#I'm trying to get a little more organised hah so if you see more lists like this I apologise

[thinkhappythxughts]

https://www.tumblr.com/thinkhappythxughts/715679906573484032/tw-transphobia-the-terfs-trying-to-screen?source=share

hi there! sorry, this is sort of a weird ask — feel free to ignore.

i’m just a queer trans person who’s wanted to transition for years but my family is not really on board with it. i was really hoping to go to uni and transition there, and Edinburgh is one of the places I’ve been aiming to apply to. except… the city seems so transphobic?^ as someone who seems to have been there/knows a bit abt the uni, i was wondering if you wouldn’t mind talking about the city a little bit, in regards to this, if you would up to it? weirdly enough i do know lots of people who live there, i just don’t know them well enough to ask stuff like this dhjgfdjfb

hi there anon!

so firstly, full disclosure that I haven't lived in Edinburgh for about a year now, but my sister still does so I visit all the time. Generally, I think the city is a great place to live if you're trans, or queer in general. There's a great queer scene with clubs and sober spaces, Edinburgh pride is great, Portobello (Porty) pride is well worth a visit and only a bus from the city centre, Glasgow pride is also great if you can get the train across. Events like the terf screening are absolutely an outlier, stuff like that is gonna happen in big cities just due to numbers - it is the capital of Scotland after all. Occasionally there are random terf stickers on lampposts, but i've seen at least twice as many pro-trans stickers about. In regards to that screening, the number of people who turned out to protest far outnumbered the people actually there to see the stupid film, and the protest was supported by the uni's staff pride network (i know because my sister was there on their behalf as an organiser/first-aider hah)

on that note, i think edinburgh uni is also pretty good for trans stuff - I wasn't out as trans yet when i was at uni, but I had friends who were trans and they didn't seem to have any issues on the uni/admin side of things. The uni has a pretty good student pride society, and as i mentioned, there's a staff pride network, so there's a solid bunch of staff who would be in your corner if you did have any issues. The uni's student support in general is okay - the general standard for that stuff honestly isn't great in the UK, and I wouldn't say edinburgh's is amazing, but they did help me out a couple of times (with non-lgbt stuff).

you'll probably know more about me than the applications process for uni in regards to chosen name etc, and it depends if you're applying through UCAS (in the UK) or if you're abroad, so i'll leave you to more knowledgeable people on that. I would say that if you apply in your chosen name, any post you receive about applications will be in the name you apply with, so keep that in mind if the people you live with aren't supportive - terribly sorry that you're in that situation, by the way. It really does get better once you're away from them.

in regards to transition, if you're wanting to be referred to a GIC, you'll likely be referred to Chalmers centre, which seems to have a waiting time of about 2 years currently - that sounds like a lot but from what i can gather, that's quite a lot lower than most places in the UK (i'm in NE england and my nearest centre isn't even taking referrals because their waiting list is 6+years long 😭). Once you're registered with a GP you should be able to ask them about a referral and they can give you more info.

overall I think that Scotland is probably just a better place to live if you're trans in the UK - scottish parliament supported self-ID (i'm actually unsure if this has come into effect yet, need to do some googling) and if they weren't under the UK gov, they were going introduce legal third gender options too. The SNP and scottish parliamentary partiers absolutely have some outspoken transphobes, but they're much more of an outlier than in westminster, so generally i think the outlook for trans people is just way more positive in Scotland - I'm certainly planning to move back there as soon as the circumstances line up for me. It's pretty scary everywhere in the UK right now in terms of policy (and general attitude, to an extent) but yeah i think overall Edinburgh and Scotland in general are your best bet.

If you have any more questions or anything i'm happy to chat! Absolute best of luck to you, no matter where you end up, both with your transition and uni in general 💜

[superherotiger]

Kindred Spirits (Soul Guide AU) // Ongoing Series

Main Series:

A Soul’s Best Friend: (Tumblr) (Ao3)

In a world where meeting one’s soulmate was never guaranteed, soulmates were gifted with Soul Guides; animal companions that represented the emotions and connection between the pair, ranging from small, meek rabbits to intimidating, scaly crocodiles. Regardless of what animal represented your soulmate, they would remain at your side through thick and thin to provide comfort and support when their soulmate could not.

And what a beautiful idea it was, to know your soulmate was always with you, even if it were in the shape of an undyingly loyal companion? Tony wouldn’t know, because he didn’t have a Soul Guide.

That was until one August morning in 2001 when Peter Parker was born.

I’ll Hold You Till the Morning Comes: (Tumblr) (Ao3)

Peter felt like he drifted in and out of reality for a while; like he was in a dream and a nightmare all at once. He hadn’t even really been able to think about the fact that he was Tony Stark’s soulmate the entire day, too busy trying to ignore it and everything associated with it, including Tiger.

The hairs on Peter’s arms stood on end.

Danger!

His eyes immediately shot up, expecting to see Tiger charging at him with claws at the ready, only to see something far worse. Tiger, bloodied and pinned to the floor on his back by an unseen attacker, was crying out not in rage, but terror.

And suddenly Peter realised that the alert from his senses wasn’t meant for him, it had been meant for Mr Stark.

“NO!”

…

(Soul Guide AU. The Siberia fight scene from Peter’s perspective.)

~~~

One-Shots/Requests:

Guard my Sleep, My Restless Soul: (Tumblr) (Ao3)

“Oh bud…” Tony sighed, an ache radiating out from his very soul as he gathered the trembling dog into his arms. He was getting older now, six years having passed by in the blink of an eye, but that never stopped Tony from embracing him as if he were still that bright eyed puppy that had barged into his life all that time ago.

And burrowing into his companion’s embrace without a moment’s hesitation, it seemed Buddy didn’t mind either as he pressed his muzzle into Tony’s neck and melted into his hold.

“My poor boy,” Tony cooed as he ran a hand down the dog’s pelt in soothing strokes. “You still having those nightmares huh? That can be pretty annoying, but… I’ve got you, alright? You don’t have to be afraid…”

Grumpy Cats and Late Night Chats: (Tumblr) (Ao3)

“Is everything alright Tony?” Pepper asked as he grumbled about yet another batch of paperwork that had landed on his desk. “You’ve been more irritated than normal.”

Tony shrugged his shoulders half-heartedly. “I don’t know. I really don’t. This morning I felt fine- great even, and then all of a sudden it just went wrong. I have no idea how or why.”

At that Pepper seemed to pause, glancing over at him sympathetically, before asking “Have you sat with Buddy today?”

“No. He’s been distracted,” Tony replied, hesitating when he noticed the bitterness that had seeped into his tone completely by mistake.

And as if confirming his fears, Pepper hummed and flashed him an amused smile. “Go spend some time with your dog."

Unspoken Agreements: (Tumblr) (Ao3)

Tony and Tiger rarely found themselves on friendly terms, but there was always one thing they could agree on; their love for their kid, Peter Parker.

Always Got Your Back(pack): (Tumblr) (Ao3)

The first time the press caught sight of Tony with the cushioned, ocean blue backpack hanging down his chest and not his back like one might expect, they were perplexed to say the least. After all, it didn’t quite fit the billionaire’s usual suave fashion, and it didn’t seem to have any practical purposes either since they had never seen the man put anything into it. It was just… there, and nobody could figure out why. At the park, down the street, even at a high-end weapons conference.

Wherever the billionaire went, the backpack seemed to follow, and the media continued to scratch their heads as to why.

But one clever reporter and a photo of Tony smiling down at some unseen entity in the backpack later and the papers had found a headline worth printing on every surface in the city.

'Tony Stark’s SOUL GUIDE REVEALED!'

And boy, was it effective

We’ve Got Each Other: (Tumblr) (Ao3)

The recent Mandarin attacks have thrown everybody into a state of panic of dread, but Peter knows so long as he has Tiger, everything will work out in the end.

Nothing to Hide: (Tumblr) (Ao3)

With the help of their soul guides, Tony can always tell when something is on Peter’s mind.

Patrol Playmates: (Tumblr) (Ao3)

Peter meets a new canine playmate while on patrol.

Sweet Dreams: (Tumblr) (Ao3)

Sleep deprived and refusing to leave his lab, Tony leaves Pepper no other option but to call in the big guns.

I’ll Know When You Need Me: (Tumblr) (Ao3)

When a patrol went wrong Tony was always the first to know. Not because of the numerous safety protocols he had installed into Peter’s suit or the panicked flash of the news as the latest tragedy was being covered, but because of the loyal dog that had been by his side for over fifteen years now. His soul guide. His direct connection to Peter and all that he represented.

When Buddy was happy, Peter was happy. When Buddy was hurt, Peter was hurt.

And right now, Buddy was paralysed, shaking from tail to snout with what Tony could only describe as abject horror.

You Know What It Meant To Love Him: (Tumblr) (Ao3)

“He would have been twenty this year…”

Tony didn’t know exactly why he said it, but when Tiger glanced over at him, there was nothing but solemn understanding in his eyes.

“He would have been in college by now… Can you believe that? Our Peter, our little Buddy- all grown up,” Tony added on with a stilted smile, only to hang his head when a new wave of tears began to burn through his vision. “Shit… he still had so much left to do…”

It hurt to say. Hurt to voice the thoughts that had haunted him for so long, but if anybody was going to understand, he knew it would be the part of his soul that had experienced it all alongside him.

Little Assistant: (Tumblr) (Ao3)

Tony struggles to focus on paperwork when his soul guide is being too adorable to ignore.

Sea of Red Roses: (Tumblr) (Ao3)

In an attempt to cheer up his young, grieving soul guide, Tony takes Buddy to a flower field of red roses.

Unmatched Gifts: (Tumblr) (Ao3)

It's Soul's Day, and Peter is struggling to find a gift that will show his soulmate just how much he cares. Thankfully MJ is there to save the day as always.

~~~

Art

Buddy and Tiger (Older)

A Summary of Tony and Buddy

Buddy and Tiger (Younger)

Puzzle Pieces

Fake Disney+ Original

Backpack Pals

Tears Left To Shed

What happens when Peter sits on the roof

Peter gets a dog plushie

Cuddle pile!

“That’s why I loooove, my soul guide! *scream*” [Animation]

Beautiful fanart by the amazing Milstrim!

~~~

Amazing Remix fic by Kingdomfaraway!

~~~

Soul Guide Tag, which includes many random cat and dog videos that my obsessive brain associates with this series hah.