#ergo black and white version

[my-soliloquy-chamber]

[shallowseeker]

in the nihilism script, dean is in a time loop, beheading his own desires as he stays in stasis, sublimating his love for cas through work and through miming desire for Pamela-as-standin

dean’s always pushed his own happiness to the wayside (example: back at Sonny’s, with Robin)

anyhoo…

he kills “Drunk” and “Raincoat” over and over, symbolically killing his and Cas’s hunger for one another.

courtesy @spnscripthunt 14x10 nihilism

[riding-the-sunset-bird]

It's time for Step 4 Cove's posts, and first up is what choices change his look!

As before, my first post on Step 2 Cove's appearance modifiers will tell you a lot of what you need to know if you haven't already read it, but to summarize:

The things that your MC notices/favors/picks up/focuses on influence Cove's look, though there are some exceptions.

In some cases (though there are none in this step), a choice that changes Cove's appearance may also affect his coldness/warmness as well as his studiousness/sportiness. This is coincidental, so Cove's personality doesn't largely impact his look.

If you want a different Cove without using the Cove Creator, try choosing different aesthetic/taste-based options.

Specific to Step 4, however, there are a few key things to note.

Firstly, similar to Step 3 where some earrings would not be visible on Cove depending on what hairstyle he has, the same applies here. The black stud earrings will not be visible with the fluffy hair and the silver huggie earrings will not be visible with the tied-back hair. Ergo, Cove could be wearing earrings in one of your playthroughs if you have either hairstyle on him, but you just might not see them.

Also, the dark raspberry sleeveless shirt with the white anchor symbol and the yellow shirt with the orange flower pattern hide the silver ring necklace, so that's another thing to keep in mind.

Secondly, and I'll have to rip off the bandage for any poor person who wants their Cove to have a tattoo, but there are no choices that will give Cove a tattoo. It's something you can do only with the Cove Creator, which I imagine may be because one of Cove's tattoos can trigger people's trypophobia.

Third, it appears that the modifiers for Step 4 Cove's pants in Step 3 are not the ones actually used in Step 4. In all of my tests, Cove's pants always defaulted to the tan shorts with the gray trim and blue polka dots. If anyone has any evidence to the contrary, then I can test them out, but it appears that the plan was originally for Cove to have six different pairs of pants rather than four - with two of the pairs having color variation like Step 2 and 3 Cove have - but it was changed by the time Step 4 was made.

Below is what you would get if what I presume to be the original intent was kept in place:

Hang (Cove's Version)

If the MC decides to have a drink:

base flavor

An iced green tea. [Pants #4]

A black tea. [Pants #2]

A milk tea. [Pants #2 (Alternate Color)]

An iced coffee. [Pants #1]

A strawberry smoothie. [Pants #2]

A banana smoothie. [Pants #3]

A mango smoothie. [Pants #4]

A coffee frappe. [Pants #1 (Alternate Color)]

A vanilla milkshake. [Pants #1]

A chocolate milkshake. [Pants #1 (Alternate Color)]

mix ins & toppings

You chose to add whipped cream. [Pants #2 (Alternate Color)]

You chose to add chocolate syrup. [Pants #4]

You chose to add caramel syrup. [Pants #1]

You chose to add boba pearls. [Pants #3]

You chose to add condensed milk. [Pants #2]

-

There are two other types of pants - an alternate color version of both Pants #3 and #4 - but these aren't attached to any choices so they may have been scrapped even earlier.

In addition to this, though this is nothing the player themself needs to worry about, there is unused code in the game for Step 4 Cove's swimming trunks. This may have been for the scene where Cove strips down to his boxers to take a swim in the ocean, though he would've had swimming trunks on instead.

These are the choices that would've changed them:

Boating

If the MC was sick/scared and was brought downstairs by Cove, who asks if they want a drink (if non-Indifferent):

"Water?" [Swimming Trunks #2]

"Juice?" [Swimming Trunks #1]

"Seltzer water?" [Swimming Trunks #2]

"I don't want anything." [Swimming Trunks #1]

"I don't want you to go." [Swimming Trunks #2]

If the MC stepped up to make drinks for the group:

if the MC put only one ingredient in the drink

[Swimming Trunks #1]

if the MC's drink is "berry dominant" (meaning either the drink has two ingredients and all are berry - grape/cranberry/strawberry/mixed berry - juices, or if the drink has more than two but less than six ingredients and more than two are berry juices)

[Swimming Trunks #2]

if the MC's drink is "common" (meaning either the drink has two ingredients and all are common - apple/orange/pineapple/mango - juices, or if the drink has more than two but less than six ingredients and more than two are common juices)

[Swimming Trunks #1]

if the MC's drink is "uncommon/mixed" (meaning either the drink has two ingredients and there is only one or zero each of berry juice and common juice, or if the drink has more than two but less than six ingredients and there are no more than three each of either berry or common juice)

[Swimming Trunks #2]

if the MC's drink has more than five ingredients but less than ten

[Swimming Trunks #1]

if the MC used all the ingredients in the drink

[Swimming Trunks #2]

-

There are additional unused articles of clothing for Step 4 Cove, but these weren't attached to any choices (similar to the two pairs of pants mentioned above): two pajamas shirts and two pairs of pajama pants, as well as two formal shirts.

Cove also has code for a fourth pair of earrings, wristwear (for both wrists), and glasses, the latter two being connected to choices, but the game will simply change it to nothing. Cove's hair doesn't have an extra option exactly, but weirdly there are options to disable all of his hair (this won't give you a bald Cove, but default to the tied-back hair). I wanted to mark these just for the sake of being thorough, so if there's anything that says "[nothing]" rather than "[no change]" then just note that it's because the code is different for those options for the reasons above (so they might be calling for all hair to be disabled, for the fourth wristwear accessory, or fourth pair of glasses).

Keep all that in mind while checking out this list of chances you have to change Cove's look:

Step 3 Intro

After the MC's initial thoughts on Cove having to go away for a while almost every year (if not Indifferent by Step 1/2):

You sent him letters the entire time he was away. [rainbow shapes necklace]

Your moms helped you ship out care packages to him and his mom. [silver ring necklace]

You gave him special treasures to take with him before he left. [no necklace]

You kept an eye on his house for him while he wasn't there. [rainbow shapes necklace]

You were incapable of doing anything until he was back. [silver ring necklace]

If the MC decides that they want further education:

Attend a community college. [slim body type]

Attend a public university. [buff body type]

Go to a private college. [buff body type]

Join a trade school. [slim body type]

Take online classes. [slim body type]

If the MC decides that they want to work:

Find a company to work at. [buff body type]

Work online. [slim body type]

Do contract work. [slim body type]

Start your own business. [buff body type]

If the MC wants to do something that isn't school nor work:

Work on self-improvement on your own. [buff body type]

Take some time just to relax. [slim body type]

Try to figure out what you truly want. [buff body type]

When the MC can decide where they want to go when they move out:

Stay local. [buff body type]

Go to a different part of the state. [slim body type]

Go out of state. [slim body type]

Go abroad. [slim body type]

Travel around to different places. [buff body type]

Hang (Cove's Version)

If the MC decides to have a crepe:

base flavor

Plain. [white stringer shirt with purple pocket]

Strawberry. [blue flowery button-up over a white shirt]

Chocolate. [white stringer shirt with purple pocket]

Green tea. [dark raspberry sleeveless shirt with white anchor symbol]

Lemon. [yellow shirt with orange flower pattern]

fillings & toppings

Whipped cream. [yellow shirt with orange flower pattern]

Condensed milk. [dark raspberry sleeveless shirt with white anchor symbol]

Cream cheese. [white stringer shirt with purple pocket]

Chocolate chips. [blue flowery button-up over a white shirt]

Chocolate syrup. [blue flowery button-up over a white shirt]

Caramel syrup. [dark raspberry sleeveless shirt with white anchor symbol]

Powdered sugar. [white stringer shirt with purple pocket]

Strawberries. [yellow shirt with orange flower pattern]

Mango slices. [dark raspberry sleeveless shirt with white anchor symbol]

Mixed berries. [yellow shirt with orange flower pattern]

Banana slices. [blue flowery button-up over a white shirt]

Errands

When the MC spots a fudge stall at the market:

You got closer to the stall. [no change]

But soon your gaze drifted elsewhere. [sideswept hair]

(following above choice) If the MC chose to approach the fudge stall:

You didn't want to get any. [nothing (this will default to the tied-back hair in Step 4)]

You wanted to get yourself a box. [no change]

You wanted to get a box to share with everyone. [no change]

You wanted to get a box just for Cove. (if non-Indifferent) [no change]

And that was all. [no change]

If the MC chooses to get fudge for anyone:

Milk Chocolate. [sideswept hair]

Dark Chocolate. [middle-parted hair]

White Chocolate. [fluffy hair]

Cookies and Cream. [tied-back hair]

Caramel swirl. [fluffy hair]

Chocolate Peanut butter. [fluffy hair]

Dark Chocolate Mint.

○ (if buying for self/everyone who isn't Cove) [tied-back hair]

○ (if buying for Cove) [no change]

Red Velvet.

○ (if buying for self/everyone who isn't Cove) [middle-parted hair]

○ (if buying for Cove) [no change]

Maple Walnut.

○ (if buying for self/everyone who isn't Cove) [nothing (this will default to the tied-back hair in Step 4)]

○ (if buying for Cove) [no change]

White Chocolate Peppermint.

○ (if buying for self/everyone who isn't Cove) [tied-back hair]

○ (if buying for Cove) [no change]

Chocolate Toffee.

○ (if buying for self/everyone) [middle-parted hair]

○ (if buying for Cove) [no change]

Key Lime.

○ (if buying for self/everyone who isn't Cove) [sideswept hair]

○ (if buying for Cove) [no change]

When the MC can buy groceries:

Apples. [average red glasses]

Oranges. [nothing (this will default to no glasses in Step 4)]

Peaches. [no glasses]

Strawberries. [rounded gray glasses]

Onions. [rectangular brown glasses]

Peppers. [no glasses]

Lettuce. [average red glasses]

Tomatoes. [rounded gray glasses]

Cucumbers. [no glasses]

Carrots. [nothing (this will default to no glasses in Step 4)]

Lemons. [rounded gray glasses]

Limes. [rectangular brown glasses]

Spinach. [average red glasses]

Potatoes. [no glasses]

You didn't get anything. [no glasses]

When the MC can buy honey and/or jam:

Clover Honey. [rectangular brown glasses]

Orange Blossom Honey. [nothing (this will default to no glasses in Step 4)]

Spring Wildflower Honey. [no glasses]

Honey Butter. [average red glasses]

Strawberry Jam. [rounded gray glasses]

Raspberry Jam. [rectangular brown glasses]

Blackberry Jam. [no glasses]

Apricot Jam. [nothing (this will default to no glasses in Step 4)]

Blueberry Jam. [rounded gray glasses]

Plum Jam. [nothing (this will default to no glasses in Step 4)]

Rhubarb Jam. [rectangular brown glasses]

You didn't get anything. [no change]

Talks

[NONE]

Charity

[NONE]

Drive

[NONE]

Reflection

[NONE]

Late Shift

When the MC can order at the fast food place:

A hamburger. (if the MC is not vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, or pollotarian) [layered blue and maroon bracelets on right wrist]

○ With cheese. [no change]

○ With no cheese. [no change]

A vegan veggieburger. [multiple colored bracelets on right wrist]

A chicken sandwich. (if the MC is not vegetarian, vegan, or pescatarian) [black bracelet on right wrist]

A spicy chicken sandwich. (if the MC is not vegetarian, vegan, or pescatarian) [no change]

French fries. [nothing (this will default to no wristwear on the right wrist in Step 4)]

Onion rings. (if the MC is not vegan) [no change]

A salad. [no wristwear on the right wrist]

Chicken nuggets. (if the MC is not vegetarian, vegan, or pescatarian) [layered blue and maroon bracelets on right wrist]

Jalapeno poppers. [multiple colored bracelets on right wrist]

A soda. [black bracelet on right wrist]

A milkshake. (if the MC is not vegan) [nothing (this will default to no wristwear on the right wrist in Step 4)]

A soft serve sundae. (if the MC is not vegan) [no wristwear on the right wrist]

A chocolate chip cookie. (if the MC is not vegan) [layered blue and maroon bracelets on right wrist]

An apple pie. (if the MC is not vegan) [multiple colored bracelets on right wrist]

Nothing. [no wristwear on the right wrist]

Serendipity

When everyone is discussing their plans for what sweet treat they want:

"A popsicle." [silver huggie earrings]

"An ice cream cone." [black stud & silver huggie earrings]

"An ice cream sandwich, too." [black stud earrings]

Boating

[NONE]

Happiness

If the MC decided to make food for Cove (if Shopping happened, Growing happened, or the MC bought fudge for Cove in Errands):

You chose to bake cinnamon rolls. (if Shopping happened) [nothing (this will default to no wristwear on the left wrist in Step 4)]

You were going to make banana, peanut butter, and honey sandwiches. (if Growing happened) [pale yellow watch on the left wrist]

You'd make him homemade fudge. (if the MC bought fudge for Cove in Errands) [ridged slate gray bracelet on the left wrist]

If the MC decided to get food for Cove that didn't require preparation:

(if Drive happened) [thick brown and tan bracelet with white helm on the left wrist]

(if Drive did not happen) [no wristwear on the left wrist]

Step 3 Ending

If the MC chose to make jewelry with Lee and the others:

"I wanna find some sea glass too." [nothing (this will default to no wristwear on the left wrist in Step 4)]

"I'm gonna hunt for a handful of shells to pick from." [pale yellow watch on the left wrist]

"I'm gonna look for some driftwood." [ridged slate gray bracelet on the left wrist]

"I wanna use some stones." [thick brown and tan bracelet with white helm on the left wrist]

"I'll just wait and see. I don't have a plan." [no wristwear on the left wrist]

-

Aaaand that's everything! It's really a shame about Cove's tattoos and pants, and I can't help being curious about the potential unused content (there aren't image files or anything for them, unfortunately), but I hope this helped anyway!

[nemonoonesuch]

Ergo Proxy References and Parallelisms Vol. I

This is the first (and maybe only) post of a Compilation of Ergo Proxy references and parallelisms with other forms of art Literature, Cinema and Music. On this Volume:

𝟙𝟡𝟠𝟜: ℙ𝕒𝕘𝕖 𝟙𝟘𝟙

𝚃𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙸𝚃𝚈

𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕺𝖉𝖊𝖘𝖘𝖆 𝕾𝖙𝖆𝖎𝖗𝖈𝖆𝖘𝖊 𝕾𝖈𝖊𝖓𝖊

In Memory of Willie McCool

FOLLOW THE WHITE RABBIT

A Map of Historical Figures

The Film and the Public

Cruxified Snake

Centzon Tōtōchtin

L'Homme qui Rit :D

A House of Cards

ₜₕₑ ₜᵣᵢₚₗₑ Gₒddₑₛₛ?

Drifting into the Attack

RE-L 124C41+

𝟙𝟡𝟠𝟜: ℙ𝕒𝕘𝕖 𝟙𝟘𝟙

From Re-l's notebook a handwritten page can be seen in the first minutes of Meditatio I, those notes being:

flipping the image a few phrases can be read as: "The Party", "the legendary Brotherhood exist" "no way of coming together" "the force to destroy"

The source material is George Orwell's 1984, chapter I:

If there was hope, it must lie in the proles, because only there in those swarming disregarded masses, 85 per cent of the population of Oceania, could the force to destroy the Party ever be generated. The Party could not be overthrown from within. Its enemies, if it had any enemies, had no way of coming together or even of identifying one another. Even if the legendary Brotherhood existed, as just possibly it might, it was inconceivable that its members could ever assemble in larger numbers than twos and threes. Rebellion meant a look in the eyes, an inflexion of the voice, at the most, an occasional whispered word. But the proles, if only they could somehow become conscious of their own strength. would have no need to conspire...

𝚃𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙸𝚃𝚈

The parallels between The Matrix and Ergo Proxy are beyond the merely atmospheric. The similitude between their female protagonist, Re-L Mayer and Trinity, are quite popular domain in sci-fi fan circles. Not just the gothic-esque choice of black as main wardrobe color, but being essential for the main protagonist (Vincent Law and Thomas Anderson/Neo, respectively) who is also The One.

It's later revealed in both franchises that their female co-protagonist is essential in a long standing plan.

Meditatio I: Re-L pose for shooting an Enemy AI (an infected Armed AutoReiv)

The Matrix - 1999 Trinity's iconic "Dodge this!"

𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕺𝖉𝖊𝖘𝖘𝖆 𝕾𝖙𝖆𝖎𝖗𝖈𝖆𝖘𝖊 𝕾𝖈𝖊𝖓𝖊/ Потьо́мкінські схо́ди

Almost 100 years have passed since the iconic scene from Sergei Eisenstein's 1925 silent film Battleship Potemkin, and the scene is still present in cinema tropes. There are thousand examples of versions of this scene:

The Potemkin Battleship - 1925

Meditatio II: the carriage of Raul Creed's Son

In Memory of Willie McCool

Willie McCool was an American naval officer and aviator, test pilot, aeronautical engineer, and NASA astronaut, who was the pilot of Space Shuttle Columbia mission STS-107. Willie and the rest of the crew of STS-107 were killed when Columbia disintegrated during reentry into the atmosphere.

He's mentioned on several screens throgout the series, as well as the statue made in his memory at Lubbok.

Meditatio III: The filler text is all about McCool.

As an extra: McCool favorite band was Radiohead. The song Fake Plastic Trees, was also used as a Wake Up Song during the STS-107 mission.

FOLLOW THE WHITE RABBIT

On Meditatio III, VIncent tries to escape the hellish network of tunnels, maintenance routes and underground spaces that hold Romdeau. He's aided by the charismatic, now Cogito infected, Auto-rave Pino, with her cute pink rabbit pijama, in a somewhat allusion to Alice in Wonderland's White Rabbit.

White Rabbit as depicted in John Tanniel's illustrated version of Alice in Wonderland - 1869

Meditatio III: Pino Leading Vincent using the escpae route of the infected autoraves

Pino is later seen reading Alice in Wonderland and Alice Underground.

Meditatio VIII: Illustrated coloured copy of Alice in Wonderland. Illustrations by John Tenniel. Tematically, on this episode the encounter the remains of dome Charos (ハロス). The humans inhabitants of Charos are consumed in a sanguinary conflict with the residents of their twin dome Asura, following the nonsensical commands of their respective Proxy, not very different to the way the commands of the Red Queen were nonsensical.

Meditatio XVI: Pino Reading Alice Underground

A Map of Historical Figures

On Romudo City, structural urban features receive the names of relevant historical writers and philosophers. The City is divided in at least nine sectors, several boreaughs, seven islands and the Mainland that holds the Central Tower of the Dome.

As seen in the city map, some streets, boroughs and parks are named after famous figures of western history, particularly literature and philosophy.

Due to the quality of the screen, a few of the names are not visible.

The most notable references are:

Rousseau Street as an homage to Jean Jacques Rousseau

Mainland Descartes as an homage to Rene Descartes

Machiavelli Road as an homage to Niccolo Machiavelli

Montesquieu Road, Louis Street, Charles Street and Secondat Street as a references to Charles Louis de Secondat, baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu

Schopenhauer Road as an homage to Arthur Schopenhauer

George Street intersecting Berkeley Street, as a reference to George Berkeley.

East Lentricchia borough Named after Frank Lentricchia

East McLaughlin borough (possibly named after Dean Benjamin McLaughlin, or his son Dean Benjamin McLaughlin, Jr.)

Giambattista Road intersecting Vico Street in honor of italian writer Giambattista Vico

The East Islands are named:

Island East Gottfried, Island East Wilhelm and Island East Leibnz in honor to Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz

The Film and the Public

Pino's unstoppable creativity is expressed on a drawing over one of Hoodie's book: The Film and the Public, written by Roger Manvell. The book aims to provide insights from both the filmmaker's and the audience's perspectives, making it a valuable resource for understanding the multifaceted nature of cinema in the mid-20th century. (That might explain some other references to XX century cinema)

Cruxified Snake

No copy of the book The Film and the Public I've seen have an illustration of a snake in a cross. That old alchemical and esoteric symbol is related to "fixing the volatile" and also The snake on the cross is a symbol of the crucifixion of Christ and the healing of sin.

Centzon Tōtōchtin

The ship that Pino and Vincent use to travel to Moscu is called "centzon tōtōchtin" or the 400 Rabbits, in reference to the aztec deities that are a group of divine rabbits who meet for frequent drunken parties.

Other minor characters in the series, particularly in Meditatio VIII have also names related to the deities.

Patecatl is the name of the commander of the fortress, whose people have been fighting for many generations with an army of self-reliant knights (they are called asuras).

Omacatl is the senior officer (lieutenant) of the fortress.

Mayahuel is a woman imprisoned in a prison (basement of a fortress) for her madness, in which she speaks of the moonlight, the “Master” and the impending fight.

On the myths:

Mayahuel – originally a goddess of fertility; patron of the drink octli, personification of the agave. From the marriage of Patecatl and Mayahuel were born the 400 rabbits.

Omacatl is the god of feasts and pleasures.

Patecatl – the god of healing, medicine, fertility and the alcoholic drink of agave, octli, the husband of Mayahuel.

Misquoting Victor Hugo

Just after rescuing Vincent and ten days after, Hoddie is reading aa book while quoting what he then attributes to the french poet Joë Bousquet:

Nothing there was a town, or a church, or a river, or a color, or a light, or a shadow. I kept still for a while and felt a pleasant sensation as the indescribable great harmony the brightness of the sky and the melancholy of the moment spread throughout my body.

But this is actually a quote from Victor Hugo's Voyage et Excursions : Nemours », Œuvres Complètes, t. 2

Tout cela n’était ni une ville, ni une église, ni une rivière, ni de la couleur, ni de la lumière, ni de l’ombre ; c’était de la rêverie. Je suis resté longtemps immobile, me laissant doucement pénétrer par cet ensemble inexprimable, par la sérénité du ciel, par la mélancolie de l’heure. Je ne sais ce qui se passait dans mon esprit et je ne pourrais le dire ; c’était un de ces moments ineffables où l’on sent en soi quelque chose qui s’endort et quelque chose qui s’éveille. 

While he still insist that the book is from Joë Bousquet, it is actually Victor Hugo's

L'Homme qui Rit :D

Victor Hugo's The Man Who Laughs, as seen in Meditatio IIII

The Man who Laughs is the story of Gwynplaine, who has a disfigured face and is torned between the society's expectation and his true nature.

The book has many adaptations over the years, but notably 1928's was the mos influential one, particularly for Conrad Veidt's performance as Gwynplaine.

Conrad Veidt's Gwynplaine. 1928

Among other things it inspired The Joker, from DC Comics, and also the Original Design of Ergo Proxy...

Ergo Proxy as seen in the Pilot Trailer

A House of Cards

Just as in the illustrations of John Tenniel previously showed, the cards that unveil at the End of Meditatio VIII are all spades

Is this a good hand?

Note: Spades are associated with mental struggles in minor arcana.

Kaskis pulls out a Joker card, conveniently similar to Ergo Proxy . Meditatio VIII

ₜₕₑ ₜᵣᵢₚₗₑ Gₒddₑₛₛ?

On the decoration of Charos Dome, the symbol of the city closely resembles the mark of the Triple Goddess, a lunar female deity with interesting nexus with Robert Graves' studies on religious archetypes and myths of Europe.

Senekis being the "Agent of the Moonlight" is strongly associated with the moon.

Meditatio VIII

Drifting into the Attack

This is a quite obscure one, from Meditatio XI and I actually can't find the proper source to this one. My main suspect is that is a reference of a song played by Allan Holdsworth and Gary Husband on a live presentation at 1982. Here is a youtube link into the song.

In the Left corner there's a book titled "Drifting into the Attack"

Allan Holdsworth appears later on a text wall on Meditatio XVII, that quotes an article about the musician from All About Jazz.

Beyond his ability in improvising mercurial solos and sculpting the guitar's voice into an ever-expanding range of textures and colors, Holdsworth has dedicated his energies to develop many different aspects of guitar technology. This has included new “baritone” variations of the instrument, his own custom 6-string designs (one most recently manufactured by Carvin), the invention of electronic components for the recording studio, and exploring the possibilities of guitar-based synthesizer controllers. Holdworth's ability to improvise over complex and challenging chord voicings always reveals a deep emotional base and a strong, imaginative personality that is as instantly identifiable as any among Holdsworth's generation of guitar and jazz masters.

RE-L 124C41+

Re-L Mayer current version is named as 124C41+ in reference to Hugo Gernsback's novel Ralph 124C 41+: A Romance of the Year 2660, written in 1911.

This if the Fake Death Certificate of Re-L Mayer as shown on Meditatio VII

NOTE: There's a problem with the visualization of the Street name list.

[delta-pavonis]

Ficlet: Wake Up My Body

So I was at a drag show with live piano and singing this weekend and there were a whole slew of Broadway songs and this idea hit me like the broadside of a barn (strongly influenced by @ginoeh's piano-playing Hob in Strains of a Melody). Absolute tooth-rotting fluff songfic for you here. Might continue with a second bit that gets to the spicy stuff, but what is below is just idiots in love and Hob in drag. Oh, and here is my new favorite version of the second song Hob sings, from Wicked. Dreamling || Rated T || 2k words

Hob had told Dream – insisted really, multiple times, in that one evening of re-acquaintance – that he was welcome to visit at any time. Day or night. Weekday or weekend. Whether Hob was at work (absolutely come see me lecture!) or at home (it isn't much, but I would love for you to see it) or at another location (usually right here at the New Inn, but occasionally I get out more, I swear). 

Ergo, this must be something Hob is okay with Dream seeing. 

Then why does Dream feel like he is intruding? 

Perhaps it is because Dream has never seen Hob look like this, or sing like this, or create like this (never even conceived that he could). 

Hob (and it is Hob, of that Dream has no doubt) is standing stage left, facing center stage, behind a keyboard set-up, in what might be the tightest and shortest black dress Dream has witnessed on a Waking person. If the ruching is any indication, the garment could be pulled down to Hob’s knees, but that would cover the garters that hold up his stockings at mid-thigh and wouldn’t those be a tragedy to cover up. The stockings are a rich grass green to match the shades of lipstick and eyeshadow on Hob’s face and the color of the satin beneath the black lace of his fingerless elbow-length gloves. Around his neck is a similarly green leather choker, large polished brass ring in the center matching the hardware of the garters and the finger-thick chains that serve as straps over his shoulders. Said chains hook to another large brass ring that sits between his shoulder blades, off of which comes a half dozen more chains venturing down to loop into fabric and keep the dress from falling off of him, especially considering that the open back dips down almost to Hob’s ass. The front of the dress scoops low and might as well be painted over Hob’s nipples as his chest hair gleams with a thin sheen of sweat from the stage lights. Hob’s hair is tousled and styled to look intentionally messy, the soft waves curling under his chin.

There is another human male in feminine attire, this set all pinks and whites and sparkles, across from him, belting into a hand-held microphone while Hob’s is a headset that loops around the back of his neck. 

Though I do admit it came on fast I do believe that it can last! And I will be loathing For forever loathing Truly deeply loathing you My whole life long!

The duet ends to raucous applause and whistles, many people waving money in the air, which the person who is not Hob gleefully collects, dancing around on precariously high heels. 

Dream is going to make his presence known, step out of the shadows, but then Hob is laughing and speaking to the audience as they continue to scream and cheer. “You know I can’t resist that song when I have my Elphaba on. Thank you Candy Baa, ewe are always such a bleat-ing pleasure to work with.” Everyone laughs as she sends kisses Hob’s way and walks off stage. Hob, meanwhile, turns to the audience. “You want another one?”

The volume of the audience increases and Dream can’t help but smile at how Hob clearly has everyone eating out of his hand. 

“Well good! Because I am gonna do another one whether you like it or not!” Laughter intermixes with more cheering. “Hey, my darling Aaron, get your little twink arse up here and take the mic.”

There is clapping and whistling as a man in very tight black leather pants and heeled boots emerges from the crowd and hops onto the stage, long blonde ponytail glinting in the lights. He wears a deep indigo tank top that also might as well be painted on for all it conceals as he bows theatrically low to Hob. “What do you wish of me, my dear Elph-Rob-a?” There is a collective groan, but Dream can only see the playful, familiar body language between the two people on stage, making him frown. 

Hob plays a series of descending notes as he goes, “wah-waaah,” then adjusts his own mic. “Make that joke again and I will smack that smirk off your pretty face.”

Aaron stands up, laughing, leaning towards Hob and arching an eyebrow suggestively. “Promise?”

A flash of… something… burns in Dream’s chest when Hob chuckles in response, shaking his head. “Such a fucking slut, my god. No wonder you like playing Fiyero so much.” More laughter from the audience. 

“Hey, you are just as into this shit as me, Robbie.” He turns to the audience. “Besides, y’all are in for a treat tonight… We have sung this song many times together, yet Robbie here blew me away in rehearsals. Seems like he has a special someone who he is thinking about when he sings this one, now.”

There is a definite blush that blooms on Hob’s cheeks beneath the rouge, but he doesn’t seem fazed by the teasing, just rolling his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Like a schoolgirl with a crush. Blah blah blah. I won’t deny it.” He plays some opening chords. “Now let’s do this before I age out of the part.”

As the music builds, Hob hums along wordlessly for a bit, eyes sliding closed, then starts singing, a sweet and joyful hunger already infused in every note.

Kiss me too fiercely Hold me too tight. I need help believing You’re with me tonight.

Dream inhales sharply. Aaron was correct about how Hob is inserting himself into this song, Dream can feel the daydream coalescing around him. 

My wildest dreamings Could not foresee Lying here beside you With you wanting me.

He has to grit his teeth as the daydream strengthens, pulling at its Lord. Dream does not want to intrude on his friend in this way. And, further, he does not want to know who Hob wants in such a way, should not risk it given his sudden desire to send them minor nightmares. 

And just for this moment, As long as you’re mine, I’ve lost all resistance And crossed some borderline. And if it turns out It’s over too fast I’ll make every last moment last. As long as you’re mine.

This was a terrible idea. To stay after he saw that Hob is busy. Dream should have gone. But now he is rooted to the spot and realizing that, first off, his friend has a powerful voice that commands attention, and second, that it would be oh so easy to imagine being the person Hob is singing to. Singing about. Dream had not thought… well, it no longer matters what he used to think he felt about Hob, does it? Because this, this right now, is most definitely not friendship.

Hob opens his eyes, gentle smile on his face, as Aaron begins to sing.

Maybe I’m brainless, Maybe I’m wise, But you’ve got me seeing Through different eyes. Somehow I’ve fallen Under your spell. And somehow I’m feeling It’s up that I fell.

This specific story is one that was written while Dream was caged, but the beats are familiar for the form is old. Unexpected love, accepted with abandon, with full knowledge that it might end and even so it would be worth it, just to experience the other person fully and be changed by them in turn. This is the kind of love Calliope would inspire into one of her epics. Dream aches for remembering how such a thing feels and yet knows that he would do it again without a second thought.

Hob’s daydream continues to gain momentum as they start to sing together.

Every moment As long as you’re mine I’ll wake up my body And make up for lost time Say there’s no future For us as a pair And though I may know I don’t care!

Dream can admit that the two tenors compliment each other. He can admit it. He would just probably never do it out loud. He can hear Matthew calling him petty even as he thinks it. The problem is that Matthew would likely say that with no little amount of pride in his voice. 

Hob stops playing and steps around the keyboard, continuing a capella. He and Aaron are certainly playing the parts, eyes only for each other. In a moment that Dream will later claim is temporary insanity, he sinks into the shadows at his back and emerges within the shadows of one wing of the stage, directly behind Aaron, so that now Hob is facing him, too, although he is careful to remain unseen.

Just for this moment As long as you’re mine Come be how you want to And see how bright we shine!

He realizes his error immediately. Dream cannot remain separate from the daydream this close to its source, not one that pulls upon him this strongly.

What Hob is seeing flickers to life, overtaking Aaron where he stands, superimposing someone taller, if just as thin, with similar boots and tight blank pants. As Dream’s eyes travel upwards they take in the bottom of a black peacoat, the tailored waist, the collar melding with the wild black hair atop the daydream’s head.

Dream cannot look away as the pair sways with the emotion in the lyrics and then he sees them both in semi-profile and that confirms it beyond any shadow of a doubt. Something inside Dream lurches.

Hob is imagining himself singing opposite Dream.

Borrow the moonlight Until it is through And know I’ll be here Holding you. As long as you’re mine.

As the song comes to a close, Hob looks down and they lapse into a small bit of dialog, Aaron’s voice coming out through a mirage of Dream’s lips. “What is it?”

“It’s just for the first time, I feel…” Hob huffs a laugh and looks up with a spark of fire in his eyes, “wicked.”

Aaron leans in as if to kiss Hob and – with a flood of relief Dream studiously refuses to look at closely right now – his friend avoids at the last minute, ending up with their cheeks pressed together. 

The entire place erupts into screaming, hands with money flying into the air. 

From here, Dream can hear Aaron speak away from the mics as the daydream fades around him. “Man, you always kiss me at the end of that. You must have it bad for this guy.”

Hob’s chuckle is very self-deprecating, “Aaron, you have no ideah!” 

That’s when Dream realizes that the shadows that were once around him have receded slightly as the spotlight moved to track the singers. His friend is staring right at him.

Hob is in front of Dream in three long strides, which he does not note causes the skirt to slide higher, absolutely not. “Dream!” He reaches up to his ear and drops the mic to around his neck, clicking it off in the process. His voice is a breathless whisper, “My friend, how long have you been here? I can’t believe you get to see me like…” Hob motions to his body and Dream doesn’t even try to stop himself from looking, all the way down to his stiletto heels and back up to his face that is a solid half-foot higher than usual. He doesn’t seem embarrassed, just amused.

“I have…” Dream looks into Hob’s warm, welcoming eyes and finds himself unable to lie. “I have been here long enough to see the daydream you created while singing that last song.”

The black eyeliner and fake lashes make Hob’s widening expression look even more dramatic. “You… daydream…”

“I am the King of all dreams, Hob. All of them.” He brings the tips of his fingers up to just barely brush Hob’s cheek. “And I think we need to… talk…” Dream trails them down to Hob’s lips, brushing across them with gentle pressure. A thrill shivers through him as Hob’s pupils dilate. “... about who you want to be holding you.” He traces down Hob’s throat and lingers for a moment above his collarbone before his hand wraps around  the side of Hob’s neck in a tight grip, forcing a moan past painted lips. “Because the song is right,” Dream has to increase the heels on his own shoes to bring his mouth close to Hob’s. “We need to make up for lost time.”

[blueikeproductions]

@nukeli Ok so “DEI” refers to Diversity Equity & Inclusion, a relatively new initiative that was designed to show off minorities, women, and people of color more.

Now on the surface, that’s not a bad thing, we’ve had plenty of diverse shows before like Diff’rent Strokes, Cyborg 009, Family Matters, Everybody Hates Chris, Kim Possible, My Life As A Teenage Robot, The Golden Girls, The Magic School Bus, and more.

This includes people behind the scenes like actors, writers and directors. Stuff we’ve had before too.

But the modern version of it, via DEI, has evolved into let’s just trash white people, and to quote the South Park line grifters use annoyingly as their rallying cry “Put a chick in it, make her lame & gay!”

So we’ve gotten stuff like Tee-La from He-Man being the stereotypical butch lesbian with a side shave haircut who just seems to hate everyone now and feels personally attacked, pushing Adam/He-Man aside to be the hero, and similarly Skeletor being pushed side in favor of making a similarly stereotyped butch lesbian Evil-Lyn the main villain. A big complaint among other things was how Tee-La was just incredibly unlikable and hard to root for, along with giving her and Evil-Lyn The Power in a manner that doesn’t make sense for their previously established characters in the 80’s and 2000’s cartoons. Thankfully the sequel show to MOTU: R corrected these problems, bringing Adam/He-Man & Tee-La on equal footing like they always were, and making Tee-La far more likable. Also Tee-La inheriting The Power from her mother The Sorceress, is used much better here and it makes more sense how she uses it here, vs the previous coddled, stereotype “I am woman hear me roar” direction they tried.

DEI has also poorly affected other things, like little people not getting jobs in the Snow White reboot movie to play the Dwarves, both because it was seen as offensive, and also Peter Dinklage running his mouth (somewhat justifiably in areas) and ruining it for everyone. Cleveland Brown in Family Guy being recast because his original voice actor was white being replaced with a black actor who impersonates the voice rather than doing his own thing with it, and DEI informing a new form of segregation, as only black actors can be black characters, whites can only be whites, Asians Asians, and etc in animation. Never mind popular black actors like Kevin Micheal Richardson and Phil LaMarr have done non black characters before with LaMarr famously being Samurai Jack, an Asian character. Some Asian actors who were for the casting changes realized too late it affected what they could do as it meant they can’t do anything other than Asian characters when they wanted to read for a non Asian human character. The point of voice acting is everyone can be anything like how many male characters are voiced by women like Tommy Pickles or Timmy Turner or how some female characters are voiced by men like Linda Belcher.

DEI also tends to over focus on how a show has only diverse actors and characters, and ergo EarthSpark’s marketing was going all in on how it had black characters, putting them as top billing over the Autobots on toy packaging. It also tended to favor its female cast, making the (non Megatron) men look incompetent. Like how GHOST is almost exclusively female, with the few male members being complete idiots. (To be fair, Schloder is supposed to be more of an Inspector Clouseau type but still.)

The more egregious instances to me is despite emphasizing kali, they don’t do anything with it that would make it look cool to all kids watching. Like Twitch using it to fight a Decepticon, outwitting him or her, using a skill she inherited from her adopted human father makes sense! As well as emphasizing the Terrans being Earth natives and learning its culture. Instead it’s just left hanging there, and I feel like someone internally said it’d be cultural appropriation if Twitch or Nightshade used it.

The production notes also intended Robbie to be the leader, something the second season went back to, but the first season emphasized Mo way more leaving Robbie little to do, to the point when he was practically dead, his parents instead showered Mo with affection for her problems when he was laying right next to them barely holding on.

Also Nightshade’s everything, causing the controversy that saw more casuals and parents reject the show hard. Nightshade is another example of DEI, over focusing on their being nonbinary as their sole character trait, despite their geeky, scientific side being just as important. The second season again corrects this, focusing entirely on their personality more and properly showing off their gift of science. It was too little too late though.

Really when you look back on it, the first season, despite its decent ideas, emphasized a lot of the DEI stuff casual audiences hate, with the second season going back to a traditional Autobots vs Decepticons conflict, and using more of the earlier ideas in the production bible. I still believe the more intriguing Megatron steals the Emberstone plot was repurposed into Starscream wanting it, because someone clearly didn’t want Megatron to relapse into being evil again.

This also feeds into another modern problem of not really having true villains anymore, and how due to DEI, most of the villains we get are only entitled white people to antagonize the people of color or female heroes (now we HAVE had this before off and on but not to this extent, and even then it was handled organically and made sense), vs stuff like the modern Invincible adult cartoon having a diverse villain cast like its comics did. A lot of modern stuff similarly tries to paint the Decepticons as being the true heroes despite the writing and the audience not supporting it. It’s why the Micheal Bay films are still popular because despite making the Autobots into more violent 80’s-90’s action heroes, they’re still defending the Earth and humanity from the monstrous Decepticons who intend to blow it up to obtain the trendy MacGuffin of the day. As for the cop/military stuff, one, it makes sense that the Autobots would ally themselves with the Earth military to help humans have a fighting chance, and two it’s not going away, because of the movies shifting to incorporating GI Joe as the human military force over NEST/Sector 7. Even Noah was ex military via RotB. The only bad cop was Barricade, a Decepticon, and any bad faith humans in military power were usually proven wrong for their hubris in thinking they didn’t need the Autobots.

Even TFONE has largely returned to a more simple black and white approach in having proper heroic characters in Orion’s miners turned Autobots, and properly evil villains in the Quints, Sentinel, Airachnid, and Starscream. Even D-16 makes sense as being evil again as he let his frustrations and anger at Sentinel, who he looked up to, consume him in a more believable way than Prime and Cyberverse making it look like he was just throwing a tantrum for 4 million years because Optimus got what he wanted: control.

So ultimately diversity is still a good thing, but the modern approach to it by embittered people who thought they knew better has instead pushed us back a few decades when things were largely ok in terms of diversity and making natural strides in improving.

Family Matters and Static Shock were among my favorite shows growing up, but now, because of current trends, I can’t look at characters like Liko from HZ or Hazel from New Wish without thinking they were the result of DEI and not an organic desire of trying out something else. And that’s not at all how it should be thought of.

[paalove]

but one of these days i won't be able to ask loud enough - 8, 10, 11, 12, 20, 22, 26 also if you happen to have any miriam and korn lore to share with the class 🤲

this is so many; please feel free to pick and choose!!

ask game

fidjmksdifmsdkm that is so many, but i'll do my best!! thank you for asking mwah 😘

...

8. What inspired the title for this fic? Is that usually how you choose titles?

it's a lyric from jason derulo-marry me, just like the the name of both the series and the other fic in the series! i do always pick song lyric titles, but there is a fun fact about this song in particular...

so obviously it's a wedding-themed series, ergo the title had to be from a wedding related song, and the original fic is an f/f proposal, so i immediately remembered one of my fanvid white whales - it was hosted on tumblr, not youtube, and it was a brittana fmv set to that song, all in black and white, and with occasional stock shots of old people handholds skdmskdm!! i miss that video...

10. Share a screenshot of the original outline (if you dareee😈)

i would dare if there were one!! this fic was planned entirely in the doc, and i delete my [then wai leaves] when i write the scene where he wanders off, etc. other fics have written outlines, this one just didn't that i can remember. :C

11. Was there a scene that you hadn't originally planned to include? Why did you decide to fit it in?

oh, the phone call with pran! i went back and forth over whether having him there would sway wai away from taking the worst possible path through his thoughts and feelings, considering pran might be a reminder of last time he did that... but it wouldn't be a wai fic without pran and at least some semi-submerged PrangstTM (mostly past-tense)

12. Was there a scene you wished you could have included? Why didn't it fit in?

there were a few Wai Is Thoughtless scenes i wanted to include but didn't - it could have been more drawn out, but the fic felt unbalanced if i wasn't having him be approximately as thoughtless to pang as he was Buddies with korn. i diiiiid originally think the miriam proposal would be in the fic, and he'd have a physical role, but i couldn't make the timeline work without it making more sense for pang to be the one dumping him tbh.

(pang would have to be at the proposal, is what that came down to)

20. What is something you wish more people noticed about this fic?

its existence... dfknmdmkdf no, this was always going to be a niche fic for one popular but (for thai ql fandom) older fandom and one Secret Crossover in the exact same situation minus most of the popularity, so i was actually really happy with how many people read it at all!

tiniest detail that i'm fondest of and was just for me, but also nobody commented directly on: korn's love for hideous dog stickers in his chats. he lovingly hand-edits the crying eyes onto the ugliest dogs he can find, and manually adds text.

22. Does personal experience ever inspire your fics? What about this particular fic?

it mostly inspires physical descriptions to be completely honest, anything else is more "shred it, mix it, stick it down in a collage and paint it over"... but pran's experience of his phone call with wai was self-indulgent for another reason, yeah. he's sitting on the other end going fucking hell he needs to be single but he knows saying that wouldn't do anything useful, so he just hms and sures and cools. as do we all

26. Wild Card! I'll tell you a fun fact about this fic!

i was surprised, when typing the first full paragraph of this fic, to realise pang and miriam were in it dfkmdfkmfmd wai's original fiance was supposed to be an oc not much like pang - korn, i always pictured with miriam here, but i was thinking she would be an oc version of her? until.

(bonus: this is not, ive finally settled on, an au of tonhon chonlatee, and korn and miriam's very first meeting was within the week after she gave birth to that controversial child the fans hated the very idea of. she was arguing with a bartender, and chonlatee really thought he was helping. they are banned from that bar, and so is korn.)

[raxistaicho]

Fantasy Invader: Master of all five elements!

Wake up losers, Fantasy Invader is analyzing symbolism again!

So to give a bit of backstory, this all began with Ezralahm making a joking post comparing the four saints to the Four Holy Beasts.

I wouldn't at all be surprised if IS drew from them for Macuil and Indech - Eastern media LOVES using the four beats for symbolism - but it just kinda crumbles to pieces with anything more than a basic examination.

For instance, the Black Tortoise is associated with the cardinal direction of north, but Indech is to the west, and the Vermillion Bird is associated with the south but Macuil is to the north. All the Nabateans are dragons so they're all kinda the Azure Dragon, and none of them have tiger-like traits so who is the White Tiger? But she was mostly just joking around with how Flayn's latest Heroes skin (at least at the time) had her dressing as a cat, so I'm not gonna fuss.

But then Fantasy Invader took a crack at analyzing it more seriously. And I can't pass up the opportunity to demonstrate why his analytical ability is both underdeveloped and extremely motivated.

Another thing is the Yellow Dragon connects to the story of the Yellow Emperor as when he died, the Yellow Emperor is said to have transformed into the yellow dragon and ascended to the heavens (which, in turn, is why dragons are a symbol of enlightenment). Now, why is this important? Because the Yellow Emperor was the one who defeated the FLAME EMPEROR.

The problem, because of course there is one, is that the Yellow Emperor was associated with water, in contrast to the Yan Emperor being associated with fire. Byleth is associated with fire, not water.

Byleth doesn't have any water imagery associated with them at all.

Also, as Ezralahm pointed out, the Yellow Dragon would be Rhea, not Byleth, but the issue there is that the Yellow Dragon is associated with earth, and... well.

The Nabatean Earth Dragon is not Rhea, but Seteth. Rhea was a Sky Dragon.

Also, bringing in further issues, the Vermillion Bird is associated with Fire, but Macuil was a Wind Dragon, and the White Tiger and the Azure Dragon were Metal and Wood, respectively, but Seteth and Flayn are Earth and Light, respectively.

Like I said, there are relations to the four beasts, but they're very very surface-level.

Anyways, moving on,

Not only that, but the Yellow Dragon is tied to the element of earth as well as the Chinese version of quintessence (ergo, heaven and Earth), and changing of the seasons (as well as late summer). Changing of the seasons, in a game with each route tied on one season.

Okay, but the problem is Byleth and Sothis are associated with fire and the stars, not earth. And Byleth's route, Silver Snow, is associated with winter, not all four seasons.

The Chinese element of fire begets the earth Element, as fire reduces everything to ashes where they become part of the earth again. While fire can be positive, in excess it is said to represent hatred, impatience and impulsive behavior. Or, in other words, this can also be tied to how Edelgard brings about Byleth being the leader of Fodlan as Byleth succeeds Rhea as the leader of the Church in the center of Fodlan.

Then who's the wood person that got Edelgard to where she was? Wood begets Fire, as Fire begets Earth. You can't just stop partway with your symbolism, FI.

Hmm, the Eastern Church is in the Alliance. The direction of East is represented by the Azure Dragon, which would make it appear as though it's blue. But the ancient Chinese treated blue and green as simply different shades of the same color, much like how pink used to be just a very light red. Green is also used in relation to Almrya and Claude's route is Verdant (read Green) Wind.

And the Azure Dragon is associated with wood. Okay, so Claude got Edelgard to where she is? Well, no. In Verdant Wind, Claude doesn't create but defeats Edelgard, which reverses the wheel.

And, obviously, Claude is not ever associated with wood. He's associated with the wind, which doesn't fit any of the five elements.

Oh, and also, while he was right that blue and green are kinda confusingly synonymous in eastern cultures, Claude is associated with yellow. Not green.

Does this mean Ignatz is the true Azure Dragon!?

Considering it uses the banner of victory symbolism as Silver Snow does

The banner which looks nothing like the Buddhist banner of victory, mind you. And it uses that scene because VW is SS with Claude clumsily inserted.

the route is not just Byleth having obtained Enlightenment but Claude obtaining it as well. Claude doesn't give into his poison and remain a snake, he gets on the same level as a motherfucking dragon.

Which is changing the story as he so often says you do when you play CF over SS. In the "normal" story, SS, Claude does not join with the church and tries to go his own way.

So really, Golden Wildfire Claude really is more in line with his "canon" 3H self. At least, if you follow FI's logic and be consistent with it, which he never ever is.

And yes, he does call SS the "canon" route in this very post.

It would also put his route as the true Spring route, as that's what the Azure Dragon is tied to, tying in to how he accomplishes what Edelgard said she would except through proper means.

What blooms in spring, FI?

The fact the azure Dragon is tied to the Element of wood ties into how Byleth is supposed to be “a great tree that kindly embraces (the Golden Deer) and watches over (them) as (they) perch on its branches.”

But that's Byleth being the tree, not Claude. I thought Byleth was supposed to be earth, not wood? In that very quote FI grabbed, Marianne compares Claude to the wind, not the tree.

And Claude is like the wind, pushing us forward as we soar across the open sky…

Claude is associated with the wind, FI. Both games are very consistent about this.

While there is no Northern Church yet, the North is linked to the Black Tortoise (sometimes called the Black Warrior) intertwined with a snake (TWSITD and the damage they've done to his life and his country). It represents Winter. It wouldn't be hard to think of this as Dimitri in his black armor.

And winter, as I mentioned earlier, is Byleth's route. Snow. Autumn is Dimitri's.

But the Kingdom does have the Western Church,

The Western Church are Dimitri's enemies. Consistently.

linking it to the White Tiger. Dimitri ditches his black outfit for a white one as he becomes the good king, leader of the Blue Lions.

Heheh, NOPE. Dimitri unlocks the Great Lord class at the start of chapter 16, a full two chapters before he snaps out of Boar Mode.

So while Dimitri starts in Winter, he ends up in Autumn which corresponds to the Moon part of the game's Japanese title. This could also mean that Dimitri represents both the elements of water (which is tied to the moon, hence Azure Moon) and metal.

Except that Dimitri's not really associated with any element. Three Hopes made him associated with lightning, but eh, typical Fire Emblem trio with Edelgard and Claude had no remaining things to use but lightning. In any case, he's definitely not associated with water.

Metal can be beaten by flame (Edelgard) but water can beat fire, hinting at how the battle between the two can go either way. Earth though gives rise to metal (hence Byleth helping Dimitri succeed) while Metal beats wood (Claude, who hands over the Alliance)

So the good Dimitri will lose to Edelgard while Boar Dimitri won't? But that's not how it goes. Also, Water begets Wood and Wood begets Fire. So Dimitri created Claude created Edelgard created Byleth created Dimitri?

(Chinese, how does Metal beget Water? That doesn't make any sense!)

Also, how does metal beat wood? Metal's not adjacent to it, and your previous line of reasoning was that the earlier element in the wheel begets the next one. If metal coming before wood "beats" it, then wouldn't Edelgard beat Byleth? And also also, Dimitri doesn't kick Claude's ass and take his lands, Edelgard almost does!

If you're getting confused trying to follow along, I am too lol. This whole Pokemon-esque type advantage symbolism is a gigantic mess.

South is the Vermilion Bird, linking it to Edelgard (who wears red), her many bird-themed elements and her Southern Church. It's also linked to fire, indicating she's the Flame Emperor, as well as the season of summer.

Except Crimson Flower and Scarlet Blaze are the seasons of spring, not summer. Flowers bloom in spring.

Fire is also very, very destructive. Fire can melt metal or be defeated by water (again, how Dimitri can either defeat her or lose to her),

Except, again, he's got which Dimitri beats her reversed. By his own logic, Boar Dimitri is water, while Savior King Dimitri is metal, but SK Dimitri is the only time he can win against her.

it uses wood as a fuel (her invading the Alliance to fix her totalling the Empire's economy with the war)

FI just pulled that one completely out of his ass.

but creates earth in turn (Byleth ending up as Fodlan's ruler after defeating her in VW/SS).

But I thought Byleth was the tree!?

That's the end of that post (more or less, he rambles a bit but it's nothing important), and while I'd like to just stop here because following along with FI's train of thought is giving me a headache, but he had another post! Luckily this'll be a lot shorter.

Houses tries to link Claude to wind, but wind isn't one of the Chinese elements. Those are fire, water, earth, metal and wood unlike the western elements of earth, wind, fire, and water (no heart though). Ergo, Claude being wind makes him an outsider to this.

Well shoot, it seems like you analysis doesn't really work, does it?

Again with the blue-green stuff, this would also make Byleth a blue-haired lord/player character (the only real outliers in this regard are Corrin. Eliwood, Leif and Roy) But this would also denote that Rhea, Seteth and Flayn are trustworthy by hinting at the connection. Meanwhile, Edelgard's associated with red and black, villainous colors.

Red sure is an evil color in this series!

Edelgard's not associated with black herself. The Empire uses black for its armor, but the Black Eagles, aside from Hubert, are not associated with black. Edelgard herself wears mostly red, white, and gold in her Armored Lord and Emperor clothes.

And meanwhile,

If anyone's associated with black, it's Dimitri.

(Also fuck you for forgetting Celica and Micaiah, sexist asshole)

When you think about the game's usage of flowers, Edelgard's intendedred flower being the safflower would indicate it's a route of attraction (only revealed post-timeskip and altered to a rose in the English text),

Safflowers symbolize good luck and attracting love and marriage.

whereas the white lily Rhea wears would symbolize purity.

Very pure. Bountifully, bouncily pure.

Also wait, does this mean Rhea is a lesbian?

Whatever you have with Edelgard is meant to be superficial,

Love and marriage are superficial? Man, and I thought I was jaded.

whereas Byleth's real connection is meant to be with Rhea. That's the pure relationship.

You sound like a damn conservative, lol. Yeah, nothing purer than dating the woman who delivered you, tried to indoctrinate you, tried to eliminate your personality to get her mom back, and then called you by her mother's name during a tender moment.

Well,that's enough for now. There's only so much Fantasy Invader a man can stand. So, as usual, his symbolic analysis isn't consistent or well-researched, and it crumbles like a shitty jenga tower under the slightest scrutiny.

[chichiricatsan]

| "The Ribbon" || The Stupendium (ft. Cami-Cat) |

At the edge of understanding, the border of the known The breaking point of reason, where logic is dethroned Where sense is defenseless and festers on the bone One writer fights a cycle, trying to write a way back home In Night Springs Tonight’s episode: "The Ribbon"

We open, our protagonist, brash, pragmatic, fantasist Trapped within a cabin, frantic, grappling with a manuscript Passionately grasping for a catalyst but the syntax isn’t landing Grabs the draft out from the carriage and abandons it Hе doesn’t really know quite what hе’s writing, but he has to Sits enraptured in the flow of what he’s typing Cramping wrists, his hands in fits The hammers slam the characters, they writhe and dance and twist But never seem to parse more than "surviving" As the grammar shifts A bulb, it flickers for a moment, darkness falls for just a second But it lingers, forms unspoken, hark the call, the shadows beckon Swallowed dawn, still all-consuming, every corner lurking, looming Hear the ichor hymns so soothing as the screaming silence deafens Another page, a hurried scrawl, a night replays, a dozen more Another failed and crumpled ball of "almost, maybe" on the floor Framed within the maze within the print His escape from all this hinges on which page becomes the door

Existence is cast in the answers we write To riddles in chapters that can’t be defined Pigment of black and the parchment of white The figments they track through the dark to the light The hammers and keys and the patterns they weave The fragments of me that they trap in between We all have to write on the pages we’re given But you can’t live life on both sides of the ribbon Tied to the ribbon

Legacy, it is the dream of any creative to leave their mark Indelible, on the world around them (Which side of the ribbon?) But be careful what marks such an obsession might leave on you

Another chapter opens, but our hero isn’t sure If the pattern is unbroken, has he penned this page before? Is he writing what he’s lived or now reliving what he’s written? Every end with failed beginnings, cast adrift within the lore On a lake that turned to ocean, drowning under weight of legacy When any sentence could be sentenced as the last they ever see Our pages pass relentless, count or not, there is no remedy And so, he sits again, attempts to pen pre-emptive threnody Amorphous in memoriam, in effigy uncertain Unsure if all this really is himself, at least, a version? But these whispers grip the narrative Treat sense with bleak aversion Tendrils bend and break immersion Twisting cursive through recursion His words branch out in paths too dark to follow through trees With pages piled so high, he’s lost the forest for leaves No saying what’s to believe, it doesn’t want him to leave And so these pages end up bound to make the story repeat

Wake up, day starts as the night falls See what dark part of your mind calls You can’t fight what you write and you write what we like Find the light, you might see how the bright fall (You'll need the proper tools to get a proper service) (You won't believe the things that hide) (Right there beneath the surface) Hopelessly floating through tomes with no way of knowing If you are composing or you’re just quoting The prose you’re sewing Ergo ergodic, eroding your ego Going for broke but just broken (No fixer-upper like the coffee pot a-flowin') A hero’s journey burdened by the characters deployed When all your thousand faces are so narratively void Were the adjectives employed worth the marriage you destroyed? (You know huntin' is a hobby the whole family can enjoy)

Deep in the dark and winding eaves of your mind Read from a saga, blind but reaching in kind Leads down a path where leaves and secrets entwine Even apart, two heroes, one storyline Small town - And I know the narrative conventions Establishing shots in the dark A plot with an arc beyond all comprehension I’ll be the first person to admit the present is tense and Not sure if I’ll get these words to fit the presence descending I hear it calling my name, I feel me falling away Chasing these pages but questioning my agency Tasked with a story to break I hear it calling my name, I feel me falling away Am I a character? Actor? A passenger? Cast from the shores of a lake?

Existence is cast in the answers we write To riddles in chapters that can’t be defined Pigment of black and the parchment of white The figments they track through the dark to the light The hammers and keys and the patterns they weave The fragments of me that they trap in between We all have to write on the pages we’re given But you can’t live life on both sides of the ribbon Tied to the ribbon

Creativity, it is the impetus of any artist To pour themselves into their work (Which side of the ribbon?) But pour too much And you might not like what you find at the bottom of the bottle...

Our hero, once again attempts to find the words he lacks And peers between the lines to see the lines observing back A scratch all too familiar and, oh! The surface cracks What’s the matter, Alan? We can’t both be worthless hacks Now, I know what you’re thinking "This is crazy! Oh, he can’t exist!" You could have made a killing Just embraced a little masochist ‘Stead you’re dried up Trying to earn a living from a manuscript But have you tried for just one second Living as the man you script? I’m the parts you were ashamed of, I’m the parts you tried to fight I’m the parts you told yourself didn’t keep you awake at night I’m the part of you that’s better, you just can’t concede I’m right So, you poured me into pages, then I guess I’m just your type You meld work with your self-worth But tell me, what does that sell for? And was the journey through Hell worth How short you fell on the bell curve? Then one day they’ll forget you, ooh! But I’ve stories to tell first ‘Cause I’m that face that you gave them to be you And baby, I’m well versed What am I when you’re already a shadow of yourself? Tell me who would look at this And then take that down off the shelf? You had it, buddy! All of it! The fame, the glam, the wealth But what’s it worth if you won’t play the hand the round has dealt? "Nightmares don’t use logic" Yeah, we know that you can read Sat there hoping for the credits But it’s me who’s supposed to lead All that hokum in your head But where’s the quote to make you see? That perhaps you're antithetical to the poetry of me!

Existence is cast in the answers we write To riddles in chapters that can’t be defined Pigment of black and the parchment of white The figments they track through the dark to the light The hammers and keys and the patterns they weave The fragments of me that they trap in between We all have to write on the pages we’re given But you can’t live life on both sides of the ribbon Tied to the ribbon, the ribbon, the ribbon, the ribbon Which side of the ribbon, the ribbon, the ribbon, the ribbon?

Another chapter ended, but not an arc adjourned A narrative repeating for a plot he can’t discern He’s writing a Departure, but he’s still yet to learn That every line he starts must always end at the Return

And there you have it A vicious cycle scored by the hammer of keys And the ring of the typewriter A writer cursed to relive his own words Trapped in a world of his own making A novel concept Everyone likes to get lost in a good book But be careful what you read In Night Springs

[silver-tangent]

The proper name that we should use for Frankenstein’s Monster is Adam Proteus Deucalion, and I will die on this hill. Hear me out…

While Mary Shelly never names the monster, in the original novel he is actually kind of articulate and says to his creator, “I ought to be thy Adam.” In reference to Adam from the Bible. As such, I think it’s pretty indisputable that Adam should be his first name, and even Wikipedia lists an alternate name as “Adam Frankenstein.”

But why Proteus Deucalion, you may ask. Well in Dean Koontz’s Frankenstein, published 2004, he names the monster “Deucalion,” after the character from Greek mythology who is the son of Prometheus, in a reference to the the original novel’s title “Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus.”

In another version Frankenstein briefly considers naming him Adam before letting the monster choose his own name. The monster chooses “Proteus,” in reference to William Shakespeare’s, The Two Gentlemen of Veronica.

Ergo, if we go by the idea of Frankenstein’s creation being intelligent enough to name himself, and in fact being quite the literary nerd, he ought to be Frankenstein’s Adam, but he deserves a proper full name, so he would be called Adam Deucalion or Adam Proteus Deucalion.

I’d also like to point out that Doctor Victor Frankenstein described Adam as “beautiful,” with proper proportions, lustrous flowing black hair, and pearly white teeth. The only damning features being his yellow undead complexion and shriveled complexion…

[themaresnest-dumblr]

And The Cause Of The Row In The Roof Isn't Mice But ...

... Bombus Bumnuggetus Hypnorum.

The Tree Bumblebee. LOTS of them.

Boy, has THIS post come back to haunt us!

Arriving in Britain faster than a bunch of Albanians in rubber dinghies at the news of a jet car wash career opportunity in Bognor Regis, they are spreading faster than the latest braindead tweet about Phillip Schofield or Holly Willoughby largely because they love British roofs, which almost qualify as prefab housing for them.

They're nicely filling a gap in the local eco-system as a pollinator, and as they usually go for tree pollen in the higher echelons are of minimal competition to all native honeybees and bumblebees.

The snag is when the weather gets very hot, come nightfall all the heat comes out of the tiles and roasts them in their nests, so they're flapping their wings trying to get it out of the nest before they all dehydrate to death (at night of course they can't fly out to get water - no sun means they're blind) - the longer the night goes on and the more the temperature drops, the more heat is released.

End result, what sounds like a flight of very lost Dornier Flying Pencils after hitting a timewarp back in 1940 doing abrupt low level sweeps over your bed through the night.

Or the fan of 99% of Sony laptops if one of our experiences is anything to go by.

Quite honestly, having nightly visits from The Woman In Black (Pauline Moran version) would cause less disturbed sleep than this.

Oh, and a squad of drone bumblenuggets hanging around outside trying to get their oats from some newly hatched hawt tree bumblebee queen all hours of the day (and being very aggressively chased off by those bumblebees guarding the entrance - 'yer name's not down, you're not coming in, mate!' ) doesn't help.

Certainly can't fault their work ethic in the garden - am lucky enough to have regular honeybees, buff tails, white tails, red tails, but this lot - half the size of the usual bumblebees - never seem to let up. Then again, when you have a garden that's a F**k Off Size All You Eat Free Buffet for nectar noshers, there's plenty of incentive.

Have been told this lot's nest last only four months, and they've tendencies to abandon nests without warning at dawn.

Despite it not being a really ideal location they've chosen (there's the other issue of the slightest breeze meaning they're grounded, as am up on a hill, ergo zero tree cover to act as a windbreak, and any wind over 15 mph makes flying too risky for them), and them also being battered by the backwash of any low flying jumbos (am right over the flight path), the garden alone would make them want to stick around.

Time to stock up on the codeine and cherry juice for the next few months ...

[imagionationstation]

Well, to be completely accurate (Me and Donnie love our accuracy), the Power Rangers Turtles version of the turtles are canonically black. Or so this online source has explained to me. That doesn’t necessarily span over to every iteration.

I saw someone getting attacked for saying as much in the comments, so allow me to clarify. Am I saying no iteration is black or implying negative attachment to another color of skin? Absolutely not!

I am 100% acknowledging the accuracy of the Power Ranger Iteration being canonically black. Plus, I am of the, ‘I bet the RISE brothers are black as humans!’ fangroup. (Well, except maybe Leo, but I just love when he’s a teen clone of Lou Jitzu. Sue me.)

While, I personally believe many interactions come from Japanese heritage, ergo their skin color would reflect, I am always curious to see the different art styles and choices that depict every iteration as another color of skin.

I’m just expressing that one image of one iteration being canonically black does not mean all of them are.

That’s like saying every turtle iteration should be white because Kevin Eastman took part in this video. That’s not a fair assessment either. Every iteration deserves it’s differences.

No black hate. I support diversity.

And in supporting it, I acknowledge that all the turtle iterations are not canonically marked as one color because one iteration happens to have a canon stamp on it.

Good day :)

The teenage mutant ninja turtles are canonically black. I know that’s right ‼️✊🏽✊🏽 (Donnie is sooo cute 🥰)

[whereonceiwasfire]

I actually have some time to sit down and type all this up, so, on today’s episode of Danny Phantom Thoughts Nobody Asked For, I’ll be positing to you the head canon that the entire series is told through the distorted lens of a 14-yo boy trying to make sense of his trauma. The superhero shtick, the shenanigans, the puns, weren’t how any of it actually happened, that’s just the best way for a kid to process this HORRIFYING situation. So...the main ways in which I feel like this applies? I’m so glad you asked. 

The accident: I feel like we already sort of agree on this but the whole “his molecules got all rearranged” thing? That’s just prettying up the fact that this boy done did died. 

The ghosts: This is related to a head canon I heard somewhere else but I’m not sure where it came from. In short, the ghosts are all a lot more fearsome and horrific than the cartoonish versions of themselves, including DANNY HIMSELF. Of course he wants to think of/remember himself as being basically human when he’s in his ghost form, but he’s just not. This is the actual reason why nobody recognizes him in his ghost form, and why he’s the only ghost in show (even compared to the other halfa) who is still portrayed as so human (e.g.: his skin tone doesn’t change). This thought would extend to the other ghosts too. The ones that are portrayed as more human/less threatening would likely just be ones Danny got along with better and began to FEEL were more human. 

Danny’s parents: Maddie and Jack are supposed to be these skilled paranormal researchers/ghost hunters - I mean, they invented a portal into the afterlife. That’s pretty impressive. They make a lot of high tech gears and gadgets that actually work. AND YET. We don’t see that they’re very successful in a lot of their escapades. Not with Phantom, not with the other ghosts. Because, of course, Danny wouldn’t want to process the fact that his parents are trying to kill him. It’s not all fun and games anymore if you watch as your parents cart actual ghosts into the lab on a regular basis. If you can hear them experimenting. If there are a few too many close calls a few too many times. Ergo, you remember the whole thing as a little bit campy. Some hijinks. Nobody was ever actually going to hurt you - you were never in any real danger.   

Vlad: Now, I’m not saying Vlad’s not a shady dude, but maybe it’s not quite as black and white as it seems, and he’s not as “cartoon bad guy” as he’s portrayed. I think it was just easier for Danny to accept Vlad as a cape-swishing villain rather a morally grey entity that confuses his own sense of right and wrong. I ALSO think it was hard for Danny to accept that his parents screwed someone else over, and it was imperative for him to reframe the narrative - ESPECAILLY when there’s maybe a conflicted part of him that would want to accept Vlad’s offer to be his new guardian but felt that would be betraying his own family. This leads me to believe that Danny’s perspective on Vlad’s relationship with his parents was specifically distorted in a way that made him feel better about the mistakes and bad decisions his own parents have made. Because, in actuality, it seems there was a complicated history and some legitimate tension between Vlad and Jack, and I find it unlikely that this didn’t go both ways. I mean, they didn’t talk for YEARS. That’s hard to do (not impossible, but hard) if one party is invested in maintaining the relationship. But Danny would want to believe his father’s the hero, and wouldn’t be able to see the iciness going in both directions. Hence why Jack seems over-the-top in his friendliness toward Vlad - it’s an overcompensation in Danny’s rewritten memories. (Also, like, if Vlad actually wanted to murder Jack it seems he easily could have done it by now, so I feel like that’s a dramatic addition on Danny’s part). Which brings me to Maddie. Does Vlad still have “a thing” for Danny’s mom? Maybe. But I think a lot of it boils down to the fact that a 14-yo doesn’t know how to interpret lost love. There’s no understanding of the weighted gazes, the what could have been sighs, the wilted smiles as you try to force yourself to be happy for somebody else when you still haven’t found what they have. Danny, a kid, just sees there’s SOMETHING there and thinks, wow, this dude is obsessed with my mom, what a creep.      Okay, well I definitely have more IDEAS about this, but they start to get weird so I’ll leave it there for today. Tune in next time! lol 

[fairyqueenofthedragons]

Okay so to explain my jokes about Halad and Bracken and the Sphinx.

Halad calls the Sphinx the Ethiopian, and says to use that instead of Sphinx (now I could go into how Sphinxes likely come from Lamassu which Halad is but another time).

Ethiopian (Αἰθιοπία) is a Greek word, it means most closely "burnt face" but was understood more as "dark face". It was used by various Greek mythological writers and Greek ancient historians to refer to a large area of people, specifically the parts populated with black POC. (If you wish for an example, the Andromeda myth holds a usage of it for Andromeda herself, and specifically compared her skin tone to Perseus's light skin tone).

But! Halad is a Lamassu, which is not Greek they are Sumerian originally. The language he spoke was likely Sumerian (as if it were Greek I'd expect Ethiopian to translate with the rest of the words), and Ethiopian was how Bracken understood it most closely.

Now, we can go with this and just say Halad was referring to the Sphinx as dark-faced/skinned but! Lamassu are divine guardians, some considered them actual Gods, and they warded off evil. Sphinxes came from them (as in the idea, Lamassu were the earliest version of a Sphinx like being). Him being insulted by the one who chained him like such being called a being connected to him in a fashion would be fitting.

Thus I think it is far more likely for Halad to be referring to the Sphinx as "the dark one" or something along similar lines, not referencing his skin tone (calling him the Ethiopian is like calling Biden "the American" or "the white skinned" it's way too vague), but instead referencing his shadow charmer powers.

As he was guarding the exit to the prison, it seems likely to me his original duty was keeping watch over Nagi Luna, as she's the only being of great evil we know for sure was there before the Sphinx took over, and thus the Sphinx getting his powers from her and working towards her goal marks him as someone of equal evil for Halad.

Ergo: I think Halad actually was calling the Sphinx something related to his powers, but "dark" was somewhere in the meaning, which Bracken promptly understood as referencing his skin tone (as bracken is very pale) and ergo translated to "dark skinned" (via Ethiopian).

Also it's super funny to imagine Bracken getting worried about how Halad was referring to the Sphinx and imagining him trying to explain race theory to Halad who is more than lost.

@certain-death-awaits also wrote a post on the Sphinx as the Ethiopian as well: HERE

[porcelaincvnt]

𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐞 ♡

🛁 i’m antonio, but everyone calls me toni (short version of my name) capricorn. 15. he/they. infp. aspiring artist and writer.

🏳️‍⚧️ trans masc. bi (heavy male lean)

𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐒 ♡

writing, literature, anything involving books and storytelling really. coffee and anything caffeinated. art, but mostly painting and watercolors. sketching. the color white, blue, black, and red. white is my current fav tho. wintertime. snow. cloudy and rainy days. cyberpunk, especially mecha. watching anime and reading manga ofc. cinema, sci-fi and horror especially. jfashion, fashion in general tbh. video games, my favs are nier automata and final fantasy.

𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐒

hot and humid weather. socializing. writer’s and art block. narcissists. entitled people. math. mornings. loud noises and weird textures (sensory issues). when there’s not enough milk and sugar in my coffee.

𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐒

julie. lamp. ichiko aoba. perfume. radiohead. deftones. grimes. beabadoobe. babymetal. paramore. ghost. mazzy star. the neighborhood. arctic monkeys. duster. cigarettes after sex. mitski. the marias. dir en grey. buck tick. $uicideboy$. blank banshee. løren. my bloody valentine.

𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒 / 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐀

tokyo revengers. naruto. neon genesis evangillion. ajin: demi human. nana. ghost in the shell. alice in borderland. berserk. tokyo ghoul. death note. serial lain experiment. ergo proxy. alita: battle angel. csm. angel’s egg. demon slayer.

𝐄𝐗𝐓𝐑𝐀 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐒

my favorite dish is arepas and teqüeños.

im latino (full venezuelan 🇻🇪)

i can speak fluent spanish, and im learning japanese as of now.

although i write for everyone, i mostly will write male reader.

current favorite charecters are: baji keisuke. kazutora hanemiya. chifuyu matsuno. souya kawata. senju karawagi (tokyo revengers) pain. shikamaru nara. shikaku nara. shisui uchiha. konan. (naruto) aki hayakawa. asa makita. reze. (csm)

thank you for reading. ♡

[aestheticreservoire]

Not the person you are addressing but I feel like theres more to be said I don’t see in the replies to the post and that I think adds context to fan fiction and fandom in general especially after reading other women talk about the generalisation stuff in the OP

- a lot of women start reading fic as teenagers and a lot of current fic readers and writers are per se autistic and obsessed with whatever media they’re writing about ergo why they make stories about it obsessively. This is not a new phenomenon, women wrote Sherlock and Watson fan fiction back then with the books and the first mainstream fandom as we understand it today was Star Trek: the original series in the 70s. At that point it was in fact a sort of revolutionary separatist space as a lot of the people writing, and publishing, fanzines were female. Fanfic continues to be female skewed in fact. Males were also Star Trek fans it’s the derivative writing space that was and continues to be overwhelmingly female.

You probably dont care but if you want data points I started at age 13.

- I personally haven’t disengaged entirely but I know a lot of people do (and I took distance) because of the current heavy control exerted community wise due to the increasing politicisation of fandom after the 2000s onward. This is nothing new, again, a lot of the fujos who shipped Kirk and Spock in the 70s legit used that as leverage to support gay rights, it’s just that by virtue of members being younger and more immature and the insanity that was cultivated since livejournal, into here, and onward to twitter and TikTok fandom has become like a pug inbred version of itself.

- because the girls writing this are straight. It’s the same mindset of fujoshi writing doujinshi in Japan. Two attractive men kissing and thinking about romance without all the implications of being a woman and your lesser place in society because of it. And of course a lot of the media they obsess with glorifying and exhalting men while making mediocre or irrelevant female characters. Female essayists were actually writing about this in the Star Trek days too.

-No, not really. As I said a lot of women into this are already autistic or otherwise “weird” personality wise and that usually carries its own batch of associated mental illness, some thru nature some thru nurture (bullying, exclusion causing depression and anxiety) there’s actually an analysis of how this impacts geeks in general, socially, called the Geek Social Fallacies and you will see them repeat in ambiances like liberal feminism and activist teenagers on tiktok: https://plausiblydeniable.com/five-geek-social-fallacies/ which boils down to, I was excluded and left behind, ergo I vow when I meet other nerds I will never leave anyone behind because everyone who leaves me behind are evil bullies who hate me just because I like media.

This is also why I believe so many fandom spaces are social justice oriented. They too see minorities being excluded that they have to defend no matter the cost which is why analysis is so black and white, un-nuanced, and generally ignorant of whatever minority is being defended. Which I've personally experienced being latin american in the anglo fandom internet. In the end, I think I agree with a lot of other people that women are criticised a lot more for these fandom things than men are for things that are far more harmful, especially considering the history of these places as women-led hobbies that permitted a space separate from men. However I also agree it is a hobby and a lot of it is self-indulgent slop, and you should go in with that mindset. The cult mentality of hyper political fandom is also incredibly diseased and wreaks havoc on your already fragile mental state. Like any subculture it can be a wonderful thing for you to connect with people or controlling torture depending on how you engage with it. But as an autist I can't deny the catharsis of being able to do what is essentially glorified playing with fictional dolls without scorn, as that is something that you are judged for, very often unfairly- like most women's hobbies, to be honest.

I don't hate fan fiction because it's not original material or whatever. I hate fan fiction because it seems like everyone who is into it has serious mental health issues.

And I realize that it's a chicken/egg situation so there's no way to tell if being immersed in it tanks your wellbeing or if you get into it at your lowest point. What I do see is that it doesn't make you any better and definitely makes things way worse.