#the rare art of the essay

[oldshrewsburyian]

This is (I think) a beautiful read about the experience of reading great literature -- specifically Moby Dick, and that specificity does matter -- in community.

To recite the whole novel in one unbroken sequence only intensifies Moby-Dick’s legendary obstinance. We are all trapped here, in the belly of the beast, one page at a time.

[bettygemma]

"But also we can read such books with another aim, not to throw light on literature, not to become familiar with famous people, but to refresh and exercise our own creative powers. Is there not an open window on the right hand of the bookcase? How delightful to stop reading and look out! How stimulating the scene is, in it's unconsciousness, it's irrelevance, it's perpetual movement - the colts galloping around the field, the woman filling her pail at the well, the donkey throwing back his head and emitting his long, acrid moan. The greater part of any library is nothing but the record of such fleeting moments in the lives of men, women, and donkeys."

- 'How should one read a book?' Virginia Woolf

[foursaints]

in my head the wizarding war never happened and these two are in the grocery store debating over plant based milks

[romansmartini]

i am not immune to text-based art that’s presented in bold blocky text (at times in all caps) and conveys a profound sentiment in only a few words

[katyahina]

Yharnam WAS overwhelmed by the foreigners, then?

I am still mildly bothered by the fact that male Healing Church personnel (the doctors, not the hunters) seem to wear really similar clothing to the foreigners (black doctors have same as Brador's, and white doctors have same as Paleblood Hunter's in their initial outfit).

It makes me wonder if maybe Laurence could not find enough educated and willing people by his side - the educated ones in Yharnam were probably all Byrgenwerth-affiliated and sticked with Willem's ideas more, or simply remained scholars in the walls of the lecture halls, and other people were simply commoners…? So, maybe he DID reach out for some near foreign country, to invite over people that will be willing to cooperate? There is already Gascoigne who came from foreigners and joined the Healing Church (like his shawl suggests), for one.

On the other hand, Black Church doctors are doing a similar thing to what Brador is doing - dispose of the enemies! Meanwhile, our playable Hunter is not that simple either! The biggest hint for them not being loreless is them looking for Paleblood - and even leaving a note to themselves upon waking up, as if they knew they'd forget:

(Retranslation from this ( x ) document, localization is missing out the detail that the writing is their own)

And if the hunter invades Iosefka's Clinic through that secret way in the woods and manages to reach the room they woke up at at the start of the game, there is a Cainhurst invitation with their own name in it! And who likely left it? Right, either Iosefka or Imposter, both are high ranking Healing Church members, as well as hinted to formerly affiliate with Cainhurst! (imposter Iosefka can make potions that are secret Cainhurst recipe passed down through nobles, as well as one to recognize your "moonlit scent" with the only other character doing it being Annalise herself..) And this implication:

Like, I kind of struggle to make a solid explanation for this detail, but I really think there was an intention to leave this visual hint. It is totally possible that like 90% of the Healing Church staff were foreigners, and seems like even from the same place. That was ALSO the same place Paleblood Hunter is from!

I'll also link a theory about Paleblood Hunter being reincarnation of Laurence himself whose name was also foreseen ( x ), and previous thoughts on why Yharnamites resent foreigners for "sullying their blood" ( x ), as they are kinda relevant...?

As for the former one, the ideas are many, but our Paleblood Hunter is likely from the same country where Brador, and even all these doctors are from! Hell, they could've been related to someone from Cainhurst, and they wanted to invite the Hunter, but the invitation never got passed, only preserved in the hands of either Iosefka or imposter (very likely twins).

As for the latter, that theory coooould need an update for now, since Yharnamites might have way more reasons to blame foreigners! Because in the end, they WERE associated with spreading the blood and all. It could be still complicated and Healing Church creating the narrative to blame them still has a merit - some people still trust in Church? Not just the clueless staff like Adella, even commoners like indoors NPCs that say "bless us with blood". But that ALSO could be just the display of how sometimes people will be in denial and not figure out anything even when evidences are all here! That they just CHOOSE to believe bullshit and all? In the alley where Arianna and Narrow-Minded Man are you also find a corpse you pick Black Church garb from. Also, in this alley, a door NPC says "bless the whole damn church" very bitterly; we could conclude that doctor was murdered in spite and fear. Narrow-Minded Man and Lonely Old Dear are both NPCs that display the most disdain for foreigners, too, which is a bold talk since one of them stacks a lot of Sedatives (blood-based medicine), and another drops x3 Pungent Blood Cocktails + has his whole windowsill full of blood like booze:

So, I'd say, the addiction to blood and belief in it being healing is accepted, but the commoners draw correlation between beasthood breaking out and foreigners overwhelming the Healing Church staff! Prior it probably were just Yharnamites, and Old Hunters (Blood Ministers such as the one we see in intro cutscene). Again, maybe Healing Church even gladly rolled with it - like "yeah, we and our blood are not inherently bad, it is just because foreigners came and did it all wrong, buy our shit still tbnx bye ✌️" like I said in the "outdated" post xd

______________________

If anyone has a solid theory regarding this detail, I'd like to know, actually! It feels so self-explanatory, yet I struggle to really grasp anything specific? Especially with what Hunter could possibly have to do with both Healing Church staff and Cainhurst, because there are so many opportunities? Yeah I know it is funny to think there is a foreign land where every guy has only two types of clothes xD Again - I am not sure of taking it so literally, but I do think developers wanted to leave this visual hint for the players, because Bloodborne's storytelling style is to not actually TELL it, but show 🤔

[reinabeestudio]

hi i'm sending an ask so i can compliment ur hal more. i'm pointing and clapping in delight and saying ''hwahaha! ohoho! yippee!" him fucking around and finding out is really funny to me. i like the details like his hair being fluffier and his eyes colors. more general detail but i also like the chromatic aberration you put on there. really cool effect. anyway. have a nice day. smiles serenely as i give a thumbs up and fade back into the fog from whence i came

THANK YOU ∋( :] ✨ I have already said this but I do think the concept of Ultimate Hal/Ult!Hal can be an interesting one. I do Not have the memory that many others fans do and I don't remember like 90% of the comic. That said, I guess it can be an interesting study of the character?

Like 💭 he's usually considered just another splinter, but part of his character is to not just be 'another Dirk'. At some point, even if he is Dirk, he is not Dirk (am I making sense). He finally gets an identity of his own, to the point that he has his own splinters. Also because I think we were robbed of more Hal content but that's just me (c'mon bro where is my Halsprite.... so sad)

I have a joke that he remains mostly the same, even as an Ultimate Self, because most of his splinters don't change much from each other LMAO. And I like to think that, even if now he has power of his own (as a 'person' + Witch of Heart), feels animosity towards that other fucking Ultimate cunt. But I like to play it more as siblings bickering lol

And about his hair... that's just how. I draw Dirk's hair to be honest 🧍‍♂️ I've mostly drawn Bro, so no matter which splinter, that way of drawing Dirk's hairstyle has become ingrained in my memory

[swinging-stars-from-satellites]

here's the thing. the Wayne sons are in some ways incredibly alike in appearances but in some ways incredibly different in personality. but sometimes the traits that they share, physical or not, stand out and it's sudden very clear: these boys are brothers. Jason and Damian have matching glares. Damian's voice pitches upwards in the same way that Tim's does when he's afraid. (this is not heard often from Damian, but when it is, the similarity is chilling. it's been this way since before they ever met). Dick and Tim both fight with glorified sticks. Dami lifts his chin in pride, or defiance, or to gather his strength the same way Dick does. Tim and Jason have the same nose. Tim moves lightly on his feet almost exactly how Dick does, and Damian tries to mimick both of them but his gait is more similar to Jason's when it comes down to it. Tim's hair falls in his face just like Jason's used to, except that Jason's hair waves just a little bit more like Dick's baby curls, and nobody mentions that sometimes whether on purpose or not, Damian and Tim have almost identical haircuts. Damian learns so much body language from Dick, it's like he's a smaller, tanner, greener-eyed version of his older brother. and then you add into the mix the adopted daughter, Cassandra Wayne, formerly Cain (and if the associations there don't mean something, if names mean nothing when they're this specific, then I might eat my shoe), and it becomes even clearer. this is a family. Cass's eyes flash the same way Jason's do when they're angry and she shares the smooth grace of a born gymnast that Dick has always had. her eyebrows curve the same way Damian's do, and sometimes when they're in public people think that she and Tim are biologically siblings — she is so often in the shadows, and no one connects the quiet, curious dark-haired daughter with teenage CEO Tim Drake. Cassandra's threats are the only ones that can match up to Damian's, despite that most days the threats are empty. the world is watching this family, and even their own friends are stunned by how much like born and raised siblings they are. Stephanie stops in her tracks when Cass flashes the same toothy smile that she'd seen on Tim just moments before, sure she's seeing double. but more than anything, in varying ways, some more obvious than others, all of them resemble Bruce. Jason's facial structure and passion, the soft shape of Dick's mouth when he smiles and the way he cares, Cassandra's quiet nobility and confident stride, Tim's obsessiveness and the light that strikes in his eyes when he believes in something, the shape of Damian's eyes and the determination in them — the media and the public talks, of course, tabloid theories of perhaps more than just Damian being blood-related to Bruce Wayne. the Wayne children are, in some ways, extremely different, but in many others they are strikingly alike. the one thing that is unquestionable, though, is that they are their father's children, biology be damned, and their whole city can tell.

[birdmenmanga]

my sleep schedule is a huge mess so right after dinner I took a nap and I had a dream where I was scrolling on tumblr and @kitsoa's birdmen blog had a post that was like. a photograph of a polished stone plaque that had text written in Chinese along the lines of "since there are about 15 of us left in the birdmen fandom if we each pick one volume and write the chapter synopses we could have it covered for the entire series" and the only reason I knew it was a dream was because there was no way that such a plaque could exist and also I don't think kitsoa is fluent in chinese in any sense of the word but even so I remember groggily going nooo we don't have to do it like that I've already written the chapter summaries for the first like 12 chapters

[iguanodont]

Introducing a new birg culture, and the reason the Twowi go to such lengths to cross the icy equator with their cargoes of rare metal and pungent gall-spice. The Ss’wassoum are a wealthy empire based on the far southern coast, where the sea-ice melts more quickly in the spring and its people first built their wealth on the sea-harvest. Their language is heavy on harmonized syllables, which lends their speech a distinctive musical quality. Family units are smaller than the fiercely clannish Twowi, and the gender divide is less rigid, though still distinctly matriarchal. Some of their most lucrative raw exports are refined tree-plastics and sea-silk, which is valued for fine textiles.

While the Twowi run on highly specialized industrial clan-towns, the Ss’wassoum exist in more diverse cities, though the class divide is impossible to ignore. The nobility are loud of dress and voice, with their ornate refined plastic head-dresses, vividly patterned veils, and resonators worn over the rear spiracles to enhance their voices. But despite all the attention they draw to themselves, their faces are always covered; to be perceived as gray-furred mortals akin to any commoner is inconceivable. They walk the streets as living demigods. Just below the nobility are the merchant class, which may approach their influence in wealth and education but are legally barred from the elaborate headwear and home exteriors of their superiors. Instead they adorn the insides of their homes with the latest in art and technology, particularly elaborate electric light fixtures crafted from imported Twowi metal. Commoners wear little at all in the sunny months, save for the occasional beaded sash and brass mandible-cuffs. Sailors and other hard laborers frequently adorn their bodies with scarified and dyed patterns to mark themselves for the goodwill of protective gods.

The Ss’wassoum government does implement a standardized education system of sorts, though only those of the upper class can test or pay their way into the finest schools, where they can master the high dialect and the art of Opinion. Historically, etiquette laws forbade the discussion of controversial topics in public spaces; these were reserved for halls of judgement. The rule is more of a social taboo these days, but an ancient loophole ruled that written forms of debate could be presented anywhere, and with the subsequent invention of movable type, a colorful written debate culture flourished. Wherever there is a public bulletin, a cafe wall, a blank space where people gather, you fill find posted essays on anything from the hypocrisy of the noble class to a long winded treatise on the merits of toe-biter clams. It is not uncommon for a debate topic to outlive the original essayists, as hills are chosen to literally die on are then proudly upheld by the writer’s descendants. So ingrained into Ss’wassoum society is this debate culture, that committed debate rivals may be legally recognized as a marriage-like partnership. Though the Ss’wassoum carry no expectations of monogamy to a reproductive partner, the correlation between rivalry and mating season partners does not go unnoticed. As a general rule, a worldly and strongly opinionated individual is more attractive.

Big thanks to @primalmuckygoop for pitching so many great ideas for these guys, including most of the lore on their debate culture, and the very name of this civilization!

—————

If you’d like to see more stuff in the works for birgworld, check out my Patreon!

Or you can support me through Kofi and Inprnt

[what-even-is-thiss]

Tips from a former English major and English TA:

Reading the text actually does help you in the class believe it or not and we can tell when you haven’t read it. Sometimes we’re just too tired to call you out on it. Your awkward silence in class speaks volumes.

That being said, if you don’t have time because life happens read at least two different summaries or analysis pages online. Preferably more. One source will rarely mention everything your teacher asks you about.

Other tricks include reading the last sentence of every paragraph or reading every other page

The reason you’re being forced to take an English class when you’re not an English major is to help you come up with arguments when there’s no strict data set to follow and no one correct answer. If your school allows for alternatives to this sort of category like film analysis or art history that you think you’d like better, take it. The goal of GE classes is to turn you into a well rounded and educated person. Not to torture you.

If you’re reading works in translation and don’t want to take the time to learn the language but you also want to get a more accurate idea of the nuances of the original language, read three different translations of the work and compare them. Reading translators notes and reviews of translations by experts is also helpful. In some more rarely translated works translators notes and reviews may be all you have to work off of.

When you’re writing a literary essay you’re entering an ongoing conversation that’s been going on since writing has existed. A tradition that’s existed since before Aristotle. And you’re just as smart as that guy. Add something to the conversation. Participate. Bigger idiots than you have done it.

Chat gbt is really bad at literary analysis and often gets facts wrong. We can tell when you use it.

Everyone has different levels of understanding of the history of literature even within the professional world. People specialize for a reason. Nobody is expecting you to have read everything. An expert in medieval Irish literature isn’t going to have read the same things as an expert in post-colonial west African literature who won’t have read the same things as a general expert in contemporary Asian literature. Being “well-read” is subjective and means something different to everyone. English classes often show you where to start and how to research stuff related to literature and analysis. Especially if you are an English major it’s easy to get overwhelmed early on but you get used to accepting that you can’t know everything. And that’s fine. Just focus on finding your niche. Or maybe you don’t have one and just want to sample everything. Or maybe you’re just here for general knowledge. That’s fine too.

[oldshrewsburyian]

Daniel Lavery is being hilarious about medievalism (and "Renaissances.") I love him.

[henrykathman]

The Greatest Movie You'll Never See! - Goncharov (1973)

I believe that I have made the most comprehesive video essay on the 1973 film Goncharov that has been released to date, including restored footage, interviews, and rare behind-the-scenes insight into this forgotten film.

More info below the cut

Special Thanks to Molly Noise (She/Her) for composing the original music Matt Crowley (He/Him) for his quotes Marisa BeBeau (She/Her) for graciously letting me interview her. You can support her work at @sabertoothwalrus

You can also buy a copy of the 'Nico the Catboy' zine here!

Bibliography

Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. Penguin Books, 1935, pp. 1–26. Connanro. “Goncharov Master Document.” Google Docs, 20 Nov. 2022, docs.google.com/document/d/1Fbcn96MKyc1Bky6c0Ffex4APtar9iNht8ytfZHPpSss/edit#heading=h.bpd1oee4nr3q. Accessed 16 Mar. 2023. Jacobsen, Emily. “Ratatouille the Musical (Full Show).” YouTube, 9 Dec. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pdTi-R-Apw. Accessed 15 Mar. 2023. Juli. “Goncharov Score Masterpost.” Tumblr, 21 Nov. 2022, www.tumblr.com/thisisnotjuli/701573313313587200/goncharov-score-masterpost?source=share. Accessed 16 Mar. 2023. Lauren Shippen. “Ice Pick Joe Quote.” Tumblr, 1 Nov. 2022, thelaurenshippen.tumblr.com/post/701652426816733184/i-know-that-ice-pick-joe-operates-mostly-as-a. Accessed 15 Mar. 2023. Marisa BeBeau. “Nico the Catboy Archive.” Sabertoothwalrus, Tumblr, 25 Oct. 2020, sabertoothwalrus.tumblr.com/tagged/nico%20the%20catboy/chrono. Accessed 15 Mar. 2023.

[sneezypeasy]

Why I Deliberately Avoided the "Colonizer" Argument in my Zutara Thesis - and Why I'll Continue to Avoid it Forever

This is a question that occasionally comes up under my Zutara video essay, because somehow in 2 hours worth of content I still didn't manage to address everything (lol.) But this argument specifically is one I made a point of avoiding entirely, and there are some slightly complicated reasons behind that. I figure I'll write them all out here.

From a surface-level perspective, Zuko's whole arc, his raison d'etre, is to be a de-colonizer. Zuko's redemption arc is kinda all about being a de-colonizer, and his redemption arc is probably like the most talked about plot point of ATLA, so from a basic media literacy standpoint, the whole argument is unsound in the first place, and on that basis alone I find it childish to even entertain as an argument worth engaging with, to be honest.

(At least one person in my comments pointed out that if any ship's "political implications" are problematic in some way, it really ought to be Maiko, as Mai herself is never shown or suggested to be a strong candidate for being a de-colonizing co-ruler alongside Zuko. If anything her attitudes towards lording over servants/underlings would make her… a less than suitable choice for this role, but I digress.)

But the reason I avoided rebutting this particular argument in my video goes deeper than that. From what I've observed of fandom discourse, I find that the colonizer argument is usually an attempt to smear the ship as "problematic" - i.e., this ship is an immoral dynamic, which would make it problematic to depict as canon (and by extension, if you ship it regardless, you're probably problematic yourself.)

And here is where I end up taking a stand that differentiates me from the more authoritarian sectors of fandom.

I'm not here to be the fandom morality police. When it comes to lit crit, I'm really just here to talk about good vs. bad writing. (And when I say "good", I mean structurally sound, thematically cohesive, etc; works that are well-written - I don't mean works that are morally virtuous. More on this in a minute.) So the whole colonizer angle isn't something I'm interested in discussing, for the same reason that I actually avoided discussing Katara "mothering" Aang or the "problematic" aspects of the Kataang ship (such as how he kissed her twice without her consent). My whole entire sections on "Kataang bad" or "Maiko bad" in my 2 hour video was specifically, "how are they written in a way that did a disservice to the story", and "how making them false leads would have created valuable meaning". I deliberately avoided making an argument that consisted purely of, "here's how Kataang/Maiko toxic and Zutara wholesome, hence Zutara superiority, the end".

Why am I not willing to be the fandom morality police? Two reasons:

I don't really have a refined take on these subjects anyway. Unless a piece of literature or art happens to touch on a particular issue that resonates with me personally, the moral value of art is something that doesn't usually spark my interest, so I rarely have much to say on it to begin with. On the whole "colonizer ship" subject specifically, other people who have more passion and knowledge than me on the topic can (and have) put their arguments into words far better than I ever could. I'm more than happy to defer to their take(s), because honestly, they can do these subjects justice in a way I can't. Passing the mic over to someone else is the most responsible thing I can do here, lol. But more importantly:

I reject the conflation of literary merit with moral virtue. It is my opinion that a good story well-told is not always, and does not have to be, a story free from moral vices/questionable themes. In my opinion, there are good problematic stories and bad "pure" stories and literally everything in between. To go one step further, I believe that there are ways that a romance can come off "icky", and then there are ways that it might actually be bad for the story, and meming/shitposting aside, the fact that these two things don't always neatly align is not only a truth I recognise about art but also one of those truths that makes art incredibly interesting to me! So on the one hand, I don't think it is either fair or accurate to conflate literary "goodness" with moral "goodness". On a more serious note, I not only find this type of conflation unfair/inaccurate, I also find it potentially dangerous - and this is why I am really critical of this mindset beyond just disagreeing with it factually. What I see is that people who espouse this rhetoric tend to encourage (or even personally engage in) wilful blindness one way or the other, because ultimately, viewing art through these lens ends up boxing all art into either "morally permissible" or "morally impermissible" categories, and shames anyone enjoying art in the "morally impermissible" box. Unfortunately, I see a lot of people responding to this by A) making excuses for art that they guiltily love despite its problematic elements and/or B) denying the value of any art that they are unable to defend as free from moral wickedness.

Now, I'm not saying that media shouldn't be critiqued on its moral virtue. I actually think morally critiquing art has its place, and assuming it's being done in good faith, it absolutely should be done, and probably even more often than it is now.

Because here's the truth: Sometimes, a story can be really good. Sometimes, you can have a genuinely amazing story with well developed characters and powerful themes that resonate deeply with anyone who reads it. Sometimes, a story can be all of these things - and still be problematic.*

(Or, sometimes a story can be all of those things, and still be written by a problematic author.)

That's why I say, when people conflate moral art with good art, they become blind to the possibility that the art they like being potentially immoral (or vice versa). If only "bad art" is immoral, how can the art that tells the story hitting all the right beats and with perfect rhythm and emotional depth, be ever problematic?

(And how can the art I love, be ever problematic?)

This is why I reject the idea that literary merit = moral virtue (or vice versa) - because I do care about holding art accountable. Even the art that is "good art". Actually, especially the art that is "good art". Especially the art that is well loved and respected and appreciated. The failure to distinguish literary critique from moral critique bothers me on a personal level because I think that conflating the two results in the detriment of both - the latter being the most concerning to me, actually.

So while I respect the inherent value of moral criticism, I'm really not a fan of any argument that presents moral criticism as equivalent to literary criticism, and I will call that out when I see it. And from what I've observed, a lot of the "but Zutara is a colonizer ship" tries to do exactly that, which is why I find it a dishonest and frankly harmful media analysis framework to begin with.

But even when it is done in good faith, moral criticism of art is also just something I personally am neither interested nor good at talking about, and I prefer to talk about the things that I am interested and good at talking about.

(And some people are genuinely good at tackling the moral side of things! I mean, I for one really enjoyed Lindsay Ellis's take on Rent contextualising it within the broader political landscape at the time to show how it's not the progressive queer story it might otherwise appear to be. Moral critique has value, and has its place, and there are definitely circumstances where it can lead to societal progress. Just because I'm not personally interested in addressing it doesn't mean nobody else can do it let alone that nobody else should do it, but also, just because it can and should be done, doesn't mean that it's the only "one true way" to approach lit crit by anyone ever. You know, sometimes... two things… can be true… at once?)

Anyway, if anyone reading this far has recognised that this is basically a variant of the proship vs. antiship debate, you're right, it is. And on that note, I'm just going to leave some links here. I've said about as much as I'm willing/able to say on this subject, but in case anyone is interested in delving deeper into the philosophy behind my convictions, including why I believe leftist authoritarian rhetoric is harmful, and why the whole "but it would be problematic in real life" is an anti-ship argument that doesn't always hold up to scrutiny, I highly recommend these posts/threads:

In general this blog is pretty solid; I agree with almost all of their takes - though they focus more specifically on fanfic/fanart than mainstream media, and I think quite a lot of their arguments are at least somewhat appropriate to extrapolate to mainstream media as well.

I also strongly recommend Bob Altemeyer's book "The Authoritarians" which the author, a verified giga chad, actually made free to download as a pdf, here. His work focuses primarily on right-wing authoritarians, but a lot of his research and conclusions are, you guessed it, applicable to left-wing authoritarians also.

And if you're an anti yourself, welp, you won't find support from me here. This is not an anti-ship safe space, sorrynotsorry 👆

In conclusion, honestly any "but Zutara is problematic" argument is one I'm likely to consider unsound to begin with, let alone the "Zutara is a colonizer ship" argument - but even if it wasn't, it's not something I'm interested in discussing, even if I recognise there are contexts where these discussions have value. I resent the idea that just because I have refined opinions on one aspect of a discussion means I must have (and be willing to preach) refined opinions on all aspects of said discussion. (I don't mean to sound reproachful here - actually the vast majority of the comments I get on my video/tumblr are really sweet and respectful, but I do get a handful of silly comments here and there and I'm at the point where I do feel like this is something worth saying.) Anyway, I'm quite happy to defer to other analysts who have the passion and knowledge to give complicated topics the justice they deserve. All I request is that care is taken not to conflate literary criticism with moral criticism to the detriment of both - and I think it's important to acknowledge when that is indeed happening. And respectfully, don't expect me to give my own take on the matter when other people are already willing and able to put their thoughts into words so much better than me. Peace ✌

*P.S. This works for real life too, by the way. There are people out there who are genuinely not only charming and likeable, but also generous, charitable and warm to the vast majority of the people they know. They may also be amazing at their work, and if they have a job that involves saving lives like firefighting or surgery or w.e, they may even be the reason dozens of people are still alive today. They may honestly do a lot of things you'd have to concede are "good" deeds.

They may be all of these things, and still be someone's abuser. 🙃

Two things can be true at once. It's important never to forget that.

[wizardfrog69]

May I request raising a child with Fyodor? I feel like he would lowkey be a scary strict parent but would also spoil them a lot lmao. He gives the vibes of a parent that would ask his 7 year old son to read Crime and Punishment and to write a 3 page essay if they want something.

Thanks for the request!

'•.¸♡ Raising a child together (Fyodor) ♡¸.•'

Fyodor x reader (parents)

Fluff

Masterlist

Enjoy!

Raising a child with him is difficult, to say the least. He firmly believes that children should be punished as a consequence of their actions. The punishments he would suggest may be too cruel for the situation or child, so you never let him punish the children.

Your child will learn to play some sort of instrument like a piano or some sort of string instrument, one that is featured in classical music, so no electric guitar or banjo (unfortunately).

They will end up in therapy, Fyodor is such a great father.

Fyodor is very strict about homework and tests, he expects 90% or higher, it's safe to say you are definitely the favourite parent.

Reading and poetry is a big thing for him and so his offspring has like 20 poems, mostly Russian poems, memorised.

Classical music is what they would listen to the most due to Fyodor but they are allowed to express themselves via music, art, clothing (as long as it is appropriate, for all genders).

He is overprotective, yet he does not wish to be overbearing so it comes off as him just locking himself in his room and interacting with his child on occasion to fulfil their natural need for attention and to reinforce the house rules, and to spend time with you of course.

On special occasions, or when Fyodor wants attention from his family but doesn't want to show it in fear of acting weak, he would take you on a fun night out, taking the kids to the playground or somewhere fun, going to a restaurant to eat something, and so he can spoil you a bit, ending the night with a walk in the park while the child(ren) run around.

Some of his rules include: no phone, the only thing they can watch is TV and w someone else, not on their own, home by 20:00, in bed by 22:00, sleepovers only once they turn 13 and he needs to know the parents, nothing too immodest, no going to his study.

When you had your first baby, Fyodor was really attached to it. It was probably the most you've seen him smile ever. Finding him taking a nap with the baby was a rare sight, but a sight you cherished with all your heart.

༺♡༻ 𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧 ⋆ 𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧 𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 ༺♡༻

Have a wonderful day/night and don't forget to do something you love and drink plenty of water!:)

-with love, Az

[countessqin]

Some voicelines about our dear [Name] as a playable character of Honkai Star Rail! - Xianzhou Luofu

Character : Jing Yuan × fem!reader romantically (lovers, husband-wife relations); Yanqing × fem!reader platonically (mother-son relations); Fu Xuan x fem!reader, Qingque x fem!reader, Tingyun x fem!reader, Sushang x fem!reader, Luocha x fem!reader, Yukong x fem!reader - platonically (friends)

□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■

[Author Note]

I did voicelines OF our dear [Name] about the Xianzhou Luofu characters and about Astral Express family, so I decided to make voicelines ABOUT our dear [Name]. My apologies for any typos and/or mistakes, I'll edit them a bit later.

It is based on my impressions of characters and is purely my headcanons and so on. It includes Yukong, whom we saw at the beginning of Luofu story, Luocha, whom we saw at Dan Heng's part of story (both of them didn't quite open their personalities) so if they are a bit OOC, it's because I don't know their personalities as good as I want, but I tried my best!

PS. I still have exams and this writing was in my drafts for a month, so if it doesn't make any sense at some point, my apologies!

Thank you for reading!

■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□

Small intro: - Name : [Name] - Age : ??? - Occupation : the advisor of the Luofu region - Status : ??? - Path : The Hunt - Element : [which you like]

□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□

Yanqing

[About [Name]]

- Oh, you mean Lady [Name]? She is amazing strategist I must say! She has a huge collection of the of different antiques and swords, and even allows me to take some of them for practice! Oh and she is good at martial arts, I remember when I was younger, we were having small tournaments and she was just as skilled as the General! Mom... I mean Lady [Name] is very kind, so if you will have any questions or troubles you can ask her for assistance

Bonus [About family of three]

- M? Oh you want to know about my family? Well... Lady [Name] and General Jing Yuan took me in and raised me together. I have huge respect and gratitude towards them both... I-I don't remember my biological parents, but I heard that they were wonderful people. What I think about Lady [Name] and Master? Mom and dad, they...*warm smile* they are the best, one of the best parents a person could dream about

Jing Yuan

[About [Name]]

- Ah... advisor of the Luofu. Lady [Name] have a unique character, she can be both calm as a lake, swift as the coursing river yet fierce like a fire. A wonderful person for such position as the advisor of the whole region. Mn? What do I think of her as a person? Ha-ha, she is very kind, caring lady, always thinks about others that about herself and prioritizes others before herself. What is my relationship with her? Haha, take a guess...

Bonus [About a family of three]

- Advisor [Name] and I decided to take care of Yanqing after both of his parents died because of mara. We both never had a child of our own, but we still decided to try and give Yanqing everything he need and now, the Luofu have such a good lieutenant. [Name] and Yanqing always got along together, she was teaching him calligraphy and history while I was teaching him sword art and martial arts... ahhh what I wonderful memories...

Tingyun

[About [Name]]

- M what it is benefactor? What do I think of Advisor [Name]? Wonderful and hardworking lady. To be honest, I rarely see her not busy with her tasks... poor thing

Sushang

[About [Name]]

- Oh Advisor [Name]... well if I can say that our General-Lady of Yaoqing is more hardworking than the General of Luofu, I can't say the same about our Advisor in Xianzhou Yaoqing. Lady [Name] is much more competent than the advisor of Yaoqing, well at least in my opinion

Luocha

[About [Name]]

- I didn't personally met Advisor of the Luofu, but I heard that she is pretty reliable and hardworking. From what I heard, she was chosen out of 10 people what applied for position. They were given a task to solve and write an essay to explain why they solved case this way... and her one was the most logical and considerate

Yukong

[About [Name]]

- Lady [Name] is an amazing ally, advisor and friend. She loves to fly, but ... unfortunately she can't control Starskiff, be a pilot. No, that does not mean she is incompetent in this way, she is just too scared that one wrong move will result in catastrophe

Fu Xuan

[About [Name]]

- Position of Advisor of the region is equal to being the General of a region. One is diplomat, while other is a warrior. They both equally important. But, I think the work of an advisor is more complicated than being a General. I want the position of a General, but of an Advisor... no, thank you... I think Lady [Name] is the best person for such position

[tyrantisterror]

Saw Godzilla Minus One again and yeah, just as good if not better than I felt it was the first time.

But it does have me thinking - well, honestly, I've been thinking about this for a while - about how often critics of this series have bandied the argument that only certain Godzilla movies are "true to the spirit of the original," and others are not and thus are trash. It's always used as a way to not just praise the movie in question the critic is talking about, but to still paint most of the Godzilla movies as disposable garbage - which is really to protect the critic's status as an authority by emphasizing they do not challenge the popular assumption that Godzilla movies are by and large garbage, and instead only think certain Godzilla movies - a rare and specific few - managed to rise above their station as garbage to be worth something.

Godzilla (1985) is the only Godzilla movie to hold true to the spirit of the original.

Shin Godzilla is the only Godzilla movie to hold true to the spirit of the original.

Godzilla Minus One is the only Godzilla movie to hold true to the spirit of the original.

And I have... too many thoughts on this to put in a normal tumblr post, I should probably organize them into, like, an essay (god it's been ages since I actually wrote one of those, nowadays I just let myself ramble with only a thin grasp of a point). But this is bullshit, right? This is a bullshit thing that critics and especially fans, so many Godzilla fans do this. It's so fucking cowardly and pretentious, the act of a person without the bravery to truly stand up for art they love, a person who'd rather cover their own ass than be bold enough to fight for what others have ignorantly deemed trash.

Like, my feelings on Shin Godzilla are not negative - they're lukewarm, a "well it's not really for me but I get what they're going for" feeling. But so many people for so many years have held it up high and said, "Finally, a Godzilla movie that's not trash like all the other sequels, one that FINALLY lives up to the SPIRIT of the first, FLAWLESS, PERFECT FILM!" that I can't help feeling resentment for it, a sort of petty envy at how it is constantly held up so the people praising it can shit down on all the others that preceded it. I think I've been more harshly critical of it than I have most Godzilla movies specifically because so many people feel the need to praise it as flawless while shitting on the Godzilla movies that I like more - as if I need to find flaw in Shin Godzilla to prove my love for the others.

Which is cowardly too, in all honesty. We shouldn't need to burn one movie to praise another.

I love Godzilla Minus One. Objectively (or as objective as any critique I make can be) I think it's the best movie since the original, maybe even surpassing it (unlike the 1954 Godzilla, Godzilla Minus One has not jump cuts or other glaring editing mistakes caused by a rushed production time that didn't allow for proper film coverage). And while it may well be impossible to overcome nostalgia and topple the Holy Trinity of Godzilla sequels in my personal rankings, it might manage to fight its way into my top five Godzilla movies. It's an excellent movie, one of the best for sure.

...but people are ALREADY doing the "It's the first Godzilla movie that's true to the spirit of the original!" bullshit already, and specifically using it to tear Shin Godzilla down. I'm at least a little guilty of it - I mean, it was just an honest expression of my preferences, but still, there wasn't a need for me to express my lukewarm feelings on Shin while praising Minus One - and fuck, man, I already regret that.

It's a coward move. Fight for what you love even if people say you're cringe or uncultured for it. Fuck 'em, be the atomic freak you were born to be. You can't find your monster island if you don't.