#easily

[mischieviem]

Wdym this wasn't the ending. I watched the movie. This is totally real and canon 🙄

[keferon]

Nobody's going to talk about how Shockwave is like, the most charismatic man in the Mecha au? I'm sure people place bets on why he always wears a mask but then they see his face and are like: "Dang...Am I gay?"

And the answer is always yes. Yes you are now.

[polyporethewicked]

MONTH OF ULTRAKILL DAY 14 // JUSTICE IS SPLENDOR

didnt intend to draw him on valentine’s but hey its fitting for this community id say

[ofbreathandflame-archive]

With the rise of booktok/booktwt, there's been this weird movement against literary criticism. It's a bizarre phenomenon, but this uptick in condemnation of criticism is so stifling. I understand that with the rise of these platforms, many people are being reintroduced into the habit of reading, which is why at the base level, I understand why many 'popular' books on booktok tend to be cozier.

The argument always falls into the 'this book means too much to me' or 'let people enjoy things,' which is rhetoric I understand -- at least fundamentally. But reading and writing have always been conduits for criticism, healthy natural criticism. We grow as writers and readers because of criticism. It's just so frustrating to see arguments like "how could you not like this character they've been the x trauma," or "why read this book if you're not going to come out liking it," and it's like...why not. That has always been the point of reading. Having a character go through copious amounts of trauma does not always translate to a character that's well-crafted. Good worldbuilding doesn't always translate to having a good story, or having beautiful prose doesn't always translate into a good plot.

There is just so much that goes into writing a story other than being able to formulate tropable (is that a word lol) characters. Good ideas don't always translate into good stories. And engaging critically with the text you read is how we figure that out, how we make sure authors are giving us a good craft. Writing is a form of entertainment too, and just like we'd do a poorly crafted show, we should always be questioning the things we read, even if we enjoy those things.

It's just werd to see people argue that we shouldn't read literature unless we know for certain we are going to like it. Or seeing people not be able to stand honest criticism of the world they've fallen in love with. I love ASOIAF -- but boy oh boy are there a lot of problems in the story: racial undertones, questionable writing decisions, weird ness overall. I also think engaging critically helps us understand how an author's biases can inform what they write. Like, HP Lovecraft wrote eerie stories, he was also a raging racist. But we can argue that his fear of PoC, his antisemitism, and all of his weird fears informed a lot of what he was writing. His writing is so eerie because a lot of that fear comes from very real, nasty places. It's not to say we have to censor his works, but he influences a lot of horror today and those fears, that racial undertone, it is still very prevalent in horror movies today. That fear of the 'unknown,'

Gone with the Wind is an incredibly racist book. It's also a well-written book. I think a lot of people also like confine criticism to just a syntax/prose/technical level -- when in reality criticism should also be applied on an ideological level. Books that are well-written, well-plotted, etc., are also -- and should also -- be up for criticism. A book can be very well-written and also propagate harmful ideologies. I often read books that I know that (on an ideological level), I might not agree with. We can learn a lot from the books we read, even the ones we hate.

I just feel like we're getting to the point where people are just telling people to 'shut up and read' and making spaces for conversation a uniform experience. I don't want to be in a space where everyone agrees with the same point. Either people won't accept criticism of their favorite book, or they think criticism shouldn't be applied to books they think are well written. Reading invokes natural criticism -- so does writing. That's literally what writing is; asking questions, interrogating the world around you. It's why we have literary devices, techniques, and elements. It's never just taking the words being printed at face value.

You can identify with a character's trauma and still understand that their badly written. You can read a story, hate everything about it, and still like a character. As I stated a while back, I'm reading Fourth Wing; the book is terrible, but I like the main character. The worldbuilding is also terrible, but the author writes her PoC characters with respect. It's not hard to acknowledge one thing about the text, and still find enough to enjoy the book. And authors grow when we're honest about what worked and what didn't work. Shadow and Bone was very formulaic and derivative at points, but Six of Crows is much more inventive and inclusive. Veronica Roth's Carve the Mark had some weird racial problems, but Chosen Ones was a much better book in terms of representation. Percy Jackson is the same way. These writers grow, not just by virtue of time, but because they were critiqued and listened to that critique. C.S. Lewis and Tolkien always publically criticized each other's work. Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes had a legendary friendship and back and forth with one another's works which provides so much insight into the conversations black authors and creatives were having.

Writing has always been about asking questions; prodding here and there, critiquing. It has always been a conversation, a dialogue. I urge people to love what they read, and read what they love, but always ask questions, always understand different perspectives, and always keep your mind open. Please stop stifling and controlling the conversations about your favorite literature, and please understand that everyone will not come out with the same reading experience as you. It doesn't make their experience any less valid than yours.

[gomzdrawfr]

Recruitment | based on this thingy I wrote awhile ago

Recruitment Bribery?

[arrowmaker15]

(discussing fashion)

Jason: I have the best aesthetic. Hell, my first appearance terrified criminals. A red helmet strikes fear into people.

Dick: Maybe your first outfit, sure. But when I was Batman? That pill helmet and go-go boots wasn't scaring anyone. All of mine were cool and flashy.

Jason: Oh, sure. But what, Discowing sucked.

Dick, gasping: You take that back! That suit was amazing.

Jason: It was garbage-

Dick: If I was Batman-

Cass: Boys.

*they both look at her*

Cass: My Batgirl suit.

Jason:

Dick:

Jason: She has a point-

Dick: That suit is terrifying-

Cass: *smiles*

[minsu-the-cowardly-human]

Quick Amanda x Rudy posting before heading to bed that's cliche as hell but whatever:

AU where Rudy asks out Amanda *before* he clones Rex. Still stole his DNA, but waiting for his clone to be processed/made. He just wants it to be worth it.

He's not expecting...much since yknow robot. But he still tries.

To his suprise, Amanda says yes. It's a bit...awkward to really do anything romantic, given how cold his robot probably is but she doesn't mind, even if holding his hand makes her shiver.

Anyways, but he tells her that she won't have to deal with him in this form for long, as he's cloning himself a *new* body.

Shit.

It's a slip of the tongue but of course that not not only implies that he's not just sentient AI, but that he also *has* a body. One that he would prefer her to never see, of course.

It takes her a bit to process but she's curious to see him before he clones himself over.

God knows...how, exactly, especially with likely years upon years upon probably decades of insecurities/worries/doubts and other feelings, he shows her right before his mind is transferred to the clone. So she wouldn't have to suffer seeing him for long.

Even then, he's expecting her to leave him. Why wouldn't she? There's no reason she wouldn't, in his mind. I mean she has every-

...then, something amazing happens. She hugs his tank. No comments, no pitying looks, not even a scoff of disgust. Just...just pure affection. He...he can't believe it. He shouldn't believe it. Why was he getting this much affection? He doesn't deserve this...but God damn if he wasn't overjoyed to get this amount of pure love from her.

Even after his orginal body dies and his mind is transferred over, that memory always pops up whenever he starts doubting their realtionship and he just...smiles.

[heathermooch]

you know what?

Fuck you.

POLLEN ATTACK

[waitmyturtles]

Fuck. Wandee Goodday is GREAT. I can’t let myself fall behind again!

[magicalscrewup]

NEWS!!

I now have every 4 star in the game*

* EXCEPT SAMPO MOTHERFUCKING KOSKI

Hoyoverse decided that sampo autism girl will not get her favorite little squish toy UNTIL THEY UNIVERSE EXPLODES I GUESS

[upgradeurlosersoftware]

i'd ship you and Camille if it was legal ngl..

the frenemie dynamic is gorgeous tho 🩷

-🏵

"EWWW WTF- gagging, that's gross... plus I'm interested in someone already"

[skunkes]

I feel like if talon was a neopet he'd be a kyrii..!!

i saw this ask cut off in my activity tab and was thinking "oh please say kyrii" as i opened it

yes!

darigan kyrii, but wit faerie elements (wings and antennae) ^_^

[morsobaby]

I can make the substance about transness