#the internet has made it a lot easier to learn about things

[ahoyimlosingmymind]

is Adhd/autism really becoming a trend or are the neurodivergent folk just finding each other, falling in love, because they feel seen by one another, and having kids?

is adhd/autism really becoming a trend or is the internet just the place we feel the most heard and like we can speak up without the stress of having 'perfect' neurotypical 'social interaction'? is it a trend, or has social media just created easier avenues for connection for us? Is it becoming a trend, or are we just a big chunk of the content creators online? bc ya know... the 9-5 workforce doesn't jive with a lot of us, and we're all striving to be seen and understood.

Is it a trend, or is this the place where we found out other people were like us?

idk. just thinkin thoughts my dudes

[aces-and-angels]

ART CAMPAIGN BOOST SUBMISSIONS:

edit: i hit the image limit for this post, so any new additions will be included here

the tag is starting to get kinda crowded (great problem, dw). i just thought compiling them all here would make things easier for everyone to find! all of the art displayed below is free to use for the purposes of promoting vetted gfm's here on tumblr. no credit is needed unless specified (marked = ***). if you have any questions regarding how to craft a post using any of the art provided -> please do not hesitate to reach out to me! note: please press follow post as i will most likely need to update this masterlist from time to time.

some info is below the cut on how to best utilize this material. please read it in its entirety before using any artwork. thank you 🖤

learn how to make art for this project here:

---

this project has gained a lot of momentum and has shown very promising results. the level of engagement once art is attached to a vetted gfm increases significantly. you will see what i mean as i have linked example posts of how to best use these pieces to help families in need.

i currently have a list of over 20+ families that i am spotlighting in my own personal progress tracker (the list has gotten so long that i now need to make a second version to accommodate all the families trying to get in contact with me).

this art campaign boost is truly meant to be utilized by anyone. i would sincerely appreciate it if y'all could take some time and pick maybe 1-2 people from this list and use the art below to create your own signal boost posts on the families' behalf. as someone who is periodically tracking their progress- i know that donation rates have slowed for a number of them. i am one person and can only do so much on my own. the essence of this initiative is to get more people to mobilize as a collective. it will take everyone to get on board in order for these families to be able to reach their goals. that means spotlighting their accounts/campaigns periodically.

you need to keep up the momentum.

the individuals you are helping currently live in areas with minimal internet connection, meaning it is very difficult to spotlight themselves on their own. especially since this site is continuously suppressing/deleting their accounts. they need you to interact with their content. tumblr isn't like other social media sites. it's known for being very 'anti-algorithm' and it's common culture for many of us to not really care about our levels of engagement (i.e. follower count/amount of notes per post). it's very hard for your own content to "break" your inner circle of followers and gain traction if the topic of the post is not "popular" or "trending" these families are not operating on this site the same way you are. you may be using this platform as a means to "just vibe" but they are using it as a desperate attempt to raise essential funding to save their lives. the importance that their posts be elevated cannot be overstated. anyone who has ever created any sort of og content here knows how quickly a post can die out if no one interacts with it. this cannot happen with them.

tips for making your own signal boost post* (*for vetted campaigns):

-> make it easy to read + eye-catching: the problem i am seeing when you search many of these families' accounts is that their "tag" (username of their account) is full of the same types of posts (i.e. a generic response to their initial message to another person on tumblr) <- aka it is very easy for people to tune out which is the opposite of what we want to happen. creating your OWN posts in response to their asks allows the art to appear FIRST when people look up someone's account via tumblr's search bar, which will attract more attention to their accounts. it also forces people who are making these posts to actually sit down and read the stories they are sharing with the rest of their mutuals/lurkers alike -> include verification sources: the main reason people are searching for these accounts is b/c they are trying to see if it is okay to reblog/share their campaign with their own following. if you address this plainly and early on in your post that includes artwork -> people are more likely to interact -> tag the account you are promoting: please include the families' account as one of your #'s so it will appear when you search for their names on tumblr. also try @'ing their account in your post so it'll be easier for these families to find your work. some of them are incredibly new to the platform and may not be aware of all its features. something that you may find intuitive may not be as easily understood for these individuals. your role is to make them as easy as possible to find for others so they can gain more support. --- don't have time to type out a whole post for a family on their behalf? -> interact with one of theirs! attach something nice/helpful to their posts so it is more readily available for others to share. the same rules apply from above. as i said before, some of these accounts are brand spanking new and are not formatted in the same ways as others that may be more well-versed on how tumblr operates in terms of promoting their campaigns. (for example: even if the account has been vetted/verified by multiple trusted individuals- the owners of that account may not know to include that info in their posts about their campaign every single time they post. you can make their lives easier by including that info for them by reblogging one of their og posts and adding the necessary info on their behalf)

you can also find a more comprehensive list of vetted campaigns by el-shab-hussein/nabulsi here <- their list is now over 200+ with several campaigns that are "in the red" (very low in funding). please do not hesitate to try to spotlight anyone from this list as well!

el-shab-hussein also has a masterpost pinned here with additional campaigns (including those for other countries like sudan)

alright i've explained enough- time for the art!

artist: @rhq274 | @rhq2744 *** free to use, credit required meet raghad (read and share full post here) Hello, I am Raghad Qanou, a medical student from Gaza City. My people and I have been subjected to genocide for more than 230 days. My family and I have lived through various types of torture and inhumane conditions. This link is my only chance for me and my family to escape death and try to start over. This is not easy. But we are trying, and we would be happy to have you help save our lives and our future. instructions to utilize artwork: those who wish to share raghad's art MUST do ALL of the following: -> follow raghad on tumblr @rhq274 | @rhq2744 -> like + reblog one or more of her posts seen on her account that promotes her fundraiser (you may also include additional art shown below to help further boost her campaign; see example) once those actions detailed above are completed, you may use raghad's art to promote her campaign. *if you are utilizing this art for another campaign that is not raghad's -> you must also mention + link her fundraiser as well /// for those able: please consider donating to raghad's campaign here (vetted; no 221 on el-shab-hussein/nabulsi's sheet)

artist: me lol free to use, no credit required example

artist: @lampyri free to use, no credit required example

artist: @aria-ashryver free to use, no credit required example

artist: @monmonp0k free to use, credit not required- but if given, is appreciated example

artist: @juudaimes-true-form free to use, no credit required example

artist: @gaiuskamilah free to use, no credit required example

artist: @marnota free to use on all social media platforms (i.e. tumblr, insta, twitter, etc), no credit required example

artist: @marquainequeen free to use, no credit required example

artist: @palms-upturned free to use, no credit required example

artisit: @inkyswampbones free to use, no credit required example

[cripple-punk-dad]

i hope you don’t mind this but like i’m 14 (not white, trans, gay, that stuff) and seeing a lot of people talk about how a lot of countries are going far right & extremism is coming back in full swing & no rainbow capitalism, etc is kind of scary. how do i like. not be so scared all the time? i just thought you’d know but if this is a weird ask i totally get it

It is scary. It's downright terrifying, looking out into the world and seeing the pattern of hatred, bigotry, and violence that is feels like its only growing more prevalent. Sometimes it feels like I'm on an island in a huge ocean of people who just want me to die, or change who I am, or both.

Not only that, but being 14 is fucking terrifying. You're not an adult yet, so you can't enact 'real change', you can't even drive (in the U.S) so your transportation is limited. You can't (legally) even get a job or anything. The world has done pretty much everything it can to keep you feeling scared. That's really hard to deal with!

This is usually where I'd say something dramatic, like "don't let them get away with that." But that's easier said than done. And that doesn't really answer your question, either. So instead I'll say this: It's hard to be scared when you 1) know your enemy, and 2) have other things to focus on. I don't mean that you should go debate every conservative you see, or even interact with them. But taking the time to understand the ideologies of fascism, alt-right conservatism, TERFS, white supremacists, etc. not only helps you to see how wrong they are, but also how they always fail and will continue to fail. This is also a good time to research and reinforce your own ideologies and beliefs. No one is immune to propaganda, but it's a lot easier to recognize it if you know what you're looking for.

But don't let that consume you. Remember, these people want you to be scared and isolated. If you spend all your time obsessing over everything wrong with the world (which is very easy with social media and the internet) then the people who want you gone will only grow stronger. So it really is a good idea to fight against that by building up a community of friends, and by building yourself up too. What I mean is this: Go outside, look at the ground, find a weird bug you don't know anything about. Read the obituaries in a newspaper. Go dumpster diving. Learn about something that interests you. Write a letter to somebody and never send it (or do). Pick up a weird hobby. You can just start gluing shit together, no one is gonna stop you, there are a lot less rules than you think.

But above all, remember that while history is full of empires collapsing, and wars, and horrors beyond imagination. The fall of Rome didn't happen overnight, it happened over centuries. But even in the midst of all that, people still made art, and had families, and not only survived, but lived fulfilling lives. I promise that you can and will be able to do that too. The sun will continue to shine, the grass will continue to grow, and the Earth will keep on spinning.

[benkyoutobentou]

How to study languages without studying

Whether you're just starting out and have had bad experiences with textbook learning in the past or are getting burnt out from prepping for the next proficiency test, it's never a bad idea to put the textbooks away for a time and just enjoy your target language. If you're new to the world of immersion, here are a few ways to get you started.

Follow along with the lyrics of a song. Spotify's not-so-new-anymore lyrics feature is great for this, especially since it has timed lyrics, but it doesn't have every song.

Expert mode: Write out the lyrics and underline/highlight/make note of all the words and grammar structures you don't know. Learn these unknowns until you can understand the whole song!

Extra challenge: Translate a song from your target language. I usually tend to stay away from translations in my study, but for those of you who aspire to be translators (or already are!), the poetic nature of song lyrics can be a fun challenge.

Watch a show or movie. Netflix has now introduced a feature where you can sort by language! If there's nothing made in your language that you're interested in, it also gives the option to sort by shows and movies that have the audio or subtitles available. Internet Archive also tends to have lots of foreign films that I'm looking for.

Easy mode: Watch with English or your native language subtitles. When doing this, try to still listen to what's being said and pick up on words and phrases that you know, or match new words with their translation in the subtitles. Note: reading one language and listening to another is a skill in and of itself! Don't be discouraged if you can't do both at the same time yet, you're brain is still making the connections in intonation and cadence of the language.

Hard mode: Watch with captions in your target language. This helps you connect listening and reading, especially in languages where the spelling isn't exactly phonetic, or it uses a different alphabet than what you're used to.

Expert mode: No captions or subtitles! But who knows, maybe you're better at listening comprehension than I am. Make sure you're getting comprehensible input here; some shows and movies are much harder than others. But above all else, watch what keeps your interest. A movie where you can catch half the dialogue but is super engaging is better for you than an "easy" movie that you're going to spend your time ignoring.

Polyglot mode?: Watch something in your target language with subtitles in a different target language. This adds just one too many layers of obfuscation for me, but if you're into the challenge, more power to you.

Watch YouTube. You can change your language preference on YouTube, and with that, the Explore section will give you recommendations in your target language. Going into the trending tab with your target language can give you a good idea about what people are interested in in the countries where your target language is spoken.

Read something. It can be a book, it can be a comic. There are plenty of webcomics out there in a number of languages! There's also probably an English language listicle with recommendations of easier to understand webcomics for learners, too.

If you're just getting started in immersion, you can choose whether you focus on intensive reading or extensive reading (this actually goes for all kinds of immersion, but is easiest to control with reading since it happens at your own pace). Intensive reading is reading with the goal of understanding everything 100%. If you don't understand a word, or a grammar point, or the reading of a character, look it up. Extensive reading is reading just to get the gist of things. Look up words and grammar points only if they stop you from understanding the general meaning of the sentence or section. And of course, the more you immerse, the less you'll have to look things up, but remember that difficulty varies between materials, even within books of the same age range, genre, and medium.

A small digression: If you decide that you never want to open a textbook on your language learning journey, more power to you! It can be done and I know people who have gotten to proficient levels of their target language without textbooks. If you want this to be you, extensive immersion is your best friend. You also might want to get comfortable with the flashcard program anki, because, if this is your goal, all those unknown grammar points and words will probably end up there. But at the end of the day, language learning is an intensely personal journey, and what works for others won't necessarily work for you. Finding what works for you is just part of learning a language.

Play a game. Lots of games are region locked (hint: Pokemon Sun/Moon isn't! If you start a new game, you can choose which language you want to play it in), but there are plenty of free online games still lurking in the corners of the internet. With a bit of googling, you can probably find something in your target language. Just the other day, I went out to find one of those hidden item games in Japanese and ended up finding an entire site dedicated to user made browser games.

If you're learning Japanese or Korean, picrew might be fun to look through as well. I noticed that plenty of picrews have basic anatomy vocabulary. I'm not super familiar with picrew myself, but the ones I've seen tend to be in Korean and Japanese

And lastly, don't fully give up on textbooks before trying them out. Don't be discouraged if textbooks truly aren't your thing, but studying a language on your own time can feel much different than studying for school. Don't put too much pressure on yourself and just have fun with your language. Additionally, if you'd rather learn in a video format, many languages have full courses uploaded to YouTube for you to try. Finding these can be difficult for some languages though, so don't hesitate to reach out to other learners and see what they recommend!

Got your materials ready? Great! Now go forth and immerse!

[crookedkryptonitebeliever]

how does blanche pay his bills 😔😔

no fr tho where does this guy earn money ??

Tw: gore, violence

Despite having a mostly vegetarian diet, Blanche is scarily good at butchering animals, especially mammals. He knows where all the joints are, the right places to cut, and the correct technique to extract all the pieces whole. You thought that he obtained his skills from eating his chickens, but he would rather let them die from natural causes than slaughter them himself. It was rather strange to see him opening up a bag of store-bought raw chicken whenever you told him you were craving for some, while you knew he owns a coop full of those noisy fuckers a few minutes walk away.

He has no qualms about killing and butchering rabbits if you're craving for them. Blanche sees them as pests, munching on his precious lettuces and cabbages, it is scary how he has no hesitation while impaling those fuzzy little creatures with a kitchen knife. You wouldn't know this fact without having a suitable personality for it; as in, you will have to be cold and uncaring towards cute critters in general. If you have a big heart and a tendency to cry when living beings are hurt, you wouldn't know Blanche is a bunny killer.

Similarly, if your humanity is still intact, you wouldn't know that he is a serial killer and an organ harvester. The victims that he didn't beat into a bloody pulp are cut up into individual pieces and have their organs prepared and preserved in wet ice. Blanche's knowledge isn't only localized to creative endeavors or gardening, he also has a deep reservoir containing all things biology. Especially humans. He also has a good grasp of the value of organs in the black market, negotiating with his usually desperate or depraved customers to give him the highest payout possible.

How he sells them is interesting to learn; he would sell them through the internet. Blanche is well-versed with this shiny new modern toy enough to evade authorities for decades. Those who tried to trick him and lure Blanche into a trap were turned into piles of fresh organs for him to sell. And there is no shortage of those idiots who tried to best Blanche at his own game. Well, it isn't really a game, all he wanted was to make some extra cash for him to spend on you. He isn't in it for the power, notoriety, or anything.

Back then, he would have done his business through word of mouth, or even through phone calls. Getting a solid customer base was much harder but easier to hide from the law since Blanche had a lot more experience in pre-internet days. But he has enough luck and skill to become famous yet undetectable in cyberspace.

He understands his market very well. The majority of his sales come from patients who are willing to do anything it takes to get that transplant, but there is a handful who buy them for personal consumption. Blanche would sell organs that aren't as fresh or somewhat diseased to the former, as they're desperate enough to take almost anything. Cannibals would normally demand the best quality, Blanche isn't one to complain. They have the funds to afford them.

All this while you thought he earned his money through back-breaking hard work from his youth. You asked him what he did for a living back then, he described a life with no fun, only becoming a slave to his numerous employers, doing jobs that are as menial as paperwork, or as life-threatening as hacking a tree with a blunt axe until it falls. It made sense how he has this much money until now, it sounded like he doesn't even go home to sleep, eat or sleep. He does that at whatever workplace he was in at the time.

While there are some truths to that, he cannot deny that his organ harvesting business was what bought him the comfortable and romantic lifestyle he could only dream of achieving in his early years. He wasted away years being tormented by constant work, but that wasn't what allowed him to garden, knit and bake freely to his heart's content. Blanche's horrific crimes did.

[nwarrior777]

The problem with fatfetish is not in it existing, but in not-exsisting of alternative positive image of fatness in media, and not-exsisting of range of narrative in depicting fatness as something sexy in kinky images.

It's like media have two options for fat characters: 1) background comic relief in mass media 2) fatfetish art in internet niche. with not much of smth else

Respectful representation of fatness is big important topic for it's own discussion, but focusing on kinky art - fatness presented as smth sexy there, but it's almost always one narrative (usually food related)

And, i think, if we would have more ways of depicting sexiness of fatness, especially in kinky art, and bring sexiness of fatness in mass media, it would be easier to accept for people, that having kink for big bellies & softness is same as kink for muscle body, 6 packs, bdsm or any other kinks which are people fine with (kinks is smth totally ok to have, for the record)

Like, there are """cringe""" art of muscle kink too, and people have a little laugh about it sometimes, but nobody says that loving muscles is bad or disgusting - yes, because of fatphobia, but why are people so fatphobic still? Because they are not used to see positive images of fatness around and taught from childhood, by media narrative too, that fatness = bad. And they see all the scenarios you can imagine of muscles or thinness being sexy around, in media all scales. It's chicken and egg situation - one thing boosting another: we don't have positive image of fat > people learn "fat = not normal, bad" thought > they don't even think about questioning it because all the world around them is keeping this rule > a lot of people becoming media industry workers, and > they keep media not-including fat characters, keeping status quo > new generation, repeat.

In result we have this vicious circle. And we can break it, by making more fatness inclusive media, and going back to kink talk - we need more ways of depicting fatness as something sexy: new narratives, new plots in films, new lyric in songs, new art aesthetics.

I mean, you can have great time daydreaming that food scenarios, but wouldn't it be also cool to see sexy fat characters in other roles? Imagine - Sexy Fantasy Fat character, who got so much power that their body has to be bigger to keep all that. People went all horny then Detroit Become Human released - imagine cool fat robots, so fragile and complicated in their core parts, that they need big fat parts made of smth soft to prevent damage if they fall. Or fat characters in art, in just usual hot images narratives, but they drawn in a way, which make their fatness looking like hot detail, or even hot focus of the art.

I know we have progress and there are more and more examples of that i say. It just still few. So, let's go work hard and make more

[csmiclxtte]

ATEEZ Fama [408] asteroid mini reading

disclaimer: i'm still learning & idk these ppl personally. so dont be too serious

ATEEZ has Fama in Aquarius (2°). As a group, they are known to be:

Original, unique, eccentric.

Aware of social issues

2° : "Fame" is a gift which can help them to produce wealth.

Fama Shadow Side

Spreading of news & controversies

ATEEZ is rather unproblematic, but if we take a look, the scandals mainly involves Aquarian theme.

Cultural appropriation(s)

Plagiarism (original ideas getting stolen)

ATEEZ's Fama aspects

square Sun-Venus, square Uranus, opposite NN forming a fixed Grand Cross / Grand Square

They may find "fame" to clash wih their ego (square Scorpio Sun).

"Fame" might trigger love-hate reactions from public. Or members may have tricky relationship with "fame", things can be awkward or tense (square Scorpio Venus).

"Fame" made them question their personal values at some point (square Taurus Uranus retrograde).

Their goal is to achieve fullest form of self-expression (Leo NN).

Fixed signs causing them to face the same issues again, if lessons not learned.

ATEEZ Members Fama Placement

Who they are known to be

Hongjoong | Fama in Virgo 8H (22°)

Workaholic, critical, and perfectionistic

Self-reliant.

Manage resources well.

Natural charisma, mysterious.

8H rules legacy, it can mean leaving a big legacy into this world.

Regenerate wealth.

Seonghwa | Fama in Cancer 12H (12°)

Emotional, sensitive, moody.

Nurturing, "motherly".

Imaginative, intuitive, may be spiritual.

Delusions & illusions which can mean he is often misunderstood. Or people may see him just as they like.

Great at conveying emotions and playing roles.

Yunho | Fama in Virgo 10H (28°)

Hardwork, competence, and diligence.

Perfectionistic, critical.

Professional and able to control his emotions relatively well.

Soft and caring, comforts people.

Intercepted Fama 10H: may mean Yunho have difficulty in climbing career ladder & gaining reputation.

Note: Fama in 10H can mean higher level of fame (positive or negative). Also the 28° degree, from what i've read, can be linked to karmic disposition. If his birthtime is exact, Yunho also has intercepted 4H. It can be translated as lacking familial/parental support. However he does have a strong ancestral connection, which possibly means that his career & reputation is linked with karmic clearing & such.

This is only based on degree theory & interception theory.

Yeosang | Fama in Virgo 6H (24°)

Hardworking, pays a lot attention to detail.

Takes extra care of his fitness & health.

Can be very particular about things.

Coworkers may often talk about him.

Can be known as spirirtual/mysterious, head in the clouds, not so present.

San | Fama in Virgo 1H (29°)

Another workaholic placement, striving for perfection, especially in how he represent his physic.

San seems to have a specific image/concept he wanted to project.

He can demand a lot from himself & his body.

Anaretic degree: ability to master the Virgo qualities. It might be something familiar and the energy is much easier to direct.

Mingi | Fama in Libra 9H / 11H (6°) - not sure what time Mingi was born, either 12 pm or 4 pm (please lmk which one is correct tysm)

Natural charm and beauty.

Center of attention.

Well-liked in foreign land/culture or internet.

May be indecisive.

Travel, media, and exploration will help him (9H), or rather technology and his friend group (11H).

Perfectionistic.

Wooyoung | Fama in Scorpio 1H-2H cusp (10°)

Scorpios are usually magnetic, so Woo doesn't need to do much to lure people.

Gives people a sense of intimacy, but also very private in a way. People are naturally curious of him.

Fearless, won't hesitant to approach taboo/forbidden stuffs.

Known for the his journey & transformation in building success.

Jongho | Fama in Sagittarius (6°) - also ugh idk his birthtime

Got famous by literally doing whatever he wants and following his guts.

Great sense of humor.

Known to be optimistic, wise and knowledgeable, philosophical, adventurous.

Perfectionist, practice make perfect.

Notice how Virgo energy is always involved in the placement, aside from Wooyoung and Seonghwa. Perfectionistic & critical ppl fr.

I by no means state this all as fact. Take it for fun only. Again, idk these ppl irl.

I'm just exploring astrology theories :>

Thank you for reading!

[daniigh0ul]

— #simblr gratitude day

dear simblr community,

hello! i'm going to be sappy. i just want to say that i really enjoy this corner of tumblr, and i look forward to reading everyone’s stories, seeing pretty screenshots, laughing at jokes only simmers would make, and the kindness i’ve seen extended from the people i follow and have had the pleasure of being mutuals with. and, modders, i didn’t forget you!! thank you for making this game better where it needs to be! this is a general post, because i want everyone to feel included today! consider yourself tagged, because you are. ❣️ (heart emoji)

to the storytellers: hi, there are so many stories on here that inspire me to be a better storyteller. whether it’s the people i’ve talked to about writing, plot, or character development, or lurking afar during a sleepless night while going through someone’s backlog, or seeing the cool and fun ways we use the video game(!) medium to tell stories, i appreciate every single one of you. whether the story is slice-of-life, fantasy, royalty, or something i haven’t discovered yet, i’m glad you’re telling your story/stories. and if i haven’t read your story yet, i will soon!!

to the funny simblrs: thank you for keeping this place alive with laughter. seriously the amount of times silly jokes have crossed my dashboard that made my day brighter are countless. whether we joke about the game’s numerous bugs and glitches, references to townies we love to hate (or hate to love), or things that are simblr specific, i appreciate you.

to the casual players:

y’all are stronger than me!! if you play vanilla, vanilla-lite, or modded and are happy to play through legacy and bachelor challenges, or share your sims for the sheer joy of sharing your sims, you are a pillar in this community! you keep this place collaborative and fun! please keep sharing your gameplay!

to the blender users (+ pretty picture people):

hi i adore your work. the use of lighting and composition and posing and all of the things you learned to make visuals for my eyes to feast upon? thank you!!! these are all things i’m still learning to do, so i really do love seeing it on my dash so i can take notes. keep posting them!!

to the modders: hi! thank you for making free recolors, free poses, free builds, free meshes, etc. made available to keep this hobby alive!! some of my favorite cc i have ever downloaded has been really niche cc—so if you’ve been doubting making that jester cc set or trash bag dress please do it. obviously, my examples are very silly but i’m being genuine!! i am a cc hoarding dragon and my collection is forever-growing, so continue making pretty things for my sims to wear, useful things to shove into lots, and poses to make my story-telling hobby a smidge easier thank you !!

okay, sappy time is over!! it’s impossible for me to know every single one of you, but to everyone i do know (or have chatted with, or am mutuals with, etc) you have been a fun and positive place for me to hang out online which is so rare in this age of the internet. keep doing that. and to anyone i don’t know yet, don’t be shy!! even if it’s not to me, the best way to become apart of this community is to engage in it—whether it’s sending an ask, replying to someone’s post, or joining a discord server! i promise you will have fun here!

<3 ok bye

[noroi1000]

❝𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐮-𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐢❞ Chapter 15

Satoru-Sensei | ←Previous chapter • Next Chapter→

Summary: Seeing something you shouldn't see... But seeing it shows the truth. Who needs additional skills if they can't be used? Therefore, the most important thing is to complete the mission.  If finding out what's wrong with Gojo is a mission, you should complete it.  Even if the truth may hurt.

It took some time before Fushiguro could master something like changing the size of a Shikigami. He managed to make it bigger. But smaller? 

It all depended on how much cursed energy would be released and given to the Shikigami. 

Not the bird he tamed early on. Because it wasn't that aggressive towards him, and it wasn't one of the strongest Shikigami he could summon. 

It was easy to do this with this one. Maybe he couldn't share vision with his Shikigami, but since it was made of his shadow, he could open a shadow screen that showed him what the bird saw.

He discovered this accidentally when he allowed a hole created by his dog's shadow to form in front of him.  He saw something that amazed him. Because he saw what his dog saw.

That's why it gave him an extra ability. 

Easier scouting. Because he could send shikigami and learn more about the surroundings. 

Shrinking and enlarging these shadow animals was another skill he mastered. However, it is not easy to do this. 

When his Shikigami get more cursed energy from him, they simply grow stronger or weaker. Depending on how much power they have. 

But he can also give them more or less shade.

The Nue he summoned was small. There was no big bird here. 

It was the size of a hummingbird. But Nue is an owl. It was smart. 

The dark-haired man found on the map that these numbers were coordinates. Around Japan. And there, in the sea, when you magnified it, you could see that there was a small island where it was pointing. Something that is neither big nor very small. 

He was wondering what he was doing here. 

And later, he noticed that the photo next to these numbers was a photo from a small beach on this island.

Unfortunately, it was not possible to obtain information from the Internet because this island is considered private. So you can't get information about it just like that. 

There was something easier for the Jujutsu sorcerer. Because he, as a first-grade sorcerer, could do a lot. 

Summon the reduced Nue, give the coordinates, and show on the map where it should go. So he can check what's there. 

Since do was in Gojo's house, do was more important to him than other things. 

'Ashamed-chan' was still in his mind. Because there was no way that what he wrote there wasn't related to something.

And as long as he knew he could connect the strings, he wanted to unravel the mystery of Gojo's mysterious behavior. 

There was no sign of the house in Tokyo. It wasn't even visible that there were any things there. 

It's not possible for someone like Gojo to have such a humble life! He likes souvenirs and lots of things!

There are two options.

One is that he was tidying up and didn't have time to sort everything out.

The second is that there is another place.

Another place he should check...

Something was wrong...

He felt that something was clearly wrong. Something has to be tied together. It's all connected together. It must be something! 

Gojo is a very complex person... He cannot be easily understood. His ideas and plans were always incomprehensible to others. What he knew was known only to him. His thoughts, his emotions, and his feelings. It was all confusing and often incomprehensible. 

But nothing is that simple.

Something was wrong here. 

Fushiguro knew that what he learned was too simple. If Gojo was hiding something, how the dark-haired man checked to find out the truth was too simple. 

That's not how Gojo works. 

What is simple about Gojo is his love for sweets. But there were other goals behind it as well. He didn't just like it. But he used sugar to stimulate his brain. 

In many ways, you can see that Gojo is a simple person. But later, if you analyze it, everyone can see other side issues. 

He's a teacher. Not because he likes children and would like to train sorcerers so that the Jujutsu world has a future. 

He is a teacher to train strong sorcerers who will not obey senseless rules. Strong sorcerers who will be his allies. At some point, destroy the old Jujutsu world and create a new one. 

This could be considered a desire to rebel. However, he knows what he has to do and what he does. Everything to make it better. 

You can see it behind his simple demeanor. Especially because he is the strongest.

And no one could call the strongest living sorcerer simple. 

Getting to his house was too easy. It was too easy for him to see what was inside. What's happening is too simple...

That's why he didn't give up. 

It was a surprise that on the seemingly small island, Nue found a home. And not just any house... Almost luxurious? Something that looked modern but was at the same time homely and cozy. 

It was also the same. There was no boat around. And the island around it radiated energy that did not encourage the bird Shikigami to come closer. 

The curse-killing seal had no effect on Shikigami, who was made of shadow. 

The bird flew around, feeling the overwhelming aura of energy around him. Masks from sorcerers. However, the power pressure was felt. 

It was definitely someone powerful or something.

However, this house was not empty. 

The brown bird flew around, looking into the windows.

A corridor, probably a bathroom. Living room, kitchen. Then suddenly, there was a bedroom. 

The bird stopped so that its owner could look.

Something was moving there. And the bird did everything to show Fushiguro what was hidden there. 

It was something he didn't want to see, but seeing it was a good thing. Because he found out something. Something very important. 

His eyes widened, and he grimaced at the sight of his former teacher lying there shirtless with a girl sitting on top of him. 

To later see the White Haired Man flip them around so that he was on top. 

Megumi grimaced at the thought that he might accidentally see something more.

He wanted to look away. 

But he knew the truth.

This island is the island where Gojo lives. With some girl...

Is he here to have fun? What's going on?

He should be on a mission. 

But this was Gojo... He can do something unpredictable... Something that will surprise everyone.

Fushiguro didn't want to be grossed out by the sight of his sensei having sex. If that's what they were going to do.

But before he sent the bird away, he saw something that caught his attention. The appearance of the girl's face lying on the bed. 

(h/c) hair and (e/c) eyes... Visibly shorter than Gojo... And also the shape of the face with that little pink on the cheeks... 

The bird flew closer to the window so he could see.

It was you...

It was you! 

You really lived! 

The surprise disappeared when suddenly he saw the man outside the window sticking out his hand towards the Shikigami. 

With panic in his eyes that he might lose Nue, he quickly recalled the Shikigami to prevent it from being destroyed. 

He laid his back on the bed, panting.

What did he just see? 

The fact that the person who supposedly died two years ago was with his Sensei...

What was that supposed to be? 

He certainly didn't dream it. He certainly hadn't imagined it.

This island... This thing where you've been living for two years... Nobody knows you're alive. 

And Gojo...

He isolated you from the world because he went crazy...?!

A/N I haven't shared anything for so long. I'm going through a period of blockage, which makes me forget that I was supposed to write and I'm too lazy...

But I'm still alive ☺️

I think I repeated "Shikigami" a lot in this chapter.

Taglist: @mc-reborn ; @yihona-san06 ; @yerinsshi ; @erisfayred ; @tohsri

[crushedsweets]

WWHAT WUD THE CREEPS DO 4 HALLOWEEN I MUST KNOW

anon... yes i like this. general disclaimer this is tailored to my au !! stuff under cut

toby likes it, thinks its fun and stuff. he's not the type to dress up beyond like, maybe a jacket and a mask or whatever, but he'll go and buy(steal) stupid ass halloween decorations from spirit or the dollar store. there r several mini skeletons sitting around his cabin. he treats it like elf on the shelf, but. . . skeletons... def will sit around and watch scary movies with a bag of halloween candy . totally carves pumpkins with whoever will do it with him

tim wouldnt really want to do much cuz he's just tired, but he probably would put out a small little pumpkin and bowl of candy outside his door. he's in an apartment so he doesnt really get trick or treaters. will prob buy some candy after halloween so its on sale

brians so annoying omfg(lovingly) he'd buy a fake arm, blood, and wig and stick it in his trunk so it looks like an arm is sticking out. yall know what im talking about. him and tim share an apartment so he'd prob try to actually put something simple around it, like some plastic pumpkins, but nothing really big. he is also a grown man with no kids, so he doesnt find himself going all out for these things

natalie. ok i recently made it where she's either already a tattoo artist, or learning to be a tattoo artist or whatever, but i could see her and some coworkers setting up the shop all halloweeny. she's so fucking tall that they'd just call her over for all the spider web stuff. she thinks its fun and she likes halloween a lot so it's cool. she'd get a huge kick out of doing halloween tattoos during october too. goes and hangs out with toby/nina for it

nina goes to parties . she HAS to get a whole new costume for every party. its super wasteful but she doesnt care all that matters is shes sexy. every year without fail she is a sexy gothic vampire for one of the parties. she works at hot topic, BUT she'd absofuckinglutely get a second job at spirit halloween for october. she's a creepy galll... def sets her apartment up super cutely, brings toby and nat over so they can carve pumpkins with her, tries to dress them up, etc. tons of halloween posts on her social medias too LOL shes so cute

jeff would prob also go to more like... weirder ( ?) parties with creeps and scary people roaming around just doing crazy shit. warehouse shit. prob finds someone to bring home and kill. he thinks its fun, its easier to just go about his days looking the way he does, he loves scaring the fucking shit out of people. doesnt decorate or wear costumes though, says its cringe LMFAO. hates how hyped nina is about it

jane and mary would totally decorate, but in a much more.. ? elegant ? way. like those tall skinny candles, swap out their doormat for something halloween themed, really nicely done pumpkins for some reason. jane would want to host a cute little halloween dinner for uni friends. probably just gets simple costumes, like she'd put on a witch hat and black dress and thats all, but its cute. takes sally (and ben, if sally asks him to come) trick or treating.

sally draws tons of drawings, loves disney halloween marathons, paints on pumpkins(doesnt like the smell of gutting them), etc. she'd decorate with jane cuz she lives w her. she loves it so much but she still gets scared of the animatronic things at stores and stuff LOL. begs ben to trick or treat w her. really embarrassing for ben

ben wouldnt do much besides like. he'd get worse w his internet trolling (scaring the fucking shit out of teens on the internet), start doing more actual hauntings bc nobody will believe his victims during october which means slender wont find out he's doing it. he would not want to go trick or treating..but he'd go with sally with a pillow case and he'd try to awkwardly stand further back but the ppl at the door would always b like 'aw dont be shy come here!' LOL

jack doesnt celebrate it, his family didnt really celebrate it much when he was human so he doesnt do it now. he does get kinda sad during holiday season though, cuz of obvious reasons, but halloween isnt the strongest Pain for him

liu is so fucking miserable theres no way. jk he'd set out like, some pumpkins and maybe get one of those lights that project ghosts onto his garage, but he wouldnt want to go all out or do anything to the inside of his house. jeff really liked halloween when he was younger so its kinda like ouch but he's getting overit. i guess. . .

kate doesnt..celebrate anything........ but when she does occasionally visit the cabin, maybe for food or a shower, and she sees toby decorated, she'd be happy to see it. she's kinda unsettling to be around, but she'd sit down and watch a movie with him in silence. then bring a massive bag of candy to the mine w her w/o telling toby. he just had to cope

ann and lulu dont do anything in the hospital. they dont really have any concept of time........... or the resources to decorate... and they dont get any trick or treaters... cuz theyre...stuck in an abandoned hospital in the woods . . . yeah..

ty for ask anoni like this one. very simple but very sweet

[baileypie-writes]

~Responding to Sayings Glitter Force Stans Use~

~~~🎀~~~🎀~~~🎀~~~

When in conversation or arguement about Smile Precure and Glitter Force, Glitter Force stans tend to use the same sayings/excuses. These are my responses to them. Feel free to use them!

Also, if I missed one, let me know and I’ll add it!

~~~🎀~~~🎀~~~🎀~~~

“They’re the same shows.”

No, they are not.

If you did your research, you’d find that Glitter Force changed and cut out many things. Here’s a brief list:

- Names were changed to English ones

- Most Japanese culture was removed

- Any scenes/episodes that were deemed “too emotional” were removed.

- Any scenes that could imply romantic interest between two girls were removed.

- All music was changed, including background music

- More CGI endings were made for Glitter Force/Smile Precure, though they’re very poor quality compared to the originals. They learned their lesson for Doki Doki though; only using the original 2.

Due to all these changes, many episodes were cut; 8 in Glitter Force, and 19 in Doki Doki. This left the shows with many plot holes and ruined character development.

~~~~

“But it was my childhood.”

I understand that. It was mine too. But you have to understand that it doesn’t change a thing about Glitter Force. It’s still problematic, and it always will be.

You can still watch Smile Precure though. It can give you the same feeling of nostalgia as well.

Choosing to support a show you know is problematic, simply because it was your childhood is a very immature thing to do. Especially when the original can be easily found.

~~~~

“They made it easier for English kids to understand.”

While this may be true, they still would’ve understood just fine if it was dubbed accurately. Kids understand that people all around the world are different. And it’s important to teach them about different cultures anyway.

Besides, many popular children’s media explores different cultures. Take a look at Disney, for example. Most of their movies are not set in English speaking countries, but children still love them regardless. They genuinely could not care less if a character has a name they’ve never heard of before.

~~~~

“You expected me to know that at 8 years old?”

No.

I am fully aware that you had no clue it was problematic. You just saw a show with cute and colorful characters, and watched it. So that’s why I’m informing you now.

~~~~

“It’s not whitewashed, it’s westernized/Americanized.”

Westernizing/Americanizing does not mean erasing culture.

The definition of whitewashing is:

“To alter something in a way that caters to white people.”

Sound familiar? Because that’s exactly what Glitter Force did.

~~~~

“It’s just a show. Calm down.”

The fact that it’s a show doesn’t make racism any less serious.

~~~~

“You Precure fans are always so intense and quick to correct!”

I can assure you, most of us are not. We’re just trying to inform you that Glitter Force is problematic.

Also, this is the internet. If you say something even slightly wrong, you’re gonna get corrected. So it’s not purely a Precure fan thing.

~~~~

“But Pokémon did the same thing.”

Yes, you are correct.

However, Pokémon first came out in the 90s, so practically nobody in America understood Japanese culture, or knew what anime was. It’s still whitewashing, of course. But that’s what was done back then.

To my knowledge, Pokémon doesn’t remove all culture anymore. They just change the names. Which, for this specific situation, is definitely needed. For the Pokémon, a lot of their names wouldn’t make sense in English; their names in Japanese literally being English words like “thunder”(Jolteon) and “Ghost”(Gengar). So changing the names is alright in this instance. And for the people, it was too late to give them their original names, since they’ve had the same English one for over 20 years. So that’s fine.

Glitter Force, however, had no excuse. It was made in 2015. At that time, anime was receiving a huge spike in popularity. Also, Japanese culture was way more understood. So there was no need to whitewash it.

~~~~

“You can watch a show without supporting it.”

That is correct. However, this situation is different. It’s not like you have no other option. You can just watch the original instead. So choosing to watch the whitewashed version is supporting it.

~~~~

“It’s not my problem.”

Knowing a show is whitewashed, and continuing to watch it when you can just watch the original instead is your problem.

~~~~

“I don’t care.”

Ok? It’s not my fault you don’t care about racism. Sounds like something you should work on yourself.

~~~~

“But I don’t want to read subtitles.”

There are a few fandubs of Smile Precure out there that are way more accurate than Glitter Force. The voice acting may not be as good, and the mic qualities can be subpar, but it’s really not that bad!

~~~~

“But I’m too scared to go on pirating sites.”

I get it. Thankfully, as mentioned above, there are a few, legal fandubs available!

~~~~

“And the world keeps spinning/Womp womp.”

Please shut up, and find a new and creative response.

~~~🎀~~~🎀~~~🎀~~~

~~baileypie-writes

[the-cookie-of-doom]

okay @fawndlyvenus @shubaka this is for you lol

Chay learns, very quickly, that there are a lot of things he and Porsche no longer know about each other.

For example: Porsche had no idea that his own boyfriend's youngest brother is the same guy that's existed within a shrine on Chay's wall for, oh, five years? And when he found out about Kinn's AWOL brother, Porsche had a name, but was never able to put a face to it, because Kim was too busy stalking Chay, and giving him guitar lessons - which Porsche never found out about, either - and taking him on dates, and then ripping his heart out of his chest. Chay decides not to tell Porsche about that last part, because by the time he can, he and Kim have already made up and gotten back together, and it would make things very awkward with Porsche. Who already disapproves of Kim on principle.

So, there are still things Chay and Porsche don't know about each other. And there are more things they wish they didn't know about each other.

Still, somewhere during Porsche's apologetic, secret-sharing mood, he revealed some things about his early days as Kinn's bodyguard. Namely his interactions with the Minor Family. Chay has gotten some of the details from Macau as well; how the first time they met, Porsche shoved him into the koi pond and broke his face on a statue. (Porsche fiercely insists that's not the real story).

Between the two of them, Chay is able to piece together a story.

Kan demanded that Vegas keep an eye on Porsche. Vegas enlisted Macau's help to reel him in with a false apology, and bribe him with the cherry red Ducati he's always wanted. Chay also learns Vegas kept a much... closer... involvement with Porsche than strictly necessary. And this part of the story always makes his stomach turn, the way Vegas would push and push and push, trying to take what wasn't his, and Porsche never quite looks at him when he talks about it. Chay doesn't look at him, either.

Porsche insists that he and Vegas are cool now. Pete insists Vegas has changed, and Porsche tells him that as far as he can tell, it's true. Vegas no longer acts like the monster his father forced him to be, now that his father is dead.

Still, he tells Chay these stories, because there's a part of him that still believes Vegas is dangerous, and Porsche needs him to know. To understand. To be safe.

Macau, to his credit, doesn't take offense to the way Chay always flinches when Vegas is mentioned. They never hang out at Macau and Vegas' new house - they're not unwelcome at the minor family house, but they stay away, there's too many memories - and bringing Macau to the main compound always make him a little nervous - Khun loathes Macau just as much as he adores Chay - but they figure it out. Pour over google Maps for an hour trying to establish an acceptable No Man's Land where they can meet in peace, without painful memories bleeding out between them.

Mostly that takes place at an internet cafe roughly in the middle of them, where they can game and bicker and act like normal kids for a while. In another year Macau will join him in university, and it'll be even easier to negotiate their interactions. For now, Chay will continue to feel like he's sneaking behind enemy lines the handful of times he picks Macau up directly from his house.

-

"He really has changed," Macau says one day. They're in the compound this time, at Khun's koi pond, and Maucau keeps looking around like he's waiting to be shoved into it. They're the only ones in the garden. Neither of them comment on Tankhun standing in his window, watching them fiercely.

Chay tosses a torn off piece of bread into the pond and says, "Mhm," and pretends he doesn't know who Macau is talking about. But Macau is kind of an asshole, and won't let him.

"He feels bad."

"I don't know why, it's not like he kidnapped me." He technically didn't. Chay knows that. He still doesn't like him.

"He keeps making sad faces at me and asking if you hate him."

Chay laughs at that. The next piece of bread is thrown at Macau. "Liar."

"Yeah, I am," Macau laughs. "He really does feel bad, though. He's got a thing about fucking with little brothers, y'know?" He tears into his own loaf of bread. It mostly crumbles into the grass as he picks at it. "Vegas really didn't mean for you to get caught up in everything. Tawan went behind his back."

"Yep. It's cool. Really." It's really not.

Macau sighs.

He stops trying to convince Chay, though. Maybe it's because he looks up at Tankhun's window, sees the unfiltered loathing pouring through it, and shudders, and yeah. He understands. And Tankhun never ever really did anything to him, not like Tawan - and Vegas - did to Chay.

"You know, that was the worst day of my life," Chay says casually. "Well, second worst. Actual worst was way worse, emotionally at least, but that day started as the best day of my life-"

"Because of Kim?"

Chay nods, a blush dusting his cheeks. They've finally managed to get their shit back together, so they can get back together, but it's only been a few weeks. It's still new and kind of scaring, and sometimes Chay still thinks he's going to wake up and find it was all a dream. He's working on it.

Macau scrunches up his nose and says, "This family is so weird. You don't have any other brothers, right? Because I think I'd be genetically obligated to try and smash, and I don't really want to."

"Dude! You're actually insane."

"Dude, come on - think about! Your brother is banging Kinn, Vegas tried to bang him, and you're doing your thing with Kim-"

"No one's tried with Tankhun, right?"

"Yeah, but that's cause he's weird. So that just leaves me, right? The last eligible Theerapanyakul bachelor." They both break into laughter so deep it hurts, and Macau throws himself into Chay's side, batting his lashes. "But hey, if you and Kim don't work out..."

"I hate you," Chay says, and Macau's worst fear finally comes true as Chay shoves him into the koi pond, and a pair of guards come running when they hear screams.

By the time they get there Macau has pulled Chay into the water, and the two are playfully trying to drown each other, and the guards look at each other, unsure if they should get involved.

In the end, they're called off - by Tankhun, who secretly hopes Chay succeeds in drowning Macau, eagerly watching from his window - and the boys eventually drag themselves out, waterlogged and sore from laughter.

No one could tell they're crying beneath it all, months of pent-up emotions finally released. They cling to each other as they catch their breath, and maybe it's a little desperate, grasping hands that hurt, but it's okay, because even if their ribs are aching and their lungs are burning, and nothing is certain, they're okay.

[kiwikiwii]

Very Big and Very Long AI rant.

After the recent OpenAI stuff I'm gonna be here to share my two cents about the whole very realistic AI stuff, from the perspective of a very anxious and very art oriented person who loves techy stuff.

I very much would understand if this isn't your cup of tea so it's all undercut, thank you for your time anyways <3

Now. Onto the AI stuff.

Recently OpenAI has put out some new technology that's showing off some very nearly realistic videos and they're both creepy and very uncanny. About 2 or 3 years ago, the concerns about AI was already rising with deep fakes and the such and is going to start being a lot worse if this technology isn't properly regulated. This is what is prompting my very long and apparently, 927 word rant.

Going to put this in a few parts so it'll be easier to digest I hope.

About the tech.

We are at a point where the lines of AI generated content and real life are starting to blur. It's to a point where a sentence or a prompt could create scenes that look realistic enough that most people wouldn't even suspect that it's AI.

It is such a powerful and interesting technology that's slowly growing out of control. The people who are supposed to regulate the content and lawmakers has no idea what the fuck is going on and how the content is made in the first place, how are they supposed to make a change when they don't even understand what they're supposed to be tackling. The lack of understanding of how AI functions, how it comes to be, where the data was even gotten from in the first place and how it will impact society as a whole will truly be how we'll lose control of it someday. I'm not saying any of this because I want to be a 'hinderance to the future of technology', I'm saying this because the later we try to do something about it, the harder it is to do anything that is useful and effective for safeguarding artists, creators and everyone else who's using the internet. Not to mention the amount of frauds or scams that will skyrocket, children's safety on the internet being compromised, YOUR safety on the internet being compromised, people faking inappropriate images, videos and more will be a nightmare to deal with.

About art.

Many corporate companies unfortunately don't give a fuck about how the art is made and whether it's good or not but how fast it can be made and how much money can be made off of it. In their eyes, the trade off between quantity and quality is worth it. And that to me is extremely frustrating because where the art comes from should also be a part of the story when talking about art. Who the person who made it was like, how they developed a certain style and so on should be cared about and should be appreciated just like the art piece that was created. It shouldn't just be treated as another piece of thing to be fed to the scanner to be spat out as something else.

About creating.

Art is intrinsically a very human thing. People who make the argument "it's letting more people experience how it's like to create art" doesn't understand what it's like to create art. The entire idea of art is the learning, developing and polishing of the skills that you yourself develop. Taking away the steps that it took to get there in the first place diminishes the point of wanting to make art in the first place. It's degrading the time, energy and effort of the people who've already put effort into creating said art to be put out as a cheap and gross mimic of what it came from.

More emotional stuff that doesn't fit in any of the spaces above.

I saw someone use the word 'amalgamation' to describe what AI is today and that about wraps it all up. It's an amalgamation of dots and data skinned off of what there was and chained together to create an image, a video, an audio sample and more without a shred of humanity, love or emotion put into it.

I barely go on twitter nowadays, when I so, I see people sing high praises about the "the amazing advances of AI" and downplay the part of artists that were stolen for to create the technology they love so much in the first place. This whole ordeal makes me sick. It's depressing to see companies laying people off because they're seen as useless or worse than AI. It's disgusting to see the amount of talented people out there stolen from so that people could churn out heartless work at a faster pace to replace you. It's not a stepping stone for humanity, we're stepping over the ledge blindfolded.

I will never stop creating. It's what makes up a big part of me and will continue to be even if AI starts crumbling humanity to ash. One thing they can never take from us is creativity.

To the people who read this far, thank you. Thank you for spending your time to read over my word vomit that has been cooking in my head for the longest time.

To the artist that are still reading this. Remember you are irreplaceable. Without your art, this technology wouldn't have been here in the first place. Your art is invaluable. Never stop creating. Never give up, never give in.

Have a bear <3

[the-lincyclopedia]

I've seen a lot of people on the internet making assumptions that grocery shopping is easy, and/or that forcing yourself to go grocery shopping is important even if it's difficult. These posts have ranged from screeds about weaponized incompetence and how men pretend to struggle with grocery shopping even though obviously no adult could actually struggle with it, to exhortations to force yourself to do hard things such as grocery shopping because doing hard things is important. And, as a person who has struggled with grocery shopping for a variety of disability-related reasons, these posts really piss me off.

My parents started getting groceries delivered rather than going to the grocery store when I was six. I literally don't think I set foot in a grocery store again until I was 17. The grocery store I went to that first time was massive, brightly lit, crowded, and full of way too many smells. I had a panic attack in the store, partly because I couldn't find what I was looking for and partly due to sensory overwhelm.

One time that summer, I bought a cucumber instead of a zucchini, and my mom got really mad at me. Another time, I bought the expensive version of a spice rather than the cheap version, and my mom got mad again. The fear of getting the wrong ingredient and upsetting her yet again made it even harder to cope with the sensory overload of the store and find the items on my list without freaking out.

So I am well aware of some of the things that can make grocery shopping difficult. Here are some questions worth considering if you have trouble grocery shopping. Maybe none of these ideas will work for you or address the particular struggles you have, but maybe some of them will.

If mobility issues and/or chronic pain are making grocery shopping harder for you, is there a grocery store near you that has those motorized wheelchair/shopping cart things? If not, can you use your cart kind of like a mobility aid and let it take some of your weight?

If sensory overwhelm is making grocery shopping harder for you, are there ways to reduce it? I'm not sure how to lessen the effects of how many intense smells there are in grocery stores, and that's the worst part for me, but if the visual overwhelm is a problem, would sunglasses help? If the noise is a problem, would earplugs make that easier to handle? (I say earplugs rather than noise-canceling headphones because it's probably safer to be able to hear some amount of sound while you're moving around in public, but you're allowed to decide the trade-offs of using noise-canceling headphones are worth it.)

If you don't know how to shop for groceries, especially if that lack of knowledge is making you really anxious, can you ask a friend to help you learn the layout of your grocery store? If not, can you try to do your first grocery run on a day when you have lots of time, so at least you don't feel rushed? Can you find a smaller grocery store in your area, so that it will be easier to learn what's in each aisle?

If thinking about food makes you feel awful, and you get wrapped up in checking the nutrition facts on each package, you may have an eating disorder. Maybe you already know that about yourself, or maybe you think it's a ridiculous overstatement. If you can get treatment, that might help. If you can't afford treatment or don't think you need it, can you make a deal with yourself about how much you're allowed to look at nutrition labels per grocery run?

If grocery shopping is hard and stressful because you have food allergies and you need to know which foods are safe for you, I'm sorry about that! If you haven’t tried any apps to check your groceries for allergens, could you get advice on which apps to try from other people with food allergies? I don't have relevant experience here, but I hope we can find ways as a society to get better about this, and in the meantime I hope you can find ways to make grocery shopping easier, possibly including technological solutions like apps.

If you're afraid of forgetting something or buying the wrong thing, can you figure out what is giving you a low tolerance for error, and then see if you can increase your error tolerance? If you're on a tight budget and that's the reason you're scared of accidentally wasting money, can you check to see if there are any cheaper grocery stores in your area, or even see if you could get some food for free at a local food shelf? There's no shame in accessing safety net resources! If you know that your parent/roommate/partner will yell at you if you mess up, is there a way for you to split up your grocery shopping from theirs and/or stop living together at some point? Maybe not--this category is really hard to solve for!--but it might be worth trying.

If all of this fails, can you afford to get your groceries delivered, or can you manage curbside pickup? Obtaining food is a logistical necessity, and grocery shopping in a store tends to be the most common way to do that, but it's not morally better than using a delivery service, a food shelf, or some other alternative.

If you find grocery shopping hard, I hope one of these ideas is helpful, and regardless of whether you take my advice, I hope you find a way to make grocery shopping bearable. And if you DON'T find grocery shopping hard, I hope this post has helped you realize some of the many reasons why it might be hard for other people.

[alpaca-clouds]

Kids in certain media spaces/fandoms

While a certain part of my dash has this discussion - and I have heard some friends (like real world physical friends), who are in their mid 20s complain about this too - let me just try and put everyone's minds at ease: Yes, it is perfectly normal for "kids" (read = teens, maybe tweens) to consume supposedly "adult" media. And with that I mean, well... try and be a part of certain fandoms, that technically are based on media they are not old enough for if we go by rating.

Most currently I have seen the discussion arise around both Hazbin Hotel and Baldur's Gate 3. Honestly, I am not sure about the English rating system for video games, as in Germany we use the same one for games and other media, with Hazbin being "16+" and BG3 being rated "18+" over here.

And yet, obviously, there is a ton of kids younger than that hanging in those fandom spaces - and some people are very "concerned" about this.

Meanwhile I am sitting here like: "Yeah, I watched 18+ stuff at age 13 or 14 as well. Watched 16+ stuff even earlier, even though I was not allowed. And don't get me started on the books I read at age 10."

And every person who I have seen being "concerned" about this has openly admitted that, yes, they have consumed some media that technically legally they were not supposed to be exposed to at that inappropriate age, too, but "that's different". Usually this will be followed by some arguments about the abuse-themes in either piece of media.

And I am like: "Yeah, but that is actually a good thing, right? Both Hazbin and BG3 call out romantic/sexual abuse out as what it is. They show it as abusive and destructive. That is a good thing for teens to learn about." Because let me tell you one thing: No, the fact that I read 18+ Smut manga as a kid did not fuck me up. But you know what fucked me up? That back then a lot of those smut manga had stories that featured abusive/toxic relationships that were depicted as normal or even good. Because, yeah, to me when I was 14 it was indeed not quite comprehensible why my then bf doing the same stuff I read about in those manga made me feel bad. Took me into my 20s to realize what was going on there.

Sure, I kinda get what people are on about when it comes to "but what about grooming?" But... Like, most of the big fandom grooming things that happened where in kiddy-fandoms. Like, the cases I know about where in the fandoms of Pokémon and My little Pony. Because... Let's face it. The person going out of their way to groom a kid will more likely just go into one of those kid-friendly fandoms and find their victim there, than going for the teens in "adult fandoms".

I kinda feel like people are overthinking this. It is just something that happens and will always happen. Especially teens will take some interest in "adult" shows, movies and games. That always was like that and always will be like that. It was like that before the internet even, only that getting your hands at it got easier with the internet.

... Also, keep in mind that generally speaking, those age ratings are not exactly based on science, but instead mostly on moral outcry. Do I think that a 13yo will be able to comprehend the entire story of Angel Dust? Nope, probably not. And that is fine. Do I think that watching Hazbin, that is mostly rated the way it is because the characters cuss a lot, there are sexual themes and cartoony violence, will actually harm most 13yos? Nope, probably not.

Look, I do not feel comfortable with teens in most of my fandom spaces either. Especially those fandom spaces where the media deals with some adult topics. So, for the most part, I just do try to avoid interacting with them.

Just do the same. You will not be able to keep the teens out. Not by shaming them, and not by shaming their parents. And unless you want the parents to 24/7 watch their kids online (which you cannot want if you care about queer kids)... Just relax. If those kids really bother you, block and move on.

[icaruspendragon]

Please stop making spn posts just let it die please

here’s the thing- i will not be doing that.

you see, there’s so much shit in this world. the horrors. the terrors. all of it. they’re out there. and something that makes the horrors and the terrors and all the other shit a little easier for me to deal with is talking about a silly little fifteen year long collective fever dream. it’s one of the last vestiges of adolescence i have.

when i was being tossed about in the sea of my grief, it was spn that kept me from drowning. it was misha collins dubbing himself my nemesis and participating in the mishapocalypse 2.0 that gave me a distraction i needed so terribly in the early days of me trying to learn how to be an only child. he didn’t have to. he could have ignored the whole thing. but he didn’t. and that’s something so special to me i don’t think i’ll ever have the words to articulate the depths of my gratitude. because the first time i felt joy after my brother dying was at a supernatural convention. it was when i asked misha about the silly comment and he had a screenshot of it on his phone ready to show me to prove he had done it, that was the first time i realized that one day i wouldn’t feel so full of nothing i didn’t have room for anything else. it was the community i made there that showed up for me time and time and time again that made me realize i may be lonely, but i wasn’t alone. and that wasn’t the first time the community around that show had made me feel that. and I’m certain it won’t be the last.

the first time i ever encountered fandom in full force was in 2013. that’s a decade of my life. and it’s because i decided to watch supernatural. and it was in this fandom space that for the first time ever, i felt seen and heard and valued. for the first time in my life, i felt like i mattered. and my thoughts mattered. it wasn’t until i found fandom by way of spn that i realized i had value and worth. it was that show that gave me some of the best friends i could have ever asked for. it is because of the spn fandom that i have been given so many opportunities. that i have a way to make an actual difference.

and it has continued to do that for me. even ten years later. there are people who i didn’t know existed less than a year ago who i couldn’t imagine my life without now. people who have been to my home. people who have become my home. people i have flown across the country to see and people who have flown across the country to see me. people who are my family. and i met them because we share the same level of brain rot for a cw show that caused a great deal of damage to our psyches.

we get to curate our internet experience. we get to look at and talk about and post about what we want. and if someone posts something we don’t care for, we don’t have to look at it or engage with it or interact with it. we can scroll. we can block. we can ignore. we each get to carve out our own little space online. we get to build a little home. and my home is full of my love for a lot of things. for avatar: the last airbender and the hunger games and percy jackson and fandom and fanfic in general. my love for poetry and art and words. and yes, my love for a show that ended over two years ago that has haunted corners of the internet since 2005. i have a lot of love for a lot of things. so i talk about and post about the things that i love because i don’t ever want to look back and say, “my god, i should have loved more.” and i’m allowed to do that. because this is my space. i built it just for me.

this silly little show with it’s silly little characters is the one thing i have from Before that has remained unchanged. and even if that weren’t the case. even if i didn’t have all this sentimentality attached to it. even if it was never a lighthouse, a buoy for me. even if it was just something i casually enjoyed. i would still post about it. because it makes me happy. because i’m not hurting anyone by enjoying it. because it’s given me a little blip of light in a dark world. and you don’t have to consume it if you don’t want to. that’s the beauty of all of us living in different houses. we can visit who we want, when we want. and we don’t have to visit the houses we don’t to. how wonderful it is, that we are the gods of this small thing. we get to create and dismantle and create again. as many times as we want. because this is our space to do with what we want.

and i want to post about my love for all things, including hit cw show supernatural. and i can. so i will. because i’m the one living in this house. and no one is making you come visit.