#this is something i am confident in

[taylortruther]

different anon but I really don't think it's wrong or a reach to read that "kill" as possibly negative. that just makes the song more human to me, personally, but no one is obligated to read it that way and I wouldn't claim to know what Taylor intended by it...... I also think it's maybe specifically a better line because the kill could be positive or negative. if someone thinks the song is more meaningful if it's purely positive, which I see would be a cool contrast within Taylor's discography, that's fair, but I don't really see what the issue is with reading that line that way...... I sometimes think swiftie spaces suffer from being unable to decouple possible readings of songs from personal interpretations of Taylor. Finding some anxiety in So High School shouldn't be equivalent to dooming Taylor's current relationship but it sometimes feels like that. I don't mind people wanting to analyse Taylor herself through her songs (within reason) but we're not obligated to do it, in the same way gay interpretations of Taylor's music don't have to mean anything regarding her sexuality... what's the difference here?

i'm not resistant to that interpretation because i am afraid of "dooming" her relationship (my interpretations of hoax say hello), so please don't put words in my mouth. i'm resistant because it doesn't make sense to me given the tone of the song as a whole, which is basically: you make me feel light and free, and it is a little bittersweet because my life hasn't been that way, but this relationship is simple and loving and makes me feel out of my mind because i am so in love with you. it's taylor's "this kiss."

(eta: also, that anon is telling me to "admit" something so let's also keep in mind the conversation was probably not started in good faith)

[faetouchedfool]

i am so hard right now actually

[the-descolada]

That post going around is really depressing to read as someone working in childcare and education as a transfem (and I've been doing so for over a decade now). I don't doubt how scary and how much of a barrier there is for us getting into this field safely, it's fucking bad out there, but I also think that level of doom and gloom can put off a lot of trans women who dream of teaching, even if it will be hard.

Being a trans woman working in education is to hold a vital power that can and will change kids' lives. You will face stress, and fear, and even aggression, and I don't begrudge people to just say no, I can't handle that. But if it is something you care about enough, and you are in a position where you can have a measure of safety, it is so worth it, more than basically anything.

Kids will see you and ask questions. Those questions may be complicated, or uncomfortable, or uplifting, or any mix of that, but the end result is that those kids will walk away questioning what they've learned and what they've internalized at an early age when that is so much easier to turn curiosity into compassion. And that's just the probably cis kids - the kids who will see you and realize wait - this is a possibility for me, your existence resonating with theirs... There is a very real experience where you will see a kid even once or twice and your very presence and acting as a role model and being kind will permanently change the course of a kid's life for the better; it can be like giving kids the chance and knowledge so many of us wish we had growing up.

This obviously goes for any trans educator, not just trans women, and any questioning trans kid, not just trans women. The impact is immense; I've had first graders, mid elementary schoolers, even middle and high schoolers meet me and have their identities start to crystallize that week, and leave the camp on a firm path to realizing they're trans. It is incredibly fulfilling, and it's worth all the frustrating "are you a boy or a girl etc" questions.

[mari-lair]

Let's talk about Nene and how she find power in other people.

Nene gets overwhelmed easily and is very insecure, not just about her body but about her power, and smarts too.

When she thought Hanako may like her she wasn't sure about her judgement, but when Aoi who never even met hanako said 'oh yeah, he likes you~' she became far more confident.

Aoi must have been her reassurance for most of Nene's school life, so much so that when Aoi tells her "he might confess to you in the confession tree <3" Nene acts like that's the truth and spend the rest of the chapter giggily waiting for it.

She is right that Hanako have a crush on her, but when he start hiding behind excuses, she believes it right away. She never consider that his excuses and his feelings can both be true, she trust what he says more than her own judgement

When she started getting involved with the supernatural she start getting more and more doubts about herself. Her issues growing from the simple 'do they find me cute? can i get a boyfriend?' to questions about what is right and how much power she have.

She have a crisis when she learns Hanako used to be a living student, with a real life, who killed a real person. She become so helpless by this realization that she can't look at him in the eye.

Reality is so overwhelming, that she keep running away from Hanako.

There is no "Hanako is my friend anyways! His life doesn't matter what matter is the now!! Let's gooo!!" self talk in the garden. She want to hide. To give up.

Kou is the one that come to her side and reassure Nene that her feelings are valid, that not knowing what to is alright. That there is nothing wrong with being overwhelmed and doing all you can do, even when 'all you can do' isn't much.

They find strenght in each other.

Throught the entire manga Kou is there to cheer Nene up or to back up her plans. They are in this together.

Break the fake world? Rescue Hanako? Go to the Red House cause a kid is crying?? That's a Nene and Kou plan. That's their team effort. They got each other's back! They can do it!

Even when the idea isn't that good, Kou constantly cheer her, rewarding Nene for trying instead of giving up.

Most of the time Hanako is with Kou cheering her up, albeit not as upfront, being his indirect and 'haha just kidding i would die if i was vulnerable!' self.

Regardless, Nene got support through every step of this new and scary supernatural world!

Or at least... most of the time. Let's go over the instances where times were tough and Nene didn't have Kou and Hanako by her side. The times when she become her most vulnerable and insecure. She ceases to be "Your overwhelming grass type and beloved heroine Yashiro Nene!" and becomes Nene, the insecure high school girl.

When she learned about her death she was lost and confused, she didn't try to imply she could conquer death, she couldn't do anythnig, so she asked for guidance.

When she was given no real answer, just cryptic orders to stay in her caje forever cause hanako will 'solve everything', Nene was even more lost. And she was alone. No one to talk to in her time of need, no one to cheer her up.

We have no panels of her trying to break her window of wiggle between her caje bars because she isn't determined, she was devastated. So she cried and cried and tried to comfort herself

ONLY AFTER who knows how many doodles and time to process her feelings does her hopelessness turn into anger for Hanako and determination to change her situation.

She only fully enter "I will fight this! I can do it!! I won't do what Hanako want!!" mode after Mei visits her with a friendly dispossition and comforts her, giving her sweets to soothe her heart and give her energy.

Nene say her tears are false here, a mere ploy to make Mei lower her guard!! But it is rotted in real sadness.

The fire she gained after doodling her friends in the real world only spread into an inferno of determination when she is told she is deeply loved, that Hanako would sacrifice everything for her sake. That love is why this was made in the first place.

This world want to protect her, not kill her. Her hapiness is cheerished. And she isn't happy. She haven't loss the real world yet, she can still change things.

She was already determined to change things, but she doubles down on it, she gain more confidence and becomes bolder. She will kick and scream and try her best to win! Is amazing. She is sweating but she know what she is doing is right so she will do it!!

Throught the manga, as the time passes she start to stand up for herself more, she tries harder, she takes any opportunity she can to do something and believe in herself. She stop seeking superficial attention to feel worth.

Take her play of Oz for exemple, she want to be dorothy, the big role that is worthy of a beautiful dress and all the spotlight! Despite all her development and traumas she still cares that she was given a unimpressed role, that she 'isn't worthy' of the main role

But instead of being unable to focus on anything else except how bad her role is and how uncute it makes her, as the Nene from the start of the manga would, she get the strenght to move pass it and have fun, keeping her head high because she won't be alone.

Hanako will be there for her.

Hanako is one of her biggest strenghts, and when he is gone she is hit hard.

Her first instinct is to seek someone to talk too.

And when she can't, she falls. There is nothing she can do, her friends are already dead, and just like her own death, she doesn't know how to solve it.

Even when she feels better, going out to the arcade instead of being trapped alone in her room, the moment she remembers that she can't talk to her friends, that they are gone, she relapses again, sapped of all of her strenght.

She is 15, she can't handle this.

Her major sorces of comfort is still her close friends, which is normal, but she does gain strenght from other people.

Enters Teru and Akane.

Akane is one of the characters that push her to act when things are at their most hopeless, but unlike Kou and Aoi he isn't her cheerleader, he never coddles her. If she ask for reassurance that she is beautiful, or useful, or doing the right thing, he will either not give her that or straight up say "I dissagree".

Akane is not a source of hope for Nene, his belief in her is not nearly as strong as Kous or Hanako or Aoi's belief in her. Just as Nene's believe in herself isn't very strong in hopeless situations.

He never sugarcoats tragedy, in fact he consistently drag her back to how bleak things are. Ignore the arcade, don't distract yourself: Face reality.

He is open about his misery.

It mostly feel like he is processing his own feelings when he rants to Nene, but the end message is clear "I hate this, i want to try to change it. You want to, don't you?" which is exactly how Nene feels.

They are hopeless but they're not alone in this hopelessness. Despite Nene never working up with Akane during the rescue arc. This served as a reality check, which serves to process her feelings better.

Reality does sucks, there is no clear solution, she is unhappy, she does want to change things, she hates crying and being helpless while her friends are dead/suffering. So she eat a sugary sweet to comfort herself and she chin up.

Akane never says "you can do it, you are stronger than you think!" he sucks at comforting, I love him but oh god he sucks. But the message he gives her is till important "You have to do it." "You have to try anyways or you'll stay helpless."

Teru is the savior, Nene already idolized him from the start, but he is the one that showed them a way to rescue Aoi too. He is amazing. He can do the impossible!

Now let's jump to the new timeline.

Kou, her buddy, her biggest cheerleader, doesn't know her. It hit hards and she was so so happy to have him back!!

But just as quickly as she gets to see her buddy, Kou is gone, this is just a shell trying to lure her to death, the real one is dead at the bottom of a wheel.

She doesn't have the time to process that, because Hanako, her big source of comfort, doesn't exist. Amane, who she had watched be brutally slashed by Teru, have been possessed and wants to kill her and all her friends instead of protecting her.

Teru, this invincible guy (Nene wasn't present when No.6 took Teru down, so for her he is unbeatable) that made saving Aoi possible, is the first one down.

Everyone is doing what they can, so Nene does too, she want to help her friends, she can't let them be in danger! While Aoi takes charge, she doesn't allow herself to be too shocked and focus on destroying the tentacle attacking Akane.

But she is still terrified.

The last thing she want to do is to be alone. But she have too. Once more, Akane doesn't sugarcoat the situation, he says "This reality, it sucks, and if you want to change it, you have to act! Go!"

But this time he is left behind too. Nene is completely and utterly alone.

She has the weight of the world on her shoulders as she run through the city for who knows how long, but she is terrified and she doesn't have Akane to be terrified with her, just the weight of his words and the faint hope that they'll meet her in the big clock to keep her going.

She is doing something so so big, she need to talk to someone first, she need strenght. She need people.

So she seek them. And no one answers.

She crumbles, she becomes small. There is no heroine to be seem, just a teen girl in shambles after losing every. single. person that used to give her strenght.

That's why Tsuchigomori was needed.

Let her cry. Let her process the situation with a comforting sweet to gather the strenght to do what she must.

[haliaiii]

Full future Maya design plus Tatsuya and Jun

[llemon-soda]

ruining his tough guy persona....

[zukosbangtan]

girl zuko as the blue spirit was seriously such a FORCE man...like no bending no honor just a mask his two swords and a dream like i don't think some of yall get just how crazy he was omggg.. like while he has always been a good firebender i feel like if he would've tried to capture the avatar as the blue spirit right from the beginning the series would've ended after like 3 episodes already with them on their way back to the fire nation together omg thank God he wasn't really thinking things through yet back then 💔💔

[wardensantoineandevka]

Yeah, I think at the end of it. I get, understand, and agree that the narrative moment we're at is "Bells Hells, feeling they don't have the resources to fight Ludinus a second time today and still uncertain about the central question of what is to be done about the gods in Exandria, move toward Predathos in an attempt to control a situation they feel is inevitable. Imogen feels she has to make the choice to accept it into herself because Predathos is still moving toward her and the Ruidusborn, tragically boxing her into this because she feels she has no other meaningful choices." Great, amazing, I totally understand this, and it is a natural beat and one that coheres as a culmination of the campaign. It's actually a pretty great beat in summary.

The frustrating thing ultimately feels to be the execution, because it constantly feels like the story is meandering from beat to beat after an incredibly long series of meanderings over the course of the campaign. It's ultimately fine the characters feel uncertain, but the storytelling itself feels uncertain as well about what it is doing and that is less fine. Every decision is made with a sort of timid "I suppose that's the thing to do, I don't really know" at the table level without a very clear sense of what they're moving toward narratively, and that's really more of the problem. It's undercutting what is otherwise a really great direction.

Decisions don't feel like they have teeth because the storytelling is so hesitant about whether it's the right direction to take, so the needed feeling of stakes, inevitability, tragedy, suffocating circumstance don't exist in the way they should to give what's happening the needed sense of clarity. It feels like we're all moving through a bog in a not fun way because the story itself isn't sure what it's moving toward even in a sense of vibes or structurally. moving confidently and toward a tragedy in a sense of trapping the characters and cornering them would've done wonders, but instead it kinda has the feeling of trying to unroll a carpet dramatically and it just kinda slowly stops. Like, it's a slow drift down a lazy river instead of feeling dragged out with the tide.

It is a really great beat to have Imogen accepting Predathos because she feels she doesn't have any other choice in the series of pressures occurring right now. But, the pressure doesn't really feel like it exists because it all feels disconnected from the moment or too gently / abstractly applied or too slow to be framed, and the inevitability aspect doesn't feel like it's quite standing because narrative inevitability comes from momentum and strong storytelling intent and purpose, and it's never felt like this campaign has had that. The storytelling is hesitant and uncertain, so the tragedy doesn't quite come through on experience of the moment, even when it does come through in summary.

And that's more the frustrating thing. It's a good beat executed a little too uncertainly. The choice itself for the character is a good one, but it — like much of the campaign — feels like it lacks a storyteller trust in the narrative or trust in the choice itself to make it really feel satisfying as an execution. I genuinely wonder if that's ultimately what I'm bouncing off of, the fact that it doesn't feel like the table is trusting in the narrative or trusting the choices they're making for the story or trusting in themselves and each other to carry through the story they’re telling, so the intentionality and purpose feel off and it's stripping a great beat of its power by making it feel hesitant at a narrative mechanics level.

[elkkiel]

Sleeptober day 3 – Hypnotize

bro is mesmerized fr

[theoldworldsrunnerup]

@deathnotetober day three: task force

Redraw of this:

This is. Technically not finished but I am so sick of looking at this so I’m giving up and posting it

[evilfarmin]

"me": shen jiu we're gonna get you some friends on god.

shen jiu: don't want 'em!!!

Coda 𝄌: alternative icebreakers:

Shen Jiu and Wen Kexing manifesto VvVvV they don't even both like fans.

the THING. is that wkx is charismatic in a way that sj is not. Shen Yuan is charismatic. wkx is charismatic. we can see him charming uh zhao jing and the rest of the five lakes alliance. he has his off-putting swagger sure but he also. cannn....play pretty nice and cool and human if it serves him. and shen jiu, when he is feeling unsafe and ill at ease, cannot. he does not have that skill. (he could have a different charisma probably but he just doesn't seem to want to. We have no idea what shen jiu wants he's a black box. he doesn't "like" "anything")

but does he like fans?

Shen Jiu is a fan of the fans as a signifier of class and dignity and he can hide behind them. They might make him look like a whore but that's better than looking like an immature rage filled little at least whores are good people. Shen Jiu likes fans for their aesthetic value primarily. He would hold the fan if it wasn't a weapon. For Shen Jiu it issss like a security blanket.

Wen Kexing, on the other hand, couldn't care less truly. He likes the fan because it is a socially acceptable hidden weapon to wave around, but he'd stab someone with a chopstick. or a recorder. Wen Kexing likes the fan because he can impress his crush with all the cool fan tricks he knows (around the world, anyone?) Petition to get this man a butterfly knife.

For Shen Jiu, the fan is a personal identity thing. The fan is the one accessory that has never betrayed him. For Wen Kexing, this is a stim toy he could kill someone with. It is personal for Shen Jiu in a way that it is not for Wen Kexing.

[bee-menagerie]

New baby!

Her name is Quimby!!

This is her 5th day with us, and these little babies just warm up to you so fast, don't they? 😭💕

I was expecting this to take much longer, but I guess she's young enough that she only needs a few good experiences to gain her trust.

She's got 3 siblings from a different clutch arriving in a week or two, as well [different parents, same breeder] --so I am hoping that observing Quimby's trust will warm them up to us just as quickly, too.

We wanted to gain a proper flock, since Wilbur lost Orville and I don't want him to be a lone budgie for much longer. Now that our work on Woven is done, we finally have the time to properly dedicate to them♡ So it seemed like the right time to do it.

They'll all have Sean's office [and free roam of it during the day while he's there working], while Milly gets to enjoy me and my office as it's sole ruler[tyrannical].

[obligatory: that's her quarantine cage, which also allows easy travel to and from the vet. She's got a whole 4 foot flight cage on the way to us that she'll be sharing with one other female (the males get their own separate flight cage because I aaaaaiiiin't breeding my birds)]

[gatoburr0]

[royalarchivist]

[A sad violin song plays over an image of a sad hamster]

Pac: This doesn't have anything to do with me – I wear a blue sweatshirt, you're crazy, this mouse doesn't even have a sweatshirt, this hamster! [Reading chat] Am I a depressed hamster?

[ Transcript continued ↓ ]*

–

Pac: Actually– that's fine! I embrace that idea – of course I'm going to be depressed, are you crazy? [He hits his desk, then starts counting off people on his fingers] Fit is gone, Richarlyson is gone, Ramon is gone, Bagi and Empanada who were always there when we were there are also gone, I haven't seen them! It's just me and Tubbo, and sometimes Philza shows up.

Pac: I lost Chume Labs, I lost the Favela, I lost Murder Mystery, I lost Ilha Chume Labs, it's crazy! Look at how much I've lost, and I've gained nothing! Of course I'm going to be depressed, are you crazy?! How am I supposed to be happy?!

Pac: [Reading chat] "You have us Pac," that's true, thank you. No, that's true, sorry.

* NOTE: Please note that this is an incomplete transcript, as I was primarily relying on Aypierre's translation mod at the time and if I am not confident of the translation, I do not include it. As always, please feel free to add on translations or message me corrections.

[front-facing-pokemon]

[uncanny-tranny]

So, so many queer people, I've noticed, can put themselves in precarious situations wherein they feel accepted by people and the queer person would do anything for those who accept them, even if it is harmful to them, even if it is scary. It feels like you are indebted to those who accept you because you know that isn't the case for every person you meet. To so many queer people, they are afraid to upset others who accept them (or "accept" them) because they are so scared of rejection. This is completely human and completely normal. But that doesn't mean you deserve to be taken advantage of. You deserve to be treated as an equal because you inherently are an equal - to everybody.

Please know that the people who truly, truly respect and care for you will understand when you can't do everything. They will still respect you, because you are a human being. Saying "no" is neutral at worst. You deserve to honour yourself, too.