#I can have my two form of media exist in different aspects

[vicontheinternet]

Eye don’t care yall will never make me hate the percy Jackson movies the way yall die hard book stan’s do it introduced me to the books

[sheastri]

Hell N Back ft. op81

Pairing: oscar piastri x fem!black reader

Genre: Social Media AU with story

Summary: In which the reader was finally done with love until Oscar came into her life and charmed (all he had to do was exist) her into giving love another chance.

Warning(s): None.

A/N: Recently been thinking about f1 so I decided why not write??Title inspired by "Hell N Back Bakar ft. Summer Walker" because I've been obsessed with it lately!! No specific fan cast, just photos off of Pinterest.

୨୧–------------------------------------------୨୧

The First Meeting

2 years ago

Y/n was walking down a street flooded by shops all around her with her best friend, A'lidyah. The two women were in deep conversation about love. Y/n was almost sure she would never comfortably be in love again and A'lidyah was telling her that love comes to you when you least expect it.

"You shouldn't fully mark it off because of a few mishaps. And love comes in so many different forms and can be found in so many different aspects of life." A'lidyah explained while moving her hands to emphasize her point.

"You know what, you're right. I love seeing the smiles of the people who walk the streets, I love skipping through town hand in hand, and I love music. I'm so grateful to have you in my life, like seriously." Y/n said smiling at her friend sincerely. A'lidyah returned the smile saying something along the lines of "life would be so dull without you, i thank God for you everyday." The conversation then resumed, the two girls having smiles seemingly permanently edged on to their faces.

While Y/n was speaking she momentarily shifted her eyes to glance at something on the side of the street that A'lidyah stood on and in that quick second she had walked into someone. He managed to catch her by her waist before she had fallen and she immediately began apologizing before looking up at the man.

As Y/n shifted to meet the gaze of her saving grace, she found she was met with a face that displayed the thoughts crossing her mind at the moment. Wide eyes and mouth agape, the man must've been experiencing the shock that circled her mind at the moment. She only broke through this trance at the sound of a witch like cackling that could come from no one other than A'lidyah. Y/n raised her eyebrow and side eyed her best friend with a smile on her face before turning her attention back on to the man who stood in front of her.

They exchanged eye contact one last time before his hold on her waist loosened and Y/n stepped back and bent down to pick up the things that fell on the floor. Oscar soon joined her and then apologized for almost knocking her over.

"Ah, no worries it was mostly my fault and I was able to be saved by a handsome man so I'd say we're pretty even?" Y/n responded cheekily.

"A handsome man? And then you a beautiful woman? Almost seems like a match made in heaven, wouldn't cha say?" The man said while his face was very clearly flushed and he looked like he had to muster up all his confidence and self-control to not stutter. His pupils then went off to the side catching another woman in his line of sight. Seeing that the man had directed his attention to her A'lidyah began to speak.

"That's actually perfect, Y/n needs someone other than me to add a little bit of pizazz and all that fun stuff to her life, mind giving her a name?" A'lidyah says holding back a teasing smile. "Oh that's my bad. The names Oscar, Oscar Piastri. It's nice to meet you Y/n and..."

"Oh I'm A'lidyah! Her wife, her wingman, her manager, and most importantly her best friend. Oscar meet Y/n, Y/n meet Oscar!" The girl says enthusiastically. The two laugh but greet each other anyway.

They exchanged numbers and that day when Y/n went home she found the idea of love just a bit more appealing and Oscar... well let's just say his google history was flooded with many "Do I Have a Crush?" quizzes, a lot more "How to Know if Your in Love" blogs, and one slightly embarrassing question that his friends would definitely tease him about, not that they wouldn't tease him about what he had already been searching up anyway.

Y/n is now following Oscar Piastri

Oscar Piastri is now following Y/n

♫ Could you tell where my head was at when you found me? Me and you went to hell and back just to find peace ♫

୨୧–------------------------------------------୨୧

Current Time

yourusername

liked by oscarpiastri, whosalidyah, mclaren and 276,943 others

yourusername last photo is from me and lidyah's latest gossip session

view all 7,983 comments

whosalidyah not your boy in the likes...🤭

yourusername guys what is this crazy woman talking about?? username girl... you are NOT slick username not alidyah exposing her😭

carlossainz55 can't wait to meet you at our next race!

liked by creator

username anyone noticed that both oscar and mclaren liked??

username that's suspicious🤨 username that's weird...

oscarpiastri no photo creds after standing in the middle of the road to take that second one??

yourusername you're still alive and well?? landonorris justice for my boy oscar😪 whosalidyah burning all my number 4 mclaren merch landonorris I take back my earlier statement, I was misguided please forgive me oscarpiastri the things that love does to people🤦

username ignoring that 3rd photo for my peace of mind

username not me finding out my wife is cheating on me on my birthday

yourusername never bby 💕 oscarpiastri 🤥

mclaren come visit us in the paddock sometime soon!

yourusername I thought you'd never ask!! username oh?

username Man, I thought I had everything, I was lonely.

oscarpiastri

liked by yourusername, mclaren, landonorris, and 392,487 others

oscarpiastri Thanks to all the fans who came out to support @mclaren today.

yourusername Your nails are gorgg, who did them?? I need the number immediately🤭

oscarpiastri that information is classified🥱 username not y/n tryna act like those aren't her nails...

username babe... who's nails are those??

username why is lando lowkey looking like a snack in that photo??😩

landonorris it's just impossible for me to look bad, truly a gift and a curse😪 whosalidyah don't boost his ego too much now, im scared it might implode...

username just noticed that the nails match the colors on his helmet

username that's actually so cute wtff username oh it's seriousss

yourusername just a girl waiting for her photo creds

oscarpiastri just a boy waiting for the ones he was robbed of😣

username Now you're my everything, now it's on me.

mclaren

liked by yourusername, oscarpiastri, f1, and 203,587 others

mclaren Our papaya boys + Y/n = another good day in the paddock

yourusername I had an amazing time, thank you so much for inviting me (10/10 experience, would recommend).

mclaren You're welcome to join us again anytime!

username ok but who was y/n looking at because I don't think her smile could get any brighter??

username ik y/n was sick of them by the end of this😭

landnorris y/n run they're trying to recruit you

yourusername girl dw i'm already halfway down the road oscarpiastri 🤦 username lmao i love their dynamic

whosalidyah if only I didn't have exams

yourusername never leave me again, oscar and lando almost drove me insane whosalidyah igu next time babes🤞

username hope to see her at the paddock a lot more!

username oh to be y/n rn

username I could you tell where your head was at when I found you.

୨୧–------------------------------------------୨୧

Will You Be Mine?

1 year ago

Y/n was very excited for her date with the one and only Oscar Piastri, not like she hadn't gone on many with him before but he had said he had something very special planned which "fit her persona well", his words not hers. She was very suspicious seeing as basically all their dates filled her with joy and excitement, high standards to exceed, if she did say so herself.

She had gotten her nails painted prior to the date and had made sure her hair looked nice. She had also put on a pretty dress but not before playing dress up and have a whole fashion show in her room with A'lidyah. Her whole hype crew in one person, she was so blessed. While doing touch ups she heard the doorbell ring and practically flew downstairs to go and open the door.

Oscar stared down at her, his face leading her to think he was in a trance or something of the sort. Y/n loved the effect she had on him. She did a little twirl to show him the full fit knowing it would fluster him even more.

"Am I pretty enough for the occasion, Mr. Piastri?" Y/n said chuckling softly before leaving a mannequin like Oscar standing at the door in awe as she went to go grab her purse and let A'lidyah know it was time for her to go. She came back down and Oscar swore she looked like an angel descending from the heavens.

"Well, I'm waiting on an answer?"

"You are absolutely stunning, beyond pretty enough for the occasion, although those are definitely everyday qualities of yours."

"What a sweetheart!" Y/n said, once again teasing the man and taking pleasure in the blush that spread across his face, as she closed the door to the apartment and took Oscar's outstretched hand. As they made it to the car he opened the door for her and allowed her to enter before going around the car and getting in himself.

"Ouhh my favorite song is playing, did you orchestrate this or is the universe just working overtime?" The girl spoke softly in a joking manner.

"A magician can't reveal all his tricks." Oscar said jokingly before smiling softly at the girl in the passenger seat and taking in the joy that radiated from her being. They drove with soft music in the background and just the amazing scenery to guide them through the city. Once they got to the destination, which seemed like a garden of some sort, Oscar practically ran over to her side of the car. Once he had opened the door for her he covered her eyes with his hands.

"Oscar, your coordination better be on point because if I trip your days will be numbered." she said seriously with a hint of humor in her voice.

"Wouldn't be the first time you've fallen for me, now would it love?" Oscar teased as he walked her over to the romantic picnic spot he had set up for her.

"Girl, you know what... just don't be surprised when I jump you." Y/n said playfully. They then came to a stop and and Oscar uncovered her eyes allowing her to see the scene that he had put together. When Y/n saw the sign that said "Will You Be Mine?" her heart felt as though it would jump out of her chest. When she turned to face Oscar he got down on one knee and began to speak before she could say anything.

"From the moment I met you I knew that we would be inevitable. You're intricate but gorgeous hairstyles, your dough like eyes, and your beautiful aura had put me in an immediate trance and I remember thinking 'woah'. My friends once told me that when I looked at you it seemed as though stars had been placed in my eyes purposely as if to gaze upon you meant my pupils had seen an unknown galaxy deeply treasured by the cosmos. So, will you allow me a place in your heart in which I beg to stay for an eternity."

Y/n immediately broke down crying before saying yes a million times and jumping into Oscar's warm embrace.

"I will do my best to treasure your heart." Y/n said before pulling Oscar in for a kiss.

That night the stars danced above them as though rejoicing.

♫ Know life been lifin' lately, so I save you if you save me ♫

୨୧–------------------------------------------୨୧

Current Time

yourusername

liked by oscarpiastri, whosalidyah, and 479,502 others

yourusername I was over love, thought I had enough, then I found you @oscarpiastri

This posts comments have been limited to users mentioned

oscarpiastri I was no doubt, stressed out without you.

yourusername the only man ever🤭

oscarpiastri

liked by yourusername, landonorris, and 923,547 others

oscarpiastri All we got is us, when nobody does, I got you @yourusername

This posts comments have been limited to users mentioned

yourusername For your sanity and my mentality.

oscarpiastri mine, in every universe

yourusername omg I'm literally your biggest fan!!

oscarpiastri well I would hope so🤨

୨୧–------------------------------------------୨୧

♫ Man, I thought I had everything, I was lonely... Now you're my everything, now it's on me... ♫

୨୧–------------------------------------------୨୧

[ragazza-paradiso]

okay, my personal thoughts on the jury vote/televote drama (as unbiased as possible):

i understand people’s disappointment when their favourite doesn’t win. i also understand how that disappointment can turn into frustration when it turns out that was the most popular entry with the general public, yet it didn’t result in victory.

for me, the presence of juries in the contest is non-negotiable. i think they help to recognise aspects of the songs that very often get overlooked by the viewing public - composition and vocal ability being the two most important. i think of estonia from this year, a song and performance that most definitely deserved the love they got from the juries to push them up the scoreboard. i think of albania 2018, switzerland 2021, portugal 2022 - all entries that deserved to be recognised, and were not given that by the televote.

all of that is not to say the jury is faultless. i agree with most, that the criteria the jury is told to judge upon should be modified/expanded. i think they should drop the focus on commercially successful songs to help level the playing field for songs in languages other than english (or popular languages like italian or spanish). they should also include people from more diverse musical backgrounds to appreciate alternative forms of music like rock, jazz, folk and music with ethnic elements etc. they could also make the juries larger (i think just doubling the size to 10 people would already make such a huge difference).

i think the biggest change the EBU needs to make regarding the juries is to be much more transparent. the general public has no idea why the juries exist, or what they are even judging on. each show the presenters should explain the criteria the juries judge on. because i’ve seen so many comments on social media over the past 12 hours which seem to fundamentally miss the fact that the juries judge based on criteria which is given to them by the EBU. they do not simply sit down and make a ranking of their favourite to least favourite.

the big point for me is that the jury vote is NOT supposed to be representative of the public vote. there would literally be no point to it if it were. therefore the jury having different scores, and ultimately a different winner than the televote, does not in itself mean that there is a problem with the juries. if you ask me, it means that the juries are doing exactly what they are supposed to do. they recognised the song which best fit the criteria they were asked to judge upon… tattoo.

and i would also add that tattoo was immensely popular with the public as well, it came second in the televote. and the juries placed televote winner cha cha cha in fourth position. so the argument that the juries are out of touch with the european public (at least when it comes to the top spots) just doesn’t add up.

since the juries were reintroduced in 2009 we’ve had 4 types of victories

• where the televote and jury vote agree on a winner (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017)

• where the televote winner has won overall despite not winning the jury vote (2011, 2018, 2021, 2022)

• where the jury vote winner has won overall despite not winning the televote (2015, 2023)

• where the winning song has won neither the jury vote nor the televote (2016, 2019)

so, in the 14 contests with the 50/50 jury televote system, only twice has the jury overridden the televote to decide the winner. the televote has overridden the jury vote double as much. in fact, the majority of times (8 times, if you include the 4th category since on both those occasions the winner came 2nd with both televote and jury vote) both have agreed on the winner. overall, the televote has gotten their winner to win the overall contest 10 times out of the 14 contests since the reintroduction of the jury.

therefore i find the conclusion that the jury is tainting the results of the contests’ winners not based in reality.

now, all of that is simply the opinion of one girl who likes eurovision. you can take it or leave it. i don’t think this will change anyone’s mind if they are dead set on the juries needing to perish in hell fire to atone for their sins against euro pop music. but more so i wanted to explain my reasoning behind still valuing the juries as an important part of the contest.

and, two last very important notes:

• käärijä not winning the contest doesn’t mean that he’s lost. it doesn’t mean that you can’t go back and watch his performance a thousand times and revel in the joy it gives you. it will always be there. music is subjective, just because a certain song wins a certain contest doesn’t mean it’s necessarily the best. he has thousands more fans now and you can always support his future career.

• being disappointed with the results of the contest however does not give you the right to send abusive messages and hate towards other contestants. käärijä himself said after the final yesterday that he cannot complain about the rules and he was happy for loreen. this is the same guy who was so distraught when he received one hate comment that he deleted all his accounts on social media. he wouldn’t want anyone to be doing the same towards his fellow artists. the contest was about being united through music, and sending hate won’t change the results, and it won’t make you feel better either.

[suzy-queued]

DVD Commentary: These Foolish Games

@stocious asked if I could share behind-the-scenes commentary from These Foolish Games. @shamelessdvdcommentary

Give us some stats - (when you wrote it, word count, how long it took to finish, is it a one-shot/multi-chapter, etc) I wrote it from March through November of 2022. It's a 15-chapter fic, 96,884 words.

What was the initial inspiration for your story? I love the "Shop around the Corner" scenario where people fall in love via text but hate each other in person. I've only seen versions of that trope where the love portion happens via letters but they remain enemies in real life. I wanted to see what would happen if they were chasing each other in a huge love square. Picture me giggling and saying, "All we want out of Gallavich stories is to see them fall in love over and over again. What if every major character in this story is either Ian or Mickey in alternate forms?!"

What was your favorite scene to write? Hands down, it was chapter 4, when they watched the training video. This Mickey is based on a friend I had in high school named Jason. He and I had health class together, and we'd chat and joke around during class. But two strange things happened: (1) when we were OUT of class, he wouldn't even make eye contact with me. It was like I didn't exist. (2) when we watched videos IN class and the lights would go down, it was like we were dating. He'd hold my hand and lock our feet together and trace shapes on each other's arms. I never knew anyone who could Jekyll and Hyde so quickly between three different dynamics. Were we friends, strangers, or crushes? That history with him churns in my brain, and I wanted to capture how that felt in this story.

How did you come up with the title? I took the title from Jewel's song.

Other working titles included: This Bitter Chase Addicted to that Rush Shock + Awe Rules of Engagement Cock it and Pull it Locked and Loaded Brace for Impact A Shot in the Dark Caught in the Crossfire Come Out and Play Mark and Misfire

Are there any little moments or references you hope readers will notice? That every chapter (except one) had a two-word title. I like coming up with chapter titles, and I thought that was fun.

Was there anything you struggled to write? If so, how did you overcome this? I painted myself into a corner with the criminal aspect. My notes said something like, "Hector is doing something related to theft in the facility. This theft leads to unsafe circumstances. These unsafe circumstances are serious enough for his franchise to be threatened." I know nothing about trampoline engineering. I know very little about underground markets and precious metals. You don't hear a lot of media coverage of trampoline parks as mob fronts. I visited soooo many sketchy websites and researched what could possibly net Hector a decent enough chunk of change. I read documents about safety liability and franchise law. The takeaway is, anything can be solved with the right amount of research.

You know what was really fun to research? Videos of people doing wall runs.

Did the storyline change in any way as you wrote the story? I started with a more dramatic rivalry between the laser tag staff and the bounce center. It was a blood feud, and if you crossed those lines, you'd be dead. It was a life-threatening and tense dynamic, which we as the readers would see as parody but the characters would take 100% seriously. Total noir, Quentin Tarantino vibes. The more I wrote, I couldn't sustain that intensity with a straight face.

Jett was originally "Finn," but I didn't want "NotFinn" to have the same initials as "Noel Fisher." Chara was originally "Samantha."

If you are writing a particular trope or genre, was it your first time writing this? I never put so much texting into a story! Whew! It was cool to figure out how to do AO3 skins for this story. I set it up so that Ian's texts were always orange and Mickey's texts were always blue. That was done with a skin, so I didn't have to code it fresh for every chapter.

What are you most proud about in the story? (plot, characterization, dialogue, twist/cliffhanger, etc) I'm most proud of keeping the identities straight. It was … a lot. With all the Shakespearean name swapping, the reader could still follow who was who (I hope).

Are there any ‘behind the scenes’ info you’d like to share - e.g. what’s going on in a characters head in a certain scene or how you came to write a certain line? I can share a little about the process of keeping a long story straight. I made a dossier of all the characters, locations, and scenes as I was going. That way, I could glance at the notes instead of having to re-read entire chapters to find details.

As with all my stories, I hand-wrote this one. I filled three notebooks.

Are there any ‘easter eggs’ in your story - e.g. references to other stories you’ve written, a trope you often use etc? One trope is that I create art for each chapter. I also like to create logos for each story I make. Here is the full TigerZone logo:

I also create Spotify playlists for all my stories. Here is the one for These Foolish Games.

If you’ve chosen your most popular story, are you surprised by the popularity? This is my most commented-on and kudoed fic, which makes me so happy. I think it's well-deserved.

Were you nervous or excited to post this story? Yes. The nerves never go away, no matter how much you've written.

Anything else you’d like the readers to know about the story? Here are a few images that show the inspiration as well as what was happening in my life as I wrote it.

Our family (pre-covid) enjoyed laser tagging and trampolining.

We had a tornado and major power outage in 2022, which didn't stop me from writing. We took a trip to Chicago, and I was poking my head into every laser tag arena we saw.

That summer, as I was writing, Noel was in Brooklyn filming The Calling. I also went to Brooklyn, a few weeks later.

After the story was complete, my husband gifted me a printed copy. 😭❤️

This is open to all writers! Pick your favorite story you’ve written or your most popular or the one you think deserves some more love! Or ask your followers to suggest their favorite fic of yours!

Thank you for the ask! This is so much fun. I can't believe how many wonderful friends I made from this fic.

[alpaca-clouds]

How Isaactor became my OTP

I am one fanfic away from having more stories on Isaactor than Trephacard. And I think that would be a good time to talk about how Hector and Isaac became one OTP over basically everyone else.

Okay, technically there are still a lot more Trephacard stories, because I have several stories with just two of the three characters in them.

Still, I by now do like Isaactor more by now. Which is kinda ironic, because while Trephacard was something I started shipping, as soon as I saw the show (it just is a very obvious ship), I was like: "Sure, I can see Isaactor, but I do not have strong feelings about it."

I knew though from the very beginning of writing The lesser Evil, that it would end up with Striga and Morana returning to Styria. And from that came the idea that Striga could try to get the two forgemasters to hook up. Which lead to Five Games of Chess.

But the more I was writing about them, the more interesting did the dynamic become.

What makes them so interesting to me is that they are morally complex. Like, sure, most of the cast in Castlevania has more than enough trauma (which makes for delicious hurt/comfort), but they are also morally somewhat simple.

But then we have those two, who participated in what was meant to be an absolute genocide. Kill all the humans, because for differing reasons the two of them have come to hate humanity. Something that in Isaac's case had like really good reasons. Like, duh, the man survived slavery. As a child non the less. Yes, he has all the reasons to be angry at the world.

Still, Hector was the character who I identified with most. Because he is autistic and a survivor of parental abuse. So, yes. I can very much identify with his anger at the world.

None of that however makes genocide in any way or form justified. (Duh.) And that is, what makes the two so interesting. Because this realization is something they are going to have to deal with sooner or later. That they did something unspeakably bad.

And among that realization there really is only one other person who can understand them: The respective other. Because they both were part of the genocide. They both served Dracula. In a way for different reasons - but still those reasons were somewhat similar. And only the other person really will ever understand.

And yes, of course it should be mentioned that everything else also makes them such interesting characters.

Isaac easily is the best written character in all of Castlevania, where the input by Adetokumboh M'Cormack (the voice actor) really, really shows. Especially as the way the show deals with Isaac's religious conflict is so well depicted. Something that a ton of shows just struggle with - or do not show at all. I mean, how many well written Muslim characters are there in western media? And I mean, let's face it. Most western media does not even know that Sufism is a faith that exists.

Meanwhile I find Hector interesting, because he very much gets pushed into a role that normally female characters will be shown in, given he literally gets sexually assaulted within the show. I mean, for most of seasons 3 and 4 he is very much a damsel in distress waiting to be rescued. Something we usually do not see with male characters.

I will also remain of the opinion: Was Isaac white, the two of them would be the most popular ship of the show. Because they just have this rivals to enemies to lovers dynamic that fandom normally goes of to salivate over.

For myself, of course, there is also just the aspect, that Hector does have quite a few canonical hints that he is still very much kinky. Which makes for fun kinky sex scenes. ;)

But in general I just think the two of them are the most interesting characters and the most interesting dynamic in the show. And I just wished more people would write and create art for them, :(

[mundanemoongirl]

WIP Questionnaire

Thanks for tagging me @owlsandwich! This is such a cool tag. I'm tagging @poethill @spideronthesun @cssnder and I'll leave an open tag but no pressure as always!

I'll do this for both of my wips as well.

Spiritwalker

What was the first part of your wip that you created?

I actually created a lot before I started writing because I never thought I'd accomplish writing a book. It's murky since I didn't document anything for around a year, but I'm pretty sure I created the clans first.

2. If your story was a TV show, what would the theme song/intro be?

I made a post about this not too long ago. It'd definitely be Daughter by Beyonce

3. Who are your favorite characters you've made? Why?

I have two different answers. My favorite in terms of craft is Daron. I think she's a really unique character and I'm impressed that I'm managing to pull off her personality. My favorite in terms of likability is Aria. She's sassy and really fun.

4. What other pieces of media do you think would share a fan base for your story?

I hate to say this but My Little Pony.

5. What has been your biggest struggle with your wip?

Making it make sense. I have a lot of different concepts and sometimes I forget them or struggle trying not to overstuff my work.

6. Are there any animals in your story? Talk about them!

Yes! Aria has a wolf. It follows her everywhere and terrorizes people at her command. Daron also forms a bond with a horse.

7. How do your characters get around? (ex: trains, horses, cars, dragons, etc.)

Horse

8. What part of your wip are you working on rn?

I'm editing chapter 20.

9. What aspects (tropes, maybe?) of your wip do you think will draw people in?

Maybe magic schools and found family.

10. What are your hopes for your wip?

I hope it'll get people talking. I'd love to see discourse about theories or little details I included the way I see for books like ACOTAR.

We Faceless Folk

What was the first part of your wip that you created?

I started from the beginning of the first chapter.

2. If your story was a TV show, what would the theme song/intro be?

Where I Sleep by Emeli Sande.

3. Who are your favorite characters you've made? Why?

Yejin is my favorite. It's so fun to write and read her passive aggressiveness, even if she is insane.

4. What other pieces of media do you think would share a fan base for your story?

Probably The Hate U Give.

5. What has been your biggest struggle with your wip?

Honestly, just writing it. I work so much on my other wip that I haven't had time to write much for this one.

6. Are there any animals in your story? Talk about them!

Sadly, there are no animals.

7. How do your characters get around? (ex: trains, horses, cars, dragons, etc.)

My main character drives.

8. What part of your wip are you working on rn?

I don't even know. After I started at the beginning, I started writing random scenes from all over the story. I don't have chapters yet or any other sort of structure. I'm somewhere within the first draft, if you can call it that at this point.

9. What aspects (tropes, maybe?) of your wip do you think will draw people in?

The useless police.

10. What are your hopes for your wip?

I hope it'll create a change. I bring up several different types of racism and show their impacts. I hope reading about it will make people acknowledge its existence and try to change the system.

[mwolf0epsilon]

Pls pls pls tell us how do you think clones react to trauma PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

Full disclaimer, this is probably a lot of projection on my part in regards to coping with my own trauma and just seeing subtle things in media that helps me process a lot of thoughts I've had in regards to past negative experiences.

I am not an expert on trauma, and I am missing a lot of tcw lore because I haven't watched the full series, but I figure maybe I'm onto something on some aspects...

Anywho:

The clones are traumatized. That much is a given, considering their entire existence and undying loyalty is based on a set education/training/indoctrination regiment that's undoubtedly traumatizing.

They live and die for a government and people that don't really care for them (we've seen so many subtle and not so subtle instances of it, with the most recent additions to the roster being the clone veteran on Daiyo, and Riyo Chuchi fighting for the rights of the clones during the rise of the Empire) And the clones are essentially forced to understand and accept this wholeheartedly from an early age.

They have no basic rights, citizenship or even an actual home/lifestyle/traditions to return to once the war is done. Everything that is "theirs" is borrowed from someone else (Kamino, the Mandalorian ways they learned from their trainers, and what other bits and pieces they meshed together to to form into their own culture from the natborns they have limited contact with). Not even their lives, their bodies, are technically theirs. They are property in every sense of the word, and being forced to accept that so willingly and unquestioningly is not easy on the mind or heart. It could break a lesser being really...

But it's all they know. And that's one of the cores of certain types of trauma, and the basis of how you react to said trauma. Because is it really torment if you're born into it? If you don't know anything else? How do you want better if you don't know there IS better?

As someone who's been put through the grinder myself, I recognize reactions that are definitely born out of trauma. I'm most familiar with two very specific reactions that I do often write about: Silent complacency (which is a more passive defense mechanism in situations of stress) and outbursts of irrational anger (which is a more active defense mechanism in situations of stress). These are things I do on a daily basis that I can't help doing...

Most clones fall on the former over the latter, with just a few actually reacting in true anger when they are challenged in ways they can't really explain away, process, or deal with cleanly. Even so, silent complacency does have subcategories, so they way clones deal with their trauma is really up to which subcategory they fall into.

Rex for example, is complacent to a certain degree but not enough so that he isn't rebellious when things go sour. Even so he makes it his goal to try to fix things in the least disagreeable way possible (finding makeshift solutions to problems, trying to find the middle ground even if he doesn't entirely agree with how things are, generally trying to maintain the order of things by making himself useful in some way), even if it means sacrificing others's respect of him and risking going against his own moral compass (Krell, I'm talking about Krell here).

Echo is paradoxical in both being complacent to how things are (letting TBB do nothing for far too long, and sticking around in this sort of stupor of denial and uncertainty of how to proceed, because he honestly went through way too much and hasn't had much time to process), but also being rather obviously angry about how things currently are, and wanting to use that anger constructively (eventually leaving to fight for a cause he can believe in).

Dogma was truly complacent, submitting to the will of his superiors without question because he was taught that this was how you survive long enough to make a difference in war (I won't call it cowardice like I've seen some people do, Dogma was not a coward, far from it, but he was too blinded by his own dogmatic thinking and misplaced loyalty). He was a clear product of upbringing and trauma, and survived by the means that were provided for him since his very birth. The veil was only lifted when things got so bad that there was just no going back... And he still accepted it. He accepted his own death with open arms.

Slick was absolutely enraged by his and the others's unlucky lot in life because, for some inexplicable reason, he was able to see past everything he and the others were taught was their life's mission. Their unquestionable right. And it sucks that we don't know much about him besides what we got, so we don't really know what pushed him to rebel so furiously and so impulsively (endangering the lives of hundreds of clones and the Jedi WAS an irrational thing, but the reason behind it was not), but the fact of the matter is that Slick saw that there was something better than what he and his brothers got, and he was ultimately disgusted by how little their lives mattered in the grand scheme of things. Slick didn't want to die for the republic, didn't accept that he was going to die for the republic, and still died for the republic. There was no way around it. It NEVER mattered whether or not he fought against his set destiny.

There's others who react in different ways to their trauma as well.

We have Cody who's coping mechanism is a sort of nihilistic acceptance that clone lives don't matter in the grand scheme of things. Not 100% blind to the fact their entire existence is a bit of a sham, but also not 100% ready to accept they are now part of the problem until he stops to fully evaluate it. He can't fight the injustice so he accepts it for as long as he can manage. Even if it hurts to live with the fact there's no real better tomorrow for them, and that they're forced to make very difficult choices that are not morally correct. The best he can do is think there's a better tomorrow for the galaxy instead, that his service counts for at least those he serves and protects... He'll float along but never really want for more. At least not for himself.

We also have Wolffe, who eventually becomes so paranoid that he risked losing the one thing he still had: The respect of his brothers. He's lost everything and he's too scared to lose everything all over again, so he protects it tooth and nail without relenting. Protects others from themselves, because he's seen what's beyond the veil of lies and he's unwilling to have anyone else see the rot that has crushed his very soul. He's afraid and angry. Most of all, he's terribly tired of conflict that he'd rather run away from if it means his remaining family lives...

We have outliers like Gregor who have so many reasons to be resentful, but who instead take every given day like it's a blessing. Even if everything goes to hell tomorrow, he still smiles and jokes and deals with everything one step at a time. He is protective of others, that much is clear, and he can get a little lost in his impulsivity, but he doesn't let the trauma rule him or his emotions. Not entirely at least. He's got way too much on his plate to stop and think about existential horror and the injustice of a cruel apathetic galaxy.

We also have the entitled (TBB) who make their trauma everyone else's problem rather than deal with it like adults. Why be altruistic and mindful of your own faults when you can point the finger at your perceived enemies? They're traumatized just like every other clone, but they don't try to process it or even sympathize or empathize with others. They're even apathetic enough that they do many things that undermine one of their own (Echo). In their own eyes they have suffered more (false) and deserve to be regarded as more worthy of praise because they are different.

Just... The clones being traumatized from day one. Behaving based on their traumatization.

Instinctively striving for minimal forms of control through naming themselves, altering their appearance and the paint on their kits. Never really knowing that there's better in life than that which they all intimately know. Never even really getting to thrive because that was never in the cards. Not even when they had someone fighting for them...

There's so much to talk about...

And it might just me reaching hard and empathizing with characters that are undoubtedly tragic, but I just... I donno. I want things to end well for them. Even if I know that's not the conclusion they'll get.

[princeescaluswords]

Activism Isn't a Raincoat

I saw this wonderful piece by @communistkenobi that I think everyone should read. But what triggered this post is when he went and posted a response by what he described as an "incurious loser" (perfect phrase, gonna steal) to his writing, in which the commentator screamed that he was boring and "fandom isn't activism!"

This is an endemic problem. People think that activism, or simply the awareness that even your hobbies exist within a cultural context, is something you can put on or off when the mood takes you or when the situation grows impossible to ignore, like a raincoat for stormy days. Any other time, the raincoat hangs in the closet, unnecessary and barely remembered.

This is not a phenomenon contained to either side of the political spectrum. Both sides tend to treat racism or homophobia or sexism as an array of malignant forces existing in the shadows, like beasts waiting to pounce. The right can't conceive of their hallowed traditions producing anything negative, and the left refuse to acknowledge that group membership doesn't prevent similar behavior.

But, to me, what these really are a by-product of natural human behavior existing within a malformed system. Only conscientiousness on the personal and systematic level can make a difference. It doesn't mean you have to be constantly vigilant 24/7 or to the point where you can't enjoy anything that is the least bit suspect, but it does mean that you can't carve out reservations where you give yourself permission not to think about it.

This is the problem with OTW. They're trying to give themselves permission not to grapple with the impact of racism and other social maladies on AO3 and its content. "It's fanfiction; it's not real!" they cry, as if the antisemitism of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion was reality based. "Authors do this for free!" as if people get paid for racial harassment.

"Fandom isn't activism!" It is, however, a gateway. If you want a concrete example, look at my fandom, Teen Wolf, and its content on AO3. Compare the stories written post-Season 2 and the stories written now. It starts with shipping two white guys with a vaguely antagonistic canon relationship and deciding that this ship will dominate the plot of the actual show, thus casually erasing the Latino lead protagonist and it evolves over ten years to where vituperative hatred for the Latino lead protagonist has become a primary controlling aspect of the ship and the fandom.

This happened because any pushback on this behavior was considered rude and unnecessary, like wearing a raincoat on a sunny day and reminding people that storms exist. People like the respondent to communistkenobi's post will keep this process alive, even as other people joke that watching media today has degraded to simply finding the nearest two white people to ship. It's not really funny, it wasn't unpreventable, and it certainly didn't materialize as a fully formed malignant force.

[findafight]

Just discovered ur post o66 au im literally so so obsessed have you got any other headcanons or notes?? I literally want to know everything about this au haha

Tbh this is possibly the most self indulgent of my aus. The other ones I'm like Woah wouldn't this be funny/interesting/neat? And this one I'm like. This is something I need in existence. I'm so glad it also makes other people mildly unhinged :)

So! I know I said in the tags of one post but here are the species for the characters I've figured out so far and mild backstories for them! I have a weird half-baked part in my drafts but ehhh that's for later.

Robin-- she's actually Zelosian, a human-passing sentient plant people. Essentially blind at night, chlorophyll for blood, and bright green eyes. She was the grand-padawan of the master Archivist Jocasta Nu (whom she bragged made far superior tea than Steve's great-Grandmaster, which could be said for nearly anyone in the temple), and enjoyed the anthropological media studies. During the Clone wars she and her as yet unnamed master assisted affected planets with knowledge and artifact preservation. They were not permanently assigned to a squadron of Clones as they were frequently in the temple etc. In her youth, she was assigned a mission to assist a planet's heir (Nancy) in documenting culturally significant places/artifacts that were under threat from extreme modernists. They ended up on the run and falling in love, a brief but passionate affair. With differing opinions on their responsibilities and duties to each other, themselves, and their peoples, they did not continue the romantic aspect of their relationship. At the time, Robin was figuring out where she wanted to be within the order, leaving her family and culture (and Steve) was never an option, while Nancy wanted to run away together, at least for a little while. They remained occasional penpals.

Steve-- he's Balosar (near-human with antennapalps on his head that assist in sensing vibrations(?) And can tuck into his scalp, as seen as the death-stick dealer in AotC) and was born on Corellia. (This is because I want him to have bloodstripes. I debated making Robin Corellian but she wasn't on the frontlines and would be unlikely to get bloodstripes) he was a bit of a rough and tumble Padawan, passionate and open with his affections. He'd been spoken to about his connection to Robin, but had proven himself able to let her go should it be necessary. During the war, Master Claudia was a general and he was her commander. Their Clone captain/commander was Clicks, who got his name from batch mates because of the tsk and clicking noses he made while thinking. He was playful and a smidge cocky, but cared deeply for his siblings and held a love for botany. Steve eventually decided that after the war, possibly after his knighthood trials he wanted to begin working in the creche.

Claudia -- she was a nautolan master Jedi, who was Steve's master. Her master was Mace Windu, either before or after Depa Bilaba. Steve was probably her second Padawan, but he threw unique challenges at her. She was actually the second master Steve had, the first, who had asked him to become his Padawan a bit young, at thirteen, had quickly grown frustrated with Steve and his affections for Robin, saying they were attached and very un-jedi, and attempted to forcefully remove the force bond that had formed between the two which distressed both Steve and Robin so much that other Jedi could feel it. Claudia had offered herself to finish Steve's training, and to work with him to understand the bonds he had with Robin and work on non-attachment. They were a formidable pair that tended to throw people off and were often underestimated with Steve's playboy charms and Claudia's motherly nature. She was killed when order 66 went out.

Dustin-- rodian (bald green guys with biiig black eyes that seem to have pinpricks of stars in them) he was a youngling at the time the Republic fell, but had already formed a bit of a bond with Steve and Claudia, and the force was nudging them together. Many suspected that Dustin would either be Claudia's Padawan after Steve or perhaps even Steve's first Padawan. I fortunately, after nightfall and escaping the Temple, Dustin blocked out many of the family he knew, including Steve and Claudia. When he escaped, Lucas' family helped him, having been long time friends with Claudia and knowing the Jedi would never betray the Republic.

El-- she is a human. she was kidnapped from the temple during Knightfall, and was in training to be an inquisitor until she decided to escape. She does not remember her birth name, but was going to be eleventh sister, so goes by El (admittedly my knowledge of the nth sister/brother is limited just go with this). At some point, she helps Hopper, a wookie who is just trying to get by after everything the empire did to Kashyyyk.

Eddie-- he is an Iridonian Zabrak, maybe one of his parents was human though because his hairline is much closer to his forehead than others. He was raised by his uncle Wayne, who was killed by the Empire for resisting. Eventually he was able to join the rebellion as a mechanic, which he quite likes. Somewhere along the way he met Chrissy, who quickly became his best friend.

Chrissy--a Twi'lek spy for the rebellion, her skin is a powdery pink. She assists the Freedom Trail, and often goes undercover. Her mother sold her into slavery, but she was taken under the wing of other enslaved twileks and was able to Free herself and began assisting others. One of her mentors helped her find the Rebellion where she is using her disarming personality to take down slavers and the Empire.

[gobs-o-cs]

"We have to get back... We have to warn them! We can't be too late! ...Please. Please tell us that this was not how it ends!"

Malachite

(He/Him)

Warforged Warlock, Great Old One Patron, Pact of the Talisman

Neutral

Courtier Background (Emissary)

Prior to the Backstory Event that Led to Making a Warlock Pact:

Cuprite

"On behalf of the esteemed City-State of Hells'-Haven, I thank you for your hospitality in receiving this envoy and express our most sincere wishes that we can together forge an enthusiastic, efficacious, and enduring partnership."

Dice Set #74 - Oxi-Copper

----------------------------------------------------

What can I say? Inspiration is a fickle thing. I'll take it when I can get it, but I've definitely been slacking on making characters or minis. Definitely fell deep into a jigsaw puzzle vortex.

But, anyway, a post on bluesky inspired me to go back and remake a character's mini into a nice, proper one with all of the new features at my disposal.

Malachite's a character who in some form or another has been rattling around in my head for, like, something like 15 years now. I originally made the Warforged Warlock for 4th Edition - He was actually a counterpart of sorts to Morana.

For my 4th Edition characters, I was putting together the vague idea of them all being on the same team of mercenaries - If I were to ever DM a campaign, they'd be available for the PCs' party to hire/bring along for missions to shore up any weaknesses they had, to act as quest-givers (especially side-quest-type stuff), and in-general to give them NPC friends to care about (the plot hook I had in-mind would begin with the party being recruited into this merc group).

Actually, if I ever do run a campaign instead of just writing a story, I think I might still approach things with that whole setup in-mind.

Anyway, a trope I'd noticed in many media is that groups/teams/parties only ever seemed to have one member of each type/class - Maybe a beefy-type-fighter and agile-type-fighter, but that was the most overlap that seemed to exist, and usually that'd be more like a fighter and a ranger, or a fighter and a barbarian.

So what I wanted to do was have two Warlocks both as part of the core crew - Because the mercenary group liked each other and wanted to work with their friends, rather than shrewdly looking at their roster and rejecting someone because "they already had one of those".

While HeroForge still doesn't have the very niche ideas I have in-mind for the ultimate vision I have for Mal, the new options are certainly a step up from my first attempt at making a mini for him back in 2020.

In my vision, he doesn't have normal-looking horns, per se - He's got two metal slats attached to his faceplate, in place of horns - The Tieflings that made him did make him to resemble them, but still more stylized. Also, the green "hair" on his head is meant to be an accumulation of Old Man's Beard lichen, which started growing on his immobilized body while he was stuck in involuntary stasis, caught halfway in a time-bubble (hence the patina on his right side)

The reason for his making a pact, and the reason for his persona change is that he spent over 20 years stuck with his body and mind half-in-half-out of magical fallout, basically. And the source of the eldritch magic eventually reached out to his literally-fractured mind, and that aspect of his personality - An embodiment of his utter desperation and outrage, was the one to form the pact.

Finally freeing himself from the stasis effect stabilized his mind for the most part, but in terms of which facets of himself that are driving the actions now, there was a shift from his normal self to the part of him that made the pact. It's not a clear distinct-personas Dissociative Identity Disorder thing - There's no different-alters-taking-control-at-different-times switching - Malachite and Cuprite are the same person, just two of many voices that would debate ideas back and forth in his head, same as pretty much anyone else does. Malachite ultimately isn't any less reasonable than Cuprite - More guarded and paranoid, more affected by trauma, certainly. But still essentially Cuprite.

Nevertheless, learning that he was framed for causing the explosion of the strange magic that trapped him and destroyed a fortress, and that this incident was used by the other nation as a justification to invade and destroy his home City-State will definitely not sit well with him. His people - Both in the sense of the other residents of Hells'-Haven in-general, and his Warforged kin - Those who survived the invasion have once again been scattered to the winds. Hells'-Haven was a center of invention and research, and they had found ancient Warforged in tombs and revived them from their dormant states, which led to the development of techniques for creating new ones. So, the Warforged had their new home amongst the exiled Tieflings (and others) of the Haven.

He wishes to return to his service as an emissary of his people, which means finding whatever surviving leadership he can, if there's indeed anyone left to find. All the while his new "friend" whispers promises of vengeance justice in his mind.

[world-cinema-research]

E.T. The Extra Terrestrial

(SHORT ESSAY)

By Jensen Boles

E.T The Extra Terrestrial film poster.

Directed by legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg, E.T. The Extra Terrestrial is regarded as an all time classic in the history of cinema. Spielberg was also known for his other classic films he directed such as Jaws, Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, Close Encounters: of the Third Kind and many more. The film, E.T. was released on June 11th, 1982 and stars the likes of Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Robert MacNaughton, Dee Wallace, Peter Coyote, and C. Thomas Howell.

Meeting E.T. for the first time clip.

The story of E.T. consists of an alien from outer space who accidentally gets left behind on Earth and a kid named Elliot (Henry Thomas) befriends the alien and brings him to his suburban California house. The alien, who goes by E.T., is then introduced to Elliot's brother, Michael (Robert MacNaughton), as well as his little sister, Gertie (Drew Barrymore). The kids try to keep E.T.'s existence a secret before E.T. succumbs to an illness which results in the government intervening, turning it into a stressful situation for E.T. and Elliot. However, things go right in the end as E.T.'s people come back for him and E.T. returns home safely. The film is also known for its story about an aliens who come to earth, the plot has been done before in a similar fashion for the film Close Encounters of the Third Kind which was also directed by Steven Spielberg as well as being a influence for other films to come such as Lilo and Stitch and many more.

The film was so influential and is regarded as a classic by many fans and critics alike. Roger Ebert once said "This movie made my heart glad. It is filled with innocence, hope, and good cheer. It is also wickedly funny and exciting as hell. "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" is a movie like "The Wizard of Oz," that you can grow up with and grow old with, and it won't let you down." Roger Ebert is saying that this movie is timeless and no matter how old you are or how many times you see it, the film will always be a classic. Phillip French from The Guardian even said "Spielberg clearly loves E.T. as much as the kids do, but he stops short of reverence. E.T. is indeed a marvelously funny creature and a credit to his galaxy." This quote indicates that E.T. will always be regarded as a classic film.

E.T. and Elliot Across the moon clip.

When it comes to the film's style, E.T. The Extra Terrestrial uses different techniques such as different practical effects to create a mysterious atmosphere, especially when it comes to the shot of Eliot and E.T. flying across the moon. This scene is so iconic and has also been referenced and spoofed in different forms of media.

For the film’s aspects of global cultures, I see how the film's world is reminiscent of a 1980's American suburban lifestyle. I think it makes sense since the film was released in 1982 and takes place in California.

Behind the scenes look at E.T The Extra Terrestrial.

I believe this film is considered conventional because of the special effects and puppetry looking impressive for 1982 standards. It is also conventional because of the plot and how it's easy to follow along with being distributed by Universal studios which is a large company. With that said, the film made $11,911,430 for its opening weekend with a production budget of only $10,500,000. It also made $439,454,989 domestically and $357,852,418 internationally, making a total of $797,307,407 worldwide. However, the film does contain a few unconventional aspects such as the language the kids use when the adults aren't around, as well as having the alien act unusual while stranded on Earth. Despite a few unconventional aspects, I still consider this film to be conventional because of the amazing special effects as well as being directed by Steven Spielberg.

Since this film was released in the year of 1982, there have been many events happening globally that year. But the two that I'll be discussing would be the San Francisco 49ers winning their first Super Bowl by defeating the Cincinnati Bengals, 26-21. As well as Michael Jackson releasing his sixth studio album entitled Thriller. I believe these events that happened do have a global impact because the 49ers cemented their NFL dynasty and would later go on to win 5 Super Bowl's. Michael Jackson was a popular music star during the 1980's and influenced a bunch of later musical artists.

[bonesandthebees]

If I can give my two cents on this (also obviously /nm, just from like a genuinely place of discussion):

I just think it's not that deep. Most of the people I've seen saying things like "they're my ocs now" are really not coming from any place of malice. There's a lot of serious stuff going on in the fandom with the content creators and it really does not hurt anyone to be like "they're mine now". It's a way for people to be like "I am not writing about the real people in any shape or form. I'm taking the base characters and writing them in aus and such. They're disconnected from what's going on."

People have been doing that for ages in fandom, even this fandom, and it's not some kind of like. crime. It's such a dumb thing to discourse about because like just let people do what they want.

Taking a character you love and writing them differently in a fic or something where they're not their canon counterpart is really really common. Not to mention the many times ccs like Wilbur have said that the characters "belong to the fandom". Also, c!Phil's wings, c!Quackity's scar, c!Wilbur's white hair streak, c!Wilbur's train limbo, c!Skephalo being c!Sapnap's parents, and so many other things in canon have come from the fans. A lot of these characters exist because people made animatics and art which inspired the ccs to keep making the story.

I think as long as you're respecting boundaries when writing them, you're pretty free to call them your oc. Like, within my own fics, I've completely rewritten c!Technoblade for one of my modern aus because of the life that he's lived in it. He's still the same base character at his core and thusly I'm respecting boundaries, but other than that, he could probably pass for an oc. Like I just don't think it's that deep to be like "these are my characters now because I don't like the people who made them."

And I detest the idea of "you hate the media so you have to leave the fandom". It's probably one of the worst takes I've seen time and time again. Like there's a difference between being negative about it every single day and being critical of how it is written. I really love this series even if I hated one part of it. I'm not leaving just because of that.

anyways if this is poorly phrased I am rather tired rn and I wrote this quickly but yeah my thoughts on the whole. I just don't think it's worth fighting over some teenagers wanting to emphasize the fact that their writing is separate from the ccs.

(this entire response is also /nm it's just a discussion)

I think we're just seeing different sides of twitter because I understand saying they're your ocs in a non-malicious way, but I've genuinely been seeing more intense takes on the situation in a way that just irks me. Also, I'm not referring to making them your ocs as in just putting them in different aus and keeping the core of their character, because I do that too! But they're not your ocs in that sense. You're still taking their characterization from canon. They still share the same names and aspects of their appearance with a cc. And again, I'm all for people just having fun in fandom don't get me wrong, I'm just seeing it phrased in certain ways on twitter that's really irking me.

Also of course you can be critical about a piece of media you're in a fandom for. I'm critical of a lot of writing choices in dsmp. That's not what I'm referring to. When I say if you're not having fun then leave, I'm referring to the people who literally hate every aspect of the media and fandom and that's all they talk about. Like, you're just making yourself miserable at that point, y'know?

Overall, I didn't mean to start a discussion on this, but that's my fault for not clarifying when I made my post. I just don't like the discussion going on on twitter right now because it just feels very weird and toxic in a way that's bugging me and I wanted to complain about it. But I'm not trying to attack teenagers for emphasizing their writing is separate from cc's, and that's not really what I was referring to. I can understand why my post might've sounded like that though so I totally get your point here.

Again this is /nm, but I'd rather not make this a whole thing so if anyone else sends me asks on this I'm not gonna answer them unless they have a really good point I wanna speak on.

[chaoticcutiewhirl]

A more propper introduction

If you see my Tumblr hello again, I have some news besides the obvious:

The Emergency Comms have been retired kinda as I got the money I lost in a scam back (not the money that was lost back in June but I reearned it, thank you Ebay). Simply to say though, due to the game Mice Tea, I have found a character who is basically me to the core being the Snake love interest named Sylvia, and with that I realized, similar to the implications of the epilogue of her route, I would likely stay as a Snakegirl if I was in her situation. Because of this I started to have vivid dreams as a sort of anthro snake, a lamia, and after a few days of that, I realized moving my legs caused a similar feeling when you feel a sound in your teeth and after speaking with a few friends i have come to the end that I may be a Lamia Otherkin.

I have done my best with that information but the main aspect is sorta dysphoria involving my legs in the way they exist, before I thought some aspects that line up with the idea were just unachievable transition goals ideas of being a Tiefling but the factors that can't line up with Lamia, which really was one thing, was likely relieving pressure on my feet and in my legs from standing as I often shifted to the balls of my feet in order to feel different, thinking it was possibly an idea of wanting hooves but now I think it may be due to the idea of less pressure and friction put on my lowe half. And with the leg thing I found binding my legs in a blanket while sitting or laying down helps a lot. But I mean do know if synthetic body mods become a thing I am getting myself that Snake tail because omg my brain these past 3 days has been on fire with this.

Beyond that propper introductions:

Name: I am Avarstia Sylvia [Redacted] (I wouldn't give my full name openly but still choosing a new last name as well), but you can call me Ava, Avarstia, Sylvia, or Sylvie.

Pronouns: She/her , Fae/Faer

Species: Physically human but Lamia Otherkin, also a Bat furry on top of all of that

Sexuality/Romanticism: Demisexual, but also under the Lesbian umbrella for my Romantics.

Media Interests: Transformers, Dragonball, She-Ra, Furries, The Owl House, Signalis, Mice Tea, Generally a lot of Indie games, RWBY, Legends of Avantris, D&D, Anything made by IdolMantis, Anything made by 66Sharkteeth aka 66, Anything made by Miranda Mundt, Sonic, Et Cetera (There is a lot)

What do I do?: I am primarily a writer, I am currently writing a Novella series to possibly publish sooner than later as well as writing two different novels with more stories in the works beyond all of that. I also have some Art Comms if anyone wants my sorta meh art style

What kind of Music do I listen too?: (I like answering questions lol) I mainly listen to forms of rock, folk, and generally music with darker vibes such as Shawn James, Shayfer James, Will Wood, Hammerfall, The Dead South, Marah in the Mainsail/Coyote Kidd (My favorite), Miracle of Sound, The Aviators, Crane Wives, Et Cetera (Again I listen to a lot)

Beyond all of that I don't really have much else to add so have an artistic depiction of who I am who I intended to turn into another Fursona lol, this one being a Mojave Sidewinder (But as a Lamia I do not know if I am also a Sidewinder lol

[fromrosepetalcottage]

Wabi sabi life

Photo by Sakagura London.

I've been thinking about the Japanese practice of kintsugi as seen in ceramics, as well as the sashiko mending technique in clothing. Kintsugi encompasses the concept of wabi sabi. Wabi-sabi is the view or thought of finding beauty in every aspect of imperfection in nature. It is about the aesthetic of things in existence, that are “imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete."

Is this not something that we can apply to humans in all our imperfections, psychic wounds new or old, bodies easing into "vintage" years? I read something on a Japanese website that translated the concept in an accessible way that really made me think of how wabi sabi could apply to us, especially as older women. To quote:

Wabi sabi is a beautiful way to describe what is natural and pure and to acknowledge the beauty of any substance or being in its most natural and raw form. It eliminates the rather Westernized concept of artificial beauty and idolizing a state of perfection that is seemingly unachievable and unnatural. The western world has made the concept of beauty into something that is becoming more and more refined as well as more and more unachievable with each passing day and it distorts the idea of natural beauty and accepting the flaws of existence, however, on the contrary, the Japanese belief and concept of wabi-sabi embraces just that and allows the people to be more accepting and open to embracing the beauty of flaws and rawness. Source: https://www.kyoto-ryokan-sakura.com/archives/191

I can't be the only person who scrolls social media and is dismayed by the ubiquity of certain types of selfies. There is a depressing sameness of makeup, hair, expressions, poses. A famous actress once said that adolescence was the time of life when young people had to prove their individuality by looking exactly like everyone else. And that's what social media has become. Extended adolescence on a worldwide scale. Even influencers targeting a mature crowd seem to have fallen into the look alike/dress alike mold. Style blogs that are supported by retail outlets spotlight similar fashions, and while some might link to different size ranges, few share resources that help women understand their shapes or unique natural coloring, leading to a different type of clone wars.

As the Japanese point out, in the West our idea of beauty is something that is so airbrushed and Photoshopped into perfection that it's often unrealistic. A friend and I recently had lunch then stopped in a local IG hotspot to shop and get a couple of snapshots. A nice bystander took a few photos of us, but I was dismayed to see the unfiltered evidence of my current age. I look old, was all that I could sputter. As my friend pointed out, I'm pretty good with editing software and apps, so after a little tweaking, I uploaded the best shot later. But that reflex has nagged at me a little. I don't like looking older, but it's my reality. I am 64, although I could pass for late 40s on a good day.

In the Western Hemisphere, as well as the U.K., the idea that youth is best reigns. When I was in my 20s, I learned that once you hit 30 you were considered over the hill in Brazil. Maybe this idea came from ancient Greece. During the Classical period, idealized sculptures had perfect proportions, but also illustrated the Greek's belief that people peaked at about the age of 18 or so. Even a sculpture of Zeus, king of the gods, might have depicted him as an older man with flowing hair and beard, but Zeus still rocked a body that would make Arnold envious. Over millennia canonical artists have continued to use youthful models. However, the two years of art school that included life drawing classes with nude models ranging from fit and young to older and soft taught me to look differently at bodies.

Model mama, art school, 2002.

For whatever reason, I had an easier time drawing bodies that had a surplus of "fluff" on them. Students weren't supposed to have contact with our models, but our class threw a shower for one. She had taken a maternity leave and on her return, still obviously hadn't lost any of the baby weight, but it didn't matter. Her Rubenesque curves were a delight to try and capture on my drawing board. Unlike some of the young guys in my classes, for me there was nothing sexual about drawing an unclothed body. I saw light, shadow, lines, curves, textures. It takes a certain kind of bravery, and maybe some healthy vanity, to model nude for a studio full of strangers four days a week at universities and art schools around the county to earn enough to live on. This woman gave no fucks that she was considered large in that pre-body-positivity era. Her body had functioned beautifully as it was meant to. She brought a healthy baby into the world. The abundant curves of her abdomen and hips were certainly evidence of their recent use, and she was still breast feeding - again her body was functioning as nature meant. What society might consider imperfect served not only her child, but also students looking to refine their technique in depicting the human form.

We all have some type of imperfection whether visible or invisible. Childhood wounds to the psyche aren't always apparent, although the effect of physical wounds remain visible or physiological in limps or twinges. Our culture pushes near perfection via magazines, films, television programs, and online influencers who seem to want to sell us something that will bring us closer to that elusive goal.

I have another friend who is fond of saying that we already have all we need inside us. While meditating this morning, that thought drifted into my consciousness. I was focusing on wholeness and trust - self trust to be exact. I've made so many mistakes at this point that they could be used as examples on how NOT to live. But I'm ok, and I do have all that I need externally. I have a job and good friends. My home isn't the fanciest, but I have a comfortable place to lay my head at night, there is food in the pantry, and there's good reading and music at hand. Experience has been a tough teacher, but instead of being broken my body has mended the external damage, and the practice of meditating and journaling has helped to salve the emotional wounds.

As those thoughts came to me after I finished meditating, the concept of wabi sabi surfaced. Beautiful imperfection. The kintsugi technique is the repair of shattered pottery and then using gold leaf to highlight the lines where the vessel had come back together. The jagged lines aren't seen as flaws, but as something to be cherished and the gold makes a treasure of the piece. Sashiko mending involves using decorative stitches to patch or darn a spot on a garment that is fraying or has developed holes. The technique has come into fashion in the West with people becoming more conscious of sustainable clothing. Rather than disposing of a worn garment, repair it and add a personal touch that is a thing of beauty in and of itself. I tried sashiko on the elbow of a much loved topper that I was wearing at work every day. The technique salvaged the piece and kept it out of the recycle bin.

Sashiko source: https://perennialstl.org/event/boro-sashiko-mending/

After a pretty traumatic road accident the same elbow on my body had to be stitched back together, along with some other spots. The stitches didn't quite heal right, and 12 years later, the scars are still there on my arm. Maybe they're my personal kintsugi, although it's not possible to apply gold leaf. The scars are evidence that I am still here, still functioning - got motion back - and I'm still useful. I'm broken but unbowed.

I believe that anyone who has made it this far is going to have some internal or external damage; it's natural. Life is not perfection; life is messy and if we just accept that we can't control everything, it's a bit easier to accept the occasional mess and imperfections. While I certainly have things I'm still working on, things that are in my sphere of control, the rest is what it is. Like the kintsugi vessel, my scars are golden. If you've read this far, yours are as well...

[quaranmine]

if anything, i think the fanon-but-not-fanon should be the ones referred to as characters. canon tends to be an agalmation of jokes and genuine reactions and character choices. character choices that are often inconsistent with previous ones. and by nature of canon not taking itself too seriously there is often some lack of character depth. the fandom tends to be the ones who tend to create the consistences, fill out characters, etc. we're the ones who, essentially, make them part of a story.

you know, I think this is an interesting analysis of it. you're right that the fandom does a lot of the heavy lifting for creating the characters as fully rounded. the mcyt fandom has always been in an interesting postion because we do have characters and roleplay, so we're not writing about real people. but the real people's personalities very often inform their characters to a signficant degree. so for a series like hermitcraft, i'd say a lot of the episodes exist in a limbo between real life and roleplay. you have the CC doing timelapses and explaining their plans to the audience, and then having fun and laughing with their friends. then you have the plot/roleplay aspects influencing the series. within the fandom, we take those two aspects and fuse them into a more realistic character. you say character choices often contradict themselves, and i think it's a lot to do with our interpretations of what a realistic character might do in a situation, versus what the CC thinks would be the most fun direction to take the story in. i feel like it's difficult to get this kind of division with other forms of media--most other characters are a lot further divorced from the people who play them and create them.

i think a good example of this is the end of third life, honestly. the actual scene of grian killing scar in the cactus ring has them laughing. it's the end of the series and they're having fun recording. but in order for it to make narrative sense, the fandom has sort of grabbed hold of that and given it a much more heavy weight. because in the context of the story, it's a tragedy. it undeniably is. but we're doing like half of the work to make it like that. because when we write, we write from the perspective of characters who live within the world and are actually experiencing it. the CCs give us the storyline and do some of the acting, but above all they are having fun with their friends and that's partly why it's entertaining. it is one of the things that makes the series fun, because it can pretty much be as serious/not serious as you want it to be. personally i like to occasionally dip back into the inherent ridiculousness of mcyt for comedy in my fanfic, just to make sure i dont stray too far from my source ;)

however, series like dsmp definitely have much more defined characters. i should know, given i helped archive like 4000 analyses of these characters last year lol. the dsmp also does not take itself too seriously, which is why for a long time the fandom argued over the idea of whether or not "semi-lore" existed. big things often happened in goofy or laidback streams, and people would argue about whether it seriously counted or not towards the overall characterization. this was difficult. this definitely contradicted itself many times between whatever the CC thought was funny to do versus the very real implication of "hey, if the character actually did that in the storyline that's really messed up..." *cue endless discourse* but over all the dsmp has very significantly defined characters compared to hermitcraft, which is much more nebulous. i think a lot of the difference comes from the fact that it has planned Serious Plot and planned Serious Themes whereas hermitcraft plot is "funny with a side of serious occasionally." i've said it's easier to write dsmp angst because we've SEEN how characters on there deal with heartbreak, whereas in hermitcraft angst we're forced to make assumptions on their behavior in these situations based on our prior knowledge of them.

i dont really know how to end this but it was interesting to think about!

[penname-artist]

🕯️how do you think engaging with each other through tumblr, twitter, comments, kudos, creates healthy fandom experiences? How do you deal with that if you're not a social person/experience social anxiety?

*cracks knuckles* oh boy. This one's gonna be an essay, brace yourselves everybody, Pen's gonna go on an hour long rant again.

In short answer (for the people that don't want to read my essay, *sniff* I get it! It's fine!) the very aspect of having open communication between members of the fandom is what makes it inherintly healthy. Now trust me, it's VERY easy for that to become an unhealthy or downright toxic thing, happens a lot in fandoms especially when it's large enough to have splinter-groups of what I'm just going to call 'Hardcore People' that don't bend to outside opinions. In short, as long as the majority of a group or fandom keeps it flexible, all is well.

Now to extend on that (this is the part where quick skim readers leave LOL) a lot of the best qualities I've seen in fandom, specifically in reference to THIS fandom but it can definitely apply elsewhere too, is (here we go again with my labels) Mutual "Feeding". What I mean by that is when groups of different interests collide (in a good way) over their variations of interest, and they intersect or overlap, thus providing one another with sustenence. Collaborations start happening, people get together on funny and cool ideas, tons of AUs sprout, and canon basically gets thrown out the window 90% of the time, etc. The brightest lights I've seen in this fandom are when two or more people feed off of each other and start to pump out excess amounts of content. Ironically, though, the worst parts of fandom start from the same branch.

Again with the flexibility, though; as long as people stay open to ideas and interpretations and all that, it's harder to veer into unhealthy territory. Groups are AMAZING tools in fandom, for bringing folks together directly on ideas and concepts and giving them the best possible fandom food: each other's ideas. It can reignite a whole ass bonfire. But, in the same line of thought, it's very easy to get wrapped up into a concept to the point it becomes rigid and hard to approach from any unusual angle. One guy in the fandom will have an idea that isn't aligned with the general crowd and all of a sudden he's on the outskirts of the fandom altogether. Tons of fandoms, particularly beefier or more mainstream ones, are prone to this. I think a friend has mentioned the Transformers fandom is very similar to this mindset and stingent about a lot of things like original characters and the likes because of it. it might not ever affect the fandom as a whole (at least I hope not) but toxic mindsets can absolutely spread around and make for a very unwanted experience in a piece of media you enjoy.

But fandom exists to be a place for lots of people who enjoy a form of media to come together around that media and make content of their own; it's the foundation of what makes fandom just that. It's community. And while there may undoubtably be this unspoken "heirarchy" of fandom, from lurkers to content creators to trendsetters and influencers, the same foundation applies that fandom is for fans, regardless of status. There isn't (and God i hope there never will be) hard lines or strict policies or specific expectations in the world of fan-creations. It's as simple as you like a character and you want to draw them with your other favorite characters together: boom, it's there. And it's such an intensely creative field that it's entirely impossible to market it in any way, shape, and form. And I love it for that reason. It's my escape into the world of fantastical imagination, and now I can bring all my friends along with me and we can exchange our ideas on how Leland would react if he were alive to Finn's stupidly falling right into a trap when he would clearly be able to see the helicopter with a giant magnet hanging over him. And that's so much fun.

Particularly in my position, having been a Planes server owner for, ehhh, close to like two years now, I am really really lucky to be in a position that I can see all kinds of collaborations unfolding around me. It's like when you put seeds into the ground and then suddenly you see them growing and spreading on their own, and you feel like the proud parent of a beautiful garden where all you did was slap some seeds in the dirt, and it was enough to let them all bloom.

And that might kinda sound like Big-Headed talk, so I try to never let that go to my head. I might have started all this and be "leading" my server, quote-on-quote, but I definitely don't rule this place nor do I expect to be treated as such; I'm still a content creator at heart, and I just want to frolic around with my friends and my favorite characters and make Cool Things. I'm just extremely lucky to also be in a position to make something like Volo Pro Veritas (and even just my usual content like fics, art, and videos) and have it be something that can bring people together and ignite more ideas in the fandom. That's all worth the world to me.

And getting to be the reason lots of people in this fandom can come together and make their own things is so incredible; I've watched a lot of folks slowly start to come out of their shells and speak up about their ideas, and share those ideas around and make some absolutely incredible stuff about the things that they love. Really it all just funnels back down to that sense of community, a place you can belong with people and be one of a lot of voices ring out in the community. Even in the smallest of ways. People don't realize the impact they've got on other people. One person is the reason I got into the Planes fandom. One person is the reason i started writing fanfiction. One person is the reason I built the servers I did. People are still going to be the reasons I do what I do, because as much as I love doing fandom things for myself, it's even greater when I get the chance to share that with others. I've made friendships that will last a lifetime.

I've also grown. We all have. And we all do, somehow, some way. So long as community exists, fandom is going to find a way.

Okay that's my essay everybody! It's over now, I promise! XD