#TW. LONG POST.

[tendoujo]

HC 01 : A "short" analysis of Akane being a parallel to Ranma fighting gender norms.

Are we, in 2024, ready to accept that Akane Tendo is Ranma's perfect parallel when it comes to the symbolism of fighting against the gender norms of their time and the acceptance of one's true self ?

Ranma is a character that suffers from the consequences and expectations of a normalized TOXIC MASCULINITY IN THE LATE 80s - mid 90s. His transformation is one clever tool to show the viewer the change of treatment his male form gets from the female one, both having their own pros and cons according to the situation and beliefs the character gets into. This series heavily emphasizes the gained value Ranma obtains when he's a man, almost as if showing how people consider him less or weak when he's a woman. After all, Ranma 1/2 makes a constant MOCKERY of the injustices caused by sexism in a Japan of such era.

Ranma takes it from the point of view of a man trying to fulfill the expectations of a toxic masculinity laid upon him, a mere teenager that, when forced to be a woman, loses a supposed "value" and "strength". He NEEDS to break the curse not because he WANTS TO to but rather to keep the WORTH people see on him, a worth only relevant when he's a man.

And here's where Akane enters the picture. While Ranma's female form shows you a pinch of the unfair treatment women go through everyday ( the effect of sexism ), it is Akane's character the one taking it fully from the perspective of a woman. One that's not only dealing with the sexism of society but also one where her demeanor and appearance does NOT fit the traditional concept of FEMININITY.

Akane's described as a TOMBOY, or at least what people considered to be a tomboy in the 80s - 90s. For our current times, she's pretty feminine having a closet full of colorful outfits with skirts and dresses, plus an emotion-driven personality. Yet we are seeing it from the current values and agenda. Back then Akane was the perfect example of a TOMBOYISH CHARACTER, aka : a girl that had short hair, took roles mostly associated with men, "acted just as violent as a man", got into constant physical fights, and had the strength mostly seen in male characters.

She disregarded the usual "main female character" tropes, especially the one of the "main love interest" that we see of women acting all feminine, delicate, dependant, with the house wife attributes of cooking and taking care of others.

Throughout the story Akane is pint pointed as a girl less cuter than the others for acting like a "boy" or rather, not taking part of the girl stereotypes of those years. She's not good with cooking or sewing, her skills fall better in fields mostly dominated AND expected in men like martial arts and the display of one's strength. She has to constantly deal with others demeaning her as "weak", "uncute", "macho", "ugly", etc, during the story only for 1. being a girl, and 2. not matching the expectations ( both physically and mentally ) set on women.

Although Shampoo does know martial arts as well, it seems that the story "forgives her" for acting AND looking more traditionally feminine and knowing basic "housewives attributes" ( example cooking ). The fandom and manga calls Akane the "tomboyish" one for being so violent when in reality, Shampoo is just as violent or even more than her. But it's important to mention that Shampoo IS A VICTIM OF THE SEXISM throughout the story as well. Perhaps she doesn't have it as rough as Akane or rather, her problems set root in another topic compared to Akane's battle with her FEMININITY.

Physically, though having banger outfits in the manga, she doesn't match the "pretty feminine girl" concept. First, her body. It's taken as a JOKE in most instances with Ranma and other characters making fun of her body lacking certain. . . aspects. Later on in the manga, Akane finds herself being insecure of it to the point of starting to consider herself "not enough" or the fear of getting confused with a BOY.

Second, HER HAIR, a key element in her story. Some old folks still see short hair in women as something "masculine" and this alone shows another effect of TOXIC TRADITIONAL FEMININITY and how it impacted Akane's character. We see at the beginning of the series that her long hair represented her FEMININITY and how letting it grow was her solution to be seen AND accepted by others as a girl.

If she couldn't change her demeanor as a fighter then PHYSICALLY she tried to make it up for it in what she could control : her hair. So when it was taken away, it was as if she had been stripped of something that made her BE ACCEPTED. Like the title of the chapter says : A girl's hair is her life.

Akane losing her hair meant that she had to deal with a sudden supposed lack of femininity and it is exactly this what makes her confront herself and eventually, accept her own person regardless of what others think of her.

She's dealing with toxic masculinity, as well as toxic femininity. Akane is seen as weak by men because of her gender, most not considering her an eligible rival. But they also see her as girl that "lacks" for not matching the traditional standards ( aka. stereotypes ) of a girl. It's truly sad to think that not only do the men judge her but so do women, even her own sisters feed onto such expectations.

Akane is a character that HAD TO TAKE THE ROLE OF THE "SON" of the Tendo family cause no one else would. Mostly so her father could be at peace knowing that someone capable was in charge of the family business and it seems that it wasn't enough with Soun WANTING a man in charge despite Akane's best efforts. Akane is STRIPPED AWAY from the family business, her future, just for being a girl. Unless she gets married, of course. . .

The STRUGGLES OF A WOMAN having to deal with that era's sexism, the imposed traditional femininity and toxic masculinity is translated better through Akane's perspective and her story than female Ranma's. She IS his parallel from another point of view and challenges when it comes to fighting gender norms and the eventual acceptance of one's true self because, despite being mocked every chapter, she CONTINUES BEING GENUINE TO HERSELF. She can doubt herself, change her opinion or try something new but at the end of the day, she always decides to BE TRUE TO WHO SHE REALLY IS AND CONTINUE DOING WHAT SHE LIKES DESPITE WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK OF HER. Credit is due where credit is deserved and Akane does need to be recognized more as an actual character that broke barriers. Actually, it's ironic to think that Ranma is widely recognized as THE character that broke gender norms in the 80s while people poorly mention or even consider Akane one as well. Almost as if HER being exactly a GIRL gave her less of a value in her OWN FIGHTS against the gender norms and sexism. The joke writes itself.

[visionkept]

looks like a card has "sneakily" made its way onto tomo's room just as the girls have started to prepare for school. on the card were several doodles and a heartfelt letter that read:

To: Tomo-nii, Happy Birthday! Thank you for always taking care of me and Tama-chan.  I wanted to get you a cake like you’d always do on our birthdays but um …  I don’t have the money to buy it yet. Is it okay if i’ll get you the cupcake once i grow up and start working and earning money? Until then, here’s a drawing instead! A cake all for you!  We love you! From: Chihiro

HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY TOMOYA !

On that bright and warm Wednesday spring morning the girls had school like any other day, which meant waking up early to prepare the bentos and help them get ready in whenever aspect they required. Not to mention a six hours shift awaiting them afterwards. A pretty BUSY DAY for a family of three yet it had been that way for a while now. At least they have learned to manage things, feeling comfortable knowing that the girls weren't missing anything essential for their growth.

Alright, first thing in the morning: breakfast. Well, waking up ON TIME should be first but that's not really a problem. . . until TODAY.

Somehow their alarm didn't go off at the granted hour and this act of defiance had imposed a chain of events that would go down in their memory lane for the rest of their life.

Initially the older opened their eyes at seven instead of five. They hadn't suspected a thing throughout it, stretching peacefully in bed and feeling refreshened by the added hours to their sleep. Before searching for a shirt, Tomo held up the tangled mess of blond locks in a ponytail like they tend to, yawning on their way to open the curtains just to find an uneventful surprise; The sun was already out.

Under any other circumstances, this would be a good thing; in their current case, however, it meant they were running late. Normally when they wake up there's still a dark mantlet in the sky welcoming the early birds, meaning that Tomo had an hour or two to shower, make breakfast, clean the house and wake up the other two. But this spare hours were far too gone at this point and a quick check on their clock confirmed the evident: it was 7:05 A.M. without a doubt.

Shit, OKAY, it's not THAT BAD. ( It is ). I'll simply not shower today ( YIKES ) so I can focus on the bentos. But would I have time to cook some breakfast ? Maybe a fast sandwich- AH ! Today Tama asked for some fish though, that will surely take some time. Chihiro isn't as picky but she did crave some strawberries yesterday so maybe I could-

Their shirt gets put right on, the cellphone is thrown to the side and one slipper gets lost on their way to the door. They are in a rush and the stressed look said it all. Their steps are sloppy, desperate and they almost slip and fall down thanks to a piece of paper left on their room. ❝ Who left this here- ❞ Of course they know the answer to that, who else would come here to play and doodle with crayons if it wasn't them ? Ah, those kids really need to collect their things after playing. . .

Crouching down to fetch the paper is easier said than done. The stabbing pain in their lower back came as consequence of their continuous play times with the girls ( the older those two got, the harder it was to keep up. Acting out tea parties was one thing, playing horsey for two hours straight was another ). Their tiredness however, vanishes the moment violet hues gaze upon the card.

A cake all for you!  We love you! - From : Chihiro.

Their eyes scattered around the page with meticulous precision, analyzing every stroke of crayon and marker done by the child. There's a small snort coming out of turned up lips when their gaze situated on the drawing, it was ten times better than anything they could accomplIsh and the portrait of the smile gave them a warmth soothing feeling in their heart. A picture perfect family smiling and enjoying a cake together to celebrate THEIR BIRTHDAY. Ah, she sure was a better artist than them as well.

Gods, they had almost forgotten, today was supposed to be THEIR DAY. Little had it crossed their mind with how busy things have been lately. The few reminders given by Chihiro and Tama weren't properly noted and the marked calendar hadn't been consulted the previous night. . . or week on the matter. Unless it's one of the girls' birthdays, they don't really estimate in costs when it comes to their parties and gifts though when it is THEIRS, it's clearly another story.

For a split second they forget about any uneasiness in their life, pausing time to enjoy a brief yet sweet reminder that they are truly LOVED. For many, this was an ordinary piece of paper, for Tomo, this paper was their whole world. It's impossible not to feel sentimental about it, their eyes suddenly seeming a bit more watery than they recall. Perhaps the message alone, the effort of a portrait crafted with colorful crayons, and the intention of giving them something "better" in a nearby future - was far more VALUABLE than any cake. They don't have much but this, this was enough.

Those two had made them soft, there's no doubt on that. Almost tearing up like a baby because of a letter might not be what they planned on a day like this. In any case, there's no one present to judge them ( if Chihiro and Tama had been there to witness this side of theirs, they might have teased them endlessly ). Tomoya ends up wiping the tears building up in their eyes, and a laugh escapes them abruptly —becoming this sentimental has never been easy to deal with.

Right, yeah - today's their BIRTHDAY. But most importantly, they are running late on the girl's breakfast !

Their following moves are done on a fast sequence : Getting their missing slipper, adjusting their shirt and ponytail, fetch their phone ( open the chat with their boss in preparation ), retake a confident demeanor and step through the door to begin a new day. And it goes that way, with the difference that when Tomo opens the door, there's another surprise unfolding right in clear view.

Chihiro was making their own breakfast while Tama arranged the table with meticulous care. Two independent young ladies ( as independent as a toddler and a kid could be ) taking matters into their own hands. Properly dressed in their respective uniforms, attempted hairstyles and big determined smiles. They have been awake for a couple of hours by now or so the blonde assumes. Now they get it. Realization hits them like one cold shower, a sigh of defeat backing up their resignation. It was THEM who messed up with their alarm - they did it to let Tomo rest and in return they solved everything themselves ! Gods, those two are far more intelligent than many people give them credit for.

SMALL NOTE FOR FUTURE REFERENCE : change the phone's password. It seems those two have guessed it correctly . . . again.

❝ And to think I was just wondering where that burning smell came from from. ❞ Their approach is done casually, walking towards the brunette before lightly ruffling her hair. A mild tease is thrown in the mix and the huff doesn't do more than to make them laugh. The fried eggs in the pan WEREN'T overcooked though they would be if left for longer. ❝ Messing with my alarm was one bold move, kiddo. You're lucky I woke up in a good mood. ❞ On the contrary, they had woken up in a panic right until her letter turned that around in record time. Light, eager steps are heard as the smallest in the family draws near. As she finally catches up with the conversation her arms spread wide to embrace her parent. Her own proper way to say 'Happy birthday'.

Picking the child up is done with so much ease that doing it with one arm comes natural to them. Tama obtains a smile out of it, adjusting rather well on the new view from up above. ❝ Now that I got your attention. Allow me to share that I plan to take the day off from work. ❞ If their boss lets them to begin with. ❝ Maybe we could go and get some ice cream after classes to celebrate. How does that sound ? ❞ This wasn’t exactly how their younger self had imagined they’d be at twenty-six. Their whole world now revolving around those two and the Gods from above knew Tomoya wouldn't have it any other way.

❝ Oh and Chi - chan, if you keep the eggs there for another second they will ━━ ❞ BURN. Just like right now.

[powdermelonkeg]

Important rules/tips I've learned as an adult that helped with anxiety

If people are mad at you, it's their responsibility to tell you, not your responsibility to guess

If they're mad at you in secret anyways, they're the ones in the wrong, not you

If people don't like what you're doing, it's their responsibility to tell you

If they say it's fine when it's really not, they're the ones in the wrong, not you

People are allowed to be wrong about you

If they are wrong about you, wait for them to bring it up, because if you try to, you will inevitably overcorrect

Some people are committed to misunderstanding you. You will not win arguments against them. Yes, even if you explain your point of view. They do not care. Drop it

The worst thing that will happen from a first-time offense is being told not to do it again. Maybe with a replacement if you broke something

You can improve relationships and gauge willingness to talk to you by giving compliments. It's like a daily log-in bonus and nobody thinks twice about it

Most things are better after you sleep on them

Most things are better after you have a meal

Most things are better after you shower

Your brain makes up consequences that are irrational. If the worst DOES come to pass and someone acts like they do in your head, they are overreacting, and you are entitled to say "what the fuck"

If your chest hurts after you feel like you've made a social error, that's called rejection-sensitive dysphoria. It means your anxiety is so bad that it's causing you physical pain, which is a good indicator that you're overreacting. Tense yourself, hold it for 20 seconds, let it go, then find a distraction

If you're suddenly angry at someone after you feel like you made a social error, that's also rejection-sensitive dysphoria. You are going to feel annoyed about it for awhile, but being genuinely pissed off is your anxiety trying to find something to blame to take the responsibility off your shoulders, and getting scared because it can't justify itself. Deep breaths, ask yourself how much you ACTUALLY want to be angry at that person, then find a distraction

"Sour grapes" is more healthy for you than stewing. Deciding you don't like someone who's perpetually annoyed with you, won't talk to you, etc. makes letting go of anxiety over them easier

If people don't like you, they will find reasons to be annoyed with you when they otherwise wouldn't. If people do like you, they will find reasons NOT to be annoyed with you when they otherwise would. People do not ping-pong between the two

You DO have to make a conscious choice not to think about something. If you're having trouble circling back to it, say out loud that you're done thinking about it and why. Then find a distraction

When you're upset, part of you is going to want to make false bids for attention (suddenly texting differently, heavy sighs, etc. but when someone asks you about it, you tell them it's nothing). Do not listen to it. You gain nothing from it except more misery

People like to help people they care about. It makes them feel good about themselves

If you think you're insufferable for needing help, see above. Yes, really. They get a serotonin kick from it

If you think you're insufferable for mannerisms you have, you either have to consciously choose not to do them, or accept that they're part of the package that comes with you. Being apologetic about existing does nothing except make you more miserable

If you do things you don't like when you feel meh about it, it makes it easier to do them when you hate it

If you avoid things you don't like when you feel meh about it, it reinforces and magnifies how bad it feels when you hate it

Seriously. Read those last two points again. If you can make yourself make a phone call when you've got nothing to lose, you will slowly lose that panic you get when you have to make a phone call you haven't prepared for. You do have to CONSCIOUSLY take that step

Hobbies that make you care for something get rid of that nagging feeling that you're not doing enough. Go grow some rosemary

If you don't engage with your hobbies regularly, you will feel miserable, and anxiety will spike

Hobbies are things that give you a bit of happiness. They do not have to be organized or named to do that. Go be creative in something. Play with coins. Make up lists. Start a new WIP

No one cares what you look like

If people point out things they don't like about how you look unprompted, they are being rude. You are entitled to say "what the fuck"

People who like you will find you pretty to some degree. Minor things about your appearance go completely unnoticed. Literally, scars and dots and blemishes do not register to someone who likes your company

You looking at yourself in the mirror is 10x more closely than anyone is going to look at you

If you're anxious about your body type, and you're creatively inclined, make/write an oc with that same shape. Give them nice things and make other characters love them. Put them on adventures. You'll start to see yourself in the mirror more kindly

You care about wording and perfect lines/colors way more than anyone who views your work ever will

Sometimes when you're upset, you're going to feel like not eating. Do not do that. Not eating makes you more miserable

Same with things you normally enjoy. Denying yourself helps no one. You are punishing yourself for being sad. Stop it

Both of these will take conscious decision to break the habit of. Make yourself do it anyways, and it will slowly get easier

And again, to reiterate: If someone is mad at you, it is THEIR responsibility to tell you, not your responsibility to guess

[glumby]

how do you compete with an angel? become one yourself

[samwisethewitch]

Homemaking, gardening, and self-sufficiency resources that won't radicalize you into a hate group

It seems like self-sufficiency and homemaking skills are blowing up right now. With the COVID-19 pandemic and the current economic crisis, a lot of folks, especially young people, are looking to develop skills that will help them be a little bit less dependent on our consumerist economy. And I think that's generally a good thing. I think more of us should know how to cook a meal from scratch, grow our own vegetables, and mend our own clothes. Those are good skills to have.

Unfortunately, these "self-sufficiency" skills are often used as a recruiting tactic by white supremacists, TERFs, and other hate groups. They become a way to reconnect to or relive the "good old days," a romanticized (false) past before modern society and civil rights. And for a lot of people, these skills are inseparably connected to their politics and may even be used as a tool to indoctrinate new people.

In the spirit of building safe communities, here's a complete list of the safe resources I've found for learning homemaking, gardening, and related skills. Safe for me means queer- and trans-friendly, inclusive of different races and cultures, does not contain Christian preaching, and does not contain white supremacist or TERF dog whistles.

Homemaking/Housekeeping/Caring for your home:

Making It by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen [book] (The big crunchy household DIY book; includes every level of self-sufficiency from making your own toothpaste and laundry soap to setting up raised beds to butchering a chicken. Authors are explicitly left-leaning.)

Safe and Sound: A Renter-Friendly Guide to Home Repair by Mercury Stardust [book] (A guide to simple home repair tasks, written with rentals in mind; very compassionate and accessible language.)

How To Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis [book] (The book about cleaning and housework for people who get overwhelmed by cleaning and housework, based on the premise that messiness is not a moral failing; disability and neurodivergence friendly; genuinely changed how I approach cleaning tasks.)

Gardening

Rebel Gardening by Alessandro Vitale [book] (Really great introduction to urban gardening; explicitly discusses renter-friendly garden designs in small spaces; lots of DIY solutions using recycled materials; note that the author lives in England, so check if plants are invasive in your area before putting them in the ground.)

Country/Rural Living:

Woodsqueer by Gretchen Legler [book] (Memoir of a lesbian who lives and works on a rural farm in Maine with her wife; does a good job of showing what it's like to be queer in a rural space; CW for mentions of domestic violence, infidelity/cheating, and internalized homophobia)

"Debunking the Off-Grid Fantasy" by Maggie Mae Fish [video essay] (Deconstructs the off-grid lifestyle and the myth of self-reliance)

Sewing/Mending:

Annika Victoria [YouTube channel] (No longer active, but their videos are still a great resource for anyone learning to sew; check out the beginner project playlist to start. This is where I learned a lot of what I know about sewing.)

Make, Sew, and Mend by Bernadette Banner [book] (A very thorough written introduction to hand-sewing, written by a clothing historian; lots of fun garment history facts; explicitly inclusive of BIPOC, queer, and trans sewists.)

Sustainability/Land Stewardship

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer [book] (Most of you have probably already read this one or had it recommended to you, but it really is that good; excellent example of how traditional animist beliefs -- in this case, indigenous American beliefs -- can exist in healthy symbiosis with science; more philosophy than how-to, but a great foundational resource.)

Wild Witchcraft by Rebecca Beyer [book] (This one is for my fellow witches; one of my favorite witchcraft books, and an excellent example of a place-based practice deeply rooted in the land.)

Avoiding the "Crunchy to Alt Right Pipeline"

Note: the "crunchy to alt-right pipeline" is a term used to describe how white supremacists and other far right groups use "crunchy" spaces (i.e., spaces dedicated to farming, homemaking, alternative medicine, simple living/slow living, etc.) to recruit and indoctrinate people into their movements. Knowing how this recruitment works can help you recognize it when you do encounter it and avoid being influenced by it.

"The Crunchy-to-Alt-Right Pipeline" by Kathleen Belew [magazine article] (Good, short introduction to this issue and its history.)

Sisters in Hate by Seyward Darby (I feel like I need to give a content warning: this book contains explicit descriptions of racism, white supremacy, and Neo Nazis, and it's a very difficult read, but it really is a great, in-depth breakdown of the role women play in the alt-right; also explicitly addresses the crunchy to alt-right pipeline.)

These are just the resources I've personally found helpful, so if anyone else has any they want to add, please, please do!

[the-stove-is-on-fire]

After School Ghost Theory 101 with Professor Fenton

Switch to light mode or Classic Blue to get the full transparency effect!

[Image ID: A four page comic that starts with Danny Fenton standing in front of a whiteboard holding up a white cat. "Question: Do ghosts purr?” 

Tucker: “Danny when was the last time you slept?” Danny: “Irrelevant.” 

Danny info-dumps: “The answer is yes, but also no. Technically, all beings that possess a core are constantly "purring", a.k.a. Core Vibrations. Core Vibrations are a nonverbal, emotion-based communication system between Ghosts, similar to how some living species use pheromones to communicate. The exact tone of each ghost is different the same way people's voices are different. Humans can only hear these vibrations when the frequency passes through their audible range (20Hz - 20KHz), hence the 'purring' sound. When the range dips into infrasound (16 - 20Hz) it can cause feelings of fear and unease in humans that they often associate with ghosts and the supernatural. Also known as the ‘Heebie Jeebies.’”

Danny, wiping off the whiteboard: “Any questions before we move on?"

Danny’s audience consists of Wes Weston, Tucker Foley, Sam Manson, Danny’s clone Ellie, and Dash Baxter in a classroom. Wes is seated at a desk at the front taking notes. Tucker is sitting on Sam’s lap playing on a Switch, Ellie is sitting on a desk behind them. Dash is asleep at the back of the room.

Ellie, now holding the cat: “Is this Vlad’s first cat!?” Wes: "Could you tone down the floating eyes before the next part? They're kinda distracting." Danny: "What eyes?" Wes: “Please stop gaslighting me.”

A transparency trick on the last page reveals dark shadows and eyes all around Danny when viewed in dark mode. /.End ID]

An Extended Image ID is available under the read more because it’s over 1k. Side by side light and dark mode versions of the transparency trick is also available under the cut.

[Extended Image ID: The post contains a four page comic. The first page shows two comic panels with white borders. The top panel features a bedraggled looking Danny Fenton from the waist up holding a disgruntled fluffy white cat. There are bags under his eyes, his hair is messy, his arms are covered in bandaids and cat scratches, and his nails are painted black. He’s wearing a white shirt with red sleeves and a red oval on the front. In a large green text bubble he says “Question: Do ghosts purr?” A small orange text bubble under it asks “Danny when was the last time you slept?” “Irrelevant” Danny replies. 

In the bottom panel Danny is standing on the far left side of the panel in front of a whiteboard in a classroom with the cat under his arm. He’s wearing baggy jeans with holes in the knees and his classic white and red Converse shoes. The whiteboard behind him has partially erased doodles around the edges including some flowers, stars, and Phantom’s DP symbol. There are a few balls of paper on the floor. Partially out of frame on the wall behind Danny is a poster of  Einstein and above it a clock. Pointing at the whiteboard with a marker Danny says “The answer: Yes but also no” His words are written on the whiteboard. Under the words is a drawing of a stick figure and a green bedsheet ghost with a circle between them. The circle is surrounded by green squiggly lines radiating out from it. Under the circle, an arrow is drawn pointing to it with the words ‘core vibrations’ written on the board. A green text bubble in the space under the whiteboard says “Technically, all beings that possess a core are constantly "purring", a.k.a. Core Vibrations.”

On the second page there are two blocks of text, each followed by a drawing. The page background is a pale, greenish-grey with subtle scuff marks imitating the look of a whiteboard. The first block of text at the top of the page reads “Core Vibrations are a nonverbal, emotion-based communication system between Ghosts, similar to how some living species use pheromones to communicate. The exact tone of each ghost is different the same way people's voices are different.” Under the text, imitating the look of dry erase marker, is a drawing of two simple ghosts smiling and waving to each other. They both have a small green circle drawn on their chest area with green squiggly lines radiating out from each ghost. Between the two cores, two parallel arrows are drawn, facing opposite directions. Under the arrows is the text “core to core communication.” 

Under the ghosts is a second block of text reading “Humans can only hear these vibrations when the frequency passes through their audible range (20Hz - 20KHz), hence the 'purring' sound. When the range dips into infrasound (16 - 20Hz) it can cause feelings of fear and unease in humans that they often associate with ghosts and the supernatural. Also known as the ‘Heebie Jeebies.’” Under the text a red arrow points from the words ‘heebie jeebies’ to a simple drawing of Dash Baxter holding a flashlight and looking scared. There is a cobweb with a dangling spider drawn to his right and a bunch of green blob ghosts behind him to his left. In blue text the blobs say “you forgot to update your mailing address with the IRS” and “you filed your taxes incorrectly.”

The third page once again shows two comic panels. In the top panel Danny takes up the centre. He’s stretched across the whiteboard in a dynamic pose erasing the drawing of frightened Dash with a big swipe. One hand is braced on the board as he looks over his shoulder and asks “Anyone got questions before we move on?” If the image is viewed in dark mode, there are five, messily drawn eyes of varying sizes surrounding Danny. If viewed in light mode, the eyes are absent. 

The bottom comic panel reveals Danny’s audience to be Wes Weston, Tucker Foley, Sam Manson, Danny’s clone Ellie, and Dash Baxter. In the bottom left corner, Wes sits slouched at a desk at the front of the classroom with papers and an open notebook spread out over his desk. He’s wearing a red zip up hoodie with white sleeves. His hoodie is unzipped showing a green shirt underneath that matches the colour of his eyes. At the desk beside him Tucker and Sam share a chair with their focus on Tucker’s Switch and not Danny’s presentation. Tucker is sitting in Sam’s lap with her arms around his waist and her head resting on his shoulder. Tucker is wearing a red beanie with short dreads, goldenrod yellow turtleneck sweater, green cargo pants, and white shoes. Sam is wearing a black crop top with a fishnet layer over top, purple pleated plaid skirt, artistically ripped purple leggings, and black combat boots with bright green laces. Tucker has the tips of his dread dyed green and purple. Sam has streaks of purple, green, and orange in her hair. Ellie is sitting cross legged on top of a desk two rows behind Sam and Tucker. She’s wearing a cropped hoodie with the same colours as Danny’s shirt and black track pants with white and red shoes. Her hair is tied in a high ponytail and she is holding the squirming fluffy white cat up in the air. At the very back of the classroom behind Wes’ left shoulder Dash can be seen asleep slouched over his desk. Wes has one hand resting on his desk holding a mechanical pencil the other partially raised with his hand open. In a beige text bubble with red text he replies to Danny’s question with an unimpressed look on his face “Could you tone down the floating eyes before the next part? They're kinda distracting.” Under his text bubble a small blue text bubble from Ellie asks “Is this Vlad’s first cat!?” If the image is viewed in dark mode, there are three visible floating eyes off to the side of the panel. If viewed in light mode, the eyes are absent. 

The final comic page is a single, full body shot of Danny standing in front of the blank whiteboard. He’s looking over his shoulder, slightly turned with his back mostly towards the classroom and the eraser in his hand. He has an incredulous look on his face. If the page is viewed in dark mode, the background looks dark and Danny is surrounded by dozens eyes of in all different sizes. If viewed in light mode, the eyes are absent. In a green text bubble Danny asks “What eyes?” In the bottom left corner Wes replies “Please stop gaslighting me.” /.End ID]

[kensatou]

studio trigger understood the assignment. i would let her wreck me.

[tomahachi12]

TW/ST: MISCARRAGE (implied)

[sui-imi]

Funeral, right

---

been seeing some discussion about canon/fanon sans re: papyrus' death, and then i thought, unrelatedly, "hey i wonder what he did with the dust"

[cavalierclavier]

When I broke the cycle, I made sure that the tear was rough. You carry a part of what should be her, and she carries a part of what should be you.

[pigswithwings]

what if aquatic animals had Tumblr would that be fucked up or something lmaooo anyways

0 notes 🔁❤️

🌿 mx-seagrxss Follow

mating season is such a chore. wdym i have to migrate back ten thousand miles just to find some bitches

🐟 thatsalmonboy Follow

outta my way gayboy I'm boutta get it

🐟 thatsalmonboy Follow

i have been transformed into a creature beyond my wildest imaginations

1,284 notes 🔁❤️

🎣 cardinesan Follow

uhhh was nobody going to talk about how the new update makes the site virtually unusable for crustaceans ???

🌊 pelagic-tragic Follow

honestly even if we tell staff you know they're not going to do anything. crustaceans make up such a small percentage of oceanblr right now that it's going to be impossible to get them to care. the treatment of anyone who isn't a bony fish on this website is atrocious tbh

573 notes 🔁❤️

🌑 the-midnight-zoom

oh my cod its so dark down here why do i have such piss poor eyesight. if my eyes could open any wider id be doing that but nooo my house in the god damn depths says get fucked. not even my cousin in that one cave has to put up with this wtf

🔦 anglerfished Follow

hey come here for a second

325 notes 🔁❤️

🦑 a-sinkingsquid Follow

absolutely freaking out right now you frys don't understand ... There's another squid at this whale fall and she's really really cute! I want to talk to her so bad but I'm scared as all hell ... what if she thinks I'm trying to eat her and swims away ? ?

3 notes 🔁❤️

🐋 girlwhaletail Follow

shipping discourse is sooo pointless like? you argue about ships? ⛵ those things that sound really loud & pass by me everyday? 🛳️ whoo whoo?

2,821 notes 🔁❤️

🐌 justasnailfish Follow

where is every one ..

[bamsara]

COTL / TROD AU Reference Sheets and OC refs that I made a few months ago and have been using but forgot to post. The cloaks on Narinder and Lamb, and heights and clothing of the bishops are semi-outdated, but the OC height sheet is accurate.

+ Joon, Grekimar, and Jayen refs. There's character lore and relationship info for them under the cut, I'll get to the rest of them eventually:

Character lore, mainly for artfight purposes but putting it here too. Some of this character lore is already established in fic or on here, but may contain spoilers for Trod later on.

😺Joon (They/Them):

Born and raised in the Lamb's flock with little outside wordly experience, the Yellow Cat aka 'Joon' is the best farmer in the flock with an upbeat attitude and a easy-going, casual outlook on life. They're a hard worker and a harder napper, which lands them in a particular situation when a accidental nap inside a barn leads to them witnessing the Leader drag in a bloody, confused, volatile worm The Lamb shakily says was rescued from Darkwood, before reluctantly leaving them to the yellow cat's care. Which is fine, because if the leader says it's fine, then it's fine. Totally.

With their accidental involvement, Joon is assigned to be Leshy's 'caretaker', or really just a supervisor to make sure the worm doesn't do anything terrible and to report to the Lamb if he does anything weird, all without ever being truly told of the worm's true nature.

🐷Grekimar (He/Him):

Originally a heretic in Anura, Grekimar is a 'relatively' new cultist to the Lamb's Flock ('New' being a few years, but still not as long as other flock members.) Although the pig used to conduct violence and sacrifices in the God of Famine's name, he was welcomed to the Flock as a new member after he began to question the strength of the rule of dead god and was exiled. His arrival was met with scrutiny but was eventually welcomed as he's a hard worker, and surprisingly (due to his gruff demeanor), cares for his new home and it's peaceful rules over his prior home, including it's inhabitants.

When a three eyed cat arrives and threatens the saftey of his fellow flock, Grekimar becomes a dissenter and questions the Leader's decision, joining alliance with The Lamb's highest disciple, Tyren, to scheme and kill the cat in order to protect the flock.

🐻Jayen (He/Him):

A kindhearted and rather soft-spoken soul, Jayen is 'gentle giant' archtype character. Brought to the cult as a cub, Jayen is an anxious 'left-over' type, with no particular skills or qualities that are seemingly 'useful' to the flock or it's Leader, and he is very self-consious about this. Switching inbetween jobs and struggling to find his place among the cult's growing number, Jayen is decayed and killed by a furious Narinder in an attempt to pull him off of The Lamb when the cat's dramatic initial arrival happened. He is later revived, now traumatized and with a heightened fear of death.

Although his murderer walks free, the same cat had revived him as well, so Jayen holds no ill will and would rather simply leave it all behind and not think about it all. However, he is roped into a scheme to kill Narinder by Tyren and Grekimar, with the former using the bear's fears of death to pressure him into helping.

Tyren's, Grekimar's, and Jayen's relationships:

-While Tyren is a loyal disciple and Grekimar a regular dissenter, both found common ground in wanting to Kill Narinder, though their reasonings differ. Tyren wants to kill Narinder being an obstacle to the Lamb, while Grekimar wants to rid of him for concerns to protect the cult. While they can put aside their differences to achieve their goal, Tyren's methods will make Grekimar reconsider his alliance with the dog.

-Tyren pressures Jayen into working with him and Grekimar under the guise that if they do not kill Narinder, then the cat will eventually kill him again. If that tactic does not work, Tyren will subtly imply that he will use his status in the cult to undermine Jayen, and possibly exile him for being 'useless.'

-Grekimar thinks Jayen a coward, and while he'll pressure the bear to do as he is told, the pig is conflicted about getting the bear involved.

[visionkept]

HC 7: DUEL THOUGHTS (pt.1).

"I heard that my friend had challenged the VISION HUNTERS to a duel before the throne."

There’s still the big misconception that Tomo CHALLENGED the Shogun when in reality, they went for the VISION HUNTERS all together. It is said by Kazuha in the cutscene and even has a voice-line that confirms that Tomo fought Sara and not Raiden, the Shogun was there just to witness the outcome and PUNISH the loser.

KAZUHA. ABOUT KUJOU SARA: “She defeated my friend in a duel before the throne, which I accept as proof of her great strength”

Besides this confirming that TOMO FOUGHT SARA and NOT the Shogun, the rest of the fight is left heavily AMBIGUOUS and so were the conditions they set. 

Yes, the winner would get a second chance but what did that even mean ? Would the vision hunt decree disappear if Tomo had won ? Would it continue though Tomo had beheaded their general ? There’s so much to unpack here and yet, the only thing we have for certain is that the winner would SURVIVE to see another day.

But did Tomo ONLY fight Sara ? I don’t think so. BESIDES fighting Sara, I do believe Tomo had to go through an ENTIRE SQUAD first. After all, the cutscene does show us a clear view of the BATTLEFIELD:

I do find it a bit strange that it was filled with katanas in a position given to fallen soldiers. And though we could assume these could be from previous fights against the throne, I find it rather unlikely considering that we don’t see them in game nor were there any other duels mentioned. And another important detail I noticed ( and that does seem intentional ) . . .

The PATTERNS in the fallen blades are similar to the ones we see with the Shogun’s soldiers. A black / white pattern that contrasts heavily with Tomo’s katana ( white / black ). Kazuha suggests in many occasions that Tomo was, indeed, very STRONG. That’s why he ACCEPTS that Sara is too - because she DEFEATED THEM out of all people. 

The absolute madman CHALLENGED a whole army KNOWING it would be too much for them. And yet they were able to defeat AT LEAST 25 SOLDIERS in combat to the point that either Sara had to step in and stop them or they managed to defeat all the men assigned that it was HER turn to do something about it.

If Tomoya ever does become a playable character ( there’s hope ), I do wish they could expand more on what exactly happened through that duel, if their battle with Sara was tight to the point that they almost got their victory.

They went with the mentality of dying in the ATTEMPT but. . . what if they had been so close to win. . .

[jenderenvy985]

[shepscapades]

A last life ethubs comic that isn’t really about last life ethubs

[186-3]

courting antisemitism

so i recently decided to take a look at the latest stonetoss comics (probably because i love suffering). and while i was expecting some content on the israel palestine conflict, what i did not expect was how... standard it seemed. well, most of it at least, but i'll get to that in a second.

for context, if you don't know what stonetoss is, it's a (poorly drawn) webcomic known for having radical alt-right views - meaning it's incredibly racist, homophobic, transphobic, islamophobic, antisemitic. all that fun stuff.

so while i was expecting to see bad stuff, one of the first things i saw on the topic of israel was this:

terrible art aside, this comic is making a point that i usually see in left wing circles: that israel is pinkwashing genocide.

curious if there was more like this, i kept looking, and the comic right before that one was this:

again, this makes points that i usually see in left wing circles. that american healthcare is crazy expensive, that canada tells poor people to commit suicide, and that israel is bombing hospitals.

why does stonetoss, this well known alt-right nutjob, now seem to be bringing up left-wing talking points?

curious, i kept going deeper:

well this is... odd. clearly, stonetoss is trying to say that israel is on another level of bad, even worse than russia, iran, and north korea. i can possibly see someone on the left making the argument that the russian invasion of ukraine isn't as bad as what israel is doing in gaza, or that at least north korea isn't invading any other countries, but... iran??? the country that has a police force designed to enforce religious law, and gets away with murdering women who do not properly cover their hair? the country that props up paramilitary groups in countries all over the middle east, including lebanon, yemen, and yes, palestine?? that's completely ridiculous

but, given how much more israel is in the news nowadays than any of these other countries, i could see why someone would buy this

and now, we're starting to get to the crux of what stonetoss is trying to do. when someone sees this, they might be inclined to agree with it. they might begin to think that israel is the worst country on the planet

and that might not seem so bad at first. but the more you hate israel, especially irrationally, the more you feel allowed to dehumanize those who support it. the more you might be willing to agree with this comic, which came out two days prior to the one above

this comic says that jews, as a whole have no desire to exist with other people. it is blatantly antisemitic

i'm sure you could imagine some young leftist who sees the comics above this one and thinks, "this guy makes some good points". and then, when they get to this one, they might realize that this is antisemitism

or, they may not.

and that would start them down the road to becoming an antisemite.

this is what stonetoss and other alt-right nutjobs are hoping to achieve. to take left wing fury at israel, and direct it at jews.

we saw it with those neo-nazis at the palestine rally, and we're seeing it again here.

and if you've found yourself agreeing with what stonetoss has said so far, i would like you to see the last comic stonetoss put out before october 7th:

this horrifically racist comic is in reference to an environmental activist who was murdered by a black man in early october. this blatantly racist garbage is the kind of stuff stonetoss usually puts out.

but as soon as october 7th happened? these were his next two comics:

stonetoss completely changed the comic's tone as soon as the current crisis started. why?

to get as many people as possible to get on board with hating jews.

and i know many of you might be thinking that "well, everyone knows that stonetoss is racist garbage. nobody is going to fall for this"

except, as we saw with the neo-nazis at the rally for palestine, it's not always that obvious who the antisemites are and who is just rallying for peace. they are often a lot better at disguising it than stonetoss is.

AND EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE AWARE OF THAT

EVERYONE, no matter HOW much experience you have, can fall victim to propoganda. EVERYONE needs to be aware of what people around them are saying, and able to pick out hateful rhetoric, because even the stuff that is just kind of toeing the line of what's hateful is still putting your foot in the door

be cautious, everyone. and stomp out hate where you see it.