#i can talk *about* their issues because i mostly follow them and hear their stories but i'm only an EXPERT in this realm

[uncanny-tranny]

"If men got periods/needed abortion/got ovarian or breast cancer, those resources would be handed out like candy! They'd be more plentiful than ATMs!!"

You mean perisex cis men. You mean perisex cis men. Say what you mean.

I'm a trans man. I avoid all medical care because ninety percent of my doctors have not treated me properly because I am a trans man. I am acutely aware that doctors would be more than happy to not provide me care on the basis of my being trans, even if it costed my life.

Every time I so much as think about the doctors, I'm reminded of men like Robert Eads - of how my care is at the whim of the opinions a doctor has about my life. And because of my own past negative experiences, I hesitate to open my patient portal to schedule an appointment. When I have gotten a good doctor, it's not been the rule, it's the exception. I have a doctor right now who I'm lucky to see, who actually treats me like a human being. I'm celebrating that a doctor finally treats me like a person.

If you want to group all men as being the same, I hope you're willing to have that blood on your hands. Because that care is routinely kept away from men, and it's a real, tangible, systemic issue.

I don't talk about this because I see being trans as this negative thing, but because I want to continue living and I want my trans siblings to live. I understand the frustration that people have who say this - it's another systemic issue that also costs lives. However, I am alarmed at the trend of... forgetting or perhaps erasing that this is still an issue for men, that we literally aren't treated the same as somebody like a cis perisex woman. No doctor has ever treated me like one, and of that I know for a fact. And this is a simple fix - be clear about who you mean when you talk about a group of people or a specific phenomenon. That applies when you are talking about any group of people because, generally, these overgeneralizations will be useless because it can't apply to everyone, and might just hurt a group of people you may not even be intending on hurting.

[kyemna]

Hazbin Hotel headcanons

TW: Mentions of sex and alcohol. some suggestive themes that's it, it's mostly just fluff.

(English isn't my first language)

Charlie

-Will do anything for you.

-you want flowers? Done. You saw a cute stuffed animal in the store front and you want it? You got it. Somebody harassed you on the streets and you want them punished? Let her take care of it. Normally she's against violence, but when it comes to protecting you? She'll do anything.

-will sing to you, all the time

-made a special song that she sings to you when you've had a bad day

-the best listener ever.

-will sit and listen to you talk for hours

-if she needs to get to work early, she'll make you breakfast and leave you a note that says something like:

-hi, good morning lovely! I hope you sleep well.

I had to leave early.. something happened at the hotel while Alastor was away, and they needed me.

See you 2night, i love you:)<3

-i think her love languages are physical touch and words of affirmation

Angel Dust

-whisper's provocative things to you during meetings

-definitely a physical touch kind of guy.

-Will cling to you at the most random times

-keeps Valentino as far away from you as possible.

-tries his best to keep his relationships hidden from him as well

-if you'd come home after a long day, he'd give you a massage

-is super funny, tell me otherwise.

-has a high sex drive, and is pretty kinky due to his job.

-so expect him to ring you up at the most unexpected times.

-PS. Don't put him on speaker when you're in public..

Vaggie

-was pretty cautious around you in the beginning, but slowly warms up to you

-once she's comfortable, she tells the wildest stories and acts them out for you

-if you don't know how to fight, she'll teach you

-if you do know how to fight, you guys spar all the time

-jealousy issues, and you can't tell me other wise.

-she hears someone talk to you in a tone she doesn't like? Glare. Someone low-key flirting with you? Glare. If looks could kill.. she will actually kill them though, so..

-not super experienced in bed, but she's open to suggestions

-once she finds something she likes/is comfortable with, she askes you for it all the time

-a "words of affirmation" and "acts of service" girl for sure

Alastor

(i am perfectly aware he's ace, but these are scenario's for if he wasn't, don't come for me)

-now, Alastor is a great dancer.

-he has great music taste too!

-listens to 1940's and below.

-i think he's mostly into Jazz and Classical music to be honest

-i do think Amy Winehouse and Dave Brubeck are his exceptions when it comes to listening to 1950's and above

-somehow always knows where you are..? You often see his shadows follow you, so that's probably why

-kills for you. Also because he has a thirst for blood, that needs to be satisfied. So that's 2 birds with one stone

-holds doors open for you

-just a general gentleman

-loves it when you wear dark red, dark blue and dark green

-it can be anything. Lipstick (just red though), a hat, a dress, heels, etc.

-expects you to respect his personal space but doesn't respect yours LMFAO

-gift giving and physical touch

Husk

-knows all your favorite drinks

-loves to dance with you

-also a Jazz person, but I don't think he'd mind country music to be honest

-once he secretly took a picture of you.

-he thought you looked so good, he keeps it in his nightstand.

-doesn't really talk about his problems/feelings, but prefers it if you do.

-respects your boundaries more than anyone.

-you don't wanna talk? He'll kiss your forehead, and leave you alone.

-you don't really like being touched? He'll always ask first.

-other than making amazing alcoholic drinks, he makes great coffee too!

-quality time and physical touch.

It's been quite a while since i've written something, so I apologize if there's any grammar mistakes or sentences that just don't make any sense LOL

Thank you for reading!

[ynscrazylife]

Hi Jess! I have a request similar to the paternal BAU fics you’ve done about if they were your parents, but can I please request a ‘Spencer as your big brother’ type list - idk what the sitch would be that he would end up being your guardian for but it probably made him extra protective and brotherly and yeah I would love that a lot thanks Jess!!!

spencer being your big brother (spencer reid x little sibling!reader)

i couldn’t really think of how to fit in spencer being your guardian so i’m sorry it’s not in here!

In the BAU’s eyes, Spencer is a total nerd. He’s a kid. The youngest of the group. To you, however, he’s your hero. You adore him and you look up to him for guidance on just about everything. Yes, sometimes his never-ending spewing of facts can be a bit annoying, but mostly you appreciate his wisdom and how much he seems to know about everything. It’s useful whenever you have a problem or some issue and you don’t know what to do.

The team is still shocked when one day, you waltz right into their headquarters and go right up to your big brother. Usually the most attentive one, Spencer drops everything in the moment to make sure you’re alright.

“Who is this kid??” — Derek, probably.

Spencer proudly introduces you as his little sibling, the light of his life, as well as the most important person in his life.

JJ and Garcia absolutely adore you. The rest are soon to follow, with Hotch and Derek in particular also taking a liking to you (especially Derek since Spencer’s already like his younger brother).

Even though he enjoys having you hang out with the team, Spencer otherwise prefers to keep you away from his work. He doesn’t often divulge the details of anything really that he does.

Of course, the BAU gets you to tell them stories about Spencer and show you old photos, which you’re more than happy to do.

Spencer is not happy when he finds out and that’s when the BAU sees his stern side. He very much adopts a stern parent persona, his hands on his hips, a disappointing frown, the whole thing. He has an authoritative voice that the BAU’s never heard before that immediately gets you into line.

“Why have you never talked like that on missions?” — Hotch

Even when he does have to get firm, he never stays angry with you. It’s impossible for him. He never wants to upset you, either.

If you ever have an issue, Spencer’s the one to go to. He’s a great listener and he will ask if you’re looking to rant or if you’re looking for advice/a solution.

He will protect you from anything and everything. When it comes to you, he forgets all about his fears.

Even if he is away for work, he makes sure you know that you can always call him. He will always pick up your phone call, no matter the time or day. He hates when he’s stuck in meetings or is away from his phone, because he always wants to be around in case you need him.

If you ever decide to be in a relationship with someone, Spencer’s your number #1 supporter. He will, however, go to Derek to ask for advice on how to be intimidating. He will scare your partner and make sure that they know you’re not to be messed with or left heartbroken.

And if you end up heartbroken, Spencer’s there with boxes of chocolate and his shoulder to cry on (if you don’t stop crying, he’ll call Garcia or Penelope in a panic).

Spencer’s a great tutor!! If you ever need any help in that area, he is patient and thorough. It’s very important to him that you understand the process and he is very in tune to however you learn best. There are no dumb questions.

You’ll often receive random texts from Spencer if he ever needs to rant about something that he’s interested in.

You are the first person he goes to whenever he wants to announce something! He wants you to hear any good news he has first.

Spencer may be your big brother, but he’s also your best friend. He’ll listen to any gossip you wanna share, he’ll go on Target runs with you, he’s up for pretty much anything.

But that means that you also have to be willing to go to the bookstore with him. That man can spend hours going through the shelves.

He’s a very fun and kind brother. He takes his role very seriously.

[funhouse-mirror-barbie]

What “It’s Written Like a Fanfic” actually means as a criticism—

Lately, I’ve seen a lot of people use “it’s written like fan fiction” as a negative critique of stories that are poorly written.

I’ve especially seen this criticism talked about in regards to Hazbin Hotel, and honestly, it’s a criticism I agree with.

But I wanted to talk specifically about what that means, because I think there are people who hear that criticism and take it to mean that ALL fan fiction is terrible and poorly written.

I need to make it REALLY CLEAR that I am not saying all fan fiction is “bad”.

I’ve written (probably bad) fan fiction! I’m an avid reader of fan fiction! Some of my favorite stories are fan fiction or are derived from fan fiction.

So. How can I use “it’s written like a fanfic” as a negative criticism if I like it so much? Because—

To me, a story being “written like a fanfiction” is only a problem when the writers approach the characters and world of their story as if everything has been pre-established.

The reason fan fiction works, the reason it can be so deeply beloved and celebrated, is usually because fanfiction writers and audiences have already fallen in love with an existing world and characters.

For example, I really love Batman, specifically Batman: The Animated Series. When I read fan fiction about Batman, I don’t always want to, or need to, read about Bruce Wayne’s backstory and his reasons and motives for becoming Batman. That’s something that can be explored and elaborated on in many interesting ways in fan fiction, but it’s not really something I need a beat by beat explanation on.

And, in this scenario, the writer of the fic doesn’t need to spend time establishing Batman’s basic characterization and relationships. There’s an assumption that the audience and readers already have an idea of those subjects. That’s why they’re seeking out fan fic—because they’ve already delved into the source material, and want to see more of those characters and that world.

That’s not to say one CAN’T write fan fiction about origin stories and establishing lore and all that, or that those stories will always be poorly written. But it’s not necessary for someone who’s already a fan to understand what’s going on if the writer wants to elaborate on an already established character or story.

In fan fiction, the heavy lifting of establishing character relationships, backstories, and basic relationships, etc. has usually already been done by the source material.

The reason someone seeks out fan fiction is (almost always) because they already know and enjoy the characters and setting, and want to hear more stories about those characters.

However, if you’re writing your own story, you need to take the time to establish your story’s basic tone, plot, characters and so on, before you can get to the exciting and more gripping or engaging parts of your narrative.

Hazbin Hotel (the Amazon series) is very guilty of skipping over a lot of the work of building up and establishing its characters and world and how they mesh with the plot and narrative.

The most egregious examples I can think of is when (v)Aggie throws the crew into the turf war, we don’t get to SEE any of the bonding the Hazbin crew have, and are then told afterwards that they’re closer and we see them reminiscing about the fight.

The same thing happens when Husk tells everyone what their personal “issues” are because he’s the bartender and can “see through them” because of that. It would be actually nice if we got to SEE how he learned those things, but instead he just lists off characteristics that people who are already fans of the show know from following the shows development.

Brand new audiences just have a bunch of character traits told to them all at once, and don’t actually get to SEE these characterization happen naturally.

I think the main reason Hazbin is written like this is mostly because the creators publicly developed the story online over many, many years.

Anyone who was already a fan of Hazbin’s creators’ previous work probably followed Hazbin’s 10 year development. And as a result, they probably listened to a lot of livestreams, read some of the supplemental comics, went to Q/A streams, and read the creator’s blog. Due to that, they already KNOW a lot about the story and world and characters, and so they don’t notice if those basic world-building and character development ARENT in the show itself.

And obviously, this is all just my opinion, but it very much seems to me like this slow and public development of Hazbin’s characters and story may have had the negative side affect of the creator and writers forgetting that they still have to build up and develop these things in the actual show itself.

Long time fans of the story when it was just a bunch of loose concepts and early characterizations can watch the finalized series of “Hazbin Hotel”, and are able to bridge gaps in the story and characterization because they’ve probably been reading blogs about Hazbin for at least 5 years.

But when someone completely new to the series watches it, there’s a chance they’re going to find the story rushed and disjointed, because they don’t have the background information on the story’s development.

This is a problem specifically because, to write an engaging and competent story, you HAVE to take the time to establish basic things first, and then you have to take the time to BUILD UP to deeper characterization, plot points, character relationships and so on.

Hazbin Hotel the show feels like “a bad fan fic” because it’s, in my opinion, written for people who are already fans, and written by people who want to skip straight to the “fun” parts of their story. But the writers still recognize that the story needs to be accessible to people who are not familiar with it, and to compensate they have to cram in as many explanations and justifications to try and make their story make sense.

The result is that Hazbin Hotel has tons of bland exposition, rushed character arcs and introductions, tonal inconsistencies and confusing lore, and a world and characters that are half-formed and fall flat.

That’s what I personally think the criticism “written like a bad fan fic” means. That the narrative feels like it is based on a preexisting piece of media, and therefore is missing the building blocks needed to make the narrative feel like a believable and fully formed story.

As a side note—I don’t think it’s like. Objectively terrible to develop your story and characters openly. But I DO think it can end up biting you in the ass like I detailed above.

When you already know how your characters behave and where your story is going, and you share that and start to have a following that’s with you every step of the way, I think it’s easy to forget that your story still needs to be accessible to people outside of your fan base.

I mean. I guess it doesn’t NEED to. But like. That’s usually the goal. Funnily enough, that also kind of makes me think of fanfic writing.

Fan fic doesn’t need to be accessible to a general audience b/c it’s often written for the the author’s own gratification and for the gratification of a pre-existing fan base.

Interestingly, I personally don’t think the “fan fiction” criticism applies to the first season of Spindlehorse’s other show, Helluva Boss, because the story and characters were (mostly) thought out first, and the narrative took time to gradually develop the characters and story at a slower pace.

And then season 2 came out and changed the characterization so drastically from what was already established that now it does feel like a fan fiction of itself. lol.

That’s really all I have to say about that. There are other things too that show up a lot in fan fiction and have like…become their own fan fiction tropes that people sometimes expect or mock, and those play a role too. But to me this is the BIGGEST thing that makes a story feel like a bad fan fic. If it’s written as if it’s borrowing from an already established story.

Again! These are just my opinions! I know the sin of sharing one’s opinions online can never be forgiven, but I wanted to examine the reason people use that phrase as a negative criticism.

[alpaca-clouds]

Why Nobody Talks About The Ozone Hole Any Longer

Something I have come across more and more in the last two years or so are right wing climate change deniars going: "Oh, it is typical for liberals to make a big thing out of nothing. I mean when have you last heard about the Ozone hole?! Just another meaningless outrage."

And of course everyone who actually follows science will sit there: "Uhm, yeah. We do not hear about the ozone hole anymore anymore, because... we fixed it. We enacted politics, they worked, the Ozone hole is fixed. Hurray. NOW PLEASE CAN WE DO THE SAME FOR CLIMATE CHANGE?!"

But let me quickly talk about what happened with the ozone hole. Because it was a frustrating thing, that was badly communicated for the most part.

Long story short: In the 70s scientists notized that the ozone layer surrounding our planet was depleating. It is a layer within the atmosphere mostly filled with Ozone (O3), that acts as a big filter for harmful radiation reaching our planet from space. Mostly it is interesting because it filters out some of the harmful radiations that get to our planet from the sun.

Those scientists figured out too, why the ozone layer was depleating: Certain chemicals that we were using made their way up to the atmosphere and reacted with the ozone, and with that creating new molecules, which depleated the ozone. Some of the main chemicals were chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

Now, again, this was in the mid 70s, and the first thing that happened was a familiar story: The scientists went to politicians, told them about them, and the companies using the CFCs were like: "But do you know REALLY?" And of course all needed almost 10 years to get the ball rolling.

Still, by 1985 some European countries started to put up laws that regulated the use of CFCs and some other chemicals that were used in ACs, in stuff like hairspray, and in refrigerators. And by '89 the world came together and put in an actual international action plan to do something about it.

So yes, most of us who are on this website were actually born at a point where this already was being politically addressed. And while throughout my own childhood and youth the ozone hole was still a bit of a problem, the new laws managed to fix the issue. The ozone hole has mostly closed up.

Which is why the real reason is more like: Why did we manage that and somehow are so incapable of fixing climate change? Because yeah, the ozone hole was a problem - but not comparable to the bloody climate change!

But yeah, the reason why we don't talk about the ozone hole anymore? We listened to scientists, enacted new politics, and we fixed the problem. Hurray us.

[smoothies-are-cool]

don’t worry

boyfriend! matt sturniolo x pop star girlfriend! reader

summary: reader is a singer and has vocal nodes but matt is with her every step of the way.

warnings: pet names (baby, sweetheart), use of y/n, surgery, anesthesia, hospitals, needles.

a/n: i’m not sure if anyone has ever done this before so please lmk if they have !! a lot of green in this story but pay attention because the green is like 5 different people because i’m limited on colors

being a popular singer has it’s perks but it definitely also has it’s own set of issues.

i had just finished my second united states tour and i was on my way back to LA, but in pain.

a few days before the last show my throat hurt so my manager, lexi made me see the first doctor available. we discovered i had vocal nodes and had to go under surgery almost as soon as i got back to LA.

my boyfriend matt, was one of the first people to know. he begged to come on the tour with me, but being an influencer himself i made him stay in LA with his brothers to manage their youtube channel and brand deals. he told me that i had no idea how bad he felt for not being able to be there for me.

with vocal nodes i’m not supposed to sing and i can barely talk. if i do talk i’m in a whole bunch of pain.

walking off the plane and into the airport was horrible. lexi doesn’t want me to go anywhere alone so i have one security guard with me at all times and that causes a lot of stares and people asking for things. today, i had sunglasses on, my hood up and airpods in.

i scan the airport, looking for my boyfriend and his 2 brothers. i immediately find them and i almost started to run to them but stop when i realize i still have my bags. i tap my security guard, mike’s shoulder and he looks down at me.

“can you-?” i ask, cutting myself off due to the pain in my throat. i point to my bags. he nods, grabbing the handle of my suitcase and the bag off my shoulder. i start walking quickly towards matt, taking off my sunglasses just before i get to him.

“i’m so sorry baby, are you okay?” he asks and tears fill my eyes. this surgery is very risky because there’s no guarantee that my voice will come back, so i’m genuinely terrified. singing is something so big in my life, it’s a huge part of me. if i can’t sing i don’t know what i’d do.

as i was attempting to talk matt cut me off. “you don’t have to talk, it’s okay.” he comforts. i nod, pulling away from the hug and turning to nick and chris.

“hi.” nick says softly, hugging me and rubbing my back. i just wave in response, pulling away.

“hey, i’m sorry.” chris apologizes, i just shrug. i turn back to matt as we stand in silence.

“let’s go then, yeah?” matt speaks up, grabbing my bags from mike.

we walk towards matt’s car with mike following closely behind. we can hear everyone talking about us and taking pictures but we ignore it. when we get to matt’s car i turn to mike.

“the car is over there. can you please tell them i’m with the triplets and i’m safe?” i ask, pointing in the direction of a black escalade.

“yeah of course.” mike nods.

“thank you so much. i’ll see you tomorrow.” i tell him, climbing into the passenger seat.

after a couple hours of hanging out with matt in mostly silence, he brought me back to my house. i had to go see a specialist tomorrow to schedule my at 8 am so it was just easier if i stayed at my house so my manager could pick me up.

“want me to come in for a few?” matt asks, putting the car in park. i nod and he starts to get out of the car.

“uh actually, can you stay please? i’m scared to be alone.” i ask, my voice strained as i wince from the pain in my throat.

“yeah of course.” he nods. when we get inside we go up to my room and i change into pajamas. since matt is over so often, he started keeping clothes of his at my house so he was able to change into pajamas as well. we climb into my bed and i lay my head on his chest, his arm wraps around me as i turn on our favorite show, new girl.

“i know you’re probably really scared right now, but i want you to know that i’m always here for you.” he tells me, rubbing his thumb across the exposed skin on my hip.

“thank you matt.” i tell him softly. if i speak soft enough the pain isn’t as intense as it would be if i spoke normally.

at the doctors office they scheduled my surgery. they wanted to do it as soon as possible so it was in three days.

matt had been with me everyday, getting me anything i needed or wanted. i tried my best not to talk, but when i’m around matt that’s all i wanted to do.

he had told me when it was the day of my surgery he was going to sit in the waiting room the entire time no matter how long it took. i tried to tell him how much i loved him but he didn’t want me to talk and mess up my voice even more.

3 days later

me, matt, lexi and mike walked into the surgical center and walked up to the front desk.

“y/n l/n has a phonomicro surgery schedule for 9 am.” lexi spoke for me. my nerves were so bad i genuinely thought i was going to throw up and matt could tell so he grabbed my hand and rubbed his thumb across the back of my hand.

“yes here she is. please fill out this paperwork and then the nurse will come get her in a few minutes to prep her for the surgery. you guys can take a seat.” the receptionist tells us, handing me a clipboard of papers and a pen and pointing to a set of four chairs along the wall.

we all take seats and i start to fill out the papers. it’s pretty basic and standard questions. ‘what’s your full name?’ ‘when’s your birthday?’ ‘do you have insurance?’ ‘have you ever had surgery before?’ i filled out there pages of the same questions that were worded in different ways.

i finished the paperwork and handed it back to the receptionist. a few minutes later my name was called. the nerves in my body spiked up and i immediately started shaking. matt and lexi stood up with me and matt pulled me into him.

“don’t worry sweetheart, you’re gonna be okay. we’ll all be waiting for you, okay?” he tells me soothingly which helps calm me down a bit. i turn to lexi.

“don’t think to much into it. you’re voice will come back.” lexi says, rubbing my arm. i nod, waving to mike before walking off with the nurse.

as we’ve walking to the room she’s asking me all the same questions i answered on the papers.

“okay i’m gonna have you change into this gown, these underwear and these socks. put your clothes in this bag. you can change in here.” the nurse tells me, handing me everything and showing me to the bathroom that was in my room.

when i walked out she took my bag of clothes and placed it on the chair. “you can go head and lay down. are you scared of needles?” she looked at me as she rolled her cart of things closer to the bed. i shook my head no.

“okay that’s good. i do have to put an IV in your arm so the anesthesiologist can give you anesthesia. do you want to squeeze this?” she asks me, holding up a blue stress ball.

“mhm.” i hum, smiling as she handing the ball to me. i felt her clean my arm with an alcohol pad and she paused for a second, i assumed she was looking for a good vain to put the IV in.

“okay, 3,2,1.” she counted, pushing the needle into my arm. “you okay?” she asked.

“yeah.” i confirm.

“good, now i’m gonna push you into the operating room.” she put the sides of the bed up, pushing me out of the room. when we got to the operating room there were people already waiting.

“hi y/n, i’m the anesthesiologist. you doing okay?” he asked me, i nodded and put my thumb up.

“okay good, i want you to count back from 10, okay?” he tells me, i nod. i feel him messing around with the IV and i knew he was getting ready to give me the anesthesia.

“10, 9, 8, 7-“ i managed to get to 7 before passing out.

when i woke up i was back in the room from earlier. matt, lexi and mike all sat in chairs around me and matt was holding my hand.

i squeeze his hands a couple times, giving him a sign that i’m awake.

“oh thank god.” he breathes, kissing my forehead. i open my mouth to speak but they all stop me.

“no!” they all yell, my eyes going wide.

“you can’t talk.” lexi tells me.

“you’ll be in pain if you do.” matt adds on. lexi turns to mike. “can you get the doctor and tell them she’s awake?” lexi asks. mike nods and walks out.

a few minutes later he walks back in the with doctor.

“miss l/n, how you feeling?” the doctor asks. “don’t talk! use your hands.” he quickly adds on, putting his thumb up and then down. i put my thumb on the middle.

“okay that’s normal.” he tells me, feeling my lymph nodes.

“you can’t talk for about a week, and you have to wait about a month before you try to sing, okay?” i shake my head yes.

“okay. we do have to keep you over night for observation but you should be able to go home tomorrow afternoon. you will have to be under close observation. do you have anyone that you live with or anyone that can look after you.” he asks. i point to matt. the doctor nods.

“well everything looks good for now. i’ll come back later and check on you.” he tells me, walking out of the room. matt walks closer and grabs my hand again.

“see you’re okay.” he smiles. i smile and nod.

“i know this isn’t a great time, but there was a picture that was leaked of us walking into the hospital so now people think you’re dead because you haven’t been active on anything.” matt tells me. my eyes go wide and i almost laugh. i do texting motions with my hands, letting them know i want my phone. matt laughs and pulls my phone out of his pocket and hands it to me.

y/n.l/n posted on their story!

a/n: should i make a part 2 of the recovery?? 😇 i wrote this while watching 8 mile.

[the-fabled-void]

The genofell kids sound really interesting. What’s their lore?

Cue me rubbing my hands evilly

Senf is actually the first one I made, he started this whole mess

Sooooo, the Genofell kids! The story of their parents is actually a romantic relationship! With my track record of ship kid backstories, that's actually a surprise! But I'm talking about them as characters first.

Senf (he/him)

-short king

-clothing style is punk-ish

-was accidental, but very loved

-name means mustard in german. Idk why he'd have german anything but yes

-his name doesn't ONLY come from mustard in German. It's the 'en' from Geno, the F from Fell, and the S because they're both SSanse

-Bonds with both parents pretty easily, has a lot of similarities with both

-has a walking disability, can't walk or stand for long times without pain

-> which is why he has a baseball bat that also doubles as a cane

-likes to annoy Doomfanger (the cat that the fans sometimes give the fell skelebros)

-only follows rules that make sense to him

-you know on Reddit, r/MaliciousCompliance? That's his way of following rules he doesn't agree with them. In other words, he follows them so literally it's annoying, or finds ways to follow them while still doing what he wants

Think this:

Fell Paps/Edge: YOU CAN'T CARRY DOOMFANGER INTO THE KITCHEN WHILE I'M COOKING!

Senf: *herds Doomfanger into the kitchen like a sheep instead of carrying him in*

Edge:

Senf: I'm not carrying him :)

Ratchet (he/they)

-The 'on purpose' child, while Senf was accidental

-anxiety & sleep issues

-a bit too attached to their phone

-Ratchet dislikes both condiments, ketchup and mustard, they're a mayonnaise heathen

-They're constantly doing something with their hands

-He analyses!!! Everything!!! Sits and watches and analyses and jumps to conclusions sometimes, even if they're wrong

-Doomfanger is around him constantly. That cat is so protective of him

-He wants to talk fast but keeps stumbling over words, so he just stays silent mostly

-They hear electricity and get overstimulated by that

-Their glitches make noise. You'd think they'd be used to that, you're wrong

The lore about their parents is loosely based off of a roleplay

Geno and Fell knew each other, back when it was still Classic and Fell. But Classic loses his memories partially when a human begins killing in his timeline.

You know what happens next. This Sans decides he needs to be more DETERMINED to stop the human. In his dying moments, he flees to the save screen, forced to watch for a long time, Until he realizes he can actually pull people in

Instead of his original world, he soon sees Underfell, where a resilient, kind, and assertive Frisk shows mercy despite hostility, which fascinates him.

At some point he accidentally pulls them into the save screen, and when they get out, they tell their Sans who they saw. And eventually, Geno manages to escape the save screen, to Underfell.

Both Geno and Fell couldn't shake off the feeling of familiarity as they interacted. They didn't actually talk about it, because they both suck at communication.

Months passed as Geno got used to this new world. Then, a random monster tried to attack Geno for looking weak. Fell managed to defend Geno and get them home. Then, he tried to imitate something that he remembered being done to him a long time ago.

Healing. But, Fell had never done healing magic before, and so, he didn't transfer magic the right way.

Instead, Senf was created.

As they figured out they were going to have to keep him, the tension grew. They still hadn't mentioned the familiar feelings they got from each other. But they were in close proximity a lot of the time, so they had to. And they grew closer thanks to the truth. Thanks to the kid.

Eventually, as Geno and Fell grew closer thanks to the baby, they decided to have a second one. This time, on purpose. And that's how Ratchet is made.

Bonus fun facts :)

Ratch and Senf are irish twins

Senf is older but shorter

Ratch harbors a jealousy for Senf, even if he does love him

They feel forgotten, left behind, and like they're less loved in comparison to Senf

Senf is aware that his parents struggle to bond with Ratchet. He's aware of the resentment too, but he feels like bringing it up will only make everything worse

Senf blames himself for it

[avonne-writes]

Hi! I want to start by saying that I love your writing, it's well-planned and easy to follow, but captivating and detailed at the same time, and I've spent so much time rereading your works that it's honestly embarassing, but I can't help myself, because each time I find some other detail to focus on, which makes it all worthwhile.

But I wanted to ask about your HS AU - specifically about the other canon characters from MOTA. I remember you mentioned that they (Brady, Benny, Curt, and all the others) don't know the severity of Gale's home situation, only that he spends a lot of time at Bucky's. But they surely had to notice something? Especially after the events of "Broken Things"? Maybe they didn't know about the situation in details, but if the boys (or just Gale) missed school in that period of 10 days between "Broken Things" and "Silence", they must have asked questions? They must have sent messages to both of them? Maybe Gale and John tried to cover it with an illness or a roadtrip or something, but there must have been times, after he came back to school, when he didn't feel quite like himself, and when Bucky was visibly distraught when Gale wasn't near or when he was more quiet than usual, etc. Sorry for rambling, I'm just very curious, in general, if they ever suspected something, or how Gale and John handled that at school, with their closest friends?

For satisfying my curiosity, thanks in advance <3

Hi dear, thank you for the ask! ❤️ Nothing makes me happier than to hear that you guys are enjoying my stories. These were great questions!

Gradually, their friends became more aware of Gale's family issues as Gale's mental health started to deteriorate before Broken Things. They put two and two together and filled the gaps - sometimes incorrectly - with their own assumptions.

When Gale cracks, there's no hiding it, but Gale and Bucky try not to share how bad it got.

Bucky goes back to school on day 2 after it happens but Gale is absent for a few more days. Their friends can already tell from Bucky’s agitated, sleep-deprived, unusually quiet behaviour that something is very wrong. To their questions, he just says that Gale is away because of family issues.

Some of the boys message Gale, but Gale brushes them off. He pretends it's a much less serious issue than it actually is.

When Gale comes back to school, their friends are ready to move on and carry on as usual, but they can tell that Gale is not okay. He goes through all the motions but his and Bucky's interactions give it away, because they're not as playful as usual. Constant worried looks from Bucky, half-embraces that look more protective than possessive, quiet affection instead of over the top flirting.

The boys are all texting each other separately to discuss what's going on. Bucky told one of them that Gale moved in with him, Gale told someone else that he just didn't want to feel anything anymore.

It's Curt who eventually takes the plunge, texts Gale and finds a way to stir the conversation to what happened, and then he doesn’t let up. He tells Gale that they're his friends and worry about him.

This is all through text, which is lucky for Curt because that's why Gale is eventually able to open up a bit. He says that he considered taking his life and that's why he needed things to change. He still paints a less severe picture than reality, but it's better than nothing. He gives Curt permission to tell the others but also says he doesn’t want to talk about it.

The issues John and Gale struggle with for the rest of Year 12 affect their friend group negatively. With some other things (like new girlfriends, university plans etc.) also pulling them away, it becomes less tight-knit than it used to be, and they don't hang out as often as in the past. Their paths diverge, and it's mostly just Bucky-Curt and Bucky-Brady who stay in touch regularly after high school.

[urhouseisnthauntedurjustlonely]

Hatchetfield & the Real Musical References

That theory of ‘the plays-within-plays foreshadow the next musical’ got me thinking about the real musicals referenced in the Hatchetfield Series and how they could connect to the story. That led to these findings.

CW: Relgion (Godspell), spoilers for the Hatchetfield Series, Godspell & Brigadoon

(I know there are more details I’m missing, as I haven’t seen either musical, but I’m just excited and wanted to share. Wikipedia is my ride-or-die.)

So. Godspell. Or, ‘God-awful’. Or, ‘Gotdamn That Was Bad’.

Y’all…

First, Godspell is mostly based on the Gospel of Matthew. Like Paul Matthews, the very guy who did not like musicals himself.

Skipping to Act II for a moment— there is a scene where…

“Jesus returns to his followers to find them all asleep. He begs them to stay awake, but they all fall asleep again, and Jesus warns them that they will all betray him three times.”

Remember in Act II of TGWDLM, after the song ‘Not Your Seed’, when Alice, Deb, and Hatchetfield Bee are talking to Paul after they killed Bill? And remember when they said:

“Bending countless civilizations to our will, yet, you, Paul, have defied us thrice!”

Insert The Incredibles’ (2004), “Coincidence? I think not!” meme here.

Godspell includes the tale of The Parable of the Prodigial Son, also known as the Parable of the Two Brothers, Lost Son, Loving Father, or of the Forgiving Father.

“The parable begins with a man who had two sons, and the youngest, who is impatient and greedy, asks his father to give him his share of the estate immediately. The father is like, “Y’know what? Fuck it. I’m feelin’ kinda funky today,” and agrees, dividing the estate in half.”

“Upon receiving his portion of the inheritance, the younger son travels to a distant country, where he squanders his wealth through reckless living.”

The younger son gets humbled, he comes back home in shame, blah, blah, blah, lesson learned.

If that’s not Emma Perkins, then I don’t know what is, especially considering she literally inherits land. I’m looking at you, Nightmare Time episode Perky’s Buds!!

And I admit, this is a reach, but the Parable of the Prodigal Son starts in Luke 15:11. Emma’s favorite band is 311. In military time, 3 pm = 15. So, 15:11 = 3:11 pm. This is either a happy accident or an intentional tidbit that managed to work out well.

Similar to the beginning of TGWDLM, it begins with God and the characters breaking the fourth wall and explaining shit via song.

At the end of Godspell, Jesus is crucified, and he is carried off stage by the cast. There has been a lot of controversy over the ending, because the musical does not mention Jesus’ resurrection at any point.

Almost like how in TGWDLM, Paul sacrifices himself, and when we thought Paul was resurrected at the end, he wasn’t. (To put it simply.) And we can’t forget how the cast carries a screaming Emma off stage, and the show ends on a (good) controversial note.

Brigadoon!

Brigadoon starts with these two New Yorkers, Tommy Albright and Jeff Douglas doing that fancy kind of hunting white people do when the men hear music coming from a village nearby. But wait a hot second! There is no village on their map! And yet!! Turns out that village is a special place called Brigadoon. Why is it special? Here’s some WIKI for ya’.

“200 years ago, the local minister prayed to God to have Brigadoon disappear that way it would remain untouched by the outside world, only to reappear every 100 years. All citizens of Brigadoon are forbidden to leave the town, or it will disappear forever.”

Kind of reminds me of the whole ‘no one can ever truly leave Hatchetfield’ thing. So, could Hatchetfield be seen as a mirror of Brigadoon in some sense?

Hm.

There is literally a character named Tommy who ends up falling for Fiona, a lass from Brigadoon. The issue is, he’s engaged to a woman named Jane who he isn’t really that into. Even after he leaves Brigadoon, Tommy still thinks about Fiona.

Tommy is Tom. Jane is Jane. Fiona is Becky. Of course, this isn’t to be taken as they are the Hatchetfield equivalent to that character.

And it turns out, Emma Perkins hates Becky Barnes. Why? Sisterly principle. (Emma knows Tom always viewed Becky as ‘the one who got away’, even after marrying Jane.)

Going back to Paul and Emma!

After after meeting Fiona, Tommy asks the Brigadoon schoolmaster, Mr. Lundie, if outsiders were allowed to stay. He replies:

“A stranger can stay if he loves someone here – not jus' Brigadoon, mind ye, but someone in Brigadoon – enough to want to give up everythin' an' stay with that one person. Which is how it should be. 'Cause after all, lad, if ye love someone deeply, anythin' is possible.”

In TGWDLM, Paul and General MacNamara have that Iconic Conversation which has a similar vibe.

MacNamara: I follow a higher law than any institution could decree, and that is the universal truth of love and the strength of the human heart.

&

Paul: I can’t leave without Emma.

MacNamara: Who’s Emma, Paul?

Paul: A friend of mine.

MacNamara: Friends don’t move my heart, son. Is there a chance at something more?

Paul: […] I’d like there to be. I want there to be.

Shout out to Mamma Mia, and Bill wanting to see a feel good musical with his daughter about a daughter and her three possible fathers.

I stand behind the idea that Alice is Bill’s biological daughter, she’s just white passing. I’d also like to appreciate the fact that Alice’s favorite restaurant is Red Lobster.

I plan on actually watching these musicals soon, that way I can make more in-depth posts, but like I said— this just made me really happy and excited, and I wanted to share it.

Feel free to reblog and add onto this post! Seriously! I love when that happens! Okay, bye!

[grace-williams-xo]

There is much discussion on the internet about how many seasons of Bridgerton we’ll get, and how it will be approached. I have a wild theory, if you wanna TLDR and skip the ramblings then scroll down to the bold.

While 8 seems far fetched, a lot of people are thinking 6 but I increasingly don’t even think that will happen (or if it does, it won’t happen well).

Jonny has said he’s committed to Bridgerton, and making whatever he projects he gets work around it, and that he/kanthony will be at all the siblings weddings. His commitment to the show and increasing career is well displayed in s3. He’s only in the first of the four eps (tbd for the second half, let’s hope more!) but he filmed Fellow Travellers at the same time (watch it if you haven’t) and Wicked also at a similar time. I think we can count on him/kanthony making at minimum 1–2 appearances per season, regardless of how long it lasts.

Arguably the other biggest star of the show rn is Nicola, so will be interesting to see what she does in Bridgerton s4. There’s a trend of the lead actor/s taking a back seat in the season following their spotlight, so wouldn’t be surprising if it happened also with Polin/Nicola and Luke Newton.

Now, the core of the issue is the remaining stories. (Preface, I haven’t read any of the books but I know most of the general plots). Consensus is that Benedict will be s4; and (or maybe but) all the s3 Benedict press is talking about him going through changes, evolution and inching toward the marriage mart. One could say this is set up for s4, but that doesn’t feel entirely right to me. The only plot that needs the set up is Polin because of the friends to lovers arc, and we got that in s2. (If there’s more benophie set up that makes sense that I’m not aware of, let me know!)

While I know Francesca is popular with book readers, and her character steps up in s3, we can agree that the next most popular sibling is Eloise. Eloise’s story is also the most hotly debated about how authentic the show should be to the books. I know many book readers want Eloise’s story to stay mostly as it is, and while the more I read about it the more I come around to it, I think that a problem is posed by the fact that Marina’s character is much more significant and invested in the series than the books (so I hear).

On the note of Gregory and Hyacinth, I also think that the viewers are too attached and invested to them as children to want to see them as serious romantic partners with anyone. This isn’t even touching on the fact s8 would be released in (crikey I just did the maths) probably 2030 or 2031 😭

In my head there are three possible options for the future of the show. (Four, three good options).

1. Six seasons: with Benedict, Eloise and Francesca all getting a season. (Approx 2025, 2027 and 2028 release) (I think this would be the best option if the got their act together and made/released the seasons faster, but as the actors get busier I don’t see that happening)

2. Five seasons: with Benedict and Eloise getting a season. (The best (realistic) option imo).

3. Four seasons: Benedict season four, no Eloise. (The worst option imo).

4. Four seasons: Benedict season three AND four, Eloise season four. This is kinda why I made this post. Stay with me, hear me out.

All the indications that Benedict is evolving and stepping into the marriage mart this season make me think that they could be doing a lot more set up/start of the story than necessary for a brother who isn’t the lead yet. Beneloise are such an iconic duo that I think them falling in love together would be so fun. If they followed the book, then Eloise’s love is kinda long distance anyway. If they did do something different with Eloise (contentious, ik, I’m in two minds) and made her queer and/or not get married then it could also work well.

I don’t think this is the best outcome, I just think it might be the best outcome if we only get four seasons. The actors are all increasingly busy, and many (Claudia and Nicola especially) are already playing characters far younger than their characters.

Please let me know your thoughts on this rambling, especially if you’ve read the books. Tell me what will or won’t work!

–GW xo

[gay-disabled-characters-showdown]

LGBTQ+ Disabled Characters Showdown Round 2, Wave 2, Poll 9

A character being totally canon LGBTQ+ and disabled was not required to be in this competition. Please check qualifications and propaganda before asking why a character is included.

Check out the other polls in this wave and prior here.

Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Webber / Sun Spider-Marvel

Qualifications:

Charlie is canonically disabled and canonically queer, having EDS and being pansexual. She was originally a spider-sona created by a fan, Dawn Broder, who is agender and disabled.Unlike most disabled characters in superhero media, Charlie stays disabled even after gaining her powers! She uses crutches and a wheelchair, both of which are used alongside her webslinging. Her crutches have webslingers inside them, meaning she uses them to get around even while being sun-spider, and Across The Spider-verse shows her wheelchair being able to help her climb on walls and similar as well. Charlie's story also covers issues faced by disabled people! When an emergency happens at her prom, she's reminded that if she wasn't a spider-person she would be left behind as the others evacuate, which is something that's common irl as well.

Charlotte Webber (Sun-Spider) has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and is an ambulatory wheelchair and crutch user. As shown in the comics she is also queer! She was created by Dayn Broder, a queer disabled comics editor and writer who also has EDS. Sun-Spider’s screentime in Across The Spiderverse was awesome especially the design of her wheelchair. She has web-shooters equipped in her crutches which she uses to fight with. She’s just so fucking cool and hopefully gets more inclusion in comics in the future.

Propaganda:

Charlie is SO important to me as a disabled person because she shows that we can be superheroes while still being disabled, we don't have to have our disabilities taken away to be super. She's also a very fun character! She's funny!

Mostly what I said in the last section, but once again she’s so cool and her wheelchair in ATSV is so sick (when she is not using it it follows her with sort of mecha spider legs).

Heart-Moonlight Chicken

Qualifications:

He's deaf (and I think one of the first ever deaf love interests in a Thai drama) and canonically gay with a boyfriend.

hes canonically deaf and gay

Heart is a gay deaf character in the drama moonlight chicken.

Heart is canonically deaf and canonically has a boyfriend at the end of the series! :)

Canonically queer and deaf

He’s canonically deaf and the love interest of another male character (Li Ming)

Propaganda:

A lot of his storyline is about the struggles of being deaf in Thai society. The show is only 8 episodes and he’s only a supporting character so it can't go super in depth to it but his arc was really well done imo. He lost his hearing due to illness like 3 years before canon (I forget th exact time frame), but his parents shut him away and never learned sign language so his storyline is about being able to come into his own and leave the house and everything. Like his love interest learns sign language for him and researches what to do to help him feel normal and supports him as his parents are forced to confront how they've failed their son with their lack of acceptance of being deaf. Like his whole story is just him finally getting to live his life normally again after being shut off from the world and having a supportive boyfriend. At the end of the show, he goes to a deaf college in America to study engineering.

he became deaf after a disease and since then is isolated in his home for 3 years. these years also coincide with the pandemic. and his parents didnt learn sign, just writing their messages in a paper and sliding it to him without hearing what he has to say. he was also presumably degraded for talking because it wasnt very clear because hes literally deaf. his parents by the end of the show try to talk better to him through sign but good god. he was so lonely

Heart is an amazing character. His story show us the hardships he faces with his family acceptance but also the importance of forming a community. His love story with ming is beautiful and heartwarming.

Heart is sheltered by his parents after losing his hearing due to illness. Throughout the series, however, his parents gain more understanding of him and his abilities and he gains a found family with his boyfriend Li Ming and Li Ming's family and it's all so heartwarming and wholesome. Although his parents see him as unable to live a normal life after he loses his hearing, he disproves this by seeking work, building relationships, and getting into college for engineering. He is the best boy!

When we first meet Heart, he is very sheltered from the outside world by his parents, who have taken pretty much no effort to understand Heart’s needs or wants since he lost his hearing. He is homeschooled and doesn’t seem to have any friends or sense of community. His parents leave him alone all the time, choosing instead to focus on their work. His bedroom is full of notes that his parents have left him. Hung up on the walls are different sign language posters, clueing the audience into the fact that he taught himself sign language. Over the course of the show, Heart develops a friendship and, eventually, relationship with Li Ming, a boy who works at a chicken rice shop. Li Ming sneaks Heart out of the house, where they do all kinds of things together – participating in a lantern festival, attending a community gathering for deaf folks, and learning how to drive a motor scooter, off the top of my head. While learning how to ride the motor scooter, however, Heart has a small accident and his parents find out about him sneaking out. The confrontation scene is one that is definitely best translated on-screen, but I’ll try to describe it the best I can. Basically, Heart, Li Ming, and Heart’s parents all hash it out. Heart’s parents accuse Li Ming of influencing Heart to disobey them, Li Ming explains that Heart wanted – and is capable of – doing the things they did together, Heart’s parents barely even look at him during the entire exchange, Heart finally gets fed up and tells his parents exactly how they make him feel, and Heart’s parents have to ask Li Ming what Heart was saying. After this confrontation, things get a bit better with Heart’s parents, though not perfect. At the end of the show, Heart and Li Ming travel overseas together, where Heart attends university and Li Ming works, a dream they talk about quite a few times over the course of the show.

He’s the first deaf love interest in a Thai drama! And he has the most adorable love story with another guy called Li Ming in the show who learns sign language in order to communicate with him more effectively. While he faces struggle from his parents being extremely overprotective after he lost his hearing a few years ago (also since he’s still a teenager) it ends up resolved with them changing their mindset and allowing him full freedom. His story shows struggle while not being a tragedy, and he ends the show going to study in America with his boyfriend being really happy <3

Anything Else?:

I feel like it isn't very often we see deaf queer characters, especially not ones who find love and a happy ending!

The qualifications and propaganda paragraphs correspond, @burnsuncomet is the second submitter.

[divorcedwife]

What rpgs have u liked/played and how did u like them? :) i saw that your fave is pillars 1 and i love the setting n story so much (i just loooooathe real time with pause combat unfortunately. This also has soured da origins to me a lot. Do action pls or even better turn based but not that) also u have a lot of amazing anders art <3

pillars 1 my beloved!! maybe you already know but i must mention it just in case - did you see that pillars 2 deadfire has turn by turn combat? i don't think it's as good as the first in terms of writing, but when they introduced turn by turn, it became one of my favorites just for that. it made me so violent because combat went from a necessary evil to my favorite part of the game, so i was just going around the world looking for people to fight. and it really has its moments, i loved serafen and the first quest with the pirates, and it is a game where you can actually roleplay and cause real harm without intending to if you just listen to your companions all the time. they're not all good people.......

and bg3 also has combat that i really loved :-) i played it as a bard and as a rogue and i really loved both. i loved playing a support character and not feeling like the main character so much, and as dark urge, i thought rogue combat played with the idea of the urge very beautifully because i was so good at killing that i tended to skip dialogues and just kill.... i just wish i could reverse the clock and talk the devs out of constantly rewriting it ship of theseus style. the companions to me already had an issue of being too friendly and too innocent in their sufferings in a way i didn't find compelling, so making them even more into fandom versions of themselves is just evil

but i think that's all for RPGs where i really like the combat, all my other favorite games have real-time strategy and i just do my best. kotor 1 & 2 have it, although i enjoy it more when i unlock fucked up evil force powers. i still do love dragon age origins & 2, and have some fondness for dai because i really like the characters. and dao was largely improved for me by playing a mage instead of an archer ; if i can say anything nice about datv, it's that they've made archery good for the first time ever in dragon age. being an archer in dai is especially sad, you have a range of like two meters

i also tried the first baldur's gate game but i got too scared and confused with the companions management and the way the story progresses - like i strayed from the main quest and that locked me out of meeting jaheira, so i had to restart and redo all of that and it was painful. i think i could play it if i had some guide to follow or something, i just don't have the 1990s gamer disposition. but i really liked xan, i made him leader of the party so i could hear him complain all the time

& i think that's kind of it...! im not a huge gamer in that i don't try tons of different games, i just mostly obsess and replay the same ones over and over again. there's some others i could mention - like i played outer worlds and i liked it ok, i played fallout new vegas but it wasn't really my style and i didn't finish, and oh wait i just remembered i played all three mass effect games! well, i liked the first game and hated 2 and 3, which may be my most controversial hill to die on but i must be true

[lestatslestits]

i would love to hear about your 24 copies of the wind in the willows if you feel like talking about it

Anon, I don't think you understand how much I want to talk about this.

I'll start by saying, this order may or may not be a bit confusing, mostly because I'm attempting to group editions together in a way that makes some sort of sense.

Roughly, I'll group them as follows:

Annotated Editions

Vintage Editions

Mass Market Paperbacks

Other Paperbacks*

Small Hardcover Editions*

Other Hardcover Editions*

*Not including editions shown previously

Finally, this will not include abridged editions, retellings, or books that adapt small segments of the text

This is going to be a long post. There will be photos. I'm putting the rest under a cut!

Annotated Editions

I own three separate annotated editions

The Annotated Wind in the Willows, annotated by Annie Gauger

The Wind in the Willows: An Annotated Edition, annotated by Seth Lerer

The Annotated Wind in the Willows: For Adults and Sensible Children (Or Possibly, for Children and Sensible Adults), annotated by GMW Wemyss and Markham Shaw Pyle

These account for a total of six copies, because I have doubles of each of these editions so that I have a "clean" copy and one where I can write my own notes. Currently, I've only managed to add my notes to the Gauger edition. Here's an example of my personal notes (forgive my handwriting, I was having issues with my pen)

The Gauger edition uses illustrations from multiple illustrators, as well as historic photographs. Additionally, this edition has segments on Grahame's life, including copies of the Dearest Mouse letters (the letters that Grahame wrote to his son, Alastair, which eventually formed the basis for Wind in the Willows). The Lerer edition used Ernest Shepard's illustrations, and the GMW Wemyss/Markham Shaw Pyle edition is un-illustrated.

As an aside, I purchased the other two online, but the Gauger edition (well, one of them) was a gift from a dear friend.

Vintage Editions

These copies were all printed prior to the mid 1960s.

This is my most fragile copy. It was printed in 1926, by Metheun (the original British publishers of The Wind in the Willows). I got this edition online from someone who didn't quite seem to know what it was (the listing mentioned J.M. Barrie as the author). I know very little about this edition, but there is an inscription inside that reads "To Jacky, from Elspeth - 1926." This gets a little interesting because Elspeth was the name of Kenneth Grahame's wife, and she was very much alive in 1926. Will I ever know if this edition was given to someone by the Elspeth? Probably not. Examples of her handwriting that I've been able to track down have been very minimal. But it's certainly an interesting thing to daydream about!

I own two (non-annotated) copies with Ernest Shepard's illustrations. Both of these were published in the early 1960s. The first one you see is an ex-library copy that I bought at a Friends of the Library book sale. It was described as being from the first edition with color illustrations, which is hilarious because 1) the illustrations are not colored in this edition and 2) there were at least two other illustrators prior to Ernest Shepard whose illustrations were in color. I nearly ended up in an argument with an elderly lady over this, but I bought it anyways.

The other does have several colored illustrations, which are lovely (originally, Shepard's illustrations were black and white, but later some full color illustrations were added. In my experience, you see the full color illustrations much less regularly). I got this edition online because, at the time, I did not have a Shepard edition.

Ernest Shepard is better known as the illustrator for the Winnie the Pooh stories by A.A. Milne.

The copyright date on this Thrushwood edition is listed as the being from the 1910s, but the inscription is from 1948. I love to purchase copies with inscriptions (or even just the scribbles of kids) inside. This is another edition that I purchased online.

As a note, this edition is illustrated, but I did forget to take a picture of the illustrations. My apologies!

This is another edition from the 1960s. This is my newest (to me) edition, which I purchased online. It was illustrated by Arthur Rackham. This edition has by far the loveliest inscription I've seen (and is the primary reason I bought the book).

My dear Susie, If you like this story one half as much as I do, it will still be your favorite book. Merry Christmas kid. Love, Karen

Mass Market Paperbacks

These are some mass market editions I've acquired over the years. Most of these were purchased from used bookstores, although the Dell Yearling Classic edition was a gift from a friend. The Tor edition has by far one of my favorite blurbs ever.

They're just strange little guys!

Other Paperbacks

This is an edition that I bought online. This particular edition is illustrated by Patrick Benson, who also illustrated the series The Willows and Beyond by William Horwood. This edition has an introduction by Horwood as well, so they definitely feel like a set.

This is a fun one! It's an Illustrate Your Own edition. I bought this one new for obvious reasons. I have doodled in it a bit, but I'll spare you my own drawings.

I got this edition last year from the Strand Bookstore in New York City. This was my first trip to NYC and I looked for The Wind in the Willows in every book store I visited! This cover is one of my favorites: it appears embroidered on the front, and on the inside of the cover you get the messy "back side" of the embroidery. This is such a fun edition and one I had wanted for a while before I found it in a store!

Small Hardcover Editions

I got the top two editions from used bookstores, and they don't have any major illustrations in them. The edition on the bottom came from Barnes and Noble, and it features Nancy Bernhardt's illustrations. Bernhardt was an early illustrator (pre-Shepard!), and her illustrations were very unique (and often a little strange). I prefer her smaller black and white drawings throughout the book, but the full color illustrations are fascinating!

Other Hardcover Editions

And finally, here are some of my very favorites. These are all hardcover editions that I find particularly beautiful.

This edition was illustrated by Grahame Baker-Smith. I love the classic feeling of the cover. There are smaller sepia-toned illustrations, as well as some absolutely unique full color illustrations like the one pictured above. It's one of my favorite illustrations in the book, and one of my favorite illustrations of the chapter "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn." I would kill for a print of this particular illustration. I got this edition at a local bookstore that is no longer in business.

This edition was illustrated by Robert Ingpen, and it's the first edition I really fell in love with. I'm actually not always a fan of illustrators who draw Rat as very mouse-like (more on that below), but Ingpen's illustrations are so beautiful and feel so rich and warm. In particular, Ingpen probably has my favorite illustrations of Badger. I believe this was the first edition that I purchased! (I don't have an exciting story for how I purchased this one, it honestly came from Amazon because I had been given a gift card).

And finally, this edition is illustrated by Chris Dunn. I got this one through a Kickstarter that I funded. I had been dreaming of an English language edition with Dunn's illustrations for years, you have no idea how excited I was when this Kickstarter was launched. Dunn's illustrations are so unique because he is one of the only illustrators who very clearly and distinctly illustrates Rat as a water vole. Although Ratty is called The Water Rat throughout the text, he's actually a water vole, and that often gets lost in modern contexts. Dunn's illustrations are absolute favorites of mine, and this edition is so extremely special to me. It's massive and absolutely gorgeous.

And that's it! I own a LOT of books related to The Wind in the Willows (including a first edition of First Whisper of The Wind in the Willows, a book created by Elspeth Grahame after her husband's death). But going over ALL of my Wind in the Willows collection would make this post even more impossibly long than it already is.

Thanks so much for the ask! I hope you enjoyed this tour and that it's not completely overwhelming or boring.

[secretlystephaniebrown]

On Superman and Kindness

One cannot begin talking about comic books without talking about Superman. 

It is simply a fact of things: it all begins with a man, and a car, and a cape. 

Well, perhaps it begins earlier. Perhaps it begins with two men, leaning over a drafting board, talking about the possibilities.

But in truth, it all starts there, with Superman, and the men who created him. 

When you’re a comic book nerd, you learn very quickly that people have Opinions, with capital letters, about Superman. So often, you will hear people decry him as overpowered, as boring, as cliche and cheesy, as “too nice,” or, in one interesting instance, as inspiring “daddy issues.” 

But I always argue that to dislike Superman is to miss the point. 

Not that there aren’t plenty of reasons to dislike a character; there are always reasons to dislike something. They can be petty and specific or broad and philosophical. Some people just don’t like superheroes; arguing that they are defenders of the status quo, and teach us about violence-based solutions to problems. Some people don’t like Superman specifically because they think he was rude to a different fictional character in one specific issue of a comic that they and three other people have read. 

When it comes to comic books and their fans, you can easily encounter both opinions, and sometimes they’re even in the same person. 

I can’t address those issues. Maybe they’re right, and the superhero genre is an inherently outdated genre in a leftist utopia, in a world without prisons and police. And they certainly might be right that Superman was rude to other characters; Superman in the 1960s and 1970s went through a time period which was known as “Superdickery,” a time period where shenanigans, gaslighting, and cruel pranks ran amok. 

But I can talk about the other things. 

As for Superman being boring and invincible, I tend to wave it off. Superman is physically invincible, but good writers have known for years that in many ways, it just makes him more vulnerable. He is bulletproof, but his family (mostly) is not. He is fireproof, but what about the ordinary people all around him? There are villains who can meet him at his own level, and there are a thousand tasks at every moment that only a Superman can meet, and wonderful writers for over eighty years now have told this story well. 

The cliche… well, he created the genre. He gets to be a cliche. Seinfeld is unfunny, and Superman, wearing a uniform inspired by Jewish circus strongmen, is the only original idea in the field, and the rest are derivative and in conversation with him. Like it or not, all others who follow are, in some way, always going to be compared to him. Sure, one might say the later variations did it better, but he will always be the cliche for the others to innovate out of and put a fresh spin on. 

And now, to the heart of the matter. 

Superman is too nice. 

You’re wrong. 

A part of this argument will always rile me up. A part of it is born out of the way that the argument is the sort of thing that Lex Luthor himself would make. Why would someone who is bulletproof and can bend steel, who can fly and see through walls and blast things with his laser eyes, be kind? For so many people, it seems, they cannot imagine having those abilities and not abusing them. From the perverted teenage boy who wishes he could see into the woman’s locker room to the angry nerd on the internet wishing death on all the girls who have ever slighted him, many people cannot imagine having that kind of power and using it to help. 

Maybe I’m an optimist. 

But I love to think that they’re wrong. 

That is, to me, the heart of the superhero genre. This idea that someone, given great power, chooses great responsibility. To choose to use the gifts that you have been given, and try to build a better world, a better tomorrow. To try and use their trauma to better the present, so that no one else will suffer like they have suffered. 

And of course Superman would choose that kindness. 

He exists because of it. 

It is well-trod ground, perhaps, that Superman is not a Christ allegory, despite what the movies make him out to be. Jor-El did not “so love the world that he gave his only son.” Kal-El, Clark Kent, he is not Jesus Christ. 

He is, instead, Moses in the bullrushes. He is a metaphor, instead, for Jewish survival. 

Superman was not sent to us to save us from ourselves. He was sent to us to save him. 

His parents sent him out into the great unknown in desperate hopes that their son would live, even though they would not. He came here, in need, vulnerable. He landed, in all the places in all the world, not in an ocean or a government laboratory, but in a field, in Kansas. 

And he was found, and he was adopted, and he was loved. 

Ma and Pa Kent found him, and they chose him, and they showed him kindness and taught him strong values. They taught him the best version of Americana; a tight knit community that opens their arms to outsiders, hard work without bitterness, generosity without repayment. 

Of course Superman is kind. Kindness is what saved him. 

And you can find it corny, you can find it unrealistic, and maybe you can even make genuine arguments against the kind of work that he does. 

But by Kirby, let Superman be kind. Let me believe that a man can fly. Let me believe in the version of tomorrow that he sees for us. 

[camels-pen]

Usopp using Zoro as 'live ammo' via a human sized slingshot he made specifically for this purpose and someone (Nami? Nami) being like "christ alive there's something wrong with them"

maybe Zoro likens it to being tossed by the "director" (Commodore Orlumbus). He thinks Usopp's better at shooting/throwing people though. 10/10 would be used as live ammo again. Somewhere in the background, Orlumbus' voice is heard saying "this attack wasn't meant to safely throw people, yknow" and Zoro going "doesn't matter. just throw"

after hearing about that, I'd like to think Usopp either A) gets jealous and pouts about it because Zoro's his boyfriend and shouldn't Usopp get sole Zoro-shooting-rights???, B) insists on shooting Zoro more often with a plethora of excuses about the why but the real reason being he wants to get so good at it that Zoro completely forgets that "director" guy, or C) some mix of both. multitasking king

haha and wouldn't it be funny, meeting part of the Strawhat Fleet later on, and Orlumbus being hella confused because God Usopp just. has some kind of beef with him despite them only interacting like once before they all left Dressrosa

on the flip side of that, maybe Usopp offhandedly mentions being carried around by Hack, towards the end of the conflict in Dressrosa. He's a little bit dramatic about it, because he's always dramatic, but most of what he's saying boils down to "Hack was a nice guy: he carried me around while I was hurt, made sure I was okay, and didn't seem to hate the stories I made up to pass the time. he was also very strong and probably madly in love with me" (he wasn't)

Zoro was different with jealousy than Usopp. Where Usopp would glare from a distance and generally give off "he's mine he's mine he's mine" vibes to Orlumbus, he wouldn't say any of it aloud and generally try his best to stay civil. In part, this is due to Orlumbus being huge and buff and scary, but it's also because when Usopp is jealous of someone, especially in matters of love, he's more focused on doing whatever he can to make himself better in some way. Thus the insistence on more live-ammo-Zoro in battle, so Usopp can improve his Zoro shooting skills and Zoro "won't want to go back". There's also his issues with his self-worth and respect of Zoro's freedom to choose whatever romantic partner he wants, even if that isn't Usopp anymore. His brief bouts of jealousy are usually followed up with cuddling with Zoro after because it always leads to Usopp feeling terrible and in tears wondering if Zoro was gonna break up with him. Zoro will call him an idiot and kiss his forehead and he'll be fine after a while.

Zoro was not like that. Usopp said he liked Zoro. That's the equivalent of signing a contract to spend the rest of their lives together. Anyone who tries to change Usopp's mind is the fucking enemy and he's got three blades with Hack's name on them. Out of respect for Robin, he wouldn't kill the guy, but he'd put the fear of hell in him. It would take Usopp telling the real story- about Hack mostly just being indifferent and far more focused on the crisis than whatever Usopp had been nervously rambling about during their time running around- to get him to promise not to fight Hack on sight. Zoro would definitely still size him up if they see him again though.

...or, at least that's what Usopp expected to happen, based on all those romance books Robin showed him. He was looking forward to it a little. Just a little though.

In reality, Zoro quietly listened to Usopp talk about his adventures with Robin and the tontatta and curled around Usopp like big teddy bear. He squeezed Usopp a little tighter, bring him further into his lap, when Usopp talked about how he got certain injuries or eating the tatababasco, but otherwise he seemed rather content. Zoro didn't bat an eye at Usopp's exaggerated stories with Hack except to say that Hack had good taste in men. Usopp got extremely flustered after that and completely loses his train of thought and where he was in his storytelling. He attempted to steal the rest of the booze in Zoro's mug as revenge. Zoro lets him and then repeats the last thing Usopp said to remind him where he stopped in his retelling of his adventure.

[godisaknife]

I'm gonna be real with you, every wincest take I see relies heavily on fanon interpretations of the characters and their relationships. It's really not as integral as y'all think it is. Don't get me wrong, ship whatever you want, you do you, I just really don't see it. Unhealthy family dynamics? Sure. Parentification? Sure. Incest between Sam and Dean on any level but the show poking fun at the concept? Nope. Not at all. To be totally honest there's a more incestuous dynamic between John and Dean, but even that's mostly emotional incest (which is to do with the unhealthy dynamic of parents putting their feelings and issues onto their kids, it doesn't even have anything specific to do with actual incest). The parallel to Bela and her Dad doesn't help. Idk, I just don't see it. Like Webb Sherman and Keegan Sherman from Bounty Hunters? That's subtextual incest, not whatever is going on with Sam and Dean. Not to mention the characters that do allude to it in-universe are completely tapped themselves and have to be manipulative in order to even keep Sam and Dean together (Azazel - without him Sam would've stayed at Stanford, Zachariah - Dean during 4x17 didn't want to follow his destiny as a hunter and was totally fine parting ways, Soulless Sam himself - he only wanted Dean when he thought he was useful, Dean only stayed with him because of Bobby's speech and Sam potentially killing innocents).

i might say something controversial here but, first of all, i personally think that emotional and psychological incest is enough to be considered incest. especially when it comes to a show that doesn't allow the usage of the word "fuck", because incest is never going to be allowed to be shown on screen or talked about openly, so all we will ever be allowed to hear and see are implications and subtext. dean and john sure do have their own incestual subtext, but i do think that sam and dean have a very strong one on their own, i'd say all one had to do is look it up and plenty of lines and body language taken directly from the show will prove what im talking about. let's see a random example: one of the most recent posts ive reblogged that come to my mind is crowley saying that his valet has hidden a device to locate them in their car and "oh, the things i've heard" followed by dean and sam looking uncomfortably at each other. yes, it's can be a joke but it is heavy in implications. it is not a joke one would even think of making to a couple of normal siblings because if there was no substance to make implications about then the joke wouldn't land as such, as anything at all, because the one making it would come out as a groundless creep and the siblings wouldn't have any reason to be worried or uncomfortable about it. so why do they look so uncomfortable and worried about it? and this is a random example. such little things are scattered throughout the show. and that is only one part of the subtext. the dynamic, the relationship, the history they have, i think all of it is permeated with incest subtext that cannot be made explicit and is, at least to me, more interesting by being covert in a way you have to translate it yourself in order to fully see and understand it. i do not agree with what you said about them held together by other characters' manipulation. i see what you see and i see why one may think so, but outside forces are necesarry to drive characters and their story, in any story there is always an amount of outsider elements. yes, sometimes they are pushed in one or other direction by someone else, but at the end it is them who make the conscious decision to stick with each other, to break the distance, to come back to each other. despite all the things that have happened between them, for one reason or another, they always choose to come back to each other because of their abnormal obsession and love for each other. i got into the show curious as per why wincest is a ship and when i started watching the show i was pleasantly surprised by how obvious their incestual relationship is, especially to an eye trained to notice "fucked up" themes. i'd elaborate more on all of this properly but i'm on withdrawal so this is the best i can do atm