#i do like sharing my art though but that can be on a private level too. The Conflict

[redactedcrowart]

i've made a cohost both for my main and my art sideblog, as well as a pillowfort all under the same usernames (for the uninitiated, that is redactedcrow and redactedcrowart). i'm undecided if i'm actually going to use any of them yet, but they're there

[main-serendipity-sky]

The state of Jiminland today

Today I was pushed over the edge as I watched twitter implode so it took me about 12 hours to write my thoughts out.

It's disheartening to see a fanbase, 52Hz, openly being a Jimin anti but it's also disheartening to see people act shocked when Jimin lost 2 awards he almost had because a majority of Korean fans (not kpjms) didn't vote for him.

How can you be shocked at the way Jimin is treated if you are part of the problem?

52Hz has been called out ever since July but karmy and kjkkrs defended this fanbase even with proof presented. I tried asking them about it but I got blocked instead. I even remember reading some accounts here that were blaming pjms instead back in July.

It's not ignorance if you are informed and you choose to ignore it.

52Hz lied, blurred out Jimin from playlists, altered predictions to mislead fans and pushed them to vote for Jk only. They also did something similar last year for Hobi and Namjoon.

It's not only that 52Hz lied but people protected them and then followed like sheep.

The hate and indifference towards Jimin in this fandom runs so deep and is disguised as many things that may appear harmless:

•Not supporting him as an artist but speculating on his private life

•Using him for fan wars since because he is best weapon BTS has in all areas

•Using him for ship wars because "Jimin always gets hate" and if Jimin gets hate that means jikook is real

•Using him as a cheerleader/funny guy/flirty guy/cute guy/support guy for BTS but failing to see the complexity that Jimin is

•Ignoring, belittling, or attributing his accomplishments to anything/anyone other than Jimin himself

•Downplaying or excusing what the company has done to him because you want to maintain the ot7 illusion

•Not talking about the sabotage because you will be labeled a solo and get hate from other people but you still talk about things that bring Jimin hate like any of his ships

•Degrading his art to Jk's level because it's the cute shipper thing to do even though we all know quite well both things are not the same

•Putting Jimin and Jk on the same pedestal when Jimin is up there because of his hard work and fans who have worked endlessly to stream and buy while Jk's numbers have been inflated by Scooter's tactics

•Boycotting the jikook show because a hate filled account gave you that idea when you should be the fan that always supports him till the end

•Using Jimin for your sexual fantasies

•Not defending him

•Pushing a narrative where Jimin must be the sacrifice for BTS or jikook

We can call out 52Hz and kfans but then our own behavior is just as bad.

Jimin doesn't deserve this.

We are talking about Jimin.

The guy who is the most appreciative of his fans. The only one who came to weverse to thank fans for BTS' win in MAMA only after 40 minutes (he didn't thank for his individual win but for the group win!). The guy who wanted FACE to be free just so he could share it with us. The guy who did his entire documentary just so we could see that he had fun doing FACE.

If you don't appreciate and value Jimin,

If you won't fight and defend him,

If you care more about your pretty profiles filled with positivity and pretty pictures,

If you are only here to "support" jikook but have no intention to support Jimin as an actual artist,

If you downplay what he has gone through,

Don't call yourself his fan.

[donnerpartyofone]

This has been a really hard one to talk about. I'm always very ambivalent about mourning celebrities. I try to remember that I don't know these people, that what is really mourned by most of us is the person's ongoing work, which in the best cases has helped us understand ourselves and the world in which we live. Unavoidably, though, you can start to develop the sense that you know these people personally, which isn't true or even appropriate necessarily, I mean you have no idea whether you would even like someone you've only seen on a screen or received an autograph from; but at the same time, I don't know if you can really force yourself not to feel like the deceased celebrity is a dear friend you will never get to talk to again (the last time I tried and failed was the passing of Lux Interior). Maybe this is more forgivable, and also more inevitable, if you feel like you grew up with the person.

Of course this is all about ME now, but my mother (who also died from cancer) was an extremely hip, brilliant, funny individual who for whatever reason refused to form a relationship with me. This was pretty strange, because we liked a lot of the same things--B movies, old comics, all types of camp and kitsch--but when I liked those things, it was in poor taste and punishable by exile, whereas when she liked those things, it was evidence of her cultural genius. Before I make anybody too mad I should say that I'm being a little bit unfairly reductive just so I can get to the point, which is that one of the few things we could share was Pee-Wee's Playhouse. I didn't know anything about the show's more adult origins or the fact that Paul Reubens was sort of a performance artist, but I didn't have to. Pee-Wee's Playhouse was a feast for any child's senses: stylish, hilarious, and on some subliminal level, really sophisticated. I was clued into some of what was going on just because I watched it with my mom, who always laughed at Pee-Wee's winks and nudges to the hep parents in the audience. The show might have been my first encounter with the kind of anthropological humor favored by people like David Byrne and Laurie Anderson, artists who engage subversively with cliches, stereotypes, and other memetic parts of popular culture. In Pee-Wee's Playhouse, with its sharp, edgy cast and crew, kids like me were getting into fine art without even knowing it--which is possibly the best way to learn about art anyway.

In fact, on the other side of our house, I became obsessed with Gary Panter's incredible punk opus Jimbo In Paradise, a Dantesque comic book about an innocent young guy living in a dystopian future, where he is occasionally joined by guest stars such as Nancy and Hedorah. I was about 7 when I started reading Jimbo over and over again even though I could barely understand it, and I had no idea that Gary had pretty much designed Pee-Wee's Playhouse. I'm speaking about him so familiarly because I got to know him a little bit as a grownup. I remember Gary talking about how private Paul Reubens could be. He used to do this thing where he would accept a dinner invitation from anybody who asked, as sort of a stunt, but he had to stop doing it because people became so intrusive and entitled with him. Gary said that they'd be walking around in New York and when they saw an obvious Pee-Wee fan gearing up for an offensive, Paul Reubens would sort of transform into this totally different person, putting out an aura that let you know not to fuck with him. It's crazy-making to think that someone who was so protective of the boundary between his private and public selves had to suffer that ridiculous arrest, but it's heartening that most of society eventually grew the fuck up and forgot about it. It's also helpful to remember when he turned up later on the MTV Music Video Awards and started off by asking the audience, "HEARD ANY GOOD JOKES LATELY??"

I'm glad we got one more Pee-Wee special in the past several years, but I always wished that we would see Paul Reubens in more movies. He was such a cool actor, funny, convincing, and naturally charismatic. While people are cycling through their favorite roles of his, I want to point out that he had a great role on a recent HBO miniseries called Mosaic, an intense, engrossing crime drama that I definitely recommend if you have access. Maybe I'll rewatch it, too. In closing, here's a great story that I grabbed from Facebook that should warm everybody's heart, along with the heartbreaking statement (inappropriately cropped by Instagram of course) released upon the death of the very private Pee-Wee Herman. It makes you wish you could thank him in person, for everything. The best we can do is just remember him.

[childrenofcain-if]

Hi! I want to start by warning that this will probably be a long rant about how much i love your IFs. But first, I hope you feel better soon!

The first IF of yours i played was the pjo one, which sent me down a rabbit hole of going through the rest of them (still haven't played tcs but i will soon 🤞🏻). It was just BAFFLING how people could be so purposefully ignorant about the concept of fanfiction and accused you over and over of plagiarism like, please go outside and touch grass, clearly the internet has stopped your brain from developing critical thinking.

Anyways, the adaptation was so well done and faithful while also exuding a newness to it that i am very excited to see unravel. I understand at the moment it has been paused (and I don't know if you've addressed why it's no longer up) and i hope with time you can feel comfortable with it again. None of the shit you've gotten was deserved or even understandable but alas, it still happened. As a content creator myself, i truly truly sympathize with you. I hope these words offer some comfort, however small.

Same goes for WLB, but the awe at how descriptive and raw your writing is really peaked through in something of your own creation. I find myself revisiting it and experiencing the exhilaration from my first reading all over again. I can't wait to watch everyone around my mc descend into eldritch madness as they become more and more unhinged. Consequences of my own actions? Never heard of them, i want my mc to go apeshit!

Now, gods where do i start... TBOTYG is *chef's kiss* flawless, i never thought i could become so obsessed with anything with only one part. I awaited the demo with baited breath, already anticipating all the ways you would surprise and impress (and you did). Every choice, every scenario, the way you build your plot and characters, your descriptions (I don't know if you can tell that I'm a little too hung up on the writing aspect of it) of characters and actions and feelings. The amount of work and effort you put into characterization is so very clear and it feels very freeing to have that amount of control over a character that we're supposed to "relate" to (in the context of the narrative, almost as if living vicariously through them). i think that no matter how much time passes, your IFs will remain a staple in the community and every player who finds your gems will feel blessed and changed after playing.

It's gotten to the point I've created a whole google doc of my MC, and made fake ig accounts with interactions (just for myself, to cope with the anticipation) and this is a level of commitment I've only felt with my own OCs and works. In such a short time, your IFs have carved a deep space for themselves in my life. I find myself replaying and going through their official pages religiously even though I've read every post already.

a question! will every LI's gender be chosen individually? I'm wondering because C and D are suitmates, but is it doable if they're different genders? same for mc and V. I'm thinking yes but also wanted to be sure

Honestly very very sorry for the long rant, I'm sure you have better things to do 😭😭 but i had the uncontrollable urge to express my feelings on your art and it took me an entire day of trying to talk myself out of it (i failed).

(also, here's my mc's profile and dm box. her royal highness maxine's ig profile is private btw. going for c route first. Mitică is the romanian diminutive for the name Dimitru, and opsis is an ancient greek concept i thought would fit V)

i’m speechless (sentimentally), dear reader 😭 i still can’t believe some people would take the time out of their day to think about my silly little worlds and the characters in it, less of all like how i’ve written my works. every single time i hit a writer’s block or have the whole doxxing trauma flare up again, i think of quitting but it’s the urge to write stories and the joy of sharing it with everyone that is still keeping me going.

i can’t explain how much your words mean to me because this is what i write for. to have people relate to or identify with or adore the world and characters i’ve built is such a dream within itself. from the bottom of my heart, i am thankful for every single reader who has always been nothing but supportive from day one. if elias has his apple, i have y’all. and no, it doesn’t mean y’all can have my meagre inheritance but it’s the sentiment that counts.

to answer your question, every single LIs gender will be selectable! blackthorne hall has individual bedrooms per suite so y’all will only be sharing the common areas and kitchenette with V while having your own personal space. it’s more like an apartment than a usual college dorm tbh.

oh and please, rant away! i’d love nothing more than to hear about your MCs and the various headcanons, questions, or theories you might have!

(also please knock C down a few pegs, they desperately need it 😔)

[bravelysanta]

IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR - BRAVELY SECRET SANTA

Link to the form

The boring stuff/Deadlines: 1)  You have until (Sunday) October 20 at 1 AM EST to sign up. I’ll also be posting regular updates so follow bravelysanta at Twitter/Tumblr/Bluesky.

This is a hard deadline. If you miss it, you miss it! Try again next year!

REMEMBER THAT YOU MUST JOIN THE GROUP ON SNEAKY SANTA - the link will show up after you fill out the form.  Email me at fairyglowcharm @ gmail if you forgot to join it.

2) On the afternoon of October 20th, you will receive an email with the name of the person that you’ll be gifting via Sneaky Santa.

I will check-in a couple of times between mid-Nov and early-Dec. Please use these check-ins as opportunities to tell me if you need help!

3) Gifts are due anytime between December 22nd - 29th. If you will not be able to post it during that time, submit/msg me beforehand and I’ll post it for you.

4) If you think you may not meet the deadline, please contact me immediately and no later than December 21st. But please don’t sign up if you know your availability will be iffy in the first place.

5) If signing up as a pinch-hitter, those will be due by Jan 1st.

Guidelines:

1) If you must cancel your application, please notify me immediately either via email (fairyglowcharm @ gmail) or the bravelysanta accounts, preferably before assignments are chosen on Oct 22. If you find you cannot meet the gifting deadline and need an extension, please also notify me before Dec 21st. 

2) When filling out your name on the Sneaky Santa website, please include your social media handle (either Tumblr or Twitter/Bluesky), so your Santa knows how to @ you. Example - Koma (komatsujo). 

3) Remember that you are gifting a present to someone, and be prepared to spend at least some time on it. No one likes a last-minute gift!

4) Both fanart and fanfic are accepted as submissions. Santees, do��not specifically request one or the other.

5) No AI generated art or fanfiction is allowed. The point of this is to create something for someone. Everyone of all talent levels is invited to join, to share the love of Bravely.

6) If you know there is a game, character, or ship that you don't wish to create content about, please indicate that in the last question of the form. I will do my best to exclude pairing you up with someone who is requesting a gift regarding those items, but please understand that I can't make promises if wishlists are not filled out.

7) Please try to complete your wishlists before Oct 20th for these reasons.

8) When creating your wishlists, please do not specifically request fanart or fanfic (example: do not request specifically fanart of the Crystal Crew as kids, instead of requesting something like “I would love to see the Crystal Crew as kids, doing something cute”). However, you should have more than 1 item on your wishlist. Please try to have 3-5 different items so your Santa has some freedom! 

9) Specifically requesting shippy gifts is allowed, but no NSFW material, either in wishlists or presents. This is mostly about smut, but also be mindful with gore and violence.  

10) Your wishlist and present MUST include Bravely themes or characters, such as Bravely Default 1 or 2, Bravely Second, Fairy’s Effect, Brilliant Lights, Praying Brage, etc. With the presence of Bravely characters in Octopath: COTC, Octopath characters + Bravely characters is allowed, though please be mindful of spoilers for the Octopath games. Same applies to other Team Asano games. 

11) Please try to keep your assignments private! Talk about them with friends in DM all you want, but if someone can find out that you’re their Santa on social media, that ruins the surprise!

12) Please tag submissions as #bravelysanta2024 !

13) If there is anything else you would like to specifically avoid during Secret Santa, up to and including a specific person, please indicate as such in the last question. These answers will be private and will never be shared with anyone outside of myself. This includes if you don't want to be matched with me, I'm a people manager, I can take it.

Link to the form is here!

[eemamminy-art]

Hi, I've been seeing you post a lot of FFXIV stuff, and I've been kind of interested in trying it for a long while but am absolutely broke. Do you think it's worth getting into even if it's just the free trial version?

Omg yes!! The free trial honestly has a LOT in it, it takes you through the base game (A Realm Reborn) and the first two expansions (Heavensward and Stormblood, the latter of which is my favorite in the whole storyline), which goes up to level 70. You have a few limitations on the free trial, such as being unable to send private messages or join free companies (guilds, basically), but you can still party up with people and fully engage with the story and gameplay! They also have made it now where if you want to have a solo experience, the main scenario has support for partying with a group of NPCs instead of other players too, though there are a few parts where you'll need to play with real people. But I might be presuming too much, maybe you like the social aspect of MMOs :D

The character customization is really nice! There are a bunch of different races to play as, though sadly two of them will be locked behind a paid subscription (viera, which are bunny-people, and hrothgar, which are like a lion anthro race), but all the others are available on the free trial. I love making OCs in it, it's a lot of fun! I'm really fond of roegadyn, which are giants basically, and elezen, which are elves but if the elves were weird gangly pointy things. There's also cat and lizard kemonomimi (miqo'te and au ra respectively), chibis as the smallfolk race (lalafells), and stock standard humans in two varieties (midlander and highlander hyurs, one is like a normal human and the other are like bodybuilders). I'm probably forgetting something but.... Yeah!

The story is really good... ✪ ω ✪ Like extremely good!! I have been a fan of Final Fantasy for my whole life and not really ever much for multiplayer games, but FFXIV's story grabs hold of you in a way that a single player rpg does!! It's amazing! I've played it on and off since the ps3 beta of the game a decade ago, it's really special to me :3

I might be biased because I have like, nearly 12000 hours logged of playtime but.. yeah I think it's worth getting into ahaha

If you had specific questions about it I'd be glad to answer! I'm honestly kind of surprised to get an ask like this since I have been posting my art from ffxiv for the last few years, but I'm assuming you followed me for something else since I draw a variety of things! But always glad to share the gospel about this beloved game ahaha

[maddstermind]

Hey there, howdy, hello! Welcome to my writeblr that I am going to try real hard to be active on!

I'm Madd, they/them, and while I might not post it all here, I am a very active writer hoping for publication in the near future! I'm hoping to become part of the community, so feel free to tag me in things/shoot me asks/anything of the sort!! I'd love more writer friends :>

(Also, this is a sideblog! My main is warriorblood1, so if you get random follows/likes from that account, that's me!)

Want to know more details? Keep reading!

What do you write? I write all kinds of things! I have ideas in honestly too many genres and whatnot at this point, and I hope to someday write them all!

Right now, however, I have two main focuses: spooky short stories, and a novel series! (Though I do have a couple other novel things.)

Tell me about the short stories. My short stories tend to be 3k to 5k on average, and most wind up being horror or horror-adjacent. I tend to describe them as being "Twilight Zone-esque," but most would fit as being called gothic horror.

I have previously published some short stories, but my full legal name is on them so I hesitate to link them here. Regardless, I hope to publish a collection sometime soon!

Tell me about the novel series. Auberon Academy is a four-novel series told through a rotating POV of four main characters. It is a fantasy setting (though a bit more modern fantasy; more or less 1950s tech-wise), but the plot is more of a mystery/thriller.

I'm querying the first novel and have the first draft of the second one finished, and am now starting to draft the third book! You can learn more about the first book, Manifestations and the Missing, here in this funny slideshow I made. Update: Here's a slideshow for book two, In Pursuit of Knowledge!

What do you do besides writing? Not much. Just kidding.

I'm bad at video games, but I love to play them. A favorite hobby of mine is tabletop role-playing games, my favorites being Call of Cthulhu, Blackbirds, Dungeons & Dragons, and Vampire: The Masquerade! I also love to draw, and several of my story ideas are actually comics!

But lets be honest. Torturing my characters (canonically or otherwise) is my favorite thing to do. What kind of writer would I be if I said anything different?

How do you tag things?

General writing: #madd writing

Prompts: #prompt response

Tag games: #tag game

Ask games: #ask game

Asks: #questions

Resources: #holding

Short story work: #short story

Novel work: #novel work

Auberon Academy-specifc: #boberon

Soulbearer-specific: #sogbog

DIIE-specific: #DIIE

Cináed-specific: #dragondad

My art: #madd doodles

Other writeblr-related things: #writeblr stuff

Also, this post has the list of character tags for Auberon!

I'll also try to tag anything that feels like it should warrant a trigger warning!

Anything else to note? I'm very nervous about posting my work to Tumblr (fear of theft really gets to you), but I'm trying to overcome it. That being said, you might not see too terribly much of it here - if you're really interested, please reach out to me! I'd most likely be happy to share more on a more private level.

Also, I have ADHD! I tend to hyperfixate on my own work (which is a nightmare but also useful), but if you're ever confused by something. That's probably why.

Thanks for being here, y'all!

[olderthannetfic]

I'm sorry I need to vent but I don't get having mutuals. I thought it's how people on tumblr/twitter make friends (which seems that's how a lot of them treat it) but I found myself getting mutuals when some blogs I follow follow back. I thought they wanted to be friends since that's how they are with their other mutuals but other than like some of my posts when they started following me, they don't really interact with any of my posts now. We only have one fandom in common and I don't really posts much about that and when I do, they don't even like it or anything. It can't even be cause I reblog other people's stuff about that fandom cause they're following those people, too.

I don't understand why they're following my blog when they don't have a reason to be here? Is it those "follow for follow" things? It just makes me feel, I dunno strange(?), I guess, seeing my follower count and I could count on one hand how many of them still like my posts occasionally and none of those are my mutuals.

I wish there's a way to just remove them from my followers without removing me from their followers cause I still very much like their posts. It'd just be awkward softblocking them and then following again and they'd be notified and maybe they'd wonder why (if they even remember me at this point).

--

What the hell, anon?

How you make friends is by talking to people.

I don't even follow back half the people I actually talk to on tumblr because I forget. I never see likes. They're hidden on my activity page because who the fuck cares about likes?

I have people on here who reblog me frequently whom I rarely publicly interact with. You'd think I'm snubbing them. In fact, we're offline friends.

I have people I consider dear internet friends whom I chat with on a weekly or even daily basis in private whom you'll rarely see me talk to here even though this is how we met.

How I can tell if I'm friendly acquaintances with someone is by us talking enough that I remember who they are. I'm really bad at remembering internet handles as discrete individuals if I've never met the person. Once I start to actually remember you, it means something.

How I can tell we're friends is that we've built some emotional intimacy, usually by talking in private, often about our actual lives or, even more tellingly, our philosophies, aspirations, and struggles with making art.

If I can be vulnerable with someone in private in a way I wouldn't be publicly on tumblr, then we're friends. Of course, you never know if it's precisely mutual on the exact same level on a given day, but nothing in life is guaranteed.

Having shared fandoms is irrelevant.

Whether you are mutuals is irrelevant.

Likes are irrelevant.

Reblogs with no commentary are irrelevant.

If you don't meaningfully interact with the person, you are not friends.

[papikyoo]

I've been thinking lots about your 'what drew you to Kabumisu' answer and your kbms comic (especially the one with ex-classmates Laios au) I'm curious if your relationship with your partners or any relationship reflects with Kabru/Mith also how? Maybe it's too personal or self-serving but there is something that sets apart your fandom arts and thoughts on this ship from others and I feel it's a delicate sense of empathy and devotion to real-life relationships as well! which makes your arts really good and deep at certain times such like when you portraited how Kabru would treat his relationship with Mith towards Laios in that one comic I loveee that so much (no need to answer if you're uncomfortable!) I only noticed you say your gf once, and I adore this ship with my partner, my gf too! (She prefers the Farcille ship more than kbms and saw us as one tho lol)

I'd say, yes, my romantic relationship and experience definitely has a role in how I depicted kabru and mithrun's relationship.

I usually set up how I view characters with association of irl people, experiences, and a little bit of theories (childhood trauma, upbringing or mbti etc etc) though it might sway from canon bc of my own bias but I need to gain more insights from different sources and I like my art to have reasoning behind the portrayal.

Both my gf and I relate to kbms, even though our relationship doesn't work the same way. She has an approach in life similar to Kabru, and it's always fascinating to observe, I understand the thought process even though I don't actually relate to. There's some pattern in Kabru's behavior, that you can find the same kind of people in real life and they would be misunderstood a lot for the fact that they can accurately deduce people's motive and act according to the circumstances. They are not "pretending", it's just how they are, they need to strategize their actions for benefits of a majority. (according to their own morals) and I really admire this aspect. even though it's not always seen as a good thing, it's a quality that shines through for me. it's not like they will bend for anyone's will and offend no one, actually they believe so much in their perfect vision that they will do anything to pursue that. I view that as a very strong backbone.

I remembered when I read Kabru's thoughts in Six Days chapter, and I thought "I really need to have this level of compassion." I wouldn't do all that to strangers, but I know my gf would. The only thing I can relate to Kabru is the need to exert control/influence which, I guess, also reflects in my art. XD

She also said I behaved like Mithrun... Mithrun is like your friend's partner who appears out of nowhere, who is very private and rarely seen. I'm that guy. Mithrun brings chill vibes to the table, I like to believe he makes Kabru feel calm and grounded. In the manga, Mithrun offers practical solutions to Kabru's problems, he's very straightforward so Kabru doesn't need to waste mental energy in that matter. Kabru also builds self esteem from spending time with him.

kbms is just my ideal of romantic relationship that two people need to be the mirror of each other that reflect their own flaws and strength. I also value my romantic partner a lot. When you distrust people, you have very few people to bond with, you really can't help but keeping people at arm's length emotionally, which is how I view Kabru's relationships, I can sense distance between him and others even though he is outgoing, it's like he always plays a role of an observer and gatekeeping his real inner world.

That's something to unpack. i think it's a beautiful experience to let this one person in your world and growing along them. Tho it might be good to share my thoughts to more people, to feel like a human being, to experience valuable relationships beyond this. just like how Kabru decides to tell his own personal story to Laios as they strengthen their relationship. Kabru tries to act casual because he's a bit scared of an unknown territory, there's still some kind of distance as it's never linear but it's still a beautiful moment.

Thank you for the ask. sorry if it's too much information. it's also something that i've been thinking for a while and it's great to know i'm not the only person who draws a connection between these things and there are like minded people out there. I'm glad you like the comics! Love to hear that my art has a lasting effect. it looks very simple but i had a lot of thoughts behind them too... I like to think that fictional characters also lead a life like us, it makes us feel less alone.

[leafofkudzu]

Hello again! I did say I was going to consider hosting more art parties if last month’s test run went well and, well, it did, so here I am again! Come one come all to [VS] Verdant Shield’s second ever monthly art party, this time with an expanded reach!

For those not in the loop from last month, what is an art party exactly? Well, they’re common occurrences in the Final Fantasy XIV community where artists of all kinds get together to chat, hang out, and create together! If a certain character catches your eye, you make some art of them in whatever way suits your fancy, then during or after the party post it under the tag for that party so others know where to look and spread the love around via reblogs/retweets/etc! I said it last time and it’ll always bear repeating - the ‘goal’ of attending an art party is not to be drawn, but to draw others, and share with the community! Attendees from last month’s party compared it to art jams, people watching, or attending a life drawing class with people you actually like. For more tangible examples, you can check back through the tag I intend to use for all of these monthly events - #VSArtParty - to see what previous partygoers have made!

I’m a lot less antsy about hosting these events now that I have a baseline, so much so that I want to involve those of you over on EU servers as well by hosting two rounds of parties, first on EU and then NA! However, I’ll still be keeping the squad(s) private and out of LFG to deter party-crashers, especially since this time we’ll be in a more well-known and easily-accessible location as the party moves Eastward into the Grove!

Check under the cut for details on how the event(s) will be laid out and how to reach the party location!

Welcome to the expanded details! First of all, the Garden of Dawn is the Grove’s worst-kept secret so I’d be surprised if you didn’t already know about it, but just in case, here’s a tl;dr on how to get there from Ronan’s Waypoint (aka the bottom floor of the Grove, you can drop down from Upper Commons Waypoint or Reckoner’s Waypoint to get to this starting point too):

Head North along the path towards the House of Aife PoI (not shown in the picture but you’ll see it on your map).

Take a hard left at said PoI and yeet yourself into this tiny pool that has a secret tunnelllll~

You’re here! It’s bigger than it looks in this picture but still relatively small, however I’ve attended events hosted here and can confirm that it can fit a lot of people, and also from last month I learned we don’t actually need a ton of space since we all squish up together to see each other anyway. However, if this space gets too crowded we’ll breach containment and relocate to a more public spot - very likely Starbower Nursery aka the little multi-level tavern on the South side of the map (it has its own PoI so it’s easy to spot)! If we do I’ll make sure to put the updated location in the squad message!

Okay! With that out of the way let’s get to the real important stuff.

This month’s event will consist of two separate art parties, each 3 hours long (though you’re welcome to stay later if you like), with a 1hr break in between so people interested in attending both can stretch, get snacks, etc etc.

The first party will be on EU servers and begin at 9pm Central European Time (that’s 3pm Eastern Standard Time for NA folks). I’ll be hosting it on my EU alt, so to join you can either whisper Aemryn of Dusk for an invite or type ‘/sqjoin aemryn of dusk’ in chat to join automatically!

The second party will be on NA servers and begin at 7pm Eastern Standard Time (that’s 1am Central European Time for any sleepless EU folks). This one will be hosted on my main account, and you can join by either whispering Kirslyn for an invite or typing ‘/sqjoin kirslyn’ in chat to auto-join!

Like I mentioned before the cut, we’ll be using the same tag for both of these parties as we did for last month’s - #VSArtParty - and I think that’ll be the one we’ll continue to use in the future for these! There’s no spaces so that it can be used on Twitter as well if you’re still over there!

That’s it for now! Expect to see this reblogged a few times between now and then, and I hope to see you all there for another fun time! ♥

[favorvn]

Yknow, I'm just going to put this out there.

I am really disgusted by a lot of these accusations hurled towards Lily without an ounce of proof. Most of these accusations simply feel like they are throwing anything at the wall to stoke the flames of social outrage in order to get people to react. It's gross, and it is tiring.

Here are a couple of my thoughts...

- Yes, what happened in the server with someone being falsely accused was really bad. It hurt people involved and destroyed trust. My heart really goes out to this person, and they have every right to feel hurt and to not forgive anyone involved in this situation. There is no excuse or explanation that can or will justify this. Bad mistakes were made, and someone was unjustly and irreparably hurt. A fact separate to this, though, is that Lily was given this false information after being harassed at that point for MONTHS, possibly even a full year. After that long of being harassed, it isn't a surpise that a mistake like this happened. As fucked as that situation was, Lily is a victim in this situation. It's strange that we don't really see this acknowledged. One person being a victim in an awful situation doesn't just negate another victim.

- Stealing code from fourms...? That has to be a joke. The really cool thing about code, and what has caused leaps and bounds in technological advancement, is that historically, code has mostly always been freely shared and a community based effort and knowledge sharing. On help forums, people share code with each other and correct each other's code. This is doubly so for Renpy, which makes it so lovely to learn! People don't really gatekeep knowledge when it comes to code, we encourage learning and skill improvement. Unless there is PROOF that code was fully ripped from a game (which even in that case, I would bet that the original person found their code from a forum as well, and the second person may have found a similar code to it because code really doesn't differ too much as it is a tool, a means to an end, not creative expression.) I really just don't believe any of those accusations at all. This goes for all accusations without direct proof.

- Regarding the criticism towards Lily's sexuality and gender identity: That isn't your or anyone else's business. It is frankly gross to try and demonize someone else's gender identity and sexual identity journey.

- I have seen multiple comments /callout posts / threads that revolve around a weird level of white knighting for Ya-Boi. Ya-Boi is an adult. They are both adults. Stop infantilizing Ya-boi and assuming that he can't voice when he is uncomfortable by something. He can, and he doesn't need anyone to speak for him. Let the business between them be private as anyone else's has a right to be. If you were actually concerned for Yaboi you would have checked in with him personally in a private message rather than just putting his personal life out there and forcing him to out his own personal life to the public 💀 like I really doubt he wanted to have to do that.

- Also, the complaint about 18+ erotic art being posted in a clearly titled 18+ EROTIC server??? I seriously laugh everytime I read that callout. If you join a server that clearly has the word 'erotic' in the title and you get mad because erotic art was posted? That's fully on you. What's next? Will you go to the p*rn hub and be mad because p*rn was shown? Get real. Stop pearl clutching and grow up. Take responsibility for your own actions and decisions of joining the clearly labeled server. The worst part to me is, I know if you voiced this complaint, anyone in the server would be kind enough to oblige and apologize to you and make sure it doesn't happen again. Because they are kind people who do care about how people around them feel. But frankly, I find this complaint fucking ridiculous. It was in the title of the damn server.

Look, at the end of the day you don't need to have a reason to dislike someone. You can just dislike someone. It's enough just to say that you don't like someone and end it at that. You don't need to try and make a callout post and rally people to also dislike someone so you can feel justified in your dislike towards them. You don't have to like everyone you come across in life, and that's totally fine. It's human even.

Please reevaluate some of these points on if they actually make sense, if they are actually fair, if you actually have proof for them. If you are this harsh on Lily, I really feel bad about how harshly you must judge yourself. To remain at some obscure morally upright standard that you are arbitrarily imposing on yourself at all times. It's okay to love your yan characters and want others to interact with them. It's okay to make mistakes, it's human to fuck up sometimes, to learn, and to grow from it.

What will happen when you make a mistake that you tried to call out another person for? Will you forgive yourself? Will you spiral in self loathing? What happens when you make a mistake that you would have called someone else out for if given the chance? Will you make an exception for yourself that you know you wouldn't have granted to another person? Will you allow yourself to grow in ways that you won't allow others to? What happens when you get a partner and they make an honest mistake? Will you call them out to the public? Trying to get others to also dislike them? Where does empathy get to start and end?

My advice is: Have some empathy for yourself and for others. Life will be much kinder to you that way.

I won't go through every point, I just wanted to say my piece on those things. This link is the post I am referring to. Ya-boi's response disects everything in more depth than I will.

[fandomfluffandfuck]

S that latest poll answer makes me sad for you. Did that inspire that fic you wrote about Sebastians body image and thr beetle?

related to my tags on this poll & this fic of mine "The Kids Aren't Alright"

This gets personal and kind of intense, so it goes below the cut!

Trigger warning for discussion of general poor mental health, depression, suicidal ideation/self harm, eating disorders, body image issues, etc.

The short answer is an overwhelming yes.

"The Kids Aren't Alright" was very much something that I wrote because it struck a chord in me--Sebastian talking about his experience with body dysmorphia always hits home for me as a guy with body dysmorphic disorder, and the first time I heard Mackie admittedly very affectionately teasing him, saying he got stuck in the VW Beetle, I was a little horrified, I mean, secondhand embarrassement, imagining embarrasment so vividly it was horrible, really. So, naturally, I had to make it into a fic.

Also, I hope you don't mind, sweets, before going on, I'm adding onto your ask with another that I got even more recently:

youre very generous with what you share, so ignore this if im over the line, but its mens mental health month and that suicidal ideation post made me think of your mental health, whats been your experience with it?? i dont have a lot of men in my life who are willing to share with me, so i thought i would ask you 🥰🥰 please delete this if youre uncomfy tho

which is related to this

Both of you are such sweethearts!

Thanks, though, I don't exactly try to share a shit ton 🤷🏻‍♂️ I guess, eh, being somewhat anonymous in this corner of the internet yet being honest in the form of the spectrum of emotion from raw feral angst to private domestic fluff to shameless shut coaxes me into being so forthcoming? Not that I'm, like, super reserved otherwise, lmao.

I'll start with a short answer again before I go into deeper detail, which is just to say: my experience with it has been rough. I, a queer man, grew up in a small, red town with a very traditional family, so... yeah. It was not fun.

Okay, longer answer now because when given the opportunity, I. will. yap.

I think I will start with masculinity here because I feel as though a lot of my experiences with mental health and issues with my body tie directly into my masculinity. I don't have problems with being a man, I love being a man, it's who I am, I just don't love some of the expectations of being a man on a grand societal and interpersonal level, y'know?

Masculinity, to me, was always presented as the thing you have to be or else. Or else my parents were disappointed; or else the other boys wouldn't like me; or else I felt bad about myself: or else there must be something wrong with me; or else I must be gay; or else.

I have older siblings, and my older brother was in Boy Scouts when we were kids. Both of my parents fucking love the outdoors. So, of course, they loved that. My dad, specifically, spent all his time doing Scouts shit with my brother or organizing similar activities just for them when not at work. (I had a traditional western family unit, my dad worked, my mom was a stay-at-home mom.) And while I do enjoy the outdoors and camping and hiking and all that, just in smaller doses, I never wanted to join Scouts. I nearly immediately attached myself to art, so I just didn't have the interest. I can't do art if I'm outside digging in dirt, fighting with sticks, practicing knots, doing target practice, and backpacking (or whatever else the boys in the troop were doing), can I? That meant, if I wanted to draw or do crafts or something creative, I was inside, and my mom was looking after me and my sister while my dad and brother were out.

That did not sit well with my dad. He wanted me outside, joining Boy Scouts and fixing cars, playing mechanics with my brother. I did not want to. He tried very hard to get me to be as interested in more stereotypically manly activities with him and my brother, and it didn't work.

I'm just more artistic. That was always a clear disappointment.

To add on, as I grew up, I was not physically traditionally masculine, either. I've cracked jokes here and there that I'm not too dissimilar to pre-serum Steve before. It's not far off. I'm about 5'6", a little taller, and skinny.

I grew up waiting desperately for puberty, waiting for my muscles and growth spurt and... it didn't happen. My voice dropped way deep (which meant it cracked wildly and super noticeably, and, of course, I got shit for it), and I enjoyed that. I never had a pressing issue with my dick, I mean, I would hazard a guess that anyone with a dick worries about size at some point just because that's something etched deep in social sexuality, but I had more pressing things to obsess over. Like, at first, when body hair started to kick in, I was psyched to see it, and then it kept coming and suddenly guys in the locker room were pointing it out and making fun of me for being a "little guy" with so much body hair. Puberty also did fuck my face up with acne which destroyed a lot of my self-esteem, too. I had to go on Accutane not once, not twice, but three times. I still have a robust routine to keep my skin clear (but it is clear these days and I'm still reeling thinking about it, it took someone telling me I had really nice skin for me to snap out of it and realize I wasn't still covered with acne, actually. And that was recent!).

I didn't have my pre- to post-serum sudden increase in height and muscle moment, so I continued to feel scrawny and weak. Having pectus excavatum, a birth defect where my sterum curves in instead of going down in a straight line, never helped, either--I got made fun of for that, of course. I remember a comment about how one guy in a locker room wasn't going to dare to hit me/slap me on the back because he would clearly just break me... yeah, that didn't help feeling like the odd one out, unmasculine, fragile, and unattractive.

My self-esteem is much better these days, I will gladly say, but I genuinely used to get sick to my stomach just thinking about what I looked like, never mind actually looking in the mirror. I felt horrible that I had to go out in public and subject people to looking at my face. I'm an avid journal-er, and I have old entries where I just go on and on and on and on about how I felt like a monster. Disgusting and hideous.

It doesn't matter that I know, objectively, that I have a fairly masculine and even an attractive face. My jaw is square, I can grow a beard, I have a deep voice, my eyes are green, I've been very lucky to have straight, white teeth without braces and all that. Plus, people seem to like my cheekbones and curly hair. My voice, too, people seem to enjoy my voice and my mouth. So, evidently, others seem to appreciate my face. So many people spread over so many years have no real reason to lie. I'm complimented. I've not had problems when it comes to dating and relationships or whatever. Yet still, it's just not what I see. I say I know objectively what I look like because I know facts about myself, but I...

I don't really know what I look like, if that makes sense? My reflection shifts a lot, over the years I have had a problem with every part of my face, every part of my body, and I know I can't trust what I see in the mirror. I fixate on things, and it consumes my viewing experience.

Part of the consequences of all... that... all those issues above have been my experience with eating disorders. I've had some fun [sarcastic] mix of orthorexia, binge eating disorder, and anorexia over most of my conscious life. From the moment I was aware of myself and my own body, I've had problems fueling my body. It's a cycle over years and years that's been going on since late elementary school (around 10, 11), where I'm fucking sick and tired of feeling weak and useless and not masculine, so I push myself too hard in the gym and kitchen--working out until I'm physcially ill, blacking out, blistering from running and lifting, I've torn a few things that way, while obsessing with healthy foods at the same time to the point that it's unhealthy. That happens for however long I can take it. Then, eventually, I break. And I get into a cycle of binging that destroys my ability to go to the gym, so it's just binging. Cycles of it, uncontrollable. That morphs into feeling too big and disgusted with myself in the opposite way that I started with, so my brain fixates on restricting. What goes up must come down, though, so with enough of that... then I feel too small again and, yeah. It starts over. 🙃

I have worked very hard to break it with the help of friends and a short lived experience with therapy (he was a terrible therapist, then my insurance stopped covering it, so I couldn't afford to go or find a new one), but I've--dare, I say--gotten into some kind of balance more recently.

To end on perhaps a hilariously on-theme note and something happier, what I have found is that sex helps. Therapy and supportive friends and good environment are obviously irreplaceable. But, sex is good, too. When I was in the thick of all that, younger with my mental health challenges way more out of control, I'm sure I was just getting away from the numbness and hurt--endorphins, oxytocin, y'know, all that.

Then, I'm sure it was added to by the fact that suddenly, with sex, women (I am queer but when I started fucking around, I only felt safe enough to be with women, I didn't think I could be out where I was, and now... that's just the way it's worked out. It happens to have been women) were enjoying me. Enjoying what I could give them. Complimenting me explicitly or implicitly. Saying I'm hot or, clearly, if we're having sex, I'm not so disgusting that you don't want to fuck me.

But, sex helps beyond those rudimentary things, too. Finding kinky people and sex-positive people has inadvertently led me to find body positive people and find examples of real bodies--people really actually enjoying themselves. Spending more time naked is beneficial, too, haha. Slowly, I'm learning to appreciate myself more. This is my body. It's the only one I have to live in, I may as well make peace with it. And I will take the pleasure that my body can give others. I appreciate that I can do that. I like making people feel good, I like having their faith put in me to make them feel good and treat them and their bodies well, like they're desired, or not 😏, depending on what they're into. I want to pull that pleasure out of them. I want to make them feel good, bad, whatever. I want them to feel in their body.

Did that answer the question, lmao? I just rambled 💀💀

[welcometololaland]

Lola, since it is not currently Saturday for me, I will be saving most of my nice ask day asks for tomorrow...but since it IS Saturday for you, I suppose it would only make sense for me to send you one now!

We both have the law in common! I have a law degree and I am technically an attorney (though I don't actually practice law but instead work as a law clerk/research assistant for judges at a courthouse). I went to law school and passed the bar in Michigan. I have no idea what that whole process is like in Australia, but I assume it's probably at least fairly similar? What was it all like for you/what made you want to get into it? (in as general terms as you want, of course, I don't mean to pry into personal stuff!)

hey anne! wow I never knew this about you! thank you for sharing 💜 I would love to hear more about your job working in the courts, that sounds very interesting and RESEARCH? my beloved. is it case law mostly?

the process for becoming an admitted solicitor (aka. a licensed attorney) in Australia is quite different to the USA. from my understanding, the US system requires a student to complete their undergraduate degree, sit the LSAT, do their law degree as a post graduate degree and then take the bar? I know there are potentially variations to this (looking at you Kim Kardashian) but if I'm wrong about this general process please let me know!

in my state in Australia (can't speak for other states!) you can do law as either a postgraduate degree OR a 4 or 5 year undergraduate degree. I did a double undergraduate degree in law and (liberal) arts (which I like to refer to as my bachelor of laws and my bachelor of fun). after you graduate law, you have to either do a 6 month (full-time) practical legal training course OR you can do 12 months of supervised legal training in a firm. it's better to do either the supervised legal training or be working in a firm that puts you through practical legal training because the course is like 10k on top of all your student debt 😂 I was lucky enough to get a graduate job so I did the supervised legal training and then, after I finished that, I was admitted to the profession.

I never set out to be a lawyer - truthfully, my parents thought I was going to fail school because I had a very tumultuous time from ages 16-18. I got involved in some shady stuff, had very poor mental health, didn't live at home for a lot of the time, and had a bad relationship with my family. I basically crammed my entire IB course into 3 months, and somehow, i got really good marks. so my parents told me to do law, since I (surprisingly) could.

truthfully I didn't like studying law much which was a bad sign...now I'm like 6 years into working in a firm and I think it's time for me to go and do something else. the culture in private practice corporate law can be really demanding on your life and damaging to your sanity. the glorification of overworking and the expectation to put everything in your life on hold to make your billable hours is next level. my firm is pretty good, but the industry in general is quite toxic sometimes. I respect anyone that can do it long term, but I don't think that person is me. I'm very much a work-to-live person and not a live-to-work person.

I've had a bit of a crisis over the past few months, trying to work out what I want to do. I'm still not sure but I hope I'll work it out soon 😂

Thanks for the ask and sorry for the essay!

[kostevysen]

Okay so, this is going to be one of my longer, more detailed posts. No, I don’t have anything personal against the previous anon (from this post), this is just me, and myself inside my head after thinking about it for a little bit. No, I’m not angry or upset that someone called me out for not giving the right/correct credits to my banner, honestly, I must applaud anon, who knows how many more weeks it would have taken me to notice?

TLDR: Kost goes on a long ramble about Traditional and Digital Art Theft.

(Though I would be very thankful if you’ll read through everything that I have to say.)

Anyway, let’s start.

To begin, let’s talk about Traditional Art Theft. And before anyone tries to get clever—no, it’s not like taking a pencil from a classroom or borrowing a book for a little too long. Traditional Art theft is on another level entirely. We’re talking about stealing someone’s time, effort, and, really, a piece of their soul. Dramatic? Maybe. True? Absolutely.

So, what’s the big deal? And I know I will repeat myself several times in this post. Why should anyone care if some rich person’s fancy painting gets nicked out of a gallery? It’s not like they’ll go hungry, right? Well, here’s the thing—art isn’t just for the rich, and it’s not just some “thing” on a wall. Art is personal. It’s an expression, a story, and sometimes even a protest. When someone spends weeks, months, or even years on a piece, pouring in every ounce of their energy, only to have it stolen—well, that’s not just robbery; it’s a complete disregard for the artist’s voice. That’s why I don’t support it. Not now, not ever. Even if I had accidentally committed such a deed, it is my duty to spread awareness, both for my misdeeds and to support artists of all kinds.

You see, when people steal art, they aren’t just taking a painting or a sculpture. They’re snatching away the artist’s ability to control their work’s legacy. And yeah, maybe the artist already got paid, but think about it: art doesn’t really belong to one person after it’s made, right? It’s shared, experienced, meant to inspire or provoke. Theft takes that away. The whole point of art is to be seen as it was meant to be seen—where the artist intended it, in the space they designed it for, under their terms. And if you can’t respect that, do you even get what art is?

Now, some people might say, “But isn’t art theft kind of romantic?” You know, the old heist movie trope, with the stealth and the tech and the thrill. No, it’s not romantic. It’s selfish. Every time a piece goes missing, the public loses access to it. Think of the paintings that sit in private collections, locked away from everyone. Those works were meant to be seen, discussed, maybe even argued over. Art can spark revolutions or quiet someone’s soul, but only if it’s out there. Keeping it hidden because you felt like taking it? That’s downright petty.

Onto what you’ve been waiting for, Digital Art Theft. Something I’ve accidentally done somewhat, and I’m not afraid of saying I am sorry for it.

Digital art is something that people seem to think they can just click, save, and claim as their own. Like it’s a recipe they found online or a song lyric they can throw into a caption. Spoiler alert: it’s not. Digital art theft is real, just like traditional art theft, it’s damaging, and I don’t support it either—not even a little.

People might think, “It’s just pixels, right?” Wrong. Digital art may not be a canvas you can touch, but that doesn’t make it any less valuable. Artists spend hours crafting these pieces. Just like traditional artists, they’re putting their skills, creativity, and vision into something that ends up on a screen. It’s not just a picture—it’s their work. And when someone comes along, screenshots it, reposts it, or even slaps it on merch without permission, it’s like slapping the artist in the face.

What’s worse is that digital art is especially vulnerable. Unlike a physical painting, which takes a lot of effort to steal, digital art can be copied with two clicks. That ease makes people forget (or ignore) that this is someone’s livelihood. And similarly to Traditional artists, digital artists often rely on commissions, views, and likes – metrics that help them get noticed, get work, and grow their audience. Stealing their art isn’t just disrespectful; it’s actively damaging their ability to make a living. Imagine working hard to get noticed, only to have someone else post your art on their page without credit. Suddenly, that work you put all your time and energy into is getting someone else’s likes, someone else’s comments, and they didn’t lift a finger to make it.

Let’s talk about credit, too, because some people think that a little “credit to the artist” makes it okay to repost. Here’s the thing—it doesn’t. Artists don’t just want credit; they deserve control over where and how their work is shared. A lot of digital artists post their work with watermarks, signatures, or specific dimensions. They set these boundaries because they want to protect their art. Taking that away is like ignoring the “Do Not Touch” sign in a museum and handling a priceless artifact just because you want a closer look. It’s selfish, plain and simple. Use your common sense to think about it.

Digital art is everywhere now, and that’s amazing. But with that visibility comes responsibility. If you like a piece, appreciate it, share it (if the artist allows it), support the artist, maybe even commission something. But don’t just take it. Digital art may exist on a screen, but it’s just as real as anything hanging on a gallery wall. And if we don’t start respecting it that way, we’re going to lose a lot more than just pretty pictures. We’ll lose the artists who create them.

So, in short, here’s why I don’t support art theft of both traditional and digital art– it is selfish, it is disrespectful, and it is harmful to everyone. Art is meant to be shared, appreciated, and experienced, not locked away by some entitled thief who thinks they know better than the artist who made it. If you can’t respect the work, then maybe art just isn’t for you. Because at the end of the day, every stolen piece is a loss for all of us—one less chance to connect, one less story to hear. If we don’t start respecting artists and their art, we risk not only losing amazing artwork but the artists themselves. Because why would anyone keep creating in a world that takes what they make without giving anything back? And if that doesn’t make you think twice, then maybe you need to check your own values.

Thanks for reading, I have no qualms if this blows up, this is my discussion, with myself, my head and a few different mutuals. If you want to send me hate (anon or whichever, once again, I'm not talking about the anon who made me realize my mistake in the first place) or argue about it, go ahead, I won't stop you, but be brave about it and explain why. You don't have to show yourself, you don't have to reveal who you are or feel embarrassed about it, you just have to be brave and explain. I won't mind. I appreciate criticism, I appreciate being called out for an honest mistake, or in my words "a silly little mistake I wouldn't have noticed without someone calling it out". Trust your gut feelings if something feels wrong, it can make a difference.

Please, check out this blog post, it holds a place in my heart.

Thank you once again for reading this. Have a great day/afternoon/evening!

[ca-suffit]

anon from this ask: https://www.tumblr.com/ca-suffit/757613676896337920/im-sorry-your-takes-are-generally-pretty-great-and?source=share

first thanks for hearing me out and your thoughtful response. had to think about it a bit and analyze some of my own biases. i think i have a certain amount of trust in the show around what I expect they're going to do with lestat in terms of examining the privilege he has (a white abuser in the spotlight telling his story would be a great topic to unpack, especially via daniel), but i know that's fully based on nothing! it would just be such a waste if they didn't. so I am putting more expectations on an objectively minor glimpse of information so I'll pare that back in my reply.

the one thing i wanted to clarify and emphasize was the 'groundbreaking'-ness of whatever lestat is doing here. i am not really arguing that he appears to be doing something cutting edge or never been done before, and i don't think he needs to be. (practically speaking, we're talking about art within an art aka a tv show, the art of a fictional character, there are limits.) given the large list of influences, they appear to be leaning into recognizable fashion and sound, but just because it's pastiche doesn't make it, like, uninteresting as a queer performance. on a more meta level, it's really fucking cool to see them leaning into glam rock and queer influences after the heterosexualization of Queen of the Damned, and letting a lead queer character be trashy and messy and also polarizing - not everyone is going to LIKE his music.

and yes it will speak to the individual. not every queer person will find this interesting. i guess what i wanted to defend was the elements of queer fandom who feel seen or moved by what they've decided to do here and i hate to see that get dismissed as memes alone or like no real queer person would find this good/worthy, as some of the other asks have implied, or that it's ONLY a symptom of white fandom. but i get that your blog in particular makes a space for fandom critique and there certainly is a lot of critique, and a lot of uncritical ~slay queen~ type response. i wanted to offer an alternative perspective, i guess. (and when I think of lestat making himself into a "queer icon", i personally don't mean a champion of activism or a beacon of positive representation. he's a horror character at the same time and has done terrible things. this is why I like the show, though.)

lastly, your point about the other characters and their art connections: absolutely!!! the fact that EVERY character here has an art connection for me makes this tv show a queer text in general. I want to add these art connections are complicated. lestat is as much a monster about music as it gives him humanity. louis's struggle with photography feels like a coda about his former struggles about his homosexuality. claudia giving up on her passion for the stage through armand's abuse is heartbreaking.

emphasizing lestat as the only artist would be a mistake. I think what sets him apart for me is that his art and also his queerness vs, say, louis and his art and queerness, is more of a divide between public vs private. louis did make an attempt to enter a public space and was shut down/discouraged. lestat reaching an in-fiction iconic status is a matter of privilege (as well as his personality, lol). i don't really have an argument here, just responding and hopefully adding to the discourse.

hi and thank u for coming back!!

despite what some ppl want my reputation to be, I do actually like talking about things and giving space for multiple perspectives. it helps nothing to take sides and be at war with each other all the time. a lot of why this fandom has gotten worse is bcuz ppl are doing exactly that. u can like whatever u like, but understanding the criticisms of the thing are crucial too. a big issue surrounding lestat is that ppl aren't used to his whiteness (or whiteness in general) being commented on. white fans, especially, will find it rly jarring to be perceived that way and take it rly personally. there's so many ppl here who think I'm calling them racist just bcuz I'm talking about lestat and prbly his white ignorance or smthing. they apply it to themselves and feel like a bad person for liking him. then they shut down and block me, even if our conversation was calm. white fragility is a hard thing to overcome.

there's not much u can do to avoid maybe being clumped in with white fandom if u like lestat, but it's not like the reality is that those are the *only* ppl who like him. that lie they perpetuate that everyone else is a lestat hater, loumand shipper or whatver is bullshit. they're overly simplifying a deeper issue bcuz they're racist, manipulative, and stupid. plenty of ppl like lestat and aren't part of that group. but u are gonna have to get used to being judged for liking him in some ways bcuz this fandom *has* made association with him a red flag. it doesn't mean *everyone* is gonna be hostile to u about it tho, but it does mean ur gonna have to change expectations and be a lot more open to hearing criticisms of it all. ppl aren't rly dismissing him outright or saying ur bad for liking him, it's just a fatigue surrounding his character and the fierce protection of whiteness this fandom has built around him (alongside anne's racist history and favoring of him too already). I mean, it seems like ur already aware of this, but just to put it into words too. lestat has always been an interesting, fucked up character and ppl should feel free to identity and explore whatever with him just like any other character.

tbh a lot of his point has been to be a little stupid and cringe anyway. idk how ppl read his narration and take it srsly and believe he's actually hot shit. he should be a disaster idiot rockstar with an ego that doesn't match his actual presentation. I'm hoping they might explore a lot with that. he's having a mental breakdown in every book but doesn't seem aware that he is, so what better way to explore that than with the white rockstar angle. that's p much all of them anyway lol and if ur queer (and a vampire having a neverending existential crisis) then even more so prbly.

[bravelysanta]

Bravely Santa sign-ups are here for 2024!

Link to the form

The boring stuff/Deadlines: 1)  You have until (Sunday) October 20 at 1 AM EST to sign up. I’ll also be posting regular updates so follow bravelysanta at Twitter/Tumblr/Bluesky.

This is a hard deadline. If you miss it, you miss it! Try again next year!

REMEMBER THAT YOU MUST JOIN THE GROUP ON SNEAKY SANTA - the link will show up after you fill out the form.  Email me at fairyglowcharm @ gmail if you forgot to join it.

2) On the afternoon of October 20th, you will receive an email with the name of the person that you’ll be gifting via Sneaky Santa.

I will check-in a couple of times between mid-Nov and early-Dec. Please use these check-ins as opportunities to tell me if you need help!

3) Gifts are due anytime between December 22nd - 29th. If you will not be able to post it during that time, submit/msg me beforehand and I’ll post it for you.

4) If you think you may not meet the deadline, please contact me immediately and no later than December 21st. But please don’t sign up if you know your availability will be iffy in the first place.

5) If signing up as a pinch-hitter, those will be due by Jan 1st.

Guidelines:

1) If you must cancel your application, please notify me immediately either via email (fairyglowcharm @ gmail) or the bravelysanta accounts, preferably before assignments are chosen on Oct 20. If you find you cannot meet the gifting deadline and need an extension, please also notify me before Dec 21st. 

2) When filling out your name on the Sneaky Santa website, please include your social media handle (either Tumblr or Twitter/Bluesky), so your Santa knows how to @ you. Example - Koma (komatsujo).  (Everyone's names/prounouns/social media handles will be posted on a spreadsheet linked on the site, but this makes it easier to find folks.)

3) Remember that you are gifting a present to someone, and be prepared to spend at least some time on it. No one likes a last-minute gift!

4) Both fanart and fanfic are accepted as submissions. Santees, do not specifically request one or the other.

5) No AI generated art or fanfiction is allowed. The point of this is to create something for someone. Everyone of all talent levels is invited to join, to share the love of Bravely.

6) If you know there is a game, character, or ship that you don't wish to create content about, please indicate that in the last question of the form. I will do my best to exclude pairing you up with someone who is requesting a gift regarding those items, but please understand that I can't make promises if wishlists are not filled out.

7) Please try to complete your wishlists before Oct 20th for these reasons.

8) When creating your wishlists, please do not specifically request fanart or fanfic (example: do not request specifically fanart of the Crystal Crew as kids, instead of requesting something like “I would love to see the Crystal Crew as kids, doing something cute”). However, you should have more than 1 item on your wishlist. Please try to have 3-5 different items so your Santa has some freedom! 

9) Specifically requesting shippy gifts is allowed, but no NSFW material, either in wishlists or presents. This is mostly about smut, but also be mindful with gore and violence.  

10) Your wishlist and present MUST include Bravely themes or characters, such as Bravely Default 1 or 2, Bravely Second, Fairy’s Effect, Brilliant Lights, Praying Brage, etc. With the presence of Bravely characters in Octopath: COTC, Octopath characters + Bravely characters is allowed, though please be mindful of spoilers for the Octopath games. Same applies to other Team Asano games. 

11) Please try to keep your assignments private! Talk about them with friends in DM all you want, but if someone can find out that you’re their Santa on social media, that ruins the surprise!

12) Please tag submissions as #bravelysanta2024 !

13) If there is anything else you would like to specifically avoid during Secret Santa, up to and including a specific person, please indicate as such in the last question. These answers will be private and will never be shared with anyone outside of myself. This includes if you don't want to be matched with me, I'm a people manager, I can take it.

Link to the form is here!