#i should also draw drones more often

[colfy-wolfy]

Slugzi and Nlug !! Another drawing of N and Uzi as slugcats from the best game on the planet, Rain World (I am objectively correct, don't even try to deny) No, I'm not trying to avoid drawing drones, that would be.... unprofessional as J would say.

My opinion on the finale? It was AWESOME. There's some hate that claim the episode was too fast-paced and overall wasn't a very good closure for the series as it left some unfinished arcs and unexplained plot points. And while I don't disagree, I'm grateful for what we got because that episode was SPECTACULAR!!! it was such a fun experience. I do wish we got to see more of Khori after their reunion, I wish we got too see N and V make up at the end or at least hug, I wish we got J trying to redeem or explain herself after Cyn was defeated, I wish we got more explanation for past events we didn't get to see such as Nori's death or if humans are truly extinct, I wish Tessa had more to her than to just be a disguise for Cyn, and so so much more. But even then, it was NOT a bad episode, far from it!! We have to keep in mind that it's an indie show and there are some limitations. We are lucky to have gotten a masterpiece of a finale in the first place cuz a lot of indie projects never even get to see a conclusion, especially not one THIS GOOD. I enjoyed the scenes we got, they were entertaining and exciting. While it was disappointingly short, it still became one of my top 3 favorite episodes. I'm gonna miss MD! I hope we get to see some sort of continuation of the story or perhaps just some funny shorts or official art. I'm not very picky.

[electrozeistyking]

You can't automatically assume one tiny character in a "tiny AU" would be the same level of smallness as another character in a different "tiny AU."

Hi, there! For folks who don't know me, I'm the individual behind the "Tiny N AU," which is basically N from Murder Drones but make him tiny. Pretty self explanatory stuff. He's small now and we love him.

@megbanned is the individual behind the Mini Uzi AU. Same principle as Tiny N, but with Uzi instead and done drastically different. And most certainly a lot more often, I'd say.

We weren't aware of each other upon making our respective AUs, but from one individual with this kind of AU to another, I think it's fun! :D

That being said, I very recently got an ask on what would happen if Tiny N and Mini Uzi were to meet. And I was like, "Great! Yeah, this should be fun! I'll draw that at some point."

However, I'm also me. I wanted to do this other AU justice - so that meant I definitely looked through some things and did some "height comparisons." By which I mean I just looked at how tall Tiny N and Mini Uzi are compared to other characters.

Upon doing that, I realized something.

I have drawn Tiny N being held a bunch. Excluding the very first piece I did that technically started the AU, he's usually being held like this:

The second and third one are probably especially interesting, because you can get a very clear look at how small Tiny N is compared to V and Uzi. I try to make sure he stays roughly that size, though consistency is a pain.

But then I went to check how small Mini Uzi is.

The answer? MUCH SMALLER THAN TINY N.

I'm not going to put any of megbanned's drawings here because I don't want to do so without permission (and because you should totally just go check them out on your own time :3), but turns out Mini Uzi is much smaller than I realized.

Apparently it just? Never occurred to me she was that small until now?? Like, hello? One of the earliest pieces of this AU features her floating on a rubber duck in a mug of some kind! Mini Uzi fits in your palm, guys! You can shoot her out of a cardboard tube! You can't do that stuff with Tiny N!

Basically what I'm saying is we're pitting a rat against a hamster. Thanks for coming to my TEDTalk. Go follow megbanned.

[moonslie04]

Na Jaemin x male reader

Jaemin sighed, bored out of his mind as the teacher droned on and on about something he could care less about. He glanced back, his eyes locking on the black haired boy that sat near the window, real anime protagonist style.

He saw the boy pout in concentration, tongue poking out of his lips as he ran his pencil over on the notebook on his desk. Jaemin assumed he was sketching, knowing the shorter boy.

He was snapped out of his trance when the bell rang, indicating the end of his torture (psychology lecture) and quickly got up. Since the class was the last one, it meant Jaemin could go back to his safe haven, his dorm room.

Sneaking one last glance at the raven haired boy who still hadn't looked up from his art, he made his way towards his dorm.

Jaemin sighed again, scrolling on his phone as he awaited the return of his roommate so he could fall asleep without having to worry about opening the door. The jiggling of the doorknob made him get up and open the door, revealing a raven haired boy.

Jaemin chuckled at the boy's tired expression as he tugged at the sketchbook in his hand.

The boy whined, shaking his head. “Jae, let me in first. Please, my feet hurt.”

Jaemin shook his head, yet moved to the side and let the shorter boy in. He made a grab for the sketchbook immediately as soon as it landed on the other's bed. He flipped through the pages, rough sketches of hands, faces, eyes met him as he did so. He grinned widely, teeth fully on display as he reached the most recent drawing, the one he knew would be him.

He was always astonished when the ravenette showed him his drawings. No matter how many times before he had seen them, it always amazed him. Jaemin had voiced his thoughts about how the other should go to art school instead of this boring college, but he knew what the answer would be.

‘My parents would never allow it, Nana. You know that.’

Yeah. Jaemin hated the other's parents. They were supportive when the raven haired wanted to transition but were still too strict when it came to his education and career.

Jaemin looked at the drawing version of himself, his pencil sketched eyes seeming to sparkle, his smile true and honest.

People often said that if a drawing is made of someone by someone they love, it would turn out differently. More intimate. He knew what the ravenette felt for him. The love that wasn't platonic but more romantic that he felt, too.

They both knew it. They even had a talk about it. Jaemin knew that the boy who was now snoring softly in his bed because of exhaustion wanted to be his boyfriend just as much as Jaemin wanted to be his. But Jaemin also knew that the boy needed time. He had gotten out of a harsh relationship, and Jaemin had been there for him.

Jaemin knew how strong the other was and he was proud of him. So he would give him as much time as he needed, because he loved him.

[TWO MONTHS LATER]

Jaemin sighed, bored out of his mind as the teacher droned on and on about something he could care less about. He glanced at his roommate boyfriend as he held his hand. A smile came onto Jaemin's face, just as sparkling as the one in the drawing.

♡♡♡———————♡♡♡———————♡♡♡———

A/N: honestly, I wrote this like at 2 am. cause I was feeling like shit but enjoy ^-^

[anemonelovesfiction]

Colors of Pandora 3: Yellow

Rotxo x Fem! Human Reader

Emotion: Joy/Surprise

Warnings ⚠️: Established relationship, SAFE FOR WORK

Tagging @xylianasblog and a huge thank you to her helping me make a prompt for this day as it was the trickiest one for me to do!

Translation Station

Kaltxì: Hello

Ma’Tiyawn: My Love

Tewng: Loincloth

Word count: 2.4K

I wiped the sweat that had slowly formed along my neck and sighed as I looked up into the sky, I wished I could have done the same with the sweat that had formed along my brow, but with the mask I had on it had proved to be rather tricky at the moment, and I didn’t Feel like taking it off and holding my breath either. The mask had impeded my ability to touch anything on or around my face, but I was also thankful as it kept the bugs away from my mouth as I often had my tongue sticking out in concentration, especially since I’d been out studying the various plants that grew in this climate around the village of the Metkayina.

Still staring up at the bright sun I had taken into account that eclipse was bound to happen within the hour, meaning the communal dinner would start any second, I take in a big breath as I close my eyes and take in the last of the rays of sunshine I’d be taking for the day, looking back down at my notebook and smiling lightly.

I’d manage to snag my ‘messy’ notebook and some colored pencils in order to draw the various plants I knew I would find , ensuring to write the proper name of the plant, the properties of the plant, what it was used for, the effects it had on the Na’Vi, and if it were venomous- some of which were but were still used as a healing plant- all of which I wrote down after having drawn an intricate picture of it. I’d have to place them alphabetically in my ‘polished’ notebook whenever I got the chance, but for now I had to pick up my things and allow the tsakarem a chance to get away from teaching me, I had been thankful for her allowing herself to teach me but I also wanted to make sure to not take advantage of her kindness as she had another life to live aside from letting me ‘nerd out’.

“We should probably pick this up in the morning, Tsireya, I don’t want to keep you from your family- or your dinner- for too much longer.” I admitted aloud as my fingers picked up the various colored pencils I’d laid out onto the sand, multiple colors that appeared the same had been strewn in a group together and used for blending of similar shades of color for the plant they represented, I picked each of them up and placed them in the woven pencil case Rotxo had given me after he realized I had a hair tie wrapped around them to keep them together.

“Is this because you are getting tired of me droning on about these plants?” She teases as she raises the skin of her brow and I could feel my eyes widen immediately, placing my hands in front of myself as frantically shake them.

“No, no, no, thats not it at all! I could listen to you drone on all day-“

I’m cut off by a soft laugh coming from her and I could feel my face heating up at that moment, feeling her joke starting to make sense now that she had started laughing, and also feeling like an idiot for not having caught on sooner, I must have been more tired than I lead myself to believe.

“I am only kidding with you, Y/n,” She speaks softly, sitting in the sand with her legs crossed as she starts packing away the plants she had gathered for her mother for the following day, I take this as a sign to grab my things and stand, wiping the sand off my own thighs as I get ready to leave.

“Thank you for taking the time out of your day to teach me, I truly appreciate it,” I stated as she stands as well, I could only sheepishly look at her as she stood several heads taller than me, but at least she blocked the rays of the sun from blinding me, her shadow casted over my body and I could feel the breeze pick up.

“The pleasure is all mine, I am just happy to have a friend that is willing to listen to me ramble about them,” She smiles and I can tell she genuinely means it, grabbing her basket as the two of us look at each other one last time and wave goodbye.

After having said out goodbyes I ended up being the first to turn around to make my way back over toward the miniature housing unit myself and my brother stayed in while living on this island. Ronal and Tonowari had originally been against having any kind of human tech anywhere near them or their people, but soon realized Spider and I weren’t going anywhere, somehow having made their peace with us staying, they decided it would be in our best interest to share a unit on the far side of the island as to not bother anyone, and still have some privacy for ourselves.

I walk up toward our rectangular hunk of metal and press a button on the outside, the double doors automatically opening once the button had been pressed, I stepped inside and am met with another set of familiar double doors. I wait for the first set behind me to close and for the cabin to pressurize itself before allowing myself to take off the mask I had been wearing, the second set of double doors in front of me opening and allowing me to finally step inside our makeshift lab and living room. I was tempted to head over and fall asleep in the comfort of my own bed but decided against it as I was one who needed to shower before allowing myself to slip into my covers, I hated being dirty whilst in bed and wanted to shower the sweat from today off, but I had to make sure Spider wouldn’t hog all the hot water like he usually does, sighing as I called out to him.

“Spider?” I yelled right as I placed the mask that had been in my hand in its rightful place beside the door, making sure it was on snug so it wouldn’t fall to the floor easily, taking note that Spiders mask had been missing.

“I’m home!” I yelled out to nobody in particular, but Spider was the type of person who often slept with his mask on the best instead of placing it where it belonged, its a wonder that boy hadn’t cracked it already.

But I am met with silence and figured he must have still been out bugging the Sully’s.

_________

“What are you looking to do?” Spider asks as he raises a bushy brow, the guys had all been hanging out together as a way to wind down before communal dinner, Ao’nung had rolled his eyes as the conversation was running a little longer than he’d wanted it to, but everyone had chosen to ignore his reaction.

“I just want her to take a break from working, she spends countless hours figuring out how our plants and herbs work for healing, she even spends a lot of hours learning with Tsireya,” Rotxo begins as he absently draw random shapes into the sand.

“Well, what does your sister do to relax?” Lo’ak asks Spider as he places his own hands on his knees, attempting to ask his friend what she does for relaxation in order to help Rotxo out.

“How should I know? She spends every waking hour drawing plants and working on her notebooks, it’s been a while since I haven’t seen her work,” Spider answers honestly and Lo’ak groans with disappointment.

“Come in bro, how do you not know your own sister?” Lo’ak asks the boy with a playful smile on his lips.

“Was there anything she did while we were back in the Omatikaya village that you can recall?” Neteyam asks to attempt to get the human boy to rack up his memories, Spider begins by shaking his head before stopping himself, his eyes twinkling as he finally seemed to have remembered something and turning to Rotxo with a smile.

“Baths!” Spider exclaimed excitedly.

“Baths?” Rotxo asks.

“Whenever we were in high camp in the hallelujah mountains we would have to learn to take quick showers, but every time we’d manage to run along a hot spring in the forest, she’d stay in it for as long as possible before we headed back home.” The human explains to Rotxo and watches as the Na’Vi’s eyes begin to shine as well.

“We have some hidden in the wooded area, I can make sure that everyone avoids it tonight so you can have your privacy,” Ao’nung chimes in as he notices how the very end of his friends tail starts to thump on the ground excitedly. Even if he wasn’t a big fan of the humans living with them, they were starting to grow on him, and he was starting to not mind the fact that they were there- especially when one of them won the heart of his best friend.

“That would mean a lot to me,” Rotxo speaks from his heart as he looks at his friend with a soft smile.

_________

I wrapped my washed hair in the towel and had placed a big tshirt over my now cleaned body, a pair of shorts hid underneath the baggy shirt but I didn’t seem to mind. I’d heard the doors opening and figured it had been my brother, stepping out of my bedroom to come face to face with my mate and feeling myself blush at the unexpected visit- although I did feel bad- I’s been pushing him aside as I studied the plants and could feel how lousy I had been toward him.

“Rotxo!” I yell excitedly and walk up to him, seeing his bright smile as he squats down to be closer toward my height but still taller than me.

“Kaltxi ma’tiyawn,” He states as he holds his hands open for me to hug him, I walk into his embrace and feel as though a million little butterflies had started dancing in my belly.

“What are you doing here?” I asked him, even though I was surprised he had shown up.

“I kind of have something I wanted to show you, but I don’t want to spoil the surprise, and you do need to come back out.” He stated rather abruptly, messing with his fingers after the last statement.

“I know you have already showered but I wanted to show you,” He trails off to not spoil the surprise any longer and I understood.

I lean my body up on my tippy toes to plant a kiss on his cheek, landing back into my own feet and smiling up at him, placing my hand on the opposite cheek as I stare into his eyes.

“Give me a few seconds to find my top and tewng. I’ll be ready in a minute.” I spoke softly and watch as the sparkle returns in his eyes as he nods. I squeal in excitement and rush off to my room to get dressed.

It hadn’t taken me too long to find my clean pair of clothes and changed into them, taking the towel off my dampened hair and finding a hair tie for later to keep the wind from flapping my hair in my face, sliding it up one of my arms and looking myself over in the mirror, smiling at my appearance and heading out of my room toward my mate.

“Are you sure you don’t want to spoil the surprise?” I teased him and he shakes his head, I giggle and nod my head.

“Alright, lets head out.” I stated as I make my way around him to grab my mask.

We walked hand-in-hand in comfortable silence, not bothered one bit by how quiet it was or the lack of questions as I figured we would ask one another everything later anyway, but even then I wasn’t sure where we were walking to, I just followed his lead.

“Okay I have to cover your eyes now,” He states as he holds my hand gingerly, taking his other hand and placing it in front of my to cover my vision, I could only nod before feeling the excitement bubbling up.

“We have a few more steps to take but be careful, there are some tree roots popping up from the ground below and I don’t want you to trip.” He stated and my heart melts at his sweetness, my face automatically facing downward as I take my next steps carefully.

“Okay, are you ready?” He asks and I nod excitedly.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” I stated overly enthused.

Truth be told, Rotxo could show me his favorite pile of sand and I wouldn’t be upset with him. He was the most kind, gentle, and attentive mate anyone could ask for. I was glad he shared the same feelings I had, but he was the one who took the first step and it made my heart race when he first started taking an interest in me as I thought it would never happen, but was glad the great mother had proven me wrong.

He takes his giant hand away from my field of vision and in front of me stands one of the biggest hot springs I could have ever seen. My eyes widen as my mouth opens in awe, my heart beginning to beat a little faster upon seeing the sight before me, I turn to him rather quickly and begin jumping on the balls of my feet with a squeal leaving my lips once more.

“Is this a good thing?” He asks toward my reaction and I couldn’t help but not whilst still jumping on the balls of my feet.

“I love hot springs!” I nearly shouted at him.

“Irayo, irayo, irayo, irayo-“ I squeal as I jump into his arms and slide my mask off to start planting kisses all over his face.

“I’ll take this as a positive reaction-“ He chuckles as I continue kissing around his face and plant my lips onto his and enjoying the familiar feeling of warmth it brought me, taking a second to slide my mask back on.

“It is most definitely a positive reaction,” I smile widely before stepping back from his embrace and looking back at the hot spring.

“Will you hold me if we both step inside?” I asked him and watch as he nods slowly.

“I will always hold you, ma’tiyawn.”

“Always?”

“Always.”

[alienaiver]

You know I love the fic where you figure out that you're anemic with Shinsou...

How about a fic where reader is extremely exhausted after a mission that messed up their sleep cycle and now they should rest but can't? With Denki? I just love how you wrote this bone deep exhaustion and I'd love to see your take on how Denki would try to get them to sleep?

thank you!!!!! its such a good fic, too i feel! im very proud of it 🥺🧡

i hope this is okay!! im not sure i hit it as well as i imagined, but i do think it turned out cute!!! thank u for this request, denkis so cute. i wanted to write more honestly, but i also need to contain myself sometimes..... 🙈

warnings: none! this is just cute. genderneutral and poc+body positive as always! unbeta'd but proofwritten. timeskip and prohero!reader (quirk not mentioned) and pro hero!kaminari wordcount: 1k

You’ve been staring at the wall for hours.

Or at least, it feels like it, but you hardly notice the time passing. The cup of tea in your grasp has gone cold, steam flowed up and left. It’s not until you feel a warm palm on your shoulder that you’re pulled out of whatever trance your insomnia’s put you under.

“Y’know, I feel like that sleeping tea would work better if you actually consumed it.”

You look up and send Kaminari a half-hearted glare. He just smiles before he jumps nimbly over the backrest of the couch – ever the agile hero – to cuddle up against you. His hand traces your arm and squeezes lightly, “you need to sleep.” is all he says. You hold back a scoff, your tiredness making your edges sharper than usual.

You’re exhausted.

You came home a little over 23 hours ago – or was it 25? - prepared to throw yourself right on top of the bedding and pass out. Stake out missions that ends in confrontation are exhilarating and exciting, adrenaline rushing through you from the moment you’re stationed in some bush on a hill right until the last villain has been cuffed and handed to the police.

Unfortunately for you, the after shocks of the adrenaline takes a while to leave. A rush after a rush, how ironic. Every time you close your eyes they physically want to open themselves, want to be aware of your surroundings. You guess napping in a bush while your partner keeps watch will do that to you.

Kaminari nibbles at your shoulder as his puppy eyes keeps you under tight watch; he’s had the days off and watched you succumb to an awakened state that doesn’t sit right.

There’s a faint buzz to your limbs, the heaviness making it not quite a tingling, fizzling out in your fingertips and toes. It helps when Kaminari’s close to you. He’s much too often too warm, but the comfort of him is nice these hours. He lets out a small huff of a laugh, “want me to zap you? To make you pass out, I mean.”

You grunt, “if you’re cleaning the couch after I’ll accidentally relieve myself, sure. Anything at this point.”

He laughs and nuzzles into you, “anything, you say? If those words were as true as Bakugou’s unbridled anger, you would’ve consumed the tea I so carefully brewed with love.”

You feel shame run through you; you had meant to drink it, time just… passed. Vanished without you noticing. God, your eyes are heavy. How can your eyes hurt so much from being awake, yet refuse to stay closed?

You bend your knees up and he gently takes the cup out of your hands with a kiss to your cheeks, “I’ll brew a new one, love. I’m just teasing you.”

Now you mirror him, nuzzling your head into his chest, “I know.” you pout, and he wraps his arms around you. When he starts drawing circles onto your back with the cup slowly, you laugh. He kisses the top of your head before retreating, taking his warmth with him.

You follow his figure out into the kitchen and hear him turn the kettle back on. It whirs into life with a droning that grates your ears. You really should clean it, soon. Kaminari’s humming a light tune, the sound of a tea-bag wrapper being opened before the click of the kettle rings. He does as told, waits a moment before pouring the tea as to not burn the tea leaves and make it bitter. A trick he learned from Shinsou when he’d called and asked how to make someone sleep in a minor, badly-hidden panic yesterday.

Your head drops back and you stare at the ceiling. It’s white and nothing to write home about, but every shade and stain of color pops out when you stare at it this intently. You feel a crick in your neck that groans at every small movement. You should buy new pillows like you’ve planned for too long. Did you change the sheets before the mission? You don’t remember. You’re not sure why it’s important when you’re fighting with the ache in your elbow. You took a nasty hit during the fighting that aches. It travels towards the shoulder, thudding, thudding. You won’t be able to sleep on your left side.

Kaminari comes back in with the cup, and when you reach to grab it, he pulls away. “Nuh-uh, I’ll keep an eye on the temperature and give it to you when it’s drinkable. You’re just going to forget again.”

You groan but let your head fall to his shoulder after he settles. “Can you hum a song again?” you ask and he turns his head so that his lips are against the crown of your head and starts humming. It’s slow, melodic and calming.

He hums out Stay Alive by José Gonzáles. Kaminari doesn’t remember lyrics well, but a few words slip past his lips here and there, and you enjoy the feeling of his lips moving.

“The tea is ready now, my love.” he hums and pulls gently away to hand you the tea. Gravity does it work to a limb body and your head falls slowly towards him before it gently hits the backrest. There’s a small path of drool trailing from the corner of your lips and from the new position, a small snore starts to make its way through you.

Kaminari smiles, helps your head back on his shoulder slowly and stay like that until he’s sure your sleep is deep, so that he can carry you to bed gently and wrap you up. From time to time, he turns his head to kiss your forehead. He swears he sees a smile forming after one of them, but it might just be your dream triggering it.

He makes sure all of yours and his usual alarms are turned off for tomorrow, making sure that however long you need to rest, you won’t be disturbed.

[hugsandchaos]

Purring

This is inspired by @astronic-fr’s drawing, and you should seriously look at their art. It’s really good, and I find their N x Thad content especially adorable. This was a bit rushed, so sorry about it being short.

Thad stared at the TV and console on the other side of the room with a conflicted look on his face. He wanted to do something fun, but he didn’t know what game he wanted to play. And even if he did, he would most likely need both hands, and with the cast on his arm, that wasn’t exactly an option. He let out a sigh and turned his gaze towards the ceiling to think. He already thought about what he did wrong on the parkour course and how not to let it happen next time, so what now?

Before he knew it, Thad found himself thinking about his boyfriend, N. A smile made its way onto his face as he started thinking about all the things he loved about him.

“You broke your arm?!?!” N shrieked as he burst through the vents. Thad jolted and nearly yelped, but quickly recomposed himself and looked at the other side of his room to see N putting the opening to the vent on his ceiling back together.

“Wow, that was fast.” The worker drone commented as he sat up and swung his legs over the couch. He knew that his parents would tell at least one or two drones about the incident if they were asked why they’re not paying attention to their jobs as much as they usually do, and since his dad works with Ron, N might possibly find out about it when he came by, but not this quickly.

N closed his eyes and straightened his back with a slightly proud look.“My average flying speed is 235 miles per hour, and I’ve already mapped out the every bit of the ventilation system I can reach.” He explained calmly. Then his eyes opened again and he looked just as panicked as before.”But that’s not the point!” He said before moving closer.”Are you sure your arm was reset correctly?! Was the cast put on wrong?!”

Thad almost chuckled at his questions. He was almost acting just as worried as his mother. But he pushed it down since he could see how worked up he was about this.

“Yes, I’m alright. I just need to rest is all.” Thad replied. A smile quickly appeared on his face.”But I appreciate the concern.” He added. N didn’t share the smile, and instead only looked a little more concerned.“You sure you don’t need help or anything?” N asked.

Thad felt like his core was being tugged at. He knew the drone had issues of self esteem and often felt like the only way he could ever be worth anything was if he worked really hard, so getting him to stop and rest was sometimes a bit of a challenge.

Unless...

“Would you mind just staying with me for a while?” Thad asked. N immediately nodded and sat next to him, eager to help his boyfriend in any way he could. The worker drone used his unharmed arm to pull N closer to himself so he would lay his head on his free shoulder. A yellow blush appeared on N’s face as Thad leaned against the couch, bringing him with him. The taller drone blinked, which made a small beeping sound, and slowly pulled his legs up onto the couch to relax a bit better.

Looks like he got the memo really fast this time.

Thad smiled and rubbed his arm slightly while N slowly tilted his head to rest it on his boyfriend’s shoulder. He was always careful with leaning on Thad since he was scared his weight would either crush him or make him uncomfortable, but Thad didn’t mind. He wasn’t that much heavier than worker drones. There were times when Thad’s little cousins liked to pile on him while watching him play video games or cling onto his legs while he walked, so he’s definitely used to weight on him.

“Oh, this reminds me!” N piped up. Thad opened his eyes, not realizing they had closed, and quickly noticed a sort of vibration in N’s chest and vocal cords. The slight vibration also made a weird wiring sound. It kind of sounded like what a lot of Earth cats did when they were happy. What was it called? Purring?”N, are you purring?” Thad asked.

“I heard that purring helps most healing processes.” N explained with a new, hopeful grin. Thad soon smiled as well and leaned his own head against N’s.”That’s thoughtful of you. Thank you.” He said. N continued purring, maybe even a little louder, and nuzzles slightly against him.

“By the way, I think your dad is plotting my demise.” N piped up.

[thedroneranger]

The Drone Ranger's Be Kind Rewind ⏪ gretagerwigsmuse Edition!

A rec reblog series dedicated to the fics that we love so much, we've re-read them!

Our next Rewind is: @gretagerwigsmuse! Jordan, I'm so thrilled you wanted to participate in this series—thank you 🖤 I am also excited because there are quite a few creators that haven't been mentioned yet! We're spreading the love!

While we continue to churn out amazing new content, let's be kind and rewind to look at some of the OG content we love! And don't forget to reblog when you re-read! Continue to show your comfort fics and favorite creators some love. It helps keep the fresh content coming :)

Let's keep this going throughout the summer. If you're interested in participating in the Be Kind Rewind, message me. The more, the merrier!

If you want to know when a new Rewind drops, join the tag list, and check out previous Rewinds!

Also, Jordan is a true Bradshaw Baddie™, so this is a Bradshaw-only Rewind!

fics below the cut (listed in alphabetical order by title)

‘cause no one breaks a heart like you, @heartsofminds i genuinely think loren ruined my life with this fic. like no exaggeration i SOBBED reading it the first time and it leaves an ache in my heart just thinking about it again! the reader here is so real to me, like i see myself in so much of her and her mannerisms and character traits and just want to love her and tell her it’s going to be okay. and then bradley??? god i can’t hate him. i really can’t hate him because he IS good and kind he’s just - he’s my this is me trying boy and i can’t wait to see what loren does with him next 

days like this, @sometimesanalice oh my god this fic really hits the spot for me. alexa you already know how much i love this fic. it’s sweet and smutty and soft and sad and beautiful and just is everything i’d ever want in a relationship. alexa’s readers, sweet girl in particular, are so real and have so much depth that they come right off the page and into my heart. through alexa’s writing, the reader’s struggles, despite not being something i’ve ever personally dealt with, were so easy for me to resonate with? and i just wish that whenever i had a shitty day i had a bradley as sweet and kind and supportive as hers to help me feel like i’m living in a van morrison song 

halo effect, @bradshawsbitch oh damn. this is a smutty smutterson kind of fic! BUT alex treats their relationship with so much respect and care. i’m naturally kind of wary of power imbalance relationships in fics, but alex made this feel real and plausible and that it was built on trust and respect. the repeated mentions of the conversations the two have re their relationship really made this fic for me and i think about it….often haha

in another life, @jupitercomet similar to loren’s fic, this fic (and series) hits so so close to home for me. i love how bugs tackles mental health in this one and honey’s very real reason for not thinking she should have kids. the relationship between bradley and honey - though not without its faults - is based on so much love and respect. the two of them imagining another life where they have kids and have this completely different future together is so bittersweet and soft 

inconceivable, @roleycoleyreccenter i feel like i cry reading half the fics on this list, but this is another one of those ‘i was crying so hard i had to get up in the middle of reading this to get a tissue and blow my nose’ fics. i love how much love they have for one another, but how stubborn the reader is (it’s not her fault tho!) and that bradley is so patient and kind and listens to her and knows her and her body and little idiosyncrasies (and the flight paths be draws on her back and singing love of my life and the fucking BINDERS and his READING GLASSES). i read this one a lot when i need a good cry but also a happy ending

miss you most…at christmas time, @notroosterbradshaw so obviously i love bradley and love from the boyfriend experience series, but this is absolutely my favorite entry from that series and i go back to it when i get too sad reading slow dancing in a burning room. this is one of those fics that feels so human and raw to me because it must be so hard to not have your husband around during the holidays, but tack on being a very very new mom? and your husband hasn’t even met your child yet?? god queue the waterworks! they’re so in love with each other and so irked by that damn navy and just want to be their own little family for the holidays!

new rules, @sushiwriterhere i love this trope so much and it’s done so well in this fic! bradley and the reader are ‘friends with benefits’ or so the reader thinks and wait actually do we go on friend dates or do we just spend all this time together because we’re in love?? i want soft tipsy warm bradley around me all the time 

the one where they go camping, @ofstoriesandstardust this is my favorite one of kylie’s fics off my favorite series of hers, flight risk. it’s so fun seeing sunshine and bradley pining after each other even in college and the whole uva crew is so awesome. like there is BED SHARING in this! i repeat BED SHARING! and longing glances and impromptu cooking lessons and lusty (respectful) stares in bathing suits and tears and misunderstandings. it’s just so cute i love it

you left your name on my lips, @blurredcolour honestly, this fic GUTTED me the first time i read it. i genuinely had to stop in the middle of reading it to text alexa to read it too. i just loved how realistic everything was like the level of detail that went into it was unreal! i went to college in dc and absolutely felt like i was back there during certain parts. and the letters?? oh my god the letters!!! bradley bradshaw you are a dreamboat in this fic 

wish you were here (part 1, part 2), @pisupsala i know a lot of people have recommended ‘one for the history books’ (would like to shout out that i was an og reader on that one tyvm!), but this two parter of bradley and darcy is my absolute favorite. i just am continuously in awe of their relationship and how real it feels to me? i love that not everything is perfect and happy go lucky all the time just because they’re together now? like darcy is allowed to be mad bradley isn’t around a lot to help her settle into their new house, they’re both allowed to be fallible and to me that’s what makes this the perfect series and fic? they’re real and honest and they love each other so fucking much and hang shelves together in the living room and fly halfway across the country to be there for their wife. they’re one of my fave oc/reader couples

Creator’s Own 

i have a huge soft spot for my fic (christmas) baby please come home. in addition to being an amazing darlene love song, i really liked exploring a different side of bradley and smart aleck’s relationship in this fic and felt like this was one of the first times i’ve really gotten into her head. plus, i love a good party and this one was so fun to map out ☺️ it’s also the start of a new era for bradley and smart aleck and one i’m continuing with my next fic rocketman! 

Tag list and friends: @petcr3 @desert-fern @Sagittarius-Lovewitch @mygyn @sweetwhispersofchaos @horseshoegirl @the-annoying-fan @dingochef @moon42flight @thecitysgraveyard @ereardon @roosterforme @cherrycola27@galaxy-of-stories@taytaylala12 @malindacath @violyn20 @awildewit @potato-girl99981 @shanimallina87 @blue-aconite @djs8891 @linkpk88 @furiousladyking @daggerspare-standingby @princess76179 @jstarr86 @hecate-steps-on-me @darkheartcherry @soulmates8 @roosters-girl @dempy @roosterisdaddy36 @hangmanscoming @s-u-t @mavrellover91 @chicomonks @averyhotchner 

A kind reminder, this is a 18+ blog. While not all stories in the recommendation list are 18+, please respect boundaries and do not interact unless you are 18 years of age or older.

[goodbysunball]

Digital monsters

Sneaking a few in before April's done and gone. Many of these musics were experienced digitally only for the most part, whether it was due to lack of a physical product or expensive import prices, none of which now apply (except for the Stone Rollers) as I finally get around to posting this. Ian's making Light Metal Age tapes, MIKE just put Pinball on CD, I finally pulled the trigger on KN​Æ​KKET SMIL, etc. Still, the car is the place where most listening is done these days, an unavoidable and really-not-that-bad reality. Windows down, these up:

Maria Bertel & Nina Garcia, KN​Æ​KKET SMIL (Kraak/No Lagos Musique/Otomatik)

It would not be much of an understatement to say I'm a bit burned out on free-improv-jazz and adjacent records, but a live video posted earlier this year by @dustedandsocial piqued my interest in this duo. Nina Garcia shreds and mangles the guitar in a manner both controlled and explosive, like the best no wave auteurs, but the draw here is what Maria Bertel does with the trombone. She pulls these long, drawn-out notes from the belly of the instrument, like glass fibers being pulled from a melt, reminiscent Phill Niblock's arrangements for cello or voice. There's plenty of scrape 'n skronk coming from the trombone, too, like on "Trick & Illusion," but I find the bass-y drones to be more interesting. The end result is a brittle, harsh push-pull between the relatively free guitar and the more grounded trombone, where it often sounds like the two are running in circles in a room with their eyes closed, occasionally colliding to combine forces. When they are not at odds, as on "Nightmare of a Lunatic," the results can be thrilling. At other points on the record I am reminded of Harvey Milk's "Pinnochio's Example" (the title track), later-period Sightings ("Lost Arts," "Twin Truths") and the instrumental side of Khanate ("Playground of Blind Forces," "Inorganic Body"). Given how this is presented - bare, without any perceivable ornamentation or post-production - it makes for a tough listen; you've gotta be in the mood for something this harsh and unadorned, 'cause meeting you halfway isn't happening. But, if you've any affinity for old instruments hammered into new shapes by inspired/inspiring hands, there's some powerful, almost-mystic energy wafting from the grooves.

Bobby Would, Relics of Our Life (Digital Regress)

Bobby’s back, continuing his partnership with the esteemed Digital Regress label, who brought his STYX release to the LP format. STYX was dedicated to his mother, and initial listens have left me convinced that Relics also appears to be wrestling with her passing. Unlike STYX, which contained tracks like "Hype On" that worked themselves into something resembling upbeat and energetic, Relics is a comparatively somber affair. It's bookended by two quiet instrumental tracks ("Runaway" is especially good), and in between is more skeletal, maybe even refined, version of Bobby Would. The overall effect here is often reminiscent of Wonderfuls, or Lewsberg on In Your Hands: gossamer-thin arrangements, sparkling guitars, slow tempos and mumbled vocals. While there are points where Bobby Would presents as a bit listless or hopeless, it never stretches to the maudlin, mostly due to the opaque phrasing. As on previous BW releases, the lyrics are still usually little more than repetition of single phrases until they become profound, which works especially well on these subdued arrangements. The more I listen, the more it sounds like a natural progression from his last two proper LPs, the subtle refinement of a now-signature sound. Like “Maybe You Should” from World Wide World, “Tryin' 2," "Is It Nice Now?" and “No More” rank with some of his best slow dancers; "Explain" and "All I Do" feel like Baby's grown now, using only the necessary elements to create a song and cutting the tape when it's done (not that Bobby Would has ever had a problem with economy). The only misstep here? The hidden track at the end of the physical record, a cover of UB40's "Red Red Wine" (no fucking joke), and nothing more need be said about that. The nine tracks that properly make up Relics of Our Life deserve to be lived in, spindly guitar lines swirling around like smoke and mumbled vocal incantations taking you elsewhere for the duration. Another unassuming gem from the surprisingly durable Bobby Would.

Light Metal Age, s/t (self-released)

In retrospect, I think Gen Pop's PPM66 is one of the best records to come out in the past decade, wringing modern ennui by the neck to squeeze out lyrical inspiration, nailing down a balance between catchy and smart in an impressively effortless way. That record flew, and still flies, under the radar, unfortunately, and the band is no more. Light Metal Age is the new project of Gen Pop's Ian Patrick Corrigan, and it sorta picks up the thread of PPM66, but veers off into the countrified black humor of Country Teasers ("Quil Ceda"), lonesome new age ("Oakland 2017"), and a chilling minimal synth track ("Garage In Meridian"). Corrigan's vocals sound like Bill Callahan in his early days as Smog, but in content he appears to be searching for a place or meaning or some sign that the world isn't as backwards and cruel as it actually is. I think opener "What He's Done" is my favorite song of the year so far, a perfectly dusty guitar line paired with deep, reverberated vocals coldly presenting a personal inventory (“Tattoos since he was 20,” “$20K he owes/20 years to go”). It’s all tied together by the chorus of “You said let it go/But do you know/what he’s done?,” the anxiety of being a prisoner of your past neatly summarized. “Quil Ceda" is my other standout favorite, the biting line "It will make you sick" now popping up in my head all too often as I go about my days. Really, there's something to like on every track here: the double-timed portion toward the end of "T.U.L.I.P."; the rain-soaked, pre-dawn alleys conjured by "Garage In Meridian"; and the subdued Ben Wallers impression on "Gaps In the Material." Sure, "Oakland 2017" is maybe a bit long and saps momentum plopped in the middle, but this seems more like a mixtape than a finished product, and I've come to appreciate the cracks in the tracks forced together. I've been playing it non-stop for nearly two months now, a potent distillation of the young American's modern struggle, laid out without self-pity and the right amount of simmering discontent. Can't ask for much more.

MIKE & Tony Seltzer, Pinball (10K)

Here’s an unexpectedly economical and breezy offering from MIKE, produced entirely by Tony Seltzer. Not sure what Tony Seltzer did here to allow MIKE to let down his guard and puff out his chest a little, but it’s a welcome change of pace, if a bit forgettable. Seltzer’s beats aren’t going to have many rappers come calling, but they’re exciting enough jumping off points for MIKE to try on different personas. I get hints of UGK-era Bun-B (named checked in “Underground Kingz,” as required), Young Dolph, and Lil Baby in MIKE’s rapping on Pinball, and it’s fun and jarring to hear him rap over trap beats like “Yin-Yang.” For all his efforts, the album lags in spots - “100 Gecs,” “Underground Kingz” and “R&B” have become laborious over multiple listens, the beats sputtering, the rapping losing steam without MIKE’s usual emotional overflow. But the opener “Two Door,” the unassuming bounce of “Skurrr” and "Pinball," and the Niontay-featuring “2k24 Tour” still connect, MIKE throwing off a satin boxing robe and sparring with whoever. It’s true that overexposure to this album over the past few weeks has probably taken away some of its luster, but hearing MIKE in this capacity paints a more complete picture of him as an artist. Short ‘n mostly sweet, with no tears, Pinball’s sure to be a steady listen through the punishing summer ahead.

The Stone Rollers, The Ballad of Bill Spears (self-released)

Are the Woolen Men done? Nothing official on that, but members are shifting priorities to other groups: guitarist Lawton Browning is in Change Life, and the Stone Rollers features WM drummer Raf Spielman. The Stone Rollers have been releasing single tracks, one at a time, since September of last year, and The Ballad of Bill Spears puts all four tracks together. It's a separate project and unfair to compare the two, though there are strong sonic similarities to the Woolen Men. The Stone Rollers are bouncy and hard-strumming, somewhere between folk protest songs (yes, there's harmonica) and country with a punk edge (but obviously not as bad as that descriptor conjures). In the spirit of the best country songs, the Stone Rollers don't restrain themselves from saying some really mean shit on these songs, taking people to task with an acid tongue and leaving without apology. I like all four songs - if you're not listening to the lyrics too closely, these are breezy pop songs with the strong character of the '60s - but I think "The Shell Song" and "You Can't Reach Me" are the two best. The former has the harshest lyrics ("When I see you down the line, I hope you're not the same" and "I won't wait around to see what you become/because good or bad I do not care at all"), and "You Can't Reach Me" is an ode to the dream of escaping "my life/bound up so tight" for the greener grass. All four tracks are simple and effective/affecting in an immediate way, familiar but bristling, classic-sounding but unmistakably modern. A nice teaser from the Rollers, who I can only hope will excoriate this feeble review on an upcoming track.

[isfjmel-phleg]

@fictionadventurer asked:

Branching out to other fandom-type content: How about playlists? Costume analysis? Fancasting? Weird crossovers? (Psmith in New York meets the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles just occurred to me and delights me with the absurdity)

I've already done costume analysis! And I regret I can't help you with any playlists (not good at making those and apparently I must have deleted all my old attempts in shame or something) and I'm drawing a blank with weird crossovers (but Psmith and the TMNT is a hilarious thought, and if anyone else has further crossover ideas, I'd love to hear them). So how about fancasting?

Of a sort, anyway. I don't know of enough actors to be able to suggest specific people, but I do know what I would be looking for if I were the casting director.

First of all, I've had it with all these forty-year-olds playing Psmith. He is a teenager/young adult, and it's very important that that come across for him to make sense. So my ideal actor for Psmith would be youthful, as well as fitting the books' description of notably tall and thin, with a llama-like countenance. He would need to have brilliant comedic timing and the ability to rattle off the most ridiculous nonsense with an utterly straight face. He would have to convey all the layers of the character--Psmith is not merely an upper-class caricature. You couldn't play him like the average member of the Drones Club. He's charismatic and personable and calculating and sometimes utterly cold, but you need to get the sense sometimes that this is a mask, that there's a much more vulnerable person underneath, the one who is capable of sincere friendship and self-sacrifice. Psmith is often out of touch with who he really is, and his actor would need to be able to convey this.

Mike's actor should be around the same age, very average-looking in terms of features, but athletically built--believable as a gifted cricketer. He should be able to carry the role of the protagonist in his own right; the audience should find him interesting and likeable for himself, not merely because he is Psmith's friend. He's confident in his talent and a ringleader in pranks, warm-hearted, easygoing yet obstinate, impulsive, occasionally quick-tempered, but also painfully prone to social anxiety, and his actor would need to pull off all these facets. This is often a more dramatic than comedic role; there needs to be believable angst to offset the humor.

Eve's actress should be able to match Psmith's actor in charisma and wit, but where he is detached and languid, she should be energetic and driven. She needs to have a very warm quality--light-hearted and affectionate but also quick-tempered and blunt. She's impulsive, but she's not a ditz. She's clever enough to see through Psmith and can roll with the eccentricity--revel in it, even.

We don't see much of Phyllis, but she would need to be played by someone physically distinct from Eve, very petite, very innocent-looking. An ingenue type, but with hints of more fortitude beneath the fragile exterior than one might expect.

Etc. etc. I do have very clear mental images of the cast! If only I knew of any (current) actors.

And you further asked:

Actually, the TMNT comparison may have a serious application to Psmith--both properties are in some way parodies of other works. So take that angle with Psmith? I know you've discussed the schoolboy stories the first book parodied, but are there tales of boy-at-first-job, or fighting gangsters, etc. that have tropes you can compare with the way Psmith alproached them?

I am so, so sorry, but I have zero familiarity with turn-of-the-century stories in similar genres to Psmith in the City or Psmith, Journalist, and I have no idea where I would find any. These Psmith stories were serialized alongside most school stories and adventure stories, so there's not much point of comparison. If I recall correctly, Wodehouse seems less conscious of specific tropes with these two stories than he does in his school stories, which implies that they might be at least less consciously parodic. If anyone is familiar with early twentieth-century fiction pertaining to first jobs or fighting gangsters in American cities, I'd be interested in hearing about what's out there in comparison to what Wodehouse did with those genres.

[sqarletsworldlesswandering]

Silly question, but are there ophanim who aren't weapons in their "weapon" form? Such as war horns and such?

Also how do ophanim get their weapon form? Is it based on anything or is it random?

Throne is one such example! She's a scepter, technically.

The usual rule is that first and foremost, their form can be used as a weapon. However, that doesn't mean its primary function has to be a weapon. That's just the most common. War-adjacent motifs also show up pretty frequently.

As such, a war horn or carnyx or a shield or even a banner would certainly be on the table! They have their function, often a militant one, and if something comes in range, well.... Banner poles are suitable weapons, especially if they've got a pointed tip. A carnyx is metal and usually has some very pointed detailing. A war horn can 100% be reinforced as a viable bludgeon, especially if big. Plus, sound based weapons can always be a thing....

Also, a note on warhorns/sound-forms: because Starfolk don't "breathe" in the traditional sense, and Lightfolk don't have wind, their "horns" work a little differently. In the particular case of an Ophan, they use their electricity and part of their form like a tesla coil, then use the rest of themselves as acoustic space to amplify the living daylights out of the sound. They can also, depending on their acoustic method, use the tesla as a drone with over or undertones.

In fact, this actually calls to mind a very specific idea I had as of listening to this song right here:

Drawing special attention to the use of the vocals and the horn/synth sounds coming in at 2:09 as, for example, an attack.

I'd like you to picture hearing that in the middle of a fight, with a full legion of angels moving and forming at the flux and drone of the horn.

As for how weapon forms happen, those develop in the earlier Starlet stages as a function a) of formation conditions, b) any "genetic" influence from creators (if applicable), and c) of personality. Feistier Ophanim often end up with distinctively weapon forms. Calmer or more reserved will frequently have something that's only secondarily a weapon, Throne case in point. Interestingly, mercy-bent versus justice-bent has very little bearing on this unto itself. I should also note that the overlap between gender and mercy vs justice is very much present as a pattern, but is by no means a rule. Hasyut is one such example.

[kaiju-wolfdragon]

(Since i saw episode 4 of murder drones, i thought maybe i can try to make an kaiju murder drones au headcanon of zombie drone uzi.)

Kaiju zombie drone!uzi:

Since she's now a zombie drone, her hight increase twice of her normal kaiju worker drone height, let's say about 14-18 ft tall

Her absolute solver powers might be out of control more often when she's in that form

Her tail also can pick up 2 worker drones and can bite them off to rip them off with no problem.

She had four wings now

She can camouflage when she's hunting for sweet oil

She can make corrupted dragon sounds including the clicks to distract her prey

She had spikes on her tail with her zombie drone tail

Her eyes can glow bright in the dark

She'll might stress out a lot but with N around, she should be fine for being on his side

That should be all for now, maybe soon i should draw her soon

[sd-lucky]

Pinned post time!!! feel like i should get this out of the way somewhat early so i can lay down what is it and what I'm about here! First and foremost, i go by lucky online, and am trying to run a strictly sfw no k1nk no f3t1sh tk blog! I just think they're a good way for characters and people to bond, also just being able to hear people laugh is a good way to make you smile too, I'm not interested in them for other reasons that other people may be interested in. adding onto that, I'm not keen on interacting with those types of blogs either, so refrain from interacting if you are that type of blog. Other than that!! some fandoms I'm into are -Murder drones -Splatoon -More to come??? I often draw on this blog, i may repost (is that the right word? i think its reblog but I'm not too sure.) stuff from accounts that i like, and in the future i am probably gonna turn on requests so anyone can ask me hcs/do drawing requests/writing ideas! I do write as well, just not as frequently! basically ill write if i get given a prompt i like, so if i don't respond i probably am not interested, I'm sorry '>m< I think that's about it, eager to make more stuff on here and share my silly ocs with you guys!!! ^w^ oh yeah last thing no i don't rp, sorry if that's what you're looking for here Btw im perfectly fine if you wanna draw my ocs make sure its something sfw, and double make sure to at me so i can like and reblog!

[electrozeistyking]

I just realized what "The Amalgamation" reminds me of. The Slayer form in Baldur's Gate 3

Funny that it somewhat resembles it given I had the idea for two particular DDs I made to fuse into one being that was a giant version of a similar form. Just less surgical and more "magical".

While I'm here I wanted to say the design for it is sick. Body horror is my jam so this "little" guy was quite cool to see. Curious if you're gonna do a fic with them, would absolutely be down to read it if you did. A lot of the fics I read don't really incorporate the body horror elements of MD and it makes me a little sad since it's one of the things that drew me to the show. But I imagine you're quite busy with the Ghost Drone AU so I don't really expect it.

Also I might take a crack at drawing The Amalgamation but don't expect it to be too good. I may be able to draw horrors beyond human comprehension but limbs STILL get me. Like, how does the hand attach to arm, why are fingers so round...WHO DECIDED NECKS SHOULD BE LIKE THAT?!

I also considered drawing Beanie with one of my OCs but...almost all of them should NOT be within 500 miles of her. Two of them are literally The Boogeyman (even if Erik wasn't at one point) and the other two are loyal DDs. Yen would be sweet though, so maybe some art with them would work but I think they'd be too distracted by N's hot single dad vibes.

idk I just love your art and I want to pay tribute to it in some way because it's so awesome and super well made. Love what you're doing and hope you do well because of it!

(also sorry for the long ask I just started thinking stuff I wanted to say and putting it down)

Pal. Buddy. I absolutely LOVE writing nightmarish/horror sequences, I just don't often get a chance to flex that ability. You better believe that I'm planning on writing something about the Amalgamation! I even have a co-writer to help me with it... heheheh.

Don't worry, nothing's actually written yet. Those "excerpts" I posted were literally just me writing short little stories on the concept, seeing as I wanted to get them out of my brain... though, I may actively include them when I actually write about the Amalgamation? Too soon to say....

Also hey, don't worry if your art looks "bad" or "good!" So long as you make it, I'll love it either way! And don't worry, I love the lengthy ask! It was a delight reading all of your thoughts. :3

[a-controversial-bean]

The main reason I made this blog is honestly because I am so sick of the lack of nuance I see around the term "transandrophobia"

My stance is that transandrophbia is a real thing we should draw attention to, but also that most people talking about it do so in the most annoying and/or hateful ways.

Just like trans women/fems experience gendered violence and discrimination that is different from cis women, so do trans men/mascs. We're not "woman lite" but much of the world still treats us that way. Although cis men carry a gender with privilege over all others, trans men do not (except in cases where they are cis-passing, and even then, that privilege gets revoked the second you're outed). We experience a flavor of misogyny, but the term transmisogyny describes a specific type of misogyny that trans women experience. Stealing that term would obviously be wrong, hence the creation of the term transandrophbia.

Personally, I think the term itself could use some more workshopping, but it's not like I have any better suggestions at this time either. I just don't think the term clearly expresses how we're talking about a specific gendered discrimination that impacts trans mascs in a way that cis men, cis women, and trans fems don't go through. This isn't saying that we have it any worse than trans fems. God no. That's part of why I'm so annoyed at many folks discussing transandrophbia. Creating a hierarchy of who faces worse oppression is bullshit. Trans women/fems are oppressed in our current constructions of gender and sex. So are trans men/mascs. So are cis women. And nonbinary people. And intersex people of literally any gender. I'm all for the creation of terms to describe these unique experiences! What I hate is trying to pit these terms against each other.

I often see white trans mascs trying to use racial comparisons to explain this, and it pisses me the fuck off. Don't do that. You're making all of us look bad and embarrassing yourself when you show such a lack of understanding towards intersectionaliity. However, I do think there are other comparisons that work better!

Specifically, disability has a GREAT comparison to draw from. It even has a few (false) binaries you can use to make your point!

All disabled people face ableism in some way or another, just like all marginalized genders face their own flavor of misogyny. People like to separate the disabled into categories like low/high support needs, visible/invisible, and physical/mental. Someone labeled as high support needs is often denied agency, while low support needs folks are often denied accommodations. Visible disabilities will have people asking too many uncomfortable and invasive questions, while invisible ones will have people saying you don't "look disabled". But at the end of the day, it's all just ableism. Repackaged to fit the individual, but ableism none the less. It can be convenient though to quickly say which category of ableism you experience, rather than drone on about details.

I would rather say "I experience transandrophbia" than explain how "I experience a kind of misogyny where my transness means people either see me as a failed woman or a creepy man depending on what's more convenient for their narrative. Living as a trans guy, especially in the years where I still had H cups on my chest, led to increased violence and bigotry in my life. In cis circles I'm rejected for being trans, and in queer circles I'm rejected for embracing my masculinity. Unless I surround myself with only trans mascs, my gender almost always makes me an outcast. " Even that statement is a super simplified and condensed version of the gendered violence I faced. Am I not allowed a term to succinctly express that sentiment?

Tldr: If you deny that trans men/mascs experience transandrophbia, then I hate you. If you use transandrophbia to shit on trans women/fems, then I also hate you.

[isabellarosestudio6]

Week 6: Making

Taking the still and video adverts from research this week, and isolating the text in new formats:

Document form (continuing the style of previous A4 page works this year). View the whole series of 37 pages on Canva:

Examples:

As a video work:

This video work consists of the text mentioned before from various adverts, set against the soundtrack from the promotional film "Tomorrow Always Comes" presented by Newform and Manhattan Undergarment Company inc.

The soundtrack here has been slowed down to half-speed, whilst maintaining the same pitch throughout, giving the video a rather haunting effect. Words exaggerated twice as long, droning orchestral scores, outdated beliefs made all the more noticeable.

The text here has also been set to mimic relaxing slow breathing patterns (breath in for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, breath out for 8 seconds), washing in and out of the film in a rather hypnotic manner. The rhythm is engaging and somewhat relaxing, if you force yourself to sit with the work for a bit.

Further reflections:

These things together hopefully draw attention to the power of media and film, its ability to spread narratives about women/society/gender roles.

As a viewer here, hopefully the work manages to create an uneasy and slow space, asking observers to pause and sit with various feelings as outdated ideas wash across them in the form of capitalist advertisements

Sitting with this work myself, I also noticed how much more graspable/noticeable certain advertising techniques are (such as the weaponisation of human shame, desire, pleasure) here, as many of the ideas the adverts are relating to are now outdated.

There is a sort of haunting feeling of this media/consumerist/capitalist machine working to guilt/shame/entice people into buying products. Playing on human emotions for profit of big business.

These adverts tend to quite clearly: 1. present an issue (they've created) to the consumer, 2. describe how the consumer should feel about this issue (ashamed, enticed, guilty), 3. present the solution in terms of a new product they can buy.

Next steps:

At the moment, I am also interested in ideas of theatre/theatricality, nostalgia and escapism. I think in a way, these adverts also tie into these notions, often presenting an escape for an emotional or physical problem, or playing into fantasy/glamour, as a way of escaping/upgrading your life.

Personally, I've found that I've always had slight escapist tendencies or a preference for the theatrical at times. Theatre & live performance has always been the better part of life for myself. An escape from emotional/physical problems. A cure to the aversion of mundane life. I have a tendency to wish to dedicate myself to things that seem larger than me as an individual (past-religions, various spiritual practices, classical ballet- all of which are rather cult like).

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm interested in how/why people turn to these escapist pathways, particularly with theatricality.

Now, with this work, I would like to draw further attention to this theatricality (in media/film/advertisting) through how this work is displayed.

I've also thought further on my use of the A4 writers page, which I have enjoyed, but perhaps is not quite right?

The idea I've come to is using a projector (connections to cinema/film projection) to display the work on a piece of hanging perplex

Examples from Google Images:

Display method:

Here I envision the work not just as the projection alone, but potentially as an installation in which the projector itself is also an object apart of the art piece.

Hopefully this hanging projection of words will appear slightly surreal, levitating in the middle of the gallery.

Like a billboard, or opening to a film.

[n4stasia]

Psycho-Pass

I was very pleasantly surprised with the Psycho-Pass. I heard a lot of positive reviews and it did not let me down. Cyberpank dystopia with a sprinkle of detective investigation is my personal favorite. The main idea of the Psycho-Pass, where the system assesses a person's mental state and their danger/non-danger to society, is novel and presented in an intriguing (and also well-explored) manner. If we consider how to safeguard humanity from its own dark inclinations in the future, the notion of preventing rather than cleaning up afterward is more than logical.

The anime is full of profound questions about individuals surrendering their autonomy to a controlling system. Can such a system ever achieve perfection? And what should be done if it falls short: accept it as a necessary evil or dismantle it, risking chaos? These themes become central to the narrative.

Psycho-Pass draws heavily from the concept of the panopticon, as discussed in our related reading. Sibyl, the super surveillance system in the series, utilizes scanners, drones, cameras, and other technologies to maintain control—a dream for government intelligence agencies. It micromanages every aspect of citizens' lives, making them self-regulate to remain compliant and non-threatening. Individuals are evaluated based on their thoughts, emotions, and motives, with deviants either neutralized or forcibly subjected to "therapy".

But there's a deeper layer to explore. What exactly is Sibyl, and who dictates the rules of this intricate societal game? This opens up a big philosophical dilemma. In our world, moral boundaries are often ambiguous, allowing for gray areas, compromise, and the freedom of thought. Can a computerized system truly comprehend and navigate these complexities of human life?

Overall, it's a tale of dystopia and the absurdity of the system. It exposes the hypocrisy of people who, while accusing others of being criminals, are revealed upon scrutiny to be just the same.