#but i think this is one pokémon i'd Like that to happen with. because it's much cuter than kantonian ponyta

[front-facing-pokemon]

[blacknedsoul-blog]

Random Thought of the Day (VIII)

So, posh besties are finally canon, yay! Congratulations Annabel, you only had to die, get divorced, survive an assassination attempt and have about 4 or 5 mental breakdowns to make one (1) friend, that is progress! Hopefully the next one will take less effort.

That said, there are two things I want to dwell on here.

I should like to by your friend and Could we be friends?

This is not the first time we've seen Annabel ask or tell someone outright that she wants to be friends. It's the second.

Yes, Lenore is not only Annabel's wife, but -possibly- her first proper friend. And it's really interesting because these scenes show you two really different sides of her, even though it's a similar situation.

When she meets Lenore, Annabel comes across as a very confident person, full of confidence and absolutely charming. She is formal but approachable and straightforward about her intentions: "We can help each other".

On the other hand, at this point, Annabel is keeping the reasons she wants this friendship to herself, she seems nervous -even a little uncomfortable- and behaves much more awkwardly. She hesitates, chokes on words, doesn't quite know if what she's doing is appropriate.

If I had to think of reasons for this contrast, there are two.

First: Annabel when she has time to plan vs. when she has to improvise. She went looking for Lenore, probably had at least an entire night to think about what kind of person this mysterious woman locked in the attic might be and how to approach this conversation. On the other hand, this conversation with Prospero had to be pulled out of her sleeve after a lot of emotionally complicated moments, maybe it didn't occur to her that this conversation could actually happen, and she has no plan B if Prospero rejects the offer.

On top of that, Annabel knows better than anyone the risks of getting attached to someone in Nevermore.

Second, that the scene with Prospero functions in some way as a reflection of Annabel's feelings when she first meets Lenore: there's no reason to believe she was any better equipped to enter into a relationship with anyone at that point in her life than she is now. But in this scene, we -and Lenore- see what Annabel wants to show, the parts of herself that she may find most attractive or pleasing. Here, Prospero gets a glimpse of her awkward and uncomfortable side, and I'd bet that awkwardness was present in that first meeting with Lenore, it's just that she had a chance to think about it, rehearse it, and thus hide those sides of her character as well.

The thing that makes me think of it that way is this:

Annabel's first gesture to Lenore is to shake her hand, which she also mentions here:

She still doesn't remember doing it, but the idea behind it is more or less the same: Annabel associates this kind of formality with friendly or amicable gestures; a mixture of business dealings and affectionate promises.

Again, the same intention, but with a very different performance. One that makes me wonder what exactly her thoughs when she went to see Lenore.

The Introvert Who Adopts and the Extrovert Who Is Adopted

Another thing that got me thinking about this whole thing is that so far we've seen Annabel -a very introverted person- be the one to take the first step in getting into a relationship with someone: she's the one who asks the question.

The funny thing is that even though Lenore is an extrovert, it was the other way around, she never took the initiative to start a relationship with anyone: Annabel came to see her, Morella is her assigned roommate, Duke came to talk to her, Pluto was won in a Pokémon swap (and she didn't choose him, Ada threw him under the bus), and Eulalie and Bernice approached her first.

I can see why this would happen from Annabel's side; she's a person who moves in the shadows, someone who lives by appearances and isn't afraid to manipulate or deceive to get her way. Under this premise, explicitly telling the people she cares about that this is an honest relationship feels like something even necessary for the sake of the relationship and her own mental health.

But in thinking about why this is happening to Lenore, and going back and reading chapter 22 to do this little analysis, I remembered this scene:

And…I don't know about you, but I think I'm going to pin this one. For now.

[unforth]

Hello! Forgive me for the strange and invasive question I’m about to ask, but I noticed in your bio that you’re a mother and you seem to be a danmei fan as well, and my question pertains to that.

I’m in my mid 20s and enjoy danmei. I read 2ha before the published paperbacks came out and was pretty excited to be able to eventually own physical copies of the story i love so much. But I somehow end up feeling very self conscious about buying them, since they contain multiple explicit scenes and I’m worried if someone were to browse my bookshelf someday and come across these, they’d judge me harshly. I’m not sure if marriage is in the cards for me, but if/when I do end up getting married and having children, how exactly would I explain having these books to my husband and kid(s)? In my country, joint families are fairly common so I also might end up having to live with my husband’s parents and I’d be toast if they were to come across these 😬. I know it seems silly to be worried about a hypothetical future husband and children but I’m afraid I can’t help it. Since you have kids, how do you manage keeping your danmei novels? Do you hide them, or just tell them they’re books for adults?

Anon you sound like you've got some pretty incredible hang-ups about sex. Are you this worried about if my kids find the scene in MDZS where Wen Chao has to eat is own legs? Or if I allow your hypothetical, are you worried what your spouse and kids would think of that kind of content?

The 2ha books are books. I keep them with the books. I have a dedicated shelf for danmei in my bedroom, and they're there. My kids have seen me reading them and can access them anytime and have never given a single fuck or shown any interest whatsoever in what I'm reading, EXCEPT when I'm reading shounen manga and then they're excited. Oh or that time I read some Pokémon manga. And sometimes they're interested in the YA queer graphic novels I get from tbe library. Okay yeah if I'm reading comics they sometimes care. But a prose book? Zero fucks given. I tell them nothing, because they don't ask, but if they did ask, I'd tell them a simplified version of the truth, and I know my kids: zero fucks would continue to be given.

This whole "omg ~sex~" thing doesn't exist unless you as the adult make it exist. I don't act like there's some great mystery they're missing out on but will be ~initiated into the secrets of~ when they're older. That is the surest way to make them desperate to know things they're not ready for. They've had some age-appropriate sex-ed in the Our Whole Lives program offered at our church, and the one time I made the mistake of thinking my son knew more than he did (he knew sperm + egg = baby, so I assumed he knew penis inside vagina was the process. I assumed wrong.) his reaction was a hilarious, "they do WHAT?" and he has never brought it up again. The other day we read a book that included a joke about a teenage man being given a shirt that says "I make chicks hot" (he was going to work at a fast good joint, the joke was its about literal chicken) and my son looked me dead in the eye and said "that joke is NOT age appropriate." He's almost 9, so I told him puberty is coming whether he wants it to or not, and I'd rather he know these feelings exist before the first time they happen than be blindsided when they do (I didn't say, "if they do," I figure the nuances of my utterly asexual non-awakening aren't a detail he needs quite yet.)

All of which is to say, I find this ask utterly baffling and it honestly feels like a trap, but I'm trying to take it in good faith, and in good faith, anon, I'm telling you this:

If the hypothetical husband in your scenario would disapprove of what you're reading, then why the fuck is hypothetical you marrying him?

If the hypothetical kids in this scenario might find age-inappropriate materials, why aren't you worried about the violence? Or the horror parts? And why is hypothetical you telling the hypothetical kids anything at all about the books? Did they ask??? Or are you thinking hypothetical future you is so terrified of being caught with sexy books that you're the one bringing up adult stuff, unsolicited, to these kids? Cause THAT'S the weird thing to do. Going "and just so you know, kids, these books are for ADULTS" when they haven't paid any attention at all is going to create a problem where none exists. I'm not gonna pretend the kid doesn't exist who isn't more interested in what their parents read than mine are about my reading, and of course some kids will end up in traumatic situations that result in them knowing more than they normally would about these topics, and that's tragic that some kids have that happen. But in my experience of the kids I used to run into when I worked in schools, my own kids, their friends, etc., these kids have absolutely zero, zilch interest. When my kids ask what kinds of books I'm reading, I say books about men in ancient China. That leads to immediate negative interest cause it sounds dry and boring to them. Problem (no actual problem existed) solved.

You want to know what IS hard to talk about?

Warning them about predators.

When it's never once crossed their minds that anyone would have any interest in their private parts - because they're just a normal part of their body - having to explain that if a grown-up touches them in certain places, or asks to look at them naked, or tries to get them alone, etc., then they have to say no and find an adult they trust. When they were younger, explaining THAT was hard.

I'm not afraid of what my kids might find in a book. They're not interested, and even if they were, these books are above their literacy level right now (my son has nearly finished his first chapter book! It's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I'm very proud of him). And if they could somehow read a book this hard, and understand it, and accidentally read an age inappropriate part, and and and... well, then, we'd talk about it. I trust them to come to me if they run into media they're uncomfortable with, and I also check in periodically to open the door. And they have sometimes brought up concerns, and we talk about it, and that's that. The hardest right now to explain? What the alt-right pipeline might look like in a Minecraft YouTuber video. Fuck but that is HARD to communicate to kids who have only the vaguely idea of the current political situation.

Honestly I'm more worried they'll read the part where the demon mom eats her own child alive. That is the most triggering scene I've ever encountered in fiction. I've never read the whole chapter.

But you didn't even think of that. Because you're too busy thinking about how to tell your non-existent kids that these books have SEX and it's not for KIDS and they shouldn't read it.

Anon, I'm not afraid of what my kids might get exposed to in books.

I'm afraid of what real people might do to hurt my kids, and how I prepare them for actual trauma.

A book can't hurt them. Well, maybe if someone throws it at them. But if they read something that freaks them out they know to just. Stop reading. And they can ask us about it and we can help unpack it.

But preparing them for the harm actual humans can do to them? Explaining why we're at a BLM protest? Explaining why they have to be wary of any stranger OR NON-STRANGER (because most abuse is by someone the child knows!) who wants access to their body isn't okay? Having to wrap my head around "I don't think any of our relatives are sex abusers but IF they secretly are what language do I use to convey to my child that their aunt, uncle, cousin, grandparent, shouldn't have access to their body in certain ways but still can touch you to wipe poop off"? Trying to say "I know you like this person's minecraft persona but if they start saying mean things about a group of people different from them you have to stop watching and tell a grown-up"? Knowing there's no warning on the planet that can prepare them for all the actual harm that can come to them from real people? That's the hardest part of parenting. I can't protect them without smothering them. I have to let them face some risks or else they'll never develop. I hate this. It's so fucking hard.

Anyway.

That's the hard stuff anon.

You are entirely and utterly worried about the wrong problem.

If this was a good faith ask... you should sit and unpack why you are uniquely worried about the sex parts of 2ha and not the violence parts. You should ask yourself why you think you'd love and marry and raise a family with someone who'd disapprove of your taste in books. You should ask yourself why this is your hang-up, and why you think you'd have to say anything at all about the books to a person browsing your shelf, a spouse, an in-law, a kid.

If this wasn't a good faith ask...idk what you're fishing for, anon, but the fact that you think I'd say anything at all about the contents of a book they are absolutely not ready for is fucking weird. I will say something when they ask and not a moment before, and when they do ask I'll tell them honestly it's a book with a lot of violence and sex and adult stuff and if somehow that didn't drive them away (it would right now, instantly) then that'd suggest maybe they're ready to know more, and I'd steer them to more age-appropriate ways to learn a bit more about sex. There, the problem you made up is solved.

Good luck, anon. Whether this was good faith or not, you have a lot of mental baggage to sort through.

*

I just reread the ask in preparation for posting, and as a few final notes: 1. My wife (no husbands here) knows what I read, 2. My father lives with us, and he knows what I read, 3. My mother in law also knows what I read, and it makes her uncomfortable I think but she recognizes that's a "her" problem and leaves me alone, and 4. My mother is chomping at the bit to get her hands on my 2ha, she's been very disappointed that most of the danmei she's borrowed post MDZS and SVSSS hasn't been more "like that." So don't assume your in-laws will flip out. Most people know books are just books. But I also don't know your culture/country/situation. I was raised by incredibly progressive people in one of the most socially progressive cities in the world (New York City, we have race problems but in other areas we're not bad), and like. My entire cultural surroundings are chill about stuff. I'm also not Christian. Obviously in another culture with stricter mores I can see why this could be more of an issue but you asked how I handle it and I can only give an honest answer from the actual reality I live in, which is that it never has crossed my mind anyone would care and sure enough, no one has cared. 🤷 I'm sorry if that's led me to be dismissive of legitimate concerns, it's very hard to know what anons on tumblr are well intentioned and which are from people who are just waiting to go HA THAT EVIL PERSON PUTS THE NAUGHTY DIRTY BAD PORN WHERE THE KIDS CAN GET IT. Considering that people have been sending me asks recently that my son should die, or that he will grow up to be a rapist because that's what men do, because my post that maybe people shouldn't hate men has brought enough attention that the fucking weirdos think lashing out at an 8 year old is an entirely normal and reasonable response to "stop virulently hating men just because they are men," I hope you can understand why my tone is what it is and why I have to consider that this ask is not being sent in good faith. Those anons I block and delete unanswered, so me writing this response is already giving you some benefit of the doubt.

Regardless. Work on you first, anon. You deserve people who will love you even knowing that sometimes you read kinky shit, and do not under any circumstances tell your kids, should you have them, a word more than they need to know. If they're very precocious early readers MAYBE move the books, but otherwise odds are they won't be able to even read the back blurbs, much less the inside, until they're old enough to know a little about how life works, and you can frame what you tell them to what they know then.

Alright, I'll shut up now.

[au-wannabe-the-very-best]

I wonder how the clans and galaxy team are going to react once they realize that they guy that had no memories has: a terrifying ghost that eats souls and is literally on fire, a huge dragon with blades on its face that can rearrange the landscape, and a digging mole with blades for hands

and that all his “clans men” also have terrifyingly powerful Pokémon on them.

They're all freaking terrifying! There's only a handful of people in this "clan," but every one of them are perfectly capable trainers and don't seem to have much fear of Pokémon!

On one hand, everyone is going to be incredibly wary and watching for any hostile movement. On the other hand, no one wants to initiate any animosity, because, well... They'd lose. Badly. That funky little lantern ghost took down an enraged Alpha Steelix in a single hit. They're not touching that with a ten foot pole.

I'd like to think that Ingo and every depot agent has three Pokémon, except for one or two people with a non-competitive team. One of those people definitely has a full team of healing Pokémon, like a designated medic in case an accident were to happen. The medic works separately from the recovery machine you put pokéballs in. Which is great because that machine is probably completely busted after the crash. As for the other person with a non-competitive team, I imagine they're an engineer who's around in case train takes too much damage.

The complete train wreck might be a little much for them though...

The train didn't make it to the station to pick up the rest of the trainers and depot agents, so there's not enough of them to be considered an army or anything. But, they're all fully trained competitive battlers who are MEANT to be considered a challenge for modern champion-level trainers. They're scary as all shit.

[garbageonion]

tagged by @magenta-somethings on a 10 people i'd like to get to know better tag game :> this was fun to do!

last song: 100 kaunaa by lyyti (i've been absolutely obsessed with her music lately, every single song is so beautiful)

fave color: green (almost typed orange at first by accident. i considered it my favorite color for a long time but lately green has definitely overthrown it)

last book: lazarus by lars kepler (i'm trying to read all 9 keplers before christmas so i can ask for the newest 10th book as a christmas gift)

last movie: west side story (the 2021 version; i watched it with my stepdad and musical-loving sister)

last tv show: arcane (i'm watching season 2 with my other sister)

sweet/savory/spicy: sweet all the way (i'm a candy lover through and through and also have the spiciness tolerance of a sickly medieval peasant who's survived on turnips their entire life)

relationship status: single (for 25 years and pretty much happy with it)

last thing i searched: vaporeon (someone mentioned it in a tiktok and i wanted to check what it looks like because it was relevant to the joke. yes i needed to google what vaporeon looks like, no i'm not a pokémon person, what gave it away?)

current obsession: project diva (currently the only game i'm actually playing on my switch)

looking forward to: tattoo session 2 of 3 this sunday!!

bonus topics

favorite drink: i don't really drink coffee but caramel lattes have really grown on me lately

song playing on a loop in your head: salamander by deco*27

current favorite character: jinx from arcane (almost said ciel phantomhive because i've been thinking about black butler a lot again but right now the arcane brainrot is just taking over. also am i really basic for saying jinx? i don't care)

fun activity you would like to get into: i absolutely loathed crocheting at school but some crazy part of me wants to learn it for some reason

last video game: project diva (been also playing a lot of subnautica and neon white lately)

last comic/graphic novel: a couple days ago at a bookstore i flipped through a graphic novel about a middle-aged woman in a straight relationship coming out as a lesbian. the last one i fully read was at a library, about fatphobia and living and existing as a fat person. both were autobiographical i'm pretty sure? unfortunately can't remember the names of either one (and they were both by finnish authors so idk how much it would help anyway. if a finnish moot happens to recognize either one i'd be happy to hear)

tagging (with no pressure!) @mayrine @kiilttis @indy-ug @rainia @appleflavoredkitkats @plaguethewaters @stainedpurplehoodie @genevawrenn @agaricriminal @starlit-bawka

[huckleberrykai]

choi beomgyu ~ call it what you want

pairing: beomgyu x soobin's sister!reader summary: when you and beomgyu start dating, you aren't sure how to tell your brother. genre: brothers best friend, kinda friends to lovers warnings: fem!reader, pet names, this is the first time i tried fake texts lol, some swearing word count: 1.9k click here for my masterlist!

you didn't mean to fall in love with him. you really didn't.

after spending some time abroad, you decided to go back to korea since you missed your family, and the safe nostalgia of your hometown. you hadn't seen your brother since he debuted, and you were so excited to meet his friends and crash at their dorm for a week before you went to stay with your parents.

and then beomgyu happened.

he knew you were off limits and vice versa, but neither of you were ever one for following the rules. it's like you were magnets, wherever one of you went the other couldn't help but follow.

you got close pretty quickly, as you did with all of the boys - they just loved your laidback personality, unlike your leader brother soobin.

you spent the week playing video games, board games, cooking together, and even helping them clean up around the dorm ~ they were boys after all.

and when your week was over, they begged you to stay.

beomgyu's heart started breaking as soon as you started packing your suitcase, and he begged you for your phone number before you left - and that's where it all began.

you did leave that day, but you spent your entire train journey texting beomgyu, sending each other memes and silly selfies to fill your time.

you couldn't help but giggle at your phone as you got to your parent's house. you usually wouldn't be so bold but beomgyu was just so funny and so so sweet - you weren't gonna let him get away just because your brother would be mad. what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him <3

when wednesday rolled around, beomgyu made some dumb excuse about going to a game store with heesung. kai tried to tag along - spurting something about a pokémon game he really wanted to buy. "they don't.. they don't sell pokémon there!"

"huh? what game store doesn't have pokemon?" kai was puzzled.

"uh, this one! and it's a private event... sorry hyuka!"

smooth gyu. real smooth.

after a few more excuses and fixing his hair for the 5th time, he put on a mask so he wouldn't be recognised and plodded over to the cafe, just a few blocks away. when he got there he noticed he was about 10 minutes early, so he sat at a table and sent you a text to let you know he was there.

his heart nearly fell out of his ass when his vision went black, your cold hands covering his eyes. "guess who!"

"holy shit Y/N you scared the shit out of me!!" you giggled at his dramatics as he clutched a hand over his chest. you grabbed his other hand and dragged him over to order with you.

you bought the drinks for the two of you, much to his dismay. "Y/Nieeee i wanted to pay for you," he pouted cutely. "it's okay beomie, you can pay next time ~" you cooed. his cheeks flamed red at how cute you were, but mostly at you insinuating you wanted to hang out with him again already.

"next time huh? what makes you think i wanna hang out with you again?" he couldn't miss the opportunity to tease you. "well, there's your blushy little face... and your stubbornness to pay me back, i'd say there's gonna be at least one more date." he felt even warmer at that comment.

"date?"

"well duh." you giggled. at his silence you suddenly got nervous, "unless you don't want it to be! that's okay too! like a friend date!" you frantically tried to cover for yourself while beomgyu was still processing you assuming it was a date. "no no no i want it to be a date! i really want it to be."

his voice became small and he had a shy little smile on his face, looking at you with big sparkly eyes. you were about to respond when the barista called your names to collect your drinks.

your date went really well! so well in fact that you went on another one only two days later. beomgyu finished his schedules early, so while the others decided to go out shopping and to see a movie together, he politely declined. they didn't ask what he was doing instead and he was definitely grateful - his excuse game was a tad... lacking.

he met you at the river, he'd planned to take a cute walk with you along the riverside and visit his favourite ice cream shop. he knew he was whipped the second you ordered mint choc chip and he didn't even care, didn't even bat an eyelid. he even paid for it. you did promise to let him pay after all ~

beomgyu thought the date was going well, so his confidence spiked a little when he looked over to see the smile that hadn't left your face all afternoon. as you walked, he switched his ice cream over to his left hand and used his now free one to lace your fingers with his gently.

your hand felt warm in contrast to his cold one, and he gave it a little squeeze.

when you squeezed him back he felt his heart soar and gave you a look of complete adoration. yeah, he was whipped ~

a few weeks of little dates, sneaky meetings and a whole lot of texting led to him thinking about you 24/7. the members had started to notice something was up, but beomgyu just stuck to his excuses - and he was sick of it. he wanted you to be his, and to be able to tell the whole world how much he liked you.

by the world he meant just his friends and family - he wasn't going to subject you to more idol hate or stalking than you already got just for being soobin's sister, but that didn't make him want you any less. you understood him - you understood his job, his wildest dreams, his insecurities, his childish moments, all of him - and he appreciated you beyond words.

he didn't want to text you so late when he knew you'd be busy tomorrow - you finally got an apartment in the city and you were moving a few things early tomorrow morning - but he knew if he didn't use this rush of confidence and adrenaline now, he didn't know when he'd be able to do it.

his brain was running at 100 miles an hour, he just wanted to shove his face in a pillow and scream. he'd just bagged the girl of his dreams over text like a loser, but he succeeded!! and the only catch was the fact she was soobin's sister. yeah maybe he broke the one rule regarding his sister that he gave him, but he'd get over it, right?

he'd break as many rules as he had to if it got you to call him gyubear again.

it was d-day. it had been about a week and a half since you made it official, and now that you had your own apartment you could spend more time with your silly boyfriend in the comfort of your own home, but he could only make so many excuses for sneaking off - and so you devised a plan.

you'd convinced soobin to let you come over to hang out, and when the others caught wind of the idea they jumped at the chance to hang out with you again ~ so saturday night, you'd spill the beans.

when you arrived, your boyfriend and brother were still huddled on the couch eating ice cream, and you couldn't help but giggle at them. "hey lovebirds, am i interrupting?" you joked. beomgyu went wide eyed and soobin just gave you his iconic stink eye.

"Y/N! welcome back!" taehyun greeted you, walking past on his way to the kitchen.

it was nice being in the company of the boys again, but keeping your flirty remarks with beomgyu at bay until after dinner proved to be more difficult than you thought. he'd find himself stopping halfway through his sentences when he realised he was about to slip up and just stop talking.

you bought everyone takeout for dinner, and you all sat around the kitchen table talking about things that had happened recently. "yeah so we found this HUGE rat in the dorm and-" "oh yeah! beomgyu told me about that, that must have been terrifying!" you cut into yeonjun's story without thought.

"huh? since when do you talk to beomgyu?"

oopsies.

"uh, last time we were here she gave me her number! so we could uh... play fortnite!" beomgyu tried to cover for you - but failed miserably.

"Y/N hates fortnite... what's going on?" soobin wondered.

"do we just say it?" beomgyu asked you as if everyone else weren't literally sat at the same table. "well now you've said that we'll have to." you dropped your fork giving him an angry look. he knew there was no bite behind it, but he still felt bad for fucking up - although, you fucked up too.

"say what?" yeonjun asked the obvious, shoving another forkful of salad in his mouth.

"we're dating." you clarified. yeonjun stopped chewing and just looked at you with his jaw hung open. soobin looked mortified, letting out a meek "w-what?"

"before you get mad, it didn't happen on purpose! well it did, but we just wanted to keep in touch and then... i don't know we started spending more time together and... yeah."

"if you're gonna be mad at anyone be mad at me, i asked for her number anyway," beomgyu added. "it was me you told not to try anything, not her."

it was a rare moment where beomgyu was genuinely serious. you meant a whole lot to him and he'd be damned if he let your brother be mad just because he was in love with you.

"i'm not mad."

both of you let out a sigh of relief before soobin began again. "how long?" he asked. "we've only been official for like, 10 days? but we've been talking since i came here last time."

soobin nodded in thought. "it's okay, i know you can't choose who you love and i'm not gonna police you just because you're my baby sister. i'm trusting you beomgyu." although his words were accepting, gyu still felt threatened. "thank you soobin. i promise to take care of her." noticing his discomfort, you held his hand under the table. "i'm just sad you didn't tell me sooner. i mean, i guess i didn't make it seem like i'd be happy for you so i get it, but congratulations."

"see, that wasn't so bad? thank you for your blessing soobin." you smiled at your older brother, who gave you a nod in return before going back to his food. the table was silent for a few seconds, until it was broken by a flabbergasted kai who still hadn't quite processed what just happened.

"so is nobody else gonna acknowledge the fact that BEOMGYU is the least bitchless person at this table?"

[bespectacled-bookwyrm]

out of curiosity,

I was wondering what is your personal hc with n's past? Like before ghetsis found n.

Also, where do you think n's power comes from?

Going off what Anthea and Concordia say, N was orphaned, dumped in the woods because he accidentally freaked people out, and then adopted by his Pokémon caretakers.

So, I'd say my personal headcanon is that he was born in a very rural, VERY superstitious village, but lost his parents at some point. Due to his ability to communicate with Pokémon, he was feared as a fairy child or changeling (the Fair Folk aren't always nice, after all, and can actually be quite nasty), and eventually dumped in the forest by superstitious villagefolk.

I picture N as being quite young when this happened, since he looks to be about five-ish in the BW opening cutscene, so I'd say he likely lived with Darmanitan and the other Pokémon for at least a year until he was found by Ghetsis. (Their resemblance to each other is pure coincidence, because they have no biological relation, and Ghetsis used it to his advantage.)

As for where N's power comes from, I think it's a mixture between very, very, VERY weak psychic powers that let him instinctively understand and speak with Pokémon, and him learning their language when he was young.

Psychics canonically exist in Pokémon, but N's powers are so subtle that no one actually knows he has them, not even N himself! This particular bit of the headcanon mostly comes from the anime, where there's a clip of him asking Alomomola for help without saying a word and said Pokémon being underwater. (Pretty sure N was also on a ship at the time, and those things are BIG.)

N also sometimes describes Pokémon talking as their "inner voice", rather than speaking to him directly. So. There's probably some sort of psychic power involved there!

The second part comes from the anime's Meowth and the times we've seen Pokémon mimic human speech in the games, like that Mimikyu in Gen 7. Since Pokémon can learn human language, and Pokémon like Beheeyem do have their own language, it's only reasonable to assume the inverse is true. Plus, at the age N was, his ability to pick up language would be at its strongest. (Body language is also included here, so N could "read" how a Pokémon’s feeling just by observing them, without necessarily needing to speak with them directly.)

So, technically, N is fluent in two languages: human and Pokémon!

I hope my chatter makes sense, by the way!

And thank you for the ask! ^°^

[danwhobrowses]

One Piece Chapter 1120 - Initial Thoughts

And we're here again

Back from Break and Ready for a Robot Rumble The transmission continues and the Gorosei are converging, but the crew are still looking for a a way out

Let's see what we have going for us this time

Spoilers for the Chapter, Support the Official Relase

Yamato's problem with the kids is swiftly resolved with Denjiro's appearance, now the Daimyo of Kibi

Oda's notes mentions Rayquaza which is my favourite legendary Pokémon so I gotta shout that out

And with the title being 'Atlas' I think we know what's gonna happen

26 years ago in Punk Hazard, Clover comes to visit Vegapunk to help him research the Void Century

You can see a head at the top of the giant fence, which I would assume is one of the Numbers, the one in the Bruce Lee suit back in Wano I'd guess

Also Vegapunk's artificial dragon is diddy sized

Since he works for the Government, Vegapunk of course says no, wondering why Clover keeps getting released

Of course he's the smartest man in the world, so he quickly surmises that Clover is likely attempted bait for his associates

He insists that the past should be left behind, but Clover has personal reasons for investigating it

He knew someone who was a D. his older brother!

Claíomh D. Clover, surprised but should've expected an Irish name from him, Claíomh or Claidheamh means 'Sword' btw

His unnamed brother was killed in front of him for being a D, he lied and told the killer it was just a friend

'How am I meant to accept a world where you can die for having the wrong name?' - tragic given that he died uttering a name

Taken aback, Vegapunk tells Clover to leave, forgetting what he heard and telling his old friend to stay safe

'The voices of the past call out to you' - again with the heavy hitters Clover

Insisting that he will uncover history to the point he will be unable to be ignored, we flash forward to the Ohara Incident, where he uncovered history to the point where he was unable to be ignored

Fuck you and your bowl cut Caesar, revelling in the fact that Ohara got nuked

And excuse you that ain't some brat that is Nico Robin my (at that point in time, future) wife

We see another internal thought from Vegapunk while at Ohara, sad that Clover and the scholars chose death, hoping that someone would continue where they left off

And back to the present, Vegapunk's transmission echoes Clover's words about the voices of the past, but also that History is written by the Victors

Zeff cameo, also Tequila Wolf shown again - Oda keeps having it show up what is the secret?

Also my wife Nico Robin, still listening while having to handle her past trauma as Vegapunk notes how history is erased or rewritten, but still lives on in the survivors and the oppressed

Zoro and Jinbe didn't latch onto the ship as planned, because Lilith is objecting the plan to leave now

She has done all the math and the wind direction, calculating that any change of direction caused by V. Nusjuro can be fatal since it'll change the landing position

But up comes Atlas, and she smacks the shit out of Lilith

The crew is naturally confused, but Lilith is KO'd and something switched off in her head

'I'll leave her in your hands, take off! I'll make sure you make it in One Piece' - ...is, is that a roll credits moment?

The KOing of Lilith was tactical though, since she switched off her connection to the main hub - causing York to believe Lilith is dead

V. Nusjuro makes a charge as the Straw Hats ready their Coup de Burst, but is met by a charging Atlas

V. Nusjuro cleanly takes the arm of the Vegapunk of Violence, but she doesn't need that arm to do what needs to be done, as she pulls the Gorosei away for the Sunny to fly off

Back down below the Navy have to take in the fact that it's a full blown Kaiju movie going on right now

Luffy, Sanji, Franky and the Giants have the classic One Piece 'boys love robots' moment

Emeth speaks to Joy Boy, glad to meet them again

Luffy though, confused, doesn't know that he's being addressed

Even centuries old giants are able to do the 'oy' backhand gag

Noting that the Gorosei are Joy Boy's enemies, Emeth resolves that they are their enemy, and they are glad to fight for Joy Boy again

Ju Peter and Warcury are still very willing to put down Emeth, and end Vegapunk's transmission

But Luffy and the Giants are making their leave, as Brogy asks if Emeth's a friend

Luffy notes that it said it was protecting 'some guy called Joy Boy'

But here's the interesting part, the Giants didn't hear a voice: that was the Voice of All Things, perhaps even a voice of the past huh?

Still a kid, Bluegrass attempts to refocus the Navy back on the longboat

Vegapunk's closing words mention that people should have the right to learn from the past, from all perspectives

Ju Peter preps a big human teeth chomp, but Emeth is readying an attack

Sanji and Franky await the beam or a rocket punch, but instead they get a fizzle

Blue balled, Emeth gets its arm bitten off, the 900 years have done a number on the weapons it had

Saturn meanwhile comes charging, leaping off Ju Peter to land on the longboat

His main focus seems to be Kuma and Bonney, but Sanji spots the Sunny taking flight from up above

The trajectory seems good but the distance is still short

and not far behind V. Nusjuro cuts through Atlas, mocking her attempt at a grand sacrifice

but Atlas' expression turns soft, and with a smile she notes she's simply lending a hand

And from her death, the explosion propels the Sunny towards the sea

Usopp and Chopper doing right by thanking Atlas, as York revels in being the 'Last Vegapunk' - only to be corrected by V. Nusjuro

Emeth realises that it has rusted for too long, but there was a time Joy Boy spoke of, and they wonder if they can 'use it' for this moment

During all this, Vegapunk notes how Roger and his crew must know the full story, that they must've heard it from the 'purest source possible', and that it may end up determining how things transpire in the future

Prisoners cover the final panel

Oh shit he did say it, the government did try to keep it under wraps: Gol D. Roger

Well it looks like it's curtains for Emeth. We pour one out for Atlas, the first Vegapunk Luffy met, who was nothing but welcoming to him, who fought even when outmatched against Lucci, and sacrificed themselves to help the Straw Hats, just as Edison did.

Last chapter many were suggesting Bonney4Nakama, but I wonder if this chapter does anything for Lilith4Nakama. She was a bit argumentative, but it is still a hell of a feather in the cap to have a Vegapunk on your team, even if it is Grand Fleet. Plus she is the most pirate of the Punks, looting ships for resources and funding, and as the 'evil' one the WG would spin the story so she can't persuade the world about what truly happened.

This chapter had some good stuff when it came to the importance of history, it could've been very easy for Ohara to have been forgotten to the story, but Oda maintains it as a centerpiece of history, the destruction of Ohara literally triggered so many other smaller events that have snowballed and come to bite the Gorosei. Emeth speaking using the Voice of All Things is interesting too, because Zunesha did that as well, the Sea Kings did that too, did Joy Boy unite all races under this voice perhaps? And what is it really?

Questions upon questions, but now that Luffy has heard the name Joy Boy I wonder if he will at one point try to inquire into it, Robin has been quietly soaking up this knowledge, it is a lot to take in but it also feels like she will have more things she can reveal to the crew from it.

The Sunny makes it to sea though, Saturn seems to be the last obstacle (Egghead has been pretty cyclic; Lilith and Atlas were the first met Vegapunks but were also the last allied Vegapunks, Saturn was the first Gorosei obstacle and now he's the last), who does it fall to in order to stop him? Sanji is due a moment that's not undercut by failure, but it can also fall to Kuma to push away the first true obstacle and mastermind behind every tragedy in his life one last time, his powers are designed to push things away.

There seems a tiny bit left of Vegapunk's transmission and I'm still waiting on why it needed a video feed, but it would bode to finish on a strong closing argument.

[sarahjtv]

My Hero Academia is Officially Ending and I'm Fucking Coping 😭

So, it was officially announced early today, June 24th, 2024, by Shueshia and mangaka, Kohei Horikoshi, that My Hero Academia/Boku no Hero Academia will officially end in 5 chapters on Chapter 430. The last chapter will be released at the beginning of August after 10 years of publication in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine if all goes well.

I woke up to this news. I'm sitting here on my laptop typing this as a way of coping tbh. On the outside, I'm numb and stunned. On the inside, I'M SCREAMING, CRYING, THROWING UP, MOURNING LIKE I LOST A LOVED ONE WTF 😭

*sigh* But, this was going to happen eventually. It was only a matter of when. When Horikoshi said that we would have more epilogue to cover, I thought "Maybe he'll give us 10 more chapters!" Turns out it is 6-7 chapters instead... In Horikoshi's defense, 6-7 chapters are much longer than what most mangaka have given us for epilogues to their stories. I'd rather have him give us 5 more chapters of an epilogue than rush it in 1-2. Plus, if possible, we could potentially get 19-20 pages per chapter which might be just enough to wrap everything up. And since final chapters of manga tend to be longer than usual, we could get extra pages in the last chapter to finish everyone's arcs and the story properly.

Still, it's so wild to see a series I have loved for years and have such a strong attachment to end as I am following it. I have been a part of many fandoms before and have stuck around them for years (Pokémon, Supernatural, Doctor Who, Breaking Bad, and many more), but it's not often that I've been there there to see a series come to it's conclusion. Sometimes that can turn out well (Breaking Bad) and other times I've seen it end badly (Supernatural; only read about it and it was not great. I bounced after season 13? and I am so sorry to the fandom). My Hero Academia is one of the very few series I will see through to the end.

I'm really coping here, honestly. I've been a fan of My Hero Academia since 2018. I first heard about the series randomly through the internet, but I didn't fully introduce myself to it until I listened to a cover of The Day on YouTube (I forget the artist, I'm so sorry). I thought the song was so cool and that led to me listening to more covers of MHA OPs (Peace Sign is still GOATed btw). This eventually led me to the manga and the anime where I became truly immersed in the series. I started reading the manga around the Joint Training Arc (I think) which was definitely an interesting time to read the manga because the chapters where so short due to Horikoshi dealing with health and I think moving conflicts at the time. It was still an enjoyable arc and enough to keep me interested in reading from the beginning. I want to say I started the anime around season 3?, but I started at the beginning and worked my way up from there. "Shoto Todoroki: Origin" was the episode that finally solidified my love for the series and is still my favorite episode of the series.

To say that MHA has an important place in my heart is an understatement. (⚠️Warning: very quick mention of suicide) I was very sad and depressed in the latter half of 2018. My life didn't feel like it was going anywhere and I was close to giving up entirely. (⚠️ ). Finding and loving MHA during that time honestly might have saved my life. As strange as it sounds, it was one of the few things that brought me genuine happiness at the time. I had something to look forward to every week and it was thrilling. I still remember debating whether Deku or Shoto was my favorite character. Shoto took the top spot in my heart, but Deku is a very close second 🩵💚.

Seeing MHA end is heartbreaking, honestly. I'm watching something I truly love come to an end. We'll still have the anime, movies, and spin-off series to keep us busy for the next few years, but the manga that started it all is coming to a close. It feels so, so surreal. God, is this how the Haikyuu fandom felt when it’s manga ended? My hope is that this fandom can be kept alive long after the series is over. The MHA fandom DEFINITELY has it's flaws, but it also has a lot of good in it too. I have seen incredible art and fanfics come from this fandom. I have laughed and hyped up some of the best moments of MHA with people who love it too. I know that the fandom is collectively mourning its end and I know we'll all cry bittersweet tears when it ends. If anything, I am glad to see Kohei Horikoshi end his momentous story on his own terms. I hope it ends up being one of the best manga endings in recent Shonen Jump like how Haikyuu's was. I think Horikoshi can do it. Regardless of how it ends, My Hero Academia will be one of my favorite pieces of fiction. I am really glad to be here to celebrate it.

[official-nrc-prophet]

Ranking my favorite to least favorite hashira

I just finished the Swordsmith village arc, Hulu please I want the next one TwT

1 . Muichiro Tokito! This guy is just so fun, and his flashbacks made me cry. I love how there's just a random 14 year old in the group, who happens to insult demons until they die. After he remembered things, Gyokko had zero shot.

2 . Mitsuri Kanroji! I will personally fight anyone who doesn't like her just because the creators decided to sexualize her character. She is powerful, strong, beautiful, and amazing. Probably would be my favorite if Muichiro wasn't so funny to me. She's just the best (You can do better than Iguro girl anyone who says otherwise can die by your blade)

3. Sanemi Shinazugawa! This guy is such a terrible person and I love it. Please blink more. Please accept your little brother. Please keep making fun of Giyu and being a complete ass. He needs to throw hands more, I'd like to see him and Inosuke fist fight.

4. Giyu Tomioka! This guy is great. I like how he seems so cool in front of Tanjiro but in reality he's just a sad wet cat. I hope we get to see him more, probably in the new Hashira training arc. No spoilers please. He just seems so interesting, I wanna know why everyone else in the hashira seem to dislike him so much.

5. Kyojuro Rengoku! This guy was fun. I'm sad he died so quickly, we didn't get to experience a lot of him. I'm very curious, because Akaza was open and "friendly" with him, but in the swordsmith village arc Akaza was guarded and being violent and snappy. It makes Rengoku feel way more special in my eyes.

6. Tengen Uzui! This man is so stupid and I hate him. He's an interesting character, and I like him in theory, just not in practice. The only reason he's higher is because he actually has something I find interesting. I'm very confused on the three wives thing. I think it's extremely funny when people write or draw him simping for Rengoku because I do get bisexual disaster from him.

7. Obanai Iguro! "But I'm a creep... I'm a weirdo..." this guy is creepy and I don't like him. Get him away from Mitsuri. I know his backstory is tragic, but I don't care! Especially since in the demon slayer academy he's portrayed as "allergic to women". He just gives me creepy guy who lives in his moms basement. Discord mod vibes. Weirdo.

8. Shinobu Kocho! Shinobu is another one where there's definitely more to her, but until we figure that out, she just seems rather blank to me. It's definitely on purpose, because she's supposed to have her big reveal when fighting a demon, and we know a little from Kanao she used to have an older sister. I'm just frustrated because it seems like she has nothing else. The most interesting thing about her is the rest of the girls at the Butterfly Mansion.

9. Gyomei Himejima! He's another one where there's more to him, I just haven't seen it. But I don't really like what I do see? Like, he pitied Tanjiro and Nezuko, but was willing to kill them. If he's trying to be portrayed as a sympathetic man, it's not working. Also he just looks like a geodude from Pokémon to me, except with a worse color pallet.

[artsy0wl]

A Series of Random Jacq and Volo Headcanons (Pokemon Masters EX)

Pokémon Masters EX is such a fun little thing. One of the dynamics I ended up liking (and kind of shipping) is Volo and Jacq. So I thought I'd throw in some random headcanons. They can be read as platonic or romantic, or as Volo going along with Jacq because of how useful he is. However you want to interpret them.

They Bond Over Arcanine: They both love their good boy (and girl), and since Jacq studies "ecologically similar Pokémon" (aka Convergent Pokémon, though I feel like this would also include Regional Forms and Paradox Pokémon), Volo trusts Jacq's expertise. Volo may or may not use this as a way to manipulate Jacq, however, his H. Arcanine does trust him (Jacq). Jacq thinks Volo's Arcanine is adorable and loves spoiling her.

Volo Sympathizes with Jacq's Need for Validation: Jacq's not the hardest person to praise, however, the fact that Jacq takes complements and praise so easily does worry Volo. The need for validation is something that Volo can understand and is all too familiar with. Volo just has the impression that Jacq was validated/praised so negligibly that he will take any form of it, no matter how big or small. As such, Volo can sympathize with Jacq in that regard.

Not Wanting to Lose Volo Due to His "Obsession": When Jacq finds out about Volo's plans and how far he's willing to go, Jacq tries to talk him out of it. He's seen what can happen when someone takes their interest to the point of obsession and how far an obsession can get (i.e. Turo/Sada and how that effected Arven). He believes that there is still good in Volo and that he doesn't have to go to such an extreme to encounter Arceus.

Jacq's Arcanine is Cautious of Volo, His Mudsdale Likes Him (Volo): Arcanine is hesitant to trust Volo, feeling that he's hiding something. He can't quite trust Volo as easily as Volo's Hisuian Arcanine can trust Jacq. Jacq thinks it's because Arcanine is protective of and cautious for him, and speculates that part of it has to do with their region/environment. Jacq's Mudsdale, on the other hand, likes Volo. She can sense his confidence and will let him get close to her, and occasionally ride her.

Volo is Hesitant to Accept that Jacq is "One of the Good Ones": Because he has a hard time believing that anyone can be truly trustworthy, Volo can't bring himself to admit that Jacq is one of those people. Part of him does want to, but because he's been burned too many times before, he isn't sure if what he's feeling is genuine.

Jacq Reminds Volo of Laventon: A reason why Volo would want to trust Jacq is because Jacq reminds him of Laventon. And out of everyo e in Hisui, Laventon was the only person he genuinely liked.

Clavell Doesn’t Want Jacq to Have a Relationship with Volo: While Clavell wants Jacq to have good relationships, platonic and romantic, he doesn’t like Volo. Mainly because he worries about Jacq’s and suspects that Volo is taking advantage of Jacq’s kindness. Clavell also worries that Volo would manipulate Jacq into a sinister plot (especially after the whole Raifort scheming to use Jacq as a sacrifice thing).

Jacq Learned How to Bargain and How the Charms He Found Were Actually Valuable: Jacq will go to local flea markets and auctions and started bringing Volo along a week after they met. Volo helps him bargain for the best deals. And when he found out that Jacq had found and gifted a Shiny Charm and Glimmering Charm, he can’t help but chuckle at the fact that he gave away two pretty valuable charms that he successfully bid for. Volo also thinks it was really sweet. Puzzling, but sweet.

[front-facing-pokemon]

[fathermarama]

Might be updated later since this was a last minute thought

I don't know why. But, if I ever had the ability to go to different worlds (More specifically my favorite games) I'd take every single one of them into Subnautica, just to see what happens. The game mechanics still work so they won't die... Well they will, but not permanently.

Ever since I read this one SAGAU where Klee, Bennett, and one other person went into Pokémon. I played Subnautica right after, and after being jumpscared by a Reaper, I just couldn't stop thinking "Imagine if the Creator/us just brought the Genshin characters here." Especially after impostor AU where they will do anything to win our favor after being so rude to us... Maybe a LITTLE sadistic to bring them to that planet. But, also a fun way to spend your time together, no? I can imagine some casualties with Electro holders though... Not just to the fish either.

But would you bring them to the location of the first Subnautica game, or Below Zero? I bet the Cryo holders and the people from Snezhnaya (Harbingers) would enjoy or tolerate the cold climate. Pyro users might not be affected against the cold. Dendro and Hydro, maybe Electro characters probably wouldn't do well in the cold but they'd do well in the first game location.

Now, how do you think they'd react to Leviathans? Which ones do you think they'd like, and what ones they'd hate? Who do you think would bump into a Leviathan first? (If we decide not to tell them about their existence. PDA will eventually tell them so...)

Who will meet the Sea Emperor first? What I mean by this would be the first contact when she's in your head.

Who do you think will die first, either by drowning accidentally, or being attacked by something?... Maybe not drowning because that's a bit dark to think about and not a nice way to go and then be revived.

Who do you think would absolutely HATE the waters? (Probably Zhongli, he does mention not liking Sea food either so idk how he's gonna eat. But who else would dislike it?)

Who would you trust driving/operating any of the vehicles?

Last question, who would you trust to build the base layout? Or will there just be multiple bases?

I'll try and find the clip that inspired this. For now, have this GIF.

[cyborg-squid]

Upsetting to think about FGO shutting down (but it will, eventually, nothing in this world is permanent), but ideally it doesn't just go abrupt EoS, given that it's one of the biggest gacha games out there, and one of the overall largest entries in the Fate franchise. If/when it does happen, ideally it goes out post Ordeal Call and Arc 2, where it can bow out and leave the stage with some grace and dignity still intact, as opposed to it going on much longer than it needs to, with a decline in quality. But given how much content the game has, and how popular it is, I have some ideas for how the content of the game can stick around.

Option A: It continues mostly as is, just no new events, no new Servants. Also all past story content unlocked and available for all players. Cause FGO isn't just the main story chapters and events themselves (though they are the main draw), its also the Servants, and that includes their art, their profiles, their interludes, their voice lines, stuff that's beyond just the 'visual novel' portions of the game. People want and need to see and interact with the Servants they have, not just read the text (which can be done on story readers online and the like). Ideally, battle content would still remain, because while it certainly is not the main draw of FGO, parts of the story are still told with it. But if for some reason that cant be done, technically, the post-game could still go on without it, albeit partially crippled. I imagine that the Support List could prove a problem in this version.

Option B: Kinda like the modern Pokémon games, which is odd to bring up, given how shit they've been. But the ability to transfer FGO Servants and data to whatever Type Moons next thing is. Even if its like a 'limited dex' sort of thing, maybe not every Servant is playable in whatever the new thing is, but I'd still like to have a record of them and view them. Basically, some sort of Record Of The Journey. The idea of some sort of progress being maintained.

Option C: I get every new Type Moon game, light novel, anime, etc., for free. Because I spent a lot of fucking money on FGO, and if I no longer get to play it, I either want my money back or equivalent compensation.

Basically. I'd want it to be available on our phones/devices long after updates end. Like a phone game you don't need an internet connection for, or something like that.

FYI: This is just idle speculation and hopes, afaik the game is not ending soon or anything like that, I don't have any insider knowledge. And while I do have complaints with, like, how Servants have been released this year on JP, and the length between Ordeal Calls and the like, I don't think FGOs in like a death spiral quite yet either.

[torchickentacos]

You’re not being annoying about ships though, your contestshipping thoughts are consistently one of my Tumblr highlights. Thank you for still being in the Pokémon anime trenches in 2k24, your honor.

Anon, I love you. I would die for you. I would do anything for you. Just for you I'm going to pledge to talk about them more often!!! You have enabled me and I will expand on my thoughts on those tags here ❤️🌹 also god djfhdkjn I don't think I can get out of the trenches 😭 I'm just stuck here lmao. I couldn't leave if I tried. May and Drew are holding me hostage, actually. He's got a knife (because May can't be trusted with sharp objects).

Anyways. referenced post:

EXPANDING MY THOUGHTS:

So, disclaimer, these are all my opinions, and while they're rooted in canon, I'm also just doing whatever I want. As I do. Also, my opinions change all the time and I have infinite versions of how I think they'd play out in a canon context, but here's the one that I'm feeling today lol.

I think that 'falling first' versus 'falling harder' really isn't an indicator of any sort of emotional inequality. I can see where 'fell harder' might indicate to some people that there's a sense of one character being down worse than the other, but honestly I always took it as 'which character gets hit in the face by it at random (harder) and which character has been living with it for years (faster)'.

Like, okay. I think that in a few years past canon, 15-16 years old (which is the absolute earliest that I can see the two of them figuring it out honestly), here's the deal: For Drew, being in love is just a fact of daily life at that point. Even in canon it seems to have been that way. Just a quiet thing that followed him around, a constant little spark. I like to think that they travel together as friends for a while, and it's, like, 'he makes breakfast, he trains his pokemon, he plans their itinerary, he's madly in love, they buy supplies for the week-' etc. It's just... there. He's aware of it and probably largely ignores it after a point. Like, it's just become a fact. He has green hair, he has green eyes, he's in love, he has a Roserade, he wears weird pants. It's a part of him- not a defining feature, but a feature nonetheless. It's not who he is, but it's part of the mosaic. He fell first and he's been on the ground waiting ever since, and he's probably kind of emo and very... Drew about it sometimes (/lh), but largely, he just lives with it.

For May, it's probably more like... okay, hear me out on this. Once, I got a large 2-inch shard of glass in the side of my foot, and I didn't notice until I saw the blood that I'd trailed on the kitchen tile. It didn't hurt. I didn't feel it. I had no idea somehow, but it was still there. It only felt like it was there once I noticed it, there was this weird psychosomatic type of thing that happened. I think for May, it's like that. It didn't come on suddenly, it was always there, she just noticed it suddenly and that's what causes the feelings to hit. It's falling hard and all at once (but also it's been there for so long). It's vertigo and disorientation as your entire view of a person shifts into where it belongs. Nothing's changed, it's always been that way, but you see it for what it is now. Everything falls into place, but it's still a hard, sudden fall. I think she lands on her feet, though.

That is what I mean when I say that I think that Drew fell first but May fell harder. Drew fell first and he knew it the entire time. I think that he was able to call it what it was pretty quickly. He recognized it and acted on it in his weird little idiosyncratic ways and just lived with it. May, however, probably doesn't realize until some random moment, some everyday occurrence, and it hits her like a truck. Ford F150. Chevrolet Silverado. Dodge ram. What other trucks do I know from country music and car commercials??? Anyways, it's this sudden, jarring, off-kilter kind of realization, I'd imagine. Just a 'wait, holy shit' kind of moment where it all falls into place.

[foone]

My current problem with mastodon is that it's full of nerds. Well, let me rephrase that, because everywhere is full of nerds: it's full of the most annoying kind of nerds. I'll explain under the readmore, because it got long.

Every time I've posted something on mastodon, I've gotten a bunch of replies that seem to be trying to explain things to me. And it's not like I'm posting "hey how do I install Ubuntu on a Samsung tablet?", I'm mainly going "here's some electronics I'm tearing down" or "I'm hacking this game and wow it does the font in a weird way!"

Neither of these is really an invitation to explain at me. And sure, when I did this on Twitter, I'd get these occasionally. There's always one person who thinks they know more than you and is like "I have to explain at this person!"

But on mastodon it's CONSTANT. I post a quick note about how someday I want to find ask the game developers why they encoded the font like this, and in like 12 hours I've gotten like 14 replies all trying to fontsplain at me.

And it would only be half as annoying if they were right! Cause that's the thing, too: THEY'RE NOT. Tons of people are assuming I am hacking a Pokémon game because I mentioned Game Freak, but nope! It's Drill Dozer. And others are explaining how the GameBoy hardware works when this is a GBA game... Jesus.

It's just... Some weird social thing. Maybe because mastodon co-existed with Twitter for so long as the open source Libre-Twitter, it attracted the kind of nerds who only use open source software, and they built networks of similar people. The kind of people that think they are and have to be the smartest guy in the room. And even now with a massive migration from Twitter to Mastodon, their early-adoption of this platform is influencing the culture of it. Maybe mastodon is just the kind of place where you explain tech at people.

Or maybe it's a cultural thing where it's more like 4chan's anonymous culture, where you don't assume or know things about people. There are no reputations, just interchangeable anonymous/pseudoanonymous people. Reddit often has that sort of thing going too, where if you are a Known Person, it's never a good thing. (just ask The Cylinder Guy).

Or maybe... It's just me. I wasn't the most well known weirdo on Twitter but I had a good number of followers. Maybe on Twitter it was more likely that people knew that I was "Foone, hacker of fonts and tearer downer of electronics!", but on mastodon I'm getting a lot of followers that haven't gotten to know me yet, and... Just assume I blundered into hacking a GBA game without knowing anything about how the GBA hardware and font encodings work?

Cause like, I've got about 20k followers on mastodon and I kinda assume those are just a subset of my Twitter followers who migrated over but maybe I have a bunch of new followers who were mastodon-only until now, and they're like "oh I've heard of that foone punk. Nothing specific but supposedly they're a big deal on Twitter, so now that they've joined mastodon I should follow them!"

Or maybe it is mostly a subset but only the most annoying explainy 20k of Twitter followers followed me over to mastodon? I don't know.

And it's the kind of thing where this happening occasionally would be fine. You get used to annoying replies when you have enough followers, no matter what social network you're on.

And God forbid you have something go viral! Fun fact: even if only one person in a thousand is a massive dick, if you have a post get seen by a million people, that's a lot of dicks.

I don't want to sound like "foone complains because they/their shit is popular", that's not really the problem. I've got a bunch of followers on here as well, but ya'll aren't coming into every post I make and trying to explain them at me.

Which is honestly odder? I would have thought it would be the other way around. Like, all my mastodon posts are like "I am hacking this video game: I am a reverse engineer" or "I am taking apart this electronic device: I'm a reverse engineer" or "I'm building this electronic device/software: I'm a forward engineer". So you'd think people would assume Mastodon!foone is the kind of person who Knows Things, as they're clearly highly technical in what they're doing.

But over here on Tumblr, while I may mention those kinds of things from time to time, I'm mostly doing shitposts, writing, fandom stuff, making jokes, being queer. You'd think it'd be much easier to assume Tumblr!foone doesn't know a huge amount about technical subjects and is therefore a great target for explaining at.

But it is a cultural thing, I guess. Mastodon is full of people who assume you don't really understand what you're talking about, and will explain at you. And Tumblr isn't.

Well, at least for technical stuff. You will get plenty of argumentative replies and reblogs, but less on a post about how GBA games encoding Latin text, and more on things like fandom and politics and queer identities. Although even then I would argue they're doing it on a different way, most of the time: they're not assuming you don't understand and explaining at you, they're more going "(I assume you understand), but I disagree" or "I explicitly think you don't understand: here is where you are wrong", vs the mastodon reply of "I'm assuming you don't understand, so let me explain at you what you're talking about".

I dunno. I don't really have a good solution here and this isn't going to be the reason I leave mastodon or anything, but it's odd, and annoying.

I'm not posting on mastodon as much as I posted on Twitter, and while part of that is that I split my online presence between Tumblr and mastodon instead of keeping it all mixed together on my Twitter, a big chunk of it is that mastodon is simply not as fun to post on as Twitter was, even accounting for my smaller follower count.

Because I'm not just getting a proportionally smaller number of interactions (which makes sense given how I have fewer mastodon followers than I had Twitter followers), I'm getting a larger proportion of really annoying interactions.

And I think what annoys me most is the assumption that I don't know what I'm talking about. Like, tearing stuff down and hacking games for their fonts? I am a professional! This is my job (mainly because I'm unemployed at the moment and my Patreon is my only source of cash), and it's not one I picked up recently. I have been hacking the fonts out of games for FIVE YEARS and as for tearing down electronics? I've been documenting that shit on Twitter/mastodon/etc for like eight years but I've been doing it since i was old enough to hold a screwdriver.

And yes, sure, explain things to me if I don't understand: those things will be clearly signposted. I'll be like "I'm not sure what this chip is, these silkscreens don't match anything on Google" and it's always useful if someone can pop in and go "oh that's a SMX8363 Network Biciever!" because they have some knowledge I don't, and I made it clear I don't know what it is.

But it's a whole different thing for me to post a picture of a PCB and day "okay here's the inside of the case", because I'm about to follow it up with closeups and details, and 5 people reply "chip U1 is a SMX8363, that transformates the network bananadines" because HEY I'M ABOUT TO POST THAT.

or worse, I already have, you just didn't scroll down enough to see it.

Anyway the reason I'm ranting about this here in Tumblr is because I'm not exactly trying to call these people out and get them to change their ways. At least one of the people on the most recent post is someone I've known for years and respect, and she has a lot of Pokémon knowledge, and was applying her specific technical background to help explain it. She's cool... But she just happened to reply along with a mob of random people I don't know, and she applied her highly specific Pokémon Knowledge onto a post that was never about Pokémon.

I'm just saying this here, because I'm musing about the differences I've experienced in different social networks. I can't really tell if it's about the networks themselves or just my particular bubble of followers and followed peoples. It could be either. Especially since Tumblr has some hugely different sub-communities (which is why Blaze can be so hilariously odd: it doesn't pay attention to those communities, and just randomly hits people across the site), and mastodon isn't even a single social network, it's a metanetwork of social networks which many (intentionally) broken links between subsets. (I had to move servers a few times because the first couple I picked had problems, like getting shut down, blocked by most of the western world, or getting put on a "probably bad to interact with" greylist)

I dunno. I'm slowly starting to lean towards posting more technical stuff here instead of mastodon, simply because I can post a neat old TV here and only get replies that are positive, whereas the same sort of thing on mastodon would get many more replies but most of them are trying to explain a TV at me.

Look, all I'm asking is that people don't assume my wonder at the complexities and weirdness of the world as ignorance and a request for education.

Because that's a big part of my social media persona! I don't know how "fake" it is (I'm autistic. I've been wearing masks so long I'm not sure there's anything under them), but it's a good way to interact with the world in my experience: the world is full of hidden wonders and it makes me happy to share them, and apparently people like learning about them when I'm talking about them in that way. It's like I'm putting on a Bill Nye mask so I can be amazed at everything, to some degree. It keeps me from getting bored and taking things for granted, it lets me discover hidden beauty, and people seem to enjoy that kind of attitude, especially on social networks increasingly full of negativity. I can be excited about this weird old computer, and hopefully I can talk about it in such a way that helps you share in some of that excited, and the world is a little brighter.

And it's just disheartening when you try to share in your excitement about the weird and the complex and unusual and get people going "um actually this is just a common design for systems that use the 430TX chipset, as it's a budget model that didn't implement AGP fully and instead used a PCI bridge chip to implement..." and it's like LET ME HAVE FUN AND SHARE THAT FUN EVEN IF YOU CAN'T.

It's not even that I'm getting less "wow that's cool!" replies, it's that I'm getting mostly "that's just some boring thing that makes sense if you've done five years of electrical engineering like I have" and I'm so tired of that kind of attitude. It just goes double when they're wrong and assumed something was boring because they understand it and I don't, when in reality I do understand it, and they missed the interesting bit because they came into the conversation already looking to rain on my parade and/or educate the fool that they assumed I was.

And don't get me wrong: I am very a fool. But I'm not every kind of fool. I know some things. And I'm not a fan of getting explained at as if I don't understand those things.

Terrible thought, that's probably not true: I got most of my Twitter followers before I was out as trans. I've been trans on mastodon since day one. Are these fuckers assuming I'm a woman and mansplaining at me? Like, they're not transphobic, they respect my identity (even if they have it wrong), but they're still sexist and by assuming I'm a woman, they also assume I don't know what I'm talking about?

God. I hope not.

Anyway. Tumblr and mastodon, won't you?