#and i am not personally. but id like to ask them HOW ON EARTH they found someone they love so i can learn from their advixe

[mejomonster]

Trying to date makes me so sad...

[izzy-b-hands]

Cancelled the in person interview for today after discussing phone interview with Mum and Housemate last night (and the numerous red flags and cost of the lyft there and back for a job that ultimately the place wouldn't be able to convince me to take if offered, bc the general consensus was 'this is literally likely to be as bad as the current job BUT with the added cost of lyfts back and forth that they wouldn't be paying enough to offset, why on earth would you (me) take this job lmaooooo')

Which works out good bc the ongoing Mum trauma stuff is hitting hard as soon as I've woken and maybe I can get the Big Cry out today. Or write down any of the memories that have been playing on repeat in my mind

(with all this said, yes, I still asked and do legitimately care abt my mum's opinion and experience with jobs despite this; yes it feels weird; no I don't know how healthy that is or not lmao but I'm gonna lean towards Not Healthy bc im discovering that the work my previous doc did certainly uncovered this codependency and trauma which absolutely was a great help but like...we didn't actually really untangle any of it so I could try and untangle myself from my mum, even from 1600+ miles from one another. So. probably not healthy.)

[screamingaboutaceattorney]

i don’t even know anymore

edit: image ids under the cut

image 1: image id: a tumblr post edited to look like characters from the ace attorney series are speaking. dahlia hawthorne says “yes im trying to kill you LOL stop being so immature about it” with a happy expression. end id

image 2: image id: a tumblr post edited to look like characters from the ace attorney series are speaking. aura blackquill says “*sips green chemicals out of my Erlenmeyer flask using a silly straw*” with a happy expression while clonco stands to her left. end id

image 3: image id: a tumblr post edited to look like characters from the ace attorney series are speaking. at the top of the post is a picture of a bunch of snails in a ring with one snail in the center on top of a glass table. text on the picture reads “My girlfriend walked outside this morning to see this, a bunch of snails in a circle with leader in the middle…” juniper woods says “We’ve found it Snail Church” with a happy expression. myriam scuttlebutt then says “snurch” with her arms crossed. hugh o’conner says “Take me to snurch” with a smug expression. end id

image 4: image id: a tumblr post edited to look like characters from the ace attorney series are speaking. trucy wright says “weatherboy (derogatory)” while pouting with her hands on her hips. apollo justice asks “op what does this mean” with an exasperated expression. trucy replies “wouldn’t you like to know weatherboy” with a happy expression. end id

image 5: image id: a tumblr post edited to look like characters from the ace attorney series are speaking. aura blackquill says “im the smartest person on earth. if you saw my tits you’d understand.” with a smug expression while resting on clonco. end id

image 6: image id: a tumblr post edited to look like characters from the ace attorney series are speaking. raymond shields says “i love not being a teenager but also sometimes people on the internet just say words and i have to look them up on urban dictionary like i’m 90” with a disappointed expression. end id

image 7: image id: a tumblr post edited to look like characters from the ace attorney series are speaking. franziska von karma says “standing next to sunflowers always makes me feel weak like “look at this fucking flower. this flower is taller than i am. this flower is winning and i’m losing.”” with an angry expression. phoenix wright comments “Wow you are not ready to hear about trees” with a thoughtful expression. end id

image 8: image id: a tumblr post edited to look like characters from the ace attorney series are speaking. sebastian debeste says “Thots on the Pope” with a smug expression. miles edgeworth responds “So the pope has thoughts now” with a thoughtful expression. kay faraday comments “crawling all over him like weevils” with a happy expression and justine courtney says “They’re called cardinals I think” with a neutral expression and her gavel extended. end id

image 9: image id: a tumblr post edited to look like characters from the ace attorney series are speaking. pearl fey says “One day I hope I am the girl that walks into a room and all eyes are on her.” with a dejected expression. young trucy wright then says “The trick is to get a really big hat and then scream” with a happy expression. end id

image 10: image id: a tumblr post edited to look like characters from the ace attorney series are speaking. athena cykes says “u ever think about how ur skeleton is always wet” with a thoughtful expression. apollo justice replies “I wish I never had but thanks for ruining my life” with an exasperated expression. trucy wright adds “don ’ t worry ! there will come a time when it ’ s not :)” with a happy expression. apollo says “Thanks! Even worse :)” with a scared and startled expression. end id

[writingwithcolor]

Running Commentary: What is “ok to do” in Mixed-Culture Supernatural Fiction?

Dear readers: 

Today we are trying something new. To give you some insight into our process in the Japanese moderator section, we are presenting our response in the form of running commentary to show you how we dissect and answer long asks. We hope this makes clear what points are useful and not useful when sending us a query. As always, this is for learning purposes, not callouts. Be prepared: this is a long one. 

To summarize: the asker is looking to create a comic drawn in Japanese manga style, and has provided a long summary of the story and worldbuilding which involves a mix of “reimagined” Japanese yokai mythos and cultural symbols from many other sources. They have questions with respect to cultural appropriation, coding etiquette, and “what is and isn’t ok.” 

Opening Comments

I know a common advice when it comes to the thing I am about to ask is to talk to people involved in __, but I struggle with opening up to strangers for reasons I'm uncomfortable explaining. 

Marika (M): This is already a red flag. If you want to engage with another culture without talking to people from that culture, then research is going to be very challenging. You won’t have members of that culture to guide you towards sources and perspectives they feel most accurately represents public opinion. If I were in your shoes, I might start with tackling my discomfort when engaging with other people, if only to improve my work. If you aren’t ready to engage with a culture and its people directly, then I think you should wait until you are. 

I should note, reaching out to the Japanese mod team at WWC does count as engagement, but WWC should not and cannot be the only point of contact because there is no single, legitimate cultural perspective. 

Rina (R): Also, you don’t need to “open up” to strangers or talk to them in person to get perspectives. Asking specific research questions anonymously to a forum or on social media requires very little vulnerability. You managed to do it here on WWC. So give it a try! 

Anyway, my question basically amounts to the what is and isn't ok [sic] in terms of depicting fantasy creatures and concepts outside of their respective culture.

R: So, the reason why we turn away rubber stamp questions by that ask “is XYZ okay?” is because “okay” & “not okay” 1) is vague and 2) creates a dichotomy where there isn’t one. 

When we say something is “not okay,” do we mean:

It’s offensive to the general majority of XYZ group? 

It’s contentious among people who ID in the group? 

It has a potential to be interpreted in a certain negative way, but may not be a red flag to everyone?

Insetad try asking:

What are the reasons this subject is offensive? 

What makes cultural appropriation bad? 

When might it be “okay” to intentionally discuss a difficult or controversial topic?

What is your reason for including something that may be interpreted as offensive and can it be sufficiently justified? 

What stereotypes or tropes might it be consistently identified as or associated with, and why? 

When might it be justified to bring up these tropes?

With That In Mind...

Let’s get into the rest of the ask below. 

…a story I've been working on in recent times is largely inspired off the Japanese yokai, and the setting is basically Earth in the far future, as far as when the next supercontinent may form. These yokai, although portrayed differently here, do retain their main characteristics [...] Included in this world are two goddesses of my own creation, primarily representing the sun and the moon. [...] There will be thirteen nations, named and based after the Chinese Zodiac, and the life force found in the living things in this world, called qi, comes in two forms that are always opposing each other but can never fully overpower the other, this being based off yin and yang. They're even directly named this; yin qi and yang qi.

M: This reads more like using Japanese and Chinese culture for the “aesthetics”, not the cultures themselves, which I personally feel falls under cultural appropriation. From a world-building/ coding standpoint, the actual use of concepts is workable, and, dare I say, typical, given how Chinese cosmology influences Japanese culture. However, naming a concept “yin qi” or “yang qi” is the equivalent of naming something “- charge” or “+ charge”, respectively. That you don’t seem aware of this tells me you are pretty early in your research phase. In that vein, we’ve covered translating terms and names from foreign languages in fantasy before. See the following article linked here for our recommendation against using RL terms outright but instead encouraging people to create their own conlangs. 

R: Worldbuilding-wise, I think you would have to figure out the chicken-or-egg of the zodiac nations. Did the nations come first, and the zodiac later as an origin folk story (which you would have to rewrite to serve the nation-building narrative)? Did the zodiac come first, and the nations named (most likely re-named) by a political entity? What is the justification? Otherwise, again, it’s a shoehorning of aesthetics. 

There is also a third, lesser known god based off of fox spirits and trickery and I imagined he's the patron deity of a family that honors and worships him, but his influence on them has transformed them into Kitsune-tsuki, which I depict as fox-like anthros. 

M: Not related to this ask directly, but I have jokingly ranted about how often non-Japanese people prefer using imagery related to kitsune-tsuki in Japanese coded world-building (link). This makes me feel the same level of petty irritation. See my troll answer below for a similar experience.

R: Same. It’s boring tbh. 

M: Troll Answer: I get that kitsune-tsuki are very sexy furries, but Japanese folklore has other sexy furries too! These underrepresented demographics also deserve recognition and appreciation!!

The plot of the story is this; modernization has left the goddesses neglected of their worship and forgotten, something that is necessary in this world to stop them from fighting each other. The Moon Goddess awakens first, punishing the humans by unleashing the yokai. Then the Sun Goddess wakes up to fight in humanity's defense…

M: This could feel rather like Shinto-like coding (Ex. the myth of Amaterasu and the Cave, or Tsukuyomi slaying Ukemochi), but something about this scenario feels a bit too binary in terms of themes of good v. evil, light v. dark to be Shinto. The plot also feels more Gaelic/ Nordic in influence for me as a person raised in a Japanese Buddhist and Hindu household. I imagine this dissonance could have been fixed with better guided research. 

…but their fighting has caused a perma-eclipse and this world is in danger of ending. The yokai have run rampant; some are loyal to the Moon Goddess, and some aren't, and it lies to the main characters to bring balance back to Midgard. Yeah... the name of this future Earth is Midgard. I debate changing it since it and some other things I will mention sorta feel out of place.

R: Marika, looks like you were right on the Gaelic/Nordic influence /j 

Also, worldbuilding question: if the Earth is in the far geologic future, how long has it been since modernization (19th-20th century)? Centuries? Millennia? How long has this fighting gone on for? What triggered the perma-eclipse, and why now? Why is this time depth necessary? 

One of the main characters in question is a humanoid woman with wolf features named Ling, and she is a descendant of the dynasty that had first ruled the one of the nations, particularly the one based off the dragon zodiac. She accidentally summons the other main character to this world as she's praying at a shrine, a humanoid with dragon features--I call them drakon--named Angelynn.

[on the names of characters] is it appropriating by not having the world entirely based on [Chinese, Japanese, and Indian] influence? it's a little weird to me how worldwide the creatures are referred to as yokai, implying a strong Japanese influence not unlike how it is today with Western culture being so dominant, yet there are still names like Keith and Kiara.

M: I will give you credit for recognizing you have unconsciously veered towards white-washing/ race-bending: either presenting European cultural influences (drakons, Angelynn, Keith, Kiara, Midgard) as default or utilizing general E. Asian cultural influences and aesthetics for a Western-style story (Ling, qi, Chinese zodiac, yokai). I agree with you that this creates a sense of cultural dissonance. At this point, I’d say you have a clear choice: write a Western-style high fantasy using a background with which you have more familiarity, or get some better guidance on research with East Asian cultures so you can code the story more effectively. 

The focus of this story is centered around meeting all these yokai and showing that there's more nuance to them than Ling believes, all while saving the world. But I worry if I'm appropriating these concepts and creatures by 1, drawing from more than one culture--I initially imagined that there would be a mix of Chinese, Japanese and Indian influence because according to a website I am getting the info on yokai from, the yokai in question already draw inspiration from or have been based on something in Chinese mythology or Hinduism [...]

R: Sure, some yokai have Chinese or Hindu parallels as that tends to happen with folk tales. But not all–some are unique to Japan, and some are more modern. Sometimes it’s very political–some people consider the Ainu Korpokkur as being a “Yokai of Japan” despite it belonging to the indigenous culture. It’s up to you to research, untangle, and understand these influences. 

The fact that you bring up that the Asian continent has seen a lot of cultural exchange is not a sufficient reason to randomly combine influences for the sake of visual appeal or “coolness.” That is appropriation. These influences must be understood in their historical context so that you know how/why certain things combined or morphed into another, and what makes sense to combine/morph. 

M: This also indicates that the character views the yokai as evil/inherently bad, which I would argue is not a typical stance for much Japanese folklore. Again, this shows a deficit in research. 

2, reimagining these yokai in a new context even though I have done the research on them, because one thing I kept seeing in regards to cultural appropriation is that it's bad to do that […]

R: Refer above to my note on “okay” and “not okay.” The thing with folklore and fairy tales is that every–and I mean every–folk tale is reinterpreted with every new iteration of it. Reimagining in a new context is what people do every time they pass on a story or tell a story with the same plot or characters. Do not think of folklore as an “original” that is altered and rebooted, but rather a living document that gets added to. Reimagining is not the inherent issue. HOW you reimagine something matters. 

So I suppose my question is...if someone were to do research upon the creature they want to use, given they are allowed to use it, and gained an understanding of what the creature or concept stood for, are they allowed to pick it apart and reimagine it? Alternatively, is it ok if it's explicitly pointed out that it is derivative of the original?

It has actually become my biggest fear that I may have internalized something that could both continue to do harm long after the fact and attract the wrong people to me work. I don't wanna let people down!

M: As Rina has noted several times, I think the problem is in trying to ID a set of specific variables and circumstances that make a thing “okay” or “not okay.” I want to recommend that you read my joking response about writing in secret rooms while wearing a disguise (Linked here). Who can you hurt if no one knows what you are doing? There’s a difference between creating for oneself and creating to share. 

You have internalized a message incorrectly, but not the one you cite. The goal of many recommendations against cultural appropriation is to avoid causing direct harm to people who have seen their cultures demeaned, discredited and devalued, especially in shared spaces. Assessing cultural engagement, whether we are talking about appropriation, appreciation or exchange is not a measure of personal virtue or a collection of commandment style do’s and don’t’s. Rather, I believe engaging with other cultures is the state of mind of acknowledging that when using these cultures’ in one’s own work, there is value in consulting members of that culture and giving credit where credit is due. This will be challenging if you are only comfortable engaging with all of these cultures in a distanced, minimal capacity. 

FWIW, I’ve written stories that probably will offend people from other cultures and backgrounds, but I don’t show them off. I don’t think writing these makes me a bad person, but I also don’t see the need to give unnecessary offense, so those stories are just for me, to be written and read in my own secret room. However, I’m not ashamed of having written them, and I’m also comfortable to “let people down” provided that my own shared work reflects my personal principles of what I consider to be sufficient research and engagement with other cultures,  As a creator, my work wouldn’t be mine if I didn’t first please myself. I think the trick to the creator role is deciding what to keep private, what to share and what constitutes sufficient engagement. 

P.S. 

We’ve referenced the need for research multiple times in this ask, and in some of the other asks that have gone up this week, so we thought this would be a good place to plug a beginner’s guide to academic research created by the mod team.. Look for it soon under WWC’s pinned posts!

[arabellasleopardcoat]

Ace of Cups (Hotd x Reader)

Summary: An act of kindness leads you to a misterious stranger who offers to lift a block on your love life. Feeling lonely during Halloween, you decide to give it a go. Now there is a blonde corpse in the middle of your bathroom, and it turns out the corpse is not really a corpse.

Pairing: Rhaenyra x Reader, Aemond x Reader or Daemon x Reader.

Warnings: Mature language. Mentions of corpses. My first ever crack fic?

A/N: Happy Halloween! At the end of this silly set up, you have to choose a card. There are three endings. Choose wisely.

“Um. Excuse me?” You raised your hand, trying to get the couple of teens at the register to stop… Whatever they were doing. Probably making out, if making out involved pushing their tongues to the other person's tonsils. “Excuse me?”

Ugh. You hated it. Even as an adult, you find being around couples awkward. Especially if they were making out. When the couple in question was, like, half your age, it was even worse. If it were up to you, you would have left them alone and found another corner store, but you would rather not end up walking three blocks just to be able to buy a bottle of overpriced wine.

“What?” The girl pulled apart from the boy, with an annoyed expression. She took out a piece of gum and started chewing annoyingly. “What do you want?”

Despite your best efforts, your dismay must have shown on your face.

“Miss. What do you need, miss?” The girl corrected herself, rolling her eyes. But the damage was already done. You tried to force your face to remain fixed into a pleasant expression. This was not going to ruin your plans of having a pleasant night all by yourself.

“I want to pay for this. Please.” You handed her a bottle of your favorite wine. You would need it to make your night better. After all, this was the first time you would be spending Halloween completely on your own.

Having recently moved into your own apartment, it was not like you could spend the night with your family. All your friends had plans out of town or with people you didn't know. And while your coworkers had invited you out for drinks, you really didn't feel like slipping on a tight dress and wasting half your salary on overpriced cocktails.

There was no one to watch a horror movie or go out with, like you had done in previous years. Instead, you had planned to take a bath, eat some nice dinner and enjoy a glass of wine. Maybe watch a movie. Perhaps, even do a ritual of some sort, like the ones that appeared on TikTok. The energies were supposed to be stronger tonight, or so you heard.

Your self-care was not about to be ruined by a teen girl who didn't even know how to kiss. You refused.

“I am going to need some ID.” The girl rolled her eyes. She looked as done as you felt.

Cursing yourself for not having it already out, you started fumbling with your bag. This was shaping up to be a terrible day. Not only were you about to spend Halloween alone, but you were also going to have to hear teenagers, the meanest creatures on earth, have a go at you.

Good God, why couldn't you find it quicker? Your wallet seemed to be hiding under everything you had. To be able to look for it, you started taking out some things and leaving it on the counter.

“Uh… Babe. Can’t you just… Let her? She is obviously old enough.” The boy asked, sounding annoyed. He eyed your growing pile of things on the counter. A used chapstick, your keys, a pencil, crumbled up receipts. He wanted you gone, and soon. “More than old.”

And that was a bit insulting, really. The boy had chosen to remain quiet during the whole exchange, and now he interrupted just to say a rude thing? You were not even that old. But it appeared that in the age of planned obsolescence, you already were.

The girl's eyes shifted between your furious expression and her boyfriend's bored one.

“Fine.” She said. You handed her one of the crumpled bills that you had placed on the counter. “Have a good evening.” And without sparing you a glance, she handed you a receipt and started making out with her boyfriend, again.

You were fuming. There it went, your relaxing evening. You were not in the right headspace for it now. Deciding to reclaim what little of your good mood was left, you decided to take another route home. Perhaps, walking across the park might lift your spirits.

Grasping the bottle of wine and surely looking like an alcoholic, you walked out of the store. As of late, you felt terribly lonely. Living alone was hard. Not only you had to do everything by yourself, no roommates or family to fall back into, but you also had to come home every night to an empty apartment.

At first, you had been ecstatic to have your own space. You had loved your rented apartment, in a centric place of the city and decorated in a very modern fashion. You hadn't protested your landlord's condition of no pets and no changing the colors of the walls, too happy with having something of your own. The novelty of having a place to yourself had worn off after a while, and you had to face your sad little beige walls and a deafening silence.

It had not helped how busy your friends and you were. It seemed like the days when it was easy to coordinate an outing were long gone. Now with responsibilities, jobs and studies, it seemed like you only saw them once in a blue moon.

You were starved for human contact. You had been thinking lately of getting a partner, but the attention you received only discouraged you. So far, the only offerings you had gotten were from creepy guys, or people you had no interest in at all.

Taking a deep breath in, and choosing consciously to let go of the negative thoughts you were having, you took a step forward. The noise of the park was comforting. Among the chirping birds, there were the cheerful voices of children running around.

You smiled. Barely six, but there were already people in their customs. There was a couple dressed up as Danny and Sandy from Grease, and a little girl dressed as Barbie. Many of the children carried their plastic pumpkins, and you had to give them a few loose candies you had laying in your bag.

Trying to avoid disappointing more children with your lack of sweets, you crossed the park, taking the route where there were more trees. Under one, you found a middle-aged woman sitting on a bench. She was dressed in full witch regalia, pointy hat and all.

She must have been around her late thirties, with a head of dark, glossy hair and big eyes. In truth, you could not truly place her face in an age range, looking strangely young but with an air of maturity. Gorgeous, you thought. In a really intimidating kind of way.

You shook your head, trying to get rid of the thought. She was probably someone's mother, indulging her children by dressing up with them. The thought made your heart clench with longing for your own mother.

“Good evening, darling.” The woman said, taking out a cigarette. The gesture was effortless, like one made by a sixties' actress. You smiled, helplessly. You hoped one day you ended up being half as cool. “Do you happen to have a lighter? Or some spare change?”

“Oh. Um. I don't smoke, but I think…” You started searching your purse, and produced a couple of the crumpled bills. Perhaps it was the thought of your mother, or your loneliness, but you couldn't help but want to aid her. “Here. It might serve you to buy one at the corner store.”

Instead of making eye contact, the woman seemed oddly fixated on your hands. Self-conscious, you wondered if it had anything to do with your jewelry or lack thereof.

“Thank you, dear.” She took the bills from you, and quick as lighting, she grasped your hand. You didn't even have an opportunity to try to avoid her grip. “You have very interesting lines here.”

“I do?” A bit weirded out, you try to remove your hand, but she only grips it harder. The woman forces you to tilt your palm up towards her. One of her fingernails traces one of the lines on it. It makes you shiver.

“You do. Your love line is diverging.”

That doesn't sound good to you. You frown.

“Is it?” Feeling very silly for being self-conscious about your hand, you look down. You had never noticed before, but one of the lines in your hand diverges into three.

“Let me…” She reaches into her bag and pulls out a tarot deck. She shuffles hurriedly, under your bewildered eyes. Three cards fall in order. The Empress, The Devil, and The Hermit. “Interesting… And if I… Oh, I see.” Another card falls off the deck. This time, it's The Lovers.

“I am sorry… I really have to go.” Weirded out over the whole thing, you wish to leave. Things are only getting stranger, with the woman taking out the tarot deck.

“Don't.” She says sharply, her hand going back to your wrist. Surprised by her aggressiveness and the urgency of her tone, you decide not to argue. It can't hurt to entertain her a little longer. “I see a great future for you. There are three paths going forward, but you need to lift the block you have on.”

“Block?” You repeat, dumbly.

“You are lucky today is Samhain.” She huffs, pocketing the tarot deck. She searches her bag before pulling out a small sachet. It smells strongly of herbs. “Here. Bathe in this and look in your mirror tonight. When the veil is thinner.”

“The veil…?” You ask, puzzled by the entire thing.

“Between worlds, darling. Gods, it seems one has to teach you everything. Between twelve and three.”

“Oh. I don't really believe in…”

“At least keep it. And here.” She writes some numbers on a piece of paper. “If you run into trouble. The magical kind.”

Unconvinced you haven't been the victim of the most elaborate scam in history, you eye her warily.

“How much do I owe you?”

“Nothing. Nothing you will later not freely give.” She smiles, cryptically. “Have a good Samhain, darling.” And she gets up and walks away.

You glance at the bag. You don't want to be rude, but you doubt you will obey. She is a stranger, after all, and a pretty crazy one at that. As not to upset her, you pocket the bag and give her an awkward wave.

The rest of your evening is much less eventful. You get home and prep dinner, nursing a glass of wine. With everything that has happened already, you feel like you deserve it. You are generous with it, topping it at least twice.

As you curl into the couch to watch a movie, dinner and another glass of wine in front of you, the tarot reader's idea starts to sound right. You do feel lonely, and surely, throwing some herbs into a bath can't cause anything too terrible. At most, you would feel relaxed from the water and the smells.

Wine always makes you sad. Mopey, even. Tonight, your loneliness feels too tight, too solid against your chest, to be ignored. You long for someone to hold you through the night, to be by your side when things are tough. Someone to share your happiness and greatest achievements, but also your burdens. Mostly, you crave a sense of belonging. Belonging so well, your edges fit someone else's edges like a puzzle piece.

At the thought, you shake your head. Love wouldn't fix your loneliness, you think. There is something deeply alienating about the life you currently lead. Away from your family and friends, you feel unfulfilled. No matter how passionate you are about your work, it does not help to numb the longing for something more. If the perfect partner showed up, you would do the same you had done with your family and friends, and let life get in the way.

You wash your dishes. Curious, you take the little pouch the woman had given you out of your pocket. You smell it, deciding it has no hurtful contents. On your laptop, the clock reads quarter to midnight.

The tub fills as you decide to light some candles, to better set the mood. You add some Epsom salts before pouring your herbs in. The water shimmers under the candlelight in ways it should not, yet you do not notice. You mistake the swirls of colors for the herbs steeping in the water. The room starts to smell strongly of rosemary and lavender.

You enter the tub, satisfied with your choice. The heavenly smell is already relaxing you, and you congratulate yourself for taking the leap of faith. Slowly, the warm water relaxes your muscles and makes your body feel heavy. Almost too heavy. You catch yourself nearly dozing off, and decide to step out. You are alone, and you have been drinking, staying in it would be dangerous.

Careful not to slip on the wet floor, you wrap yourself in a fluffy towel and step towards the mirror. Your reflection is the same as always. If the block the woman had spoken about was a real thing, which you doubted, it left no physical evidence. You examined your face, noticing your paleness. But as your eyes meet the ones of your reflection, there is a flash of a foreign color in them.

There is a woman in the mirror. It's the same one you met at the park. She looks different now, dressed in a medieval green dress. Her lips stretch into a smile.

“I do hope you didn't choose The Hermit. Or The Devil. Oh, darling, I am so sorry. They are all bad choices.”

Someone presses a hand on your shoulder.

“Well. Better you than me. We shall meet again.” Her voice whispers in your ear, but when you turn, you see nothing.

You scream. The clock strikes twelve. A sudden spark of bluish purple that makes you turn again to face the mirror, relieved to find nothing more than your reflection. Your heart beats faster and faster, anticipating something you can't yet name.

Just as you are catching your breath, you notice that the face that is looking back at you it's not yours. You recoil, moving back as fast as you can. A loud thud echoes in your bathroom and your heels connect with something solid. You trip, screaming even more when you realize exactly what you have hit. A body. There is a body on your bathroom's floor.

You crawl towards them, shaking their shoulder and desperately looking for signs of life. You are starting to tear up in fright. The body is lying on its front, with a shocking head of silver hair. They groan.

This time, you scream so loud, your neighbors bang at your walls.

A voice then answers.

“What in the Seven Hells is going on?”

Choose your card:

The Hermit: You have decided to draw your attention inwards, in a path of self discovery. You are a quiet person, but quite bright. You enjoy learning and seek a mentor, though you enjoy your solitude. This is your next chapter.

The Empress: You are very connected to your femininity. You enjoy having beauty in your life, and the stimulation of your senses. You wish for your life to be comfortable more than anything. You are a romantic at heart. Your next chapter is here.

The Devil: You are a complex, multifaceted person. But if you could be described in one world, it is hedonist. You are very self-aware, and do not fear your shadow. If any, you embrace it. This is your next chapter.

[aurora-daily]

TW!

Today is World Suicide Prevention Day.

And I just wanted to send my thoughts to whoever walks their earth with these shadows on their minds. I know when all the light gets blocked out, it’s hard to see anything. It’s hard to see your place in the world. It’s hard to see you worth, to the people around you.

I hope you know, whoever you are That I am so happy that you’re still here. I am so happy That you’re still here. And I am so proud of you. And plead you, to keep going.

Because even though it might feel like leaving, will be the only thing to bring peace. It will do the very opposite. It will move all your pain to the people you love. It will make a hole in their hearts. It will make a hole in the soul of the earth. Because the fact that you’re here, matters.

And to whoever hurt you in this life, outlive them. This you have to promise me.

I send love to everyone out there, grieving the ones who lost their battle with their mind, ending with Sui*ide.

I hope you know you did everything you could. I hope you know it’s not your fault. I hope you know it’s ok to feel your grief coloured by anger too.

We all know there is darkness all around us. We just don’t know who around us, Is entirely lost within them.

It looks different on everyone. This is why we have to truly look around us. Not only eachother, but into eachother.

Use what we know about our own pain, to understand the pain the people around us might be feeling. We are so much more less alone than we believe.

Ask at least a person every day “How is your heart?” “How is your mind?”

Talk to eachother. Ask for help.

Words are the most powerful weapon we have.

Big hugs. Truly big hugs to all of you.

This piece of art is called

“Creatures we walk with” By Minna Leunig

🖤

[deathdetermineslife]

how do you manage to get any followers or friends in the selfshipping community? is it just luck?

for months i’ve been trying to interact with others and follow people, engaging with stuff like ask games and hosting reblog games, but when i try to share any artwork or i reblog an ask game myself, its radio silence. like even in small discords i get ignored so bad

i don’t say this at all to be guilt tripping /gen, it’s genuine curiosity at how this stuff even works. like am i doing something wrong or is the community just like this?

here is my comprehensive and lame guide on How To Get Selfship Followers

step 1 - posting

so a lot of my posts are either kinda general or fun. folks I will not lie to you. these are all stupid shit that come to my mind on a day to day basis. for example, today, I thought, "man I'm such a loser I'm not in college like all my friends r" and then I was like "omg wait. i could make a post out of this" so I did that.

you also kinda gotta be conistent. so i try to post at least *something* everyday. even if its a reblog, tho, I don't reblog a lot of things other than ask games.

another thing with posting is that i do try to make a lot of community based content. so idk if yall remember but in the beginning of my account, I did the "things you can do if you have xyz f/o". i did like,,, I think almost 100 of those ?????? it was a lot. then I started making templates and I made some ask games and ofc I post a lot of general like,,, imagine stuff. oh also polls. people seem to enjoy polls.

step 2 - be positive

this is the big thing. as most of yall (hopefully) know, I do not fw proshippers !! but I don't talk about discourse unless its directly brought up. not only this, I put a big focus on just,,, being nice idk. like id like to think I'm a pretty down to earth person.

if you make a template and people tag you in it, say something nice! reply to peoples art, send in asks, things like that. i try to do my part in being nice. i also just like hearing about peoples selfships.

when people post promos and have the little "rb to be moots", reblog! when you come across someone having a bad day, maybe they made a vent or something, reply with a simple "I hope you feel better <3" or "your f/o loves you <3". things like that, ya know?

step 3 - have fun

genuinely. i post as much as i do because I like it. i didn't go into this thinking "oh... yea... I'm gonna get selfship famous..." like no I just wanna ramble somewhere bc none of my close irls r selfshippers.

you wont get popular or get followers because you grind out posts. literally one of my biggest posts on this account I wrote while I was half asleep one night and wanted to test out queuing on my account.

and in that regard, it is partially luck. i don't control what posts people do and don't like. sometimes I write up imagines and no one sees them. sometimes I write up a post saying "lol go kiss your fake boyfriend ooo smoochie smoochie" and that does numbers

step 4 - interaction

im only in two servers. one server (which was the first public server I think I ever joined ???? i could be wrong tho,,, bad memory blehg) that I don't own and then my own 18+ server. i don't think being in servers does anything,,, considering I'm only in one that isn't mine. i think its more like ,,, sticking to one or two places ?? like just being consistently in an area you're comfortable in.

i guess you gotta just find the right people ??? and like I mentioned, be friendly, but ya know. also I guess tags too? idk if you look at any of my regular posts I have 8 million tags on them. idk if that actually does anything or not because its kinda hit or miss sometimes.

i was gonna say something else but i forgot. see look listen I dunno how I got here but this is what I do ,,,, effectively nothing. also with the being kind thing, maybe this is how I am bc I'm pagan but I think that if you expect kindness back you wont get anything. sometimes its just nice to be nice. eventually you gain a reputation for being a nice person. you kinda have to not want that tho? like I don't see myself as particularly like ,,, super kind ,,,??? i just do what feels right.

step 5 - uhhhh idk im just rambling now

i guess i also went into this kinda like. damn sometimes this community is a cesspool of absolute meanie pants. i don't wanna be a Meanie Pants and just post my thoughts and the things I think about. i guess how I see it too is, I kinda like ? idk I think all these things anyways why not post them? kinda feels like a waste not to.

also ive been told my posts are pretty recognizable bc of how I format them ? my dividers and such. also tagging all of my imagines and stuff with my 🥀📜 emojis. i guess that helps too? because that's how I recognize certain accounts. "like oh there's them I recognize their dividers and their tags".

also you kinda gotta like,,, not let hate get to you. like have fun with it? i know that's hard, but, that's what you gotta do. when I get printer ink (bc. a hoe does NOT like buying printer ink) im printing out that fucking 8 mile long hate message I got sent. but also that's just the kinda person I am. like people being a dick and stealing my posts and telling me to swallow a glock 9mm doesn't upset me, im more like,, confused more than anything because never in my life have I ever sent hate to anyone. also I have had this "I do not care because you're some loser on the internet and you being an ass wipe is no where near as bad as the shit people have done to me irl" attitude.

TLDR; i dont think youre doing anything wrong because I don't exactly know what I'm doing right. i just... do... and sometimes, "just doing" is enough. maybe its luck, maybe I've been blessed by the tumblr algorithm and I've somehow figured it out, or maybe the community is just genuinely that bad and they pick favorites. maybe its all of the above! who knows. i try not to worry about it. i think at the end of the day, as long as you're having fun posting about your f/os and selfshipping, that's what matters.

alright thats all see ya. if you have any more questions feel free to ask however I fear I cannot answer them </3

[roseygurl]

jobs i think the marauders & friends would have

james potter

- works at a sporting goods store

- he’s very knowledgeable and great at his job

- will definitely persuade you into buying something you don’t want or need

- “sir these nike airs will make you jump so incredibly high”

- always chewing gum and always getting yelled at for it by his boss

- hates working register, you’ll find him in the shoes section reading a magazine

- made the store playlist, he’s always on aux

- all his coworkers are really old but he still manages to get along really well with them

- has definitely grabbed a beer with the 50 year old cashier

sirius black

- movie theatre employee

- he hates his job so much. so much

- but he loves saying he works at a movie theatre because it sounds cool

- applied because he loves films and the smell of theatre popcorn

- works at the concession stand and steals extra large slushees (his go-to flavors are cherry and coke)

- he’s really bad at customer service but he’s naturally charming so it’s okay

- always has one airpod in

- coworkers love him because remus brings him food on his break that he shares with everyone

- never ever wears the hat that comes with his uniform because it’s ugly and makes his hair look bad

- definitely cries in the bathroom

remus lupin

- waiter at a nice restaurant downtown

- he’s actually quite rude but his dry humor and nice cheekbones charm people for some reason

- (gets horrible tips)

- has to wear a fully black outfit with a silly black bow tie, sirius thinks he looks handsome

- really good at bussing tables and rolling silverware

- steals fries from the kitchen

- sometimes they ask him to bartend and he really enjoys that

- the hostess girl adores him (sirius despises her)

- smokes near the dumpster on his break and then sits on the floor in the walk-in for a few minutes

- “can i speak to the manager?!”

- “ma’am i am the manager” (he’s lying)

peter pettigrew

- works at a gas station

- constantly forgets to check for ID

- free cigarettes for his friends

- actually likes stocking shelves because he doesn’t have to talk to anyone

- always scared the store is gonna get robbed at gunpoint

- sees people steal but never says anything about it

- he literally never sees his boss around, where is that man???

- usually closing shift, he hates it

- reads comic books up front all the time, sometimes he’ll have really long conversations with customers about x-men

regulus black

- works drive-thru at a burger joint

- customer service is on point but after 8pm he turns into the biggest bitch on the face of the earth

- he just wants to go home

- sirius and james always drive by to troll him and order shakes

- sirius is really good at doing the karen voice and has actually fooled him almost every single time

- big brother behavior

- his uniform is rancid and smells like burger grease

- always having one sided competitions with other coworkers that nobody is in on except for him

- he loves oreo milkshakes

- ends up having to train the new hires but he’s so terrible at it

- “idk i think this is how you do it but im not sure”

- bad at counting change on the spot, he’ll start tearing up if you give him coins

lily evans

- second-hand bookstore employee

- started out as a volunteer but they actually ended up hiring her

- she doesn’t get enough hours

- works next to a coffee shop so she always grabs a cappuccino for james after her morning shifts

- gets to wear cute outfits but has to wear an ugly gray apron

- decorates it with pins

- remus always comes to visit her and they bitch about rude customers together

- he ends up helping her move heavy boxes

- her boss is this sweet weird hippie woman who somehow knows everyone personally

- the dusty books give her terrible allergies

- that girl is always sneezing and sniffling

- will talk your ear off about jane austen

[hella1975]

hiiii haha. hello. exceptionally awkward introduction bc idrk how to start something like this so let's just jump right in. im taking a break from this account for a bit. i know i said i wanted taob out before halloween and currently im fine sticking with that deadline, but if i decide i need longer away then i will take longer away. every time ive reassured people that id never abandon a fic and updates will always come eventually i never once considered that my writing and ability to feel safe and comfortable on this site would be actively taken from me, so im not even going to apologise. i dont want this either and more importantly i dont fucking deserve it. i dont know what it is in the past year, if ive hit a certain amount of followers or 'popularity' that's made it so the natural ratio of positive to negative interactions must in turn go up, but there's been a serious uptick in weird asks for me. the annoying part is that a very small amount of them are actually objectively mean and hateful, the rest are just weird and invasive from people who seemingly dont realise that's what they're being. ive reached a point where i dont care if the intentions are good. it's not my job as a 20 year old tumblr user of all things to defend the morality of someone who couldnt even bother to come off anon. unfortunately, after blocking only one or two anons, the weird asks have decreased substantially, which says all you need to know about the fascinating and exhilarating lives led by these people, but ive also gone on to turn anon asks off entirely. this is something i actively fought against doing and had to be pushed into by my mutuals (who have been the coolest people on planet earth during this entire thing). turning off anon was a big deal to me even if it sounds silly. i felt betrayed and like id been backed into a corner because it was so vehmently something i DIDNT WANT that to feel like i had to do it anyway for my own mental health??? that sucks. so even though ive 'fixed' the problem, im still kind of reeling and uncomfortable every time i come on tumblr. i hope it's just something i need time to ease because i'll truly be devastated if this becomes 'ruined' for me. tumblr exists as the only place in the world where i am honestly every facet of myself without shame or hesitation; losing that would be insanely harmful to me. and to the people who cant appeal to the actual human behind the post, let me put that in words you can understand: we wouldn't get any more writing 😦😦😦 riots and fires and sirens, i know. so yeah. to anyone who has sent me an anon ask and you're now wondering if you were part of the problem, im firmly of the belief that you'll know if you are. when i say 'weird asks' i dont mean 'you sent me a para about your personal life just to vent or ask for advice' or 'you sent me a really deep emotional compliment about the impact me and/or my writing has had on you' - i love asks like that, so much that i put off taking a break and turning off anon solely for the joy they bring me. im sorry that it might feel like you're being punished too bc of the actions of what in reality is a HANDFUL of weird people, but this is what i feel like i have to do to feel safe and not go insane every time i log in. love you guys, hopefully ill see you soon x

[nouvxllev]

Might be a bit of a interesting ask, but I love your work and wanted to ask if you could write something for me? And I mean just like your thoughts not a story! I know you’ve got a lot on your plate (I am eagerly awaiting your pippa ficts.🤭) I suffer from sleep paralysis, and it’s honestly been something I have had since I was a child. It’s hard to sleep, and sometimes I actually don’t even want to go to bed because I get anxiety. And if I do have it the next day I feel weak and just exhausted. It doesn’t happen all the time just when I’m stressed. But I was wondering (here come the comforting thoughts) I am obsessed with Emma myers, (love the girl. Cutest human on earth) and I wanted to know what her characters would do to help reader? ( Enid and pippa) Specifically reader who is scared and uncomfortable. Tired but doesn’t want to sleep. Whatever thoughts you have! (And if you add a few pippa thoughts I wouldn’t mind. She’s be all logical and tell you it can’t hurt you🤣) 🫶

enid sinclair (roommates)

enid knows dreams. nightmares. nights where she couldn't sleep for her life because of her mom, a tired day of being happy for everyone, just anything that could wake her in a cold sweat. but she never experienced sleep paralysis, the thought itself was terrifying, and the stories she heard was bad enough. but what would happen if the person she cares and adores for the most experiences them without notice? it's painful. agonizing, of course. she was always someone who looked out for others, how could she miss this part of you that ached and longed for her touch on nights where you wanted to scream for her, warn her that there was something in the room approaching you. approaching her. scream that there was something bothering you, your heart pounding, unwanted pressure lingering in your chest, and your body feeling like you were drowning in air. you endured this for weeks, maybe even months, just especially when its examination week. or just any regular day where you feel stressed. you thought you could take it, that you'd endure it. having to wake up or just watch the morning light appear in front of you with pure exhaustion the next day was fine in exchange for enids peace. but one day, you woke up in a pool of your own sweat. heart beating and yearning to be free from your chest that you wanna rip out and lie down, feeling nothing but happiness that you dont have to suffer anymore. you feel exhausted, uncomfortable in your own space, in your body, in your own silence. the room was dark, and the atmosphere was heavy. you thought enid drifted off to her own side of the bed like she always does. then you find that she isnt. id like to think that enid doesnt sleep until you do, its that feeling of reassurance and safeness that your loved one is at peace in sleep. when you woke up that night, you just couldnt bear the burden of every ounce of stress and weakness in your body that you cant escape even in your dreams, you just broke down right in front of her.

you told her everything. down to your weaknesses, the creatures and hallucinations that lurk in your eyes even in reality you fear them, how it torments you from time to time by going after enid instead of you, the stress and anxiety of a day and knowing something awaits for you when you drift off to sleep, the feeling of death getting closer and closer yet youre chained down in your own body, you told her everything.

enid would wrap her arms around you through it, inviting you on her bed. one hand on your back parallel to your heart with another wrapped around your waist. she was bringing you closer to her and soothing your heart in so many ways more than one. she listens to you so attentively, and also curses her for not noticing soon. throughout the night, she comforted you right in her arms, reminding that youre not in this alone if shes with you. even she cried for the scars that you want to heal from. she'd always ask if it would be okay if you two slept together in the same bed, she'd even create a fort of all of her squishmallows and other plushies around you so that youll feel safe. that was the first night you ever got a wink of sleep.

after that, enid researched everything about sleep paralysis and what causes it. she knows from the get go that its inevitable, theres no mental and total cure, but she's so damn confident that she'll atleast cure or treat your sleep paralysis episodes. obviously, you mustve done research yourself on how to stop it yet ended up with the same failed results, so she refrains from saying the same thing over and over again.

but she'd check up on you literally everyday and every second. when youre sleeping, she doesnt until she gets the affirmative that youre fine and awake, looking out for tiny whispers that youre screaming in your mind, visible discomfort/fright, eyes twitching or your body jerking awake.

when you wake up, youre suddenly bombarded with questions from enid asking if youre okay or did you sleep well, offering you everything she has to offer from snacks to a simple girls night so itll take your mind off of things. youre getting ready to fall asleep, enid is already there by your side, offering a hug or a squishmallow. this gets more apparent when youre stressed, enid would literally take everything away from you and tells you to relax with her. offering a gentle massage, stress balls she kept away from her closet, hugging you like theres no tomorrow.

outside of the dorm, enid is still attached to your hip. making sure that no one will talk to you about something thatll stress you out. if someone did, they'll just get a half transformed enid sinclair and if theyre unfortunate enough, a hospital bill. since youre exhausted, enid basically does everything for you even if you insist that youre fine with doing it yourself. she gives you a big gasp and a shock face like "oh l/n/y/n you are NOT doing all of this by yourself, let me help you or so help me god!!" and its just eating food or walking to a certain place up the stairs.

when its just the two of you, she prepares her bed (or your bed, whichever you prefer that night) to be the most comforting thing ever. a laptop on her lap if you ever want to watch something to fall asleep in (hopefully) peace, snacks if you ever feel peckish, and some things to make everything go away.

if you ever encounter a sleep paralysis episode, enid is already on your side. hugging you as you cry with your head buried in the crook of her neck as you hugged her back. no words attached, just comforting physical touch that calms you down from time to time. if you ever needed some alone time, she accepts your requests and goes off to her side until youre ready to invite her back or fall asleep on your own.

in what you fear, enid will always make sure that your peace is certain. awake or not, she'll be there by your side. she overdoes it sometimes, sure, but she gives you the boundaries you need. just such a ball of sunshine that take cares of literally everyone around her, especially you.

pippa fitz amobi (childhood friend, takes place during/after good girl bad blood)

you always thought pip was smart. she was logical, academic achiever thats for sure and she was always so realistic with everything. id like to think pip was the first one to notice there was something off when the two of you were still a child. not your friends, not even your parents, but it was pip that had everything sorted out for you. she noticed how you always snuck out late at night to sleep at her place, always calling her in the most darkest hours of the night, she'd be concerned if you even slept at all. but pip was a good friend, she always had an eye of you, until her mind was consumed by the andie bell case.

pip is a caring one, you know that deep down your soul, yet she was never the one who took care for her self. you stopped talking about your own stress, anxiety, and episodes in fear that it would double the amount of things she has to worry about in her own time, so you gave her space. maybe a little too much space that she started worrying for you even more, always reassuring you that shes here for you. you always responded with an im fine and assure her that youre at your best.

that was until pip broke into your home (old fashion pippa fitz amobi style) with a literal folder, food that her mom made at home in a little plastic bag, and she was decked out with pjs head to toe. she looked tired, not even a trace of pure rest in her eyes. thats when you realize the two of you needed eachother to fall asleep in peace, arms wrapped around eachother as if eternity lies within the hands of the other.

you knew pip was already so restless because of her case so you didnt have a choice but nail your mouth shut and let her inside your home. you thought itd just be a check up from pip from time to time and she'd be on her merry way until she sat you down on your bed. fixed your cushions, even set up the night light for the two of you. you question her but youre just met with silence for the most part.

when shes done, she'd sit beside you, open the folder she has on her hands, and tell you everything she researched for the past month or week youve been giving her the silent treatment and youre just completely bewildered by the sight. its logical, rational, and completely in-depth.

you almost tell her that its all pointless, you appreciate the thought and the hours she put into it and even negelcted her case for a bit, but it was just none of the ordinary. no matter how many times she reminds you that its harmless, its in your head or hallucinations, it wont hurt you, its not helping.

that was until she was opened up to you herself. id like to think that pip has recurring nightmares that would lead to sleep paralysis because of the shit she went through, she literally saw someone get shot several times and she couldnt do anything but watch in terror. id like to think thats the same in her episodes.

after all that time apart, it really affected her mentally and physically. she couldnt sleep properly without having to check up on you. you both comfort eachother by just hugging nonstop, whispering sweet nothings to bring a sense of comfort and reassurance until you both fell asleep in eachothers arms.

the two of you needed eachother anyway.

really important a/n:

im honestly honored that you came to me about your own personal problems and asked me about my thoughts, so sorry if this took so long. even as someone anonymous, i imagine that takes some pretty big courage to do. im sorry for what you’ve been enduring literally all your life, especially about something that causes you pure exhaustion, more stress, and anxiety of living your life. i dont know if you got used to this routine, but if you did, that just makes it all the more worrying that you're just familiar with repetitive episodes of sleep paralysis as a child to now. we're both two strangers on the internet that dont know our personal lives or what we really do in our spare time, but i assure you anon that everything will soon be okay. maybe not today or next week or even next year, but peace will soon come your way.

im just somebody who writes for hundreds of people to see and hope my little stories bring just simple carefree and happiness for people on the internet, but if youre willing and consenting to talk or just take your mind off something, im always available on here, just dm me!

love u anon!! just remember that even as someone you dont really know, im here for you. stay safe out there <3!!

[radioactive-earthshine]

Random but, any hcs about Kon and his life in Smallville with the Kents?

I'm just going to make a list and babble :) Here's some HCs including bits with Bart bc they did live only 4 hours away.

1.) Not closeting, not in the way people use the term anyway - it was a necessary time that Kon so desperately needed. He needed a place to be someone OTHER than Superboy because he could no longer function without that off-switch.

2.) Kon always had shown interest in his comics of living a life without the Superboy question and being "normal" but it was very rocky for him so I feel like his early transition with the Kents were likely no different. Ma and Pa likely had to endure his dramatics, mood swings and outbursts of anger as he adjusted to being Conner Kent and living in a space that had consistent RULES. This is not to say he was just suddenly dropped off with strangers, because he wasn't, he knew Ma and Pa beforehand having spent a little time on the farm.

3.) If you guys thought Bart was bad at first, Kon was probably worse as Kon had years of baggage to unpack.

4.) We didn't get to see anything substantial of those early days with him with Ma and Pa but we saw small glimpses of him just not appreciating Smallville and thought it was "boring" and outright claimed to have hated it. It's a big adjustment.

5.) Suddenly coming to the realization that he was SAFE where he was and could just BE without suddenly having a fist in his face was one hell of a day...

6.) Yes we all should mock the cishet jeans and t-shirt look but he really was trying to figure out who he was without Superboy as a factor. I don't think Kon ever really does solidly figure it out as Superboy will always BE a part of him and part of his core identity and it's a balance he needed to try to find out - even if it meant going to one extreme side of the spectrum.

7.) To tie into #6 Kon found out he really does have an All or Nothing personality when living with the Kents.

8.) He's allergic to goat products - boy of steel he may be but even he is not immune to goat intolerance. There is no evidence of this, this is a true HC. He found out because Ma had goat milk and he decided to try it with... bad results.

9.) I am obsessed with Kon in his 2011 solo taking the time to WALK to school instead of flying or running or taking the bus - Smallville really brought him down to Earth even though he already was a child of Earth. It grounded him and put a lot of thinks for him into perspective.

10.) Going back to those early days - he reached out to Bart a lot to vent and ask for advice of how Bart coped with Max. They BOTH went from never having to worry about hiding their secret ID and doing WHATEVER they wanted to suddenly having to worry about preserving their identity and operating in an environment with rules that were the antithesis of what they were used to.

11.) Kon's entire first few months with the Kents were literal immersive therapy and I am furious we did not get to see this - this would have made an incredible comic.

12.) Adhering to comic canon I feel like it was during this deconstruction of who he is he realized he was queer. To the surprise of no one.

13.) His first gift to Ma and Pa was a quilt he made himself - you can take artistic-Kon from my cold dead hands. He made it at school in secret.

14.) Clark was a cryptid in Smallville when he was a teenager and Kon really was no different as his deeds throughout town resurface those old rural myths that began 30-ish years prior.

15.) I ignore any and all parallels that Simon was set up to be Kon's Lex Luthor and instead he becomes his BEST civilian friend. We do however find out that Simon's parents were scientists that helped make Kon - Kon has mixed feeling about this at first but he knows he can't blame Simon.

16.) Even Kon cannot help going back to old shenanigans with Bart and they make crop-circles - well they DID before Clark told them to stop - the killjoy.

17.) Cows make him nervous - look - he knew they existed but he wasn't aware of how BIG they were and he knows he is strong enough to pulverize them into instant bouillon but that still did not prepare him for the fact that they are megafauna that you have no control over.

18.) Kon will always take out a tornado - no he doesn't care if it's a small one - he's not going to sit back and watch someone's house be subjected to damage the tenants may or may not be able to afford. If there are TWO tornadoes at the same time he gets into a contest with Bart over who can neutralize them first.

19.) Going back to his acclimation - there was a lot Kon had to sort of unlearn when he started living with the Kents. Stuff he learned from being with Rex Leech, and during his time at Cadmus under Jim. He finally learned what it was like to be a normal person instead of a parody of what a normal person was.

20.) During October, Kon got really.... really.... into making the BEST corn maze. No, seriously, stupidly competitive. Like, not only did he want it to be complicated but he also for an added flavor made Bart chase people around with a de-bladed chainsaw. People think Kon hired like 7 dudes to do this but it's literally just Bart. He also made sure to decorate it with fake blood, webbing, and busted out fog machines just for an added flavor of spookiness.

[voidzphere]

🧡🧡🧡Hello!!!! i was a big fan of yours for a while now! Over time Ive grown to be concerned by the amount of stories i hear from…No pressure to read or respond, but i did want to open a door to hear from you about this as i’m concerned. I’ve been told i should be careful about interacting with you (i already have been interacting for a while now) but i’m honoring that concern until i (maybe-?) get an answer or just, confirmation that it’s safe

(Again no pressure!!)

A lot of circles talking about how much harassment they’ve (or people they know or witnessed) received from either you or your friends…

Especially in regards to hit lists that floated in the past? Talk of doxxing? Rumors being spread? Gossiping to people? Callouts on people who don’t associate with the things they are being called out on?

I hope it’s not true i would like to think you’re as chill and easygoing as you portray most times. A lot of people including myself look up to you this kind of…sucks to hear /gen/not accusatory /is there a tag for that lol🧡

I’ve interacted with you freely until recently and now i’m hearing stories that are indicative of you being unsafe and i hope that’s untrue

I’m genuinely so appalled by a lot of these stories and it confuses me because these are people i love and trust a lot and several separate people have had the exact same stories to tell

(These are people who are also disgusted by problematic content on a personal level, in case that’s relevant, i am very careful to not interact with dangerous people or toxicity)🧡🧡🧡🧡(ig either way allegations of doxxing and harassment would be bad but it’s especially heartbreaking to hear from people who’ve done nothing wrong)

I haven’t seen those posts myself but have grown to be concerned. The people who have talked to me about these things are really down to earth people kind people and i couldn’t imagine them being accused of things or threatened?

I could understand if they were creeps but…I wouldn’t expect to hear that from them.

Was wondering if you could offer some insight on this. If not that’s alright as it’s your life and this is an anon ask🧡🧡

I’m just growing to be increasingly concerned and kind of appalled by how much stress and upset is surrounding your user name behind the scenes, Id like to think it’s a misunderstanding or something!

Either way, take care of yourself and have a nice day or night voidz!! ^_^🧡 /all love

-greenery anon

first off dont call me "voidz" thatz not my name

second, itz really funny to me how these said people are sayin that im spreadin rumorz n shit when they are also question mark ? if theyre talkin shit abt me that countz as gossipping and spreadin rumorz

the "hit list" thing is ancient as fuck and i havent even thought about it since then. either way, it wasnt even me who did any of that. there are multiple postz explaining that, if you bothered looking ‼️‼️

and like ive said a million timez before, i am strictly anti-harassment and will never tolerate any of that. if anyone doez i suggest they leave my page.

if i see one more person bring up any of this shit on my page im literally blocking you like im not kidding

srry if i sound passive aggressive or upset thatz cuz this was such a long time ago n im so sick of hearin this !!

[spocksocksrock]

ok I saw the reblog of your star trek books post about someone asking for recs someday, but I’m impatient and have decided I am not gonna wait and that I will send the recs ask MYSELF dammit!!

I feel like i’ve never gotten into the books because I’m worried they will be bad, so if you have any TOS/DS9 book recs I would LOVE to hear them — I have consumed all Star Trek content made up until this point and am so so desperate for new material

thank you SOOO much for asking i love any excuse to talk about st books!!! (though it is kinda funny cause that same person talking about recs did end up messaging me already lol)

for TOS i would say the best ones are:

Killing Time by Della Van Hise — famously gay and for good reason, it’s just blatantly romantic spirk content. it’s all about how they are meant to be together in every alternate universe and that they are soulmates <3

Spock’s World by Diane Duane — bones, kirk, and spock go to vulcan because the vulcans are considering leaving the federation. really great plot and super accessible characterization for the main three!

Vulcan’s Forge by Susan Shwartz — follows two plots- young spock figuring out that he wants to join star fleet, and older spock dealing with kirk’s death and trying to move on. it’s really not as sad as it sounds and it adds so much to spock’s character imo.

id honestly also recommend the novelizations of the movies, they definitely add a lot of new content

—

DS9 is harder cause i love soooo many of these but some of the best are:

Hollow Men by Una McCormack — kind of a sequel to the episode ‘in the pale moonlight’, garak and sisko go on a trip to earth to deal with dominion war stuff (and everyone else has shenanigans on the station)

The 34th Rule by Armin Shimerman — basically quark whump, him and rom are sort of kicked off the station and go to a prison camp and the rest of the characters have conflicting feelings about this (it’s a bit overdramatic at times but i love quark-centric stories so 🤷)

Fallen Heroes by Dafydd ab Hugh — this one is pretty crazy, quark and odo suddenly travel 3 days into the future and find the entire station is dead, like Everyone died, and they have to figure out what happened and fix it (i love quodo and there’s a scene where quark vacuums odo up, need i say more)

Saratoga by Michael jan Friedman — sisko is meeting with the other survivors from the ship jennifer died on. there’s sabotage, intrigue, betrayal and such and then the b plot is that odo has to pretend to be quark. so basically an average ds9 episode lol

there are definitely a lot more good ones but it depends on what characters you like and what kinds of stories you’re looking for ya know? please please message me if you want to talk ab it more!!!!

[cant-think-of-a-good-one]

Oneofthose intro posts

hello i am a creature that exists

pronouns match this regular expression: the(y|m|ir)

current name: kata (name might change whenever)

i am a minor. please keep this in mind

the usual dni but also dni if you're not voting.

Ask/Message suggestions:

PLEAAASSEEEEE dm me any cool etymologies you know

or any music recommendations

or any anything really......................

Tags

i like to tag posts please dont be mad at me

by popularity:

#iconic posts (10^3<=notes<10^5)

#legendary posts (10^5<=notes<10^6)

#mythical posts (10^6<=notes)

whats this

other categories:

#historical posts, #ancient posts (only on tumblr do you get posts from 2012)

#anomalous posts (only on tumblr do you get posts that have broken stats)

#profound posts (gosh)

#ahaha (painful)

#self (pertaining to me; personal)

#peace and love on planet earth (<3)

#posts that are ()

#now this is a blogpost, #now this is a blog post (long and insightful posts)

#insane art (how. how how how how how. how.)

Interests in no particular order

maybe i forgot some ill add them when i rember

1

coding (esolangs, computer vision, bad games)

linguistics

fiber arts (crochet, embroidery)**

art in general (drawing)**

science and math n shit*

music (recorder)

*currently actively pursuing

**TRYING to pursue. AUGH SCHOOL

2

cell towers

more closely related to animals than plants. they are one of the many taxa of angels that connect our world.

glyphs, runes, code, notation, writing.

these shapes are imbued with meaning.

let it rain these things and let them soak my entire being.

3.a

fandoms

astroneer

slime rancher 1 & 2

chicory: a colorful tale

oneshot

rain world

the ancient magus bride

fabulous beasts

3.b

digital fusion

xenharmony

ケモノ

3.c

never played these but i think theyre neat. like i love the fanarts of these. except for splatoon if i had a switch id be playing this game all day ohhgh the world of splatoon the design the characters the loree the music aaaaaaaauugughhgughu ghug

splatoon !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

cult of the lamb

bug fables

[jesncin]

5 days long anon again. Yeah, it took a while because I kept reworking and trying to find the right words. words are hard. Plus anxiety. Constantly worrying if it would be right or sound right. Right now I'm riding the high of "it WAS fine!!" so I'm feeling more confident in sending this.

The whole "oooh superhero lied to someone how bad" when it's about their identity? One thing I clipped from the previous ask was talking about how of course a hero should not disclose their civilian ID because that would put any family or friends in danger. A reporter SHOULD understand that! Or at least a kind one. Of course Clark wouldn't be going around telling people if only because he wants to keep his parents safe. Yet you can't look me in the face and tell me that the Kents wouldn't be leery about telling people their son's origins as an alien regardless of when the story is set because technically? Illegal immigrant baby. Illegal immigrant alien baby, whom any spooky group (military/research/???) might want to get their greasy mitts on. I can see that kind of worry leaving marks on him too, even though he is trying to be kind and good.

Maybe it was "too soon" but Kal-el is talking to someone he's grown to know as both Clark Kent and Superman. Who he feels he can take that risk with. And with something... not small, exactly, but not as harmful to his life as he lives it on Earth? It's not quite a test of trust because that would be too calculated for it but it is something more honest and raw and the little voice in the back of the head going "do you understand? do I understand?".

"I've had to justify fanon to canon" is... odd. Have you had to with the Martians or is it specifically your take on Lois? I admit I haven't been able to read all the comics and random sketches yet but everything I've seen has been built on the trend of compassion and care whether it is for it or in spite of it. ...and sexy abs. (Rudy.)

Run out of steam/focus so hope you have a good night again.

Hiya 5 days anon (Here I am responding now after the strike)! And no worries, I appreciate people taking their time thinking of what to say.

Right! Even without any Superhero-level fantasy stuff- irl journalists write under pseudonyms or protect the privacy of the people they're interviewing all the time (Lois did this in Girl Taking Over!!). This notion that reporters are Kantian "Lying Is Always Bad No Matter What" people is frankly a caricature. Fun for silver age shenanigans, but not if you want your story to have any sort of depth. And yeah! Clark is an illegal immigrant baby. It shouldn't take much imagination to see why he and the Kents would want to keep that a secret (alas some stories think otherwise- I can't help but call the emotional intelligence of the characters into question at that point).

Yeah! I don't imagine Superman telling Lois his Kryptonian name as something pre-meditated, it's very spur of the moment trust. The idea is that he's not ready to disclose his civilian identity yet, but he is trusting Liando with something far more personal.

It's mostly been my Superman stuff. I don't post my Martian art on twidder especially since well. I've always gotten one or two racist comments on my Clois comics but the Private Interview comic just unleashed the floodgate for racist comments. If I get that much heat for a cishet interracial couple, you can imagine how gross people would be to my Martian stuff. There's a portion of cape fandom that just doesn't understand fanon or interpretations and are vehemently against any sort of change. So I get silly comments asking me to justify the change ("Why is Lois Black??") or backhanded compliments hailing me as "the exception to racebends". It's annoying, but in the end the comic really wasn't for them. It's for people like y'all who get it! (like Rudy)

Thank you and good day/night!

[sdv-confessions]

For the mod. You don't have to post this ask.

If my ask was the one that was too rude to post I am genuinely sorry. It's just extremely upsetting to see this blog spread around bigotry headcanons like it's some lighthearted thing without even a trigger warning in the tags.

Rule 3 on your pinned says that offensive submissions will not be posted. Then how is an ask that tries pushing hateful ideas onto a character (who's not even confirmed to have them) allowed to fly? It's just difficult to try and frame that in "good faith".

Again, I am sorry for my actions and will send no more asks about the subject. It's just that this situation has left me hurt.

im not sure, because i got two submissions, i deleted the one that addressed the other submitter directly and insulted them. the other one was vague so its in the queue.

im pretty sure this is in reference to the anon who talked about alex, and asked "do you think alex has heavy transphobic views?" . that question is not offensive. alex is sexist in-game, its reasonable to discuss if he'd also have homophobic and/or transphobic views. even with other characters, who arent sexist, we could discuss this question. there's nothing in the ask to indicate that the submitter is transphobic, in fact they could even be trans. im trans myself and id also ask that about alex. not cos im a hater but because every single person on this earth has to go through a journey to unlearn bigotry. and alex's story with that could be pretty interesting.

so that's what i mean by good faith interpretation. anon didnt call ur fave a transphobe to be mean, they just asked for folks' opinions on IF he is. and you can absolutely respond with "no" + ur explanation! (if u want, no pressure or anything)

you're right about tagging tho, i can tag potential transphobic content from now on.