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genericpuff · 28 days

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I don't know the term for creators who became popular outside the traditional steps to "make it" in their profession; then when people started taking their work seriously and giving them criticism, these creators saw it as an attack because they are not used to mentors and studies.

Smythe's professional training is vague at best, being a folklorist. Then there's the creator of the popular hell cartoon that became her own executive producer and director in her 20s (I'm not going to say her name since it tends to attract her rabid fans) and becomes reactive to any kind of criticism on Twitter. Then there's that TikToker Devon Rodriguez, who became popular for sketching people on subways, and when an art critic gave a mild review to his art gallery, Devon unleashed his fans on him.

Like am I seeing a pattern here for artists? And I guess, what do you think we can learn from it.

Ah, so this is a very interesting (and broad) topic that we've touched on in discussions in ULO and other webtoon-related communities. So buckle up, it's time for an ✨essay✨

I think the best way I can sum up my thoughts on this issue is: the vast majority of people who become paid content creators don't seek out a job as content creators, a job in content creation is just something that happens to them.

I say "content creation" because this is something that applies to a lot of other platforms and online mediums as well, such as the examples you included (TikTok, Youtube, Twitch, etc.). And don't get me wrong, it's not like every successful content creator out there didn't work their asses off to get to where they are, but for many... it still involves an element of luck. People don't go to school for it, people don't "apply" to become influencers, and much of it relies entirely on just making stuff until it gets seen and propelled into success.

I think a lot of these issues arise with the creators themselves and how they view their own work. The reality is that many of us artists have been treated as the "rejects" of society, we constantly feel like we're misunderstood and have some deep inner pain that we express through our art, and instead of going to therapy, we come up with OC's. It's a lot more fun and it's a lot cheaper LOL Webcomics naturally wind up being the perfect lightning rod for people who feel that way, where we can pour ourselves into the characters, the world, the narrative, in a way that perfectly mixes our talents for art and our need to express our innermost thoughts and feelings about ourselves and the world around us. So when our art gets criticized or rejected ... it can be hard for a lot of artists to not feel like it's a criticism of the self, a rejection of our identities, an attack on our feelings and experiences, because we've tied so much of ourselves to our work. And this can make that transition very difficult for people who are trying to go pro, because being professional demands separating yourself from your work, at least enough that you can view it objectively, recognize its flaws, seek out pathways to improvement, and not take every bump in the road personally.

A lot of successful creators are people who just never made that transition. It's led to an abundance of professional creators who know how to film themselves or react to content or, in the case of webcomic artists, write stories about their OC's, but don't know how to actually navigate the industry at a professional level. They don't know how to read and negotiate contracts, they don't know what deals are actually good for them and which ones are better left on the table, they don't know how to manage teams of people, they don't know how to react to the attention, praise, and criticism of their audience - they're just doing what they've always done, but now they're making money doing it.

None of this is to speak ill in any way of the creators who've found success and are still just doing what they've always done for money. None of this is meant to be a slight on the creators who are using webcomics and art as an expression of their deeper selves (I do it myself, it's very cathartic!) because ultimately that's what makes your work your work, the fact that you made it, with all your good parts and bad. Many of these creators are capable of running their platform without any issues because they've learned how to play the game, or because their platform is made up of people just like them so their audience is more like just a social circle.

But many of them still also can't operate on a professional level and those are the ones we often see getting called out and held accountable when they do shit like, I dunno, scamming their audiences for money or making alt accounts to manipulate user reviews or plagiarizing from other people's work or just being really REALLY shitty to their own audience.

Often times these are people who are just doing what they'd normally do as a hobby, became well known for it, and managed to turn it into a living. But they never actually learned how to turn their hobby into a job, and themselves into professionals.

And artists especially are prone to this because, let's face it, a lot of us are just weebs having fun drawing our blorbos, so of course if we get a chance to monetize that, we're gonna! We should! We should want to be paid for our work and time and efforts!

But we also have to remember that it's a different ballgame, especially if you're turning your audience into customers. "I'm just a baby creator doing this for fun" doesn't and shouldn't apply anymore once you start signing contracts, selling your art as products, taking people's money to fund your projects, etc. because now it's not just your art, it's what you're expecting people to pay for so you can eat and pay your bills and live.

As much as our art is often personal and should be cherished as such, you can't expect people to want to pay for it if you're not setting a bar and meeting it, or if you're not treating your audience with any amount of dignity or respect.

I'm not saying you're not entitled to having feelings or still wanting to treat your art as art, but the line between art and products is there for a reason, it's to set people's expectations and ensure that both sides are having those expectations met. Webtoon creators suffer from the same thing that a lot of Youtube creators and other types of content creators suffer from in this transition, and I feel like HBomberGuy summed it up best:

"In current discourse, Youtubers simultaneously present as the forefront of a new medium, creative voices that need to be taken seriously as part of the 'next generation of media' - and also uwu smol beans little babies who shouldn't be taken seriously when they rip someone off and make tens of thousands of dollars doing it."

It's not gatekeeping a medium, it's not telling people they aren't allowed to have feelings or to want to still have that personal connection to their work in spite of the professional level it's achieved, it's simply just expecting people to actually live up to the label of 'professional' that they're using to make money.

And this especially goes for someone like Rachel, who claims to be a 'folklorist' despite all the contrary evidence that says otherwise. This is the same person who copy pasted the first result on Google as her source on a simple word definition:

There's a second part to that HBomberGuy quote that also actually applies to Rachel really well in this discussion, concerning how she labels herself a "folklorist" and how that's affected and influenced the greater discussion surrounding Greek myth:

"But on the opposite end, Youtubers who act like serious documentarians gain a shroud of professionalism which then masks the deeply unprofessional things they do. We just saw that with James. I think [James] partially got away with what he's doing for so long because he acts so professional about it, so people assume, 'there's no way he could just be stealing shit!' so they don't check. And on top of that, a lot of James' videos contain obvious mistakes and made-up facts... but because they're often presented next to well-researched stuff he stole, no one questions it. I've seen James repeat a lie in his videos, and then other people claim it's true, and link his video as the proof. He has helped to solidify misinformation by seeming like he's doing his diligence."

There's always going to be discourse over what's legitimate and what isn't when it comes to Greek myth, there are loads of things we still don't know simply due to the knowledge being lost to time. But there's something to be said about a white New Zealand woman using her self-insert romance comic and platform to build a veneer of professionalism and legitimacy around herself, as if she's the authority on the subject, while simultaneously relying on first result Google searches and citing works that have no real foothold in the way of scholarly or "folklorist" discussion.

All that's to say, you're right, her professional training is vague at best. She's never completed a longform comic prior to LO, she's not doing her due diligence in actually engaging with the media she's trying to "retell" and exposing herself to the voices of those from the culture that's tied to it, and she's not holding herself to any sort of standards when it comes not only to being a professional, but a professional who's been held on a pedestal for all these years. She's still operating the same way she was 5 years ago - drawing and writing whatever pops into her head and sending it to her editor for uploading, with next to no intervention or guidance. Except now it doesn't have the benefit of being new and having "potential", it's getting noticed and called out more now than ever because it's been 5 years of this shit and it's been getting worse on account of her clearly being burnt out (or just giving up/not caring) and the readers can't be sold on "potential" anymore.

And that's all I have to say on that.

#ask me anything #ama #anon ama #anon ask me anything #lore olympus critical #anti lore olympus #lo critical

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jaylleoo14 · 6 months

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TW// Dark/Yandere themes - tread carefully

So i had a little thought, something my brain just magically thought of because I was thinking of my favorite Tako man :( (hes so cute I wanna just kiss his cheeks!) and then from then on it just kept building! (I had a soda, the sugar is giving me a sugar rush) I need him to be sitting next to me on the couch right now as he tells me about what stocks to invest in as I listen and drink some tea and the TV is running in the background ARGHHHHHHHH TT

You're a quiet person, someone who doesn't usually put themselves out there and tends to keep a low profile. Not that you are shy, but you feel that it isn't necessary to be all that extroverted, at least not here in Twisted Wonderland where it is filled with many flawed people and magicians. So its only natural you have a small tight group of friends, people who you can easily let loose around and be your true self without having to hold anything back. To say in simple terms, yes you are an introvert, but you know how to prioritize your time and values. You work at a coffee house located in a pretty high standing area where you're bound to see many office workers and other overworked individuals in many different industries. You make good small talk, well known to the people who come by often and seen as a industrious coworker who keeps to themselves.

Azul Ashengrotto, the founder of Mostro Lounge who now has branches of other cafes and running businesses. Someone of power and someone not to be on bad terms with. In the light he's seen as a smooth talking and successful business man, a multi millionaire enchanter. In the shadows however, is a crafty con man who swipes up deals in his own favor and dwelling under shady businesses where far too many unimportant people go missing.

Only people who are desperate enough to seek out help even in the deepest of trenches would find themselves eventually in front of Azuls feet, begging and groveling under him. The most unfortunate type of people, the people who are at their lowest parts in their life, and the people who have nothing anymore, a lot of different types of miserable people and situations come racking up and knocking on his door. And of course, as the benevolent and kind hearted man he is how could he just not help them when they are so desperately asking for his help?

Perhaps to pay off their debts, the money they need to pay off their 3 months worth of rent, money to get rid of their ex's, money to get back at their bosses, all in how they need and use money to a variety of usages is to simply sell your organs, your limbs, or perhaps information worth his care. After all, he is a very versatile man ^^

He makes sure no one, especially the public eye, knows this side of him. Of how he runs a blood market, always making sure to stay anonymous yet still making a name for himself in those bloodied and dark waters. "Vanessa" is the name that he goes by, and "the granter" as many know him by. These people would think that this "Vanessa" is a cunning, beautiful, and frail women - making it all the more easier for people to come out of their shells and try their luck. It usually is easier to approach women after all.

Hook, Line, and Sinker.

On a not-so-fateful day you managed to get yourself in quite the predicament. As your old classmate, the Azul Ashengrotto is now here right before your eyes with his coat soiled and drenched with spilt coffee and your hands now shaking and eyes wide open as your heart sinks.

"Aaah? Looks like Shrimpy made a mess."

"It appears so Floyd, and Azuls exorbitant coat seems to have a new design fufu"

A quick apology is pulled out of you and you feel yourself getting cold. Though it was an accident! You didn't intent for this to happen at all! You are a great worker, a diligent one at that. So how could have this happened? Its not like Floyd purposely bumped into you after Jade not so meticulously called you over to position you into that exact spot where it'd guarantee right now's situation.

"Oh dear, whatever shall I do? This coat has nearly cost me a fortune!"

You could scoff at Azul's dramatic words due to him being a very wealthy and well off man - if it weren't for the amount of power he held as well and the status he carries alongside the heavy atmosphere.

For a long while now, Azul has had his eyes on you. Too long in fact. Ever since you two had graduated from Night Raven College he hasn't been able to decipher you not at the slightest. You were always so tight lipped about yourself, keeping your ground low. One could even say it bests Jamil's play of being secretive of ones self. In his words, "you were like a random and unimportant nobody who always made their unexpected appearances when something absurd happen." Yet you were always able to worm into everyones favor, burying yourself in the deepest of crevices of the organ in which pumps blood for its body. How could you have possibly pulled such a thing and yet little to none is reveled about you? At least to him, you dont show your true self. The you that you show to your little group of friends who are also very cautious and wary of what information is being shared about you. The new you that you started to recently show towards Riddle as he starts to slowly reciprocate the feelings you are starting to grow, the seeds of roses slowly coming to bloom as they are starting to get nurtured.

You've always caught his interest the moment he realized how little he knew of you. The moment he realized how you can slip out of his hold with his suckering-like grip. For only a short moment before he underwent a tremendous growth of power, he and you crossed paths when he had lost the interest and sight of you when everyone had departed to do their own things after graduation. It was only then that he remembered his interest in you.

And it was due to that encounter that his interest in you had resurfaced, even more so when he was able to figure out who you still kept in touch with.

So before he could let those pre-matured roses bloom, he's going to do whatever it takes to fish you into his arms. That being making you indebted to him, and now that he has plenty of connections and influence its all the more easier. And while he's at it he might as well take up a more difficult task of getting rid of Riddle, in which its off with his head. In fact, if he thinks about it, it may pay high as well if he were to put it in the market.

"A-ah, Azul. Long time no see. I'm sorry but I don't have enough money to compensate." You know how Azul is. You know how he works, how else have you been managing to stay low and out of his grasp during your high school days?

"Oh of course. I doubt anyone working at a coffee house is going to be able to make enough to pay this off."

He's been watching for awhile, keeping tabs on you, and finally now you'll be his. He's planned this, running different simulations in his head on how he can subtly slip into your life to make it all natural.

Looking up at you, a pleasant and dashing smile on his handsome face as he fixes his glasses, his soiled up coat now hanging over his forearm, you can only conclude and predict that this isnt going to go well.

"Perhaps we can arrange something for you then. The amount of money and sheer work being put into these pieces of clothing only for it to be soiled is something I find hard to over look."

Of course, Azul isn't going to let this go. You're now in his grip, the feeling of his tentacles slowly slithering around your limbs as you wait for him to say his signature words.

"Lets make a deal (y/n), one that I ensure would be nothing but merit for both parties."

There it was. And with the pressuring and piercing eyes of Jade and Floyd on both sides of you, you give a response to which makes Azul delighted.

And so it begins, the process of fishing you out and bagging you up. You're now in the grips of a powerful man, and as he begins to undergo his plan in making you his, "Vanessa" is going to undergo another plan to successfully weed out those pesky garden of roses settling in your heart.

He wants to know the true you. That new side of you that you were showing to Riddle. Dissecting every part of you limb by limb till he's able to see the deepest parts of you. Opening up every dark secret you hold and hide. Your soft and warm body against his as he envelopes you whole. He wants you, the only and true you. And he'll do whatever it takes to ensure that.

Truly, what a predicament you are in. A very very unfortunate one that is.

AHHHHHHHHHHH OMGOMGOMG STOP BECAUSE I WAS ACTUALLY LIKE SPLURGING AND JUICING OUT SO MUCH IDEAS FROM THIS LITTLE BRAINROT AHHHH. Perhaps I may tweak some of the things here, or maybe make Azul some kinda serial killer in disguise or something! But for now he is an organ trafficker under cover. And not only that, he is totally whipped for you so that may be a great thing for you Reader! :D

#twst #twisted wonderland #azul ashengrotto #jade leech #jade leech twst #twst floyd #floyd leech twst #floyd twisted wonderland #twst azul #azul ashengrotto x reader #yandere twst #yandere twisted wonderland #yandere azul ashengrotto #yandere azul x reader #twst x reader #riddle rosehearts #omg i was rambling again TT #sugar seems to really affect me a lot #i hope you guys dont mind my rambles ^^;

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ashirisu · 4 months

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hey, everyone!

My name is Ley (pronounced like "Lee," she/they) and I'm a fiction writer/editor based in the PNW. I haven't done a proper writeblr intro in a while, so I figure the new year is a great time to reintroduce myself to the community!

— about me

An important thing to understand about me and the way I talk about writing is that this stuff is literally my entire life. Even outside of work, I don't think I have a single interest or hobby that doesn't relate back to storytelling in some capacity. I'm an avid media consumer and critic, and will hyperanalyze just about anything that catches my fancy for more than a minute.

I love science fiction and fantasy, and my goal as a writer is to take all the genres I loved growing up and create stories that are a little more diverse, inclusive, and queer.

— about the blog

I came to writeblr mostly to share my work, but also to find an active community where I can get excited with other writers and talk shop. Marketing is obviously a really important part of the publishing industry, but I get tired of having to filter every thought I have about my work and experiences through the lens of aesthetic micro-trends just to put it out in the world. Sometimes I just want to pop off about scenes I'm proud of, you know?

Above all else, I really just want to connect with more writers like myself, ones who got their start in fandom spaces and are working to take their writing from a hobby into a career. I see you, I am you, I love you, let's be friends!

— about my writing

I write a lot, though most of it is disconnected nonsense. Flash fiction and short stories are where I really thrive as a writer. I don't tend to commit to long-form projects, but I have a few projects that I'll occasionally share details about!

I like to describe my style as "earnest and character-forward," which is a fancy way of saying that I like driven protagonists who think too much and are emotional to the point of it being a character flaw.

My goal is to share more of my original writing moving forward, so hopefully you'll get to see all of this for yourself. If I'm totally honest, though, you'll probably see more of me discussing my work than actually writing it.

— about my projects

Here are the things you'll most likely see me posting about:

Agnomen: A sci-fi retelling of Hamlet and Coriolanus, currently in its very preliminary stages. It is literally my Roman Empire, except it's set on a moon of a planet that I'm calling Jupiter as a placeholder (but please note that it isn't actually Jupiter, as Jupiter is a gas giant and therefore a scientifically impossible setting for large sections of the plot).

Alter Ego: A superhero fic in which not-so-mild-mannered reporter Drew Derrick fights for mutant rights and can't seem to get his act together when it comes to keeping the complicated parts of his life separate.

Untitled Fantasy Project: The very first project I ever wrote, and the piece I return to every so often when writing is feeling more like a slog than a fun hobby. I set a lot of one-offs in this world and follow a few key characters around without them having a real plot.

D&D: I write a lot about Baz, my Wild Magic Barbarian. He's a regency noble with a lot of problems, and I care about him very much. I also have various other settings and characters, but he's my most active PC at the moment and therefore gets the most attention.

Short Stories: Sometimes I write these, and sometimes I like them enough to share!

— tag directory

ley rambles: my (often wordy) opinions about things

ley writes: not necessarily my writing, but talking about my writing

my writing: stories, blurbs, and other content I've written

not my writing: reblogs and creative writing that I liked, shared, and sometimes commented on

#also i am open to asks and tag games!#looking forward to getting to know you all #writeblr intro #writeblr #writing #creative writing #writing community

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vanillabeenflower · 4 months

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My Reimaginings for the HB/HH Rings + Hellborns

My ideas for a redesign of the setting and its inhabitants to have it make a little more sense! I'll put all this under the cut so it won't be too long on the dashboard:

Okay! So, I've noticed QUITE a few slight discrepancies between some of the rings. I wanted to share how I would do it, based on some critiques I've seen. This is in no way anything negative, I just want to share how I would do it. With that in mind, know that I tend to be a bit blunt with my criticism but know that it's out of me thinking that it would be the obvious option, personally, and not out of any rudeness.

The Flaws

I want you to know that I in no way know anything about demonology, but I do know a bit about Dante's Divine Comedy and the emotions associated with colors. I'm going to go down the list in the show's order, one by one, and then give my versions at the end.

First is the Pride Ring, where the main cast of both shows reside. Now, I want to point this out: why are ALL of the sinners only confined to this ring? That doesn't even make sense from a biblical retelling perspective. Didn't the entire journey through Inferno show that there were sinners on every level of Hell?

Anyway, first off, I really don't see this as the Pride Ring. I expected this to be the Wrath Ring, which is what I thought until I saw the actual Wrath Ring. There's this thing called "color psychology", which is the study of how colors influence emotions or give clues to the atmosphere of someplace. Historically, purple has always meant royalty and wealth, since it was the most expensive color to dye your clothes in. I think that would be a more fitting color for the Pride Ring. As for the design, It's cool, but doesn't say Pride. It says New York, which I think would be the opposite of Pride.

Next is the Wrath Ring, which looks great. I have no actual criticism of the ring's design itself since it fits really well. I like the volcanic elements and the fiery sunset sky, and the fact that it's where many hell beasts/animals reside makes sense. Also, it is mainly rural and has fire-related weather (flaming tornadoes) which also makes sense. I have no fixes for this. Good work!

The Gluttony Ring is the same way. I appreciate the fact that the sky has hexagonal shapes in it (not shown above) and that it's mainly plant life since the actual Beelzebub is an insect, and most people associate insects with being outside. There are a few things I'd change, like pushing the plant aspects a bit and having the buildings look more like various insect nests, not just beehives, maybe a few dens or plant-inspired buildings (I really like how Zootopia's world is built because it was made with the builders in mind: animals. Since they use organic structures in real life for their homes, they made some buildings have a curvature that fit their "ancestor" instincts, it even extended to their cars at one point. I highly recommend reading The Art of Zootopia to see their creative process with a bit more polished language).

Okay, why did they make the Greed Ring green?? Everyone knows that green is the universal color of Envy, so why is it here? I get that making it green works much better than any other color, and I agree, it does look better, and it's the same color of money, but I have an alternate idea. Make the Greed Ring yellow.

This might not sound like a good choice, but here's my reasoning. I love that the Greed Ring is a polluted, overly industrial cityscape, that fits amazingly. But if you look at real-life smog-filled cities, what color are they?

Yellow. Or at least a dirty, dark yellow-brown. So what I'm saying is that you don't even need to make it a bright yellow, making it a dark yellow-brown would really show how filthy the Greed Ring is. Also yellow is the color of gold so it also makes sense symbolically.

I have my gripes with the Lust Ring. Why is it dark blue?? The color symbolism was right there, pink and red are the most associated colors with lust!

However, I do like the fact that it's always night in the Lust Ring, it's very symbolic of the "nightlife" aspect of the emotion. I just don't know why they chose a normal sky color over something else.

I am a sucker for good color combinations, but I don't really think making the night sky dark blue made sense. It doesn't even have to be a drastic change, just shift the night sky's color to the warmer side a bit. If the ring does have a day and night cycle, and I'm just stupid, make the day go from hot pink to light pink from top to bottom, then have the night sky go from red/magenta to hot pink, with white stars (or just make the sky a lighter version of those two options). It would look mega pretty!!

The Envy Ring is one we haven't seen yet, but I wonder what we'll get since we already used up our green card with the Greed Ring. Someone I was talking about this with said that since the Envy Ring is ruled over by Leviathan, the ring will be ocean-themed and blue, like the ocean. I like that idea since sea blue is, in fact, a real color (and I also think that those 2 twins from the Mammon episode are from there, because of the way they acted and since they are fish-themed), and the theme fits. But the problem is. Sea green is a real color too.

Wait, this was the Sloth Ring?? I assumed this was part of the Lust Ring because of the colors, and because I was holding onto some hope of the color psychology making sense!

But. I LOVE this ring. The more pastel color of the ring actually relaxed my eyes a bit, which I think was the intention. I love the floating islands and the waterfalls, it all gives off a very relaxing atmosphere. My only design change would be to change the sky to a color like baby blue since blue as a color is actually scientifically proven to reduce feelings of stress and anger.

My Rendition

Now that we have all that out of the way, here's my version of how I would've done things.

I would match the colors of the rings to their corresponding color. I would arrange them in the way that they are in the show, but we'd risk that cool rainbow gem order up top. But if we want to arrange them in rainbow order, they'd be inaccurate to the order of the rings in Inferno (I think??), so you can choose which order you'd like, I'm just doing this for myself. Also I realize that they aren't really based on the nine levels of Hell, but the 7 Deadly Sins, which is fine by me, I find that making more sense.

Red = Wrath (an obvious choice, since red signifies strength, danger, and actually stimulates energy in real life)

Orange = Gluttony (it just makes more sense than yellow, plus if we're assuming the bee motif, it's the actual color of refined honey)

Yellow = Greed (color of gold and matches the smoggy city it's depicted as)

Green = Envy (another obvious choice, plus since Leviathan rules over this ring, it would match the ocean aesthetic as sea green)

Baby Blue = Sloth (soft blues actually cause a relaxed response in the brain)

Purple = Pride (color of royalty, also associated with arrogance and wealth)

Pink/Hot Pink = Lust (OBVIOUS CHOICE)

The Hellborns

Now my headcanons on what the overall citizens of each ring would be. I actually have an idea for slight species dimorphism for all the imps in each ring but I'll have to design that another day. I want my rainbow imps dammit

The Wrath Ring would have the highest imp concentration, with any other demon species being the lowest here. Imps who are born here are red in color, about the same shades of red that we see in all imps in-show.

The inhabitants of the Gluttony Ring should be bug/insect demons since the ruler of the ring is literally an insect. Imps born here are shades of orange.

The Greed Ring would have those shark demons seen in Exes & Oohs, but someone I was chatting with said it would make more sense for all the aquatic demons to be in the Envy Ring, so I don't know. Imps here are born in shades of yellow.

The Envy Ring would have mainly fish/aquatic-themed demons. Imps born here are shades of green.

The Sloth Ring should make the demons there have more themes of ungulates or ruminant animals like goats, sheep, and pigs because Baphomet is not a demon species. Imps born here are shades of blue.

The Pride Ring is where demon royalty mainly resides. Imps are rarely born here and if they are, they're usually born into servitude. Imps born in this ring are purple.

The Lust Ring is where incubi and succubi live (like Verosika). Imps born here are shades of pink.

For Hellhounds, I think they should be found in all rings rather than mainly in the Gluttony Ring. Even though the reason that's where they are is because Cerberus apparently guards this ring is very clever, it doesn't make that much sense. I also think they should all be grayscale and have their eyes correspond to the color of which ring they were born in (I love achromatic color schemes with one bright color to add color to it).

Anyway, those are my thoughts! I hope you enjoyed this interpretation of mine!

#redesign rants #hazbin hotel #helluva boss #hazbin critique #helluva boss critique #hazbin critcal #helluva boss critical #I'm not really ''in the fandom'' enough to call myself this but I've watched the shows #long post

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crimeronan · 1 year

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there are literally incalculable meta posts i could make about the silt verses (it’s one of those stories where i have thoughts about Every Damn Line) but tonight i’m thinking about how..... DELICIOUSLY it sets up and then subverts your worldbuilding expectations.

if you haven’t listened yet. consider this mini essay my pitch. (or rather one of many pitches.)

because you start with this narrative episode about two members of an outlawed religion seeking other members of their faith, and they’re both compelling and sympathetic and layered narrators, but also. one is describing a childhood built on drowning and torturing people to death and the other is delighted by sacrificial corpses and horrific apparitions of eldritch nonsense and you’re like, “okay, yeah, this is a horror podcast. i can pretty damn well see why your religion is outlawed jesus FUCK you guys how is there THIS MUCH MURDER involved in your religious rites-”

and one of the narrators tells you that society is hypocritical because the legal religions Also cause harm. and if you’re anything like me, you go okay, girl, whatever you need to tell yourself to justify your current crusade. your god is a special kind of fucked up but it’s all good

then of course there are hints of social worldbuilding that challenge this assumption, but it’s not until paige’s introduction ep that you’re smacked Full In The Face with like. All Of It.

because paige is a law-abiding citizen high up on the corporate food chain, and she works a mundane job at a branding company.

and the company’s margins are bad.

and the company’s industry is shrinking.

and the company needs to cut costs and reinvigorate its own brand.

and of course this is a difficult time for everyone but flexibility is necessary to stay competitive in a cutthroat world.

and now the company is torturing its low-performing employees to death in front of everyone as a corporate ritual. viscerally described.

and paige, who JUST watched her closest work friend die in the most horrific way imaginable, is playing her part as someone high up on the corporate food chain.

she is being upbeat and being cheerful and encouraging her surviving coworkers to “look lively” and pretending that nothing happened.

and not a single person protests. and no one shrieks in horror and everyone shifts back into their worksona and the day passes without any particular note because this is a social norm and layoff-sacrifices are too commonplace to report and it is legal and it is accepted and it is a good way to boost the flagging numbers for the giant capitalist machine.

and you have this realization that.

this Really Is how the world is.

there really ISN’T anything separating the outlaw narrators’ rituals from those of the corporate and city-based gods.

and then the follow-up question becomes, “wait, then why is THEIR god banned?? if it’s not the murder and the horror then why is their god banned???? what’s the fucking difference????”

and the answer is that their outlawed god draws people away from the cities and the factories and the oil rigs and the pollution and the mineshafts. and their outlawed god does not contribute anything to the state.

and it’s not about what people worship or what the gods want or what the rituals require or what the hallowed bodies look like.

it’s just about how The State (TM) and Capitalism (TM) are both systems that have weaponized the law to kill every god that doesn’t contribute to their money and power and exploitation and culture and control.

and then it’s.... it’s not about the horror anymore.

it’s not a story of two deeply flawed protagonists from a sick and twisted cult who are reasonably forced into the shadows of a largely normal world because They Are In A Horror Story, And Are Doing What Horror Protagonists Do (Being Fucking Crazy).

it’s a story about our world. the one we live in. we the listener. here in our modern-ass non-supernatural late-stage-capitalism world. it’s about all the structures we’ve built and burned and all the destruction at the center of that goddamn world.

the eldritch gods and terrors are just set dressing.

#fuck me i'm a sucker for stories where all the supernatural and religious shit is a metaphor for something much different #anyway there's so much going on thematically that i genuinely think everyone will take something different away from it. which Fucks #i realize an unbelievably long meta essay is not a snappy pitch But.#the people who pause to read this meta essay are already in the category of People Who Will Probably Like This Story #long post #silt verses #the silt verses #this doesnt even touch on ANYTHING in ANY of the other eps like FUCK the way heyward and the farmer with the god of hunger add to this?#AAAAAA. FUCK. SO FUCKING GOOD. SO FUCKING GOOD #violence #murder #i've been slightly hyperfixated on this story lately we'll see how long that lasts. it's just so good

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sanajeh1909 · 4 months

Text

Professionally Yours Personally Mine

Pairing : Chamber x F!Reader

Word Count : 2404

Warnings : Rivalry themes (enemies to lovers without being lovers part i guess?), romantic tension

POV : 3rd Person (More like Chamber's POV but i tried to give both sides inner thoughts etc.)

A/N : Sorry for my poor English, its not my native language. Chamber can be a bit OOC. Gif doesnt belong to me. Please do tell if there is any mistakes or off talks/writings on the scenario. I wrote less for Y/N to not restrict your actions and focusing on Chamber for you to imagine with detailed descriptions. Whoever taught me OneLook page, i love you. Yellow is for Chamber, Pink is for Reader. I hope you enjoy it. If you like this i might write part two or something.

Been long time, huh...

Chamber stopped mid-speech, his eyes narrowing onto the source of the sound. A woman stood across from him who he'd recognized as Y/N, one of his former colleagues from Kingdom Industries… one of his biggest obstacles.

He stood there, arms folded, waiting for the woman to speak. She was just as beautiful as he remembered her.

With crossed arms over her chest, she approaches and speaks. Her tone is dripped in confidence. I didn't expect you to join Valorant Protocol.

He raised an eyebrow, the hint of irritation in his voice. Of course, she couldn't just let that one little flaw go without bringing it up.

You know… this new agency has been a welcome change. I appreciate their appreciation of aesthetics, unlike that… corporation you still work for.

She smirks and stands in front of him. Confident and sharp as always. Who said im working for them? And what do you think am i doing in the middle of the VALORANT PROTOCOL? Surely they don't let in anyone here.

Chamber's eyes widened with surprise. He could not believe these words were coming out of her mouth, let alone that SHE, of all people, knew more than him - someone who actively works for the organization. He couldn't contain his shock. His mind was reeling. His mouth ran on autopilot, trying to find the correct words to say, when he finally found the right one… he spoke.

… pardon?

She chuckles with amusement. Its my duty to give you a warm welcome, no? Taking a deep breath, she raises her chin up slightly with a small smirk on her lips. Welcome to the VALORANT PROTOCOL.

He tried to remain indifferent to the situation. Of course, he knew the woman across from him was capable of doing… well, anything… but to think she had joined the Protocol made no sense. How?

He searched for a response.

"W-wait a minute. Why are you here?"

Im working here. Pouting her lips with sarcastic manner yet the smirk playing on the corner of her lips were giving away that she wasn't pouting out of annoyance, instead she is toying with him.

"Working…"

That wasn't the response he was looking for or expecting. Was she teasing him? Was she just… here now? Or was she actually here to work… he couldn't be sure. He was trying to avoid it but his curiosity was creeping in.

Doing what?

Saving the world. Serious yet sarcastic tone and that damned playful pout on her lips… He rolled his eyes. She couldn't be that facetious, right? This was Y/N. Her sarcasm and teasing was a known trait.

But that last statement, he couldn't tell if it was sarcasm or not. Was she genuinely saving the world or had she just… decided to join and he's just now hearing about it?

Saving the world, right. Like that's why you're here.

A small click sound of her tongue and she walks away, anooyed by his nonserious reply. Guess whose rivalry is going even after working in Kingdom...

Chamber was in disbelief. Her quitting? Her being here? She just up and quit? Why??

He followed her, of course. He grabbed her arm and stopped before she could go far. His curiosity was too much to handle and he had to know what she meant.

You quit? You're working here full time now? You, of all people, would join VALORANT just like that?

Oh, why not? You know me better than other people that i would do such thing. She narrows her eyes as if spitting venom, but then smiles with a smirk, a confident and cocky one.

Chamber's mouth twitched. Damn it. She got him. She really did.

The idea was crazy to begin with. Was this what she did after she quit Kingdom? Why didn't he find out sooner? Hell, why wasn't he just the one to recruit her to VALORANT?

So… you're not teasing? You really are working here? Why?

You should know it already.

His mouth slightly opened at her response. Did she really just tell him to figure it themselves? The level of sass… he was trying his hardest not to show how cute she looked when she got snippy… he failed.

That's vague…

He was still trying to figure out why she joined. Had she really joined or was she just here to be a nuisance? He decided to play a game.

Does the Protocol have better insurance benefits than Kingdom, or something? Is that why?

She lets out an amused chuckle. Is that why you quit Kingdom Industries? She turns the question back at him without answering.

His eyes widened with feigned surprise. Damn it. Damn it. Damn her. She was good. She was doing a damn good job of annoying him. She didn't answer the question. This woman could never give a straight answer when it mattered... She had him there. Damn it.

He stayed silent for a moment, processing everything she had said. This game… this game was going back and forth… and for each and every one of his moves, she would retort. He might as well have played checkers against himself. He needed to change the game.

No, I left because of the creative restraints they placed on me. They couldn't handle how good I was at designing.

Is that the only reason why you quit? I think there is more than that. Her voice tone slightly dropping and her voice is like a velvet, as if trying to seduce him to talk more.

Damn it! She was good. But… she had a… was she trying to get him to reveal more… personal details? What the hell was going on…

That voice… that seductive tone… it was the same one she used for every office romance she found herself in. Her eyes never left his. That stare could penetrate skin, flesh, bone… right down to his soul. He couldn't think of anything else but her. Every single thought in his head… it was just her. Just her. Just her.

He shook his head. No, it is not the only reason. Is this an interrogation? Do I have to share something more personal? Is me not wanting to work for a company who only wants my talents and not also my creativity… is that not enough?

Oh, im simply curious. She says with half seriousness and half playfulness. I know you for almost a decade… Its just your reason… She thinks her words with a small pause, slightly pouting as if preparing herself for the amusement she would feel after seeing his reaction …doesnt tick with your personality.

…what… does that mean?

Oh you know what i mean. Her pout slowly turns into a small smirk.

Goddamn her. She knew exactly what she was doing. He was almost sure of it. That smirk, that little confident smile. She didn't even need to play mind games; she could flirt the information she wanted out of him with nothing but a smirk.

He was annoyed. At himself and the situation. And especially at her.

…stop.

She gets close and stare deep in his eyes. Her eyes slightly widens, as if a snake approaching its prey. She speaks in low, slow, seductive yet dangerous, obviously taunting tone. …Are you being seduced?

Her presence was suddenly filling his personal space. Her tone had dropped to dangerously provocative. She was doing it on purpose. She was pushing the limits between playful banter, rivalry, and something deeper… He felt his heart rate increase. Her eyes and her proximity were making him agitated but… they were also having a different affect now.

His eyes widened as the distance began closing. Was this flirting?Was this… that feeling where he didn't know what he should say or even react? Oh… this was… this was new.

…is that what you're attempting?

She pouts for a brief moment as if disagreeing with her own words. I might be.

He gulped. Her pout had thrown him off. He was lost for words. So lost he nearly said something stupid. How was she this good at this? Was it practice? Was she just… naturally… like… this?

His blood boiled with a mix of passion and annoyance.

This was too much. She knew exactly what her words meant. She knew what she had done. She knew she was in control. And now she was taunting him for his lack of response.

He couldn't handle this woman. She was too smart, too cunning. She was playing at his emotions and he couldn't handle it. She was going to win if he didn't retaliate. He had to find some way to pull her off balance. He'd been the victor too many times, and he was tired of her getting the best of him. She had a power over him that he couldn't figure out how to control. It was like a spell.

Why are you acting like this? Stop. Teasing…

What if i dont? She raises an eyebrow as if provocating him to go further so she can make her own blow. Looking deeply in his eyes, her eyes are slightly widened with sadistic intentions.

For a few moments, he was lost in her aura. Her eyes were like two black holes, sucking him in and holding him there. Her look was almost inviting him to come closer to her. He could almost see her smiling a devilish smile, her lips inching closer to his ear until… he snapped out of it.

He wasn't about to be drawn into her trap. Not this time.

Your game's getting predictable, Y/N.

And you are falling for it.

He scoffed.

Falling? Falling?! You are a few steps behind me, my dear. Don't underestimate me. I'm not the fool you used to have the upper hand to. I have learned. I know how you operate now. I know all your tricks. Every single one.

Her lips curls into a smile, a creepy one. Something is hidden behind it, plotting something behind it. Constricted pupils of hers are staring into his amber ones. Her tone drops, speaking in quiet, soft tone yet dangerous, velvet-like... Why dont you behave like you know them, then?

They weren't just playing anymore. Things were getting real now, and the question now was how far would she go? Would she kiss him? Or would she try to kill him? He had absolutely no idea.

His eyes met hers, his lips curling into a smirk as he replied, his voice getting an extra bit of confidence and bravado.

I believe this game you're trying to play won't work if I call out all of your next moves. You and I both know how this works, yes? Let me guess… you're going to try and make a move to get a closer look at my eyes, or, say something that's provocative and get me to get defensive. You could even try to get within arms reach of me and lean in to whisper something seductive in my ear to try and throw me off. Right?

Hmm, maybe. She pouts slightly with a smile.

He chuckled. She was just too damn cunning. His smirk grew into a smile, his body language more relaxed.

Or you could go for my mouth right away, too. We both know you want to.

Oh thats not what i was asking for. But i might. Half joking, half serious with a damned smile mixed with a smirk and narrowed eyes... Her voice tone dropped low and heavy.

His eyebrow once again raised. He was caught off guard by her candor and bluntness. Had she gotten more confident or just… cocky? He was beginning to think it was the latter. His smirk grew larger as he responded with some confidence of his own and arrogance, but not enough that it seemed fake.

We both know you'd never…

We will see.

Again, he snickered and couldn't help but smile. There were sparks flying between them that even the most oblivious person could feel. The banter was flying in, the playful teasing back and forth. What exactly was this? Why was this flirting so exciting? Why him and her when she was such a rival to him. It was weird.

His eyes met her eyes, both staring into each others with such intensity. Their faces were close now, only about four inches away. Her mouth began moving towards his.

Only about an inch of space between them she stops, and she whispers but her tone isnt soft. The corner of her lips curled into a devilish smile You will be my pawn.

His breath was caught in his throat as she spoke for his ears to hear. Her lips were close to his, her eyes narrowed, her smile diabolical. His muscles tensed under the intensity of her aura.

Her tone was not simply playful and teasing but also… dominant. Aggressive. Almost predatorial. She wanted to win everything between them. He hadn't anticipated her whisper to be so… provocative. Why did his heart not even feel as if he was in control anymore? It was beating of its own accord. It was almost like… she was controlling it herself.

She pulls herself back and a laugh escapes her throat with a smile. She takes several steps back in amusement as if she won the little banter they had between them. Then she turns on her heels and walk away. The victory is written on her walk, as if a Queen killed half of the prisoners. She laughs loudly and her voice echoes on the corridor as she disappears from his sight.

He could do nothing but watch. She had won yet again. He was outmaneuvered. She had taken the last laugh. He'd seen his worst fears realized as she'd taken the upper hand. She knew how he felt about her, she knew the impact she had on him, and she used it to her full advantage.

Was she truly… that manipulative and cunning? Was there a weakness to it? Maybe not a weakness, but would she let herself get caught in her own game like he just did? He didn't know, but this only intrigued him more.

What just happened? If it were anyone else he wouldn't think twice, but he and Y/N were rivals. They were supposed to hate each other. Instead, they were flirting, they were seducing each other.

Was there something genuine here? It was impossible. She was his number one rival…

#valorant chamber #vincent fabron #chamber #chamber valorant #valorant vincent fabron #valorant x reader #valorant fanfiction #chamber x reader #valorant chamber x reader

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kanmom51 · 1 year

Note

This is not written to or about you. In your mind's voice please read it as I am speaking to and about the people who have written some excited rants. I like your site a lot and like your perspectives on JiKook topics. I am hoping, if nothing else, it might inspire a conversation for you. I wasn't sure where to share it since I am new to Tumblr and really don't plan to be a big poster.

================The thoughts==============

Some 'fans' and foes are losing their minds over Jimin participating in a song as a feature artist that has multiple performers, one of whom has - according to the conversations - done horrible things and has a bad reputation. However, many of these same people were not as concerned about Jungkook who performed in Qatar that has huge human rights violations and controversies. Qatar has been doing this for much longer and harming many more groups of people. The information is easy to research. Yet these same people and others have no problem supporting a KPop industry that exploits underage people with excessive work and sexual behavior. The very industry they support has had its own sexual abuse scandals and unfortunate suicide incidents, but yet they are now out of sorts about supporting Jimin with this song. I'm not in any way defending the rapper, if the information is confirmed to be true, and I am not saying it wouldn't be wise for Jimin to be aware of who he is working with, but he likely recorded a song in an isolated studio and didn't even meet the performers he was singing with. He would not work in this industry if he based his choices on only working with saintly people who never did wrong things or only behaved in ways that were perfect. As an aside, I don't know the personal behaviors of any of the other people on the song. I just don't understand the hypocrisy and the emotional tantrums people are having without thinking through information, much less looking at their own lives to see if they would have trouble being held to the same standards they hold BTS, but apparently Jimin in particular, to. If you are not who I am referring to with the descriptions above, feel free to disregard these thoughts. No need to be offended if you are not anyone referenced here.

Thanks for your time, Kanmom51. Keep up the good work.

I'm actually with you on this one @jimin-bangtan .

The hypocrisy in this fandom hits me every single time.

Let's start With Kodak Black why don't we?

Born 1997, now 25 yo man. Not without controversy around him, he has been involved in several illegalities in the past.

I will say this and be loud and clear: KB is NOT a nice person.

He's been involved in drug and illegal arms offenses and beyond the charges I will talk about below, the reason people are up in arms about the collab, he has been said to get rough with women. In my books he's a douche, and if he ever raises his hand at a woman he needs to pay the price for it. Period.

But the main issue that has people upset about is his rape charges. people screaming about how can JM be collaborating with a rapist.

So, let's make one thing clear here.

KB IS NOT A CONVICTED RAPIST.

Plain and simple.

Well not so simple, because the legal system (law) and justice are two different things, at times intertwine and at times travel on parallel lines that never meet.

It actually goes both ways - people that literally get away with murder on the one hand and innocent people that have their lives ruined by wrongfully charged or convicted on the other.

But the legal system, as flawed as it is, is what we have.

Why this long winded explanation?

Well because KB was accused he raped a high school student in Feb 2016. He was charged for it in October 2017.

But 5 years later the prosecution reached a plea deal with him, the sex offenses were dropped (not even being accused of statutory rape, which is having consensual sex with a minor) and he was convicted of assault and battery and received a suspended sentence and probation.

I know this feels a little technical, but it is super important to make these distinctions. He was accused of rape but not convicted of it.

It is what it is.

He is a douche but he is not a convicted sex offender douche.

And if we are already talking about douches and problematic musicians, it's funny how everyone seems to wake up with these complaints and criticism when it involves JM.

Why is that? I ask myself.

Where were those people when Hobi was collabing with Crush? Where were they when BTS collabed with Snoop Dogg? Do I even bring up all the scandals he was involved in?

The above mentioned is merely an example of some of Snoop Dogg's issues.

Nothing, silence, you could hear a pin fall. Well, actually, not really. Because of all of the cheers and screams of joy that were heard when that collab was announced. Funny. Or not really.

And let's think about the examples in this ask why don't we?

JK doing the song for the Qatar games, well that didn't go without scrutiny. There were voices of criticism sounded, but those voices pretty much died down and at the end of the day, the song and JK as well, received the full support from the fandom.

And the K-pop industry?

"Yet these same people and others have no problem supporting a KPop industry that exploits underage people with excessive work and sexual behavior. The very industry they support has had its own sexual abuse scandals and unfortunate suicide incidents, but yet they are now out of sorts about supporting Jimin with this song."

Say it louder for the people in the back!!!

YG just announced their new girl group. Guess how old the youngest member is?

13 yo.

As much as that is a favourite Jikook number, it sure isn't an appropriate age for a child to debut with a girl group in an industry that sexualises young girls the way it does. And it's not that the others are much older either.

Cookie someone?

So yeah, we all need to be conscious of our choices. Who we listen to, where our money goes, who and what we support. And it's ok to criticise our faves, I'd even go as far as to say it's our duty to do so. But a. it's a case to case basis, meaning circumstances matter (which means what the level of involvement is with that person, for example); and b. let's not be hypocrites here. Let's not have double standards. If we feel it's wrong to collab with a problematic rapper, that standard applies not only to JM but to every other member of the band and the band as a whole.

Period.

#ask

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dekusleftsock · 1 year

Text

There’s so much evidence for an ochako uraraka rising, it’s painful that I didn’t realize this before.

Maybe this is looking into it too much, but 285 and 375… idk.

Anyway, Tsu pushing Uraraka through the portal after Katsuki’s kidnapping parallel, after Deku being pulled through the portal for a confession.

GIRLS GONNA CONFESS! OR AT LEAST EXPRESS HER LOVE! IM SO EXCITED!

Anyway, more unorganized rambles of my thoughts.

Maybe the reason that danger sense doesn’t go off is because Toga genuinely doesn’t want to hurt Izuku, and her love isn’t inherently violent. Like

Constantly, throughout these chapters, not once, not ONCE does Ochako think that her love is dangerous here. Not a single time. And Izuku is constantly judging her, making conclusions about her true “nature”. BUT THIS IS JUDGING OCHAKO TOO! THIS IS HOW OCHAKO ALSO “EXPERIENCES” LOVE! And I think they’re going to talk about this! (This isn't izuku slander, I'm just being honest, he's great and very loving but only Ochako is saving this girl)

Because not once does Ochako actually want to become toga, they do the same thing that bkdk do. They subconsciously mimic each other.

From literally gaining her eye bags when thinking about her

To putting her hair up in a similar hairdo to toga.

Or even mimicking the way she floats mid air, like these panels

It’s subconscious mimicking of the person you love, not trying to become them.

Let’s look at the difference between Toga’s confession to Izuku vs her confession to Ochako. Because, let me tell you, there are definitely some differences.

Instead of “I wanna BECOME you”, it is “I wanna be LIKE you”.

Ntm the uncanny valley feeling that horikoshi drew with the panel of toga confessing to Izuku. It’s a little eerie in Ochako’s, but not nearly as much as Izuku’s.

And this, this is the biggest thing that stands out to me in their respective confessions.

(Idk why it's being weird, sorry)

With her confession to Ochako, it’s personable. “What would you like to do with me?” Whereas her confession to Izuku refers to him as “hero” first before “you”. It’s softer, more genuine.

It’s her true vulnerability with Ochako, and an escape with Izuku. Instead of saying her confession head on, she disappears into the waves.

Ntm this panel. Has no one noticed what this sounds like? Scratch that, who this sounds like?

Shigaraki has only ever thought of aizawa as “cool”. Why would horikoshi do this? What’s the point? Why in the hell have aizawa and shigaraki had this weird back and forth?

And why the hell would you draw a direct parallel to Toga’s view of Izuku?

Simple: Izuku is the idealized hero in stains eyes. Not only did he directly say that Izuku is a “true hero” but his entire character surrounds the fact that he hates “fake heroes”, aka heroes that are only in the industry for fame or savior complexes, feeling good about yourself. Shigaraki views Aizawa the same.

And Izuku is CONSTANTLY referred to in reference to Allmight. Allmight is an idea, a figure, but he is not a person.

The point of Toga calling Izuku “cool” like Shigaraki refers to Aizawa or how Izuku refers to Allmight, is because idolization causes dehumanization. Humanity is flawed, therefore a person who is perfect is not human.

Toga never sees Uraraka as “cool”, not once. She sees her as a person. And it’s these two contrasting ideas of dehumanization, idolization vs villainizing. Idolization of Izuku through Toga and Ochako, idolization of endeavor through hawks, idolization of Allmight through Izuku, the cycle continues. It’s not love, it’s an idea.

There is not an idolization between Izuku and Katsuki, or Ochako and Toga. It’s an understanding of the people you love and their flaws. You mimic the good and bad. Like how Ochako mimics Toga's fury and acceptance, or how Toga mimics Ochako's determination and exclusion/black and white thinking. Its subconscious, actual love. It is not something born from trauma or another person's pressure. Just as Izuku is learning how to control his heart, Toga is too.

"You got that, hero?"

This image ring any bells?

How about I show this?

Toga too needs to control her heart, so a confession is on the rise for Izuku. If Toga not controlling her heart elicited the same reaction Izuku had, then how are his feelings not the same? This feels like I'm contradicting, because Toga doesn't "really love Izuku" as I've said before. I guess I don't think she loves Izuku in a truly healthy way, she cares about him and rejection hurts no matter what. Especially in the way that Izuku rejected hurt. (Oh the irony to have him discover Katsuki was dead after saying that he would never want the people he loves to be hurt) But their main difference is that, Toga knows Ochako, not Izuku. Just as Izuku knows Katsuki, not Toga, or even Ochako.

But I think that Ochako does or is developing a sort of care for Toga. No, I do not think they would get together at any time near during the current timeline. She will however spill her feelings and guts out for Toga, like Katsuki, on the battlefield. (Praying for that Ochako Uraraka Rising because I don't think that she would let Toga die, especially before talking to her first) I will say, the only way for the heroes to win right now might be turning Toga to the side of the heroes, especially since the clones are entirely spread out now. If a miracle were to happen, I think it will entirely depend on two girl's shoulder's.

This is gonna be fun.

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fuck-you-upmusicbracket · 7 months

Text

Fourth of July (Sufjan Stevens)

Well you do enough talk/My little hawk, why do you cry?/Tell me what did you learn from the Tillamook burn?/Or the Fourth of July?/We’re all gonna die

Did you get enough love, my little dove?/Why do you cry?/And I’m sorry I left, but it was for the best/Though it never felt right/My little Versailles

"Its such a slow and haunting song for something titled "fourth of july". the piano(?) sounds like rain against a window i cant explain it. this song feels like a sensory deprivation chamber"

"For one it just carries such extreme melancholy that i can't listen to it without crying (that includes me transcribing some of the lyrics my dog is currently trying to make me feel better and it is not particularly easy to type) but also if you want to just like scream and cry and sob the song was written while and about his mom dying of cancer."

Rät (Penelope Scott)

So fuck your tunnels fuck your cars/Fuck your rockets fuck your cars again/You promised you'd be Tesla/But you're just another Edison/Because Tesla broke a patent/All you ever broke were hearts/I can't believe you tore humanity apart/With the very same machines/That could've been our brand new start

When I said take me to the moon/I never meant take me alone/I thought if mankind toured the sky/It meant that all of us could go/But I don’t want to see the stars if they’re just one more piece of land/For us to colonize/For us to turn to sand

"Oh my god. Oh my fucking god. It was hard to pick lyrics because everything in it is straight fire. A banger. Slaps. Whatever people call it these days. Have you heard it"

"It talks about being raised on stories of technology and reaching the stats only to realize how flawed and elitist the modern world of technology is. It contrasts the image of science and humanity’s future that people are told with the reality of silicon valley and the modern industry of science."

Fourth of July submitted by @purplexiasphinx

#fuck you up bracket #tournament #polls #sufjan stevens #penelope scott

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niqhtlord01 · 2 years

Text

Humans are weird: Debating emotions

( Please come see me on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord Every bit helps)

Alien: There is no way to define emotions that does not elaborate the fundamental flaw of possessing them.

Alien: Emotions by their very nature are chaotic, overwhelming, disruptive, and a hindrance to the continued functionality of a species.

Human: So you would have us be devoid of emotions?

Human: To live our lives like automatons going through the motions of our existence until we die?

Alien: You can seek the betterment of your species without the need for emotions.

Human: And that is where I must once again strongly disagree.

Human: Human development has often been brought about by series of events that triggered emotional responses.

Human: Those responses became the driving force to change the status quo and create something new.

Human: Industrialization was brought about by a sense of greed, and because of it we now have ships that can travel the stars.

Human: Love and companionship has been the driving force to create communities and a sense of identity that defines who we are.

Human: Sadness over loss has pushed the progress of medical research far into the future and rid our people from diseases that once killed us by the thousands.

Alien: You claim emotions are a driving force and yet they have also been a determinate.

Alien: Lust has sparked a million murders.

Alien: Pride has led to a thousand wars.

Alien: Envy has displaced generations of families.

Alien: For every good deed an emotion has brought there is a dozen more of pain and suffering.

Alien: To remove your emotions would be no different than removing a cancer from your body.

Human: And what would you have in its place?

Alien: Logic and science are universal in nature; so replacing emotions with them would only benefit your people.

Human: But those concepts can be just as easily corrupted as any emotion.

Alien: Nonsensical.

Human: Really?

Human: *Holds up a pen* What color is this pen?

Alien: What does this have to do with our debate?

Human: Everything; now, what color is this pen.

Alien: Green.

Human: All I see is grey.

Alien: Then your vision must be impaired.

Human: And why do you say that?

Alien: Because the pen clearly has a green exterior.

Human: I was born colorblind and unable to see the color green as you do.

Alien: Thus my previous statement of your eyesight is proven true.

Human: But who are you to decide if my colorblindness is an impairment?

Human: What makes your viewpoint more valid then my own?

Alien: Were we to study your eyes we could see your genetic flaws.

Human: There you go again claiming your viewpoint is the only right one, while I see the same situation and have arrived at a different situation.

Human: Both of us are right in our own context, and yet by your logic yours is correct because more people can take up your perspective.

Human: I thought science was based in features that can be studied first hand, not by those who shout the loudest.

Alien: You are contorting arguments to support your narrative, rather than using existing data to support your narrative.

Human: Let us use logic instead then.

Human: You are trapped in a sinking car with a loved one and the driver whom you have never met before until that night.

Human: The water is rising fast and you only have enough time to free one of them; whom do you save?

Alien: Only a primitive species would ask such a barbaric question.

Human: And yet the question still must be answered.

Alien: I would save my loved one.

Human: And why is that?

Alien: I do not know the driver so I cannot make an informed opinion.

Human: But because you do know your loved one they would deserve saving?

Alien: Indeed.

Human: But in of that your logic is flawed.

Alien: How so?

Human: You are basing your choice on the amount of time you have spent to with your loved one as the base support for the end result.

Human: You are allowing your personal experiences to alter the outcome of your decision.

Alien: That is only natural that something understood would be favored over the unknown.

Human: So it would not matter if your loved one was dying of a disease that left them with one day more to live, while the driver was a father of four who all depended on him for support?

Alien: That would alter the result.

Human: But you just stated that the unknown is less desirable, why now would you change your answer?

Alien: Because the driver would present a greater contributor to society.

Human: So because of ones worth to society you would leave your loved one to death?

Human: Is it logical to repay the kindness and support your loved one has shown you for so long with betrayal and let them die?

Alien: That is not fair.

Alien: With each addition of information you further confound the dilemma.

Human: That is because logic is subjective in the context of each situation, just as emotion is.

Human: And were you to use only logic to resolve the situation you would end up with three corpses in a watery grave instead of one.

Alien: That is because your logic is flawed.

Human: Then who is to say which logic is the correct logic?

Alien: …..

Human: Your system of logic and science only survives if there is one single definitive standard.

Human: This nature of absolute has closed you off to the possibilities of the universe and has narrowed your vision.

Human: When presented with a logic that differed your first actions were to denounce it in reverence of your one absolute.

Alien: Is your emotion somehow better?

Alien: Emotions are a maelstrom, a swirling void of contradictions and paradoxes that lack anything close to be considered stable enough for definition.

Human: As it should be.

Alien: So you admit emotion is chaos?

Human: I never denied that it wasn’t, only that to deny such chaos was to reject life itself.

Alien: Life is not chaos.

Human: Life is a side effect of circumstance and chance, a one in a trillion result that sparked us into being so that we may have this little argument now.

Human: Emotions are part of that circumstance, part of our very being and to deny them would make as much sense as chopping off your own arm because your finger itched.

Alien: That would be a most illogical reaction.

Human: finally something we can agree on.

#HUMANS ARE WEIRD #humans are insane #humans are space orcs #humans are space oddities #story #writing #original writing

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fixing-bad-posts · 1 year

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I haven't watched rop myself but I would absolutely like to hear your thoughts. Like, this is your cue to vent (if you wanna) :)

okay so i just got three asks about rings of power when i didn’t expect anyone to actually message me about this at all!!! as such, i’ll be giving my opinion in three parts with this being, part one: rings of power as a bad adaptation.

basically, the failure of rings of power is two-pronged: 1) it’s a bad adaptation, and 2) it’s a poor piece of writing. charitably, it’s a solid first-try for a pair of newbie showrunners who have never written a big project before. and following that, a bad adaptation is actually easier to forgive than a poorly written story—with a text so beloved, and without the proper rights to all the material (they only had access to the appendices of lotr), it was always going to be impossible to make a perfect text-to-screen translation. that said, it’s (imo) a pretty bad adaptation (although still not as bad as the artemis fowl movie lmao) for a few reasons: thematic interpretation, use of characters/characterization, justification of setting, and fidelity to canon lore.

on: themes—a good adaptation requires both an understanding and an appreciation of the source material, two things which rings of power lacks. in this promo article, the rop writers summarize tolkien’s works as about “friendship,” “brotherhood,” and, “underdogs overcoming great darkness,” and cannot imagine a tolkien story without hobbits. from this, it’s clear that they were first peter jackson movie fans, and then read all other book material as auxiliary support for what is inevitably peter jackson’s interpretation of tolkien’s writings on the third age. whether or not i agree with pj’s interpretation is irrelevant against the fact that the first and second ages of middle earth are stories with completely different themes than the third age. interpreting everything though the same thematic lens as the third age is a fundamentally flawed approach to telling a second age story.

the second age is permeated by arguably recent, memorable trauma from the war of wrath—the human characters are further removed via the mortal generations that have passed, but many of the elves were alive to see these events in (relatively) recent memory. this dissonance between elves and men regarding the events of the first age fuels some of the most interesting wider conflict throughout the second age (ex. the númenóreans being manipulated to become obsessed with/envious of elven immortality & the powers of the valar). furthermore, the world impact (i can’t say global impact because the world is not yet a globe) of the war of wrath fuels the setting (political reformation, social, cultural, and technical development). but rings of power ignores all of this because the showrunners don’t seem know what to do with any of it. they are trying to interpret second age events as if they have the same story elements/are painted in the same thematic palette as the events of the war of the ring. they relegate the events of the first age to ‘ancient history,’ instead of using its fallout as direct motivation for anyone except galadriel (more on this in the following section). the tension between elves and men is flattened into an allegory for contemporary immigration, which neither makes sense in-universe (there is a scene in which a group of men gather in the town square to protest the elves ‘stealing their jobs’ even though there is only one (1) elf on the island and she has not to date done any labor or craft associated with the people present), nor adapts the canon themes of anti-industrialization, anti-materialism, and fear of mortality.

on: character—whether the writers were/are incapable of doing their own analysis of the text, or their analysis is flawed, the result is that they struggle to write characters and conflicts who don’t fit into stock tropes. for example: galadriel—she’s the only elf who has any trauma about the war of wrath/the wars in beleriand, and this makes her seem like a poor communicator at best and paranoid/unreasonable at worst (she claims sauron is still at large but the writers never give the audience a reason to believe this, which implies that her crusade is fueled by dubiously exceptional trauma). this is especially egregious in a scene played opposite elrond where she tells him he can’t possibly understand her pain, and he just kind of lets this accusation stand despite the fact that he was functionally orphaned in a slaughter, and then adopted by two mass murderers before losing them too. but i digress.

on: canon lore—many creative decisions were ostensibly made to appeal to casual fans of the peter jackson movies. characters with recognizable names are given top billing in the storylines. galadriel. elrond. the pre-hobbits are given an entire section. meanwhile, key players of the second age like celebrimbor and gil-galad are made side characters in elrond plotline. why? because no one who has only seen the films recognizes their names, thus they wouldn’t be profitable to feature, and they wouldn’t sell a show. it’s only so transparent because the writers spend every episode contemplating how best to recreate memorable moments from the lord of the rings movies. galadriel is constantly shot with close ups on her eyes to mirror her film introduction in fellowship. shots of bronwyn (one of the rop original characters) at the elven outpost are framed, blocked, and even written in word-for-word monologue to recreate iconic éowyn-at-helms-deep scenes. various characters are constantly quoting the lord of the rings movies. the worst is when bronwyn practically quotes a section of sam’s iconic osgiliath speech to her frightened son, implying that sam’s speech is a collection of common idioms.

on a tangible level, the writers also fail at the monumental task of presenting a large map in a way that makes sense to people who don’t already know the world. they represent “the southlands,” as two villages, giving the sense that mordor as a whole is about fifteen kilometers wide. the timeline is fucked because they tried to condense it, while giving no clear indication of when anything is happening in relation to anything else, so it’s incredibly difficult to grasp the scope of any project or journey. for some reason they invented a fourth silmaril of dubious origin. they had elrond, raised by sons of fëanor, swear an oath only to break it in the following episode. they’ve made the choice to have all the elves speak quenya without acknowledging the history of sindarin vs. quenya and the politics of why certain elves speak it or don’t (i would love to see even one nod to thingol’s influence on elven language).

tl;dr—rings of power misreads, misunderstands, and miscommunicates the crucial themes of the second age. this leads to a complete misinterpretation of the pre-known movie characters they feature, as well as a sidelining of important book characters who aren’t movie-fan favourites. their attempt to properly explore a vast setting is clumsy, and the show invents lore out of a source material that already has arguably too much.

(i have to go run some errands but i have more to say on rop as a poor piece of writing regardless of its status as a so-called adaptation. i’ll be back.)

#ask fbp #anon ask #fandom posting #rop critical #anti rop #anti amazon lotr #anti rings of power #amazon rings of power #rings of power #rings of power negative #anti trop #rings of power critical #rings of power analysis #rings of power meta

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july-19th-club · 2 months

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many months ago i read babel and now that i've finally gotten far enough down in my interminable drafts to find this post again i can finish expressing opinions on it. i think this review does a good job of encapsulating a lot of the critiques ive seen in a nice, concise manner. of the many things i agreed with here, i think the most relevant one is that rf kuang is a good writer, and she is a good scholar, so 'this should have been her magnum opus. but because she, like a lot of writers, writes what she knows politically and culturally, she's begun to be seen as sort of...trendily woke by the industry and therefore the politics in her stories are focused more on, perhaps even by her own editors/publishers, than the actual story, which in its own way actually prevents her from being able to iron out her stories' flaws and buff up their strengths. and this isn't to say that her writing SHOULDN'T be political - but as a friend said a while back, it sometimes reads less like a novel with a plot and characters than a beginner's primer to imperialism (a thing most of its target audience doesn't actually need, because they're way past beginner's primers in terms of Talking About Empire). in that way, if it had been allowed to be a fantasy novel, it would actually be able to exist in both worlds: with more nuanced and denser politics and a more engrossing and rich story and characters.

the second review discusses something i disagreed with the first review about - the magic system, which the first reviewer liked but the second reviewer thought was a fundamentally flawed means of engaging the subject matter.

#babel #i have SO much more to say actually but i am saving it for other posts #q #it's been like. half a year since i read this book but i just rediscovered all the unposted thoughts i had abt it while i was reading #and holy shit i did NOT really enjoy that book

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anarchic-miscellany · 3 months

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Gundam SEED: A Dubbing Journey

More fun physical media tales! "Gundam SEED"

It's not the best Gundam series, but it's good fun and the first iteration of "Gundam" which I watched. Hence I have a sense of nostalgia for it, despite its flaws (looking at you 48 episode length...).

Anime is already a fairly niche field, despite the hilarious jokes and mainstream creep us filthy degenerates are making into modern society. The age old "debate" I guess, between those of us who have never seen the sun, seems to be between watching in the original language with subtitles, or watching it dubbed.

My personal thoughts go towards the dub. Aside from the fact that there are dozens and dozens of brilliant actors in this field who make the material fantastic and more accessible (Tara Platt, Yuri Lowenthal, Colleen Clinkenbeard, my homie Kirk Thornton, Steve Blum, Michelle Ruff, Wendee Lee, Kari Wahlgren, Todd Haberkon, Joel McDonald, so, so, so, so many others) to simply ignore the dub through snobbery is to disregard the hours and hours of effort and work put in by hard working, under-appreciated actors across the field. Voice actors are my jam.

So, "Gundam SEED" came out in 2002/2003 but was dubbed by the Ocean Group with Bandai in 2004, released by Beez on DVD. It's a good dub: No "Baccano!" or "Cowboy Bebop" but then again, what is? There are some great actors in this (Andrew Drummond's brother Brian plays the best character: Andrew Waltfeld THE DESERT TIGER, Lisa Ann Beley is the ship's captain, Trevor Devall from "Cowboy Bebop" and "Team America" as Mu La Flaga, Samuel Vincent as one of the two leads and, for some god-damned reason Brad "Light Yagami" Swaile as one of the best characters) as well as some lesser known names in the industry but also great in their parts. Chantal Strand is a standout as Lacus Clyne.

The dub was an excellent work, and my first exposure to the series, it's great.

The series was released on DVD, but had a rather short run: the always excellent Beez released it in the ever delightful format of five episodes per disc and one disc per box, their usual M.O.

I am going somewhere with this, bear with me.

So far so good.

In 2014 the series was re-released in HD, fine. Excellent! More of Beez's back catalogue coming out again and to the forefront is always a good thing.

However.

The dub was redone.

The actors, for the most part, were completely replaced from the top down. Gone were Matt Hill and Samuel Vincent as Kira and Athrun, gone were Drummond and Swaile. Everybody has been changed, right down to the lesser known actors playing some major parts in the series.

And they are the people who I want to talk about.

Bill Switzer, Sarah Johns and Lisa Ann Beley are not ever going to be household names, nor ever known truly amongst the clique-like cult who follow weaboo shit. But I am going to focus on these three people for a moment.

Respectively, in the Ocean Dub, they play Sai Argyle, Lt. Badgiruel and Captain Murrue Ramius, all fairly major characters in the series.

And they were replaced.

Bye, so long, farewell, hope that you got something out of the experience.

This isn't about rambling about how "the new dub sucks" or "Grrrr, change is bad" (well, maybe the latter a little) because, in all honesty, I haven't watched it. Heck, maybe it's fantastic!

But on a more philosophical level, I guess, consider this:

Mr Switzer, Ms Johns and Ms Beley have put a lot of work, time and effort into those parts, they're actors underappreciated, underpaid and glossed over in an already niche field, and then the one big piece of art they get to do, the one big part they have to be remembered and loved, is forgotten, soon to be washed away by the new dub. Sounds dramatic, sure, but now in future should Gundam SEED be sought out by people hoping to catch up on Gundam (though, why you'd start with "Gundam SEED" like a moron when the fantabulously gay "Gundam Wing" exists I shall never know) or just picked up and watched it's more likely that one will watch the remastered dub, and Mr Switzer and co will be banished and forgotten by history.

I guess what I wanted to say was simple:

Remember forgotten art, remember obscure actors, writers, producers and the like. All art has meaning, be it terrible, great or forgotten. Every piece of art has effort and love put into it by some people.

Don't let Bill Switzer and Sarah Johns and Lisa Ann Beley be mere forgotten footnotes.

Buy a DVD of something obscure and forgotten. Remember the effort put into it.

#Gundam SEED #Physical Media #Dub #Dubbing #Anime #Bill Switzer #Lisa Ann Beley #Sarah Johns #Voice Actors #Voice Acting #Gundam #Ocean Dub #DVD

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dailyadventureprompts · 2 years

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Heavy Topics: Elemental Madness and Mental Health

To catch everyone up on the discussion that’s been going around regarding the depiction of “madness” in TTRPGs, there’s a long tradition in media of portraying those suffering from breaks or disruptions to their mental health as dangerous and alien. This has not only stigmatized those people most in need of sympathy and aid but has slowed down a lot of discussions regarding mental health and by doing so created an environment where ignorance, neglect, and traumatic abuse can be perpetuated.

At the same time, this concept of “madness” as it exists in media has taken on a life of its own, seen as an almost elemental force that can pervade the world and eat away at the inherent order of things like an acid of the mind. This sort of madness has mechanics in many game systems, with characters having to resist and treat it as they would poison or a magical curse. The problem arises when these systems begin to interact with real mental health concerns: I’ve played games where taking PTSD or Alcoholism as a flaw at character creation got me more skill points, to say nothing of Lovecraftian horrors inflicting schizophrenia or obsessive compulsion as an AOE attack.

TLDR: What we have here is a topic that needs to be handled with nuance, a situation that TTRPGs have been historically bad at. On one hand as someone who wants his hobby to be welcoming and who has had long struggles with mental health, I don’t want to include things in my game that could be alienating or othering. Conversely, there is a place in gameplay for both mental strain and psychic fuckery but those systems need to be handled with tact and placed at a remove from mental health conditions which should be something dealt with more on the character side of things. If we really want to cement this gap, I propose separating “elemental madness” into an actual force that doesn’t just afflict the mind, but reality itself, afflicting the targets and their surroundings with a dreamlike surrealism.

I’ll talk about my reasoning behind elemental madness below the cut, as well as why it’s fucked up to try and deal with real mental health issues through game mechanics.

Madness as genre conceit: Every culture has superstition surrounding mental health, but as the western enlightenment gave way to industrialization the old thoughts about demons and visions from god gave way to the concept of insanity as illness, and that those experiencing or expressing abnormal behaviours or beliefs should be confined just like those suffering from any other form of contagion. It was this tradition that intersected with one of the most prolific writers of the 20th century: Howard Phillips Lovecraft and the xenophobia that underlined his work

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Lovecraft was terrified of the unknown, in that if he didn’t understand something he was very likely to write a short story about it being the vessel for a life ruining/world dooming horror. Central to his work is the idea that there are things one can learn that can break the human mind, entities so vast or so terrible, truths so impossible, that it destroys a person’s ability to reason and leaves them to gibbering terror (his natural state apparently). This is the form of madness that d&d has inherited, the sort of thing that has cultists pledging themselves to gods intent on ending the world, and villains acting in nonsensical ways because they have to do something in order for the story to make sense.

Madness in this way is a crutch for lazy writing, a means by which an author can move their narrative chess pieces about without having to write REAL justifications for why they’re acting this way. Saying that a serial killer is “crazy” lets you skip past writing about how cycles of abuse and social pressures can lead someone to kill, the same way that a cult performing vile rites saves you from having to write a reason for people to be brought to that extreme, or to examine your own justifications for why this group should be the enemy

Madness as a Mechanic: Personally I don’t believe there’s anything truly beyond human comprehension, both in that we’re imaginative beings and if we really did encounter anything outside of what our rudimentary organic perceptions could perceive, we’d simply come up with a working model and deal with it, much in the same way that we’ve done with quantum physics. This is one of the reasons I’ve never been on board with lovecraftian horrors that break the brain just with their mere strangeness. That said, I’m a firm believer in the idea that our minds can break down, as I’ve spent most of my adult life trying to rebuild from such a break down and prevent another one. As such, here’s a scattering of thoughts regarding mental health and how it should and shouldent be handled

By far “stress” is a more useful mechanic to track than a building “madness” or depleting “sanity” pool, because stress can be applied to all manner of situations. Everyone understands that there’s a wide veritety of things that can stress you out, from having to rough it over multiple days in the wilderness to seeing a friend fall in combat to confronting a horrifying monster. Stress buildup could switch off the refresh rate of abilities over time, or cause a character to act out should it reach some kind of threshold, leaving it up to the player to decide what kind of outburst is appropriate for their character (mental health event included).

D&D’s madness tables do an okay job representing various short-circuits in the brain, aside from the indefinite madnesses, which hew a little too closely to real world. These tables are usually used when the character is suffering some form of psychic trauma or attack, so it’d be better for the indefinite side of the table to emulate longterm scars such an attack can do.

Dealing with mental health challenges on the character side rather than the mechanical side allows us to sidestep a whole bundle of troubling implications. If my depression or anxiety could be removed with a restoration spell, what about my autism? sixty years ago homosexuality was considered a mental defect, could that be taken away with 100gp worth of diamonds and a quick trip to the local cleric?

Madness as Surrealism: Yeknow what’s scary? When your lack of control over your life and environment manifests and once fundamental forces like causality and reason begin to break down. This is why genres like ARG horror and the new weird are taking off, and why projects like the Backrooms are resonating with such a wide audience. We’ve gone beyond the horror that we might be trapped in a space with someone who’s violently out of touch with the world, and have entered into a horrifying new era where we are trapped in a world that’s violently out of touch with us. THIS is the toolbox I want to play with, rather than the dementophobia of lovecraft’s era, where I can paint with everything form Escheresque architecture to glitch-horror to the revelator ravings of abrihamic doomsayers.

This to me fits far more with the theme of horrors outside of reality trying to press in, and gives a wider pallet of options to pull from if I don’t want to muck about in any mental health baggage my audience might be dealing with.

#heavy topics #mental health #cw mental health #dm advice #dm tip #dm tips #dm tools #writing advice #self harm #Cultists #homebrew mechanic #d&d mechanics #madness

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