#let disabled characters be Disabled. Disabled means they are LIMITED in their ABILITY to DO THINGS.

[xxplastic-cubexx]

you say they can’t put telepaths in marvel rivals, yet we have some very credible leaks that jean grey and emma frost are gonna be in the game soon.

that being said, jean has telekinesis (and the phoenix force) and emma has her diamond form. telepathy is all charles has, lmfao. odds are pretty low for him, but maybe not zero if they give him telekinesis!

if yall have me say he got psionic blasts one more time i am going to scream HE HAS MORE THAN TELEPATHY . LIMITED BUT HE HAS IT <- he has gone against sentinels and disabled armies with it before HE CAN FIGHT I PROMISEEE

and technically they did give him telekinesis in krakoa (and very weak telekinesis sometimes before krakoa) so .... not my fave move but he does have that ...... and ig they give him a gun sometimes ........ last resort type shit but he has options ..

[five-thousand-loaves-of-bread]

be constantly in own world for me (level 2/3 autism) mean like. think pretty much only about self. understand only self. entire world just me n special interest, sometimes/often times not even include own basic needs, like “hair greasy clump body itchy need shower” (unconsciously feel bad sensory, n make very uncomfortable annoyed easily frustrated, but don’t consciously know am feeling extra irritated or that am feel this way because need shower). n world often limited to thing in front of me. n sometimes not even include thing in front of me. see it (as in physically capable of vision) but not see it. n thing, people, any that not put infront of me for while, stop realize they existed in first place.

n be in own world, only think only able know self, mean that, see self as normal, as norm. everyone (this abstract concept of other people that have memorized like you memorize history fact for test), everyone like me. not even “am like everyone,” but that everyone is like me. everyone same ability as me. everyone think like me.

“everyone think like that to extent”

right. to extent. thing is am far greater than that normal “extent”

to point that average day, ask me, n would only able explain that, “think everyone same ability as me, everyone think like me. everyone exist like me.” stay at vague generalization because not able think any deeper not able think of examples. to give example in this situation mean on some level need have ability understand “am think this normal but others may think it abnormal for them”. n. most times not have ability to second part, because in own world theory of mind.

sometimes try force it. try really hard force it. try really hard think, look at other people, try make sense try find what exact different. but can’t force something not have ability. so go back rely on scripting. sometimes advanced scripting n rephrased scripting.

special interest in something social-related let me cheat little bit. appear more capable. like break down complex autism community disability community dynamics. but am videotaping camera. computer analyzing research data. not participant. it thankfully happen, but it only happen because special interest allow it be part of own world, n it only part of own world because can only see these (supposedly very humanly n organic n messy) interactions as flow charts, maps, equations, inanimate objects. closest metaphor may be, with this special interest lens that allow these social dynamics enter own world, am looking at these “people” these social dynamics similar to regular person playing the sims n thinking of sims character made out of code that they control.

rare rare times able suddenly realization of outside world. usually happen in flash. n then end. n then left to chase that feeling trying so hard remember what it felt like so can memorize it like another history fact to memorize for test removed from source removed from emotion, to make self appear know what am talking about know more than am capable of, next time someone ask, “isn’t everyone like this?”

just had flash of that that lead to write this whole thing. but already gone. something about… “those funny ‘gen z fix up work force’ stories. they actually people same age as me?’” something about sudden realize what people my age my life stage expected do usually do. something about think am so normal but actually am missing out “so many” things (what things?).

friend tell me “by be young person who severely disabled you missing out so much on same age activities”. n. inside think, (i am but) “don’t know. …am i?” n for it be genuine question, or disbelief question.

n respond with “haha, yea.”

it not lying. it just script. am don’t know what my script means.

don’t follow up by ask me “so what you think you missing out on?”

don’t know. don’t have that script (a script am don’t know meaning to) yet that make other people think am understand, either.

[please don’t say you “relate” or “feel same” “this me” or similar unless am know who you are.]

[cosmicjoke]

People are always trying to give the credit for Levi’s heroism and goodness to someone other than Levi him self and it’s so freakin’ annoying.

“Oh, Levi’s mom is the only reason he turned out good, because she loved him.”

As if the handful of years they had together and the single clear, positive memory he had of her would alone be enough to overcome the two plus decades of absolute horror that followed, or even the horror of their lives together, living in absolute, desolate impoverishment, squalor and ruinous desperation.

“Oh, Kenny taught Levi to value life by showing him his life mattered.”

Is this a joke? Kenny was a serial killer and the only thing he ever taught Levi was how to use his strength for selfish gain.

“Oh, Furlan and Isabel taught Levi to care about other people.”

Levi saved Furlan’s and Isabels’s lives before he even knew either of them. Nobody showed him or taught him to do that. He did that on his own.

“Oh, Erwin instilled Levi’s desire to help people into him and taught him morals.”

See my previous point. Levi had a desire to help people long before he ever met Erwin, as exemplified by his rescue of Furlan and Isabel, as well as the other characters he attempts to rescue and safeguard the lives of throughout "No Regrets", like that soldier who nearly killed himself on the titan obstacle course, or Flagon and Sairam out in the field. Even in the OVA, we see Levi protect Isabel from those thugs chasing after her, despite knowing nothing about her. We see him agree to Lovof's proposal only because he wants to protect the life of that disabled member of his and Furlan's crew, after he's taken by Lovof's men to the surface, the obvious implication being, if Levi doesn't cooperate, then they're going to kill the kid. Or later on, when he tries desperately to get both Furlan and Isabel to stay behind on their first scouting expedition, to take all the danger onto himself, only agreeing to let them come when Furlan asks him to trust them. We see that instinct and desire to help and protect people long before Levi ever knew Erwin, or felt any sort of loyalty or admiration for him, he just didn't have the means or the know-how, given what a struggle it was just to survive in the Underground, and given nobody ever taught Levi the ways in which his strength could actually make a significant difference to people. Levi only had a limited idea of how it could, from having taken Furlan and Isabel under his wing and providing them protection.

What Erwin did was focus that already existent desire and instinct onto a broader goal, by convincing Levi it was possible for him to really make a difference to all people by lending his strength to the Survey Corps. Erwin showed Levi how it was possible for him to do what he'd already had a desire to do, if not a belief in his ability to do it, something we see Levi struggle with throughout "No Regrets", not fully believing in his ability to actually help anyone until the end, when Erwin gives him his big speech. And again, it makes sense that Levi would struggle to believe he could actually help anyone or make a difference, given how he grew up and how nobody ever taught him how to use his strength to help. You can have all the desire in the world to do something, but if nobody ever taught you how, then it's going to be a lot more difficult to believe in your ability to do it, or to do it at all. Still, Levi did his best, and did help people as much as he could and knew how. Erwin isn't responsible for Levi having that as his motivation. Erwin only gave Levi the direction needed to believe he could utilize his strength to the benefit of many people, rather than just a few. Basically, Erwin broadened Levi's horizons about what might be possible, and of course, that's why Erwin's influence and impact on Levi is so great. It's fine to acknowledge that, it's fine to acknowledge how important Erwin was to Levi. But to actually try to give Erwin the credit for Levi's compassion and kindness, or his moral values, is absurd and wickedly unfair to Levi himself. Levi already had those qualities in him. Nobody instilled it in him.

I don’t know what this obsession is within a certain segment of this fandom with wanting to rob Levi of the credit he deserves for being the man he is. It's why I always say Levi is a perfect example of nature over nurture, because he literally had no good role models growing up. He had his mom, but again, he barely knew her and barely remembers her. He had literally the opposite of a good role model in Kenny. And yet look how he turned out. It's why I get so pissed when people try to give the credit for that to someone else. Levi deserves the credit for how he turned out. He beat such hard odds, and it's unfair to him to deny him that recognition. It's unfair to deny him recognition for the strength of character it took to overcome the hellish cruelty he was raised in by retaining his great humanity, empathy, compassion and kindness. Very few people could have done the same. Further, I think there's something insidious in it, when people do that, when they try to give the credit for Levi's goodness to someone else. It's basically tantamount to claiming Levi's pain and trauma growing up isn't worth acknowledging. It's like telling an abused kid that they were made better by their abuse, and they should be grateful for it as a result, instead of complaining about it or feeling hurt over it. It’s so lame and unfair, because not only does it perpetuate this harmful idea that none of us are responsible for ourselves, but it also undermines and dismisses the trauma and tragedy of Levi’s childhood by pretending it wasn’t really all that bad or there can be found something positive from the abuse he was subjected to under Kenny's care. It's horribly close to victim blaming, and smacks of abuse apologism

It’s a miracle that Levi turned out the way he did, and the miracle comes from Levi himself, not any of the people listed above.

[whumpinggrounds]

Writing Wheelchair Users

Hello hello hello it’s another Disability Writing Guide from me! As always, this is a general guide gleaned from my personal experience of working with, taking classes on, researching, and having friends in disabled communities. This is writing advice, not a primer on disability justice (although I’m always happy to talk about disability justice).

Okay. Disclaimer over. Onto the writing advice.

Different Types of Wheelchairs

Before you write a character that uses a wheelchair, you need to know why they need the chair. Different disabilities mean different types of chairs. Some questions to get you thinking -

Manual chairs: Are they temporarily disabled, or is this long-term? Is the chair for indoor and outdoor use? What different types of terrain will the chair need to navigate? Is the person active and able to move themselves, or would someone else be pushing the chair? What kind of postural support does this person need? Can they transfer themselves in and out of the chair?

This guide is helpful for figuring out some of the options that are available and why a person might need them. Please do the research to ensure the type of chair you pick makes sense for the disability you’re writing about. Do not pick a chair based on aesthetics, or avoid a chair because some of the functions seem complicated.

Power wheelchairs: Many of the same questions apply about posture, indoor/outdoor use, and types of terrain. Ability to move oneself does not apply, nor does temporary disability or transferring ability.

How is the chair steered? If someone doesn’t have strong fingers, joysticks can be ultra sensitive. I’ve seen a chair that someone steered with her head, and have heard of chairs that are steered by tongues. Just because someone has very limited mobility doesn’t mean they can’t be independently mobile to some extent.

If the character does a lot of work with their hands, it may make sense for the chair to have a tray for them to work on. This is more common in power chairs than in manual chairs.

Not a question, but power wheelchairs generally have a top speed between 5-10 mph, with the average on the lower end of that scale. Sometimes they can be made to go faster, but that’s generally not useful for the person using the chair, and can damage the chair itself. Before you make your character’s wheelchair insanely powerful and fast, please think about if that makes sense for your setting, your character, and their disability. It’s fun, but it’s pretty unrealistic, and wheelchair users hear enough jokes about them “running people over.”

I know there are fancy wheelchairs out there that like, go up and down stairs. These are unreasonably expensive and never really work the way they say they do. If you want your character to be realistic, be extremely cautious about them having the latest and greatest mobility tech.

All wheelchairs are expensive. That being said, power wheelchairs are much more expensive. The more features it has, the newer it is, and the more customized to a person’s needs, the more expensive it will be.

Wheelchair Etiquette

I think I get a lot more disability stuff on my social media because I talk and think and read about it more, so I’m going to start with the very basics. I apologize if it’s repetitive or I’m being unnecessarily detailed!

Do not lean on a person’s chair. Do not have other characters lean on a character’s chair. If they are close friends, maybe, but generally speaking, a wheelchair should be treated as an extension of someone’s body - because it is. So no leaning, sitting on, or pushing it without being explicitly asked.

Also, of course, people who use wheelchairs have fun just like everyone else. Some people do let others ride on the backs of their chairs, or try stupid things just to see what happens. A character’s willingness to do this should be consistent with their personality, and the fact that their chair is likely a very expensive and medically necessary piece of mobility equipment.

Do not use a wheelchair outside its intended purpose. See the above points - it’s an extension of someone’s body, it’s expensive, and it represents someone’s mobility and independence. Shouldn’t be used for moving things or other people. Again, there can be exceptions to this.

Do not refer to someone by their mobility aid. Some people are fine being referred to as wheelchair users. Others prefer “person who uses a wheelchair.” Do not ever call someone “wheelchair guy,” “wheelchair woman,” or “wheelchair person.” A wheelchair is something you use. It is not what you are.

People customize their wheelchairs in a lot of ways. Obvious ways are stickers, colors, ribbons, etc, but customization can also be a tote bag with necessities hanging off the back, a particular cushion, or blanket.

Do not move someone else’s wheelchair without their permission. Firstly, no one should even touch a wheelchair without permission. Secondly, moving a wheelchair means its owner may not be able to find it or transfer into it when the time comes. Last, many people don’t like to be separated from their chair, or to have it leave their sight. It’s an extension of their body. They don’t want it disappearing somewhere they can’t follow.

Treat wheelchairs with care. This underlies everything I’ve written, but it’s worth saying explicitly. In my opinion, it would be unrealistic to have a wheelchair user and/or their friends be careless or reckless with their mobility equipment. Once again - it is expensive, it is their mobility, and it can take a long time to replace or fix.

This ties into the above point, but not all wheelchairs are created equal. They are not interchangeable. Their functions are usually tailored as much as possible to the person that uses them, and that makes a big difference in someone’s comfort, mobility, and independence.

Do not talk down to wheelchair users. This has several meanings. The first is to not be condescending, ever. The second is that some wheelchair users prefer that able-bodied people crouch or sit to speak to them, so they’re at a more equivalent level. Others find this condescending, so proceed with caution and when in doubt, ask. Do not bend over to speak to someone, or tower over them, forcing them to crane their neck. Both of these are always considered poor form.

Wheelchair users do not need, and often do not want, to share their diagnoses. If this character is a major part of your story, their diagnosis and its particulars will affect much of what they do, so please have a specific diagnosis in mind. If they’re a smaller character, or speaking to another character, they may not discuss the particulars of their life or diagnosis, and that’s okay. No one needs to explain their disability, visible or invisible.

Do not use the word cr*pple. Some wheelchair users may use it to describe themselves, especially to other disabled people. As an abled person myself, I would not presume to use that word and I would recommend others do not either.

People are not “wheelchair bound” or “confined to a wheelchair.” People tend to really appreciate the freedom and increased mobility that their wheelchair provides.

Other Considerations

People who don’t have mobility in their extremities often don’t have great circulation in their extremities, either. This means people can get cold much faster than able-bodied counterparts.

People with poor circulation develop extremely sensitive feet. Feet being bumped or even just brushed can be painful.

A character may use a wheelchair and be able to walk, or may use a wheelchair and cannot walk. Either way, they can and almost certainly do still wear shoes.

People with low mobility, or anyone sitting in a wheelchair for hours at a time, need to be shifted and moved, or their weight redistributed, so they don’t develop pressure sores over places where bone is close to the skin (hips, wrists, ankles if lying down). This is non-negotiable. Your wheelchair user character will not be able to stay in the same position for six hours and be okay, no matter how padded their chair might be.

Your wheelchair user’s feet should not really be touching the ground, unless they’re in a hospital chair and it is a short-term situation. All wheelchairs come with footrests, and feet are kept elevated on a footplate. It is hard to hold your feet up continuously while moving, and there’s no real reason to do it that way.

Ableism is real, and it permeates every public, private, and internal space in the real world. If a space has stairs and no ramp, your wheelchair user character can’t enter. If the sidewalk is broken or steep, a wheelchair user may struggle to navigate. If a venue is accessible but the bathroom isn’t, a disabled character may not feel comfortable being there for long stretches of time. If your characters are going to a bar, likely it’s too high for your wheelchair using character to order. If your character uses a powerchair and is going somewhere overnight, there’d better be a place to charge their chair. Even if you’re writing in a fantasy setting, think about what it would mean for your imagined world to actually be fully accessible. If the world you’re writing in isn’t fully accessible, think about what that means for your characters, what impact it has on them, and what they have to navigate to be out in the world.

Lastly, and very importantly, make your character’s disability consistent. If your character is entirely paralyzed below the waist, you’re going to have to think about how they use the bathroom. It may not come up explicitly in your story, but it will absolutely affect the way the character behaves, where they feel comfortable going, and who with. Do not give your character zero lower body mobility and then refuse to think about bathrooming and sexual function. It is really, really disappointing to see people write disabled characters and then avoid the aspects of disability that they may find distasteful, distressing, or too difficult to think about. Okay one more time:

Many wheelchair users have sex. All wheelchair users need to use the bathroom. You don’t have to write about it, but you should think about what it looks like for your character. You’re writing a full disabled person, not an otherwise abled person whose legs don’t work. You’re also not writing a person whose entire personality is their wheelchair and thus cannot be in any kind of sexual relationship. Figure it out.

More Mobility Aids

A person with partial ability to walk may have a wheelchair and a cane, or arm crutches for when they’re able to be more mobile.

A mobility scooter is a possible alternative to a wheelchair if your character has higher mobility and transfer ability but can’t travel long distances. This is a good choice for someone who can get in and out of a wheelchair with ease and has upper body mobility with limited lower body mobility, but can’t self-propel over long distances.

A Hoyer lift is a mechanical lift used to move people with low mobility in and out of their wheelchairs. It is often unrealistic to have a person transfer someone else alone. It is almost always a two person job, and that still puts a lot of strain on the caregiver’s body.

A transfer belt is a very low cost, specially designed belt that makes transferring safer. Its primary purpose is to give caregivers something to hold onto besides a person’s body, which is safer for both parties. A transfer belt is only used when the person being transferred can stand and take at least a few steps mostly on their own.

Service dogs can be trained to open doors, retrieve items, or assist with disabilities that may not relate to the inability to walk.

Hospital beds may be used for characters with limited mobility. The heads and feet of these beds can be lifted or lowered, along with the entire bed. This aids in transferring, as well as shifting weight and position so that bedsores do not develop.

Wheelchair accessible cars or vans are great tools for independence. They’re also incredibly expensive. A van that is equipped to transport wheelchairs will have ports to anchor the chair and straps. A more sophisticated van that would allow the wheelchair user themselves to drive is usually customized to the user’s ability and needs, and even more incredibly expensive.

Caregivers I am including as mobility aid(e)s. They are trained professionals, although family members and friends can also be caregivers. Often a caregiver will be a CNA (Certified Nurse Assistant) and will be trained to help with physical needs and ADLs (Activities of Daily Living). This ranges from transferring and bathing to feeding, brushing teeth, and massage. A CNA is not able to provide any care that breaks the skin (injections, IVs), treat injuries, or dispense any medication (this includes over the counter meds). A registered nurse would be needed to perform any of these things.

Media with Wheelchair Users

I will be honest, I have a lot of memoir recommendations, but movies and TV mostly escape me. I’ll do my best! As always, I am sticking to things I personally have read or watched.

Sitting Pretty by Rebekah Taussig is a memoir by a young wheelchair user. It discusses ableism, disability, and independence.

A Body, Undone by Christina Crosby is a memoir by a queer woman who acquired a disability partway through her life. It deals with her adaptation to her life and reflects on mobility, independence, and the body.

Being Heumann by Judith Heumann is a memoir by a prominent disabled woman and activist. She tells her life story and describes the crucial work she did in working for disability rights in America.

Care Work by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Sanarasinha is a collection of essays by a multiply disabled, queer femme-aligned person of color. They include reflections on disability justice, disabled futures, and many aspects of disabled lives.

Demystifying Disability by Emily Landau is an all-purpose primer on many different types of disability and how to talk about them. It’s an intro to ideas surrounding disability.

Disability Visibility by Alice Wong is a collection of essays by many different disabled people about their lives and views on disability. It covers many different types of disability, and among the authors are some wheelchair users, including prominent late activist Harriet McBryde Johnson.

Spoiler alert: In the later seasons of Bones, though I don’t know exactly when, a main character acquires a disability that means he uses a wheelchair. He struggles with internalized ableism and difficult emotions surrounding disability in a limited but thoughtful portrayal.

Me Before You is bad disability representation. Both the book and the movie are bad representation. Happy to talk about this in DMs if you do not understand why. Do not use it as positive rep or research.

[fmet]

Mithrun is a fantastic, fantastic character. He is undoubtedly severely disabled, cannot care for himself, has clear physical and mental limitations but people still recognize his authority as the Canary’s captain, for his knowledge about the dungeon’s demon, and for his vehemence, and as a result he’s highly respected. This doesn’t mean that his limitations are ignored, but they don’t negate the abilities that he is alleged to have. For a lot of the manga, these extraordinary abilities in spite of his limitations are what define his character. Because he can, and desires to, continue fighting and involving himself in the dungeon’s fate, he does, and we’re expected to believe that because he does is the only reason he can continue going. His exceptionalism in magic, in knowledge, and in character is what is keeping him alive, and without any of these things, his disability would kill him—is what we’re supposed to believe.

But this isn’t what happens. When all three of these points become moot after the dungeon collapses and the demon is defeated, he doesn’t die. He would have died, certainly, if the circumstances were different, but the words Kabru and Senshi spoke to him about the concept of renewal, both directly and indirectly, made him realize how much he could still do with life if he wished. He has a brother and many of the canary’s who are willing to continue caring for him, and in post-canon it’s shown that this is what ends up happening. He lives on not through the brute force of his skills, but through an open perspective and the helping hands of others.

A big overarching question that dungeon meshi likes to pose through it’s story is what makes a person, society, idea, etc, able to propagate— what lets someone or something continue on, establish a legacy, accomplish their goals, or simply not die. We’re shown people who live through their physical strength, their exploitation of others, their charisma, their mind, sheer force of will (whether their own or someone else’s), but all of these are eventually demonstrated to be inefficient on their own, because they disregard the inherent nature of mortal living things: Those that eat, live; Those that eat with others will thrive; and those able to feed others have the highest character of anyone. This is why the Winged Lion is such a powerful concept, this is why Laios makes a good king, this is why Falin survives despite all odds, this is why Thistle doesn’t.

Mithrun may have survived for his revenge, and gained renown for doing so, but he could never live for it, because it inevitably would lead to his death (and this turns out to be what he wanted anyway). It wasn’t his abilities or this desire that made him “worth” rehabilitating or caring for. His disability was never a caveat to these “advantages” of having him live. It’s only his willingness to eat, and others making sure he continues to do so (Misiril, the Canary’s, his brother, Kabru, Senshi), that made his survival for this long possible. Realizing this in the wake of lacking the “admirable” desire for vengeance he once did is one of the more healing character conclusions that Dungeon Meshi offers. As long as he has something he wants to do, he will eat, and he will live, and people will be at his side as he does so. The value of his character “in spite” of his disability is irrelevant.

[ranticore]

how Sirenians deal with disability?

Depends on the culture, and there are hundreds if not thousands of cultures in Siren. To give specific examples -

I've drawn a "shortstrider" harpy wearing assistive devices on his feet - this type is relatively widespread in the coastal regions of the East continent, flightless but without the thick plantar padding that lets them walk easily for long periods on the ground. On earth we call those assistive devices "shoes". While technically a disability anywhere else in the continent, it's common enough in these coastal fishing village regions that it is not remarked upon and getting the right footwear is a simple process. The same harpy in the Spire would be pretty disadvantaged as the place is set up to privilege flight and perching, and a shortstrider's feet are not setup to perch either. In this case the disability is completely relative in the extent to which it disables.

Qedivar can't fly. In the Spire it's not much of a locomotive issue as there are rope ladders everywhere and he can perch (like I said the infrastructure is designed for perching and flying). There aren't any assistive devices he could use to make him fly, and once it becomes clear that his reluctance to fly isn't just because he doesn't like exercise (which was his original cover story), the others treated him with at best pity and at worst contempt. The culture of extreme open emotions & communication in the Spire meant that if people thought less of him, they would tell him right out. Nothing is swept under the rug at the Spire and often times people find it refreshing and freeing, even if what's 'refreshing' is people saying to your face that you suck and not whispering it behind your back (neurodivergent people with trouble reading social situations loooove the communication culture here). He also wears glasses, which, like the shoes in coastal regions, are nbd. Bad eyesight is common among scholars anyway (all that reading)

In pelagic villages south of the Western continent (Huarva's home), the culture of communication is the extreme opposite. It is indirect to the point where you should simply assume that every word out of someone's mouth has at least ten different hidden meanings. Nobody ever says what they mean (and it is considered crass to do so), which is a nightmare for anyone who struggles to read social cues. Life in this region is harsh and risky, and villages might struggle to survive year on year if the currents don't bring enough food or seeds for their crops. A physical disability that limits one's ability to contribute (whether by hunting, farming, fishing, etc) will be punished. Your daily contributions measure how much food you can eat from their big eternal stew pot, so sub-par contributions have the effect of slowly starving out people who don't work. Due to the communication culture, there's never anything as dramatic as a "we don't want you here, leave". You're just supposed to get it. You're supposed to infer that you should leave, that you're not wanted. And if you can't, tough lol.

Finally I guess i should talk about the longwing visors. These make wonderful assistive tools, particularly for harpies who are hard of hearing or visually impaired (it's why Terwyef wears one, he can't see well without it due to his albinism. for deaf harpies the automatic transcription feature is a great help). Any longwing harpy can interview at the hall of faces to get a chance to claim a visor. Whether or not it's being used to aid a disability is not considered during the interview process; you get a visor if you can match a character. But there have been occasions where the guardian of the hall of faces intentionally tipped the scales in favour of a disabled candidate, recognising that a visor would be a significant improvement to their quality of life.

[thatcryptidinthewoods]

Commander Kido is a Dad, actually.

Tumblr has once again tried to limit me with a 30-image cap and once again, I cannot be stopped. Full version can be found here.

Okay, so hear me out.

When Kido's first introduced, it's as this cold, distant leader who hates Neighbours and is running a strictly military operation.

But for someone who really hates Neighbours, he has a weird habit of taking in all these orphaned, homeless Neighbour kids. At first it appears like Yūma is the only exception, but then there's Hyuse, Yōtarō, his sister Ruka and Cronin.

There's other agents to think about too. There's a lot of characters in Border who, when you really think about it, would not normally be accepted into that kind of organisation. For example: • Taichi; he's incredibly clumsy, which causes him to break or knock over all sorts of things - people included. • Tsuji; he can't interact with women without having a mental breakdown, which is incredibly limiting on his ability to work with other agents. • Nasu; outside of the trion body, she's disabled and it's mentioned that her health is ailing. • Chika; despite her insane trion levels, she's incredibly inexperienced - having so much power yet not knowing how to wield it can be incredibly dangerous and destructive, it's a very high risk. • Osamu; the exact opposite of Chika, his trion levels are so low he's outclassed by pretty much every other agent in Border. • Kageura; he's incredibly easy to agitate and quick to respond with physical aggression. • Hatohara; she cannot shoot people, no matter how hard she tries, and if Border was any other organisation they wouldn't have spared her a single thought.

All of these are characters who would normally be considered "problems" or "not worth it". But in Border, they're not only openly accepted, but given the environment and tools they need in order to properly grow and develop their talents.

If Kido only cared about killing the Neighbours, Border wouldn't be like this. It wouldn't be filled to the brim with a bunch of teenagers who, in one way or another, would be considered the "outcasts".

Kido is cold and distant because he's the commander, the very top of Border, and his job is to put Border first. He's the one who has to make the ultimate decision to sacrifice the one for the many, so he needs that emotional detachment. But that doesn't mean he doesn't care, or that he isn't invested in this hoard of teens he's in charge of.

This is a core part of his character, and we see it in the way he interacts with the main cast.

When Osamu is first brought before the Border Executives, he's in trouble for going against Border's rules on C-Rank trigger usage. But the reason he broke those rules was because people were in danger, and the nearest qualified Border patrol was miles away. He acted to protect people.

While the other directors discuss and argue these points, Kido sits silently and listens. He doesn't say anything until every side has spoken their piece and all variables are on the table. He lets Kinuta and Netsuki point out all the issues and flaws and he lets Shinoda defend Osamu's decision. He waits.

And then, when he does speak, he starts by acknowledging Shinoda's point about the benefits of Osamu's willingness to act. He acknowledges that yes, that is absolutely a good trait to have, especially in terms of being an agent of Border.

But Border comes first, and part of that is maintaining unity. He can't support an agent going rogue because, while it might be for the right reasons, it could cause serious complications in the future.

Yet even so, he gives Osamu one last chance to fall back in line. He gives him an easy opening for staying in Border.

Osamu could've said that no, he wouldn't do it again, and he might've been let off the hook. But he doesn't, because he's honest, and Kido sees that.

Then Jin interferes, and he provides a reason for Osamu to stay that directly benefits Border.

How does Kido respond?

He agrees without hesitation. This way, Border is benefited and Osamu can still remain an agent. He doesn't need to choose between the one or the many anymore.

Then he learns that Osamu has contacted a Neighbour. Does he revoke Osamu's status as an agent? No. He doesn't even mention it, even though he literally just witnessed Osamu lie to a senior agent about his involvement with Neighbours.

What does he actually care about?

That there's an enemy running rogue in Mikado City. That the city and its civilians could be in danger.

Which leads us to how he reacts to Yūma.

Yūma is a Neighbour. That's all Kido knows about him at this point. Yūma is a Neighbour, the Neighbours hurt people and Border's job is to stop them. So Kido must ensure that this Neighbour doesn't hurt anyone either.

The very next thing he learns about the rogue Neighbour is that he has a black trigger. That whoever he is, he is twice as dangerous as a Neighbour is normally.

(Osamu, again, gets in trouble for withholding this information. And Kido, again, waits for everyone to say their piece about it before commenting - even though it would make more sense for him to punish Osamu on the spot.)

Jin suggests they make the Neighbour with the black trigger their ally.

There is merit to this, and Kido knows that - but he hasn't met Yūma like Osamu and Jin have, knows next to nothing about him except that he's one of their enemy and in possession of an incredibly dangerous weapon. So he chooses the good of the many.

Side note: at no point does Kido claim, or even imply, that Jin was wrong to believe they could make an alliance with the Neighbour. Kido recognises that Jin's suggestion is valid, it's just that his and Jin's priorities are different, so their decisions will ultimately be different as well.

Yet he still assigns Jin to catch the Neighbour, because Jin has Fujin - despite knowing full well that Jin is taking the opposite stance to him.

Kido isn't a fool. He is a very smart, perceptive man. He knows Jin's go-to tactic is abusing loopholes, the guy's whole shtick is literally bullshitting the rules. Which is why he's the least surprised when Jin pulls an Uno Reverse and claims he can't take the orders due to Border's chain of command.

Kido respects that Jin does not want to kill the Neighbour, and so he provides an opening for Jin to turn down the order without being disrespectful. In fact, Kido only becomes confused and surprised when Rindō changes the order. At no point does he take fault with any of the agents present.

Back to Yūma.

The third thing Kido learns about the black-trigger-wielding rogue Neighbour is that he is, allegedly, Yugo Kuga's son.

Now, he has more to think about. There's more variables to consider. If it is Yugo's son, then Kido has just initiated a manhunt against the kin of his old friend. But at the same time, it's also possible that the Neighbour is lying.

So things have become more complicated, and you can see it in his expression.

To add to this, Yugo is now apparently dead. So the black-trigger-wielding rogue Neighbour is also, if he is to be believed, an orphan.

In the span of a few minutes, the situation has taken a nosedive into very delicate territory. Kido, as the commander, must make the ultimate choice. And as is his job, he chooses to put Border first.

What follows is a mad scuffle between the different factions of Border as Tamakoma aims protect Yūma while Kido aims to collect his black trigger.

Remember, Kido does not know that the trigger is what's keeping Yūma alive. At this point in the story, this is a fact that only Yūma himself knows until he shares it with Jin and Replica tells Osamu. So Kido's goal is not necessarily to harm him, it's just to retrieve the trigger. Likewise, the order he gives the A-Rank agents is "to secure the black trigger currently at the Tamakoma Branch" and "you must secure this black trigger by any means". He gives no order regarding Yūma specifically.

When this fails, the executives start infighting. The situation is rapidly deteriorating and things are getting out of hand, so Kido must be the commander again and force things back into order. And of course, he must make a choice: if he lets the black trigger go, the situation will calm back down, but then Tamakoma will have two black triggers and Border will be at a political disadvantage.

So he chooses what will result in the best outcome for Border over Tamakoma. He once again chooses to sacrifice the few for the many.

But then Jin swoops in and presents him with an alternative. He offers Fujin in exchange for Yūma's admittance as a Border agent and, after some arguing, reveals that his enlistment will be a direct benefit for Border later down the line. So not only will Border get Fujin, but letting Yūma join now will reward them with a net positive in the future.

And with minimal hesitation, Kido agrees.

After this, the tension dissipates and the dust settles. Things return to normal.

In chapter 41, Kido finally gets to meet Yūma fact to face. For the first time, he gets to see Yugo's son, the kid who caused so much drama and infighting just a few weeks ago. And what does he see?

He sees a well-meaning, genuine kid who doesn't hesitate to help. Which is why he doesn't lie when he promises Replica that Yūma will be protected under Border.

Plus, a minor but important detail here is that Replica only asked for Kido to guarantee Yūma's safety ("I would like the Border Commander to guarantee Yūma's safety in exchange for this information") yet Kido specifies that so long as Yūma is a part of Border, he will guarantee both his safety and his rights. He made the decision on his own to protect Yūma's freedom and independence.

[ming-sik]

as a devoted hater of isekai where the premise is "oh no i got isekaied as the most unfortunatest character ever but Actually my unfortunate situation is secretly the most bestest divine power and now i'm a minor deity" and a triple hater of characters whose disabilities get magically cured i have REALLY mixed feelings on the devouring bc despite appreciating the mooooostly really good deconstruction, aob stumbles at the resolution for me.

bc lets face it, that IS what the devouring is. rozemyne starts as a terminally ill peasant living without access to medical care, but from when her terminal illness is revealed to be her excess of mana the story does in fact follow the path of lvl 1 commoner → lvl 99 avatar of a goddess, and that kind of sucks because it means that aob doesn't end up doing what it seems like no isekai has the will to do and just make a protagonist that never attains godlike power and has to create a fulfilling life in this unfamiliar and harsh world despite never ever ever ever even getting to meet the crown prince, which cuts off an interesting story i wish got told more often.

However, aob is very clearly doing a deconstruction of this plot structure and her relationship with her power is extremely complicated. i do kind of wish rozemyne was kept at the level of "archduke candidate" instead of the godlike power she ends up having because rozemyne's ability to slam the 'put enough mana in the machine to Win' i think prevents some instances where she would otherwise be forced to struggle with the gap between what she wants to do and what she's physically able to do, but deciding to recreate the premise closely in order to subvert it is a fine narrative choice.

especially because rozemyne's power IS balanced and caveated by the fact that the devouring & its resulting mana clumps are a pretty severe disability. the fact that she is denied any education on it to the point of being seconds away from dying from an unknown illness for most of part 1 and even when she understands the devouring and eventually her mana clumps she has to reckon constantly with her physical limits, and the fact that she can't just pour 1 million magiwatts into any given issue to make it go away because she will die. despite rozemyne's power, her disability makes it so that she narratively has to deal with a pretty neat subversion of the 'commoner elevated to noble trope' that really takes advantage of the fact that commoners in that world are so completely locked off from magic that becoming a noble doesn't just result in mild culture shock judged by the Prissy Rich Villainness but is a fleshed-out, complex tool of systemic oppression that causes real obstacles for our heroine even as she spirals ever deeper into becoming a noble. it also serves as a really elegant allegory for systemic ableism and the way that minor issues for a rich girl can be life-threatening if you don't have access to quality medical care.

But Then The Jureve Walks In. "literally don't even worry about that," aob says, "theres a magic juice which just cures any disease, and the only challenge is creating that juice and using that juice". but no, no you tell me, the jureve is balanced narratively by the timeskip and the difficulty of getting it! rozemyne loses years of her life, that's not nothing! but while it's not NOTHING it also just. doesn't have enough far-reaching consequences that i don't feel like it's an invocation of the "dw abt your disability theres a magic cure for it" rather than a true subversion. imo a true subversion would require that there either 1) straight up not be a cure and rozemyne has to live the rest of her life at 150cm with 3 HP, 2) only be an imperfect cure which maybe allows rozemyne to reach adult size but keeps her health frail enough that using her full magic potential has serious consequences or vice versa if they want to also subvert the '300 yr old child' trope by acknowledging how much it would suck to be eternally trapped in a body with no fine motor control that people instinctively don't take seriously, or 3) only be a cure that is either temporary or otherwise not a one-and-done deal because now that she's big and healthy she just has no long-lasting consequences from her severely disabled childhood, which seems like a narrative branch that was pruned way too hard and way too early to feel like a satisfying subversion instead of just playing the trope straight with a couple extra steps. indeed, option 2b is what the jureve initially seems like...... until your man gives rozemyne some steroids and she's tall now too. so there's just no conflict whatsoever between rozemyne's power and her ability to utilize it, which makes it much, much harder to balance her power in a way that lets her have interesting conflict around magic where she can't just press X to win.

also this problem doesnt exist in a vacuum, and a related complaint is one mostly unexplored comment from when ferdinand is talking to rozemyne about dirk's devouring, and he says that dirk was born with more mana than myne, but her compression method meant that her mana ballooned much bigger than what it would have if she was raised as a noble. bc like god Damn is that interesting! my ideal plot twist would be that the cinderella theme returns because there's a random laynoble whose magic tool got taken away as a teenager who ended up independently discovering a similarly desperate mana compression method, but they're knowledgeable about magic enough to hide it as physical weakness and then become a ticking time bomb who can be exploited by antagonists as a rozemyne with nobody to help her, the ultra-devouring soldier. the contracted devouring in general are such a potent and viscerally horrifying worldbuilding element that i really wish they weren't effectively treated as npc baddies, bc like-- that could've been rozemyne! only her support network and sheer luck separates her from them. part of the problem with rozemyne being cured of the devouring means that she loses even the vestiges of her personal connection to imo the most interesting take on fantasy disability i've ever seen, which is a real shame! especially from a series that's generally so concerned with Not having npc baddies, like explaining that bandits don't attack the church because they're farmers most of the time who rely on the harvest or the fact that all the minor noble antagonists have coherent motivations from bindewald to grausam, even if you aren't at all intended to sympathize with them.

pictured below: me explaining what the devouring couldve been to you

spoilers for vol5p9:

her recent PTSD around feystones... honestly feels like it exists mainly because if rozemyne is able-bodied and therefore powerful enough to just dye a duchy's foundation in minutes... she has an auto-win button for any situation that can be resolved by Having More Mana, which is most combat and a decent amount of politics because aob takes place in a society which runs on mana. i'm saying this as someone who felt like fran's PTSD was really well-done, despite it being the protagonist's problem rozemyne's is so explicitly and exclusively focused on feystones that it ceases feeling like a character trait that serves a narrative purpose and starts feeling like something that was crowbarred in because the trait meant to serve that narrative purpose got phased out before the realization that the story had rozemyne's power be balanced for a reason. is this me being unfair to miya kazuki when it's entirely possible that this was as planned out as everything else in aob and i have no idea what she thinks of this plot development or why she chose it? yeah probably especially when this is based on an incomplete prepub, which is why i say 'feels like' so much. i just read it and thought it fell really flat esp in comparison to earlier depictions of trauma triggers.

[skinandscales-if]

Hello Rein! Hope you're doing well :) I wanted to, first, thank you for adding the ability to have disabilities in-game. It means a lot to me and, I'm sure, to others as well <3. I also wanted to know how we'll see the physical disabilities present themselves throughout the game? My MC, like myself, is HOH. I haven't tested other paths (yet!) but I really like what I've seen so far. I'm so curious to see the effects they'll have on the story/MC!!

Hey there! :D I appreciate this message more than you know- I really wanted to make the representation (if limited) significant in game, so I’m really genuinely glad to know that you find it fitting!

I think I’ve mentioned very briefly in some random tags before that the whole story, in its first phases, was extremely personal to me because it happened alongside me recognizing my own mental disabilities, so there’s a lottt of themes centered around concepts of community, care, and how society treats it. I won’t be able to cover all of the nuanced ground a conversation like that deserves, but I can sure as hell write some fictional dragons talking about it !

I’m hoping to make this clear especially to players who make their MC’s disabled in one way or another! There are currently multiple conversations planned about just this between the MC and the cast, with every character with their own relationship to it. For example, Skye is a lot more comfortable talking with someone with visible disabilities like her about her history, while Puck is still getting used to having such company. (sneak peek below the cut at the bottom👀)

So though for now it’s mostly flavortext, I’m really excited to dive into the heftier stuff in future chapters, where the significance really kicks in. It doesn’t make much sense to me for characters to just ignore this, especially when the story so heavily centers around similar themes, yknow?

Anyways! Sorry for the ramble didn’t mean to just talk at you lol but I hope you have a wonderful day anon! <3

[EXCERPT: “Me? Psh- nah.” They reply, lifting a hand and adjusting their glasses as they look back out at the scene ahead of them. The group is still talking. “I'm not nearly that talented. I'm basically half-blind anyways.”

<<if $blindeye is true>>They take a second before whipping their head to look back to you, eyes flashing with worry as they let out a sudden regretful bark of awkward laughter.

“Shit. Not like that. You know what I mean- sorry.”]

[hp-queer-villains-fest]

Now Prompting!

Welcome to the Harry Potter Queer Villains Fanworks Festival!

A chance to explore your darkside, lesser acknowledged characters, and many rarepairs in a queer positive setting!

This fanworks festival centres around the villains of Harry Potter with queer headcanons and prompts.

Have you ever wanted to explore the story of Herpo the Foul under a transmasc lens? No, well that's not all! What about tackling a fun, lesbian fic about Morgan(a) Le Fay? Still no. That's alright, let's find something else. I know! Have you considered the lore of Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor from the perspective of forbidden lovers? Not at all... Well I bet you could be now! But, I get it, you want something a bit more exciting. In that case, there's always exploring Grindelwald's life, love, and rise to power!

That should have your attention now. You can write or draw prompts like these and MORE in the Harry Potter Queer Villains Fanworks Festival!

Schedule

April 25th, 2023 - May 13th 2023: Prompting

May 6th, 2023 - May 27th, 2023: Claiming

June 3rd, 2023 - July 3rd, 2023: Posting

July 3rd, 2023 - July 10th, 2023: Overtime (reserved for anyone needing extensions)

July 11th, 2023: Author Reveals

Guidelines

▪ This is a 16+ festival, where only 18+ participants are allowed to post sexually explicit material. Anyone who lies about their age are subject to being banned from future festivals.

▪ Promotion of homophobia, transphobia, ableism, racism, sexism, anti-semitism, fatphobia, other anti-LGBTQIA+ rheteric, etc is NOT allowed. Keep in mind and be careful of condeming any characters because of gender, race, sex, orientation, culture, disability, weight, etc.

▪ Anyone can prompt or claim for this fest; you do not have to do one to do the other.

▪ Self Prompting will be allowed when the claiming time comes.

▪ This is an anonymous festival. Therefore, talk of claimed prompts isn't encouraged in public.

▪ All fanworks should focus on a "villainous" character from the Harry Potter series.

Characters should be one of the following to constitute as a villain:

- An antagonist of the protagonists in the main series or in a spin-off. This includes but isn't limited to Voldemort, his Death Eaters, Grindelwald, his Acolytes, etc.

- Be part of Wizarding history and have a legacy for being evil in someway. This includes but isn't limited to Herpo the Foul, Morgan(a) Le Fay, Salazar Slytherin, the Bloody Baron, etc.

Yes, this does mean that certain morally dubious characters such as Draco Malfoy, Severus Snape, and Regulus Black count as villains for the sake of this festival. For the sake of simplicity, however, Albus Dumbledore does not count as a villain, regardless of his many messy and shitty actions within the main series and spin-off, Fantastic Beasts. However, characters who don't count as a villain under these parameters can still be prevalent in your fanwork. In fact, they can even be the second half of the main ship, but the main character who does count as a villain should be the focus of any story or art.

• Author Expectations - Fanfictions should have a minimum of 2,000 words. Authors must have an archive of our own account to add their fic to the collection. Additionally, fics should be new and unique to the fest. No add ons to previously posted works in progress are allowed. Sequels and prequels may be allowed so long as they can be read without needing to have read the previous part(s) of the story. Fanfictions should be tagged and warned for accordingly. "Author chose not to use Archive Warnings" is not an acceptable warning. Fics should not be posted elsewhere (ie on Tumblr, Twitter, etc) until after reveals. Fanfictions should be edited for SPaG to the best of the author's abilities. If you're in need of a beta, you may join our discord and ask for help!

• Artwork at any stage that the artist is happy sharing it in is acceptable. Artists must either have an archive of our own account to add their art to the collection or reach out to the fest host so they can possibly send their art to the author of their prompt, in order to post the art along with the fic. Additionally, all art should be new and unique to the fest. Art should also not be posted elsewhere (ie on Tumblr, Twitter, etc) until after reveals.

Links

Prompt Form

Discord

AO3 Collection

[bluegekk0]

1 does holly remember any of the spells from the pale vessel fight 2 does holly remember godhome and what happened there 3 was godhome like a dream for hornet or the nailmasters? 4 how are the nailmasters and sly doing? 5 how are cornifer and iselda 6 did the knight finish seer's quest

Oh that's a lot of questions, let me think.

1 - They remember some of them, yes. Particularly focusing to heal, this wasn't a thing in the fight but I assume it's something anyone who learns soul magic can do. They can only heal themselves, though, and to a limited degree (like I mentioned in a previous post, they can't grow back the arm or heal any of their disabilities, only surface wounds). The biggest reasons why they don't generally use soul magic in the AU are: 1. they don't really feel the need to, the domestic life doesn't require combat abilities and they rarely have to heal and 2. they don't have a constant source of soul to use, there are some soul totems scattered around Hallownest but they rarely travel outside of Dirtmouth, and the hot springs in the AU are just water that contains minerals which help you relax and focus, they aren't a source of soul. So while they would in theory be able to use some of the spells, they choose not to.

2 and 3 - Godhome in the AU works a bit differently, I decided to interpret it that way to fit my vision for the AU. It's, as the name suggests, the home of the gods, those which do not have physical forms such as The Radiance and other gods that I want to design some day. Another name I tend to use for this place is The Gods' Plane. The hall of gods doesn't exist in the same form it does in the game (I choose to interpret that part as simply just a gameplay thing with no lore implications). Godhome/The Gods' Plane can be accessed with a Dream Nail through the Godseekers, who I imagine have a similar role to the Moth Tribe and thus similar abilities. Through the hall of the gods, you can enter individual realms of the gods (for example, The Radiance's dream realm, as well as the realms of Unn and The White Lady; the nightmare realm was once part of it but was separated following Grimm's banishment).

So none of these characters were actually there in the AU, physically or through dreaming. The way I imagine it, The Radiance was "summoned" to Godhome from her dream realm and challenged by Ghost. The void then followed, seeping through Godseeker's mind into Godhome. Perhaps Holly witnessed the fight in their consciousness, but they weren't part of it - to them it's more like a memory. So they're the only one who remembers what happened, even if the Pure Vessel fight didn't actually happen there. I hope that makes sense.

4 - Sly moved to the City of Tears after the infection ended, in hopes of becoming rich, to put it short. He has his little shop in the city and finds many more customers than he ever did in Dirtmouth. I imagine he and Lemm are direct competitors since they ended up selling very similar items, so there is some beef between them.

The Nailmasters are where you'd expect them to be. Sheo and the Nailsmith are together, and the other two still live in their huts. Though I like to think Mato visits Dirtmouth from time to time, so he's the most involved of the three brothers. Perhaps there's something going on between him and Brumm, wink wink.

5 - They still live in Dirtmouth and run their shop, though Iselda began joining Cornifer on his trips. They are good friends with the Vyrm family, especially Vyrm himself since Iselda played a big part in helping him recover after the Grimmkin incident (she ran after Brumm as he carried bleeding Vyrm home and then helped with treating the wound). Cornifer is also buddies with him, and Hornet often accompanies him during his trips if they overlap with her morning patrols.

6 - They did, yes. They were collecting dream essence anyway and decided to help her. Which means that the Moth Tribe (that is moths associated with The Radiance, I imagine there are still moth-like species out there) is officially extinct in the AU.

[cookiedex-project]

Welcome to the Crispia Region!

What is the Cookiedex Project?

This is an independent effort by @differenttriumphdragon to make a Fakemon Dex inspired by the many colorful characters of the Cookie Run franchise. I've been inspired by all sorts of Fakemon creators on Youtube, and I figured this would be fun!

What's in the folder you linked above?

All sorts of detailed information about the Mons on this blog, plus even more Mons whose details haven't been finished yet. Everything you could possibly want to know goes into the Dex Data spreadsheet, including Abilities, Stat distribution, Movepools, Habitats, and the inspirations for each design and name!

Why are the Dex Numbers Like That?

They're derived from their respective Cookies' internal ID numbers. Each ID number also corresponds to an evolution line rather than a single mon, so all the mons based on a certain Cookie will be grouped together.

Some Dex numbers have additional signifiers for Mons that aren't standalone; dashed numbers indicate Evolution Stages, upper case letters indicate branches, and lower case letters indicate alternate forms.

Some ID numbers go unused, so when that happens, I'll probably slot in some important non-Cookie character or concept.

Are you including the crossover characters (Sonic, Hello Kitty, Disney, etc.)?

No; this is solely limited to the characters owned by Devsis and its subsidiaries. The only exception to this is Cookiedroid, who was specifically designed for Ovenbreak.

That being said, I WILL attempt to slot a similar Mon at their number if possible. (e.g. Tinkerbell being replaced with a moth-based evolution line)

When are you doing [X] Cookie?

On the rare occasion when the DVD Logo in my head hits the corner of my brain and actually lets me draw something. I'm disabled, please be patient with me.

Can I send in suggestions/submissions?

I'd rather you didn't. This is a personal project, and while I'd be happy that you want to help I'd prefer to do this myself. If you'd like to argue that X Mon should have access to Y Move or Ability, I'll hear you out, but if you're sending in wholesale design ideas without me asking for them then I'll probably delete your ask. Sorry.

If you have ideas for Mons, then by all means, you're absolutely welcome to draw them up and post them to your own blog! I'm sure people would love to see what you come up with.

Are you making a game out of this?

No. I would if I could, but I don't have the time or resources to spend on making a whole fangame. (Plus if Devsis didn't sue the crap out of me for it then Nintendo sure as hell would.)

[weirdestbooks]

Secrecy and Deception Chapter 10

The Blockade and the Airlift (Wattpad | Ao3)

Table of Contents | Prev | Next

The italics in this chapter are English; the normal text is German. That’s because most of the characters in this chapter are German, and I refuse to use Google Translate for an entire chapter.

Event: Berlin Airlift

Location: Frankfurt, Hesse, Western Allies Occupation Zone of Germany

Date: June 24, 1948

Was Allied Control Council going to be surprised by this? Of course he did; why wouldn’t he? Soviet had always had a history of being difficult, but this just takes the cake. He was preventing the other occupying nations of Germany from entering Berlin, all for what? To gain more control over the city, to cut out anyone that could challenge his influence?

It sounded like him. Soviet had already abandoned her organization because he wasn’t getting what he wanted, storming out like a toddler having a temper tantrum. This left her organization unable to function, and she would be disabled for the rest of her life unless, of course, he rejoined the council. It was an outcome that seemed more unlikely by the day.

“Four Powers, are you alright?” Her father, Brandenburg, asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. At least she was still able to see her father. At least Soviet hadn’t taken that from her.

“No. Everything’s gone to hell, and I’ve lost the ability to do anything about it.” ACC said, rolling away from my father’s hand, “Why does the USSR have to be such a stubborn individual?”

“They all are stubborn individuals. It’s why this is happening. You may have only seen the USSR when he decided to let his emotions get in the way of logical sense, but trust me, France, United Kingdom, and United States are all equally as bad, if not worse.” Father said. ACC sighed, knowing he was probably right, as he was older than all the countries that made up her organization.

“Yeah, but they are at least trying to work with me. And they aren’t being as stubborn.” ACC said, knowing it was a weak excuse but her only one.

“Four Powers, just you wait. If I’ve learned anything about the United States recently, he’s not giving up his control over Berlin without a fight.” 

“A fight is what I’m afraid of. We don’t need another war.” ACC said.

“Unless everyone decides to put their differences and need for power aside, another war might be what we get,” Father said, “That’s the way the world works.”

“I wish it weren’t,” ACC muttered.

“Most of us with common sense want that too. Unfortunately, it is hard for some to ignore the call of power in times of great change. Even your other father is not immune to that. You know the weapon he unleashed on Japan. Maybe he is kinder than the Soviet Union, but that does not mean he is kind. He still has an agenda, just like Britain, just like France, and just like the Soviet Union.” Father said. ACC snorted.

“Well, I know that. After all, I exist, a temporary not-Germany until the country gains a new countryhuman again. The winners of the war created me so they could further their agendas. There’s a reason one of my parents is an occupier of Germany. And with their plans of creating a new German state, I won’t be around for much longer,” ACC said. Father grimaced like he always did when ACC brought up her expiration date. He didn’t like the reminder that my time was limited. Despite what I was created for, he still loved me. It was hard remembering that love wasn’t allowed for countries.

“Speaking of your other father, you still need to meet him to discuss this new issue, and you don’t want to be late for that,” Father said, seemingly ignoring ACC’s casual mention of her oncoming death–for now. ACC nodded.

“Right. Thanks, Father.” ACC said before turning her wheelchair out of the room, wishing her headache would disappear.

————————

Something about being in a land void of a proper country was off-putting, like the ground itself was both clingy and dangerous, like a pit of quicksand trying to pull you under. It was a feeling that America was sure would be worse if not for the German states. Their existence kept this land from becoming too hostile towards us. 

Even then, sometimes it burned, it hurt, and America would catch himself staring at the wall for hours as his mind—and the minds of everyone else—faded and an invisible battle was waged between land spirit and land.

America wished the land was kinder.

Then again, maybe it was the spirit of the goddamned bastard that had this land before. Who knew?

“If only this were a phenomenon that could be studied. Just think of what we could learn about the creation of land spirits and why they exist!” Caleb pointed out. America sighed.

Either way, he didn’t like it and was eager to leave. Unfortunately, before he could do that, he had to speak with the latest addition to his children and make sure Ohio and North Carolina understood their jobs. Hopefully, being states and not proper countries, they would not be affected by the odd feeling this occupied land held.

“Four Powers!” America called out, seeing his daughter exiting a building. Allied Control Council looked over at him and smiled.

“Hello, Dad, how are you?” ACC said as she wheeled up to America.

“I could be better. How’s the wheelchair working out for you? Is it comfortable?” America asked.

“It’s fine.” ACC said, turning away, “I suppose you have some grand plan?”

“I won’t call it grand, more…well, I hope this works because it’ll be funny if it does kinda plan.”

“How you inspire confidence in people, I’ll never know.” James snarked. 

“How exactly are you the most powerful country in the world?” ACC asked, her question so similar in tone to James’ that America nearly laughed.

“Stubbornness and a need to piss off my father.” America deadpanned.

“Of course. Who would expect anything else from you?” ACC muttered, causing America to let out an amused snort.

“My president,” America said, thinking of how many times his leaders had encouraged him to repair things with his father over the years.

“I see. Reality prevents your shenanigans.” She said, smirking back at America, who smiled.

“You know, I am your father.” America reminded her. ACC just shrugged.

“And? I got this from you.” ACC said a fact America could not deny.

“How likely do you think it is that the USSR will shoot my planes out of the sky?” America then asked. ACC snorted.

“Unless he’s looking to start a war and get blown to kingdom, come by your nukes, not likely. Why?” ACC responded before looking at America’s face, “Oh. That’s your idea.”

“The USSR can block all the roads he wants, but that can’t stop us when we can fly.” America pointed out.

“Yeah, but how are you going to land your planes?” ACC asked.

“If we can’t land them, we’ll figure out how to drop the supplies. We will find a solution that works, but I refuse to let myself get bullied out of Berlin by an overgrown child.” America said, crossing his arms.

“He’s twenty-five.” ACC pointed out. 

“Yeah, but physically eighteen. He’s a child to me whether he wants to be or not.” America said, waving off her concerns.

“You just enjoy calling him a child.” ACC accused. America snorted.

“That too.”

————————

Event: Berlin Airlift

Location: Frankfurt, Hesse, Western Allies Occupation Zone of Germany

Date: June 29, 1948

When the airlift started, it was clear that even though they were trying to help the Germans, the existing personifications did not like them being there. They were rude and seemed to do their best to be hostile without getting themselves in trouble, as they were still viewed with a thick veil of suspicion. 

Ohio was stuck with the state of Hesse, who had been helping him work on fixing an issue with my plane since his wonderful father insisted that German and American states should work with each other. Now, Ohio was stuck with a grumpy child who wasn’t even there for the war.

Hesse was annoying and seemed to think that Ohio’s presence insulted Germany like there was even a countryperson to insult. However, North Carolina and Ohio were here to help the German people from being used as cannon fodder for the Soviet Union’s stupid political games.

Well…he had been annoying. Over the past few days, he had been less irritating and more bearable, like Michigan. And, like Michigan, he had somehow made Ohio care about him.

Why did this keep happening to him? 

“I didn’t like you when you first came here,” Hesse said, breaking their comfortable silence. Ohio snorted. Hesse was far too much like Michigan.

“What a way to start a conversation.” Ohio muttered, “You sound like my brother.”

“I figured I would be honest.” Hesse said before grinning, “Old men like that.”

“I’m not old! I’m only 160!” Ohio insisted. That wasn’t that old. Many other countryhumans, especially ones in Europe, were older than him.

“Yeah, and I’m two. You’re old to humans, and you’re old to me.” Hesse pointed out. Ohio threw a grease-stained cloth at his head.

“I’m not old. You’re just an infant.” Ohio shot back. 

“I’m, at the very least, a toddler,” Hesse responded.

“You’re insufferable; that’s what you are,” Ohio said.

“Well, at least I’m not Bavaria,” Hesse grinned.

“Okay, seriously, what is everyone’s beef with Bavaria?” Ohio asked, reminded of his family’s excessive need to rag on New Jersey, Texas, and California for everything they did. All of the German states, young and old, always found an opportunity to rag on Bavaria.

“Oh, where should I start.”

[possibilistfanfiction]

(1/2) Yeah absolutely, I get what you mean with Ava just being blissed out by Beatrice. I guess I phrased it wrong, not necessarily about directly comparing B to a bro, but it's more like, I wonder if Ava - in the same way that Beatrice is allowed to explore her identity - if Ava allows herself be introspective and examine her own attraction and ~types, so to speak. But maybe it's not needed?

(2/2) Like is Ava in the gog so on the other side of identity acceptance that she can just be ~present with B and isn't really hung up on a needing to further explore herself within the relationship? Like that natural freedom she has to her helps her make peace with concepts comes to her much faster and more naturally than B? (Also thank u for ur time u legend)

ok i'm not Entirely sure what this is getting at but just to clarify a few things that i think it's asking:

1 ava's experience of/with queerness is profoundly different than bea's. i don't think that ava's ever struggled with being queer any more than she's struggled with not having the access to experience everything she wants. for ava, desire is so integral to her ability to experience what life is ('i want to live') without systemic, more than any, limitations, & so it makes sense that queerness would just be a part of how to fully access pleasure & want & love & safety. (there's so much more in here about how if ava had been given care & access then being disabled wouldn't have taken away any huge degree of pleasure from her life, but that's for another day! whew.) bea's experience with queerness is one of fear, of it being 'a flaw,' one that made her feel not valued, not worthy. so even just within their characters, i don't think that ava's exploration of queerness is internal so much as it is just... getting to feel the things that come along with love, especially queer love. bea's is allowing herself to be who she is, in whatever way that may be or look at the time. also, ava is white, & bea is Asian, & there's cultural & systemic harms that come along with intersections of identity (including ava's disability too, of course). so i think ava's queerness is an external exploration, in a way, & bea's is just like. letting herself feel anything at all, & then working for that to be positive.

2 listen... ava isn't on love island lmao.

she liked JC, maybe even loved him in a way, & then Fell IN LOVE with bea. even if she did have 'types' (which is like... beyond a little laugh, kind of weird in most cases), i really just do not fuck with the idea that masc of center women, especially butches & dykes, are in the same category as cis men. butches & dykes are like... god tier (so are femmes, y'all know i love u!). but like, even if ava DID have types, bea with short hair & a good pair of pants isn't anywhere close to JC in any categorization?? maybe if ava was like hmm soft butches?? hot.... bea, tasha cloud.... awesome. but bea & a boy. no. i think ava's 'type' is just people who show her patience & kindness & are funny & smart. beyond that, she's just glad she's hot & they're hot

3 there are so many ways — infinite ways!!!! — to be butch! & they're all beautiful & they're all hard to come to! i think i write abt bea's queerness bc a) i love writing abt being butch bc i love being butch lol; b) being butch is abt private decisions you have to make, all the fucking time! how do u want ppl to read you as a woman/dfab person who isn't a trans man but like... doesn't feel like a CIS WOMAN? do u feel safe to be masc? what does androgyny & masculinity look like TO YOU? butchness for me is actually so fucking soft, & wonderful. i don't picture (or write) bea as a stone or hard butch; there's a comfortable breath of an in-between there: cottons & linens & soft hair & clean skin, a big bed, a little mascara, the very rare suit but not often, & only for events. it's on purpose, bc i think ppl often have a p reductive view of masculinity & butchness, & femininity & femmeness, & all the gentleness that exists in being a dyke kind of gets lost. it's just... not femme. there are so, so many ways to be soft butch especially. & those are all decisions that have to be made all the time. like it is constant &, while having a partner who is truly just along for the ride is helpful, my wife being supportive of me hasn't made those decisions on my behalf. i have to make them, every day, every time i get dressed, every time i put on a watch or shoes, even just to like... go to the store. it rly is smth u are constantly figuring out, even without like hyper-homophobic parents fucking you up as a kiddo. so yeah, i think, if ava wants to try anything w appearance, bea wouldn't care at all, she would be just as happy. but like... the essence of being a dyke isn't abt appearance so much as it is everything, & aesthetic is just a way to reflect who you are. & i know i've written this, very clearly lol, but bea's queerness (& ava's, & anyone's) has absolutely nothing to do with who they date, or marry, or love, or fuck. being queer is a politic, an expression, a way of existing. being a dyke is those things in spades, with a very, very special orientation toward liberation throughout history.

4 w my life partner, & my friends, all i care about is that they're happy. like legit. are ur material needs met? do you feel loved by me? -- if those are both good strong yeses, then like... we are good. i cannot imagine loving my partner less if she wanted to do literally anything aesthetically other than maybe like... a giant face tattoo or something lol. but exploring expression? i would never feel less than proud or brave. do i have favorite stuff? of course! do i think my friends sometimes make decisions that are not the cutest possible? of course! so do it! bc i want to! bc i want to try. & so yeah, i don't think ava would ever think less of bea, & i don't think bea would ever think less of ava. it's not like, a lack of care abt being physically attracted to someone, it's like... u love that person, & their body is gorgeous. ava's disabled, too, so u know there is profound care that bea shows & has to grow into as that changes & shifts too!

anyway i still don't know what this was rly asking lol but... butches/dykes should not be in the same category as cis men at all ever lol; ava & bea are just horny & in love. rules of thumb

[firespirited]

Another day where you got a lot done but your brain disagrees because one or two things are unfinished. I would like admin privileges on this brain to override irrational "can't rest, we're not done" anxiety. But who am I kidding, I'd use that access to cut off notifications from several vital, if buggy, nerves not to mention disable social anxiety that keeps the hyper honesty in check =p

Talia is demonstrating her pointer ability : it means you have 0.5 seconds before she chomps down on whatever disgusting thing activated the magic point paw - it's never not nasty. The weather said 21C and as soon as i saw that sky, I knew that was a lie: felt like 28. Big blue sky with no hint of clouds means the upcoming week is going to be beastly. Any non local plants will be dust in ten days. Now, Olive trees are built with a silver topside to their leaves, it's almost dazzling from above. It's an excellent way to keep sun away from any dew they collect on the underside.

Sis brought round a big box of our shared barbie and pullip stuff, some of it dating back to 25+ years ago. She was finally ready to choose her faves and let some go. The Barbie hair salon with no base that I built a wooden platform for had gone a patchy bright salmony orange. I fell in love with that playset at a street sale because a swivel chair, even if it's a hairdressing chair, is the height of drama. The hair salon became an office/command center.

Among the things I kept was a knitted dress and shawl set I bought the year I turned 14. "Way too old" for Barbies and mostly just making sets and prepping characters for younger kids but also a small area where I could smuggle in some off-limits glamour and girly dreams of little black dresses during my baggy sweaters all year round tweens and early teens.

The gal wearing it is a Naturalistas factory head with the neck cut (heat didn't work) on a MTM afra bought from @maleficentmrsofallevil at half the price they go for here. The dress needed a little sewing to repair two snapped yarn strands that'd begun to unravel. It all came together just right. An old treasure with a new head with a friend treasure. Makes me very happy to have something from my actual belated childhood doll play as part of the reclaimed play collection... All 400 of them 😂.

The canicule (heatwave - the etymology of dog days has to do with the dog star) might be the opportunity to start on some of the doll sales/giveaway drawers. Or not, for one I have a bunch of admin and two it's hard to predict when heat can be so draining. Hope you're all doing ok and the weather is seasonal without forcing you indoors and windows closed all day. 💜 Saffy.

[cassielsunstone]

Health and Art Updates (And a couple of sketches below)

Those who may follow me on my twitter account might know some of what is going on (I'm more active with my posts/interactions there), but for those that don't: I'll state bluntly, I am developing a condition of some kind in my drawing hand. I'm already disabled and have chronic conditions that affect my energy and time/ability to do activities. But unfortunately some of said conditions make it much more likely to develop certain kinds of arthritis. And right now its not looking good for my hand in particular. I wont go into details, but it already seems to progressively be getting worse. I will be seeking tests and medical help, though I already have other plans in the way that have to come first, so it will take time before I have definite answers and a treatment plan. As things are now, I'm resting and trying to take it easy, but still trying to keep up with drawing. I don't know what this means for my future. I will still do art, I wont let my conditions stop me. But I don't know how much this may affect the amount of time and care I have to put into it later on. I'm no stranger to pain, its the time and mobility that really gets to me. I don't know if things will get slower in the future, or more difficult. And I will probably try to continue on as normal as possible, because I'm a stubborn fool that hates change and the limitations I already have enough. But I wont delude myself into thinking that nothing will change and that I don't have to prepare for it. So, as it stands now, I don't really know what to expect or do. All I can really do is wait at this time. I don't know if art will take more time for me, or if I may have to make changes regarding how I approach the creating process. I may even have to consider making more bursts of sketch-work rather than full renders at times. (But, again, I'm stubborn) I state all this here so y'all can be aware of potential changes in the future, and art taking more time. And I will also keep updating every once in a while as things progress. In the meantime, I have managed a burst of sketches of certain art plans in the future, before my current flareup. Some really rough examples: I have a full sheet filled with 6 new Zora designs currently in the works. (Jellyfish types this time. I wonder if anyone can guess their inspirations.)

As well as some character work non-Zora related. I don't usually post my non Zelda OCs here much, but I figured I could this time.

So Regardless of what happens, I will keep drawing. Even when things get difficult. I just ask and hope you all will be patient with me in the meantime.