#and being *able* to outwardly express your identity that

[slverblood]

mumbling something about Aylin spending all her life in her mother's armor from the moment she could first call it to her, but when she had cause to take it off, had cause and encouragement to wear normal clothing, finding she leans toward twirling skirts and fitted bodices and polished hair pieces

[sidersstuff]

Jasper/Orion bad ending to Never Love an Anchor - The Crane Wives

Yippee! This is gonna be fun! First encounter with the full song I think, so a few things might be off or weird, doesn't help that I'm tired gndhdh (definitely off from the original meaning, which is about a parent and child.)

"On some level I think I always understood that these hands of mine were clumsy, not clever. And I tried to do the best that I could, but try as I might, I couldn't bring myself to hold you." - Jasper and his attachment issues, they always thought that his hands were clever in a way, as they've always been good with technology and stuff, but when it comes to people and loving others, they freeze, his hands suddenly aren't as steady as they are when placing delicate chips in specific spots.

"It's a secret I keep tucked inside my chest, with this heart of mine that's guilty not remorseful." - Jasper feels guilty about lying about being human, sure, but they don't think they did anything wrong by it, he doesn't regret it, if that makes any sense.

"There is love that doesn't have a place to rest, but it would have buried you if it had settled on on your shoulders." - Jasper chokes up when it comes to love (and really emotions in general actually), especially now, but when they're able to express his love outwardly and comfortably, they love big. There has to be a better word for that but I am tired.

"On some level I think I always understood, that a ship could never really love an anchor." - HEAR ME OUT. Jasper being the ship, Orion being the anchor. Jasper is bound to leave at some point, but Orion won't be leaving with him. Jasper will set sail back to Rana, while Orion is staying anchored where he's always been on Earth. (I KNOW TECHNICALLY SHIPS BRING THEIR ANCHORS UP BUT THE SONG TALKS ABOUT CUTTING THE ANCHOR AWAY AND MY SYMBOLISM DOESN'T WORK WITH HAT SO SHHHHHHHHH /sill)

"So I did the only thing I could, and severed the rope to set you sailing from my harbor." - Orion letting Jasper go, despite how much he wants them to stay, he knows that Jasper would never be happy like that (or would they -rock face- /sill) and he knows that he would never be happy to leave the farm, especially to go to some new planet where he might not even be able to live, metaphorically and literally. So he does the only thing he could do, and lets them go.

"There are times when I still wonder about you, you are someone I loved but never known." - Orion still thinking about them months, maybe even years down the line. I mean, if you found out someone you loved wasn't even from the same planet as you, you'd probably be a bit skeptical about what else you know of them, right? He feels like he never truly knew Jasper, that his whole personality could've been a lie just to fit into the society he was forced into better. He loved them anyways, wanted to get to know them if it was a lie, but he didn't get that.

"And you'll never see the reasons I had for keeping my claws away when they were close enough to hurt you." - Jasper sheathing his 'claws' or, in this case, identity, because he feels like they [his family/species] would (and probably actually could, if they ever came back for them first.) hurt him if they found out a human knew they existed, let alone have a relationship (friendship or otherwise) with one of their own.

"I am selfish, I am broken, I am cruel. I am all the things they might have said to you." - This could be taken two ways, from Jaspers perspective, he's selfish for leaving Orion, they're broken for their weird feelings around emotions, especially love, they're cruel for not even being able to give Orion the proper goodbye he deserved. Also like idk if anyone else had this experience but my mom and other adult figures would always make jokes and stuff about aliens and while my experience wasn't about them being necessarily bad, I know that some others I knew were scared of the idea of aliens thinking they were, so just that really, and I think an alien species just outside of Earth's solar system (especially one that sometimes visits Earth) would learn about humans the same. From Orion's perspective, he's selfish for wanting Jasper to stay with him, he's broken for still being caught up on them months later, he's cruel for letting Jasper leave, letting them go back to the same people who had abandoned him.

"Do you ever think of me and my two hands, and wonder why they never soothed your fevers, and wonder why they never ties your shoes, and why they never held you gently, and wonder why they never had the chance to lose you?" - Just them yearning for a life together really, they'd be the kinds to want a simple domestic lifestyle, but haha they don't get thattt <333

ANYWAYSSS like I said things might be off for many reasons, maybe I'll update it one day when they're a bit more developed and I am not very tired and I have more experience with the song who knows this is what's there for now! Uh enjoy! Or don't!

[pielove123clan]

Verdell/Marrigold 15

Milly/Boss 13

Millicent/Fleshy 27

Answers are under the cut. It's really half assed and nothings been hashed out. I hope you enjoy reading anyways. I need new ocs. I need better ocs and I need to actually write I feel. I'm just apprehensive about things and getting overly emotional is scary, that includes writing. And if I let my emtions cloud my judgment, it isn't a good story. But again, that's what rough drafts are for. Creativity and writing, at least the best peices in my eyes, are supposed to be expressions of emotions and have a meaning. Fluff without a message, unrisky content, it's utter rubbish. Not to say they don't have their place either and sometimes its nice to turn the brain off, I personally am at risk and WILL AND HAVE overdone it. Over and over, this vapid comfort and fluff, but I struggle to get past that. It's utterly mediocre in my eyes and I need to go higher, do better, but that requires a breakthrough in my own personality, my habits, a lifestyle change and most importantly, effort. There are so many images that I want to show everyone but can I do it respectfully and with the due diligence? Its scary to suffer, its not nice, but a friend told me "everything you've ever wanted is on the other side of fear". I like that way of seeing things.

Can I really say I want something if I can't suffer a temporary pain enough for it? All I can really do right now is speak but I need action to back those words. I don't trust myself but we'll see whatever happens or comes up.

Thank you anyways for sending me the ask!

15 -Do they trust each other, why or why not?

I think they have a sense of trust between each other but also their secrets from each other, Marigold with her magic shovel and Verdell with his double life being a vigilante. They have not known each other for long but they think the other is pretty nice and upstanding person going to the same university. This isn't 'cannon' but ive held on to the idea of these two being housemates. Marigold is lieing because she doesn't want to get arrested or something because the shovel she has is probably illegal and she doesn't know Verdell that much. Letting him stay was done out out kindness and maybe pitty. Tthe house is emptier with her mother being in the hospital and her father going missing. Verdell is nice enough anyways ( he means well but his eagerness is a tad bit unnerving. was this a bad idea?)

I forgot what crack stuff I typed about vigilantes in this world, its legal as long as your identity is secret and the government will neither help nor interfere unless they become a problem for them? It can vary from state or teritory, whatever community regulations they want. Outwardly, the government won't govern these vigilantes until they become a probem to them. People have powers in this reality, it needs to be registered with their ID by law and it's only requried to be shared with medical professionals and I guess the police departments if requested. This also makes it easy, if you become a threat to the government, they can identify who has the ability or power in that area then they send maybe a special unit. Also, it's illegal to not register if you have an ability.

That being said, powers and abilities are treated like the "don't say gay" law where its 'don't ask, don't tell'. The unspoken rule of this society, most abilities aren't accepted by the and if you use them in person, the community will shun and dislike you. You might even get a misdemenor for causing a disturbance. The exception is if your able to market yourself, be seen as entertaining, talented and contributing to society, but those are only reserved to those who can stand out. Having an alternate idenity, stage name, moniker, those things are the safest.

Verdell is a vigilante and he's keeping his identity secret for the whole, "if my enemies know my secret, they can hurt me and the people I care about!" and he hasn't known Marigold for long. There's weird dents in the walls and some furniture seems hastily duct taped back together, the front door had to be repaired for some reason, but he was lucky enough to be allowed to stay somewhere nice with a roof over his head. Plus, Marigold was nice enough to even let a stranger or aquantince stay in a nice home. Verdell will do anything he can to repay that kindness back. ( Ask me again about this next time because I might re-write things. My brain is feeling murky but now I realize some contradictions and plot holes. Trying to juggle so many traits with him. Verdell doesn't want to be a giant burden so he'll make himself useful and help out in the house and the garden when he can! )

13. Do they have any distain/contempt for each other? How do they show it?

Milly has a lot of distain being tricked into a contract but she has to do it or else she may get blackmailed or go to jail. Organ trafficing and illegal surgeries on individuals is her job now, until she pays every cent of her tuition back through labor. Her hair is grey from this stress, they messed with her body, but outwardly showing contempt or hatred can't be done or it'll jeopardize her future. This is what she gets for wanting to avoid taking out a loan and going into student debt. Ontop of this, she needs to study and do the legitimate work for medical school. She's the black market organizations bitch and she feels utterly helpless. She can't say or do anything.

( that being said, I heard there was a program where the government will pay for your medical schooling if you work x amount of years in a hospital? i didn't know about it at the time of Milly's creation)

Her boss doesn't care, Milly's just another poor sap who's momentarily there for empolyment. She should be greatful their organization is paying for her education, making her dreams come true and setting her for life, all she needs is to play her part as a good little surgeon. They are doing a service letting these ungreatful undergrat brats fufill their clases, it ain't a bad deal having them receive some work experince. They survive their service and get the hell out of there. Milly is undeserving of whatever ability she got out of her surgery, its a waste. They're contemplating transplanting the organ out of her after she's done her service. If that kills her or disables her after the organ adapted to her body for long enough, tough luck. Doesn't matter.

Milly's just a tiny cog in the machine, why would they care? They don't, not even a subject in their mind, just a tiny blip.

27. How far would they go for each other? Would they risk their own lives for each other?

Unflinching for both of them, they would die for each other and risk their lives for each other. Fleshy has anger and violence issues due to where she used to come from and how she was created but shes like 7-8 (age kind of pending but Fleshy is a young child.) Milicent is trying to teach her out of wanting to 'punish' anything that does what she doesn't like.

Its a whole thing because Milicent's a person made up of multiple centipedes who evolved over the course of millions of years, starting back in the carboniferous period of the Earth. There are people after Fleshy so Milicent wouldn't hessitate to poison and consume them. It is self defence. Nothing will harm her adopted child over her dead body.

[soybek]

When did / how did it feel when you startled presenting or realizing your trans identity? 🪱 awesome that you took the step (or wiggle) on forward🏳️‍⚧️

I think being gender fluid at a young age is a very strange and confusing experience, especially when the way you want to express yourself is consistent. I knew I longed for pretty dresses, and sometimes I abhorred being called a boy, but other times It felt right and pleasing.

I learned that it was possible to express myself the way I longed when a kid a few grades older than me began to express herself the same way. I remember thinking for many days how I wished to be like her.

It wasn't until many years later that I gained enough confidence and actually began expressing myself as outwardly feminine. of course I feel happy presenting the way I do, but I think a big part of it too is that I'm able to help others realize themselves that they can be how they long to be.

[sleepingdeath-light]

a taste of heaven ; 18+

requested by ; jamiewintons (kinktober entry)

word count ; 1302

content ; sexually explicit content, heavily dubious consent (lying about identity to sleep with reader), oral sex (fem receiving), vaginal sex, infidelity (reader figures out she isn’t sleeping with jamie but chooses to continue anyway)

fandom ; you, me & the apocalypse

pairing ; ariel conroy x cis female reader

read also on ; ao3

minors and ageless blogs will be blocked

Ariel had been obsessed with you from the very first moment he’d seen your face; bright features flashing across his doofus brother’s lock screen along with a sickening declaration of ‘love’ and ‘luck’ for the coming day — with the memory of those words alone being enough to make his stomach churn all these months later. But now that he had you in his arms, he could say that it was all worth it — all of the stalking, all of the hacking, all of the studying Jamie’s mannerisms and idiolect, all of those sleepless nights — because you were even better than he hoped you’d be.

You were so far beyond his wildest dreams that he didn’t even know where to begin when you’d first let him into your home (brushing off his well rehearsed excuses of the bank closing early with such ease that he almost felt guilty for taking advantage of your trusting nature). Though he quickly found his footing after recalling a recent conversation he’d observed between you and your oh so perfect boyfriend where you’d expressed a want to be more… creative when he ate you out.

And, luckily for you, Ariel was much more willing to accommodate your request than his more prudish counterpart.

—————

Jamie always took his time with you, so Ariel took great care to do the same: careful and slow as he dragged your sweatpants and underwear down your legs, following the thin lace hem with his lips as he kissed his way from your hips to your knees and then back up again until your pants are completely out of his way and he’s free to comfortably settle between your thighs; tender and deliberate in how he moved your legs to rest comfortably on either side of his head, massaging your waist in soothing circular patterns as he slowly leaned forwards and began to kitten-lick his way along your slit — barely even tasting you and yet still having to physically restrain himself from getting drunk on your scent and flavour; cautious and caring in how his movements escalate, looking up at you from between your thighs with those beautiful brown eyes (that somehow, to you, feel very un-Jamie-like) to watch for any signs of discomfort as he dips his tongue further between your lips — going millimetre by millimetre, so painfully slow, until the very tip of his tongue is able to just barely graze against your dripping entrance and tickle your aching clit; intentional and gentle in how he uses one slender hand to push down on your stomach to encourage you to lay flat against the bed as he remains kneeling before you, silencing your protests with chaste kisses against your inner thighs before refocusing his attention on your centre. He was doing such a good job of mimicking his twin until he wasn’t — until you made that sound and arched your back and something in him snapped and he became outwardly Ariel once again.

And to you it was as if he’d become a completely different person: rougher, louder, more desperate than anything you’d ever known of your Jamie. But, despite your initial shock, you couldn’t even bring yourself to complain or to consider pushing him away. Not when it felt so damn good…

So, instead, you just pulled him closer and gave in to the moment completely: revelling in the way he sloppily shoved two (then three) of those delightfully slender (but oddly more calloused than you recalled them being) fingers inside of your gushing cunt and thrust them straight into your g-spot with such ferocity that it had your legs slamming shut around his head; letting your mind grow delightfully blank and fuzzy as he wrapped his lips around your clit and sucked on the swollen nub, only able to moan and whine and cry out his name like a bitch in heat whilst he worked your body like a well-practised instrument; basking in his attention as he slurred curses and praise against your wet pussy and trembling inner thighs — treating your body like a whore whilst earnestly complimenting everything about you in a way that your foggy mind could only liken to a first time.

‘… more beautiful than I imagined,’

‘Perfect.’

‘You taste so good.’

‘Fuck… do that again,’

‘That’s it, princess.’

Princess? Jamie didn’t call you ‘princess’. He called you things like ‘darling’ and ‘my love’ and ‘sweetheart’, but he had never called you that before. You couldn’t even imagine him saying it at all unless he was trying to be funny, it was just so very unlike him. And yet he had, just now, with his lips still wet with your slick and his fingers buried in your cunt as if it were the most natural thing in the world for him to say.

And then the realisation hit that maybe — well, more than maybe — this wasn’t Jamie. A very Jamie-like person who was very so slightly off: his eyes were still beautiful and easy to lose yourself in, but they weren’t brimming with as much earnest love as they usually did; his hair was already a complete mess without you messing with it, almost as if it had been forced into Jamie’s style and wasn’t quite used to sitting in such a way yet; he was devouring you like a starved man would a royal feast with the ferocity of an animal, so rough you were sure you’d be aching, whilst Jamie was usually nothing short of patient and gentle with you — taking his time no matter how much you begged because he used sex as an emotional outlet rather than just a source of carnal pleasure. This not-Jamie — whoever he was — had done an incredible impression of your boyfriend, uncannily so even, but he was ever so slightly off.

Yet that off-ness had been lost on you long enough for him to sneak into your home and into your bed. Jamie would be destroyed if he found out…

But somehow you didn’t care — you weren’t even scared. Too blinded by the unfamiliar-familiarity of those large, cold, slender hands manhandling you across the bed and spreading your legs to accommodate his slim frame as he hastily unbuckled his belt and freed his straining cock from its confines. Too distracted by the unpleasant emptiness that followed him pulling his fingers out of your cunt, followed by the startling warmth and almost-familiar stretch of his dick taking their place inside of you — pleas for more spilling from your lips in place of any protest as you eagerly wrapped your legs around his waist and urged him to fill you to the brim. Overcome with the need to be fucked and stretched and used until you were spent and dumb, calling out for the man you knew wasn’t with you until those not-quite-familiar lips crashed against yours and every pretty noise you tried to make was swallowed by a hot, wet mouth attached to a greedy, rough man you couldn’t get enough of.

Because as long as he was doing this — groping at your waist and chest with an unmatched roughness, pounding into you with a speed and harshness that had the headboard banging against the bedroom wall, and kissing you so messily that your lips were swollen, wet, and bleeding — you couldn’t care less who he was. Jamie, not Jamie, it wouldn’t matter until it was all over.

Until your orgasm had washed over you and you were left covered in sweat and slick and saliva, filled to leaking with a strange Jamie-like man’s cum, on your shared bed with your partner. Panting and aching and tired and almost feeling guilty for how not guilty about the whole thing you felt. Praying that Jamie — the real Jamie — never finds out.

After all, what he doesn’t know can’t hurt him.

[calumaai]

Queer Ecologist Fieldwork

Approach and Methodology 

I chose early on to build a methodology to allow for lived, tacit and experiential knowledge to shape this research. Aiming to explore subjugated knowing, bringing lesser regarded streams of knowledge and being into the academy through participation and precipitation. My definitions come from responses to memes and memories, as much as theory and academia. Engaging a range of pedagogic, psychoanalytic and Queer practises and theoretical frameworks, I set out to explore processes of being and becoming across digital networks without oppressing these uncharted realities with a taxonomic approach. To design and iterate fieldwork in a fringe, often invisible location such a digital networks, participants had to be engaged as practitioners, invited into the frameworks of the research with me to uncover the full meaning of their fugitive practices which they are often, at least partially, unaware of. The introduction of meta-geographical practises into the fieldwork allowed us to tease out the participants navigational practises through the process of mapping and diagrammatization, which within itself locates the mapper’s place of subjectivity within digital networks. By asking participants to create Cartoids of their digital space, I was able to get them to create and share, in a material sense, something that before was rendered invisible due to a lack of language and the oppression of reflective material.  

Casestudies:

Fecal Mater 

Fashion design duo Fecal Matter (@matieresfecales) Hannah & Steven are Canadian Queer creatives who’s practise utilises their image and social presentation as a vessel for “provocation and transformation” of the capitalist constructs of identity. Meeting in fashion school, the pair were buoyed by their partnership take their practise further than they had dared to on their own, taking to digital social networks to share their bourgeoning visual language in opposition to the platforms ‘hetero-normative values” and celebration of “the icons of looking normal” such as “Kylie Jenner & Ariana Grande”. The configuration of digital networks at that time (2013) offered refuge from the known violence and rejection of the atomic world with its systemic silencing and violence against Queer expression and othered identities.

Outwardly, their practise (which they explain as living their truth and expressing their soul without compromising their freedom of expression) allows their audience, both atomic and digital, an opportunity to momentarily grasp the oppressive systems most are unaware they are engaged with. “You see people like us… your curious and that hopefully develops this critical thought process… and shines a light on the values systems that are very hard to identify.” Thus, the Fecal Matter’s aesthetic becomes a well refined tool to uncovering systemic injustice and alerting a viewer to their own prejudices and internalised oppressive capacities which we are often unaware or unwilling to engage with. This tool has been primarily iterated online, and then practised atomically, with the duo often photoshopping images to push their digital selves into forms not classically conceived of as human. Yet what these digital images and selves express is at the core of their human self-expression. “We are living our truth through an app… If I have to limit that part of my self, my expression, I actually don't feel alive anymore … its part of survival … If I cant do it, I’d rather die, I'd rather not exist.”

The duo’s image and physicality explores a new orientation of digital selfhood which does not subject the digital to physical limitations and rather expands atomic potential with digital realities. Their practice, urgent in its messaging, does away with conventional artist tools and mediums to explore the social image as communicative material, often rendered though digitally intervened imagery. However, in refusing the role of performance artists “Were not performance artists, this is who we are and [that’s] a big part of what we put out there” they reveal the performance of humanity itself, and its reality as a spectator sport.

Hannah and Steven’s emerging ecological practice disrupts the conventional boundaries between the digital and physical, while also subverting the power dynamics of performer and spectator. This interpenetration between digitality and physicality uncovers innovative ways in which Queer ecologists navigate digital networks to expose and escape oppressive identity structures. Through their approach, they critique the colonial constructs at the core of these identities and challenge society’s complicit enforcement of these norms.

Sarah Nicole Francois 

Haitian-American artist Sarah Nicole Francois (@sarahnicolefrancois) remembers “as a child, being a sponge of the world… hearing all these views about what a woman or black woman should think or feel or act or want.” These restrictive views and presuppositions of Sarah-Nicole’s selfhood lead them to explore digitality as a way “to dismantle those walls that i built” that “do[n’t] serve me anymore” to “traverse into [a] more ethereal side” of existence. 

This rejection of colonially-mandated identity saw Sarah-Nicole question the friction between their atomic and digital selves. “I didn't really like being face forward on the internet [and] started to think about the person that I am and the person that I'm being perceived as… How can I communicate that in a way that feels more authentic to me?” The creation of Sarah-Nicoles digital avatar allowed them to navigate the network in a new iteration of themselves, one not bound to their atomic physicalities, but as an expression of  their emotional and spiritual self. “There are things that I feel I should be more comfortable with in the physical world that I am not. So I use my avatar to emote all [those] things that i can't do… Its therapeutic”

Sarah’s avatar, rendered digitally and then exported in images, becomes visible on digital network’s, bearing the labour of oppressive systems of selfhood, to allow Sarah’s atomic self new space to navigate the world freely. This relationship allows the labour of identity to be refused, subverted and outsourced to a new agent, creating frictions in the everyday perception of self that most users hold.  

UGLYWORLDWIDE

Queer model and musician Jazzelle (@uglyworldwide) has created a large following using their image as a tool to expand concepts of beauty in the fashion and music industries. “Ive grown up poverty ridden, Queer and Black my whole life… What I do is a political movement within itself.” “Early on I really changed a lot of the beauty standards… My instagram handle is UGLYWORLDWIDE yet somehow we made it in the beauty industry!” Their acceptance into the upper echelons of the modelling industries marked a turn towards a more ‘inclusive’ era within the creative industries where individuality was encouraged in replacement of the blank canvas concept of the model in the 2000’s and early 2010s. This move was also often seen as the sublimation of internet practices into capitalist markets, further turning individuality and identity into a commodity to be valued and traded. 

Jazzelle is aware of the difficulties of navigating digital networks as a Queer person, often remarking on the expectations and projections other users assert on them. They say they have received tens of thousands of comments and violent death threat left publicly under the images they share or in their Direct Messages. “I want to curb stomp this person” is one they remember well. “As Queer people the internet brings you up then rips you right back down again. Its the up and down that generated the most amount of engagement. [The platforms] get the same amount of money whether its someone commenting I'm going to kill you or I love you” 

This has an detrimental impact on Jazzelle’s creative output and mental health. “It's very toxic for people to have to deal with the violent ups and downs. It's really psychotic [and] overwhelming [it] can be stifling even to my own creative process and [self expression]”. They express how their sometimes feels like an expectation, or “contract” with the audience, which allows both other users and coperate brands to engage inappropriately, eventually feeling “I wasn’t  [being] celebrated… it felt like being in a window at the zoo, i wasn’t being embraced but i was being used as a marketing tool for a new type of audience” 

Figure 1 shows Jazzelle’s Cartoid of their digital space, in which their physicality is alternated, features exaggerated with one of their signature atomic make up looks transposed on their avatar. Their squared features are sharp compared to the faceless, gawking eyes that surround them, omnipresent in the scene. To further add to the unequal dynamic between the audience and Jazzelle in this image, their instagram handle is stamped on their head, affording them no chances at anonymity, whilst the crowd stand unnamed. Also, rather comically, their digital counterpart smokes a cigarette, as if to warn the prying audience that they are not a good role model. 

This diagram maps Jazzelle’s navigational approach to their digital network, and speculates on their experience of digitality. Out of all the participants, Jazzelle has had the most commercial success from their Queer fugitive practises online, intersecting normative culture whilst amassing a large network. This large, connected existence is very present within the map, showing the psychosocial impacts of their networked experience in a zoo-like image, diagramming a liberated digital entity, navigating alone. 

RAFIK GREISS

Rafik Greiss (@rafikgreiss) is a photographer and artist who’s artistic practise engages looks to elevate the banal and ubiquitous through imagery and installations, challenging the viewer’s often subconscious value systems. Their practise also seeks to explore the fissures that appear between Western and Eastern constructions of time through entropic thinking and synthesis. They do not have a large public digital network, with their accounts being private and only hosting one image. However, they have been using a more limited network (Instagram’s ‘Close Friends’ feature) to share updates of the violent slaughter and humanitarian needs of Palestinians in Gaza since the October 7th 2023 terrorist attacks on Isreal and Israel’s subsequent genocide of the Palestinian people. 

In our discussion, they expressed how they feared the design of social networks could create a short circuited feedback loop where the creation of their art became about the feedback and value the network allowed it. Rafik noted the scale of the network, which they referred to as “architecture” and its impact on their consciousness “sometimes I try to think of a tree and I think of an image of a tree instead… you're almost perceiving it through a screen”.

This fear, and lack of engagement is present in the Cartoid Rafik drew, which shows an image of their desktop computer, with taxonomised files displayed on the screen. We also see the rounded edge of Rafik’s table to ensure we are situated purely in the atomic world. For Rafik, digital space is merely where their documents are. The relationship between the objects and the viewer is simple and not requiring of much thought or reflection. The Cartoid’s lack of navigational context can be read as Rafik being unengaged within their navigational agency due to fear of the impact of the digital on their practise, which they voiced in their interview. Their map implies an oppression of Rafik’s navigational agency, instead drawing on old frames of reference for the digital simply as a tool for completing tasks, filled with coperate skumorphisms, rather than a bountiful digital ecology. 

REMEMBER  

REMEMBER (@rememberyouweremadetobeused) is a visual practise that began in 2014 with the publication of printed artefact REMEMBER YOU WERE MADE TO BE USED, alongside an instagram profile with the same name. The decision by the artist to use a pseudonym rather than their name was pragmatic in its desire for fugitivity. Their research into how the internet was becoming a virtual uniform, allowing users to form identities and attach themselves to past and future subcultures without physical engagement was a core concept for REMEMBER at the outset, hence wanting to remain anonymous to better engage in the potentials of digital anonymity within image-making. However, personally they were “hugely conscious… if you google [my name] you get some weird image on twitter of me.” Their anonymity allows for REMEMBER’s images to be networked without assertions of a gendered gaze, instead inviting the audience to project and reflect upon the politics of their sight and the baggage which they arrive at the image with. 

Ownership of images, often denoted by the momentum by which these networked images traverse our digital networks is a core principal of REMEMBERS practise, informing their desire to physically and digitally age and degrade visuals, bringing an nostalgic, artifactual aesthetic to a caricatured clinical digital world. They relate our modern state of networked interconnectedness with the practise of image making Warhol set out in the 70’s, fascinated by the idea of publication and replication of the image as a process of becoming, masked as spectacle 

REMEMBER’s simply executed Cartoid shows 2 forms, one angled, enclosed and preordained and another organic path. Both lead to or originate from the centre, expanding and contracting. The image visualises new methodologies for way finding within the network, and can be interpreted as a simple representation of the Queer digital experience once liberated from the restrictions of the network, navigating new ecologies without navigational limitations.

MICHAELA STARK 

Queer Couturier and artist Michaela Stark (@michaelastark) uses a combination of lingerie, imagery and social networks to research and iterate a practise of ‘Body-morphing’, seeing them bind and decorate their body into new forms, borrowing from art-historical and fashion cannons to create images to be shared online and through publications. This artistic practise is commercialised through their lingerie studio and brand Panty. The aim and desire of body morphing is a rejection of the sexualisation of the body. “I realised it was about wanting to embrace that child likeness [when] you have complete agency over you body… and it wasn't sexualised at all” 

The body morphing practise is one that engages with both digital and atomic publics, either when shared via networked images that Michaela takes of themselves, or when Michaela’s wears of their pieces to events and parties. When they are dressed in a full look (sometimes but not always referred to as their drag) they are aware they must navigate public space differently. “I can't get on the train… I've been sexually assaulted in the past just by going [on a night out in my drag] to [Dalston] Superstore.” This violent loss of bodily autonomy and agency is mirrored with how Michaela and their images navigate digital networks when sharing the practise of body morphing, due to censorship rules around platforms, as well as trolling. “My mom tried to report this [troll] that kept threatening to rape me but Instagram said his comments were fine but would remove my post because my posts were provoking that attitude.” Michaela’s experience of sexual violence and threats of such violence are present in both atomic and digital navigation when in their drag. Yet, rather than allow for the threats to force them into relinquishing their agency for safety, they express how digital platforms commit further violence in their algorithmic censorship and deplatforming. 

“Getting told that my body looks disgusting… from a stranger doesn't affect me nearly a much as the threat of having my voice taken down because of it.” Michaela expresses this duality of freedom and algorithmic censorship in their Cartoid too, showing the facets and  decisions that make up their navigational choices when posting an image. Michaela has had their account deactivated awaiting review 5 times in 2 years, giving them a clearer idea of how and where Instagram enforces its rules on its networks. “You can hide your nipples if your fingers are straight but squeezing your boobs makes it a sexual act” allowing for the navigational privileging of less curvaceous bodies upon Instagram networks. “Our work was being taken off for sexual solicitation… [because Instagram rules that] if your deemed sexual in a picture and tag someone in that post, that's sexual solicitation so you can be removed.” Michaela's front line knowledge of Instagrams practises and location of enforcement highlights how different images, and the identities they contain are held to different values systems which in turn limits their ability to navigate or even exist upon the network. However, when Michaela’s work is seen, its creates a friction in the audience that allows for non-normative beauty and it’s fugitive values to take hold. “Ive gotten a lot of comments over the years.. ‘The first time I saw your work I hated it so much and reported it’… since them they've come back to look at it over and over again  and realised they love it, and it was the inner work they had to do on themselves”

Michaela speaks throughout the interview and through their carotid of how their practise of Bodymorphing limits the navigational agency of their body both atomically and digitally. Their Cartoid shows the considerations that inform their navigational choices, both positive and negative. The Cartoid shows a lack of order to the scene, with audiences, thoughts, images and concepts layered over one another, becoming a visual cacophony, ultimately visualised as a black hole. Michaela's ability to share the multitudinal approach to selfhood and the life giving power of the digital through ecological expressions of self is present throughout the conversation and their map. However users are limited in how they can engage with the expansionary, open source selfhood Michaela exemplifies, limited by platform’s normative values and censorship which halt peer-to-peer dialogues across the network, becoming lost in the ‘blackhole’. 

[figandthewasp]

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@jessieeccles

1dHappy Scorpio Season!

Whether you have planets in Scorpio in your chart or not, you have Scorpio energy in your chart in one of your houses. The area of life (house) this is for you is where you will experience profound healing and transformation during the next month. If you need help, comment your Rising sign and I’ll let you know what area of life this is for you.

Though it may feel uncomfortable, it is one step closer to stripping the outside noise and living your life authentically. You already know who you are, you’ve just been conditioned (we all have) to desire, value, believe that a certain life is right for us. Scorpio season is here to help you let go of all of that, but it requires you to be honest with yourself.

Scorpio season is about healing, deep emotional exploration, transformation and authentic self expression. It is a period of intensity, to draw deeper into yourself, to be emotionally honest and to confront unresolved issues and hidden truths. It is only through discomfort, struggle and facing fears, that we are able to let go of old patterns, discover meaning in the struggle and transform into who you’ve always been.

During Scorpio season, the Sun moves through Human Design Gates in the Spleen, Identity, Anja and Sacral centers: 50 (Values), 28 (Struggle), 44 (Alertness), 1 (Self Expression), 43 (Insight), and 14 (Power Skills).

This is the part of the chart where we change from duality (relationships) to mutation (spirit). We move from learning through others - our challenges and gifts reflect back from us through relationships to focusing inward, where we shift into new ways of being and evolve spiritually. This is where spiritual breakthroughs occur and our inner shifts begin to manifest outwardly.

[karanseraph]

I have written a bit about this before with the difference between Hot Rod and Optimus, how if one saw G1 The Transformers when young (whether original airings or later generations on recorded or streamed media) it can be easy to perceive Optimus ad a father figure. But he's not absent in the morning or afternoon when you see the show. He's there and supportive to his Autobots and still likes to play.

Well, Megatron can also be perceived as a father figure, but he's like the scary, critical, illogical dad that is only supportive when you're able to agree with him.

And Starscream is most often the one that visibly is the the target. So if you were a young person, but not like the boy/baby (Bumblebee) and you're dad was absent part of the day but then came home all critical and tired and just can't appreciate you as ever doing anything better than he the adult man then your Dad was represented by Megatron. Optimus became the dad you thought you wished you had. And you probably felt represented by Starscream.

(The Hot Rod situation is a little different and I did write about it before, but it has that teen coming of age aspect along with the pressure of living up to the best qualities of the dad)

And maybe that's not everyone's experience, but it was mine. I sympathize with Starscream a lot, even though he does objectively bad and manipulative things. But there's still often the concept that he isn't granted agency or respect even when he isn't outwardly and actively doing evil. He has to fight to be noticed or appreciated.

Like, that whole thing in Armada or Micron legend was also like Starscream not being respected (but with warrior themes of surpassing through combat).

And I guess the message is just respect your kids and their ideas even if you don't agree. Let people express themselves so they don't have to act out in less healthy ways.

And maybe, sadly, we need Starscream to not be fully respected and redeemed so that the kids who are having a rough time being lived and respected at least have someone to relate to.

Though it could be better to just establish that starscream wasn't respected at first and then allow some other character(s) to grant him that respect that Megatron won't.

And maybe we think about the past regimes that made Megatron how he is.

Because, my own dad wasn't intentionally bad. He just didn't have energy/spoons left a lot of the time because he was probably a neurodivergent person (undiagnosed) who grew up in the 1950s when basically any type of divergence could wreck one's life. So he developed some unhealthy coping and defense mechanisms out of need and lack of better support that ended up making him incapable of admitting any weakness or wrongness or that differences are good and beautiful parts of being human.

And then he got blessed with a smart, inquisitive daughter who doesn't have great social skills.

So, me fixating on Starscream has never been a mystery.

Probably there are other people who have similar (not identical) experiences. Megatron doesn't have to be the father figure. Maybe it was a boss or a mother or a boyfriend or a teacher or a peergroup bully for some people.

transformers fans will get into the series and immediately form an emotional bond with Starscream for no reason.

[musical-chick-13]

Thoughts on subtextual yuri?

See, a lot of people write off subtext as "cowardly" or like...a way to claim plausible deniability so creators can still...cater to the homophobes or avoid controversy or avoid Getting Gay In Their Serious Heterosexual Show? Which, I'm sure there's plenty of that, because there's plenty of homophobia in the world. If that's the only reason, I do genuinely hate it. But I think subtext can be very valuable, and I think it can even be more in line with the established story/characters than stating their relationship outright. I'm going to use "yuri" broadly here, in the sense of "media of all kinds about women being romantically/sexually involved" as opposed to a specific genre of manga/anime.

Sometimes, creators (especially of children's/family media) have to rely on subtext to get any type of depiction of women in love/dating/etc. to be shown at all. (This is due to the continued view of queer relationships as Inherently Adult™/inappropriate for children, and/or the higher-ups wanting to avoid members of their audience who don't want to see queer people in stories kicking up a fuss.)

If a work qualifies as a period drama or something similar and seeks to represent what it might have been like for some queer women during that time, subtext can be useful. Obviously there WERE some wlw couples who spent their lives together as lovers/girlfriends/wives/etc. (we have!! always been here!!!!!). But I'm sure for some of them, the most they could express their attraction to women (or the most they felt comfortable expressing their attraction to women) was through subtlety. Comments or gestures of physical affection that could, through plausible deniability, be interpreted as non-romantic/non-sexual. That would go over the heads of people who weren't interested in acknowledging gay people or who actively shunned them. Even simply passing under the radar of hostile outsiders while still being able to have some sort of connection with another woman. I think the stories of these women are still valuable to tell, as they are still authentic queer experiences. We need a wide breadth of queer stories.

And if you have a character who is extremely repressed or not in a position (for whatever reason) to understand her attraction to women, or even a character who doesn't outwardly express emotion very much, it might make more sense from a characterization standpoint to keep her relationship(s) with other women grounded in subtext. Again, there are as many queer experiences as there are queer people, and I think they all deserve to be represented.

Lastly...I think subtext is still resonant in the present, even with modern-day characters. I'm speaking from both my own experience and from testimonials from other sapphics, but a lot of trying to navigate finding other queer women (as partners of any kind and as friends, actually) is evaluating conversations/interactions to determine the state of your relationship. Testing the waters through innocuous comments with queer undertones. Being careful about how you approach various subjects or physical affection or any one of a myriad of interactions until you're reasonably sure the other woman will respond positively. Plenty of us do still rely on subtextual conversations/interactions in real life, as a way to keep ourselves safe, preserve existing relationships, or even simply to make the idea of potential rejection less painful. (And this is especially true for teenagers--and other groups--who are still dependent on other people for basic needs and financial support. You want to be able to express your identity, but you also don't want to risk getting cut off by people who are providing you with food/shelter/transportation/money for emergencies/etc.) "Subtext" in (potential) sapphic relationships is a real thing people experience. And as such, I think representing it in fiction is worthwhile, too.

Tldr: Go yuri. Even subtext. Sometimes especially subtext.

[anxious-lorf]

I didn't think anything could be more confusing than "Why do they call it oven..."

and then my co-worker said "I disagree, but nobody deserves to be harassed over it" when referring to the queer community. And I'm just standing there, trying to process the implications of that.

Best case scenario is that the dude was trying to say he was a straight ally, but even that still leaves the unfortunate connotation of queerness being something you can "disagree" with (ex: an opinion, a choice, etc) rather than it simply being the way some people are built. He would have to hold that view in order for the statement to make sense in his head. Otherwise, what are you disagreeing with? Our existence??

If that's the case (which would be the worst possible yet sadly still realistic way this sentence could be interpreted) then that would imply this person thinks queer people should not exist at all. There's unfortunately a lot of big organizations and institutions that hold this belief, and will go to varying lengths to achieve a world in which queerness is bullied into submission (and not in a fun, sexy way). But the majority of them seem perfectly fine with the idea of opening harassing members of the queer community. My co-worker (allegedly) disproves of that, but would be in favor of their end goals, if my interpretation of his statement is correct. Personally, that seems like an odd line to draw.

Believing and taking action to eliminate a fair percentage of the population's sexual and gender identities, violent or otherwise? Perfectly acceptable. But outwardly expressing that you detest the way said population is through nasty words? That, apparently, crosses the line.

The whole thing comes across as "yes I hate you and everything you stand for and would absolutely wipe you from the face of the earth if I could, but I'd like to be polite about it". And I hate that. How can you think you're in the right for wanting at best, cultural and historical erasure, and at worst, literal genocide?

Being nice isn't the same as being good, and actions speak much louder than your nice words ever could.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that the more you try and unpack this, the more problematic it becomes. And the more confused I am about how bigots are able to believe that it's both moral and just to want to make queer people cease their existence.

[saturnrevolution]

Understanding your mars sign ♂

Aries Mars ♂

What motivates you: You are motivated by doing things your way, being independent and using your loads of energy on things that make you happy. Expressing your identity also motivates you a lot and sometimes you can get motivated by the most childish things ever.

How you deal with conflict: You process negative emotions best by expressing them outwardly through conflict or physical activity. This is why, sometimes you might have short outbursts of anger which in reality are part of your personality and have nothing to do with the other person. When you are in defensiveness, you are stubborn and go straight for what it is that you want and might get really upset when losing.

Attraction: You are attracted to straightforward energy, you need someone that shows you how they feel with action, sometimes even in the most obvious way. And you are attracted to strong looking people. At the same time, others are attracted by your way of knowing how to respond when faced with conflict, being quick to react and being perseverant with your goals. Your ability to not take everything too seriously can be either your attractive point or an annoying trait of yours.

Weakness: impatience

Taurus Mars ♂

What motivates you: You are motivated by anything that gives you comfort. You know who you are and you are not afraid of doing the same things as long as it makes you feel comfortable, you always take the way that offers you most stability and that matches your values. You are motivated by certainty in all areas of your life and that's why you work hard on making sure you have everything you need in all of them. Other things that motivate you are money and things that assure you a good living situation.

How you deal with conflict: You know how to react in conflict, even if you might be seemingly quiet, you actually have a well thought strategy and motive behind every argument and you only bring them out when you need to. You are calculated, sometimes even too lazy to put up a fight, but if you feel personally attacked - then you won't change your mind even if you know you are wrong. You hate it when people try to push you and impose rules to you.

Attraction: You are attracted to a combination of luxury and simplicity. You like people that have a natural charm, but not so mysterious that they are hard to read - you want to know that these people will be there for you and offer loyalty if that's what you're looking for. Others are attracted by your way of doing your own thing and not caring, your consistency in terms of your self worth. You cannot be bothered sometimes and this can also intimidate others.

Weakness: resisting change

Gemini Mars ♂

What motivates you: You are motivated by information, conversation and ideas. You like your mind to be used at the best capacity and you love engaging in things that offer you a different outlook on life. You also love understanding others and yourself by observing behaviors and coming up with theories. You probably love movies or there is at least one subject that you cannot stop talking about. You might sometimes get motivated or caught up in the wrong things, such as gossip or oversharing.

How you deal with conflict: For you, words hold great power. While not everyone understands why, words are the things you get most irritated by if someone says something hurtful. You can sometimes be changeable, so if people get you at your best, you will talk things out. If not, you might do the silent treatment. Talking to someone about rough times is your way of processing bad events or just simply finding something else to occupy your mind with as distraction.

Attraction: You are attracted to people that have a way with words. You like it when you have things in common with someone and you are quite a flirt and need someone that can keep up with that. Others are attracted by your friendliness, you have the ability to get all eyes on you, usually with the stories you tell. You do get bored quite easily, though, and this sometimes might make others feel like you are indifferent about them.

Weak points: lack of consistency

Cancer Mars ♂

what motivates you: You are motivated by making sure that the ones you love are safe and by getting your own needs met, nurturing yourself. Also by finding emotional fulfillment - if this is covered, then you are able to focus on other things. You do not like feeling alone. Emotional connection and empathy motivates you.

How you deal with conflict: Your first reaction in conflict is to get defensive and feel like people are against you and then what helps you a lot is letting yourself feel your emotions in order to get it out there. You are not afraid to get vulnerable if needed, but this can sometimes make you seem rather moody, as you might not say what's bothering you.

Attraction: You need someone that accepts you for who you are, you are attracted to people that make you feel like home, people that somehow need your affection, but you also feel dawned to the darker side of people. Others are attracted to your warmth and your way of making them feel like they belong, understood and the way you can actually set boundaries when you make up your mind and know when to draw the line. Your eyes are also very attractive and draw people in.

Weak points: lack of practicality

Leo Mars

What motivates you: You are motivated by finding meaning in life, self expression and creativity. You might not show it, but being in the center of attention motivates you. Also, there is a deep connection you have with your childhood, so anything that gets you back to those times - be it an old activity or simply being around children gives you a lot of strength.

How you deal with conflict: You are the type of person that goes big or goes home, so whenever there is a conflict you make sure the other person knows you have been hurt. You can sometimes be overly dramatic when reacting to a situation, especially if you feel like you have been wrongly judged or humiliated. You do understand where others are coming from, but you first need to put on a show.

Attraction: You are attracted to people that inspire you, you are in love with this idea of people that are seemingly out of your reach, people that are fiery, determined and perseverant. What others see attractive in you is knowing what you want and whenever you show your passion, that's when you are most attractive. There's also something really confident about your appearance, even if you feel like that deep down or not.

Weakness: not listening

Virgo Mars

What motivates you: You are motivated by reaching perfection and minimizing flaw as much as possible, achieving things that are seem to be out of your reach. Also, you are motivated by order and having structure in your life and by having a clear routine and purpose everyday.

How you deal with conflict: You can be a bit uptight in conflict, in the sense that you want to seem like you have it all together and this can make it difficult for you to be vulnerable and show your emotions. You are aware of your flaws and you are scared that they will be exposed. You can easily criticize others when in conflict, however you are very calculated with your words and because of your awareness you know how to solve the problem right away, practically.

Attraction: You are attracted to people that help you build those things that you are going towards, that are very practical and that allow you to help them strive for the better, people that have a strong presence when they enter the room, a type of cleanliness to their energy. Others are attracted to your eye for details, your attentiveness at the way you carry yourself and self awareness, advice giving and your elegance and purity.

Weakness: anxiousness

Libra Mars ♂️

What motivates you: You are motivated by beauty, in all shapes or forms. You see the potential in things and anything that is visually aesthetic to you has a lot of potential. You want to use your voice to raise awareness on the things you care about and you are motivated by showing and receiving love. In your constant battle for peace, you can sometimes get caught up onto other people's opinions unintentionally and base your decisions too much on those and neglect your own.

How you deal with conflict: Conflict makes you feel uncomfortable, as you are doing your best to please everyone and you take not being liked a bit too personally. You process anger best by talking it out, even complaining about your experiences and letting the feelings out. You like it when people give you validation for your anger, they support you and tell you that you are right to be feeling that way.

Attraction: You are attracted to kind hearted people, those people that somehow embody the ideal energy that you also want to embody and you do love someone that has a great style, you also need someone that brings harmony in your life and treats you nicely. You love receiving compliments and good looking people make you flattered. At the same time, this is what is attractive about you. You have a great sense of style and a subtle sweetness that is remembered. Your way with words doesn’t go unnoticed.

Weakness: not standing up for themselves

Scorpio Mars ♂️

What motivates you: You are motivated by things that are a bit taboo, that not everyone is approaching, things that are even unseen and hidden. Also by things that intrigue you and it doesn't need to make sense. You need to be careful to not dive to deep into it, as you can get motivated by things like secrecy or get a bit too obsessed.

How you deal with conflict: You can find different ways of getting your way out of conflict by omitting things, but you never forget the details. You can get really mad and be possessive, so that's when you become explosive if you feel like people have betrayed you. You make sure that the other person knows that you are mad at them and sometimes you can use their past to your advantage. Not to say it's all bad, you actually know how to manage conflict when you feel the hurt and understand the reason behind that person's action and then you are a great mediator.

Attraction: You are attracted to anything that's sexual, that's mysterious and that doesn't reveal themselves. You do not look for straightforward energy, but to things that allow a bit of imagination from your part. Others are attracted to your darker aura and also by your ability to open up.

Weakness: not letting things just be

Sagittarius Mars ♂️

What motivates you: You are motivated by having stories to tell, by adventure and the thrill, you are motivated by travelling and freedom. You are at the same time chill and you are not motivated by rules, but just taking things as they come. Humor is another motivating factor for you.

How you deal with conflict: You are a really positive person and do not like any bad energy around, but sometimes life does get sad and it does get bad so you eventually will have to deal with all those problems that arise and that maybe you have the tendency to overlook sometimes. In conflict, you might simply run away, but if you do get yourself together, there's lots of wisdom that lives inside of you.

Attraction: Attracted to bigger personalities that make you laugh, people that open your eyes and that you never get bored of. Others find attractive your free spirit and the way you are very down to do anything and also the fact that you are not afraid to be anything you want to be. Even if that means waking up one day and feeling like you want to approach life differently, you do not compare your journey to other people's and you do your own thing.

Weakness: no organization

Capricorn Mars ♂️

What motivates you: You are motivated by your career, you are motivated by maximizing your time so that it gets used efficiently and productively, because in reality you really like doing the work and putting in the effort. You push yourself a lot, sometimes too much.

How you deal with conflict: You don't really know how to react. Instead of letting your emotions take over and just flowing with how you actually feel, you start questioning your own responses and this can make you detach from the actual conflict and be in your own bubble and can make you seem rather cold. You inhibit yourself and try to keep yourself together, but when you do get vulnerable, that's when others see the real you and that's when you know you really care for that person. But you usually keep your cool.

Attraction: You are attracted to people that appreciate your goals, people that offer you stability and long term, also those that have this type of maturity that you can rely on. You are very consistent and there is a lot of inner strength and work in you that others really feel intimidated by, but also somehow find very hot. People aspire to be you and try hard to impress you.

Weakness: not letting loose

Aquarius Mars ♂️

What motivates you: You are motivated by social dilemmas, saving this world, societal injustice. You have an innate talent that has to do with spotting the problem and actually naming it. When everyone is trying to avoid a problem, you are actually just honestly talking about that and that's when you feel most seen, because when you are different, that's when you are most appreciated. You are not as motivated by being liked as you are by wanting to get a message across and make a difference of a subject that really speaks to your heart.

How you deal with conflict: With the people you care about, you are able to rationalize things and talk about them with a very mature approach, but in general you might just need to take some time off and recharge whenever you are in conflict, you like dealing with it on your own. Sometimes, you simply ignore the situation all together and play it cool.

Attraction: You are attracted to anything that's out of the ordinary and that helps you see a different side of things. At the same time, you have the ability to reason with logic in ways that surprises others. You are unique and others see that and people are unexpectedly attracted to you.

Weakness: saying things they don't mean

Pisces Mars ♂️

What motivates you: You are motivated by achieving your dreams, you need people around you to be there and see it and you somehow are achieving dreams also to show the ones you love you care. You are also motivated by the good in this world, you know that it exists and you are setting the example of proving that the world can be a better place.

How you deal with conflict: Your ability to get angry is really underrated, cause when you are mad you really show it. Depending on your confidence, you just react on it on the spot or when you are by yourself, but your reaction is very all over the place and you have no idea what is going on at first, your instinct is to just put the emotions out there. After a while, you can mend things over and rationalize it after calming down and you have the ability to forgive easily.

Attraction: You are not attracted by superficial things, but by meaning, to anyone that is poetic and surprises you. Random acts of kindness. You are attracted to those that get closer to the idealized version you have in your head. People love your selflessness. You are quite chill and a very good friend and there is this sort of artistic and attractive energy you carry.

Weakness: lack of clarity

[wxlfbites]

The only part of this reblog that was actually written to respond to the actual issue was the last two paragraphs. Otherwise, you took my comments, completely ignored what I said, and continued making the same arguments.

None of what we take issue with is about cringe culture or how you choose to express your nonhumanity. It’s about there being an extreme lack of understanding of what therianthropy actually means as an identity. I’m not just talking about outsider misconceptions.

Do you know why the KFF and Tumblrkin were so popular at one point? Because there were so many people spreading the misinformation that otherkinity was a chosen identity based on liking characters so much you wanted to be them. Therianthropy is currently being promoted as “acting and dressing like an animal for fun” when that’s 100% incorrect. So now you have people seeing TikTok Therians going “that looks fun, I’m gonna be a therian!” posting more “therian” content purely based on the misunderstanding that therianthropy is the chose to just pretend to be an animal because it’s fun.

Literally no one, and I mean no one, is saying you can’t have fun with therianthropy. You, like the TikTok Therians, disregarded every point I made to emphasize that, including when I pointed out my own personal “cringey” nonhuman behaviors. Because you’re not looking at the bigger picture. You’re hyperfocusing on me “being a bully” because I’m explaining why the “therian trend” on TikTok is ultimately damaging the real therian community and you have trauma related to be gatekept. Which, I’m sorry for, but I’m not gatekeeping your kintypes. I’m not gatekeeping your self expression. I’m not gatekeeping anything other than the true, original, unbiased definition of what therianthropy really means. And that is to involuntarily identify as nonhuman. Take away any aspect of self expression or nonhuman behaviors one might outwardly show. Do you involuntarily identify as nonhuman? If the answer is no, then you are not a real therian. Point. Blank. Period. You could be an accountant for a law firm. You could do quadrobics and howl at strangers (both) in public. You could wear giant collars too big for your body and ears and tails that move electronically. You can bark at the cars that drive past, the mail guy, your neighorhood stray cat. You could actively hiss and swat at anything you don’t like. If you do all of these things and you call yourself a therian, as long as you involuntarily identify as nonhuman, that’s fine!

Literally no one is complaining about how someone chooses to express their GENUINE nonhumanity. No one is arguing that therianthropy is diverse and can be fun and expressed with a little bit (or a lot) of “cringe”. That’s what I’ve been saying. The issue isn’t inherently masks and quadrobics on their own. It’s when people (again, no matter what age) take an identity, think it sounds fun, turn it into something they want it to be and then spread their version of it like a virus with no consideration for the people before them with that identity. I literally don’t understand why that’s the part you’re avoiding to acknowledge. But then again, that’s why no matter how hard the older folks try to educate, it makes no difference. Because everything falls onto deaf ears when they’re told what they don’t want to hear.

Anyway. I’m done fighting for a “community” that no longer cares about whether they’ll be able to actually relate to each other through shared experiences, who can help each other learn more about themselves, the animals they identify as, the world around them, who can bounce ideas on how to connect with themselves deeper without being ableist and reverting to quadrobics as a default, who can meet each other and feel what it’s like to really interact with your and other species of animal offline, who can help each other dig a little deeper into parts of yourself that you’ve been trying to reach for a while but needed an outside perspective for…. as long as they’re having fun, right? That’s the only thing that matters if you’re a therian. Fun. You know… like a club… or a fandom….. not a real community.

Have fun.

screw therian gatekeepers I’m proud to be a silly little dog who dresses weird and has too many kintypes and barks to communicate with my partner. haters can stay mad I experience joy and wonder and love my identity and don’t feel the need to prove my experiences are real in a 10 paragraph long essay about why I consider myself nonhuman. I’m so happy there are kids on tiktok who feel comfortable enough to post videos of them running around on all fours to share with their friends or make friends with other young therians. I’m happy I see the theta delta in twitter bios so often and that more people are unapologetically their weird selves and have a community where they feel comfortable actually being themselves and expressing that without any internalized self hatred or strictness about how you’re allowed to identify or how you’re allowed to treat your identity. I’m glad everyone is different and some people can enjoy writing essays about their alterhumanity without looking down on the people who don’t. I’m glad there are nonhumans who aren’t comfortable wearing kin gear but don’t put down the people who dress obviously kin on the daily and it affects every aspect of them as people. I’m glad we’re growing out of elitism and that bitchy gatekeepers are leaving the community because “”therianthropy isn’t what it used to be””. fuck you, we didn’t want your grumpy boomer ass here anyway. we don’t have space for toxicity and self hatred anymore.

[yrbutchgf]

hey, i'm feeling a bit insecure in my identity rn and i was wondering if you have any... tips, or anything like that. i'm a lesbian who feels more comfortable in a masc role, and i think i would identify as butch... but i feel like i'm too emotional. i cry SO often. my mental health has been less than stellar for the last 10 years or so lol, so that plays a part, but i'm also just a crier. things that make me cry: criticism, heated discussions, presentations, movie/game/book endings, all music with violins, some music without violins, christmas commercials, those miniature food clay charms... literally everything. and it's always in public too, which is embarrassing enough as it is. and i know that doesn't have to mean anything for my gender identity, but the whole "boys/men don't cry" thing kind of did a number on me lol. i always feel like a little girl when others watch me cry, even though i want to be the protector. sorry for rambling, but i feel like you always have good takes on butchness and stuff like that, so i was wondering if you have any tips on feeling more secure in my butch/masc side :)

ok before i say anything else, thank you, i’m honestly really flattered you think that highly of my takes lol <3 i do try my best, i’m glad i’m able to help people to whatever extent i do with my posts. also, bit of a length warning -- i always set out with the intention of writing succinct responses to asks, but it always gets away from me, and this time "getting away from me" meant "turning into a manifesto." well, oops. c'est la butch/femme.

now to start this answer off: i definitely relate. i’m also pretty emotional. when i get stressed i get really shaky, especially in my hands, and then after that my body turns on the waterworks. i also have a fairly exuberant personality in general, and i'm very expressive with my hands & body language. the only times i’ve ever really fit the stoic archetype have been on accident, usually when i’ve felt uncomfortable in a social situation and it’s come off as strong silence. at the same time, i also don’t like when people see me cry or be emotional in general, especially in public. it makes me feel vulnerable in a way that i don’t like to give most people, and the fact that i can’t fully control when or if i do is uncomfortable. and i think disliking that feeling is totally normal, or at the very least it’s a common boundary to have. regardless of sexuality, gender, or presentation, there’s a social urge to cover up when we’re feeling our feelings, but even beyond that there is, i think, a reflexive, self-preservation level urge to cover up what can be easily damaged. so to an extent, i think it’s natural to shy away from vulnerability.

at the same time, the urge to push down one’s tears is not necessarily a HEALTHY urge, only a COMMON one, because you’re right: emotionality has no bearing on your gender or what roles you can take up. some of my best butch and masc friends are also extremely emotional people, and they’re very open about it, and in a lot of ways that openness almost feels to me more masculine or more butch, because they’re embracing their feelings, and that’s obviously a really hard thing to learn to do, so it’s powerful, admirable, and also to be honest, it’s attractive! the ability of someone to be brave enough to be vulnerable can in many situations make the people around them feel more at ease, and i think it can become a very steady, very stabilizing sort of masculinity. in other words, someone who is very comfortable in their tears is also very good and healing to be around. so i think in a lot of ways, when you learn to own your emotions rather than push them away, that can very easily augment your butchness rather than take away from it.

now obviously everyone views butch/femme differently, whether as genders/sexuality labels/dynamics/what have you, but for me no matter what at the center of these terms there is always this nexus, this core focus, of care. in the dynamic, butch/femme is about butches & femmes caring for one another in complementary ways both in- and out-side of romantic relationships. so when we talk about butchness standalone, you and many other people reach for words like “protector,” and i don’t think there’s anything necessarily wrong with that, i think protection can and often is a key role, but my point here is, where is that urge to protect coming from? it’s from love, from caring about the people you love. and i think it’s important to remember that and to frame it that way, because when you do, it becomes pretty simple: your emotionalism is more than anything a sign of that urge to care/protect/provide in you, or a driving force to those urges, however you want to frame it. far from taking away from your butchness, your emotions are at the very foundation of what it can be. i talked about this in the butch/femme server a bit, and thren @lesbiandaemon said it perfectly:

i genuinely think i (and many others!) would feel so much safety and security being w someone who allows themself to be vulnerable and earnest abt their emotions and it definitely augments butchness, from my perspective as a femme. i envy and care deeply for the butch whose emotions and vulnerability are on display, there's a strength in that imo, even if you've been made to feel self conscious and dysphoric and "less than" bc of that. i think of phrases like "the strength to remain tender", "the violence it took to be this gentle" in the lens of trauma but if that applies and you're ok w it, i think it could also apply here too [...]

whether ppl know it or not, sometimes the way one carries themselves can be projected onto others; there's already an example in how anon mentions the "big boys/men don't cry" thing, vulnerability being shut out and dismissed/disparaged isn't going to make anyone more eager/open abt their emotions. and like, going back to the butch/femme dynamic, it does feel so much more stable and steady if someone has the courage to acknowledge and let themselves feel their emotions, it's very welcoming and validating, knowing that someone can have a strong image and show their tenderness, knowing that you're safe and free from mockery/scorn to do the same when someone protective of you knows how it feels and will care for you because they feel touched to their core and have let you know in more than one way.

and i want to add an important caveat here: obviously not everyone who cares very deeply is going to be outwardly emotional or show it in the same ways. that’s true for all kinds of reasons. i think a lot of the stoicism we see in traditional depictions of butches can come from how people relate emotions to masculinity (that is to say, how people view masculinity as inherently based around a distance from one’s “softer” side), but also, honestly, i think this may also have roots in the historical coping mechanisms that a lot of butches took on in the face of a world that was unkind to them.

in stone butch blues, for example, there’s a lot of talk about this idea of “hard” versus “soft,” or “going stone,” especially when jess is first getting into the bar scene and she’s still fresh-faced to violence. and going stone in this context isn’t just about sexuality, it's also about how so many butches learned to stop letting people in even at a basic emotional level. for them, hardening up was an inevitability of circumstance, not an inherent facet of their personality or a building block of butch identity. i’m sure plenty of old-school butches would be glad to know it’s no longer inevitable or necessary for a butch to close themselves off completely in order to survive.

of course there are also plenty of butches who are just naturally reserved with their emotions, and that’s also fine -- that doesn’t mean they don’t feel things, or that they don’t care. they care -- all of us do! some of us showing it more or less than others doesn’t reflect badly on any of us, whether we’re of a more stoic or a more open variety. but some of us really can’t help showing it, and that’s okay. that’s just how the love spills out. the right person won’t see that as weakness or a crack in the fine china of your masculinity or whatever, they’ll see it as a lovely and endearing part of your whole and warming butchness. so embrace your emotions. do your best to honor the role they play in butch/femmeness. try to love your emotions, or at the very least not to be afraid of them. and remember: you are strong. your tenderness will not destroy you. in fact, it’s what built you to begin with.

[girl4music]

So I was on this Buffyverse chatroom/forum thing and there was a thread about Oz and how he is shy person.

This is a misunderstanding of his character. Oz isn't shy. He is stoic.

He is quiet because he wants to be. Not because he can't speak to people.

I'm the very same. I'm very silent in person-to-person interaction. I'll only really speak when spoken to or when asked a question I'm required to answer. Otherwise, I'm very mentally predisposed. I think more than I talk.

It's not shyness. I have no problem talking to people. I have a lot of confidence. I just don't speak.

If Oz was shy, insecure or lacked confidence in any way, he wouldn't be able to get up on stage and play lead guitar. Nor would he have the courage to ask Willow out on a date or talk to her at all. Oz is definetly not a character who you could refer to as shy at any point. Quietness does not always equate to shyness. If anything - it's the opposite.

The quietness that equates to stoicness means that you possess so much confidence and security that you don't try to please people. You are your own person and have no desire to "play a role" in society or assume an identity. You are calm and neutral in outward expression. It can however mean you have difficulty expressing emotion or how you're feeling. Not always though.

Quietness that equates to shyness means to lack confidence and to pretend to be something you're not in order to "fit in" with the in crowd. It means hesitating in the way you speak - possibly stuttering. You can't be assertive. You can't say "no". You have difficultly making friends. It means to have little confidence and security in who you are or how you outwardly express. It's not something you actually want or choose to be. You just are because you are afraid of being bullied or abused in some way by people. And you don't always stay that way. You may come out of your shell and come to be apart of something that grows your confidence and security.

Characters from Buffy that are actually shy:

Willow: really only Season 1 and 2. She comes out of her shell very quickly around Buffy and Xander. Both being a "Slayerette" as well as dating Oz helps her to grow in confidence and security.

Tara: only Season 4 and 5. Being around Willow and the Scooby Gang makes her come out of her shell and grows her confidence and security. Oh, and ditching her abusive family. That helps too since a lot of Tara's shyness and solitariness comes from being severely domestically abused (both emotionally and physically) and being told she's evil.

There's Jonathan too but I wouldn't say he has a has a problem with shyness as much as people just percieve him that way and expect him to be quiet. There is the scene where he attempts to commit suicide when it looks like he is about to commit a school shooting due to bullying but that's not necessarily because he is shy or lacks confidence. Just that he is depressed and lacks self-worth because of being depressed. Again, the two don't always equate.

The thing is bullying or abuse of any kind does make some people compress or contract themselves into a tiny environmental space. But sometimes it makes them do the opposite and expand into the environment around them and make them act out and become cruel, volatile or agressive themselves. I was the latter. I was never the former. But believe me - neither are a solution to the problem. They're just as bad and ineffective as each other.

You either internalize or externalize or both. There's no other way around it until you know and believe in yourself. The character Willow does and is both. I don't know about Oz. I don't think he was ever bullied or abused but I think becoming a werewolf does make him start to mistrust himself and the way he behaves around people due to feeling like he might put them in danger. He definetly has an insecurity as far as that goes. But otherwise - he is just a stoic person. He chooses to stay quiet as he is mentally predisposed. He is a thinker. And I totally relate to him with that. Both me and Oz practice Stoicism.

“We have two ears and one mouth, so we should listen more than we say.” - Zeno of Citium

[guccibootyellow]

Intro & White’s Sun

This post and any following are to give a basic summary of each placement in White’s chart, as well as what each placement means. Hopefully, this will help inform you of some of her main traits and how you can start to see her personality develop. For a further discussion and exploration of her chart, please feel free to contact me. Remember, I’m asking for a small fee for these documents so please only contact me if you’re happy with that. I really hope you enjoy these posts and that you find it informative! For all intents and purposes, this is for entertainment.

If you ever use this information to create another discussion or as a point of reference, or you create any fanfics or art based off of the information here, please feel free to tell me bc I would love to see it! I’m literally sharing this information with the fanbase so we get more content and discuss the Diamonds lmao. So, please tag me.

☀️ Sun: Sagittarius in the Fifth House. ☀️

The Sun represents your inner self, your “true” identity. Here, White is a Sag, making her someone who is, underneath it all, an optimist, good-natured, freedom loving, but direct. She is someone who is honest, idealistic, and who loves to have a laugh. Due to this placement, she is someone inclined to be a philosopher, a free-thinker, and very potentially, quite spiritual, if not religious. She loves to explore, to be curious about the world around her, and she’s most likely centred around understanding this and the people within that world at a higher level. She is constantly thinking and pondering on how to serve humanity and how to understand it. A downside to having Sag placements is that she most likely has the tendency to be blunt or to be prone to excess, gambling, or risk taking in general.

Despite this, there is the potential for White to be kind, patient, and good-natured, as well as authentic, but she may use her emotions as a compass in all situations rather than using logic. This can get her into trouble and clouds her judgement. She certainly loves to react first and think later. Although she may get side-tracked or may need to mature, White has every potential of developing a strong moral nature and always does what she thinks is best.

What’s funny is that Sagittarius rules the hips and thighs and White loves to put them on display or emphasis them within her fashion sense.

With her Sun in the Fifth House, this means her house is practically in its natural element. The Fifth House is ruled by Leo, which, in turn, is ruled by the Sun. She’s in her element here in some respects. She’s a naturally dynamic and flamboyant individual, who revels in being the centre of attention. The Sun is at the centre of the system, bringing light and life to all around it, and this is her job here. This is how White expresses herself; she is metaphorically the Sun of her system. She expects attention and she gets it because her presence is radiant. Or, at the very least, very much felt by all those around her. Resultantly, she can be quite the actor, or has the potential to be. A lot of famous people or people in leadership roles can be found here- these people love to take charge, and have the confidence and drive to see it through too.

Most likely, she’s creative. Being able to express herself authentically and creatively is a big theme for her. If she’s unable to do this, it can begin to manifest in negative and unhealthy ways, inwardly and outwardly. It’s vital White finds a way to explore this area for herself over her lifetime if she wishes to feel fulfilled with herself and with her role in outer society.

It may be that she has artistic potential, and may even enjoy performing or being on the stage, one way or another. White lives for fun, and enjoys a good flirt. She’s playful- it’s in her nature. She’s also someone who tends to have a great sense of self and high self-confidence. Although she has the potential to be kind and optimistic, she also places a lot of value in how everyone views her. She may then put herself in harmful situations in order to get this attention and affirmation from others, and if it doesn’t go how she wants it to, she’ll most likely have a tantrum. If she’s not careful, she can become too domineering and egotistical. Having this placement means that children as a theme is emphasised here. It may be that she works with children, she enjoys being around children, or actually, that connecting with her inner child is highly important for her.

There is a Taurus degree to her Sun sign, meaning she has a powerful will but she’s also someone that is prone to being stubborn, luxurious, and loyal, with a need for the security, warmth, and comfort of her home environment.

[vizowrites]

My BlitzStrike Twins: Headcanons and Shenanigans~ [probably with a bit of my M&M kids thrown in just for fun]

So today I got a couple of fantastic asks about Blitz and Striker as parents, and since there seemed to be a pretty positive response to them--and because @helluva-simp​ is amazing and encouraged me to be brave enough to write this up--I thought I’d go ahead and make a full post of my headcanons for these two little devils.  I really do love the hell out of them and hope you guys enjoy hearing about them too!!  <3 <3

Twist’s and Ty’s full names are Twister and Typhoon but literally nobody calls them by their full names ever so they like to make the joke of “the ‘-er’ and the ‘-phoon’ are silent”

Ty is actually the older of the two [though not by much] but everyone thinks that Twist is because his name is always called first.  It’s always “Twist and Ty” [or just collectively “Twist-Ty”] instead of “Ty and Twist”.  Ty honestly doesn��t mind that much as far as following after his brother goes, just don’t make the mistake of trying to label him as the younger of the two.  There are a lot of things Ty’s perfectly content to let Twist take the lead in, but having the title of “the older twin” is just going too far.

Twist and Ty are mirror twins, meaning that they’re mostly identical except for a few key things: 1. Twist is left handed and Ty is right handed, 2. they both have heterochromia but Twist’s eyes are Left: Red | Right: Green-Gold whereas Ty’s eyes are Left: Green-Gold | Right: Red, 3. Twist has a birthmark on his right hand and Ty has his birthmark on his left hand--and yes when you put the two marks together, they form a design not unlike the heart shaped one on Blitz’s forehead :) 

Both of the twins are incredibly agile, but Twist is faster and Ty is more flexible

Striker affectionately calls Twist “Whirlwind” because of said fastness

Blitz affectionately calls Ty “Noodle” because of said flexibility

.....Though it should be noted that it’s not all fun and games because Twist is CONSTANTLY crashing into things or tripping over his own two feet from going too fast, and Ty is so flexible that he’s able to contort himself into positions that honestly make both of his parents throw up a little in their mouths with the split-second panic of “OH GOD OUR BABY WAS BORN WITHOUT BONES!!”  DX DX  They’re both usually just fine tho!!  :D

As noted in an earlier post--but I want to say it here too--Twist’s first word was “Bang!” and Ty’s first word was “Fuck!”  Twist was the first one to talk, though, and it made Striker and Blitz second guess the context of his first word by the time Ty said his. XD

Another thing that was noted in another post but I want to put it here too is that Twist and Ty have incredibly high self esteem and both Striker and Blitz wouldn’t have it any other way

Twist is dyslexic and so gets easily frustrated when he has to read a book, but he love love LOVES the hell out of stories.....and so Ty is almost constantly making up random stories to tell him

This actually also works out well in Ty’s favor because Ty’s attention span is about as short as Blitz’s patience and he has a lot more fun telling stories than he does sitting still long enough to read the ones that other people made up unless it’s a book about something he’s reeeeeeally interested in

It’s also made Ty hella good at bullshitting on the fly, which I think most of the older/adult members of his family wish he was a lot less convincing at

Twist knows how to lie and is a natural at acting, but his flair for the over-dramatics tends to give him a way a lot easier than his twin

They both have what I’m calling a “hierarchy of obedience” within their family which really translates into a range of “eh I can think about maybe listening to this person sometimes” to “oh SHIT I need to listen to this person 5 fucking minutes ago”.  For Twist, his hierarchy of obedience is: Millie --> Blitz --> Striker --> Loona --> Moxxie.  For Ty, his hierarchy of obedience is: Loona --> Millie --> Blitz --> Striker.....and Moxxie doesn’t even make the list for him because honestly I’m pretty sure Ty just naturally tunes him out most of the time and not even fully on purpose.  As he puts it: “You just have one of those voices”. XD

Ty can sleep literally anywhere and on anything.  I’m pretty sure there have been mornings where Blitz and Striker have to play the game of 'Where the hell is my kid??' because they THOUGHT that he went to sleep in his bed like their other child did but NOPE they go into their room in the morning to get them out of bed and are just like, “.....Twist where the hell is your brother??” and Twist just gives an innocent shrug and says, “I don’t know--probably on the roof or something.” u3u and goes out into the kitchen to make himself breakfast--and then two seconds later Blitz and Striker hear him calling out “NEVER MIND!  HE’S IN THE OVEN!!” and that starts off a whole new kind of panic because they know damn well that Twist’s favorite thing to have for breakfast is cinnamon rolls XD

Twist’s laughter is infectious--this really cute witch-like cackling that just bubbles out of him in the most adorably genuine way when he’s that delighted about someting

Ty does this adorable thing where--when he sticks his tongue out at someone--he flicks it in a very snake-like fashion and even gives the tiniest of hisses in lieu of a raspberry when he does it

Ty also manages to twist himself into the most uncomfortable-looking positions when he sleeps but rest assured, he’s never been more comfy

Twist’s tail never stays still.  It is constaintly flicking to and fro, back and forth, swishing and swirling like a cat’s tail, and he loves flicking it in front of people’s faces to get their attention

Twist in general doesn’t really stay still very often but the one time he did was when Ty broke his arm--and then he spent almost every moment of the day and night plastered to his side because he knew it was driving Ty crazy not being as mobile as he usually is while having to wear a cast

The twins really don’t ever go that far apart from each other.  If you look and only see the one, you can rest assured that the other one is around somewhere nearby and it’s probably not a good sign for you if you can only see the one.

Ty is much more of a biter when it comes to self-defense and Twist always goes straight to using his claws

Twist is the outwardly more protective twin and is vicious with his words when defending his brother.  He will force every last ounce of moisture out of your body from how hard he makes you cry.

Ty, on the other hand, will fuck you up hard physically if you try to hurt his twin--and Lucifer himself would not be able to save you if you actually do hurt his twin

As they get older, and their sexualities and gender develop and grow, Twist would discover that he’s a nonbinary he/they homosexual panromantic and Ty would discover that he’s a genderfluid he/she pansexual homoromantic

The above being said, both Twist and Ty wholeheartedly say “fuck you and your gender norms” from a very young age and well into their teenage and adult years, with Twist enjoying painting his nails and Ty carrying all of his stuff around in a purse--and they both have a preference for wearing high heeled shoes [Ty because he just likes being tall in general and Twist because he likes being specifically taller than his parents because it drives them crazy XD]

Twist and Ty’s best friend is “Missi” [Moxxie and Millie’s eldest daughter, Missile] and she’s honestly an absolute hero for putting up with as many of their shenanigans as she does

Whenever they go out on family outings, Twist is that kid who just NEVER wants to leave--and so Blitz usually, after spending ten minutes of trying to get him in the damn van and Striker even using his Dad Tone (TM) and that not working, will just be like, “Alright kiddo, I tried playing nice.  You asked for this.”  And he puts his fingers to his mouth and whistles with a, “Loona Sweetie?  Fetch.” >3 And Loona gets the BIGGEST grin on her face and Twist gets the biggest “oh shit I’m so fucking screwed” look on his face and Ty--who’s honestly probably very awkwardly coiled up in Striker’s arms because after a long day of family fun he’s tired af and decided that he doesn’t want to use his limbs anymore--just kind of looks over at his twin and says, “I believe in you, but also maybe try to run faster than last time” u3u

I think that they would both love their Auntie Barbie a lot and she would have soooooooo much fun teaching them different circus tricks--especially how to yeet each other back and forth on the trapeze XD

I also think that their Auntie Barbie would really love just how close they are.....and probably inspire her to make up for lost time in her relationship with her own twin too

For some reason I can’t shake the thought of the twins being great at acapella and I have no idea why but I’m also ttly here for it XD

In school, I feel like Twist’s favorite class would be Art [he loves to paint and happily makes all kinds of messes with his “expressing creativity”] and Ty’s favorite class would be P.E./Gym [because he loves testing the limits of his physical body]

Family game nights are always fun in their household because usually what happens is Twist and Ty team up against Blitz and Striker, and while they’re in the middle of duking it out, Loona ends up getting a monopoly on every street and is just like, “Pay up fuckers.” u3u

Moxxie and Millie both love and hate babysitting for the twins because on the one hand, they love them to pieces and love seeing how well they get along with their three kids, but on the other hand.....the twins keep finding Millie’s strap on and putting it on their middle child [Mark]’s head and calling him a “cockicorn” XD

Ty’s favorite food is ramen noodles and Twist spent three weeks [and probably set their kitchen on fire at least twice] learning how to make them with JUST the right flavor profile that he knows his brother likes the best

While I think both of the twins know that they can talk to their dads about anything, I think that they still keep their most personal thoughts reserved only to themselves and each other

Twist’s favorite type of weaponry tends to be more of the flashy ‘sharp and pointy’ kind whereas Ty’s favorite type of weaponry tends to be more of the aggressive ‘point and shoot’ kind.  However I honestly kind of think that in terms of what they’d use themselves in the field, Twist’s primary weapon of choice would be a whip [though he would definitely have some throwing knives and handheld revolvers in his back pocket too] and Ty’s primary weapon of choice is honestly poisons.  Assume that everything this kid has that he throws at you--be it a knife or a bullet or even a fucking cannonball--is poisoned somehow.

They both definitely play wrestle like Blitz and Barbie did as kids.....and just like Blitz and Barbie, they also get their horns tangled together more than once and need to have someone come rescue them.  There’s almost always a photo taken that gets posted to Voxtigram first tho. XD  

There are plenty more headcanons where this came from but I feel like this is already waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too fucking long so I’m going to go ahead and stop here for tonight!!  If you guys are interested in hearing more about these two, please please please feel free to let me know and I’d be happy to write up a Part 2 to this, or just overall write up a quick little oneshot with them in it, or if you want to send me specific questions about them that I can answer, feel free to do so!!  Thanks so much again and I hope you guys have as much fun reading these as I did writing them up!! <3 <3