#my posts don't need to be perfect i'm allowed to have opinions etc etc

[ventureawaybitches]

Fate Legacy Game 2 (part 1)

This is a spoiler warning, you are being warned of spoilers, consider yourselves warned

Love that when needing more information everyone's like I'll phone a friend, except Kara who's going to punch stuff

Genuinely thought to call the Raven Queen Arrnodel would pick Alistar up like a phone and talk into him

The Raven Queen is just so cool and scary and I love how oblivious Arrnodel is to how creepy it all is

Very interested in the idea that with demi-gods giving their power to someone it's like giving a part of their life force, and it hurts the demi-god if they aren't close. What would happen if they were on different planes? That's an immense amount of trust

Our darling Rem

I'm gonna take a bath to clean off all that sexual tension (same girl)

Bastard's Breach is being rebuilt. Interestiiiinnggg

I am water. You are hope. That is your kind.

They were talking to Phin (and maybe Amalthea, I can't remember) about finding a base for the Furies so...it might be on the Jade Isles???

Presana's whole thing that mortal kind are made of hope is really beautiful.

Isolde wearing white in a place where everyone and everything is covered in dust and sand all the time is such a power move (also Rem's favourite colour is black, just saying)

I never loved anyone before her. And I don't know if I'll ever recover. To love a demi-god is all consuming, and when I lost her I felt I lost something of me. WHAT IF I DIE CELESTE!!! HOW DARE!!!!!

Chess has diamond patterned skin, very cool (yep I was surprised they have skin)

I would like Chess and Rem to fight for fun and profit

Carillon brewery confirmed, spend years learning insanely difficult and dangerous magic, also how to make beer 10/10 no notes

Leading on from that please tell me the carillon temple has a gift shop

Sawyeh with the how about y'all just don't fuck my god

Aaron and Arrnodel broke up, I'm not surprised and I think everything going on with Arrnodel at the moment is laying the foundations to her moving to the Shadowfell on a more permanent basis, now she has less ties to the mortal realm

CO-CAPTAINS!

Kara and Fera's talk and how it expands on Fera's arc/rise to power/taking responsibility-autonomy in her life, I like that Fera doesn't want to step back, and she's not going to let go now

This might be cos i haven't listened to the finale in ages and forgot everything but

It's obvious that the cast have discussed where they want to go and retconed a few things from legacy game 1 with more thought about the maidens' future, and maybe how this will tie into Favor.

I don't understand why they had to evacuate New Breach, but i might've been wrong thinking only the Keep was pulled into the Fates realm. I find it slightly frustrating that all the political efforts in Kara's arc to get the fey tree are rendered pointless and all these people who wanted to live away from the Eldrin Empire are forced back to it.

(all quotes are approximate, i do not trust my notes)

[dead-boys-club]

but canon hawks IS a cocky ass

I'll say the same thing here that I said on my post about Kokonoi's money trauma; if that is how you perceive him and think he is, then so be it? I'm not going to tell you your opinion and how you see something is.. wrong, not when it's something as unimportant as a fictional character.

However, as this is my blog.. and not how I see him; I'm going to correct you, with my own analyzed opinion.

Hawks is far too complex to just be *a cocky asshole*. He is painfully intelligent - like.. he was quite literally raised to be a soldier. He has to have the ability to be logical, precise and in control of himself at all times when on a mission. I really hate when people take a character that has such a heavy backstory and reduces them down to.. this.

Hawks has incredible control over his emotions, body language, tones, etc. And, having a monotonous, laid back personality also doesn't make you a cocky asshole? Unless, you're referring to the fact in his profile about how he can come off rude.. for the simple fact he's honest and tends to be blunt. Which - I'm apparently going to be a 'cocky asshole' by the end of this, if that's the case lol

Fun fact, though. I've seen a good amount of people portray him as a pessimist? When, in reality, he is surprisingly optimistic. He lives with guilt, scars, fears, worries - he's.. still human. And, even his ability to work can be swayed when it comes to certain things - look at what happened with Twice. He actually build a *real* friendship there, that's why he tried to save him and give him a second chance before simply carrying out what he knew he needed to do.

I've also seen people write him as being manipulative, simply because he's a good liar - which, he has to be. Though, another fact from his profile.. he doesn't like lying. Hawks is very.. chill when it comes to how he lives his life and he wants it to be easy.

The way I write Hawks may not be perfect; may not be anyone's cup of tea. But I write him as being .. laid back, rational - I write him as someone who has vulnerabilities that no one else has seen because?? when would he have had the time to confide in someone like that? looking back on his childhood, his being raised in the system of training and being made what he is, etc. I simply write him as a man who wants an easy life, wants to save people and wants to come home to something *safe* that doesn't involve risking his life or anything else, while battling himself on if he is allowed and worthy of having those things.

This is a mess but I don't really care - it can be summed up pretty easily.

[wine-dark-soup]

Re: what in the seven hells are the elementals

The nature of the elementals has been the source of GREAT confusion and, in my opinion, it always felt like the writers tiptoed around it because the twelveswood went through great changes after 1.0 to try and correct gameplay and lore issues... which they succeeded to do... although... partly.

The elementals went from terribly potent entities who could curse you with the greenwrath (meaning. death. plain and simple) to mostly passive entities that lost their power and can only voice their discontentment.

So like, seems quite simple, right? powerful thing lost its power. but if it stopped there i wouldn't be writing that post. the elementals were feared as much as they were respected, and since they became passive forces... this fear... remained. you must not anger the elementals. not just listen to their counsel through the conjurers and padjal. you must not anger them. but then: why don't gridanians take action? i mean, technically, they do, there are plenty of quests done in the name of the elementals. but if the elementals call to you to kill invasive beasts, why don't they do just that to solve the rampant injustice - racism, inequalities, etc - existing in the twelveswood? surely injustice means the balance of the forest (which they are the wardens of) is disrupted? surely the elementals should be mad?

and so players were left with this for uuuuh a solid decade with no real explanation as to why things were that way. the elementals were mentioned here and there as happy or sad or angry, depending on your actions. and you know, that's fine. nice fantasy tool and all. AND THEN.

Nophica tells you, in the quest The Heart of the Myth:

"Tell me, have you ever met an elemental? Many hold that they were born of me, and as I mentioned, they are the voice of those who abide in the Twelveswood. At times, they may seem excessive in their actions, but it is out of an abundance of love. So pray be good to them, and heed their warnings!"

THEY ARE THE VOICE OF THOSE WHO ABIDE IN THE TWELVESWOOD.

I REPEAT: THEY ARE THE VOICE OF THOSE WHO ABIDE IN THE TWELVESWOOD.

The natural-considered-divine entities and the common people were ONE AND THE SAME ALL ALONG. It's like the writers finally gave closure to that plothole in a single sentence.

It makes perfect sense: the elementals from 1.0 were dangerous creatures because the world was full of madness and on the brink of destruction (and also gridanians were more hostile to the outside world, which is why the elementals didn't welcome strangers and cursed them with the greenwrath).

The elementals from 2.0 onwards are thus less powerful because the will of the people got broken after the calamity, and, as the plot goes on, you can interpret their silence as a sign peace is coming back to the world. or their massive fear as a sign a threat is looming.

This is great! I love that! Just like the Endwalker tank rolequests have stressed, balance in the black shroud is actually actively maintained by mutual concord between its inhabitants. So retroactively, this is why people were finally allowed to dwell in the woods and leave their caves: the elementals - the people themselves - were ready to work together to make this place their home.

That makes the elementals mini-primals, sort of, i guess.

OK, it's all well and good, BUT IT DOES RAISE MORE QUESTIONS.

number 1 being: what are padjal exactly then?

i'll make a tentative answer: it's established that the will and faith of the people can alter the appearance and very nature of things. so if the first dwellers of the twelveswood decided - albeit unconsciously - they needed people to decipher their own will, they manifested them. babies were born with distinctive signs (horns and long lives) and powers (the ability to listen to the elementals).

that implies one can't always listen or understand their own desires, wants, or fear, and needs an interpret. which is great imo. i sure don't know what i'm doing a lot of the time. the padjal thus became the living symbol of the forest's balance - and you turn to them if said balance is disrupted. And if they are balance itself, it stands to reason the elementals would grant them and only them the power to wield white magic.

of course, that also implies padjal are just vessels, just like ysayle was to shiva, for example. and we know how bad that was for one's humanity and sense of self. there could be a whole thing about that and how damaging it is or how, conversely, it could be a sign of concord, but we have to content ourselves with the guardian tree speaking through kan-e-senna turned oracle as a symbol of union.

number 2: SPEAKING OF, what is the guardian tree then?

I have no real answer for this one. It's made of aether and it's very ancient; it may be the Ultimate elemental. The will of the forest and its people made visible.

(there could be questions about why the elementals were seemingly made of aether if they are mostly manifestations of dynamis, but after all, primals are born of a mix of aether concentration AND prayers - dynamis - so if we accept they're a sort of primals, here is that. but why are their aether differently aspected? because people can, too, shape their aether so it bends towards a particular element?)

number 3: OKAY. BUT THEN, IF THE ELEMENTALS ARE THE PEOPLE ARE THE ELEMENTALS, WHY DON'T THEY STILL SOLVE ALL THEIR PROBLEMS? WHY DON'T THE SEEDSEERS ACT? HEH?

yeah. yeah. that's still strange. but i think it boils down to what i said earlier: the will of the people may not necessarily lead to good things - e.g racism creates the need to go through a ritual to prove the elementals you're worthy of living in the forest. and the people don't necessarily know how to interpret what they feel and see. and the summoning of primals didn't solve the problems the beast tribes faced.

In short the elementals are a symbol of balance but themselves - the people - disagree about the way to reach balance. this shows the limits of the padjal's role. they still have to serve everyone... but everyone disagrees on what makes them happy... but the padjal see the balance (or hear it, i guess) in their mind and know they can't let it tip one way or the other...

i suppose this is why we mostly see individual actions in the game: we have to treat one problem of the woods at a time. the closest we get to a real manifestation of balance is again at the end of the EW tank rolequests. everyone agrees to work in unison and recognizes kan-e-senna's efforts, even if they're not enough. so now the forest is more peaceful, though not completely, but if everyone works towards achieving a longlasting peace, the elementals are pleased, because that peace is what the people wants.

one can imagine they're now working on solving their systemic racism and class issues... but ok, that last part is wishful thinking. the way they treated this was clearly a bad writing problem that they never recovered from. they could, if they wanted, we KNOW how good the writing team is now, but i think they're off to new horizons and have been for at least five years. the "the elementals are the voice of those who abide in the twelveswood" was intended, in my opinion, to give us some answers before moving to the game's next arc for good.

unless one day they come back to developing the city states (and gridania most of all, maybe through the void plotline?) again but who knows.

[andreal831]

Hi! I love your posts and would like to hear your opinion on this:

Is it just me or does the fandom seem to have different standards between Caroline and the rest of the female characters?

Like, for example, Caroline is allowed to have her flaws (Like being unnecessary mean at times, insensitive slut-shaming, etc) and the fandom praises her and loves her for it. But whenever the any of the other female characters (Elena, Bonnie, Hayley, Liv, etc) behave similarly they’re bashed for it.

This isn’t bashing Caroline, btw. I do like her, this is just something I’ve observed.

First, thank you so much! I'm glad you like my posts <3

Second, I'm going to try and answer this in a way that I offend the least amount of people possible. But remember, these are just my opinions and interpretations of the show. You can like/dislike whatever character you want. My opinion doesn't need to matter to you.

The fandom in general has a lot of misogyny in it and I do think we can blame a lot of it on the writers for encouraging it. But, yes, each of the women in the show are treated very differently for various reasons.

I like Caroline, but I'll talk about my feelings on her more in another post. I know there is a lot of discussion in the fandom of Caroline being a self-insert for JP and it allows others to have her be a self-insert for themselves. Therefore, the fandom tends to be more understand with her because they see themselves in her. I agree with this to an extent. I do think that Caroline is easier for the audience to understand because her problems feel more human. Most people can understand being an insecure teenager or feeling left out by her friends, a girl who has boy drama and fights with her mom. Season 1 really cemented Caroline as the teenage human girl. While Bonnie and Elena were dealing with supernatural problems. While, as an audience, we can appreciate them, we can't fully understand what they were going through.

This plays a part throughout the series for a lot of people. I see fans often forget the struggles of other characters but hold on to Caroline. To me, it's because they related to Caroline on a personal level they just aren't able to do with the others. A lot of girls are watching Caroline struggle through the same issues they are as they are struggling through them. While I don't necessarily think it's in a self-insert type of way, Caroline does represent the average teenage girl, even after she is turned. I don't think this is a problem per se, people will always find ways to relate to a character. It's the point of media.

I hate discussions on who is the better friend between the three because they all have moments where they are amazing friends and moments where they had issues to different extents.

We also can't discuss how everyone is treated without mentioning race. Bonnie is constantly held to a higher standard because of this. As the only black/POC character for the vast majority of the show, Bonnie has to represent the whole community. She's not allowed to be angry or loud or rude because then it furthers stereotypes. And when she is, people jump on these stereotypes and write her off as a character in general to make it seem like it's not just their racism.

Now for the rest of the women, I have seen hate for every single woman on this show get unnecessary hate. Including Caroline. I do think Caroline stans let her slide on a lot and will defend her like their lives depend on it, but so will Katherine stans and Elena stans, etc. We tend to want to see our favorite characters as perfect and any critique is seen as an attack on their choice of favorites instead of just that, a critique. There is not a single character alive that cannot be critiqued.

Caroline sleeping with Klaus after everything he did was wrong. Just like Elena sleeping with Damon after everything he did was wrong. Caroline was wrong for murdering 12 witches to save her friend just as Hayley was wrong for helping get 12 hybrids killed to find her family. These things don't cancel each other out or make one alright.

Bonnie is perfect and has never done anything wrong.

I do think Caroline stans tend to make up a very large and vocal part of the fandom so it does come across that Caroline is allowed to do anything without critique, but I feel like I've seen a shift in the fandom (or maybe just the side I'm on) where she does get called out. And this is coming from someone who has gotten some nasty inbox messages from Care stans. But some of my favorite mutuals are also Care stans. I've seen so many people love the villains but criticize the teenagers for absolutely everything they do. People just want their faves to be perfect and for everyone to love them. Don't let the problematic, toxic stans represent the character or the fandom as a whole.

Thanks for the ask!

[phightinghottakes]

Uhm, here I have some thingies to say on Scythe.

I think she's well designed, and her colord are nice BUT:

-- I don't think that her skin color matches the palate. And no, I'm not being racist, as a mixed person, I don't tend to be biased in either direction. If she was made to be black originally, then I wouldn't say anything, as that would be kinda weird. But, because she was made with a skin color that fit her palate perfectly well, only to be made darker, which doesn't match, bothers me a bit. There are many other characters that would've been better to make darkskinned, if they just wanted to be inclusive (Banhammer, Skateboard, Boombox, etc.). Also, I feel like when creators try and be inclusive, they forget that there are more colors than just 'black'and 'white', they could've just kept her light-skinned, or made her look more mixed, but no, there are only two races. Other than that, I don't have much to say, she's basically perfect, and it's not like her skin color ruins the design, it just bothers me a little bit.

2. Personality is a bit off

-- In all homesty, she's a new character, so it's a bit odd how people expect her to already be fully fleshed out, however, she feels like a predator, ehoch makes sense, seeing that she's a serial killer, bit there's something else that triggers me a little, but maybe I'm just sensitive

-- (This is going to get me argued with, so let me put a disclaimer: Scythestaff is a perfectly fine ship, this os my personal opinion and why I don't PERSONALLY like it, do not argue with me, because there is nothing to argue about, I am allowed to share my opinion as you are yours. I would also like to very quickly mention that I have been involved in these sorts of 'being flirted with unwantedly by a much older person' relationships, so that makes me biased and 'sensitive' to this sort of stuff)

-- I don't like the way she talks to Vinestaff. It feels like she's flirting, but not in the healthy way, and Vinestaff doesn't seem to like it based off of her responses. Scythe is, fundamentally (in my mind and from what I have read), cat-calling a much younger woman who is communicating that she is uncomfortable with that. And for me, that makes me like her character much less, not that I'm saying I liked the fact that she was a killer, but there's something about being a creep that's... more uncomfortable for me.

3. TRUE EYE

-- One thing I will say is that i like the fact that there isn't much about the True Eye, it gives us room to theorize, to be involved, to IMAGINE! Maybe it's just cause I grew up with Matpat and like writing, but I enjoy having to come up with own ideas and digging for information. We have a basic idea of some of the relations and statuses, as well as information on Lost Temples itself, and I feel like that's all I need.

-- I guess it's resonable to rather be handed lore, but i like being able to form ideas as a fandom, through creative writing and posts, not being spoon-fed information.

4. Fanart and stuff

-- I like most of the fanart where she had a more 'masculine' build (less curves, flatter chest, muscular), over where she's incredibly feminine. I don't think there's anything wrong with making he feminine, but I just imagine her being a lean woman, so she wouldn't have much shape or fat on her

-- This links to the fact that I don't think that she looks too old. For one part, in this day and age, not a lot of 40 years old, specifically not the rich ones (which Scythe definitely is, have wrinkles and that sort of stuff. I think she has SOME wrinkles, but it's not very noticeable. Also, she's probably really fit, seeing as she's a serial killer, the weapon she uses, and just her overall character. I do get why people would rather her look older, though, I just think that she would look closer to 30 than anything else.

-- I also don't like her being used for fan service. She is a strong, independent, powerful, dangerous woman, not someone you can 'fix' or should make to solely be simped on, not to say that she should be unattractive, just keep her other factors in, not just the fact that she's 'sexy'.

That's all I really have to say on her. I'll talk about someone else later!!

-- 🌒 : D

.

[pazziville]

(another rant, scroll if you don't want to read, thank you. feel free to express your own opinions as well, i have no problem with that honestly, i'm all for conversing properly and hearing different perspectives. this has actually been in my drafts for quite a while now and i wanted to make sure i worded things correctly and respectfully and i figured it was the perfect time to post it considering everything that went down lmao.)

most pazzi shippers on here, based on my observations literally just joke around paige and azzi's relationship/duo dynamic and are most of the time not serious or are aware they're reaching but say it anyway because it's a free space out here.

if i see something i don't agree with on here, i simply don't engage with it, hit it with the not interested feature, and scroll down. sure, we're all free to discourse about things, but couldn't it all be avoided if both sides just understood each other?

pazzi truthers from what i see just want others to not be in denial of the possibility of paige and azzi being together because some people really are pushing and forcing the fact that they're just friends for the wrong reasons (homophobia, racism, etc.) however it doesn't also give us the right to harass people on the jump in assumption that they're denying pazzi for reasons that i just stated. people are allowed to not ship them in the same way we do which is post stuff openly and discuss their relationship openly or deny them completely for their fair share of reasons and that's alright. let's go below the belt simply because other people don't ship them the way we do, that's not very cool.

i'm not gonna speak on non-pazzi shippers cause i don't wanna put words into their mouths but from what i see they're concerned with boundaries and how pazzi shippers constantly over analyze things in regards to pazzi.

in terms of boundaries, i'm gonna speak as a pazzi shipper myself that i went here on tumblr to freely share pazzi moments and appreciate whatever they have in a space wherein you have to actively search things to actually see things if you get what i mean. meaning i don't try to shove the pazzi narrative in platforms where i know paige and azzi possibly may see them accidentally (and not purposely) and be possible uncomfortable with them. the moments that i share are those that have been shared here already on tumblr and other public platforms. however i do agree that actively seeking moments of the two using invasive methods and through stalking intensively is not okay and should not be tolerated, ever.

now to get into the topic of over analyzing. as a pazzi shipper myself, i really wouldn't consider it as over analyzing, it's more like trying to connect the dots with touch of delusion because we're obviously shipping two people together. for example we see a paige picture of her fit and we suddenly recall a certain someone wear something similar or the same thing, so of course as shippers, we share it on here and giggle about it. and when we do over analyze it's mostly just delusion so why are we so serious about that. sure it may not be cool to let the delusion seep through other public platforms the girls are on but we're on tumblr, whatever happened to free speech?

bottom line, engage with what u wanna engage, ignore what you don't like or don't believe in. don't go aggravating a group of people who don't have the same interest as you, let people do what they wanna, as long as it's nothing that directly hurt people. like what everyone's saying, we don't know these girls personally and they have not spoken up about anything as well. sure, they don't need to speak up about having to give them the respect and space they deserve but that's exactly why us pazzi shippers here on tumblr are here on tumblr, to make sure we're shipping responsibly.

that's all, gonna go back to my regular scheduled programming now! 🙏🏼

[traumatized-and-lovingit]

Ask The Hashira (+ others)

Characters always open + (pronouns) + ;; tag

Me/Tamayo (she/he/they/it/er) ;; ooc

Muzan Kibutsuji (he/her/Lord/Lady/Highness) ;; insects

Iguro Obanai (he/him/himself) ;; Forked Tongue

Mitsuri Kanroji (she/her/herself) ;; Kisses!!

Giyuu Tomioka (he/him/himself) ;; Water Breathing

Kyojuro Rengoku (he/they/fire) ;; BLAZE OF GLORY

Tengen Uzui (he/they/perfect/flashy) ;; Stay Flashy!

Sanemi Shinazugawa (he/they/wind) ;; Wind Hashira

Shinobu Kocho (she/butterfly) ;; Float like a butterfly

Gyomei Himejima (he/him/himself) ;; pray for the wicked

Hotaru Haganezuka (he/him/himself) ;; Chip and Shatter

Enmu (he/sleep/REM/dream) ;; Shut Eye

Zenitsu Agatsuma (he/thunder) ;; Thunderclap and Flash

You can ask any character in kny anything, the above are just the ones I will immediately get back to

Kagaya Ubuyaskiki (he/him/his) ;; Beautiful skies

If you are interested in rp, please read below :)

ALLOWED:

Romance/love interests - I will include a list of CxC relationships below

OC + canon interactions - please remember I am replying in character and it will not be my opinion of your character (Shinazugawa is a dick)

your OC + my OC interactions - I have four Demon Slayer OCs that I will include

Violence towards certain characters (it's Demon Slayer, it's expected)

Blood, gore, guts, screaming, fighting, etc. - Once again, it's Demon Slayer

Turned!Character interaction - Slayer turned Demon

Swearing (ABSOLUTELY NO SLURS)

Multi-character rp

If you're on anon, please pick a tag or emoji so I can keep track

Genderbent character - just let me know first

NOT ACCEPTED:

Homophobia of any kind

Racism of any kind

Sexism of any kind

Smut

Hate speech

Anger toward my response times - I have a life and my life has shit happening, deal with it

GRAY AREAS:

Self-harm - as someone who struggles, I find it triggering when s/h is described in heavy detail - I'm alright with mentions of scars, struggling or cutting but please do not go into great detail

Eating disorders - same as s/h

Character pronouns - I have them listed above, please respect them - if you would like to interact with a genderbent version just tell me ahead of time

Suicide - once again, mentions are fine (ex. "ever since [character] killed themself..."), but please do not go into great detail

Interaction with me - it will be labeled as ooc, and please specify that you are talking to me or I will reply in character

Nezuko or Tamayo interaction - I have a special connection to these characters, please respect that

Minor interaction - please let me know if you intend to have romance or love interest so I can age some characters up

Mitsuri - please do not talk excessively about her tits. I get it, they're great, she's an amazing woman, but please do not - can be mentioned in passing

Shinobu - same as Mitsuri

Simping - depends on character

IF YOU WOULDN'T POST IT ON YOUR PERSONAL BLOG, DO NOT MAKE ME POST IT ON MINE

RESPECT:

THE CHARACTERS - human or not, please treat all characters with the respect deserved

THE CREATOR - please follow my rules and remain respectful as I am a being with emotions, thank you

YOURSELF - you matter and you are loved, please treat yourself like it (I'm always open to talk if you need <3)

SHIPS - you may request certain character interactions if they are not listed, but I make these lists to display what I am comfortable with

IRLs - I am a Nezuko and Tamayo IRL, if you do not believe in dissociative disorders or IRL people, please do not interact with me - if you do not believe in them but can see past it, feel free to interact, just don't harass me about it

RELATIONSHIPS:

Muzan Platonically : Kagaya, Upper 6, Lower 6, OC Romantically : Enmu, OC DNI : none

Obanai Platonically : Hashira, Demon Slayers, OC Romantically: Mitsuri, fem OC DNI : Serpent demon, cult

Mitsuri Platonically : Hashira, Demon Slayers, OC Romantically : Obanai, Shinobu, OC DNI : none

Giyuu Platonically : Hashira, Demon Slayers, OC Romantically : Sanemi, Sabito, masc OC DNI : none

Rengoku Platonically : Hashira, Demon Slayers, OC Romantically : Uzui, OC DNI : Akaza

Uzui Platonically : Hashira, Demon Slayers, human!Daki/Gyutaro, OC Romantically : Rengoku, Makio, Suma, Hinatsuru, OC DNI : none

Sanemi Platonically : Hashira, Demon Slayers, OC Romantically : Giyuu, OC DNI : none

Shinobu Platonically : Hashira, Demon Slayers, Kanao, Kanae, OC Romantically : fem OC DNI : Douma

Gyomei Platonically : Hashira, Demon Slayers, OC Romantically : none (aroace) DNI : none

Haganezuka Platonically : Canon, OC Romantically : OC DNI : none

Enmu Platonically : Muzan, OC Romantically : Muzan, Upper Rank OC DNI : none

Zenitsu Platonically : Hashira, Demon Slayers, OC Romantically : fem OC DNI : Spider demon family

Kagaya Platonically : Canon, OC Romantically : Amane DNI : none

masc OC = only male fem OC = only female OC = any gender Canon = any canon character human! = demon-turned-human

[cy-cyborg]

So I sent you an ask before your tumblr got deleted and I’m assuming the ask got deleted too. Basically, when I was watching Nimona I thought Ballistar got his prosthetic too quickly after his amputation. But I don’t actually know how long it takes for an amputation to heal, or to build up the strength needed to use a prosthetic. Also I would have liked to see him learn to use his prosthetic instead of using it perfectly from the beginning. But I’m not an amputee. Are my impressions of this accurate?

Yeah, I'm really sorry about that (also that it took me a little while to answer this time too!), I'm pretty sure my answer was actually the next post in my queue 😅.

So I haven't seen Nimona (I really want to, but I don't currently have Netflix lol) so I can only answer generally, but the healing time is different depending on what you mean by healed. If you mean just the wound healing, that takes a few weeks, usually 2-4 weeks. If you mean able to wear a prosthetic, for leg amps, that's usually 6-8 weeks, but I think it might be shorter for arm amputees since they aren't weight bearing through their stumps. Im not 100% sure, though. To fully heal (the swelling in the stump goes down, general pain settles, etc) can take a year or more, but most people will be back to their normal lives long before that, though. As for building up strength to use the prosthetic, that's really variable. Some people take to their prosthetics REALLY quickly, others take a while. The type of amputation is a big factor, but lots of other little things go into it too. Ballistar is an above-elbow amputee right? As I understand it, those kinds of prosthetics are quite difficult to use, both due to the strength needed and due to them not being super intuitive.

In saying all this though, unless its a focal point of the story or its a very grounded/realistic setting, I'm personally pretty lenient with most sci-fi/fantasy in this regards. We definatly need more media - even fantasy and sci-fi that shows that side of being an amputee or at least puts in effort to acknowledge it, but I think stories that lean a bit more into the fantasy side of things have their place too, especially in stories like Nimona where the focus seems to be elsewhere. This isn't to say you shouldn't try to include the realistic rep where you can, but you have to find a balance between realism and the tone your story has. Some stories really would benefit from the more grounded/realistic depictions that show everything, others might only need a brief mention. It depends on the story, and it's really hard to say where Nimona lies on that spectrum without having actually seen it, but from the little I have seen, I feel like it falls on the "brief mention" side of things since it already has so much going on.

I'm going to use How to Train Your Dragon as an example of what I'm trying to say, just becuase I know the first movie got a lot of critisism from amputees for having hiccup literally get up and start walking the moment he woke up after loosing his leg, but I think it lands in a similar area of the spectrum I'm talking about. HTTYD is one of those movies where having the more realistic approach wouldn't have really fit with the tone or pacing, but it would have benifited from a little more than what we got. Not much though, since we kind of already got it with toothless anyway. In my opinion, all it needed was a slight tweak to that ending scene and it would have been perfect (in my opinion). Personally, I would have made Hiccup (without a prosthetic) sit on toothless's back when they went out the door for the first time. The scene plays out almost exactly the same, and you get the symbolic framing the directors wanted, while acknowledging that walking so soon after a burn amputation is not going to happen. Gobber gives Hiccup the tail, saddle and his new leg in the bundle, which allows them to keep the "That bit's my handiwork, with a little hiccup flair thrown in. Think it'll do?" line. Hiccup can instead hold the leg in his hand and say "I might make a few adjustments" - everyone laughs and then it cuts to the end scene with them all flying with the implication some time has passed the same as in the real film. It's a small tweak, but I do think that's all it really needed.

So yeah, While its great to have more realistic representation in your stories, you got to work within the tone your story has. There's no "one size fits all" way to approach it. Again though, I could be wrong about where Nimona would fall here, I know it does tackle heavy subjects in regards to trans representation and discrimination, so maybe it could have made it work. I'll probably talk more about it once I actually see the movie though!

[uncloseted]

Imho we need to stop research deep diving into the people behind our entertainment and holding them to impossible standards because you will literally end up not being able to consume any media again. Your favorite actors/musicians/influencers/writer/etc have all done something problematic at some point and aren't morally perfect people that consumers are slowly demanding them to be. Of course it's different if they've committed a crime but I'm not talking about those types of creators here

I agree, 100%. I think people online need to have an honest conversation with themselves about what their actual goals are and what the best way to achieve those goals would be. Do you want someone to change their views or actions? If that's the case, the best way to achieve that goal is to nicely call them in to a conversation about it. It's not to dig up a post from fifteen years ago, send the person death threats, and then refuse to change your mind about them when they tell you that that's no longer their position. Doing that will only push the person further in the direction of the "problematic" belief or action, because at least the people who support that belief/action aren't trying to dox their families and get them fired from their jobs.

But I think truthfully, a lot of people online don't want other people to grow and change. They want to feel morally superior by punishing "bad" people who have done "bad" things. And in doing so, a lot of those people then start doing the bad things they accuse others of doing and justify it by saying that they had to do those things so that the "bad people" would be held accountable. Righteousness is a dangerous cycle to get trapped in.

I also think it's really strange because people don't apply this same logic in any other area of their lives. Like, would I start boycotting a restaurant because some line cook posted a bad take on his Facebook or stop buying from a store because the owner is an absent parent to his children? No. As long as I get the product I paid for, I don't really care what the personal lives of the employees are like beyond hoping that they're, like, happy and healthy and being paid a fair wage. But the minute the product in question is a celebrity, people lose the plot so quickly. Why should any of us care if actors are uninvolved parents or in a weird relationship as long as they're good at acting, the thing we pay them to do?

And of course, there are some important parameters on that, which I feel like I need to say lest I too be mobbed for having a bad take. For example, the Me Too movement was hugely important because it was about removing people with a history of illegal behavior from having access to the influence that would allow them to continue to abuse people. That's huge. I am in no way saying that we should uncancel Harvey Weinstein or Kevin Spacey. Cancelling them removed them from the film industry, which meant that they were removed from the position of power that they held over others and used to abuse people who were subordinate to them. The film industry is safer without them there.

But... do I care that, for example, Barry Keoghan is "problematic" because he got divorced, moved to a different country from his son, and started dating someone new? Is that worth boycotting his movies over? Saltburn was a good movie. Please, Please, Please is a good song with a good music video. I got what I paid for, which is him being a good actor. Me refusing to watch him in things because he's "problematic" would do very little in the way of his son seeing him more. Even if he wasn't famous, he very well might have done the same thing. Would I care about this if he was a guy who served me a drink in Dublin or something? No. So why should I care because he's someone famous?

Similarly, and this is maybe my more controversial take here, I don't really care if celebrities have an opinion on global sociopolitical events or not. The majority of celebrities barely have a high school education. For the most part, they don't really have the educational or informational background to comment on complex and nuanced issues in any meaningful way. There are some exceptions to that (Tom Morello especially comes to mind- also Natalie Portman, Emma Watson, and Bridgit Mendler), but those are also the people who are using their platform exclusively for business and have opted out of trying to be "relatable" celebrities on social media. And if I'm being honest, I think that's fine. I don't really want, like, Ariana Grande's publicist to post on Instagram about Palestine telling me what they think I want to hear so that Ariana doesn't lose public support (not sure if this is actually a thing that happened- just an example I'm making up). If anything, I think celebrities should be platforming people who are actually experts on these topics and sharing donation links for reputable organizations.

But nobody wants that, because by and large, people don't care about understanding any one conflict in particular. They just want proof that their fave agrees with them on whatever issue is most popular on the internet at that moment, and they want to prove that they're on the right side of history. And that's fine, I guess. Like I was saying the other day, I think people doing the right thing for the wrong reasons is better than people doing the wrong thing for the right reasons. The way things work now, at least people in Palestine are getting the aid that they need. But I think it also creates an environment in which the voices of experts (including the people who are actually living through the conflict) are getting drowned out, and it creates an environment where misinformation can spread rapidly.

All this is just to say that I think we need to be more aware of our motivations and make sure we have all of the information we need before we act. I think it's really easy to get caught up in internet hate trains, especially if you already didn't like the person and have been looking for a reason to justify your dislike for them. And the internet makes it really easy to jump onto those hate trains and feel totally justified in doing so. But as boring as it is, I think we have to take a step back and ask ourselves, "do I have a legitimate reason to dislike this person or are they just not for me? If I think I have a legitimate reason to dislike them, do I have all of the facts, or am I going off the word of someone who already dislikes them? If I have a legitimate reason to dislike them, will my actions encourage them to think differently about the issue, or do I just want to see them be punished? What would this person have to do for me to change my mind on them/forgive them? If there's nothing that would change my mind or make me forgive them, is it better to just block them so I don't waste mental energy on them?" I think it's better for ourselves and for the world at large if we choose to engage thoughtfully online instead of engaging impulsively.

[notafraidofredyellowandblue]

31 days Rammstein challenge - Day 6 - Favorite member

While i will always maintain that i'm in it for the six-men-marriage, that's probably not allowed as an answer for 'favorite member'...

and while the guys are all my favorite for specific reasons (Till for his poignant lyrics and passion, Flake for his wit and down-to-earth-ness, Olli for being the stoic rock, Schneider for keeping the others in the right track musically, and for offstage looking like a happy dad on vacation accidently getting mixed up with a rockband 😊), it will probably be no surprise to followers of this Tumblr, that when it comes down to it, my favorites are:

The left guitarist and the right guitarist

you know, this one (left)

and that one (right)

i'm one of those people whose 'into guitarists' anyway, at campfire was never far away from where the guitar was, in other bands leaning towards the Slash, Brian May, David Gilmour etc types, and the two from Rammstein have a special place in my heart.

Opposites they are in life, and longtime quarellers, arrguers and talkers-till-they-are-blue-in-the-face in the band..

(gif from richard_mooserr_blog)

I do like their drive to wanting the band to make it, Paul with his need to have an opinion on anything and everything and Richard with his drive to improve himself and the band. Imo Paul is big part of the quality control of Rammstein, making sure to go right up to the edge to aggravate people, but never let it go too far. And imo Richard has a huge creative output (well not just imo, i got that from one of Flake's podcasts 😊) so the Rammstein democracy had loads to pick and choose where to build on.

Both have their mistakes (i don't believe in perfect humans, it's the flaws that make a person interesting), but over the years they have grown, evolved and now in their 50's, imo they are at their respective best place in years.

That eventually they even seem to have found a way to work together and have fun while doing it, is ofcourse for me the icing on the cake.

particularly love when Richard plays some parts a little bit different each time, watching Paul's reaction, and Paul going over to Richard's to have a listen (and a quick rub of Richard's soft coat) ❤️ guitar geeks the two of them, i bet they still drive the others crazy now and then, just in a different way then 20 years ago 😊

Oh...you want me to pick one favorite? The left *or* the right guitarist?

Yeah, can't do it 😊🥰

challenge post index

[epickiya722]

I think far too many people analyse the content of MHA without considering the context.

That is not to say that there is no meaning beyond that, that it's immune to criticism or that it's simply not for anyone else - it is first and foremost a weekly shonen manga. Yes, I would say it has it unique edge in that it's a "battle shonen" that places a particular focus on sympathising with *all* characters - which are they the way they are? What does it mean to be a villain? Are people a product of their upbringing etc etc - but again, I think this is more than that.

This is a story for young adults+, a story about trying hard, accepting help, friendship, teamwork and becoming the best version of yourself within your means. I think that's important for kids and young adults to see these stories, to know they don't have to fight all of the time and know that they will have support even if they're disadvantaged in life. It's a story that shows changing perspectives and understanding. I think too many adults on the internet see media and automatically view it within their own limited worldview without remembering that they are stepping into something that was not necessarily created for them. This isn't a story that benefits from debating powerscaling (not that many do!) nor complaining about "talk no jutsu" - because it's not for them. You see the same reactions every time vocal westerners get involved in certain types of media. They just need to take a step back and think about why the media is presented in the way it is. Why their opinions differ. Just, they just need to be normal about it!!

Oh my gosh, yes!!!

Even as a Westerner, that's one of my peeves about what other Westerners do. They tend to forget that not everything is made for them and if they don't understand it, try to. Still can't? Don't be an ass about it.

Everything you just said about BNHA, it's how I feel. Now I know some asshat is gonna be like "You're giving Horikoshi too much credit, yadda yadda", happened before and that person is blocked.

But no. No one is saying Horikoshi has perfect writing. But who really does? I write and I say I have flaws. Yet, that doesn't mean that my writing isn't enjoyable to me and to other people.

That's what I feel towards BNHA, as with other stories. It's enjoyable, perfectionism be damned. I also don't know Horikoshi personally, so I don't know how his mind works. Sure, I get confused sometimes and I'll cringe. It happens.

But honestly? Whatever flaws I or someone feels about BNHA, it allows for exploration. It brings fics and art from fans. Criticism doesn't allow have to be a weapon.

Example! Not necessarily a "flaw" I guess, but I liked if Miruko got just as much spotlight and backstory as someone like Hawks. What did that do to me? It got me motivated to writing fics and making posts about her.

There's also the fact cultural differences play a part here, just as much as gender and age does.

I'm a black woman who has never been to Japan. So I know when watching BNHA, created by a Japanese man, I'm not gonna catch and understand some things.

That doesn't stop me from trying to understand so I can follow along. And it doesn't hurt to learn. I don't have to relate to it to understand.

[shinwhoohoo]

Is the discussion of the opposite opinion allowed here?

I'm sorry to bother you.I'm sorry to say that I find your views very biased rather than objective. But I think this is your place. If you want fans who are as angry with Jinyoung and Baro as you are, I don't want to disturb you. I want to respect your way of venting your feelings.

I've been thinking about this issues for five years, constantly thinking about various details, and finally came to a conclusion in my mind recently. I just think about this issue from the perspective of normal human nature in a way that is completely detached from emotion. I think your conclusions are too hasty. Your analysis is based on the perspective of completely believing that the three members are very kind, very holy, and have no selfish desires at all. And I think of the five as ordinary mortals, without fan filters

I hope you don't misunderstand that I am here to criticize you specifically. In fact, compared to the five members, I pay more attention to the feelings of fans, because I am also a fan, so I can empathize with them. I spent a lot of time thinking to solve the confusion in my mind.If you are interested in hearing different opinions, please let me know. I'll be back. If you are not interested, I will also fully respect your place, will not disturb again. Thank you for reading.

**English is not my native language. I hope you don't find it too hard to read.

#B1A4 # Jinyoung #CNU #Sandeul #Baro #Gongchan #OT5 #OT3 #WM #BB #RBW #all of them are just normal people

My blog has always been a place for people to share how they feel about the group, the fandom, whatever. Plenty of people have come here expressing opposing opinions. But I don't need you coming here to give your opinions on me. You claim you are not here to criticize me, but your tone and word choices seem to do exactly that.

You say I find the three members 'very holy'... if I'm to take you at face value, you are implying that I find A3 to be perfect angels in other words, with no faults. I have never said this. Of course they aren't perfect. None of us are-- that's an obvious statement. And I have also made it clear countless times how I will always support Jinyoung and Baro as they move forward in their careers. Maybe you chose to ignore that.

But I mean, sure, feel free to give your opinions about the boys here. And if you want to comment on anything I specifically have written, go ahead. I just ask you accurately quote me, or better yet, include a link to what post of mine you are referring to. Because everything I have written also needs to be taken in the context of when it was written, what had just happened, who I was responding to, etc. Nothing is that black and white.

But I'll also be perfectly honest-- I'm very much over the whole Baro and Jinyoung vs. CNU, Sandeul and Gongchan talk. It's been five years now. Almost the same amount of time that they spent together lol. At this point, there's nothing new I can offer to discuss about it that I haven't already said in countless other asks over the last 5 years. But if you want this to be a spot to share your thoughts, that's fine.

[mogai-sunflowers]

I NEEDED TO HEAR THIS SO MUCH. I am an autistic person and honestly, I felt like an idiot for many years for not being able to understand most things. Like, it's hard to research, I know the basics but everyone seems to know everything and I feel like I don't even have the right to have an opinion on the subject because I literally don't know every detail of it, EXCEPTIONALLY political.

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!! like i've seen so many people be blatantly fucking ableist and acting like intensely academic political posts are just automatically easy to understand. i try so hard to understand nuanced social dynamics surrounding things like gender, race, disability, i try SO HARD!!! but i get it wrong so much because i genuinely can't understand many things that most people understand. i never mean to offend anyone or anything but come on, people need to understand that you don't have to be good at language, social cues, socializing, or political stuff to still give a crap about social justice. i'm absolutely terrified of ever mentioning my autism in relation to this because i'm sure i'd get a hundred messages telling me i'm weaponizing my neurodivergence to avoid accountability but the thing is, whenever i make a mistake, sometimes it IS because of my autism! autistic people are allowed to make mistakes and discuss why they made it being their autism. it's not inherently wrong to bring up connections between mistakes you've made and the way they were impacted by your autism. i would never be like "omg i'm incapable of doing anything wrong because im autistic so if you criticize me ur ableist" and i feel like that's how people see autistics. we're either perfect at everything and beyond criticism, or we're babies who just use our autism to avoid accountability. and don't get me wrong, that's something people do. there are absolutely white autistics who use their autism to avoid accountability for being racist, cis/straight autistics who use their autism to avoid accountability for being queerphobic, etc. but that doesn't mean that it's always for that reason. there have been times when i've said something inappropriate race and queer-wise because i didn't understand a particular social context that is literally impossible for me to understand. i apologized for what i said/did, but people were angrier at the fact that i didn't understand a social norm than they were at the fact that i acted inappropriately. it shows that people care so much more about the aesthetics of social justice than about actually giving a fuck about the people they claim to support.

another thing that drives me up a wall is when someone offers a public apology for something they did, and literally everyone breaks down every part of the apology to try and "prove" that the person didn't mean it and was just trying to escape being called out. because literally all of that seemingly sound "analysis" is literally just "did they say the right thing for this social situation" which is literally fucking hard and sometimes impossible for neurodivergent and specifically autistic people. social justice has been my biggest passion since i was literally 5 but somehow i feel less valuable and like a horrible person just because i don't always know how to express it and it's so tiring to feel like i don't belong in a place that is supposed to care about me. other things factor into it too, like i feel isolated from social justice spaces because of my queerness and body too, but a lot of it is my autism that makes it so hard. also the way so many social justice posts are like. long ass posts with no tldrs is like. fucking impossible for me to read but then people are like "you can't even read a post this proves you don't care about people" i fucking hate it. sorry for ranting anon i just feel you so much. if you ever need any help understanding something or need support or to rant or anything i'm always here, cuz this is seriously frustrating. but i can promise you that you're not bad for not understanding some things. you deserve to feel free in having your own opinions and beliefs and no one should feel they have the right to make you feel any different.

TLDR: Not everyone understands social nuances as easily as others. Not everyone has the ability to always discern what is appropriate for every social context. Autistic people can bring up their autism and how it impacts them without it being them trying to escape accountability. Autism is not shameful, and these things are natural, not bad. We still deserve love and acceptance in leftist spaces. Please respect us.

[knighta3]

Hi, just in case you miss my reblog of your tags when I block you, you're a transphobe and I hope you get the fuck over yourself someday soon. :)

Me? Get over myself? I'm not the one going out of my way to tell someone I'm blocking them. Get off your high horse. Those drugs aren't good for animals. People like this always take the most bad-faith interpretation possible.

So I've been sitting on this for awhile trying to decide if I wanted to bother replying. Obviously, this person won't see it, unless they go out of their way to check on me for some reason. But this is a topic that I have opinions on that can be difficult to communicate the nuances of, especially with how polarized it is. So I'm using this as an opportunity to sort through my thoughts.

And I have a lot of thoughts, so buckle up.

For context, I've included screenshots of what the person is talking about. The first set of tags is mine, the rest is theirs.

The whole trans concept is a concept. There's an ideology to it. Maybe that wasn't the best way to phrase it, and I apologize for that. But everything is a concept, and that's not necessarily bad. Chill.

It's hard to explain my personal feelings. This isn't a perfect analogy, but it's similar to how I feel about doing drugs. I would never do it, I don't understand why it's appealing to anyone, and I don't recommend anyone do it. But I try not to look down on people who do, and I recognize there are exceptions for medical uses. Minors shouldn't be allowed to do it, but adults can mess themselves up however they want so long as they don't hurt anyone, and a doctor should not lie about the effects it has, or recklessly enable it.

I believe a person needs to be diagnosed with gender dysphoria, go through therapy for at least a year, and rule out less drastic treatment methods before being allowed to medically transition(social transition is a different topic that I don't care to discuss right now. So mentions of transition in this post will refer to the medical variety unless otherwise stated). You might be born gender dysphoric, or more masculine/feminine than usual, idk, but being Trans is not something you innately ARE, it's something you BECOME. I don't think anyone is trans until they actually transition. Before that, they're simply gender dysphoric.

Cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers are something that we do not know all the effects of, especially on children(who are still developing and thus have more unpredictable variables in play). Minors should never be allowed to transition. There are too many variables to reliably diagnose chronic gender dysphoria vs other causes of discomfort. (To be clear, I'm using "chronic" as a way to describe a condition that won't simply go away or be grown out of, and requires treatment). People who are not gender dysphoric should not transition, as it is a completely unnecessary risk and I feel it is malpractice for a doctor to allow it. Side note, but gender-affirming surgeries are just cosmetic surgeries and body modification.

I feel the same about medications too. Especially for kids. Meds for AHDH, depression, anxiety, birth control, etc. All meds have risks associated with them. We're altering the way the body naturally functions and pretending to know and control what happens. We do not know all the ways those meds can affect the human body and mind long-term(and it can be different for every individual, doubly so for minors. Deciding whether to introduce meds is a risk vs benefit scenario, especially for kids. If the problem can be treated or sufficiently managed without making a person reliant on drugs, it should be done first. But if the problem is too severe for those less medicalizing treatments, then getting on meds and such should be considered. Because at that point, the benefit outweighs the risk. (For context, I am an adult with diagnosed anxiety and take meds for it. Before taking meds, I tried the normal stuff like exercise and meditation and whatnot, but I was still a mess. I wish meds weren't necessary for me, but they seem to be. I am also ace, so does that make me queer? Or am I disqualified for having the "wrong" opinion?)

The cause of gender dysphoria can vary greatly. This person has latched heavily onto my mention of neurodivergence and assumed I only meant autism, but it's far more multifaceted than that. Gender dysphoria is the condition, and transition is a potential treatment. But the possible underlying causes should be addressed BEFORE considering transition as a treatment.

Maybe some people are born with it, or at least develop it very early with no external causes. I don't have stats, but I feel this is a minority.

Gender Non-Conformity: Some people are simply naturally feminine men/masculine women and they feel that isn't acceptable for whatever reason. So whether or not they are conscious of the reasons for that dysphoria, they feel a societal pressure to transition because they don't fit the gender norms. Others are gay and are in denial over it and choose to "trans the gay away" instead of accept that aspect of themselves. This is common in places like the Middle East, where homosexuality is highly stigmatized and persecuted.

Paraphilia: Some people are just attracted to or aroused by exposing themselves to others, cross dressing, or perceiving themselves as the opposite gender. I'm inclined to think a "trans" woman who exposes male genitalia in woman's spaces and loudly insists that others accept it, no matter how uncomfortable or triggering is could be for others, is not actually gender dysphoric. Drag Queens are not trans, and neither are these people.

Trauma: Some kids suffer from severe trauma, and gender dysphoria can develop as a result. A child suffering from sexual abuse, for example, may rationalize that maybe if they were the opposite sex, they wouldn't have been hurt. So as they develop, they take on traits of the opposite sex to cope with their trauma and become dysphoric. It may not be the most rational of responses, but trauma responses seldom are, especially in kids. Plus, there are cases of DID(Disassociative Identity Disorder) where some alters are different genders from the system's host/body. DID is caused by trauma at a specific age which causes a level of disassociation that splinters into multiple identities(personalities) separated by amnesia walls within the mind. The individual identities carry different parts of the trauma to compartmentalize and cope in order to protect the "host"(the "main" or "primary" identity). Some of the identities develop gender or age dysphoria as a part of their coping mechanism. It's honestly fascinating to observe the variety of ways DID systems will cope with trauma.

Neurodivergence: I have various relatives on the autism spectrum. My sister is high functioning, and a few cousins were diagnosed with Asperger's when that was still considered it's own diagnosis. When people live with a mental condition like that their entire life, they absolutely cannot tell what aspects of themselves is caused by the neurodivergence, what is caused by trauma, what is "normal", or what is just normal for the individual. It would be unfair to assume they can parse out all of that when it's even a struggle for neurotypical people. And there is more to neurodivergence than just autism. Some people don't consider depression/anxiety and such as neurodivergence. But I will when it's chronic/clinical because it is a mental disorder characterized by abnormal brain function. So when I'm having trouble with anxious thoughts, it's difficult to tell what is a reasonable concern(because everyone has occasional feeling of anxiety) vs me just overreacting because of my mental condition. The same applies to depression, self harming behavior, suicidal ideation, etc. I have a friend who took a while to realize she was schizophrenic because she couldn't tell that the extra voices in her head was an abnormal experience. To reiterate, this point is about how people with neurodivergence can't always tell when their experience is abnormal because they have always had this experience and it is normal to them. Recognizing what is different about yourself is a learned skill. Gender dysphoria may or may not occur along with various different neurodivergent conditions.

Autism: One common trait of autism is a male-typical pattern of interaction. Women/girls tend to be more socially/emotionally driven while men are more object/goal driven. This does not apply to everyone, as it is just a broad pattern of typical gender traits. Autistic people tend to struggle with social and emotional relationships with others. So autistic girls in particular struggle to fit in with the other girls, and can feel they fit in better with the boys. But at the same time, the boys might feel weird about hanging with a girl(because of "cooties" behavior, which I'm using to describe the tendency for girls and boys to segregate themselves from each other). Overall, it's not that big of a leap for an autistic girl to conclude that she should actually be a boy and subsequently identify as transgender.

Social Contagion: People, particularly kids/teens, are desperate for an individual identity, but also to fit in and be part of a group. They want attention. And if they can't get "good" attention, they will absolutely settle for "bad" attention(misbehaving, lashing out, rule breaking, deviant/criminal behavior). Children do it all the time, especially with neglectful or strict parents. Dogs even do it, which is one reason they can become disobedient. Also, teens are at an age where they often place more value in their friends and social standing than in their family. So if their friends start identifying as various different LBGTQ+ identities, they will find a label to slap on themselves too so they can fit in. Siblings may follow in their footsteps and also find a label for the sake of a label. Nobody wants to be the straight cis friend these days. People crave a sense of belonging, while also being different from the larger majority for a sense of individuality. Some people choose to be theater kids, band kids, jocks, etc. to accomplish this. But if none of those appeal to them or they can't break into the group, they have to find something else. If people can get attention or validation or a sense of belonging by joining this exclusive trans club, they will. Previous generations were flappers, hippies, hipsters, emo/goth, etc. With insistence that, "it's not a phase, mom!" The biggest difference between those and this is the transgender movement has more permanent effects on the individuals within it, which are potentially harmful if we aren't careful.

Sense of Control: Some of these potentially underlying issues can overlap or cause each other. If the wrong condition is treated, it might not help. For example, anxiety can cause depression. But the depression is a symptom of the anxiety, so treating the depression doesn't solve the underlying cause. When people feel that something about their life is bad, so something about it has to change. And sometimes that something ends up being gender. They feel if they can control some aspect of themselves, things will improve. A girl might become so convinced she can't succeed because she's a girl that she instead decides her chances would be better as a boy. Or a boy is so burdened by the expectations of male gender roles that he thinks life would be easier as a girl. This would probably be coupled with other underlying factors such as depression. In a similar vein, skipping straight to a transition rather than addressing underlying conditions first won't ease the turmoil. If anything, it would make it worse. Because if you think transitioning would fix all your problems, and then it doesn't, it would make you feel more hopeless.

Puberty: First, young kids are exploring the world around them and that is often done through play. Trying on mom's shoes or messing with her makeup or playing with dolls and sparkles does not mean a young boy is a trans girl. And playing with dirt or toy trucks or wanting to play sports or hating dresses does not make a young girl a trans boy. Kids are just kids and should be left to play and explore. They observe reactions around them, and if being "trans" gets them praise, they will do it. Teens are going through a tumultuous and unstable phase of life where they are still searching for their own identity and trying things out. It is horrendously irresponsible to enable any impulsive life-altering choices. Puberty is uncomfortable and can cause temporary gender dysphoria in a lot of teens. I went through it too, before I had ever heard of the concept of transgenderism. I felt I didn't fit in with the other girls, so I wondered if I was born in the wrong body because I had a little more noticeable hair than the others. Most kids/teens will grow out of it. "Oh, puberty blockers just pause puberty to give kids a chance to decide" No, no, no. Puberty blockers were initially used as a way to chemically castrate sex offenders. I would never trust that for kids. And, ironically, if the kids don't go through their natural birth-sex puberty, they won't have enough of the needed tissue for a bottom surgery if they wanted to go that route. Which significantly increases the chances of potential complications associated with the surgery.

Side tangent, but still somewhat relevant, but I'm reminded of castrati. Castrato were men who were castrated as young boys before going through puberty(as opposed to eunuchs, who were castrated after puberty). They were stars of the opera because they retained the higher vocal range of a young boy, but with the lung capacity and power of a man. They were particularly common in areas that didn't allow women to perform, such as Italy. Because castrato were highly desired in the music industry, but had to be set on that path young, parents would have their pre-pubescent sons castrated around the ages of 8-12 to give them just the chance for this "lavish" career path. The operation wasn't legal, and considered barbaric even at the time, but parents would make up excuses such as falling off a horse or animal attack where the castration would be considered a treatment. But becoming an opera singer wasn't easy and required intense musical training. Castrati who didn't succeed in the field were relegated to a life of ridicule, poverty, and/or prostitution. The lack of testosterone could cause their bones to grow longer instead of harden, so they would be abnormally tall and have large rib cages(similar to gigantism), and be prone to conditions such as osteoporosis. Plus an increased tendency toward obesity. It was common to develop feminine features. Overall, they were seen as something of a "freak show." The practice slowly died off, but didn't really end until the early 1900's. Most castrati were forced into this lifestyle by desperate, poverty-stricken families. But the desired fortune didn't come for most, they were often ostracized for neither being a full man nor a woman, but rather something subhuman, and died in poverty and ridicule. It doesn't matter how well-meaning the family may or may not have been. The result was ruined lives.

I don't say any of this to invalidate the experience of gender dysphoria or of trans people. I say this because people are being hurt without proper safeguards. The suicide rate of trans people does not significantly change before or after transition. This suggests that transitioning itself does not treat the underlying cause of their misery. And the rate of detransitioners is rising because we are too quick to affirm feelings of transness and fail to filter out those who would end up regretting it because it was "just a phase". Then, once they become detrans, they're totally rejected by the trans community as "never trans in the first place". Even though the Detrans person transitioned in the first place because they believed they were trans and that a transition would solve their problems. It isn't fair to scorn them when it didn't work out for them. They still went through the experience of transitioning, which is still a valid trans experience.

Detrans people suffer irreversible harm that could have been totally preventable if their medical care providers had bothered to do any proper screening and pushback. If a person would truly benefit from a transition, then they could absolutely confirm that by going through the whole process. If they can't get through the process, then they shouldn't transition in the first place.

What is concerning is that suicide rates don't significantly change before/after transition, and most gender dysphoric people seem to have a some degree of trauma or mental illness in their background, which indicates to me that there is more going on than just being "born that way". And I think it is vital to the health and well-being of these people to acknowledge and explore why.

I don't think it's transphobic to believe gender dysphoria, and transgenderism by extension, can have underlying factors that should be looked into and thoroughly addressed before pursing a transition as a means to relieve distress.

[manonamora-if]

UX anon here - thank you for your response! I didn't realize the lack of resources in the community tbh. Would it be helpful if there was a master post of basic mobile UX principles to follow? Or would it be more helpful to gather a bunch of pre-existing twine templates and iterate them to be more in line with said principles? Or both?

Hi again Anon! :D

Yeah... it's kind of a common feeling. You [general you] don't know how much knowledge/resource/time/etc you need to invest until you actually make the thing you are enjoying. I've done the same when watching movies/series, believing I could write better dialogue... lol the audacity of my brain honestly...

I did make a Twine resource list some weeks back, with all I knew/could find, but I don't think there are any resource focused on mobile only. Though I do think most templates have some sort of mobile formatting/scaling in mind (even if not perfect). So this is definitely a niche to fill!

When it comes to the nitty-gritty of things, I can't really tell you which path to take (I am just one creator in the sea of many). You could send a poll to other authors, see their input.

I would advise against, though, reiterate pre-existing twine templates without the explicit consent of the creator (it might go without saying, but just in case). They might even prefer editing their templates with those advice instead of seeing their "updated" templates available out there (that's def the case for me).

But I do think the idea of a Master Post of Basic Principles with clear instructions (and images of what is good/not good!) would definitely be helpful. It leaves you open to go in more details about other principles in the future (if you want to do so, obviously you shouldn't feel pressured).

Last bit of advice, maybe check out Twine and how the different formats have built their visuals. It probably help you understand the limitations creators face when editing their UI. Theoretically, you could do anything on Twine, especially with SugarCube/Chapbook/Snowman (Harlowe is... wonky). But there are some class that have different rules depending on them being built through CSS or JavaScript.

EDIT: IF YOU POST SOMETHING LIKE THAT ON TUMBLR, TAG ME SO I CAN SHARE IT!!!

I'm also going on a bit more rambling, because I've realised I've had more feelings about the topic. PS: not directed at anyone in particular, just letting some steam out.

This is also my personal opinion, but I don't think (non-physical) IF was ever intended to be on mobile in the first place (ahem parsers/point-and-click...). When IF became a thing, there were no mobile (so that question was moot anyway). You just had a computer (maybe) that would run a program. I feels like it's been more of an evolution towards mobile use, as smaller/touch screens became the more prevalent device for entertainment (in general, not just IF). You have apps like CoG or HostedGames or those Story ones (they kind of look like VNs) that are very popular (and are incidentally fit for mobile...). And now we expect this of everyone that start with IF.***

While IF programs/format do allow for mobile support (to different degree), I do think we have to remind ourselves from time to time that IF creators still often create as a hobby, with often limited knowledge and resources. The fact that we sometimes/often uphold some IF to standard as high as actual game companies (who have headcounts and resources and knowledge to make things better) is just mind boggling to me (the number of asks/comments I get about my UI not looking professional because of a few mistakes...). Even trying to go through actual big company website is sometimes dreadful on mobile. Unileveeeeer *raise fist to the sky*...

Resources to make things more accessible (especially program/format specific) should be available to people, but we should leave some leeway to people who can't implement things or just don't want to. It might suck, but yeah... Think of it as computer exclusive projects (like you'd have with consoles :P ).

***Little side note, but we had a similar-ish discussion on the forum about Twine games during the IF Comp. It wasn't about mobile accessibility but the game being unstyled, and how many expected Twine entries to have some sort of styling and not just use the base UI, while the expectation was not as present (or not at all) for other programs. It is very interesting to go through.

[aphel1on]

now that this has over 12k notes i need to be a little autistic and reblog it from myself to rant about smth

probably like a dozen people have said stuff in the tags like "beholding your scaramouche icon op" "ah the icon makes sense" etc etc

THIS POST IS NOT ABOUT SCARAMOUCHE

i'm not mad actually i shouldn't use all caps. you can have a slightly different interpretation of scara than me, that's okay

but as an annoying stan and someone with strong blorbo opinions, i just don't think he quite fits this trope. yes, he DID descend into madness/insanity after experiencing strong personal tragedy - but i don't think it was really about the empathy.

yes, he was a lot more empathetic in his youth, before he closed himself off from all other people. and the grief was definitely a driver in his fall. but the crux of his problem has always been a soul-crushing loneliness.

that's why he was able to reframe the losses as betrayals. that's why what finally allowed him to begin to heal was when someone (nahida) saw all that mess and still believed in him and, most importantly, stayed.

he has never had strong personal ideals nor really been at conflict with the cruelty of the world. he's not trying to solve anything with his crusades nor even burn it down as revenge. it's a much more intimate and, dare i say more easily relatable, tragedy that drove him to such extremes: being alone. being unwanted. and believing that as long as he remained himself, that would never, ever change. so he resolved to erase himself and become something different. and dottore offered him the perfect goal to obsessively pursue: becoming a god, the first thing he had ever failed at.

i think scaramouche is slowly rediscovering his empathy now in a world where he's allowed himself to care. seeing him begin to reclaim his softness is one of my favorite things in wanderer fics. but it was never the conflict at the heart of his character. imo.

i have such a love for characters who descend into madness or villainy out of deep, deep empathy. characters who fundamentally cannot cope with the cruel realities they find themselves in and blow up about it in spectacular fashion. fallen angel type characters with tears of outrage in their eyes. characters who break before they bend, and break so badly they splatter blood all over their noble ideals. every variation on it gets me so good