#i love data .... i love knowing things

[applepixls]

not quite sure where this originally comes from but i saw this picture and couldn't help but think of the permit office people-

[commandertartarsmoocher]

Oh hey, it's Commander Tartar and Smollusk hanging out!

The silly has been contained...

... Smollusk seems to be having fun so it's fine, right?

This lovely humanoid Smollusk design was made by the very talented @melonenbrot !

[tabellae-rex-in-sui]

I'm new to Sade so sorry if this is a stupid question, but was Sade gay? I'm currently reading Justine and noticed the passionate, semi-romantic descriptions of m/m sex, which contrast with the crude descriptions of f/m sex. I've not read all of Sade's books, but the ones I have read also feature characters who're mostly disinterested in women, who give off self-insert vibes (e.g. Dolmancé). Am I reading too much into it? IDK but I was wondering if you could shed some light.

Happy deathday to Sade!! lol

Really all that can be said with certainty is that he definitely wasn't straight lol. Like anyone who died before modern queer theory, Sade's sexuality can be difficult to label with today's terminology. He was certainly attracted to both men and women, so for simplicity's sake I just say he was bisexual. But really, who knows...

Characters that he uses as self-inserts like Dolmancé in PitB or Bressac in Justine are pretty exclusively attracted to men. Like you said, there's multiple times in his writing where characters will praise m/m sex and show blatant disgust towards sex with women. But if you look at Sade's life, there's only one known* male sex partner and many women. There's also several women Sade was in love with throughout his life, but there exists no letters of him professing love to any man. Could this be because male victims were less likely to go to the police, therefore less known to us? because women were easier to pursue in public? because even he felt the pressure of societal norms? because he kept relations with men better hidden? because any such letters or records were selectively destroyed by a relative? Who knows! It could be some, all, or none of these things. It's really up to the interpretation of the reader. The misogyny, philosophical extremism, and very culturally different ideas about sex add so many different variables to Sade's sexuality.

To add further confusion: gender and sexuality were much more correlated in Sade's writing (and seemingly in the time period in general, I mean look at the bisexual Lord Hervey being referred to as "the third sex"), male characters who get sodimized call it them "becoming women", women who put on strap-ons "become men", even women who get sodimized are masculinized: Saint-Ange says she wants to be a "Ganymede" to Dolmancé. So sodomy seemed inherently gay to Sade, regardless of the sexes involved or what roles they played. Whereas today, that's definitely not the case. Beauvoir follows along with the sexuality-gender correlation and suggests that Sade felt more feminine than masculine and his written contempt for female genitalia was a product of his own gender frustrations. From what I've read, most modern historians tend to avoid labeling Sade with anything other than "sodomite" and "libertine" only using "bisexual" and "homosexual" to label certain actions he performed like "homosexual sex" "bisexual orgy" etc. This is when the word queer is godsent.

Tldr; He's too 18th century libertine for modern labels. Colloquially, I default to calling him bi, but we'll never really know. Maybe he would have preferred gay due to his preferences/philosophies. Who knows. Safest bet is to just call him queer.

*Should go without saying but, there were obviously more. Latour is just the only named one with recorded proof.

[winryrockbellwannabe]

this guy is honestly making me question too much shit

bc there's no way in hell is just that nice, right?

at this point either: 1. he's being this nice and kind bc he has a crush on me, 2. he's honestly that nice, which will make me have a crush on him, bc omg. he's just the nicest person ever

[hollis-art]

I just love how you draw Data, that is all. He's so silly :D I have no idea how to draw his hair do you have any tips?

Thank you!!! And heck yeah I do!!! My biggest tips for drawing any character, Data or not, is to find references, analyze them, and then simplify them.

I made a little board about Data to help explain a few things, and I'll be typing up what the written parts say because I'm not sure how comprehensible my handwriting is to other people.

Biggest thing to do, is to look up references. He's from a 7 season show, so it's pretty easy to find a large variety of angles no matter what angle you're actually drawing him from.

Just like how you can tell if a Data picture is from the earlier seasons or later ones by the cut of his collar, you can also tell by the shape of his hair. In the first season, his hair was more slicked back, while after that, there tends to be more volume in the front of it. Depending on what season you're going for, that could be something good to keep in mind.

As for the analyzing part, I usually skip this step because of how often I stare at Data whenever he's on screen. But here are a few of the things that I have noticed due to my staring: when looking at him from the side, you will see that bump of volume right at his hairline. It continues back very smoothly into the rounded curve at the back of his head (no indents can be seen), which trails down to the tail ends of his hair in a relatively straight path. The tail end usually is just the right length to hit the top of his collar. And this is something I noticed only recently when trying to draw a portrait straight from an image, but the bottom line of his sideburn lines up perfectly with the top line of his ear (so cool).

In order to simplify the hairstyle, I exaggerate aspects of it to better suit my style. This typically means I ignore how it actually looks, & I make the front & back bump larger than they actually are, also ignoring how his hairline looks in order to cartoonize it a bit more. As long as the basics are there, then everything should be fine!!

While I draw him differently depending on the tool/program I'm using, I tend to draw the hair bump further up on his head, and I exaggerate the size of it. And despite the fact that all the references show the back of his hair being very smooth and straight, I usually indent it or curve it out a bit more. This also includes a shorter, but larger tail end of his hair.

I have no clue how helpful this was, but I am happy to take any excuse I have to ramble about this dude!!!

((I hope my handwriting is legible because I feel like that's easier to understand than the stuff I typed up since it has pictures instead of just my description))

[ratcandy]

Ok I said I'd remake this poll out of curiosity so I'm doing it again. Sorry. My curiosities

indulge me

[thehecklingmouse]

back in the akademiya kaveh holds alhaithams hand or something so alhaitham looks through every book on romance to determine if that means kaveh likes him back.

[harrington-love]

Steve and Nancy's story is complex and beautiful...and not everyone will understand it.

I pity the people who cannot, or refuse, to see the beauty in Steve and Nancy’s story. A story about how trauma impacts your relationships and the way in which you cope with traumatic events. A story about how in the beginning, these two teenagers were not compatible but attempted to make their relationship work, only for the shame, guilt, and blame to take over and rupture the relationship. A story about how it is crucial to acknowledge and understand your partner's pain, and be their support, their rock, their shoulder to cry on.

It is a story about a teenage boy’s fall from popularity, and finding his true self as a friend, a protector, a lover. A story about a teenage girl working to make something of herself, to establish an identity that is purely hers. A story about a teenage boy who works to rectify his past mistakes, and learns to give himself grace for being a human. A story about a girl being true to herself, trusting her gut, and believing in her capabilities without bending to everyone else's expectations of who she should be. A story about a boy who's love for a girl was so strong that it helped him change into a person she could trust and depend on. A story of a girl who sees this boy in a new light, and thinks maybe, just maybe, he can offer her a future of partnership, adventure, and love.

It is a story about how these two teenagers have worked to grow and heal (and how they will continue to grow and heal), and are in a better place now where they can be what the other needs in time. A story about a second chance at love, now that they are both in a better place to love the other. They're not perfect. They never were. Healing and growth are not linear. They will always have their faults, their flaws, and like everyone else, they'll hit rough patches along the way. The difference between Steve and Nancy then and Steve and Nancy now is how they handle the hard times, together. How they face them, together.

And the audience can see how Steve has changed, from a boy who was apprehensive of Nancy's drive to get justice for Barb, to a man who trusted her investigative instincts, offered to join her on her exploration, and told her to be careful. From a teenager who utilized avoidance as a coping mechanism, whose "go with the flow" attitude was a mask to hide his pain, to a man who confidently told Nancy that she is what he's always wanted. There was no avoidance. No shame. No fear. There was simply a boy, who has changed, telling the girl he loves that she is it for him.

And the audience can see how Nancy has changed, too, from a girl who pushed a boy away because his presence was a painful reminder of what, rather who she lost, to a woman who is slowly, slowly, learning that this boy is good, and he is safe. She welcomes him back into her life with ease. From a girl who held this boy at gunpoint because she did not want him involved, to a woman who includes him, and trusts him when he volunteers himself in the face of danger, and defends him because he is someone worth defending.

To truly understand Steve and Nancy's story, you have to be willing to see their growth. You have to be willing to acknowledge change and believe characters can and do change. You have to accept that they did change. And therein lies the problem. Many, many people are purposely choosing to ignore their growth, because it does not fit their version of what they want or think should happen. Many people do not trust or believe that these characters know what they want, or know what's best for them. You have to be able to see and accept who they are now, as opposed to who they once were. How their views have changed. Their morals. Their personalities. Their wants, needs, hopes, and dreams. If you're still holding onto who Steve and Nancy were in the earlier seasons, then you are closing yourself off to any potential understanding of who they are now. If you are intentionally misconstruing what these characters say to fit your own narrative, then you are choosing to believe you know these characters better than they know themselves. If you are perfectly content with misunderstanding their relationship and refusing to acknowledge their growth, then you will miss out on not only a delicate and beautiful relationship, but also a lesson: Second chances happen. And sometimes, people do find their way back to each other.

I don't know what season five will bring. I don’t know if we’ll get a happy ending to their story.

But I do know one thing. I pity the people who willfully choose to ignore a beautiful story about two people finding their way back to each other. That is real life. That is love. It's not always simple or easy. Second chances happen every single day. And how beautiful it is for us to witness the rekindling of two ex-lovers. That is Steve and Nancy's story.

[carcarrot]

nothing better than opening up instagram to see what those two silly guys are up to now

[opens-up-4-nobody]

...

[kingofthewilderwest]

Moral Orel hit me in a sweet spot. I think it’s beautiful seeing fans on different paths discussing how the show touched them. I’ve seen people who’ve left the church, agnostics, atheists, and Christians all say the show spoke deeply to them. Of course the show’s black humor on religion offended many, especially before its last season aired, but I think the show’s resulting legacy - connecting to people who’ve both left and who’ve stayed - demonstrates successful nuance to how Moral Orel was crafted.

The show’s creators have said it’s not against religion per se, it’s against hypocrites. Even with the first season, I felt that and found appreciation (frankly, joy) for what was satirized. Here was a show speaking up, exaggerating, and lampooning the facets of Protestant American Christian culture I’ve vented about in confidence to relevant friends and family - without, like many modern shows which tackle this subject do, mocking followers themselves, faith itself, and suggesting to viewers one way of life is better than another, one group of people is (ex: intellectually) superior to another.

Some people have stepped away from Moral Orel and said, “This show comforted me when I left church,” or outright, “This show taught me there is no god.” And that’s not an unfair way to interact with Moral Orel because it doesn’t preach what you “should” do there (a sign of mature writing, really). I stepped away from Moral Orel and said, “This show comforted me in the areas I get frustrated,” which assuages my feelings and makes me more confident in my faith and place within culture.

I feel awkward in contemporary culture because I was raised with minimal secular exposure - daughter of a worship pastor, student at a private Christian school until high school. Meanwhile, in adulthood, I didn't attended church functions for over a dozen years. My group of friends have largely been non-Christians who hold negative opinions about the religion and don’t live remotely similar lifestyles to what I was raised with. I love what I've learned from them. Unfortunately, this also means the cultural building blocks that make me who I am seem shared by no one I'm around, which, even though I'm in my 30s, remains disorienting.

On the flipside, I'm the weirdo with the third eye in Christian spaces, too. I’m an ever-thirsty knowledge-seeker who strives to comprehend forbidden topics from all angles. I spent my twenties researching, questioning, rebuilding knowledge, and critically analyzing everything about the Bible. Church attendees and services feel painfully artificial, with mental blockers to topics I feel are critical to understand.

In either community I partake in, I feel “off.”

I’m grateful to have been raised by parents who didn’t pussyfoot around issues, with a father who deep-dives research. Discussions, delving, and digging into the hard stuff has always been fostered. My family spoke to pastors when we disagreed with their theology. I grew up around people who practiced passive acceptance, but my family was not that.

In the last year, I’ve returned more strongly to my faith and have been reintegrating with the Christian community. In some areas, my faith has grown and, humbly, I’ve learned much from peers. Despite stereotypes, I want to note that, in certain fields, the church community has always been deep and meticulous! And there are so many beautiful and uplifting areas in the church. But likewise there are those areas that get assumed, aren’t questioned, and aren’t… responded to well by questioning spirits. There have always been areas in the church culture I find disingenuous, foolish, illogical, limited, oversimplified, denialistic, or susceptible to hypocrisy and immorality. I’m not better than any person on this planet, but I’m rubbing shoulders with a community that has different blinders than I do, who don’t even consider asking the types of questions or seeking out the information I find necessary for a solidified faith.

Moral Orel disparages the toxic elements of Protestant culture, the misinterpretations, the artificial facades, the mindless assumptions, the poorly-hidden underbelly, all the areas Christian community can and does go wrong. It makes me feel justified feeling awkward in two worlds: someone for whom Christianity is deeply important, but someone whose mindset doesn’t jive with the rest of the town. Someone who can find and wants to find the best lessons outside of Christianity. Someone who believes in questioning, rethinking constantly, raising her eyebrows at common notions within church culture, and striving for the actual love, sincerity, dedication, and goodness our faith should be based on.

[elftwink]

one major difference i have found between service industry work (in my case food service but this is widely applicable to similar jobs) and other public-facing positions is that the job itself is often very similar because people is the same, it's just in service everyone approaches you already thinking they're right and you're a fucking idiot and its their god given right to disrespect you, where in other positions even if they are not nice to you they usually acknowledge that you know more than them on issues pertaining to your job. like the difference in behaviour from people who see you as serving them vs helping them is unreal. i am doing literally the exact same things. customer is always right mentality did irreparable damage to the fabric of society

[sysig]

Incomplete exchange (Patreon)

[hadesknockedupintheunderworld]

No one:

Me: Okay, but what if their relationship has nothing to do with Sonic and Tails? What if Metal literatally just saw Eggman working on Tails Doll and assumed without proof that they were created for him? What if Metal quite literally attached to Tails Doll through this assumption and then their partnership progressed naturally? What if the inorganic creations fell in love as an unorthodox power couple and just so happened to resemble a famous partnership?

[comradebestie]

love that basically all of Picard is about getting data back. like, that’s the plot. we all miss this dude so much let’s figure out how to bring him back from the DEAD. we all knew the fandom felt that way but it’s hilarious to me that the show writers also. also felt that way. data our beloved

[windrunner]

if you ever feel bad about your reactions to things i need you to know i had and might technically still be having an emotional breakdown b/c icould not find a SATA cable. hashtag androgynefail