#I'm a bit offended

[heavy-is-the-crown-if]

I was interested in the IF at first but then noticed you used AI to create "art" and was immediately disappointed. I know people will see this and disagree or act like I'm overreacting or whatever but as an illustrator it just really sucks seeing that. I'm not telling you what to do or what decisions to make but seriously reconsider using AI. Maybe research and see what artists, including authors and other creators of IFs, are saying about AI and how it negatively affects artists.

I understand that you may not approve of the fact that I used AI to generate the portraits of some of my characters once, but is this a reason to condemn me and my work immediately?

I'll say it again, I used it once, just once, out of curiosity, because I can't draw and I don't have enough income to live on and commission someone to create something for my If. I had no intention of reusing artificial intelligence, because yes I did my research.

I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings but I believe that everyone makes mistakes and those mistakes shouldn't condemn people especially since I've gained nothing over it.

[maerhiya]

in regards to the constant dismissal of his aroace identity, i hate it when alastor 'fans' say and use the excuse: "he's fictional, he won't get offended."

like, you're right, but it can and will offend us.

when you see yourself being represented on screen, of course you'd feel enthusiastic about it — representation allows individuals to see themselves reflected in the media they consume, validating their identities and experiences. but when so many people take that representation and decide to disregard and discard it, it is so fucking frustrating. we finally have another character to be part of the tiny amount of representation we have, but then people don't even care about how much it means to us? like yeah, alastor won't get offended because he's not real, but it frustrates and annoys us. do you realize that it's also technically invalidating the aroace community? that you're invalidating our feelings? imagine feeling like you're finally being seen because your orientation is finally being represented in media, and people just decide to blatantly ignore, discard, and invalidate it.

media has such a powerful influence on real life, representation being a prevalent factor of it. there are numerous posts that dictate how people went to watch a movie/show or read a book just because a character depicts their identity in it — obviously, being represented is an incredibly uplifting and validating experience.

which is why seeing an aroace character in a popular show is so meaningful to us because we live in a world where romance and sex are literally everywhere and prioritized above all else. (and it's pretty obvious that alastor's on the repulsed end of the spectrum, but even if he wasn't, at least make an effort to acknowledge his sexuality instead of continuing to portray him as allo; aroace folks can be in relationships but it's not going to be the same thing with allos' experiences.)

any and every representation matters, but why does that seem to stop at people under the aroace spectrum? like y'all can't even let us appreciate the scraps of representation we have. we barely have any, so are we really that dramatic for being upset at how people easily disregard and dismiss our identities that are being depicted on screen just like that? is it truly wrong of us to want to defend and maintain the little representation we have?

[kaelidascope]

Midnight Menagerie Chapter 12 - The Hangover Chapter is LIVE

**SHAKES HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOGGY BAG OF TREATS**

BLASTING FANTASTICAL FANFARE!!!!!!

The most anticipated chapter of the year is finally here! Hope y'all are hungry. As my birthday gift to y'all, here's the biggest chapter Midnight Menagerie has seen to date at a whopping 26 thousand words! I've been hyping this chapter up for MONTHS and I'm so excited to finally release it into the wild!!

Be mindful of the content warnings if vomiting is something you aren't comfortable with! As the title would suggest, everyone's hungover as FUCK. Enjoy a dramatic retelling of a wild weekend I had during the summer of 2017 when I was in college <33

I want to take a moment to really just say thanks as a whole for reading, supporting, and enjoying my work. It gives me so much encouragement to continue writing and drawing content, and I love reading everyone's reviews and comments. It's my favorite part of the day getting those emails! Here's to a happy holidays and a better new year in 2024 <3

(yes I'm aware the outfits are wrong LMAO I drew this months ago)

[youraveragecatastrophe]

and they were partners! oh my god they were partners...

Do you ever think about how in the original Treasures of knowledge game, Carmen and Jules were partners at ACME and probably had all sorts of adventures together? do you?? because i do, all the time

[cbk1000]

So, Mr. Jenn's grandma is in her 90s, and has been in the early stages of dementia for a while now. She's still coherent, and still able to take care of herself and live independently so far, so there's been no move to put her in an assisted living facility. But this does mean we hear some kind of wild stuff. She has a lot of paranoia and has been complaining about people in her attic (she lives in a one-story apartment), and recently she told my MIL (her daughter) that the people who were out to get her are also after MIL and FIL's new Labrador puppy. The people in her attic have also attacked her with some kind of ray gun? (Not actually sure if that's what she called it, but her descriptions of it basically sound like some kind of sci-fi weapon that they're apparently using to knock her down.)

Anyway, the latest now is that my FIL and I have back-to-back birthdays (me on Monday, him on Tuesday), and we always celebrate together with a dinner on whatever the closest Saturday is when our birthdays fall on weekdays. He called Mr. Jenn today (they talk every day when Mr. Jenn gets off work) and tells him that grandma will not be at the birthday dinner tomorrow, because 'no one loves her.' As a specific example of this, she said 'Jenn hasn't spoken to me in two years.'

We have a family get-together at his parents' (grandma included) for every major holiday, plus every birthday (hers included). She's seen me multiple times in the last few months. She just saw me two weeks ago, for Mr. Jenn's birthday. I remember talking to her at his birthday. My FIL told Mr. Jenn he specifically remembers me talking to her at his birthday.

No idea why she has decided that I specifically have not spoken to her in years (we get on well because she was a bit eccentric even before the dementia, and I go down enough weird rabbit holes that I can hold a conversation on lots of things without judgement because when you've sought out the parts of the internet I've sought out, you can't judge), but dementia is really a bitch if it makes you turn down a free dinner.

[songofstrawhats]

These Marine branded cigars have me asking questions about the One Piece Verse tobacco industry that are literally never going to be answered

does the world government own tobacco farms??? factories???? how the hell does this work that they produce goods instead of just fighting and regulating stuff???

I guess they have to procure uniforms and rations, and cigarettes were historically part of military rations so it makes a certain amount of sense

But where do THOSE SPECIFIC CIGARS come from??? Do they have a deal with individual farms like they did with the cute milk girl from the chapter title comics???? Are they individually wrapped or is there a factory and industrialized cigar prodiction somewhere? Fishman Island has a candy factory so there's precedent for this I guess???

Also how many cigars does Smoker individually go through and how much of the military budget is spent keeping his arm holsters stocked up so he can be dramatic lmaooooo

[funforahermit]

how dare they!!

[bigcats-birds-and-books]

Books of 2024: OFFENDED SENSIBILITIES by Alisa Ganieva.

Up next! This came in my subscription box last year, and I am ALWAYS down for Russian things.

[justablah56]

hmm I think instead of feeling bad I will simply project this bad onto The Character . for funsies .

[dootznbootz]

Btw, for the lovely folks who don't follow me but then come visit every once in a while to look through my things, know that I think you're neat and that I love you. The fact that you know you don't want to see my shit on the reg, (I understand, I AM chaos) yet still coming to visit is really nice💙It genuinely warms my heart and I find it really sweet.

[shima-draws]

Chimchar and Grovyle arguing over whose girlfriend is better but they have the same girlfriend so really what they’re doing is trying to see who can compliment Pip better

[sluttylittleslashers]

Ok damn!

[monty-glasses-roxy]

I've been wondering about something for a little bit so fuck it I'm making a 24hr poll about it. Lets start with the context... I will put examples of what I mean under the poll if you need them.

SO

Imagine, you find a fic on Ao3. It's caught your eye as you scroll and you take the time to look over its information. You like the look of the summary, it's got your favourite characters in the spotlight, and a lot of the tagged descriptors look interesting to you. This looks like something you would like to read.

However, you recognise a few character names from the Tales from the Pizzaplex books in the tags, or perhaps, you know from following the author that they have most likely put some stuff they found cool from the books into this fic. They say in the fic tags that there's some book stuff that they've made their own in it, and they have clearly tagged a few of the Security Breach/Ruin characters as being the primary protagonists. The summary also doesn't mention any obvious book stuff or theory stuff either. You can tell this is not about the FNaF lore or theorising or anything too. Aside from that, all you truly know is that it looks interesting, has your blorbos in it and that the book animatronics are not the main focus of the AU fic.

With this in mind...

A few examples of animatronics that could be in the fic: Zeus the Sea Dragon, Tiger Rock, the Bobbiedots.

A few examples of concepts that could be in the fic: The 'sewer' of retired animatronics, an entire line of Mimic animatronics in at least one pizzeria, there having been a large range of discontinued attractions/animatronics at the pizzaplex before Security Breach.

Just to be clear, in case you're wondering, these results will not effect whether I do something with book stuf in it or not. I'm just curious.

Putting this in the main SB and book tags for a larger sample size. You can also reblog if you so desire, but I'm not pushing anyone for it. Literally just curious where people are on this

[ialwaysknewyouwerepunk]

is anyone else stuck in this awful weird jittery nagging limbo or

[child-of-hurin]

Another thing about Erendis and Aldarion that absolutely gets me is how Erendis seems to reflect about their falling out majorly in terms of gender. We have her famous speech to Ancalimë in the Unfinished Tales:

Thus it is, Ancalimë, and we cannot alter it. For men fashioned Númenor: men, those heroes of old that they sing of – of their women we hear less, save that they wept when their men were slain. Númenor was to be a rest after war. But if they weary of rest and the plays of peace, soon they will go back to their great play, manslaying and war. Thus it is; and we are set here among them. But we need not assent. If we love Númenor also, let us enjoy it before they ruin it. We also are daughters of the great, and we have wills and courage of our own. Therefore do not bend, Ancalimë. Once bend a little, and they will bend you further until you are bowed down. Sink your roots into the rock, and face the wind, though it blow away all your leaves.

And in The Nature of Middle Earth* we find this bit:

As Erendis said later, [the Númenóreans] became a kind of imitation Elves; and their Men had so much in their heads and desire of doing that they ever felt the pressure of time, and so seldom rested or rejoiced in the present. Fortunately their wives were cool and busy – but Númenor was no place for great love.’

Aldarion's only gendered comment on this conflict is when he tells his father:

I will go from this misenchanted isle of daydreams where women in their insolence would have men cringe. 

But otherwise he doesn't seem very invested in or aware of the war of the sexes: in fact, he famously changes the laws of Númenor to allow Ancalimë to be heir, and part of his motivation is framed as a desire to strike a blow against Erendis. Erendis is much more insistent (and insightful) on seeing their domestic problems through the lens of a systemic social issue.

OTOH, Aldarion does see their domestic problems as fundamentally tied to the social norms, and reflected on the social sphere. When Erendis sends Ancalimë to attend his ascension to the throne but refuses to come herself, he says:

‘Not for this, at least,’ said Aldarion. ‘It is far below my hope of her. She has dwindled; and if I have wrought this, then black is my blame. But do the large shrink in adversity? This was not the way, not even in hate or revenge! She should have demanded that a great house be prepared for her, called for a Queen’s escort, and come back to Armenelos with her beauty adorned, royally, with the star on her brow; then well nigh all the Isle of Númenor she might have bewitched to her part, and made me seem madman and churl. The Valar be my witness, I would rather have had it so: rather a beautiful Queen to thwart me and flout me, than freedom to rule while the Lady Elestirnë falls down dim into her own twilight.

It's not that he's wrong; it's just that this is his fantasy, not Erendis's. In the tale until that point, whenever they clashed, she withdrawed. Aldarion here doesn't remember that, or realize that they're playing very different games! Erendis is striking on the personal, intimate, domestic sphere; Aldarion's domestic sphere IS public and political (and how else could it be, being the prince and heir!).

The general feeling I get from reading this tale, honestly, is that both Erendis and Aldarion have extremely accurate insights and valid points about the stifling social norms they're bound to... and yet, at the same time, that none of those things were more responsible in their domestic unhappiness than their own personalities and unwillingness to compromise ⚰️

[taegularities]

being here has never felt this suffocating.. it feels impossible sometimes to continue