#like i know i won't actually but thats the only way to convey how it feels

[stephaniedola]

my dad may be crazy and i may be seething with fear, hatred and self-doubt, but at least I'm meeting up with a cute t-guy tonight

[teslacoils-and-hubris]

alright thoughts on tf classic? Or at least the classic teams roles in the comics?

i have literally no knowledge of tf classic outside of how they are in the tf2 comics

that said i love nothing more than to share my opinions so let me just refresh my memory of them real quick-

granny pyro fucking rules if theres one thing tf2 is good for its making fucking insane women<3<3

I really have no strong opinions on the rest of them honestly. The writing fascinates me, though. because when you take a close look at their actions, they really aren't all the different from how the team acts? like. ok. bear with me here while i put on my english major hat and go all character analysis on you

(for the sake of clarity, i'll just be using mercs to refer to the tf2 characters, also under the cut cause this got longg)

what is their role in the plot aside from being antagonists? they're hired guns doing their job, which is taking out the administrator and the mercs, until something better presents itself in the form of the australium based life support thing. At which point c!heavy decides to turn tail and go rogue and get the missing australium for himself

everything they do in the comics? killing and torturing for their own gain and pleasure? nothing out of the ordinary for the mercs honestly. C!heavy is the only one that they go out of their way to make him an asshole (more on him later). The main reason they come off as such villains compared to our mercs? they play the violence completely straight.

Whenever the classic team is shown, ALL of the jokes come from them being the straight men to the antics of the mercs. If they weren't paired so wonderfully to play off of the batshit moves the mercs make. C!pyro isn't even torturing solider for information after she gets what she wants, she's just doing it because she enjoys hurting people- meanwhile Jane wants her to torture him for information he actually has so he can prove that he won't tell her. Every interaction is like this! They're professionals who enjoy their jobs as guns for hire- same as the mercs except they don't tell jokes or get naked and covered in honey while they do it. Thats the only thing seperating how the teams act. the main exception being C!heavy

He is uniquely portrayed as an asshole. He's here for a quick, easy pay (he tells grey mann he doesn't understand world domination types, its too much work), he's extremely caught up in the gain (him instantly backstabbing grey mann to get the life extender for himself, and when he yells at medic about how much he's cost them in animal parts)

One scene in particular, however, really sets him up as the Bad Guy. When he hurts Archimedes. It's sandwiched inbetween two jokes (him getting mad at medic for reanimating sniper, and medic implying sniper has pigeon blood now) so it's maybe hard to miss, but the panel where he throws Archimedes into the ground is such a stark stylistic difference that it really just pushes home that this is something Important. the panel is pure black, with C!heavy and Archimedes in bright white. a spatter of blood shows the impact and damage of the action. It really shifts him into the role of scary villain. He's willing to hurt and kill this animal that did nothing to him. presumably because he's pissed at medic and he knows it will hurt him. Medic's reaction and obvious pain makes him a more serious threat than the other classic members, because even when c!pyro drilled holes into soliders teeth, solider didn't care. Everything else the classic team has done has been an inconvience at best (ok well, except killing sniper, but that is also done by c!heavy and treated the same as this example so-)

It's a really beautiful piece of story telling! It's a fantastic way of conveying that this guy is the big bad to the reader without even using words!

Oh and this is also why our mercs were able to win in the end btw, the classic team was prepared for a lot of shit but they could never expect the random bullshit the mercs pull on nearly constantly. They expected guns that shot bullets not ones with a "BANG" flag then getting punched in the dick

[tamelee]

Okay maybe controversial opinion: I dont like seeing ocs in fics. Isnt ur story about sns? Why wuld we need ur ocs? I think it is just a way for people to selfinsert into their story through an oc no one knows. It kinda sucks because I was excited for ur story too. So yeah thats just how I feel

I don't think that is so controversial. That's just your preference and that is fine. You don't need to read anything you don't like, right? I'm not sure whether you meant me in particular or in a general sense so I'll just answer for myself why I needed an (/a few minor/background) OC('s); It IS a story about Naruto x Sasuke but I personally like story a lot. Meaning that events, conflict and even things like Setting are connected to convey a message. With that also other characters.

These elements can be used to enhance all that. (If done correctly though, it CAN become muddy.) To me that is a lot more meaningful than going from scene to scene "just because". BUT, I do enjoy fics solely for the fact that we can experience SNS through an authors mind in infinite different ways and AUs even if they only write about Naruto and Sasuke and whatever it is they're doing at that moment. A clear linear story that brings you from A to B. I can understand when people then especially don't want to read entire paragraphs about a character they don't know (or care about) and want to skip to the reason they started reading in the first place. In my case, I'm not very good at writing/describing things the way I want to. Not even in my own language. I think I have a better chance of conveying what I want to tell visually which is why I choose to create a DJ instead. But then "show don't tell" is different as it is literally shown. Every panel matters. And I feel like I need a new character to help me do that and create conflict for the sake of telling a more interesting story regarding my message. I think it would be boring for me if everything is well, rainbows and happiness right from the start because what is left for me to do? And with Canon-compliant stories, it's not very believable to me. (Again, not saying these stories aren't good, this is just for me given the trouble I'll put them in anyway. Fics are often already well-established for good reasons as we already know the characters, like fluff for e.g. and I can enjoy them.) But any existing characters don't really fit here you know? It definitely, for me, isn't a self-insert but it is inevitable that there can be relatable elements because of my chosen Theme. Hm~ you can see it as a (fanmade-)movie arc, but then placed during the blank period. Those arcs always have new characters and at the end of it you don't really (or ever) see them again. But here I tried to weave them through the OG-story nonetheless. I may be a bit self-indulgent though as this will be a very long project. I was actually thinking of uploading some sketches of the OC in a bit and introduce.. him 👀 But of course, you don't need to read it at all. In fact, it's very likely that many won't considering the heavy subjects. But I do hope this clarified it a tiny bit Nonee.

[diivineray]

🚩🚩🚩

send me a 🚩 and i'll share my unpopular rpc opinions and hot takes. bonus points if you include a specific topic to talk about, like follower count, softblocking, graphics, etc.

Firstly, big thanks to lins @dcstinyscdgc for helping me decide on topics to talk about; otherwise, I'd be lost.

🚩 A hot topic, seeing as we've seen basically everyone hates women. Female OCs !! This is towards the people who talk about how they love female ocs, stan them, respect them, but then never make any effort to actually roleplay with said ocs. I wish ya'll would just stop pretending and just be upfront about it. it is so obvious when someone isn't showing you any interest. If you don't want to rp with said muse, just say so. Stop wasting people's time because you don't know how to use your words. Ya'll get muns excited just for them to wait back forever on shit or for you to sit there and gives us nothing. Just be honest. I would say I don't understand why we are so awful to female OCs, but I mean, looking at society, it tracks quite well. I wish people would be upfront from the get go, especially when its OCs in general. like ya'll will listen to someone talk and see how excited they are that someone is taking interest in their work only to be dropped a day later. Thats why i see so many people who have oc ideas, but say it might not be a thing because of how often ocs are just rejected by us. Do better. If you don't like ocs cool but at least be upfront about it instead of saying you do just so people don't look at you different.

🚩purple prose - tbh this has died down a bit, i haven't seen much but its still something I dislike. if I have to google every word you use in your response bruh I'm not reading it. I'm all for poetic writing, i love it, there are people on here who are so good at it and they don't need big ass words no one knows to convey it. I really don't think purple prose makes you a good writer, because if I cant understand what you're writing, what you're trying to convey?? then its just words. Not everything has to be 100 paragraphs and then a single stick of dialogue. pls 😭

🚩This last one is one I am still learning myself. But the way we prioritize aesthetics over accessibility. And I am learning this, and mourning this because my illness affects my eyes, and its been hard now seeing small text, seeing colors on offputting backgrounds. small ass icons that are smaller than even what I use, its like 40x40 idk how the fuck yall can even tell whats in the picture and then you put a PSD over it that just blobs it up and idk bro it doesn't look like anything to me. i use colored text a lot, for me, it helps me to see a bit better, but it doesn't always work for others. You're always welcome to tell me if something is too small, or if you want me to use the regular text formatting when we write, I will never mind that. you don't have to change everything you do, but be willing to work with people you're writing with, because, what you like, how you may like it to look? might be very hard for them to read and therefore hard to write with you.

And i won't lie to you i struggle, cuz while I love to write and on my lazy days i wont edit i'll just post but a lot of the times, I do want it to look pretty. i love making my icon borders, and my graphics when I can. I've had to learn how to change it, I am slowing started to redo some of my icons and making them bigger to be easier on my eyes. its very much one of those things you don't really think about until it really starts to affect you. you don't gotta remove everything you like, but if someone is asking you, telling you something is hard to read, don't be a bitch about it. work with them to see how you can help make it easier for them to be able to write with you.

[malka-lisitsa]

It's going better than she thought. As much as she's hated Lexi in the past she knew damn well it was born of jealousy more than anything.

Though if you had asked her, she didn't think she'd get this far in a conversation without being shut down. It's almost suspicious, but she knows thats fear talking. Maybe a little bit of ptsd. constant repeats of being spat at hurts after all.

And then she has to go and say that.

What if he doesn't.

Just the idea is enough to send a white hot wave of defensive rage through Katherine's chest and it isn't hard to spot on her face either.

"How would he know? He's spent the last 145 years demonizing me for something I didn't do. I never wanted to leave him. I never wanted to compel him. I spent the entire 145 years watching over him from the shadows. I risked being sniffed out by Klaus to keep an eye on him in the twenties. I just couldn't HELP HIM and for that he's built up this idea that I am someone I'm not."

In all honestly that is a very calm answer considering the immense anger burning in her throat right now.

The older vampire downed the rest of her drink and aggressively shifted positions. If Lexi's paying attention she'll notice shes adjusted her breathing, she's trying not to lash out.

"I actually believe it was you? That said 'when it's real you can't walk away' right?"

Oh yea, she's been around watching for a while.

"So no. I can't let him go." She gave Lexi a very pointed look before she sighed.

"But I can wait. And I will. Forever if I have to. I waited 145 years. I waited 300 just to meet him. I can wait, but I can't give up." Stefan meant everything to her. Maybe no one else understood the gravity of her feelings for him and how badly she wants to run away and just be happy. Katherine doesn't WANT POWER. She doesn't WANT anything but love, her love, the love she had with him. 1864 was never supposed to be what it ended up. She was going to live there, and wait with him till HE was ready to leave, and then turn him and they would have gone away together forever. She doesn't even know how she got found out, but it was never supposed to go that way. He was never supposed to go through all that alone...

"There is nothing in this world I want more than him. Nothing I wouldn't give up to be with him, I just won't risk his safety. It's why I've been working so hard to earn my freedom. It wasn't supposed to be this way."

She has to put on this bad bitch facade that she will kill whoever this and that she doesn't care about the way they all cut her down but she DOES. She does care, every time Stefan throws her love back in her face it cuts deep and she lashes out because out of EVERYONE in the world HIS opinion of her matters the MOST. It kills her to know he's wrong about who she really is. That the girl he's chasing in Elena has been in front of him the whole time.

"I'm not the girl you all think I am."

"I never wanted to come in swinging. I never wanted to cause this much trouble for him, or Damon. I just wanted to get my freedom so I could have the life he and I both wanted. I want to love him the way he deserves to be loved. With out judgement. Without standards he can never live up to. Without forcing him to be someone he's not to fit my moral standards. I just want to love him for who he is. Like I've always done. Like I always will do."

There is a thickness to her voice she didn't intend to have. It's pure emotion and conveys that she truly means what she's saying.

The only thing in this whole world that's made her shit life worth anything has been him. Surely no one can expect her to let that go.

the  honesty  surprises  her.    ⸻    observant  eyes  try  to  search  for  any  hint  of  a  lie,  but  if  they’re  there,  they’re  hidden  well  and  lexi  isn’t  an  easy  person  to  fool.  she  prides  herself  in    (  usually  )    being  a  strong  judge  of  character.    ＂    i  guess  we  all  look  for  that  at  some  point.    ＂    it  isn’t  a  topic  she  can  overly  familiarise  with.  her    &    her  brother  got  incredibly  lucky  in  the  parent  department.  they  lost  them  too  young,  too  soon,  however,  they  made  the  most  with  the  time  they  had.  she  knows  it  wasn’t  like  that  for  others.  index  finger  taps  thoughtfully  against  bourbon  glass  and  she  ponders  the  other’s  take  on  her  words  for  a  moment;  considers  whether  to  delve  deeper,  or  if  offering  personal  information  might  be  something  used  against  her  later.  everything  can  be  a  weapon.  it’s  a  lesson  all  vampires  learn  eventually.  she  opts  to  relent  in  the  end.  not  because  she  trusts  katherine.  it’s  too  soon.  no,  because  she’s  fair.  if  the  doppelganger  can  be  upfront  with  her,  lexi  should  show  the  same  respect.  quid  pro  quo.    ＂    they  rode  through  my  village  once.  one  of  them  made  me  an  offer  i  couldn’t  refuse.    ＂

back  straightens  against  the  cushions  of  the  salvatore  couch;  old  -  fashioned,  but  comfortable.  god,  this  boarding  house  was  in  serious  need  of  a  modern  woman’s  touch.    ＂    love  at  first  sight.  it  can  be  a  real  bitch.    ＂    she  remembers  it  herself.  lee  was  human  too,  when  they  first  met.  lexi  would  be  a  hypocrite  to  sit  there    &    pretend  she  didn’t  understand  the  concept  of  turning  someone  to  be  with  them.  she  did  the  same,  and  for  the  most  part,  she  never  once  looked  back.  like  katherine  said;  something  clicked.  the  blonde  realises  then,  in  that  moment,  that  while  she  might  live  to  regret  such  a  decision,  she  believes  her.  how  could  she  not?  this  was  stefan.  only  her  best  friend  could  inspire  such  poetic  words.

head  nods,  slow    &    precise,  taking  a  moment  longer  to  process  before  letting  out  a  low  whistle.    ＂    damn.    ＂    the  laugh  that  follows  almost  sounds  like  disbelief,  though  it  isn’t  specifically  aimed  at  katherine  as  much  as  the  fact  they’re  here,  having  this  conversation.  lexi  thought  for  sure  she’d  kick  katherine’s  ass    (  or  die  trying  )    if  they  ever  met.    ＂    i  believe  you  love  him.    ＂    lips  rub  together  and  she  pauses,  wanting  to  pick  her  next  few  words  carefully.  their  conversation  felt  fragile  almost.    ⸻    like  one  wrong  tone  could  shatter  EVERYTHING.  the  last  thing  she  wants  nor  needs  is  to  send  the  elder  vampire  into  a  rage.    ＂    just  like  i  believe  he  loved  you.  i’m  not  using  past  tense  to  be  a  bitch.  maybe  he  still  does,  maybe  he  doesn’t.  i’ll  grill  him  on  it  later.    ＂    trace  of  a  smile  appears.  playful  almost,  but  it  disappears  almost  as  quickly  as  it  arrived,  replaced  instead  with  something  deeper.  concern.    ＂    but    …    what  if  he  doesn’t?    ＂    it’s  a  possibility  she  has  to  consider,  even  if  it  seems  cruel.  katherine  has  never  sounded  like  someone  who  takes  rejection  well  and  lexi  knows  stefan.  he’d  carry  the  guilt  of  any  actions  taken  by  his  ex  -  girlfriend  in  his  name  for  years.  she  didn’t  want  that  for  him.  he  already  had  enough  burden  weighing  down  heavy  on  his  shoulders.    ＂    what  if  it’s  been  too  long,    or  too  much  has  happened?    ⸻    would  you  let  him  go?    ＂

[mamawolfblood]

Though he didn't know it yet Chris Mclean was in for a shocking revelation. One of the campers is not exactly just some rando kid. This camper is his kid and she is out to expose it.

Name : Iris  Escalona

Age 16

Eye color green

Caramel skin

Black hair that she keeps in a high ponytail. A Cherokee rose on the left side of the hair tie.

Iris is 5ft 8",135lb

Out fit-White tanktop with the alchemists symbol blue acid washed jean shorts black converses

Iris has a dark sense of humor. She loves horror,pranks,is resourceful. Iris is not above smashing some skulls together. She is not quick to anger but Heather pushes a lot of her buttons.

All her life she just wanted Chris to know she was alive. Her mother never gave the reason why she left. She is the oldest of seven children.

________chapter 3_________

• Chris: Last time on Total Drama Island, twenty-three campers arrived and learned that they'll be spending the next eight weeks at the crusty old summer camp. The campers we're faced with their first challenge, jumping off a cliff into the shark-infested waters. While most campers took the plunge, a few were forced to wear the dreaded chicken hat. At the campfire ceremony, it all came down to two campers, Courtney has experience as a CIT in summer camp, but refused to jump, and Ezekiel managed to tick off every female at the camp with his sexist comments about women, in the end, the first camper voted off Total Drama Island was Ezekiel, proving that homeschooling and reality TV don't mix, who will be voted off this week in this dramatic campfire ceremony yet? Find out tonight on Total... Drama...Island.

Iris woke up early and snuck into the kitchen.

It looked a mess it was four in the morning so she needed something to do.

(Confessionals)

Iris looked into the camra

"Ok so ever since I was ten I wake up at four in the morning. Some nights I don't even sleep. Doctors can't figure out why but hey at least I can do something before the challenge starts."

*Static*

(End of Confessionals)

Iris was almost done cleaning when Chef walked in. "And what are you doing up?" Chef said crossing his arms. "Sorry Chef woke up at four and couldn't go back to sleep. I decided to clean the kitchen to help you out. If you need help cooking I can do that too." She said still scrubbing. "Awe thats real nice of you sweetpea. But I can take it from here go get washed up. The mess hall looks great. " Iris stood up saluting him. He did the same to her and she went to the showers.

(Confessionals)

Chef

That girl is a sweetheart. I haven't met a kid who would just clean without being asked. Her parents raised her right she will make a man happy one day.

*static *

(End of Confessionals)

Iris walked into the mess hall. Chef had a cup of coffe ready for her. "Here you go sweetie thanks again for cleaning the place up." He said making her bluch. "No problem if you need any help you can always ask."  She said sitting down. "Why did you clean this dump?! You never do anything nice." Courtney came over before Iris could take on sip of her ainti murder juice. Holding up one finger Iris took a drink. "Ok child now that I had a caffeine shot I can speak. I wake up a four am every day. Why I do not know I just do. Some nights I don't even sleep. As for doing something nice goes. Unlike you I was raised to help someone when I physically can. You were shelter from the world thats why your a spoild brat.  Do you want me to spill what it was you did to my brother, or are you going to sit back down like a good girl?" Iris was now glaring at the pampered princess. Courtney like any other teenage girl that doesn't get her way, stomped away with a "Ahh!"  I waved her finger at the child.

Chris walked in "alright campers time for your challenge. Both teams will complete one lap around the Island. The team that completes the race first wins. "  Trent asked about breakfast. "Oh you will eat after the race. Ready set go!" He laughed as everyone ran.

Iris pov

It was a nice warm up but ,I doubt that this is the actual challenge.  When we made it back to the mess hall a buffet was waiting for us. It was so beautiful I wanted to cry. Though something sinister is happening here. This is a set up so I'm not going to eat to much. I saw cranberries the kind you get on Thanksgiving and chowd down. It was refreshing everyone else asked why I wasn't eating anything but Cranberries. "Think about it why would they give us this food. It's a plot for the challenge. Trust me I want to chow down with all of you." I said making them shrug and go back to eating. Courtney was glaring at me. I think about it the guy that asked me the question was Duncan.

(Confessionals)

Iris started laughing.

"Oh she is a treat I will thoroughly enjoy this."

*Static*

(End of Confessionals)

"Hey Duncan can you step outside with me? This won't take long." I said standing up. He shrugged and followed me outside. Once we were out of ear shot I turned to him.

Meanwhile in the mess hall.

Courtney pov

"They have been gone for awhile. I'll go check on them." I said having campers telimg me to leave them be. Iris is a conveying snake you can't ever trust her.

"Hey guys what are yo-Ah!" I walked out to find them making out. I march up to them and pull him away getting in her face. She smirks at me. "Hello Courtney how can I help you?" She chuckles "You can help me by not macking on my teammate you snake." I growled

(Confessionals Duncan, Iris)

Duncan

"If she is a snake and thats her bite. Please bite me some more."

*static*

Iris

"*laughs* oh wow I was right she likes him. This is going to be a fun day for Duncan and me. He is on board with the plan. Obviously he is enjoying this too. *smirks* bey bey second place Courtney"

*Static*

Iris pov

Duncan stood between myself and Courtney crossing his arms. "I think you should run inside. You don't own me there four have no say in my actions." He said wrapping one arm around me. I place my hand on his chest the top of my head under his chin. I was side glancing at her. She growled stomping away. Once she was gone we bust out laughing.  He picked me up bridal style carrying me inside. "This is mine no one else can have her." He said sitting me down at my seat we started to feed each other. "Can you two get a room?" Heather complained. "Can you get a new attitude." I said making her gasp.

Once the buffet was cleared Chris came back in. "Everyone ready for the awake athon!" I knew it and they say I'm a snake. "Wait so you had us eat all this food so you can see who will fall asleep first?" Gwen asked "Yes Gwen Yes I did" I laughed "oh that so evil its good."  I said "Glad your finding this amusing lose lips" Courtney said  "Hey they are open for you too." I wink at her. "Your disgusting " she said following Chris to the pit fire. I sat in Duncan's lap during the challenge to get on princess sunshine's nerves. Its almost night fall I'm about to fall asleep. Duncan puts his hand on my cheek "got to stay awake gorgeous. How can I look into those beautiful eyes if they are closed?" I giggle at the sickeningly sweetness. "Let her fall asleep at least I won't be second place. " Courtney said  laughing "oh your second place in everything so shut up. " I said before glares at her.

Its now been twent-four hour mark. Come on stupid bass fall asleep. I thought to myself. It was now Myself, Trent,and Gwen for the Gophers and the Bass only had Courtney and Duncan.  Once Chris started to read the history of Canada Courtney, and Trent fell asleep.  Leaving Gwen, Duncan and me. "I have to hit the can" Duncan said as the camra crew followed him. Gwen fell asleep I was about to when Chris announced that the Gophers won. I smile before falling flat on my face.

• [The Killer Bass are standing outside of the cabins, stuff are outside due to Eva throwing them because she can't find her MP3 because Heather stole it.]

•

• Eva: [screaming angrily] Where is my MP3 player?! One of you must stolen it, I need my music! No one is going anywhere until I get my MP3 player back! [She angrily throws a book, which almost hits Harold]

•

• Courtney: Okay, whoever took it better give it up now before she destroys the whole camp.

•

• Heather: Hey, guys, wow, this place is a real mess.

•

• Courtney: Someone stole Eva's MP3 player.

•

• Heather: [holds Eva's MP3 player] Who don't mean this to you? [Eva is surprised that Heather found her MP3 player, which Heather actually stole it] I was wondering who it belonged to, I found it by the campfire pit. You must have dropped it.

•

• Eva: Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!

• Heather: Sure thing. [Leaves. Static buzzing, in the confessional] Turn a team against their own members, easiest trick in the book. (Static buzzing)

• Eva: [smiles sheepishly] So, sorry about the that little misunderstanding. [The Killer Bass glare at Eva] Guess no one stole it after all. Okay, maybe I overreacted a little. [Laughs sheepishly]

Iris and the Gophers watch the marshmallow ceremony of the Killer Bass. It was down to Alpha geek Harold and wack Job Eva. Both looked nervous until Chris gave it to Harold. Wow did not see that one coming. They threw away their strongest team mate. Welp looks like the Gophers have it even easier now.

Chris "you All can get some sleep tonight you all are safe for now. Find out what happens next time on Total Drama Island."

(Have I mention how much I don't like Courtney yet. Well I don't have a great day/evening)

[greenpanda-djg]

Why I'm peeved about current LGBTQ+ Rep. Written by a little gay!

Okay, first off, not happy with the LGBT rep in current media [2021] As I have consumed media since I was a kid and I know better.

So when I give crticisms about it, I'm not saying "Ew stinky lgbt-" Like I'm some strawmen for your argument you wish.

It means I want better.

Since LGBT stuff in media had to be SUBTLE it was conveyed through queer-coding, aka. SUBTEXT.

But now movie writers have caught on and use that as an excuse to bring in lgbt audiences and keep it hetero enough for world wide audiences as in. [aka queer-BAITING]

Having their cake and eat it too but guess what? I expect better. I expect MORE.

I want Subtext into TEXT. SInce now we can demand they make it more obvious and stop being vaugue.

Even worse when older movies have better representation than current movies, for example.

Billy Elliot [2000]

This movie was ahead of it's time with real world problems [such as margaret thatcher removing the mines] Along with a boy wanting to do ballet [Breaking gender norms than ballet isn't a girl sport, it's a sport end off] Having a young child being a carer, and a family that was not so supportive then being supportive in their own way ANNDD.

Wearing a dress and getting a boyfriend when they're older. Remember this was 2000!

Then we have Love, Simon [2018]

Which great film we need more like this but BETTER. I mean take away the whole gay thing and make it a hetero chick flick. The only thing we get is that Simons friends are a bunch of A-holes who blamed simon for his problems and that the outside world didn't really have anything else going on and the school was pretty chill with Simon being out [I mean jeez it could've been worse y'know]

So with these in mind when they said Loki was Bi? What do you think I expected???

Him dancing with another man while drunk [in that scene] admiting he had no preference he liked Captain America and Black Widow, or anything to either SHOW he was bi or talk into detail about his escapades in asgard but what do we get?

We get this...which is FINE I'm all for it YAY!

But compared to Billy Eliot, Love, Simon, One day at a time, Doctor who [When Jack harkness kissed nine]

So Bi-Loki. love it, actually happy since I'm bi myself I loved the visuals of making the background pink purple blue.

But this is scraps, compared to media I have seen/listed above.

I'm not raining on anyones parade.

But disney are doing stuff like this making it vaugue so they can have their cake and eat it too, not to mention cruella with their first gay disney character was isolated in scenes to make it easier to crop out for international release.

And disney pride, others online have stated that because they sell rainbow merch doesn't change the fact that they have discrimination against LGBT in the work space.

So here's my rant.

I'd rather have NO queer content, than watered down scraps or vaugue shit like this when they can make it much more obvious.

Or worse yet, when someone says they won't do a movie because they'd change a canon gay character into a heterosexual one I agree with them walking away.

esp since I've been told since ever that kirk/spock in star trek were a canon couple but because they were already pushing it with politics/poc cast/etc they couldn't do anything else.

And now we have william shatner saying kirk is straight and having fans agreeing with him.

Since fans agree with jensen ackles saying Dean is bi for Cas since he's the actor he should know better right?

So since William shatner is the actor and played kirk longer he defiently knows everything about this character.

So watered down gay characters will then be argued that "We're changing them, when that's not canon because of sick fetishing fantasies."

- I'm not making this up people online are saying this.

Lgbt is no where NEAR it's goal of being equel, just having a character being vaugue bi isn't enough,

To even HAVE queer content needs to be written well, and need a quantity for every hetero chick flick/romance stories since 1891.

So for every love story we need a quantity to MATCH that to even begin to being equel. And since I can only think of a few good number of lgbt shows on one hand thats no where NEAR enough.

So i am so SORRY that I want more better content than fucking Queer force, and this table scraps when I know they can do better.

But no assume that just because I don't like how something is conveyed that I'm a negative homophobe who wants to shut down lgbt content when I just want better shit because I've SEEN better.

[the-mighty-dalob]

Thats not what i... Uhg...

What the Captain is trying to convey is that the Resurgance is possibly evenly matched due to Prior damage and tactical disadvantages.

That... certainly is one way to say it. Normally i would not bat an eye for the Resurgance to beat the Enemy Vessel to a pulp, but this mission Profile is one she was not designed for.

I suspect the enemy will keep their Figthers close around the ship to act as a defensive screen, possibly flying out sorties from time to time. That would make a boarding pod launch impossible since the fighters would intercept the Pods before they ever came close. Which in turn means we need to get rid of the figthers first. And in the current Position that can only be achieved by moveing Broadside to Broadside with the enemy vessel to give the Point defence the needed range to actually reach the fighters.

The Enemy ship also has missiles as weaponary and i doubt it's only half a salvo like we have, once we are close enough they won't be able to use them anymore since it would damage their own ship as well but on approach we have an unknown amount of Missiles against us. That is a Tactical wildcard since i can't judge how many that will be.

Added on top comes the possibility to have an experimental Long range hypervelocity Antimatter accelerator running along the length of the ship, and until we see the front of it we won't know for sure. So that is a tactical situation we need to prepare for too.

In a Pitched Battle the Resurgance would simply Pummel the enemy into submission but we cannot do this here, we need to keep the ship Intact and especially the engines space Unharmed. We are at a severe Tactical Disadvantage, normally one would use a Spec ops team in a specialized Shuttle for an Infiltration and rescue operation or at most a Stealth Cruiser, not a Fleet command Battleship. I have little doubt we can pull this off but it comes with Risks, a bunch of them, especially a lot of them that could have been prevented.

A Large part of those risks i could have prevented myself had i repaired the Resurgance after Crashlanding...

“Hey”

@goblin-wizard-in-the-making @the-mighty-dalob

“Hey,w why are we doing today?”

[fae-morrigan]

Hey! This post sucks ass. It ignores the reality of racism and homophobia impacting character reception in this fandom, as well as a toxic refusal to accept ships outside of people's fanon OTPs, which are pretty clearly the main reasons people don't like them if you have eyes that work and can read.

Anyways, because it sucks ass, it is now MY post. Welcome to my post everybody!

Today we're going to be talking about character design, and why I think Jay's character design is really good.

(I won't be covering Bernard... uh... down, sure thats his name, here because I am not really one of his stans, but if any of my bernie mutuals wanna hop on and take a crack at breaking down his character design too, feel free to!)

Let's take a look!

First of all, it is important to establish something. Contrary to what fandom will tell you, 'good character design' isn't really about making a character the audience wants to fuck. Its about making a design that conveys character, both subtle and unsubtle. Character designs, especially in a visual medium like comics, are part of storytelling.

So what does Jay's design tell you about him?

He's in bright, clashing colors. Orange, green, pink, the only neutrals spotted here. This conveys a certain confidence in himself- It takes guts to wear an outfit that gaudy. This is someone who knows who he is, and doesn't feel the need to advertise himself differently. From his very first meeting, it becomes apparent he does not care much about what other people think of him (with the exception of Jon... but we'll get there.)

Yet, look at the actual clothing: He wears a mask. More than that, when he first appears to us, he's got his hoodie hood up, something that is often used in character designs to convey being closed off. Despite his openness with the world about who he is, there's something he's still hiding from. He's not a complete open book, even if he is honest.

Now, let's have a chat about the hair.

Ahhh. Jay's hair. The endless subject of ire, for reasons that completely escape me. I've seen people call it a 'stereotype', which, gay people dyeing their hair PINK? HUGE if true! C'mon, guys. Let's be so real with ourselves: Basically every gay person I know including myself has gone pink at least once. If its a stereotype, its an accurate one!

And yeah, Jay's hair being such a vibrant pink definitely is there to make him intentionally and visibly queer. Something that contrasts him from Jon, who is more muted, and far less confident in his sexuality being known by others.

Buuuuut that's actually not the part of Jay's hair I wanted to discuss. Let's talk about the actual style, yeah?

Look at this shit. This is... dawg, who is your barber?

And part of me really wants to chock it up to the fact that Timms really does just not know how to draw straight hair at all. Look, he even fucks Galaxy's shit up:

GIRL.

Except.... Look at it. Look at Jay's hair. Doesn't it kind of look like he cut it himself? Like, just kind of went at it with scissors? It's messy, and none of it is neat, compared to Jon who has a nice undercut going on a lot of the time or Clark's perfectly combed and gelled curls. Even compared to later Jay drawings where his hair has grown out and is much more curated and fluffy and healthy.

Pair that with the fact he picked his couch up off the street...

Here's the unspoken thing Jay's initial design communicates: He's poor. At the very least, he's frugal. This man is making due with what he has.

Everything about Jay's design is there to remind you that this is a man who does not have the privilege Jon has as a white middle class American. He is the oppressed that Jon is championing in this book.

(This all also later puts him in contrast with Nia, who way later in the story actively uses her privilege against him.)

All of this is conveyed wordlessly. And I haven't even gotten to his suit.

White and teal, making him look almost like a ghost. The hood remains, with the same meaning as before. Overall, the design is sleep and reminiscent of streetwear, something Jay wears earlier in the series when sneaking in to STAR labs. His pants, baggy and not-form fitting, are traditional in a lot of asian cultures (generally, they are called harem pants in the fashion world): These specifically seem to be based off Japanese shichibu or tobi pants, baggy and loose and used specifically in manual labor like construction. He's got these tassles that trail behind him, drawing attention to and highlighting the movements of his body: Necessary considering Jay's main skill outside of reporting is parkour! He's also got a matching belt to Jon's, but his is offset from the center, the jewel instead being on the side of his waist rather than centered.

(Sidenote: Cian Tormey once promised me he'd post the concept art for this costume and then he FORGOT. Guess I need to ask again, lmfao)

A good character design shouldn't just tell you about the character, but also, characters around them, too! It is characterizing that Jon took one look at this Bird of Paradise and was like, "oh, yeah, i wanna make out with THIS guy". That tells you something about him and what he values in people (namely, that aforementioned confidence in himself, something Jon lacks during most of Son of Kal El.)

But also, let's take this sneak peak preview of Super Son real quick:

Despite both of them being in bright, highly visible colors, Jon LITERALLY being in primary colors, Jay somehow makes Jon look almost dark by comparison. Jon's ordinarily eye-catching colors look muted next to his boyfriend. Their hair is opposite tones as well, Jon having black hair and Jay having light hair, and of course Jay is visibly more tan (making Jon look pale as a ghost).

No matter how visible he is as Superman, he will never be as visible as well... The Truth. There is visual deference here, as well as contrast. Opposites, despite their color schemes not actually being direct opposites.

All of this is conveyed through just looking at Jay's design. It tells you a lot about his character without saying anything, AND it's unique: I've not seen many characters who look like Jay, especially not in western comics. It enriches the text, and in my professional opinion, is way better than if Jay was just a generic black haired blue eyed boy like so many people seem to want.

I think that one reason why Bernard Down and Jay Nakamura are not as appealing as a partners for Tim and Jon, aside from their personalities or lack thereof, is because of their character design.

There is something about it, especially their hair style, that makes them immediately unlikable. Maybe with another hairstyle and outfits people would be more accepting of both of them

[bbyyda]

Just a real quick political scientists reaction to everything thats been going on! Specifically in this post!!

1. starting all the way back at the top: even if some states, like alaska or NC, stay red, they won't give enough electoral college votes to change anything. Even if Arizona and Georgia are recounted and flip red, they still won't change the electoral college votes enough to change the outcome of the election. Arizona and Nevada, while they were the ones to call it for Biden, they weren't necessary for him to win. If Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, and Pennsylvania all flipped red during a recount or lawsuit then yes, it would change the winner.

2. I'm honestly really happy that Republicans are questioning the election system... bc maybe they'll just get rid of the electoral college all on their own. Maybe then instead of young Dems pushing to get rid of it, we can push for ranked voting!! Then we could actually start moving towards a multiparty system!!

3. I am a bit scared of these law suits going to the Supreme court bc Trump has appointed 3 of 9 justices and effectively packed the court in his favor. but on the other hand, i really don't think it'll get out of State bc these lawsuits are the current federal government vs the state government and we all know how well those arguments go...

4. i fuCKING LOVE!! that Iran basically said F you to Trump by saying that they'd get back into the JCPOA. Literally Trumps administration discouraged anyone from entering into Iran's markets (bc basically no one trusted Trump to not just pull out of the deal one day and put back a shit ton of sanctions on Iran). SO! Iranian leaders really did just say Fuck Trump, We trust Biden...

5. No one reads the president's daily briefing. They skim it... but thats about it. It's usually pages long and very dull, full of information they don't need at that moment. Now imagine that literally every day. We're not just talking the news, we're talking military actions taken in other countries, congressional schedules on bills that are coming to the president's desk eventually, like so much info... Its just required (along w a report to congress that Trump did like 3 times and most presidents sass congress in bc they all think its bc) in an attempt at congressional oversight. Don't be concered that Biden isn't reading it. He's watching the news; he's getting necessary info.

whatever the fuck number I'm on. ANOTHER FUCKING SECRETARY OF DEFENSE?!! oh god I'm crying laughing so hard! That's like 4 now?! Most presidents go through 1 in 2 terms! Trump just wants them to suck his dick and give him a little pat on the head, which is THE ONLY reason Pompeo is still around

Which brings me to Mike Pompeo. I wish i could convey the *sigh* that plagues my soul as i merely think "mike pompeo". Man doesn't think for himself. He's seen so many high ranking people have their whole career flushed down the toilet by A Racist Sexist Unqualified "Business Man" Spoonfed By Daddy's Money. It's pretty clear that pompeo does what Trump wants out of fear and that tells you everything you need to know about him.

aaand 7. The republicans. Those that are still supporting Trump are seriously living in fear. Think about everyone who has worked for him. They either got fired and shit talked OR they went along with it, kept their jobs, kept their standing, and in a year they can pretend it never happened bc the public doesn't know their entire voting/stance record is public information (but they do now *wink wink*)

Also, i know a lot of young people are calling for a stronger plan of attack from Biden, but that's so irrational. There's no need to threaten prior to anything actually happening. Trump may be calling for lawsuits and saying that he won't leave but he's also been playing golf for 2 days so... Besides deterrence doesn't work and it certainly won't work on a racist sexist pedophile...

Anyway... this shit fucks, but I'm having fun and one day a book on this election through the eyes of a gen Z- millennial cusper will make me loads of money and im gonna keep holding my government accountable and encouraging others to too. That is patriotism; that is loving my country. Not admitting it's flaws, that's nationalism. Don't be a nationalist.

(Nov. 10th) What the fuck is happening this post election & what Trump is still trying to do to still remain in power explained:

To start, Trump has not conceded yet, despite Biden being the clear winner and current president-elect. 70% of republicans do not believe these elections were “free and fair” and believe this election is fraudulent. Protests have been occuring in disputed states since election night with countering messages to both “stop the count” and “count the votes.” A pro-Trump march on Washington is planned for this Saturday (Nov 14th). (watch: what would happen if a candidate refuses to concede.)

Alaska has still not been called. However, there are no legal disputes regarding Alaska which will likely go to Trump either way. Alaska waited to start counting mail-in ballots and it would’ve been impossible to call the Senate and House races and it IS mathematically possible the results will flip to Biden (though very unlikely). But Alaska only has 3 electoral votes and has no impact on the final presidential results.

Arizona, despite being called on election night by Fox News and AP, is still not OFFICIALLY called. There are still some outstanding and provisional ballots to be counted but it is mathematically impossible that Trump will overtake over Biden’s lead. 

Georgia is still not called, and with about 98% ballots counted it MIGHT be close enough for a recount. Even if a recount flips for Trump, Georgia does not have enough electoral votes to flip the race, given Biden’s overall national lead.  However, Republican Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue are calling on their own state’s REPUBLICAN secretary of state to resign. Loeffler and Perdue are claiming there have been many “failures” in the Georgia elections despite offer NO EVIDENCE. Note, both Loeffler and Perdue will be the two Georgia Republicans facing runoff elections on January 5th. 

North Carolina has about 97% votes counted, but will be accepting absentee ballots that arrive through November 12th as long as they’re marked by election day. Trump is already ahead in North Carolina and estimated to win, so this will not change the outcome of the election. (View all uncalled elections, both state and presidential races here.)

Some world leaders have already congratulated Biden, including Trump allies like Benjamin Netanyahu, Narendra Modi, and Recep Tayyip Erdogan. While others like Jair Bolsonaro, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping have yet to speak out, and Mexico’s AMLO has stated he’s waiting until Trump has completed his legal challenges. Some have already started making transition plans with the Biden administration, including Iran who has stated they want to enter the Iran nuclear deal again.

US Republicans are also divided on their support for Trump or Biden. Currently, only republican Senators Mitt Romney, Lisa Murkowski, Ben Sasse, and Susan Collins have congratulated Biden and acknowledged his win. Fox News has officially called the election for Biden and cut away yesterday when Kayleigh McEnany tried to make claims of election fraud. Pissing off Trump and many Fox viewers. lol  Mitch McConnell, on the other hand, is not currently accepting the Biden win, supporting Trump’s lawsuits and accusations of fraud. And despite Fox News calling the election, they’ve featured Newt Gingrich on who claimed George Soros helped Biden steal the election. They’ve also been featuring segments like Tucker Carlson questioning mail-in ballots, Fox and Friends has claimed software was used to flip votes for Biden, and Lindsey Graham was on Fox saying “If Republicans don’t challenge and change the U.S. election system, there will never be another Republican president elected again. President Trump should not concede.”

Trump is currently 0-10 with his attempted election lawsuits. Trump’s lawyers have failed to provide evidence of his claims in court. Click here to see an example of how hilariously unprepared some of these lawyers were to defend these “arguments.”

Trump’s 11th lawsuit, that is currently still in action, is interesting though. In Pennsylvania, Trump’s federal lawsuit wants the courts to BLOCK Pennsylvania from certifying its electoral votes. This basically excluding the state from the Electoral College. Luckily, legal scholars don’t see how this lawsuit could work either.  (Read the full court filing here. And here is a good rundown of what this legal challenge is trying to do.) 

More behind-the-scenes, Trump’s loyalist AG, Bill Barr, is allowing the Department of Justice to investigate Trump’s unfounded claims of voter fraud. Mitch McConnell and Bill Barr privately met yesterday, but refused to comment on their meeting. 

Trump has also fired his defense secretary, Mark Esper, who publicly disagreed with Trump’s desire to put troops on the streets. Christopher A. Wray, the FBI. director, and Gina Haspel, the CIA. director are also expected to be fired.

[pftones3482]

While OP got infants spot on, as someone who has worked with toddlers and young kids for almost ten years, I wanted to add on tips for kids around the ages of 2-7.

1. The Terrible Twos comes from the idea that kids become monsters at the age of two years old. What is actually happening is that children are learning language, and they're learning that language is a tool to get them things. "No" becomes a very popular word with kids, because up until they've learned it, they haven't had anyway to convey "no" other than crying and screaming. They're testing their limits, and that's not necessarily a bad thing (imagine if you couldn't say no to people - how awful would that be?)

2. By the age of about 4, most kids can practice sympathy and empathy. They may not UNDERSTAND thats what they're doing, but kids can recognize when others are upset and sometimes even mirror that feeling. I've had a number of kids over the years hug me just because they think I look sad.

3. Basic functions for kids, like tying shoes or buttoning coats, are learned usually no later than the age of six or seven. The smaller and more complex, the longer it takes to learn.

4. Kids are unsteady on their feet after learning to walk (anywhere between 10 months and 2 years old), and that unsteadiness can last up to six months or so after their first initial steps.

5. Kids are actually incredibly good at language. Never, ever, ever will a child over the age of two say something like "Me go to the store." Kids understand pronouns and how they work surprisingly well. What they ACTUALLY have trouble with, at least in English, are tenses. They can be pretty confusing with all the different rules. So, while they won't say "Me go to the store," they will, up until maybe 7 years old, say "I goed to the store!" They mix up the conjugations of tenses all the time, and the easiest way to correct the habit is to say the sentence back to them correctly ("You went to the store? What did you get?")

6. Kids pick up on other languages quickly if they're started early enough. Their language hasn't fully developed, so bilingual toddlers are absolutely a thing.

7. Kids understand, or at least comprehend, the idea of same-sex relationships and similar equality ideas, so long as its taught to them. They can understand that two moms love each other the same way a dad and a mom would, they can recognize that black skin is no different than white skin in anything but color (in fact, under the age of seven, most kids literally don't see skin color; ask a young kid to describe their best friend. 9 times out of 10, they'll probably describe their personality or measurements (tall, short, etc) first. Not their skin color). Kids are not discriminatory unless adults teach them to be. They can ask some seemingly rude questions, of course ("how come this person walks funny?" etc, etc) but its not to be rude; kids are curious, and they don't know that some things can be considered mean, so they just get blunt. It doesn't do well to get embarrassed at those questions, merely explain the answer and why it might not be nice to ask that question again.

8. All in all, kids are complex. The only way to write a child accurately is to spend time with a child of the age you want to write.

Hey! Do you have any advice for writing about really young children and babies?

TIPS ON HOW TO WRITE YOUNG CHILDREN AND BABIES

Babies (Ages 0-1)

Babies usually learn how to sit up at 4 to 7 months, to crawl at about 7 to 10 months, to stand up at 9 to 10 months, and to walk at 9 to 12 months. Babies can learn to talk as early as 6 months, though they only start to form two to four word sentences from 18 months to 2 years old.

Babies are cute little bundles of joy that lighten up the entire household, though they do have their moments.

My biggest pet peeve about people who write babies into their stories is that they only concentrate on the cons. The baby is always crying and annoying the characters, who make snide remarks about how they wish it would shut up.

The writers set it up so that the baby sounds like more of a burden than anything else, and unless your other characters don’t want the baby and feel like it is a burden, then I highly suggest you switch it up and describe the happy moments that the characters have with their babies, too.

They don’t just cry because they’re hungry or need to have their diaper changed.

Contrary to popular belief, whenever a baby cries it does not mean that it needs to be fed or that it has pooped itself. Babies cry over all sorts of things because they literally have no other way to communicate when they’re unhappy.

They cry when they’re tired.

They cry when they’re left alone. (Separation anxiety is very prevalent in babies, who feel afraid and unsafe whenever their guardians are not with them

They cry when they’re frustrated and can’t do the things that their parents and siblings can do.

They cry when they’re scared.

They cry when they are left with the parent that isn’t their favorite. (This usually happens to dads when the babies are left in their care)

This may sound annoying, but babies are just trying to make it known that they’re unhappy. They can’t say “Hey, I’m upset, can you help me?” so their only other option is to cry. Since they’re young, these things that are happening to them are the WORST things they’ve ever experienced. When a baby throws a fit over a broken toy or separation anxiety, that’s probably because it’s the scariest and most heartbreaking thing that has ever happened to them!

They need constant love, care, and attention.

This is literally a young human person. They’re just as aware and alert as you and I, and they need constant stimulation to keep happy. Parents really have it cut out for them; they have to raise this little human larva into a fully grown homo sapien that will function well in society, and in order to do that they have to provide a lot of TLC to make sure the baby’s mind develops correctly.

A lot of parents in stories don’t do this; they only give their baby attention when it’s crying and I can’t help but think: that’s not??? How it works????

Things that parents do for their children to help them develop:

Read books

Sing songs

Play with toys with them

Play games like peek-a-boo and patty cake

Put on music

Put on educational TV and movies (Though they shouldn’t do this too often!)

Simply be around them

Parents should not leave the baby alone for extended periods of time.

This is a given. Babies can get themselves into a lot of trouble: They can roll of couches, touch hot or sharp objects, and eat things that they shouldn’t. Babies have to be under constant supervision, and it gets me really annoyed when characters in stories leave their child unattended for a long time.

Babies need a lot of equipment, which can include:

- Crib

- Bib

- Pacifier/Binky

- Bottle and formula (If parents don’t breastfeed)

**FYI babies on formula or breast milk need to be burped after they’re fed because they swallow air and can have gas buildup within their stomach and intestines. Some babies need to be burped a lot, while others don’t; it all depends on the baby, though bottle fed babies tend to swallow more air than breastfed ones.**

- Blankets and mats to lie on

- Toys (LOTS of them!)

- High chair

- Baby friendly food (for older babies that are off formula, which occurs after the sixth month mark), which can include actual baby food, Cheerios, fruit that is cut into small pieces, animal crackers, and anything that can be eaten with fingers that can’t be choked on.

The parents, if they’re caring ones, are always thinking about the baby.

This is especially if they’re first time parents. Babies are a BIG DEAL, and they become the most important things in their parents’ lives. They’re always thinking about the baby and can tend to worry a LOT when they’re separated from them. They take many precautions, such as baby-proofing the house, to keep their little ones safe, and most parents would take a bullet for their baby.

If the parents in your story don’t fret over their baby at least once, then you’re writing baby parents wrong.

Toddlers (Ages 2-5)

Many important milestones in a human’s life happen during these critical years. They start forming complete sentences and developing social skills. They learn that to get what they want they don’t just have to cry; they can communicate in other ways, though sometimes they take to crying if they don’t get their way.

Toddlers can be marginally more worrisome than babies; they’re mobile now, so they can now reach higher and move around faster than their younger counterparts. Their crying no longer is cute, but rather more annoying now that they’re older and are starting to develop their personalities, and there’s a reason why they’re called “The terrible twos”

Toddlers are just like upgraded babies that need most of the things babies do but can now communicate, walk, and eat real food.

However, the most important thing writers should know: TODDLERS ARE NOT SAGES

They should not be spouting deep, philosophical life lessons at every turn; that aspect of children that’s been developed in books, about how they “know things” just because they’re young and innocent, is completely false. One or two meaningful lines should be fine, but remember that they’re still kids; they like talking about dinosaurs, superheroes, princesses, animals, and trucks, and 98% of their dialogue should merely be them being a kid.

Hope this helped!