#definitions and common questions

[our-afamspec-experience]

What is familial attraction?

In order to understand what being Afamilial is, we must learn what the attraction we lack even is in the first place

Familial Attraction is the clossness of family or the desire to be family with someone you know

It is not necessary that to experience attraction you must be blood related, you don't even need to have adopted them as a child in order to. Familial attraction is similar to platonic attraction in that regard, but instead of friends, you feel like siblings However it is most commonly felt towards blood reletives for Allofamilials [Side note: Even if you're Allofamilial, you don't necessarily experience familial attraction towards all of your blood reletives, same as for Alloromantics, Allosexuals, Alloplatonics, etc..]

---

It is not incest This is a rather common misconception from Allofamilials, whether or not in good faith

"But didn't you (Mod V) call yourself homofamilial?"

I'm on the more familial favorable end of afamilials, but that seems to mainly be with the other girls / women in my family I'm honestly not really comfortable with most of the boys/men in my family, and I think I may experience less of a desire to be familially close to them, But for the girls, I do still care for them, just... not in any form of attraction. Probably emotional attraction ig.

Tertiary / Non-Rose attraction still has orientations. It just so happens that almost everyone is pan

---

Forgive me if this was badly written

[halcyon-deluxe]

what do you value most in someone?

At *least* a 2x resistance to ground type attacks. My last partner died due to a 4x weakness to earthquake and it gave me SUCH an ick :/ likeeeee I haaaaate it when my partner gets one-shot by earthquake spammers. its such a turn off.

[corehopeart]

Anatomy Practice 5/?: Hemiptera

Hemipterans, known as the 'true bugs', are defined by their mouthparts which are adapted to pierce things, usually plants which they feed upon the saps and juices of though some species are carnivorous or omnivorous and open to munching meat. These mouthparts can provide a hefty nip for humans poking at them, but most aren't usually a danger.

Other characteristics they tend to have (not required), are 6 legs, two pairs of wings (may be a wing/elytra combo), and a fairly compact body plan with little obvious segmentation between the abdomen, thorax, and head region. If its got six legs and has something or other on its back, it's probably some kind of Hemipteran.

Probably....

Most Hemipterans live a terrestrial life but some (such as the Water Boatman depicted above) are adapted for life in the water and have to evolve interesting methods of locomotion and respiratory control. The Water Boatman for example, swims on its back to navigate water with its abdomen to the air in order to breathe while swimming around and looking for prey with their large eyes.

Most Hemipterans grow through nymph stages, starting off as lookalikes of their adult selves. This is called being Hemimetabolous, and they are in fact the largest order of named hemimetabolous insects with over 80,000 species known!

[snekverse]

Not sure how much people will care, but I've been having fun fleshing out the world of MCD for my rewrite, and part of that has included creating totally new religious systems for the different areas in the world, because why tf would everyone have the same religious beliefs lol

I've already made quite a few posts about the Divine Warriors, and the associated faith common in Ru'an, so I'm not gonna get into that right now unless people ask me to. Instead, I wanna talk a little about one of the religions common in Tula :3

Slightly long post lol sorry, be warned

For a little context, I have built Tula as a very dry, arid region with a lot of desert regions. I am VERY LOOSELY basing the climate on real world areas in ancient Africa and the Middle East. I think having this info might be important for some of the religious beliefs I'm establishing.

Anyways, many Tulanis worship personifications of celestial bodies, primarily the Sun, the Moon, and their four children Dawn, Day, Dusk, and Night. They are beings that are said to have existed since the beginning of time, and that should they ever die all life on the Overworld with end.

The Sun is worshipped as the king of the universe, who ruled over all the stars and planets and peoples. He provided life and light, but at the same time the endless day left the people of the Overworld dying of heat and exhaustion, unable to find respite from the king's light. His love, the Moon, saw their plight, and begged her lover to show them mercy. He refused, believing that doing so would be an unfair act of favoritism. The Moon then went to their children, who sympathized with her and the peoples of the Overworld, and, lead by Dawn, the eldest, they started a rebellion against the Sun.

The war lasted for centuries, both father and children too stubborn and too prideful to give in. As the war reached it's peak, the heat of battle nearly wiped out everything in the cosmos, and at last they reach an armistice. The Sun offered a compromise: instead of providing less sunlight, he would only rule the Overworld for half of the day, and the Moon would rule the other half. So it was said, and so it would be done.

Each morning, Dawn and Day would escort the Sun to his throne and keep watch during his rule, and each evening Dusk and Night would escort the Moon to her throne and keep watch during her rule.

The Sun is associated with light, life, and order, due to his role as the life-giving sunlight and king of the cosmos. The Moon is associated with death and tides, a perfect opposite of her husband and the creator of the seas. Dawn is associated with war as she lead the rebellion against the Sun, Day is associated with life and nature as many Tulanis believe it is her guidance and supervision during the Sun's rule that allows the continued survival of all life, Dusk is associated with magic and knowledge as many Tulanis believe she allows mortals a glimpse into the infinite wisdom of the cosmos, and Night is associated with trickery and deception as the darkness of night is often blinding and misleading.

There are many religious holidays celebrated across Tula, the most holy of which are the Feast of the Sun and the Feast of the Moon, celebrated on the summer solstice and winter solstice respectively. They are representative of the beginning of the Sun's rule, on the longest day of the year, and the beginning of the Moon's rule, on the longest night of the year. As the names would suggest these times are often spent feasting and celebrating, giving thanks to both for the gifts they have given the people of the Overworld. Similarly, many regions celebrate the first rain of the cool season, usually referred to as the Day of the Lady’s Tears in reference to the belief that the Moon wept on the very first night, flooding the earth and providing much needed water for mortals. Eclipses, though rare, are also regarded as holy, the common belief being that an eclipse is a symbol of the Sun and the Moon reuniting after the war.

Ashkah is a somber, week long remembrance of the cosmic war, during which people are encouraged to take time to reflect and spend time with their loved ones, both living and dead. It serves as a reminder that times of hardship are tests of inner strength, and are always fleeting. It is common practice to seek forgiveness of wrongdoing during this time, both from your neighbor and from the gods. Many people choose to burn candles, an additional candle for each day of the week, to represent the many centuries wasted warring; particularly devout believers might chose to fast as well. The final day of Ashkah is called Aleh, and is celebrated as a holiday in its own right. Aleh is a festival celebrating the end of the war and the cosmic armistice. It also acts as a celebration for Dawn, Dusk, Day, and Night. During Aleh many people hold huge community-wide feasts, candles are all doused and revelry often extends well into the night, sometimes even into the next day.

[quibbs126]

So a question, where exactly did the “emotionless evil scientist who has a tendency to say “logical/illogical”” version of Shockwave originate?

Because I’ve seen G1, and that’s not really his characterization there. It’s not like it’s significantly far off, but that’s just not his personality either. And in Animated too, that again isn’t his personality. Though that’s probably his personality by Prime? It’s been a long while since I’ve seen that version of him, but I think it lines up

But like, this wasn’t his character from day 1, something specific gave him this personality, and I want to know what. Was it IDW? Was it Aligned that started this? Was he like this in the original Marvel comics and it took a while for everything else to catch up?

I’m just very curious because I know it came from somewhere, I just don’t know where

[mbat]

still surprised that the people behind world of warcraft actually really released a race where the women can have beards, and not even just small or subtle beards, but ones just as big and grand as the men have. i dont really ever expect much from blizzard when it comes to anything progressive really, so its always a surprise if they do have anything like this.

and when ive mentioned it before, people have told me that women dwarves (the earthen arent even actually dwarves(?), they just look A LOT like them for whatever reason) usually have beards?? but ive never seen that before this whole thing, and even then, this is blizzard were talking about. its actually just a shock they did something like this at all.

i try not to publically praise them too much for a few reasons, but i just have to say that i like it, and yes i gave my earthen woman a grand beard.

[volixia669]

I adore the Lone Gunmen as much as every other X-Files nerd, but while watching season 3's Wetwired, I realized that whether it be the 1990s or the 2020s, once you get ANY of them talking about Linux or FOSS (Free Open Source Software) they would be absolutely horrendous in how much they talk it up.

They'd put your average Linux/FOSS evangelist to SHAME with how much they'd be glorifying all of it.

[imjustavenuxwithaboomerang]

picrews of my descendants oc because i teased her existence a little bit ago

her name is navia and she's the daughter of tiana and naveen

(her name could probably start with a 't' if i really thought of one but when i created her, i decided to just blend tiana and naveen's names together. however i really like navia for her so it's sticking idc)

here are some things that i just threw together to show her vibe (outfits and colors on the left and sample hairstyles on the right)

link to the picrews: 1, 2, 3, 4

[tj-crochets]

Hey, i noticed you use safety eyes in your plushies, and I was wondering if you use interfacing or anything with them to reinforce the fabric? (Lil ghostie is super cute btw!)

Thanks! Mostly no, I don't use interfacing. There are a few exceptions; I have one kind of faux fur in particular that is an absolute pain to work with (but is so so soft) that sometimes if I am using safety eyes with it I'll put a piece of scrap minky behind the faux fur and the washer of the safety eye. I have to admit for fabrics that flimsy/prone to ripping I usually just applique eyes instead of using safety eyes, though? And if I was going to use safety eyes on woven fabric, especially flannel, I'd want to reinforce it

[gothicprep]

I think the most depressing thing that’s happened in my life over the past couple of months is watching an otherwise intelligent friend descend into paranoia and conspiracy. maybe ex friend now, because I don’t feel all that inclined to talk to him these days, but it’s still sad to be a bystander to this who can’t help even if you try to intervene.

[melodyischaotic]

Bro I just finished the timeless kingdom in crk and it’s like dark enchantress cookie gingerbrave is not naive he just doesn’t want to tell a child that his entire species is made to be eaten 💀

Like bros opinions was either a; lie to custard cookie III, keep him in the dark but spare him the hard truth. Or B; Tell a child that his entire species is made to be eaten 💀

Girl, which do you think he’s gonna pick

[astriiformes]

Doing my solemn duty and signing up for the local Star Wars costume group's annual charity Holiday Special showings as the one person willing to Hanukkah the place up (while also very much still dressed as Luke Skywalker)

[andresylupin]

okay but like. the Harden-Eulenburg scandal happening during 1907-1909. 813 being written/published in 1910. i'm grasping at the thinnest Lupin/Wilhelm II straws, but they are there!!

[notmoreflippingelves]

Naomi/Esteban: 1, 7, 16 and 55 ; Gregory/Manfred (AA): 20, 21 and 59 please!

Naomi/Esteban

Who would end a heated argument by defending their actions with ‘because I love you!’ ?

Both to be honest. Albeit in slightly different ways. Esteban is more likely to have pre-emptively made a decision/taken action without informing Naomi or asking for her permission first. And Naomi would be livid that she wasn't consulted beforehand. Esteban would be very smug and condescending and talk about how he knows better since he's older (physically, maybe but not necessarily mentally) and wiser (questionable) so Naomi should defer to his judgement. And he would use "I love you" in a slightly manipulative way to try and silence all her protestations. (It doesn't work. His love for her just makes her even more determined to save him from his own noble urges).

In circumstances that specifically involve Esteban putting himself at risk (to protect Naomi/other members of his family/Avalor), he would probably also try to pull the "I am older and less worthy/important, so I am more disposable if things should go wrong" bullshit, which would make Naomi absolutely livid.

Also I think it would be impossible for Naomi to end the argument simply with "because I love you." She would specifically end it with "because I love you, you asshole!" (Emphasis on that last part). Sure she loves him and wants him to know that's why she's behaving as she is. But she also wants to remind him that he is incredibly aggravating and often stupid and she can just barely stand the sight of him sometimes.

Would they build a pillow fort together just because?

Just because? No I don't think so. And certainly not together. That being said, I can see them building separate pillow forts under very specific circumstances for the sheer purpose of outdoing each other. One of them mentioned building pillow forts as children and being very good at it. And the other immediately follows up with "That is nothing. I built forts twice as high and just as impressive." and the inevitable response is "Oh yeah. Prove it!"

And so there just ends up being the pettiest little competition as to who can build the best fort. (Elena is named the judge since she has a foot in both camps. And she's rather shook about the whole thing. She herself would've absolutely accepted a pillow fort building challenge in an instant. But like she kind of expected Naomi and Esteban of all people to act like actual, reasonable adults--as they do in most circumstances. But no, they are the ones acting like children just because neither can bend even in a little where the other is concerned).

Not sure who would win the competition, though I might have to give a slight edge to Esteban. Simply because we know he likes to stack a pillow given the like 6+ we see on his bed in the sick day episode. (Of course, if Elena had taken part, she probably would've won because she has even more stacked pillows on her own bed and she's more stubborn than either of the others to boot).

Can they stay up all night just talking?

Could they stay up all night talking? Yes, probably. Both have a lot to say, enjoy the sound of their own voice, and like spending as much time as they possibly can with their partner.

Would they stay up all night talking? I kind of doubt it. While both are very hard workers, they are also two of the more practical characters on the show. (To an extent, Esteban can definitely have his super irrational moments). Therefore, they know the importance of getting a good night's sleep. They also seem like the sort that genuinely enjoy the sleep that they get. Like they're not going to protest too much or try to stay up any longer than necessary. Sleep is good (especially in each other's arms), so there is no strong drive to push it off.

Do they like watching clouds or star gazing?

Both of them are canonically into sailing, and using the stars to navigate is kind of a big part of that. So I definitely think they would look at the stars together. Additionally, Naomi has lived in a bunch of different places, and Esteban traveled a lot during his time as chancellor. So I think they would both know and talk a lot about the different names for various constellations in different places--as well as any legends/stories associated with these or the stars themselves.

On a similar note, they might also watch the clouds a bit--but more out of practicality than enjoyment. It's always good to be on top of changes in the weather--especially when one or both is out at sea and/or if they have specific plans outdoors in the near future. That being said, Naomi is particularly fond of pointing out any cloud that she sees that even vaguely resembles Esteban's facial hair. (Esteban's usual reply: "You do me a great disservice with that remark, Miss Turner! I would never allow such a miserable, misshapen thing to grace my face.")

Gregory/Manfred

Choose one song that perfectly describes their relationship.

I'm sorry, but I am so bad at this. I don't know music like at all. (It's really just musical theater and artists my parents like. That is the extent of my music knowledge).

So we're gonna have a few songs from random musicals and they're gonna be angsty since that's where my brain goes with this ship.

So I don't think this one will come as a particular surprise especially given I know you are a Les Mis fan...but yeah, the whole sequence of Confrontation --> Stars--> Javert's Suicide.

Just Manfred being horrified and disgusted at being at Gregory's mercy and the audacity of this man to be kind and just and dedicated toward the Truth when he has no right. Just go ahead and substitute "defense attorney" for "thief"/"criminal" in a lot of Javert's lyrics, and you've got Manfred being a toxic, doomed, would-be tsundere.

"Damned if I'll live in the debt of a thief/ Damned if I'll yield at the end of the chase./ I am the Law and the Law is not mocked./ I'll spit his pity right back in his face./ There is nothing on Earth that we share....

"How can I allow this man to hold dominion over me...This desperate man whom I have hunted."

And as for another toxic musical yaoi ship, Judas' reprise of "I Don't Know How to Love Him" from Jesus Christ Superstar. (Arguably Mary Magdalene's original as well). Just Manfred destroying the man that he loves (unrequitedly?) as Judas has done--simply because their goals are not aligned and because he doesn't know how to handle his feelings that he can't help but feel are irrational--especially as Gregory (or Jesus in the original) is just so damned Good and Manfred knows he never would've been worthy of him.

And even though I don't particularly read MVK as wallowing in guilt nearly as much as I do with Kristoph in krisnix, I think here could be an element of that there as well.

"I have been splattered with innocent blood./ I will be dragged through the slime and the mud./ I have been splattered with innocent blood!/ I will be dragged through the slime and the slime and the slime and the mud...

I..I don't know how to love Him./ I don't know why he moves me./ He's a man; he's just a man./ He is not a King./ He is just the same as anyone I know. /He scares me so."

There's also a bit of a similar feel from Burr's parts of "The World was Wide Enough " from Hamilton. Realizing that your idealogical opposite and narrative foil and foe didn't need to die at your hands. That your victory at long last is distinctly Pyrrhic and that there was and should've been room for both of you in the courtroom (which is THE world for all intents and purposes for Manfred).

(For both of the above songs, the beginning isn't really the vibe for angsty Manfred/Greg, so I went ahead and linked to right where the relevant part starts).

And on a much, much lighter note. "Horny Angry Tango" from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. (Bonus in that both characters are lawyers and the background of this is them duking it out in court in a proxy battle for their relationship issues.) Just Manfred and Gregory getting super hot under the collar while arguing against each other in court, but also like genuinely being furious with each other as opposed to just horny and in denial.

And similarly, You're Only Second Rate from The Return of Jafar. I see this as early in Manfred and Gregory knowing each other. Manfred is just so aggravated by Gregory and thinks its so absurd that Gregory thinks he is a match for him. And he just quickly becomes overly obsessed with him in a totally not healthy or normal way that Greg in no way asked for. But Manfred just can't let this go for some reason. (It's a crush; he's got a crush, but he'll never realize it).

Who would get into a fight to defend the other’s honor? Who tends to the other’s wounds?

I'm not sure I can see either of them getting into a fight to defend the other's honor. Gregory doesn't ever think fighting is the answer, and it would take awhile for Manfred to ever get to the point where he is self-aware enough to admit that he cares about Gregory in order to defend him.

That being said, I can definitely see Manfred getting into a fight that concerns Gregory in some way. Maybe he's jealous of someone else he thinks is moving in on his man? Or someone (Gant probably) makes this mistake of teasing Manfred about his obvious "crush." Then, Manfred gets really really defensive about it (he's so in denial) and may even retaliate with his fists if the person is really pushy about it.

Greg would have to be around to bandage Manfred's wounds, but he would definitely do it and very carefully. Which of course makes Manfred even more furious about everything. HOW DARE HE BE KIND WHEN THIS IS ALL HIS FAULT IN THE FIRST PLACE?

Who tops? Who bottoms?

Honestly, I don't think I've ever seriously thought about this, lol. I am friendly with some Manfredf*ckers, though and so I have thought/heard a little bit about their thoughts re: von Karma sex in general.

My main feeling is that I feel like whether Manfred would top or bottom depends entirely on whom he is being shipped with. He bottoms for Gant and Blaise, he tops Udgey, Yanni, Phoenix, Miles or Kristoph (I've only seen it one fic but like...👀).

But as for Gregory...you know I have a feeling Manfred would bottom for him too. Specifically in the sense of being a rather pushy power bottom and sort of for similar reasons as Kristoph. He's super uptight and repressed--and I feel there's a part of him that would enjoy losing some of his trademark control and perfection but specifically in a controlled, safe, private environment like the bedroom. Also, he's worth it so he would enjoy making his partner do most of the work and he just sits and enjoys like the perfect and deserving von Karma that he is.

As for Gregory, I guess see him more as a service top anyway. He doesn't strike me as particularly dominant, but he strikes me as a submissive even less. Maybe it's the overall "dad" energy that he exudes, but I feel like he would be very attentive to his partner and focus on making sure that they feel good and are well-looked after.

So yeah, they're probably both switches but in this case, Greg as service top to Manfred's power-bottom.

[astertheworld]

whys everyone so mad at me for saying its reasonable to consider katseye kpop likeeee. sorry man they are literally a kpop group 💀

[chiscribbs]

I got one question if you don't mind what do you think it would be like if Donnie ever met Varian would they be friends like get along or would they be rivals?

Ha! This is a fun question. Okay, so-

(Assuming, just for the sake of the scenario, that: A. Donnie's tech isn't far too advanced for Varian to even understand, since he's a long way off from seeing that kind of technology in his lifetime, and B. Var isn't completely and utterly distracted by the "half-human, half-turtle" element and spending the entire time trying to figure out what they are and how they operate-)

I think they'd get along? Or at very least, I think Varian would be impressed and maybe even a little star-struck with Don's inventions, much like he was with that of Demanitus. Likewise, Donnie would probably appreciate the innovation that Varian's inventions show (even if the methods are a bit primitive by his standards). I really think they'd both enjoy having a like-minded person around for once, too - they can talk science-y things together, to the combined confusion of their respective friends/teammates. Imagine Don telling Varian about time-travel, and the boys relating over accidentally releasing an ancient evil that tried to destroy their home, lol.

There's definitely still the possibility of them butting heads, especially if they disagree on certain scientific fronts, since they're both incredibly stubborn - but generally speaking, I'd say they would get along pretty well. Their respective skills are different enough that they wouldn't be stepping on each other's toes too often and they seem to have more similarities than differences, opinion-wise. So, yeah - they'd be science buddies (imo)!

Another thing worth considering is how Varian would react to/get along with Draxum, since he's an alchemist like Var! But unlike Var, he uses and embraces mystic elements in his experiments, which will probably twist the former's brain a bit, lol. Maybe he'll come out of it a little more open-minded to the usefulness of magical elements and be inspired to incorporate them into his own inventions, on the odd occasion?