#also there's no limit on how many characters can there be per media because then I'd have to choose between Marvin Whizzer and Mendel

[noys-boise]

okay so I'm going to do the musical theatre sexy people competition soon any last minute suggestions?

[penn-dragon]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks...

This is such a sweet question I would love to!

These are in no particular order because my level of passion for them changes depending on my current hyperfixation, and I’m limiting myself to one character per media but giving honorable mentions because I tend to love two or three characters almost equally

1. Monkey D. Luffy!!! (Honorable mention: Zoro and Sanji)

One Piece holds a special place in my heart. I watched it on 4kids when I was growing up and it was the first anime I watched as a teenager. Luffy is so so so important to me as a character. I got myself through the worst parts of teendom by imagining that if he was real Luffy would love me. He’s such a warm, loving, and joyous character. He’s Joyboy!!! He came into the world without a family and so he made his own and that’s so special, the message that no one in this world is born to be alone and somewhere out there someone or ones will love you and fight for you. And on top of all this he’s an aroace king!!!

2. Mogami Kyoko -Skip Beat!

Kyoko was my Girl Crush™️ in high school. I remember telling my best friend “yeah if I was gay I’d date Kyoko” LMAO. Beyond that there’s just something so special to me about reading this manga over and over, watching this girl—who only knew how to live to make her existence as palatable to other people as possible—grow into herself and find her own passions and loves as she heals from the abuses she’s dealt with her whole life. (Just looking up images of her made me want to reread the whole manga)

3. Peter Parker (Honorable mention: Harry Osborn)

Spider-Man is an OG, a forever love. No matter how many years go by I’ll always circle back around to Spider-Man. I love him and his pain and his Anger Issues™️ and his iron-clad morality. The people’s hero, the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. He’s also responsible for coding my brain to always gravitate towards the comic relief characters. I love a jokester who quips through dangerous situations.

4. Yosuke Hanamura - Persona 4

So I always joke that a majority of my favorite characters fall into one of two categories. 1. Hides their insecurities behind jokes/false bravado, and 2. Internalized homophobia/in love with best friend. And the characters I go FERAL for have both. Yosuke Hanamura is one of the both. I love a comic relief character!!! I love a man that’s hopelessly in love with his best friend but won’t admit it because he’s terrified of the implications!!! When I played this game for the first time, like most people, I was SO MAD THAT I COULDN’T DATE YOSUKE. 90% of the time when I play I don’t end up dating anyone because I refuse to deny the protag his one true love lmao. Yosuke and Yu also have the bonus of being my first ever gay ship. Their love is so powerful it pierced through my own internalized homophobia lol!!

5. Din Djarin -The Mandalorian (Honorable mention: Luke Skywalker)

I’m out here projecting so much onto this man!!!! He’s autistic, he’s asexual, he’s Traumatized. My other category of favorite characters is “Stoic Dad who learns to love again through a pseudo child figure” so he’s right up that alley. The man responsible for finally getting me into Star Wars after 27 years of having absolutely no interest.

6. Virgil Hawkins!! - Static Shock (Honorable mention: Richie Foley)

The way I waited with baited breath for every Static Shock episode as a child. It’s still one of my favorite shows, I own all 4 seasons on DvD and cherish them. I love Virgil so much!! He taught me about diversity! He’s such a lovable character and it makes the show an absolute delight to watch no matter how dated some parts of it get. The show does such a wonderful job balancing Virgil’s super heroics as Static with the heroics of every day life and it’s so endearing.

7. Oliver -Space Boy (Honorable mention: Amy)

Oliver is definitely the most niche character on this list (which is a crying shame please PLEASE read Space Boy on Webtoon it will chemically change your brain.) I’m just so attached to him. I feel so much for him and his story. If I could give him the biggest hug I would in an instant. “Take away his humanity and you can ignore his pain. Define him as a tool and you can justify using him.”

9. Rex Salazar - Generator Rex

Oh maaaaaan I love this asshole teenager!! I’m soooo obsessed with characters who get dehumanized for the sake of using their abilities like a tool and not a person. Re: the above Space Boy quote. The aesthetic of this show is so cool! (Also hello character who hides their insecurity behind false bravado.)

8. Aang - Avatar the Last Airbender (Honorable mention: Zuko)

Oh Aang… My sweet boy… my beloved… He imparted so much wisdom to me growing up… and also taught me it’s okay to have fun. I’ll always love him so much. There’s so much to rant about Avatar but it would take three hours.

10. Yugi Mutou - Yu-Gi-Oh! (Honorable mention: Atem)

I related to Yugi SO MUCH as a kid. He’s just a little weirdo who loves games and craves friendship more than anything. Honestly Yugi might have been the character I most strongly related to when I was young. I remember feeling swells of happiness when people would say nice things about Yugi as a character because it felt like they were saying nice things about me too.

[gatsby-system-folks]

Emergency commissions

My friend Nev was kicked out of their parents' house last night, December 10th. My friends and I are trying to find them a safe place to go. I'm opening commissions to cover hotels, food, and hopefully (coming up this march) rent. Every shelter I've spoken with is full due to the cold weather.

I'm doing illustration, writing, poetry, editting, and worldbuilding commissions. I'm handling funds through my c-shpp for proof of payment's sake, but every cent of this money is going to Nev. $gatsbysystemfolks

Also NOT SPAMTAGGING. If you're seeing this post in a fandom tag, then you can potentially get content for that fandom here

Info below:

Illustration:

Some examples of my work

I'll also do relatively short comics. This is a snippet from my webcomic. A sketch is $10, colored sketch is $15, lineart is $10, colored lineart is $15. Shading or lighting on anything will add $10. I'm not separating character art and landscape art, both have the same rate, but something with more than 5 characters or something set in a city (or otherwise densely populated/elaborate area) will be a little more ($5 for every character above 5, and an extra $10 for an elaborate scene). Comics are the same, each page (not each panel) will be treated as a piece.

Writing:

I'll write for ocs, and from:

Homestar Runner

Rise of the tmnt

The Usagi Chronicles

Gorillaz

Good Omens

Undertale/Deltarune

Homestuck (and its affiliates, such as pesterquest or friendsim)

Venom

Moon Knight

Treasure Planet

Hellboy

Doctor Who

Our Flag Means Death

The Chronicles of Narnia

The Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit

The original 6 Star Wars movies

The Spiderverse series, itsv and atsv

The Davina skit from Rab C Nesbitt. (I see yall shipping Davina with Mrs. Robinson and I love yall)

If something's not on this list, you can still ask, and if I've seen whatever the media is I'll probably write it. On the other hand, if i haven't seen all of the content for the medias listed above, I'll have to do some research so it might not be the best work (ie the only reason I'm limiting this to the first 6 star wars movies is because I haven't seen any more than that)

I'll do ships between canon characters or between ocs, I'm not comfortable doing x reader content at this point. Also.. they don't have to be ships lol I also do just. Fics.

Some examples of my work:

I'm gonna keep it simple and do $20 per thousand words, but there's not a minimum word count. That's $0.02 per word lol. When you describe the fic ill give you an estimate of how many words I can do it in, and we can adjust. If the fic goes more than 150 words over the final estimate then it's flat-rate (as in the price doesn't continue to climb)

Poetry

Any subject really. I'll add examples of my work when the website I post on is fixed. Poetry is twice the price of fic

Editing:

Keep it under 5,000 words for now. $8 per hour. I'll edit fic, essays, etc.

Worldbuilding:

If you need help figuring out a magic system, how pipes connect your city, weird biological facts about your aliens, or even just where to put the castle parking lot, I can help. Same rules of fic writing and editing: if we chat worldbuilding for an hour, it'll be $8. If you want a 500 word summary of your new worlbuilding, that'll be $10. The text of the chat of course is free, you can pause your time of course, and whatever time I spend writing the summary isn't double charged. So an hour of chatting+ a 500 word summary would be $18

What I won't work with, in any format

Heavy nsfw- light is ok

Incest, pedophilia, noncon etc

Hate, bigotry, overly political work, bullying

Torture

Glorification of not good things. Depiction does not equal glorification

Case by case: real, living people. Context below.

What I won't draw, specifically:

Gore

abuse (such as beating, verbal, emotional)

Self harm

Everything is case-by-case, if something makes me uncomfortable I'm not going to do it. You may not put my work into an ai scraper of any kind. Also I'll say it again, depiction does not equal glorification.

Context on real people: I mean if you want me to just draw a picture of Margot Robbie that's most likely fine, or write about the wacky secret society that Laura Ingals and St. Patrick were running that's probably fine, or if a real living person appears in the background that's probably fine (I see you good omens fans having Crowley and Hozier hang out at a bar), but I won't write shipping for real, currently living people, nor will i make them the mc of a story. I'd prefer not for dead people either, but that's not a hard rule. Once again, case by case.

[cowboymaterials]

Excerpt from Decolonizing Anarchism by Maia Ramnath

You say you're an anarchist. Yet you're supporting X na­tional liberation movement. How can you support a demand for statehood?

I don't support demands for statehood, per se. I do support people's struggle for self-determination and the space to determine the conditions of their own lives. It's not the task of an ally to decide what the best alternative is; in order to remain consistent with our own principles, an­archist allies of anticolonial struggles have to recognize that the people in question must decide for themselves.

But isn't that kind of a naive cop-out, knowing that they plan to create a state?

Well, the fact remains that they're forced to operate within a world of states. The reason anticolonial resistance struggles feel the need to institute sovereignty is because at any scale, a "liberated" area—whether an autonomous zone, quilombo, caracole, reservation, or any space run on decen­tralized and nonhierarchical principles—is still embedded in nonliberated space. It has boundaries inside of which these principles prevail, and outside of which they do not. It needs ways to mediate or transition between the two. That is, a zone in which its right to set the terms of how things will go is recognized and enforceable, where another law or power can't interfere.

An area that has fought off colonial rule still exists within the interstate system. If a newly decolonizing area doesn't gain recognition by that system, it has to fear recon­quest or incorporation into someone else's nation-state or empire. This has always been the case for places with fuzzy borders or in border marches. Independent statehood was at least a nominal guard against that, even if only to estab­lish external boundaries by the terms of international law. The logical conclusion to this dilemma is that in order for a decolonizing area to truly adopt a "no-state solution," we would have to dismantle the interstate system as a whole and create anarchism everywhere. There can be no post­ colonial anarchism in one country! No doctrine of peaceful coexistence, but continuous world revolution!

Seriously, though, how do you feel about standing next to or under a national flag? In an era when media images are so powerful, you have to be aware of what it means to link your­ self visually to an icon like that.

Yeah, I do pay attention to that-say, to where I 'm standing during a rally. The same goes for some sectarian organizations back home. But since you brought up visual meanings: flags and such are powerful symbols for many groups, including nations and states. Still, the symbolism of any given flag in a particular context is also layered with other complicated meanings and associations. We need to pay attention to the messages being communi­cated. Where is it shorthand for "freedom;' "revolution:' or "self-determination:' and where is it read as an icon of state power?

Yeah, about that idea: your principle about respecting other people's self-determination raises more questions, and not just about states. What are the limits within which you can say, "This isn't my business; they can organize themselves as they want to," and beyond which you have to say, "This is abhorrent to my principles; I cannot stand with this struggle"?

Look, we all know that the enemies of our enemies aren't always our friends. Especially given the emphasis we place on the importance of means and process as a prefigu­rative path to the desired outcome, anarchists engaged in solidarity-based resistance can't postpone the problem or write it off as tactical. So one clue is whether someone else who's opposing a particular empire-the United States, let's say-is categorically anti-imperialist, or if they're just pull­ing for a rival power to get the advantage, supporting some unsavory character simply because they're anti-American. There are a lot of false binaries presented to us.

Well then, let's be more concrete. If you can't separate means and ends, the negative and positive fights, how can you support uncritically a group of people who are—oh, I don't know—reactionary, misogynistic, authoritarian, anti­-Semitic, chauvinistic, or super religious?

I don't. For one thing, be careful not to equate a whole culture or society with any of those adjectives. But I take your point, and the thing is, relationships of solidarity should not be uncritical from either side. If practiced on a level ground of mutual respect and two-way dialogue, there should be neither romanticizing nor paternalism. Your partners are not saints, noble savages, or charity cases. If I hate imperialism, then it's in my own interest to work against it from any angle I can. I'm not doing it as a favor to anyone. If we have (at least some of) the same goals and enemies, agreement in the need for resistance is not a stretch. And along the way you're learning from and changing each other. Pay attention. You gain trust by showing integrity and commitment over time. Then maybe someday, you'll have earned the right to intervene as an insider.

Sure, be respectful listen, learn. OK. Still, how can you remain committed to your own core anti-oppression principles regarding things like gender and sexuality, or animal rights, without perpetuating the subtle (or not-so-subtle) colonialism of trying to "improve" someone else's culture? Can you refrain from imposing your own ideas on someone whom you're sup­posed to be supporting, if that means condoning ideas that go against your convictions regarding pure anarchist principle?

You mean, why can't we just persuade the Arab world to go vegan?

Very funny. But I mean really: is this an insurmountable paradox ? On the other hand, is "taking leadership" just an­ other cop-out, an abdication of principles?

It's important to recognize the internal debates within any society and its dynamic changes through time. Nothing is monolithic. It's virtually guaranteed that not all members of the putative nation are in total agreement about their so­cial visions. Chances are that among these elements, you'll recognize counterparts with whose principles, strategies, tactics, and methods you do feel affinity. That's who you "take leadership" from.

(Excerpt from Maia Ramnath's Decolonizing Anarchism, "On Solidarity" pp. 251-255, source)

[yuribracket]

WELCOME TO THE ULTIMATE YURI-OFF

This is a tumblr poll competition inspired by the yaoi and femslash polls run by sapphicshowdown on twitter last year and the character swag polls currently being run by tumblr blogs like @nonbiney-swag-competition @autismswagsummit @transgenderswagcompetition and @lesbianswagcompetition. Its goal? To determine which yuri pairing shall rise above all the rest...

I am planning on including 32 pairings, 12 of which have already been decided. You can see the list of pairings currently slated for inclusion here. These are subject to change if other yuri gets overwhelmingly nominated, but these are ones you don't need to submit as I am already all over it.

The rest of the pairings to be included will be open for submission, using a similar method to the other tumblrs listed above!

SUBMIT PAIRINGS FOR INCLUSION HERE

Edit: The form will close at 10 PM PST on February 11!

However, please note that the pairings on the bracket will be decided by my discretion rather than a straightforward count of votes. Popularity will factor, but I want to include particularly culturally significant yuri, as well as yuri from a variety of sources.

If you want to get your obscure but beloved pairing on my radar, please submit - their chances may be better than you think! Additionally, this means that a good argument for inclusion in the relevant section of the form may be important.

Detailed submission rules and more information can be found under the cut.

SUBMISSION RULES

I am not a proshipper and will not include particularly problematic or controversial pairings. I am more open to enjoying a good toxic lesbian relationship than some, but mostly I just want to avoid arguments springing up around the blog.

Pairings do not have to be canon. Canonicity or heavy implication or baiting may improve their chances of getting in, but non-canon pairings are also welcome for submission.

Anything can be yuri. Expand your mind. Your submission can be from any (fictional) source, from anime to indie comics to 16th century drama.

As per the above, submissions of real people will not be accepted.

I encourage you to submit couples over polyamorous relationships. Polyam relationships may end up being included if there is a lot of overlap in who people ship out of a trio or group of characters, but I would prefer to determine which of those combinations is most popular myself.

There is no limit to how many pairings you can submit. I would ask that you not submit the same pairing multiple times, but as submissions are anonymous there's not really anything I can do about that.

Additional info:

My selections may bias towards anime/cartoons/video games/books/comics, just because I do not watch a lot of live action shows and movies and my knowledge of the fan cultures surrounding those formats is limited. This means that number of votes will probably weigh more heavily for live action pairings, as I don't necessarily have a great view of their cultural significance otherwise.

I'm likely to only include one relationship from a given media franchise.

I use it/its pronouns if you care

[plus-i-miss-you]

"𝑑𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑡𝘩𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑤𝘩𝑎𝑡 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑖𝑠?"

(layout by @/ameyumez!)

hi hi!! welcome to my milgram x reader blog!! ik milgram is probably not the best media for x reader content but eh i'm doing this for fun 👍

🧡 about me:

♡ lina

♡ 21 y/o

♡ demigirl + any pronouns

♡ my other fandoms are twisted wonderland, project sekai, vocaloid, honkai star rail, genshin impact, fragaria memories and many others

♡ my favorite characters are yuno, mahiru and amane + i also like haruka and muu

♡ i prefer to use lowercase letters most of the time because uh.. i hate capitalism

♡ i also have some other blogs you can check out below!

please read this before you request:

🧡 rules:

♡ because of the nature of the project, please remember that literally anything can easily get confirmed or turn out to be wrong, so i can't say that my writing will be 100% in character.

♡ please specify whether you want the reader to be the guard or the prisoner and their gender, otherwise i'll go with gn!reader.

♡ same goes for the setting, if your request doesn't mention it, please specify whether you want it to take place in a prison or a non-prison au/casual setting.

♡ my character limit is four characters per request, but i can write more when it comes to self-indulgent stuff or events (if there will be any djkdlssld).

♡ mentioning whether you want it to be the t1/t2 version of the prisoner would also help a lot!

♡ i'm a system myself, so i'll try my best to write mikosys as accurately as possible, but i'm a newly discovered system, so i can still make some mistakes.

♡ speaking of mikosys, if you're requesting something for them and your request doesn't mention it, please specify if you're asking for mikoto or john/orekoto.

♡ also, i prefer to see john as a part of mikoto, but also a separate character, so if you're requesting something for both mikoto and john, i will count them as two characters, so please keep that in mind when you request something!

🧡 what i will write:

♡ all main project prisoners + es

♡ both romantic and platonic headcanons (everything i write for amane will be strictly platonic)

♡ fluff, angst, comedy, etc

♡ guard!reader and prisoner!reader

♡ both t1 and t2 prisoners (+ maybe some t3 headcanons/theories?..)

♡ gn!reader, male!reader, fem!reader (a note: because of how popular the theory about kazui being gay is and because of the possibility of it being confirmed, i'd prefer to write only gn!reader and male!reader when it comes to him)

♡ both mikoto and john/orekoto

♡ non-prison au

♡ i prefer to write headcanons rather than scenarios simply because headcanons are easier to write jdkldsjssk

♡ i also may post general/non-x reader writing here (like crimeswap au, alternate verdicts au, etc) if y'all are interested :)

🧡 depends on the request:

♡ because of the nature of the project, i'm totally okay with writing dark content, including yandere, but i have a right not to wriite something if it makes me uncomfortable for one reason or another.

♡ as mentioned below, i don't write nsfw, but i'm okay with suggestive stuff, but again, i may be uncomfortable with some of it. also, i will write content like this only for the adult characters, meaning everyone except es, haruka, muu and amane.

🧡 what i won't write:

♡ novel characters (i don't think there's enough canon stuff to write anything about them tbh..)

♡ side characters and victims (as much as i would love to write something for rei, hinako, shidou's wife, etc, again, we know even less when it comes to them)

♡ nsfw (again, suggestive/light nsfw is okay, but only with adult characters)

♡ even though i like the threekoto theory a lot, i won't write for midokoto/greenkoto/doe, since it's not confirmed and there's not much i can do when it comes to his character.

🧡 my other blogs:

@linabirb (my main/personal blog)

@linawritestwst (my twst writing blog)

@linalilia (my old personal blog)

@linawritesocs (my twst ocs blog)

@linagram (my milgram ocs blog)

@008-edits (my edits blog)

🧡 masterlist

[coochiequeens]

A notorious German pedophile lobby group has endorsed the new gender self-identification law, stating that “trans kids” are “politically important” for advancing pedophile rights." Disgusting but at least finally honest that they don't actually care about the kids outside of how they can serve the interests of adults.

By Anna Slatz. October 7, 2023

A notorious German pedophile lobby group has endorsed the new gender self-identification law, stating that “trans kids” are “politically important” for advancing pedophile rights. Krumme-13, also known as K13, are also directing its members to watch a movie about an 8-year-old boy who is transitioned to live as a “girl.”

On October 4, K13 published an announcement on its website regarding a film that was set to be screened on television. The movie, Simply Nina, was initially released in 2022 and featured the story of a child “rebelling” against their body.

According to the film’s synopsis on the Hamburg Filmfest’s website, the 8-year-old main character, Nina, is “convinced that a mistake was made at birth” and “plucks up her courage and informs her family that she has always felt like a girl and would like to live as one.” Nina is portrayed by male child actor Arian Wegener.

K13 offers praise for the film, which they noted was being screened on television on October 6. They continue that “the issue of transsexual children is currently of great political importance,” and mention the newly-passed draft of Germany’s new gender self-identification bill. The bill is intended to make it significantly easier for people to change their name and sex, something they will be able to do once per year with no medical documentation needed to demonstrate the individual is transitioning.

In their announcement, K13 notes that “minors from the age of 14” will be allowed to change their name and legal sex with the consent of their guardians or, if their parents will not consent, the permission of a family court. But K13 suggests the age proposed for gender self-determination is too high.

“Why is gender identity also politically important for pedophiles/pedosophists?” K13 asks. “Gender and sexual identity does not only begin on the 14th birthday, when the so-called protection age limit ends. Children can and want to experience their childhood sexuality self-determined beforehand.”

The post continues: “Child sexuality as a whole must no longer be a taboo. Because pedosexual relationships are not conceivable without self-determined child sexuality.”

K13 was founded in 1993 in Trier, Germany by Dieter Gieseking, who was briefly imprisoned on possession of child pornography. Gieseking has been a vocal advocate for the legalization of pedophilia, and frames adult-child sexual activity as normal.

In a 2018 interview for the program Veto, Gieseking repeatedly refers to pedophilia as a “romantic relationship,” and insists that children can seduce adults. “On the forums and in my experience there are many times, for example, when a boy of let’s say 12, actually initiates the relationship,” he says.

Gieseking also made several references to the Netherlands, a country known for its prominent pedophile activism and which currently hosts the majority — 66 percent — of all CSAM sites in the European Union. He told the interviewer that Germany should follow the Netherlands’ lead and lower the age of consent to 12 years old.

“That is just the current zeitgeist, in the past studies have shown the many benefits (of sex with children) for children… The problem is that victim protection and child protection organizations have sprung up and influenced mainstream media,” Gieseking added.

As previously reported by Reduxx, Gieseking has filed a total of three petitions with Germany’s parliament calling on members of the Socialist Democrats, Free Democratic Party, and Green Party to agree to an amendment to Germany’s anti-discrimination legislation which would protect pedophilia as a “sexual identity.”

Gieseking frames his campaigning as an effort to defend “children’s rights” and to protect “sexual minorities” from discrimination. The two most recent petitions submitted to the government were lodged on February 14, 2021.

On July 2, members of K13 congregated at the Cologne Pride Parade, colloquially known as Christopher Street Day (CSD), and displayed a flag representing “minor-attracted persons” pride. They also carried signs opposing the “censorship” of the organization Queer.de and advocated for a “diversity of opinions” within the LGBT community. 

[thenhlteaissuperhot]

Honestly this all star roster is the reason I think fan voting shouldn’t exist or should at least have a limited number of players per team that could join. There’s no way 9 players being from only two diff teams is fair. And who tf voted for georgiev!!!!

I am all in for the fan voting because the results usually reflect, who the fans want to see there outside of those, who had already been chosen by the league, but for heaven's sake, make limitations on how many players from each team can come.

As hot as Vancouver is this year, no one (outside of the Canucks fans) wants to see five of them there. Why are we filling five damn spots with players from a team that is nowhere near the most popular in the league? Why are we filling five spots with one team, to begin with?

I can, to a certain point, understand why there are four Maple Leafs since it is going to be held in Toronto (as much as I love him, I don't understand why Morgan was the 4th one "voted in"), but there should be maximum of three players representing a single team, no more than that.

If it was up to me - choosing those 44 players out of 32 teams, those eight allowed goalies are in italics:

Anaheim Ducks - Vatrano and Dostal

Vatrano leads the Ducks in points, it's understandable, and Dostal deserves it for the insane performances he has been putting out lately.

Honorable mention to McTavish.

Arizona Coyotes - Ingram and Keller

Another goalie, whose success the league and fans ignore.

Boston Bruins - Pastrnak, Marchand, and Swayman

This trio has everything - character, skill, popularity. Like Marchand or not, you have to admit that the content he creates for the camera is elite. Exactly what an All-Star Game needs.

And also, let's have the Toronto crowd go nuts because of three lone Bruins.

Buffalo Sabres - Dahlin

Calgary Flames - Lindholm

Carolina Hurricanes - Aho

Chicago Blackhawks - Mrazek (because Bedard is out with the operated jaw)

The only other player on the Blackhawks roster, who is worth watching. A legend.

Colorado Avalanche - McKinnon and Makar

Columbus Blue Jackets - Fantilli

Who on earth picked Boone Jenner over Fantilli?

Dallas Stars - Robertson and Oettinger

Detroit Red Wings - DeBrincat

Edmonton - McDavid and Draisaitl

Honorable mention to Hyman. I put Draisaitl there because I am biased as hell and because he is the most underrated jokester in the league.

Florida Panthers - Reinhart

Los Angeles Kings - Doughty

We need those defensemen and everyone knows Doughty. He is a funny guy and he is doing decent this season.

Minnesota Wild - Kaprizov

Montreal Canadians - Slafkovsky

He is always a hot topic, he is a comedian, great personality, shove him in there.

Nashville Predators - Forsberg and Josi

New Jersey Devils - Jack and Luke Hughes

New York Islanders - Barzal

I frankly know the bare minimum about the current state of the Islanders, so Barzal it is.

New York Rangers - Fox and Shesterkin

Ottawa Senators - Stützle

Why is it always Tkachuk? Why not switch it up a bit? Tim is leading the stats in Ottawa, has ridiculous 30+ assists, he is a funny likable guy... Let's boost the Germans in the league and have him and Draisaitl interact properly.

Philadelphia Flyers - Konecny

Pittsburgh Penguins - Crosby

Seattle Kraken - Dunn

The guy is leading the points in that team as a defenseman, he is a total social media catch lately, why isn't he on there? Why haven't the Seattle fans and his girlies voted for him?

St. Louis Blues - Thomas

Tampa Bay Lightning - Kucherov

Toronto Maple Leafs - Matthews, Marner, and Nylander

Gotta make the home audience happy.

Vancouver Canucks - Hughes and Demko

Pettersson was on here for a while too, he definitely deserves the spot, but we don't have enough space on here.

Vegas Golden Knights - Eichel

Washington Capitals - Wilson

Winnipeg Jets - Hellebyuck

Me, reading this list.

[miyamiwu]

An Honest Guide to Tumblr for Twitter Refugees (Part 2)

Part 0: What the heck is Tumblr and is it right for me?

Part 1: Configuring settings + customizing your Tumblr

Covered in Part 2:

Posting basics (introducing the editor, different post types)

Best practices (stating trigger warnings, adding image IDs, indicating sources, etc)

Post controls (who can reblog and reply to your posts)

Note: Like Part 1, I suggest you follow this guide while on desktop Tumblr. This post also contains lots of images without ID. Such images though are basically just screenshots of what's already described in the post body.

Posting Basics

I was gonna talk about curating your dashboard first, but considering how Tumblr veterans would think you’re a bot and just block you if they see your blog is empty, I think it’s best if we cover posting first.

Tumblr Editor

Before everything else, let’s get to know the editor.

On your desktop dashboard, you get to pick from different post types: Text, Photo, Quote, Link, Chat, Audio, and Video.

It should be pretty self-explanatory what they do, but you know what? THESE DON’T MATTER.

I talked about this briefly in Part 1, so lemme just copy-paste it here:

Although Tumblr is still advocating its different posts types (text, image, audio, video, etc.), they’ve actually been rolling out changes to their editor where only a single post type is used (text) and you just add media to it. This is called NPF (Neue Post Format). On desktop, you can turn off the beta editor and thereby turn off NPF. However, on mobile web and on the app, posts can only be made in NPF.

To put it simply: There is no difference at all between the different post types. The only difference is that when you click on a post type (for example, photo), the first block* on your post will be related to that post type (e.g. a photo block).

* If you’ve used WordPress before, then this should be familiar. But if not, then here’s a quick explanation: A block is basically a component used to create a post (text block for text, image block for images, video block for videos, etc.)

More technical info about the block editor and how to use it can be found here.

So my point is, don’t sweat too much over the different post types.

---

You can also write posts in HTML / Markdown!

If the default rich text editor is not enough for you, then get more power by using the HTML editor. It doesn't support all HTML elements, but at least you can do fancy stuff like adding some gradient text:

gradients are cool

To switch editors, click on the gear icon at the top of the editor, and in the Text Editor dropdown, choose between Rich Text, HTML, or Markdown. If you’re curious about Markdown, learn more about it here.

---

Some neat stuff you have to know about posting on Tumblr:

A. YOU CAN EDIT POSTS!!!

We’ve had an edit button here for years, and best of all, it’s free! However, for posts of yours that have been reblogged, even if you do edit the original post, the edits won’t be reflected on the reblogged version. More about reblogging in Part 4 of this guide.

B. You can post loooong articles here

Like Twitter, Tumblr also has a character limit for text. However, this limit is on a per-paragraph basis and not for your entire post. And it’s such a generous limit that I’ve never once hit it. I don’t even have to keep tabs on how many characters I’ve made. You can find a list of all the limits you have to keep in mind when using the NPF/beta editor at the bottom of this article.

C. You can save drafts and schedule posts

If you can’t finish that post right now, no worries. Just save it to your drafts first and finish it later. Or, if you’ve prepared a cool post for New Year even though it’s still November, just schedule that post to publish on a New Year. More about queue/scheduling in Part 4 of this guide.

---

Best Practices

I don’t think I need to do a step-by-step on how to use the editor because it’s pretty intuitive, so let’s talk about best practices when it comes to posting.

On stating trigger/content Warnings

In Twitter, you do this:

// tw: r*pe, g*re, m*utilation . . . . [actual triggering content]

Please don’t do this.

First of all, here on Tumblr, we do not censor out those “problematic” words. You have to spell them out so that people who have such words filtered in their settings will actually not see them. Getting content filters to work will be a pain if people have to keep in mind all variations of rape (r*ape, r@pe, r4pe, etc).

Second, those multiple dots don’t do anything. Instead, utilize the “Read More” block. This block will hide everything that comes after it under a “Keep Reading” link.

On desktop, you click on this icon that has a zigzag sandwiched between two horizontal lines:

On mobile, you do it by typing :readmore: and then hitting Enter.

(I’ll talk more about triggers/content warnings in Part 3, which will cover Tags)

Just spell everything out actually, not just trigger words

Instead of oomfs or moots, say mutals. Instead of unalive, say murder. No need to shorten or tone anything down here.

Add image ID’s

Image ID’s are basically descriptions of an image. This is important for people using screen readers. I’m guilty for not always following this, but just trust me on this.

On desktop, you hover over the image, click on the three dots that appear, and then click “Update image description.” Keep the description in simple words and state exactly what the image contains. I’m doing it for this particular image below:

On dashboard and on some themes, the image ID will be shown when you click on the ALT button that appears when you hover over the image.

Sometimes, when OP forgets to put an ID, someone will reblog the post and add the ID themselves. If you see someone doing this on one of your posts, then please be an angel and add that ID to the original post. Image descriptions will be more useful/have more impact if they’re actually part of the original post.

---

Link back to source

If you’re sharing someone else’s content from another site, please indicate the source. You can do this by adding a link to the source from within the post body itself, or by using Tumblr’s content source feature in the editor:

Click on the little gear above the editor, and in the “Content source” field, paste your link.

---

Do not repost other people’s gifs/edits

Sometimes you see a cool gif here on Tumblr that you want to use on your own post. People are generally fine with that, but you have to do it the right way.

DO NOT DO THIS: Downloading the gif and then uploading it to your own post.

Instead, DO THIS: Use Tumblr’s GIF block and search for a gif from there. Doing it this way would link back to the OP and even notify them in their Activity.

Here’s an example of how it looks:

The gif above is from my side blog, and below the image, it says “GIF by fyeahbachisagi.”

Post Controls

If you don’t want a certain post of yours to get around too much, you can disable reblogs on it. Click the gear icon at the top of the editor, and in the “Who can Reblog?” dropdown, choose from Anyone or No One.

Limits on Replies, however, is on a per-blog setting and not per post. Go to tumblr.com/settings/blog/username, and scroll all the way down until you see the setting for Replies.

---

Okay, that’s all for Part 2! Next up, in Part 3, I will talk about utilizing tags

Update: Part 3 is up! Well, kinda... Not exactly a guide catered to Twitter refugees, but still a guide to tagging:

A Guide to Tagging on Tumblr: Types of Tags

[nyssabong]

‘Is blogging still relevant in the age of TikTok and Instagram?’

What is a blog? I believe that most of the youngsters now do not know what it is. The word blog is a combined version of the words “web” and ‘log” (Weiner 2023). A blog is like an online diary or online journal, following a blog is like getting to know someone or watching their life just like watching a television series. There are many types of blogs, like food blogs, travel blogs, lifestyles blogs, health and fitness blogs, sports blogs, fashion and beauty blogs, and others.

Back to our topic, is blogging still relevant in the age of TikTok and Instagram? I would say yes, blogging is still relevant in the age of TikTok and Instagram. Granted that most people now are using TikTok and Instagram, but according to the research (van Dijck 2013) every single day, millions of individuals interact through social media. In December 2011, 1.2 billion users worldwide, 82 percent of the world’s Internet population over age 15 logged on to a social media site, up from 6 percent in 2007 (van Dijck 2013).

Nowadays, many people still use blogs, not only self-publishers, journalists, writers, marketers, and businesspeople also using blogs. Blogs are a powerful tool for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). Businesses can post blogs with some keywords to help them grow the flow.

The length of the content we write is one of the most important SEO variables in 2020 for ranking highly. According to Rioja (2020), if we write a blog article that we want to rank, we need to make sure we are going into as much detail as possible. If we did not write at least 1500–2000 words per post, we would not rank. The ability to post long-form content is a benefit of blogging in this situation. The Instagram caption length restriction is 2200 characters, which is roughly 338 to 440 words. Instagram posts short-form information as compared to blogging, thus we are limited in how detailed we can make our captions. Because of the word limit of social media, users do not have enough space to introduce themselves in detail, whereas in blogs, users can present themselves more comprehensively. Therefore, blogs remain an indispensable platform.

The fact that blogging is still important in the era of TikToks and Instagram is also due to the wide range of content. Text, photos, videos, graphics interchange formats, and other types of media can all be included in blogs. We are limited to choosing between posting pictures or videos on Instagram and TikTok, though. Furthermore, we are only allowed to upload ten images in each Instagram post, and videos can only be one minute in duration. We may upload the video as a reel if it lasts longer than one minute, however, only one video can be posted for each reel post. Blogging also can be a digital diary. As we mentioned before, because of the word limit, we cannot express our emotions. In the age of TikToks and Instagram, many people use blogs to record their lives, just like a diary. Furthermore, there are many ways to earn money from our blogs. Some of the most popular ways to monetise include offering content by subscription, display advertisement, affiliate marketing, sponsorship, online courses, and eBooks (Shwake 2023). These monetised ways are quite easy compared to earning money on Instagram and TikToks. Instagrammers and TikTokers earn money in a few ways such as setting up an online shop, partnerships with other businesses, or live streaming. For me, we can earn money from blogs in a cosy and freedom style, as many people also earn money from their blogs, plogs, and vlogs. Instead of using Instagram or TikTok, most of them still choose to blog because it offers multiple monetisation avenues.

Lastly, despite TikTok and Instagram, blogging is still relevant today. Blogging is still vital even if many new social media platforms have grown up and may even be trying to mimic blogs. Additionally, a lot of people say that blogs are the ideal medium for expressing our emotions and making money. Also, I believe the blog is a great place for kids to improve themselves, as there is a lot of unhealthy content on TikTok and Instagram. I would not say there is not any toxic stuff on blogs, but as of right now, I have not seen any.

List of References

Jill Walker Rettberg 2013, Blogging, 2nd Edition., John Wiley & Sons, viewed 1 October 2023 <https://swinburnesarawak.instructure.com/courses/839/files/73195/download?verifier=7BsJ2Kl9b5O6ujtXzoGnueJ327TJYLfniNv80uSO&wrap=1>. Rioja, A 2020, What is SEO? Learn the Basics of Search Engine Optimization [2020], alejandrorioja.com, viewed 29 September 2023, <https://alejandrorioja.com/what-is-seo/>. Shwake, E 2023, How To Monetize a Blog in 2023 in 7 Effective Steps, Wix Blog, viewed 30 September 2023, <https://www.wix.com/blog/how-to-monetize-blog#:~:text=There%20are%20many%20ways%20to>. van Dijck, J 2013, Engineering Sociality in a Culture of Connectivity, Oxford University Press, New York, viewed 29 September 2023, <https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=457be821-4029-3b2e-87da-72784dc1f978>. Weiner, A 2023, What is a blog? Definition, types, benefits and why you need one, Wix Blog, viewed 1 October 2023, <https://www.wix.com/blog/what-is-a-blog>.

[gay-disabled-characters-showdown]

FAQ

This is just about some of the questions and comments we have been getting. (Will probably get updated)

1.) Multiple characters from the same media can be submitted and will be in the showdown, we don’t have a one character per fandom limit. You can also submit as many characters as you like.

2.) Our main post was kind of a word vomit, so just to clarify you can submit as many people as you like.

3.) The amount of submissions really does not affect what characters will be getting in. There are only two things it affects. One: how quickly it gets into the confirmed characters list, and Two: if we’re on the fence about the quality of the media, it having more submissions will make us more likely to take it.

4.) We’re not sure when submissions will close, but it will probably be around August 1. Because we have to write image descriptions for all of the characters there will be some time where you can still submit characters after we publish the complete list of characters in the showdown. Edit: submissions are now closed.

5.) Characters being kind of assholes or villains won’t exclude them from the poll as long as they aren’t problematic portrayals.

6.) Also like fair warning, some of the times our justification for including some things is it’s funny enough.

7.) At max it will probably take us around 10 hours to respond to an ask. If we don’t after that point it’s because we feel it’s not one that needs a response.

8.) A few things about our tagging:

#lgbtq disabled characters showdown - this one is gonna be on most posts that aren’t the polls or asks in the showdown.

#asks -any asks

#g answers -this is mostly gonna be asks regarding rule type stuff, if a character is in the showdown, general random stuff.

#a answers -this is mostly going to be asks regarding if a character qualifies as well as anything in depth about characters.

#id in alt text -this is going to be the tag on any post with an image on it.

If you have any questions about if a character would qualify please feel free to shoot us an ask.

[rydrake6]

I'm setting limits for how many youtube videos I watch in a day because I spend a disturbing amount of time watching stuff.

You never really realize how dependant you are on something until you decide to cut back on it. I'm trying to cut back on the time I spend on youtube by limiting the amount of videos I'm allowed to watch in a day, and I'm so freaking bored now that I've exhausted the limit. Like, what else is there to do in the dead of night if not watch video after video? I know it's for the best though. The first limit I set was 64 videos a day. I watched like, up to 57 or so videos. But it really put into perspective just how much time I've been spending every day just watching youtube videos. Like, if I say my average amount of youtube videos I watch in a day is somewhere around 55, then that means that I watch 385 videos per week and 1,650 videos per month on average. Some of the videos are short, sure. But that's a disturbing amount of videos I watch on an estimated average. That is an unsettling amount of time I waste just watching video after video on youtube.

It really puts into perspective just how much youtube controls my life. I'm hoping that by cutting back, maybe the internet won't be such a large portion of my life. I've seen all of this stuff about how the internet used to be vs how it is today. I bet back when the internet was in it's infancy, tech addiction wasn't such a big thing. But then people started specifically engineering things like apps and social media websites specifically to be addictive.

I'm hoping that weening myself off of constant consumption can allow me to have a healthier relationship with using internet and that at some point in my day, I'll be done with it. I don't really have any other social medias that I use outside of youtube and tumblr. I've got discord, but I'm not really active on there. I made a reddit account once, but I never posted on it and if I ever feel like doing so I'm probably gonna delete it. I used to have a twitter, but it fucked up my brain chemistry so badly that I'm still dealing with some of the effects to this day(Side note: Do not make a twitter account under any circumstances. It's not worth it. Especially post Elon Musk buying it). And I don't think I'd ever consider getting a tiktok, instagram, or any other type of social media. So Youtube's really the main, if not the only, source of this.

I'm also hoping that less time spent doom scrolling will help me to work on other stuff I want to/have to work on. I've got game dev goals for this year that I've gotta work on and I want to try my best to get as close to meeting them as I can before the year ends. Also, I haven't really been talking about it too much lately, but I've got a show I'm working on that I think I can actually make. I'm not gonna reveal too much about it though, but I've already composed an opening theme and made a reference sheet for one of the characters. I'm a bit hesitant to announce something like that though because 1, I'm afraid I might lose interest like all the other times I've announced that I'm gonna make a thing, and 2, it's still in the very early stages of development. Somewhere along the line I kind of realized that I need to start small before I go for the big projects.

Anyways though, my point is that less time watching absurd amounts of youtube videos = more time for creativity. If anyone else wants to try this, all you have to do is pick a number that you think is close or somewhat less than the amount of videos you watch. If it feels like it's regular for you, then at the end of the day, reduce the limit. It's also important that you keep count of how many videos you watch and stop watching when you've reached the limit. (I keep count using tally marks on a whiteboard, but you could use anything that works.)

It's normal to feel a bit of discomfort after reaching your limit, your brain is addicted to the endless flow of dopamine and once you stop, it's going to be like "Hey where's my dopamine?" You're probably also gonna feel the urge to watch another video and go past your limit. Try to resist that urge.

After you've reached your daily limit, don't watch any more videos unless you have to watch them to do something. Like for example, tutorials are fine so long as you're going along with them and doing the thing the tutorial is teaching you how to do. If you have to watch a video for school or something, then that's also fine. It's okay to make exceptions that don't count, but make sure that those exceptions are reasonable. I'd recommend that videos that were sent to you by friends or family, tutorials, or music are ones that you don't have to mark down. You can set your own rules, but try not to make it so that you're just watching tutorial after tutorial. Like, if you've reached the daily limit and you're watching a baking tutorial, bake the thing along with it. I've been rambling so I'm just gonna assume that you get the point by now.

I do this with Youtube, but you can probably try it for other social medias as well to break your doom scrolling cycle. Like, limit the number of posts you scroll past on tiktok or twitter or something. Basically just make rules for yourself that restrict your time on the apps. It's not gonna feel good, it'll probably be stressful, but it's worth it.

[spook-e-snail]

help

Okay so!! As of right now the site is down so I can't provide screenshots and I'm going off of memory so please bear with me. Also I don't know what you need help with specifically so I'm just gonna go over the basics and if you have any other questions feel free to ask :))

Just to make sure everyone is on the same page, art fight is a yearly event where you upload your own characters and are assigned a team. You attack people to gain points for your team, and attacking people is basically just drawing their oc.

And just a heads up, while I'm not too sure this will happen this year, almost every year so many new people join art fight and try to upload their attacks on the 1st of July the sites server's get overwhelmed and site goes down alot. It happens. I recommend saving a few refs before the games begin and draw them after July 1st (you aren't allowed to draw anyone's characters before the 1st, keeps things fair). Like I said, it happens. Sometimes the site is only down off and on during the first few days and is fine the rest of the month, sometimes it's down so long they add an extra week to the games. It really just depends lol. Like I said save refs now so you can actually start on the 1st.

You can have up to 100 active characters and as far as I know there isn't a limit to how many characters you can attack. Your artistic media doesn't matter, you can be a traditional artist and still participate, you can be a digital artist and still participate, hell you can be exclusively building physical sculptures of folk's characters and you're still allowed to participate.

You can find other users to attack a variety of ways, ranging from searching through tags or through spamming the random character button until you find one you like, you can also just ask around here on Tumblr and see if anyone is participating this year:))

Not everyone has a little card like this but here's mine! It has my username and my favorite/featured characters on it. Again you do not need to have one of these but if you want to find people on artfight you might wanna be on the lookout for cards like these.

As for uploading your characters, I'm gonna use my boy Smudge as an example.

You can only upload 7 pictures per character. Usually folks don't need many more than 3. I recommend having a full body ref

As nice as this drawing is, if anyone wants to draw him they need to see more.

Something like this is alot better, it shows what he looks like without his costume and again gives the potential attacker a better idea of who they're drawing.

You have the option to upload a description of your oc, alot of folks tend to leave it blank and honestly I don't recommend doing that. You don't need to put your OC's full 129 page google doc backstory in there but you should at least give a basic description of their personality and any important information (it might also be a good idea to put their pronouns, I have on multiple occasions accidentally misgendered a few characters because their pronouns weren't in their description)

Permissions are different than a description. Permissions basically means what you are and aren't okay with. For Smudge here I prefer if he keeps his costume. You generally don't have to specify to not draw gore of a character as I've only gotten gore of a character once since like 2017 (and I put that I would love to see some gore in their character permissions).

Uploading attacks is pretty simple. Like I said before you can attack others regardless of how you make your art. Traditional art tends to get less points than digital art. You get more points depending on what you do (ex. A digital headshot sketch would get less points than a fully lined fully colored and shaded traditional drawing, a colored simple animation gets more points than digital line art, ECT). Obviously don't lie about what you're making to get more points. From what I've seen other folks don't tend to lie so don't be a dick lol. And even if some does lie about what they did, I believe you can flag art and report it. Plus a week after art fight is over a bunch of mods go through the art and make sure everything has been properly marked (if you think you marked something wrong though don't worry!! You aren't gonna get in trouble or anything, worse case scenario you'll just lose a few points for your team).

I know this is a lot and I know I definitely forgot something but again feel free to ask if you have anymore questions :3

[autumnsup]

🌊 Slash Ships to Get to Know Me ⚓️

Discovered via open tag (thanks @sliebman10!)

**Rules**: Name at least five (no upper limit) slash (M/M) ships you love. Each from a different fandom.

OK, so this little exercise took longer than I expected, because for me, there are many different categories of ship-love. The list I've compiled below is a reflection of my discovery journey with M/M ships, in order of significance. Some of them I have outgrown but left on the list as a mark of how deep of an impression they left on my psyche. I've only written fic for a few of them, but who knows, maybe others will pop up on my AO3 master list in the future.

Harry Potter - Drarry

This was the OG slash ship for me, although I would come to discover Wolfstar many years later. Both ships are significant for me, but since I can only give one ship per fandom, Drarry it is! The majority of my fic efforts have been in this fandom, in case you couldn’t already tell. 😉

Velvet Goldmine - Arthur Stuart/Curt Wild

This was another OG for me, being one of the first films I watched that centered gay relationships in a meaningful way (in my young adult mind, anyhow). I probably started as a Brian Slade/Curt Wild shipper, but I’ve since come to realize that I identify way more with Arthur/Curt. I also wrote a fic for this ship.

Brokeback Mountain - Jack Twist/Ennis Del Mar

This film quite literally broke my heart when I saw it in the theater as a young adult. So much so that I haven’t been able to watch it since, although I did later read the short story it was based on. I am glad that media representation of non-traumatic gay relationships has improved since then, because man, this one was tragic. Not to mention Heath Ledger dying just a few years later.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda - Simon/Bram 

On the flip side, this is the most adorable, positive depiction of young gay love that I’ve read so far. Possibly my favorite YA high school age ship to date, at least as far as the books go (I haven’t watched the TV series yet).

Our Flag Means Death - Stede Bonnet/Ed Teach

This TV show endeared itself to me in so many ways, but I think the most enduring love I have is for these two pirate lads. Can’t wait to see what the next season brings for them!

Hannibal – Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter

This ship fucked me up in a few different ways, not least because one of them likes to snack on people. However, the sexual tension is undeniable, and I wish they’d done this ship more justice than they ultimately did in the TV series.

Kill Your Darlings - Lucien Carr/Allen Ginsberg

Speaking of getting fucked up by ships… this one had the added layer of being based on a murderous true story, although I would say the relationship between these two college students was highly embellished, and to simmering effect. I also love that this was the first film project Daniel Radcliffe dived into while finishing up the Potter series, after honing his theater chops in Equus.

Amadeus - Mozart/Salieri

And now speaking of Equus and drama based on historical characters… I don’t think I picked up right away on how intimately linked these two characters were, but I think it was a big reason why I loved this film/play so damned much when I was growing up. The final scene between them is so utterly *chef’s-kiss*, I don’t think I have a choice but to ship them now.

Dark Is Rising series - Will Stanton/Bran Davies

Like Amadeus, this ship snuck up on me, probably because I was quite young when I first read this YA fantasy book series. As an adult, I love the idea of these two besties getting together years later, so much so that I wrote a fic for them.

Call Me By Your Name - Elio/Oliver

I have mixed feelings about this one. The film gutted me, and I tore through the book, but ultimately I feel like it was more the coming-of-age and fleeting-summer-romance angles that got to me than the actual characters, as compellingly portrayed as they were. I’m not holding out for a sequel film, given the controversy surrounding Armie Hammer, but I might eventually read the sequel book.

Heartstopper - Charlie/Nick

Pure, adorable fluff. I don’t have quite as many feels over this one as Simon/Bram, but watching the first season and the development of their romance was sheer delight.

And that's my list for the moment, although I intend to continue expanding it. Open tag for anyone else who wants to hop onboard, but just for the heck of it, I will tag @mangle-my-mind and @silverfactory! ⛵️

[infinity-squared-comics]

Dating Sims, ASMR, and parasociality.

An essay by me

Being loved is really nice. It’s a great feeling. It’s also a feeling that may be less accessible to some. So, there exists media meant to bring that feeling to those who can’t find it on there own. There are things such as dating sims, in which you can experience dating from a place of relative safety. There also exists ASMR content in which a voice actor will act out a script from the perspective of a fictional friend, lover or even family member. These types of media exist, typically, to fill a void in an individual’s life (as all fiction tends to do in some way), in this case specifically allowing a vicarious experience of relationships and affection that may be denied to some people.

But. Are they healthy?

I honestly don’t know.

Is it safe to get this type of fulfillment from fictional characters? That’s a question I can’t answer.

A smaller question is whether this type of story can replace real relationships. While I don’t have many real relationships to speak of, and absolutely none of the romantic variety, I can say with confidence that they can not. A real person is simply too complex and multifaceted for any character to perfectly replicate, and most damningly, most of these stories disallow or limit the ability to speak back. You can only talk to your video game lover in a set of predetermined dialogue prompts, and there’s absolutely no way to communicate with the character on the other side of that audio. In short, there is no way to have a true relationship with a fictional character.

But there is also a darker, perhaps more dangerous form of parasociality that ASMR role plays especially can sadly encourage. It has been observed that, in many cases, someone can develop feelings for the voice actor behind the character in their ASMR. This is always a risk for actors, that certain fans will confuse them in some level for the character they play and as such develop a one sided connection to them. This is especially dangerous when you play a character that speaks directly to the audience, and gives love and affirmation they’re desperate for. Listeners are liable to develop feelings for this character and may, unfortunately, project these feelings onto the voice actor. This is bad.

However, many such voice actors, along with content creators as a whole, on some level encourage parasociality, by hearting or replying to comments or by giving there fans cute nicknames. Because, in truth, there is a relationship between creator and audience. It is simply one that is unbalanced. You will pretty much always know your favorite content creator better than they know you, and even if they interact with you they aren’t ever likely to really know you. It’s simply an imbalance, a lot of these people have lots of viewers, lots of commenters, more people interacting with them than they have the time and energy to form any meaningful connection to. Even a creator as small time as myself can have upwards of a few thousand people who know of them, people who I, as a single individual, could never really come to know. (I still count as a small creator because despite the one post that got tens of thousands of notes I still average around 1 or 2 notes per post).

But I’m getting far off topic. Getting ways from my rambles and back to the question at hand, is it healthy to love fictional characters? Even if they return a simulated form of that love, in truth they can never love you as you love them, because they simply don’t exist. No matter how well put together Monika’s After Story is, I do not actually have a girlfriend living in my computer. These characters aren’t alive, they aren’t real. And I think it’s ok to love them anyways. To love and be loved is a truly wonderful experience, in whatever form it comes in, and even if the love you receive isn’t genuine, the love you feel still is. And to love, even a love that is unrequited, is still, when approached and indulged in safely, a wonderful thing.

So. Um. In conclusion: there’s nothing wrong with having real feelings for fictional characters as long as you engage in and express those feelings in a healthy way.

[cparti-mkiki]

it’s interesting how in fandom mind a standard rape by a main character is irredeemable but a standard murder by a main character doesn’t even register as one most of the time. i suppose it’s the effect of a long history of cool murder which has desensitized the audience but of course it would be disingenuous for me to pretend that rape and murder are framed equally in fiction. like in real life i think we and the legal system agree that rape is very bad but murder is basically the worst thing ever - whereas in many media universes murder is framed as so unremarkable that the audiences might not even see it as murder (and more often then not also framed to look extremely uhh badass and cool) but rape is given enormous narrative & emotional weight. maybe because rape is a terrifying reality that’s never far from us but getting sliced in half by a valyrian steel sword is something we don’t really see happening anytime soon?

anyway this is a post about how twitter’s only “you can’t like this character” character so far is aegon, who has killed no one but raped one, possibly many, whereas his relatives who have a kill count per episode are huge fan favorites. this is also of course a post lamenting people holding morality as a guide to what characters people can like and which are evil monsters no one should express any interest in or else you’re a rape apologist or something but i think we already have enough of these posts on tumblr? like talking about how it’s insane to try to police media enjoyment online & infer anything about people because they like controversial characters and also how it’s even more insane (and probably impossible. and sad.) to limit yourself to caring about characters who are good and pure and all that, i feel like that’s covered. at least in my mutual bubble i am preaching to the choir when i say that these are not people - these are lines of text that the author has decided to portray doing such or such thing for there to be a story - and the point of enjoying fiction is not to be constantly weighing who is morally good so you can be exclusively on their side (imagine doing that for hotd.. haha… ha…)