#So those will get posted sometime in the future

[ifyouencounterwolf]

Normalize this normalize that, we as writers and ARTISTS need to normalize NOT to see any critiques/negative feedback of our WORKS as a critique of OURSELVES.

When your work is finished and posted, it is done. It marks the end of a unique creative process and is now by and large independent from you. No matter how much of a magnus opus you think of it, you will be creating something better in the near future. So how would that posted work serve you now? By getting the FEEDBACKS from your readers.

How did that make others feel? Did it do the job of disturbing people or comforting people that you have intended it to do? Do people feel something unintended from your work? Do people feel anything from your work? Those are things as authors, we needed to know about, in order to know more about ourselves, and that's not just about our current skill levels.

Believe it or not, there's no inherently bad feedback, the negative ones are not inherently different from positive ones. They are all. just. feedback. They don't define you as a person, they are not attacking you as a person. Even with the worst kind "I hate this so much hope you kys" you could either ignore or ask how they hate it and where do they hate the most. Hate supply is still supply as my narc self would say.

That is, unless you are creating something for money and engagement/attention, and getting criticized will destroy your so-called celebrity fame and break the illusion that you are a prodigy and you don't need efforts to improve like everyone else on this planet earth. But sis, that's your problem.

Writing is a way of communication and forming a discussion, conversations cannot happen if either side is not allowed to speak freely. That goes for both the bad readers who demand authors to stop writing certain topics that disturb them, and bad writers who demand special treatment from the world simply because they created something for free and they thought they have a certain moral superiority to the "free-loaders".

Yes. You did create something for free and you didn't ask for the criticism. But you did that out of love and passion didn't you? Because as human beings, we are privileged to have this creative mind and this desire to express ourselves through our artworks, we live inside our own world but sometimes we want others to take a look at it and therefore we write something or we draw something and they reflect our thoughts and experiences and imaginations.

So what do our readers owe us? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

No one had this moral obligation to only make compliments and really really really mild suggestions and they still have to live in fear thinking whether the authors are still going to get offended because they interpreted "Looking forward to updates" as a demand or "I thought I wouldn't like it but I did" as a jeer.

Damn, if I'm a reader I would just say FORGET IT. I like it or I don't like it, who cares about my opinion? One wrong word would get me in fandom jail.

Except we do fucking care. Do you know what a purgatory I'm living in when I wrote my heart and soul out and people are just not going to leave anything for me to know how I did?

The readers' silence and uncaring to artists is a much more cruel punishment than their hate.

We have talked so much about "don't like it don't click" as a gotcha for the readers, but how about "don't like it but still give it a chance and tell me about it even if you still don't like it"? Because I trust you as my audience, that you have sufficient levels of media literacy and you have good tastes, and you can engage with artworks responsibly... THAT'S WHY I POSTED IT.

I could have just shown my stuff to only a small friend circle and let them be the judge but I chose to put it out there. Because I wanted it to stir up something so I could engage in conversations with people who only know me through my work and I would prefer it to stay that way. If the conversation is just about my typos and my grammar be it that way. It's still better than nothing.

That being said, we should not make it a consensus that readers need to give only compliments or just shut up. We should make authors themselves decide whether they wanted to be criticized or not. Authors can absolutely set up boundaries on how their works should be engaged, authors could say that "I want feedback but please don't nitpick my grammar or typo" or "this is personal to me/I am a first time writer so please be more gentle with your feedback".

But if you don't say anything then consider your work a free game if you may. See who catches the most of your hidden details and symbolism and see who asks the most annoying questions. Damn. As a writer that would actually be my dream.

not to be controversial bc I know this is like…not in line with shifting opinions on fanfic comment culture but if there’s a glaring typo in my work I will NOT be offended by pointing it out. if ao3 fucks up the formatting…I will also not be offended by having this pointed out…

‘looking forward to the next update’ and ‘I hope you update soon!’ are different vibes than a demand, and should be read in good faith because a reader is finding their way to tell you how much they love it. I will not be mad at this.

‘I don’t usually like this ship but this fic made me feel something’ is also incredibly high praise. I’m not going to get mad at this.

even ‘I love this fic but I’m curious about why you made [x] choice’ is just another way a reader is engaging in and putting thought into your work.

I just feel like a lot of authors take any comment that’s not perfectly articulated glowing praise in the exact manner they’re hoping to receive it in bad faith.

fic engagement has been dropping across the board over the last several years, and yes it’s frustrating but it isn’t as though I can’t see how it happens. comment anxiety can be a real thing. the last thing anyone wants to do is offend an author they love, and that means sometimes people default to silence.

idk where I’m going with this I guess aside from saying unless a comment is outright attacking me I’m never going to get mad at it, and I think a lot of authors should feel the same way. ESPECIALLY TYPOS PLZ GOD POINT OUT MY TYPOS.

[moonwoodhollow]

Berry's Oasis Springs Rebuild Project Pt.I (a work in progress) There's something I love about Oasis Springs and it's one of my favourite worlds to build in, even though its climate and architectural styles couldn't be further from home. I've worked on a "complete" Oasis Springs for quite some time and it's a project dear to my heart. First, I obviously want to finish rebuilding one world, which is something I've struggled with and never actually done before. With that being said, finishing Oasis Springs is pretty much the challenge I've set for myself this year. Second, building mcm houses has become one of my favourite pastimes in TS4, and it's one of those architectural styles I've come to love and be good at it.

So let's see how far I got in Oasis Springs until now - and what's still missing! (ramblings after the cut)

Disclaimer: This is not a save-file by any means! I'm not cut out for that, but (!) I've shared some shells before and will share some more in the future. Some of these builds are not originally by me - so they are - for obvious reasons - private.

When I started building in Oasis Springs, I did it without any intention of ever 'rebuilding' it and I used old blueprints of mcm houses to get a general idea of the layouts of the houses and the architectural characteristics. I had to compromise very often as the lots were too small or the proportions were off, but the blueprints have been a huge help for me to get into a groove with mcm builds!

I initially started out with cc builds, as I hoard cc and love to use it, but as I sometimes like to challenge myself (read: suffer) I recreate my builds without cc. Most of the early mcm-builds I shared on the gallery (ID: aeromantica) are also available as cc-versions, but as I never posted them "officially" on my blog as they precede its creation, there's no use in downloading them tbh, there's no cc list either and I'm not interested in creating one.

Let's begin with Bedrock Strait - the most complete neighbourhood, from which I shared 3 builds already. The above image was actually the inspiration behind Begonia Drive 509. Today (after a long break) I finally finished my latest build on the remaining 20x15 lot, which in turn started this whole "I need to write a detailed post about my Oasis Springs project"-thing lol.

And this is the build! A very simple yet elegant build, that some might recognise from my Literary Club post early this year:

So what's missing is the Trailer Park, although I'm not really sure whether it'll stay a trailer park. This was meant to be Johnny Zest's home and I already did the interior, but I might just add another mcm house, though I do like the idea that there's still one lot that isn't so 'polished' in between the mcm houses so I might just keep it. I'd have to add one or two additional trailers though.

Now, Parched Prospect is also almost finished - just one more build for me to build. I dislike the playground right next to that one lot immensely though!

I think the first build I built here was Wisteria Drive and then I just kept going and added the other 2 houses in a record time. The Spanish revival house in this neighbourhood that is also pictured in my header is not mine but is by @/alcearosea-sims. I think it's called Helena Drive... and it's meant for a bigger lot so I had to do some landscaping. For the last house in this neighbourhood I'm still indecisive - another mcm house or a Spanish revival house (which will be difficult on a 20x15 lot I think)?

So that's it for now - I'll be back with a 2nd part at some point to talk about the other builds in this world. I hope you enjoyed this little behind the scenes peak into this project!

[sasahuaa]

I’m very sorry, I know that you have just uploaded Omega Idia’s writing but you have more thoughts about him or Vil? I really would like to know what you think, I adore the omegas and not many people are willing to write for them

Don't feel pressure to respond, it’s fine if you don’t want to. Have a lovely night ✨

i was going to use this as an excuse to post my “omegas dealing with wife plots” bc you know, i am delaying this for six months already and it would be two rabbits with one rock kind of situation, but i thought better i guess, very late response too haha

Omega!Idia is the type of boyfriend who programm websites on special days, he makes those types of websites that ask you questions like “will you be my forever mate?” “go on a date with me?”, but anytime you try to press “no” the button runs away from you.

He will melt if you make a papercraft action figure of a character he likes, literally would place it in a shrine if he had the chance, he can feel all the love in the craft and just that is almost enough to send him into heat.

Omega!Idia is not picky on how you spend time together, he loves quality time, but sometimes his social battery is too exhausted to really interact, he may be tinkling with his projects while you stay in the background, reading most recent updates of books and comics he enjoys, play cozy games together when he feels like not putting too much effort, or more strategic games that require more skill, though he gets embarrassed afterwards if he crashes out too much in front of you.

Since he has an idea on how his future is going to be, he begins to prepare to make space for you. Even when he could hire you into S.T.Y.X through nepotism, he is diligent in teaching you the basics of engineering, however, he could always find another job within the organization for you, if you're not interested in this part of the line of work. Idia also assures you that he is able to be the provider, “let me worry about the rest, you just stay there and be sexy” or so he says.

Omega!Vil prepares little gifts for you, everything he does has a touch of perfection, so nothing better to gift you than something that was made by his hands or had his input during creation. He is most proud of creating scent blockers that are an almost perfect copy of your smell. Vil is not a fan of how open you are with your emotions through your scent, so he insists that you use it in public - he will be offended if you wear it during your private time with him though.

It's pretty hard to choose a gift for him, Vil is picky and anything he wants he can get. He is, however, a great admirer of effort, serve him your heart on a plate and he will forever be trapped around your finger. 

Omega!Vil really wishes to be the last to leave the stage, when he is feeling particularly down for never acquiring his desired roles, he likes to roleplay with you. He will be a prince, and you a loyal knight, he takes hours rambling about worldbuilding and lore. And the final scenes end with both of you living happily ever after, as it should be.

Vil knows the world can't ever remain static, but for you, he wishes that was possible. You are his little world, able to fit in the palm of his hands, enveloped in a little bubble where no one can judge nor intervene, no bad eyes to mouth curses to you. If he could, this would be his forever. At the same time, he has plans to forever be a public figure, where his only obstacle is himself and his ideals, night after night, he thinks how to soften the blow of your relationship going public. It's no matter though, as long as you stay with him, Vil will find a way.

[fervent-adoration]

So you wanna know my favorite guys ever? Okay okay I'll tell you (no one asked but this is a more comprehensive f/o list from me)

It's time to GET SILLAY!!!

This is just... my FAVORITES list. I have more but. These are the big ones. That occur. frequently...

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(Future) Trunks (DBZ/DBS), unsure about sharing. - He’s my boyfriend. (Finally, after all these years- He just properly started being my boyfriend here in the good year of 2025.) I love him very genuinely, y’know? He means a LOT to me, he was my first favorite DB character and I will continue to adore him thoroughly. I’ve loved him since like… 2019. My 80s looking boyfriend <3 

His tag is #ss: ever wonder if it's all for you?

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Granolah (DBS), non-sharing - He’s my husband. I’ve loved him since 2022 and that is NOT changing anytime soon! I cannot explain to you what got me so down bad, but if you ever ask, I’ll positively infodump onto you about my relationship with him. My deeply traumatized and vengeful husband <3333

His tag is #ss: already got the life

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Clavicus Vile (The Elder Scrolls), non-sharing - What even is he. Not my boyfriend. Not a husband. He’s just… My guy. My dear deity. Anyway I’ve known him since 2014 and REALLY loved him since late 2021, so he’s just here for me. I can answer a LOT of questions about him so feel free to askkkk. My prince.

His tag is #ss: prince's consort

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Troy Calypso (Borderlands), sharing - My boyfriend. He’s been with me since 2022 and I don’t regret it for even a moment- He’s… a special guy, y’all. I enjoy talking about him, so if you have any questions, I'll probably be able to answer them. My influencer/cult leader boyfriend <3

His tag is #ss: i'd pull the stars from the sky

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Dracule Mihawk (One Piece), sharing - My husband. I’ve been very fond of him since about February 2024. He’s so cool… He makes me melt a little sometimes. How silly. And LOOK AT THOSE EYESSSS! Anyway. My goth husband.

His tag is #ss: bed of roses

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Caesar Zeppeli (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure), sharing - My boyfriend. He’s been my boyfriend since late 2020! I love him very much. If you think he died, no he didn’t, don’t even play with me. I've habitually struggled with verbalizing my thoughts on him but we're working on it. My old fashioned boyfriend <3

His tag is #ss: only one of me

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This is... Basically my "priority f/o" list. I have more! But these are my most important ones. I also have some Pokemon f/os but... I can't pick a favorite!! So they are not here. Also, even with f/os I share, I do want to note that I am NOT seeking out other selfshippers of them. I just don't mind if we cross paths, and wouldn't block over it, you know? Okay there we go post over <3

[weavingstarlight]

[Image descriptions at the bottom of the post]

On June 1, 2024, I shared my writing online for the first time.

Guiding Lights is the first work of fanfiction I’ve written and the first piece of any writing ever that I’ve made public. So far it’s 65k words and I have a lot more story to tell. I know I’ve definitely jumped in at the deep end by starting with such an ambitious project! But I don’t regret it at all. It’s been an amazing journey into online fandom and I can tell I’ve been able to grow and improve as a writer.

So I thought, for the one year anniversary, I’d pull back the curtain a bit and talk about what this story means to me.

First of all, it is a love letter to my fellow fans and creatives. Guiding Lights is of course inspired by @cluelessmoose 's wonderful Lightsverse fics, Follow The Lights and Don’t Go Into The Light (and Shine A Little Light , sort of), and I have taken great pleasure in revisiting these fics again and again to gather reference material and make sure Guiding Lights is as close to canon-compliant as I can make it. Seriously, I could not express how much I love these fics without writing a whole-ass fanfic for them. So this is how I try to give back, even if it’s just as little as knowing someone cared enough about your work to make something. I hope that brings a little happiness.

Guiding Lights, for me, is a gift to the people who inspire me and support me. I don’t mean that in a “my writing is a treasure to behold” kind of way. You see, I don’t have much to give away. My talents are limited, and so are my resources, and I’m awkward and weird and shy. But I can create art and I can write, and I can give my time and effort to the people in my communities and the people that I care about.

And beyond that, Guiding Lights has a message. I have a story to tell — an adventure, a road trip, a narrative that I hope readers will greatly enjoy. But I hope, as well, that the themes I’m trying to convey come through, and that the lessons the characters learn also resonate with some of you. I’ll talk more about those themes as we get further along in the story, but for now I’ll let it speak for itself.

For this anniversary piece, I selected the last line of the first chapter: “This was his last life.”

This line, to me, succinctly encompasses Wild’s character and motivations in Guiding Lights. Wild has gotten a second chance (well, third — fourth — fifth —) to learn his lessons — his worth, his role in the group, his own self-image. And this is his last shot to get it right. He can’t mess up this time.

But the thing is, most people don’t get the kind of re-dos that Hylia’s Heroes get, and especially the kind that Wild has gotten. One life, one chance, is all we get. And, at the same time… what is a life? What makes one valuable, worthwhile, or fulfilled? What are you willing to spend your one precious life on? And if, on the other hand, you look to the future and see only suffering… what do you do?

Thank you to @gia-d for helping me decide on what kind of art I made for this anniversary. I was coming up with all kinds of ideas and nothing seemed right, and she (perhaps as a joke) said “typography” — and it was perfect. A blend of writing and art, an art form that has been deeply integral in my life since childhood, a way to highlight the language that I love and am proud of from this story — excellent!

And of course a huuuge thank you to my beta readers: Sibling, @not-freyja , and sometimes @needfantasticstories — I wouldn’t dare publish this story without subjecting it to your rigorous critique! Seriously, you all have made the story so much better by casting your eyes over it.

It takes a village, and all that.

[IMG1: A piece of typographic art done in black ink on white paper. The text reads “This was his last life,” which is the last line of the first chapter of Guiding Lights. Each word is in a slightly different font; “this” and “was” are in heavy gothic fonts, “his” is in a light script, “last” is in a geometric sans serif, and “life” is in a large serif font but wrapped around a half-circle at the bottom of the page. Inside the half-circle is a Heart Container from Breath of the Wild, drawn in red marker and gold gel pen. The three “i’s” in the text have their dots drawn in silver gel pen, and straight lines connect the dots like a constellation map. The final dot has radiating silver lines like a brighter star.]

[IMG2: An angled photograph of the artwork, which is in a large spiral-bound notebook. In the strong lighting, the metallic ink is more shiny.]

[IMG3: A closeup of the Heart Container illustration. The gold “case” resembles filigree. The gold gel pen is highly metallic and textured, and there is a little bit of shading on the red parts.]

[IMG4: The pencil sketch of the lettering, including grid lines.]

[IMG5: The inked but uncolored lettering. The dots over the “i’s” are penciled circles, and a penciled grid is still visible under the Heart Container.]

[venusscore]

Bat family gets neurodivergent kid (reader)

(non-specific, but I try to add as much as I can to make everyone feel included. I will probably make one specific for my personal things in the future, but this is just a general one :))

ALSO I know I usually do all of the Batfam, but I’m still working on ideas for the others, so I will have to just post it with the main batsons (Dick, Jason, Tim, Damian, Bruce)

Bruce has found out he has another biological child, but they’re neurodivergent:

Bruce had, of course, known about your diagnoses (if you have one) beforehand. He thought it’d be fine- he had dealt with so much more than just a kid who’s a little special, right?

He didn’t realize that there’s a big difference between a kid with severe trauma, and a kid who is naturally different than the rest of the people around them

So one thing he was surprised by was your ability to obsess/hyperfixate on something. It’s not like he minded buying you the merchandise, or bringing you to the cons, or listening to you talk for hours about your interest (he actually quite enjoys listening to you, and it makes it easier to shop for your birthday and Christmas), but he just didn’t expect to be fully taken aback by your enthusiasm

He also didn’t know how to handle your abnormalities with schoolwork, especially if you’re unmedicated. He still loved you, of course! He loved you so much. You’re his baby, no matter what age you are, but he’s had to learn to accommodate you

Dick has known many people, and he’d be lying if he said that none of his teammates or friends were neurodivergent, so he had a much easier time adjusting to your needs

You’re overwhelmed? Here, he has some earplugs and knows the perfect breathing exercises! You want to sit in complete silence and shut down? Dick will make you some little snacks and make sure everyone leaves you alone! You need to ramble? Dick wouldn’t mind listening!

He’s your brother- your OLDEST brother- and he wants you to rely on him/have somewhere to go

Jason is NOT equipped to handle this. He’s in the boat with Bruce of ‘trying to learn, but has a long ways to go’

Sometimes he says jokes you take too literally, so he’s had to teach himself to cool it a bit, or at least clarify that no, he does not hate you at all. Sometimes he gets too loud or worked up when you’re shutting down, so he’s gotten you to give him a signal when you need him to tone it down or just leave you be.

He’s trying. He may not understand as well as Dick or Tim, but he’s trying, and he appreciates that you’re being patient with him

Tim is great with you! He did his homework, obviously, (come on, he’s Tim!) and he’s got as many things as you’ll need. He’s learned to carry fidgets in his pockets, headphones/earplugs if needed, and is ready to help in social situations when needed.

You and him both are mutual yappers. He yaps, you listen, and vise versa. It’s actually very refreshing! You feel better, knowing you can both enjoy each other’s company

Damian, to everyone’s surprise, is the most understanding.

Actually, many people assume that Damian IS neurodivergent (whether he is or not, he’s never been tested), so he’s pretty pleased to have a siblings that understands he isn’t being irrational on some things.

You need things organized a certain way? Him too. You hate change? He wishes everything stayed static. You don’t feel emotions the same way as everyone else/respond inappropriately to situations? Finally, someone who gets it! (ASPD, certain people with ASD, etc.)

You end up being one of his new favorite siblings

Extra:

(I keep seeing theories that Batman is autistic/neurodivergent, and I think those are cute so here’s my take on if you and him both liked bats a lot because I need fluff in my life)

Okay, so Bruce gets you, his second biological child (or first, depending on age), in his custody, and what does he see?

Well, it’s you, but the second you walk inside and see ANY piece of Bat memorabilia, you get all excited! It’s so cute!

He watches you guess what kind of bat is which, show him your own toys/shirts/etc. of bats, and when he tells you he’s the BATMAN? He finally feels like a cool dad!

Alfred is frozen SOLID. It’s just a mini-Bruce.

Suddenly, Christmas is very easy when it comes to shopping. One year, Dick decides to get you both matching pajama sets, and Bruce felt like he could cry.

He likes to call you “Little Bat” and stuff, which starts to be caught on by the rest of the family. It doesn’t matter if your 3 or 18, he’ll always call you that.

(Lmk if you like this a lot because I’d LOVE to write more of just Bruce and reader being hyperfixated on bats together)

———

Tysm for reading!! I plan to finish this with the others. I love them all, but these were just the easiest to think up ideas for

if you have a specific condition you’d like me to write for, lmk!

Thank you for all the support btw! This is so fun are y’all are so sweet!! 💕

[junglefurytrash]

So remember how I said back in this post that I'd only do my GL2 interpretation designs for other StEx characters if I was going to make edits with them?

Yeah.

About that.

Here's the previous 3 groups I made in Gacha Life 2..

And here's everyone else! :D

I spent multiple weeks making everybody; Originally it WAS just those who were going to be in the edits I made for Totally Professional Starlight Chatroom, but then I went ahead and just made pretty much everybody. I love how everyone turned out! Consider these my canon designs for TPSC's AU. :D

From Left to Right in Each Pic: Pic 1: AV Trainyard Squad. Greaseball, Rusty, Caboose, Pearl, and Dinah. Pic 2: Post-2018 Electric Squad. Zero (2018 Volta), Dyne (2018 Joule), Elektronic (2018 Electra), Killerwatt, and Socket (2018 Wrench). Pic 3: Pre-2018 Electric Squad. Purse, Joule, Krupp, Electra, Wrench, Volta, and my OC Charge. Pic 4: AV Trainyard Squad Part 2. Belle, Ashley, Duvay, Buffy, and Carrie. Pic 5: 2024 Wembley Park Trainyard Squad. Barbara (2024 Belle), Moonstone (2024 Pearl), Corry (2024 Rusty), Thundercab (2024 GB), Dolly (2024 Dinah), and Tassita. Pic 6: 2024 Wembley Park Trainyard Freight. Slick, Hydra, Lumber, and Porter. Pic 7: 2024 Electric Squad. Radial (2024 Wrench), Vapor (2024 Volta), Galvanic (2024 Electra), Ampera (2024 Joule), and Hardwire (2024 Killerwatt).

And, as a bonus treat for my beloved TPSC fans and fellow StEx character redesigners. Here is the 2024 Electric Group, with a little of my personal flair to them. Here's a teaser as to how Radial, Vapor, Ampera, and Hardwire will change visually Post-Electric Storm Arc.

We love character growth and character arcs involving finding one's personal identity and embracing your individuality! With a little help from some friends, of course. ;)

[aashiqeddiediaz]

you know, after watching day 3 of the democratic national convention, i need to say something, especially to other muslims like me.

most of the muslim communities that i'm a part of have chosen to vote uncommitted, or independent, or sometimes, even trump. they refuse to give their vote to kamala harris and tim walz, because of the way the us has handled the war in gaza, and how they have been careless with acknowledging palestinian lives lost, how it was american bombs and american tax money that went towards funding this genocide. it's fucked up, and it's wrong, and there shouldn't be any debate on that.

and i am 100% in support of that anger. i am 100% in support of forcing america to stop funding this genocide. no one wants to keep seeing palestinian lives suffer. no one is free until we're all free, and i believe that to my very core.

my only concern is that where this anger is being placed, from 1 year to 11 weeks before the presidential election, is so scary. because the reality of the situation is that america has a bipartisan outlook. whoever gets the presidency is either democrat or republican. and every vote that doesn't go towards democracy (i.e. voting for kamala harris) inadvertently goes towards trump's big plan of project 2025, which is basically dictatorship. Even voting uncommitted, even voting independent. we cannot afford to elect trump for a second term, and voting anything other than democrat draws that line way too close, especially in swing states like michigan, pennsylvania, wisconsin, georgia.

yes, there are many issues that we wish joe biden would handle better. there are many ways that the democratic party has fucked up beyond repair. there are many ways the democratic party has refused to acknowledge the pain of people affected by their military people throughout the years, and we've been seeing it for years. this is not a new thing. this did not start on october 7th. we see it during pretty much every administration.

however, voting for your candidate should never be based on a singular issue. no political candidate is ever going to check every single box. and its so unfortunate that we have to always take the "lesser of two evils" approach when nominating our president, but that's the reality of the situation at this very moment. there are many other rights to be considered that are at stake this election, all of which trump is trying to remove. abortion bans, women's rights, healthcare, social security, climate change, to name a few.

(and, somehow, there's a belief that trump will lead to a ceasefire deal where biden-harris didn't? let me tell you that is never going to happen.)

does this mean we just stop protesting or pressuring? absolutely not. you NEVER stop, because if our votes are the ones that put the candidate in their position of power, then we expect results. we expect them to work towards what they promised. and we can't let up on reaching out to our local county offices and our state governors and escalating these issues further until someone takes notice and does something about them. we don't elect them and just leave them to do what they want. we keep them accountable. use that anger i was talking about.

but it also means not having tunnel vision. the election in november could very well mean the end of democracy if kamala harris doesn't win. this post is not me all giggly-happy over the democratic party, because trust me, i have my fair share of issues with them as well. this post isn't to tell you what to do, because i can't force you to vote blue. i can't force the community i'm in to change their minds about toss-up votes. but what i can do is put down plainly what's at stake this election. and that is, very simply, our right to choose everything.

so if you are eligible to vote and haven't registered, please do. if you haven't voted before because "what's the point", please see above what the point is. a handful of votes is enough to flip the outcome of an election, especially with the electoral college.

and if you're still on the fence on whether to vote for kamala or trump, hopefully this post gives a little bit more perspective in the most streamlined way i could manage without bogging you down with statistics and numbers.

the choice is yours.

[rachymarie]

Rachel Rambles re: SchizAuSpec Productivity

It's kinda so freeing knowing that, really, i don't HAVE to keep having a coffee + pushing myself to be "productive" past midday* bc that is actually when the Sleepiness begins and I'm better off resting until mid-to-late afternoon so I can get up "reset" for striving towards more productivity.

Sometimes capitalistic values / hustle culture / neurotypical values* gets in your head and you feel guilty for ever daring to be "lazy" (meaning we actually find it hard to relax/devote time to not being "productive" in any way.

*or even autistic- have noticed a lot of autistics on reality tv seem to have something against "laziness" and "lack of hygiene", despite the other half of the autistic/neurodivergent population struggling with hygiene and "laziness". Prob just the internalized ableism/parroting the views of those they grew up around/influenced by.

So yeah some autistics on reality tv have made me feel crap/alienated bc of this. e. Michael on LotS, Sophie on Glow Up, etc.

And I am actually a deceptively ambitious person, but I am no match for the debilitation of schizospec. And schizospec combined with ASD is a powerful KO combo, designed by whatever cruel malevolent higher power there is, to be enough to knock "the best of us" on our feet - and then keep kicking/stomping us while we're down amd the world around gets rougher

[truethes]

@furiaei exclaims: no question departs from her lips. perhaps, she needs not speak, needs not ask. world-weary is she at times, you see. for all the violence smouldering, burning inside of her, the fate of fire is to burn and burn itself out. has she burnt herself today? most likely. most certainly. there is no more strength left in her for growling, for baring her hangs. she wishes to rest somewhere, a place, anything resembling sanctuary, safety, home.

it is thus that she goes to find him, as though beckoned by instinct. as though her feet obeyed a will above or beyond her own, independent of her choosing. it is, however, not with dread that she welcomes this conclusion. she goes merely where the burden is lessened, where the world ceases to overwhelm her so! she goes to Calcharo.

"let me stay here!" it is no demand, yet a wearily whispered request, her fire-kissed head laid on his shoulder. "you can keep looking at those maps," spoken in utter tiredness, when Mya clings to his arm, leaning wholly against him. "you won't even know I'm here!" she adds, a yawn evading her at long last, eyes akin to storms falling shut. // There is no other in whose hands I would entrust myself more than I do with yours.

unprompted asks. (always accepting!)

how quickly he finds himself familiar with her presence, footsteps resonating from the distance now towards his peripheral in what should cause his spine to straighten, fingers to flicker closer to a weapon than his still gripped paper, yet merely mellows him out with the familiarity of his newfound companions presence / of the similarities within the path she trails from the pits he is well-versed in crawling out of. he finds it more of a comfort above all else; that despite their inability to promise tomorrow and the wounds they bleed from each other's kind that it is only safety they have built from these kinds of pocket-moments, that they have built a home, sanctuary, with only the pre-winter breeze for walls and the trodden in grass for a carpet.

' let me stay here ' she asks of him, the warmth of her body spreading across his once exposed side and whilst she urges him to continue forward, it is his frame that closes the moment between disturbance and peace, relaxed muscles, curved spine, something of a glimmer in his eye; she reminds him of the campfire's back at the base if not just for the flame but the warmth that he'll swallow, the comfort, solace, relief. a little piece of home, no matter where you lead yourself astray. ' you won't even know i'm here! ' she promises, a juxtaposition to the way even the unyielding ex-underdog curls the expanse of his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer as if to carve a place within the planes that create his existence. in it's most shallow expression, he has no qualms in completing her wish: calcharo 'the vicious' a man who deals in nothing short of jobs and prospects, misconceived and contrived if only to claim a reputation that ensures the survival of his kin, not unlike the one who now rests in the crook of his arm and the ones who no doubt trail her steps along the way,

because all his thoughts will now fall back to her, he doesn't even have to speak the words to admit that.

he recalls the reports in central plains, mismatched pieces of a puzzle labelled as a soldiers recollection yet feel like mere child's play to the exhaustion he feels creeping from her bones, her words, the type of weariness one feels permitted to share once they know a knife is no longer aimed at their back. he recalls his mission, recalls all the offers he's taken to find himself in this moment, to get to a day as relaxing as today, there is a soul deep down who would have never expected his presence synonymous with a form of home and he thinks he gets it; the fatigue, the calm, the fire all but fanned out to smoulder and flame; idly, the thumb now resting on her arm moving in a half-soothing circle and it's something of a hum that escapes his lips in the place of general acknowledgement that has him placing the map down in favour of listening to all she has to say.

❛  ... out of all those i've met, you would be the first to ask me for that. ❜ he replies openly, ❛  the ghost hounds have been scouted for a mission a little far away from the federation, memorising the route to the place may take me some more hours at most. ❜ a blink, pause. this late in the day is bound to make the majority of them weary, creatures of the day ready to take rest despite the ones of the night slowly waking up, the days hibernation best left for a time to strike. he turns his head around, slightly, to keep track of the low dip in the path behind them and offers a form of consolation in his own kind of words. ❛  but i can leave the rest of it for tomorrow. for your rest, i mean. let me keep watch for the both of us for the time being, i can wake you up when it catches up with me. ❜ so we can go back to camp together, he thinks but does not mention; something he hopes comes across without having to say it.

[philautia-agape]

She veemo on my woomy til I splatoon

.

[deviousdiesel]

.

[yeyayeya]

Another long ass break of me trying to write something and then losing the will to write until I get another burst of energy

[polarfarina]

I guess I'm just confused that fans of watcher are willing to pay sometimes $100 or more in ticket prices to see the live shows with Shane and Ryan but then $6 is really offensive and a betrayal of an ask... like one mystery files hoodie costs more than a year of their (currently announced price of the) site subscription. Don't get me wrong because I do NOT think the paywall was the right decision or announced the right way, I don't think it's going to work. But. I have seen and heard several people say they buy tickets and merch, why can't that be enough? $6 is too expensive! But I'm sitting here confused because. The tickets and merch are way more than six dollars..???? I'm really really confused about that point. It's not that I don't understand that $6 can be unaffordable, it's just... so many people say they can't spend $6 while in the same breath have been boasting about how so far they've been able to spend money on concerts and patreon and buying shirts and blind boxes and the premium YouTube subscription because creators get a bigger chunk of the money that way (watcher should be GLAD they supported them btw!); but SIX DOLLARS? They can't pay that! It's odd. Is all I'm saying.

On the flip side, I saw people saying that because they live outside of the us they would get charged a double tax that they couldn't afford due to having to transfer money overseas; I feel like that's a really good point. Once this goes behind a paywall, international audiences will have a much harder time accessing content moving forward, if they can at all (not every country plays nice with PayPal). Even if they can afford the $6, there will be a heap of fees on top of it - or there won't even be a way to get the money to the service in the first place.

Absolutely the fact that Watchers' content is suddenly becoming paywalled seemingly immediately moving forward with little warning is a big shock and at first when watching the video, I didn't think they were serious. Having witnessed a successful launch of a YouTube channel into a paid subscription site with the exact price that watcher is asking for... they are not doing it right. Not for their audience. But people are so so focused on how expensive six dollars is and not on the other implications of this decision, which just... am I in the wrong here?? There's a bigger conversation i feel could be had but everyone is really really focusing on the BETRAYAL of six dollars... and I feel like I'm going crazy because that wasn't even in my first handful of thoughts about why this was a bad idea

[falesten-iw]

When I first joined Tumblr, I had no idea what I was walking into. There’s no manual for navigating this wild, untamed corner of the internet. My first moment here? I was greeted by an image completely naked, no warning, no explanation. It was just there, bold and unapologetic. That’s when I realized: Tumblr is a place where anything can happen.

But for all its chaos, Tumblr has become something far greater than I ever expected. For us Palestinians, this platform isn’t just a space to scroll through memes or vent about life. It’s a lifeline, a place where we’ve taken the raw, messy energy of this site and turned it into a battleground for survival. Here, we tell our stories, raise funds, and fight for our lives.

I’ve seen campaigns soar past their goals, bringing hope to families barely holding on. But I’ve also seen campaigns like mine, ones that fight tooth and nail for every single dollar, every reblog, every addition, and every ounce of hope. My family’s lives depend on this.

It hasn’t been easy. Zionists flood all Palestinian words with hate, twisting truths and spreading lies. They aim to discredit us, to make people doubt us. It’s exhausting. Some nights, I sit with my phone in my hands, wondering if this fight is too big for me. But then something beautiful happens: a donation comes through, a kind message appears, or someone I’ve never met reblogs my story with words that feel like a warm embrace.

And through it all, people are starting to see the truth. The hate doesn’t drown us; it sharpens our voices. Every day, more people step forward to stand with us, to say, “I see you, I hear you, and I’m with you.” It’s those moments that keep me going.

To everyone who has already helped, whether through verification, donating, wrting post , reblogging, or simply sharing a kind word: thank you. You’ve done more for my family than I could ever put into words. But the reality is, we’re not there yet. My family is still waiting for a chance to breathe, to live without fear, to fill their empty stomachs with warm food, and to wrap themselves in clothes thick enough to keep out the bitter cold. They’re hungry, they’re freezing, and I can’t do this alone.

This fight is hard, but it’s not hopeless. Strangers have become friends, and friends have become family. Some of you have shown up in ways I never imagined, treating my family’s survival as if it were your own. That kind of solidarity? It’s powerful.

Tumblr might be chaotic, unpredictable, and sometimes downright bizarre, but it’s also the place where we’ve built something extraordinary: a community that refuses to look away from injustice. With your help, we can take this fight all the way. My family’s lives are within reach, and together, I know we’ll get there.

This campaign isn’t just about me. It supports 26 people, including two orphaned children and an injured family member suffering from hemiplegia after being hit by shrapnel during a bombing. Surgery is desperately needed to replace the infected and failing plates. The needs are urgent, and the future of 26 lives depends on your support.

The video showing the injured family member is shared before in this post: Link.

Please help us ! Donate and reblog this post to spread our story.

Vetted and shared by @90-ghost: Link.

Verified and shared by @el-shab-hussein: Link

Listed as number 282 in "The Vetted Gaza Evacuation Fundraiser Spreadsheet" compiled by @el-shab-hussein and @nabulsi : Link

Listed on the Butterfly Effect Project, number 957: Link

Additionally, Al Jazeera News has documented apart of my family's case: Link

If, for some reason, you couldn't donate via GoFundMe, you can donate via PayPal instead. Please keep the conversion rates in mind when donating through GoFundMe. Every 100 SEK is equivalent to 10 dollars, and 200 SEK equals 20 dollars and so on.

Note: There’s even a raffle for a handmade Palestinian thob if you want to participate : Link

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[makingqueerhistory]

":')))))))) you realise that gen AI is available to everyone though right??? Queer creators can use it just as much as anyone else??? I just don't understand this post... It really feels like a cheap way to get on the 'AI Bad's bandwagon, and coming from such a thoughtful and insightful creator that's incredibly disappointing... It's okay to not comment on subjects you're not an expert in y'know...?"

Y'all know the drill, I am replying to this publicly but that is not an invitation to send any negative messages to the person I am replying to.

Anyways, let me start by saying that the original context of the post you're replying to is discussing an event where a queer org used generative AI to steal an interview with Keri Hulme. So let's start there. To be clear I don't even know if the original interviewer was queer so let's put the identities of stealer and stolen from to the side. I want to explain the harm done in this example specifically and I hope this is illustrative of what harm generative AI can (and does) do.

The original place I saw generative AI was a queer org that explicitly says they are using generative AI "for good", and as a way to bring more queer history to light. So let's take them at their word, and assume they are not out to cause harm. This is the best example of generative AI that I can imagine, so I hope that makes it clear that I am not coming at this issue from bad faith in any way.

Here is the harm they are causing:

Decontextualizing and rephrasing an interview: I am not going to pretend that I am an expert in academic best practices, but I do believe one thing, if a person is speaking on their own identity and lived experience, it is always much better to directly quote than it is to rephrase. As I read this source, I initially didn't know that it was AI, and I was already upset. An interview that is widely available on the internet with no pay wall, was poorly sourced and made more vague than it was in the initial text. By creating one degree of seperation between the original words of A WRITER (whose literal job was largely based in choosing the right words to describe experiences they had) harm is already done. It makes vague what was once clear, and removes Keri Hulme's voice from her own narrative.

The original interviewer is not paid, or given proper recognition: I get it, sometimes just copy pasting an interview doesn't feel transformative enough, but something that one would learn if they worked in the queer history field and weren't a literal robot rehashing what has already been said, is that not everything needs to be transformed. In those cases, we give credit to the person who said the original words (in this case Keri Hulme), and the interviewer who facillitated the conversation (in this case Shelley Bridgeman). This case (again a best case scenario), takes the attention and byline away from the original interviewer and gives it to an AI.

The original publisher of this story is deinsentivised from paying interviewers in the future: The original publisher of this interview has ads on their website. As a person who also has ads on their website, taking an article like this and rephrasing it for no good reason (the orginal word count was not prohibitive and the rephrasing did not make it more readable), takes money from the publisher. It's pennies, but it's also removing numbers could have been used to justify further interviews with asexual people and archiving of asexual stories. The org that stole from this publication does not interview people themselves so the money and numbers that could have gone to continue to preserve asexual stories goes to stealing them instead.

These are just the active harms that I saw in this specific case. As you said, I am not an expert in generative AI, and will not be speaking as if I am. But I will say that asking me not to speak out on active harm that is being caused in queer history spaces, is disrespectful to my many years in this field.

To illustrate this even clearer: if you were a patron, you would know I recently took down an old article. I have been rereading and editing our backlist of articles, and I found one that no longer fit my standards of sourcing. My standards had recently raised due to a video made by HBomberguy about someone in the queer history space who was stealing from other creators. I watched this video not as a work project, but because I watch most of HBomberguys videos, and this one made me think more critically about sourcing. An AI can't do that. All an AI has is what has been inputted, and it is right now impossible to input every available peice of information about ethics into an AI and get a coherent ethical basis on which it will function.

It is a distinctly human trait to absorb information and change in that way. AI can rephrase information that already exists, steal it, recontextualize it even, but it cannot create something altogether new.

Do I believe that there one day might be an ethical use for Generative AI? Maybe. Do I believe that coming into a queer history space, stealing the words of a Maori asexual author, rephrasing them, and giving the original interviewer and publication no form of compensation for their work, is accomplishing that? No.

On a more personal note: I am coming at this issue with a bias. As a queer history creator, I do not want AI in my space, because it is literally damaging to my financial prospects. It has been like pulling teeth to try and get patrons in the current state of the global economy. I don't blame anyone from that, but I feel very disrespected that I am being asked to compete with a machine now. Not only that, but I am being asked to shut up and be fine with it? No, absolutely not. I cannot and will not stay quiet as space that I have fought tooth and nail to create in mainstream discussions is taken and given to AI.

AI was not supporting me when I was sent gore to try and scare me off of discussing queer history. A person did that. AI was not there to tell me I had written too many sad stories, and I needed some happy endings to remind myself of the good in the world. A person did that. AI was not there when I was being harrassed for supporting and including asexual stories on my website. A person did that.

And after all that, I am being asked to lie down and take it when my ability to pay the people who supported me in those ways, is being threatened. Nope. Not going to happen.

An AI doesn't have to make rent. An AI doesn't understand what it feels like to have to stop holding their wife's hand in public. An AI didn't get calls from people needing comfort in reaction to the election. Pay me for my work, and get this AI nonsense out of my face.