#not sure if i should add a community label to it but it’s not like. too graphic right?

[therandomartmaker]

I love how me signing my art with the date gives away how long it’s been since i finished it and then forgot about it. Not that it’s been that long.

anyway! have some Mono (Little Nightmares) Fanart! The brainrot hit a while ago but didn’t stick around for long. The graphics in the game are fucking epic for my old person brain ngl.

Taglist: @i-amtransexual @badatgmrt @74373-bees

[xcziel]

@tumblr @staff since you seem to LOVE creating recommendation tabs where you can algorithmically go wild

AND you are also eagerly courting new users (frequently to the detriment of longtime users but it's whatever right?)

so, since one group that is currently being underserved (or even driven away) by like ... every app/site out there INCLUDING this one is artists who are trying to make a living out of their art

WHY NOT make an 'ART' tab that is solely made up of posts by artists?

let people choose to opt their posts out of the tab and slap a very basic filter on it, similar to the gifsearch one maybe, so people can look for art of specific things

this would give artists a boost in visibilty AND appeal to like ex-twitter/insta users who want to scroll fanarts or cool original works or whatever - and if someone wants to commission some artz for themselves they can click through to the artist's tumblr for info

i think if you are very lenient with the moderating, tumblr could pull a LOT of the twitter refugees who just need a place to get their work in front of interested people's eyes

[internetgremlin-writes]

IMPORTANT: TUMBLR & FANFICTION

Alright kids, listen up because @staff have pulled off a corker of a hot mess and have decided to add "Community Labels". I guess they've decided we can't be trusted to add our own warnings and people can't make sensible choices with what they engage with.

But why does it matter to me?

Tumblr have made labels AN OPT IN SITUATION which means every single blog here is automatically set to hide any triggering content

If you want to continue to be able to access and read fanfiction PLEASE go into your settings and click "show" on at least the "Mature" and "Sexual Themes" labels!!

ALSO IOS USERS: there's an extra fun "Hide additional content" bit just to really try and block us from any hopes of success. Make sure you opt out of that too otherwise I think content will be blocked on the mobile app!

Attached to this post are screenshots from my settings so you guys know what to look for. I could only find it on my desktop settings and not on the mobile app (for now at least)

[I feel like I should add I don't want to sound like I'm pressuring anyone... if you don't want to see certain content obviously keep it hidden and protect yourselves BUT this post is mainly targeted at the horny little gremlins I write for who will be suddenly deeply confused when their smut supply is cut off]

[picturebird]

Shipping Alastor Hot Tip:

If you want to ship Alastor from Hazbin Hotel with another character, here’s how you can do that while respecting his asexuality. Don’t worry it’s easy!

Figure out under what circumstances he can feel sexual attraction.

Is it only someone he’s closely bonded to? (Demisexuality)

Is it only when he knows they are attracted to him? (Reciprosexuality)

Is it only when he doesn’t have a close bond with someone and it goes away when they get close? (Fraysexuality)

You don’t have to use micro labels (labels can be problematic at times) but looking into the ace umbrella is definitely important. If you’re writing a fic, all you need is one sentence addressing this and then you can move on to the spicy stuff if you want to. It’ll make whatever relationship you’re writing even more special!

Here’s a link:

There’s been a lot of stress in the fandom over shipping Alastor and I think it’s mostly a misunderstanding (sadly not entirely at times).

People should be able to ship who they want, but ace people (who don’t have a lot of media rep) shouldn’t be erased. It can be hard when you love a character who’s like you and all the content you see about them is taking away that one thing you have in common. At times, that dismissal can feel like hate. But it is completely understandable if you find joy/pleasure in specific ships and want to express those feelings. I’m sure aegosexuals and fictosexuals (also ace) can relate to that too. Finding that balance is something the queer community as a whole is still working on.

Just be kind, be respectful and remember a character being ace doesn’t take away anything it only adds to them.

It’s not a restriction. It’s an opportunity :)

Have fun!

PS please reblog so more of the fandom gets this

[balladofhollisbrown]

"The Need For Topical Music", written by Phil Ochs

Before the days of television and mass media, the folksinger was often a traveling newspaper spreading tales through music. 

It is somewhat ironic that in this age of forced conformity and fear of controversy the folksinger may be assuming the same role. The newspapers have unfortunately told the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the cold war truth so help them, advertisers. If a reporter breaks the "code of the West” that used to be confined to Hoot Gibson movies, he’ll find himself out on the street with a story to tell and all the rivers of mass communication damned up. 

The folksingers of today must face up to a great challenge in their music. Folk music is an idiom that deals with realities and not just realities of the past as some would assert. More than ever there is an urgent need for Americans to look deeply into themselves and their actions and musical poetry is perhaps the most effective mirror available. 

I have run into some singers who say, “Sure, I agree with most topical songs, but they're just too strong to do in public. Besides, I don't want to label myself or alienate some of my audience into thinking I'm unpatriotic.”

Yet this same person will get on the stage and dedicate a song to Woody Guthrie or Pete Seeger as if in tribute to an ideal they are afraid to reach for. Those who would compromise or avoid the truth inherent in folk music are misleading themselves and their audiences. In a world so full of lies and corruption, can we allow our own national music to go the way of Madison Avenue?

There are definite grounds for criticism of topical music, however. Much of the music has been too bitter and too negative for many audiences to appreciate, but lately there has been a strong improvement in both quantity and quality, and the commercial success of songs like “If I Had a Hammer” have made many of the profit seekers forget their prejudices.

One good song with a message can bring a point more deeply to more people than a thousand rallies. A case in point is Pete Seeger's classic “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” which brought a message of peace to millions, including many of the younger generation who do not consider themselves involved in politics.

Folk music often arises out of vital movements and struggles. When the union movement was a growing, stirring and honest force in America, it produced a wealth of material to add to the nation's musical heritage. Today, there regrettably seem to be only two causes that will arouse an appreciable amount of people from their apathetic acceptance of the world; the Negro struggle for civil rights and the peace movement. To hear a thousand people singing "We Shall Overcome" without the benefit of Hollywood's bouncing ball is to hear a power and beauty in music that has no limits in its effect.

It never ceases to amaze me how the American people allow the hit parade to hit them over the head with a parade of song after meaningless song about love. If the powers that be absolutely insist that love should control the market, at least they should be more realistic and give divorce songs an equal chance.

Topical music is often a method of keeping alive a name or event that is worth remembering. For example many people have been vividly reminded of the depression days through Woody Guthrie’s dust bowl ballads. Sometimes the songs will differ in interpretation from the textbooks as with “Pretty Boy Floyd”.

Every newspaper headline is a potential song, and it is the role of an effective songwriter to pick out the material that has the interest, significance and sometimes humor adaptable to music.

A good writer must be able to picture the structure of a song and as hundreds of minute ideas race through his head, he must reject the superfluous and trite phrases for the cogent powerful terms. Then after the first draft is completed, the writer must be his severest critic, constantly searching for a better way to express every line in his song.

I think there is a coming revolution (pardon my French) in folk music as it becomes more and more popular in the U. S., and as the search for new songs becomes more intense. The news today is the natural resource that folk music must exploit in order to have the most vigorous folk process possible.

(Broadside #22, March 1963)

[wwdits-kink-meme]

WWDITS KINK MEME

Why not start a revival? Send in your prompts!!

This is an experimental format, so hopefully it works out!

SUBMIT A KINK MEME

FAQ (also under cut for mobile users)

What is a kink meme? Basically a public (usually nsfw) prompt, popularized on Livejournal. One person will throw out an idea that they don’t or can’t fulfill themselves in the hopes that it will spark creativity in someone else! A kink meme can be as simple as pairing + trope, or a full well-thought-out AU!

How do I submit a kink meme? Use the ask button on this blog and it will go into the queue! You can submit anonymously (traditional), but it will be posted either way - make sure you click anonymous if you don’t want your face on it!

How do I fill a kink meme? Any way you like! You can write a fic directly in the reblogs, post it on another site and provide a link, or even post a 32 part series in the replies! We just ask that you link the prompt on your creative piece and/or reblog the submission with your piece included or linked (whichever applicable). If you are putting an explicit fill in reblogs, please remember to add a community label if the original post does not already have one!

Can I fill/submit an NSFW prompt if I am under 18? NO!!!!!!!! Doing so not only endangers you, but the adults in fandom, as well. We can’t stop you from seeking out certain content if you want to see it, but you should not be interacting directly with adults on sexual topics.

Can I fill a prompt with art? Absolutely! If your craft is drawing, painting, crocheting, stop-motion, needlepoint, cosplay, etc etc etc and you are inspired by a kink meme, we encourage you to participate! We also encourage adding alt text to any images.

What content do you allow in submissions? All kinks are welcome - yes, even that one. We will reject submissions that are not WWDITS-based, are hateful in some way, or appear to be submitted in bad faith. Venting, character-bashing, or incomprehensible prompts will be deleted. Transphobia, racism, homophobia, antisemitism, ableism, etc will get you blocked. Due to the limitations of the mods, we are currently only accepting submissions in English or Spanish.

How are kink memes tagged? Tags will include any and all pairings, kinks, applicable tropes, and potentially triggering content to the best of our ability. If we have missed something or you would like to request a certain trigger tag, send us an ask! We cannot guarantee that we will be able to tag for everything, however, and it is important to remember to protect yourself and your online experience. Submissions with explicit language will have community tags attached.

Can I submit SFW prompts? Of course! Despite the name, kink memes aren’t just for porn.

Can I submit prompts with characters from the WWDITS movie, too? Absolutely!

Can I submit prompts with my OC? No, but not because we don’t like your OC - we just don’t know them! These prompts are for someone else to fill, so it has to include characters they know.

Can I submit reader-insert or y/n prompts? Yes, as long as the other characters are from WWDITS!

Can I submit RPF prompts? No, as we prefer that this kink meme focus on the characters in the show rather than the actors who play them. However, celebrities who have appeared in the show as themselves count as characters and are fair game (within reason)!

Can I submit crossover prompts? Yes, under certain conditions. This is a WWDITS kink meme, and we want to ensure those characters have the spotlight! So if your prompt is mostly about the crossover property, or if the WWDITS character is simply one of a medley of different characters, it may be rejected. No Harry Potter, please.

Can I make my own kink meme for a different fandom using this blog as a template? Of course! We encourage this - please bring kink memes back to fandom!!

Who are the mods? Just some adult fans who long for the insanity that was LJ back in the day.

Mod the Impaler - they/them ModMilla - she/her

[thefirstknife]

Since tensions and emotions are super high, I know people default to drastic measures and worst case scenarios, but I would like to remind everyone that there are still people working at Bungie.

A lot of comments online right now act as if there's no one there anymore and that it's totally okay to burn everything to the ground. But there are still employees there who are facing an incredibly difficult situation and they don't need the community to talk about it all as if they've all died.

It's not helping them or their laid off colleagues to talk about the game they work on as if it's gone and over. They still work on the game and that work will be difficult for them, emotionally and physically. I'm sure it's also not good to be the remaining employee and hear how your work is now worth nothing and "will suck" and be "soulless" because some of their coworkers are gone. It's literally the last thing they want to hear in a situation of complete demoralisation. It's not respectful to them or to the people laid off. This is a massive group project. There isn't a single person responsible for the soul of the game, all of them are. Some of them are gone, but many are not.

Many of the devs that we know and love are still there and will be still working on the game. We should respect their work instead of preemptively calling it soulless. Obviously the game will not be the same. That's not the main issue here. The main issue is that there are still developers who have jobs and who would probably like to keep those jobs and who still care deeply about their work and are passionate about the game and its community. So just be mindful of how you talk and engage with the situation. The remaining devs will have a tough time, especially with motivation and morale going forward; we don't have to add to it by labelling their efforts worthless. Most of all, they will for sure be overworked and understaffed and they don't need added difficulties and demands thrown on them.

[blueywrites]

4/19 UPDATE

As of now, all blogs that interacted with the illegal content discovered on Monday have been blocked by me and will never be unblocked. If you see someone you expect to be blocked interact with my blog content, it is an unintentional oversight on my part - please DM me and let me know. There were over 400 URLs in total across multiple posts (some repeated), and I may have missed someone.

I will now be beginning to vet my followers. If you are an adult follower of mine and you do not have your age or age range in your description or pinned post, you will be blocked. There will be no exceptions to this.

Please make sure to allow Mature Content to be shown under your Account settings before Friday 4/21, otherwise, my explicit 18+ content will be hidden and inaccessible to you.

I greatly admire all in this community who have spoken up and continue to take measures to protect adult spaces from minors and, by doing so, help to protect our vulnerable children.

Bluey 💙🌻

As I'm sure many of you are aware, there have been some concerning situations brought to light in the fandom these past couple of days. Many writers like myself are concerned about how people - specifically minors - are interacting with our work that has been clearly labeled 18+.

If you are an adult follower of mine, I want to make you aware of some changes I will be implementing to my blog this week so you don't miss out on my content. If you are a minor, remove yourself immediately from my blog before I do it for you.

First, I want to be clear on my stance in terms of the vile, horrifying content that came to light yesterday. It does not matter to me whether someone interacted with that content purposely or, as some claim, mistakenly. Everyone who has liked or commented on those posts that were tagged with illegal content will be or has already been blocked by me, and I will not be reconsidering this. At the very least, this should be taken as a lesson in being conscientious about what content you attach yourself to without fully reading it. I will be taking this action based on factual, reliable information. It is not a witch hunt.

Second, since the moment I first created this blog, it has been labeled 18+ only because I do not want anyone under the age of eighteen to interact with any of my writing or blog content. As a former educator, I know that kids don't always make the best decisions and will ignore our wishes, so I will be implementing the following changes that may impact you as an adult interacting with my blog.

I will not be fulfilling anonymous requests for smut prompts submitted in response to my 1k fic prompts entries from last month. If you want to resubmit your request off anon, you are more than welcome to.

My writing with sexually explicit content will be community-marked as sexually explicit starting Friday, 4/21. If you do not have 'Mature Content' in the community labels set to 'Show' under your Account settings, you will no longer be able to see much of my writing. If you want to continue reading my stories that have sexually explicit material in them, you will need to adjust that setting.

I will be removing all blank blogs and all underage blogs from my followers starting today. If you are an adult and you do not have your age listed in your blog, you will be removed. Please add your age or age range if you do not want to be removed. This will take time, but if you are a minor and you are following me, I will find you and I will remove you. If you'd like to see yourself out, please be my guest.

I will no longer be compiling tag lists. If you want to read a story of mine, please follow me if you are an adult. I typically announce drop dates and reblog several times, so you are likely not to miss it. If you are concerned about missing a drop, DM me directly.

While I know that some of these changes are inconvenient, it is important to me to maintain a blog that is a safe, comfortable place for all adults.

Thank you for bearing with me on this. This is a fandom full of many special readers and creators who love a very wonderful and special character, and I want to keep it that way. 🌻💙

[grimmkinkmeme]

Welcome to the Grimm Kink Meme

Doing our part to reintroduce kink memes to the fandom ecosystem!

Credit to @wwdits-kink-meme for the idea and for their generosity in allowing other fandoms to use their blog as a template to start additional kink memes!

SUBMIT A KINK MEME HERE

FILL A PROMPT HERE

This post will be updated with frequently used tags for ease of navigation on mobile.

Questions? Check out our FAQ! (also under the cut for mobile users)

What is a kink meme? A kink meme is a public (usually nsfw) prompt thread, originally popularized on LiveJournal. One person will throw out an idea that they don’t or can’t fulfill themselves in the hopes that it will spark creativity in someone else. A kink meme can be as simple as pairing + trope, or a full well-thought-out AU.

How do I submit a kink meme? Use the ask button on this blog and it will go into the queue! You can submit anonymously (traditional), but it will be posted either way - make sure you click anonymous if you don’t want your face on it!

How do I fill a kink meme? Any way you like! Submissions are open for you to submit your prompt fills directly to this blog, but you can also do any of the following:

Reblog the ask post and put your fill in the body of the reblog

Make your own original post on tumblr and link back to the original prompt post

Post your prompt fill to AO3 or another fanfic archive and post a link on tumblr

Whatever you do, we just ask that you link the prompt on your creative piece and/or reblog the submission with your piece included or linked (whichever applicable). If you are putting an explicit fill in reblogs, please remember to add a community label if the original post doesn’t already have one!

Can I fill/submit an NSFW prompt if I am under 18? No, you should not do this. Doing so not only endangers you, but the adults in fandom as well. We can’t stop you from seeking out certain content if you want to see it, but you should not be interacting with adults on sexual topics.

Can I fill a prompt with art? Absolutely! If your craft is drawing, painting, crocheting, stop-motion, needlepoint, cosplay, etc. and you are inspired by a kink meme, we encourage you to participate! We also encourage adding alt text to any images.

What content do you allow in submissions? All ships and kinks are welcome - yes, even that one. Prompts not related to Grimm will be rejected. Venting, character-bashing, or incomprehensible prompts will be deleted. Transphobia, racism, misogyny, homophobia, antisemitism, Islamophobia, or ableism will get you blocked.

How are kink memes tagged? Tags will include any and all ships, kinks, applicable tropes, and potentially triggering content to the best of our ability. If something is missing or you would like to request a certain trigger tag, send an ask! Every possible trigger may not be tagged for, however, so it’s important to remember to protect yourself and your online experience.

Can I submit SFW prompts? Of course! Despite the name, kink memes aren’t just for porn.

Can I submit prompts with characters from the Grimm tie-in novels, comics, and games, too? Of course!

Can I submit prompts with my OC? No, but not because there’s anything wrong with OCs! These prompts are for someone else to fill, so it has to include characters they know.

Can I submit reader-insert or y/n prompts? Yes, as long as the other characters are from Grimm!

Can I submit crossover prompts? Not at this time.

Can I make my own kink meme for a different fandom using this blog as a template? This kink meme was created using the WWDITS Kink Meme as a template with permission of the generous mods as stated in their FAQ. I encourage you to check out their kink meme if you’d like a thorough starting point!

Who are the mods? Right now this blog is run by Jujubiest, one lone Grimmster who misses LiveJournal kink memes. If at some point we have additional mods, we will list them here.

[ohtobeleah]

I wish that you and some other writers with highly disturbing subject matter would use the mature label on stories. I am over 18 but even seeing some of the trigger warnings for child abuse and things really upset me. I filter out mature themes for this reason on purpose. Sorry but so frustrated.

Dude, there really isn’t any winning is there. Block my account. Just block it. Because every single thing I write is for mature audiences. It is not my responsibility to curate your experience.

This is getting ridiculous.

Why is it that other authors get away with just tagging their work with AND I QUOTE. “Angst, Smut, Fluff” And don’t get dragged through the damn mud for being specific? Why is it that I, who makes sure to be as specific with my warnings and triggers as I can be—am still being criticised for not using a mature content warning system? That’s restrictive to authors and minimises potential reader reach?

You know me right? You follow my blog? You know the type of content I’m known for? And you still willingly choose to follow me. Again, it is not my job or my responsibility to sensor content and what you come into contact with on the internet. That is your job: So I encourage you to continue blocking tags, trigger words and possibly even just add my name to the list. Because you can do that. You can add creators names.

I don’t want to add a community label to my work, it restricts the reach my work can go. It restricts what tags it can show up in. Why should I have to be punished and restricted from sharing my work that I work hard on for free because some people don’t like the content.

Authors who publish hard copies don’t get this amount of backlash. They don’t do trigger warnings or have community labels and they certainly don’t have to censor their work for the purpose of coddling others.

That’s why I heavily suggest not reading past the triggers if it’s something that affects you.

[sleepystrawberrybunny]

i feel like opening up about something that happened.. kinda ranty, pretty queer.

i'm following a course at uni called 'psychology for intercultural communication' and the main focus is prejudice studies (the irony of it all). my professor - she's not queer, she's cis and hetero - asked how come gen Z in particular feels the need to use and create so many different labels for their identity, especially queer people. she didn't use a judging or mocking tone, she had genuinely curiosity, more the spirit of a scholar who wants to understand a certain thing, you know? so that felt a bit reassuring.

no one responded in the beginning (we were like 50/60 people in total in that room). then a girl opened up about being poly - she's cis hetero though - and how she partecipated on a podcast with a queer friend and they talked about asexuality, something she didn't know existed. other people started to mumble, the professor and her assistant asked what it meant. they didn't know what asexual was, let alone aromantic or other more "obscure" identities.

as queer myself - currently identifying as demiromantic bisexual - my mind had instinctively started to form an answer to give from my point of view.. but then i got incredibly anxious to talk because, not only i have anxiety and even though i push myself to intervene when i feel the need to - not doing it and regretting it later feels worse most of the time - it's still hard, but how the situation got made me feel so alone.

even though i wasn't going to come out to the entire class - i'm a very private and reserved person in general, i prefer to keep these things to myself and my inner circle.. i also experienced bullying as a kid and as a teenager so there's trauma fear that comes with that as well - exposing myself got even scarier.

in my daily real life i'm very alone in my queer identity. i don't really know many queer people, i'm surrounded by people with a conforming identity, and those few queer i know i don't have a close enough bond with. sure, i have my group of close friends that are really accepting... but i don't have an explicitly queer safe net for my queer identity to run to and talk to about my feelings and experiences as a queer person that talks with other queer people who can understand and sympathise with me. i dream of that. of an heartstopper kind of thing.

i also realised how much i actually consume and live on the internet. for me all the words and definitions and labels felt so familiar and natural because of how used i am to come in contact with them daily through the internet, but it's not the same for the majority of people even of my own generation. it was kind of alienating realising of how much i've been living inside my own bubble.

if it wasn't for the internet, it very much probably would have take me a longer time to find out that my feelings, behaviour and experiences meant, in fact, being attracted to girls the same way i am to boys, and it wasn't just "how female friendships are". i was so confused and lonely in my feelings, but then internet showed me that it's something that's real and has a name, and that people like me exist out there.

in that class maybe there is someone like me, queer and with an answer to give but too scared to do it, who knows. and maybe one of us should have courageously opened up for us to find eachother. maybe it was a missed opportunity.

i'm writing this here and not only in my journal because i think i'm hoping for more queer people to answer and share their experiences, if they feel like it of course. i'm in need of feeling less alone i guess, even if it's through the internet again, but it's the only outlet i have for it atm.

(i should probably add that i live in a town in the countryside in italy, and currently it's not very easy for me to often reach bigger cities, so it's easier to get lonely)

[evergreensanctum]

I don't know about you guys... but I'm tired of winter. I think it's time to do a little spring cleaning in my house. The ins and outs, the ups and downs.... wait, what was I talking about?

Right! It's time for our next task!

While you're spring cleaning, or bribing a Brownie to do the cleaning for you (We recommend Sweeping Beauty Brownies on the South end of town), we would love to know more about where each of our residents call home!

This is a creative task, so you are welcome to do this in any way you see fit. You can provide us with a mood board, a pinterest board, a self para with a descriptive walk through, a sims walk through video tour, the possibilities are endless. We just want to know where your muse lives, and want to see that you've put in some effort.

There are some important elements that are needed to be included, please click the read more for your complete instructions.

IMPORTANT: If your character lives with other characters, everyone in the house must have input on this task. I would prefer if everyone in the house made a post of some sort related to the task. I recommend collaborative pinterest boards to discuss thoughts with pictures more easily, but the way you do this is up to you.

Now, for the criteria that we require:

First, please choose a district for your character to live in and make sure that that's clearly labeled. If you need a remider of the districts:

To the north of town will be more modern homes and our more upscale shopping. meraki station is located here, so if you plan to travel frequently, you should accustom yourself with this area.

to the east, we have a more victorian and edwardian style residential area along with smaller shops and a cozy down town area.

to the west, we have mid century architecture, along with many dining and communal areas.

to the south, we have lower income housing, apartments, townhouses, etc… along with a rich natural area. please be wary of the forest and the waters in this area after dark. cryptids aren’t cryptic in the safety of evergreen.

Second, I know that asking for a whole house is a lot, but I do expect to see at least the main rooms, and one area that means something to your character (ie. kitchen, living room, and bedroom for your main rooms, then show me an office or some sort of personalized area in one of those rooms for the bare minimum - what makes your character's house a home?).

Anything you add beyond that is up to you, but I really want to see you guys put some work into this. Show me who your character is, what they collect, what their comfort area is like. Show me where they wind down after a hard day. The level of detail you put into this is up to you, but the more you give, the more character development you get to work on and we all love that.

This task is due by 11:59pm on March 8th!!!

Anyone who completes this task will get a special benefit when our Renaissance Faire comes to town in a little while

....who said that?

[caspersickfanfics]

I noticed that I refer to Cyno/Tighnari as "partners" in my fics and I have been trying to figure out why. At first I thought I'm probably like that with every character relationship but that isn't the case. I think the Link Click guys could be boyfriends. I think Kaveh and Alhaitham should be boyfriends and maybe probably were when they were students. I imagine they would both like that label. Even thinking back to my Haikyuu days, I headcanoned a lot of boyfriend relationships.

So maybe I am just aroace/nb projecting and being weird about labels but I have trouble envisioning Cyno and Tighnari deciding to be boyfriends in the canon universe. I don't imagine them going on dates to feel the relationship out. In my head they went from friends doing friend things like studying/traveling/eating/playing cards together to raising Collei together to friends doing different friend things (maybe romantic ones, depending on your perspective) like cuddling and forehead kisses and freely sharing possessions and placing each others' needs equal to or even before their own and sharing a bed for comfort. Probably making out and beyond, but I simply don't care about all of that, personally. And by that point it simply became "you're my person, I'm you're person."

I think it's something to do with the fact that while I see a stereotypically "romantic" aspect to their relationship (raising a kid, prioritizing each other, etc.), I also think they can't possibly have a stereotypical relationship in canon, considering their jobs. They're both father figures to Collei, but Tighnari lives with her, day in and day out. That's not to say Cyno cares about her any less, but even as a parental figure it's often him communicating through gifts and letters. And when they're together they can be comfortable and feel like a family. Canon-universe Cyno and Tighnari are like long distance husbands to me rather than boyfriends. But I also don't think they would bother to get married; I'm not sure they'd even want their relationship public - I've seen it mentioned in other fics, how that would potentially add a layer of danger for both of them, again considering their jobs. So "husbands" doesn't work, "boyfriends" feels unlikely, and I guess for me, "partners" is the best option.

I'm not sure this makes sense. That's okay. I'm still figuring it out. Also: this is entirely arbitrary and it truly doesn't bother me when people have different opinions, this is really just a practice in understanding my own thoughts about their dynamic and how I convey that in my writing.

[flyin-shark]

I'm the anon who asked all the curious questions about sexuality and gender!

First off, just to answer your question about what it might mean to be "a guy in a girl way" - So this can obviously mean a lot of things for a lot of different people, and if I were to get into the nitty gritty we could be here all day :P

But actually I was trying to express my situation in "cishet" language. So I'm agender. I'm afab. I use he/him and I am most comfortable with being thought of and referred to as if I was a guy.

But for all intents and purposes people are going to assume that I'm a woman if they don't know otherwise. I'm androgynous sure, but I'm petite to a fault, and never transitioned physically in any way, so to most people who meet me casually, they will assume that I'm a slightly androgynous and gnc woman.

I am polyamorous, and one of my partners is a mostly cishet dude. I know that he most likely wouldn't be (sexually) into me if I was a cis guy. But then again, I am not a cis guy. And I don't question his love or attraction, or respect for my gender. But I do insist that him being with me makes him at least "a little bit bisexual".

It's obviously very complicated, and like. I really respect that you sat down and learned about the community and the terminology etc despite how it might not be a huge part of your life. That's very valuable, and in and of itself, it's a very refreshing and healing thing.

I think the value of allyship is too often understated. Up to and including by the notion that if you are a true ally, you must be some kind of queer in denial.

That said, I do think that to be a true ally (and I think you are in this process!) it's necessary to acknowledge (as you do) that the categories and labels are all just approximations. This includes "cis het". It's ok to have these moments of confusion and just take them for what they are, because at the end of the day human experience is messy and complicated. It doesn't have to threaten your identity as such, because the identity is just the label you currently feel comfy with.

So for example if we met and you didn't know me well (as a co-worker or whatever), you might find me attractive thinking I was a cute lady. If you then asked me out and I knew you were cishet I would probably gently explain that I'm not your type/it wouldn't work for me.

If you met me knowing beforehand that I'm a dude who looks a bit weird, you might not feel the same attraction because your brain has put me in the box of "dudes".

But then if you got to know me and we became close or something, you might start to feel attraction based on liking me as a person and me looking the way I do. And then you might feel bad for it, because you would feel that this attraction means you don't respect my gender or something.

Obviously we are likely not going to meet so that's a completely hypothetical example, but in the latter scenario I would actually take your attention way more seriously. And I think so should you (if a similar situation ever arose).

Because attraction based on knowing a person intimately transcends gender and at that point I wouldn't care so much that you wouldn't be physically attracted if I was a cis guy. I'd be like, well he knows me and I know him, we like each other, and if we get to add freaky sex to the mixture it's a win-win.

Because misgendering is more about dehumanizing. The need to reduce me to my physical body. Somehow?

Anyways I'm literally rambling and I'm being embarrassing all over your inbox, sorry ^^""

Anyways uhhh. Keep swimming, little shark. I will shut up, sorry

Honestly these discussions just make me want to abolish gender. Everyone should just be attracted to whoever and have consensual relations with whoever :3

In the meantime I’ll keep trying to be as good an ally as I can be

[peppertaemint]

Dear Peppertaemint,

This unnecessary mess with Taemin and fan behavior has made me think about different levels of disclosure within the fandom community, the industry, if there are limits and who should be aware of them. I have some questions, more like openings to get some food for thought because I don't think there's some definitive answer to this.

Do you think an idol should be more careful when they disclose information regarding career management? I couldn't help but think of a similar situation with Jimin when he casually revealed in an interview with Japanese media that BH considered having a music video for the entire album an unreasonable request. That led to uproar and I admit I was surprised and angry myself. But then again, Jimin didn't elaborate more on that aspect and the matter hasn't been brought up again. I believe that the situation with Taemin is sort of similar, as in he made a statement on a live stream which was taken as an indication of mismanagement by SM. Do you take they should be more careful on how idols phrase their statements? Perhaps either elaborate more, knowing how the fandoms are behaving lately? Should they take that into consideration? Or perhaps they have no part in how fans are reacting?

Hi @reflections-in-a-critical-eye <3 I love that you sent an official Ask, lol.

I've been thinking about this since the mess started, and although it is complicated, I think it's a mix of pervasive low EQ as well as the Western savior complex at play.

It would be a shame if artists felt they couldn't share what they already do with us. I appreciate Taemin's honesty, even if it creates chaos. I wouldn't want him to stop being himself because of fan behavior. Apparently, that's what happened with NCT Ten due to fan behavior, and now he barely comes to Bubble or anywhere to speak to fans. :( And we know Jimin really limits what he shares, too, so we wouldn't want that relationship damaged further.

What I think is required is EQ on behalf of the fans. This feels silly to write, but it's sort of EQ 101 that is helpful for everyday life. Emotions can be contagious and some people are more prone to catching them than others. Having healthy boundaries means not accepting everyone else's emotions. If an artist says "I'm upset" that doesn't mean you have to take on that upset.

Another part of EQ, complicated by social media, is how we interpret each other's emotions. In-person, someone can say, "I'm disappointed by this," and as the listener, we're using verbal and non-verbal cues to understand the full meaning of what is being said. How upset is the person, how much has it affected them, do they seem okay, are they sharing to unburden themselves, does the issue seem resolved? These are all questions that often go through a person's head when they're confronted with someone sharing their thoughts and feelings. When this happens in person, it's a natural process for most of us.

When we're encountering a piece of media, for some, it's much harder to engage in these EQ processes. When Taemin sends Bubble messages, unless he adds a specific marker of tone (like the Korean "haha" or "keke" or some other emoji or face), it's up to us to interpret the extra bits. We don't know if he was crying while sending these messages or playing Nintendo or something, totally fine (I don't think he was crying, btw; I am just using that as an example!).

I'm not sure what Jimin's non-verbal communication was when he dropped the bit about the label denying him music videos for all songs on his album. If he was smiling while saying it, that would be a signal that although a disappointment, what happened is okay. When Taemin said he was disappointed, he wasn't sad or distraught. Those non-verbal cues told me that, although it wasn't what he'd hoped for, things were okay and this wasn't something to dwell on. Instead, many people latched onto his disappointment and took an emotion that maybe seemed to be at like, an intensity of 3 (to me) and ratcheted it up to a 10. This isn't good for anyone, and especially not him.

The other side of this is fan as a Western savior (colonialist!). It's a constant issue when it comes to international fans of Kpop, many who are Western and perceive that Western ways are superior, and that success in the West is of greater value than success in any part of Asia. They also feel that they "know better" than industry people in SK (and often even their artist!), and that they must demonstrate activism on social media to "save" their artist.

A good example of this is that even when international SHINee fans were confronted with K fans asking them to stop engaging in online activism about Taemin's performances because it would be damaging to him to continue, they did not stop. Being confronted with cultural context (K fans were explaining that what they were doing wasn't good culturally and was reflecting poorly on him), they did no self-reflection but carried on, trying to "save" their artist.

There are a lot of nuances of Korean culture that feel counterintuitive to non-Koreans. I had a Korean friend tell me that I should use filters on my thoughts and opinions in writing so people understand clearly that I'm stating my thoughts and opinions, such as "I think that..." etc. At the time, I thought it was odd and a misunderstanding of rhetorical writing (LOL, me being an asshole), but later in my study of the Korean language, I learned that this is how people are expected to express thoughts and opinions in Korean and the language is set up to enable this. It's considered impolite or aggressive to use different constructions. So, in this way, I'm not surprised that international fans struggle to understand the Korean perspective. It's subtle and nuanced and might feel counterintuitive to them depending on their home culture.

There is one other facet to consider, and that's just plain bias. We are biased toward our favorites and want them to have everything. And how dare anyone not give them exactly what they want. Fans are like out-of-control parents at their worst, lol. So, even if a calm and perfectly fine Taemin says "I'm disappointed because of X", a swathe of people will go into crazy mommy mode. Give my baby boy everything!!!

Anyway, this is probably a too-long reply, but this is my take on what's happening here. I don't think idols need to change their behavior, even if part of me thought, Taemin, you've really done it now. LOL. There is a fundamental difference between sharing honest emotions and fans struggling to parse them versus situations where bullying and harassment are thanked or congratulated (RM), or someone saying they received death threats from fans is met with silence (BTS). Even though Taemin's words did spark the fan debacle, he still took responsibility for it all and spoke about Yeonjun when his junior was being slammed online. While it's true he made no mention of the girl group who covered Guilty, I think he mentioned Yeonjun specifically because of the fan's bad behavior.

Jimin may have deserved an infinite budget for his debut album, and I certainly would have loved to see more beautiful, dance-focused MVs from him, especially in a larger project a la Lemonade. But, that wasn't in the cards this time, for whatever reason. It's understandable to be disappointed by this. If I heard Taemin wanted a visual album and didn't get it, I'd be so sad. But I guess there is a final EQ point to be made. Just because we feel sad or angry, as you mentioned, that doesn't mean we have to act on it... Were you secretly emailing expletive-laden missives to Big Hit, hmm? Did you launch "akgae" campaigns online against other BTS members in hopes that they'd be sidelined so Jimin could get a bigger budget? Do you have a secret DC Gallery account?

[ren-c-leyn]

December Book Dragon Challenge

 Hello, hello, as you all might have seen floating around, I will be running a writeblr reading challenge in December.

 What is the December Book Dragon Challenge?

 In short, it’s a challenge designed to encourage engagement with people’s writing within the writeblr community.

 Why should I join it?

 Everyone who succeeds at my challenge gets art of at least one OC, people who super succeed get even more art of their characters, you may also find new stories you love or make more writer friends as you hunt around for good work to read, it’ll help spread around writing by our fellow writers and connect them with people who might not have otherwise found them, and I believe that all of us getting into the habit of engaging with each other’s work a little more frequently will be a good thing for the community as a whole.

 What are the rules?

 The rules are quite simple ^^

 Starting December 1st 2022, anyone who succeeds at my challenge to read and reblog short stories/wips snippets/poetry will receive art of one of their OC or OCs of their choosing. What kind of art/how many pieces depends on which goal tier you reach.

 To qualify for these prizes, you most follow the following rules for all of the tiers. Be sure to read them thoroughly or you won’t be able to claim the prizes. -

1. You must reblog all of the writing you read and leave a thoughtful comment of at least 3 sentences on each of these reblogs. I will be checking these before handing out prizes, so don’t skip this step.

2. Regardless of which tier goal you are aiming for, your reblogs must include works from at least 12 different writeblrs.

3. Writers who are on the opt out list, found at the bottom of this post beneath the readmore, will not count. Any stories/poems/snippets by them will not be added to your goals nor will they count as one of the 12 authors. I will be double checking this, so please respect their wishes.

4. Please copy and paste links to each of your reblogs and keep them saved. At the end of the event, you may either create a post with these links and tag me in it or share a google spread sheet with me for them.

5. In case something happens to where you saved your links or other unforseen circumstances where you can’t get me a list of your reblogs, please put #december-book-dragon-challenge in the tags of your reblogs so I can quickly find your reblogs for the challenge in your archive.

6. If you are a writer and would like to invite people to read your stuff for the challenge, you may make a post doing so under the #december-book-dragon-challenge tag. However, I encourage you to make sure that you have your writings properly tagged for content warnings and have the appropriate community labels active for smut and other sensitive topics beforehand. And please make sure you have plenty of writing for them to sort through ahead of time. I also have a writeblr list here that you may add yourself to for people to find - https://www.tumblr.com/ren-c-leyn/697902223446982656/december-book-challenge-writers-list?source=share

7. If you are a writer and would rather not have your works reblogged for the purposes of the challenge, please contact me with your writeblr’s blog name and I’ll add you to the opt-out list at the bottom of the page.

 As a reminder, the writing content that counts for this challenge is short stories, poems, WIP snippets, and chapters of a continuing story in the writeblr community. Moodboards, character introductions, and the like will not count.

 What are the goals and the prizes?

 Ah, yes, the best part of the event ^^

  If you reach the first tier - 21 different poems/stories/snippets by at least 12 different writers (only one a day for three weeks) you’ll win a drawing of one OC from the neck/top of the shoulders up.

  If you manage to to do 42+ stories/snippet/poems you will win two OC drawings (they can be of different characters or the same one), and they will be at least from the hip up.

  And if you go full book dragon mode and manage to do 84, four times the original goal or 4 poems/snippets every day for three weeks, you win a group picture of 3 to 5 of your original characters of your choosing as well as a solo full-body drawing of an OC of your choice. 

 I will have to request that you be patient with me, as depending on how complex people’s OC designs are and what’s going on with my life, these drawings can take me several hours and/or multiple days each.

 After I verify that you have beaten my challenge, I will contact you regarding your character(s). The more references/accurate descriptions you can give me of what your character looks like, the closer I can get to what you’re picturing, so please have those ready.

 Some notes regarding the art prizes -

 * It has to be your own original character(s), no fan art of characters from other people’s works.

 * I will not be doing anything NSFW or gory. I am also personally not comfortable doing anything horror related, such as demons, ghosts, ect.

 * Some details/poses may simply be out of skill level but I will try my best to get it as close as I can.

 * These will just be character art, so sadly no backgrounds will be added. Depending on the number of people who complete the challenge, they may just be black and white sketches as well.

 * These will all take me quite a bit of time to complete, so I will ask that you please be patient with me as I work on the prizes. I will try to keep everyone updated on where I’m at with their prize(s), however.

 I have had some artists volunteer to help out with the art early in the event’s planning, but most of them weren’t sure if they could commit to it then. If you are one of those lovely people and still have the time/spoons available to give me a hand, I appreciate it greatly. Feel free to contact me near the end of December and we’ll iron the details out.

 The Opt Out List - Please respect these writers’ wishes and don’t reblog their work for the challenge:

aninkwellofnectar

eccaiia