#that funk changes the climate

[tiedsuccubus]

Falling to my knees in a Walmart after getting a Whiff of gojo with his infinity off.

[icewindandboringhorror]

reminders of the passage of time moodeboard

[thebsideofthings]

"The soul artists of the 1970s partially relied on social causes to bring their environmentalist message to the forefront, with documented greats assuring music predecessors of better days to come. Now, modern soul artists, too, have emanated their atmospheric scope into futurism, with artists like Janelle Monáe, Erykah Badu, Solange, serpentwithfeet and FKA Twigs envisioning new worlds for Black people to rest and be free. Through nature’s plentifulness, Black artists can shift their intention on fantasizing a Black experience without environmental degradation. And so, as eco-conscious music has reentered the mainstream in the last few years—with artists like Lana Del Rey, The 1975, and Gorillaz making music about the climate crisis—let the Earthbound origins of Black music serve as a reminder not to whitewash the history of environmentalism in music."

- Composing Climate Change: The Radical Legacy of Black Musicians by Jaelani Turner-Williams in Atmos

[rocksibblingsau]

If Branch still made the hot springs, what about the molten lava vents in the rock section? Cuz if he didn’t then Rock is gonna be soooo cold and complaining.

Unless Funk can use tech to solve the issue idk if Rock will be comfortable with the climate change.

I can't remember, is it canon that Branch did that or headcanon?

I think Funk could easily fix the issue.

[winstonbinch]

Over the holidays, I read Marcus Aurelius's “Meditations” twice. It’s long been on my list and profoundly affected me—so much so that my wife told me she likes me more. She noticed a change in my attitude and overall disposition. This book has been studied and dissected for generations. For good reason. Its lessons are timeless. It’s a stoicism masterpiece.

I decided to read it now because of my emotional state at the end of last year. For many people, it was a particularly challenging and stressful year. As a longtime and passionate climate activist, I was despondent and resentful after the election. I didn’t want to speak to people who didn’t share my views, even family members. Rationally, I knew that was wrong, but emotionally, I was struggling to overcome some of my negative feelings.

Having heard about this book for many years, I thought it might be what I needed to break out of my funk, open my mind, and reset my outlook over the break.

I’ve studied stoicism before, having read Epictetus, Admiral Stockdale’s “Courage Under Fire,” and Ryan Holiday’s “The Obstacle is the Way.” Many of the ideas and themes in “Meditations” were not new to me. For example, I already knew it’s important not to judge others and to be kind to everyone, to treat every day as if it could be your last, that pain and suffering are natural and to expect challenges, to focus on the common good, and that anxiety is an unnecessary emotion.

However, after reading “Meditations,” I felt noticeably lighter and less pressure—more so than before. The resentment (judgment) even faded. The ideas seemed to resonate on a deeper level. Maybe it was the incredible simplicity of the language, but it could also have been that I read it twice.

If you want to be good at anything, you need to practice, not dabble. Like many of you, I have a long list of goals I want to accomplish in 2025. One of them is to return to this book at least once a quarter. I recommend the same for everyone. It’s a game-changing read. Make it a practice.

[kushblazer666]

it’s so fucking awesome that “peak oil” has been around as a concept for so long that there’s funk songs from the 70s about it. like they dont even mention climate change theyre literally just saying “hey petroleum reserves are a finite resource”

[ninapedia]

Mar 2025 Books Read

TOTAL: 5

The Hunger Games Trilogy, Suzanne Collins

Didn't read these when they were super popular and only decided to because I had seen the movies and was interested by the new book coming out. Thoroughly enjoyed them, don't know what I can say that hasn't already been said. The book characters are infinitely more likeable than their movie counterparts and I already adored Johanna, Finnick, Haymitch and Rue. My biggest frustration with the movies after reading the books was how much time the movies devoted to the Capitol and the characters from there. Like, whole scenes added when I would have rather spent those scenes on side characters from the districts (Madge...). Anyways, good books, glad I finally read them.

The Ballad of Song Birds and Snakes, Suzanne Collins

The movies try so hard to make Snow into a Cool Guy but he's licherally the most pathetic Guy to Ever. The movie changed the most from the book when comparing the og trilogy, but a lot of the changes i found less egregious. Good book though, very much enjoyed it.

Sunrise on the Reaping, Suzanne Collins

First one in the Hunger Games series that I read before the movie! Anyone who read the main series knew a bit about Haymitch story, but seeing it play out hits different. This book was heavy on the fan service and I mean this super positively. It makes things that happen in the original trilogy make a lot more sense and more emotionally impactful in general. Miss Collins isn't ever subtle about what she wants to say and the propaganda focus is obviously super poignant in this current climate. My heart hurts, and I wish I had more book. Taking a pallet cleanser before moving on to something else.

CURRENTLY READING:

Flamboyants: The Queer Harlem Renaissance I Wish I'd Known, George M. Johnson

BOOK CLUB BOOK:

Inkspell, Cornelia Funke

[moviesludge]

tagged by @thechurchofsplatterdaysaints

Do you make your bed? Not usually, but oddly enough I did during covid. Something about doing it then made sense to me but I haven't really thought about it. And then I did it when my ex used to nag me about it. I do it sometimes.

Fave number? Don't really care now but I used to like 13 and 14.

What's your job? Unemployed. Would like to be employed but refuse to work a job I hate unless I have no other option. The stress of my last job sucked bad. I help my family though (parents and sister), and there's a lot to do. My dad does absolutely everything and he's 70, so you know. Shit will be changing sooner than later.

Go back to school? I'm not ruling it out.

Can you parallel park? I can. It's weird too, because the first time I ever did it was completely out of necessity and it was a dark night and it was a really small space too. I couldn't believe it when I did it the first time. And I don't consider myself that good of a driver.

Job you had that would surprise people? I guess the most surprising maybe is call center supervisor for eharmony. Or Blockbuster? I dunno.

Aliens real? I feel like the scope of the universe makes this a certainty and it amazes me how many people think it's a ridiculous idea. Talk about main character syndrome!

Can you drive stick? I never had the means to even learn

Guilty pleasure? Eating stuff I know I'm not supposed to (very sparingly!)

Tattoos? no but I think about it sometimes. I feel like I'd get sick of it no matter what it was.

Fave color? too many. earthtones and ryb are up there.

Fave type of music? probably all the stuff in the post-punk/new wave/no wave/power pop sphere. I'm picky about metal, but when I like something I like it a lot. Also been finding out there's a fair amount of rap stuff I dig. I really like soul and funk music and some oldies (50s & 60s, not modern oldies which are 80s).

Do you like puzzles? Word/mind shit, trivia, board games, etc. Yeah I love Jeopardy and I subscribe to NYT games. I do the crosswords, wordle, strands, spelling bee, and connections games every day. I also like nonagrams and I'll do a sudoku once in a while.

Phobias? just making it in the world, especially when my parents are gone. My parents getting sick and/or dying. Climate change causing a global food supply collapse in my lifetime. The U.S. falling fully into fascism. Basically things that are all certain to happen sooner or later

Favorite childhood sport? Basketball and baseball. Never liked playing soccer or football.

Talk to yourself? Yeah mostly when I'm irritated about something.

Movies you adore? Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Evil Dead II, Speed Racer, Starship Troopers, Black Christmas, Bad Santa, My Cousin Vinny, Tremors, Gremlins 2, Better Off Dead, Big Trouble In Little China, Boxer's Omen, Terrorvision, etc

Coffee or Tea? both, but mostly coffee. I tried chai tea recently though and I like it a lot.

1st thing you wanted to be when grew up? The way my mind is, I didn't really think about things this way. All I remember desiring as a kid about being an adult was being on even ground with other adults and being given basic respect instead of being treated like a little kid. Like I wanted to sit on the couch and have my feet touch the floor. I wondered what my face would look like as an adult. The idea of a far off future job was irrelevant to me.

tagging @donnerpartyofone @steamedtangerine @jesusismyhostage

[saplings-discography]

Album Review

Fear of Music

With my prior knowledge of Talking Heads, I don't think I would have started my reviews of their music with this album. But thanks to requests of friends, Fear of Music comes to the forefront this week.

Fear of Music is the third studio album of Talking Heads, released in the summer of 1979. Blending disco, Afrobeat, and psychedelic funk, the band takes what they produced in More Songs About Buildings and Food and cranks it up to an eleven. Fear of Music has a message - one that's loud and almost impossible to ignore. It guides its audience to view its main topic in a new way...this topic being fear. Yes, the album called Fear of Music talks about fear [insert Surprised Pikachu face here].

After listening to this album and doing a little bit of side-research, I began to piece together my own interpretation of the album's message. As someone who is a huge fan of concept albums, I find it very hard to believe that Fear of Music isn't considered a concept album. The story that I came to develop, revolves around a person whose fears and intrusive thoughts slowly begin to consume them.

We start the album with I Zimbra, a song featuring heavy influences from African music, and guitar additions supplied by Robert Fripp from King Crimson. The nonsensical lyrics bring you immediately to a place where you start to question your understanding of the things surrounding you. Mind addresses the fears of things being so uncertain in one's life, knowing that there's not much you can do to change your situation or your thought process. We even get the last verse in a second-person point of view, addressing the listener almost as if the narrator is trying to help you ("I try to talk to you to make things clear, but you're not even listening to me."). When you're lost in your mind and your thoughts, it's hard to accept that someone on the outside is trying to help.

Paper takes an interesting and unique approach to the concept of fear. When you write on paper, it's solid, there is proof of anything you say, all of the concepts you have established. But once you hold that paper up to the light, things become transparent, less defined. Everything you thought was solid and stable becomes questionable, the flaws revealed to you. One could say that Paper is the fear of holes being poked in your logic, facing the fact that your thoughts may not be correct and your theories might be flawed.

Cities and Life During Wartime take us steadily into the urban setting this album takes place within. Cities can be perceived as the fear of permanence — establishing a home base, a solid place to call your home, but being scared of making the wrong choice. Taking in so many possibilities and factors that you are immediately overwhelmed by choice.

Life During Wartime's message is quite straightforward and easy to decipher. Everyone feels fear during times of social and political unrest, not knowing who on the street is your friend and who could be perceived as a foe. You consume all this media from the news, hearing of all the unsettling discoveries being made, and it makes you question everything you believed to be safe. But if you live in this all the time, you become numb ("The sound of gunfire off in the distance, I'm getting used to it now."). Life During Wartime seems to bring a message that seems eerily accurate when you apply the message to today's political climate. Younger generations have become numb to the constant unrest, having lived through multiple world-altering events and economic collapses.

Memories Can't Wait is where the album truly begins to devolve into paranoia, mania, and psychosis. Everything starts to fall apart, the narrator folding in on themself, hearing that unconscious voice in their head saying, "Stay, you're safer here at home instead of being outside," bringing a paralyzing fear that cuts you off from the world. With Air being the song to follow this one so closely, it's easy to see that this narrator has trusted this inner voice so much that even air itself could prove dangerous.

Heaven, Animals, and Drugs are all songs that could be perceived as the common fears of the average person...fear of dying, fear of animals and drugs. But these songs go deeper, addressing the fear of being stuck in a never-ending loop, the fear of trying to find a scapegoat or any other reason to continue your beliefs, the fear of uncertainty and questioning of reality that comes with drug use.

Electric Guitar is the hardest song for me to parse out an opinion on. The disconnected vocals and melody make me think of alienation, that fear of being left on the sidelines and not understanding the people around you. It's a loose interpretation at best.

After taking the time to study this album and its contents, it really spoke to me on a personal level. As someone who suffers heavily with anxiety and OCD, these songs gave me messages that all felt very familiar. There are times where I find myself afraid of so many things around me that have always been there, suddenly questioning if they're really safe for me. I've even had Air on loop, not only because it's my favorite song on the album, but also from the familiarity of questioning the safety of something so...average and universal.

For the concept of this album (for which it really should be considered a concept album), Fear of Music deserves a 5/5 stars. The sound of some of the songs prevent me from giving it a 5/5 for music composition, but even with my disagreements with some of the songs, Fear of Music has landed a place close to my heart.

[listen-to-the-inner-walrus]

https://www.tumblr.com/cyber-corp/772774979166240768/a-good-friend-of-mine-said-to-me-the-other-day?source=share

In reblogs to this post you recommended that person to read Bell Hooks, any books in particular that you'd recommend? As a starting point ofc. She seems to have quite a few.

I'm a little weird about men admittedly, and I'm trying to get better in that sense, at the very least because if you hate half the population it kind of eats you from the inside. I'd never say something like the thing from the post to a person, but still. Your recommendation caught my attention.

Thanks for reading this and, if you respond, for your response too!

Post linked above

When it comes to bell hooks and men, The Will to Change is the one I'd start with. The way she writes about masculinity is very refreshing in terms of a lot of other feminist theory, and I don't think it's a particularly challenging book academically speaking. It does push you to open your mind more and think about feminism more holistically, but it's not a book where you're constantly looking up terms and definitions.

There's also her short story Be Boy Buzz that is about what it means to be a boy and how we should celebrate the being of a boy. It's a quick read and also a very fun read. It's more specifically about being a black boy, but you can extrapolate outside of it.

We Real Cool, which would be my next recommendation, is specifically about black men and masculinity. It's a collection of ten essays and they are about being a black man in a culture that is white. I would say it's required reading when it comes to unpacking racism and white supremacy.

Though they are much more about feminism in general than specifically feminism and men, I would also recommend Feminism Is For Everybody and Feminist Theory: From Margin To Center. Both books cover the kind of topics that a lot of mainstream feminist theory often glosses over or ignores, e.g. race and class. They cover men and masculinity, but aren't about that only.

You might also find something worthwhile in Communion: The Female Search For Love about this topic; it's also got stuff about lesbianism and loving one's self. I don't remember if it's officially a series, but it's the third book in hooks' series talking about love.

There's also Uncut Funk, which is written by bell hooks and Stuart Hall, and is very much about the discourse between them. It's an interesting read and you might find some interesting things in there.

It's not related to hooks' writing on masculinity at all, but I just have to recommend Ain't I a Woman; it's such an important piece of feminist writing.

Also by the way, bell hooks specifically chose her pen name to be in all lowercase; a lot of feminist women in the 60s and 70s were doing it too.

Honestly, hats off to you anon for being able to recognise that about yourself and making direct steps as to improve yourself. It's difficult to admit flaws of your own and even more difficult to make action to try and remedy them in some way.

It's especially difficult to recognise that in our current political climate when there are a lot of men publicly showing off the uglier sides of humanity.

Anyway, I hope this was helpful for you anon and good luck on your reading :]

[ufohio]

On Kaleidoscope World, we use prompts to inspire standalone science fiction and genre stories from our writers. In the context of our collaborative setting, we use these stories to populate a fictional magazine called—you guessed it!—Kaleidoscope World. However, as standalone writing prompts, they really could be used by anybody looking to create a thematic sci-fi story. Go wild! The prompts featured here include special Pride, Valentine's Day, and Black History Month topics. The full text of these will be under the cut for anyone needing it.

Theme: The Search for a Kaleidoscope World! Prompt: Heaven. Utopia. Home. These are the words that launch voyages and sink ships. If we knew with certainty the Kaleidoscope World existed, we never would have come this far in search of it. For the first issue of the city of Earth’s favorite vintage pulp science-fiction publication, write about travelers and pilgrims who seek the titular, mythical planetary paradise—or about the people who find it when they’re not looking. Theme: Over the Rainbow Planet Prompt: Somewhere over the rainbow is a world of peace, love, acceptance, pride, romance, mystery, fantasy, and adventure. For this special issue of Kaleidoscope World, include reoccurring LGBTQ+ color schemes in a story OR write a LGBTQ+ protagonist in a classic plot from any genre. Theme: Rocket Summer Prompt: In the opening chapter of Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles (1950), a rocket is launched in snowy January and creates so much warmth that winter is temporarily changed to summer in the nearby town: the ice melts, women shed their coats, and children go out to play in the streets. For the third issue of the city of Earth's favorite tales, write a story that takes place in a very hot climate or during this so-called "Rocket Summer." Theme: Fantastic Planet of Love Prompt: Love is a universal language—be you man, bug man, blob, or floating space jelly. Across the galaxy, all hearts speak, and though they can't always immediately understand the words, all creatures hear it. For this lovey-dovey issue of Kaleidoscope World, write about a couple (or more) from two (or more) different worlds and/or about aliens visiting a paradise planet on their honeymoon or honeymoon equivalent. Theme: Year on a Black Planet Prompt: Afrofuturism envisions the world of tomorrow through the lens of Black identity and history, combining science fiction and fantasy with themes of displacement, liberation, and diaspora. From P-Funk to Octavia Butler to Black Panther, Afrofuturism has been expanding American and global philosophy and imagination for years. For this special issue of Kaleidoscope World, imagine a dazzling African city in the far future, a planet influenced by African culture—or let yourself be inspired by examples of Afrofuturism in music and art.

[peskellence]

Pairing: RK900/Gavin Reed

Tags: Post Pacifist Ending, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Eventual Smut, Angst, Hurt/Comfort

Masterlist

Read on AO3 here:

Summary: A lot has changed since the revolution. Crimes against androids are now punished in the same way as crimes against humans. A reluctant Gavin Reed and his new partner RK900 have been assigned to investigate a string of disturbing murders. Despite the shift in Detroit's social climate, Gavin still holds reservations about whether or not androids are truly alive. Will his developing feelings for 'Nines' be the thing to change this?

Warnings: Graphic Violence, Depression/Self Destructive Behaviour, Eventual Smut

Word Count: 3K

*Hey, this is Finn Treacher's voicemail. Either I've got a hot date, or I’m working for a change. Leave a message*

Gavin put down the phone, moving to the next number on his list. After several hours, the monotony of the task was beginning to drain him. His focus waned as his mind drifted to other, more personal concerns. 

*You've reached the voicemail of Gideon Heith. Call back when I'm home.*

He'd spoken with several possible leads, but none had been overly promising. Some had vehemently denied their involvement in any criminal activity - refusing to cooperate and hanging up on him. Others had been surprisingly cooperative, but with no prior offences or convictions, Gavin doubted they could be linked to the case.

*Frank here. If you want to leave a message, go ahead, but I ain't gonna listen*

He could only pray that one of their otherwise innocuous leads might be able to point them in the right direction. 

*...Hello?* 

Thank God - "Hi, this is Detective Gavin Reed, Detroit Police Department. We wondered if you might be able to come in to answer a few questions." 

*...Hello? Is anyone there?* 

"Gavin Reed. Detroit Police", he repeated, a little louder this time. "We wanted to ask you some questions about -"

*Ha, I'm just messing with you, buddy. Leave a message after the tone*. 

The detective held his breath, grip tightening on the phone, before hanging it up in aggravation. He allowed his body to slump forward and let out a dismaying groan. Trapped in his funk, he failed to notice the soft footsteps approaching from behind. His shoulders were then grabbed by a pair of firm, slender hands. A set of lips drew closer to his ear before exclaiming a thunderous "Boo!." 

Gavin flinched, albeit for no other reason other than the noise. He lifted his head to stare morosely at the would-be assailant, "Go away, Ti. I'm busy." 

The officer whistled at the icy reception. "Oof, someone's touchy today." Standing reclined against the desk, she leant forward for a closer examination of her friend. "Looks like you could do with a break - or three. When was the last time you slept?" 

"Last night. In my bed." 

"Not buying it", Tina shamelessly prodded underneath his eyes, tutting disapprovingly as she did, "You've got more bags than an airport conveyor belt."

"Was there any purpose to your visit today? Or do you just take joy in pissing me off?"

"A little bit of both" She grinned before pulling up an available chair. "I just wanted to see how you were getting on. Seems like an interesting case."

"Interesting is not how I'd describe it. 'Bane of my existence' is more like it."

"You've got a lot of leads, at least" Tina said, glancing down at the paper on the desk. "Something's got to come out of one of them."

"Easy for you to say. I've been stuck at this desk for three fucking hours, and all I've got to show for it is a headache."

"Would it not be quicker for Nines to help you? Pretty sure he could just upload the numbers and call them all simultaneously."

Gavin sneered resentfully, "Yeah, that'd be much easier. If the plastic prick hadn't gone a-wall."

Tina, who had picked up a pen and began clicking it absentmindedly, promptly stopped. "...Nines? Really?" 

"Yes, really." 

"The same Nines that does overtime every day? The one whose idea of a 'break' is to deep clean the canteen?" 

"I can't see any android detectives skulking around. Can you?"

Ignoring his friend's bewildered expression, the detective reluctantly picked up the list and typed in the next number. He waited fractiously as the dial tone rang - until a crisp voice eagerly informed him that he had reached another voicemail. Having reached the limits of his already tenuous patience, he shoved the phone back on its dock. 

"It seems a bit unusual", Tina pondered, rubbing at her neck. "Are you sure you didn't do anything to upset him?"

"Why do you always assume it's my fault?" Gavin complained, "It's been acting weird since yesterday. Ever since I told it that it couldn't come over for a goddamn sleepover." 

Tina was clearly intrigued by this, as her eyes sparkled with excitement. Leaning forward on her hands, she batted her eyelashes teasingly. "In what context would you be having a sleepover? Gavin Reed, you sly dog."

" Don't - it's nothing like that", he responded firmly. "I told it about the Tiff thing, and now it's decided it wants to appoint itself as my live-in cat sitter. It's weird."

"He can see that you're struggling, and he's trying to help. What's so weird about that? Besides, it seems like a good idea." 

Gavin hated to admit that there was some truth in that statement. While strange and unwanted, Nines' suggestion was based on reasonably solid logic. Given the redundancy of sleep, it did make sense that the android would be a prime candidate to monitor things overnight. Still, the offer did not infer anything more than a methodic calculation.

"Let's not delude ourselves that an android is capable of empathy. It wouldn't be offering if it didn't think it could get something out of it." 

Tina chuckled. "You're such a pessimist. He would get something out of it. The satisfaction of helping a friend."

The detective bristled at the suggestion. Friendship implied a level of closeness that he shared with very few. An android was hardly top of the list. Besides, Nines itself had expressed its own opposition to the sentiment.

"Right, I'm done here." Gavin pushed himself up from his desk with a low grunt, "Getting some lunch. Wanna come with?"

Before Tina could respond, the walkie-talkie in her belt crackled to life, accompanied by a muffled voice. 

*All Central Units respond: 1200 in progress at 245 New Street. Shots fired, 10-13 requesting backup. Repeat, 1200 at 245 New Street, requesting backup. Over*

Tina brought the device to her lips, acknowledging the dispatcher, "Badge number 5195 10-19 to 245 New Street." She looked back to Gavin and shrugged her shoulders in apology. "Sorry, I gotta go."

"Fine, fuck off then", he retorted, gesturing his hand in a dismissive motion, "Didn't want you to come, anyway. Was just being polite."

"Love you too", she winked playfully before making a swift beeline for the exit. Gavin readied himself to leave as well before hesitating momentarily. 

He wondered if he ought to find Nines, at least to tell it that he was stepping out. He dismissed the notion, however, rationalising that the android had made zero effort to inform him of his whereabouts - and it was only fair that he should return the favour. 

While adopting a steady speed out of the station, Gavin was quickly swept up by the wave of hurried pedestrians. He struggled to match pace, not wanting to cause an obstruction, but feeling as though his legs may give out at any moment. In search of a detour, he turned off at the end of the street and towards the entrance of a nearby park. It would add significant time to his journey, but the reduced crowding and access to benches more than made up for that.

The walk was calm this time of year, without boisterous families or noisy wildlife to disturb the peace. The expanse of bare, leafless foliage seemed to sparkle in the sun as the rays bounced off films of sleet.

It could have been his favourite season - Winter - if it wasn't for the damn cold. 

Gavin hardly noticed the time that had passed. Before he knew it, he had arrived at his usual pitstop. Gary greeted him warmly, pulling his attention away from the TV he had mounted on the wall of his van. "Afternoon, Detective. Didn't bring your scary friend with you today?" 

Any modicum of a good mood he had gained during his walk vanished immediately. He was beginning to develop an impassioned hatred for that particular word. 

"Not my friend. Work partner," he said, promptly changing the subject. "I'll have the usual, but can you throw in a XL soda? And a packet of Twizzlers. I need the sugar."

"Coming right up" Gary turned away to prepare the order as Gavin idled in place, curiously watching the horse race being broadcasted on the large plasma screen. 

"Nice TV. Where'd you get it?"

The other man beamed at the question, puffing out his chest. "Won big on the last race. £4k win on a £40 bet,." He leant over his shoulder, flashing Gavin a sly wink. "Probably shouldn't tell a cop this...but I've got a guy. Sixth sense for winners if you know what I mean. You want in?" 

Gavin propped an elbow onto the counter, resting his head in his hand. "Can't be taking chances. I'm broke enough as it is. 'Bout to be a lot more broke. My cat is having babies." 

"Ouch", The vendor flipped up a burger from the greasy stove, dropping it haphazardly into a bun. "Just wait until you start having actual babies. That shit is really expensive." 

"Don't think I'm in much danger of that, but thanks." 

"Hey, don't worry about it. Good-looking guy with a steady job? I'm sure you'll find a lady eventually."

Paying for his food, Gavin exhausted the mental checklist of all the possible things he could say. Some responses were harsh and scathing, others intended to confuse and mystify.

"That'd be a first", he muttered vaguely, not feeling up to the argument. 

As Gary slid him his tray, he briskly snatched it up and left to find a table. He hadn't been walking for long when he felt his legs starting to buckle. Physical exhaustion had gotten the better of him as he began to tip backwards, head spinning. A pair of hands shot out to support him, holding him steady by the armpits.

"Whoa there, you okay?" 

The gruff voice was all-too-familiar, and Gavin felt himself wither in annoyance. Just what he needed. Hank-fucking-Anderson and his plastic golden child. When he turned, however, he was surprised to see that the Lieutenant was standing alone. 

"Jeez, Reed." He whistled, giving Gavin a similar look to the one Tina had bestowed earlier. "Party a little too hard last night?"

I wish.

"I'm fine. Let me go."

"Sure you are", Hank drawled, subtly shaking his head. "I couldn't help but overhear that you've got pet troubles? Glad I got Sumo fixed when I did. No chance of any whoopsies with his lucky lady friends." 

"Do you make a habit of listening in on other people's conversations?" Gavin pulled himself away, smoothing out his jacket. "Didn't realise you were so nosy. Thought that was Connor's department." 

"Hey, I was sittin' 10 feet away from you. There wasn't much I could do about that," Hank gestured to the empty seat at the end of his table. "Now, pull up a chair before you pass out. Because I'm not doing mouth-to-mouth if you croak." 

"Good. I'd rather you leave me to die", Gavin said, nose wrinkled with disgust. With seldom energy to continue standing, much less walk to another table, He reluctantly took the seat. Hank mirrored the action, sitting down opposite him to continue his lunch. 

"If I'd known it would cause me this much grief, I would have had the bitch spayed" Gavin shoved a handful of fries into his mouth as he muttered quiet complaints, "She's an indoor cat from now until forever." 

"Kinda played yourself there, didn't ya? I'm sure Nines would be willing to help if you asked. He's pretty good with animals ."

Gavin let out a grunt of displeasure, almost choking as he did. "Is there some fucking conspiracy here that I don't know about? I already told it myself: 'No'. I don't need to be taken care of. I'm managing just fine." 

"Yeah, you seem to be thriving. Seriously though, you're refusing his help because...?" 

"Because it's a smug, insufferable asshole."

"Huh", Hank said, mouth agape. "Funny. Connor seemed to think you two were turning a corner." 

"Connor thought wrong", he snapped back. "Where is he anyway? You usually keep him on a pretty short leash."

"Hey, watch it", the older man warned. "The kid can go wherever he wants. I don't own him." 

"Could've fooled me." Gavin grimaced before shoving more food in his mouth. "So what, he and Nines have mother's meetings about what a dick I am?"  

"Cool it, Reed. I promise that Nines only ever has good things to say about you." 

"Bullshit."

Hank chuckled under his breath, stirring the ice in his now-finished drink. "Well, yeah, at first, it weren't exactly glowing praise. He thought you were a complete jackass. Over time, though, it changed." 

Gavin piqued up at this, "What do you mean 'changed'?"

"Ehh, he's found it difficult - the whole deviancy thing. Connor and I have tried to help, but it's hard to get through... with you, it's different. He seems different. Almost like he finds you comforting'."

"What about me could it possibly find comforting?" 

"Hell if I know", Hank grumbled back, frowning in disapproval. "I just think he feels like you 'get it' more than we do. Sure, we've been through it, but sometimes it's nice to meet someone who's in the same place. Helps build a connection." 

Pausing mid-chew, Gavin's attention snapped to Hank as his mind began to race. He should have known the damn machine wouldn't be able to keep its mouth shut. About his dad, his home life, his shitty family - "How much has it said about me?"

"There it is again", the Lieutenant sighed, leaning back in his chair. "He hasn't said anything , at least not to me. I just figured there's gotta be something to account for that charming personality of yours."   

"Mind your own business, Grandpa."

"Or you're just a prick. What do I know?" 

There was a moment of silence as Gavin processed what the other had just said. Did Nines really think that the two of them shared some weird, fucked-up connection?

No, of course not. Anderson had gone soft and was starting to project emotions onto machines. That was all - the naive bastard. 

"So what about Connor then?" Gavin pressed, leaning forward on his chair. "What have they been talking about?"

"They don't talk so much as they do that interface thing. Their minds connect, and they communicate through feelings and memories. It's sort of beautiful, in a weird sci-fi way."

"Well, if they could keep me out of their demented mild melds, that would be great. Thanks."

"Okay, I think I've reached my Reed limit for the day", The Lieutenant stood up with a sigh, dusting the crumbs off his slacks, "I'm done, and it looks like you are too. Wanna lift back to the station?" 

Gavin looked down at his tray, horrified (and somewhat impressed) to see that he had, in fact, cleared his meal in the few minutes they had been talking. Save for the Twizzlers and a few sips of soda. Pocketing the candy, he stood up, stretching his back. "Yeah, sure. Lead the way." 

As the two re-entered the station, the first thing that caught Gavin's eye was a pair of near-identical androids standing by his desk. Their hands were pressed palm-to-palm, and the skin retracted. They stared at each other, saying nothing, but their LEDs lit up in a frenzied light show. Eventually, one of their heads turned and caught a glimpse of the human officers standing at the doorway. 

Connor was the one who had spotted them, as well as being the first to move his hand. He smiled warmly at Hank and Gavin - but with a particular focus on the latter. "Detective Reed", he said smoothly, striding towards him with an apparent purpose. "I was wondering if we could have a word."

Nines appeared horrified at the sudden development, its LED shifting to red as it followed quickly behind. "RK800, that won't be necessary." 

"It will only take a moment."

"Connor", Hank said firmly, narrowing his eyes at his partner. "What the hell are you doing?"

The android appeared a little put out by the sudden address, ceasing his advance on Gavin as his confident smile began to drop. "Nothing, I was just seeing if I may be of assistance to -"

Hank held up a hand, cutting him off. "I think it's probably best if we leave Gavin and Nines to it. Don'tcha agree?"

Connor paused, his cheeks tinged blue with embarrassment. He shuffled on the balls of his feet for a while, appearing conflicted, before slowly nodding his head "Okay, Hank."

As quickly as the bizarre interaction had commenced, it had ended. Connor, guided by Hank, quietly shuffled off to his desk, and the tension left in their wake was almost suffocating. 

Gavin gawked at his partner, waiting for it to speak. "What the hell was that all about?"

"It's not important," Nines said back quickly, although the vibrant crimson that illuminated its temple told a different story. "RK800 worries for me. Unnecessarily."

"And what would he need to be worried about?" 

"As I said, it's not important."

Gavin grumbled, quickly losing patience and interest. "Whatever. I've started on the numbers on that list we got from CyberLife, but nothing promising yet. Sure would help if I had a supercomputer who could make the calls for me." 

"I see, of course." The tone was cold and overly formal, even by the android's usual standards. Its movements were stiff as if concealing some hidden shame or disappointment. Stirring something unpleasant within Gavin, he felt the resolve he had been trying to maintain slowly melt away. 

"...Look, I've been thinking -" 

Apparently, he was the naive bastard.

 "- about your offer to look after Tiff. I could use the sleep, so if you wanted to help out a bit, I guess that would be okay." 

Nines looked entirely floored by this. Its usually steely eyes blown to almost comedic proportions "Detective?"

"I'm saying you can stay the night. Asshole." 

[bellagrimfox]

Another Year on Planet Earth

I'll be honest, as someone who's chronically online, real life is scary.

I'm close to graduating and once that happens, I'll have to find a job that I'm afraid will take me away from what I really want to do. Create and draw stories for everyone. Or at least, everyone in the world that isn't in poverty, dictator countries, regimes, jails, anyone living in North Korea, and many others who can't enjoy life the way they want to. Even if everyone in the world was happy, there will always be something or someone who says otherwise. Every insane homophobe, anti-abortion, racist, awful human being will find someway to get what they want.

2023 and every year before 2010 for me was years in which the world gradually got worse. To make a small recap, and not to turn this into a politics filled rant, we got:

Afghanistan killing women's rights, Abortion rights in America being in danger, Donald Trump, China destroying and hunting human rights, Any news about North Korea, gun violence once again being ignored, and finally, the rise of doom scrolling and depression.

Even online, there's things that have happened. Indie games in hot water for:

Mcpig unintentionally having racist imagery for three sprites, Friday Night Funking having both the Mod creators and original creator being in trouble or being terrible people, rise of Denuvo, Internet Archive being in a lawsuit that could destroy the site, KOSA and other online bills being dangerous, and Materia being jerks when it comes to music copyright.

But, despite all of these mounting issues

even if the sun will die

even if the world is dying

even if climate change is happening

even if America takes a bad turn

even if online enjoyment is being destroyed

even if my own life gets unfairly stopped by things out of my control

I still have two things, a resolution and hope.

My resolution is simple. Improve. Get better at what I know. Even if I let ADHD and fear based Procrastination get the best of me, I'll still try. And for hope, as long as I can be with my friends and family, I'm still gonna exist. Thanks @somecartoonisttalkshere, @karmicartist, @apollothemechanic, @owoiwonderwhatsthis, @tyrannic-world, @reaper34, @xclevername, Ela, Ray, Blu, Red, Violet, Engooneer, and Ela. For reminding me to not give up and helping me keep going.

Finally, I wanna thank one of my biggest inspirations. The one, or one of the few genuinely artists who are a great person, that inspired me to eventually try to draw. @oddpizza or what I remember them by, Cosmic-Retro-Head. You don't have to read the entire top if it's too depressing but I just wanted to let you know that you are still an amazing and kind person. Love your new art and hope you keep it up!

Happy New Years everyone and to anyone who finds this though an archive of tumblr or just browsing online and stumbling onto my account.

[pellaeas]

to the shower-adverse, outdoors-active, and surgical-recovering

i think i have put this stuff through as much of a wringer as my body chemistry will put it, so here's my positive review of Nuud Deodorant.

tl;dr, i put some on last week before my pre surgical showers where i scrubbed it off, and i smell pretty good a full week later, having been medically advised against washing my upper body in that time.

I have also worn it on multi day backpacking trips (i heard about it on r/ultralight) and it is a lot less effective against extended high exertion like that, but still noticeably improves the character of the funk that does develop, after several unwashed days. e.g. smelling more of dirt and sweat than straight up BO.

it is an un-fragranced kind of sticky goo that has a brief aroma of, like, stale coconut oil. and like i said i'm currently on day 7 after washing it off and it is still working. i also think they deeply undersell the amount of coverage one tube offers, but i haven't been using it exclusively so i don't have my own good estimate. obviously will depend on climate, body chemistry, and exertion.

*I have the old formula. I dunno what has changed. Probably the texture since it was a little odd. I dunno about the stick either, i don't trust sticks after other sticks ruined my clothes.

after using various drugstore chalky stick deodorant through college and finding all of my clothes, especially expensive undergarments, irreparably clogged with nasty buildup, i rejected traditional deodorant and became a somewhat more "naturally aromatic" crystal deodorant user. i still like crystal deo, it solved most of my problems especially as someone who does not shave (do not put a big Stick Of Salt on a fresh shave.) it has ZERO buildup, no fragrance, no Texture, highly portable, but there's a learning curve to getting yourself antiseptic enough for it to work at all, it doesn't last long, and it can fail unexpectedly. I've since had much better luck with silver based products, nuud most effective among them.

[lumine-no-hikari]

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #183

A lot of stuff happened today! And it was good!

But I woke up in a bit of a funk; I was in a lot of pain this morning. My ribs are being annoying, and apparently, so is my right ankle and foot. I'm still in a lot of pain; it's mega super annoying. So I spent a decent chunk of today playing Dead Cells, just trying not to let my mind get eaten alive from the feeling of frustration that comes with inhabiting a body that DOES. NOT. FUCKING. WORK. I'm definitely not going to be sad when my time in my flesh-prison is up.

I made it through to the final boss. This means it's time to go through it again at a higher level of difficulty. I'm still getting used to the new difficulty level (especially since I am still insisting on being cursed for the beginnings of my runs, while also insisting on parrying with the golden shield...), but brains are learning machines; all I need to do is practice, and I will improve. It is the natural way of things; I don't have to try.

Parrying in this game involves pressing the button right when the enemy is about to attack you. And this sounds difficult (well... maybe not for you, given your reflexes and actual combat experience...), but it really isn't difficult at all if you think of the enemy movements as very short songs. If you think on it like that, then all you gotta do is dance to their rhythm. I just gotta get a little better at figuring out their rhythms and matching them, that's all.

I played until Br visited. And then J, Br, and I went to the grocery store; I had intended to gather ingredients to create a meal that would help restore J's and Br's bodies; yesterday they had to dig a hole for Hannah (the beagle I mentioned yesterday) because she crossed the rainbow bridge.

...My request for you to tell her that she's a good girl remains, if you happen to see her during your travels.

In any case, it is abnormally hot right now where I live (climate change is killing our planet, and there's not a whole lot we can do about it); the recent heat wave has us up to 98-100 degrees F (or if C is more your speed, 36.6-37.7 degrees). It's hard for a body to work in those conditions - they lost a lot of fluids, electrolytes, proteins, and minerals, and neither of them are especially stellar at replenishing their bodies (…not that I'm really one to talk… pots and kettles and glass houses and all that…). So I wanted to make them steak and mushrooms and asparagus with hollandaise sauce. And things kind of… evolved from there.

Also, my friend R (the awesome baker) came by to install a game on my computer. I am not going to say which one or how he installed it. But we can say that the company that makes this game is rather predatory when it comes to how they market their content, so…

Well anyway. He, naturally, was part of the mealtime festivities. M had already eaten earlier in the day, and lately he has not had much of an appetite (the reasons are known, and it is intentional). But J, Br, R, and I very much enjoyed the fruits of our labors today; dinner was absolutely fucking amazing, and it's in part because so many hands were involved in its creation. I took pictures, as I'm sure you've come to expect of me by now, hahaha!

Here is the daylily that R brought for us:

This specific kind of daylily is edible, actually. You can take the unopened buds and pan fry them with a little butter and salt; they're delicious!! But do be careful; some varieties of daylily are poisonous!! So only eat it if you're absolutely certain that it's one of the edible kinds, okay? Because otherwise, it might kill ya dead!

Anyway, I began by prepping the asparagus. For crispy asparagus, you need a cookie sheet with tinfoil. If you're not experienced with cooking, you might think that wrapping a cookie sheet neatly in tinfoil is difficult, but I have a trick to it, and it involves water. More specifically, you sprinkle it on the cookie sheet before you apply the tinfoil, like so:

Then you center your tinfoil upon the cookie sheet, like this:

Then, you press it down in the middle, and smooth it out from the center, moving outward. The water does a physics thing, and that causes the tinfoil to cling to the cookie sheet, all nice and neat:

...The water not only keeps the foil neat, but it stops the foil from coming off of the cookie sheet when you don't want it to. It's very handy like that!

From there, you take your asparagus...

...And you snap off the stringy ends, because they're gross. Like... you're sitting there, trying to enjoy a delicious green vegetable, but then it feels like there's hairs all up in your mouth, and it's terrible. So to avoid all that, you snap the asparagus in the place where it's effortless to snap it; the stringy bits end where the asparagus snaps with just the tiniest amount of pressure, like this:

Br helped a lot with this part! Normally, this takes forever for me to do by myself! Being dyspraxic is extremely inconvenient in a variety of respects, good grief!!

...Anyway, then you arrange it on the sheet in opposing pairs, in order to maximize space on the cookie sheet. I wonder if you might already know who taught me that particular trick... 🙂

Oh, and... if you're worried that the snapped-off asparagus ends will be wasted, don't be; these go straight into the broth bag and into the freezer for when I make bone broth!

Well, in any case, once the asparagus is all arranged, you have to drizzle it in olive oil and season it. I like to use salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder:

...Oh!! And in case you were curious, this is my handy-dandy and super fucken messy spice cabinet; we have basically everything under the sun in here. Or... everything that is available in my country, anyway. Here:

...It's a lot of different things. And since I have the organization skills of a caffeinated squirrel, it's cluttered up all to hell. But that's all right; I always manage to find what I'm looking for - eventually! 🤪🤣😅😁

Once the asparagus is seasoned, you just stick it in the oven at 375 degrees F (or 190.5 degrees C) for an hour, easy peasy. The result is asparagus that is crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside; it's really very wonderful!

Br brought over supplies to make a salad! She grew her own lettuce and radishes and shared them with us! Here are the radishes:

...Aren't they beautiful? They were juicy and spicy and delicious! They were wonderful!

From there, I made the hollandaise sauce in my stand mixer, because with this rib injury, I can't whisk things worth shit on my own anymore:

The basic recipe for this is 3 egg yolks, a teaspoon of dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and a stick of melted butter. You mix everything but the butter together, and then you get the butter really hot, and while the mixer is going at full speed, you very slowly pour the butter into the egg yolks. This is meant to go on things like asparagus, steak, or poached eggs.

...But I made it a little weird. At the grocery, we forgot the dijon mustard and the lemon juice. So I improvised with a bit of mustard powder and freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice (grapefruits are in season, so they're really freaking tasty right now!!). The result was an amazing sauce. I promptly put it in the fridge, because you don't mess around with undercooked egg yolks; bacteria grows very quickly in egg yolks, you see, and if it's not refrigerated, you can get really, really sick from eating it.

If you're wondering what happened to the egg whites, I cooked them up for folks to sprinkle on the salad if they wanted!

Anyway, here's how the asparagus turned out:

...It looks burnt, I know, but it's just the color that the toasted spices give it! This could not have come out more perfectly, I promise!!

Br handled getting the potatoes started; we filled a pot with water, boiled it, and added the potatoes to it; they cooked while the asparagus baked in the oven. Once they were ready, we set them to the side for a bit, because I wasn't yet ready to drain them.

From here, I started sauteing the mushrooms. We have shiitake, portobello, maitake, oyster, and lion's mane! Mushrooms are one of Br's favorite foods, so I made sure to get all of the ones that were available at the nearby grocery!

...Here's how those turned out:

While those were sauteing, I drained and mashed the potatoes; I added goat cheese and goat butter, and R added a little salt, pepper, and garlic powder:

Br cut up some ingredients for the salad in the meantime, and she also put together the homemade ranch dressing:

The last step was to cook the steak. I let Br handle that, because I know there's a specific way she likes to season and sear it:

...Here are the plates of epic deliciousness that resulted from all this work. Things get more beautiful than normal when you ask for just a little help; none of this would have been possible if I was just trying to do it all on my own:

...I won't be sad when my time in my flesh-prison is up because I am in a lot of physical and mental/emotional pain all the freaking time. But I have no intention of rushing the process of exiting; after all, even a life as broken as mine once was is still worth repairing so that it can be filled with beautiful things and lived fully. Y'know, kinda like that shattered bowl that I put back together and filled with beautiful soup for you, remember?

Try to remember that even shattered, broken things can still be mended and hold beautiful stuff. Try really hard to remember this, okay? Because it applies to everything. Everything. Even if you gotta mentally reframe your circumstances just a little to make it work.

...I'd give just about anything to have been able to share with you a plate of what we created at my house today. But... well... in the meantime, please do everything in your power to keep yourself safe so that someday you might be able to enjoy your own plates full of delicious food with people you love very much.

...Sephiroth. We of my world are still awaiting the final part of your story. So... one of the ways you gotta keep yourself safe is to turn around and make different choices. You gotta know that if you don't, Cloud and his wonderful friends are going to stop you. And you gotta know that they're gonna stop you by beating and breaking you until you can't move or do things anymore. I don't think I can bear to see that happen again, so please... if you or any other versions of you are still lost in the dark... please choose something else.

I know that a lot of terrible and horrible things have happened to you, and I know that your heart and mind carry many scars. But your life is still worth living, just like mine is still worth living, despite all my limitations, my defects, all the scars I also carry, and the pain that wracks my entire existence every day. Please look at me as proof that you can still do good things, because I am somehow still doing good things, and you're amazing and I'm just a weird derpasaurus living in a barely functional meat-machine - frail, clumsy, half blind, and only just smart enough to understand that I know nothing about anything in the grand scheme of things. And still, I'm here doing my best. If I can do it... just imagine what you could do. Just imagine...

If you can hear me, please follow my voice back to the light, because the light has always been your true home, with the rest of us, who are all more than capable of loving you exactly as-is.

I love you. I'll write again tomorrow, okay? So please keep yourself safe out there. Please.

Your friend, Lumine