So we all know that Tumblr is US-centric. But to what degree? (and can we skew the results of this poll by posting it at a time where they should be asleep?)

Reblog to increase sample size!

artists on tumblr stop fukcing lying to yourselves you never draw those sticks and circles when you sketch stuff out you just die and you know it

The human body is bizarre in a lot of ways but sleeping is nawwt excluded from that. Shutting off part of my consiousness is good for my skin?? And my brain wires me nighttime tv??? And this isnt automatic so i wake up bc of any ol noise???? And the concept of beds? Goddamn, i get to have my own furry comfy heavy part time funeral shroud?!?!?

Akutagawa daily 271/★

Thinking about sskk in comparison to chuu/aku and like... In a roundabout way, I really get why Akutagawa would fall in love with Atsushi. When you know Akutagawa, you either hate him or pity him; and Akutagawa hates being pitied more than anything else (far more than being hated). With virtually any partner, Akutagawa would forever struggle with trusting they're not pitying him; but not with Atsushi. He knows for certain Atsushi doesn't pity him– hate him, maybe, but that's something he can deal with. And it's intoxicating, to finally have found someone who doesn't pity him, who makes him feel worth and most of anything makes him feel seen. I get why, in Akutagawa's very distorted way of thinking, that would make him fall for him even harder.

And it's insane how similar they are even in this crazy codependency that makes them be attracted to each other in spite of themselves: because it's the same for Atsushi. For Atsushi, it's mostly using Akutagawa as his personal Hyde: he's the bad guy, so I must be the good one. Akutagawa - passively, by being the bad guy Atsushi can be good compared to, by causing Atsushi to face his monsters and actually end up winning over them; actively, by telling him that his past doesn't define him, by validating his feelings, by sacrificing himself for him - always ends up validating Atsushi's right to live like no other character does. And it's something Atsushi can't go without.

Ultimately, it's the exact same addicting feeling of validation for their lives they both strive for and that no one else can make them experience like they do. In a sense, it's also the most selfish way to love.

Idk if this is going to make any sense, but I always feel like there's something missing when I read thoughts about sskk and it really is the impact Kyouka has on them.

Like, a lot of it is "look at the impact Atsushi and Akutagawa have on each other" and "they are so similar at their cores" which is true! And essential for any bsd partner dynamic! But Kyouka also has commonalities - she has Atsushi's general wonder, simple wants and joys, and desire to be helpful and kind, but also Akutagawa's laser focused objectivity, initial lack of questioning orders, and straightforward ruthlessness when required.

But a lot of the external influence on sskk I see mentioned is Dazai and Chuuya's... which I get, because they're the previous double black, but also Chuuya is very minorly involved by proxy only, and while Dazai undeniably is at the heart of sskk conflict (and it's good to analyze in depth!!!), I feel it's understated how much it was actually Kyouka who kickstarted the development between them - Atsushi was brand-new to the Agency, but saving Kyouka cemented his mindset of proving his worth and also gave him someone to look out for - his position became less fragile from that point on and more permanent. Her mix of kindness and darkness also forces Atsushi in the Guild arc to reassess the idea that people are either "good" or "bad". (He's working on this still, but his judgements are becoming much more nuanced than at the beginning.) And as for Akutagawa... I have a lot of thoughts on their dynamic and how I really don't think there's a whole lot of bad blood there anymore after my all-time favourite scene where they fight in Cannibalism arc - but all I will say is that he legitimately thought what he was doing would make her strong enough to survive, and both Kyouka and Atsushi telling him this is wrong, that people can't live being beaten down like that forces him to reassess his own situation in the Hawthorne and Mitchell fight. (He still has a ways to go, but I seriously hope he eventually realizes that his treatment by Dazai was horribly unnecessary and cruel.)

But what's great is that Atsushi and Akutagawa influence her development too! I don't even need to get into Atsushi's: he believes in her potential and sees her as the young girl she is - not a weapon but a person. She starts off pretty much attached to him and only him, but as time goes on, she starts to adopt a more positive mindset and becomes more confident making decisions as a result of his faith in her. With Akutagawa, she is, like Atsushi, forced to reassess others, especially after he tells her he's glad for her having found that will to live. Kyouka is unable to continue fighting him after that, and I get the sense she saw him as a person there, instead of only the man who harmed her. I also find it really interesting that she has no shame or concern about her mindset aligning much more closely with his, to the point where she'll work with him if necessary.

This is a bit of a mess but really it's one long-winded ramble on how I loved these three working together in Dead Apple and would love to see them working and fighting alongside each other again. I know, I know, this is probably not going to happen because it's supposed to be about sskk as a duo but consider:

They are a trio in my heart.

I'm gonna sound a bit bitter for a sec so sorry for that, but i think the reason i can't get into most fyolai fics and such, in addition to a lot of ppl just straight up getting nikolai wrong as a character, is the flattening of their relationship in general and making it almost basic? or rather, i guess, just simplifying it, making it almost one sided at times

basically what i see people interpret them beyond what's in plain text is 1 nikolai is the only person to call fyodor a friend, thus making him stand out in his mind, and 2 they're both the same brand of weird/got the same quirks or sense of humor etc

which are both well and true imo. but my problem is, this is where it stops. this is what i mean by simplifying. it feels like it's only engaging with the tip of the iceberg of what they got going on, and it's a shame because their relationship can be so spicy

i think what makes fyolai interesting - in addition to the whole "i love him and that's why i want to kill him, i can't bear the thought of being tied to a person" - is that while fyodor is the first person to see nikolai, nikolai is the first person to outsmart fyodor

it almost feels like the reason people make fyodor like nikolai is for the sake of making a story about them happen and that's it. now, it's a romantic(?) fanfic, that's understandable, that's how most of them start. but it does feel unearned and at times even out of nowhere and pointless

nikolai is the first person to show fyodor that humans aren't as predictable as he thinks. that yes, he could read him, but not fully, not enough to actually manipulate him. that his method of cutting off all other possibilities is not perfect, and that at least nikolai will always get himself a way out. that's huge!! we've never seen anyone outsmart fyodor! the closest we got was whatever he's got going on with dazai, and he seems to be prepared for everything dazai throws at him anyway bc they're so equal. but honest to god going outside of his plan? ruining his plan, even? nikolai is the only one who could do it.

think about how that can impact fyodor's character! his world view! a blow to his pride that might actually change him as a person! this can be so interesting!!!!

i feel like this ship should be more about that. about how they're each other's special person - not because of titles of friendship, but because they truly challenge the way the other sees life

now, i will say, i don't expect fic writers to delve this deep into each character. it's just a hobby at the end of the day. let me emphasize, this post isn't to actually attack anyone, more like an observation with some bitterness about something i am well aware does not actually matter, bc i want to let it out and maybe change the way people see this ship if they agree. so i hope i made you see it this way, just like fyodor might show nikolai he's not as alone in the world as he might want to be, and nikolai can show him the same in return uwu

It must be so frustrating and at the same time depressing for Atsushi to witness Akutagawa having to go through the long and draining process of recovery each time he gets hurt. For someone who lives with his own immediate recovery ability, and who's besides used to have all his coworkers come back in perfect shape from the deadliest wounds in the matter of minutes, Atsushi must feel so lost and powerless in front of Akutagawa's suffering, unable to help anyhow.

I cant believe this tweet is how I find out

thats what a protest is, eric

🚨 Students at Harvard University launched an encampment in support of Gaza in Harvard Yard moments ago, calling for an end to Harvard's moral and material complicity in the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people.

Harvard has invested over $200 million of its over $51 billion endowment in companies with ties to zionist settlements in the West Bank, while most of its investments to the zionist entity are kept secret.

The students are demanding financial transparency regarding investments related to the zionist entity, as well as genocide and occupation in Palestine; divestment from these investments and reinvestment in Palestine; and dropping all charges against student activists.

The University has suppressed student voices in support of Palestine time and time again, suspending the Palestine Solidarity Committee just this week on baseless grounds. They have also enabled attacks on pro-Palestinian students from the media and politicians. Today, the students say enough is enough, and that they will no longer tolerate their institution's support for genocide.

This brings the number of ongoing encampments to 19, with more to come.

My favorite Shakespeare thing is when he writes a major plot point but just has someone tell us about it to save on special effects.

Hamlet gets kidnapped by pirates but we don’t see that part. It’s a letter.

The Oracle of Delphi shows up in the Winter’s Tale and rather than do all the special effects required to make that adequately supernatural, two guys come on stage and go “woah that was cool”

There’s a big storm on the night that Duncan is murdered and we learn about this when half the cast of Macbeth says “sure was stormy last night”

Shakespeare, the OG low-budget director taking the easy way out.

cant get more fascist police state than snipers on rooftops overlooking peaceful protests.

this is what democracy looks like.

Idk if my maths is right here but i think arthur was 19 when he and paul had their break up fight that ended in arthur losing his memories. And if he was an established transcendent at 19 that also points to another manipulated child ability user

A lot of productions (or production ideas) for Romeo and Juliet come up with elaborate aesthetics for both of the feuding families, and there is definitely a charm as well as a large degree of blessed creativity to this, but honestly, the more I think about the play, the more I feel the most resounding choice with me, given the play's meaning, would be to make the Montagues and the Capulets' costumes very, very similar. Almost identical - the same silhouettes, materials, everything. Have the only thing signalling which family it is be a ribbon or band tied around the arm, a particular embellishment at the collar of a dress or shirt, maybe some item of clothing that's easy to take off, like a vest or small cape, or a scarf. Maybe aside from the Lords and Ladies of both surnames, they could wear something that's entirely in their family's chosen colours/symbols, but the rest of the family and their supporters? Just these details. Because that's really one of the things that hit so hard in the text: there is literally no reason for the feud. There's no logically existing divide. We have two influential families of equal standing, who live by the same customs, whose children probably have the same education, who employ people with the same mindset and themselves presumably have the same mindset. They could very well live beside each other, they could very well switch places and be each other. These poor teenagers in Romeo and Juliet are forced to live in a world shaped by something that just doesn't exist. And they're mistreated, and they struggle, and they die - at more or less fourteen or fifteen! - for something that doesn't exist. Because at this point there is no reason to go on with this conflict, if there even was one in the first place, which I doubt. I think there is a lot of sense in the fact that we never learn why the Capulets despise the Montagues and vice versa. I wouldn't be surprised if during the time of the play there was just no one that could remember it. But still, this conflict, this absolutely empty, pointless, senseless conflict, wrecks the community of Verona, pitting citizens against each other and leading to innocent kids dying. And I think if I were directing the play, that's the thing I would emphasise: that they are really the same. Have Lord Montague make a similar scream, speak in a similar tone mourning his son as Lord Capulet did mourning his daughter. Have the servants at the beginning of the play use exactly the same gestures and mannerisms. Have the dear uninvited party-sneakers get along with Capulet youth at the ball and genuinely have fun together. And have the citizens at the end be all the same in their surprise and grief, virtually indistinguishable save for this ribbon or embellishment they can just rip off of their costume, becoming one whole crowd. All of these people could pass each other, say hello, gossip on the street with no problem - if it weren't for these details that somehow make them part of two different entities. For there is no border between the Capulets and the Montagues other than the artificial one they try to create themselves. And people die for it.

“romeo and juliet were just dumb horny kids; they didn’t REALLY love each other” L + ratio + their first conversation forms a sonnet + they are both traumatized and seeking gentleness wherever they can get it + teenagers can have deep and important emotions too + your high school english teacher is not gonna resign because you didn’t like the play