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creatingblackcharacters · 2 months

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"It takes HOW LONG?" Black Hair is an Art (pt.2)

(This is part two of the hair lessons, focusing on writing/narratives. If you want to know how the styles LOOK, refer to part 1 and its addendum)

Now that you know what our hair actually looks like, we’re going to discuss incorporating that into your writing (original fic, fanfic, webcomics, anything with a narrative). You don’t HAVE to give us a dissertation on "how you studied 'The Black People’s Hair'" in your story. That’s not what I’m asking you to do. I’m just asking you to CONSIDER the effort and existence of it. The same way you put effort into discussing nonblack hair textures? Should be the sort of tenderness and care you put into discussing ours. It does not stand to reason that I have read thousands of stories describing "the silky, black/blonde tresses/waves that fell down their pale back as their lover ran their fingers through them", but Black readers have nothing of the sort to compare to without seeking our own authors out. Our hair deserves some loving and adoration too!

This is a very long post describing hairstyles and how they can correspond to your character's design and decisions, so I'll put a read more here. The sections are organized into 'Twist Out', 'Afros', 'Locs', 'Braids', 'Black Men', and 'Straight Hair' if you Ctrl F. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE take your time to read all of this at some point though, as I put a lot of resources and explanation into this. I'm trusting you!

The History

As I discussed in the last lesson, our hair is incredibly important to us, and part of that includes the vulnerability and trust that comes along with access to it. This is due to a long history of oppression. There’s a racist history of making Black women hide our hair, as if it would ‘tempt white men’ away, regardless of it were due to actual attraction or the (more likely) rape of Black women. There’s a racist history of touching our hair, as though we are animals or zoo exhibits. We aren’t just going to let anyone touch our heads, so DON'T write that, unless you are doing so to show that it is a microaggression towards your character. Even now, cultural appropriation is rampant. If I were to wear cornrows with hoops, it'd be seen as 'ghetto' or 'gang-like'. Meanwhile, it is a fashion statement for white women. When Miles G Morales showed up in Across the Spiderverse, animators specifically chose cornrows for him, but many people mistakenly took it to me that he was 'rougher and tougher' than the original Miles. This was a racist perception! Hearing the Fade get hyped up in the news as the 'Travis Kelce', when Black men and especially NFL players have been wearing it for DECADES to crickets... it hurts lmao. Point is, you can describe and respect Black hair without being racist about it. Okay? Okay.

Vulnerability

YOUR CHARACTERS NEED TO BE CLOSE BEFORE ALLOWING THEM TO TOUCH THEIR HAIR!!!

It needs to be someone they TRUST wholeheartedly. Again, do NOT let a stranger touch their hair unless it’s meant to be an uncomfortable situation!

Consider CONSENT! Consent is ALWAYS beautiful! Have your other characters (Black or not) ASK to touch your Black characters’ hair! And not in the ‘Oh can I touch it?’ way. But if they’re really close friends or dating, have them ask to help do their braids, or wash their hair, or even just to stroke their hair and face! Or if your Black character is injured with a head wound, and they have to tend to them, have them ask! The asking shows a level of care and respect for your Black character and their body! At any point the consent may be revoked, and that needs to be respected! If they let them tend their head wound, but then smack their hand away after, that’s not ‘rude’- they’re allowed to do that, especially to signify that they aren’t at that level of trust yet. That's still angsty!

One great example of love from a Black character is doing their partner’s hair, or allowing their partner to do their hair. The ‘Hair-washing’ fic is a common thing in fanfiction; we all understand how that shows the depth of the trust in the relationship between the characters. How would you write about that trust with a Black character, if you don’t know what goes into taking care of their hair? If you don’t even know what their hair looks or feels like? The lack of awareness will show, and what should be a beautiful, deep moment will fall flat for Black readers. I wrote one once for my character with locs, and it honestly made me tear up because I realized that I’d never seen one, at least not in the majority white spaces that the fandoms I was in were.

Think about it- how often have you read a hair-washing fic with a Black character? Was it accurate? Would you know if it was accurate? Have you spoken to or heard anyone Black in your fandom space talk about it? Do you know anyone Black in your fandom space to ask? It’s things like this that we have to consider!

If you have a character that is nonblack in a relationship with your Black character, that honestly reveals even more trust because there’s a long history (again) behind that NOT happening! In life, we can’t go to the same places. I can’t go to a white hair salon or barbershop. They won’t know what to do! People are allowed to go through hair school without learning how to work with different, thicker textures. It’s not right nor fair, but it’s a part of the casual, systemic racism in our lives.

My feelings on what Lestat symbolizes aside, the scene where he plays with Louis’ curls in AMC's IWTV was an intelligent way to show that closeness, and how a nonblack character would affectionately play with a Black character’s hair! How he works with the curl in his fingers, rather than trying to pet Louis or run his fingers through- it was an intelligent move on Sam and Jacob’s part as actors to understand that THAT’S how that would go down!

If you have a character that wants to show a violation of your Black characters’ space, touching/harming our hair is cruelty on a very personal level that will generate an extreme reaction.

Think About Your Character!

When thinking about your Black character’s hairstyle, you need to think about your character themselves! What do they do every day? What are their hobbies? Are they Type A, Type B personality? Do they have a lot of time? Are they always in a rush? Are they noncommittal? Are they self-conscious? Artsy? Serious? Are they in a time period where the means to care for their hair are limited?

People make jokes and comments about how Black women don’t like getting our hair wet and dismiss our concerns. But it’s not out of ‘silliness’ or vanity. What you consider ‘just hair’ may have taken days of planning in advance and HOURS of our time! We put a lot of thought and effort into our hair, and it will easily shatter the illusion for your Black readers if you describe our hair poorly or create an unlikely scenario with it. It’s not a joke!

Some Terms:

Protective styles- a style that allows our hair to ‘rest’ with minimal manipulation

‘Tender-headed’- some people’s scalps are more sensitive to the tightness of styles, so it’ll hurt a little bit more and require some more gentleness (Regardless it’s still going to hurt for a bit after a fresh style)

Bonnets- a silk/satin cap of varying lengths that we wear at night to protect our hair and keep the moisture in

Loc Sock- same idea, but for locs

Durag- keeps short haircuts protected; can even help create the wave pattern that many Black men enjoy

Scarf- same idea as the bonnets, except scarfs can be used specifically for straight hairstyles to wrap them up to keep it straight and neat

(It'll seem real legit if you include your Black characters wearing their headcoverings at night! I remember laughing while reading Twilight because I knew that if Edward snuck into my room at night, he'd see me in my scarf or bonnet lmao.)

General Hair Care:

While I don’t completely agree with some of the advertising in this first one (it’s the internet. Can’t go nowhere without someone trying to hawk something) it’s cool in general to explain how our hair looks the way it does.

If you have Black children OCs, it’s important to consider that their parents have to do their hair, and how that will be its own experience! (It can be very stressful for Black children to get their hair done, as it takes a long time and can be physically uncomfortable. There are plenty of stories of burnt ears and tugged tangles and not very nice old women. Children are children! Keep in mind how they may behave while getting the style of your choice.

Moisturizing to keep healthy

Twist Outs

Cute twist out styles

Twist outs are a style that takes overnight to hold, or maybe even a few days! The cool thing is that the twists themselves can be the style! So the tighter you want their curls to be, the longer they’ll wear the twists in. If you want to describe your character with tighter curls, there needs to be a section of time where their hair remains in the twists! If your character has an event, and they want twists… this needs to be done in advance. Your character will NOT untwist them the day of, unless they want weak, limp curls (or you want the scene to compose of them having weak curls).

How long they'll last depends on the activity of your character! If all they do is work a desk job, or they don’t sweat very much, the twists can last some time! But if they sweat, or wear hats or caps, it’s not going to last long. Maybe a week.

Pros: Very versatile! If you have a character that loves trying new looks and enjoy being spontaneous, twist outs are for them! Easy! If your Black character is younger, or haven’t done their hair before, this is a great way for them to start working with their hair! Doesn’t take long (to do)! If your character is in a rush, and they do their twists, they can go just about anywhere. If they’re not self-conscious, this will be just fine.

Cons: It cannot get wet again, or the style will puff up back into your natural texture. It does not last long enough to say “oh my character went on a two year long fantasy adventure with this style.” If you want your character to have a twist out the whole time, they’re going to have to take time to do it. It would be cool if you incorporate a scene where they’re working on their hair, maybe in the background while everyone’s discussing plans or something. Just a reminder that their hair isn’t just staying magically twisted (unless they have the magic to do that).

Afros

Afro Style Guide, Style Guide for Men (works for any gender though)

Wash & Gos are just that- wash it (or really, condition it, you don’t have to shampoo it every time) dry with a t-shirt (to prevent breakage), put some oil and a light crème on it, fluff it up and you’re good to go! Maybe an hour at max and can be done while getting dressed in the morning!

Pros: Easy! If they’re doing a full, combed out afro, it’s not as simple, it will take more time. And at night it has to be plaited so that it maintains its length, otherwise it will tangle. But other than that, that’s still not all that hard. They can show off their curls! Black characters can and should have pride in their hair. It’s beautiful. This is the opportunity that you as an author can describe the pure texture of their hair, how it shines in the light, how the coils look, how soft it is! Romanticize Black hair the same way you do anyone else’s!

Cons: None really! Afros are wonderful! Just make sure that your character has a way to keep their hair from getting tangled. Just because it’s easy doesn’t mean there’s no maintenance! A pick, a bonnet, oil and water go a long way!

Locs

Five stages of locs

A person who does locs is a loctician.

Can be palm-rolled or interlocked/crocheted

I cannot emphasize enough that you do not want just anyone doing their locs! They can really mess up someone’s hair if they don’t know what they’re doing. I say that to say, for your character, if they don’t trust the person doing their hair… they should. They should not be walking into anyone’s place to get their hair locked; they’d do research first.

The time it takes locs to ‘bud’ (that is, to actually form the loc) depends on the texture of their hair. But it can take up to 3 months to even a year for them to actually ‘loc up’. So if your character just got locs, they’re not going to look neat. They’re going to be frizzy.

As long as they’re washing their hair, keeping it moisturized, and not using wax products (DO NOT HAVE ANY BLACK CHARACTER USE WAX PRODUCTS IT IS BAD FOR BLACK HAIR) it’ll last forever! Locs are incredibly strong, especially the thicker they get! It is recommended that locs are retwisted every six weeks, but if your character has freeform locs, doesn’t have the money or time right now, or they just aren’t that pressed, they can grow indefinitely.

Something cute to write in your stories: sometimes locs do just… fall out. Not the whole thing! But the same way thin hair gets everywhere… sometimes the ends of thin locs just… fall off! You’ll find little buds on the ground. This happens especially in the budding stage.

Pros: Very low daily maintenance! At most they’ll need a bonnet or loc sock, and oil/water mix to spritz and massage in. Strong style that can hold any look- buns, curls, etc. They can be dyed, though it will take a long time to do so. I say that to say, if you want your character to have bright green locs, go for it!!

Cons: Low daily, but HIGH wash day maintenance! So if your character has a fancy date or something to go on, they should not be getting their hair retwisted the same day, or at least not so close to. It’s going to be shiny, oily, and tight, which can cause discomfort. Give them the day to let the hair settle!

Locs are PERMANENT!! This isn’t a bad thing, as much as it is a ‘KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING BEFORE YOU DO IT’ thing. Technically they can be combed out, but that would take a very long time and very precise effort, and most people aren’t going through all that. They’re just going to cut them off and start fresh. If you have a character that would balk at such a choice, locs aren’t for them. If you have a character that’s picky and choosy, that likes versatility, that can’t make up their mind, do NOT give them locs unless they’re making the conscious choice to commit. (Again, this is subjective! Maybe they have locs because their mother died and it reminds them of her! Okay! That works!) If you have a character that’s vain, or at least doesn’t like looking awkward… unless they’re going to style up the awkward stage, they’re not going to want locs. (Awkward stage: the first two stages get considered awkward because the locs look messy. This is because they’re turning from curls to locs!)

Braids

Styles

How long braids can take depend on the style. Box braids can take 10-12 hours to do! Microbraids? You HAVE to have multiple people or you'll be there for damn near a day (and that's assuming you have a masterful braider!)

How long they last depend on your character! If they're like me as a kid, I didn't care how I looked, so my mom got me cheap braids and let me run free for two summer months. So if your Black character is a carefree child! Go for it. But if they're a teen or adult (or are very concerned about how they look) a month to six weeks is about how long braids can stay in before your new growth shows. A character that is usually trimmed and proper having loads of new growth over their braids may symbolize that they don’t have it all together anymore.

Pros: Protective style! Great way to let your character have minimal daily maintenance; oil and water and something to cover it. SOME braided styles allow for high activity and even rain without changing. It depends on the hair that’s been braided in, as well as the style. Incredibly versatile! They can have multi-colored braids, long braids, short braids, beads, trinkets… if your character is creative and bubbly and likes to experiment, the sky is the limit! That can symbolize their artistic expression, just by describing what they look like! So long as they have the time, they can have any look and style they want. No need to commit too long.

If your character is capable of doing their own braids (and locs, btw), they’re amazing. Like… that’s mad respect for them. If you describe your character being able to do their own braids, they’ve got amazing arm strength, patience, and skill. That skilled dexterity can be revealed as a trait of theirs through that alone.

Cons: They take a LONG TIME. Your character is not going anywhere. If they’re getting braids… they’re not going anywhere. If you write your character doing anything fancy the day of, depending on the type of braids, Black readers are not going to believe you. Even if it did get finished, it would be very tight. I currently have a poll going on, and so far, a good majority of the 10+ answers are braids! It cost MONEY. It is NOT CHEAP to get braids done! If your character is poor as a church mouse, they will be doing those braids with their friend in front of youtube. Because it can be in the hundreds of dollars. (Don’t get me started on hair culture right now; BACK IN MY DAY IT COST-)

Hairstyles on Black Men

I want to specifically give space and applause to these hairstyles on Black men, because we REALLY don’t give Black men enough credit for all the creativity they show with their hair! And again, with The Killmonger being the choice style in all these damn vidya games despite almost no Black man I know choosing it as a look… PLEASE LOOK! WE HAVE OPTIONS! Try describing how gorgeous these looks can be on your Black men characters! It would be very nice.

Straight Hair

Well, I was going to explain, but ol ‘Guest Writer’ here pretty much lays it all out! So just go ahead and read this article lol.

Just to re-emphasize, straight hair is NOT something that just grows out of our head that way! It takes effort! So if you have a character that doesn’t feel like maintaining straight hair, they shouldn’t have it! If your character has natural hair and lives in a rainy or humid city, they’re going to be fighting that weather to keep it straight- make sure that’s consistent with their personality!

My best friend used to wash and flatiron her hair every day. Like, laser focused on looking that good, Type A shit (she’s a top money banker now, so I guess it worked out). If you have a character like that, it’s fine! If they’re lazy any other time of the day, they’re not suddenly going to be waking up at 5am to flat iron their hair. It’s not consistent.

Conclusion

That’s pretty much what I have! I’m not the guru on all things Black hair, and I obviously cannot encompass every potential scenario you may have for your characters. Really, my intention here is to get you to think about how our hair reflects our character and personalities, and how when you write and/or draw a Black character, you have that ability! And when you’re able to incorporate that naturally, it makes your Black readers feel seen, like you actually cared about that character enough to give them just as much description as your nonblack characters. You don’t have to be a master at it! Just… occasionally the little things that we can go ‘oh, yeah!’ at would be nice. An equivalent effort would be nice.

Remember, it’s the thought that counts, but the action that delivers!

#creatingblackcharacters #black hair #black art #black characters #character design #black writers

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dearreader · 2 months

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k so i made this poll awhile ago to answer my question on if people would rather spend a date with a swiftie or an anti-swiftie (someone who hates her and devotes their life to hating on her). i mentioned i didn’t have the spoons to handle it being longer than a day and know it was going to be biased as it would start in my circle and would work it’s way out, so i wanted to do a longer poll when i had the energy to handle a week long poll like that. (i’m assuming when i post this, as i’m pre making it, i’ll be in recovery from my nose surgery since i’ll be stuck at home a week so i’ll have more time to monitor and look at the tags)

so nows the time, but i’m going to addendum the question a bit:

*some extra things that came up on the original poll i didn’t elaborate on fully that i want to make clear:

- you don’t get a say in what type of swiftie you get. assume that you’re going to be spending the evening with someone who massively loves her and her music and wants to discuss it. they’ll talk about songs, their favorite lines and meanings, symbolism behind the reputation album, etc.

- YOU MUST TALK ABOUT TAYLOR SWIFT. even if it’s the anti-swiftie you must talk about her. i understand the sentiment people made on her not coming up, and that’s valid, but that’s not the question i’m asking. YOU HAVE TO SPEND THE EVENING WITH SOMEONE WHOS GOING TO TALK ABOUT TAYLOR SWIFT NONSTOP, WILL IT BE THE LOVER OR HATER?

- im just trying to gather a general consensus on this and want to get data from a lot of people which means this is going to end up on people’s blogs who probably hate swifties and are annoyed by them. that’s okay as that’s the point of my question. but if you’re going to go off in the tags about how much you hate her or hate swifties and be an asshole about it im blocking you. you can just simple say “i hate her/i hate swifties” and don’t need to elaborate. you don’t need to sit in the tags going off on how much you hate her and trying to “defend” yourself from swifties. i just want an answer to the question.

- ALSO, this is not an open poll to go harass anyone in general. if you are a swiftie and see an hater in the tags and wanna fight DON’T FUCKING DO IT. just block and go read/watch your favorite media and think of blorbos kissing or whatever, but DO NOT SEND HATE OR HARASS ANYONE.

the hypothesis im trying to prove is that people in general would much rather spend an evening with someone that is going to talk about something they love all night vs someone who will spend the evening talking about something they hate. i want to gather as much data as possible to get a good consensus and if you go and be an asshole to someone because of their tags on this poll, either side of the swiftie to anti-swiftie spectrum, your disproving the point. if you see tags you don’t like just simply block and carry on. understand? k good.

- in general this is not meant to be a very serious or heavy question. it’s meant to just let me pick people’s brains and see what they’d want to do. i just want to get my results and go. just vote, drop your opinion in the tags, and go.

- also, this last part is silly and not at all related to my data, but since i’m forcing you on a dinner date i’ll at least let you pick the restaurant and food you have. so if you could also say what restaurant/food choice you’d want and what you’d want to order i’d love to hear it. sky’s the limit here. go nutz or even very specific on what you’d want to eat. i am trying to learn to cook and don’t know a lot of recipes or different food types, so i’m hoping this will give me a bigger idea of what food is out there to make. (this question is not meant to be a way to stick it to anyone or for you to go “i’ll go to a shitty ass restaurant and take a swiftie/anti-swiftie and make them eat garbage 🤪”, it’s just a fun question to give people something positive to add to the poll if they want. AGAIN IF YOUR GOING TO BE AN ASSHOLE ILL BLOCK YOU.)

- i’m going to be annoying and ask that you reblog for a wider sample size and such, if you don’t want to that’s fine, but i’m going to be polite and ask you nicely.

that should be everything, thank you for reading my long ass list and voting in this poll. i hope you have a good day and such.

#kelly babels #polls #taylor swift

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spockandawe · 2 years

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Okay, I love making a nice thick book, but there's something about boxes that is just SO rewarding. Now, who here has heard of a peller pop-up box? I have to add a disclaimer that even of this post, I have made... three whole boxes, ever. But my personal take is that what's the point of diving into a craft if I'm not gunning for a target far above my skill level? The ambition gives me a thrill, I don't have to feel bad if I fail, and if I succeed, the rush is SUBLIME. And now I have a box with a mechanism (a ribbon) that pops the book out of an inner sleeve when I open it. I'm in love.

This was a learning process and a half! The only instructions I can find for this are some handwritten notes from a class in 1990, and the person who posted those notes also posted a number of critiques of the technique as described in the class. Also, the class notes (and addendums) come from an expert perspective, catering to experts. I'm an enthusiastic amateur who's still learning basic competence with leather. I was smart enough not to do a leather slipcase, but overconfident enough to cover my spine and edges in leather, haha. But even though I have a LOT of notes for what to tweak next time, I love it SO MUCH

I arbitrarily decided to work with my millimeter binding of 'and love unbolts the dark' by blackkat for this experiment, because it's small, it's one of my favorites, I had more of the leather I used for its edges, and I thought I had more of the cover fabric and it would be a good match to one of my yellow marbled papers. As you can probably tell from those photos, things didn't quite go that route!

First, I couldn't find the fabric. It might be in here somewhere, but I have FAR too much fabric, lmao. But I did find a lot of this dark green one, in the same line, and with some lovely color overlap, and a nice aesthetic match for the leather. And then I also realized that the marbled paper was a Lot in comparison to the rest of what I was pulling together. So I left it as a liner for the inner slipcase, to tie into the yellows of the original fabric. Then I dug up an embossed teal paper that matched the dominant palette of the new fabric, and went for broke. And I love this so much, truly, it was a headache trying to wrap my head around the instructions and I still have some minor complaints about the process, but I am so, so pleased right now. I would joke about how little time it will be before I do this again, but... I've already started

#crafts #box making #bookbinding #ish #adjacent #peller boxes

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separatist-apologist · 8 months

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You know what?

I am SO TIRED of being told I have to be nice to people who come into my askbox and take shots at me. When I got on this stupid website literally TWO WEEKS ago and B E G G E D people to be understanding because I was drowning under pressure and I needed to take a step back so I could remain in the fandom and ya'll liked it and said, "of course- take care of you!" without mentioning the addendum "unless it's the thing I enjoy reading".

So it's okay for people to come into my askbox on anon and tell me I'm a shitty person for not engaging with them the way they want to- to send MULTIPLE anons about it.

To come into my askbox and take shots at my perceived religion, a fact I've never shared widely on this app, and demand to know if I wasn't updating because of my "high holidays" which. Ok.

To log out of their profile not even 24 hours later and leave a rude comment on that same fic demanding I update.

And then to have people I consider friends VAGUE me (WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?) about how I need to be nicer to people who you ADMIT were entitled and RUDE. Because fundamentally a lot of ya'll do not see me as a person who should be allowed to feel anything but gratitude.

I didn't do anything. I didn't chase someone off- people own their own actions. I have spent enough time being kind to this fandom that frankly, just does not deserve the constant benefit of the doubt. People have routinely stolen my stories often word for word and I've told my friends to keep from putting them on blast and worked it out privately or just swallowed the frustration. I've deleted and blocked COUNTLESS anons, more than you can EVER count, and still they return, lessons unlearned. I've been the subject of the dumbest harassment from people I didn't know even existed.

I'm just trying to have a modicum of fun. I am just begging people to offer me the smallest amount of grace as I am SCREAMING that I!!! AM!!! STRUGGLING!!!!!

To show up- as someone I considered a friend, and write a post that I needed to do better in the face of what was objectively both shitty AND unfair, is just a wild take. You could have messaged me privately. ANY OF YOU COULD HAVE, including the original person looking for an update and this was the route you all chose instead.

Why don't you guys, for once, take some responsibility for your own actions? And leave me the fuck alone.

#jesus fucking christ

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wildcardjoey · 3 months

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Anita jean!

ANITAT JEAN!!!

Alright so the Little Wren AU is basically just 'Bruce manages to find Anita after she fakes her death' and she actually does become his first sidekick. She isn't a fighter, Bruce puts her under three layers of armor, and she basically fills a mage and healer role with first aid (mostly for civilians and criminals) and the virtual reality gas drug, the use of which allows batman to remain a cryptid for far longer.

Anita also takes longer to get the hang of grappling hooks because she's less coordinated than even Tim but she does get them probably not too long after Dick comes to the manner since the two can train together. Her inability to use grappling hooks when she first enters the field is why The Whirly-Bat was made, named The Hummingbird in this au because it's Anita's and was named before Dick was adopted into the family and took a bat-gimmick to every piece of equipment in the cave. Before he joined the team, Bruce and Anita were work shopping names for a lot of their stuff but hadn't come to decisions for most of them, so Dick still gets to do that, but not for Anita's Hummingbird.

Rather than the dynamic duo, this au has either a tritastic trio of Batman, Wren, and Robin, or the dynamic duo is seen as Wren and Robin, as Batman's sidekicks. When Tim ends up at the manner, Anita basically tells him he's too tactical to be Robin and gives him the Wren mantle, which she either had already left behind or was in the process of considering it. Steph ends ends up becoming his paired Robin, for much longer than Canon.

Steph initiating that plan that required Matches Malone probably still happens, but with Anita's help she's able to salvage it, but it opens up an entirely new set of problems because at that point Anita was already on the verge of discovering The Court of Owls (because their one give away was a nursery rhyme and she wanted to find out it's origin because it's her hobby) and now The Court sees the bat clan take control of the city basically in it's entirety so those two things combined make The Court release the elite talons. A temporary alliance with The League of Assassins and the timely first arrival of Cass in the city means they just barely manage to win. This is also the family's first introduction to Damian and a recently resurrected Jason is probably also there, but dressed like the rest of the assassins so he isn't recognized.

Anita herself, which is what this au is actually about, is going to be depicted as better adjusted due to not living her life since she was, like, eight alone and eventually dedicated to revenge. She has hyperfixations on birds, nursery rhymes, programming, and tech and is an excellent detective. I already mentioned she's less coordinated starting out but that doesn't mean she's weak, she'd probably be able to beat Dick in a fight when he first gets to the manor since he's at that point just a gymnast but she's been training as a martial artist for like six months at that point.

Speaking of Dick, I really look forward to writing their banter. They are going to be so sassy to each other but very protective of each other. Almost as much as they're both protective of every one younger siblings, which, and seeing some of your posts this may be disappointing, isn't going to be terribly long. Finding a way to fit every obscure batfam character in is for my other dc au, the same one that my ruleset for Claire's powers is for, but I do have Calvin, Charlie, and and Dana (Talon, Misfit, and Strike) as sure-shows for Little Wren.

Long-Term, the au's story-arc will focus on the eventual take down of The Parliament of Owls as the main antagonists, as it feels fitting for an Anita Jean focused story for previously stated Nursery Rhyme related reasons, although I do also plan for The League to be taken down due to Tim still having his globetrotting adventure and then the batfam actually capitalizing on it.

Edit for Addendum: the first paragraph makes it sound like Anita never fights, I should clarify that her role on the team does evolve as she gets older and Bruce becomes more lenient.

#little wren au #dc #anita jean #batfam #idk if i should tag everyone else but #bruce wayne #dick grayson #tim drake #jason todd #damian wayne #dana harlowe #calvin rose #charlotte gage radcliffe #stephanie brown #cassandra cain #the court of owls #the league of assassins

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dalishious · 1 year

Text

Returning from Adamant.

#LowElfEsteem is a series on Sera’s romance with an elf, discussing both the well and poorly done aspects of her writing, while also examining her character on a deeper level.

I was originally going to put these part and the next part together in one post, but realized I had a lot more to say than I expected, and figured they were better blocked separately… Anyway, let’s get to it!

When you return from Adamant Fortress, the first thing Sera does… is swings a punch at you. Sera then says that she was horrified at the idea of the Inquisitor being trapped in the Fade, because she can’t stand to think of losing her. Now, I think this is supposed to be played off as cute or for laughs – it could almost fall into an example of the Slap-Slap-Kiss trope, if there was a kiss. It wouldn’t be the first time BioWare pulled this either; Jack in Mass Effect 3 also punches romanced Shepard, saying “that was for leaving, dumbass”, followed by a kiss.

The idea I believe, is to show that these characters, Jack and Sera, don’t know how to express their concerns for their loved one, and so they turn to physical violence. The problem is, that’s not cute or funny. It’s unhealthy. And depicting it as cute or funny is just normalizing abusive behaviour.

It would have been nice if the Inquisitor actually had the chance to confront Sera about this, but of course, there is none. The closest would be that you can ask “what was that for?” but Sera is the type of person that needs things explained clearly. A better response would be to just tell her something like, “that’s not cool; people in love don’t punch each other!”

The conversation moves on though, to Sera talking about the Grey Wardens. The Inquisitor can ask her about her experience in Ferelden during the Blight. Sera is very vague with her answer, and here’s why I think that is: Sera remembers the Blight very well, but because she doesn’t want to think about it or talk about it, she is dismissive in her answer. The reason I believe this is so, is because she exhibits this trait in other conversations, like when you first ask her about her background compared to asking her later once she’s warmed up to you.

Additionally, there is this codex entry piece if you bring her with you in your party when fighting darkspawn:

Addendum: On Sera's hatred of darkspawn Having read the reports, I might have expected that someone with ties to Ferelden—and specifically Denerim—would harbor a violent dislike of darkspawn. Whatever claims she has to family, all were threatened during the blight.

And sure enough, Sera does really hate darkspawn—she has dialogue making this very clear when fighting them. That hatred isn’t just your average dislike, it’s someone who has personally been threatened by them before.

I can only imagine how traumatizing it would be, as a young elven girl stuck in the city during the Battle of Denerim.

#sera #dragon age #dai #meta #low elf esteem

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rudjedet · 1 year

Note

Lmk if I'm the one misinterpreting, but people really cannot seem to grasp "a primary source is a primary source regardless of whether it's factual" as soon as the word Bible is mentioned.

If it was written at x time period, about x time period, it's a primary source for x time period. Is it an accurate source? That's a completely different question.

It isn't impacted at all by whether it's accurate, or as anon said, ~made up to control the masses~. It'd still be a primary source. An accurate one? Can the information also be obtained from another source? That has nothing to do with being a primary source, and information that can be verified by multiple sources is a good thing.

If an eyewitness completely misremembered an incident, it would still be an eyewitness testimony. An eyewitness testimony isn't an omnipresent screenshot of the exact instance, it's what a person who was there says happened.

And I'm not in this sort of field at all, but my understanding is that half the historical significance of the Bible is what the people then might've believed- which it's true they believed whether the info itself is true or not, either way. And there's no benefit to being all condescending and "oh, all their beliefs were BS For Sure" when talking about it academically.

If a primary source was a diary from the Salem Witch Trials talking about how evil witches are and need to be burned, it wouldn't be a Definitely Accurate And True text about how women are going to hell if they can swim just because the author said so, it would be a primary source about the Salem Witch Trials. Those are entirely different properties. It would have information on what they did to the 'witches', why they did it, what they thought about them, the tensions that provoked this, the motives, the propaganda, etc.

You wouldn't have to believe they deserved it or were really witches to get this information from the diary. It might even be a diary entry about framing someone for being a witch or someone worried they are a witch, would still be a primary source!

Again using that anon's argument as an example, even if it was only existent for manipulation, that's still a primary source of what the manipulation material was.

Did I understand right?

Yes, you're correct, with the addendum that the Bible does contain some valid historical information, including events, individuals, etc. that we have been able to corroborate with other sources. But the whole "is it factual" this anon specifically touted isn't even the correct question to start from. As you say: "Is it an accurate source? That's a completely different question." And this kind of nuance definitely goes out of the window when it's the Bible under discussion. It's a kneejerk, plain and simple, and a fucking aggravating one to boot.

Ironically, the people who think the Bible is an utterly valueless conglomeration of lies and falsehoods with not a shred of historical background far outnumber the people who believe the Bible is completely factual. Most theists who go in that direction are quite aware that the Bible was, in fact, never even meant to be taken totally literal and they do not make a secret of that. There's a vocal but very small minority that likes to claim a fact rate of a 100%, sure -- still a lot less people than those who think it's all nonsense. Because if you look at the tags left by people who on the surface agree with the basic premise of the original post, more than half of them use language that indicate they still consider the Bible a work of fiction. This just tells me they're largely ignorant of the actual range of the texts, and operate on the notion that "the gospels == Bible" (which, even if that were true, the gospels do also count as historical documents and not as "fiction").

So when I say the particular brand of kneejerking anti-theist that rages against the concept of the Bible as a primary source is the worse of the two, I mean it. And I say this with full cognisance of the existence of religious trauma and oppression. This attitude is simply so pervasive that people just... idk, they're blinded. It's an annoyance, which is why I made that post in the first place.

The point remains that absolutely nothing changes the fact that the Bible is a historical document and a primary source, and because of that can be used in historical research in an absolute multitude of ways. You can hate the Bible for your personal reasons, I don't care. But you can't go around claiming it's something it is not, and you certainly cannot expect historians to go "eh, guess we're not using this then". Because that's absolutely daft and quite frankly on the verge of anti-intellectualism.

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hogcranker1984 · 10 months

Text

I might as well repost this twitter thread i did of my thoughts on the whole matter with Danny Elfman. We had an Oingo Boingo / Elfman fixation all throughout 2021-2022, and we've listened to Elfman's scores for years now. I've been a part of this fandom. There are addendums noted like this, (#) full addendums are located at the bottom of this post under the cut. So. The whole Danny Elfman situation. I see people are entirely disowning their interest in Oingo Boingo when there's literally a bunch of other talented people (WHO ARE STILL ALIVE) that were apart of the band and made the band's sound. the frontman isn't the entirety of the band. (1)

Personally, I see nothing wrong with still liking Oingo Boingo. that's fine and alright with me y'know? the allegations are BAD, but I'll just say, I'm neutral at the moment because there's not much evidence for either side yet. (2) The allegations are upsetting but I find myself quite unsurprised. many things can slip through the cracks with celebrities. their status helps them to cover up malicious things they've done. like, even if the allegations are not true, they are VERY believeable. If the allegations wind up being true, this is a lesson for a lot of people. People need to be more wary of celebrities and how they present themselves to the public. because that is an act. we do not truly know how someone is as a person until allegations like these come up. (3)

(#1: Steve Bartek, Johnny Hernandez/Vatos, John Avila, etc.) (#2: I thought it would be appropriate to note that the court case hasn't even been sorted out yet.) (#3: Luckily, we got out of OB and Danny's work and severed our personal attachment at a good time, otherwise we would be completely devastated, instead of just numb. Our view comes from a place of personal experience from making these same mistakes.)

If you would like the original article where these allegations have surfaced, here.

Also, the twitter thread I made where most of this is from.

#oingo boingo #danny elfman #anton speaks

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phoenixyfriend · 1 year

Text

SW Masterlist: In the Big Leagues

Navigation Post

Fun fact, tumblr allows 250 links on the old editor and 100 in the new. So. Network of masterlists

This post is for tumblr posts I've made that are specifically about one fic or another that made it onto AO3, including those that were previously on the Wider AUs masterlist.

Order:

One-offs

Sandstorm Verse (Flip the Hourglass)

Anakin and the Jedi Babies

Dimension Hopping to an Omegaverse (Bare Your Teeth, Soldier)

Commander Buir (This is Where the Story Starts)

Rex and Anakin Raise a Family

Fake Spontaneous Training Bond

Uncle Ben and Little Luke (Journey to the Center of the Galaxy)

Fake Sith TCW

Obi-Wan Declares Himself Dad-Shaped

TCW Leverage AU

ObiSabe AU (When the Bodyguards Hook Up)

Sticky Fingers AU

The Sexbot AU (Human Pleasure Droid)

Tread Upon the Wind

King, Soldier, Spy

Weapon Women

Parole Officer Fulcrum

System’s Scourge

Legally Horny

Jango Breaks Into Satine’s House

Fake Affair to Cover Up the Real Affair

Fett vs. Kamino Fertility Clinic and Sperm Bank

One-offs

A Candle in the Night - Anakin/Luminara (original)

Crossover between my Lumakin and Windwalker fics - Pt 2

The Way to a Boy's Heart is Through Violent Defensive Measures - Rex has difficulty with whiny AotC-flavor Anakin, a terrible flirt

Not Quite as Clever as a Fox - "I would kill for you.” “Great, here’s a list.”

Fett vs. Kamino Fertility Clinic and Sperm Bank - How this fic even happened, original post

In Which Anakin's Soulmate is a Lot Like Him, But More, and Worse - Adding some Pantress

Alert! Hot Young Single Dads in YOUR Area! - Street names are puns

Anakin Gets Pregnant and Causes a Scandal in Defense of the Jedi - Obi-Wan is just barely alien enough to have mating cycles (original)

Well, That's Not According to Plan - Rexanidala ft. pregnant transmasc Anakin (original)

General Kenobi and the Twins - General Kenobi and the Twins (original)

[redacted] - Hypnosis vs meditation

Amicable Anidala Divorce - Anidala Amicable Divorce (ft. whiny gay Anakin and “I can fix her” Padme/Ventress)

Sandstorm Verse: (chrono) (AO3) Anakin, Ahsoka, and Rex time-travel to pre-TPM Tatooine, Anakin and Rex have to be fake married for Ahsoka's safety

Base Post

Fake Marriage Shenanigans

Wouldn't It Be Easier

Various Thoughts on Anakin Needing Therapy

Interaction exploration: - Dooku - Maul - Maul&Soka - Shmi - Anakin&Anakin - Mace

Anakin and the Jedi Babies: (chrono) (AO3)

* Anakin and the Jedi Babies

AatJB Addendum - whatever the fuck this was

* Jango Meets Soka (1.5k words)

* Names and Faces (6.5k words)

* Anakin, Shmi, and the Jedi Babies (3k words)

* Anakin and the Jedi Babies: Knightmares (1.6k words) - Ben just really loves banthas

* Anakin Introduces his Jedi Babies (and Himself) (5.8k words)

Winds of Change

The Conspiracy (of Anakin and his Jedi Babies)

JangoShmi and Jedi-Mando relations - Shmi finds out

Cultural comparison of Jedi/Mando/Tatooine

How doth yonder baby brain work

Ylliben Skywalker (hair and tattoos) - various related thoughts - * A Child’s Ink - Hi there’s art now! It’s by the amazing @shukruut - This is the outline btw

And this is the outline of the whole ‘verse (so far)

Pronunciation of names

The Kidnapping of Pre Vizsla

* Where There’s a Whill, There’s a Windu (2k words)

From when I was writing Child’s Ink - The same - Ibid. - New subplot

Why is Anakin not aging?

A specific fanart I plan to commission

I forgot Depa has a sister orz

Dimension Hopping to an Omegaverse: (nsfw) (Chrono) (AO3)

Base Post

Surrogacy, Worldbuilding, Obi-Mom

How to Build an Army - The Clone Risk

Soap Operas

Tatooine (2.2k words)

Meet the Generals

Interior Design

Country Dyke

“Assigning” Dynamics

Rexwalker Nonsenses

No Way Home

Warfare 101

Quinlan and the Interdimensional Ingenues (except not really)

Random thought about Omegaverse pregnancies

The Spikes Thing (nsfw, noncon mention, body horror)

Gland Guards

“Weren’t you dead?”

Padme’s marriage to someone who is not Anakin

Churning his brain like butter

Chandrila, Mon Mothma’s pronouns

Commander Buir: (chrono) (AO3) An excuse to let Cody be dad-shaped

Initial Brainstorming

Worldbuilding for the AU

Cody & Shmi Talk About General Kenobi

Qui-Gon Jinn enables Skybaby crimes

The Jango Incident - Just some age stuff

Rexsoka and the Quinlan thing

New Mandalore

Cody deserves to be petty

Rex and Anakin Raise a Family: (Chrono) (AO3)

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

TPM Era

Fake Spontaneous Training Bond: (chrono) (AO3)

Original post

gay

overbearing dad

undercover

various musings

Discussion of Fulcrum’s skills (see notes)

Uncle Ben and Little Luke: (chrono) (AO3)

Uncle Ben and Little Luke (3k words, basically a fic)

Auntie ‘Soka and Little Leia (and Rex) (25k words)

Thoughts on “Auntie Soka and Little Leia” (jokingly, a director’s cut)

Rex, Pint-Sized Battlemaster

Twins, meet TCW plots

Planned continuations

Why not Han+Vader

The process of writing Auntie Soka - Addendum

“Luke rolls his eyes”

Headcanon meme

Ben pins the dilf radar

Fake Sith TCW Trio: (chrono)

Fake Sith TCW Trio (7.5k words)

Thoughts, and perhaps feelings

Padawan Kenobi puts up with a lot

Writing this was a JOURNEY

GRITTY?

Why did I set this in Space!1930s NYC

Plotting the route from Rattatak to Tatooine

Obi-Wan Declares Himself Dad-Shaped: (chrono) (AO3)

Obi-Wan Declares Himself Dad-Shaped

More of “Obi-Wan Declares Himself Dad-Shaped”

“Game’s over you son of a bitch! Tell me where she is!”

Requested Headcanons

TCW Leverage AU: (chrono) (AO3)

TCW Leverage AU

The bit with Korkie

The Family Tree is… a Disaster (ficlet)

Family Tree charted out (with excerpts)

1970s Dooku/Sifo-Dyas by @uraaniuum

ObiSabe AU (AO3)

ObiSabe

Palpatine

Face Blindness among clones

Sticky Fingers AU (AO3)

Hondo Saves the Galaxy

Anakin the Distraction

Manipulating Anakain

The Sexbot AU: (chrono) (AO3)

The Sexbot AU

Rex and Boytoy Anakin

Pregnancy

Writing process jokes

Not a slowburn, but a raging inferno someone’s aiming a fire extinguisher at

Poor Quinlan

Wanna Smash

Tread Upon the Wind (and Chase the Sky)

Mace and Fives

Jaster’s opinion on swearing

Adventures in AO3 Tagging

Does this count as a Freedom Trail

Qui-Gon and Feemor

The King, the Soldier, and the Spy

Original version: The King, the Soldier, and the Spy

Writing the Intro

Time-travel or a break with reality?

Alas, poor Satine

Not Very Nice to Ahsoka

Weapon Women in a Galaxy Far, Far Away

WandaVision/SW Prequels (original brainstorm)

Widows on Kamino (original brainstorm)

Reader response to Anakin getting a civics lesson in Witch’s Favor

Parole Officer Fulcrum Steals Three Million Babies

Ahsoka Steals Three Million Babies

Ahsoka with baby clone Glitch (art by @amikoroyaiart, commissioned work)

Ahsoka is Anakin’s Parole Officer

Systems' Scourge

Systems’ Scourge (original)

Addendum

Ahsoka’s helmet in time-travel AUs

Legally Horny

Legally Horny AU (original)

Fox and Padme need to talk about the politics before you guys can Bang

Reactions to Jango Breaks Into Satine’s House (And Criticizes Her Security)

the weird S*ltcoats thing

Using the fic as shorthand with discourse

Fake Affair (To Hide the Real Affair

Fake Affair to Cover Up the Real Affair (original)

Sexy Addendum, feat. baby twins folllowup

Shiny Rainbow Knife

Transfemme Anakin (original)

Shipping Musings

Fett vs. Kamino Fertility Clinic and Sperm Bank

Kamino Sperm Bank (original)

An additional Fertility Clinic joke, now with lawsuits

Modern AU Hardcase’s deadname

#star wars #phoenix posts #masterposts

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derangedhyena-zoids · 7 months

Note

Awesome! That makes total sense.

Now, tell us about your organoid headcanons? Are they (along with much core-based life) basically immortal? Or just much longer lived than humans? What did organoids do before humans (live happily without invasives mucking it up?), and are there as many in NCZ, or are they dying/getting killed off? (Looking at the Dr D comic and Zeke and Shadow… what was it, killing your heroes, I think?) Do any surviving organoids in NZO remain unpaired to a human and would they consider that a matter of pride (like “I have not knelt to be a pet”) or would they even care? If there even is any…

ahhh I have a lot. I'm actually (slowly, between Actual Adult Responsibilities) working on pulling things together in a coherent format. which this blog often isn't. In the meanwhile, some of my existing posts: Organoid anatomy:

+ Organoid anatomy blather post + A few more anatomy things +How the teleportation thing works +How the teleportation thing works, addendum

+a rambling post that talks about what Organoids get out of bonding to people

This is a crappy drawing of what an Organoid colony/nest looks like. But it's very sparse. I should do a better one.

If you or anyone else wants I can post my not-prior-posted document about Organoid reproduction/sex but it'd have to be in a different post so I can 'community tag' it properly.

To answer your direct questions-

They're not immortal, they're just very long-lived. Their longevity is actually a large part of what started pushing Zoidian longevity to develop.

Very few wild Organoids actually ever died of old age because they'd generally be ousted from the colony (and killed by other creatures) the moment they showed any sign of age-related weakness.

They did die of old age once they were domesticated, usually after living several generations post-their-bondmate. They stay with and have strong affinity for the family group. (this is why Ambient and Specula can detect their partners' bloodlines, basically.)

Wild Zoids would have the same longevity, but with the exception of the small "critter" Zoids, wild Zoids of olde are extinct.

Modern Zoid (cores) don't live as long, because their living conditions are so unnaturally shitty. Nobody understands this, or understands that Zoids are SUPPOSED to live longer though.

Wild Organoids lived in terrifying colonies and were the apex land-based predator on Zi.

Then a domesticating-the-wolf sort of thing happened and, ultimately, wild Organoids became very uncommon while domestic Organoids basically overpopulated the place. (there's actually a story about the origin event for all this, I have a post with it somewhere but couldn't find it at a glance, I've been working on a piece for the pdf about it, this will prompt me to work on it more I guess lol)

Wild Organoids were completely wiped out by the Death Saurer/Death Scorpion event(s) and what followed. Almost all plant life on Zi was destroyed, leading to almost all ecosystems breaking down and most things (including wild Organoids) starving to death.

It also made, yanno. breathing difficult.

By CC/GF, things were very much WYSIWYG. There were literally only four survivors. Other Organoids had been found, but many were accidentally (or intentionally) killed (as shown in Worthless)

One and Zero are my OC Organoids, and could very technically be counted during CC/GF times but… only very technically.

They're basically "the Organoids from the Berserk Fury and Liger Zero" - Zeke and Zero are the Organoids featured in Kill Your Heroes:

Shadow is only shown briefly in No Future and Legacy:

(and Pantheon but we're not there yet)

After Raven's death, Shadow just hangs around Ryss and the Geno Breaker.

In KYH we also see Zeke get Fucked Up(tm), so… in NC0 times there's just Zero, One, Specula, Ambient & Shadow around.

The only unbound Organoid is Shadow. Specula's still with Ryss, One's bound to Vega, Zero's bound to Bit, and Ambient's bound to Brad.

Bonding is very serious business and it's less a "pet" thing and more a "consent to sharing each other's lives" thing - the partners MASSIVELY influence one another.

Shadow just refuses to bond to anyone again because he's terrified he'll forget Raven. Because he knows he forgot his original Zoidian bondmate.

Ryss really wanted him to bond with Albion (and Albion did too), but Shadow refused. oh fun fact that I don't think I've mentioned anywhere here but: Shadow is, and has been, keeping the Geno Breaker alive by sharing its own energy with the Zoid. The Breaker, despite being evolved, is still trapped in an artificial chassis and can't "eat" properly. With no actual Zoid fuel available, Shadow sharing energy with the Zoid is the only way it stays fed. If you'll remember, it was very intensive and stressful for Shadow to fuse with the Breaker - that hasn't changed. The reason being though is because the damn thing is HUNGRY and wants to take, take, take from Shadow. So the duration has to be limited. (hi does it sound familiar? it should.) This is one of many reasons Shadow is grumpy (and hungry) a lot.

#headcanon

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p5x-theories · 8 months

Text

Theory on Seiji, Yuki, and Mont

These were the first three Phantom Idols introduced, but we still don’t know how they fit into P5X’s story, which is kind of weird. It’s probably just because those are the characters they had ready to go in time for the first beta, but it would be funner if there was a story reason

Maybe these guys aren’t Confidant-based Idols, but are instead based on existing Persona users. And the real versions are going to show up at some point.

Also worth noting that Yuki seems to have had a bigger role when this game was Codename X. If this theory is true she might still have an important part, she’s just not part of the introductory cast.

Addendum to my Seiji/Yuki/Mont Theory

Alternatively, perhaps Rin is the Phantom Idol who will turn out to be based on a pre-existing Persona user? Like the Seiji/Yuki/Mont trio we don't know how she fits into P5X, but unlike all of the other Idols her Persona is based on Chinese mythology instead of Greek. Maybe because the real Yaoling Li already had Meng Po as a Persona? And her backstory has her be from China and only come to Japan for college, which leaves plenty of room for her to have had adventures in the past.

Hope it’s alright if I combine these into one post!

I like this idea! I think we’d discussed some similar concepts back before we really knew what Phantom Idols were, but this updated take on it is really fun. The idea that Seiji, Mont, and Yuki could be existing Persona users would add some more variety to the types of characters you can get from the gacha, and would also be an interesting bit of flavor for it (or perhaps even plot relevance!). I’m with you- I’ve thought a lot about how Yukimi seems to have had much more of a role back in the original Code Name: X, and it’s a little odd that she’s just been relegated to a Confidant now, if that’s all it is?

As you’ve also pointed out here, Rin is another standout in particular, as she’s a transfer student, and her Persona’s very different from the Greek theme of all the other Phantom Idols so far. The four of them, together, are also the four with known alternate codenames in the files- Comte, Frost/Snow, Tembin, and Tirara.

This all sort of gives me an idea I think is fun, but maybe not particularly likely: maybe the four of them aren’t just Persona users outside of Wonder’s team, but become a team together (or Seiji, Yuki, and Mont as a team, and Rin separately)? You suggested maybe at least Yaoling already awakened her Persona, but in this case, I’m imagining that at least their codenames came after Merope made Phantom Idols of them for Wonder (or maybe she’s limited by how well her guest knows them, so since Wonder doesn��t know they’re Persona users with codenames, she doesn’t know their codenames either?), so Merope invented her own codenames for them instead. I don’t know if they’d necessarily be antagonists in this case, but it would be really fun to have another team of Persona users running around, and would at least explain the codename question we’ve had for so long, haha.

#submission #theories #fleuret #yuki #mont #rin

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magicalgirlgrimoire · 2 years

Text

Genesis of Genre: Part 4

Post modern Puella Magi and what the future holds for Magical Girl as a genre

Author’s note:

I wrote the bulk of this essay the same time as the previous essays I’d posted to this blog. There’s an interjection partway through that notes where I begin to rewrite parts, and you can check the addendum at the very bottom of the page if you want to read about my meek return.

The “Golden Age” of Japanese Magical Girl media would be the 90’s and early 2000’s, introducing us to to genre defining series like Sailor Moon and Card Captor Sakura, alongside the more Avant-Garde series like Utena. As mentioned previously, Sailor Moon ushered in an array of series clearly influenced by it’s sentai style dynamic, but those kinds of stories are much more rare these days. I believe we are instead in a Post-Modern age of Magical Girl Media. It’s more common to see a deconstruction or subversion of the archetypical Magical Girl narrative as opposed to seeing it played straight. While some pick up on the darker elements of the genre, others choose to subvert expectations; we’ve had everything from stripper angel magical girls to anime centred around groups of magical boys in the last decade. However, not all series are made equally, and in this (perhaps overly long) segment we’re going to look over the Magical Girl genre hits of the mid 2000s to the 2010s.

Utena began the dialogue with darker themes; Akiyuki Shinbo’s 2004 Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha continued it. Nanoha is notable in being one of the first contemporary Magical Girl shows that was not aimed at young girls; instead it was a seinen, aimed at young men. We’d previously had lots of instances of men writing series, along with an uninvited male gaze, but these series were still targeting an audience of young girls. Nanoha is also different than pre-Sailor Moon examples like Cutie Honey, which is a Shounen, as instead of being more of an action comedy, it delved into darker themes of abuse, on top of being a spin off of an erotica visual novel game; all of which is made much more disturbing when we remember the characters are all elementary school aged children.

Real talk for a moment: it sucks a genre that started out being about young women’s friendships and dreams for the future eventually got turned into torture porn for crusty men. And it didn’t stop with Nanoha.

Shinbo returned in 2010 with the acclaimed Puella Magi Madoka Magica, the huge franchise that now comprises the original anime, several films and countless spin-off manga. I’ll save my complex feelings towards Madoka for another time; the key point is that for better or worse, it is a definitive deconstruction of all Magical Girl media that comes before it. Madoka succeeds in examining the human experience of suddenly being thrust into a world of aliens and magic better than it’s predecessors. The character’s youth and immature decision making is central to the story, and the tragedy stems from the magical girls being children who act rashly and aren’t able to fully process the consequences of their choices until it’s too late. While there is a portion of the audience that is undoubtedly there to view misery being inflicted to young girls for whatever gross whims, it can’t be argued that Madoka’s narrative managed to be compelling to people of all ages and genders, and that is a strength of it’s story. However at the same time, it also lead to a lot of copycats, just like Sailor Moon before it, because there is unfortunately a market for teenage girl torture porn. Please look forward to my Black Rock Shooter hit piece.

On the possibly brighter side, we also had more comedic subversions. First, there’s the very specific brand of Magical Girl shows that Studio Gainax and Trigger started putting out in the 2010s; both Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt and Kill La Kill take the sexualisation of the female body present in old school works like Cutie Honey to the logical extremes, and despite being so overtly sexual and fan-servicey, both wind up completely absurd by the end of it. These are obvious subversions of the idea of Magical Girls as pure and innocent; Panty and Stocking is particularly interesting because of how it blends Japanese and American art styles – particularly cartoons like The PowerPuff Girls- to create a cute and cartoony presentation that contrasts with the crass humour and antics of its titular characters. Conversely, I remember watching Kill La Kill during it’s original run and being stunned that by the end of it, when the finale happens and all the characters are completely naked, I was astounded to find I’d become completely desensitised to the naked human form (all this before 3 years of life drawing).

-a future interjection- I’m writing this at the time of posting. The part of the essay you just read is a part I’ve mulled over for over a year. My original essay from 2017, which I’m using as a basis for this much larger work, spoke quite favourably of both Kill La Kill and Panty & Stocking. I think I simply could not leave it as is.

I recently rewatched parts of both Panty and Stocking and Kill La Kill. Surprisingly, Panty and Stocking held up well, so this isn’t about them. Kill La Kill on the other hand simultaneously held up better and much, much worse than my first watch during it’s original run. (I think I might begin doing straight up reviews for shows soon; but that’s for another post)

My main thought upon rewatch was my attitude now, and my attitude nearly 10 years ago is a real reflection of the ways popular feminism, and my own ideologies have shifted over time. Originally, I’d felt the display of the main character’s bodies, that they were powerful and strong while wearing the skimpiest chainmail bikinis, was almost a power move. I especially admired Satsuki’s character, being someone so unflinchingly determined, and feeling no shame in her body as she served a higher conviction.

I just don’t think I can look at the show in the same way now. Yes, the show is still absurd; I do still think it veers into the surreal. But its far more uncomfortable than I remember.

Either way, both these shows still serve as a perfect subversions of the classic magical girl story. -end-

Sliding across the spectrum, there’s also the notable increase in shows that star Magical Boys. On paper this might seem like a thoughtful take on how we present young men but in reality most of these series are played for comedy and or fanservice for a female demographic. Though I’m sure there’s merits to it, it’s a far cry from earlier Magical Girl series which deeply examined themes of gender and sexuality. At best, these are missed opportunities!

We’ve also seen an uptick in remakes and sequels to more nostalgic franchise; Sailor Moon Crystal is the notable example, as is Card Captor Sakura’s Clear Card Arc which is currently ongoing. Tokyo Mew Mew, at the time of writing, has now seen two separate revivals with the short lived magical boy spin off (???) and now with a new anime version airing as I write this! I think the revisiting of these older properties is both a symptom of our expected nostalgic media cycles (see, the 30/20 year cycle), but also a reflection of the current want to revisit late 90’s and Y2K media again, and companies as always being more willing to bank on pre-existing franchise.

The last few decades of Magical girl media has, to be honest, been a mixed bag. However there is one, single shining light for me, and that is 2013’s Little Witch Academia, and it’s subsequent sequel film and anime series. Somehow, the creators of Kill La Kill, the most edgy, ludicrously sexual and action orientated Magical Girl show in recent years also created the most sweet and wholesome. Little Witch Academia takes the genre right back to its roots, utilising the Magical Witch Archetype with a main character named Akko, just like the heroine of years passed, and centres the relationships between the students and teachers at their magical academy. The series also stands out from Trigger’s other works as it didn’t start out as a syndicated show; the original OVA was Trigger’s first outing, created as a project for new animators, and its sequel film was crowdfunded to increase it’s original runtime of 20 minutes to a full 50. The eventual series was created in collaboration with Netflix, and I believe this alternate production also lends to why Little Witch Academia successfully unshackles itself from the troubling tropes that have stagnated Magical Girl media in recent years. Little Witch Academia is the genre returned to it’s primordial state; devoid of fan service and rich in substance, it’s a love letter to the genre.

Addendum:

I started writing this blog around the winter of 2020/Jan 2021. A lot of terrible things have happened in my personal life since then but recently, I started feeling like I could write some essays again, for fun. This particular essay had been sitting in my storage since back then too. As I said in the post, part of what made me not publish it until now is because I'd started to re-contextualise some of the writing with my current views, and it felt incomplete to post it as I'd written it; as in, quite true to my perspectives in my original 2017 essay. I still have a lot I want to write, both based on my original work and also large pieces, but I think I might start writing the essays out of order+mix in some more general reviews with my personal thoughts added in. I do intent to write a more contextual essay about western magical girl shows, but I'll leave that for later maybe! Thank you everyone who followed this blog and read my work so far. I hope I can start posting more frequently!

#Revolutionary girl utena #sailor moon #puella magi madoka magica #magical girl lyrical nanoha #magical girl essay #context #cutie honey #tokyo mew mew #little witch academia #kill la kill #panty and stocking #black rock shooter

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michaelsoft-binbows · 2 months

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creating avery

Quite a while ago, probably over a year before posting this, I asked a friend of mine, to create a fursona for me. We had briefly discussed this beforehand, realizing that we were both furries but never knew for the longest time. The creative process for (at the time) him was rather straightforward, with little creative input from me besides the colors and species. This was fine by me because I trusted him as an artist, and at the time, I was ecstatic with the result.

I would pick the base species, a few bigger details and the colors, with the rest going to my friend to make. Picking dragon to me was an obvious choice, I've loved dragons since forever, and I always tended to play as scalie type characters in games. Then colour scheme was more to not stand out too much, if you love your oc's/fursona's to have blinding neon hair, more power to you! But I just couldn't. With the end result being finished after a couple of weeks of occasional work, the dragon, who would much later be known as Avery was initially brought forward. I loved some of the design elements, especially at the time, the digitigrade legs, the yellow highlights, the larger paws, and the two tone colors were all things I really liked, and the hair pretty closely mirrored myself IRL, so I felt like I could really embody this character.

Unfortunately I am no longer on speaking terms with the original artist for Avery, it was a lot of my anger and emotion that made me lash out to them, and I ended up pushing away a good chunk of the friends I had left. I don't regret it, I needed to get away for my mental health, but I do miss them all a lot. I wonder what they'd think of me now lol, I've changed quite a bit.

addendum - we are talking again after a long time, what funny timing the universe has addendum 2 electric boogaloo - i probably should have included his twitter acc in the original post, but the artists page is https://twitter.com/NeptunicFrog

Anyway, another time, I'll talk about Avery's newer design, that I feel embodies the kind of person (or dragon :p) I am aspiring to be, so I have a long road ahead before I get there. To anyone who reads, however few, thanks for your time. stay safe <3

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septemberrie · 11 months

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Battle Lines is a comfort read for me and I was VERY interested to note that a particular chapter (Renegotiation II not that I have it memorised or anything) has had some tweaks made to it (all of which I love, btw. I think you mentioned you were keen to rewrite it a bit and I think the updated version is 👌).

I was also very excited to see you updated the chapters to be 21/22. This isn’t a “hurry up and write an epilogue” comment, but more of a “how you feeling about it?” comment, because I think you also said you didn’t realise there’d be such an appetite and hadn’t originally planned for one. Is it nice to be writing it because so many people want it, or is that like, a lot of pressure?

Oh goodness waking up to this ask was just 🥰🥰🥰 thank you Dexter!!

Yes I did update Renegotiation II but I didn't make a public announcement, partly bc I didn't think many people would notice but I stand corrected 😅🤩 I've gotten a few comments and they have all been very kind, so I'm very grateful it's been received well. I've been summarizing it as "a little less spicy but a little more true to the characters" so I hope it came across that way to you, too!

This so funny lmao I feel like I've been caught with my hand in the cookie jar! I have almost finished the epilogue, I'm 99% sure I'll post it today. I did notice yesterday when I was futzing around with ao3 to draft the author's note, etc that it showed as 21/22 but since I just saved a draft I assumed that only I would see that change. Guess not lolol you're an amazing unintentional sleuth 😂😂

But to answer your question, I am finally feeling good about it. It took me a couple days after I posted the climactic chapter that the ending, as written, wasn't "neat" so much as "pithy" and after some reflection I decided it was not what I wanted. I am a people-pleaser so while I'll say yes, I felt pressure, it's not because of anything anyone ever said or did, it's definitely a "me" problem of internalizing the toxic notion that "if you're not producing then you don't deserve to be part of the fandom" which we all know cognitively is bullshit but that little voice is always there for me.

That's why I allowed myself about 4-6 weeks off to decide if it was really something I wanted to do, and by then I'd had some time and distance and there were ideas I wanted to share about what happens after the curtain falls and at a certain point, I'm a writer so why not spell it out within the story as a slice-of-life epilogue rather than as an addendum outside of it.

So. I'm happy with it, fluff is a challenge for me but I found some ways to balance it. It does make it easier to write after I've finally accepted that it is a good enough story that readers will forgive a little hokey-ness 🥰 Thank you for asking! Writing is hard but rambling about my writing never is!!

#okay this got long whoops!!!#also I'm gonna add a note to the updated chapter so rereaders don't think they're going insane #asks #iamdexter123 #battle lines #my writing

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davekat-sucks · 11 months

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Since it’s pride month I think a fascinating thing about the progress of how LGBT people are represented in society and media is how queer couples became more accepted into the mid-to-late 2010s and ordinarily shows that only had straight couples were allowed to, and sometimes tried, to add a non-heterosexual couple into the show’s canon.

I think the most fascinating example of this was bubbeline, or the ship between Princess Bubblegum and Marceline the vampire queen from the cartoon Adventure time.

The show ran from 2010 to 2018 and was in the prime position to build this ship up in later seasons, which helped since as far back as season 3 of the show Marceline and Bonnabel had been implied to be friends for a long time.

What’s also interesting was that in the early days, the show may not have intended for them to get together romantically, as they both had ex-boyfriends.

Episode 1 of the show has P.B. Try to revive her old boyfriend Old Mr. Creampuff from the dead, and another episode has Finn and Jake tricked by Marceline’s ex boyfriend to remove the memory of their breakup.

So a lot of the early seasons of Adventure Time really imply these two women to be straight, until the later seasons. They hang out together A LOT in the later seasons, and share a canon kiss in the finale, which really coincides with the Obgerfell Vs Hobbes court case and changes in censorship for kids media.

And to be fair, they were the best fit for each other. The only primary male characters Princess Bubblegum knew were Finn, who is underage until the 1st season of the show, Jake who is a dog and in a relationship with her steed and friend lady rainicorn, and her serial kidnapper the Ice King. Marceline was like, the only other adult who was nice and obviously attracted to her. It’s a funny pipeline from 2 straight women to a sapphic (I think) pairing between 2 bisexual women.

So I think Adventure Time is really a time capsule of how LGBT representation progressed with the legal protection of gay marriage by the supreme court.

Now I know this is a Homestuck account so I’ll finish off with an addendum.

Homestuck was ahead of the curve since it doesn’t have to deal with federal regulation by broadcast media by television.

Hussie had canon same-sex couples in the comic by 2012, implied same-sex attraction between 2 characters (Kanya and Rose) by 2011, and a race of Bisexual aliens (and Kanaya said to be a lesbian exception to the rule) by 2010.

This representation really helped struggling queer people finding their identity in the early 2010s. It’s a good thing that came from queer Homestuck ships, for better (RoseMary) or for worse (DAVE-KAT)

It just sucks that Finn's character had to be ruined during Adventure Time's run. But I can definitely agree that Bubbleline definitely is one of the better cartoons to show how LGBT was able to be pushed through TV media during its time. Rosemary's buildup was definitely better in early acts of Homestuck. Just wish that Act 6 and Post Retcon did more besides being that lesbian couple. Cause at least with Bubbline, the two girls are distinct even when they are apart. Like Marceline being a vampire queen, can play the bass, beautiful vocals, and has quite a heavy backstory. Princess Bubblegum is a girl who is also a scientist, has committed atrocities in order for her to stay in power, and her origins are just as shocking as well. Even when they had episodes together before they were declared as a couple, the two girls are separate characters with their own dreams, motivations, and goals that isn't always about the partner. You don't get to see or hear anymore of Rose's psychoanalysis. Not even the silly girl side of her that isn't from alcohol. Where is her playful side that she would do with John or Dave? She probably treat Karkat the same way she did towards John since they are leaders and parallel to each other. Kanaya doesn't bring up fashion anymore or do anything on the meteor for people like Karkat, Dave, or Terezi. Hell, even in Post Retcon, she still seemed chill with Vriska despite that she was her ex-crush. Was she just happy to have two bad girls on the meteor that she would rather watch them in admiration and do nothing else? Homestuck may have been the earlier presence of LGBT themes and characters, but payoff for it all as it progressed just got worse that the built up for it was better in comparison.

#Homestuck #HOM3STUCK #Rosemary #Davekat #KatDave #KarDave #KatDavev #Bubbleline #Adventure Time

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