#still more active on bsky...

[caebeans]

Forgot to post here for a while... here's some Succubuns drawings!

[iraprince]

ALSO being on bluesky is reminding me i used to be on social media bc it was kind of fun. i used to be less scared of strangers and of talking to ppl. i have already rambled about this at length other times but i am thinking abt it again relative to necrotech99 and how excited i am abt it. it makes me wanna talk abt my stuff again.... (not TOO much bc i don't like unduly influencing quest suggestions/audience participation lol. like one thing i want to avoid from the tvrn era is it was really fun to answer so many behind-the-scenes questions, but i did end up eventually feeling like it created a situation where like... ppl who followed me on social media were having a rly different experience w the story, and had way more info, than ppl just following the thread, and i don't love cultivating/encouraging that kind of divide?)

anyway. thinking about that again. bc i used to talk abt tvrn all the time and promo it like crazy. and i even remember sometimes thinking to myself "damn where did i get all that energy bc lately promoing stuff/remembering to boost things online is such a drag and a chore and i hate it." and now that im on the necrotech grind im like oh yeah it was easy for me to remember to promo it bc i was.... genuinely promoing it... like i was genuinely eager to re-reblog stuff over and over and get more eyes on it bc i wanted really really badly for ppl to read and suggest!!!!! vs w work stuff a lot of times it's like. "[HEAVING A SIGH] i guess i should re-reblog stuff for Engagement and Visibility and Reach" in an abstract "maybe this will help me out jobwise? maybe someone will see my stuff and want to hire me, or find my itch and buy some games?" vs the DIRECT "i am hyping this up bc i want ppl to look at it now now NOW NOW NOW NOW :D NOW" that i feel when im rly into a quest

[onaperduamedee]

Hey, WoT fandom, it's not bad writing; it's an adaptational choice you don't agree with

[revenantghost]

I finally did it, finally pulled the plug on using my Twitter account, RIP

[lilyshear]

hiiii i know i'm not the most responsive/social here, but i do just wanna say that i've been able to read some of the sweetest tags and comments on my art here and it always makes me feel a bit less Despair(tm) over art-related things <3 thank y'all sm for being so kind, and i hope ur having a good day if u see this :]

[edelblau]

sorry for being inactive lately ia m constantly teetering on the edge mentally it is Not so Good. i feel like even when i sign on i just silently scroll. my crimes are many

[decarbry]

warm and cozy

My piece for the 2024 Erasermic Advent

BTW — I’m now mainly on bsky, under the username @nomuzawa, which may explain my new watermark! I’ll still post finished art here but over there I’m more active in general. My bsky is 18+ only, so please respect that and don’t interact if you’re a minor!

[thespianinthebackcorner]

ena dream bbq theory

While I'm in the Ena trenches. Idk how I originally posted this to bsky but here we are (light mode jumpscare)

in more words, because I despise the bluesky word limit, my thoughts here are that Dream ƎNA- despite getting so much hate for nothing more than her species (I have a theory about ƎNA being made and not "born" like everyone else likely is in a sense but I'll get to that later)- seems to almost crave interaction, and actively starts conversations despite knowing she'll probably be hated anyway. Within the boundaries of "nice", some people are still somewhat polite to her anyway- and while she's long since lost the energy to be polite to people who aren't, it's still interesting to me how she goes looking for interaction. The first Coral Glasses and Taski Maiden interactions particularly seem to give this impression, to me, the way she's so nosy with Coral and seems to regret talking to Taski after getting hit with the declaration of hell she gives out.

[spacekatdet]

The quality isn't the best on here yikes so here is a link to the bluesky version instead! Better version here

Forgot to upload this here after uploading it on my bluesky (same name) Sat on this for awhile before remembering to upload it. I adore Second Wind's design and had a ton of fun drawing Wind. The fandom needs more bug based bots Second Wind belongs to @snowsupply def suggest checking out their stuff too!

[conundrumoftime]

One of my perpetual annoyances in SF/F film and tv is how often it replicates a broader cultural sexism of women not really being people any more when over 30/married/mothers. Embrace your natural narrative endpoint you are now a support role.

Writers/showrunners have such a blind spot around this. "But some women want to be mothers?" and "what's wrong with settling down with someone she loves?", as if the problem is her choosing those things rather than the assumptions at play behind what happens to women when they do.

It's probably easiest to explain this w/ examples of sci-fi that doesn't do it. Naomi Nagata in The Expanse (books & tv) gets a storyline about motherhood which is about her backstory, motivations, skills, & connections to political ideologies; it adds to her character rather than concluding it. She doesn't disappear when the existence of her son is revealed.

"Walking away is the only choice anyone ever has."

Chrisjen Avasarala is married, a mother, and a grandmother, and all of these things are important to her but none of them are her personality

"No-one starts a war unless I say they can."

By contrast: my much-adored Babylon 5 gives Delenn four seasons of active and fascinating storylines about things like devotion and belonging and guilt over starting wars... and then in s5 after she gets married, the narrative doesn't seem to know what to do with her and her one storyline like that begins with her sneaking out of her husband's bed.

"It pleases me that you care for what I have become. But never forget who I was, what I am, and what I can do."

It's not infidelity but ends up feeling like it - she's meeting someone she's very close to who's in love with her, says "we need to be discreet", strokes his face, and they talk about how her husband can't know about this meeting and whether he knows her "as well as he should." I don't think this is meant as shipper bait (although much appreciated for those of us who do ship that); I think it's an unintentional consequence of female characters getting so often written as either "has own storyline" or "is married now" as if they're mutually opposed, that if she's doing the first it's somehow at the expense of the second.

As for Star Wars and its legions of dead mothers and whatever they were going for with Bix in Andor... sigh.

But! I'll give JJ Abrams of all people credit for inverting this sort of thing in his pre-Star Wars days: Season 1 of Alias sets up Sydney Bristow's dead mother in soft-focus domestic dreamy flashbacks for ages before you find out that she's a) an undercover enemy intelligence agent b) still alive and c) baaaaaack, dun-dun-DUN...

Anyway this is why I worry about SF/F doing storylines in which someone gets into a committed relationship or has a baby despite really enjoying stories about established relationships and motherhood, because it's not in general that these shows can't do this well - they can absolutely write good female characters and often do! - it's that they'll think they are writing this in a really great way while, once again, like so many before them, proving incapable of fitting a whole woman in their heads.

(This was a Bsky thread from last month inspired by Andor and Doctor Who, which I want to expand on in more detail at some point when I have time but i’m throwing it here as-is for now so i can find it if/when ‘some point when I have time’ ever arrives.)

[foopdeloop]

scrolled down my dash till i hit this post and it reminded me. insta has been removed from my bio

i need to remember to remove the insta link from my bio since ive decided to stop posting there due to metas ai bullshit

[himuronanart]

I gotta say, the talk I've seen here about Bluesky being very artist-friendly has proven to be true.

It's been almost 3 weeks since I started, and I'm already at 50 followers, including mutuals from other platforms and Japanese users like me! I'm so excited to see them on Bluesky too.

But most surprisingly, ppl use the repost button so often there. I'd be lucky to get 2 reblogs on my Anton art on Tumblr. Over on Bluesky, I'm starting to see at least 5! And it's not by the same ppl every time; several active followers repost, then strangers repost just because they thought my art looked cool.

Let's emphasize that last bit.

"Just because they thought my art looked cool."

There are users who repost not because they love the character or know the franchise, but because the art caught their eye.

I wish that were the case on this hell site full of bots, but here your post either has to be a meme, related to lgbt+, or for a big fandom to gain any traction. This is why I appreciate the few regulars who do engage with my posts so much.

Anyway, I'm still figuring out how to format my Bsky posts to reach more ppl, but it's been pretty pleasant so far. Yes, I've blocked some bots who followed me, but that was expected. Other than that, I haven't seen any racist or conservative stuff on my feeds, which is refreshing and hopefully stays that way. If you're an artist looking for a bigger community, Bluesky might be a good start.

[kradeelav]

i made some slight art updates to my personal website!

if you didn't know, kradeelav.com is my beloved home base running continuously for a decade now. The look and styling has changed a few times, but it is the de-facto home for my art even if all social media sites go down.

some cool and potentially useful bits on there for you:

a blog that posts uncensored art before i post it on tumblr/bsky; does not require logging in, and it is also RSS friendly.

an art archive (much like tumblr's archive view, or dA's gallery view) for another way to see all of the art i've ever made quickly. you can also use tags to peruse through it.

cancelled resources; a guide that has been shared widely since 2019 for kink artists to protect themselves against harassers, especially when the issue was much less well known.

a substantial links and banner section to many other cool artists and active personal sites like the "old web"; exploring these sites is a quick ticket to finding the thriving creative indie web that still exists today.

... and much more including mirrored fanfiction, a whole comic, and a fanshrine - but part of the old web is enjoying the whimsy of finding things. ;)

[myalchod]

On the WoT Series Finale ...

Okay, now that I've had some time to mull over things, some (potentially incoherent) Thoughts on 3x08 ... well, specifically That Thing and some broader tropey stuff.

I get why people are upset -- I absolutely do, especially given that this show has made some rather unfortunate choices vis a vis optics. Colour-blind casting is wonderful, but it also means that you run the risk of accidentally (or subconsciously) falling into tropes you didn't necessarily think through. Valda and Fain are both examples -- the actors for both are utterly wonderful, but the two Most Problematic Whitecloaks being particularly dark-skinned definitely has Unfortunate Implications, especially contrasting Valda against avuncular, generally well-intentioned Geofram Bornhold. And there's a trend in this season in particular with PoC characters being the ones who die, especially in more unpleasant ways. Ihvon dying over Maksim. The White sister in Liandrin's cabal being the first to go (and to get absolutely smashed in the process). Ispan's death versus Nyomi's. Loial, generally.

At the same time, I get why there are deaths. The source material has eleventy billion characters; it was inevitable we'd see them, especially as the show goes forward and focusses more and more on the 'kids' without the need for established names to carry the show. It's even more inevitable as plotlines proliferate, and threads have to be tied back in and the show made to work within its constraints. I hate them -- I have a habit of picking out, as my favourites, characters who very often end up dead (or, if not, sidelined, but that's not important here). When I read the books, many years ago, Siuan was my unequivocal favourite from the moment she first showed up, and when I read the spoilers last night, insomniac and trying to convince myself to sleep and not watch, I was simultaneously shocked and not surprised.

So I went in knowing that Siuan was going to die, but I didn't know how they'd handle it. And it was heartbreaking. But thinking about it, in the aftermath, there's one thing in particular that I actually do like about the change, and that is how it makes her an active participant in the Tower's breaking. Not that she causes it -- that happens in both books and show -- but that she isn't silenced, stilled, bundled off into a cell, and then basically vanishes from the Tower. We see more of her mistakes play out on the screen, but in addition we see her try to make amends for them. "I am Aes Sedai" felt like a challenge as much as a proclamation -- a reminder of what the words mean, of what the Tower should be, at this time above and beyond any other. It felt like more agency than I remember her having in the books. (Could it have been done without her dying? Arguably yes. But if she was going to go out, and if they wanted to give Sophie a suitably dramatic moment to play, this was the best opportunity within her book arc. Could it have been done without such a violent -- if mercifully off-panel -- death? Again, arguably yes, but as someone pointed out on Bsky, it's a definitive shorthand for Actually Deceased in a show where anything short of death can be Healed, and even more than that if you're the Dark One, but that's another story.)

Would I have liked to see the show go a different way? Maybe. There was a lot of speculation floating around about ways show Siuan's storyline could go, especially in connection with Moiraine's book arc, and especially after Siuan and Mat's conversation I really warmed to the idea -- it would have been lovely to see more of their dynamic, and there were some very interesting ways that could have wound. My ultimate response depends a lot on how the rest of the show (which we hopefully get!) plays out. But there will always be things you wish a show did that it doesn't, and that's what things like fanfic are for. I've been disappointed many times, and this one hits me less hard than some, because even if I dislike it at first blush I can see how it makes narrative sense.

But again: I get it. I get that there are actor conflicts, and cost ramifications, and any one of a thousand things that might have precluded Sophie's continued involvement as a regular -- and if they followed book!Siuan's storyline, that would have probably warranted regular involvement. I get that there are issues with killing a woman, a character of colour, a lesbian in an onscreen relationship -- so many issues, taken in the context of an industry that is pretty awful to minorities of all sorts, and especially when it comes to SF/F. I'm not saying all of this to try to convince anyone one way or another, but mostly to kind of get my thoughts on the events of the finale worked out, when it's not what I expected.

Your feelings on this, whatever they are, are absolutely valid. If you walk away from the show, that's your prerogative -- goodness knows I've done that with shows in the past. If you choose to defend it or to adopt a wait-and-see attitude, those are equally justifiable. Everyone has to decide what their personal break point is with the media they engage with. I hope, if you do walk away, that you're able to keep whatever joy the show gave you; feeling like a piece of media you love has betrayed you is always painful. Personally, I hope we do get more of this show, and I'm willing to give them a chance. I haven't agreed with all of their choices, but overall I'm still enjoying it, and I'm definitely eager to see what comes next ... though not to wait two years for it, assuming it's a similar cadence.

(Anyway. I hope that was some measure of coherent in the end. But now I'm going to try to do something entirely different with regards to another character on this show, so I'll shut up instead of going on any further.)

[ofmdrecaps]

03/13-16/2025 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; David Jenkins; Rhys Darby; Samba Schutte; Kristian Nairn; Nicola Dove; Siren Events: Behind Our Flag; Love Notes;

Hey luvs, I know I'm super behind again-- I actually took a couple days off from work to catch up on all the stuff I have to get done around the house and online I'll do my best to be caught up over the next couple days! <3

= David Jenkins =

David's been keeping active over on bluesky and sending some love to our crewmate Danielle aka dbsaveofmd.bsky.social!

Source: David's Bsky

Also, he's joining the digital convention going on on April 5th via Siren Events! Visit the bottom of the recap for more info!

Source: David's Bsky

= Rhys Darby =

Rhys was out helping to manage the new AoNZ Sail GP team, the Black Foils! He even got to do his traditional Murray Role call!

Source: Rosie's IG Stories

Lots of solo shots and pics with Rosie and Theo out with the team as well!

Source: Rhys' IG

Other great news in Darby-land was Season 2 of Monsters At Work, where Rhys voices Roger Roger, won an Emmy for Outstanding Voice Direction! Congrats team!

Source: Rhys' IG

Rhys also announced returning to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival! You can get tickets for Aug 1-10! at https://www.pleasance.co.uk/

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rhys Darby (@rhysiedarby)

Source: Rhys' IG

= Samba Schutte =

Samba was sharing lots of memories and friends!

Source: Samba's IG Stories

= Kristian Nairn =

Kristan was out at Comic Con Scotland Aberdeen on March 14 and 15 and he did a couple interviews/panels!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Comic Con Scotland North East (@comicconscotlandaberdeen)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Simon Cassidy (@simon_cassidy1)

Source: Simon Cassidy IG

= Nicola Dove =

Our beloved S2 photographer was kind enough to post more /updated stills!

Source: Nicola Dove IG / 2

Annnnd Rubio and Samba had a little fun with them...

Source: Ruibo's IG Stories

= Siren Events: Behind Our Flag Event =

Hey all! Sorry this is so delayed on announcing but April 5th, 2025 - 18:00 UTC, the online Our Flag means Death Virtual Convention will be taking stage!

You can still purchase a ticket for the entire event here! Here's the schedule!

LIVESTREAM SATURDAY 5TH APRIL 2025 (UK 19:00-02:00) VIEW ON DEMAND FROM SUNDAY 6TH APRIL 2025

A SPECIAL 90 MINUTE PANEL WITH DAVID JENKINS

Saturday 5th April 18:00 (UTC) / 19:00 (BST / UK)

60 MINUTE BREAK - 19:30 (UTC) / 20:30 (UK / BST)

LOOKS THAT STOLE THE SHOW: BLACKBEARD

Saturday 5th April 20:30 (UTC) / 21:30 (UK / BST)

30 MINUTE BREAK - 21:30 (UTC) / 22:30 (UK / BST)

LOOKS THAT STOLE THE SHOW: MERMAIDS & UNICORNS

Saturday 5th April - 22:00 (UTC) / 23:00 (UK / BST) 

BUILDING THE WORLD OF OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH

Saturday 5th April - 23:00 (UTC) / 00:00 (UK / BST) 

THE BEST REVENGE IS DRESSING WELL

Sunday 6th April - 00:00 (UTC) / 01:00 (UK / BST)

and last but not least, Kelly Ren Head Painting & Sculpting!

Source: Siren Events UK

== Love Notes ==

It's been a while lovelies! Jeez! What a year it's been. I tell ya one of these days things are going to calm the heck down and things are going to get easier, they just have to.

Today I just wanted to remind you that tomorrow can be so scary when things are uncertain. We never know what's going to happen--- but that doesn't mean we have to always look to the future. Sometimes, when things are hard, we need to sit here in the moment and process them so we can deal with tomorrow when it comes. Please remember to get some rest and be kind to yourselves lovelies. 🫶.

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A post shared by @thelatestkate

Source: The Latest Kate's IG

[hazy2k]

im still much more active on bsky then i am here. if ur mutuals with me on here dont forget to follow ne there as well!!!