#but surely this one about Art™ would be good and objective. surely....

[mugmegan]

Reading a book about old ottoman gravestones and the fucking author is just insufferable. I wanna learn about those intricate headstones and their history damn it, stop inserting your bullshit conservatist views into the text. Not only is all his commentary not objective in any way so it derails everything, it is also unnecessary. And this last bit was just unbelievable to me. He is talking about the graves of executioners and how the general public didnt want them to be placed in their graveyards because executioners are "not capable of human feelings and qualities such as mercy and love" and because islam forbades killing so this is clearly an example of how amazing and morally good our people are! Its like this guy didnt see any of the horrific irony in all this. Up until this point in the book he praised Sultans and commanders who waged and fought many wars and how they are the best muslims ever and now he is here talking about how these executioners who were ordered to kill by those very sultans are actually inhuman monsters. Do you not see the irony. At all. Are you fucking kidding me. Like do you think executioners are people who just choose random people to kill??? if you are just Oh So knowledgable about ottoman history... then surely... you must know... that executioners kill. On. The. Orders. Of. Sultans. But no. Sultans are the best and executioners are the ones who are evil. You fucking imbecile.

[herbgerblin]

for the fluff prompts, blupjeans for 18!

“you come here often?” “Well considering I work here, yes.”

—

Barry unfortunately knew jack shit about paintings. He knew about popular painters, of course. He even owned a couple of paintings that he liked. But the Art World™ generally bewildered him. And right now he was staring at a collage of photorealistic objects merging into a cacophony of neon-colored, abstract blobs and zig zagging brush strokes. It made him feel even more out of place than he already was.

Behind him was a gathering of other professionals and scholars in various areas of the arcane sciences. He only agreed to attend the luncheon at the local art museum because he had skipped out on two previous work socials, and the department head had been breathing down his neck about it. Now, one opening speech and a shrimp cocktail later, Barry was already wondering what constituted as a reasonable time to sneak away.

Seventeen minutes obviously wouldn't cut it, so for now he was biding his time. He tried to get immersed in the art, but he eventually settled for leaning forward to read the little title cards. The one for the visual mess in front of him was called, "Touch Grass." Artist name, Archibald. It was priced at 69,000gp.

"Nice," Barry murmured.

"I agree," said a voice to his right.

Barry nearly leapt out of his skin! He didn't do that though. Instead, he straighten up to acknowledge the person who daringly snuck up next to him. Maybe not snuck up, but he had been zoning out pretty hard, admittedly. It was habitual.

He was met with the curious face of an elven woman. She was dressed in a white button up, a black pencil skirt and a short apron. She didn't look at all concerned by his sudden reaction. Instead, she gestured with her hand to another painting around a corner and said, "This one's pretty intense. If you need a mental palette cleanser, I suggest that bad boy over there."

She sidestepped to let Barry have a look, and Barry wordlessly obliged. The art piece in question featured a giant, white canvas with three, tiny, silver squiggly lines painted in the center. A row of stage lights illuminated it from above. It was titled, “An Inexplicable Observation of the Continuous Herewith and Ontoward.” Lumalinus. Priced at 5000gp.

“This has High elf written all over it," the lady said. "I can say that, I am one.”

She didn’t look like any of the High elves Barry was familiar with. At least not university faculty. Most dressed in flawless, well tailored suits. Or hand made garments that had been embroidered over centuries. And they carried themselves with the airs of nobility.

The stranger still at his side was leaning on her hip, and her apron had obvious food stains on it. But she otherwise looked very neat. Her thick, curly chair was pulled up into a highly ponytail, with lots of pins to hold back rogue wisps. From where she stood, the stage lights haloed a pretty face with tan skin and warm freckles.

Say something goobus, Barry thought, quickly realizing he was staring more intently at her than he had at the paintings.

“Y-you come here often?” he asked.

The lady smirked and tapped on a little name tag pinned to the right side her shirt. The name read, "Lup Taaco."

She replied, “Well considering I work here, yes.”

"Oh." Barry could feel his face turning red. Godsdammit. He rubbed the back of his neck and tore his eyes back over to the painting. "Well, I guess you've gotten a pretty good look at most of these works already."

"This gallery for sure," she replied, nodding. "But we've just recently updated one of the other wings. Less surreal, and more biology inspired. I recommended it if you're the nerdy type."

Barry felt like that was a light jab at him, with his tweed jacket and bluejeans. But he liked that she was down to earth with her art knowledge.

"Would you mind showing me where it is?" Barry asked, before recalling that there was a luncheon going on. "Oh, unless you're busy."

"Nah, it'd be my pleasure," she replied. As she led him away from the rest of the group, she gestured at her messy apron. "I actually work the front desk, but we were short staffed on catering today. So cha'girl ended up on shrimp duty."

Barry held up his mostly finished shrimp cocktail. "My compliments to the chef."

That got a smile out of her that rendered him speechless once again. Which actually turned out fine, since Lup proved that she definitely knew her ins and outs of the museum. She gave a comprehensive description of each exhibit, in such a way that never left Barry feeling bored.

They exchanged names and bits of info about each other. The pair also took turns determining their favorite art pieces as they continued touring.

There was a chalk drawing of a man eating a bowl full of purple broccoli, titled, “My Friends All Want to Play Fantasy Smash Brothers but I Want to Play Fantasy Mario Cart. This Blows.” Tifty. 20,000gp.

A vacuum cleaner filled with worms on strings, resting on a fuzzy carpet that was also littered with worms on strings. “It’s Not a Phase, Mom.” Shoto-Karagon, 7,500gp.

A photo of a mouse dragging a slice of pizza down some stairs. “Due to Inflation this Image is Now Worth 11,500gp.” Walton. 12,000gp.

"I would drop fat money on that worm-vacuum," Lup declared. "Worm-cuum.”

“I don’t know, the inexplicable whatchamacallit was really speaking to me," Barry said, absolutely joking. "I could see it hanging over my couch.”

Lup snorted and elbowed Barry's arm, which made him blush yet again. He'd completely abandoned the luncheon and had no regrets about it. Time seemed to fly by the two of them with reckless abandon.

“Oh, this one makes me sad," Lup said, her voice softening suddenly. "But I keep coming back to it.”

They paused their tour in front of a large installation of suspended statues. The focal pieces were two humanoid figures made of delicate porcelain. Their clothes rippled around them as they descended down crystalline pieces that collectively made a winding staircase. The figure in front appeared to reach back to the figure right behind them. The figure behind appeared to crane towards the figure right ahead.

“They always look like they're gonna touch each other's hands," Lup explained. She slumped the side of her face on her own palm. "But they never do.”

Barry glanced from the beautiful installation to Lup's surprisingly forlorn expression. It saddened him to think that she always had to walk by this thing that she loved, and never feel satisfied by it. He looked back at it, before quickly spotting a title card on the wall a few feet behind where the figures were suspended.

"Maybe the artist made other sculptures like this one?" he suggested. He walked over to read the card, keeping an eye out for any "Do not cross this line" signs on the floor. There weren't any here, so he felt okay maneuvering around the sculpture. "Like a continuation of the story they were trying to tell."

"This installation was from an anonymous donor," Lup replied. "And as far as I know, it's a standalone piece."

"Huh," Barry said. The title card simply read, "Salut D'Amour." Nameless. No price given. Barry turned around to look at the piece. “Maybe you just gotta…oh shit...”

He blinked and silently gestured for Lup to join him. She did so, curiosity bubbling across her face. Barry scooted over a bit to give her room, and she followed his line of sight towards the statues. She let out a small gasp.

Barry's words came back to him. “...find the right angle.”

From where they both stood, they could now see the point where both figures were gleefully descending the glittering staircase, hand in hand, not letting go.

“Wow,” Lup murmured.

Barry was too aware of how close he and her were squeezed together in the corner. His face was burning like a furnace and he had no idea if this was entirely appropriate in an art museum. But seeing Lup look at her favorite art piece with a newfound appreciation, Barry couldn’t take his eyes away from her. Lup turned her happy gaze at him, grinning from ear to ear.

“I don’t think anyone's figured it out since we’ve put it up," she said, in almost a whisper. "So for the time being, this is our little secret."

"I think this one might my favorite too," Barry replied, matching her smile.

"You have excellent taste."

[bathtuub]

this is a dumb and depressing vent so scroll past if you dont want to read it. i would do the cut thing if i knew how but i really dont feel like looking it up.

lol im pretty sure im autistic and i think i'm gonna self diagnose it once i do more research because there is a 0% chance of me getting diagnosed with anything professionally for the next 4 years and i dont fit any stereotypes so i really doubt id end up with one even if i paid for all the testing

but i have all the symptoms in one way or another and my life so far is exactly like how autistics describe their childhood. able to speak very early, talented in art and writing, very literal, special interest in warrior cats, few friends but very good academically, bullied but didn't figure it out until after the fact, figures out they're genderqueer, very easily attached to inanimate objects, autistic burnout™, hard time with dating, etc.

and even if im not autistic, if i have all the symptoms to a debilitating level with no other explanation then i dont see the harm in using the label and being a part of the community just to keep myself sane.

besides what if i go in to get tested and it's not autism?? that means im just a freak with no excuse or explanation and that's what im doing to myself already and if i heard it from someone i was supposed to put faith in i would not be okay at all

i feel so constantly invalidated because every time i try to talk to a family member about this i get told im being dramatic and it's not that bad and i shouldn't self diagnose and im drug seeking but THERES NO OTHER OPTION. im living in a hell where i can keep crying but nobody will help me because some lady who couldn't even disgnose me said i was too smart for adhd and now im just left to deal with all this alone without any therapy or medication or even my parents believing me when i say something's wrong.

lolzzz anyway that got sad im gonna put on cannibal the musical and go to bed. its 4 am.

[marloart]

So my players and I have had this running joke since 2019 that the campaign world has a restaurant chain called “Fantasy Taco Bell” with similar energy as Fantasy Costco from TAZ. Basically a place to let loose in between battles and such. Recently the franchise introduced a new mascot character and we all love him and so I just had to make art of him.

His name is Axel the Axolotl. Rumor has it that could be the secret ingredient in the double decker fish tacos.

Also a while back I went nuts and made a whole menu for the place so I thought I might as well share that too.

Descriptions of each menu item under the cut!

Potion of Baja Blast - “Crisp and citrus flavored, this potion packs a punch and gives off the sensation of drinking a tropical hurricane. That or feeling awesome enough of a super human to successfully consume a real storm. Improves a skill of your choice by +1, once per scene. Warning: May cause you to involuntarily black-flip from all the adrenaline it produces or might compel you to high-five everyone in your general vicinity.”

(cost: 100 cp | properties: gay sprite™, super sweet, digestible, somehow works like an adhd medication)

Potion of Mango Fiesta - “When consumed will allow the player to enchant enemies into believing they are at a party and will distract them into performing a conga line.”

(cost: 65 cp | properties: “There ain’t no party like a mango party”, super sweet, ingestible, fun, charming effect)

Fire! Hot Sauce Packet - “A Sauce so hot your eyes just water thinking about it. Ingesting this allows you the ability to cast Fire Breath: As a standard action, you can breathe flame once per round for the duration of the spell. You make a ranged touch attack with the flame (to a maximum range of 15 feet), dealing fire damage on a successful roll (casting ability +1). Fire breath ignites combustibles and damages objects in the area, and it can melt metals with low melting points (such as lead, gold, copper, silver, and bronze). The spell does not function underwater. One use per packet. ”

(cost: 50 cp | properties: spicy, so hot your mouth literally produces fire, ingestible)

Diablo Hot Sauce Packet - “If you ever wondered what level of spice a demonic entity would find a little too painful, then this is the sauce for you! Ingesting this allows you the ability to cast Fire and Brimstone: With a shout, you cause your foes to erupt in afoul, acrid-smelling burst of yellow fire. The subject ignites in a burst of sulfuric fire that deals 1d6 points of damage and causes the subject to be sickened for 5 rounds. One use per packet.”

(cost: 150 cp | properties: spicy, sulfuric, digestible, hellfire, an infernal food favorite!)

Simple Cheese Quesadilla - “A mild and simple toasted tortilla stuffed with rich and gooey cheese and jalapeño sauce. It’s instantly comforting. Grants a temporary Physical Stress box after consumption and lasts until your character has been hit.”

(cost: 25 cp | properties: digestible, restorative, comfort food, basic but in the best way)

Volcano Taco w/ Lava Sauce - “A hard red corn tortilla shell filled to the brim with spicy ingredients. Biting into this snack releases an eruption of molten goodness that you'll never go back to a regular taco again. Ingesting this allows you the ability to cast Molten Strike: You launch a ball of molten rock that detonates, showering nearby creatures with red-hot stone and flames. The explosion deals 2d6 points of fire damage to every creature within the area.

(cost: 250 cp | properties: ingestible, Evocation spell, Radial burst AoE, Magma making, caliente)

Mystery Fish Double-Decker Taco Supreme - “If hubris could be condensed into a single food item on this menu - this would be the fall of man. Not only is it one overstuffed taco filled with a mysterious fish that you think is tilapia (but can not be legally called that for reasons - but really you’re not even 100% sure if it’s even really an aquatic life form) - you get another taco surrounding the first bursting with a layer of refried beans sandwiched between. It takes the truly brave of heart to look at this menu item and declare that you will eat it. If you are successful in finishing this challenging meal you are granted the ability to cast Grease: Slick grease covers the ground in a 10-foot radius centered on a point within range and turns it into difficult terrain for the duration. When the grease appears, each creature standing in its area must succeed on an Athletics saving throw or fall prone.

(cost: 35 cp | properties: debatable categorization as an digestible, you might regret ordering this, As Seen on TV: Dungeons & Diners & Dragons & Drive-Ins & Dives, it is a mystery)

Chalupa - "If frying food is like hiring a famous wizard to put a spell on it, then the Chalupa is the ultimate hex. A hex you totally want that is. This is what you get with the Chalupa: beautiful witchcraft. Luckily for anyone who orders this menu item it doubles as a snack and weapon! If you have any leftover cheese sauce you will be able to use the Boiling Cheese Attack: A torrent of boiling cheese rains down in an area you specify. On a successful role with your casting ability, creatures in the area take scalding (fire) damage from the delicious molten cheese. Creatures that fail their initial saving throw take an additional -1 stress of physical damage in each subsequent round of the spell's duration (up to a maximum of 6 rounds - roll 1d6 to determine how many rounds it lasts). The cheese created by this spell is not itself flammable."

(cost: 30 cp | properties: digestible, delicioso, conjuration spell, scalding, worth every copper piece)

Dorito®️ Locos Taco - “Possibly one of the most iconic inventions in the history of the taco. You would be loco to think otherwise. A crunchy chip flavored taco shell really sells this dish as one of a kind. Ingesting this allows you the ability to cast Word of Chaos: Any non-chaotic creature within the area who hears the word of chaos suffers the following ill effects (which are cumulative and concurrent); Deafened: The creature is deafened for 1d4 rounds, Stunned: The creature is stunned for 1 round, Confused: The creature is confused, as by the confusion spell, for 1d10 minutes. This is a mind-affecting enchantment effect and no saving throw is allowed against these effects. The creature must be within hearing distance for the effect to take hold."

(cost: 500 cp | properties: digestible, chip flavored, chaotic, iconic, mind altering, you absolute mad man)

Nacho Fries - “Our delicious fries are seasoned with bold, Mexican spices and served with a side of warm nacho cheese sauce. In Queso you didn’t know this Fantasy Taco Bell menu item is simply the best. In fact it’s so good you won’t want to share them at all and you’ll definitely tell anyone who dares to snag a fry that that its nacho cheese. Our these puns too cheesey for you? Well you’ll certainly love this tasty snack that you’ll probably want to sing it’s praises just as much. By ingesting this item you will be gifted (cursed?) with making pun related jokes that will completely distract the enemy. Don’t worry they don’t have to be dairy based- but it will make a gouda impression. Enemies and non allies with be affected with uncontrollable laughter even if they don’t like your jokes.”

(cost: 10 cp | properties: digestible, cheesy goodness, charming effect, punny, side splitting laughter will ensue)

Choco - Taco - “A Sweet desert treat! A sugary waffle cone taco filled with cold horchata ice cream and dipped in Mexican hot chocolate sauce and topped with nuts. The wrapper has a cheeky Chocobo mascot on it. Eating it instantly boosts your mood. Grants a temporary Mental Stress box after consumption and lasts until your character has been attacked psychically.”

(cost: 15 cp | properties: digestible, super sweet, mood enhancer, mildly addictive)

Caramel Apple Empanadas - “Just a simple, innocent, delicious caramel apple pastry. Or is it? Just kidding. That’s all it is. Simple and innocent but equally delicious. It’s a traditional classic. Gives advantage on Deceive and Rapport rolls.”

(cost: 50 cp | properties: digestible, easy to eat on the go, As Sweet as Apple Pie, tricky & tasty)

[dreamsarebutterflies]

I didn't mean this particular scene or by the end of the manga but BEFORE that obviously. Ranma's character development is never stopping and that's what I love the most about his character: he's willing to learn and I do believe he knows himself too. After all, you need to if you try to be a master of martial arts.

Independently of the curse itself, parental pressure played a role in this idea of what a man is supposed to be. First, Genma and his mother made a freaking pact to make a MAN™ out of him. The alternative is DEATH. That alone would put things into your teenage head.

Despite this, he inherited his mother's kindness and he's genuine. Those parts can be seen as feminine in the most traditional ways. He wasn't raised to expose these qualities to the world, which makes him awkward at times when he wants to be nice to Akane for example. To be fair, he turned out fine as far as traditional boys go. He can be a jerk but he's a good kid who has actual affection for all these crazy people coming at him and Akane. If they get into trouble or ask for his help, he'd probably assist them.

Ranma wishing to be a FULL man isnt something new but the reasons evolve as the story goes on. Not necessarily because he changes or because he meets new people but we, as an audience, learn more and more about him.

You cannot ignore that this kid who didn't see his mother for ten years and lived in his father's fear of disappointing her for the whole while he was cursed, deeply wished to cancel this part of him so he could get home and see his mother again (and get rid of one more threat to his life). This reason surely existed before she was introduced. Because, as you said, Ranma has no idea what a home is. His mother was initially home. Now, the idea of Home is Akane and what brought them to be together. You cannot tell me he didn't put it into his head, one way or another, that for him to deserve to stay there with her, he had to be a Man™.

Isn't an explicit notion but the simple fact that Ranma mentions getting back to Akane as he is here is a hint that he wanted to return to her as a complete man again at some point. So it was an objective as well until now. It's not insane to interpret it that way, because she believes in him and he learned not to disappoint. But it's okay if he fails this time because he knows that's not really what Akane needs or wants, she knows and accepts him as he is, entirely.

Now he even has a reason not to be selfish, unlike his father. If you stretch it, you can assume that Ranma breaking the curse has never been something that he wanted for himself, it was yet again all about what his parents wanted for him. What always shocked me when I started the show years ago was how docile he was in the first episode. Meeting Akane, he learnt to express himself more and was finally allowed to want and need things for himself. He didn't need to live in survival mode anymore, not just because he had a roof and free food but because people around him are not threatening him on a daily basis. Until then, he never had to make real decisions for himself. Akane gave him a safe space to be who he was and think outside of his parents' unrealistic expectations.

Also, that's just an idea but: Ranma seems to believe in breaking the curse to make Akane happy. I wonder if that's also a way to erase the primordial fight: he lied to her and pretended to be a girl on day 1. Before this event, Akane was very welcoming and nice to him. Probably the first person to act that way towards him in years, mind you. Perhaps it would be a way to make things right.

Martial arts are Ranma's life, but the training trips with Genma were more about survival. In a way, he doesn't start living until he finds a home with the Tendos, but even more, Akane is home. When he's at death's door, Akane is the one who brings him back. She is his will to live.

[sysba]

🎁💋for whoever is the most fun to answer for.

ahh thanks 💕 let's see, I'll answer each one for 2 detectives:

🎁 — What kind of gifts do they like to give? What do they like receiving?

zoe: absolutely loves gifts (it's her love language together with words of affirmation) and VERY carefully chooses gifts, making sure to put as much effort as possible in picking the Perfect™ gift for the recipient! thinks of every detail, and everything (from the packaging to the card) is meant to meet the person's taste. loves handcrafted gifts but it's not only possible and all she wants is to make her friends happy. best person to have as your secret santa. as for what she likes to receive... books. art books. art supplies. improvised trips (possibly to very quiet idyllic places). simple jewellery (doesn't care about it being fancy or cheap as long as it meets her taste!)

winona: really depends on the person receiving the gift, or on her mood tbh... it can be a serious gift that the person clearly wanted, or something very dumb that is more a prank rather than a gift (yk, for fun). and she's one of those people who don't really love 'material' gifts? if she wants something she buys it herself, that way she can get exactly what she likes. but she does love surprises, so her ideal gift would be more of an experience and not an object. idk, make dinner for her or take her to the spa, literally anything she can enjoy will do!!

💋 — What are their kisses like?

hyeon: ok, he's a really good kisser actually, but he's not really the serious type so most of the time his kisses are very playful. he holds you close and kisses you but soon interrupts the kiss to make a joke. or he starts giggling because you're accidentally tickling him, and then starts tickling you in return. not a lot of tongues, except when he decides to lick your cheek because he thinks it's hilarious. so uhm yeah great kisses but you gotta put up with the manchild😂✨

edith: ...intense. you're left breathless and a bit stunned after she kisses you (that's the dream). it's not necessarily a passionate way of kissing, it's just very,,, very edith lol kisses with her whole body, cradling your face or burying her hands in your hair. if possible, will pick you up. not a fan of sloppy kisses, but big fan of nibbling lips and just 'expand' the kiss to other areas (so we get a lot of jaw, neck/throat smooches). overall, 😳😳😳