#and if thats the case i just dont read it.

[citronellea]

My Purse Essentials 4 Fall/Winter

Did anyone ask for this? No, but if I can just help out one person, it's totally worth it ! :3

Lets get to it !

1) Medicine. You never know when you'll need it ! I carry it all in a little My Melody pillbox and refill it when needed.

Advil, Dramamine, and Allegra.

2) Hand/Nail care ! Especially during these colder months, it's important to keep your hands and cuticles hydrated to avoid flaking and sometimes even cracking. It runs in my family :/

Peach scented cuticle oil and hand & cuticle lotion. (The crème shop is the best imo ! and all their products are cute, too!)

Glass nail file. Better than normal nail files and breakage is less likely to occur. I have a Hello Kitty one I got from Miniso for $5 !

3) Self defense. The world is a scary place and unfortunately a girl's gotta defend herself somehow !

Knife from a local store here ! But amazon has lots of affordable options too !

4) Hygiene products ! It's important for me, personally, to always feel clean. If I feel all icky my mood starts getting icky too.

Spare pad, spare panty liner, baby wipes, and hand wipes incase my hands get sticky from food or anything like that.

Bathroom spray ! I got a travel sized poo-pourri spray in the stocking stuffers aisle at Target !

A small pack of Extra gum, just incase I'm out and about and I just ate somethin stinky. I actually recommend the popular TikTok gum thats made with natural minerals that clean your teeth and keep your breath fresh ! I'm saving up for some with my boyfriend , but Ive seen outstanding reviews ! :0

5) Beauty products ! If you're like me, you wear makeup fairly often, even if it's just something as simple as some eyeliner.

e.l.f. jet black liquid eyeliner, just in case mine smudges or starts to fade. this isnt usually an issue in the colder seasons, but it's still good to be prepared !

chapstick and lipgloss ! its extremely important now of all times to keep your lippies hydrated!

KISS nail glue, incase my nails pop off from doing stuff at work lol. I dont go anywhere without this, you wont catch me missing a nail !

6) My wallet and identification, obviously!

BRING YOUR ID EVERYWHERE WITH YOU ! im sure some people are like, elle, thats common sense. but until i was 18 i would forget my ID or not bring it on purpose as I was scared to lose it lmao. do not be like younger me. you never know when you'll need it.

And finally, thats the end of it! I may update this in the future, but I hope this is helpful to anyone ! Thx for reading hehe ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧

[yonpote]

more tit spoilers yap

i feel like if each tour was a movie in a movie series, then tatinof and ii are parts 1 and 2, wad is a spinoff, and tit is part 3. i think tit is a direct sequel to ii because of the meta nature of the show being amped up as well as the themes of "giving the ppl what they want" vs "taking back what was taken from us" obv being a parallel. and obv wad and tatinof are also Extremely Meta, but the specific ways in which ii and tit are meta in terms of being ABOUT the audience-creator relationship is more overarching, whereas tatinof's meta nature is in it being an explosion of self-referential bits that they know the audience already loves. and wad... honestly idk if i would even call wad meta? it's mostly just self-indulgent, WHICH IS A GOOD THING because it is directly about dan's particular struggles with coping through a world that seems to be getting worse and worse and figuring that you HAVE to keep going and see thru to the other side. which i guess is meta in that its about himself but thats like calling an autobiography meta lmao.

i could be misremembering bc it was such a whirlwind experience for me, but i dont think they ever clarify if they DO believe themselves to be bad influences or not. now i feel like this should be obvious, but just in case it isn't: dan and phil did not make you gay. they maybe influenced you to come out, or influenced your gay fashion choices, or maybe seeing them be openly queer or reading fics about them and seeing shippy art of them stirred something within you to realize that you've been gay the whole time (which is also a joke that they do a couple times where theyre like "no we were STRAIGHT and we BECAME GAY in 2019!")

id love to hear about what was confessed to sister daniel and father philip at other shows i'll be honest i cant remember the confessed sins because i was too busy staring at those thighs im sorry i am just a man i am no better than a man

i have so many thoughts on phil talking by himself. i have so many thoughts about how much love is in that mans heart, both for dan and for us, even if he doesnt wear it on his sleeve all the time.

the rave part of the song was good lmao. it was catchy and fun and the like EVERYBODY STAND UP part was goofy but i had a good time with it. im an internet is here supremacist i think in terms of like, actually liking the song LMAO, if i were to rank all the tour songs it would go:

the internet is here

everything's fine

terrible influence

phil diss track / interactive introverts (IM A HATER SORRY)

[princecroutons]

i won't lie, coming from a cat owner but it really feels like that you can't share about anything regarding your pets online, otherwise people would automatically assume you as "irresponsible", even though your doing the best you can with what resources you have

Oh its HORRIBLE! And i do understand, there are enough videos out there of people who aren't caring for their pets properly - and I mean like... full on neglect and/or abuse... but thats not the case for every single fucking person posting something about their animals online.

Cats don't get as much of the brunt of this - I owned rats for years and there are many communities that will tear you to shreds for innocuous shit!!!

LIke I said, i DO GET IT. I love animals, i love MY animals... but holy fuck man you dont know those people, their pets, their financial situations, their vets, their resources !!!!

I live in a small town on an island!!!!!! Im on disability!!!!!! I dont make enough money for pet insurance and dont qualify for payment plans or loans!!!!!! Croutons is extremely picky and doesnt like wet food!!!!!!!! I have done so much god damn research into what will help him !!!!!!!!! If i needed help I would ask - i HAVE asked... I've just asked my friends.

Idk... if you're concerned about a pet you see online at least have the due diligence to read through all the information that that person has provided about them?

I might write up another FAQ again

[hyolks]

(TW: BODY/ORGANS/NEEDLES!!)

Yo! So I was scrolling down your posts and found the one about Al’s ever-increasing automail body and how you are unsure how many of his organs could be replaced and… I have personal experience with that! What a lovely thing, to go through organ failure and have it be worth it if I can pass on that experience for the sake of ✨semi-realism-maybe-if-you-squint✨

My pancreas failed. Entirely. I have to manually give myself insulin every time I eat, and do calculations for it all; I can eat pretty much anything, but it comes at a price. Something something “equivalent exchange” one might even say.

But anyway, I basically have a mechanical pancreas with a remote control! I inject a 7 day supply of insulin into it with a syringe, and I tell it how much and how frequently to inject manually. It can inject into any spot on the body with a thick enough fat layer, usually stomach, thighs, the flabby parts of your upper arm, etc… note: I was 90lbs when I first went into organ failure, you do not have to be any particular body type/size for this to work.

It’s a very simple concept for the machine, and very simple/limited commands. You could even combine the controller with it and make it so there’s a switch/buttons directly on the injection site that have pre-determined doses.

Insulin has to be kept temperature controlled when in storage too, so that’s a cool thing you could mess around with if he has to keep more than a week supply on him. (This can honestly also just be ignored if it’s too complicated ‘^-^)

Insulin is a hormone, basically a command to tell your body to do something. So this can be applied to certain parts of the brain as well!

I don’t know if this’ll help, or if you’ve already found other inspirations that conflict with it, I just thought “hey, this Al makes me feel a little less alone in the world, if I can project a piece of me onto him I’d be really happy���.

Sorry if that’s presumptuous or weird of me to do >~<

OH MY GOSH DW DW THANK YOU SO MUH FOR SENDING THIS!!!! I SINCERELY APPRECIATE IT !!! i know its very strange to say but i love reading stuff like this and this was truly incredible to receive :")

medication/suppliments 1000% slipped my mind like i cant even BELIEVE it how much i forgot to consider it. i knew that going through an organ transplant also entailed needing to take medication to keep your body from rejecting it, but thats about where i stop with knowledge about regarding organ replacements,, but that is so interesting in your case with how much control and calculation is needed?? I also never thought about how truly indepth/technical mechanical organs would need to be!! especially since our organs just casually do the things they do and having a machine mimic it is more than just hitting "go" ...!! if you dont mind me asking how does it like stay powered, i guess ? :O

THE PRESSURE THAT WOULD BE ADDED IF THEY HAD TIME CONSTRAINTS BC OF MEDICATION..... OOOOOO.... especially with the temperature control.... them traveling through the desert would be so much more perilous !! I really will haveta figure out what he would be taking, if it were insulin or some almagomation (that included insulin of course) that could provide him the nutrients he would be missing out on because his lack of ability to eat/digest food...?

the handwavy science of canon that allows automail to work via nerve connections for motor control definitely like. eases the load a bit? although most of these organs require more function than just motor control... hmmm... REGARDLESS, thank u so mcuh for bringing up manually providing the body with hormones (and additionally nutrients), because no matter how quote unquote advanced the automail is, it wouldnt be able to actually produce the things he needs... process it, maybe? sure? but cannot produce it...!!

you're genuinely so sweet!!! thank you SO SO SO much for sending this in !! it really means so much to me that you can relate to this Al :")!! even though im probably trying to get tooo realistic with this portrayal (given the fact that al is mostly metal OTL) i dont want to like... not consider the things he would have to go through ? i guess? i cant quite figure out the words for what i want to say, but nonetheless!! <33333 thank you!!!!!

[moss-selfship]

So i wanted to make a reply to this since im part of it and wanted to show my side since ive reblogged this a bunch but never actually explained stuff in case my followers havent read it (thats on me, alot of tumblr users dont like to read XD) I was the one who goldie asked to reach out to this person to apologize, as she understood that if she tried to reach out to them that would have stressed them out and she didnt want that. this is because despite repeated proof of her showing love and support to trans selfshippers and trans people, this user kept spreading awful rumors from things years ago (as well as a friendship with an awful person that goldie has repeatedly shown to me she regretted) and it basically chased her out of the selfship community, this having gone on for well over 2 years now. I reached out and conveyed there message, this user while not accepting the apology. promised me that they would stop reaching out to people and saying these things (something they had tried to do to me when i first was posting here after coming back from deleting my blogs, an entirely different situation). and as they were my friend at the time i believed them. they deleted the conversation after as it was a store spot to see. However, this instead continued and has continued since then. after this i had cut of all ties with this user and continued to support my friend goldie. Ive watched this tear her apart over the span of 2 years, watched it drive her to mental breakdowns, made her isolate and be too scared too interact with anyone online, and how they were too scared to talk about it, instead hoping if they just let it happen then it would stop eventually and that they wouldnt be chased off tumblr. and ive hated seeing this and how badly it effects them. me and goldie havent always have had our ups and downs in our friendship, we have had some really rough moments but time and time again despite our arguments we have continued to stay friends and i fully support them and they are my friend (one i talk with every day). and i will say that i believe they are a good person who (much like everyone) grows and learns as time goes on. people make mistakes, but years old mistakes that people learn from shouldnt be met with insults and alleging a person is some of the worst things possible.

In relation to this post:

I would just like to emphasize again that if we are mutuals, you can dm me for the url and I will share it with you.

And God, if it happens that this person contacts you, please come to me and ask me directly instead of just believing their insane fairytales.🙏

[chuusins]

i saw sm people yap about this a while back but im finally emerging from my cave to share my own thoughts

under the cut 😘

dark content is not for everyone, and most writers do not support nor condone what they write in their FICTIONAL STORIES.

If it's not for you or it's just something you dislike, block and move on. It's not the end of the world because someone posted something you don't like nor understand the appeal to.

block buttons exist for a very good reason !!! and the ability to scroll past it !!! stop whining about it and learn to solve ur own problems

i may add onto this when my brain is actually functioning but for now, if anyone sees this, you can either discuss in the comments or come into my ask box. i do not accept dms 🙏

[samijey]

WWE's Bash in Berlin, 2024

some really multi-layered acting from Kevin here that we haven't gotten to see in a while and I absolutely love: starting with the restless look when he's first clinging to Cody, slight conflict still clear in his body language. then Cody firmly pats him on the back twice, and that smallest bit of violence (the thing which fuels so much of who KO is as a wrestling character), seems to provide either a distraction or a relief from the indecision. we see Kevin's stare move a thousand miles away, until he remembers there's a camera in his face capturing a rare moment of vulnerability and his brow instantly turns in anger as he shoves it away, breaking the moment for both himself and the prying viewer Kevin Owens may never win the war against his impulse to turn on those close to him, but he's won the latest battle and that might be enough for now

[xxplastic-cubexx]

waiting for marvel to take you up as their comic artist so that we can have amazing art with cherik official storyline

marvel hire me to draw professor x and magneto making out sloppy style for forty issues straight you will get a BAJILLION dollars i promise

[wassupmygays]

okay im back hi guys <3 im putting this under a cut because it got very long and also its spoilers for the broadway production! but please please read and indulge me if you dont care abt that <3

literally just the start of it, before any dialogue starts, crushes my heart. johnny looks so small and. resigned? about it all. his arms are crossed over his knees, his shoulders hunched. then the first scream comes from the house, and both dally and johnny turn to look at it. johnny looks away pretty quickly; he's used to this. his eyes are tired, staring out into the darkness of the night. but dally stays watching the window, no doubt wondering what all could be happening in that house, and what all johnny has seen. and dally looks so sadly at johnny, just sitting there and listening to his parents hurt each other.

then dally makes himself known, and johnny damn near jumps out of his skin. and dally puts on a little smile when johnny looks back at him, to make sure johnny knows hes okay. that hes not in trouble. and then theres more screaming and hitting and johnny's eyes go dark again, and he plays with the gravel to give his brain Something Else to focus on besides those damn screams. and god dally just looks so helpless behind him.

"um... your parents going at it again?" "yea." "you cant go in there, huh?" "nah. but.. i cant leave either, cause im afraid hes gonna kill her"

johnny says that last bit so nonchalantly. like its just another normal sentence. and god that hurts. this poor goddamn kid stuck sitting outside his house in the cold, listening to his parents fight, wondering if his dad will finally go that far. hes just sitting and waiting to see if he needs to go in and somehow save the woman who probably wouldn't do the same for him. but that doesn't matter to johnny. he doesn't care if his mother hasn't given him the time of day for over half his life. he doesn't care if his mother never patches up the wounds left by his father. that's still his mother, and he loves her.

and then dally offers him the hershey bar, and johnny grins at him. but that little joy is immediately replaced by his instincts when he hears another scream. he hides the chocolate and resumes his position on the tire, making himself tiny and quiet. he knows that yelling leads to him getting hit, so hes gotta try and hide. also, the insinuation that he thinks the chocolate will get him in trouble.. something as simple as a hershey bar will get him beat, so hes gotta hide it. and god he just looks so tired and scared and empty.

and then suddenly dally is marching towards the door, and johnny can't let him go and break up that fight. he can't let his dad beat on his friend, who knows what he would do and it would all be johnnys fault, right? thats what i imagine is going through his head when he literally leaps on dally and shoves him away from the door. he doesnt even say anything,

but i know dally can see that panicked, scared look in his eyes. so he backs down. and he decides to help his friend, this kid, his brother, in the only way he knows how: a switchblade to defend himself. im sure he wishes he could help more, but he isnt equipped for this. not when johnny refuses to just get up and leave, and that's the only thing dally knows how to do.

this got very long and kinda just turned into a summary of the scene but just. johnny and his tired, sad eyes, and his nervous fidgets, and his flinches and jumps at every noise. johnny who refuses to leave his parents, his mother, no matter what they do to him or each other. johnny who cares so much, who craves the love of a family so much. johnny who sits outside in the cold in case he needs to go into a war zone to save the woman who never even picks up his personal belongings from the hospital after he dies. johnny cade.

the scene with dally and johnny before the drive in is so beautiful and painful. after class i will be back right here to elaborate <3

[themyscirah]

What runs/stories do you recommend for someone starting WW? Could you please be specific (/nicely)

Yeah ofc!

My Wonder Woman Starter Recs (specific style 😎)

First stops: for an initial introduction to Wonder Woman, I'd generally recommend going to at least one of three places first. These three are:

Wonder Woman: Historia: The Amazons by Kelly Sue DeConnick

Wonder Woman: Year One by Greg Rucka

Wonder Woman: the Hiketeia by Greg Rucka

Of these I generally recommend reading Historia first, as it's a retelling of the origin of the Amazons as a race and how Diana came to be (so it essentially starts from the beginning) and is also the most recent of the them (if that means anything). Something to note about Historia though is that it's a DC Black Label book, so it's events aren't strictly canon in the main DCU and there are some changes and new elements present. I don't think this is something that should discourage anyone from reading it though, it's the best WW origin story out there, and even in strict main canon over the years her origin is one that has had many fluctuations and small (& sometimes big) changes. WW:Historia is three prestige format (longer) issues.

You'll notice the third book there is WW: The Hiketeia. Hiketeia is a great book if you're looking for a view into Diana as a professional and experienced hero. It's a graphic novel so standalone and not too long, and has a great Diana and really interesting plot (Diana vows to protect a young woman and finds herself pressed against the wheels of Greek Tragedy). This is also the first work with Diana done by Greg Rucka, one of her most prolific and loved writers. A sampling of this work (and also Historia) I think gives a good guide to where to go next in terms of runs on her main title.

Wonder Woman: Year One is the second book on the list up there, but I'm mentioning it last here as it's a bit more complicated in terms of format. Unlike other year one books, WW: Year One is actually a series of issues on her main title, showcasing Diana's arrival to man's world in Rebirth (and also current p sure) continuity. The issue numbering for this one is strange (only the even issues 2-14 on WW (2016)) so I recommend looking for this in trade form if possible.

These 3 books I think give a taste of some of the best standalone stuff in the Wonder Woman mythos, and give the reader a good idea of where they may want to go next in terms of longer runs on the title. So I'll break that down here as a Step 2.

STEP 2: WHERE NEXT?

Here I break down some highly recommended runs based on what they have in common with the standalone books from step 1. As a rule, these runs are going to be much longer than the above and generally more connected to the wider DCU and other books. Look for the italics to see the introduction to each new work. Explanation paragraphs follow after each italic/bold rec.

Curious about Greek mythology in WW and the Amazons' origins after reading Historia? Liked the prescence of a supporting cast and Diana learning about Man's World from Year One? Willing to read a longer run? I recommend: Wonder Woman by George Pérez

George Pérez's time on Wonder Woman totally reinvented the character after Crisis on Infinite Earths, and is fundamental in establishing many core concepts of her lore. At 62 issues, 2 annuals, and a 4-issue crossover event at the end (War of the Gods), it's definitely a commitment to read, but it's the most enduring and well-loved run on Wonder Woman for a reason--it's just that damn good. Lots of focus on mythology (although with a lighter tone than Historia) alongside Diana learning her role in relation to Man's World & establishing herself as a hero and ambassador. Pérez's run also has almost-certainly the most expansive and developed supporting cast in WW comics, something that really drives the emotional core of the series, especially in later issues. Obligatory note that this series was written between 1987 and 1992 and contains some very occasional aspects that I thought were in some way dated/uncomfortable etc. while reading (details of Cheetah's origin, depiction of the Bana-Mighdall, Hercules) but despite that I still highly, highly recommend this run. The word fundamental cannot begin to describe it.

Liked the experienced Diana of the Hiketeia? Interested to see her attempt to balance the high stakes responsibilities of an ambassador and superhero? Looking for some really badass moments and fights? Haven't read enough terrible tragedy? I suggest: Wonder Woman by Greg Rucka 2003 EDITION.

Some of Diana's coolest moments of all time are collected here. Also one of her most controversial. The 1st Rucka run is very much the story for anyone who liked the Diana of the Hiketeia and the tragedy of that and Historia. 2003 Rucka Diana is a Diana tested, forced to make decisions that are anything but easy, and live with the consequences. She's extraordinarily capable, but her enemies know that and are prepared to that end. This run, along with the Pérez run, rank among my favorite Wondy comics of all time (those and Historia are my top 3). This run is such peak Diana, especially in terms of sheer badassery. Her final confrontation with Medusa is in my opinion perhaps the greatest Wonder Woman fight scene of all time. Her encounter with Athena in the second-to-last issue breaks me every time. Cannot recommend this book more.

*a note abt this run is that it is more context-dependent than the other ones listed here, as it's the run that finishes out the Wonder Woman vol. 2 book and so has some guest appearances from characters introduced in other prior runs (Artemis of Bana-Mighdall, Cassie Sandsmark, and Vanessa Kapatelis, to name a few). I read this run before knowing much (if anything) about any of them, and still enjoyed it a lot, so I wouldn't be worried about this really but just thought I'd mention it.

Rucka's 2003 run is published from Wonder Woman (1987) #195-226. You can also find it in trade and I believe(?) omnibus. Sometimes the Hiketeia is included in collections of this series, as the 03 run is thematically similar in many places, just with a much deeper look at Diana and the world & with higher stakes.

Liked the specific characters and plot threads of Wonder Woman: Year One? Want to see what happens with Diana's exile, or learn more about Barbara Ann? Want a Diana in between the extremes of young and highly experienced? Wonder Woman by Greg Rucka 2016 EDITION may be for you.

...yes I'm putting ANOTHER Rucka book on here. He writes a great Diana, what can I say. This run is the same one that Year One came out of, just the follow ups to that story and versions of the characters. I have this run listed as separate from Year One though, as there's some really big time skips since the events of that first volume. A lot of time has passed since then, and there's more history between the characters, not all of it without drama. This run continues to be weird with the numbering, as well as some artist changes, so I definitely recommend looking into reading this in trade format (physical or digital) if at all possible. My recommended reading order is WW 2016 by Rucka vol. 2 "The Lies" (Wonder Woman: Rebirth Special #1, followed by 2016 main title odd numbered issues 1-11), then Rucka 16 vol. 3 "The Truth" (odds 13-23) then Godwatch (evens 16 through 24) followed by 25? But The Truth and Godwatch combine near the end so that doesn't really work either. This run is so good but recommending it is such a pain because the numbering is so all over the place. On God I never know which order to read this in. Going to revoke my previous statement and say read it as Rebirth Special 1, then only odds 1 through 11, then from 13 through 25 normally. That may lead to some weirdness as you read because the two stories take place at different times and have different art styles, but they come together at the end pretty dramatically so I think it's less confusing to read it this way? Maybe? So strange bc this is one of the go to good starter runs and yet it's set up so unintuitively. If someone has a better way to read this then let me know and ill edit, ik this explanation is super confusing bc neither way to read it is totally ideal imo and I feel I definitely read it in a weird order.

Going to call that a good rundown of some of my greatest recommendations in terms of Wonder Woman comics. If anything wasn't fully clear here or anyone (not just anon) has questions or wants to talk abt WW comics/my choices feel free to send as many asks or dms as you want. Have a good day everybody, & as Diana says, may the glory of Gaea be with you <3

[felassan]

.

[cloudysarts]

this show would be good if literally everything about it was different

[stinkrascal]

okokok. straupdate tomorrow and this time im not lying i promise

[hauntingofhouses]

i know I've mentioned my interpretation of mizu's gender a million times on here but i don't think i ever fully elaborated on it.

so on that note i just wanna ramble about that for a bit. basically, it's my reading of the show that mizu is nonbinary, so let me dig into that.

putting the rest under the cut because it ended up being pretty long lol. also here have a cute mizu pic of her being happy and most at ease with herself, symbolised by her letting her hair down. <3 ok let's proceed.

thus, when i refer to mizu as nonbinary, i am interpreting mizu as a woman, but not ONLY a woman. not strictly a woman. she is also a man. she is also neither of these things, she is something in between, while at the same time she is none of these at all. i've said as much many times, but i just don't want people to think that when i say nonbinary, it inherently means a "third androgynous gender" that essentially turns the gender binary into a gender trinary. not only is that going against what the term nonbinary was crafted for (to go against rigid boxes and categorisation of gender identities), but also, not all nonbinary people fall under that category or definition, and that's definitely not the way i interpret mizu.

okay before i go deeper i'd just like to address some important things. first of all, this post is an analysis of canon, and thus everything i am arguing for is about my own interpretation of the show, and not some baseless projected headcanon i am projecting onto the character. please remember there is a difference between an interpretation (subjective; interpretations will differ from viewer to viewer, but ultimately it is firmly rooted in evidence taken from the source material) VS a headcanon (unrelated and often even contrary to what is presented in canon; opinions wildly differ and they cannot be argued for because there is no canonical evidence to back it up).

ALSO please note that nonbinary is an umbrella term. this means that it applies to a vast range of gender identities. other identities that fall under the nonbinary umbrella include agender, bigender, genderfluid, and so on. however, it's my personal preference to use the term nonbinary as it is, simply because i'm not a fan of microlabels (more power to you if you do like them and find they suit you more though!).

also, before anyone fights me on this, let me clarify further that gender means something different to everyone. it's not your biological sex or physical characteristics. but at the same time, gender is not mere presentation. you can be a trans woman and still present masculine—either because you're closeted and forced to, or because you just want to—and either way, that doesn't take away from your identity as a woman. same goes for trans men. if you're a trans man but you wear skirts and don't bind or don't get top surgery, that doesn't make you any less of a man. because gender non-conformity exists, and does not only apply to cis people! some lesbians are nonbinary and prefer using he/him pronouns while dressing masculinely, but that doesn't mean they're a man, or that they're any less of a lesbian. neither does this mean that they're a cis woman.

the thing about queer identities in general is that, like i said, they mean something different to everyone, because how you identify—regardless of your biological attributes and fashion or pronouns—is an extremely personal experience. so a nonbinary person and a gnc cis woman's experiences might have plenty of overlap, but what distinguishes between the two is up to the individual. there's no set requirements to distinguish you as one or the other, but it's up to you to decide what you identify as, based on what you feel. either way, by simply identifying yourself as anything under the LGBTQ+ umbrella, you are already communicating to the world that you are not what a conservative, cisheteronormative society wants you to be.

which is why i find all this queer infighting on labels to be so ridiculous. because we're all fighting the same fight; the common enemy is a societal structure that divides us into set roles and expectations purely based on our biological parts. that's why biological essentialism in the queer community is a fucking disease. because by arguing that women are inherently weak and fragile and soft and gentle and must be protected from evil ugly men, while men are inherently strong and angry and violent and exploitative of women, these people are advocating for the same fucked up system that marginalises and abuses women as well as effeminate and/or gay men.

anyway. i'm going on a tangent. this was meant to be a blue eye samurai post. so yeah back to that— the point i'm trying to make is that there's no singular way to identify as anything, as everyone's views on gender, especially their own, is specific and personal to the individual.

so with that being said, yes you can definitely interpret mizu as a gnc cis woman and that's a totally valid reading of the text. however, interpreting her as nonbinary or transmasc also doesn't take away from her experiences with misogyny and female oppression, because nonbinary and transmasc folks also experience these things.

me, personally, i view her as nonbinary but not necessarily or not always transmasc because i still believe femininity and womanhood is a very inherent part of who mizu is. for example, from what we've seen, she does not like binding. it does not give her gender euphoria, but is instead very uncomfortable for her both physically and mentally, and represents her suppressing her true self. which is why when she "invites the whole" of herself, she stands completely bare in front of the fire, breasts unbound and hair untied. when she is on the ship heading to a new land in the ending scene, she is no longer hiding her neck and the lack of an adam's apple. we can thus infer that mizu does not have body dysmorphia. she is, in fact, comfortable in her body, and relies on it extremely, because her body is a weapon. instead, what mizu hates about herself is her face—her blue eyes. she hates herself for her hybridised racial identity, hates herself for being a racial Other. hates that she has no home in her homeland. thus it is important to note that these are not queer or feminist themes, but postcolonial ones.*

* and as a tiny aside on this subject, i really do wish more of the fandom discussion would talk about this more. it's just such an essential part to reading her character. like someone who's read homi k bhabha's location of culture and has watched this show, PLEASE talk to me so we can ramble all about how the show is all about home and alienation from community. please. okay anyway—

nevertheless, queer and feminist themes (which are not mutually exclusive by the way!) are still prevalent in her story, though they are not the main issue that she is struggling with. but she does struggle with it to some extent, and we see this especially during her marriage with mikio, where we see her struggle in women's domestic spaces.

on the other hand, though, she finds no trouble or discomfort in being a man or being around other men—even naked ones—and does not seem stifled by living as one, does not seem all that bothered or uncomfortable navigating through men's spaces. contrast this to something like disney's mulan (1998), where we do see mulan struggle in navigating through men's spaces, as she feels uncomfortable being around so many men, always feeling like she doesn't belong and that she's inherently different from them. mizu has no such experiences like this, as her very personality and approach to life is what can be categorised as typically "masculine". she is straightforward and blunt. her first meeting with mikio, she tells him straight to his face that he's old while frowning and raising a brow at him. she approaches problems with her muscles and fists (or swords), rather than with her words or mind. compare this with mulan, who, while well-trained by the end of the movie, still uses her sharp wits rather than brute strength. this is a typically "feminine" approach. it's also the approach akemi relies on throughout the show—through her intelligence and persuasive tongue, she navigates the brothel with ease. mizu, in contrast to someone like mulan and akemi, struggles with womanhood and femininity, and feels detached from it.

thus, in my opinion, mizu is not simply a man, nor is she simply a woman. she is both. man and woman. masculine and feminine. she has to accept both, rather than suppress one or the other. her name means water. fluid.

as a side note, while i do believe mizu is nonbinary, i also primarily use she/her pronouns for her, but this is a personal preference. i find it's easier to use in fanfic (singular they is confusing to write stories with, but again, that's just my feelings on it, and this is coming from someone who uses they/they pronouns). i also lean towards she/her because it's what the creators and all the official promotional copywriting of the show uses. and even though i am a "death to the author" enjoyer, i feel that when interpreting things that are left open-ended, it does help to look at the creators' take on things. also because, in general, being nonbinary simply doesn't necessitate the use of they/them pronouns. nonbinary is not just a third gender. it's about breaking the binary, in any which way, and that's exactly what mizu does, constantly.

also, i'd also like to mention that one of show's head of story even referred to her with the term "nonbinary", rather than simply "androgynous" (see pic below). and it's possible this could be a slip up on his part, in which he believes the terms are interchangeable (they're not btw), but regardless i find it a very interesting word choice, and one that supports my argument.

so anyway yeah that's my incredibly long rambling post.

TL;DR nonbinary mizu rights 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 congrats if you reached the end of this btw. also ily. unless you're a TERF in which case fuck off. ok i'm done.

[seriouslagamorph]

can the funnybunny enjoyers of the tadc fandom and the funnybunny enjoyers specifically stop making jax and pomni so painfully heterosexual for five seconds. looking at you ao3.

[vaugarde]

looks from side to side........... are pregnancy jokes ok yet