imkazz

[imkazz]

at a conference I attended recently, a researcher pointed to the difficulty of finding material in archives because so much depends on the metadata and the terminology used to describe things changes over time. "it would be so helpful," the researcher said, "if I typed 'lesbian' into the library of congress database, it would also show me results that were categorised in the 50s, when the materials were interpreted as 'intimate female friendships'"

which is what tag wrangles at Archive Of Our Own do incredibly effectively: searching for "omegaverse" also leads to "alpha/beta/omega dynamics" and "alternate universe: a/b/o" and so on. but ao3 achieves this frankly incredible categorisation and indexing system by the power of countless volunteers putting in hours and hours of unpaid and unthanked free time, and it's completely understandable that most archives do not have that kind of infrastructure, but also how incredible that a fan-run website has better searchability, classification, and accessibility than the library of congress

[imkazz]

these are KILLING me

[imkazz]

Reblog to give prev the power to write their fanfiction

[imkazz]

never ask me to render anything ever again.

made this for a dtiys on insta! my user is @acoffeegato

[imkazz]

Scrolling through Apothecary Diaries posts and seeing the Jinmao and Shimao (I also saw this referred to as Pesticide shipping lol) ship war, I kinda want to give my take on it

Like Maomao cares about Both of them, but their relationships are very different. I'm not even talking romance here- Shisui started as someone Maomao could be on an equal level to, they're friends. Meanwhile, Maomao may have been avoiding how high ranked Jinshi really was, she did keep her distance due to the class difference between them. Now, Jinshi has been able to break though that a few times, and they do trust and depend on each other, but it's still a very different relationship. Jinshi is her employer. Shisui was supposed to be safe in a way Jinshi couldn't be. She started as a friend of a friend and it was super effective for getting close to Maomao.

Interestingly, Jinshi and Shisui are actually pretty alike in some ways. They both have their relationship with Maomao under an assumed identity of lower status. Both are trapped by the expectations of their family and enjoy getting to goof off a little while Maomao remains unaware of who they actually are. Maomao also gets annoyed by their antics at times in ways that for example she doesn't for Xiaolan. Jinshi has his ridiculousness and Shisui has her bug fascination lol. Also, they both use Maomao in their schemes. I haven't forgotten all the times where Jinshi and Gaoshun have discussed how she make a valuable pawn, meanwhile Shisui seems to have used her kidnapping to bring ruin to her mother. It's just... They do end up actually caring for Maomao beyond that.

However, to Shisui, her plan is more important than Maomao. She's sticking to it, even when it's put Maomao in danger and Maomao herself is trying to make her turn back.

Jinshi? He'll adjust. He may have just completely burnt his Jinshi identity for her and lost the freedom that comes with it (anime only here so I don't know all of the ramifications yet!). I know there were other factors as well and I'm sure that there are limits in what Jinshi will do for Maomao, but it's an interesting parallel.

All of this to say- Maomao's relationships with these characters are both complex and intriguing. I think both deserve to be explored and discussed. In my opinion, I appreciated that both relationships were given weight last episode. When it showed that as much as she tries to claim she doesn't care, she feels strongly. When she tried to deny Jinshi's royalness until she honestly couldn't. It's complicated. So complicated and tumultuous and neither of them are quite the person Maomao thought they were before. Jinshi is the one who came to save her and Shisui is the one she can't save. The friendship that was supposed to be safe put her life in danger while her high ranked boss who she's literally given requests for how to kill her if he ever executes her showed up to protect her. Liars who slipped through her cracks., that while they held different identities- they were closer to their true selves with her than the masks of who they were born to be. It's compelling. Both are important to Maomao's character and honestly I'd like to see the contrast be explored more.

[imkazz]

quick aiura :D im ngl i forgot i watched this anime until i thought about delusional loser characters.. but i love her a lot

[imkazz]

does this mean anything important or

[imkazz]

give me my brother and I'll give you my alchemy -> I'll give you the source of my passion, the thing that began it all and started me on a journey worth a lifetime, brought me countless friends and allies, a way to continue going through tragedy after tragedy, the thing that has brought me almost all the answers I have ever needed in my life, the abilities that have gotten me so far, some of the final best memories i have of my mother, the thing that has caused so much suffering yet curiosity within me, my connection to my brother, the thing that I have had with me since the beginning of my life to get me the one thing that has kept me going and helped me through this path no matter if it was wonderful or traumatic. because my brother represents alchemy but the thing about symbolism is that he matters more than the thing i am comparing him to.

[imkazz]

60 years holding the staff you start seeing the hatman

(How fucked up would it be if the staff talked but only to Zane lol)

Inspo

[imkazz]

I made a follow up comic to this post

[imkazz]

[imkazz]

the love language of hairpins 💔

[imkazz]

I hate when a tiny stupid thing pushes you over the edge and makes you freak the fuck out because it makes you look like a completely irrational tar pit of a human being. Like no I promise this is warranted just maybe not about that specifically I swear I'm well adjusted. Come closer stick your fingers in my cage

[imkazz]

drawing people i see in the city (41/?)

[imkazz]

Seeing Jinshi channeling his inner Maomao to find clues is EVERYTHING. He unleashed his frustration of not being able to find Maomao in the most astonishing way.

He was acting as "Jinshi" for so long. Burying feelings, faking smiles, and trying to keep his composure despite everything. They took Maomao, his one favorite person that kept him locked in, and that didn't sit well with him. It was weirdly satisfying seeing him take it all out. Although, I felt bad for Loulan substitute for being the one that witnesses his full-blown outburst. It must have been a terrifying experience. As Maomao said, "Pretty people are so scary when they're angry."

Not having Maomao by his side didn't stop him from borrowing her methods of getting things done.

I couldn't help but notice a similar experience Maomao has shown him before. The Loulan imposter is similar to the Corpse Fungus episode, where a look-alike court lady replaced a concubine after she died. Jinshi was tricked during the monthly visits until Maomao pointed that out for him. This sounds familiar, huh?

The reason why Jinshi decided to assume the role of the noble eunuch was also revealed.

Jinshi believed he was an illegitimate child given that his mother was an adult woman while we all know who the previous emperor was interested in. Talks around the palace made young Jinshi believe that and thought he didn't have a place being the crown prince.

This part reminded me of how Maomao was also feeling bad in her childhood because of how she was born in the Verdigris House.

All in all, it was a big episode for Jinshi. The only thing I wished was for Maomao to see that. Girl, you are truly loved.

[imkazz]

Maomao chose to call her Shisui because in her memories, that's her true self, and the way Shisui was taken back then smiled with tears bursting while responding in her cheerful tone is so utterly beautiful. Her pained expression held many different emotions. Top ten favorite moments, no doubt about it.

Shisui lived her life trapped as the "golden child." Her existence was merely a vessel for her mother to manipulate. Her mother doesn't even know who her daughter truly is nor how she even looked behind the face she was made to wear since younger age.

To have Maomao looking at her and calling her by the name she picked for her true self is the recognition Shisui needed to have so she can know that she's a real person and not a "doll." Her brief life with Maomao could've been a reality in another life.

[imkazz]

Leave it to Genya to kill my art block.