#believe it or not the is a positive post

[blackpearlblast]

Brown University students are launching an indefinite hunger strike for Palestine

they are asking for their university to divest from companies profiting from the genocide in gaza and openly call for a ceasefire and will not eat until the university governing bodies hears and considers a divestment resolution. if you are not familiar with the physical toll a hunger strike takes on the body, it might be worth looking up to get a better sense of what a significant action these students are taking. the university's highest governing body is having their first meeting of 2024 on february 8-9th so let's rally around them to muster even more pressure on brown university.

brown university contact page: let's state our support for these students and let brown university know the world will be watching what happens next!

additional reading: coverage of this story in the university's student news paper - get to know some of the hunger strikers

[thresholdbb]

I'm a Kai Winn apologist but not because I think she's a good person. She's a compelling tragic character

[wp-blaze]

Gifts for Those Who Dream to Become a Writer

Many aspire to be writers, and thoughtful gifts can inspire and support them on this journey effectively.

[annabelle--cane]

I really don't think the majority of kids online are overwhelmingly sex negative or puritanical, I instead think that most kids who don't think like that probably aren't going to be posting about sex positivity on public accounts with their real ages listed. for very obvious reasons.

[edgy-senju]

🍬CANDY!🍭

•This is Candy, she's an inventor! Always trying to come up with new ideas, she also enjoys being a menace with her found family.

•She struggles a lot with keeping up with the expectation others have for her, but she's been learning to stop caring about it.

•Her favourite weapon is a giant lollipop that she built herself, which can easily turn into a spiked ball. :>

Oh, and she's a trans girl.✨️

[the-cat-and-the-birdie]

I don't know who needs to hear this, but you should make an OC.

You should make an OC. Specifically a Spider-Sona. Like now. Preferably yesterday. [A MEDIUM-LONG essay about OC's, fanfiction, and how to enrich and better your writing skills in literally every sector. Throughout this essay I reference my two characters Disco-Spider and Inca-Spider as examples of the way OCs can be used.]

_________________________________________

"But no one cares about OCs -"

OKKAYYYY??

IDK about ya'll but fandom is NOT my final destination no siree

I feel like a lot of the time we get so caught up in posting and notes we forget that for many artists and writers on this platform - fanfiction is not the true end goal.

Many of us write and draw fanart for years -

But the fact of the matter is if you want to be an author someday, if you want to be a graphic novelist, an animator, etc, etc - You're going to HAVE to make OCs.

If you want to study English in college or publish books - you're gonna have to write an OC at least once. If not hundreds of times.

If you want to study art - chances are at some point you're gonna have to fill a portfolio with original pieces, including some of OCs.

If you want to do something with your writing, if you want to get better - or make a career out of your art, you HAVE to make OCs at some point.

And this is especially true for fanfiction writers.

You can get very very very good at writing in your specific fandoms, you may have the emotions of the characters on point, and the ability to describe the scenery.

But if you don't know how to create and design a character - if you don't know how to worldbuild, or come up with scenarios without the help of characterai and ChatGPT - you won't be able to write a book.

If you're an artist and you don't know how to draw an original character from scratch, how to match colors, how to draw certain skin tones, certain hair, wheelchairs and mobility aids, how to design a character from looks, to clothing - it's going to be so hard to expand your art outside of fanart. You'll always be beholden to the notes and popularity of your particular fandom.

Do it - even if you've never written or never draw before. Even better.

That's why I CHAMPION Spider-sonas so much. They're basically OCs on easy mode.

Can't write backgrounds yet? Here's a bucket on canon events to pick from? Can't draw faces? Blank mask with eyes.

Hell, if you're really really new about it - just pick a character and make a slightly different variant. Make a Hobie of your own, make a Peter variant. Make a Mary Jane variant. Pick a something you like and turn that into a character.

Can't write? Just fill-in the 'My name is [blank], I was bitten by a [blank]' script that Miles does. Can't draw, just draw out a basic shape of a body and color-out the suit, no fancy pose needed. That still counts!!

Make a self-insert. Make yourself fit into the story, design your suit, write out how you fight crime, how you'd act at the Society, meeting Miguel or Miles.

That's still character design, that's still worldbuilding.

We always hear people say 'Make art for yourself' and yeah that sounds nice - but people also misinterpret it.

Make art for yourself doesn't just mean making art that you personally like.

Making art for yourself also means making art that develops your skills even if no one gives a fuck. It's about making art as practice without the intention of it being 'completed', making OCs that never get used, drawing locations you see or writing a random ass short story then shoving it into your Google Drive forever.

Making art for yourself means making art that invests in yourself.

It means making art that interests you, challenges you, or helps you develop.

And making OC's helps develop your fanfic writing skills.

In may fandoms we begin to fall into these routine 'tropes' between characters and their personalities. This is usually known as the 'fanon' characterization.

Because when you have a set amount of characters and people, there's also a set amount of interactions and relationships between those people.

Writing OCs and having those OCs interact with canon characters allows you to dig deeper into sides of the canon characters we'd never otherwise see.

That's why I wrote Disco-Spider Diane like I do. Often, we see Hobie characterized as the chaotic, rowdy, confident type - which is perfect characterization for him. But in almost all of his interactions - he's the wilder, bolder, extroverted one. I wanted to put him in a situation where for once, he was the calmer one. I wanted to explore more grounded and chill sides of Hobie, one where he's the one grounding the other, and thinking logically - because in canon, we're hinted at a side of Hobie who's way more methodical and slow-paced and willing to stop and wait it out and play it off. And I wanted to see that. I wanted to explore what he'd do if he was faced with someone just as chaotic, who put on a cheeky ironic act - just the same as him.

Because no other characters serve that purpose in canon.

If there are elements of a character or concept you think are interesting but outright ignored by canon and fanon, you can create an OC to explore those parts.

For Disco-Spider: I wanted to explore how someone like a militant Black Panther would handle being Spider-woman, when Spider-people are usually shown as pacifists - what that would look like or how it'd shape her morals based on era, etc. For Inca-Spider: I realized there were so many culture based Spider people like Pavitr and Spider-UK. But none for indigenous communities, and NONE from countries that only existed in other universes. So, I created an indigenous character from Tawanti - a country that's located where Peru would be for us.

You can give a canon character a sibling, to explore how they'd interact with family. Give them a partner that acts totally different than their canon partner, write how that'd change the way they show love.

OC's make your original writing better, AND your fanfiction writing too. They can help you understand canon characters on a deeper level.

And sure, nobody likes your OC. NOW.

But every single character you write about, is someones OC. Every character you write about was once treated that way. Once upon a time, Dean Winchester was just some rando character in the pilot script of a show that hadn't picked up yet. Probably no one gave a fuck until CW picked it up.

The writers had to not only make him and develop him - they had to BELIEVE in him enough to pitch him to a TV show channel to make people care.

That's always the first step. Believing your character's story is worthy enough of being told and presenting it as such.

ESPECIALLY if your OC represents a demographic you don't see represented. Cause yes if there isn't any black women in canon then I'll Thanos this shit and do it myself.

Make OCs.

Write them. Draw them. Even if it's bad. Who the hell cares. Big Mouth is on Netflix with multiple seasons, have you seen that show?? 'Ugly' art is not a crime.

Make piccrews, fill out OCforms or take quiz's as them. Write little blurbs of them hanging with canon characters then post it in the tag.

You don't need a huge Spidersona sheet or a long long fic explaining their backstory. They can just be there.

MAKE OCs.

Make them to explore more in your fanfiction, make them so future you can write that novel or draw or that comic or sell those prints or whatever it is you plan to do.

Make it so your fanfiction AND original writing can grow stronger. It isn't just about notes and content and follows.

Make an OC. Make a Spidersona. Literally you have nothing to lose but your chains.

"Nobody cares-"

Oh they'll care when you pop out with that 6-book publishing deal. They'll care when you're designing big characters for movies. Cause that's how it happens. Watch.

ANYWAYSSSS if you made it this far I hope this inspired you to at least play around with the idea of OCs and Spidersonas in general.

Here's Hobie.

BYE.

If you want to make a sona and are kinda lost on where to start, lemme know!! Because I think they're amazing starting places for those who have never written or drawn before. Or if you have a sona but want to develop them further.

I haven't seen a guide to spidersonas and i wonder if that's something some people might want/need.

Seriously if I can even get one person into writing or drawing I'll be over the goddamn moon.

MAKE OCS PLEASE.

[intersexfairy]

body hair doesn't make you gross, no matter your gender or what the rest of your body looks like - whether you're fat, muscular, thin, curvy, etc. body hair is the same thing that grows on the top of your head and above your eyes. it's just hair, and it can be whatever you want it to be. it isn't inherently masculine. it isn't bad to have it. it's natural and harms no one.

you're allowed to keep and get rid of it as you please, and you'll always be wonderful no matter what you do. your body is a good body, because it's yours. not because of what it looks like, or will look like.

[ecoamerica]

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!

[trans-androgyne]

I love men idc. The world built me not to; I’m not a man, I am a lesbian, I’ve been through hell at the hands of some of the worst men out there, and I am still put in a lot of scary situations around them. But men as a whole deserve to be loved and celebrated for who they are, and we need to recognize the kinds of pressures that are on men to constantly perform, to constantly do, to constantly prove themselves, and the kind of fucked up shit that can do to a person. I feel like trans people in general have a special perspective on this matter and I hope we can use it to extend our love to all kinds of men, cis, trans, and anything else.

It doesn’t help that when people hear “man,” too many instantly think “cishet, white, abled man,” which is exactly what the patriarchy & white supremacy want you to think (though these men also deserve love and compassion and care). Don’t put your suffering under systems of power on individual men. And remember, you never have to prove yourself as a man to be one.

[dve]

the saint of duty + an iliad's hector of troy

An Iliad, Lisa Peterson & Denis O'Hare, p. 480 / Harrow the Ninth, p. 124, 133, 191, 193, 194, 204, 228, 267 292, 469 / Nona the Ninth, p. 30, 399, 402

[demigods-posts]

Hello everyone!

I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to take a moment to address an issue that has recently come to light. Unfortunately, it has come to my attention that some of my work has been used without permission. While I understand that mistakes can happen, it's important to respect the creative rights of others.

I want to make it clear that I take the protection of my work seriously. I have already reached out privately to address this matter, but I believe it's important to also address it publicly. As creators, we put our time, effort, and passion into our work, and it's disheartening when it's not respected.

Moving forward, I kindly ask that we all uphold the principle of mutual respect and refrain from using each other's work without permission. I'm always open to collaboration and partnerships, but it's crucial that we do so in a respectful and mutually beneficial manner.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support!

Yours,

@demigods-posts

[ingravinoveritas]

Oh FFS 🤦🏼‍♀️ did you see AL’s tweet? A 1:1 copy of Georgia’s haha OMG such couple goals post/story, again.

And why the heck would they of all people no want to see their own partners celebrated and encouraged? You know, those partners who ensure the nice cozy life they lead and who by their profession are dependent on the public and industry’s continued positive acknowledgment… Not that mutual support shouldn’t be present in any relationship, mind.

I'm in the middle of answering a few other Asks/writing a detailed post about some of Georgia's recent posts this week, so I will save a lot of my thoughts for there, but...yes. Yes, I did see AL's newest tweet, and I am amazed at her blatantly copying Georgia. Again...

I think the thing for me--other than the exact copying, which is just painful at this point--is that I would have zero issue with either one of these posts if it felt like there was even a smidge of affection behind them. If there is a joke here and that's how these posts are meant, they're somehow not reading that way at all. It also seems like both AL and Georgia think a joke and an insult are the same thing (and I realize that in British culture/sensibility that is often the case), but again, what makes it distinguishable is that underlying feeling of affection that is seemingly absent from these posts.

At what point does "Don't encourage him" actually start to mean, "I don't encourage him" or "I don't support him"? A person in a relationship can start to feel over time that their partner doesn't support or encourage them through their actions, even if the partner doesn't ever say those exact words out loud. And this would be no less egregious or worth calling out if it was Michael and David doing it to AL and Georgia, but it noticeably seems to keep being directed from one side to the other.

That is the other piece of this as well, that both of these posts are not one-off occurrences, but part of a larger pattern of comments that have been going on for years (which I've written about previously on my blog) and seem to particularly occur in response to David or Michael receiving any kind of praise or accolades in the press. The difference now versus in the past is that I've started to see some pushback in response to both. There are many comments on AL's tweet from folks saying that Michael deserves encouragement, and shouldn't it give one pause to consider that such a sentiment is so opposite to what his own partner is saying? That the one person who should be his number one supporter consistently reacts in the least supportive way possible?

And I agree with you as well about mutual support being important, which again is what makes all of this seem so unbalanced. David has frequently been supportive of Georgia, but with Michael and AL, neither one honestly seems that supportive of the other. For me it's also that Michael is so consistently and effusively supportive of David that it becomes even more noticeable when he doesn't do that with someone else. All Anna's tweet today did is draw even more attention to that and to the (less than positive) similarities between her and Georgia, and I imagine that is not at all what she was hoping for.

Those are my thoughts, at least. I know plenty of people will continue to see Michael/AL and David/Georgia as #couplegoals--and if that is how people feel, they are welcome to it--but for me, a relationship where the frequent centerpiece is putting down your partner on social media doesn't seem like one I'd want to be in. Glad to hear from others with your perspectives as well...

[fujii-draws]

OKAY! Chatot rant in tags below! Read at your own discretion.

[nouverx]

just imagine charlie being the only other character in the hotel to understand Alastor's sayings and gripes about the modern world. She's even older than he is, those two could have so much to talk about. I'm still fairly young but I have plenty of gripes about the modern world, I just know those two old ladies could find something to share lol.

I adore Charlie and Alastor as characters, and I adore your art! All of your art is damn cute to me, it's great! I need more of charlie and alastor interacting and being silly in my life, romantic or platonic doesn't matter to me lmao.

You are just like me for real 😭 when the pilot came out I was so intrigued with Alastor and Charlie they immediately clicked for me and became my favourite pair of the show (tho now that the first season is out all of Alastor's other relationships stole my heart lmao but I still love them a lot) the "big bad villain who initially wanted to manipulate the sunshine character ends up accidently getting attached to them" trope is like one of my favourite tropes ever and they have the potential to become just that so I'm really invested in what their storyline will be I'M SO EXCITED

AND YEAH the fact that the hotel was already so has-been looking before Alastor showed up makes me think Charlie is similar to him, she's more up to date than him regarding new technologies ofc but I just know my girl loves vintage stuff ahah

(Also I want them to have a duo song in the next seasons SO BAD no offense to Heaven 2 Hell I love this song but I need something new it's been 4 years lol)

[possamble]

i wonder if you have any thoughts about how marcille always seems to dislike it when falin wears men's clothing ( i bet she wears it out of its comfiness rather than because she prefers masc style tho, although i hope both lolol) and super short hairstyle

I wonder if it's just her interest in cute feminine fashion in general or maybe there's something more

For the clothes, at least, it's like... Marcille is probably more horrified by the clothing being actually made for and marketed to men than anything else. I bet she'd be fine if Falin wore the exact same things but they were in the women's section, or at least, branded unisex. She would be so so silly about arbitrary stuff like that in a modern setting.

The hair I think is a tangled issue of Falin's resemblance to Laios getting a little too obvious for Marcille's mental health, and Marcille's own very intense relationship with how (female) mages should treat their hair. Also, since it's mostly a joke doodle, I kind of took it as a flanderized Bad Taste Marcille being horrified by a woman with short hair because she buys into gender norms. Some people are... weird about what women do with their hair and unfortunately I can fully see how Marcille can be weird like that in a vacuum joke setting.

(there's also something to be said about how this kind of femininity policing could also be used as plausibly deniable homoerotic subtext. like, girl, why do you care that much about how cute another girl looks? hm?)

[creeperman247]

shoutout to any therians/otherkin who believe they're nonhuman not because of any spiritual stuff, but because of their mental illnesses/neurodivergencies

[synthshenanigans]

new jash twitter photo :0

[photo for ones who do not have the app]

[postal-on-my-dude]

having people pity you when you have npd is such a fever dream. like ew im not pitiful stop but also fuck yes free attention