#also we are SO relaxed about hierarchy and these people were NOT which is a culture clash i find less charming

[wildwood-faun]

Culture shock at work today when we had visitors from the United Arab Emirates and they came in sharply dressed, immaculately groomed and smelling of sandalwood. The unwashed medieval European may be a myth but it was what I felt like this morning.

[mitigatedchaos]

Kontextmaschine is Dead

(~1,000 words, 5m)

Noted blogger @kontextmaschine is presumed dead, following the discovery that the sole resident at his most likely residence was found deceased during a wellness check initiated by concerned Redditors.

Prior to his last post on Aug 22, which indicated a serious health problem, he reported taking over twice the dose of creatine he had been taking at the beginning of his lengthy post-COVID health saga, in which he also reported becoming bisexual, having "zero" anxiety, gaining 3D vision after years of not having it, becoming incredibly convincing, and having to learn to walk and use his muscles properly again. At the time, he felt he was becoming trimmer and physically stronger, and reported engaging in a long project of yard work, although photos from the inside of his house generally looked somewhat messy.

A Tumblr user who met him briefly in person after the beginning of the health saga but before these most recent events reported that he was friendly, charismatic, hospitable, and clean, but "physically, a mess," with motor control issues on one side of his body.

Topics of discussion were similar to the content of kontextmaschine's blog, such as differences in east and west coast government in America, said to be "totally on brand," but it was said that the prolific poster seemed "less self-grandiose" in person.

Redditors theorize that the decline of kontextmaschine's health following his first self-report of COVID-19 infection may have been due to undiagnosed brain cancer, which could be more consistent with observed changes in behavior than the after-effects of a viral infection, given that most reports of "long covid" are about effects like fatigue, and not total loss of anxiety or alteration of sexual orientation.

Despite multiple suggestions, from both anonymous and pseudonymous users, kontextmaschine refused to seek professional medical care for his condition.

Regarding the mourning of public figures, in 2018, a period of increased Progressive sensitivity during the Trump Administration, kontextmaschine wrote,

through the years realized that through whatever blind groping the ‘90s-ass “edgelords” were desperately trying to save us from this, through proper gatekeeping and filtering at first I’d thought it was gratuitous and supported it being relaxed, maybe not shaming everyone who publicly mourned a suicide, mea culpa, mea culpa, I have debts to pay

In 2019, he added:

That was how we kept the internet culture from growing mawkish and cry-bullyish: basically, if you were so weak as to get weepy over corpsemeat you got cancelled, the shame would follow you forever and you’d never be allowed to forget it.

Given his writing, it is likely that kontextmaschine would not have supported excessive public mourning over his death, though in 2017, following the theft of his motorcycle, when the popular blogger @argumate jokingly criticized him by writing, "no references to pinball, no insight into historical Americana, this isn’t the kontext I signed up for," kontextmaschine wrote,

“when bad shit happens people mock me accurately” is the community I’ve been looking for my whole life so

Like argumate, perhaps the most famous of the rationalist-adjacent bloggers on Tumblr, screenshots of kontextmaschine's Tumblr posts would end up on outside websites.

Kontextmaschine was generally considered an interesting, if controversial writer. One Tumblr user characterized him as a member of the "obnoxious Tumblr right," though another user asked, "wait, how is kontextmaschine is right wing?" After another user claimed that the nuclear bombing of Oregon would be a net improvement in the world due to kontextmaschine's residence in Portland, tumblr user @random-thought-depository wrote a 2,400 word theory post arguing that kontextmaschine's philosophy was a means to coordinate to join a future political coalition favoring the formation of a more brutal and oppressive hierarchy in pursuit of his own advantage.

Though kontextmaschine's ideology advocates that humanity should adopt "r-selection," meaning more offspring with less investment in each (or youth, sex, and death), this blog dissented against the coalition theory, arguing that motorcycles, kung fu, women, Hollywood, and not having to report to HR are all traditionally cool, and the causality of the kontextmaschine ideology could easily run the other way.

Though he had a period of identifying as female in his youth, appropriately LGBTQ for a Tumblr user, his 2011 statement of principles, including "the lesser yields to the greater" and "suffering is the mark of a wrong person," and general body of work, could be described as a strain of right-wing thought, though not of the traditionalist Christian or rational technocratic varieties.

Prior to the post-covid health saga, kontextmaschine's health posting was primarily about his bipolar disorder, with both manic and depressive phases.

Kontextmaschine maintained generally friendly relations with other bloggers in his sphere of discourse, sometimes debating but rarely aggressive, except in response to anonymous hatemail. In response to one particular piece of hatemail, kontextmaschine stated that as a writer, of course his primary form of influence would be his posts.

In a post chain reblogged by dozens of Tumblr users, multiple Tumblr users wrote that they enjoyed his writing and are disappointed by his death, describing him as a unique thinker that will not be easily replaced. Several felt that there was not much they could have done, as after returning from his covid infection, he was not taking medical advice.

One Tumblr user wrote, "rip. Inspirational manic poster," while long-time and prolific poster argumate described him as, "one of the bloggers of all time."

Internet users speculate that Kontextmaschine is survived by his outdoor cat, Badger, about whom he posted frequently. He may also be survived by other members of his family, with whom he apparently did not live, and rarely spoke about.

It is recommended that enthusiasts of kontextmaschine's blog make backups of his writing for archival purposes.

[petitprincess1]

What critiques do you have of Hazbin? I'm wondering because I keep seeing a lot of criticism and hate towards it and I don't Wana get into something that's possible waste of time. Srry if thats rude

Dude, you're perfectly fine. I'm gonna keep it to like five points bc some things that I have problems with are mainly nitpicks. None of this, imo, is a dealbreaker for me. However, if it is for you, fair.

This is one that everyone has talked about and I fully agree with. The pacing is whiplash-inducing. I still do believe it's better than HB S1, but there is just so much information being thrown around that it's mind-boggling. The songs definitely help to slow things down a bit and introduce more info in an engaging, catchy way. However, I feel like there were some eps that either needed to come sooner or later in the series. I get they were fighting the clock, but still.

Lucifer and Charlie's relationship needed better explaining. Without going into spoilers, from what it felt like in the Pilot, it seemed like they were building up to something a bit more confrontational. I always figured Charlie possibly embellished Lucifer's words, but now it makes it feel like Charlie was talking to a completely different man. Someone that isn't even her father. Lu acts so much like Charlie, or vice versa, that it seems almost impossible to misinterpret his words.

NO FILLERS! The closest episode to a filler is the 3 ep, but even that brings up information and moves the plot along with key points. Now, that's not a bad thing entirely. It keeps you engaged. But this show very much lacks any breathing room. There's so much being thrown your way. Either things get overly talked about or not talked about enough. Which brings me to my next point-

The world-building is both fulfilling and empty. You do get a good sense of Heaven and Hell in this universe, especially Hell. You get an idea of the hierarchy and even some hypocrisy. However, we also don't really know how Heaven nor Hell operates. Like Lucifer appeared to be a shut-in. Yes, Lilith was the one inspiring demonkind, but what about when she disappeared? Is that why everything is garbage now? How much does Lucifer influence Hell? Where are the archangels? Was this conflict not important? Is there a "God" even in this show? What is Heaven's hierarchal system? There's so much being said, while also nothing being explained.

This one is the lowest for me bc I'm a bit torn on it. I've seen a few people complain about how the main characters are introduced as if you're supposed to know them. I didn't get this feeling, but I'm also a fan of Hazbin. I try to go in with a fairly "empty mind" so that I can view the material without rose-tinted glasses. However, it felt like some of the characters were given decent introductions at times. Idk. I'd like to know other's opinions on that.

Another one that I want to add is probably more diversity in the body sizes in the show. I'm not too worried about it bc Helluva Boss does a great job with body diversity, but Hazbin seems to be fairly stick and slender. But, again, I'm not too worried about it.

All in all, those are my biggest issues with the show. Like I said, none of these are dealbreakers, especially since we'll be getting a S2. Vivzie seems to listen to criticism, judging by the differences with HB S1 vs S2. So, I'm really hoping that we finally get to relax and actually get to know the characters more. Like, Adam shows the 7 Deadly Sins, while Charlie shows the 7 Virtues. I hope Adam isn't permanently dead bc I feel like this would be a good wake-up for him. He'll become the being that they were exterminating. But only time will tell.

Majority of this can be blamed on Prime and A24 for only giving them 8 episodes. I feel like either a longer run-time or more eps would've helped the show. Hopefully, they'll have learned from their mistakes in the next season.

[edgy-ella]

I recently rewatched Invader Zim with @allshaftsfall, and something dawned on me that I should’ve realized years ago: Irkens have really weak backs/spines.

Or at least, it gets worse the taller they get, exponentially more so than with humans. The only tall Irkens we ever see in the series are the Tallest (obviously) and Sizz-Lorr, all of which are noticeably hunched over.

Sure, you could argue that Sizz-Lorr’s weird hunchback comes from his abnormally large PAK and the Tallest’s poor posture comes from the extreme corseting done to their midsections, but that in turn raises another question: why in god’s name would you ever fuck up your spine like that in a society where your status is determined by your height?

This stood out to me as weird for the Tallest in particular, because height is their status, so you’d think they’d be doing everything in their power to make themselves look as tall as possible rather than the opposite. It’s also something not unique to Red and Purple—concept art shows that Miyuki and Spork, the two previous Tallests before the current duo, had the same thing going on.

Hell, even Tak, who is barely taller than Zim, doesn’t always stand up straight.

This mostly applies when she’s in her human disguise, but still. Her height wouldn’t expose her as an alien—nobody cares about Zim’s more damning features, and Dib has classmates much taller than she would be standing up straight—so she doesn’t have anything to gain by slouching. To me, it seems like she feels like she has to consciously stand up straight when out of disguise, interacting with other Irkens (as someone with scoliosis, I can relate), but feels more relaxed as a human where height isn’t that big of a deal.

Before anyone calls bullshit on Tak ever slouching, look at her posture here compared to Gaz.

None of this is an art style thing, either. The humans in the series, both tall and short, stand significantly straighter. The only human I can think of off the top of my head that slouches is Ms. Bitters, and we don’t even know if she is human.

So, what does this all mean? Why’s this important? Well, to me, it begs the question: if the Irkens end up with significantly worse posture the taller they get, why does their society run on a height-based hierarchy? It’s already a silly concept, and the fact that Irkens already seem to have weak backs is just the cherry on top.

To me, this says that this is not naturally a part of Irken culture, and that the Control Brains put it in place whenever they assumed total control of the species, and it seems like it’s there in order to make the Irkens more reliant on the Control Brains. You can’t expect to have a stable leadership if your rulers are chosen arbitrarily, so the people supposedly in charge have to rely on the giant supercomputers to handle all the hard stuff for them. We already knew that the Control Brains were these shadowy figures controlling everything from the shadows, and this is just doubling down on that. And the implications there are wild: were the Control Brains originally made by other Irkens, only for their AI to gain sentience and weaken the Irkens biologically, socially, and culturally? Were the Control Brains made by a completely different race, only to appear like gods before primitive Irkens and force themselves upon them? If so, what happened to whatever race made the Control Brains? What’s the Control Brains’ overall purpose? How far does this “meat shield used to carry the PAK around” thing go?

Unfortunately we are never ever getting any answers to these questions because the franchise is in indefinite hibernation right now and they didn’t tackle the Control Brains in any meaningful capacity when they had the chance in either Enter the Florpus or the comics. But it’s fun to think about!

[cat-mentality]

I see you guys rebloging those posts about the new Cucurucho and like that's cool and all but it literally couldn't be me because I refuse to acknowledge the existence of multiple Cucuruchos.

Because If, big IF, I started to acknowledge it then I would be forced to think about the implications and I'm not mentally ready to go down this rabbit hole.

Because if I was then I would have to ask some questions about the nature of Cucurucho. As in, what are they? They look like a bear sure, we can assume their appearance was based on one, but there is no fucking way in hell they are just your average bear or even a random hybrid. If we apply creative mode to lore it has implications that Cucurucho is basically an entity in terms of power, all seeing and all powerful, literally untouchable.

And the existence of multiple of them?

Oh boy.

Are they on the same level of power? Not authority, not hierarchy, I mean actual power. And if they are, why multiple of them exist? Because one all powerful entity surely must be enough to run a Island with a handful of people on it.

The implications that Cucurucho exists to be perfect are sprinkled all over his interactions with others. Osito Bimbo is very much not the ideal of perfection the Federation expects him to be, he is kind, and silly, truly silly not whatever fuckery Cucurucho has going on when he pretends to be your friendly boss, silly in the way he is much more relaxed and seems to genuinely try to understand emotions and people.

And what, if I was actually thinking about this in deep, would interest me the most would be the implications of his "imperfections". Because why the fuck do they exist. Are they all clones of each other? Are they creatures made by the Federation as experiments?

Because on one option you have to consider that the Federation made a faulty clone and said "oops how we can fix it somehow!" and just.... Let him as he is. Wouldn't it make more sense to just scratch this failure and begin again? Were they in a hurry when they made him? Did something go wrong? Because if he is a clone he should in theory be exactly like Cucurucho.

Is it hard to make those copies? Is that why they just went along with it?

And if he is a man made being, more similar to the eggs, you would have to consider the implications that Cucurucho was raised by someone. That there was a person in charge of teaching him how to act and whatever happened to Osito Bimbo was a human mistake, was someone not following the guidelines.

Which also implies on thinking on how the fuck they managed to create this entity in a bear skin.

And while we are on the rabbit hole, that I'm clearly not diving head along in, which one came first?

Was Cucurucho created because Osito Bimbo was not perfect? Or was the opposite, Osito Bimbo was created because Cucurucho was perfect but something along the way went wrong, maybe they tried to fix something in the original design (make him more 'natural' perhaps? Less off putting) but it went wrong.

And what about this pink eared one. What is his deal.

Because clearly he has been along for a while as he refers to events in the past that he was a participant in. Is he the Original Cucurucho? The blueprint that was exchanged by the New Cucurucho? Or is he the middle man? Created to be literally an 'emergency Cucurucho' in case something went wrong with the first?

And he is clearly capable of some sort of emotion and autonomy as he states he shouldn't be talking to Antoine but did it nonetheless with plans of doing it again.

Which brings us to the biggest mind fuckery about Cucurucho until now: the "maybe" he answered to Tubbo when he asked if he had free will. He denied being controlled all the time and he also denied that sometimes someone controls him and sometimes not, so what does it mean? Because all of them are different in more than just details in their appearances, different enough that we can only assume they all have their own quirks, their own personality as much as the Federation allows it.

Is the maybe a "I don't have total free will because I must obey or be killed but I'm still a being with individuality" or a "I don't know what free will is so I can only assume what you mean" or even "It doesn't mean the same to me as it does to you".

I'm so glad I'm not acknowledging the multiple Cucuruchos! I would hate to write an essay about them!

[wolfbrawn]

For all his size and strength, Farkas is at the bottom of the Circle’s dominance hierarchy.  Even within the wider faction, there are Companions bold enough to put him down, and seem to do so without consequence. This is despite Farkas’ assertion that: “Some people don’t think I’m smart. Those people get my fist.”

We never see Farkas push back, not physically, not verbally.  Although he is frequently belittled by his comrades, he speaks kindly to and of them.  This is despite the fact that he and Vilkas were the youngest candidates to be granted the honour of becoming Companions.  I think it’s important to remember that Farkas has a proven record of serving the faction well and with honour, to the extent that he has been elevated to the Circle and gifted lycanthropy. Some interactions for context:

Skjor: “Farkas!” Farkas: “Did you call me?” Aela: “Of course we did, icebrain. Show this newblood where the rest of the whelps sleep.” Farkas: “Relax, newblood.” Torvar: “I’ve been hunting on my own for years.” Farkas: “Fighting people is different. Smarter.” Torvar: “Some of ‘em, anyway.” Farkas: “You only use the little swords.” Athis: “It’s called a shortsword, you oaf. It’s quicker. Sharper. And it can cut through a whale like a razor.”

It isn’t simply external.  Farkas himself has absorbed these opinions and is quick to defer to others. There is even a submissive element:

Farkas: “I’ve never been a smart one. But the Companions welcome anyone with the heart of a warrior.” Farkas: “My brother Vilkas is a better talker than me. He should be around someplace.” Farkas: “Too confusing for me. Empire, Nords, Talos. Who cares? Just tell me who needs bludgeoning.” Farkas: “Oh, you don’t need to worry about me. I do what I’m told.” Farkas: “You go if you want to. I’ve never seen bones this large, and want to make sure I remember them so I can tell the story right. Otherwise Vilkas will just say I was making it up.” Farkas: “I don’t like making him [Skjor] angry, but there is some work for you if you want it.” Farkas: “Aela said that you were hers. I don’t know what she meant… she scares me.”

Vilkas, at least, is openly fond of his brother, though he too makes mention of Farkas’ perceived low intelligence – “I love my brother, but his brains are not his strong suit” – and on one occasion, he appears to gently redirect his twin during a group discussion:

Aela: “And you avenged him.” Farkas: “Kodlak did not care for vengeance.” Vilkas: “No, Farkas, he didn’t. And that’s not what this is about.”

It is Kodlak’s journal that we see more positive descriptors applied to Farkas.  The harbinger writes:

Until we can pursue a true cure, the twins and I have chosen not to give in to the beastblood.  For me, it’s provided a clearer head, but Vilkas seems to be suffering a bit for it.  Farkas seems completely untroubled.  That boy continues to amaze with his fortitude. Aela is too solitary, Vilkas too fiery, and Farkas too kind-hearted.

But the journal also hints at Farkas being easily influenced, his tendency to follow his brother:

Farkas didn’t know what to think, but I believe he will come around with me and his brother eventually.  He usually does.

I do feel Vilkas is the first person Farkas turns to, that he follows his brother’s lead almost blindly – which undoubtedly puts pressure on Vilkas.  He trusts his twin to do the thinking for them both, to explain matters to him in a way he can understand:

Farkas: “He [Skjor] was the one I looked up to. I need to find my brother.” Farkas: “Vilkas says you’re the new Kodlak. I don’t know what that means, but you seem honourable, so that’s good.”

My perspective:  Farkas is someone who has been belittled over the long course of years, picked at like a wound until he has learned to make himself smaller, more pliable.  It is an insidious part of the culture of the Companions, and it likely started in the days of his boyhood – next to his academically brilliant and deep-thinking brother, Farkas was seen as lacklustre, witless. Like @hircineswrath, I believe Arnbjorn would have given both twins a hard time.  Furthermore, new recruits learn from established members that Farkas can serve as a verbal punching bag, that he will still think highly of those who demean him, because he considers them family, and he sees the best in everyone: “Skjor and Aela like to tease me, but they are good people.”

Farkas is simply wired differently.  My interpretation is that he is a kinesthetic learner, and in modern settings he would be identified as dyslexic, possibly even as having ADHD.  In Skyrim, a medieval-esque society that doesn’t understand neurodiversity, he gets branded as an oaf, and icebrain, a fool.  Persistently told that he is these things, he begins to believe it.  Why else is one of his primary skills speech, and yet he rarely uses his voice?  He may not be eloquent, but he is emotionally intelligent and able to see straight to the heart of matters.  And through it all, he remains kind.

[raven-of-domain-kwaad]

For Amélie Biava - When you met Amarra, you were Imperial Intelligence and she was a powerful Sith Lord, with little if any restrictions on how she could treat you. With such a disproportionate power dynamic, how did things wind up going the way they did for you?

OC Interview

Thanks for asking @swtorpadawan!

Amélie leans back in her seat and chuckles darkly.

“Yeah that’s a fair question. I sometimes ask myself how I managed to swing it with the damned Wrath of all people. Talk about out of my league and a huge threat to my life.”

She hums faintly and gently thumbs at the polished band of black metal on her finger.

“I fully admit that I didn’t trust her when we were first properly introduced. I mean it’s like you were saying, Sith can do what they want and the Wrath? She sits outside of the Sith hierarchy and answer to no one but the Emperor. She even has enough authority to challenge the Dark Council. So really what chance did I have if I wanted off her ship?”

Her eyes become hard, clearly recalling stories of others that suffered at the hands of mad Sith but she shakes her head before continuing on.

“Now with any kind of relationship it takes all parties involved to make it work but I will say that she did most of the initial heavy lifting to try and reach out to me. Just looking at her crew spoke volumes about her. How many Sith do you know that have a free twi’lek with more tech skills than a Fixer, a Black Ops squad on perpetual standby, a former Jedi apprentice that happily engages in philosophical and political debates with her new master and a sadistic assassin droid? Hm... actually forget the droid. Lots of Sith would probably have an HK unit if they could. But the others? You won’t find many Sith that actually have a crew like that who are all loyal and don’t just trust but love the Sith that they follow.”

She sighs and stares wistfully off at nothing.

“You hear old stories of noble Sith and their cherished followers. Old Korribani and Ziosti legends of Sith protectors defending those that they love. Most of those stories are lost to time and Republic purges but the romanticism of those tales endure... Of all the Sith in the Empire, I've found that Amarra embodies those old tales more than anyone I’ve ever seen. She cares about those under her command and that apparently extended to me.”

A genuine smile spreads across her face, reaching her eyes and even causing her body to relax. Her deep sense of gratitude is very clear.

“So, like I was saying, once I was finally out of the kolto tank, she reached out to me. I've often wonder if she could sense that I didn't trust her and that made her reach out. Whatever the reason, she offered to find me a doc to clone me a new hand after I lost mine on Corellia. She also gave me the chance to transfer to any command I wanted. I could write my own ticket and go anywhere I wanted. She didn’t even know me at the time, just wanted to help out another Imperial citizen.”

Her eyes return to her wedding band and she cannot stop smiling.

“After looking at my options and taking a serious look at her file- which can I just say, was damned impressive? Defeated a well known Jedi Master before being named a Lord, took out the Republic War Trust, killed a Dark Councilor, won the initial battle for Corellia and personally ended a coup led by her former Master. And never once did she ever act out of personal gain. She had no interest in personal power and only wanted to serve the Empire. What an ideal,” she says with what could only be described as hearts in her eyes.

“So, I chose to stay on and became her official pilot and unofficial liaison to what was left of Imperial Intelligence before Sith Intel got set up. I worked hard getting her whatever information I could, because I felt she was the best chance the Empire had for moving forward. She took notice and made sure that my actions were always commended. Got a promotion thanks to my work and she eventually started trusting me with more responsibilities, even putting me in charge of her own personal spy network she took from her old master."

She pauses then and her face scrunches faintly as if in sympathy, likely due to truly understanding just how stressful a position like Keeper's had been, managing so many agents.

"So, truth? I got lucky. I could have died at the hands of my captors on Corellia, honestly that's probably what was supposed to happen, knowing the last two Keepers. But I was lucky because she found me. If I had been found by anyone else in the Empire, I probably would have been court martialed for being on an unsanctioned intelligence operation. But she got to me first. And I must say, I am eternally thankful that she did."

[twisted-oak]

Hi Oakie,

I got three questions in a trench-coat for you

1 & 2 Pressures on storytelling & worldbuilding for storytelling:

Much as Startrek envisions an alternative economic system which outlasts our own in order to give breathing room for other stories to be told... What kinds of stories and challenges within worlds do you personally enjoy the most, and which pressures would you like to see alleviated or amplified for the sake of said storytelling, as a lens -- one of each (amplified and alleviated)?

2. Why I ask this:

I've noticed whatever successful SF speculation features becomes a cultural mould for a potential future... ...And SF which lampshades real things looking forward instead of looking back often ends up creating torture-nexuses which are recreated instead of like, solved or prevented. I'd also like to know your thoughts on this phenomenon too.

Sorry that this is such a big complex question, but you sent me a very lovely message, and I wanted to respond in turn with a nice meaty question :3

Take care

Big one! love this. I'll do my best First I have to just praise trek, the post-money economy is extremely interesting, mostly because of its optimism. thats probably my answer for favorite? in terms of just how revolutionary it was for my worldview. I was into star trek less growing up, thinking it was boring, and i was attracted to things that were cool and badass, like a lil boy. (thats why i liked robots so much, they fill your senses, hard angles of cold bright refecltive surfaces, theyre often loud, with engines and fans and computer tones and servos. and they so visually detailed and interesting and every tiny piece is crafted that just looking at one is like a visual puzzle you can feel how all the pieces fit together. sorry mech tangent) but thats why star trek was kinda boring to me was how simplistic it was, the robot was just a man in makeup. same with the aliens. but as ive gotten older i more appreciate how the very simplistic medium gives the show freedom to do creative stuff. its more cerebral than i was used to, more about ideas but yeah it was revolutionary for me that there was a show, not that i watched but it was in my orbit i was aware of it, where money didn't exist. it was a silly fiction, and i laughed at it and said thats dumb how would that even work? but again as ive gotten older and eventually watched all of TOS, TNG, DS9, ENT, VOY, the movies... like, i love it. i love it so so much. both for philosophical reasons and also its just relaxing to watch. Just to see how someone thought it might be possible to organize things without coercive incentive to work i think thats why im an anticapitalist. because of just the immense mind numbing waste of it all, the waste of resources the waste of potential the waste of everyones waking lives destroying the planet to create worthless goods nobody wants or needs for the enrichment of an increasingly small number of individuals. The sheer volume of effort no longer being put to waste, but put to use, can move mountains. What if we all just cared about eachother ? sorry its gonna be hard to stay on topic lol. but yeah the pressure i love to see alleviated is capitalism, coercive hierarchy, the endless meaningless grind. fiction can be bleak and still be good of course, but i ADORE fictional worlds where everyone is just nice to eachother and gets along and like, there are problems that need to be solved of course, but everyone is coming from a place of earnest compassion and collective self interest. More eloquent people than me have written about why the protagonists of star trek are heroic examples of stable healthy moral people

another fiction very like this is My Little Pony (please dont think im cringe) where they still have money and jobs, and bills to pay, but things are just generally very pleasant and the core of trust and friendship is solid, the government is ruling with the consent and trust of the people, and they all live in harmony with the environment (because there is no natural environment really, the weather is controlled with precise magic administered by the government) and its a system that works. it soothes my autism to see a system that works to change gears a little, Altered Carbon hit me with a ver unique idea, which was taking away the constraints of the link between body and mind. its a world where peoplle can switch bodies at will. as a trans person, err, it hit me lol. i topped watching because it gives me dysphoria. but its such a cool idea that, the idea that what if we were freed from the constraints of our bodies, of aging, of sex and anatomy and biology, of distance (they visit other planets over the itnernet instead of flying there physically by bodyswapping with people who are already there) but NOT relieving us from the constraints of wealth inequality or oppressive government or addiction or abusive relationships. like theyre ostensibly more free, but theyre also more free to be violated by the system

i am also a very technology focused writer and i like stories that focus on the transformative effect of technologies as they branch out and develop. one constraint i always enjoy seeing imposed is a lack of advanced computers. in our world computers have becomes a kind of end-tech, we want to use computer to do everything possible as fast as possible. "computerize it" has become a goal in and of itself, the solution to every problem i got off topic but im just gonna send this and finish my thought later so i dont get distracted and lose it

Problems I like to see overcome? same thing, is the destruction of hierarchy, the abandonment of harmful traditions, the overthrowing of corrupt institutions. revolution stories. star trek also got me interested in the science mystery where characters hvae to use a combination of deductive reasoning, technology, and lateral thinking to figure out a question or solve a puzzle or mystery. As well as the struggle to come to understand a person or creature or scoeity thats very different from you. Exchange from different cultural perspectives. Also, of course, like i said before, i love technology and i love reading about research and development, so i love a story thats about trying to invent or innovate some new advancement. Code Geass was fun because it had mechs, but also there was a big story focus on the arms race of developing faster and better mechs before the other side

The Torment Nexus problem is real. On the one hand i don't think it should stop people from writing. But on the other hand, yeah, its almost inevitable that somebody is going to extract a single fragmentary idea from a story, which should normally have a whole moral context to it, and then apply it to disasterous ends. I dont think its a problem with moral clarity in writing though, i dont think its a matter of "don't they know you're not supposed to create the tormnet nexus?" because thats almost irrelevant. we're dealing with a mass of humanity where maybe millions of people may read a particular work, its going to be interpreted in every possible ways. and the people who have monetary incentive to interpret it in a way where they simply disregard the moral context and imitate the systems of oppression to develop a product they can sell. the invisible third comment in between Sci-Fi Author and Tech Company is the silent, omnipresent profit incentive paying them to make the torment nexus. The problem isn't that Tech Company doesn't KNOW the torment nexus is bad. the book is called Don't Create the Torment Nexus. They know, theyre just paid not to care

[thebabysittertm]

@godstrayed just can't help being an asshole...

ㅤㅤㅤㅤwhy don’t you invite me in for a few minutes so we can start over?

ㅤBilly Hargrove was a jackass.

ㅤThis was essentially an undisputed fact within the first week he'd been in Hawkins, and then a month later, it was just accepted by everyone in his orbit or forced to deal with him on a regular basis, Steve included. He had enough shit on his plate, considering like two days after their fight and then facing down a pack of werewolves with the Chief of Police, a psychic powerhouse of a little girl and a pile of kids, he'd realized the very awful truth: he'd been infected. Three days surrounding the full moon found him utterly wrecked with nobody to turn to for help with it, so he did the only thing he thought he could do.

ㅤHe pushed through and pretended everything was fine.

ㅤHis face healed up too quickly, but since he'd taken off basically the whole week between his actual injuries and the panic of that first full moon, it was hard for anyone to tell - except maybe Billy Hargrove himself, who knew what the damage had looked like. Steve had come back to school like nothing had happened, put on the act like he actually gave a shit about the social hierarchy that he'd been loosening his grip on before Nancy dumped him, and buckled down. Everything was fine, it would all be normal and nobody would ever have to suspect.

ㅤThe month passed with his façade firmly in place and he could almost forget that it was real until the week before the next moon, when he was restless and anxious, quick to temper and if that meant he leaned into Billy's competitiveness, what the hell was wrong with that? A lot, actually, because he didn't know how hard Hargrove had been watching him, or why. He also had no way of knowing how the longer nights of winter were probably the absolute worst to start this bullshit on and a hell of a lot of other shit that was honestly pretty vital to his survival, but he was learning quickly. Too bad it was messy.

ㅤIt was messy and he didn't know how, but he was pretty sure that Billy Hargrove knew he was one of the monsters now. The guy had seemed curious, a little amused, when he'd gotten back, but then came the week before the moon and he'd doubled down on his antagonism as Steve snapped back, and Steve was pretty sure it was the three days of the moon that really convinced him. Steve didn't stay home those days because he couldn't risk the school calling his dad, so he ended up in class on essentially no sleep outside of the naps he could score in short bursts - he spent all night running through the woods, chasing rabbits and bounding through the fresh snow that had fallen and frankly? It was nice in the moment. Everything else surrounding it sucked, but he didn't feel like a monster. He was just tired those days, and Hargrove was up his ass, which he just didn't have energy for. The week after, he was in too good of a mood and feeling too relaxed and easy to really take it too personally, though he was pretty sure the bastard was being a dick on purpose.

ㅤThen came the silver, and that was just that. He hid the sudden shock of bright hot pain quickly so that other people wouldn't notice, but Billy had the saint's medallion and he'd been watching. It had been intentional, which meant that they both knew that he was a monster, and they both knew each other knew. The jackassery only increased from there, and frankly? Steve had seen what werewolves were like, had fought for his life against them, so he got it. He didn't know how Billy Hargrove knew about them, but he assumed it wasn't good, so he tried to just give him space. He wasn't relinquishing his hold on the social scene or his act because it was protecting him, but he also wasn't interested in anything to do with Hargrove. That was just dangerous.

ㅤIt made his sudden appearance on the Harrington doorstep even more surprising, and Steve wasn't even sure why he'd opened the door, but he stood there for a moment, staring at him and trying to decide if this was going to end with one or both of them bleeding or dying. His eyes flicked down to the very visible silver medallion hanging against the other's chest with a little internal cringe, but he made eye contact again right after. If he didn't go for this, shit would keep going as it had been, and nothing about it was good, so 'starting over' sounded like a good plan. Could he trust Billy?

ㅤNo, obviously not, nothing suggested he could trust him, but he licked his lips a little nervously, fingers twisting on the doorknob before he released a long breath, nodding and glancing away to move out of the way of the other entering. "Yeah, yeah, okay, let's start over then. Come in."

[shiroi---kumo]

Misterica’s White Prince :: Social Expectations

The ramble of the day is Social Expectations because once again I am brain rotting on this cloud like a fool and there’s just a thing I think I need to explain. 

Kumo will refer to “his station” every now and then and what he means by that is his place within the social hierarchy. In the the terms of Social Standing within Misterican society, Kumo was nearly as high as one could go.  He wasn’t just Second son, crowned prince and heir to the throne.  He was also  - Child of White, The Celestial Mother’s Holy Vessel.  

You know how we make judgements and assumptions about people in society when we’re kids based on how we’re treated?  

Like if someone treats you bad, you don’t really know any better and you just think it’s normal because you were never taught otherwise? Similar happened for Kumo but on the complete opposite side of the scale. 

Kumo was worshipped by his people. 

Kumo was worshipped by his people from a very young age because of the mist color he was born with.  He was met with near constant praise and told he was a holy being. He was worshipped by his people and I cannot stress that word enough.  When he accepted Tiamat into his form and became the Holy Vessel his title went from “Your Highness” to “Your Eminence”. Nearly everyone called him that. They called a teenager Your Eminence.  

So this is what I’m getting that. 

Kumo knew nearly no other way to be treated other than worship.  Kumo was raised in a situation where praise was constant and never ending.  Even if as an adult, he tries not to show that he enjoys being praised, he does. To Kumo, being praised isn’t just a kind gesture - it is a state of existence. He was raised in a never ending flood of praise and worship.  

He won’t outright ever admit to this, but there is a part of him in the back of his mind that expects this kind of behavior from other people. He expects to be praised in some way because he was raised not just to receive it but also to expect it.   

Kumo raised as A Holy Artifact in his culture. He was the Child of Prophecy and as such, that means whatever he did was judged excessively harshly - scaling one way or the other.  If he succeed at something he was praised to an extreme, if he failed at something he was met with extreme scrutiny. He was the Child of Salvation and foretold to save his people from a “great calamity” so they required god-like perfection out of him nothing less.

Not just that though. Kumo wasn’t just born the Child of Prophecy. He was born second son to Misterica’s King and Queen. He born within the space of Misterica’s Royal Court so that means he was raised to exceptionally high standards and he was expected to hold to them at all times. So now only does he hold himself to exceedingly high standards, whether he realizes he’s doing it or not - he holds everyone else to high standards as well and he will find disgust in what he considers poor manners. 

This reaction is involuntary and he doesn’t know he’s doing it. 

Kumo’s manners will shift depending on which persona is active, as in his manners are always present but they are more relaxed with some personas over others. His word choices will change and his body language will change with it. He’s always polite but he can become less or more so depending. 

Now as to what Kumo expects out of people - he understands that people are not going to praise him as they once did within the space of Misterica - there is a tiny voice in head that tells him they should. Living with Chaos took this need and desire for praise and affirmation and flipped it on it’s head and weaponized it to become the sharpest blade in the monster’s arsenal. For someone who’s love languages are Words of Affirmation and Physical Touch, Chaos weaponized them in every possible way it could and destroyed everything good Kumo knew about them.  

Kumo craves touch and praise and Chaos gave him both in reverse of what he was used to. Where Kumo knew soft touch - he was met with pain and torture. Where Kumo knew praise and worship - he was shamed and degraded for everything he was or could be.  

So when it comes to expecting things from others, one voice tells him that they should be treating him to a higher standard because he is Royalty and The Holy Vessel but there is another telling him he doesn’t deserve anything because he’s a monster and a demon and they should shun him and treat him like the beast he is. 

Kumo won’t ever say it, but he wants to be praised. It makes him feel loved and valued, and that praise can be anything from a compliment to “I love you” to a long (with permission) hug. He wants it, but he won’t ever express the need for it.  He doesn’t think he deserves it anymore.

[welcometomy20s]

March 26, 2023

Onimai should be right up my alley, but I kind of hesitated at first. I’m not a big fan of forced reversed hierarchy type of stuff, but when I actually read the premise, I was satiated, because it was a much more familiar trope. Yeah, it seems odd, but this isn’t the first.

My first encounter was from a webcomic, terrible don’t read it, called The Wotch, where the older brother of the main character voluntarily turns into a little girl because it helps him relax. Again, it might sound strange, but his explanation explains the appeal of Onimai.

At least in Japan, apparently it’s the #1 new anime for the season there, compared to the West where it had a more mixed reception. I think part of that is Western audience tends to lean more towards realism, and this is more of an allegorical story. Let me backup for a bit.

I’m not sure if I talked about Harenchi Gakuen before, but this manga is probably one of the most important mangas out there and it shows the countercultural roots of manga and anime. The manga is an outrageous one where everyone sexually harrasses everyone, but it was originally made as an expose of the physical and sexual harassment of faculty to their students.

As the battle between people who were uncomfortable with sexual depictions of Harenchi Gakuen and mangaka Go Nagai increased, the erotic level of the comic increased as well, to further expose the harassment in schools and ensure the freedom of expression.

All of this culminates with Harenchi Daisouku, the end of what was to be the first part of manga, where the government fed up with all the shenanigans the school was having basically invades the school and massacres most of the students and adults. 

I mean along with truly graphic depiction of violence (for example, the protagonist's parents try to sell dead children shredded to pieces to the butcher shop but get killed by their son in the dark, who later comments the corpse looked like a pig), there are some choice words here.

Head of ‘Japan Education Committee’ - Ha ha, I can finally murder. After WWII, I can finally kill people. If there is a reason, you can always kill people!

Ayu (pretty popular character) - S, save me. No, I don’t want to die. I still want to do lots of things. I don’t want to die, why… Why did this get so big? Why are we fighting a war? Who… who did this? Who made a war out of nothing? Why kill me and all the others, why do you have to destroy Harenchi Gakuen? Free! I just wanted to be free!

Ayu’s word rings true in the days where twitter beefs leads to laws that harms millions of people, where some use a fake persecution of a popular author as a pretense for an invasion.

So, yeah, the countercultural root of the manga and anime, this spirit is best demonstrated in the modern era in the focus and depiction of young girls in the media. Manga and anime flips the patriarchal and paternal hegemony upside down by glorifying the people who would be at the bottom of that hierarchy, which would be young girls. 

By depicting young girls in ‘adult’ situation, not just in the western parlance of ‘adult’ but also more generally dealing with more mature topics, a kind of the basis for Cute Girls Doing Cute Things, CGDCT for short, mangakas and anime producer tried to envision a more gentle and fair society, an alternative to the toxic masculinity of the current hegemony. To quote a comment, ‘I have more fond memories of high school from an anime girl than of myself’. 

This explains the connection between CGDCT and Isekai, as both are depictions of alternatives to our current society and perhaps commentary of the hegemony. The balance between the two might come from economic factors. The modern exploration of bishoujo kicked off in the mid-90s, just after the huge asset bubble crash, and the epitome of CGDCT, K-On, came out in 2009, just after the Great Recession. And the recent success of shows like Lycoris Recoil, Bocchi the Rock, and Onimai might pertain to the recent downturn due to COVID as well.

I sometimes call the world of anime and manga Fake Japan compared to Real Japan, and frequently admit that I like Fake Japan and hate Real Japan. Fake Japan’s goal is to reimagine the country with a fairer lens, with freedom of sexuality and expression, where people are able to pursue their heart rather than submit to a relentless capitalistic grist mill.

So with that explanation, some would like to posit transgender allegory to be unfounded, but I don’t think that’s the case. I think for many trans people, this alternative to hegemony is a great appeal to pursue transition beyond some biological need, which some would posit is an antiquated way of thinking about transgender. It would be imprudent to simply dismiss the relation many transgender feel to Mahiro’s journey of finding oneself, which is why show truly is an allegory, in the definition that allegory is an wayward metaphorical illustration of the concept rather than a straight analysis of the topic. It doesn’t matter what gender Mahiro prefers in the end, what matters is the resonance transgendered people sense when viewing Mahiro’s plight and how its resonance connects the general need for alternatives in the declining economy.

Yeah, so I like the show, I guess. I should also mention that the show is done by Studio Bind, whose flagship project is Mushouku Tensai, another controversial series, and both do a great job in terms of design and animation, which really makes the show a standout. 

[asispsyche]

About to finish my first year of university and want to commemorate it

Here are my takeaways:

Living on campus is incredible. Getting away from my family has been great for me and I've got my dorm back for next fall. I'm going to start working this summer in hopes of being able to get an apartment or something in the city for next summer instead of going home

I've learned so much about romantic relationships! Not from being in one! From witnessing my roommate's. Excellent example of what not to do.

I am not opposed to having a guy for a roommate. But 3 people in one room is not a good arrangement. Yes I mean the boyfriend

I. Love. The. City. Part of the reason I chose my uni was bc it's in a city. When I first visited, we walked around some and I loved that you could do that. You could just walk everywhere because everything was so close together. Also I don't have a driver's license. I grew up in a normal suburban area where it was all houses and then businesses were just far enough apart that you had to drive to get anywhere. There were crosswalks, but they weren't safe. Here, I can use a crosswalk and have complete faith that the cars will stop.

Public transportation!!! Buses are awesome!

I think I have ADHD. I've known it was possible for a while, but it's really starting to make stuff difficult. Spring semester has not gone great. Had to drop one class and I'm honestly expecting a D in another. I need to start looking into a diagnosis.

To go with that, I've changed my major to undecided. I went in as Computer Science bc I took CS courses in HS and I was pretty good, so I figured that would be my thing. It is not. I did those courses for 3 years and every time they'd say we we're going to learn new stuff this year and then we never did. Counting my first semester of uni, I've learned the basics of java 4 times. Then second semester rolled around and I realized I did not want to do this for the rest of my life

Started a studio art minor. First course was art history, which I thought was going to be boring but I ended up enjoying it so much that I'm thinking about making it my new major

Took a course in scifi movies. Probably the best 8am I'll ever take. Would absolutely do again

Archeology course!!! Another strong contender for my new major

Morning courses really aren't too bad when they're a 10 min walk from my dorm

Ugh textbooks expensive

Signed up for summer courses

Laundry is relaxing. It helps that the machines in my building are free

Study rooms are great. Big windows are high on my hierarchy of needs

Dining halls 10/10

I don't like when the buses are crowded so I've started walking everywhere most of the time and it's great

Pretty buildings

Nice trails

Cool crystal shop in the city

I don't recommend getting sick during finals season. Especially in December. Laundry rooms are lovely when you suddenly become cold blooded like a lizard

Wish I'd joined the sailing club. Had fun at the interest meetings but didn't work with my schedule

What I took Fall 23:

Anthropology (tombs)

English

Comp. Sci pt. 1 and lab

What I took Spring 24:

Art History (Renaissance to Present)

Spanish pt. 1

Discrete Mathematics (it is math without numbers) (I miss multivariable calculus) (this is the one I dropped)

Comp. Sci pt. 2 (regret, but it was necessary)

What I'm doing this summer:

American History

Spanish pt. 2

What I'm doing next fall:

Color Theory

Jewelry Making

Astronomy (lab at night!)

Spanish pt. 3

[keefwho]

March 06 - 2024 Wednesday

10:31pm

6/10

This morning I took a little time to myself in the shower to clear my mind and hopefully get hungry. I didn't have an appetite but I made soup in a box and ate the whole thing. I had to use the bathroom and it made me a little late to Jared's ride. His car was very small, I felt cooped up in his car. We talked about my feelings and his experiences as well, specifically instances of him getting pissed at people in the military. He mentioned how there are some things he can't talk to his wife about without it actually causing more problems and this is something I learned too. It was more evidence that you need multiple people to compliment different aspects of yourself. Grocery shopping went smoothly, but I forgot to buy french fries. The old lady asked for my ID because of the drinks and I made a joke about not being expired despite my expired ID. On the way back I got to control the music and we chatted some more. I gave him a hug after we got all my groceries in. I put everything away and had to use the bathroom again. It wasn't a fun time and I decided to take another shower afterwards. I shamelessly enjoyed some 'me time' and baked in the hot water. At this point I decided to make today a self care day. When I got out, I sat down and relaxing while watching Forsen play a new Getting Over It sort of game. I ranted to Daisy about what self care meant and started composing a hierarchy of personal struggles to try and identify and relate them to one another. I cut up all the veggies I bought today for freezing and made stew for lunch. I ate the whole thing so I finally had a good meal in me. I sipped on a coke and decided to do a request today while I chatted with Turkey in VR. The conversation was pretty normal and after I finished the drawing, I felt like leaving. I told her that I didn't feel like socializing but what I actually meant was that I want to be social but I only want to talk about the struggles on my mind. She said she was here for it so I opened up about everything and we started talking. Her and her friend gave some very good perspectives and actually started helping me feel better about some things. Also a troll joined us to talk shit but we got him to open up about his problems genuinely too. I left to join Daisy and chill. We watched the last three episodes of Bojack which were very thought provoking and just stacked on to all the thinking I was already doing, in a good way. I felt good watching them with Daisy. I said goodnight to her since she didn't want to bed call. After she went to bed, I tried doing a little Babbdi stream while playing intercom vaporwave like I wanted to try. 1 guy showed up to say something but that was it. It was mostly about playing the game though and maybe using it as an opportunity to voice my thoughts some more. Towards the end I did that but most of it was spent quietly pondering.

~~~

Today after treating myself with some respect, I realized I want to talk about things more often in general. The past couple days have taught me how beneficial it is to open up when things are hard and how willing so many people are to listen. I don't have to put on a front, I can show up with the struggle at full strength. I've learned my cure to loneliness is to choose to not be alone. I also reminded myself about how important positive reinforcement is in general vs directly fighting something. So I'm working that into how I behave differently. Some part of me feels like I'm wearing a mask and that deep down, it's all still the same. Maybe thats true right now, but change takes time. Maybe I'm not going deep enough, I'll have to figure that out.

3 Things That Made Me Happy Today:

Taking some self care time.

Talking with Turkey and her friend about my feelings.

Watching Bojack with Daisy.

[aliciazhen]

Aquamiis

July 2021

Game Designer, 2D & UI Artist

About the Game

A monster collection, cookie-clicker game! Set in a meadow, where an enchanted pond used to bring about many mythical creatures, a disastrous drought has stopped the water in the pond from replenishing. And with it, the creatures left too it. Now, it's the player’s duty to bring back the rain! Play here! Made with Phaser 3.

Core Loop by Alicia Zhen

Role: Game Designer, 2D & UI Artist Duration: 1.5 weeks Team Size: 3 Constraints: Teams were prompted to choose between two themes — “Surprise,” or “Lost and Found.”

Contributions

Developed the original concept, storyboard, and narrative of the game.

Drove the vision & implementation of the game's features & systems, including: rules, setting, creature designs, narratives, etc.

Led all visual aspects & elements of our game.

Conceptualized, designed, and wrote biographies for each creature.

Coordinated & facilitated team meetings to track progress & drive actionable tasks (via Discord).

Developed UI / UX workflow and design.

Tutorial Screen by Alicia Zhen

Our team chose to go with the theme of “Surprise,” which we implemented by allowing players to hatch “pods” that contain cute little creatures within them! At the same time, we made our game with the player experience goal of being both relaxing and stress-relieving in mind.

UI Hierarchy by Alicia Zhen

Player Experience Goal:

We wanted to recreate a player experience that'd be both relaxing & surprising.

After thorough research, we chose to make a cookie-clicker game, because we found that games of this genre often help people manage stress and anxiety. Our game achieves this by providing a background sensory activity for people who feel overwhelmed, through the repetitive motion of clicking.

Our core game loop is also kept simple, so that the game doesn’t become too overwhelming for the player (which often happens when there’s too many tasks and complex systems to manage).

Game Overview by Alicia Zhen

We wanted to establish a soft & colorful look for our game, in order to reinforce the theme of relaxation. A stretch goal was to have all the sprites animated to help emphasize this goal, and to make the game feel more “alive.”

By obtaining idle creatures that could animate on-screen, we felt that this would make the "monter collection" aspect of our game feel more rewarding for players. Each creature was also given their own narrative text to make the game experience more immersive and personal, as well as to serve as another form of stress-relief and an escape from reality.

For sound, we sought out sounds that were both calming and “magical” to help accentuate the feeling of stress-relief, as well as allowing the player break away from the stresses of daily life.

Hatching Creatures by Alicia Zhen

Storyboard by Alicia Zhen

[nightswithkookmin]

chile i'm so glad i came across your blog, the amount of "i'm not going to assume they're dating" or "we can only draw certain conclusions but i can't say for sure" "we don't know their sexuality, BUT" type blogs i follow is getting kinda wack lmao. while i appreciate their perspective and nuanced takes i need to strike a balance. like let's get a lil delulu every once in a while. 💀

lol the im-not-a-shipper-but-call-jikook-boyfriends-every-other-post blogs are the funniest to me. the shipping hierarchy, so to speak is so weird. maybe just because im not a "shipping real people is bad" person i don't see the big deal. gonna get called delulu anyway, might as well go full out. they is gay/queer and they're fucking. i'm so sorry.

*also can we touch on the fact that shipping in this type of fandom (kpop) is kind of inevitable and unavoidable??! these boys are the other people we see them with day in and day out, interacting with each other and no one else. i feel like it's natural to ship when there's no other people around to break up everything, idk maybe someone can articulate this better than me. and people who are made to feel stupid for thinking that 2 members could actually be dating is so dumb. like is it really out of the realm of possibility that two people (jikook, cause all them other ships are....😬) who spent almost every waking minute together for like 8 years could fall in love. really?

/rant

It's the delulu hat for me

Lmho.

I guess for me being queer, I feel it's gaslighting for these people to be saying things like that. As silly as it is, it inadvertently deny and invalidate the existence and queerness of gay individuals and so I struggle with it.

This is the consequences of straight people in gay people business. They like defining gay parameters for us and it's like who asked you?? I feel people who say things like that are just plain ignorant or tone deaf or willfully homophobic.

I don't think everyone in BTS is gay but it makes me feel safe to see half the community assume them to be and celebrate them in that way. They are not cussing at them and threatening to leave the fandom or cancel them for this assumption and that is huge inspiration to me.

Those parts of the fandom are a safe space to be in as a queer army.

When people assume a person's queer sexuality they are simply admitting to themselves at the very least that LGBTQ EXISTS. This is important to me because I grew up in a community where LGBTQ didn't even exist in the collective consciousness of the people and EVERYONE IS AUTOMATICALLY ASSUMED TO BE STRAIGHT AND EXPECTED TO BE.

People read people's sexuality all the time and have done so since time immemorial and a lot of the time when they have had a sexuality read it's in the lines of straight, cis, rich, poor, superior or inferior. And that is a problem for some of us too because that discrepancy in the assumptions is as a result of homophobia and heteronormativity.

That whole don't assume a person's queer sexuality debacle sounds to me like a boujee way of denormalizing and preventing the normalization of queerness disguised under care, disguised under intelligence and disguised under wokeness. Especially when straightness is the default setting in this giant blue bulb.

We need to radicalize that. We need to change the cis straight default setting and if you are perpetuating this narrative you really aren't helping the situation. SIT DOWN.

I'm rarely assumed to be queer in certain circles and while that makes me feel comfortable within those circles it often times make it hard for me to admit my queerness openly in those circles too because I fear I will lose that comfort and respect and love and privileges that comes with being percieved straight in those spaces.

When I started my blog, I noticed some people assumed I was white and would use certain black descriptors as slurs when describing other people to me. I quickly had to switch the formal way in which I wrote to a much casual tone so my blackness would show through. Don't get it twisted. She black. She blackidy black black.

Then on the other hand, I was hesitant to let my queerness be known too because being black, I was marginalized as it is- you is black, or sound black💀 you know how it is- it's that intersectionality of oppression at play. Double double homicide.

When certain people realized I was black POC minority, their attitude towards me changed. I had those who didn't so much understand what black language is or perhaps wasn't used to being in black spaces and were uncomfortable with my blackness- these would take offense at me saying certain things in certain ways. Like chilee relax Karen, all I said was these motherfukkers gay as shit and they gay. Why you acting like I called them twinks or sommin. Right there, I'm cancelled for calling Jikook motherfuckers. They get sirens and everything😭😭😭😭😭😭

Same vein, I struggle destraightening myself or correcting people who assume I'm straight because I fear they will treat me differently if they knew I wasn't.

Straight privilege exists in the same way as white or even pretty privilege may exist and because these exist there's that automatic conception of queer, poc, ugly, fat disemfranschismet to run along side it.

People treat you differently based on how they perceive you. That's a fact. And for queer people, perceiving us as straight is the only way we get to be treated as human by the masses. And a lot of us embrace that- straight until proven gay am I right 🤣🤣🤣🤣

It's the duper's delight for me. Untill you catch me with a 5'8 melanin skinned silk pressed auntie on my left nipple good luck proving I'm gay.

It can be fun, I akekeke when some people around me are totally oblivious to the fact and even sometimes defend my straightness with their dying breath when nasty friends throw them shades or try to out me unprovoked.

A lot of us don't want to admit we are gay because we don't want to be disenfranchised.

I speak for myself when I say this.

But 'Don't assume someone's sexuality' is a double edged censorship used for and against queer people. It seemly offers protection on the surface of it for queer people but underneath it promotes heteronormativity and standardizes straightness and it is also used to promote closet culture, under the disguise of care and concern for the autonomy of queer people but that is a fallacy because our autonomy has never mattered to anyone since the dawn of homophobia.

And I don't know where this interpretation comes from. Why do people not want to assume queer people's sexuality but it's ok to assume straight people's???

It feels like a hijacked movement to me.

THIS IS THE ACCURATE MOVEMENT AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED.

Don't assume all people are straight. It's ok to assume some people are queer because queer people exists too.

It is wrong however to assume queerness based on how a person talks, walks, dresses or even on their body type. That is stereotyping. And stereotyping is wrong.

When it comes to Jikook, Jimin is often stereotyped as gay more so than Jungkook because they have different body structures. Jungkook is stereotyped too solely because of the way his wrists hang, or based on moments he's femininity shines through.

But I don't think shippers stereotype Jikook in that way at all. I dont think shippers believe Jikook are dating eachother simply because Jungkook applied setting powder to his face that one time. They assume they are gay only because they believe those two to be dating eachother. That is not stereotyping. If those two were heterosexuals I don't think people will accuse their shippers of stereotyping.

It's one thing to assume Kai is gay because he looks skinny and dances well. It's another to assume he is gay because in a relationship with Gdragon. And if people can't tell the difference between the two, they should get some education and stop talking about things they know nothing about or only know because they stumbled across user69 on Twitter. They are not helping.

Untill people get offended when people assume others are straight, that rhetoric doesn't matter in its inequality. If you ask me, everyone is gay until proven straight.

Yet how many people will take offense at that?

Assuming people can be gay is not delulu.

It's ok to assume people can be gay. It's wrong to stereotype them as gay. If you can't assume they are gay, don't assume they are straight and don't assume at all. Run with this sis.

Wait, they don't ship Jikook but they call Jikook boyfriends???????👀👀👀👀👀

The fake woke syndrome will kill people in this fandom with these mentally confused thought crisis bunch💀💀💀💀

Jikook themselves are shippers💀

Smh

GOLDY

[charlotte-headcanons]

I wonder if some of siblings with twins, triplets, and others get along well. We know the monster triplet seems close to each other, decuplets get along well, just some silly siblings fights, sometimes, Smoothie with Citron and Cinnamon, they just argue when she used her devil fruit power on their subordinates to take the energy to her attacks, Chiffon still loves Lola even after leaving the family. But I wonder how is Cracker with Custard and Angel, Brulee with Broye, and Opera in his group of quintuplets.

Thank you for this ask, anon, that one was super fun to figure out! 💕 We decided to go through all the twin/triplet/etc. groups in the Charlotte family and describe their relations quickly. Naturally, then ❗long post ahead❗

Enjoy! ✨

Group 1: Katakuri/Daifuku/Oven

This three get along great and are indeed, very close to each other. Despite their personality differences, they spent a lot of time together already in childhood and even now they make sure that they find moments to cherish in each other's presence often. Katakuri feels more comfortable around these two than around most, especially since they both know his secret and never judged him for his mouth. Oven and Daifuku find him amazing, sure, but they also still treat him as their brother, not an unattainable ideal, and that allows Katakuri to somewhat relax.

Group 2: Mondee/Amande/Hachee/Effilee

Although Mondee is unstoppable in her efforts to bring these four closer together, being a bit jealous of some other twin/triplet/quadruplet sets, Amande, Hachee, and Effilee are all individualists and quite distinct personalities. Therefore, they might have a bit of a soft spot for each other, but these quadruplets only properly hang out once every three months or so; always from Mondee's initiative.

Group 3: Opera/Counter/Cadenza/Cabaletta/Gala

This group definitely likes to hang out together! They aren't super close and they don't know a lot about each other's personal problems or private life, but they do enjoy regular activities that they can do together: like brawl fights or going out for a few drinks. However, Opera is always a bit out of place in the group. Since he doesn't so much enjoy the same things the others like, they sometimes don't even bother inviting him, and they might be kind of jealous that out of all of them, he was the one who received a Devil Fruit. Gala always brings attention to it, trying not to exclude Opera, but sometimes, unfortunately, he still gets left out.

Group 4: Cracker/Custard/Angel

In their childhood, Custard and Angel got along well, but Cracker was always annoyed by the two and their constant attempts to play with his hair, put flower crowns on him, and more of that girly shit he loathed. Now, Angel changed quite a bit, toughened up, and became known as a kind of feral gal, who loves her triplets, but might sometimes scare/disgust while trying to make them tougher. In effect, Custard and Cracker grew ever so slightly closer. It helps that the girls stopped trying to girlify him, too.

Group 5: Brulee/Broye

Personality-wise, these two are polar opposites. Generally, Broye pities Brulee for not having found a husband yet, as well as for how her lifestyle usually looks like: rather than cooking and gardening she prefers partying and flirting, rather than living in an unpretentious hut, she prefers glamour. Brulee, on the other hand, is always nice to Broye and likes her, however, their relationship grew a bit awkward ever since Broye caught her staring at a wedding dress and bought her one, claiming that 'she's never going to get married anyway, so she may as well just wear it now'. Brulee knows that her twin meant well and thus wears the dress to this day (was it just us or did Brulee's first dress really look like a wedding dress); still she can't help but feel slightly hurt.

Group 6: Nusstorte/Basskarte/Dosmarche

These three see each other mostly as rivals, plain and simple. Basskarte is especially salty that the other two received Minister positions while he didn't, but even between Nusstorte and Dosmarche you can expect only constant attempts to one the other up rather than any sibling closeness.

Group 7: Moscato/Mash/Cornstarch

Moscato and Cornstarch adore each other! They're both idealists and wholesome people, so they can talk with each other for hours and feel very comfortable with each other's presence. Now, Mash is slightly excluded from this: they still like her and are always nice to her, but don't hang out with her half as often. She doesn't mind, though; she prefers Broye to those softies anyway.

Group 8: Compo/Laurin

Compo is very protective of Laurin. Despite only being minutes older than him and despite his short height, he always makes sure no one makes fun of his twin, and has a sixth sense for when the latter is uncomfortable. In return, Laurin is very grateful, and if he could ever return all the favors, he would.

Group 9: Mozart/Marnier

These two are your like, most typical ✨twinsies✨ sisters. They like to wear matching outfits sometimes, they gossip with each other lots, and generally they get along great; although, unlike some other twins on this list, they do have their own, separate lives.

Group 10: High Fat/Tablet

High Fat and Tablet probably have the worst relationship from all the siblings on this list. Even more opposite than Brulee and Broye, they disliked each other since early childhood, when Tablet relentlessly picked on High Fat, and the latter interpreted what Tablet thought was merely playful as outright cruel. As a result of their different perception on things, their antipathy only grew, and they prefer not to talk these days if it can be avoided.

Group 11: Smoothie/Citron/Cinnamon

Smoothie, Citron, and Cinnamon are each other's favorite people, full stop. They all have similar views on life, know each other's secrets, and they love their dynamic; in this dynamic, Smoothie normally takes on a role of the leader, with Cinnamon and Citron often looking for her approval and even mimicking her sometimes, but all this happens without them ever feeling consciously like there is any clear hierarchy.

Group 12: Saint-Marc/Basans

In their childhood, Saint-Marc and Basans were often confused due to their similar facial features. This experience left them bitter, so now, despite not hating each other, they both really try to stand out from the other. For Saint-Marc, the armor was a method; Basans went so far as to wear fake horns, being quite happy whenever it was assumed that Melise was his real sister.

Group 13: Galette/Poire

Poire likes Galette, even with the latter's anxiety and all. Galette, in return, is always kind to Poire, however, she cannot help but be overly stressed out by her sister's often dangerous ways of life. While Mont d'Or is a calming presence for Galette, Poire heightens her worries, so she'd rather hang out with the older brother, all things considered.

Group 14: Snack/Bavarois

Similarly to the first set of quintuplets, Snack and Bavarois like to share fast food or a few drinks, but don't necessarily tell each other much about their life, or their hopes and fears. Their hang out sessions are a bit rarer than for the quintuplets, though, even if they became more frequent when Snack lost his Sweet Commander post.

Group 15: Prim/Praline

Prim always looked at Praline from above, being both smarter and stronger than her. Still, their relations were somewhat amicable until Praline's betrayal. They used to enjoy at least shopping for clothes together, but now, Prim is pissed that Praline left, without telling her, taking with her a large portion of Totto's underwater population, and leaving her behind for Mama to take out her rage on her. If they meet again, Prim will not hold back and will definitely attack Praline just like the rest of her family, if not even more viciously.

Group 16: Kanten/Kato/Montb

Those three are completely neutral in their relations. They have distinct goals in life and personalities, and don't really think of each other as 'their kind of person' but can definitely have a friendly small talk when they meet; which happens rather rarely, considering they don't really seek these meetings out.

Group 17: Chiffon/Lola

As we all know, Chiffon and Lola love each other lots! Chiffon was always very protective of her younger sister and supported her fully in pursuing her dreams; little Lola, on the other hand, would beat up anyone who even looked at her twin wrongly. Since Lola left, they missed each other plenty, but Chiffon never blamed her for leaving and was just very happy to be reunited with her eventually.

Group 18: Mobile/Marble/Myukuru/Maple

These quadruplets get along in pairs. Mobile and Maple like each other lots and hang out with each other plenty, and so do Marble and Myukuru; however, between these two groups, there's little care and more of a neutral outlook.

Group 19: Mascarpone/Joscarpone

Mascarpone and Joscarpone are essentially inseparable. They know everything each other, finish each other's sentences, share literally everything (including clothes), and could be easily confused if not for their different gender. If you tried to keep them apart even for a few days, they'd probably be very uncomfortable and feel lonelier than ever.

Group 20: Newichi/Newji/Newsan/Newshi/Newgo/Nutmeg/Akimeg/Allmeg/Harumeg/Fuyumeg

The decuplets generally all tolerate each other, but hate to be confused. Overall, the boys get along, and so do the girls, but they don't mingle beyond these groups so much, with the exception of Newshi and Harumeg, who are best friends. There is just quite a bit of rivalry between the boys and the girls; they can cooperate great in fives, but as a whole 10-person group they might struggle to communicate all that well.

Group 21: Dolce/Dragee

Basically Mascarpone and Joscarpone on steroids. These two literally speak in unison at times, have their own secret communication system, sometimes switch their clothes which makes everyone confuse them, and get completely miserable and shy whenever separated. We'll see if they grow out of it ever or not!

Aaaaand there you have it! Congrats to everyone who got through the entire post, here's your supreme Charlotte family fan medal 🎖️ hope you enjoyed! 💕