#ig machines are improving

[loving-n0t-heyting]

this guy has about the singer/songwriter talent level youd expect of "reason.com's inhouse wannabe weird al" but the subject matter on this one is resonant enough to make me overlook

[dokifluffs]

How They Would Take Care of Their Sick Kids | Sakusa, Osamu

Pairings: Sakusa X Reader (female), Osamu X Reader (female)

Genre: good ol' domestic dad fluff heheheeh

tutuwusworld asked: Hi!! Glad you’re back here💗So I was thinking about is how (mainly Osamu), and Sakusa would take care of their sick child and the different ways of them comforting their kids💗

Author's Note: hehehe hi and thanks! I like being back heheh it forces me to write, which also helps me improve and get back to things hehe!

as much as he hated germs, he hated seeing his baby/ babies being sick and suffering

which ig would make him despise germs even more tbh

since they made his bb/ bbs (baby/ babies) sick

he would be gentle with them, and take care of them even if it meant getting his hands and himself dirty

but anything for his bb/ bbs

when it first happened where his bb/ bbs got sick, he rushed them to the hospital, insisting that they stayed there until his bb/bbs were better

he had the doctors and nurses on speed dial

but now this second time around, he was more ready having learned from the first time

he would be on a tight routine to change them out of any sweaty clothes, tucking them in, changing their cooling forehead patches

making fresh food with scrubbed clean ingredients

everything

if his bb or bbs couldn't sleep, you bet he would hold them close

he would make sure is body warmth was also keeping them warm too

cradling them, rocking them, rubbing their little backs until they were sound asleep

he didn't mind doing the extra laundry if it meant that they actually got rest and they slept

even just a short nap

as soon as they were sound asleep, this mans would be whipping out his steamer, steaming all high-touch surfaces like their toys, door handles, and tables, cleaning and disinfecting everything

but at night, he was also on high alert

even when you were home to take care of them and when you took his turn to watch over them, he insisted on staying with you

The two of you sat at the ends of their low cribs in your guys' bedroom and just watched the two of them sleep side by side in their own crib in the low light of the bedroom, the sound machine playing the soft sound of waves washing against a shore

tucked in, wearing their matching little pjs

"they seem to be doing better," you spoke in a soft voice to your husband as he sat beside you, his hand resting on your lower back, fingers drawing random small shapes against your soft skin, his chin resting on your shoulder

"mmhm," he agreed with you, nodding gently into your shoulder

his eyes glanced back and forth watching them slightly move every now and then

he never thought that one day, such small human beings would mean the world and everything beyond to him

he would some nights, depending on how his bbs were throughout the day, would stay up later or sleep less so he could watch over them, sitting right beside them at their cribs

he would be right beside them, helping their little immune systems fight off these bad germs

Warning! Spoilers to what osamu does post-time skip!

You know this mans was feeding his family good stuff

like when you were pregnant with your little buns (what samu thought they looked like when they were born)

you ate the best foods

you were surprised how you were able to push such plump little buns out of you, 2 of them as a matter of fact

but they were very healthy

over the years, their plumpness became proportionate to their bodies as they grew

now they were able to balance and walk, they started running, playing outside, building their immunes

that was until something apparently had been going around while they were at daycare

and some parent still brought their child in, even though they were very sick and it spread to your guys' little buns

the two of you were mostly calm

took them to the doctors the first thing a fever was detected

making sure they were drinking plenty of fluids and samu was their personal chef

he knew what each of his bbs liked and made sure they both got their nutrients and all the other good stuff

he seemed calm on the outside but he did have a subtle, consistent wave of worry

he would think about the worst-case scenarios and work harder to make sure the foods and soups they were going to eat would be the best

but over time as you saw progress in their recovery, you were able to wipe away his worries without even knowing they were there

"Look who woke up a bit early and wanted to see you," he turned at the stove, hearing the sound of your voice approaching as you walked into the kitchen

you held the younger twin in your arms, the twin that did seem clingier with him but he didn't mind at all

he loved his bbs equally

the little one turned their body and reached toward him upon seeing him

Osamu was used to this

before they were sick, he would hold one while cooking - mainly something simple like stirring a pot

nothing dangerous

he would give them little samples of what he was making, always blowing the spoon or spatula like crazy before feeding them

he wasn't gonna burn his bbs

during baths and put-downs for naps and sleep at night, he always made sure to cuddle his bbs

he knew they were just gonna get bigger from here

after baths were his favorite time

they smelled so clean and fresh in their little pjs

he lay right in between their two little bodies as they hugged his head, cuddling with him

he laid with them until they were fast asleep, listening to the soft chimes of the lullaby gifted from osamu's grandmother

"stay small," he whispered to them, pressing kisses to their heads before slowly rising, and tucking them into their cribs

~~~~~ Thanks for reading! Masterlist for more! Please do not repost anywhere else!

[viktormaru]

under read more bcs no one needs to see me complaining abt viktor's rework anymore but i need to whine my head is going insane so feel free to ignore this if u dont care abt it!

this is a downgrade. like, im sorry it looks worse, his face looks terrible and I hate his new shape sooo bad, he is hwei again (which is another mage). The stance is so.... meh.... hes just ||

its... uuughhh idk maaaaan,,, I liked full machine viktor... looks cute, just need getting used to the new shape (that i hate) so its not like its just that is new that is making me sad

Like yeah the OG looks a little clunky and couldve been improved a bit for more of that slick modern feel of league I guess, but the new look is jsut so.... flat? boring?? long???????

Thematically changing a character this much is..... it feels a bit insulting.... like these are not the same character, new vik just has some callbacks to the OG but thats it. He literally isnt even a machine herald anymore thats NUTS that they did that.

Fuck me for being this unlucky and getting extremely attatched to the guy that gets this treatment IG

Also I still stand by that making skins of masked characters where they show their face looks lame as hell

This shouldve been a new character, it wouldve made so much more sense and I wouldnt really throw a fuss abt it bcs itd be just a new target audience isntead of losing my beloved concept to magic twink number 5

bcs in the end arcane viktor is fiiiiine, hes ok, nothing against him, its just they murdered my favorite character for him to exist

dont care if i bought deathsworn viktor like 5 years ago i want a refund

[lustrousbratz]

How do I truly become a pink Pilates princess on a budget?

Pink Pilates Princess 101

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

When I think of a pink pilates princess, I think of a girly person that romanticized their life in terms of wellness! a lot of people find the phrase annoying but i think it’s fun and cute! Here’s some things you can do to feel more like a pink pilates princess 💞

pic credit: all 3 pics from me posted on my pinterest @ nallyssajones

1. Doing pilates!

There’s mat pilates (only need a mat) and reformer pilates (using a reformer machine). Going to classes multiple times a week can be a tad expensive, so an alternative would be:

A) Signing up for paid subscriptions that have detailed classes for e.g; Alo moves, Pilates anytime, glo etc.

B) Following videos from youtubers that do mat pilates. My fave channels are; Move with Nicole, Sanne Vloet, Dansique fitness (she mostly does hitt pilates videos)

* Yoga is another amazing way to get movement in and feel connected to your body and spirit.

* Go on a hot girl walk! Going on mini walks around your neighborhood or even your house allows you to get some steps in daily.

2. Eating well!

pic credit: my pics posted on my pinterest @nallyssajones

This is different for everyone but here are some ideas that you can add to your diet;

- Drinking green juice

- Try out yogurt bowls! It's my favourite breakfast food because it's easy to make and can be very nutritious depending on what I put into it. I like to add greek yogurt, a nice granola, matcha powder, frozen and fresh berries, pomegranate, ground flax and almonds🫐🍓

- Increasing protein intake. A lot of people have tried to eat 1 g per each lb that they weigh daily and have felt really good. My fellow anemic girlies, please increase your protein intake if you can!

- Taking your vitamins/supplements! get a blood test done to see what you’re deficient in and research supplements that might be helpful for you personally.

3. Finding cute workout+lounge sets

(pic credit: from @ lyssithadoll on ig and twitter)

Working out and going out in cute loungewear and workout sets can make you feel really nice and girly! I like to thrift nice quality brands like lululemon or even purchase specific pieces from depop and poshmark! Amazon is a good place to find sets as well but I would recommend buying high quality secondhand pieces💞 Some good brands to look out for are lululemon, alo yoga, halara and girlfriend collective.

4. Get cute exercise equipment

pic credit: my picture posted on my pinterest and ig @ nallyssajones

Get pink workout equipment if you’d like! Marshalls, dollarama, and amazon sell workout equipment that you can get for $5-$20! I got the pink fila mat in the pic above from marshalls for $19.99:) Here are some equipment ideas:

- yoga mat

- yoga strap

- wrist/ankle weights

- 5 lbs dumbbells

- gym bag

*these things aren’t needed btw! just ideas if you’d like to have more equipment.

5. Practice self care

You can do whatever self care that you'd like but here are some examples that you can incorporate into your life:

- Take a relaxing bath (the book "ritual baths" has amazing bath ideas

- Engage in your favourite hobbies (sports, reading, watching a tv show etc.)

- Spend time with your loved ones

- Take care of your skin and have a routine down. You do not need 15 products but even adding a serum or a spot treatment to your routine can improve your skin!

***************************************************************************************************

I hope that you liked this post! This is all for fun and anyone can be a pink pilates princess 🧚🏾💞

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

My theory is that Blake wants to discredit justin because he owns the rights for the second book (sequel to this one?! Idk). And she wants to make this her own franchise now. It's purely business reasons.

And saying that he launched a smear campaign against her in the media ... Well, she did it too! She launched her own smear campaign against him with the promo for the movie. Infact the talk about this movie took off with discussions that there was something not quite right between Justin and Blake. So she used those tactics herself.

Now, ofcourse, if more comes out about this and it turns out Justin is a bad guy, I will eat the humble pie and admit my mistake and send out an apology into the universe that gets to blake via the ethers. (Mainly because I'm scared of her mean girl tactics). But from what justins lawyers has said , it turns out he did change his behaviour and rectified whatever whas bothering blake on the sets.

But so far, it looks like this is a clash between two very dominant personalities, one of them being girl bosswannabe blake who wanted to break free from her image as Ryan reynolds' baby making machine ans was actually hoping to win some awards with this movie.

Most of the things blake was called out for wasn't internet constructs via pr plants. People saw her behavior during the promos and reacted. That old interview with the Swedish/Danish/Norwegian journalist where ("congrats on your little bump") was what did the most damage. That wasn't Justin's doing.

That's where I am too - she's trying to discredit him for the sequel rights and/or profit.

But I do think it's important that we acknowledge there's validity to Blake's allegations, because it has been acknowledged by others on set that Justin was confronted about his behavior and afterwards, there was noticeable and marked improvement in his behavior and in conditions on set.

I also think that some of the things Blake is upset about is, like you pointed out, her own behavior and attitude in the promotions of the film. People were really and genuinely upset she was promoting the film as bubbly and frothy rom-com when the subject matter was this heavy and triggering. Of course people are going to be angry at a bait-and-switch and when Blake dismisses their concerns so breezily to promote her brand and merch Louboutins instead - of course they're going to turn on her.

Since there are more stories about Blake's bad behavior -- making light of Kategate and then apologizing via IG story (which deleted after 24 hours so it's a nonapology), sleeping with Ryan on Green Lantern while he was still married to Scarlett, sleeping with Ben Affleck on The Town while he was married to Jennifer Garner, being a Weinstein apologist, feuding with everyone on Gossip Girl, feuding with Anna Kendrick, having a plantation wedding, using slurs for the transgender community -- than there are about Justin...

But that doesn't mean Justin can't be a horrible person or that he couldn't target Blake. He can and he could.

All it means is that this is messy and the courts have a heck of a job ahead of them - the real court, the Hollywood court, and the court of public opinion.

[justmanu]

purple hearts

Summary: Since you've joined the Strawhats crew, you've had a lot of fun and good time. But your capitain is someone who is a little clumsy. And, sometimes, that clumisiness affects you in ways he can't even imagine.

Pairing: Monkey D. Luffy x Reader.

Warnings: It's a little angst to fluff, but mostly angst. But with fluff. And cursing, ig.

A/n: OMG. I had this idea when I was remembering the funny moments between Luffy and Zoro, and I imagined it. It was one of the best scenarios I've ever imagined. Really loved this one. I'm thinking about doing hcs for the Vinsmoke brothers, would you guys want that? They've rented a triplex on my head and I can't stand it.

Words: 1,540 words.

It was another normal day on the Sunny. Sanji was in the kitchen, preparing drinks and snacks for you, Nami and Robin; Usopp and Franky were drawing new machines and inventions to improve things on the ship; Brook and Chopper were playing cards; Zoro was in the crow's nest doing his daily strength training and Luffy was fishing. All seemed to be going normal, but, of course, things on this ship never stay peaceful for too long.

"I got a big one! Usopp! Chopper! Help me out here!", your captain yells and starts pulling his rod at full force. Usopp and Chopper go and start helping him pull it, and then the fish is out of the water. To help him, Luffy used his devil fruit abilities. You were just walking to the kitchen to ask Sanji about your drink when you felt it. The arm Luffy had stretched came at full speed at your back, throwing you against the wooden ship wall.

The wall you hit on was part of the kitchen, so Sanji had a good fright when he heard the really loud thump on the wall. Everyone outside stopped gasped and stopped everything they were doing. This time, there was no way you didn't get hurt. You've been the main target of Luffy's "stretch back on's" for quite some time now. You've only shown how they affected you to Chopper because he was the doctor and insisted on looking at your wounds. You were always covered in deep purple bruises all over your body.

You begged Chopper not to tell anyone, especially your captain, about them. You didn't want the rest of the crew to be worried about your every step because Luffy might hit you. But this time, there was no way to hide it. You hit face-first. You were going to have a huge black eye for a long time. And, come on! That hurt like a bitch! Time seemed to stop for the Strawhats, all of them worried about the hit you just got. But Luffy couldn't have been more oblivious to the harm he's just caused.

When Sanji came out of the kitchen to see what was happening, his eyes widened at you; sprawled out on the floor. Even Zoro got out of the crow's nest to see what was happening. He heard the bang from up there. "Y/n-swan! What happened?!", Sanji asked, running to help you up. Zoro came running as well, worried and curious as to why you were on the floor. You couldn't stand it anymore. You hadn't said a word, trying your best not to cry in front of the whole crew. "I'm okay.", you said, voice a little high pitched. Was all you could manage to say before running to your room, tears already running down your face.

"Hey! Usopp! Chopper! I asked you guys for help, not to stay there looking at the wind!", Luffy said, a little bit annoyed that his friends were not helping him. That's when Nami lost it. "Luffy, are you fucking serious right now? You didn't see what you just did to Y/n?", she screamed at the boy. Luffy was a little taken aback by the shouting. "What do you mean? Y/n is perfectly fine! She's right the-", he pointed to where you were a few minutes ago, resting. He was confused. Where were you? "Luffy, when you stretched your arm to get that fish, while it was stratching back, it hit Y/n with full force and she hit the ship wall at full, too. You hurt her really bad this time.", Robin explained to him the situation.

"Hold the horses, I hurt her?", Luffy asked, not believing what his ears. "Yes, Luffy. You've been hurting her for quite some time now, actually. She asked me to keep this a secret from you all, but I see no point in hiding it now. She is covered in black bruises all over her body.", Chopper said, hoping it would make things a little clearer. "That's why she's been wearing long sleeves and pants? I thought she was sick because there was no way she was feeling cold in these hot days we're going through.", Usopp said.

Luffy hasn't said anything. He was feeling the worst person on the planet. He's been hurting you over and over and didn't even notice! How could he? He was supposed to protect you. Not harm you. He started walking towards his cabin, head low and totally silent. "Are you alright, captain?", Zoro asked. "Yeah, just need to think about the things I've done. I need to think of a way to redeem myself.", Luffy said and walked away. Nami started walking to your room. She needed to make sure you were okay.

When she arrived, she heard you crying from outside the door. She opened and couldn't believe her eyes. She heard Chopper say you were covered in black bruises, but she didn't think it was like this. How were you even standing? "N-Nami! What are you doing here?", you asked, trying to cover your body. "Don't need to hide it anymore. Chopper told us everything, but I didn't know they were this bad!", she said, worried. You couldn't believe it. Chopper told them?! That little reindeer was gonna pay you back.

You and Nami talked the whole afternoon, and you decided you shouldn't be ashamed of the bruises. So, instead of going to dinner in the long sleeves and pants you were used to, you went with a tank top and shorts. When you arrived at dinner, all the Strawhats were shocked at the amount of bruises you had, but didn't dare say a word, and you were thankful for it. You were feeling better not having to hide them anymore. Dinner rolled around pretty light, everyone laughing and having a good time. But something was missing. Where was your captain?

"Hey, guys. Where's Luffy?", you asked, really worried. He never skipped any meal. But as soon as the words left your mouth, the kitchen door swung open to reveal a blood and bruise covered Luffy. "I'm right here." he said, entering the kitchen in most calm of ways. "What happened to you?!", you yelled, worried. That's when he turned to you and saw your bruises. The guilt was eating him alive. He's done all those bruises on you. How dare he? How dare he be so stupid? So distractive. He dropped to his knees in front of you. Turning to look at you, tears in his black eyes. "Please, forgive me. I never, ever intended to hurt you. You are one of the few people I care about most in the world. I can't believe I've done this to you and not noticed! God, I feel so stupid!", he said, gripping his hair as if trying to rip it off.

You couldn't believe your eyes. How did he get this beaten up? "Me and the stupid marimo did it. He asked us to go at him with everything we got, and he didn't dodge one hit.", Sanji said, you didn't realise you said your thoughts outloud. "He said the only way he could redeem himself for what he did to you. If he suffered all the pain he made you feel.", Zoro said, completing Sanji's speech. You were feeling your eyes get filled with tears and a chuckle scaped you. "Stupid, wreckless captain. Of course I forgive you.", you said, gripping his chin for him to look at you. Luffy looked up and searched for your eyes to see if he could find any doubt. He didn't.

He smiled up at you and hugged you tight, you giving him the same treatment. He got up and started spining around with you in his arms. He was so happy right now. When he stopped spinning, he looked in your eyes. You had feelings for your captain way before this all happened, but never told them to anyone. Not even Nami. So when you sealed your lips on a sweet kiss, you were terrified of what was going to happen. But feelings were already all over the place. What harm could it cause adding one more?

The crew went dead silent and focused closely on what would happen next. Luffy looked at you, astonished. It passed a few seconds, and you thought you ruined everything. But then Luffy opened that usual wide grin of his, letting that laugh of his and kissed you again, spinning you around one more time. The Strawhats started shouting, happy for their captain and their crewmate. "Yohoho, I never expected that y/n would have hidden feelings for our dear captain!", Brook commented happy.

All the joy quieted down a bit, and everyone started eating the delicious dinner Sanji had prepared. Luffy sat beside you, not letting go of your hand for one second. You were going to figure out what you and Luffy were, but for now, you were happy to be more than just a friend. "Okay, now that everyone has solved their problems. Can you please stop hurting yourselves? I'm tired of taking care of beaten up crewmates.", Chopper said, making everyone burst out laughing.

[living-mites]

Mnnnbb angst

angst is my middle name omg let me cook

(idk if u were asking for it but i js got my acrylic nails off and im a yapping machine) TW for alcholl and depression ig

SO when Dallas died Buck went into a crazy depressive/manic episode where he couldn't keep the bar/road house thingy open bc that is where dallas lived ofc and Buck saw himsself as a father figure to Dallas and it was hard to watch Dallas run himself to the ground.

Tim also had a hard time and he took it out on his gang and Curly + Angela. He drank more, and smoked more, started to become a lot more reckless which ofc effected his little siblings. AND Pony let him have the st. Christopher necklace which he wears NON-STOP

When Johnny died his parents cared but they didn't go to the funeral because it was "too much for them" but in reality- they were drinking themselves under the table and didn't even try to attend.

Ponyboy suffers major major trauma (obvi) but it's to the point where Darry can't light a fire on the stove or fireplace or even a candle because it brings back too many memories- similarly, ponyboy can't take baths or go to the pool without getting harsh flashbacks of the drowning.

Cherry suffers from depression and she believes that what happened to Bob was all her fault, and that she could have prevented it by not sitting with Ponyboy, or trying to stop Bob from drinking and driving.

Marcia already has mental issues (in my mind) and her parents are kinda forgetful and I feel Marcia as bpd or something of the sorts, so when Cherry is distant and depressed from her literal Boyfriend dying, she feels like she is alone and nobody wants her as a friend.

Randy cuts off all ties with everyone (even Marcia) after Bob's death so that he can improve his mental health.

-This is all Headcanon but bro i'm so sorry im feeling extra yappy today.

[magical-regical]

Y'all okay,

I started playing 'What in Hell is Bad', it's basically an 18+ version of 'Obey Me' and yea this game is spicy.

Anyway, big surprise, out of all the sexy demons I've interacted with so far, two of them I've done the sideways tango with, my favorite character is this guy

Who's not even a demon. He's the childhood best friend character.

But plot wise he takes care of the MC before the whole demon thing, knows how to cook, and I'm pretty sure was ready to search through the entire world to find them when they had to take and extended visit to Hell.

What more could you want in a man? A decent dic— according to MC he has that too so check mate.

More thoughts about the game itself under the cut if you're interested.

I just finished chapter one, and can I just say this game is hard, in every sense of the word.

It's a new game by a smaller developer so it's full of bugs but I've heard the devs do try their best to patch them ASAP so I don't hold that against them. Aside from my boy Satan not hitting water enemies, even though devs said they patched that a few updates ago, it's mostly QoL improvements that can be made to make the game just overall more enjoyable including but not limited to:

A pity system? Maybe? I don't know if this game has pity or not on their gacha machines and if they do I'd like to know how screwed I am because I have no self-control and have been doing single pulls on the hot boy gacha instead of saving up and doing 10-pulls so I wanna know if it's better to do 10-pulls or if it literally makes no difference because I just go until I hit pity like in arknights.

Skipping the cut scene that plays when you gacha because I swear that's one of the main reasons you can't play this game in public no matter how discreet you try to be lmao

Opening multiple chests at once and levelling up multiple times in one go because as far as I know, right now you need to click one by one for both of these.

Maybe a thing where it just takes you to the part of the story you're currently in instead of making you click through chapter select and scrolling to it.

A shortcut button to the gacha screen, secret club, and dark sanctuary (resource grind stages). They're core aspects of the game yet you can't get to them without going through the home screen.

Auto deploy and auto play for the resource grinding stages

Setting an L-rank character (side note, it's really funny that the highest rank of cards is rank 'L') as your homescreen boi is really awkward because it always ends up zoomed in on one part so you can't actually see the full boi.

This last one I feel like is just a personal thing but why is it three red keys per single pull for the hot boy gacha? Three just feels like such a random number lmao. Ig they mostly want you to use the red gems, which are grind-able to some extent, to buy the keys from the store.

Overall tho, I enjoy it. I like the tower defense like combat system and being able to move units around is actually pretty fun. So yea give it a try, see if it's your cup of tea.

[thatonebritishsimmer]

I am just in a building mood ig because I just finished the first building in the city district of Acacia Falls, the basket and foot ball courts. It had not yet been cleaned up but I hope for Odessa to eventually buy and improve it but for now it comes complete with broken dressers, half the tiles in the bathroom, a bike shed, graffiti, a basketball court and a football goal (not a pitch as I would like to eventually build a stadium to run a local football club, showers that definitely have only two temperature; the sun or Antarctica, vending machines that will take your money and get stuck with your food and lockers that will jam shut and will be a complete waste of 50 simoleons. 💸💸

Anyways yeah i see this becoming a great place for the kids and teens of Acacia Falls to spend their weekends.

[narrativelysignificantturtleduck]

Also a very minor throwaway part of that post but it annoys me so much that line “not sexist like the water tribe” like I cannot Stand when ppl act like the FN is actually superior in that regard bc they allow women on the frontlines of their imperial death machine … (tho ig it could fit w like. what you were talking about like how western countries like to brag about how they’re so much more progressive when they’re not- like ig the FN could try and spin things that way? but ugh)

(sorry, you don’t have to answer this i just got annoyed lol)

no i thought about this too because even if you see allowing women in the military as the pinnacle of equality, if you actually look there aren't many (if any at all) female soldiers when the gaang runs into fire nation troops in the earth kingdom, you mostly only see them in the fire nation domestic forces and as prison guards at boiling rock and iroh's prison. and they're wearing skimpy midriff-baring uniforms. the artbook even says that women make up a majority of the domestic forces. wow, there's absolutely no sexism in having women only in the domestic forces in special revealing uniforms. it totally means there's gender equality.

also everything about how azula and her girl squad conduct themselves speaks to how women learn to navigate sexist systems. all the other firebending threats are these brash, aggressive men (zhao, ozai, zuko), but azula schemes and plots and takes down ba sing se not with brute force, but by infiltrating in makeup and dresses, by taking advantage of people underestimating her. they really do stage a coup with the power of their gossip giggles! the pressure mai was under to be quiet and compliant, ty lee's cultivated cute and ditzy persona hiding how she can fuck you up, and azula's ability to scheme, all reflect how women in sexist societies are treated and cope with that treatment.

furthermore, i think water tribe sexism might be kind of overstated because we don't get much southern water tribe development. yes, sokka was sexist, the men of the tribe left to go to war and the women stayed behind, but in hama's flashbacks waterbenders of all genders are seen fighting the fire nation raids. kanna fled the north for the south - surely she wouldn't do that if she knew she'd be faced with exactly the same treatment. katara is totally surprised to find out that women aren't trained in combat waterbending. my guess is that while there were roles, they weren't nearly as rigid. sokka, having put all his eggs into the basket of "be the male warrior and protector while the men are gone" is perhaps taking this to a greater extreme than the average water tribe member, and he unlearns it pretty quick - almost as if it wasn't THAT entrenched, and it was more about his personal worldview than his cultural beliefs.

the main change i would make to atla is adding another episode between "the waterbending master" and "the siege of the north" where we get -

a) some insight into why the two water tribes have grown so different. i think likely the war had an impact on gender roles in both nations, with the north retreating from the world and becoming stagnant and traditionalist while the south had to have everyone fight out of necessity. maybe some flashbacks to life in the southern water tribe, a kanna appearance maybe.

b) an improved pakku storyline, where he's more sympathetic and interesting. if we're going to have him be katara's waterbending master and a member of the white lotus, he needs to be less of a jerk for no reason

c) aang learning healing from yagoda. we need to establish that the problem is gender roles, not that healing is an inferior form. maybe we see other men joining him in yagoda's class and women joining pakku's class, as he and katara learn from both of them. when they see pakku at ba sing se in the finale, he tells them that yagoda is at the white lotus camp too.

(and this scene happens offscreen)

d) some cute scenes of sokka & yue bonding

i think another water tribe centric episode would do a lot to make fandom less weird about things like this. it wouldn't entirely fix the problem - the problem is that we live in a racist society - but it would at least give us more canon evidence to refute it.

[trash-can-sam]

now I may be cornplating here but. One interesting thing I noticed about MTAS and MTAP is the difference in how the research is structured in terms of the roles the characters have in the system.

in the My Time Universe (MTU for short ig) its notable that the seperation between research and archeology is a lot less clear, with archeology informing researchers on how to view the machines theyre studying and what exactly to look for, and research informing archeology about the purpose of what they find. They are very much close together, as being a researcher is less about discovering new solutions and more about discovering how old solutions worked and how to reappropiate them in a world where they’ve backslid in knowlege. Archeology is still very much about the stories and history of locations where research is still very much about the science, but the line dividing what those two things mean is a lot more blurry.

Now, you can see this seperation a bit in MTAP, with Petra being more archeology focused and Merlin being more research focused, but both are still interested in the other fields, both of them wanting to discover both the how of the science and the why of the archeology. Merlin and Petra work closely together, overall united in their goal of discovery for the sake of discovery.

However, MTAS takes this more cooperative approach and splits it, into Qi and Grace, showing you both sides seperately through two people who do not get along, using their fields to say something about how they think as well, and I think thats an interesting change. It sort of shows you both parts seperately, but brings attention to how they are still closely intertwined.

Qi has no real interest in people or individuals, and doesnt really care about how stuff got there. He does still speculate, like when you find the equitorial mount and hes like��“there was probably an observatory here” and he still has a lot of knowlege of old world stuff, obviously. But his focus is very much on the innerworkings of the technology, how he can use it and how he can improve it (and how he can make silly things that cater to his specific interests,) hes also not really interested in it for discovery itself most of the time and will just straight up avoid things he has no interest in (Rosy) despite the fact they would probably further knowlege.

Grace, although she also is interested in how the tech works and knows a lot (both because of her actual job and interest in archeology), is more interested in the personal side. I dont know if she was actually writing a research paper on the Breach or if that was a hoax, but I feel like regardless of if shes an actual archeology student on the side or not, she did take a class on it and it is an interest of hers, because I cant think of any other reason she would want the thing’s she asked you to get. Grace is more interested in what objects say about people than how they work. She also has a goal other than discovery itself, she wants to use this knowlege to help her discover how people themselves tick. 

This makes them sort of at odds with eachother, and although their actual fields dont really come up, its more of a symbollic type of battle. Is efficency more important or is the human experience? Do we focus more on the human component, truly understanding and engaging with the past, or do we focus on the best way to optimize and improve past technologies? And really, its a false dichotomy. Both exist, and they exist together and inform eachother, as shown with Merlin and Petra. 

I just find it interesting the approach they both take, MTAS taking the system shown in MTAP and elaborating on it with stronger personalities both interested for more selfish reasons. I dont really know if I worded this correctly but I tried I hope you see my vision.

[goldnugget]

Hi hi for the ask game!!

1, 4, 14, 23

Heehee I love ur art it's so pretty!! <3!!

Hiii Birdy :D (Verdie?)

1: i loved drawing since i was like. 3

i started to take drawing more seriously and post my works online about 6 years ago ig…

4: people say i have clean lineart

14: intricate but not super accurate machines are fun to draw🤔

23: i want to improve on my coloring,,

[sleepyjimjams]

Hi! Thanks for rebloggong my ask game!

I am in fact,,,,,very sleepy as i send this since it's 1 am here, so take this as an opportunity to ramble about whatever <3

sincerely hoping you went to sleep after sending this 😭

gonna ramble about artsy things for a bit bc i have been doing a lot of creating lately (sewing, drawing, writing, music) and i am just. incredibly happy with my progress.

like, i've been doing sewing projects (skirts, dresses, tops) on my own and they've actually been turning out really nice for someone who didn't know how to work a sewing machine on their own a year ago. i looked at my art from february vs last week and there is visible improvement. i am genuinely working on writing stories that i love. i finally found motivation to try and finish writing a song after almost a year.

and it doesn't look like much from the outside but to me it just shows like. how far i've come ig? from not wanting to do or create anything to doing something creative on an almost daily basis.

anyways yeah! thanks for letting me ramble 💛

[melodyofthevoid]

Spotify Discovery 10/2

Lot of ukulele tracks in this one, and it’s a mixed bag. I cannot explain for the life of me what makes a ukelele song sound not bad to me but when I crack that code you’ll know.

Generally good though! The bad tracks though I hated more than last time. Also sorry for the delay I had work and a litany of other things (other writing projects) that distracted me lmao.

Good:

Playing on Train Tracks: Very Mountain Goats in its execution, note that it does cover self-destructive behaviors so be wary but the honesty here is captured so well. I love the use of language and metaphor, cutting live wires, standing on the cliff but never jumping, standing on the train tracks, it hits. The simple instrumentals isn’t overly “stripped down” it fits the subject. Good stuff.

What We Have is You: A song from Kipo, a nice little lullaby. Don’t remember what the context of this bit was in the show but I really liked it. Sterling K Brown has a nice voice.

The Dragon of Climate Change: Not one I’ll listen to frequently but I did enjoy the jaunty folk feel combined with the “fuck the rich” vibes. Calling out carbon credits was a good bit. Very bard core.

Lover (take me to the moon): Gives me confused person in love and I think it works. I wish I could really say what makes these sorts of songs click with me vs brush them off as kinda overdone but I’m afraid it’s a mystery to me as well.

Ghost Choir Vocals: Gives the iconic Ghost Choir lyrics in the style of “Mr.Sandman” and the singer is absolutely lovely. Fun and short, always a treat to hear the ghost choir in general and Louie’s instrumentals lend to the singer’s voice.

Davy Jones: I’ve listened to this cover a shit ton on Youtube and still love the vocals. The Davy Jones/Calypso storyline is a fav and there’s just. Mwah. Chef’s kiss vibes. Not much to say here other than absolute banger. (For an improved experience look up the duet version).

Suffering: A dance to agony, it works in a way of celebrating despite it all. The singer is lovely, the guitar is jaunty, and the rhythm is fast and fun. I like it! Gives me Crane Wives vibes and that’s always a plus for me.

Medusa in a Stone Garden: There’s an interesting energy around this one kinda folk rock? I like the Medusa energy, the repetition can wear on at times but other than that? Excellent.

The Water is Fine: Gives me Mariza/Delta vibes, there’s nice overlap on the vocals, there’s energy here too that is fun. A bit Oh Hellos, a bit Amazing Devil.

Anywhere But Here: A lovely little music box style waltz, very romantic. Melancholic too, and just the sort of thing I like to wind down to.

Duet in Death: Another classical piece, I’m sure if I knew more about the webtoon Nevermore I’d have more of an affinity? But a duet between a piano and a violin is one I’m always a sucker for. I adore violins when they’re done well and this one is spectacular.

Devil’s Flesh & Bones: Another WTNV alumni! Eliza Rickman is neat, she’s got a very distinct voice, kinda Cabaret and kinda jazz. This one all works for me.

Neutral:

Rises the moon: The vocal performance of this cover is… a little shaky at times? But I like the song and I think that it’s alright.

Tough to be a Bug: A twee little ukulele ditty, it’s cute but not really one that I’ll listen to. A bit too soft for me ig.

Bird Song: Not the Florence and the Machine song, but a different one. I enjoyed the folk vibes but the chorus has this kinda tropical electronica and that’s just not my vibe? The song has a general montage feel which works for what it is but a meh experience overall.

A Shitty Gay Song About You: The guitar plus the twinkly xylophone and the monotone vocals aren’t… really my vibe. The lyrics are kinda neat, but it’s not for me. I could see someone making a cute animatic to it though.

I think I want to be alone: Relatable but the style is a little too TikTok for me with the playful vibes combined with the depressing lyrics? Doesn’t scratch an itch for me.

Nah

Katarina Josephina: I’m not really sure what to make of this one. It’s got the trappings of a folk story song but it’s got a strange energy to it. Not certain what to say doesn’t work for me, but the trap break definitely does not.

The Spider’s Face: I like the song Nothing from this musical but goddamn this one is too “playful sing song evil” for me. The plucking strings and the vocals… it does not do it for me. Very unpleasant to listen to.

Aisling Song: I do not enjoy listening to children sing. This is a child singing in a very ~dreamlike~ way. I’m sure this works in the movie “Secret of Kells” but without the visuals I would really rather not listen.

PATROCLUS MEETS HIS FATE: I love orchestral stuff, I love video game music, but the artificial strings really take away any of the grandiosity for me. It’s very canned and I’m not a fan.

Typical Me: DSMP song and not a good one. I don’t like the vocals or the lyrics. Very monotone and unpleasant.

Give a Little: The saxophone and vintage swing feel are neat but I reaaaaally don’t like the vocals. They ruin it for me. Sorry CG5 but really not doing it for me.

64 Little White Things: This is Scary Jokes with the vocal style and again. Not a fan of that. There’s something about the vocals that just sets my teeth on edge, the sing/talking style with the modulation and the carnival music… no. Can’t do it.

[faeriegoth]

As someone who is recently obsessed with hand-poked tattoos and doesnt use tiktok, THANK YOU for uploading that video of you practicing! There is like... not a lot of info on how to get started hand-poking the safe and sterile way online.

I had no idea what 'multiple passes' meant (and see people railing against it all the time) and couldnt figure out a way to hold the needle 😳 Wrapping it in tape is so smart and way safer than the other methods I've seen! A LOT of 'pros' are out there taping them to popsicle sticks or chopsticks... and re-using needles 😵 my tat artist wraps her tattoo machine in the same kind of tape, I don't know why I didn't think of it.

I am terrified of 'starting out' on my own skin so I've been trying to do as much research as possible on practicing the same way you would with a machine. Im going to buy the same supplies my tattoo artist has, but with a ton of fake skin, and practice on those for as long as I need to perfect the techniques and develop my style eventually.

Anyway I wish you luck on your hand-poke journey!! Your first stuff looks great already. Your vid encouraged & inspired me. I'll follow you on ig soon

thank you for this message it's v sweet :) i'm glad it helped and inspired you! if i'm honest i've had a lot going on in my personal life, mental health hasn't been great + also don't have stable housing rn so i haven't practiced in a little while, so this was a really nice message to read i appreciate it. hopefully i'll have the space to get back into it soon.

the guide i was following did suggest wrapping a popsicle stick to the needle (you see me use it to scoop the vaseline in the vid) but i found it didn't work for the way i hold the needle to poke. my tattoo artist used a popsicle stick when they did my arm tattoo, but i use tape. either way is fine just whatever works for u! i think the stick can help keep it steady and consistent, but it just doesn't feel right for the way i hold pencils etc when making art so i go with tape instead. re-using needles is obv a big no-no though, also if you're working on skin, whatever surface you're working on in the space should be sanitised and covered with cling film/saran wrap to make it as hygienic as possible - i just didnt do that with the fake skin bc i wasn't working with real skin. i'm not sure if they post internationally but i got my handpoke kit from here and they include a link to an informative guide by the seller who tattoos for a living. def recommend it if you're looking for some more insight and information

if you do follow my instagram i have a few videos of me practicing handpoke pinned as a highlight on my profile :) they're not as in-depth as the one i posted here, more like a little digital record so i can see how i improve as time goes on.

good luck on your handpoke journey! i'm by no means an expert but if you ever have any more questions about it i'll do my best to answer them

[bluesuedeclogs]

an intense urge for midday gratitudeposting welled up, starting with

1. roasted chickpeas

2. quick IT resolutions

3. curb finds that are perfect for what you need but not what you would've purchased

4. texting

5. free admission at museums

6. free events at public libraries

7. when mayors listen to their constituencies

8. long walks with a pal

9. work from home flexibility

10. ancient vacuums that are still chugging along

11 water soluble paint

12. my younger siblings

13. finding out you can freeze something unexpected

14. airport reunions

15. the cast of dimension 20 fantasy high for helping me finally "get" the appeal of ttrpgs

16. lavender flavored beverages

17. sales on tea

18. that my weird rm situation leans far more neutral than negative

19. washing machines

20. manageable amounts of rain

21. running into familiar faces on the train

22. a specific ultra cheery [redacted] train conductor

23. friendly national rivalries (this is about jollof rice)

24. traffic calming planning projects

25. the sensation of improving at crossword puzzles

26. women who write weird short stories

27. the fact that my partner has being doing 90% of my laundry for 2+ years

28. citrus zests

29. piercing professionals

30. my general lack of social anxiety

31. house slippers

32. cheese and crackers

33. novelty keychains

34. email filters

35. consignment shops that run excellent ig accts

36. photojournalists

37. everyone who has every created a hairstyling tutorial video

38. ginger snaps

39. whatever innate constitutional quirk that makes me unable to hold grudges