#it is necessary and needed and allowed

[aldertreegroves]

.

[egophiliac]

So how’s ride kamens going for you as I just pulled my self together long enough to read the other half of the current main story

I've been working on catching up on the event stories since they announced the upcoming main story update! (I totally bombed the last few events...they're so fast-paced and I just didn't have time...😭)

and then of course they went and dropped THIS on us today

(you don't understand, I LOVE Tajador and I already love the two blurry frames they've given us of non-silhouetted Kelka, I'm ready to absolutely lose my shit come the announcement/reveal(?) stream on Thursday --)

[elene78-blog]

What do you think if someone knocks on the door of Cat, Laila, and Jean's new apartment, and Jeremy opens it, very surprised because it's late, and Cody stands there looking gloomy?

And then Cody fakes a smile and says,

"Hi, Captain. Sorry to interrupt. Hey… is Jean in?" Jean, of course, comes out from behind Jeremy, and the two look into each other's eyes without much communication. "Maybe you were right," Cody says.

No one understands, but Jean says,

"We were going to have dinner. We have food for more people. Come on," and Jean invites Cody in.

Jeremy, Cat, and Laila are very happy that Cody came there, although they don't understand what's going on. Whatever it is, only Jean seems to know, and Cody only came there to be with Jean.

When they finish dinner, Jean and Cody go out onto the porch and talk for a long time. Jean says Cody is staying over. They still don't know what's going on, but Jeremy can't take his eyes off this Jean who comforts Cody and has become someone else's confidant.

Jeremy can't stop smiling in admiration.

[lazylittledragon]

Heya, feel free not to answer if this is uncomfortable, invasive or you just don't want to :)

I'm a trans guy and I'm, after top surgery, hoping to get laurel wreaths tattooed over the scars with florograpgy accents.

Do you have any advice for someone who's never had a tattoo before? Anyways to deal with pain, common courtesies for the tattoo artist, how the actual session goes, etc.?

Love ya,

Quimble

THAT'S A GREAT IDEA also absolutely!!!

don't stress about it or worry about being 'too much', for someone's first one i will talk through every single thing i'm doing and there are no stupid questions or too many concerns. also don't worry about twitching/flinching, it's not your fault and we know how to work around it

your artist should never make you feel bad about ANYTHING!! you can move the stencil as many times as you want and we don't care about your body or what you look like. if you need to take a break it's fine, if you need numbing spray it's fine. i would honestly rather slightly inconvenience myself than make you uncomfortable. as long as you aren't intentionally wiggling around the entire time or being a dick to the artist, you're all good.

yes it is going to hurt but it probably won't be as bad as you think it will be. when i got my first one i really hyped myself up and was very underwhelmed by the pain aksddfjfdj

bring something with you like a book or headphones if you need a distraction (as long as the tattoo placement allows it). i'm quite chatty most of the time but if you want a quiet session/no smalltalk you can ask for that

the actual session will go something like: show up, look at the design, make any changes if you want, test it out for sizing, put the stencil on and make sure you like it, then start the tattoo. afterwards they'll go through all the aftercare with you and either put on second skin (a film that sticks to your skin and protects the tattoo) or wrap it in clingfilm

if they haven't specified when you book the appointment then ask if it's cash/card/paypal etc and if it's cash, try and get it out BEFORE the tattoo appointment (just a time saving thing). also tipping is never expected but always Extremely appreciated :))

please please PLEASE tell us if you don't like the design/want to change the placement etc. personally i would be mortified if i knew someone didn't like what i'd done and didn't feel comfortable telling me. it's there forever so i want you to like it!!

[specialfanboying]

Seeing eito analyses and coming to the bizarre conclusion that I dont agree with some of the woobification going on.

Mostly @ the like. He’d be pure of heart without his condition + treating it like a tragedy that he isn’t like. I’m not saying I don’t believe it, I do! Same for that the condition is seriously detrimental! But, like. A theoretical Eito Aotsuki with no condition, ever, would barely resemble the one we have. Are the pettiness, the manipulation, the possessiveness, the eternal drive not also part of the appeal? Like I get wanting g him to be happy but can we not appreciate the him we have?

Also like. A world with that Eito would…be worse. He’d be as pure of heart as the other SDU members as now no one is inclined to search for the truth. The exodus project would succeed, with all the disaster that entails. The very premise of the game-the ability to get a second chance, to be more than what Sirei laid out for us-is predicated on Eito being as he is.

…plus the “what if eito had no condition and this were nice” is literally how coming of age happens-

[randomrambles3nonsenseetc]

Questioning the stability or fragility of the HMS Lukola

So it seems that one of the Captains of the HMS Lukola has gone on a blocking spree today.

Im confused, concerned and frustrated.

Yes, I was one who has been unceremoniously blocked. I have not done or said anything unkind to or about this person or their blog.

In fact, I very much love their blog, but it seems that because I liked another Captains blog, that was reason enough to block me.

In no way is this meant to offend anyone, but I am just curious why the blocking spree occurred? 

Today's incident has also made me think a little deeper about the fragility of this little corner of the world.

Until today I loved this little corner of the world where I can connect with like minded people and be a part of a community that has an unwavering belief in Lukola despite the mainstream PR narrative and the constant battering from jakolas and other ships trying to tear it down.

However, if the community is so fragile that those of us on the HMS Lukola cannot like different bloggers viewpoints and engage in curious, thoughtful, objective and respectful conversations that get us thinking outside the box about what may or may not be occurring BTS and in public then how are we going to survive?

A huge part of this community and why I joined it and enjoyed it so much is because of the communitys curiosity and depth of belief in Lukola.

The ability of many, Captains and ship-mates alike to unpack what we see publicly, questioning and respectfully challenging the PR narratives, collating crumbs, analysing sm posts, etc and calling out the trolls and blatant bullying behaviour with kindness and respect has kept the ship afloat through many rough waters.

BUT...

if those steering the ship are so reactive and fragile, then trolls and bullies like jakeholes and the red devil become insignificant and do not need to continue throwing stone's when we are tearing down our community from within.

The reactiveness of blocking followers for the simple act of liking other blogs creates a sense of bitterness within the community. As well as a deep troubling sense of sadness that some people in this community feel they have to block followers simply for liking other blogs.

It speaks of a fragility within the Lukola community that I thought had been worked through. 🧐

The ship has weathered many storms, taken hit after hit from other ships and trolls, that I thought had only strengthened the resolve and determination of those that lead the ship.

Captains who have used their blogs to both encourage sooth and reassure the battered and the bruised shipmates.

But when a Captain uses their weapons against the shipmates without warning, without conversation, it makes me question how stable this ship really is and why they feel the ship has to separate into fractions in the first place. Simply because someone's curiosity or broader thinking doesn't align on the same day, in the same moment as anothers is not a justifiable reason to block a bunch of followers.

I thought this ship was built of stronger stuff and that the HMS Lukola encouraged objective, critical thinking and open-mimded conversation as long as it was respectful.

Maybe I was wrong because the reactiveness I've seen today makes me question how truly stable, fair and objective this ship actually is.

And I worry that if we continue being so reactive, tearing each other down from within then eventually (or sooner rather than later) there will be no ship left. Just little lifeboats and dingys afloat in the tumultuous seas of the Lukola fandom, left to fend off the vultures, snakes and sharks and navigate the stormy waters alone.

That thought makes me feel really sad..especially given how much the ship has weathered to date. 😭

I get that we all have bad days, believe me, my life recently been a shit storm filled with unfortunate events piling on top of each other and weighing me down so heavily that some days I can barely breathe let alone be a functional human being. But that doesn't give me the right or justification to be mean, unkind or cruel to the rest of the world, whether that in person or within the shit fest of the internet.

The bigger message

While it may seem that one or two people are trying to protect their space for whatever reason, and they have every right to do so. The bigger picture sends a stronger message to the Lukola community as a whole, that even the act of liking or engaging with different theories about Lukola is completely unacceptable to some of the captains and if you are perceived to not align 100% with that person's views you are going to be pushed off the plank into the shark infested waters without even an opportunity for parley.

Im an individual who likes to question, to analyse, to look at different viewpoints and theories and make up my own mind. I think critical thinking has been essential to stay firmly seated on the HMS Lukola.

I'm 1000% super glued to the viewing deck. But that should not mean I cannot engage with the viewpoints of other Lukola's for the risk of being thrown overboard.

Thats not a community I want to be a part of.

This fandom and Lukola community has been one of the few things that has kept me going through the shitstorm of my life and now it feels like even this is falling apart and that thought breaks my heart.

Im still here, but I am shaken by the fragility and reactiveness I've seen today on board the ship.

[ducktracy]

to counterbalance the world is there any scene where porky is like visibly consciously happy about his body

the only example i can think that applies to this is from a comic where he's begging Bugs not to induct him into this Ed Edd n Eddy-brained weight loss scheme :') he makes a passing remark of "i'm satisfied with the way i am", i made a whole post on it last year that goes a bit more in-depth with some of my issues i've been talking about the past few days, i highly recommend reading it

i honestly don't need him to go on a whole thing about body positivity anyway it wouldn't really be very in character for him (in that he conducts himself with a certain unspoken self assurance and doesn't really feel the need to iterate these things out loud) and just.. out of place anyway. BUT, he also doesn't need to because there's the understanding in the originals that he's not self conscious! so it doesn't need to go remarked! he doesn't react to any of the fat jokes in the originals because they understood lingering on them would be too uncomfortable and weird, and Porky doesn't need to counteract with anything because it's just... understood! that he's fine with the way he is! and it's usually Daffy being a weirdo that gets the laugh, not the "haha, he IS fat, isn't he guys? Porky sucks" that so many modern angles do

genuinely more modern materials have counteracted against that and made him self conscious in the hopes of coming off as, i don't know. meta? self conscious in a snarky way? but it literally just comes off as weirdly mean and dispiriting. it's adding fuel to the fire and setting off multiple fires in the name of fire prevention. and i'm so fixated on this because it's bonkers that more recent iterations are more offensive in this regard than actual 80+ year old cartoons?????????? it's crazy

(sorry for the crusty audio) i will say that as far as modern incarnations go, Bah Humduck does an okay job of "returning the volley" because the joke is solely on Daffy being an asshole (too asshole-ish for my liking and misunderstanding their dynamic here but it's a mid 2000s LT special) and Porky barely reacting rather than him actually getting sensitive or self conscious about it. and because he literally just is a pig.

i also add this because the DC comics especially love to make jokes about how Porky looooooves to stuff his face when, again, i can only think of one instance in the originals that maybe lines up with this (the opening of Bye Bye Bluebeard, we think Porky's going to do some aerobic exercises and it's revealed he's just syncing the timing to his eating), but it lasts for maybe 30 seconds and there's no sort of secondhand humility or coyness on Porky's part. and the laugh is moreso on the subversion itself, not the fact that Porky Eats A Lot Of Food. there's a very specific example i'm thinking of and can't find it, but maybe it's for the better because it makes me so so so mad :')

so... uh. not really no :')

[neattnat]

Uuhhhhh I don’t have a title for this

Doodle under the cut

HEHEHEHEHE

Hunters just like me fr

[spacedlexi]

"i could keep going about wellington/alone but then its gonna start getting psychological" ooooh you want to get psychological 🌀🌀🌀 oooooh you want to share wellington/alone clem analysis 🌀🌀🌀🌀

oooohh you know i always want to get psychological anon

i feel like the wellington/alone endings are the two strongest endings for both s2 and clems character. i feel like s2 is about her learning to stand on her own. learning what she wants. learning to let go. to recognize the unstable person kenny has become (and that jane isnt so great either). bonnie tells clem to start thinking about what it is She wants, to not just follow others (who repeatedly let her down), and that maybe theres another way (ie: be the one calling the shots for once). its about clem believing in herself and her ability now that shes spent an entire season carrying the cast on her back, and fighting for respect from those same people who dont give it to her because shes still just a kid (a kid who has proven herself to be incredibly capable)

imo the kenny and jane s3 flashbacks are pretty weak and just feel like we’re dragging out their characters past their expiration dates (plus all the “youre such a good mom, clem” talk they both do really irks me 🙄 theres a difference between a character actively choosing to become a guardian and a character being told what a good guardian they are (when theyre still a child themselves with an actual adult still present). alone clem has no one to rely on but herself and she Wants to look out for aj. she needs him as much as he needs her because he gives her something to fight for. hes all she has left). kenny being so happy and talking about boats is wild to me after everything he does in s2. and so is jane killing herself before even trying to induce a miscarriage. They both still die and clem still ends up alone anyway. why not make her active in that decision? so, can she shoot or not? will she stay with someone she knows isnt completely reliable? or will she stand on her own?

honestly narratively i like the alone ending a lot for s2, because it feels like her fully realized arc for the season. being able to stand on her own, to make the hard choices. knowing what she wants for herself, or at least what she Doesnt want. wellington is just better for her and ajs wellbeing so i consider it the "good" alone ending since the actual alone ending is the hardest position clem is left in. wellington ending kenny knows hes no longer fit to take care of her, recognizing the unstable and violent person he has become, and again clem is put in the position of making the choice to stand on her own. also wellington was what her and christa were looking for since the beginning, so narratively it still feels fulfilling for a clem who couldnt pull the trigger. i think it would be really hard for her to shoot kenny, so while i like the alone ending, i also like her not being able to make the call in time, paralyzed by choice (you dont have to shoot to still get the alone ending, just choose to walk away, but if shes going to walk away id rather her do it at wellington). either way its a choice she'll have to live with, and i do like the idea of her having regrets for not being able to make a choice in the moment, and letting jane die because she just couldnt shoot kenny. and how that perceived failure impacts her decisions in the future (like with the javi david fight in s3, her actions being impacted by her choice in s2)

which all ties in nicely to: the implications in regards to vi shooting minnie to save clem in s4. a clem who couldnt shoot and a vi who could. the fear clem would have in that situation, knowing she herself couldnt pull the trigger on someone she cared about to save someone else she also cared about. i think a clem who shot kenny would still have that fear, knowing the position vi is in at that moment, but a clem who couldnt shoot i think emotionally carries more weight. it emphasizes her uncertainty in what violet might choose (or fail to choose in time. because its not necessarily about choosing not to shoot. its will she hesitate long enough for it to not matter? just like with jane and kenny). which just makes it all the more satisfying when vi IS able to make that choice in time, and is able to save them both in the process (something clem herself only learned after s2)

[mcytegg]

"thank you for everything, ro. i wish we got to work together."

"oh same, but y'know, some things just don't work out."

i hate drastics i hate drastics i hate drastics i hate drastics i hate drastics i hate drastics i hate drastics i hate drastics i hate drastics i hate drastics i hate drastics i hate drastics i hate drastics i hate drastics i hate drastics i hate drastics i hate drastics i hate drastics i hate drastics i hate drastics i hate drastics i hate drastics i hate drastics i hate drastics i hate drastics

[cringefail-clown]

was just pondering about what would happen if there were multiple space/time players in one session and came to a conclusion that either a) skaia wouldnt allow it to happen or b) they share a planet, and now i cant stop thinking about like 24 player session except its all space/time players and theres just 2 planets in the medium and how much chaos could ensue in this scenario. wild

[mysteriousbloodstain]

maybe if I’m awake today I can play video games by myself for fun and no one will be mad at me

[edgelessdagger]

hello. coming off pregabalin and it’s kicking my entire ass <3

still somehow managed to finish this portrait for my partners campaign. he is fish.

wanted to open comms back up asap, but i figure i’ll still need a little bit to kick off this withdrawal for good. i’ll do my best to keep making art in the meantime both to not lose practice and keep this blog somewhat alive

hope everyone has a great rest of the week~

[strnza]

and  what  if  i  asked  …  how  does  your  muse  placate  a  hangry  /  moody  /  fighty  eliza?  <3

[lesbianlenas]

working on my paper which will have an underpinning of the fact that criminal law is inherently unfair to women bc it was structured around men and their experiences and i just started reading a paper on that which started off by talking abt how when abigail adams wrote to john adams and asked him to not forget women when writing the constitution he wrote back to her saying “we know better than to repeal our masculine systems” which i think is so exemplary of the way that men still think to this day. even men who claim to be feminists or that they want “equality” for women have a point in their heads where feminism is “going too far.” and that is bc underneath it all they WANT the system to continue to oppress women and uplift them bc it is to their benefit. to men feminism is abt giving women the illusion of equality and believing that they will be too dumb to recognize that their “masculine systems” still exist underneath the illusion. there is not a single man that doesn’t know better than to promote a feminism that actually seeks to structure society in a way that does not other women and cater to men. this is why you will see many men participate in liberal feminism (feminism that only seeks to gain women equality within the existing societal structures) while no men have been overtly involved in radical feminism (feminism that seeks to dismantle the existing structures and rebuild them to create a system where women are not oppressed). men are not allies to women and they never will be. they know better.

[silent-sentinels]

okay alright alrght alright