in new members

Exalted status for group / leader

Authoritarianism / Obedience w/o question or autonomy

Charming/Persuasive leader

As far as I can recall, there is no singular village leader in Dreamtale who directs animosity toward Nightmare. Or, they are not significant enough to be utilized in fanon. Additionally, money and new membership are not a significant point in Dreamtale.

Although obedience w/o question/autonomy does highly apply to Dream, who is the Village's errand boy, I've yet to see this interaction between Villagers. Arguably, one could say the Villagers are the cult leaders amongst themselves, though it feels more like chicken without its head.

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Now, onto the main flesh of the apple- with our first talking point on dissent.

Children and adults interact with the single-minded animosity toward Nightmare. The Villagers seem to mostly lack guilt/remorse for their behavior, and children are easily swayed by or taught to mimic their parents' behavior. If one were to act out against the Village's opinion on him, they could easily be lumped in with the Village's punching bag. Dissent becomes more discouraged the worse Nightmare is treated, as a message to all those who are not conforming.

Interestingly, Dream is pitied for his relationship with Nightmare. When he does not reject him, the Villagers become perplexed and frustrated that he does not entirely conform. Shame and guilt are used to sway Dream. He’s often peer pressured to work for or accompany the Village as a way to purposefully isolate and separate him from his twin for longer, and later on, that’s used as a tactic to keep him from his brother’s assault. In this, we also see how he’s being forced to cut ties with his family, which would strengthen his reliance on the Villagers for validation and attention.

Us vs. Them comes strongly into play when we see how the Villagers treat Nightmare and, to a degree, Dream. 

Even Dream is not part of "Us" or the Village, because he’s the Guardian of Positivity. He has a distinct role that separates him from the rest of the Village and makes him more of a tool or object of worship. Villagers gift him with their harvest and seek his attention or assistance for golden apples. As a young child, Dream feels attached to and obligated to obey and please the Villagers, as he was made to be the Guardian and helping others is what that entails. However, the definition of Guardian is never explicitly stated, only defined by the treatment of the Villagers.

Nightmare’s treatment in Dreamtale is a prime example of Us vs. Them, where he is subject to exclusion, abuse, and bullying for his assigned role and arbitrary reasoning. The Villagers are exclusively against Nightmare and it is considered the standard to bully or reject him, because that is what everyone else is doing. Cults rely on what “everyone else” is doing, and following such. 

Although their mother, Nim, gave them both the positions to protect the Tree’s fruit, the negative interpretation created by the Villagers led to his harassment, neglect, and subsequent transformation when he was nearly killed by/attacked by a mob of Villagers. R.I.P. emo boy. 

The Apple Incident, where the mobbing occurred, is also an example of ends justify the means, where the morality of the Village is skewed in favor of achieving the group’s mission: the murder of Nightmare.

Often in small towns or villages, the group is too far removed from other civilizations in order for escape or moving out to be easily viable. Opinions often circulate and become an echo chamber in these close-knit, small communities, leading to more and more extreme opinions without outside perspective. This isolation is a common tactic of some cults, in which they cut off the members from outside contact (friends, family, medical care, authorities, local government) that may reality check them or provide alternative perspectives. 

In canon and fanon, it’s rarely mentioned that there is life or community outside of the Village. (Of course, canon is centralized around the Tree and the Village in fairytale-esque narration, but I thought it may be a fun point to include. To my knowledge, this has not been implemented.) There is no reference to a government or authority like a lordship, kingdom, or guard outside of the Village, which is uncommon for medieval-fantasy worlds like Dreamtale. (Again, pretending that it was purposefully unmentioned, and not undeveloped/unexplored.) However, it is possible that the Village is too far removed from other civilizations, making it a prime way to isolate its members. Alternatively, this information is purposefully rejected by those in the Village. 

As for the twins, they are rooted to the spot and obligated to their duties to the Tree. They have no idea what going against their duties means- and given what punishment an outcast (Nightmare) / reject of the standard has endured, Dream would easily be terrified of or discouraged from being anything but the model of absolute obedience and duty. Perhaps the young twins may dream of leaving behind their obligations to the Tree, but they are unable to discard their moral obligation to their Mother and the Tree they were sworn to protect since creation.

So. Yep! That’s most of my thoughts on the matter. More details or brevity could have been achieved, but I’m sure someone out there will make a point that’ll resound / I didn’t cover. There are some small points I would have included, but I don’t feel like it. I wrote this all in one sitting, so ignore grammatical errors and give me grace for logic. Thanks for the ask, anon!

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"Sad Cat Poem" by Spencer Madsen

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fantasy author: But hear this. What if vikings. readers: [perk one ear, cautiously] fantasy author: But they're not historically accurate. Just the cool stuff without any of the slavery and pillaging. readers: [slowly peering out of the shadows] fantasy author: Just cool runes carved onto big-ass axes and battle hammers, braided beards and being tough as shit but also like, super organised and surprisingly high-tech for their age. readers: [distrusting, but approaching gingerly] fantasy author: Like super into war but also merchants. Showing up with goods like "yo are you here to trade or are we here to raid." Can run a bank and trade in gold but also fuck you up on a battlefield like that's their whole job. readers: [warily sniffing author's hand] fantasy author: And they're short as shit and live INSIDE MOUNTAINS! readers, suddenly delighted: DWARFS DWARFS DWARFS DWARFS

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FireflySummers’ Guide to Arguing Against the Use of AI Image Generators

(AKA I hate AI image generators so fucking much that I published a whole ass academic article on it)

Read the Paper: Art in the Machine: Value Misalignment and AI "Art"

Citation: Allred, A.M., Aragon, C. (2023). Art in the Machine: Value Misalignment and AI “Art”. In: Luo, Y. (eds) Cooperative Design, Visualization, and Engineering. CDVE 2023. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 14166. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-43815-8_4

The purpose of the original paper and now this post is the following:

Provide at least one academic article that you can cite. (Full paper + citation available below)

Make explicit community values that have previously been implicit, in order to better examine your own perceptions of the online artist community, and where you sit within it.

Provide rebuttals to common pro-AI talking points, with the intention of shutting down the conversation and reclaiming the narrative. 

What this paper and post cannot do:

Act as a sole authority about the online artist community and its values. We are not a monolith, and it is up to you to think critically about what, exactly, you want to take away from this discussion.

Provide a way to convince AI Evangelists that what they’re doing is wrong and bad and needs to stop. You will never convince them. Again, focus on shutting them down and reclaiming the narrative.

Final Disclaimer: I'm a very fallible researcher who is still very much learning how to do academia. I cannot speak for the entirety of the online artist community or fanartist community. We all have different lived experiences. I have done my best to include diverse voices; however if you have concerns or critiques, I am open to hearing them.

If you show up to debate in favor of AI image generators, you will be automatically blocked.

Credits:

Editors, Meme Experts, and Annotators: @starbeans-bags, @b4kuch1n, @cecilioque.

Tutorial Examples: @sabertoothwalrus, @ash-and-starlight, @miyuliart, @hometownrockstar, @deoidesign, @cinnamonrollbakery

If you have read this far, thank you very much. I hope that you have found a constructive lens for approaching the war with AI image generators, as well as a new tool for shutting down debate and reclaiming the narrative.

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The death toll in Gaza is never going to stop rising. Even if there was an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian aid went in now, it wouldn't be over. People are going to be living with long term effects of surviving building collapses, not just mentally but physically, the effects of breathing in all the dust. And the long term effects of dehydration and starvation, of being surrounded by death. Doctors are already talking about disease being an imminent threat.

Israel knows that they aren't just killing Palestinians by carpet bombing them, but blocking food, water, and fuel. They know that and that is what makes them truly evil, they are not defending themselves, they are committing genocide and the death toll will continue to rise for decades to come, ceasefire or not.

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Palestinians are not "animals."

They are not "children of darkness."

Little kids are rescuing cats and trying to comfort them when they themselves are terrified.

A doctor broke down when his father and brother came into the trauma unit.

And several of his colleagues hugged and gathered to comfort him.

Journalists are playing with babies.

Doctors are refusing to evacuate hospitals because their patients can't and refuse to leave them.

There's a little boy who gives tea to the journalists and thanks them for spreading their stories.

He's displaced at the hospital, his home is gone.

A kid was asked what he wants to be when he grows up and he said kids in Gaza don't grow up.

Kids are writing their names on their arms so they can be identified.

Momin Kireka is a Palestinian journalist who was disabled by an Israeli attack in 2008.

And despite the difficulty in moving around, he vows to continue to show the world the truth.

Awni, a young Palestinian boy has a gaming YouTube channel he loved so much.

He was killed in the bombing.

Mohammed Sami was an artist who's dream was to open an art gallery.

He was playing with the kids to raise their spirits. And the next day he was killed.

They are victims.

They are going through unimaginable horrors and still find it in their hearts to be kind.

They have hopes and dreams just like you and I.

They are people.

And they deserve to be recognised and known as such.

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Palestinians are not "animals."

They are not "children of darkness."

Little kids are rescuing cats and trying to comfort them when they themselves are terrified.

A doctor broke down when his father and brother came into the trauma unit.

And several of his colleagues hugged and gathered to comfort him.

Journalists are playing with babies.

Doctors are refusing to evacuate hospitals because their patients can't and refuse to leave them.

There's a little boy who gives tea to the journalists and thanks them for spreading their stories.

He's displaced at the hospital, his home is gone.

A kid was asked what he wants to be when he grows up and he said kids in Gaza don't grow up.

Kids are writing their names on their arms so they can be identified.

Momin Kireka is a Palestinian journalist who was disabled by an Israeli attack in 2008.

And despite the difficulty in moving around, he vows to continue to show the world the truth.

Awni, a young Palestinian boy has a gaming YouTube channel he loved so much.

He was killed in the bombing.

Mohammed Sami was an artist who's dream was to open an art gallery.

He was playing with the kids to raise their spirits. And the next day he was killed.

They are victims.

They are going through unimaginable horrors and still find it in their hearts to be kind.

They have hopes and dreams just like you and I.

They are people.

And they deserve to be recognised and known as such.

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i don't pay attention to the world ending. it has ended for me many times and began again in the morning.

― Nayyirah Waheed, Salt

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In the spirit of encouraging people to comment on fanfics while also making it easier to do so, I feel obliged to share a browser extension for ao3 that has quite literally revolutionized the comment game for me.

I present to you: the floating ao3 comment box!

From what I've seen, a big problem for many people is that once you reach the comments at the bottom of a fic, your memory of it miraculously disappears. Anything you wanted to say is stuck ten paragraphs ago, and you barely remember what you thought while reading. This fixes that!

I'll give a little explanation on the features and how it works, but if you want to skip all that, here's the link.

The extension is visible as a small blue box in the upper left corner.

(Side note: The green colouring is not from the extension, that's me.)

If you click on it, you open a comment box window at the bottom of your screen but not at the bottom of the fic. I opened my own fic for demonstrative purposes.

The website also gives explanations on how exactly it functions, but I'll summarize regardless.

insert selection -> if you highlight a sentence in the fic it will be added in italics to the comment box

add to comment box -> once you're done writing your comment, you click this button and the entire thing will automatically copied to the ao3 comment box

delete -> self explanatory

on mulitchapter fics, you will be given the option to either add the comment to just the current chapter or the entire fic

The best part? You can simply close the window the same way you opened it and your progress will automatically be saved. So you can open it, comment on a paragraph, and then close it and keep reading without having the box in your face.

Comments are what keep writers going, and as both a writer and a reader, I think it's such an easy way of showing support and enthusiasm.

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my dealer: got some straight gas 🔥😛 this strain is called “neon genesis evangelion” 😳 you’ll be zonked out of your gourd 💯

me: yeah whatever. i don’t feel shit.

5 minutes later: dude i swear i just saw a giant flying singing five dimensional crystalline octahedron obliterate our entire missile defence system

my buddy shinji ikari pacing: i mustn't run away. i mustn't run away. i mustn't run away. i m

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undertale.

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Image for you and your aroace friends when u feel like low res chicken run