#not my work

[victusinveritas]

A friend who is much better with words and not to my knowledge on Tumblr wrote this:

"Greatly appreciated this interview w Patrick Blanchfield on The Dig Radio (in comments) for locating the shooting of the UHC CEO w/in a broader field of late capitalist mass death, violence and human disposability.

While it’s clear Blanchfield and the host, Denvir, sympathize w Mangione and his reasons for killing a CEO, I liked that they also situated the act w/in a context of both mass shootings and state violence: what is remarkable is not that an American was shot - tens of thousands of Americans are gunned down by other Americans every year - but as Mark Ames points out, it was for once not the working class shooting each other, but a CEO who was targeted. In what often feels like a senseless culture of mass death - for once a murder wasn’t random.

That such culture is a part of our accepted daily life was expressed to me w great clarity as i negotiated w my university as an AAUP rep over pandemic safety protocols several years back. The admin said quite calmly and reasonably, you accept you might die in a car accident going to work, as tens of thousands of Americans do, or in a mass shooting, what makes dying of a virus in a classroom any different? That this passed for enlightened management rather than sociopathic indifference says all one needs to know about our historical moment

In that sense the killing of a CEO is in William James phrase, a “live option” in the way Medicare for All is not or mass politics is not. I am reminded of a thought experiment I often do as an ice breaker on the first day of class: imagine you could have 100 million dollars or a society w no money but your needs are met? Which would you choose? A significant number of students choose the money bc they say, a society w no money in which our needs could be met could not happen. But I am giving you the choice to make it happen, I say. But it can’t they respond. You also don’t have 100 million dollars, I counter. But we *could they say. But you won’t. But *someone will, they reply.

It’s hard to know if Mangione’s assassination of a CEO will help bring M4A. Ofc it is the role of politics to help produce out of our contradictory common sense a program, to cathect desire into a demand on the state or the boss. Obvs it’s what we have to do. Yet it also occurs to me a society that cannot imagine M4A is also a society that delights in gunning down CEO: the passage to the act both reveals poltical desire as much as it disavows its possibility. The figure of the social bandit is notoriously ambiguous, proto revolutionary but also existing in a social structure (colonial California, feudal Europe) in which a mass organized revolution is impossible

Well, it remains to be seen if Mangione is a 21st century Unabomber or maybe, a 21st C John Brown. Mangione faces the death penalty so perhaps the state is making our decision for us. I am sure Brown was far less popular than Mangione in his day, if also, just as feared by the ruling class, even if he hardly acted alone. But it was not up to Brown to make his death matter, it was up to the ppl."

[autistpride]

Credit: McKayla Robbin, We Carry The Sky (2016)

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

🎉 Thank You for 10k+ Followers!! 🎉

A big thank you goes out to @cozymochi for this beautiful celebratory commissioned artwork for this major milestone ✨ It really captures the scope of all the content that had been put out in the last 4+ years—both in terms of official Twst materials and on this blog! I think it’s very fitting that we hit this milestone in the month of Halloween too (I just held off on posting this til the month after); it’s Twst’s biggest holiday of the year, so it’s twice the cause for celebration!!

A lot has happened over the course of my time in this fandom. I’ve written many things of course, but I’ve also had many other exciting opportunities! I’ve been interviewed for a paper, met many cool people from all over the world, attended Twst meetups + events, collaborated with other talented creators, received kind gifts, contributed to various fandom projects, and finished telling the origins of my Twst OC. This blog has been with me through a lot of major changes and difficult hurdles in my life too—it’s really been an anchor for me, a comforting and safe space for me to be creative or analytical whenever I want to be.

When I first started this blog as a very casual hobby in summer of 2020, I never even considered that it would balloon to this extent. It still doesn’t feel totally real to me 😭 I don’t usually fixate on numbers (they make me anxious), but looking back on it, 10k is a LOT, and 4 years is a long time. To put that in perspective, if we were in Twisted Wonderland for 4 years then all of the students we’ve come to know and love would have graduated by now. That’s crazy to me. We’ve come so far as a group.

I feel that a large part of fandom is the community that comes with it. I would have found it so challenging to stick with Twst had I not had so many great people keeping me engaged with it. I’d now like to take a moment to thank those folks. Keeping in line with the idea of “4 years”, think of these as little messages scrawled in a yearbook. I also have a blog event planned to celebrate! More on that later.

Please note that I’ve used pseudonyms for most of the following people, as I’d like to respect their privacy (I’m very private myself) + not all of them are comfortable with being explicitly named or tagged to a large crowd. You’ll know who you are if you see yourself on here.

Without further ado:

MSS — Thank you for being the first Twst space I felt truly a part of. It’s still the place I consider my fandom “home” beyond this blog.

April — Thank you for making MSS as a place for us to share! We’re tsunderes in solidarity.

Drinking Knight — The banners wouldn’t exist without your help. Thanks for getting the ball rolling on those; I’d like to think that I’m a little more confident in designing new ones myself now, but you were the start of it all. Your endless enthusiasm for the most insane otome boys, drinks, and bullying (positive) others is truly an inspiration.

Q. Opinionated — Can’t count the number of times you ran tech support for me 💀 Thanks so much for being patient and willing to laugh at a stupid situation. I WILL grip you (escape is not an option) 🤲

Dad with his Printer — Why are you so cheeky My unofficial proofreader and fact checker. Still treasure the teeny J word and coffin magnets you sent, and, even more valuable than those, the bad dad jokes/puns advice and wisdom you give. Wishing you luck on your art adventure.

A. Cider — An unexpected friend I met very late into the fandom and happened to run into irl by total coincidence. Funny how life works. Your shitposts are great, and I appreciate having a like-minded person to talk with about the J words and story critiques. I’d also like to thank you for the many little doodles you’ve made; I know you’re very busy and have a wife to tend to at home but I appreciate that you still make time for friends.

Hana — Extroverted pink-haired magical girl representation. Your bubbly love for Disney, Diasomnia, singing, and (yes) angst lights up the entire room. Maybe you’re not too confident with yourself are right now, but I know you’ll find your way.

Swan — For being quick on the uptake and giving me the heads up about various things! We may not talk much one-on-one, but I’m thinking of you and enjoy seeing you pitch into the conversation. You’re still banned for L*ona posting though/j

Ly — My secret French twin/j Thanks for being my cultural + equine advisor and a voice of (salty) reason. Never shut up about your hyperfixations! You’re a real one.

Oys — Enabler + encourager of my Yan!Sil delusions. Sorry for making your blood pressure spike every time we talk about our food takes. But hey, at least we get a good laugh out of it :))

Mac and Bean — For being my inspirations. Bean, you have such atmospheric writing. I hope my writing style can be just as magical as yours. Mac, it was your blog that first got me into starting my own Twst writing. You never stop being so, so funny also I blame you 120% for the L*ona rot.

Peaches and Cream — To my local Twst friends, thanks for keeping me company even through the hard times. Peaches, happy to be your local Twst dealer anytime. Cream, thanks for hooking me up with new books.

Salt and Flora — I don’t know where you vanished to, but the sea brought you back to me on its tides. I’m so happy we could meet again. Salt, you’re so talented at crochet and design work; get your coin 😂 Flora, you’re the sweetest person ever. Literally cottagecore personified, even in your art.

Piano — We don’t always see eye to eye, but thank you for being my serial debater and showing me new perspectives. Your open-minded theories and analyses are such fun. And, of course, it’s always hilarious to think about how we accidentally (?) swapped oshis 🤡 You’re a star.

The Anklebiter — For having the most unhinged jokes and ideas. Seriously, THE most unhinged. I never do any of the crazy things you suggest but I’m always really entertained from just hearing them.

Te, Mi, and Ro — Thanks for organizing local events and giving me an excuse to touch grass. It’s a lot of hard work and you guys manage to pull it off every time! Mi, I was flattered to have you reach out to me to help a little with the Tweel cupsleeve event. Happy to help anytime! Te, I remember you were cosplaying as Kalim when we first met and I kept thinking about how perfectly suited you are for the role. You were very friendly and made such an effort to include everyone in the event even when I was Idia-ing in the corner. To this day, you continue to spontaneously introduce me to new people 😂 Thanks for getting me put of my comfort zone. Ro, I didn’t think we’d meet again like this. Small world! You’re learning and improving the big events. Here’s hoping to many more!

Vic — For being Ace Trappola when very few others would. It’s refreshing to have someone tell it like it is. I wish I could be as bold and as honest as you are sometimes. You have such a big heart when it comes to the characters you love; it makes me want to adore them like you do too 🫶

Kana — For being so sweet and patient. You helped me through so many rough patches and have also contributed a lot to the look of the blog. It’s so fun gushing with you about magical girls and pretty boys, sharing our favorite shows and movies… I feel as though I’ve made a lifelong friend.

Zari — Thank you for charms and art book, big fan of your stuff 😭 So honored to have worked with you on projects too. I hope to see a lot more of your Yuu and other OCs around, I love following them ^^

Lala — You understand, encourage, and validate my weird tastes in fictional men 💕 Really admire your sense of fashion and stylish nails too. Whenever I have my shrimp apron on, I think of you.

Arisu — No longer in the Twst fandom but integral in the earliest days. Wherever you are now, I wish you nothing but happiness.

P-san — You’re a lifesaver!! Thank you so much for helping me find cute little outfits and accessories for my plushies… They are forever grateful to be properly clothed.

V, Fa, Fe, Ray, Rea, Sonny, Glimmer Group, and Incognito Crew — Thanks for being so supportive of my hyperfixation on Disney villain anime boys, even if you guys have NO clue what I’m rambling about half of the time. To V specifically 🫵 I am NOT a cat boy kisser

Mango — I didn’t know I wanted you in my life until you showed up uninvited one day and chewed your way into my heart.

Azul Ashengrotto — For being the character that first convinced me into giving this game a shot. The Little Mermaid was something I always held so dear to me, so it almost seems like destiny that you’d be the one to drag me down into Twst. You’ll always hold a special place in my heart for that, even if my feelings have changed since then.

Rook Hunt — For being there when I needed to laugh a little. It’s scary to glance over my shoulder sometimes, but you make it easier to smile as I look back.

Rollo Flamme — For letting me know that having negative feelings is normal and human, even if we don’t always cope with them in the healthiest of ways. Let’s reflect and be better together!

Leona Kingscholar — For showing me that change and personal growth is, in fact, possible. Th-This doesn’t mean I like you or anything though, so get off your high horse—

Jade Leech — For taking my hand and guiding me back on the path when I got lost in the dark. Whatever crimes you may commit in your free time, I forgive you/j

Miss Raven Crowley — The little black bird who could, the blog muse. I made you on a whim and look at where you are now… You went from a background character to the main character of your own story. So proud of you, my child 😭

Asset compilers, fan artists, fanfic writers, fan translators, cosplayers, merch makers, editors, plushie pic takers, video essayists, theorizers, etc. — You’re all so important to keeping the fandom alive, especially during periods of official content drought. It wouldn’t be feasible for me to list out all of the content creators I enjoy (chjsbsksks and it honestly might be awkward since I haven’t directly interacted with most of them), but I hope that this message still reaches you and finds you well. Keep doing your thing; I love seeing the work you put out ^^

Anyone and everyone that I’ve ever commissioned and/or received fan works from — I appreciate that you took time and energy out of your day to create something for me. There’s so much talent in the Twst fandom and I’m honored that you would dedicate some of that to a silly little birb.

You, the Readers — For supporting this blog and and what I do here! You’re an important part of my journey too.

Thank you!! Here’s to a future unknown and a page unwritten.

- The Writing Raven

[nappyron45]

A beautiful dream

[irideer]

🍵⊹ ࣪ ˖ 𓇢𓆸

[qu1etdays]

Greeted.

Dropped.

Displayed.

📸: Natalie Sleep

[seashellisinmyheart]

I havn't been this invested in a pilot in a long time. Zipped Up is being made by the wonderfully talented @minnyroll!

[firinnie]

I love this idea so much lol

I like the idea of Athena being gigantic even in her owl form because it would be obvious that she is not a regular owl, something divine. Definitely not of this world.(And I like the image of big owlthena on Odysseus's shoulder)

Anyway, imagine that Odysseus fell asleep one day, and Athena let him because it'd more efficient if he got proper rest.(No, she is not getting attached to this mortal, how dare you assume such a thing)

Cute and fluffy, right?

Now, imagine you're a servant in Ithacan palace, living your life, and oh, is that the prince? Maybe you should get him some blanket-

And there's a gigantic owl, clearly not from this realm, staring into your soul with glowing silver eyes, while the prince is sleeping peacefully beneath it.

Idk it's just really fun to imagine all the shanenigans that would've happened when Ody was younger :p

[mist-mistletoe]

[lauren-ce]

The fan translation of the Lappland and Texas origin manga is now finished in full!

Again, you can find the original Chinese here.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

[e-vay]

@all-stargamer99 : When we were talking in the Sonic Speed Cafe earlier this week, I mentioned I wanted to draw Aurora. So, here it is!Aurora’s one of my favorite fan characters, and I love seeing her show up on my dashboard. Thanks for the great content with her, and I can’t wait to see more!

���

E-vay: Wow @all-stargamer99, she looks even better in your style than I imagined! 🤩 Thank you so much for this, and thank you again for hanging out with me at the cafe!

[firinnie]

Oh my, you've got me thinking too much about this "another daughter of war" thing. And now I'm noticing how Hera's daughters' domains are absolutely far from Athena's. Did you catch that earlier?

Hebe is the goddess of youth, something that is consumed and lost by war & Eileithyia is the goddess of childbirth and pregnancy, something that becomes the tragedy of war. And something that Athena stays away from. Now I'm going to think even more about it.

Shit.

What's this mama's girl au athena's reaction when hera has ares?? I mean, a MALE god of war with her husband that doesn't get send away😭😭😭like we know it was not intentional but athena's mom is dead, pallas is dead, triton hates her, and her stepmom (the mom that TRIED to step up before zeus happened) JUST HAD A BABY BOY WITH HER SAME DOMAIN!!!!!

hehe you really guessed my plot-point there

That's gonna be a big deal actually, bc after Athena returns to Olympus she refuses to get any closer with Hera than Queen of Olympus and Royal Counselor (It hurts everyone involved) to protect herself from more pain.

And naturally, bc Hera is much more motherly in this AU, she's just adorable with baby Ares, and Athena remembers how warm that love feels but she can't have it anymore. She tries her hardest not to be mad at Ares or Hera for this bc "I don't even want this anymore anyway, it would just make me weak." But she also does not want to get close with Ares at all bc a) it hurts her and b) no attachments. Meanwhile Ares is like my sister is the coolest why won't she love me, and Hera is like 😢She does love you, sweetie, she's just very busy with her duties.

I think Athena would actually be scared that Ares would get sent away too bc Hera loves him so much, more than she ever loved her (Oh Athena, she loves you just as much) and she doesn't want him to go through this. Ofc, it hurts all the more once she realizes that Ares is allowed to be loved by Hera. Zeus doesn't mind not having to raise him. Not that he raised Athena, but he's still possessive over her (fuck him) So yeah, it's a constant reminder that she's a child of Zeus, and not of Hera...

[beardless-bearded-vulture]

Taxidermy American bison calf 🥺 made by Museumwinkel

[todaysbird]

Conservation Stickers by @CappyTrails

Proceeds go towards the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary :)

[ninjagood4]

My dad made a window display for Lloyd's WOW I'm so happy!!!! ITS BEAUTIFUL OMG 😭😭😭💚💚