#no guarantees yet bc i'll have to see how things are going but i might open a few slots when i get my new pc figured out

[haxxydraws]

Oh btw [here's the link to that google form] commission waitlist that I asked about a while back -- I promise I didn't forget about it lol

I'm also going to link it on my carrd for future reference ^^

[misc-obeyme]

There was ask about angry and evilMC and honestly, I really love when MC can be angry /mostly because my MC has wrath as sin, but still/

Plus, angry MC can be pretty good, bc they usually have a LOT patience. But, they easily scared 13, scary to Mammon, forced to brothers listen to them and yelled at them, even Lucifer, when they destroyed the whole restaurant lol

Also, It was so refreshing, when in Nightbridge MC was so... Active? They can be openly annoyed and basically "shut up, Satan, I'm thinking" ...another reason, why I was disappointed in second lesson bc MC return to useless puppet...

But yeah, I would love to have more options for MC like that. Personally, I'm don't remember when I was really angry and mostly calm, so yeah, refreshing lol

Have a good day!

Hello there I hope you're having a lovely day/night!

Okay so I get annoyed with generic MC a lot, too, because they're definitely too nice. Especially when they have all those powers! Like you said, they can get all the brothers to listen to them, even Lucifer. And he's supposed to be super powerful! And yet stay seems to work on him!

I guess I just find generic MC too complacent in a lot of ways. It's less about the brothers being idiots for me and more about the large overarching story things that bothers me. Like I can guarantee you I would have been asking about a zillion more questions in Nightbringer. It's like MC is just going oh okay sure I'll be a devilsitter whatever. Oh huh I need to make pacts again okay.

I'd be like okay, I get that I need to do this to get my magic back or whatever, but who the hell is this Nightbringer fool??

And my MC is kinda funny because they like anything that keeps things lively. They enjoy the shenanigans and would be like ohhh we're in the past now, huh?? But they'd still want answers. I see them totally getting into it with Solomon in Nightbringer lol. Because when they get annoyed, they start getting argumentative and then they start to throw things.

Anyway, I suppose they have to keep MC as generic as possible for the game. I think that might be why we end up with puppet!MC for most of the time. All the characters talk a lot, but MC only gets the occasional one liner, which is understandable considering the format of the game. But it's interesting to think about what it'd be like and how the story would change if you had a more volatile and active MC.

I tend to think of generic MC as a meek lil cutie who sometimes does completely insane things, but for the most part just goes with the flow lol.

[bunbitti]

Me when I finally E2S1 my Aventurine from E1S0 (idk the difference besides more debuffs and extra defense (extra 40% is wild) but at least I got to free up one of my relics for crit rate for inert salsotto)

Anyway uhh I used up that guarantee I had for E2, so uhh hopefully I win that 50/50 for Sunday

Been farming relics for Sunday, fortunately got a bunch of crit damage when leveling (I've been farming since the sacerdos set came out beginning of 2.6) but also people keep doing speed stuff and I really haven't prioritized that for most of my other characters so I guess Sunday might just be a fast boi but I'll see what I can do to fix the others' speed and maybe I'll manage to do better in end-game content

Anyway I heard about the new remembrance path and that trailblazer's gonna be ice remembrance with summon (iirc, but my memory is dogsht), so at the very least Sunday's specialty can be used on them lmao

I do want to get Jiaoqiu's eidolons and lightcone in the future, I currently have plenty of ehr on him and getting more dot on him would be awesome

Getting an Acheron is somewhat tempting but I'm still saving for Sunday and also I'm sure my Acheron build won't be nearly as good as a lot of people's out there since I don't have the funds to E2 her or anything

I still need to finish building that Gallagher I randomly got from one of the banners for another sustain, better to put him with Boothill and not keep spamming Luocha bc Luocha is my only other limited sustain rn

Meanwhile in zzz I got Lycaon after I lost 50/50 on Burnice who I got later but didn't get the signature w-engine for, and I've been leveling their butts off (do you know how slow it is to build 2 characters who need different kits) because I might get Lighter if I enjoy his gameplay (already have Koleda for fire/stun which is pretty manageable) but also I'm tempted to just continue having all of the men in zzz

Lycaon is doing pretty well, so is Burnice; I spent idk what in-game currency to get Lycaon's signature w-engine but haven't built Burnice's non-signature w-engine yet

Anyway getting a fire dps like soldier 11 would be cool, also need an ice dps (maybe I should've pulled for Ellen) and I gotta build my electric characters a bit more, especially bc Qingyi now sucks now that I'm allowed to get characters to level 60 and Qingyi hasn't gotten there yet (aka she only sucks rn bc underleveled, not that she's actually bad) and I only have Anton as a dps and he's so damn energy-reliant that I have to watch the bar really closely to make sure it doesn't deplete all the way before I can switch out and let it build up again

Also I've just been avoiding doing anything about ether bc there's currently what, two characters total who are on ether and I only have Nicole

I've been slapping Jane/Seth on most things and it works decently even when it's not the ideal element, pulling them was the best decision I have made in this game

I like it when all of my characters have decent personal damage (me when c6 seth does a lot of damage when you parry and switch to him, then do the shielding basic atk before going back to jane)

Also free Harumasa??? Need him bruh

Skipping Yanagi, I don't got the pulls to get both her and maybe Lighter even though I kinda need the dps but I'm sure things will work out at some point

[yuukei-yikes]

REASONS TO LOVE SHINTARO AS A CHARACTER:

first of all; hes a gamer boy depicted as he really is and not what he thinks he is: a fucking loser who fails at every social situation and also stinks

aside from the jokes, i think he has two main songs in the whole series: toumei answer and lost time memory. im just gonna share lyrics from each song that makes me go INSANE thinking about him:

"The alarm that starts ringing/Says to my lonely self: you're a coldhearted fool" <- his guilt here is delicious to me like he blames himself for her death and yes he did act shitty and he abandoned her but he didnt do it out of malice he did it bc he didnt know how to approach her but he thinks he killed her and its also killing him OUGH

"The color of your hair/The shape of your smile/Someone might have already forgotten it" <- and then HES the one who forgets everything about ayano bc of the trauma like here he laments that her absence that has already changed his entire world might be this insignificant to someone else AND YET AND YET HIS MIND LOCKS HER OUT ITS JUST. OUGH

(NOT TO MENTION HIS FACIAL EXPRESSION WHEN HE SEES THE FLOWERS WHEN HE REALIZES WHEN HE SEES THE PAPER CRANE)

(get ready for lost time memory brainrot bc that kills me every fucking time its my fav song)

"Even after years, the shadow doesn't fade/It only invites more emotions." <- he doesnt remember but the absence is heavy on his mind it KILLS me

"If I'm 'wise' then, I can't face forward/I have no reason to so, I'll rot away instead." <- self destructive EVEN in the good route where hes not as suicidal like being self deprecating is a huge part of his brain

"Feeling hazy, let's remain unaffected today too/And keep up yesterday's pace/So that I won't ever forget your warmth/If I'm wishing for a dream that can't come true, then/I'll embrace this blurry past and have a dream which I don't wake up from" <- GOING INSANE GOING FERAL hes SO FULL OF REGRET and hes SUCH A STUPID BITCH that his solution is to stay in his own head and live in his dreams (literally) like i want to hug him and i want to slap him

"A rotten boy at 18 today too, prayed again/While clinging on to your colorful smile" <- just imagining how route X shintaro is often colored with black and dull colors bc his world has lost the color OUGH

(god just. the ending part where he desperately reaches out to clutch ayano vs him moving on from the tragedy and the proud and tearful smile of ayano just HNNGGH HE REALLY GREW DIDNT HE)

(and who cant relate to wanting to change things bc u lost ur chance before but u cant change anything so u just disappear into ur head trying to either comfort urself by daydreaming or trying to find other stuff, try to forget ur will and wallow in passivity, its just so *chefs kiss*)

i get it hes not a very likable person and he does act shitty and bratty and the anime really doesnt give him the floor to change BUT!!! give him a chance and he WILL become ur poor little meow meow. guaranteed.

reply under read more cuz this should be its own post!! and also all i gotta say is YESSSS YEEEES YESSSSS shintaro is. such a good character and i also wanna cry my eyes out with EVERYTHING abt lost time memory.

he's just a stupid guy and the thing abt shintaro is that he will ALWAYS do what's right. he has a very strong sense of justice and he's very clear on his principles. and he will always speak up for others and stand up for what he thinks is right. and this like... a HILARIOUS virtue for a character who is ALSO so awkward, difficult to approach, bratty and self centered. like that's so funny.he is such a special little guy and HE IS AWESOME

he's so cringe fail and an asshole but he's also the hero and deserves praise for it. like cry about it. he is a good guy but he's also the worst. but also he's the best. hope that helps

he and ayano are such character foils... like.... both have this strong sense of justice and they're really really REALLY the damn heroes. hold on i need to cry a little

[wolfsplosion]

Do u have any specific things ud like to see n the new stranger things? :>c

HRHGHRGHH . YES . A LOT OF THINGS . SORRY THIS IS GONNA BE A LONG ONE ↓

Mike and Max friendship; I KNOW it's probably not gonna happen bc there is Shit Going On and they are probably not going to have time for slice of life interactions (this is going to be a reoccurring theme on this list methinks) but the little crumbs of madwheeler bestieism we get make me CRAZY like they are so similar in a lot of ways but also the opposite sides of a coin (e.g. uncaring family situation, Mike coming from wealth and Max from poverty) and every time we see a flashback of the events directly prior to s4 they're next to each other and it only makes me crazier .. I just want like ONE scene of them being platonic best friends PLEASE

Will happy ending; this can mean a lot of different things tbh I just cannot have him die or end unhappy .. this also means that anyone he cares about has to be safe too like Joyce and Jonathan and El and the rest of his friends!! if he's not unequivocally happy in the final episode I will change the trajectory of the Duffer Brothers lives

Eddie flashbacks; like how we see the aftermath of Max's brother's death effecting her, I want to see Dustin mourn too (I mean, I don't Want to see it, I want him to be happy, but like. I want to see it. you know what I mean.) also the rest of Hellfire, especially Lucas and Mike and Erica .. show their reactions too I'm begging . my little pet headcanon is that Eddie made Mike realize some things about himself (🤨🏳️‍🌈❓) (not in a ship way I'm not a freak I just think he had an Awakening) so like seeing him process Eddie's death would be so. it'd be so

Byers-Hopper found family; I think I am almost guaranteed this in some way but I'm still crossing my fingers for it! show me WillEl twin behavior or ELSE

more siblingism in general; I appreciate s4 for giving me more Lucas and Erica screentime crumbs bc they are so sweet and I love their sibling dynamic sm, I wish we got more of that with Mike and Nancy as well like remember in s1 when they were like "no more secrets between us!" and then didn't fucking do anything with that. let them be siblings please

Byl3r (<- censoring for superstitious reasons a.k.a. I do not want to invoke ship discourse here); I have extremely controversial thoughts abt this ship, like as in I don't . I don't really think the writers are gonna . no I shan't say for fear of my life . but it'd be nice if it did!!!! Will deserves to get what he wants all the time always

Steve surviving; I am so fucking scared

parallels between Will and Henry; weird little boys with strange(!!) powers and trauma....... I think they're probably going to do this at least subtly considering the lines are already there in s4 but if they were more direct I'd be happy, I'd probably care a lot more about Henry's whole thing if Will was involved I'm not gonna lie to you

Max getting out of That Whole Situation; I'm not saying what exactly happens at the end of s4 because Ro might be reading this and we haven't watched the end together yet & I don't think he knows what happens . Ro if you are reading this it's fine everything is fine but also it's so not fine and I'm so scared and afraid. Max bestie we gotta get you out of there

more Argyle; speaks for itself, I'm obsessed w that funky lil stoner & I need him to give Jonathan more terrible therapy it's awesome

El autism diagnosis; this one is a joke. or is it. no it is. or is it

time travel; I'll get a little more into this down there ↓ but I think it's likely to be an element of s5 .. we'll see

now hear me out. here's some things I either do Not want or would be very nervous if they included:

Eddie coming back; WAIT STOP HEAR ME OUT PLEASE .. I want him to not be dead as much as the next Eddie fan and I think the ending they gave him was complete horse shit awful. but I also do NOT have any faith that they'd do a bringing-him-back storyline properly . I've read some good fanfic about it which only would make the reality of whatever they'd do more disappointing ! BUT the exception to this is if they pull some time travel bs, which I think is a good possibility tbh, like with the upside down being stuck in the day Will went missing and stuff, and then they could prevent all that from happening in the first place. I'd still be nervous about the quality of the writing but I'm on board w this conclusion nonetheless! but Eddie coming back as Kas or whatever.. well. I'd just be nervous putting that in the hands of the stranger writers I'm sorry

M!leven endgame (<- censoring for superstitious reasons a.k.a. I do not want to invoke ship discourse here); I just don't know how anyone likes them romantically I'm ngl . it's fine if you do please do not come for me I just don't get it . I fear they will end up together anyway but I don't like it . I'm a Mike apologist but El deserves better than a guy that can't even physically say that he loves her

Will with a gun; this sounds like a joke but I'm so serious hglkjfdgk, I know a lot of people want him having a badass moment with a gun mirroring the shot in s1 where he's taken by the demogorgon and that sounds cool but I just. don't think it suits his character I'M SORRYYY I love that he's a protagonist who's gentle and sensitive, there are other characters who can kick ass violent style rather than my special little dude

anyway that's just off the top of my head, I have so many thoughts swirling around in there so I might be back to add more thank you so much

[princevontwix]

what i wanted to put was too long for tags so I'm just gonna vent here

i really feel this. my parents have been encouraging me to get my masters, when I'm almost done with my bachelors. and the major i have isn't offered anymore so idk what would happen. I've also chickened out on going to the career center to get started on literally anything. i haven't taken any internships at all, done any mock interviews, and have no concrete idea on the career i want with my major.

im gravely worried that once i graduate i wont be able to do the job well, esp since I've repeatedly dumped out whatever I've learned from previous classes, which i HATE. as such, I'm nervous that when something I'm expected to have known about comes up during a crucial moment(s) at my job, ill be left smooth-brained, feel utterly incompetent, or worse.

if i do try and get a masters degree, i feel like id be delaying the inevitable. I'm also just not completely confident in being able to manage my own life by myself. it doesn't help that i haven't truly made friends in uni, just people I'm familiar with for one semester and that's it. Middle and high school were easier to get friends bc i was in the same "class of" as everyone else. but in uni, you're sharing classes with people of different years so you don't really get a chance to be familiar with them. i feel like that's also my fault though; I've been forgetful of people's names unless i see them on a regular basis outside of just classes (only two professors i can say arent the case). and those classmates who give me their numbers for future contact, i just never do. i feel overwhelmed by work and by then, id have fast forgotten anything about them to make conversation of.

im scared that ill be incompetent in my future career, that i might only have a few select irl friends at best or only my online friends (which there's no guarantee that ill ever meet any of them in person and strengthen that bond. AND that this last year in uni will be my last retreat to my shell before it completely shatters and I'm thrusted into the real world. there's also this internal pressure on me for being the first in my family to graduate uni (my older siblings have graduated high school).

My older siblings have been living at home for years, which, nothing wrong with that. but i don't want to end up living that same lifestyle. I want to prove to my family that their efforts weren't for naught. but at the same time, i feel like i don't know what to do when the future comes and ill have no insurance for whatever happens. I'm already dreading the days when my parents pass away and what might happen with my siblings when it does. the absolute last thing i want is to end up homeless and with nothing to show for myself.

Earth, our home, is dying to corporate greed and we're massacring each other, hate in our veins. And if i cant make a dent in any of that, then what was the point? what were my efforts for?

And yet...i want to be selfish and create for myself (no matter how cringe it is) and spend time with my online friends. I want to stay in my comfort zone of being in my dorm for the week and home at the weekends. i want to have those long summers where i don't have to worry to much about what to do and just enjoy myself.

How can I ever possibly balance my practical life with my personal life? My work and social lives?

Perhaps i've never truly grown up, and the unforgiving march of time is a reminder that i need to do something with my life and grow the fuck up. Perhaps it doesn't matter what i do as link rot will snuff out my creations and my second death will follow my first death fairly quickly.

Or maybe i really am just overthinking everything. Maybe 10 years or more from the future, I'll come back to this post and laugh at my naivety and how much i was overthinking. If such a possibility exists, maybe it's narcissistic for me to want this, but i would greatly welcome my future self hugging me, telling me that everything turned out well. that I'm living a life my family and friends would be proud of.

that despite the mountainous amount of work my job requires, i managed to make time to tend to my own projects completely unrelated to my profession. maybe in that possible future, my fanstory Rejuvenation has finally been completed, and i have the improved skills to bring my vision out for my art and fanfics (cringe, i know). perhaps in that future, i don't feel any of the loneliness i feel right now.

i just want some assurance that everything will turn out well. right now, my last year in uni is my temporary shelter against all these worries. but once i graduate? it's the point of no return.

I'm deathly afraid of the future and what might not be. i may bide my time and play games, draw, or just chat with friends. but the clock will keep ticking and if i don't play catch-up, I'm as good as dead. i just hope that I'm still eligible to reach Heaven by then.

but for now, i have some schoolwork shit i need to do. procrastination is a poison, one that might cost me everything.

“I don’t know what my goals are, no. Thanks for asking.”

[ja0-s-blank-canvas-fic]

Part 3 - Chapter 51 - Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder

Blank Canvas Part 3

AO3 - here

Fanfiction.net - here

Hello! Good morning, afternoon, evening, or night depending on where you are in the world! :D Or whenever you get to reading this chapter. Which I very much hope you enjoy because it is time. A long awaited moment. Well, actually when I was editing I realized it's more like two long awaited moments. But I'll let the story reveal which ones. ^____^

I guess slight warnings with talk of hospital stuff but mostly just things about bandages and such. That and things related to seeing a loved one hurt in the hospital. In case anyone is having to deal with that right now.

A sudden announcement that I just realized. We're, um, we're actually very close to the end of this part of the series. As in the chapter after this one is the last until I leave an author's note announcing part 4. Surprising, I know. I honestly didn't realize it myself until I was looking through the next chapter for the end note blurb. So, uh, yeah. Part 3 is almost wrapped up!

Linktree to all the things!

End notes for the chapter are under the line.

There you have it! THE KISS! Oh, I thought long and hard how the hell that was going to play out. At first I was going to have it happen in the dorms with Shouto pulling Izuku desperately away and kissing him silly. Not that that can't happen in the future but when I got to this point, I really liked the soft and tooth rottening sweetness of it. Much needed after all that angst. Though I left you with more at the end there. XD Oops.

But Izuku finally got to see his mom! Inko is still worse for wear but she's alive. I know I was up in the air about whether keeping her alive or not. I'm siding on alive but she's going to be hospitalized for a while. In the end, I couldn't do that to Izuku. At least not now. I will say though that if something happens that necessitates it, I might so no guarantees. For now though she's safe.

Anyways, Shouto and Izuku kissed! Freaking finally. I knew for a long time it was going to be after Kamino. A horribly long slow burn but I think it was worth it personally. Then again I was able to sate myself by knowing when it would happen. All while y'all suffered while waiting. Kekekeke. I hoped you liked it though. :) I certainly had fun writing it.

Aizawa this chapter: The Cock Blocker!!! -hero theme music- Inko this chapter: Hi, Izuku. I love you, Izuku. Bye, Izuku. -snooze-

That's all for now. Coming up Izuku comes back to the dorms and is reunited with his friends who are already living there. And more fluff with him and Shouto! With a little dastardly scheming with Nezu. Like I said up top, next chapter is the last for part 3. But no worries! After a haitus for planning/writing purposes, we will be back with part 4 of BC! We're not done with little villain magnet Izuku yet. ;) Thank you all for reading this far and I'll see ya next chapter!

[nathank77]

3/29/24

5:04 a.m

So that mom from fb dating texted me one text. I responded in 20 minutes and I haven't heard from her since lol

I mean I couldn't have fucked it up that fast. She must have been busy momming. Idk lol idk how many kids she has, I'm good with 3. Anymore than that is kinda too much. I hope she responds. And I hope that if she does she's okay with how broken I am. I hope even more that she doesn't have a problem with a guy with glasses glued to his nose.... we will see if she even tries to talk to me anymore than this maybe she researched me and found out i was trans. Idk.

I'm going to try to go new Hampshire tomorrow and, "show up," for Katie finally. Just randomly drive to her house on Saturday and see what happens. She isn't my soulmate...

Maybe soulmates don't exist. All I know is I think Elise is mine. If she showed up for me I would marry her and give her foot massages, back massages, bring her kids everywhere. Spend time with them. Love them with all my heart. Have them be my children. I would have done everything for her but as for right now she won't talk to me. And for all I know she just wants friendship.

Maybe I'll end up with Katie again. I don't want to hurt Katie but I never showed up and I got to whether it's this Saturday or next to see what could have been. If we end up together I don't think it'll be any different or work out but I mostly expect her to be weird and get coffee with me and send me on my way but that's enough mental closure. I would build a relationship with Katie slowly but things would have to be different.

I have weird feelings. I want to wait for Elise but she's no where to be seen.. and as I wait I know that when Katie posted that bunny photo if I hadn't been talking to Elise I would have shown up for Katie but I was already in love with Elise and I still am.

Either way I got to do this for closure. Either way I know Katie isn't my soulmate. If anyone is it's Elise but maybe she thinks I'm "psychotic." Idk anything.

Maybe Reilly will work out. Maybe I'll be single for years to come. Maybe Katie will say she's been waiting and she still loves me. Idk how to respond to that... cause I am in love with someone else but would never say that.

If Elise had shown up I wouldn't need this closure but being i have all this time to wait and it's a possibility not a guarantee.. I might as well. If Katie wants to be with me I'll take things slow and see if it goes anywhere. I expect things to be different.

Although I know deep in my heart she isn't the one. But does anyone truly find the one? Or do we just find someone that works well with our personality that you have fun with and are comfortable with and just accept it'll never be perfect?

That she will never dance with me, or sing with me. That she will never have kids cause she doesn't want them. That despite our capabilities we have many incapabilities?

Idk. I really think Elise is the one and if I end up with Katie I will be unhappy, comfortable but unhappy. I feel like I need someone who will have fun with me in the ways I described. All i know is to close the door on Katie mentally is to show up unannounced.

All I know is I just want Elise to talk to me. All I know is if me and Katie get back together we won't work out.

All I know is I can't control anything

All I know is I'm in love with Elise. All I know is I think she's my soulmate. Yet i don't know if and when she will ever show up and in what capacity.

So I'm doing me. I'm afraid of hurting Katie but I can't close that door without showing up. I'll talk to Reilly If she responds..

And I'll always wish anyone I end up with is Elise. I truly think she's my soulmate but she's a married woman and I see no signs of divorce. So I'm going to do me and I'm going to wish everyone is her until I guess I find someone where settling for comfort as capability isn't the same thing as feeling like someone is your soulmate.

I always hated romantic movies bc deep in my soul I believe in soulmates. I also believe Nathan blanchette doesn't have a soulmate and if I did my soulmate is destined to be with someone else and if I'm lucky I'll find someone I can be comfortably happy with like a 4 out of 10.

Someone who would tell me talking about gaming annoys her. Someone who won't dance or sing. Someone who is compatible but not compatible at the same time.

I wrestled with my feelings for a while. Why wait? My only reason is I don't want to be with Katie. I want to be with Elise. And even if I take Katie back ill still want to be with elise. I'll have settled.

I'll be taking comfort over happiness. But maybe that's what love is? Settling for someone who is almost good for you but doesn't complete you? Idk

Yet it's my wildest dreams that she's my soulmate. And I only see her in my restless dreams.

If she read every word I wrote. Watched my videos. Posted on Instagram to me. Elise is my soulmate but I see her profile picture and that tells me I'm wrong and she's happy. Idk.

[decepti-thots]

I’m not very familiar with how licensing works; will IDW still be able to sell their old comics even without the license? im still in the process of collecting the old IDW1 volumes (they’ve only just started releasing phase three!) and id hate for that to just. get cut off

Typically, no. IDW will likely not have the license to publish anything using Transformers' intellectual property, so any collections, comics, etc currently published by them which feature Transformers (or GI Joe) will no longer be available. If news comes out they somehow retained that possibility, to not publish new stuff but continue with their old stuff, I'll be really shocked, that would be unusual. (IDW has lost licenses before, and the comics all got pulled, so.)

However, it's likely that the licensing deal Hasbro has struck with the folks taking over the license includes previous TF comic rights for republishing. Not 100% guaranteed, but it's the standard MO they seem to go for? IDW got some Marvel stuff, etc? (Obviously if that isn't included in the deal, the answer is simpler, if bleaker, than below: everything IDW is pulled indefinitely, period. Alas.)

But even if they do get republishing rights... the issue comes with the fact it feels unlikely, to say the least, a new fresh start is going to encourage a company to also maintain "competition", even competition they profit from, in the form of a bunch of other TF comics you can buy which won't lead you to whatever ongoing series they start up in 2023. There's a few options for what I expect to happen, tbh, and I don't think we can guess what route they'll take til we know more.

If they do keep them in print, I can see the "IDW collection" omnibus series I believe you're referencing being the way the new publisher chooses to do it, tbh. Reason being, that sort of thing really appeals most to already highly invested fans, rather than newcomers. So it's a smaller market, and a market less likely to either get confused, or not be willing to buy old and new stuff simultaneously. So we might yet see that completed! (Or even put on pause and brought back once the new stuff is settled/established.)

If stuff gets pulled immediately, I expect that in 5 years or so, they'll announce some "Legacy" IDW reprint series that will be a big deal and have a load of marketing around the "return" of "old favourites", and I will 100% re-buy all the comics I already own in fancy new reissued editions or whatever, bc I am a sucker, hah.

Anyway. We will see. But for sure, if there's stuff you wanna buy from IDW, whether still in-print physical books or on comixology or w/e, get it in 2022, IMO.

[hella1975]

may fuck around and reread all of taob in honor of the next update being The Chapter. am i doing this so i don’t have to process chap 26 just yet? yes. am i gonna fucking sob bc of how far this fic and all of the characters have come? also yes. am i gonna think i’m a genius bc i’ll see foreshadowing and Connect The Two Dots? that’s a guarantee. will i probably have trouble finishing it bc it’s already 8 pm and i have an entire project to do tmrw? oh for sure. will i do it anyway? oh hell yeah 😈

absolutely FUCK YEAH go connect the two dots you weapon i’m gonna put all ur asks here in one big old thing and leave all my responses in bold let’s go:

alright. 9:30 pm. taob reread has officially started. if i’m able to read at the normal person’s pace of abt 250 words per minute, i’ll be able to read the entirety of this in a teeny bit over 12 hours. piece of cake - agent of chaos is an agent of chaos, news at 10

update #1: wow your own character growth w/ the notes? we love to see it. more updates to come 🏗 - it’s embarrassing i fully cannot read the first 4 or 5 chapters because it’s all such a mess

update #2: 10:15 pm. chapter 1 done after a short break. i am,,,,Thinking

- “Nanook was friends with a boy from the Colonies because Nanook was friends with everybody.” i would like to meet nanook’s friends 🥺 - i am still obsessed with the hc that everywhere nanook goes, he makes friends

- “I'll see you soon, Chief." Bato had smiled from the shore. It looked more like a grimace. "Don't go scrapping with General Fong again."” *cuts to hakoda straight up strangling fong within an inch of his life without bato’s supervision in chap 26* 😌 - GSIUHIUSHGIUSHGSIU fully spat my tea out love <3

- “Kanut flicked a strand of his white hair from his eyes with a smug smile.” aww the first mentioning of the white hair that sparked many a jeff goldblum edit - hate it here hate it here hate it here hate it-

- the staring contest that started it all !!!

- “blue bled into red and red stained the blue.” i smell the beginning of color symbolism 😳

- “Lieutenant Jee ducked and dodged, swinging his fist into the jaw of a much smaller man.” UMMM WHO DID JEE SUCKERPUNCH?? - HE WAS THE ONE WHO INJURED NANOOK!! AND I FOUND IT REALLY INTERESTING BUt no one else knew because obviously?? why would you?? so i was just sat with this completely useless grain of info and holding it close like it was actually relevant 

- “In his mind, he still saw his dual swords. He wasn't going anywhere without them.” oh ho ho ho hoh. oh. if only

- “"Come on, boy. I want to see what they teach children in the Fire Nation." Chena goaded further” “"Keep talking and you might just get a lesson." The boy said” GET EM ZUKO!! - remember chena and zuko at the beginning? cause i forget all the time and then i see an excerpt like this and i just have to laugh because i’m like lmfao they hated each other and then by the end chena’s all ‘but he can’t go up town! what if someone sees him!’

- throwback to when hakoda wanted to send zuko to fong *cuts again to hakoda strangling fong for imprisoning & torturing zuko*

ahhh yes. the beauty of hindsight. it is now 10:30 time for chapter 2 🕺🏻 these probably would be better to just comment on the chapters but Oh Well it’s abt the connection 🤌🏻 - me sat here with popcorn like :))) keep going :))) pls :)))

update #3: 10:55 pm

- LETS GO UNCLE KANUT

- “"Ah, great Kanut. Dragon of the West." “Ba Sing Se trembles before you."” the first of many meme references…i am in love with you - and so it begins😔✌️ (no but i remember this was the first quote i really got people specifically interacting with if that makes sense, like this was the very first time readers pointed at something specific and went ‘i like that’ and i was just like ‘omg they like that’

- if zuko gets to get revenge on fong then nanook deserves to avenge his soup that’s just how it works - 

tomkin, concerned: hey nan, you okay?

nanook, squinting at a bowl of soup zuko’s holding: i don’t know... all of a sudden i just feel.... violent

- “General Fong will be desperate to have him. The Earth Kingdom knows how to keep firebenders. Zuko remembered heading in the direction of Ba Sing Se, desperately trying to find his Uncle. Those Earthbenders had been about to crush Uncle's hands with rocks. What would they do to Zuko? Zuko needed to be off this ship before this General Fong came for him.” a) zuko honey you have No Idea what they’d do to you 😔 ironically he already Was off the ship when general fong came for him :(

- “For this reason, breathing exercises are one of the most critical first steps for beginners. And here Zuko was, far from a beginner and still struggling with his breathing exercises.” zuko dude we get it you’re traumatized but youre literally bleeding out no one gives a fuck abt your bending rn give yourself a break smh - zuko will lose both his legs and still be on some ‘damn why can’t i run as fast as azula >:(’

update was short bc i am Excited for more. 11:02. chapter 3 time 🪄

update #4: 11:27 pm

- zuko seeing nanook’s polar leopard shirt: it’s free real estate

- “Kanut had showed that, while he might protect Zuko from Chena, he wouldn't do anything to stop the Chief. Like Uncle with Father. "No!" Zuko yelled or was it more of a cry? - and tried to run again, but it was too dark and he was acting from a place of emotion like he always did, not like Azula who could always control herself - and like it always did, it got him caught. The big warrior grabbed his wrist and pulled him back, dragging him down the stairs. Kanut looked away.” fuck dude FUCK the amt of misunderstandings in this chapter, hakoda’s not having any bs but his kids could’ve been Killed, meanwhile zuko’s over here flipping out and reliving Trauma 😔 also lets go w/ calling out how iroh isn’t Perfect and him looking away from ozai’s abuse was shitty and probably affected zuko 🕺🏻 - you guys shout about the current taob misunderstandings as if miscommunication hasn’t been my brand since the beginning

- “Because if Hakoda kept wondering what the Fire Nation would do in his shoes, then he would become them. He didn't want this war. It had taken so much from him. He wouldn't let it take his morality.” the CONSISTENCY in this fic hot DAMN *cut yet AGAIN to hakoda strangling fong while telling him off abt how he was as heartless as the fire nation in chap 26* (yes i cannot stop thinking abt that scene fong deserved it so fucking much)

- “Ruination was a song the Fire Nation knew well, a song whose lyrics curled from their tongues in infancy, a song whose harmonies lay in their skeletons. This boy was a teenager, but his instincts were primal.” no silly lil comment here this is just some fantastic writing man holy shit - bruh are we about to kiss right now 👉👈🥺🥺

- MORE UNCLE KANUT!! PULLING THROUGH WITH THE TEA!!!!

11:35 chap 4(?) time i’m a stupidly slow reader 🪣

update #5 i think. 12:09 bc my brain is SLOW

- “Three weeks with the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation and no cell to keep him in. What could go wrong?” oh nothing…nothing at all…

- “He repeated again, as if he'd come to an important realisation, though it couldn't be that important because Zuko was the only one he was looking at.” zayn only has two eyes

- lets go visually impaired zuko 🕺🏻

- tis but a flesh wound!

- “ “Do yourself a favor Tomkin[…] Don’t fraternize with the enemy.”” ORIGINS!!!! - so it begins 2.2 electric boogaloo 

alright i am going to continue reading but i’m slow and my thoughts are incomprehensible at this point so i may just make a jumbo update…goodnight queen 🪨 - gn u moronic icon <3

---------------

help idk why i found all of this so funny but i just lobbed them all together and did comments like some teacher marking a test that wound up about what was going on at the time of posting and other dumb shit and honestly? a 10/10 experience thank you muchly for this

[talpup]

Ok so working theory so far (i haven't re-read everything yet,but i don't know when i'll get the chance to so here's what i have): we know the dragon king and griffon queen wanted to end the war/guarantee future peace/power so they wanted to imprint their young to secure that. The griffon king disagreed and hid Teris- but he couldn't hide a missing royal baby forever, so the dragon king/his servants tracked down teris' last known location; which was with shouta's sphinx family. The dragons attacked bc they were initially trying to get teris back-but when they couldn't find her, dragons and griffons ordered all sphinxes to be killed,not bc they didnt choose a side, but because by hiding teris they betrayed BOTH sides since she was a tool for them to unite dragons with griffons (and guarantee the survival of both royal families, with their power as rulers). This led to different factions being created in the war- some loyal to the griffon king only, some to the griffon queen and dragon king, some to the dragon king only. But eventually everyone turned on each other and the dragons and griffons were exterminated. (Orrrrr shit started getting out of whack with the elementals, so the council members banded together to secretly kill the royal familymembers on both sides, so they got the dragons and griffons to revenge murder each other).

The council is hiding knowledge of the war because if people found out that they turned on the kings and queens they swore allegiance to, then they are no longer trusted/respected authority figures, and EVERYTHING they do/say will come into question... including the festivals to appease the elementals.So if fourths lost their faith/respect towards the council, they wouldnt appease the elementals, and the elementals would start fucking oblvi up again. Also fourths might see that as valid reason to start a coup against the council.

Also i know all for one has something to do with this and i am missing analysis on a lot of stuff but its late so im going to sleep zzzz

Ooo... Theories! I love theories!!!

Brief reminder. In chapter 13, Teris' remembered dream shows her father saying it was time to leave, after she and Shouta spent the day playing together, and Teris asking her father if they could stay a bit longer. Her father said he was afraid not, and when she asked if she would get to see and play with Shouta again, the Griffon King's answer was "I hope so, my dear. For all our sakes, I hope so.”

Also in the latest chapter, His Purple Highness' thoughts shared what they asked the Sphinx leader for and the agreement Teris' father and Shouta's grandfather came to: "Finding the Griffon Queen and Dragon King’s plans as abhorrent as they did, Shouta's grandfather had asked for little in exchange for preforming a block on Teris to prevent a forced imprint. The only thing the Sphinx leader had wanted was King Lheas’ word that the Griffon’s would stop killing his kind for not choosing a side and joining in the war, and a private audience with Teris."

So we know that the Griffon King didn't ask the Sphinx's to hide Teris. But your current thought is that the King didn't take Teris back home after visiting the Sphinx's but hid her somewhere, and the Dragon's came looking for her, tracking her to the Sphinx's and killing Shouta's pack? Interesting... I like it.

But here's a few hinting/leading questions to help further your theories:

If the Griffon King had gone to the Sphinx's to put a block on Teris to stop any forced imprinting, why wouldn't he just return home to his mate and Queen, secure in the knowledge that a such a terrible thing could no longer be done to his daughter?

Presumably, so long as the Griffon Queen and Dragon King didn't find out what the Griffon King had done (in having Shouta's grandfather put a block on Teris) they would have merely thought the attempt to force an imprint on Teris and Kai had failed. It's not like they would've had a lot to go on to be sure such a thing would've worked in the first place, seeing as it's such a long held illegal thing to do and there's little to no remaining ancient records of it being done.

Also, if the Griffon Queen and Dragon King's plan to force an imprint was such an abhorrent thing that the Griffon Queen's loyal and loving mate/King consort was willing to work against her for the first time ever, it stands to reason that others (whether Griffon, Dragon, or merely severing them) would turn against them for it as well. Others like say the Dragon Court for instance.?. I'm not saying Ptick was right about the Dragon Court rising up and killing the Dragon's and only wrong about why (Ptick saying it was cause the Dragon King and Griffon Queen threaded Kai and Teris, instead of them wanting to force imprint them); but this might further lean itself to the "Ptick was right" theory.

As for the Elemental's. The scene in the last chapter with His Purple Highness telling Nemuri all that was mostly just to further explain how knowledge spells work, and (needless as it currently is) let readers know Nemuri is set to be the Dryad King's successor and be Dryad Queen.

Here's a couple lines from that scene where HPH is remembering: "The aged Sphinx had warmed to him during their meeting and privately admitted to being the sole bearer of a knowledge spell that imprisoned an ancient and terrible evil. Not so ancient as the Elemental’s the elemental leader’s were imprisoning, the Sphinx leader had told him with a wink; the great Sphinx naturally aware of the knowledge spell his ancestors had helped His Purple Highness’ ancestors with."

Since the knowledge spell Shouta's grandfather passed onto a young, unknowing Teris and locked in her head is the one keeping All for One imprisoned, and Shouta's grandfather admitted to HPH (His Purple Highness) that the ancient and terrible evil the knowledge spell he carried wasn't keeping something as "ancient as the Elemental’s the elemental leader’s were imprisoning" it's safe to say that All for One isn't an Elemental and the Elemental's won't be playing a part.

Actually, I'll flat out tell you, the Elemental's won't be playing a part in this fic. One, because I got so many moving pieces in this fic that I don't wanna kill myself by adding the Elemental's. lol And two, because this fic is part of an original series, and (whether I end up making it a fanfic or original fic) I have later plans for the Elemental's and the world of Oblvi in a later book.

One last thing. Seeing as it was so small that most might have overlooked it, I will say that there is a hint at what All for One is in the opening scene of the latest chapter.

In any case, thanks for sharing your working theories! I really did love hearing them. Feel free to share any more if you get a chance and want. I hope some of my hints and leading questions helped you along. Thanks again!

[crabnby]

ok @the-defiant-pupil i'm just gonna go ahead and make a new post bc this is about to get too long for my adhd ass

(context: continuation of this post)

1. funny thing is, i've actually read most of your sources already. they get really, really boring after awhile though, bc all of them start to say the same thing: yes there are differences, but there are also similarities, and scientists have yet to figure out the significance of this.

i'm not gonna go through each and every one of your sources, and i shouldn't be expected to either. when it comes to biological research, find the most recent articles with the most solid evidence/conclusions and call it good. don't dredge up an entire archive. i could find you sources that only characterize lichens as 2 symbiotic organisms rather than 3, but that wouldn't be correct bc the most recent research says otherwise. so yeah, just bc you CAN find that much info out there doesn't mean all of it is viable and should be used.

also, you can't just list a bunch of sources and expect it to be enough. you should contextualize them, explain them, tell your audience why each one matters. if you're really going to have that many, then be prepared to give a short annotation for each one bc i can guarantee you no one has enough time on their hands (or in my case, attention span) to read that many sources

your "plain as day" source by the way?? says this as well:

this is what i was talking about earlier!! do you actually read, contextualize, and analyze what you read? or do you just find the first line you agree with and run with it?

bc what i got from reading that article is that even after years of research and the largest study to date, scientists STILL don't fully understand what they're looking at, and they might never. so we, as people Not Actively Researching This Subject should be incredibly hesitant to draw our own conclusions when even the researchers can't do so.

i also like that the author mentions how socialization can affect brain structure and development — did you know that domestication causes visible differences in gene structure between the ancestor and current-day species? bc of selective breeding, humans changed the genetics of dogs, cows, crops, etc.; genetics changed bc of domestication, domestication didn't come about bc of a change in genetics. and i KNOW that you're going to tell me this has nothing to do w what we're talking about, but it does hold a similar concept: it's not just genetics and bodily functions that affect behavior, the environment has an equally important role.

similarly, gene expression in almost every species is highly regulated by the environment just as equally as it is the body (and for clarification: environment means anything external, body means anything internal). as are hormonal responses, reflexes, emotions, etc. all of which can have subtle but lasting impacts on the body! i don't actually think that anti-transmeds are trying to deny science when we say that how your brain developed is not the only thing that affects gender identity! i think it's kinda actually the opposite!

2. i've haven't heard of this tumblr biologist, so please direct me to their publications, i'd actually really love to read them

3. science literacy is a whole other beast than literacy in general. like, yes, you have to be able to read, but suddenly specific word choice and HOW you read articles becomes important. it goes from reading chronologically (english literacy) to reading section by section and contextualizing what you've read in previous sections and articles so that by the end you understand the initial hypothesis, if the evidence ACTUALLY proved it, if their methods were sound, and why it matters in the particular field.

i'm not trying to say that people who aren't studying science can't read peer-reviewed articles and understand them, but you do have to realize that it's a completely new skillset you have to practice over and over again, not just something you can pick up on the fly

4. i think you completely missed my point about the anti-vaxxer movement. the reason it started was bc McBastard Wakefield published his article and before any other research could be done to refute it or back it up, the greater population picked it up and ran with it. 7 or so years since it's been debunked and he lost his medical license, but people still believe him bc he got published, and to some of the most accredited journals at that.

my point was that just bc the research exists doesn't mean we should accept it at face value until the medical/scientific community can undeniably say "this is what this is, and what it means." and they're STILL doing further research, which means that hasn't happened yet. bc the whole point of science, and by extension research, is to never be satisfied w your results, and instead continue to look for more than you can currently see. or at least that's what i've been taught.

bc to look at published articles and assume that they MUST be true bc it's PUBLISHED SCIENCE is...exactly what the anti-vaxxer movement began on. and i'd rather not repeat that.

(please show me, by the way, how """tucutes""" 1. actually exist and 2. harm anyone by simply living their own damn lives)

5. yeah """""tucutes""""" don't have any science bc uh.....there really is none. science is a process, and we're currently in the research phase which means NO ONE should be using it as proof. it's good to say "hey this exists" but to completely invalidate someone's existence based on studies that scientists are still trying to understand? that's called abusing and misconstruing results

6. i'm guessing you don't actually care, but sure. i'll explain mating types of fungi to you.

in short: genetic diversity is advantageous for survival, and fungi are nothing if not crafty little bastards, thus 1000s of mating pairs for better chances of sexual compatibility

in long: each mating type is determined by a set of genes. really, you can think of mating types as extended alleles, since each distinct allele has a distinct mating type.

so as for 5 different mating types and how they're different...there you go. that'd be like asking me to tell you 5 different alleles of the same gene and how they're different. the only difference is in sequence and then how they're expressed due to differences in sequence.

usually we don't categorize every single mating type since that'd be a bit...much.

however, we can and do categorize fungi by how they reproduce! i.e., what kind of syntamy do they display? can they go through diploid selfing? can they inbreed or only out cross? what's their primary stage of life: diploid or haploid? do they rely on sexual reproduction or asexual reproduction? if it's an ascomycete, do they form pericarps or ascocarps?

in fact, one of the main differentiators between fungi is their life cycle, most of which is geared towards reproduction. that's why although basidiomycetes and ascomycetes are the only fungi that can form macro fruiting bodies (as well as many, many other similarities), they'll always be categorized differently.

but i digress. the reason i compared fungal mating types to brain morphology and "sex" categorization is bc i was making an analogy. i'm not a neurologist, as you can probably tell at this point, but that doesn't mean i haven't taken any classes that covered the brain pretty extensively.

what i was really trying to say was this: everything that i've read so far says that although there's definitely some differences between brains, there's also a significant amount of overlap, so much so that when you try to categorize the brain into two distinct types, you're still going to have an incredible amount of variety.

likewise, you could, theoretically, do the same to fungi. you could sequence the genes from each mating type, determine the different SNPs, and categorize them into two distinct groups based on what SNPs they do/don't have. it wouldn't make sense to do so, though, bc there'd still be too much variety within each group.

this was just me trying to relate it to what i personally study but tbh i can see how that would've been confusing, so i apologize for that

[realtalk-princeton]

One of the advices I have gotten to overcome my EXTREME social anxiety is to get out of my comfort zone and try things I am scared of (i.e., talking to guys)? But what do I do when EVERY time I take this advice, I am rejected, people avoid me, etc? How to keep going when you have no positive feedback from this world? I have never been on a date bc no guy has ever been interested in me. My entire life is consumed by my anxiety and I am in SO MUCH PAIN every day.

Response from Ocean:

First off, I'm sorry you're in so much pain and that your social anxiety is causing you distress. I'd like to plug CPS and/or an outside provider (therapist and/or psychiatrist) in case you haven't pursued professional help yet. Anxiety is something that many people suffer from, but that doesn't mean you need to just power through it. Keeping your anxiety to yourself can compound or result in other health problems, as it elevates your stress levels to near-constant, which is A Bad Thing. If you'd like more individual help on how to access mental health care on or near campus, you can submit your netid and I'll send you an email, or CPS can provide referrals.

I think you're putting too much pressure on yourself right off the bat, and setting a bit too high of a bar for yourself here. I also think that approaching guys cold and asking them out is probably like the worst possible thing for extreme social anxiety! The social anxiety means they probably don't know you very well, you may be visibly or subconsciously uncomfortable so they might be picking up on this, and people don't typically agree to dates with people they don't know very well and who seem to be uncomfortable asking them out! So I think you've received not very great advice to begin with.

"Getting out of your comfort zone" isn't necessarily bad advice--we all need to get out of our comfort zones to grow--but there's ways to do this that are less painful and less likely to end in rejection. I'd suggest instead to try getting out of your comfort zone in a different way--for example, join a club about something you're passionate about! This way there's automatically a reward (getting to do a thing you enjoy) as well as a bit of a challenge (meeting new people and talking to them) but there's also the structure of the activity and the shared enthusiasm that guarantees that you have something to talk about. Another suggestion would be to attend an event hosted by your residential college or ODUS and make a goal to strike up a friendly conversation with one person. If you're nervous about talking to guys, talk to girls! Ask people questions--this way you have to do less talking. And if someone seems unresponsive or bored, then you can politely excuse yourself and try talking to another person.

I don't know your specific flavor of social anxiety, but another thing that's been good for many people I know is just going out and doing something by themselves--even something as small as going out and getting coffee by themselves, or my personal favorite, going to see a movie by myself. It can be a little bit nerve racking at first (I'm by myself! In public! Am I being weird?) but you get the automatic reward of the coffee/movie/etc and then if someone asks what you did that day/week, you have something slightly more interesting to say besides just "work".

There's a lot of people I know at Princeton and elsewhere who haven't really been on dates or had relationships (even the most well-adjusted of people), so I would encourage you to try and let go of the expectation you have for yourself about your romantic timeline. Honestly, the best way to meet people is to just do the things you like and live life on your own terms, and inevitably you'll come across people who like those same things and think the same way you do. And this goes for both friendships and relationships, by the way.

So, short answer:

-don't put yourself in the hardest social situations right away

-try doing things that you will like regardless of the social aspect (you can't control how people respond to you, but you can control your own responses)

-the romantic stuff will come along in its own time

I hope this helps and next year goes better for you!

[lgbtqpjo]

Not pjo related, but I'm kinda confused atm. I have a girlfriend and I love her very much, and that'll never change, but she wants to be trans. Now, I'm totally okay with that, I want to be too (I'm a girl biologically) She's always gonna be my partner and and I'll always love her, but I like girls, and idk if this means I'll be pan.. and it's very confusing bc I'm ace and I won't have sex either way, but I'm debating whether this still means I'm gay or not. Help? (I have other Qs but outta lett

for starters: you are very young. sorting out your likes and dislikes and identity usually take quite a long time, and may be a lifelong process. i guarantee you that you are going to change, and your needs/wants/desires are allowed (and almost certainly will) change with you. give yourself some breathing room, yeah? i’m not saying you should break up with them or trying to talk you out of anything, but it’s okay if things with your current partner don’t work out and you shouldn’t feel like so much pressure that you have to stay with them no matter what even if they aren’t a gender you’re attracted to.

when people come out as trans, it often makes sexuality quite a bit..complicated. gender and sexuality have always been very intertwined and questioning one often leads to questioning the other. which isn’t to say that you…can’t go through that process with a partner, but it is a very personal process, and since you’re both going through it, i think you should probably give each other a little bit of space?

i know you can’t obviously magically turn your feelings off, but it’s important to realize that it will just get messier in the long run if you commit to something so strongly before you really know who you are.

you said your girlfriend “wants to be trans”, which is certainly a starting point for plenty of trans people. wanting to be a different gender or wanting to transition is usually just the first step for a lot of people. if they decide that they really are trans and want to begin transitioning, it’s going to be a very lengthy and complicated process. they still sound unsure and possibly a little hesitant, which is why i said you might just have to give them some space to really figure it out. it’s a very personal process and help and advice and support are always valued, but let them ask for that in their own time and in their own way.

how their gender affects your sexuality is…a lot more complicated. mostly because they don’t seem to be quite sure what their gender really is, yet. which is why i said: let them figure it out, and you focus on you in the meantime.

see, the lines between gender and sexuality can get kind of blurry, and that’s why they have, historically, been very closely tied together. how you experience your sexuality often affects how you present in your gender (butch lesbian culture, drag culture, etc). i, for example, am a nonbinary lesbian; i was assigned female at birth and although i don’t identify with that gender i feel it has significantly impacted how i view the world and how the world views me and that this is relevant and important to my gender identity. i am attracted to women and other nonbinary people, but because lesbian culture places an emphasis on subverting gender roles and questioning the gender binary, i feel i am well within the cultural definition/meaning of a lesbian, even though i am not, strictly speaking, a woman who is attracted to women.

it took me a very long time to get to that point. i was about twelve when i sat down to figure it out. took me at least five years to sort it out, probably about six before i felt comfortable to say “nonbinary lesbian.” i’m nineteen now.

THIS IS SO LONG and i’m sorry i know it’s kind of all over the place but the moral of the story is this: if you don’t give each other space to figure out who you really are before you make commitments to stay with each other forever, it’s going to hurt and be very messy down the road, and the best way to make sure that doesn’t happen is by giving yourselves some space and time to figure it out.