#and watching people be able to create art (in any form) for a story they love so much?

[queer-reader-07]

y’all ever stop to think about how lucky the good omens fandom is in terms of fanwork? cuz i do. all the time.

this fandom is overrun with fanart (spanning everything from breathtaking paintings to silly doodles, all of which is wonderful), there’s so much fan fiction, and endless meta analysis to be found.

there’s something so beautiful about watching this vast online community of people come together and just create. the fact that one story has managed to instill creative inspiration into so many people is just so amazing to me.

[allthingswhumpyandangsty]

why does it comfort some people or bring them joy/excitement to imagine their favorite characters in terrible situations and being hurt physically or mentally? wouldn’t you want your favorite characters to be happy and safe?

I’m sure I’ve seen this exact ask being sent to another writing blog before, so seeing one in my own inbox was a little surprising. but anyway, I’ve said this before, but I don’t mind saying it again because lots of people seem to still be confused about this; the enjoyment of imagining or seeing fictional characters in terrible situations in which they are hurt and/or scared is called whump. people who enjoy whump tend to express their interest through art, such as drawings, writings, etc. whump has a community on several online platforms, as well as here on Tumblr. we are simply known as “whump community”.

moving on to your question, “why does it comfort us to imagine our favorite characters in agony?” — there is no definitive answer to the question, because different people enjoy whump for various, different reasons, and all of these reasons are valid. however, what I can give you is some examples of the reasons why people enjoy whump

reasons why people like whump:

some people use whump as a reflection of what they’ve been through, and they let their trauma out by channeling the trauma through fictional characters. to make it as simple as I can, some people use whump as a coping mechanism to help them heal from any traumatic events in their lives.

while whump is indeed about pain, it can also be about the comfort (the healing process) that comes after the pain. I personally known several people who heal by writing whump stories in which their favorite characters went through and survived terrible things that happened to them. the comfort part of the whump was used as a symbol of hope for these people, in the sense that they hold on to the idea that if these fictional characters can survive horrible things that happened to them, they (the writers) can survive and heal too.

some people use whump as a way to let out their frustration, trauma or pain. an abuse victim may fantasize about hurting their abuser back by creating a fantasy world in which their favorite character was hurt, but later healed and/or get their revenge.

it’s also worth mentioning that one doesn’t have go through their own trauma in order to be able to enjoy whump. 

some people like whump where their favorite character is hurt because they just Want to Hurt These Little Guys. 

some people like whump where their favorite character is hurt because they like the part where their favorite character gets comforted and is nursed back to health after they are rescued.

whump that’s followed by comfort (whump with a happy ending) is valid.

whump that has no comfort (whump without a happy ending) is also valid.

because whump is a genre, just like how lots of people like horror movies just for the sake of liking them. 

the term whumperflies is used to describe the euphoric feeling a person experiences while watching, drawing, writing or reading a whump scenario that hits right in the feels. for lack of better comparison, some people experience whumperflies that come close to an orgasm, whether or not whump is a sexual thing to them (some may enjoy whump as a form of kink, while some may enjoy whump for reasons that aren’t sexual at all). for some, whumperflies are these tingling sensation in the chest and/or the stomach, for someone else, whumperflies is like when you ride a rollercoaster and the ride is going down from its highest stop. there's no wrong way to experience whumperflies, as different people describe and experience them differently.

so, yes, some people may enjoy whump just for the euphoria whumperflies bring. and some people — myself included — can’t get whumperflies unless the character that’s going through pain is their most favorite character; it’s like… because you love this character so much, you’re so connected to them, you're so emotionally invested in them that you can only get whumperflies if it’s them going through the torture, meanwhile other characters just don’t make you feel half as strongly.

and that’s explain why people in the whump community prefer their favorite characters to be the ones going through hell.

and again, just like how movies have different genres, whump is a genre — people who like whump aren’t “freaks” or “red flags” in real life, even if they like whump for reasons that aren’t about coping mechanism. whump is a genre and a form of art, and most importantly, whump is fiction. it’s not real.

I do understand why people who aren’t into whump tend to be confused by the concept of whump, and I do understand why these people think being a fan of a fictional character only means wanting said fictional character to be safe and happy, which is why whump is not for everybody, and that’s okay too.

the thing is there is no wrong way to be a fan of something that’s fictional, you can like this fictional character so much you want to see them cry and covered in blood for whatever reasons, and that’s okay. as long as you’re not hurting anybody in real life.

there’s nothing wrong or abnormal about people who enjoy whump, just like how there’s nothing wrong or abnormal about people who like horror movies. it’s fiction and it’s a form of art. and I believe everybody is allowed to express and enjoy their interests through art in whichever way they want, as long as they’re not harming anybody in real life.

[the-cat-and-the-birdie]

You don't need to worry about the ATSV fandom dying. As someone whose been in the Marvel fandom over ten years - I can assure you this is natural.

The ATSV Fandom Isn't Dead: A brief look into the science of fandoms.

[me standing beside Hobie beaming my thoughts of love and adoration into his head like I'm professor x]

A lot of people are afraid of the ATSV dying - and I don't blame them.

In the era of shows releasing all in one day, or movies coming to streaming almost immediately - it's not hard to say we're in an era were content is consumed at ridiculously rapid rates.

I mean, this time last year Wednesday was breaking records on Netflix. Where's the hype now?

I know you see it too, there's less posts everyday in the Hobie tag, less screenshot breakdowns, etc etc etc.

But I'm here to tell you - The ATSV fandom is doing just fine. Better than fine. All of this is meant to happen.

Let me put it into perspective.

ATSV released on June 2nd - it's November.

ATSV released a little over six months ago.

For reference: The Avengers (2012) was released on May 4th.

The Avengers DVD wasn't available for purchase until SEPTEMBER 25th - almost SIX months later.

The time that the Hobie fandom has formed and existed - is the same amount of time people had to wait just to see The Avengers again.

Large periods of time where tags only get three posts a day TOPS was nothing to fear. xReaders and fanfics held the fandom over until the next trailer, the next sneak peek or leak.

Prior to the release of streaming, only a little more than ten years ago - it was NATURAL for a fandom to wait six months before even seeing the movie for a second time.

And mind you - streaming didn't exist. If you wanted to see The Avengers again, you had to go out and BUY it. $26.99.

If you wanted to order it online - you'd have to get it shipped to you. Before Disney plus, we watched on BlueRay Discs.

And the fandom was fine and healthy.

If a fandom that doesn't even have a DVD release can keep up content for six months, I think we'll be fine.

But I'll admit - there's still the question:

If the ATSV fandom is 'doing fine' then where is everyone going? Why are the tags getting slower?

The answer is simple:

FANDOM BIOLOGY

I LOVE social sciences and the systems people create and how they work - even unintentionally.

And I have a theory - one about the natural evolution and regeneration of fandom. Hear me out -

When it comes to ATSV:

We are leaving the Analysation Phase, the phase in which content creation is centered around deciphering and breaking down the most recent installment in the fandom.

During this phase usually see art of newer characters, new ships, meta breakdowns, easter egg point-outs.

We were in that phase.

Once the Analysation Phase dies down, usually main content creators may remain. The intermediate or liminal period.

The intermediate is usually when you'll see more x-reader art pop-up, the levels of fanart evening out as artists return to their favorite characters - usually incorporating any new ones they gained from the last installment.

Shitposts usually also become popular around this time, as the shock and weight of the story wear off, and we're more able to joke about the storyline a lot more light-heartedly.

That's why the intermediate point is often see as the passion 'dying out'.

When in fact, it is the fandom getting comfortable. Resting for the next phase.

And after a few months, the next phase comes:

The Speculation Phase:

The Speculation Phase cannot come until the Analysation Phase is over.

During the Analysation Phase the fandom begins to breakdown and digest the writers intentions. They integrate the new character into the story, and the fandom.

As the audience and fandom talk amongst each other, we get more solid ideas of who the characters are, what their motivations might be, and most important of all-

What they might do.

In the Speculation Phase we turn from the last installment - and start looking towards the future.

Let's take Hobie for example.

Looking at the timeline of the Hobie fandom, we can see a progression.

Originally taken as a punk-rockstar and little more, throughout the months the fandom began posting things about punk culture, the 70's, Hobie's motivation in the comics, and how that all correlates to him.

As the fandom analyzed, the collective zeitgeist and understanding of Hobie grew into something a lot more sound, and telling.

We looked at the parellels he provides in the story, and what kind of person he is.

And because if that we have seen a marked improvement in people's contextual understanding of Hobie - as a punk and a hero.

And now that we can understand him - we can predict him.

The same goes for Miguel - over the months, a lot of us have began to question if we know him as well as we think we do , if we really know the kinda person he is -

And if we really know what he's doing to do.

That's where the Speculation Phase comes in.

The Speculation Phase in fandom is when we see some of the most passion - and instead of tapering off overtime, it builds. More and more until the next release.

The Speculation Phase is when the fandom takes the analysis' and from there, they begin to theorize.

Now that we understand, we can begin to predict.

And this is arguably one of the most interesting parts in a fandoms natural ecosystem.

During the Speculation Phase, we can see a number of diverse opinions appear.

As more and more creators begin to gather their understanding, tips from the writers, new released news, and past comic book arcs, we start to see dozens of triguing paths the writers can take us on.

As more news releases, the more hype people get. I mean - imagine how you'll feel when they release the first new poster of Hobie, or Miles? Or when we get to see Miles.G in the trailer?

And with each new poster, or trailer, we're given clues. The theorizes develop more. And the plot thickens.

It's all natural.

So I can understand the fear. Only getting one or two new posts when you visit the Hobie tag can be a bummer. But it's natural and it's GOOD.

Y'all, we need to conserve our energy. We are in the liminal phase. And they never last long.

With the news of the voice actors back in the studio, and a cliff-hanger like we have - I can assure you, it's only a matter of time before we begin to see the theories, the trailer breakdowns, the people guessing what Miguel might do, or exactly how much tech Hobie is hiding.

And when that time comes we need to be READY. I can already feel it on the horizon.

I really wonder what they'll do with all that left over Hobie concept art.

Plus with explosion of Hobie approval, I wonder if they'll add him in even more. Hobie fan-service anyone?

Hmmm...

But chill y'all, we're on the right track -

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

If you read this far, as always THANK YOU SO MUCH!! And as a token of my appreciation, I hand you this Hobie. Hold him gently please

Bye 💗

[maychorian]

Found Family Anime Recs

I recently reblogged a list of found family anime recs and was a bit surprised by how many reblogs and likes it got. I had really reblogged it just so I can find it later to watch the shows I hadn't already seen on the list, but apparently I have a lot of followers who are interested in this topic! Well, I've watched a lot of anime, so here are ten found family anime shows that I absolutely love. These are in no particular order.

Buddy Daddies

This show is similar enough to Spy X Family that you might be tempted to call it a rip-off. It's really quite different though. There's a lot less comedy (though there's still SOME comedy) and a lot more healing from past trauma. The animation is gorgeous, and the relationships really tug at my heart. It's more realistic than Spy X Family, in some ways, though it's still pretty ridiculous. The melodrama in the last couple of episodes did annoy me a bit, but it's still a very satisfying show. It's like a fanfiction I would write, which is really the highest recommendation I can give, haha, because that means it's exactly the kind of story I would like. 

2. Samurai Champloo

This show was made by much of the same team that created Cowboy Bebop, but for some reason it never got the same cult status, which is really too bad. I love Cowboy Bebop, but I love Samurai Champloo more. It's about two ronin and a teenage girl traveling through Edo-era Japan to find someone the girl is looking for. Throughout the series, the three form a very strong bond, despite all of their communication difficulties and past traumas. I've rewatched this show probably more than any other anime. It's brutal at times, but so very satisfying.

3. Natsume Yuujin-cho

Natsume lost his parents as a young child and was passed around from relative to relative, most of whom couldn't deal with him because his ability to see yokai (Japanese folk spirits) made him a freak in their eyes. As the series starts, he's finally taken in by an older couple in a rural village who actually want him, and he's finally able to start forming connections with other people and find a support system with his new caretakers, his peers, and the yokai he tries to help. It's a very sweet, sad series, much more sentimental than the first two entries on this list, but a very soothing and lovely watch when you are in need of some relaxation. Warning, though, the flashbacks to Natsume's past families can be truly gutwrenching. He was not treated well for a very long time, and it's hard to stomach.

4. Barakamon

Handa is a calligrapher who gets essentially exiled to a remote island after causing problems on purpose. He has a hard time connecting with people and is struggling with his art. Over the course of the story, he forms relationships with his neighbors, especially an adorable child with possibly the best child voice-acting I've ever heard, and slowly rediscovers his joy in creation again. It's cute and funny and beautiful, and it makes me want to live on a remote Japanese island.

5. My Roommate Is a Cat

Subaru is a young novelist who recently lost his parents, who were pretty much his only connection to humanity. While trying to recover from this massive loss, he adopts a stray cat who quickly becomes the most important creature in his life. Through the cat, he begins to form relationships with other people, as well. The show is unique in that the first half of each episode is from the human's POV and the second half is from the cat's POV. It's a very lovely and soothing show. Pets are family, too!

6. Haikyuu

Haikyuu was the show that opened my eyes to the aspect of found family in sports anime. I know a lot of tumblr enjoys Haikyuu for the shipping, but to me it's more satisfying to view it through the lens of found family. Each team is essentially their own found family, in their own unique way, and the relationships are particularly realistic and well-depicted by this mangaka. I love Tanaka being a big brother to the first years, Kuroo and Kenma's mutual protectiveness and support, all of it. 

7. Kuroko no Basuke

This is the silly basketball show, and in my opinion it's not as good as Haikyuu, but I love the relationships here as well. Especially between Kuroko and Kagami, of course. Their mutual protectiveness is just chef's kiss. But the whole Seirin team is really great. I love them so much. The teamy goodness is what makes the silliness watchable for me.

8. One Piece

What is there to say about One Piece? This is, like, the ultimate found family show. All of the pirate crews with any kind of goodness at their core are found families, but especially the Strawhats. Luffy is just going around looking at people and declaring, "Okay, you're in my family (on my crew) now." If you've never watched One Piece before, I'm going to make an unorthodox recommendation and suggest you watch the live action Netflix adaption first. It does a really good job of capturing the feel and aesthetic and just pure loveliness of this story in a much more compact and approachable way than the anime. However, if you like it, I do recommend that you watch the anime from the beginning, because there is a lot of expansion on the themes there, and the characterization is slightly different. Usopp in particular kinda got shorted in the live action, so you'll understand him a lot more if you watch his introduction arc in the anime. But honestly both versions are great. I'm on my third rewatch of the live action version already, and I will watch and rewatch the anime until I die, probably. One of my favorite stories of all time.

9. The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash

I found this one slightly annoying in how it was obviously carefully designed to tug at my heartstrings, but it's working, so I don't have much right to complain. It's about a little kid driven out of her home who gradually gathers a found family of both monsters she tames and adult adventurers and guardsmen who take one look at this lonely child and go, "Well, guess I have a baby now." The isekai element is very lowkey, in that she basically just has a voice in her head giving her advice, and I like that it's about fighting local corruption instead of a demon army or what have you. I want more shows like this and less shows like every other generic isekai, haha.

10. Dungeon Meshi

This show is blowing up tumblr right now, so you've probably already seen it a billion times, but I'm going to make one more appeal for you to watch/read this story. It is so, so so good. And in my opinion, it is much MUCH more about family, both born and found, than it is about shipping. I could write a whole essay about Marcille and Falin's relationship that has nothing to do with romance, as I could for any other two (or three or four) characters in the main party, plus those outside. There is a LOT going on. I've been playing RPGs and LARPs for twenty years, and one reason I love the hobby so much is for the joy of creating found families with my best friends in new and different worlds, over and over again. This is the first piece of fiction I've found that really captures that particular aspect of party-based fantasy stories, the relationships that form and grow, the tight-knit bonds that keep everyone moving forward despite the monsters you must face (and consume). 

[milehighmegs]

On the Subject of Fandoms: A Love Letter

So, I'm old. Well, oldER. I haven't entered the twilight of my years by any stretch, but once I entered that midlife wistful state of nostalgia, I knew that I had very likely reached the point at which it would be more past than future. And ya know, that's ok. I made peace with my mortality long ago. I don't fear death, I fear not living before I die.

So what's that got to do with fandoms? you may be asking. Fair enough. Here's what it's got to do with fandoms:

Before it was even a term, before I could do multiplication or write my name in cursive (I told you I'm old), I was part of a fandom and didn't even know it. My parents watched 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' when it was still on primetime; we even recorded the final episode on VHS and had it for years. (I told you, I'M OLD.) It was so incredibly formative for me that it's become part of my identity, part of my moral & ethical code, part of my personality. Is that ridiculous? Dramatic? Maybe even a bit of hubris? Perhaps. But it's true, nonetheless.

I've since joined other fandoms, of movie franchises (namely the MCU), TV shows (like Good Omens), and musicians (I'm a die-hard metalhead) over the course of my life, each of them creating/inhabiting a different part of what makes me ME. Though I've always remained the same basic person at my core (a decent one at least if not a good one, I hope), being a part of these fandoms has shaped the foundations of how I live my life, and how I've LIVED my life.

Being on the proverbial back nine of my earthly existence, looking back at what's come before, at how far I've come and all the things I've fucked up or gotten right, questioned, accepted, regretted, cherished... so much of that is filled with moments like, 'what would Captain Picard do? How would the Avengers handle this? Which Slipknot song would be most comforting right now?' With the explosion of semi-social media sites (like tumblr here, and its gateway drug, Pinterest), I've been able to dive even deeper into the fandom. The fic, the art, the theories & analyses... it turns my appreciation for all these things I love to 11. But it wouldn't be possible without the most critical element: the fans.

Because people have such a love for, and identify so strongly with the stories & characters of their respective fandoms, they go deep into hidden meanings, major themes, & what they imagine these stories would be like if they were able to direct the action. More than anything, what I love about fanfic/fanart is that while yes, we're creating what we want for the characters, it's more a reflection of what we want for ourselves, both in the same situation as the characters and in life in general. For example, I see SO MUCH art/fic of Crowley & Aziraphale being open & free in showing their love for each other. I see so many stories of them making up and living happily ever after. The art ranges from sweet & adorable to... ah... adult-themed, but the vast majority of the latter is passionate, tender, & clearly loving; rarely is it straight-up raunchy. Smutty? Totally. Raunchy? Not so much. And why? Because we know these two are IN LURVE, not just in lust. And we want what they (clearly) have, even if they can't admit it to one another. We, the fans, can live vicariously through these characters and these worlds, and there we can find what we're looking for.

I've had a rollercoaster of a life, emotionally speaking, especially in matters of romantic love, and much of that hasn't been pleasant. I've done so much soul-searching, shadow work, self-care and all that whathaveyou, but none of it- NONE of it- has come anywhere near to being as insightful as the fan-based art & analyses of the relationship between Crowley & Zira. I have spent the vast majority of the last week thinking about it, writing about it, going over & over how it applies to my life & experiences, and I gotta say... none of it would be possible without the remarkable Good Omens fandom. So seriously, thank you. THANK YOU. You've helped to make me a better person. You've helped to make me look back on my life, smile, and turn around... to look forward to what comes next.

Keep up the incredible work, creators. You never know whose life you could be saving.

[rqbossman]

Hello Mr Bossman! (and possibly anyone else who reads this)

Its an honour to be here, I have a few questions. First i appologise for the long paragraph, you may dismiss it for the questions at the bottom. For context, i am here after finishing TMA and being up to date with TMAP, i then went over and listened to RQG, and have just finished listening to Epilogue 3 and might i just say, good sir I am grateful for your podcasts. I am currently just a few months away from my final exams of High School, and as someone who even just 1 year ago was very lost, struggling with school and being just overwhelmed. TMA isnt exactly comforting, but the characters and plot managed to serve as a good form of escapism while sorting myself out. I found my self engaging more in creative things that i had originally put aside in favour of maths and science (which i hated but thought i needed to do). I started drawing again, even if just fanart. and i found things going well. By finding podcasts, story telling and these communities have helped me in my own understanding of what i want in life. I got an ADHD diagnosis earlier this year, and almost directly after started RQG and as my first hyperfixation (that i was aware of as an hyperfixation) gosh dang it hit hard. (in a good way). Ive been able to do so much more creative writing and drawings, and got re-involved with a small dnd group with some friends who i played one game with almost 4 years ago now. So overall, inspirational sounds cringe, but it was. Im doing my best with the upcoming exams, but trying to get in to Medicine is not my only prority, and the fact ive been re-introduced to my first love (Literature and story telling), im planning to go do an Arts degree and i know i wouldnt have been able to confidently make this decision, or even have survived this long in the school system without the work you and your coworkers do. Now the sap is out of the way, Question time! (if you could answer even just one of these questions it would be so cool)(they go in order of RQ relevant to random stuff)(dont feel pressured to answer all/any. i know i wrote alot): 1. what would you say is the best way to draft out a long-form story. (with "Erasing the Line" as an example) Did you start at the end, with the links to the overarching plot.

2. When working with the players (in a form of TTRPG), what did you do to make sure you didnt miss relevant timing of plot points/ avoid creating spoilers while still giving enough detail?

3. What are good places to start with making a job out of storytelling/voice acting/audio etc. In the case of RQ, how is this a job and where do i sign up please! /j (what i mean is, how is best way/how did you find all the people involved and was there a common path that you were all on before getting to where you are now?) 4. Do you have recommendations for Terry Pratchett Books, i may be an literary-leaning student, but it seems i have never actually properly read any of his books. so where is best place to start?/What did you read first?

5. Similar authors or similar inspirations? Did you have a favourite podcast you listen to in your free time that you havnt had a hand in producing/directing/working on. 6. Favourite song/album/artist. And more specifically, what you like listening to in background when doing either writing or (for ttrpg) character research/game planing. 7. Since the olympics are on at the moment, what has been your favourite sport to watch, if you have been watching at all. Thank you for your time :)

Thankyou for all the kind words. Knowing our work is helping people really keeps our engines fired up. Let's see if I can't answer your questions: 1. I "sandbox" which is where I just shove everything I can think of into an unorganised bullet point list. Characters, setting, plot, all of it in one big mess. Then I decide what type of story you want to tell, copy and paste to a new document and then start to organise the thoughts (with the sandbox on standby if new stuff comes in I don't know what to do with). I think of it like scultping, you cut away bits and reshape until something comes out the other end that is story shaped. Only then do I attempt to build the sandcastle and put something coherant together like a synopsis or scratch draft etc.

2. Very tricky. I did a complete review and update of all notes after each recording session and don't forget the audio eas edited. I made lots of gaffs that you never heard as audience.

3. I contacted anyone I could convince to take part and just proved I was serious by overworking. I don't reccomend that route. Unfortunately it really is "who" you know. That doesn't mean chase established professionals as much as it means you need to get out there and associate with other up-and-comers who match your vibe. For me the route was long and windy and not a particularly good example. 4. I normally recommend people do not read his books in publication order. Don't get me wrong, its wonderful watching his craft grow from one title to the next but I would recommend new readers tip their toe into his later works to see if they like where he ended up before committing the time. I often recommend 'Monstrous Regiment' as people's first one. My favourite though is 'Thief of Time.'

5. I don't get much time to listen to podcasts in the last couple of years. I used to listen to a lot of non fiction. 'Stuff you Should Know' and that ilk. I also read a fair amount of classic YA fiction to unwind (Windinsger trilogy, Bartimeous, stuff like that.) 6. Paul Simon's Graceland but when working I assemble a playlist for each seperate project that is tonally appropriate. If I really need to focus I listen to Classical Minimalism. Or the Old School Runescape soundtrack. I'm allowed to be ecclectic. 7. I am actually in an incredibly busy work crunch at the moment so haven't seen any of it!

[bonesandthebees]

Hey bee, thanks so much for offering a space to talk about the situation— even if you don’t answer to this it’s nice to be able to talk somewhere.

One thing I’ve noticed that’s been devastating to watch happen is how so many tell others that they should “just get over it” or put them down for being “so parasocial” and act like they’re less-than for caring and being upset. It’s heartbreaking to see happen and I just hope that people know and can hear that it is entirely valid to be upset about this. For a lot of people his content was an escape.

A lot of us started watching him during a global pandemic— something that was literally traumatizing— and used his content as an escape. A lot of us have been here for literal years, and even if we haven’t there’s so much more that we are losing that isn’t just getting to follow some white guy. We are losing an entire community we had built around him and his band, a safe space many of us created full of art and fiction and memories. We watched his content, interacted with the community, cared about his characters and stories, listened to his music, created works we are proud of that were inspired by him, related him to our favorite things, surrounded ourselves with reminder of things relating to him because it brought comfort. We had friends we made through this community, friends made closer through relating ourselves to his dynamics, art, animations and fics that have impacted us and changed us that we might never see again, hopes for him and his band.

This isn’t about us or him but I still think we are allowed to grieve. None of us were expecting any of this, none of us were expecting to lose such a massive safe space and comfort. It feels pathetic to care so much especially when there’s so many putting others down for caring, but it’s ok to grieve the end of something that formed a huge part of our lives for a lot of us. It’s ok to be sad that we thought this would last.

Yeah I really don't like seeing people telling others to just 'get over it' or calling them dramatic for having intense reactions to this news. you articulated it perfectly. we've built a thriving community for years around his content. that's what causing me the most grief out of anything with this situation—the loss of the community. I've met pretty much all of my closest friends through dsmp and my fic writing. I've been so inspired by his characters and stories for years now. it really fucking hurts to lose that. it's okay for those in the community to be upset by this. these feelings are valid.

[little-miss-dilf-lover]

hiya! so I was thinking about Peter Quill with an artistic reader (in the form of headcanons) bc omg i think that'd be absolutely adorable and ive been going in a spiral for him lately

Just a thought! You dont need to do it if youre busy, have a great week!

hii! omg yes I love it. and don’t worry me you and everyone else feels the same way😭 ive been defending him in comment sections for years so im glad he’s finally getting recognition he deserves. big up quill. I also did this first, as it was a fun sorta break in between other writing. thank you for requesting, hope you like it💌 have a great weekend also. xo

headcanons/ imagines (2)

Peter Quill x reader (gn)

warnings || none

masterlist + rules

taglist

- he doesn’t always have the best attention span, but when it comes to you he could watch you paint/ draw for hours. it’s something that keeps him entertained

- he likes to ask questions/ communicate while you work “that’s cool, what does that do?” or “how did you do that?” feel like he’d be mesmerised watching the canvas come to life

- you both listen to his music while you do anything artsy, the combination is the best of both worlds

- but if he’s not watching you/ hanging around at the same time, you like to listen to his music so it feels like he’s still there. he’s silently caught you a few times and it makes him feel special that his music means so much to you

- he definitely brags to the other guardians about how talented you are (like tony and thor talking about their girls in age of ultron)

- I feel like he can be a great helper- if you’re at the easel, he stands next to you holding the things you need so you don’t have to keep bending/ reaching etc. or if you need a brush cleaned, he’d do it for you

- if you wanted to do pottery, he’d get rocket to make you a pottery wheel, whatever you needed, rocket will make

- if you live with him in his apartment on knowhere, he’s moved his things about so that you could paint by the window/ designated a space/ area for you to work at (he remembers watching bob ross a couple times when he was a kid, so he used the tips he learned and put them into practice for you)

- if and when he sees any kind of art materials on other planets, he definitely brings them back for you. over a while you’ve acquired quite a diverse set of tools that’s broadened the quality of your art

- I feel like he’d kind of pimp you out- would put your name out there to get more people to commission work from you

- you’re now the go-to that people come to when they want new things for their houses. a majority of people on knowhere have probably bought work from you

- you’ve made pieces for every guardian, something specific and detailed that has meaning to each individual (kind of like the holiday special) you’d be very creative and intricate in tailoring the work to the person

- mantis absolutely adores what you made. nebula was apprehensive at first but you caught her smiling when she thought you weren’t paying attention. drax goes into great detail when he describes what he loves about it, always using crazy big adjectives. rocket said he doesn’t care for art, but the way it’s displayed in his apartment tells you otherwise. and groot was super happy to have something made by you

- quill has treasured everything you’ve ever made him, he can be very sentimental so all the work you made is something he deeply appreciates. something minuscule you made at the beginning of the relationship, is kept in one of his memory boxes (like a flower made of tissue)

- maybe you’ve made things to honour his parents, using stories he’s told you into creating something beautiful (two separate pieces- one of meredith and one of yondu) they are something he has hung up and displayed in his apartment. I feel like it’s helped him deal with his grief- and over time he’s been able to look at the artwork without feeling sad. now he can smile when he sees their faces

- its definitely made him fall harder for you

[genevawrenn]

I haven't said too much on the QSMP situation so I am going to try to at least share my thoughts, as of right now.

First of all : thank you to everyone in this project who did their best through adversity and a corrupt management, you all deserve the world.

To the eggs & capys & penguins & every other admin I will remember the characters you gave us for the rest of my life. Thank you, this past year has been one of my best creativity-wise and I have written nearly as much for this fandom as I did DSMP. You taught me a lot about character writing and found families in times of chaos, I will always think of you fondly.

Now, I want to discuss a few of the things I am disappointed with.

Starting off with how the egg arc ended.

Stories, to have full meaning and impact to me, leave the endings at a point where you want what's best for the characters. You want a chance to see the character development bloom [Hideduo mainly] and having it be so abrupt left us all reeling. It was so awfully familiar as someone who came from DSMP, it left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I do not blame the admins or ccs one bit here.

It's more...I wish there had been at least one last hurrah. Something Avengers level where we watched them all team up, clear out the Federation and maybe the Watcher too, and leave peacefully. Something that gave them all that one last interaction, a reminder of how through trials and trouble anyone on that island would have given their life for any child, their own or otherwise.

Every single person who woke up on that island went through development and due to miscommunication and watching the server slowly perish for months, it feels horrific to watch them all die one by one without being able to see the fruits of their labour. I am begging for fan made content to fill the hole in my heart left by that ending.

It hurts so much because I loved them all so deeply.

I mained Death Family content because I came into this fandom as a crow and adored how their little unit came to be. A son and a daughter with their damaged father who always did their best for one another. Sure, only one *maybe* was good at communication but they all tried. The effort was there. And the old crow hermit on the wall slowly became one of the most trusted members of the island due to the dedication for his family and friends.

Then I slowly became interested in FitMC's content after watching him hang out with Phil for months, and became a huevito instantly. The relationship he created in /rp with Pac was the first time in a long time I allowed myself to indulge in romance-based content [coming from a former SBI main, that should make sense]. I still remember the panic seeing the shipping art covering my timelines and checking boundaries before I realised this was something they both encouraged.

Fit and Pac came to represent a lot in my heart ; two damaged people moving at the pace both decided in order to form the family neither of them ever had. An ex prisoner and a veteran of toxic wastelands found home in one another's lives, enough they allowed their precious children to become bonded with their significant other.

They never said I love you, instead showed it through acts of service and protecting each other without question. They may not have kissed but they were always beside each other within the same space, only a short step away in case either needed support.

I will miss you forever, your characters were fantastic. I hope there are many more collabs in the future, your dynamic means a ton to a lot of people now.

Same goes to many more characters on that island I don't have the energy to do full write ups on but please know, you occasionally show up in my thoughts and another wave of mourning what I love passes over me. Death and Rosa Family were the ones I fixated on, nearly instantly, and I will create using them for a long time. I want to write their characters in a way that satisfies me, I still have to match my level of DSMP writing and beyond after all.

I want to also send appreciation to the streamers I found because of QSMP, it did what was intended and broke language barriers in ways I will forever be grateful to the translations mods that are becoming more common so I can still watch their content.

Cellbit, Baghera, Etoiles, PacTW, Mike, Roier, Luzu, you all are so cool! I enjoy your content and can't wait to watch more in the future.

Philza, Tubbo, Foolish, Charlie Slimecicle, Jaiden, Badboyhalo, FitMC, some of you I knew before and some I got to know better now, I adore you all.

All I hope for at this point is any future project takes what needs to be learned from watching this server slowly implode and please treat your employees right. Especially in creative ventures, we need the hope there can be confidence people are being treated right behind the scenes.

And to any of the QSMP CC's, I beg there are gaming collaborations and meetups in the future. You all have fantastic chemistry and I hope the families that were formed can continue to support each other.

To the admins. Thank you. I could say it a thousand times over and it would never be enough. You endured literal purgatory because you loved the plots and people so much, you deserve only the best in your future.

I intend to indulge in the egg content for the forseeable future, even if at this point I will just be VOD watching but there are still a few POV's I have wanted to watch in full and now seems like the best time. I do have several WIP I wish to finish and they make perfect inserts if I ever need characters for any new plots I imagine in the future.

Saudade QSMP Egg Arc 2023-2024. You taught me a lot within the short period of a year, you united many communities and heres to hoping we stick together long into the future.

I am sorry for the long post, I needed to spill my thoughts somewhere and tumblr's blogging format is ideal.

Let’s keep creating content surrounding the eggs and families we now miss. I understand if many move on but to me, this interest is one I will remember forever and happily talk about to anyone willing to hear me out. Just like Techno, they live on through me as long as I remember them.

[a-forbidden-detective]

Today an article came out about the two Ron Kamonohashis playing in the TV anime, Youhei Azakami, and onstage next month, Yuta Kishimoto. Both have given their thoughts about playing the forbidden detective, how they differ, and how they approach this role.

Yuta Kishimoto and Youhei Azakami (whose stylish pullover makes me dizzy), two Rons onstage and the TV anime

It is a long article. So you are in for a long ride! Also, this is a rough translation with the help of an app. So apologies in advance.

—oo—

Having played Ron in the TV anime’s 1st Season, could you tell us again about the charm of this work that you are playing?

Youhei Azakami (hereafter, Azakami): It's a work packed with an incredible amount of coolness. The characters and the story are like that, but the original work features Amano-sensei's wonderful illustrations that make you want to frame each page like a painting. Among them, there are various aspects such as cool serious scenes and, conversely, comical scenes, which made it very appealing as I read through the manga.

When it was adapted into an anime, it was a pressure for us cast members, but I think the animators also felt pressure because they had to faithfully and dynamically animate Amano-sensei's drawings. However, when I watched the completed work as a viewer, I felt a sense of pride and confidence that we were able to create a wonderful piece of work with everyone's efforts.

That's why I truly believe that the charm of this anime lies in the fact that these incredibly cool illustrations were properly animated, with fitting voices and music added. I think it's a comprehensive art form.

Were there any things you were conscious of while performing, or things you noticed during your performance?

Azakami: When I project the character Ron onto myself while acting, I find that he's a bit out of sync with others, so it becomes confusing. Like, why would he suddenly insert a joke in such an important scene, or how can he maintain himself with such drastic shifts? So, I thought it might be more interesting to play him as "mysterious" without getting too emotionally involved.

Therefore, rather than "becoming Ron," I focused on bringing out the "interesting parts" of Ron's character. I think that approach worked well in the end. I felt that it would be more enjoyable for the audience to perceive the character as cool or funny, rather than focusing on consistency.

On the other hand, Kishimoto-san, you will be playing Ron from now on. Could you tell us what you are thinking about in terms of character development at this point (before rehearsals)?

Yuta Kishimoto (hereafter, Kishimoto): Regardless of this work, I'm not the type to rigidly decide everything in advance. Acting is a conversation, isn't it? It's something that is established through live conversations between people, so if you decide everything too rigidly, you might not be able to react when something unexpected comes your way.

So, I only decide on a big axis... I incorporate the Ron that Azakami-san created as a core within myself, and then line up the movements from the anime. From there, it's about how Toto (Isshiki Totomaru) and I move on stage, how we want to present ourselves. If Toto presents himself in a certain way, maybe Ron should present himself like this, or something like that.

That's why, surprisingly, at this point, I don't want to decide too much. I want to value what is created when we actually face each other.

What do you think is the appeal of Ron?

Azakami: If you think about whether you could be friends with him, I think you'd be quite overwhelmed (laughs).

Kishimoto: It would be unbelievable if he were close by.

Azakami: It really would be. However, when you team up as buddies and solve cases together, you realize there's probably no one more reliable. From that buddy perspective, or when he becomes your ally, I think you can really notice his dependable qualities, but it's not easy (laughs).

Kishimoto: If he were the culprit, I definitely wouldn't want to meet him (laughs). It feels like he can read everything. His insight and sharp perspective are just... Once you're found, or targeted, it's over, so you definitely want him on your side.

Azakami: You don't want him as an enemy. That might be something we both agree on.

Since the topic of buddies came up, I'd like to ask about the relationship between Ron, whom you play, and Toto, who is his counterpart.

Azakami: The character Toto takes on the role of someone who can act in place of a person forbidden from being a detective. If that's all there was to him, Toto's presence might seem a bit thin, but he has a passion and a sense of justice that won't tolerate wrongdoing, and he can prioritize someone else's life over his own. Those are his strengths, and I think Ron is probably influenced by them as well.

In the anime, Junya Enoki plays Toto, and he performs with a warmth and a sense of human touch, breathing life into the character beyond just his role or icon status. Thanks to that, the dynamic between Ron's eccentricity and the two of them being an odd pair is created. For viewers, it might be easier to empathize with Toto than with Ron. (Italics mine)

Kishimoto: This is my first time working with (Yutaka) Nozaki-kun, who plays Toto, and it's his first stage performance in six years. In another interview, he mentioned that he's both excited and nervous. I feel that this will allow him to create a very "pure Toto." I think that as Nozaki-kun faces the role, he will naturally become Toto.

To fully convey Toto's charm, the role of Ron, who is his counterpart, is crucial in bringing it out. I hope we can develop a relationship where we complement each other and fit together perfectly.

As we continue with rehearsals, many challenges will arise. If we can overcome these challenges together, I believe we will naturally be able to convey a sense of partnership and relationship.

With the 2nd Season of the anime and the stage performance starting this fall, could you tell us about characters other than Ron that you are paying attention to in each work?

Kishimoto: For me, it's definitely Milo (Moriarty). He's a character who is the complete opposite of Ron, as the cases he causes are 100% unsolvable, so I find myself empathizing with him or getting drawn to him.

Even when watching the anime, I end up viewing it from Ron's perspective, thinking, "This guy..." He's a character that's hard to grasp, but I'm paying attention to his future actions.

Azakami: I think everyone really looks exactly like their characters based on the visuals. There are many characters and actors that catch my interest, but the one I'm most interested in is Professor Grizzly.

In the anime, Mr. Yamaji played the role of Professor Grizzly. He was a senior with many years of experience, and recording with three or four people in the same booth was incredibly educational due to the tension. When the oldest person joins a group of younger people, they have to deliver the best performance and also show their seniority. It's about properly demonstrating that.

The character of Professor Grizzly itself draws attention, making you wonder what kind of performance he will deliver. I think he will become a character with a slightly different atmosphere from everyone else, and having such a senior person on set can really tighten things up. Although I am a voice actor, I am also an actor, so I would like to see the balance and interactions in such situations.

Kishimoto: I have previously worked with Sohei Izumi, who plays Grizzly, and he is incredibly captivating (laughs).

In both anime and stage performances, there is the aspect of playing the same character, but I believe the approach is different. Anime captivates with voice alone, while stage performances captivate with the whole body. I would like to hear about the joys and challenges of acting from each perspective.

Azakami: Stage performances are tough, aren't they? The visual aspect—such as the body and appearance—is something you can't really change. You have to express a character that seems to have come out of a two-dimensional world with your own body.

As you mentioned earlier, it's a process of repeatedly rehearsing and internalizing the character. That's something we voice actors can't quite do, and there's a certain admiration for it.

Voice actors inevitably read scripts, and the premise is to act as if you're not reading. Creating lines from within yourself is something I've always respected and admired, so I'm looking forward to this stage performance.

Kishimoto: On the other hand, we can let the audience feel the character through various elements like visuals and sound, but for voice actors, it's just the voice, right? I can't imagine captivating an audience with just the voice. We have many tools and weapons at our disposal. But to challenge with just the single sword of voice is kind of otherworldly...

Azakami: We both have that feeling, don't we? The grass is always greener on the other side. This is the first time a character I've played is being brought to a 2.5D stage, so I think it's going to be a great learning experience, and I definitely want to see the performance.

Kishimoto: Thank you, it's an honor!

By the way, as someone who has played Ron a little earlier, do you have any advice for Kishimoto-san?

Azakami: Many people refer to me as the original, but since the stage and anime are different media, I would like them to be treated as completely different things. The approach might be entirely different, and I want to see that. I want to see things from a different angle, like "I would approach it this way" or "Kishimoto-san does it this way," things I couldn't see myself.

So, although I've been told that you've watched the footage many times and listened to my voice, from here on, I would love to see the character that Kishimoto-san creates, and I hope the fans will feel that both are the original.

Kishimoto: I have nothing but words of gratitude. I want to cherish the "Ron that only I can portray," and I want to value everyone else besides Ron as well. I hope to deliver something that makes people say, "This is unique to the stage," or "This is how the stage version is."

On the contrary, if even one more person is inspired by the stage performance to check out the original manga or anime, I would feel that "it was worth doing the stage." Therefore, I truly want to cherish the words I have just received and approach the rehearsals with that in mind.

For both of you, not just in the case of Ron in this work, but as actors, could you share what you do, what you keep in mind, or what you are careful about when creating a character?

Azakami: I believe that every character possesses a sense of humanity, so I want them to have weaknesses as well as strengths, and to have flaws as well as beauty. I always think about wanting to bring out those aspects somewhere.

In the case of Ron, even though he is so cool, once he becomes weak, he can't do anything without Toto. I want to emphasize those uncool aspects. Otherwise, I feel the character would become superficial and not three-dimensional, so I want to value the character's shortcomings more than their strengths. (Italics mine; and also Me: screaming internally !!!)

When it comes to playing a character, the character profile often lists strengths, but not weaknesses. I sometimes think that maybe I should just create those weaknesses myself, or perhaps it's something I'm entrusted with.

Kishimoto: Of course, in the original work, everything is depicted in great detail, but I place importance on how Ron spends his time in the background of scenes where another character is in the spotlight, even though they are in the same space.

Additionally, I often think about "What would Ron be thinking?" or "How would Ron face this situation?" especially during rehearsal periods or when engaging with the work, and even at times that have nothing to do with it. Sometimes I get too immersed, but I believe that time spent thinking about these things is very important.

This is because, after all, theater is a living thing, and accidents or unexpected events can occur during performances. But in such times, the thought process of "What would Ron do in this situation?" that I've repeatedly considered naturally comes to the surface.

I've had experiences where by following the path of "I would do this, but Ron would probably move like this," I've reached important points. So, in this work as well, my approach is to think about "What would Ron do...?" in various situations.

Are there any highlights for the 2nd Season of the anime and the stage play?

Azakami: There is a kind of relationship that has been built among the actors since the 1st Season. The atmosphere on set is really good, and every time we have guest actors playing roles like the culprit or the victim, a variety of luxurious cast members come and go. This makes each case have a completely different vibe. It's amazing how much the atmosphere can change depending on the cast, to the point where it feels like we're doing a completely different work.

Of course, the main team that works together... the sense of closeness with these reliable companions has really tightened. The interactions and atmosphere created from that closeness were established in the 1st Season, so in the 2nd Season, I hope we can deliver that to everyone through various approaches.

There are many moments where viewers might think, "Ah, the dialogue exchange between these two was really on point," and I believe that's something we could achieve because it's the 2nd Season. We enjoyed the recording process that much, so I hope everyone looks forward to it.

Kishimoto: In this production, there are several cast members I've worked with before, but like Nozaki-kun earlier, there are also many people I'm meeting for the first time. I am confident that because it's a gathering of people who are new to each other, various chemical reactions will occur. Of course, I think there will be challenges because of that, but I also believe there are things that only this group can achieve, so I want us all to embody that together.

Also, I really want to emphasize the interaction and buddy feeling with Toto. I think it's a significant part of the fun in the original work and the anime, so I truly want to face that with Nozaki-kun and express the duo of Ron and Toto together.

Since we have the opportunity, could you both share the points you're looking forward to in each other's works? Azakami-san, for the stage play, and Kishimoto-san, for the anime's 2nd season.

Azakami: As I mentioned earlier, this is my first time having a work I'm involved in adapted into a 2.5D stage play. Creating a character using my entire body and interacting with others, and then delivering that to the audience, means that we'll definitely notice points that we didn't catch during the anime recording.

There might be scenes where Ron's posture or gestures, or lines that aren't in the original work or the anime script, are expressed. The instinctive reactions to accidents, as you mentioned earlier, are something that can only be discovered by someone who is facing the role as an actor, so I think I'll take advantage of that (laughs).

There are many things I want to absorb from Kishimoto-san's portrayal of Ron, and I'm looking forward to it both as a single work and from an actor's perspective. Honestly, I kind of hope a little accident happens (laughs). I'm curious about how they would handle it (laughs).

Personally, I'm really bad at ad-libbing. When I'm asked to say lines that aren't in the original script, I find it quite challenging (italics mine). I worry that I might be personalizing the character too much. But when I think about how actors should, in a way, become like that, I realized that I'm not good at ad-libbing.

However, rather than trying to create it on my own, I thought I should learn from various people, so please let me learn [from you] (laughs).

Kishimoto: Since the 1st Season ended the way it did, I'm very curious about the movements of the M Family. Up until now, there have been individual incidents, and a story with slight connections has started to emerge. But it's becoming heavier and more serious. I'm particularly interested in the M Family, who seems to be working behind the scenes of these incidents.

However, as the series becomes more serious, I'm looking forward to seeing characters like Ron and Toto, who we couldn't see in the 1st Season, and exploring their new relationships.

Lastly, please share a message for the fans who are looking forward to the anime and stage play.

Kishimoto: First of all, I am personally very happy that it can be adapted into a stage play, and I am truly delighted to be able to play Ron. However, since I have been given this opportunity, I believe it would be meaningless if people don't say, "I'm glad it was Yuta Kishimoto." So, I want to approach this in a way that will definitely make people say that.

However, a stage play cannot be established by myself alone. I am supported by all the staff, and although I am given the opportunity to perform in a double lead role with Toto, the actors who solidify the performance are all senior to me. I hope to absorb as much as I can from their acting and ultimately be able to output as "Ron." I would be delighted if you could enjoy the live performance and "Kamo Ron Stage."

Azakami: With the airing of the 2nd season of the anime and the stage performance happening at the same time, I really feel that the work "Ron Kamonohashi’s Forbidden Deductions" is expanding. I'm truly glad to have had this opportunity for a discussion.

I think it's quite rare to have a discussion where you play the same character. Isn't it a very mysterious time? That's why I love the work that gave us this opportunity and the movement of the entire work. I would be delighted if you could support the original work, the anime, and the stage performance as a whole.

(Thank you Animate!)

[theendorisit]

I want to talk about some fun stuff I have had knocking around my head regarding the Magnus archives 

Note: is it Canon? I don’t know and I don’t care. @jonnywaistcoat gave us a bunch of fun toys to play with. I wanna play with them. I am not gonna tell anyone if their opinions on Magnus are right or wrong because it doesn’t matter! it’s a story. It’s fiction. It doesn’t matter if you picture white Archivist, black Archivist, asian Archivist - that’s how we end up with fun stuff like mermaid Tim! Imagine everything, and anything - it doesn’t matter, and that’s the fun of it! Also, I am keenly aware I am (checks watch) 8 years late to this fandom and I may be spouting stuff long since discussed, so forgive me if I am getting excited discovering long trodden ground.

I digress. So. One of the many things I love about Magnus is the fun and very clear metaphors that are used to describe the entities/ fears and what’s going on in the story. One of my favourites is the colour wheel theory. During the show I would get confused between the different entities particularly the stranger and the spiral but if the entities are like colours then this makes perfect sense: they do bleed into each other. So I wanted to try and transcribe these entities onto colours not thinking so much about which particular colour I think they ought to be, but how they complement or clash with each other. Disclaimer, not an artist. At all. I don’t know if I’ll do a good job - but that’s not really what I wanna talk about. 

Death/Terminus/The End isn’t a colour. Death is black-and-white. And death isn’t like any of the others.

This is just to say, that the way I read it - death, as an entity, is treated differently.

Jonny himself said in calls and livestreams that death was actually his main fear, maybe still is? So that might lend itself to different considerations.

In TMA, death is described as the fear of death, dying and nonexistence and all of that cosmological shit that most of us feel. However, TMA stories of death also include the opposite fear which is the fear of not being able to die. This is equivalent to the Eye finding someone who is afraid of being watched and putting them in a box, where no one can ever see them again.  The fact that this person in the pyramid can’t die and wants to, the fact the reapers, in escaping death achieve basic immortality - and often are not so sure they like it - this would be a very weird way to create a fear of death, by creating an apparent desire for it! 

So I think within the universe, this fear is special because it encapsulates itself and its opposite - whereas the other fears have distinct opposites which are separate entities (buried and vast, eye and dark). Not only that, but as season 5 showed us, there are fears that can combine and match with each other, and there’s no fear that death DOESN’T complement!  Like yes, actual death will stop fear, but a healthy dose of the fear of dying will go with everything. So in the colour wheel theory, I say fear of death is black and creates shades with other colours, and fear of not-death is white and creates tints (I just really like this metaphor!).

I’d love to make anthropomorphic art of the entities as individuals, and groups of individuals, based on matching colours. Example - Death, The Buried, The Corruption all work together as a buried alive fear. Unfortunately my fine art skills are dismal, so I’ll let more talented people have a go if they like this idea. I get why I haven’t seen so much of this, as the avatars kind of do this anthropomorphism, but death itself as a concept has been characterised for thousands of years (I am a big fan of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s versions!), and we have 4 (+1?) horsemen of the apocalypse bringing war and pestilence into humanoid form so I reckon it could be pretty interesting how people envision the entities. Personally I imagine the vast like Junji Ito’s Spiral-faced girl (she’ll pull you in!).

Anyway, that’s my perspective on blending fears like colours, and why Death really isn’t like any of the others.

[twistedroseytoesy]

i've read your other amazing squid s/o stuff and i decided we don't have enough </3

how about the Octavinelle trio with a mer s/o who is a bigfin squid? i imagine their s/o would be stupidly tall, and since they're deeper sea squids they'd be sensitive to light :) s/o standing in the dark corner ominously

-bigfin anon :D

These creatures have very little known about them. so I did a bit of research to try and figure it out.

Also warning for this story due to some body horror. Also a bigfin squid just under the cut!

Description

You are a rather shy and secluded mer, deep in the depths of the ocean and swilling using your large fins on your sides, your long arms shifting around to catch any small creatures floating in the water to eat. You have pale white skin with black eyes. The few merfolk interactions you didn't really like due to how they made fun of your weird elbows.

When you came to the surface you were still made fun of for your odd human form. You are abnormally tall at 6’9” so our learned the art of slouching and keeping your head down. Your pale white skin and black eyes weren't too unusual it was your arms and sides. Along your sides were little flaps of skin similar to your very large fins that helped you through the water. Your arms had a second elbow just above where the elbow usually would be. you're able to contort your arms into very unsettling and unnatural shapes due to this. It also doesn't help that your elbows are able to bend both ways. Creating even scarier contortions. You were bullied a lot for this and when you discovered how often humans will cover their arms you started to do so. you trained yourself to lock your second elbow and try to pass it off as normal. At NRC you are happy to leave behind the rude mers at the training camp but it's so scary and way to bright on the surface. you just hope no one will find out about your arms...

Octavinelle

Azul: Unfortunately any student trying to keep their head down means they have something to hide, and something that people want to be hidden can be exploited. He had Jade observe you and was told about your mer characteristics. Blackmailed you into working for the lounge, mostly in the back of the kitchen, since you practically begged him to not have you work with the public. You were an ok worker but very shy. Honestly found your arms super weird and disturbing, stopped any bullying against you since he knows what that's like. After his overblott, he released you and apologized for his actions. He even offered some small discount in the lounge for you.

The first time he saw your mer form was by accident. It was very late and azul usually would use his personal tank to be in his merform, but unfortunately, it was being cleaned thanks to a certain eel twins prank. You shrieked when you both made eye contact. He stumbled back from the pool not expecting anyone else to be there. You try and hide your arms and flee but the pool wasn't too big. He assures you that you are fine, but when you say that he doesn't have to lie to you about it. You know that others see you as weird with your weird arms and huge side fins. He shushes you and recognized that you've been through similar things like him. you both connect over being seen as monsters. To him, you're so interesting, being fairly boneless yet having what equates to elbows. You both don't move fast either and become good friends behind closed doors, venting and helping each other heal from your pasts. The twins still tease you both but will happily torture anyone who speaks badly about either of you.

Jade: oya? seems a little fish is trying to keep their head down and stay unseen? what are you trying to hide he wonders. Thanks to permission from azul he observed and watched you carefully. Finding out that you were a merfolk wasn't too big of a surprise, what surprised him was what type of merfolk you were. Not many deep-sea merfolk are ever seen. And your type of merfolk, even the species of squid are rare to see. He continues to watch you for a bit before revealing himself. you were blackmailed and forced to serve in the lounge, but luckily the back kitchens were somewhat dimly lit and you worked well. despite a few accidents here and there from your strangely long arms. He likes teasing you and seeing you squirm from his comments. once served you up some squid and you looked rather sick.

He obviously saw your merform when he was stalking observing you. He honestly thought you were interesting. the large fins along your side were something he has never seen on any mer and the strange elbow-like spots on your arms were interesting. Does experiments with your arms and gets morbidly fascinated at the crazy contortions he is able to push your arms too. may or may not have taken a bit off of one of your tentacles when he decided to swim with you in one of the octavinelle pools.

Floyd: Honestly thought you were so boring since you were always so shy and covered up. Once Jade revealed that you were a mer then he was interested. called you little clam. Likes to poke and prod at you to try and see how you would react. He pestered you a lot when you were forced to work in the kitchen. When he was told about your arms he immediately grabbed them and you freaked out and used an impressive amount of strength to throw him back and run away. He liked that!

He chased after you to where you ran away and saw you out the octavinelle windows into the water around the dorm, followed you and you elbowed him back. He laughed at your elbows and noted how he's never seen a bigfin squid! he likes to poke at your big fins and laugh at your elbowed tentacles. He's mean but he will defend you if anyone decides to mess with you, only he's allowed to mess with big fin squiddy! Otherwise, he gets rather bored with you and even just ignores your presence, you like those days.

[thecrazygamingzombie]

How Viviziepop kickstarted the third wave of indie animation.

Okay, I've been seeing a lot of people talk about the tweet below and how Viv doesn't deserve to take credit for the success of other indie animation projects online but the fact of the matter is...she does, in an indirect way at least.

First, let's start off with a brief history of indie animation:

everything started out on a site called newgrounds, I'm sure you've all heard of it. Created by Tom Fulp in the 90s to show case some of his half baked game ideas. Which eventually evolved into a place where indie creators could post anything they wanted without fear of censorship; the rating system that automatically removed any posts that dropped too low being the only source of quality control.

This gave indie animation it's initial foothold online but without any way of obtaining a revenue stream it never really moved beyond a fun hobby done to practice one's art/coding skills or just screw around with friends online.

This problem got more significant as time went on and many of the teenage artists that gave newgrounds it's inital success, such as RicePirate and Tom Fulp, grew into young adults who needed a revenue stream. Luckily they found one in the form of youtube.

With these monetization policies, many indie animators were actually able to go into animation practically full time. Their pre-existing income bolstered by that of youtube and what followed was a golden era of animation, just an explosion of content across the board. You had stuff like Eddsworld, Salad Fingers, ASDF movie, and tons of other creators bursting onto the scene.

all putting their content out there on Youtube for the world to see. All bolstered by revenue coming in from Youtube...but the good times never last

See, back then youtube's monetization policies were pretty simple: the more views your channel got, the more money you'd make. Great for short form animators and also great for clickbait youtubers who abused the system with deceiving thumbnails and titles!

To combat this, Youtube changed it's monetization policies in March of 2012: instead of being rewarded on view count, monetization would instead reward the time watched during a video. Which created a system where longer videos with frequent uploads were rewarded

In theory this was supposed to stop clickbait videos as people would just watch for a few seconds and leave. But in practice? It meant that animators were put at a heavy disadvantage as now they'd have to put in significantly more work for the same result.

This caused a complete and total crash of indie animation online. Between an unfair algorithm and the rise of gaming channels, most indie animators couldn't gather the same level of funding they could before and had to either quit or scale back.

Only the big name animators who could coast by on brand recognition such as Harry Partridge and TomSka among several others, or larger channels with dedicated teams similar to tv studios such as Mondo Media and Rooster Teeth. Were able to keep going.

This started a brief dark age for online animation until the advent of story time animators. People like Jaiden Animations, Swoozie, and TheOdd1sOut who relied on simplistic art styles with minimalist animation that focused on content reminiscent of old vlogs where the animators simply share stories from their everyday lives that allowed them to put out longer videos faster; thus working around the monetization system that had put so many animators out in the cold.

While they didn't solve the problem, in some ways they made it worse by starting a trend that attracted countless copycats, they did help sustain an interest in indie animation online and ensure there was a consistent audience for such a medium.

Now it wasn't a total wasteland mind you, as I said there were still plenty of animators who survived the purge. There were even a few channels such as Shut Up Cartoons and Mondo Media, again, that helped produce dozens of animated series from indie creators.

But even at it's best, these series were still very amateurish. The passion was obviously there but these were still very simplistic flash or stop motion animations with low budgets and small teams, focusing more on episodic skits than any sort of overarching plot

This environment of amateur passion projects, where animated series were usually very small scale and never really escaped from the limited sphere of youtube, went on for several years and kept the animation community alive. Until Viv posted Hazbin Hotel and brought about the third wave of indie animation.

Unlike the previous examples, Hazbin Hotel was a VERY different beast from most indie animation. Not only did it have an extremely distinct visual style but the animation was so fluid, so professionally made, it felt like something you'd see out of a mainstream studio. It felt leagues above the average indie project in terms of quality.

Now Viv had already a decent audience from her Zoophobia webcomic, her speed draws, and the die young video. So it wasn't like she was starting from nothing. But there was no denying that this new form of animation caught people's attention and caught it FAST.

You all can probably recall the explosion of discussion that surrounded the original pilot and how it was all the internet was talking about for awhile. Viv road that wave and used the momentum to launch 'Helluva Boss' another indie production with a similar style.

This made her even more popular, especially when she started cranking out new episodes of the latter series with the same high quality as before, and soon her fanbase swelled to millions. A fanbase that was more than happy to crowdfund Viv's work through patreon and merch sales. Then other animators saw this and realized that there was a sizable audience for animated content; one that could not only sustain professional level animation, but was desperate for more content of this scale. Soon several other series started cropping up like MurderDrones, Lackadaisy, Monkey Wrench, and the Amazing Digital Circus. All of which followed Viv's lead of producing high quality, fluid animation with overarching plots that drew funding entirely from legions of online fans.

For the first time in a long time, indie animation was breaking out of it's original platform and reaching far more mainstream audiences than it ever has in the past on a scale never before seen and it's all because Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss kicked off this new animation renaissance!

Now I'm not gonna say Viv was solely responsible, the series we enjoy now have thrived primarily on their own merits and the creative minds behind them.

But as it stands, her work played a big role in setting the stage for other indie animation projects and creating the perfect conditions for them to thrive amidst the current digital landscape. Like it or not, Viv is the catalyst for modern indie animation. To deny Viv her rightful place in history out of spite is nothing short of historical revisionism.

Give the gal her due, she's done some amazing things for this crazy world we live in.

Here's the videos I got most of my info from, it's important to cite one's sources after all!

[renlyslittlerose]

Last week was the one year anniversary of me posting my first obikin fic, and over the last year being a part of the fandom has brought me so much joy and happiness and enthusiasm once again. Some of you knew me before 2019 and were aware that I was working on my Masters in the Classics, which included a massive thesis. While working on the thesis I was also working part-time at the museum, as well as battling a few chronic illnesses - some of which still affect me today - all of which drained me physically and emotionally. When I had finished my thesis and graduated from the program I was well and truly burnt out. 

 2020 was rough for everyone, and I was contented to just exist without doing much of anything that could be seen as creatively productive. But then 2020 came and passed and I thought maybe I should get back on the saddle, and started working on my own original story. I fell off of social media, didn’t interact in fandom, and tried to grind out a story that wasn’t working like I had hoped it would. 2021 and I still wasn’t ‘feeling it’; I had gone from writing about 1-2k words a day to 500 words a week - if I was lucky. A part of me wondered if I was tapped out for good, that I didn’t have it in me anymore, and that my thesis was my last creative outlet - my last hooray.  I know it sounds a bit dramatic, but when you go from creating almost every day since you were sixteen years old, to suddenly believe that the well has run dry is terrifying. Maybe I was done for good - maybe I wouldn’t create something I was proud of.

And then Kenobi came out. I was a massive prequels fan since I was nine years old and the Phantom Menace came out, and an even bigger Darth Vader fan, but I had never interacted with the fandom in any meaningful way. I was contented to just watch the films and the shows and leave it at that. But as I was watching I had the epiphany that Obi-Wan and Anakin were actually ~roommates all along. I started reading obikin fic, came back on tumblr to see what sort of fandom there was, and suddenly found myself with ideas again, and a desire to create something. 

So I wrote my first fic ‘Sacred to the Gods’ based off of a thesis I wrote during my undergrad about the psychology of a Greek demigod. It took me about a week to write, but in that time I had a lot of fun - the words started to come more easily, the vibes were there, and the passion was slowly but surely returning. One fic turned into another, and then another, and suddenly I had written two multi-chaptered long-form fics, some shorter multi-chaptered ones, and a bunch of oneshots, all about our favourite duo. 

And in the that span of time, not only was I able to rediscover my passion for writing and feel inspired again, but I met so many amazing, incredible, kind, passionate, creative people who welcomed me with open arms. I was used to fandom being sort of a gate-keepy thing, where if you were the new kid in town it would take you a while to work your way into any circles. But it didn’t happen with this fandom. I went up to a few people, held out my macaroni art, and was overjoyed to see them take it and immediately put it up on their fridge.

There are a lot of people I want to thank, and I should thank, from those who read my stuff, those who send me asks on tumblr, those who bookmark and kudos and comment, and those who followed me, but there isn’t any space to do all that. So I hope that a general ‘THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU’ will suffice. Thank you for giving me my passion back, thank you for supporting me, thank you for being an awesome community that has it’s issues, but still cares deeply about the art they’re creating, and who care about fostering a community. 

However, there are a few people I would specifically like to address, because I don’t think this post would be complete without you. I’ll put it behind a cut because this post is already cumbersome:

@bi-wan || My beloved! You were the first person to follow me on tumblr after reading one of my fanfictions, and the first to reach out to me to be my friend. Thank you for reaching your hand out to me and dragging me into the fold. Because of you I’ve made so many good friends who I treasure dearly - including you. 🥰

@ragnarlothcat || I feel like you and Cam are a packaged deal, and so I thank you for being curious about me and checking out my work, and for allowing me to occupy both you and Cam’s comfy little raccoon haven. You’re so supportive, and your work was some of the first I read in the fandom which truly secured my desire to be a part of it. Thank you 💖

@intermundia || I’ve told you this before, but you were the first person I approached in the fandom when I decided I wanted to dip my toes into the experience, and your warmth and welcoming nature secured my desires to be a part of this group. The fact that you support my stories and are so passionate about it really fuels my desires to keep creating (as well as feeding my ego). Thank you for being such a good presence in the fandom.👑

@theseptemberist || I have a feeling that Will told you about me, and I am so glad that he did because we’ve struck up such a friendship that I can’t see myself without. Our chats on discord over the past few months have been wonderful in so many ways that are too innumerous to say here. Thank you for sharing your heart, and for being so kind and empathetic. And thank you for sharing your encyclopedic knowledge of fandom tea ☕

@unspuncreature || Just like Rag and Cam come as a team, you and Cal (and Wren, even though I’ve never spoken to her but feel like I know her) are the trio that delight and entertain. Thank you for your brilliant art and creativity, thank you for letting me bounce all my ideas off of you, and thank you for collaborating with me. You’re brilliant 💗

@kyberkenobi || Beyond the fact that your filthy brain inspires me and delights me, and the fact that you’re willing to goed me on when I come up with something that’s delightfully nasty, your maturity when it comes to fandom is refreshing. At the threat of sounding like a proud grandma, you’re still so young and yet you’ve got a lot of shit figured out - most importantly, that fandom is supposed to be for fun and write what you want to write. Can’t wait for us to finally collaborate one of these days 💕

@dininginspace || What can I say? You’re a delight, you’re incredibly funny, you’re kind and understanding, and you’re the best cheerleader a loser like me could ask for. The fact that you jumped on the Buffy bandwagon when I drove by on it secures you as one of my favourite people. Thank you so much for your early and continued support 🧛‍♂️

@nuandia || Thank you for chatting with me all the time; keep up your writing, it’s brilliant and worth it, even if you doubt it sometimes. 💖

@grapenehifics || I had just finished watching MASH when you commented on Moonlight Serenade. The noise I made when I saw your username, followed by the continued joy I get whenever I see you on my dash or in my inbox, or when I see you’ve posted something new for the world to enjoy. 🧡

@palfriendpatine66 || You’re a delight. You’ve got things figured out, and how you can write so much with the life you’ve got is incredible. Keep going - you’re a gem. 💎

@binaryeclipse || Love chatting with you on discord, and being able to throw out random things about Canada into the chat that doesn’t need explaining - you just get it. Especially when it comes to Alberta politics. It doesn’t always feel like a safe space out there when you’re an Albertan who loves her province but also hates so many things about it, but you make me feel as if I can be a contradictory mess and still feel as if I belong in Canada. Your muse will come back soon, I trust in this ✨

@treescape || Your work is sublime and an inspiration. I read your fics first when I went hunting for things to read, and was immediately captivated. When you followed me back and weren’t at all weirded out by me bounding over to you like an excitable golden retriever, I was very grateful - I am very grateful. Can’t wait to see what you create next. 💛

@starsdies || Thank you for listening to me; thank you for being so inspiring; thank you for helping with community events and exchanges. And thank you for streaming The Last of Us for me because I’m too cheap to buy HBO Max. 🙏

@tessiete || You fact-checked the details I put into Moonlight and all I can say is THANK YOU. Sometimes I feel like I’m getting too lost in the details, but its people like you who google that shit that makes me feel good about my obsessions. 🌸

[imonthemoonitsmadeofcheese]

This came in as an ask along with some spam and my phone app did the horrid delay-lag thing where it updated the screen just as I was hitting delete on spam and nuked your non-spam ask. Apologies. I have excavated it as a screenshot from my email notifications and hope you end up being able to see it.

To answer your question:

Do I think the parent company that laid off 900 employees in March would do better than the heartless CEO and upper management that just laid off 220? I doubt it. Generally, the larger the company, the worse this sort of thing gets, and also the less likelihood you'll have diverse stories and non-mainstream content.

One of the things I love so intensely about Destiny is the queerness and cultural diversity they have within their characters, and the nuance and complexity the writers were able to bring to those narratives. It's why the story is as rich and beautiful as it is. I think it would be healthier if the people who have cost so many employees their livelihood with their poor management decisions (including selling Bungie to Sony in the first place) were replaced with people who actually loved the game. But I don't know if that is even possible at this point.

I also don't think that means that we will necessarily not see good stories in future, despite so many deeply beloved writers being cut away from the thing they poured so much love into for so long. A thing that is necessary to remember is that writing for a project as huge as Destiny is done in teams, not by individuals working on their own, and that when you are on a creative team, your influence lingers long after you leave. Your contributions inspire others on the team and they inspire yours.

Collaborative creativity is amazing because of that energy and synergy and symbiosis among the people working in these teams. The creative environment within Destiny has been drastically altered. But that doesn't mean those teams are now dead. The energy of those who are gone will linger and live on in the work of the team that remains (provided that work is allowed to be expressive at all).

"To love is to be changed." To create lovingly in a group means every individual who participates is changed by it. That's why it hurts so much and why it is going to be so hard for the individuals affected to recover from this, both the ones that were amputated from the team and the ones who remain.

I don't think Destiny will ever be 'back to normal.' You can't cut out such strong and beautiful creative voices from a team and still expect it to sing the same song. But those who remain may still sing, and that song may still be beautiful. And the influence of those who have been ripped away will continue, because collaborative creativity is like that. People within a group like this form an ecosystem and change each other. We won't get to hear what the new songs will sound like on their own until after Heresy, but those remaining have had so much taken from them. I think they deserve to be given a chance to be heard.

Stories are powerful. When you find a story that speaks to you deeply, it impacts your own thoughts about yourself. That is why so many of us are grieving what has been done to the beloved work of art, storytelling, and gameplay that is Destiny.

Do not let your grief keep you fixated on the past. This is an unwelcome change, but that does not mean there is no future for those who were ripped away from their teams, and it does not mean there is no future for what they worked on. We may still yet explore the vastness of space beyond Sol. Do not give up on any of these creative people. Support them, watch for what they do next, send them appreciation and gratitude and love.

Hope in darkness, finding ways to deal with irrevokable change, and healing from grief are all at Destiny's core. They aren't just pretty stories. They matter so much because they are essential. We need them.

Eyes up, Guardian.

[who-is-page]

Digital Bloodsports and Inked Paws: What I Love About the Alterhuman Communities

This is an essay from my website that I wrote in 2021 for my alterhuman NaNoWriMo project, about the things I appreciate and adore in the alterhuman community. I wanted to post the edited, finalized version on here, too. It's a little over 1,600 words long and about an 8-minute read.

It’s easy to talk about what I find aggravating or difficult to deal with in the alterhuman communities—complaints are a dime a dozen, especially since I’m rapidly approaching my ten-year anniversary of activity (is that the barest hint of salt-and-pepper I spy in my muzzle?) But even with all my criticisms, there’s a lot I love about the various parts of the alterhuman communities. There are more wonderful quirks in these groups than I think we ever realize or genuinely acknowledge.

And if there’s one thing that I don’t think the alterhuman communities are given enough credit and love for, it’s our collective ability to never shut the fuck up.

In these spaces, people are always doing, or saying, or creating something. In some ways it reminds me of college, with something always happening somewhere, no matter the weather, time, or day. Whether dead of night or coldest winter day, you’d always be able to find a party, or a study group, or a sportsball match—and in the same way, wherever you are in the alterhuman communities, there’s always something going on: a debate or discussion, a convention (big or small), a newbie asking for help with their identity, a bunch of older alterhumans shooting the shit, a new term being banged out, art and games and comics being created and commented on, collaborative projects or surveys or groups being advertised. The list goes on and on—someone, somewhere, is always dipping their paws in ink, it seems.

Our community thrives off our interactions with one another, and that’s fundamentally shaped both the subcultural elements—such as the way we so highly value content creators and writers, and people who have been in the community for long periods of time and can share stories and experiences that we might otherwise have no knowledge of—and the bizarre forms of (n)etiquette and discourse that we constantly see evolving and changing. It’s a beautiful thing to witness in real-time, watching the customs and terminology and language we have change and shift over the years, and watching the wheels of discourse turn their spokes into previously uncharted waters, a new subject to be written and examined by an invested collective.

It’s a testament to the diversity and fluidity in alterhuman experiences and identity, the fact that so many people with so many different experiences and different explanations can come together time and time again; space and space again; all to hash out their ideas and their thoughts and their differences and their similarities. All to share in the beauty of being other with one another. It’s a sight to behold, like an ocean of a thousand different blues all forming wave after wave of colors, and I get to be a lucky painter who’s too stunned to even figure out where to look first.

Our community’s perchance for debate (or, more accurately, for digital bloodsports) is also something I absolutely adore. Maybe I’m just a young hooligan who’s ready to fistfight the first person who comes through my door at any given moment, with my Ye Olde Discourse days still singing through my veins, but I love the willingness of so many people and groups in this community to throw down over what they believe and their opinions. It’s an admirable fighting spirit that I see in so many alterhumans and, whatever the reason for it, it’s something I feel a deep kinship regarding.

People in these communities care with their whole chest. It gets us in trouble often, but I don’t think these groups and subcultures and identities would be the same without it: we’re loud. We’re stubborn. We inevitably butt heads, but it’s what makes us, us. But it’s more than just our tenacity that I’m talking about here. Being alterhuman, at least in the spaces that I personally find myself in, is about being unabashedly yourself, in whatever wacky, interesting, bizarre, wild, feral way that might translate to.

It’s reminiscent of the queer spaces I’ve been in previously, both in how it harnesses a sense of aggressive pride sometimes, with attitudes of “Yeah, I’m not human—if that’s a problem for you, get lost!” and in how it just purely makes me feel unafraid and unashamed to be nonhuman. This is something I’ve experienced especially at Howls and other in-person group meet-ups.

When I spend time in-person with other alterhumans, it’d be silly to say there’s outright some sort of spark on connection or feeling of family—but there is a feeling of recognition. Of not an “us vs. the world” spark, but of an “we can all be ourselves here,” understanding. It’s so much less dramatic than some accounts I’ve heard, but it’s still a powerful, comfortable, enjoyable feeling. It’s knowing that you can go chasing after a squirrel with reckless abandon without getting judged, or can stop to roll in a pile of especially crunchy leaves just for the sensation of it, and isn’t that its own form of freedom?

And then there’s the beauty of individual identity. One of my favorite parts about my archival work is getting to learn and hear about identities that I’ve never seen before, especially if someone’s written a lot about the “how”s and “why”s. I love getting to not only see how other people experience things differently than I, myself, do, but I love getting to watch the gears in their brain turn as they explain how they got to one conclusion, or other possibilities they’ve considered, or any number of detail-oriented information. Getting to hear about shifts, especially shifts from identities we don’t often see like species-specific fictionkin, conceptkin, machinekin, and phyanthropes, is always such a treat. Hearing how it feels to experience phantom shifts as Southern Live Oak tree, or getting to read about mental shifts from an Alolan Marowak, or any other number of things I’ve been lucky enough to learn about in these communities, is sincerely, genuinely just the absolute coolest. Group experiences and concepts are amazing, but individual experiences are just as, if not more, spectacular.

And speaking on individuals…as a young, teenage nonhuman, I probably would have included a section about how much I admire or value the efforts and works of older alterhumans who are still in the community, and how much I especially enjoy getting to see their content in the communities. How they’re such “inspirations” for me and other such cheesy words. But that feeling has grown and changed a lot as I’ve gotten older: while I still appreciate all the greymuzzles and oldfruits in the community (shoutout to all you grey-furred and grey-scaled rapscallions out there), I feel like the individual age group I particularly appreciate is a lot of the younger folks and ‘new blood’ I’ve seen pop up in the communities.

It’s such a strange feeling to look at someone and go, “Oh man, you’re going to be an absolute force to be reckoned with when you’re older!” but that’s something I’ve definitely experienced. It’s a strange mixture of wistfulness, thinking about my own budding years in the alterhuman communities with probably rose-glassed fondness, and of before-the-fact pride, watching how passionate people are and already being proud of them: for achievements they haven’t yet made, and goals they haven’t yet realized, and selves they’re just now discovering.  It’s genuinely great to see the new, uncharted directions that a lot of the older teenagers are starting to pull and shove the communities in, bringing up old ideas in new ways or just throwing out new perspectives entirely. It makes me feel excited, filled with anticipation for what the future holds and how everything will look like in ten, twenty years.

It also does make me feel a little left behind and out of the times, admittedly, but that’s not a wholly bad thing: times change. Communities change. Our communities are based almost entirely on evolution, where they either continuously change, or they stagnate and die out. The fact that I’m feeling a little out-of-place more and more these days just means I’m settling into the aspects of my identity and the language that I grew up with for describing it is falling more out of use—it just means that I’m getting older and taking on a different niche than I inhabited when I was younger. When I was still a teenager in the community, I was the teeth-bloodied, hot-headed discourser who was willing to shout down and fight anything with a pulse, who was always in the thick of it no matter what “it” was. Now, I think I’m a lot closer to a scholar; jokingly a warrior-scholar, like my patron, if you had to reference the way I came into these communities, but overall, I’m a lot more content to sit it out on the sidelines these days and focus more on my own research and creation.

I wouldn’t stick around these community spaces if I truly didn’t want to be in them, but there’s so much I love wrapped in them that I don’t want to go, anyways. For every physical shifter that drives me up the wall, there’s a million more things that make me want to keep interacting with other nonhumans and alterhumans and that makes me want to keep being a part of specific alterhuman spaces. I love getting to be here, getting to watch how these communities evolve, getting to hear everyone’s stories; I’m glad I get to be a piece of it all, and I count myself lucky for any positive changes I can help affect just by being here. I would do better to remind myself of that more often.