#I wanted to contribute with my own culture :D

[stuckatmyhouse12]

Northern California Hatsune Miku is getting her photo taken at the otter exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium! (And happy birthday Miku!!)

[sysig]

An ask! Idk what to talk abt though. How are you? What you want more asks abt? Characters? Life? Some other obscure interest?

(In reference to this I think hehe)

I'm doing well, thank you! I hope the same for you!

As for asks I'd like, I'm up for pretty much anything! If there's something that piques your interest - a take I put out but didn't elaborate on, "Defend that argument!" Lol ♪ I've also had people ask how I do certain things which is always fun to explain :D

Emoji gifts/silly back-and-forths are always fun to doodle to as well! ♫

Or if there's a fandom I haven't posted in a while and you miss it - I have no idea how many fandom transitions people here have hung with! Even if it's been a while, I still love my blorbos hehe ♥

Becoming a psuedo-ask blog with my characters answering directly is still totallly on the table btw :) Something remind you of me/them? Interest!

And while it's not quite Requestober-time-of-year again, next month is the start of when you should be thinking up what you might want 👀

I'd just like to chat! :) Asks are such a casual way of interacting, I like them :D

[simon-roy]

One of the funnest parts of doing a kickstarter (perhaps the only TRULY fun part) is asking online pen-pals if they'd like to contribute to the book. I was very keen on getting something from Tom Kilian - @tkilian on here - who I've followed for ages (and talked with about a couple story ideas, too) to do a piece, and lucky for me, he went WILD on it!

Above is the incredible final piece he cooked up. But below, here is his exhaustive process, in his own words:

When Simon approached me to do a pinup for A STAR CALLED THE SUN I was torn between impending deadlines for other work and the fact that I really wanted to do one. One of my all-time favorite Simon Roy stories, “The Oxpecker and The Elephant,” is appearing in this volume, and I’ve spent years wondering what happened to the two tiny human figures visible among the wreckage at the bottom of the last panel. That, I decided, would be my hook: imagining one of those possible futures where the events of the comic had become an oral history or creation myth for future generations of humans. 

I initially had this overly elaborate idea of showing the same story told three different times around three different fires: one of miserable survivors in the comic’s immediate aftermath, one in this world’s equivalent of the Neolithic era, and one involving the ritual dance of a rich and prosperous culture. 

First I dashed out a quick thumbnail for the Neolithic cave-painting scene. I figured that this idea was strong enough to stand on its own if I couldn’t make the more complicated idea work or started feeling pinched for time, which ultimately is what happened. I like the concept work that I did for the invented history though!

I started by feeling out some ideas for repeatable motifs that I could pull from the comic. Since I wasn’t drawing anything directly from the book, I still wanted readers to be able to make that visual connection. I also wanted there to be some visual link between the three time periods, and settled on four red dots (for the elephants’ eyes), paired braids (for their main feeler arms/trunks), the triangular “assemblage” symbol, and some kind of draping brood-skin shape that would be associated with motherhood in some way.

You can also see me working out some stuff like “how to abstract that weird spaceship from the opening into a 2-D symbol” and “how many points does a Simon-Roy-style star have?” (it actually varies, but I think the stories set on Altamira all use 4-pointed stars), as well as what materials would be available (leather, bone, something very like wood, probably pigment derived from the planet’s yellow soil). 

The local mammal-equivalents don’t seem to have hair, but the ticks at least have quills. The idea of quillwork suggested a Native American inspiration for clothing and decoration, and since the first human settlements would likely have gone up near the shores of the Great Lake that pointed me towards the First Nations people of the Pacific Northwest.

Since the world of the comic appears to be very hot, I tried to communicate the idea of an advancing material culture without leaning on the crutch of “more clothes = more advanced”. My main angle was that in the Later Period the clothing could be more embellished and less practical, to reflect increasing wealth and specialization. Going by the comic, the standard seems to be that you can be totally comfortable in a loincloth, but that my prospective Oxpecker Lake Culture would have inherited the crew’s taboo against women displaying their breasts (the dresses seen here evolved out of the undershirts worn by the female crewmembers in the comic). Dusting red ochre skin dye on the shoulders and hands to mimic the pattern of the crew’s spacesuits then became a way to decorate oneself while still wearing minimal clothing.

I went through several different iterations of a formal shawl or wrap that could symbolically mimic Elephant brood-skin, as well as what they would be used for. I eventually settled on the multi-purpose blanket. Highly detailed to be given as gifts or to form dowries, with the elders draping them about the shoulders of the young in symbolic mimicry of how Elephants nurture their offspring.

Here I started working on ritual masks and costumes for the Later Period ritual dance. The events of the comic are now re-told in ritual dance during yearly solstice festivals. The three Elephants are represented by large, heavy, and expensive costume/puppets, whose fringed shawls (again reminiscent of brood-skin) and tasseled trunks move with the dancer. Each of the three Elephants from the comic would by now have accumulated various symbolic associations, as seen in the masks’ crests (meant to resemble assemblages) and robe decorations.

Settler and Tick masks are less elaborate, allowing the dancers more freedom of movement for athletic displays as they act out the story around the Elephant dancers. The male and female Settler masks are based off of the first two humans to approach an Elephant in the comic, while the War-Maker is based on that one guy with an atlatl. I imagined that in the mythic version of the story the last Tick bargains for its life with the War-Maker, teaching him how to kill his brothers in order to take their possessions.

Really surpassing my brief now, I started thinking about wall art for an Oxpecker tribal leader's grand hall. In a hypothetical 4th Age, new god images are emerging: filling similar roles but less 1-1 in their symbolism, and more work is going into glorifying the accomplishments of the Lake Culture – by this time now only one of several extant human cultures in the region. Notably the ship of the original settlers has been conflated with the boats that the people of the Lake Culture use to traverse the Great Lake. Many people probably believe that the spaceship was a fanciful metaphor. The double triangle, which originally meant "Elephant's Assemblage" is now a generalized one for "Land/Home". Possibly the conflation has religious origins: the visible world is Greatest’s assemblage.

I imagined that by the later period the humans would have spread out from their original home on the lake. Some people would move into the forests as hunter-gatherers (the Elephants appear to eat entire trees in the comic, which would regularly open up large forest clearings that could be exploited for game and fast-growing shrubs), some might have crossed the great lake, and some might build huge towers along Elephant migratory paths where they could latch on, hunt for ticks, and then hop off at the next tower. I like the idea that the Elephants would appreciate these humans, like reef animals visiting a cleaner-fish station, but that other humans would consider them unclean due to their diet of blood (by way of the Ticks, which at this point have been demonized).

Each culture might interpret the "two trunks, four eyes, red shoulders and hands" elements that I'd settled on for the original culture in different ways. Their religion and culture has probably morphed too: does the Lake Culture consider themselves superior, as the original humans? Are the Far Shore traders a Lake Culture splinter group who sailed across the lake, or are they the descendants of a different group of survivors who floated across in the aftermath of the Eviction? Are their weird island castaway cultures descended from a handful of people who floated away on a log at the end of the comic? How long until somebody realizes that megafauna are made of very large quantities of meat and other useful materials? Can Elephant and Man ever learn to communicate, perhaps in some far future Age?

At this point I’d realized that my original idea was much too ambitious and I tried a few layouts to prove it. We can also see some me working out different bonfire building methods and trying to work out a few steps of the ritual dance – a big development here is the idea that the elephant costume heads would be more like a hat rather than a mask to give the dancer added height. I also attached marionette poles to the end of the trunk tassels so they could be used for big, stately gestures in the dance.

The last bits of development went into the dress and appearance of the Stone Age storyteller. I scaled the headdress back to a simpler four reddish stones and four tassels (two long manipulator arms and two short feeder ones). Her dress is a costly garment representing her respected position within the group. It’s made of the skins of several animals and decorated with their bones, quills, and teeth (the ticks have them, it’s gross!), as well as shells from the Great Lake. I hypothesized a Tapir animal – essentially a larger ground-dwelling relative of the Tick – to provide the settlers with meat and hides. This conveniently let me base all the colors and stuff off of the animals in the comic.

Lastly, here is the full set of cave paintings, since in the final image I prioritized atmosphere over legibility. Read from left to right they retell the story of the comic in simplified form. Due to the way I organize my color photoshop painting I wanted this linework on a separate layer from the final drawing, seen below. Huge thanks to the ancient artists of Lascaux Cave for the inspiration!

Huge thanks to Tom Kilian for this post, and all this marvelous world-building - I absolutely love it all! A whole new world, implied through a single piece...

[this-is-intersexism]

Hi!

I’m a perisex person as far as I am aware (I have never been to an LGBT-safe doctor to find out for sure or thought to until recently). I randomly started getting posts from you and another blog about Intersex and Intersexism on my For You page and have reblogged a lot in support.

I am a writer and an artist and I want to contribute to the growth of accurate portrayal of people in the world, whether it’s gender, sexuality, or cultures, and even if I don’t identify the same as them. I like to talk to people, as well as do my own research.

I’m submitting an ask because I saw a post about representation in media and as it is important to talk about what is wrong with it, I’m wondering: How can creators depict intersex people in a more accurate, sensitive, and respectful or honoring way in both fictional and non-fictional worlds? What would Intersex people like to see more of?

If any of this is insensitive of me, please let me know!

Thank you! 💛💜

hi! thank you for listening and supporting intersex people. it means a lot.

about intersex representation in media, here is my takes:

1) choose an actual variation for your intersex character. i mean, they may be undiagnosed, or the variation may fall under "idiopathic" category (when their intersex traits don't fit under any known "condition's" diagnostic criteria), but at least you as a creator should know how their intersexness works. a lot of people see intersexness as some kind of solid "third sex" situation and/or vague thing that makes you more androgynous when, in fact, intersex is a very broad category and intersex people have very different bodies and experiences. it isn't fetishistic or stereotypical if it's something that actually happens with real people.

2) i'd like to see more intersex characters in general. it would be cool if you were able to add several intersex characters in your stories/projects! not all of them have to be the main characters. casual representation matters and helps to normalize things. it's cool when random side character is intersex and just exists. also, it helps to avoid a lot of issues with stereotypes and tokenism. it gives opportunity to show diversity in our community. it also prevents your audience from thinking that the only way of being intersex is [what your only intersex character has]. so it's generally cool for every kind of representation.

3) maybe my personal thing, but give your intersex characters other marginalized identities! i often see this thing in media when the character has one marginalized identity, and it's all. like marginalization is some kind of limited stuff, one thing in one pair of hands. like if character is disabled they can't be queer or POC or even have several disabilities, etc. i mean. give us intersex POC. give us intersex disabled people. give us intersex people with other queer identities. don't limit yourself by only one marginalized identity per character.

4) this is overlapping with disability representation, but. avoid making misery porn. like, when you scroll this blog, you may see a lot of horrible stories of mistreatment and abuse and marginalization. while it's important topic to discuss and depict, it requires knowledge and sensitivity and balance to show respectfully. if your intersex character is constantly mistreated and suffers and is abused because of their intersexness, it may be painful to see for intersex audience and it may accidentally reinforce the idea that our lives are horrible and we should be "fixed" or better dead than living like that. eugenics is an actual problem for intersex community. a lot of people, for example, "consent" on igm for their children because they are afraid that their children would suffer horribly if they got to live with their intersex bodies. a lot of doctors hide diagnoses and medical documents from intersex patients because they think that these people will be terrified and morally crashed if they find out. so there is a fine line between realistic depiction of intersex struggles and misery porn. if you're going to write about intersexism, find a sensitivity reader.

5) i include this because you're new in intersex community. so. avoid popular stereotypes. bigenitalia ≠ intersex (bigenitalia as in two separate perisex-looking perisex-working sets of genitals). your character may have both penis and vagina, but it would be intersex penis (for example, phalloclitoris or hypospadiac penis) and intersex vagina (for example, shallow vagina). so again, look at actual variations and intersex people's descriptions of their lives. in fantasy settings, if the whole species has different sex traits than humans, this species is not intersex as a whole. intersex is about individual variations in sex traits that are untypical for this species. whole species can't be intersex. i personally would like to see nonhuman intersex characters from species with different sex traits (i even have one in my own setting). it can help break the misconception that species with non-gonochoric anatomy are "intersex species" and may actually motivate people to learn what intersex means. but be cautious if your only intersex character is nonhuman and all human characters are perisex (if all your characters are nonhumans, it's fine). because it can accidentally contribute to the dehumanization of intersex people (like this "all asexuals in setting are robots" or "all nonbinary characters in setting are aliens"). this problem can be avoided by adding even one background human intersex character.

other intersex people, feel free to add!

[olderthannetfic]

Re: discourse about using outliers / the worst examples of a group to justify generalizations-- this is also a problem with the femslash wank asks

I'm one of those filthy f/f folks who actually does want to see more femslash relative to mascslash, but I'm not anti-fujo or a terf or telling ppl to change their own tastes. I'm proship / SALS and kinkmato and I think fujoshi are great; I appreciate their massive contribution to fandom culture including AO3's existence itself

But some ppl seem like they just hate f/f fandoms generally and want a reason to bitch about us? and I've felt super demoralized by it whenever I read your blog lately

Like the complaints about f/f being too wholesome and fluffy and that this is somehow bad?? tumblr is C O V E R E D with cutesey fluffy bubbly m/m art using That Artstyle we all know and nobody complains about it. But when sapphic art is like this suddenly its cause we're boring sexless puritans who dont know what pussy should look like? The huge amount of kinky weird depraved f/f thats out there gets totally erased and the wholesome stuff gets scapegoated as a symbol of regressiveness.

Or the constant lecturing to "JuSt CrEaTe It YoUrSeLf" as if nobody who says they want more f/f would actually be making it??? How do you KNOW they're not making it? Are you stalking the tumblr of every ao3 f/f author to make sure they never expressed the opinion you hate , and vice versa??

Yeah a few awful ppl have been super obnoxious, terfy, or puritanical bullies with how they talk about this topic. But when you constantly bring those people up to demonize talking about it at all it feels like you're creating a taboo around it because you want those annoying lesbian feminists to shut the fuck up. Cause how dare we, right? How dare we express desire for something in a way that reminds you patriarchy exists.

You won't even let us express that we're bitter or sad about feeling like a minority even amongst other queer women. You won't let us express simple jealousy without interpreting that jealousy in the most terfy antiship bad faith way possible!

I won't defend those who actually harass ppl or moralize over ships. I won't defend anti-fujos. But when you constantly lump me in with those people just because I looked at AO3 stats and went "Hmmm, it would be cool if this was more balanced :/" or whatever it feels like you just don't want me to say anything at all

--

Is this about me personally? Yes, I agree that topics that are repetitive start to feel like an attack.

But with regards to AO3 stats, this is my pet peeve, as you probably know if you read here often, and I'm unlikely to stop being angry about it.

AO3 is extremely unusual in the history of fandom for being a very big, very multifandom site that is not m/m-specific but where m/m outnumbers other things. There have been large-ish slash archives before. There have been and still are other large, multifandom archives, from FFN and Wattpad, which are in AO3's weight class, to medium size ones like MediaMiner. The spaces that aren't m/m-specific generally have f/m vastly outnumbering m/m. They also make it harder to get stats than AO3 does.

I don't have an issue with people looking at overall fandom stats and complaining that f/f has the short end of the stick when it comes to fanfic broadly. I do object to people pulling only AO3 stats and going "The one anomalous clubhouse that looks like this is the problem" and pointing at m/m.

It's the same problem you point out, just in another direction. After being told "Okay, but the amount of m/m..." constantly for years, people are fed up and never want to hear it again. Even if it's phrased nicely. Even if the person saying it is also hurting.

[scribl1ta]

Are there any other factors why Satryicon isn't popular?

I know that the work not being completed, lack of exposure and not being name recognizing are the main factors but I wanna know the other factors as well.

Lack of taste😢🥀

Seriously, that's a great question. I'm first of all linking an article by Jordan D. G. Mitchell, about the Satyricon's reception in Western queer subculture and among women. I really recommend you look into his work since he is a PhD @acertainidontknowwhat and writes at both a higher and deeper level than I do. I hope you'll find it interesting!

You're right about the historical factors, which are probably the most influential here. Two other issues I think you were getting at with lack of exposure is that early English translations were censored and heavily edited; and that the full manuscript was "discovered" relatively late, around (I believe) the 15th century. With that in mind, I'm going to talk more subjectively:

Mainly, I think the Satyricon, aside from its pretty lucid writing style, is not an entry-level text for a general audience. It can be inscrutable to those who aren't already familiar with antiquity, and without stating the obvious, probably unpalatable to many potential readers. While I really think anybody with a reasonably open mind can enjoy it, the Satyricon is so referential it also helps to be familiar with Greek literature if you want to appreciate the full depth of its humor, not to mention the amount of untranslatable wordplay that you do need to know Ancient Greek to understand. In addition to its Greek influences, there are a lot of references to ancient Semitic language and culture in the Cena (I just did a really fun paper on this), which tends to go unexplored. And there's so much that is still up for interpretation.

Popularity is also culturally relative: in the Anglophone world, the Satyricon has essentially no popular reception, but from my own impression it's much more prolific in Italy as a point of cultural reference. My understanding, which also comes from research on Apuleius, is that the novel-- or at least lengthy works of prose fiction-- became integrated into the folk tradition from which modern Italian language and literature arose, and so the genre as a whole is recognized much more as a part of that literary history. In the English-speaking world, of course Latin eventually died off as a spoken language, which I think contributed to the focus on texts with more universal themes: tragedy, poetry, and philosophy. Therefore the classical novel, as a vernacular art form, was neglected and its use of vulgar Latin taken as irrelevant to readers of a different time. It varies (I talked about Italy, and Japan also has a long history of scholarship on the Latin novel), but classical scholarship generally is extremely biased to the "gods, kings, and great men" literature. The Satyricon was written from an elite perspective so I don't want to downplay that, but it doesn't necessarily lend itself to the idea of Rome that aristocratic Anglophone scholars wanted to cultivate: in my opinion, it undermines a lot of that, and the same is true for the current popular narrative about the time. Sometimes you forget that it was literally written contemporaneously with the kinds of phenomena in the book, because the modernity of the style and the comedy is so smooth.

I could go on about any of these points, but a last thing is that the relatively modest reception isn't always a negative, as much as I wish there were more of us sometimes (and to a point this does impact opportunities in the field... ask me how I know). I think the Satyricon has a robust scholarly reception that produces a lot of great academic and artistic work, from people who have the sincere interest and background to appreciate it. Its adaptations also contain a greater appreciation for and deeper exploration of the source material (imho) which I think reflects that engaging with the novel means engaging with its scholarship, not with mass media and stereotypes.

Thank you, as always, for your ask❤️I would love to hear more thoughts about this and hope you enjoy the weekend!!

[anxiousdreamcore]

May I humbly asks for your interpretation/opinion/view of the Spider & Quaritch as well as the Spider & Sullies relationships/dynamics ?

Sure! I’ve complained about how my opinion of the characters changed throughout the year of being engaged in the fandom so I might as well share! 🤭

Spider: An audacious, frat-boy-ish teen who stinks of dirt, sweat and will eat a live bug to gross you out. Kiri said that he bites and she was 100% honest because this kid will fling his mask off and tear into your throat if you mess with his baby siblings 😤 at the same time, he’s more than capable of being responsible and gentle, especially when it comes to Pandora, its wildlife and cultures, all of which are clearly very important to him. A menace with a heart of gold and an iron fucking will, untameable. Unbreakable. No authority scares him.

Quaritch: A man so damaged he can’t be repaired. He’s seen too many horrors, killed too many people, watched too many comrades die, has been infected with too much poison. It runs in his veins and destroys everything he touches…which is precisely why he is only likeable as a father. He has never been one before and that part of him is completely new, not yet damaged. The only part of him not yet tainted by the rotten creature that is the rest of him. A mangy, old army dog that will burn Pandora to the ground if its chain is broken, but will lie down and wag its tail for his child, and only him.

Oh, and he’s mentally ill too, at least to some extent, canonically. It’s not to say that his mental illness makes him a bad guy. No. It’s the lack of care he puts into coping with it that contributes to the dumpster fire that is Miles Quaritch. My personal headcannon is that he needs mood-stabilisers yet regularly skips them.

Spider & Quaritch dynamic: Two outcasts who bond over being isolated by their respective groups. Also, Lima and Stockholm syndrome duo! Quaritch gets an instant liking to Spider that soon grows into fatherly love, as Spider brings out the best in him; his most pure, childish and kind traits. Does the rest of him, the rotten, the poisoned, hate it? Oh, absolutely. But he can’t, won’t stop the wild-child from worming his way deep into his decaying heart. Spider meanwhile battles his own platonic feelings and holds onto his resentment as much as he can. He wants to love Miles but he doesn’t. He loves him but he wishes him an agonising death. He wants to be hugged by him and sink a blade into his chest. He wants Miles to prove him that not all grown ups are rotten and he can still be loved. He wants Miles to love him.

Spider & Sully siblings dynamic: “A family disappointment and local cool stoner to his siblings, who are more than happy to take after him because they think his utter freedom and lack of care for authority is cool” kinda vibe. Will play fight with his siblings and bite their noses before kissing them better and shoving them away. Calls Tuk a little gremlin affectionately. Brings Lo’ak back down to Pandora when he spirals into his insecurities or gets too bold and self-sacrificial. Is platonic soulmates with Kiri and feels a profound connection to her, as she does to him. Resents Neteyam for abandoning their little group to become a "respectable warrior". Wants him back. Wishes things could be like when they were kids.

Spider & Neytiri dynamic: She she sees him as a pesky, dangerous demon child that…that didn’t do anything but stay loyal, through all the torture and horrors. A lot of guilt is present between them after the final battle, and they will definitely have a horrible, explosive argument about it sooner or later, but for now they are content at silently sharing space, at time quipping and taking light jabs at each other, because that is their cycle. Playfulness, fear, resentment, until it all explodes and they scream at each other, then the cycle repeats, fuelled by guilt. Is there a chance to stop it? Will they ever be okay?

Spider & Jake dynamic: Hero worship turned disappointment. Spider idolised him for his status and incredible feats as a child but as he grew, and Jake consistently kept him at an arms length without establishing clear boundaries, the constant pining to have him as a father became a never-ending, aching pain in Socorro’s chest. Jake gave him an empty hope that they might one day be a family, without ever clarifying that it’ll never be true, confusing the boy until he was proved not once, not twice, but thrice, that he isn’t needed, isn’t missed, or loved by Jake. He’s a stray animal, and that is all he’ll ever be to him. He knows better now than to wish for something that can never be…doesn’t even want to. Quaritch might be a horrific monster, but at least he genuinely loves him. He doesn’t need Jake’s pathetic scraps of affection anymore. He doesn’t need him anymore.

•

[makingspiritualityreal]

An Observation About the Energetic Vibrations of the Past Couple of Years

I tend to stick to Astrology in my writing, as I prefer to give my readers something solid they can relate to, but I'm also an intuitive and I would like to share an impression that I can't shake, that has been plaguing me for the last few years. I also want to communicate it, because I'm curious if anyone else has had a similar energetic impression of life's recent current in any way.

To understand what I'm gonna talk about, I have to frame it in the context, that I view myself as a small particle in a larger ocean, so when I look at my own life, I always look at the bigger picture first, before myself or even my own best interest (which has been painful and detrimental to the immediate gratification part of me, but I can't bring myself to regret, since I value doing the right thing beyond my personal happiness, I guess that's what you get with a 12th house Jupiter and a strong Saturn) and at best, I see my own story as a part of a larger current. I am also someone, who has no interest, and as a result, very little knowledge of politics and current world events, although I do have some of history, and I was always a top student in that regard (at least in my school years, long ago), so none of my impressions are based on that.

In order to simplify it, I will first use a pop culture example that I experienced, that I feel has been a piece of this puzzle, a symptom of what I want to describe. I like gaming in my spare time, but I am very picky, I like only a few franchises and series really, some for sentimental reasons (like Diablo, especially 2, that I spent my childhood playing). The other franchise, that fits my medieval-fantasy setting taste that I've been enjoying for almost 10 years now, is Dragon Age, the latest release being of great interest to people late last year. Since I assume some of you have never played the game I won't go into it, but will go directly to my main point, which is, the franchise has been waiting 10 years for its 4th installment since 2014, and as a result of delays and many mistakes, the 4th installment was rushed, not fully well developed, and given to us in rather poor shape late last year. For long time fans, this has been heartbreaking. There are people there who created entire blog websites dedicated to analysing and pouring out the collective feelings over the depth of the plot of the game (my favorite being this one) and the latest development...feels like such a massive betrayal. Especially, given some really mean and dismissive comments from the production studio and the consequent firing of the entire creative team behind the game, which is, in many ways, pretty much as helpless to this development as fans themselves, since the studio owns the brand.

I am using this example, because this example is what made my head click regarding the collective energy, but also because it's a perfect representation. Something good was born at a certain point, and had a natural, even if slow, rhythm and continuation of its own, and that rhythm has been disrupted, and the natural growth direction has been stopped. It is something I now realise I've started to feel since early 2023. It is basically a deep, unexplainable but creeping feeling, that something is not right. Due to the intuitive nature of my life journey, I don't typically hold many expectations of how everything should pan out, but seeing what happened, even at the example of what you can call a stupid game, made me realise that there has been something profoundly wrong on the heart level, and it has impacted my life, of course, but it is a symptom of something larger. I have suddenly seen myself and others find themselves in situations that were wrong, as in wrong for all of them, as in, didn't contribute to anyone's best interests. Of course, there is a lesson to be learned from everything, and I have been holding the fort in with what I view as the right thing, doing my best and keeping faith no matter how bad I felt the entire time, and I have grown and tried many new things in the meantime also...yet I can't shake the feeling, that certain things that are right, good and precious and in the interest of everyone's expansion have gone awry and they are due for a serious correction.

I have explained my share of personal misery before in life, and I have dealt with it the best I could. My consciousness is also still growing, so I wasn't always as aware as I am now. But despite the fact, that I've been through many difficult things before either way, this is the first time that I feel, like there is such a massive need for so much correction, which goes beyond my personal life. I have talked my friend's ear off about that (thank you for putting up with me), and the impression refuses to leave me, so I thought that I have to write it down. Because I am still wondering, is this just a reflection of my own personal journey, or a more global energetic phenomenon, that keeps plaguing me?

I feel like the world needs a good spring cleaning, and not just because it's spring season. I feel like so many good things, people, loving ideas, places, need to be better taken care of. We need a massive shift, or many good things will be derailed or lost altogether. I feel like this could happen sooner than we think. I wake up every day and go to sleep with that feeling, and I still wonder, do I have even a hint of a point, or is this just a personal projection? Any insight from my readers would be welcome.

[tagamantra]

cross disciplinary training in gubat banwa

so, GUBAT BANWA is a big martial arts game of esoteric martial arts. of beatdown and bone breaking. bakbakan at suntukan, pangamot ug pagdaug. it focuses on martial arts and the culture that surrounds that. during ancient seasian times (the main foundation for this game), formal categorized schools didn't exist: participating in your culture was you learning its martial arts, or a random hermit in the sea cave could teach you a secret martial art, or your family could have its own secret martial art, etc. etc.

so martial arts classes (in gubat banwa they're called Disciplines) are expressions of culture and tradition. from a mechanical side, I knew I wanted to make Gubat Banwa a multiclassing-first game, a la Lancer, for multiple reasons

I like multiclassing, I almost always multiclass

You get access to more of the game and the game's lore (much of Gubat Banwa's lore is in the disciplines)

You get to write a plurality of classes that deal with a plurality of playstyles

It makes writing Disciplines easier--they become small packages of power instead of the long Narrative Playbooks that they are a la D&D 4e's classes. this also makes making Disciplines easier as you don't have to write one for a 12 Level long progression

it creates a more emergent character progression (a Mangangayaw learning Sword Saint techniques for example might be a raider who raided a Virbanwenyo settlement and got the resident martial artist to teach him a thing or two, or it could be that they started picking up how Virbanwenyo Penitents fought)

however, Disciplines were more than just classes, they're also martial arts in their own right. So as I deepened my understanding with the Martial Arts I also found further justifications for multiclassing [which we like to call crosstraining]). these are from my and GB's Art Director Dylan's experiences from Filipino Martial Arts:

to become a true grandmaster is to learn or observe a large variety of styles (see: Johnny Chiuten, Anciong Bacon, etc.)

most real grandmasters that began their own FMA schools are those that studied and learned techniques from a wide variety of martial arts (Anciong Bacon knew Boxing and Dumog, for example. Johnny Chiuten knew multiple Chinese Martial Arts and trained in Balintawak and Lapunti, GM Filemon Caburnay learned both the arts of blacksmithing and of multiple arnis styles as he traveled across Visayas and Mindanao, and learned Kung Fu from Johnny Chiuten, before going down the path of perfecting his own fighting style that became Lapunti Arnis de Abanico)

even my own master in Lapunti who started with Lapunti was exposed to other Arnis and Martial Art styles so he was able to build his own style around it, and was able to contribute his own moves into modern Lapunti. i can see a bit of Chinese Martial Art influence in his movements now, a bunch of balintawak progression

very often if you're a student of violence, you will be learning multiple combat arts both out of necessity and out of love for movement. a balintawak warrior might have their movements augmented with jiujitsu training, a lapunti could benefit from learning sikaran, etc. etc.

kadungganan are meant to be nascent grandmasters, especially those that reach legend 12, so this is the main justification for the multiclassing instead of just having 1 martial art that you perfect. in real life this doesn't really happen, especially if you want to perfect your own fighting style. the assemblage of multiple techniques from 12 Legends worth of progression is there to facilitate the fantasy of a Kadungganan perfecting their martial art style, like the grandmasters of old

i knew since the earliest stages of gubat banwa that i wasn't going to compromise the multiclassing aspect, i just find it very serendipitous that crosstraining fits so well into the martial arts fantasy. it makes me pretty satisfied and happy, and i'm glad i didn't bend to internal talking and thinking about making a "pure discipline" progression possible

[jyae23]

WIP WEDNESDAY

A thousand thanks to @rimeswithpurple and @facewithoutheart for tagging me. The chuckle I chocked was a nice addition to my afternoon.

Currently in a phase where I want to do everything all at once, so I end up doing nothing. Who knew inspiration could be so paralyzing.

I've always wanted to make a Snowbaz fic where the poetical title strongly contrasts against the vulgar content within and I think this will be my contribution.

Nothing is graphic since I'm only sharing a title and summary, but the topic is sexual (Like a tab bit). I like the element of surprise, so if you need to know before proceeding under the cut, it's in the tags:

I Would Rather Force the World to Spin Backwards Than See You Plunge Into the Depths of the Abyss Summary Witness their rite of passage where they transcend the liminal bounds of their intimacy through the adversative process of metamorphosis in hopes to break free from the cocoon of their own shame with a deeper insight of their twisted desires.  Arse eating. Shielded by the deceitful hands of ignorance, both Simon and Baz were unaware that the art of eating arse could be delectably magickal.  And now neither of them can seek comfort in shells of their former selves. Forced to embrace their new identities and confront the world, arse to mouth.

Yes, I do find myself funny. Now, how many words have I written for this? Erm... not much. I find joy in creating titles and summaries because it gives me an excuse to not actually write anything for the story. What happens after I've solidified the title and summary? Well, you're seeing what I do in real time

Procrastination

Worry not, your impact can be felt. This post is proof of your benevolence.

@jazzydl @gonzalesfreecs @lovelettersto-mars @bookishbroadwayandblind @thewholelemon @the-beard-of-edward-teach @bachusekart @blackberrysummerblog @fiend-for-culture @monbons @catthehappy @skee3000 @roomwithanopenfire

AND EVERYONE ELSE >:D

Y'all I'm running out of my stockpile of affirmations

[transformerskinkfest]

Fic Fest FAQs!

Welcome to the official blog for the first Transformers Kinkfest!

This promptfest will be running for two weeks from 17 - 31 October 2024, with daily prompts (based on your submissions). The list of prompts will be released in August to give you time to write/draw/create - then, once the fest starts, share your creations for each day's prompt!

PLEASE NOTE THIS IS AN 18+ EVENT.

What kind of prompts will these be?

Each prompt on the main list will be a Transformers-specific kink. There will also be an alternative list with broader prompts (like, say, bondage). Feel free to pick from either list or combine the two, and feel free to make different decisions on different days - up to you!

As for what Transformers-specific kink means: basically, these are kinks that rely on/take advantage of Transformers being Transformers. These can include kinks that depend on Transformer physiology, like fuel-siphoning or alt mode sex, but they can also depend on Transformer culture, like faction roleplay. (Those have all been suggestions to date, btw. :))

What if I have a prompt idea but I don't know what the kink would be called?

Totally okay! We're flying without a star chart here - it's not like even the estimable TF Wiki has a list of Transformers kinks :D. Describe it as best you can, and I will try and sum it up for the list as best I can. There will probably need to be some explanatory notes to the prompt list...

How do I suggest a prompt?

Send an ask with your prompt idea. I can't guarantee that every idea will be included - it will depend on how many we receive, and I'll also use my discretion when it comes to picking prompts.

Just to keep things organised, please send your ideas here to @transformerskinkfest. (However, I will also include any that end up getting sent to the mod's blog at @decepticonsensual.)

Please keep in mind that the prompt is just the kink. Don't bother to include a specific pairing or a specific continuity, as these will not be part of the prompt list. (If you did include these things in an ask you submitted, that's okay, but I'm only going to take the kink idea part of the ask.) Speaking of -

What characters/continuities can I create for?

Anything under the Transformers umbrella! That includes shows, films, comics, games, novels, and that Optimus Prime Potatohead, which is actually canon. We live in an age of marvels.

What if I can't create something for every day?

No worries! Create as much as you want to. If you contribute something for a single day's prompt, that's awesome, and if you do it for every day, that's also awesome.

How do I share my fic, fanart, or other creations?

Post on your own account and tag #transformerskinkfest or #tf kinkfest, please!

Please make sure you TAG/WARN FOR YOUR WORK APPROPRIATELY. (A warning that you aren't going to warn people - like the "Choose Not To Warn" tag on AO3 - is fine, provided that readers have to choose to click through to your creation after seeing that warning.)

That title looks like it says Transformer Skink Fest - is this a festival for fanfic and art about Transformers becoming lizards?

No, but now I wish I'd thought of that.

[kindred-spirit-93]

the falcon and the flower

hear ye hear ye, im planning a short story lol and believe it or not storyboarding is significantly more entertaining of a process than actually having to actually write lmao. whodve thunk.

anyways this post exists for a few reasons, mostly so i can map things out in one place (i plan on posting it here eventually hehe) but also for context and references and insight from yall & general yapping so if ur interested take a seat :3

--

i. inspiration & background info: the idea came to me after watching this short about a painting that depicts the story of a king and a beggar maid who lived a quiet life together. and i think thats neat lol.

the ballad that inspired the painting is mentioned and was popularised in the works of shakespeare and alfred tennyson respectively among several others, old and new. the 2 paintings (1884 and 1898) belong to edward burne-jones.

the maid in the painting is said to resemble burne-jones' wife (dont be fooled he had an affair. also turns out its kinda his signature way to paint women) which made me realise that the way the ballad was interpreted (and therefore immortalised so to speak) was according to the views of the aforementioned vessels and the norms of the time.

and so it struck me and my 0 knowledge of art history as odd for the love interest to just so happen to appeal to the eurocentric beauty ideals of the time (she is described as having dark hair yet is painted in both as auburn?) and by extension the male gaze (esp in the 1884 painting where her clothes are somewhat translucent and she sports a neckline too scandalous for the era lol).

also the king being specifically described as 'african' (by the narrators? the ballad doesnt specify and i havent found any origin for the name) and then proceeding to ignore that completely. or worse. point is old dead white guys and their pesky world views probably thought slapping a single word last minute and calling it a day was a very progressive move. and i took that personally

--

ii. creative liberties taken: point is im giving this my own twist because i can. everyone is entitled to their own views and interpretations (mostly). the beauty of art to me lies in the many ways it can be seen and percieved, and i personally love seeing how ones culture and background reflects in that, so thats what im doing. kinda.

and at the end of the day maybe to someone else my interpretation completely misses the point is biased to what im familiar with. which is absolutely valid and they would be right lol. idk i just wanted to kinda add this as a heads up and a general fyi. we all know how repressed everyone was back then lol. so much so it became a name of a complex. moving on.

--

iii. symbolism and stuff: looked up a bunch of birds this morning loll and settled at first for a starling. i might keep the imagery idk i had a very specific idea for the king but then falcons popped into my head and i was like dang this is cooler. so it stuck!

the flower i first had in mind was rosa abyssinica, then the desert rose, finally i decided to switch to maybe my favouritest flower ever: and *cough* the national flower of jordan *cough* the black iris :D

its pretty and rare and not at all realistic to the events of the story but its mine so leave me be lol. if i can sprinkle some of my culture/ heritage and get away with it i will. sue me :p

anyway the cool and not at all pretentious title is a reference to the main characters; a king who loves birbs and the owner of a small flower stall in the marketplace (both of which are now specified)

--

and now for the tragic backstory poll!

keeping this up for 3 days, since ill probably draft it out next weekend... if i get to it lol. i appreciate ur contribution in advance :3

--

tysm if u read this far lol i didnt expect it to go on this long lol, sorry! will reblog and update this as i go (probably) so yeah. stick around if u want. take care and dont forget to dink ur oiter :)

[emeldiir]

oh thank u for responding! i’m the anon from before abt the art.

it’s actually me @lxdybi, but cause this is a sideblog of mine I can’t message from this acc. 🤦‍♀️ oh wells But hi!!! Sending bi positivity!! <3

So I’ve been on tiktok a lot over the last few days and the furor around bisexuals claiming ‘lesbian’ history & ‘leeching’ from lesbian culture I’ve seen in comment sections has been frankly insane.

I’ve seen many discussions abt how bisexuals need to make our own symbols/language, even if we ARE entitled to ones from sapphic history. That we need to make and contribute to our own bi culture.

And while I pledge to ALWAYS defend our right to historical sapphic symbols, perhaps we could also use/make some of our own as well?

just so we can have some peace sometimes & not have to constantly be on the defense all the time if we just want a rest. Because it can get pretty tiring. And I wanna be able to go outside with a symbol/label pin on my jacket that I don’t get side-eyed for using alongside my bi pins.

Someone said to me that with the power of social media we should be able to make/spread some bi signifiers, & art is always a great great way to do that.

And I fought back, I did, saying we didn’t need to. But also, maybe we can do both.

So, with that in mind, I’ve got some ideas. Obviously the trillium flower was intended to be a bi symbol by Michael Page, designer of the bi flag, so that is one symbol/signifier we try to incorporate into our art & writings & clothing if we can. It’s one place to start.

Personally, I also really love the rose as a bi signifier, given the ubiquity of the pun a rose ‘bi any other name’ in our books & history. It also i feel the phrase encapsulates that particular feeling of being immersed in queer history & symbols, particularly those from sapphic culture, but seeing your own place in history erased again and again.

Because ‘bi any other name’, bi sapphics have always been here. We’ve been femmes, we’ve been butches.

and bi any other name, regardless of whether others consider us femme or butch, we always will be.

“By any other name that which we call a rose would smell as sweet.”

So what I’d really LOVE is a bi femme drawing which incorporates roses somewhere, (I’d really love lilac/lavender coloured roses to tie that back into traditional sapphic/lesbian colours too).

Feel absolutely free to make them a knight if you want to. go wild. I love ‘knight’ as a bisexual gender identity lol.

And if ur feeling particularly inspired (although, as with all of this request, absolutely NO pressure), you could also include a bi butch with trilliums around them (as a bi symbol for them too).

Thank u for all that you do. Ur quite literally here making bi culture on this app. And I’m eternally grateful for it.

sending so so so much bi love <3

lady bi xx

This is an awesome concept!! I’ve also never heard of trillium flowers but i think they might have to be included in all of my bi pieces from now on :D

I would LOVE to work on this for ya, i’m decently busy rn but i’ll chip away at it when i have the time, thank you for sending this in! bi femmes need more love and appreciation and i’m super excited to work on this :D

sending so much bi love back to you!!!

[bsenvs3000w25]

Unit 9: Can Trees make their own Rain?

Hi everyone,

Welcome to my Week 9 blog post! 

This week, I want to share one of my favorite nature facts trees can actually create their own rain!

Introduction Forests offer much more than just habitats for wildlife and a source of oxygen; they play a crucial role in generating rainfall. This may come as a surprise, but studies indicate that forests can effectively produce their own rain through a phenomenon known as the Biotic Pump Theory.

Forests significantly influence local weather systems, playing a vital role in maintaining ecological balance and supporting diverse ecosystems. This highlights the importance of conserving our forests, not only for the wildlife that depends on them but also for the overall climate and water cycle they sustain. Protecting these natural habitats is essential for preserving both biodiversity and human life.

The Biotic Pump Theory suggests that trees can make and sustain rainful through atmospheric circulation. As trees release water vapor, they reduce atmospheric pressure over the forest. This creates a suction effect, pulling in moisture-rich air from surrounding areas. This continuous cycle helps sustain regular rainfall within the forest.

The Amazon Rainforest, one of Earth's most studied ecosystems, is a prime example of this phenomenon. Researchers have observed that rainfall begins in the Amazon two to three months before oceanic winds bring in moist air. But where does this early moisture come from? The answer lies in the trees themselves. Trees extract water from the soil through transpiration and release it into the air as water vapour. This vapour rises, cools, condenses into clouds, and eventually falls as rain.

Clouds over Amazon Rainforest

A quote that particularly resonated with me was: "In regards to mental health, experiences of awe can reduce stress and improve mood” (Green & Keltner, 2017, in Beck et al., 2018, Chapter 21). Although I’ve never had the chance to visit the Amazon Rainforest, I’ve always been captivated by its stunning beauty. A moment that truly left me in awe was my first visit to Banff, Alberta, where I experienced many breathtaking views.

NASA Data Satellite data has provided clear evidence that the moisture accumulating over the Amazon is primarily due to transpiration rather than ocean evaporation. Scientists analyzed water vapour using NASA's Aura satellite and found it contained high deuterium levels. Since ocean evaporation leaves deuterium behind, the presence of this isotope in the atmosphere of the rainforest indicates that the moisture originated from the trees, not the sea.

NASA Aura Satellite

Final Thoughts

If the Biotic Pump Theory is proven to be true, it will be essential to understand its role in regulating climate and rainfall. However, deforestation threatens this phenomenon. When vast areas of forest are cleared, the natural process of moisture transport is disrupted, leading to decreased rainfall and an increased risk of desertification. Regions that rely on the biotic pump for water could face agricultural collapse, water shortages, and the loss of vital ecosystems. These changes not only endanger local communities but also contribute to global climate instability. Therefore, it is essential to conserve these forests for future generations.

Regions that depend on The Biotic Pump: -American Southwest -African Sahel -Congo Rainforest -South Asia -Indonesian Archipelago

This week, our textbook emphasized the power of awe and how nature can inspire us to take action (Beck et al., 2018, Chapter 21). Were you in awe to learn that forests can create their own rain? Does this information make you feel compelled to take action?

Thanks for reading! Biona🌳🌧 References:

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Chapter 21: The bright future of interpretation. In Interpreting cultural and natural heritage (pp. 457–467). Sagamore-Venture Publishing.

Biotic Pump Greening Group. Biotic Pump. https://www.thebioticpump.com/ 

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (2025, March 7). Amazon Rainforest. https://www.britannica.com/place/Amazon-Rainforest 

Latour, M. (2019). Biotic Pump Model. SIProtectors. https://www.siprotectors.org/biopic-pump-model

The Biotic Pump. Climate Action Tai Tokerau. (2020, March 28). https://northlandclimatechange.org/the-biotic-pump/ 

[thorxthunder]

Cardinal Copia SFW Alphabet <3

Hi hi! I’m Demeter! I’m primarily active in the Marvel community but I’ve shifted myself over to ghost! I still write for both and my inbox is always open for suggestions!! So PLEASE SEND ME SOME GHOST REQUEST!! I WRITE FOR EVERYONE!! Anyways, here we go!

A = Affection:

Cardinal Copia is naturally affectionate, often expressing his care through warm embraces and gentle touches. He shows affection by surprising loved ones with thoughtful gestures, such as leaving small gifts or writing heartfelt notes. He loves surprising you with things like your favorite treat or your own personal acoustic concert of new/old songs.

B = Best friend:

As a best friend, Cardinal Copia is loyal and supportive. The friendship with him would likely start through a shared interest or a chance encounter. I like to imagine that you probably met him as a sister of sin and soon became his secretary. I know it’s cliché but I eat that shit up EVERY TIME!! I ,also, like to imagine that you are a vet/ pet care worker and he brings a rat when he gets sick. He, then, starts to make excuses to come see you because you don’t judge him for his pet choice. He would be the type of friend who listens attentively, offers advice, and is always there to lend a helping hand.

C = Cuddles:

Cardinal Copia enjoys cuddling, finding comfort in physical closeness. His cuddles are warm and reassuring, often accompanied by soft whispers or soothing strokes. He cherishes the intimate moments shared with his partner. He loves any position as long as he’s basically squeezed into you. You’re his true and only love and he’s not gonna lose it.

D = Domestic:

While Copia has a busy life, he appreciates the idea of settling down. He might not be the most skilled at cooking and cleaning, but he's willing to learn and contribute. His enthusiasm in creating a cozy and welcoming home would make up for any domestic shortcomings. I love to think he’s shit at cooking. Eggs? Burnt. Toast? Burnt? Cereal? Somehow, also burnt. But those aren’t things he really ate since he grew up in Italian culture. But, he can make killer Italian food and pastry. (Oh God, am I gonna have to write a domestic Copia fic?)

E = Ending:

If Copia had to break up with his partner, he would approach it with honesty and compassion. He would ensure that the conversation takes place in a private and comfortable setting. He would make sure that you understood why it was happening But God, it would it break his heart to do it. He would probably break up with you because he felt like he wasn’t giving you enough time on tour. Or that when he became papa, he’s so involved in paperwork that he doesn’t have enough time with you. He wants to fulfill his duty as leader but, he wants to keep you as happy as possible.

F = Fiancé(e):

Copia is open to commitment and values the bond of marriage. However, he believes in taking the time to build a strong foundation before rushing into such a significant step. Since marriage really wouldn’t be a option while he’s a papa, he would probably not think about this. He would be happy just knowing you were his forever. If you were serious for a while after he became papa, he would probably make you prime mover. But he treat you with a lot more respect than just a sexual partner.

G = Gentle:

Cardinal Copia is naturally gentle, both physically and emotionally. He handles delicate situations with care and approaches relationships with a soft touch. He takes great pride in treating others with kindness and tenderness. That’s one of the reasons why Nihil didn’t like that thought of him being Papa. As Cardinal, he was kind. He never raised his voice and would always be compassionate. He would always give a hand to anyone who needed it. Nihil didn’t believe that Copia would be capable of being a strong and serious leader.

H = Hugs:

Copia enjoys hugs and believes in its power to convey warmth and affection. He is generous with his hugs, freely giving them to express comfort, support, and love. He appreciates the comforting embrace of others as well. But his hugs… are exquisite. His hugs come from gentle arms but it tell you that they are with you. I can imagine after a long day of hard work. Both of you are having a bad day so you just sit and the couch and cuddle forever. I imagine he wears a very strong woodsy cologne.

I = I love you:

here’s the thing, we all know our mans is clumsy. I would think that Copia would try to takes his time before saying the L-word. He would want to be certain of his feelings and ensure that the connection is deep and meaningful. Despite that, he probably would say it in the most random times. You could be having a bad day and crying and he would come over and comfort you and tell you that he loves you. Or he accidentally bumped into you and tell you then. It’s probably not in the most fairytale way but it’s genuine.

J = Jealousy:

Copia prone to intense jealousy…. Especially if it deals with his brothers. He trusts you and believes in open communication to address any concerns. He’ll probably seek reassurance but he’ll never become possessive or controlling. Now, if you’re at a ritual and someone comes up and starts flirting with you, you better believe that he is on you. Holding you as tight as you can the entire night. Everyone in the ministry knows not to mess with you but once you get out and about, there’s no telling what could happen. And don’t even get me started about how he acts with his brothers and you. One time, before you were together, he saw you and Primo talking and laughing in the garden. He thought that you were flirting with each other so he ran to his room to cry for three solid days. When he joked about this later on, you told him that you actually remember that. You were actually in the garden talking about what flowers were Copia’s favorite and Primo was making fun of you (jokingly) for being in love with his brother.

K = Kisses:

His kisses are passionate and tender. He enjoys exploring different areas of intimacy and finds pleasure in sharing gentle kisses on the lips, as well as on the forehead, cheek, and hands. He appreciates both giving and receiving kisses on the neck, finding it particularly intimate. His first kiss with you one of two things: After a rather successful ritual and he ran backstage and kissed you. He was so caught up in emotions that he kinda forgot it was his first kiss but everything went perfect. Or, he could’ve been trying to confess his feelings. I imagine him stuttering and getting all jittery trying to explain how he feels and you cut him off by kissing him to let him know you feel the same.

L = Little ones:

Cardinal Copia is kind and nurturing around children. He’s a bit awkward at first, especially with babies, but after seeing how you interact with them, his tension would start to melt away and he relaxed around them. As they get older, Copia enjoys their innocent enthusiasm and loves to entertain them with his rats or his musical skills. He somehow has a natural ability to connect with kids, providing them a sense of security and understanding.

M = Morning:

Mornings with Cardinal Copia are often filled with laughter and warmth. He enjoys cozy breakfasts together, sharing light-hearted conversations and affectionate gestures. He might surprise his partner with a fresh cup of coffee or breakfast in bed. Especially if he makes that breakfast. It will consist of some thing that his brothers taught him when he was younger.

N = Night:

Nights with Copia are a time for intimacy and deep connection. He enjoys cuddling in bed, exchanging whispers and soft kisses. He cherishes the quiet moments shared, where he can truly be present with his partner. At night, he likes to read some sort of book. His makeup is off, his hair messy, glasses on. Hell, he’s probably playing something like Candy Crush or something.

O = Open:

Copia starts revealing things about himself gradually, allowing trust and familiarity to develop. Being friends for a long time meant that you two were already very comfortable telling each other things. When you start dating, he was slow to tell you even more secrets, until he knew you were the one. He believes in the importance of maintaining a balance between sharing personal details and respecting his own boundaries.

P = Patience:

Copia possesses a patient demeanor. He doesn't get easily angered and prefers to approach conflicts or frustrations with calmness and understanding. He believes in working through challenges together, fostering growth and harmony within the relationship. Now if you guys got angry with each other, he would feel like it was all his fault and he would try to make it up to you only for you to apologize too and remind him that it wasn’t all his fault. Overall, you very rarely fight, and he intends to keep it that way.

Q = Quizzes:

Copia has a remarkable memory and pays attention to the details. He remembers significant moments and appreciates the little things that his partner mentions in passing. His ability to recall and cherish these details adds a personal touch to their relationship. He would pretend not to remember things about you and ask you. It never annoyed you though. He loved hearing you talk about yourself and all of the things you can do. He’s absolutely smitten by you. Those conversations would reminded of how special you are.

R = Remember:

Copia's favorite moment in the relationship would be the first time his partner truly understood and embraced his dual nature, both the light and the darkness within him. It symbolizes acceptance and genuine connection, bringing immense joy and satisfaction. It would probably be after a particularly long tour. He just needed time to sit and think. You were right there beside him and constantly reassured him that he did a great job. He also really enjoys when you confessed to each other. Remember, you’re his first love. This is not something he’s ever experienced before. Thinking about all of those things you said about him and why you love him truly makes him smile every time he thinks about it.

S = Security:

Copia is protective of you and takes your safety seriously. He would do everything in his power to shield you from harm, whether it's physical or emotional. He would even ask Sister Imperator to teach you defensive and offensive spell you can so you can never be hurt. He appreciates a sense of security in his own life and you can offer him support and protection when needed.

T = Try:

Copia puts a great deal of effort into creating memorable experiences for you. He plans thoughtfully curated dates, celebrates anniversaries with heartfelt gestures, and surprises them with meaningful gifts. He believes in continuously nurturing the relationship and showing love through everyday tasks and acts of kindness. He always wants you to know how much he loves you. He would go to the ends of the earth for you and wants you to know it.

U = Ugly:

One of Copia's bad habits would be his jealousy. Like I said before, he’s very possessive and sometimes this causes the two of you to fight from time to time. He wants you to be with him, but you need him to respect your boundaries. Eventually, the two of you would make up and find a happy middle where you both were happy.

V = Vanity:

On the outside, it seems that Copia takes pride in his appearance and pays attention to his looks. He does believes in presenting himself well and maintains a certain level of vanity. However, he very self conscious in his looks.

For his partner, he values substance over superficiality and appreciates genuine connections beyond mere physical attraction. He’s not concerned about your looks at all and you amaze him even in your pajamas or in your clergy wear. You’re beautiful because of who you are. But, it’s an absolute bonus that he finds you smoking hot.

W = Whole:

Copia feels complete and fulfilled when he's in a loving relationship. He thrives on the emotional bond and shared experiences with you. While he's an individual with his own identity, he believes that love enhances and enriches his life. Once he gets with you, however, he is truly terrified of losing you. He knows that he would never be whole again if he lost you. You are his world and he couldn’t even bear the thought of a life without you.

X = Xtra:

Do I think that he’s nervous and clumsy? Yes, but he hides it very well. When he first met you, he treated you with such elegant and poise. But on the inside he was a mess. He felt like his heart was beating out of his chest and that he could fall dead on the floor any minute.

I also feel like if he kept rats, he would love them but would be terrified of seeing one out and about. Just imagine that the cage breaks and all of a sudden there’s a rat running around the ministry. Someone will scream “there is a rat “and immediately he will turn his head and scream. He would totally forget that he actually has pet rats. Y’all know that one audio on TikTok that goes “It’s Shredder” and he goes “WHERE”… it’d be like that

Y = Yuck:

Copia dislikes dishonesty and lack of integrity in both himself and others. He values transparency and expects his partner to be honest and genuine. He also dislikes arrogance and selfishness, as these traits go against his core values.

Z = Zzz:

God, let’s not talk about his schedule. Copia’s sleep habits are hella irregular due to his busy schedule. However, when he does find the time to rest, he enjoys sleeping in a comfortable and cozy environment. That 100% means his bed, cuddled next to you or your guys matching plague doctor plushies. When he has the chance, he will always nap with you. He love those naps when it rains. The bad weather makes him want to stay in and relax with you. He loves feeling your body cuddled up against yours and when it rains, he brings you up to your bedroom and cuddles you until you both fall asleep.

[the-twink-tank]

some of my thoughts on n*ncon

This is perhaps a hot take, idk: I'm kinda, halfway in, halfway out when it comes to the more, "deaddove/d*bcon/n*ncon/dark fantasies" side of fandom. I wanna be clear that, sometimes I make art that explores these ideas, or depicts them outright, with appropriate warnings tagged. If that’s something you’re not down to see, even occasionally, feel free to unfollow / block / filter: those things are there for your safety. Coming from a survivor myself, please be gentle with yourselves. 🖤

That all said, I have some thoughts on n*ncon/deaddove art in general that I want to share. On the one hand, I'm chill with its existence. I'm all for people making art that's not necessarily catered to me / art that would make me, personally, uncomfortable.

That's an important value to me, tbh, as an artist and as a person. I'm basically with John Waters on this one, and he was famously a person whose work included such unsavory topics as rape, bestiality, coprophagia, incest, among others. He was also a pioneer in pushing the boundaries of "good taste," the opposite of assimilation politics, pushing for even the "freaks" of the world to take up space and be heard. With censorship of smut (and anything deemed smut, a.k.a. the existence of queer people) on the rise, we need his ethos more than ever, I think.

It's a whole discussion, and an important one. Even if smut isn't for you--or if the darker, unsavory stuff specifically is too much for you--that's totally fine. You're not a prude or a wimp who "can't handle the hard shit." It's just not for everybody. You can support the existence of art that makes you uncomfortable, while not partaking in it yourself.

If it's not clear already from some of my art and writing, I'm also someone who 1) finds d*bcon/n*ncon fantasies pretty hot, and 2) finds honest exploration of those ideas in fiction to be a genuinely rewarding and important thing, in my own writing and art.

I'm also an SA survivor myself, so as you might assume, I have some...rather complicated feelings about enjoying this stuff. It's cathartic, healing, indulgent and edgy in the same way gory horror movies can be. And it's also, sometimes, triggering as hell.

I find I have to be in a very particular mindset to enjoy d*bcon/n*ncon/deaddove. I often need to take breaks from it. And I'm also not always down for the way people talk in these spaces--even though this is all through the lens of fiction. I see people talking about "loving to abuse fictional men," "that character is so fun to abuse," "they deserve to be treated like this," etc. etc. and I'm gonna be honest: it hits me in my gut.

I understand this stuff is all fictional, no one's actually getting hurt. I don't think people should be somehow prevented or censored from saying this stuff. But the language can definitely trigger some feelings in me--calling up reminders of things that actually happened to me. Things people in real life have said to me.

I share this with the disclaimer that: I'm a grown man, I can monitor my internet intake. I try to avoid things that trigger me, and appreciate people who do tag trigger warnings. It makes the net easier to navigate, as a survivor. The block function is your friend. And ultimately, I'm pretty sure edgy fandom spaces like this are contributing a lot fucking less to rape culture than...you know, the oligarchs currently in control of the US.

I think because these people are a lot closer to me--a lot easier to interact with--it can feel more personal. I think that's why some folks will get triggered (in the real, trauma sense of the word) and use that as an excuse to go harass small indie artists in fandom spaces. Despite that likely coming from a place of trauma, that shit is not okay--it is disproportionate, it harms small creators and their livelihoods, and it also does fuck all to help actual survivors.

Like, honestly, let's take a second: does harassing indie artists who live off their art help fund survivors trying to leave abusive homes? Does it pay for their healthcare and therapy? Does it provide legal assistance for survivors seeking justice? Obviously, the answer to all these questions is a loud, resounding no.

I do not feel safer when, for instance, people go harass artists shipping Cazstar. In fact, it makes me feel more limited in my ability to create art about my own trauma, as a survivor myself. I worry that I must carefully curtail my expression to only fit within certain approved boundaries of taste. I worry that my art will also be punished, if it's seen as "too dark." SA survivors should not have to worry, in leftist spaces, in the post #MeToo era, that merely sharing our experiences is "too distasteful for public consumption."

*sigh* So, partially this is a vent. But I wanted to make it clear where I stand on some of these things. Again, I definitely make art and writing of this variety--you'll be seeing some of it, from time to time, TW'd up to hell. If that's not something you ever wanna see, even occasionally: I totally understand if you need to tap out and unfollow or block. That's what the "occasional dark themes" bit in my bio is about.

I'm gonna keep this here as a potential "tap the sign" kinda thing, if it ever comes up. Might put a link to this in my pinned post. I think if anything, it helps explain where I'm coming from, and how that comes into my art as a whole 🖤