#btw thanks for all the love on the last post

[alexmasonistired]

Id like to start this off by saying that this is an absolutely lovely post; thank you OP for making it. Now I would like to share our own experience with the education system in general, and what our state called- “Critical minds classes”.

Now if you don’t know what that is- it’s a thing in our state where 30 kids are chosen by the state to go into these special critical minds classes. We in particular were put in critical minds math and let me tell ya- IT FUCKING SUCKED.

All the class was, was us sitting in a certain spot that we could not move from the ENTIRE OVER AN HOUR THAT WE WERE IN THERE in SILENCE while working on these list of MathXL links. And if you know how MathXL works- yeahhh it was absolutely awful. Some of the worst parts of that class though, was that we had to keep our bags up front the entire time and we wouldn’t get anything because we wasn’t allowed out of our seat, and worst of all- the teacher that lead the class, always seemed like she just didn’t wanna be there. She felt intimidating to us so we never were able to approach her with our getting insanely nervous. She reminded us of the bodies mother with the way she looked so that made it worse. (Also edit: I just remembered- I believe for a good chunk of the first half of the semester she was watching our computers??)

Btw- remeber those check lists of MathXL links that I mentioned earlier??? Yeah. There was like- 18-20 of those links on these checklists that we used to have a month to complete! But then it was shortened to only a WEEK because the semester was ending and she needed to get grades in ig.

We had a whole ass panic attack infront of our history teacher becuase we were on list SIX, and there was TEN of these things to do. And I swear it felt like each list just had more links- we fucking hated it. I believe we finally made it to list eight before we eventually gave up and let the burn out take us over and just wrote in our diary the entire period. Except for the days we had quizzes and did blookets, which was hardly ever. At that point we were just SO fucking done of just not being able to understand ANYTHING put in front of us no matter how hard we tried. We just barely passed that class with a D.

I also remeber that we went to summer school after seventh grade because our grades were so low our teachers didn’t know if they could pass us. It was the same with in fifth grade, the teachers were nervous to let us go into middle school because we were just barely passing. Our grades were that bad.

We got to this point(the whole critical minds math thing and giving up,) because ever since like- second grade, we had been having massive trouble with math and grades and over all just confidence in general. Especially in the math field.

I remember we began cheating on a lot of our assignments and tests in second grade because our confidence had been bumped down that badly, and we just couldn’t really understand it. Or at least I believe that we couldn’t understand it- I’ll get into second grade math in another post. Regardless, we ended up sizing cheating as a last ditch effort a lot in school because we got to a point where we felt like we didn’t have a choice.

We would try so hard at something in math, only for our brain not being able to remember it, how to do it, and for it to also not make sense in our brain. It absolutely crushed us one day when we ended up in an argument with the father one day over another bad math grade and we yelled: “Is my best not enough not for you!?” And he just yelled back: “NO!” That day crushed us. The father always says that we just weren’t applying ourselves enough, which hurt even MORE because we WERE applying ourselves more, we WERE trying, and as hard as we could too! But we can only do so much, but it honestly seems like the parents, especially the father, just cannot realize that. And it hurts us, so much.

We always saw our friends in school absolutely soar and it was fucking awful how they would be getting into honors classes, getting to go up a grade or even graduate early, and then we would be sitting here in what is supposed to be an “extra help” class when in reality it didn’t help us at all. Due to our mental disabilities/Illnesses, we weren’t able to learn like the other kids were able too. All we’ve ever wanted was to be smart enough to be able to fly through school like our friends, study efficiently, and get our diploma normally like any other kid, but no. We didn’t have that experience and we never will due to our life and the way that our brain works and we fucking hate it.

There was also of times where we felt stupid, useless, and pathetic for not being able to keep up with our allistic, and non-ADHD-having peers. It especially was rough considering that that was the standard our parents set us too all the time, and we just could not reach the standards that she and the father set for us.

We tried tutoring a few times, but it honestly didn’t help much either. We never ever got the help that we needed growing up and I know that we never will get the help we need. And I hate it. So many people failed us when it came to education and I look back and can’t help but feel bad for us. We were just a young, neurodivergent kid with a dissociative disorder along with many other disorders alone with it, and a complete mess too. A mess that no one really bothered to help with. It was awful.

What we needed back then was one-on-one assistance with someone who could understand us and what was going on with us, we never got that. And that was because everyone around us failed us. Either failing to recognize our needs, or just not thinking that we needed them because it wasn’t super duper obvious that we did.

Kinda fucked up that we all coo and sympathize with "former gifted kids" but never talk about the students who had to stay late after school or over the summer for remedial classes/clubs, who struggled to get above a C, who were given up on or punished. Who tried so hard to understand or just couldn't. Who were grouped with the "stupid kids" (a classmate called us that in remedial math btw)

Autistic kids and adhders who can't relate to their gifted peers and are constantly alienated by them. Kids who struggled in school due to dealing with a chronic or mental illness or physical/learning/developmental disability. Those of us who have had to drop out of highschool or college. Kids who worked so hard and wanted to be seen as smart, but never were. Who watched as their peers seem to fly by them in school, while they were left behind. Who were bullied and put down by those in the gifted and honors classes. Whose confidence was absolutely destroyed by education.

I love you all and I'm so sorry the school system failed you. I'm sorry you weren't properly accommodated and given the education you deserved. I'm sorry people put you down for something that they never had to fight for.

[bookish-bogwitch]

2024 Fandom in Review

Look I know it's been 2025 for five days now but has it, really? In the few days before NYD I saw all your wonderful retrospective posts while feverishly finishing the last chapter of Basil Pitch's Diary and thinking "wow that looks so fun must keep writing," so here we are. Also, are the earth's rotations not a construct of capitalism? Think about it.

I'm not sure how to calculate words written, because I posted a lot of stuff that I wrote before 2024. If you include everything I *posted* in 2024, it's 4 fics, totaling 56k:

Simon Snow and the Selkies Four (3k, T, for the Carry On Picture Book, featuring gorgeous art by @ionlydrinkhotwater and @technetiumai)

Basil Pitch's Diary (WIP, 11/14, 56k, T).

The Stag Party (WIP, 1/4, 1k, T, for @facewithoutheart's birthday.)

Into Her Arms (7k, T, for @ivelovedhimthroughworse's birthday, co-written with the fabulous @cutestkilla)

The entire picture book fic was written in 2022, though, and the first seven chapters of BPD were written in 2022-2023, so if you look only at what I wrote this year, it's more like 3 fics totaling 33k.

I feel like these numbers are very low compared with most people who posted these kinds of roundups--I see you out there beating yourselves with "only" 100k--but I'm honestly feeling pretty chuffed about it. And chuffed about feeling chuffed, if that makes any sense, because historically, going easy on myself has not been a strong suit.

It would be a lie to pretend I'm any less thirsty for external validation than ever. Part of why I'm feeling content about my word count is because I've been showered in love and support, by readers in general and especially in the form of Bunbaz art by Skee, Ashton, Dalia, Monica (and Monica, and Monica). Oh, and there was also @rimeswithpurple getting him tattooed on her fuckin' body. (He now has gray fur and black ears, btw, but I don't think that version is on tumblr dot com yet.) Whenever I feel imposter syndrome creeping up I look at and/or squeeze the Bunbazzes, and feel better. Thank you all for being such a supportive, steadfast, loving community.

In other ways it's been a bumper year for fandom. I got to meet many of you at SSCONe, and otherwise visited with fandom friends in four cities and two countries. I brought Tiny Baz to Sicily to learn about his roots (and to keep me company when I got COVID and had to cross a lot off my itinerary). I also got my hands on a full-size Baz standee who is still folded up in my closet (I KNOW) but who I vow will be out and proud by this time next year.

Anyway, 2024 was pretty good for me personally even though American democracy, such as it is, is in free-fall, and no matter what 2025 brings, you'll be the best part of it.

A tardy thank you to for tagging me to @emeryhall @monbons @forabeatofadrum @rimeswithpurple @nausikaaa

@ileadacharmedlife @prettygoododds @artsyunderstudy @alexalexinii @best--dress

@j-nipper-95 @stitchyqueer @roomwithanopenfire @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @skeedelvee

@mooncello @whatevertheweather @aristocratic-otter @thewholelemon

It's so not New Years anymore so I'm not like, tagging tagging you, but if @cutestkilla @facewithoutheart @shrekgogurt @ebbpettier or @ic3que3n, or you reading this would like to toot your own 2024 horn, I beg you to toot away.

[buried-in-autumn-leaves]

XOXO DROPLETS OC INTRODUCTION POST <3333

She sucks, I love her ❤️ Meet Vanity !!!

🖤💜🖤💜🖤💜

Vanity Franklin

She/Her

Straight (?)

Birthday - Dec. 24th

Vanity Franklin! Well, just Vanity actually, because her last name is so basic and boring, unlike her. Obviously. She has a rare medical condition that makes her eyes purple (What do you mean contacts? That's like, so rude, it's a real thing. Look it up. /Sarc) and slick black hair that's TOTALLY natural. No, her roots aren't 'showing', and it's actually totally weird and obsessive of you to say that.

She's a proud goth, and she's like WAY into the culture. Once, she even saw Panic! At The Disco live, so. Yeah.

When she gets to SSB, she expects to slide by, miserable but undetected. (I mean seriously, making her take out her spiky jewlery should totally be considered a human rights violation or something.) Then of course, she gets shoved in a group of losers.

There's Bae, who thinks he's so much better than her, as if looking ANCEINT at his age is an accomplishment. I mean seriously, he could pass for like, 24. If she actually needed that wheelchair, (which she does NOT because that's like SO embarrassing, she's not 60) she would roll right over his stupid 700$ shoes.

There's Jeremy and Pran, who are definitely still annoying, but Jeremy thankfully avoids her, and she heard someone say Pran is like an environmentalist or whatever, so she guesses that's cool.

There's Nate, who she decides very quickly she likes to annoy, just to see him get all mad. She makes him cry once though, which just makes her uncomfortable. Don't people know to keep that to themselves?

There's Everett, who's a TOTAL POSER. Honestly, he probably doesn't even know who Gerard Way is. He's totally just like a trend hopper. Ugh.

There's Shiloh. Who she DOESN'T 'like', thank you very much, what is this- Preschool? He's just... entertaining. And he gives her gifts. Ugly things that are totally NOT goth, but it would be like rude to get rid of them or whatever. It's nothing.

This group sucks. It's so hard being the only one who's not a total normie </3 Maybe something funny will happen. Probably not though, 'cause the world is just so depressing like that.

(Here's what she looks like without the hair dye/straightening, contacts, and makeup btw.)

Picrew Link One

Picrew Link Two

[neon-tigre95]

some more emotionally unavailable sniper-dad coming right up

[chmarzity]

I didn’t expect this post to get so much attention (thank you guys SO MUCH btw I love reading all the messages) so in case anyone missed it on my last post, the Kirby design belongs to my good friend @moirasstrings (you should totally go check them out, they also do Kirby gijinkas art!)

They cancel out each others’ braincells

[iceycloversart]

when will the dan and phil it takes two playthru return…

little concept sketch i did:

[moonsart]

And finally, here are the mini-animated parts of the animatic!!

[bluegiragi]

ghost gives konig a private lesson feat. soap as a very happy spectator.

read updates early on patreon

[raetreaderarts]

The second I saw this tweet this popped into my head

[aauroralightss]

happy wolfwood wednesday nicholas d wolfwood is a LOSER and i don't mean stampede wolfwood (although he is too with his tech bro ass big sunglasses and coat) but i mean trimax wolfwood. literally everything he does is so fucking funny to me. the scene where he tells vash to shoot him? did he honest to god think "oh yeah vash is gonna shoot me this will be great" ????????? like what did he truly expect to happen. and he monologues through the whole fight against grey the ninelives. he makes me sick why is he so EXTRA

[james-spooky]

this is a test

[kyouka-supremacy]

--

[e77y]

It is so cold on this goddamn bus. Please. Help

[strawberriistars]

movie screenshot redraw !! ^-^ ❄️

[grosstown]

and you realise that the way home is a lot shorter than you remember

[lyssasdrafts]

i think secretly i’m just an elain girlie pretending to be a nesta girlie

elain archeron is for the girls who are unapologetically feminine, who are called weak over and over and have to keep proving themselves, who are lovers and romantics at heart, who have a voice but just want to choose when they use it, who are quiet because they want to be and not because they don’t have any thoughts or feelings