#people aren't lazy most of the time there's an issue behind it

[lil-gingerbread-queen]

People on the internet: Self-diagnosis is invalid! Seek a professional diagnostic, or you are stealing our resources and using our mental disability as an excuse for your laziness!

French professionals: Do not contact me to get a diagnosis if you're an adult and do not need medications! You will be wasting my time. You can get therapy on your own and check resources online without bothering me.

[hasnomoxxie]

So, if the Smile Dip Dog swaps with Bill, did he still destroy his own dimension? A dimension full of colorful talking animals? Because I’ve gotta say, that already sounds even sadder.

Right on the money boss!

Here's how I think it'd go!

First off the zodiac, this initially was the way that the beast was split and banished to the astral plane.

Now that this is here, I can list out all the main swaps hoho!

Dipper ⇆ Stan

Mabel ⇆ Ford

Wendy ⇆ Lazy Jane

Soos ⇆ Manly Dan

Abuelita ⇆ Tyler

Pacifica ⇆ Fiddleford

Gideon ⇆ Bud and mrs Gleeful (little villain couple to rival the stan duo)

Robbie ⇆ Preston

THE BEAST ⇆ BILL CYPHER

The pups are silly and playful in nature, opting to try and make things as brightly coloured and 'fun' as possible. Though this usually results in freakish abominations that do things that really shouldn't be done. Though they're not stupid, they know exactly what they're doing and how it effects others- It's mainly just for their own enjoyment.

After destroying their universe full to the brim of brightly coloured talking animals, 'The Beast' was split into halves and banished to the astral plane. This meant their reality warping abilities was whittled down to being intense illusions and hallucinations, however they typically tend to use it to try and restore their original look when they are seen by people- though that only works for a short time.

Pretty much anyone could theoretically see the dogs, either through extreme meditation or having a suspiciously high amount of sugar in your system. Safe to say, a food company having a suspicious amount of complaints from parents saying their kids are now 'unresponsive', 'babbling gibberish and mysteriously disappearing' or were 'seeing God and He's a Dog' was enough to get the entire line of candy shut down. Mabel was unlucky enough to stumble onto some smile dip during a late night work session and met the pups. They quickly bonded and the pups were leading Mabel to the weirdness left right and centre, with the end goal of opening a 'weirdness rift'.

A portal.

Safe to say, Mabel couldn't do this on her own. She's smart but not- dimensional science smart. So she called on the smartest person she knew, her twin brother Mason. At this time, Mason wasn't really doing as well as he could have, being attracted to the extraordinary he was prone to being the laughing stock of his university- but a solid breakthrough. Money wasn't an issue, especially when Mabel's old friend Pacifica was willing to help lend a hand and be on site (despite lying about her financial security in order to help her friends). So- the three of them set to building the portal.

Due to unknown circumstances, Pacifica leaves the project. When Mabel finally realises the true intention of the portal and tries to shut it down, Mason is reluctant to do this- fearing that it may be sabotaging his last chance at being recognised for his scientific works and being slightly jealous that Mabel found all of the weirdness instead of him. Either way, a small fight happens, ending with Mabels disappearance, leaving her scrapbooks behind.

The project failed and the pups still aren't free, but it's a matter of time before someone eventually sets them free

I'm litterally figuring out the timeline as I write but some things are set in stone. I'm just figuring out how to show it all off- I did get alot of outsite help for this too ^^

How would y'all feel about comics? or animations? What particular scenes? I feel like tackling this bit by bit would be the most effective way to go about it, especially for what the world is like in this flipped version.

I dunno this is my first time doing something like this umm, if this doesn't make sense lmk and I'll revise some stuff

umm

bazzinga, thanks for yer question ^^

[luveline]

Omg Jade, I’ve been LOVING the asf resurgence ☺️☺️ It hits my heart in all the right ways!!

I was wondering if would please write something showing more of the burrow from asf? Would love to see Molly (alongside Fred ofc!) doting on the reader. Maybe she feels poorly during a gathering? Just an idea - no pressure ofc to respond or to go in this direction. Thank you either way!!! 😊

tysm for ur request!! sorry this took me a whole month ♡ fem!reader, 1.5k

cw mental health issues/ poor eating habits

The popcorn is greasy between your fingers. You look down at a slightly burned kernel without much feeling, giving it a squeeze to listen to the styro-foamy groan as it breaks. 

The crumbs fall down the front of your hoodie. The mess is enough to make you feel something other than tired, blinking to attention while you pick tiny bits from your tummy. 

Fred's hand reaches over to help. "Whoops," he says, flicking them off of the sofa onto the rug. 

"Don't do that," you chastise without any heat, nudging his knee with yours. "Your poor mum will have to clean it up." 

"No she won't." 

"Are you going to hoover before we go?" you ask. 

Fred puts his hand on your thigh for an unapologetic feel. "No. She'd be offended." 

It's hard to describe how something as simple and as normal as Fred's hand on your leg can make you feel. Suddenly, you aren't alone in your head, feeling all sorts of awful. There's someone with you. 

Fred often laments (with sympathy) that you live in the past. He's not wrong. There are things that haunt you without pulling punches, stuff that makes you feel sick even though you can't remember how it all went anymore. It's like your body has caught hold of the way you felt at the time and is now throwing you into the deep end, no warnings. 

George takes the popcorn bowl from your lap, a lazy heist from his positioning on the floor. He, Ron, and Harry play a game of exploding snap that smells like no one's winning by your shoes. 

Bill and Fleur sit on bean bags by the fire, their legs interlocked, and the baby (who isn't a baby anymore, actually, a brand new toddler) waddles around the room in footie pyjamas. Every time you see Victoire, you wonder if she's an easy baby, and if you'd be a good mom. If you're even capable. 

Things tend to twist from there. Capable in any capacity? You're sure there are a hundred different things that Fred wants from you that he will never be able to have. A girlfriend who doesn't shut down when she's worried. A partner who pulls their weight. You let him down pretty much every day though he doesn't say, in your uselessness. You're awful. He deserves better than someone who's clinging to the bad things that happened to her (though you don't want to cling, you can't seem to make yourself stop). 

Fred's hand abandons your thigh. He sits up in his seat on the sofa to wrap his arm behind your neck instead, encouraging your head under his. With the side of his chin pressed to your temple, he doesn't say a word. 

Molly appears from the garden with a handful of fresh lemon balm. "Who wants a cup of tea?" she asks. 

Her eyes flicker straight for you. Fred told you once that Harry used to be her favourite child. It confused you —family is much more than blood, but still, there's so many to choose from and they're all brilliant, so why Harry? 

He was the one who needed the favouritism most, Fred says. Mum has a built-in pain detector. She knows when people need love. 

"We'll have a cup of tea," Fred says, rubbing your shoulder. 

"Obviously," Molly says, though what's obvious about it escapes you. "Anyone else?" 

There's a chorus of requests, most of which you can't keep straight. Molly's brilliant, she doesn't miss a beat. "Lovely," she says with a smile. 

"I'll come help you, mum," George says, using your legs as a brace to get up. 

You kick him without force in the leg. He turns to you, shooting you an adoring, saccharine smile with hands at his chest curved into a heart shape. 

"He's in a mood today," Fred says. 

Your sleeves bunch under his hands with every upward swipe. You sit there for a while feeling off. Something is wrong, some pit sucking you in, but nothing's happened. It's been a while since you felt this suddenly sick —you're better than you were, but you aren't better. 

"It's okay," Fred says, like he can read your mind. His reassurance kisses warm over your cheek. "Do you want to go home?" 

He doesn't seem upset with you. If anything, he's chipper, like he'd love to go home with you. It's a charade for your benefit to erase the guilt that comes with yanking him out of family time, and you don't fall for it. 

Yet you can't make yourself smile. You aren't as good of an actor as he is. "No," you mumble, pulling away from his loving embrace to meet his eyes. 

He inches closer, hand sliding down your arm. 

"I love you," he says very quietly. He's at risk of being heard by three different brothers, each of which might rip him to shreds for being as whipped as he sounds. 

You don't not want to say it back. Sometimes it's hard. Fred isn't telling you for a parroting, anyhow, and he doesn't care when you fail to answer. 

"Let's go help make tea," he says, standing up. You don't want to move, but you'd rather not stay by yourself. You've no choice but to follow him through the living room and into the kitchen. 

"Hi, dearie," Molly says. You realise she's talking to you, not Fred. "You look like you need something to eat. I'll make you something sweet, how does that sound?" 

It sounds like a bad idea. "That sounds great." 

She nudges George off with his tray of tea to stand in front of you. "There's a good girl," she says, squeezing your elbow. "Fred says you're not eating, but you were fine at breakfast. Feeling better?"

"Mum," Fred says, sending you an apologetic look. "Sorry, I don't mean to gossip about you–" 

"No, it's okay. It's nice, it's… a privilege to be worried about," you say, though you wish he wouldn't. 

Molly shakes her head, ginger kinks swishing over her shoulders. "It's not a privilege, lovely. That's just what family does, mm? You worry about Freddie, he worries about you, and I'll worry about both of you." 

"You don't have to worry about us, mum." 

"I know. It's a privilege, though, to be the one worrying," Molly says, offering you a gentle smile. 

"Right," you say. 

"So stop pretending you're okay and have a seat. Freddie, you better go and get her one of your blankets, I think." 

Fred grins and exits the kitchen quickly to avoid giving you time to protest. Ever a people pleaser, you sit down at the table in one of the chairs with a tall back. Molly puts down a cup of tea in front of you, swiftly followed by a plate of biscuits, a toasted, buttered currant scone, and a blueberry muffin sliced down the middle. 

That's what gets you. The muffin cut in half, paper peeled away. Molly has no reason to like you; you make Fred happy, but you know you've made him so, so sad, sometimes. You've weighed him down. You're not the best he could've had, but his family don't care. He doesn't care. He loves you enough to breeze into the kitchen with a throw blanket, wrap it around your shoulders, and nestle a kiss behind your ear. 

You scramble to grab his arms rather than let him stand again. He startles at first, but he recovers, and his arms curl around your front with enthusiasm that can't be faked. 

"I love you," he murmurs. Words slid together like he's tipped them out, impossible to deny. "Try not to wind yourself up, alright? It's a normal day. The only people who matter are you and me, yeah?"

"Yeah," you say through a lump. 

"I'll be just in the living room if you need me," Molly says. 

"Thanks, mum," Fred says, perching his chin atop your head. 

He waits for her to leave and plants a kiss on the highest point of your cheek. When you smile, he tracks them all over. Kiss to your head, your ear, the soft line of your jaw.

"Do you want to talk about something? Or should we think about other things?" he asks. 

It's a strange, coddling way to ask if there's something in particular that's upset you, but it's nice to be coddled. Truthfully, there's nothing concrete that hurts. A little bit of everything. The world is busy and life is hard and people aren't always kind, and you'll always be unbalanced by that. Luckily, Fred's there to hold you up, together, whatever you need. 

"Do you want half of my muffin?" you ask. 

"I'm eyeing up your scone, honestly." 

"You can have it if you want it." 

Fred hugs you tightly. "And deprive you? No way. I'll settle for the muffin if you feed it to me," he says hopefully. 

You twist in your chair, holding a bit of the muffin up for him to eat.

"I love you," you say. In a horror story, a nightmare, your nearly constant thoughts, he scoffs in your face. 

Fred swallows roughly. "I know. S'why you're gonna let me have half the scone, too." 

It's awfully cheesy, but you'd give him much more than a scone. You'd give him anything he asked you to give.

"Greedy," you say. 

"I resent that, ghost."

[frostyhelltime]

I See You

(ft. HuskerDust)

Warnings: Little bit of angst on Angel's part, but this is mostly just hurt/comfort.

Prompt: "I see you. I see you, I always have and I always will." Prompt from @unfriendlywriter

Set before they're dating, but sometime after 'Loser, Baby'. I had a lot of fun making their graphics for this as well. Hope everyone likes it!

There's a blissful silence in the air as Husk polishes glasses behind the bar. No static that would allude to Alastor being near, no Nifty obsessively cleaning, no Charlie planning new group activities. Just. Peace.

Until a certain tall spider comes lumbering in, shoulders slumped low, and head pointed towards the ground. Husk doesn't even think Angel Dust is even aware of the weary sigh that leaves them as they trudge in, barely having the energy to even shut the front door behind him.

Husk is already grabbing a bottle and a glass for him but as soon as he pops the top off he hears Angel speak.

"I'm good Whiskers. I just...I just wanna go to bed. Maybe tomorrow." Angel waves him off sluggishly with two arms, which only makes Husk furrows his brows as if trying to analyze him.

"That bad huh?" He offers as he puts the lid back on the bottle, hesitating only a moment to see if Angel changes his mind and wants a drink after all. When Angel just sighs and keeps walking, Husk does finally put the bottle away.

"Wanna talk about it? People don't have to buy a drink to sit at my bar." He says before giving Angel a toothed grin.

"Least you don't anyway."

He's speaking genuinely, but also hopes the remark might make Angel chuckle even just a little. He doesn't, but he does let out a huff of air that Husk thinks could be close enough to a laugh that he thinks he's successful.

He does manage to get Angel to crack a smile with that one, though it is weak. But still, a smile is a smile.

"Maybe...I dunno. I don't wanna take up ya time and space if someone else comes in." Angel shrugs, looking for excuses for Husk to not comfort him. It's something foreign, having someone care about how he's doing. He's used to people only pretending to care to get what they want, usually his body or whatever it is they need. So his instinct is to try and dodge those attempts at care because it's hard to handle when they aren't genuine. He certainly wouldn't be able to handle it if Husk's care wasn't genuine. But that's a whole other issue to dig deep into as he's falling asleep.

But Husk doesn't hear any of Angel's thoughts, only what Angel says, so this time he waves Angel off with a lazy wave of his wrist.

"Most everyone is out as far as I know. And if someone does come in I can always take a break." He assured the taller one, who shifts nervously from foot to foot as he considers maybe...it would be okay to show that vulnerability to Husk again? Just this once of course. Husk busies himself with cleaning more glasses to not make Angel feel pressured into a decision one way or another.

"...Maybe but...I dunno. I just...talkin' out here in the open where someone can walk in...Maybe another time but thanks." Angel stumbles over his words until eventually he talks himself out of it and even Angel winces at how lame it sounds. Husk eyes him a moment, as if analyzing him like a math problem. He's trying to figure out how far is too far to push, but he doesn't feel good at all about letting Angel go in this state.

"...Break time it is."

"W...Wha?"

"I've decided it's time for a break. Let's head somewhere quieter to talk. Problem solved."

Husk says it so casually with a shrug of his shoulders that it just confuses Angel even more, as if it was natural to stop what he was doing to help him. By the time he processes what his feline companion has said, Husk has already put things away and is standing next to Angel, waiting only a little impatiently.

For the first time tonight Husk looks a little anxious standing next to him, hands in his pockets and waiting to be directed on where they're going to go.

When Angel comes back down to earth, he blinks a few times, standing up a bit straighter.

"Right. Yeah. Uh. We can talk in my room I guess?" Angel says, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Husk only nods and gestures for him to start walking.

Neither Angel nor Husk can tell if the silence between them as they walk is peaceful or awkward, but either way they're happy to reach the door once they get there.

Angel goes in first, plopping down to sit on his bed as Fat Nuggets immediately crawls onto his lap, nuzzling into Angel eagerly to try and cheer him up.

Husk lets out a small chuckle at the admittedly adorable display and he shuts the door behind him, taking a seat right next to Angel Dust.

"Alright. So what's bothering you?"

"...The Big V. Who else?" He scoffs venomously, looking away.

"And Charlie enjoys singing. I figured that much. What did he do this time?" Husk relaxes as they begin talking im earnest, leaning back a little bit and getting comfortable.

"I just...I don't even know how to describe it. He makes....he makes me feel so worthless. Like all I'm good at and good for is his stupid fuckin' shoots." Angel grits out, hands pausing on Fat Nuggets a second.

"And when I can't even do that right..." He trails off, letting the end of his sentence go unspoken.

"I just feel...so damn invisible there. Even when all eyes are on me it feels like no one is really looking at me."

Angel hates that his voice takes on a choked sounding quality the further he talks, the tears welling up in the corner of his eyes. He turns away from Husk as if that would actually keep him from finding out.

It takes a moment for Husk to figure out what to say and then he reaches out to place his hand on top of one of Angel's, hesitating halfway there eventually deciding, fuck it, and placing his hand on top of his and giving a small squeeze.

"I see you."

It's the softest Angel Dust had ever heard Husk speak and it's so jarring he snaps his head back to look at Husk, forgetting he was trying to hide his tears moments ago.

"...What?"

Husk clears his throat, giving him his best comforting smile.

"I see you. I always have and I always will." Husk speaks with a little more confidence.

The tears that were only beginning to gather begin to flood now and Angel doubles over as his body is wracked with sobs, unable to stop himself, especially after the day he's had. Somehow it was both exactly what he needed to hear and also what pushes him past the tipping point. He doesn't know why it makes him snap, he just knows it does.

Maybe it's because he really is starting to believe Husk could be genuine, and somehow placing that vulnerability in another person's hands is terrifying and overwhelming.

But Husk doesn't judge him, just sneaks his free hand around to rub soothing circles on Angel's back as he lets him get it all out. Neither of them says anything for the duration of it, Husk out of respect and Angel out of shame.

But eventually Angel's cries do settle down into sniffles and he sits back up again, wiping what's left of the tears off his face before looking at Husk again.

"Yeah. Sorry. I...I don't know what came over me." He mumbles apologetically but Husk just shrugs. Angel only barely sees it in his peripheral because he's looking anywhere but at Husk.

"Nothing to be sorry about." He assured him, his voice soothing and neutral.

Husk's words just keep ringing in Angel's head over and over again though.

'I see you. I always have and I always will.'

Angel can't help but snort out a laugh now.

"Fuckin' liar. You didn't always see me. You hated me when I first showed up here." Angel laughs, although he still appreciates the sentiment.

But Husk just smiles like he knows something Angel doesn't.

"... Technically I didn't lie. Back then I saw you were hiding your real self. I didn't know why but I knew the you that you were presenting wasn't real...and I was right." Husk is appropriately wearing a mischievous Cheshire grin as he leans over to playfully poke Angel in the chest.

"So I still saw you, even if I was annoyed you weren't being honest." Husk's grin only grows wider when he sees the flush of red that finds itself on Angel's cheeks.

Angel opens and closes his mouth a few times as he struggles to think of words to say. But he comes up empty.

"...I...I...Thank you." Angel eventually whispers, smiling at Husk, genuinely smiling. It's a tired and exhausted smile, but it's genuine and it makes Husk relax, smiling back.

"Anytime. I'm going to head back to the bar and let you sleep." Husk pats his back as he stands up and Angel realizes how cold the top of his hand feels without Husk touching it and he's immediately standing too, Fat Nuggets letting out a small squeak of surprise before he lands on his feet on the ground. He only lets out one small huff before he seems happy again, his tail wagging, so Angel isn't too worried.

"Well since I feel better...maybe...a nice drink to relax after work doesn't sound so bad?" Angel isn't even sure what he's saying, he just knows he wants to follow him.

He thinks Husk knows it too because he flashes Angel the smile of a gambler on a winning streak and it makes his heart race.

"I'll make something extra good for you when you come down. See you in a few minutes?" He offers, wanting to allow Angel time alone to collect himself before going if he needed it.

"See you in a few." Angel nods, confirming their plans as he sits back down on his bed a moment, watching Husk wave goodbye as he leaves, shutting the door behind him to give Angel some privacy.

He can't help the goofy smile on his face as he fixes himself back up to look presentable before he heads back down to meet Husk at the bar, who is already standing there, waiting with a knowing grin and some bright pink concoction that suits Angel Dust perfectly already sitting in a glass on a napkin, waiting for it's owner to take a seat.

[evilwickedme]

It's very frustrating to talk about fridging bc the original point of it was like a very specific criticism of how minorities are treated in comic books in particular and it's now been universalized so much people think it means "killing a woman off because she's a woman" or "killing any character to motivate another character" (the definition according to tvtropes fyi, kill it with fire kill kill kill kill). Fridging isn't bad because you're killing a character as motivation, and it's not bad because you're killing a minority off, it's bad because it's a pattern of behavior from an industry overrun by white men writing and drawing and editing those stories. You're allowed to kill a woman off if it suits your story, but the issue was that women are constantly getting hurt or depowered or raped or killed off to motivate other, non-coincidentally male characters.

The problem that stood behind the original women in refrigerators website was that the narrative that the comic book industry at large was telling was that the purpose of female characters was to get hurt in order to motivate some other guy. Kyle Rayner's girlfriend gets stuffed in a fridge, we're not sad because her life got taken from her too soon, we're sad because Kyle Rayner just lost his girlfriend. Gwen Stacy gets killed by the Green Goblin, we're not sad because she didn't get to live a full happy life, we're sad because she didn't get to live a full happy life with Peter Parker. That is not to say that the story doesn't still get told. Peter going after the Green Goblin is horrific and terrible and amazing and leads to some great plot and character development. But the choice was not to hurt Peter himself, not even to threaten his loved ones but not actually harm them, the choice - CHOICE! - the writers in the comic book industry consistently made was to hurt a character who was already part of a marginalized group, and to do that for the benefit of a (presumably) white male cishet able bodied main character's narrative.

I speak mostly in past tense because once fridging took hold in the collective popular consciousness it didn't disappear completely, but it did fall out of favor in being used so blatantly. It became isolated cases rather than the main feature of one of the best selling batman books of all time. Characters get killed off occasionally, and those characters are even sometimes members of minority groups, and biases still inform those writing choices, but I'm struggling to remember reading a comic in the last couple of years that specifically fulfills the criteria for fridging.

Anyway if you're reading this in context, you know that at the end of this month (may 2023) Marvel is planning to celebrate the most famous fridging of all time by absolutely not learning their lesson and fridging another character. They're being lazy about it, too - they've decided to do it to Kamala Khan in Peter Parker's book, two characters that mean close to nothing to each other, and being extra awful by making it a Pakistani Muslim woman being killed off during AAPI month, and so far the information we have doesn't even involve Kamala's own friends and family and superhero team mourning her at all. It's supposed to motivate Peter, because it's part of his book, and it's also supposed to parallel Gwen Stacy, and they chose to do... This. Kamala is a wildly popular and beloved character who deserves better, and frankly Peter deserves better too. If you're going to fridge, at least do it well.

But I'm also already seeing white men, who supposedly agree with me and think this is bad, saying, well it's for MCU synergy, not "because she's a female" or "because she's not a white character" (direct quotes don't @ me). And firstly, ok, way to assume the rest of us didn't also catch up to the obvious conclusion that marvel comics is doing MCU synergy, AGAIN. The thing is that those aren't separate concepts at all? Or well, they are, but they don't negate each other. They're trying to do MCU synergy and make Kamala into a mutant, but they could've done that a million other ways, just as cheap and not as offensive - a simple retcon would've sufficed, they just did that a few years ago with Franklin Richards.

They chose to do it by killing her off, and they chose to kill her off in somebody else's book to motivate him rather than tell a story about her, and they chose to do it while celebrating Gwen's fridging for some fucking reason. This is context that, when removed from the situation, makes the whole thing meaningless. And you can say a lot about Gail Simone, but that she didn't have a Goddamn point is not one of them.

[pumpumdemsugah]

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0015028200017234

Same anon that messaged you about people saying black women have higher testosterone.

Some dumbass tried to back it up by citing this study that is literally about women approaching menopause.

Um... the results of this don't apply to anyone who isn't a woman approaching menopause. Plus, even this study observed no differences in testosterone levels for the women studied.

I fear the trend of people using pseudo-scientific nonsense to dehumanised black people has come back.

Trans activists are really trying to take us right back to the 1800s.

I had a look at the study and it literally says there isn't lol These people need race science ( lets be real it's their own body insecurities ) to be real so they can feel human. This is why you can't trust white people. They love to hide behind their issues so you don't criticise their wild racism and the current climate we're in, alot of white people that love to wax about gender hide behind how nasty the current culture war is to side step how cartoonishly racist they are and how much shit they inventing about Black women's bodies

This reminds me of this white trans woman trying to prove black women have thicker bones and implying it's indistinguishable from most male people ( but when it came to them, there's no sex differences for their white bodies, just the niggers ) by citing a study about osteoporosis and the conclusion was there isn't big enough differences that it impacts treatment and there's lots of overlap and the black people involved in the study were more involved in physical jobs and were a heavier, both things that will increase bone density. The study recommended they do it again with a bigger and more diverse Black population

Human beings spent most of our time in Africa so there's more genetic differences among black Africans Vs all other races combined. You can't automatically apply what you find for Black people in Colombia to a Kenyan or South African or a Ghanian. Even in their idea of Blackness they assume it's simple, not complex and crude, unlike themselves who are beyond definition and it's offensive to even try

What's messed up these studies are done to see what's the best medical approach for different ethnic groups, IF you even need anything different and if there is a difference how much do social conditions play apart and what can be done to mitigate this? It's not bad to check because finding out you don't need to do anything different is valuable data

This isn't even classic race science, these lot are projecting their own insecurities about their own bodies onto ours because they're so racist all they see Black women as is an empty vessel to feel good about themselves so we need to take on these anxieties they have about themselves as our own. There's no group of people I do this for and I'm not starting. Black women are treated rough because we're masculinised and that simple statement has become this weird insinuation we have the same copy and paste issues as someone white and trans ( and they mean white and trans because they aren't considering anyone not where ) and that's solidarity

None of these people talk to Black women that think of themselves as normal people, if at all. And they never bother to read shit. They link an article and bet on people being too lazy to read the bit that's not behind a paywall. I will always read what's not behind a paywall because I need to know I'm not talking out my ass

I wish I could remember the name of this section from a book I read years ago about white slave masters expecting their enslaved captives to feel for them and mirror their emotions because that's what this has turned into. It stopped being about connection and understanding long ago, we're just validation machines that need to be whatever idea or racist caricature they invent so they can feel small, innocent and physically weaker. Classic racist white behaviour.

Why is everything about Black women nowadays something that exists for someone else to feel good about themselves? It's anti-intellectualism + racism + pseudo-science + projecting body insecurities onto another group of people so we're now responsible for how they feel about themselves

[punkalope]

One thing I don't see talked about often irt neurodivergency is like... Well, I see people talk about being left behind in terms of ADHD & Autism, & maybe I'm just not in the right circles, but I don't see much talk about it with undiagnosed learning disabilities

I'm very dyscalculic. Horribly so. I cannot do basic math for the life of me, I'm constantly tripped up by patterns, I can't tell left from right unless I have sticky notes in my vision to tell me because even doing the L finger thing gets me confused, I can't imagine how big things are or how they work in 3D etc etc... The whole package, except for maybe I have a pretty ok sense of direction at least. (As long as it doesn't follow a strict pattern...)

But growing up, no one ever believed me. I learned the word dyscalculia at 13, I tried to talk to adults about it, and no one believed me. They thought I was just lazy, trying to find an easy excuse, I was bad at math "on purpose". It got to a point where I became terrified of math classes or encountering it in daily life, I'd avoid it whenever I could. No one ever seemed patient enough to "deal with" me, and unfortunately I didn't have teachers who were kind, they'd let me get bullied and called the R word daily because they agreed I was a lost cause.

& having no one believe you makes you not wanna try anymore, but by the time I got to high school it was only becoming a worse and worse issue. Not only was I bad at math, but I was unlucky enough that my whole freshman year we went without a teacher because they all kept quitting. I was now extra behind.

Stories aside though. When you grow up with no one wanting to help you, no one believing you when you try to explain why, and the looming threat of being held back you kinda just... learn to get around it. You figure out how to navigate.

You learn to become really damn good at cheating.

Fake it till you make it, right? That's kinda how I ended up getting through my last few years of high school. There was no way I was going to pass on my own anymore, no one wanted or had time to help me, I kinda had no other choice. I cheated through all my homework, all my classwork. I never really could do most classwork anyways - it almost always brought me to tears with frustration, and I'd end up taking it home and looking up all the answers instead.

That's not to say I wasn't trying still. If I could learn how an answer was achieved while looking it up I would reverse engineer it. Often times when "show your work" was required this is what'd I'd do - I'd do it backwards. And on the rare moments I couldn't "just cheat", & I was allowed to do things my way (because the american education system sucks ass and teaches you how to test and memorize techniques, but the "proper way" to do things wasn't something I ever understood), I could actually do pretty okay. Give me a calculator and let me use colour pencils and don't time me and I might get pretty close or figure out some really ridiculous way to do algebra.

But that being said, being left behind by adults forces you to be real damn good at lying. & it fucking sucks, cause you don't really learn much and it WILL bite you in the ass - like, I'm 24, I never got a diagnosis, I have no idea how to approach math at a college level and how to get help when I have no insurance. & it sucks, cause I need to retake a lot to do a lot for college, and I don't have the money to try again if I were to fail. I get extremely nervous or embarrassed when math comes up around other people, and while my friends are patient and kind its a big trigger for me to mess up in front of others still, so I just avoid it as often as possible. Its worse now that I have chronic brain fog / long covid issues!

It just sucks all around, and I hope others with learning disabilities aren't alone. Being neurodivergent often means the adults in your life are going to fail you, and you'll learn weird ways to get around. That's okay. I dunno the solutions, but you'll be ok.

[armentas]

WIP Questionnaire

Thanks so much to @orphanheirs for tagging me; this looks so fun and I loved your answers. I'll be responding for my main WIP, Haven!

What's the first part of your WIP that you created?

Easily my characters. Heather has existed since I was 12 years old, and Beau and Erin have more or less existed since I was 6! I would just daydream about them getting into random situations to pass the time, really. I'd tried putting them in badly written middle school fantasy stories before realizing that coming of age was the most natural thing for them.

If your story was a TV show, what would the theme song/intro be?

Oh, I have a whole playlist for songs I'd want to be used! I honestly haven't decided on an intro song, but I definitely know the theme song and end credits song. I'd consider the theme to be Last Chance by CHPTRS, both the vibe and the lyrics are just too perfect. "This could be my last chance" is pretty much the whole thing behind Haven, AND the line of "hold me in the grip of your arms" becoming more and more desperate because of how much Heather misses her brother and wants to cherish this miracle of being with him again... I would be lying if I said that hadn't made me cry a few times. Though the lyrics are more depressing than I'd want for the end credits, for that category, I would still easily choose i have no sense of what home is by ativansocial. It feels like a childhood hug on a warm, dark summer night where things aren't okay, but they will be, which is exactly how I'd want the end to feel.

What are your favorite characters that you made? Why?

Oh, can I answer for multiples WIPs? Because Heather is definitely one, but I could easily go on about Celio and Charity too lol. For Heather, the top thing is she's just a really raw person who's easy to relate to, to the point it may even be uncomfortable for the reader sometimes. I think a good example of me trying to utilize this would be an excerpt I wrote where she's reliving the time she was 13ish, Beau was still in the hospital for his car accident, and no one was letting her go see him yet. There's a paragraph or two describing how she's jealous of him for his accident, thinking how she wishes she'd end up in the hospital so people would get her flowers, too. This is the kind of thing where we know it's not great to feel that way, but most of us have probably experienced something similar. We want our own traumas to be louder so they're "heard", and we may especially lack that understanding of other people's issues as children. And that's a big part of Heather's journey: gaining understanding. She doesn't always think or do or say good things, but you get what place she's coming from.

I've decided since that was a big paragraph, I won't get into my other characters, but anyone's free to lmk and I'll drop some info!

What other pieces of media do you think your fanbase would share?

My first thought is Omori since that was a big inspiration when this project was still new. This is also an obscure movie, but if anyone's watched the movie As You Are, I think they'd like both Haven and my other story, The Day You Left. Honestly, I don't consume enough media to say in too much detail. If you like your heart being ripped out, you'll probably like Haven.

What has been your biggest struggle with your WIP?

The plotting!! I always know character arcs first and then weave a plot around where I want people heading, but I've been out of inspo lately, I guess? Or just lazy about brainstorming. That's most likely. I know the most major story beat of Beau's accident but that's practically it, though there's probably potential behind giving Heather some extra new childhood experiences, and being decisive on stuff (aka trauma) for Erin. Not too much is going on with Erin at this moment.

Are there any animals in your story? Talk about them!

Unfortunately not! For some reason, despite being a mega animal lover irl, I've rarely been good at giving my characters pets. If they aren't directly relevant to plot or theme, I usually end up forgetting about them over and over until I decide to just scrap them. It wouldn't work for Heather and Beau anyways; I know for sure Heather's probably tried to bring an animal home, and Beau would've told her it's too much responsibility.

How do your characters travel/get around?

Heather does have her learner's permit, but she doesn't get that much use out of it before she's sent to her child self's body and can't reach the pedals lol. One of her big hobbies is rollerskating, so she mainly relies on that to get around during the story's events. Meanwhile, for Beau, he avoids driving himself anywhere since his accident, so he usually hitches a ride from Erin or someone else.

What part of your WIP are you working on right now?

That's a good question, actually. Kind of just anything and everything, but like I said for the other question, extra plot beats and fleshing out Erin are my main priorities. I know who Erin is, but I only have vague ideas of why she is the way she is. I also get really indecisive with how I want her to be influencing the story exactly (sometimes she's a Heather antagonist, sometimes she's a helper, sometimes she's both), so nailing down core stuff for her would also automatically nail down her role and make that easier.

What aspects (tropes, maybe?) do you think will draw your audience in?

Coming of age is usually pretty grounded in reality and maintains a fairly casual/upbeat vibe even when some not-so-great events happen (at least in my experience with it), so I think people will be curious about the more intense subject matter, how I personally answer difficult questions, and the surreal twist on the genre. I use the word surreal a lot because I wouldn't personally call Heather suddenly waking up in the past "fantasy"'? The narrative isn't about explaining how it works in the first place, it's just supposed to be...weird lol. I also always lean a lot on complex character development, so I'm hoping that, from the blurb, people will think "there should be interesting characters in a story like this" and read it for that.

What are your hopes for your WIP?

My biggest goal is to make it a fully operational interactive fiction game! The reader would be playing as Heather, putting both her and Beau's fates in their hands for that extra stress. The game could even include some art, too, but I'd have to see what feels right once I actually got started.

I could probably write more on that last paragraph but my sleep meds are kicking in lol! Tagging: @themboty @sidhewrites @lavender-laney @nrivanwrites and everyone that's interested!

[natsubeatsrock]

I'm Still Thinking About Fairy Tail and Rave Master After All These Years

I'm going to level with you. The original post was a mistake.

Any reason to think that way about my own writing?

Surprisingly, no one else did. As much as my writing hasn't aged well, this post shows how naive I was back then.

The comparisons to Fairy Tail and Rave have been made time and again. It's a prime source of annoyance for fans of Rave. I knew that making the original, but I get it more now. Most (not necessarily all) people making these comparisons don't know what they're talking about. I said this about RWDE and got pushback. Here, some things said about similarities can be refuted with a second reading of Rave. Or, on occasions, a first reading.

Although, I will say Mashima isn't doing himself favors. It's insane how many references and callbacks to his past works Mashima's current works have. I didn't mind it as much in Fairy Tail, even getting more of what happened. Reading EZ (and Black Rock, but I'm really behind) and seeing the callbacks to past works. My default reaction to these things in my Quick Notes is as follows: *sigh*.

Some people will tell you it's lazy, but I don't see it that way. Some of these connections are pretty cool to see across different worlds. And, outside of the obvious ones, the callbacks are done with enough distinction between them. Honestly, seeing the same things over and over again is annoying. I'd rather see another Ajeel-Yajeel situation than go to another Mildian anything.

Don't even get me started on Sieghart.

Hold on. Let's talk about that.

Technically speaking, the design is based on a character from Mashima's debut one-shot: Magic the Illusion. However, the character design we recognize throughout his works is first seen in Sieghart from Rave. The design shows up because Mashima didn't feel great about how he ended his character arc. I'm not willing to spoil that in this post, but having reread the situation... I don't blame him for bringing Sieghart back.

In Fairy Tail.

Justice isn't always similar to the others. However, that was when it started to be taken too far. Of course, Mashima had to do it again for HERO'S. At that point, we'd gone too far. Seeing a cover with all the different look-alikes was more annoying than endearing. It's not necessarily uncreative, but it's not welcome.

This might not be the most annoying comparison. I'm more annoyed with the comparisons between Nalu and...

Harelie? Whatever the Haru and Elie ship is called.

Let's get this out of the way. They might be Mashima's best ship. I'm not sure I'm breaking new ground with this. But I would unironically put them up as one of Shonen manga's best ships. Unlike many ships, their development felt natural. It was a delight to see them become endgame. (We'll get to that end.) I would say there are writers better than Mashima who could learn from his romance writing.

The issue is that, of course, fans try to read their dynamic into Nalu. I'll admit some panels share parallels with each other.

Fans agree that Haru is a better parallel to Lucy. In the same way, Natsu parallels Elie. I don't particularly disagree with that view. However, it does ignore things they have in common with their gender counterparts. You can't tell me Haru's fights aren't closer to Natsu's than Lucy's. It's interesting to think of Haru as something like Lucy in Natsu's role or Elie as Natsu in Lucy's role. Still, there are ways that Natsu and Lucy's relationship is different from Haru and Elie's. That's not just more mud to sling at Nalu's romance. Lucy's narrative role in Fairy Tail is unique among all of Mashima's heroines as the closest thing to the "series narrator" the story has.

Speaking of which, I have to talk about my girl Elie. I don't think anything gave me more appreciation of Elie than HERO'S. I feel like Lucy gets too much flak. I've jokingly referred to Rebecca as "Elie Heartfilia" on occasions. However, I love how Elie is handled. She's more willing to take an active role in situations, which is helped by [spoilers for the series]. I love that Mashima did this with his female lead. It's disappointing we never saw this as much from other leads. (Unless I'm missing something in Black Rock.)

Though, as I have said before, Mashima does write female characters with active roles and the ability to fight. Some (not most or all) writers show female characters as inferior to their male counterparts. I always think of Asuna in SAO getting shown up by Kirito. (inb4 "But what about Mother's Rosary?") That's not a consistent issue with Mashima's writing. I love it. It's not just the key players. Minor women and one-off female characters get great moments.

I say that, but Mashima has never shied away from fanservice. I used to be super against fanservice, but I've mellowed out over the years on this issue. Not enough that it doesn't annoy me to see some of the things Mashima has done over the years. I know I just talked up Elie, but Haru's introduction to her was accidentally seeing her panties while sitting down. They look back at it like it was a funny moment. It feels wrong.

However, I need to bring up the most contentious example of this. Rave fans might think I'm talking about one of Julia's fights. Tempting as it is, this doesn't take place in canon. During a volume Q&A session, Mashima mentioned that he got a request to draw the Rave girls showering. His objection was that parents probably wouldn't enjoy seeing that in a volume, which is commendable.

Then he does it anyway with a not to tell the parents.

Let's get this straight. This isn't a fanservice issue. Mashima's had plenty of opportunities to draw characters in undress. They were mermaids for a bit. That was a reasonable vehicle for fanservice. The actual picture isn't the most gratuitous he's drawn. (read: you know the Julia fight Rave fans) 

My issue is one of judgment. Mashima recognized that what he was asked to do might not be the best thing. Yet, he did it anyway and tried to be slick about it. This is worse with the hindsight of the Internet and electronic volumes.

This attitude extends to the ending.

Oh boy, the ending.

When I made the original post, this was my first time experiencing a Mashima ending to a manga. If you didn't read my thoughts, I was very positive about it. I loved how things played out, watching sad things get undone, and finding out how Levin tied into the main series. It was all incredible.

It's been [EIGHT] years since then. Fairy Tail ended, and I've read Mashima's other works. Not to mention, I've finished other manga.

I think it's sad that Mashima saves some of his worst writing for the end of a series. It's almost like he doesn't wish for the series to end. I'm not joking when I say his best ending might have been HERO'S. While Fairy Tail was only a break in hindsight, the others didn't end well. It's not much better in EZ now.

I still think that it's great to see the main ship payoff. I made that panel my background on two computers. However, it would have been much better to see how things got to where they were. Perhaps a few chapters to deal with that and end on chapter 300.

That said, it's fair to say this still ranks among the best of Mashima's writing. The only thing that comes close to it is EDENS ZERO, but I think this edges it out (for now). It's crazy that there are so many ways to read the series. With multiple Humble Bundle opportunities and the publishing of Kodansha's version as ebooks, fans owe it to themselves to give it a shot.

I'm proud to say that, over the years, I've collected physical copies of the complete series. It wouldn't be possible without those pandemic stimulus checks. I've been able to reread the whole series as it was published by Tokyopop, save the last three volumes. I went through it with scanlations my first time around. I reread one chapter in the scans because it was in full color, but nothing beats reading the physical books.

There might be a project I have down the pipeline for Rave. I intend to talk about one connection between Fairy Tail and Rave.

In Conclusion:

Stop whatever you're doing, click off Tumblr, and read Rave Master! NOW!!!!!!!

[hazelhavoc]

Hello! I'm Hazel, and I have a lot of OC's!

This is for Halo!

I have some OC's!

If you'd like to roleplay with me then you can message me. But first-

~

I only do literate, no * or stuff like that (I'll write an example).

I'd prefer it to be on Discord (but if you aren't comfortable with that, just tell me!)

I only write as my OC's. I feel very comfortable with them. You can be just canon characters if you'd like, I don't mind. If there are lots (like battles was stuff) in a scene, I'll do my best to help you.

This is going to be a one-on-one roleplay. No groups, it's too chaotic for me.

You have to be at least 19+ age range.

No minors, because I will be doing dark themes, NSFW, and the like. And no, I will not make exceptions. (Please don't lie to me about your age, that's just fucked up and I'll immediately block you if you do.)

You have to have knowledge of Halo (that would be obvious lmao.)

You have to put in just as much effort as me. It's frustrating when I come back to a two liner or to a lazy reply. Especially since I write A LOT. It would just discourage me. 50/50 is preferred. Don't force yourself to write if you don't want to (have health issues, feeling down in the dumps, ect.)

If you have OC's, that's alright too. Just ask me before you randomly throw them in. I'll be showing you my OC's in advance before we start writing. Just know that I do still want you to control a canon character-

COMMUNICATION IS KEY. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't be afraid of me either, haha. I just have to be firm.

And please don't ghost me, several people have done that and it just hurts. Tell me if you're going to be gone for a while, or if you want to change the rp, or you just need a break.

What Halo media am I most comfortable with? No particular order!

- All the Halo games! Currently watching a play through of them all over again! Will be getting to Infinite soon! I've seen some clips.

- I do want to read the novels/some comics of it. Perhaps when I have the time and means!

- I would love to do crossovers of my different OC's falling into Halo...or Master Chief coming to one of the universes my OC's are in. We can brainstorm together! ❤

(The Halo TV show...? No, I'm sorry. I don't like that at all. If you like it, that's great. But - like how a lot of other people feel - really didn't get Master Chief right at all.)

Those are what I'm familiar with. If you also like these, then hit me up. We'd have to talk a bit before writing, such as your own limitations, boundaries, and the like. I'll do the same!

Now, here's an example of my writing that involves one of my OC's.

~

This is quite the predicament that she's in, isn't it? Pinned down by Covenant and with injured Marines beside her. Vex shifts, armor whirling as she grips her Assault Rifle closer to her chest plate. Her mind whirls with possibilities and outcomes, her processor shooting to different scenarios as she barely scans over the top of the ridge she's behind. She only gets down when a Marine grabs her arm. The added weight immediately makes her kneel down farther and turn to the Marine, concern evident as she places a armored hand over his. She'd done her best to use the biofoam to patch them all up.

"Don't...run out there. You'll- f-fuck...you'll die." Echo sputters, glaring up at her yellow visor. Quietly, she marvels at his emotion. They'd only known each other for this mission, and he's worried about her. How sweet. "I'll be doing just that. If I don't secure the landing zone, our extract will be compromised. Don't worry about me, Echo! Worry over yourself and the others. You're conscious enough to hold a weapon up. I trust you to take out any who try to ambush around this ridge...besides, they think I'm the only one alive." Vex brushes off his concerns, already coming up with a plan to get them all out of here alive. Gently patting his shoulder before lifting her Assault Rifle again, while also making sure her combat knife is secure, as well as her pistol.

Vex smiles under her helmet, striking yellow eyes glowing brighter as she hugs the ridge as she moves. Yes, she'll get them all out alive. They don't have to worry about her. She was made for this.

~

Of course, I'll write way more than that in my responses lol.

Now...onto my OC's!

~

Dr. Ophelia Penelope

(Help) (Weaver)

Creator of the Proto-Life project

Proto-Life is an offshoot of the Spartan-II program, planning to create androids using the highest possible technology and AI. Somewhere between 2520's and 2540's, this program was created by Dr. Ophelia Penelope, a researcher on AI, engineering, and technology advancements. She wanted to make artificial soldiers that could help with the war effort against the Covenant.

She made this project to ensure that more humans don't have to die, nor go through the process of painful augmentation (we all know it didn't the kidnapping didn't stop for a while and as a young Mother...she had a selfish reason for this project too). Dr. Ophelia made both Viz and Vex to prove they could make artificial intelligence and have them be more useful- not just in a digital setting- but a physical setting.

Viz was her first project...but it did not go as planned. She was cold and driven by pure programming. Efficient at her job, but only in a solo setting.

Vex was her second, and more successful one. Made with careful planning but her selfishness got in the way. Nobody needed to know anyways. She would be a perfect soldier, one with hightened everything to impress the higher ups. But with a personality that matched that or a human- and a body with the same properties as a human female.

She would go on to make a couple more before the program was shut down, due to many resources being used for it. The military suggested a cheaper solution- but Dr. Ophelia denied it. They need to be careful with it instead of using cheaper parts lest they want the androids to fall apart or be less intelligent for missions. Or even glitch out in battle. Especially if the Covenant gets their technology, that would be terrible.

Her hair is a soft chestnut color, with some white hairs in it from stress. Her skin is a healthy color of soft peach and she has soft onyx eyes. She's a bit chubby, not getting out much.

- - -

Proto-0: Nickname - Viz

Proto-Life is an offshoot of the Spartan-II program, planning to create androids using the highest possible technology and AI.

Viz was Dr. Ophelia's first real attempt at making a soldier that fit the UNSC and ORION project. She was created, or "born" in 2529.

Viz was a copy of the Spartan-II's, though she lacked the initiative and drive of humans unless the mission was at risk. She was made in the image of a ruthless, cold soldier that got the mission done at all costs. She had some human characteristics, but was designated too dangerous to humans as well given her calculations sacrificed the humans that were most unlikely to survive in her algorithm, therefore saving the most likely to survive.

With that, Dr. Ophelia created an AI that could calculate the best course of action in simulations. Self learning.

With this new AI, she was very efficient in simulations and even some small artificial combat missions with supervision. Viz has heightened intelligence, the more she learned, the more efficient she became. Being able to study combat styles, ect.

This improvement also resulted in an upgraded body. Wearing Spartan armor, a good 6'5, but under the armor- she had obvious none human traits, but had a human shape under the armor. Her eyes were not eyes, but blank visors in her face. With obvious gaps where her joints and body bent. She even had artificial hair- but could be improved. (Even private parts were there but sort of none human looking.)

The android was more suited for solo missions in the end- given there was no risk to human life if she is sent on a suicide mission.

Dr. Ophelia was never very...satisfied with Viz. Wanting to improve her, make her more human. Better for group settings, missions that could help others, and create connections even when given the opportunity.

Therefore, Viz was left with the UNSC for highly dangerous missions on planets, Covenant taken ships, and rarely deployed with a team.

For the military, it was standard procedure.

Unknown to them, Viz's AI was improving everyday. She was still that plain slate, rarely ever taking off her armor unless she needed repairs. She was very non-human, something of an enigma among the spaceships she has boarded.

They never seemed to notice her hints of curiosity, or determination on a mission. She was never given a program to interact with others casually- still being a primitive artificial intelligence. It was never too obvious either.

A small tilt of the head, or looking out at the stars, or even staring intently through the visor of her helmet at other Spartan's she was modeled after. As if trying to read them. Not to mention, attempting to copy other hand gestures aside from military hand gestures.

Viz was spared barely any mind. Occasionally giving reports to Dr. Ophelia about her status, and being left by her lonesome most of the time. She was content but also...not.

It was strange.

She wanted more...

She was- jealous of Vex? Or was this just an error?

It's extremely confusing for her.

- - -

Proto-1: Nickname - Vex

Proto-Life is an offshoot of the Spartan-II program, planning to create androids using the highest possible technology and AI.

Dr. Ophelia's second attempt at an Android soldier was much more successful this time around. Maybe because she modeled it after her...deceased child, who was in her mid-20's when she died.

This was the one. Made with the utmost care, with every design being intentional and a lesson learned from the first project.

Vex was much more human looking, basically identical to a human female (even private bits in case she needs to blend in), if you don't notice the faint seam lines where her limbs bend or the spinal strut along the middle of her back that connects to the armor, as well as along the inside of her arms and legs (the ones on her limbs close when not in use though). She has soft light brown hair, that's done in a low ponytail. The other abnormal part of her are the eyes, which glow a sharp yellow color. The irises are robotic in nature if you look closely. She is pale because that's the faux material that was used to make her skin, and she doesn't tan since it's not real. She stands at a reasonable 5'8.

She imitates a regular human, with a more defined personality than Viz. (Ophelia modeled it after her daughter.)

Out of combat, she is calm but sweet, never panicking too much unless she's joking around. There is also a firmness to her when those ranked below her don't act to save themselves. She can even be excitable- but doesn't understand many social cues strangely enough and can be blunt (whether that's good or bad depends on the situation.) There is a strange believable sense she actually cares for humans. Most don't even know she is an Android unless they catch her disconnecting from her suit (which she is rarely out of unless for maintenance), or she gets injured and doesn't bleed. Or she ends up glitching out (which doesn't happen often).

Of course, there is a serious side to her. In combat, she's ideal for group settings and protecting civilians. Rescue and recon, while also being sent into more dangerous zones that need to be taken back/defended. Vex's directive is to finish the mission and protect any humans in the area- even other Spartans. They are human too.

She is not overbearing in her protection, knowing that others can defend themselves. But don't put it past her if she sees you're injured, and immediately starts to protect you/give medical attention if need be.

Vex was made to be as perfect as possible. An ideal military asset, but personable and approachable. But follows orders to a T.

Making hard decisions is...hard for her though. Her directive is to keep humans safe but also complete the mission. Strangely enough, her systems find trouble in choosing what to do so she usually protects the humans first before actually doing the mission. It's why she needs to be on a team, someone needs to direct her one what to do (usually an authority figure or another Spartan).

Dr. Ophelia prefers her too, despite also taking care or Viz occasionally.

But like Viz, even with her path set for her...there are a couple unknown kinks she doesn't report. For instance, having an unseen admiration for Spartans and a *need* to prove herself. To *impress* one of them. There is also a sense of feeling incomplete. One could make out signs of Identity Crisis that develops in her- especially after contacting Dr. Ophelia and being refered to as her daughter or being given affectionate nicknames.

Her systems doesn't allow her panic- but there is a dread that overtakes her. She doesn't *understand* it though, and it confuses her. Makes her unfocused and hesitant. Not understanding why her hands shake, or her chest feels hot, or why she doesn't feel like she's who Dr. Ophelia thinks she is. But she is? She was made by her.

Despite this...she still does her job and cheers others up, and protects them. Even though it haunts her.

- - -

Fay Kostantinos - Female

(Fairy) (Constant, Loyal)

Communication's Office (On Ship and in Field)

Age - 29

Got moved to a more relevant Communication's position in 2552 (Halo 2) given her successful track record and how long she'd been serving the UNSC. She is both active on ships - and in the field as a mobile Comms Officer.

Originally, she was a normal marine but thanks to particular nasty wounds, she was delegated to a better position. One where she was still active but less in the combat. Fay didn't like it for a long time, especially given she was unable to serve or be on the front lines anymore.

The injuries - She ended up getting badly wounded when trying to save her squad from a surprise Covenant attack. She took a sticky plasma grenade to the right of herself. That ended up burning and seriously damaging her right eye and right eardrum. Burn scars are scattered over her right side like a spider web crawling raggedly across her body. Ever since she has serious PTSD when around bright flashes of light. Sure, she can take bombs and loud noises, but she really gets a rush when facing the Covenant.

(She did end up killing the ones who ambushed her then dead squad.)

Perhaps it's wanting revenge for putting her in this position. Making her feel useless for so long, and injuring her so bad that she feels like she's burning alive more than she'd like every week.

Or perhaps it's just fight or flight on top of a serious PTSD episode.

Even when Fay has been put in this position, practically half blinded and half deaf- she is a damn good Comms officer despite those that doubt her. She would rather be in a personal squad but hers *died* so there is no going back (there may also be a fear for getting them killed again). There are points where she does still fight- going against orders sometimes and being reckless that goes hand in hand with her boiling want to prove herself. Eventually, she did find some semblance of peace in her position (that didn't stop her from being a little too eager to throw herself into battle).

Fay has always admired Master Chief, as well as feel envious of him. To be able to do what he does is what she wants to do, though she knows she's not suitable for any type of Spartan training.

So when she is either on Comm's with him to give him updates, sees him around on the ships (when she is also around), or even gets to be out on the field with him? Fay is both a bit shy and slightly competitive. Depends on her mood on that given day. Most days she can lack self-preservation in wanting to prove herself or just wanting to save others from being killed like her squad.

As for some side hobbies...she loves to create art. Painting, sculpting, the like. Usually it's to get her stress down and have a distraction- or just vent since she doesn't have many friends. Fay hasn't gotten close to anyone since her squad died. Aside from being introverted, off duty she can be almost uncannily calm sometimes...given how she can act on the field. If she is comfortable with you, she can actually be rather sweet - awkward - and socially sort of inept.

Fay wears the standard marine gear and comms gear on her back, but has it modified by cutting off the right sleeve and wrapping her arm with thick cooling bandages with her hand. she doesn't change the pants of course (but there are also cooling bandages around her right leg). There are also ones wrapped around her neck. Fay doesn't let anyone see her face either. Always having on a mouthguard and visor with the standard helmet and some comm's headphones.

Under it all she is quite pale, with light brown hair and bright green eyes. Keeping her hair up in a ponytail most of the time. Her right pupil is a bit greyed though (but she can see out of it...usually covers it under her visor.) She has gotten used to no depth perception too. Her chest is medium C and she is fairly curvy too with light muscle tone. She's around 5'7.

- - -

(WILL BE ADDING MORE!!!)

[beetrootbug]

Stop putting human racism on mermaids

*sighs* I'm getting really sick of explaining to people that it's not wrong to cast a coloured person to play a white character and then they retort with "Well if you can make a white character black, then you can make a black character white, because it's the same."

It really isn't. I'm going to explain this as simply as I can, so follow along:

POCs are not on the same playing field as white people when it comes to media rep, so how could you ever say it's the same?

You are refusing to read between the lines, you're refusing to understand the nuance.

There will always be white people in the media, they will always be there, they will never have to fight to be there. They will simply just have their place. POCs, on the other hand, it's not that simple

We either have to fit beauty standards of the white OR let these white behind use us as an excuse to make fun of our culture and use us a shield. We just have to shut up and be okay with it.

and if you think that one day white people will have to fight for media rep, remember this:

For every show/ movie with a primarily POC cast, there will be 20 more with a primarily white cast.

I think the bigger issue we should be talking about is the objectification of POCs in these movie reboots. A lot are simply casting coloured people not because of their skill or what that perspective will add to the story, but because its easier than writing a coloured character and allows them to turn skin tone into a marketing strat. Just capitalism being capitalism.

So while I believe Ariel being black isn't a bad thing, it's just really lazy representation. But obviously, us POCs will eat this shit up, because we are starved from this kind of rep. We will literally defend the bare minimum because we have so little proper rep. We also end up loving characters that are kinda racist because it's our attempt at reclaiming that representation

I'm Singhalese/ Tamil mixed, I will literally never see a character like me in Western media, and that's just something I've accepted. I have no characters to relate to, no mainstream actors to root for. I don't have that.

I don't even need to talk about the amount of white actors there are.

So yeah, tell me again, how is it the same? Oh right, it's the same because you refuse to humanise either "side" and look at them as just that: two options, black and white thinking. And yet you call yourself a centrist. You aren't looking at grey area, you're just refusing to make a choice because it's too hard. You have look at grey area to help you make a decision when two options seem equally matched. It helps you understand that one side is not on an equal playing field to the other.

It's equity not equality, dipshit. We gotta give one side more support because they have been lacking in support for a long time. The "other side" so to speak, already has all the support: THEY DON'T NEED ANYMORE!

Also, to all the people who say it's historically inaccurate to have POCs in historical media, again, it's all about that grey area. There's nothing wrong with POCs in plays and musicals, it has a lot more leeway. Movies and shows, it really depends. We often think the past was entirely white, and of course we do, the white cis straight neurotypical men made sure we look at it that way. But reality isn't like that. Fun fact, most cowboys were black! And there were brown people who where wealthy enough to get pretty portraits of themselves painted back in the 1800s, it wasn't just the white people. Also this whole historical thing doesn't work with the little mermaid because it wasn't really based at a specific time AND Ariel herself is technically a marine species, so obviously the racial issues aren't gonna be the same, so the "black mermaids" aren't gonna be oppressed by the "white mermaids" because they don't have a concept of that, to them it's just colouration and not a big deal.

So just shut up and stop putting our human racism on mermaids, especially considering the fact that humans and mermaids have been separated and so therefore wouldn't even understand our human racism.

[lastoneout]

I assume the logic is that they don't trust kids to not mess around with them or idk give them to other kids or something? My high school said they didn't let kids carry around meds because they didn't want us "sharing" them which...what?? You can't get high off of an asthma inhaler or an epipen?? Insulin costs a fortune why tf would anyone share it with someone who doesn't need it???? And like, idk I can understand being a little nervous about a literal child running around with a syringe in their backpack, and we do put child-safety locks on certain things for a reason, but what they don't understand is that most kids who have life threatening medical conditions are very aware of the fact that their inhaler or insulin or epipen is NOT a toy and not something to mess around with or waste or let other kids play with. That shit gets BURNED into your brain. I had my first life-threatening asthma attack when I was a toddler, I was VERY well aware of what would happen if I didn't have my inhaler with me when I needed it, and I was extra careful with it, I never let anyone else touch it, I didn't even fiddle around with it which like, my ADHD ass fiddled around with everything, my inhaler was the exception.

Kids aren't as stupid as adults think they are, and disabled kids(asthma, diabetes, and life-threatening allergies are all disabilities, fight me) are capable of understanding the severity of their medical conditions and taking care to keep their live-saving devices with them without causing an incident. Also, while other kids can be assholes and bullies, the solution to that is to teach kids to respect their disabled peers and maybe have the teacher keep an extra inhaler or epipen with them in addition to the one the child has, just in case, and like even then overall in situations where a kid has an asthma attack or goes into anaphylaxis, a lot of the time the other kids are the ones who are helping the disabled kid and fighting with any teachers/adults who aren't taking the issue seriously. Children very much understand that these things mean the difference between life and death for their friends and classmates and a lot of the time they will try to help, which is honestly something to be encouraged! I want abled kids to know if the teacher isn't taking an asthma attack seriously they should raise fucking hell about it. Kids aren't stupid, they understand the severity of this kind of stuff. And if they don't we should teach them rather than force disabled kids to risk their lives just so abled kids don't have to learn to not be shitheads.

Also, a lot of abled people just don't understand how serious these medical conditions actually are, or assume people are over-exaggerating or faking to get out of class. My PE teacher in middle school legit thought I was faking my asthma to get out of class even though I had a doctor's note, even though he'd SEEN me have an asthma attack with his own eyes. He constantly put my life at risk forcing me to work out until I was wheezing and then acted pissy when I said I needed to go to the nurses office to take my inhaler almost every day. He was also supposed to send another kid or teacher with me to make sure I didn't fucking die on the way and half the time he didn't. I learned how to force myself to breathe through a mild attack just because it was the only way to keep myself alive in a system that legit didn't give a shit if I lived or died(which backfires because if you learn to cope people think you were just being lazy before, it's a stupid fucking cycle). People will say like, "oh you wouldn't tell a person with asthma to go without their inhaler or someone with allergies to leave their epipen behind" but people do that all the time, and it kills us. A sufficiently ableist teacher might not accept that a kid's life is in danger until the ambulance shows up, and even then sometimes they'll still insist the kid is faking or making a big deal out of nothing or pull the "well in my day kids didn't have [blank]" (newsflash Brenda, back in your day kids just fucking died of this!! that's why you don't remember them!!) or whatever. Sometimes the kid actually dying isn't even enough to convince these people children have actual medical problems that must be taken seriously. They just think kids are stupid and disabilities aren't real and it costs the lives innocent children every single year.

This shit extends to adult doctors too, my cardiologist got mad at me for not being able to do a stress test because speed walking for 5 minutes triggered my asthma badly enough I needed to stop and take my inhaler. He legit acted like asthma wasn't an excuse and that someone my age should be able to walk that fast for that long no problem, so I clearly just needed to work out. I had an asthma attack IN HIS OFFICE and he still acted like I was just lazy and out of shape. Even medical professionals don't think these conditions are actually that serious despite VISIBLE PROOF to the contrary. (And that's not even getting into adults who die in jail because police don't care about making sure they have their meds.)

And like, some of it is this like weirdly prevalent idea that kids can't be disabled? I'm nearly 29 and I still have doctors insist that I'm simply too young to have arthritis or chronic pain. People think only the elderly have real health problems and kids are just always magically healthy because acknowledging that young people can be disabled makes them uncomfortable. It's so fucking stupid but I encounter it ALL the time and it does so much harm. Doctors not believing my chronic pain until I was like 25 is part of why my pain is so bad rn. If I'd been believed earlier I could have had preventative treatments and my joints wouldn't be as damaged as they are now. I also had a disability advocacy group legit tell me they couldn't help me get on SSI because it would be too hard to prove someone my age can't work. It's insane. These days anyone saying "but you're so young" to me no matter how genuinely they mean it makes me want to punch them. Age has nothing to do with this. Stop projecting your discomfort with how fragile human health really is onto me ffs.

But yeah, it's legit a mix of thinking kids are too stupid to be trusted with their own medicine, left-over "war on drugs" bullshit ideology, people not believing kids can be disabled, and systemic ableism.

[agarwalpackeruk]

8 Tips for Smooth and Stress-free Interstate Relocation in UK

Every year, more than 2,00,000 people shift from another city to London, so just imagine the number of interstate removals in the UK.

Household shifting is challenging, but when you have to move your belongings hundreds of kilometres away, the task becomes highly exhausting. Shifting to another state exposes us to better job opportunities, education, and standard of living, and you don't want to miss out on these benefits just because of the shifting woes. 

To make the interstate move smooth and stress-free for you, here are some expert tips:

Plan your Move early

Successful interstate moves don't happen overnight. Days of hard work are behind a flawless interstate move. So, if you're moving interstate in UK, don't wait for the last day to plan; instead, plan as early as you can. In-depth planning will prepare you for the worst-case scenario during the move. 

If you want to be clueless during the move, you have to put in some hard yards during the planning process. 

Reduce the Clutter

It's simple math: the fewer belongings you have, the easier it is to move to another state in the UK. Close to 50% of belongings in every household are of no use, but we are quite lazy about getting rid of them.

Moving is a perfect time to declutter your belongings and keep the ones that you need. You can donate or throw away your unneeded belongings. 

If your unneeded belongings are in excellent condition, you can sell them for extra money. 

Hire Professional Movers

The best way to avoid the hassle of interstate moving is to hire movers. If you aren't good at something or have no experience in it, it's better to seek assistance from professionals. 

You can hire an experienced Removal Company in the UK to make your move seamless and worry-free. The movers have an experienced team and modern tools, which make the move comparatively easier. 

Use high-quality Packing material 

If you're shifting to another city alone, make sure you don't compromise on the quality of packing material. During long-distance moves, belongings experience a lot of shocks and vibrations. 

Use top-quality packing material, such as bubble wrap, corrugated boxes, foam sheets, thermocol, and more, to provide an extra layer of security to your belongings. 

Secure Important Documents

During an interstate move, the house becomes a mess, and everything is scattered; a major issue in this situation is the safety of your important documents. Whether it is birth certificates, passports, financial records, or any other vital document, retrieving them is exhausting. 

To safeguard your important documents, carry them with you. You can put these items in a backpack and carry them with you during the move. While Removal Company UK will look after all your belongings, it's better to safeguard your important documents by yourself.

Opt for Moving Insurance

Most people hire movers for an interstate move in the UK because they witness the excellent service provided by removal companies. Even after hiring movers, people get worried about their precious belongings. If you have delicate belongings and are shifting interstate, opt for moving insurance, as it will free you from all worries.

The moving company will endure any damages that occur during the move, and you will be compensated for the damages. 

Conclusion

Interstate moves are always going to be challenging, but if you follow the above tips, you'll be prepared for the move. It is vital that you are prepared for unexpected scenarios, as things might not go the way you planned. So, be mentally prepared for unforeseen challenges. 

[kiindr]

This might be long am sorry for that.

I just come across your blog btw and I'm so thankful for that because my life have become a joke for others and I really wanted to rant about it to someone who could give me a better advice because neither my family nor friend a fuck about what I go through every day and can't keep acting strong when I'm clearly very sensitive person.

So I went out today with 3 of my friend I'll call them J,T and R. So J and me are sophomore in the same college but the thing is we aren't very close because she's an extrovert and she would kinda think of my mental health as a joke along with R, who's also an extrovert. R and T study in different city so after 4 months they finally got back here and we thought to hangout and all but R and J both of them invited their guy friends and I'm usually not someone who get comfortable around new people but I was comfortable today and I was really proud for that and it's actually rare that I'm talking alot because I have social anxiety and body image issue and I feel uncomfortable getting attention when i talk but today J's word really hurt me because she said I'm talking alot today and her tone was making me feel like attention seeker I try to clarify it jokingly that I've like this for a while and she continue disagreeing but my friend T who I will consider the bestest out of them because she knows how it feel.

I've been so quite for so many years about this thing that J and R always point out about me,which make me feel insecure and knowing that they both talk behind my back is honestly very sad for me, because then it makes me want to talk behind them aswell I never point out their flaws why do they have to make fun about my anxiety.

And at home my father call me lazy for isolating myself,which is so not true because I do most of the house chores despite my studies it really hurt me. I may not cry but I feel this fear of being abandoned because they don't like my introvert behaviour,I just don't wanna change for other I want them to understand not everyone is same. I have hard time getting along with new people,I like being alone in my room I don't even know if I'm depress sometimes because I don't like being alone when I'm outside my house. Even buying myself something alone in shop gives me anxiety and I start sweating.

I don't even know what I'm saying but I felt and I actually cried a little while writing this but I felt a little good.

first of all, big hugs <3 i am so proud of you for opening up to me and talking about what bothers you. it is not easy at all and i really appreciate you for the initiative that you've shown.

secondly, i regret to let you know that i cannot offer you any advice. you are the expert on your life and your situation, so you know what is best for you. i can only offer you space to talk and an empathetic listening ear <3

moving on,

i'd like to tell you that i see you. i hear you. your struggle is very real. anxiety is very real. it is not easy to tread through each day being apprehensive and struggling to find calm. as you mentioned, it makes it really tough for you to do everyday tasks like talking to others and shopping. but you carry on nonetheless and display remarkable resilience. you're a star for that :) even if no one else does, i appreciate and applaud your efforts. you're so strong and i am really proud of you.

it must feel really heartbreaking to receive such treatment from your friends. you deserve people who value you and respect your boundaries. you deserve to have friends who make space for you and make you feel safe, not call you out for things that you struggle with.

as for your father, it really sucks that he says stuff like that to you. it is soooooo difficult to manage academics and household chores together. i see your efforts and your struggle.

it is not a flaw to be an introvert. it is not an issue if you do not want to interact with people as often as extroverts do. we all have different thresholds. and that's fine. more than fine. you are enough as an introvert.

yes of course, social anxiety is a struggle and we'd all like to do away with it. but it's not that easy. i know that you know that. i hope you're able to find better social support. i hope you're able to access the help that you need.

please do not hesitate to contact a qualified mental health professional for issues like anxiety and depression. there's a lot of help available. life doesn't have to suck this much :)

if you'd like i can connect you to an awesome and affordable therapist and you can try them!

please take care of yourself. you're really precious and amazing <3

feel free to vent again in my askbox when you need to! i hope it gets better for you soon!

[tfemby]

Neovim - A journey in the wacky world of text editing

Lately I've been sick of my old Vim config. I set it up close to decade ago and have been putting off updating the config since before a certain virus found it's way to all of our doorsteps. So many of the plugins I've been using are ancient and flat out don't work with Vim8 or just kind of suck.

For years, it worked fine for the perl, bash and odd rakudo scripts I wrote. I remember spending hours looking around for plugins that helped me solved issues but sadly, many aren't cutting it anymore. Thinking seriously about spending a dozen or more hours doing that again, I said,

"Screw it, I keep seeing people talk about Neovim online, what's all the buzz about? It sucked the last time I used it. What's changed?"

The last time I tried out Neovim was around 2015/2016 and it was pretty much the exact same as Vim with one caveat - many of the plugins I wanted didn't work with it well and the darn thing constantly crashed. It's been enough time, right? Probably everything is fixed?

I opened up my Vim one last time, wrote a quick note in my config file which simply read the date, and I finally said goodbye to Vim. I had a whole world of possibilities to explore!

Neovim: Endless possibilities

So where to start... Vim is known for having a configuration file which uses Vim's own language; aptly named Vimscript. Vimscript works fine but you'll only ever use it for Vim and nothing else. Some of the issues I've had with Vimscript were that it just feels as old as it looks. Want to make your own custom additions to a plugin? You're going to mentally have to go back to the days where everybody was on IRC and Neocities was the default for personal webpages. It's a language that definitely feels it's age.

Neovim in comparison has come up with a solution to this and allows you to use Vimscript but there's an interesting twist. Lua. The infamous programming language that everybody has heard about from their favourite games but never looked into. I have some fond memories of opening gmod and joining a server then waiting a solid 40 minutes for everything to load in. In that progress screen, I saw many mysterious .lua filenames as I cursed about Aussie internet being so garbage. There were so many mysteries behind what those scripts could have been but peak gamer laziness got the better of most of me, and likely many of you reading (for non-millenials, it's Roblox that's likely associated with lua).

Gaming tangent aside, Neovim allows you to configure your text editor with a fully fledged programming language. I've seen old vim scripts do some incredible things but boy, was I in for a world of overwhelming complexity, confusion, dopamine and just pure euphoria.

Looking through the world through the lua looking glass

I know, I know, there's plenty more stuff to Neovim besides it using Lua so I'm quickly mentioning that the Neovim API has been wonderful. It's insanely well documented and mix that together with Lua, you can probably write doom in the thing... including making it work as multiplayer since the editor has the capability of tcp/ip. This exists to allow you to remotely control you editor from elsewhere, perhaps from your phone?

So what did I do when I first installed Neovim? Well I obviously went to the website page and immediately didn't understand a single thing. Everything was foreign and I had 0 idea about Lua. I went to my old and trusted vimscript instincts to get some basics up and running such as indenting, line numbers, column highlighting and so on.

Once I had something that felt vaguely familiar, I went and took a look at how to implement these things in lua. It was surprisingly... easy. Take the following couple of lines of Vimscript (from my vimrc) and compare it to my nvim/init.lua.

.vimrc set smartindent set cursorcolumn set cursorline

.config/nvim/init.lua local options = { smartindent = true, cursorcolumn = true, cursorline = true } for j, k in pairs(options) do vim.opt[j] = k end

As you can see, the lua version is a bit longer but effectively everything you're used to in vim is easily accessible via vim.opt.. I am lazy and put all of the options into a loop to prepend all of them.

You also have the option of vim.cmd('command') if you want to just want to copy and paste your old configurations in. The looping trick also works for vim.cmd.

Lastly, on this post, I will say that there is vim.g for things you're previously use let g:<action> on in old vim.

I may post more as I have interesting things setup with LSP, linters/formatters/code actions and more.

[mntcoronet]

there are about 3 people online rn and I am having brain thoughts again. time zones. anyway there is a Lot in the tags, don't bother tbh unless u are incredibly interested in what is plaguing my personal thoughts and real life rn