an appreciation of insanity

i definitely need more sleep ao3 fic master post

[laurasbailey]

FAVOURITE BEAUYASHA MOMENTS » part four 

[treeofcups]

Marisha, wrapping up Keyleth’s turn: And then I’m gonna use my free action that I have to turn into a fire elemental.

Matt: Your free action?

Marisha: Changing into something’s not a bonus, it’s a free action to change into my beast shape. [As Matt goes to check the handbook] Circle of the Moon, bitch!

Sam: Did you just call your fiance–

Travis: –A bitch?

[schmergo]

There’s nothing wrong with analyzing the infamously errant comma in “My dearest, Angelica,” but bear in mind that Alexander Hamilton is also the guy who left out an ‘n’ in “Pennsylvania” on the Constitution, so maybe writing like you’re running out of time leads to typos.

[mnemememory]

There are words somewhere in her throat, lodged tight and sharp.

Yasha has fingers. They open and close around the hilt of her sword, the callouses rubbing against metal. She breathes with purpose (breathe, she is told). Everything she has, she has been granted by her most gracious host. (breathe, she is told. stay, she is told. kill, she is told).

She feels the burn on the back of her neck, sometimes. When she’s tired. When she’s bleeding into her boots, when her arms shake so badly even Obann cannot tell her to stop.

(stop, he says.

Yasha is trying).

He tells her to smile, and her face smiles. It is foreign, useless. The skin stretches tight as a drum around her skull, and she’s pulling back, she’s dragging pieces of herself away before he can ruin them anymore than he already has.

There are words somewhere in her throat, but she doesn’t know what they are. Yasha hasn’t been able to talk for so long. She doesn’t know what she could ever want to stay.

(stop, he says).

(stop, he says).

(please, let her stop).

There’s a scream building in her chest – it’s been building for months, years. Fuck. Yasha is so fucking tired.

[thelatestkate]

April 2020 Illustrations ヽ(• ‿ •)ノ

[writingwithcolor]

I was wondering what kind of female black characters do people want to see more of? Like, them being soft or selfish?

Black Girls & Women: Representation We Want

As a Black woman reader, I definitely want to see more soft Black girls and women in literature. Girls with their own self-interests (caring about oneself isn’t necessarily selfish) and not always someone else’s caregiver is great too.

Here’s my list!

More Black girls...

In love

With close family bonds and healthy relationships and support systems (that don’t require enduring abuse, fixing their partner, or overall emotional labor to earn domestic happiness)

Being protected

As main characters, heroines and anti-heroes

On adventures

In fantasy and magical settings

In historical settings as peasants, upper-class society, and royalty

Descriptions of Black Afro hair, skin, features as a normal thing in books (see this compilation) and not in an Othering way

On the other hand, vibrant, sometimes hyped up descriptions that allude to their beauty (see this ask. Or this one). Not Othering, just appreciating! 

Put us in fancy dresses and give us a sword and let us dance at the balls and have admirers!

Experiencing complex emotions not necessarily in reaction to racism or racist violence

On the book cover! And with an accurate, not light or white-washed model

~Mod Colette

Responses:

@madamef-er

Soft black girls and nerd girls who like cute things. 

Shy black girls not just in situations with boys. 

More lgbtqia+ black girls. Studs! Femmes! 

Gender fluid and non conforming constantly changing their style because they like it!

Spies and not just as the 'sexy bait' or 'weapons master' let us sit behind the computer for once and be hackers and stuff

@tanlefan

Black girls who are just...people.

I want a fantasy escapism adventure that isn't a thinly veiled discussion on slavery or racism or any other aspect of The Struggle. I am tired. 

Can I just have a happy Black girl who believes in fairies or something?

@esmeraldanacho-1776 More autistic Black women/girls! I don't care what genre really; just have them in there!

@briarsthicket And enby black people!

@mattiekins

Def soft black girls. 

Energetic and playful. 

Or shy and quiet.

I want to see more black girls who are nerds and not just mommy mommying or nanny nannying everyone. 

I want black girls who want to be a ballerina, or a talk show host, or a game designer etc. 

I want a black girl who gets to be happy. 

Who doesn't have to act older than she is and be the shoulder for everyone, always.

@xiiishadesofgrey

I want more black lady nerds, if we’re talking modern settings!  

More black ladies who have a sporty/playful nature! 

Who aren’t afraid to get dirty and make chaos, without being dirty or frowned upon!

Strange as it sounds coming from me, more black princesses! Brandy as Cinderella in the 90s was my first Cinderella, and I LOVE that.

Please, god, more black wlws.

@daintythoughtswritersblock

I want to see tropes exercised 

Black women of all shades and tones

@hazelnut4370

Tbh just fellow black people being happy, like I rarely see that,

Or enjoying hobbies

rivergoddessdream

Happily childless black women

Black women traveling the world

Fat black women in happy, healthy, poly relationships

Black cis and trans women having a true sisterhood

Autistic black women

Black women in period pieces that aren't about slavery and don't take place in the US

Black women thespians

Black women painters

Black women revolutionaries

Black women front and center in the narrative

Black women healers and storytellers

Non christian Black women stories

Black women rockers

#complicated black women characters #tell those stories

@missnancywrites

More Black Girls...

With diverse cultural and social backgrounds!

That are nerdy, girly, intelligent, ditzy, all the personality types that white girls in literature get!

That are fragile, shy or anxious. Almost every single black woman I’ve seen in media or otherwise are wise and adult. Let us be an absolute wreck, or an anxious mess!

In science! Characters like Shuri, Moon Girl and Iron Heart in Marvel revitalized me, cuz young black girls only get two types. Both these girls are in intellectual and in science, but have bery different personalities.

In interracial relationships, and not because they hate black men or something along those lines. They just happen to be dating outside their race, black women get hate for that in real life and it’s unfair. Let us have relationships outside our race! That said...

In platonic relationships with black men! I think that’s important, cuz I don’t often seen black solidarity unless it’s for the purpose of showing how diverse the writing is. Let them share interests, daily frustrations that they would only understand, but don’t force a romance.

In solid friendships with other black girls! For some reason, we’re pitted against in each other inside and outside of writing! Write some sweet wholesome friendship!

With different sexualities! Let there be some that are ace, others are gay, bi or pan! Just be sure you don’t sexualize them, or turn em into a robot.

•Who are dark-skinned! This can be seen a lot in tv or movies, but when you want a black girl in your stuff don’t just hire a light-skinned black girl or a biracial black girl. It’s not the same.

Who get to act their age! Black women have a long standing history of being adultified, starting from a very young age, and it’s extremely harmful. Little black girls can wear what they please, the problem is people sexualizing them. Let the teen black girl be a teenager, she can look out for her siblings but she isn’t the keepern the house or their lives. Young adult black girls are not ideal housewives or capable working machines, they mess up and mess around just as much as any young adult.

With mental/physical disabilities or illnesses. Alongside with being forced to be more mature than they are, disabilities/illnesses are never taken seriously and we’re forced to just deal with it. Having black girls who happen to have these issues, but also have a healthy support group is always good!

@ink-and-roses

Seen as beautiful and desirable and NOT in a hypersexualized way

Interracial relationships are wonderful because black girls are beautiful and lbr everybody sees it

Sensitive and allowed to feel something other than righteous anger

Some black girls are skinny! Some are big! Some are slim and some are curvy! There’s no mold!

Dark skinned!

A YA protagonist out to save the world from something other than racism

Superpowers or magic that doesn’t come from generational trauma or slavery

Black characters who support other black characters. None of this token crabs in a barrel business.

Black girl nerds and punks and goths exist. I promise.

And this may be a personal preference but I’m not against the idea of a damsel in distress. We are always being strong. Let her be soft and delicate and cared for. Let her be princess carried and rescued from the tower and the dragon.

[Note from Mod: It’s not just you! I love a Black damsel being saved and protected. What is progressive for one woman varies due to historical and present depictions and is why intersectionality in feminism is so important! -Colette]

@nightlyswordswoman

As a writer, I write a lot of my black female characters like this because I rarely ever see black women being represented in these ways! ESPECIALLY on the covers of books, unless the author themselves is a black woman and even then its rare. 

Too often black women are stereotyped as strong protector types that are always rough, tough, and don’t need anybody in books (and real life), when that’s honestly just dumb and inaccurate--black women are as vulnerable as anyone else (in some cases, even more vulnerable, but that’s another topic). 

So yeah, this list is 100% accurate and I encourage those who are interested in writing black female characters (whether you’re a black woman or not) to consider writing them like this, because the stereotype needs to die lol.

[fuckyeahcomicsbaby]

Different Stories Resonate with Different People

[lovingmyselfishard]

I will always reblog this.

[nonasuch]

Some feelings I am currently having:

a deep disappointment in JK Rowling’s transphobia

almost as deep a disappointment in her incredible tone-deafness, for deciding ‘hey you know what? we’re in the middle of a pandemic and also one of the largest mass protest movements in history, so the social issue I should definitely speak out against right this minute is people being mean to transphobes’

worry that I am granting Jo valuable real estate in my head that would be better occupied by the aforementioned  pandemic and mass protest movement

is this even worth writing about? I haven’t written a lot about Black Lives Matter, but when my nerd shit is threatened by the issue at hand I write an essay?

wait, actually, I do have a lot of feelings about the ‘polite’ unspoken racism that gives cover to institutional bias and is poisoning our society, and that subject is well within my lane, let’s put a pin in that for later

the disquieting realization that when I was a child and adolescent and building large chunks of my identity around genre fiction – you know, the literature of the imagination? – and using it to construct an ethical code for myself that emphasizes the act of trying to understand the world through the eyes of someone who does not share my experiences, the people who wrote that fiction were not doing the same

a surprisingly strong negative reaction to the idea of just cutting ties with Rowling’s work entirely, best summed up as: fuck that, this world is ours now, because she can longer be trusted with it

is that just fannish entitlement, though? If I genuinely believe that Rowling is no longer a competent custodian of her own work (which, tbh, I already kind of thought before this) can I carry on engaging with her work without engaging with her?

Should we maybe all just go find another work of fiction to have feelings about? Is it worth our time to keep adding on to this place she built, knowing what she put in the foundations?

there’s a metaphor in there somewhere about Hogwarts, isn’t there? A fairy-tale castle full of strange and fantastic spaces, whose inner dimensions far outstrip the outer; whose residents have, over time, turned every door into a Room of Requirement containing what they needed from the place; a much-needed refuge, a community of people brought together by proximity, and united by what they found in each other once they arrived, but who still carried the prejudices of the outside world inside with them. and there’s a big old bigoted monster in the basement, as old as the castle itself, that’s targeting some of the most vulnerable among us.

Trans and nb and genderqueer fans of HP shouldn’t have to give up their places in the castle we all built together, even if the foundations are rotten. 

Maybe we should take a page from another book and move the damn thing, so the next time JK Rowling goes looking for it she’ll find nothing but an empty field in Scotland, where the home she promised us used to be.

anyway, in conclusion Rowling’s essay is bad, and she should feel bad. 

[nonasuch]

oh wait also go donate to Mermaids if you can, I just did

[illusion-of-death]

For the past week, I have been watching my city burn. Doing everything I possibly can still doesn’t feel like nearly enough.

As such, I am using an idea from the wonderful @mnemememory : For anyone who messages me evidence that they have donated any amount to a Black Lives Matter charity, bailout, or other form of relief fund, I will proofread up to 2500 words of written work. This can be literally anything, from an academic paper to a piece of fiction. I can do just a grammar check, or offer more specific feedback as requested.

l am *not* comfortable with reading anything NSFW, RPF, A/B/O, queerphobic, etc. If you’re unsure about something, you’re more than welcome to ask!

While you can support any organization you choose, some I personally recommend are Black Lives Matter, the George Floyd Memorial Fund, the Minnesota Freedom Fund, NAACP, Campaign Zero, and The Loveland Foundation.

I know that this won’t be possible for many people, but if others could spread the word I’d be grateful.

[mnemememory]

So the world is still on fire.

I did this for the Australian bushfires, and I’m doing it again for this because fuck, you guys. I don’t know what else to do. 

Anyone who messages me evidence that they’ve donated any amount to a black lives matter charity/bailout relief fund will get a 1000 word fic written to their specifications. 

Current fandom is Critical Role, but I can write for One Piece, MDZS/The Untamed, Heaven’s Official Blessing, Scum Villain’s Self Saving System, etc. If you’re not sure about a fandom, just PM me and I’m happy to talk to you! As always, I’m open to doing original stuff, but that might require a little more collaboration. 

Here’s a few links for some great organisations to donate to. (I hope the links don’t mean tumblr hides this RIP). 

I know that this isn’t exactly feasible for everyone, but if you could just spread the word I’d really appreciate it.

More information below the cut.

What I won’t write:

NSFW

RPF

A/B/O

Gender swapped (this doesn’t include trans experiences! I’m nb, and I’m really down to write about characters being trans).

I’m open to different ships, so go for your life.

If you have any questions, for real, for serious - just message me. I swear I’m friendly.

[theauspolchronicles]

hey!! are there any australian orgs for Aboriginal people i could donate to?

There’s about a million because many are focused on a specific community and there’s a bunch of different issues that they focus on like health services, legal support, domestic violence survivor assistance, inter-generational trauma of the Stolen Generations, LGBTQIA+ specific Indigenous peoples, better education outcomes, etc. A lot are specific to either a state or even a city so there may be some in your community.

Here’s a big link dump for you though:

Legal:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services Qld Limited (Queensland, including Torres Strait)

Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement Incorporated (South Australia)

Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia Incorporated (Western Australia)

Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) Limited (New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory)

North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency Limited (Northern Territory north and south zone)

Tasmanian Aboriginal Community Legal Service (Tasmania)​

Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service Co-operative Limited (Victoria).

The Aboriginal Legal Service

Other subjects:

Children’s Ground

Bridge The Gap Foundation

The Healing Foundation

Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance (WAR) which I can’t find a website so I think just has a Facebook page

Grandmothers Against Removals (another Facebook page)

Black Rainbow

Pay The Rent

And people will mention many more in the notes. 

[bixbiboom]

Blog post, including links to where your financial support can do the most good, can be found »HERE«!

[spidaerman]

To all my black followers and friends, stay safe.

[mnemememory]

they are SO GAY you guys

“No, you don’t understand,” she says. “They’re really gay.”

“They can be very homosexually active in your comic,” Mr. Sharpe says. “But in this television series there will be less of an emphasis on the…romantic aspects of their relationship, and more of a – let’s call it a ‘very strong friendship’.”

“Let’s not,” Jester says.

(set in the same universe as this)

.

“Beau! They’re going animate my comic!”

The lump on top of Beau’s bed doesn’t even twitch as the apartment door slams open. Jester pouts for a moment, and then launches herself across the room to jump onto the mattress. Beau lets out a squawk of indignation and rolls out of bed, taking half of the blankets with her.

“What?” Beau says, sitting up on the ground and rubbing her head. Her hair is in complete disarray, coming out of its sloppy updo, and her makeup has smudged itself into the pillow. Jester is too excited to care; she’s practically bouncing up and down on the bed, unable to contain her excitement.

“Beau! Beau!” Jester says, rolling out of Beau’s bed so she can land next to her. Beau subtly leans away, rubbing at her eyes and checking her sweatpants for her phone. Nineteen missed calls. Thirty-seven texts. “They’re going to animate Tusk Love!”

Beau blinks a few times, and then seems to actually wake up. She looks up at Jester, a massive smile forming on her face.

“That’s incredible,” she says, grabbing onto Jester’s muscled forearm and pulling her into a hug. Jester laughs into her chest, feeling warm and bubbly. “I’m so proud of you, Jessie.”

“Thank you,” Jester says, snuggling closer. She can’t stop smiling. Her Mama had been so proud of her when she had called right after the initial contact – and the checkout lady at the supermarket had seemed really sweet about it, and the stranger on the corner-side who was trying to peddle support for the Moonweaver, and also that nice man at the flower store –

There’s a loud thump on the wall, and a muffled voice comes through:

“We’ve discussed this!” Mollymauk yells. “If you’re going to have sex, keep it down!”

Jester is having such a good day.

.

Today sucks.

“I’m sorry,” Jester says. She doesn’t stop smiling. “I don’t think I understand what you’re saying.”

The man in front of her has a rather pained look on his face, which would be amusing under pretty much any other circumstance. He was a tall man, with a receding hairline and a creepy-looking moustache that Jester wanted to lean over and poke to see if it was real.  His hair was very obviously dyed – far too dark to be natural, especially paired with the sallowness of his skin and the wrinkles around his eyes that Botox just wasn’t hiding anymore.

“As stated in your contract,” he says, and pauses.

“They’re gay,” Jester says blankly.

“Yes, I understand, but –”

“They’re in a very sexually active relationship.”

“Yes, but –”

“Their dicks have touched. Quite a few times.”

Mr. Sharpe. “That’s not what – Ms. Lavorre, the validity of your characters sexualities isn’t in question. However, the contract you signed stipulates that we can change certain aspects of the narrative that could be – damaging –”

“Being gay isn’t damaging anyone!”

Mr. Sharpe ploughs through. “Damaging to our reputation. We’re adapting out their relationship.”

Jester sighs. “No, you don’t understand,” she says. “They’re really gay.”

“They can be very homosexually active in your comic,” Mr. Sharpe says. “But in this television series there will be less of an emphasis on the…romantic aspects of their relationship, and more of a – let’s call it a ‘very strong friendship’.”

“Let’s not,” Jester says, crossing her arms over her chest and sliding petulantly down in her chair.

The meeting had been setting off all of Jester’s red flags from minute one. Mr. Sharpe had introduced himself and urged her to sit down, and then commented on how he was a “fan of her mother’s work”. While this wouldn’t usually be too much of a cause for concern – Jester was very proud of her Mama, after all – coming from a fifty-something man with a bad moustache, it hadn’t been exactly welcome.

Things had only gone downhill from there.

“We started the brainstorming sessions for the script last week,” he says, ignoring the awkward silence that has fallen between them upon the revelation that he and his company are going to ruin her baby. Oskar could never be straight! “We’ve got a very accomplished scriptwriter for the job – you might know her from The Scent of the Sea and Rosed Embrace –”

Jester squints at him suspiciously. “That doesn’t sound too bad.”

Mr. Sharpe smiles condescendingly at her. “She’s won a lot of awards for us,” he says. “I’m not heading this project – I’ll introduce you to the director later – but I’m going to be your main go-between for it. They’ve very excited to be working on this.”

“Even if you’re erasing my main love story,” she says.

“My company bought the rights to your work because it had an intriguing plot – two best friends –”

“Boyfriends,” Jester insists, smile turning slightly strained.

“Trying to be together while their families go to war. It’s a very compelling read. Or so I’ve been told. I haven’t actually read it, of course – we’re managing a lot of projects. The projected ad revenue alone from your website certainly says good things, though.”

“Thank you,” Jester says stiffly.

Mr. Sharpe clears his throat and checks the time on his computer. “I trust that you’ll be working with us to make our adaptation of Tusk Love as popular as the comic is,” he says.

Jester flexes her fingers. This whole time, she hasn’t stopped smiling.

“Oh, yes,” she says. “This whole thing is going to be very fun.”

.

Greetings of the Traveller!

Welcome to the patreon of The Court Jester – otherwise known as Jester Lavorre – creator of the widely acclaimed VERY GAY comic-book series Tusk Love. It is a story of revenge, murder, political intrigue, more murder, sex (well, the NSFW stuff is hidden over here :P), and most of all – VERY GAY romance. It’s so gay you guys. Very homosexual. Oskar and Guin are in a relationship and their dicks touch. All the time. There are a lot of dicks in my comic book series. Pledge information to the side!

[last edited: yesterday]

.

[yulicechan]

Khun reads thirst tweets pt 1

send me ur favorite thirst tweet moments and ill do a part 2

[bulbasaur-propaganda]

Growing up with your starters

Artist:  esasi8794 / Twitter

[chabbit]

The captions are also really cute, although they mostly describe what’s in each photo:

Bulbasaur: Somehow, nomming on my clothes… has become a weird habit of theirs.

Venusaur: That hasn’t changed now that they’ve grown, but they’re very gentle.

Charmander: It’s my first attempt, but I made a plushie so that he wouldn’t get lonely.

Charizard: That plushie seems to be his favorite even now.

Squirtle: Squirtle’s a bit timid and hides behind me at the smallest things.

Blastoise: Looks like they’re scared of the first Pichu they’ve seen. You’re not really hiding!

[notsomerryerry]

@noelle217

[gale-gentlepenguin]

This is adorable

[arrghigiveup]

They just posted some more!

[source]

[kradeiz]

And some more!

[eeveelution-appreciation]

You forgot these!!!

[cubonepropoganda]

I’m disappointed that these were left out

[cloudfreed]

Ugh I love all these. I want to hug Dragonite, Bewear, and Quagsire too!

[samijen]

Aerith & Tifa ❤️⭐️