#this also might be slightly tmi but w/e

[wcdonaldo]

anyway I think I've solved the riddle

it seems the answer i've landed on for the cause of my current mental state can be summed up as "I'm not presenting my gender the way I want to and I'm not interacting with enough trans people IRL"

which are two problems that, while not entirely unrelated, have very different solutions

the first problem is relatively easy to solve, though kind of expensive (and made more difficult due to my body type). simply put i need to find more femme ways to dress casually so that i don't feel as gross. part of me wants to dye my hair a little, though I think step one before I go there is to figure out a new hairstyle - I usually just part it in the middle (where it parts very easily but the hair gets kinda thin there) and then loosely tie it back, and then use leave-in conditioner to make sure the hair stays down near my ears. here's a picture as an example, though the hair's kinda messy cause I'm laying in bed at the end of the day

aside from hair (which I'll work on but am probably gonna have to sort out with a hair stylist) i have to figure out two other major concerns with my appearance, which are the red blotches on my face and my clothes. the red blotches are either acne or rosacea (though I'm kinda young for rosacea) but tbqh I need to see a dermatologist about it. again if anybody knows any trans-friendly dermatologists in the chicago area I'd jump at the chance, but it's not priority until i can get that sorted because it's not something I can handle or even diagnose without medical help or knowledge. I kinda want to learn a little more about makeup to help hide it, but even then I want to see if I can reduce the symptoms a bit first.

clothing wise is where gender presentation runs into some money and anxiety issues because what it boils down to is that I actually rather like the stereotypical "programmer socks" and own a couple pairs, but they 1. don't stay up unless I use fashion glue due to my fat thighs and 2. get nervous at the notion of wearing them in public or even around my apartment. i have two roommates, one of whom i would be upset if he called me cringe for wearing these in my mid-20s (the other roommate i do not particularly care for their opinion, he regularly seems to "forget" I'm a girl), so i think i might pull him aside and talk to him tomorrow to tell him not to judge me openly. even then there's a lot of anxiety about wearing it in public, or even other thigh high socks, though that can be hopefully changed if I start hanging out with crowds that also dress that way. aside from that my other issue is frankly that I don't have any outfits to wear socks or tights with; I have one dress that they might maybe work with, but even then I don't have anything short enough that I can casually throw it on without covering the top of the socks (they go up really high, like almost all the way to the corners of the crotch. they might actually be a little too tall but idk enough to say). i don't even know where i would start looking, considering that whatever I'd find would have to have at least like a 46" inch waist. to be honest ultimate goals would be wearing an outfit like that with a hoodie or a sweater? neither of which i own (more money...) but that can be fixed. I don't know what else i'd wear as a top and again I'm not suuuuuper sure where to start looking, but i think the hoodie would be a step in the right direction.

and to be clear here the clothing thing is entirely me just aping the way I see other trans girls dress online, and while i like the way it looks and understand the general style I've never quite understood any decisions that went into it aside from "it looks good"-- the biggest mystery of my life has been watching other trans women give clothing advice and always talking about "framing the shoulders," which is a phrase on par with wizardry to me. i simply have no idea what that means and it's never really been explained to me in a way that makes sense. all i really know is that the way I've dressed since I transitioned has mostly mirrored the way I dressed before I transitioned. this picture of me where I felt relatively confident looks like a somewhat more femme version of the way I dressed in high school and freshman year college

this is more or less how I've dressed all my life, except before this year I didn't own any camisoles at all and all my bras were sports bras (for convenience) so i just had whatever shitty tshirt I could find with kinda small breasts. it's very casual and practical and doesn't deviate a whole lot from what i already know, but what i already know isn't good enough. it doesnt feel right when I look in the mirror, it doesn't make my heart race. it makes me feel allergic to my own clothing. in summary i need to change or die trying, which hopefully can be done on a budget and with some help from some friends

the other major issue, frankly, is the same as always - i need to surround myself with people a little more like me. going to support groups hasn't really panned out, and has involved me meeting other trans people that I would define as "normie" - not to mention the one time I went down to boystown and took a breather in the center on halsted, and the security guard there gave me the stinkeye the entire time. i really don't like the word "normie" but frankly it's the word in my vocabulary that fits the best - these were people who I would define as my brothers, sisters, and siblings, and yet we shared no other commonalities, no interests at all. people where aside from being trans, felt like they were entirely culturally different than me. this issue is a hell of a lot harder to solve than buying clothes (though it ties into relieving the anxiety of how I dress in public by having other people who dress similarly) and frankly i'm not sure where to even start on trying to solve this one. i'm planning on taking chances on anime conventions and hoping to find other people there, but who knows what luck I'll have with that; i've made maybe two friends that i actively talk to since high school, and my social skills have kind of atrophied as a result. it helps to have other people along to push me into social situations, but i can't always have people i know there (especially since everybody i know who'd be willing to go with is eternally busy).

I think some of this also ties into trust issues in my romantic life (implying that I have one) and general feelings of loneliness, but logically I think before I can really handle being in any kind of relationship I need to get myself in a mental state where I can actually believe that somebody would feel something for me other than revulsion or mild annoyance

so yeah I think that sorts out my issues, and maybe (hopefully) gives me a place to start getting shit figured out again, and get to a better mental state. thank y'all for not unfollowing me during my monthlong mental breakdown lmao. maybe i'll email this post to my therapist

[theshinsun]

A-Z for honesty hour because I'm an asshole. :D

A - If I’m in love.

...yes. I never thought I would be again, I thought I’d been too hurt and jaded to feel this way again, but against all odds, I’m back to being 17 in full force.

B - Who the last person I talked to on the phone was.

The only one who ever calls me is my mother. And customers at work.

C - How long it’s been since I’ve kissed.

damn, almost a year now… not since my last relationship ended back in October-ish. even then, it was mostly casual pecks idk if we ever seriously made out tbh.

D - If I have a preference for boys or girls.

already answered (twice) but I'll keep going… I've got a definite preference of guys over girls, but I'm also a bi disaster and sometimes it doesn't make a lot of sense why this person is instantly attractive to me while that person isn't. certain aspects of femininity do appeal to me, but weirdly other aspects seem to be a turn-off and I can't always put my finger on what or why. ...that caveat does not apply to masculinity though, even if it's traditionally "masculine" features on a feminine-presenting individual I am 100% down every time.

E - How many holes I have in my ears.

two and a half? I got a third piercing at some point halfway up the lobe but it got infected and scarred over I think. the holes I do have are also stretched (I'm up to 0G now) and I've been meaning to get some more.

F - Give me any options, like ‘hot or cold?’

wasn't given any options, so I guess I'll go with hot or cold lol. I prefer hot, I'm one of those weirdos who loves summer because of the heat and I'll usually take a hot food/drink over a cold one.

G - The last person I said ‘I love you’ to.

my mom, over the phone just now.

H - The last person I hugged.

my roommate. we're not always super touchy-feely with each other but I've been feeling kind of down and she noticed.

I - The last time I felt jealous, and why.

I'm not usually a very jealous person, but the last time I really felt that way… I'd recently broken up with my ex, and they were sitting on someone else's lap and I… felt things. part of the reason I realized I may have made a mistake.

J - Are you insecure. What about?

K - What my full name is

already answered, my first and middle are Jacob Brooks, I'm not putting my last name out there sorry I don't trust like that.

L - If I have siblings.

already answered, I've got two, an older brother and a younger sister.

M - If I forgive betrayal.

I mean, I forgive but I don't forget, ya know? like I'll accept an apology if it's sincere and welcome the person back and never bring it up again, but I'm probably gonna be cautious around them in the future, and not trust them as readily as I would have before.  

N - If you want to know how I treat my friends.

if I call someone my friend it means I really feel close with them, and I treat my friends basically like my family. I try to always be honest and supportive of them, bc I love and appreciate them and just want them to be happy. 

O - If I like my school.

I love my school. the campus is beautiful, the teachers are fantastic, and I just love being there and learning and growing in my classes. I'm really sad this semester is probably going to be mostly online because I really feel like I belong in those studios and on that campus and I miss it.

P - What kind of music I like.

already answered, and it mostly boiled down to all over the fuckin place, so this time… band recommendations, here we go. no you have no say in this.

here, have a clump of random favorite bands off the top of my head: mother mother, bad suns, nothing but thieves, hozier, shearwater, the neighbourhood, steam powered giraffe, rainbow kitten surprise, the oh hellos, gregory alan isakov, caravan palace, mystery skulls, khai dreams, autoheart, muse, silversun pickups, thousand foot krutch, two door cinema club, twenty one pilots, blue october, jukebox the ghost

Q - What the last party I went to was, and when the next will be.

I'm not a partier at All, but I did have a bunch of friends over for the 4th (okay I say a bunch but it was like four people from our usual less-socially distant circle). I have no idea when the next get-together will be, it's kinda hard to plan those kinds of things lately.

R - For me to tell 10 of my curiosities.

the phrasing of this question is weird but I'm gonna assume it means things I'm curious about? let's go with that.

travel. I haven't ever been out of the country and I'd like to see other parts of the world at least at some point in my life.

tattoos. both getting them and learning to do them, it's a niche branch of art that I'm just fascinated by and I might like to do it as a career if I knew more about it.

same thing with being a florist. I'm really drawn to it as a concept and I'm super curious how it works, but I have no idea what kind of… qualifications and whatnot I'd need for that.

 surfing. I'm surrounded by the lifestyle and now kind of own a surfboard, I just want to know what the appeal is.

this may be a bit tmi, but I'm really curious what it's like to have a dick. I don't suppose I'll strictly ever know, but I still really want to… probably one of the biggest things to clue me in that I'm definitely trans is the literal penis envy ngl. 

I've always kind of had a fascination with the ocean, and I'd love to go like, scuba diving or something someday, to see it up close and personal.

I think everyone has the impulse thought of shaving their head at some point. maybe someday I will I don't quite have the balls to do it now.

I've gone this long in my life and never wielded a sword? a travesty. I don't pretend to have the grace to actually know how to use one, but I've like, never even held a real one and the idea interests me a lot.

this one might be slightly morbid curiosity, but I don't think I've ever been like, properly drunk or high before, like I've been tipsy but I've never been wasted, you know? the idea kind of scares me and I don't think I'm going to go out and remedy it, but it's still there, and even if I know it's not a good idea, I do still wonder what that's like.

same vein, maybe even a little darker, but I've got at least a little morbid curiosity about like, death and real danger. again, not planning to act on it At All, but the thought is still lurking in the back of my mind like what if…? you asked for honesty.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

S - 2 habits.

bit of a new habit, but I have a whole ritual of disinfecting groceries when I bring them home, and then disinfecting the door knobs and counters. I don't know if it'll persist after the pandemic is over, but it's already ingrained in me and I don't feel comfortable if I skip it or do  it differently.

I apologize for things that aren't my fault. it's such an instinct at this point to say "sorry" when I'm uncomfortable or anxious that it doesn't even register anymore, even when people tell me not to be sorry, I'm still gonna say it, sorry.

T - 5 things I love unconditionally.

already answered so here's 5 more

my family. if I haven't got my family I haven't got anything, we've got each others' backs and I won't turn on them for anything

my friends. same deal, I owe so much to my friends, I love them, and that won't change no matter what they decide to do or be.

sleep. I love sleep so much, even if it's just an involuntary nap, though for someone who loves it so much I sure don't get enough of it

spotify. I know it has problems, I know there are probably more streamlined/cheaper music streaming services out there, but at this point, I've sunk too much of my time and energy into this one and I'll never give it up

my ocs. I don't talk about them very much on this platform, but I have them, they're my children, and I love them even if they're assholes and never easy to write/draw. 

U - How many texts I send daily.

already answered, the number varies, and sometimes swings drastically between like, 5 and 35 on any given day.

V - 3 big dreams.

graduate art school. it's gonna be a serious undertaking and probably take several more years and a lot of loans at this point, but I'm still determined to get there someday.

someday I want to write a book. I know I've said that before on a different prompt, but it wouldn't be a list of dreams without including this one that I've held onto since childhood. 

this one's kind of vague, but someday… I want to not be afraid anymore. like I want to finally be in a state of mental/financial security so I can live my life without the fear of what's coming next. 

W - An idol.

it's probably really basic to list a youtuber, but I've still gotta go with Chase Ross. the guy was an inspiration and a major source of information and support for me early-on in my transition, and even watching him now I still want to approach life with the pure positive energy and confidence that he has. 

X - If I’ve done something I regret very much.

yes. a couple things, really… some of which I don't think I'll ever be able to make up for.

Y - If I like my town and why.

my current town? yeah, it's got its problems but it's also beautiful and full of life and art and unique energy and I miss the days before the Corona End Times when I could actually go out and enjoy it.

Z - Ask any question you want.

??? I did not receive any specification for this one, and given that I didn't skip even the duplicate answers and this is ridiculously long, this one I'm gonna SKIP.