#was debating with myself if I should post this today (or at all) and yes. take it now. the seven fat cows are now screw the lean cows

[arttsuka]

Caption here

[swordsandholly]

Steel Magnolia

Part 1 - paused

Simon “Ghost” Riley x fem!plus size!reader

No use of y/n

Rating: Mature/MDNI

Word Count: 2.1k

Author’s Note: I just recently got back into fandom spaces and reading fanfic again and looooove the uptick in fat Y/N characters. Ofc as a big girl myself I wanted to try my hand at writing one too.

Hopefully I’ll post this on AO3 soon. Whenever I get my invite so I can make an acc.

“Oh! Darlin’, did ya see those boys next door?” Mrs. Duprey gasps as you swipe the last of her Bubble Bath OPI polish across her fingers.

“Next door?” You cock an eyebrow. “No one’s been next door since Adam and Eve.”

“I saw them on the way in!” She grins, the corners of her eyes wrinkling pleasantly. “Strappin’ young men - y’should talk t’ ‘em.”

You roll your eyes. “I’m sure I will sooner or later, ma’am.”

“You’ve been single too long.” The nosey old bat contributes. As much as you love her she truly cannot leave well enough alone.

“And I’m perfectly content as such.” You give her your warmest smile.

The trailer home across from you has remained empty for as long as you can remember. It’s well kept - sometimes you see random gardeners mowing or going in an out with tool bags - but no one lives there permanently. You’d think in a beach town it would at least belong to some snowbirds. A timeshare, maybe. It’s none of those things, though. Just a well-maintained, perfectly empty husk.

There’s a metaphor in there somewhere, probably.

Sure enough, as you walk Mrs. Duprey out of your little single wide trailer, you spot a black SUV parked out front of the neighboring double wide. One that is definitely *not* a repair man or worker’s vehicle. She coos at you to make sure to talk to them before waddling off to her own car. She really shouldn’t be driving at her age. You wonder briefly - futilly- if she’d sell you her car in exchange for rides.

You suppose she’s right - even if it is for the wrong reasons. You’re not particularly interested in flirting with the new neighbors. After all, don’t fuck where you eat is a saying for a reason, but it wouldn’t exactly be neighborly to not introduce yourself. Especially with all the people coming and going from your home for your nail tech services. The old Yankee’s catty-cornered from you still believe that you're a drug dealer. At least they only come down for a couple months of the year.

Despite your staunch decision not to flirt, you still find yourself adjusting your clothes. Maybe the sports bra as a top is a bit much…

Fuck it. If they live here now they’ll see you in worse.

You fix your lipstick and throw on your platform sandals. The ones that clip-clop as you walk. Maybe it will help announce your presence.

The screen door wraps quietly as you knock. You take two steps back on the front, wooden porch so as not to come off too aggressively. As the seconds tick by you debate on knocking again. Maybe they’re out. Or busy. They did just move in today, most likely. Maybe you should-

The door creaks slightly as it opens. A very, painfully handsome man pushes the screen door until it clicks in place. “Afternoon, lassie.”

You blink stupidly as he crosses his strong arms and leans on the doorframe. His eyes are a striking shade of blue - somehow both sharp and soft. His dark hair is shaped into a slightly grown-out, un-styled mohawk. It fits him oddly enough.

“I, uh,” you take a deep breath. Christ you need to get laid if just *looking* at a hot guy has you this off kilter. “I live across the way. Just wanted t’ say welcome t’ tha neighborhood.”

That lopsided smile on his face grows into a grin. You don’t miss the way his eyes catch on your chest. “Aye? Nice tae meet ye. Names John MacTavish. M’friends call me Johnny.”

He gives your hand an extra little squeeze after shaking it. That accent might as well have you on the floor. You continue to blink dumbly, watching the at the scar on his chin stretches as he speaks.

Christ almighty, you’re pathetic.

“Nice to meet’ya.” You give him a warm smile, tilting your head to the side slightly. “Ya’ll here for vacation? We don’t get many Europeans ‘round here.”

He chuckles. It’s low and rumbling and would probably feel wonderful with your ear pressed to his chest. “Little bit o’ business, little bit o’ pleasure. This an’ tha’.”

“Hello, there.” Another man pops up from behind Johnny suddenly. Fucking hell, he’s gorgeous too. Older, for sure, with a uniquely cut beard that would probably look rather silly on anyone less handsome. At it stands, he manages to make it appear dignified.

“Ah, jus’ about tae call fer ye, Cap. This is our neighbor.” Johnny gestures toward you.

“John Price.” The man steps forward to shake your hand. It’s firm and professional and thank god your grandad made you practice a good handshake as a kid or you’d be painfully embarrassed.

“Are all UK men named John or is this just some sorta cult?” You blurt, unable to stop yourself from snickering at them.

Older John chuckles at you fondly, his facial hair giving him a pleasant U-shaped smile. “Be easier to remember that way, wouldn’t it? No, we’re with two others. Kyle and Simon. They’re out at the moment.”

“Kyle and Simon.” You repeat, nodding. Johnny, John, Kyle, Simon. “Are y’all in town long?��

“Indefinitely.” Is all Price gives you. It’s a tone that even someone as dense as you can recognize as ‘don’t ask more.’

You clap your hands together and smile a little wider, ready to make your exit. “Well, I’m not here t’be a bother, just wanted t’ welcome ya and, uh, let y’know that I have a lot of people over throughout the day - I’m a nail tech. They shouldn’t bother ya but y’know.”

“Ye can come bother us anytime, bonnie.” The Scot hits you with that grin again and your face suddenly feels far too hot.

A loud, whining screech sounds off from down the road. You check your watch. Holy shit, three-thirty already. You begin to back off the porch. “Ah, nice t’ meet ya again! See ya ’round!”

As you jog down the little dirt road of the trailer park another black car passes you. It’s smaller, a sedan. You make very brief eye contact with a blonde wearing a surgical mask and another man with the sharpest golden eyes you’ve ever seen - even through the tint of the window.

*Kyle and Simon,* you think.

You make a mental note to greet them at some point and continue down the street. The school bus slowly stops at the entrance and you take up your spot in the small crowd of parents. IT’s a shabby old bus - chipping paint and break pads that sounds like they’re about ready to snap. It’s all they’re willing to send out to your little section of the city, though.

Shelby meanders over in your direction, her usual Camel Crush lit up in one hand and the other teasing her already well-lifted hair. “Afternoon. Saw there was some new folks across from ya.”

“Hm?” You keep your eyes on the bus. “Ah, yeah. Just vacationers, I think.”

“Lookers, though.” She chuckles.

“They’re from the UK.” You offer.

“No shit!” Shelby stamps out her cigarette as the bus doors open. “Accent and all?”

“Yep.” You grin.

Shelby tsks and fiddles with her hair again. “I best go over an’ make myself known, then.”

“There’s an older fella with a neat beard. Think you’d like ‘em.” You snicker.

She hums. “I’ll bring a pie.”

The children practically burst out of the bus doors, as always. Ready to be home and shuck off their backpacks to their respective adult. Shelby’s son almost knocks her over, offering a little “Good afternoon, ma’am!” to you before heading off with his mother.

You nod to him, shoving a hand in your pocket as you wait for yours. She’s always the last. Always caught up in a book or something and doesn’t realize it’s time to get off of the bus. Sure enough, the driver has to call back to her before the little girl comes dashing out. She jumps off of the bus steps, despite being told time and time again not to, and kicks a rock on her way toward you.

You bow low for her. “Welcome home, Lady Sophie.”

She giggles, dark curls bouncing as she skips over. “Ni-ni!”

You take her bag from her. The thing really does dwarf the poor six year old. Her hand slips into yours easily. Soft and round and somehow always so much warmer than yours.

“My nail color chipped!” She announces, holding up her ring finger on the opposite hand.

“Oh! Now we can’t have that. I’ll fix it tonight.” You smile, waving at old Mr.Chester as the two of you pass.

“Well now!” He calls. “How blessed am I to see two such lovely ladies!”

You both giggle, continuing on your way. He’s a good landlord - spotted you more than a few times when Sophie was a baby and you couldn’t work consistently. Honestly, as you look around, the little community that he’s managed to build in this shitty corner of the world should be praised. Housing just enough snowbirds to cover his property costs while keeping rent low for the full time locals. Maybe you could convince Natalie at the paper to run a little story on it or something.

As you pull up to your own home, the blonde man is outside leaning on the front of their double wide. Seeing him standing at full height makes your blood run cold. The man is built like a damn barn - tall and wide. Beyond solid. *Brick shithouse*. It’s a bit weird that he’s covered in clothing head to toe but whatever. Weirder things have happened before. The mask still covers his face, you wonder if he had taken it off before you came up or just flipped it up to smoke.

“Sophie, head on in. I’ll catch up.” You push her toward the door. She scampers in, the screen door slamming behind her as you march up to the brick shithouse of a man in front of you.

“Which are ya? Kyle or Simon?” You smile, holding out your hand to shake.

Dark eyes rake over you, stopping briefly on your hand, before moving back to meet yours. He stomps out the half smoked cigarette. “Simon.”

You let your hand drop. Bit rude, this one. “Nice t meetcha.”

The other man pops his head out of the trailer. Kyle, you assume. “Oh. Hello.”

“Hi.” You smile as warmly as you can, giving your name. “I’m assumin’ yer Kyle.”

“Yeah.” He chuckles. “I’m guessing you’re the neighbor Price mentioned.”

You nod, about to speak again but Simon shoves past you, marching his way up the steps. “Let’s go.” He grunts, pushing the other man back into the trailer despite his protests.

You wrinkle your nose at him. What an asshole.

“Who’s tha’?” Sophie asks over the back of the old, worn couch as you let the trailer door slam behind you.

“New neighbors.” You say simply, glancing out the window. “Don’t go over there without me, yeah?”

“Okay!” She agrees, sitting back on the couch and bouncing, beginning her usual post school chant. “Bluey! Bluey! Bluey!”

You drop her backpack down beside the small coffee table. “After yer homework.”

“Nooo!” She pouts.

“Then no Bluey.”

Sophie pouts harder but crawls down in front of the coffee table and pulls out her little work sheets. At least the school doesn’t over run them too terribly with homework toward the end of the year. You glance at the calendar. Wednesday, May 22nd. Damn, she really only has about a week left. Though, you’d be lying if you said you weren’t looking forward to this summer break with her. She’s old enough now that you can take her places like the arcade without having to wait on her so much. You’ll actually be able to play some of the two-player games.

Plus, this year, you actually have a little more pocket change to make it fun.

You turn to look out the window once more at the new neighbors. Their curtains remain closed, cars neatly parked out front. The door opens slowly, the hot Scot and rude blonde wander to the Sedan. Simon’s shoulders shake at something Johnny said - you think he’s laughing but its hard to tell with that mask. Johnny’s head turns, blue eyes meeting yours through the shitty glass windows of your trailer. You squeak and duck to sit next to Sophie, praying that he didn’t catch you staring.

[cath-lic]

Hello, I was wondering if you believe non-Christians can be saved? I know many Catholics believe everyone that doesn't accept Jesus will go to hell. Personally, I find this outlook very sad and I was curious on other points of view so please anyone respond with their own opinions. I mean to ask you this: If God is love and is forgiving of our sins, why would he send everyone to hell simply because they could not find their way to him?

hi!! YES absolutely everyone is saved!! now, everyone and their brother has a conflicting opinion on this, but i’ll throw in my two cents.

my first, more concrete point: john 3:16. the everyman’s verse!!

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

okay, but what if someone doesn’t believeth? vatican ii’s lumen gentium, no. 16, also covers this. (italics added by me)

Those also can attain to everlasting salvation who through no fault of their own do not know the gospel of Christ or his Church, yet sincerely seek God and, moved by grace, strive by their deeds to do his will as it is known to them through the dictates of conscience. Nor does divine Providence deny the help necessary for salvation to those who, without blame on their part, have not yet arrived at an explicit knowledge of God, but who strive to live a good life, thanks to his grace.

however, it’s important to note LG no. 14. bear with me here.

Whosoever knowing that the Catholic Church was made necessary by God through Jesus Christ would refuse to enter her or to remain in her could not be saved.

i’m not a theologian, i’m just joe off the street—so i may be taking things out of context. forgive me!

however—as much as i am catholic, i believe that this is putting WAY too much importance on the catholic church as we know it today. it is far, far different than the original organization founded upon the rock of st. peter, and i believe that there are many things that god takes issue with in the catholic church (notoriously, jesus criticized large institutions like these). therefore, i don’t know how much i believe that the catholic church today, nor as a whole, was made necessary by god through christ.

my second point: my most fervent belief is that god is love. pretty much all of my friends are atheists, and they are kind and caring and loving people. it is, therefore, impossible for me to believe that they are not saved.

my second-and-a-half point: i take a little bit of issue with your phrasing of “send” to hell.

personally, i believe that hell is not necessarily Dante’s inferno, but a place of complete and total separation from god. i also believe that hell is not a place you are sent to, but rather a place you send yourself.

i mentioned purgatory in my earlier answer to a different anon; this is where that comes in. i generally concur with pope francis when he says that he likes to think of hell as empty (note: he was not issuing doctrine here). i believe that in purgatory, 99.999% (you get it) of people, if not 100%, are able to reconcile with god and see the consequences of their decisions, good and bad, throughout their life.

you know when you tell someone something that is true, but they keep on rejecting it, no matter what evidence you show them? that’s what i imagine is happening to the other .001%.

god is endlessly patient; he doesn’t mind spending eons trying to convince others to have empathy for their fellow man. however, humans are not as patient. they get fed up and walk away—and this is my (limited) understanding of the process of going to hell.

i’ll be honest, i don’t know if hell is permanent, temporary, etc. i’m not sure how helpful it is to debate it, either. but what i do know is very helpfully summarized in this post by the lovely hymnsofheresy.

whenever i have doubts about some aspect of what i believe being incorrect, i remind myself that god is love. he loves us more than anything in the world, and nothing we can do will ever change that. he doesn’t look for reasons for you to go to hell; he wants to be with us all the time.

thank you for sending in this ask, and i hope it helped ❤️❤️❤️

[edennill]

Beleriand Dashboard Simulator • part 3

Part one, part two

🔆 hador-lomin following

1 722 notes

♟️narrond following

wait, are @turin-deactivated4841207 and @outlaw-neithan-deactivated4880911 the same person as @mormegil?

⚔️ adanedhel

Not really my business to say, seeing as I'm neither of these, but people have reasons for changing blogs/names/URLs. If this was true and if I was that person I would be very annoyed at whoever posted such a thing for everyone to see.

#please take it down for general safety of people who might need it

4 notes

⚓ nenil-noriel

I am sick and tired of Gondolindhrim complaining they're bored. How about you try living here and fighting orcs for a while? I'd be glad to switch.

👤 house-of-the-mole following

I'll let you know we fought alongside everyone in the Nirnaeth.

⚓ nenil-noriel

Sure, do pat yourself on the back for doing the bare minimum.

17 089 notes

👰🏼‍♀️ celebrin following

Guess who got engaged today?!!! 💕💍🥰

#no one even got ordered to bring a Silmaril lol #so I dare say it went perfectly #!!! #can you tell I'm excited?

31 notes

🎼noldolanteyy following

thinking of changing my url (for pretty obvious reasons)

#doriath kinslaying

11 notes

🎼musiquendil-former-noldolanteyy following

No, really, this is the worst time ever to be a musician. I'm not pretending that the way he let us down is in any way worse than everything else Maglor Feanorion has done, but...

Can we separate art from the artist when the art itself is so interwined with the artist's deeds? Can we appreciate the noldolante itself ignoring that it was entirely a lie, regrets that apparently didn't stop him from committing the same evil over again?

But it is impossible to cut oneself away from all influence Maglor Feanorion has had on our music. And even keeping to the apolitical pieces, should we ignore the person of the artist? Does it help anything?

It's like the famous Fëanorian lamps debate all over again. Do we change the name since we're uncomfortable using it? Do we try to forget who was their creator - but is that even ethical, no matter what evil he wrought? Or is that maybe wrong? Maybe, if we use the lamps, we should be discomforted?

#I really don't know how to approach this

101 notes

👰🏼‍♀️celebrin following

So, we've arrived at the havens. I thank you all for the condolences, thoughts and prayers... I still don't know what to do from now on, but I guess maybe I can finally rest a bit. And mourn.

To all the people asking, yes, my husband and son are thankfully okay; this is the one silver lining. My son seems to have made a friend already...

#personal #gondolin

32 notes

🕊️queenelwing-unofficial

putting this under cut so I can delete this later, but please have a passionate rant about how a girl actually feels about receiving missives from the people who killed her parents.

read more

#honestly why do they presume I might want to actually meet with them #though tbh now that the anger's worn of I'm mostly afraid #and of course my husband *has* to be gone right now... #I'll probably delete all this tomorrow but I couldn't help myself

11 notes

[writermai05]

Arsonist's Lullabye

Chapter 6: To Someone From A Warm Climate

Summary: Y/n and Azula get to know each other. 

Pairing: Zuko x fem! reader (Live Action or Animated) 

A/N: Hey hey hey guess who is not dead! My family flew in to come visit my sister and I in college, so I spent last weekend with them. There’s also a lot of crazy shit going on with the protest on my specific college campus, and I’ve been very hard on myself this week for not being productive, but when you’re in the middle of a debate over the lives of thousands of people, it’s hard to worry about the assignments and silly little fanfic you’re writing. Nevertheless, this chapter is here today, albeit a short one but I swear, shit is about to get so interesting. 

Word Count: 686

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Avatar: The Last Airbender, I am merely a nerd who hyperfixates a lot. Lots of divergence from the canon story lol. 

Warnings !: None I think. 

The post game dinner had gone about as well as it could have. Yeah, maybe it was a little awkward, but for the most part, everyone had a good time. Toph was easily able to power through the tournament, giving the University team a trophy for their first game of the season. You almost wished that the weekend had been longer to process the information you learned on Friday.

 The image of Zuko and Azula’s eyes flashed in your mind. It feels obvious that the two are siblings now. If their eyes weren’t enough, their black hair and intense aura should have given it away. As you take a seat in your shared sociology class, you notice Azula take the seat next to you once again. You catch her attention with a small smile. 

“How was your weekend?” 

“Oh, you know, just another thrilling weekend of staying in my dorm and avoiding all human contact.” 

You raised your eyebrows, nodding in mock awe, “Riveting stuff.” Azula smirked, letting a puff of air out through her nostrils.

“Did you manage to do something less boring with whatever freaks you hang out with?”

“Yes, I did.” Before you could have a chance to elaborate, your professor began to start their lesson for the day.

After your first week, this routine began getting stale. Every class period you sat through the lecture, worked with a partner, got lectured some more, and then worked on your own. Although, the unofficial assigned seats had worked in your favor, because then you got to know more about Azula, who had promptly started to sit next to you since your first meeting. 

“Interesting lesson, huh?” you venture, hoping to start up another hushed conversation. 

Azula’s response is sharp and right in character for how much you know. 

“Yes. So interesting that I’m trying not to fall asleep from the sheer excitement of it all. Yay social class!” You quietly chuckle in response. 

“I mean there’s definitely meaning to it. Agna Qel’a is the most technologically advanced place in the Northern Water Tribe. When my family moved there for my mother’s work, it was a complete culture shock. Sedna, where I’m from, is a small city. There’s a saying that goes, ‘Take care of the land, and it will take care of you in return.’ But Agna Qel’a is magnificent, and it’s where the chief's royal palace is. It’s modern and gorgeous, but expensive.” 

Azula pursed her lips, trying to sort out her own thoughts. 

“Our capital city is similar, but probably way more grandiose. That’s how we do things in the Fire Nation. Opulence, and luxury, but mostly concerned with ourselves and no other nations. They’re practically irrelevant.” 

“What was it like growing up?”

“The Fire Nation is warm, and never really changes as far as seasons go. Sun-kissed lands and a long, honorable history. My father owns a very large company. Agni Kai enterprises does its business around the world. Before, my brother was the one who was being groomed to take over for my father once he retired, but he chose not to. After he left, then it was all on me.”

Agni Kai Enterprises was no joke. You knew that they owned many smaller companies, and had stakes nearly everywhere in the world. From what you could remember, Agna Qel’a had several complexes owned by someone involved in Agni Kai Enterprises. 

“You have a brother?” you asked, but you already knew the answer. 

“His name is Zuko. Haven’t seen him since I was 10, and he was 12.” 

Learning this new piece of information, your mouth dropped open. Eight whole years have gone by since the two have seen each other. No wonder Zuko had to ask Mai and Ty Lee questions. At this point, there was no avoiding it. 

“I know Zuko. He’s in my other class.” Azula’s head turned so fast you thought she could’ve gotten whiplash. The look in her eyes was indistinguishable, except for the usual fiery gaze. 

Azula pursed her lips and squinted, her jaw was tense. You were sure that if she clenched any harder than she would break her teeth off. “Well that’s…interesting. I assume that he and my uncle are still living above that tea shop, right? It’s been ages. Perhaps I should make the effort to go visit my dear Zuzu.” 

[bloomeng]

“Genshin character designs are bad.”

You really can’t navigate through the Genshin fandom without hearing this take. It’s stale at this point, but it’s…. also true. Except that’s usually not what people are actually saying. The true question up for debate: Are Genshin character designs ugly?

It irks me because there is validity to the original statement, and yet the conversation immediately moves into the territory of strictly opinion, leaving the true discussion never to be had.

So I’m having it… with myself…. in the form of a long post, because actually I find Genshin an interesting character design case study.

Before I really get into it I must address the elephant in the room; are Genshin’s character designs colorist?

Yes. Moving on.

Okay, okay, I’ll address it a little, Genshin has a problem with colorism. It’s a fiercely debated topic and honestly it’s one of the only real valid discussions I see around Genshin’s designs. That being said, I have nothing new to add to the conversation. If you don’t know why, sorry I’m not qualified to answer that, but you’re in luck because tons of qualified people have explained it across all platforms.

What I am partially equipped to talk about is character design. I’m no expert but I have taken a few formal classes on the subject, so I do have some insight to share. Character design at its core is usually quantified by how much of a character’s personality can be clearly determined from sight alone and how recognizable their silhouette is (though I’m not gonna touch on that today). Now there’s a lot of factors that go into both, but the fundamental thing that contributes to both is something known as shape language.

Shape has meaning. What that meaning is often depends on culture factors that determine your associations, but the Western simplification of shape is that circles are good-natured, rectangles/ squares are reliable, and triangles are energized. (these are my own personal words for them, there are countless ways to go about describing these associations) Shapes are then combined with each other to create more complex associations, and so on and so forth. It’s impossible to create a character without evoking some form of shape language, because art at its core is just shapes. The classic example are the round shapes seen in Mickey Mouse, though often times it’s far more subtle, like how Barbie has soft, round lines in her hair and face, but her hourglass figure is comprised of triangles to tell you she’s sexy, but the soft curves say she’s sweet not sexual— and it quickly gets very complicated. Basically character designs are rarely comprised of one shape alone, and when combined the “vibes” they evoke become complex.

So what does this have to do with Genshin? Genshin has poor shape language. The most obvious example of this are the faces. Genshin has same face syndrome, which I partially contribute to budget constraints with the models seeing as they reuse them over and over. Though it also has a lot to do with Genshin’s need for their characters to be conventionally attractive. Everyone must be beautiful and, as the current trend in anime artstyles dictates, not look a day over 12. The only thing that changes is the eye shape, but even then, it really doesn’t. There’s diversity between the male and female models, but calling it diversity seems generous, because they are practically the same. All the viewer has to go on to differentiate between faces are the expressions (and color but we’ll get there), which are also limited by the models.

The poor quality of the shape language continues into the bodies, seeing as the only thing that really changes is the height, not a lot of room for show casing contrast. (Also body diversity is just a good thing to have for the sake of having body diversity.) Visual contrast is one of the key things good shape language should deliver. It’s within this contrast that the viewer will have the opportunity to compare and thus make these associations. One character design may tell you things based on previous knowledge but it’s like an experiment without a control group.

Then we get to the character’s outfits and hairstyles. While it’s true there is a fair amount of diversity in clothing, the shape language continues to falter. Genshin characters have so much going on constantly in their designs that it seems like that should provide plenty of opportunities to showcase personality. Unfortunately what ultimately happens is that the details compete amongst themselves so much that they overshadow any sort of unified message they might have had about who this character is. Basically there’s too many different shapes. They don’t create a pattern and therefore don’t form any strong associations. You can have a good design with a lot of details but they should communicate a pattern together. A design is not good simply because it has a lot of detail. I will say there are definitely times where the clothing and hair do actually come through to tell me stuff about the character, but overall this over designing tends to be a detriment.

Genshin’s hair while in different styles usually relies on the same type of pointy strands and blunt edges.

(these characters were randomly selected to prove my point that you can quite literally pick any character in genshin and they will have at least one of these two components)

On their own pointy strands might tell us something, but considering every character has them, the pattern within a single character is rendered moot. “If everyone’s super, no one is.” Of course how they choose to wear their hair does speak to the character but its effect is limited when the structure of the hair is fundamentally the same. And then when you consider that the styling of many of these hairstyles doesn’t actually say a whole lot, it becomes obvious that Genshin is more concerned with creating hair that stands out. The problem is that details, asymmetry for example, normally tell us about the character, but considering so many hairstyles utilize asymmetry, it looses its meaning. Overall I will say I think Genshin is more of a 50/50 toss up on whether or not the hair suits the character.

I want to take a moment to point out a couple hair style designs in Genshin I think are really lovely and work very well.

And now I would like to do the same with some outfits.

(honorable mention to Bennett for being over accessorized in a way that actually tells you about his personality (goggles, a scar, bandaids, work gloves, utility belt), to Barbara for somehow mashing the concept of a nun and an idol together, to Klee for her childish whimsy and finally to Scaramoche for the sheer amount of subtle character growth motifs fit into all three of his outfits (the cultural stuff is really cool too))

Genshin I will say does a great job of creating and repeatedly using the elemental imagery as well as Khaneira’ah’s star. I also appreciate that every Archon has that ombre hair shift that glows during their burst. Makes them feel unique.

I think Genshin shines the brightest when they successfully incorporate cultural elements into their designs however, the only nation that does this with any sort of consistency is Inazuma. Inazuma’s aesthetic is so instantly recognizable. No one dresses exactly the same, but there are common through lines in the shoes, the style of the armor, and patterns in the clothes. (The design aesthetic is so strong that even after Scara got a Sumeru makeover he managed to keep elements that were clearly identifiable as Inazuman) Every other nation falls short in this department. I will give credit to the knights as there is some level of consistency in their designs, mostly in the metallic detailing; not quite a uniform but there is some commonality. Liyue does have cultural influence that definitely shows but it suffers from an overall lack of consistency in aesthetic, and doesn’t lean into its Chinese inspiration the same way Inazuma does. Mondstadt on the other hand is just vaguely European, but also half the time not even.

And then there’s Sumeru. I distinctly remember looking at the full Sumeru cast the first time and thinking that none of the them looked like they came from the same place. (It’s almost as if Sumeru is based on a bunch of separate countries that are culturally very different.) Pretty much no character has any real ties to any any real culture, but instead they just sorta grab vague elements. And at its worse just leans into orientalism (Nilou and Dori). I think personality wise the designs do a fairly stable job of saying at least something about their characters (Dehya and Kaveh). The designs do well individually but between the vague references and inconsistencies they falter. (I will say Cyno’s whole design being a reference to Yu-Gi-Oh is both hilarious, charming, and also mildly appropriative.)

On the topic of appropriation I think it’s important to note that Inazuma suffers from this too. While I absolutely love the way a lot of Japanese elements were integrated, outfits like Yae Miko’s shrine maiden garb bring forth this sexualization of cultural dress that I’m not particularly fond of. But then again you can also critique Rosaria’s sexy nun design for the same thing.

I also want to touch on something briefly because it’s important to note, but it’s a separate, much bigger conversation; Genshin, like anime, falls into a trap of catering their style to lolicon and shotacon enjoyers. It’s the reason all the characters look so young, why all the age discourse exists, why they refuse to confirm ages, and why all the children with the toddler model have some weird age work around. I don’t like it. It’s gross.

Another brief mention because it’s its own conversation; the female characters in Genshin are often over sexualized. Their clothes are skin tight, they almost always have weird random cut-outs, their skirts and dresses are designed to show off their breasts and asses, and all of their designs are high fem regardless of their personality. Give a female character baggy pants Genshin I dare you. Dori doesn’t count, she’s a toddler model in just a bra. I don’t have a problem with a female character being hot, but when that’s the only requirement…. it’s tiring. The classic female character design video game debate…. yah.

I think my overarching issue with Genshin’s clothing design is it says nothing about whose these people are. What jobs do they do? What do these accessories say about them personally? Take Yanfei. She’s a lawyer, yet nothing about her outfit speaks to that in the slightest. I remember the first time I sat down and looked at all the playable characters with a friend of mine. I didn’t play at the time and we thought it would be fun to see if I could guess their personalities. As you can imagine I did pretty poorly, and that’s because these designs just don’t suggest a whole lot.

And then we get to color.

Color is probably the most complicated part of art let alone character design. I feel as though we all have some familiarity with the concept of color coding in character design. The classic red/blue character foils. Color often suggests specific traits similar to the way shape language does, except unlike shape language color coding doesn’t always apply. You can’t just assign a character a color and call it coding, the character has to physically have that color on them in some significant manner. For example Naruto is clearly an orange coded character. He appears in the color throughout the series, but I couldn’t classify Eren Yeager as a green coded character even if it suited his personality (which it doesn’t) because it’s a uniform everyone wears. Attack on Titan does not evoke color coding the way Naruto does, so it’s not applicable.

With Genshin color is complicated. Genshin does have an established color pattern for all the elements, but not every character wears the color of their element. Now normally I would say just having a color pattern for the elements wouldn’t be enough to justify character color coding (since it would fall back into the uniform category), but in Genshin their visions connect to their personalities, so therefore the color of the elements is connected to them. For some the color coding is very obvious (Kaeya & Diluc) and for others it’s practically nonexistent (Yun Jin & Heizou). In all honestly I don’t know what to make of this other than Genshin is inconsistent in their elemental color coding but always consistent in their high saturation. Because color is complicated and a weaker area of mine it is equally likely that I’m missing something or that Genshin isn’t coding anything and it’s all pure aesthetics.

Which brings me to my final point; aesthetics. Hoyo as a company cares that you spend money. That is the number one goal at the end of the day. That’s why all their characters are conventionally attractive, why their art style is the way it is, why their shape language suffers, and why their outfits are overly detailed. It’s all about aesthetics. As a brand Genshin cares less about their story and more about how pretty their characters look, because if their characters are pretty then you’ll spend money. It’s not like Hoyo designed characters with bad shape language because they were ignorant. They knew exactly what they were doing when they sculpted every last visually pleasing strand of pointy hair.

Which brings me back to the real question that people were actually arguing over in the first place; are Genshin characters ugly?

I can’t answer that question. I mean they weren’t designed to be ugly, but if they don’t appeal to your taste, then to you they are ugly. But it’s more important to understand that “bad” and “ugly” are not the same. Genshin character designs are bad by professional standards but that doesn’t mean you can’t like them. Genshin designs can be both bad and likable, bad and pretty, bad and cute. Those are two vastly different things. It’s the same way people adore cult classic movies. They’re not good in the eyes of a critic, otherwise they wouldn’t be niche. They’re cult classics because people like them. Personal taste is just that. Personal.

But the most important question of all; do I like the Genshin Impact character designs?

I didn’t use to but I gotta say, they’ve grown on me.

[wrenreid]

Off Limits

all chapters in master list

content warning: dead parent talk

Part Fifteen

The events of approximately 7 hours ago play on repeat in my head. I can still taste him, feel the warmth of his soft lips on mine. God it was a great kiss. I felt like I was going to met into his lap and have to stay there forever. Which I would not have minded in the slightest.

I wish I didn’t have to leave, but honestly I’m a little relieved I did. I’m not sure what would’ve happened had I stayed. Would we have done it? Maybe. But then again maybe not. Definitely not. It’s too soon. I’m not that type of person. But then again again he is Spencer, and I think I’d give up my right leg for him if he asked.

Dad, Jack, and I are watching a movie over frozen yogurt right now. But while their eyes are focused on Lilo and Stitch, I am still seeing Spencer’s lips on mine.

Lying to my father about where I went for nearly an hour wasn’t hard, but trying to hide my flushed cheeks and swollen lips was. Luckily, his post-nap drowsiness got in the way of him noticing anything off.

So instead of having to explain my gushing attitude, I got to change the subject to the matter of dinner.

After the movie, Dad helps Jack get ready for bed, and I hang back in the living room and attempt to come up with a reason to text Spencer.

The only reason I can come up with is because I want to, and it seems valid enough.

“Hey”

I text him, no punctuation because a period seems too serious, an explanation mark makes me seem desperate, and everything else wouldn’t make sense. I then text again,

“Are you busy?”

He doesn’t respond, so I take that as a “yes” to my question. A slight frown forms on my lips, but I know I can’t just expect him to answer every time I reach out. He’s a grown man with a life.

I head upstairs to get ready for bed even though I definitely won’t be sleeping for at least another few hours. I turn Friends on in my bedroom and scroll through my phone, silently hoping for a text back.

I don’t get one. Even in the morning when it’s been 12 hours since I sent the message. I debate on asking if he’s alright, but I don’t want to annoy him with my texts.

God, I hate being 21. We’re still like teenagers when it comes to texting, and we’re all terrified of spamming someone and looking desperate.

“I should be back around five,” my father says as he reaches around me to grab his coffee mug off the counter top.

Even though today is just a paper work day, he still makes sure to say “should be” because, of course, there’s still a possibility of a case and him leaving for days again.

“Love you,” I say, my mouth still full of toast.

“Love you too. Aunt Jess should be here to pick Jack up soon,” he tells me, making his way out of the apartment.

My aunt is taking Jack to a birthday party for one of his friends that she often nannied with him. I am personally glad to have the day to myself or to do whatever I want.

“It’s so good to see you, sweetheart,” my aunt says with a smile, pulling me into a hug.

I haven’t seen Jessica since just a few weeks after my mother’s funeral.

“God you look just like your mom right now,” she tells me, her eyes starting to water before she blinks back the tears.

Jack grabs her hand excitedly, eager to go to the party. I’m grateful his eagerness removes me from that interaction.

“Nice to see you, Aunt Jess. Thank you for taking Jack,” I smile softly.

“It’s no problem. I’ll see you soon, sweet girl,” she says and allows my brother to pull her out of the apartment and down the hall.

I can’t be mad at her for mentioning my mom; she is her sister. But I hate that people feel the need to bring up touchy subjects when the emotions could’ve been avoided.

She always says I look like my mom, but I think we just have the same nose. Unfortunately, I am one of the many girls who grew up being an almost carbon copy of her father. Which made me feel extremely awkward because hearing “You look just like your father!” at 15 really shreds a girl’s self esteem.

My mom used to say it didn’t matter who I looked like, but it mattered which traits from each of them I inhabited. I’ve got my father’s stubbornness that’s for sure. I’ve got his determination and hunger for success. I don’t know what I have from my mother. I’ve never been the nurturing, gentle type that she was. Haley Hotchner was the perfect embodiment of grace, a gazelle if you will. And I’m like a bull. Thank you very much, Dad.

I plop down on the couch and kick my slipper-covered feet up on the coffee table. Today is going to be so relaxing without anyone to bug me.

And just as I’m done finishing that thought, my phone chimes with a text from CeCe. She asks for plans because apparently she’s bored out of her mind and her parents are talking to her about settling down and marriage. I tell her she can come over

“Thank you for saving me from that,” she sighs, shutting the door behind her. She crawls onto the couch with me.

I chuckle softly. “No problem.”

“So what’s up? What’s new in the world of Jade?”

“You’re really that bored that you want to hear about what’s been going on with me after almost a week of being home with my little brother?” I laugh softly, shaking my head.

“Yes!” CeCe groans.

“Well,” I say. “Perhaps I had something slightly more interesting than hanging out with a four year old happen.”

CeCe situates herself to where she can rest her chin on her knees. “Spill.”

“I made out with a guy I’m sorta kinda falling for,” I blurt out, twiddling with my hands.

“Oh my god, Jade Hotchner! There is a guy and you haven’t told me?” Cece exclaims, her eyes boring into my soul.

“It’s not a big deal,” I say defensively. “And honestly, it’s a little embarrassing.”

“The guy from your political science class? The kinda ugly one with the glasses and the haircut that makes him a little cuter?”

I roll my eyes. “He was not ugly.”

“A little bit,” she holds her pointer finger and thumb together, almost pinching.

“He was really sweet though, but no,” I chuckle softly, “not him.”

CeCe takes a minute to think, eyeing me. “It’s not Spencer is it?”

I cough, laughing a little. “What?”

“Oh my god, it is. You made out with Dr. Reid?”

“Kind of,” my lips press together in a thin line.

“How does one ‘kind of’ make out with someone?”

“I don’t know.”

“You made out with your dad’s employee,” CeCe laughs, shaking her head. “I’m so proud of you. You’re like a baby slut now.”

“What the fuck is a baby slut?”

“Ya know, like not quite a slut but getting there.”

I let out a chuckle, rolling my eyes. “I’m definitely not getting there.”

My best friend pokes my thigh, teasingly. “I am so proud of you. High school you would be too!”

“Shut up, Ceec,” I blush, shaking my head.

“So what happens now?”

“With me and Spencer? I have no idea. We’ve made out twice, and now I think he’s ignoring me.”

“Hold on,” she holds up a finger. “My mind is blown. Twice?” She pauses dramatically. “Wait why do you think he’s ignoring you?”

“Because my texts have now been left on delivered for 18 hours,” I explain.

CeCe bites her teeth together, tsk-ing at me in thought. “Hey, at least it’s not read.”

“Well, he has read receipts turned off. I did that for him so he could not feel the need to respond to everyone right away.”

“Oh, Jade,” she sighs.

“And thus you see my dilemma.” I gesture my hands outward.

“Mhm, I do,” CeCe nods. “Okay, so are you guys like a thing, just kissing, what?”

“I have no idea,” I groan, slamming my palm on my face.

“These stages are always the worst, but they’re kind of exciting,” she says.

“There’s nothing exciting about this. Spencer… he’s like different than everyone else I’ve had this type of situation with,” I say honestly.

“Because he works for your dad?”

“CeCe, I swear to god…”

“Okay, okay,” she laughs softly, holding her hands of defensively. “How is it different?”

“Because he’s an actually grown up. An actual man,” I tell her. “I’m used to stupid college guys. Even the pre-laws are stupid. And Spencer is… the opposite of those guys. He’s brilliant, kind, and like totally hot, and god, he’s a good kisser.”

Her eyes widen a bit. “Oh girl. You’re falling falling.”

“I mean it’s not that deep,” I say, back-tracking. “We’re friends. We’re whatever we are. And he may be all of those things but he’s also ignoring me, so I don’t know what to do with that.”

“Confront him about it.”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” My teeth tug at my bottom lip.

“C’mon, miss lawyer. Just tell him straight up what you’re thinking.”

“And if I don’t know what I’m thinking?”

“Wait until you do.”

I nod, taking in a breath. “Right. Okay.”

“I’m here for you, baby slut.”

My best friend becomes the victim of a punch to the arm.

What am I thinking, what am I thinking? I don’t know. I mean, yeah, I like him, I’m thinking that. But I also know that my dad might kill us both if he found out about anything. And I know Spencer isn’t stupid, he wouldn’t want what I do. And I’m pretty sure I want him.

The sound of a fist hitting my door rings through my apartment three times. I just got home from grocery shopping for the first time in weeks. The refrigerator was severely lacking nutrition, as am I it seems.

I exit the kitchen to answer the door, and the face I’m greeted with is the one I want to see the most and don’t want to see the most at the same time.

Jade.

Before I can get an awkward “hello” out, she says, “You’ve been ignoring me.”

My cheeks flush pink, and I know my face is giving me away. But of course, she had already figured me out anyway. I stand there nervously, my face twitching a little.

“I,” I start, but I don’t know how to finish that sentence. She’s not wrong. I have been ignoring her.

I’m not proud of it, but how do I talk to someone who is the focal point of all my guilt right now? I was in the wrong for last night. What we did was careless and stupid, and I’ve never been careless and stupid. I feel like shit over it.

“Jade,” I say, her name rolling off my lips too easily.

“Spencer,” she says. I shouldn’t have told her to call me Spencer. I like it too much.

This is becoming our routine, huh?

She steps inside my apartment, and I let her. She walks past me and onto my couch. I let her.

“You know what we did is wrong,” I say, joining her on the couch, keeping my distance.

“And yet, we’ve done it twice,” Jade says.

She’s not wrong.

“It doesn’t make it okay. No matter how much you hate it when I say you’re my boss’s daughter, it’s true. And for that, what we did is unethical and careless.”

Jade rolls her eyes. “We kissed, Spencer. It’s not like we fucked.”

Her choice of words cause my eyebrows to raise. I clear my throat. “Well, no.” But I wanted to. I would never admit this out loud, but in that moment… if she wanted to, I would’ve. And that’s a problem. I shouldn’t be flirting with or kissing my boss’s daughter let alone wanting to sleep with her.

She’s off limits.

“Then I don’t see that much of a problem,” Jade says.

“I have a moral code, Jade. And getting involved with you violates it.”

“And what if you move aside that moral code?” She asks. “Then what?”

“What do you…”

“Let’s say my dad isn’t your boss. Then what?”

“Then it wouldn’t be as wrong,” I say carefully.

“You know what I think, Spencer?”

I’m scared to know what she thinks.

“I think fuck this moral shit. I’m a grown ass woman no matter how much you or my dad think otherwise. There’s obviously something here, and you can say we’re just friends all you want, but…”

“We’re not friends,” I cut her off.

“What?”

“We’re not friends,” I say again. “You’re not wrong about that. We can’t be just friends. But it’s not a good idea to be anything else either.”

Jade leans a little closer to me. “Fuck good ideas.”

A small smile creeps onto my face. I can’t help it. “You’re crazy.”

“A little,” she shrugs.

“What am I going to do with you?” I groan, that smile still on my face.

“I really think kissing me again is a start,” Jade grins.

sixteen

tags: @pauline5525mgg @theintimatewriter @lilibet261 @greysviolets @jazzymariexoxoc @one-sweet-gubler @thatsonezesty13 @necromaniackat @awhoreforspencerreid @sebs-oxygen @scarredelirium @bts-sugaplum @awesomeness1679 @preciousbabypeter @yazzyu @cynbx @r3idsp3ncer @1010lizz @tiredbut-here @skulzombiw @lena-1895 @eevee0722 @shakespear-picaso-lovechild @daydreamingqueen1 @regulus-black-223048 @virginmusicloverr36 @jazzerbelle14 @kylakins88 @f-me-reid <3

[sanguinelupus]

hi! an important announcement:

as of today, all my blogs are being privatized. what this means is i will only be interacting with current mutuals, and my affiliates will get priority when it comes to replies.

i know this isn't shocking as i tend to do this anyway, but i'm making it publicly known because i feel that it's time for me personally (but also the entire rpc) to stop feeling bad for putting people i'm comfortable writing with, or have been writing with for a while, first over others. i've found myself in task paralysis (which stems from adhd so it isn't all tumblr's fault) time and time again, debating on if i should reply to the thing i have muse for vs the thing i just started or have less comfortability with.

it isn't bad to be comfortable with certain people over others. trying to be equal to everyone takes the fun out of this hobby, both in general and for me. it prevents me from getting on sometimes because i feel so bad about only wanting to interact with certain people, but the fact i have rp partners that i adore writing with so much is truly a blessing, and i'm not going to feel guilty for that anymore.

wow this got long. to summarize:

i am no longer accepting new mutuals. if i have not unfollowed/softblocked you, i still want to write.

affiliates (listed in all my pinned posts as well as my klaus doc) will be getting priority replies from me, and unprompted meme inboxes.

non-affiliates are welcome to poke me for replies if you see me online, or get my discord so we can plot further or make a server for writing outside tumblr.

YOU (YES YOU!) SHOULD NOT FEEL BAD FOR HAVING PEOPLE YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WRITING WITH OVER OTHERS!!!

all my pinned posts and rules have been updated to reflect this change. thank you for reading!!

[sunnythegyarufreak]

✧༺♥༻∞ Hello everyone!! My name is Sunny :D ✧༺♥༻∞

I love gyaru and J-Fashion and since today (June 9th) is my gyaru anniversary I decided today would be the perfect day to make my first post. For this post I will answer some commonly asked questions about gyaru!

Q: Can I be a gyaru if I dont tan?

A: Of course! Certain styles like kurogyaru and manba do have styles that are non tanned such as Shiro gyaru which means "white gal" That just means that you don't tan but you still do makeup from styles such as manba/yamanba!.

Q: Can I be gyaru if I don't wear makeup?

A: This is a very common question in the gyaru community. This is debate is actually one of the many reasons why I distance myself from the community. I believe that gyaru is a lifestyle and mindset. For certain styles you may need to wear makeup. Like manba/kurogyaru/ganguro are makeup based substyles. But other styles like Amekaji and Himegyaru/Himekaji are more based on clothing. For example, my main style is kurogyaru but I don't do the makeup very often because of my mental/physical health. However I wear clothes that I feel are very "kurogyaru" and I live by the mindset of "Be wild Be Sexy" Some older gals however believe that you must wear makeup 24/7. So I think that at some point you should do the makeup at least every once in a while because throughout a lot of eras of gyaru the eye makeup has been pretty crucial to the whole look.

Q: Can I be gyaru if I'm plus size?

A: Yes! I happen to be a plus size gyaru. Gyaru is about recognizing yourself and "getting wild and being sexy," not about being a specific size. The most important thing is to feel content with who you are. This holds true for many styles, not just gyaru! Wear the things you love if whatever you're wearing makes you feel bad about yourself. If it does, throw it out right away!

Q: Can I be gyaru if I'm not asian?

A: Yes! Gyaru is meant for everyone, no matter what race you are.

(Btw this person is @citrusmalicious on tiktok! Go follow them! Theyre super cool and I love their content :D)

Q: Can I be gyaru if I don't do gyaru everyday?

A: This question is very complicated. Like i said gyaru is a lifestyle and mindset. If you can't do the makeup all the time I recommend incorporating gyaru into your daily life! You can do this by: buying deco phone cases, buying animal print bags/items, being positive and keeping positive and fun people around you, decorate items in your room with gems or rhinestones, or wear cute decorated nails :D So I would say that you can be gyaru if you don't do the makeup everyday. BUT if you don't do the makeup everyday be sure to atleast try to incorporate it into your daily life!

Q: Can I be gyaru if I do multiple substyles?

A: Yes! There are so many interesting and fun substyles and you most certainly don't have to stick to one.

Q: Can I be gyaru if I'm over 20?

A: Yes! Any age can be gyaru (however i recommend ages 14 and under to be careful when interacting with the community or doing certain styles) There is no age limit to gyaru and there is even a gyaru on instagram who is 50!!

Q: Can I be gyaru if I have colorful hair/short hair?

A: Of course! Many gyaru have bright and colorful hair and wigs! There are many short haired gals as well! There are gyaru hairstyles just for short hair on pinterest :D

In conclusion anyone can be gyaru! It doesn't matter if you have children, your race, your skin color, your age, or your physical attributes! Thats all the questions I can think of so far! If y'all have any more questions don't be afraid to ask. I'll be sure to answer them as fast as I can :D If you have any ideas for my next blog be sure to send them aswell! I really enjoyed making this and I hope you guys have a good day! Be wild and Be Sexy ✌🏽

[fayoftheforest]

I posted 2,276 times in 2022

That's 715 more posts than 2021!

97 posts created (4%)

2,179 posts reblogged (96%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@croissants-andcoffee

@plugnuts

@jmax523

@whatdoessunshinetastelike

@fishtish

I tagged 1,260 of my posts in 2022

Only 45% of my posts had no tags

#south park - 57 posts

#ask - 43 posts

#fave - 27 posts

#ask game - 17 posts

#birthfay 🎂 - 14 posts

#sp kyle - 12 posts

#sp k2 - 11 posts

#writing - 10 posts

#headcanons - 10 posts

#south park fic - 10 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#also just realised the blurb i pasted here was from an old draft where the soulmate tag was on their arm not their chest 😳how embarrassing

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

man, it kind of bums me out how the majority of the time that kyle's jewishness is a focal point in fan content, it's for a negative reason. if kyle's contemplating the fact that he's jewish, it's because he's being bullied or harassed, because he's feeling insecure about his appearance or self worth, because he's feeling lonely and isolated, because he's having a crisis of faith, etc etc. these are all totally valid themes and character arcs to explore, of course! i think many jews like myself may be able to relate to these themes, thanks to living in a society where antisemitism and other shitty behaviour runs rampant. but i think we're really missing a golden opportunity to explore the complex and compelling positives of being jewish. where's his love for his community? where's his excitement for an upcoming holiday? where's the comfort he might take from prayers? where's his curiosity or knowledge about his family history? where's his passion for debating interpretations of the torah? these are also valid, relatable and in-character directions you could take things!

i know that this trend is probably heavily influenced by the presence of this pattern in the show itself, but it's still a bit sad. or maybe gentiles (non-jews) shy away from celebrating his jewishness because they don't feel confident in commenting on a religious experience that they've never had. to those people, I would ask, why is it you feel comfortable speculating on the hardships of being jewish, but not the joys?

that isn't to say that you're not allowed to write about the former if you're not jewish, of course! regardless of religious background, anyone can empathise with his struggles because, at the end of the day, we're all human, and it's our humanity that unites us. but i'd encourage you to push yourself out of your comfort zone, do a little research and have some fun celebrating and supporting his jewishness once and awhile :)

109 notes - Posted October 30, 2022

#4

today I am thinking about... fat tweek! and fat butters! and fat wendy and heidi! maybe throw a lil fat kyle in there too! I'm sick and tired of fatness being equated with immorality when it comes to south park (and the world in general tbh) and it makes me sad that so many people seem afraid of portraying any of the non-cartman characters as plus-sized. 'fat' is a neutral descriptor and not a dirty word, and displaying body diversity amongst the cast is not only realistic, but a wonderful and beautiful thing! so anyway reblog this and put in the tags which character(s) you've always headcanoned to be fat or not skinny :)

113 notes - Posted August 21, 2022

#3

STOP RIGHT THERE 🔫 THIS IS A STICK-UP 🔫 NOBODY SCROLLS ON UNTIL THEYVE WATCHED @roostertuftart 'S GLORIOUS VIDEO THEN REBLOGGED IT 🔫

142 notes - Posted August 29, 2022

#2

I'M ABSOLUTELY BLOODY LOSING IT OVER THESE VINTAGE SOUTH PARK MUGS I FOUND ONLINE

THE CAPTIONS. THEIR EXPRESSIONS. THE FACT THAT STAN IS KNOWN AS "THE CUTE ONE"?? LIKE?? IS HE?? WACK :D ANYWAY SHOULD I BUY THESE YES/NO

256 notes - Posted November 16, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

fucking obsessed with this meme that came up on my pinterest feed

what IS up with gay eople liking south park???

1,222 notes - Posted November 15, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[jendoe]

tagged by @gwynbleidd to post a wip.. and i actually have another one!!! hehe

no tags today but if you see this and have something to share, by all means, use me as an opportunity! 💖

more of kate and @risingsh0t's cyrus below

She trailed off. One glance, and suddenly, she was hyper aware of how close their faces were. She swallowed hard, mouth drier than a desert. That was a factoid she'd only read about, never experienced, but perhaps that was just her mind trying to ignore the racing of her heart and… 

Cyrus seemed to read her thoughts, as he pulled away a bit, but to both of their surprise, she stopped him with a hand on his face.

"Uh." He grabbed onto her arm. "Weird question, but– do you think he would've liked me?"

"Yes." Not a single moment of hesitation. "He would've loved you. Used to go on and on about how everybody deserved a second chance."

His eyes flicked to her lips. "Then," he started, sounding unsure, "would he be okay with you moving on with somebody else?" 

Was she moving on? Kate wasn't sure. She let the question rattle around in her brain for a second, genuinely debating it. She was definitely happier. Happier than she'd been in over a year, and she'd come to enjoy Cyrus' company in the time they'd spent together, something she would've hated to admit just mere weeks ago. He made her laugh, made her feel safe. That was hard to come by these days.

Maybe– just maybe– she was ready to take that tiny step forward.

"Of course he would." 

She leaned in to capture his lips in hers before she could even register what she was doing. It was a slow, passionate kiss and when he melted into it, taking her face in his calloused hands, she swore she could hear fireworks. No, actually, maybe that was gunfire in the distance, but for once, she didn't stop to worry about it. She just took her time with him, unwilling to end the moment.

Still, she had to pull away for air eventually and when she did, there was a tense silence between them. A good tense, which was a welcome change.

"Nothing to say?" she teased. 

"Kate," was all he could manage to get out.

"Okay, I'm sorry, I'm being mean," she said with a laugh. "You just normally have some quip or joke, that's all."

He inhaled sharply, as he caressed her cheeks in a way that suggested he was trying to memorize this moment. "What's there to joke about? I've been wanting to do that for weeks."

"I… hadn't noticed." A blatant lie. She had. It was hard not to– she'd just been too afraid to do anything about it. "You have now, at least."

"Yeah," he said, voice cracking in the slightest. Even in the dark, she could see how flustered she'd made him, pupils blown and cheeks flushed. "Guess I can check that off my bucket list."

That got another laugh out of her. "There's the joke."

"Figured I should at least try to act like I'm not freaking out right now." A pause. "Which, for the record, I kind of am."

"It's okay," Kate said, kissing his forehead in an attempt to soothe him. "Come on, get up here on the bed with me. We can talk about this more in the morning."

Cyrus sputtered. "Kate, I'm fine on the floor. We don't have to move that fast."

"Cyrus," she said, a little more firmly. "Nobody said anything about fast. Get on the danged bed before I pull you up here myself."

Despite his obvious nerves, he laughed. "Yes, ma'am."

[god-of-knk]

How do your PDs interact with your dissociation? Do all your alters/parts have PD traits? Do your PD traits show themselves 24/7?

Apologies for the wait!

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by the first question? Dunno, could just be me being a bit dense today. Feel free to clarify!

The rest is under the cut because it's long.

Err, as for alters, as far as I know, we all have traits (still learning more about 4th and Candy Corn, so I couldn't say anything for certain about them). That said, we certainly don't all have the same traits, nor the same intensities.

Satanick, for instance, displays way less of our avoidant traits. He actually kind of flips things on their head, soothes a lot of the anxieties we have about interacting with folks. He's still pretty sensitive to criticism and rejection, but he shows a lot less of the actual inhibitions, if that makes sense. He's a lot less... focused on how others perceive him. Nicky doesn't take well to folks perceiving him badly, but it's not an active thought for him. He knows he's weird and he likes being weird.

Nicky also exhibits ASPD traits a bit differently than me. I'm far more irritable than him and I jump quickly to aggression. I'm also more... ah... hostile to authority? Whereas Nicky is able to listen when we need to, it just makes me even more obstinate and angry. Neither of us likes bending the knee, so to speak, but Satanick will actually bite the bullet and do it. That bullet will be put in my knee before I do.

Candy Corn I don't think really has any of our NPD traits. There's room to be wrong there, but from what I've seen so far it's kind of just a wet cat. He also seems to exhibit less ASPD traits and more AVPD traits, but I couldn't really be sure. It's often difficult to tell what he's feeling.

Uhh... I dunno. I didn't bring up the BPD mostly because it's just so fucking commonplace in this system that it's extremely difficult to separate ourselves from our BPD traits. BPD is basically sewn into all of us (again, as far as I know), and picking apart differences feels like sorting sand. The only thing I can really pick out is that I'm far more prone to negative BPD splits than anyone else in this system.

As for the last question, I wouldn't quite say they show themselves 24/7? But they're very consistent, yes. I think the best example would be AVPD. That's the most "fluid" of them. I have days where it's easier to interact with folks. Days where I can talk and be open and not be internally shaking at the thought that I'm ruining myself in their eyes somehow. Days where I can take a risk or two and say hi to someone who I've never spoken to before. I do have days like that. And on those days, it can be difficult to even remember I actually experience avoidance.

On the other end, however, there are the days where I'm walking to class and terrified that I'm walking wrong, that I'm glancing at folks too long, that I'm holding my hands in a weird way. Days where I spend ten minutes debating whether I should like a post or not because what if it's weird that I like it or they think badly of me or they didn't want me to. The entire world is watching me and if I do something wrong it's all going to shatter. And everything I do is wrong. It's all always wrong on those days. On those particular days, it feels impossible to comprehend there are days that aren't like that. I know, logically, I've had them. But I can't fathom not having that lingering horror in the moment.

Aurgh, I'm so bad at actually writing out stuff like this. I think about it a lot, but it's difficult to put into words. If you have any further questions or want a clarification, feel free to send another ask. I really don't mind. Hope this was... "enlightening," I suppose?

[tori-fta]

Embrace the Meaninglessness of Life | The Early AM Hours of August 11, 2024

I've seen a lot of discussion online over the years regarding how do we approach life knowing that it's meaningless. Most commonly, discourse boils down to debates over Nihilism & Absurdism, with the former wallowing in self-pity at the meaninglessness of life and the later taking it as reason to party and live in the void. Of course, these are vast overgeneralizations of intricately nuanced philosophies and the prior straw-manning is but a way to draw you, the reader, in with anger and ire, hoping that perhaps you'll read through my thoughts on what embracing the meaninglessness of life entails. Please note that these are merely initial musings and will probably be expanded upon the more I think and type.

To get overly personal on the first date post, I would consider myself a spiritual person as religious/religion carries a connotation of organizational control over the masses, which I believe to be a gross misuse of a necessary outlet for the human experience. I grew up in a conservative Christian bubble, learning that Jesus and the Bible were the Truth (note the capital "T") due to an intrinsic value, not because of what they taught and represented (explains a lot about modern American evangelicals, right?). This never sat right with me. I "believed" and regurgitated these talking points because I was told they were right, ironically, by the same people who told me I was a straight, cis m*n (gender dysphoria is wild, being unable to use certain words only when referring to myself).

The primary reason this never sat right with me was because virtually every other religion and form of spirituality was teaching the same values underneath a unique cultural coat of paint. Naturally this led to a separation between myself and the church (thankfully a seamless one as they didn't even notice🙄). Around this same time, I began having an identity crisis, as I was beginning to discover my gender and sexual identities, and suddenly the world and culture which I considered "mine" no longer had a place for me within it. A few years passed, and during a college course, I found myself intrigued and sucked down a rabbit hole of ancient Celtic mythos and traditions, feeling a sense of pride deep within myself that my ancestors left dormant (shoutout to my dad for doing a genealogy test like every white person ever and confirming that we are, indeed, very Irish before immigrating to the United States).

The Celtic tradition places great importance not just upon the earth and her gifts which we must maintain, something that has always been a driving passion of mine, but also on rhetoric, language, and the power of words due to it being an oral tradition. Bards weren't just the horny songsmiths we all play at least once in Dungeons & Dragons, but they were the bastions of knowledge and history. This part of the Celtic tradition is what drove the final nail into my coffin (yes, it also appealed to me as a former theater AND speech & debate kid).

That was only a few years ago, and since then, my outlook on spirituality has evolved to this brief final discussion before I set aside the keyboard and head to bed 3 hours later than I should have. Today, I offer thanks to the Celtic goddess Danu and the Roman god Bacchus, having taken them as my spiritual guides. I read tarot for myself and my friends, observe and celebrate the holy days and festivals of the Wheel of the Year, and partake in rituals to cleanse and purify my soul. I believe that there exists life beyond earth in the universe but that we cannot know for certain what that life is until we make contact with it, and I believe that supernatural phenomenon exists despite the secularization and modernization of the world weaking our connections to it.

Despite what I believe when it comes to the grander questions of life and existence, the day to day beliefs are the ones that matter most in defining how we truly approach life. I honor Danu as the mother goddess of the earth but also as a muse of poetry and rhetoric, reminding me the power of our words to shape our own reality as well as that of those around us. I honor Bacchus to celebrate life and all that this crazy experience brings to us. The various festivals and holidays throughout the year brings me out of the self to reconnect with the earth and all life that is around me, reinforcing the cyclical nature of existence and how necessary adapting to change is for our survival. My morning tarot reading queues me into what issues are most pressing for me currently, the cards chosen blindly granting me an exercise in self-reflection to orient myself for the day and work on improving the aspects of myself I am unhappy with.

This is what it means to embrace the meaninglessness of life, at least to me. To embrace the meaninglessness of life, we assign meaning to places where none exists. The way we reflect and approach life reveals what truly matters to us. Spirituality is the tool which I use to help navigate this world, allowing the chaotic uncertainness of the next day to reveal patterns within myself and my own being. I'm sure we've all heard at least one rendition of "life is what you make of it," and as cheesy as a mainstream idiom is, there exists deep truth within this one.

Anyways, I am off to bed. Be queer, dismantle the establishment, and serve cvnt while doing so 💖

[chuya-chuya-blog]

This didn't exactly fit with my previous post but I've gotta mention it.

With the ending of MHA, there is yet another gap in Shonen Jump. I'm sure it'll be filled, but we need to talk, guys.

There's no new big three. There hasn't been for a long time. There are big series, but no definitive trio. Nobody was debating if Bleach, Naruto, or One Piece were the big three. They just were. They all debuted around the same time, had distinctive themes and settings, and were knocking it out of the park on the sales charts. In fact, their era DEFINED the big three. Nobody was talking about a big three in the 90s. Because of them, we're having debates on what should be considered the previous big three.

Personally, I say it was Yu Yu Hakusho, Rurouni Kenshin before it was disgraced, and DragonBall Z. But I also feel like DBZ is in a category of its own, as it debuted almost a decade before the others and was already well established. I consider DBZ the grandfather of shonen manga, and to that I say Slam Dunk probably fits in as part of the big three of the 90s. In terms of Shonen Jump manga, anyway.

Yes, Shonen Jump. Stop putting Sailor Moon and Pokémon in there, the big three are a Shonen Jump thing. I really would give Sailor Moon, Pokémon and DragonBall Z legendary status, if we're being honest. They're the grand marshal trio that helped introduce anime and manga to the west. There was a time when people thought every anime was Sailor Moon. Yes, really.

There's actually a ton of legendary anime and manga, but we westerners don't know of them all. That's a discussion for another day, anyway.

But in the new generation, the only "big three" type series we really had was MHA. Knocking it out of the park with battles, arcs, several movies and musicals, sales, etc., only MHA was reaching those heights on a consistent basis. Demon Slayer was popular, but it debuted later, finished earlier, and has an older audience. Jujitsu Kaisen also debuted much later than MHA and has darker tones. In fact, I'd say Demon Slayer and JJK are actually more similar to each other in scale and tone, than they are to MHA (and I'd include Kagurabachi in with this too, they all feel darker in tone to me). MHA was more lighthearted and was more suitable for a younger audience like the previous big three were.

When there are discussions about what the new big three series for Shonen Jump are, My Hero Academia is almost ALWAYS included. Even by people who don't like it. And that is the type of standing I'm talking about.

We don't have that right now. And with MHA gone, we REALLY don't have that. There is no current undeniable big three in Shonen Jump. One Piece is too old, Kagurabachi is too new, JJK is constantly killing off favorites, and Demon Slayer is over. We just don't have a trio like we did back in the day. We don't have a new series where people go, "Do you REALLY watch anime, or is it only Naruto?"

To be honest, I doubt we're gonna get a new trio. Today's demographics are very different. A whole host of issues plague the comics industry across the globe. Tastes vary widely with the selection of online comics available, and you can get your needs met virtually anywhere. The Shonen Jump battle manga formula is beginning to feel a bit stale to me, anyway, and honestly kinda forced, too. Lately, I've only found myself liking things like Shiba Inu Rooms and Psych House. Both just seem to be chill and at their own pace, not trying to set up that first big battle arc that they do to see if a series can hold interest. Maybe it's just me, but that formula is tired. When I detect that that's where a series is going, my eyes just glaze over.

Maybe the gap left by MHA will lead to a new big three, like the ending of DBZ did. They both ended at 42 volumes, too! Or maybe we just have to stop trying to force it like y'all are doing with Kagurabachi. It may just have to develop naturally, instead.

I really want to see a new trio, though. I'm just tired of the Shonen Jump formula they keep regurgitating. I guess we will have to wait and see.

[nessie31]

I’ve been debating writing this post all day. Last night it felt necessary; like there was no way to sort through my thoughts and feelings on the subject if I didn’t. But I knew if I started typing, J would be all up my ass and over my shoulder thinking I was texting L to bitch about him (and sure enough that’s what happened when I was typing something else). So I made myself a note to write it today.

Do I still feel strongly about the issue? Obviously or I wouldn’t have decided to write this. But there’s another part of me that just wants to ignore it and wasp it away so I don’t look too closely at it. Because if I ignore it then I can pretend everything is fine. I can pretend that it doesn’t break my soul continuing to allow it to happen.

But ignoring things has never been my strong suit.

Trust. Marriage, and relationships in general, in their most basic forms come down to trust. Do I trust this person to have my back? Do I trust them to stick by my side? Do I trust them to be honest with me? I could go on and on, but you get the point.

Now, do I know this is rich coming from me with everything I’ve done? Yes I do. But, like any good hypocrite, I’m going to say that’s a completely different situation with no baring on this situation.

I know I’ve done a lot of shit, especially in my teens and early twenties that was…questionable in character. I’ve lied to save face or get myself out of fucked up situations. Honestly though, who hasn’t?! I know I’m not the only one, and I know that it is not my distinguishing characteristic. I also know that it’s something I have been working hard on over the last few years; recognizing that stupid things are not worth lying about just to save face. But even so, it is thrown in my face CONSTANTLY in my marriage.

And my concern comes down to this. If you can’t trust me with the dumb shit, how can you trust me with the big shit. And furthermore, if you can’t trust me with the dumb shit, why are you with me?

I get that you love me. I get that the sex is great. And that’s true.

But if you CHOOSE to not trust me over the dumbest shit, AND fight me on it, then why the fuck stay with me?

But this gets even better.

When I am upset and offended by you not trusting me it’s “stupid and not worth getting upset over”. But when I say that I don’t trust you with my emotions and honest, it’s a huge ass deal that YOU get to be offended by because how dare I.

And honestly, isn’t that the bigger issue; the overarching issue that will be the breaking point? That at the end of the day, my opinions and feelings are consistently invalidated in almost every altercation.

I tried to ignore it. All day. And yet, I can’t put away the thought that when it really comes down to it, I don’t matter. My opinions/feelings will always come second if it offends or inconveniences you. As you’ve said once before, my feelings should not come at your expense. And honestly, hasn’t that been the theme of our last 2.5 years?

And that’s the problem.

You ask questions you already know and don’t actually want the answers to. Because you don’t like being the bad guy. Because you’ve built this image in your head about who you are. And you’ve told yourself this narrative about how you are constantly the victim being looked passed or set aside for people you consider to be less than you. You have built this idea in your head that you are better than other men because you fancy yourself a liberal feminist; even though you would never actually call yourself that because, connotation is everything.

You once asked me what S had done to me to cause me to change myself so drastically. How could someone so strong and independent and brash become so small and voiceless and manipulated. And you tie it up to the sex or his “silver tongue”.

But here’s the truth: he did the same thing then that you’re doing now.

Day by day, month by month, year by year he broke me down. Slowly, behind words said and the actions and words that were dismissed. He brought me down with every argument; making me feel as though it was always my fault. That I had caused it by something I did or said, something I didn’t do or say, or from just “overreacting” to something he deemed ridiculous.

Yeah, he told me he loved me. And yeah, he made sure I knew he thought I was hot. But just like with us, that’s not enough.

I need to know that I am valued. That my opinions matter. That my feelings matter. That you care about how I see things. That you pay attention to my past and my trauma. That it actually mattered. That you actually took it seriously.

But here is why I don’t trust you. Because I don’t.

Because I’m not valued. My opinions don’t matter. My feelings don’t matter. You don’t care about how I see things. You don’t pay attention to my past and my trauma. To you, it doesn’t matter. You don’t take it seriously.

And that’s broken me. Possibly beyond repair. Definitely beyond the point of caring. And I hate that.

I wish I felt bad, but I don’t. I wish it bothered me, kept me up at night, but it doesn’t; at least not for the reasons it should.

So now here I sit. Trying not to cry with 30 students in my room. Raging at you through a computer screen; on a post you will never see. My heart and emotions poured out on the page. And honestly, I’m left empty.

And what’s even worse, I know that I’m not going to do anything about it. Not right now and not any time soon; unless my hand is forced. So I have become one of those people I hate. The people who complain about their problems and do nothing to change it.

So here I sit.

[scrabbleknight]

Malaysian here. Since my country has been brought up, I feel like I should involve myself into this.

To confirm: yes, Malaysia does in fact have an affirmative action system but to the majority ruling race instead of the minority oppressed one. It's even written into our constitution. In fact, it's still heavily debated today! Not a lot of people are fans of it, me included. And I'm a Malay Muslim myself.

The system is rather stupid, all things considered. Public universities have a quote where a certain percentage of its students must be Malay. This inevitably pushes Non-Malays to expensive private universities. Additionally, government scholarships are only granted to Malays. So that's another money issue. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

It's also important to understand is that Malaysia's built-in discrimination system is only supported by two groups: politicians and leaders who want to stay in power, and the uneducated conservative masses that nobody likes but begrudgingly tolerates. The younger educated generation aren't a fan of it, and this is a growing population. Unfortunately, we're still ruled by either rich corrupt assholes of any age, rich racist old guys and racist religious extremists who aren't necessarily rich. We had a bloody 90+ year old as our PM at one point! And he was already our PM before! This was his 4th(?) term!

With all the crazy that's happening, what do you think happens? If non-Malays can't do anything to fix this, what do they do? They leave, hence Malaysia suffering from a brain drain (something I also want to do).

Anyway, this post of mine went god knows where and I ended up just writing a vent post, but the Malaysian system is fucked because people are stupid and they're proud of being stupid and unfortunately this includes the ruling class who don't even live in Malaysia (THEY LIVE IN THE FUCKING UK!!!).

Following the footsteps of South Africa; Qatar, Oman, Malaysia have submitted statements in ICJ too.

Thank you South Africa for taking the first step.