#and i don't share my personal information. but i will do my best to advocate for trans people in my real life

[uncanny-tranny]

Stealth doesn’t help the trans community. I'm not saying we have to be an activist, wear a t-shirt announcing our trans status, but we have an obligation to help advance the human rights of the trans community we belong to

These viewpoints, while I can appreciate them, tend not to recognize the full scope of why people are stealth in the first place.

If stealth is not right for you, don't be stealth. However, not recognizing the nuances of stealth doesn't help trans people either. You can be an advocate for trans people without being out because you don't need to be out to help the trans community. Additionally, nobody is obligated to know one's trans status. I'm pretty stealth in my real life because I owe nobody that information about my identity. And I do my best to make trans folks one of my primary interests in my life. These two things coexist in my life, and that's why these viewpoints are generally confusing to me. You don't need to be out - or let anybody know about your transness - in order to advance trans rights. Hell, you don't even need to be trans to do that.

Nobody should ever be obligated to be stealth. The expectation that trans people fade away in society is wholly asinine. However, that doesn't mean that stealth inherently is problematic. Stealth is not inherently adverse to trans rights.

[melminli]

Devil's Advocate II

pairing: hazbin hotel x fem. reader

summery - after you died, you didn't really find it surprising to end up in hell. though, what you did find quiet amusing was that your life down here sucked just a bit less than the one before.

word count: 1.5k

contains: cursing, strong language, sinner reader, violence, religious themes (obviously), sexual themes, demon horniness

part I

"So...ya and that pretty lady over there seemed to be pretty tight, if ya know what I mean." Angel Dust asked curiously, ready to hear some tea. He grinned as he tilted his head to the side flirtatiously. "She some ex of yours, or somethin' like that?"

Husker just looked at him with his usual grim look while he was cleaning a few glasses. Then his gaze briefly wandered away to your figure, who was forced to deal with the Radio Demon and the Princess of Hell. Yeah, you haven't really been successful in getting out of this hotel yet.

"None of your business." He said with his monotone voice and let Angel hang his head in disappointment. "...I'm far too sober for this shit."

A groan could be heard. "Oh, come on, ya grumpy cat! Don't leave me high and dry, I know there's some good story to be heard!"

Before Husker could leave him hanging one more time, a red demon manifested next to them, much to their surprise. "I would also like to hear this good story, if you wouldn't mind sharing it with us, my good friend!" Alastor expressed his interest and looked menacingly at the barkeeper for a few seconds to make it clear that he did not have the privilege of turning his request down.

Fuck you, Larry. This is all your fault. "...we go back a long way." He reluctantly shared the information. "She was obsessed with money back then too, so I saw her in the same casino as me sometimes. Though, she died a long time before me, so I've only really known her since I went to hell." He summarized as briefly as possible.

Angel Dust raised an eyebrow. "That's it?" He asked, a little disappointed, even though he hadn't expected the man in front of him to be a good storyteller. "How did she die?"

Cat eyes looked a little nervously at the two people in front of him, while he didn't make a sound. How unfortunate, Alastor thought to himself, and his sharp teeth showed as he understood the situation. "Looks like Husker isn't allowed to tell us this information. That's very interesting! Very interested indeed..." He laughed, and his creepy gaze shifted briefly to your figure. "Seems like we need to find out directly from the source."

The once Overlord looked over at Angel Dust with slight concern and saw how the spiders' eyes were also glancing towards your form. It wasn't that he didn't trust you, but demons as reckless as him fell into your trap like flies to a web. Besides, it wasn't like he was on your best side right now. "I'd be careful." He said to the crowd even though he didn't give a rat's ass about Alastor. "She's not known for making packs with demons left and right for nothing, and I can assure you there's not the slightest chance of escaping from her contracts once you're in it." He said and added. "That's the price for holding up her end of the deal without any sneaky tricks, I suppose."

Well, that sounded unusual. After all, it was normal that one Demon after another stabbed the other in the back, there was no such thing as trusting the other person's word. But maybe that was why you were so popular. "Calm down, I'm not gonna sell my soul to her." Angel laughed. I couldn't even if I wanted to.

Husker placed another clean glass on the counter. "It doesn't have to be your soul. She'll find something she wants from you, and she's good with her mouth, so you'll give it to her. They all do in the end." He said and reached for a bottle of whiskey, ignoring the two incredulous looks he received. He took a sip and was initially confused as to what was going on with the two until he realized what he had said and choked on his drink. "Words! I meant to say words, damn it." He corrected himself.

Alastor didn't blink for a few seconds, and Angel, on the other side, just laughed amusedly. Maybe he wasn't so wrong with his first guess, after all. "Of course ya were."

"Well, thank you for your kind hospitality, but I'm afraid that I'll be taking my leave now." You spoke to the two girls. As much as Charlie regretted it, she couldn't convince you to spend a few nights at the Hazbin Hotel. Apart from the fact that she would have had a new guest, it might have enhanced the hotel's reputation if someone as renowned as you had visited. Though, unfortunately that didn't work out.

I've messed up again. Charlie tried not to look too depressed, even though she really was an open book. "Oh, all right. Thanks for listening to me."

You smiled while rubbing her shoulder. "Of course, darling." You replied, but that didn't really seem to cheer her up. You couldn't help but be a little gentler with her, she had a good heart for a hell born. "Let's make a deal." You suggested to her as an idea popped into your head.

Right after the sentence came out of your mouth, Vaggie narrowed her eyes and stepped protectively in front of her girlfriend. "Charlie doesn't make deals with demons like you." She said protectively, and you leaned closer to her at what she said. Your pupils narrowed to slits and two more eyes opened menacingly on your face. "What do you mean with demons like me, little lady, hm?" You asked her as the light in the room began to flicker, and you saw her continue to stand her ground, even though you could smell the slight fear emanating from her.

You pulled back again and returned to your normal self. "I'm just kidding, I know I'm a greedy bitch." You laughed out and saw how Vaggies eye twitch in irritation while Charlie laughed along a little uncomfortably. "Well, even though I wouldn't mind making an official deal with the little princess, I was thinking more of a friendly kind of deal." You suggested. "I'll put in a good word if the subject of your hotel comes up with anyone I know, and in return, I'd just like to ask you for a teeny tiny favor."

That didn't sound so bad. It would be good for their image if someone like you would spread a few good things about the hotel. Before Charlie could agree, Vaggie straddled back in. "And what does this favor involve?"

You conjured up a collar with a bell and an old Poloroid camera with a snap of your fingers. "Make Husk wear this and take lots of photos of it. Preferably of the process too, 'cause I'm working on some thank you cards for my company." You say and put the two things in her hands. You then remembered something. "Oh! And give this to him too." You added and handed Charlie a piece of paper. "That bastard owes me sixty thousand dollars 'cause of that Berry guy, or whatever his name was."

You were about to turn around and walk to the door when you met two red eyes right in front of you. "Leaving us so soon, what a shame." Said the Radio Demon with a smile as you took a step back so that you were no longer face to face. "Your presence turned out to be quite entertaining, I too had secretly hoped that you would give our great hotel a chance." He announced, pointing his funny stick at you.

You pushed it aside with your finger. "Well, thank you, Blossom, but I'm afraid my presence is in demand at other places." You pronounced not very regretfully.

He raised an eyebrow and would find your nicknames more amusing if he'd understood the reference. "And where would that be?"

You looked neutral. "I actually have a massage appointment at six. See you then." You said goodbye and went away with a poof after you clapped with your hands.

A few seconds of silence passed after you disappeared, and Vaggie looked at the objects in her hands again, a little questioningly. "So, what's the best way to go about this?" She asked Charlie, who was already looking thoughtfully at the bar. "Let's ask him first. Maybe he's in a good mood."

Vaggie looked at the man in question and saw him drinking a large bottle of alcohol before throwing it in the back to get his hands on another one. "Sweetie, do you know Husk?"

[percheduphere]

LET'S TALK ABOUT MOBIUS'S HEAVY KEYS

I wrote a meta on S1 Mobius here, mostly exploring his interrogation persona and emotional trajectory toward S1E6. I also have a fun little list on all the things I love about him here.

@mitromana posted about how we should talk about Mobius's sass and even cruelty more. @wowwwmobius posted how Mobius realistically would not be doing well post-S2E6 (I wholeheartedly agree), and they and @inwantofamuse shared amazing comments. All of this inspired this meta.

Thank you @mitromana @wowwwmobius @inwantofamuse!

Mobius's interrogation scenes are him at his most cruel and ruthless. The flipside of being a highly empathetic person is that it is very VERY easy to use this skill in highly abusive, cunning, and powerful ways. This is especially true if the person armed with this skill is exceptionally intelligent and is convinced their motivations are good. At the TVA, before Loki's exposure of the truth, Mobius is both of these things. Worse, he has access to the TVA's more ethically unconscionable technology, which he does not hesitate to use.

The road to evil is paved with good intentions. Mobius strolls onto this road more than once, but he manages to not stay on it because two people curb this risk: Loki and, yes, Sylvie.

Take in Loki's words and posture in this scene. The words alone are a frail and weak comeback for a silver-tongue God of lies. They do nothing but reveal Loki is in FACT scared. His arms are crossed tightly over his abdomen, a primal protective response. He's leaned as far away from Mobius as possible. This is the best Loki can come up with in the face of a boring man in a boring suit, really?

You can see why Mobius was moved into the position of Analyst from Hunter. He may not be able to prune children, but he can literally bring a God like Loki to the ground, breathless, confused, and frightened, with nothing more than WORDS. And this is with a variant Mobius likes. Imagine what he can do to a variant he hates.

For HWR and Ravonna's purposes, Mobius is the perfect weapon to get whatever they want out of whatever variant they capture before sending them off to get pruned. How do they keep him from questioning anything?

Memory-wiping (more than once), brainwashing, propaganda, and:

A little something for Mobius's identity, something that fulfills his intrinsic need to take care of others while also gently stroking his ego.

Yes, the genocide of multiple timelines over the span of eons is horrifying. But Mobius is capable of being complicit with it as long as his environment feeds his intrinsic psychological and emotional needs. The people on the Sacred Timeline become his new children, and he will do anything ANYTHING to protect them.

There was one thing HWR and Ravonna didn't anticipate: that this man's empathy for a specific Loki would be the very thing that liberates the multiverse and his own bondage from a corrupt bureaucracy.

However...

I don't believe Mobius ever anticipated becoming emotionally compromised when he advocated on Loki's behalf. He likely genuinely believed that after centuries of studying Loki, he knew him well enough to make him useful for the TVA. But the subconscious, oh. That is a different story, and in Loki's own words, Mobius has a gift for lying to himself.

I discuss the interrogation scene and Sif loop scene in depth here, so I won't repeat myself, but I'd like to draw our attention to the 2 gifs below, framing my analysis:

Imagine where Mobius's mind must be at:

I spent centuries studying you and believing in you. I waited more centuries for your nexus event to come. I tasked every hunter to inform me of your arrival immediately, no matter what I was doing, no matter where I was. I abandoned a case. I ran to your trial. I put my job, reputation, and eons-long friendship with Ravonna on the line. I tested your theory. I brought you with me on the field. You talked to me. You challenged me. You made me proud. You made me laugh.

I gave you daggers and you stabbed me. You STABBED me. When all I wanted to give you was--

Mobius cracked hard and fast. Applaud Owen Wilson for THIS interpretation of the script and THIS delivery.

Thankfully, the very person who put Mobius in this fragile state of mind is also the person Mobius deeply wants to believe in. Even after being betrayed, Mobius still wants to believe in Loki and his capacity to be a wonderful person. And so he looks at Ravonna's TemPad, decides Loki deserves to be with whoever he wants to be with (even if that person will never be Mobius himself), frees Loki to help him save the woman he loves, and gets pruned for it.

Mobius survives thanks to plot-armor. And who is the first person he meets?

The bane of his existence.

And Sylvie wastes no time driving a knife into a very fresh wound. Mobius, however, only recently unleashed all his rage. His reservoir for compartamentalizing has refreshed, so he can take Sylvie's truth bravely, without a flinch, and acknowledge that truth with one of his own.

Mobius owns it. He doesn't deny it. He tacitly agrees with her and gives her a reason why.

We should remember how dangerous Mobius can be. He is currently sitting in a car with the variant he is most likely to hate. Sylvie is strong, clever, and resilient, but her ability to regulate her emotions is weak, especially if she is triggered. Mobius can destroy her very easily with his words.

But Mobius can't hate her. He can't. She was right and he was wrong, but most importantly Loki loves her.

He won't hurt the person Loki loves most. No. He will take her to him instead. He can stomach the pain, the disappointment. He's good at that. Loki's well-being, his happiness, comes first.

In fact, Mobius stomachs Sylvie's knife twists a second time and chooses not to defend himself. I don't doubt a large part of him agrees with her. Nevertheless, he can't help but hope Loki might stand up for him in that moment. He tries, and fails, to make light of it by rolling his eyes and turning to his friend. When Loki leaves him not explaining why, his true feelings about this interaction surfaces on his face.

Aren't you going to say anything?

The saddest thing is that this is the LAST intimate moment THIS Mobius has with Loki before Loki crosses the gangway and never returns. This is it. This is what he's left with: the thought Loki didn't care enough to defend him and Loki leaving.

HE doesn't get to hear that he's just trying to see in the dark and is doing everything he can to keep the surviving timelines alive. SYLVIE does.

HE doesn't get to hear Loki tell him he saved his life. DON does.

HE doesn't get the final goodbye and "thank you, Mobius", his PAST SELF does. And if Mobius happens to remember this moment in the present, he will know that he was the one who propelled Loki to bear this massive burden ALONE.

My worry for Mobius post-S2E6 is that he is more than talented at ignoring his own needs and addressing his own problems. He is infinitely better--a master, even--at taking care of anyone else. It's a devastating flaw, but it comes from a very raw place:

His heart, his soul, will always remember being a single parent.

Being a parent at all is hard to begin with. There are only so many hours in a day, and the majority of it is devoted to putting someone else's needs before your own. Being a single parent is even harder. You might have a few people to help you, but ultimately, there's no partner to share every high and low intimately. To be a single parent of not one but TWO children?

Game over.

Some viewers have interpreted Don ignoring his sons' phone calls at work as negligent. Honestly, I don't think that's the case. He will call them back. Don is Mobius and Mobius is Don. He will take care of them. But refusing every beck and call at work is the only personal boundary he has. He cannot have many boundaries for himself at home or anywhere else. He has to decline not one but two calls for his own sanity. Nevermind that he works Monday through Saturday, nine to five, to make enough money to keep them healthy and happy. Where is the break? There is none. This is Don's glorious purpose.

Mobius leaving the TVA is understandable for two crucial reasons: One, it is a reminder of all his horrifying acts and complicity. Two, it is a reminder Loki is no longer there. But by leaving the TVA, Mobius separates himself from his only support system. That's not good. That is decidely unhealthy. The fact that it doesn't cross B-15, Casey, or OB's minds that this is a very bad idea tells you everything you need to know about the number of genuinely close friends Mobius has.

Mobius has two. He walked away from one to be with the second, and the second walked away from him, too. TWICE.

But he still loves him anyway.

When you take a man like this and take away everything that's kept him functional: the TVA, Ravonna, Loki, and then show him a content life in which he cannot even be with his own children because another version of him already exists, what do you think will happen to him given we've seen how violently Mobius can snap?

And guess what: only one person has ever seen Mobius snap on more than one occasion. Only one person understands the triggers and how to handle them. I'll give you three guesses as to who it is.

Mobius "has a happy ending" is absolute bullshit. He is at risk.

[petrichor-idyllic]

Vol and Friends Information | The Maze Runner Fanfic Concept

This is a character and idea I wrote a long time ago and found sitting in my drafts. So, I figured I would finally share her with you guys. Character writing is my thing and I thought I should post something since I've been so inactive.

UNIVERSE WRITING NOTES

As most of you know, the Maze Runner movies and books are actually quite different from each other. Of course, I prefer the books but there are some things I think the movies do better, so I've decided to use aspects from both the books and the movies to use in this potential fanfiction.

From the Movies

Takes a couple of days to recall names.

Layout of the Glade/the Maze is the same.

Characters look like their Movie counterparts for the sake of simplicity.

The Grievers look how they're depicted.

Alby is kinder and less brutal like how he's depicted in the movies.

The Gladers have been there for three years (as of the arrival of Thomas, the story starts a year before the end.)

From the Books

The Beetle Blades exist and are how the Creators observe the Glade.

Thomas and Teresa have their telepathic connection and psychic style dreams/flashbacks exist.

Minho is more sarcastic like how he is depicted in the book.

Grievers don't only come out at night. Whilst not as common, Grievers are active during the day. The Runners have encountered them many times.

The Changing isn't rare to go through and the Gladers already have the serum provided by the Creators.

The Box comes up once a week with supplies and once a month with a new Greenie.

I thought it would be smart to clarify and show the best aspects of both media.

GENERAL CHARACTER INFORMATION

Protagonist Name: Vol

Named after: Voltaire; François-Marie Arouet, also known as M. de Voltaire was a French Enlightment writer, historian and philosopher in the 1700s. He was famous for his wit, and his criticism of Christianity (especially of the Roman Catholic Church) and of slavery. Voltaire was an advocate of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and separation of church and state.

Subject: A0 "The Trespasser"

Sex: Female

Pronouns: she/her

Sexuality: Unlabeled

Age: 17-19, exact age is unknown

Job: Builder, then later a Med-jack

Appearance:

Face claim: Iva Varvarchuk

About 5'4" with a slim but lean build, she has white skin with freckles and some scarring. She has brown almond eyes and dark eyebrows. She has short, slightly messy brown hair that is often tied half up half down or pulled back in a tight messy french braid. She wears whatever clothes she can get her hands on, but is normally seen wearing the worn leather jacket and off-white hoodie combo that she came up in the box in. She also can be found wearing the grey tank top and baggy cargo pants she arrived in.

Personality: Vol is fiery and critical with a slight violent streak and a drive to do what's right. She believes strongly in equality and that she is just as capable as her male counterparts. She has no problem putting the boys in their places if they stare for too long or make an inappropriate comment. She often gets in arguments for her beliefs and ideas and isn't above going against the Keepers and Alby to get her point across. She's often described as "too smart for her own good"; her intelligence and quick nature often being a tense point in the Glade. Her intelligence is also exaggerated by her suspiciously good biology knowledge. She's very easily frustrated, especially when people don't listen to her. Despite being very critical and harsh, she can't always take what she dishes out; Vol struggles to take valid criticism and is quick to become defensive as she takes most things to heart. Due to her politically charged nature, she's often routing for the underdog and has a soft spot for Greenies and struggling Gladders- she's almost always willing to risk her mental and physical health for anyone that needs it. She's also beyond willing to jump to anyone's defence should she believe they need it. Because of this, she becomes somewhat of a big sister figure in the Glade- caring but sarcastic and occasionally violent. When she's around the few people she actually looks up to/admires, she becomes more relaxed. She's genuinely witty and often makes jokes that go over people's heads, but she's not nearly as reckless and cutthroat. She tries to lighten the mood after rough days and try and lift spirits, especially after the dreary repetition the Runners go through. She even makes flirty comments and jokes just to watch the boys squirm. Though, the pressure can get too much, especially after certain events skyrocket her into more popularity and conflict than she'd already managed.

OTHER ORIGINAL CHARACTERS

LEO

Name: Leo

Named after: Leonardo Da Vinci - Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 1452 – 2 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect.

Subject: A17 "The Deliquent"

Sex: Male

Pronouns: He/him

Age: 16 - 18

Sexuality: Bisexual

Relationship to Vol: Friend

Job: Slicer

Appearance:

Face Claim: Benjamin Wadsworth

About 5'11" and with a pretty strong build. He has tanned skin and several scars and can often be found stained with blood.

Personality: He's extroverted and boisterous, often causing problems and liking being the centre of attention. He's weak-willed and doesn't seem to care about leaving as much as the other boys. He doesn't get along with Minho and most of the Runners for this reason. He's a thorn in Alby's side and has a record for breaking most of the rules- the Slammer is basically his home. He can be incredibly overprotective and forward with his feelings and opinions. He loves to argue and get a rise out of people. He is a definition problem child.

OTTO

Name: Otto

Named after: Otto Hahn - a German Scientist known as the "Father of nuclear chemistry."

Subject: A23 "The Shield"

Sex: Male

Pronouns: He/they (the latter going unused in the Glade)

Age: 16 - 18

Sexuality: Homosexual

Relationship to Vol: Best friend/found brother

Job: Track-hoe

Appearance:

Face Claim: Unknown model

About 6'1" and very skinny. He has slightly crooked teeth and a slit in his eyebrow.

Personality: Otto is more timid and introverted than his counterparts. He lives is Vol and Leo's shadow, opting to just be known as the boy that came up with the girl than making a name for himself. He's kind of a pushover and can be talked into pretty much anything. He kind of a hopeless romantic but he's fueled by logic, providing a much needed level-headedness to his friends, especially when Vol is worked up and willing to go along with Leo's schemes.

DALTON

Name: Dalton

Named after: John Dalton - An English chemist best know for introducing the atomic theory into chemistry.

Subject: A19 "The Statue"

Sex: Male

Pronouns: He/him

Sexuality: Asexual/Aromantic

Relationship to Vol: Friend/Body Guard

Job: Bulider

Appearance:

Face claim: Mukasa Kakonge

About 6'4" and well-built. He towers over most of the other Gladers. Has a lot of scars on his hands from his job.

Personality: Dalton is the quietest one of the group. He prefers to stick to himself and the only reason he's social at all is because Leo was the Greenie before him, and had to show him around - now they're friends. Though, unlike Otto, he isn't timid. He has a very intimidating presence and simply doesn't care for the Gladers' conversations or opinions. He is very protective of the people he does care about, though, and isn't scared to intervene when the others get themselves in trouble.

RELATIONSHIPS TO VOL

Friends

Otto: After waking up in the Box, Otto was lost and dazed but had enough common sense to try and wake up the teenage girl who was also passed out. After that, Vol took to protecting her timid friend and is often the more offensive of the pair despite her being the odd one out. Otto is the only person she truly trusts because they're the only person that she's knows for sure is in the same situation as her.

Leo: Vol meets Leo during her trial as a Slicer. He offers her advice and helps out, giving her tricks and ways to make the job easier. He's also the person that convinced Vol to ask Newt about becoming a Med-jack due to her anatomy knowledge. He's more laid-back than most of the Gladers around her so she gains some respect for him and they quickly become friends. Though, Leo quickly shows himself as a bad influence, causing problems in Vol's other relationships. But, due to Leo's unfaltering loyalty, she sticks by him.

Dalton: He kind of came as a deal package with Leo. Vol wasn't sure what to think of him at first, but Dalton proved to be a big softy that would crush anyone that got too close to her, and the pair became close fairly quickly.

Newt: Like most of the Gladers, his relationship with Vol is few and far between as she's got her own little group and she chooses to spend time with them. That being said, Newt is probably one of her more favoured people in the Glade. He's one of the most respectful Gladers and he helps where he's needed, even if he can be sarcastic and nihilistic.

Alby: Alby is more of a leader than a friend to Vol, probably because he is. Though, he does have a soft spot for the girl and sees the same admirable traits in her that he saw in Minho when he first assigned him as the Keeper of the Runners. He tends to keep an eye on her so that he can make sure none of the boys are causing her problems.

Frypan: Due to his small crush on the girl, Frypan is very kind and understanding towards Vol, often letting her vent and giving her extra food under the table. Because of his kindness, Vol occasionally helps out in the kitchen, even delivering and making food for the Runners before they go out into the Maze for the day.

Chuck: She becomes somewhat a mother figure to Chuck, her need to protect and look after him coming to the forefront of their relationship. She's definitely one of Chuck's favourite people in the Glade.

Jeff and Clint: Her coworkers who try and keep her out of trouble. She likes them both equally and appreciates their help and the lack of questioning of her abilities.

Love Interest: Minho

Kinda Enemies to Lovers.

They got off to a bad start when Vol tried to escape the Glade on her first day and Minho had to stop her.

She punched him in the jaw and had a meltdown.

She tried to apologise once she'd calmed down (and Ably made her) but Minho was just sarcastic and bitter. Due to her stubborn nature, she insulted him and stormed off.

Leo's negative opinion of the Runners only adds to this.

Tension lies in physical attraction and occasional staring at first.

Minho comes to admire her morals.

She comes to admire his work ethic.

The pair argue for fun, but no one else seems to notice the spark behind their sarcastic exchanges.

Alby thinks they don't like each other because they're too similar.

Which is exactly why Newt thinks they do like each other.

Other

Gally: The pair got off to a rough start on her trail as a Builder, and then later arguments during her time as a Builder, so there is some tension between them. She eventually comes to admire Gally and his passionate and caring ways, even if he doesn't show it in the best way. She finally starts to respect him as a Keeper, even if their frenemy status still remains.

Thomas: A late arrival to the Glade, she tried to be kind to Thomas when he appears but since he moves at a million miles an hour and is more reckless than she is, she's normally too busy to spend time listening to his antics.

Teresa: Initially, she was beyond pleased to have another girl in the Glade, but overall they don't spend much time together apart from Vol attempting to befriend the girl, who's all too interested in thinking up ideas with Thomas.

Ben: Since he's a Runner and spends a lot of time with Minho, the pair have had a fair few conversations and he witnesses a lot of arguments. He actually likes siding with her because he enjoys annoying Minho. But she wouldn't exactly consider him a friend.

Winston: He's a Glader she sees around and doesn't really talk to. He seems nice enough and she has nothing against him.

Zart: The same applies to Zart as it does Winston.

[heartnosekid]

well, friends. i’m sure a good lot of you have seen this post. i was denied today. i have to contact a lawyer and i don't even know how to begin advocating for myself outside of simply contacting the firm an ex-friend of mine used to obtain disability.

if you would rather not read the whole vent, i completely understand. but if you would still like to provide answers or support to me, here are my main issues.

i need advice from others who have been denied disability and have gone through a lawyer to obtain it. i need advice on what to do about getting started with victim advocacy. that's about it, i reckon. i love you all. my dm's are open. you will be blocked if you clown.

and yes, i realize my stim blog is not the place to talk about this. i understand, but this is my largest audience and i feel i would be a fool to not post this somewhere it may be actually received.

tw for mental health talk / long vent under the cut, particularly of the despairing kind, and also mentions of CSA / CSAM, psychosis, and my general disabilities. if this post needs more trigger tags, please let me know and i'll add them.

my whole life i have been treated as if i am not struggling because i can do the bare minimum to keep myself alive. i can survive, but never thrive, and even surviving now has become difficult. i can't feed myself regularly, my guardians do that for me. i can't stand for longer than a few minutes at a time without extreme duress and pain, which makes cleaning, showering, and going out super difficult and beyond draining. i can understand abstract concepts and certain ideas and am emotionally intelligent, but i struggle heavily with understanding money or how government works, particularly when it comes to laws and loopholes. i don't know when i'm "being had", as it were, and others have pointed this out to me throughout my adulthood. it feels as though this entire disability journey has been me "being had". they gave me something to cling on to, the possibility i may be able to receive real help, and it seems as though they basically knew the whole time they were going to deny me again. for the fourth time. i know that is unrealistic but, it does feel that way.

i wrote several full length books when i was a child / young teenager, and had two published. i won't share the titles because i have outgrown what i wrote and find them childish and frankly embarrassing, but everyone upon learning that i have written and had novels published, immediately jumps to the conclusion that i am some kind of self-sufficient, incredibly intelligent and capable person. i have never once been able to effectively take care of myself. without my guardians, i wouldn't be able to manage money, insurance, bills, cars, groceries, among other things. i don't even halfway understand how insurance on anything even works despite having been shown how it works.

i can see something, be "taught" to the best of someone's ability, and i will still not be able to learn. this has been a constant issue throughout my life, and the american public school system has continually helped these issues perpetuate. all schooling has done is teach me how to parrot back concepts and ideas, remember them for a limited amount of time before losing them to the void, and not how to fundamentally understand and learn them or utilize them in daily life. even higher education was like this, and i was not able to thrive throughout my experience with college despite making mostly okay grades (i cheated and lied a lot, okay. i'm not proud of it but i felt i had to get through or i would be severely punished). i had to a sign an agreement that i personally still do not fully understand to "obtain" my associate's degree, and i do not know why despite the fact it was explained to me, in detail. the information has not registered, and i now no longer have anyone that was involved in said agreement to explain it to me. everyone i say this to is like, "what? that doesn't make any sense." and i'm like. yeah. it doesn't, and i have zero ability to explain it to them in a way that makes sense.

i mention my associate's degree because i am sure in some form or fashion it was used against me in the disability process, since i was "able to complete higher education". also it should be noted i did an early college program. also probably has been used against me. also cheated through most of it.

people have always considered my kind of autism to be hyper competent, since it appeared that way when i was a child, despite showing several signs that i was struggling with a math-centric learning disability, called dyscalculia. i have since deteriorated to the point of barely having the knowledge a young adult should have, about how life works financially and honestly in general.

i have extreme fear about what may happen to me without proper assistance. my guardians will be able to take care of me for some time, but after that? that feels like a black hole to me. it doesn't exist nor will it while i am under-assisted, and this black hole fills me with utter despair. i try not to let it permeate my daily life, so as to not dwell in a future that doesn't exist yet and has the possibility for change. but god. it fills me with literal existential dread, and it is becoming so much more difficult to ignore the older i get.

a lot of factors have been used against me my entire life to deny me assistance, and these reasons being yet another factor has really dredged up a lot of shit from my past.

this is besides the point, but i also learned recently that CSAM was made and distributed of me when i was a child and wow. that has hit me in ways i cannot even describe. part of me is like, why was i not allowed to know after the fact, even when i became an adult? i was directly involved. why did no one tell me my abuser was convicted for counts of spreading CSAM, and that they lied directly to the court system about their inappropriate actions with me? i was disenfranchised in more ways than one by more than one person on allowance of my abuser, and i am just now hearing about it. i don't know how to deal and i don't know how to get started with victim advocacy in my area.

but at the same time, whilst being treated as severely more competent than i am, i have also been infantilized relentlessly, by nearly everyone around me. how does this make any sense. i feel incredibly stupid and uninformed and at the same time privy to things about my disabilities others are not, while not being able to effectively communicate it. i feel i am screaming and begging for help, nearly at my wits end with a lot of things, and all of it is reading as "owie booboo" to anyone who could do anything to help. i feel i am falling through the cracks, and i fear having to crawl back up through them. i fear i won't make the trek. i fear i will lose motivation and let myself rot. it feels like no one in a position of power has taken a true effort to really help me and i cannot help or advocate for myself. i am very scared.

on top of all of that stuff, i am withdrawing pretty heavily from cymbalta, experiencing heightened panic attacks every day, PNES (psychogenic non-epileptic seizures), more episodes of psychosis and hallucinating than i'm used to, all of my mental and physical issues are out of control, and now this disability stuff. i also won't be able to see a psychiatrist for...maybe a week or so more, so no bridge meds till then.

these last couple weeks have just really kicked me down. thank you for reading if you got this far. i appreciate you more than you know and i have no idea where i would be without y'all and this blog. i love you all so very much.

-ish

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

Hi sex witch! I could use some advice about how to approach having sex for the first time.

I’m in my mid 20s (lesbian) and I’ve been in 3 relationships, but none of them lasted very long and I didn’t have sex with any of my partners (or the few people between them, who I’ve mostly intensely made out with). I’ve realized that I have issues around romantic relationships specifically and commitment, and done a lot of reflection so I know where those issues are stemming from but not how to deal with them. One day I do want to take the time to work through it, but for the moment I’ve decided I don’t have the capacity to prioritize that and don’t want a serious relationship in the near future anyway.

However, I really want to have casual sex. Through some past experiences I’ve realized that my relationship hang ups are purely emotional and frankly I’m horny, I just want to get laid (preferably by someone I barely know). It’s genuinely not a big deal to me emotionally that it’ll be my “first time” (past some embarrassment that it’s taken me so long, though I hate feeling it and I know there’s no “correct” age here), but I feel like I’d have some responsibility to let the other person know? And I’m worried that it will be a big deal for the other person or it’ll change things for them, because there’s this culture around virginity. I guess I don’t owe anyone that info, but when I think about not disclosing it I feel bad that I might be terrible due to inexperience, or have to admit during sex that I don’t really know what I’m doing, and then have to justify why I didn’t tell them. Basically I just don’t know how to navigate my first time considering all of this, I know this isn’t about the physical side of things but any advice you have would be greatly appreciated!!

hi anon,

listen: you're overthinking this. generally when embarking on a new activity for the first time, you're going to have the best experience if you just tell your partner(s) up front that you haven't done this before. that doesn't create a better or worse experience, but it is a different one that not everyone is up for. that doesn't mean you're wrong for not having sexual experience or that they're wrong for not wanting to have sex with you; it just means you're incompatible.

look, it's like d&d, okay? personally I LOVE running games with new players, because getting to help them build their first character and walk them through the rules and watch them gain enough confidence to take big roleplaying swings and get really strategic during battle is really satisfying for me. but not every DM wants to do that; not everyone has the patience or inclination to show other people the ropes, and they'd just prefer everyone knows roughly how the game works upon arrival so they can get right to it. this is actually a great metaphor because even experienced DMs and players who have been sharing a table for years still need to actually talk to each other and come to agreements about their players and the rules and, like, what Mage Hand can get away with, but it's a different kind of communication than you'd have with someone who's still learning which dice do what.

if you don't like dungeons and dragons and this metaphor sucked for you, here's a slightly more universal one about visiting a museum for the first time.

anyway, the point is that I'm an advocate of sharing information, not because you have some kind of moral duty to out yourself as a virgin, as if that's a weird and bad thing to be, but because I think sharing relevant info makes for better sex and sexual history is part of that info. it doesn't reflect poorly on you in any capacity, any more than someone having a large number of sexual partners would. it's just one more thing to talk through with your potential future sexual partner(s) as you figure out exactly how you want to have fun together.

[sysmedsaresexist]

Hey ~

It’s been so amazing seeing the positive change on this blog, we are so here for that kind of growth and energy!

We saw that you recently reconciled with @/sophieinwonderland, and we have a couple questions.

Are you okay with and support those who use “tulpamancy” language (a huge thing she defends)? Curious about this because we have seen many Buddhist POC systems express genuine concern with that language (not the practice, just the words “tulpa” and “tulpamancy”)

Are you okay with those who equate therians/nonhumans and the people who love them to zoophiles (another thing she has stood by which was incredibly triggering and offensive to us, a therian-heavy system).

Personally, we followed her for a long time then unfollowed after we saw someone else’s post which brought this stuff to light. We are just curious what your thoughts on this are!

(Also as far as we know she has shared some really harmful misinformation about dissociative disorders… specifically iirc that DID can form after childhood and trauma is not necessary for this disorder to form. Just letting you know in case you weren’t aware!)

- Starling

I kind of went back and forth on whether to reply to this, but ultimately decided that it would be for the best. I'm sure many of my followers are wondering the same thing and what it means.

The truth is, we're married now. I finally wooed her with my charm.

@sophieinwonderland just so you know that this is out here. I hope it's a fair response to both of us.

No, in all seriousness and honesty, I reached out to sophie because she had the largest audience and sway, and when you're so violently mean to each other, you develop a special bond. It's been... jeez, monthsss since I interacted with sophie directly. I don't know if Sophie will agree, but I think we had a habit of getting each other going, with more ridiculous posts on each side the longer the spats went on. I think the fact that we both left each other alone for so long was really good for both of us, and over that time, as much as sophie saw changes in me, I saw them in her. I found that when she wasn't being an inflammatory twot (/aff) and stayed away from the tulpa-language debate, I agreed more and more with some of her posts. She's really been doing good work with the stuff on reddit-- the RAMCOA deniers and fdc.

And what kind of person would I be if I didn't give her the same chance that she and her followers gave me?

Yeah, she's done some really shitty things, but so have I, just to different demographics (? Does that make sense??).

As well, reconciliation and interaction doesn't mean total support. I'm sure I have beliefs that sophie doesn't support. I'm sure sophie will reblog posts of mine that she agrees with, and skip the ones she doesn't like, and I'll do the same.

All that said, let's get a bit more specific.

The post linked in the ask. I am going to link it so that people can make their own informed decision. I think, though, that most of you reading this answer lived through all of that, experiencing each event first hand as it unfolded. Many people have issues with other events not listed. I can't cover everything. Again, interaction doesn't mean total support, and I can decide at any point to step back in support.

So.

Tulpamancy: I'm white as shit. I made my posts about the topic, and I reblogged everything I could in support of changing the language. I will continue to support changing language. This is a topic that is so much bigger than me, though. That's not to say I don't want to try and that I won't support efforts, but... I think the easiest way to explain this point is to use an example-- that it's not feasible to block and refuse to engage with people using the language. However, in those interactions, I can advocate where possible, and not interact with content I don't agree with.

Therians: I'm going to be super honest... I don't know what that is. I especially don't know how it relates to zoophiles. I do remember there being a lot of talk about this, I remember reading what people were saying and Sophie's response, but... I think the only thing I can pull specifically to mind was reading her response and going,

I really can't comment on this. I don't think that having sex with a therian is the same as having sex with an animal?? If you were hurt by something, obviously I support you.

Dissociative disorders: again, I've been watching her grow. I think she's been doing a lot more research as she's been battling fdc and it really shows. She made a post recently about whether DID could happen without trauma and I think I even agreed with it-- something about rare, fringe cases being inevitable in all things, and I was like, you know, I can agree with that. That's a good, happy medium. It's a far cry from what she used to say. I'm seeing a lot more respect about the topic and research, I see better advice to her followers. I want to give her a chance on this front.

[candied-cae]

Support For Palestine - No $$$ Needed!

Firstly, I highly recommend This Site, That Will Donate With One Click! (Seriously, no signing up, no inputing information, no costs, just press the button, I used it myself and you can revisit it every 24 hrs! So try to bookmark it or keep the tab open!)

And secondly, I recommend contacting your representatives in government and advocating for the millions of innocents currently facing danger in the Gaza Strip.

Joseph Biden, in a recent address, acknowledged that the "overwhelming majority of Palestinians had nothing to do with Hamas". I believe this time, right now, is our chance to try and break through our decades long, wrongfully given, support of the Ethnic Cleansing of the Gaza Strip. So I urge you, anyone with even just the time to spare, to try. Plead. Demand. At the worst, you tried and lost a little bit of time. At the best... maybe some people don't die.

So, I wrote a twt thread with instructions/advice for American Residents to reach out to their local representatives as simply, easily, and quickly as possible, and I wanted to share that same info here. I promise I only wants a few minutes of your time.

You can use this White House Contact Page to send one message to Biden and another to Harris. Just fill in your info and you can either write your own message, or feel free to copy and paste mine (it'll be at the bottom of this post)! The focus is first demanding that the US withdraws its support of the Israeli State.

Next, you can use this Common Cause page and instantly get all the information to reach out to your local representatives, it even tells you which committees they sit on! Just put in your address and it'll use that to find which jurisdictions you're in and provide links to all their contact pages. Again, fill in your info, some of mine also required a Topic, so I selected either "Foreign Relations/Affairs" or "Civil Rights and Humanities" and put in my message.

I clicked through all of mine, sent in my messages, used the exact same ones for all of them, only adding an additional note for my most direct representative as I grew up in the same town and wanted to express that to hopefully assist in drawing on his humanity, and it only took me about 30 minutes to get through.

Personally, I wanted to scream and rage and throw my whole beating angry heart at them and their gross, racist bigotry that allowed them to not only neglect the issue of the Israeli Occupation, but fund it. The US has been aiding Israel in their ceaselessly cruel genocide against the Palestinian people, and I'm sure it lights a white-hot fury in many of us. But, I wrote this plea with as much restraint and grace as I could bring myself to allow, if only for the sake of them possibly listening instead of tuning it out.

My statement -

Subject : We Cannot Support a Genocidal Ethnic Cleansing

To the Office of  _________ - 

I am pleading with the governing powers in place to help the people of Palestine. The government in Israel has said not only with their actions, by committing multitudes of War Crimes and breaking the Geneva Convention repeatedly, but even in their own words that they intend to entirely decimate and wipe out the citizens of Gaza. They have already killed and injured thousands in only these last few days - to say nothing of the past 7 decades they have spent doing the very same - and this devastation is a human rights violation like something we have never seen to this degree being supported and under-reported. Especially by the American Government, which has always held its citizens to the belief that they are a good and just organization that stands for humanity wherever it can. 

We have already lost so many innocents in Palestine, but there are still so many that can be spared and saved if our government can withdraw its support of the Israeli Occupation. If they can inform their citizens of the truth that has been happening for so, so very long.

The U.S. has been wrong in its history of supporting and ignoring the cruelty that has been taking place for so long. But only by righting ourselves, by admitting and accepting that the financial aid we've sent has, at this point, become a sunken investment without the extermination of the Palestinian people. It hurts to lose so much money, it hurts to admit we've been on the wrong side of history, but the only way to stop the damage from growing exponentially worse, is to address it honestly now. 

This is not about Judaism. This is not about Jewish people by ethnicity or religious affiliation. This is not about Nazism or Antisemitism.

This is about the colonizing power of the IDF that has been ignored and allowed for almost a century.

Please. Try to save some of them before it's too late.

This comes from a concerned citizen who is feeling extremely devastated by the state of things currently. 

As a human being, who I hope cares for the lives of fellow human beings, we cannot allow this to happen. Least of all with our seal of approval. 

-[Your Name and any Salutations]

[mcbitchtits]

i just went through and turned off the sharing setting on all my main/side blogs each, and here's my thoughts on the whole thing:

it's likely that anything public could have been scraped by the feckless scumbags building most ai systems. however, information regarding tumblr's data sale is rumored to include private, personal, deleted, and/or otherwise illegal data; if for whatever goddamn reason they actually contractually hold themselves to not accessing that data, then that is not nothing. (and, for example, if they are barred from accessing non-public data because of this, that is a big deal actually) (yes, i know, it's complicated. these are bullet points)

if Tumblr Corporate or one of the AI companies is running numbers on this, it's in everyone's favor to count in the "don't scrape me" pile (if for nothing else, then to support advocates on staff telling execs what a bad idea it all is)

there absolutely has to be some fuckery afoot with Tumblr being desperate for income and AIs being desperate for data they may have already scraped, which is to say i think it's in your best interests to have it on record you Do Not Consent.

corollary to fuckery being afoot, even if it comes down to just being demonstrative politically of the rejection of the way capitalism sucks down and spits out every single goddamned thing in its path, i think that the rejection is necessary morally and ethically. sometimes you just have to do something for yourself, even if no one else will see it.

exploitation and manipulation rely on weaseling their way in. despair and apathy falls in their favor. privacy can be "easy" to give up but nearly impossible to reclaim. do not consent in advance until you know what you are consenting to. we do not.

i'm sure i had other thoughts but i'll have to come back to it when i'm more coherent

[goldenpinof]

You appreciate them simply not tweeting anything when they could be tweeting spreading information and petitions and donation links to help end the occupation? Why are we praising two British men for doing the bare minimum. Silence is siding with the oppressors!!

i'm not praising them, anon. i know that a couple of likes on instagram isn't enough. i also know that Dan probably thinks that he doesn't know enough to share his opinion. when he posted a link for donations to help Ukraine, he fucked it up because it wasn't the right link. idk if he says anything now at all. i'm the 1st person to yell at them for being silent. because silence is complicity.

but. them not promoting videos when they just came back is somewhat of a statement. that's what a lot of businesses did in Belarus in 2020 and 2022. a tragedy happens and marketing is the 1st thing you shut down because it's the stupidest thing to focus on when hundreds of people are being tortured and killed. it's a decision dnp had to make knowing that we can put 1+1. knowing that stupid promo is not what people want to see right now. and i hate the sentence i'm gonna type next with all my heart. they know that the lack of promo will damage the viewership but they still went for it. is it the best thing they could and still can do? no, of course not! but i can appreciate this little thing. i'm not saying that you should. i'm not gonna sit here like, "they are just celebrities, them speaking up won't stop wars". because i don't think public figures speaking up is about stopping wars. it's about letting people know that they are not alone and about acknowledging that something is wrong (e.g. genocide). i'm a huge advocate for not remaining silent.

[kendrixtermina]

Hello.

I stumbled across your blog whilst trying to ease my mind about the whole Rammstein situation. I really have given up trying to reason with it by myself, so I'm not here for that. What I do want is to perhaps share some feelings as someone who was also inspired by Rammstein.

You suggested that you felt embarrassed for having advocated for their work, and I feel the same. I spoke at length at their amazing word choice, the well-considered framing, and just the storytelling in general, and now it all feels very hollow. I feel like I was an idiot. I tell myself the works still stand on their own. That there is too much evidence and consistency across their catalogue to suggest this wasn't done with forethought. You are not foolish. You read it correctly. They did not approve of these things.

I like to think one can find the truth of another's values by looking through their words, but now I wonder if that was the belief used to fool me.

This whole situation is a mess. I don't know what I really came here for other than to level with someone who I believe understands what I feel. I guess, what I am asking is: how do you feel?

Well, I wrote that initial thing when I was still in shock & very much trying to err on the side of caution cause it's serious stuff that you don't want to take lightly. I wanted to honestly consider that it might be true and what that would mean.

Having looked into it & read a bunch of accounts by ppl who were actually at the parties on reddit & just trying to dig up what information is there from newspaper interviews etc, I do not, at present, think that anything worse transpired than Till consensually boinking a bunch of groupies & some other people being uncomfortable with that & filtering everything they saw through Fear Brain.

The accounts consistently portray him as asking before doing anything, backing away when someone says no, and even the ppl who had genuinely shitty experiences say they agreed to everything & that there was continuous communication.

I think at very least the spiking stuff is definitely not true. There was a rule of opening drinks in front of the guests for the entire backstage area so exceptions would have been noticed (unless the crew & the other band members were all in on it - not impossible but unlikely.)

Apparently it's pretty common for ppl to fear they've been spiked when they just had too much booze but the symptoms are actually pretty different - from what I've heard of ppl who were actually spiked you would feel super groggy/sick within 30 minutes and be completely unconscious or nearly so soon after, out like a light. You aren't continuing to sit there let alone walking home on your own - the perps often offer to drive you home or have some nearby room ready to do the deed in.

Part of me wonders how much of this is Neo-Puritans getting up in arms over adult women wanting to screw a creative, intelligent & charismatic person of their own free will even though he's got a few wrinkles. (which is why I'm grateful that Schneider's statement adressed the paternalism issue) But of course some people having positive experiences doesn't mean that everyone did.

So another part of me is still reserving judgement in that if the prosecutors turn up something to the contrary of that, I want to be ready to accept that I was mistaken. Would be deluded to claim that it cannot be because my 1337 hipster art interpretation skills say otherwise or fancy myself some great detective when I'm just an internet rando who despite my best attempts probably cannot be unbiased.

If the spiking thing had been true or is proven to be true in the future, (or anything about people being unable to leave) that's Burn In Hell territory because of the sheer disregard for other human beings that such an act implies, but at present I just don't think the fact pattern suggests it to be true.

[soul-dwelling]

One more My Hero Academia spoiler:

Of course the worst people on the Internet take away from this finale, "Teaching is the worst job and what a miserable existence it is for [SPOILER] to end up as a teacher."

I am obviously biased given my work in education, including all the good and bad that comes with it. But this is the profession chosen by many people for various reasons, some of them out of a noble desire to inform, educate, and train, or just because they have a wealth of experience and enjoyment in the topic and want an audience to get to share that enthusiasm. There is nothing wrong with being a teacher if that is what a person wants to do--and it really sucks seeing fans online talking shit about teachers.

This disregard for the profession is how we get such a mind-numbingly stupid take: you defund education, producing ignorant motherfuckers like this, then complain that there are so many ignorant motherfuckers out there because you disparage the profession, don't fund it, and let a bunch of book-banning anti-trans Nazi fuckers destroy schools and libraries.

(For the love of God, get out the vote for Kamala Harris and other Democrats at the federal, state, and local levels to curtail these book bans, protect teachers and students, and keep the fucking Nazis out of our schools. Part of that orange Nazi's Project 2025 is ending the Department of Education, requiring students take military entrance exams, undermining work to keep guns out of schools, and fostering even more hostile environments to trans students and teachers--you are a good person, you know this is wrong, you know you need to get out the vote for Harris and Democrats. But there I go being political.)

But sure, y'all love teachers in anime and manga when they do cool shit, then say, "Ugh, [SPOILER] ends the series as a teacher, that's so bad!" I don't know how to tell you fucking morons, but My Hero Academia is a series about superheroes who happen to be teachers--the best of both worlds, the really hip cool anime teacher and the powerful save-the-day superhero all rolled into one. And your complaint is that [SPOILER] is a teacher by the end of the series, doing the job they have seen their favorite superheroes do this entire series, and your takeaway is, "Being a teacher sucks"? Fuck you! Not every teacher is going to be Dr. Stein--get what you can out of the class or find educational experiences in unexpected places (reading groups, social circles, good essays or videos or books or your library).

I'm so sorry your teacher in real life was really good at their job but didn't wear a cape every day to class or do JoJo poses or wrestle a deer in the courtyard--not every teacher is good, value the education you get whether in school or from other sources, good teachers can show up where you never expected them to, working as a teacher is not some death sentence, you sound really ignorant, and it is really bizarre that I have not yet read one take that said, "Man, I would have loved to have had a teacher like [SPOILER] when I was in school--that would have made my time in school so much better to have that kind of an advocate, they seem really happy in the last chapter as a teacher, that is a really good fit for them, I wish they had been there for me when I was in school."

My Hero Academia had some really good teachers; [SPOILER] becoming one of them is good actually.

(Except All Might: he is still the worst teacher in this series.)

[intersex-support]

Thanks for all that you do!! Endosex mom of an intersex little girl with Mosaic Turner Syndrome.

Is there a list or society of doctors who do things according to the wishes and guidelines of folks in the intersex community?

I want to find a urologist and an endocrinologist who are both pretty hands off, and who can help us do the minimum to protect our daughter’s health without doing ANYTHING unless it is urgently medically necessary. I want my daughter to have choices available to her as to what happens to her body. She just needs to be old enough to understand those choices. In the meantime, I want to make good choices if there are pressing threats to her health (eg from cancer) and I don’t want to goof up and allow an unnecessary intervention.

Does such a list of intersex-ally doctors exist anywhere? I trust no one at this point. I’m in the United States, NYC to be specific. But would travel far if it meant she would receive better care.

Please and thank you so much.

Hi, anon.

It honestly means so much to me to hear from parents who are interested in advocating for their intersex children. It's so important for our parents to be informed when we're too young to speak up for ourselves, so I just really think it's awesome that you're aware + actively seeking resources!

I know that the Turner Syndrome society has a list of doctors recommended by people with Turner Syndrome. I'm not sure how recently updated this list is, but that might be a good starting point. I did look through the list they had for my home state and I know they listed a few doctors that were not intersex affirming in my personal experience, so I'm a little hesitant about some of the recommendations.

Any providers within the NYC Health + Hospitals network might be more likely to be affirming, since in 2021 they officially implemented a policy to prohibit any unnecessary intersex surgeries until children are old enough to consent. That would make me a bit more confident that they are aware of intersex community preferences and more willing to really work with you as an ally.

It also might be worth checking out the Turner Syndrome Clinic at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Their website looks pretty good-they involve a multidisciplinary team that involves social work, which is in line with a lot of intersex organizations recommendations for care. They also seem to make an effort to connect families with support groups, and use affirming and positive language on their website. I don't have any personal knowledge, but they tentatively seem like a potential option.

Overall, your role as your child's advocate is so important, and going in knowing your rights and being as informed as possible can help you navigate some complicated medical decisions. With any doctor, you always have the right to ask for a second opinion, ask for more information, explain your wishes about waiting, and follow your instincts if something seems off. InterAct made a good brochure about knowing your rights as a parent of an intersex child, and I'd also love to share this guide for parents of intersex children created by IGLYO. There's also a guide about intersex affirming primary care for providers, which can be a great resource to share with doctors to make sure they know the best ways to support your child.

If any followers with Turner Syndrome or other intersex followers in NYC have any recommendations for doctors, please share!

Wishing you and your daughter the best of luck 💜

[dogsliampaynedoesntinstagram]

The idea that people are responsible for the oppression of the state is an incredibly regressive one - that actively corrodes solidarity and increases state power. /

I understand that you were asked specifically for your thoughts on the particular twitter thread that anon shared, and that thread didn't make the point I'd like to share, but I do think it's a related, if maybe more nuanced point. I understand (and agree) that people aren't responsible for the oppression of the state, even if they oppose state repression in annoying dickhead ways. But I think there's a difference between holding someone responsible for the oppression of the state, and holding someone responsible for failing to engage with and listen to a marginalized community and then taking an action that, even if done with the best of intentions, harms that community (even if that harm comes in the form of increased state oppression). And i think that's especially true when the person is an outsider and not a part of the community in question (the white British man in Malaysia of it all doesn't help, nor does the fact that in his speech at the show he conflated being religious with being bigoted). It's my biggest problem with Matty Healy's brand of public politics, that he doesn't seem to actually listen to communities he's supposedly advocating for (especially when those communities are communities of color), and I think that failure to listen and respect does more harm to solidarity than people criticizing him on the internet.

I've thought about this anon for quite a few days - and I don't think there's a meaningful distinction - and that what you suggest is still holding people responsible for state repression. I'll explain why and then talk about some other random thoughts.

The first is that it's not possible to engage and listen with a community. A community is not a single entity talking with one voice. I was once involved in a solidarity campaign in Wellington, where there were two families of people from the place we were organising in solidarity with. They hated each other - they disagreed about everything. Sometimes it's a useful fiction that it's possible to engage with and listen to a community (in practice what that means is engaging and listening to formal and informal structures within the community or listening to individuals - or both). But it's also incredibly flattening and doesn't allow space for reality or complexity.

It would be possible for an act to have listened to queer Malaysians and still kiss on stage. Of course there's a wide range of views on queer politics in Malaysia - why wouldn't there be? (There's always been a wide range of views on queer politics everywhere else).

I think to make the idea that you're putting forward make sense, then you would have to be much more specific about what obligations people have. In this particular case (and I suspect more generally) it would very soon become clear that people could still fulfill those obligations and make out on stage.

And you are still blaming people for state repression. You're still saying that people are responsible for the actions of the state. And my politics involves holding an incredibly hard line that they're not.

*******

Another problem with this framing is that it's based on a reading of Matty's intentions that there's very little evidence for. This all hinges on an intention to advocate on behalf of another group of people. I don't think that's how he presented it. If I was asked to summarise, from what Matty said, why him and Ross made out - I'd say it was because Matty Healy was angry.

What if Ross and Matty kissed because Matty was angry - not as an act of solidarity?

*******

I also think the wider context is important. I think some of the criticisms only introduce the power dynamics of the situation when Matty Healy and Ross MacDonald kiss and disrupt the situation - even though those power dynamics always existed.

The reason that the promoter had brought them to Malaysia to play this festival was because they were a western band. They were there because of the long history of empire. They were there because of the global power dynamics. The promoter was trying to make money from that dynamic. To say that this only matters, because they were disruptive - is to I think normalise everything else that was going on.

I am influenced here, by my oft stated belief that artists only have an obligation to avoid playing in a country with a terrible government, if there has been a specific call for a boycott by an organised resistance movement.

BI'm not comfortable saying that it's OK to go and make money in a country with homophobic laws, unless you make a political statement. Or even worse - as long as you don't make out with people.

*******

The other thing I think about a lot is the context I'm writing in - as part of the One Direction fandom. We've watched Harry wave rainbow flags around the world. He's raised a rainbow flag in a country where male homosexuality was illegal. He's raised trans flags in states where terrifying attacks were made on Trans people. I don't think there's any reason to think that he ever talked to anyone locally. In the 8 years I've been here nobody has ever suggested that he should. And I really struggle to come up with a good reason why they would be different.

And I just can't emphasise enough how much I think that saying it's OK to wave a rainbow flag, but not for two men to make out, is not queer politics that I can get on board with.

*******

As is maybe clear from what I've said so far - I've realised that one of the reasons I've been uneasy with the response to what Ross and Matty did is that it fundamentally involves policing the fact that two men have kissed on stage. And I think it's impossible to do that without it being a homophobic act.

I think a discussion that I could engage with would question the political meaning of Ross and Matty making out, not the legitimacy of Ross and Matty making out.

Because a pretty fundamental belief of mine is that men who consent get to make out with each other for pretty much any reason at all, no reasons, bad reasons, and anyone who questions the legitimacy of two men making out is building a more homophobic world.

[snapcracklepop-myjoints]

hey could you trigger tag guns?

short answer: no...

.../maybe/need more context

long answer:

I do not have confidence in my ability to consistently trigger tag things. I completely understand why people may want certain things tagged, but ultimately i am not a person who is going to be able to consistently remember to do so. I get a LOT of requests and unfortunately I can't fulfill them all. Most of the tags I use are due to digital hoarding compulsions as opposed to actively remembering to tag things. Additionally, I do reblog a lot of things that fall into that general category so if guns are an issue for you I think that following me is maybe not the best thing for your mental health(though ofc this is up to your discretion). Stay safe, take care of yourself, and keep advocating for yourself :)

Even longer answer:

I have a lot of followers and I really can't accommodate every single trigger tag request i get. If you are a mutual please feel free to message me and I will do my best to accomodate you (first and foremost, I would need much more information to know how to do so, eg, what counts as something that requires a tag, because "guns" is a category that I think a lot of things can fall into (on account of the fact that I'm autistic)) however if you are not a mutual/someone I have personally engaged with in the past, I would suggest you unfollow me as I (as mentioned) am really not capable of fulfilling every single tagging request I receive.

To be clear, this is not me saying "fuck you for wanting me to tag something", but rather "I do not have the capacity to fulfill every single request I get by people I don't know, especially without further specification, and I want everyone to be safe and comfortable".

non mutuals are also very welcome to dm for requests,

I will not share any info or be a bitch about you requesting a trigger tag lol just understand that I may not be able to fulfill it. but i would genuinely love to have a convo with you about it either way <3

I hope this helps :) please stay safe and make the best choice for your mental health. pls dont be afraid to contact me <3

[crescent-mood]

Hello I hear that you are a dentistry student.

Is there anything you know of slash can think of that could be done to make the bi-annual Dentist Experience less intense? I have autism and sensory issues and the whole experience makes me so nervous I get close to vomiting because of how uncomfortable it is.

Hello! Thank you so much for the ask.

Indeed, I am a dentistry student, finishing studies very soon.

Here's some things that might help you or someone else out, hopefully.

Hear me out. If possible for you, make it so there's the least amount of effort that needs to be put into your appointment by the dentist or hygienist. What I mean by this is: take care of your teeth properly. And yes, I know how difficult this can be, especially when you're going through a depressive episode or a particularly rough patch. No judgement here!

What do I mean by taking care of your teeth properly? The usual: brush at least twice a day and floss. But there's more to it.

Use fluoride toothpaste. Whitening toothpaste tends to be more abrasive and I generally don't recommend it for that reason.

Medium or soft-bristled toothbrush. It will be more forgiving if your brushing technique is a bit too harsh.

Start brushing on the lingual side of your teeth first. That way you'll prevent the buildup of calculus where it usually tends to collect. Therefore, you might not even need scaling on your next appointment.

If you don't have the dexterity or patience for dental floss, use flossers.

To help your teeth re-mineralize and perhaps even stop surface-level caries from developing further, use products such as Tooth Mousse that contains "liquid enamel".

Try to actually go to the dentist as often as they suggest you should. The dentist assesses the risk of you having cavities or gum issues and how often you should have check-ups. Dental work usually gets more expensive and invasive the longer you let yourself go without regular visits.

If you consume a lot of soft drinks, have an eating disorder, acid reflux or vomit often, do not brush your teeth immediately after getting your teeth exposed to the acid. This over a period of time will combine erosion and abrasion to the enamel and dentin and can be very damaging. Instead, thoroughly rinse your mouth with water, then fluoride mouthwash, and wait at least 20 minutes before brushing your teeth. I know it feels disgusting but it prevents damage to the teeth that might need fixing in the future.

When it comes to visiting your dentist/hygienist:

Inform them about your sensory issues. If they don't take them seriously or accommodate them, maybe it's better to switch to someone else, if possible. I know advocating for yourself can be difficult but a good medical professional will take it into consideration.

Nausea can possibly be prevented with nitrous oxide or antihistamines. The former is often used for more invasive procedures such as tooth extractions. The right kind of antihistamines can reduce anxiety and nausea. If you want to consider those, talk to your family doctor about them and see if it's a good fit for you.

If you're very nervous, schedule an introductory appointment that will only be specifically for getting used to the dentist or hygienist as a person and the environment of the office. Voice your concerns then. Going to a pediatric dentist specifically might be a good option.

Ask the staff to walk you through every step of the way so you're not surprised by the experience.

If you dislike the sensation of your tongue getting really dry while getting a cavity filling done, ask beforehand if there's a possibility of using a dental dam during the procedure. It might be uncomfortable in other ways but it will keep your tongue moist.

That's all the things I've thought of so far. I might add onto it in the future. Feel free to ask me any questions you might have and I'll try to answer them to the best of my ability. If you have any specific sensory issues and would like to share, I'd love to try and help out!