#not that i Want them to do asian history because i think that might just turn out bad

[spacecravat]

for good omens s3 i hope we get to see crowley with REALLY long hair, waist length or longer. just luxurious long locks pooling around him

[jellitchi]

vat7k designs in my head...

i thought their canon designs were a eensy weensy bit Unpolished so i made these mostly for myself. erm if u rly want it i think varian is 19 here, hugo 19, nuru 18, yong 12.

i also made rhem all playlists and had to draw them a cover so thats what the last img is I linked each of em under my notes for all of em... Under the cut is Like a Huge Infodump of notes i have for each chara,,,,,,

i kept varians design basically the same, i dislike the design w the orange neck thing so i just Nuked it😭... Here's Varians playlist

Hugos design i just wanted to put him in something more Loose. hes a thief, a professional escape artist. i dont think wearing clunky metal is ideal for him. i also gave him a prosthetic arm (blond w no arm design trope!) but u cant see it in the ref so i added another drawing of him in his under layering👍 i vaguely referenced russian(?) clothes for him as well... Yeah not too much changed w him i just tried to make him slippery-er. Here's Hugo's playlist

yong came relatively easy to me, if it wasn't obvious i did rip gaming from g*nshin's hoodie. i thought the lion hood was Adorable and freaking perfect for what i had in mind for hos character. since the og notes said the fire kingdom is loosely Chinese inspired i basically just kept that. i mashed tgt a buncha diff dynasties though sorry for how inconsistent i was... i think he looks Okay. anyways i changed yongs role a bit, ill explain why im adjusting some of their roles later but i kept yong as the Jinx Type character. hes the eldest in his family and has a buncha younger siblings, hes a lion dancer and does performances w his family/siblings. he rly like special effects n keeps tryna incorporate his fireworks into their performances (it flops and he has to sew up the dmg) ill explain more of yongs role in another post maybe shrugs... Here's Yong's Playlist

miss nuru was a bit of a struggle for me i might share my full design process with her coz i did a Bunch of mockups for her😭😭😭... i didnt have a specific country of reference for her but i chose to make her vaguely south asian inspired. i also really wanted to keep the sheer fabric w the star / constellation map. i love that idea its so cute so shes still technically the navigator. but she also wields a sword too, fencing or whatever. (her and varian r Huge Cass fangirls which is probably why she started tryna use a sword (snuck out to watch cass compete) Okay ill talk abt this later) in my head, okay ill Probably make a whole nother post talking abt how im interpreting/writing each chara, but in my head i think nuru is the youngest and her kingdom's archivist. shes mostly in charge of like Her kingdoms history / artifacts / etc. ok im getting too side tracked ill save the lore dump for later but thats Nurus role in the party. Here's Nuru's Playlist

uhm below i made their character stats mostly to help me with planning / role developing. the yellow is their base stats the color behind is their end stats i guess. i was gonna explain my reasoning for their stats but ermm this post is kinda Really long so sorry😭... varian max int for obvious reasons, also max charisma just coz i feel like u kinda learn a thing or two being around a couple manipulators and spending time in jail idk shrugs... (also lets not forget the "ud b surprised what ppl would do for a cookie!") Hugo slippery guy, if a brick is thrown at him as hes running hes gonna try n run faster to shatter it, his mindset is Run Run Run! i think hes relatively agile too but yeah mostly a Speedster. i think he n varian got no Physical strength varian maybe just like A little coz Farm boy but I rly doubt quirin is making him do a Lotta heavy lifting. yong has incredible stamina and agility because hed a performer. nuru is the strongest coz this team would literally Flop without a proper Offense😭... i think varian n hugo r able to outwit plenty of their opponents but i think nuru is pretty good in a fight, same w yong. Yeah Okay Sorry for a Long Long Post thanks hope u guys enjoy

[bengiyo]

Why Do I Tag So Many Creators in My Posts? It’s About Respect

Earlier today I was talking with @sophsloveskpop in the notes of a post, and was asked about all of the interaction between blogs in the posts and essays about the shows. I’ve noticed an uptick in new names interacting with posts (and making great posts of their own!) and wanted to talk about why I do it and why I like fandom on Tumblr.

Fundamentally, I think it’s generally good courtesy to acknowledge when someone else has expressed a similar idea to your, or an idea that intrigues you. I think it’s best to tag that person and link to their post so that others can also experience it. It also opens you up to a dialogue with them and others.

People Like Getting Their Flowers

If someone posts an analysis or even a quirky idea that I felt the need to think about, I will mention them in my posts. None of the great content we get on here is necessarily quick to make. I absolutely love all of the gifmakers who fight against Photoshop, Tumblr, and God Himself to post snippets of shows on here for us. I wouldn’t be able to flesh out some of my posts, illustrates points, or otherwise breakup walls of text without @liyazaki, @wanderlust-in-my-soul, @pharawee, or @gabrielokun. Whenever I can’t find the gif I’m looking for through Tumblr’s terrible gif search, I reach out to one of them for permission to use their gifs directly.

Also, many of us just like being acknowledged that someone we wrote meant something to someone else. Every time I get tagged by someone in an essay I’m like:

It’s a Conversation

I don’t think fandom is about being the smartest person or the most correct person. My basic framework I’m writing from is Black Gay Nerd Who Watches a Lot of Stuff. It’s what I’m most familiar with personally, and I find that people have really responded to that.

I’ve been around for a very long time, and have been seeing folks like @so-much-yet-to-learn around the entire time, who often has more specific information about fandom life during the airing of shows. @absolutebl and @heretherebedork have watched more BL than I have, and I’ve seen at least 250 productions. ABL has some of the most comprehensive posts collecting some of the history.

I made so many friends after diving into @shortpplfedup DMs to talk about sustainable urbanism and bonding over our shared geography. Now we run @the-conversation-pod together. Through them I befriended so many others, like @elnotwoods and @kyr-kun-chan.

I’m not a color theory expert, and so I love reading posts from @respectthepetty and others (I think @sliceduplife writes about color too).

We wouldn't even have my favorite show without @isaksbestpillow.

I know what shows are coming because of @clairificusrex.

I don’t know much about music theory, but @iguessitsjustme write some great stuff about the music in these shows.

I don’t always read the body language of hands as closely as someone like @wen-kexing-apologist might.

I am not Asian, and so I like reading from @waitmyturtles, @telomeke-bbs, and @neuroticbookworm. I know that @recentadultburnout and @airenyah offer useful perspective on Thai language.

Sometimes folks are going to narrow down on specific shows and consistently write about them for years on side blogs like @miscellar.

Some people have studied so much and bring specific academic lenses to the genre that I find compelling, like @emotionallychargedtowel.

In many cases, I just vibe with them really hard, like @ginnymoonbeam.

I actually didn’t always post as much as I do, but I try to keep up my Stray Thoughts project so that people can keep track of what I’m watching. I used to write less meta, but then I befriended @waitmyturtles and @lurkingshan. Any time I say anything remotely thoughtful Shan is like:

Also, though, this is Tumblr! It’s easy to tag each other and link to each other’s posts! This is what makes us different from every

Isn’t It Just More Fun?

I don’t enjoy shows passively. I grew up in a family that watched things together. My mom, dad, sister, and I all have differing tastes from each other, but we watched a lot of different things together. My friends and I discussed the things we watched at school.

I’m a big fan of the water cooler approach to TV show distribution, which basically says you want your show to be the show people are talking about on their breaks at work. I always like Film Crit Hulk’s theory that movies (and our dramas) are the proverbial campfires around which we gather to share ourselves with each other.

This is all supposed to be fun, and I have more fun when we interact. I get tagged daily by @blmpff about updates from sets, or when we all need to rush to IG to make sure Fluke Pongsakorn doesn’t cut his hair. When @bl-bam-beyond makes a new set or post they let me know, and they recently rewatched Noah’s Arc! I made friends with @gillianthecat in the last year or so, and it’s been fun seeing her make her way through fandom. I always get excited with @troubled-mind pings me in a post because I know it’s going to give me something to chew on. I didn’t have a genuine appreciation for kink culture until I watched along with @lutawolf. If something funny is happening in fandom I know @benkaaoi is going to tag me. I still get excited when @heukheuk pops up in my mentions.

I know I’ve probably forgotten so many people alone the way here, and I’m sorry if I didn’t mention you.

Tag Because It’s the Right Thing to Do

So seriously, tag people and link to their posts. Try to use the giffmakers specific tags when you’re using the search feature. Fandom is better when we all interact respectfully and enthusiastically with each other. Tumblr is special because it lets us create goofy little essays like this and tag dozens of people just to get their attention.

If you have a cool thought about a show I’m watching, tag me. If you see something funny, tag me in the comments. If you wanna hash out an idea before posting it, DM me. This is Tumblr. Don’t be shy with your thoughts. It’s okay to be wrong on the internet. It’s actually fun to be wrong on the internet about show predictions!

Thank you as always for coming to my post.

[ubejamjar]

B A S I C S

Name: Ajisai Kawanami

Nicknames:

Aji - Thancred and Alisaie

Aj (not AJ) - Aymeric occasionally in private frequently if they are both inebriated

Little star - Parents. Ajisai uses this as an endearment for children.

Age: Early 30s

Nameday: 7th Sun of the Sixth Astral Moon

Race: Raen Au Ra

Gender: Female

Orientation: Bisexual

Profession: Healer, Warrior of Light

P H Y S I C A L   A S P E C T S

Hair: Naturally straight and deep blue, with lavender at the ends. She keeps it short as a matter of practicality and she doesn’t really know how to care for long hair. It grew out between Heavensward and Stormblood but she cut it just before going to that first meeting in Gridania.

Some kids taught her how to braid and she’s been doing it ever since.

Eyes: Orange-citrine with black limbal rings

Skin: Copper, think Southeast Asian; her scales are white

Tattoos/scars: Ajisai has many, many scars that she keeps covered because she wants to look respectable. One does not simply live a life as a soldier, pirate, and hero and avoid scars. I haven’t decided exactly what scars she has because I haven’t looked into putting them on her.

F A M I L Y

Parents:

-> Kana Kawanami Mother, samurai, former rice farmer and sake brewer, Doman Resistance Fighter.

Currently: Alive and fighting on the Gyr Abanian border under Lord Hien’s command.

-> Tatsuo Kawanami Father, geomancer, former rice farmer and sake brewer, conscripted Imperial healer, presumed dead.

Currently: Alive in Dalmasca (maybe?)

Siblings: None, though she thinks of Lyse, Alphinaud and Alisaie as her little brother and sisters. She adores Thancred as a brother, Y’shtola as an sister.

Grandparents: Murasaki Grandparents: Samurai who lived in Monzen; Kana's estranged parents. They died fighting in the rebellion. They never knew that Kana married, had a child, and lived in Namai.

Takemura: A priest at Shisui who raised Tatsuo as his own son. He was old already when Tatsuo was a child and long dead by present day.

In-laws and Other: The Fortemps: She treats them as extended family though their relationships are complicated. Despite Edmont's fondness for her, Ajisai feels he still holds her responsible for Haurchefant's death.

She is unmarried and unattached though she has romantic feelings for Aymeric (which I wrote an essay about)

Pets: None at the moment

S K I L L S

Abilities: Marksmanship - Great with a gun; refuses to use one ever again

Field Medicine - Aside from her healing magic and botanical knowledge, she is trained in Garlean combat surgery.

Life Sketching - Likes to draw everything she sees in her journals. She carries two at any given time -- one is personal, the other is meant as a gift for Aymeric but who knows if she’ll ever actually give it to him because she wrote a love letter in there.

Hobbies: Reading, specifically books about law and history; astromancy and divination; tea making; drawing; talking entirely too much to strangers; ruin diving; research into ancient civilizations

T R A I T S

Most Positive Trait: Compassion She genuinely cares about the people around her— she wants to do the most good she can do for as many people as she can. It isn’t just about penance, she likes seeing people happy and well.

Most Negative Trait Healing Hubris After years of harsh study and field training, Ajisai believes herself to be the best healer to the point she will not trust other people to heal herself, her companions, or loved ones. She spirals whenever she’s forced to confront the possibility someone might be beyond her abilities (like Haurchefant)

L I K E S

Colors: Summer sky blue, plum purple, lavender

Smells: Cinnamon and clove, sugared pecans, vanilla lavender, freshly baked cookies, pine needles, campfire smoke

Textures: Rough paper, plush blankets, river smooth stones, soft fur

Drinks: Ishgardian tea, hot cocoa, warm milk with honey and cinnamon

O T H E R    D E T A I L S

Smokes: Only to be social

Drinks: Only drinks with Aymeric or alone. She drank heavily after the Vault, along with her sleeping potion use.

Drugs: Used sleeping potions to force herself to sleep and was considering using more… illicit substances to numb the pain before she started napping in the Congregation.

Mount Issuance: Story-wise, Ajisai didn’t join a Grand Company. She just.. wouldn’t leave one military to join another. She took porters and aetherytes until she got Pillion from Haurchefant. She calls him Pillion because Haurchefant said she could ‘ride pillion’, not realizing ‘pillion’ referred to the passenger behind the rider.

Been Arrested: Yes, probably for disturbing the peace in Limsa. Many tavern brawl taken too far, maybe some petty theft and other minor crimes before she got her shit together.

Tagged by: @paintedscales ❤️

Dragging these people into getting arrested with Ajisai: @oh-yeah-no @otherworldseekers @corsair-kovacs @amalthea-felsblood @thewitchofelpis @thevikingwoman @disciple-of-frost @viiioca @sasslett @gatheredfates @pumpkinmagekupo @starres-stuff @khaiens @aislingsurrow

If you were already tagged, consider yourself double-tagged or triple-tagged or—

[wrotelovelytears]

😜P Power😜

Personal... You freaks🧐

Saying this now, unless I specifically GENDER something assume it is automatically gender (and sex) neutral. Gender, sex, and expression are not, and never have been the same.

🤩I think Pluto in Pisces will show both an exasperation and increase focus on mental + spiritual health. Besides the spiritual and metaphysical properties of Pisces, it's also the sign of the unconscious and the fears that we have. Last Pluto in Pisces we saw a lot more asylums built, increased paranoia, and cases of mass hysteria. There was a vast increase in social stigmas related to certain spiritual beliefs and straight up massacres in some areas of the world. Pluto is still a planet of extremes and whatever it gives a boon in socially/ spiritually, it also grants a struggle with on a physical level.

🤩I have no idea if it's because my Pluto is conjunct my Venus, but 10th house Venus definitely have issues with women in authority. It's been a constant theme in my life were women in positions of authority have abused their power and some have even try to sabotage my own endeavors (work wise, socially, even school wise).

🤩Another Pluto/Venus note is that men will have the opposite reaction. They tend to want to give more, be kinder, or over all be more protective over you. It might be that because Venus is a feminine planet and Pluto is the planet of extremes, Women (regardless if they are more masculine or feminine) tend to struggle hiding their feelings towards the native more, while men (regardless... Again), tend to be more expressive around the native and find comfort in that.

🤩The degree of your Saturn shows the personal energies, places and thoughts you may struggle more with.

😍You would look to the sign that's correlated to the degree and the themes it holds for the energy/place/thoughts that bring discomfort.

😍19°-> Since this degree is linked to Libra, one might find that beauty and relationships are a big focal point in their life. They struggle a lot with there perception of: what is beautiful? What is a healthy relationship? Why certain people just don't like them? Might find discomfort in countries (and people from) France, Fiji, Nigeria and Japan.

🤩Since Saturn is exalted in Libra and Japan is ruled by it... it makes sense that looks, rules, and even history is very important to Japan. The whole (mostly) homogenous country is known for geishas (beauty and rules) AND it's part in WW2 or colonization {mostly in the Asian Pacific region} (history).

🤩I now believe Saturn is less about restrictions and more about discomforts. Restrictions straight up not allowing certain things to happen or belong. Discomfort is more our personal view on how something doesn't bring immediate comfort/joy.

🤩Yet another Saturn note, with discomfort brings discipline. To get pass discomfort you must have the discipline to sit with it. You can't ignore it because similar situations will constantly come up. And vice versa with discipline bringing discomfort.

🤩Neptune-Venus placements might find people are really comfortable touching them. Even strangers who have never met them. It could be that these natives don't come off aggressive so people don't see the need to respect their boundaries.

🤩I'm starting to be more convinced of Virgo being a high fame indicator (remember fame isn't always good, nor does it mean celebratory status). Virgo rules over daily activities and work, it just makes sense those who work/ do more in their daily life tend to get recognized more.

😍Also many famous people that are highly loved/known (and still alive) have a ton of Virgo/6th house placements. This also goes for Virgo degrees.

😍Long story short.. Leo is fame that gets recognized more after death, Taurus is fame during and after life, Capricorn is fame before life and a while after it, and Virgo is living fame.

🤩Earth signs and their ability to attract attention is down played a lot. Despite how relaxed they are compared to other signs, they still have a strong presence. And yes it is related to their physical (money, looks, items etc)

🤗Not a complete Astro observation but more of a spiritual one. (You can ignore it if you want)

The ego is not bad nor needs to be destroyed. 🤗The ego is what makes ones personality; the likes, the dislikes, behaviors and fears. To destroy that is to destroy what makes a person an individual. I know it's a popular belief that the ego needs to be changed, and not sorry to say I don't agree. I believe it needs to have things added and taken away at different stages of life. If you destroy it, are you truly the same person?

🤗In astrology the Sun represents the ego. And the Sun is you at your core, your default mode and being (in this lifetime). When we speak on ego deaths it's not you destroying your individual essence, it's you removing the parts that no longer work for you. Ego deaths aren't true deaths if you think about it, it's more of a reawakening to other aspects of your being.

The ego exists to protect, not harm. You are only harmed by it when you don't want to let go of the parts that no longer protect you.

We are all born with the skills and ability to learn more as we age, it is when others tell use certain things aren't useful that we surpress and disengage from them. We are all born with egos and that is what makes us distinct from each other.

🤩I said this in a reply to a question and I'll say it here as well. Venus is the outward feminine expression of a person. Lilith is the inner feminine expression. What I mean by that is Venus is the social and personally accepted displays of femininity (regardless of gender). It's the things people are okay with seeing. Lilith is not the "dark" per say but less socially (and even personally) aspects of femininity. They both exist in all people and both get treated differently by all people.

🤩You might actually see that Venus doms and Lilith doms tend to hang around each other a lot.

🤩That being said they might not always like each other and be envious of how the other is.

(Venus is more accepted in society but jealous of how Lilith doesn't feel the need to have to fit in. Lilith is more expressive of themselves but jealous of how Venus just seems to fit)

🤩Saturn is the outward masculine expression. Chiron is the inner. I know someone is like "Um AchTuallY", and let me explain. Saturn is where we tend to fall in line with what (Western/Westernize) society sees as the masculine role. Saturn nutures but not overindulges. Saturn provides but doesn't overextend. Chiron does the same thing but more gentlely. Chiron nutures all, from what they know. Chiron provides for all, without taking from personal reserves.

🤩Like Venus and Lilith doms, Saturn and Chiron doms might find themselves in the same circles a lot. And of course the jealousy is all the same.

🤩Saturn is naturally given the role of the provider but is jealous of how Chiron wasn't forced and chose to be one. Chiron is naturally a nurturer and stepping stone in life but is jealous of how Saturn gets to stick around to see what the nutured grow.

(If you learned something new or would just like to support me you can leave a wittle tip via the tip button or one of the links in my masterlist. Kofi: nymphdreams🧸)

[elbiotipo]

Someone in the notes on your post about food in fantasy mentioned connection between at least early modern production of sugar and colonialism and slavery, and while I 100% agree that it's something that should be known, I think that if you want to have lighthearted fantasy setting there are definitely ways to work around this.

Like sugar is also produced from sugar beet. I don't know could it be done without modern equipment (production started at the very end of 18th century so while industrial equipment was primitive it was), but like you may do something with it, like some wizards developing production technology.

In the same vein, crop exchange in the Old World was mostly peaceful, or at least it wasn't due to slavery. Like rice was already grown in Egypt in 1000 BCE and made its way to Spain by 7th century CE. Bananas were grown in Turkey by 15th century CE. And tons of agricultural goods come from West Asia both ways. What I am trying to say is that if your world has equivalent of Americas your Europeans* could have just acquired potatoes and corn without colonization (because they were more ethical than irl or because they didn't have resources for conquest or because American nations were strong enough to stop them). Like potatoes and such are just crops, sailors could have picked them as a supplies and then someone decided to grow them at home.

This is like a suggestion specifically if you want to have a world for costume drama without dealing with heavy themes. I would suggest describing it specifically to point that out, and I can't say that it's very politically aware but definitely not worse than "they just have it" or "yes there are overseas colonies but pay it no mind".

*Because that's usually the case in examples that are discussed, from what I heard East Asian fantasy set in East Asia also suffers from this for the same reason, but I didn't read enough of it to say

Let me say you make real good points and I broadly agree with you. I do think the history of colonialism and where our foods came from is important (I do research that so no doubt). And I also agree that sometimes, those themes are too difficult to board properly, especially in a lighthearted story.

However, in fiction, it's not so much that I want people to do more "clean" ways of getting those crops. Many people told me "well, what if they get it through trade, or what if they got it through magical portals and such" my point is not that you find a "colonialist free" way to have potatoes in your setting, my point is that every crop in real life has a history behind them, and when you place them in your setting, I think you should consider that. Not only because you will learn about real life and its history, but also because of the storytelling potential.

I mean, I do have "worldbuilding fundamentalist" in my bio, and I think even if you don't sketch the entire world, you should at least know where your heroes are. Much of modern fantasy loves to adopt the "medieval" aesthetic, while in fact presenting a world with widespread trade, urbanization, a growing artisan class, etc. (I've done a longer rant about it here). Those things aren't just aesthetic choices, they are different societies that have different dynamics and they do affect the kind of plots and characters you might make on them.

I don't think fantasy should shy away from exploring themes such as imperialism and colonialism, trade and politics, intercultural contact and social change. One reason why I'm so insistent with the theme of crops and trade is that it's because it's emblematic of those issues. Sure, you don't want to explain the potatoes or chocolate in your setting, whatever. Don't you WANT to, though? Don't you want to explore beyond the pseudo-medieval aesthetic, and explore what an American or African -inspired setting might look like? Of course, you could and should also make your own new settings, but exploring actual history, geography, biology (at the broadest term, natural history) will make you a better worldbuilder and a better writer, AND also let you learn more about the world.

Sorry if this rant is a bit unfocused, just woke up from a nap after some wine, but this is why I'm so insistent with the stories that can arise just by considering the crops in your setting. Imagine what else can you write.

[fsfghgee]

@antisdonotinteract

(This is all from my perspective and opinions. So, it's not canon but more of what I think. Feel free to disagree! Excuse grammatical error. It was not proof read 😅)

Sometimes I feel like bi-han doesn't exactly hate Tomas. He, himself is afraid to have admit to like Tomas because he thinks that being attached to someone indicates that he'll have a soft spot for them so when he'll lose them, it'll shatter him deeply. Like how kuai Liang was with hirumi, in a way. I feel like Bi han's mindset is that, if he pushed everyone away, he won't have to deal with the grief of losing someone and plus, he needs to be harsh and cold no matter what. Let's not forget that Bi han is a grandmaster, a ruler. No ruler would soft spot can make it out alive in the battle and war. History proves that so bi han is just doing everything to be a good leader to their clan. He's methods are extremely harsh, he is harsh. That's how he got so far up anyways. So he took any chance that indicates the best for his clan. Even if it meant to work with the sorcerer, shang tsung. Sure, he might be greedy or selfish or whatever but I don't think what he did was necessarily from his own wish/emotions but what's best for the clan. Despite him hating their father, he still ended up doing that one thing his father would've wanted which is to rule the clan to success. When their father brought Tomas in as a empathetic way because he was the reason why Tomas's family is dead in the first place, Bi han hated having another competitor. He's already competing with kuai Liang for the role of grandmaster so having some random kid in made it even bothersome for him. Like you said, they probably met when they were teenagers and by then, bi han probably made the mentality of showing emotions as being weak and what not. Basically toxic masculine mindset. Cause I feel like if they met when they were kids, Bi Han would mostly treat Tomas similar to kuai Liang. But since he didn't have any bonds with Tomas since they were kids, he didn't want to just accept someone in. Not only was it dangerous (because chances of Tomas betraying could be high since for the elder god's sake, his father literally killed tomas's family. It's expected if he held a grudge until he knew the lin kuei's secrets to then use it against them.). But with how isolated Bi Han made sure to make himself, it's only expected he wouldn't see Tomas as anything important to him. But deep down, in the feelings and emotions he keeps locked up, he probably cares about Tomas. He just doesn't wanna accept it because he probably hates looking weak. He thinks emotions are probably weak. So he probably doesn't even let himself think through his emotions, just constantly being cold and isolating to not do what he might desire but to do what will end up not leading them killed. In a way, Bi Han absolutely has his own sets of unresolved problems that he most likely doesn't even know nor care about. (Like, therapy? What's that? Absolute nonsense). Very much like an Asian culture mindset. So, yes, I do think Bi Han cares for Tomas as much, he just doesn't want to accept it, because of his own reasons. I'm not saying because he is FORCED to like Tomas. I'm saying because Tomas definitely seemed to idolize Bi Han, therefore do things that would get his attention or something that would Bi Han be proud of and that probably flattered Bi Han, which he'll never admit. Because with the role of grandmaster, of course his loyal servers are gonna be appreciated. 

He says the line "Your blood is not Lin kuei" in a way to "Don't come close to my feelings, I cannot accept them nor can I accept you. I'm doing this so I can lead a successful clan. I cannot allow myself to have emotions like you and kuai Liang as it'll weaken me."

I won't be surprised if all of his "Your blood is not Lin kuei" or any insult against Tomas had more meanings behind them, that Bi Han doesn't want to reveal. He pushes people away, especially Tomas, far away for the sake of not feeling anything.

And I'm not leaving Tomas to be some weak emotional baby. Just because he's nicer than the others does not mean he's not ruthless. Look at his brutalities for elder gods sake, they're extremely harsh- but he sure does remind me of a hunting dog after it happily killed it's prey. Tomas has a backstory of hunting, obviously he'll know how to kill things. He's probably also proud of his kills, infact. I can imagine him being super happy after his prey was dead. In perspective of a hunting dog, that is. He'll probably feel bad about it but he's used to killing so he's aware that he can't put his feelings over it or otherwise, it'll end him getting him killed instead. It's a "Kill or be killed" world out there. He probably doesn't only idolize Bi Han because he's the eldest, or a grandmaster. But because of how strong Bi Han is (we all know Bi Han had so much potential, whatever route they wanted to put him, good or evil but they absolutely nerfed him. They didn't put as much effort with him as much as I would've wanted and brushed him off in a way.). And Tomas being a hunter, he'll obviously look up to the person who's stronger than him and can easily kill. Like a small cub watching and learning from their parents to kill and grow stronger. Hunter dog mindset. And especially since Tomas seemed to really like his family and they seemed loving, he'll only be used to that. What life he lived as a child is what that'll destine him to grow up as so seeing his parents and siblings like that, strong and cool, Bi Han was definitely a role model for him like that. Maybe I'm looking to deep into this but I'm the scenes where Tomas needs to act "tough and commanding", he seems to put on his best act that resembled Bi Han. Basically watching and learning and doing what his role model does. Which is why when he's with his brothers, he'd often just stay quiet and observe, occasionally asking something's but barely much, taking in on how they handle situations and if it works well, he'll act like that too. But when he's alone and needs to lead, he'll use all the information he's observed from his brothers and do that. Tomas probably acknowledges he's feelings, which is exactly why his admiration for Bi Han exists. They both might not have the same mindset, but they both care about each other wither the one wants to accept it or not. I'm not putting Tomas as some sort of shadow or weak, I'm just describing that Tomas does what he's taught to rather than what Bi Han does.

Ps; I can honestly imagine Tomas fanboying over Bi Han in his head, when he idolized him and do things to impress Bi Han to get his attention (because he wants some love too!)

.

........

It's a shame that Tumblr asks can't handle long ones, but it's fine. I'll answer anyway. I really don't know how I can add here. I totally agree with u and I'm glad you want to share your thoughts with me!

As I said several times here, I don't see any hate from Bi-Han when he is talking to Tomas. Not because of ship, I really dont see anything. Feels like to me that some people are just projecting their feelings onto him...

They don't like the way Bi-Han talks to Tomas, so they will make Bi-Han look like a monster (like Bi-Han would beat Tomas up, cruelly mistreat him, etc) and Tomas a miserable and helpless man. Also, I've noticed people who is just painting Bi-Han like a real cruel man just to make KuaiScorp look good and some kinda hero who save Tomas whatever he needs. And I particularly dislike these kinda concepts because they are far from reality...

KuaiScorp and Tomas can be close now, but Tomas precisely said that he is loyal to him only because he is doing what Tomas was taught by his adoptive father be the "right thing". And KuaiScorp didn't do anything when Bi-Han was being harsh to Tomas, I really doubt that he used to defend Tomas from Bi-Han. Especially because he was pretty close to Bi-Han, as himself said to Liu Kang and Mileena indirectly.

Bi-Han was cold to Tomas (Tomas said it) and I can imagine Bi-Han being harsh with him indeed ("your blood is not Lin Kuei" thing and bla bla), but he is trying to make him see his point ("I've gained Lin Kuei's freedom" and such) and don't really wanna hurt him as he is warning him to not stand in his way in two different dialogues.

He likes Tomas. He is a Lin Kuei to him. Not his brother (which never was and Bi-Han knows. It's fair to assume that Bi-Han even knows that his brother was always a cryomancer like himself to this point) and if Tomas didn't talk about his adoptive father all the time they wouldn't be arguing on the story mode at all.

Bi-Han hates his father, not Tomas. And he is mad at him and Kuai because of their "betrayal situation".

He's the Lin Kuei's Grandmaster. Of course, he would lord it over anyone who try to defy his authority. I honestly don't see why he should bend his head and say amen to Tomas or Kuai non-stop talking about father or Liu Kang or anyone. He even said to Liu Kang just let him be (and his clan) if he wants peace. Like, he doesn't wanna fight against Kuai or Tomas. He is just trying to lead his clan to whats best. Obey for obey is not a subzero (or even noob) thing, anyway.

Idolize someone is not a small thing. So, yeah, I really doubt that Bi-Han was such a horrible person to Tomas like some people claim...

Harsh, yes.

Unloving, yeah~.

Disdainful, much probably. And that's it.

He definitely cares about Tomas and would prefer him by his side than be fighting against him.

By the way, I had a fun time imagining Tomas trying to impress Bi-Han thanks to u! haha ^^

Thank u.

[sophieinwonderland]

you switch between arguing that tulpamancy has nothing to do with tibetan buddhism and arguing that it's actually cultural exchange which are contradictory and also the second is just regular cultural appropriation but also, what exchange? i've repeatedly seen people in the tulpamancy community assert that southeast asian buddhists can't be accurate sources on what tibetan buddhists think(as opposed to non-buddhist northern americans, who are somehow more accurate sources) because tibet is in china. it's in southeast china which directly borders southeast asia and has centuries of cultural exchange with southeast asia because they are neighbors and at many points in history did not have borders between them..... and to that end i have to ask, what cultural exchange? if you can't be bothered to do any deeper research than the first page of the google panel and every time a buddhist tries to argue with you it's time to whitesplain wikipedia to them, forgive me for doubting that you even have surface level knowledge of tibet let alone any actual connections to any region with a prominent buddhist population and history. like the accusations of orientalism are because your engagement with the topic is fundamentally shallow and all you are doing is taking. exchange is when you EXCHANGE. if a buddhist invites you to celebrate vesak with them, that's cultural exchange because you're participating in their religion with them and sharing your time and enthusiasm. if your tibetan friend gifts you a chuba, that's cultural exchange because you're friends sharing culture with each other. that's what distinguishes exchange from appropriation, that the people whose culture you're being inspired by are relevant to you and that you have made an attempt to understand them beyond the ways their culture can be useful to you, which i have seen mountains of evidence is not the case in the tulpamancy community. and while i do think this community should consider talking to and befriending modern practicing buddhists beyond one redditor who claimed to be a tibetan buddhist once, perhaps even with the respect to consider that asians might know more about asia than you do( and not even to force them to litigate whether or not sna tshogs sprul pa can be fire emblem characters i just think yall should diversify your social circle a little), i should also say that on this topic that i actually don't care if you would rather just switch to saying that tulpamancy has nothing to do with tibetan buddhism to avoid learning about tibetans/buddhists/tibetan buddhists. firstly thats just another excuse for your shallow engagement with those cultures because that's still the origin. that's still where the name is from. and it's still cultural appropriation to ignore that- actually it's the first examples of cultural appropriation. the term was invented to describe white people taking aspects of nonwhite cultures and pretending that they invented them and doing their best to separate themselves from any responsibility to treat the people whose culture they're taking with any respect. so if you want to use the term tulpa, and especially if you want to insist that it's not cultural appropriation, your community needs to do the work to not just be shallowly appropriating. instead of only bringing up religious tulpas in the context of christianity, look into the actual nirmāṇakāya. talk to some of the buddhists you're currently focusing on epicly owning the second they don't 100% agree with you. also tenzin gyatso was a slaveowner pre-exile so you should consider not using him as an authoritative source. now, of course, this runs the risk that you might run into people who disagree with your view of tulpamancy or even outright reject it as a thing you should do(as a lot of buddhists on here have), which is again the point, to care about people beyond how they can serve to reinforce the thing you already wanted to do. if the tulpamancy community became known for their strong bond with/respect for practicing buddhists this would be a non-issue

You... don't think the Dalai Lama... should be used as an authoritative source... on Tibetan Buddhism?

Wow! That's certainly a take!

Sorry, I'm going to circle around back to this in a bit.

In any case, the arguments are not contradicting. When we discuss Western tulpas, there are two distinct types of tulpas that come up.

The first is the Alexandra David-Neel tulpa, which I'll call the ADL tulpa for short. The ADL tulpa was first brought to the West by Alexandra David-Neel, a French Buddhist and the first European woman to be given an audience with the Dalai Lama.

This version of the tulpa was recorded by Alexandra David-Neel who relied on the translation services of Lama Kazi Dawa Samdup, who himself had an interest in esotericism and may have influenced an interpretation of the tulpa that incorporated concepts from Western Theosophy.

The ADL tulpa was a creation of a cultural exchange. This was the type of tulpa that permeated Western culture for nearly a century prior to modern tulpamancy which came about in 2009.

The tulpa of tulpamancy borrows its concepts from the ADL tulpa rather than any practices the ADL tulpa was based upon.

It is so distant from the sprulpa and tulku as to be unrelated in anything but a vague etymology. Even the word "tulpa" isn't one typically used by actual Tibetan Buddhist practitioners. Basically, nothing in tulpamancy from the concept to the name is directly from Tibetan Buddhism.

With that explanation, back to the Dalai Lama.

This actually highlights one of the key reasons why I'm hesitant to just believe any story by anyone who lives in or has come from the general area.

Tibet and its history is incredibly politically charged with bias and misinformation on both sides.

It's true that the structure of Tibet resembled that of European Serfdoms, which is naturally unacceptable and indefensible. But I will point out that many scholars would draw a distinction between this system and what we think of when we discuss slavery.

But accusations of the Dalai Lama being a slave owner persist, being pushed heavily by the CCP as a justification for their invasion of Tibet and their dismantling of the Tibetan religion and culture. Conquerors always love to portray themselves as liberators, as we can see happening right now with Russia trying to justify their invasion of Ukraine by claiming to be trying to "denazify" it, and pushing a narrative that the people of Ukraine are supporting Russia's invasion.

I also have to point out that the Dalai Lama took power at 15, and China bullied Tibet into signing the country's sovereignty over to them that same year. He was a kid managing a country thrown into chaos. And he ultimately was forced to flee his home at 23.

I find it unrealistic to expect a kid with no real first-hand leadership experience while surrounded by aristocrats who don't want to lose their power to just be able to instantly change the entire governing system while dealing with an outside force trying to take its rights.

All of this is huge red herring though.

The Dalai Lama's past doesn't invalidate his authority as a source on Tibetan Buddhism, as the most prominent member of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism and as one of the most respected Buddhist figures around the world.

Who else would you prefer us listen to? The puppet Panchen Lama chosen by the secular CCP invaders who have claimed exclusive right to choose the reincarnations of Lamas over the will and the traditions of Tibetans?

But who really knows? Perhaps I'm overstating the importance of the Dalai Lama in modern Tibet. I would love to see survey results from modern Tibetans. Perhaps the CCP propaganda is true and the Dalai Lama is actually hated by modern Tibetans.

But then, I honestly wouldn't trust the validity of such statistics anyway. After all, who would admit to supporting the Dalai Lama in a country where that can get you arrested or just disappeared without explanation? "Yes, I do support the Dalai Lama, now take me away for splitism."

The complete oppression of free thought and expression in Tibet and massive propaganda put out by the CCP has made it impossible to trust information coming out of the region in relation to the Dalai Lama. Especially from non-Tibetans who are going to be drawing a lot of their impressions of Tibet and its history from the CCP's state-run media.

When the propaganda campaign is that strong, proximity creates more opportunity to be informed, yes. But it also creates opportunity to be disinformed. Again, look to how many Russians legitimately believe they're fighting to denazify Ukraine at this moment. Despite being neighbors, would you consider the Russians well-informed on the opinions of Ukrainians or qualified to speak for them?

Can you understand why I'm hesitant to believe non-Tibetan Buddhists speaking for Tibetan Buddhists on this actually have the best interests of Tibet in mind?

And can you understand yet why I find the concept of "we're the same race as Tibetans and live nearby so we get to decide what's offensive to their culture" problematic? After all, silencing and speaking for Tibetans and Tibetan Buddhists is what the CCP has been doing for 70 years.

So moving back to the topic of tulpamancy: The Dalai Lama has said other religions can benefit from Tibetan Buddhist meditations and has encouraged that. If the specific practices tulpamancy was based on, and their terminology, were super closed and sacred and off-limits to outsiders, then that should be decided by other Tibetan Buddhists. (Ideally, actual spiritual leaders and teachers.) It's not up to any random people who just happen to reside in the same region to decide when Tibetan culture is being appropriated or in what ways they're allowed to share their culture.

Especially not ones like you who come at me parroting CCP propaganda and arguing that I should trust non-Tibetan Buddhists in the same region over the Dalai Lama on the matter of Tibetan Buddhism.

[growing-yet-into-magic]

Hi do you have any recs from where to buy affordable tools, like essential oils , crystals and other necessary stuff (for witchcraft ofc)

Ah, cheapery. My third favorite hobby, beside spending money on things.

Firstly:

Essential oils are NOT necessary for witchcraft. They are medicine, have the potential to damage you severely (both immediately and in long-term damage), and are NOT better and more effective than just using the herbs they are manufactured from. You shouldn't be thinking about essential oils or considering them for your toolkit without herbalism education from a reputable school or licensed herbalist and paper research about each herb you use under your belt.

Moving on.

No physical item in witchcraft is essential. You could go into your kitchen cabinet and begin bespelling your home without paying anything. People like owning things, because sparklies are fun and we're all magpies at heart, but neither crystals nor tools are necessary to the craft- and some argue that they're not even backed by research into historic traditions and what ancient practitioners might have used. A lot of the tools people think are "essential" are specific to Wicca or introduced via the new age movement, which was only...what, 70 years ago now? There are certain paths which require certain tools, and religions and folk religions that require certain things to function, but unless you are in one and getting instructions from your teacher/mentor/godparent, you're not required to buy anything. We're Anti-capital here. Money is the enemy and dirt is our friend.

So, that being said, a few recommendations:

The thrift shop. Want an athame? Bell? Candle stand? Spoon? Find a pretty silver thing and consecrate it. Nothing in life has to be new when it gets to you, as long as you cleanse it well.

Your local kids museum will have cheap crystals at discount prices. The natural history museum told me then genuinely sell them by weight. You can't guarantee their ethical background that way (a lot of cheap rocks are mined with enslaved labor), but you can get your rocks.

If you can get to a rock and crystal show, rarer and harder to find crystals go cheap in there, but you do have to pay a flat fee to enter so it's kind of a financial wash in the end. It's fun though. They sell empanadas at my closest one.

Your local supermarket. Unless you're using bulk herbs by the bucket, which seems wasteful, you can usually get herbs and pre-packed larger quantities of herbs from the spice section in your supermarket. And this way they're guaranteed to be food grade and safe to consume or bathe with, which is never a guarantee when you pick something up from the metaphysical shop.

eBay and other secondhand sites. People leave the craft all the time, and hawk their stuff for cheap. A little Dr. Bronner's, a little sacred perfume or incense, and she's good as new.

Indian and other Asian grocery stores. When I'm down and in some trouble, I know they have my back. Thank you for carrying incense on the shelf when I needed you the most. And having bulk rice.

Local swap. Networking is everything! Sometimes local covens will host events where people get together to sell off old things or swap stuff. Good times to find a pre-loved tarot deck or altar cloth.

Your hands! *grabby hand gesture* Some stuff you can make. I have an old sewing machine, and I love her to death; I make storage pockets and altar cloths with her. I crochet altar cloths. Some people make their own candles. I know someone who learned glass-making to make their own altar pieces. Some hobbies are more expensive than others, but a crochet hook is like $3 and yarn can be like $4. Bam. Altar mat.

Speaking of candles, I forgot to mention the dollar tree and other discount stores have cheap candles: some even have the tall glass pillars you need if you're in one of the ATR diasporic traditions.

Quite frankly, my best investment in witchcraft tools I ever made was watching my mother buy an antique silver serving spoon, which I occasionally filch from her drawer and return after it's done it's job. Borrowing things from your family costs nothing.

I'm sure this wasn't what you had in mind, but (and not to be a weird adult who has a poor relationship with the internet here), sometimes you have to go out there and physically touch things before you find what's right for you. Find a thrift store. A secondhand shop. A goodwill. Browse. What could you use this in? What spells can you piggyback off of this thing you found? What use does this have in your craft? Try not to build your craft off of your tools; build your toolkit to support what you want to do with your craft. That way you won't have wasted time and money on a fun thing people said was essential to have! ...but now you never use this selenite wand you spent $30 on because you found out wands don't have a place in your practice. Blech.

Best of luck hunting! 💜✨

[river-in-the-woods]

greetings! i'm new to buddhism and i would be curious to know if you have any tips for westerners regarding the practice. i see a lot of people online aggravated by western attitudes at times and as new convert, i would like to avoid contributing to that. thank you!

Hi there :)

I suppose one of the greater issues is that there is a mindset of... shall we say, pioneering and innovation that can be unhelpful when approaching Asian traditions.

Western practitioners like to experiment, change the rules, "fuck around and find out" as they so often say. This works out well enough for them – in fact I think Western practitioners often thrive on their enthusiasm to explore, when it is balanced by discernment – but it is not an attitude that will get them far if they decide to train properly in an Asian tradition.

What we have in Asia that is lacking in Western traditions, are culture, history and esoteric lineages spanning thousands of years, and techniques that have been refined through trial and error with each passing generation. European traditions don't have this kind of unbroken lineage, which creates some distinct differences in mindset.

A Western practitioner might consider themself 'advanced' after 5-10 years of practice. But to become a Buddhist monk, guru/lama or Daoist method master, in that time you might only have just completed basic training (depending on tradition; I'm making broad generalisations here).

There is such a thing as spiritual authority, and Westerners sometimes don't like to hear this. After all, for many, becoming a witch/sorcerer/magician/spiritualist is all about taking fate into your own hands, claiming the universe's power, the church be damned, etc. Asian witchcraft and malefica does exist, however it is not treated as the path of self-liberation and sovereignty as it is in the West, so please do not mistake it as such.

(Diasporic Asians like to claim titles such as 'witch', and this is fine, but just bear in mind this has a decidedly negative connotation when you visit countries in East Asia).

The line between laypeople and ordained monks and priests is very clearly defined, and one is expected to show deference. This does not mean any sort of self-deprecation, rather, to understand one's own limits and keep an open and curious mind. Just as a layperson would not presume to know better than a trained doctor or surgeon.

Therefore, having ample patience will serve you well. You should expect to repeat the same basic practices 100s and 1000s of times, because cultivation is grueling and the path to Buddhahood, Immortality, or what have you, is something that takes lifetimes to achieve.

Now, that may not be your goal. You might simply want to live well in this life, and that is fine. The above message is more for those who aspire for mastery, importance or greatness, but do not yet understand what the journey requires. (I don't claim to understand it myself either).

This might be obvious, but in case it is not... be discerning about who you trust to guide you. There are genuine European/white practitioners who have entered their respective traditions the correct way, and there are Asian frauds and charlatans who have no qualms about using their cultural traditions to con people out of their money. You should respect what people have to say about their cultures and experiences, naturally, but don't use someone's ethnic background as a validation of their skill or character.

Most of all, maintain humility. Humility is the virtue that supports all other virtues. One that I think all of humanity struggles with the most, perhaps because we don’t understand it very well, and our survival has so often required its opposite.

Beyond that, I advise you not to place too much emphasis on seeking knowledge in books or written texts. The main reason for this: published texts on Buddhist practices come from oral traditions that may require empowerment and transmission. The people who publish these texts might not understand this, or they are relying on the good faith of spiritual seekers. One does themself a great disservice if they believe they can bypass the guidance of a teacher from a long-standing lineage.

The other reason is that the wisdom, capacity and personal growth one gains through cultivation is experiential. It can only be gained through consistent practice. A skillful teacher can guide you on the path, but ultimately, the real thing cannot be taught, and all words fail to capture its true majesty.

I hope this helps, and doesn't come across as too intimidating. Take it slow, let the path unfold before you, and enjoy each day as it comes. Keep a green bough in your heart, and the singing bird will come 💚

[rimoriii]

→ O4/22/2O24 ᵔ₊.

ੈ♡‧₊˚ ❛ @rimoriii * .

momo's carrd

i hope you enjoy

reading this.

. . . . .

⌦ hello everyone !

this is my very first post <3

my blog today will be about . . .

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE ESU

——— — - - - —— - - -

❛ tᥲbᥣᥱ ᥆f ᥴ᥆ᥒtᥱᥒt᥉. ୨୧♡ᵎ

—---———------—--——

:: OO . . . . . . . . . . . disclaimer + rant.

:: O1 . . . . . . . . . . . intro to esu.

:: O2 . . . . . . . . . . . my story.

:: O3 . . . . . . . . . . . signs you might be esu.

:: O4 . . . . . . . . . . . resources.

:: O4 . . . . . . . . . . . outro.

. . . . .

→ O4/22/2O24 ᵔ₊.

ੈ♡‧₊˚ ❛ @rimoriii * .

﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏

༄ ‧₊˚ ⌇ disclaimer + rant:: ↴ ! ❜⸼۰

before y'all start fighting in my comments section, nobody wants to fight you so hate will be deleted. you are entitled to your own opinion and i am entitled to mine and believe it or not, thinking this is valid IS an opinion. if you think otherwise, you're allowed to think that, what am i gonna do about it?? this post is really just me practicing argumentative responses, feedback or criticism would be greatly appreciated. i would love to hear your point of view as long as you're respectful !

esu, transracial, and rcta aren't the same thing so please don't say that. idek what transracial is but i assume it's the same as being rcta - rcta means "race change to another" and it is a newer term that we should NOT be using. why?

first off, race is a very broad thing, you can't just transition to a race, you have to be a specific ethnicity.

some of y'all don't know the difference between race, ethnicity and nationality so lemme just get that out of the way now :

race: race typically refers to physical characteristics such as skin color, facial features, and hair texture. it's a social construct used to categorize people based on perceived biological differences. however, there is no scientific basis for these distinctions, as genetic variation within racial groups can be greater than between them.

ethnicity: ethnicity relates to cultural factors such as language, religion, ancestry, and traditions. it's more about shared customs, beliefs, and history rather than physical traits. people from the same ethnicity may or may not share the same race.

nationality: nationality refers to the legal relationship between an individual and a sovereign state. it indicates the country of citizenship or allegiance, often determined by factors like place of birth, parentage, or legal status. nationality is about belonging to a specific political community, regardless of race or ethnicity.

now that you know that, let's continue.

the term race change TO ANOTHER implies that you were not that race before which would be untrue, it's a very hard feeling to describe but you've always been that race at heart, you're not "changing races"

this term was made by an awful person who is a groomer and pedo. they are also an asian fetishist. so by using this term, you'd be putting yourself under the same umbrella as them. im not going to talk about it but @.rctaisacult on tiktok has talked about it with screenshots and proof.

people who use ethnicity subliminals have ALWAYS been called ethnicity subliminals users, you can see that term goes back a lot of years, rcta on the other hand, very recent.

and for why you shouldn't use the term "transracial" ? there actually isn't a reason that comes to mind except for the fact that a lot of bait accounts or adults use it, there are many transracial adults out there that you can go to for help, large community! me personally, i don't really like to because i've noticed that most of the time, they have underlying mental issues that really need attention... im not trying to be like that so err i'd just not.

transracial is defined as: "Anyone whose physical makeup, emotional, racial, and/or self-expression is in conflict with current cultural racial stereotypes and racial norms, similar to transgender and sexual norms" (which it is not). it is actually the oldest term on the list, if you haven't heard of being esu, i'm sure you've heard of being transracial.

based on this definition, i feel like the difference between being esu and being transracial is one (has to) use subliminals and the other doesn't. they'll do things like cosmetic procedures instead.

i kinda wanna talk abt oli london but let's not address that

that tangent is over now and i just want to tell you that im not asking you to change your opinion, i just want you to be nice. the hate towards esu on the Internet is absolutely insane, i get it if you don't support, okay? if you don't like it, block don't report. we're just existing and it sucks that you think that's wrong of us. hate comments can be really damaging to someone's mental health, ESPECIALLY if that person is sensitive. if the hate is prolonged, it could lead to the death of someone, someone's child, cousin, uncle, aunt, mom, dad etc.

beating up someone because of their race/ethnicity or identity is absolutely insane, never ever resort to violence like that. what if that was a rumor? what if the person you just put on the brink of death was a bait account? what if they were framed? what if they lied? what if that was just a child? what if they were just minding their own business? you did that for what? for no reason at all.

i've lost many friends due to things like this happening, honestly just scroll, it's not that hard. the way that you'll just resort to violence like that is seriously disgusting, im sorry but you were not raised right. you all need to learn how to get over it, there's more to people other than if they're esu or not, it's their life, their decision, what are you really gonna do about it??

don't report, block me please

rest in peace to everyone we've lost and best wishes to everyone who has quit or left social media due to hate.

. . . . .

now that that's been said, let's start !

i hope you enjoy !

﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏

༄ ‧₊˚ ⌇intro to esu:: ↴ ! ❜⸼۰ ꒱

esu : ethnicity subliminal user(s)

what is a subliminal?

subliminals are messages that are delivered to the subconscious mind by means of music, speech or visual stimuli. these messages often contain negative or positive affirmations that are repeated repeatedly in order to reprogram or retrain the mind. subliminals are commonly used in self-improvement programs, weight loss programs and various therapy programs.

how do subliminals work?

subliminals work by bypassing the conscious mind and communicating directly to the subconscious mind. the subconscious mind receives and accepts these messages, if this goes on for a prolonged amount of time (varies), it can influence a person's beliefs, attitudes and behavior and may have a long-term effect on their thoughts, emotions and physical health. subliminal messages can be delivered through a variety of media, including music, videos, affirmations, and visual cues.

what is the law of attraction?

the law of attraction is a spiritual belief that states that positive or negative thoughts and feelings create a corresponding positive or negative energy that attracts or repels similar experiences, events, and people into our lives.

according to the law of attraction, if we focus on positive thoughts and feelings, we are more likely to attract positive experiences and people, and if we focus on negative thoughts and feelings, we are more likely to attract negative experiences and people.

what is manifestation?

manifestation is the process of bringing one's thoughts, feelings, and desires into physical reality. it involves concentrating one's thoughts, attention, and energy on a particular goal or outcome and taking action towards obtaining that outcome, believing that it is already a reality and that the desired result will manifest. manifestation involves having a clear and focused idea of what one wants, consistently holding that idea in one's mind, and taking action to bring it into physical reality.

what are ethnicity subliminals?

ethnicity subliminals are a type of subliminal messaging that uses affirmations, music, or ambient sounds to alter the physical appearance or identity of an individual. these affirmations are aimed at changing a person's ethnicity, and are often used by people who have a desire to look like a different ethnic group. while some believe that ethnicity subliminals can be used to alter one's appearance, many view this as problematic and potentially harmful.

so.. what's an ethnicity subliminal user?

ethnicity subliminal users are individuals who use ethnicity subliminals, to change one's physical appearance, ancestry or identity. these individuals may feel the need to change their appearance to conform to societal standards of beauty (invalid), to fit in with a different group (invalid), or to simply change their appearance to suit their personal preferences.

While some ethnicity subliminal users may see these messages as beneficial, others may view them as problematic and potentially harmful.

when you are esu, you're using these all of these things !

﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏

༄ ‧₊˚ ⌇my story :: ↴ ! ❜⸼۰ ꒱

the purpose of me telling you this is so you can compare yourself to me and see if our stories align, i've noticed that most esu have similar childhood experiences.

as a young child, i was always drawn to japan, but i didn't really know why i was fascinated by everything about the country: the language, the food, the fashion, and the architecture. it all seemed to resonate with me on a deeper level, and i would spend hours researching japanese history, traditions, and customs. but i kept these feelings to myself, afraid that others would think i was weird or that they wouldn't understand. i tried to suppress my interests and conform to the expectations of those around me. however, the pull of japan was always there, and i couldn't shake the feeling that there was something about the country that i connected with on a deep level.

my connection to japan and its culture has always been a source of both fascination and confusion for me. i felt drawn to the country and its cultures from a very young age. but i didn't understand why or what it meant. i kept these feelings to myself out of fear that others would judge me or think i was wrong. as i got older, i couldn't shake the feeling that i was different from the people around me. it seemed like everyone around me was comfortable with their race and culture, while i felt like an outsider. i didn't look like my birth race, and i didn't feel like i was a part of it either. i always felt out of place, like there was something wrong with me. i wanted to be japanese, so much so that i would tell people i met that i was. but i didn't know a single word of japanese, so when people would ask me to say something in the language, i would freeze up and feel ashamed. i tried to learn japanese, but as an 8-year-old, i couldn't quite grasp it. i turned to subliminals to try and help me become more japanese, but i wasn't any good at sticking to routines and eventually gave up.

it wasn't until a bit later that i finally started to figure out what was going on. i was depressed and sad, trying on so many different gender identities and sexualities, but nothing ever felt right. i wish i could go back in time and change all of those years of confusion and sadness. but it isn't possible. my connection to japan was always more than just a passing interest; it was a deep-seated fascination that captivated me for years even when i didn't fully understand what it meant. i would daydream about living in japan, surrounded by the culture and the language, and would spend hours researching everything i could about the country, desperate to learn more. but even as i dreamed of becoming fluent in japanese, living in japan, and being part of the culture, i struggled with the guilt of feeling like i was somehow betraying my birth race and identity. i would ignore my birth race's culture, trying to pretend it didn't exist, and would become uncomfortable when others mentioned it.

as a self-proclaimed "anime hater" in 2020 i kept my distance from anything japanese for fear of being associated with the weird and awkward people who idolized the culture. but when the pandemic hit and we were quarantined at home, my curiosity began to get the best of me. with nothing but time on my hands, i started to explore japanese culture through something other than anime, and food. i started to explore the different kinds of sushi and discovered the deliciousness of onigiri, falling in love with the unique flavors and textures that were new to my palette. and even though i tried to ignore it, my obsession with japanese food slowly grew. (love it! #fat) but wasn't just my love for japanese food bun that was changing, as i struggled through the isolation of quarantine, l started to feel very sensitive and empty, like there was a part of me that was missing, even though i thought | had finally figured out my identity, something still seemed wrong.

then, again, i turned to subliminals as a way to find answers. i tried ethnicity subliminals, hoping they would help me figure out where i belonged in the world. but after a short time, i stopped listening to them, feeling like they weren't providing me with the answers i was looking for. and then, it was the summer of 2023. everyone was talking about rcta, something l knew a bit about from when i was young. lt seemed like a crazy fad, and i was one of the people making fun of t butt deep down, i knew that something was still missing. i still hadn't found that place in the world where i felt like i belonged, and i was desperate for answers. and thus began my journey down the rabbit hole of the rcta/esu community. lt started with me simply observing from the side, trying to understand what all the fuss was about. i was intrigued by the concept, but didn't want to go all in just yet.

however, as l spent more time in the community, i began to realize that i felt a strong connection to the esu identity, it was like a missing piece of the puzzle had finally been found! so, l decided to create my discord server, hoping to help others who were also struggling to find their place in the world. at first, i didn't claim to be esu, but rather acted as a supporter, helping others navigate their journeys. with over 800 members, it was like a second home to me. everyone was so supportive and caring, and i felt like i belonged for the first time in a long time. but then things took a turn. i took a short break from discord, only to come back to a complete mess. it was all my fault, apparently, and i felt like i had let everyone down. so i quit that server and started a new one, this time i started posting esu content and started "baiting" as esu japanese.

it wasn't a surprise that i got a lot of hate comments on my tiktok. people seemed to hate the idea of changing races, and they didn't hold back when it came to expressing their opinion. the comments hurt me, but i refused to admit it to

myself instead, i lashed out and doubled down on my beliefs, refusing to see the other side. my mom eventually caught wind of the hate i had been spewing, and she confronted me about it and defended myself. arguing that chänging races were racist but then she asked me a simple question: "how is it racist? they just want to be their true selves." oh, how that question hit me like a truck. i realized that i had been going against everything i had said and everything thought | had ever believed. it was as if a switch flipped inside me, and suddenly, it all made sense, i had to know more, to understand this newfound realization.

so i started researching my culture, devouring every piece of information i could find. i scoured the web for answers, for stories from people who experienced the same thing l did. and every article, every testimony, every piece of information. i felt my identity falling into place. it's been a few months since that realization, and i have never felt more connected to japan. i've learned so much about my culture, from the food to the customs, language and history. i feel a sense of belonging i never thought possible, and a newfound sense of pride in who i live, let's have been a journey, but one that i am grateful for. and know that there's still so much more to learn and discover. but for now, i'm satisfied with my new identity as an esu, and i am proud to be a part of a community that celebrates our cultures and identities.

༄ ‧₊˚ ⌇signs you might be esu:: ↴ ! ❜⸼۰ ꒱

you feel a deep affinity or connection to a culture or ethnicity that is different from your own background.

you have a genuine curiosity and enthusiasm for exploring and learning about different cultures, including their language, traditions, customs, and history.

you may feel like you don't fully belong to or identify with the cultural norms, traditions, or values of your birth culture.

you may desire to integrate elements of the culture you feel connected to into your own life, whether it's through language learning, adopting certain customs or practices, or participating in cultural events.

you have experimented with subliminals or other methods as a way to explore or express your connection to a different ethnicity or culture.

༄ ‧₊˚ ⌇resources:: ↴ ! ❜⸼۰ ꒱

you feel a sense of resonance or belonging when engaging with esu communities or content that explores themes of cultural identity, ethnicity, or belonging.

OR you feel jealous or almost violent when you see these communities^^

if you're feeling this way, please think about why !

https://cryptome.org/2017/05/in-defense-of-transracialism.pdf

˗ ˏ` ᥆ᥙtr᥆. ೄྀ࿐

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

: : : : . . . . . .thank you for reading!

hopefully this changed some perspectives <3

‿‿‿‿‿‿‿‿‿ 下次見 ！. . . . . .

see you next time ! 。。‿‿‿‿ ⌲

♡˖°꒰ @rimoriii is logging off :: . . . .

[ballet-symphonie]

I’m pretty sure there’s nepotism and other shit going on at New York City Ballet, and I’ve stopped following them:

-there’s children and grandchildren of former dancers who got into the company. Roman Mejia is Paul Mejia’s son, Shelby Mann is the granddaughter of Jacques d’Amboise and the daughter of Charlotte d’Amboise and Terrence Mann (Broadway legends!) it makes me suspicious. I mean, Nilas Martins was in the company too, so I’m not surprised nepotism is still going on with the younger dancers.

-apparently there was/is body shaming? even at SAB I’ve heard rumors of kids having eating disorders. Also not surprising considering that the people who worked with Balanchine wanted a look and it was Balanchine himself who started the “skinny ballerina” trend that quickly spread worldwide. Ashley Bouder spoke up about how the higher ups body shamed her on Instagram live like a year ago, and none/few of the company members commented for support. They just posted it on their story. In general, Balanchine companies/schools tend to have a lot of body shaming, especially with how they treated Kathryn Morgan at Miami CB. CPYB (Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet) has a bunch of horror stories on Instagram account called @/cpybstories if anyone wants to read.

-I don’t know if this is really BS, but they still cast roles based on height/size rather than talent. I was hoping for Tiler Peck to do Diamonds but she got Rubies. Same with Midsummer, she didn’t/doesn’t really get Titania because she’s on the shorter side and from what I’ve heard, NYCB likes their Titanias to be tall. (I’m guessing she probably will never get Titania, just because she lacks emotion in her dancing. Saw her in Sleeping Beauty and Nutcracker and she barely acts.)

-the company is still predominantly white. Even PNB is more diverse than them. The BIPOC dancers like Nadon, Mejia, Furlan, Chan etc are only popular just because they fit Eurocentric views of POC (they have lighter skin and straighter hair) plus Nadon is only half South Asian, Mejia is half Peruvian, so they aren’t full blooded POC. The only POC in recent years that didn’t fit those ideals was Amar Ramasar. The kids who appear on stage for Nutcracker, Midsummer, Sleeping Beauty etc are more diverse than the actual company members.

-They didn’t handle Alexandra Waterbury’s case well. Ramasar should’ve been fired and in prison before the pandemic and from the West Side Story revival (that didn’t do well regardless). It also makes me mad that Alexa Malone (soloist) is still dating him and the fact that he’s now a stager too…like he might mess around with the underaged apprentices/corps and the cycle will start again

-Don’t get me started on people like John Clifford and how he wrote public, sexist comments on how he hates crotch shots because of platter tutus. He and a bunch of other older trust people still defend these beliefs to the death.

Hello, there's a lot in here!

Regarding nepotism, the company definitely has a history of hiring both siblings and relatives. I would extend this to ballet in general, many successful dancers today are from dance families, such as Chloe Misseldine, Daniil Simkin, Maia Makhatelli, Vadim Muntigirov, Dmitri Smilevsky, Issac Hernandez etc. But I don't think that inherently means that the dancers benefiting from that knowledge base (knowing what to do, where to train, how to structure their day, exta tips and coaching etc) are undeserving of there spots. I don't think you can watch Meija dance and think he doesn't deserve to be where he is.

On body shaming. Yes, none of this is positive and none of it is news either. There has been a history of toxic body shaming culture at nearly every major ballet school worldwide. Balanchine companies have had a nasty history but so have numerous Russian, European, and Asian schools. It's not a problem exclusive to SAB/NYCB.

Yes, NYCB typecasts. I'm honestly quite a fan of it because I don't think it's realistic or responsible to expect every dancer to do everything well and it results in dancers on stage in roles that they're confident in and suit their strengths- which generally leads to better performances. I don't think there's a single dancer at City Ballet who has done all three leading roles in Jewels, Peck is not an exception. I don't believe it's height/size over talent, but a complementary mix of both. Some roles have been designated by the choreographer for X skills and others have been historically dominated by dancers with X skills. And like you mention, there are lots of other factors affecting casting besides just height, acting, vulnerability, partnership, and logistics, which all play a role.

I'm not sure I agree with you that the dancers you mentioned get attention because they are POC who fit Eurocentric standards. Chan and Nadon rightfully got attention for breaking barriers and becoming the first Asian principals at the company. Both have spoken at length aobut how their cultural background and upbringing has both helped and hindered their path. I'd argue Meija gets far more attention from his father than he does from his race and Furlan (if we're considering him popular which I probably wouldn't) for his technical merit. I also think you aren't looking at NYCB's soloist rank fairly, they have Black, Asian, and Hispanic dancers at this rank. Of course, the company certainly could be more diverse but they have the self-imposed limitation of hiring nearly exclusively out of SAB. You yourself noted that the school is more diverse, this is a result of several of their scholarship and outreach programs that have been implemented in the past decade or so. Those programs are long-term investments, they are building a more diverse company now - but these dancers are still in the school. And for what it's worth, PNB is not a low bar, it is by far the most diverse major company in the US and has made hiring decisions accordingly. Approximately 50% of the company is POC which is awesome- but this realistically isn't possible at NYCB because they're not going to be hiring from outside as frequently.

Of course, if not following NYCB would make you happier, then by all means do it. But if these issues are what's causing you distress, I don't think the solution is to simply follow other companies- many of these problems exist across the industy.

Regarding the Waterbury Case, I don't disagree with you but the law is complicated. I remeber reading the case when it came out and I think the main problem is that the case wasn't able to get to discovery because she didn't have enough facutal evidence. If that had happened, I imagine things would have looked a lot different. While I absolutley believe her, she was trying to fight too many battles at once, some of which weren't directly hers, and she didn't have hard concrete proof for most of it. Everything got muddled and I don't think she had the best council either. I don't have any doubt that there's so much more here that exists only in the memories of the individuals involved. But that doesn't count in front of a court - it's about what you can prove not what happened. And NYCB's liability is limited because she was neither an employee nor a student at the time of firing.

However, while I have no comment about his personal life, I agree with you about Ramasar's line of work. It's unfortunate and incredibly disappointing how the dance world regularly absolves men like Ramasar (he's not alone) and basically gifts them back their careers. I could list a whole troupe of men who've been given second chances they don't deserve. Winning in court is an uphill battle, especially when the prosecution is often not coming from a place of strength. I just hope that the slow but steady changes happening in the industry now will prevent history from repeating itself.

And Clifford....I don't have the energy to start with. There's a reason NYCB hasn't hired him back , he's not consistently teaching or running a company, and he's just running his mouth on IG.

[dangerliesbeforeyou]

tag game~

tagged by the amazing @coquelicoq to list 5 topics i can talk on for an hour without preparing any material! thanksss <3 <3

this is honestly a really difficult one for me cos as much as i love to ramble, the prospect of having to do a talk for an hour about anything would a) make me INCREDIBLY anxious and 2) i would promptly forget everything i know about said subject literally the second i have to do the talk pfft.... wait... the prompt doesnt say i have to do the talk in front of people so hmm... maybe i'd be ok lol

anyway topics time lol (these aren't really in any order btw just writing them as i think of them)!

art history ofc... i could equally talk as much about art i love as much as art i HATE lol (duchamp's goddamn toilet fountain you're going fucking DOWN bitch)... can't promise my hour speech won't just be a list of fun art-y facts lol (like uh in medieval paintings that used gold leaf, artists would put down this red gesso/glue like mixture (called something like boll?) because the red gave the gold a warmer glow than just sticking it onto the plain wooden panel lol) or that it won't be me massively misremembering parts of my degree pfft...

history of the british monarchy lol! ok so i may not currently like the monarchy, but i am a MASSIVE fan of the history of the royals lol... especially the tudor era! a lot of my talk would be me trying to remember the order of the monarchs from william the conqueror until now (which would mean me singing the horrible histories monarchy song lol sorry not sorry)... i would also spend the time being like 'yeh so this one had allegations of being gay, as did this one, and THIS one had several male favourites who he was definitely in relationships with' lol

kpop lol... not really sure what i would talk about? maybe specific groups (exo would be in contention for sure, they have a very interesting history tbh), or just the wider cultural phenomenon and history of kpop? or just like talk about niche kpop groups that basically no one remembers pfft (like that group that jackie chan made lol! already mentioned it on my kpop haveyouheard blog but people in the notes were like 'wait jackie chan did WHAT???' lol...) like i definitely don't know a lot of stuff, but i know more than the average joe so like... it might be fun idk??

queer films lol... i'd also say films in general, but i definitely feel like i have more niche and interesting knowledge specifically of queer films so.... i DEFINITELY could talk for well over an hour about that lol! this would also definitely include me complaining about films like call me by your name and blue is the warmest colour lol... (i actually was speaking to myself the other day about both films and how perceptions of both have changed SO much over the years since they came out lol...) but i'd mainly want to talk about the amazing queer films i've watched over the years!!... i'd also throw in some talk of asian queer media here since i've been watching it for literally 6 or so years at this point lol...

back to history, this time ancient egypt! returning to my childhood roots with this one lol i know a lot of random things about ancient egypt that i could potentially string into an hour long talk? actually recently went to an exhibition at the place where they film downton abbey (it's not called that btw lol) where it had a whole thing about the discovery of tutankhamun's tomb in 1922 which had a lot of interesting info tbh! dont come to this talk if u dont want to hear me talk about all the incest that went on in ancient egyptian royalty pfft... (like...historians believe that tut's mother was also his aunt, and his sister was also his wife, which kinda explain why none of their children survived... royals of all eras really were like 'we have to intermarry to keep the bloodline pure' and it's like (breaking bad bald guy meme) jesse NO that's what's KILLING you!!!!!!!!!!)

for most of these i'd basically say something and then immediately be like 'don't fact check me on that though' because chances are i remembered the thing wrong pfft...

tagging (no pressure to do it ofc!): @abnerkrill @asoftspotforangels @sylvasa @dollopheadsandclotpoles @zelvuska @micamicster & whoever else wants to do it!!

[manicpixiefelix]

nick and y/n basically repeating history right before their eyes is crazy. the story between y/n's parents and nick's parents are so interesting? oliver being the observant person that is probably made that connection way before nana told them verbally. although nick and y/n are truly just besties, it makes oliver realize that at the end of the day, he could lose y/n that easily. so in a way, there is a relief in just staying in the uk with y/n.

also, felix reading their myspace is so funny to me. like he's so obsessed and can't hide it that they find it endearing. but when he sees that y/n and oliver is hanging with the youngs (especially nick) it makes him fume. because that could easily be him under you two's adoring eyes.

oh man the Crazy Rich Asians AU goes so hard in my mind, i love this movie so fucking much and I love intertwining their worlds because TBH i do just think they make sense!!

the thing with the reader's mother and Nick's father (also Sir James, like Felix's dad lol. if Y/N had a nickel, etc...) was born from a thing i wrote about how the reader's grandfather had established a professional relationship with the Youngs, as well as the fact that in CRA Nick's mother mentions to Rachel that she wasn't the family's first choice to marry her husband. i do think the friendship Nick's dad and the reader's mother was and still is entirely platonic, when they're around each other they seem to revert back to younger versions of themselves where they're still best friends.

Eleanor Young is just bothered by the constant reminder that most of her husband's family wanted your mother to marry her husband, and the two of them still get along so so well. it's also the exact same reason the reader's father is so insecure whenever he goes to singapore, but he has to go for business reasons and because he's insecure, no matter how much your mother insists she has never felt romantically about Nick's dad.

it takes a while for the reader to realise just how much the way they talk about nick and singapore bothers Oliver, to the point where he kind of hates talking about it and going for the first few years. he definitely gets giddy at the end of the trips and clings to the reader during the entire flight home and probably for the week after before it returns to a less intense level of interaction again. honestly i think it might be the only fight they have as children, and that's when the reader finally understands, and makes sure to prioritise oliver and know he's their priority, even when they're in singapore. i think it might also be the thing that really solidifies them as a package deal, really cements their co-dependency. that being said, ultimately oliver comes to love and cherish nick just as much as the reader, and the feeling is absolutely mutual. you, oliver, nick, and astrid becoming an absolute elite powerhouse across the world's elite social scene is one of my favourite images.

also ngl im always tickled by how we all seem to agree that Felix has probably one-sided beef with Nick Young when they're at Oxford in every AU simply because Nick is also pretty and charming and rich, and Felix is petty even if he tries to act like he's not.

we as a society don't talk about the fact that Saltburn is set in the MySpace era enough.

[firespirited]

I think it's a slightly amusing coincidence that the guy with a Nazi fetish was collaborating with a man named Herr Gott.

At this point I'm not ruling out Herrgott being a pseudonym or him writing all the 'vibes-based' junk since James was the one doing 'research' (to his credit he was somewhat good at collecting smart people's work).

But I'm hijacking your ask to clear up two misconceptions that have been bothering me:

(big mess of sources and further reading under the readmore)

1- The nazis and fitness essay (one I actually watched and disagreed with) cites multiple sources and is an attempt to retrofit current "masc for masc" grindr culture onto AIDS era fitness "healthy" gay culture (see Gaston as a stereotype) onto multiple a-historical "gay nazis" revisionisms including The Pink Swastika book and a columnist

I think they got the nazi and fitness nonsense from a scholarly sounding source who's just an oxbridge columnist who's into reclaiming nazis. They're famously good at making nonsense sound like a thesis - see Boris Johnson's upcoming book about Shakespeare and his time as a columnist, see the entire Telegraph and various Terf Observer columns: fully trash but written in academic lingo, even queer academic lingo!

and... here's the source: https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20150324-hitlers-idea-of-the-perfect-body it's the BBC oh look, what's this "Alastair Sooke is art critic of The Daily Telegraph". 🤔🤔🤔

There's a case that the "no fat no fems no chocolate no rice" gay dating culture could possibly be tied to the healthy vs unhealthy infighting during the beginning of the AIDS era but that's a nuanced take that gets smashed to smithereens by lumping it in with gay nazi myths. It also needs to be examined with the attitude to dating apps in general and dating by physical preferences instead of letting chemistry happen by finding people whose goals and outlook match your own.

Terrible essay, terrible premise, some pull quotes from interesting places. Here's an essay about desirability in men, googling "masc 4 masc culture" will get you plenty of articles, you definitely want to look for asian and black writers here because woof they face a lot of racist nastiness under the guise of 'just preferences'.

and here's

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_of_Finland (he's a very important gay artist, he also did some gay erotica with nazi uniforms whether you think that's an act of defiance, reclamation, tasteless or evil is up to you. art is not always as straightforward as it might look, we'd have to ask him what his intent was.)

-----------------------------

2- The second is "the exciting gays died of aids" concept, good vs naughty gays concept. Again, we're dealing with a mishmash of both modern rewritings, quotes by survivors taken out of context, and gay infighting at the time, which included some spicy takes about dangerous sex by gay men fighting to save gay men.

The lack of research and public education led to chaos, the grief led to anger. Beautiful people said some vicious things. There are several older gay men alive right now who don't have sex not because they're asexual but because there's trauma. It's worth unpacking quote by quote because expanding on it without original context was terrible reading comprehension and reckless rewriting of history, and to be honest, a little defamatory. I can't find a bibliography of the video(s) yet so not sure what to debunk).

There are plenty of tumblr posts railing against out of context quotes which is taking James + Nick's bad reading at face value instead of seeking out the source. Outrage at a thing James and Nick made up which was never a real take.

to paraphrase "My well-known exciting boundary-breaking gay friends are dead and the art world hasn't bothered to seek out more undiscovered talent to replace them, choosing the safe classic establishment folks who may also be gay given the field. I'm pissed you didn't care about saving them, I'm pissed you didn't care about finding a new crop of people who push the envelope." that was the sentiment behind this sort of quote even if folks became more conservative (or got into legal messes later)

I'm going to track down the various quotes and give you the full context because this matters. Again: beautiful minds saying horrible things, fighting between gay activists on how to survive or how to live under the gun. This is something that cannot be flattened to "boring gays survived" and it's an insult to the people who said things in grief and fear. I have not watched this essay (or maybe it's two that use this boring vs danger gays concept) but I have a good idea of what out of context quotes might have led to it, this is my wheelhouse. but TL;DR would be my faves are problematic because activists are passionate messy people. They outed people, they said outrageous things for the press, they screamed murderer and got restraining orders against them, they made taboo art, they mingled with nasty people.

OKAY, incoming link dump:

here's a 6 minute short on act up

here's a full doc: United in Anger:

Larry Kramer, Shulman, Fran Leibowitz and many others deserve to have their views examined with full context, not turned into crappy tweet sized quotes.

basic sources from wikipedia:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/19/nyregion/larry-kramer-and-the-birth-of-aids-activism.html

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2002/05/13/public-nuisance

https://www.interviewmagazine.com/culture/fran-lebowitz

https://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/13/arts/the-impact-of-aids-on-the-artistic-community.html

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Wojnarowicz?useskin=vector

https://archive.org/details/losswithinlossar0000unse

https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781849352857

http://didierlestrade.blogspot.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Tatchell

https://archive.org/details/womenaidsactivis00banz

------------------------------

Thankyou to

DHLawrence_sGhost's thread https://www.reddit.com/r/hbomberguy/comments/18biiof/comment/kc9qa6p/

and TerraJRiley's transcript archive https://github.com/TerraJRiley/James_Somerton_Transcripts

--------------------------------------------

I'm going to allow reblogs on this again with the disclaimer that I don't have the full works stolen for these particular essays but the perfect body in gay culture and the good vs bad gays concepts have precedent that got flattened in those video essays and deserve quite a bit more exploration and that includes controversial sources. You will have to do some dialectical reading (agreeing and disagreeing with an author and figuring out how to weigh up the pros and cons of their individual arguments even though they get some things horribly wrong, deciding what was 'of a time' or reading the work of people who became reactionaries later in life).

[yourtoradorasextendedwarranty]

Oh you poor dumb bastards

So after seeing the Nijisanji drama that recently happened, which mind you is a NEW new one, I get to use it as a springboard for another topic because there's been the problem of Google Gemini erasing white people from history almost fully as well. But here is a supercut from my new fav moron Uki.

Now, based on this supercut some people might be like, "He's just joking" OK so racist jokes are ok then? I doubt you'd say that if it were a white person making jokes like this about Asian or Black people.

We need to get to a point where we can get SPECIFICALLY leftists to say if it's all ok or none of it is. PICK one.

If we are going by my standards, I believe it should all be ok. Because I'm pro first amendment. But then also when it's "Some of it is ok but not the rest of it" I finally get into a point where I'm like, "Ok.....so you are actually PRO discrimination just so long as it's against 'The Correct People™' but you think just YOU get to decide who".

Congrats you are on the road to admitting you are just as bigoted as the people you claim to be against. The only difference is they can often times admit it. You on the other hand are so "Holier art thou" that you can't even begin to admit you ARE just as bigoted. Mind you, that's fine. You do you. If you want to be a racist asshole, stop making excuses and just BE a racist asshole. If you are a self hating white person, just hate yourself and admit you are racist against people that look like you.

Frankly you'll feel a lot more free if you do.

But I know why you don't. Because you are a piece of shit. Oh I'm not done. I'm just calling you out for what you are. See I know what it is that you all do. You give into the hate, the bigotry, the racism, the sexism, the heterophobia, the biphobia, and then at the end of the day you seek out a reason to justify it and claim that, "It's actually not real hate because X reason".

No. It is real hate. It's just that you need to pretend that your reasoning for the hate is ok. What's more, you want the same ability to be just as hateful as EVERYONE else, without being called out for it. Because THEN you'd be robbed of your ability to do the same. And you'd be straight roasted off of the internet for being a moron hypocrite. Which I mean you are regardless, but far more people would be willing to call you out for it. Sadly though, leftists need an excuse that gives them a "Good reason" to be bigots. While not having to themselves, be called bigots.

Although I'm starting to look forward to what's going to come next honestly. Not because I'm going to enjoy it. But because it's going to be interesting being proved right.

Proved right about what you may ask? Well for starters the fact that a large portion of the left, unabashedly want actual violent racism in the streets. Because it would play into the Savior/Victim complexes. The White Saviors could come out swinging and say, "SEE we just KNEW this country was racist", and the people with victim complexes could say, "SEE we just knew that white people have always hated us and held us down". They are quite literally creating the people they claim to be so afraid of. It's quite the show if I do say so myself.

Now......is this something I actually want? Absolutely not. We really didn't have a very large racism issue in the US for a while. From 1980 until about 2012. Is that to say no one during those years was racist? ABSOLUTLY NOT. Racism is a human problem and it will never fully be gone. Having said that, the more we FOCUS on race, the more we actually create racism generally. Used to, people would just throw slurs around, and while yeah it wasn't great, those slurs were having their meanings stripped. Eventually it got to a point where if you said most slurs people would just shit talk you and not take it seriously. Were there people that did? Most certainly.

Though it was not a huge issue. We judged people based on character, and actions. We did not assume, "Skin color = certain history". Because it's IGNORANT as hell to see a persons skin color and assume the type of life they have lived. If you, a ignorant liberal, walk into a room and start saying, "OMG I'M SO SORRY FOR MY WHITE PRIVILEGE YOU MUST BE SO POOR AND UNEDUCATED", you ARE the racist. Period, end of story. A lot of Jewish people appear to be white and they have suffered atrocities one after another it feels like. Slavs have also suffered greatly. As have the Poles. And so have the Irish.

Frankly speaking, suffering is a human thing. Everyone has suffered throughout history. However, in the US, we have manufactured this idea that the only people EVER at all who have ever suffered are ONLY people that are not light skinned. Not only is this characterization false, it leads to stuff like, "The Oppression Olympics". IE: People fighting for who's "People" have collectively suffered more throughout history. Except there is no "Right answer" because there IS NO right answer. All that idea does is seek to turn people into perpetual victims. Of course it does. And why would it not. People are so obsessed with being the center of attention at ALL TIMES and throwing pity parties, they can't NOT talk about how much of a "Victim" they are.

There is a broader problem though with all of this. This causes racial tension to be much much worse over time in general. Because it's people going, "HEY HEY HEY I'M THE MOST OPPRESSED! LOOK AT ME NOT THAT (insert non white minority here) X b*tch who doesn't know what real oppression looks like."

I'm sorry but most of you in the West today have ZERO clue what real oppression looks like. I'm sure that the people from North Korea and Hong Kong know much more so what actual oppression looks like than you ever will in your life. What's more, most of you think the word "Trauma" is a catch all for any inconvenience you go through or any hardship at all. No, trauma is waking up from sleeping on your couch as a young child (6) to see a grown ass man trying to shove HIS DICK in your mouth. THAT is traumatizing. Most of you will never understand actual trauma. Nor will every person on earth experience it.

To try to wrap up though. Stop creating more hate. Yes you CAN be Heterophobic. You CAN be Biphobic. You CAN be racist against white people. YOU CAN be sexist against men. Stop pretending that your hate is in ANY WAY different when it's not. Sane people see through your bullsh*t. You are just as racist, sexist, and bigoted as everyone you claim to be against. You just can't swallow the fact you want the ability to be all those things. Stop making excuses. Either own up to it or gtfo. Admit that you want to be a bigot. Admit that you want to be an asshole. Admit that you want to create more hate to satiate your hero complex. Stop screwing around and making everyone's lives worse for it.

As to the Niji guy. I don't care at the fact he shit on white people as much as he did. I care that he's allowed to be as racist as he want's with ZERO punishment. While if he had been white talking about LITERALLY any other groups, he's be locked in a box and dropped into the ocean. The bullsh*t double standard needs to stop. For all of this.