#so that may be an option for some people too!

[wemlygust]

Unfortunately, I think my first one may have been Harry Potter? It kinda depends on how you're counting fandom; I neither wrote nor read fanfic for that at the time, but I think I was imagining fandom-type scenarios in my head.

Otherwise, I guess it might be the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe/movies), because that might be the first one I really dove into on ao3.

But tbh it's hard to just name one, because I have always been a fandom nomad. I got into fandom for fandom's sake, kinda, and I would read fanfic from almost anything, including random shows I hadn't (and haven't) ever seen. I still do that.

My current main fandom though is definitely Danny Phantom x DC Comics crossovers specifically.

So, for my AU assignment, I get either:

Danny Phantom x DC Comics x Harry Potter

Which is… very weird, but totally workable, honestly. Just make Harry Potter the Master of Death, then either make Danny the Ghost King, and have the two mutually concern/alarm each other while they both concern/alarm the bats, or do whatever with Danny while having Master of Death Harry be part of Justice League Dark, probably trying to collaborate with John Constantine (they either get along just fine, or are actually friends, or they mutually despise each other, I think).

Danny Phantom is already a fandom that is smooshed together with everything else, and especially DC Comics---so much so that people who read a lot of DC Comics fanfic sometimes just assume Danny is a DC character, or so I hear at least. And even the Danny Phantom only fics are usually so chock full of elaborate fanon content (Wes Wesley, ghost cores, obsessions, fanon-typical vivisection, the ghost king, even haunts I think? and Red Huntress's entire hero name, and etc). So adding 1 more fandom to that stew pot is no biggie, in my opinion.

My only objection is terf-shaped. :/

Unrelated, it has just occurred to me that Master of Death abbreviates to "MoD". Like a forum mod. Heh. Something-something make a joke about that involving Tucker and Technus. Have the Master of Death actually be the Mod of Death; he's just an administrative official of some kind (it's not even clear to him, perhaps), and the Master of Death stories in HP canon were just exceedingly exaggerated/mostly wrong.

P.S. just because, let's also have Vlad, or literally whoever, clone Harry several times. So we can have like 6 Harry's running around in the DCU, plus also Danny Phantom. Perfect. :)

As for Marvel, there are loads of Danny Phantom x DC Comics x Marvel fics already. That's basically just normal fic, not a candidate for the "terrible, terrible au" category.

So maybe just chuck Marvel in with Harry Potter and have DP x DC x MCU x HP all-in-one. Just, like. Have Dr. Strange drop in on whatever Justice League Dark, John Constantine, and Harry Potter are doing (probably relating to Danny Phantom and/or the Ghost Zone/Infinite Realms in some fashion).

If more over-the-topness is needed, in order to be truly a "terrible, terrible au," then:

add Jack Frost from Rise of the Guardians, and even add a fusion version of the Rise of the Guardians Santa combined with the DC one that died that one time apparently. Maybe DC Santa who died that one time is a halfa. Maybe Frostbite is Santa. Maybe both. So many options!

Also I think Rudolph should be a Green Lantern or something. Complete with ridiculous Green Lantern outfit. His Lantern Ring can be a sleight collar, or just, like, a ridiculously festive little wreath on one of his antlers.

add Midoriya Izuku (of My Hero Academia) because he's everywhere except, seemingly, DCxDP fic. So, into this pot he goes too, I guess. Yolo.

Add the Elric Brothers from Fullmetal Alchemist, because I want to. Then like halfway through the story, toss in a disgruntled Mustang who is looking for them; he enters stage left juuuuust in time to walk into the most whack scene possible.

Add the Magic School Bus and the associated kindly elementary school teacher, because I still think it's hilarious to mix that with DPxDC. She can have a little sideplot romance with Mr. Lancer in the background.

Add Hiccup and Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon because Danny Phantom x How to Train Your Dragon seems to have gotten more popular lately, but usually Danny is added to HTTYD rather than the other way around.

The "problem" is it's just way too easy to plug anything and everything into Danny Phantom. xD

combine your first real fandom with your current one to create a terrible, terrible au

[omgfangirlland]

The Shadows That Nurture 15

Don't really have anything to say 🫠 thank y'all for the attention, for reading etc, ch 16 is done, ch 17 may take longer cuz I think I'm catching a cold so uhhh- enjoy and stay safe!

Masterlist || First || previous<< Chapter 15 >>next(TBC)

Jason was having a terrible week, starting with Ms. “I wouldn’t have been as forgiving if you didn’t die and came back kinder to me” Wayne- well- Grayson? He doesn’t know anymore- he’s close enough to just forging papers that say you’re his biological little sister just to fuck with Bruce.

Speaking of- Jason hasn’t turned on his coms and the phone specifically for the bats since the night the family found out. He’s seriously debating throwing those devices out the window, but he finds it more entertaining how everyone is in shambles.

Granted, while the others have tried cornering him to- politely ask questions- Jason is more paranoid about Damian and Cassandra. Cassandra not speaking wasn’t something he worried about, but her not texting him nonsense throughout the day made him antsy. Adding to that the fact that the demon brat didn’t even try to knife him down once? Yeah, no, Jason was on edge. Either those two were planning something or they knew something the others didn’t- frankly, he didn’t like either option.

He and the other rogues have been upping the attack on the rich to try and exhaust the bats, take their attention from you- but with each attack the bats seemed to care less and less. And if they did show up, they were starting to punch harder, to break more bones, to use those “only when necessary” blades more and more. They were getting angrier, desperate, and dangerous.

Good. It was about time they saw what they’d been pushing to the side, what they all did at one point. However, Red Hood was getting angrier at the pure audacity they had to just snoop around his turf every 13th of the month, they’ve been doing it for a while, sure, but they got sloppier with their stealth. It was making everyone nervous, the kids especially.

And now the gall of him to show up as Bruce Wayne, with that blasted fake smile, and that sweet, sweet food from Alfred. “Bruce. What are you doing here?” Harvey’s voice broke Jason from drooling over the buffet Pennyworth had made. “I-…” Bruce took in a shaky breath. Batman knew he should have rehearsed something, but lately, he’s only done impulsive things. “I’ve been a terrible father to my youngest daughter. I’m sure you all know that- I’m trying to slowly see the great achievements she made despite that and to try and understand her better.”

“And we’re supposed to believe that?” Waylon growled, tail tapping the asphalt anxiously. Harley backed Croc up, grinding into the ground the fact that he’d never tried before, that it’s been years. But one of the kids ignored the tension, coming up to the man and just grabbing his hand, smiling brightly at him.

“She always told us that some people are worth giving second chances.” The little girl looks back at the others. “He’s seeing he did bad and trying to fix it.” She shrugged and the rogues couldn’t argue. Without those second chances they wouldn’t be here, but that doesn’t mean they’ll make it easy for the trust fund baby. “Well, Mr. Wayne. Better get to work.” Two-face cackled as Cobblepot started directing the man to start carrying old, unusable furniture out of the buildings, giving the goons a break.

Jason turned to look at the little girl, his hands on his hips. “You stole his watch.” It wasn’t a question, it was very much a statement, a statement at which the little kid just smiled brightly. “She always said to rob the rich blind, too, and that man is too trusting of little kids. I got his ring too.” Jay couldn’t argue with that, so he just ruffled the little rascal’s hair and went on his way.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

“I’m sorry- You have to marry a fish?!” You almost yelled into the com as you stopped a car from splatting a woman. “And C is just letting that happen? I’m telling you, he’ll become enemy number one.” Setting the car down, ignoring Cecil saying he could hear you, you quickly grabbed the woman and flew to the protective dome where most civilians were staying safe. Your eyes met hers and you immediately complimented the bright green color. “Wha- not you two morons! I was talking to somebody else- Yes, I’m on the job.” You sigh as you set her down before getting back to action.

“Robot wanted me on the scene to take care of the civis, said something about Immortal needing the win, but uh…” You watch as the man gets overwhelmed and decapitated, his body going limp while Dupli-Kate and Black Samson try to get to him. “It’s kinda pathetic. They’re not fighting like a team. Robot, Shrinking Rae, and Moster Girl seem to be the only ones able to keep up.”

Cecil just sighs, turning on the coms for everyone. “Sorceress. End it, now.” While Robot tried to argue against it you just acted, getting tired of this mess. Getting higher in the air your hands raised, eyes glowing as you muttered some of the new spells Zatanna and John taught you.

Most of the aliens fell to the ground lured into a deep sleep state while the ones who could fight against the magic were quickly chained- all, with a wave of your hands, fell through a portal straight to their home planet. Landing you grabbed the Immortal’s head, moving closer and sticking it close enough that the skin started reattaching on its own. When you got up Kate was quick to tell you off and take your place, pulling the man onto her lap.

You just shrugged making your way to Robot and Amanda. “What’s her problem?” You mutter while subtly checking everyone out for injuries. Rex almost crashed onto you as he groaned, arm swinging over your shoulder. “She’s pissy because you and the ass were a thing, and she thinks he still likes you.” You frown, hand hovering over his face to fix the bloody mess. “That’s stupid. We weren’t. And if we were and he was still after me she should put herself first and find someone who won’t make her feel like that.”

“Wait- they are together? Like for real?” You look at the others as they get closer, most nodding. “You two weren’t? You really expect me to believe that-agh! You did that knowingly!” Rex cried as a bone set back in place quite painfully while you simply answered with a yes.

“Most of the heroes thought that. You two were pretty friendly for a while.” Black Samson shrugs. “Yeah, because we’re both immortal. We were venting about that, we understood each other, and then… Omni-Man happened, and he called me and my brother ticking bombs. Too dangerous to be helping.” Amanda hissed at that, face cringing. “Damn, that’s such an asshole thing of him to say.”

“I don’t hold that against him. But we are not our father, he should know better, and I won’t hang around him until he apologizes and means it.” You looked over your shoulder as the man in question groaned. “Speaking of- time for me to go.” You let go of the healed Rex, pat Robot’s head, and high-five Amanda. “See you later, losers.” Rudy looks at Amanda. “Why did she pat my head?” Monster girl snorts. “It’s called affection- don’t!” she slapped his hand away. “Don’t do that to me, I’ll break your legs.”

Before you could lift off the ground once you were far enough the woman you saved before quickly stopped you, calling you over. “I just wanted to thank you. Have you eaten? Perhaps I can buy you something? There’s this café down this street, they make amazing toast sandwiches and milkshakes.” You just laughed; not like you could say no to free food. “You don’t have to thank me or pay for-“ You tried to be a lady and politely refuse, but the woman insisted, urging you to take her and have a little break.

“Alright, ma’am, you won.” You smirked as you picked her up before taking flight. “May I know the name of who’s paying for my meal, at least? I mean, I may start thinking you’re an assassin or something if you keep being so mysterious and pushy.” You teased while following her directions, but she just gave you a smirk. “I’m Talia.”

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Bruce was sitting next to Jason, looking at the kids and rogues, but his eyes couldn’t help but drift to the murals. “She really did all of this?” Jason just nodded at his question. “She did a lot. This is a small thing. Your foundations can only do so much, Bruce. Sometimes people need community, need love, and support, and to feel like they belong. She gave that to a lot of people here.”

He nods to the murals. “When she was painting those, some kids tagged it. She caught them and asked them to join, telling them she’d pay. And she did. It was enough for those kids to keep a roof over their heads while we were building the affordable housing building down the block, and it was enough for them to put towards education.”

“One is aiming to be an engineer and the other two are going for art subjects.” Jason looks at the man. “Many of the goons Batman was fighting quickly quit and started working at the orphanage or the hospital once they found out they could afford to live and their wants with the salary offered. You can’t always solve shit by paying for buildings, sometimes that does the opposite. It just makes shit more expensive when it has the name of some billionaire attached to it.”

“This? Helping each other, creating things they can afford while opening job opportunities everyone is qualified for, and nobody will have to break their backs only to decide if they should pay for groceries or rent that month- that helped. It brought the crime rate down. Sure, I still sell drugs, crimes still happen, but surprisingly that has gone down for my zone too.”

“She has a job now, a well-paying one. So, the allowance you send mostly goes to this- I think she even sends some of her actual salary here. I began adding to it, and Penguin started doing similar on his turf.” Jason shrugs. “We gather it all and split it so everyone can pay bills, can have money for groceries, and clothes, and even have some extra on the side. Some still don't get paid enough due to the government not wanting to fund us, but what we put together helps make what is a 7-dollar-per-hour job into a 20-25-30-dollar-per-hour job. When she sends too much, we either give bonuses or put it to vote and repair something. It usually ends up being that, it’s how we repaired the local kindergarten and school. It’s how we repaired a lot.”

“I never knew-“ Jason just laughs at Bruce. “Yeah, I didn’t either. I was a little shit like you, too, remember? It took me dying to see that.” The young crime lord looks Bruce in the eyes. “That’s why I won’t tell you where she is, what she does, who she is now.” Bruce looks at his son, the tiredness in him shining through now more than ever. “She’s in Chicago, lived in NYC for a bit.” The older man mutters.

“I’m… I’m afraid of how she’d react, of what I will find out if I go looking for her.” He whispers and Jason simply shakes his head. “You’re afraid she’ll reject you, brush you off like you did. You’d deserve it. Everyone in this blasted family would.”

Bruce nods. He wasn’t able to sleep for a while after finding out one of his kids was missing and he didn't even know. He mostly sat in his office, in front of his parents' portraits. Every single one looked more disappointed in him than the other- he knew that wasn’t possible, they were paintings… but a part of him also remembers those portraits being- happier.

“Have you gone in her room yet?” Bruce shakes his head, his question waking him from his thoughts. Nobody did, not even Alfred, the guilt was eating everyone alive, he was sure Dick would cry or break something if he even looked at her door. “You should.” Jason insisted. “Call the others, you all are going to look into her room, into her life, and see what hell we all put her through.” The young man nudged the older man to get up when Cobblepot came closer, trying to put Bruce to more work. He wasn’t doing this to better them, Jason wanted the family to be broken. It was selfish, but being selfish is what made him your favorite rogue.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

“So, how was everyone’s day?” Debbie’s nightly question was asked again as she set her drink down.

“Well, instead of marrying a fish I ended up fighting a sea monster and then I finally moved into my dorm with William.” Mark said as he ate. “I have hella parental issues, and I think everyone should compliment my achievements more because I almost cried when this lady I ate lunch with said she was proud of how quickly I grew in my powers.”

“You almost cried?” Debbie asked, worry on her face at the revelation. Maybe they should have put you in therapy the first time you came clean with Bruce’s neglect. Mark, however, was more fixated on the unnamed lady, knowing you were mostly joking. “…You went on a date?” You sigh. “No. Stop doing that overprotective older brother BS, you look like a mangy Chihuahua acting like that.” He just pouted.

Tag list: @bat1212 @trashlanternfish360 @shycreatorreview @syrooo @a-lurking-fae @alittletiredcry @kittzu @plsfckmedxddy @blackhood1229 @nxdxsworld @leeiasure @dandelion-delusion @lovebug-apple @sillysealsies @tsxukikami @enchantingarcadecreation @alishii @d3nnji @itsberrydreemurstuff @yuyuzi-ling @welpthisisboring @1abi @mxvoid26 @persephone-kore-law @bluevenus19 @ryuushou @asillysimp @aalunar @cxcilla @sirenetheblogger @pinkluv29

[drdemonprince]

Hey, I don't know if you've any expertise or input on this, but I was wondering if you have thoughts on the intersection of being introverted/avoidant/socially anxious in personality and living in conservative, non-Western countries.

I see so much talk about sex positivity coming from Western commentators, and it just makes me so bitter as an introverted straight man approaching middle age, from South Asia, who has never had sex or been in a relationship and will likely never have it for the rest of his life.

So much of the advice I see online is geared towards Western cultures of dating and bars and cruising and what have you, which is either non-existent or niche here. It just makes me sad and feel so fucking lonely, and at times it makes me bitterly sex negative (which of course rebounds when the sensible part of me returns).

I feel robbed of something most people have, and I have no idea what I can do to change things as someone who gets incredibly anxious just being out of his house. It all feels frighteningly alone, and I find most people (rightfully) have little sympathy for a straight man who won't get laid.

Sorry there's not much to discuss here other than venting, but I thought maybe you might have a thing or two to say about it.

I don't have much that's helpful to say, it's gracious of you to message me in such good faith when so much of my writing is so American-centric as to have little relevance to your life. I understand that my way of life is so centered and catered to that it makes me an absolute fool about life nearly anywhere else in the world, so i won't pretend to have answers here.

I think in the broadest of ways that the same principle of putting yourself into novel and interesting social situations and practicing engaging with others you find interesting still applies. And I think there are probably pockets online where you can find people in your country who have more sexually progressive attitudes, are somewhat self-educated on matters of neurodiversity etc, and also feel really isolated and lonesome and desperate for more options. it might not be a ton of people, but it does not need to be. simply finding them and building spaces for you to interact (digitally or not) could help you feel a whole lot less broken and lacking in agency.

But from the sound of it you're starting from a really high degree of social anxiety and repression and you're going to need support in moving forward and you're going to have to start small. I think you need to have friends who can be there for you, and join you in going out into the world to meet new people (or building the digital equivalent). That may need to come before any real romantic/sexual prospect seems feasible for you.

Are there friends you can broach some of this stuff with? If not, are there people in your life who are kind to you that you could deepen your connections to by asking for support, taking an interest in their lives, joining them for things they like to do, and helping them out when they need help, too? A lot of the difficult work of socializing with people does transfer over into building romantic and sexual relationships. Working on making friends you can trust (and who see things somewhat the way that you do, or who are at least critical of things that you are in your country) can really help you feel less insane and alone.

And that is ultimately what all of us queer weird sluts are doing here in the US -- we are very much in the minority, though in cities we are lousy with options for socializing and have it comparatively very easy. It's still at its core a lonesome existence that we have to build spaces to cope with. You're really disadvantaged in that, but you can take steps to find people who are like minded, critical of the more repressive aspects of your culture or government, queer, freaky, have strange or nerdy interests, are disabled, etc, and slowly start to weave together a support network by engaging with them. there are never any guarantees that doing all of this will get you laid or that it will be good if it does, but this is the groundwork you can lay to make your social environment one that's better suited to you, and it will help, whatever little bit you can do.

Again I'm woefully out of my depth here, but I hope others with more relevant experience can also respond.

[five-thousand-loaves-of-bread]

think after so long of autism be talked abt dehumanize as not human as all things you bad at ways you broken, n use that justify abuse, that after so long of that, autistic people find power in strength based language n there nothing inherently wrong with that think that good—like some autistic parents of high support needs autistic children refuse keep *only* focus on how their child behind on this suck on this lowest percentile on that but instead also on purpose spend time talk about child strength about good at this is good person care about that, valuable, have worth, think that beautiful—but like

think some advocates… especially when new to autism advocacy, new to disability advocacy, new to autism history, nee to learn about autism, new to realize they autistic, sometimes young in body age but sometimes not young in body age but young in Advocacy age… new n naive to it (n some inexperienced some ignorant some refuse learn)

that swing in opposite direction, swing to “its superpower” rebranded (even if they loud abt how that slogan bad), swing to toxic positivity n good parts ONLY talk abt strength ONLY

as much as want autism be talked about more than just how it bad, to humanize dehumanized language, but. really have hard time understand WHY some think it remotely good idea advocate for rebrand definition (definition OF A DISABILITY) into… “only include stuff (some!!!) autistic people good at, strengths (some!!!!! not all) autistic people have,” often stuff that like. not even core to autism, or statistically significant to autism to begin with. like how (some) autistic people learn a lot about information (special interest, social skills, etc) on their own (n when am look at that all can think about is how many of my high support needs / dx severe or level 3 / comorbid intellectual disabled autistic friends would say this not true for them no matter how much they want or not care abt it true or not. n wonder who this new definition proposal is really for. n then look at person who propose this who claim self as inclusive of HSN ppl n am have million questions).

maybe am have different standard on what count as dehumanize? maybe it because am not find word “deficit” as dehumanizing, or “impairment,” or “disorder,” merely see them as objective neutral fact, n get annoyed at euphemistic way of try make it “sound prettier” to everyone else but myself, n look at loudest people in online autism community so strongly loudly argue disagree n think if it just me. —but sometimes see some people basically label saying any struggle related to autism as dehumanize.

idk how say it better but a lot of things based on how much struggle you have n how much you need help. not how much you… good at stuff.

or else it not be disability. it not be disorder.

or maybe that exactly point. to define autism out of disability n disorder.

but see people who agree autism = disability fall into this too.

n have hard time talking abt this because people (often exact people am talk about) get reactionary n think am advocate for old times old language where autism get see as dehumanize only. n. that not true

a lot of things based on how much struggle you have n how much you need help. not how much you… good at stuff.

you give help to people who need help most. n not group of people named after how they learn lots stuff by themselves.

n it dangerous because… many autistic people depend on shit ton of help.

n maybe am weird outlier but to me that value neutral. there respectful way talk about it n then there harsh ableist dehumanizing way talk about it. but to me that value neutral fact that co-exist with strength person may have.

sometimes you really need talk about how much strength someone have.

other times you really. really. really need talk about ways need help.

n idk. for a disability n disabling disorder. am think it should be focus on 2nd option. done respectfully.

[lastseance]

As someone who has struggled (and still struggles) with both gender/sex dysphoria and body dysmorphia, it can be hard to tell the difference!

I don't appreciate the narratives being pushed that gender dysphoria should only be affirmed in every single case and I think the encouragement of suicidal behaviors if not affirmed is really dangerous thinking. Every case of gender dysphoria is different and deserves compassion and individualized care.

However, there is a difference between thinking "I don't feel comfortable in my body because it doesn't match societal beauty standards, so I'm going to fixate on all the things I don't like" and "I have never felt connected to my own body because of my sex since I was a child and I feel this way regardless of gender roles". For me, my dysphoria with my sex was never due to how others viewed me or feeling dissatisfied with what "girls are supposed to do" vs "what boys are supposed to do", but because I just had an innate discomfort and feeling of wrongness with my sex, that only worsened during puberty. In fact, when I was around 11 and I first heard of an MTF transgender person because of a video on YouTube, I thought I must have been born a boy and gotten SRS when I was a baby, and that explained why I felt this disconnect.

I'm not saying that medically transitioning is the only solution. For some people, their gender dysphoria can be extremely well managed with talk therapy or just social transitioning, or it may be severe enough that medical transition is the best option for them. I do think the push for HRT and SRS as a first resort is really irresponsible! And I really wish there was more research into transgender-related healthcare, but unfortunately at this point it is way too clouded with political interests.

Actually looked up what dysphoria (and gender dysphoria) is so, new question:

Why is gender dysphoria the only dysphoria that makes you suicidal? Why is it the only one considered as requiring "life-saving" surgery?

Don't (almost) all women experience body dysphoria as a result of beauty standards?

[windsoflimbo]

Final thoughts on In Stars and Time, spoilers ahead.

I didn't like it. Frustrating and tedious both in game play and story. I've already talked at length about the game now, but there's one thing that I wanted to touch on because it's the thing I feel the most confident about, the gameplay.

ISAT needed puzzles and less walking around the mazelike structure of The House. I've heard numerous times it's tedious on purpose and that the dogshit combat is supposed to frustrate you, and I have to disagree. I think the combat is bad because ID5 didn't want to figure out something more interesting to do in between fetching keys.

Let's say instead of key-key-star crest-key-boss it was key/star crest-puzzle room-key-boss. Cut out half of the backtracking and have the puzzle room loop back to the beginning of the floor al a Change Shrine room. I have something to work towards and a neat little cerebral challenge. Solutions to the rooms can be in the room itself or found in a prior floor requiring a loop, or maybe the optional rooms have this for those inclined to hunt for secrets.

In these puzzle rooms, the characters could all chime in on the solution if you're stuck, or assist in some way physically or magically. Pushing blocks, balancing objects, reaching something far away etc, and they all require teamwork and input from everybody. Escape rooms are famously used as team building exercises, you get a good look at everyone's thought process in these rooms, you see how people react to being right or wrong, etc.

Puzzles are also helpful in keeping your mind sharp, helping you retain memories, and improving your cognitive ability, maybe Siffrin is obsessed with puzzles because they don't like to forget things and this is a coping mechanism.

And now you may be thinking 'well Harley how does this cut down on time spent in the game?' The answer is, of course, Siffrin cheats on later loops, brute forces solutions, or puts his party members in danger. Sliding block puzzle turns into 'Isa, carry this over' or 'Odile, use magic to float it over' and putting extra strain on them, and tiring them out for the boss fight and start to distrust Siffrin's judgement. Balancing the thing could be 'Isa, break this thing' or 'Mirabelle, let me see your sword for a sec' you get the picture.

Siffrin begins skipping puzzles and losing track of things, he gets irritable and blames it on his party for not following their lead, disconnecting the player and Siffrin by having them take control, and his party reacts by questioning why he knows these solutions already, maybe wondering if he's in cahoots with the King, the mind boggles at the potential.

Jrpgs have tedious gameplay only because you're more or less expected to grind, but if the party is already a high level and their best skills comes from outside of combat, why bother putting so much emphasis on it. There's nothing to do in The House between fetching keys besides kill ghosts, and having these little excursions to break up the monotony would have elevated the game in my honest onion.

I really really really really wanted to like ISAT, I grew up playing weirdo rpgmaker games like LISA and OFF, and watching people play the spookier ones because I was too afraid to, and games like Space Funeral and Ib showed me you can do some really neat stuff with the medium of video games and with an engine like rpgmaker. But it's just. Kinds boring.

[wavesoutbeingtossed]

What do you think has been the most telling lyric from each of Taylor's albums? Not necessarily the best summary of the album, but the most honest blurt out.

Like I'd say "We're happy, free, confused, and lonely at the same time" is a great line to summarise Red, but the most telling lyric imo would be something like "I'd like to be my old self again, but I'm still trying to find it"

Anon, this is SUCH a good question!!! I love it!!! I loved it so much I've been thinking about it all day since I first saw the ask this morning! This is totally my jam but it definitely required some thought, which was hard to do between work and the plague eating away at my brain right now.

Debut: "And you're tied together with a smile, but you're coming undone."

Fearless: "'Cause when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you, you're gonna believe them." Not just when you're fifteen.

Speak Now: "Wish I'd never grown up."

Red: I completely agree with "I'd like to be my old self again, but I'm still trying to find it." If we're including the vault tracks in hindsight, I think "will you still want me when I'm nothing new?" may be a close second.

1989: "The water filled my lungs, I screamed so loud but no one heard a thing." I think "If they call me a slut, you know it might be worth it for once" is also a close second.

Reputation: "It was the great escape, the prison break, the light of freedom on my face / But you weren't thinking and I was just drinking," although I concede that that one is slightly fictionalized. So if we're going with more overtly diaristic lines... "And I know I make the same mistakes every time / Bridges burn, I never learn / At least I did one thing right."

Lover: "And I cut off my nose just to spite my face / Then I hate my reflection for years and years."

Folklore: "Pulled the car off the road to the lookout, could've followed my fears all the way down."

Evermore: "And I was catching my breath, barefoot in the wildest winter catching my death / And I couldn't be sure, I had a feeling so peculiar that this pain would be forevermore." I've actually got a few other considerations for evermore but it's going to be too long and in the weeds.

Midnights: This one was really tough because there are a few excellent options but I think, "You wouldn't take my word for it if you knew who was talking" might take it, although "When my depression works the graveyard shift, all of the people I've ghosted stand there in the room" is a close runner-up.

TTPD: This one I think is impossible to nail down lol. I'm going to ultimately say "I dreamed about it in the dark the night I felt like I might die." Because I think that's probably the most all-encompassing of the album as a whole and the experiences she had. But "She thought about how he said since she was so wise beyond her years everything had been above board, she wasn't sure" I think almost tops it because I think it recontextualizes not just the events of TTPD but sooooooo much of her discography in a way that feels like a watershed moment in her understanding of herself. Also "Don't want money, just someone who wants my company" because it also explains a lot.

This was awesome anon! Thank you!

[lazyyogi]

hello! hope you are well. I have a question that I hope you maybe able to shed some light on. For the first time in my 31 years of life (since like 15), I am finally not obsessed with a person outside of myself. I have always been having intense crushes, intense relationships (most of which unhealthy), and obsessions with people and now I've been doing the work and in a state I think of nobody or fantasise of nobody and there's so much peace. Sometimes though, I also feel peace could be boredom? Maybe my nervous system is getting used to this new thing where my heart rate is not constantly racing. How do you accept that peace could sometimes feel like boredom? or is it not supposed to?

On a different note, been following your blog for a long while and I saw you recommended a book 'Go to Places that Scare You' to someone. When I was going through a rough patch I read that book over and over which really did good things to me <3 thanks so much for your work!

Hi friend!

Not many people identify dysfunctions within themselves, find methods with which to address them, and then actually follow through with those methods. It's really, really fantastic to hear how far you've come already.

No one will ever thank us for the work we do on ourselves, so I'll say it. Thank you! You're engaging in something wonderful.

One thing I like to say is: "Boredom is peace that you have rejected."

Peace is very satisfying and fulfilling in itself. So if peace starts to feel boring, it's worth asking WHO is feeling bored by peace?

It's never YOU who is feeling bored in that scenario but rather it's your compulsion to consume, to be entertained, to be distracted. There's a perfect example for this with which I think many of us can relate.

Sometimes we stay up too late instead of going to bed. We resist sleep, preferring to amuse ourselves with TV binging, doomscrolling, gaming, or other forms of diversion.

Yet once we have gone to sleep and morning comes, we resist having to wake up. The peace and comfort of sleep is so lovely and wonderful that we cling to it.

Deep sleep is a pretty decent approximation of deep peace. To the restless consumption-driven mind, deep sleep seems boring and uninteresting. It's useful to contemplate this contrast.

Peace lacks nothing. Your fundamental essence lacks nothing. But right now you are in a process. You are only just discovering what happens when we stop trying to fill that hole inside us and instead allow something not of this world to shine through it. It's a process and at times your old tendencies will come back. They'll be weaker than before but also more subtle and sneaky. When peace starts to feel boring, this is part of that process.

I'm so glad that you found The Places That Scare You to be useful! And again I am impressed. Few people bother to read what I recommend, let alone over and over ����

So let me recommend another book that may help with this process. Well, more an author than a book. I would suggest you read anything by Judith Blackstone. You can look her up on Amazon and see which of her books appeal most to you. My favorite is The Fullness of the Ground but there are many options. Belonging Here is such a beautiful and helpful one as well.

Thanks so much for being a reader. Feel free to reach out again to let me know how things go for you and to share where the process took you.

Much love!

LY

[lady-raziel]

I mention this in The Strategy document, but I think it's worth making a specific post about it since I don't think many people know about it (but may be super helpful for some of you in getting access to The Edge of Sleep show!):

If you're a US resident between the ages of 18-24 and/or are a current university student, you're eligible for a discounted Amazon Prime plan that gives you a 6 MONTH FREE TRIAL and then costs $7.49/month after that.

This specific plan includes all the regular Prime features, plus additional stuff just for young adults like discounts on flights and hotels, free trials of other services, and additional tailored deals as well.

You can find more info (and sign up if you're eligible) here.

Verification requires either confirming age via driver’s license, passport, identity card or current student status via university name and graduation date-- so it sounds like as long as you have one of those things, you can sign up even if you're an international student in the US for school and not a US citizen.

AND-- if you're eligible but don't want to pay at all, you're able to cancel the auto-renewal anytime during the 6-month trial (as long as you remember to do so!).

[teddyonaboat]

"felicia's kids look like vander/silco" "felicia cheated with vander" "-no, felica cheated with silco"

WRONG

vander and silco are a couple and had threesomes with felicia

[adolins-heart]

I have another one but it's separate so here.

If you have insomnia bc of anxiety, or your insomnia triggers anxiety (similar but different things 🤷) pick a Thing. For example, during the day, when I start thinking depressive or anxiety thoughts, my go to is "I wanna curl up in my bed and sleep". It doesn't fix it but sometimes there isn't fixing or talking yourself out of the thought, so a broken record response helps.

Specifically with insomnia, I will pick something to "write a story" about. This is when I do most of my oc fanfic plotting, bc I'm more likely to be able to figure out those ideas again when I wake up bc there's an original source material (if I were to think about my original works I may make the insomnia worse bc I NEED to write it down before I forget). But you could pick something you really enjoy talking about, something you're studying, music, whatever. Just pick something that's your "topic for the night" and whenever you start to drift into thoughts that make your insomnia worse, just jump back to the topic.

It sounds a lot simpler than it is, trust me. Sometimes I'll lay there just repeating the topic word over and over in my head bc the moment I stop I'm spiralling again. But trust me when I say that late at night when insomnia is keeping you up is rarely the time to unpack all those thoughts, it's okay to just avoid them in whatever way you can. If it's still a concern come the morning sunlight you can take steps to work through it then.

[icewindandboringhorror]

"We can get through this by working together, reach out to your friends, community is all we have, a social network will be your security in the world, now is the time to lean on others!"

I do agree, and it's scientifically sound (pretty sure there is data about how people with better social networks live longer and etc) but also....augh..... what about the severe social issues, difficulty to leave the house, physical issues which lead to like zero socialization energy a majority of the time, etc. etc. Social support can be a replacement for structural support, but.. I guess I just wish it didn't have to be. Community is extremely difficult to build, even moreso if you're someone who has issues with social cues or group conversations or even just being around others in the first place. And blah, nuance, of course I'm just complaining or maybe being too negative or maybe misunderstanding, but, I hardly have the energy to brush my hair once every 2 months.. how am I supposed to maintain a wide social network and be active in a Community and Join Groups lol... sometimes it kind of feels like "er.. well if thats my only option then...... ruh roh". It's overwhelming

[11-eyed-rook]

Accessible doesn't mean "for lazy people".

I can't express how frustrating it is that, so many times on so many platforms I've seen various posts, especially videos, which showcase an item that makes a random task easier (or possible at all) to do (such as onion/garlic dicers of all sorts, or items that can be used with one hand, or even the tools that make it easier to put socks on), and every time the comments section is filled with angry boomers (mostly boomers), who don't see past the concept of "if only people stopped being lazy" or "this is useless, we already have [less accessible tool/item], who needs this?!".

Just because something isn't needed/useful to you, doesn't mean somebody else doesn't benefit from the accessibility (or even just the convenience itself).

To give a few examples of what I mean:

The sock tools can help a lot of people with mobility limitations, and that can also include anybody going through pregnancy as well, to put on socks AT ALL. You don't even "need to be disabled" to benefit from stuff like this, ffs.

Onion/garlic dicers make it possible to quickly cut up food items that otherwise may be difficult (or even impossible) for people with certain disabilities or other difficulties (I've always found it a bit hard to dice/cut certain food items (ESPECIALLY smaller ones), so tools like this are very helpful and achieve a consistent result).

Noise-cancelling headphones help me, by blocking out the noise of traffic, which is very overwhelming to me, not just because I experience sensory overloads, but because I have tinnitus and extremely loud noises are very overwhelming to me. Regular headphones don't accomplish the same thing for me, not to the level my noise-cancelling ones do anyway, and I can still listen to music along the way (my headphones also have a mode that allow for me to still hear peoples' voices relatively well, whilst muffling traffic, engine noises, etc.).

I wear a backpack instead of using a pretty shoulder bag for carrying heavier items, because one of my shoulders is slightly deformed since birth, and because both my shoulders get some of the worst of my joint pain (whenever it does happen, which is often enough), whereas the backpack I have, is nicely padded and easy to organize too. I've seen people online mock adults using backpacks, I still don't understand why though??? I didn't even know people made fun of adults who use backpacks. I still want to hope those weren't meant to be real takes...

I may not look like I "need one", but I do sometimes use a cane to help myself move up/down stairs especially, since I have issues with joint pain, and especially since my foot injury from earlier this year (the pain of which still pops up now and then, and it's not great). People look at me weird when I randomly take out my foldable cane and then put it away after a while. My joint pain comes and goes, and when I don't need my cane, I don't use it. My own father keeps commenting on how I'm "too young to be using a cane". I'm 28, I've been using it for a handful of years now, disability doesn't know age.

Let me repeat myself. DISABILITY DOES NOT KNOW AGE.

Just because you might not use a wheelchair-accessible ramp, doesn't mean it's not needed/useful for anybody without a wheelchair. Even people with bicycles/scooters/baby strollers etc. can benefit from them, and for me, it's easier to walk up the ramps rather than using stairs, as using stairs tends to put additional stress on my already-injured foot, whereas a ramp doesn't require me to put that stress on my foot, so walking is easier for me, even if it is just those 'few handfuls of steps" or whatever.

In a separate post, I touched upon the kind of ableism I've witnessed in certain crafting communities, and how gatekeeping can very quickly become synonymous with ableism, and how that can affect something like a hobby. Everything I said there, applies to this post, too. If you're interested, feel free to read. If not - it's much of what I said here, but specifically regarding crafting communities and how ignorant/ableist people can be at times, and how that can affect people.

So many tools exist to help with certain tasks, to make some stuff doable at all, to add accessibility to an otherwise difficult task for any particular person, and so much of it is just seen as "useless" or "for the lazy people", or there's some aspect of aggressive gatekeeping fueled with "if you don't do it THIS way only, then you're not doing it at all/it's not valid enough" attitudes. If anything, people with disabilities often have to put in EXTRA effort to do what able-bodied people can do effortlessly, even WITH the extra accessibility whenever it IS available (and by available I also mean affordable, because not everything IS, and not all options are available for everybody; price/cost accessibility is something many people don't even consider in some cases!!!). Not all of it is because of difficulty, necessarily, but it's a fact of reality.

Accessibility isn't laziness. For the able-bodied, it can be convenience. For the disabled, it's a matter of getting that extra helpful boost, or the ability to do a task at all, without having to find somebody to do it for you (if that's even an option to begin with).

I know I really can't speak for most groups directly, nor can I relay the experience of every kind of disability besides my own experiences over the years, but I'm genuinely troubled by the "trend" of people STILL (even increasingly) dismissing accessibility tools, disabled people themselves, and anything that makes it easier to do something, to function, especially since there's absolutely nothing that could ever excuse such awful behavior towards people who deal with enough shit as is.

I don't just think of myself when I bring up accessibility and its benefits.

Because the fact of the matter is - even those who have no disabilities could benefit from the accessibility options for those that do, even if it is simply a convenience for most. It takes effort to make something inaccessible, and it would take so little to make a big difference even for some.

And on that note.

It's not laziness. It never was.

[chibishortdeath]

Great googley moogley it’s all going to shit! Every day becomes exponentially more terrifying!

And all perfectly timed to just right at the start of what’s supposed to be my adult life where I get my shit together and be useful and productive!

[rivilu]

ok you know. the Ellu in dav crossover au is very fun but i am a little bit enchanted by the concept of him AND Rynn at once. Best of both worlds in a sense.

[2-kamikou-1]

ok but no guys seriously how do you ask for reassurance in a way that doesn't make you look like a stupid yandere stereotype