#i can't emphasize enough just how important it is to be able to do things for your own self so you can apply it to the rest of the world.

[noxtivagus]

woah i. wrote a lot.

[bigcowboydyke]

about your disability pride month post: is there anything important/significant you think people should take notes on when writing a character with an upper arm prosthetic? (like starting from the elbow if i phrased correctly)?

Yeah! I think the biggest is that you ought to consider first, esp if its an OC, your reasoning for making the character disabled- you wanna make sure you're not fetishizing or exploiting their disability to prop up abled characters. I've got a list of questions for authors to ask themselves along those lines that I can post or dm

Secondly, you have to consider what level of realism you wanna go with. If you have a character where, in universe, the prosthesis functions in exactly the way an arm does, you could just go with that if you want - it's the path of least resistance, right? BUT you ought to consider that most prostheses in media exist in that way AT THE EXPENSE of good representation of disability. Erasing disability or "curing" it with magical prostheses IS a form of ableism that is so pervasive it just goes unnoticed by most. I believe personally that disabled bodies are worth portraying well even when the creators of the source material did not do that. SO if you want to go with real well thought our representation, here are some common things I think authors and artists often miss (specifically as it pertains to upper limb prostheses):

1) I already said this, but seriously, I cannot emphasize enough that upper limb prosthetics ain't cheap and are usually uncomfortable. Your character, if they are poor, or even like middle class, won't have access to multiple high tech popular mechanics cover story type robo arms. Even if they did ...

2) Not all limb different folks use prosthetics! I personally have used multiple and I disliked them. I tried very hard to learn, but there are multiple requirements to be able to use each model and sometimes, a lot of times actually, limb different people - especially people without a hand or an arm function Better without prosthetics. Be aware in your art that limb different people are Whole. How you ask can somebody without an arm, say, do all that stuff?

3) Consider the idea of adaptation in your writing and art instead of relying only on magicking disability away with prosthetics. Disabled People live in a world full of barriers and tend to be Very creative about navigating it, adapting to our environment through just being a little clever about how we do things is the biggest way i see other people with upper limb differences interact with the world. There are three main ways that we go about this without prosthetics: Using adaptive equipment, Finding an alternate method, or as a last resort, asking for help.

Example 1: I have like 1.5 arms ok so obviously only 1 hand, and I need to clip my fingernails every once in a while. The obvious solution to me, while it may seem gross, is just to bite them off. Bad habit, but efficient. I could use those horrible little nail clippers, with my remaining stump and a little finagling but it takes forever. I could also get some adaptive nail clippers - they make great big handled ones for ppl that can't grab the little ones. Or, I could ask my partner to trim them, but I'm usually too proud to do that. Let disabled people have their flaws too lol!

Example 2: I love to rock climb. This is where adaptive equipment comes in. I could slip off a rock climbing wall pretty easily right? So bouldering (rock climbing without harnesses) is totally inaccessible to me. But if I go to a gym that has harnesses, then that's fine - they catch me if I fall and that's adaptive for me.

Adaptive equipment comes in many shapes and sizes and can be regular items repurposed.

3. If after all that you Must create art or write about an OC or preexisting character that uses upper limb prosthetics, consider that in general, limb different people's prosthetics are not equivalent to having two arms. Prosthetics are only practical for limb different people if they enhance your life or are useful in some way, however, getting one high tech enough to do that is unlikely because they are expensive. There are different groups, clinics, and charities that make lower cost options but they tend to be much lower tech than is depicted (and often are clunky). My first prosthetic was a long flat piece of metal, similar to a doctors tongue depressor, attached to a plaster cuff velcroed around my stump. The idea was that since I had a little bit of stump poking out, I could pin objects against the metal and it would work like a crab's pincers. It was okay, but I did accidentally smack many. Many. Things with it, including my own face and since it was metal, that was unpleasant. Obviously hindered more than helped. Also it did not look even remotely like a hand.

4. Which prosthetics you can get generally depend on what you got on you. Literally. Bodily. With upper limb prostheses, If you don't have an elbow or wrist, your options are almost exclusively limited to the pricier electric options that are both super futuristic, unavailable to many, and also like new car priced. Many of the manual, non-electric models depend on the ability to flex a wrist or elbow, so if you have those things are a little more accessible overall. It also matters whether you are born limb different like me, or if you are an amputee. Amputees are more likely to be candidates for prostheses than people like me because they have all those preexisting muscles and nerves for prosthetics that are higher tech and require surgical attachment Also prosthetics might be an easier learning curve, and more useful for somebody who has been abled bodied than it would be for somebody who never had that limb in the first place.

5. This is a little thing and ... Not to get too medical with it ( and neither should yall) but limb different people often have physical changes associated with lack of or loss of limb. If you do not have a limb, you are not going to be developing the muscles that are surrounding it in the way an a nondisabled person would. Again for example I have 1.5ish arms which means I've got plenty of stump on my "affected" limb. Even when I did Varsity sports and everything, I was never able to get beefy on that side. It is a pet peeve of mine that many people do not seem to get this - Most art I see of vash the stampede has him with two super beefy shoulders and like yeah i get it that's hot, but if hes got roughly the same amount of stump as me, he probably shouldn'tlook like that. Another thing in this vein is chronic pain is associated with limb loss and limb difference- I have it and its reasonable that any prosthetic user or nonprosthetic using limb different person is more likely to have it. Again these are little things but if you're looking to do good representation you need to consider that limb difference is not just a cool little stylistic choice to make a character look tough or what have you - limb loss and limb difference mean that that character will not only think differently than abled bodied people, but move differently, pose differently, have different routines and preferences than are ever represented in most media. Disability is not a style, and it's not a diagnosis, it's an identity. It's important above all to be respectful of that by letting go of centering able-bodied expectations and aesthetic in your art and writing. Hard to do but i believe in y'all!

Hope that helps! I've also got a bunch of links to go along with these points, if you want them lmk! I'm always happy to take asks about this stuff!

Tl;dr please consider making characters that don't use prosthetics, or don't use them excessively because it's more realistic, better representation, and makes me, a disabled dyke on the internet, really happy.

Lastly if y'all liked my advice and appreciate my time you are always welcome to tip me for it - my c*sh*pp is $neptunedrive

[yoyowrites]

shen jiu coming across lou binghe when he's out on a mission.

shen jiu is eating sat outside a shop when he spots him. he sees a small binghe begging. he's bad at it. he's smiling and shy and avoiding the best customers. there's no way he'd be able to make any profit. shen jiu considers ignoring him. he some extra coins to spare but he didn't owe him anything.

shen jiu finishes his meal and leaves his bill. he marches right up to the kid, nearly hitting an older couple that was pointedly avoiding looking in the boys direction. shen jiu drops a few coins in the jar, staring cooly at the boy. unfazed, binghe offers a bright smile. up close it was clear how tired the child is

shen jiu lets out a groan. he grabs the child's sleeve and begins dragging him. the child starts to protest but shen jiu glares and shows a pouch of money. it shuts the child up but he's still tense.

"sit, stay," shen jiu commands walking inside the shop and places an order of soup. when he returns the child is stiff but in the same place he'd left him. he sits in front of him.

they stay silent. shen jiu looks over the boy's form. he's thin, not obviously malnourished but who knows the last time he had a good meal. "name?"

the boy didn't respond.

"you have problems hearing?" shen jiu raises a brow.

"is my name needed for what you're going to do to me?"

shen jiu scoffs. "i'm not doing a thing to you other than giving you a meal."

he recieved a speculative look. "...lou binghe."

shen jiu didn't recognize the name. "and is lou binghe an orphan?"

"no," binghe gave a disgusted look that was gone as quickly as it came. he composed himself. "i have a mother."

shen jiu nodded. "but she's sick? she certaintly is not aware of her your boy doing this?"

"my mother," binghe pauses. "is doing her best."

"but it's not enough," shen jiu tapped the table.

binghe glared. shen jiu glared back.

"you're not very good at begging."

"and the honorable cultivator is?" binghe bit out.

then, the shop owner brought out some soup. they nearly set it in front of shen jiu but he gestured for it to be given to the boy. lou binghe began eating without reserve

"i was very good," shen jiu says. "i'll give you some tips."

lou binghe stares suspiciously but shen jiu spares it no mind.

"first," shen jiu began. "if a strange man tries to take you anywhere don't follow. two, if he offers you food, don't take it,"

binghe looked comical then, eyes wide, and cheeks filled with food. shen jiu nearly chuckled.

"anyone could tamper with food. then what are you left with? if a man approaches you, trying to lead you away, you run," shen jiu leaned foward, emphasizing his point. he waits until lou binghe nods to lean back. "next, always let someone know where you are..."

like that, shen jiu imparts his wisdom to the boy. the best time, best places, best ways to beg and to keep himself safe. it's widely out of character for him. yet, he can't help but think of himself, of yue qingyuan, and their bitter situation. of those holier than thou cultivators that preached peace and chivalry and the importance of protecting the weak, only to ignore those in unappealing situations. the sun was setting when they finished their talk.

"listen, kid-"

"why ask for my name just to refer to me as kid?"

"so mouthy," shen jiu frowned. "you sure have gotten comfortable quickly binghe."

"does the esteemed cultivator wish for me to be more formal?"

"lou binghe doesn't need to bother," shen jiu shakes his head. "we likely will not be meeting again. however, if you are ever in dire need. go to the Daisy's and give them this."

binghe was slightly mortified as shen jiu offered him an odd looking coin. "a brothel?"

"relax, they'll keep you safe. safer than with any of these dogs that call themselves men atleast, and they'll contact me."

"and you'll help me?"

"this one is a cultivator," shen jiu spreads out his fan to cover most of his face. "why wouldn't I be able to help you?"

binghe opened his mouth, then shut it again. he took the coin and nodded.

"it's only if you have nothing else. don't think i will show up just for the whims of a boy."

with that shen jiu stood and walked away. he didn't look behind just strolled out of the shop. he was late enough that he could hear the jabs the others would say of him. he doesn't expect to hear from the boy again. weeks pass and he's mostly able to put lou binghe out of his mind. between the terrible liu qingge, the always apologetic yue qingyuan, and his own misfailings, he didn't have time to worry abut anyone else.

then, early one morning, a disciple from another peak stops him. he looks uncomfortable and holds out a letter for shen jiu. "at least have the decency to not drag the rest of us down with your perversion."

shen jiu felt hot rage build inside him. but he took the letter before reacting. they wouldn't be contacting him if it weren't important. blood rushed out of his face as his eyes scanned the note. he left the unruly disciple with no comment.

shen jiu didn't return until nightfall. the peak was buzzing with rumors and talk. people awaited with bated breath to see what he'd done this time.

that night, shen jiu returns carrying a young boy, no older than ten, wrapped in a blanket and tightly holding on to shen jiu's robe. he paid the crowed no attention, only stopping before a befuddled mu qingfan.

"well," shen jiu says expectantly. "are you not a doctor? can you not tell when a patient needs help?"

that causes mu qingfan to jump to action. he reaches his arm as if to take lou binghe from shen jiu but one icy look stops him.

"he wouldn't let you carry him even if you tried. just lead the way mu- shidi."

[helenstudies]

These are my language learning timelines and how long I've studied to get to that level!

English: fluent C2 > about thirteen years. I started learning when I was 5 (in kindergarten). I got to this level by age 18, when I started working as a professional English - Burmese translator.

Korean: fluent TOPIK 6 level > eight years. I taught myself how to read hangeul at age 15 and achieved TOPIK level 6 in 23. It should be noted that I attended a language program in Korea for nine months to accelerate the process. I started from level 1 and ended in 4/5 in nine months.

Chinese: advanced HSK6 level > eleven years. I started learning chinese when I was 13 and now I'm 24. And no, my chinese ancestry didn't help because no one in my family speaks Chinese.

Japanese: Intermediate JLPT N3 level > nine years. Like Korean, I taught myself how to read hiragana and katakana at age 15 but I prioritized Chinese and Korean. It should be noted that I really struggled with Japanese and had to attend basic classes three times to get to an N5 level. And then twice more to get to N4.

I think this is important for all langblrs to realize! I am not "gifted" at all. I just started studying a bit earlier than y'all because I knew my life long interests are in language, literature and translation. I learned all these so that I could read books in their original language.

It should be noted that in Myanmar, I graduated high school at age 16/17. Since then, I've been attending a distance education university (before I dropped out in 2021 of course) and I've been working freelance or part time jobs. So this is an actual realistic timeline as an adult who also has a life outside of studying.

If you work full time, study full time or have responsibilities in your life that you have to prioritize, you might need to take a few years longer than me. You might even need to retake classes and fail a few tests. And it's okay.

I can't emphasize this enough so I will do this again and again: not being able to quickly learn language is not a failure on your part. Don't fall into ageist traps because you really do retain your brain functions well into your years. You can keep learning and keep improving as an adult. Look up neuroplasticity and stop listening to "polyglot" influencers.

Another thing I want to mention is in my last post, I wrote that language learning takes years and you'll just have to make these years bearable and I mean it. Just sitting down and studying for hours is annoying to me. So, I personally make it bearable by reading stories and translating songs or poems because that's what my brain likes. I like writing chinese characters but it's boring to just sit down and write them. So I write them while watching tv because I have adhd and I need to fidget anyway. My goal is to read books in their original languages so I read, read and read. You have to figure out why you want to learn these languages and see how you can make it bearable.

[seablobnotsleepingwell]

I love Sethos dearly. So welcome to my Ted talk about how crazy his life actually is.

He is currently the leader of Temple of Silence. And he HAD to take this position after the only parent figure in his life passed away, which their doctors said will happen quite a time ago. So he had to prepare himself for death of his grandfather, and also how to be a good leader. And Temple of Silence is not a easy place to rule. There is centuries of secrets, historical records dated to King Deshret, maybe even pieces of forbidden knowledge, who knows? Welp, only Temple of Silence knows. Also, they had to protect themselves from the eyesight of the Akademia, let's remember that this guys weren't friendly at all until Nahida took over.

Then, he had to face the battle with Cyno, who I believe was a take of the fresh air in Sethos's life. And I can see just how much enthusiastic Sethos is, especially his lines about rain or how he gone camping in the forest. All of it happened after he became a leader. He never had that. Never had a chance to go there, and look around peacefully, only when there was no one to tell him what to do. He also have a line about how elders of the Temple say that he is difficult to control, and he is like that. He wants freedom, he wants closure, he wants to decide for the best outcome. And I can see a little glimpse of it being a burden.

About that, I doubt he had friends. Like real friends, not ones that stick around because he have authority, and ones that feel obligated to listen to everything he says. Just people who understand, he have a character stories that I can't stop rereading. Lets review a couple situations.

Cyno is a tread to Sumeru city, and he brought him there. During the end of his 2nd story quest he invited him there, knowing Cyno, he knew right away where is he, and how things work there, and I personally think he understood Sethos. In his own way of course, but still.

I love the fact that they are close friends, and Sethos is already trying to escape the TCG. I love that so much. They are comfortable enough to be own self with each other.

Also, there is a character story where Cyno asks Sethos how his trip to desert was with some researcher, who didn't believe that Sethos is from desert, and that trip was pointless and he said that he is from the desert and they would not find anything that researcher trying to find, Cyno mentions that he and their group could confirm to that man that this is true. Knowing Cyno, I saw there an attempt to protect Sethos from some idiot who dared to doubt him. I leave it there like that.

Understanding is what tracks to Wanderer as well. During Sethos character story n1, they had such an amazing conversation (never expected to see that Wander would not insult someone right away)

"You are not an errand boy, you have more important role

And you are not the student, you have more important role"

Here. There it is.

To empathize and understand. They did not had to say anything out loud like that, and even more than that, to even interact. Let's dive into that, it's my personal favorite land to be in before I go to bed at 3 am.

They emphasize with each other. One knows something, and the other knows something. And the both know something.

I love their little game of knowledge. Especially seeing how Sethos recently said "since I know you pretty well". You saying that Wanderer didn't trew you off the cliff for talking to him? That's a win Sethos, have a cookie my dear.

It's just amazing for me how this guy is able to be so much. Just so much. Sometimes I think he is tweaking out of the amount of energy and curiosity he have in himself.

And Paimon said recently the line that just amazed me even more "So you are really is able to be friends with everyone huh"

Thank you Paimon. I can rest peacefully now. Everyone love this guy and I will die on that hill. Because I love him too. He is a little kitten.

A kitten that could drag you into Academical crime, by drinking with you, you are 16yo student btw with addiction to gambling, and make you write a really not that nice of a letter to one of the respected pretty old professor, drag that professor to the desert, to the Temple, and then wait for the beholder of other fragment of Hermanubis, kinda ancient God, whose another part you held most of your life. Battle with him. Face the death of your only person who is "family". Become a leader of old and secret organization. Meet the famous traveler. Move to the Sumeru city. Go from one place to the another time to time to settle things. Negotiate with your archon and Akademia how things between you should work. Oh, there is also a lot of people at Temple you need to take care of now. And you probably already been doing that for a couple of years, since your grandfather was in a really bad state of health. Don't forget to go find the Hat guy, he is interesting, and you just have to talk to him. Oh, there is general mahahamatra, is he holding a TCG deck? Shit. Oh, and you need to pack a bag to go camping as well.

Absolutely love that guy.

I love that he is well written, he is a nice guy, sure. But he a leader, and he is good leader. He will not hesitate to achieve something that is needed to be done. When we first met him, he doesn't make an impression of the good guy right away. There is things happening, and he have to do most of it. To me, he will not think twice about danger, of himself, or someone. If he have to manipulate or fight. He will. Don't even start here, I walked around the Temple, and they know what a fight is. There is a whole training area with all kinds of weapon. And our guy is packed okay. Look at his arms, even a little of the chest ther is going on. And he is fast, that is something he is known for in the Sumeru city.

Yes, he is a kitten. But not a soft one for sure. Soft looking I'd say. And let's not forget that he is from the desert, he lived there his whole life, he's a tough guy. He is choosing not to be.

Now take a look at the Wanderer. Here is where the understanding is coming from. Understanding of desire to grow. To change for the better. To have hope and making things better. To finally have a chance to decide for yourself what to do(beside homework of course). To have freedom to form yourself, and take a look for something good.

Also, his hair is amazing, I wish I had that kind of hair😭

Thank you, my TED talk is over.

[shaniacsboogara]

i think a lot of things i agree with are already being said about watcher tv, so instead of focusing on those, i'm going to try to highlight things i think need to be reiterated or haven't been discussed enough.

first of all, i've been a fan of watcher's content for a long time. i followed shane and ryan over to the network after unsolved ended, and since then have made a TON of incredible friends and memories because of their shows. to anyone at watcher reading this, i really hope you're doing alright. thank you for everything you've done to foster this incredible community. and to anyone here in tumblr who's followed me for my watcher content or to any of my mutuals, i hope you're doing as well as you can. drink some water, get outside, and make sure you're getting enough sleep. this has been a rough time for a lot of us, and understandably so.

obviously, watcher tv is a massive change, and everyone who feels upset or disappointed is extremely valid in feeling that way. however, the calibre of hate being sent to the watcher crew is kind of horrific. yes, this could turn out to be a bad business decision for them, but that does make them evil morally bankrupt capitalists who never actually cared about their fanbase in the first place??? honestly, i think this type of commentary is doing a disservice to everyone who's trying to discuss this situation from a genuine analytical standpoint. not only that, but these are real people??? sure, they're on the internet and have probably had people send hate comments their way before, but as a community there are so many more productive things we could be doing instead of tearing down the folks over at watcher.

it is disheartening for content you've enjoyed to suddenly be locked behind a paywall, especially if it's not something you'll be able to afford. i've seen a lot of people emphasizing that artists should be compensated for their art, and i think that definitely applies here, but that doesn't mean people don't have a right to be upset. the fandom community we've built here on tumblr is incredible, it's brought so many people together and overall been so positive, fun, and welcoming to be a part of, so it's understandable that a change threatening the stability of that fanspace would make people upset. i'm not happy about the possibility of the watcher fandom dissipating after this announcement, but i think it's highly likely. watcher TV has created a divide in the fandom, and no matter what it looks like after this is over, it won't be the same. what's going to happen when most people can't access watcher content anymore??? no matter what happens, being in this fandom was absolutely incredible while it lasted.

what's my overall take on the situation??? i don't know how this will turn out for them, i'm not sure the announcement was carried out in the best way (it was hyped up in a way i don't think it should've been, a slower lead up to this could've made it more digestible), i'm sad that a lot of people won't be able to enjoy content that used to mean so much to them, but if this is a business move they think they need to make, then think i understand that. i'm no business expert, i have no idea how this will work out, but i'm absolutely not manifesting their downfall. i think it's very important to discuss this in a civil manner, to critique and analyze the effects of this situation on both the community and the company, but letting that turn into blatant hate and threats to watcher employees is WAY TOO FAR.

these are just some of my thoughts. if you want me to clarify anything or know my thoughts on specific aspects of this situation, please don't be afraid to ask!!! my only request is that this post doesn't turn into a vessel for hating on anyone, whether that be watcher or anyone posting about the situation.

[chuckeroo777]

Dungeon Meshi Volume 7 Part 1

Welcome back! Today we are covering volume 7! As always, this is a post finishing look, so spoilers ahoy!

So... does Kui have a thing for legs? I can't help but feel like there are quite a few spots where legs are emphasized, and there's even that extra where Namari accidentally reveals she has a leg fetish.

I'm still questioning where they got the stuff they already had. Where did they get the bags and futons?

Kabru. Kabru, were you so desperate not to eat monsters, that you tried eating soap?

Trust me, the real reason is a lot stupider.

Normally I'd make a joke about "Oh if only you knew," but honestly? This one panel is sexier than pretty much every piece of fanart I've seen, so for once, good job not being horny internet.

*Glances over at my succession post where I briefly touch on Marcille's and Izutsumi's reproductive situation.* Oh no, I am a Laios.

Oh boy! I can't wait to smell like fish!

An important image.

Laios: God, I wish.

An important bit of exposition that got cut from the anime. This is how the Faligon can sustain itself despite the tiny mouth.

Not gonna lie, I laughed out loud when I saw this silly thing. I recognized it right away. I was making a card game a while back involving ecosystems made of real, extinct, and fictional plants and animals, and I was having a heck of a time finding mythical/fictional plants that weren't just "fruit but real good" or "fruit but real bad" or "Walking tree". The vegetable lamb is a real standout. (And of course I had mandrakes. They were in the 'real' category, and had a special interaction with fictional creatures.)

Why didn't Chilchuck kick the staff down to Marcille? Is he stupid?

Uh, I get the metaphor, but how does this accomplish anything other than getting you more lost?

I wonder if the rind also tastes like crab. Honestly, this thing sounds great. I'd eat it.

More Kui leg propagnada.

That's an oddly specific thing to be worried about. Like, things are advanced enough in this world that basic plumbing exists, right?

I love how this stupid bell does nothing but annoy Toshiro until the eleventh hour.

Did you? Kabru did, but you just ate an onigiri, and that other stuff Maizuru made.

Falin is a proper cleric. All holy and kind and healing, but willing and able to cave in some skulls.

I love how in this spot highlighting Laios's questionable party, Kabru can't say anything bad about Chilchuck.

Another Laios parallel. Kabru also manages to rope Toshiro into his business against his better judgement.

When you overthink the metaphor and it makes way too much sense.

When you overthink the metaphor and it stops making any sense.

Kitty

Seems like a heck of a loophole. Why didn't we bring this stuff with us?

Haha, get it? Dying? Cause they can't?

I think the fact that Laios has a stronger emotional reaction to a minotaur than he does a succubus says everything really.

They mention it at the brewery too, but I like how they like the orcs. I wonder how much contact they have with the orcs? The orcs don't talk about it really. Do they just leave caches for the orcs to find? Or do the orcs vist the golden country directly? The brewer mentions the hops were a request, so they must communicate somehow.

How I feel about other people's kinks.

Senshi. You can't just drop that line without context. What do you mean? Are they grafting dryad buds to more typical plants? Or are they making horrible plant chimeras? Give me the botany details dangit!

And with that, we will continue in part two!

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

You: *writes two small essays clearly, cleanly, and thoroughly going through issues you have with the writing in Miraculous, and how they affect what the show is actually saying vs what the writers are going for vs what the audience is taking away from the show, without treating the characters as autonomous people who actually exist a single time*

Someone who pisses on the poor: 'oh so you think this abused child, who was magically created from a feather, deserves to be maliciously lied to by his lifelong romantic partner and fellow 14 year old? After everything he's already been through?'

Media literacy classes should be a requirement everywhere

Thank you for your kind comments about that post. Comments like yours have been very validating after what was initially a really disheartening series of events.

I was quite pleased with what I wrote and thought that I had done a good job focusing on the writing and emphasizing that I was talking about the big picture of the narrative, not chastising or praising specific characters for what the writers had them do. But after I had multiple people go off on rants defending Alya and Adrien, I started seriously questioning my own sanity and communication skills. I even looked up the definition of betrayal to make sure that I wasn't somehow misusing it since that word really seemed to upset people. In case anyone was wondering:

Betrayal is the breaking or violation of a presumptive contract, trust, or confidence that produces moral and psychological conflict

After verifying that I hadn't been using "betrayal" wrong for well over a decade, I got a little annoyed and did my angry rant in the hope that it would save me from further backlash.

While it has been super validating to see that my two initial essays did in fact make sense to a good number of people, that last post did go a little viral, which I didn't see coming, so I want to take a moment to make it clear that I DO NOT want anyone go after the people who did the rants that spawned my rant. Nothing they did or said was worthy of any sort of pile on. They were just expressing opinions and that's fine. I even get it to some extent because a lot of people have unfairly salted on Alya, acting as if she's the problem and not the writing. And that can be really upsetting when you like her because she doesn't deserve those pile ons any more than Marinette does. They are both victims of bad writing!

I get the desire to treat fictional characters like real people, I really do, but Miraculous is frankly not a good enough show for you to do that. The hand of the author is far too blatant, making characters do whatever the writers want instead of what makes sense for what has been established. One of my favorite quick examples is that the writers gave us a full episode where Gabriel "proved" that Adrien wasn't Chat Noir only to have him figure out Adrien's secret identity because he heard his son use the words My Lady as if that's a super unique pet name that would make Adrien's secret undeniable.

It's all nonsense, which is why I focus on the writing issues, treating the characters like the tools they very clearly are. I simply can't do the kind of character analysis you can do in well written shows where the characters feel real and their actions make sense in the established narrative.

I'll close with this statement to explain how I try to run this blog: the characters in the show are fictional, the people you're talking to on here are not. In the grand scheme of things, nothing about Miraculous is bad enough to be worth fighting over. That's why I enjoy talking about it. With all the truly important fights going on in the world, it's nice to come on here and relax by talking about writing - a topic I adore - without having to care if people agree. It's also why I have this as a side blog. I want people to be able to avoid my content if it upsets them as my goal is first and foremost to have fun dunking on a show that is bad in interesting ways. If I only ever got upset replies to my posts, then I would not run this blog because Miraculous is not worth being miserable over. No piece of fiction is.

[horrorvisuals]

Obscure (2004)

Obscure is a survival horror game emphasizing co-op gameplay with its wide range of characters. Taking place inside a massive school building, it lets you control five main characters and is still playable on modern PCs!

Obscure gives you the ability to control any of these five characters and what's better is, that they all have different features, personalities, and abilities.

There is technically a 6th playable character but I won't say more on that to not spoil things.

As I was saying, abilities. They are pretty interesting. For example, Josh lets you know if there is anything left to do in an area. Items to pick up or things to interact with, that kind of stuff. Pretty crucial for thorough exploration. It's important in a survival horror game.

Stan cracks locks easier due to his background, Kenny runs fast and packs a strong punch, Shannon gives tips when you're stuck on puzzles and heals other characters, and Ashley is better at using weapons.

They all have their own benefits!

Obscure plays pretty much like any other survival horror game from back in the day. It features semi-dynamic camera angles, with semi-tank controls. Exploration, item management, combat, navigation, everything is here.

As a somewhat unique feature though, Obscure also lets you combine some items with others and actively use them. For example, you can tape a flashlight to any firearm in the game if you can find adhesive tape.

Aside from firearms, the game also features melee weapons and they're pretty simple to use. There is a good "feeling" to them. They pack quite the punch.

In Obscure, darkness is your enemy. If you played Alan Wake, then you might recognize its flashlight mechanic. When focus your flashlight on dark areas, you banish the darkness around those areas. You also use it in the same way to weaken the monsters before attacking them.

The character change mechanic is pretty slick too. You just press a single button and change the characters. Obviously, you don't just run around with a party of 5 people all the time. You always play in pairs.

There are, however, meeting spots in the game and you are able to change to other characters in these spots. These also act as fast-travel points and help you navigate the environment more efficiently.

Story-wise, Obscure has some intriguing moments and an overall compelling narrative. The game starts with Kenny playing basketball by himself after school. His stuff gets stolen and he follows the thief to a suspicious-looking cellar inside the school grounds.

Later on, things happen, people disappear and you find yourself in a (mostly) abandoned school. It consists of massive corridors, classrooms, underground sections, and yards, it's a survival horror fanatic's dream.

Obscure has a perma-death mechanic. If any of the characters die at any point in the game, they are out for good. Obviously, you can go back to a previous save and get them back but if you are looking for a more hardcore challenge, it's there.

I keep emphasizing its co-op play feature but while Obscure is definitely more entertaining with a friend, it's completely playable solo as well. Whichever pair you choose, the other student is always controlled by AI and they're usually pretty decent.

The best thing about all this is that Obscure is still playable on Steam. It plays well, it's compatible with higher resolutions and you can actually play co-op using Steam's Remote Play feature. It's just like couch co-op.

Its sequel, Obscure 2 is also on Steam and it's also perfectly playable. I'll make another thread for it if you enjoy reading this one.

Seriously, if you haven't played these games before, I can't recommend them enough. They are great games AND they're playable in co-op. How many classic co-op survival horror games do we have these days? Not many, let me tell you that.

Let me know if you give it a shot. I'm curious if you're gonna like it. And if you have already played it, then tell other people why they shouldn't skip this one. Here is the Steam link for the game.

It's actually on sale right now along with its sequel.

[lampochkaart]

Kirumi

Little analysis⬇️

I don't think we talk enough about how manipulative Kirumi can be. When she was considered the main suspect, she began to lie, emphasizing that she always valued the needs of others more than her own. This is partly true, but in that situation she was not caring about THEM, but about other people. And in order to remove suspicion from herself (and make everyone vote incorrectly), she used any methods. She even tried to evoke pity by crying. But the dirtiest method she used was that she used Kaede's wish to convince them that she would never try to deceive them. She knew that this wish became a symbol of hope for the group, she knew that Kaede was very important to Shuichi, she knew that it was still very difficult for him to reveal the truth. But she used it to her advantage.

When she was found out and already chosen as the killer, Kirumi tried to force everyone to fight Monokuma for her (which would inevitably lead to someone's death), causing everyone to feel guilty towards the entire country for which she was responsible. And it almost worked.

But Kaito brought everyone to their senses with his speech that there is no such thing as the “price of life.” They can't just give their lives because "it's would be better that way". Their lives matter. " Life's purpose is to be lived". He firmly stated that he wanted to live, which was actually a very brave act, because people could've called him an egoist for putting his life before the lives of an entire nation. However, he was supported by... Kokichi. He brought the group's attention to what Kirumi was actually trying to do. He revealed that she planned to use them to escape. And she confirmed that he was right with her words.

Also how different her behavior was before this from how aggressive she becomes when she sees that her tactics didn't work (and at a couple of other points during the class trial when she was just starting to get accused).

I'm NOT trying to make her out to be a villain and say she's bad. But I don't like how this imperfect side of her character is often ignored. She is often positioned only as a selfless servant, which in my opinion is wrong. I DO NOT deny her selfless devotion, but I believe that the trial brought out another side of her. She really wanted to survive. She really wanted to get out. I believe that one of the reasons of her breakdown was due to the fact that she broke under the pressure of all the responsibility that was placed on her.

In the official manga, Kiyo analogizes their situation to a tradition called "jincan", where many poisonous insects are sealed in a jar and they begin to devour each other until only one insect remains. Kirumi reasons with him that if any being sees a chance to get out of the hell they are locked in, they will do anything to achieve this goal.

I love how Danganronpa often defies obvious expectations. Like, you expect Kirumi to become a killer because someone will use her and she won't be able to refuse because of her desire to serve. But in reality, she almost sacrificed the lives of the entire group in order to get out herself.

In conclusion, I think it is important to recognize Kirumi not only as a obedient Ultimate Servant, but also as a girl who desperately wants to live, who is ready to do ANYTHING to get out. She is ready to go to great lengths if necessary to achieve this goal.

Many of Kirumi's moments have a theme of surviving no matter what: her behavior at the Class Trial (the fact that she initially tried to frame Himiko, who can not stand up for herself), her manipulation at the end of the trial, her breakdown before her execution, execution itself, where she tries to escape so desperately that she climbs up a thorny vine through a tunnel, not stopping even when circular saws appear from the walls (her escape attempt was clearly part of the execution, Monokuma knew what she will try to do and made sure to cause her as much despair as possible, giving her hope of getting out).

She wanted to get out not only to continue to serve, but also because she just wanted to survive. She wanted to do something not only for the sake of others, but also for her own sake. Perhaps for the first time in her life.

I love seeing complex characters who have many sides and flaws. So I find it strange to see that sometimes Kirumi is only described as a obedient servant. She is so much more than that. This is exactly what I love about Kirumi, what makes her so interesting.

***

Uh, hey. I just wanted to ask if you would be intrested in seeing here more of my drv3 analysis (spoiler: most of them are ch 5 related). And if you are, should i make drawings to accompany them (like in the beginning of this post) or just post them as they are

[stranger-fanfiction-n-things]

CHAPTER 2: THE WEIRDO ON MAPLE STREET

This is an Original Character fanfiction. All Stranger Things characters and content are owned by Netflix and The Duffer Brothers.

a/n: Tommy is an a**hole. Has anyone ever felt like Diana? Where you want to say so much but the words get caught in your throat? Being envious of people who are able to speak their minds so freely. There is a little moment with Jonathan. I can't wait to expand on Diana's relationship with him. Also, the power of persuasion is Nancy Wheeler.

Warnings: Mentions of violence. Bullying. Dustin's charm.

Word Count: 2764

Masterlist

PART I || PART II || PART III

HAWKINS HIGH 

“When alpha particles go through gold foil, they become…” 

“Unoccupied space.” Nancy and I say. 

Nancy, Barb and I walk down the hall doing some last-minute studying before Kaminsky’s test. I feel jittery and nervous even though I know I’m prepared for the test with the amount of studying I did last night. Barb flips through another one of my flash cards. 

“A molecule that can—Hey!” 

Out of nowhere, Steve snatches the stack out of her hand before she can finish. Tommy H and Carol are close by snickering at Steve who walks ahead of us shuffling through my cards, mixing up the colours. 

“Hey!” Nancy calls, rushing after him. 

Barb and I follow behind stopping beside Nancy and Steve in the middle of the main hallway. I frown at Tommy H sticking his finger in Barb’s ear. She rolls her shoulders to move his hand away while Carol laughs. 

“I think you’ve studied enough, Nance.” He says, looking down at her with a smile. “I’m telling you, you know, you got this. Don’t worry.” 

It is clear he went to her house last night to help her study. I watch him shove my flash cards in his back pocket and stick out my hand. 

“Can I have my cards back, please?” 

Steve glances down at me and pulls the stack from his pocket. He hands them to me, lips curling to a small smile.  

“Sorry, I thought they were Nancy’s.”

“Thank you.” I say, taking them back. 

I walk to Barb standing beside her, far away from Steve, Tommy H and Carol and begin to reorganize my flash cards. 

“Now, on to more important matters,” Steve begins and I give him a look under my bangs which goes unnoticed as he smiles at Nancy. “My dad has left town on a conference and my mom’s gone with him, cause, you know, she doesn’t trust him.”

“Good call,” Tommy jokes. I wrinkle my nose at the comment. Steve ignores him staring at Nancy expectantly. 

“So, are you in?”  

“In for what?” Nancy asks. 

“No parents? Big house?” Carol says, her tone is laced with condescend. 

“A party?” 

“Ding, ding, ding!” 

“It’s Tuesday,” I blurt out. 

“It’s Tuesday,” Tommy mocks me. “Oh my God.” Carol and Tommy laugh at me. Steve smiles nudging him. 

“Come on. It’ll be lowkey. It’ll just be us.” He emphasizes us to include Barb and I. “What do you say? Are you in or are you out?” 

Never in a million years did I think Steve Harrington would invite us to his house much less for a party. I look at Barb. It’s obvious Steve only invited us because he knows Nancy will not go to his house alone. I stifle a groan at the thought of hanging out past school hours with Tommy H and Carol. I would much rather study for Kaminsky’s test again than do that. 

“Oh, God. Look,” Carol says interrupting my thoughts. 

I turn around and see from across the hall, Jonathan Byers pinning a piece of paper to the bulletin board. A missing persons photo. My stomach is in knots looking at the photo of Will smiling. I haven’t spoken to Jonathan since finding out about Will’s disappearance. I don’t know what to say or how to be there for him. I can’t begin to understand what Jonathan is going through right now. I’ve known Jonathan for nearly as long as Nancy and see him around at school. Our brothers are best friends but I barely talk to him. 

“Oh, God, that’s depressing.” Steve mutters. 

“Should we say something?” Nancy asks. 

“I don’t think he speaks.” Carol replies, chewing obnoxiously on bubble gum. I want to take the piece of gum out of her mouth and throw it at her. 

“How much you want to bet he killed him?” Tommy mumbles.  

I flinch stepping back on my feet. Barb touches my shoulder looking down at me with concern. I close my eyes again counting down from five and take a deep breath, but I don’t feel any better. If anything, I feel worse. For Tommy to insinuate something so vile is a new low even for him. 

“Ignore him, Diana. He’s just being a douchebag.” Barb mutters. 

I stand rigid under Barb’s touch, squeezing my eyes together. My stomach clenches from the force of my restraint. 

“What’s up with you, Princess?” 

I open my eyes, turning my head to Tommy. There’s a playful glint in his eyes that reminds me of a predator stalking its prey. I clench my jaw finding his amusement appalling. He’s challenging me, knowing I won’t say how I really feel. I never do; no matter how many times he taunts and provokes me. I feel Barb drawing circles around my shoulder in efforts to keep me calm. 

“Nothing.” I mutter under my breath. 

Tommy grins, satisfied with my answer. I shake my head feeling disappointed in myself. His brother, my little brother’s best friend, is missing you insufferable asshole. The least you could be is compassionate. I want to shout at Tommy H, but again I stay silent. Why is it so hard to say how I feel? Why can’t I stand up for myself? I look at Nancy talking to Jonathan. Nancy is always brave and not afraid to take risks. She always speaks her mind and is unapologetic about it. I can’t hold eye contact for too long without wanting to disappear. I have been dancing at The Academy my whole life and I still struggle to make friends. 

My chin trembles and I bite my lip to keep from crying. From the corner of my eye, I feel Steve watching me and it takes everything in me to not look at him. Thankfully, the bell rings and I blink several times to push down the tears threatening to fall. 

“Are you ready?” she asks. 

I lift my chin, forcing myself to smile. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

Attention, faculty and students. At 8:00 pm, tonight, there will be an assembly on the football field in support of Will Byers and his family. All are encouraged to attend. Volunteer sign-ups for search parties are still available in the office. 

I look over my shoulder at Jonathan. He lingers by the bulletin board staring at the picture of Will. Sensing someone is looking at him, he turns his head meeting my gaze. I bite my lip and wave at him. Jonathan lifts his hand in acknowledgement before walking out the front doors. 

WHEELER RESIDENCE

I stare at the white ceiling with my knees bent to my chest. I extend my left leg outward, keeping my right knee bent and begin to draw circles with my knee. I breathe in and out deeply, relaxing my muscles in my hips to feel the stretch. Coming straight home after school is something I will never get used to. I don’t know how Nancy can stand it after having a specific routine all her life. Home. School. Dance. Repeat. I feel restless. By now, I would be finished barre with Madame Petrovna and ready for rehearsal. I close my eyes and switch my leg to repeat the stretch. 

“Diana.” 

“Hm?” 

“I was thinking,” Nancy begins, her bed creaks and I can assume she’s moving closer. “…about the party tonight.” 

“Oh, no.” I groan, opening my eyes. 

Nancy is perched on her arms, peering down at me from her bed. She bites her lip. 

“We should go.” 

I release my leg sitting up on my elbows. My long hair unravels from its low bun. “No, no—” 

“—You, me, and Barb!” 

“Absolutely not.” 

Nancy gives me a puppy dog look. 

“Why not?” 

I sit up, crossing my legs and unwrap my hair tie from my hair. “Because I don’t want to.” 

“Why not?” Nancy whines. 

“Will is still missing and if he was abducted, the person who took him could still be out there.” 

Nancy sits up, rolling her eyes. “Oh, c’mon.” 

“I’m serious, Nance.” I say, combing my fingers through my hair. The fact that they still haven’t found Will scares me. “Besides, my parents won’t let me go to a party on a school night.” 

“Just tell your parents you’re sleeping over tonight.” 

“They’ll know I’m lying! I don’t have any clothes to wear.” 

I stand up and walk to her floor-length mirror, observing how I look. It was colder today and I feel extra cozy in my oversized baby blue sweater and matching leggings. My white socks are frilly and soft against my feet. I pull the waist band higher on my torso before fixing my hair. Nancy pushes herself to the edge of her bed watching me. 

“Please? I don’t want to go by myself.” 

“I’ve never lied to my parents before.” 

It’s true. I haven’t. I have a really good relationship with my parents and would never want to betray their trust. I’ve heard stories of other kids getting into bad arguments with their parents, some even got kicked out of their homes. The thought of talking back to my parents was just that. A thought. I can’t imagine doing it. Mom and Dad don’t argue. At least not in front of us. Barb says I’m a goody-two shoes, but I just don’t want to ever disappoint my parents. 

“You won’t be lying because when we come back from the party, you can sleepover anyways.” 

I give her a look through the mirror. I refuse to lie to my parents to go to Steve Harrington’s house. It was clear he only invited Barb and I because he knows Nancy won’t come without us which puts us in a compromising position. 

“Do you have any ChapStick?” I ask, brushing my fingertips against my lips. 

Nancy reaches over to her nightstand and opens her drawer. She stands up from her bed and hands me the ChapStick. I pull off the cap and apply some on my lips. Nancy watches me from the mirror with her hands crossed above her chest. 

“What?” I say, eying her. 

“If Barb comes, will you come then?” 

“Sure,” I shrug, rubbing my lips together. I know Barb doesn’t want to go either. 

“Fine. I’m calling her right now.” 

Nancy sits on her bed with her blue phone on her lap. She quickly punches Barbs number and picks up the receiver. On the third ring, Barb picks up. I stand with my hands on my hips waiting. 

“Barb!” Nancy exclaims, looking at me. “I’m trying to convince Diana to go to Steve’s party, but she’ll only go if you go.” 

I hear Barbs muffled voice. Nancy deflates. 

“Told you.” I mouth. Nancy sticks out her tongue. 

“C’mon Barb, please?” Nancy begs. She waits for Barb to respond. “Because I don’t want to go by myself. You’re coming, okay? I want you both there with me.” 

I turn back to the mirror to fix my hair again. 

“Barb, it’s not rocket science. You just tell your parents you’re gonna stay at my place afterwards.” Nancy says. “No, tell them we’re…studying or actually,” she smiles. “There’s going to be an assembly tonight for Will, tell them you’re going! That’s a better excuse. They won’t be suspicious. Di and I are going to tell our parents about it.” 

My jaw drops. This can’t be happening. 

“Nancy! Diana! Dinner!” Mrs. Wheeler calls. 

“Coming!” Nancy and I reply. 

“I’ll see you in an hour, bye.” 

I am speechless as Nancy puts down the phone. She grins at me, squealing in excitement. 

“I really don’t want to go, Nance.” I whine. 

“C’mon, it’ll be fun!” She says, walking to her door. 

I highly doubt that. I follow behind Nancy feeling a little betrayed by Barb because now I have to lie to my parents to go to a party. As I enter the hallway, I hear Mike, Dustin and my brother quietly arguing in a circle about what? I don’t know. Upon seeing me, Mike perks up waving frantically. 

“Hi, Diana!” 

I wave cautiously. “Hi, Mike.” 

Lucas spins around, eyes wide in alarm. “What are you doing here?” 

“Well hello to you too,” I mumble, wrinkling my nose at his tone. 

“I’m sorry. Hi!” he greets. “What are you doing here?” 

“I’m hanging out with Nancy…” I squint at him and the boys. They seem weirder than usual. More antsy and fidgety. “What’s up with you guys?” 

“Nothing!” Lucas responds quickly. “We’re fine. Just really hungry, right guys?” 

Mike and Dustin nod their heads in unison. My frown deepens and I look back at Nancy who rolls her eyes. 

“They’re so weird,” she mutters. 

Mike and my brother run past us, except Dustin who lingers, with a gummy smile on his face. 

“Hi, Diana,” he greets shyly. 

“Hi, Dustin.” I smile. 

“You look very pretty today.” 

“Aw, thank you, Dustin. I like your hat.” 

His cheeks turn pink. “Thank you.” 

“Please stop hitting on my sister.” Lucas hisses, standing at the top of the stairs. He scowls at Dustin. If looks could kill…

“I’m not hitting on her. I’m complimenting her.” 

“Please stop complimenting my sister.” 

“I can’t.” Dustin says walking past Nancy and I. “I’m a gentleman.” 

“You’re gross is what you are.” 

Another day. Another quiet dinner. Mrs. Wheeler made meatloaf, with mashed potatoes and green beans for dinner. I sit across from Nancy beside Mr. Wheeler. He seems to be the only person at the table enjoying his dinner. I feel bad because Mrs. Wheeler always makes good food, but I can’t stop thinking about this stupid party and the fact that I need to call my parents. I smash a green bean with my fork watching green juice ooze out in between the grooves and peer around the table. Mike, Dustin and Lucas have been weird since I saw them upstairs. Usually, they were loud and obnoxious when they’re altogether. They’ve barely said more than three words to each other since dinner started. 

“Something wrong with the meatloaf?” Mrs. Wheeler asks. 

“Oh, no. I had two bologna sandwiches for lunch.” Dustin answers with a smile. It slowly fades. “I don’t know why.” 

“Me too.” Lucas adds, smiling politely. 

I squint. Lucas told me upstairs he and the boys were hungry. I glance around the table again at their long faces. Mike looks the most dejected. I sigh inwardly, feeling sorry for the boys. Maybe the disappearance of Will was beginning to weigh down on them. 

“It’s delicious, mommy.” Nancy says, though she has barely eaten as well. 

“Thank you, sweetie.” 

Nancy plays with her mashed potatoes. “So, there’s this special assembly thing tonight for Will at the school field. Barb’s driving.” 

“Why am I just hearing about this?” 

Here we go.  

“I thought you knew.” Nancy says innocently. 

Mrs. Wheeler shakes her head. “I told you; I don’t want you out after dark until Will is found.” 

I give Nancy a pointed look. I would vocally agree with Mrs. Wheeler if I wasn’t sucked into Nancy’s plan. I still believe it’s not safe for anyone to be outside. 

“I know.” Nancy agrees. “I know, but it’ll be super weird if I’m not there. I mean everyone’s going.”

Mrs. Wheeler turns her head. “Are you going, Diana?”  

I quickly nod my head. “Yes, Mrs. Wheeler. My parents said I could.” I lie. I hate how easy it feels. 

Mrs. Wheeler is quiet for a moment and I am waiting for her to burst out yelling at us for lying to her. Instead, she sighs shaking her head. 

“Just be back by 10:00pm.” 

Nancy smiles. The little food in my stomach turns to lead, but I force a smile on my face.

“Why don’t you take the boys, too?” 

“No!” The boys shout. 

“Mmm-mmm,” Lucas hums, shaking his head. 

It’s the most life I’ve seen in them all dinner. Nancy and I look at each other and then the boys. My brow arches in suspicion and I watch Mike reach for his glass of milk. 

Mrs. Wheeler’s eyes widen in disbelief. “Don’t you think you should be there? For Will?” 

All of a sudden, Mike is blowing milk all over himself and Dustin is slamming his fists against the table. Lucas looks like he just saw a ghost. Holly is crying. Nancy is annoyed with Dustin for making Holly cry. Mrs. Wheeler looks taken aback but is too distracted by Holly to ask any questions. I’m trying to wrap my head around what happened and Mr. Wheeler is still in his own world enjoying his dinner. 

NEXT -> PART III

[bettafishblr]

Fish ownership on a budget:

Do your research before you get the fish. I cannot emphasize this enough. It may not seem like a budgeting tip, but you WILL waste money going in blind. You'll buy stuff you don't need, buy the wrong thing and have to replace it, hurt your fish and need to buy treatment, etc. Sick fish are expensive fish, and it's not fair to make an animal suffer because you're impatient.

Save up and buy supplies gradually. This allows you to wait and find the best deals, as well as avoid the shock of dropping $200 on fish tank stuff all at once. Impulse buys are not your friend.

Buy the tank and filter first, if possible. You'll want to start your cycle as soon as possible, since it can take awhile (weeks) depending on tank size. I'll make a post about what that means later, but trust me, it's important.

If you live where there's Petco stores, wait until they have their Dollar Per Gallon sale. It is what it sounds like; a 10 gallon tank (good size for a betta) will cost you $10. Capitalism stupid, so make it work for you.

If you don't live where there's Petco stores, you might try buying a used tank. Garage sales, Ebay, Facebook Marketplace, whatever. Make sure it can hold water before buying, and clean it well once you get it home.

Some folks will try to sell you a tank at the price they bought it for; do not buy at that price if you can help it. Wait a bit longer and there will be someone who's selling at a more reasonable price. Fish tanks do not have high resale value once they have been used.

Guppies are a popular beginner fish, and they breed a lot. Most livebearers do. Don't slut shame them, just get a big tank, or all one sex. All females might still bring about fry (babies) as they might be pregnant when you get them. All males will still need a good sized tank as you need a lot of fish and a lot of plants/decor to avoid fighting.

If you've got a friend with guppies, you might be able to get a few for free/cheap. I am not kidding when I say these guys breed a lot.

"Feeder fish" are often priced cheaply, but they may not actually be a cheap fish in the long run. Goldfish need very large tanks, and a strong filter as they produce a LOT of waste. Feeder fish in general may also be sickly, partially because of poor breeding, partly because of how easily disease spreads in the stressful situations they are usually kept in. That's not to say they can't be good pets, but be aware of the risk.

If you're going to buy it often, buy it in bulk if possible. You'll usually save money that way (Exception is food if your fish is a picky eater. Nobody wants to be stuck with a fucking gallon of fish food your Gordon-Ramsay-In-Fish-Form refuses to eat).

Embrace the ugly. You may have decided to get a fish for the aesthetic pleasure, but you must remember that it is a living being above all. Fish tanks can be beautiful, and there's no reason they shouldn't be! But if you can't manage pretty and healthy, it is your responsibility to prioritize the health and wellbeing of your fish, whether the tank looks how you want it or not. You might like to be able to see your fish at all times, but if having limited hiding spaces stresses them out, give them somewhere to hide.

[skylaryozora]

Power of Silence: Musa's Voice Loss Arc in Season 6

While rewatching Season 6 and getting to the episodes where Musa loses her voice due to Rumpelstiltskin, following Selina's command, I couldn't help but wonder if there might be a deeper meaning to this particular arc.

It's often said that when you lose something very important to you—whether it's your health, a loved one, or your fortune—only then you're likely to gain a new perspective on life. Events like these force you to take the time to reflect, become more perceptive, and reorganize your priorities.

In Musa's case, her voice, described as powerful and rare in nature, along with her perfect pitch I imagine, is likely something she can't imagine her life without. I dare say these two complement her as a human and a fairy. When she loses her voice, she's quite devastated, and feels vulnerable. However, she still manages to conduct an orchestra and create a magic shield powerful enough to protect her school, so it's obvious she can still thrive without being able to speak.

The voice loss arc turns out to be crucial for Musa and Riven. First, let me quote what Riven said:

Riven: Musa, that was incredible! I mean it! Even without a voice, you put on the most amazing concert. You saved Alfea. I just wish I could be half as remarkable as you. I wasn't able to save your voice, and I couldn't be there for you once it was gone. You deserve better. (...) Musa, there's something I've been meaning to get off my chest. I'm supposed to be there for you every day, to support you and protect you as a Specialist and as your boyfriend. But right now, I'm just not capable of doing either one of those things. (S6, EP23)

What I'd like to emphasize is that I can imagine Musa would have interrupted Riven right away in the past, expressing her unwillingness to see him or something. However, now she can't do that, and she's somewhat compelled to listen to what he's saying. This situation forces her to pause and listen attentively, gaining a deeper understanding of Riven's sentiments. Additionally, Riven might feel it's his opportunity to speak and convey his feelings, now that he has a chance to be heard. In this moment it's his turn to fill the silence with something he has to say. And what he says is connected to how he currently feels about himself as well:

Riven to Sky: I give up. You will always be the leader of the Specialists. And I will always be runner-up. (...) It's not just this match, Sky. No matter how hard I try, or how close I get, I always come up short. If I don't change something, I'll never reach the top. (S6, EP23)

Riven to Musa: I guess I just have to figure out a way to be a hero to myself, if that makes sense. You always got me, Musa. (S6, EP23)

I must confess, I was moved when Riven mentioned that he needed to find a way to be a hero to himself. This single line serves as further evidence of his internal struggle, where his ambitions clash with the deep-seated issues of low self-esteem and an inferiority complex. It seems that witnessing his girlfriend lose something precious, and being powerless to help her, became a breaking point for him. In the private moment they share, he admits that he is far from being the person he aspires to be—not just for her but for himself as well. This revelation underscores the depth of trust he places in her. He can reveal his vulnerability when Musa's around, so there is a profound beauty in that scene.

Despite the numerous plot absurdities, with the season feeling very disconnected from S5 or S4 as if the previous seasons never happened, and acknowledging that the arc itself could have been explored more effectively (I won't delve into the entire portrayal of Rivusa in Season 6 and its issues), the core concept of Musa losing her voice was still commendable and essential in my opinion.

[ednito]

Why don't you care for/dislike Rogues the Postcast? /gen /nm

Sorry for the late answer bestie, been busy with work LMAO

I'll give a bit of a general trigger warning, there's gonna be mentions of abelism as well as sexual assault and homophobia.

It's really hard for me to really begin and where to start with my issues with the series, I'm very passionate on the topic of mental illness and abelism and I have close friends who just HATE this series with how it promote these abelist ideas and jokes and it makes me very emotional. It's very personal for me, it devastates me to see that codot (hopefully unknowingly) promotes these stigmas that effect my friends, myself (self diagnosed though mind you) and other people who suffer from illnesses like DID, psychosis, schizophrenia, ect.

Let's look at scarecrow first. Obviously, he's portrayed to have an 'evil alter' that in it of itself is an abelist stereotype towards DID. You can have villains have DID of course i mean you can literally look at twoface or the ventriloquist! But what separates those two from scarecrow is that those two have always been bad people, excluding their illnesses. (Of course ventriloquist is questionable as an example as in some continuities he's shown to be possessed but I'm not getting into that)

Oh but that's just the thing- apparently Jon doesn't have DID (I was told this by a friend) and so that automatically fixes that issue right? It's not like there's been other illnesses that's been villainised to have 'evil alters' or 'evil personalities' right? /s /lh /nm

Ok but no like seriously, that doesn't fix the issue like at all. You can't just blatantly write an abelist stereotype and turn around and say "actually he doesn't have that" like you still wrote it. You wrote that into your canon you can't just go back and rewrite that to be better.

I also have issues with Jon's character in general. He's incredibly out of character but I'll get to that in a lil bit.

Another character that has abelist writing is Jervis. From what I've read of transcripts and what I've heard from Friends who've read the transcripts/listened to the podcast it's clear that Jervis is written to have (or implied to have) something along the lines of psychosis or schizophrenia (or something similar) and while that's not inherently bad the fact it's written that he constantly hears 'the voices' and that he's constantly dissociating to think properly (think like how you see 'insane' people swing back and forth on the floor mumbling nonsense) and bestie that's not how that shit works! If I remember right to he literally admits to shitting and pissing in his cell in arkham and???? That's just gross????? Don't get me wrong arkham has continously been a horrible place so I'm not exactly surprised but also like??? That's still so gross and incredibly out of character??

And listen, I'm not trying to dictate on how people suffer from their own illnesses and stuff. But I just, I find it so horribly written? I'll use myself as an example. Personally (which I genuinely hate having to talk about) I do occasionally hear voices to varying degrees and idk bestie. I just, it's hard to explain and again this is personal but its just gross for me. And I acknowledge my situation is different from other people, but it's still weird to see in my opinion. I have a friend who can vocalize these issues way better to me but tldr it just pushes abelist ideas.

There's a two other things about Jervis I feel is important to point out. One I'm way more able to vocalize my issues on.

Theres a moment in the podcast where Jon and Jervis question whether harley is a natural blonde and Jon suggest that Jervis goes and check Harleys pubic hair while she's sleeping, and that she'll never know if their quiet enough. (to which Jervis gets his ass handed to him after a failed attempt if I remember right) which, I don't think I need to emphasize that sexual assault isn't funny. I'm positive it was written as a joke because I can't even fathom the idea that codot would have been serious on writing that. I can't in my right mind see how this is funny to begin with, as someone who has been sexually assaulted I just. I genuinely don't understand how people can just sideline this- how codot thought it was ok to joke about. I just don't understand I genuinely don't understand. And this goes back to how out of character everyone is (including jon), how unnecessarily mean Edward is to Jervis is genuinely uncomfortable, especially with how Jervis is written to be constantly dissociated (or that's how it feels) which makes that whole joke even worse as it slips in abelism!

I also don't understand why in the hell Jervis tetch is homophobic- of course I've only heard this second hand but considering how Jervis's written in this series I wouldn't be surprised if I'm right. But nonetheless, the decision to make Jervis homophobic is an extremely bold decision considering Jervis is canonically a queer character in DC. For YEARS it's been established that he's either queer or bisexual/pansexual of some sort and has even been in some of the recent DC pride collections! If I remember right he even has his own story! So it's so disheartening to see that he's written to be so out of character and to he so hateful when he isn't! And what's crazy is that I'm not even a big hatter fan!

I'm sure there's more issues to be pointed out but right now I've been dissociating really hard and I'm very emotional and I'm just finding it hard to to continue this tangent really and it doesn't help I'm at work. And even excluding this I just have issues from the whole scarecrow sexyman poll thing and ive already stated about my medical issue. I feel like that in it of itself is a valid reason to not like it LMAO.

Also I apologize that this is over the place, again at work and completely dissociating throughout this so a HORRIBLE combo LMAOOO

I'm sure codot is fine person and I'm not at all trying to cancel or start anything. It's just disheartening to see so much abelism go unchecked! Honestly if codot just did his research on these topics (and stopped joking about sexual assault) then I wouldn't have such a huge issue. But he hasn't, and it doesn't feel like he's gonna.

Feel free to correct me if anything I've stated has been wrong though! I don't at all mean to spread any misinformation!

P.s. don't give me the whole "oh he's just one guy and this is just a simple fan project" bullshit when that doesn't excuse anything. I'm literally one person making my fan story and I'm over here reading medical textbooks and doing my research because I understand a lot of my interpretations NEED that research and it's so easy to put in abelist ideas. It's genuinely not hard to do research.

[greenbirdtrash]

Decided to post some of my clothing analysis of the musical Once-ler. Most of my takes here are outdated (since i didn't had a chance to get acquainted with the script back then, but now i've got a better understanding of some things and the exact timeline, so lots of updated info and the contexts will be added when needed), but some of the listed speculations here are still pretty interesting to think about. It's actually kinda crazy how i came to that, building my own imaginary character profile and the timeline without the chance to watch the entire show, but just from analysing the available photos and the reviews. And the fun thing is..some of my speculations actually fit the story quite well. So..

Part one: Introduction.

[July, 23]

"Again, my conclusions may be wrong because of the fact that I only saw the fragments and photos from this musical, I cannot be completely sure that the slight difference in some of details and elements is present due to a certain story arc or the fact that the "test show" was performed in a different place and with slightly different props, but it's hard not to notice that during the course of events, the clothes of our beloved problematic capitalist change, maybe not as drastically as in the 2012 movie, for example, but this undoubtedly plays an important role in his development as a character (especially considering that we are looking at a stage adaptation with its own nuances, but more on that later) and reflects a certain kind of changes that he goes through in the process. Why is this so important? I'll try to explain.

Working with perception through colors and shapes is one of the most basic things in design that always works, and even being in some cases comically exaggerated, it remains effective because a person somehow always builds a certain association based on the things they saw. Like, we look at the warm green color, and it immediately reminds us of leaves, etc, etc.. Long story short, the aspect of different clothing, colors and patterns on a character who's going through different phases will be very important here. I saw someone else pointing the same thing out in one of the reviews, can't remember which one tho. Anyway, my huge thanks to Rob Howell for giving us all these amazing designs.

What I always loved in stage performances of all kinds and the theater as a whole concept, is the fact that you won't find there such thing as "narrow cinematic frame" in which you can just remove or cut out everything that simply "does not fit" into it, oh no.

In stage performances and musicals, the whole color extravaganza of the stage and the carefully carved environment will talk to you (yes, talk!), and actors are required to do much more than just show a certain face at a certain moment. Nope, it's completely different here, and most of the theatre actors are just built different as well. Spent some of my best years near them, that was an amazing experience. Anyway-

Being able to play simply with with your voice and face is not enough to be a good actor here, especially considering that even if you're lucky to have the most magnificent facial expressions......they are not particularly visible even from the middle rows. Even though most projects and plays are recorded with professional equipment from the close range (mostly for archive purposes), and for some plays you can even get the binoculars with no problem, it is impossible to rely solely on facial expressions.

And here's where costumes and choreography come into play.

So, the costumes...

From what I saw and read, I would say, we are introduced to this Onceler in a pretty interesting way.

At the time of his departure from home in search of a better fate, we are looking at a very ambitious young dreamer who just.. let's say, he doesn't fit into his original environment, neither by his character traits, nor by his ideas about inventions, nor visually. The visual clearly emphasizes this, and I got the impression that among all the green riot of chaotic colorful prints that prevail in his family's clothes, in his tailcoat he kinda looks like a "black sheep" among them, even despite the fact that he shares the same green aesthetic, but his design is not "too much" or hard to look at. In fact, we are still able to spot him even when he's surrounded by his family. According to this adaptation's background, their family is VERY poor, and all they own is an old mill(?) on which they all work tirelessly. Not a particularly wide space for revelry and elements symbolizing prosperity or luxury (yk, tailcoats are quite expensive), so to speak. Things were not going great for them, so perhaps such an expensive thing as a tailcoat in their conditions is some kind of a reference to the guitar of the 2012 version (for which, according to some information available on the web, the 2012 Onceler has been saving up for a long time). Perhaps (and most likely this guess will be more correct) our hero slept and saw himself in a completely different society - with a much higher and richer status [UPD: This guess was partially confirmed after i saw the script, so I will take this as canon. After all, in the stageplay, the young Onceler literally devotes an entire scene to the song about his dream of getting rich on his great idea], and perhaps he also believed that "clothes make the man" and planned searching for glory in the same outfit, I can't tell you for sure, but the fact is that visually he does not fit into his environment at all, he's "an oddball" with his head hovering somewhere in the clouds, and his clothes, among other things, help us draw a imaginary line which separates him from his surroundings and giving us a subconscious signal that he is just different. Not like them. We all faced rejection in one way or another, and we know what not being able to fit feels like, and it also kinda helps us to put ourselves in his shoes, feel his ambitions, and to start sympathizing with him as a character. [UPD: It works really well within the canons of this adaptation, I couldn't remain indifferent to it, and David Greig turned him into exactly that kind of beautifully written tragic deep character that I wanted to see, and at the end of his story, it broke my heart..in a good way, of course.]

Also, there's something really silly about how he looks at the start, he spots the funky striped fingerless gloves (Not the canon long ones, but still..That's a nice touch, every Onceler needs his gloves, and also it looks like he also has a watch on his left arm? Interesting..), some kind of a vintage green fedora, very fluffy green hair, green shirt and green pants with a slightly different "cold" color, brown suspenders and even a bright green neckerchief for some reason, so his green aesthetic is pretty much complete. Idk, his whole look during this phase kinda gives me the countryside vibes, maybe it was actualy intended? Especially considering what his family does for life?[UPD: It kinda was.]

Actually, he leaves the house just because his room and his bed is suddenly rented out for some pennies [UPD: Everything turned out to be much worse and funnier at the same time, he was literally kicked out by his family (You can literally feel their low expectations for him) just for them to take in a random person with "more reasonable ideas", but despite this, all his interactions with the "Bed-stealer" during the first act made me smile and giggle a lot, Small Ed is a great character addition and a pure comedic relief], and this probably becomes his last reason in favor of collecting all of his not very vast possessions and go seek his fate in the hopes that somewhere in this world there will be a better place for him.."

[super-paper]

If you had to say, do you think this past few arcs of MHA, including the this final one, are rushed? I know many, many people have said it is so far, but like I just don’t see?? It seems that the pacing has been quite good, and the important moments are given impact, But the common complaints I see are that the story isn’t given enough room to breathe or it feels like it is going off a checklist. Do you think so too?

Yes and no. I do think some plot points have been expedited, but not out of lack of consideration for the story/characters or out of a desire to rush the story to an ending (or because Hori "secretly hates mha and just wants to get everything over with," or whatever absurd and insensitive nonsense redditwtter believes).

Rather, I always get the sense that Hori's always frustrated that he can't do even more for the series-- and recent interviews only cement this impression. MHA is his passion project and it's clear that he loves it deeply, but the constraints of this medium and his health problems sometimes make it difficult for him to fully realize that passion. Like, I don't want to overstep my boundaries as a fan and make insensitive assumptions, but-- as someone who also loves storytelling and art, I imagine it must be so unbearably frustrating to not be able to tell your story exactly the way you want to because of those aforementioned constraints. Despite that, he doesn't give up-- and as much as I want him to rest, I also can't help being in complete awe of his art/composition and how he delivers this level of quality on a near-weekly basis. He has an absurd level of talent.

Anyway. I feel that overall, act three has been paced just fine. The final act started out a bit rough with the dark hero and starnstripe arcs feeling mildly disjointed from each other-- but Hori found his rhythm again by the start of the war and thus far has managed to tie the themes and arcs of his core cast together in a satisfying way. I feel like people who claim that the pacing has been bad are kind of letting the cold, unrelenting march of real time cloud their judgement (MEMENTO MANGA AND MEMENTO MORI BROSKIS 🤘)-- but if you go back and binge read from the start of act 3 to now (306-405), it's easier to see that the final act has been paced well imho.

I've also mentioned this before, but, I feel people need to take the fact that Horikoshi introduced a lot of MHA's characters and plot elements when he was healthier into consideration with their critiques. Ongoing manga should not be critiqued the same way that one would critique a finished book-- understanding of the medium and its constraints are absolutely factors that need to be considered before you start bashing things like pacing or arguing that things have been "retconned," I feel.

And I also feel that as fans, we do have a responsibility to be aware of the grueling work conditions of this medium and the effects it has on the author, and then temper our expectations accordingly instead of expecting Horikoshi to neatly resolve every single subplot or minor character arc (For example: "Why aren't Momo, Denki, and Kirishima getting their moments in the final war?" bc they all got their big moments during the first war; "Why didn't we -see- Izuku and Toshinori developing their relationships with ALL of the 1A kids, Class 1A vs Deku and IronMight felt so forced!" *afo voice* BECAUSE THEY'RE EXTRAS-- bc this would be an absurd request even If Horikoshi didn't have health problems. It's perfectly fine to narrow the focus of Izuku's relationships down to certain key members of his class to emphasize the effect he has on people and narrow the focus of Toshi's relationships down to two or three other students to show his growth as a teacher-- the story would become excessively bloated & lose focus if we tried developing *every single side character/relationship*. This is literally basic writing 101).

I do agree that glossing over certain emotional beats in the aftermath of the first war was unfortunate and unlike what we'd come to expect from Hori (Midnight's death being treated like a footnote instead of a chance to explore the concept of personal loss in the students is the most egregious example)-- but for the past year or so we've seen a return to form in emphasizing/exploring the emotions of the core characters, so I do have high hopes for the finale/epilogue of Act 3!