#i've lived my teen years this way i'm continuing to live my 20s this way and cant stop but think it has to do with me

[navramanan]

So tired of continuesly feeling this way I keep trying and failing time and time and time again

[archaeren]

How I learned to write smarter, not harder

(aka, how to write when you're hella ADHD lol)

A reader commented on my current long fic asking how I write so well. I replied with an essay of my honestly pretty non-standard writing advice (that they probably didn't actually want lol) Now I'm gonna share it with you guys and hopefully there's a few of you out there who will benefit from my past mistakes and find some useful advice in here. XD Since I started doing this stuff, which are all pretty easy changes to absorb into your process if you want to try them, I now almost never get writer's block.

The text of the original reply is indented, and I've added some additional commentary to expand upon and clarify some of the concepts.

As for writing well, I usually attribute it to the fact that I spent roughly four years in my late teens/early 20s writing text roleplay with a friend for hours every single day. Aside from the constant practice that provided, having a live audience immediately reacting to everything I wrote made me think a lot about how to make as many sentences as possible have maximum impact so that I could get that kind of fun reaction. (Which is another reason why comments like yours are so valuable to fanfic writers! <3) The other factors that have improved my writing are thus: 1. Writing nonlinearly. I used to write a whole story in order, from the first sentence onward. If there was a part I was excited to write, I slogged through everything to get there, thinking that it would be my reward once I finished everything that led up to that. It never worked. XD It was miserable. By the time I got to the part I wanted to write, I had beaten the scene to death in my head imagining all the ways I could write it, and it a) no longer interested me and b) could not live up to my expectations because I couldn't remember all my ideas I'd had for writing it. The scene came out mediocre and so did everything leading up to it. Since then, I learned through working on VN writing (I co-own a game studio and we have some visual novels that I write for) that I don't have to write linearly. If I'm inspired to write a scene, I just write it immediately. It usually comes out pretty good even in a first draft! But then I also have it for if I get more ideas for that scene later, and I can just edit them in. The scenes come out MUCH stronger because of this. And you know what else I discovered? Those scenes I slogged through before weren't scenes I had no inspiration for, I just didn't have any inspiration for them in that moment! I can't tell you how many times there was a scene I had no interest in writing, and then a week later I'd get struck by the perfect inspiration for it! Those are scenes I would have done a very mediocre job on, and now they can be some of the most powerful scenes because I gave them time to marinate. Inspiration isn't always linear, so writing doesn't have to be either!

Some people are the type that joyfully write linearly. I have a friend like this--she picks up the characters and just continues playing out the next scene. Her story progresses through the entire day-by-day lives of the characters; it never timeskips more than a few hours. She started writing and posting just eight months ago, she's about an eighth of the way through her planned fic timeline, and the content she has so far posted to AO3 for it is already 450,000 words long. But most of us are normal humans. We're not, for the most part, wired to create linearly. We consume linearly, we experience linearly, so we assume we must also create linearly. But actually, a lot of us really suffer from trying to force ourselves to create this way, and we might not even realize it. If you're the kind of person who thinks you need to carrot-on-a-stick yourself into writing by saving the fun part for when you finally write everything that happens before it: Stop. You're probably not a linear writer. You're making yourself suffer for no reason and your writing is probably suffering for it. At least give nonlinear writing a try before you assume you can't write if you're not baiting or forcing yourself into it!! Remember: Writing is fun. You do this because it's fun, because it's your hobby. If you're miserable 80% of the time you're doing it, you're probably doing it wrong!

2. Rereading my own work. I used to hate reading my own work. I wouldn't even edit it usually. I would write it and slap it online and try not to look at it again. XD Writing nonlinearly forced me to start rereading because I needed to make sure scenes connected together naturally and it also made it easier to get into the headspace of the story to keep writing and fill in the blanks and get new inspiration. Doing this built the editing process into my writing process--I would read a scene to get back in the headspace, dislike what I had written, and just clean it up on the fly. I still never ever sit down to 'edit' my work. I just reread it to prep for writing and it ends up editing itself. Many many scenes in this fic I have read probably a dozen times or more! (And now, I can actually reread my own work for enjoyment!) Another thing I found from doing this that it became easy to see patterns and themes in my work and strengthen them. Foreshadowing became easy. Setting up for jokes or plot points became easy. I didn't have to plan out my story in advance or write an outline, because the scenes themselves because a sort of living outline on their own. (Yes, despite all the foreshadowing and recurring thematic elements and secret hidden meanings sprinkled throughout this story, it actually never had an outline or a plan for any of that. It's all a natural byproduct of writing nonlinearly and rereading.)

Unpopular writing opinion time: You don't need to make a detailed outline.

Some people thrive on having an outline and planning out every detail before they sit down to write. But I know for a lot of us, we don't know how to write an outline or how to use it once we've written it. The idea of making one is daunting, and the advice that it's the only way to write or beat writer's block is demoralizing. So let me explain how I approach "outlining" which isn't really outlining at all.

I write in a Notion table, where every scene is a separate table entry and the scene is written in the page inside that entry. I do this because it makes writing nonlinearly VASTLY more intuitive and straightforward than writing in a single document. (If you're familiar with Notion, this probably makes perfect sense to you. If you're not, imagine something a little like a more contained Google Sheets, but every row has a title cell that opens into a unique Google Doc when you click on it. And it's not as slow and clunky as the Google suite lol) (Edit from the future: I answered an ask with more explanation on how I use Notion for non-linear writing here.) When I sit down to begin a new fic idea, I make a quick entry in the table for every scene I already know I'll want or need, with the entries titled with a couple words or a sentence that describes what will be in that scene so I'll remember it later. Basically, it's the most absolute bare-bones skeleton of what I vaguely know will probably happen in the story.

Then I start writing, wherever I want in the list. As I write, ideas for new scenes and new connections and themes will emerge over time, and I'll just slot them in between the original entries wherever they naturally fit, rearranging as necessary, so that I won't forget about them later when I'm ready to write them. As an example, my current long fic started with a list of roughly 35 scenes that I knew I wanted or needed, for a fic that will probably be around 100k words (which I didn't know at the time haha). As of this writing, it has expanded to 129 scenes. And since I write them directly in the page entries for the table, the fic is actually its own outline, without any additional effort on my part. As I said in the comment reply--a living outline!

This also made it easier to let go of the notion that I had to write something exactly right the first time. (People always say you should do this, but how many of us do? It's harder than it sounds! I didn't want to commit to editing later! I didn't want to reread my work! XD) I know I'm going to edit it naturally anyway, so I can feel okay giving myself permission to just write it approximately right and I can fix it later. And what I found from that was that sometimes what I believed was kind of meh when I wrote it was actually totally fine when I read it later! Sometimes the internal critic is actually wrong. 3. Marinating in the headspace of the story. For the first two months I worked on [fic], I did not consume any media other than [fandom the fic is in]. I didn't watch, read, or play anything else. Not even mobile games. (And there wasn't really much fan content for [fandom] to consume either. Still isn't, really. XD) This basically forced me to treat writing my story as my only source of entertainment, and kept me from getting distracted or inspired to write other ideas and abandon this one.

As an aside, I don't think this is a necessary step for writing, but if you really want to be productive in a short burst, I do highly recommend going on a media consumption hiatus. Not forever, obviously! Consuming media is a valuable tool for new inspiration, and reading other's work (both good and bad, as long as you think critically to identify the differences!) is an invaluable resource for improving your writing.

When I write, I usually lay down, close my eyes, and play the scene I'm interested in writing in my head. I even take a ten-minute nap now and then during this process. (I find being in a state of partial drowsiness, but not outright sleepiness, makes writing easier and better. Sleep helps the brain process and make connections!) Then I roll over to the laptop next to me and type up whatever I felt like worked for the scene. This may mean I write half a sentence at a time between intervals of closed-eye-time XD

People always say if you're stuck, you need to outline.

What they actually mean by that (whether they realize it or not) is that if you're stuck, you need to brainstorm. You need to marinate. You don't need to plan what you're doing, you just need to give yourself time to think about it!

What's another framing for brainstorming for your fic? Fantasizing about it! Planning is work, but fantasizing isn't.

You're already fantasizing about it, right? That's why you're writing it. Just direct that effort toward the scenes you're trying to write next! Close your eyes, lay back, and fantasize what the characters do and how they react.

And then quickly note down your inspirations so you don't forget, haha.

And if a scene is so boring to you that even fantasizing about it sucks--it's probably a bad scene.

If it's boring to write, it's going to be boring to read. Ask yourself why you wanted that scene. Is it even necessary? Can you cut it? Can you replace it with a different scene that serves the same purpose but approaches the problem from a different angle? If you can't remove the troublesome scene, what can you change about it that would make it interesting or exciting for you to write?

And I can't write sitting up to save my damn life. It's like my brain just stops working if I have to sit in a chair and stare at a computer screen. I need to be able to lie down, even if I don't use it! Talking walks and swinging in a hammock are also fantastic places to get scene ideas worked out, because the rhythmic motion also helps our brain process. It's just a little harder to work on a laptop in those scenarios. XD

In conclusion: Writing nonlinearly is an amazing tool for kicking writer's block to the curb. There's almost always some scene you'll want to write. If there isn't, you need to re-read or marinate.

Or you need to use the bathroom, eat something, or sleep. XD Seriously, if you're that stuck, assess your current physical condition. You might just be unable to focus because you're uncomfortable and you haven't realized it yet.

Anyway! I hope that was helpful, or at least interesting! XD Sorry again for the text wall. (I think this is the longest comment reply I've ever written!)

And same to you guys on tumblr--I hope this was helpful or at least interesting. XD Reblogs appreciated if so! (Maybe it'll help someone else!)

[genderqueerdykes]

holy shit wait…your 32???

I…im gonna cry

I didn’t know we can live this long…

not just trans mass but…

alterhuman…and plurals..and…

I can’t…

so happy

gonna cry……..

yes i am! i was born in 1992 :)

that's exactly why i have my age in my bio- i've wanted to show people that you don't "outgrow" fundamental parts of your identity. it's natural to adopt and shed identities as we age, but i've been out as genderqueer since 19! nothing has changed, i'm still the same genderqueer person i was all those years ago!

and if anything- life has gotten better in my 30s. as a word of advice to most people out there: your teen years and your twenties FUCKING SUCK!!!!!!!! they tell you those are the "best years of your life" but they're NOT- you're growing into a world that is terrifying and doesn't understand you. you're scared. your brain and body are still developing and you're constantly facing new challenges. those are honestly i think the HARDEST years of your life, hands down

when i was a teenager, i would think to myself "phht there's literally no way i'm making it past 25 lmao" and figure that life ends after 25. well, that day came where i turned 25... and nothing changed.

and then i turned 30. still, nothing changed

now i'm 32 and... nothing has changed. maturation happens with age, yes, but it doesn't mean that you're suddenly a completely different person. people have such a shitty view on 30 year olds, like it's somehow "embarrassing" to be above the age of 25 years old. people in their 30s are constantly picked on, we're constantly told to "act our age" when... we are. i'm happier than ever realizing that I made it to my 30s, still trans, still nonhuman, still plural

i've been in treatment for DID since 2017, and while i've healed a lot, i have not integrated with my alters, and i never will. i don't want to. this is how my brain functions. the dissociation can be a nightmare for me, but my brain needs different people inside of it in order to be able to function properly. we tried to force ourselves to live as a singlet for 3 years and what ended up happening was that host at that time cracked from being under the constant pressure and still has never returned. the amount of stress it placed on us to try to live as a singlet was not worth it. at all

there hasn't been a singular moment in my adult life where i stopped being nonhuman, either. that was something that i never even tried to force myself out of. i never viewed it as weird or something that i should "outgrow"- i told my own mother that i did not identify as human as a child and that never left me. even now, i still wear dog collars, ears, tails, and take nature walks and do things to make myself feel more like my nonhuman selves. i'm still a furry, too!

i might not be a queer "elder" yet, but i'm happy as can be to be able to be an older queer person who can use their experience to help younger folks. thanks for sending this message! trust me, there really is a life after your 20s. your teens and 20s suck massively. but after i passed 30 i became more down to earth about my age. it's not a bad thing to live past 20- in fact, it's a badge of honor. i made it. i'm still breathing, i'm still here, still queer, despite all attempts to prevent me from still being here.

i'm going to continue be here for a long, long time, and you can be here with me, too.

take care of yourself! thanks for stopping by!

[pseudowho]

mrs haitch. i turn 20 tomorrow and im honestly really nervous because tbh i didnt even think id make it to 16 and now im almost 20 so im like living life on autopilot (i have been for a while). im just nervous to leave my teen years behind me😞 any words of wisdom you could offer?

For my dear one whose Ask I got to, too late.

I hope you had a lovely birthday.

I must say, and listen genuinely, because I really mean it; you almost certainly have not lived the happiest part of your life. There is a hyperfetishisation of extreme youth, and a societal push towards people your age believing that their life is over at increasingly young ages. You are not the only person your age that I've heard being very anxious about turning 20. That same anxiety used to be projected on turning 30.

Now, I have to say those who are turning 30 are more positive than those who are turning 20, because we've got old enough to recognise that the pressures we face aged 20 are so joyless.

You have so much life left to live. You have lived past 16 and you will continue to live. Now is not the time to keep walking backwards, with your eyes fixed on this age you thought you wouldn't love past. It's holding you back from finding the way forward. Turn away; you have lived, you continue to live, and life can be better.

I'd like to say please don't be down, as I hate to think that you think so little of the substance of your life that you would be on autopilot for years, but that's ignorant of me; I don't know your story.

All I can offer you is the assurance that, targeting yourself for your numerical age will bring you zero joy.

☝️Me to other people but not you because you're not a witch and honestly I probably could have chosen a better gif but this one made me laugh so I'm sorry and this is what you get--

Love,

-- Haitch xxx

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

[ x ]

🦇 Heir Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

❓ #QOTD What's your favorite fantasy book?❓ 🦇 An orphan. An outcast. A prince. And a killer who will bring an empire to its knees. An old tragedy fuels Aiz's need for vengeance, while love of her people that propels her. Sirsha agrees to use her magic to hunt a killer who is murdering children across the Martial Empire. And Quil is the Empire's crown prince, though he's loath to take the throne. Sabaa Tahir interweaves the lives of these three young people as they grapple with power, treachery, love, and the devastating consequences of unchecked greed, on a journey that may cost them their lives—and their hearts. Literally.

💜 *Insert a plethora of creative curses here* For fig's sake. I can't even begin to describe the pure AWE I have, not only for this story, but for Sabaa Tahir, fantasy and Muslim-American literary goddess, in general. I honestly can't think of a story I've read that was so well intertwined, so fully conceptualized, while respecting roots of the series that came before it. Earlier this year, I had the fortune to read The Fragile Threads of Power by VE Schwab, which continued her Shades of Magic series. Reading Heir sparked that same feeling; the sensation of returning home after a long journey through other vast worlds. I'm grateful that Penguin Teen hosted the Ember in the Ashes read-along this summer. While Heir introduces us to new characters, 20 years after the Ember in the Ashes series ends, each mention and emergence of a familiar character provided a sweet taste of nostalgia I didn't know I needed. These books have seeped themselves deep within my marrow since 2015, and Sabaa Tahir has been on my favorite/auto-buy author for just as long. She's the first Muslim-American to win the National Book Award for Young People's Literature; a feat that gives me hope and inspiration as a Muslim-American writer.

💜 Reading Heir, you can see how much Tahir's prose has flourished over the past decade. Despite stepping back into this familiar world, it's richer, more vivid. The action is just as intense and ruthless, the characters undeniably unique. The underlying themes resonate deeply. I loved every nod to South Asian, Pakistani, and Islamic culture. It's always the five-star book reviews I struggle with the most. I could talk about this story for hours, but I'd spoil so much that I want you to experience for yourself.

💙 Don't worry: if you haven't read the An Ember in the Ashes quartet, you can still enjoy Heir. The three main characters have their own vivid story to tell, and while there are mentions of many beloved characters from the original series, they're supporting cast to Aiz, Sirsha, and Quil. I will say that the first part of the story took a moment to adjust to, and there's the lingering question of HOW these characters are connected, but once you realize how the breadcrumbs were laid out for you, you'll realize the execution is FLAWLESS. The fast pace keeps you on your toes, the ever-growing tension driving you to the last page. As for the underlying romantic story, AH! It was perfectly built, the sass and chemistry playful without stealing from the main plot, yet heart-wrenching; that kind of painful that keeps you invested long-term. OH! And can we talk about our villain? That BUILD?! I love a villain with reason--a character who doesn't realize they're the villain at all, someone with a mission that goes about it in all the wrong ways. This story had EVERYTHING and then some. I'll be recommending it for the next 20 years.

🦇 Recommended for fans of The Red Queen series, The Lunar Chronicle series, and The Throne of Glass series.

✨ The Vibes ✨ 🫀First in a Duology ✨ Young Adult High Fantasy/Romantasy 👑 Political Intrigue ⛏ Enemies to Lovers 💓 Found Family 👁 Multi POV

🦇 Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #Heir

💬 Quotes ❝ Get what you need. Forget the rest. ❞ ❝ "You are a daughter of the evening star. You are not meant to be caged." ❞ ❝ “I give my heart unto her keeping, a gift with no compare.” ❞ ❝ "The past will distract you from the now. And it’s the now that matters.” ❞ ❝ “You seek to understand the fibers that make the world,” Loli Temba said, “but not your own pain, nor that of others. You’d be better served understanding the latter.” ❞ ❝ He looked at her like her secrets were the sea, and he was at home in dark water. ❞ ❝ “Quil—” His name rolled off her tongue, a prayer. “Please—” “Mmm,” he said. “You should say that more, Sirsha. I’d give you whatever you wanted.” ❞ ❝ “Care about yourself as much as you care about those you love. As much as— as we care about you.” ❞ ❝ Sirsha grabbed his hand, wishing she could articulate the desire suffusing her, something more than I need you and I wish I didn’t. ❞

[marzipanandminutiae]

i think it’s less that ppl are legit expecting a white christmas in boston every year and more that the probability for one used to be 20 to 30% and it’s now been almost 15 years without one and probability has dropped to 10% and will continue to drop. for someplace like worcester in massachusetts it’s even worse — probability was 67% ish for the boomers and now it’s a little over 30%. only 27 white christmases in boston since 1892 sounds small but when u consider most bostonians had 3 white christmases by their mid-teens on top of all the christmases where there was snow even if it wasn’t one inch and now there are teenagers who haven’t seen even one white christmas… it makes sense why ppl freak out every year it still hasn’t happened.

And that absolutely makes sense, yeah! I have immense climate anxiety too, like I said!

What I was responding to was more the people saying "it's 60 and raining in Boston and it feels like the apocalypse" or "this isn't how it's supposed to be ever; this never used to happen."

I don't know if you saw my longer post, but I went and looked at Boston weather records going back to 1893. Most Decembers from 1893-1903 had multiple days in the upper 50s, with many years getting into the 60s at least once. I didn't track every single year from 1893 to the present, but it seems reasonable to assume that that 10-year period wasn't just a weird fluke. December 1895 actually had more days in the 60s (5) than December 2022 (1).

That's not the full story, of course- December 1895 also had a couple of days in the 20s before that upswing, some with small amounts of snow. You also have things like overnight lows going haywire, and other reminders that climate change is real and it is happening now. I would never, ever attempt to deny that. It's the single biggest problem facing humanity at the moment.

However. There are multiple things to hold in our minds at the same time when thinking about its day-to-day effect on our lives, and one of them is "the effects are seldom as simple as It's Warmer Every Day Now Than It Ever Has Been, And That Will Continue Unilaterally For The Rest Of Our Lives." I'm not trying to deny or negate anything. I'm just trying to make people feel a little less despondent.

(I also just discovered that the metric for a white Christmas here in Boson states that it has to fall before 7 AM, which seems arbitrary and weird. We actually had a white Christmas here in 2017- we got 2.9" of snow -it just fell later in the day. So...it doesn't count for some reason? That's really strange to me. Anyway, the article where I learned this estimates our average yearly "one inch of snow on the ground at 7 AM on Christmas morning" chances nowadays at 19% as of three days ago.)

(I also think this demonstrates what I'm calling Reverse Environmental Amnesia- where, rather than thinking that the effects of climate change have always been normal, you tend to remember past weather in a way that fits the absolute direst interpretation of circumstances. Anyone who was in Boston on Christmas 2017 SHOULD remember the snowstorm...but I've seen multiple locals who don't travel for the holidays agreeing that we've had no Christmas snow at all since 2009.)

[redvelvetsource]

Red Velvet’s 9th Debut Anniversary Relay Messages:

Irene to Wendy: Dear My Seungwannie ♡ Be brave anywhere you go, alright! You're my cool younger sister who I'm so proud of that I want to talk about you everywhere 💗💙💗

Seulgi to Yeri: At the beginning of your debut you were such a baby and i thought to become an Unnie that can protect you, now as we talk about this and that, you have become so mature and strong that we lean on you a lot, rather, you’re protecting us well and i have lots to be grateful ♡ Thank you for doing your best and growing up well as Red Velvet and as Yeri, i’m looking forward to future Yerimie! I’ll always cheer you on for anything! You have us by your side so cheer up!! Let’s live as we are now, bickering like friends and having fun as family Yerim-ah♡

Wendy to Joy: Sooyoungie who has a bright smile but a soft heart♡ I want to tell you that you’ve worked hard for the past 9 years! Seems like she’s the only one that doesn’t realize~ : ) Up until now, you’ve always been great, you’ve done well Sooyoung-ah~ ♡ Don’t forget that I am always supporting you, always beside you~! I love you~! >_<

Joy to Seulgi: How long has it been since i wrote a handwritten letter like this!! Through this opportunity, i really want to express my gratitude. Both of us spent our fierce teens and 20s together, which is said to be the prettiest period right? Looking back, I've been working hard under the name of Red Velvet and I think that from the first moment I saw you I fell in love with your cute face. And 9 years later, I can say that I've always admired and respected you. As a member, I've relied on you a lot. Thanks to our members, especially our Unnie, who always stands upright, I was able to endure well even in moments of shaking and pain that I would never have been able to withstand alone. Thank you so much for always being there for me and understanding me, who can be quiet and blunt. Please continue to be my Unnie for the rest of my life. I love you♡ Seulgi Unnie P.S. Let's eat together soon It's on me…

Yeri to Irene: Unnie we have walked quite a long way together! Thank you for always being my reliable friend. I love you ♡

[coyoteprince]

you are literally like.. doing everything I want to do, and I so deeply resonate with all your work I've seen. Did you go to college at all? How did you come to be where you are now?

I literally haven't even finished highschool lol

To be blunt: It came from pain, survival, and eventually, joy. Content warning: talkin' about abuse, but avoiding much detail

I was severely abused my entire life largely because of being diagnosed with autism when I was a young kid & being raised by maladjusted people who couldn't escape poverty. Being autistic is a small blessing I am thankful for- too bad they & many others today can't fathom that. I focused on art to cope, which reflected my special interests still a core part of my work today (death, history, witchcraft) and my personal identity since I wasn't allowed to be a person otherwise. When I got to my teen years, all attempts at trying to grow into adulthood was sabotaged by mentioned continued abuse, so I again turned to art to cope and try to find a way to work from home, which eventually became my full time job. The abuse physically disabled me, so in my early-mid 20's when my partner stole me out of the situation, I continued doing the only thing I knew to do to make money & voice myself. I've been working as an artist full time for over 10 years now because of this. I started making art because I had literally no other choice. Training isn't something I've had. I just put my nose to the grindstone and figured it out on my own, because I had to. Thankfully, one of the upsides to being a very autistic freak is mine came with an obsession for continued learning & experimentation so I managed okay on my own with occasional help from artist friends. Even more thankfully, there is so much more open resources for creating art on the internet today than when I started.

My life is very happy, safe, and full of love now- but extreme hardship is why I create, why this is my job, and why so much of myself is distilled into what I make. In the past few years the basis has twisted from pain to joy- I genuinely love being alive now, and I genuinely love making art despite having to. It is a physical representation of relief, melancholy, and happiness for being alive after a hard life.

A disclaimer I guess: Any time I explain my backstory people tend to be blindsided by it- what I lived was really extensive, and I'm assuming this will again be surprising for some even though I didn't go into the unpleasant details. But please don't feel bad for me- It was my reality, it is what shaped me, it sucked, but I live a starkly different present today and am fine

[seeminglyseph]

So. I'm watching a playthrough of Silent Hill: The Short Message. And I've seen the Jimquisition episode about it, and a handful of critiques about it first, and having seen the trainwreck that was the first attempt made at a Silent Hill return, and my overall animosity towards Konomi as a brand, I was fully keyed up to be all negativity all the time against The Short Message.

But, it may be my Bias as someone who like. dropped out of high school due to bullying and Girl World and the way some friendships can form unholy triads that will fully destroy each other with jealousy and insecurity. (I have been in multiple Triad friend groups and either been the third wheel or accidentally instigated and insecurity uprising by joining a stable duo and throwing off the groove. I am not saying "three's a crowd" is a valid mindset. but when you have three insecure and unstable people trying to make sure they're still special and important to each other. It can become a volatile mess of feelings especially for teenagers and pre-teens. This isn't some sort of commentary on Poly relationships. It's a commentary on my specific experiences with insecurity)

When I was in Jr High I had a teacher who referred to the group of friends I was in as "the witches of eastwick" which given the movie is a year older than I am and a 14A slightly raunchy comedy I'm not sure if it was the most appropriate joke. But c'est la vie. The point is, I feel like I can definitely like. Understand the concept of Short Message a little more than some.

Along with the concept of growing up somewhere that feels fully hopeless. My parents never put money away for me for University, but constantly talked about how I needed to plan for university. But also where I lived cut funding to a lot of stuff that wasn't trades related because Alberta decided the most important things locally were Oil and Trades. (and then the oil industry kinda shut down locally due to trade deals and people throwing hissy fits over elections, which fucked our local economy but I won't go into that) I had to go to work 20 hours a week minimum while going to school, which did damage to my grades, which effected my options, which pissed off my family, which left me feeling hopeless about even the chances of going to any University. I was put in classes above my ability because "that's what you need to be able to have a future" while destroying my body early working long hours and failing those classes because I had bullying, abuse, work and high stress toxic friendships to balance along with Universities that didn't really offer any options that would give me a future that wouldn't give me more of the same. And eventually I broke under the pressure and I got a high school diploma through continued education courses but never officially "graduated."

My body is permanently damaged in multiple ways from the stress and strain of trying to balance everything in that world. I have over 100 self harm scars from cutting and burning myself. My pelvis is permanently deformed due to Ankylosing Spondylitis, and standing for hours and hours and hours as my body developed. My hips used to dislocated with such a startling ease that I would be bed ridden for months and months on end in the worst agony. It's an autoimmune disease it's not going away, and the damage that was done overworking myself is never being undone. One of my eyes is permanently damaged and cannot be repaired. I carry stress in serious damage to my body in multiple ways, and multiple chronic illnesses developed in my teenage years. The future I carried a responsibility for fell through my fingers because of the strain of working for it.

There's times where the dialogue in the game is on the nose or too hammy or like... kinda silly. But. I feel like living in a dead end place... with a dead end mindset, where everyone around you also similarly has a dead end mindset... it eats part of you. And Teens and Young Adults get caught in a haze of it. I remember watching people react to Canada's Worst Driver, and like 80% of the people who end up on that show come from Alberta, and are people in their early 20s. And half these reactors were people who never lived in a Dead End place.

I especially remember watching Hasan and Kurtis something react to the show, and I remember the way they reacted being so striking to me, because they fully had no understanding whatsoever of the reckless drivers they were watching. And like, as a 35 year-old now I do have a like. "tsk. that's shitty driving don't do that" kinda attitude. And also I have always been an anxious driver and didn't get my license until I was 25 and literally do not drive now due to vision and brain issues, but. I've been in cars with people who are reckless drivers, especially when I was in my early 20s and I know exactly what mindset causes it. It's "This probably only only really effects me, and it doesn't really matter if I die, I don't have a future."

There's a suicidal ideation to it mixed with a drive to feel literally anything if only just a little bit of fun in driving a truck really fast in a way that sparks some adrenaline at an age where the consequences part of the brain hasn't finished developing.

I know it's so American, and I'm Canadian, but Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen seriously is one of my favourite songs for this reason.

In the day, we sweat it out on the streets Of a runaway American dream At night, we ride through mansions of glory In suicide machines Sprung from cages out on Highway 9 Chrome wheeled, fuel injected and steppin' out over the line Oh, baby this town rips the bones from your back It's a death trap, it's a suicide rap We gotta get out while we're young 'Cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run

It's iconic and I can't stop thinking about it sometimes.

I don't know that I exactly have a point, and The Short Message definitely isn't perfect. But. I think there's something to be said about what is being said in the game, and how it's being brushed aside. because I feel like it casts a really good spotlight on Dead End spaces, and the mindset that can take hold there, the almost contagious hopelessness of youths who don't feel like they have a future.

I feel like people in places like Toronto or Los Angeles lose scope of places that "don't matter." I've lost track of how many times I've heard Canadian Youtubers talk about how "nobody lives in the Prairies" or whatever. And that feeling of being somewhere that doesn't matter, and being the friend that doesn't matter, and having a future that might never happen... there's a reason for alcohol and drug use being such considerable problems in these areas, it's escapism people feel so intensely hopeless and without a future they just sink into any possibility of numbness. Plus since trades are most of the only jobs you can get most people have some kind of chronic pain. half the time undiagnosed and untreated.

[loregoddess]

con't Octo2 observations, endgame spoilers, etc.

did not see a wild Ori in Hikari's Stormhail chapter, but it's still a solid chapter overall. Still not sure why Stormhail, located where it is, is Ku's "launching point" for domination of the eastern continent since it is really, really far inland and does not seem and ideal place for Ku to have an outpost in, but the politics of Ku and the rest of Solistia continue to baffle me

Agnea's Sai chapter (listen I've long since lost track of which chapter I'm on for anyone) places Cuani in Sai 20 years prior to the story, which is...uh the same time period that Ku took over Sai? I am assuming Cuani stopped by after the war? damn Sai is a mess of confusion when it comes to the timeline of events and worldbuilding for Ku and Timberain. We know Oboro/Kazan was born in U (which Sai was a part of), so if he's in his 30s then he was a teen when U was razed, and Ori was younger than him (so she's probably in her mid 20s?), and I have no idea what this means about Dolcinaea (iirc she states that she was abandoned by her parents, so she's probably basically a war orphan as well), but what I don't get is why Sai, despite clearly being part of Ku, has people who were trying to work w/ Timberain (leading to the five-year long war that Castti and co. helped out in), like is there some sort of labor agreement in place? ugh, Sai is a weird town...

Also finished Hikari's final chapter (rip, Ritsu managed to kick my ass several times, so far the only two deaths I had were wandering into a side dungeon way under-leveled, and the Grieving Golem bc I didn't optimize my subjobs beforehand; I actually had to level-grind a bit for Ritsu bc I tried dragging two characters who were like ten levels under the rec'd level into the battle, whoops).

ANYHOW I noticed Mugen chants the same thing child-Hikari chanted after being overtaken by the Shadow ("quench the flames, call out to the night" or something along those lines), which suggests that the shadow-stuff going on with the Ku bloodline seems to act sort of similar to like, what Lyblac was to Galdera? in that the Shadow of Ku isn't like, specifically Vide or even makes the descendants of Vide worthy candidates as vessels, but the Shadow does take hold of them in an attempt to bring about the right conditions for Vide's revival, which makes me wonder if D'arqest was actually playing the role to Vide that Lyblac played to Galdera, but bc Vide is a different entity than Galdera, Vide needs a legit vessel which is how the entire "Claude was bio-engineered to be Vide's perfect vessel" came about, even though as we know anyone can be Vide's vessel (re: Oboro). Because Hikari and the Ku bloodline are direct descendants of D'arqest and not of Claude, this would also explain the differences between Hikari's struggles with the Shadow, and Throne just chilling with her special night powers (since she would be a descendant of Vide's vessel and heir to the powers of the vessel rather than to the shadow blood of D'arqest...maybe?). To be fair I am kinda tired, and my brain's a bit fizzled from irl stuff stressing me out, so I'm probably grasping at straws here, but, hm, lots to think about here.

ALSO, also Mugen does say that the "light of [Kura's] bloodline" lives on in Hikari (and that this clan also fought the shadow historically), so while this isn't a direct 1:1 connection to the Lumine family being the "bloodline of light" it is pretty damned close, so yeah, I'm thinking Kura and Rita were distantly related, and I'm still thinking they might have some connection possibly to Alpates. So hmm...yeah more stuff to think about....

[quarterfromcanon]

10, 11, 15 & 21

10: A song that makes you sad

Multiple pieces of media I've consumed in the past three years have made memorable use of "Seventeen" by Sharon Van Etten. The singer is looking back on that stage of her youth but the track almost invariably plays over a montage of teens living through that age in their present. It leaves such an ache in my chest. If I may borrow a quote from Six Feet Under, "You can't take a picture of this; it's already gone."

11: A song of which you never get tired

It's been 20 years and I still react to the opening of Michelle Branch's "Are You Happy Now?" in the same way that others speak of getting G noted.

15: A song that is a cover by another artist

While I've never seen The O.C., I do distinctly remember a Jem phase in my middle school days. I continue to have a soft spot for her version of "Maybe I'm Amazed."

Oh, and I'd like to award an honorable mention to the "Dangerous Type" cover by Letters to Cleo that played during The Iconic Slo-Mo Walk in The Craft.

21: A favorite song with a person’s name in the title

I've always been quite partial to the DNA remix of "Tom's Diner" by Suzanne Vega. Something about the narrator's discomfort around a couple's p.d.a. and avoidance of gazing too long at a well-dressed woman really resonated with my gay child brain and I've liked the song ever since.

[mangodestroyer]

Alright, I'm a few semesters away from earning my BS. I started this journey at the age of 19, fresh out of high school. It's been a fucking mess. Dropping out my very first semester because campus life was hard on me and I had no fucking idea what I was doing, taking a medical leave during said semester because of mental health, working my first retail job (and first job ever) soon after, watching a pandemic start and quitting my job soon after to go back to school while still living at home (mandatory online cause of pandemic), went back to campus during a pandemic where there were lots of restrictions, while still living at home (understandable, but why not continue online?), switching my major a few times, picking up my second job ever (retail again) while going to school and deciding to go back to online learning because life happened (so switching to a school with that option), switching my major a few times before finally settling on mathematics (yes, I've actually stuck with it for a while now), and taking a year break from school before just now coming back to it. And at this point, just wanting to power through the rest of my degree so I can FINALLY have it (it's been four years now).

In other words, I became the exact type of college student I swore I'd never be when I was in middle school/high school.

And you know what? I really wish someone would have seen how grossly unprepared I was in high school and intervened. Told me, in a kind way, to hold off and get some life experience before making such a commitment. Those scholarships and financial aid could have waited. I think I would have greatly benefited from taking a year or two off from school and working a shitty retail job fresh out of high school. I needed to shadow some college classes and do so much more college prep. Look at what these majors actually entail. Learn what it's like to have some financial responsibilities (nothing extreme like moving out into an apartment, but rather paying a small amount of rent every month, buying my own groceries, getting a credit card and learning about credit, etc.) You know, actually be taught some adult things instead of just being expected to learn them on my own? Well, some parents actually are on their kids about these things. Mine weren't/aren't. And it's tough learning it all on your own, so be grateful for your annoying ass parents getting on you about this shit all the time.

And yeah, I bet your ass the retail job on its own would have been good motivation for me to tough it out at that school I dropped out of in my first semester. In hindsight, being a freshman at that school, living on campus, seems like such a pampered life compared to two years in retail. And more fulfilling! Needless to say, I would be delighted to go back for grad school and I can't imagine taking it for granted! As much as I hate retail, and the past four years of my life, my social skills have improved so much and I have a much better idea of what I'm doing. A second shot at my dream school is now something I realize isn't something I can just waltz right into, and quite frankly, it just sounds like it will be a lot more fun in my mid-20's than it was as a teen.

[bardicbramley]

Bramley's Book Of The Week - Master Thread

I've been adding to a thread over on my twitter (bardicbramley) every week-ish with a new Children's or YA book that I have read recently and would recommend! With everything happening on twitter, I'm going to make a master list of all my recommendation so far here, and then continue adding them to a tag on this blog as well, just in case!

So, without further ado... #bramleysbotw so far!

31/10/22 - Home by Tonya Lippert and Andrea Stegmaier

A gentle story of homelessness giving so much space for understaning & discussion. A great tool for deeper talking ab houseless people, different types of homes and unstable living situations with gorgeous, simple yet detailed art.

7/11/22 - How To Be More Hedgehog by Anne-Maire Conway

So much deep and true emotion, a relatable MC and great messages of self advocacy, confidence and activism. As someone with selective mutism and tics, I enjoyed every second of Lily's proudly stammer-filled journey.

14/11/22 - Lifesize by Sophy Henn

Over to my library kids for this #bramleybotw A new addition that they've not stopped talking about...Even my most energetic readers are sitting on the floor, reading the animal facts to their friends and comparing their hands to that of a polar bear!

21/11/22 - Me and My Dysphoria Monster by Laura Kate Dale and Ang Hui Qing

In honour of #transawarenessweek2022 and as a personal thank you from a trans educator. An amazing addition to trans children's literature (& kidlit in general) that I would highly recommend to other educators!

28/11/22 - Love Your Body by Jessica Sanders and Carol Rossetti

A beautiful and uplifting non fiction to support girls in loving and appreciating their body for all the amazing things it can do, and all the incredible ways it can look.

I needed more words to also talk about the incredible art in this week's choice. The colour pallet just so comforting and the style is a new favourite of mine!

5/12/22 - Paws by Kate Foster

My younger self would have loved this book and even now I adore it. It has authentic #actuallyautistic representation (without negativity!) and is all round a lovely story.

6/1/23 - When I See Blue by Lily Bailey

An emotional and gritty real world adventure with Ben, as he navigates making friends, protecting his alcoholic mother, and battling the bully in his head, his OCD. A tough but beautiful read.

30/1/23 - Star Knights by Kay Davault

A Graphic Novel filled with self acceptance, incredible worldbuilding and animals that turn into magical adventurers?! I mean come on, how could I not rec this one 💖 bonus points for queer rep too.

9/2/23 - All To Play For by Eve Ainsworth

It's recommended by Empathy Lab UK this year and I couldn't agree more. It has Barrington Stoke's signature dyslexia friendly pages and font - but so much more than that. A story of family, class and determination.

20/2/23 - Birdsong by Katya Balen

I'm a bit late to the party with this one. I've seen so many people sing it's praises! A gorgeously honest, emotional and raw story that any child will love, but will strike a chord with certain ones especially.

27/2/23 - Speak Up! by Rebecca Burgess

A graphic novel about a secret teen pop star with a wonderful autistic main and genderqueer side character representation? Of course it was amazing!

6/3/23 - Tyger by SF Said

Much like Phoenix, the dedication to world building, the layered, lovable characters, and the beautifully descriptive language had me gripped from the very start. Dave McKean's incredibly detailed and emotive illustrations surely helped!

13/3/23 - Needle by Patrice Lawrence

An incredible heartfelt read for UKS2/MG/KS3 - exploring often avoided topics of fostering, UK police and court systems, racial profiling, when to be honest (or fake it), whose voices matter most and questionable justice.

20/3/23 - Twelfth Grade Night by Molly Horton Booth, Stephanie Kate Strohm and Jamie Green

Sometimes you really just need a queer, unapologetically corny modern Shakespeare smash retelling of Twelfth Night and A Midsummer Night's Dream, and that's 100% okay! I got you covered!

In all seriousness, with all the hatred filling queer spaces atm, it was great to just float in a fun, sweet, dramatic world full of lovable ✨fairies✨The illustrations caught me instantly - the pining faces, the dramatic lighting! A teen romcom Will'd be proud of.

28/3/23 - Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

A beautiful UKS2+ novel in verse following Jude's journey across oceans, growing up, making friends and finding her voice. Rich and realistic, not shying away from subjects often avoided, and with poetic Arabic intertwined.

3/4/23 - Frizzy by Claribel A. Oretga and Rose Bousamra

Whilst not my own cultural story, it resonated deeply still 💖 an incredibly honest, beautiful and joyous graphic novel with gorgeous colours and rebellious questioning of generational trauma!

12/4/23 - Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston by Esme Symes Smith

I put it off for so long bc I was a little scared it might not live up to my hopes, but it was so much more than I imagined. The love I have for these kiddos (and Callie's dads 😭) is intense. Kidlits often shy away from big, scary or rebellious topics. Neither Callie nor Esme are afraid to speak up ab what trans kids (and so many others) need/deserve to hear, and I am so proud of them for that. This is the book I needed as a kid - I am so glad it exists now 💖⚔️

24/4/23 - Jamie by LD Lapinski

A powerful story of never backing down and demanding your full self to be acknowledged. I'm so excited to see a story encouraging children to stand up for themselves and recognise that adults can be (& often are) wrong.

5/5/23 - Dungeon Club: Roll Call by Molly Knox Ostertag and Xanthe Bouma

Great for those who haven't played and incredible for those who have - the use of D&D stat blocks and dual narrative (irl and in game) 🙌🏻 simply amazing! Can't wait for the next!

15/5/23 - Call Me Lion by Camilla Chester

Being autistic, sometimes partially or non-speaking, and having struggled with confidence all my life - I just loved this little joyful tale. Realistic but hopeful, with easily likeable, well rounded mcs!

22/5/23 - My Brother is Away by Sara Greenwood and Luisa Uribe

A /beautifully/ illustrated and gently poignant picturebook of a child whose brother is incarcerated. I've seen this kind of book before, but this is it done right, well, and to a v. high quality.

19/6/23 - Front Desk by Kelly Yang

Been meaning to read this for so long, finally have, and of course its been added to my all time favourites list! What an incredible, reflective and honest piece of art for children. I don't do mandatory reading, but if I did: top of the list.

26/6/23 - The Golden Hour by Niki Smith

A gorgeous graphic novel, upper KS2-3 cusp/YA. It takes a beautifully artistic and honest look into managing childhood PTSD from gun violence, with help from an eye for photography, a cute calf, and a first queer crush 💖

3/7/23 - My Aunt is a Monster by Reimena Yee

A sweet and exciting story of adventurers, curses and mysteries with a healthy dash of queer and disabled representation, all whilst learning to see past first impressions.

[madi2112]

A drive along memory lane.

Burn the Jutebox

"I have to get up early for work"

"I didn't bring a change of clothes"

"There's a good chance it will rain"

All of these (plus a few more) are the reasons I was using to convince myself NOT go to the Osceola County Faire this evening.

I went anyways.

I'm glad I did.

Burn the Jutebox is a group of extremely talented youngsters (I can say that because I'm closer my 100th birthday then my 1st) I follow on social media. They are a great cover band and play songs from the 70's all the way up to modern music.

Now, I've seen hundreds of new bands go by on posts while scrolling through social media and I follow none of them. But this group was different.

They have a great respect for classic rock n roll by playing songs recorded decades before they were even born. They also have the skills to do many different genres very well.

But the reason I really took noticed was the energy.

Looks to me like they really enjoy the music they play and have a real genuine passion for it.

Personally, I love a good rhythm section and this one was a good one.

The young lady holding down the bottom end played a really good bass guitar and had a great honest blend of engery and musicianship. I love to see women who rock!

Which in turn reminded me so much of someone else who felt like that about music at their age. ME.

I know I don't mention it often on here, but I had many years where I followed my love for music through being a drummer/songwriter in various bands.

First in my late teens and twenties. Playing lots of shows but never finding the right combination of people.

As that search continued I ran into real life. I got married, had to get steady day job, kept fighting with my gender disphoria and the dream of being a working musician faded.

I revived it in my late thirties after connecting with an old friend who turned out to be a great songwriting partner.

We wrote some awesome songs and played regularly live, but focused to much on orginal music. This made it hard to connect with audiences (and get steady gigs) and mixing in covers would have been wise.

Of course, hindsight is always 20/20.

We did write some really good songs (I think) with my songwriting partner doing the guitars and vocals, while I wrote the lyrics, co-wrote and arranged the songs.

Yes, recordings and pictures from this time frame do exsist. But I hesitate to share them. The recordings are dated (done on 4 track cassette tapes. Long before digital technology) and the pictures are of me pre-transition (so I hate looking at them). Ask me nice and I might share.

But the struggles were bad and I hung it up again until my fifties when things finally clicked into place for a while.

I was in a working cover band that had an agent, played lots of shows and actually made money! TRIAX played all over the mountain west in bars, clubs, weddings, fairs, and lots of corporate events.

It was a glorious time. At least musicly.

Until things fell apart. Again.

Hearing Burn the Jutebox play many of the same songs I once did really sent me down memory lane with a stop at nostalgia place.

Maybe, someday, I can play a few live shows again.

But that seems wildly far-fetched, highly improbable and darn near impossible.

Still, when I was watching BTJ play "Saturday Nights Alright", "Sex is on Fire", "Take on Me" and a kick butt version of "The Immigrant Song" I couldn't help but wonder....What if?

~Madison

[mochipon-vt]

so. i wanna reset the vibes. again.

after all the years i've been dabbling in streaming and video making, i keep ending up feeling like i have to wipe the slate clean again due to so many things affecting how i perceive what my channel spaces start to become. i've had an ex partner continually try to invade my space against my wishes bc he didn't respect my identity and did not conduct himself in a way i wanted as a part of my own space, i've had perceived friends somewhat influence me to act in a way i didn't like and run me off my own platforms, i've even had random individuals upset me with their behavior and not respect how i want to conduct things within my spaces.

i'm a fairly non-confrontational person and if i find myself in a position where confrontation possibly needs to happen, i will often tend not to take action if i deem someone's actions not having been 'offensive enough' to remove them for my own peace and comfort because it makes me extremely anxious to actually confront someone. this is especially so if someone's been around for a little while because then it feels like i've allowed some kinda behavior, that may be upsetting to me, to happen for so long that they perceive themselves to be acting fine according to having been let to continue showing up, for me to then get to a point where i no longer want to deal with someone but can't bring myself to take them out of my space bc it makes me feel bad. and i shouldn't have to feel this way, ever.

i'm incredibly tired. tired of feeling like the space i'm trying to create for myself to be comfortable, happy and thriving in to continuously go sour and tired of starting over to try and find that comfy environment i keep seeking. i'm also tired of being seen as someone else's boost for their own visibility, engagement, number counts or what have you. but i'll post more on that later.

i'm finally in a position where i'm not living with someone who was a daily detriment to my mental health and creative growth, albeit, the years i lived with the abuse along with the trauma from the ending of that era still affect me greatly from time to time but it compares less to what i had been dealing with and so far, my present and hopefully my future are far more positive than my past was.

thus, why i'm so set on creating a comfortable online space across my channels and accounts. i want to cultivate an environment free of controlling negative influences and one that inspires and encourages positivity, kindness, creativity and is just an overall comfy place to be.

i genuinely enjoy and have fun with using streaming and videos as a creative outlet and i don't want to keep feeling like my comfy space is being continuously pulled out from under me or is demotivating to continue showing up for or working on things that are fun and exciting for me to explore. if it's gonna keep feeling like a chore to do and doesn't turn into the environment i want, i'm just gonna stop doing it and find something else to do.

sooo ~ let's try this again. and hopefully, for the last time. moving forward, i want to be surrounded by people that are both interested in me and the things that i want to do. i don't want to do things to try to appeal to a generic audience but to an audience that inspires me and makes me excited to share my passions. hopefully, one day i might even end up with more mutuals or friends ~

(side note: i will be trying harder to protect my peace and comfort, if for any reason someone makes me feel uncomfortable for any reason, i will be removing said offensive individuals. please don't take it personally, don't seek out why you were removed, just let me have my peace and go seek out a new space that is more accommodating for you.

additionally, i think i will be going back to requesting a higher age limit for interacting. i'm someone in my mid-30s and i feel individuals still in their teen years and younger 20s have vastly different life experiences than i do, if any at all yet, and given some past incidents, may have differing levels of maturity than myself. that's not to say people of younger ages are child-like or immature, i just feel more comfortable with people who are closer to 30 in age than 20. so, i think from now on i will require people to be of ages 21+ and even that feels a bit too young. the closer to 30, the better, really. if i find out or suspect anyone does respect this boundary, i will remove you instantly. sorry.

also, i don't mind if anyone of 18+ ages follow accounts to see my art or videos. i won't be posting anything NSFW on main accounts; if i ever delve into that content, i'll be making separate accounts.)

[bomkeithisbaby]

Ok, so I've read what other people have responded to on here and I just want to clarify a few things.

1. Keith and Shiro are NOT brothers. They aren't related in any way.

2. Shiro did NOT raise Keith. Shiro came to Keith's school to recruit. Keith was around 15, you have to be 15 to get into the Garrison so at the very least Keith was 14 at the time and when he was 15 he went to the Garrison military academy. Shiro didn't get guardianship over him, Keith was in foster care.

3. Shiro is 7 years older than Keith which is not a bad age gap, seriously my parents are 6 years apart. So when meeting, Shiro was either 20 or 21.

4. Shiro saw Keith's potential and also saw that no one was giving him a chance and so he gave Keith a chance and got him into the Garrison. Yes, he was like a mentor to him for about 2 years. During this time Shiro was engaged to Adam. When Keith was 17 and Shiro was 24, Shiro went to space on a mission and went missing. A year later is when the show starts when Keith is 18 and Shiro is 25.

5. Keith has been living on his own during this time, he's an adult, he was kicked out of the Garrison.

6. When reunited with Shiro, Keith is adult, Adam and Shiro broke up before Shiro left for the Kerberos mission, Shiro and Keith are both adults now.

7. There is nothing wrong with meeting someone when one is still a minor. I met my partner when I was 16 and started dating at 17. My partner was 18 when we met and 19 when we started dating.

8. While out in space with the other paladins, a year goes by making Keith 19 and Shiro 26.

9. Now, Keith leaves the paladins for a while and is stuck on a space whale for 2 years. Time went by at a different rate so during those 2 years, it had only been a few months for the other paladins. So now Keith is no longer 7 years younger but 5 years younger than Shiro, making Keith 21 while Shiro is still 26.

10. When fighting an intense battle with Shiro, Keith tells Shiro he loves him, that he's like a brother to him. A lot of adults in the queer community have said they had either mistaken their love for someone as familial when it was actually romantic, or as a found family situation that love grows into romantic love after a while.

11. During the entire show, other than flashbacks, Keith is an adult.

12. As someone who ships Sheith and Klance, I can tell you that the nicest people I've met in the Voltron fandom are Sheith shippers. Some of the meanest people I've met in the fandom (harass Sheith shippers or any shippers of ships they deem "wrong", dox those shippers, bully those shippers offline, continuously find Sheith content to interact with and be hurtful when they themselves claim to not allow interactions with those shippers, talk shit about other shippers and try to get other people against those shippers, bully the voice actors who ship Sheith, and spread false information).

13. People make all different types of content with different AUs. These characters aren't always in the same situations as in the show. Some are both adults or both kids, some is college AUs or completely different worlds, like I'll never understand how these AUs are "wrong" when it's not the same story with the same ages. Like what's wrong with that? Makes no sense.

14. These characters aren't real. The shippers who are constantly harassed ARE real people. Treating fictional characters better than actual living breathing people is WRONG.

15. Sheith shippers aren't going around minors trying to recruit them or groom them. They aren't being weird and gross with minors. In fact, most Sheith shippers have their DNI's include minors because the Klance shippers who attack Sheith shippers are usually teens/early twenties so they try to stay away from the younger crowd.

16. The whole anti culture thing was NOT always a thing. I'm in my early thirties and back when I was in my early twenties, this shit wasn't going on. Yes there were ship wars, but there wasn't that whole purity culture anti thing going on like there is now. It used to be ship and let ship (which is what proship is, when before there wasn't a name for it because that's how fandom was) and now that antis have become a thing they spread false info and claim proship means people who ship problematic content when I know a lot of proshippers who don't ship the problematic content, they just don't care what others ship.

So yeah, that's basically the rundown on the Sheith vs Klance ship war. I ship both, I'm a multishipper so I ship a lot of different ships. It makes me sad that the younger crowd coming into the fandom scene has created such a toxic environment. Not all of the younger crowd is like this, I've met many who are pleasant and wonderful people. I've also met some of the older crowd who are antis as well, but majority of antis are teens/early twenties.

What the hell was with the Voltron shipping schism??? I don't even go here, but... Keith has two hands, y'all.