mikkeneko

[mikkeneko]

When the health food store unionized, something wild happened that I thought was just a goofy one-off, but makes more sense now.

There was a big push to eliminate "degrading jobs" but the strategy was to eliminate the position, then create a new position outside of the bargaining unit to do the work. So like, we wouldn't have dishwashers, but we'd have people who washed dishes that weren't eligible to be in the union.

I was like A) what the actual fuck? Dish washing isn't "degrading", it's fucking vital. B) What the actual fuck? You want to create a union just to exploit different people?

There were enough of us to be like "Absolutely the fuck not," and put a stop to it, but I was absolutely flummoxed that people involved in a union would say that out loud. Working with more leftists now, it makes sense.

[mikkeneko]

It starts small. Luo Binghe hides all his demonic features, which — Shen Qingqiu didn’t even think he was hiding, until he wakes up earlier than usual one day and sees Luo Binghe enter the house all red-eyed and claw-handed. Before any excitement can build up, though, Binghe blinks, startles and the features are gone.

Shen Qingqiu didn’t ask, but he started watching his husband more closely. And he began noticing things:

• Luo Binghe is never rude to other Peak Lords, at least not in front of Shen Qingqiu.

• He never complains, at least not about what’s really bothering him.

• He gets anxious when he doesn’t have time to cook or clean for Shen Qingqiu

• He barely talks about anything related to his Emperor duties, if he attends to them at all

• With his every word and action he tries to be good for Shen Qingqiu

At this point, Shen Qingqiu stops keeping track. He knows what’s going on.

Luo Binghe thinks Shen Qingqiu’s love for him is conditional and he needs to work hard every day not to lose it.

The thought of it sends cold shivers down Shen Qingqiu’s spine. He misses his self-assured, impudent white lotus. He can’t let it stand.

So, he does the following:

“Binghe doesn’t need to cook today.” He says, motioning for Ming Fang to come closer. “We’ll get the food from the kitchens.”

“But Shizun!” Luo Binghe pouts. “That food isn’t good enough. This one can do better.”

“Of course Binghe can.” Shen Qingqiu says, fighting the blush. “My husband is most talented. Today, though, this master wants an extra hour with him, even if it means worse food.”

And:

“Emperor Luo must be missed in the Demon Realm.” Shen Qingqiu notes, ignoring the way Luo Binghe freezes midway through the room. “Maybe we should visit?”

There’s a moment of silence. Then, Luo Binghe says, voice carefully neutral:

“It’s not pleasant in there, shizun. This one wouldn’t want to expose his husband to such a cruel, dangerous environment.”

“Luckily,” Shen Qingqiu notes. “This one married the most dangerous creature in the world. He is sure he’d feel pretty safe.”

“Shizun.” Luo Binghe whines, hunching his shoulders and trying to appear as small, as non-threatening as possible.

“Is my Demonic Emperor of a husband so unsure in his abilities?”

Luo Binghe stands straighter, eyes gaining a glint of determination. Shen Qingqiu hides a smug smile behind his fan.

And also:

“Binghe looks annoyed.” Shen Qingqiu says, as they walk back home after the Peak Lords meeting.

He doesn’t, his pretty face a pleasant mask. But Shen Qingqiu knows his husband, and he knows his martial siblings aren’t his favorite people.

“This one is fine, shizun.”

“Hmm.” Shen Qingqiu says. “Doesn’t Binghe think other Peak Lords were acting a bit… self-important?”

“They do try to take too much of shizun’s precious time.” Luo Binghe answers carefully.

“Thank you, Binghe, yes. This one has no idea why they think this master would prefer their company to his husband’s.”

Luo Binghe gasps softly. Shen Qingqiu smiles. If he continues just like this, he’s sure soon enough he’ll get his Binghe to act as spoiled as he did back in his discipline-hood, if not worse.

part 2!!

[mikkeneko]

As we approach Dracula Daily season again, just a gentle reminder that, even though it has been going for several years, there are still people who are doing this for the first time, have never read Dracula before, and would like to have as spoiler free an experience as possible, so please tag spoilers!

I know it's a little ridiculous to tag spoilers for a 128 year book, but the chronological reading is so important to Dracula Daily and it's good for people to be able to choose their own experience. It can be a bit alienating if they can't explore the tag and interact with other people excited about the same thing for fear of spoilers. If you're not following along closely and just enjoy keeping up with the memes (which is how I usually do), just try your best to see if what you're posting/reblogging is something that's already happened this year or not.

[mikkeneko]

Have to let you know that I saw your username and immediately followed bc, even after almost a decade, I remember reading your Tsubasa fics on FF.net and how wonderful they were

<3

ty for the joy!

omggggg hello friend!

I jumped ship to AO3 a long while back, but I do have many fond memories of the FF.net era. I kept writing off and on for Tsubasa until like... 2022? It was such a great fandom to be in and I still love talking to folks who were in it with me. 💙💙💙

[mikkeneko]

Arcadian Moon - William H. Hays , 2017.

American, b. 1956 -

Colour linocut reduction on wove paper. ,  11 x 17 in.  Ed. 100.

[mikkeneko]

not to be insensitive but some of the salem witch trials were so funny bitches like “i saw her at the devils sacrament!!!” girl... what were YOU doing at the devils sacrament 👀

[mikkeneko]

Happy May Day all. Solidarity and all that jazz.  For your brain, some history on May Day and how it came to be: 1. The Zinn Education Project:  May 4, 1886: Haymarket Tragedy

2. IWW Historical Archives:  The Brief Origins of May Day

3. NPR : What is May Day? For the most part, the opposite of capitalism

[mikkeneko]

What's the core appeal of orv? I know the premise but why does it make you so hyped up?

OH BOY OH BOY....... i will try to be as concise as possible here but i could write without exaggeration thousands of words about why orv is good. But I guess here's the big stuff.

- Its funny, for starters. it is extremely funny, which is very high up on my media priority list. in orv, there will be incredibly grim things that make you laugh, and incredibly cringe and silly anime bullshit that will hurt you as heavily as any other media you’ve seen. 

- it executes it’s thematic arcs with pinpoint precision the likes of which i’ve hardly ever seen anything else manage to do. regardless of whether or not the themes themselves are the sort of themes you go bonkers for in media, it’s always just delightful to see something perfectly stick it’s landing in terms of the big concepts its trying to grapple with, and orv does

- it’s got fun and fascinating worldbuilding mechanics. the core concept being ‘reality now operates on the rules of a shitty novel’ means that the worldbuilding doesn’t have to function logically, it functions thematically. it’s explicitly stated in orv canon that some of the internal rules governing this new reality are objectively really stupid and illogical, but they just have to roll with it because that’s what was in the book, and i think it’s a really enjoyable way to do it. This may at first sound like a copout, where the writer is trying to excuse their own bad worldbuilding, but it isn’t. The world building is actually incredibly deeply thought out, but it doesn’t exist for the sake of rational function, it exists for the sake of, once again, furthering orv’s thematic arcs. the rules by which this universe operate do a magnificent job of strengthening the core concepts the authors are exploring. 

- it deals with morality in a really wonderful and nuanced way. there are almost no characters in orv’s extremely large cast of characters who are just explicitly morally condemnable, and almost every conflict allows you to understand exactly why the antagonists believe they’re in the right by opposing the actions of our protagonists. the central conflicts are never pure right and pure wrong; they’re always about contrasting goals, conflicting worldviews, and different priorities between ends and means. this makes the conflicts all feel so much more dynamic and engaging than those where the only stakes are physical harm. 

- the characters interpersonal relationships are some of the most interesting ive ever seen. orv is very slow burn and it takes a long time for a lot of these to come out of the woodwork, by design, but by god once they do they fucking hit. similar to the plot conflicts, the interpersonal conflicts also almost never occur where there’s one side clearly in the wrong. the characters are almost all genuinely attempting to do their best by each other, and the tension comes from the ways in which human communication is fundamentally imperfect and part of our feelings and intentions get lost in translation. it’s very heartwrenching and heartwarming to see unfold, in equal measure. 

- following from that, it’s a narrative that really meaningfully prioritizes non-romantic relationships over romantic ones as the central focus. obviously there’s shipbait and the ot3 is real and good and my friend but if you’re looking for deep complex platonic, (found or otherwise) familial, and antagonistic relationships that never get ruined with forced romantic arcs, we got em baby!

- the pacing is unlike anything i’ve ever seen before. from a purely technical standpoint, it is genuinely a fascinating case study in how to execute a narrative that is almost constantly escalating without exception. there is very little downtime or breathing room in orv, which is insane for something that clocks in at over a million words, and somehow, it still works. i’ve never felt more like a frog in a pot of slowly boiling water than i did when i was reading orv and i can’t believe they pulled it off. it’s so interesting to read something like that.

- it is a tragedy without resorting to cynicism and a very adult narrative that’s really steeped in childlike wonder. i’m a big fan of cartoons made for children cartoons made for children are my favorite things to watch because i like media that is uplifting and encouraging. but of course children’s media will always be simplified and not very relatable to an adult. orv is very much a serious and heavy adult narrative, and a deeply tragic one at that, but this is never tragedy for tragedy’s sake. it’s a very compassionate piece of media over all, that holds a lot of reverence and sympathy for the ‘naive’ optimism of children that gets stripped down over time. if you, like me, feel more like a grown up child than an adult someday, i think it’ll hit for you. 

- if you are a person who has ever gotten deeply involved in media to ignore bad things happening in the real world, which i know you are because you are reading my tumblr blog, then there is going to be a lot about orv which resonates for you. a lot of metanarrative has attempted to comment on the voyeuristic nature of media obsession and storytelling, but a lot of it does so in a bizarre way that almost seems to shame the audience for having the audacity to... enjoy the product the creators have produced for them. orv is what i can only describe as a love-letter to its own audience, and it’s really a manifesto about how engagement with media can foster genuine human intimacy, even if initially it’s something you’re using as a crutch to replace that intimacy. the closest thing to orv’s metanarrative i can think of would be undertale. if undertale made you Feel some Things, orv is gonna make you Feel some Things as well. 

- it is extremely cathartic and meaningful. i am not exaggerating at all when i say that reading it gave me the closest thing i have ever felt to any sort of spiritual breakthrough. it helped unfuck my head a ton during some very grim times and i think the perspective it offers on the value of human life is a really really good one

- its really funny i promise

- its cringe in a way that’s hype

- please read orv please not even for me do it for yourself i want you to experience what i experienced for YOUR sake not mine

[mikkeneko]

animation 🌨️

[mikkeneko]

Golden morning light and nature’s delicate details ✨

Captured in the soft glow of the morning sun, this photo was taken against the light, creating a dreamy and warm atmosphere. The way the sunlight filters through the flowers highlights the tiny details of this busy bee at work. A peaceful moment frozen in time. 🌿☀️

[mikkeneko]

you left me tongue tide 🌊☀️

a few days ago @third-ascension blessed us with a hualian beach episode fic and it made me so happy i had to do something for it even if messy

read it here!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/63272194

[mikkeneko]

Let’s kick off May with a rainbow!!! 🌈

Taken: May 1st, 2025

BONUS PICTURE

[mikkeneko]

if you could send one (1) elf who died in the First Age to Rivendell shortly before the War of the Ring, who would you choose?

rules:

they'll get sent forward at the moment of their death (there's a corpse left behind)

they are still injured and will need medical attention

they aren't told anything and they don't have any additional knowledge, just what they knew when they died

[mikkeneko]

Quick question: what do you think "falsifiable" means?

the philosophical razors section on wiki is fascinating …. i’ve known Occam’s razor but it’s the first time I’ve heard of the other razors today ….

Occam’s razor: Simpler explanations are more likely to be correct; avoid unnecessary or improbable assumptions.

Hanlon’s razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.

Hitchens’s razor: What can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence.

Hume’s guillotine: What ought to be cannot be deduced from what is. “If the cause, assigned for any effect, be not sufficient to produce it, we must either reject that cause, or add to it such qualities as will give it a just proportion to the effect.”

Alder’s razor (also known as Newton’s Flaming Laser Sword): If something cannot be settled by experiment or observation, then it is not worthy of debate.

Sagan standard: Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

Popper’s falsifiability principle: For a theory to be considered scientific, it must be falsifiable.

Grice’s razor: As a principle of parsimony, conversational implications are to be preferred over semantic context for linguistic explanations.

[mikkeneko]

bundles of joy 2025/03/08

[mikkeneko]

"A Tempting Offer" My piece for 'Tails & Scales - A Mxtx Creature Zine' featuring WangXian (so happy to finally share this - it was an immense joy to work on this project 💕) Find the ongoing leftover sale here!