#and those. dont work for xmas.

[autism-corner]

the nerd never leaves me.

[lemongogo]

why do i love the conflict more than anything else . the misery . the incompatibility that spreads like oil slick . wanting so desperately for resolution that never comes . hmmm

[lost-dazed-andconfused]

Also workers who work on public holidays (for jobs such as retail, hospo, nurses, etc) get holiday rates which is standardly double time I think but sometimes more?

One of the most personal, saddest things about living in America is the summertime.

There is 0 reason for American adults not to have a summer break. I can only say this with a full throat so loud, but other countries have policies and laws that give adults summertime.

It is not a joke to say France is kind of shutdown for August. There are over a dozen countries that have enough mandatory, legally required leave available to take an entire month off, or more. PLUS mandatory PAID holidays.

It's Brazil and Russia (ooh scary BRIC countries outgrowing the US and coming for us). India AND China give up to 2 weeks mandatory vacation leave, plus sick leave on top.

It's Afghanistan (20 days). It's Angola (22). It's Argentina(25) and Armenia (25) and Australia (20). It's Cambodia (technically unlimited; you can eventually get 15 or 17 days per month vacation).

That us on top of mandatory PAID public holidays. Cambodia can somehow manage 27 mandatory paid holidays plus upwards of 18 vacation days per year and going up from there, and we in the US can't even manage mandatory paid holidays.

We don't even get paid on Christmas and Memorial Day. And even trying to convince some people, let alone politicians, that everyone should get paid on Christmas is unfair to compare to pulling teeth.

Please. Please. I want to have a better life. I want you to have a better life.

I want you to not miss Summer Break. Because France and Cambodia don't.

[bukuoshin]

I'm gonna be real: probably made too many food miniatures for my niece. But I'm not done yet either.

[villainessprefect]

For a Idia Shroud x female reader or gender neutral it doesn’t matter to me, Could you do a one shot or scenario kind of story where he realizes that the reader keeps pictures of him (like they got a album that says “all of my boyfriend’s rare smiles I love”) because apparently they say that looking at a specific picture of him makes them happy or makes them motivated enough to start the day? You can take your time I don’t like to seem like a mean person and I also would like to complement your previous works of Idia! I enjoyed a lot of your stories of him :3

thank you for the request!! 🥺 and thank you for reading my works!! ueueue I hope you enjoy this one <3 also happy holidays since im posting on xmas lol I still kept with gender neutral and Prefect (hope thats okay). I went with a more tech-y route since I think it would be hard to snap pictures of him with an actual camera and have a physical photo album?? Recluses dont like getting pictures taken-

~

title: If a picture is worth a thousand words, then what about a photo album?

summary: Idia stumbles upon your not-so-secret album and he's at a loss for words. It means a lot (to you and him).

ship: Idia x gn!reader

word count: 1,788

Read on AO3

"I'll be back in a second. I just want to check on Grim," and make sure he hasn't gotten into the secret stash of tuna, you mentally add. You would have said it aloud, but you're fully aware that Idia would take his side over yours if it meant he could get on the monster's good side. Sometimes you wondered if he adored the cat more than you, jokingly of course. You know the truth.

You slide away from Idia's side and hop off your bed, gracefully landing on your feet. Before you take a step forward you turn back to chuck your phone onto the bed where you had been sitting.

"Can you do my dailies while I'm gone?"

"Do you even need to ask?" His free hand is already reaching for your phone. He unlocks it without even having to look at the keypad, eyes focused on his own phone. "You'll owe me for it though," he says with a grin, flashing his sharp teeth, challenging you. You chuckle and accept.

"If you pull me an SSR I'll do whatever you want," you say with a wink.

You twirl and begin your journey to find your other half, but not before catching a glimpse of Idia's falling confidence. His radiant smile fell only to have his lips in a thin line as his cheeks turned pink. You wish you could have gotten a picture of him then.

Idia shakes his head once you're gone and taps your phone before it locks itself. His heart had picked up and now he had to steady it so he could focus on the mission you gave him. The first half is easy. Dailies don't take long and he even gets you some extra crafting material for your characters. It's the other half that he ponders about.

Sure, he could pull an SSR for you and surprise you. He doesn't mind putting funds into your account. It's just he'd rather have you here with him when he does the pulls. He can show off his magic touch and get you on the first ten! Then you'd really have to do anything for him! Plus, he gets to see you get hyped when he pulls your favorite.

"It'll be worth the wait," he mutters and adds enough funds for an extra ten pull. "But I should get a reward for fulfilling the first half, right? Getting a delayed reward isn't how games work."

Idia grins as he glances at the door. When there's no sign that you're on the other side, he focuses on your phone, his grin widening like a mad scientist.

"I'm sure they wouldn't mind me getting some pics of Grimmy."

He leaves your game and slides into your photo album. He's already chuckling at this sneaky victory prize. Grim only accepts you taking pictures of him and refuses to have them sent to Idia. Of course, you would still send the occasional picture to him against the monster's wishes. Sometimes you would use the excuse that the picture had both of you in it. (And boy were those pictures the ones Idia loved the most). Regardless, he knows your phone is a treasure trove filled with pictures of Grim and he's going to raid it.

But something else stops him completely.

As he goes to the albums the first one set up causes him to freeze. One labeled "Idia's rare smiles 💙". Seeing the title and the previewed pictures cause his cheeks to burn. His hair follows, acting as if it had just been ignited with his tips turning pink.

"Wh-Wh-Wh?!"

Your phone nearly slides out of his hands and part of him considered chucking it at the wall in disbelief. Thankfully, he is far too stunned to follow through on that. Instead, his grip strengthens as he stares at the album.

He can't believe that you keep a separate album that's just pictures of him. Specific pictures of him to be exact. And so many?! Okay, maybe having eighteen isn't that much, but it is a lot to him! Did he really smile that often? And how the hell did you even manage to snap that many of him? Were you improving your stealth stats without him knowing?

A shaky finger accidentally taps on the album, causing it to open up. And...he's surprised.

There are pictures of him genuinely happy. Some of them he can't quite remember and it doesn't help that a good chunk of them were side profiles. Those might have been from game nights when he was really immersed in the challenge. But those that captured his whole face, his cheery smile, toothy or not, content and accomplished, he remembers those. He'd always get embarrassed right after those were taken.

"Do I...really look like that...?" He mutters to himself. He doesn't think he's good-looking despite what you tell him. But even he has to admit that in some of these pictures, his smile is...kinda nice. Still weird for a shut-in to smile so brightly, he thinks. It's very weird. He isn't sure his heart can take this!

"I'm back! Sorry, I took a bit longer than I thought. Grim got stuck- are you okay?" You ask, cutting yourself off as you see the color of your boyfriend's hair. It was an odd mix of blue and pink, with the latter color beginning to overtake his usual hue. Normally the change would only affect the tips, not the rest of his hair, so it's a surprise to see him like this.

Idia fumbles for his words. He jumps as you catch him red-handed and loosens his grip on your phone. It slips out of his grasp, falling from his lap and onto your bed. With his hands free, he now takes this chance to cover his face.

You're left with more questions than answers. Nothing comes to mind as to what would leave Idia like this. It's only when you surprise him with a chaste kiss on the cheek does he ever flare up and you hadn't been here to do that. So, you step forward to see what had caused this.

Your special photo album.

You blink and have to hold back a laugh. This is what made him react like that?

"Why..." Idia breathes, managing to find his voice now. "D-Do you have something like that?" He almost sounds terrified, especially with the fact that he's hiding behind his hands, but you know better. The shock and surprise that someone would care to save these rare and beautiful pictures of him is only something you would do.

The laughter bubbling up inside of you evaporates and you wear a soft smile. Gently, you pick up your phone and slide back to your position beside him. He stays in place, slowly pulling his hands down, though they cover his lips. Those glowing yellow eyes focus on you, not even daring to look at your phone as you absentmindedly scroll up and down the album.

"It's normal to have something like this, right?" You ask, though don't expect an answer. "Besides, it's nice to wake up to you."

You pause and look at him. Your answer only seems to make his cheeks turn a deeper shade of pink. They might as well be red at this point. Despite the silence, you know he's asking you to continue, explaining yourself for your horrendously sweet actions.

Oh, this may be a little embarrassing for you.

You clear your throat and gaze back to the album.

"It...does kinda suck being isekai'd into another world with no skills," you say half-heartedly. "I don't have to tell you how scary this world is. Even if I've been here for so long it's...not easy. I'm an outsider, a weirdo, a...magicless problem." You bite your tongue, refusing to continue on that. "But knowing I have someone who doesn't mind all that, who doesn't care that I'm not from here and loves me despite everything...it makes me happy. I know I'm not alone anymore, yeah, I have my friends, but you? It's different with you. I can wake up, see your smile, and know that it's real. That I can make you smile like that or just see it later. Knowing you’re here, in this world, waiting for me...it helps me get out of bed, you know?"

You didn't mean to go so deep even as you held back. Honestly, you hated having to hint at your loneliness and negativity. Not just because you're certain Idia preferred avoiding this type of thing, but it was just hard to talk about. You'd always be a foreigner, an alien in this world, and you just wanted to have something- someone that you could take comfort in. It was easier to pretend that you weren't from another world sometimes and Idia helped make you feel like you belonged.

A trembling hand comes into your field of vision. It snaps you out of your thoughts. Slowly, you reach out to meet with him. You give it a squeeze and look to meet his gaze. But you weren't expecting to see tears at the corners of his eyes.

"I-Idia?!"

"I'm that important to you?" He asks, quietly.

"You are," you breathe out, relieved. "You make me really happy. More than you know."

"You make me happy too..." He mumbles. He tries to relax, but how can he when his heart is ablaze? His hair sways, erratically, to match his heartbeat. Not that you would know, Sevens, he hopes you can't hear it. "S-Sorry, I can't always be with you, physically...but if you ever w-want reassurance...You're like super important to me. W-We can be weirdos together."

He tries, he really does. Words are already difficult in normie conversations and this just ups the difficulty to nightmare.

Nevertheless, you smile. For a moment, you think your eyes might match his, teary. Sometimes you consider yourself lucky. Not just for meeting Idia, but for being with him too. You found a kindred soul in more than one way. And you're so grateful that he loves you. He's become your safe place in this hell.

You lean your head against his shoulder. Idia flinches but relaxes shortly after. You feel him squeeze your hand.

"You can go back to your game, you know," you say in a quiet whisper. It didn't feel right to speak loudly, not yet.

"I-I'm okay...I don't mind staying like this for a bit..." He breathes, matching your quiet tone. "And I can play with one hand anyway," he adds offhandedly.

You chuckle and don't doubt him. Still, you stay like this, enjoying each other's comfortable silence.

[stylezxsilvermoon]

okay yeah ! so i think i am gonna do a xmas theme, also i feel like this "promo" for cool kids / i'm faded is me trying toooooooo hard

(big rant under the cut)

, idk i just get very frustrated at these things so i think im just gonna go back to posting when i wanna, like being so real its always been my dream to be a big account and share with my readers, and at my CORE i still wanna be that but the issue is i dont know WHERE to start, and its not like im a new writer i've been writing since i was like 15 (what i'd consider the writing i like) and im just so ????!! about it, like i feel so physically incapable of being a fandom writer like i can't explain it its everything i want but everytime i work towards it i just self implode and stop posting / stop writing, like i still wanna write OBVIOUSLY but the pressure of wanting to "make it big" destroys me like everytime idek? and it seems so easy when i think about it but then when i do it its like LOL NOPE idc idc how much effort you put in. and yes it could be the fact i've never posted a complete fic so there's really nothing for people to know me for, i just feel like people get "suprised" i write on here LIKE YEAH, i post like insanely haphazardly but yeah i do!! and it feels so preformative and ugh.

also i've struggled for a long time on what i wanna do with this account, i wanna speak up about things which includes RB'ing a shit ton, but ive always had an unhealthy imbalance of what i wanna do on here, i wanna be a writing account but what abt the stuff i wanna bring to light by RB'ing, and yes i have other side accounts but they're all for fun, i dont wanna seperate my intrests because they all belong here, just like i do, its kinda my home atp. i feel like i'm one of those people who you dont miss on dash because i rarely curate my own posts and just silently reblog so ig its kinda my fault. idk, the more ive been thinking i feel like the "big fandom writer" thing isn't gonna be for me, and then AT THE SAME TIME i feel like im shooting myself in the foot everytime i complain and wanna pick up the fight again, but idk ive been whining abt it since i was like 15 and im oh so tired with everything going on in the world so i'm just gonna write my fics.

i feel like i write so diff from everyone else, like when i post something i want it to convey something in you, i want you to feel moved and feel appreciated and loved and happy reading something i make, and i dont even know if my writing is built to do that and i may be just dicksucking myself. idek. i dont wanna post for just notes i wanna talk about what i write with other people and for people to ask me why i chose what i did and why i wrote my stories and how it made them feel or what they like about it, and i just feel like im pandering to an audience that doesn't exist everytime i idek, write author's notes, ask for feedback, talk to people about what they like, i've always taken myself way too seriously and i just feel like modern fandom is so. so.

like i grew up reading 2010's fanfics and thats the kinda vibe i like creating, like 2012 chronically online wattpad stories, with long chapters and chatty authors and a bunch of funny comments, i just idk.

[00-theguardians-00]

Hello im Finstel you can call me finley or fin!

This blog is still in work so yeaaah might undergo some changes

This blog is mostly about the guardian's so it's not only about the Xmas au if you want to ask one of them please tell me who and i will awnser :]

My other trumblr blog is called @morpheus-the-sandman hop in if you're interested and take a look around!

The pictures hight difference is by the way referenced by clowns drawing just so you know!

im not good at writing and my grammar isn't that great so forgive me for typos :'D I also didn't used Tumblr as much so I'm still

Important none of the stories are Canon to clowns og project!!

!! Boundaries!!

Yes you can

✅ make fanart absolutely tag me please!!!

✅ Shipping? Yes ofc but please only ocs sonas or yns yeah you can also ship Eddie and frank since I ship it too

✅ Im also okay with interactions trough I can't promise I will do all of them I mostly do what I feel like and if I don't feel like it I don't do it it also might take a bit

Donts❌

Please no applecest no wallycest no proships!!!❌

No nsfw with these aus mentioned here!!!❌

Don't do Ai bots of my aus I'm doing alredy bots but it takes a bit I get really exausted after a bit of working on bots like I get sleepy and all it takes a bit I know I'm working on them for quite a while now but still have patients I'm also not an expert when it comes to bots I'm still learning!! ( not sure if I make any ais of the aus here I see idk)

❌❌❌

Don't message me privately if I don't know you please if I know you for a bit from my comment section you can ask me if you can message me and I might say yes , please have patients with me I don't feel comfortable calling you my friend so soon so I just call you a mutual if I know you for a longer while I might call you a friend! I had a really bad experience with an ex friend of mine I knew since my childhood and that left marks , I might get easily overwhelmed or exausted so I might dip or don't talk at all please don't feel like I'm ignoring you or anything I'm not I'm simply not feeling like talking or it is to much at that day for me!❌❌❌

🌟Things about me that are important 🌟

my pronounce are she/her, he him, im genderfluid and aroace bisexual ❤️

I have auditory processing disorder or called

(APD )

Wich makes me slower I might forget alot of things or I also have hearing problems sometimes like when somone calls me it doesn't end up in my brain I'm also very sensitive so sounds loud notices specifically

I also take a while to understand things so be patient with me

(HSP ) I am a highly sensitive person

I also have social anxiety

I'm really sensitive like I would say emotionally there are often times where I do take things too serious or something please tell me talk to me about those things if I understand stuff the wrong way

I'm 23 years old and German

I only speak English and German I can't speak other languages

🌟Refs of my sillys🌟

What's the Xmas au about??

What is the Xmas au about??

Well I think you can guess Basacally they make gifts for everyone

Wolly Julie yn and Sally are outside to check the houses and make them ready for Santa home to enter before he comes

Eddie brings the letters from everyone to Santa home

Frank makes sure everything goes after plan

Howdy does work both as a shop keeper but also helps around and carries heavy things

Poppy well she bakes

Barnaby also helps around!

They are also able to travel trough aus

If one of them talks it's gonna be red

Because I'm planning on bringing in this blog also other aus so stay tuned!

[wind-up-thancred]

Hey I saw ur Thancred face mod and wanted to say…thank you so much!!!! And I miss his old face 🥺 do you think it’s possible to ever get it back? I’m tempted to learn modding just to fix up my boy bc they really massacred him 💀

hi anon! im glad you like the mod. yeah i dont blame you for missing the old face lol, i took one look at it in textools when the patch dropped and went "wtf did they do to my boy... 😢" i think it depends on what you mean by "getting his old face back":

-if you want to start with the 7.0 base face, you could probably open it up in blender next to his old face and use the sculpt tool to physically sculpt his mesh to be closer to what it used to be, but i think past the lips there isn't too much else on the actual geometry to change— maybe his nose and jawline? but to me it feels like a lot of the change also happened to his normal maps, which are the textures that add extra shading detail and volume to the face. the old textures cant be ported over because the new mesh isn't laid out for them, buuuut im aware of a tool being developed currently in the ffxiv loose texture compiler for automatically transforming the old textures to match the new mesh layout. will that work for thancred's unique face? i'm not sure, but it could be worth a try— im fairly certain his unique sculpt is an edited version of one of the male midlander faces, so once that specific face is supported in the tool, it might work. if not, you can always manually adjust the new normal map while referencing the other one. -if you want to start with the OLD 6.58 base face, i believe there is a blender script going around (i saw it in the textools discord last iirc?) for converting old face sculpts to new ones. this is necessary because the new faces have QUITE a few new bones in them that need to be rigged, or else the face will not animate. from there, you MIGHT have to convert some of the old textures as well, but i'm not 100% sure, i think it depends on how well they work at baseline for 7.0. i know there's still a legacy skin shader in the game for older faces since not all of them have been updated yet, so you might be able to switch it to that so that the old textures still work. if that sounds like A Lot, uh... i dont blame you 😅ive been learning xiv modding for about two years ish now so ive got a lil bit of know-how under my belt, but if you want somewhere good to start, i would recommend joining the textools discord, there are multiple channels there for people to ask questions about how modding works, how to mod specific things, lots of tutorials, etc, and im sure therell be something in there to help you along. buuuuut in the meantime, i HAVE seen two other existing mods so far on XMA that do both of the things i mentioned before: https://www.xivmodarchive.com/modid/109670 this one seems to be a very good version of the first fix, where they went in and sculpted his new 7.0 face to be closer to the old one to a higher extent than i did, with his lips, jaw, and nose tweaked. it doesnt have heterochromia or scruff like mine does but i think you should theoretically be able to do that easily— feel free to send another ask if you want me to explain how i did it on my mod. https://www.xivmodarchive.com/modid/109665 this one, meanwhile, is the second fix— they ported the old face model over the new one. it has stubble and no heterochromia but again, if you want to change either of those, id be happy to explain how i did it. i have not tested either of these myself so i have no clue how well these work in-game but im sure they work fine!! i hope either of those help you out and if not i wish you good luck on your modding journey.... esp learning blender ^^" its a pain in the ass at first but trust me it feels really really good once youve figured stuff out!

[mads-is-a-bit-strange]

“You can’t skip chapters, that’s not how life works. You have to read every line, meet every character. You won’t enjoy all of it. Hell, some chapters will make you cry for weeks. You will read things you don’t want to read, you will have moments when you don’t want the pages to end. But you have to keep going. Stories keep the world revolving. Live yours, don’t miss out.”

- Pillow Thoughts 2 by Courtney Peppernell (found the quote on pinterest)

🎃TRICK OR TREAT ON THIS ACC🎃

Hi here’s my intro post>>>

Here's what you'll find here that will hopefully pique your interest☟

~Art

~Stories (fandoms or stories im writing myself)

~memes

~vents/updates (they are really fuckin random but stay with me on this)

~reblogs

Here's some things abt me☟

Name: Madeleine

Nicknames: mads, maddie, marie, mad, maggie, em, etc. (now some might be names of my hearttypes)

Age: minor‼️

Pronouns: she/they

Sexuality: Bisexual

mbti test results: ENFJ-T (main character vibes😝✌️)

aura color: blue💙💙💙

Now some random facts abt me☟

♡here are my ocs accounts!!

@the-giver3

@b3c0m3-insan3

@lemme-die-rq666

@bibi-hates-u2

@sun-and-moon888

@talkingisntrllymything

💛i listen to music more than i should…(specifically my musical playlist with way to much heathers😆)

💛baby witch (i havent done any spells before but i do tarot a lot)

💛i love all of my friends <333 Im so lucky to have them and i would literally die for them❤️❤️❤️❤️and my mutuals idk how the hell i got those but i’m very grateful

💛i’m otherhearted!!! i have multiple hearttypes and my main ones right now are prob German Shepherd and Raccoon :3

💛cabin 3/6!!! (poseidon or athena)

🩷 “this is modern feminism talking” “i expect to rule the world in shoes i cannot walk in”🩷

💛"Everyone's pushing, everyone's fighting. Storms are approaching, there's nowhere to hide. If i say the wrong thing, or i wear the wrong outfit, they'll throw me right over the side. On the tiniest lifeboat."💛

💞V, K, H, C, E, A, B, J, E, E, A, S, L💞

🇵🇸river to sea, palestine will be free🇵🇸

💛Fandoms☟

Owl house, Craig of the Creek, Superstore, Gravity Falls, Amphibia, Big Bang Theory, She-Ra, Adventure Time, Harbin Hotel, Helluva Boss, PJO, etc. (ik ik i’m a nerd)

💛I do theatre and student council

💛DNI: DMs (im not allowed to talk to strangers online but if ik u irl then u can dm, or if you want to ask a simple question), Transphobes, homophobes, racist ppl, Z00s, N@Z!/neo-N@Z!, s3xists, p0rn bots (im a fucking minor), p3d0s, nsfw.

💛Links☟

𖤐Pinterest

𖤐Spotify

𖤐Tumblr Community

𖤐My post about my series i’m working on

𖤐The first chapter of The Killer Circus!

𖤐Decorate my tree for Xmas!!

𖤐My userboxes are here: (im still working on it so i dont have a link 😔😔😔 srry)

Just remember that you are amazing <3 Like literally the best and i know that hearing that from a total stranger may sound crazy and creepy, but i genuinely care about my friends and mutuals. Have fun here, so yeah byeeee :]

[renamusing]

Wait

When is the ssw for emmerdale. I

know Ian used to give out spoilers like crazy noe he is back do we know the what the theme is about.

Danny coming back after the team was so done with them during the covid era makes ZERO sense but he also has a kid and I can't even blame him for wanting an stable job. Even if is this. He has not control over any of this after all.

But the fucking use of "a prodigal son" over that guy makes me so mad.

The next thing is that every single Dingle will adore him and have xmas eith him as if Robert is not the reason Aaron is still alive.

I hate it so much. Is like the open the wounds that we all have and people are more than ever asking about why ROBERT is not back instead of this.

It does feel like John is reboot-Robert minus everything special Ryan added to the character plus the great writing he got back then (thanks Maxine).

As for this year's super soap week, I don't think anything has been announced yet. The only thing that is known so far is that a major portion of the cast has filmed scenes concerning a big barn fire a few weeks ago (apparently John saves Moira and Ruby's lives, i dont remember more than that, only that Charity, Cain and Chas will be there too, which fits in with what you said about John being welcomed by the Dingles later on lol).

The thing is, I'm not sure whether the filming dates of the barn fire will match with ssw or if the barn fire will be a prelude to whatever happens then? It was also announced that Nate's actor will leave the show, so some people suspect he will die in those ssw eps, and there's also talk of something big happening with belle&tom, though according to the latest interview with one of the producers, their coercive control story will run until the end of the year.

I'm still looking forward to whatever comes, mainly bc John's actor said there were many twists and turns to come and every news piece leading up to his arrival mentioned a return of the Sugdens, so I believe John's appearance is only the start. Maybe Diane will return, maybe some Sugden-adjacent characters like the Merricks, or even Kathy Glover like some rumours suggested.

I've read a few theories recently about how John isn't actually Jack's son but rather the son of Jack's brother Joe, since Joe was romantically linked to John's alleged mother Barbara and also Karen Moore (who was also Jack's girlfriend for a time) which might explain the Aiden Moore dogtags.

Tbh, if John's character wasn't so dull and his romance with Aaron so contrived, I think we would all be having a wonderful time right now. Unfortunately, we gotta work with what we have. Plus the absence of hermit Hawley 😔🙄

[fairuzfan]

Hey! I just saw your post about libraries, and I wanted to chime in. Speaking as a Palestinan Muslim librarian in Cook County, IL aka the county with the highest Palestinian population in the US, where a good majority of our patrons are Arab, the main reason our library doesn't hold programs that cater specifically to our Arab patrons is because they never show up.

Like your library, we have tons of 3arab kids who hang out after-school because the high school is down the street, and college kids who come to study but that's it. When we host, for example, video game night, or anime club, or study with a dog, anything really, we'll get 1 or 2 and the rest are predominantly White. The only 3arab demographic who consistently shows up (and this is the case in many libraries) are the moms with their toddlers. That's why we have bilingual story time and Eid/Ramadan crafts in the children's dept. It's habal for us to create programs in the adult and YA dept where I work when we never see the 3arab community turn out, and I so wish they would.

Libraries have a programming budget. We have to use it in a way that draws the most patrons to the library. It's great that you hang out but you also need to attend programs! If there's a specific program you want to see, let us know! Please! And then show up for it! We want to do what the community wants! We want you to show up! Complaining that there's nothing for you doesn't help us or the community at large.

I have personally created displays for Ramadan, for Arab American Heritage Month, for Palestinian authors as well as Pride, Halloween, Xmas, Hispanic Heritage, etc. Libraries are for everyone.

As for bias, that's everywhere, libraries included. If your library's collection isn't as diverse as it should be, speak up! Send an email! And keep an eye on your library board. See who's on it and vote the racists off.

Also. Just a little fun fact in case your library puts up Xmas decorations but not Ramadan. An excerpt from a BookRiot article: The fact of the matter is that not everybody celebrates Christmas or puts up a tree. We’ll skip the fact that the Christmas tree was appropriated from the Pagans and their Yule Tree. It is now so synonymous with the Christian faith that it’s hard to separate the two. You know what is supposed to be separate, though? Church and state. 

That means that anything symbolic of a specific religion should not be prominently displayed in a government building. Libraries are funded by the government; therefore, that separation should extend to those buildings. And if a Christmas tree aligns with the Christian faith…you see where I’m going here. 

TLDR: Complain politely to your library and show up for programs.

hey cook county! i have cook county family!

totally, i agree, do show up to events like I definitely definitely think that and i regret not mentioning it in my original post. libraries do rely on funding from people that show up but in my specific case of being in a very very conservative location.... it's not a consideration of who shows up. like actually people do show up to events, i see kids there all the time participating. and part of it is that muslim communities don't know they can ask for it or just dont know they're also welcome in these spaces but it also requires people to reach out and make it known that these are welcoming spaces contrary to the other public spaces that are very much. not welcoming.

I mean outreach is a problem that is hard to do, i won't deny that, and personally as someone who is working in the community that they grew up in (palestinian cultural heritage) it's not that hard for me and i fully acknowledge that.

and im not a public librarian i totally think librarians are like. the cool kids of "GLAM" like as a whole actually and do a lot of good work, but like cook county does have a different demographic of people than my personal library. i've gotten sneers and eyerolls from library staff in my area for asking questions when i was younger that kinda turned me off for a few years from interacting with them. and that's not a problem in every library, yeah, but it is definitely a problem for some.

it's definitely improved in recent years and theres been a push in many library spaces to ensure inclusivity and i absolutely love that in ways i don't see in other spaces. my post originally was more like... acknowledging that some people Are Racist in positions of leadership in libraries lol and that affects people's experiences that i think some people, depending on where they live, kinda need to acknowledge.

i know like something i'm trying to do also, (instead of just complaining lol) is host archive workshops with my muslim community at my masjid and letting them know theres ALLLLLL these resources you can use FOR FREE to let them know that you can participate in libraries and archives and you should! but there is the feeling of like "well that's not For Me" that i think a lot of muslims deal with internally and need to be reached out to first and not the other way around. but that also is reflective of the community at large too and how public events are catered to different people.

[definitelynotshouting]

Do not apologise at all for responding late!! Holiday burnout is so real, theres sm to organise so I understand completely 😅. I hope youre getting some rest between xmas and the new year, or that at least whatever you have planned isnt too hard on you :)

I am 100% willing to believe you blessed my flight lmao, hopefully it works on the way back as well :D

Is it weird to say i dont think ive ever had a blackberry before?? Idk i might have had one when i was a kid but when you mentioned the blackberry jam I completely blanked. So um. Hope it was good?

Oh no your cat!! D: Hope he's all better now

YES I WOULD LOVE TO TELL YOU ABOUT MALAYSIAN FOOD!! I would show u pics but um 🧍->🏃‍♂️💨. Ur gonna have to google it king LOL. The first day back my dad and I went out to a mamak stall (basically just a restaurant for malay-chinese-indian food), and I had roti canai (a type of flatbread with curry) and teh tarik, which I have missed dearly. I dont typically like normal english breakfast tea so getting to have authentic teh tarik was SO GOOD. Teh tarik (translating to "pulled tea") is made with condensed milk and gets its name from how after the drink is mixed it gets continuously poured over and over from one container to another until it gets super frothy.

I've also been getting reacquainted with my favourite fruits 🥰 that you cant get in Australia like mangosteen and jambu air (ai-yer). Mangos and dragon fruit you can get in australia but. um. Theyre bad. They just taste like sweet water. Also unfortunately for me rambutan i havent been able to find rambutan 😔😔. Those look similar to lychee but they taste pretty different, less tangy and sweeter.

Ive gone out with a friend to have cendol (c promounced as a "ch") which is a cold desert with coconut milk and rice jelly, along with other toppings should you choose it. Im also in the process of convincing my bff to do a 3h road trip with me specifically for food in a city called Ipoh 😭 wish me luck.

AND, im getting one of my relatives to teach me how to make rendang and char kway teow. The rendang specifically because the one she makes i prefer over what's usually made in restuarants. I think it's a state difference in recipes or smtg? So the ones you'll find in restuarants are KL/Selangor rendang and she makes from Kedah. Thats just a theory tho im not actually sure.

🧍 i realise this ask has become like 70% about food so i apologise. But. In my defense you asked >:) /j

ANYWAY. I hope youve gotten a break from the holiday work or at least have one coming up <33 Take care of yourself; indulge in your cheeses :D

-☀️

SUN ANON HELLOOOOOO im so excited to hear you got those desserts, those sound AMAZING...... also i looked up all the foods you mentioned and MAN THESE LOOK GOOD.... im a shrimp lover im gazing so hard at the char kway teow...... 👀👀👀👀👀 also holy shit these fruits look so cool???? Thats WILD ive literally never heard of these before and im having a lot of fun looking them up online and reading about their flavours and stuff!!!! Incredibly curious about mangosteen, i was not expecting it to be white inside when i looked it up and just like, the contrast of the purplish rind vs the white insides is SO neat to look at, like that feels really good on my eyeballs if that makes sense JSDBEKDNMDD also also teh tarik sounds and looks amazing i want to try that SO bad now omg

Its so funny you say that about blackberries bc where i live we have them literally growing everywhere on the side of the road AKDNWKDNKWDN in the summer when they start putting out fruit one of my roommates will sometimes go out and just pick a bunch for the whole household, and they always taste SOOOOO much better than the store-bought ones. Im genuinely not sure how to describe the taste of blackberry other than like. Its very sweet but also very tart (i go for the slightly less ripe ones tbh bc i prefer tart things to super sweet) at the same time, and sorta pops in your mouth a little bit when you chew it. Honestly its one of my favorite fruits i would highly recommend them if you can find em anywhere!!!!

My resolution this year is a bit silly but i wanted to go for a very fun easy one, so its to use every sticker i own this year :] ive already started by putting a few on the creeper minifridge that my roomie got me for xmas 😂😂😂😂😂😂 and i have some scrapbook ideas as well to use my fancier ones that my friends have gotten me!!!! Also you are so valid about the writing-- tbh if you wrote more than expected then it sounds like you succeeded instead of failed, so thats awesome!!! :DDD

I hope you're doing well on your travels, sun anon!! And when the time comes may your flight back to Australia be as peaceful and pleasant as the one you experienced when you left it :]

[awesomehoggirl]

planning what to bring when i go home for three/maybe four weeks… does this look insane? reasonings under the cut <- This is procrastination i dont want to do coursework

two pairs of jeans which i can layer the thermal leggings under for going out on really cold days, one pair practical one pair more fun/dressy. joggers for sleeping in/period (she is coming)

a mini skirt, fun graphic shorts and a long skirt. classic needed combo. again i can layer stuff under the long skirt and the mini skirt & shorts are a really cute dressier option for nights in/warmer days out. plus i can wear the shorts around the house on chill days

two long really thick knit jumpers one simple one more statement (they both go with absolutely everything) good for wrapping up or around the house. the polka dot is thinner but cashmere so such a cute formal option and still warm

black cardigan & longsleeves are essential layering options i wear them literally every day. i can only bring one jacket and my brown leather jacket is my signature (and warmest) works formal or casual

two tshirts one fitted one oversized, and the axes femme blouse is like a drapy cutesy beige shirt with ribbons, perfect for going out in the day

i was so conservative just choosing three dresses it was SO hard bc i love dresses i might end up bringing more 😭 the knit one is THE perfect christmas dress, so warm and cutesy and statement without being too much, can wear it out or on lazy days!! the other star one is a gamble bc its literally a strappy sequin mini dress not very warm but im planning on wearing it for nye which is usually indoor and we tend to host so no need to wrap up for it. the other is warm long sleeved and i can wear it as a top or skirt so i think its a worthy third choice. accessories wise im only bringing ONE scarf (a light cream one) and then a practical belt and a thick statement one. for shoes im gonna have to just bring my practical stomper boots 😔 so sad

This seems like a lot considering i have clothes at home but i am trying to cover all the bases and im super super super into fashion atm like the most i have ever been and it is also my antidote to seasonal depression 😭 style wise im really into gossip girl 2010s preppy grunge (YES those are opposites. i contain multitudes). also i can pair alll these things with the clothes im getting for xmas Which i am sick with excitement for. getting lots of tops then which is why i was more conservative top wise than i would usually be… so excited to go home but also ill miss some of my clothing babies so much (fur vest black leather jacket denim & red plaid mini skirts brown suede skirt all my dresses. to make a few) FUCK I LOVE CLOTHES AND FASHION AND STYLING OH MY GOD

[angeryspeedo]

i LOVE your ocs and your expansive toybox! i've seen you work on scratch games and share those on discord, do you share those somewhere on tumblr too?

hi sky!

i actually don't share too much of my toybox here; a good 85% of my blog is reblogs, and the only times i definitely share art are on my birthday, halloween, and xmas

as for the scratch games i dont think i share them on here, but i could probably stand to share some of it

[gemsofthegalaxy]

Personal post incoming weeoooo

Might.... do some more reading about PCOS being considered intersex (or ..intersex variation? Sorry im not familiar with terminology) because. Idk. Its.. neat? I know its not medically classified as such rn but i also know a growing amount of ppl W pcos consider themselves that way anyway bc fuck doctors dictating our lives when they barely understand our syndrome anyway.

And like, I remember the first time i heard about the idea that some people consider PCOS to be inherently related considered to be intersex it sort of knee-jerk distressed me a litttttlleeee bit. because i am a (afab/cis) woman and considering myself anything close to not-woman is distressing for me, and i blame this partly on the ""male pattern"" symptoms of PCOS, mostly hair growth. So i felt like by considering myself intersex it would like, invalidate my womanness in a way i am already stressed about,

But also i know like..... your sex or body or hormones or whatever dont actually dictate whether you are a woman and i KNOW that logically?? I have trans friends and loved ones for instances. but of course, you always want to exempt yourself from the positive things as if that cant possibly apply.

But yeah idk if its just me in this moment or if this is sort of coming out of a long while of little things percolating in my brain but i also Know i need to find self love and beauty in the body i have because i will Never be a skinny, hairless, high-heel wearing Standard BeautyTM type girl even tho i ame Very Femme. And i need to accept that i can be those things in the body i have because i cannot have another body even if i wanted plastic surgery or could afford/tolerate hair removal etc it's just not gonna happen that shits expensive and ..hmmmmmnnn.. anyway

And before you ask yes i need therapy lmao.... my former therapists and I have never addressed the body image issues because i always default to working on my anxiety but its like? Idk why i do that??

It almost doesnt make sense bc yes the anxiety is distressing but also it hasnt actually held me back that much, it hasnt prevented me from making friends bc i Have Friends, it hasnt prevented me from getting my Masters, moving several times, or having a job I like so i feel like if i do get therapy again I need to be way more intentional about what I want to work on OTHER than anxiety (its also like. Idk. Working on anxiety in ISOLATION from other stuff is also like?? Only ever gonna be so helpful. I wish holistic healthcare were actually possible imagine that)

Sorry 4 the rant and using tumblr as a diary but oh well. Its the several days between xmas and new years what else can i be doing

[surveysonfleek]

1664.

When was the last time you did clay work/pottery? literally 2020, i ordered a clay kit during lockdown and made this weird pen holder lol

Do you like art, hate it or just not mind it? i thoroughly enjoy it. im a sucker for an art gallery. i dont understand ‘all’ art but its still fun to check out

If you had to choose would you prefer dull pain for 12hours or sharp for 2? dull pain

Koala or Kangaroo? koalas are way cuter

Do you know the words to the national anthem of your country? yes

Is your country ruled by a president, prime minister, queen or other? pm

Does blue occur in your national flag? yes

Talking of flags. Do you like football/soccer? If yes, do you play and what position? no... hot take but i think soccer is so boring to watch

Would you rather be a Model, Famous Scientist, Singer or Chef? singer

Would you rather be a pilot, crime scene investigator or estate agent? pilot i think!

Does making others happy really make you feel happy? yes! it certainly makes me feel good, thats for sure

What colour literally doesn’t appear in your wardrobe at all? i think i should at least own one of each colour in my closet bit i guess i rarely wear yellow

Do you actually read the answers others give to your surveys? i dont make surveys

Did you ever swear at a teacher in school? Why? nah

Have you ever pricked your finger on Holly or another ‘sharp’ plant? yea, probably 

Speaking of Holly, do you adore Christmas or does it bug you? i enjoy xmas but i really hate consumerism and the tradition my family and my partner’s family has with giving semi expensive gifts. i feel pressure to have to give them something back just as expensive ugh

Have you ever wrote your own short story? What about a novel? Or perhaps you started and couldn’t finish? only for school

Do you prefer SciFi/Fantasy/Action/Horror or Rom/Com/RealLife? i have a really short attention span so its been awhile since ive sat down and watched a ‘serious’ movie. the most recent movie i watched was a romcom

What do you have a lot of faith in [note: can be anything]? idk sadly

Think of a material thing you want. Name it here (material, made or bought). Would $100/60 be enough for this item? How about $1000/600? i want a new iphone. i think they go for like $1500ish

Would you rather have a big house, a lot of kids or a high flying job? high flying job as long as im happy with it

Have you ever been to a creepy/haunted/abandoned place? What did it look like and what were the circumstances? no, im too much for a scaredy cat to do that What’s your favourite dip? french onion

Chocolate Cookies or Fudge Brownies? brownies

I give you a little baby puppy. What do you name him? oh man, idk. id be spending a lot of time thinking of a name

Is crime a big problem in your area? not really tbh

What’s your town/city most well known for? white people lmao Do you know a Jack? What’s he like? How about a Lisa? What’s she like? i dont know any jacks personally. or lisas haha.

Are most your friends older, younger or the same age as you? theyre all around the same age

Do you subconsciously hang out with those with the same star sign as you or as each other, perhaps due to certain personality traits? haha no

Name 5 objects that you don’t have but would like right now? a new phone, new clothes, a handbag, a new car and more candles. i basically just need an upgrade of everything i currently have

When you have children, would you like twins? my partner wants twins sooooo badly. id be happy to have them but defs fine with one baby too hah Do you know any twins? If so, what are they called? i work with a twin, idk her brother’s name

If you were given the choice to choose your child’s gender, would you? id choose a girl first

What instrument would you love to learn how to play? piano properly

Does the sound of knocking/tapping startle you? yes

What’s the scariest story/urban legend/creepypasta etc you heard? haha i really cant think of any from the top of my head

Do you miss someone currently? yasss

When was the last time you were in hospital? What for? i forgot! which is a good thing

When was the last time you went to the dentist? last year

Do you get along well with your family doctor/your doctor? pretty well. which reminds me, i need to grab a script soon

What personality trait does nearly everyone in your family seem to have? i think were all pretty good listeners