#and everyone was extremely respectful of the crabs

[fingertipsmp3]

Had a dream they made a movie of the Locked Tomb and the actor they cast to play Palamedes was absolutely STACKED and also Camilla had necro ability suddenly? And also there was a tenth house but the inhabitants of it were just crabs

[dyketubbo]

lesbian related discourse tires me out sm. first it was aro/ace lesbians then it was nonbinary lesbians then it was he/him lesbians and it/its lesbians and now its bi/pan/mspec lesbians like when are all of you going to realize that the lesbian experience is extremely diverse and has never been as strict as "women who only identify as women who love exclusively women who only identify as women". like this goes for many identities but lesbians end up at the forefront a lot and it makes me wonder if any of you actually give a shit about queer history because istg lesbian separatism has been reinvented like 50 times in the past decade.

stop convincing each other that the queer experience is nothing but strictly defined boxes and labels that can always be condensed into one sentence. lesbians can experience a lack of sexual attraction and a lack of romantic attraction and lesbians can be nonbinary and lesbians can be gnc and when you actually go into what those last two mean you should realize that yes this means sometimes lesbians are men because genderfluid and bigender and trigender and transmasc and whatever gender lesbians exist and when you actually goes into what THAT means you should realize yes actually people combining labels like mspec and lesbian makes perfect sense because of fucking course orientation and gender and whatever else you consider to be apart of your queer experience is all fluid its all up to personal interpretation

its not shit like bi lesbians or mogai or aroace people or gnc people or "trenders" or it/its users or whatever fucking bonafide weirdos that are ruining the community its the people who want to sort everyone into neat little boxes because they cant handle that sometimes you arent going to understand other peoples experiences. its fine if mspec lesbians dont make sense to you. its fine if it doesnt make sense to you how someone could use it/its, if it doesnt make sense how a lesbian could consider himself transmasc, if it doesnt make sense how someone could seriously mean "my gender feels like a star", if whatever queer experience you run into doesnt make sense.

someone's identity does not have to make sense for you to respect them as a person and realize that exclusionary behavior is nothing but a crabs in a bucket type mentality. not only have "weird" queer people existed since fucking forever, but even if they didnt the human experience is diverse and we still dont know everything about the world and why the fuck would you decide that no actually if it cant be understood it must be bad and you need to find out reasons for it to be bad. focus on the people who are actively hurting others, taking advantage of vulnerable people, dont become one of them. dont become one of the people who scorns anything they dont understand and hurts innocent people in the quest of getting rid of anyone who they deem is abnormal. its fucked up and being any type of exclusionist is fucked up.

bi lesbians, as an overall community, is just a bunch of people who decided that a complicated label fits their complicated attraction and thats Fine. it is literally fine. being a lesbian was never about being strictly a woman who strictly loves other women who are strictly women. its about loving women in a gay/queer way, whatever that means for the individual. if an individual person is using it in a transphobic way, then thats a fault of the person, not the label. but at its core, all the identity is about is about recognizing that attraction is complicated and identity is complicated and not everyone is comfortable putting themself in neat boxes for other people to scrutinize until they Get It.

to any mspec lesbians (and hell, any mspec gays) who are reading this: im proud of you and theres nothing wrong with recognizing that your identity is complicated and maybe even contradictory. its Your experiences and no one has the right to say that youre inherently a bad person simply because they heard some strawman arguments and decided to believe in fallacy over reality. and because its probably obvious why im making this yeah maia arson crimew is literally fine its an absolute legend actually and i hope that its okay. fuck anyone who was a piece of shit to it because they cant handle someone being openly complicated and contradictory and unabashedly "Weird"

[starleska]

HOWDY HEY FOR ONCE IM THE ONE ASKING A QUESTION!!! I’ve wondered this myself.. but what do you think Nordic’s specific PLANS are after becoming ahem “Grand Imperial Emperor And Most Extreme Bearer Of Awesomeness Who Has Lots Of Friends And Never Has To Hang Out Alone”?

I MEANNN COULD IT REALLY BE THAT BADDDD :33?

Though honestly I’m just so curious! Would he turn humanity all into crabs or hope they like him (like we do already lol)!

OHHH what a great question!!!! 👀👀👀 i think in order to answer this, we have to consider Nordic Bunny's title of 'Ruler of the Galaxy and Nightmare to Humanity'. at the time of the pilot, how much of the galaxy has he actually conquered? is this a title that anyone other than his minions bestow upon him, or is it aspirational? my headcanon is that Nordic Bunny actually isn't that frightening in the grand scheme of things, and that his title is very much one he gave himself 😂 he definitely has conquered at least one planet...perhaps he has a solar system or two, or even dominates a specific arm of the galaxy. but i don't think he really is the grand evil overlord that everyone fears...above all else he wants to be loved and respected, but he's so deranged that he thinks this is the only way he can get it 💔😭 that's his end goal - and i don't think Nordic would know what to do with love and attention if he got it!

i also think that Nordic Bunny isn't really that great at strategising...i think he has lots of lofty goals, and a ridiculous amount of self-confidence, but he hasn't put much thought into the steps needed to genuinely become an evil overlord/dictator/etc. that's why he keeps getting distracted by Shred Force's taunts, and is so fixated on overtaking Earth specifically...he can't take any attack on his ego!! it's possible that Nordic could conquer the galaxy if he wanted, but he's so set on conquering Earth (and so bad at doing exactly that) that he never progresses 🙈

[gifsbysimplysonia]

Feliz cumpleaños to my favorite lead singer who for some reason is still wearing the American Eagle Dip Dye flannel I bought him in 2018 🥰 that Rafaela threw to Diony who has always been SO kind to me and my friends when it came to a7x. What a run on sentence 😄 And after the cut is way more nonsensical but intensely personal rambling about this dude. You've been warned.

I been a fan of this dude for coming up on 18 years now- wtaf!!!! And for a very nice stretch of time, I was extremely blessed to see him after shows to talk for a minute or three (though to be honest, i was tongue tied most of the time and just 👀 lol).

At that time in my life, people I admired didn't treat me that great. I was constantly looked at or treated in a way that made me extremely self conscious; I was constantly the oldest fan at shows without kids and I've always been fat and not too attractive in the face. Then I'd be meeting musicians or wrestlers I was so excited to be supporting only to have them act like it was a chore to take a photo with me or keep a distance when doing so...only to hug and smile and be super enthused when moving onto the skinny pretty fans next in line. My self esteem was non existent.

Then I met this dude for the first time, on a sunny warm day in April 2006, Houston Texas. He waved me and my friend across the street, signed our stuff, was fine to take photos with us, and when it was my turn he put his arm around me without hesitation. That one tiny gesture that I'm betting he didn't think about at all meant so much to me. All he did was treat me like he treated everyone else (which I saw that night after the show as he was the only one from the band to come to the group of fans waiting around, and he signed all the things and took so many photos), and something in my heart shifted a bit. Spesh after I looked down and realized he was barefoot? Dude stood there for 4 or 5 minutes, in bare feet, on warm concrete as he signed stuff and took pics before he went onto his bus. Liiiiiiike....

After that, every run in was the same or better as his behavior remained consistently kind and respectful. For me and my friends, Shadows became a kind of unofficial mascot cuz if we didn't see any of his band mates after a show, we seemed to always see him. He always was attentive to whomever was speaking to him, and even when it was the same question for the one millionth time (when are you gonna scream again?!?! 🙄), he would patiently answer. Dude constantly made time for fans, and even in the more recent years when the band wasn't touring, he has demonstrated that he cares A LOT about fans and wants to try and give them the best experience possible (even if they fight him tooth and nail).

I haven't had the pleasure of seeing him face-to-face since April 2011 and to be an absolute brat for a moment 😫😫😫 But my 2 besties got to meet the band when their last album, The Stage, was released. I think October 2016 but, like, don't quote me cuz I'm the worst with dates if they aren't on my list, ha. There were meet n greets in NY and LA; @psycholunatics went to NY and @jillybean1217 went to LA and both had wonderful experiences. I'm always grateful when my besties are treated like the Queens that they are🙏🏼🙏🏼

Back in January 2018, my friend at the time Rafaela went with me to a show in Green Bay Wisconsin despite not being a fan of the band (forever grateful to her for helping me drive AND for being the one to use her magic to make stuff happen, as she did for me CONSTANTLY in life). Thanks to her, the American Eagle Dip Dye flannel I bought him - cuz his other ones at the time looked wrecked:

Got into the hands of their tour manager. And IMAGINE MY ELATION AND DISBELIEF when HE WORE IT THE NEXT DANG NIGHT?!?!? From my IG post at the time it happened:

I'm cringe and I know that. But, like, joy? Is so difficult to find so when I find it, I have a habit of clinging to it like a crab. Cuz it often seems to come out of nowhere, so randomly, and for SO LONG I believed myself to be a person who wasn't WORTHY of good things happening to them, or who was conditioned by how I was treated to think I wasn't WORTHY of basic respect. And honestly, this dude is just someone who has been SO consistently kind and things he had NO CLUE would mean anything to me (like wearing this shirt) would happen & hit me at times in life I really needed a pick-me-up or reminder that there is good in the world.

Since January 2018, my friends and I have spotted the flannel out in the world 13 times, with the 13th being JUST LAST WEEK at a show in Canada. I will forever be impressed with Shadows actually keeping and wearing stuff til he can't wear it anymore (that white Metallica tee? Who knows which one I mean? 😄) AND I will forever shake my head in disbelief anytime I see him wearing this American Eagle Dip Dye flannel cuz like....🥰

Here's wishing him the happiest of birthdays, sending him gratitude for the person that he is and the extreme generosity he's shown myself and my friends repeatedly, and hopes for him receiving all of the good he sends to so many other people 🙏🏼💜

Happy Birthday and thank you for everything, M Shadows 🎊🎉🎂🥳

[astro-wrld1]

Findings

On the day of Wednesday April 21st, 2024 we had the opportunity to present our findings to a variety of different. STARS stands for student arts and research symposium. This presentation had a variety of different students and professors that were supporting their students work. Everyone had an opportunity to present and share their findings. It was surprising to me that there was that many people able to present at once instead of turn based presentations. The venue was a little confusing and had 3 people to one board. It's extremely interesting that we had such a diverse spread of information in such a compact area. Being able to interact with students of other majors was the most fun for me. I had interacted with a multitude of other presenters and learned that everyone was extremely welcoming. The organizers were also kind enough to offer beverages and food to those presenting. Thanks to those who organized the event and gave all the students chances to share something they're passionate about.

Before starting my presentation I had to find my way to the venue. I was across campus about 5 minutes before starting due to my unpreparedness. I hadn't been to RSU and was convinced that it was Burnell Hall. After zooming across campus I had to quickly set up my poster on the bulletin boards provided. I had come in with wrong information about where my board would be located so I mistakingly accused someone of stealing my spot. After clearing up the mishaps I set up my poster and was ready to present. During the course of my presentation I had a ton of different people approach me. Two of these people happened to be really close friends that were also presenting that day. It was interesting because they didn't take the same course as me however we were able to present at the same event. The stARS event was very diverse and inclusive having all types of majors. Another person that had approached me was another professor on campus named Thayaparan Paramanathan. He informed me of an offer on campus during the summer to do research regarding your major. After discussing more with him I have come to find out that you can be payed as well for the research you provide. I am gonna meet with him later this week to discuss more, but I am extremely grateful for his information and assistance. The rest of the presentation was very laid back. Everyone who approached was extremely respectful of the work you put into their posters. Fortunately I was well informed enough to answer any questions that people had.

My poster included information about the M1, M82, and M42. These three galaxies were all worked on by me throughout the semester. The Crab Nebula was the very first Nebula I had the opportunity to edit. This base line was established in order to help our class understand the basics of editing photos such as brightness adjustment, Colorizing, and stacking the photos. The first picture was obviously different from what the Nebula should like, but that is due to in-experience. After finishing The Crab Nebula, I moved onto the M82(Crab Nebula). The Crab Nebula we got more into depth regarding the process of obtaining the pictures we stack. While obtaining the pictures there is a lengthy process that involved using a separate program called MaxIm DL. This helpful application calibrated images that we hadn't known existed. These were the flats and darks that the main images were made of. We calibrated the flats using the darks. Then stacked the flats on top of one another in order to get the main photos. After getting the full process I worked on the Pleiades. This was the final photo that I had spent my time editing and was the one that took the longest. After finding out the proper way to make these photos I took it upon myself to do my absolute best and try and replicate the process. It was my best looking photo as the cluster is usually pretty bland anyway. I also had nailed the brightness while editing the original photos.

Ultimately this class has taught me a lot regarding not only the galaxy but editing as a whole. With the introduction of GIMP I now have access to a free editing software. I can use this not only while editing for My professor, but I can now edit personal photos as well. MaxIM DL won't be of use unfortunately, because the application is so confusing to me even now. We stayed in a very specific part of the software and wasn't able to explore much. I will continue to get better overtime as I have gained an interest in it. It's very interesting that you can take a class you don't expect to like and end up falling in love with it. Originally I was hesitant to take this class as I didn't understand the topic or know anyone. However I am very happy that I ended up following through. I have met a lot of amazing people and gained experience that I wouldn't have before. The knowledge that I gained in this class will continue to be useful to me as I take pictures for friends and edit them. I also will occasionally be taking pictures of the sky knowing that there is a much more lengthy process to getting the correct color and image shown.

[saviee-1729]

This month is really a month of extreme emotions. My team and I are so busy for our upcoming event. Every meeting is so drilling. People are so impossible with their attitudes and most of the time its challenging my evil inner self. And I so hate it because I know as much as I'm trying I will and don't want to be that kind of person. I grew up with full of patient and taught to "understand first before you want to be understood" that's what I do all the time. But somehow, lately, I've realized not everyone deserved to be treated right because if you will just keep bowing on someone’s own desire and not being their mirror. They will just keep on trying to boil your temper until to your top limit. Until you’ve had enough and you become their own mirror. I feel guilty naman showing the attitude but you know maybe its adulting showing us sometimes it’s okay to show were just human being triggered and that doesn’t mean you’re a bad one. Just showing others what they deserved and being their own karma. These past few months also taught me, no matter how much education you received, no matter how your rank is so high than others. If you can’t be humane to others, your education is nothing compare to a trash not being recycled just ruining the beauty of the world. It’s useless. I understand that some officials are also pressured to prove their positions but is it understandable that order to prove this you need to be a crab that pull other down (even you know you’re wrong) just to prove you’re the greatest among others? Ranks and titles if used more than it served to be does not deserved to be respected. If that’s the case I rather be a simple citizen of the community and die this way than to face the heaven being the unhuman person alive.

[talisidekick]

Hi! It is me again! Please tell Watch that she is perfect and I love her and I am glad she is doing better! My cats say hi to her (and to you)! Please give her a pat/kiss on the head for me.

Thank you very much for the catear help! :)

Thank you even more for the gender paragraph! It is really great and awesome and amazing and the best and thank you so so much!!!

And again: you look extremely pretty and cute and feminine and cool and yay! When I imagine model photos (though I almost never look at or imagine them (and imagining them is far more common)) what I imagine is pretty close to your photos with a different background and probably also filter. Maybe a different pose too. Also no catears, but in my opinion the cat ears are a marked improvement so that's an extra point for you! Keep being awesome and great! (Also if you told me you were finished with HRT, I'd believe you)

:)

^@^

Answering in order!

Watch is back to being her usual Queen-like self. She eats a little slower now, so I have to run protection so the other cats don't steal her food. But she's back to being all snuggly and playful.

I hope the catear advice pans out for you! I never thought I'd be an advocate for the production and use of catears as an accessory but ... it's a thing now.

I hope my advice on gender helps? Everyone has their own journey so don't just take mine alone.

Thank you for the compliments, but I'm only 2 years in, going on my third as of June 29th so ... supposedly 7 more years of HRT if the science is correct! Not done yet though, but I'm ... glad you think I look so good. ♥

Wait ... did I miss crab day?

The crabs thing is just a tumbler April Fools joke, I think, where you could summon crabs, but it came back because people liked it for some specific reason. I wasn't on tumblr at the time this happened so I'm not an expert! But once Twitter started burning the checkmarks were added and now you can send people crabs to assault their dash if they wish.

Rambling is fine. I do it often on my own streams.

Absolutely! Just be respectful, but I don't mind answering most questions that are polite. If you're rude, I will just delete the ask and pretend it never existed.

HEARTS! ♥♥♥♥♥

Compliments are always appreciated. I was just surprised I'm already that far along. I have self image issues so what you said was a huge boost to my confidence. So thank you again!

Okay, I think I got all of them! Also, Watch gave me a confused look at the head kiss, don't think I've ever done that to her before.

[jorob702]

Our zodiac sign is the Crab for a reason. We give more than we receive and take more than we need to. It's simultaneously our gift and our curse. We love hard and care deeply because we are beautiful, but the most misunderstood people. We are the Ocean, vast and infinite, but yet to unlock the hidden treasure within ourselves. The very fact that we go so hard for our loved ones, including our external relationships is what makes us unique. No one will truly understand the depths of a CANCERIANS love except for the creator and the cancer itself. Never be ashamed or discouraged for loving or caring the way you do because it is our TRUEST strength, but it is also our GREATEST weakness. We have to learn to establish boundaries and those who want us to be a part their lives, to RESPECT them. That includes everyone, internal relationships, immediate family, or external relationships. Our feelings as CANCERIANS are strong, but they are fragile. Those who handle us should be warned ahead of time to HANDLE WITH EXTREME CARE. #MyOpinion Be blessed! #cancer #cancerian #crabnation #zodiac ♋️🦀 https://www.instagram.com/p/Co0AJNNJ80i/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thezoraprince]

Prince Sidon meeting your parents for the first time

Okay, you know I have a BIG crush on this handsome shark prince (who doesn't, honestly). That is all.

Asking King Dorephan for permission to take Sidon to meet your family was top priority 

But you didn’t actually think he’d say yes

Telling Sidon feels so surreal 

And he definitely doesn’t believe you, so he asks his father himself

You both pack as light as you can

Because it’s a long trek to Hateno Village (though it is the closest village to Zora’s Domain)

The children are so sad to see you leave, but they know you’ll be back in a couple weeks with lots of trinkets for them

Sidon is extremely nervous about traveling

And every moment you get, you’re sure to hold his hand, for... emotional support

You’re the one hunting game and finding fruits/vegetables for dinner

And he’s the one catching fish, crabs, and snails

Every day is a new experience 

You teach him how to use a bow 

And he makes the trip faster by letting you sit on his back while he swims across all the bigger streams of water

When you get tired from all the walking, he carries you on his back

At some point, you both decide it’s time to settle down for the night

He holds you close, and he tells you the favorite parts about the day you’ve had together

You both fall asleep tangled in each other’s arms

When you FINALLY reach Hateno Village, everyone is so excited to see you

Before going to see your family, you decide to take Sidon to every shop to meet the owners

They absolutely adore him

But of course they’re asking questions on why you’re dating a Zora

And Sidon wins them over with a smile

“How could I not be with the most beautiful person in all of Hyrule?”

You make your way to your childhood home, leaving Sidon with the shop owners, to have a quick talk with your parents before they meet him

“So, a couple things… please treat him with the utmost respect.”

Upon meeting Sidon, they are more than confused

“What do you do?”

“Being the Zora Prince, I have a lot of duties within the domain.”

“I’m sorry… Prince?”

Your parents being astounded that you’ve landed royalty

Sidon and your father get along very well

But your mother is having a hard time warming up to the idea of you two together

As you're helping your mother with dinner, your father is sharing so many stories with Sidon about when you were little

And boy does he LOVE to hear them

After dinner, you’re both ready for bed (and extremely happy to be sleeping in a bed)

Of course he has to ask you about all of the things your father told him

“Did you really set hot-footed frogs loose in the kitchen?”

Quiet conversations that go on for what feels like hours

“Do you have an idea of when your mother will warm up to me?”

“I’m sure my father’s speaking to her about it right now.”

And eventually falling asleep with his arms wrapped around you

[monstersdownthepath]

Monster Spotlight: Xiao

CR 2

Chaotic Neutral Tiny Magical Beast

Bestiary 5, pg. 284

Inquisitive, friendly, and flighty, the Xiao are winged monkeys found in Chinese myth on Earth and at the forests surrounding the base of mountains on Golarion. When one thinks ‘flying monkeys with fire powers,’ one can usually land on one of two scenarios: mischievous pyromaniacs, or terrors of the skies that can pick whole villages of people down to the bone. Realistically, any ape or ape-adjacent creature should be treated with completely justifiable caution by people who want to keep all their limbs attached (especially on Golarion, where even seemingly mundane apes can be the herald of something else), but in this extremely specific case, overt caution can slide and anxieties can be put to rest.

Scarcely ever more than a foot tall, Xiao are omnivorous little beasties that nibble on whatever nuts and berries they can get ahold of, but they’re no stranger to catching and eating smaller animals, even catching fish, crabs, and digging up shellfish if needed. However, as Magical Beasts, they possess a bit more intelligence than a common ape, up to and including crafting and using tools to feed themselves, build shelters, and make fire. I find it charming that the book states Xiao are motivated by a love of cuisine and a drive to taste the exotic, being adventurous eaters who rarely ever eat their meals raw, using their 3/day Spark to create small fires to cook their foods over and creating brand new dishes. Endlessly experimental and adorably willing to learn, human civilizations bordering Xiao territory may find the tiny creatures alighting on their windows, watching them cook and learning from them as they do. They can even understand Common!

Infinitely curious of the human creations of flour and sugar, many pantries in forest towns can find themselves raided by the dexterous little apes, their +8 to Disable Device checks usually making short work of whatever locks are in place as they run off with whatever flour sacks and sugar boxes they can carry. I have the image in my head of the little creatures attempting to bake little loaves of bread and sweetened pancakes to varying degrees of success, which is what made me want to introduce everyone to them in the first place. These little buggers are good atmospheric monsters, rather than threats... but don’t think they can’t be threatening. While their CCB attack won’t likely kill anything but a Commoner that’s already been knocked out (their bite deals 1d4-3 damage, their claws 1d3-3), they have Burning Hands 3/day to deal 3d4 Fire damage to everything in a 15ft cone, which can be startling for anyone who sees this tiny pixie-like monkey and expects only painful bites or flung dung.

Don’t forget, however, that Xiao can use tools. This includes weapons if needed; whether created from wood or stone or stolen from homes, Xiao can use their Weapon Finesse feat to give them a shot with whatever they can get their hands on. They have +1d6 Sneak Attack, meaning if they manage to get the drop on someone (like from above), they can do a surprising amount of damage for such a small creature! ... for like, one round anyway. Strike fast to send a message, then fly away.

Xiao aren’t especially dangerous in direct combat, even with their tool use and flaming spell-likes, but those very same fires make them extremely dangerous if offended. With an Int of 7 and a noted tendency to hold grudges, Xiao that are offended, attacked, or who witness members of their colony being mistreated may use their ability to start fires and dart away on their colorful wings (30ft Fly speed!) to cause outbreaks of arson against the offenders and steal away things far more valuable than just food. 

Live in peace with them, and they will with you. Some Xiao, in fact, can form close bonds with people who respect them (and share their food) in a manner akin to friends or even siblings. If that person happens to be a caster of 7th level or higher, they can even mystically bond with them to become a Familiar! And suddenly, the world has to be on the lookout of a tiny, highly-intelligent flying monkey with access to scrolls, wands, magic weapons, and Thieves Tools.

You can read more about them here.

[roach-works]

a haphazard explanation of blaseball

SO YOU SAW PEOPLE FLIPPING OUT ABOUT NIGHTMARE SPORTS ON TWITTER and you’re like, okay, what the heck? 

what the heck is right. it doesn’t get less weird, but it does get more fun. 

disclaimer: im tired and don’t feel like digging up a lot of links so some of this could be somewhat inaccurate. 

BLASEBALL started a couple months ago, and it started out small. it was mostly of interest to statistics nerds and sports fans looking for something to poke at while regular baseball was cancelled. but then the ttrpg nerds found it, and some writers and game designers started noticing how interesting it was, and people started developing lore around the players, which attracted fanartists and ficcers, and now there’s a thriving discord community and an FAQ and a wiki and a score of twitter rp accounts, and the fandom is where the party’s really at, generating an astonishingly intricate meta/paranarrative in tandem with the core site. 

but what IS blaseball? how do you play? how do you even get started?

well, the mechanics of the game are, on the face of it, very simple and kind of boring. this is because it’s not a baseball simulator, it’s a sports fan simulator. the actual ‘players’ are randomly generated entities with deranged names like jessica telephone and boyfriend monreal, and (somewhat) random playing stats. however, like real life, there are no mechanisms for fans to directly affect the players as they play their games against each other. the blaseball servers run all the math, while you sit back and watch. 

the website is simple and mostly text-based. you, a splorts fan, bet on the outcome of games using coins, which can’t be bought with real world money (though if you run out you can beg the gods for a little more). there are 20 teams who play 99 games in a season, which runs from monday to friday, with playoffs on saturday. once you win enough coins, you can buy votes. 

we—the fans—vote on sunday, and this is where it gets fun: the blessings and decrees we vote for affects the rules of the games for the following season. each season has thus been significantly more deranged than the one before.  

decrees change the rules of play for everyone, while blessings confer singular advantages to players and teams. a decree might be ‘add a fifth base’, while a blessing could be ‘fireproof jacket that renders a player invulnerable to incineration by rogue umpires’.  

blessing votes work like raffle tickets, so factions of fans that all vote to get a blessing for their team gain a statistical—but not guaranteed—advantage over other voters. this is good, because some teams have way more fans than others. everyone’s been hating on the crabs lately because they had a good season a week or two ago and a lot of fans. 

however, heckling, trolling, and griefing fans of other teams is considered extremely against the spirit of blaseball, and is always shut down fast. everyone is here to have a good time, and the vast majority of fans enthusiastically adhere to ideals of good splortsmanship, collaboration, and mutual respect. we all desperately want to have a good time and get along with each other, and in my opinion we’re doing a darn good job of it. 

back to history: the first decree after the first week opened the book of forbidden knowledge, letting us see a partial set of rules for the game of blaseball. it also released rogue umpires that sometimes incinerate players during games with ‘solar eclipse’ weather. the second decree introduced peanuts, as something you could buy and eat on the website, as well as a mysterious and somewhat malevolent peanut god, the ‘lots of birds’ weather, and peanut allergies in some players. season three’s decree to grant the players interviews led to the ‘idols’ mechanism, where you could chose a player to idolize and gain coins when they scored, and a ranked idols leaderboard that has kicked off an epic saga of defiance against the blaseball gods. 

there’s a lot of lore. there’s been a lot of incinerations, peanuts shenanigans, human and taco sacrifices, and now we have a giant squid from some kind of nether dimension hanging around. season eight promises to be even crazier. 

in the end, blaseball is a horror game, by the developers’ own admission. there’s chaos and ominous portents and puzzles we’ve repeatedly failed and a hell of a lot of incinerated players. it invites fans’ attempts to gain control or even understanding, but it doesn’t make it easy. it’s about having fun in the middle of confusion and fear and loss, and about making whatever meaning we can out of the chaos. 

it’s blaseball. it’s pointless. it’s weird. it’s incredibly fun. 

come and play. 

[sophieinwonderland]

hey! we wanna add a mixed origin (trauma based) system to the list of reasons why endo systems aren’t monsters!

start of story:

so, prior to our last therapy session, we’ve been identifying as endogenic. when we first found out about our plurality, we thought we were endo cuz we thought our trauma wasn’t “bad enough”, like sysmeds say.

we had an amazing time in the endo community because they were so accepting of all origins. as we started to figure out that we were most likely trauma based, we were scared.

we were scared because we didn’t want to be associated with the sysmeds who told us our trauma wasn’t bad enough.

all in all,

the only thing that sysmeds do while “trying to make endo’s realize they’re actually traumagenic”, is scaring people away. all that sysmeds do it hurt people.

i fucking hate sysmeds for all the hate they give endo’s and making trauma based systems scared to id that way.

sysmeds can suck our balls

also here’s a permit crab :3

and i genuinely thank you (sophie) for battling sysmeds and giving other systems more info. thank you so much /gen /pos

LOL! (at the crab)

Thanks for the addition and the support!

Just tossing this out there, but the endogenic and traumagenic labels were coined by an endogenic system. The term "traumagenic" isn't an anti-endo word. They don't own the label. If you'd like to identify as traumagenic, don't let anyone scare you away or make you feel like that label doesn't fit just because you aren't a part of their clique. If your system formed from trauma, you have as much right to that terminology as they do.

One thing I want to note is that trauma is highly personal. Everyone has different thresholds for trauma and not everyone is affected the same way by the same events. No one has a right to tell someone else what is or isn't traumatic for them. And this goes in both directions.

A couple days ago in the syscourse tag, I saw an anti-endo basically say that if you experienced any sort of neurodivergency, disability or isolation then you're automatically traumatized. The next, I see someone dismissively replying to someone who had formed a system to cope with isolation with "U DIDN’T SPLIT BC UR MOMMY AND DADDY TOOK YOUR PHONE ONCE FOR 3 HOURS," suggesting that isolation can't be traumatizing at all, further pushing the "your trauma isn't bad enough" narrative.

Both of these instances are making the same exact mistakes in completely different directions. Trauma isn't a bad thing that happens to you. Trauma is the emotional response to a bad thing that happens to you. And those emotional responses are extremely subjective and personal.

These polar opposite viewpoints are both rooted in this same toxic mentality, thinking that they can know what's going on in someone else's head better than they do. Both are trying to dictate the personal experiences of others.

I think in the same way we preach that plurality is different for everyone, it's equally important to preach that trauma is different for everyone. If someone says something traumatized them that you wouldn't find traumatizing to yourself, believe them. Likewise, if someone says they weren't traumatized by their experiences, they probably know. (Or, at least, aren't ready to deal with their trauma at that point.)

I just think this basic level of respect for people to know what's going on in their own brain is lacking from a lot of syscourse right now, and that's sad.

[lukasspookas]

My Linked Universe headcanons that are DEFINITELY NOT just me projecting

Time:

Has trouble seeing himself as an actual person, often feels like he's living someone else's life

Loves to sing, sneaks it in wherever he can, much to either the delight or annoyance of the rest of the chain

Plays the guitar, likes to duet with Malon

Has suppressed his emotions so much for so long he has trouble fully feeling them

Dissociates a lot, relates to Wild with this as well as shared trauma over involuntary time travel and permanent loss of certain life experiences and feeling as though they were "too late"

Makes a lot of those "Dad Grunts" where he makes a sound every time he even slightly exerts himself

Speaks fairy language, sometimes has secret little conversations with Hyrule that no one else gets

Feels responsible for everyone, as though he has to protect and defend each and every one of them despite the fact they are all quite capable

Talks to animals a lot, has that in common with Twilight and Hyrule

Got his armor engraved by the Gorons as a gift for helping them

Twilight

Allergic to cats but doesn't care

Has horrible handwriting, writes emo poems about Midna, shared them with Shad once who loved his writing and encouraged him to keep it up

Cannot. Dance.

Will growl at you like that one furry kid in middle school

Really awkward relationship with Zelda, never knows what to say because their only shared experiences are their relationship with Midna and traumatic experiences with Ganondorf and Zant

Very much an older brother sort to Wild and Wind especially

Talks to animals a lot, especially cats, goats, dogs, birds, and bugs

Herds the others like a sheepdog (shocker!)

Not very fond of social interaction, much much much prefers books and animals

Kids either think he is really cool or terrifying, either way it's a confidence boost

Sky

Taps his fingers, flaps his hands, and stims a lot when he's happy

Speaks eloquently until he stutters and his voice cracks horribly and he gets flustered

Loves simple but nice things, especially handmade things, really gets along with Four because of their shared love of handmade goods

Has ADHD, spaces out a lot

Loves feeling cozy, bundles up at every opportunity

Tends to think his problems aren't as important as the others'

Has athsma and terrible stamina, can't run for more than a few seconds

Feels obligated to fix and help everything because he feels like every thing bad in the others' lives is his fault

Sleep is his go-to coping mechanism

All of his dreams are about Sun, some are fluffy and sweet, others are dark and disturbing

Has OCD, does a lot of rituals like counting and having to fold all his clothes a specific way

Feels happiest when he's helping others

Wind

Can accidentally be very loud when he gets excited during a conversation

Can't tell the difference between a lobster and a crab

ADHD to the max

Surprisingly good at giving advice (he is a big brother after all)

Loves spending time with the others, but feels guilty for taking up their time

Passionate about a lot of things that he never really gets the chance to talk about, tends to overshare accidentally

Feels like he's annoying to the others, which is quickly reacted to with reassurance and kindness

Hates dry air with a passion

Very respectful to the elderly unless they're jerks

Four

Middle child syndrome, very good at solving problems

Overly critical of himself, never satisfied with his own work

Can't eat anything even remotely spicy (thinks bell peppers, cinnamon, and some cheeses are spicy, which Wild finds ridiculous)

Has a special interest in smithing and swordsmanship, knows everything there is to know about metal and weapons

Makes gifts for the others all the time

Eats lots of little snacks throughout the day as opposed to a few large meals

Embroiders his clothing as a coping mechanism for stress

Has OCD, constantly checking to make sure his swords aren't broken or rusted, won't step on cracks in the dirt or road, has to sheath his sword a certain amount of time

Really bad tinnitus caused by the colors constantly buzzing in his brain, likes to listen to Time sing and Sky play the harp to cope

Warriors

Feels bad for the others because of how unlucky they are and how underappreciated they were, has some guilt over the hero worship he received

Goes out of his way to make sure others know they're appreciated and important

Always on edge, can't relax, always anticipating the next fight anxiously

Doesn't know anything outside of war and battle

Treats others kindly because making others happy makes him feel confident and happy

Has anxiety over measuring up to the expectations of being "The Hero" and "The Captain," acts confident because he thinks it'll make him confident

Doesn't care for rich or sweet foods

Always giving the others advice and compliments in order to make sure they feel appreciated

Legend

Emotionally distant with the others because he's lost so many people that he doesn't want to get too attached for fear of losing them too

Wishes he didn't care as much about the others as he does

Swears a lot, often in other languages

Gives the others "anonymous" gifts (everyone knows it's him, they just don't say anything)

Severely touch starved but also scared of physical contact

Hates the sound of his own voice, wishes and often imagines he had a voice like Sky or Time but would never admit it

Loves sweets

Can tell you an extensive story about every single item in his collection

He collects items because he's been on so many adventures that without souvenirs he fears he would forget them altogether

Likes doing art but thinks all his art is bad

Will not tolerate self deprecating comments, aggressive positivity

Allergic to flowers

Wild

Extreme insomnia, scared if he sleeps he will wake up with no memory again

Not great at emotional vulnerability, but will always try to be there for the others when he can, even if he doesn't know exactly what to say

Wants to try everything because he is afraid of truly dying and losing the opportunity to do so, makes the most of every moment

Loves colors and sounds, tries to appreciate every little detail of life that he can

Asks a lot of questions, doesn't want to miss anything

Keeps a journal for fear of forgetting things again

Utterly and completely tone deaf, can't sing or play any instrument whatsoever

Despite this, quite likes music as it eases his tinnitus, sustained from his injuries from 100 years ago

Doesn't really understand gender or sexuality, doesn't use labels for himself

Loves architecture, takes pictures of it whenever he can, wants to become an architect to help rebuild his world

Hyrule

Easily drained by social interaction but enjoys it nonetheless

Loves animals, especially bugs, will hold them and talk to them for hours

Sees the others as stronger and nobler and more heroic than himself

Very strong ADHD, often wanders off by accident because he thought he saw or heard something

Swears a lot (even more than Legend) but not to be mean, it's just how he talks

Tries not to swear around Sky because he knows it makes him uncomfortable but still slips every now and then, he apologizes furiously but Sky assures him it's ok

Very good at singing but very insecure about singing in front of others, loves learning folk songs and stories, has them memorized

Doesn't ask for help very much because it makes him feel weak, when he does, he goes to Time, who counsels him with understanding, patience, and kindness

Wears loose clothing, hates it when his clothes cling tightly to him

Feels he doesn't deserve comfort or luxury

Gets panic attacks randomly, hides up in trees and sings to himself softly when they happen

Likes to compare he and Wild's bone collections

Dyslexia and nearsightedness, couldn't read or do math to save his life

Can't cook, prefers to just eat herbs and fruit straight from the source

Like Legend, is severely touch starved but isn't fond of physical contact

Doesn't find anyone annoying

Sorry this is really long

[squarefriend]

Mermay ended yesterday, but I’m sitting on the beach at this very moment so let’s fucking do this:

🌴🐬BEACH HEAD CANNONS!!!🐬🌴

Chara

❤️ They are actually rather neutral over the ocean. Far more of a skipping stones and playing in the lake kind of kid. Though, they do have a respect for the water’s raw power and changing tides. (Also seeing how much Undyne loves it made them want to appreciate the ocean more)

❤️ Thanks to being attached to Frisk’s soul, they kinda have to go to the beach all the time now. They like to go out as far as they can and walk along to the bottom, or float above Frisk and try to freak them out.

❤️ All that being said, they ADORE sharks. They nerd out every time they get to go to the aquarium. (Then get kinda embarrassed about it).

❤️ They have (on more than one occasion) convinced Frisk that because they’re a ghost they can see all the ghosts of everyone who’s drowned, and that yes, pirates ARE coming to get them...... It backfired at the notion that now Frisk WANTED to go meet the ghost pirates.

❤️ Had a brief period of wanting to be a mermaid, purely because A) Not a human and B) Typically man eaters. It suited their style

Frisk

❤️ They LOVE the ocean.... or rather, they love the beach. There’s one right at the edge of Ebbott City, so in the summer, they get to go up every weekend or so. And you can bet on that weekend, they have an absolute ball with whomever family/friend took them this time.

❤️ Their favorite part is exploring. They love to run around on the beach, looking for shells or any critters, as well as going out into as deep as the can in the ocean (usually only to be called back by their mom). Speak of the devil, Toriel bought them a snorkeling kit for their gotcha day and that thing has been used religiously ever since!

❤️ Every time they go the the car to go home, Frisk has to be checked by an adult (not either of the skelebros, they are WAY to lenient on this one) to make sure that they don’t have any stow away sea critters. One too many times of Frisk trying to keep a pet crab.

❤️ They take swimming lessons from Undyne! There were only a couple of misunderstandings over wether or not a humans could breathe underwater, but its all been sorted out! They’re doing really well!

❤️ They refuse to learn how to dive. Undyne has been trying to teach them for MONTHS now. It’s cannon ball or nothing, and they’re determined to keep it that way.

Flowey

❤️ Back when he was Asriel, he’d wanted to see the ocean. They don’t exactly have HUGE bodies of water in the underground like that, basically only the river. And no one swims in the river. Add in Chara’s talk of mermaids and their stories about lakes and skipping stones and all that.... It had been a big goal of his. Now that he’s there, and without the capabilities to swim or get in the water, and without the person who said they’d show him the surf.... it’s uh, it’s lost its appeal.

❤️ Frisk and Papyrus tried to get him to go out in one of those dog floaties. It looked pretty ridiculous and nearly tipped over a couple of times. Inevitably it was decided that it was just best to just keep him on the shore or in the shallows strapped to someone’s chest.

❤️ Usually he just sits on the shore with Paps, Frisk, or Toriel. He (begrudgingly) likes to make sand castles. He’s actually gotten quite good at them. Either that or eat nice cream.

❤️ Papyrus made him tiny sunglasses. He wears them every time they go to the beach.

❤️ When he does go into the water, he likes to stick his head under the serf and try to find fish. He actually managed to catch one in his mouth once, both impressive and terrifying.

Toriel

❤️ She is fond of the beach. Not so much the water, but she does enjoy the occasional swim with Frisk. Would probably like going out on a boat, though she has never tried it.

❤️ Usually while the rest of the family swims, she’s on the shore in her beach chair, reading a good book and keeping a watchful eye on her kids. She can usually get through half of the thing before its time to go home.

❤️ That being said, when she does go out in the water (usually to cool off or check on Frisk and/or Flowey) she is remarkably good at floating along. That, and she’s abit of a beast when it comes to X-treme monkey in the middle. That lady is huge and can use that height when she needs to. Also she has to shake off when she gets out of the water.

❤️ She ALWAYS has a beach bag on her, and in that beach bag is pretty much anything you’d ever hope to need. Pool toys, goggles, fresh water, extra sunscreen, at least three books, money, Your scocial security number, you name it.

❤️ Toriel’s usually the go to ‘hold tired swimmer gently’ person. And has done so for everyone in the main cast but Mettaton and Undyne. You could just fall asleep in those big ole’ arms.

Sans

❤️ He’s, as with most things, pretty nuetral about the ocean. Though, he adores the fact that it’s a day he can just slack off and relax in the sun (and sometimes water). He’s usually on the beach in a beach chair or sitting in a pool floaty, just drifting along. Sometimes he’s just latched onto Paps or Toriel, it’s kinda a wild card where he is at any given time.

❤️ He has never been sober ONCE while at the beach with the family. Mostly thanks to the fact that he somehow always has a martini in hand. No one knows where he gets it, let alone how it is almost always at least half way full. Needless to say, he’s at least buzzed by the end of the day.

❤️ Every time they go to the beach, he wears the most insane sunglasses. I’m talking Elton John style, but if they came from dollar tree. Normally it’s a pineapple pair, but they change on a whim. Once again, no ones entirely sure where they come from.

❤️ He briefly moved the illegal hotdog stand to beach, before the threat of getting fined was close enough to scadattle. This, the limited addition ‘Colddogs’ (now for 5g, wait he meant 50g, actually its 500-) became a thing. They were followed shortly by ‘Frozendogs’ (available in 50 flavors!)

❤️ The two never breathe a word of it, but every once in awhile Papyrus will rent a canoe and the two of them will go out on the water. They only do this at the dead of night, when the water is still and clear. Way out past the buoys, where it’s hard to see the shore, the moon and the stars bounce off the water in a shifting, funhouse esc reflection. Being out there, together, in practically silence..... It brings a lot of comfort to the two of them. It reminds Sans that yeah, this is real, and some things are worth remembering.

Papyrus

❤️ Paps is very fond of the shallows, but not a huge fan off big, open water. Unless he’s in the comfort of a canoe or boat. It’s just too big of a space. One can feel so... alone out there. But!! If he’s in chest or higher or with a group of close friends, he’s good!!

❤️ He bought special spandex gloves to wear in the water, ones that cover his fingers and palms without being skin (bone???) tight. They help him tread the water better, since he’s the opposite of buoyant. Which is definitely the only reason he bought them! No other reason in sight! Why would you even ask that?!

❤️ He, Undyne, and Frisk play ALOT of beach games, all far more extreme than their originals. The current turnomemt is over X-Treme volleyball, this time featuring antigravity magic and spears. Frisk is, somehow, winning.

❤️ A good portion of the time, he eats nice cream and makes sand castles with Flowey. Their creations are startlingly structurally sound and flourished. Though, they are also usually next to a life sized sand-Papyrus. No one knows where the sand came from.

❤️ He tried catch and realease shark fishing with Undyne once. It um, got interesting to say the least. Especially when they tried to use Papyrus as live bait. They only had to go to the ER twice!

Undyne (Aka my entire reason for writing this)

❤️ Undyne doesn’t love the ocean. She doesn’t even like the ocean. She ADORES the ocean. You can find her there almost every day after work, sun or storm. She never realized how much she would thrive in salt water until she was there, and now she can’t believe she lived without it. Its so raw and passionate and buetiful, and she’s just at home in the waves.

❤️ Her favorite time to be out is during a good storm, when the ocean is at her roughest. Undyne has learned how to boogie board and body surf since she got on the surface, and uses those huge waves to catch some air. She WANTS to learn how to surf, but has yet to find someone to teach her. Storms are also the best for letting the water roll over her and letting herself drift in the tides, both are pretty damn amazing feelings.

❤️ Because she can breathe and see under the water, she also likes to swim out really deep into the open ocean. No one in the family can follow, but it gives her a lot of time to think. Also, there are sometimes HUGE fish out there, which she greatly enjoys seeing and interacting with. She’s. she’s fought a tiger shark before. And probably other, larger and more dangerous things. (Also when she gets home, Alphys always talks about how her kisses taste like salt. Undyne loves it).

❤️ Before she became Asgore’s body gaurd, Undyne was pretty much out of work. Not a whole lot of people wanted a massive, sharp toothed, she-shark selling retail in their stores. But, being a fish and all, she got managed to get a job as a life gaurd over the summer! This ended in her actually giving swim lessons to a couple of kids (starting with Frisk)!! She is actually a pretty good trainer and still teaches a few kids every once in awhile over summer breaks.

❤️ Her and Asgore went on a fishing trip once! The boat nearly capsized, Undyne ended up going in to fish instead of using the pole, there were life lessons taught about patience, and Asgore got horrendously away sick. Needless to say, it was a good trip. They still have pictures on Asgore’s fridge!

Alphys

❤️ As much as her girlfriend loves it, she’s not actually a huge fan of the water. It’s overwhelming and dries out her scales, and when she’s in super deep it makes her really uncomfortable. She’s stared into oblivion before and, well, it’s not a good feeling. The deep sea reminds her of that.

❤️ That being said, she LOVES the beach itself. She could sun bathe for hours while Undyne is swimming. Just pop on her head phones, lay on the sand, and embrace her lizard heratage! Also, she likes to watch her hot girlfriend do hot things like catch fish in her teeth and throw skeletons, so it’s a win win.

❤️ Naturally, this means a lot of her and Undyne’s date end up at the beach one way or anouther. Every time they go now, Alphy makes a point of collecting a seashell. They all hang on a string over her bed, it’s her favorite part of the room.

❤️ More times than not, if the sand is particularly nice and warm, Alphys falls asleep on it. Like, hard core passed out asleep. She just loves the fluffy parts of the sand so much??? And it’s so comfortable??? And she’s gotten more than afew overheating from sleeping ALL day, but she can’t help herself. It’s just too cozy!

❤️ Her favorite thing about the ocean is always going to be seeing Undyne’s smile though. She loves it. She loves the way her girlfriend’s kisses taste after she’s been in the sea. She loves how content the girl is after a good swim, and how cuddly they get in the living room. She loves smelling the air and holding her hand and seeing the sun on the water. She wants to spend forever in her arms, on the sand, eating nice cream and watching the sun set.

Mettaton

❤️ So. He’s a robot. Alphys is currently working on waterproofing his body, but until then he’s shore bound. That doesn’t mean he won’t done his best sun hat and glasses, steal a life gaurd’s chair, and pose dramatically on the beach though!

❤️ Truth be told, he actually quite enjoys long walks on the beach. His boots are well protected enough to go a way into the water as well, so he takes them sometimes with Alphys. Also, night time on the beach holds SPECTACULAR song writing material! There’s something so inspirational about the atmosphere.

❤️ That being said, summer concerts are the bomb. Litterally. There’s pyrotechnics. He’s not as big a star as he was in the underground, but some local beach performances are well within his pay grade. The thrill of the stage! The cries of the people! The personality and connection to his adoring fans! The one time he crowd surfed! The fashion! It’s all just perfect!

❤️ He also frequents beach side shops, thanks to the atmosphere and outfit selection. One can NEVER go wrong with a floppy hat and a sheer coverup. It’s just impossible.

❤️ He relates WAY too hard to the little mermaid, both in the original story and Disney. There’s just something that hits too close to home about longing for humanity and a new, more comfortable body... He gets Ariel man, he gets her.

Asgore

❤️ He likes to go on long morning walks on the beach alone. There’s something comforting about the sun rise and the sound of the waves rolling around him. There’s something even more sweet about the rare conversations, only lasting a hello and small talk, all few and far between. Sometimes he finds himself wishing he had a dog to walk with him, but in the end decides against it. He’s been alone a long time, he can last one more day.

❤️ He really enjoys going shelling. Sometimes, he even likes to paint his finds and put them up in his windows. Frisk helps him, he likes that.

❤️ He’s become a vollenteer to help find and aid sea turtles’ hatch sites. He loves watching them hatch and get to the sea safely. Though he’s not supposed to, he’ll protect them from the gulls.

❤️ Thanks to being in so close to the sea, he had a brief phase of being rather in love with verities of seaweed and kelps. He tried to keep afew using water tanks, but could never quite get them right. Ah well, at least the petunias and roses are doing nicely.

❤️ He has a hard time reading or watching things about mermaids. They make him sad.

[raspberryranpo]

since requests are open though,,, can i request hc’s on the golden deer girls perfect summer day? (i.e. beach trip, pool day, movie night, etc, whatever you can come up with!)

a perfect summer’s day

fire emblem three houses: golden deer girls

this is so wholesome. i love the gd girls so much. 😭

also, i’d just like to say thank you to everyone who’s waited since may for me to write your request!! i am very slow & i’ve had a lot of exams, but school is over now so hopefully i’ll be able to write a lot more

when hilda demands that the golden deer girls go to the beach in the summer, none of them are actually expecting much to happen

a lot happens. quite a lot happens, actually

marianne just sits under the umbrella and reads her book, outright refusing to change into a swimsuit

nobody forces her to because they are respectful. hilda definitely tries to force her but leonie & lysithea quickly stop her

leonie is buried under the sand & hilda turns her into a mermaid. leonie promptly complains about how she hates being a mermaid and how she would much rather be sculpted into captain jeralt’s picturesque body which immediately makes everyone extremely uncomfortable

she talks about jeralt for the next half hour but the only people listening were the crabs and marianne

hilda and leonie team up to throw lysithea into the water and lysithea cries

it’s kind of awkward for a while because marianne hasn’t spoken a word the entire day & lysithea has just finished having a temper tantrum over being thrown in the water (the water was incredibly shallow, leonie argues, and there definitely weren’t any fish where she was thrown… definitely)

hilda then suggests going to the town nearby, which everyone immediately agrees to - it’s a small, picturesque little village, right next to the beach, with lots of food stalls and tiny bookshops

hilda is determined to have a proper girls’ day out at the beach and she won’t let any temper tantrums and awkward introverts get in her way

they end up losing said awkward introvert the second they get into the town because she’s mesmerised by this really sad looking fish on a fish stall

when they go back to get her, they discover that seteth and flayn have been hanging out in the town too. flayn has an entire basket of fish and is still holding more in her arms. there are fish flying out of her dress. there’s just so much fish and nobody has any idea of where she’s getting it from

and seteth looks like he’s about to cry. he’s never hated fish more than right now. the last things he’s ever wanted to see were fish coming out of his sister’s dress and now he’s witnessed an entire shoal fly out. he’s traumatised. everyone’s laughing

this finally gets marianne to laugh which instantly brightens the mood & flayn decides to join them because flayn is golden deer too, technically

she leaves seteth with the endless amount of fish and runs off with the girls, leaving her distressed older brother to completely break down in the middle of the path

they all spend the next few hours in the town, buying anything that piques their interest

leonie ends up buying five different coloured shirts and a hat that all say “i ❤️ fish” in big bold letters. she insists on wearing it for the rest of the day & everyone is extremely embarrassed to be around her

flayn buys one of those mood rings for both her, lysithea and marianne, knowing that they’re obviously fake. hers turns a bright green, constantly changing colour, lysithea’s keeps changing from pink to green (much to her dismay) and marianne’s stays as a dark blue. it’s kind of sad to look at but marianne thinks it’s great

hilda and leonie see the rings and run straight back to the stupid souvenir shop to buy matching keychains for everyone. the matching items never end and by the end of the day, they’re all completely matching from head to toe

they get a lot of stares from everyone else in the town but everyone actually thinks they’re really cute

lysithea internally cries because she doesn’t have the courage to ask to go into the pastry shop

leonie notices and asks to go in there herself, dragging everyone else with her - she winks at lysithea who immediately goes bright red

when they all return to the monastery after a long day out, they’re the most popular topic for the entire week. everywhere you go, everyone is talking about leonie’s shirts and marianne’s permanently sad mood ring

seteth also tells tales about the endless fish in flayn’s dress but nobody believes him. the fish end up becoming a myth of garreg mach

[swimfuel]

okay humanstuck thoughts under the cut

i owe a lot of this to @/rhythmic-idealist's kankri/vantasposting bc holy shit theyve got such a big brain (ill link to their individual posts when im on desktop since im using this to keep all my thoughts straight and i agree with most of what they say wholeheartedly)

general status quo stuff:

signless works in an extremely demanding career involving helping others (i'm leaning towards an attorney who works with organizations and does pro bono work), and is also extensively involved in social justice work outside of his job... he is very rarely home

he loves and cares for his children deeply and tries to express it whenever they're face to face, but the couch in his cramped and messy office has seen far too much use over the years for him to have been able to say it enough

his habits of working himself to the point of exhaustion are handily passed down to his kids btw

the kids had to grow up quickly because signless was out of the house so often and so consistently—kankri, who was already pretty high-strung, has to learn to take care of himself and karkat

they grow up near ms firuzeh maryam, who's their pseudoaunt/grandma (she took in a nine year old kavana vantas when she was about twenty), but they just call her ms rosa

they spent a lot of time in the maryam house growing up, with miss rosa's two nieces. porrim is a year older than kankri, while kanaya and karkat are the same age

kankri grows kinda sensitive to people trying to mother him since it rubs against the notion that he's the "adult of the house" and that he can take care of himself and karkat just fine

(and it also kinda underlines the fact that kankri has no idea what he's doing at the best of times)

and ironically enough, kankri becomes overbearing and naggy towards karkat in his own right, which forestalls them becoming close in any brotherly sort of way

they grow up really just... unable to communicate with one another clearly

karkat develops his ornery exterior in response to kankri's constant stream of opinions and frantic attempts at making up for the presence of a guardian in the house

i think there would actually be some really interesting parallels with rose in this au.. maybe i'm drawing from my own experiences as well but i think he'd begin to assume that every time his brother opens his mouth, he's going to criticize karkat

but instead of reacting like rose with the "making yourself more of a puzzle"/passive aggressive stuff, he gets a more defensive/hackles raised/"argue with you before you can argue with me" approach

and the thing is that they do love each other and would take a bullet for the other etc etc etc.. but they don't know how to express it because they've fallen into these shitty patterns

and it really doesn't help that kankri has grown somewhat resentful of signless over the years... that mix of resentment and fear and love gets more extreme and more polar every time signless gets injured during a political demonstration

i think kankri and signless would also be slightly closer than karkat and signless, as signless' job really only started to ramp up when karkat was less than years old and kankri was in his early double digits

kankri autistic btw its word of god (i am god)

karkat has a pet crab. its name is also karkat. he vents his frustrations to it.

i feel like the vantases exemplify both the best and worst parts of their aspects with one another as well... the strength of their bonds keeps them together and grounded, but TOO grounded. [insert Blood rant here]

the Blood rant:

i define Blood as bonds, responsibility, and the "core". if Life is the fertile soil and everything living on a planet's surface, then Blood is the gravitational core of the planet keeping everything together

i also think Blood, Heart, & Mind work in tandem to define a person just as blood serves to connect the pieces of the human body... Heart is the soul and the self, Mind is the application of one's self through active choices (agency), while Blood defines both the self and the choices one makes in greater detail [and, as an aside, Life provides the physical spark of life needed to keep the heart pumping blood]

OKAY wow that got tangential anyways

SO BASICALLY! too much Blood makes you stagnate, so for example:

kankri is split between staying home with karkat or going to college across the country and being truly unbound for the first time in years

another crisis of Blood: signless is caught between his empathy and responsibility to the whole world and his responsibility to his own children

okay so here's more status quo stuff:

the maryam and vantas kids grow up together and its hilarious because you'll see them all together and its just like (girlboss) (girlboss) (physical manlet) (emotional manlet)

the maryam girls are actually miss rosa's nieces but she took them in when they were both pretty young

the pyropes know the vantases well enough considering pyrope senior and sign have known one another from their respective legal practices for years, but they live on the other side of town

the leijons lived in town when kankri and meulin were very young, but they moved and travelled for a long time before coming back and reestablishing their roots

the captors (psii being one of sign's oldest and closest friends) move into town with the peixes family pretty early on though

the condesce is.. a horrible spouse and guardian, to put it plainly. she's very emotionally manipulative and isn't averse to smacking people around, including her own family. she moves herself and her perfect little family into town so she can properly oversee a new business venture close by

feferi is one of the best young swimmers in the country and has a pretty good shot of getting onto the olympic team.. a lot of this drive to be perfect and to be better results from the condesce's unrelenting pressure and thinly veiled resentment throughout her whole life

so yeah psii, )(ic, feferi, and sollux all live together and it's really not great for anyone involved. (meenah ran away years ago, and crashed on aranea's couch for a pretty long while—mituna moved out with latula for college before psii and the condesce got married)

it gets bad to the point of sollux staying with the maryams for two months while the adults try to sort out that absolute clusterfuck and get the divorce proceedings going (meenah finally convinces feferi to get out and come stay with her and aranea for the duration as well)

in terms of relationships i think latula and porrim were really really close in high school, and probably had some kind of unacknowledged thing going on for a while that never actually turned into anything because latula and mituna were going steady

kankri has had a crush on latula for years but never acted on it for similar reasons

meenah still carries a lot of that give no fucks attitude (it's developed moreso as a defense mechanism here) and can't understand why feferi refuses to leave the condesce with her

okay back to VANTAS MANPAIN i also think that karkat feels the weight of a lot of expectations on his shoulders as well

he feels responsible to live up to the example his dad and his brother set, even if it's to his own detriment—and kankri's oblivious rambling about his grades and his teachers and all his clubs certainly aren't helping the matter

kankri is one of those overinvolved kids taking a million AP's while simultaneously shitting on the collegeboard at every single step

hes this super overachiever anal retentive perfectionist type dude and (just as karkat preemptively criticizes others to forestall their criticisms of him only to harshly criticize himself) kankri subconsciously holds the people around him to the same expectations he holds for himself

so karkat also develops this sense of lacking which, in combination with everything else, culminates in self loathing and thinking he has to solve everyone else's problems and getting horribly mad at himself for every little mistake

GOD i have a lot more but lemme post this before i accidentally close out of the app and lose it all

more little details:

vriska's mom and terezi's mom HATE each other like HATE HATE HATE one another it's so bad

karkat wrote a ten page review of my immortal in middle school

jade is one of nepeta's best online friends

sollux can't raise one eyebrow at a time.. karkat gives him so much grief about it

the vantases eat a lot of shitty renditions of persian dishes until karkat learns to cook because literally the only person in the world with a CHANCE of getting KANKRI VANTAS to make an EDIBLE DISH is miss rosa

kanaya is really good at persian dance too but is VERY VERY embarassed to perform in front of people.. however porrim definitely is not

karkat has insomnia while kankri just stays up stupidly late for assignments that really shouldnt be taken that seriously.. but they both have the same rumination/sleep anxiety thing where your brain goes insane with horrible and depressing scenarios as you try to sleep

and more ideas that i thought were interesting but idk how to fit in the context of this au:

signless and disciple getting married pretty late in life after having been in love for years, the vantases move in with the leijons and karkat suddenly has two sisters

nepeta and karkat are both juniors at this point, meulin is probably in her third year at a local college nearby while kankri is about to start his second year at a university pretty far away

the kids in general honestly but ill figure it out

more random hcs this time with kids:

kanaya and rose get into a flame war online that gradually settles into elaborate courtship rituals

also nepeta + jade online besties

also bec can inexplicably still teleport

the first sbahj movie comes out and the next six months of dave strider junior's high school career are absolute hell

actually hc that dave senior goes by d strider professionally. the d stands for a lot of things

aradia and dave frequent a lot of the same forums but never end up really interacting

meanwhile karkat and john frequent a lot of the same forums and DEFINITELY end up interacting. this turns into grudging (at least on karkat's part) friendship after they find themselves fighting for their lives defending an objectively shitty movie together on the same thread