#and opens up possibility
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"Scholars often dismiss physique references to ancient Greece as a mere ruse or rhetorical framework--a "classical alibi" or "discourse of validation"--to avoid censorship. But an examination of the lives of the founders, contributors, and members of the [physique studio and pictorial] Grecian Guild [1955-1968] tells a different story. The Grecian Guild was instrumental in helping a community of men struggling to find a discourse to explain and valorize their sense of themselves, particularly men outside of urban gay enclaves. Benson and Bullock [the founders of the Grecian Guild] took a discourse about ancient Greece that gay men had been using for nearly a hundred years and gave it mass distribution. They used it like gay men used reference to "the Greeks" or Mary Renault novels--as a way to signal their homosexuality. It was a rallying cry that brought in customers and helped them imagine a better world. As historian and biographer Benjamin Wise argues about the way Alexander Percy used the language of Hellenism, it was "a way of speaking out and covering up at the same time."
Invoking classical traditions in order to make an argument for gay rights has been largely forgotten in the twenty-first century, as such a line of argumentation has become politically and historiographically problematic. Indeed, much of modern LGBT historical scholarship and queer theory has asserted that a homosexual identity is a creation of a modern, capitalist world--that homosexual behavior in ancient cultures was understood in very different terms from the way it is today. Invoking classical antiquity also smacks of a Western bias that privileges European ancestry over other cultural and historical influences. Such arguments also raise the specter of pederasty and pedophilia--or at least age-discordant relationships--that play into the hands of gay rights opponents who relentlessly use the argument that gays recruit children to fight gay rights measures...
Despite these changes in cultural understandings and sensibilities, the use of the classical Greek trope to name gay organizations, periodicals, and commercial ventures continued for decades, even when the need for an alibi had eroded if not disappeared. The lambda or lowercase Greek "L" became one of the primary symbols of the 1970s gay liberation movement. During this same period Seattle's largest gay organization was the Dorian Group, and a Jacksonville, Florida-based gay magazine called itself David--a reference to Michelangelo's Renaissance statue--an indirect link to the classical tradition. Like the Grecian Guild, David offered membership in a fraternal organization with features such as a book club, a travel service, conventions, and even legal aid. As an online website, it continues to serve as one of Atlanta's premier LGBT news and entertainment sources.
...
While severely limited by the forces of censorship, the desire to create opportunities for customers to correspond, meet, and get acquainted attests to the palpable wish of gay men to connect with each other during this period. If few members attended a Grecian Guild convention, the possibility of doing so resonated widely. As a teenage Grecian Guild subscriber in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Michael Denneny read the articles so carefully that he underlined the important parts. "That was proto-political organization, the agenda was very clear to me, and I think to everybody else who joined," Denneny remembered..."These magazines were really important to me," Denneny recalled. "They brought this whole possible world into being, which I'm not sure I could have visualized otherwise."
David K. Johnson, Buying Gay: How Physique Entrepreneurs Sparked a Movement
#queer history#thinking about aang and zuko's connection to the deep past#aang's strange displacement from his people and history#that means he has this distinct lived connection to a by-gone civilization and idyll#and then zuko's obsession with the air nomads#going to all their temples#and in the natla collecting all the nomad and avatar relics#then later their exploration of the sun warrior past#another ancient civilization whose philosophies they seek to adapt#and how both of these relate to aang and zuko's exploration of their gender and alternatives to contemporary masculinity#these fascinations with lost civilizations bring aang and zuko together too#and even force them to address assumptions about age-differences...#just a lot to unpack#just about how exploring other cultures and history thoroughly dislodges one's construction of reality#and opens up possibility
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Okkkkkk so where is Chicken Miku?
Anon the way i dropped everything when i saw this
HATSUNE BEAK-U
(based on the Onagadori chicken breed)
#makenna made a thing#hatsune miku#chicken miku#onagadori#the roosters are the ones with the tails but that just opens this up for even more possibilities#is she trans? is she assigned hen at birth but went through spontaneous sex reversal like can happen to poultry if a hens ovary goes wonky?#it's up to you follow your heart miku can be anything#chickens#tiny fluffy dinosaurs#the BEST animals#artists on tumblr#birdblr#chickenblr#birds#this breed doesn't typically have this comb type but shhhh#vocaloid#yes i WILL chickenify your fictional celebrities!!#anon#ngl this was actually a really good character design exercise lol#does she dye her feathers? she'll never tell this is anime logic
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buckle up lads we're going BACK INTO THE BOOK
#art#twisted wonderland#twisted wonderland spoilers#lost in the book with nightmare before christmas#hajimari no halloween#(the origin of halloween huh) (oooh)#why yes i did wake up way too early to watch the stream and will have no memory of drawing this later#anyway THE MAGIC BOOK IS BACK TO EAT US ONCE AGAIN!!!!#this does make things make a lot more sense if it doesn't have to. y'know. actually take place in the established world#like how jack and sally are apparently just gonna be THERE as themselves WHY NOT#i'm certainly not complaining mind you#scully looks like he's gonna be super adorable and i love him already#spooky scary skeleman who just goes :O a lot and is excited for halloween#he seems like he might actually be more of a fusion of jack and sally? or maybe i'm just reading too much into it#still getting jazzy vibes off of him though. is not scully j graves an incredible jazz musician name.#does this open up the possibility that the last time we went into the book there was a sexy anime boy stitch just offscreen the whole time#...maybe some things are best left uncontemplated#god everyone in this event looks fantastic i'm so glad i saved up some keys after all#a little sad that there's no lilia but you know what the fact that a halloweentown malleus exists is still pretty dang good#and sebek's hat is SO tall#the biggest hat for the loudest boy#i hope oogie is here too i need him and jamil to meet#i need jamil to be faced with a guy who's just a bunch of bugs standing on each other's shoulders in a trenchcoat#i am not coherent right now i just needed to get this out before i go pass out again
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ok but he was fully flirting here. I think it's so funny that Charles was like "idk if I'm in love with you but we have all eternity to figure it out" and then literally an episode later he was like "welp time to start thinking about this!" and immediately started openly flirting with Edwin. you go bisexual king
#dead boy detectives#painland#payneland#charles rowland#edwin payne#(show tagging. it's payne.)#anyway I think it's so funny that he was like 'we have all the time in the world!' and then immediately went on to#'well we don't have to wait that long tho :)'#i genuinely think. part of charles's confusion is that he's never really considered edwin as an option y'know.#because edwin is. like that.#and so charles has just never contemplated the possibility at all#but now that edwin is less emotionally constipated. and charles is also more willing to open up.#i think now he can start really thinking about it#and then who knows!
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remember that one post you did a while back with pomni and jax’s personalities swapped?
can i have more of that, my good bear?
She likes to sneak in his room when he's sleeping w an airhorn and when he jolts awake screaming she decks him in the face with a pie lol
#getting back into the groove of drawin#i actually luv doin these swaps cause seeing jax suffer and also Asshole Pomni <3#can u tell i rly like spinel lmao#tadc#the amazing digital circus#tadc fanart#tadc jax#tadc pomni#tadc swap au#pomni#jax#bear king draws#this opens up the possibilities of an interesting ragapom dynamic too teehee#2 lesbians and their neurotic twink rabbit
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Finding unprecedented new ways to get high 🧡
#hoof draws#hoofology#gills open up all kind of possibilities...#turn your girl into a bong !#i imagine there is at least 1 lesbian out there that this will be perfectly catered to
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The Boy Wonder #1 by Juni Ba rambling about why every time i open this book, i stare in wonder...HAHA and ofc!! how cute Damian is!!
Juni Ba’s style is so absurdly effective in telling a fairy tale for the ages. It’s a stunning blend of simplicity and complexity I'M GRIPPING THE PAGES AGAINST MY EYES…
Before getting into the interiors, THE COVER!! It associates autumn leaves to Damian's Robin title through the iconic cape shape/color; and on top of that, for a Robin going through a big transition in his life...a season of change one might say...Juni Ba your brain...
Damian and the leaves being the only colored parts of this cover is nice in focusing on those elements, but i also like to think by not coloring the background it prepares you to expect impressive inkwork in this book.
On that note, the interiors!! Starting off with Ba's backgrounds of Gotham as it establishes the strange new world that our young hero has been thrust into:
We get a neat tracking shot following a champagne glass that gives us a glimpse of Gotham from the upper echelons to the downtrodden in "Underwell"
This opening sequence quickly lays out the environment Damian will be traveling through in this series! It also sets the tone for some silliness with the cute zoom on the champagne glass before it BOKs the robber lol. Along with Ba's inks, O'Halloran's colors makes every part of Gotham pop - especially love the golds of the higher society shifting into the blues of the underbelly!!
Besides Damian’s personal conflict, Gotham feels like its own entity that he has to contend with. The dialogue speaks for itself, but within the art as well!!
"This city of ours swallows and crushes everything it can" -> a gargoyle's beak over Damian, crowds of people, and walls of advertising
"You've seen it too...the way it coils around one's mind from below." -> bridges and a passing train on a rail viaduct towering over a civilian
"A dark voice calling as if to say..." -> literally, "FEED ME"
LOVELY SHOT OF MOVEMENT... and i love how Damian's venture into Gotham opens with him passing a tree - its branches and leaves are the most organic element on the page before getting into the gritty details of the city! Some yammering because the inks are. so cool: the delicate lines of the leaves in the tree to the thicker/bigger lined ones closer to the camera on the right; the background inks allowing space around Damian's form + the fine line of his grapple!! More O'Halloran praise - PRETTY, and love his coloring over Ba's bg lines, particularly here, keeping the leaves darker on the right.
It's not only a pretty page it's just a really clean layout!! Ba exhibits this throughout the book but i really enjoy it here - from Damian nyooming, we head into these last 3 panels. his cute lil "Robin" shape easily draws the eye to the tops of the panels as we take in Gotham's liveliness alongside the lettering/narration
and the "Robin" shape?? SO CUTE. it's instantly familiar to us as Robin!! bold outline and filled with yellow...it's a Robin in movement!!...AN AUTUMN LEAF IN THE WIND... yeah, still not over that 😭
Damian's inciting incident is introduced in the former panel with a gorgeous backdrop of Gotham in the distance (plus itty bitty Trinity cameo haha). The shot parallels!! beautifully!! in the final page!! Damian is now in the depths of Gotham, his objective out of reach. The colors are of note too, where the familiar yellows of Gotham are suddenly a startling green after the demon makes its appearance. The Gotham land looks even more unfamiliar, which prompts Damian to seek help.
Some speculation, but the green could also be associated with the more mythical side of demons and such (like the ghost?? of the thief), but it could even imply there's a connection to the Al Ghuls themselves as it's the only other time green is so prominently used.
Now that the land of Gotham is established, popping in other fav bgs!
More lovely mix of Ba's inks and O'Halloran's colors!! especially allowing some of the brush/marker strokes to show faintly as part of the twinkling sky...STUNNING!! 😭 i love this whole page but this panel gets me weepy, SMALL DAMIAN IN THE VAST UNIVERSE COMBINED WITH THIS LINE "He knew he could be great. How unfair of the world to make him feel so small." KICKS MY ASS... i need to lie down
YAPPING AT MORE WONDERFUL INKING: the suggestion of windows offscreen from the frames casting these thick lines over the walls and stairwell; the minute shadow details over the railing; the hatching on the suits in the portrait; the framed portrait being its own panel!! cute hooded Damian in the gutter space looking in on the portrait/panel!! CUTE HOODED DAMIANS!!
SPEAKING OF PANELS, along with general effectiveness and efficiency, there's more whimsy in others!! like this kickass page of Nightwing whipping his escrima from first panel -> afterimage lines going POWPOWPOW hitting demons from a distance to ones closer to the camera -> and back into his hand!! IT'S SO GOOD AND SO FUN!!
Ba's action employs more diagonal panels, and characters are less restrained within boxes - there's more energy and freedom across the page!
not necessarily focusing on the action for this one, but THE WHIMSY!! the border itself is goop!! Also gotta point out that looming hammer shape!!
Nightwing's critical hit spans the entire page!! from silhouettes of a flip -> flashy stomping pose/Clayface -> to a distant shot of Dick landing
and a smooth finisher page!! love the motion lines on Dick's arms and waist + his head and arc effects popping outside of the borders; then the smaller panels for quick activity, and the final WOOB WOOB WOOB LOL i can hear this sound effect just as much as i can see it
Along with O'Halloran on colors, Aditya Bidikar on lettering works seamlessly with Ba's vision!! The text boxes for the fairy tale narration are like strips of yellowing pages from an old storybook!! Had to look up the term for this lol, but also reminiscent of those storybooks, there's even a use of "drop caps" - the big fancy capital letter!
Smaller things of note, but the bit of "Weakness" text from Ra's has a kind of. grandiose feel to it. Then the cute B< Damian behind the window!! Love how the bubble and text are faded behind the glass too! The end of the bubble tail is a nice touch as it matches well with Ba's bg inking :0
Otherwise, it seems Ba has done a majority of the lettering - dropping a couple of my favs below!!
also just this whole page: the very loud AAAH! text draws both Damian's and the reader's attention to the panel below!! it's a cool transition to a new shot where you can see Damian's silhouette on the building! The final panel is cartoony violence off-page through the bold POW BOOM SLAM haha + DAMIAN'S LIL FIST!!🥺 and the guy's tooth RIP
Pure speculation - Juni Ba's concept art included Carrie Kelley, so i'm wondering if the hostage in the beginning could be her and we'll be returning to this moment in time by the end. The worn Robin colors are similar to the design + their head is conveniently covered.
In terms of story, I'm obviously heavily biased, but the initial read got me rolling in emotions with how it has you caring for Damian. Damian as a character is so fantastical in essence - it’s part of his individual charm in the batfam cast! an heir of two kingdoms, born and raised with great expectations suddenly thrust into an unfamiliar land. he has a sword. he has a dragon bat for a companion. he is haunted by the sins he has committed. he is two apples tall. he's truly fairytale material!!
LIKE...past the panels of only his silhouettes, this is our introductory appearances of Damian. It's laid out clearly in the narration, but this parallel is SO GOOD: from the powerful and ornate visuals of Damian and the Al Ghuls -> to a simple panel of Batman's shadow behind a boy littered in scars, stripped of his home and status
Damian is out of his element and proves himself in the way he knows how!!
just kick me down a flight of stairs why don't you. i don't know which messes me up more, the top 3 or bottom 3 panels. His facial expressions!! his expectations for approval dashed!! Damian's hand reaching for his father!! only to be left alone with the body. The page after this is the final nail in the coffin in feeling just how lost he is in the world before he acts on it. And you root for him the entire way!!😭
Despite Damian's fanciful background there's so much heart to be shown in his struggles and discoveries - and this classic form of a fairy tale lays it out so brilliantly!! It's shaping up to be an amazing balance of heavier elements and whimsy based on this first issue, and it leaves you wanting more!!
Besides being a thoroughly enjoyable read, it's inspiring work!! i've ordered Juni Ba's other books to consume more of his storytelling, and here's the ones i've found so far if you're interested in checking them out as well!!
Mobilis: My Life with Captain Nemo
Monkey Meat
Djeliya: A West African Fantasy Epic
The Unlikely Story of Felix and Macabber
okay shockingly, i didn't blab about how cute Damian is as much as i thought i would, but i think the collage at the top speaks for itself lol
this is all you need to know how cute Damian is in this!! his cheeks are so pinchable, it was done on page!! 🥺 these panels obliterate me
#rambling#damian wayne#it's been 2 weeks since this issue came out and i'm still cracking it open every other day#throwing my chattering into his tag to possibly get more people into the series especially if you're a fan of Damian!!#i even used capitalization for slightly easier reading LOLL#the Damian collage was taking so long i was laughing how i'm taking more time to do that than the actual ramble#then i started rambling and then i realized i couldn't shut up sdfgh#feel like i sound delusional most of the time so these are maybe my most coherent thoughts LOL#pointing at pages over my brother's shoulder 'love that...so cool...look how pretty that is...' articulating WHY makes me sound insane😭#the boy wonder
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a few days ago my brain demanded i draw polywitchlight RIGHT NOW and who am i to refuse
original and closeups under the cut
original/template is from “Go For It Nakamura!” by Syundei which i have not read actually
+ closeups; feel free to use as icons with credit smile
#legends of avantris#once upon a witchlight#torbek#gideon coal#morning frost#kremy lecroux#gricko grimgrin#meme redraw#cw possible eyestrain#polylight#polywitchlight#do i even bother tagging twig hootsie and duke/gorebek if theyre just tiny little guys#obligatory click/open in new tab for better quality.#cmon guys i spent so much time on this#i actually LOOKED AT A REFERENCE???? GASP wow that never happens !!!#anyways i love gricko and his fucking teefers#im realizing that i dont draw torbek as fucked up and sad looking as everyone else does which does make him look inaccurate but shut up#in my heart hes adorable okay
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DMCK Vol.0 Kaishin rambling ✨
So after a whole day of walking around Tropical Land to learn how to flirt and plan a date, Kaito was the guy who captured Shinichi's heart!? He was the guy Shinichi thought was the coolest!!???
⛲Because of Kaito, Shinichi thought the fountain was the most romantic place⛲ but ended up never going with Ran on that night...Kaito ended up showing him a more romantic location - on the rooftop with fireworks 😭~~~
I want to see Shinichi describe this cool guy to KID leading to some... drama...some anger and jealousy from KID~~~
✨Kaito is the effortless romantic and Shinichi falls for it hard but gets shy and annoyed because he couldn't think of or initiate those cheesy lines and date plans.... Shinichi then realises he likes to be in the receiving end....
Them always meeting on a full moon in vol.0...🌕
🧥Also Kaito wearing the same outfit as Shinichi during black star. He probably saw Shinichi run away in embarrassment and couldn't get him out of his mind...to the point he walks around the street wearing the same outfit hoping to see Shinichi again....
Why is it that when Kaito wears it, it feels more masculine? Probably just the art style from that early episode but still----
Is vol.0 considered the prologue? The PROLOGUE IS KAISHIN???
#kaishin#dmck#dmck vol.0#detective conan#kudou shinichi#kuroba kaito#detective conan vol.0#detective conan special 1#dmck manga#is this a canon fanfic#im dying out here#this is opening up to too many creative possibilities and plots#tsundere shinichi
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#Private shy man Chilchuck Tims™️ opening up his family to coworker aka the very most private and precious sphere of his life. Opening up his#heart fr… They’re blushing so hard what 😭 there are other ppl in the room be normal#“He sold out his family!” that’s right Izutsumi#Marcille’s head racing at 200 km/h rn#Marchil#marcille donato#chilchuck tims#spoilers#dungeon meshi manga spoilers#Dungeon meshi spoilers#Jic: edited second pic to fit better for the format. Panels aren’t right next to each other in og page#Love story for the ages#I just find it funny n weird how dramatic they are in that scene#I mean ofc dramatic aggrandizing Marcille would be dramatic about it. And this is Chilchuck w his personal life so ofc he’s dramatic af#Could never possibly mention his hometown name or age after all no no no way too personal. Lmao#The blushing……………#Dungeon meshi#Marcille understanding the weight of what he just said bc she knows him and omg……….#Their reaction being bc they understand the underlying jeaning n message of it i’m just saying…..#Chil accepting he’s an open book for her <3
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🏃♀️Hi hi I'm reopening my commission again since I am in the middle of my final year project and I needed funds to support my art project _(:'3」∠)_
*also if you see my previous commission post minutes ago, please disregard that I put the wrong info there ;w; Also appreciate if you guys delete my previous post too if you reblogged it 🥲
Please take note that since I am in the middle of my final year and I also have 3 pending commissions to go right now, I only be able to fully commit to this slot around the end of July!
SLOTS TAKEN: 2/5
*Taken slots will be updated from time to time!
‼️PLEASE READ MY TOS AND RULES BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO COMMISSION ME!!‼️
🔷️My TOS, art samples and additional rules/info can be read on my carrd here.
🔷️No rush orders will be accepted as I am currently in the middle of my final. If you need an estimate for commission turnarounds please refer to my Trello! I date stamp all of my progress from start to finish! Please commission me only if you don't mind waiting for me!!
I'm also posting my art samples (personal art) undercut!
And as always, reblogs are highly appreciated 🥰💕💕
🔷️Please DM me if you're interested or have any inquiries regarding my commission!
🔷️There’s no pressure at all if you don’t want to reblog/share but I greatly appreciate it very much if you do
🥺👉👈Reblogs are definitely very much appreciated 🥰💕💕
#//making a summoning circle in the middle of my room to summon tumblr server and personally hit it with a bat for fucking up my post#i guess this is pretty much an emergency commission too since I am so serious about looking for funds for my art project#why do i have to sacrifice my sanity and money just for a piece of paper that says i have a diploma???#anyway im going to reblog this post a lot until all my slots are taken ;w; so sorry about that guys#also very sorry if you see an increase jn my price my render takes a lot of time and im actually dealing with wrist pain lately#and my arms are making sounds that i didnt know its possible for me to crack before thats crayzyyy i dont even know i have a joint there#okay tag spam oof#commission#commission open#commission art#commission info#selfship commission#selfship art#selfship headcanon#selfship talk#selfship#selfshipping#selfship community#selfshipping community#self insert oc#self insert art#self insert community#artist on tumblr#art commission#art#art community
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lostinthebookwithstitch.jpg
this is all I can muster right now, too busy having my brain absolutely melted by the September schedule, what is happening
#art#twisted wonderland#twisted wonderland spoilers#lost in the book with stitch#so if i understand this correctly the next episode 7 bit is dropping in like a WEEK?!#and this is just going to be happening during the extra stitch pickup?!#i thought it was weird that they were doing such a long post-event pickup I DIDN'T EXPECT THIS#and they just snuck that little announcement in there before the absolute madness of OH YEAH AND NON-NRC GUYS CAN HAVE CARDS TOO NOW#the POSSIBILITIES this opens up#i did not think i would be so glad not to get a new episode 7 card but i need these keys for my second chance at masquerade malleus#and this is before we even know anything about the new halloween event except for johnny honestman and gidenyan#or the details on the platinum birthday cards#twst please you CAN'T do this to me#by which i mean yes please keep doing this i am loving every second of it
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PLEASE PLEASE MEGADUMP THE ARASOL!!! PLEAAASEE MR BEESCAKE I AM ON MY KNEES BEGGING YOU
HFHGHD GLADLY aaa i’ve been adding notes to it here and there for months but just hesitant to post it bcs im 🧍♂️🧍♂️🧍♂️🧍♂
also this is just my own takeaway of the events, it doesn’t necessarily comply to the Ultimate Truth of Canon-Alignment or represent the actual facts of what hussie intended! v sentimental smh but hopefully its still interesting to read
i love when characters inform each other by proximity, it's one of my fave things to see in media :') it feels even more significant when two characters deliberately choose to stick together, so that when one operates, you can tell the other is similarly aligned in associative solidarity.
sollux is a keystone of this trope — whoever he aligns with is a wordless statement, a nod of approval. this stood out to me bcs the main four humans were alr friends by default, but once you reach hivebent you realize the trolls can actively choose who they want to hang out with.
and as we all know, after assessing every troll's biases/loyalties, sollux is the only one who maintains his selective preference for innately Good 👍 people.
aradia is such a beautiful character honestly, she evokes such incredible feelings in me. she might not have been consistently written with care but the best parts of her character are truly stunning. i think it's easy to remember sollux as the self-sacrificing one bc he's so open about it (and his friends frequently react to his Moments) but when you compare him to aradia, it's always struck me
how much more. raw it is
to be so alone as an agent of time, having to orchestrate immeasurably harrowing events nobody understands or gives a fuck about
with your role painted in the story as one who must tend to the needs of the narrative, responsible to match every next note
because when you're given the capabilities, it becomes your duty to carry it out.
it becomes expected of you to keep experimenting and arranging the machinations to work for everyone, dusting off hundreds of necessary failures to keep going
and having to be so unwavering in your drive knowing miserably that there's no one who can help you but yourself.
or alternatively: to make things fun! so other people won't think twice about letting you go off on your own.
sure she's had some very good buds, notably thanks to Team Charge v Team Scourge antics.
and yet, at the end of the day, the one friend that kept choosing her time and time again was the friend with the highest standards.
i can see why people like to define arasol as moirails/matesprits but surprisingly i find the nondescript, unlabeled aspect of their relationship more straightforward to understand.
there's no shortage of people who would accommodate sollux. most of the surviving trolls are his oldest friends bcs he’d chosen them well. his transparency with his feelings had built him strong friendships that won’t falter or break, regardless of how much of a dick he can be. they’ve already seen and accepted him at his worst, and they still like him for who he is.
contrast that with aradia, who'd been so approachable, friendly and reliable in her exchanges it was super fun to talk to her. but the moment she became depressed, all her connections broke down.
her friends became hesitant to interact with her (until she became god tier, “happy” and amicable again) because her gloom and resignation didn’t serve them. she dealt with it alone.
there’s def something of note here abt the disparity between the way male & female characters are written+perceived in homestuck (esp parallel arasol with davejade) but i won’t go into that lmaoo
with this in mind i like to think of sollux as a gift to her, a loyal companion given to complement and commend her resolve. she's capable of doing so much alone but hussie took the time to build her and sollux's relationship as one of a unit; a set.
the ambiguity of their status does complicate things, but i do believe it makes sense with their characters. aradia's relationship with romance is a rocky one, the dubious stringalong equius had with her is a pointed reminder that her feelings of attraction are ultimately controlled by the author writing her.
unlike the other trolls who can openly address and own up to their crushes, aradia had romantic emotions forced upon her (especially when hussie implies 'she kissed equius back on her own volition'). and it seems like her character is so intrinsically neutral abt attraction that even when forced by the almighty powers above, she's unable to retain it wholly.
however, looking back to pre-game when she could actually "choose" her own feelings, she did have a crush on sollux.
their soft spots for each other were so obvious to the point where other people could see it.
taunting aside, when vriska comments on their unit as bf/gf it actually informs the audience that arasol's relationship is romantic in nature despite not aligning with the quadrant system.
even while dead, aradia could still describe her care for sollux, expressing that she would like to see him happy. if they had more time to explore their relationship on alternia, it's possible they could've settled in a quadrant once they grew older.
but going back to the lack of labels, their dynamic was affected once more when aradia became god tier.
to me, her ascension was both the perfect culmination and possible closure of her character. it's the light at the end of her journey toiling through countless of timelines where she had to actively assess and participate. that's why it's cool to see her being silly and having fun giving guidance, passively exploring and watching other people do their parts.
and yet the joy of her freedom makes it hard to explore further introspection. if we take her by her word, she'd already come to terms with the hurt she's been through and forgiven those involved.
i can't help feeling attuned to how impersonal and detached it can be, to devote and meld your identity so completely with your designated position as Maid of Time until you've become hard for your old friends (and even some readers!) to personally connect to.
idk post-canon but i assume there’s some degree of similarity to be bridged here with aradia's god tier and how the hs2 humans' Ultimate forms was described as a consolidation of all their possibilities. since aradia's classpect is inherently of service to Time, going god-tier may have elevated her beyond personhood with the "game construct" possessing her entirely. sollux doesn't realize the extent of it bcs he's still mortal, but a part of him may have subconsciously understood this.
i think there is a core aspect to aradia that was lost to the dehumanizing glory of god tier — a core aspect that may have contained an element of why sollux enjoyed talking to her in the first place.
to him, aradia hadn't just been a nice girl, she was a cool girl. despite not having much in common, he's still willing to chill next to her so she's not alone while she does what needs to get done.
back on alternia, they held a mutual and equal-level regard for each other that could've definitely settled into something permanent. but now, he's placed himself in a position where he can be kept around or left behind at will. the parameters of the relationship are largely in aradia's court, so any label she suggests to identify their relationship with he's likely to accept.
but that's why it's so difficult to label it. because god tier aradia may not necessarily Want quadrants or relationship labels. rather than the initial romantic attachment, their commitment to each other had evolved into one fundamentally of companionship.
no label? ok fine. no matter what, he still thinks she's a good soul worth latching on to. the best, actually. aradia > everyone else.
even if it gets stilted at times. there's an unexpected struggle to connect when sollux's go-to default for talking points is his feelings about things, and aradia may not want to talk about emotions all the time.
not to mention god tier aradia became an observer, especially of chaos. but sollux's avoidance of involvement comes partially from his innate pressure to get involved if something goes wrong. and he can't always tell when something goes wrong, because aradia doesn't mind if things go wrong anymore.
it's a non-negotiable preference that causes them to take the occasional time apart, a new boundary that wouldn't have existed before the game and aradia's god tier.
but just like how his friends tolerated his moods, sollux accepts aradia as she is. with no quadrants, their connection doesn't break down because there's no implicit romantic expectations to be disappointed by or resentful over.
sometimes when i see hs content that deliberately distances sollux from aradia, i assume this is the dissonance people might have felt. people might find it "easier" to be cynical about them bcs of this strange tension.
but idc lmao. grab that shit by the neck
lack of easy resolutions and cleanly tied ribbons is pretty standard of homestuck and imo it doesn't make arasol's dynamic any less incredible. with the right affection and consideration, there's still so much potential to develop the nuance of their relationship outside of the popular quadrant-based depictions.
hs has a lot of really great character compatibilities but the way aradia and sollux are in their own special orbit is why i can write this much about them in the first place. it's that frail innocence between first loves that makes it so sweet to me, two kids who grew up too fast playing guesswork without being clear where they're going.
ultimately i do think you're meant to feel a little tragedy for just how much they care for each other, even if they can't quite establish it in simple terms.
maybe they keep taking breaks to progress their own paths. maybe they remain as anchor partners while seeing other people. but even if you decide to separate them, they're still (awkwardly) texting each other updates all the while. and when they reunite it feels like coming home.
and well. more than anything, i like to believe that they do want to be exclusive.
they're just afraid. after all, they're still learning how to love, beyond the projections of the foursquare quadrant system they had inadvertently distanced themselves from since young.
they might not have everything figured out, but they'll get there eventually if you just hold them together and write them there.
optional post-canon segment:
one of the limitations of main hs is that (monogamous) relationships are often written as the go-to solution to wrap up character growth; it's an easy "patch" to imagine characters getting their happy ending because they have a partner, and those who don't end up with someone don't get that closure (most notably jade).
hs2 reaffirms this by suggesting that aradia's character cannot progress without letting sollux go, because happily settling in a relationship automatically locks your potential.
that pathetic panel of sollux staring emptily into the sky is still my fave hs2 spoiler ngl i find the impact of their parting so emotionally provoking precisely bcs they were written in original hs to be each other's forever, coming back together again and again
but now, they're subject to the decisions of the post-canon authors who might choose to deviate from that.
it's not new for them to part, but now there's an underlying worry that her dropping him off this time might be the last time. while i think the prospect of shattering their stability to make them grow separately sounds fun on paper, no amount of me desperately hoping for a good execution is gonna guarantee it
idk. i guess prediction-wise im expecting sollux in classic dramatic-hs2 fashion to tell dave to back off aradia LMAO. otherwise it's just gon be sollux and karkat pathetically watching aradia and dave from a distance swimming in their unresolved feelings for narratively-powerful time players smh obvs it sounds corny as hell but who knows its still plausible
srsly tho i hope they take the opportunity to develop arasol's relationship in a fresh direction that doesn't hurt me too badly...... and i hope they force sollux out of his comfort zone. i like watching him struggle :-)
#sorry if this isnt fully accurate heh its just my personal impressions/feelings#despite best efforts to simplify my annotations the wall of text still ended up massive#there's also a comparison i wanted to make abt characters who “broke up” from romantic expectations losing a lot of what they had before#dave(sprite)/jade‚ karkat/terezi‚ dirk/jake etc = which is why i think arasol was rescued by hussie on purpose. arasol endgame truth#ngl there mightve been more moments that shouldve been mentioned but i have no memories of... limited cloud storage#long post#ask#anon#homestuck#arasol#aradia megido#sollux captor#arapostings#2024#vioart#not disqualifying acespec/qpr reading i think its also possible :]#if anything i dont understand fanon killing off aradia for their sollux ships haiyaaa why is this trope so damn popular#every time i open a slkt fic and aradia is dead i go outside and burn a tree. global warming could not come sooner#slkts who treat aradia like dvkts treat jade…. i punt u football style
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└ jack always hyping up the boys | all star weekend 2024 | 2.1.24
#jack hughes#quinn hughes#elias pettersson#vancouver canucks#new jersey devils#nhl all star game 2024#mine#the sportsnet video opens up a world more possibility#hockeyedit
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I caved and made the big grid, go wild 👍
#atlas.art#artists on tumblr#outfit meme#outfit reference#art meme#drawing meme#i checked what this looked like in my drafts to make sure tumblr wouldn't kill the image for being too big and it looks fine#but there's still a possibility that it might get nuked after i post. in which case. L for me I suppose. whatever#anyways I am opening up requests here now with this :]#you know the drill. send me a character and an outfit <3
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I only know Mexican Spanish, so I can only speak for myself and those I grew up with but "mami" and "papi" are not the equivalent of mommy/daddy as used in sexual or intimate relations.
We use mami and papi with our kids. It's what our tíos and tías call us that affectionately. It's what the lady from the corner store calls us when she's sweet on us and can't quite remember our names. It's what our grandparents call us as they fix up a scraped knee. And they bring out papito/mamita when we're either in deep shit, or in need of comfort that can only come from someone with more knowledge, power, or experience than us. It's a diminutive term of endearment.
I'm not saying it's never used as mommy/daddy, but it's hardly ever a title. The context of it is so wildly different, because it's usually what we call someone we're responsible for.
"Mamas" tho? Mamas can fuck.
#xavi ramblings#it's a little jarring sometimes lmao#but i thought this might be important considering some of the characters i see written with these words are specifically mexican#i'm also open to alternatives!!#would fucking love to see the same dynamic used#it's just a matter of context#i haven't been able to think of a masculine equivalent yet#because it doesn't seem to exist in the language with the same sentiment#kiko brought up that it's because so many latine households are lead and ran by the women#which leads to most possible masculine terms of endearment being diminutive#it all makes sense too that's why i love when women are mean to me#culturally built-in feature
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