#But maybe it's the exposure I get online

[paradoxsun]

Last night I was thinking that I the world of BNHA, where there are a vast variety of body types, there seems to be an odd emphasis on the shape of a hero, especially among women. This, despite the knowledge that differing quirks have differing needs, like with FatGum.

I've theorised for a while that in the BNHA universe, people with the base body shape, ie. The "typical" human figure we now carry, are expected to live up to super strict standards to be considered attractive. Especially with the skin tight clothing that a lot of heros wear like Midnight and All Night, there is emphasis on the musculature and figure. I won't get into the discrimination that hetero-figures face, because I think Spinner and Shoji discuss it, but clearly the standards of what makes people conventionally attractive is different. Maybe scales must be brightly coloured and shining? Heteromorphs must show enough commonalities with base bodies? (Looking at Mirko and Hawks) (Is Grand Orca considered attractive? I read that children cry seeing him, which hurts him a lot)

I'd like to think that skin tones are no longer a marker of attraction (colorism is a huge deal in Asian countries. I know because I am Asian), as evidenced by Mina and Mirko, but I feel like it is taken over by other kinds of discrimination. Clearly women are held to ridiculous standards even in the BNHA universe.

It would be a fun aspect to explore. Clearly BNHA is a very well built universe with a society filled with different types of discrimination and class issues that can and should be explored.

[datastate]

i need to stop being nervous abt speaking other languages on here TT_TT

[bookwyrminspiration]

quil. how much art did you have in your drafts.

there's actually still two left, but those are empires pieces and I'm not active in empiresblr so they can sit a little longer.

But! I like to leave long tags on everything I reblog (because I love reading tags, so I want to give that experience to the op) and I don't always have the time/energy to do that when I see cool art, so I just stockpile it in my drafts to be tagged and compliment and unleashed on the world when I do have the time/energy!

I don't reblog nearly as much art as I'd like to, so this is a newer method that I'm trying out :). We'll see if it's up to my standards!

[letters-to-lgbt-kids]

My dear lgbt+ kids,

It's difficult to write anything about the safety of Pride events without either greatly downplaying or exaggerating the potential risks of attending.

This is, at least partly, an online issue: the internet is international but there’s no international standard of safety for lgbt+ people. Someone reading this blog may be from a country where Pride events are generally safe and counterprotests are uncommon (or at least stay small and nonviolent) - but it'd be grossly negligent of me to pretend that this is true for everyone everywhere.

On top of those differences by country or location, there’s also individual safety concerns. Some things may pose a potential risk to certain groups or individuals while other people are unlikely to be negatively affected by them. This includes factors like crowds, loud music, exposure to alcohol or drugs etc. but also factors like the risk of being seen by someone who knows you or the risk of racist or antisemitic attacks etc.

All this is to say: I will happily share some general advice on safety with you – but if you’re trying to make a personal decision regarding the safety of attending Pride (regardless of whether that is “Is it safe for me to attend an event at all?” or just “How can I prepare for an event, so it’s as comfortable and fun as possible for me?”), don’t rely solely on me… or on any one voice you hear online. They may be in a totally different situation than you and inadvertently give you a totally wrong picture of it!

Tip Number One actually ties in with everything I said above: do you have friends (or other trusted people) who have attended Pride in your area before? If so, they may be a more reliable source of advice than a stranger online! Maybe you could even ask them to come along? Having an experienced Pride-goer with you is one of the best ways to ensure a safe and comfortable experience.

Other tips and pieces of advice that may be helpful:

Look the location up before you arrive: Which public transport stations are nearby? Where would you go if you need to buy a quick snack? Are there public toilets available? Where’s the nearest hospital or emergency room? Also note your surroundings when you arrive: Where are the exits? Are there any easily recognizable spots you could look for if you get lost? Where will you meet up with your friends or group if you accidentally get separated from them? 

Make a plan beforehand and share it with at least one trusted person. Let them know where you are going, who you are going with, how you plan to get there and back home (public transit, your own car, your friend’s car etc.) and when you intend to be back home. Make sure to keep them updated on any changes in your plans and ask them to check in regularly. Also agree on what they should do if they haven’t heard from you at the agreed time.

If you go with a friend or a group, agree beforehand how you’ll handle potential scenarios: what if one person wants to go home and the other(s) want to stay? What if one of you gets separated from the other(s)? (Don’t rely solely on texting/calling each other in such cases (phones can unexpectedly die, get lost, get stolen, have no cell service etc.))

Pride events often take place in summer, so make sure to keep sun/heat safety in mind! Wear sunscreen, stay hydrated, don't overexhaust yourself in hot weather and read up on the symptoms of (and first aid for) heat exhaustion.

If you want to stay safe and alert, your best bet is to stay sober. Don’t drink alcohol or take drugs. (If you do plan to do either of these things, then please keep basic harm reduction measures in mind: don’t drink on an empty stomach, don’t mix alcohol and meds, have at least one person in your group who stays sober, don’t drink & drive etc.) 

Make sure to take everything with you that you may need, such as a water bottle, snacks, any necessary medications, face masks, first aid supplies, a portable charger for your phone, emergency contact info (written down in case your phone dies), sunscreen etc.

Learn your rights when it comes to getting stopped by police (Make sure that what you read up on is actually true for your country and is up to date).

Read up on safety precautions for chemical irritation if the use of pepper spray/tear gas is a concern in your area. Same goes for active shooter situations. It may be a worst case scenario but it’s better to read up beforehand if it’s something you worry about.

Don’t engage with counterprotesters. Even if they seem nonviolent, keep in mind that they may just be waiting for you to provoke them, so they can “justify” escalating to violence. Just keep your distance, don’t talk to them, don’t let them bait you into conversation. 

Lastly, you want to keep everyone else safe too, so: make sure you don’t accidentally out anyone. Pride is supposed to be a safe space. Don’t take pictures of strangers, don’t upload anything on social media that shows anyone’s face or name if you didn’t get explicit permission to do so. 

With all my love,

Your Tumblr Dad

[gabby297]

bucktommy + early in their relationship + the very first time buck gets to say "i can teach you" to tommy

thanks for requesting, hope you like it! :)

Tommy was so cool. That was the thought that kept running through Buck's head, even two months into their official relationship. The man was a pilot, he tinkered with cars, knew Muay Thai, went to trivia nights, liked monster trucks, and—much to Buck's amusement—watched all the trashy, over-the-top romance movies. It didn't matter how many times Buck glanced at him or thought about him—he couldn't stop that giddy feeling from bubbling up inside him.

The thing was, Tommy didn't keep it to himself, didn't brush off his skills or downplay his interests. If anything it seemed like he wanted to share it with Buck. Back when Buck was desperate for Tommy to pay attention to him and their conversation briefly turned to flying lessons, and later to Muay Thai, Buck didn't look into it more than having excuses to see Tommy again.

Yet, Tommy stuck by his words, and a few weeks after their coffee date, Buck found himself sitting in the cockpit of a helicopter, the sun shining and no emergency in sight. The best part wasn't just the thrill of being in the helicopter—it was watching Tommy. If it had been anyone else, Buck would have interjected, asked questions, or shared random facts he'd read online. But with Tommy? His mind was blissfully empty, hanging onto every word as Tommy rattled off information about each button, explaining what it did and when to use it.

The Muay Thai lessons were similar in that respect, even if they were completely unsuccessful in actually teaching Buck anything. But, in Buck's defense, how could anyone concentrate when Tommy was guiding him through stances and moves with those lingering touches to fix his posture—especially when those shorts Tommy wore left very little to the imagination? It was a miracle that Tommy had his own setup at home, because if they'd been in a public gym, Buck might've been facing indecent exposure charges with how distracted he'd gotten.

The point was, Tommy was cool and he was constantly teaching him something new. Which Buck loved. He loved learning from him, loved the way Tommy's eyes would light up when he got to show him the ropes. But every now and then, there was this nagging feeling in the back of Buck's mind—this thought that maybe he didn't bring enough to the table. He wanted to contribute more, to offer something back, something that would make Tommy look at him even half as awe-stricken as Buck felt when he watched Tommy in his element.

But what could he teach him? It's not like Buck could sweep Tommy off his feet with a kiss that unlocked some hidden part of him he didn't know existed. And as far as work went, they both operated in the same field, so it wasn't like Buck had any neat, life-changing trick up his sleeve that Tommy didn't already know.

So Buck might have spiraled a bit. He went down a few rabbit hole researches late at night. At one point, when he felt particularly desperate, he might have typed out 'cool things to teach to impress your boyfriend' into Google. His team was not spared from this spiral either. In fact, they heard all about his thoughts about this important issue whenever they were en route to a call.

"Buck, the guy's with you because he likes you, not because he's looking for a new skillset," Bobby finally chimed in over the headset, putting a stop to yet another rant. "So show him something you like."

That was great advice. Solid advice. Advice that Buck might have... half heard. The part about Tommy liking him for who he was? Yeah, that might have gone over his head. But the bit about showing Tommy something he liked? That could work. He could definitely find something he liked, and it could still be something Tommy didn't know.

The first try was, perhaps, a bit too obvious, but cooking seemed like a fair bet. They hadn't had the chance to enjoy a homemade meal together yet. Most of the time, if their schedules lined up, they'd order takeout or hit a diner for a quick bite. So Buck thought, why not invite Tommy over a little earlier than usual and—just casually—show off his cooking skills in the process? Maybe, if he played his cards right, he could even teach Tommy a thing or two.

His plan came to fruition a week later. It was more than enough time to decide on the meal -with some help from Bobby-, practice… a few times. He was all set. So, with butterflies in his stomach, Buck invited Tommy to the loft one evening and brought him into the kitchen with the excuse that the meal would take a bit longer to prepare.

Tommy took it all in stride. With a glass of wine in hand, he leaned back against the counter by the fridge, slipping easily into conversation about their day. He even complimented how nice the food smelled. Everything was going according to plan.

Until Tommy glanced down at what Buck was doing and gave a small hum.

"You know," Tommy said casually, "if you peel ginger with the edge of a spoon instead of a knife, you'll save more of the flesh."

"Hm? oh, yeah," Buck mumbled absentmindedly before the words fully sank in. He froze mid-peel, eyes widening. "Wait, you know how to cook?"

"Evan," Tommy chuckled, taking another sip. "I might be no Bobby in the kitchen, but I know my way around."

"Oh," Buck grinned, though inwardly he groaned. "That's great!"

Dammit.

The next idea popped into Buck's head was in a middle of a call at a small restaurant-slash-bar. They were there to put out a fire that had broken out in the back when the bar area caught Buck's eye. The shelves lined with bottles and the cocktail shakers sparked a memory. While Tommy often opted for craft beers, who could really say no to a well-made cocktail, right? Buck's mixology days might be long behind him, but he still remembered the basics.

So, Buck found a sleek rooftop bar that hosted cocktail workshops. After a quick chat with the manager—and maybe slipping a few extra bills to ensure they'd get some privacy—he set up their next date.

The date itself was really fun, though Buck found it difficult not to ogle Tommy in his nice button-up shirt, paired with a thin jacket that outlined his biceps all too well. Still, Buck managed to tear his eyes away long enough to actually make the Pisco Sour. He showed off the shaker technique he'd learned back in the day, enjoying the attention Tommy was giving him as he rattled off the steps.

Once Buck finished, he handed the shaker over to Tommy who then measured out the ingredients and glanced at him.

"So like this?" Tommy asked innocently.

Then, to Buck's dismay, he proceeded to replicate the exact shaking technique Buck had just demonstrated. The liquid poured smoothly into the glass, not a drop wasted. Buck watched, feeling a familiar sense of defeat settle in.

"Let me guess—you're also secretly a mixologist?" Buck groaned, half-joking but already knowing the answer wouldn't go his way.

Tommy smirked, clearly enjoying himself. "Nope. But a buddy of mine owns a bar, and he taught me a few things on quieter nights." He shrugged, his smirk widening. "Also, I paid attention to what you did."

Buck couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head. "Of course you did."

And just like that, Buck was back to square one. Even worse, he was running out of ideas—fast. He could probably count on one hand the things he could potentially teach Tommy, and two fingers were already down. This was supposed to be easy, right? Just find something he was good at and teach it. But somehow, with Tommy? Impossible. How was he supposed to impress someone who always seemed one step ahead of him?

The next time an idea popped into Buck's head, he hesitated to make it a full-on date. Not because it was particularly difficult or out of their comfort zone, but because Tommy already tinkered with cars, and there was a good chance he knew a thing or two about motorcycles too. As much as Buck would love to rent a couple of bikes and hit the road with nothing but wind and open air, he had a goal in his mind.

"Do you like bikes?" Buck asked casually, after the waitress dropped off their coffees.

They didn't have much time, just enough for a quick coffee at a spot halfway between their stations before their afternoon shifts kicked off.

Tommy paused mid-bite of his cupcake, raising an amused eyebrow. "In what capacity?"

Buck shrugged, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible, but his eyes gave him away, fixed on Tommy's face for any sign of interest. "I don't know… riding them?"

Tommy tilted his head, licking a bit of frosting off his finger, his expression thoughtful. "I guess it's alright. I've been on a few before, but I prefer being in the sky."

Buck let out a quiet, defeated hum, taking a sip of his coffee. "Fair."

Tommy gave him a curious glance. "Why? You want to go for a spin or something?"

Buck shrugged again, trying to play it off. "Maybe someday, just a passing thought."

Tommy raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued but didn't press further.

The time it actually happened, Buck didn't plan it. It wasn't even on his mind. They had overlapping 48 hours off, a rarity, Buck was quickly learning as their relationship grew. So they tried to make the most of it, and after Buck casually mentioned how nice it would be to hit the beach, it wasn't long before they had packed up a bag with towels and snacks and hit the road.

Buck was right, the water was unreal.

They found a spot not too far from the water, laid out their towels, and settled in for a lazy day. It wasn't until they were in the water for the second time that Buck noticed a small shack by the shore offering surfboard rentals.

He pointed it out to Tommy who looked at it for a moment. "I'll grab a beer instead. But go on, give me a show, baby."

Buck would have frowned, perhaps even asked questions about Tommy opting out if his mind didn't short-circuit at the nickname.

"Right, yeah. A show. Sure," Buck mumbled, still dazed, but already heading toward the rental shack. If Tommy wanted a show, Buck would give him one.

And the show was given.

It wasn't until Buck was back on shore, collapsing onto the towel with a cold beer in hand, that he remembered the question he'd been meaning to ask.

"So, how come you didn't surf?" Buck asked casually, glancing over at Tommy.

"Never really had the chance, I suppose," Tommy replied, sitting beside him, propped up on his elbows, sunglasses shielding his eyes as he gazed out over the water. "My folks weren't the beach type."

"Yeah, I get that. Mine aren't either," Buck said as he propped himself on his elbows, mimicking Tommy. "I only learned when I hit the road after leaving home. Met a girl who gave me some very... personal lessons."

Tommy chuckled, lifting his sunglasses onto his head to meet Buck's gaze. "Yeah? Must've been nice."

"I can teach you," a smug grin spread across his face as the idea formed. And if that grin turned a little more teasing, well, he couldn't help it.

"Yeah?" Tommy raised an eyebrow, already sensing where this was going.

"My fees are very competitive," Buck added with a shit-eating smirk, holding back a laugh when Tommy gave him a playful shove.

"Yeah, I walked right into that one, didn't I?" Tommy chuckled, rolling his eyes, though his smile didn't fade.

"Mhm," Buck hummed, standing up and turning to offer Tommy his hand. "Let's go."

"Wait, now?" Tommy asked, his expression turning skeptical as he hesitated, glancing toward the water.

"No time like the present," Buck grinned. "Besides, the waves are perfect right now."

With a dramatic sigh, Tommy took Buck's hand and let himself be pulled up from his seat. "Alright, alright, But just so you know, if I end up embarrassing myself, you're the one getting dunked in the water."

Buck laughed, already imagining the inevitable splash. "Deal."

[myfandomrealitea]

That post you made about Harry Potter and how to not financially support and fund the franchise and put more money in Joanne's pockets felt like a lie because I swear I got the impression that even that wasn't allowed when the whole thing started

To be clear; I stopped. Completely. I compartmentalized it all and just stopped interacting with anything Harry Potter online whatsoever. But I always wished it would be fine to still be able to do certain fandom things without supporting her, but people were saying that even using the tag or reading the fanfiction or making fanart was still supporting the ip and not letting it die completely as a topic on the internet was indirectly putting money in her pockets.

It wasn't until I came across a post from a queer woman from somewhere in the global south with heavy OCD and intrusive thoughts or something like that, commenting on how hostile of a thing it became for someone of her affliction; the way people were treating it like do or die. Pointing out that no matter how much trans people and allys cut off their support of her, she has other large means of income that we won't be able to touch, and there will still always be transphobic homophobic Harry Potter fans that will continue to support her actively, putting that money in her pockets. Another thing she mentioned was the treatment of Harry Potter and Joannes bigotry in contrast to the treatment of FNAF and the creators bigotry. And lastly something about the USAmericanized nature of it? I don't really remember that part but I think I understood it at the time I read it (maybe it was something about all the other countries the IP is popular in who are probably more conservative and unaware or caring of the issues with her who will still put money in her pockets, or maybe it was something about American fans fixating and posing the support of her as the ultimate battlefield of Trans Rights to other queer and trans individuals trying to be quiet fans who are facing Much Worse in their countries)

Anyways after that I briefly started reading ao3 fanfic again, just put a filter for anything before 2019 or so, and then my interest more gently fizzled out.

I can't remember what my point is anymore, maybe just to bring these arguments to your attention(also I am not arguing against the financial boycott or ending of support for this woman through her ip).

Harry Potter will never stop earning money. That's just the flat reality of it; I mean, look at the likes of Elvis and the original Sherlock Holmes books and every other 'dead' media that's still earning money. Short of making Harry Potter an illegal piece of media, yes, there will still always be a number of people giving her money.

The goal is to give her less money. To turn Harry Potter from a prominent, profitable cashcow into a defunct piece of media that only select groups are still clinging to. To make it so that JK Rowling has to choose between paying her bills and funding anti-trans movements.

When something stops bringing in a certain amount of profit, studios start looking elsewhere. When a cashcow starts drying up, they stop trying to milk it as hard. Which in turn means less productions for JK Rowling to collect her pocketmoney from.

What would you rather; JK Rowling getting $100,000 or JK Rowling only getting $10,000?

Something is better than nothing. Damage reduction is better than open exposure. If everyone just rolled over and gave up because "things will keep happening anyway" the world will literally be a rancid, fetid wasteland of bigotry and violence.

I'd much rather watch JK Rowling fizzle out into a bitter old wench sustained only by the dogged support of other stubborn bigots than watch people willingly disregard and condone bigotry because its "easier" and "she'll be a bigot anyway."

I'd much rather JK Rowling only have $10,000 to donate to shitty movements over $72,000. Shitty movements can do a lot less with a lot less money.

[clover-system]

The longest list of anti-endo sources I've ever seen

While trying to find something else using Tumblr's infamous search engine, I came across this absolute gem:

NINE SOURCES!!! That's a record!! This is incredible!

@radpocalypse, listen. I am about to tear these to shreds, but before I do, I want you to know that you have my respect for not only compiling the longest list of sources I have ever seen an anti-endo provide, and not only doing so seemingly not directly prompted, but typing out every single link by hand, on mobile, without making a single mistake. Incredible work.

And also, to be completely honest, if I had nine sources supporting a belief, I almost certainly wouldn't look into them this closely. But, hey, that's what strangers on the internet with opposing views are for.

One more thing before the debunk: Endogenic systems do not claim to have DID etc. without trauma. They just don't. Whether it could be possible is often debated as an edge case, usually just to win an argument against someone of the opposing side, but really, it's irrelevant for 99% of the community. A good chunk are questioning OSDD based on later trauma, but as far as I am aware, no one on this website is claiming a completely endogenic plural disorder.

However, I don't want to dismiss entire pages based on this alone without further commentary, and it's a fun intellectual exercise regardless. So, whenever I use green text, I'm just playing Devil's Advocate under the premise of "If I was claiming to have DID without trauma (which neither I nor anyone else afaik is), would this source actually debunk that claim?" My syster will also occasionally pop in with purple, since she was cocon while I was writing this.

My dad just walked into my room and literally said "hey how it's going". You know, like. Like that one post. Amazing.

Anyway, civility established. Now come along with me on this long long journey of ten minutes of reading. Maybe put some music on in the background, if that will help you get through it. I had Near's Theme on while writing.

Here we go.

Link 1: McLean Hospital

Ok, main thing that caught my eye was

According to a 2010 Psychiatric Times article, only 5% of people with DID exhibit obvious switching between identity “states.”

Very interesting! Even with all of the "idk who's fronting" memes, 5% is really not that high. Though maybe online spaces like these help train the ability to identify it? The reference trail leads back to a book by Kluft but I don't really feel like going through dozens of pages for this. Definitely making a note of this though; I wonder if there have been any follow-up studies on this.

Not much to say here other than that. No mention of plurality outside DID.

DID is associated with long-term exposure to trauma, often chronic traumatic experiences during early childhood.

Dissociation—or disconnection from one’s sense of self or environment—can be a response to trauma.

Dissociative identity disorder—a type of dissociative disorder—most often develops during early childhood in kids who are experiencing long-term trauma. This typically involves emotional, physical, and/or sexual abuse; neglect; and highly unpredictable interactions with caregivers.

Why "associated", not "is caused by"? Why "can", not "is"? Why "most often", etc.?

Why such weak language?

Not that it couldn't be weaker.

I vaguely remember McLean getting into some hot water regarding a video they posted about DID, but didn't find anything concrete. Half-remembered anecdote aside, the author seems well-qualified.

C-tier debunk of this position. It's not nothing but it could be a lot better.

Link 2: Psych Central

It occurs in women 9 times more often than in men.

Very interesting statistic, but no citation provided.

Alters can show striking differences. For instance, one alter may speak with a different accent or have a softer way of speaking. They might have different opinions or a different gender identity, and even physical differences — like left- or right-handedness, or the need for a glasses prescription.

That's quite a stark difference here compared to the McLean article. What happened to "alters aren't that noticeable"?

But whatever, these are just interesting tidbits. None of this has anything to do with endogenic plurality. Nothing like "this is the only way to be multiple", no comment whatsoever.

DID is usually associated with adverse experiences in someone’s past and traumatic memories.

Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a mental health condition with strong links to trauma, especially trauma in childhood.

Bruh. This again?

In fact, the American Psychiatric Association reports that 90% of people with DID have a history of childhood abuse and neglect, based on research from the United States, Canada, and Europe.

Bruh. Seriously? 90%? You know what that leaves, right?

According to your own source, 10% of DID systems are endogenic.

But let's break this down. There's a big difference between the system being endogenic, and the DID being endogenic. This statistic is specifically referring to childhood trauma.

The wording's plenty vague though. This can absolutely be read as completely endogenic DID.

One review article from 2017 about the causes of DID noted that there was relatively little research on the condition to date.

The authors said researchers hadn’t yet investigated potential genetic and epigenetic factors. With epigenetic factors, the experiences and behaviors of your parents and ancestors can influence the function of the genes they pass down to you.

The authors of the review said scientists needed to do more research to investigate whether a person with DID might carry genes that can influence if they develop the condition or not.

This is particularly promising because studies have already shown that genes can influence dissociative disorders in general.

So you're telling me DID might be able to be passed down one or two generations? Wow. Again, this still has nothing to do with endogenic plurality, but I'm really glad I decided to play with this second angle, because it's so much more fun. We're certainly not at intentional self-inflicted DID here, but we are at this point a long way from certainly needing childhood trauma in all cases.

And also the reviewer is a military psychiatrist who specializes in ADHD. So uh. Not bringing our best here.

Link 3: Mayo Clinic

Gotta love an article that's nice and short. This is just a brief summary of a bunch of dissociative disorders. Again, nothing about endogenic plurality.

Starting to run out of things to say about this. This whole post could probably be a fifth the length if I didn't feel like playing on hard mode.

Formerly known as multiple personality disorder, this disorder involves "switching" to other identities. You may feel as if you have two or more people talking or living inside your head. You may feel like you're possessed by other identities.

Each identity may have a unique name, personal history and features. These identities sometimes include differences in voice, gender, mannerisms and even such physical qualities as the need for eyeglasses.

Hey, that reminds me of someone.

There also are differences in how familiar each identity is with the others. Dissociative identity disorder usually also includes bouts of amnesia and often includes times of confused wandering.

Again, McLean looking really odd with its declaration of DID's covertness against great detail like this. However, its author is so far the best qualified. This one just says "Mayo Clinic Staff". Can't even know which of them worked on this. Some of them are psychs, but if any of them specialize in dissociative disorders, it doesn't say so.

Dissociative disorders usually arise as a reaction to shocking, distressing or painful events and help push away difficult memories.

I won't bother quoting even more wishy-washy language because this post is already at an ungodly length (about 1300 words so far) and we're barely a third done. But yeah, suffice to say, no nail-in-the-coffin 100% link to trauma.

Link 4: Rethink

We are a trusted information creator and accredited by the Patient Information Forum (PIF).

Their bold, for once. That's an alarm-ringing corporate phrase if I've ever seen one. Also, first thing on the PIF's website is "balancing the risks and benefits of AI in the production of health information". So this article might've been written by GPT. Awesome. And yeah, a lot of this whole website looks to me like a bunch of interconnected pages with stupidly long articles written by stitching together LLM generations. Does pass GPT0's test though.

This one is so long. I'll take the ten minutes to read through every word, which I don't think @radpocalypse did, just to make sure there's nothing here, but one thing that does catch my eye scrolling down to near the bottom is that they misspelled their first citation.

A quick look at this Carolyn Spring shows a lot being sold and credentials nowhere in sight. Awesome.

So already I don't need to read this. The information here is not at a high level of trustworthiness. It's maybe better than nothing, but seriously, one can and should do better. But I'll read it anyway, just for bonus points. Thanks to AccelaReader for making this bearable.

Many people will experience dissociation at some point in their lives. Lots of different things can cause you to dissociate. For example, you might dissociate when you are very stressed, or after something traumatic has happened to you.

Some of the symptoms of dissociation include the following:

You may have clear multiple identities.

It‘s important to remember that you could have the symptoms of dissociation without a dissociative disorder.

So according to this, multiple identities can be caused by intense but non-traumatic stress, and might not necessarily be a disorder. So, while I admit this is a little bit of a stretch, we're four links in and this is the first mention of plurality in general, so I'll take it. One point for endogenic plurality. (And again, none of this really matters anyway because this is the worst source so far.)

Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is sometimes called ‘Multiple Personality Disorder.

If you have DID you might seem to have 2 or more different identities, called ‘alternate identities.

Two missing closing quotes. Really not a good sign.

They suggest that DID is caused by experiencing severe trauma over a long time in childhood.

Aha! Finally, something concrete against endogenic DID! Too bad it's buried in the worst source yet. If we believed we had DID, we would absolutely not reconsider that based on a sketchy webpage with suboptimal syntax and no credentials.

Ugh, finally done with that one. What a slog.

Link 5: DID Research

Aha! The infamous psych student's blog! That's what Sophie said, anyway. Not taking her word for it though. Let's see what we can find here, independently.

Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is the result of repeated or long-term childhood trauma

Why wasn't this first? First sentence, so crystal clear. No two ways about this, transDID destroyed right out of the gate.

DID cannot form after ages 6-9 because individuals older than these ages have an integrated self identity and history.

Why wasn't this first? It's so plain, so refreshing after four pages of strategic ambiguity. Nothing left here for green. But still no mention of non-disordered plurality.

The author is impressively credentialed but doesn't seem to specialize quite near this area. She's certainly better than most, high above any random Tumblr user talking out of their ass, but the good stuff would be to get a DID specialist to explicitly spell out that endogenic systems are not possible.

Also should make note of this big fat legal disclaimer:

While the author strives to make information on this website as complete, reliable, and accurate as possible, the author makes no claims, promises, guarantees, or warranties about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the contents of this site and expressly disclaims liability for errors and omissions in the contents of this site.

If we did claim to have DID, this would rattle us a little but could ultimately be brushed aside.

Link 6: SANE

As usual, literally nothing about endogenic plurality. I'll just greenmode this.

The majority of people with DID have been through severe trauma in early childhood

And now back to our regularly scheduled nondefinitive language.

Fun fact: highlighting text on this website turns it invisible. Awesome.

A person needs to meet the following criteria to be diagnosed with DID:

- Two or more distinct identities or personality states, each with its own way of thinking and relating. - Amnesia and gaps in the recall of everyday events, personal information or traumatic events. - The experiences are not part of normal cultural or religious practice, or part of childhood imaginary play. For example, a child having an imaginary friend does not mean they have DID. - The symptoms are not because of substance abuse or other medical conditions.

Ah finally, a direct quote from the good ol' DSM. Notice the lack of a trauma requirement.

Funny enough, using only these criteria in isolation, we actually would count as having DID due to our grayout memory gaps when switching. DID is also listed in the dissociative disorders section of the DSM, not the trauma disorders section, so there is no implied criterion there either. However, there still remains the universal criterion of distress, which we do not fulfill. We are quite happy with ourselves.

DID is caused by severe childhood trauma, such as physical, verbal or sexual abuse.

Well, which is it?? Is it a majority association or a direct cause? Why the contradiction? Or is the emphasis on early childhood trauma?

Eh, whatever. Point is, green is once again shut down. But there is still no mention of endogenic plurality anywhere here!!

And no indication of who wrote this article, though the citation for direct cause is a dissociative disorder specialist. Does he actually say that in the cited paper, though?

Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is multifactorial in its etiology. Whereas psychosocial etiologies of DID include developmental traumatization and sociocognitive sequelae, biological factors include trauma-generated neurobiological responses. Biologically derived traits and epigenetic mechanisms are also likely to be at play. At this point, no direct examination of genetics has occurred in DID. However, it is likely to exist, given the genetic link to dissociation in general and in relation to childhood adversity in particular.

I hope you have a dictionary on hand. That sure is a lot of big words that aren't in Firefox's built-in spellchecker. Still, after making sure I got everything, it's clearly not so cut and dry here. And we're back on the "it could be genetic" point.

Tangentially related: I do like the dismissal of the iatrogenic model on the basis of the brain scans.

Neurobiological differences have been demonstrated between dissociative identities within patients with DID and between patients with DID and controls. Given the current evidence, DID as a diagnostic entity cannot be explained as a phenomenon created by iatrogenic influences, suggestibility, malingering, or social role-taking. On the contrary, DID is an empirically robust chronic psychiatric disorder based on neurobiological, cognitive, and interpersonal non-integration as a response to unbearable stress.

Anyway, we're not even on the original page anymore, so I'll call it here. No mention of endogenic plurality, and the citation that claims to dismiss endogenic DID doesn't.

Link 7: NAMI Michigan

While the causes [of DID] are unknown

I'm tired. Aren't you tired?

Treatment for DID consists primarily of psychotherapy with hypnosis.

Yeah I'm calling BS on this one

And no citations on this entire page, nor even the author's name.

Statistics show that DID occurs in 0.01 to 1 percent of the general population.

Research has shown that the average age for the initial development of alters is 5.9 years old.

No sources listed. This is definitely the worst link. Literally on the same level as a rambling Tumblr user in terms of credibility.

Doesn't matter that it says

This disorder is believed to be triggered by physical or sexual abuse in childhood

Couldn't even get this dogshit source to be firm.

This one gets an F.

Link 8: The Psychology Practice

Got scared for a moment there that it said ai. No, that's AL, a name. Also this was written in 2022, so we're definitely safe. Can't actually find any other info on this AL character, but at least we can look up the co-author.

Hm, can't find anything on her, either. Well, at least this is a step up from the previous link. Let's see what it has to say.

According to the Dissociative Identity Research Organisation (2018), DID is formed in childhood due to repeated trauma in early childhood (before age 10) before the personality is fully integrated.

I do like that these later links are direct with this. They don't seem to have a citation for that DIRO, though. Unless...

No. Oh no.

Ok, so this one was written by a couple of clowns who definitely didn't do their homework. Cool. I'm getting tired of humoring awful sources like this, so moving on to the grand finale.

Link 9: NAMI

Wait, this is the same group behind the zero-citation article from Michigan! But that was just Michigan. Maybe the main site can do better.

Ugh, it's just another list of dissociative disorders instead of DID specifically.

The symptoms of a dissociative disorder usually first develop as a response to a traumatic event,

Aren't you tired? Aren't you tired? Aren't you tired?

Often these identities may have unique names, characteristics, mannerisms and voices.

Often? Wow. Sure is a far cry from 5%.

Dissociative disorders are managed through various therapies including: - Psychotherapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) - Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) - Medications such as antidepressants can treat symptoms of related conditions

No mention of hypnosis, allegedly the primary method of treatment?? (/sarc)

and there was no mention of plurality being exclusive to dissociative disorders

Oh, and no listed authors either.

So, after three thousand words of analysis, all we've come up with are nothing burgers, dogshit, and dogshit nothing burgers. Out of nine links, only one briefly and indirectly touched on endogenic plurality, and it was in favor. Even the argument against the traumaless DID strawman is weak at best. These sources are bad, to put it lightly.

@radpocalypse, if you're reading this, firstly, thank you for powering through your ADHD and dyslexia to read thousands of words dunking on your masterpiece. Secondly, if you have any more sources that you think are backing you, feel free to send them my way. Just uh, maybe read them more closely next time?

And that goes for everyone here. If you think you have a better source, or if I made a mistake or missed something here, I am open to correction. I am open to the idea that I'm wrong and I have some unknown trauma to work through, but I certainly won't go digging unless I have good reason to believe it's there, and I haven't seen any good reason. And if you haven't either, maybe it's time to reconsider your position.

One last thing before I go.

Have you ever actually seen a pro-endo carrd, let alone one cited in standalone? I haven't.

Here's a much longer list of much better sources than yours supporting endogenic plurality compiled by the traumagenic Guardians System. I don't expect you to read anywhere near the whole thing; just pick a few links at random. And yes, while many of them are peer-reviewed papers, some of them are Tumblr posts, but those Tumblr posts cite peer-reviewed papers, so it's all good.

Thanks for reading.

[skellebonez]

Ok people. Real talk for a second. Cause I am genuinely pissed off.

Stop. Reposting. Other’s. Art.

Save it all you want, but stop saving it or screenshoting it and then resposting it (especially without crediting the original artist).

You may think to yourself “oh, I’m just one person so what harm could it do?” and let me ask you this.

How many other people do you think have thought the same thing? That they are just one person resposting another person’s hard work thinking that it won’t have any kind of effect on anyone? Thinking “oh, this is only for me and maybe my friends”. Or “this will give the artist EXPOSURE so it’s fine” (which makes no sense when you don’t CREDIT them and no one can figure out who the artist IS).

Because let me tell you, I have seen what having three or eight or DOZENS of people reposting or liking and sharing reposts of an artist’s work does to some artists. Yeah, some are going to say “meh, I don’t really care” and brush it off. But that’s not every artist.

I have seen artists completely stop posting art online because seeing people take their art and share it without bothering or caring to share who made it makes them feel like ya’ll don’t actually give a shit about them. You only care about what they can make and how you can take it for yourself. I have seen other artists give up on art entirely because they genuinely feel like it’s pointless to keep drawing and sharing at all because it will all just get taken anyway and no one cares who the original creator is.

So why bother making more?

Do ya’ll WANT artists to stop sharing their work for you to see and appreciate?

Because taking it and reposting it is going to make some artists stop sharing their work entirely. Reposting art only does two things: momentary gratifaction for yourself and hurting artists.

And if you are so selfish that knowing your actions hurt other people, emotionally or financially or otherwise, doesn’t get through to you to make you understand that what you're doing fucking sucks then…

Congratulations.

Hope ya like looking at nothing in the future.

And just use the fucking reblog button IT IS RIGHT THERE. THAT'S WHAT IT IS FOR. TO SHARE ART. WITHOUT REPOSTING IT. WHERE PEOPLE CAN SEE CREDIT.

DAMN IT.

[marsoid]

Hey do you still sell physical copies of Kong Exposure. I love that story and want a physical copy.

Also have you ever considered writing a middle grade comic? I'm a middle school librarian and I know some kids who would absolutely love your stories.

I can't wait for more Ride or Die or just anything else you make. You are an amazing story teller. And your art is just amazing!!

aw man thank you!! i do sell physical copies! hoping my online store is up soon!!

as for middle grade... I've thought about it but I'm not sure the things i like to write about would be ok for middle grade books. i would love to write something like Stand By Me, Super Dark Times, Summer of 84, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Florida Project etc... i keep getting told by agents/publishers they're only interested in light fluffy stuff rn which i don't personally have much interest in writing 😔🎻 my favorite younger/kids coming-of-age stories are sad/scary/both LOLL

maybe one day tho...

[whyse7vn]

SEVEN -

[ ot7 x reader ]

sevendaysafreak

8 participants - 8 online

———————————

tae: we are watching jungkook slowly become alpha

namjoon: can you be normal today

jk: do you really mean that bro…

tae: with all my heart..

oh my god i’m tearing up

this is what being a real man is about

jimin: begging for pussy??

jk: I DID NOT BEG??

hobi: you harassed that poor woman for a whole week

yoongi: all for a hand hold

y/n: crazy!

tae: okay??

but it was literally real as fuck so does it matter??

jimin: it was real fucking sad

jin: personally if i was her i would of called the police like sexual harassment hello???

yoongi: right

namjoon: it was a great song jungkook

jk: > //// <

i’m blushing

that was me blushing

and i giggled a little

smiling rn

hehehehehe

namjoon: a thank you would of done it

jk: thank u >.<

jimin: she should of punched him

jin: was there need for an explicit version like??

we got the point the first time

i didn’t need to hear how horny you were for a second time

hobi: he just wanted to swear

tae: no he’s just real as fuck you wouldn’t get it

jk: real as fuck

yoongi: ig it was real as fuck for jungkook

he begs for pussy on a daily

jk: proof?

hobi: by bts

y/n: i’ll leak our dms

jk: DON’T DON’T DON’T

i’m sowyy 😣

jimin: i’m gonna punch him

hobi: fucking seven days a week doesn’t seem right

is that not how you get an std?

jk: no?

yoongi: is that not when you fuck multiple people?

y/n: you fuck multiple people jk?

jk: NO?????

jimin: why is ur no a question

hobi: suspicious

jin: jungkook has crabs

tae: that’s a real man disease

y/n: that’s gross

jk: i’m real

jimin: real itchy

namjoon: can we not talk about stds pls

y/n: i bet jay park has a couple of those

jk: ???

jimin: REALLLL

jin: that’s why him and jk are friends bonded over the burn

jk: i’m not his friend anymore

y/n: character development okay!!!

yoongi: was that bcs he stole from you?

jk: stop talking to me rn

jimin: OMG GUYS

yk i had the worst dream ever yesterday tae was in it

tae: and?

jimin: wdym and

tae: i hope you die

namjoon: pls don’t wish death upon people tae

jimin: yeah tae

tae: all of you can fucking die idc!!!

not jungkook tho he real as fuck

y/n: say real as fuck one more time and i’ll snap ur neck

jin: hot asf

yoongi: ew?

tae: nobody wants to see us winning jk it’s sad 😞

jk: i’m sobbing 💔💔😞😞💔💔

tae: they literally told us to kill ourselves

namjoon: literally no one said that

jimin: in fact YOU said you hope i die

jk: he could of meant by natural causes

tae: right i would never tell you to kill ur self that’s sick and evil

yoongi: kys

tae: ur not going to heaven

yoongi: aw man 🙁

hobi: what if we put tae in the electric chair

jin: what if we put tae and jungkook in the electric chair

jk: wtf ☹️

tae: i could easily survive the electric chair it would feel good to me actually

y/n: i’ve been telling you guys for years we need to lock them up

do you actually read the bullshit they say on a daily it’s actually insane they need help

like professional help

jk: i didn’t even say anything

jimin: you don’t need to

we just know

namjoon: i agree

we could send them to a camp

or something

tae: why are you talking about us like we’re not RIGHT here

jungkook get them omg

jk: i can’t go to camp

too much raw air exposure is bad for my skin

and i have a dentist appointment soon

yoongi: raw air?

jin: how soon is ur appointment?

jk: so soon that i can’t go to camp

tae: JUNGKOOK STAND UR GROUND

WE WILL NOT BE PUSHED AROUND

REPEAT AFTER ME

WE WILL NOT BE PUSHED AROUND

namjoon: tae shut up

y/n: right

tae: i liked it better when you guys just ignored me in this gc

now all you do is be mean

jimin: maybe u deserve it

*you definitely deserve it

hobi: stop talking then idk

yoongi: i will gladly ignore you again

jk: i love you tae i’ll listen to you talk

jin: jungkook the biggest dick rider ever

tae: he’s my little dick rider 🥰😍❤️

hobi: yeah definitely stop talking

namjoon: okay!

y/n: oh my god

jimin: ???

yoongi: um

jin: this is what seven was really about

jk: bro..

tae: lol

jimin: you're really gorgeous i would deadass fight 3 mountain lions in a mcdonald's handicap bathroom stall with my hands tied behind my back and my only weapon is a shake weight glued to my forehead just to get a chance to get to know you and take u out tbh

jin: nurse he’s out again

jimin: wrong chat lol

tae: and you wanna put ME in the electric chair

ur all out of ur minds

namjoon: you were gonna send that to someone????

jimin: is it bad?

y/n: so unbelievably bad

jk: blushing

yoongi: wow

tae: yikes

hobi: bts never beating the rizzless allegations

y/n: who were you gonna send that too?

jk: was it me?

yoongi: that was flirting?

jin: probably the notes app

jimin: no one

jin: told you

notes app.

jk: it wasn’t me?

tae: i’ll be nice and give you some better lines jimin dw

jimin: the only lines you have are of coke

tae: nvm fuck you stay bitchless

namjoon: leave jimin alone

jimin: right leave me alone

namjoon: he’ll open up in his own time

jimin: i fucking won’t

you guys deserve to know NOTHING about me

yoongi: okay don’t care kys

jimin: i have a crush

jin: i’m hungry

hobi: is this the same crush you talked about like 4 weeks ago??

jk: on me?

sorry jimin i’m already in love with someone else

yoongi: didn’t ask

jk: i won’t tell you who it is it’s a secret

namjoon: a secret from who??

jk: what does that mean…

namjoon: don’t we all know…

jin: i SAID i’m hungry

jimin: all you do is eat like omg??

get a job or something??????

jin: i have a job

i serve face for a living i would suggest you look into it since you have so much free time to BULLY and HARASS others but with a face like urs idk if you’ll make the cut

y/n: wow

jimin: i’m not reading all that 💀

y/n: never use that emoji again ew

jimin: 💀💀💀💀💀

y/n: this is why whoever ur trying to rizz up probably thinks ur a loser

yoongi: is it taemin again?

tae: ew you run back to taemin every 4 months it’s kinda embarrassing

jimin: taehyung you actually need to shut ur mouth

breathing the same air as you is embarrassing

and at least i have someone to run back to you are actually genuinely bitchless

tae: u are taemin’s bitch

so technically ur as bitchless

yoongi: gay

jk: don’t be a homocrome

namjoon: stop talking

jimin: it’s not even taemin so shut the hell up

i’m not talking about this anymore

moving on

hobi: what is your mbti guys

jk: physical touch

namjoon: that wasn’t the question

y/n: just say ur horny and go omg

jin: don’t

seven was actually enough

i will hear NO more about jungkooks sex life

everything i have learnt has been without my consent

my lawyers will be in touch

jk: my lawyers are ur lawyers

jin: not anymore

jk: omg…

hobi: oh my oh my god

namjoon: jin stop facetiming me i’m not answering

jin: pls joon pleaseeeeeeeeeeeee

namjoon: i’m not sitting there for you to look at urself in the camera for an hour

i have things to do

jimin: that sounds like very jobless behaviour to me tbh

jin: you can’t be ugly and jealous pls pick a struggle

tae: and rizzless

hobi: i know ur not talking…

tae: ????

hobi: tae i need you to do some self reflection

tae: okay?

i’m hot as fuck

cool as fuck

and real as fuck

i feel well reflected ty for suggesting that hoseok

y/n: i told you i’m gonna snap ur neck if you said that again

start running

jin: coming to watch 🥰

[psiirockin]

Why don’t you do very heavy gore commissions for minors? Asking out a genuine curiosity and I’m not trying to be rude

Don’t worry, this doesn’t come off as rude! When I was a kid/teenager I was heavily desensitized by gore, both real + fiction, because I was exposed to very explicit violence as a VERY young kid & continued to get heavy exposure.. from looking into things myself and people online grooming with it, privately. (Talking, starting younger than 6..) Trauma worsens that for you, as much as people don’t really talk about it, and while I still love horror + gore, I am not desensitized to physical trauma of real people & I am healing from the damage mentally now. But again, I am 20 years old. I can handle these things with maturity + awareness in a way a child or young teenager can’t or typically doesn’t.

And my friends when I was a young teen were the same way, looking at very graphic gore— fiction/real, even if I wasn’t actively doing the same, looking back I truly do feel horrible + wish they did not do that. I personally do not feel comfortable potentially contributing to that, specifically supplying them with it on demand. Like, in a private conversation, a kid requesting a draw their character getting split in half or something very vile and crazy.. ew. If that makes sense. My art is also bordering semi realism so that is way different from if the gore was very cartoony and heavily stylized.

I think people don’t see drawing NSFW for a minor the same across all boards— NSFW also applies to very extreme gore after all. It’s just not appropriate. I mean, think about it, really. Would you stream gore for a 14 year old, as an adult? Would you send them images of blown up people, people getting tortured/dissected even if it was fictional— draw that stuff for them, Etc.?

Maybe people just don’t see it as the same. And I’m definitely not saying minors can’t enjoy a little blood, fun and horror. It’s just a personal thing with me overall.

So at the end of the day, if minors do look at my account and take in my gore art, extreme or not it is out of my hands. But I will never draw that stuff FOR them. Never.

[pastryjay]

I know some OFMD fans have become more biased against Izzy content, Izzy fans, and Con himself due to two years of discourse, and I get it, but that is not an excuse for this. Some people have to be more careful/ respectful of the way they talk about Con O'Neill.

Context: he streamed a workshop about creative insults titled 'How To f*ck off with Con O'Neill'. This was explicitly stated to be for people 18+ only. At one point, he was seen briefly wearing only boxer shorts and a t-shirt in his own home. This was in a non-sexual context - he was just sitting down. Now, he's being called out for sexual harrassment and indecent exposure because of that.

Firstly, i'd like to say that anybody loudly offended by this 'incident' has made it clear that they didn't attend the workshop, and those who did attend are fine with it. The Venn diagram of people who wanted to attend that event and people who love Con's cheeky humour is a circle. Con knows his audience and his audience know him. You, random person who doesn't like Con much anyway, don't have to like it but it making you uncomfortable doesn't mean it is morally wrong.

It's important to note that Con O'Neill is open about being queer and proud about that. He is not shy about his sexuality or willing to censor his queerness e.g. he's not afraid to make suggestive (but not overly explicit) jokes or show his support for queer fanart. That is a good thing! It reeks of homophobia seeing him getting accused of being perverted just for existing as himself. It's not the first time either. In the past, OFMD fans have called him gross, a freak and creepy for sharing suggestive fanart to his Instagram.

It's wild to see all the focus on a cheeky, harmless moment when there are so, so many real issues in the world. Countless people are out there committing real sexual harrassment daily. Focusing on this queer man over nothing is dangerous. Accusing queer people of preying on those around them just by existing is literally right-wing rhetoric. Especially as there is a bigger push than ever from right-wing politicians to paint queer people as dangerous predators. Censorship, homophobia and puritanism is not welcome in the fandom for a show about queer joy.

Lastly, To the people mad about this: Why are you fine with anybody posting thirst traps online or people existing in swimwear in public, but you cry about 'not consenting' to seeing a queer man in boxer shorts and a shirt? Why are you upset about Con doing this, but love it when Rhys Darby posts shirtless photos to his Insta stories for fans? Why is it okay for most people to be comfortable in their sexuality/ their own body... but not Con?

I know the kind of people who need to see this probably won't take any of it on board, but it is really uncomfortable to see the way some people are talking. If many people like myself (I have been very critical of some Izzy fans and mostly avoid Izzy content) disagree with you, maybe you should re-think what you are saying.

[hellenhighwater]

This may be a mildly weird question, and I apologize if it is, but do you have any advice for how to figure out if a person (specifically oneself) would be a good cat owner? I love cats, and a lot of my future dreams involve owning one (or several). However, I often worry that I wouldn't be a good cat owner. When I was a kid, I was often nervous/skittish around animals because I couldn't predict them and was afraid of getting scratched or bitten. I'm a lot better now than I used to be (will actively seek to interact with my friends' pets, have been trusted to look after peoples' dogs for short periods of time), a lot of my instinctive reactions to being startled by animals are still . . . not entirely helpful. (Not directly harmful! I would never! But stuff like freezing up or pulling away in such a way that it can give the wrong signal to animals.) Plus, I'm not always great at picking up cues/body language from people, and based on what I've read, that's about 75% of how animals communicate, so even during good interactions, I'm always a little worried that I'm doing something wrong because I'm missing some cue.

Again, I love cats and would very much like to have one or more someday. But I only want to do that if I can be sure that I'm going to be able to give any cats of mine a good life, and I don't want to get a cat only to have to rehome it a few months later. Any tips on how to handle all this?

Thanks so much for your time and, more generally, for the delight of seeing Malice and Vice (and the kittens!) periodically on my dash. Your posts about them always brighten my day. <3

It sounds like you'd be a good owner to the right cat, and that you may want to find someone who can help you pick that cat out when you're in a position to adopt one. If you're lucky, a local shelter or rescue may be able to help you with this. If you can, call ahead and explain that you're looking for your first cat, and would like some help finding that one; ask if there's a good time to come meet some cats where someone who knows the current cats well could maybe point you to one that might be right. Also, if a personality profile for a cat includes "good with kids," that probably means they're going to be tolerant of any mistakes you might make re: body language.

You should definitely look for an adult, at least six years old, maybe even a cat in the senior category (which, depending on how a shelter or rescue categorizes cats, can be any cat over the age of 10. Cats can live a long time, so 10 is really not that old.) Try to not get attached to specific looks and just go by personality.

Cats have a lot of personality variety, and there's tons of cats out there that are truly very friendly and cuddly, and really just need someone to meet their basic needs and shower them in affection. An adult cat that has lived with people before, or who was just a friendly stray is probably going to take it fine if you freeze up or pull back suddenly, and if they're old enough to have become chill, will just walk away if you're bugging them. Crucially, you do not want to try to take a difficult or traumatized cat as your very first one. Those cats need help, true, but you need to learn first.

You can learn a lot about body language for cats online, but mostly you learn it by exposure. Plus, cat body language can be very individual-specific, so it's fine to just learn over time what your cat is saying.

There's tons of cats that are just sweet-natured. A'Tuin, my momma foster, would make a great first cat for someone! She's not shy about coming up and asking for attention, and will even use her paws to pull my hand to her face for ear scratches. She's good with not using her claws, has never tried to nip or bite, and mostly just wants to be looked after and cuddled. And there's tons of cats like her out there.

[kimbureh]

idk man, online fandom is just not the place for me.

"reblog my art/writing!!!11" "I'll block people who only like my stuff but don't reblog"

this is so intense. I have zero interest in talking to people who are trying to bully me into promoting them. It's as if people are saying:

"If you don't comment on people's fanwork, fandom will die because of you, specifically"

I get it, attention is nice. I'm a creator too. And it's true that current social media isn't conducive of creating and maintaining communities. But you don't build a community with aggression against your own audience.

I don't wanna hang out with people who yell at me about how they don't get enough attention. You're blaming the audience when the real problem goes way, way deeper, and this behavior of prioritizing content promotion over actual human connection is actually part of the issue. Urging people to reblog your stuff may grant you exposure, but it sure doesn't make you any friendships, at least not mine.

-

A few years back, I wanted to refine my comedic writing and started a whacky Fallout 4 blog long after the fandom had seen its peak. I knew there wouldn't be a large audience, but I wanted to see what would happen. Long story short, I regularly invited my followers to send asks I would answer in-character, and honestly had so much fun. I never bullied my audience for only liking and not reblogging. To the contrary; I respect my audience and their prerogative to decide for themselves what they do want to share on their blogs and what they don't. It's *their* blogs. I cannot grasp the audacity of some creators to demand space on people's personal blogs. I really can't.

I only had the Fallout blog for like 8 months and got more audience attention than I could deal with at times. I had such a blast, getting asks, replying to them, building in-jokes with my followers. I ended the blog with a small event and was met with a flood of lovely comments and good-byes. Today, four years later, I post on that blog maybe one or two times a year. And even though most of my followers unfollowed me when I ended the blog, I still get the occasional lovely comment. After four years, people still remember the great time we had.

Good thing I didn't block all those wonderful people who mainly liked but didn't reblog. Word got around nonetheless. I found the audience I was looking for. Dunno if I would have had the same relaxed experience with a crowd who was bullied into the interaction.

-

idk, man. What is online fandom?

I don't like how we treat each other. Fandom is not a marketplace. I am not selling myself or my creations, I want to treat you better than a simple customer. At its heart, fandom is a gift economy. You don't owe me a thing. If you don't want to give freely, I won't take it with force. I respect you and myself too much for that.

I think we can still find our people in fandom, without exploiting our audience as market-criers.

[iaure]

𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁; 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱

｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟthe dearest collection - part one/beloved 𓆩♡𓆪 part two/prized 𓆩♡𓆪 part three/devoted 𓆩♡𓆪 part four/desperate 𓆩♡𓆪 part five/blind 𓆩♡𓆪 part six/watcher 𓆩♡𓆪 part seven/ardor 𓆩♡𓆪 part eight/fervor this is very heavily inspired by @//clusterfuck-yandere's yandere leon headcanons; please check out their works. this is something of a love letter to their puppy obsession series.

yandere leon s. kennedy headcanons; reader is a survivor of raccoon city. the death of reader's brother, who was an officer, is mentioned. tw: general yandere behaviour, cyberstalking, stalking, harassment, slight nsfw, ptsd

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ i am very flattered by the quick response that part one garnered! ( ⸝⸝´꒳`⸝⸝) thank you everyone! every like, reblog, and comment means very much to me ♡ as such i wanted to get part two out as fast as possible. please enjoy leon's thoughts ♡

he met you in the aftermath.

♡ the nightmare was fresh, the dead still clung to leon's clothes, and he had no idea what to do.

♡ he still had sherry to take care of; but his mind was scattered.

♡ he had no family. he had just broken up with his girlfriend. he was out of a job, out of a home, out of a life.

♡ it was crushing.

♡ rather than try and let it show how badly he was being consumed, he decided to try and get some help. therapists were booked up by months, going to a hospital would mean sherry would be alone, and he barely had anyone to vent to.

♡ keyword: barely

♡ he had found an online forum via AOL and realised it was for survivors. at first, he posted a bit on an anonymous account, not wanting to stick around for long.

♡ he spoke about marvin, claire, ada, everyone he had met, the horrors he saw, with some discretion to the less believable parts.

♡ the people were kind. they spoke softly to him.

but then they turned to you.

♡ you had a post detailing your sorrow at the loss of your brother, who had been on what would've been Leon's squad, and how you tried to save him. but your brother was altruistic to a fault, and you couldn't save him from himself.

♡ his heart ached. he understood. he got it. he couldn't save marvin, after all. someone who was already gone is the worst kind of person to mourn.

♡ he began looking through some of your previous posts. it was a lot of you trying to give people advice, comfort, camaraderie in death.

you were so...achingly sweet.

♡ it was easy to start spiraling, truth be told. you were that kind. you were that overwhelming, like incense or perfume or chloroform.

♡ it started out just as friendly talking. Leon didn't want to put his name on the forum, nor did he really want to make an account, so he simply kept on commenting on anything you wrote.

♡ you were hurting, that's for sure. he was too. maybe you could hurt together.

♡ you were so compassionate, answering everything he sent with wise words and cautious exposure.

♡ after a while, you began to open up to him. luckily, he put his last initial as a calling card-K-so you would remember him, and soon enough it felt like you two were truly friends.

♡ you seemed to grieve differently from him, as evidenced from how quickly you seemed to shift from wounded to medic, to trying to help those in the forum.

he then got curious

♡ your username wasn't that strange, but it had your first name in it.

♡ from there, it was a simple search on the STARS database to find out who you were.

♡ and oh...you were just as lovely as he thought you were. your eyes, your skin, your face-everything was you.

♡ he took some liberties, sure. he printed out some of the photos from the database, took some home, held on in his wallet.

♡ maybe it was weird that he placed them in frames around his house.

♡ maybe it was bizarre that he slept with one of the photos. held in his arms, tucked under his pillow when he's not in his new apartment.

♡ the photos tie him over, in those restless nights where he's alone and wishes oh god that you were here that you were with him.

♡ he thinks about how soft you'd feel, how warm you'd be, how gentle the touch of your fingers would be against his arms, his chest, his-!

♡ maybe it was a bit creepy. he's not so delusional as to think it wasn't-not yet, at least.

that's okay, though. he's doing it out of love!

♡ he finally cracks. after a day of no response, he decides to abuse his power and find out where you are.

♡ and when he does, it's like the world is crumbling around him.

♡ you had gotten a job? you'd gone outside?

♡ it's good, sure. but at the same time, it's so alarming. was your job really so tiring that you couldn't do anything but go home and sleep?

♡ he sends a message, horrified at the idea, but realises how horrible of an idea it was to admit that he knew that you were working. but he can't delete it. it's really too late.

♡ he gives up. he knows he's destroyed any chance of getting to you online.

♡ he spends a day or two in a complete, shallow depression. it's like a withdrawal, and he's shaking, unable to sleep, staying up staring at his ceiling at his fuckup.

♡ he could always see you. where you work is only a block or two away.

♡ but that would be a step too far, wouldn't it? right?

♡ then he'd be no better than any other sleezeball.

but another day passes, and he can't take it anymore.

♡ he snaps, deciding to finally take that detour he's wanted since the day he found out where you worked. it's just around the corner from his gym, and he can't decide if he wants to work out first or visit you.

♡ but the urge is too much, and he sees you first.

♡ and...oh.

♡ you're everything, and more.

♡ seeing you in real life is almost too much. he stands outside of the door for what feels like hours, watching you just past the corner of your eye and praying that you didn't notice him yet.

♡ you don't, because you're dedicated and hardworking and smiling and laughing with your coworker about something, and it's like bells pealing and the heavens opening with the songs of angels. if the end times were coming, he hoped Gabriel's horn was your laugh.

♡ it takes him what was, realistically, about thirty minutes to even get the courage to go inside. after researching the bakery, he found that workers were given a commission in addition to normal pay, so that meant that he had to eat the most expensive things on the menu.

♡ truthfully, he didn't have much of a sweet tooth. he liked to keep fit, and sweets always managed to mess up his stomach.

♡ but the most expensive thing was a piece of cheesecake, and when he asked about it, you lit up and it was all worth it.

♡ the cheesecake was fine, but with your touch on the plate, he wanted to lick up every crumb.

he was addicted.

♡ he began coming in almost every day. just looking at you made his day brighter, with your smile like a sun. he dropped money at every moment, trying to talk with you every second.

♡ he could tell the moment you wanted him gone, the moment he overstayed his welcome, but he'd just come back the next day.

♡ there were several times he'd caught your eye, and he could feel you scanning him up and down.

♡ it felt almost lecherous, but he held those gazes so tightly in his mind's eye. god. you thought he was hot. maybe handsome? or cute? every possibility felt so intimate and made him so...warm, for lack of a polite word.

♡ now that he had confirmation that you thought he was cute, every inhibition was over. the proverbial pandora's box was unlocked, and that meant Leon needed to brush up in his sneaking.

♡ after all...there was nothing more 'you' than inside your home ♡

[tanglepelt]

The blobs among us

this was a fun project to work on. Go check out @sumiink for their awesome art pieces! Check out the awesome art here

AO3 link, ao3 has all chapters up

Blobs are running around in Amity Park. The portal brought more problems than he realized. Even worse these blobs were appearing everywhere all over the world. The GIW has created a set of laws to "protect" the blobs. Danny and the trio aren't falling for that. They know there using them for their own game. They had to be up to something. When all their attempts to expose the truth fail, they take drastic measures.

Meanwhile, Tim and his team aren't buying these "acts"

“Maybe, just maybe we shouldn’t raid this base”

“We have to hit this one, we have too much info on it not to. Tonight is the night. Less staff on duty and who knows how long the bug is going to last unfound” Danny pointed at the laptop Tucker had opened at the security feed on the screen.

“Plus, the Wayne charity Gala is happening tonight. Anyone who is anyone is going there, and more importantly Danny’s godfather. He will cause a scene if necessary.”

“The last place I want to be is anywhere near Gotham, not given the whole supposed to be investigating a totally real not fake case on the other side of the country. This base based on all the intel has the paper files we need.” Tim sounded annoyed by the fact “In theory, we should be able to find out what is happening with it.”

“We have photos and stuff I still say we just post it out for all to see. Someone’s bound to notice” Danny supplied “I’m just saying. The league is not going to help. Your crew has too much faith in them. Show them all the evidence you want. They’ll just ignore it.”

“We just need one breakthrough. Any exposure would compromise our secrecy. All it will do is draw attention from the league to us.”

“Then you guys can stay out of it. We three are fine with it. We already are in the center. Let the public know. Better than letting the government get more control.”

Sam gave a pointed look at Danny “The blog we had remember got wiped. Showing evidence isn’t enough, they’ll claim it's fake. What we need is proof and live proof.”

Tucker cut in “What we need is a livestream, that’d be hard to fake.”

As far as Danny was concerned that sounded like a great plan. Sam had even seemed to be contemplating it. This whole villainy thing was getting obnoxious.

“NO, what we need is a plan and to Just stick to the plan. Do not start a live stream”

“What plan” Sam cut in

Tim was more than happy to go in-depth on the game plan. Five on the inside two on perimeter duty. They weren’t quite in Gotham thankfully, just close enough where it could draw attention. Stealth was a necessity. He still wasn’t too convinced about that.

Danny and the others still weren’t convinced of the whole plan idea.

It was far too difficult to have a secret meeting when there were trained people around. He thought it was difficult to sneak around when his parents were around. He was positive what they were doing wasn’t hidden at all. Nobody had bothered to stop them. A livestream was the best bet. Tucker had even managed to snag some tech from the zone last time he was there Which was to make it untraceable and add a flare. All he needed to do was start the stream. Which can’t be that hard. It was just loading or something.

"Dude come on, quit stalling. We've been waiting forever for this livestream to go live; we need it online quickly and without notice". Tucker sighed “I should have just handled both parts apparently. Hitting a button is oh so hard”

Danny scowled, "I'm telling you, it's up! Just give it a sec”

Sam leaned against the wall and crossed arms, rolling her eyes. "Well, I'm not holding my breath. Knowing you we'll be waiting forever.”

Tucker chuckled, his fingers dancing over his PDA. "Seconded. Remember when he tried to fix the thermos and ended up setting it on fire, again?"

Danny glared up at the two. " That was a minor mishap, a little fire doesn’t hurt anyone”

Tucker grabbed the device rigged to stream and followed them. If everything went right, they’d have a worldwide audience. Tucker owed Technus now. Which was a future trio problem. Not a now problem.

“Dude, you have to hit the start button” Sam cackled as Tucker started the stream. In the distance, they could see the green glow. Time to focus on the building ahead of them. “We have a party to get to”

Danny took that as his first opening. "Cause we're about to crash the ultimate government party! You know, the one they conveniently forgot to send us invites to? And hey, while we're at it, let's add a little flair to the occasion. Keep your eyes peeled for the pin drop, 'cause that's when the real fun begins.”

Phantom was going to be front and center for this livestream. Better him than the others. Figures a member of the species they were tearing apart would be a bit more dramatic and more serious than if Pharaoh or Hemlock took the lead “Did I mention the fireworks? 'Cause we're about to light up the night sky with a bang! So grab your snacks and strap in, 'cause we're about to blow this conspiracy wide open!" Danny sent a blast into the wall causing a bright green explosion.

“I said no live streams, did you not get that” Red Robin spoke from the coms and a voice modifier on.

Danny chose to ignore him and continue walking through the now-open wall. It made a great door if you were to ask him. “The public deserves the truth” while broadcasting a blast knocking out the agents heading towards them.

Another blast led deeper into the facility. Revealing the room line with cages, glowing green. Some blobs half melted in the cages, ectoplasm dripping from them into containers below the cages. The containers full of the ectoplasm that was meant to be protected and freed back to where it belonged.

"These cells contain the blobs" He explained, "The government has been lying to you. They don’t aid them naturally dissipating; they force them to ectoplasm. They feel the whole thing, “standing beside a row of sealed jars containing a swirling mass of green blobs, their frantic movements betraying their desperation to escape. "They're being harvested, drained of their life to help the government's research for power."

In the background were government agents dressed in obnoxiously bright white suits, their unconscious “Aren’t they so happy we crashed right in, greeting us” Danny spoke to the camera focusing on the agents’ gathering weapons. One’s blasting the same green. “Don’t you feel so protected? Fun fact for my viewers. Those supposed blobs, that your government has claimed need protected… well. Given the chance they grow. Not like you. BUT.” Danny made sure to flash his pointed teeth at the camera “Things like me. They aren’t meant to stay on this side of the veil.

Phantom led his audience deeper into a high-tech laboratory, Pharaoh dismantled weapons revealing a cluster of green blobs partially melted back into goo.

"These creatures deserve freedom,” Phantom spoke to the camera Phantom couldn’t help but fly through the halls. Pointing out true process. What was happening to the entities in “protection”? That the blobs wouldn’t cause harm or issues.

Phantom continued down the hall.

The air grew heavy with tension as he approached a reinforced cell, one labeled for decontamination.

He knew what that meant.

What could be happening?

Who did they have?

Was it someone minor? Someone with barely any lingering ectoplasm.

Who.

He needed to get in that room.

But he didn’t want to.

But he had to.

The world was silent as he approached the door.

He paid no attention to the chat.

Nor the voices asking for his status.

Not the voices about how their location was out.

He froze when he peered into the batter window on the cold metal door.

He through the camera to the ground. Finally responding in the coms “cut the stream”

Ellie was bound to a surgical bed Cuffs blinking red, leaving her powerless and vulnerable. All while hooked to IVs and machinery. Ones that would be removing ectoplasm from her system. What she was very much made of.

It seemed more streamlined.

Danny was quick to try and open the door.

Ellie was fighting against her binds, her muffled cries of frustration echoing through the cell. But as he looked into her eyes, he saw only fear and confusion.

"Phantom, what's going on?" tucker demanded.

“They have Ellie”