#and making people more friendly should be prioritized

[victorluvsalice]

Another Game To Add To The List

So -- you guys all know that I like video games. I mean, I post on a pretty regular basis about the antics my Sims in my latest Sims 4 save file are getting up to. And you all know that I love to put my favorite characters in my favorite video games if I'm able to -- or even if I'm not. My current Sim family is my Valicer OT3; my Fallout 4 protagonist is Victor Van Dort (or as close as I can get with FO4's character creator and artstyle), and my Vampire: The Masquerade -- Bloodlines Malkavian Fledgling is Alice Liddell (I may not be able to actually reflect that with her appearance in the game, but I can sure as hell write about her adventures doing all the quests!) I have a vested interest in this sort of thing.

So -- when my friend @gaydragonwizards got me into Baldur's Gate 3, leading me to purchase the game for my birthday using the Steam gift cards my parents had gotten me, I immediately thought, "Okay, so -- Alice has VTMB, and Victor has FO4...but a certain newbie roller coaster OC does not have a game yet. And this one DOES allow you to do a custom character..." Which led to me deciding that Smiler was going to be my "Tav" in BG3! I haven't gotten very far in the game yet (I had to do an early restart to add in a mod patch that the creator was VERY SURE shouldn't be put in an existing playthrough because it fucks with XP and leveling a bit, and then recent hotfixes possibly breaking quest items made me too nervous to play for a bit), but I have gotten my Smiler set up, made it past the Nautiloid segment, and have started exploring the wilderness around the ravaged beach! Here's some shots of Smiler in the game:

Smiler's look from the character creation/level up screen! They're a half-elf with Body #2 and Head #5 because that was the combo that actually looked the most like my Smiler Sim -- have a comparison shot:

It's not a PERFECT match, but nothing was going to be -- it's pretty close, though! The hairstyle is of particular note because that is in fact one of the very first mods I picked up for this game: Alt Lae’zel Hair For Tav! None of the in-game hairstyles had the right sort of "bangs" that my Sim!Smiler sports, so I was REALLY happy to spot this on Nexus Mods to give my Tav!Smiler the right look, at least from the front. :) (And, hilariously, the mod was in fact uploaded ON MY BIRTHDAY, so I'm counting it as an inadvertent birthday present.)

Smiler's arrival on the Ravaged Beach, having just woken up from their little fall out of the Nautiloid! As you can probably guess by the outfit, I started them out as a Bard. That was the class that seemed to make the most sense for them, both from a "the roller coaster in Alton Towers is often associated with upbeat music and dancing, especially after the original Festival of Thrills and The Smiler Takeover, and bards DO get access to a good number of mind control spells" and from a "my personal take on Smiler is that they are super charismatic and want to make as many people happy as possible, and the Bard's high Charisma start combined with the Entertainer background suits that perfectly." XD However, they're not JUST a Bard these days -- thanks to the further power of mods, upon their first level-up, they became a Bard/Artificer! :D I picked that class because it has a whole sub-class dedicated to Alchemy, and one of my headcanons for my Smiler is that chemistry/alchemy (depending on the universe) is their thing. Plus it just looks like a super-cool class and mod. (And yes, I do have 5e Spells and Unlock Level Curve to enhance things further, with the appropriate patches (including ULC's patch to smooth out the weird XP valley while leveling up -- learning about THAT was what prompted me to restart so I could install it). Oh, and the exclamation mark is from Camp Event Notifications -- it's telling me that Smiler should Long Rest soon to get one of the special camp events.)

Smiler hanging out in the Wilderness camp! I came here for the first time after picking up Shadowheart, Astarion, and Gale, and was amazed at just how PRETTY the camp is. I mean, look at that waterfall over by the ruin that houses the Magic Mirror! :D Seriously, this game is gorgeous -- I've spent a decent amount of time just wandering around with the camera, admiring the scenery. XD Anyway, as you can see, Smiler picked up some new clothes -- the main outfit is some basic leather armor, dyed with the dye available in the Traveler's chest (I first dyed their starting jerkin, but hated the resultant color scheme -- I'm not wild about the red arms on this set, but at least the yellow pants and black chestpiece feel right!), while the cape and their new lute are from the Digital Deluxe content -- the "Cape Of The Red Prince" and the "Lute of the Merryweather Bard." (Hey, I got this for my birthday, I wasn't not going to get the Digital Deluxe content!) I had them give the lute a little try in-camp -- the upbeat Bard song DEFINITELY suits them. XD

And finally, Smiler with their current companions, ready to head to the nearby chapel on the beach -- Shadowheart (in some new, slightly better Sturdy Armor), Gale (in his robe and wizard hat), and Astarion (sporting more DD content, the "Bicorne of the Sea Beast" and the "Needle of the Outlaw Rogue" (the dagger on his hip)). They are indeed a motley group. XD Hopefully Smiler's 17 Charisma will allow them to talk their way out of most binds!

Now, you may be thinking at this point, "Well, this is going to spark another AU, isn't it?" And you would be -- partially correct. Allow me to explain by excerpting part of my and Squid's conversation while they were recommending mods to me and I was telling them about my plans to do Tav!Smiler:

Squid: ((though -- there is one thing that has popped into my head. with playing Smiler, obviously you can't have any of your Valicer stuff going on in BG3 by default. and do you really want to give yourself ANOTHER AU by playing as them again :P )) Me: ((Oh, that's not really a worry -- the Valicer in the Dark crew already fucking claimed the game as a potential AU ))

YUP. Much like how my brain insisted that the Alice in my Fallout of Darkness stuff be a variant of my Malkavian!Alice from Londerland Bloodlines, thanks to me getting into BG3 at the same time as my obsession with Valicer In The Dark ramped up, the AU in my head is now the VITD trio going through the game. And while it's only a partially-formed pile of shitposts as of yet, that idea PROBABLY deserves its own post...

[hyperlexichypatia]

As I keep shouting into the void, pathologizers love shifting discussion about material conditions into discussion about emotional states.

I rant approximately once a week about how the brain maturity myth transmuted “Young adults are too poor to move out of their parents’ homes or have children of their own” into “Young adults are too emotionally and neurologically immature to move out of their parents’ homes or have children of their own.”

I’ve also talked about the misuse of “enabling” and “trauma” and “dopamine” .

And this is a pattern – people coin terms and concepts to describe material problems, and pathologization culture shifts them to be about problems in the brain or psyche of the person experiencing them. Now we’re talking about neurochemicals, frontal lobes, and self-esteem instead of talking about wages, wealth distribution, and civil rights. Now we can say that poor, oppressed, and exploited people are suffering from a neurological/emotional defect that makes them not know what’s best for themselves, so they don’t need or deserve rights or money.

Here are some terms that have been so horribly misused by mental health culture that we’ve almost entirely forgotten that they were originally materialist critiques.

Codependency What it originally referred to: A non-addicted person being overly “helpful” to an addicted partner or relative, often out of financial desperation. For example: Making sure your alcoholic husband gets to work in the morning (even though he’s an adult who should be responsible for himself) because if he loses his job, you’ll lose your home. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/08/opinion/codependency-addiction-recovery.html What it’s been distorted into: Being “clingy,” being “too emotionally needy,” wanting things like affection and quality time from a partner. A way of pathologizing people, especially young women, for wanting things like love and commitment in a romantic relationship.

Compulsory Heterosexuality What it originally referred to: In the 1980 in essay "Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence," https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/493756 Adrienne Rich described compulsory heterosexuality as a set of social conditions that coerce women into heterosexual relationships and prioritize those relationships over relationships between women (both romantic and platonic). She also defines “lesbian” much more broadly than current discourse does, encompassing a wide variety of romantic and platonic relationships between women. While she does suggest that women who identify as heterosexual might be doing so out of unquestioned social norms, this is not the primary point she’s making. What it’s been distorted into: The patronizing, biphobic idea that lesbians somehow falsely believe themselves to be attracted to men. Part of the overall “Women don’t really know what they want or what’s good for them” theme of contemporary discourse.

Emotional Labor What it originally referred to: The implicit or explicit requirement that workers (especially women workers, especially workers in female-dominated “pink collar” jobs, especially tipped workers) perform emotional intimacy with customers, coworkers, and bosses above and beyond the actual job being done. Having to smile, be “friendly,” flirt, give the impression of genuine caring, politely accept harassment, etc. https://weld.la.psu.edu/what-is-emotional-labor/ What it’s been distorted into: Everything under the sun. Everything from housework (which we already had a term for), to tolerating the existence of disabled people, to just caring about friends the way friends do. The original intent of the concept was “It’s unreasonable to expect your waitress to care about your problems, because she’s not really your friend,” not “It’s unreasonable to expect your actual friends to care about your problems unless you pay them, because that’s emotional labor,” and certainly not “Disabled people shouldn’t be allowed to be visibly disabled in public, because witnessing a disabled person is emotional labor.” Anything that causes a person emotional distress, even if that emotional distress is rooted in the distress-haver’s bigotry (Many nominally progressive people who would rightfully reject the bigoted logic of “Seeing gay or interracial couples upsets me, which is emotional labor, so they shouldn’t be allowed to exist in public” fully accept the bigoted logic of “Seeing disabled or poor people upsets me, which is emotional labor, so they shouldn’t be allowed to exist in public”).

Battered Wife Syndrome What it originally referred to: The all-encompassing trauma and fear of escalating violence experienced by people suffering ongoing domestic abuse, sometimes resulting in the abuse victim using necessary violence in self-defense. Because domestic abuse often escalates, often to murder, this fear is entirely rational and justified. This is the reasonable, justified belief that someone who beats you, stalks you, and threatens to kill you may actually kill you.

What it’s been distorted into: Like so many of these other items, the idea that women (in this case, women who are victims of domestic violence) don’t know what’s best for themselves. I debated including this one, because “syndrome” was a wrongful framing from the beginning – a justified and rational fear of escalating violence in a situation in which escalating violence is occurring is not a “syndrome.” But the original meaning at least partially acknowledged the material conditions of escalating violence.

I’m not saying the original meanings of these terms are ones I necessarily agree with – as a cognitive liberty absolutist, I’m unsurprisingly not that enamored of either second-wave feminism or 1970s addiction discourse. And as much as I dislike what “emotional labor” has become, I accept that “Women are unfairly expected to care about other people’s feelings more than men are” is a true statement.

What I am saying is that all of these terms originally, at least partly, took material conditions into account in their usage. Subsequent usage has entirely stripped the materialist critique and fully replaced it with emotional pathologization, specifically of women. Acknowledgement that women have their choices constrained by poverty, violence, and oppression has been replaced with the idea that women don’t know what’s best for themselves and need to be coercively “helped” for their own good. Acknowledgement that working-class women experience a gender-and-class-specific form of economic exploitation has been rebranded as yet another variation of “Disabled people are burdensome for wanting to exist.”

Over and over, materialist critiques are reframed as emotional or cognitive defects of marginalized people. The next time you hear a superficially sympathetic (but actually pathologizing) argument for “Marginalized people make bad choices because…” consider stopping and asking: “Wait, who are we to assume that this person’s choices are ‘bad’? And if they are, is there something about their material conditions that constrains their options or makes the ‘bad’ choice the best available option?”

[todays-xkcd]

If they're going to make people ride bikes and scooters in traffic, then it should at LEAST be legal to do the Snow Crash thing where you use a hook-shot-style harpoon to catch free rides from cars.

Urban Planning Opinion Progression [Explained]

Transcript Under the Cut

Typical urban planning opinion progression [Each panel is connected to a point on a timeline]

Cueball: I wish there wasn't so much traffic to get into the city. They should put in more lanes. Megan: And more parking. Megan: Parking is so bad here.

Knit Cap: I have to go to Amsterdam for work next week. I hear they all ride bikes there. Ponytail: Bikes are fine but people shouldn't ride them in the street! I worry I'm going to hit someone!

Cueball: It would be nice if we had better transit options! Cueball: I tried a scooter. It was fun but I wish there were more bike paths.

Megan: It's funny how widening roads to speed up traffic makes them more dangerous to walk near, making driving more necessary and creating more traffic. Megan: Really makes you think.

Knit Cap: Visiting the Netherlands was cool! Knit Cap: Amsterdam is really neat.

Cueball: We've ceded so much of our land to storing and moving cars, with the rest of us tiptoeing around the edges and making drivers mad for trespassing on "their" space. Cueball: Even though we're the ones in danger from them!

Megan: Those giant trucks with front blind spots that keep hitting kids should be illegal.

Knit Cap: We should be more like the Netherlands. Knit Cap: They design their street to prioritize...

Cueball: The problem is car culture. It's systemic. Cueball: I don't know if we can fix it.

Megan: People approach road planning decisions from the point of view of drivers because that's how we're used to interacting with the city, so we make choices that make it more car-friendly. Megan: It's a vicious cycle.

Knit Cap: Netherlands! Netherlands! Netherlands! Netherlands!

Cueball: Anything that makes a city a worse place to drive in makes it a better place to live, short of scattering random tire spikes on the road.

Megan: Honestly, I think the city council should consider the tire spikes thing.

[prettylambgirl]

My rules for 2024:

Dieting and health: Any weight above 55kg is unacceptable and I will not be living like this anymore

1. The 1200 calories a day is the maximum amount you should ever ingest, aim for 1000 calories. Never restrict too much, however, you have to study and function well in university.

2. The only drinks you are allowed are black coffee, unsweetened tea and diet coke. A plain latte is only allowed on a date or when hanging out with your friends. This should never be done more than twice a week.

3. Take your multivitamins in order to function well and treat your muscular problems.

4. Stretching is to be done every morning, for at least 10 minutes. It is not much, but it helps. You should walk everywhere, however, never let anyone convince you to take the bus when the destination is at a less than 20 minutes of walking distance. Aim for at least 5000 steps a day.

5. Drink 2l of water a day. Being hydrated is especially important for your skin and body.

6. Eat strategically. Only eat before class, before studying, only when you need the energy food provides. Never waste that energy when it's not necessary.

7. Never order fast food again. Learn how to resist the urge to say yes when it's being proposed. Your roommate is skinny, you are not. She can have it, you cannot.

8. You can indulge in some unhealthy things that bring you joy. Your nicotine addiction is manageable - try to replace cigarettes with vape liquid, it is less pricey and makes your room smell better. Slowly decrease the nicotine concentration until you are ready to completely drop it. The occasional wine is accepted, but count the calories in it and don't overindulge. Never are you to be seen in public smoking or drunk, however. Always keep these flaws secret.

Studying: Medical school is hard and demanding, but it is possible to get through it.

1. Any mark under an 8 is deemed unacceptable and you should strive for the better.

2. You know yourself well. Stop trying to mimic the way other people study, use the method you know has worked for you since the beginning. You are smart and capable.

3. Stick to your schedule religiously. Study every single day except for Saturdays. Every subject is to be revised and valued equally.

4. Start studying for examinations one week before it takes place. Strive for the best marks. Complete projects as soon as they are announced.

5. Always take notes, answer questions and be attentive during class. The people who judge you for this are jealous of your intelligence. Never shut up ever again.

6. Volunteering is essential: it gives you bonus points for future Erasmus projects. Therefore, you should attend such events once a month. Do not prioritize it over your studies, however.

Hobbies: You must have a personality and be cultured, besides being smart. Never let anyone see you as boring.

1. Reading is your favorite activity - aim to read 20 pages a day. Read 40 pages in the weekends. Read fashion magazines as well, in order to stay inspired.

2. Writing - on the weekends, try to write something: an article, a poem, some prose, a blogpost, anything you like. Never let that passion fade away.

3. Limit TV shows to 40 minutes per day, watch a movie on the weekend.

4. Go out to see the opera, a museum or an art exposition every month.

5. Stay up to date with the news in the industries that matter to you!!

Personality and Social Life: Things are going great, but they can be improved.

1. Always keep your cool. Never are you to rage in public ever again. People respect you, don't mess this up. You must always wear a confident smile, never show your weak side in public.

2. Be friendly and helpful. Always say hi when walking past someone you know and engage in conversations with your colleagues. However, you are not to overshare with people you do not know well. Keep the conversations going about themselves, not yourself, unless asked about.

3. Help people out whenever you are directly asked for. However, do not overdo it. Put yourself first.

4. Do not talk ill about anyone unless it's with your close friends or significant other. This can be used against you anytime.

5. Never seem too available. Only hang out if your schedule allows you to. Never fall into the trap of "study gatherings" as you know well you function better individually.

6. Keep in touch with your close ones daily. Ask about their day, show them that you care.

7. Hangouts must be limited to twice a week. You must only hang out with your boyfriend once a week. It hurts, but it keeps you both focused on your work.

8. Don't PDA at university, please. This has to stop once and for all. Limit it to hand holding and sitting together at less important courses. Do not show people how needy you are.

9. People who lack certain morals and are not compatible with you from this point of view should not be part of your life. Their negative energy impacts you a lot. Only speak to them if directly approached.

10. Don't be late, it's unacceptable. You must be present 10 minutes before the start of an event.

11. Never are you to be seen in nightclubs or places that may damage your reputation. If it doesn't characterize you to be in that place, stay home. Do not fear missing out on anything, you already saw enough.

12. Use social media for only 30 minutes daily.

Looks: Being put together is the key to success. It teaches you discipline.

1. Skincare must be done twice a day, morning and night. Keep it simple but consistent, as your skin is not compatible to harsh chemicals. Apply perfume and body sprays.

2. Makeup should be kept to a minimum, unless it's a special occasion: eyeliner, mascara, eyebrow gel, lip liner and lip gloss is the perfect recipe.

3. Your hair must be lustrous and well kept. Wear it down most of the time. Do a cute hairstyle once a week.

4. You must always be dressed up for the occasion: always wear preppy academic outfits to university, something more playful and fun when you go out, your lounge wear and pajamas should still be cute. Even if nobody sees you, you still can see yourself.

5. Buy some new clothes every month. Change it up, do not seem repetitive with your outfits.

6. Your clothes must always smell good, be meticulously ironed and fresh.

7. Never are you to wear the same outfit again in a week. People notice and you must not seem lazy.

8. You have to take care of yourself every week: shave, paint your nails and toenails, exfoliate, apply a face mask, wash your hair.

9. Shower every other day instead of every day as your skin dries out. After every shower, use lotions for your body. You must always smell like a cake.

[womenaremypriority]

What is gender?

Instead of asking “what is a woman?” I propose we should ask more what gender is.  The transgender movement is, fundamentally about placing gender above sex, in language and law- although claiming sex is a spectrum or a complete construction is becoming more common.  ‘Woman’ and ‘man’ aren’t sex terms, they’re genders, sexual attraction is based on gender, not sex, and public planning should be based on gender.  So, what is it?  

The roots of the word gender came from Latin, and originally meant ‘category, group.’  It has etymological roots with the word genre, and this is partly why we have the term grammatical gender in many languages.  Gender became a synonym for biological sex hundreds of years ago, and is used partly as a more family friendly alternative.  As a separate entity, however, gender refers to the social roles of male and female.

Here are a few definitions and helpful information:

Let’s look at the specifics of the different interpretations of the word ‘gender’.

Gender roles: Self explanatory. What feminists are against. What transgender activists claim to be against, and what they claim is not the basis for transgender identity. This seems to be the most clear and understandable definition, to me, anyway.

Gender identity: An internal sense of gender. This has been claimed to exist, but how this could possibly present or feel has not been in anyway demonstrated. Studies have shown transgender people have the brains of the gender they identify as, but those studies are shoddy and flawed. Brain scans aren’t required to transition, these studies don’t account for nonbinary-identified people, and the brain sex argument has fallen out of favor- so, we’ll say that’s not what’s being discussed here. So, what is? What is this internal gender identity? Can we find it? How do we know everyone has it? And why should it be prioritized over birth sex? What’s being described is, frankly, unverifiable and flimsy. Not to mention quite useless. This doesn’t mean I think that people who claim to have this feeling are lying- they could have something that is interpreted as gender, but that doesn’t mean it’s experienced by the general population, and this feeling could be caused by any number of areas. If this feeling is, indeed, dysphoria at being referred to a certain way, and/or euphoria at being referred to a certain way, again, how can we know this is a symptom of some deep held identity, or a sign of something different? How can we verify this, and while I understand personally adapting language to accommodate someone in your life, why should this take priority over sex for the general population? Gender expression- How is this different than sex stereotypes, and gender roles? While I’m told that this doesn’t need to match general societal expectations, how does that actually work? If you’ve expressing your gender- whether that’s man, woman, or some form of nonbinary- even if you know anyone can dress how they want, even if you say ‘feminine’ or ‘masculine’ means something different to everyone, you are still making a connection between gender and how one looks- and according to the Miriam-Webster photo, acts. Not only is this, again, ridiculous to elevate this above sex in language and law, it’s unhealthy to hyper focus on how others see you, not to mention confusing and harmful message to constantly use the terms ‘gender identity’ and ‘gender expression’ together. I’ll be honest, even if transgender people claim the movement isn’t about stereotypes, I don’t believe that’s the case. At the very least, it’s not the message every one of them got. Conflating gender with sex, and the words ‘men’ and ‘women’ with personality, a feeling, clothes, vibes, interests, or an aesthetic, is a dangerous and ridiculous concept. Instead of what it’s claiming to do- breaking the gender binary- it’s putting men and women in a box, yourself. You are the one limiting what men and women can be. Even if everyone decided to identify as some form of nonbinary, this would not affect the reality of sexism and the perceived inferiority of 50% of the population- it would only paint a coat over it. It would make communication and activism impossible. By conflating experience of autism, or interest in space, or interest in a certain style of dress- with the terms man and woman, you are perpetuating stereotypes, not breaking them.

[kcokaine]

I know you are not a porn machine, but you should prioritize your Patreon instead of social media. I mean, it is a little disrespectful to the people who supports you monetarily, I know no one gives you shit about it cause people is nice (not like you)… and say ‘Then unsubscribe’ is very unprofessional, saying that is like spitting on the trust of those who want to support you, I only ask that for the exchange of my money (which is equally hard earned like yours) you give more than two or even one post a month. Is the basic responsibility for someone who asks money in exchange for something, no need for you to play the victim. So, keep that for yourself please.

I'm nice to people that I know see me as a human being and like my art for what it is not just goon material. But i'm not nice to people that complain about something they don't have to pay for. I'm no professional but i think saying "unsubscribe if you don't like my services" is the most professional thing i can say. You are paying an art school student that lives in eastern europe and lives with her shitty dad lol. I appreciate all my patreons to death, I do art requests for each that approaches me. I even make polls on my discord for people to decide what i put up next. But unfortunately I also want to draw to improve. Drawing porn isn't my job. My job is art but most importantly it is my hobby i love and my patreon is a way of supporting me if you enjoy my art and want to motivate me. You are not forced to do it. So yes I will play a victim when someone calls my art output disappointing. I draw everyday and get emotional distress from not getting engagement thinking my quality of art dropped. I'm being mean because I'm frustrated. You should also realize your previous anon ask came of rude in the first place. Did you expect me to start apologizing when you literally call me disappointing? Maybe if you wanna give me a friendly suggestion don't say it as anon in my inbox and say it to me in patreon DMs or anywhere else in private, i would never lash out like this on anyone who just came to me with a polite concern. Hiding behind anonymous ask comes off really passive aggressive and it sounded to me like you want to belittle me and perhaps call me lazy. I'm glad you enjoy my art and subbed to me for 4 months but If you don't care about me as a person I think you shouldn't be subscribed to me.

[cognitivefunctionscomics]

INTP functions characters

Titania: Analytical, reserved, unconventional, and self-assured, Ti is critical and sometimes sarcastic. She strives for fairness and can sometimes come off as unintentionally arrogant, cold, self-absorbed, and even destructive. Her dream is to understand everything, setting aside human bias and limitation. She perceives reality as a system with hidden variables that could be controlled if comprehended. She doesn't intentionally exude a "back off" aura but is bothered by those she views as intrusive or disrespectful, especially when they invade her space with too many questions. As such, she’s wary of overly friendly or charming people. While observant, her focus isn't always on the tangible world, like what others wear or current events, unless there's a reason. Instead, she's keen on spotting theoretical flaws and is therefore hard to deceive. Even her friends are scrutinized; she prioritizes caution over instinct. She holds some misanthropic, deterministic, and nihilistic views, even if she identifies as "unbiased", to better deal with stress, ensuring she doesn't take things personally. She appears detached even when engaged, constantly building mental models to understand things from the inside out. When allowed the freedom to explore her often taboo interests, she's endlessly inquisitive. While Ti values intelligence, she sometimes overlooks the obvious or fails to consider the emotional aspects of issues. She adheres to binary logic until undeniable evidence proves otherwise and is irritated by elusive answers. Disliking incompetence and emotional reasoning, she thinks humanity should focus on conquering nature and understanding existence, freeing themselves from ignorance, making informed decisions, and not getting sidetracked by trivial matters, or worse, hindering scientific progress.

Looks: She dresses in practical urban wear, covered from head to toe. A large dark red zippered hoodie with pockets is worn over a turtleneck, paired with denim shorts, leggings, and ankle boots. Ti's short, layered orange hair is chin-length in front and cropped at the back. Her pale complexion contrasts with dark red eyes that seem to absorb light. These eyes often appear both distant and intense, accentuated by dark circles. Her expression, typically flat, gives her an air of fatigue or inaccessibility. When she does display happiness, it's subtle—a twitch of a closed smile.

Theme: Knowledge. With complete understanding, existence would lose its dominion over individuals, allowing them to manifest absolute individuality, control, and intelligence within their confines.

Nereida: Energetic and spontaneous, Ne is a dreamer. She's inventive, flexible, and inclusive, bringing a burst of bubbly energy everywhere she goes, but struggles with commitment to her grand visions. Going with the flow, she absorbs a plethora of information, always aiming to make last-minute optimal decisions. With a belief that every problem has a solution, she’s curious about everything, often applying knowledge from one domain to another. Her passion for learning mirrors Ti's focus, but Ne's is rooted in the joy of the process, always seeking to master her surroundings for maximum freedom. Disliking confinement, she occasionally gives up too quickly. Yet, when she persists, she finds ways to revel in challenges, cherishing the journey more than the destination. Although her plans can seem scattered, she thrives in unpredictability. She’s wary of those who wield power to control others, and in defiance, sometimes exercises her own control to observe the outcomes, which makes her morally grey. She thinks that it's her duty to challenge norms and pioneer change for the greater good when many are chained by ethics and fear, but has her own struggles, sometimes instigating chaos out of boredom.

Looks: Her attire is eclectic, pieced together from items she adores, without much regard for current trends. She sports a white buttoned shirt with teal insides, the sleeves rolled up and the front slightly unbuttoned to show a hint of cleavage. This is paired with a high-waisted, knee-length pleated teal skirt, ¾ leggings, and white Mary Janes with black heels. Her shoulder-length turquoise hair is pulled into a high side ponytail with a few loose strands framing her face. Her expression is vibrant, with large, curious blue eyes. Ne moves with a slight bounce, always seeming to be lost in a daydream and ignoring finer details.

Theme: Freedom. In a world without limitations, anything is possible.

Sienna: Grounded and diligent, Si is a model of consistency. She’s logical, practical, and knowledgeable, balancing her hardworking nature with humility and patience. She upholds tradition, believing that if everyone collaborates harmoniously, all aspirations, including universal comfort and understanding, are attainable. She derives a sense of duty and belonging from viewing herself as part of a whole, even if this sometimes stifles her creativity and subjects her to rigid standards. Si is at peace with her role but occasionally grapples with existential questions for not knowing herself in depth, or maybe suppressing philosophical musings. She values comfort, ensuring she always has moments of relaxation amidst her responsibilities, and appreciates nature and man-made wonders. Si always honors her commitments, but some may perceive her as mundane or lacking ambition.

Looks: Traditional and sensible, albeit slightly outdated. She dons a dark long-sleeved ruffled shirt buttoned entirely, paired with a lab coat, tailored trousers, and oxfords. Sleek glasses frame her earnest eyes. Her dark blonde hair reaches nearly to her waist, meticulously combed and pulled into a low ponytail, with bangs neatly clipped away from her face. While her movements are usually unhurried, she can be agile when needed, displaying remarkable dexterity.

Theme: Predictability. In a stable and comprehensible world, challenges would be preventable or at least manageable.

Felicity: Compassionate and giving, Fe is the embodiment of empathy. She is emotional yet fiercely loyal, often putting others' needs above her own. Her ideal world is one filled with loved ones she can protect and cherish forever. While she enjoys being the center of attention and reciprocated care, she sometimes neglects her needs, leading to periods of resentment. Her emotions can be volatile, especially when faced with disillusionment. Fe spends her days analyzing interpersonal dynamics, immersing herself in ethical discussions, and enjoying moral tales. Affected by poignant movies and easily manipulated, she doesn’t understand the saying, “hell is full of well-intentioned people”.

Looks: A blend of loose and tight-fitting garments. She wears a lilac boho dress that exposes her shoulders and collarbones with silk strips wrapped around her waist, neck, and wrists. Her footwear is burgundy heels with ankle clasps. Her purple hair cascades down her back, held in place by a ribbon, while her face boasts rosy cheeks and expressive eyes.

Theme: Unity. If everyone were the same, there’d be no conflict, and life would be fulfilling regardless of circumstances.

[thezombieprostitute]

Music in the Air

A/N: Written for Vee's Holly Jolly Challenge (@sstan-hoe). Reader is implied fem, "girls like me". No physical descriptors used.

Prompts: Bucky Barnes - My house, my rules. The Christmas music stays on.

Summary: You and Bucky discuss poinsettias.

Bucky's arm was having problems. Again. In all the years he had the arm he never really got to understand how it worked. He could figure out how to fix a lot of things, but his arm wasn't one of them. That's why he was glad he had you to turn to. You had quickly become his go-to engineer in the Avengers Tower. You were a rare and delightful combination of "not afraid of him" and "not overly friendly". You would smile, but let him initiate the conversation when he wanted.

At least, normally you were his favorite. Ever since December started you only every played Christmas music in your lab. He was still trying to get used to how much the holiday had changed and the music was, well, a lot. Especially when you were always listening to some kind of heavy metal Christmas music and he had only ever heard Christmas music sung a capella or maybe a church organ.

"Do you really need to listen to that music all the time?"

You smiled while working, "I did the respectful thing and waited until December before I started listening."

"Yeah, but it's just so..." he struggled to find the words.

"Non-traditional?"

"Jarring."

"Well, Sergeant Barnes," you reply, setting your tools down, "My house, my rules. The Christmas music stays on. However, I am willing to switch it for something that's maybe a little more your speed."

You walk over to your laptop and open up your playlist. It takes you a minute, but you finally find the song you're looking for and press the play button. As the speakers sing a lighter, slower tune, you turn back to Bucky, "you should be grateful. I don't turn off Trans Siberian Orchestra for just anyone."

Bucky blushed as he smiled, listening to the song. It was very different from what you had been listening to. For a start, there were lyrics. They told the story of a poinsettia named Percy and how had been overlooked and abandoned but grew and shone when given love. He almost smacked himself for having empathy for an imaginary plant.

To distract himself he said, "I'm surprised you like this song. It's so different from what you were listening to before."

You smile and respond, "it's a childhood favorite. This song just really hit my heart in a way no other Christmas song did. It stuck with me so much that, even in college if I saw my flowers for sale that were wilting or on their last legs, I'd buy them. Just to make sure they had love before they fully wilted."

Bucky looked at you with a softness in his eyes before you shook your head, "I know, it's stupid. I was an adult, I should've known better but some things just stick with you, you know?"

"Yeah," he whispered. "I know. Did you stop buying flowers because you kept getting them from dates or something?"

You chuckle, "I stopped because I had to prioritize my budget. I can't remember the last time I had flowers in my apartment. But thank you for the compliment."

"What do you mean? The guys you date don't give you flowers?"

"Girls like me don't get dates, Sergeant. I'm not whatever enough for guys to ask me out. Whether it's my size, my intelligence, my hobbies, there's just always something that keeps guys from asking me out, let alone bringing me flowers. But, again, thank you for the compliment."

You set down your tools and start putting them away, "your arm is all patched up. Hope this fix lasts you at least through the end of the year. I've got a lot of projects to finish up before the end of the year so I might not have the time to take care of you."

"You're not staying here for Christmas, are you?"

"I am," you nod. "My family celebrates holidays on days that aren't the day of so that we can avoid traffic and last-minute shoppers. So I set up an office lunch for the people who either don't celebrate, have nowhere to go, or whatever other reasons. Mr. Stark has been very generous with the budget for that."

"I'm glad you won't be alone on Christmas," he gives you a gentle smile.

"How about you," you ask. "You're welcome to join us if you'd like."

"Sam is insisting on taking me to Louisiana," he replies.

"Good," you assert. "I'm very glad you also won't be alone on Christmas."

You really shouldn't have been surprised to see the poinsettia on your desk the next day. There was no note, but you suspected. It wasn't very big and it had started wilting, but you loved it nonetheless. You gently hugged the plant and promised to give it the best of care for as long as it needed. After a week it was like a brand new plant, bright and strong. Doesn't hurt that you asked the biolab techs for help and resources.

It made Bucky's year to see how big your smile was, watching your poinsettia grow and how much you clearly loved it. It took him a while after to gather his courage and ask you on a date but your quick "yes" reassured him. Neither of you would ever be alone on Christmas.

[theghostbunnie]

I know this is random but how do you see david and jen's relationship?

Blows the dust off my ask inbox to read this like an archaeologist

DW about random I love random!!!!

My interpretation of Jen is slightly weary of men in general and has more inherit skepticism about everyone so there's that. In their first meeting I imagine it was the campers who ran her directly off upon Gwen getting her there and David at the time still had fresh worries about someone doing his job better than him and prioritized being Cameron's #1 still over continuing to try and get another coworker.

I imagine Jen to be rather enamored/overly intrigued by Gwen seeing as how she met a stranger and got in her car with her for assumably multiple hours and was agreeing to work for her so shortly after meeting her. So she may either learn to trust and be friends with David alot faster through Gwen or go the way opposite route and be jealous of the friendship they have

Jen is a gore artist and David pretends to not find it off-putting to be polite.

Jen and David both agree people should be nicer, subscribe to saying corny shit like "the world would be a brighter place if everyone wore their smiles!!!"

I think if they developed something while Gwen wasn't there (AU where she's the counselor to replace her maybe) David actually would subconsciously/accidentally compare her to Gwen too much as a counselor without realizing, and that could cause some issues stemming from the fact he just misses his bff.

Many possibilities of a rocky start but I think they're both light hearted enough and friendly in attitude to have a really wholesome friendship eventually. ((Even if she secretly kills people maybe.))

Jen believes "bad people make the world ugly", and I think even depending on where David is in his character arc would she deem him a beautiful person or just one pretending/kidding himself to be.

[princessprettyprivilege]

Hello darling! First of all I' like to thank you for making such helpful posts, they have helped me tremendously when it comes to enhancing my beauty and profiting off of it. However I am having trouble leveling up my mindset to match. I have tried to read and apply the advice from your posts but I still struggle. It's a lot of information to take in and I'm not really sure where to start. If it's not too much trouble, could you please make a more "simplified" and "beginner friendly" post about leveling up your mindset?

Hi, you’re welcome! Definitely.

Leveling Up Your Mindset for Beginners

The mental level up is more important than any type of clothing, makeup, and material level up since it sets the standard for your esteem, future and expectations going forward.

First, Standards & Expectations

Your standards should mirror the effort you put in, and double to triple the effort you expect.

Most people get overwhelmed by taking on too high standards when starting out which leads to burnout and feeling stuck.

Some become resentful when they have their expectations too high, yet they don’t have the results they wanted since they believe they’re fine the way they are.

There’s always room for improvement!

Write down and affirm on every surface you can your standards and expectations so you never forget!

Second, meet your own standards before expecting anyone else to.

It’s unfair, unrealistic and a waste of time to expect someone to cater to you if you don’t cater to yourself!

I’m not sure what your leveling up reason is, but whether it’s to level up in the corporate world or into financial freedom though dating, it’s irrational to expect someone to hire you because you’re you and your handshake is limp wristed, can’t answer questions quickly on your toes while lacking references & connections.

Meeting your standards takes proactivity and urgency to progress so you don’t remain at the same level!

Third, a leveled up mindset prioritizes growth.

Leveling up wouldn’t be a thing if it meant staying at the same stage. With growth, there might be bumps in the road but it only comes with the territory!

Stagnancy is the death of creativity, so keep your mind stimulated by reading, introducing yourself into new situations, learning from those with experience in your interests, and leaving the past where you left it.

Lastly, never settle below your standards or take less.

Just through your mindset, people should be able to look at you and know your standards are high before attempting to waste your time!

If you took less, don’t make the same mistake, breathe and affirm to yourself that you don’t take anything from underneath you.

💖Maximize the pretty!!💖

[bignosebaby]

are you familiar with XingXing the one armed temple macaque?

I am, and to be honest I have very mixed feelings about her situation.

I have been vocal about how it is wrong and unethical to keep primates as pets, how feeding wildlife is harmful, and how human/primate interactions are dangerous for both parties. XingXing is an interesting case, as she does not fit perfectly into the categories I have talked about.

XingXing is not a pet, and is able to free roam. I have been told that XingXing decides how to spend her time and will often go into the forest for days at a time. She is fed by people, but only a few who are trusted to do so, who she has ongoing relationships with. Additionally, she has a trauma history that means that she would struggle in the wild if left entirely alone.

In complex cases like this it is easy to say that she should live at a sanctuary. Of course animals living in the wild is ideal, but most people agree that if that is not possible that a sanctuary or zoo should care for them. The reality is more challenging, as sanctuaries are in high demand and need a lot of support. They are typically underfunded and rely on the labour of volunteers, and while they would love to care for every animal in need it is simply not possible. Additionally, major changes can be detrimental for animals especially if they have trauma histories. As such I feel that if XingXing is able to live well where she is, her comfort should be prioritized.

That being said, I feel that there should be some improvements made to her lifestyle and the way it is documented. While being fed may be necessary if she is unable to forage for herself, she appears to be quite overweight. While humans can be a pretty wide range of sizes and still healthy, other species have much narrower ranges of healthy sizes and XingXing's size may be detrimental to her health and activity level. The woman who cares for her is elderly and may not be able to encourage her to be more active, but despite XingXing's diet appearing to be not bad health wise (mostly fruit from what I have seen) I think cutting down on the sweets and adding more leafy greens could be good for her both in helping her lose weight and encouraging her to forage for her own food as much as possible.

The only major issue I have with XingXing is her social media presence. She is very cute and charismatic, but seeing her being fed and pet by people can be detrimental to her species and other monkeys in the long term. People who see monkeys being treated like pets even if they are not pets are likely to get the idea that monkeys are safe, friendly, and even adoptable. A caretaker for a macaque that requires supplemental snacks giving her a banana and a tourist giving a wild macaque a banana to bribe it to pose for a picture can look virtually identical on social media. Increasingly, social media accounts for accredited sanctuaries are adding disclaimers or even not posting photos or videos that show staff touching the animals altogether to avoid making it look like the animals could be pets.

XingXing is lovely and I hope that she is well taken care of and active, but I also worry that people who see photos and videos of her will get the wrong idea on appropriate human/primate interactions.

[myun-saidthoughts]

IC/MC Home life vs Public life

The IC/MC in your natal chart is a pivotal part of your natal chart. 

The IC represents the home, the mother, family roots, how your childhood manifested, the type of parenting you experienced, it’s the most private and unseen part of you.

The MC represents what you show to the public, it’s your persona, what you feel the most comfortable with embodying towards others, hobbies/interests that bring you the feeling of control or comfortability even. It’s a ‘face’ that you proudly show others and it’s the ideal ‘face’ you want others to perceive you as. 

I want to reiterate how these two houses manifest. The 4H and 10H are always opposing each other, whatever your 4H is, the 10H is the polar opposite. 

(In some cases, the IC can be placed in the 3H or 5H etc, and if that’s the case the MC would naturally still be the opposite of that placement, even if it’s not placed in the 4H)

The experiences you have dealt with from your childhood create natural talents that you will possess in the future. 

For Example:

Aries IC: In this natal placement, normally this indicates an aggressive childhood. A lot of fighting, yelling, disagreements, if you weren’t in the midst of the fights, perhaps you saw it manifest between your parents. You may of been very independent, your parents may of left you to fend for yourself, or if you cried or showed some emotion, your parents might of disregarded it and said that you were a “tough” child. In more extreme instances there was just a lot of disruption in the midst of your life. A lot of unnecessary fights or you were exposed to some anger issues from either your parents/siblings. You may had to parent yourself or take on more responsibility than a child should, in some aspect dependability was something you aren't familiar with. Parents could have been selfish, they could prioritize their own needs/desires/choices, leaving you to fixate and give up your own needs in the end.

(The above interpretation is more likely an extreme case, not every Aries IC would have this experience, in the most general term someone with an Aries IC had to focus on other people's needs, their desires were oftentimes left unnoticed or uncared for in some aspect or form, maybe their parents never prioritized their hobbies or interests, maybe they gave more attention to other siblings or to their work/interests etc)

Libra MC: In this natal placement, you now may come across to others as very friendly, kind, considerate, conscious of how you appear to others. You prioritize how you come across to others. You may dislike confrontation or unnecessary arguments, you find it not comforting to state your annoyances to others if it’s not a severe issue. You make sure to smile at others and people would find you charming and warm. You think of other peoples emotions when making decisions, people might call you a good mediator or natural at finding the common ground between parties. You understand people, and very naturally so. You put others peoples needs or issues first, you find the easy medium in almost any argument, you are adaptable and presentable towards other people, especially if you have a 11H/7H placements, such as the Moon/Sun/Venus/Mars etc, then this would create an even deeper care about others.

The reason behind your natural gifts is because you had to learn and take on Libra qualities and traits in order to feel some sort of control in your life. You couldn't control the chaos of your family, but you can control how you'd react and deal with others.

You dislike chaos/confrontation/fights and since these qualities were everywhere when you were younger, it was only natural to adapt to qualities that would balance all of that out. As humans we do strive for balance in relationships, and the relationship you have within your home would be a pivotal stepping stone with how you choose to interact with others. 

You learned it was easier to smile and say yes to others even if deep down, you weren’t “okay” or happy with the situation. The only way you survived in your home life was to disregard your own feelings/thoughts/emotions. In some cases but not all, you are able to understand why people react they way they do. 

In the entirety of it all, the traits you soon possessed are now catalysts for you and your career choice. Disregarding the specific example I gave, the message is the same. 

Because of the experiences you dealt with in your home, you can now look at your MC qualities and understand why you might of adapted certain traits as you grew up. 

One reminder for everyone is to try and not to forget the importance of balance. Even though you are more comfortable acting or being a certain way (MC) completely embodying that side when it comes to relationships isn’t fair for you. It’s okay to want to keep peace etc but (especially with Aries IC/Libra MC) but don’t forget everyone you meet won’t naturally reflect the home life you had to experience, so it’s okay to put the needs/wants/desires of yourself first, and it’s okay and (will be uncomfortable at first) to change certain habits or mindsets that were created when you were younger.

Your home life is such an important aspect for you and your self growth. 

Once you are able to understand your IC and why you might find certain careers/hobbies/actions intriguing, will you be able to really grasp and understand your IC/MC to it’s fullest potential. 

(The severity with your IC also depends on what other planets may occupy this house, more malefic planets like Pluto, Saturn, Mars, Chiron, Lilith even would indicate a more extreme harsh childhood. Each planet that I listed has different meanings, but in general these malefic planets would bring a harsher layout for the individual. (Not considering other indicators of a harsh childhood like the Moon sign or its aspects)

[zevfern]

Felibern or Hilclaude for ask game?

Felibern: Ship it!

1. Their C Support was interesting enough, but then I was floored by their B support: Felix being self aware? This was nowhere to be seen in any of his Blue Lions supports, didn't think he had it in him. By the time I see him smile in their A support, awed by Bernie's bravery and disarming technique, I was in love.

2. I think Bernadetta is a positive force in Felix's life as shown by how he relearns to be considerate, kind and friendly with her, to the point that I can't see him inheriting the title of Duke Fraldarius without her at his side. It makes the "be the boar" line he says near the end of the AM route be less out of character. As for Bernie's side of the ship, I think Felix is someone who accepts people for who they are and not what they're supposed to be, so Bernadetta doesn't have to fake or try to change herself for their relationship to work, it just happens by accident as she wants to spend more time with him, and becomes more comfortable around people because of it.

3. Felibern is the best Felix ship in the game, vastly better than all his other popular pairings, ESPECIALLY Felannie.

Hilclaude: Don't ship it*

1. Despite working really well together, I like Claude and Hilda better with other people when I play VW.

*However, I did not recruit Hilda in my most recent AM route because I thought her and Claude should end up together in that route. I do like the ship even if I don't prioritize it.

2. Nothing really, since I do like it.

3. In the FE based discord server I'm in everyone loves making funny harebrained headcanons for these two, SFW and NSFW alike. It's hilarious to see what the guys and gals think up for the two.

Thanks for the ask!

[theambitiouswoman]

Hi,

I feel like I'm always the one intiating conversations and relationships. The one going up to people to talk to them. The one giving and giving.

It makes me sad that people don't come up to me and go out of their way to have conversations with me or hang out with me almost 90% of the time i do it. The kind of person who chases not attracts.

When I looked at it, i thought my actions were coming from the wrong person, because the same people who don't intiate things with me, intiate it with other people..

And I've always been available all the time(emphasis here) for everybody and i just want to be more exclusive i don't want people to get used to my presence that they don't have to put in effort to deserve it. Like "oh her? Nah don't worry i could go anytime/she's always there it doesn't matter". Do you het what i mean? People are so sure of my presence that they don't even care.

And i feel sad and hurt because I Do. And i value my presence much more than just to give it to you when you don't appreciate it like that.

Sorry if I've overstepped, but this has been bothering me for a veryy long time, and i just need help on this topic.

Thank you in advance🫶

Hi my love,

You never overstep. Thank you for trusting me with advice on an issue that is important to you. It is understandable that you feel hurt and under appreciated. Everyone deserves genuine connections and when we struggle to find them, we begin to question ourselves.

There could be many reasons why people may not initiate with you, or put in the same effort. It doesn't necessarily mean they don't value your presence or appreciate you.

You should not be pursuing relationships with anyone who is not putting the same effort back. These people may not see the value in the relationship, feel that there is no commonality, or you may hold them at a higher regard than they do. You do not have to chase or force relationships with others. Not all people are our people. You can not try to have a relationship with just anyone, for the sake of wanting a friendship. Focus on those who do reciprocate your efforts and value your presence. It's okay to prioritize your own emotional wellbeing and invest your time and energy into relationships that are mutually fulfilling. Take your power back.

It's also important to find a balance between being available for others and taking care of yourself. While being accessible and supportive is a great trait, people will tend to take someone who is too available, for granted. This may be another reason why you feel like you are chasing.

Try to have a more relaxed approach when establishing new friendships. If you go up to someone, try starting off with a compliment and go from there. Make sure that the conversation is not one sided and only serve your personal interests. You want to be able to connect with people. I would take the time to consider the type of conversations you are initiating. Create a definition of what you consider to be a healthy ideal relationship in your mind and set the standard for yourself. This may not be the case for you but people can become very codependent and attached to their friends, and it is not something all people on the other end enjoy.

Another possible scenario, is that you may not look approachable. Make sure that you have an open body language. Some examples would be: An open and relaxed posture. Facing towards others and being receptive to conversation. Not crossing your arms. Smiling more. No resting bitch face. Make eye contact. Show genuine interest in what they are saying. Actively listen. Make sure you are making them feel valued. Consider your clothing and style choices. Wear clothes that reflects your personality while still being approachable. Show positivity and a friendly attitude and avoid negative body language or expressions that might inadvertently push people away. Showing genuine care and compassion, this makes people feel comfortable approaching you :)

Being approachable is not about changing who you are fundamentally, but rather making small adjustments to your behavior and nonverbal cues to create a welcoming presence.

If you feel that people have taken your presence for granted or that they don't appreciate you, you may need to reassess how you allocate your time and energy. Always prioritizing yourself, setting boundaries, focus on quality of friends vs quantity, and evaluate your friendships. Are they good friends? Do your values align with theirs? Do you share similar interests?

While we all want and need relationships, consider the effect the relationships we establish can have on our lives. Friendship is a serious title and have a strong influence on our views, thoughts and feelings. Make sure you are putting your definition of friendship on a gold throne and not the idea of making friends, or even just people. Once you value the importance of friendship, rather than just your feelings about having friends, you will also develop better discernment in selecting new friends. This in turn, will cause an energy shift in your current system because you are no longer in the "chasing" position and taking full control.

This came out to be incredibly long, but I wanted to cover some of the immediate bases and truly hope it helps you <3

[molinabiancavalentina]

LITERATURE FOR ENGLISH

2ND BLOG _ Water / POEM

First of all, this poem was written by Kate Coombs, an amazing writer who shows us through this literary work how water can be there one day and suddenly the other day it can be completely gone from our lives. The importance of water conservation in this poem is very relevant because it tries to convey to the person who reads this poem how important it is to start thinking about what will happen when you come inside your house and there is no water to drink, the importance of water conservation should be prioritized all over the world if we want to overcome this situation. Actually, water is a big problem all over the world, but especially in countries like Eritrea, Uganda, Ethiopia, Somalia and more....

The work portrays the conservation of water as something important, although it is not explicitly mentioned in the text, but we can know that the poem invites us to stop being so unconscious about this big problem with water and to start being more rational by conserving water in different ways. Water is symbolized as a resource that is naturally clean and cool, that lives in rivers as well as in pools, this is meant to imply that water represents something vital within the poem, as it is mentioned in great detail in the part that this resource could simply cease to exist at any moment. But water is also presented as something that could disappear at any moment if nothing is done about the problem. Or maybe it could represent the flow or how it could start to trickle out of a pipe. Here I would like to point out a stanza of the poem that confirms what I have mentioned above:

“Today there is water

  when we turn the tape on.

  But what will we do 

  when the water is gone?”

The author's message about water conservation is that we should all continue to take steps to ensure that water is not wasted unnecessarily. The poem invites us to stop and think for a while about how much it would affect our daily lives if we used water unnecessarily; in the long run, water consumption could affect us to such an extent that this resource would probably become a privilege that only the richest could acquire. In other words, she wants us to understand, through various metaphors and other literary figures, how important the resource of water is for living beings in general. The author's perspective in the poem is very clear, as she not only focuses on the conservation of water as such, but also tries to tell us what would happen if we do not act quickly. The author doesn't mention any cultural or historical aspect in the text, but I'm sure she's referring to those African places where water is not enough for everyone when she mentions water is drying up.

Some of the key tips I would recommend to avoid unnecessary water consumption are as follows

* Avoid drinking extra water when your body is not asking for it, this way the drinking water in your house would not run out so quickly.

* Do not use the toilet as a garbage can to prevent water from being contaminated by food waste or just plain garbage.

* Use environmentally friendly cleaning products that do not pollute the water.

In conclusion, the poem of this great writer shows us in detail and with some linguistic elements how water can be very important for us, but we never bother to know if we are making good use of this resource. There are many people around the world who do not have access to water because water conservation is not encouraged in a larger percentage of the population, which is a big problem among the people who inhabit this imperfect world. However, it is possible to fix this big mess just by following some of the tips floating around the internet on how to protect water from being no more. From my point of view, this poem perfectly reflects and conveys to me the essence of water conservation by describing the other side of the coin, the consumption of water.

[toadslug]

New Iterators just dropped 🔥🔥 Only two of them are new, but I haven't introduced the other one yet, so I'll do that here! More under the cut:

This is Whirling Ellipse ("Ellipse" or "WE" for short)! She was my first Iterator OC, so she has a special place in my heart 🥺💖 She's playful, talkative, and very friendly, but her deteriorating systems have caused to act more loopy and spontaneous (than usual). She experiences frequent memory lapses, and her communications are shaky. Oh, and her arms fell off... oops. A grumpy Slugcat named The Salvager (who I should also probably make a post about) occasionally pops in to supply her with new parts.

Onto the new Iterators!! This Idle Speculations ("Specs" or "IE" for short); she's the youngest member of the local group. Her can is situated over a desert region, and she's far away from the other Iterators (even her own local group). She's rude, brisk, always annoyed, and easily frustrated... so! Kind of an asshole. It's always the short people istg 🙄

She pretends to like being alone, but she secretly appreciates company. She also seems to be the only Iterator who has caught onto DWOE's recent suspicious behavior...

This is Two Masquerades ("Masquerades" or "TM" for short)! They're slightly older than Ellipse. They're elegant and kind of keep to themselves (they don't mind the other Iterators; they're just very focused on their work). They're super into fashion and love designing clothing. The Ancients of their city would frequently wear their designs. Now that their Ancients are gone, Masquerades has moved onto designing clothes for the local fauna. Do the creatures appreciate it? Not really. But Masquerades thinks lizards look cute in tiny hats.

I'm going to work on fleshing these guys out some more! Thinking about adding one of two more Iterators to the group, but I have no character ideas right now lol. Feel free to check out my Toyhouse if you want lore updates and stuff. I also made a isolated drawing of DWOE (non-possessed yipeee!!!):

Actually, I don't think I've ever gone into his character here...? So I'll do a little of that right now:

Dulcet Warble of Evening was the senior of his local group. He was calm, thoughtful, and rational; his Ancients and other Iterators frequently went to him for advice or consoling. He always prioritized his duties as an Iterator, but he had a greater love for nature. He liked observing wildlife through his Overseers. He started working on a way to detach from his arm so he could explore the world and discover new species, but he never achieved that :( Now he's possessed LOL 🤣🤣