wagnersparks4

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

all this to say: i think it'd be cute if Barnaby literally howls with laughter

[sophsun1]

✨chemistry✨

[ariadne-mouse]

Jupiter:

Jupiter after reading from Lucien's ritual book of the Somnovem:

[justplaggin]

experts recommend bsd if you feel like witnessing the renaissance unfold

[citrinekay]

The Worst of Evil (최악의 악), 2023 // Episode 12

[rinbylin]

re: jianghu as a queer space in mlc

here to answer @redemption-revenge !! in reply to this post

(also tagging @markiafc @ananeiah <3)

there are many definitions of jianghu, but this is specifically based on the framing of jianghu as the space people retreat to, away from the mainstream sphere governed by the imperial court. in that is a sense of rejection and defiance against the patriarchal, heteronormative values and norms, which had been enforced through a fixation on upkeeping order in the society. as such i guess it's not too much of a stretch to interpret jianghu as a queer space in a way that's characterised by a spirit of nonconformity to the norms. consequently, it makes sense for stories set in jianghu be used to illustrate and navigate queer identities/experiences/feelings - which I came to believe mlc had made really good use of.

there's always kind of a dichotomy between 江湖 jianghu and 庙堂 miaotang (ie. imperial court). like in mlc, there are two separate, distinct law enforcement bodies from the respective spheres - and jianghu strives to keep imperial court from interfering in their affairs. like how li xiangyi firmly stands against getting imperial court involved in jianghu matters. like how fang duobing is actively running away from the grip of the royal court on his life choices. the rejection of the mainstream (very conveniently and broadly put, confucian) norms in mlc also manifests in many of its key relationships being non-familial (in the sense of blood/marriage-based kinship) and there being little emphasis on the main characters' biological familial ties. (anyway this is for a whole different meta on its own... edit: it's here)

it's then actually a sort of irony that the imperial court's institution of law and order is what sigu sect/baichuan court had been formed to be a de facto counterpart to. so when li xiangyi becomes li lianhua, it triggered the process of deconstructing the meaning of installing such an institution and the need to maintain order to a fundamentally nonconforming space such as jianghu. mama fang's seemingly throwaway line of criticising li xiangyi and his mission is in fact the thesis statement in this particular reading of mlc's story: jianghu makes its own rules. nobody should dare to do it in its place.

now deprived of all means to fight like he used to, li xiangyi's new life as li lianhua is essentially a refresh of how he views jianghu. the death of li xiangyi the leader of sigu sect and top of wulin, meant taking apart the idea that jianghu is a lawless arena where the fittest fight to the top for power and control over wulin. and li lianhua then putting together lotus tower, living a life focusing on a domestic lifestyle this time for real far from the reach of the governance both from the imperial court and sigu sect/baichuan court, is him living the jianghu that's defined as a space away from any form of conformity.

with that, there's also a sense of queerness to this particular way of living as li lianhua, if you consider the chinese conceptualisation of gender being more social than biological. if femininity and masculinity were respectively characterised by inner/domestic sphere and external/any space outside of that, dare I say...it actually makes li lianhua's moving house mindblowingly smart as a metaphor for gender fluidity. lonely wanderers are common in wuxia but housed lonely wanderers? he carved for himself a domestic (ie. feminine) space in the wilderness - among a jianghu space that's still dominated by masculine values of aggression and competition. and being freely mobile makes this feminine space more fluid and less tied down than the more rigid, inert domestic, feminine spaces in traditional mainstream society. when you combine it with how his character has been fem-coded - even as li xiangyi (eg. yin-coded powers/energy) (also a whole other meta on its own... edit: it's here now), it speaks to a part of him that has always found appeal in qualities conventionally associated with femininity of stability, gentleness and non-aggression. and a rejection of expectations to fight and destroy. he is defining who he is in his own terms, in the true spirit of jianghu.

[lyss-butterscotch]

Okay MAYBE just one more System Failure art ft. UI concept art

I missed using krita so ive just been drawing on krita this entire day, it does help with the ask burn out

[nyan-bynary]

Rebecca sugar is so fuckin cool I wish I could make characters interactions as messy as they do in their doodles for no reason

[melljam]

listening to one piece character songs is making me want to get into one piece again. send help

[abrahamvanhelsings]

imagining the things graham gore could and would have done to edward little's cervix had he lived a little longer

[lesbiansanemi]

Sometimes I just think about Soi Fon. Like that shit was so insane. Easily one of The characters of all time. You’re going to give me a woman who hates the physical manifestation of her soul because it’s loud and explosive and she doesn’t think it’s “proper” that it suits her, but it’s so obvious it does because she’s angry and stubborn and loud and explosive!!! And then the fact that she never ever calls upon that physical manifestation of her soul until things are so dire it’s practically that or death? The fact that in so many ways she lets her emotions build and build and build until they quite literally explode???? And then!!! AND THEN!!!! Add in that she hates her bankai because it’s “inappropriate” for an assassin… for her role as captain of the Stealth Force… the position she inherited from Yoruichi after she abandoned Soul Society for Urahara… She despises the physical manifestation of her explosive nature, the nature she hides until she can’t, just like she shoved down her feelings for Yoruichi, the betrayal, the hurt, the love, until she quite literally couldn’t anymore and it all came back up in a BANG!!! Like god… oh my god, no one will ever do it again and kubo did not deserve such a cool fucking character in the least

[yourmythicalbest]

best rhett and link vocals in no specific order, according to me, a classically trained opera singer who still cares too much about rhett and link

[bedlamsbard]

remind me to sit down some day and talk about how the current iterations of the MCU and Star Wars fed off each other 2008-2023, because they did develop in parallel and even before they were both under the Disney umbrella both of them kind of took the wrong lessons from each other. there's a lot of casual throwing around of "the MCUification of Star Wars (or fandom in general)" but that's not exactly what happened, and we're also now seeing it feed the other way.

(the Favreauloni 'verse is not the MCUification of Star Wars, it's the TCWification of Star Wars, and the thing you need to understand is that TCW S1-6 was a freak of nature as far as storytelling goes and it is near-impossible to replicate.)

[midnight-scugs]

Is this a safe space to say that I actually really fucking love milkshake (FP/UI) now? Like even outside of specific AUs but also ESPECIALLY IN THEM because they're just so important to me. I just think they should kiss and cuddle and be a pair of weird little lovebirds. Maybe have a deeply personal and emotional moment to get on better terms first. Idk man I have no real specific thoughts in my brain rn but this ship is so important to me.

[transgenderfivepebbles]

You will witness true horror.

[raz-writes-the-thing]

Raz this is just random thots thoughts but like do you ever think about having a really intense rivalry/enemies w/ sexual/romantic tension thing going on with Dr. Martin Whitly where you're certain there's something off even before he gets arrested and you're trying to find some kind of proof but also like. Fuck he's hot.

I- I haven't thought about that specifically, no- but I see your thots and raise you another- you're his partner. He's been out a lot lately, working late, supposedly, and you think maybe he's cheating on you.

So, you decide to snoop about his office one night when he's out with a late running surgery (or so he's said). You're six file boxes deep on some very... detailed descriptions and research into the human body thats concerning even for a surgeon when you turn around and Martin is watching you from the doorway.

"No, no, my dear- don't let me interrupt your little snoop fest."

Cue lightning and thunder outside for cliche effect.

"My little bunny poking about the fox's den. Tell me, little bunny. What were you hoping to find, hmm? You know I don't like people in my office when I'm not home, my dear."

You gulp, fingers gripping the expensive mahogany as he sets his briefcase down and walks towards you.

"Time for a lesson, I think, little bunny."