#and yet I rambled all this!

[screambirdscreaming]

Something that peeves me whenever I see another post going around with some variation on "autistic people take things literally which means we are the only people who communicate Clearly and Directly" is that - for any given statement, there is not one singular, agreed on, universal Literal Interpretation. If there was, none of this would be a problem!

The nature of language is that there's always some degree of interpretability. Words have several different meanings, often overlapping, and there's nuance of context, cultural references, and so on.

Faced with a statement, most people will quickly come up with an interpretation that to them makes the most sense. But if you asked a roomful of people to explain in detail their interpretations, everyone's would probably be a little different, even for a pretty simple statement. Regardless of whether those people are autistic! Everyone conceptualizes the world a little differently, and everyone has a unique personal history of all the language they've encountered, and these things effect our interpretations.

In order for communication to be workable, given this slosh in interpretability, there's another couple of processes that go on. As conversation goes on, people reassess if their initial interpretation matches up with additional context. If it doesn't, they revise it, or ask clarifying questions. And on the flipside of this process, the other person in conversation is tracking if your reactions make sense with *their* understanding of what they're trying to convey to you, and offering context or rephrasing things if it seems you're out of alignment.

These processes are social skillsets that are, like most social skillsets, not ever directly articulated or explained. Many people are bad at one or both. Sometimes you encounter someone who is really, notably good at it - the vaunted "good listener", who puts in the effort to really understand what you're trying to say, or that really excellent teacher who engages with you back and forth until you really get it. But a lot of the time, it's a sort of passive social friction - people just not getting each other.

Sometimes, you encounter someone whose brain works so much like yours that talking to them feels almost effortless - you just get each other. But that's a pretty rare occurrence for anyone. More often, as you get to know someone, you start to understand the shape of the way they interpret things and learn to account for it, so over time it's easier to make sense to each other.

It's honestly not uncommon in society for people to aggregate in groups of people who interpret things similarly, and who are thus easier to talk to, rather than actually building the skills of communicating across interpretation gaps. Particularly egregious are those groups of men who talk about Women as an incomprehensible monolith, but it turns up to a greater or lesser degree on a lot of levels.

I suspect this is the root of a lot of parenting problems - people who have never built this communication skillset, and relied on choosing friends who make sense to them without a lot of effort, and who are then totally unprepared to interact with a child who interprets things in ways they don't expect.

Obviously I can't speak to The Universal Typical Experience, not least because it doesn't exist. But in general I would posit that:

Most people, give or take a few assholes, are not trying to say things that are confusing. Most people think they are communicating clearly, because the first interpretation *they* would come up with on hearing one of their own sentences is the correct interpretation.

Many people are not very good at accounting for different ways people could interpret things they're saying. However, it is normal and polite social behavior to be somewhat flexible about this and forgiving of misunderstandings. If people are being shitty to you about not understanding them, they are assholes. And I wouldn't assume that the rest of the communication they have with everyone else they know goes totally smoothly for them.

I suspect there is a bit of an unfortunate feedback loop, where people have bad experiences when someone gets mad at them for not getting something, and learn to hide when they're confused. Which then leads to larger, more complicated misunderstandings, which other different people get upset at them about, because those people think they should have asked for clarification in the first place.

Truly you can't win with everyone. No one can win with everyone. There is no monolith of "neurotypical communication" which resolves all these contradictions - all those people you're lumping in together under "neurotypical" have just as much trouble with each other.

[travelers-ward]

Thinking about Krile.

Krile, who woke up one day from a coma to find that she was alone in the world. Who lost her home, her colleagues, her friends, the legacy of her grandfather, all in an instant. Who found out that the gift that she'd cursed for half her life saved her, and no one else. Who thought that maybe, at least her childhood friend and her dearest friend, both in distant Eorzea, might be safe and alive. Who received nothing but silence from either of them. And found out one day, months later, years later, that neither of them were ever coming back.

Krile, who continued on more alone in the world than ever before with nothing but a smile.

(Krile, who we didn't even get to see take a moment to hear about or process the fact that G'raha shut himself in a tower to sleep maybe forever without so much as a goodbye.)

(Krile, who learned that her dearest friend Minfilia was gone forever and simply carried on with a smile because there was work to be done. Much like Minfilia carried on with a smile when she heard her dearest friend Krile was in a coma. Because there was work to do. And to think, Minfilia never got to find out that Krile was all right.)

[calmlb]

It’s been clear that the Tanizakis aren’t siblings from the very beginning

here’s some evidence now that it’s been confirmed canon…

everyone who’s read irl Tanizaki’s book knew that Junichiro & Naomi weren’t siblings as soon as they introduced themselves

BUT just because the Tanizakis aren’t siblings doesn’t mean you can’t feel uncomfortable about them. if you feel uncomfortable, GOOD. that’s exactly what they want

the Tanizakis, Mori— they all use these disturbing ruses to disarm or distract people in order to protect themselves, or to accomplish their goals. this is a writing device that asagiri commonly employs as a way to parallel the irl literature (it’s actually ingenious)

there are 4 main indicators that have always made it clear to me that Junichiro & Naomi are not siblings:

1. most obviously— their character designs. Harukawa is extremely intentional with character designs, & she very intentionally made Naomi & Junichiro look nothing alike

their eye shapes are purposely different

their color palettes are contrasting

even their differing styles of clothing have meaning

this was all done so that the audience could PLAINLY see that they’re not related— so that WE know that they’re lying when they say they ARE related

2. how the people around them respond to their act.

the general reaction is “don’t question it”— which is exactly what they want. “be distracted by how uncomfortable you feel so that you look away from what we’re hiding” (this is likely a protective measure)

3. most importantly, this is meant to parallel irl Tanizaki’s book “Naomi,” where the main character Joji picks up Naomi to raise her into his ideal woman, but since she's so young (& a minor) they call each other cousins (Joji makes no sexual advances on young Naomi btw)

however, his plan backfires because when Naomi gets older & they get married, she flips the script on him & manipulates HIM so that he's under her thumb (which is why bsd Tanizaki is at a domineering Naomi's mercy). Joji let her have her way because of his masochistic tendencies

4. lastly is the emphasis that Asagiri and the Tanizakis themselves put on calling each other siblings.

over & over, it’s “my brother this” & “my sister that”

like they’re desperately trying to convince us that it’s true (“don’t let your lying eyes deceive you”)

here are just a few of many examples from the light novels…

again, if you’ve read “Naomi��� you knew that Junichiro & Naomi weren’t siblings as soon as they introduced themselves

just like if you’ve read irl Mori’s works, it’s clear that bsd Mori isn’t a pedophile

just like if you’ve read No Longer Human you know that Dazai’s an unreliable narrator. he makes you think he’s a bad person bc he believes he’s a bad person, but those around him see him differently (btw this doesn’t mean he’s never done anything “bad,” though bsd isn’t about morality— but that’s another discussion)

anyway, i’m so excited for the Tanizakis backstory to be revealed so that we can better understand why they use this defense!!

also let this be a reminder to READ THE LITERATURE if you’re able to!! even reading synopses & analyses of the coordinating books makes bsd make much more sense 🥹

reminder that this how you’re supposed to react while reading bsd:

also, if you’re interested in a post explaining how Mori isn’t a pedo, i wrote this analysis on twt. OR you can read this document that one of my moots sent me (remember: analyzing a character does NOT mean you condone any actions they may or may not commit!)

[squidthusiast]

So what if I drew Marina in a bunch of Ellen Ripley outfits, what then huh??? What’cha gonna do hmm??? (Sigourney Weaver had no business serving like that)

[lucabyte]

Different standards

[solarpunkani]

Late night wishful thinking but like

I think planting funky things around retention ponds should be more normalized!!

Like okay I get it retention ponds are meant to hold the runoff water from parking lots and drive throughs and the like so they aren’t exactly the cleanest water around. But like!!! Maybe this is different in other areas, but the only plants I ever see grow around retention ponds are cattails!! Which, like, are fine and great and dandy lets go cattails, but like

Where’s the whimsy?? Where are the flowers?? If I’ve got to see retention ponds whenever I go to a store or drive down the highway or pick up food for my mom, at least bring in some flowers!!

And it’ll benefit so much! A wider variety of plants can make it a more welcoming home to wildlife! Maybe the plants will filter some of the runoff stuff and the water can then be nicer for even more wildlife! Maybe the flowers can be a nice food source for butterflies and bees on their journeys and day trips!! And humans like seeing things be pretty!

Maybe its easier said than done! Maybe most places already do this and its just my city or state that doesn’t really I’d be willing to believe that! But lets get some color in these goddamn retention ponds!!

Swamp milkweed! Aquatic milkweed! Pickerelweed! Water lilies! Irises! Cardinalflower! Fuck it, put some goddamn duckweed in there!! Get some color in those things or so help me!!

[mechaseraph]

Sweethearts 💕

Less edited versions under the cut

+some other sketch I had of em

[wasyago]

the brainrot won

[adamoose-art]

Isat Doodle Dump #2!

I've been excited to share this page for so long!

Minor Act 3 and 4 spoilers, (accidental) Act 6 spoiler (below the cut)

Click through for close ups of some of my favorites on this page! Doodles with text on them have alt text in case it's hard to read.

(accidental) two hats spoiler under cut

By the time I got to act 4 I had my theories, and this seemed so funny.

[violetscanfly]

How to care for your scientist - a visual guide

[eddiegayass]

This is Betty. I'm adopting her. As you can see, I'm overjoyed about it.

→  Will Trent // 1x01 Pilot

[imaginariumwanderer]

That haunting chorus of violins that fill the dark, those words– Pure Vanilla looks back over the space and finds exactly what he'd feared. Expected. There they are, gliding across the void so, so terribly intertwined they almost appeared as one. In some ways, he supposed they were. Pure Vanilla watches himself be led in a dance so improper and aimless and… Had Shadow Milk's expression truly been so… adoring, that day?

Fanart and coincidental birthday gift for the talented off1cially_done who wrote this (the fanfic is pretty heavy, remember to look at the tags before reading!)

Shadowvanilla fanfics are so rare, I gotta show my appreciation for them when I can(!) There was plan to draw a different scene but this chapter was too good, came for the toxic stay for the Eternal Sugar. I refrains from drawing the unreleased beasts in fear of messing up their designs but her depiction in the story was amazing I just had to draw her! Like ughh, pretty pink angel pls be my winglady <333

Also, the dancing scene was my favorite scene in "the light continue". For it to come back and confirm to us that yes this was PV's first spark of love is so aaaa- Anyways, here's something extra!

Denial.

Newly-wed woes.

[tarufai]

[boundariesoverthrown]

JAMES AND LARS, DAMAGED JUSTICE TOUR – SEPTEMBER 23RD, 1989

[lightbluesleeper]

Knight and a reaper 🗡️🪦

[lazylittledragon]

gang i am cooking the AU of all time in my brain right now but devastatingly i have work tomorrow