#and I mean it’s impact on culture is undeniable

[twopoppies]

I don't particularly care but it is a bit of a curiosity why Billboard didn't include Harry in their greatest popstars of the 21st century list. I feel like they've been up his arse in previous times so I wonder what happened.

That is interesting. Taylor is number two. I'm sure they'll put Beyoncé at number one. One Direction is there at 22. Maybe they felt that was enough? Or that he hadn't been among "the greatest" for long enough as a solo act? Not sure it means anything. But it's worth kepping an eye on.

x

Here's the article on One Direction which is actually really interesting to read and includes some tidbits like:

As the boys spent more time together, their roles became clearer: Liam Payne, with his standout audition, would be the leader; Louis Tomlinson’s charm would make him the lovable prankster; Niall Horan, the humble boy from Ireland, would be the down-to-earth sweetheart; Zayn Malik, reserved with undeniably striking looks, would be the mysterious one; and Harry Styles, with his curly locks, dimples and wide smile, would be the heartthrob. Together, they were 1D, and they would take over the world. [...]

A new online community, “stan Twitter,” rallied around the group, and their superfans, called “Directioners,” helped their idols achieve astronomical mainstream success, changing fan-to-fan communication and fan-to-artist relationships forever.

[...] Watching five young men come together like brothers to live out their dreams was inspiring, and their camaraderie warmed the hearts of millions. The fans treasured the group’s relationships so deeply that they declared allegiance to every possible combination of inter-band dynamics, including “Narry,” “LiLo” and “Ziam.”

LOL! I love that they left out Larry 🙄

[...]

it was Beatlemania for the 2010s, powered by fans who were online 24/7, 365 days a year and watching the quintet’s every move — sometimes going as far as hacking security cameras in elevators and airports just to catch a glimpse of their favorite band. 

[...]

The quintet’s greatest contribution, though, was how it changed the blueprint for pop superstardom. While there is no exact formula for fame and success, the Directioners created and normalized a more intense version of “stan” culture than ever before: one that shows devotion through chronic online activity and community building all day, every day, which has shaped entire industries like K-pop. And even though One Direction only lasted five years as a group, the impact of its discography — ranging from enduring smashes to beloved deep cuts — continues to shape a generation of pop connoisseurs and hold a particularly special place in the hearts of millennials and Gen Z’ers everywhere.

[mando-abs]

If I haven’t told y’all already, I used to collect Disney Tsum Tsum plushes back in the day. Like, those were my beanie babies. I got as many as a juvenile could get on a limited budget. (And I still scold myself for not getting more Star Wars ones now that I’m into Star Wars…) Anyways!

I just found out that Sailor Moon has their own version of these style of plushes but all the way in Japan where they’re still somewhat relevant and look

Are these not the cutest little plushes you’ve ever seen? There’s even more but I can’t find a better picture of them. I don’t even watch or read Sailor Moon but I feel that I need these as a woman. Look at Usagi and her adorable face. Look at Sailor Mars. I’m inconsolable right now

[superdillin]

Gender! At the Strip Club

How Sex Work Transed my Gender

(but also it's far more complicated than that I just love a punchy headline)

It’s tricky to have a conversation about the realities of sex work in a world that sees things too profoundly in a binary. Admonishing certain realities of it may be misinterpreted as siding with TERF ideology but romanticizing it ignores the complicated intersection of labor exploitation and bodily autonomy inherent to the industry. Because I want to talk about an ultimately positive experience I took away from my time within the industry, I feel that it’s important to start by saying that when people say sex work is work, we mean that it is labor, and needs the support that all laborers need. The workers need organizing power, ownership of the fruits of their labor, and protection from their clients and employers.  

Recognizing the impacts of sex work on my life has been a delayed reaction because ultimately, it was a traumatic time of survival. I spent nearly a decade in Fight or Flight, with no time to analyze what I was experiencing while it was happening. I’m not even blaming the industry for that, because as problematic as it can be, poverty was the true villain, as insecure living situations, unstable work, and working multiple full-time jobs will keep your nervous system in overdrive 24/7. 

So years later, every so often, I find myself with a new lightbulb appearing cartoonishly over my head, drawing another connection from who I am and how I interact with the world today, and how said behavior ultimately originated in a place called Nite Moves, of all things. Some of those behaviors have resolved with time. How I interacted with all cis-men during those years and for a time afterward was undeniably disordered. I inherently distrusted every single one, yet felt like I needed them around at all times for a feeling of safety and security. I kept dangerous men in my life for no good reason. But that went away with time and therapy. Now I distrust cis-men an appropriate amount. (ba dum-tss)

Other things did not resolve with time. My ire for how club owners (often in tandem with security staff) exploit workers and prioritize clients and profits over the safety of dancers? That ire was justified, and all that’s changed now is that I know more about labor organizing, leftist politics and have more context in my belief system to explain why the system is wrong. The other thing that did not resolve is how it made me view myself on the gender spectrum. 

All sex work involves a bit of gender performance, but stripping as a whole is the most hard-line, binary-adjacent area of the industry I’ve dabbled in. Because everyone in the strip club is performing. The dancers are obvious, but if all a client wanted a hot woman to ogle, pornography is cheaper and easier to access. Cam girls can offer you a completely tailored and personalized experience. And no one is more discrete than a full-service worker. Part of why men go to strip clubs is to be perceived in a strip club by other men. It’s a whole gender ritual, even. Half of the men who get taken to these clubs on their birthday or bachelor party have told me in the privacy behind the curtain that they wished they had gone to play pool, camping, or whatever their friend group’s shared interest is. But outside the champagne room, they’re pinching asses,ordering bottle service and getting high-fives for how good they can play this role. 

So, on the converse side of this gender performance, strip clubs tend to encourage the most rigid portrayal of a culturally-accepted femininity, often to the point of a very bad homogenization. On that topic, the lack of racial and body diversity in strip clubs is something people with a better perspective have talked about before, including the Portland Strippers who recently unionized, and the Black Feminisms blog, check those out for more on that perspective. 

So getting ready to work at the average club is not a matter of dressing down and dolling up. You’re trying to fit a very rigid expression of femininity that, if I were a gambling man, would likely not line up with most of the dancers own personal definition of femininity. And the more “high-end” the club, the stricter and more rigid those rules. I’ve seen clubs have restrictions to what the owner thought were the “most feminine” nail polish colors. Hair length mandates. One manager inspected my midsection to make sure it “passed”; if it hadn’t I would be restricted to wearing corset-tops on the floor. 

But for me, it unlocked something personal that I did not expect. I’ve never felt particularly attached to femininity, even when I identified as a woman. Then, I began to appreciate the ritual of putting femininity on as a costume. Once I did, I instantly had an easier time enjoying it. In my subconscious it was clear that this was not me. It was a role, a gimmick I was playing at, and thereby I felt so comfortable indulging in it. The best part, though, was the other ritual at the end of each shift. Taking off the costume, and tucking it away. The blissful comfort I would feel in my own body for the several hours after a shift - no matter what happened that night, no matter how dreadful or dry - I would be reenergized. I literally got to put femininity on like a costume and then take it off again. 

I also found that it shed a light on something interesting about my relationship to girlhood, not just femininity. There are things about girlhood that have always resonated with me in a homey way, sleepover delirium and bar bathroom camaraderie, but those resonances don’t make me feel like any more of a woman. In the strip club, girlhood feels like having an army of girls meet you in the dressing room without you having to ask because they saw how ‘that guy’ was acting, throwing a separate funeral for your friend because none of you would be allowed in at the real one, boycotting a patron who hurt one of you because security refuses to boot him.

I am not a woman. I am trauma-bonded to girlhood from my time spent in the trenches with it. 

I am not a woman. I am whatever is left is left when society’s vision of femininity is shed and packed away.

I am not a woman. But I play a pretty good one when I need to.

[bettyshoweduptotheparty]

The Eras Tour might be huge, but it’s part of something even bigger

Interesting article describing everything we've been saying for the past 18 months. Many long-term fans are starting to have a real ick in the face of the massive commercialised 'Taylormania' around the Eras tour and every new album release.

However you feel about it, it is undeniable that this is a first in the history of music. No artist has ever done what she's currently doing, and I don't just mean play a three hour long show for two whole years. I mean no single person has ever made their personal brand and life(story) this much of a product to be sold to the masses. And it's furthering a point many of us have been making for a long time: Since the release of Midnights in 2022, Taylor's public life has been one big piece of performance art, and the Eras tour is just the final act in a massive spectacle. The overexposure, the High School romance story, and everything that feels like an unnecessarily huge money grab, it's all on purpose, because the bigger the show, the bigger the impact when she flips the script.

And reminder that we've perhaps ignored the biggest hint that the Eras tour is part of a bigger performance: The stage is a key!!

And not just any key, a vault key! It unlocked the 1989 tv vault, which I'm pretty sure we haven't seen the last of yet. And may I also remind you that all the vaults have the lovers family crest on them, so I think we can assume these hold more secrets than just some unreleased music (or perhaps the unreleased music is in fact the secret). And once the tour is done, all the secrets will be unlocked. Karma is a cat and the cat will be out of the bag vault ;)

Our Little Miss Can-I-hint-at-something-three-years-in-advance said in 2022 “I want you all to pay attention to this first single that will become my biggest song of all time. And then I will play it out and become this loud, binge-drinking, glittery bodysuit-wearing, annoying, dumb bimbo, boy-crazy bully version of me and see if you notice. I will be so much in your face that you’ll want to kill me, and even at my funeral my sucky fan children will be at each other’s throats over my legacy. And when you think there’s nowhere to go but down I’ll pull the plug on all of it, but mind you, I’ll take everyone down with me who ever wronged or belittled me, because I’ve given this shitty industry 20 years of my life.”

One thing that came up in the article I distinctly disagree with though, and that’s the community. Sure, as a swiftie it must feel like you can’t possibly find real community or friendships in a sea of millions but in our little gaylor/kaylor bubble I’ve found the most amazing people, even if it originated in the trenches of our constant battle against the swiftie hate. And maybe we’ll have some room to breathe soon when we’ve finally lost the Sarah’s and Hannah’s. 😊 I can’t wait.

(Also just a btw, I’d love if it if she called the finished project ‘ Hi, I’m the problem, it’s me’.)

[yonpote]

i guess another thing is like. what about crackships. do people still crackship? just shipping characters or people who have no reason to ever be together? or like shipping pairings that arent canon and not really caring about them being canon? i think maybe... ok i have to word what im trying to articulate carefully... but sometimes i think that the height of discussion of queerbaiting ended up putting this massive emphasis of canon representation (which is undeniably important!!!) that fandom shipping culture has completely shifted and doesn't really leave a lot of room for imagination, at least in the mainstream. like, whether or not a pairing ends up together in the end has always been kinda important in fandoms, but since most of the popular ships have been m/m (and before queerbaiting became more commonplace as a term) there was just kind of a quiet understanding that yeahhh they're probably NOT gonna end up together at the end...

i'll give bbc sherlock as an example. actually sherlock might be the perfect example as it came out around the turn of the 00s-10s decade which is exactly when the conversation surrounding queerness in media began to shift. now i fell off sherlock after season two so my knowledge of the show after that is limited, but from my pov of that early fandom, i don't really remember anyone clamoring for johnlock to end up confirmed canon. i mean people wanted it to happen ofc but it felt like wishful thinking rather than something that could actually happen. it wasn't until fans had this direct communication with the creators of the show that they realized maybe they COULD have an impact on what happens, applying pressure on them as queer representation in media became more of a hot button issue. and ultimately i DO think that the chemistry of john and sherlock as a couple should have been something that the creators took more seriously, regardless if they became Canon. i mean people have been shipping holmes/watson and even holmes/moriarty since the books were first published probably. so the showrunners dropped the ball on that big time in the end, but imo it wasnt until queer representation became viewed as more than just a pipe dream that johnlock's Endgame Status became of utmost importance.

thats kinda what i mean by "i"d ship dnp even if they werent straight up a couple" and why i mentioned feeling a tiny bit bad for the frerardies in the shipping poll lol cuz like a ship being Real probably shouldn't be what makes a pairing good, and if we treat that with extreme importance then we lose out on the transformative side of fandom, the fact that we can make something "real" even if it's not word-of-god Canon.

[softichill]

The Sound of Nightmares unofficial transcript

(Sadly @queen0fm0nsterz wasn't able to work on this one, but is still important to credit bc I say so)

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

-------------

[Click]

[Thunderstorm in the background]

OTTO: The guardian at the threshold. An archetype that parapsychologists have obsessed over for centuries. A mythic entity who’s appeared in the stories of innumerable cultures. No matter their description, his role is always the same: to confront anyone who dares cross into unseen worlds. 

OTTO: In our last session, he spoke to her, or– through her. Even when I listen to the tape I can’t be certain what I’m hearing. Still, I’ve repeated his words like a sickness ever since. It went like this. 

[Shifting]

OTTO: “Cross the sill. Sink in a twinkling. Cast aside the old sleep, to sleep again anew.”

[Otto puts the paper down]

OTTO: The Candleman, the Ferryman– indeed, the Guardian at the Threshold. An idolon on the inside, determined to [Hitting the table] Keep. Me. Out. 

[Tape rewinding]

[Intro plays]

[Click]

[Shifting, electric humming, Otto putting something together]

OTTO: Noone was right after all. [Slow beeping starts] I noticed something off, while reviewing the E.E.G, and reluctantly, sent her up to radiology. At first I doubted the validity of the results, but the technician assured- curtly- that Noone’s scan undeniably shows… a pea-sized tumor, on the right-sided amygdala. 

[clatter, humming continues]

OTTO: They maintain it’s benign, [click, more humming] despite the unusual ocular appearance. 

[repeated clicking, Otto keeps building]

OTTO: This calls everything into question. The mass’s location could impact fear response, emotional salience, and damningly, dreams. And yet… I cannot deny all the evidence to the contrary. 

[Lower click, Otto stops building]

OTTO: I’ve… pondered the ethics of informing Noone. She’s already so scared of her body that it would only send her spiraling. I can’t risk anything jeopardizing a revelation that might lead to Cici. 

[Shift]

OTTO: From here on, anyone listening will think me mad. But, the proof is in the pudding! Noone’s… vanishings; her transpersonal states; they’re undeniable evidence of a realm- beyond our senses. It’s always been on the periphery, but now I know… it’s accessible. And she possesses the means to enter that domain. 

[Papers rustling on the desk]

OTTO: My professor’s paper posits thus: “There are two requisites for entering the quiddity of consciousness. First, a gateway; places hidden amid our world. Second, a means to open these doors. And I assert that keys are primarily cut out of fear.”

[Otto places the paper down and lifts the device he was building. Humming becomes more clear, Otto sighs.]

OTTO: Either I lack his erudition, or his mania. My only hope lies in completing my labours. [Sigh, shifting on desk] I’ve not slept in weeks, [another sigh] and if I cannot dream as she does, I’ll never know how to enter- this… Nowhere. 

[Click, audio cuts]

[Audio starts]

[Thunder in the background]

OTTO: [in the background] An ugly autumn night, isn’t it Noone? Swirling mist, they called it on the broadcast. A weather phenomenon unique to the Counties- a downpour’s not far off. But- a gift, may brighten the mood. 

[Otto gets closer to the recorder]

OTTO: Here. 

[Otto slides something over to Noone]

NOONE: O-oh. It’s nearly the same. Red, too. 

OTTO: A chrysanthemum, like your parents left you all those weeks ago! An apology, a- a reminder that I remain as committed to you as I did then. 

NOONE: Pretty. 

OTTO: It’s a perennial, so it’ll blossom year after year, just like you!

[Shifting as they both sit down]

NOONE: I think, I’m ready now. To talk about… m-my Mum and Dad. 

OTTO: (surprised) Oh. And why now? What’s changed?

NOONE: Because… I feel like I’m beginning to forget. And maybe talking will help me remember. 

OTTO: Because you’ve been away so long, or you literally feel you’re losing your memory?

NOONE: Um… more like I’m losing a part of me. I can’t tell, am I the girl here, or- the one there?

OTTO: (slightly amused) They’re one in the same. Given all you’ve told me, they must be. It’s not you that’s different, but the physical space around that y-

NOONE: I said I want to talk about my mum and dad! When most kids have nightmares, or- whatever these are, they go to their parents to feel better. Here, I relive them again and again. And it’s all you want to talk about, because you think you can find Cici! Through me!

OTTO: Noone. The only way to find answers is to discover where you go when you sleep. Talking about your parents would be wasting the hours!

NOONE: Aren’t these sessions supposed to be about me?! 

OTTO: Always. 

NOONE: But I have no say. No control. Over how I feel, or- what I do, I don’t even belong to myself!

[Pause]

NOONE: I’ll do as you ask, but promise me. (Quiet) No wires hooked into my head. No machines. Not tonight. 

OTTO: No machines, promise. [Getting up] I think you’ll enjoy what I’ve got planned. 

[Audio cuts]

[Door opens]

OTTO: This bed was for shiftwork*. Now I sleep here more days than not. 

NOONE: Oh. Pretty. 

[Door closes] 

[Steps on carpet, recorder set down]

OTTO: I’d like to try a sort of role-reversal. [Creak] I’ll lie here, blindfolded, depriving my senses, to enter a self-induced hypnogogia, so I can focus on your words. You’ll recount your latest visit, and I want you to try as hard as you can, to project your dream into my head. 

NOONE: I don’t think it can work, but… I’ll try. 

[Creak, shifting as Otto lays down]

NOONE: That girl. In the photo there. That’s her, your daughter. 

OTTO: My sister. 

NOONE: O-Oh. You don’t look much alike. 

[Otto getting prepared]

OTTO: [Exhale] I’m- I-I’m settled. Blindfold on… Carry me away with you, Noone. 

NOONE, narrating: …I couldn’t see anything-

OTTO: S-Slow down. This is vital. Speak, as if you’re trying to pull me in. 

NOONE: …

NOONE, narrating: I floated through a darkness, with nothing at my feet. Then it all faded and, I was somewhere new. 

NOONE: An underground brick tunnel, with a stream of… thick sludge passing through a canal at its center. 

NOONE: I can still hear it. Jangling keys. [Dream ambience starts] Screaking metal. Do you hear, Otto?

OTTO: I… I can’t. But keep trying. 

NOONE: It came from… a kid in the distance, struggling to shut a ground-iron door. The last thing I heard before the slamming shut was… laughter. [Echoey laughter, faint slam] 

[Running water]

NOONE: Sludge poured in from the pipes that ran along the tunnel walls. I had no choice but to follow the stream and, so I did until I reached a section [Distant kids chatting] where I saw storm drains above. 

[Dripping water, kids sound more intense] 

NOONE: Looking up through one, I saw a boy’s dirty boots, and orange light shining, from a lantern on his waist. We locked eyes and he called out,

BOY, overlapping with NOONE: “Look! Critters already!”

[Children laughing]

NOONE: Lights then shone down from… every drain above. Other boys and girls wanting to peek at me. 

[Children laughing, Dream!Noone quietly starting to breathe hard]

NOONE: Very suddenly, [laughter dies down] they went quiet. [Kids start whispering] I didn’t know why, until… I heard it. A rumbling through the tunnels. 

[Kids whisper things like “It’s here!” “It’s finally here!”]

NOONE: They whispered together. “It’s here! Finally here!” 

[Whispering dies down, rumbling]

NOONE: Do you feel what I felt, Otto?

OTTO: They’d… been waiting. For you. 

NOONE: …Not exactly. Their joy, their bratty excitement… they’d- gathered for an event, and it had finally come. Like a holiday, that only arrives once per year. 

NOONE: Running from their celebration, I turned down a tunnel, [wet footsteps] going until, I came to a junction. Overwhelmed by how many options surrounded me, I closed my eyes. Listening. 

[Running water, squeaky metal detector sounds] 

NOONE: The sound… came from the path to my left. [Faint electronic buzzing] I waited, watching from a distance, as someone crossed [squeaking] by the dark tunnel mouth. 

NOONE: He carried… a strange gadget. And every now and again, its buzz, turned to some- beeping. Detecting secrets, in the waters. 

[Metal detector squeaking]

NOONE: I hardly noticed the rest of him. But, I got a look before he crossed out of view. He carried a heavy sack, over his shoulder. And things squirmed inside. But, he was gone as quick as he’d appeared!

[Metal detector gets quieter, Dream!Noone’s wet steps]

NOONE: The sludge was… rising quickly [Dream!Noone: Ugh!], up to my ankles, and- the stink became so awful, Otto! I-Imagine it, waste filling your nose. 

[Wet steps continue]

NOONE: Then, across from me, a small pipe became blocked, stopping the sewage. A grey mass poked through [Nome chittering], jammed in tight, wiggling to get loose. But… not until it fell into the sludge [plop], did I realize this… tiny… [chittering] thing… was alive! It picked itself up and- swayed about, curious of my company. 

[Wet steps combined with Nome sounds. Nome makes noises through the next paragraph]

NOONE: The head was… was shaped like- those cone mushrooms, that grow out in Haitfield**. I inched closer to the little mushroom fairy, and… it began mimicking me! As if we’d been old friends!

OTTO: (distant) A friendly presence… the first non-hostile being you’ve met that wasn’t another child. 

NOONE: Yes! He belonged there. In that world. Part of it rather than… a stranger, like me. 

NOONE: Is… is it working, Otto? Can you see its little mushroom head?

OTTO: I think so. Maybe. Keep going. 

NOONE: [mimicking a deep voice] Yes. Drift away, Otto. Drift away… 

[Wet steps, Nome noises]

NOONE: A crooked net lowered down from a drain grate above. While I ducked to cover, the mushroom fairy didn’t. I tried to point upward but, it simply copied my gesture! There was a girl [little girl giggling] giggling with- ugly delight, sticking her whole arm through the grate, hoping to capture the poor thing! So I grabbed a loose brick, [lifting brick] and threw it at her! [Dream!Noone: Hup!]

NOONE: Hitting her arm [girl wailing] she cried out, while I picked up the mushroom fairy, [running through sludge] and ran off.

[Dream!Noone panting, running]

NOONE: After we were well clear, I put the creature down. [Nome chatters] It immediately walked off! Then, looked back, suggesting I follow. 

NOONE: [walking] That little body clicked, jittery and… ungraceful. Somehow the thing seemed to know where it was taking me, stopping only once we came to a rusty door [metal creaking], leading to a maintenance room. 

NOONE: Entering though, I discovered something else entirely. [Squeaky door opening, Dream!Noone gasps and whispers “Wow”] Endless piles spread about the room, some of pure junk while… others housed gold jewelry! As long as it could be collected, there was a place for it here. [Dream!Noone walking through the room] Mesmerizing. 

[Walking]

NOONE: Only after examining a mound of keys [key jingling] did I understand, where this stuff came from. Everything in this room, had been dropped down from the world above over the years. [Nome noise(?)] The only thing out of place, was a child’s propeller cap. On a chair, tucked away, forgotten. [Nome chitter] I think that’s what the mushroom fairy wanted me to see. 

NOONE: [Nome perks up] As if on cue, I heard the man approaching; the little creature hid in a pile of mismatched mittens, and I jammed my way in too. [Running, fabric shuffling, metal door opens and electric buzz + squeaking starts] 

NOONE: I peered out, as he stepped through the door and began dumping out his… pockets. [Faint clattering of various things] Coins, rings, trinkets… [Clattering stops] Next, he took off his plastic suit, covered in- gunk. Beneath, was a bony body, his spine bent horribly. What I thought had been a sack carried over his shoulder… was the back of his head. Like a balloon full of water, throbbing and- swollen. 

NOONE: But I could tell he was not always that way. He’d changed. Somehow become one… with the sewers. 

OTTO: (more distant) I don’t understand. You believe this place transformed him?

NOONE: Aren’t you meant to be drifting into hypergocklia, or whatever? Seeing, smelling, hearing as I did?

OTTO: I can’t seem… to let go. I want to, more than anything I-

NOONE: [Imitating Otto] Try! That’s what you always tell me. If I’m trying my hardest, you have to as well. 

NOONE, narrating: From the corner of my eye, I noticed the little cone sneaking away. The balloon-headed man was inches away, and in that moment, I thought of Jester. Of the Child with Gooey Hair. Of Rusty. I couldn’t do nothing, not again!

NOONE: Thankfully, [rumbling, clattering] that rumbling from earlier returned in that moment, stronger than before!

[Sewer Man notices and panics] 

NOONE: The shaking destroyed the man’s piles, startling him into… an odd anger, so… I stumbled out from hiding, [Running] and bolted for my mushroom fairy, [Nome] and out the door! [Metal creak, Sewer Man notices] 

NOONE: I ran and ran, and, [Dream!Noone running and panting] although the man, he wasn’t very fast, that didn’t matter. [Buzzing & squeaking] He had his gadget, and, that buzz followed wherever I went!

[Dream!Noone wading through water]

NOONE: Any sense of direction washed away with- the sludge that was now up to my knees! [Dream!Noone running & panting] Turning down tunnel after tunnel, I stopped, [ambience calms down, squeaking] hoping I’d lost him. 

NOONE: All at once, those lanterns shone from above [clicks]. The naughty kids had spotted us! [Kids start singing a teasing song] Wildly they sang, “Snatch a gift! Snatch a gift! Before they’re all sent adrift!” 

[Kids continue singing and start clapping along, ambience picks up]

NOONE: Their cheers grew and, [squeak, Dream!Noone gasps] and I saw why. [Electric buzzing] A bag-headed shadow appeared at the tunnel’s far end. Cutting me off. The man and his machine used the tunnels as if- as if the sewers had leaked into his thoughts!

[Dream!Noone breathing hard, splashing water]

NOONE: I tried to backtrack, but, must have taken a wrong turn, and found myself at a dead end. A wall of bricks! [Nome struggles] The mushroom fairy squirmed hard, begging to be freed! So… [plop] I let go, and the grey cone climbed up a pile of fallen rubble, and slipped through a crack, without hesitation, to abandon me! (Sad) Despite saving its life. 

[Water leaking]

NOONE: The crack the fairy squeezed through began spouting water from the other side. [Squeaking and buzzing start up again] I pulled at the bricks as the man stepped closer [Sewer Man gets closer, bricks shifting], one brick loose, then another. His gadget buzzed and buzzed, when I ripped a final brick loose, [Sewer Man sees Noone] leaving a hole large enough to creep through. 

[Sewer Man yells and hits the wall, buzzing and squeaking get farther away]

NOONE: He bated at the wall, grabbing at me, but, I was too far gone. His small, milky eye peeked through at me, until the walls rumbled, more fiercely than ever! The man backed away, overcome with horror. 

[Sewer Man yells, echoey kids’ cheers in the background] 

NOONE: The rumbling didn’t stop after that. And neither did the kids cheering from above. [Ambience rising] Whatever they had waited for… 

[All ambience stops]

NOONE: It was time. 

[Wind/thunder in the background, back in the office]

NOONE: Otto, you’re awake! [Otto startles]

OTTO: Yes, Noone. I’m trying, so hard, to see, to feel- to sense what you did, but I can’t. I don’t have the gift you have, and your gifts are not as commanding as I hoped they’d-

NOONE: (Upset/frustrated) I’d trade places with you in a heartbeat! I wish I could give you everything in my head, then I’d be rid of all of this. 

[pause]

NOONE: Shall I go on?

OTTO: Yes. 

NOONE, narrating: …It felt as if someone had picked up the sewer, shaking it with rage. Water crashed against the walls. I stumbled on and on, the tunnel growing wider and wider… A second smaller sound appeared; [distant nome chitters] clicks, and murmurs. Then, [nomes getting louder] out of the darkness ahead, they appeared, [many nomes running] scurrying so fast I couldn’t react! A hundred little mushroom fairies, rushing past me in a panic, escaping something close behind!

[Distant kids teasing]

NOONE: It wasn’t long before that something came. [Rushing water, kids cheering] speeding like [Dream!Noone gasps] a pack of horses tangled together, a tidal wave pounded through the sewer!

[Dream!Noone yelps, wave approaches] 

NOONE: The wave was feet away when, [Wave is extremely close, ambience pauses minus the kids cheering] I finally understood. For the kids above, this was a blast. They waited and waited, unable to experience the wave’s power themselves, and that made them love it all the more. Snatching things that run from its path was part of their awful celebration. 

[Waves crashes down on Dream!Noone]

NOONE: The violent wave hit, sweeping me away, carrying me back through the maze of tunnels. I swam up and up, doing my best to surface, and just as I did,

[Splash, music suddenly calms. Dream!Noone gasping for air]

NOONE: The waves paused. My body no longer needed to swim. And the Candleman appeared, floating… on some kind of… broken door. 

OTTO: (distant, serious) Go through your encounter diligently. He holds the answers I- we need. Make no mistake: he is your tormentor. 

NOONE: (darkly) ‘m not sure that’s true. 

NOONE, narrating: This time, I was able to speak in his presence. 

Overlapping with Dream!Noone: “Why do you bring me here? What do you want?!”

NOONE: He replied,

FERRYMAN, ov. with NOONE: “Cross the sill. Sink in a twinkling. Cast aside the old sleep, to sleep again anew.”

NOONE: I yelled back (dream!Noone) “Why?! Why should I?!!” Before I finished he said,

FERRYMAN: “Blight. Not within, but without. Here, all banes be set free.”

OTTO: More riddles. He doesn’t think I can solve them, but I will-

NOONE: I already did. I think… he means by giving myself to his world, I won’t be ill any longer. That’s why… when I’m there, no more headaches. No more parasites. No more tests. 

OTTO: That’s not true, it’s not!

NOONE: [interrupting] I would almost prefer him to take me. 

OTTO: [Standing up] Don’t say that!

NOONE: Away from here. From yo–

OTTO: It’s what he wants!

NOONE: Maybe–

OTTO: He wants you!

NOONE: (yelling) Maybe your Cici felt that way too! Relieved! 

OTTO: [Angry shock, deep breaths] 

[Walking, door opens] 

OTTO: (whispering) No… (mumbling) I was only a boy…

[Wind picks up slightly in the background]

[Door creaks, click, audio cuts]

[Click, tape rewinding, click]

[Audio starts, storm continues in the background]

[Papers shifting. Door opens]

OTTO: We’re done tonight. Get out. To your room, go. 

[Papers rustling]

NOONE: (accusatory) What’s this?

OTTO: Nosing through my desk, were you?

NOONE: My name’s on it. It’s my scan, yes?

OTTO: Smart girl. 

NOONE: Wh… what does it tell?

OTTO: That you’ve got a mass. Growing on your brain- a tumor. 

NOONE: I knew it. The cure. …How bad is-

OTTO: A mass in your brain is never good. 

[Faint thunder]

NOONE: (about to cry) You should have told me. Why? Why didn’t you tell me?

OTTO: It’s not my practice to tell before necessary. Now, get. To. Bed. 

NOONE: …Fine. [Sniff]

[Storm continues]

NOONE, narrating: But after the Candleman spoke, the wave carried me by the maintenance room again. The Bag-Headed man looked through a window, terrified. He was– opposite to those kids above. Living down there, he– he’d no reason to celebrate the wave. Instead… he cherished what they dropped down by accident. 

NOONE: You see… each wanted what the other had. But could never have themselves. 

NOONE: I’m taking two sweets tonight. [Ceramic chime, wrappers]

OTTO: Take as many as you want and leave. 

[Ceramic click, audio cuts] 

[Audio starts]

[The storm is louder now]

OTTO: [Sigh]... 

OTTO: Perhaps I was cruel to tell her. But as she sleeps, I’ve been pondering the entry requisites specified by my professor. I believe he was only partly right. One need only to look at the theater of agony that the Ferryman’s created to understand fear, is an essential requirement. [threatening ambience starts] And I know better than anyone, a little fear can compel us towards discovery. 

OTTO: As for the gateway’s location, perhaps it’s not a place hidden in our world, but in our minds. Is it not possible that her tumor is somehow this unknown gateway? An organ of transcendence. 

OTTO: The apparatus may be unfinished, but its [unintelligible]*** monitor is functional. If she’s to cross over, in a “twinkling”, what choice do I have? In her words, you must try. 

[Click, audio cuts]

[Audio starts. A machine is running and Otto is typing something.]

OTTO: She hardly stirred at all while I pathed the BCI. 

[Beep, Otto stops typing. Something whirrs]

OTTO: All seems stable. As soon as her dreaming begins, the monitor should translate neurosignals into visualizations. 

NOONE: (half-asleep) Otto…

OTTO: Shhh, shsh…

NOONE: [Mumbling, starting to become distressed] 

OTTO: Shhh. Return to that sleep of yours. 

[Audio cuts]

[Audio starts. Machine is still going, storm is outside]

OTTO: It’s past midnight. She fought as long as she could, but finally succumbed. This is it. Show me, Noone. Show me the other side. 

[Noone mumbles, monitor turns on]

OTTO: Here we are. The image… a… kaleidoscope of black…

[Noone winces]

OTTO: An unnatural abyss…

[Noone winces repeatedly]

OTTO:  Wait- a shape. It’s difficult to see… [Noone] like looking through a negative mist. 

[Noone continues making noises of distress. Otto spots something]

OTTO: There! A silhouette! Ovular, splitting across the center– 

[Static rises and Otto yells in pain. Ambience is loud] 

OTTO: [Strained] It– it glares like the sun– [choking] No! A pupil! Near white! Oh god, it’s– it’s watching me! It’s watching me!

[Noone nearly yells in her sleep] 

[Whoosh, Otto yells, machine shuts off. Audio is muddled for a moment.]

OTTO: (very muffled) [Breathing heavily] Noone? [Gasp] Noone!

[Crashing, audio cuts]

[Outro plays] 

--------------

*I'm not super sure of what he says here since the door drowns him out

**I don't know how this is spelled

***According to text-to-speech, google, and autocorrect, what he says here is not a real word and I have no idea what it could be. All I know is that it ends in -graph.

[angstics]

nonsense deadpool & wolverine rant

ive been talking about deadpool 3 for days over on twitter -- which is a lot for a movie i was meh about and will forget in 2 weeks (like i have all other deadpool films). BUT i like thinking about how gay ppl & themes are treated in popular film and this is probably going to be the biggest "gay themed" film this year ... which is sad considering this is the year of 2 luca guadagnino films and monkey man and tv glow et al. anyhow. this was a big hit in fandom -- which should not be a surprise considering the mcu and comics fandoms. the "this was sooooo gay" response has been irritating, and so has the counter-argument. the text may not be a gay text but it DOES use gay elements in its text. like Obviously so. to the point that it's hard to discern whether it's appropriation or meaningful, a homophobic joke or somewhat earnest... and why???

part of it will always be the comic characterization of deadpool as a hypersexual pansexual freak who sexually harasses men because that has been deemed highlarious. there's at least one joke recycled (about being tied up together and getting an erection), replacing spiderman in the comics with wolverine in the movie. i can easily see straight men playing these jokes with each other -- i probably have on youtube. this is what makes the "you cant deny this is gay" thing fandom people say sooooooooooooooooooo annoying -- HOMOSEXUAL encounters are not limited to people with THE GAY GENE. straight men sexually harass their friends ("friends") all the time. allllll the time. what makes someone (and a relationship) gay is intention and affection and desire and identity and cultural place -- and a billion other things. there are many movies about two men (and less about two women) who everyone sees as super gay... defiant ones (1958) comes to mind since i recently was reminded of it. heat 1995, thelma & louise 1991. dead poets society 1989 also comes to mind. but no one Serious is claiming this is the dominant (as in "common") reading or INTENDED meaning -- no one is saying these are gay characters in gay relationships. they arent like fried green tomatoes 1991 or midnight cowboy 1969 or rebel without a cause 1955, where it was verifiably gay in some way.

there's a phenomena where a character / relationship (probably) wasnt supposed to be gay, but it came off that way UNDENIABLY because they borrowed too much from gay experiences -- like scream 1992, or very commonly in terms of trans experiences: psycho 1960, silence of the lambs 1991, synecdoche new york 2008. and fraiser lol. Every movie is different and has a different way of doing things which result in different suggestions and conclusions and interpretations and impacts. Big surprise.

deadpool 3 obscures these boundaries in this new pseudo-progressive age. but it is still inaccurate to pretend it was "gay coding" -- as in they were hiding a gay story via Big Subtext and using a straight story to sell a gay movie (which i have seen suggested the use of DP's ex). i cant fucking believe we're still doing destiel conspiracies. im sure stucky had a similar reaction this deadpool ship has (and the spideypool ship), but i think it is understood that Steve Whatshisname wasnt and would never be gay (Bucky could be, he has time).

the misunderstanding comes in the blurring. it's like in the middle of a political compass. ok fine i made one

some moments obviously meant to evoke a gay spirit: bar scene, car scene, madonna scene, "introducing the boyfriend" scene, the Appreciation of the Male Body & Fighting as Fucking theme (note that DP's lesbians were just standing there in 2 scenes?)

Deadpool (and Wolverine) really are pan: an alternate Wolverine is in love w the Mythic Hercules in a comic series (and maybe Cyclops? Subtextually? Throupley?). deadpool is well known in comics, but he does off-hand talk about having non-vaginal sex (? or masturbating?) in this movie

what is romantic is defined by DP's LI: the movie cant hide behind everything being a joke when it has a guiding emotional core consisting of DP's lost (female) love, who he can express affection and attraction to in both serious and comedic contexts

No honest romantic or sexual tension: i have seen movies with subtextual / coded tension and this doesnt have it. it's no popped champagne bottle, or face caressed in blood. there is also no story. i havent mentioned this yet but this movie has a really lackluster story between dp & wolverine that doesnt allow for much interpretation even in a platonic or narrative sense

all these things are true at once, and ignoring one aspect for another doesnt make sense of the film (and characters and audience reaction) as a whole. at the end of the day............. it doesnt matter........ i only really care about being accurate and respecting film history & gay history & continuing to call for gay gay gay stories in popular film. dp3 made a lot of gay jokes that were genuinely unexpected, so it isnt LE FOU 2. but it isnt the end of the line. this was a good thread that described the split well

[simplyclary]

Double The Charm, Double The Talent

(Photo edit by me)

I find myself constantly inspired by the incredible talents, undeniable charisma and the unique qualities that actors Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine bring to the screen. While I hold a special place in my heart for Taylor, that does not decrease my admiration for Nick. Loving or preferring one more than the other is only natural in a fandom, but it’s important to recognize that this preference does not mean that we should spread negativity or hate. Both Taylor and Nick are exceptional in their own right, and honestly, it’s their differences that make them so captivating. 

Taylor Zakhar Perez has captured my heart with his Latino charm and boundless charisma. From his breakout role as Marco in “The Kissing Booth” film series to his more recent performance as Alex Claremont-Diaz in the film adaptation of hit novel “Red, White and Royal Blue”, Taylor consistently exudes a magnetic presence that draws viewers in. His natural ability to convey deep emotions and his dedication to his craft make him a standout in every project that he’s a part of. 

What I most admire about Taylor is his authenticity. He brings a genuine warmth to his roles, and his passion for representing Latino voices and breaking stereotypes is truly inspiring. Taylor’s commitment to telling diverse stories and highlighting the richness of Latino culture is a testament to his character and vision as an actor. His charm isn’t just skin-deep; it’s rooted in a deep understanding of his heritage and a desire to make a positive impact through his work. 

Beyond Taylor’s on-screen talent, his own personal attributes are equally compelling. His eloquent nature and ability to speak his mind without being mean are qualities that many of his fans, including me, find incredibly attractive. His intelligence and thoughtful approach to both his career and his interactions make him more than just a pretty face. His involvement in projects that resonate with his audience on a deeper level as well as his constant advocating for Latin representation, set him apart as a truly inspiring figure.  

On the other hand, the British innocence of Nicholas Galitzine has also won me over (not as much as my best friend Jam, of course). From his roles in movies like “High Strung” and “Handsome Devil” to his portrayal of Prince Henry in “Red, White and Royal Blue” and George Villiers in “Mary & George”, Nick brings a unique blend of vulnerability and strength to his characters. His ability to connect with audiences on an emotional level is remarkable. And his dedication to his roles is obvious and evident in every one of his performances. 

Nick also has a certain mystique about him that is endearing, intriguing and mysterious. His British charm, coupled with his ability to fully immerse himself in diverse roles, makes him a notable actor to watch. His journey in the entertainment industry has been nothing short of impressive, and I will eagerly anticipate every new project he takes on. 

Nick’s appeal lies in his authenticity and the depth he brings to his characters. His British innocence, combined with his talent for portraying complex characters and emotions, makes him a joy to watch. He has a knack for choosing roles that challenge him and allow him to showcase his range as an actor. His genuine nature and dedication to his craft resonate with fans who appreciate his ability to connect on an emotional level. 

Both Taylor and Nick bring something unique to the roles and projects that they bring to life. Taylor’s Latino charm and commitment to representation are incredibly impactful, while Nick’s British innocence and emotional depth offer a different kind of allure. Both of these actors have the ability to draw audiences in, not just with their looks but with the authenticity and passion that they bring to their performances. 

It’s entirely possible to have a preference for one actor over the other without decreasing the talent and value of either. While Taylor might hold a slightly larger piece of my heart, this fact does not decrease my admiration for Nick. Both actors bring something special to a project, and their unique qualities are what makes them so beloved and treasured by fans. 

Also to note that as fans, we are privileged to witness the growth and evolution of both Taylor and Nick. Their careers are filled with exciting potential, and I eagerly anticipate and await every new project that they’re gonna take on. Whether they’re working individually or on a project together, the anticipation and excitement will always remain high. 

In an industry that often pits stars against each other, it is crucial and essential to remember that admiration is not a zero-sum game. Taylor and Nick are both immensely talented and charming individuals with their own distinct careers and paths. They are also great friends, and they support each other in their professional endeavors. As fans, we should strive to emulate this aura of positivity and camaraderie. 

Now, a message to the fans: let us stop spreading negativity and tearing each other down. It honestly hurts to see fan communities divided, especially when Taylor and Nick themselves share a mutual respect and friendship. We can love one more than the other without resorting to hate or negativity. Respecting each other’s opinions and preferences is essential in creating a supportive and positive fan environment. 

Let’s continue to celebrate the diversity of talents and projects that both Taylor and Nick bring to our screens. If you prefer one over the other, that is entirely okay, but let’s do so with kindness and respect. By supporting both actors and appreciating their unique contributions, we can create a fandom that reflects the positivity, inspiration and happiness that they bring into our lives. 

Let us just focus on the love and admiration that we have for both Taylor James Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Dimitri Constantine Galitzine. They are both exceptional talents who constantly bring joy and inspiration to their fans. By supporting them with positivity and respect, we can create a welcoming and inclusive fan community.

Let’s enjoy consuming the beautiful projects that they do and celebrate their achievements, and as a fan community, let’s continue to uplift each other as we continue to follow their careers. After all, it’s their talent and dedication that brought us here in the first place, and that talent deserves nothing but the utmost amount of respect and appreciation. 

[stop-making-investment-jokes]

okay I’ve seen soooo many investment jokes recently and I thought the fandom was mainly over this by now but apparently a lot of people still think these jokes are okay. I’ve made this blog to talk and educate about it.

one of the primary issues within grishaverse fandom spaces is the excessive overdone jokes about inej being kaz’s investment. the reason why claiming a brown girl was ✨romantically✨ bought by someone with the expectation of making them money is bad should not be so hard to recognise and understand but I guess fandom culture really is that shitty, so

1) the joke is undeniably dehumanising and objectifying in general, but with inej’s history of being sex trafficked as a child (being kidnapped, continuously raped and beaten, being turned into an exotic fetish and racist caricature, and having her identity and humanity stripped away) having the fandom make a joke both about kaz profiting off her as well as reducing her to a funny side joke about kaz’s “bad endearment terms” is especially distasteful. furthermore, the jokes perpetuate harmful lightheartedness about individuals who have survived exploitation. this lightheartedness contributes to the stigmatisation, misunderstanding and lack of empathy about real-world issues related to human trafficking and human exploitation and the severity of it. it’s essential to recognize that these jokes can deeply reinforce damaging notions and that yes, your “stupid funny text post” calling inej an investment is consequential and it is “that deep” because sexual assault survivors in real life are very heavily in these spaces and the least you can do is be considerate about what you say concerning them.

2) if you genuinely think that kaz called inej an investment as a term of affection you have a terrible reading comprehension and terrible understanding of the contextual factors within this scene and should probably get off booktok. as well as severely discrediting both inej and kaz as characters.

while carrying inej, who is currently bleeding out in his arms, seconds after nearly witnessing her kill herself and trying to keep her awake and conversing with him, kaz says a shitty joke about protecting his investments to intentionally annoy her. this was not meant to be romantic or cute and I’m certain that it was the furthest thing on his mind at that moment. cannot stress this enough; he was not trying to be romantic.

and while it didn’t appear to bother her at first, this caused inej severe emotional distress while she was kidnapped and nearly tortured in the next book, seeing as she thought she was nothing to kaz but an investment and that he wouldn’t come and save her. this is, evidently, challenged and explored in the book with kaz acknowledging what he said was unacceptable and reassuring inej that he would always come for her and that she is important and respected as a person. it was still necessary to the plot of the book for this all to occur but in no way is it a thing to romanticise.

(and in regard to kaz; I find when being told about this, people usually jump to insulting kaz and saying kanej is a toxic ship when neither of those things are the point. for the record, these events are crucial to the plot’s development and said by two traumatised children who aren’t perfect. it’s important to note that both kaz and inej are children with no guidance who make mistakes and sometimes say things they don’t mean, and that kaz did not intend for his words to have such a detrimental impact on inej. saying he “doesn’t know how to flirt” or something else similar defies the point, which is simply how it affected inej and how she felt because of it, and how the fandom brushes that aside to turn it into a joke or something cutesy and romantic. that’s the only issue here.)

3) the ingrained misogynistic trend of treating women and girls as anything other than human beings in fandom spaces is perceptible in almost every aspect of their fandom characterisations. think of the way internet people with internalised sexism refer to their female characters with short, overused, female-oriented phrases like “mother” “girlboss” or “knife wife” rather then any kind of meaningful take like the thought and nuance in which they extend to their male faves, or any other similar example. this itself is problematic enough with the way we talk about women and girls (as well as infantilising trans men and gender non conforming people), but characters like inej or lucy carlyle from lockwood and co are constantly and repeatedly called assets and investments and objects on top of that. (i.e. “kaz’s sexy knifewife investment”)

anyway please please stop making investment jokes about inej ghafa. she means so so much to me and it’s so horrible and dehumanising. I’m so tired.

[northwest-cryptid]

I do honestly think it's really interesting how willing people are to look past things they dislike when it's being used/done by someone they do, but they'll still attack individuals for the same shit.

Like "AI is bad" unless it's being done by someone like Dougdoug, in which case most people are largely able to look past the idea that AI is bad, this is likely because it's being used in such a way where the AI is very obvious and open; and because it's being used for comedy. The thing is, anyone using AI has the ability to use it in this way; but the concept that "AI can be used ethically and in a fun way that doesn't hurt people" isn't considered on a larger scale. It becomes more of an "AI is bad, but if you're popular enough to get away with it; have fun."

Or "Chocolate is literally created via slave labor, buying or enjoying chocolate contributes to slavery." Unless you're that guy who makes chocolate sculptures for tiktok and shit. In which case we'll just focus on the fact you're weaving chocolate or something, and not pay any mind to the sheer amount of chocolate you're using and the fact that this likely covers more money going to the same slave labor chocolate production as like 100 individuals buying a kitkat on lunch because they want a snack. People look past all of this because the art he makes with chocolate is undeniably impressive and fun to watch.

Don't even get me started on "racism is bad, portraying minorities as stereotypes and especially making them antagonistic in media is wrong..." Unless you're Mihoyo in which case you'll find extreme success with Genshin Impact despite literally referencing Native American people for your main fodder enemies; people are willing to look past this because I guess the game is fun and the waifus are hot? I don't know man I don't play racist games.

Misogyny is wrong and sexism in the workplace, or as a cultural norm needs to be dealt with; and indie companies need to be held to the same professional standards as anyone else; but if you're ProjectMoon you get a weird pass on throwing such a shitstorm that you not only get your game momentarily boycott but you also can't handle your business connections well enough to manage not having an entire webcomic shut down. Yea WonderLab is now lost media congratulations, the whole of your shitty business dealings came to light; underpaying staff and treating third parties like garbage because "you're just a little indie company uwu" when you've been raking in the big bucks for a while now. Don't worry though because your audience is too attached to [Blorbo From My Games] to give you any real backlash that will negatively effect your company.

So like, what then? Am I saying we should demonize all these people?

Well no actually that's not the case, though I DO think you should boycott Genshin on the grounds it IS racist; and you absolutely should boycott Limbus Company until the company behind it can get their act together and stop being sexist assholes and generally a shitty company.

That being said, if you think I'm trying to attack dougdoug or the chocolate man who's name escapes me at the moment; you can't be further from my point. My point here is to stop attacking people overall; seek solutions to the problem without attacking the individuals. If you see me, as a single individual buying a kitkat on my lunch break; this is not the time to inform me that I'm somehow contributing to slavery before you go off and reblog "he's weaving chocolate!?!?!" As if that's not literally far worse than what I'm doing.

"But I CAN effect what YOU'RE doing, I can't tell him he's contributing to slavery and make him stop!" Why not?

I mean seriously why the fuck not? You understand these people are only given power by the viewers who support them right? The people who buy their products, the people who give them money.

If he can find a way of supporting businesses that don't use or profit from slave labor then great that's a fantastic change. Similar to how Dougdoug not only writes most of his own scripts but uses AI in such a way that it's ethical, it doesn't involve stealing or victims.

The take away there should be that it's possible to use these things in a way that doesn't hurt people, this is why I think it's different from companies like Mihoyo and ProjectMoon as much as taking any shots at ProjectMoon sucks as a fan of their games; I think sexism and anti-capitalism is more important than some blorbo from my games. That's why I'm not only not spending money on Limbus, but I'm not even playing; I refuse to inflate their user numbers and give them the marketability. I refuse to tell them that doing wrong doesn't have consequences.

"Yea but are you actually doing anything? Does it actually matter?" Well yes and no, yes because if I don't do anything then nothing will happen, nothing will change; nothing will get better. However no because I'm just one person, and if you've ever worked retail and heard the classic "you just lost a customer!" You know as well as I that one person on their own doesn't matter much in the grand scheme of it all when it comes to things like overall company success. However if we all keep giving these racist, sexist, and just generally scummy companies our money and time and activity to market; because "I'm just one person" then nothing is ever going to snowball into a noticeable amount of people.

Boycotts don't work unless a majority of people participate; and I'm sorry but the reason these companies make what they make is to pander to your impulse, to your attention; they prey on your weakness to not be able to break free from them.

That's WHY Genshin has so many waifus and husbandos and bullshit like that; they prey on your inability to control your emotions and thus you will continue to spend money for a chance to obtain your favorite characters and once you do you have an attachment to them; you spent god knows how much money to get them; you invested so much time in getting the currency to roll/pull/draw for them.

That's WHY Limbus Company writes the characters and content they do; because they know you're too invested now; they aren't worried about a silly boycott because they've seen it won't matter. They already know all they need to do is keep releasing more content, and you'll keep playing, you'll keep spending money on it; you'll keep getting hype for whatever comes next. It doesn't matter if you think they're a sexist company, if you think they're capitalist scum; because you're still playing their game, you're still giving them money, you're still supporting them.

This is even true of Tumblr, and it's what I always say when people bring up the fact tumblr isn't listening to anyone telling them about the whole issue of transphobia on this site.

Yea of course tumblr isn't going to listen to you, you're still here. They don't care what you say as long as you still use their site; so long as you still provide them with content, so long as you still inflate their numbers and make their site profitable. You can do whatever you want they're not going to care; if you actually make a big enough stink to make the site unmarketable they'll just precisely ban you, remove the evidence; and move on. They won't ban everyone; if they did that they wouldn't have content; they're only going to lift a finger to bring down the hammer where it absolutely must be done.

Tumblr's CEO went off site to attack a trans girl and while everyone complains about it, we're all still fucking here aren't we? So they absolutely do not care that you know, they absolutely do not care that you're talking about it. In fact god knows that if a post like this ever got super popular and my voice started to matter; I'd just be banned, I'd just be removed with surgical precision; ensuring they leave enough of you all here to keep the ecosystem alive and well so they remain profitable.

I think people point fingers and accuse and blame and throw shade way too much, I don't get on people for AI bullshit for a lot of reasons; but the biggest is that if someone is misusing AI that's the fault of the individual; the person actually doing the theft; not the AI, you don't blame a hammer for breaking a vase; you blame whoever swung it.

Tumblr is a melting pot of various people with various views on things and it's so tiresome to see these sort of half baked moral points getting thrown around "hey if you're not boycotting this you're bad and wrong and a horrible person" okay great, you're not boycotting things I think you should be though so does that make YOU a bad person? It's all fucking relative and honestly unless everyone bands together to make change it's not going to happen, so either agree on something and stick to it; band together and better the world around you; or stop attacking each other for the sins of big companies.

[hesitantvampirealien]

there’s a reddit post that i feel was very well-worded about the whole ticketmaster situation, and i think it should be the gold standard for when people want to criticize the band

ahhh... sorry, but i don't know if i feel the same way about it to be honest, I'll try to explain why as best as possible

note that this whole reply is "/nbh" so if i ever say "you" (i tried to avoid using "you" but it might've slipped) i don't actually mean like, you user windows-orb-lover, i mean "you" as in like, anyone, or just nobody, you get it hopefully

first of all, it's worth pointing out that I'm not north american and i don't know enough about how ticket sales work up in there. but well, earlier today i taked about this situation with someone else. Again, I'm not from the US (I'm gonna repeat this a lot), but this person is from the US and all that i understood, coming from this person, is that this is just ticketmaster and warner being a pain in the ass and ticketmaster does this shit all the time apparently, so what we concluded from this particular talk is that it comes across as unfair for only one to be treated harshly when there's been other cases with the same companies and other bands and artists and no one seemed to be upset, at least by what i saw. Again, this is just what i heard and understood of the situation and i don't know shit, so I'm just following someone's line of thought here and that's just my conclusion from this.

but all that aside, to be honest i just really need to talk this whole issue from a different standpoint that isn't just simply me explaining what i know, because I'm starting to feel.. things with how big this whole thing has been getting and for some reason people who aren't even in the US are taking it like it's their problem because as always the americans are doing the "if it's my problem then it's everyone else's problem now" thing while if this shit happened anywhere else nobody would give a shit

Like ... I'm not even from the US and i know nothing about nothing, I didn't even know this ticketmaster thing existed because I'm petty about the US as the good irritated USA-disliking and grudge holder latino that i am, everything i know about this situation is agaisnt my will because I'm not gonna see them anyway.

And if you allow me to be very, very blunt. Sincerely, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry but I don't care about this situation. And that's not because i just don't want to care or i want to pretend it's not happening, but it's because I'M NOT FROM THE UNITED STATES and i have too many things to be concerned about regarding my life and my future, my country is having a complicated moment right now in a lot of different aspects and i have to be concerned about this, concerned about my life, about my studies, my job, my fragile physical and mental health and how this health factor is gonna impact me if i actually make it to college, how I'm even supposed to balance work and study... i have a lot to do every day, and I'm never even gonna see them anyway, they're not coming here and I'm not willing to give up my peace of mind to be angry at the only thing that gives me comfort, wipes my tears and relieves my stress over a situation that.. is just not my problem.

bonus that down here, bringing up issues that are unrelated to our country is seen very negatively and comes across as a bit of elitism as we're already a less privileged place and we already have a lot of our own issues to handle so it's just not even socially acceptable to my country's culture and standards for me to participate in this whole thing.

i guess the worst part is knowing that this will undeniably make someone start being bitter to me and take all of what i said very personally and treat me like I'm a bad person or less worthy of respect for it when in reality i don't even know how to explain in much detail why I can't care about this because i just don't have the ability to feel things as much or the same way as everyone else because aspd curse lol...

[frankiistein]

which is the better webcomic to you homestuck or breadavota?

i mean im like the one man fandom of bread but hs has the advantage (or disadvantage) of being finished, breadavota still has the potential to majorly fuck itself up the way hs did after act 3

imma try 2 break my opinion down in detail

characters:

ok so i will say that hs characters r based on american subcultures and im not american so theres probably some emotional appeal 2 its mostly american audience that i dont relate 2, so i think most of its audience will find them more relatable or deep than i do

anyway i think breadavotas characters r generally more well-developed but hs wins by diversity, even tho admittedly the majority of the hs cast r one-off characters made as jokes (looking at u dancestors)

i said this in a previous post but rpp mostly writes just One Type Of Guy: vaguely schizophrenic assholes

but w/e jacques and bien r fucking winning at being vaguely schizophrenic assholes and u gotta respect jacques for being a character with an actual schizoid personality disorder diagnosis instead of just "coded mentally ill"

johns more interesting than bread is so far tho

worldbuilding:

with hs i think the worldbuilding that rly fleshed out the hs universe didnt rly happen in hs but happens in the other stuff (friendsims, hiveswap, etc) so idk if that counts

hs definitely does portraying alternias culture in a way that promotes the transformative/interactive nature its aiming at: its easy to imagine making ur own trollsona/oc bcuz u can imagine alternia as a place

maldevara is barely a "place" and is more like. a state of being. or a vibe. like there r bits and pieces of its physical culture but most of what we know about it is the sociopolitical philosophy of the maldevarans

idk what the word for it is, ig hs is a more "fun" story and breadavota while not exactly a "serious" story just feels more.... "thinky" and philosophical, its engaging as a thought exercise but isnt the most appealing as a "story" per se

weird-ass aliens:

i like the marginals better but they rly do appeal to a very particular niche ig. the trolls undeniably have better appeal and relatability

the thing with the marginals is that the "depth" of their character building doesnt have as strong as an impact unless u relate 2 the specific Mental Illnesss Experience they embody

both of them have the "4 some reason this super foreign alien species essentially just look like humans bcuz of obvious author appeal" but ig breadavota kinda gets away w/ that bcuz the marginals r more-or-less implied to be part human..... or smthng (at least media is)

the hemosystem of the trolls gives it an edge in diversity (all the marginals on the other hand just seem vaguely The Same Guy and even if it makes sense narratively 4 them 2 be like that it still makes it feel like theres no point in caring about anybody that isnt The Marginal Trademark Symbol Media) altho i do hate how the hemosystem eventually turned the first 12 trolls into archetypes that every other troll was an expy of so idk

"game" mechanics:

both hs and breadavota use the videogamey mechanics for their magic/reality systems so its worth comparing

hs has better mechanics imo but abandoned them halfway thru the story and sburb was kinda forgotten by act 6, which is a shame bcuz u can rly see how hussie used that computer science knowledge and translated it to the hs world mechanics

breadavotas mechanics r harder to grasp and feel less "logical" imo but if the story actually keeps up their relevance it might be easier 2 get used 2 over time

time travel shenanigans:

hs was rly good at handling its time travel shenanigans ill give hussie a point for that one

breadavota has some leniency again bcuz the story isnt that far into it yet but theres not enough "altline" stuff and tbh idk how rpp plans on handling the whole "it isnt real/its all just a dream" trope implied with the alternate timeline doomed to undo itself in a way that doesnt make u think "well what the fuck was the point of all of that then"

visuals:

would u believe me if i said homestuck. lmfao

rpp is a good artist and a good writer but its clear to me that they were never a comic artist before and has trouble portraying a story with pictures

idk how 2 explain it exactly but i think the thing is rpp as an artist draws very "literally" and the way they write is veryyyy abstract, and this is rly most evident in the prose stories that completely lack visuals. rpp has always relied alot on narration (and all the prose stories are either majority narration or even just narration), and they cant do that with the comics bcuz the comics need dialogue

hs mostly has simple visuals but the dialogue format makes it so they feel more integrated

also the hs flashes are just masterworks imo

ofc as a diehard breadavota stannie ill defend breadavota as being a mostly one-person endeavor made by a chronically ill person and the hs flashes had multiple artists so yeah

hussie has always been an artist and hs isnt their first work so they had a lot of experience under their belt. i do respect breadavota for what it is considering its the first thing rpp has ever made

music:

homestuck wins bro it has toby fox. ig breadavota doesnt "need" a musician but rpp obviously likes putting music in the story so it would be a bonus

(i know rpp made like one instrumental song which wasnt a bad song but they obviously r not a musician)

pacing:

they both fucking suck but hs got away with it better

hs dragged itself out way 2 long only to rush itself near the end but hussie updating astronomically fast when it was running made the slowness feel negligible

breadavotas pacing could use a lot of slowing down if ur an archive reader but bcuz it takes like one update every million years to progress it feels excruciatingly slow. like in the four years the story has existed its only been two days in the comic

tbh i think breadavota updates fast enough for a webcomic, at least it feels on par w/ other webcomic updates. most regular webcomics done by single artists updates one page a week so all things considered breadavota has a good amount of content especially considering that rpp doesnt have as much time as ppl whose job it is is to draw their comics

hussie was just exceptionally fast even when considering that its bcuz hs has overall less visuals and recycled sprites

at the very least the new website fixed the most annoying issue the old website for bread had where having every minor update in between the major ones was distracting

conclusion:

tbh i think hs has a lot of mass appeal and rly strikes being so weird and unique w/o being as "off putting" and even tho hussie kinda fumbled the bag over the years the popularity hs has feels well-deserved

im biased 2 breadavota but i can say it does feel very inclined towards a specific type of audience bcuz the entire story is structured around a specific type of experience. like its a very "alienated 4 being mentally ill" story but w/o the usual "but we find found family and community in fellow alienated ppl" that u would usually expect/want in this type of story and like its intentional bcuz the story is about that but i understand it makes it hard 4 most ppl to latch on to

the pop culture references of hs and diversity of character "tropes" can make it broadly relatable and while i dont think u need to "relate" to characters or stories 2 find value in them i think the thing is if u dont exactly see where breadavota is coming from the "point" of it doesnt rly hit

i think what i like abt breadavota is that it portrays certain experiences that nothing else ive seen rly does, but its a rly "thinky" sort of comic that makes it less "fun" as just a story (even if it does still work as a story) for ppl who dont care for or see what its getting at

also since breadavota rly appeals to a specific person on top of already being obscure it means practically everyone engaged w/ the comic interprets it a similar way. i think what made hs get as big as it did was that people werent just engaged with hs alone, they engaged w/ the fandom and saw alot of different theories and analysis

hussie and rpp have both always been "weird" and that reflects in their story but their "brand" of weirdness uhhh reflects in their story. for how polarized hussie is in the fandom ultimately theyve always been more for interactivity: hs started as reader-led, they already had an audience and connections from being an artist for a long time and hussie clearly has a broad collection of interests and inspirations to draw from which makes hs feel "well rounded" and the recognition of inspirations a bonus to some

rpp is an insular person even among the ppl they know, they dont talk 2 ppl, they dont read books, they dont play games, they dont watch tv, etc. homestuck is an inspiration for breadavota not just bcuz "rpp rly likes homestuck" but bcuz they dont rly know a lot of stories to use as an inspiration and their overall reclusiveness makes their character writing feel particular in a way that can be offputting 2 other ppl bcuz first of all they dont know how normal ppl act and secondly since rpp is a "clasically" intelligent person they seem unable to write characters who arent all somewhat intellectual. bien is an "idiot" but lbr... he is not an idiot lmfaooooo. the "thinky"-ness that permeates everything they make can make the story intimidating and it has high expectations for the overall "intelligence" of its audience. and like thats not a bad thing, 2 many stories treat their readers like idiots, but it does make it a story that feels very all or nothing. u either gotta be autistic abt it or u dgaf

breadavota sorta has no choice but 2 draw from author experience bcuz rpp doesnt rly have the means to draw it from anything else. they dont know pop culture, they arent part of communities and they dont engage in fandoms, and that makes breadavota as a story have an interesting and candid perspective that does make it stand out even among other self identified MSPFA type stories but it also makes it both broadly unrelatable and inevitably tinged with the Schizoisms in a way homestuck for all its "craziness" was never so hardcore abt

[thosearentcrimes]

Read Ulysses by James Joyce. Read it a very long time ago now. It's even been quite a bit since I turned in my assignment for it. I've still been thinking about it, but that will presumably never not be the case again. So that's one point in its favor, I suppose!

It really is an undeniable masterpiece. I mean, people who get offended at the very concept of Modernism probably will try, but it'll be pretty obvious nonsense I think. On the level of effort, of talent, of execution, and ultimately of cultural impact, it's very obviously one of the greatest books of all time. Is it good, though? Well, I think so. But I think a lot of people will disagree with me. Even people who respect the artistry but dislike Modernist approaches to fiction will, uh, probably not have a great time with this book. And I rather suspect that those people are ultimately very numerous, almost certainly a majority of potential readers (and, given the shape of the literature market from what I can see, also of actual readers). But the thing is, I'm an aesthetic elitist. I simply have better taste than nearly everyone else, it is honestly a burden.

Reading Ulysses feels like watching a hyperspecialized piece of industrial equipment. Every piece of the machine is there for a reason and you can kind of figure out what it does when you look at it working, and it's often kind of visually threatening or grimy but so beautiful and so effective. Also no matter how much I stare at explanations of how they work I know I'm missing some kind of detail that ties all the mechanisms together. The broad strokes are pretty easy, three characters are characterized by their various forms of internal monologue, and just when you get used to what the novel is doing, it swerves into some random other clever bullshit. But it's clever bullshit that really works. Every moment I think about Ulysses I feel like it's making me smarter. Is it actually? Almost certainly not, but hey, a lot more probable than if I read blogs all day.

Obviously there are bits of Ulysses that haven't aged well. Much of it feels easy to put down to the passage of time, to be treated like part of a period piece. For some reason this is a lot more difficult to do with the antisemitism. Now, to be clear, the antisemitism is weird enough that some people won't even notice it, so it's not like it has particularly strong negative associations, hell, it denounces the more familiar and dangerous kinds of antisemitism pretty thoroughly. Really, the impression I get from Ulysses is basically that Joyce sees a very strong and important affinity between the Jewish and the Irish people, which informs his characterizations in Ulysses. Unfortunately, Joyce seems to have been something of a self-hating Irishman, and he runs the parallel both ways. Makes for a very strange read occasionally. There's an extremely unpleasant amount of very much identifiable antisemitic German philosophy in the intellectual background for this thing, which isn't easy to notice but is hard to stop noticing.

Should you read Ulysses? I dunno. Do you like fancy literary bullshit? It really doesn't get much more fancy literary bullshit than Joyce (though apparently he takes it much further in Finnegan's Wake, which I have not read), everything else seems to take bits of Joyce they like and support it with mostly conventional narrative devices. Sometimes I think about whether it was good to read The God of Small Things before Ulysses. Obviously the former is informed by the latter. But I think it did help ease me into the style. I dunno. I think probably more people should read Ulysses than will actually like it. Should that be you? If you have a spare. Uh. It'll depend how fast you read, how fast you process (Ulysses has the fascinating and rather frustrating distinction of being a book that I understood far slower than I read it, which is otherwise fairly unusual and forced me to reread sentences and pages constantly) and how much time you can give to it per day. But it will almost certainly take quite a while.

[fionacreates]

Would you mind giving us a rundown of the symbolism in the Queen E rainbow portrait? I love hearing artists ramble about their work and I LOVE symbolism.

This particular recreation I themed around parts of the history of Theatre and performance, either literal on stage performance or just a performance of who we are every day, to fit in, or to stand out.

Queen Elizabeth here is represented by a Drag Queen, which both connects to contemporary queer culture and the history of theatre itself (also a history nod to how in the 1600s women could not be on stage so the women characters were played by men, to the victorian music halls, to panto.) I loosely based the queen's design on Ru Paul, regardless of my own personal feelings towards that particular celebrity it is undeniable the impact they have had on international drag culture.

The robes and crown represent asexuality, the purple, grey, white and black from the flag. Because this piece was for a book where plenty of other identities would be represented, quite often with romantic pieces, I wanted to allow a prominent piece to represent that you're queer enough even if you are asexual (or aromantic, or grey/demi or single, your partner does not define you). As Queen Elizabeth I herself never married, though we cannot use contemporary queer terminology to define what little we know of her inner feelings, it felt like an appropriate fit.

On her sleeve the original had a glittering snake and apple, and I chose to draw a rainbow sparkling Chameleon, representing a reality in which sometimes we have to just blend in to be safe, but in our own spaces, such as a drag show, or on stage, or simply with friends we can be free to be ourselves.

I chose to keep a lot of the white pearl details from the original piece, which symbolised purity and virginity, but for me this means that it is not the physical act of having sex with someone that defines your identity, who you love, or your gender expression. You don't have to be actively having sex to know you're gay, or trans or even figure out you're not interested. While it can be emotional, meaningful or just fun, it doesn't have to be a major part of your identity if you don't want it to be, or aren't ready. (Though I definately didn't leave them there to make a statement about being "pure and virginal" that's all nonsense as we know.)

There's some of the more usual queer symbols, transgender on her necklace, lambadas and back to back moons for lesbians round the gauzey drape and the violets (again for lesbians) embroidered into the gown. There's a moon on her crown, which is often used to symbolise the feminine, and the Ace of Spades symbol across her hair and headdress, again for the asexuality.

THEN there's a few theatre references... on the original she has a gauntlet hanging from her ruff, but here I have a red sparkly boot from Kinky Boots and ruby slipper earrings for a "friend of Dorothy". And again on the original, the queen's robe has eyes and ears painted onto it, so here I used the lips from Rocky Horror, a dramatically painted drag eye, and an allusion to the Instagram logo for photographic performance/influencer culture. (I didn't fancy tangling with insta lawyers by using the exact logo.)

Lastly, there's the overlayed text.

Ego Sum Qui Sum. 

I am what I am.

[twinsunsintatooine]

frankenstein (1818) - mary shelley: ★★★★★

mary shelley's frankenstein is what i would call a book worth reading at least once in your lifetime, even if it's just to see the origins of a classic halloween pop culture icon.

i considered this is a 5 star read for me barely halfway through; the first conversation between the monster and victor frankenstein is truly an incredible scene, and shelley's manipulation of prose is just awe inspiring, engendering a visceral pathos in the reader for the alienated monster, spurned by even his creator.

“Life, although it may only be an accumulation of anguish, is dear to me, and I will defend it.”

this encapsulation of the monster's desire to live, an innate desire to love and be loved if not for the hatred and viciousness he (it? it feels improper to refer to the monster as an 'it' haha) was met with for reasons entirely out of his control, really struck a chord with me. there's something undeniably beautiful in the basic will to live, and Frankenstein poignantly touches on the question of; what does it really even mean to exist, as a person?

despite many interpretations of Frankenstein as a cautionary tale against 'playing god', personally i think it's not simply a warning against staying within ethical limits of science and medicine, even though this is a clear theme as well, the crux of victor's issues is his lack of care and responsibility for his creation, and in my opinion the novel serves as a great commentary on a obligation of care for creations; whether the creation is good, bad, something in between, it is yours and thereby you have a responsibility for any repercussions that consequence, and it is victor's negligence that set off the novel's cascade of tragedies.

shelly's dissection of the human condition, the duality of man in our capacity for compassionate tenderness and simultaneously ruinous violence and prejudice, is something that can be seamlessly applied to all humans, all societies across time and space. it is this timelessness that i believe solidifies Frankenstein as a classic literary work, a pioneer of the science fiction genre. the horrific impacts of 'othering' and discrimination explicated in the novel's events still ring true in our society today, and in my personal opinion, it is the prolonged pervasiveness of these issues at hand that make it such an amazing read.

its easy to sympathise with the monster, and at the same time of victor's human ambitions and reasoning can be easily understood despite the irrational and honestly self-centred actions and viewpoints he holds.

“My heart was fashioned to be susceptible of love and sympathy; and when wrenched by misery to vice and hatred, it did not endure the violence of the change without torture such as you cannot even imagine.”

i think reading this quote, its difficult to not feel a deep sorrow for the monster, as shelley's handle of language truly lends tangibility to these abstract emotions of rejection that can be experienced wholly and entirely by the reader.

Frankenstein, as with all novels, is admittedly not for everyone and not everyone will enjoy this as thoroughly as i and countless others have, but i believe its message is absolutely worth delivering, its story worth appreciating :)

cross-posted on goodreads here!

[favcharacterpoll]

ROUND 5 MATCH 11: USAGI VS. KIRBY

Usagi Tsukino from Sailor Moon faces Kirby from Kirby. Who do you like more?

Usagi Propaganda:

"One of the literal most popular characters of all time, but also in my opinion the best protagonist ever written. Kindhearted and loving, powerful and pacifistic. She feels incredibly human and is universally loved in the fandom and across continents in popular culture."

"Girlie is bordering godhood, a reincarnation of a princess of an old moon kingdom, is the strongest in the universe, other people who are also some of the strongest serve her. Yet she's. Still the same person she was in the beginning. She's silly, and despite her kindness and power, she keeps being incredibly goofy.

And despite it all, she's so cringefail!!! Will cry bc a 5 year old got candy and not her, will call it unfair (and that 5 year old is her daughter from the future. Despite her power, she is incredibly human.

And while she is a stereotypical teen girl, and has her own thing about romance going on, the ultimate focus of her life is being Sailor Moon. It is protection not only of the Earth and the human world, but the universe entirely.

64.media.tumblr.com

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GIF by rainbirdsky

Lastly, I've seen some people mention that Norma is bisexual for their propaganda, but so is Usagi! Yes, she ends up with Mamoru, however throughout the series and the manga she develops numerous crushes on women. Haruka, the character above, is one of the examples. She also very commonly remarks on other women's attractiveness throughout the series.

And while the anime (especially 90s version) hid Usagi's queerness, the original manga shows many instances of her crushing on girls.

Lastly, no matter if you're a die hard Sailor Moon fan or someone who watched Sailor Moon as a kid, her cultural impact is undeniable. Sailor Moon is one of the most iconic, one of the best written, characters ever created. She led to the modern resurgence of currently popular pop culture themes such as first love, personalification of celestial bodies, powerful women in media, fashion trends from the 90s to today. And while several characters had wonderful style, Usagi's was the most influential of them all:

She influenced 90s comeback, high chromatic clothing, preppy style sweaters and crop tops, full pastel, big cropped denim jackets on top of preppier styles, and overall femme styles.

Her influence also shines through fansites that have been running for decades.

That's all that really comes to mind, so vote Sailor Moon RIGHT NOW!!!"

Kirby Propaganda:

"round + pink + nonbiney + likely a godling + hungery + power of friendship- If I hadn't made it clear he is just. omifuginggods. He is an antidepressant to me. I would litterally be contemplating death but then i see them and MMMMMMMMMM. They make me so happy. A little guy with a greater power of friendship than twilight sparkle and soooo overpowered but is also just a cool kid who likes food. If he was non-fictional and became real I would cry from happiness and the mentioned tears would water my crops. He means the world to me and they are the most character of all characters of all time that they cured my dededepression. Vote for them rn plslpslpls."

"HE SUPPLIES ME WITH SO MUCH HAPPINESS I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HE BRIGHTENS MY DAY AND HE HAS THE HAPPINESS"

"I'm lov he <3 Also hyperfixation go brrrr"