#and the thing about social interaction is that if no one knows what they're doing it's not very fun

[astrobydalia]

Smoking Hot

|| Summer Astro Notes

work by astrobydalia

I've spoken about how 7th house synastry isn't always rainbows and butterflies bc it rules over open enemies too. But something undeniably good about this synastry is that it makes you able to perfectly coexist and work with the other person even in those cases where you don't like each other. With this synastry it is easier to detach and put your differences aside if you both have some common goal and/or need to resolve a conflict. 7th house synastry makes it easy to end up on good or polite terms with a person

Scorpio Moons don't handle conflict very well. They present themselves as being all tough and badass and like they are cool with entering conflict and drama but that's only if they feel they have power over other people in the situation. When they are the ones being exposed or emotionally vulnerable they chicken out and dissociate from intensity asap

Scorpio Moon in general is the most sensitive moon sign hands down but not in a good way, like the biggest whining behavior I've seen were form scorpio moons. Also their empathy tends to be pretty self-serving if I'm honest with you since fixed energy is more focused on the self and self-preservation, specially the taurus-scorpio axis

Virgo/Gemini ASC or Mercury in the 1st house people are know-it-alls. They come across as know-it-alls. Every time they open their mouth it's to either teach you, narrate you, inform you or lecture you about something. They're literally Jiminy Cricket

I've found that Taurus Moon men give off this vibe of being a secure provider but they're actually closeted mamas boys. They expect to be provided for by women both emotionally and financially.

Libra ASC men and chasing much younger women!!! Leo DiCaprio is the prime example but I've seen this so so so much with ppl I know irl too. This happens because they have Aries DSC and Aries is the first (aka, the youngest) sign of the zodiac, so Libra ASC tend to be attracted to people who have this fresh, new and inexperienced vibe to them

Air venus/moon natives will get the ick if they sense that you like them a lil too much💀​

Aries Venus loves to be adored and admired in a relatioship more than Leo Venus. I've noticed that's actually what makes them stay longer in a relatioship once the initial thrill is over: they wanna feel like they're able to charm and fascinate their partner as if they just met for the first time. Unlike Air Venus, they definately don't run away if they sense that you like them too much, for Aries Venus their partner being obsessed with them is a huge thing I've noticed

Pisces/Neptune influence on the ASC will either make you look devilishly glamorous and etherial or look homeless and disheveled there's no in between

Mars-Uranus natives completely transform in the bedroom. I've noticed that with Mars-Pluto or Mars-Neptune aspects their sexual energy is palpable and can be sensed and perceived in their overall vibe (in other words, it's easier to guess their kinks). With Mars-Uranus natives you will not see it coming and their kinky/sexual side will shock you

5th house synastry and fighting the urge to giggle like children around each other

Planets do not interact with each other the same way and that depends on the nature of the planets themselves (and the aspects, dignities, etc). For example, Jupiter doesn't always expand what it touches, it can also bring moderation through wisdom, that is the case with Mars for example. In Roman mythology it was said that the reason why Jupiter is right behind Mars in the solar system is because Jupiter wants to keep an eye on Mars to make sure the god of war doesn't bring too much chaos and bloodlust to Earth. In other words, Jupiter does not expand Mars per se because their natures crash (mars is hostile, Jupiter is giving) and social/generational planets always dominate over personal planets. Jupiter is more likely to expand a planet like Venus, Moon or even Sun. Real example: with Jupiter-Mars conjunction in synastry, Jupiter person will motivate Mars person but will also not hesitate to keep Mars person accountable for their actions and make sure they do not cross lines

virgo sun/asc 🤝 wearing glasses and rocking the hot nerd look 🤓

Scorpio is meant to purge and transform things into something better, it's meant to be constructive not merely destructive (all fixed signs are about building UP). That's why when scorpio placements focus on revenge, they just end up finding their own self-destruction

Scorpio Mars people are very influential I’ve noticed. People start changing or doing things differently in some way after meeting them

Scorpio Mars 🤝 their inability to communicate clearly. Out of all scorpio placements scorpio mars are the ones who wanna play the mind-reading guessing game the most. They will love keeping you on the edge wondering their next move, what they're thinking, etc

Another thing is that I've seen many scorpio placements who aren't necessarily all into spirituality or occult and stuff, many of them had an almost superficial interest in it (esp scorpio sun), but that's not the case with Scorpio Mars. Every single Scorpio Mars I've seen was NECK DEEP into spirituality, occult or even religious stuff in some some way even if it was just privately bts.

Sagittarius Venus natives are very experimental with their style and aesthetics, they are the most eccentric venus sign from what I've seen but in a really pretty way. They remind me of Harper from Wizards of Waverly Place

I've noticed Libra Mars/Mercury are very controlling but in a very subtle and undercover way. The type to present their demands as suggestions that could benefit you.

Libra Mercury specially will elegantly always lead (cardinal) the conversations and narratives to where they want to without much effort. They're like the orchestra director of conversations an narratives

Scorpio Suns are either so chill, calm and quiet people or really loud and chaotic people who can't go a day without drama

No one talks about how Gemini/3rd house placements are just as obsessed with their friends and friend groups as Aquarius. The difference is Aquarians are a lot more cult-y about it

To elaborate, Aquarius/11th house placements don't have friends, they have minions, I rest my case. This is literally them:

Something I've noticed with Virgo Mercury is that no matter how polite or light-hearted they try to be, what they say always has this bossy undertone to it kinda like "I am right and you have to listen to what I say" vibe lmao. They're very intense when expressing opinions or making decisions

People with Scorpio+Virgo combo in their chart have a reputation for being rough around the edges and rather unkind or unfriendly. Their energy is rather unwelcoming if you're not close with them and they tend to be very irritable and controlling

Fire risings just ooze this "idgaf" energy, they always look joyful and like they're down for some fun. I noticed all of them enjoy getting recognition, not just Leo. They don't hold back and never wanna miss a chance to express themselves

Earth risings' demeanor give off NPC vibes🧍‍♀️​🗿. They often come across as rather inexpressive or very collected and controlled behavior

Water risings appear to be approachable, vulnerable and open but they aren't.​ If you try to get a lil too close to them like an air sign they will literally glare at you. They remind me of the Grinch a little? 😭 No one gatekeeps their personal space more than them which is ironic bc their aura makes a lot of ppl feel the urge to get closer to them. They are the most likely to attract stalkers or ppl who secretly fantasize with them.

Air risings think about changing their entire life and identity at least 5 times a day. They are rather fluid and unpredictable it's like they're constantly exploring themselves. They are the real mysterious ppl bc they will always have you wondering who they really are cause they don't fully know themselves. It's like they are people without a conclusion in who they are that's the best way I can describe them

I've said this before but Scorpio ASC really is one of the most common rising signs in celebrities due to Leo 10th house (derivative system). Also Earth ASC is very common in celebrities or public figures too since Air 10th house gives a career where you have prominent presence in media and communication. Most common earth asc is Capricorn cause venus ruling 10th house gives wealth and favorable reputation. Most common Air ASC is Gemini (Pisces 10th house) and for fire ASC is Leo (venus ruling 10th house) . But the top most common one as per my observation is def Scorpio ASC

With that said Venus is def more about manifesting abundance and success than Jupiter. I saw a reel that ranked the most common sun signs in billionaires and the top 3 were Libra, Taurus and Pisces.... What do all these signs have in common? VENUS. Many wealthy and successful people have Venus influencing their MC/10th house but very few have Jupiter there. If you wanna manifest I'd say focus more on your Venus sign and the energies ruled by venus in your chart

Again I've said this before Jupiter is a boost in terms of expansion, opportunities and wisdom but its energy on its own does not guarantee anything. Let's remember that Jupiter is debilitated in two earth signs (virgo and Capricorn) which means Jupiter is not about materializing stuff per se, Jupiter is about giving you the wisdom, support, hope, faith and guidance you need which is crucial for manifesting yes but the rest is up to you.

For the most part, I've seen Lilith in the 1st house tend to be patronized more than anything, people tend to not respect them and wanna treat these natives like they're dumb. But I've noticed this happens bc ppl with this placement (or prominent Lilith in general) are often very intelligent and they tend to get minimized a lot bc others feel threatened by them

The most stereotypically neat-picky and perfectionist virgo placement is Virgo Venus. They expect things to be done a certain way and this can be easily felt in how they interact with others which can make their love and affection feel rather conditional. They're not good at faking kindness. I've spoken before about how their social behavior tends to be very dry, and I've also noticed they tend to be openly judgmental and don't really care if they make people around them uncomfortable

we all know juno/venus in the 1st house gives off wife/husband material but have you ever met someone with moon in the 1st house? these people's pull game is LETHAL. Lunar energy is way more powerful than venus in terms of charm and attraction cause moon knows how to tug at you heart, your deepest needs and soft spots. And so natives with this placement make soooooo many people weak for them even if those people wouldn't normally consider the native their type initially (applies for cancer asc too)

Aquarius and Virgo are very similar in how they both seem to have opinions on how things could (and should) be done better. They both tend to come across as know-it-alls

Sun conjuct the ASC or in the 1st house in synastry is very common between people who really like eachother both in a romantic and platonic way. I've noticed this overlay tends to create a very strong bond and attraction. A lot of admiration as well

If you got someone's Lilith on your ASC/1st house big chances are this person is simultaneously disgusted and fascinated by you. I've seen the Lilith person often tends to heavily judge the house person but at the same time they admire the house's person nature and how they effortlessly embody the qualities the Lilith person sees as forbidden and out of reach

Libra Lilith is a very disappointing placement. I've seen slut-shaming is a huge thing with them as well as dragging the shit out of others for very superficial reasons (money, status, looks, etc). They give too much importance to things being "cool" like some air-headed high schooler. Also, they handle conflicts in a very cowardly manner and tend to make promises and commitments they later can't keep.

Taurus placements often times strike me as very conceited tbh, specially sun, venus and mars. They act like they are the only ones in the room with standards, taste or common sense.

Also, I've noticed underdeveloped Taurus placements tend to be secretly rather envious? They focus too much on what others have that they don't, they wanna be the ones who notably have more

Both Aries Moon and Scorpio Moon have volatile emotions I've observed since they share Mars rulership, they tend to explode out of nowhere. The difference is that Aries Moon tends to get over it fast like sometimes it's even amusing to see them mad, they will put you in your place and move on. I've noticed they don't really hold grudges much cause they don't really take things too personally and when they do they attack ppl's actions no ppl themselves if that makes sense. Scorpio Moons in comparison are much more catastrophic when going about their emotions, they fr act like it's the end of the world and 9/10 times WILL make things personal. They act like it's fine once the heat dies down but they actually tend to secretly hold on to that anger and resentments for a long ass time if not forever

Aquarius Moon is the most independent moon sign, they tend to be precocious children who grow up really fast, maybe too fast. I've seen that they are forced into adult life VERY early on and they seem to stomach it like it's nothing. I've seen several ppl with this placement who were literally kicked out of their house by their family. It won't be that extreme in all cases, but there seems to be a theme with Aquarius Moons in general and being emotionally disconnected from any sense of dependability on others... for better and for worse

work by astrobydalia

[notbecauseofvictories]

god i have so many thoughts re: your salesman jim interacting with data tags from the perspective of union organising. the way our job has morphed from grassroots community to insurance salesman is the most depressing way to fight back in late stage capitalism.

[post with said tags, for reference]

One of the things that Capitalist Realism articulated and that remains particularly interesting to me is the sense of almost inevitability that is one of capitalism's greatest assets. The fact that capitalism can feel and seem set in stone, true and unalterable as the sun rising, impossible to fully extricate yourself from in any meaningful way, is why it's so hard to fight back against it. If it were a matter of simply telling people that the math is wrong, we wouldn't be here---but we are, and there's math and belief and religion and selfhood and government and a hundred other slippery, often critical ideas threaded through the gears of that machine.

(...I know, I know, that Ursula K. LeGuin quote about the divine right of kings. But it's not like someone made a really good argument and all the kings got together and agreed that by gum, he's right, this doesn't make sense! let's go ahead and give up our crowns, wealth, leadership, armies, etc. It took thousands of years, wars, and lots of people dying or fleeing to other bits of map---and we still have the bastards hanging around.)

And I mean, look, some people really honestly are not concerned about privacy. I remember talking to a fellow law student about all the apps she used to run her life, how enmeshed she was in the IOT universe, how much she wished she could have a smart house---this was before ring cameras really took off, but she would have loved one. Mostly, I remember asking how she felt about surrendering her privacy and her saying, very earnestly, I don't care. For her, sharing her data was the price she paid to smooth out the edges of her life, and she was comfortable with that price.

I get that! I don't agree, but it makes sense; that is definitely a choice that people can make for themselves, based on their own personal calculus.

What I worry about is when those choices and their alternatives start being taken away. When you must share certain information with your bank, your employer, your utilities, your tax preparer, the company that sells you concert tickets, because that is the way---the only way---it's done. (SSO is a curse and 'download our app' makes me want to commit operatic violence.) When it becomes meaningfully more difficult to navigate the web, because now you're dragging six pixels and four trackers behind you with every new site you visit; when you have to x out of 2-5 floating ads just to read the news. (I dumped the web cache and installed adblocker on my mother's laptop this weekend, because she was complaining about this.) The number of times my colleagues have mentioned asking Copilot or ChatGPT for answers, knowing that they should keep confidential business information away from those systems, but never questioning the personal data they share.

Jim in Sales is complicit but not at fault, not really. It's not the web qua itself---it's the web plus a hundred thousand different social and market pressures, and a whole macrocosm of people all over the world feeding into this one experience, and the overriding sense is that we're on a roller coaster that won't stop, can't stop, and jumping from the track doesn't seem like a healthy option.

It's that inevitability that I mentioned above, the awareness that---well that someone, somewhere, is deciding to make this thing worse, but you will never find them. You can't write them a letter or call anyone on the phone; you can't even tell a regulatory body to go after them, because what they're doing isn't breaking the law any more than the Swill milk scandal was breaking the law. Changes seem to happen out of the ether, no human hand is involved, and there's no comment period attached to the decisions a private corporation makes in its infinite wisdom and generosity.

The falcon cannot hear the falconer, the center cannot hold, yeah sure---but man is it a bummer that we can't even see the rough beast slouching to Bethlehem anymore. Instead, we'll get a push notification that we may or may not have consented to, updating us on the beast's progress and offering us 25% off if we subscribe to the spirITus.mundi app today!!!

[eldritch-spouse]

Pinnie!

Just how high is the triplets' potential to develop an obsession with a mutual childhood friend?

And what would it be like for us (said friend) in this situation? 😭

Finally, thank you for your irreplaceable contributions to the monsterfucking community!! 🫶

[Me?? Rsnrk, I'm flattered! <:}]

From a previous ask:

I believe I specified that the triplets got most of their education on the surface, in a mixed school, with humans and monsters. But if I haven't, there you go.

It's quite possible. Being in a mixed school will have kids making friends with all kinds of species, though it's also frequent to see little "cliques" form.

Perhaps you and the triplets met in a class where you were the only human, and they were the only demons. While the triplets may have had each other to initially socialize with, you sure didn't. It was hard for them to connect with other monsters due to a certain unfortunate stigma that got passed around, and it was equally hard for you to fit in, no matter how much you tried to behave like a monster.

Thus, an unlikely sort of kinship rises between the four of you. The triplets get to know you better, and though you find them to be strangely eccentric, they are interesting company. They inevitably start treasuring you as their best friend, even when others finally come around to join your social circles. They drag you off groups to play with them, become overly protective of you in their own ways, they even try to get you in on their shenanigans.

No, none of them like you. Ew, that's gross. Girls are weird and... Girly.

Puberty swings by and suddenly things are a bit awkward between you. The triplets seem to compete with each other, wanting alone time with you, as opposed to hanging out in a group. You're also a tad confused yourself. There's a spark of attraction there you don't want to poke too hard, these are your childhood friends after all, and you'd hate to do something that would shatter the longest friendships you've had!

Plus, isn't it a bit weird to date all of the triplets? Your teenage brain is a little frazzled, and very upset that your best friends are fighting each other for something that may be doomed from the start.

In hindsight, the way three demons constantly orbit you might have been the reason no others tried to romantically approach you at this time.

Adulthood is only marginally better, in the sense that the triplets have come to terms with the fact that they all love you, and they can be mature enough to share you. They're also a little more subtle with their approaches, as opposed to their inconsistent and fumbling attempts during teenhood.

They've never moved on from you, and they hope in their hearts that you still see them in a similar way.

After all... You haven't dated anyone yet. Not that they'd ever let that happen, but besides that.

You're practically dating them as is! You hang out all the time, know so much about each other- You've seen each other naked! There were little secretive moments where maybe touching went a little further that it necessarily had to, shared curiosities...

Maybe the four of you are already in a relationship dynamic, you just have to name it, speak it aloud! Say how things are.

One of you will do it eventually.

And by the way Mervin keeps tweaking more erratically with each passing interaction, it might be him. Or maybe Obie, who starts eating his own bag when he has to play along and pretend he doesn't love you. Perhaps Ludwig, who simmers in his own dwindling patience...

They've all already slipped up and called you something a little too sugary to be a simple nickname.

You can't be this blind! Let them love you! Say you love them! Say you need them!

They will always be there. Since the day you wore fake sharp teeth to school, to the day death pries their claws off you.

[overangel]

Would the fam stalk darlings social media and TikTok reposts…

Thanks for the ask🩵

When they find out you have socials they're definitely stalking in their own ways.

You have some private ones that you use to talk to extended family and old friends and Bruce and Tim are the type to reach out to extended family members and introduce themselves. Bruce is the benevolent billionaire father who's putting distant cousins through school and paying for medical care and home repairs.

He ingratiates himself easily and everyone in your extended family (as long as they don't know the bad things about Bruce/batfam) have a positive opinion of him as "not like the other elites." Before you know it, your extended relatives are very fond of Bruce and Tim and you're sick of hearing their praises.

Tim stalks your old friends and classmates, and wiggles his way into any fan groups or anything you're in with throwaway accounts. He's studied all of your interests and can connect with you anonymously as an online friend and you'd be none the wiser until you start to feel creepy vibes. Block him and he'll just come back as a new person with a totally different personality. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Everyone stalks your socials and especially scrutinize tiktok. Who are you interacting with? Dick calls you at 3am to ask why you liked that one guys post on Insta. Does he need to be worried?

Damian looks through every account you follow across all platforms because he's got time and judges them all accordingly. He's not above flagging other's accounts, or sending bots to downvote them or send hate. Damian has personally sent some nasty dms and anonymously doxxed others. He knows that social media was a mistake.

Damian learned how to dox from Tim who does it every other weekend because he feels like it. If he thinks someone's trying to get too cozy with you online, liking too many of your posts, you're liking or responding to them more than a couple of times, Tim's digging for any dirt searching hard drives and exposing it all. The internet is forever.

They all search your socials to get a feel of what and who you like. Why'd you like that woman's pic? Cass is staring at the picture and frowning. Why did you like this artist? What speaks to you in that piece and how can Damian do the same? What kind of guy do you like because you never ever like Dick's photos but like a ton of different types from others.

They all have throwaway/sockpuppet accounts and check for updates like your socials are their news which it kinda is. The only ones you knowingly and willingly share and talk to are Jason, Alfred, Duke, and literally everyone else and Dick, Tim, Bruce, Steph, and Damian are openly hostile to them about it. Bruce has had several sites temporarily shut down and secretly bought a few/bought majority stock just to keep an eye on what you were up to.

They save your tiktoks and posts across multiple accounts so it doesn't get suspicious and share ways to get through when you set your account to private and how to appear like different people. They swap selfies like trading cards and you have no idea how much tension a few accounts you use to keep up with hobbies and people would cause.

You've severely underestimated how sick everyone is.

[chromieclipse]

By your own blessing i'm asking for everyone who don't know yet, myself included

Achilles and Zain, what can you tell us about them and their stories? (Without spoiling future stuff ofc :3)

What made you come up with them? What story are they cannon to and WHY THEY SO DAMN ADOREABLE HELP ME AAAAAAAAA (sorry i had to gush a bit X3)

Of course, I'm happy to!

Achilles and Zain are a pair of OCs I like to put into kind of everything, but for the purposes of this explanation, I'll just describe who they are and what's going on with them in Deltarune!

This got really long so I'll put it all below a cut <3

Achilles moved around a lot as a kid, up until he moved into Hometown when he was around 12 after his mother's disappearance. He's autistic, trans, and gay, and he struggles a lot with connecting to people on a deep level. He was friends with the Holidays and Dreemurrs until Dess's disappearance when he was 16. Due to it reflecting his own trauma, he became incredibly distant with the two families - still staying in contact with Asriel, but generally keeping to himself.

He's very morally driven, wanting to do the "right" thing. Ever since Dess disappeared, his goal has been to find her and bring her back. There's a certain level of responsibility he puts on himself for this, feeling as though he should have done something to prevent her disappearance, to save her - but he's made little progress in the years since her disappearance.

If he were in the game, you'd be able to find him on the way to the Shelter, leaning against a tree. He'd be closer and closer to it, up until midway through chapter 4, where he's at the shelter, and you can ask him why he's always down here. he'd explain that a shelter is meant to keep people safe, and you don't just close off a location meant to save people. Something isn't right about that.

When asking about his scars (something you could do every chapter, every time you speak to him) he'd tell you a different story. In chapter 1, he'd say he's surprised Asriel didn't tell you, before pausing, and then having a little smile as he tells you an absolutely ridiculous way he got them. Susie likely says he's full of crap at some point lol

In the Dark World, his gimmick revolves around being unable to defeat enemies when he attacks them! He'll leave them at 1hp, and then he will purposefully miss attacks. He has a fire breath magic attack, a regular attack (which he does with a warhammer), and a healing action :> A-action would likely be some awkward social interaction and it would be funny every time.

Achilles is a person trying to adjust to "normal" life when he doesn't really understand normality, even after years of living in Hometown.

Zain, on the other hand, is a wanderer who intentionally leaves his backstory kind of nebulous. He just sort of showed up in Hometown one day with all his whimsy and smiles in tow.

Zain is cis, but he's unlabeled - whoever he's attracted to, he's attracted to. He's also poly! Like Achilles, he struggles to make connections - though unlike Achilles, this is 100% of his own accord, and he does it on purpose. Everyone has a nickname for him, and he doesn't call anyone by their name - unless they're Achilles, of course.

Zain has a strange relationship with religion, so much so that at the start of chapter 4, he likely can be found just leaning against the outside of the Church after worship. When spoken to, he'd say "oh I'm a devil, didn't you know? Going inside burns." Susie would probably immediately be fed up with him as he grins and messes with the both of them.

He's a shapeshifter, meaning he can appear pretty much however he likes - though he tends to keep the form seen above. If you ask Achilles about Zain at some point, he'd probably go into a time where he and Zain were hanging out, and he left to go get some food, only to be startled when he came back and Asriel was sitting there. Zain then started laughing, having turned into Asriel, and Achilles just. Holds his chest after that panic attack lmao.

Zain is also something of a flirt - though that wouldn't be something the main characters experience. The idea there's a dialogue option called 'flirt' and then instead of Kris ACTUALLY flirting, it's asking if Zain really does flirt with everyone, is really funny. He'd respond that he only flirts with people over 18, and while they're almost there, he's not quite comfortable flirting with them.

In the dark world, Zain would be very cowboy-based. His weapon would be a gun, and his gimmick would be he can mimic the abilities of his teammates! So hypothetically he could use Heal Prayer OR Rude Buster if you REALLY needed him to. Z-Action would likely be some sort of shapeshifting into the enemy, or something the enemy likes. He'd also have plant-based attacks alongside his cowboy themeing!

Sorry this got so long, I uh. These two are two of my most developed OCs, and so I have a lot of in-depth thoughts about them </3

There are things I didn't go into, as it's either more complicated to explain or I didn't feel comfortable describing, but these are some basic gists of their characters and what they're about! <3

[lith-myathar]

.

[icewindandboringhorror]

"We can get through this by working together, reach out to your friends, community is all we have, a social network will be your security in the world, now is the time to lean on others!"

I do agree, and it's scientifically sound (pretty sure there is data about how people with better social networks live longer and etc) but also....augh..... what about the severe social issues, difficulty to leave the house, physical issues which lead to like zero socialization energy a majority of the time, etc. etc. Social support can be a replacement for structural support, but.. I guess I just wish it didn't have to be. Community is extremely difficult to build, even moreso if you're someone who has issues with social cues or group conversations or even just being around others in the first place. And blah, nuance, of course I'm just complaining or maybe being too negative or maybe misunderstanding, but, I hardly have the energy to brush my hair once every 2 months.. how am I supposed to maintain a wide social network and be active in a Community and Join Groups lol... sometimes it kind of feels like "er.. well if thats my only option then...... ruh roh". It's overwhelming

[marxism-songbirdism]

They should invent a Songbird that is easy for people to love and be friends with

[snekdood]

idg bullies bc if you think someone is committing some sort of social sin... why aren't u stepping in to help them, why are you watching them fuck up? clearly its important enough to you that you try to socially punish the fellow, if this is a social cause you are so very impassioned about, why not help that person not fuck up?

or... did you just want to laugh at someone fucking up? bc at that point you're providing nothing to anyone besides just being an asshole but hey ig some people are proud of their assholes so

[neverendingford]

.

[germx]

am i autistic or was i just homeschooled

[thatdisasterauthor]

👀 i would be interested in hearing the deviantart points rant

Alrighty, the deviantART points rant. For context, I had a dA account from the time I was 12 and used it steadily until I was about 20. I was also a volunteer moderator with them for about a year, and they even offered me a job at one point. (But there was no way in heaven or hell they could've paid me enough to move to southern California, and god forbid they offer remote work.)

dA was one of the original social media behemoths. Never quite to the level of Twitter or Facebook, but if you were an artist you were on deviantART. It was a fantastic site back in its heyday. Artists got their start on there, recruiters were on there, art directors were on there, the community building features were fantastic. Yeah, it had its share of weird shit, but point me to a website that doesn't.

Multiple famous artists got their start on deviantART. Back then, it was a place you got real, legitimate work from. A place you could use to build a real, legitimate audience. The titans of early 2000s digital art that pretty much everyone knows (in the West, anyway), the ones who still have a massive effect on art styles today, basically all got their start on deviantART. It influenced the entire western culture of what art looks like on the internet, and that bled out into what art looks like everywhere else because these people made beloved shows and comics and movies and books and everything else.

But one of the best things about deviantART was that it was created at a time before everyone decided social media had to be slimmed down to its barest bones. It was a complex site, and there was a lot to it. That made it really easy for all levels of artists (and just plain art enjoyers) to use, and easy for them to make it function in a way that worked for them. This fostered a great environment where people of all skill levels could interact, share knowledge, and just absorb skills from one another.

Now, one area deviantART didn't initially cater to people was built-in payment options. They had a print shop you could upload your work to, but it was like Redbubble or Printful; merch selling, not custom work selling. So if artists wanted to offer commissions, they'd have to take payments elsewhere. (Usually Paypal.) Which was fine! That worked great!

But, well. Corporations gonna corporate. I forget the exact year, but one day they launched a new feature called Points. Points were a site specific currency, and they were one of the first (if not the first) to have such a thing. There were also some other things launched with it, including the ability to accept commissions with points as payment. You could also use points to buy site subscriptions, badges, stuff from the print shop, etc., or you could gift them to other people. You could also cash them out for real currency, for a fee (I wanna say the fee was 10%, and less if you were a subscribed user, but I can't remember exactly).

The conversion rate for Points was 1 Point=1US cent. Which seems fine on the surface! But the problem was psychological, because what they didn't do was actually make it look like that. Points instead looked like dollars, because there was no equivalent to actual CENTS in the Points ecosystem. So, for example, lets say you want to charge one dollar for something. That would look like this:

$1

P100.

Or ten dollars for something:

$10

P1000

Or a hundred dollars for something:

$100

P10000

See the problem? They're the same VALUE, but points just look massively bigger. This was especially a problem for people who didn't know what the conversion rate was because they just didn't know, or they were from other countries and REALLY didn't know because it wasn't related to their own currencies at all. (I think there was also a max amount of points you could charge for a commission, like a couple hundred dollars worth maybe? It was low when you converted it to real currency, if I'm remembering correctly.)

It devalued the art market like a knife to the gut. People were suddenly taking commissions for literal pennies just because the numbers LOOKED bigger. And because deviantART was such a hub for the art community, it bled out elsewhere. Prices started to dip other places too, because people who DID understand the conversion rate knew they could go on deviantART and get shit for super cheap from the people who didn't know or care. Which made other people lower their prices to compete, and it just resulted in a spiral to the bottom.

Would the art market have still tanked in the same way without the introduction of Points on dA? Maybe. But Points were the first domino to fall, and they were a massive one. The art market has never recovered even though deviantART has been 90% dead for going on a decade.

So yes. There's my internet history rant on Points and art values. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

[luulapants]

Do prisoners actually want/enjoy those penpal programs? Because it seems like such an easy thing to do if it helps them but like with all things prison system related or possibly white savior esq feels I wonder if there's a catch

Ask me about incarceration!

YES.

Oh my god, yes, people are DESPERATE for penpals. Prisoners apply to join those programs and most have years-long waiting lists before they can get matched. These are people who are socially deprived and often feel like no one on the outside even knows they're alive. They need to talk to someone in the "real world" outside of prison.

The big catch is that it's a HUGE commitment - not easy at all. If you become a penpal, you are most likely going to become that person's primary emotional support. If they've got 7 years, you better be ready to do 7 years, keep up with it, and set boundaries for frequency. The absolute worst thing you can do is over-commit, burn yourself out, panic, and ghost them. That happens, and it's devastating.

That said, if you're willing to take that on, you could change or even save someone's life. I'll put more guidance on things to consider if you become a penpal below the cut.

One alternative that's come up in my community, which seems like it was a really low barrier to get started, are card writing events. Before holidays (even things like St. Patrick's day and 4th of July - anything Hallmark has a card for), the group will do a pop-up at a local church. They provide names of incarcerated people who have requested holiday cards, as well as donated greeting cards. They recommend that you write as much as you can - about anything. I once described the scenery on the drive I'd be taking to get home for the holidays, and I bet you anything the recipient read it ten times, because that's how much they crave contact. The nice thing about a program like this is it avoids that long-term commitment. I would love to see more of those crop up around the country.

A prison penpal will most likely, at some point, ask you for money. Financially supporting someone in prison is a lot - incarceration is disgustingly expensive - and you will have some complicated emotions about your level of comfort on the outside compared to theirs, what you're able to give, what you want to give, if you're being taken advantage of, etc. You have to set boundaries with them and yourself before you begin - decide on a number that you're willing to give, and stick to it.

You also have to set relationship boundaries, especially if you're a woman writing to a straight man. Again, these are socially deprived people. Not being allowed to interact with any women for years at a time does not cultivate appropriate behavior. They're lonely, and you will seem like the Only Woman In The World, and that tends to lead to some feelings that can be uncomfortable for the penpal.

You also have to think about your return address in terms of boundaries. Most people in prison will get out someday, and they will likely have very few connections or resources on the outside. Unless you're willing to have this person show up at your house asking for somewhere to live, you might need to go through a program that lets you use its address or get a PO box. You'll probably feel conflicted and gross about that, too, but again, supporting a whole grown person is probably more than you're looking to sign up for when you become a penpal.

[ahoyimlosingmymind]

something about there being this unspoken understanding in the batfam that Jason really is just one unkind word away from falling apart completely at any given time.

It is not immediately obvious when Jason comes storming into the batcave in a bad mood, or when he takes a shot at one of them that it's a test.

An unfair test, but some weird, oddly understandable one if you step back and consider the myriad of traumas Jason has that have never had the chance to be properly dealt with thanks to the natural isolation of his life. T

here's this moment of epiphany among them when Damian makes some offhanded comment after Jason has left in a rage, where he's like "He's almost as socially inept as I was when I first came from the league."

and Oh.

Because yeah. Jason's hyper competent in combat, and strategy, and he can be clear and easy to talk to when it's about a mission or patrol, but when it's just them-- casual? No gear? No masks and vigilante roles to hide behind, it's like Jason is stumbling through every interaction. If he's not being immediately bitchy, he's awkward and quiet, and looks so out of place. They know Jason is compassionate, and can be soft, because he is with victims and children-- but he can't seem to let himself have any true permanence as Jason Todd.

While it's not an excuse for Jason to be a bitch to test them... the epiphany is: Jason hasn't been in community or relationship with people in years. Maybe ever, if you really think about it. He's doing that thing that the more brash street kids do. The ones who poke and prod at wounds because they're trying to gauge safety.

Because the batfam is Jason's last grasp at having a permanent place where Jason Todd can exist... but it can only happen if he's wanted. The rest of the world thinks he's dead. He can't really be understood by the average civilian.

How else does he prove he's wanted than to give them all the things that would make it easy to leave?

the batfam sees the truth of it though. it’s in the way Jason snaps at them, but flinches at his own tone because it’s so obvious he didn’t mean for it to come out that way. It's not something they noticed before Damian said what he said. And in the past, Tim or Damian would bite back with a psychologically dismantling remark. Because they're all witty, and some of Jason's complexes are just glaring red targets, and well- He's usually the one that provokes! Right? So it's fine? But this time--

Jason says something he shouldn't, and he stares at them wide-eyed and clearly terrified for the response and they all just shrug and move on with things, Tim even huffs out a laugh, and says, "Yeah, okay Jason." And Jason visibly calms down. His whole body seems to untense, and then he very quietly mumbles, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it." And it's like you can hear a pin drop.

Then Bruce nods in acknowledgement, and his tone is even when he says, "We know, Chum."

Because not once in his life has he been met with actual neutrality. Not indifference, not rage-- just neutrality that says, "You're not gonna provoke us, or scare us off."

and that makes it easier to breathe amongst them. It makes it easier to trust that they might like the little good he has to offer, if they're not scared of all the ugly.

ugh idk, just something that makes them realize that Jason is in a constant state of emotional panic, and while he's not stupid at all, he's got extremely underdeveloped interpersonal skills, especially familial ones.

as time goes on, there comes a point where Jason says something barbed, it's just him and Dick, and Dick is like, "You know, Damian used to do the same thing when he first came here. He said all the worst things he could think of, and he tried to kill Tim, and he complained about Alfred's cooking, and was always waiting for the other shoe to drop."

and Jason's fucking disarmed because HELLO? And so he's like, "What the fuck does that have to do with anything--"

"He's still here, Jason. And I have every intention of making sure you stay, too. But damn, can we check the attitude at the door, sometimes?"

bc accountability is also >>>

[phantomrose96]

When people join self-improvement or even hobbyist communities, there are some absolutely critical skills of fundamental skepticism they need when going in. I think most people who get into these communities aren't aware of these.

And just, as a fundamental few:

Does this person stand to gain financially from the thing they're trying to sell you on?

Is the business model of this whole community one of artificial competitiveness? Is there a pressure around never lapsing, or never straying from the model being sold to you?

Are the claims made in this community becoming bolder and bolder deviations from standard information?

These are absolutely rife in fitness, nutrition, and financial-advice communities and they often receive very little scrutiny except among those who already "got out." Because from the outside, seeing someone get into fitness is a good thing, good for them, glad to see it, look at that dedication, happy for them. Same on the other categories, and probably numerous others I haven't seen.

---------

Does this person stand to gain financially from the thing they're trying to sell you on?

If the answer is yes, that does NOT mean "immediately abort", it means keep that in mind when you're interacting with their content.

This nutrition influencer has given you some great recipes for free, and now they're promoting a "really fantastic" brand that they have an affiliate link with? Their motivation isn't to be your friend and helpfully clue you in on a great product. It's to make money off you.

You really like this fitness influencer's work outs, but she gets MORE interaction and MORE viewers the skinnier she gets? She CLAIMS she's been losing weight naturally with healthy eating and exercise, and she's still full of energy, and You Can Too. This is not your friend. This is not someone who knows you. This is someone under large financial and social pressure to do everything she can to put out her best appearance and her happiest appearance, and your attention and belief in the appearance is where the money and clout come from. You really need to remember this in the same way you remember to look both ways before crossing the street. You can cross a street and you can follow a fitness account, but protect yourself when doing it.

---------

Is the business model of this whole community one of artificial competitiveness? Is there a pressure around never lapsing, or never straying from the model being sold to you?

Communities stay strong if they retain people. There are a lot of fine and positive ways to retain people, but it's often easier to retain people by instilling them with a sense that they must be here. They should feel bad if they lapse or if their attention drifts. What they were before was inadequate. Everyone outside this community is inadequate. Do you want to go back to inadequate?

Is that financial subreddit that taught you valuable lessons about 401k's, index funds, and budgeting also quietly pressuring you to always do more? Are the top posts from extremist examples of people living in destitution so they can show the most extreme screenshot, and curate the envy of everyone else who ought to be ashamed of not doing as well as them?

Is that fitness community that got you into jogging also putting you in the mind that the truest and best people exercise 7 days a week? Never miss a metric? Never compromise on their dedication?

Is that person who "cut out all sugar and feels amazing" informing you that you should never have another cupcake in your life? And if you DO it's because you're BAD and DON'T WORRY, you'll get RIGHT back on the horse after. Shame will motivate you to come right back, and stay with the community, and never leave.

As long as you stay, the community grows. As long as you stay, the ad sponsors and the endorsed products and the influencers can benefit more and more. And sometimes, there's perhaps not even a malicious force behind it. It can happen from evolutionary pressures. The communities that survive are the ones that retain people. A community that trips accidentally into a model of pressuring people to stay is one which retains people and thrives.

-----------

Are the claims made in this community becoming bolder and bolder deviations from standard information?

You joined because you wanted to learn to cook for yourself. And this community has been helpful! You know how to make some delicious things. You've tried vegetables you've never tried before. And maybe you needed some convincing that brussel sprouts can be yummy, but what do you know, turns out you like them roasted.

But what else is being said? What things are being said with more and more frequency? Is it that "humans don't actually need any sugar, and it's a poison being sold to us?" Is it that "seed oils are toxic for you"? Is it that "pasteurization is bad"? Is the raw fruitarian convincing you that cavemen lived exclusively off fruit and you can too?

They'll have sources sometimes. Check them. Are they cherry-picked? Are they from an insular echo-chamber? Why isn't the mainstream literature aware of this? And if the answer has anything to do with "because mainstream wants to TRICK YOU and you're actually BAD for ASKING" then don't engage. Disregard. Take the recipes if you must but apply your skeptical filter to all the parts that are snake oil.

Sometimes it's that another community is only a stone's throw away. That person with a great financial portfolio has only good things to say about crypto, and what they're saying is making sense (average person [not smart] [poor] [bad money skills] laughs at crypto, but you're smarter. you're on the in-track). That amazing bodybuilder is pulling the hottest dates, and he says it's about male-confidence, and he says there are good support guides on becoming a respectable masculine man, and all you need to do is reclaim your masculinity in a society that wants to steal it from you.

In any place like this, come up for air. Come up for air FREQUENTLY. Talk to regular people and engage in academic literature outside this circle. Conspiracy thinking wins if you draw all your information from the entity trying to sell you on the conspiracy.

------------

And I hope this is clear but my message is not "never join a community." My message is know danger when you see it. Recognize when you're being used or pressured. Don't fall for conspiracy thinking. Protect yourself. You can use a gas stove to cook meals but don't touch the flame and don't burn your house down. You can cross the street but recognize the signs of a car coming down the street.

And I'm making this point because so many people just don't know. ...Because getting into fitness is "good" and "self-improvement"! So is nutrition. So if financial responsibility. People walk into it and the extremism can make them feel accomplished, and admired, and like they're a part of something, and maybe even like a proper self-punishment for their own inadequacies. And people on the outside won't save you because "Wow! He spends 3 hours at the gym every day! I wish I was that dedicated." is a common attitude, and will push you deeper into what has its claws in you.

Everything I'm saying is not because I'm so much smarter and so much holier-than-thou for knowing this when others don't--I'm saying this because I was in it. I fell for it. Not all the examples above, of course. But I recognize the machine in them. It is highly appealing to run farther and fast longer and overload your class schedule when you don't feel good enough and want to prove something, and so many communities will sell you on the idea this IS an accomplishment. Then once you do, you have to do it forever. Or else you'll go back to not being good enough. And since fitness is "good", and weight-loss and good grades, no one can save you but you.

The answer was not to give up on the hobbies I was doing. I cook for myself most nights. I run and bike as regular parts of my routine. I like new recipes and I like half-marathons. But these are just positive additions to my life and they do not define my worth. If I miss a work-out it's whatever. If I order take-out it's whatever. I fundamentally do not care about the influencer with the washboard abs, and if I try a work-out from her, I have no loyalty to it. If the new recipe I try mentions "clean eating" I'll roll my eyes and just figure out if the recipe seems good. If the recipe is botching itself to avoid certain scare-words I will simply find something else.

There is absolutely a reasonable place for challenging yourself and trying things outside your comfort zone. The internet is full of resources to do so much more than you currently know how to do. And if that community is an oven, recognize it's an oven. Wear oven mitts. If it's actively on fire, leave. You're the only one protecting you. Stay safe.

[currently-dating-everything]

helloo if it’s not too much trouble coudl i request eddie and volt romantic headcanons with reader/the player character? you could do all three together or seperate i dont mind whichever ^_^ thank you !!!

A/N: Chose to do them together for now! I always feel like I don't write enough for these so hopefully I did them both justice

Characters: Volt, Eddie

Relationship: Romantic

Congrats, they're YOUR hypocritical workaholics now!!

The only thing that matters more to them than the Breaker Box is each other, and the only thing that matters as much as them is you!

The club and their work mean a lot to both of them, so having you there (either to help with repairs or service or just to hang out) makes them very happy. You're basically the third owner at the end of the day- all the regulars know you, and you know the place like the back of your hand. Or the inside of your fuse box.

Oh yeah, you get so much better at technical repair just from dating Eddie, either from offering to help fix the lighting system around the club or just asking him for repair advice. He really likes feeling useful, especially with you and Volt, so despite any grumblings he really likes being able to show you how to fix things. Definitely the type to guide your hands if you don't know what you're doing, then gets flustered and quiet in the most obvious way possible when he realizes.

Eddie's an introvert, and doesn't have a great love for social interaction, so he's pretty prickly around others especially if neither you nor Volt are around. Not that he's intentionally rude or standoffish, he just knows how weak his social battery is and who his people are, and he gets grumpier the longer he's forced into prolonged social interaction without either of you there to give him an out. 100% requires you guys to recharge his social battery if he can't get any alone time.

Meanwhile, Volt is an extrovert. He's great at meeting people and getting along with them, though he's very mindful of Eddie's energy level, and yours as well if you're not big on the social scene. While Eddie is reserved around others and relaxed around you and Volt, Volt is boisterous and confident around his patrons and mellower around you and Eddie.

Volt and Eddie also have very different preferences for privacy when it comes to who knows they're dating you. Vox will practically shout it from the rooftops for all to hear ("Ah, yes! My wonderful partner, my better half! There you are!"), while with Eddie it's honestly a wonder that anyone even knows you know each other. Not because he's ashamed, he just doesn't see how it's anyone's business.

Volt is very outgoing about showing affection. Compliments and pet names are very common ("live wire"), as are acts of physical affection. He especially likes putting an arm around you and giving a kiss to your forehead, or taking your hand to kiss the back or pull you closer to him. He also has no problem with PDA, and frequently initiates it.

While a tad more reserved, Eddie is a surprisingly affectionate guy, though it happens mostly in private. He really likes holding your hand, either to ground you to his side or kiss your palm (something he does All The Time, often without even realizing it). It's a tossup whether or not receiving affection will fluster him- depending on his confidence level, it'll either make him blush and look away while he holds your hand tighter, or fire back with a kiss or some flirty one-liner and a cocky grin.

Volt and Eddie look out for each other in their own ways, and you're definitely not exempt from that care. Volt takes pride in being able to look after you, and your comfort and happiness means a lot to him, so he prioritizes it even if it's inconvenient (not that he'd ever say that). Eddie knows you on a level that may surprise you, but he's just an observant guy who has a great memory. He does a lot of subtle, acts-of-service-type things that he never talks about (making your favorite drinks just the way you like them, assuring that your favorite seat is always open for you), because he worries that he's not good at the "relationship thing" and he just wants to do right by you. They both do.