#You need to WANT to float

[teaboot]

Sometimes at work it's not my place to tell people the things I want to say, and I find I often go home at the end of the rougher days to stand blankly in my shower and tell myself over and over what I wish I could pass on.

This accomplishes very little, and mostly just gives me a tension headache, but through it all I think I've narrowed myself down to a few solid things I'd like to tell people the most.

You can't change people. Not permanently, not for anythig. You can support them, encourage them, love them, give them tools and opportunities and resources, but you can't make them change. They can change themselves if they want to, but they have to want to, and they have to want it for themselves, because they're the only one that's certain to be with them forever.

For better or worse, you make your own choices, and blaming bad choices on others doesn't only work to absolve you of responsibility- it also robs you of control. Because if you say you only did something because I did something, then you arent only shifting blame- you're admitting that you cannot control yourself, that you cannot truly make choices for yourself, that other people can control you- and as long as you truly beleive that, you'll keep facing the same problems over and over. You'll keep letting others dictate your choices, because you'll beleive that they can, and you'll never be free.

White knights on horseback are from fairytales. Nobody can help you if ou're not willing to help yourself. To try, to put the dirty work in, to belive you're worth that effort- Act as though nobody is coming to save you. From a struggle, from pain, from bad relationships, from yourself. And when you do save yourself, because you will, because failure here isn't an option if you want to survive, you'll never find another dragon that can keep you prisoner.

Don't say anything to anyone that you wouldn't want them remembering forever.

Doing the right thing in bad circumstances is hard. It's the hardest thing. But if you make the choice to do that hard thing anyways, despite your fear, you'll go on the rest of your like knowing that you're the sort of person who did something.

The present only seems the hardest because the past I over and the future hasn't happened.

There's so much joy ahead of you, the kind you can't possibly understand until you see it yourself.

The responsibility of consequences is often disguised as the power of permission. "I won't do this if you help me", "I'll work on my anger if you do this for me", "I promised you I'd quit, but can I have just one?". The unspoken question is, "Can it be your fault if this goes badly?"

You cant make someone love you the way you need to be loved. Someone can love you very much and still be bad for you, even if you love them very much in return. Two people can love each other very, very much, and try their very best, and still be wrong for each other.

Sometimes being near to someone changes you, even in good ways, and the people you become don't fit together as well as the people you were.

Caring takes work. Even if it's real. Especially if it's real. And the most important gestures aren't the grand, poetic, songs-and-flowers-and-tears moments; they're getting out of bed even though you don't want to. Paying attention to things you don't enjoy. Scrubbing pans, or opening a window, saying "thank-you", or helping carry groceries into the house. The small things fill the big things- without the small, boring, mediocre things, big things feel hollow.

Thrre is honour and dignity in humble work.

If you are a cruel and spiteful person, then you will find every place you visit to be full of the same cruel, spiteful people. This is not because the world is as cruel as you, but because everywhere you are, you will be disliked. This is the curse that comes with being persistently cruel and spiteful.

If you are a kind and ppsitive person, you will repeatedly encounter kind and positive people, because as they grow familiar with you, they will be happier to have you near. This is the reward of being a kind and positive person.

When splitting paths with loved ones, briefly or forever, aim for your last words to always be "I love you".

[egophiliac]

GET LOVED, IDIOT

GET LOVED SO HARD YOUR KIDS HOLD HANDS AND POWER-OF-LOVE YOU BACK TO LIFE

sorry guys, this is just my brain now. this is going to be the only thing I think about for the next week at least.

oh and also this

FIVE YEARS IN AND IT'S FINALLY CANON 🎉🎉🎉

WE DID IT

[slasherflicks999]

thank you pinterest for launching me into yet another multiple day drawing :3

I LOVE HIIIIMAKAMSMSBDIHSSKBSDFHKJABSFD we know this

but oh my god this took almost 7 hours overall LMAO im so tired but like in a good way

you may be looking at his hair and saying “heyyyy gravity doesnt work that way….” in which case you are correct but i thought it would be cool if BEN’s hair kinda floats when he gets all glitchy like how hair does when it’s in water :3 in my head this would also mean it would poof up a little when he gets mad like in a ghibli movie or a cat bc…. cmon that’d be so fun

also idk what his outfit is i just improvised it bc i didn’t wanna design bro a whole outfit LMAO i never know what to draw him wearing!!!!! smh smh.. it’s okay he’s serving

but anyway…….. im so proud of this and how i did the shading hehe :333 i love him i love him i love him im so tired i love him

ref for the pose after the break if anyone wants it :D

[icewindandboringhorror]

him as bapy... and him 17 years later (still bapy)

[arsenicflame]

It's a time-honoured tradition- every time Sam comes across Izzy (and Ed) in their travels, he asks Izzy to marry him. And every time, Izzy turns him down.

At this point, Sam is asking more for the sake of it than any belief Izzy will ever say yes, a remnant of childhood dedication touched with 30 years of heartbreak and regret- though even now, a small part of him still holds out hope. Sam's promises have only got more extravagant over the years, from a job as his first mate, to a captaincy, a fleet at his command, a whole fucking island if that's what Izzy wants- but he knows it isn't though, not really. If Izzy was ever going to agree to marry him, to leave his life and go with Sam, it wouldn't be for anything Sam could offer him. Izzy never did care for flashy shows of wealth, for a ship or to be captain. The only thing that ever mattered to him was loyalty given, and loyalty shown in return. 

It all comes to a head after Stede left and came back, after Izzy lost a toe, lost his leg. Sam hasn't seen him since before things with Ed started to really slide off the rails, before stress permanently set into the lines of Izzy’s face. So, when he sees a dishevelled man with a hoof for a leg in a no-name port, he doesn't even consider the idea that he might know him. It's only when he turns towards him, and Sam catches a glance at those oh too familiar tattoos, he realises this is Izzy, his Izzy, that stands before him.

Knowing Izzy's discomfort with pity, he doesn't treat him any differently than he would in years gone by, positioning himself in Izzy's line of sight before approaching and sweeping him up into a bone crushing hug. 

“Israel-goddamn-Hands!” he exclaims, as Izzy grumbles back a begrudging “Samuel-fucking-Bellamy”, a tradition almost as old as their friendship itself. Izzy might not hug him back, but he can’t keep the corner of his mouth from twitching, just for a second.

(If Sam holds Izzy a little tighter and a little longer than usual, well. That's his business)

By the time Sam lets go, most of the crew has appeared in the town square, drawn in by the commotion. They may have given Izzy his leg and welcomed him as one of them, but still there’s an underlying tension, with nobody quite ready to set aside everything that happened before the Kraken. Seeing him cosying up to an unknown man sets everyone on edge, unsure whether to come to their first mate’s aid, or to assume that they've been betrayed once again.

When Ed sees that the yelling was Sam, his hand goes tense where it's held in Stede's. He knows the routine, has seen it more times than he can count, but as he watches them part he realises that this is the first time in a long time he's unsure of what Izzy's response will be.

Knowing that something’s different, knowing that Izzy's feeling vulnerable already, Sam doesn't go for the same flashy proposal he’s been giving for years. He doesn't promise Izzy the world, he doesn't cause a scene (or, any more of a scene than he already has, anyway). He looks at the fractured man in front of him, takes his face in his hands, and says the exact same thing to him he said when they were little more than boys. “Israel, I have to ask you. I know what you'll say, but I have to try. Come with me. Marry me and sail away with me. I'll keep you safe”

And Izzy… hesitates. He glances over at Ed, at Stede, and says to Sam “...We’re staying in port for a week. Ask me again then”

That's the moment Sam knows there is something deeply, horribly, wrong. He's not just looking at an Izzy who got seriously injured in a fight and is struggling to cope, this is something so much bigger than that- and that Ed has something to do with it. Izzy wouldn't even be considering leaving if he didn't. Whether it was negligence or something more sinister, Sam doesn't yet know, but he intends to find out.

[privateolives]

This is probably because I grew up watching 24/7 animal planet, but what finally made the allo/aplatonic thing click for me were the nature's of big cats.

Lions are powerful, regal creatures who are uniquely adapted to pack life. They need these connections to live a healthy life; A lonely lion is a miserable creature indeed.

Jaguars are solitary, beautiful creatures who live happily solitary. They prowl their lush world with self-sufficient majesty. A jaguar is not lonely without a pack. In fact, forcing jaguars to share space with others they do not enjoy is just as damaging as forcing a lion to live alone.

A lion may choose to head out on it's own for the most part, but in the end must return to the pack to thrive. A jaguar can choose to trust and enjoy the company of others, but they never feel the need to form a pack.

Is a jaguar selfish for this? A psychopath, a narcissist or any other such horrid assumptions? Is it a less moral creature than a lion, who seeks others like it to thrive?

Is a lion pathetic, or needy, or selfish for wanting community? For requiring contact with others like they require water? For their inherent need to string complicated webs of relationships that may seem silly or dramatic to others?

Of course not. These are ridiculous questions to even ask.

They are simply lions and jaguars.

In fact, is a jaguar that chooses to spend time with you not as magical as a lion's love? For a creature that needs no bond to thrive to still enjoy your presence enough to share it a time? Is a lion who can prowl the night alone not impressive in its strength and resilience? Is it not awe-inspiring in its ability to conquer a life it was never wired for and reign still?

Are they not both beautiful and awe-inspiring in their own ways, without being wrong?

Alloplatonics. Aplatonics. Are we not both special and beautiful in both our bonds and self-confident happiness equal, in each our ways? Is there not unique beauty in lifelong bonded packs and magical encounters that need no perpetuity to carry life forward?

Are we not but lions and jaguars? Neither wrong, neither selfish, but just different and beautiful creatures in each our ways?

That's how I've come to see it, anyway.

[vanhelsingapologist]

You could be something great, but something great is nothing new.

—

I had to redraw Vallaki’s angriest boy again! His hair is longer and he still uses mage hand for everything to prove that he can do magic.

[royalarchivist]

Quackity: Lately, I have been participating in events and projects, and unfortunately it's become clear to me that my presence and name have only been used to attract the attention of my national and international community with the objective, as I see it, of generating more attention towards controversies - destructive controversies, and a rupture that is very clear in the community. [...] In advance, I ask the organizers of any type of events and projects like this to please show more respect to me and my community, because I've shown lots of sympathy and cooperation in these various projects and events, but it's become clear to me that their only interest is in using my name. My name and my community have been used to attract all this attention for distorted purposes, and I will no longer allow that to happen. That is not what my content is about - not me nor my content nor anything I’ve done.

Here's Quackity's commentary on respect and his reasoning for distancing himself and his projects from future events and awards shows.

[ Full Transcript ↓ ]

-

Quackity: Before I leave, I would like to talk about something that is very serious for me and something that I would like to tell you about. Because for me it is a very serious topic and it is a topic that- well, I had my mind on and I want to express it- [reading Chat] yes, thank you. Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas.

Anyways, lately I have been participating in events and projects, and in these events and projects, unfortunately it's become clear to me that my presence and name have only been used to attract the attention of my national and international community with the objective, as I see it, of generating more attention towards controversies - destructive controversies, and a rupture that is very clear in the community, and this is what I want to say: I'm NOT ok with these types of dynamics or stuff like this, and I want to make it very clear to my stream, my community, and everyone that, for this exact reason that I just mentioned, I want to make it clear that I want to distance myself and any of my projects from the Esland Awards, which you all know is coming up.

Sadly, the Esland Awards have been an event with a history of much controversy, a lot of division, and a lot of divisions within the community, and as you guys know, as you know, my content has never been characterized by seeking controversy or divisions or anything like that. It's for this exact reason that I don't want to be involved with these awards.

In advance, I ask the organizers of any type of events and projects like this to please show more respect to me and my community, because I've shown lots of sympathy and cooperation in these various projects and events, but it's become clear to me that their only interest is in using my name. My name and my community have been used to attract all this attention for distorted purposes, and I will no longer allow that to happen. I don't want it to happen. That is not what my content is about - not me nor my content nor anything I've done. That's what I want to make very clear here.

That's about it. I'm going to continue with the projects I'm doing and I want to thank my community so much for the support and love. I appreciate it very much, but I wanted to make this clear - I wanted to make this clear. This is just a topic I wanted to address quickly.

Thank you for all the love and support, I love you all so much.

[wigglebox]

Suptober - Day 9 || Starlight [x]

[laurelnose]

Coworker: Soooocks are you any good at identifying beetles D:

Me: I’m okay at it. Where beetle?

*three minutes later*

Me: *holding out 2" beetle* Oh, this is a California root borer, Prionus californicus! One of our largest native beetles. You only see them in August when they emerge to mate. This one is female, she has smooth antennae. Look at her big mandibles for digging!

Coworker: *observing mandibles from about 10 feet away* I can’t believe you just picked up a strange beetle like that.

Me: Well, she isn’t strange to me.

[toytulini]

oh yeah: Tank Rescape!

[delilahmidnight]

Bro genuinely all they have to do now is have Lisa say something about being Carla's safe place or safe space (and mean it) and that is it, I will literally combust and shatter into a million fragments of lesbian transcendence. You will not be able to kill me in any way that matters

[incesthemes]

"their relationship is romantic" "their relationship is familial" "their relationship is platonic" you're thinking too narrow. their relationship goes beyond labels. the family is inherently queer. their platonic love is romantic. the erotic is familial. each one is the other and the other is them

[thanatologie]

actually, to make my annoyance somewhat emmrich related, i know i briefly mentioned how back in the day in the Before Times places like offices and schools had the giant quart bottles of ink because you'd go with your empty little bottle to the supply closet and get yourself a refill when you needed it (carter's ink was especially notable for their giant cobalt blue bottles and god i want - a full - one but that is neither here nor there), and how places in thedas that see a high volume of ink usage probably have similar. like, you know, the necropolis and stuff.

but also consider ink tablets. it's exactly what it sounds like: little tablets that look like aspirin in blue-black and blue and red and black and green and purple and brown (which were about the only colors you could get except for the occasional rare turquoise), concentrated and meant to be mixed with water in a ratio to make the ink you need. most of the time it was like...one or two tablets per every two ounces of ink (which was a standard bottle size at the time) and was generally a more economical option when you needed / used a large quantity of ink. you could make as much (gallon) or as little (standard two ounce bottle) as you needed and reuse the same bottles again and again instead of buying new each time.

so instead of buying giant fucking bottles of ink to keep the supply closets filled, some unlucky apprentice is tasked with mixing x amount of, idk, grunhild's clear-rite ink tablets or whatever every week or something to keep the bottles filled.

[an-artsy-planetary-black-hole]

Meet Stellar Grape Dragon Cookie! She’s not really a ShadowVanilla kid as much as a GREAT GRAND KID, if that makes sense… when established, the bloodline runs DEEP.

She kinda has a dragon form but I’d like to refine it into a proper reference another time.

Anyway, extra info under the cut:

Stella Grape Dragon is quite a strange dragon. She has little thirst for violence like her other kin (though xey aren’t afraid to fight!), yet loves watching the stars in action, especially ones on a collision course towards one another. Emblazoned with sharp starry eyes, xey are always alert for anything that comes into xyr line of sight, cookie, dragon, or a delicately lit star, for any signs that betray their pull to action. 

While Stella Grape Dragon can be quite the fun-loving cookie, there’s always quiet observance going on. Xey never seem to miss the mark on what’s happening around xem, to the point that regular mortal cookies freak out a bit even if she’s safely disguised as a regular cookie, with the compressed version of xyr wings tucked away safely.

Rumour keeps sprouting up that xey are somehow behind some strange meteorites, but those rumours always seem to mysteriously fizzle out before another, bright, light warping, meteorite shows itself before disappearing into the inky black of night. Who knows what happens when Stellar Grape Dragon returns from each meteor, but cookies always seem to say xey return brighter in more ways than one afterwards.

———

I kinda wanted to do a spin on the whole ShadowVanilla kid thing, since I’ve only ever seen DIRECT decendants of the two, but what about further down the bloodline? You can’t tell me either of these immortal cookies, let alone the rest of the Ancients or Beasts, haven’t got a massive family tree, if a few cookies such as Prune Juice Cookie is anything to go by with how such similarities pop up in their features if you look closely. At least, that’s how I headcannon how big the general Beast/Ancient family tree is if they’re able to have kids.

ALSO YOU CAN’T TELL ME EITHER BEASTS/ANCIENTS HAVEN’T FALLEN FOR REGULAR OL’ COOKIES BEFORE!! It’s like, impossible *not* to! For how long they have lived at this point, it’s a high likelihood, if not guaranteed, there’s at least a few descendants that have no idea part of their family tree includes one or more of the Beasts/Ancients!

Anyway, Stellar Grape Dragon Cookie knows about

[leclerrari]

(x)