#people of color in scifi and fantasy

[eepyestgirlthateverlive]

Who wants to be a test subject to my evil invention? Who knows what will happen, it could be fun. Just stand in front of the nozzle of my dastardly device and I will press the big red button to activate it. Simple as that.

[fantasy-anatomy-analyst]

Making Humanoids Less Human

I did make a small post on this, but now I've got the art for a much bigger and more detailed post! so here we go.

I had several anonymous asks that all came in quick succession weeks ago. Every single one of them was basically just a variation on "how would you take (typically humanoid) fantasy being, and make them look less human?"

This blog does not exist for me to just give people original designs for free, my goal is to show off my own personal thoughts about fantasy design and help people figure out how to adjust their own designs to fit their vision better. That means when people ask me questions about how to do something, I want to give them things to think about so they can come to their own conclusion. I don't mind making original designs to illustrate concepts, but a whole flood of "show me how to make this specific thing look different" all at once like that was too much. I'm not answering them all individually, it's just not what I want to do.

But what I can do is show my own thoughts and ideas about how to take any fantasy design and push it further away from "human", and you all can look at my ideas and figure out your own way to do things!

So here are the main 4 methods I've come up with to make humanoids look less human.

(image description: a simplified drawing of a humanoid face surrounded by four altered versions of the same face. clockwise starting from the top left, they are:

Speculative, drawn as a cat person. Additive, drawn with horns, pointy ears, sharp teeth, and a second pair of eyes. Subtractive, drawn with blank eyes, no nose, and no eyebrows. Exaggerative, drawn with a long face and huge eyes, as well as a wide mouth, narrow nose, and big ears.

end description)

I am personally a fan of the speculative route, which means exploring an alternate root of evolution to create a new design. Through this method, I've created monkey elves, frog goblins, and pig orcs.

the additive option is the most common, I think. adding new feature or doubled features to a humanoid form is a very intuitive way to change the design and make it look less human. you see this in most fantasy and scifi designs, like star trek aliens and the dnd player races.

subtractive and evaggerative are the most common options for people that like the uncanny valley. it's really easy to make uncomfortable designs by removing or exaggerating recognizable features, and they're often used together. Slenderman, for example, removes all facial features and skin color but also exaggerates the limbs and body.

Combining the four methods will give you a really interesting design as well! So for practice I decided to explore an alternate design for Tieflings, the part-demon player race in dnd.

(image description: four examples of differnt tiefling designs using the previously described methods. the additive example is just offical dnd art of a tiefling woman with purple skin, horns, and a long tail.

the subtractive sketch looks very alien, with a bald head, empty eyes, and no other facial featuers aside from a small mouth. it has three fingers per hand and two toe per foot.

the exaggerative sketch shows a hunched humanoid figure with huge eyes and big ears. the neck, limbs, and digits are all long with claws at the ends of the fingers and toes, and the limbs are also quite muscular.

the speculative sketch shows a bipedal figure with features similar to a giraffe, including a long neck, ossicones, and hooves.

end description)

now, because tielflings have such a distinct look to them, obviously my new sketches don't really look like tieflings, do they? the only one that comes close is the giraffe. relying only on one type of alteration to the human form has left the designs rather empty and lacking in the more iconic traits of the original concept. so i tried a sketch that combined my ideas! it came out looking like a completely different creature lol, like it could be a kobold or something, still not really a tiefling.

(image description: a sketch of a creature with a giraffe-like head, long tongue, and sharp teeth. it appears to be roaring at something and stands in a half-crouch. it has long limbs with hoof feet and clawed hands, as well as a long tufted tail curled behind it. end description.)

didn't work out. too far into the animal side of the speculative evolution, I think. so I tried again and got a design I liked much better!

(image description: a digital painting of a tiefling leaping back and casting a glowing orange spell. she is wearing a tunic with a corset and detached sleeves, as well as several pieces of jewelry. Her skin is purple with dark patches like a giraffe's spots, and she has a giraffe's ossicones as well as hoof-like hands and two-toed hoof feet. Her tail is long with a tuft at the end. She has glowing eyes and a flat nose, and there is a single sharp tooth visible poking out of the side of her mouth. end description.)

Brought the face back into slightly more human proportions and that helped a lot. Sometimes designs just take a few tries! that's normal.

and hopefully this is helpful to all of you! there are so many ways to alter humanoid designs to come up with something original and unique to you!

[librarycards]

do you have any tips for making reading more accessible for people with attention / focus issues and low energy? i feel like whenever i try to read, i'm missing huge chunks of information or otherwise not reading as closely as i would like due to having adhd, and it discourages me from reading entirely.

ty for the question! I've addressed this in some ways here and here, but i'm also listing some quick bullet points for both pleasure / leisure reading and for more intentional reading (it's important to have both in your life!)

intentional reading: citation managers, esp. Zotero, are your friend. Read slowly and annotate. annotation forces your brain to get out of skim-mode and really think about what you need to remember from a given passage! it's best to do this when you're not on a deadline, because you can take all of the time you need.

intentional reading: for many people, print is the only way they can read intentionally, as digital is too distracting. try printing readings or using only paper books, and get physical with them - colored highlighters and pens, post it notes, etc. physical engagement helps a lot! write in your books!

intentional reading and leisure reading: if you're worried about not retaining information, try doing a quick mental summary after every x number of pages, or every chapter, etc. like, okay, if your friend asked "what happened in chapter 3" what would you say? I do this all the time, especially when i'm reading more intricately plotted scifi/fantasy with lots of unfamiliar words/names, as i get confused. if it's a very popular book with existing summaries, you can also read a chapter summary after finishing a chapter and make connections/go back to places you didn't understand. this is the best use of sparknotes and similar services, imo.

for leisure reading: you're reading for fun, so make your environment as comfy as possible. do you have a drink or snack with you? do you have your annotation materials close? make reading as convenient as possible so that you don't have to interrupt your time.

if you're busy or work with your hands, try an audiobook! you can speed it up or slow it down, depending on your brain's processing speed. [i listen to mine on 2x speed (narrator accent permitting) bc i'm a maniac.]. for a lot of people, stimming while reading helps them stay focused, so if you stim by knitting/doing something with both hands, audio might be for you.

for leisure and intentional reading, especially if the book is very difficult, you can try listening to an audiobook while reading a physical copy! if you're in college and have accommodations, you might be able to get audio copies of otherwise unavailable books through disability services.

lastly, for leisure reading: don't be afraid to start basic. there's kind of a novella boom happening right now, and a lot of books below 200 pages getting the recognition they deserve (if people want, i can make a recs post for short books?). if you can read ten pages a day, you can finish a 200 page book in less than 3 weeks, which is a lot more encouraging than picking up a 600 page tome. if you want to start smaller, try 5 pages! some people assume that they need to read a ton immediately, but what matters is that you're enjoying it and getting something from it. Quality >>>>> quantity.

Let me know if this is helpful/if you have any other questions! Good luck and happy reading :)

[strawberryfairi]

Synopsis🌹: After discovering a strange yet alluring red book in a boutique bookstore, you find yourself sucked into a strange world, where all of your inner most desires exist…

Pairings: Wakasa Imaushi X Musician! Black Fem 🤎 Reader (ANYONE CAN READ🧚🏾‍♀️) Content: Author AU, scifi, Musician! reader, reader is a talented nerd, smutty (slow burn) romance, tiny doses of angst, adventure, futuristic city, magic?, !!sexual tension!!, etc (just find out the rest, lol)

w.c: 3.4k💠 Released: October 12

Previous | Next | Chapters Masterlist

A/N🧚🏾‍♀️: I figured I'd bless y'all with a little Saturday night smut, teehee🤭

C.W: Oral Sex (fem receiving)

Tags: @nixalozt @lilthana @wakasaishot (I hope y'all enjoy this chapter as well🌹)

↳ (Let me know via inbox or the comment section if you would also like to be tagged here for this story🩵). Enjoy guys!!

𝟑 || 𝐁𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐬

(Bliss Theme: Fantasy - Lost Traveler)

"Mmmm." You moan, licking your lips and raising the glass to take a much bigger sip than last time. And another one, then another.

"Easy, Doll. Don't drink it too fast." Wakasa muses with a grin.

You blink, as suddenly, the world around you seems somehow even brighter.  Then when you glance over at him, your heart does an overdramatic flip. His voice had sounded so different. It's like he has some kind of natural reverb affect, with the way it echoed softly in your mind like a faded whisper. It's much more sensual than before. But wait, now that you think about it, everything about him seems at least ten times more attractive than before. And that's saying something since he's already damn fine.

You go to open your mouth, but your words catch right in your throat. And that's when you feel it. This odd sensation in your eyes, a gentle little thrum that makes you blink again.

You blink once more, and one more time, then catch a look of your reflection in a nearby glass bottle on one of the bartender's shelves. Your eyes, they're glowing. But not just glowing like the bartender and other people's eyes, they're pulsing. With little, cute, neon pink hearts.

You do a double take, before turning back towards Wakasa, wondering if he's noticed the change in your eyes too. But as soon as your eyes land on him again, it feels like you've been pulled into some kind of trance. For a moment, the world around you seems to slow like a scene out of a movie. It almost plays a trick on your mind, making you believe for half a second that maybe time really has slowed down.

You stare at him openly, unashamedly, and for the first time in the history of you checking a guy out, you don't even try to hide it. The edges of your lips curl into a lazy, content smile as you tilt your head, fully taking in his appearance as if it were the first time.

Wakasa is striking in a way that seems almost unfair. His lilac colored eyes gleam under the dim lights of the underground club, their half-lidded, relaxed gaze giving the impression of someone who doesn't even need to try to be this devastatingly attractive.

His full lips are so dangerously tempting. Every word he speaks, every grin, it's like a bold dare for you to lean close and steal a kiss. Each little detail about him feels meticulously perfect, yet somehow completely effortless.

"You're feelin' it now, huh?" He says softly. His voice is almost tangible, like a gentle caress against your cheek that sends shivers down your spine. You giggle, the sound light and bubbly as it escapes your lips before you can stop it. Your fingers raise to toy bashfully with a coil of your thick hair, twisting it this way and that as you keep your heart eyed gaze locked onto him, unable to look away.

"Yeaah." You nod dumbly, "I feel so amazing." Another small burst of giggles leaves your lips.

Wakasa notices the shift in your demeanor, of course. His half-lidded eyes flickering down towards you as a faint smirk pulls at the corner of his lips. "You're lookin' at me like you've never seen a guy before." He teases.

You don't bother trying to deny it. Why should you? The drink in your system made it impossible to pretend, and honestly, you don't even want to. You let out another soft giggle, biting your lip as you continue to openly admire him.

"I've never seen one like you. You're beautiful." You sigh, your voice low yet airy. "Like...really beautiful."

Wakasa chuckles, the sound warm and amused, clearly enjoying your new found boldness. "Oh yeah?"

Your eyes lower subconsciously, shamelessly lingering on his tempting lips again before drifting back up to his eyes. "Yeaah." You reply, your voice almost a hum. You're still sitting there twirling your hair, cheeks on fire as the pink hearts relentlessly pulse in your eyes.

You feel so giddy, a little dazed by the effects of the drink, but mostly just completely and utterly captivated by him. It's like some kind of love spell, keeping you locked onto him and nobody or anything else.

"You're staring, Doll." He teases softly, leaning in towards you just a little.

"I know," You admit with a coy smile. "I can't help it."

He takes another long sip, finishing his drink with that smirk still present on his lips. "You're lucky you're cute."

You let out an excited little gasp, your heart catapulting itself against your chest. As soon as his words leave his lips, he blinks, and you notice those neon pink hearts begin to pulse from his eyes.

Excitement bubbles from deep within, and the only thing you wanna do, for some odd reason, is get on that dance floor with him.

"I wanna dance," You say softly, "I wanna dance with you."

Before he can answer, you take his hand and lead him away from the bar, the touch sending a ripple of electricity through you. Without protest he follows behind you onto the dance floor, the crowd parting for you both before closing back in like a tide. The music is much louder here, the bass thrumming deep in your chest, and the synths vibrating all through the walls of the place. It feels like stepping into another world.

You move to the center of the floor, surrounded by bodies swaying and shifting to the beat, each lost in their own euphoric trance. You turn to face him, his lilac eyes and pink hearts glowing under the flashing lights. There's a mischievous glint in them, but something more, too—something that makes you feel like you're the only person in the room.

Wakasa's hands rest low on your hips, pulling you close to him until there's barely any space left between you. His chest presses against yours, and you can feel the warmth of his body seeping into your own through your clothes.

You tilt your head up to find his eyes, and for a moment, the rest of the world falls away. There is only him. His sultry eyes, the way his hair frames his face, dyed strands catching the neon lights, and the faintest hint of a smile playing at his lips.

The music swirls around you two, the deep bass thudding in time with your heart. Every movement feels like a silent conversation—a brush of fingers, a sway of your hips, a tilt of your head—and the more you dance, the more you feel yourself getting lost in him. It's like he's drawing you in, pulling you further without any fight into his orbit. Into his world.

You don't even notice how close you both have gotten until your back is pressed tightly against his chest, both hands resting on your waist and holding you in place as you move together. The faint whisper of his scent triggers shivers to race down your spine. Your hands boldly place themselves overtop of his, adding a whole new level of closeness to your beautiful acquaintance.

Wakasa's lips brush faintly by your ear past your hair, and you can just feel the little smirk that tugs at them as he murmurs, "You look good with those little hearts in your eyes."

You blink, startled, realizing that the neon pink hearts are still there, pulsing and thrumming with fervent life in your eyes, all centered on Wakasa.

"How does Bliss even do this to our eyes?" You ask curiously.

"It's hard to explain the how, but I know you get these hearts when you're with someone you're attracted to." He explains with a hint of amusement in his tone.

You feel your cheeks heat up, but you don't shy away. Instead, you allow yourself to lean back into him and close your eyes, feeling the solid warmth of his body against yours.

"It's just 'cause you're so close to me," You reply playfully, your tone light and airy.

"Mhm." Wakasa agrees, but there's something in his voice, a knowingness, an intensity that makes you think he's fully aware of exactly the kind of effect he has on you.

"And maybe it's 'cause you're so close to me." His fingers trace feather-light patterns on your upper thighs near the hem of your dress, and you feel a deep flutter in your stomach that has absolutely nothing to do with the Bliss and everything to do with the man that's holding you.

The song shifts once more, slowing down, and you both move in sync, swaying gently to the softer beat. The crowd around you fades into the background, their movements becoming a blur of color and light. You bask in the way his hands leave flirtatious trails of electric fuzziness as he continues to slowly stroke your sides up and down. It's as if his hands are hypnotized by your body.

Then, in a low, deliciously sultry tone he asks, "What d'you wanna do now?"

You don't even hesitate with your response as you turn around to face him. "I wanna have smokin' hot sex with you; all night long." You tell him, your voice dripping with want as you look him right in the eyes.

His brows raise, for the first time looking genuinely caught of guard, though the amusement is clear on his face. Without another word, he wraps an arm around your waist, his other hand cupping your cheek as his lips crash onto yours for the most intoxicating, toe curling kiss you've ever received. It's searing like fire, and electric at the same time. His lips move against yours masterfully, caressing your lips and eliciting a soft moan that reverberates against his.

Your arms don't dare delay to wrap around his neck, his tongue coaxing your lips apart, and deepening the kiss. You feel so amazing, so alive. You're more alive than you've ever felt before, ever. And with everything in you, you don't want this to end. You love it here, right in this moment, somewhere far from reality, far from the dull monotony of real life.

It's magic here, and you wanna stay.

You can't help the small whine you let out as he slowly pulls away, the hearts in his eyes pulsing at a much faster pace than before as he gazes down at you.

"Come on." He says, his tone a bit breathless as he guides you through the sea of people by your hand. You nod, biting your lip excitedly.

He leads you down a hallway, painted electric blue with neon pink heart signs all over the walls and in a straight line along the ceiling, resembling the hearts that appear in people's eyes from the effect of Bliss. There's two other signs, one that points to the men's and another to the women's bathrooms.

You aren't completely sure which one he takes you into, as you're way too focused on being amazed at the way his lips move against yours yet he manages to skillfully enter the bathroom with you at the same time.

He picks you up with ease and sets you down on the edge of one of the bathroom sinks, hiking up your dress in the process. Wakasa pulls away, only to lay down a trail of fiery kisses along your exposed neck. Your face explodes with heat as you bite your lip, overwhelmed by the feeling of him hungrily sucking on your neck in between each kiss.

The sound of his lips against your skin and your soft, airy whimpers begin to echo like distant music in the dimly lit bathroom. He gives you hickeys everywhere you're most sensitive, licks your neck, kisses your collarbones.

"Wakasa, I-I-..." You trail off shyly, already losing whatever it was you were trying to say like it's a forgotten memory. He leans up, lifting his head to meet your gaze.

"What?" He murmurs against your lips.

"I don't know." You whisper back, your eyes immediately getting themselves lost in his.

"You gettin' shy on me now?" He teases, then sucks on your bottom lip gently, earning himself a needy, low pitched moan from you. "Mm mm."

"Good, 'cause I'm gonna spread your legs and make you cum on my tongue. How's that sound?" He asks sensually, the hearts in his eyes combined with the seriousness in his voice hypnotizing you. You feel your breath hitch as your heart clumsily skips a beat, and a deep, unmissable flutter between your legs. His words nearly knocked the wind out of you. You can't think of a time a man has ever been so sexually bold with you.

"That sounds fantastic." You sigh wistfully, your cheeks impossibly warm. Had you been fully in your right mind, you would've never agreed to doing something like this in such a risky, public place. But a part of you deep down knows full well how much you've always wanted to try it.

Looking at you with an amused expression, he pulls away, taking his hair down from it's previous style. You're mesmerized for a moment as his dyed hair cascades down to his shoulders, pretty purple mixing together with blonde. Then, he puts his hair back up, this time in a lazy bun. He kneels down in front of you, his hands gently stroking your plush thighs before spreading them open.

You bite your lip, the thrill of possibly getting caught pumping through your veins as he slowly pulls your black lace panties to the side. You whimper as cool air makes contact with your pussy. Wakasa stares hungrily for a while, cussing under his breath as he licks his lips. It's like he's a starved man, and you, his first meal in thirty days.

"I want you to watch me. Don't look away." He instructs lowly as he kisses your inner thighs. Butterflies erupt all throughout your stomach, giving him a lazy nod in response.

"Your pussy's so pretty..." He hums seductively, almost sounding like a moan.

You let out a deep gasp as he abruptly brings his face in, and runs his warm, wet tongue between your folds at a sickeningly delicious pace. He begins with open mouthed kisses, his tongue flicking upwards against your touch-starved clit every time his lips pull away. You jump a little with every abrupt stripe of his tongue, letting out a mixture between a startled whimper and a moan.

Then he sucks on your pearly clit, and his warm hands massage and caress your soft legs. Your own hands fly downwards, gripping onto his luscious hair as you let out a long, drawn out moan of pleasure.

Unconsciously, your legs try to close, clamping down and caging his head in place like a trap. He reacts quickly, grabbing underneath your thighs and holding your legs open.

He picks up the pace, fluttering his tongue and sucking on your clit a little rougher, forcing your moans to rise in volume. "Uuuughh!" You close your eyes, throwing your head back in pure ecstasy. He lets out a deep, low moan, the sound vibrating against your pussy and sending shockwaves up your body. He turns you on so much.

His tongue ventures down to your little, pink hole, pressing and prodding against it teasingly before sliding inside.

"Wakasa!", You cry out with a gasp, "That feels so goooood!" Your legs shake, and your heels slowly slide off of your feet, clacking against the hard ground. The moans you give him spur him on, and his movements become much dirtier, slurping you up messily.

"Ohh, uuugh!" Your small hands tighten their grip on his hair, subconsciously using it to press his face closer. You have officially become a coalescence of pants, and more whinier, sob-like moans. You get the feeling he likes it when you pull on his hair with the way he moans a bit louder against your pussy. You hear him panting, and occasionally taking a deeper breath, completely engulfed in this like it's his only purpose. He's on a mission.

You may not know much at all about this man, but one thing is for certain...

He is, indisputably, the king of oral sex.

It's the way he has your body twitching, toes curling, head thrown back and lips parted wide as mewls escape them like a running faucet. Every movement of his tongue is well thought out, strategically planned to sink you deeper and deeper into ecstasy. He's amazing. He's gotta know what he's doing to you.

Then, your eyes meet, and you swear you could cum just from the sight of him alone. Watching him worship your pussy has you instantly skyrocketing towards an orgasm that you can tell is about to be mind-fuzzing. His eyes are ablaze with lust, the hearts only working to further emphasize it. And his cheeks, you notice, are dusted lightly pink. He looks so damn good like this.

"Wa-Wakasa, mmm...'s so good! Please don't stop! I-I'm gonna cum!" You cry loudly, the slight anxiousness of being caught long forgotten. Your fingers tangle in his hair tighter, holding on like it's your sanity. You become a mess, nothing but loud moans and cries. 

You throw your head back, both hands pressing his head further against your throbbing pussy as your little toes curl. You can feel the pink hearts in your eyes pulsing at a rapid fire, reacting along with the rest of your body to his touch. It's overwhelming, his tongue working you up like this. He's freaking amazing.

"There you go, angel." He murmurs against you, the vibrations of his voice sending shivers through your core. "Lemme taste you."

And that was all you needed to finally reach the peak. You cum so satisfyingly hard, crying out loudly as your legs tremble. It's astounding, the way he so easily guided you straight into heaven. No man has ever made you cum so hard, so fast. Even you couldn't make yourself reach this level of pleasure.

He allows you to ride it out, then gives your pussy a gentle little kiss before he pulls away. You pant, your grip loosening as you lean back against the mirror behind you. With a blissful sigh, the corners of your lips shift into a little satisfied smile.

Wakasa gives you an amused look, "Looks like you liked it." He says, placing his hands on your waist. You look at him, heart eyed and dazed, pulling him gently into a lust filled kiss. Your all goes into it, giving him a silent show of gratitude. Then as you finally pull away from his soft lips you mutter, "Loved it."

His grin widens, and something in his eyes glimmers, making your stomach do a small flip. He doesn’t say anything at first, just watching you with that same knowing smirk. Wakasa leans back just a bit, giving you a moment to collect yourself, though his hands on your waist stay firmly in place, grounding you. 

"Good," He says, his tone light but with an underlying edge of satisfaction. "'Cause I’ve been thinkin' about doing that all night."

You feel your breath hitch at his words, your pulse quickening once more. Your mind is still reeling from just a moment ago, and now his words are making you feel even more off balance. You lick your lips, trying to steady yourself, but all you can think about is the way his mouth had felt on your pussy, and how much you want to feel it again.

He must have sensed it, the way you're still stuck on cloud nine, because he chuckles softly, his fingers stroking your sides in a way that sends those familiar shivers up your spine. "So," He starts, his voice smooth, almost too casual. "You wanna get out of here?"

You blink dumbly. "And go where?" 

Wakasa’s grin turns playful, that glint in his eyes never leaving. "My place," He replies, his voice a low murmur. Then, with a slightly teasing raise of his brow, he adds, "If you want."

The suggestion hangs in the air between the two of you, the weight of it making your pulse race even faster. For a moment, you just stare at him, your heart thudding wildly in your chest. The idea of leaving the crowded club, of being alone with him, makes you feel a tidal wave of exhilaration.

And honestly with the way he's looking at you, the astounding sex preview he'd just given you, and the bliss in your system—it makes your decision all too easy. You nod, your lips curling into an excited little smile, and despite the few butterflies swirling in your stomach, you tell him, "I'd love to." 

[alienarthouse]

A bit of a change of pace from my typical scifi spec bio, but I’ve been drawing a lot of fantasy art lately and started thinking about my goblins again.

In my D&D homebrew/original high fantasy world, Fulcire, the goblinoids (a family consisting of such species as the goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears) are distinct from the humanoids, having evolved from a different common ancestor. They are the older of the two families, having evolved somewhere between 20,000 and 70,000 years earlier. Goblins were the first of the family to evolve in their modern form, making them the oldest intelligent mortal life on the plane. They alternate between quadrupedal and bipedal stances, are opportunistic omnivores, surviving on a mix of gathering and scavenging, but never actively hunting. Before the modern age of city-building, they kept migratory paths that they traveled across over the span of several years. These days, though, they tend to live more sedentary lives in the isolation of deep wilderness, because where their’s and humanoid’s paths cross, a fight almost always seems to end up breaking out.

More fun facts below:

- As a weird quirk of their evolution, goblinoids are better able to understand large numbers as a concept than humanoids. Where the humanoid mind struggles to imagine numbers into the thousands, tens-of-thousands, and beyond, goblinoids do not. This is theorized to be due to the fact that goblinoids evolved from an animal that had a herd-like social structure, rather than a pack-like one. An individual could need to know hundreds to thousands of other people on a personal level, and those that could work in such large numbers tended to be the most successful members of the herd, eventually selecting towards this particular quirk. As a result, Goblins and goblinoids are fantastic trend-spotters, and have both a fantastic memory and a quick mind for mathematics. It’s no coincidence that their agriculture requires keeping careful track of plant and animal populations across wide tracts of land over many years, and figuring out how to manipulate them season-by-season to the benefit of both themselves, and for the local ecosystem.

- Goblin clothing and fashion is quite unique when compared to humanoid clothing. Goblins do have a taboo against nudity in most cultures, but the structure of their body means that what they must cover differs. All goblinoids are mammalian, though their breast tissue is on their stomach, not their chest. To have an exposed belly, then, is considered appropriate for men, but not women, in Goblin societies (this, of course, can vary depending on societal practices regarding nursing, but that’s a whole different topic). An exposed chest, meanwhile, is commonly considered a sign of bravery in warriors, though more often than not warriors will wear chest-plates in real combat. Everyday styles, such as an exposed chest, are designed to allow for ease of movement in both bipedal and quadrupedal stances. The classic shirt, as humans style it, tend to pull and rub at a Goblin’s shoulders, which are structured more like that of a very flexible cat than a human. A lean towards functionality does not stop Goblins from accessorizing, though, covering clothes in embroidery, beadwork, and decorating with anything that shines or makes a nice jingling sound. Patterns and motifs may stem from Goblin folklore and history, or may be adopted from other species’ cultures. Clothing style is not restricted based on sex in any case other than when it comes to nudity in a particular culture, but it is common for those with magical ability to wear styles that differ from those who do not.

- Goblins have brightly pigmented skin, ranging from green to yellow to red, with the depth of color believed to signal good health. They may very rarely have striped or spotted patterns on their skin, but if not painted-on, this tends to be the result of an individual having some hobgoblin or bugbear ancestry, rather than a naturally occurring pattern. Compared to humanoids, they have an extended hairline, which starts lower on the forehead, extending down the neck and back, and across the shoulders. It often stops at the low-back, but it is not unheard of to have a furred tail. They range between 2.5 to 3.5 feet in height when standing bipedally, though are taller when their ears are taken into account. They are mammalian, and give birth in litters of 1-3 pups per season. Goblins have retractable claws, and their teeth fall out regularly across the seasons, though they only fall out all at once if a Goblin is in truly dire health. Lost teeth are often given as a sign of affection to family, friends, and/or lovers. While Goblins may not be religious, they are often spiritual, and keeping a loved one’s tooth is thought to help keep track of them, in life and in death. In fact, when a particularly beloved Goblin passes, when they are interred below the roots or in the hollow of a tree, they are often buried with great numbers of living Goblin’s teeth, so that they may find and recognize one another again in the world beyond.

[gentlebeardsbarngrill]

PoC and queer people, and queers of color are not out here being mad at everyone for no reason. Did you guys think it was just a group of cishet white men who probably don’t even watch the show? We have begged all these years for aid, but it’s dystopian-like to see you guys come together and pay over $21 thousand for a billboard within a few hours. The “charities” aren’t listed, and even then seeing fans tell the organizers use all the money for advertisements is horrifying to say the least. Even more so adding on the creator is a Zionist and antiBlack, which again White people arent gonna give a shit about as they continue to show so in all fandoms. It’s the people affected that calls this guy out, and y’all don’t listen. Do what you want, but stop diminishing our voices as the “angry crowd” have some damn compassion

CW: Racism, Anti-Semitism, Zionism, This is a save space ship so please do not read if you don't have the spoons because there's heavy shit in here today. ------ Hi friend! First of all, I want to say thank you so much for reaching out and giving me some more information! Personally, I don't think what you're being mad about is "for no reason". For me, that's not where the issue lies, and perhaps you could provide me with some further insight. So far, the only kinds of responses to this campaign that I've encountered that are negative have been "Taika is a Zionist", and I have not encountered that "queers of color " we're having a problem. Now, that could be that I just haven't seen them and now that my reach is out a little further it's coming up-- which is great, I want to have a conversation about it. I am newer to the fandom so it's possible I just haven't been around for a lot of this in the past, I admit that. I would be more than happy to hear more about what it is that "Queers of Color" have a problem with regarding the show.

------

In regards to "Even more so adding on the creator (I'm assuming you're referring to Taika here as opposed to David Jenkins?) is a Zionist and antiBlack, which again White people arent gonna give a shit about as they continue to show so in all fandoms."

So, I can see why you feel that way. I've heard a lot from many people of color who feel as if they aren't being considered in a lot of fandoms (not specifically this one but general scifi , fantasy, etc). I am white, so I know that no matter what my background is culturally, I cannot understand the full extent of what our friends of color go through so I try to amplify the voices of those people when they bring information to the table. I do think this fandom cares, and would love to hear more if you're willing to provide it.

My First Question is, where is the narrative coming from that Taika is AntiBlack? He's of Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, an indigenous person, with jewish heritage. I did some googling (yes I realise that's not the most efficient or accurate tool, but I did try to find independant sources). The thing that sticks out most to me is regarding the 2020 following the death of George Floyd. Here is one of the articles I referenced:

Taika's tweet was "Watch the whole thing. Eloquent. Clear. Everyone is angry but there is a way to direct that anger." in response to Killer Mike's message asking “not burn your own house down” and instead “fortify your own house.” and to "Plot, plan, strategize, and organize" as he said in the video.

Now, I see a lot of reactions from people of color specifically stating "don't police my anger" and that is a 100% valid take. No one should be telling you how to channel your anger when as a society you are being murdered and you have to fight back to survive. I do think that everyone still has a lot to learn.

I am going to give you a little background on myself (not to toot my own horn, but to provide a little perspective on how much we are still learning). I am whiteyest white person there is, like I go outside and my skin practically lights on fire from my irish/eastern european ancestry, but I also have a black biological grandmother from Guayana who had ancestry back to many years before when slaves were brought over during the Atlantic Slave Trade. So growing up, even though I was white, I thought I had it all figured out on racism because my grandma was black. The narratives taught in US schools were that "racism was in the past" because schools had been white washed, and I grew up in Northern Virginia, where it was supposed to be "multicultural center of the country" since we were so close to DC. Over time, I started finding out from friends of color and indigenous friends that they were still experiencing racism towards them. I never knew, because I wouldn't have, it wasn't faced towards me. And I knew some-- but I didn't know enough even then 15 years ago. Roll around to 2010-12ish, several things occurred that made "black face" become more prominent and I had more discussions with my friends about what kind of racism they dealt with in their day to day lives. I used to color my arms when I was a kid with a brown marker because I wanted to look like my grandma. I found out at the ripe old age of 24 that was basically black face for a lot of people and that it wasn't ok.

2020 came, and George Floyd, and Brianna Taylor, Stephan Clark, Botham Jean, Freddie Gray and so many others were murdered by police and white supremacist shitwads, and suddenly, not just me but so many more white people started to get the slightest inkling of just HOW BAD it really was for black people in this country. That was the year honestly I started to question the systems of our government, and all the racial inequalities that I THOUGHT I had understood before.

Our government, our society culturally has tried its best to sweep racial inequality under the rug, and pretend like "racism is gone" when we still have systems built on racism, that benefit from racist systems of the past. (This is why it's so important that we keep fighting against people who want to white wash history books in a lot of the southern states like FL and TX) Is that an excuse? Of course not. But I believe in change whole-heartedly, and while I am still ashamed of the vast ignorance I had for so many years, and worry about the ignorance I still don't know I'm ignorant of, I do try to be better. I am trying to take that shame and continue to learn and chip away at my ignorance not only through others but on my own. I am not asking for you to pity, or to forgive me or any other white person for that kind of ignorance, what I'm doing here is trying to make a safe space to share and so you can see that people can actively change. Is it enough? Probably not, but it's a start.

-- Now, All that to say, regarding Taika... that tweet from 2020, as I said, quite a lot of people (of all colors) had their eyes opened that year to some pretty systemic racist horrors, and if that is the tweet that sparked the idea that Taika is "Anti-Black" I think, while you don't have to forgive him, it would be something to consider that quite a lot of people were well intending during that time but did not fully comprehend exactly how bad it was. I would however, if you'd be willing to chat with me in DMs about it, or send another ask, like to hear more if there was more evidence of it somewhere I didn't see.

-------- In regards to Taika being a Zionist... which I have heard from others quoting the letter he signed asking for the release of hostages in Gaza. I'm including a link to a copy of the letter just so people can read it, I realize the hollywood reporter isn't an amazing source, but it has the letter included, so thats why. Once again, when that letter came out back in October, quite a lot of people didn't actually know what was going on in Gaza.

We all heard brief things in our day to day news feed, but just like how everything is on the internet right now, information isn't "complete" it's broken up in fragments and it takes a really long time to compile them. There is misinformation galore, and it's incredibly easy to not hear the entire story. I know in October, I was dealing with health issues and I was completely just not paying attention what was going on (we all have our lives and as much as I'd like to say we can all be omniscient and fully present for all things it's truly not a reasonable expectation of any human being nor should it be, the world is a very large place, and we should help where we can but there's a limitation on human ability).

In my opinion, as someone who has tried a lot of their life to "do the right thing" and made a lot of mistakes and tried to learn from them, that letter, and Taika signing it seemed like a "Good intentions" situation again, hoping that he could help in someway. Am I making excuses for him? No, I'm expressing my perspective. I'm not here to change your opinion on him, I'm here to express why fans are still fighting for this show. Do you have other resources regarding his support of zionism?

What concerns me though as a whole, is people throwing 'Zionist' around very liberally these days. I am not an expert on the situation and I don't claim to be. However, growing up in DC when 9/11 happened, I can tell you that labels like that can get dangerous very VERY quickly. Muslim families I grew up with had their windows shattered with bricks on the night of 9/11 (and labeled terrorists) despite being pillars in the community and never having hurt a soul.

Right now, Zionist is a word that is being used to label someone in a very intense way, and it invokes dangerous responses in people. I do believe we really need to make sure we are labeling these situations properly because those kinds of labels CAN and WILL get out of hand very quickly and get people hurt.

I'm going to link to this article from the Anne Frank house to define Zionism. I am also going to list this article from the American Jewish Committee regarding racism and anti-semitism. Once again I'm not an expert on the situation going on in Gaza, and I'm happy to hear more regarding it.

-----------

In regards to your comments on the charities: There are some charities listed in a few places, they just aren't all part of the advertising campaign one:

The main one for Rainbow Youth is here: The Renew As a Crew Fundraiser (not the advertising one) https://ry-community.raisely.com/renewasacrew/ **The Advertising Campaign / Charities**

You mentioned in your ask "even then seeing fans tell the organisers use all the money for advertisements is horrifying to say the least".

I can understand why that would be horrifying to someone who is feeling raw the way that you are. It's completely valid. I would like to offer up the perspective that some people are very invested in this show for their own reasons (some people have never felt represented in major networks) and they too are allowed to feel excited and say things that might be in their own best interest. We are all allowed those opinions, and I think the more we shame people for wanting something, the less discussion we're going to be able to have. That said, I think the @renewasacrew leadership team made a good decision to stick to their original $10K for advertising, and the rest going to charity because of the confusion. It does the most good, and still allows the original intent -- to show the world how much Our Flag Means Death means to many people.

In regards to which charities they are going to -- I had seen somewhere that they were going to a charity Samba and Vico Ortiz had chosen but I asked the leadership team on twitter and this is what they responded with (which I think is fair, they're trying to take their time to make a good decision with the help of everyone involved).

-------------------

I would also like to point out however, that we do have the ability to care about more than one thing at once. One thing that makes life worth living is the little things that make us smile. I have a lot of stuff at home that makes life rough, and my escape is this gay pirate show, and this beautiful, compassionate community that supports it.

We are allowed to have things that we love as well as the things we fight for. I do a lot of my activism on facebook and in person, I don't bring it to tumblr much because this is the safe space for a lot of people to dream and have dreams. It is important for everyone's mental health to step away from the realities of life sometimes (which I know some people like those in Gaza or Ukraine can't do) or else we all burn out and can't help anymore.

I hope this helps a bit in showing you we do care about queers of color, and we do want to know more how we can help, and we are willing to listen. There's a lot of compassion in this community, and I think a lot of people would be willing to talk about it if things are done in a safe space. I do apologize that you feel like we've "diminished" your voices, that was not the intention. If you would like to use that voice to provide more examples and your views I'm happy to listen. I do think we need to allow people to enjoy things too though, because life's not worth living otherwise. Nothing is perfect, but we continue to try and improve.

I would also like to recommend that if the OFMD fandom renewal campaign is bothering folks, please feel free to block us. We don't want to make anyone feel bad, but we also want to express ourselves in a healthy manner. Much love your way Anon.

[tired-fandom-ndn]

I hope you don’t mind me asking, but I’m curious about what your take is on the claim that ao3 promotes/doesn’t properly regulate racist content. What are your thoughts on that?

Well, to start, the claim that ao3 promotes anything is false. There is no algorithm on ao3; everything is found and filtered by the users, not recommended or promoted. So I tend to see any claims about ao3 "promoting" fics as ignorant of the site's functions at best, deliberately misleading at worst.

In regards to regulation/moderation. . . who is the one deciding what fics are racist and should be removed?

Is it fics where a person of color is assaulted or killed in the story? What about ones that use racial slurs? Would a fic that plays into racist beliefs about a culture or ethnicity be removed and if not, why are those acceptable but other forms of racism aren't? Would fics about historical events be removed? What about general explorations of racism? Stories about racialized violence and hate crimes that are darker than other exploration fics? Where do depictions of racism in a fantasy or scifi setting fit into this?

Would the author be consulted for their opinion and the context over the accusations of racism? Would it make a difference if the author is a person of color? Would they have to prove that they're "allowed" to explore racism in their works?

And again, who is deciding this? Because people of color and other non-white people aren't a monolith and for every single person saying that a trope or story or whatever is racist, there's another person who thinks it's totally fine. People in the same cultures and communities can't even agree on what counts as appropriation when it comes to the use of our sacred cultural artifacts, why would I trust any tiny number of people to decide which fics deserve to exist and which don't? And that's not even getting into how there's so many kinds of racism and so many groups people can and are racist to, we would end up having to depend on people making decisions about what qualifies as racist for communities that they absolutely are not part of and have no authority over.

In terms of things like just adding an archive warnings tag for racism, the only actual purpose that would have is maybe making an author think about whether something in their fic qualifies as a depiction of racism. Otherwise, we have plenty of tags relating to racism that authors already use.

At the end of the day, racism is not going to be solved or curtailed by censoring fucking fanfiction. Racism on ao3 is a reflection of racism irl and the only way to combat it is by fighting racism in our everyday lives, including in fandoms. Fiction will continue to be racist as long as there's racism in society and fanfiction isn't the exception to that.

[nellasbookplanet]

Book recs: great, unique and creative worldbuilding in sci-fi

A note: most of the books on this list are ones I cherish very highly (some are on my all time favorites list!). A few had a lower overall rating for me personally but still stellar worldbuilding and are of what I'd consider good objective quality even if I subjectively didn’t super enjoy them.

For details on the books, continue under the readmore!

Other book rec posts:

Really cool fantasy worldbuilding

Mermaid books

Dark sapphic romances

Vampire books

Feed (Newsflesh series) by Mira Grant

Zombies and news bloggers and presidential elections, oh my! A look at the world post-post zombie apocalypse, when society has gotten back to its feet but the zombie virus is still very much active. Humanity as a whole has been forced to adapt to the ever-present threat. Largely political, character and worldbuilding focused. There is some zombie action, but it’s far from the central focus.

Shades of Grey (Shades of Grey series) by Jasper Fforde

Walking the very thin line of giving you just enough information to follow the plot and grasp the overall idea of the world, but not enough to create info dumps or hand you answers not yet earned, Shades of Grey presents a world in black and white, where your perception of color determines your place in society. Is it fantasy? Scifi? Post apocalypse? Who knows! I sure don’t! Occasionally it hands you a tidbit of information that seems like a remnant of our world and you feel like you're onto something, but then some pages later said tidbit is turned on its head and you're back to square one. It’s delightful.

This Alien Shore (Alien Shores series) by C.S. Friedman

Space opera in which humanity found a way to faster than light travel and began establishing colonies all over the galaxy, only to belatedly realize the method of FTL caused irreversible mutations and disabilities and leaving their nascent colonies to die. Much later, many of the colonies have survived and thrived, and one has found a new way of FTL travel, allowing an interconnected space society to grow. However, Earth is on the hunt for their method and is prepared to do anything to steal it. Aside from cool worldbuilding, This Alien Shore also features some interesting commentary on disability and accommodation. And there are extra-dimensional space dragons!

Ninefox Gambit (Machineries of Empire trilogy) by Yoon Ha Lee

Military space opera where belief and culture shape the laws of reality, causing all kinds of atrocities as empires do everything in their power to force as many people as possible to conform to their way of life to strengthen their technology and weapons. It’s also very queer, with gay, lesbian and trans major characters, albeit little to no romance.

Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch series) by Ann Leckie

Another space opera, in which sentient spaceships can walk the ground in stolen human bodies, so called ancillaries. One of these ancillaries, the sole survivor after the complete destruction of her ship and crew, is one the hunt for revenge. This series also does very cool things with gender!

The Quantum Thief (Jean le Flambeur series) by Hannu Rajaniemi

Place this one in the category of 'accept that you're gonna be confused as hell and just let the world wash over you'. The singularity has come and gone and humans can now easily upload, download and copy themselves into new bodies, not all of them human and not always willingly. Consciousnesses and time has become something close to currency. Follows a murder mystery on Mars.

Stray (Touchstone trilogy) by Andrea K. Höst

Young Adult. Cassandra accidentally walks through a wormhole and ends up on another planet, where she tries to survive in the abandoned ruins of a long since gone civilization. When rescue finally arrives, she soon finds her troubles are far from over as she gets embroiled in a war between her rescuers and monstrous creatures from dreamlike other dimensions. Mixes scifi elements such as space travel, vr and nanomachinery with fantasy tropes such as psychic powers, monsters, and interdimensional portals.

The Peacekeeper (The Good Lands series) by B.L. Blanchard

Alternate history in which Europe never colonized the Americas. Follow Ojibwe detective Chibenashi as he travels from his small home village to a city of living skyscrapers to solve a murder. While I found the mystery somewhat lacking, the worldbuilding and look at a contemporary North America never touched by European colonization is absolutely aces.

The Prey of Gods by Nicky Drayden

South African-set scifi featuring gods ancient and new, robots, dik-diks, and a gay teen with mind control abilities. An ancient goddess seeks to return to her true power no matter how many humans she has to sacrifice to get there. A little bit all over the place but very creative and fresh.

Leech by Hiron Ennes

I mean, this is probably scifi? Like Shades of Grey it hands you only just enough information to get by, and whether its historical fantasy, an alternate timeline, or futuristic post apocalypse is hard to determine. A sentient hive mind have taken over the entire medical profession to ensure the health of their host species. One of their doctors is sent off to an isolated location where they’re cut off from the rest of the hive mind, only to realize they’re faced with a rivaling parasitic entity.

Children of Time (Children of Time series) by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Millenia and generation spanning scifi. After the collapse of an empire, a planet once part of a project to uplift other species to sentience is left to develop on its own, resulting not in the intelligent monkeys once intended but in sentient giant spiders. Millenia later, what remains of humanity arrives looking for a new home.

Dreamsnake by Vonda N. McIntyre

A classic following a healer as she travels a post apocalyptic Earth with an alien dreamsnake to help people. When her snake dies, she must go on a journey to find a new one. The worldbuilding feels fairly vague, but not in an annoying way but in one that makes the world feel vast and mysterious and lived in. Just like in the real world you won’t get all the answers, but you do get the feeling of the world as a whole being much larger than the character and her quest.

The Outside (The Outside trilogy) by Ada Hoffman

AKA the book the put me in an existenial crisis. Souls are real, and they are used to feed AI gods in this lovecraftian inspired scifi where reality is warped and artifical gods stand against real, unfathomable ones. Autistic scientist Yasira is accused of heresy and, to save her eternal soul, is recruited by post-human cybernetic 'angels' to help hunt down her own former mentor, who is threatening to tear reality itself apart.

The Three-Body Problem (The Three-Body Problem series) Cixin Liu

While I felt the characters could’ve been better developed, this is undeniably a well-written novel featuring an alien race and culture developed on a planet vastly different from ours. Firmly in the realm of hard scifi, this is a realistic, fascinating and slightly terrifying look at how first contact may look.

Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente

Eurovision in space! If you lose, humanity is doomed! Good luck! The sentient species of the galaxy have chosen to face each other not in war but in a musical contest, and now humanity is invited to partake. The problem? If we lose, our species as a whole will be exterminated. While I found this book as a whole slightly gimmicky, it’s a fun and flashy experience with some wild and creative alien species.

Escaping Exodus (Escaping Exodus series) by Nicky Drayden

Seske is the heir to the leader of a clan living inside a gigantic, spacefaring beast, of which they frequently need to catch a new one to reside in as their presence slowly kills the beast from the inside. While I found the ending rushed with regards to plot and character, the worldbuilding is very fresh and the overall plot of survival and class struggle an interesting one.

The Stars are Legion by Kameron Hurley

More fucked up biological spaceships, this time all women edition! It’s weird, it's gross, there’s So Much Viscera, it has biotech but in the most horrific way imaginable. Had I to categorize it I would call it grimdark military sf. It’s an experience but not necessarily a pleasant one. Features a mass of slowly dying world-ships, and the conflicts arising between them as they struggle to survive. It’s also sapphic but not what I'd call romantic.

Isle of Broken Years by Jane Fletcher

Young spanish noblewoman Catalina thinks she’s done for when the ship she’s traveling on is attacked by pirates and she’s captured. Things gets worse when the entire crew is stranded on an inhospitable island where time works strangely, dangerous monsters terrorize the woods and something alien stops them from leaving. Strong Lost vibes. Lesbian romance. Admittedly quite indulgent but very fun and creative.

Vagabonds by Hao Jingfang

Slow and long and literary, Vagabonds presents a world a hundred years post a war of independence between Earth and Mars, after which two vastly different societies have grown. A close look at the impossibility of a utopia and how different circumstances allow for different cultures to grow, and how the two aren’t always compatible while neither is necessarily better or worse than the other.

Mortal Engines (Mortal Engines quartet) by Philip Reeve

Young Adult. On a barely survivable Earth humanity has taken to living on great wandering cities, hunting each other across the plains for resources. Tom lives in London, but when he intervenes to stop a murder, he falls off the city alongside a strange and hostile girl on the hunt for revenge. Aside from excellent worldbuilding this also features one of my most favorit female characters ever in Hester Shaw. If you’ve seen the movie, forget about it and read the book instead.

Too Like the Lightning (Terra Ignota series) by Ada Palmer

Centuries in the future, humanity has deliberatly engineered society to be as utopian as possible, politically, socially, sexually, religiously. Written in an enlightenment style and featuring questions of human nature and whether it’s possible to change it, and what price we're prepared to pay for peace, this book is simultaneously very heavy and very funny, and written in a very unique style. While still human, the society presented often feels starkly alien.

A Memory Called Empire (Teixcalaan duology) by Arkady Martine

Mahit, ambassador of a small station nation, arrives at the heart of the Teixcalaanli Empire, ready to battle for the continued independence of her people. In her head she carries part of the personality of her predecessor, there to guide her. A look at imperialism and the conflicting feelings of hate, fear and even admiration one can have towards empire. Also features a sapphic romance!

Gideon the Ninth (The Locked Tomb series) by Tamsyn Muir

I mean, you're on tumblr, you probably already know about this one. Trust me when I say it's exactly as good as people claim. There are indeed lesbian necromancers is space (quite a lot of them, actually), but also incredible worldbuilding that keeps growing with every new installment, interesting political commentary, morally complex characters with fucked up dynamics, and well-thought out plot that keeps you guessing until the last.

Railhead (Railhead trilogy) by Philip Reeve

Young Adult. Listen, Philip Reeve is so good at absolutely wild worldbuilding, I nearly included a third series of his on this list (hey go look up Larklight okay!). In a future where humanity travel between the stars using not spaceships but a portal-connected system of sentient trains, a young thief and street urchin is hired to steal something off of the Emperor's train.

Bonus AKA I haven't read these yet but they seem really cool

The Archive Undying by Emma Mieko Candon

More AI gods!

A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe by Alex White

Magic in space!

The Genesis of Misery by Neon Yang

Angels in space!

[booasaur]

Any new upcoming series with w/w?

Lol, I had a whole answer typed up and almost completed last night, I could only remember a few upcoming shows but added a bunch of ongoing and recent with descriptions and then the post editor hiccuped and removed most of it so I angrily went to sleep instead.

But maybe that was for the best, because this morning a video of upcoming f/f shows in April came out so now I can add a few more.

There's Dead Ringers, that show with Rachel Weisz playing twin gynecologists and since it's a genderbent adaptation of an existing movie we already know it's gonna be super messy. It would be pretty wild for Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies to not have some wlw and luckily it does, the trailer itself reveals a couple. Tiny Beautiful Things, with Kathryn Hahn and Sarah Pidgeon (Leah in The Wilds) playing her younger self, apparently Kathryn Hahn's character's daughter is queer. Slip is a kinda scifi, where a bored wife cheats on her husband and realizes every time she has sex with someone, she wakes up married to them. The show's about her trying to get back to her original life, and there are a series of different husbands, but also a few wives (also, the first "replacement" husband is played by Boorman's actor from Willow!). There are also the upcoming Thai dramas Be Mine, Reverse 4 You, and 23.5, as previously mentioned.

In terms of returning series coming back, there's the Disney cartoon The Owl House, getting its final ep. Single Drunk Female's second season is returning soon. It has a bi lead, and she did have a female love interest but it was pretty temporary compared to the will they/won't she has with the main character male love interest. Her Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor, also a very main character, is a lesbian, and she's married but her wife's actress is a regular on another show now so I dunno if she'll be back.

Welcome to Eden, a Spanish thriller about people trapped on an island with a cult, ended the first season on a major cliffhanger so it'll be exciting to see what happens now, though it feels like anyone could die so that's a bit nerve-wracking. It has a lot of different kinds of rep, f/f, m/m, trans, one of the gay guys is deaf too and it's a plot point that his boyfriend won't learn sign even though his friends have.

The Epix series From is a pretty well done horror series about people trapped in a town and who get hunted at night, it's more ominous and suspenseful than outright gory. It actually has three wlw, though one is mostly with one guy, the one who's engaged to a woman outside the town seems to be about to start a romance with another guy, and one is a teen who's crushing on the first woman, feels unrequited. I didn't know about any of them when I started, so they're a bonus, the show itself is rather compelling.

As for current shows, The Power (lol, get it, current) started last night on Prime, it's nice that after the misreading of Class of '07, this new show about girls does immediately have a wlw. Gap's already finished but it made such a splash, if you haven't watched, I'll mention it again. The other Thai drama, Show Me Love, is still airing. Fantasy Island is honestly kind of sweet, it feels like one of those '90s shows, episodic, bright colors and optimism, and great guest stars. One of the two leads, I'd say, or at least the second billed main, is queer.

We got our three firefighter shows, 9-1-1 with a solid (now) established relationship, Fire Country, a lesbian character but not much screentime, and of course Station 19, which is honestly winning me back in a huge way with their current storyline (if they land it).

Cop wlw update (why are there so many of them!): NCIS Hawai'i remains super cute, especially when Lucy is on, looks like Ayanna on Law & Order: Organized Crime got herself a new gf with a super hot voice, The Rookie: Feds still has Niecy Nash playing a super likable and bi lead. I couldn't stand the egregious copaganda in FBI: Most Wanted, and like, imagine how bad it'd have to be, when I can still watch all the rest of these shows, but Sheryll's still there, so. Sin Huellas (No Traces) has already finished but gets another mention for being as funny as it was, with a cute, hot couple at the center. Rabbit Hole's just started, but the initial antagonist/probable grudging ally's an FBI lady who within the first 10 minutes of the first ep dropped that she had a wife. Van der Valk has started its third season and though I'm gonna keep hoping Lucienne's INCREDIBLY hot ex from 2x03 returns, Lucienne, second billed, is plenty hot by herself. Ariana Guerra, who played the novitiate in Helstrom, has joined the second season of CSI: Vegas. Her character's bi and has a main character boyfriend but he seems like he'll most likely end up with a different character.

I'm not really going through these in any particular order, except combining the above two types, but let me just blow through the rest of the ongoing shows: the Canadian family comedy Run the Burbs has been quite sweet in how it's written the teen daughter, How I Met Your Father comes across as an old fashioned sitcom, except one of the characters is a lesbian. It's kind of fun in its familiarity and low stakes. I didn't expect to be as drawn into The Watchful Eye as I did, the trailer felt quite soapy and it was, at times, but all the nannies were great, and I ended up quite liking the f/f side couple. It's amazing what actual personalities can do. :o A Million Little Things is winding down its final season and Grace Park's character is engaged to Cameron Esposito's character so it feels pretty endgame at this point.

If you didn't watch or stopped watching Carnival Row because the main m/f relationship seemed so especially trite, you maaaay want to give it another look. I'm not nearly caught up with Bel-Air, but in the first season they wrote Ashley's sexuality really well, especially since she's so young. I'm sure you can't have missed my Perry Mason gifsets by now, but I can only reiterate what a great character Della Street is. One of the kids in Gotham Knights is bi (and her brother is trans!) but I'm not sure it's worth getting invested before cancellation. Unless the CW is only going to keep projects involving the Supernatural trio?

At this point, hoping everyone who's into wlw has at least tried Yellowjackets or is aware enough of it to know they don't want to try it. Las Pelotaris 1926 is a Spanish language historical drama about female athletes playing--well, the sport is basque pelota but if you need a reference point, it's like squash or racquetball. If you haven't yet caught up with RWBY, now would be an okay time. Lastly, I've still never watched any of Riverdale or even Choni clips, but its final season has just started and you know, I gotta respect the longevity of whatever they've been doing with them, however up and down they seem to have been, and perhaps this final season will be an up. From what I've seen on SM, they seem to get endgame soulmatey treatment more than any of the other ships and I can respect that.

Aside from the Thai dramas that might air after April and a few of the other shows that ended their seasons in March (or February in Gap's case), all of these have eps airing this month. After this year of cancellations, I think it's worth enjoying what we can, even as we acknowledge how much lead/main character rep and longevity we're losing. :o

[astriskssketchbook]

Hey everyone!

I just got a brand spanking new sketchbook for fantasy specific artwork!

Please send some suggestions and requests and I'll see if I can fill in some time to finish them!

Keep in mind I'm doing fantasy art, that means anything from the fun fairytale style material to dark fantasy is on the table!

(quality, method, medium and colors WILL vary, these are free BUT they're not free to use for profit, all art will be copyright as per copyright law. I do not permit my artwork to be used to feed/train AI)

DO NOT REQUEST:

-nsfw (at most you will see scantly cladded men in context to dark fantasy)

-hyper realism (sorry folks I have only so much I can offer)

-vehicles, modern architecture and scifi (not that I'm unwilling it's just not in the theme.

But what you CAN do:

- Fantasy style of something already around (like scifi to DND AU.)

- you can suggest to make up a character, you can make it as descriptive as possible but keep in mind it will be based on my interpretation of those descriptions

-animals, furries, people, yes surprisingly I can do a few mechanical things but only within the limits of D&D style mechanical automations.

- mythical characters, please just give me a name, location and culture and I'll do my best to provide the most justice to said entity.

-give an abstract idea, please keep your expectations low for this one and enjoy the free request.

My asks will be open, be patient because I'm doing this on my free time but content WILL be provided!

[phoenixlionme]

Caitlyn and Mizu Compare/Contrast

For some reason, I find that these two characters. Two different women from very different shows, have striking similarities to one another as well as differences.

Differences

Caitlyn comes from one of the wealthy families in her series; Mizu grew up broke poor

Caitlyn is driven towards helping others; Mizu is driven by revenge

Caitlyn's biracial heritage is never once brought up negatively, it's just a matter of fact; Mizu was viciously ostracized by many people because of her mixed heritage

Caitlyn was sheltered; Mizu was forced to live through and witness cruelty at a young age

Caitlyn is basically a saint; Mizu is an anti-hero at her best

Caitlyn's world is scifi/fantasy setting where the only bigotry is classism; Mizu lives in ordinary world (with the genre being of Western Samurai) and the accurate depictions of sexism, classism, and racism are all on full display

Caitlyn grew up with her parents in a loving, though controlling, household; Mizu doesn't know who her father is, had an abusive mother, and barely a place to call home

2. Similarities

Both are from one of the most popular adult-animated shows on Netflix, praised by critics and fans alike

Both are of East Asian descent - Caitlyn is half-Chinese; Mizu is half-Japanese

Skilled in respective traits - Caitlyn in marksmanship; Mizu in swordsmanship

They both have a connection to the color blue

Following from the previous point, both have blue eyes

They both have a strained relationship with their respective mothers - Caitlyn resents her mother meddling in her life as an adult; Mizu's "relationship" with her mother is just straight up abuse and neglect.

Both are biracial -> half Asian and half white

Both were ostracized -> Caitlyn stated she was a "misfit" herself and her Enforcer colleagues believes she's a rich, entitled brat; Mizu's ostracization is even more pronounced given how many people saw her biracialness as "demonic"

Have some sort of LGBT connection - Caitlyn is a lesbian and in an evolving romance with Vi; many LGBT fans have connected to Mizu because her struggles with her gender was similar to their own, and she's had palpable romantic tension with both a male and female character

[desastreus]

warning: i am an adult and might reblog/post adult things.

about me:

Dez, a colorful mystifying shapeshifting creature thing, is highly creative, when her thoughts allow it to exist freely.

current pronouns: she/it

gender hoard

identity things

other blogs you may know me from:

@adtula (inactive)

@sunbeamsofhope (inactive)

@smolstimmysoftie (inactive)

list of tags i use:

my writing

my art

about art (art & writing encouragement/positivity)

my wip's:

God of Death also known as Cat in the Hat : fantasy - in which Henry has to get over his past to help the God of Death in cat form undo a curse - this is just a silly wip

Our Time Trilogy : fantasy/scifi - people get mad from living in this city for too long - this wip is more serious

[tododeku-or-bust]

As a black femme im so tired of the black mean girl trope. I mostly watch scifi and fantasy tv and sometimes it feels like anytime theres a black girl on screen she is mean and cruel for no reason. Like when a white character is mean or cruel we get to see in depth their tragic backstory and how and why they got to be the way they are. But the black mean girl trope just feels like another excuse for a black female character to be ostracized and ridiculed and mistreated but its okay bcuz she deserves it for being mean. However all i can think abt whenever i see this trope is what if she was loved? Just once I'd like to see a black girl character be surrounded by ppl who love and cherish her and are kind to her...

I agree wholeheartedly! That last sentence is why I wrote my OC and her "canon" story the way I did. Black girls are not cherished and doted on as much as we should be, and frankly it would be nice if people thought we deserved to be and did.

But yeah, the Black mean girl is so old to me, ESPECIALLY when it's used in pairing with the Precocious Special White Girl Protagonist. I turn that shit off immediately. I do not care. I can't stand it. Like here I am supposed to fall for the poor little white girl bullied by the meanie Black girl, a bs concept already propagated in real life via the self victimization of white women towards women of color. I'm not watching that shit for fun lmao. No thanks! 👍🏾

It's also why I don't be falling for the "but their tragic backstory!" schtick with cruel, villainous white characters lmao. Bc we all know that same grace is not available for characters of color. Nope!

[brilliantfantasticgeronimo]

legend of ruby sunday let's gooo

TWO SHADES OF RED

ruby is so overhwelmed bless her lol

hOWS YOUR UNCLE. YOU SEXY BITCH SDKLFJ HOW YOU THINK!!!!??

they are making unit too quirky for them not to become a spin off lol

15 WILL flirt with your staff kate and you WILL endure it

screaming the clip was just the first clip. whats gonna happen

"Even I got that" SDKJ THE META

IS THAT SIGNIFICANT"

AAAAAAAAAAAAAA

ya'll are so self-conceited. millions of people are called susana. / i say this while vibrating at the rate of a neutrino star

"susan IS the name of my grandaughter" NOT WAS. IS !!!!

"we'll get him" is that a musk ref. rtd, musk is not a genius lol

"but what for" asking the tough questions

(also regeneration as a disguise…. what a good idea)

JUST DONT GO CHANGING YOURS OOK

"cant we just pipe in a bit of applause " the meta……..

mel pulling a 73!yards ruby

"we have another mystery woman" "ruby sundayyyyyyyyyyy" "you could've warned me" wtf i love tem. i love this. absolute bonkers vibes for a finale. (the horrors will start at any second)

ruby/rose flirting…….. ?? :eyes emoji:

doctor who wasMEANT to have a bunch of middle aged / old

women characters

stsly i love this energy "I love devina" amazing.

"you love to break the rules" she knows her uncle so well

WE CAN SHARPEN THE IMAGE. ENHANCE!!!

im enjoying how the fantasy / scifi plot mystery is tied to this very real personal thing for ruby.

ruby rose holding hands………………. im seeing.

"they never give me proper work" gee i wonder why rose!!! you think your mom wants you out there doing torchwood style suicide missions. cmon.

"he was a postman. she was a dinner lady" hmm

MEL IN HER LIL' ORANGE SCOOTER. OBSESSED!!!!!!!!

CARLA ON ACTION!!!!!!!!! GO GO GO

go get miss flood??????? A???????????

IM ALWAYS HIDING MYSELF AWAY

dont leave it to her oh my god. rip cherry.

(btw god bless. the hallway crack from the christmas special is still there lol)

ms flood nailing the old relative backhanded compliment

IT'S ABOUT TIME I CAUSE TROUBLE FOR MYSELF

HE WAITS NO MORE!!!!!!!!!!!

NOT QUITE. NOT YET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

im vibrating so much

oof this is so good. this is so TRUE. "you need roots of your own not a senile old man" updated to "i bring disaster"" aggg

15 is so healthy guys. so healthy

"what if you just said hello to her face?" i cant believe this is happening ya'll. russel really said "the five doctors was BULLSHIT. im gonna fix-it fix this shit" and went and did it. icon

ill have some of that <3 !!!! (lol thats right kate. he'll never trust u like them!!! deal with it)

a phoenix is just a bird until it burns… awesome. what the fuck does that mean

thats right stammer. you're barred from unit. motherfucker 15 is so rude. love him

MANCHESTER MOMENT

MASSIVE INFORMATION FROM THE VHS. I LOVE THIS ABSOLUTE NONESENSE.

ooo the music did a little thing. hold on to your butts babes we about to get DRAMA

unit has better toys. but are they competentent? LOL

clara and the leaf energy tbh (complimentary)

(oh is ruby susan's daughter therefore 15' daughter????) love the snow thing tbh . rtd was like im about to give dw fanartists an easy motif to add to their art for years. thanks king "time has tides and hollows and secrets"

(this transition effect………. very pertwee era intro….. :eyes emoji:) memory is time!!!!

"you cant move" omg impossible mission moment. fathers day moment. 15/ruby dont know how to step moment!!!!!!!!!!!

this is rtd's thought process lol "time … memory… ah shit.. MEMORY TIME MACHINE THERE WE GO"

damn carla and ruby got me here.

"my memory of this keeps changing"

rip chipzode probably

T.T rubes

what the actual fuclk

Close the window!!!!

when is that thing, inspector spacetime???????

it's the beast!! (carla dont name the undefined thing on the "everything becomes what you name it season" o h my gOD)

I AM IN HELL

im loving the coloring/lighting in this episode. everyone looks very sharp and nice

"i bring disaster" hehe

finally some good fucking [kate vs doctor antagonism]

15 frustrated because he finally has to come back from buying the cigarattes/ bread

"FINISHED? STOP GRIZZLING AND FIX IT". mel!!!!!!!!!!!!! thats

mel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i love you mel!!!!!!!!!!!!

rtd said im gonna write a season that is SO self referential. thank u

for writting this show for the weirdos only. (We might run out of disney money tomorrow but TODAY we relish)

brigadier picture!!!

missing episodes restoration commentary? lol (if i was rtd i would have named harriet ms. bachel color)

"i'd remember a handsome chap like you" um. let's no go there!!! thanks

i told u doc u absolute anxious nerd. there's millions of susans!!! (not convinced this isnt anything yet)

the music is doing things

"being an ambulance?" mel u have always been in doccy who. catch up!!!

reverse the polarity of the VHS

(ALSO very 00's/90's "therre's something hiding in the music if u play it backwards Zeitgeist ("Blink"'s dvd easter egg realness))

donna this is all ebcause you had to go and spill that damn coffee. chodizee's blood is on YOUR hands

leave the tardis alone… "then they get wise, and they try to destroy it"

"thank you, and i love you, and good bye" aaaaaaaaa

our tecnology spreads lies and fraud!!! im gonna count that as aBINGO. taking my prize in cash beebs. thank!!!

"you do not question, you move" ummmmm

master? rogue? valeyyard? rassilon? omega? suttek? omega??? rani?? ???

harriet arbingers. rip.

A DREAM OF A WORLD WITH ORANGE SKIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

lol love this. going over the theories

THE MARA MENTION!!! TEGAN NATIO N WE R I S E

suketh!!!!!! well there it is lol (damn wish i had rewatch Pyramids so i could be more excited about this dklfjsdklfjdskldfs) (also def saw ppl on reddit calling that "second anagram" ou t sdklfjsd)

"did you think i was family, doctor?" rude.

CONCLUSIONS!!!

tbh this had a looooot of good character moments but i think it was mostly a "putting the chessboard pieces in place" episode. still tho damn, those characters moments. highlighting carla/ruby giving me emotions, sutekh/doctor taunting, doctor/kate antagonism MY BELOVED, ruby/rose (best ship name?????), doctor/mel!!!!!!!!!!!!!! being everything!!!!, doctor finally dealing with the susan of it all!!!! (ilu for this rtd). doctor/ruby being super cute and queer before experiencing THE HORRORS, idk how i feel about the reveal since tbh i didnt care much for that serial sdlfkjsdfds but hey. anyway excited for next week. tv show reveal def coming for the second-act-reversal !!!!!/is a hopeless case ALSO enjoyed the filming of this as well (snow! vhs effect!!!) and this is def the most interesting UNIT has ever been lol

[tnc-n3cl]

For the title game: project 47 👀

@zeawesomebirdie come on down! You're the next contestant for the WIP game! [Legally safe knockoff version of music from a certain game show plays]

So I generally have a hard time naming things, so "Project 47" is pretty much a codename for a scif/fantasy hybrid original universe that spun off from a Final Fantasy/LoZ crossover. I say scifi/fantasy hybrid because while it's a near-future setting with an intersystem capable spacecraft, magic exists and in fact the spacecraft (technically an aerospace ship) runs on magitek (pretty much it's a fantasy themed airship, running off fantasy tech, with conventional rockets attached so it can reach orbit.)

I've talked about this project a bit before: here and here. So this time I'm going to ramble some about one of the major characters, Miras. Miras is an Avestren (a bird alien), the name was chosen back with "Project 47" was a FF/LoZ crossover and she was originally a Rito. Now this was back in the Wind Waker days and I had already decided to retcon the Rito as full birbs but kept the arms turning into wings thing. (Fun fact, Teba's appearance is actually pretty close to how I was picturing female Rito: raptor beaks, white feathers, dark wingtips. Cause well, *points at Medli*)

Miras started development as a fresh soldier having just graduated from an elite military academy (at some point I used the recurring "Red Wings" name from the Final Fantasy franchise) on her first assignment. Find the wielder of a legendary magic weapon who would save the world.

Eventually, I purged the LoZ elements from the project so it was purely Final Fantasy. At this point, Miras was no longer a Rito, but an unnamed bird race that fit the typical six limbed (arms, legs, wings) anthro bird mold.

After deciding to cut out the obvious Final Fantasy material (races, lore, etc.) and turning Project 47 into its own thing, Miras changed. She is now a Gunnery Sergeant in the Takara Alliance Defense Forces, Husark Corps, she's in 30-40's, has a mate and several children.

Normally Avestrens are flightless, their wings evolved/devolved back into arms. The fossil record for their people is broken so when and how this happened is unclear, but if you ask the clergy of a religious group known as the Children of Korus they'll say that Korus punished them by taking their wings for some unspecified sin. Miras however is a member of the Husark Corps, and elite military unit whose members have undergone surgery to install cybernetic devices.

These devices are mostly internal, however there are a series of semi-retractable "spikes" on the spine. These "spikes" provide a mind-to-machine interface with a flightpack that contains a fantasy based thrust engine and swarms of nanites. The nanites coalesce and harden to form wings, which are used for gliding and flight control. They can also be used defensively or offensively while on the ground. Basically it's my way of having flying bird people with arms and avoiding the logistical problems of six limbs and wings in the way.

Some basic information first, Miras is 2.05 m tall, weighs 47.6 kg, has light green eyes, and like typical female Avestrens has grey and white plumage (grey on back, white on underside). Avestrens have unique color stripes around their eyes and down the sides of their neck, and hers are dark red. In addition every Avestren has unique banding marks. Miras has a necklace pattern, bare chest, and broken stripes on her belly.

Avestren names are complicated, with a very long formal name that combines the individual's first name and family name. Avestrens do not marry in the human sense, so an individual would chose the family name of one of their parents (traditionally chosen along gender lines). Miras is her common name, "Mir" derived from her first name and "as" from her father's family name.

Miras mother is a member of the Children of Korus' clergy, and her father is a sapientologist (what Star Trek would call a xenoanthropologist, in universe an anthropologist would study specifically human cultures). As is tradition with members of the Children of Korus' clergy, Miras was trained to follow in her mother's footsteps. However, when Miras came of age (around 15) and gained her adult plumage a dark secret was revealed. She had a necklace pattern, and her siblings and parents did not. The only way to have that pattern is if one of your parents has it.

Long story short, the tesal (an Avestren word for adult male) Miras thought was her father was in fact not her biological father. This scandal became a crisis of faith for her and she instead decided to follow in the footsteps of tesal who raised her. Thus she chose his family name.

Unfortunately for her, fate had other plans. After the end of her freshman year in college she and her human BFF went to a government building to pick up some passports. (The human BFF was going on a overseas family trip over the break.) While they were exiting the building, a man bumped into Miras and she was about to tell him off. The man looked at her like she was a monster and that threw her off, he half-ass apologized and walked off. Miras and her friend went back to the car and when they got there the friend realized she left her cellphone at the security checkpoint.

As she makes her way back, the building explodes...

The friend dies, the man from before turns out to be a human supremacist and was gunning down survivors of the explosion, Miras is forced to fight and kill him, is wounded in the process and barely survives.

This incident triggers a global war (the human supremacist group had received assistance from another nation), Miras eventually joins the military. (But not before getting together with her mate and having her first brood, for reasons that are similar to Harth's reasoning in @unmaskedcardinal's Rito Chronicles in one scene, maybe in Age of Intolerance?). The war ends rather abruptly when an entire continent on another world freezes over in an instant, and a nation that had remained neutral in the war confronts the opposing airfleets with vastly superior technology and basically demands they stop fighting, while also giving them scientific evidence that the gods are real and are in fact energy beings on another plane of existence, and bring up prophecies of a Second Celestial War.

Miras remains in the military, a cold war starts between the Takara Alliance and its enemies, proxy wars cause no one wants to break the treaty and piss off the Pazran Coalition. She eventfully has a second brood, joins the Husark Corps (her mother didn't like that very much, but they still have a good relationship), and by the time the story proper would have started, she's become a drill instructor and had gone back to school to finish getting a degree in sapientology (a Master's IIRC). It's then that an Admiral from the Takara Alliance Air Defense Force approaches her with an opportunity, put that degree to work on the Korus and join the ground survey team on the world with the frozen continent.

Whew... Okay that's enough for now, though I'll happily ramble more later. *wink*

Thanks for the ask!

WIP game

[pikkish]

What’s your favourite part about writing and are there any particular tropes or genres you prefer?

Favorite part about writing is being able to cause emotion. I absolutely LOVE it when I write something and people respond just to say how it made them feel. The more viscerally gut-wrenching, the better. I just wanna make people feel things, yknow?

for tropes and genres, I try not to be too biased. Tropes are just tools for making a story, and genres are just colors of paint, or particular flavors. A skilled writer can make any trope into a good story, and any genre appealing. Likewise, a bad writer can make any trope or genre boring. So I try to base whether or not I like a story more on how well it's constructed and written, rather than just what tropes and genres apply to it.

That said, of course, certain tools can be more fun to use, and certain flavors appeal more than others. I like anger being presented as a good thing, or at least an acceptable thing, rather than something that needs to be suppressed or gotten over. I like characters who are undeniably and unshakably good despite having every reason to turn evil. Some internal or emotional conflict is fine, of course, necessary even, but I like it when they know who they are and what they want, and their bigger problems are figuring out how to get it. No particular preference for setting, fantasy, scifi, historical, modern day, it's all fine, but I tend to shy away from romance for romance's sake stories, and/or normal guy's real life normal problems stories- I like a bit more action and adventure. I'm sure there are other things, but those are the major ones off the top of my head.