#need a larger sample size for sure on this one

[mabaris]

not to be that bitch who reads too much into things again but. it feels rly telling that not a single woman made it into the romance survey semifinals

[martinshep]

Alterhuman dictionary masterpost

This is the masterpost for my alterhuman dictionary project. There are already alterhuman dictionaries online but I found them lacking. They either had many unreliable sources, too few sources, or no methodology, that's why I decided to create my own.

It's currently quite bare, but hopefully you can help fix that!

The dictionary itself

I want to help!

Awesome! Send me a message saying you want to help and I'll do a short interview to make sure you're one, real/not a troll, and two, have at least a little experience or interest in similar areas.

I think it needs a new word added!

If you want to add a new word there's a link just above the introduction to a form where you can add new words.

If you feel like you wouldn't know enough words to add, add the ones you do know, it helps me to know which are more common!

Here's a direct link for those who want it:

I think this word needs another definition!

You can simply click on the link contained within a word to go to a form to vote on definitions, or add your own.

Please reblog for larger sample size

[incorrectbatfam]

Retail Steph is my new favorite character. can we have her with the JL or other heroes?

Part 1 with Margie

Part 2 with the batfam

Part 3 with the Rogues

[at the grocery store]

Steph, holding a tray of cheese cubes: Would you like a free sample of our sharp cheddar?

Barry: Sure.

Barry: *takes a sample*

Barry: Can I have another?

Steph: Yeah, go ahead.

Barry: *takes another*

Barry: *takes another*

Barry: *takes another*

Steph: *stands there as he devours the whole tray*

———————

[at the coffee shop]

Diana: One oolong tea, please.

Steph: What size?

Diana: Do you have something larger than a venti?

Steph, showing her a cup: There's the trenta.

Diana: Larger. Something godly.

Steph: We have a gallon for catering.

Diana, disappointed: Hm... I suppose that will have to do.

———————

[at the clothing store]

Steph: That'll be $253.75.

Zatanna: Wait, let me show you a magic trick. I'm going to make these prices... disappear!

Zatanna: *pulls a bunch of coupons out of her sleeve*

Steph: *sighs and starts scanning*

*minus $5.00*

*minus $10.00*

*minus $15.00*

*buy 1 get 1*

*10% off*

*25% off*

*member discount*

*frequent flyer discount*

*Justice League discount*

*holiday sale*

*bonus points*

Steph: Congrats, the store owes you twelve dollars.

———————

[at the drive-thru]

Steph: Welcome to Batburger, what can I get you?

Bruce, as Batman: *grunts*

Steph: Would you like fries with that?

Bruce: *grunts*

Steph: And would you like those fries Jokerized?

Bruce: *grunts*

Steph: Jeez okay, struck a nerve there. Your total is $10.38. Please pull up to the next window.

———————

[at the furniture store]

Steph: For the last time, your fishiness, that's not what the warranty means by "acts of God."

Arthur: I am a god and it was my act. Now I would appreciate if you refunded my spinny chair.

———————

[at the restaurant]

Steph: Are we ready to order?

Lois: Yes. I'll do the bolognese, please.

Steph: Excellent. And you, sir?

Clark: Hold in, the salmon looks good too. In fact, I completely missed the entire seafood section. Can I do a salmon with—

Clark: Wait, I've read those mercury poisoning studies. How about the shrimp carbonara—

Clark: Actually, I like linguine better. Let's do the shrimp linguine—

Clark: Wait... the ravioli sounds good too.

Clark: And so does the gnocchi.

Steph: Would you like a few more minutes?

Clark, sheepishly: Yes, please.

Lois: *glares at him*

———————

[at the call center]

Steph: Wayne Enterprises account support, how can I help you?

*crackles*

Steph: I need you to speak up.

J'onn, through the static: I want— *crackle* —added.

Steph: Sir, you seem to be breaking up.

J'onn: Sorry— *crackle* —on Mars.

Steph: *facepalms*

———————

[at the Watchtower]

Oliver, whispering: What's up with Spoiler?

Hal: *glances at Steph*

Steph: *silently seething*

Hal, shrugging: It's probably a bat thing.

[coltishcaterpillar]

Unmasked / Platonic!Father Alastor x Teen!Daughter Reader

Chapter I: Introduction

Summary:

Two days after the Extermination, a bored Emily reads through private records of Heavenly residents and sinners alike.

During her mindless scrolling, she comes across a vintage diary smelling of old paper, from the late 20s-early 30s. It details the life of the teenage adopted daughter of the Radio Demon; up until her death at aged 16 on January 11th, 1934.

WARNINGS: Mentions of Racism

April 4th, 1932

Have you ever seen a top hat, what one really looks like on a person?

Neither have I, until today. At the end of Merritt Street, there’s a small accessories store that sells jewellery and clothing alike.

I used to frequent there, but I’ve never been a fashionable girl. I’m a larger fan of browsing; just admiring the beauty of art from afar, rather than acquiring it.

I never realized how much I missed the little establishment until I saw my favourite businessperson; Anne Brewster. A short, tout woman she was. Her skin had a grey tinge to it, a pointy nose that popped out her features; bright brown eyes and hair as white as pearls, short and thin as straw.

I greeted her with my usual demeanour. Quiet and curt, a straight wave and a superficial smile. The woman has a tendency to chatter; most of the time I don’t have time to interject, so I just listen.

I went in the shop with Elbert Graves; a fellow classmate of mine in mathematics. He’s not my ideal source of company, I’ll admit. I get along much better with other girls, but this helpless boy is always on my tail, and I can’t bare to tell him to get lost.

We came across a jet-black top hat with a golden ribbon wrapped around its rim. It was on display, but there was no glass so we assumed we could sample it. Elbert looked utterly ridiculous in it; far too flashy, and way too gigantic for his pea-sized head.

I managed a small laugh, as that’s the reaction he would’ve wanted from me. Ever the jokester…

I took a seat on the cushioned chair in front of the store’s entrance. Whilst Elbert was fooling around with other gadgets, Anne took to speaking with me.

She spoke a great deal about her grandchildren, and then inquired me about Papa.

Pa doesn’t usually wander about these places, but he knows Anne from university; they attended the same one in Shreveport, in September of 1908. Pa wanted to become a broadcaster post-secondary (to which he achieved) and Anne wanted to edit the local newspaper part-time; she was getting old, but didn’t want to stop working. She didn’t end up pursuing it, however, she dropped out her third year to take care of Rachel (her eldest grandchild who was 5 at the time.) Then, she inherited this business when Mr. Brewster, her father, died. He owned the shop.

She asked about his job was working out for him. Pa never speaks about work when he arrives home; usually he’s more interested in my daily activities. I don’t listen to Pa’s radio channel anyways, because the subjects he covers doesn’t appeal to me.

I just told her he was thriving; because in a way, he was. Pa was rarely in a sour mood. Of course, he gets moody when I do something out of line from time to time, but his attitude is always uplifting.

Elbert excused himself to the restroom at the back of the desk; that’s when she started talking about adolescent things. Boys…..

“Elbert is a such a handsome boy, don’t you agree?”

“Not particularly.”

“Oh? Why do you say that?”

“His chin is too long, and his head is too small for his broad shoulders. Not to mention his personality isn’t to my tastes. He’s far too extroverted and cheeky.”

“Oh, come now, my lovely. Surely, we can’t all be picky! What ever will you do when you grow into a young woman? Who will be around to take care of you?”

“Pa will, no doubt.”

“Oh, don’t be silly. Your father will be far too senile to care for you when you’re in your prime! You need a strong man!”

“Too senile?! Surely, you jest. Pa may be lanky, but he’s very capable. He was only twenty-five when he adopted me, he’ll only be middle-aged by the time I’m an adult.”

“You say Elbert is cheeky, but I see a lot more cockiness coming from you than I ever have with him.”

“Only an outside observer can properly assess my personality. Perhaps you just see my persona differently than I.”

“Is that so?”

The bell hanging from the door rang; in came a man, dressed in a business suit, a large briefcase held in his right hand. He had been more wrinkly than I had last seen him: Anne’s partner, Mr. Devereaux.

He has a very thick Yorkshire accent; Anne and him met while she was on vacation in London; Mr. Devereaux was studying photography. When they first met in late 1864, they weren’t sure whether or not they could ever be together. Anne is a very brown woman, you see. Very. Mr. Devereaux is about as white as a sheet. People often look down on….colourful couples…? More harshly. They aren’t allowed to be married, so they had to improvise.

Forgive me for not mentioning this sooner, but Anne is actually good friends with my Grandma. Pa is half-Creole, you see, and my Grandma’s roots come from there. So, the Brewsters are actually well-acquainted with my family.

Mr. Devereaux sat his briefcase beside the door, across from where I was seated. He flashed me a toothless smile; quite literally, since they all rotted out of his mouth due to age.

I gave him a curious look back.

“Back from business, old man?” I tease.

He chuckled; giving me an affectionate pat on the head.

“Oh, well, look at you! Already at it with the nosy interrogation, I see! I’ve missed you, sweet girl.” He smiled.

I narrowed my eyes. He didn’t answer the question….

He turned his attention to Anne quite quickly. Leaning over the desk, he planted a kiss on her forehead.

“The trip went smoothly,” He told Anne, “Janice sent you a letter. It should be in the mail soon, my darling.”

Janice was their daughter.

“Lovely.”

He turned his entire body so it faced me, with an inquisitive look on his face. He then turned and whispered to Anne,

“Al is out late again?”

“I don’t know, my sweet. I’ve seen her out and about all day with Elbert, he must be. It’s nearly nine.”

“I thought his radio shows were done by four?”

“Perhaps the schedule’s changed, dearest. Let’s not be nosy, it’s not our business.”

I let out a deep breath through my nose, standing up. Pa likes to hang around a few stores after work, so I tried my best not to let their observations get to me. Perhaps he was already home!

Anne leaned over from behind Mr. Devereaux.

“Could you go check on Elbert, hun? He’s been in the restroom for quite a while.”

I sigh. Without a response, I head toward the back desk, into the small hallway that had the restrooms.

I knocked on the door, firmly.

“El?” I addressed him by nickname.

“Mhm?” His hun echoed off the door.

I raised an eyebrow. “What have you been doing in there these past fifteen minutes? It was eight-forty when you went in, it’s five to nine already!”

Within seconds, he came out of the door, an awkward smile plastered on his face. A blush dusted his cheeks as well; I narrowed my eyes at him. Did he have the runs?

“Finished?” I asked him without judgment.

“Yes.” He said, curt.

I lead him back to the entrance of the store, passing Anne a smile. I turn my gaze back to Elbert.

“I’m going to be leaving now. I hadn’t realize how late it was. Will you be alright on your own?” I asked, a tint of concern in my voice.

“Of course. See you later?” His tone was hopeful.

Without a pause, I said, “Yes, I’ll see you later.”

I said my goodbyes to Anne and Mr. Devereaux, and sent my regards to Janice.

When I exited the store, it wasn’t as dark and drab as I thought it would be; I still heard birds chirping, and I could see my way almost perfectly. Just another perk of springtime, I suppose.

When I arrived home, Pa was indeed on the couch, his legs crossed, with a newspaper in hand; black coffee was situated on the side table.

“Home at long last, my dear!” He put his newspaper down; and I ran over, kissing him on the cheek.

“Sorry, Papa. How long did you have to wait?”

“Oh, not long at all!” He chuckled heartily.

I turn over to the rounded wooden table in the dining room; a large cloth bag sat on it; my eyes lit up in curiosity.

“Now, now,” Pa waved his finger, “I know that dangerous gaze. Don’t go peeking around my things, dear.”

I put on a thinned-lipped smile, leaning on the armrest.

“What, do you have something to hide, Papa~?” I leaned in, teasingly.

It was meant to be a joke. A rhetorical question. Yet, I couldn’t help but notice his fist clench up, if only for a moment. His body language was saying something different than what his mouth was.

“Is it really too much to ask to keep yourself out of my business?” He bit his lower lip.

When Pa took that tone with me, I knew it was time to pipe down. I decided to change the subject, sitting next to him on the couch.

“Elbert and I took a stroll around the avenue.” I said, tracing along the armrest.

I could FEEL Pa’s eye roll without even looking.

“Out with that wretched boy again, are we?” He took a casual tone as he sipped his coffee, but I knew the mere thought of Elbert irked him.

Pa has never interacted much with my friends, so I thought El would be another drop in the ocean. I think his hatred of him has something to do with that one time he came over here.

Everything was alright until dinner time.

The few hours earlier, Grandma treated us with a generous amount of Jambalaya. She always makes the best, after all.

Elbert made an….observation? While we were eating and it made Pa freeze.

“This is some slave food! Who made it, a peasant?”

All I remember was Pa’s grip tightening so much on the fork. I leaned over to where he was sitting and rubbed his arm a little.

I disliked the comment too. That was my Grandma he was speaking about….

After El left, I noticed Pa staring at the wooden spoon on the shelf. I know that blasted piece of cutlery all too well….

Pa is good at discipline. Even when my other friends came over, he’d always make an effort to chastise them if they didn’t say please or thank you.

Long story short, I think Pa wanted to beat El. That’s probably why he was showing such immaculate restraint at the table. I can’t imagine another person disciplining somebody else’s child would go…smoothly, anyway.

He had valid reason to hate him, I suppose. I’m not fond of Elbert either, but…how do you find it in your heart to say no? I suppose I’ve never really had a backbone, but…it seems that he’s really fond of me.

“How was work?” I asked with a smile.

“It held all of its classic theatrics! You should find it in your soul to listen to my shows, my dear.” He beamed.

I was deep in thought.

“Don’t I hear enough of your voice already?”

Pa chuckled his little chuckle that always made my chest warm.

“You can never have too much of your father!”

Time went on as usual; a few moments later I decided to pack up for bed; Pa went upstairs to get his radio ready to listen to. He always does before he sleeps.

I took that as an opportunity to ponder; I turned my gaze back to the bag on the table. Pa notoriously hunts, but it was far too late for food, so it made me wonder.

I slid toward it with my socks against the hardwood. I breathed in deeply; perhaps there was a certain scent? All I could smell was the dusty fabric; nothing more.

With a sigh, I decided to leave it for now. Maybe it’s….best that I don’t.

Y/N

——————

Emily blinked once. She recognized the background; that this child of one of the hotel staff in Hell.

Taking the historical piece of literature to St. Peter, she inquired,

“St. Peter, hi! I was just wondering if there is a girl here in Heaven named Y/N L/N?”

St. Peter smiled in delight, getting out his holy book, scanning through all the people with your name; going roughly by last name. His face fell as they came to an end.

“Unfortunately not, Em! It’s…strange, considering the circumstances. Sixteen is very young for a person to end up in Hell…but she isn’t in Heaven.”

Emily frowned, eyeing the diary in her hands. Perhaps she’d find the answer in there….

[moonstruckme]

feels odd being a marauder fan asking for tasm Peter content but i couldnt help myself <//3 if ur still taking requests id love to see ur take on Peter and the art students meet cute (or not so cute meeting) I always wondered how two vastly different people would even meet lol

Thanks for requesting gorgeous!

cw: mention of animal cruelty (not present in the story)

tasm!Peter Parker x artist!reader ♡ 831 words

Peter wonders if he should put on his mask. 

He’s not really sure what the protocol is for non-mutant criminal activity that makes its way into his daily life. But he’d only been trying to lock up the lab for the night, and there you are, spray painting all over the glass panes dividing the workspaces. 

“Hey!” He decides to forgo the mask when you direct your can scary close to a container of samples. “Don’t do that, you’ll ruin them.” 

You turn slowly, tense all over. It’s a look Peter’s not unfamiliar with; fight and flight are warring in your nervous system. You’ve been caught. 

“No one’s still supposed to be here,” you say, voice muffled slightly by the painter’s mask covering your nose and mouth. 

A laugh bubbles out of him. “Oh, my bad. Sorry—actually, since I’m clearly the one breaking the rules, I’ll just go.” 

You remain frozen in place, seemingly waiting to see if he’s actually joking or not. Peter’s not sure what to do. He can’t just…let you continue to destroy the lab, but calling the cops has never been his MO. He crosses his arms and leans back against a table, doing his best to look in control. 

“What are you even doing?” he asks. 

“It’s…” You look around you as if you’d forgotten, to the glass now dripping gorily with red paint. “It’s about animal cruelty. It’s a protest. Do you have any idea,” you say, your voice picking up conviction as you speak, “how many animals die in these labs every day?” 

Peter blinks. “Not really.” It feels shitty to say, but it’s not like he’s around for every class and project that happens here every day; something like that would be impossible to keep track of. 

Your eyes flash. “Too many.”

“So, what?” He looks around, at the red dribbling down the glass panes—blood, that’s what it is—and your paint-spritzed overalls. “You make some maintenance worker have to clean this up tomorrow morning, and then the science department will decide to stop?” 

Your eyebrows bunch. You hadn’t thought of that. “I just want to bring attention to it,” you say. “I’ll come back and clean up if I need to, but I just—I think it’s important that people see it. That they can’t just keep ignoring it.” 

Peter frowns, bending to pick up one of the paint canisters stacked neatly by a backpack. He gives it a little shake, and this one’s still full, the pile it came from larger than the matching one of used-up cans by your feet. Your eyes track his movements, too smart to try and take it from him but attentive nonetheless. You’re watching him with this flaming intensity. There’s something quietly passionate about you, like you’re burning with an energy that would be almost frightening if it didn’t seem so heartfelt. 

“You realize there’s cameras all over this place, right?” he asks. “You could get kicked out of school. This is vandalism.” 

You don’t flinch. “It’s uncommissioned public art.” 

“You think they’ll see it that way?” 

You sigh heavily, and Peter wishes he could see what was going on behind that mask so he’d know what you were thinking. Thankfully for him, your eyes are expressive enough. They narrow as you cross your arms, jutting out a hip. 

“So what, are you going to go and tell someone?” 

Peter sizes you up. He can relate to feeling like you need to work outside of the system to get something done. To being sick of going to the proper authorities after being told too many times that while they really do care, they won’t do anything about it.

“How about this,” he says. “You let me stay here and make sure you don’t damage any of the equipment, and I won’t rat you out.” He might even scrub the camera footage once you go. But he’s still figuring you out, so he doesn’t want to make promises. 

“Deal,” you say immediately. If you’re surprised at his bargain, you don’t show it, only shaking the paint canister in your hand and starting to spray another layer of paint onto the glass. Your brows pinch slightly as you work, evidence of an assiduous concentration Peter is familiar with. 

He makes himself comfy in a rolling chair, sitting back to watch you work. “We actually do some really important stuff here, you know.” 

“I’m sure you do,” you say without pausing. “It’s not like I blame everyone you personally. I get that the research helps people, but, I mean, at what cost?” 

Peter shrugs. It’s a good point. “True. It’s a lot worse for animals in the big labs. We’re small-scale because we’re funded by the school, and we’re also responsible for reporting to the higher-ups.” 

“I know.” Your eyes flit to him, less wary than before. “But I don’t have access to one of the big labs. Change has to start somewhere, right?” 

You can certainly agree on that. 

[detectivejay]

When the favorite Sherlock adaptation poll was ongoing this past week, I had a bunch of ideas for other detective related polls I wanted to throw out there and see people's takes on. Now with the Sherlock one wrapped up, here's a new one I'm really curious about!

I'm sure there will be a myriad of other detectives I haven't included on this list, either because I forgot, have never read/watched/played their media, or haven't even heard of it. There's no way I could hope to capture them all, especially without hitting the poll entry limit. If you have one you really love, you can still show love for them in the Other category! And tell us about them in your comments/reblogs. 😄

For the purposes of this poll, I'm keeping this list to characters who work as some sort of private/consulting/civilian detective or investigator, not for the police (Columbo, B99, etc.) or in some other field like medicine (such as House or Maomao.)

Shoutout to Nancy Drew, Sam Spade, Spenser, Phillip Marlowe, the Hardy Boys, Auguste Dupin, Nero Wolfe, the Dead Boy Detectives (still need to watch this), Bodkin, the Only Murders podcaster trio, Detective L, Charlotte Holmes and countless others that I couldn't fit here. Give them some love in the Other category!

As before with the Sherlock poll, feel free to reblog for a larger sample size. :)

[absintheandtextbooks]

Ok so I haven’t posted like a proper potentially controversial deep dive here but I need to say some things about this season of Bridgerton. Before I do here are some qualifiers

1. I am not plus size but I am on the chubby end and wear typically a size large.

2. I come from a long line of people who are plus size

3. I think every comment about Nicola’s weight besides the ones she chose to make without pressure to make them are just simply not our business and pretty shitty

4. I want this to be a discussion this is not a hill I need to die on but I think peoples opinions can change and two things can be true.

Ok here we go buckle up

I was incredibly excited when I saw that the new season of Bridgerton was going to have Polin. It actually is what got me to start watching it in the first place, however I noticed a couple things with “the discourse” happening around the show.

Firstly, people were really excited to see a larger actress as a romantic lead which I agree is fantastic! The second is that these same people were very vocal about the height difference between the two of them. In fact how “tiny” she was in comparison was brought up a lot. I’m sure if this post has stumbled across your page a bunch of those did too.

Like some of the comment pieces on the above Forbes article mention, the media seems to have an allergy to “mixed weight” relationships when the woman is heavier-set or bigger in general than the man. What we talk about less is that height is also a factor. Society doesn’t just want women to be thin, it wasn’t them to be small.

I don’t mean to write about this in a “the tall girl movie from Netflix cringe way” but I think there is a nuanced discussion to be had about how we want women to take up less space and how femininity is tied to being small and delicate.

To me, a 5’ 6” ish queer person I’ve been taller than a lot of girls I’m friends with and a bunch of the men and enby or trans people I know. That, personally, has always made me feel bigger and ganglier and less feminine than the other femme presenting people I’m around. I get automatically stuck in a different category. Gaining weight, however, intensified this feeling. It feels as if I am perceived differently because of the combination of these two factors not just each on their own. Everything around us says it’s ok to be tall if you’re super thin and it’s ok (but less ok than being tall and thin) to be bigger if you’re short and dainty. It feels very conciliatory and condescending like a woman can’t take up space if she wants to be loved.

In Bridgerton, the conversations circling Nicola’s weight and height like vultures prey on this idea. It’s not acceptable just because she’s not sample size and that should be normal but because she’s little next to him even when she’s bigger. She can be a romantic lead because the man they show her to be in a relationship with is still bigger and stronger in different ways.

This also puts pressure on masc presenting people too. They need to be taller and often bigger to be accepted as “masculine or manly” which is its own problem I don’t feel as qualified to write about.

I’m sure this has its own complications for people who are non-binary or trans but I just needed to get this out there because it’s been BUGGING me.

Cheers,

Absinthe

[autismisaokay]

Hey everyone with pride month coming up wanted to go over a couple of things for autistic folks but can be applied to neurodivergence too.

For my autistic audiences:

- Bring headphones or ear plugs Pride is usually loud. If you are doing this and are with a party of people make sure you have some sort of signal for when someone wants your attention that you have agreed upon before entering Pride.

- This brings me to my next point, if you can, go in a group or at least with one other person. Especially if your Pride is one of the bigger ones. It helps to have people with you who can talk to vendors if you struggle with social situations, volume control, or are non-verbal.

- Try and map out which areas are going to be quietist and where to meet up if you get lost. For example if there is an area for picnicking that might have less people. If you are able to get to the car you arrived in easily and need to take space and can come back into Pride without that being a problem go there.

- To brings: re-fillable water bottle, cash, credit/debit card, ID, phone charger, portable phone battery, snacks, sunblock, a light but secure bag or fanny pack, a disposable water poncho, headache meds, sun burn gel or lotion, bug spray, fidget, if you have one an autism/neurodiversity card explaining what’s going on and accommodations that help you. They may not be met and not everyone will know what to do with that information or respect it but it’s better to have it then not incase someone does.

- Wear comfortable shoes you may be doing a lot of walking that day.

- Pets and service animals come to pride too! Please respect the animals space and their owners. Look for a vest stating if they are a service animal or do not touch. Always ask if you can pet the animal before interacting.

Signs of distress in dogs: ears are facing back, tail is in-between their legs, the whites of their eyes are more visible, the dog looks rigid or more weight is in their rear legs, pacing, shaking, panting this may mean they are hot or excitable as well, turning their face away.

- If you get lost and your party is not at the meet up spot and you can’t get ahold of that person. Go to the information both, find staff or a volunteer, or find the area where all of the non-profits and medical organizations are. Non-profits may have someone who works with neurodivergent folks or has training on it, same for medical areas.

- Look for local prides that will be smaller in size if larger crowded areas are a struggle.

Interacting with vendors:

- Common apps vendors use are Venmo, Cash App, and PayPal. Pre-download them onto your phone if you haven’t and feel comfortable doing so.

- When taking a free sample take 1-3. Unless a vendor has specified verbally or with a sign on how much to take. If you would like a specific thing make sure there aren’t as many people around while picking because it make take a while to find it and can lead to crowding and larger waits. If Pride is closing make sure to also not take long and if you can’t find what you are looking within 2 minutes then leave.

- Speak directly and clearly to a vendor. Or have a person you’ve brought to help you or an assistive tech device.

- People work hard on their crafts and art unless they are willing to negotiate do not haggle or give someone a hard time on a price.

Last but not least:

Pride is for everyone if you see someone there that is making you uncomfortable but is not physically harming you or someone else then leave that area.

[koneko-pi]

Hi I really like your writing. It captures fuegoleon's character so well

Can I request for Fuegoleon with wife s/o who gets rill to make a a family portrait of them along with Leopold and marroleona and she hangs it up and shows fue when he comes back home? Fue sees there's a weird little space/blank spot between him and s/o and asks about it and s/o tells him that she's pregnant and once the baby is born, rill will add it in?

I thought this would be a really cute way to break it to fue that he's going to be a dad🥰

I think these Pregnancy reveal fics have been my favorite to write so far lol thank you for asking for another one!!

Fuegoleon x female reader

Innocent headcannons

1250 wordcount

Family Portrait

You were extra giddy that day as you quickly carried something down the halls of the Vermillion family Manor. This "something" was not an item easily recognized, as most of the maids and butlers craned their heads to watch you go, all they saw was a large white cloth in the vague shape of a rectangle nearly the size of your body.

And you wouldn't let anyone touch it, even-

"Please, allow me my lady-" One young man reached out kindly to you.

"Thank you, but I got it!" You quickly danced around him and then went on your merry way.

-when they tried to help.

The people present watched you excitedly round the corner before glancing at one another.

"Wonder what that was about…?"

"Is she heading for lord Vermillion's office?"

"But he isn't home right now…"

And you were well aware of that. In fact, you had specifically planned it this way. You wanted it to be a surprise when he came home from work, and that means setting it up quickly beforehand. You giggled to yourself as you used your spare key to open up the doors to his office, slip inside and relock it.

You glanced around, as if to really make sure you were all alone, and once you confirmed the coast to be clear you took your precious item and leaned it up against the desk. With a wide smile and a flurry of your hand you snatched the cloth away to reveal a simple frame housing a detailed painting.

"It looks so good!" You could hardly contain your excitement. As you moved around the room to pick a good place to hang it up you thought back why you requested such an item.

Rill had been more than excited to do the painting for you. Especially after you told him why you needed it. He worked with you for days, constant back and forth contact to make sure every detail was perfect, from the clothing everyone wore to the expression of Mereoleona.

Rill had told you he was so excited to finish it he barely got any sleep, and for a brief moment you worried about his squad with a sleep deprived captain. But that feeling had quickly been squashed by pure excitement after he presented the finished product to you.

And with it now on the wall, above the couch by the door, you had to admire Rill's handiwork all over again.

It was a family portrait, painted on a canvas so large you could hide behind it if you crouched down low enough. You weren't one for such a large and flashy style (momentarily your mind drifted to the unnecessarily large image of Acier Silva that was the first thing anyone saw when walking into their home.) But with how many people were present in the painting, Rill said it would unfortunately have to be on the larger side.

It pictured the whole Vermillion family, with you and Fuegoleon right in the front, seated facing one another on a couch. Behind you was Leopold, with a hand on the back of the couch, looking like a dashing young man. And behind Fuegoleon was Mereoleona, with her staple grin, but Rill was kind enough to make it look less crazed and more cocky. It was better than nothing.

He had offered you a few samples of her with something more calm and normal. But it just didn't look right, infact it was almost creepy. This was much better in your eyes.

You and Fuegoleon looked elegant, happy smiles and loving eyes. Between you though was an empty space, and it wouldn't look quite so out of place if the two of you weren't positioned as if you were holding something. With your body leaning forward slightly and arms up, Fuegoleon's hand resting on your elbow to help support it. It looked more bizarre the longer you stared, and a small anxiety built up in you.

'What if he doesn't like it?' Were the thoughts slowly creeping their way into your mind.

But you quickly reminded yourself why you got this painting made at all and all of the excitement rushed back. You couldn't wait till he came home, and since you times it as well as you did, glancing at the clock yo check the time-

The door suddenly clicked as the lock tumbled open and Fuegoleon pushed on the door. He was barely inside when he noticed you standing there and his eyes went wide.

"My love!" He greeted you with pleasant surprise, wasting no time to close the door behind him and walk over to embrace you.

"Hello, Fuego!" You greeted him back. "Did you have a good day?"

"I did." He pulled back so he could look down into your face. "Though it's better now that you're here. I wasn't expecting this."

"I wanted to surprise you." You let out a giggle as you hugged him tightly. You wanted to hold onto his pleasant warmth a little longer before showing him his gift, which was currently to his back.

"I can see that. Some of the servants were telling me how excited you looked today?"

The moment of truth was slowly coming and your stomach was starting to bubble up. Like a child the night before their birthday.

"I was eager to set something up." You pulled back and you watched Fuegoleon give the smallest tilt of his head.

"Oh, what was it?"

You grabbed his arm and gently turned him around so he could face the painting.

"Oh-!" He tensed slightly in surprise. You could easily picture his wide eyes and slightly slack jaw as he stared at it. Taking in all of its details. You felt his shoulders relax and let him pull away to walk towards it so he could see it up close.

"My love, where did you get this?"

"Rill made it~" You grinned behind him.

"Rill did? I always knew he was talented but…"

"But?"

"Well lets just say, most of his paintings I've seen myself were magic related."

Ahh, you've only witnessed Rills magic a couple of times, but you agree with Fuegoleon that it could be abstract at times. The harpy woman was still an oddly vivid memory for you.

"But, my love…"

You quickly snapped back to the present. Nearly bouncing on your heels now.

"What's this empty space, are you supposed to be holding something?"

The moment of truth….

"Well that, my dearest~" you slid right next to him, wrapping one arm around his and leaning your head against his shoulder. "That is for our baby. But it's not here yet, so I had Rill leave the space empty."

It took Fuegoleon no time to pick up on your words.

"Baby?" His head snapped down to look at you with wide eyes. And you tilted your head back to look up at him, a big smile on your face with all of your built up happiness.

"That's right, our baby."

His mouth opened and closed a few times as if he was trying to get his thoughts straight enough to think. But actions speak louder than words, and so he snatched you up in a big hug, burying his face against you as you gleefully laughed.

"Congratulations. Dad to be~" you laughed.

"Congratulations to us!" He began to laugh with you, whole he spun you around and danced around the room, the pair of you on cloud nine.

Please pardon any Typos, and thank you for reading!

[cnestus]

(tagged on this post)

@notahorseindisguise sure, just like a general guide on insect pinning? i can do that.

the nice thing about insects is that once they dry they'll stay exactly as they were positioned indefinitely, so the trick is to pin them when they're still pliable. if you're trying to pin an old, dried insect, you can rehydrate them by putting them in an airtight container with some wet paper towels or sponges for 12-24 hours but probably not much longer than that or you'll risk them molding. i spray some ethanol in there too to be safe. as an example, here's my rehydration box with some bee samples:

once your insect is ready to curate, put the pin through the thorax to the right of the midline like in my previous post. now, i'm of the philosophy that if you're pinning an insect, you ought to curate it as best as you can so that its death wasn't in vain, so while the specimen is still pliable, secure it to a thick piece of foam and use more pins to position all the legs and antennae into as pleasing an arrangement as possible. here's a botfly i arranged:

besides the aesthetic reasons, this will also help with future identification if that's a possibility since often insects die curled up with important diagnostic features covered up or otherwise hard to see, so at least unfurling the legs a bit and making sure the wing venation is visible on insects where that's important is a good idea.

sometimes you get a longhorned beetle with very long antennae. this is why you want to have a lot of pins on hand:

for insects that are too small to pin without risking obliterating their thorax, you'll want to point-mount them, which means gluing them to a small paper triangle and pinning that:

i rarely see people do it but you can sometimes curate point-mounted specimens too if they're the right size, though you'll want to do it under a microscope:

then let your specimens set in a nice dry area for at least a day or two:

after that you just need to label them (probably for another post. this one is long enough) and they're good to go. once they dry out they're pretty much good to last forever as long as you keep them protected from mold and pests, so the preservation part is handled just by keeping them in an airtight container if possible or at least one with desiccants/pesticides as needed. at the very least try to toss the specimen box in a feezer for a few days at least a couple times a year. otherwise your nicely curated specimens will end up as dermestid shit:

i think that about covers it! it is worth noting that some soft-bodied insects will shrivel horrible when they dry out. small soft insects like silverfish, termites, springtails, most kinds of larvae, etc should go into a vial of alcohol rather than be pinned. same goes for most non-insect arthropods like spiders and centipedes and millipedes which will also fall apart when they dry. also some larger semi-soft insects will need to be stuffed to keep their abdomen from shriveling up, primarily larger grasshoppers, crickets, stenopelmatids, mantids, and stick insects. i made a post about how to do that here.

[worldunbent]

a difference between the experience of reading the natsuyuu manga and watching the anime which is only interesting to me is that there's no distinction between special chapters and regular ones in the anime. the reason i find that interesting is that the specials are, so far in my reread, the only chapters that spend any time completely outside of natsume's POV. when we see other characters' perspectives in regular chapters, it's typically part of an extended monologue or a memory being transmitted to natsume, so we're still not really leaving his perspective. the only times we leave his POV are when he's physically not present in a scene, and in those instances we usually don't get any narration or interior monologue from the other characters.

tanuma in "a suspicious visitor" is the only exception i can think of off the top of my head, though i'm sure there are others i'll get to and just don't remember at the moment. the scene between matoba and ban at the end of the homura arc, for example, is outside of natsume's POV by necessity but is pure dialogue with no interior narration because these are not characters to whom we have that kind of access! (for more on matoba's elusive subjectivity see sp15, says tumblr user worldunbent.)

the special chapters jump all over the place; so far i've gotten to chapters from the perspectives of little fox, an unnamed youkai, nyanko, tanuma, and hinoe (although hinoe's chapter is framed as a story she's telling natsume, so it could have fit in a regular chapter). they have a separate numbering system from the regular chapters, are much shorter, and almost always come at the end of volumes*. in the anime, however, there's absolutely nothing to distinguish the episodes adapting the specials from the ones adapting regular chapters other than the POV shifts, which gives anime-only viewers a very different impression of how the series approaches character interiority. i don't think there's anything wrong with this as an adaptation move and it's pretty much necessary, but it's just notable because in a series that's all about how people see the world differently, the choice to make such a distinction between chapters in the protagonist's POV and chapters from everyone else's POV is a significant one.

the reason i'm paying so much attention to POVs in this reread in the first place is because i've been listening to the podcast media club plus and jack, who is pretty new to anime, keeps pointing out the constant perspective shifts in hunter x hunter and the other hosts are like, "yeah, that's normal." this post from another listener expands on how and why it works as a genre norm in shonen battle anime/manga specifically. so now i'm just cursed to be hyperaware of POV shifts in anime/manga, and given that the three series i'm reading/watching at the moment are hxh, dungeon meshi, and natsuyuu, natsuyuu really stands out in how rarely it leaves natsume's head in the regular chapters. i guess i need to go read some more shoujo for a larger sample size lol

*i have a chapter spreadsheet 🤓 and the exceptions to this are sp18, which is just stuck in the middle of v22, sp20, which is the second-to-last chapter of v24, and sp21, which is the first chapter of v25. i understand the placement of sp20, which is "intermission detectives" and makes sense to have as an break between regular chapters, but i'll have to figure out what sp18&21 are doing when i get to them.

[yumedoca]

Interest check: Urusei Yatsura artists, would you be willing to do a 'Draw this in your style challenge'?

Ok, so I've been wanting to give a fandom related drawing challenge like this for a while now, but I knew the UY fandom isn't particularly a big one (on tumblr especially). But we still have very talented and great artists in the fandom and since the remake is currently airing I felt like it would be a good opportunity to do a challenge like this. But first I want to know how many are interested. The below poll is to check whether a decent number would be willing to do the DTIYS challenge so when I post it, it would be won't be for nothing.

Few things to note:

Anyone can do it no matter what your skill level is or whatever the quality of your supplies are.. If you want to do it, go for it!

The image for redrawing would be one of Rumiko Takahashi's official arts. I have one in mind and I made sure it's a simple one as well. I won't say which one it is yet but I'll give a few hints so you could have an idea of how it is. It has both Ataru and Lum, Both of their whole bodies are visible (they are both posing in a classic fashion while sitting down).

Whether I'll make the actual post following this depends on the results of the poll. It doesn't need a majority vote, it just needs a decent number of them.

There is no due date for the challenge, you can do it anytime you want.

The poll is open for a week, the decision will be made according to the results when the poll is closed.

Reblogs are appreciated for a larger sample size and if you have any queries, feel free to ask!

[violetsandshrikes]

ok you have made good science and health posts. Is it worth taking a probiotic as part of my selfcare routine?

Note: Not a doctor! Not medical advice, only a summary of useful information out there.

Ehhhhh, it's one of those things that is debated. Some research points towards usefulness, other research says it doesn't do much. There's also issues with what strains are in said probiotic, if they're even useful for you, if they can even survive your digestive tract (and your personal microbiota)…science is mixed on this too.

A recent review (2024) has concluded there is evidence enough for doctors and patients to consider using specific probiotics for uses in specific people (like supporting gut function during antibiotics, reducing respiratory tract infections, etc.), but not enough evidence to recommend it unconditionally in the population as preventative medicine.

This is another recent (2024) review that's similar, but they've helpfully included a couple pages at the end of specific studies, probiotic strains used, and their specific impact/mode of action studied on specific illnesses/diseases.

Interestingly, they've also just dropped another 2024 meta-analysis that suggests probiotic use saw a 51% reduction in symptoms reported by COVID-19 patients, including cough, headaches and diarrhea. They included 9 studies (3 of which were clinical trials), so they likely will need a larger sample size to say conclusively, but that could be a promising angle in a post-COVID world.

To add another confusing angle, postbiotics are becoming of increasing interest in research. They're bioactive compounds that are produced when probiotic bacteria are feeding on prebiotic foods in the colon (like fibers), and it's beginning to look like health benefits associated with pre/postbiotics actually come from postbiotic production. I have yet to see any available on the market, but apparently they are out there. I would also be aware that as a new frontier (and product) I couldn't say much about their individual efficiency, product contamination, etc.

If you decide to:

You can just make sure to frequently consume probiotic foods (yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, tempeh, kimchi, etc.) although I would also suggest you make sure you're eating enough fiber to feed the friendly bacteria already inside you.

Bacteria is very specifically named. You'll have a genus, species and a strain - Bifidobacterium longum W11. All three = you got it right, and this is important because probiotics are researched down to these specific strains. It also means that when you read a probiotic bottle, if you don't see all three of those names (as a general rule), it's probably useless to you.

Check your labelling, especially generic store brands. Yogurt starter is typically made with Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus, and if they advertise these as the "probiotic benefits" they're usually full of shit - these strains usually get destroyed in your stomach by acid and don't provide any benefit.

If you have a weakened or compromised immune system, don't take probiotics without medical advice. This includes if you're having chemo, you're critically ill or you've recently had surgery.

Lots of people experience gas, mild abdominal pain and changes in stools when first using probiotics, but you're probably going to want to keep a note of that for your doctor, just in case. Plenty also have additives and digestive aids, so look out for allergic reactions and things like soy/gluten if needed.

Probiotics are measured in colony forming units (CFU) - the number of viable cells. They might say 1 x 109 for 1 billion CFU or 1 x 1010 for 10 billion CFU. Some contain up to 50+ billion CFU. A common mistake made is assuming higher CFU = better for you. Most countries only require labelling to list the total weight of the microorganisms in the product (which can include both alive and dead microorganisms, not viable ones). Probiotics can die during their shelf-life and must be consumed alive to be of use. Ideally, you're looking for products labelled with the number of CFU at the end of the product's shelf life (vs at the time of manufacturing).

If in doubt, ask a doctor or pharmacist.

[elizabethrobertajones]

FFXIV Write 2024

4. Reticent

There was nothing that helped reflect on different ways recent history could have gone as watching Lamaty’i sizing up to throw Thancred into the rafters of Frog’s inn room, to fetch her axe which was, for reasons entirely Thancred’s fault and Lamaty’i’s doing, now wedged up there.

Raha and Alisaie were yelling over each other to offer advice or alternative means of fetching it.

“Well, I think it’s safe to say you’ve hosted a memorable party,” Y’shtola purred, suddenly leaning over Frog’s shoulder.

She tried and failed not to preen and lean into that sudden closeness, her previous attempt to pretend to be the sensible adult in the room completely obliterated.

“If the Vow of Resolve breaks anything, I won’t be responsible for the bill, I hope.”

“Oh, I’m sure we can wrangle a little political corruption to smooth this all over,” Y’shtola giggled. She sounded like the glasses of wine she’d been carefully sipping had started to go to her head, as the long evening wore on. Frog had scooped up her friends from the street party and moved them to a more select location, but the Orchestrion was playing loudly and mixing with music floating across the water from Tullioyal’s thoroughfares, and copious drinks had followed them into the room as well.

Lamaty’i hefted Thancred incredibly poorly and he flew in a short arc and crashed into the table with gales of laughter from them both and an alarmed shout from Alphinaud, who had truly been paying no attention, wrapped up in some sort of discussion with Koana that no one else had been interested enough in to interrupt.

“We have a dragoon in the room who’d make that jump in his sleep,” Frog laughed quietly, basking in her private judgemental gossip Y’shtola had trusted her with.

“Thinking of unlikely pairings, I think he’s made a friend… Don’t look too obviously.”

Frog glanced around to watch the twins trying to tidy up the spilled fruit and plates, and then back around with a casual scan of the room, and saw Estinien lurking against the wall, watching with a quiet smirk. About two yalms away, sitting on a low chest and holding a drink, was Erenville, who had a furrowed brow and seemed quiet. She quickly looked away before it became staring and turned to pull Y’shtola to sit on the arm of the sofa. “Are they… hanging out?”

“I’m not sure. They’ve been there for at least half a bell without moving though. Or speaking.”

“I’d noticed the capybaras here sit quietly alongside much larger creatures like hammerhead alligators without any care. Perhaps Erenville is like one of those.”

Y’shtola coughed to cover a loud laugh. “Oh dear. A comparison I’m sure neither would appreciate you repeating.”

“I do hope they’re alright, though. Erenville went through a lot, and I know Estinien hates parties and being the centre of attention, but I didn’t want to not invite them, especially after Koana got invited along too. I’m worried I’m only making it worse for Erenville, though.”

Y’shtola tapped her chin thoughtfully, then twisted, and beckoned. Krile came stumbling over at once, beaming and pink-faced from the fancy cocktails she’d been sampling that evening.

“Do you think Bounding Frog can reach it?” she asked at once.

“Hmm? Oh, the axe. Don’t worry about that nonsense, I trust the great minds at work on the task. Shh, shh. I need your Echo,” Y’shtola said, pulling Krile into the conspiracy.

Her eyes widened. “What? What’s wrong?” she stage-whispered.

“Nothing!” Frog said hurriedly, also making soothing motions. She nodded her head to the corner. “Are they, um. Having fun?”

Krile wobbled around and looked a little less subtly, and gave a strange wonky grin as Estinien met her eye and narrowed his in turn. She waved awkwardly and returned to the huddle. “They are both perfectly content and in fact radiating with a sense of kinship. Fancy that!”

“Everyone parties differently,” Y’shtola said wisely. “For some, perhaps that involves no partying at all…”

“Mine apologies for interrupting…” Urianger manifested beside them, and bowed. “I must needs beg thy sorcery, Y’shtola. And, perchance, Bounding’s long arm?”

They laughed, and Y’shtola jumped up, thrilled at the challenge. Frog made another glance to the corner, where Erenville imperceptibly shook his head at her with deep disapproval. She grinned, and turned to see what Urianger and Raha had drunkenly cooked up.

[theofficialpresidentofmars]

okay serious hypothetical time. I know we’ve all heard of the thought experiment ‘given infinite monkeys on typewriters and infinite time, eventually one of them would bang out the entirety of Hamlet by Shakespeare’ but I raise you one better:

If we were to take all the (finite) monkeys on Earth right now, stick them in a room with a typewriter and unlimited paper etc each, and take them back to the most recent common ancestor of humans and monkeys (friend taking biology gave me the estimate 5 million years ago, have not verified if this is true) and give them that much of a headstart, which would happen first?

Would the monkeys manage to produce a flawless transcription of Shakespeare’s Hamlet in the roughly 5 million years it takes to catch up, or would humanity manage to evolve, establish society, produce William Shakespeare and have him write Hamlet before the monkeys do?

For the sake of the argument, let’s say the monkeys are typing one letter a second and don’t need to eat, sleep, pee, whatever. They’re locked in to their key bashing. They also don’t grow or evolve at all, they’re sort of just stuck in eternal stasis as beings with their sole purpose being typing.

Human evolution happens exactly the same way it did in the past, we don’t risk changing anything or Shakespeare not being born or whatever.

There might be a clear answer here, but I don’t know enough about probability to know for sure.

If there is, what can we do to this question to make it a closer match? All the monkeys that have ever lived? They do have to account for eating and sleeping? Is the 5 million year estimate accurate, or am I way off?

Reblogging for a larger sample size would be appreciated :]

[probablynot-john]

I need some help with my fanfiction. If you haven't read it, there's several links to it on my profile, and it's on AO3 titled The Samfro Mpreg Fic.

Should Frodo get tits?! Knowing this site I'm pretty sure of the answer I'm gonna get, but to answer the question properly I need a larger sample size.

As the baby develops and his body prepares for birth, would his mammary glands grow to be able to feed his child? The way I see it, male hobbits who give birth would have about a 55% chance of developing brests, and their chances decrease as they get older. Hobbits come of age at 33, and Frodo is 50. Also if a child is born to a male hobbit who does not develop brests, baby formula is completely free in the shire by law (so are menstrual prodicts) because it would be absolutely ridiculous to put a monetary value on a baby's life.

With the additions I made to Tolkien's universe, hobbits chose their own gender and their body develops accordingly. When a hobbit chooses to male, their body will develop typically make characteristics. (This is also a thing in real life, btw, mostly seen in fish, but also lions have been known to change their gender but not their sex. Animal facts). All hobbits are born with male and female reproductive organs, but most (but not all) only chose to use one set. So, a male hobbit could still become pregnant, but it requires hormonal treatments to kickstart the fertility cycle (ovulation and menstruation) that would otherwise not be active.

So, from a purely scientific stantpoint

(I also outlined gender and sexuality dynamics for the other races of middle earth in the fic if anyone is interested)