#they don't exist to *do* anything other than make people spin on their wheels and focus on the wrong shit

[tumblezwei]

So really Blake is just as problematic as ghira is, why do we as a fandom just accept this?

"We as a fandom" accept Blake being "problematic" because we've already criticized the WF subplot to death. Like, dude. We know. We know the message put forth by the WF subplot is ignorant at best, trying to rehash the argument but this time arbitrarily focusing on a specific character isn't really doing what you seem to think it's doing.

And outside of the WF, Blake has plenty to love and plenty more depth. The message she's been written to believe is a single aspect of a complex character. It is entirely possible to criticize that subplot while being able to wholeheartedly enjoy Blake and the themes surrounding her.

If you can't, that's a you problem.

[doberbutts]

It's astonishing to see people say "All fear of men is reasonable and okay, but you shouldn't be afraid of black people obviously" and you having to reply, "Hey, question? Aren't black men people?" Everyone clinging to their fear of men while never examining their actions which could harm men of color, in this case, black men who have historically been killed and lynched in great numbers by white women weaponizing this fear to end their lives. Read the Will to Change! bell hooks talks about this! She talks about how white people, especially white men, have distracted from their own patriarchal masculinity by portraying violent women-haters as aberrant and abnormal (So, clearly Black men are more likely to be dangerous because they're already aberrant and abnormal in our white supremacist society). PLEASE understand your fear isn't fucking value-neutral and can be inherently be trusted!!!

Also, on the topic of patriarchal masculinity, I think that term really encompasses what we're talking about when we say male privilege is highly conditional. It's also what makes this uncritical man-hating so devious. Like, bell hooks says, contemporary feminism has provided a place for some women to construct a sense of self outside of sexist expectations, but the same can't be said about men. So by distrusting trans men, telling them they should accept feeling unwelcome in queer spaces because "your identity as a man means you have to earn other's trust (even if you haven't done anything other than exist), you're conflating transmasculinity with patriarchal masculinity. Which is so fucking damaging? Not to mention how people love to destroy and hurt transmasc's emotional selves, the same rituals that bell hooks talks about which so severely damage cis men (who were the book's main topic), and we're doing this to a marginalized, queer group who face immense systemic oppression.

Just--I hate how we mutilate trans men's emotional selves, demonize them because we assume all men possess patriarchal masculinity. I hate how we can't talk about marginalized men because apparently, that means we believe in misandry, when in reality, we're trying to talk about how men of color are portrayed as the worst of masculinity to deflect from white men's violence.

Disclaimer: Sorry for this big ass ask. Just seeing you have to respond to people with a basic lack of understanding of intersectionality and who weren't subtle about their racism--gosh.

And the biggest issue is that I understand why the kneejerk reflex happens- there's a lot of men who have engaged in the most bad faith of bad faith discussions about men's issues and somehow have turned it all onto "so it's WOMEN'S fault things are like this" rather than "so how do we work together with everyone in society to break free", and so a lot of people have their guard up from the start and don't care to listen to the last bit because they think it's more of the same.

Unfortunately, all this will do is continue to make us spin our wheels. We are always stronger together.

[milkweedman]

Supported Spindles: A Beginner's Jumping Off Point

I'm trying to put together an easy mostly-video post of how to learn supported spinning for my partner, but of course am publishing it for everyone. It's starting from the context of having some drop spindle experience, so that's what I'm assuming for the purpose of this short guide. I'm including some text information for easier referencing as well.

First--you might ask "Why spin supported at all?" That's a fair question. It's not the tool for everybody, but it fills some niches that drop spindles (and any other tool) don't, so it may be what you're looking for without you even knowing it. If you're not familiar with the wide variety of spinning tools and methods that exist, you probably don't know a ton about supported spindles. They can have many shapes and sizes, but the one thing they all have in common is that they must be in a bowl (or a spinning spoon, or some other similar curved, smooth item) to spin.

Each method and tool of spinning is suited to one thing or another, and supported spinning is suited to the following:

1) thinner yarns. While it's entirely possible to spin fine yarns on drop spindles, wheels, or what have you, supported spindles are MADE for fine spinning, and largely cannot deal with spinning thicker yarns. This makes supported spinning great for people who want to spin for 3 or 4 ply sock yarns, lace (normal lace but also the truly fine lace like wedding ring shawls), etc. However, even if you don't tend to use thin yarns, there are larger supported spindles that can handle a thicker single, so the boundaries can vary a lot.

2) sitting down and/or being stationary. drop spindles are notable for being able to be used while walking or otherwise on the go, but supported spindles, since they must be in a bowl, are best used sitting, laying, or standing at a counter. I have read about them used walking via a spinning spoon tucked into the belt, but cannot attest to how practical that is myself. This makes supported spinning great for car/train/bus rides, waiting in line, watching tv, laying in bed, or anything like that.

3) small spaces. The most ergonomic way to spin supported is sitting comfortably cross legged or in a chair, with your elbows tucked in and your hands up. Your spinning is contained entirely to your lap, and (depending on your spinning style) you don't need to extend your arms out or do anything fancy. I've spun supported on a very cramped train without bothering the stranger sitting next to me all that much, which I've never been able to do with a drop spindle. For me this makes it much more suitable for public transit than drop spindles, but I think that comes down to how you use each tool rather than the tool itself.

4) low energy. Supported spinning doesn't take much energy, because you are doing very little moving (mostly your hands and forearms). It can be a great activity for when you're sick, or before bed when winding down. It's also worth trying if chronic illness or disability is stopping you from spinning on your other tools--I had to give up the drop spindle as my primary spinning tool because my shoulders are wrecked, and I can only treadle a spinning wheel on good days, but I can usually spin supported no matter what. (If supported isn't accessible for you, an espinner is your next best bet).

5) cool sound. Can't overstate this one. A wooden spindle in a wooden bowl sounds so good. Skip the metal or ball bearing tip if you want to hear it.

Without further ado, here's some videos I've compiled that covered things I thought were helpful. As a disclaimer, I seem to learn exclusively by doing things myself, so if these videos don't work for you, try looking up "supported spinning for beginner" or something similar. There are a lot of videos, and almost every single one has a different technique. Anyway, best first:

Video: Supported Spinning Tutorial by Lori Rhone (link)

Key things from this video:

get used to flicking the spindle without any fiber (just as you should with any spinning tool). try forming an O with your fingers to trap the spindle tip so it has something to fall against, flick as close to the tip as you can manage, etc.

they show a good variety of spinning bowls, especially objects that aren't intended to be spinning bowls (salt cellars, egg bowls, etc). if your spindle spins well in it, it's a spinning bowl. try out lots of stuff if you're having trouble finding a good one.

good posture and positioning--stay comfortable and keep your arms close to you, try to stop yourself from doing weird contortions, etc.

they discuss the importance of building a balanced cop, and show on another spindle how the cop they built maintains the general shape of the empty spindle. this isn't necessary, but it's good practice and certainly good to keep in mind. with drop spindles the added weight of the yarn is usually what determines a full spindle first, but with supported spindles the shape and size of the cop (or your own patience for spinning endless fine yarn) can be what does it instead.

+++

Video: The Basics of Supported Spindle by Amy King (link)

Key things from this video:

the variety of different shapes of supported spindles (there are even more shapes than what they've shown as well)

that you need to pair spindles and bowls--they don't all work with each other equally well or at all (purple--don't worry, I tested the spindle with the bowl I sent you, they like each other)

another method to park and draft on supported spindles, which is essentially the same as on drop spindles

their sweater is fantastic

+++

Video: Supported Spindles--a few tips for beginners by Nikolai Meriadoc (link)

Key things from this video:

if you have a good bowl to spin in but it's unstable, try putting it in another bowl or nestled in a blanket or something else. this can stabilize it a lot.

pre-drafting very finely can help. i forgot to go into it in the video but multiple passes where you go finer each time is usually the way to go if starting from roving or another commercial prep, in my opinion. you could also diz your fiber if you're going for a more worsted prep.

picking a fine fiber like merino, bfl, rambouillet, etc. can help you draft finer as well.

the angle at which you hold your fiber/yarn is important. it should be almost vertical while spinning, and horizontal while winding on.

+++

Hopefully that can get you all started ! There are also articles on the subject although I didn't include any as they weren't relevant for who I'm making this for, so be sure to look into them if that's something that would be helpful for you.

And remember:

This post isn't for radfems. It was made by and for trans people who love men <3

[shieldslinger]

Tony slides into the room, fingers laced behind his back, projecting a faux innocence so hard it might as well be underlined in glittery gel pen. To be clear: He hasn't done anything wrong, per se; this is, he will insist, a strategic withholding of information until the best time to show his hand. And it's really not that big of a deal - at least, he doesn't think so - it's just a case of maybe knowing Steve too well and hedging his bets a little to ensure Steve doesn't mysteriously find something that he simply has to do, blah blah blah, stars, stripes, and Justice with a capital avoidance issue. Also? He thinks he maybe needs to pass on a warning before the main event. "Hey. I invited Clint and Hank for dinner Sunday. Kate, too." See? That's not so bad. He's broached it before, now he's just making good on it. Now on to the fun part: "Fair warning, though: If you see Clint acting weird - like how he acted with Jess Drew weird - just...Just let it go."

Routine maintenance for most people would be an oil change and airing up the tires. But for a bike meant to carry a super soldier around New York, Steve preferred to take the whole thing apart. As he checked each screw and gasket, he also searched for bugs and trackers, and made note of any pieces that needed to be replaced.

"Hey Vera, can you add this to the queue with Tony's fabricator?"

"Sure thing, doll." There was no clicking of heels, but he saw her holo-body move out the corner of his eye, leaning over to get closer look at the part, curled hair moving slightly. "You just want the one?"

"Make it two, just in case I mess up the replacement. Or so I have a spare on hand."

Vera gave a crisp salute before sauntering back over to her previous spot on the wheeled shop stool, holo-nail file returning to her hands. As Tony slunk into the room, Vera turned, giving him a flirty wink before continuing her slow spin back around. "Mister Rogers, you've got yourself a handsome gentleman caller."

Steve glanced up to her, then Tony, giving a small smile. "Thank you, Vera. That'll be all for the moment. Why don't you go check on those parts I need?"

Vera gave her best pout, which turned into an eye roll in the face of Steve's steady stare. She sighed dramatically and stood, walking past Tony and pausing. "You better tell me next, tiger."

She took another step and flickered out of existence.

Steve chuckled to himself, shaking his head. Despite it being Tony that had given Vera life, and it seemed his holo-assistant had taken on Steve's preference in men. One quick glance at his man let him know that Tony had something on his mind--some ambiguous piece of news he was trying to figure out how to break to Steve.

Steve picked up a toothbrush and began scrubbing.

Sunday dinner was one of the few meals they tried to have home cooked every single week, purposefully sitting in the dining room as a family. Inviting a few people--like Bucky or Carol--wasn't unusual. The guest list being Kate, Clint, and Hank wasn't weird. Frankly, what Tony was saying was less worrisome than how Tony was saying it. Like he was expecting Steve to... react badly?

Ah, and here was the proverbial other shoe. 'Acting weird like with Jess Drew.' Hm. They'd both been on a team with Clint and Jess. He didn't know Tony's experience, but Steve had lost count of the number of times he'd walked into the training simulator and had to "loudly forget" how "pin pads" worked to get the door open--hoping that by the time he walked in, everyone's clothes were back on.

Steve hummed and nodded, putting down the toothbrush and picking up a rag.

"So he and Hank are fucking?"

[thegreathomestuckreread]

been spinning my wheels again about whether or not i'm autistic

it would explain. so many things. and i feel like a lot of my experiences make so much more sense with that lens of processing the world applied to it

like at this point i've got over a decade of scattered research and reading trying to figure this shit out, including results from a smattering of self-report assessments where almost all of them place me in the autistic scoring range

but more recently all that's brought me to like. the emotional intensity of the autistic experience seems like a pretty crucial piece of the picture and i don't think i really meet that?? things like, i'm a highly empathetic person, but i don't think it's autistic high empathy, not debilitating like my high school friend who once started crying because i was describing an animal video to them. i have a hard time crying actually, it's something i do very infrequently. that's just one more specific example but just like in general, from what i can see the burning overwhelming intensity of emotion is kind of a really big part of the autistic experience, and i don't think i'm there, or at least not there with enough regularity for it to be like A Thing

and like i don't think i've ever had an experience that would fit the description of an autistic meltdown, or an autistic shutdown. i mean, maybe some of my experiences could fit into descriptions of a shutdown, but idk if the same intensity is there, and even if it is the frequency seems way too, well, infrequent to qualify. anything that might fit the description of a meltdown i think would be much better described as just a plain ol' emotional breakdown. and along the same lines i don't think i've ever experienced what would be called sensory overload

like even as a child i don't think the slipper fits on this stuff, i was perhaps a bit more emotionally intense than my peers but not like my autistic childhood best friend was, i didn't even really have tantrums that could have been mislabelled meltdowns

but there's so much other stuff that just makes so much sense. [i had a whole huge paragraph here but i've cut it and put it under the readmore at the bottom to cut length]

there's more. it's a lot. i've been adding things to this paragraph for at least 20 minutes now, maybe closer to 30. like there's a very good reason that i am still on this research thread after so many years. i just can't shake that i could be reading it all wrong

like all of the stuff i talk about causing me stress or whatever, i'm getting the sense that it's not with the same intensity as the autistic experience of that stress. like it really stresses me out yeah, but like. not enough maybe??????????? and that's kind of the thing with most of these traits i guess, i'm questioning whether i actually experience them with enough frequency and intensity that they would fall under autistic experiences

and like, i'm not going to seek professional assessment, because even with a diagnosis i don't know what that would do for me as an adult. the accommodations i got in school for my chronic illness covered any time i needed accommodations for brain reasons while i was in school, not like i plan on going back. and idk what i could even ask from a professional working environment

and at the end of the day if i'm not even seeking that what does it matter???? like can i not just exist as i am and keep using the tools that help me regardless of whether or not i may qualify as Diagnosably Autistic? i guess it all comes down to like, i don't want to water down what autism means by calling myself autistic if that's not really it. it would just be really nice to know why these things are hard and know there's a community of people who understand that. it just feels like if that's not it then what have i been doing wrong? if that's not it what am i doing wrong?? bluh

the childhood bullying and being confused as to why people didn't like me, the intense social anxiety in high school, struggling to start and end conversations that don't serve a logistical purpose, difficulty maintaining or initiating small-talk, how fucking hard it is to maintain friendships especially over time and distance, forgetting to fucking talk to people lol, literally all of the close friendships i've ever had being with people who are autistic or adhd or both, all of those people looping me in as neurodivergent without me even saying anything about it, my ex who said that when they were confused and frustrated trying to figure out what the fuck my deal was and complaining to their mom the two of them would use autism as a lens to talk out what the fuck my deal was and it was genuinely very helpful lmaooooo, my general inclination towards just telling the truth and how stressed i get about lying and dishonesty, the 'picky eating', the chewing the shit out of my lip, constant fiddling with my clothes and jewellery, being a 'high-energy child' (my mother's words) aka hyper bouncing off the walls, the specific noises that made me cover my ears and run away as a child (ripping up the bathmat and the sound of the vhs rewinder going really fast), the amount of stress i feel in unpredictable situations or when plans change unexpectedly or when i'm not prepared for a situation, how untethered i feel without some semblance of routine, the empty state of my brain when plans change and i don't know what to do with myself lol, how stressed the thought of not being in control of myself or being in an uncontrollable environment makes me, my systematizing and sorting and categorizing and organizing, when i learned what even numbers were as a child and immediately thought "those are my favourite numbers because they can be divided neatly", how i often speak in fractions and percentages, my attention to detail and noticing small details others don't (and sometimes having to pretend i don't notice things so i don't come across as 'nitpicking' or 'creepy'), researching and researching and researching for the smallest decisions, being overwhelmed with excessive options and just shutting down and not doing anything, general excessive indecisiveness, my god the fucking 'procrastination' on school assignments and communications and fun things that i would like to be doing, my 'literal' reading of school assignment outlines and surprise at seeing how classmates could twist the assignment and still do very well, my multi-year intense interests such as the sims 3 and homestuck and animal crossing, the fact that even when i play the sims i forget to make my sims talk to people until i realise their social meter is really low lol, how i lost so many things as a child, how if i don't have a written prioritized to-do list i tend to just faff about aimlessly and forget everything that i need to do and/or not get most or all of it done, the genetic factor of it running in both sides of my family

[positivelybeastly]

The quiet council are really corrupt aren't they? They seem like the kind of people who would risk people's live than their possession of power.

"What country do you come from? You're on a social media platform, typing in fluent English, so I would assume somewhere in what would be considered 'the western world' - America, the United Kingdom, Europe, etc. I do so hate to be the one to educate you, but this describes every single government that ever has, ever will, ever can exist."

"A government's purpose is to unify their country under a coherent policy, and while the details of that policy may change depending on your political leanings, the fundamental truth remains the same - it is the job of government to stay in power.

You leverage your natural resources to remain economically independent, you leverage your skill and expertise to remain in intellectual stride, you leverage your population to remain both militarily independent and maintain a steady growth rate."

"It just so happens that one of Krakoa's greatest natural resources is an infinite supply of mutants with powers that can change the world. People question why must Krakoa be this way, why must we have such a cavalier disregard for life, why must we treat our flesh as disposable - I say that this is a stupid question, because how else can Krakoa be?

Should we treat resurrection as something special, something hallowed? Oh, the sheep can do that if they want, with their bleating about, 'but do we KNOW them?' and their pitiful affirmations that we are anything other than regrown flesh, but anyone with half a brain knows the truth. Every single mutant with a genetic sample in our gene bank and a telepathic back-up in our Cerebro cradles is expendable. How could they not be?

Just as the humans at first treated television or penicillin as the newest wonder of the world at first, but then came to regard it as simply part of their natural born lives, so it shall go with resurrection. And that is correct. The Quiet Council should risk mutant lives. I'd rather they do that than anything inherently valuable."

"That being said, the Quiet Council are fools. Every single one of them is an idiot of the highest order. Spinning their wheels against one another rather than advancing our common good, that's the part I really take umbrage with. Well.

That, and meddling in my business."

Yeah, this is one of those things where, that's just the story. Every single member of the Quiet Council - and yes, I am absolutely including the 'good ones' like Storm, Jean Grey, Nightcrawler, Xavier, Magneto, etc - is a corrupt piece of shit with warped morality, and yeah, it's partly because that is . . . sort of, what modern government 'requires'?

It's hard to be ethical in a modern political scene, it really fucking is, especially if you want to be successful. You don't make friends by telling the people you want to rally behind you not to accept bribes, not to stab each other in the back, to put the people's interests before their own, etc. A degree of compromise is required to get anywhere.

But that being said, fuck all these fuckers.

Every single one of them signed off on Beast's genocide of Terra Verde. Jean Grey, vaunted 'heart' of the X-Men, just slapped him around a bit with telekinesis, and then left him to go on to do worse and worse things.

Every single one of them signed off on Beast's space prison (SERIOUSLY, FUCKING JUSTIFY THAT TO ME, MARVEL, THAT IS SO FUCKING EGREGIOUS).

They only turned on Beast when it affected someone that they all know, Logan. They only began to care when it was one of their own that got hurt in his machinations. And even then, they were still more than happy to let him act as a rogue agent against human interests rather than take him down.

And that's just in X-Force and Wolverine. Emma's manipulation of Havok and Empath for her political gain, anyone? The sheer rank fucking hypocrisy of sending Orphan-Maker to the Pit for the crime of killing two humans, of sending Havok to the Hellions for the crime of injuring three others, while X-Force just gets to do whatever it wants?

The sheer rank, vile hypocrisy. When fucking Nanny shows more care for people than you do? That's how you know it's fucked up.

Oh, shut the fuck up, Scott. You spent the Krakoan era schtupping Logan and Jean and playing war games instead of taking care of your brother - and you're either too much of a pussy to stand firm and tell him that Maddie's bad for him, or too blind to see that she's making him worse.

Either way, I don't want to hear shit about people not being pawns from the guy who formed the Utopia X-Force.

This also gives me an opportunity to talk about one of my favourite moments in the Krakoan era for Beast. Ready?

When the Director of X-Force, the Butcher of Terra Verde himself, is telling you that you failed your people because of political expediency, then I'm sorry, but you fucked up.

I'm really glad you feel bad about this, Emma.

Now fucking do something about it.

Fucking bullshit biotechnological oligarchy with fucked up morals and fucked up ethics and a fucked up death pit and a fucked up council and a fucked up everything.

People often complain about the Krakoan era not having great villains (Orchis got notably less threatening when they became just a palette swapped Sinister's army of palette swapped AIM beekeepers), and while that's true, there's an argument to be made that every single time someone stepped into the Quiet Council, you were being faced with twelve villains sitting at their desks, because they do not come out of the Krakoan era looking good.

Enough of them voted in favour of what X-Force did, or were happy to allow it complete carte blanche (which is just as bad if not worse), that I hold each and every one of them responsible.

Great story beats. Infuriating, in the way that all good political critique is. More of that, please.

[noblebs]

find the word

tagged by the illustrious @fortunatetragedy, thank you <3

Rules: You guys know what's up: ctrl+f your wip for the word, post a snippet, pick new words and tag other people.

My words: mouth, pace, pit, cell

tagging @thelittlestspider @revenantlore @coarsely to find these words: discovery, home, pink, quiet

here's a fun fact: of the ~23k words of my current draft so far there's 26 instances of "mouth." that's more than one mouth per a thousand words. it is a story about mouths, after all. anyway this one is from chapter 6:

"You mean when he was here before? Twenty-something years ago?" "Has it been that long?" Adeline shrugs, striking a match to light the stove. "Yes, he came to help Madrigal when she was in dire straits, poor dear. She's doing so much better now. It's a shame they missed each other; I'm sure she'd enjoy seeing him again." Orion forces another bite into her mouth before she can voice her derision. If this is Madrigal doing better, she can't imagine what she was up to at her worst. What kind of body count has she left in her wake because Devilant protected her and covered up her very existence? Orion swallows. "Where did she go?"

pace, from chapter 3:

"Whoa!" Devilant raises his hands open-palmed in surrender, joviality bubbling beneath his tone. "Easy, kid. Didn't mean nothing by it. Most of the folks they send my way aren't so spirited." One corner of his mouth twists like he made a private little joke for himself, and he sticks out one hand. "Truce?" Orion frowns steadily at him. She doesn't need to deal with this; she's received no guarantee that any information he might have will be useful or even relevant. The job could go a dozen different ways, and she's had to adapt to working on the fly with little or no research beforehand. Then again, having anything at all to start from could be a nice change of pace. Orion wouldn't dare to hope for an easy investigation, but she could be content with well-informed.

pit, from chapter 6:

"Every hell," is all he says, his tone longsuffering. Orion redirects them slightly to the left at random, keeping her attention on her feet to prevent herself from noticing possible landmarks. "Are you saying that's what you would have done?" Orion hesitates to weigh her response, then decides, "Only if it wasn't you. I've been to your house, I know you don't have anything worth blackmailing for." "You understand I have a pension, right?" "Oh." She grimaces. "Then maybe, but money is the most boring reason for blackmail." The vibration of his chuckle through the air warms the pit of her stomach, and she wishes her body would stop responding to the bass of his voice. "Of course it is."

I couldn't find any cells :( nor anything related to a biological cell, so I tried looking for synonyms like prison and this is? sort of related? it's the closest I can think of anyway lol. warrant, from chapter 5:

He is also drenched in Madrigal's blood. It stains his neck and chest, a thick streak of it down his torso and splattered like constellations on his arms and face. It cakes in the grooves between his fangs to limn them in a brownish red. In spite of how little it matters by comparison, his now-useless habits spin wheels in the back of his mind, and he thinks about being found unconscious like this and the easy connections that would be made—no wounds on his own body, the splatter thickest around the sharp and guileful grin of his throat. Devilant has cleaned up after enough monsters in his time to recognize the depth of the mess he's discovered, to know he's looking at an Annex case file not yet opened. Thirteen hours is a long time. Plenty of it to make a call to the Iowa office, for a case number assigned and an employment contract terminated, for an arrest warrant to be reinstated.

[notmoreflippingelves]

A, E, M?

A - Ships that you currently like a lot. (They don’t have to be OTPs because not everyone has OTPs.) Friendships, pairings, threesomes, etc. are allowed.

*whispers* Elena/Esteban (EoA S3 era or afterward). Either just the two of them or an OT3 w/ a third character( that I won't spoil b/c my friend is still catching up w/ the show and there are specific plot reasons why specifically these 3 together give me every feeling). But like, platonic is good too. I guess. Even if my feral little gremlin brain is like "yes, my precious..."the whole time. To be fair though, pretty much anyone with Esteban will probably make my brain spin happily as though on a hamster wheel. Also from EoA, Princess Valentina deserves to smooch *everyone* and it makes me sad that there isn't more content of her with anyone other than Alonso or occasionally Elena. (Esp. feeling the lack of Val/Naomi, Val/Chloe, and Val/Esteban content.)

I mean Phoenix/Kristoph from Ace Attorney will always have huge chunk of my heart and they still do even if Kris is no longer my main blorbo. Also from Ace Attorney, Gumshoe/Lang/Edgeworth are still THE OT3 (and Kay & Gumshoe & Edgeworth are THE BROT3) and Apollo/Klavier/Ema are the 2nd fave OT3 (tho I can literally only conceive of them as a poly ship. I can't ship any other permutations of them.) I've also as of late been having a lot of Cykesquill feelings which I imagine will only intensify when the AA 4-6 port comes out and I can revisit Dual Destinies.

I haven't really been doing much except thinking, reblogging and admiring from a distance, but "Rebel Captain" (Jyn Erso/Cassian Andor from Star Wars) have also been hitting all my buttons lately. Just the inherent eroticism of being narratively coded as soulmates AND also literally doomed by the narrative at what should've been the beginning of their story. It's just so good.

I've also been missing Malcolm/Nicola from The Thick of It and Jane/Michael from Jane the Virgin a lot lately. Just nostalgia for old OTPs coming back and hitting me unexpectedly in the feels.

I also had an unexpected craving for Gwydion/Achren from The Chronicles of Prydain recently. And was dismayed to learn that it barely exists. Not that I should've been surprised. The fandom itself is pretty tiny and I am queen of the rare pairs after all. But the potential is just exquisite and it's depressing that barely anyone else sees the vision.

E - Have you added anything cracky/hilarious to your fandom? If so, what?

"Adding to your fandom" makes it sound so serious and powerful. I don't think I have that kind of sway. Maybe in the Father Brown fandom a few years ago but like probably not any more. Though people did seem to like the Barbie Selfie Generator post I made for the characters. I think I was one of the first people using/popularizing "malcola" as ship name for Malcolm/Nicola and I did make a (not very funny) joke (that Nicola might have appreciated) that they are the "bad soda" ship because "mal" as in the root for "bad" and "cola" as in "coca-cola."

I've also made some pretty outrageous things for AA that almost no one knows about since I didn't widely share them and I have no wider influence on the fandom as a whole. The most notable and hilarious of which is an absolute absurd batshit AU that my friend and I came up that just exploded to the most ridiculous and entertaining (imo) nonsense imaginable. (Ask me about the "larryan and the klavengers" I dare you. You will almost certainly regret it. But I probably won't :P)

M - Name a character that you’d like to have for a friend.

It's tricky to say, since a lot of the characters that I am drawn to aren't necessarily the same characters I would want to hang w/ irl. In part because there's usually a lot of projection going on and because I'm awkward/shy/sensitive and I just sort of assume that my faves wouldn't want to be around me even if I wanted to be around them.

However, I feel somewhat safe in saying that I would probably get along well w/ (and feel really cherished and validated by/happy around) Athena Cykes from Ace Attorney and the title character of Father Brown. (I mean probably the whole squad tbh but Fr. B is an especial case. He's so kind and he would look out for me even if I felt intimidated/shy/overwhelmed by the rest of the squad's utter fabulousness.)

Link to Questions

[funkymbtifiction]

Disclaimer: Am 6w7 613 so/sp ISFJ (at least for now.)

I have a few different “is this x behavior” scenarios below.

===

The ENTJ tendency to date someone for the first time, not talk to them when they break your heart, then 9 months later realize they’re the only person in town you trust to talk about personal stuff and begin talking to them again like nothing has happened. <- often NJ types do not change their mind easily; their impression of someone tends to stay fixed, unless something outside themselves shakes them up -- so if they have been burned by someone, they are far less likely to give them a "second chance" than a Ne user. But ETJs also struggle to accept their emotions as valid or important (or anyone else's), so they might act as if nothing has happened because in their mind, it wasn't important anyway, and not consider the awkwardness on the other person's part.

===

The 6w7 with heavy frustration influence tendency to have imaginary arguments in your head with somebody, defending yourself against imaginary arguments with real people which will probably never happen, JUST in case it comes up. <- yup, that's 6. Proactively thinking they have to 'defend' themselves and reacting against their own mind, being constantly on the "offensive/defensive" line.

Something that helps me is to ask myself -- so what?

If I am wrong, so what? If I make the wrong choice, so what? If I don't want to do this, so what? What happens? Defending yourself is optional. You don't have to do it. You don't even have to explain if you don't want to. Let that sink in, before you go on another imaginary boxing match with people who don't exist. Choose to not engage. It is amazing and so freeing not to have your mind constantly spinning with excuses, justifications, and arguments. Just... let it be still.

It doesn't mean the instinct isn't there, just that we don't have to participate in it. I ran into someone the other day who was wrong about me, and although I did spin the wheel for a little bit (why would he think that about me?), ultimately I chose not to engage. He can think the wrong thing about me; so what?

===

The INTP tendency to be upset that a break in school is coming up because without a schedule for each day they’re afraid nothing will happen & they’ll stay inside and stagnate.

Hahaha. This sounds like the withdrawn triad, since it isn't occurring to them if they want things to happen in their life, they have to make them happen. They could just, you know, go outside? Like, your life is yours, man. Spend your school break learning about new stuff, going to the library, or watching bad television -- who cares? External structure is great, but if not having it bothers you, make up your own! Have initiative and decide what you want to do and go do it.

===

The IFJ tendency to go back and forth on whether you’re really an extrovert (this is me.) Specifically, I don’t feel right identifying as an ESFJ or extrovert because people would expect me to be high-energy, always enjoy meeting new people and going to crowded events, and I usually don’t.

It's interesting how this reads. Give it another read. Notice anything? Because people would expect me to...

Just curious. How much of your internal dialogue and focus goes to other people and their expectations of you? That's the crux of the matter in a nutshell. EFJs think about this constantly. It's the air they breathe and the water they swim in. All their thoughts are about people, about their role in people's lives, about what people expect of them, about how to engage with other people, be there for them, seeing others as an extension of themselves. It's less about being social or animated or extroverted in a traditional sense, and more about this constant others-referencing that keeps them motivated to think about others and disinclined to care about their own needs. As a social 6 in particular, there will be lots of thinking about everyone's welfare, doing what's best for all involved, maintaining connections, keeping everyone safe, etc. More that than the individualized, more "me" focused social 6 thinking of an ISFJ, who worries more about practical concerns (Si) and their analytical process (grinding their wheels as they think, re-think, and re-think, over and over again). 6+ inferior Ne = I have to keep my cell phone charged in case someone calls me in the middle of the night to tell me someone died! 6+ ESFJ = there's twenty ways this could go wrong so I need to prepare for all of them and stay on top of this (EFJ desire for control).

But if I realize I don’t have any plans involving one-on-one time with people for the next 2-3 days, I tend to panic and reach out to individuals. [...] I’m EXTREMELY social and people-driven.

You may have just answered your own question. ESFJ.

But I noticed lately that I’ve been sort of doing “quantity over quality” and not getting a lot of depth with people, and spent around 5 days without structured social plans (I’m also sick and jet lagged so was recovering.) It was nice, it felt like getting in touch with myself again.

If it takes being sick and tired to make you slow down and have less room for people in your life, which allows you to get re-centered, this indicates this is a forced process -- an extrovert who doesn't take the down time they need to figure out what they want, because their entire life revolves around their family and friends. EFJ, in short.

I’m unclear if I’m secretly a shy ESFJ all this time or an ISFJ who had a very social era which tired me out a bit. <- why assume a true introvert could become an extrovert for a long time? go with the simpler explanation here. "My life is all about people" = EFJ. :)

===

What is intuition?

I feel like I have three main ways in which I acquire knowledge:

1. I learn or experience it directly (brussels sprouts tend to be better baked for around 25 minutes than 20 or 30)

2. I feel an emotion, which isn’t an “experience” but is knowledge (I hate when people ask questions of others they don’t mean, or I really like learning about smell)

3. I do deductive reasoning to come to a conclusion I wasn’t told directly (these two people are looking at each other a certain way and seem unusually interested in each others’ lives; they want to date. Or, this person is lonely, they have a certain sadness to them when they talk about social things in the past.)

These three methods for me line up with sensing, feeling, and thinking. Intuition for me is the “none of the above;” i.e. I feel weirdly confident something is true despite having no observations, lines of reasoning, or emotions which line up with that conclusion, and can’t figure out why I think that. Thinking can resemble “intuition” for me sometimes in that I can come to conclusions which surprise others as insightful, but I KNOW how I figured that out because I could list the reasons if needed.

Intuition is ideas like “I have a feeling that I would really enjoy visiting Georgia someday” even though I don’t know much about it, or “I have a feeling going to this new school would solve my current social stagnation.” Recently I’ve been struggling with feeling convinced that my partner doesn’t want to be with me anymore, and I have NO idea where it’s coming from. It doesn’t feel like the usual emotional insecurity “maybe-maybe not what would I do,” it just feels like “this is probably true; better prepare.” Logically, I have no reason to be right. How do I know if intuition is true or when I should put any stock in it at all?

Intuition is assumptions without proof, some of which turn out to be accurate and others which do not. Intuition is just knowing that you should try this, or that it's going to work out, and giving it room to unfold by believing in it.

Regarding your relationship, as a 6 you need to be mindful of the fact that you are looking for something going wrong in a relationship, for warning flags, for signs of disinterest or boredom, because you are anxious about losing the connection. 6s project their insecurities onto their partner and assume the worst (my fear of them losing interest in me makes me convinced they are losing interest in me!). The best way to clear the air is -- ask your partner if you are okay. Get it out into the open. If they are on their way out the door, it's way better to rip of the band-aid so you can process it now, instead of thinking about it, watching them for signs it's going to happen, and waiting for the bomb to drop.

[eric-the-bmo]

ok spin wheel for Carrot and Cherry but. Watermelon for Theo if there is somethin if not spin wheel again

ooh hell yeah okay let's go!!

this is. lets go man my brain's just here 🥕 [CARROT] How tough is your OC against certain situations? How weak are they against others?

ooh let's see who i get-

Oh my god MONARCH MY BOY- Monarch is,,,, so cringefail [/affectionate]. They're so bad at most things needed to survive in their world: They choose aesthetic over how powerful a weapon is, don't really know how to strategize that much, they kinda panic when up against stronger foes, they're like,, not good at this and would totally die a lot more if it wasn't for their royal guard helping them out. He kinda fumbles with combat at times, but can normally hold his own- the problem is facing up against stronger enemies and Bosses,,, However! Monarch is very good at building and decorating! Sure, he's not the best compared to everyone else that exists in the world, but he's better than everyone else he knows! Not to mention, this kid has a lot of charisma and charm [see: arrogance] to make up for his lack of combat skill. And, well, since he's died a lot, he kind of exercises a lot of caution when exploring new places (like caves, or Hell), however that caution is completely discarded when compared to his reckless curiousity and his commitment to the bit [see: the time they set off a trapped chest while his guard was trying to disarm it]

(oh when you're an immortal self-proclaimed evil overlord you get into so many shenanigans)

🍒 [CHERRY] Who is your OC's perfect companion?

ooh, cute!

oh shit it's been a while since i've thought about this guy, uh-

I want to say Penelope? That's his wife, after all; however, yknow, after spending a lot of time in a half-dead state solely kept alive by a sentient star, I'd say maybe the star??

Or is this a question asking what kind of person would balance him out?? Or about an animal companion???

This question is so vague and Ody is more of a Concept, still, really- anyway. moving on. hmg watermelon, a good fruit.

🍉 [WATERMELON] What will your OC take to the grave?

...HEY. QUOW????? SIR?? hm. this is actually a good question? I don't think Theodore's done anything too horrible yet. Like he's 19 year old with anxiety, yknow?

However, the fact he's a Changeling; you don't really want normal people finding out about that, y'know? Don't wanna get taken to a psych ward,,,,

[what if i just make something up, huh? catch me projecting an Experience onto this guy and saying the only time he got high was because he accidentally took too much of his anxiety meds once /lh]

ok ok let's do the Wheel for Watermelon lets go-

Oh this is easy- he purposefully killed a man during the operation the guy booked. As a doctor, Sasha kinda has a no-kill rule, but sometimes your patients just admit to doing really awful things, and like, their organs are right there.

[heiilari]

IN REGARDS TO THIS POST HERE

Alright I got time to address this little Poll I made in hopes it will help people out well trying to come to me or responding etc

first off lemme say when it comes to reply time : take your time I do not in any way shape or form expect someone to be the flash with replies and roleplays . it is a hobby && meant for fun

SAME with reply length don't stress to much about matching my length sometimes I just get REALLY into something and tend to write on and on, as long as you give me something to work with we're good!

MEMES: If you send in a meme and you really wanna make it into a thread then by all means make it into another post (if I forget to use my answer banner ) and do it!. I am a okay with that and I also have some ice breaker ones which are helpful

OKAY!! now onto the results!

I have to many threads going on right now Reply: That is A-okay! I understand sometimes people have a lot of threads going on and it can take a lot of time // energy //spoons. just remember that I have a open door policy that never expires <3 even if you just wanna chat OOC my door is always open!

it's hard to choose a muse // oc Reply: IF you're having a hard time choosing one of my muses/ ocs etc a good thing to do is the elimination method grab which characters you are interested in and use THIS SITE <- It's called wheel decide it helps choose which muses && ocs . a good thing to do is say "Whoever gets two spins on them is the one I am going to send stuff to / like the starter to " etc etc THOUGH: If you are loving all muses and OCS just feel free to spam my inbox etc. I don't mind writing numerous things && whichever one interests you the most we can continue it and put the others on the back burner. or if all interest you just know it may take some time for me to reply to each thread <3 ALSO I tend to make character specific starter calls too! so if that helps feel free to heart them and I can yeet some at you. or if you'd prefer me to choose just direct message me with who your character is :) I MAY make a interest tracker too , because I know those are helpful as well and add it to my pinned

I'm in a writing slump right now Reply: That is okay! we all get into writing slumps even I get into them with specific muses <3 just take your time and it is okay! when you're outta your slump I am more than happy to go back and forth with you about whichever muse(s) are of intrest and we can even pop off with memes to each other if that helps! . just know my door is always open <3

I worry you have to much on your plate and don't want to add more Reply: I am a okay I just procrastinated so I ended up having a lot more in my drafts than I normally did. I am always open to writing with new partners && Existing ones! don't worry about it send in as many memes, like as many starter calls as you'd like. it may take me time and I sometimes may forget things. but it is okay to send me gentle little reminders if it's been a while and you wish to know if I wanna continue something because 9/10 chances I forgot to save it in my drafts. it's happened before! But if I ever get overwhelmed or anything the best way to know I am feeling that way is I will make a post about it or on the CARRD there is a area that says if my inbox is open and if I am accepting threads . as of TODAY everything is STILL open and accepting ! I will also add this little thing to my Pinned too!       threads         accepting      inbox         open.

I'm shy Reply: Oh fuck same here I try my best to reach out to people as much as I can but I know sometimes it can be overwhelming to do so OOC. if you would prefer just yeeting something in character and then we slowly start to talk ooc that is okay with me. I know Anxiety can be a whore as well. just know you're welcomed here <3 and if you would prefer just going on anon and sending some jokes and all that, its fine with me I know I made this poll anonymous so I can't really be like " Hey bob don't worry I will message you first" Just know that you're always welcomed okay <3

I want to plot but don't know how to reach out Reply: Oh! if you wanna plot with me just feel free to send me something like " Hey! I would like to plot something out between ( Your muse here and My muse here) " it is the quickest ice breaker + you can just copy and paste it! I know it can sometimes be hard when you wanna plot something out but you don't know how to reach out about it . or if you have a specific plot then just message me " Hey this is a plot I have been thinking about ( your details here about your idea ) " and then we can pop corn back and forth! and then either me or you can write the starter <3 END ( because I never got the anon for the "other " option and one was me ) Just know that no matter how long it takes or how long in between replies it is, I am always open and down t write with you all <3 . I know a lot of this has been me saying "Hey send this or do this " but when a poll is anonymous it is much harder for me to go " Oh name here , lemme pop over to your dms and we can plot " / send memes etc . I am more than willing and happy to like peoples starter calls , send in memes etc ( if they aren't like romantic ones and our muses haven't met etc , because I feel it would be awkward for both muns ) . but know that I am happy to write with everyone , no matter the reply time , no matter the length etc I don't care about graphics/ aesthetics / icons or not , if you write without icons that is fine by me, your blog doesn't have to look all dazzling and all that Jazz, so long as there is a rules page, at least a indication of the mun age , Muse/ oc mini bio so I have more than just a name and tags (that way I can block them for whatever the reason may be ) then I am fine for the most part IF you have questions , please know my direct messages are always open and aren't set to followers only and my Inbox is something that's always open if you'd prefer to keep it anonymous.

[hexhomos]

top 5 jay/vik pet peeves? 👀

I let this ask simmer a bit in the back of my inbox because... oh man you guys really want to see me rant like that? Unbelievable. But I'll indulge anyway since I could on about this forever:

#1 the way people straight up delete everything about Jayce as a character, be it talis or giopara, just to turn around and act like he's "leeching off viktor's genius" or "a big stupid dumb idiot who cant grasp simple concepts XD" "brainless idiotic himbo" like… this is so tiring to me. Are you trying to call him braindead? Because that's what it sounds like. I don't find it funny or charming anymore thanks to the sheer density and frequent malice adjacent to this kind of content.

#2 Related to above, but also found on its own, SPECIALLY in arcane fandom bubbles: a fixation on Jayce's body as a sexual object or sexual accessory to other people as his "Only redeeming character trait". It's become so prevalent I don't like browsing content for him anymore. Fans will legitimately make up bullshit reasons as to why Jayce is lesser than other characters (the council, mel, heimerdinger, viktor, vi, whoever, you name it) and then hold up more brainless no personality idiotbad himboXD porn as the only thing his character could ever amount to. Way to go! You're treating this show's singular brown lead as actually subhuman. There truly are no words. And it's not like it's hard to give Jayce an ounce of interesting things to do: most of what people attribute to viktor as sciency and driven and passionate is something that he shares with jayce; sometimes, its straight up things jayce came up with and worked on all his life getting penned as "viktors thing". I just find fandom, for one reason or another, holds a severe disinterest in treating them as equals. And it makes their dynamic worse. (This last point is not exclusive to arcane, sadly.)

#3 Viktor woobification, and an insistence that he could neeeeever do anythiiiiing wroooooong, regardless of verse. It makes him into such an uninteresting non-character. Viktor was created to *BE* the mad scientist archetype; this was his initial concept and it persists to this day, you can't take away his responsibility for his mistakes, or pretend it was Jayce's fault, and still expect him to be a good character. I don't even know what you're stanning at that point. I've had ppl genuinely argue with me that viktor never hurt anyone in game canon and that JAYCE had stolen blitzcrank and its like ????? Do you even know who Stanwick is. Please just read their bios. Both of their bios. Viktor lies to clean up his own story and even before the lore rewrite he was the one who'd initiate violence by Invading Jayce's Lab And Blasting Him With Laserbeams. This guy's ingame kit requires you to kill 100 minions before evolving a weapon prototype. He has an ability called "death ray". You don't think that's funny? Your loss. (Related: a lot of able-bodied people treat viktor's arcane disability as something to patronize him over, and it can be really, really uncomfortable to see.)

#4 this is gonna seem minor compared to above but watching people try and vilify Jayce at every turn to make Viktor or other characters look better can be so unintentionally funny. They never pay attention to anything about his character, just spin a wheel of bad generic adjectives and go: "JAYCE is an out of touch gazillionaire SOCIAL CLIMBER queaking for STATUS who eats diamond dust, shits gold and hates lesbians; he also PISSED on my WIFE," whole time the guy is just minding his business, indentured for life thanks to vampiric 'patrons' making him swear fealty for project funding, canonically stated to have built a name making gadgets for the working class, doesn't even like socializing in Any Universe (and this is the exact thing him and viktor bond over), etc etc etc... this shit is embarrassing brother

#5 unironic googoo talk jaymel or melvik or anything that exists in the middle genuinely makes me roll my eyes. Sometimes I feel as though people watched the bomb scene and then immediately erased out how disrespectful and manipulative it was. I don't care for any of these pairings nor the implication that you have to 'make good with billionaires to reach ultimate peace uwu' that comes attached to most of their content. The TVshow being as centrist and corporate as it is explains why this exists, sure, but I feel so ?????? When I see people acting like viktor and mel would be best buddies, as if she isn't canonically the richest person in Piltover before we even have a timeskip and *Directly Responsible for enabling and profiting off much of the fuckshit going on in Zaun* lol. Where do you think that money came from? Seriously?? Come on. I cannot fathom how people can see Jayce's interactions with her as leading to any sort of positive outcome. They get 0 romantic buildup worth caring for and are boring as all hell. And the next one is less common but: whenever people try to fit her plotline into leagueverse I just, LOL. The ruling Medarda in league is a 70-something manlet white geezer. Jayce giopara is a fag and his entire bio was designed around viktor. The council plays no part in their story and they're far more interesting for it, thank fucking god.

[bijoharvelle]

ok ok ok so i was prompted by an interview with stephen colbert and the absolute nonsensical comparisons to Game of Thrones to consider Wheel of Time and how it relates to like the current moment and themes of morality and stuff.

basically, in the interview, colbert remarks that he thinks, generally, humans are good and that when they behave badly, it's because they have been led to darkness by outside forces - like power, or hunger, etc.

which got me thinking about Wheel of Time in relation to Game of Thrones, and in relation to Lord of the Rings. (i'm not much of a LoTR connoisseur, but if you know anything about colbert you know that he HELLA is, and he mentioned it in that interview, so it made it's way into my brain.)

anyway, i think in Game of Thrones, we're presented with a world where you must do bad things in order to survive, or in order to create a Good World — very simply the means justify the ends. yes this character killed, stole, lied, etc but that's how power is gained in this world and power is essential toward making a world that is good, or even just toward surviving. they make it a point that being decent and honest and to have good intentions is absolutely not the way to be in this world — they chopped ned's head off at the end of season 1. they set it up from jump: you can't be good to win, you must play the game of thrones.

WHICH. i think can absolutely be a comforting sentiment and morality. i think we'd all like to believe that the times that we did bad things were unavoidable and that we only did them because, had we not, we would have been much worse off.

BUT.

i think the morality that Wheel of Time presents is far more interesting, AND far more relevant to modern times. in a world where fascists are proudly proclaiming themselves as such, a world where billionaires just fly themselves to space not for the innovation and progress but just because they WANT TO, and in a world where it has become so, so easy to ignore the suffering of your neighbor, or discount it as something you have no power over, i think the message that we're all threads in a tapestry of the universe is far more interesting.

Wheel of Time, so far, seems to exist in a world where there is inherent Good and inherent Evil — similar to LoTR. There are, of course, grey areas and nuance, but there are forces in the world that are purely one thing or the other. And it presents something to strive toward, and something to work against. A world where Good and Evil exist and you may be born into one or the other because of the weavings of fate still presents you with the option of choosing to be Good or Evil. If you're born into Evil, you can succumb to it, or you can strive toward good. There is an absolute model of Good, uncorrupted, and it allows you to know that Good can win. colbert posited that people are good and when they're not it's because they're led to darkness. Wheel of Time makes me thinks that people are good and, even when they're not, there is a force there than can lead them from darkness.

ANYWAY. i don't know if any of that made sense and i'm only aware of those 3 episodes of WoT, but so far the morality and the option it presents is SO much more comforting to me than anything in Game of Thrones.

There is a wheel, this show says, and it is spinning the fabric of the universe together. You are a thread in it, and you, and you, and you. All of us together make up the picture of the final tapestry. Some lines are set, some are yet to be determined. Every one of our actions has a consequence, one that affects all those around us, not just ourselves. Because in a world where we are all stitched to form a final whole, we are all connected to one another.

[britishsass]

I request you to draw the blue red and green line city from Nightmare OBDLC like you said you would please.

I've been taking a long time on this for one simple reason: Environment hard.

Okay, that's a joke, the real reason is that I wanted to way overdo it. I'm gonna include a cut here, but for anyone who likes my Nightmare OBDLC, there is a lot of explaining under the cut. I'm doing a little bit of art, but mostly it's gonna be pictures with sources instead-- Sorry, but as I said... Environments... Very difficult.

To start, we have an aerial view with the different segments. Two of these things haven't been mentioned in the story yet, and I'm still tossing around if they're even going to be mentioned or if they even do exist. However, I do think the idea of a central space would be the best-- Think of the city as a wheel on an axel. If one part breaks, the whole thing needs to be replaced.

The main idea for it all comes from my memories of admiring balcony scenes in movies and the thought of having a city in layers, kind of like a circuit board with cut-away portions to see the underbelly of the place.

This is a picture of how the layering would look-- I know it's really sloppy, but I don't exactly know how to show it any better, sorry.

Basically: Blue is almost underground, compared to Red which is a step above. Green floats above the ground that isn't in Blue or Red, which is basically no-man's-land at this point. The tower floats in the middle of the pit.

Let's start with Blue and work our way up, shall we? (Since, y'know, the pit is literally just a pit.) I'll use references instead of my own art, since that gets my thoughts across so much better.

BLUE LINE - SADNESS

Blue is mainly built around factories, and can come off a lot like the dark recesses of Aperture Science from Portal.

[Image ID: A variety of concept art from Portal. It's mostly machinery and wires, with catwalks and corridors as well.]

I would like to specifically note that it comes off more like the environment from Portal 2 and Portal Stories: Mel. Tight with lots of railings and corridors.

[Image ID: A screenshot from Portal Stories: Mel of a tram station.]

[Image ID: A screenshot from Portal 2 of a test chamber.]

I'm not personally the best at drawing environments, so I can't exactly get out what I want, and that's a major reason why I've been putting off this request for so long.

Blue is a very simplistic area, and it does feel like Aperture in its "everything is clean-ish but it's breaking down" vibes.

The reason that this area looks like this is simple: Sadness is something that Otto feels he has to power through, work through like it's nothing. Sadness makes him more likely to keep working mechanically, just as he did after the Deluge. He doesn't dwell on sadness, and doesn't let it become anything other than a small thing that happens.

RED LINE - ANGER

Red is the one I've had the clearest image of, but I can't draw it just the same because of that. The best way to describe it is "Cyberpunk street/slums", I suppose? But a few things I specifically reference mentally are Stupendium's videos "The Fine Print" and "The Data Stream"

[Image ID: A screencap from Stupendium's video "The Fine Print", showing a street with brightly lit neon signs.]

[Image ID: A screencap from Stupendium's video "The Data Stream", showing a wide street surrounded by buildings.]

It's a very tight space, but it's got so much there to look at that Helmut and Compton would be overwhelmed.

On the other hand, the easiest way to explain what I think of... Chinatown.

[Image ID: A photo by KayVeePhotos on flickr, showing Chinatown at night, with neon lights and dozens of signs.]

That's the exact vibe I was going for! I just didn't know how to voice it at first, hah.

Red looks like this because anger, to Otto, is a bustle of thoughts and feelings, and it's overwhelming. He can't really control it, and it's bound to spin out of control without him there, but that's okay. People get angry. It's good to have some activity there.

GREEN LINE - LOVE

Green is the one I've always had issues with getting down, since it's more like the ideallic "utopia" people always talk about. It's also hard to find pictures to explain my thoughts.

My very first thought every time is Skyloft from Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. However, that's way too homely. Therefore, after a moment of research... I'm going to say the idea to start with is the idea of a balcony over the city, where someone can watch over it all but is too far to see the little things.

However, with a bit of research...

[Image ID: A screencap from BioShock Infinite of Columbia, a floating city]

I think that Columbia is the closest I can get without going insane looking for a utopian floating city.

As I said before, it looks like this because it's a place Otto would want to be. Besides, love does feel like you're "walking on air" so of course it'd be above the rest!

PURPLE TOWER - FEAR

Purple has one and only one influence. I'm not even lying.

Temporal Tower - Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky.

[Image ID: A floating tower that is crumbling, but the pieces still float around it instead of falling.]

This thing had such an impact on me as a kid. I couldn't get it out of my head, not only because the boss fight was impossible for me. The ambiance was terrifying. I spent hours in this place. It's falling apart around you. The end of the world is at hand. And if you're a kid like I was, then you keep. On. Failing. You keep throwing yourself at the boss fight, telling yourself that this time, you'll do it. But you can't. Because you're not strong enough, because you aren't planning. You're terrified every time the boss moves because what if it does that move, the one that knocks you out every time? To me, Temporal Tower is incredible, and also full of memories.

It's like that because fear can feel like everything's crumbling. It can feel like there's no way out, no way up, nothing you can do. It's that horrible feeling that there's nothing but more horrors to come.

~

I know this isn't what you were looking for here, but it's sadly the best I can do, since my environment skills are about as good as my skills with a piano. (Which is to say I have 0 skills with either.)

[thejudgingtrash]

can we pleeeease talk about how rushed the whole Nico and Will relationship was? They talked for 2 minutes, don't see each other forever and boom they're together. Like ??? When did that happen? Certainly not in the books? (okay I haven't read the books in ages, but it felt so forced and extremely rushed or is it just me? I'm queer myself so I'm all for LGBTQ+ representation, but that's not it)

Alright let’s tackle this! Sorry for answering so late, I always answer asks that will be longer super late ^^ anyway. I’ve sorta received this ask twice but the other one has more focused on Nico with a little bit Solangelo on the side so I’ll just fully tackle the Solangelo side on this one.

I have three simple issues with Solangelo.

Age

Substance

Fandom

Alright. Let’s start off with the first point or problem. Age. Or rather time. As in timeline. Because we all know that Rick Riordan basically spins a wheel whenever it comes to his timeline and I won’t go fully into the maths because I’m terrible at it and I’m not in the mood for embarrassing myself in that metier. Anyway, let’s proceed. My question is: what is their canonical age? The one from Will and the one from Nico?

I’ve caught glimpse in a group convo at the fact that Will was supposed to be 18 actually if you pay close attention to pjo? And I mean Nico is like 15 or something? Which is also sorta wrong? Because Riordan made him younger than Hazel who was 14 in the Herpes of Olympus saga. 14 and 18 is a fuck no from me, son. I guess Riordan forgot that HOO essentially took place in two days or something.

Riordan aging his characters down or rather refusing to let them age (looking at you, Percy and Annabeth!) because it doesn't convenience him isn’t something new. So, should they be mathematically speaking have that much of an age gap, yeah. That is problematic. That’s Frazel level kinda problematic. Even worse. I know that people are more inclined to look past age gaps in same-sex relationships but I always wondered why? There’s still a disproportionate level of maturity + a mighty power imbalance. So yeah. Watch out for that. Also they’re kids. So there’s no need in tying the knot and popping expensive champagne for their wedding just yet.

I mean I don’t have a problem with the time traveling aspect as in Nico still being mentally and physically a kid/teen. A little odd, sure. It’s not like Nico and Will are Edward and Bella and Nico’s goth ass is mentally aging along and stalking Will’s sorry self. It’s still weird because it’s so unbelievable? Nico is barely struggling finding his way into the modern world, chills at Hades and calls it a day? Now that’s something I have an issue with. I need more struggle. I need more vocab mix-ups. Nico’s brain exploding at the modern world. The difference between the 1940s and the late 2000s is massive. That isn’t just oh, weird little haircuts and why are women wearing pants, it would be not being able to comprehend things and questioning every new little object. Will could’ve been an amazing support character for such an arch, buuuut I’m deviating from my actual point. The timeline/age-line in the Riordanverse is for sure more on the concerning part for all new characters + OG side characters.

Second point. Substance. The thing you’ve touched in your ask.

How and when did Nico and Will become a thing? My memory is terrible and I’m too lazy to browse the wiki. The only thing I remember was Will being a nagging bitch in Blood of Olympus after Nico essentially said “I've got to move on and be who I am, I just don't belong here, I hope you understand, we might find a place in this world someday, but at least for now... I gotta go my own way...” to Percy who just went ??? That marked the beginning for this ship. Basically. I think. Well... I said before in my Percabeth ship roast (more like ship analysis, I have to redo that, that was way too mild and unfunny, omfg): most of the romance is in your head because there’s barely anything romantic in Riordan’s books to begin with (which we all should actually be thankful for!). This applies to essentially every goddamn ship in this series but especially Solangelo. Holy fuck. Y’all are pulling out the wildest stuff out of your ass based on... what exactly? I mean props for creativity!

It is abundantly clear to me at least, that Riordan didn't write Nico with the intention of being gay. There was no real indication in the Percy Jackson series (and I refuse to believe that he was this sort of mastermind, that plotted about doing all of this behind Disney’s back to get the gays and latinos in. There’s a market for everything and diversity was a coming trend in the 2010s).

One could say: Hey! Isn’t it great that Nico wasn’t labeled as being gay? It normalizes homosexuality and makes sure that the lgbtq+ community isn’t something abstract but rather folk like me and you. And to that I’d say yes, I mostly agree if the follow-up arch is believable and plausible. Which it isn’t in my opinion. We jump from the Heroes of Olympus saga to The Trials of (Mo)Lester I mean Apollo and we’re having this HUGE jump? From barely knowing each other to being soulmates, sitting next to each other, hanging out, going on in their business, having the picket white fence, two kids, three dogs, living in a gentrified neighborhood and baking cherry pie on Sundays? HOW IN THE ACTUAL FUCK DID ALL OF THIS HAPPEN?! That is incredibly rushed. 

Aren’t...you shippers....Mad? That’s so cheap? I’d say so? Wouldn’t you like to have more pre-existing relationship and plausible development? With Percabeth you at least have a five book long progression, Solangelo is Riordan basically taking a dump on your plate and forcing you to eat it. And no, Riordan teasing the last Apollo doesn’t count.

Additionally, wouldn’t it be way better to still have a character say “Yeah, I’m gay. Pass me that salt, will ya?” without it being gimmicky or a foil or something for woke points? Just showing kids: “Hey, if you think this is a label that suits you, it’s fine! It’s perfect even! No worries!” (Also, the “coming out scene” with Jason and Cupid wasn't it, my loves. That was horrifying and insulting imo).

I mean. Show and tell are powerful tools in narration and telling more than often resolves unnecessary conflict/dialogue. And whereas season one from Percy Jackson had barely anything in that direction with Nico’s identity, season two didn’t make it any better. And season three is a complete cluster fuck.

Yeah. For me, the ship is super rushed.

Final point. The fandom.

I have to inter-subjectively state that Solangelo shippers are fucking crazy. I know Percabeth shippers (including me, helloooo) and especially the Annabeth stans for some odd reason are insane, but Solangelo shippers take the fucking cake and then some. There’s already a disconnect between the age groups in the fandom and it’s clear that more of the older teens and adults center around the Percy Jackson story and some in the Heroes of Olympus sequel, but from what I’ve seen the Trials of Apollo fandom is super young and on a whole different level. Might be the reason why facing some criticisms seems harder, because the minute you open your mouth to say something about Solangelo, you have people attacking you left and right. Chill guys, it’s not that deep? And it’s definitely not a personal attack on you. After all, I don’t know who you are and tbh Idgaf. 

Talking about the lack of substance, fanon will automatically come in and fill the gaps. Which is fine and something we all do, but I really have to wonder about the levels of extremes that some take?

We all center around certain tropes and what not and while the trope and dynamic behind Solangelo isn’t particularly something for me, I really have to ask why people are behind it. Don’t get me wrong. My question is touching on more on M/M fetishization because I think that is mostly the driving force for some people rather than liking the actual ship? I see more people projecting things into Nico and Will and it’s really turning their characters into something they aren’t? Especially with Nico, who gets turned into this 5 ft. UwU punk princess which is hella strange???

All in all, I don’t have anything against the ship apart from it’s overrushed nature and Riordan’s wacky timeline. Do whatever you want with it (apart from fetishizing and sexualizing the ship), no one’s stopping you from liking it. But I do believe there are some things to look out for, especially in the fandom.

Take it easy, guys.

[adventuresindolls]

Meet Lexie Chapter 3: What Flying Feels Like

(Aside: I know in the story Sophie gets chocolate ice cream and this is clearly a popsicle, but it's the closest I had)

Sophie's friend did come over the next day after Sunday school, but Lexie hardly saw them. She hardly noticed anything that day. Over breakfast, Papa had announced that as a treat to make up for moving, and to forget new school anxiety, they would be going to the County Fair every day this week. Lexie hadn't heard anything said to her since then.

Fairs were thrilling. They meant rare treats and delicious smells and rows of bright booths to hop between. Sophie and Lexie had an ongoing system where they would run around as buddies between the game booths and the ones selling pretty necklaces and giving away paper fans. But when Lexie started to get overwhelmed, they would go together to the 4-H building to look at pretty dresses and pictures of flowers. It was air conditioned in there and much quieter than the rest of the fair. Sometimes Lexie would find a cool corner to sit and read the book she always carried while Sophie found a play area or other kids to talk to.

But best of all were the rides.

They usually went for one day a year. But this year was special—5 whole days of excitement! It was hard for Lexie to think about anything else all day. She read the same page 6 times, lost a Mario game badly to Sophie, and finally went for a long walk around the new neighborhood. She saw a bunch of kids outside playing in sprinklers or shooting Nerf guns at each other, all younger than her. She only got 3 blocks away before deciding it was too hot and turning around. The rest of the day was spent curled up on the couch watching her favorite magic girl anime, which the conversation at shul the day before had reminded her she liked.

She woke up way too early on Monday. By the time Papa called her for breakfast, she had finished her favorite book again and rearranged her stuffed animals. After her usual bowl of dry cereal, she put on her favorite space-themed dress and her comfiest velcro shoes and was pulling on the car door handle before Daddy even had the picnic basket closed.

Lexie had never been to these particular fairgrounds before, but they were as bright and full as she expected. The day wasn't hot yet, which was perfect for running around. They each got $5 for a snack so they didn't have to regroup until lunch.

"What about buying fair stuff?" Lexie asked.

"You can have souvenir money on Friday," Papa told her. "Otherwise you'll buy one thing today and find something better tomorrow."

They ran through the rows of stalls, stuffing Sophie's overall pockets and Lexie's narwhal purse with free pencils in every color of the rainbow and candy they definitely weren't supposed to eat yet. Lexie only had a couple chocolate kisses, but before they reached the end of the lane Sophie had eaten six.

They spent the morning looking at every single booth and spinning prize wheels until they got bored. Having pushed the absolute limit of their patience, they made it as far as 11 o'clock before heading for the games.

Lexie went straight for the ducky fishing game. They had a giant octopus as the big prize. The smiling man handed her a fishing pole and told her to go for it.

She did not immediately go for it. She thought the duck she was aiming for—the little gold one—was about three and half feet away. How hard would she have to swing to hit it without overreaching?

"Hey, are you gonna go?" The man looked a little less smiley now.

Lexie blamed him startling her for why the first time the line went flying past the entire tank. It was much closer the second time, but still plopped into the water an inch away from its goal.

"That's alright!" The man encouraged her. "Try one more time!"

"No, thanks," Lexie politely told him and dashed away before he could try to convince her. She had just remembered that she wanted to save her remaining 8 tickets for rides.

The next thing she remembered was that she hadn't heard Sophie's chatter in a long time. She would be in so much trouble if dads found her alone.

Even worse, something might happen to Sophie, who was "not the most responsible or cautious" kid.

The crowds around her seemed to double suddenly. They were mostly adults or teenagers much taller than her and she couldn't see more than three feet in any direction.

"Sophie?" She meant to call out, but it came out as barely a whisper. That happened sometimes.

Lexie ran up and down the aisles of games and all around the rides next to them. Surely her sister wouldn't be bored enough among the flashing lights and interactive booths to wander back to the ones she had no money for. She tried and failed twice more to call for Sophie, but she doubted even at her loudest she could be heard over the thousand conversations that buzzed around her.

She was about to give up and go find her fathers—who were probably listening to one of the free concerts—and enlist their help whatever the consequences (she was pretty sure by now that Sophie was being murdered or had fallen down a magically appearing manhole) when she spotted her long dark hair by a food booth in a far corner.

"Where have you been?" Lexie wanted to be angry, but instead she felt like crying.

"Right here," Sophie's voice was muffled by a bite of chocolate ice cream, "Where have YOU been?"

"You ran off! You can't do that! We have to stay together."

"I didn't run off. I stopped 'cause I wanted to play something different."

"You have to tell me that!" Lexie really wasn't about to admit that she was mostly embarrassed she hadn't made sure Sophie, who had ADHD and was known to get distracted, was with her.

"Don't yell at me!" Sophie was getting mad.

"Alright, I'm sorry," Lexie finally relented. She gave Sophie a quick hug, which was so rare for her—too much touch made her brain go staticky—that Sophie stopped arguing. "Let's go ride the rides. What's wrong?"

"I don't have any tickets left." Sophie's eyes were wide with surprise and disappointment. "I played a bunch of games, and I didn't even win anything. Can I have one of your tickets?"

Lexie looked down at her sister's tear-filled eyes and felt a sudden sense of protectiveness. She planned so Sophie didn't have to. "You can have two. But only if you tell me where you're going."

"Ok!" Sophie's face instantly brightened.

The rides were all bright colors and flashing lights and quick movements. Lexie didn't even know where to focus and let Sophie lead the way, finishing her ice cream and chattering away about how cool every ride was.

And then she saw the swings.

It had always been her dream to ride that one. It was always more pastel than neon and it looked like fun. Just like spinning on the playground swings but MORE. She had wanted to last year but got too scared at the last minute, even though Papa promised to go with her.

"Sit here and hold my purse. I'll be back." She barely glanced to make sure Sophie obeyed before skipping to wait in line. It seemed very soon that a teenager with a green mohawk took her ticket and motioned her up the metal step. Up close, the ride seemed much bigger, but no one else was hesitating to strap themselves in. Swallowing, she grabbed the chains on the closest chair and pulled herself up into it.

She was still pretty sure it was a good idea, right up until a different teenager came by and pulled the metal bar down on her lap. All of a sudden, she kind of wanted to go back to fishing for ducks. She glanced through the crowd to find Sophie, who was still on the bench and completely ignoring her, her favorite otter in one hand and the other covered in melted ice cream.

Lexie gasped and grabbed the chains with both hands at the first jerk of movement. Several people around her giggled, and she heard at least one "Oh!" of surprise. Very slowly, the ride began to spin and rise into the air. She was torn between stomach-dropping anxiety at being so high and absolute delight at all she could see. The rows of booths looked like brightly colored handkerchief squares. The people swarmed like ants—at least, she thought, there were no crowds up here. She soon lost track of Sophie. And then she could see beyond the fair, to the tiny houses of the city itself. The taller buildings downtown looked like shiny metal twigs. She forgot to be worried.

They were spinning faster. And faster. It wasn't scary up here, really, it was wonderful. It was like everything she'd always wanted to feel when she spun herself until she fell down or kicked her legs to swing as high as possible. It was impossible to describe. Like everything that was always too loud and too bright just stopped. Like there was no such thing as feeling trapped and panicked in a crowd. Like nothing existed but her and the seat and spinning. Like she could stay up here forever. She kicked her legs, making her chair wiggle.

It couldn't actually last forever, of course, and almost before she knew it they were slowing. Her stomach dropped again, this time with disappointment, and her legs nearly collapsed beneath her when she first stumbled out of the chair and through the metal gate.

She found Sophie on the same bench where she'd left her, the remainder of her ice cream staining her hands, face, and overalls, but miraculously not Elliot the Otter. Lexie briefly considered telling her to go wash up, then decided it wasn't worth it.

"Hi! I'm gonna go ride the rollercoaster!"

"Ok."

Sophie hopped up and stuffed Elliot back into her pocket. "What are you gonna ride next?"

"The swings."

"Again?" Sophie looked at her like riding the same ride twice was the weirdest thing she'd heard that day.

But Lexie couldn't help grinning at the thought of freedom and flight. "Yeah."