#hence why we have no true spaces or events

[theoldlesbianwithcats]

22.02.17 — On lesbian socialisation (by sespursongles)

We all know how female socialisation works, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone discuss the concept of lesbian socialisation, how it affects us, with what consequences — and how it is like female socialisation, squared.

To put it in a nutshell — female socialisation teaches you that you are inherently worth less than men and you must always defer to them and prioritise them and their feelings over yourself and other women. Lesbian socialisation teaches you that you are inherently worth less than male-attracted women and you must always defer to them and prioritise them and their feelings over yourself and other lesbians.

Lesbians are of course affected by both, although being gay can help us fight some aspects of female socialisation—e.g., the need to prioritise men or win male approval. Not that it doesn't affect us at all, but the message that “you are worth less than men” does impact you differently when men are worth less than women to you in your love life, and “you must behave in X and Y ways and treat other women like rivals for male interest” sounds like irritating white noise when getting male interest isn't a desired outcome.

On the other hand, we have nothing to help us resist the impact of lesbian socialisation, because we love women. We are fully behind the idea of prioritising women. Add to this a healthy dose of internalised lesbophobia, and we are now fully behind the idea that mlw are worth more than lesbians and we should prioritise these women in particular, always.

Not to mention the factor of our social isolation and quasi-total lack of outside support — how every other group and political faction hates us in a different (but, deep down, the same) way, how desperate we are for allies.

I wrote a post last week about lesbophobia and double standards in the radfem community, and one part of it was directed every bit as much at lesbians than at mlw: “Het/bi women are really seen as inherently more important and worthy of respect than lesbians, aren’t they? Can’t waste your shock and anger on people who hate lesbians because you must save it for when a lesbian calls a manloving woman a manlover.”

I wrote that post because there were lesbians who were much more shocked and outraged at other lesbians for hurting a bi woman’s feelings by calling her a lesbophobe and a “manlover”, than at said bi woman for being a lesbophobe who defended the idea that lesbians can be manlovers. (She was defending a book I mentioned previously, written by a bi woman, in which a lesbian falls in love with a guy.) There were also lesbians who hurried to write posts urging other lesbians to calm down and be nice when we started reacting to the lesbophobia, but felt no need to write posts telling mlw who were being lesbophobic to calm down and be nice. And there were lesbians who felt the need to write posts reassuring “our bi sisters” that we still love them and we know most of them aren’t like that and NotAllBis and wlw solidarity, but didn’t feel the need to respond to this surge of lesbophobia with comforting posts of solidarity to fellow lesbians. That’s what I call lesbian socialisation. Put manloving women first, always. Suck it up, be nice, placate, placate. Can’t risk alienating the very few “allies” we have.

Female socialisation teaches you “it’s in your best immediate interests to care more about men’s feelings than about women’s oppression.” Lesbian socialisation teaches you “it’s in your best immediate interests to care more about manloving women’s feelings than about lesbian oppression.”

And that’s exactly why the queer/bi/trans community has been able to dismantle the lesbian community so easily and walk all over us. Because all lesbians have been taught to never dare prioritise ourselves and our own wants and needs, to always put every other group’s feelings and wishes before ours, especially other women and other marginalised groups who need our help and compassion*. Gay men don’t have this problem and so they still have “exclusionary” spaces. *And these groups know it. They might not know it consciously, but they know it, and they exploit it.

Every time a het radfem reminds a lesbian of how dangerous and painful partnering with men is, every time a bi woman throws those bi suicide and rape statistics at us, every time a “trans lesbian” talks about how much it hurts his feelings to be rejected by mean lesbians who won’t date him, they are counting on lesbian socialisation to kick in, waiting for lesbians to feel terrible and forget about our own best interests and duly start prioritising theirs.

Het radfems do this deliberately, to get us to admit that het privilege isn’t really a thing and, back in the day, to convince lesbians to accept their political lesbianism rubbish (“Why won’t you welcome us in your community as your lesbian sisters? Do you really want us to go back to our hurtful hetero relationships?”). Bi women do this deliberately, to guilt-trip us into “including” them everywhere and shut us up when we talk about their lesbophobia. “Trans lesbians” do this deliberately, to get us to fuck them. (Men don’t have complicated motivations).

They all know the stereotypes (they create them) that are an integral part of lesbian socialisation, teaching us our worthlessness. The mean lesbian, the angry lesbian, the manhating lesbian, the ugly hairy rabid hysterical cruel insensitive heartless biphobic transphobic gatekeeping selfish exclusionary oppressive genital-fetishising lesbian.

Lesbian socialisation is the incredibly useful and necessary extension of female socialisation. It functions to keep the women most detached from patriarchal institutions, the women who least need men, who have the most reasons to rebel, quiet and well-behaved. Growing up as a lesbian, you receive female socialisation, hear that as a woman you are subhuman and born to love men, serve men, worship men, and you feel angry. But you also receive lesbian socialisation, hear that you are not merely subhuman but subwoman, lower than low, if you turn into one of those crazy rabid angry lesbians, and you back down.

And other groups know how to use all these hateful messages and stereotypes against us, either throwing them at us outright, or subtly reminding us of them, then watching us desperately scramble trying to prove that they aren’t true, or at least not true of me. They know.

So, it would be good if lesbians knew, too. Be aware that lesbian socialisation exists, that it affects you, and that other groups use it against you. Notice patterns. Notice in what contexts the calls for “empathy”, “solidarity”, “sisterhood”, politeness and niceness start flowing. Notice in what contexts other groups give you tragic statistics about their own oppression. Notice when you start feeling bad and guilty and ask yourself why. Who are you prioritising? (Usually, yourself and/or your fellow lesbians.) Whose feelings are you ignoring? Who are you concretely hurting? (Usually, no one. Prioritising lesbians does not actively hurt other groups, no matter how badly they want us to believe that—using the aforementioned tragic statistics as well as words like “denying us” to make us feel like our bodies, affection, time, solidarity and emotional labour are as necessary to them as oxygen.)

And remind yourself that it’s okay to prioritise lesbians, and that you do not have to care about people and groups who have shown time and again that they do not care about you. When a group has a long history of disregard or blatant hatred of lesbians and shows zero willingness to change, it’s okay not to care anymore. It’s okay to answer questions like “Do you support X group?” (trans people, radfems, gay men, bi women…) with “No. I support lesbians.”

Because you are not required by law to support groups who do not support you back, let alone groups who are actively promoting an ideology that hurts you and your community. It’s nice to be nice and polite and supportive, but when the niceness and politeness and support always flow in the same direction, at some point, it’s time to stop. Allow yourself to stop. (At the very least, allow other lesbians to stop and don’t lecture them for not being sufficiently nice and polite to the groups that you, personally, still have some faith in. She probably has good reasons for losing her faith in them.)

If you do stop, you’ll probably feel very guilty at first (they’ll make sure you do), but it will get easier. You might even start feeling better about yourself now that you stopped caring about some groups who never cared about you.

And finally, please keep in mind that if you don’t prioritise yourself and other lesbians, no one else will. No other group will care. Not even marginalised groups who share some aspect of their oppression with us. Not het women, not trans people, not gay men, not bi women. No other group will defend us, support us and prioritise our hurt feelings over their oppression — what they constantly demand of us. No matter how nice, accommodating, polite, helpful we are to them. It’s never going to be our turn.

[shadowboxmind]

Maybe a hot take, but I don't think the Traveler was being inconsistent or out of character in the last archon quest at all. People are getting upset at their reaction to Lyney and Lynette's behavior from the perspective of players, with meta knowledge of the story that the Traveler, the character, doesn't have.

The players know, for example, that because they're playable characters, Lyney and Lynette are ultimately friendly and on "our" side, and we can also trust that what they told us about their backstory is true. The Traveler does not have that knowledge.

TO BE CLEAR this post is talking about my thoughts on the TRAVELER'S thought process. If we want to talk about how I personally would have reacted to the situation, I'm an overly trusting bleeding-heart who would absolutely get scammed and probably murdered by Fatui in this universe.

(Also characters, even main characters who you normally like, can do things you disagree with and that doesn't mean they're badly written. I mean, sometimes they are, but I don't think that's true in this particular case)

But think about it! Looking at the entire situation from an in-universe, in-character POV, it's a really bad look for Lyney and Lynette overall, because here are the facts as the Traveler is aware of them:

Lyney and Lynette are not only members of the Fatui, the primary antagonistic force in this story, but are specifically members of the House of the Hearth, which is known to specialize in espionage, subterfuge, and sabotage.

Both of them also work in a field that would further require them to be masters of misdirection, audience manipulation, and drama.

They "coincidentally" ran into the Traveler right as they arrived in Fontaine and immediately began to do them favors and be very friendly, including saving them from Furina, bringing them to meet their family, and gifting them VIP tickets to Lyney's show.

During the trial, the twins withheld key information, and not just about their identities (and listen, I get it, I fully empathize with why they did it, I get the reasoning, but it's still a bad look when it gets figured out) but also about what they were doing in the tunnel.

They admitted that the entire magic show was a ruse to do, guess what? espionage! To break into the room with the Oratrice's core and find out how it works. To, through subterfuge, obtain Fontaine's secrets about the nation's most important mechanism and central source of power.

The Traveler has known these people for like, a day total.

So what conclusions might the Traveler draw from these facts? When the evidence shows that Lyney and Lynette have a record of misdirection and obfuscation for their own ends? When the Traveler has no way of knowing if even their initial meeting was orchestrated for an ulterior purpose? How are they supposed to know if the tragic backstory is even true, or if that's just Lyney trying to win back some favor and sympathy? In my opinion, at that moment, they don't. Hence the coldness.

My interpretation of events is that the Traveler does like the twins, and wanted to keep liking them, but was struggling to reconcile their initial impression of two friendly magicians with the realization that these two friendly magicians were dishonest with them for most of the time they'd known each other, so they needed to have some space to figure that out.

And for those saying the Traveler is inconsistent, here's the thing: they still helped Lyney. They still acted as his attorney, investigated thoroughly, won the case, and cleared his name. They've done similar for other Fatui members in their acquaintance—they helped Childe with Teucer, they helped Scaramouche/Wanderer with getting his memories back, they helped that other member of the House of the Hearth fake her death and escape the organization—whether or not they fully trusted them, and generally they didn't.

As for the Traveler's supposed hypocrisy, my view of their relationship with Childe is that it's only improved because, despite Childe trying to nuke Liyue in the past, the Traveler knows that

a. They can handle him if it comes down to a fight again; b. He likes them, regardless of if the feeling is mutual or not, and is indeed aggressively friendly to the point where it's easier to just be civil; c. Childe is generally upfront and honest about his actions and will strike from the front, not stab them in the back; and d. He's worked together with them before when they had a common goal (for example, the labyrinth they went through with Xinyan).

They know how his mind works and what motivates him. Childe is a known quantity, the twins are not, and it took in-story time and shared experiences for the Traveler to get to even this point of neutrality; they were openly suspicious of him during his story quest.

As for holding his Vision for him, the Traveler didn't exactly volunteer for the job, Childe literally threw it at them with no warning and peaced out. What do you expect them to do, drop it in the sea? That would be inconsistent with their characterization.

Wanderer's whole situation is even weirder, since the Traveler was able to experience his actual memories and emotions and therefore has good reason to trust that he's had a genuine change of heart. Not to mention that they're not friends, I'd argue they're in that same nebulous "neutral" zone, and that only because Nahida usually functions as a buffer (and also because, again, the Traveler knows that they can handle Wanderer in a fight, and Wanderer also tends to be blunt and honest).

Also, in Lyney's story quest it seems like everyone got over their problems pretty fast and they're all chummy now, so you can all rest easy that the twins' feelings weren't too hurt about it.

Anyways if you disagree go ham, refute my points, whatever, just keep things civil.

[nedfelix]

My view is that God Created a world that specifically allows for chaos. I am Influenced by Maimonides' understanding of evil: that is to say, what we call evil is the suffering that is either caused by natural events or is the natural outcome of our free will. Additionally, I believe God has chosen to be self-limited within Creation — hence the presence of chaos. This element of chaos allows for change and growth, for new species and new traits to arise, for artistic expression and new ideas. But that same chaotic space also allows for unwanted mutations, cancerous tumors, destructive events, and natural catastrophes. It is built into the very structure of this world, which is why God does not intervene to change it. It means that we live in a world where eight-year-olds can die of cancer. It also means that we live in a world where there are eight-year-olds. Evil, therefore, appears to be a necessary by-product of Creation, a Creation that includes free will. If we have the ability to choose to do good, we must also have the ability to choose to do evil. But the reverse must also be true: if we have the ability to choose evil, we must also have the ability to choose good.

Thinking about God: Jewish Views, Rabbi Kari H. Tuling

Zionists shondas fuck off

[ceaseless-watchers-special-girl]

you guys. you guys you guys. i think i know what i want from the final season of the penumbra podcast. i have spent the past ten minutes pacing around my room. yesterday i read up to chapter 17 of prydon's fic separate but syncopated (https://archiveofourown.org/works/30943430/chapters/76417991) which let's be honest, you've probably read already. it's phenomenal. if you haven't, you should.

so i've been thinking. i just really want to go back to brahma. i want to go back to brahma and take down the guardian angel system.

the thing is, the junoverse is a very character driven storyline, and i love that about it. the second citadel is more event driven i think, and it was more difficult for me to get into that storyline and stick with it (i'm weak i'm sorry). for example, although the first season focuses a lot on juno solving the whole martian artefact doodah, back then the penumbra crew were still finding their feet.

then junoverse season 2 happened, and the entire point of that season was basically "get juno over his trauma" (that's why it was so long oh my god). sure, there was a whole plot with ramses and the theia souls, but i think we can all agree that was secondary to juno's character development.

next, season 3. season 3 is definitely character driven, you literally can't deny it. it focuses on each member of the carte blanche in turn, and it uses the plot, finding the curemother prime, as a secondary tool to further the true point of the season: getting to know the characters.

season 4 i'm a little less certain about because i'm typing this post straight into tumblr fresh out of my brain (if anyone wants to help out with the analysis i'd love that). but i think the point of season 4 is to test and showcase the bonds of the carte blanche with each other, and juno rescuing them all is not only a good story, but also a good way to show off the relationships they built in season 3. his relationship with nureyev is shown through periodic reading of the journal, and juno's copious inner monologues (i say like i'm one to talk when all of these thoughts are swirling around in my own head).

then, season 5. the point of this season mirrors that of season 2, but this time, we need to get nureyev over his trauma. this is way trickier, because we're not inside nureyev's head, we're still in juno's. it's still character driven because the aim is to help nureyev, but the plot is given by juno having to chase him across the galaxy. hence, juno's hesitation when he finally finds nureyev.

well, steel, you've caught him. now what the hell are you going to do with him?

there is no plot to drive the character study anymore. our goal was to help nureyev, and juno (poor juno) has done all he can. the ball falls squarely into nureyev's court now, and juno has no say in the plot of the rest of the story. this is why i have been chewing myself alive since the last episode — we know what's next for the characters emotionally, but we have absolutely zero idea what's happening next plot-wise. it's killing me.

(what was the point of this post again?)

OH WAIT I'VE GOT IT. so. since our whole thing for this season is helping nureyev, and we all want him to go batshit fucking insane, i really want nureyev to go back to brahma, and finish what he started two decades ago. i think it's the perfect circular story arc to keep them occupied while nureyev heals emotionally from the fallout from everything going on with slip.

also, sorry to get real for a second, but i've just been tearing myself apart being morally outraged at the world we live in, and the fact that i'm barely able to do anything about it. maybe one day i could, but until then, it would be nice to see my favourite space gays set an example.

now, i know there's complications with this. nureyev refused to take the guardian angel system down in the first place because of the damage it would cause, and i'm willing to bet he hasn't excised that moral core just yet, no matter how hard he's trying. but i'm sure they can find a way to make it work. they have rita, after all!!

they're definitely hinting at a homecoming arc for juno. i think nureyev needs one too, is all.

[carionto]

"So Basically... You Work For Cthulhu?"

Part 1 2 3 4 5 6

Trisha was the first to break the strange silence after Iorvan had finished explaining in the most vague terms possible what his purpose here was.

"That is a very crude and inaccurate oversimplification, but yes." with a hint of irritation in his voice, he agreed to her assessment. "The High Priest is all knowing on matters that matter, yet every now and then a "nothing", as beings of such magnitude view mortals like us, will happen upon the right combination of irrelevant information to form new true knowledge."

"Like the million monkey typewriters writing Shakespeare!" Trisha energetically interjected. "So why not just scry or whatever they do every brain and pluck out all the good info?" she questioned.

"As I said, we are "nothings" to them, and though their capabilities are beyond our understanding, they are not without limits, and observing billions of human minds is just incomprehensible static, I imagine." Iorvan looked directly at Trisha, "How much effort would you say it would take to comprehend your thoughts alone, Trisha?"

"Good point, I don't bother doing that half the time myself." she replied eagerly without a second thought.

Chief Engineer Tameki, very clearly confused, finally gathered herself enough, "Wait, please. So why are you here? What does any of that even mean?"

"C'mon ira, keep up, it's not that complicated." Trisha seemed to be more surprised by everyone else's apparent confusion than everyone else was by how she wasn't.

"Us going through a tear in space-time made the universe glitch out. You know, the quantum entanglement thing breaking when it shouldn't and some mumbo-jumbo about our spiritual selves being in two places at once or something. Oh yeah, souls are a thing, but only sorta? Did I get that right, Prof? To Cthulhu it looked like we duplicated our ethereal form and that should not be a thing that anyone can do, so they took notice and sent you here to investigate."

"In the simplest and most inaccurate terms, but correct." Iorvan, now more composed after accepting that Trisha's brain functioned imperfectly enough to somehow comprehend his altered understanding of the true nature of the world. Well, changed by as much knowledge as the High Priest deemed essential to impart onto him.

He continued, adjusting his own explanation to match the intellectual level of the subjects. "Such an unprecedented occurrence will not go unnoticed by the rest of the Old Ones, and the consequences for this event originating directly from the High Priest's physical domain are unpredictable, hence the unprecedented intervention you see before you in my form."

He continued, "In the simplest acceptable terms possible - the actions you took to arrive here must be reversed. I was granted all relevant knowledge about the hybrid warp engine, however, the local domain here is inaccessible and information must be retrieved manually. What is the status of it and all related matters?" Iorvan addressed the question with an icy stare towards everyone on the bridge.

Ira, with a slight look of worry, answered: "It didn't come with us when we warped. Because of the instantaneous nature of the transportation, it couldn't send any data about itself during or after the warp."

At this, the unofficial head IT guy, Valencio, chimed in, "Well, it's not impossible that whatever energy discharge that did happen couldn't have sent some signal to the nearest connected devices. The warp cut every quantum connection, but some of them were connected with a hardline, right?"

"That is true, the Dusk was printed at a military shipyard," Haespar Kraus, having found something sensible to cling to, was finally able to feel useful. "Short range redundancies like that are always integrated, even with unconventional designs like the hybrid warp engine. We'll just need to retrieve them and look at their final logs-"

"D O S O !"

The bridge, which had begun to regain a bit of life, was stunned silent by Iorvan suddenly echoing this command in a voice that came not just from his mouth, but also the walls, the floor, ceiling, and even right behind everyone's heads.

While Trisha, once again, composed herself first, even she was unnerved by the ominous aura Iorvan was exuding.

"A-alright, Prof. No need to be all evil occult on us. You're human too, or were at least. You know pressure like that isn't the most productive, yeah? So, like, chill. Please?"

His dagger-like stare towards her did not diminish, but his presence on the bridge did become less intense.

"Find the answer. Deliver it to me in one year. My own visit to this foreign domain will not go unnoticed, but the High Priest accepted this price. The knowledge you obtain, however, MUST be worthwhile. It is, after all, a trivial matter for any Old One to simply erase all "nothings" that have made themselves known in a... negative light."

With those final words, the form of Professor Iorvan evaporated into a mist.

"Back to 27..." came Emily's voice after a moment of sobering silence.

"So, uhh..." Trisha felt the need to fill the air with something productive, "basically, if we don't figure out what exactly happens during a warp, everyone back home is gonna die. Umm... let's go get those data thingies?" with uncertainty, she looked at everyone on the bridge.

Haespar, wanting to keep his image of the sensible cool headed one, picked up the baton Trisha had almost dropped, "Yes, well, that is something we were going to do eventually anyway, it's just been bumped up the list. Ira, Valencio - will you need anything not currently here for a full warp simulation once we get whatever may exist in those terminals?" he regained his actual composure as he faked the first few sentences, and was now in his serious mode.

"There's not enough computing power hooked together with the quantum computers being all blank, and we'll need either one fully powered reactor running on overload for half a day, or get a second one back up." Valencio counted each though on his fingers, an old habit.

"Good. Emily will head that, everyone else will have to postpone your previous tasks." Haespar declared. "Ira? Ira!" Haespar approached her with worry. "With Knoslark being a grumpy baby, and Sergeant Zhao still in a coma, by rank, you're the de-facto leader. It's a lot to take in, but what are we going to do. Cthulhu is real. Magic is real. Souls are real. New information, sure. World upending even, but that doesn't change what reality is right now for us. So, please, don't break down on me. It's just one thing at a time, just like any other problem we've dealt with before."

Ira Tameki took a deep breath. Then another. After a moment, she looked over everyone on the bridge.

"Right, you heard Haespar, but I have one correction - I'll be heading the reactor repair and re-ignition. Emily, you take everyone you need and retrieve those terminals and any other digital and electronic devices close to where the warp engine was, even damaged ones. Extract everything.

Valencio, start working on the simulation code, you'll have all the computing and raw power needed, I'll make sure of that." she saw the uncertainty and nervousness on some of the junior crew members' faces.

"It's going to be a long year, but we already did the impossible once - we broke physics and traveled thirteen billion light years in zero zeptoseconds. Let's figure out how and get ourselves back home."

[tsutenstar]

A Follow Up Post For the 88th Event (+ personal thoughts)

Man, it feels so good to be right.

I'm very excited to see what the devs have in store for Tsukasa's next focus event given the previous cliffhanger at the end of Emu's. Looks like we'll be getting a collaboration with Wonder Stage and Phoenix Stage as per Emu's brothers' request. While I am skeptical at the true intentions the brothers have regarding Tsukasa's wish to grow his acting career, I'm much more interested in what this event has in store for the star himself.

Tsukasa’s current goal is to continue his growth as an actor. But due to the troupe being unneeded in providing outside-the-park advertisement, he has looked for opportunities outside of Phoenix Wonderland to do so (Hence why he looked for guidance from Asahi who recommended him to a workshop he himself attended before). Not only does he make a great impression toward the director and surprise his troupe with his sudden jump in skill during rehearsals, but he also earns the titular role of the Peter Pan: signifying his current level of talent.

We also got a glimpse of this previously from his birthday card story. He moves Sakurako—a well renown actress of the Phoenix Stage—to tears with his performance as Torpe. Suffice to say, many people who’ve been in the acting field longer than Tsukasa has are impressed with his talent.

And I think this is why we WxS are being given the opportunity to perform with Phoenix Stage. Emu’s older brothers, after being confronted by Tsukasa about ending their advertising performances, realize that Tsukasa’s drive and talent will soon go far beyond what the Wonder Stage can offer at the moment. Whether they’re testing the waters to see if the collab will raise park sales or perhaps seeing if transferring Tsukasa to Phoenix Wonderland is better bit for his current aspirations, we aren’t really sure of.

What we do know is how far Tsukasa is willing to go to achieve his dream and that is what I think this event will revolve around. Much like Rui did in his previous focus, so will Tsukasa be faced with the opportunity to go further in his journey as an actor. But unlike Rui, I, in a very small space of my self-conscience believe Tsukasa might take that opportunity.

Tsukasa is a bit disconnected from his troupe. Not physically, but emotionally. He’s never divulged much about his past outside of the good brother persona he has for Saki and Toya. He keeps much of those experiences to himself, near the point where he avoids them so much he forgets them.

Of course, Tsukasa doesn’t want his time with WxS to end, but who’s to say he’s already accepted that fate? He’s become accustomed to fleeting meetings, to constant farewells due to his childhood. He’s learnt things will come and go and nothing stays the same forever no matter how hard he tries. So, what’s a boy to do but do everything he can now so he has something to look forward to in the future in which he was the ability to change its outcome? He’ll push himself as far as he can go like we saw in Emu’s event: rushing to rehearsals after his workshop and taking time outside to get a better understanding of his character. Yet he tells the rest of his troupe that he still has the energy to do his best. A part of me worries if that’s entirely true.

We also can see in the teaser trailer that Tsukasa’s sparkle remains a lot closer to the spotlight (near the 00:13 second mark). It’s a very little thing that I noticed only after watching it a couple times. His time in the spotlight lingers, almost like he’s a lot more inclined to stay—to continue pursuing his dreams despite what might happen. We see the image of a pegasus with its wings outstretched like it’s about to take flight—a symbol, like the stars, closely relates to Tsukasa. The shining pegasus of the skies.

And I think it’s also important to mention something that Rui’s VA, Toki Shunichi, mentioned: the story is like black and white. Make of that as what you will.

TLDR: Perhaps I’m delusional, but Tsukasa might not be as okay as he says he is.

[dav-p]

Biopic (with Matsu Dodo)【UTAU Original】

Illustration by Blythette

Hi hello yes I have the silly brain disorder that makes me dissociate and have an entire high school classroom in my head, so I made a song about it.

If you too enjoy silly songs about having a silly fucked-up brain, you should check it out mayhaps methinks.

I'm also very very silly and wanna maybe go in depth about it so if you're interested at all in that feel free to read more.

‌

Content Warning: Topics of mental illness, dissociation, and trauma will be discussed.

"Biopic" is the opening track on my album "11:11", and it features the vocals of UTAUloid Matsu Dodo.

Biopic is a track that, in it's rawest form, is about being a system, living with a trauma-based dissociative disorder, and how these factors affect the relationship you form with your memories. I have a dissociative disorder, and I am a system myself, which is why I went with this theme.

The goal I had in mind when creating "11:11" was to have it sonically transition from industrial distortion to electronic to piano ballads. So as Biopic is the first song, it's arguably one of the most distorted, industrial, and aggressive tracks in the whole album. Despite this, it simultaneously has a more melancholy sound to it in comparison to other industrial tracks on the album.

Overall, I wanted it to have a more spaced-out sound to it, simulating dissociation in a way. I like to think of the aggressive beats and noise amongst the dissonant synthesizers as representative of memories (more specifically, traumatic ones) and how sudden and chopped up in nature they can be in contrast to the present, to sufferers of dissociative disorders.

The song samples slamming doors, breaking glass, and screaming. Briefly touching on the scream for a moment: It's actually from an audiobook I played a role in. It's from Chapter 15 of The Omega Event, in which [SPOILER INCOMING] the character I play (Hunter Jackson) dies saving his friends. That scream was essentially the conclusion of me playing the role of Hunter Jackson, a character that legitimately changed my life. Playing him was the one thing that got me through the bullshit I faced in 2020. So make of that what you will.

With the artwork and music video, I had the same idea and goal in mind. As the character at the center flashes and fades in and out of sight and videos play in his silhouette when he isn't visible, his surroundings are somehow staying perfectly still. For myself and my system, this is how a lot of our memories manifest to us in our mind. They feel contrasted to reality, to our surroundings, and to what we truly know. They feel distant.

The artwork was created by my really talented friend, Blythette. And the video was created by myself and my alter, Ryuto. (For context, some of my headmates and I go by our own separate aliases online. Hence why Ryuto is credited under his own alias and not mine.)

FUN FACT, most of the videos that play in the character's silhouette throughout the music video are old videos of ours which were taken while we were in middle school and high school. There is only one clip that isn't the case, and that is the very first one with the sunflowers, as that one is a stock clip. I wanted to include sunflowers because I have a very positive association with them in my memories, mainly pertaining to an individual I was really close with in childhood.

Getting into the lyrics, overall they're about experiencing loneliness as a system amongst your memories. As a system, we chose to make each other our family over a large portion of our actual family. However, despite how close we are with one another and how familial we consider each other, it feels like that isn't genuinely real due to the fact that we're a system and share a body. It feels like it's all in our head, because the things we went through together were merely in our head and did not manifest into the material world. It's an isolating feeling of having a true family, but only because YOU and YOUR OWN BRAIN made them, not because anybody actually cared enough to understand your reality.

Okay I think that's all. Overall this is one of my favourite songs I've made thus far, both musically and lyrically. I'm extremely proud of it!

Thanks for reading if you've come this far! Maybe I'll post more analyses of my music in the future if that's something someone might enjoy reading.

[ringoshoujo-blog]

You only need one person in this world, and it is you.

I told a friend that I felt uncomfortable about something they indirectly did, or did not do. It's funny how 'not doing something' equals 'doing something'. But basically, I felt uncomfortable due to the lack of mannerism and sensitivity when I was helping them. Which, on my personal reflection and to my acknolwdgement, it is a discomfort brought upon outside my scope of helping duties, and my territory, but still within the same environment. The discomfort is something I could not avoid no matter how much I wanted, and I was expressing them. Mind you, this is after storing them in my mind for quite a period of time, and going through multiple other events with them, with the intention of letting it go. They were right to tell me it is none of my business in regard to the matter that brings me the discomfort. They were right to question me; how does that has to do with me coming to offer my time, energy, effort and space, which are very specific tasks unrelated to the matters that brings me the discomfort. They proceeded to tell me that I took the advantage of 'crossing certain boundaries', which I clearly did not as I was 'invited' to help within the environments that overlaps with the 'established boundaries', and still convinced myself to close my eyes and ignore the discomfort and to rather focus whole-heartedly to the tasks. I was fully aware that it was none of my business, but I was also fully aware of the discomfort I received from the environment. Now, the discomfort did come from a mix of the external environment and my internal thought-process working together. I know that could be true. My internal thought process has stored information from what was going on over the course of our relationship. It was an unpleasant bitter and painful sentiment that has never been addressed. And even if it was addressed, it was dismissed and ridiculed. Carrying self-blame, humiliation and shame. And the friend, too, has expressed acknowledgement verbally that this particular matter has brought me distress in the past. Hence, providing me a space to carry out my assitance knowing the fact the the matter-of-discomfort is in the same environment, is quite a torture. And I wanted them to understand that at least a bit. Feel what I felt. Now, if we omit the fact that the stored information is what is causing me the discomfort, and just focus on the external cause, I would still feel the discomfort, as it comes from the lack of tactfulness in providing the appropriate facilities in carrying out my duties. Now I am sounding very entitled when I say this. Who am I to demand such things? Now we analyse my upbringing and background. I put high values on sensitivity, mannerism, tactfulness and courtesy. And with how I am still, even up to this day, polishing myself and perfecting my character, I appreciate people that already has these values within them. That being said, as a reflection of how flawed and imperfect I am myself, I should not expect others to have the same degree on these set of values. I have had experience with being asked for help with similar tasks, and it was easy and pleasant for me to be in their space to help, as they have done so much care and preparation for me to be helpful to them.

So, if I believe that we should not have expectations on someone, then why do I feel disappointed? Does that mean that I have always thought people has a minimum baseline in regards to their mannerism? Because, what is 'people' without good character of conduct? And not even high level of character of conduct, just a little bit of it. But what is a little bit of character of conduct, where did I get the standards? Being a Muslim is easy as it has all been laid out clearly. Good mannerism and character in conduct is part of the Islamic faith. There are etiquettes and standard behaviours in every social dealings. Being polite and caring is part of being a Muslim. Good hospitality is part of being Muslim. Now, is it fair for me to punish my friend for my very own personal grounds of social etiquette and interactions? Where I perceive all interactions are transactionals, there are at least some form of minimum respect in how we conduct the business.

Hence, they argued, it is really none of my business in regard to my discomfort stemming from the lack of care they have provided. Perhaps, I should not even demand, much less, to even expect for it. Isn't it as simple as us having different values? And if they are unable to acknowledge my discomfort without mentioning that they are appalled that I felt that way because it is 'none of my business', then is there really a time when they, a friend, as how it 'should' be, would really care about my well-being? When would I then, the friend, be in their business, as their friend?

Using the word 'should' applies standards. Which comes to a question of, what are the expectations coming from a friend? Or, to devalue that, what are the expectations in conducting social etiquette within a transactional relationship between two parties? If we have different set of values, then the exchange will not be a fair trade. A simple thoughtful gesture is rewarded with a "thank you", and people would sometimes return with "It is only fair that I do that for you.", in acknowledging that they are in debt to the other party's offer. Just how entitled am I to expect them to be courteous for when I come to help? My sincerity is gone.

In conclusion, there is no right or wrong. We are just two different people with different sets of expectations and values. Do not make the learning smaller by putting the scale of the issue in the physical world. Accept that people would not understand you, as they would sometimes unable to see things from your perspective. They either do not have the mental capacity to even try, or they simply do not fit in your shoes to even comprehend your plea of compassion from them. You have not disrespect yourself by being honest, do not worry. You were clear. And you only need one person in this world, and that is you alone. So, it is enough that there is you to acknowledge that, yes, you were indeed, very uncomfortable when you went to help them, regardless of any other reasons and justification at all. Moving forward means, literally, moving forward from the relationship.

Thank you for reading.

Uzhma. 27th April 2024. 10am.

[mariduenanicole]

English Proyect

Definitions

What is a story?

A story is a series of events that we create, remember or imagine and that we tell to others because we want to know something, or learn something, or answer a question. A story is a narrative that conveys a sequence of events or experiences, with characters and a plot. In order to communicate ideas, emotions and information. They can be told through various media, such as the written or spoken word, visual arts, theater, film and others. The important elements that every good story must have are: Characters, Plot, Setting, Conflict, Theme, Point of View and Resolution.

What is a tale?

It is a relatively simple narrative, fictional or real, written or told orally in prose or verse. A tale usually relates a strange event, focusing on something different, marvelous, or even supernatural. While stories can have various purposes and more serious forms, tales focus more specifically on conveying a message or lesson, which is straight to the point since they are usually short.

What is Science Fiction ?

Science fiction speculates about alternative ways of life made possible by technological change, and hence it has sometimes been called "speculative fiction". It is capable of transporting readers and audiences to new worlds beyond the imagination, whether in outer space or in alternate realities, where advanced technologies, magic and the unknown come to life. Through science fiction, we explore what our minds imagine about the future, ask thought-provoking questions, and contemplate the impact of scientific advancement on society.

Science Fiction History

Since I turned 15, I've had to endure my mother's endless complaints about me and our life. After my father left and she lost her job, everything spiraled downward. My mother once adored her role as an environmental activist, constantly emphasizing the importance of caring for the planet. When they took it from her, she lost her true passion. My attempts to cheer her up always failed, and we consistently clashed, like we did at dinner tonight.

"Grace, why don't you go out? You're not too old for that, especially during your vacation," she said as she placed a sushi roll on her plate. With a sigh, I tried to steer away from the conversation about my antisocial tendencies.

"You're irresponsible. Do you realize you killed a living being? It just needed a bit of water, unlike you, who uses it as if it's never-ending!" she exclaimed.

"Mother, it's just a simple plant. It won't save the world," I responded, equally serious, but I can't seem to cheer her up.

"You lack empathy, Grace. You're too immature to understand. You don't even seem like my daughter." I stood there, torn, wondering if I should back down.

"Think what you want. You don't even talk to me anymore. I wish I were far away from you!" I shouted before retreating to my room in anger. I needed some time to cool down. I grabbed the dead plant and threw it to the floor. Then, my cat nudged me with its paws, and I followed it toward a door that looked like a rainbow. I walked through it and found a modernized version of my home. As I entered the living room, where my mother was reading, I couldn't help but look around in astonishment.

"Mother? What's going on?" I asked, feeling uneasy about the different appearance of our house and the futuristic TV.

"Grace, you look different. Have you tried a new face mask? I don't understand why you see me like this." She sat up and looked at me with a mixture of curiosity and concern.

"Mother, I've always looked like this. Why is everything so different? What's happening to your face?" I inquired, trying to get to the bottom of the situation.

"Grace, are you okay? My face is this way due to the lack of water. It's been like this for years. But we can't complain; we have new technology, which you like. I focus on you because we can't go outside; everything is better." She was going on about the changes, but, I was struggling to understand.

"What?! What's happening?" I hurried over to the window and saw a dark sky and illuminated houses, but no signs of plants or creatures. Panic "set in" as I thought of my cat, Luna, my only friend.

"Mom, where's Luna?" I asked, "apprehensively," dreading her response.

"Since when did you start forgetting things, Grace? Luna passed away six years ago. In our time, there are no animals. Are you sure you're okay?" My mother's words hit home, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of loss.

"Y-yes, Mother, I'm fine. I'll go to bed," I replied, my fear starting to wear off. Slowly, I retreated to my room. I understood I was somehow in the future, but it was a frightening future. I needed to come to terms with this reality.

I spotted the magical door, now gray, but I knew I had to return. I realized I must go back to my present, my past, and figure out something for my future. Finally, I ran through the door, pondering how something as simple as water could hold such significance, shifting our perception of the world. I resolved to open up to my mother about her work and share what I'd seen. This experience strongly reinforced the importance of water conservation and its critical role in our lives.

Through the hotpot AI site, I was able to create an image for my story, through artificial intelligence, putting a small description of my story, exactly when Grace enters the door to the door that will take her to the future.

Video

References - Travis, M. W., & Staff, T. (2011). What is a story, and where does it come from? TheWrap. https://www.thewrap.com/what-story-and-where-does-it-come-32636/ - Definition of “Tale.” (n.d.). http://www2.hawaii.edu/~davink/MYTHOLOGY%20CLASS/DEFINITIONS/tale.html#:~:text=Tale%20(defined)&text=A%20tale%20is%20a%20comparatively,%2C%20marvelous%2C%20or%20even%20supernatural. - Guides: Science Fiction - Greensburg Campus: What is Science Fiction? (n.d.). https://pitt.libguides.com/scifi

[vedantaboston]

The Art of Dying

When I was studying in high school, we read an essay in our Hindi textbook which spoke of death as an art and an opportunity. The lesson made a deep impression on me and it has stayed with me all these years. Oddly, even today I remember verbatim many of the statements in that essay. Death is often an unpleasant subject and hence skirted around by most people. Luckily for me, the essay created in my heart not a neurotic obsession but a healthy space to reflect on the reality of death.

The basic premise of the essay was simple. Die everyone must, sooner or later. Death is the one certain thing among all the uncertainties of life. We plan for so many things that may or may not happen, do we have any plan for our death? The essay asked:

“Don’t you feel that the person who plans to pluck mangoes from a tree is more intelligent than one who plans to pluck the stars from the skies?”

In other words, rather than making futile plans for what is clearly beyond our control, it is better to focus our energies on what is within our reach. Most things in life include factors over which we have minimal or no control. The one thing that is fully within our reach is our own way of thinking, our perceptions, our attitudes.

Our time is limited and our energy resources are limited. To make the best use of these in accomplishing what is truly worthwhile is the only practical and wise thing to do. The essay then proceeded to give a few examples of people, Socrates among them, who had done just that, converting their deaths into an art-form, using the opportunities that came their way to die a heroic death. They died and yet they didn’t die. They continue to “live” today in a more intense way than when they were physically alive.

Death comes in various forms and people respond to it variously. Some die with a smile on their face, others with fear in their eyes. Some seem ready to go, others are dragged away kicking and screaming. Some die suddenly without any time to prepare for it, others die a slow death. Some seem alive even after death, others die in spirit and hope even before their physical death.

If I am not afraid to reflect on death, I have to confront the question: How do I want to die?

None of us knows the exact moment we transition from being awake to falling asleep. The same is true of death. I don’t know when I will transition from being alive to being dead, and I don’t know how the death will come, and what my reaction to my last moment will be. Because of this uncertainty, the time to prepare for death is now. It is not something that can be postponed. The preparation won’t be over in a day, but it makes sense to begin today, and even better, now. Tomorrow might be too late.

What do I need to remember and what do I need to do in order to die well? First, the things to remember:

What is most obvious (and yet often willfully ignored) is that everyone dies sooner or later, so it’s not something only I have to face. Nature is perfectly democratic. It treats everyone equally. If I were not born, I wouldn’t die. But I was, so I will. Birth and death go hand-in-hand (Gita, 2. 27). No one is exempt from death. We are all on the death row. Death is not an event, it is merely the completion of a process that began the moment I was born. Which is why I cannot live well until I’ve figured out how to die well.

The options to choose when we will die and under what circumstances are not on the table. Again, this is true for everyone, so I have no reason to complain. The only thing I can choose is how I wish to prepare myself to face death, which is sometimes personalized in Vedanta texts as Yama, or Yamarāj. When the time is up (and no one knows when that will be), Yama will show up on the doorstep or to wherever I am. How am I going to face him—with a smile or with a terror-stricken face?

Even when I begin to prepare myself for death, I am really preparing for the death of my body, which is not my self. I don’t die. I cannot die. Before the body gives up and Yama comes to claim my mind, I have to experience once and for all that this body is not me, this mind is not me. If they are not me, who cares when the body goes and how? Who cares what happens to the mind? If I do care, I am stuck. Then there is truly much to worry about. Otherwise I can smile and welcome Yama to take away whatever he can. He can take my life, he cannot take me. The real me is beyond Yama’s reach.

Remembering these things is fine, but that would mean little unless I do something more than just sit in an armchair and merely “remember” these things. Among the things I can do are:

I can try to begin every day with the thought that it could be the last day of my life—and try to live as if it were the last day. It’s unbelievable how liberating this feels! For, it frees me from clinging to places, persons and things, and helps me to focus on the Imperishable. I wrote about this practice in an earlier post a little over a year ago. Here is the link to it.

I can try to remind myself as often as I can that I am more than just this body and this mind. Everything I see is perishable but not the real me (��tman). The more my identity as the ātman is reinforced, the clearer my priorities in life become—and the easier it gets to make the right choices and take the right decisions, the kind that I won’t regret later. Related to this is the recognition that every person I encounter is the ātman too. This revolutionizes all relationships and brings much fulfillment.

I can try to intensify my spiritual practice. For all I know, the prayer, worship and meditation I am doing at this moment could be my last one! Surrender comes more easily when I recognize the supreme urgency and the vital importance of the practice.

If I can remember and practice these ridiculously simple and obvious things, I will “die” without really dying when the time comes. I will kill death before it kills me. Dying becomes an art when I transform what is inevitable into an opportunity to be free forever.

[unknownprivacyseeker]

february 27 2023

therapist suggested journalling.

need to talk about the feelings im having. hence birth of this blog.

*

today, in therapy, we discussed the feelings i have in regards to feeling like there are at least two separate people in control of my body. the part of me that maintains the normalness of life -- compartmentalises emotional issues for work, takes care of eating, cleaning, etc -- and the parts of me that are emotional and difficult to ascertain structure for. 

she asked if how long it had been going on but i told her about a year and i think that’s not true. it’s been like this for a long, long time. i’ve always just considered it masking -- that i exist to protect the emotional parts of me. but im not so sure anymore. i told her it feels like there’s a barrier between these two people.

and she suggested that it was a difference between rational mind and emotional mind and asked how it was different when i reiterated that it doesn’t feel like that. i felt ashamed to say that it feels like we’re two different people. because the last time i tried to talk to her about feeling like i am not whole, that i am not one, she tried to say that we all feel like different people but it’s -- it’s different. 

it feels different. 

rational and emotional mind i could do; i could walk the middle path but i cannot do that right now because there is nothing that connects the two (the emotional part and me). there’s no dutch door for which i can open, only a very large steel wall that it takes an extreme amount of effort to cross.

we share but it feels like sometimes the person in the middle of therapy is not the same person who starts and ends it. it feels sometimes that when i come into therapy there is residual emotions bleeding into me and that’s why they feel so alien. and then when i actually want to get work done ie today we were supposed to talk about self love, it feels distressing that i feel like these emotional parts force themselves to be the centre of attention. i want to talk about something; it’s my turn to talk.

it has been like this for a long time, and i have been told that i can be seen dissociating in the middle of sessions. i feel like i dissociated a lot today in the session because i would say something or she would say something and it just would not feel like words that were being said. 

when i expressed disconnect she said there were probably parts of me fighting walking the middle path but im not sure. i could feel pieces of myself getting angry and wanting to throw the cthulhu i take to therapy and scream and lash out because she wasn’t getting it and no one understands what i’m talking about. but i know that’s not proper so i told those pieces that they can’t do that, that they have to use their words. and then all of a sudden, i felt shoved to the forefront of being. like being thrown onto stage after a cue gets missed and being faced with the confusion of “shit, fuck” and having to pick up the pieces of the play that you’ve rehearsed a thousand times before.

i feel sometimes like when there’s distress or im in therapy and parts of me that are going through those distressing events and trying to work through them, will try to run and i get shoved in to basically tamper down the feelings and give them a space to numb and process it. and i’m not supposed to say that that is or isn’t normal but i’m not sure that it isn’t a sign of something other than bpd.

i feel 

i feel like there have always been parts of me but because we were all working towards a conducive goal of being liked and loved and having people who cared about us, we were all in it together. but i think g leaving threw everything to disarray.

and i think maybe the reason the emotional parts are really acting out because i’ve been forcing myself to act and behave normally and me trying to continue to be normal vs my emotional parts being hurt has de-sync’d us from the goals of working together as one. because even if i tell every part of me that we’re loved, that we would be missed, those emotional parts refuse to see it. and i do not feel capable of handling their extreme emotional response to distress and sadness as well as holding the emotions that are necessary to fulfil the emotional responsibilities that enable us to have relationships with people that would ease their distress. 

so i lack the ability to emote those feelings and build rapport, which makes the emotional parts more distressed, which makes me more focused on behaving normally instead of acting out their distress, which makes me suppress the ability to hold even the smallest bits of their emotions to emote and build rapport with people. and repeat. 

but i dont know what to do.

and my therapist suggested to just sit with those feelings and the body and see how they feel and what urges are coming up and being suppressed.

so the urge right now is to talk about it with people and i feel like my eyes are ready to cry; and i’m not suppressing them. but i’m not crying. and i am trying to talk about it with someone.

[trashedlikestar]

22/2

I have gone from over sensitive and always crying to numb, emotionless, unfazed by exterior events... Why can’t I just be in the middle ? ... Anyways, I believe that all I can do is ride this wave. 

I do not believe in competition, I believe in love and enjoyment for things and oneself. It sounds obvious and corny and anti capitalist really. Of course this is quite hard in a space where people see everyone to be in competition and do not value me as a true human being. Everything that you do and say can be analysed in a social theory way. I am being punished for all the things I indulge in. I am socially punished for wanting to see past barriers and challenging the status quo. I have been loving working out, it has been great. But only if I am wearing a cute outfit and feel cute. Maybe this is one of them. I can’t be asked to explain how I feel to everyone. I very rarely open up, there is no one that I trust with secrets and I do not have any “best friend”.

I love writing, speaking and hearing others do as well. I realise that we truly are political animals. Whenever someone speaks about specific topics or else tries to defend an argument, they can convince anyone. Their truth can be contingent, can be true for others. 

Maybe I like being degraded but I also would love a hug from someone I like. I want to live in a world where aging is not seen negatively. I want to be a 60 year old sad girl on pinterest and on tumblr. Actually, not even seen negatively but certain ideas to be associated with certain age ranges. Sociology directs all aspects of my life. I want to get away. I have to start writing short sentences in academic contexts, this will help me overcome my problem of non-clarity, grammar mistake and apparently “incorrect” sentences. How can a sentence be incorrect, why can’t everything be regarded with an art perspective. People like Jack Kerouac because he was authentic. 

I enjoy media that most arguments claim is bad. I am the ugly duckling and that is fine. It sounds so bland and boring but a lobotomy sounds lovely. I realised that that is due to the fact that my “brain capacity” is probably not “efficient” enough and hence blocks me from arriving to conclusions. In other words, I stutter at blockages. 

[digitalmarketingseo01]

The most beautiful wedding venues in the country

A person's wedding is one of their most treasured memories. Your wedding should be remembered by everyone involved, not just you.

Rajeswari Marriage Palace EVP is the place to go if you're looking for Wedding Halls in chennai .

Every wedding revolves around the wedding ceremony and reception. There is no more joyous or lovely event than a wedding, or a more lovely ceremony and reception. Yes, it is a one-of-a-kind occasion. For those two, finally being together and enjoying their bliss as a couple comes true.

Facilities and Capacity

EVP Rajeswari palace stands taller and wider in the centre of the city and hence is easily accessible. The Palace has 7 main marriage halls  The halls has elegant designs adorned with rich details to leave your guests with a feel-good factor. The high modern-style ceiling adds an openness to space. Large windows along the two walls of the hall give scope for ample natural light. The stage area is not only wide but also impressive due to the good lighting and Modern Carvings. As a result of these outstanding features, very Panoramic floor-to-ceiling view of the hall is simply amazing. 

Everyone desires a unique and memorable wedding. What we want is for everyone to say how much they enjoyed our wedding. Your wedding day is a big day in your life. This is why the wedding must be meticulously planned in every detail.

Although having everything in one location is convenient, having everything in one location may cause events to cost more than expected. The EVP's Rajeswari Wedding Halls in chennai  Everyone desires a unique and memorable wedding.

What we want is for everyone to say how much they enjoyed our wedding. Your wedding day is a big day in your life. This is why the wedding must be meticulously planned in every detail.This unit is suitable for a variety of occasions, including weddings, receptions, birthday parties, baby showers, anniversary parties, 

[godreamnft]

NFTs and Their Relation to Crypto Market.

In this article, I will talk about non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and why they are good for the crypto market. NFTs are a type of digital asset that is not interchangeable with other tokens because each token has a unique ID and some characteristics that make it different from other tokens. NFTs can represent physical objects, virtual objects, or intangible concepts like ownership of land in a game or access to an event.

The idea behind NFTs is that each token is unique and can’t be replaced by another token. They are perfect for use cases where uniqueness matters such as art auctions, online games, and crypto collectibles. If a token is not fungible, it means that it’s unique and has properties distinguishing it from other tokens. For example, if you were buying a painting at auction, you would have to pay the same amount of money no matter what the painting looked like.

What is a Non-Fungible Token (NFT)?

NFTs are a digital representation of a unique item that you own. Because it is intended to be used for the purchase of digital goods and collectibles, it differs from other cryptocurrencies. NFTs are not fungible tokens because they each represent something unique, with their own history, or story. Copyright law, trademark law, or both can protect NFTs. They have the potential to revolutionize the way we think about ownership and intellectual property rights. The idea for non-fungible tokens came about when Vitalik Buterin, the founder of Ethereum, asked Stuart Haber from MIT if the digital collectibles market was too big for any one company to manage.

Decentralized tokens are used to retain and represent digital assets. Recently, more investors have been investing in companies that make trading platforms for these tokens like CryptoKitties.

What are the Benefits of NFTs?

NFTs have a variety of benefits that make them an attractive investment to many people. Hence they are an emerging asset class that is not only accessible to the wealthy and institutional investors, but also to retail investors. NFTs have a variety of benefits that make them an attractive investment to many people.

These include liquidity, transparency, efficiency gains, and the ability for holders to easily trade their tokens in the secondary market. The term ‘non-fungible’ refers to unique tokens that can’t be replaced with any other token. This means when you buy one token, you own it forever and nobody can take it from you or give it back to you.

NFTs have a variety of benefits that make them an attractive investment to many people. These include liquidity, transparency, efficiency gains, and the ability for holders to easily trade their tokens in the secondary market. NFTs are not tied to other assets like gold or stocks and thus their true value cannot be manipulated by external factors like inflation or interest rates, Both utility and security tokens are anticipated to be part of the crypto-token future. Utility tokens are economical in nature and their value derives from the demand for them. Security tokens offer some form of asset or another type of guarantee, such as dividend payments that come from the profits of a company

The Rise of Non-Fungible Tokens and Why They are Blowing Up

Non-fungible tokens are one of the newest developments in the blockchain space. They represent a digital asset that is unique and has a specific value. Users can use these tokens to represent different things. Each token has its own property and is difficult to replace with another. NFTs are also a subset of ERC-20 tokens. ERC-20 is a technical standard for smart contracts that allows for the creation of Ethereum (ERC) compatible tokens The initial token produced in accordance with this standard is a non-fungible token.

It spurred a worldwide craze in collecting these digital assets. Non-fungible tokens are the most popular in use in the gaming industry. Players can’t alter other players’ collections. Since the games are distributed in an open and transparent format, no one owns the game data. NFTs have been used for a range of purposes, but many are digital and found in video games.

How to Create Your Own NFT?

There are a lot of ways you can create your own NFT, but it is important to know that each method has its pros and cons.

One of the most common methods is by using Ethereum smart contracts. As long as the platform accepts ERC-721 tokens, you may use this to produce an NFT token that can be used on just about any platform. The downside is that this requires some knowledge of Ethereum programming and how smart contracts work. Another option is using OpenSea’s marketplace which allows you to create a custom token in less than five minutes with no coding required. The downside is that they take a commission fee, which ranges from 10-30% depending on the project and if you have any special features.

How Can You Trade NFTs?

NFTs only traded in decentralized markets. Nearly all major blockchain platforms allow for the exchange of NFTs, like Ethereum and EOS. What is a decentralized application? DApps collect data on the blockchain in a decentralized way. In contrast, a decentralized application has no single point of failure. Most users publish their own apps and receive donations in cryptocurrencies to fund the ongoing development of the app.

How to use NFTs in the Crypto market?

NFTs represent ownership of digital goods, rights, or access to specific features on a Blockchain network. For example, a token such as BAT or TRX is used to “buy” the right to access content on a Blockchain platform. How will it work? The NFT marketplace will be accessible via an interface on the company’s website and by using Blockfolio, which is available for iOS and Android devices. What is the difference between Cryptocurrency and a token? A cryptocurrency (such as Bitcoin) uses cryptography to secure its transactions, control the creation of additional units, and verify the transfer of assets.

A token is an economic mechanism that represents a particular share of an ecosystem. It can be a share of the ownership in a publicly-traded company or as a unit of account to trade or transfer value. Numerous articles have outlined the basic features of blockchain, with potential applications ranging from land registration to international commerce regulation.

What are the Advantages of NFTs?

A brand-new type of digital asset traded on the Blockchain are non-fungible token. They are scarce, divisible, and fungible. NFTs can be divided into fractions. That means they are divisible. They also have the same value, no matter what the look or name is.

How the technology works in order to make it possible for users to trade digital assets, developers needed a way of turning digital assets into physical ones and vice versa. The process is known as Tokenization, in which an asset outside the blockchain is represented as tokens on the blockchain.

What are the risks and challenges of using NFTs in the crypto market?

The lack of regulation of NFTs is one of the main problems with employing them. This means that it is hard for people to trust and invest in them. Another challenge of using NFTs in the crypto market is that they are not as easy to use as other cryptocurrencies. They are not as user-friendly as they may be and users often struggle to grasp how to use them. The risks associated with using NFTs in the crypto market include lack of liquidity, high volatility, and lack of security. NFTs in the crypto market include CryptoCard, CryptoKitties, and Coindroids.

What are the future prospects of NFTs in the crypto market?

NFTs are gaining a lot of traction in the crypto world. They are a way to solve problems that exist in the current crypto market. NFTs solve many problems that exist in the current crypto world. Chris Kline coined the term “NFT” and he is currently the Head of Art at http://Earn.com. Rachel Metz first used the term in her article “An App Made New Collectibles.” Many apps and games have already begun to introduce NFT into their business models. This is due to the new and exciting ways achieved with these digital assets. Additionally, it’s a way for traditional companies to experiment with potential new revenue streams without opening the company up to a lot of risks.

[cerastes]

Man, Invitation To Wine is, much like certain parts of Who Is Real?, very Wuxia, but way WAY more Wuxia. 

Ok, first of all, I need to explain a little something: Wuxia and telenovelas are literally the same thing, except latinos like love triangles and figuring out who the baby’s true father is more than sick kung fu, which, as a latino myself, I’ll take the L for, I think China’s on the right here, hence why I watched Wuxia practically every day when I was a teen. But essentially, if you put aside that specific difference, Wuxia and telenovelas are the same damn thing: “We have underlying drama, everyone’s connected, and there’s twist after twist”.

And Invitation To Wine is quite damn literally that and I love it. The synopsis to it has you thinking “oh boy, Ling is gonna do some crazy shit...!” but then the event is Mr. Lee coming across like three different Wuxia movies, concluding in him being dragged in the middle of a deathmatch involving a retired swordsman and a pole-fighter consumed by revenge, Mr. Nothing (a Wuxia protag from another story altogether) practically getting in a fistfight with an earth-bending cop, and Miss Du trying to make her dad (the retired swordsman) fail at a job, but only a little, ALL the while the lord of the area, a taciturn man and good friend of Mr. Lee, courts another high-ranking court member in the most ancient of manners as they flirt with all the enthusiasm of teen with a Red Bull addiction yet all the initiative of a bear hibernating, so they sit there, smoldering in the most polite sexual tension possible, ALL THE WHILE Miss Ning, the high-ranking official, realizes something is up so she hires an Australian bounty hunter to steal from him to help him, which is as Wuxia as it fucking gets (sans the Australian bit, they hire Korean mercs instead). It gets SO WUXIA at one point that Dusk steps in and just puts them in timeout for like five days (painting time) because she’s more of a telenovela person I guess.

Mr. Lee was supposed to deliver one damn cup and instead ends up in the middle of a Venn Diagram of three different Wuxias, and the moment he gets SOME breathing space thanks to Dusk’s Spell Of Stop Fucking Fighting, the damn cup turns out to be cursed and takes over his body, but ONLY in the dream realm, and then they play Go (known as Weiqi in China), and Lee fucking sucks at it, and loses so bad he wins, so the evil god in the cup loses, and when he comes back to the realm of the living, the Wuxia (triple) sort of resolved itself, but THEN the super evil dragon god awakens, but not really, so they beat it, but not really, and then Ling is like “hey what’s up man” and Nian is like “hey man we gotta do something about that” and Ling is like “really?” and Nian is like “yeah” and Ling is like “fuck, man, you make a great point, let’s do this shit” and THEN some old dude shows up and he’s the Oldest and Dudest so the sisters actually listen to him, and what does he have to say? “Nian, I need a civil engineer so work I’m gonna commission you” and she’s like “shit alright man” oh btw he casually mentions there’s some dude that’s 738 years old fighting superdemons in the north of Yan? But that’s irrelevant, anyways, Nian is a civil engineer now.

So in the end, Mr. Lee, like Luigi, wins by doing nothing (the action, not the dude). He didn’t even fight once. He’s one of the damn 6 stars in the banners! We know he’s got hands! And he was involved in three Wuxias and one god-possession at the same time and didn’t even show off a single move! What a legend.

What I’m trying to say is that Invitation To Wine is the golden standard of writing.

[everythingjacksepticeye]

Markiplier Theory Fun

This has spoilers for ISWM, so if you'd prefer not to read spoilers for it, then it might be a good idea to scroll away. It'll also have mentionings of WKM and AHWM.

Anyway, this is just my personal headcanon and theory, and just me honestly rambling, but ever since the events of WKM, I feel like the Y/N is essentially an entity/soul. That's why they come off as "otherworldly", beautiful/or handsome and the reason why people can't comprehend them. They're literally a being without a body (cause they got thrown out of theirs), so the way they appear to others is different. I also feel like them being some sort of entity/soul ties into why we see cracked screens/glass around them too. Such as recently the Captain's space helmet in ISWM being cracked. It's hard for things to contain pure entities/souls. Bodies are the best at containing those, so the cracks could be symbolizing that fact.

I also feel like throughout this whole time Y/N has been desperately searching for their body. It's something they're naturally attracted to and drawn to. That's why whenever there's a mention of Dark, Y/N is compelled to check it out. They can't help it. They have to explore further. Their desire to have their body back and to confront the ones who stole it is too strong.

So they play Mark's games cause otherwise they would be sitting behind a mirror probably going crazy. Doing something is better than nothing. But since they're basically just a soul out of body, they don't care about what they go through. The drones shot at them? They just dust themselves off. They jump to "fix it on the outside" or into a portal without hesitation. It just feels like they know nothing can really touch them at this point, so they just roll with it. I kind of got that vibe from AHWM too.

And when Y/N does clash with Dark, I feel like they're actually one of the main causes behind why he becomes so glitched out and over the place, because the body is reacting to the third soul - the soul it belongs to. So he can't stick around Y/N for too long, otherwise the body will try to merge back. Hence why that screen of multiple panels pops up during the end of encounters and gives the sensation of Y/N being pushed back and away.

I do think that Dark is already unstable cause of hosting two souls already (Damien & Celine), but the presence of Y/N's soul puts everything out of whack - because a body will always want its true soul. So at the same time, Dark can't completely avoid and stay away from Y/N either because of that. That's why there's moments where it seems like Dark is directly trying to entice Y/N to come seek him out - cause he too can't help it. The body wants the soul. It would make sense, because why else would he lure something in that causes him to be unstable? He seems exasperated with Y/N, but at the same time drawn to them. Almost like there's conflicted feelings there - like he knows they're the source of the instability but at the same time he couldn't help himself. Just like Y/N. He seems aware that they're caught in a loop as well.

Plus Y/N (assuming that they are the DA) was a friend of Damien, so I feel like the emotions there are still present on top of it all.

With that all in mind, I feel like Y/N is caught in never ending loop. They can't reclaim their body, so "Mark" has taken advantage of that by making them the main character of different scenarios.

So when it comes down to it all, is it truly Y/N's fault? What's Mark's end game for this? To damper their resolve to reclaim their body? I guess that would make sense because I imagine if they do that, they'd be able to escape the loop. It would also make sense as to why it seems like things are triggered by Mark and implied that he was behind stuff - cause he knows Y/N is always searching for a way out.

That's just my overall take. I know that there's probably holes somewhere in there. I don't dive very deeply into Markiplier lore, but in my own personal universe, that's kind of what I see going on. 👀