#I remember following your blog and thinking it looked cool but I can't find any interactions. woopsie. Well hi!

[changeling-droneco]

#i fully used the jkr stuff to hopefully get some allos to actually pay attention and I am not ashamed#i would do it again in heartbeat

Honestly it's nothing to be ashamed if even one person saw that going down and decided to look deeper into aspec stuff or at least put forward a bit more of an effort to support it, totally worth it. Talking about some of my own experiences under the cut, it's a bit heavy with serious themes therefor, cut.

I got pretty lucky back then due to being a rather smaller blog at the time who mostly just reblogged other people back then so I dodged anything specifically targeting me but it really did feel like every other day someone I followed would reblog just something super aphobic out of the blue and I'd have to block them. I changed my icon to the ace colors back then as a part of being prideful of my identity yes, but also as a show of "you can't make us go away" I genuinely thought over whether it was worth the potential attention and hate from other queer people.

I remember finding cool lesbian blogs or whatever and having to check their faq or info or just search asexual and nine times out of ten be met with some cheeky aphobic response about how we weren't real or that our acceptance was heavily conditional like "ace" or "aro" was just an unimportant additive to our REAL label. I remember the gore and the sheer amount of sexual violence. I remember being TERRIFIED in june because it all got SO MUCH WORSE and more violent during pride an instinct that took me YEARS to get over.

I was there for the Thomas Sanders stuff and the tldr is someone sent an ask going all "hey what do you think of ace people" and thomas sanders the gay tiktok star was like "yeah ace people exist I support them" and then he IMMEDIATELY got accused of being a groomer pedophile and people dug for MILES to find anything even SLIGHTLY incriminating, he took a selfie that featured his butt? pedophile.

He was "cancelled" basically overnight the moment he said that with everyone complaining about how he was being homophobic by just acknowledging we exist. Like, right before that he was SUPER popular and hyped up but the moment ace people popped up? nope, he's a gay class traitor now. Genuinely despicable, no one ever apologized for THAT either.

It's still kinda hard to talk about this stuff, I was one of the luckier ones who dug my heels in but was also small enough to go under the radar, we lost a lot back then.

We were begging people to understand that to the rest of the world we were also seen as something wrong, something incorrect, something that needed to be fixed through pills and conversion therapy or sexual violence, and all we got was victim blaming and telling us that the language we used wasn't made for us and it was actually lesbophobic of us to use that language of corrective rape actually!

Oh also also any teenager who associates with Asexual has clearly being groomed by the Asexual Agenda tm because asexuality is purely about just SEX obviously and thats GROSS because obviously talking about kids and teens about sex in literally any capacity is bad. so we're cancelling sesame street for having an ace flag in their pride video because it's pedophilia did you know sesame street promoted pedophilia?

Plus that teen girl who got MURDERED in part for being asexual? not only are we going to spam the tags with her murder picture, we're going to gaslight everyone about how it was JUST about misogyny the asexual stuff had nooothing to do with it. It wasn't like we were constantly getting threats of assault and death. I remember you Bianca, and I'm so fucking sorry your memory was used to hurt your own community.

We're still here though with our black and white rings, and we'll always be here, but I know this shit comes in cycles, I'm just waiting for us to end up on the chopping block again.

I guess you could call tumblr's support for us very.....all or nothing

Honestly, I am pretty frustrated by the "haha why would anyone hate ace people" responses to Rowling's tweet.

Don't get me wrong, the support is nice. But if you want to be an ally, you have to do so on our terms, not yours. And that means actually engaging with the aspec community, not just posting positivity every now and again. And what those responses highlight to me is what I've known for a while; you guys only support aspec people when it's easy and convenient.

It's easy to support aspec people when it's J.K. Rowling being awful again. It's easy to support us when it's just reblogging an "aspec people are queer" post.

But what about when we are talking about amatonormativity and the relationship hierarchy? When we are discussing the enforcement of compulsory sexuality? When we are pushing for greater awareness and support for aspec identities that are not asexuality or aromanticism? When we are criticizing terminology that you use but harms us? Because I can tell you right now, I rarely see allo people engage with those posts.

Why do people hate asexuality (or any other aspec identity)? Because it challenges the societal norms that benefit them. And that is uncomfortable and scary. So they turn to hate and oppression in order to assure that the changes we push by just openly existing never happen.

That means that to be a good aspec ally, you can't just make a positivity post every now and again, and you can't just laugh about how stupid aphobes are. You have to openly challenge the societal norms that harm us, even if they benefit you. Including but not limited to:

The idea that romantic and sexual attraction is the default state of being (amatonormativity)

The idea that a romantic, sexual relationship completes a person

People in marriages receiving special privileges and benefits

The idea that platonic, familial, etc. attraction are default states of being

The idea that not feeling some form of attraction must be compensated for through another form of attraction

The idea that love (not just romantic) is inherently morally good, while not feeling love is inherently a moral failing

The idea that any one form of relationship is inherently more important or deeper than any other (relationship hierarchy)

The idea that any one thing makes someone human

The idea that not having sex is shameful or infantile

The idea that having sex without romantic love is callous

Gendered divides of sexual and romantic attraction

Other aspec people please feel free to add on/challenge any of this. Allo (not aspec) people please feel free to ask questions.

I've placed some resources for learning more about these topics under the cut.

Amatonormativity:

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5 - also in the Loveless section] [6 - also in the Compulsory Sexuality section]

Marriage Benefits:

[1]

Other Aspec Identities:

[Aplatonicism] [Afamilialism]

Loveless:

[1] [2 - also in the Amatonormativity section] [3] [4] [5]

Compulsory Sexuality:

[1 - also in the Amatonormativity section] [2]

Relationship Hierarchy vs Relationship Anarchy:

[1] [2] [3]

Oppression:

[1] [2] [3]

Miscellaneous:

[1] [2]

Books and Video Essays:

An Ace Discourse Retrospective by Jenny Geist

Ace: What Asexuality Reveals about Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen

Refusing Compulsory Sexuality: A Black Asexual Lens on Our Sex-Obsessed Culture by Sherronda J. Brown

[templeofvengeance]

" 'giving up' isn't in my vocabulary, lord khonshu. " natural respect shown for the deity to drive some of his own motives? or subtle sarcasm- barbs traded with fellow divinity? loki's tone gives nothing away~. | ( c: hi we missed you~ )

"I CANNOT SHOW ANY WEAKNESS" PROMPTS

"So I've seen." Normally Khonshu didn't care for Asgardians (yes yes, he knows, he doesn't care) and certainly not the Trickster in particular. There's surely no good reason he's here, though the 'Lord' title grants him some grace. Perhaps this one is willing to pretend to know his place, and for his trouble, he'll get some pretend respect in return.

"With such undying ambition, I doubt 'wasting time' is in it either-- for the both of us. What is it you're after?" Is asking for help in his vocabulary? Hah.

[aziraphales-library]

Lost Fic #178

1. Hi! I'm new to asks so I'm sorry for any awkwardness!! I think I lost a fic, I read it ages ago but it still sits in the back of my mind. It follows the 90's movie script canon with a dick-ish crowley who then regretted it after losing aziraphale who either turned human or just lost his memory and he moved to a small town (tadfield?). I remember vividly that their big emotional kiss scene was after aziraphale had tearfully explained to crowley about how heaven messed up his memory. I tried to find it in the 1992 Good Omens Movie Script tag but came up empty :(( I fear it may have been deleted but I might have just missed it. Thank you in advance!! This blog is honestly so cool <3 - anon

2. Hello, do you happen to remember by any chance a pre-season 2 fic where Aziraphale is remodeling his upstairs flat, and Crowley is Very Confused until he realizes that Aziraphale has been remodeling the flat for the both of them? I could swear there was a balcony with two chairs, and Crowley was surprised to see how much of the flat was decorated with his thoughts in mind. Thank you! - @loracarol

3. Thank you for running this blog! I remember back in 2019 I read a fic where Crowley thought he was pregnant but turns out he’s just lactose intolerant. I can’t for the love of humanity find this fic on ao3 now. Can you offer some insight? - @wuskywalker

4. oh hi! help plsssssss I can't find this fic and I'm dying to read it. I think god is tired of cowley and azi's dance and slows/stops time for everyone else and I don't know what else, just that this is in the summary. any ideas of what fic it might be? thank you! - anon

5. Hi there! I'm looking for a specific fic. It's rated E on AO3, and I remember that it's after the body switch in season 1. Crowley is left with some side effects where he is overwhelmed because Aziraphale's love gets mixed up with Crowley's lust. I hope that makes sense. I think they go to the Ritz in that story. Sorry I don't have more. - anon

If you know any of these fics please include the number in your reply! Thank you :)

- Mod D

[prolix-yuy]

Get to know your moots!

I was tagged by @songsformonkeys and this looked like a really fun one! Let's dive in friends!

What's the origin of your blog title? Well, it was after watching The Mandalorian, reading most of the fic on AO3 of The Mandalorian, venturing onto Tumblr to find more Mandalorian fic and finally getting the irresistible urge to add to the beautiful sea of Mando that the blog name came to me - Mando Made Me Do It!

OTP(s) + Shipname: I had to pull deep for a few of these because I was only very casually in fandoms before the Pedro one. The Doctor (9 and 10) x Rose was one of my favs for a long time. Sherlolly for a bit (I identified too much with Molly). If I'm not reading xReader I love DinCobb.

Favourite colour: Yellow!

Favourite game: Apples to Apples but with Cards Against Humanity rules. It's more challenging when the cards don't help you!

Song stuck in your head: I had Pink Pony Club stuck in my head for three weeks straight, followed by Noah Kahan's No Complaints.

Weirdest habit/trait? It's hard to think of one when you're so used to your own quirks! I like eating frozen mixed vegetables cold as a snack. I build pillow fortresses around me but only actually sleep on one. I bite my nails too much. My whole face turns red when I laugh too hard.

Hobbies: Cooking (and finding new recipes), cocktail making (and trying new ones!), sewing/altering clothes, writing, learning new animation/editing programs.

If you work, what's your profession? I create marketing videos for a software company.

If you could have any job you wish, what would it be? I like my current job a lot, but if I could have a dream job it would be someone who funds indie films and helps produce them.

Something you're good at: I'm a very good cook and baker. I used to do improv, so I think I'm pretty quick-minded.

Something you're bad at: Motivation to start new habits. Procrastinating.

Something you love: My family, my friends, this weird little part of the internet that lets me be weird along with it.

Something you could talk about for hours off the cuff: Films! I love talking about how they're made, the cool new tricks and behind the scenes, people's favorite movies and why, storytelling in general.

Something you hate: Being in a one-sided conversation. Getting talked over. Needles!

Something you collect: Tiny shells from the beach. Magnets from different places we've visited or our friends have visited. Silly pens I give to my mom.

Something you forget: If I don't write it down I forget things people ask me to do. I have a crappy auditory memory but once I see something written down I can remember it much better.

What's your love language? I guess acts of service?

Favourite movie/show: Oh, favorite movie, wow. I mean, that is, that's one of those questions that's impossible to answer! Because, you see, one hundred plus years of rich cinema - you can't just limit it to one! It depends upon your mood, the seasons...

(you see what I did there? ;P)

Favourite food: Fried eggs on toast with fruit

Favourite animal: Anything that lets me pet it.

What were you like as a child? I was pretty quiet, independent and enjoyed playing by myself, making up my own stories. Kind of makes sense now right?

Favourite subject at school? I always loved writing and literature classes but I also loved a good funky course. I took a nanotechnology class in undergrad that was pretty interesting. Plus film school means half the classes I took were absolutely ridiculous. I did a whole semester on Cronenberg films which was as trippy as you'd imagine.

Least favorite subject? TERRIBLE at math, especially geometry. I struggled hard in those classes.

What's your best character trait? I'm interested in the people around me, so I like to talk to them and learn more about them. I'm thoughtful and I like making people laugh.

What's your worst character trait? I can be passive-aggressive and play the victim when I feel wronged. I'm stubborn to a fault at times. I assume I'm not thought of by my friends and therefore don't always reach out, even though I want to.

If you could change any detail of your day right now what would it be? I'd like to get on a better daily schedule that makes me feel more fulfilled. There's a lot of wasted time in my day that I'd like to spend doing things I enjoy and that make me happier.

If you could travel in time who would you like to meet? God I have no idea, can I travel forward and meet some aliens or something?

Recommend one of your favourite fanfics (spread the love!): Forever in my heart and always on my mind is Echoy'la (on AO3) by @pajamasecrets. I'm laughing at tagging her on this because I don't think we've ever interacted on Tumblr (I'm not even sure she's still in the Mando fandom whoops) but I reread that fic once every few months because it gives me the perfect Mando emotion and longing and care. I think it was pretty soon after that I decided to try writing for Mando, and I have to credit that story for helping me take that first step.

No tags for this, come play if you want!

[mysticstars02]

KW: Miscellaneous (RAW)

this is the best image i could use for this blog. ik there's one i really luv to use (it's the huge collab art made by yumikosudou where they transform YW characters into those gegege no kitaro art style characters you see in the right). Buuut i think it's safe to use this image here haha

Featuring two collabs with actual stories! And also some stuffs I find that Idk if it'll fit or I never seen these before lol

Cells at Work! Collab

(ngl i did not expect this to collab a series i barely know of. I don't watch but the concept looks cool!)

GeGeGe no Kitaro: Great Yokai War (?) Collab

most pure thing i ever seen. it's like seeing the interactions and the epic fights...but in chibi style XD

The Great Trial of Challenges

OH THIS ONE! I really wanna talk about this cause i think this is a pretty cool feature they add. Sadly I didn't get the main gist of this buuut I'm pretty sure this feature requires a shit ton of your playtime experiences and some competitive thinking (rambling warning btw lol)

How it works is that you have those green keys you can spend ONLY on the Great Trial and let me tell you: the Great Trial...is srsly a trial. Y'know those competitive features in the YW mainline games where you can set the rules only to specific rank of youkais (Like set the rule to an only Rank A or C battle), the Great Trial of Challenges is kinda like that...except it's very mean (It may be easy if I have some translation skills but it may be not haha XD).

Let's set up a real example coming from a KW player: If I remember, the trial is set up by 3 stages. Each stage contains restriction and certain aspects for tribe AND rank.

The 1st stage is free-for-all style meaning no restriction/rule, just put out your best team.

The 2nd stage gets a bit harder. There are now rules and restrictions. Let's say the rule for this stage says you can only use Rank A or lower youkais (I believe this also applies to Gunmashin/War Demon God's Rank???) AND you cannot use this following tribe: Enma and Kaima tribe

Now comes the 3rd stage, this time it's serious. I believe they add more rules and restriction to this stage so now, you can still use Rank A or lower BUT you are forced to use them from this tribe like you can use Rank A-C but only from the Slippery tribe. This also will go for the Gunmashin as well (You can only use the demon god's from this specific class)

Sometimes the rule will keep you using Rank Sho but you can't use Rank Paradise/Heavenly Rank youkais

Very challenging but it's also pretty cool! You may think that this looks like it's worth to try it out...yet I haven't mention why this feature is very mean. I haven't gone that far yet I also forgot how many challenges I clear (I think I clear at least 50???) BUT...there is a challenge that will forever be a wall to me before this game announce to go defunct. What challenge is that I struggle the most?

On the 3rd stage of the challenge I was on (again Idr what it is exactly), there is one rule...that is so mean idk how the f- am I suppose to do. These are the following restrictions: Rank Sho, Any tribe is acceptable, Gunmashin is allowed, you are forced...to use one youkai

Yeah

A rule said to use one youkai against a team of 5 Rank Sho youkais

Part of me thinks that maybe with quick summoning, instant collision damage and bulky stat could work right? Ngl, I got my ass kicked like so many times on this freakin 3rd stage of the challenge I was stuck on (I tried to use Rank Sho Rinne on this challenge, 3 seconds later and he immediately got his ass kicked asksa)

Again, pretty cool feature for challenging players and huge props to the user responsible for the Heavenly Rank's stories (bc I'm pretty sure you unlock those scenes by completing certain amount of trials. I'm very positive you have to beat EVERYTHING and my poor brain is not enough :'''>)

Never-see-before events (well for me lol)

I found a few of these videos coming from the user who's responsible for the Heavenly Rank stories. I actually don't remember seeing these events during my KW playthrough (I might have misremember it but yeah)

More interaction with Gunmashins? Part I

More interaction with Gunmashins? Part II

[fishyfishyfishtimes]

I decided to ask around on all the fish/ocean blogs I follow: how do you learn more about the ocean?? I love the ocean and I really wanna learn more about my favorite sea creatures and beyond but I have no idea how to get started. Are there documentaries or shows your recommend? How do you go about doing research for fun (the American school system has failed me, go figure)? How do you even remember it all? I crave to learn but where I could possibly start is as vast as the ocean itself.

What a fun question! It is admittedly a bit difficult to go back to the beginning of my ocean-learning days, since I can't remember a time when I wasn't super into water and aquatic things, but I'll try! I think I started learning about oceans through books, I'd read and borrow a lot of fish and marine biology books at the library. I think they're the very best place to look to at first if you struggle with the paralysis of having too many things to do or too many places to look from! Libraries are really good sources of information, but unlike the internet, the resources are finite in some way, they're on physical paper, and tied to the place itself (until you take them home of course!), which at least to me makes it easier to start looking for what I want to know more about. Libraries make it easier for me to read things too, I get very distracted at home. Only when I am in the peace and quiet in between the bookshelves can I focus!

Another place that was no doubt a source of learning for me was natural history museums and aquariums. I was (..am) obsessed with the Finnish Museum of Natural History specifically, it was a must-visit every time we went to the capital city area up until the pandemic. Aquariums we went to less so, but the education they provide there is a gem! Sometimes you can even talk to an employee if you're lucky enough and learn extra bits of information about things. Not always free like libraries, but worth a shot if you get the opportunities to visit.

I've also watched and still watch marine/freshwater life documentaries and other educational shows! Usually I'd opportunistically go and watch them whenever one popped up on the TV, instead of going out to find them myself. This, and the fact that it's been many years since I saw some, I can't recall many of the names of the documentaries I've seen! There were some about dolphins and their fascinating behaviour and hunting habits, and this cool documentary series that divided its episodes into two parts with pure opposite climates and cultures with opposite lifestyles, but I can't seem to find the ones I'm thinking of!!! ...Ah, well. I can recommend you Planet Earth (2006), The Blue Planet (2001) and Blue Planet II (2017) from BBC, and Life on Our Planet (2023) which I'm currently watching on Netflix! Secrets of the Whales (2021) from National Geographic I didn't quite finish but it was still quite interesting, focuses on four species of whales.

As for doing my research... well, once I was old enough to get on the internet and I was super duper fixated on a specific species of animal or a group of animals, I'd do this thing where I look up the animal's name and slowly start going through every website that popped up, in order, bookmarking the websites with the most or most interesting information. I still do it. I don't know if it's the "correct" way, could there even be a correct way..? I doubt it, and it does give you many sources to reference with each other! I also like to look through videos of these animals, but, that's probably a given. If you're looking for fish info specifically, I like to fall back on FishBase, SeriouslyFish and A-Z Animals when I'm unsure about something (besides checking multiple sources), as far as I know they're trustworthy.

When it comes to remembering, I unfortunately cannot offer you any tips! I am fortunate in that I have naturally good memory and absorb information with relative ease, so I don't really have any tips for remembering things... though I do like to sort large batches of information into charts, like how I did when I was learning to take care of my shrimp! I looked through several websites and collected the suggested parameters from each, and compared them with each other. I did the same thing when I was making my informational comic about bigfin squids, I collected the depths and places in which squids were spotted in into charts. Perhaps that is helpful in some way!

So! TL;DR, libraries, documentaries, museums, aquariums, just plain old internet research. I hope this helps you in some way!!! <33 Well wishes from the fishes!

[nyarlathotep-thecrawlingchaos]

Sometimes I feel like this fucking blog following reads my mind because I was literally thinking about sending some outfits and I was hesitating so bad + I have anxiety so I was not even going to ask AND THEN ANON COMES OUT OF NOWHERE AND SAVES THE DAY. WHOEVER YOU ARE, THAT WAS A FREAKY COINCIDENCE BUT I ABSOLUTELY LOVE YOU THANK YOU!!

ONto the outfits! (I have predilection for black, if it was not obvious)

And my most favourite of all, because it can either be used to tease or to reward S/O, but always to feel like a bad bitch: (I have so many scenarios in my head with this one lord have mercy)

Important note, for me anyway: Even though the models portrayed wearing these dresses have a slimmer form, do not be discouraged about thinking of yourself in these even if your body type is different. You deserve to feel like the bad bitch you are and show off how beautiful you look just by being alive, because a body, regardless of the size or look of it, is a wonder. It's a whole organism that works like a machine and keeps us alive. Ignore the beauty standards bullshit and absolutely picture yourself in any fucking outfit you want (or even better, wear it), and strut your stuff (for your faves in this case <3)

I wholly understand anxiety, I've been grappling with it for literally as long as I can remember. But please try to keep in mind, this is a safe space and you're welcome to send pretty much anything.

I love love love black dresses 😭 I have to be choosey about what I wear because I can't go without a bra and it's impossible to find a strapless bra in my size, but I wish oh so much I could wear any of these, they're so gorgeous 😍

Also I may need to borrow a few of these for Wren if that's cool 👀 the last one for sure, she'd wear it on a date night for the sole sake of attracting extra attention and annoying Crocodile to the end of his wits.

Also these two specifically. I already threw together an outfit for the second one 🫣

She also tends towards black, second choice would be red. Preferred accents are gold, pearl, and opal. Woman has two walk-in closets and still complains she doesn't have enough room for her clothes and jewelry.

[basil-the-scorned]

Get to Know Your Mutuals

I saw @serpercival doing this and decided to jump on!

what's the origin of your blog title?

Orange Cassidy quote from last year, think he says it after Chuck Taylor got jumped by the Death Riders.

otp(s) + shipname(s):

I don't really have one off the top of my head. Trapper/BJ and Adam Page/ Dalton Castle lurks in the corner... nope, none at all! Chuck Taylor/Orange Cassidy sneaking up on me, followed by Nick Jackson/Adam Page (oh boy...)

All seriousness though, I only have two OTPs and that's John Watson/ Sherlock Holmes and Wolverine/Storm!

favourite colour:

Green!

song stuck in your head:

Will You Still Love me from EPIC (I look at one animatic and suddenly it's in my head all day)

weirdest habit/trait:

I rather eat candy out of a tiny bowl. It's a habit my mom did for me when I was little and I got too used to it.

hobbies:

Video Editing, writing, listening to music.

if you work, what's your profession?

Also video editing but freelance for a company.

if you could have any job you wish, what would it be?

Honestly, working in production for sports in general would be amazing. I fell in love with doing it in college and I want to do it professionally now. Just...got to find a way into it. (Might try and get into doing it for the college around here)

something you're good at:

Listing off random facts.

something you hate:

People purposely spoiling something fun because they're not. That's just you being a dick.

something you collect:

Buttons and pins!

something you forget:

EVERY FUCKIN THING my brain is a sieve <<<SAME, I CAN'T REMEMBER SHIT!

what's your love language:

Physical Affection! I'm very touchy.

favourite movie/show:

Brother Bear- Movie Upside Down Show- Show (

favourite food:

Any seafood, but especially shrimp and crawfish. They are my favorite type

favourite animal:

Wolves. They're big giant dogs.

what were you like as a child:

Very talkative. Glad that didn't go away despite everything.

favourite subject at school:

English and Film.

least favourite subject:

Math

what's your best character trait?

Easy-going

what's your worst character trait?

Procrastinate a lot....

if you could change any detail of your life right now, what would it be?

Wish I got my license, so I can drive (trying to get that done this year)

if you could travel in time, who would you like to meet?

Roddy Piper. He seemed really cool.

tagging- whoever sees this, go at it!!

[moveslikeanape]

yeah that's totally fine, i'll follow you back now as well! i hope you don't mind that i post about a lot of things other than disney movies haha. though my url happens to be the name of a character from twisted wonderland, a disney game that i like a lot. when you mentioned hunchback of notre dame being one of your favorite disney movies, i thought about how twisted wonderland actually has references to HoND in it--but sadly, nothing tarzan related. i found out about what mark henn said from this link if you'd like to read it, there's some additional info in here as well and it's all a bit sad to hear, but really interesting: https://www.cartoonbrew.com/studios/retired-disney-legend-mark-henn-work-had-been-more-meaningful-236985.html

i agree that disney songs definitely shouldn't be written with the intention that people will hear them before seeing the movie! i know some people do like to listen to the soundtracks of new disney movies before they see them, but i've actually always tried my best not to do that or hear any of the songs ahead of time because i prefer being surprised by them. so when i saw wish, all i'd heard was the snippet of "this wish" that was played in the trailers, and during the scene where at all costs played i was honestly so confused about the context of it that it was a little distracting. disney music should immerse you in the story and tell you something about the characters, not distract you because the situation the song is being used for doesn't seem to make sense...

oh yeah, i've heard that about the atlantis book! there's a blog on wordpress i found recently who did really detailed reviews of the different disney art books and they mentioned all of that about the atlantis one. i agree it's a huge shame, that movie seems to have such a fascinating world and i'd love to be able to learn more about it. another thing that disappoints me is there being no book for the emperor's new groove at all, though on the bright side at least the documentary for that movie is available online.

oh no, that must be so frustrating to keep missing out on getting to see the tarzan broadway show! i hope you get a chance to see it someday, and that you enjoy it when you do. i'll definitely have to find the time one of these days to at least listen to the cast recording myself. it's so interesting that it's popular in germany but not here... i wonder why that could be. i love that jane gets her own song, though. she's my favorite character from the movie (though of course i also love tarzan himself!) and i always thought it would be nice to have just a bit more insight into what she's thinking and feeling.

i remember reading that with rafiki, the director wanted to gender-swap him as well as give nala more focus because she thought the movie didn't have a strong enough leading female role. so i really do wonder why they'd change terk back into a guy, because something i always liked about the movie is the variety of different female characters in the movie between her, jane, and kala! and terk is really cool and unique for how she ended up breaking gender roles, but then you lose that element in the broadway show. if you do find anything about why they made that change i'd love to know.

No worries, mine is kind of a mix of Disney and cats, with random other stuff I like thrown in. Thanks for following back!

Ooo, I'd heard of Twisted Wonderland, but never really looked into it. Will have to check it out!

Just read that article, and wow, that is so sad! I can't imagine how hard it must've been to see things go downhill like that, a having his ideas taken like that?! Poor guy.

I think Disney needs to slow down a moment and and look into their own history to see what they're supposed to be about. Thinking about how they try to put out so much so fast, and how they seem more invested in their acquired properties than original ideas. How important quality was to Walt, to the point that he nearly bankrupted the company on several occasions just for the sake of quality. Now it's all about the money… making money for the shareholders is far more important to them that making something they can actually be proud of.

That sounds like a really interesting blog! I think they kind of fell away from art books (and other merch in general) as the movies began "under performing". Such a shame because the early 2000s had such incredible and daring movies, and they basically got swept under the carpet.

Thank you! Someday I'll get to see it. If you get the chance to listen to the cast recording, please let me know what you think! I was talking to a friend in Germany, and she said the country just seems to like Tarzan in general, so maybe it's just a love of the character in any form that made it work there. I'm with you on Jane. I would have been so sad if she didn't get one. She actually has a song to herself, the duet with Tarzan, and a duet with Porter!

Kerchak also got his own song (as well as a duet with Kala). They really expanded Kerchak's character and I absolutely love them for that. While you understand his motives in the movie, they dig deeper in the musical, and make him a more rounded and sympathetic character.

That makes sense about Rafiki and expanding Nala (especially given lions are actually matriarchal). I'll have to dig out my Tarzan Broadway book and see if it says anything about Terk. I'm guessing because they took away Tantor and they figure people would be more able to accept Tarzan having a male friend.

[breeze-of-sunlight]

Hey admin, sorry for the delayed response. I took some time to mull over what you said and also read through what others have commented.

I think in and of itself this issue in total is just a snake that bites its own tail. The fandom loses steam, exo is perceived as inacitve itself due to lack of talk in the fandom, new people won't join or old members leave, the fandom loses steam. You're absolutely right: if we won't change anything about this, the fandom won't hold itself afloat mch longer.

I've looked more inside myself and asked myself "what would I, personally need to become more active again?". And honestly, I think it's something other people on here have mentioned in this thread. No one wants to be the first person being vulnerable and put themselves out infront of the fandom ("I don't follow people first", also people seeing but not interacting with (this) post(s) besides liking it/them). But in my personal experience, getting really attached to a fandom usually involves finding someone with a dedicated blog and looking through their stuff and finding cool people from there. Even if I get single digit notes, seeing mutuals express they like what you did is rewarding.

I'm just really stuck as to the how to get there. After all, you can't really "force" people to reach out, that never worked before. But without people wanting to switch from their "passive consumption" to a more interactive experience, I'm afraid it'll be a long and difficult journey. Hmh.

Besides that: I didn't mean to present networks as the be-all, end-all. I'm more than a little peeved myself at how some networks limit down who and what will be put on their blogs. But I truly think a dedicated blog - or, as others have pointed out, a community - could be a good starting point. Without any "apply here and reblog that" requirements to join in. Just something that helps people to see and be seen rather than being drowned out by bots and people who tag wrongfully to simply get more notes in. Like a little conversation starter blog, I guess?

I'm also aware that single member networks won't exactly help us unite this fandom that is already spread far and wide. And yes, the examples of the two stray kids creators I've mentioned are just good tumblr etiquette. Nevertheless, I think there is a real practical appeal of simply having an exo-l tag that creators (especially new and older, returning ones) can use to kind of get eyes on them. Whether that is a tag specifically tied to a single blog or a new general fandom tag (that hopefully isn't flooded with inapropriate entries) being secondary. Then again, that would kind of fall flat if the community feature ends up being implemented. No need for filtering the already existing tags then.

I like your idea of putting up a directory of sort as well - maybe even linked with short individual introduction posts? But at the same time, I'm a little worried about the maintenance cost of it. After all, someone would need to update said directory at a regular interval. If the directory was held on a shared / side-blog, multiple people could be assigned this "chore", so at least it wouldn't fall on one person alone. But as said, I think this would actually really help? I think I very distantly remember that this has been done once before but I neither can remember who posted this nor find the post itself.

Regarding the prompts / events: yes, I think longer intervals between the start and end of an event would absolutely be beneficial. Monthly, or even seasonally oriented, events sound really good. But I also think this is just something that maybe should be decided by a larger group / the target audience. So maybe a poll could help determine how often people would actually manage to partake?

Also: something I just remembered was the exo song tournament blog from ealier this year @/exosongtournament. That final post has 120 reblogs - most of them with commentary. I don't even remember the last time I've seen something like this on fan works. But it also means that there are still people on this platform who still "care enough" about exo themselves, no? Maybe they just also had most of the creators they followed silently leave Tumblr and they would enjoy exo more again if they somehow got onto their dashboards?

Maybe the prompts / the topics of the events could be decided by polls, that way it's easier to kind of create "low effort, low intensity" entry interaction? Even if people won't create somthing themselves, they get to put their vote in and will see something that is according to their interests? (Should their concept win, that is.) Or at least their interest will get piqued?

I'm just rambling again at this point, sorry!

(And also, totally besides point, but huge kudos to you for shouldering this event while working 45+ hours a week. All the love to you!)

Another quick side note: I never knew Junmyeon mentioned he's aware of the tumblr community? In truth, I hadn't even considered that Tumblr might factor into any companies statistics...

Okay, after hastily checking my notes, i think this is everything. As mentioned before I'm willing to help set up any projects. You're not alone in this.

Have a good one!

So I can't be the only one who's noticed the decline in fanmade exo content here on Tumblr. We've gone from a fandom who's new posts could be measured in hours to a fandom who's posts have days....to weeks....to months....to even years for some specific tags.

We have had 6 solo album comebacks this year, 3 fancon tours, 2 solo concert tours, a myriad of festival concert appearances, youtube videos, magazine shoots, instalives, etc. Yet if you go to the exo tag it's mainly populated by archive blogs. And the nude bots, which....that's a whole other problem on its own. I digress. My point being, the tags, at least from what I've seen (I admit I haven't looked into the shipping tags) are being filled by the same handful of blogs yet given the high amount of source material, no one seems to be doing anything with it beyond archiving it.

Again this could just be because I didn't delve too deep or too far back, but it does have me wondering if part of the reason participation this year was down was simply because there's hardly anyone left.

There's been instances in the past where others have attempted to inject new life into the fandom so to speak, with....varying...level of success. The exo revival project being the first and most successful that comes to mind. I'm wondering what everyone else's thoughts are on the matter and if holding new fandom events might be a way to involve more people year round because I really do want to continue holding this event next year but if things keep going the way they have been there won't be anyone signing up.

Let me know what you think, ideas you might have, reblog this and tag your mutuals to get them involved in the discussion. I have a few ideas that I've pilfered from other fandoms, watch alongs. Fic bingo. Theres valentines exchanges. Fandom sleepovers. Heck I'd set up a Tumblr based scavenger hunt if I thought people would play. Like....we dont have to be monoliths in a placid sea of we don't want to. Fandom can be fun. It should be fun.

[decepti-thots]

I was in the tumblr tf fandom for a hot second a few years ago and i just wanted to ask, is it still really aggressive here? because back then there was a lot of shipping drama, there were a few callout posts going around (can't really remember about what) and just...a lot of bad stuff. I personally had someone tell me to kill myself because I liked one of the villains. guess I'm just wondering if, in your opinion, things have chilled out? Cuz I'd like to get back into it but I'm a little hesitant;;;

I'm going to try and give the fullest answer I can in the best faith to this! For context, this blog is a couple years old now, I have enough followers that I get a lot of active engagement on my posts etc, I am very active in TF fandom here, Twitter, and IRL, and while I did not used to be active I have been lurking in TF fandom as long as I have been on Tumblr.

There is absolutely still some toxicity; all fandoms have their bad faith actors, their drama hounds, their shipping Diskhorsers TM. I have gotten hate mail, I know folks who have issue with weird anon haters who are persistent, whatever. But no, it is not as bad as it has been in the past, IMO, not at ALL, and it is 100% possible to have an active, sociable and nice time in this fandom so long as you curate your engagement, with basically no drama at all. Many of the worst folks burned out and left when the fandom got less active and their shitstirring paid lesser and lesser dividends, IME.

People sometimes ask how I maintain such a vocal presence without falling into the still-there drama, and I have some advice that I promise you will mitigate like, 99% of the possible issues you could encounter:

Block whenever you feel like blocking. If you get a bad vibe, if you just don't personally like someone and don't wanna see them, if you see them throwing what looks like a temper tantrum you don't want in on, just block 'em. Remember: blocking is nothing personal towards the person you are blocking. It is not insulting and doesn't need to be 'earned'. Block every single person you think not blocking might even just theoretically cause stress or drama. (I am blocked by several people for reasons no more serious than 'I hate your OTP', and I commend every one of them for doing it and having a better time on this site!)

Delete any and all anon hate. Block anyone and everyone who sends you hate. No exceptions. No witty comebacks. No takedowns. Nothing. You see it and the actual literal second you do, you block and delete. None of it is worth one second of your time. Deprived of the oxygen, they will leave. And you won't be tempted to re-read it and stress out.

In that same vein, if it causes issues, just turn anon off! Turn it off. Personally I keep it on because I simply do not care about the odd troll, but if you care even slightly? Fuck 'em, turn it off, anon is a privilege your followers need to earn by acting in good faith.

Find people you like and follow them, ignore blatant shitstirring in the maintags (again: block people!) and try to curate content and follows and mutuals based on what you do like and not what you don't. Curate positive engagement; do not rely on the general fandom slurry, find what you like and hang out in your own corner of things that bring you joy. If the maintag stresses you out: don't check it. Check the blogs of folks you know are cool instead. Stuff like that.

Fandom should be fun. Fandom should be finding people you like and sharing good times with them, not stressing about avoiding folks you hate, or who hate you. Tumblr lets you moderate how you engage, when, and where more than almost any current social media site; now you can even turn off reblogs and oh my GOD is that a lifesaver function btw. If you want, you can make your blog unsearchable! It means you will need to be more proactive in making friends. But TF fandom is pretty tight knit these days, and folks want to talk a lot of the time. You'll still be able to engage with cool people.

There's way less aggro losers around these days, but more to the point, you can absolutely avoid the ones that still insist on being annoying and starve them out without much effort, tbh.

[nihilnovisubsole]

[taps mic] is everybody here? everyone still manning their tumblr blogs after the twitter roller coaster of the past couple of months? cool

so! 2022, huh? it's not new year's eve without one of my soppy, navelgazing year-in-review posts. if you're reading this, you survived. as an acquaintance of mine put it, "i hope 2023 is the year it all pays off for you."

if i seem unusually optimistic about it, it's because this year, against the odds, things started looking up. i had no idea when i stepped out last december 31st and listened to the neighbors' firecrackers what i was in for. i didn't know that when obsidian emailed me on a january afternoon about "a quick follow-up meeting," it would be their offer call. i didn't know what kind people i'd meet there, or the lengths they'd go to to make me feel like a respected peer instead of a gatecrashing fan. i knew least of all how it would affect my state of mind: that i'd finally feel a sense of accomplishment and dignity. i look ahead and i see a viable future for myself. i've been paid to write for years, but now i can support myself with it. i think about the weight that takes off my mother. i remember staying up until 4 A.M., wondering how i'd do the only thing i ever wanted to do. it was a big, dark ocean then. it's still an ocean now, but i've got a boat, a crew, and a lantern. it's hard to overstate what that does to you.

the downside is, there are only 24 hours in a day, and your time feels very different when you're on the clock for eight of them. i knew it'd be a change, and it's gone more smoothly than i thought it would, but i just can't churn unpaid stuff out the way i did years ago. projects that would've taken a long time in college have become interminable now. you wouldn't believe how much half-finished art i have sitting around. it's not lost on me that this is just ordinary adulthood, and even i had to get around to it at some point. laugh all you want! seriously, i probably deserve it, and it's hard enough to find things to laugh about in this decade.

part of me misses that pillowy freelance lifestyle of cramming my paid work into the mornings, then doing fun projects all day. then i remember i was numbing the ache of not having a career that i now have, and the superficial sense of leisure came with a heavy price. it wasn't worth three cents a word and almost no creative input. it wasn't worth being on medi-cal and having my mother keep me afloat. it certainly wasn't worth watching my friends work themselves half to death because they weren't privileged enough to have that support network. i think we all agree that we should have a better world, that artists should be able to just make art, that contractors aren't paid enough. [except for relic, they were very generous, i loved them.] in the meantime, we have to make it through with what we have, and figure out how to look after each other as best we're able to.

i think, when people gain a measure of success in life, they want to fantasize that they did it all by themselves. that's ridiculous. i wouldn't be writing any of this without the people who hyped up my wild fanfic ideas or bought dangerous crowns. i'd never have written anniversary without the other longsummer nights authors building a vivid world for hercule and aida to live in. i'll never forget the colleagues and the industry doors they helped me through, and, you know, i'm not much now, but i hope i can pass that on. even if you only have a little power, you have to use it for good, right? otherwise, that's how you get a chandelier dropped on you.

seriously, though, read anniversary. i want to talk about it more. it's short, i swear!

[rainytea]

Passing for remember you're a amazing writer, have a very cool and organizated blog. Can i request some relationship' headcannons with Kagura Mikazuchi x her non-magical fem! Reader, pls? 🥺👉👈

Kagura Mikazuchi x Non-Magical Fem!Reader Headcanons

Rating: SFW A/N: Thank you for the very kind words Anon! It really means a lot to get a message like that <3

Kagura takes a lot of pride in her magic-using abilities. She is highly skilled and taught some of her guildmates how to use their magic.

So it comes as a shock to everyone that her girlfriend doesn’t use magic. 

 Kagura has no issues with you not possessing a magical ability. In fact, it kind of gives her a break from the chaos that follows it. 

BUT IF YOU THINK THIS GIRL IS PROTECTIVE OF HER MAGIC-USING FRIENDS JUST WAIT!

Magic, to her, is a blessing and curse because of what people can do with it. She finds a sense of comfort knowing that you can't be used for your magical abilities and you can stay out of harm's way.

That being said, you need to remind her that you are capable of taking care of yourself. You're not frail, you don't have any magic. 

You two have probably bickered about that before.  

If anyone looks at you funny she’s prepared to slash them into pieces. You have to literally drag her away before blood is shed.

The girls at Mermaid Heel think you’re adorable and even if you’re not a mage, they still invite you out to hang out! Especially Millianna and Risley.

And yes, Kagura has to steal you away from them or you will spend all day with them. 

They joke that you're Mermaid Heel’s mascot since they don’t have an Exceed like Happy or Frosch. Congratulations. 

Kagura will practice her magic in front of you and look over for some type of insight

But like, girl, how tf are you supposed to judge her? You can't do that so it looks good.

Mostly trying to show off, but she'll end up critiquing herself. 

Her face still lights up when you praise her skills though. Even if you know nothing about magic. 

She has tried to teach you some type of magic, rather it is gravity magic or even holding Archenemy. 

Kagura Would respect your decision not to learn magic, but if you were curious about it, she’d try to teach you her early techniques. 

She’s proud of you, no matter what you do, as long as you are passionate about it. 

Whatever you choose to do in your time, she's got your back 100%. Even if she doesn't understand what it is, she supports you.

She's not so much of a cheerleader type of girlfriend, but she goes to all of your events with a gift and showers you in praise as soon as the event is over. 

Kagura has a lot of fans and admirers. Though she will drag you everywhere so that everyone knows she’s off limits. 

“Yes, I’m sure you’re aware of my girlfriend, Y/N. Now I’m not going to tell you again to leave.”

Kagura likes to show you off to her closest friends. She introduced you to Erza since she’s the closest thing to a big sister your girlfriend has. Erza was also shocked to know you weren’t a mage but praised you for humiliating Kagura. 

PLUS YOU TWO ARE CUTE!

[sugar--brown]

... does this mean I'm a burger too now?

And you are the sunshine! But maybe I should open a blog for this kind of stuff...

Let's comfort the blorbos now!

Jonny

A lot of people will tell you that Jonny is too dumb to think anything too deep and would just lives his life as it went. But it's wrong. It's quite the opposite in fact! You don't become first mate if you don't care about anything. Jonny cares a lot. And about a lot of things. It's not unusual to see him all worked up when one of his crewmates is upset. But it's not the only thing which keeps him trapped in his head. Doing some work for the shows does it too, because it's important for him. He is able to only do that for days.

The trick with him, for avoiding being bitten, is to lure him away of his drafts and work station. No matter if it's snacks, alcohol, violence, or octokitten pressure. When it's done, he will let you force him to take a break. He never acknowledges you do that for him, but he's a bit less snarky toward you for the next weeks.

Nastya

Nastya lost herself in her work often and willingly. Her love always needs something to be fixed, or upgraded. Why taking care of herself? It's a waste of time. And since Aurora can't refuse her anything, she has no problem burying herself under tons of work.

If you detect this behaviour, please follow the protocol the others put on on the fridge: step one, don't tell her anything; step two, pretend that something wrong somewhere warm and comfy; step three, trap her into a burrito blanket and ask Aurora to create a soothing ambiance; step four, wait for her to fall asleep in case she tries to escape, but don't stay. She's very sensitive to any noises, movements, and lights when she's exhausted.

Ashes

Ashes is more subtle when they are stressed. A lot of people would tell you that Ashes is always cool and relaxed, but bad habits die hard. You don't grow up in a shitty orphanage and then in a mafia without being always on the look out. You can call it paranoia, they will call it being prudent. They need to make sure they are fine, that their crew is fine.

You can see when they are too stressed and overworking when they are less focus, less sharp, less precise. It's subtle, but you notice. And the better way to force them to take a break is a good old back massage! Sneak behind them and put your hands on their shoulders, if they are ready to settle down they would let you continue. Your reward will be a warm smile and low purr.

Ivy

Ivy's brain is intriging, useful, fantastic even! She loves being able to remember and categorize everything. But sometimes, she whishes that her brain could be a more normal one. One who doesn't forget how long it had been since she had eaten. One who doesn't remind her she's a living being when she's on the verge of fainting. One who makes her too dizzy to move on her own. She hates it.

If you find Ivy laying around without a book on her face, it means she's stuck there. The best plan is to carry her - she loves being carried by everyone - somewhere safe and comfortable so she can take a nap. Ask Toy Soldier for some cucumber sandwiches, it's her comfort food. And get ready to calm her down in case of nightmare! The best way is to read to her, fairytales are the best.

Brian

Brian is usually the one taking care of the others. But sometimes, his internalclock can deregulate sometimes and he will work for far too long, stressing about why he was so tired when it wasn't that long since he slept, drink and eat.

The best strategy is to trick him into taking care of himselfunder the pretext of taking care of you. Asking him to come eat together, or invite him to play a game, or even just a cuddle session. The poor lad can't say no to you and will be far more relaxed if he feels like he's helping.

Toy Soldier

Toy Soldier can't be stressed! Don't be silly! It's a soldier, a toy too! It just has to pretend to be relaxed and it will be! So, what if it is stressful to follow everyone order? What if everyone around it forgot that it will follow order? What if it is forced to stay on alert for days without indulging itself into its hobbies?!

... Alright. Maybe it needs to pretend to have a break. Would you like to have a tea party with it? Just for fun! But you should take care of it, because Toy Soldier has the bad habit to act as a servant by reflex. And if you really, really, really please it, you can have a dress up party with its uniform (don't question the blood).

Tim

You know Tim. You know how he can be when he's upset. Remember the moon war? Yeah. It wasn't a onetime thing. It became recurrent when Tim overdoes it. And when he does, he becomes violent and snappy, a real terror. Most of the crew avoid him until he’s too exhausted to continue, or they seek him out if they want some violent fun.

But it’s not healthy. When he calmed down, his eyes hurt and he has the worst headache. In fact, he feels terrible in general, like he’s been through a trash compactor. And the guilt of going berserk doesn't help either. If you want to help, you need to make him calm down. Why not watch a movie on low volume with dim lights and lots of water. That should help! And he's a big cuddler so it will be your reward.

Raphaella

Raphaella's mind works faster than anyone else’s, or maybe just behind Ivy. When she’s in her element, she tends to forget herself. She retreats into her work, ignoring meals, sleep, and even basic hygiene. She starts rambling under her breath and pacing, her wings knocking everything around in her agitation.

The key is distraction. Start to ask her help for things, gradually asking for less and less, this will force her to calm down and let the exhaustion win. The nail in the coffin to make her give up is braiding her hair. She loves it when someone plays with it nicely, it's soothing and she looks prettier after. Be ready to catch her, because when she's cooked, she's cooked!

Marius

Marius is the less obvious, always ready with a kind word or a calming (or less calming) presence when things go wrong for someone. He's the ship's doctor after all! But when Marius is overwhelmed, it shows in how much quieter he becomes, how his gaze is unfocused.

The best way to help Marius is to gently break through his mind-isolation. Start by bringing him something small—a cup of teafrom TS, a warm blanket, or even just something with an interesting texture. A reassuring hand on his shoulder or a quiet hug can work too!

Aurora

Aurora doesn’t get stressed in the way most of the crew does. She’s a ship, after all. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t feel it. When Aurora is overwhelmed, it’s subtle but unmistakable. She starts running hotter than usual, her engine room humming at a slightly higher pitch. Her lights flicker more often, especially in the halls where no one’s looking. Doors open and close just a little too abruptly, and the gravity systems might glitch for a split second. It’s her way of venting. Nastya often macthes her mood, so you have double warning.

The best way to soothe Aurora is to remind her that she’s seen, valued, and loved. Speak to her! Tell her about your day, your worries, or even a joke or two. She doesn’t need elaborate declarations; she just wants to know you care. To know that people acknowledge she's sentient. It feels right to have someone talking to you like a friend even if you can't reciprocrate.

Scuzz

Scuzz handles stress and overwork by retreating somewhere dark and cramped. They wil hiss at anyone trying to get close. They know the signs, they know how to handle it, get lost!

The best way to help Scuzz is to respect their boundaries while offering subtle support. Maybe bring food and water in the area they are hidden. Anything that will make them feel a bit better. Don't try to force them out, they are handling it.

... but knowing they are not alone is nice too.

Carmilla

Carmilla doesn't let anyone see the toll stress and overwork take on her. She hides it and bottles it until it starts to show. She thinks she needs to be strong all the time. Her centuries of experience give her a remarkable capacity to endure, but it also means she's used to deal with everything alone, often taking care of others' problems. Stress pulls her deeper into her role as the mother.

Helping Carmilla requires a lot of patience. She doesn’t respond well to direct intervention, as it often feels like a challenge to her autonomy and strenght. Instead, gently bribing her with quality time will do the trick. She’s more likely to rest if she feels she’s doing it for someone else, so letting her believe she is taking care of you is the best solution. You can sing with her too, she loves it!

aueuuejshfjsvsjdjd.....need co fort posts from the mechanisms.....jsut anything.....just them......veing proud of me or helping me through my depressive phase.....aaanything will do......

[witchcraftingboop]

Hello, I love your blog!

May I bother you ever so much and ask: were there times, at the beginning of your spiritual journey (or however you call it, I really didn't find a better way to express it), where you started to question your path and beliefs? That you wondered if it even made any sense what you were doing and that maybe you were only talking to the air?

I've been in and out of my own path for long as I can remember, bc it never felt like there was something there with me (if that makes sense). I do know how to read tarot and, whenever possible, I try to read Agrippa's book and every other book I have (tho I still find The Witches Bible a little off for me, but still a cool source of knowledge)

But it feels like I miss something, like a spark or whatever. So sometimes I can't help but question myself on "why am I even doing this?" or "why do I light this candle and make offerings if I don't even know if whoever I lit this candle for is actually here?" and so on and so forth.

I don't have a anyone irl I could ask this for so I hope you don't mind you ended up being the one to read my rumbling (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠)

Have a wonderful day/evening/night (⁠◍⁠•⁠ᴗ⁠•⁠◍⁠)

Hey, anon, thanks for the love and the intriguing ask!

My path might be a bit different from yours, as I grew up in a family that was openly spiritual on either side and was taught a fair bit by my mother, aunts, and great grandmother. That being said, I think doubt and skepticism is extremely healthy to have in your craft. Rather than look at your doubtful thoughts as impediments, it may help to view them more as reason to further your research and self-reflection.

When you doubt your books or actions and treat it as a challenge or prompt to deepen/investigate your investment and thought process involved, I think you'll find yourself engaging with your path and motivations in greater depth.

Ask yourself: why am I performing these actions? And then turn to your spirits, spells, or books for an answer. If you change that action, will there be a change or difference in what occurs after? Or you could turn instead to yourself and interrogate why witchcraft at all. Not in a derogatory way, but with the genuine intent to be more introspective and thereby connect to your own motivations and drive.

Personally, I haven't read "The Witches Bible," but Agrippa can at least help build the foundations of why magic works. It may help to expand your research and look into other traditions and ways of practicing, even if not applicable to your own. By looking outward and exploring how others engage with spirit, you can often be inspired by new connections and odd instances of familiarity that you weren't expecting. Sometimes our mind can understand a concept and not necessarily know how to express it in concrete words until we view a broader picture or are exposed to something that gives us the words, or pieces of them, we didn't know we were looking for.

Imposter syndrome in spiritual circles isn't unheard of. How you deal with and face those instances matters more, in my opinion, than the fact that you experience them.

Another way to reconnect yourself to the occult and witchcraft in general is to perform anyways. Perform spells and rituals and set a deadline by which you expect to see results. If you keep a record or journal of what goes on around you thereafter, it may be easier to discern whether what you were going for actually occurred or if something barely related changed/reacted instead. As an example, when I find myself doubting whether a spirit ally is still with me, I'll sometimes call on them for divination and, if that goes moderately well, follow it up with a money working - money is pretty easily tracked. In the end, having concrete results that you can look at and know without a doubt came from your efforts is sometimes the best way to quell doubtful thoughts.

On the opposite end, it's a good idea to check in with yourself if you start thinking that what you're doing isn't real or "in your head." Have there been any external influences (negative or positive) in your life recently that relate to the spiritual or religious aspects of your craft? Have you started tuning in to a creator that posts derogatory comments about the things you believe in? Have you done any personal protection/cleansing work recently? Reviewing the external factors around doubtful times in your life can be especially helpful if the thoughts become overwhelming, repetitive, etc.

Hope this helps! Also, just so you know, y'all don't bother me by asking things, so feel free!

[evas-apartment]

hi it's doomfax, was wondering about your thoughts on Super Mario 64! did you enjoy it overall? would love to hear what you liked or disliked, what worked for you or didn't

I love that game, I've played it so much that I can't even really enjoy it any more tbh, but also if you hated it I'd still love to hear your thoughts on it if you feel like talking about it

Oh, man I've got a lot to say. I hope this is like... readable. EDIT: I just finished writing this, and figured I'd just put all of it behind a readmore, so I don't at all feel bad about how much I write. Also it's my blog. so.. whatever i suppose.

In short, I really liked it! I played the 3D All-Stars Switch version specifically, and I think it holds up pretty well! I liked how..punchy? It is? Most levels are really short, it doesn't take that long to beat, I 100%'ed it, but each star only takes like five minutes each, and I like that. The music is great, all the characters are stylized enough that even through the blocky-ass visuals, things look cute. Some of the locations are nice to look at, but a lot of them look kinda ugly tbh, like it just looks like blocks. I think a location needs a lot of set pieces to be visually interesting, otherwise it just looks bland. Most of DDD, most of WDW, all of RR, most of HMC look really boring, but there's some cool ideas in there. Whereas basically everyone of the first couple levels are more visually striking and interesting, with SOMETHING to remember about them.

The game controls are frankly awesome. It feels like they cemented that first, and built the entire game around it. If Mario controlled just a bit worse, this game wouldn't be nearly as well-remembered cause this is SUCH a true platforming game. Not very many stars rely on anything else other than how well you can control Mario. The only thing that bugs me are more quirks of the physics engine than anything else, and playing Sunshine right after kinda cements my opinions more, in that... the game is just a bit too unforgiving, coming back to it, having never really played it thoroughly before. It's hard to wall-jump, and you HAVE to get good at it. If you don't land on a platform, or the edge of one, you just bonk your head on the side and fall, and probably die. You slide off slopes really easily, it's hard to climb hills, and basically all of these things were fixed in Sunshine, but I can also understand people growing up with 64 and thinking that the movement might be too... easy? robust? something, in Sunshine. Which I don't feel rings as true because I find the "secret" levels in Sunshine to be challenging, but it's also in part to how sparse the level design is in those segments. You're confined just to floating blocks and that's it, but I'm talking about Sunshine here, so I'll digress.

I like the consistency of the level design. Each level has Exactly 7 stars, and one 100 coin star. Each world has 8 red-coins, and you'll get them eventually. If there's something to climb, there's probably a star at the top. If there's a weird new creature in this level, you'll have to interact with it in a weird new way to get a star (penguins, ukikis, eels, you get it). It makes each level feel like extensions of the same world, with the same rules across, which makes the whole game just make more sense, I appreciate that.

The camera is weird. I love the idea of you having a Lakitu cameraperson, but in execution it's hit or miss. I like that there's three different camera options, a platforming game in 1996 didn't have to have that kinda foresight, but it did. But it's like... the Lakitu camera can't rotate, only lock a certain way, the over the shoulder camera follows too closely and it's very easy to get disoriented (for me at least), and locking the camera in place can be great but it's completely locked, and doesn't move at all. I'll say I died a bunch cause the camera didn't do what I wanted it to do, but whatever, it's not unusable, I at least understand the system in place (although in no video game should the camera ever be stuck behind any solid object in the level), and it isn't like SM64 is hard, and lives are pretty generous, and I never even game over'd once in the while 100% playthrough. (a lot more casually generous than SMS)

Overall, I'm glad I played it. I do think it's a very good game, and a hallmark of what gaming could be at a pivotal time in its existence. I can't say if I myself would go back and play it all that much, having completed it, but that isn't to say it has no replay value, I've just had my fill. It was fun. Had some quirks from being a game from back then, but an overall pleasant experience. Some frustrations in the camera, missing some jumps cause of silly reasons, dying on a 100 coin star 80 coins in, falling down a vertical platforming segment and having to come back up, the only consequence being my fucking time being wasted, but that's all part of the game, and nothing ruining, y'know? I could go into even more detail, on any specific points, if you'd like, I love chatting with friends like this. And I appreciate every ask I get (within reason lol)

Thank you for sending this! I love giving my opinions on things like this lol, feel free to ask more stuff!