#and that idea—the idea of spreading misinformation—is so big for me that i would rather avoid doing it at all.

[garlandgerard]

i'm thinking about what gi-hun and in-ho's homestuck god tier titles would be. for those who aren't insufferable like me, a brief explanation:

god tiers in homestuck are like ultimate challenges a person has to overcome. in order to reach god tier, you must learn to master the problem that a god tier title (represented by a class, like knight or bard, and an aspect, like time or life) represents

the two parts of one title work in tandem: the class affects how the aspect manifests, and the aspect affects how the player behaves as their class

for example, a knight of blood is going to act radically different from a knight of rage despite both being knights—while the knight always overcompensates for a perceived lack of their aspect by greatly exaggerating the aspect within themselves, for a blood player that means desperately insisting on leading their group (blood is symbolic of interpersonal relationships) despite feeling inadequate to actually perform the task. for a rage player that would mean lashing out to protect their vulnerabilities (as rage is symbolic for, well, negative emotions like anger), despite not naturally being an angry person

and although a prince of mind and a sylph of mind both share the aspect of mind (symbolising rational thought, mental proficiency and logic), they treat their aspect very differently—princes destroy their aspect within others, or destroy things with their aspect, meaning a prince of mind is a cunning individual who can manipulate others into acting irrationally, or literally breaking someone's mind using their own intellect and rhetorical prowess. a sylph, on the other hand, heals their aspect in others, and heals others using their aspect, meaning they are more like a therapist or an older mentor figure that gives wise advice (although a sylph's undoing is their inability to let go of their aspect, meaning a lot of their help is unsollicited or unwanted)

for in-ho, i would instinctively assign him the aspect of heart. heart is about identity and one's own emotions. possessing the heart aspect means that your main personal problem revolves around your identity and where you stand in relation to others. many of the heart players in the homestuck canon have a fragmented sense of self for this reason. this would make sense for in-ho, who buries his true self under figurative and literal masks and alter egos—to the point where he is probably unsure of whom he is anymore. not sure about his class yet, although bard sounds logical for him, since bards cause destruction with their aspect, or cause the destruction of their aspect proper—like princes, but passively

for gi-hun, my first thought was blood, but i honestly don't think that fits, because his relationships with others and his ability to create unity is not actually a problem for him; it's one of his defining characteristics, i'd say. given the developments of season two, i'm tempted to give him the doom aspect instead, as doom symbolises the choices we make, and the uncertaintly surrounding those choices and their outcomes, and goddamn if that isn't gi-hun's nemesis currently. i'd have to properly sit down to think about it (when it isn't nearly 3am)

so, ahem. i am normal again

[dukeofankh]

Almost everybody has at least a *little* bit of a point.

Yeah. Even them. And being wrong about everything else doesn't actually change that. They might not know how that point should actually be interpreted, they might come to foolish or even actively harmful conclusions from that point. They might radically overstate how prevalent or important the point is. But don't fall into the trap of refusing to acknowledge things that are true just because a bad person says them.

I cannot tell you how many times I've seen someone from a group I belong to dunking on someone from some outgroup, even a very harmful outgroup, and in doing so, denying basically true things that we would absolutely agree with if we were talking about them in private.

I dunno. Maybe it bugs me for neurodivergent reasons. Maybe I'm a pedantic ass.

The other day I got into a massive fight online with a guy in a feminist group because he was squabbling with a bit of a dipshit who pointed out that men are under a lot of pressure to become financially successful, and that's why they do stupid shit like get into crypto.

And like... rather than say "yeah, men are still expected under hegemonic masculinity to be breadwinners, despite the advances of women into the workforce, the economy being in shambles and the middle class having been whittled to a toothpick at this point. We need to work as feminists to challenge that gendered expectation, and as leftists to rebuild the power of labour to allow everyone, both men and women, to have a living wage that can allow for a family and a dignified life." This other feminist guy decided instead that, since the concept of men being pressured to be economic providers was being used in a way that sounded like it was suggesting that women only want to date rich men, it was redpill propaganda and, therefore, fascist misinformation. He went with, "what are you talking about, Gen X killed the concept of corporate success as marker of personal worth, everyone agrees that being a workaholic is bad and unattractive now. The idea that you think you'll be judged for being poor is a lie spread by the right to radicalize you into hating women." He did not react well when I pointed out that he was just as wrong as the other guy was. More wrong, actually.

And like...you can build multiple arguments from the same data point. Some are well reasoned, some aren't. Someone can feel pressure and assume it's much more widespread than it is, or that it takes a much more extreme form than it really does. But if you're going to coherently argue against an idea, you have to honestly appraise the situation and figure out what grains of truth it has in it. You have to acknowledge that core root of truth and show them how it means something else.

If, instead of doing that, you just deny the true thing because the other person's argument is built on it and you want to stamp it out? Because, hey, they interpreted it wrong, it's not like they really believe something true? You act as though a fact used to support a lie is also a lie. And if you do that, and argue against the facts because their conclusions are stupid, you construct a little world where, in refusing to accept both their flawed argument AND the fact it's based on, you become more wrong than they are. And you make the deeply foolish choice of picking a fight in that world. And if it's on the internet, that little world can become pretty big. Tactically, it's about the dumbest thing you could do. It ensures that they will keep fighting you because...you're fucking obviously wrong? It radicalizes people, because suddenly the only people who will acknowledge the truth on this thing they care about are other terrible people. It makes your side look dogmatic and ignorant. And apart from all of that...it gets things completely backwards.

Your principles are what you want to use to change the world for the better. You believe them because you honestly believe that following your principles improves things, because they are based on a solid grasp of how the world works. Your beliefs follow from what is true. If you flip it so that whether something is true is based on whether it supports your beliefs...that's a bad road to go down.

[anon-8518]

Regarding accusations against Mo Willems

UPDATE: @sheepinthebigcity just informed me that Gerard Way didn't claim that he made SITBC, but rather came up with an idea for his own show (The Breakfast Monkey) when he was working on SITBC. While my points against the claims that he made SITBC still stand, the ones that suggest that Gerard made the claims himself are not true and I will no longer stand by them. As a result, this post has been edited to take the blame off him. I would like to apologize for this fuck up and to Gerard Way personally.

Just today, I have saw some people on Twitter/X make the claim that Gerard Way had created Sheep in the Big City and Mo Willems stole the idea for it.

Note: The names had been covered because I DO NOT want them getting harassed.

These claims are false and I have evidence to disprove it:

Evidence #1 - The Pitch

Source (See Page 17):

If Gerard really made SITBC then why would he ask Mo Willems, of all people, to make a whole pitch for him to pitch to Cartoon Network, despite him claiming that he only pitched it to Mo? The only thing that ties this up is when Gerard says this in an interview for art school students:

"I pitched this to a single individual. Like I'm sitting there, doing all the voices and he's loving it, he's losing it. You know, he's just, you know, he really wants us get this thing made. So I agreed to allow them the rights to shop this thing around, which you often have to do because like I can't call Cartoon Network, like they can."

Source (See 19:02-19:26):

Even then, there is no evidence that backs up this claim. In addition, what evidence that does exist that involves Gerard was him helping to work on Sheep in the Big City as well as being an intern at Cartoon Network at the time. None of which said that he had the idea.

As an intern at Cartoon Network before starting his band, Way worked on the animated show “Sheep In The Big City,” earning $50 a week. “It was really hard to eat,” he says “I was working eight hours a day and I was the photocopy dude.”

Source:

Evidence #2 - Concepts

The concepts of the show, even without the pitch for it, disproves Gerard's whole claim about creating Sheep in the Big City and that Mo Willems stole it.

For one thing, there is a whole pile of concept art made back in 1998 drawn by Mo Willems, not a single one made by Gerard, that Mr. Warburton found and uploaded on his blog:

Secondly, in the interview, Gerard never explains any concept or actual ideas for Sheep in the Big City, not a single one, when he was making his claim. Mo Willems, on the other hand, did provide some concepts and ideas, not only the ones that made SITBC for what it is, but also ones that never made it, in various interviews back in the 2000s.

Not once did these interviews ever bring up Gerard Way creating or even having the idea of SITBC in any way.

"If only a few people on Twitter/X are talking about it, then why do you feel the need to make this post?"

You see, I cannot let this pile of misinformation spread around and get into Mo's personal life.

This was NOT made as a harassment campaign against Gerard Way nor the people who believe in these claims, but rather to prove that Mo Willems did create SITBC and is innocent.

Please share this around if you can.

[sketchy--doodles]

What if...I made a universe based on sparkledogs???

This has been a decade in the making...LITERALLY

I started the idea of Sparkleville around 2014. I made it as a universe where my adopted OCs can all go, as many were sparkledogs/animals. I knew there was hatred towards sparkledogs back then, a pretty intense hatred too, so I figured, what if I created a backstory that explains why these animals are unrealistic in coloration?

Originally, the idea for everyone being so colorful was due to the "Sparkle Disease" and that people could "catch" it and become a sparkledog. And that these animals were ostracized from the "realistic" animals and were forced to live together in "Sparkleville" to keep them away from turning the realism animals in "sparkles".

Now, I think what I am gonna do is have the sparkle come from a genetic source and that there are many types of being sparkle that come from genes. The first one is being born sparkle from one or two sparkle parents, which is more obvious that a child will be sparkle. The other is a sparkle child with two realistic parents, so like a recessive gene. The third, is that the sparkle gene doesn't kick in until later in life, so the animal appears realistic at birth, but may transition into a sparkle animal whenever the gene kicks in. This can be any time in life.

In this current version of sparkleville, there have been research findings that becoming sparkle is genetic, rather than a disease, so Sparkleville citizens are beginning to be allowed to intermingle with realistic animals. There is still a lot of prejudice and self-hatred. The sparkles have to combat misinformation being spread about them in order to gain more acceptance into society.

OK, so here's the main gang (left to right):

Odette Okapee:

she/her

Sparkle Okapi

The main character of the cast. I wanted to do an animal I never made an OC for, and okapis are unique. Odette was born sparkle to two realistic okapis. Her parents abandoned her shortly after birth and she was adopted by a lion couple named Japer and Lailah. The most shame comes from when two realistic parents have a sparkle child. Odette is very much a sparkle too. She even has a fluffy tail and wings. She can barely fly though, mainly using them like how one would use hand gestures. Despite being given up as a baby, Odette is extremely proud of being sparkle. She is very much an optimist and loves to cheer her friends up. She looks on the bright side, but maybe a little too much. She typically doesn't see what problems come ahead of her and it often shocks her. Odette will make friends with anyone, even if they say they hate her.

Octavia Eighthin:

She/her

Sparkle Coyote

Adopted from KolliceKat. A spirited young coyote. Odette's foil and friend. Originally the main character. She has the assertiveness that Odette lacks and sees things more realistically. She once was ashamed of her differences but now has become as proud of them as Odette has, but just shows it differently. She tends to be more confrontational. Has a big brother named Rusty. Plays in the school orchestra.

Cobalt:

he/him

Sparkle Cat

Adopted from shadowtheprotogenowo. He's a lil guy. The trickster of the group. He's kinda immature and gets people into problems, but deep down, he cares for them. He and Odette have a brother-sister-like bond.

Socks

he/him

Sparkle Llama

Adopted from Kitty-of-Doom524. Originally female when I adopted him, but my head told me I should make him a guy instead. He's not exactly the most alert guy. Kinda has himbo energy. Very kind but is not bright. Has some moments of brightness. Don't get him mad though. If one triggers him enough, he will start spitting and stomping on them.

Derek Junior

he/him

Sparkledog

Yes, Derek Junior is a sparkledog. He just tries to hide his identity. After being discriminated against as a youngster, Derek Junior's parents encouraged him to mask any signs of being a sparkle. That included, dying his hair and fur brown, and clipping his wings (he was born with wings). he could actually fly too, before they were cut off. He is based on stereotypical sparkledog designs, even has the anime hair lol. But alas, his rainbow roots show through his hair a bit. He associates more with realistic animals, but has to come to terms with his identity more and more as he interacts with sparkles. On the outside, he is confident, boisterous, and proud, but the inside of him harbors nothing but self-hatred and insecurity. Is always called Derek Junior, never just called Derek. He has a secret crush on Odette.

Mira Muskrat

she/her

Realistic Muskrat

She is the main antagonist. Originally was a cat, but turned into a muskrat. She is the daughter of Elroy Muskrat, a scientist who is researching the sparkle gene and looking into a way to cure it. Mira shares her father's beliefs and wishes for sparkles to be "cured" of their bright colors. Little does she know that Elroy is an actually secretly a sparkle. But Mira spreads her beliefs about sparkles to everyone. Loves to be a fake friend to Odette and other sparkles but is a conniving bitch and backstairs them later. She is a master of manipulating others. Ex-girlfriend of Derek Junior.

I hope you like them!

PLEASE REBLOG! IT HELPS A LOT!

[lunar-years]

you have really fantastic thoughts and are very insightful and well spoken! I agree with you about a lot of what you said- corporations being the number one polluter but blaming individual people as a distraction, the type of discourse you’re willing to engage with, etc.

I will say my biggest issue with TS right now is still her lack of stance on palestine. I totally get that it’s kind of odd to look to celebrities for guidance on geopolitical issues… but then I think about her impact. she is the number one artist in the world. just her instagram post telling people to register to vote was a huge deal! her voice could be soooo impactful to the people suffering from literal genocide and yet… radio silence. I guess that just really rubs me the wrong way. when does PR strategy become less important than speaking out against genocide? I just wonder what impact on the public opinion of the war she could have if she just spoke out, or even showed solidarity with the ceasefire now movement in some way!

I will also say I do agree with a lot of the criticism surrounding her behavior at the grammy’s. I love TS but like… time and place beloved. I 100% understand why people are frustrated by that as well. and I do agree that she has weaponized misogyny as a defense against critiques. it’s not misogynistic to be critical of the things I mentioned. especially when she has so much actual misogyny coming at her lol.

anyways, thank you for receiving my rant. it’s always so nice to hear your thoughts, you’re truly very smart and well informed!!!

of course, thanks for sending me your thoughts! ❤️ I think it can be understandably be very frustrating to know someone has a massive platform they aren't using to speak out on important issues. It's disappointing to know that were she to say something, it could make a big difference, yet she's choosing not to. I get that, and if that's where your line in the sand is for why you can't support her/enjoy her music/whatever, I absolutely get that too and I completely respect that standpoint.

My thoughts basically boil down to...

1) Taylor's big platform comes from being an artist/singer/songwriter/performer, not from speaking out on world affairs or political & humanitarian issues. She's an entertainer. It can really suck to come to terms with this, but in my opinion (and again, I totally understand if someone disagrees with me here), she isn't obligated to be that person. it isn't her job, and she's never claimed it to be. We can not like it (I personally would love it if she were more outspoken), but I do not demand that she speaks out, because I have decided it is something I willing to accept about who she is so as to still remain a fan of hers. A person shouldn't have to be everything to everyone just because they are famous.

2) Again people are going to disagree with me here, but I cannot express to you how much rather I would her not speak on something she isn't adequately informed on over her saying the wrong things very loudly. I have no idea how well informed Taylor is about what's going on in the world, because she is not exactly forthcoming, lol, so I don't want to say i don't trust her to say the right things, but...well. The last thing we need is misinformation being spread around by more celebrities who didn't check their facts or source their knowledge, at which point the discussion online shifts into bandwagon hating of celebrities and away from the actual issues themselves.

3) This could very well come from me running in Taylor fan circles online and therefore seeing more Taylor content that anyone elses, but from my perspective this kind of criticism is disproportionately lobbed at Taylor Swift over others high-level celebs. Many celebs haven't spoken out, many celebs fly their private jets excessively (and are in fact bigger carbon-emitters than taylor) yet don't receive the same energy in terms of widespread online disapproval. In some cases, it absolutely feels like an instance of "I already hate her and this gives me a reason to feel justified in that hatred and get more people on my side!" Again, there are people online more focused on calling out and canceling celebrities than helping the causes they claim to care about so passionately. Our effort should be on elevating the platforms of people who know what they're talking about, on the voices of the Palestinian people and the reporters and activists striving to be heard, rather then demanding people with existing platforms (from being musicians, no less, lol) speak out about things they don't the first thing about it.

The criticism of Taylor I most agree with is the stuff that involves her being a hypocrite. Like, there's no doubt that she calls on feminism when it benefits and conveniences her and largely drops it the rest of the time, which definitely does rub me the wrong way. For instance, the press article after the ratty breakup that was all, "No one would be treating me like this if I were a MAN" was deeply misguided and wack, lol, based on the (incorrect) assumption that people hated that she'd had a rebound boyfriend as opposed to the reality, which was that people hated the fact that she'd associate so closely with an undeniably abhorrent person. Like Taylor, in this case this is not about you being a woman, and you are absolutely deflecting from valid critique aimed your way. For instance, how you can claim to care about and protect your POC and black fans and then date someone who's a blatant racist? Similarly, her claiming to want to be more outspoken in Miss Americana and then never following through from that point on, it's very disappointing! She shouldn't say she wants to be more involved and then never get more involved. She shouldn't use politics for clout then drop it when she feels she no longer needs it.

Curious about what rubbed you the wrong way about the Grammys? Was it the album announcement or her alleged Celine Dion snub? My thoughts on the Celine thing are: She clearly hadn't expected to win, she was overwhelmed and excited and didn't even have a prepared speech, and whilst it was definitely a misstep in the moment, it was a human one, and it's very clear they talked backstage, Celine posted the picture of them, and there seems to be absolutely no hard feelings between the women actually involved, so to me it's a complete non-issue. My thoughts on the Grammys album announcement: It was for the fans, not the people in the room. It was also her time on a stage to say what she pleased! She was being recognized! So I don't think it detracted from anyone else's moment in the spotlight. Fans online got excited, but it's not like people stopped caring about anyone else at the Grammys or the other major performances/moments, lol. Also, it's not so different from Beyonce announcing her album during the Super Bowl. A bit wrong time wrong place? maybe, but it's all meant in good fun. It is music, the grammys are a celebration of music, we are here to have fun! A very low-stakes issue for me.

[fitnessandflavors]

How I Learned to Stop Worrying so Much and Actually Build Muscle

If you've ever searched "how to get abs fast" at 1 AM, while staring at your reflection and flexing trying to make yourself feel like you’re the main character, you’re not alone. The fitness world is kinda like a traffic jam, except instead of honking and road rage. It's influencers and pre-workout with crazy names like “Gorilla Mind” and “Alpha Lion”. There's also no road lines keeping the peace. Just thousands of conflicting tips on how to eat, ways to train, how much and when to sleep, and even how to breathe.

When I first started lifting, I was all about what influencers were recommending. I found a “clean bulk” diet that promised I would look like a Greek god in 12 weeks. Spoiler alert, it was rice, and chicken every single day. Sometimes I was lucky enough to get side of depression as well. My energy was at an all time low, my muscle growth plateaued.  Not to mention it had me genuinely afraid to eat a cookie, or anything not on the program. Something wasn’t right, and it wasn’t just my macros. That experience made me realize how much questionable information floats around in the name of "fitness". But more importantly, how little most of us know about what actually works.

So I started looking into it. Not just into chicken and rice, but into the science behind muscle growth and fat loss. I wanted to really dive into how evidence based nutrition and training improve results compared to the  common fitness myths we constantly see throughout social media. Because if there’s one thing lifters hate more than leg day, it’s wasting time that could be spent making real progress..

Protein Intake Breakdown

One of the biggest fitness myths out there is the idea that humans can only absorb 30 grams of protein per meal. Supposedly, if you eat more than that, your body just can’t handle it. Thankfully, people like Dr. Brad Schoenfeld has done the research. His work shows that it’s not about strict amounts of protein per meal, but rather your total daily intake and spacing of that protein intake throughout the day(Schoenfeld, Aragon, & Krieger, 2013). So yes, that late night cramming to reach your protein goal for the day works just fine!

These kinds of evidence based thoughts are so important because it clears up the “bro science”  that surrounds muscle building conversations. A lot of people out there are genuinely trying to improve their health and that is amazing. The only problem is they’re getting their information from TikTok instead of textbooks.

Science -> Results

That’s the next big thing I realized is knowing why something works is just as important as knowing what to do. It’s not enough to tell people to ���eat more protein” or “lift heavy weights.” People need to understand what supports hypertrophy, as well as what doesn't. Or how resistance training triggers muscle repair and growth. That’s where resources like the work of Levers and Vargo come in. They go deep into the way the body actually uses nutrients and how that nutrients is used in training (Levers & Vargo, 2018). Yes, it is a little bit of a longer read, but it’s so worth it after it helps you to realize why you are doing what you are.

Why do we Fall for Fitness Myths?

Social media plays a huge role in all this. It’s the place where people go to try and find a quick fix. Full of 6 pack ab shortcuts, and weird ice cream recipes that are supposedly a “muscle building cheat code”. People with no credentials sell diet plans with no proof of if they actually work, and somehow they keep getting millions of followers. What worries me most is how easily this misinformation spreads. Even people who are really trying to be healthy can fall for fake advice that sounds like the maker knows what they are talking about,  but isn’t actually based on science, and what the body needs and wants. That’s a problem not just for gym goers like me, but also for public health overall.

So how can we fix this? One idea is teaching more of this stuff early on in places like schools or youth sports programs. Imagine a high school health class that actually teaches kids how to track macros, or how to read and interpret a nutrition label on even a box of cereal. Crazy, right? Better yet, what if social media promoted educated and credible creators instead of whoever has the most shredded abs, or the biggest arms?

Simplicity is Key

(My Fitness pal, an app that makes it super easy to keep track of daily macros and food intake)

Needless to say, it’s not all untrue and bad advice. There are legit coaches and programs out there trying to make fitness much easier to understand without sacrificing the accuracy. I found a great blog by Jayd Harrison. He is not a scientist, but he is a certified coach who writes good, straight to the point advice about muscle building nutrition (Harrison, 2023). He doesn’t use fancy words or overwhelm readers. Instead, he simplifies it all. Giving people a connection between science heavy sources and real world usage. That’s exactly the kind of stuff we need more of, people who take complex research and turn it into stuff you can use in the gym tomorrow.

My Understandings

The biggest thing I’ve taken away so far is the fact that there’s a gap between science and the average person who is just trying to lift a little heavier or eat a little better. That gap is filled with so many believable myths, cool looking clickbait, and a ton of good but misinformed advice. But if we can make evidence based fitness more understandable. Maybe we can help people avoid the frustration and burnout I, as well as so many other individuals  went through. In the end,  building muscle isn’t just about working harder, but instead working smarter. As well as maybe having a cookie or two every now and then.

References

Harrison, J. (2023, September 28). How to eat to build muscle. Jay D Harrison Fitness. https://jaydharrisonfitness.com/blog/2023/9/28/how-to-eat-to-build-muscle

Levers, K., & Vargo, K. (2018). Effects of supplementation on muscle hypertrophy: A systematic review. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 15(1), 38. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1186/s12970-018-0215-1

Schoenfeld, B. J., Aragon, A. A., & Krieger, J. W. (2013). The effect of protein timing on muscle strength and hypertrophy: A meta-analysis. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 10(1), 53. https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1550-2783-10-53

[triforce-of-mischief]

Dragged to Dreamland

Febuwhump Day 18: Can't stay awake

Whump count: non-consensual drugging (misinformed ingestion of sleepytime tea)

Word count: 470

Summary: When Warriors refuses to sleep, Sky takes matters into his own hands.

AO3

Reblogs > Likes!

Warriors had lost track of how many days it had been since he had last slept. Had it been a week yet, or was he too exhausted to tell the difference? Pure paranoia and adrenaline were all that kept him from a restful sleep. And, of course, more coffee than even Legend drank daily. The vet kept giving him incredulous glances, and Warriors hoped that it wouldn’t spread through the group and evolve into well-intended suspicion. He could deal with this himself, and would rather do so without eight overprotective heroes watching his every move.

He took as many watches as Time would allow, and convinced his half-asleep brothers to give him the rest. He was alert while they walked and rehearsed sword drills during their breaks. He had the feeling that something big was coming, and he was determined to be ready for it.

That evening, nobody bothered to argue when he said, “I’ll take first watch.” Time simply sighed while Sky sat beside Wild and positioned a kettle over the fire. Warriors set out his bedroll, more out of boredom than anything. He was surprised when Sky approached him a few minutes later, bearing a single steaming mug.

“I brewed some tea for you,” Sky said, and Warriors stared at him. Sky chuckled nervously and touched the back of his neck with his free hand. “Oh, not the kind you’re thinking of! It’s an energizing blend with natural caffeine from stamina fruits so you don’t have to struggle through your watch. Of course, if you don’t want it…”

Warriors jumped up and practically snatched the mug out of Sky’s hand. “No, no, that sounds perfect. Thank you.”

He drank the entire concoction within a few minutes, and waited for it to take effect. He talked with the others for a while and noticed with no small amount of alarm that the tea seemed to have the wrong effect. His words began to slur, punctuated by frequent yawns, and it was a challenge to keep his eyes open.

“Hey, Sky?” Warriors said, biting back another yawn. “I don’t think your tea worked. I need my coffee, where is it?”

“You don’t need your coffee,” Sky said with a relieved smile. “You need to rest. I lied about the tea. Hopefully you can forgive me.”

“You… you lied to me?” Warriors’ thoughts were turning sluggish with the impending doom of forced sleep. “How could you- you betrayed my trust. I have to protect you and you betrayed me…”

The last thing he saw before his eyes fell shut was Sky’s shocked and guilty expression. He had no idea what he had just done to Warriors. Muted feelings of anger and horror and disbelief drifted through Warriors’ mind, then sleep dragged him down until he couldn’t feel anything at all.

[transmascore]

i realise this is a very basic question but how did you realise you were trans and gay

A basic question but... a complicated answer! 

I’ll give the TL;DR first, and then the extended answer under the readmore. I realized I was trans at 17 - I experienced all forms of dysphoria and realized I aligned with manhood rather than womanhood. 

I have always known I was queer, even before I knew language for it, but I identified as pansexual from age 15 to age 26 (as in, literally This Year), when I realized my attraction to women was pretty much non-existent, but my love for men (and men-aligned people) is vast and fills me with great joy.

Full answer:

(CW: Homophobia, transphobia, dysphoria, trauma mention etc.)

For context, I was born in 1996. I graduated from high school in 2014. I was born in a North East US state. Hopefully this helps the timeline a bit in terms of what was going on in the world when I was growing up. Gay marriage would only be legalized a year before I graduated.

I first realized I was trans at age 17 (2013) a few months after a high school acquaintance of mine came out. Before that point, I had no idea what a trans person was. 

In fact, my first exposure to "queerness" as a social construct was when I reached middle school and I was exposed to a horrendously homophobic environment, where peers were actively hostile to LGBT people and spread misinformation about them. Up until that point, I had never thought of myself as being “different” or was even aware that there was a stigma attached to being gay. I didn’t know “gay” people existed. I just assumed people were attracted to who they were attracted to and it wasn’t a big deal. I was actually openly queer without realizing it, having spoken about my crushes on boys and girls. 

Soon I was hearing “gay” “lesbian” “bisexual” - but only in negative contexts. Suddenly, these were Bad things to be. They were insults. Being called that made you a pariah - people didn’t even want to shake your hand. I was so distressed by this that I managed to convince myself that i wasn’t REALLY queer, I had just gotten confused. Because the alternative was that I was a Bad Person, and I didn’t want to be a Bad Person. I remember being acutely terrified when I passed girls in the hallway. I didn’t want to look at them for a second too long, in fear of being labeled as a “lesbian.” I convinced myself from around age 11 (2007) to age 15 (2011) that I was Heterosexual.

At the same time, I had always distinctly felt like I was existing out-of-body. Like, my deadname always felt like it floated past me. It was something I answered to, but it was meant for someone else. I didn't recognize my own face in the mirror, and I distinctly felt like I was "acting" 24/7 - but I didn't know why this was. And, of course, when puberty hit... it was a nightmare. I'd never felt connected to the concept of "girl" or "woman" - but suddenly I had breasts, and hips, and a menstrual cycle. And this increased the already severe feelings of dissociation and not belonging.

But I had convinced myself that all teenage girls experience what I experienced. And that, in general, all people feel dissociated out of their bodies 100% of the time. I remember I used to think a lot about breast reductions, and how I was going to get one when I was older in an attempt to try and feel some sort of agency in my own body.

At age 15, I came across the word "pansexual." This made the most sense for me at the time, and I would go on to use it until earlier this year.  I'll circle back to that later.

Anyway, I came out to my parents at age 16. I doubled down on unlearning internalized homophobia and (what I thought was) internalized misogyny. I got really into feminism, actually, and one of my main goals at that age was to become an activist and be someone that women and girls could look up to. I wrote dozens of papers and poems (to the annoyance of my teachers, who wanted some variety from me) about how pervasive misogyny is in society, unrealistic beauty standards in advertising, sexism in video game character design, and more.

At this time, I felt a very strong notion of being... well, this was before I knew of this terminology. I did not use these words in 2012. But "wlw" or "sapphic." Essentially, having cast off the shame of internalized homophobia forced upon me by my peers, I wanted to embrace womanhood and loving women with my all. And I wasn't noticing boys nearly as much.

...But that feeling persisted. That distinct Wrongness. And I remember clearly, I would stay awake at night and I'd wonder why. Because I'd accepted being queer. I'd accepted being a woman. So why did I still feel so out of place in my body? In my life? Surely, I'd feel at home by now? So I experimented with presentation. I chopped off my hair, dyed it, spiked it, wore a leather jacket, wore a trenchcoat, wore makeup, wore button-ups, wore floral dresses. I was all over the place, just trying to find myself.

And then I thought back to my friend. My friend who had told me he was trans. And I started reading more about transness, and watching youtube videos, and following blogs by trans people on tumblr so I could understand them more. And I bought a binder "for cosplay" (although it also was for cosplay). And I applied mascara to my jaw "as a makeup test."

And it occurred to me that I actually felt At Home when I conceptualized myself as a man. It didn't matter what kind of woman I tried to be, because all this time, I wasn't a woman. I was trying to force something that just wasn't in my nature.

And it was a difficult realization at first, but once I got over the initial feelings of fear and shame, I felt... whole. When I chose my name, Julian, I felt like a person for the first time in my life. I felt present in my own body and in my own head. Everything clicked into place for me. 

I would go on to be closeted until age 18, only coming out when the dysphoria came to a head and I couldn’t hide anymore. I came out privately, to my immediate family, and then I would fully come out and begin living full-time at age 19. The change in my quality of life was immediate. Even just wearing my first “boy clothes” out and about. 

I will be 27 next month and, as such, will have experienced a decade of knowing about my transness. A lot has changed about my presentation over time, as hormones and surgery and being called the right name and pronouns made me feel more comfortable in my own masculinity. Right now, I have shoulder length hair and a closet full of skirts.

It’s precisely like I observed: When I was living as a woman, as a girl, I never felt right. It didn’t matter what I looked like externally, because the framing of my identity itself was wrong. These days, I’m able to experiment with my presentation precisely because I feel at home in myself and in my body. I don’t see a woman staring back at me anymore when I look in the mirror. 

There’s a short film I shared here once, where a trans man has a conversation with his boyfriend precisely about this topic. I no longer feel like I’m trying to be a man, I just am one. And now I’m able to be the kind of man I want to be. I don’t have to do whatever it is cis people think I should do. I can just... have fun with it. Be myself. Be happy. I can paint my nails if I want to. 

Now, the sexuality thing... it’s complicated.

I’m of the belief that there was legitimately a point in time where I was attracted to women. But I had several traumatic experiences, and over time, the residual trauma from that wore me down. I went from being happy at the thought of, say, kissing a woman, to actively dreading it. I’ve worked through this trauma extensively with my therapist, but I’ve found that I simply do not like women in that way anymore. I do not desire romantic or sexual intimacy with them like I do with men, and, in fact, am actively repulsed by the notion. 

And that was something that was really difficult for me to contend with. I would say that I’ve known that my attraction to women was gone since I was... 24? 23? But being mspec, pansexual - had been a huge part of my life up until that point, and it was very difficult for me to let go. If anything, I feel like I was experiencing a form of comphet. Like, I felt like I was Obligated, for some reason, to be attracted to women, because I was a man. But with men?

It felt easy.

What finally helped me let go, weirdly enough, was watching a scene in the final episode of Our Flag Means Death, where the main character - a gay man - comes out to his wife. It helped me recontexualize my own attraction.

"How does it feel... to be in love?"

"It feels... easy. It's just like breathing. He understands my idiosyncrasies. Finds them charming, even. We expose each other to new things, new ideas. And we laugh a lot. We just pass the time so well. I'd call those things love. I hope you find that."

"I think I have."

"Really? What's her name?"

"Ed. His name is Ed."

And, like with my transness, being able to say "I'm a gay man" has lifted so much weight off my shoulders. I feel much, much happier.

Even though I don't feel attracted to women, I still greatly respect them, and I consider myself to be an intersectional feminist.

If you read this far, thanks. And I hope that opening up in this way can help others understand themselves better, too.

[vicxy]

Hello, fellow follower here

I hope you address this responsibly. You’ve been constantly problematic. I know you are trying to clear/call out irrelevances in the community and I totally understand. But you need to understand that you cannot cause drama out of posts people are totally unbothered about. The ‘good and bad’ signs op clearly was un-intelligenble, and you as an astrology account had to handle properly, without attacking them, but rather brushing the bull off, or if you’re feeling humble or kind maybe give a little knowledge and also for people out there who had no idea perhaps pre-existent In your followers. However I’m speaking generally. we are bothered seeing you helplessly combat these posts. You don’t have to immaturely cause a scene or drama. I’m a very very big fan of your blog since it’s genuinely been informative and progressive lately, but I’ve been slightly triggered at the negativity in the air your blog has had. Lately it’s been very unpeaceful and no positivity.... please think of others too, and how this causes nothing but stress and negativity. This for your sake, health and mental mind set as well. You need to provide a safer place for your audience. Please consider this feedback and helpful criticism. It’s very upsetting to see such a lovely blooming blog get dragged down by the negativity, others are here too. I in no way try to taunt you. But please take good care of the well-being of this blog

okay I see your point ? but firstly who is this "we" you're talking about bc I asked some of my followers and they don't agree with this so yeah

and "cannot cause drama out of posts people are completely unbothered about"

excuse me? I have a life outside of Tumblr. I don't have the time or energy to start drama here so you've got that completely wrong. and are you sure people are unbothered? @neptuniant , @dilfchaser69999 @rue-and-the-moon , @pistoletrose found the post problematic as well. As for the reasons, you can read it for yourself in @dilfchaser69999 's reblog. The main thing is, it's disgusting to generalize a zodiac sign into something so negative. Like you said, I as an astrology account, am I not responsible for holding such insensitive people accountable so it doesn't ruin this whole community due to the bullshit that's being spread in that post? I urge you to think again whether it's "unbothered" about. Not trying to be the martyr here or anything, but if we astro creators let this kind of shit go, what do you think is going to happen in the next few months / years? Misinformed people are going to parade around saying things like "pisces suns think everyone is out to get them" because of some people who can't think before they do something.

I could ignore it. I could leave it. Why put such negativity on myself anyway? But the thing is I care about this community. That's why I called them out. If you think by doing that I'm "spreading negativity" then feel free to leave.

Don't like being called out? Think calling out is a form of "negativity"? Then don't do dumb shit like post something that's blatantly biased and untrue.

I just held a game to appreciate all my followers so idk what negativity you're talking about. Honestly I didn't release 3 posts in one day just for people to say I'm negative because of one fucking post.

At the end of the day, I know i haven't done anything wrong. My followers still support me and I will continue to give back to them to show my appreciation. If you don't like me being straightforward with others then you can leave. Like I said there's other better creators out there which might fit your perception of unproblematic.

If you were genuinely concerned about the "negativity" I've been spreading, I would like to think that you would at least have asked me about it first? and not suddenly come in here with such a patronizing tone and expect a nice or "responsible" reply. Don't make me laugh.

[evajellion]

So let’s talk about the final boss of Final Fantasy IX

AKA “in defense of Necron” or “Zidane straight up meets an ophanim”

Okay so, I bought this game two years ago-- and this was probably the first Final Fantasy game I actually played all the way until the end. Like most people, I love the game but could have done without Necron appearing “out of nowhere”, and I found it way too easy.

While I still stand by the latter opinion in that Necron is disappointingly easy compared to other bosses in the game, I have become less harsh on their appearance as final boss and would let to take a step back and explain why the final boss is actually fascinating. I’m sure most people scoff at the idea but… just hear me out, alright?

Let’s start with two things, just to the obvious and get it out of the way. 

1. Final Fantasy IX was under crunch, it was rushed with the PS2 looming over. There are several plot threads left hanging unlike in other FF games, the worst probably being Freya and the Burmecians.

At some point in development, only going off of word of mouth, there was supposed to be another dungeon dedicated to the final boss instead of Trance Kuja. This idea was probably scrapped since there was no time left to fit a final dungeon for build-up to Necron’s presence, provided this word is true in the first place.

2. Originally, the final boss was going to be Hades but this was sadly scrapped, the reason being that Square didn’t want an actual figure from Greek mythology being the final boss of a FF game. (Although, Hades was a summon in past games anyway)

This is disappointing, since I think the idea of the cast falling into the underworld and needing to prove their strength to Hades makes a lot more sense. FF9 has stuff involving tragic plays at the start of the game, Greek tragedy is a big part of theater, and there are myths such as the tale of Orpheus who make deals with Hades to bring back loved ones.

To compensate for this? Square makes quite possibly one of the most biblically accurate angels in a video game that isn’t Bayonetta; Necron. Necron is not a demon, no, they are an angel. Although they are weak to holy and referred as “Eternal Darkness”, they can also use it and are vulnerable to wind spells.

Necron represented with rings, something often associated with an ophanim, which is described as having multiple wheels with eyes. While eyes are absent on Necron, you can faintly make out what appear to be screaming faces on their body.

Even more accurate to old biblical angels-- Necron is genderless, they have indeterminate traits and no spoken pronouns. Having muscular arms and chiseled abs associated with masculinity (when it comes to Square games), but also a soft face and a very… profound chest. There’s a horror and beautiful elements to Necron’s design, akin to how angels are.

Some say Necron is a call back to previous Final Fantasy end bosses like CoD, Zemus, or Exdeath. While it’s definitely true that in design and in concept they are similar… Necron honestly isn’t antagonistic or outright evil. They call Zidane foolish and try to get him to succumb to his fate, but otherwise isn’t spiteful.

Necron uses their powers to bring the party facing them to their level, indicating they do want a fair battle. They don’t look down upon Zidane and co., they fight evenly. Not to mention, rather than being furious over their defeat, who just crumble into their own hatred, Necron says this:

“Why defy your fate?”

“I am eternal… as long as there is life and death.”

They aren’t angry over defeat, Zidane and co. are warped out immediately. In fact, Necron just seems to be… confused?

It’s almost cute in a sort of innocent manner? It’s like they have no understanding of why others cling to life when the inevitable end brings terror and anxiety, like what happened to Kuja. “Why not just end the suffering now like everyone else has? Please it will make you feel better, I promise.”

Necron is just a force of nature that acts upon summon, similar to Eidolons. Given the fact that this game centers around the questions about life and death, the perfect ending to Final Fantasy IX is to have a final boss be a literal death deity that doesn’t understand the reason to live at all? At this point, the party has figured out what to live for, they aren’t to back down to the embodiment of the end.

And no, Necron is not the goddamn tree of life or whatever. There is nothing backing this up, please stop spreading that misinformation. The tree was kept going with the plot Garland tasked and had grown arrogant, Necron is just oblivious and going what they know.

On one final note…

Garland intended for Kuja and Zidane to be the “Angel of Death”, but at the end of FF9, you fight the literal definition of that.

Ironic how that turned out.

[generalbioniclefriend]

A murder just happened in Odina! Chapter 4!

The room remained silent after that comment. Not even the sound of Spinner’s strong breathing could cut through the tension in the room, yet the silence was not one of confusion but rather one of fear. The hunters have been caught. All of them.

Hours before

“Cut down all communication, stop the spread of misinformation or call for aid… And lock down the island, no one leaves.”

“My Lord I have to know the reason why I shouldn’t tell the hunters the reason they’re being apprehended? I’m just saying it’s not the most efficient way of-

Before Ancient could continue his mumbling, The Shadowed One put a piece of square shaped stone right through his face.

“What does it say there?” Asked the tall figure cleaning his claws on his thigh.

“The shadowed one proceeded to throw me across the room for stating heresy such as him being second to Makuta Teridax… I don’t get it, what am I supposed to take out of this?”

“Dear friend, Recorder wrote that the exact moment I threw him across the room, not later” Shadowed said while he grabbed the blue and gold being’s shoulders “You can throw him off a cliff and he’ll record the velocity of the air in that instant”. Ancient was starting to realize “My friend, his name was the Recorder; he records all as long as his brain is intact… We are Dark Hunters; death doesn’t stop us from doing our job”

Present

“And so, in what I can only describe in a disturbing fashion, I decided to put a heated pencil on his hand and a stone paper below it… his mangled arm did the rest” Ancient proceed to take a slab with surprisingly elegant handwriting. “Before any of you try anything stupid, I’ll have you know that not even the Makuta can penetrate my armor and if, emphasis on the if, if you manage to get out of the room you’ll have to deal with the big man himself so… who wants to read it? He said while waving the slab in the air.

“How do we know you didn’t fake it and this is all a test?” Lariska finally broke the group’s silence.

“You know exactly why” That comment made the huntress eat her words. “All right, if no one’s going to speak up, then I’ll do it. Mata Nui, this reminds of the time I was a teacher back on one my home island’s schools”

“The fortress was quieter than usual, with so many operatives gone; Odina looked like a haunted mansion of sorts. Gladiator, Firedracax, Poison, Spinner and Lariska were the only hunters who were still on the island. The sky looked beautiful today, birds were singi-“

“Booooooring” Shouted Dracax from an uncomfortable position on his chair “Can you just skip to the part where he blames all of us?”

Ancient gave the Ta-Matoran a hateful look “Very well” he breathed in and continued “Some operatives returned from a mission in critical condition, whatever attacked must have been venomous, as Lariska herself asked me to get one of Poison’s antidotes. Spinner and I rushed to the Rahi physicist’s room, as Spinner was larger and faster than me, he reached the room first and from the door threw me a jar filled with red liquid with the words Venom flyer antidote on them. I rushed back to the infirmary, but I got interrupted by doll flying through the training room’s door.  The hit made me lose balance, the jar’s top came loose and I swallowed its contents unintentionally, its flavor was repulsive, and I couldn’t imagine the consequences. But the pain, the burning pain in my stomach that came after was far worse. This was not an antidote, Spinner gave me something else”

“My stomach began to felt heavy; I need to get to Poison’s room, he probably had an actual antidote for this. Spinner was nowhere to be seen, the pain was getting stronger, I couldn’t even stand, and my belly was starting to leak boiling blood. I try to look to through the window to have my last sight be of the beautiful shores of my home, but the last thing I see is Firedracax jogging outside and waving at me like an oaf”

Ancient proceed to put the slab on the table “And I suppose we can all imagine what happened next”

“So…” Gladiator seemed as if he got the answers to the universe “Spinner gives him Poison’s acid, then I accidentally make him swallow it, then firedracax is too stupid to help him”

“How do I fit into all this?” asked Lariska with a thousand year stare.

“Leave. All of you” demanded Ancient. Everyone obeyed except the huntress, before the ex-Toa of air left the room; Ancient let out another comment “The Shadowed One is waiting for you Spinner” The green hunter gave a strong punch to the doorframe on his way out.  

“Why did you call me if I didn’t take part on the murder? Asked Lariska.

“But you did, and I wanted to confirm it once everyone left” Ancient bended over, to match the huntress’s eyes. “I know what you feel, and that your feelings got Recorder to seek that antidote even though the doctors later confirmed that whatever hit them wasn’t venomous”

“Sorry Ancient, I got desperate an-“

“Don’t. I don’t need the explanation; I get what’s going on here. You’re dismissed”

Lariska arose from the chair and left the room with a tired look on her face, she didn’t want to think that Ancient would take such ideas as facts to tell The Shadowed One.

Once she turned around the corner, she saw Spinner waiting in the middle of the hall.

“I thought you were sent the throne room” she spited out.

“That can wait; I have no intention of hiding what I did now that you know”

“I don’t want to listen to any stupid reason you had, just let me through” Lariska moved to the side, only to be blocked by Spinner’s hulking figure.

“That’s funny; because I’m sure Nidhiki would love to hear he’s not the fist Toa of Air that you… seduced to join the hunters. Sometimes I wonder what misstep I took to not get the hospital visits he takes from you. Maybe I should consider getting turned into an ugly bug to get you attention” Said the green monster with a smile resting his arm on the wall.

Lariska proceed to take a dagger out and stab it on his arm pinning it on the wall, before Spinner could react, she stabbed another, then another, then another until making cracks on the wall. Spinner now had four poisonous daggers locking his arm on the dirty wall. She then proceeded to walk back to the infirmary without breaking a sweat.

Ancient couldn’t help but to smile at Spinner’s screams of pain.

[dessarious]

Misconceptions, Miscommunication, and Misinformation Pt57

Inspired by @ozmav Maribat AU

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Marinette detransformed as soon as she entered Chloe’s suite. She had already changed into her pajamas partly because she wanted to be comfortable for the long conversation and partly because she knew she’d likely pass out as soon as she got home and didn’t want to worry about changing then.

“I’m going to kill you, you obnoxious flying furball!” Plagg’s cackling could be heard over Chloe’s shout and Marinette shared a look with Tikki before they both started giggling. Plagg enjoyed aggravating Chloe a bit too much. Marinette walked over to the door leading into the bedroom and saw Chloe chasing Plagg. As soon as the Kwami saw her he changed course and threw something directly at Marinette’s face. Tikki ended up catching it as Chloe, who hadn’t noticed her in time, ran straight into her sending them both to the floor.

“I swear if you don’t start behaving I’m getting a dog!” Chloe’s words were directed at the fleeing Kwami while she cradled the back of Marinette’s head so it didn’t hit the floor. It was an instinctive reaction from fighting together but Marinette appreciated it all the same.

“Can I help you choose one? It seems like it would be fun and I’m not allowed to have pets.” Chloe looked down at her in confusion before a horrified expression came over her face.

“I’m so sorry! Are you okay?” It was nice not to be the one panicking for once. Chloe was trying to look Marinette over in their current position and Marinette couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up. Chloe glared at her in annoyance and Marinette just grinned and leaned up to kiss the tip of the other girls nose.

“I’m fine, but your floor isn’t the most comfortable. Maybe we should move to the couch.” A blush spread over Chloe’s face and she jumped away as if she’d been burned. She reached a hand out to help Marinette up but wouldn’t look her in the eye. She tried to let go once the other girl was on her feet, but Marinette wouldn’t let her. Chloe still wasn’t used to physical affection and after everything that had happened with Adrien she seemed to be working off the less is more principal, so Marinette took the lead most of the time.

Once they were situated on the couch, Marinette still didn’t let go. She actually held Chloe’s hand with both of her and was playing with her fingers. It was a nervous habit, one she hadn’t even noticed she had until Chloe pointed it out. Now it was a sort of self soothing gesture.

“Mari you don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to.” Marinette let out a sigh, more frustration at herself than anything else. Want wasn’t the issue. She wanted to tell Chloe everything. She wanted there to not be secrets between them causing her pain. Unfortunately her secrets weren’t the only one’s Marinette was protecting.

“Right after you found out who I was but before I gave you Plagg, I found out the Justice League was looking into things in Paris. I met with them mainly to tell them to stay away, but I ended up accepting help from Batman and his team, from a distance, to find Hawkmoth.” She snuck a peek at Chloe to see her reaction, and her expression was oddly blank. That wasn’t helpful. “The person using the Horse Miraculous is one of his team who was already in Paris at the time. He’s been helping me keep other Justice League members out while we gather evidence. A big part of the reason I decided to do the reveal at the fashion show was so he could plant surveillance in Gabriel’s office at home. I wasn’t expecting him to go off the deep end and turn Nathalie of all people against him. Honestly I still don’t understand what happened today.” Chloe let out a snort of amusement.

“What happened was that Gabriel broke a contract with one of the richest men in the world and immediately tried to blame it on someone else.” Marinette blinked at her in surprise.

“You mean you know who he is?” Chloe’s expression was suspiciously blank again.

“He called Damian Mr. Wayne.” Marinette just nodded. She’d heard that. “As in Bruce Wayne?”

“Okay…” She still had no idea what that meant. Chloe rolled her eyes at her.

“You really ignore everything outside of the fashion world don’t you? Bruce Wayne, as in Wayne Enterprises, as in multi billionaire that can buy and sell Gabriel at least fifty times over.” Marinette just blinked as she tried to process that. She’d figured Damian was using a different last name because he was Robin and didn’t want to be linked back to his team. Had he just been hiding his money this entire time? Given the way people acted around Adrien she could understand why but…

Pieces started falling into place in her head. Damian had told her stories about his family, even if he’d left out who they were. She counted in her head the number of siblings he’d mentioned, all adopted. She’d speculated before that he was actually talking about his team because the number and ages seemed to add up. She’d heard of Bruce Wayne before but hadn’t really paid attention to it. She did remember hearing that he was a playboy and had multiple adopted children. Unless the man was as horrible a father as Gabriel there’s no way he wouldn’t notice his son disappearing to fight crime. So that meant…

“Earth to Mari? Are you okay in there?” She blinked at her girlfriend and felt a knot in her stomach. Now she had another secret she had to keep. Rather than answering she hugged Chloe, hiding her face in the girls neck. She needed to talk to Damian. She owed it to him to tell him her suspicions and she’d need his okay if she wanted to stop hiding things from Chloe. She’d need to talk to Master Fu as well. Why couldn’t things just be simple?

“I’m meeting with the Justice League tomorrow for a progress update. Will you come with me?”

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[severelynerdysheep]

gaytheiestbandkid

My last response below, because while I respect that you blocked me (though I have no clue why) the fact that you did you after making your own response that I then cant respond to via reblog is a tad iffy. And I at least feel that I should be able to post my own response anywhoo even if I cant do so directly. If not only cause I spent a heck of a time writing this “^^

“ done yet? if you have the idea that there’s a “carnist bias” in my post then you’ve got me all wrong. i wholeheartedly support taking down the animal agriculture industry.”

Well it certainly looks like you don't support the abolishment of the animal ag industry since you pay for it when its possible and practicable to avoid doing so. You literally called the social justice movement dedicated to taking down this industry along with every other form of animal exploitation a “cult” and you make a post filled with lies and misrepresentation about animal agriculture and plant based diets. As well as promoting as supporting the needless consumption of animal flesh/secretions as a “personal choice tho”. If that isn't bias then water isn't wet.

“ by means that actually work rather than putting a band-aid on a gushing arterial wound, by means that people can get on board with rather than moral absolutism.”

Any solution which doesn't include the avoidance of all forms of animal exploitation as far as possible an practicable as the very least that people with moral agency have a moral obligation to do. Any solution which spreads lies an misinformation about the form of injustice attempting to be abolished, any solution which places sole blame on capitalism, which absolutely doesn't work with animal exploitation since is would exists in any system. Is not a solution in any sense of the word.

By your logic its fine to support/inflict violence against women because having the basic requirement that people shouldn't inflict  violence/exploitation absent others as individuals is just a “band aid” for a gushing would in any social justice movement. Instead of holding said people who claim to oppose said injustice while inflicting it accountable as adult in control of their own actions. And yes being opposed to people needlessly exploiting, abusing/torturing and murdering other sentient beings of another species for their own personal pleasure is intrinsically an issue of rights and wrongs. Just like its an issue of rights and wrongs when victims are humans because all victims are sentient. If saying needless violence, exploitation and murder is wrong is moral absolutism. Then I would hope that the vast majority of people would happily sign up to stand on that hill.  

“ and your response to the “buying local” point is clearly emotion-based and disingenuous. the point was clearly about environmental impact, yet you made it about the poow suffewing animaws”

Fist of all, you simply said “the only way to truly have a low-impact diet “ So you could have been talking about either the ethical or environmental impact. Secondly, you seemed to have missed the whole of the part before I talked about the ethics (which is the most important issue, and its simply disgusting that you would joke around about that. Yes they are suffering and people like yourself are responsible) And I will link to the section where I explained why your “buy local” for the environment argument is wrong.

So locality means very little when it comes the the environmental impact of a food, with transport costs being just one small fraction of the overall footprint of a food item as It has been demonstrated that an average of 83% of a food product’s carbon footprint is caused during production. And transportation accounts for only 11% of the product’s greenhouse gas emissions. This means that choosing a plant-based option will always have a far lower impact than even the flesh of locally raised, exploited, abused/tortured and murdered animals, even when it is imported from abroad. Simply put, the idea that “buying local” in in any way comparable to (let alone better than) doing your best to avoid supporting the injustice that is animal agriculture as a consumer when it comes to either envionemtat impact is simply not based on facts.

“i don’t remember saying people should go out of their way to buy meat locally? only that they should buy locally in general if they claim to be making near-zero impact”

I mean in a post dedicated to spreading falsehoods about animal agriculture, I think its pretty safe to assume that you were trying to claim that a diet than including animal flesh/secretions that is entirely locally brought has a lower impact on the environment than a plant based diet which isn't fully local. Which isn't true. I’m happy to be corrected though, if you weren't saying that, and you recognise that even a fully local diet that includes animal flesh/secretions has a much bigger impact than a non local plant based diet.

“ by holding those in power rather than the everyday civilian accountable for massive-scale ecological destruction (telling me the 71% statistic is about fossil fuels in no way undermines the broader point of bringing it up.”

Your specific claim was “100 companies are responsible for over 70% of human-linked carbon emissions; as an everyday civilian, your carbon footprint is very nearly zero compared to that of big corporations, which are the real problem to begin with” This is a complete misunderstanding of the study and absolutely undermines the broader argument that you were trying to make. Since it in no way supports that argument. The study shows that 100 companies produced 71% of the fossil fuels which are then used by other industries and by consumers via their individual actions. 100 companies aren’t causing 71% of emissions, they’re producing 71% of fossil fuels. Those are completely different things. Completely different. Heck, the animal flesh industry (the industry exploded in this study) is responsible for as many GHG emissions as 70 of these companies combined. An industry which is exists entirely due to supply and demand. Individuals carbon footprints are included to make up both those 71% of fossil fuels as well as the GHG emissions from the animal flesh industry, let alone other animal ag/animal exploitation industries.

“ your pound-for-pound examination of food costs is yet another poorly-thought-out point without any nuance. 1) the low pound-for-pound costs of plant based foods are typically attributed to bulk prices and 2) you can’t ignore calorie density. someone unemployed or living paycheck to paycheck can feed themselves for longer on a $5 bag of chicken nuggets than on a bulk purchase of plant-based foods, many of which will go bad within the same time frame anyways.“

Again, this isn't true. I wasn't talking about pound just as in weight, I was talking about pound as in money. So say an average daily intake of 2500 calories is generally the cheapest when it comes to pounds (as in £) worldwide compared to the same amount of calories on a diet that included animal flesh and secretions. Which is one reason why the poorest population subsist on primarily plant based diets. This is because the cheapest items are the staple items such as the rice, pasta, potatoes, beans and lentils, tinned veg/fruit, oats, etc. All of which are staple items which are included in the diet of those who consume animal flesh anyway. For example, people can feed themselves for longer on pasta and tomato sauce, or rice and beans, than a bag of breaded chicken flesh. And the bag of breaded chicken flesh will go of sooner than the former foods. with the former being full meals as opposed to breaded chicken flesh which you would eat with something else.

Sure, bulk buying is a great way to shop if you can, but even if you aren't talking about bulk buying, a plant based diet is still the cheapest worldwide. As I explained in my original response. Not surprising then that double the percent of vegans are in the lowest come bracket compared to middle and higher incomes.

And your original claim was that many people cannot go plant based (or vegan) because vegan products are more expensive than their non vegan counterparts. Never mind that fact that you don't have to eat plant based meats, cheeses, ice cream etc.. of a plant based diet.

But lets use these plant based alternatives to compare to their non vegan counterparts for a sec:

~  At Asda you can buy 8 plant based burgers from their own brand frozen range much cheaper than Asda’s own brand frozen animal flesh burgers. 1.75p for 8 plant based burgers vs 2.00p for only 4 animal flesh burgers. And this is the same for pretty much every UK Food store brand.

~ Let’s look at cheese and look at its costs at Tesco, another popular supermarket. A 200g block of own brand Tesco cheese is exactly the same price as 200g of vegan cheese being sold.

Of course if you include these plant based products it will be more expensive than sticking to the staples, your diet will probably be closer to that of someone who doesn't eat a plant based diet. But if you stick to the staples then yes, its absolutely cheaper. And I did link to lot of sources of more information which it looks like you didn't check out unfortunately.  

!i’m hesitant to bring up this point because it really does get misused by non-vegans a lot, but the industries for plant-based foods aren’t the pinnacle of morality. many plant food industries– including those that vegans partake in far more than non-vegans, subject workers in developing areas to literal slave labor in downright horrible conditions.”

Can you tell me which specific industries vegans take part in more than non vegans which are ethically worse than the non vegan equivalent? Keeping in mind both that no vegan claims to be 100% cruelty free as a consumer, and that the diet of a non vegan includes far more plant crops (and therefore more crop labour/worker exploitation) than a vegans does. Nobody is saying that being vegan is the most you can do, its literally the least you can and should do. Its the baseline, the starting line, the very basic requirements for anyone who claims to have consideration for others. And really, I don't see what this has to do with any of the falsehoods made in the OP? It’s is a pretty big deflection it seems from any of the claims made in the OP.

“ there is no ethical consumption under capitalism. getting hung up on the specifics of what kinds of consumption are/aren’t ethical implies that absolutely everything we eat or use or otherwise consume is a product of exploitation, misses the point, and designates the public as the public enemy rather than the ones running the system.”

Are you trying to use the statement “there's no ethical consumption under capitalism” to justify the individual actions of consumers place all of the blame on capitalism? Because that is completely bananas.

There is no ethical consumption under capitalism.

This fab article by WorkingClass Vegan

A great post on this very site by @mickibuddy here

Quick edit: @mohs-hardness-scale I saw you reblogged my response with a  response of you own, though I can only see the first part of your reply that says “its not my job to provide you with sources. Google exists” since your friend blocked me and deleted almost all notes on their post. I wonder why. But please feel free to repeat your response via reblog of this post So I can have the common curtesy of being able to respond. Or if you don't want a public dialogue my ask box is always open. 

[ramblings-of-a-mad-cat]

Okay. I passed Y6CHR45, and... I want to say that this is very bad. I mean, that... This plot twist with Merula is very illogical and obvious. I'm not a fan of Merula, but. First, why it's obvious. Because in the storyline, Merula is our rival, not our friend. How many nasty things did she do MC, etc. Well, it's too obvious that in the future they will try to make her our enemy. Second, why it's illogical. Merula has very different goals. Don't be the same as your parents, take revenge on Rakepick and kill her, become stronger and more powerful. There is not a single point in being with 'R'. Why would she want to work with someone she wants to kill? I think it would be logical if Merula joined the Death Eaters. She and her aunt had been threatened by the Death Eaters. This is what Merula said in Y5CHR28. And Andre was talking about the mark on Merula's hand in year six, when Bill taught us the Barrier Spell. Still, I think Merula was framed by someone. Merula was still ready to drink the Truth Serum. And one more thing. Won't the MC say anything about it? Not to the professors, not to Ben, not to Jacob, not to anyone about what they saw in Knockturn Alley? Hey, JC, we have a Muggle Studies class on Y7, and there will be Merula. MC will just forget about it or what? It's just stupid. I apologize, I have nobody to express this misunderstanding of the JC logic. 🤨 And one more thing. I don't think Merula is a mole. In fact, I think the mole is Penny. Because it's very logical! 'R' could have threatening and blackmailed her, like... They could steal Beatrice, or threaten to kill her, if Penny didn't follow their instructions. Penny, in her fifth year, said she would work with anyone to save Beatrice. And if you add it up in this form... I mean, Penny is the most logical option. She's the most popular girl at Hogwarts. She knows every rumor, she knows the secrets of many students. No one will even think about it! How can you think of one who is very kind, helps everyone, understands Potions, etc? This is my theory, and honestly, I still stick to it. Knowing the character of penny, for the sake of Beatrice she would betray even MC.

I don’t know, I don’t think of it as being that illogical. I suppose it was rather obvious, but in a sense, those two ideas are in conflict with each other. If a plot twist is logical, it can be predicted. If it’s not, then it won’t be, but that’s a whole different problem. In any case, this got very long, so I’m putting it under a cut.

Was it obvious?

She has been our enemy from the start, but her character arc seemed to suggest that was changing. In a way, this actually made her a less obvious suspect. At least to me. She was the primary antagonist of Year 1, but we quickly got used to her nonsense. Stopped taking her seriously. Meanwhile, the story gave her depth. Many players grew to care for her, many pitied her, but even the ones who didn’t no longer saw her as a serious threat. At the same time, the scale was gradually increasing. By Year 5, Merula wasn’t the antagonist anymore, not just because she had been deconstructed, but because the story was darkening, and the times of a school bully being the villain were long over. Hell, by Year 2 we knew about R, and by Year 4 we had Rakepick to wonder about. Year 5 not only brought Merula’s character arc to the point where she became more of a friend (but no less prickly and combative) it also fleshed out the game’s Big Bad to the point where it became clear that this was much bigger than MC, or anyone in their year. Year 5 also exonerated Ben, and later unceremoniously killed the “Rowan is R” theory by having Rowan be imperius’d like Ben was. 

No one took Merula seriously anymore, people felt sorry for her, and we felt as though we understood her completely. That nothing she did could surprise us. This was capped off by the betrayal of Rakepick, compounded with her using the Cruciatus Curse on Merula. Because MC was betrayed, but not by any of the students. But by their mentor, who was always shady in the first place. Merula was put in a horrible position where even her greatest Antis surely felt a twinge of pity for her. Anyone left who suspected her probably wouldn’t have after that night. What’s more, it played into the idea that we understood Merula perfectly. Because she reacted exactly as one would expect her to. She regressed. Year 6 depicted her as someone firmly on our side, but predictably not someone who would be nice about it. From her jabs about Rowan, to her fawning over Jacob, people were annoyed with her, but no one suspected her. The game practically taunts the player, in hindsight, with the veritaserum scene. Because that’s just it - no one thought she would betray MC. They were worried she would go rogue, but no one doubted her loyalty. 

Why did she do it?

As for the logic of her decision, I likewise disagree. I believe Merula had every reason to join R. I don’t think that the Cabal and the Death Eaters are so different that one would make sense for her to join, and not the other, if that makes sense. She could have gone either way, but at a guess, Merula doesn’t think very highly of the Death Eaters. She refers to Voldemort by his name without a care in the world. If they really were threatening her, I feel like she wouldn’t want to cave in, but she might be attracted to joining a rival faction that could provide her (and her aunt?) with protection. If there’s one thing we know about R - it’s that they have a history of making enticing offers to children, provoking them to “prove” themselves to be accepted into the Cabal’s ranks. The description of them being her new “family” gives me cult vibes, and it really sheds some light on why Merula might have been drawn to them. She was lonely, she was angry, she wanted power...and R came along to offer her everything she wanted at the time. Whether she wants to leave now is uncertain, but if we assume that she’s been the mole since the very beginning, it’s probably way too late for her to just walk away. R would not allow that.

As to the sequence of Rakepick torturing her, we don’t yet know what was going on in that scene. Though I am feeling somewhat vindicated in the knowledge that there was more to that scene that meets the eye, just like I was sure there had to be. Perhaps Rakepick and Merula planned that whole thing, perhaps it was staged. Which would mean that Rakepick faked the spell, and Merula pretended to be tortured, and that her entire vendetta against Rakepick has been a facade. Or maybe the curse was real, but Merula agreed to it beforehand. Or maybe she knew the betrayal was coming, but Rakepick went off-script by turning her wand on Merula. Either way, if Merula’s vendetta was real, I don’t think it’s out of character for her to want revenge. Who cares if it’s someone on her side? This is Merula we’re talking about - I don’t think that would stop her. Now, if we assume she was not yet an R mole at the time (I think she was, but for the sake of argument)  then perhaps R reached out to Merula, apologized for Rakepick’s torture and promised that they did not authorize it. Promised that there would be consequences, and Merula could be the one to inflict them, if she agreed to join them. It’s a longshot, but I guess it’s possible. 

The Future.

The existence of this twist doesn’t really create any holes, I don’t think, and while it may put the writers in a tricky position moving forward, that’s not the same thing as them screwing up the continuity of the past. They’ll have to find a way to make this work, and until we see the ramifications, I’m willing to wait on judging how this arc plays out. MC will have a choice to make, certainly, in how they handle this. I can’t wait to see the dialogue. What they do next remains to be seen. Do they confront Merula? Turn her in? Or...if we want to be really sneaky, what we should do, in my opinion...is act as though nothing’s changed. Spread the word to people like Moody and Ben, but...do not let Merula catch on that we know. The way to salvage this situation, from a purely tactical perspective, is to let R believe they still have a spy at Hogwarts...but begin to feed her misinformation. Lead them astray. This is quite literally a war tactic, because hey...this is a war. Now, the issue with that is that Merula will likely face punishment once R figures out that she’s being misled...but hopefully we can save Merula before that point, and to the players who despise her - or even feel like she’d deserve it for her treachery...they probably wouldn’t care anyway.

I don’t think we can really judge based on the Muggles Studies classes, or anything that we know about Year 7. I also don’t expect Jam City to consider what we “know” and in all fairness...I mean, they don’t have to. That is unreleased content. Nothing in the data-mines is, strictly speaking, canon, or part the continuity. With the way that scene ended, it suggests that Merula won’t be returning for Year 7. Maybe. The data-mines contradict this, but data-mines don’t provide the full context. They aren’t released content, and anything could change. There were once data-mines that confirmed Skye as being in MC’s year, as well as suggesting that Murphy felt embittered about his disability. Both of these things were cut. So they’re not canon. In general, I think Jam City has a terrible approach to dealing with hackers, but one thing I will say in their defense is that they aren’t required to write their scenes based on what the fandom has discovered in the data-mines. If we’re confused, well, that’s kind of our own fault. But I’m sure everything will become clear eventually. I hope.

Penny. 

For meta reasons, I don’t see them pulling a double twist and revealing a second character to be the “real” mole, but it’s not impossible. And I’ve said all along that the Year 1 characters were the real suspects. MC unknowingly being the mole was my theory, mostly because Moody is shady as all hell. But Ben is shady too, it’s just that he had a rock-solid alibi in the form of Rakepick trying to kill him, since she couldn’t have known that Rowan would intervene. Setting aside Merula, since I’ve also said from the start that she isn’t a good liar...that leaves Penny. I really don’t think Penny is shady. I’ve never thought that. I’ll admit that she does essentially approach MC out of the blue to befriend them, but I mean...so does Ben. This happens on a much larger scale later on with Alanza. I can believe Penny would go to the ends of the earth to protect Beatrice, and maybe when she was imprisoned in the Portrait, R contacted Penny and strong-armed her into this deal. The issue is, Beatrice is safe and sound as of sixth year. The Black Lake incident is still a bit spotty, and perhaps that was R going after her again...but I just don’t think there are enough hints for me to believe it, personally. If this were true, why was Ben the character who insisted on coming to the Portrait Vault instead of Penny? She could have demanded to come along too, and no one would have blamed her. Everyone would have understood. Not to mention, Penny has severe tells when she’s stressed. She does not act like herself. She’s mostly back to normal in Year 6, and her behavior reflects that Beatrice is safe now, just pulling away. If Beatrice was still on the hot-seat, I feel like Penny would not be keeping it together. Finally, that raises the question of how much Beatrice is aware of all this. Does she know about this deal? Because I find it hard to believe she wouldn’t tell anyone.

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #357

“your magic white rabbit has left its writing on the wall  /  we follow like alice, and just keep diving down the hole”

Are you better at telling stories or writing them? Writing, by a long shot. What’s one song you hate, but know every word to? i'm a barbie girl in a fckn barbie woooooorld What’s your favorite magazine? I don’t read magazines. If you could be an animal for one day, which animal would you choose? Probably a house cat. Be indoors and safe, able to just nap... lol. But I'd want another cat as a friend, too! Do you prefer outdoor or indoor concerts/events? Indoors, by a mile. I get hot outside way too easily. Do you know if you were a planned child? I don't know. What’s your favorite gem? Dragon's breath opal. As an adult, do you want to live in an apartment or a house? I'd like to live in a house, especially with the pets I want. I doubt many apartment complexes would allow multiple reptiles and inverts. Do you like the stem or leafy part of the broccoli? It doesn't matter much to me, but I prefer the stem. The texture is more likeable to me. Do bats frighten you? No, I adore bats! Does Paris appeal to you? Yeah, it's a pretty place. Are you a KPOP fan? No, I've never really checked it out. How long was your longest relationship? Over three and a half years. First time you kissed the last person you kissed? We were outside roasting marshmallows one night. Do you have to really know someone to kiss them? Absolutely. I don't dish 'em out for nothing. Were you anyone’s first kiss? No. If you had to be named after one of the 50 states of America, what state would you WANT to be named after? I actually think "Nevada" would be kinda pretty as a name? Do you think morals are universal or relative to the beliefs, traditions, or practices of individuals or groups? I've wondered this for a long while, really. I lean towards it being a mix, maybe? But more towards universal, I think... with some exceptions. This answer is all over the place, I honestly don't know. Is torture ever a good option? If no, why not? If yes, when? No? I think the "why not" is obvious... You just don't. What do you think is one one of the most undervalued professions right now? Teachers, garbagemen, retail and food workers... There's a lot. Have you ever seen anyone have a heart attack? Thank Christ no. Have you personalized your answering machine/voicemail? No. Have you ever had Fiji brand water? I actually don't believe I have, though it's always looked appealing to me, haha. What’s your favorite horror movie? The Crazies and the first Silent Hill, as well as both Blair Witch Projects. What was the worst thing a friend has either done or said to you? I'd rather not even think about things the bitch said to me. Are you biracial? No. When was the last time you got mad and broke something? I've never broken something when mad. What color dress did you wear to prom? My first was maroon, second one was black. Who is the cutest baby you know? My friend has a daughter named Scarlett who is absolutely gorgeous. Have you ever thrown a rock at a window? No, because I respect people's fucking property. Has anyone ever thrown a rock at your window? No. Does your hair react well to dye, or does it damage it? It likes to not take dye at all. >.> I have only had one instance where a friend dyed it red and it stuck for months and months, but we kept it in for a couple hours, I think. My normal hairdresser says it's because my hair is really healthy and I guess rejects it. What kind of pet do you wish you had? I ramble plenty about how I want tarantulas and more reptiles, haha. I also DESPERATELY want to rescue or foster an opossum. When was the last time you were diagnosed with something? Are you concerned about anything regarding your physical or mental health at the moment? I haven't been diagnosed with anything in quite some time, I believe, but as I'm going through the process of being approved for TMS therapy for my depression, my bipolar diagnosis is being questioned, which is... strange to me. It's been acknowledged by many a doctor that I have bipolar 2, but if insurance recognizes my primary diagnosis as bipolar, they won't cover TMS because it can massively excite the mania portion of bipolarity, and therefore I can't do it because we can't manually afford it. I'm willing to take the risk by far, as I've never had issues with mania, but I can't without insurance. I'm just waiting to hear back from them... What is one blanket judgment you tend to make about people (like, you judge all people who live at home, all people who drink, etc)? Does this judgment come from a particular personal experience? I really don't know. How do you react to other people yelling or slamming doors? Is this something you ever do too? I get very scared if it's a man. I don't like anyone doing it, and my anxiety will spike regardless, I'm just terrified of angry men. Have you ever lost your cool at work or somewhere else important? What happened as a result? No. Who has the power to break you? Jason still might. I don't know. Is anyone in your family blind? My sister is legally blind in one eye. Do you believe in evolution? Yeah. I do find the concept odd, that ALL LIFE originated from one thing, but I sure ain't got a better explanation, so. What job do you think people should be paid the most for? Surgeons, maybe? I dunno, that's a big question. Were you ever held back a year in school? Did you ever skip a grade? No. Have you ever been given a hickey? Have you given one? Yeah to both. What is your least favourite thing about your full name? I have the most basic white bitch middle name in the world, lol. Do you like the age you are? Eh, I don't mind it much, but I think it'd be better to be in my early 20s versus mid 20s. I'm just always so tired now. I can't believe I used to refuse to go to sleep before 10:30. What’s your favourite kind of poptart? The chocolate sundae one. If you had to eat one type (Chinese, etc.) of food which would it be? American bc I'm not very adventurous with food at all. When did your family immigrate to wherever you live now? *shrug* Are your fingers long, or short? Long. Mom's always said I have "piano fingers." Do you play Pokemon Go? If so, what level are you and who’s your buddy? Yeah, I love it, but don't play it nearly as much as I want because I don't exactly go anywhere, lol. My bud's Charmeleon, and I'm probably like five EXP from level 28. Do you ever sit indoors and wear sunglasses or a hat? I don't own either, so. Do you know how to read animals’ behavior? I honestly think I'm very good at it. Do you like playing video games? If so, what do you usually play? Yes, but not as much as I used to. All I really play nowadays is World of Warcraft. The only working console I have is a PS2, and I haven't bought a new game in probably a couple years, but there are definitely ones I want to play, mainly on PS4. Just can't afford it right now. Have you ever viewed the moon through a telescope? No. Do you know how to properly eat food with chopsticks? No. There's no way I could, given my tremors. Do you prefer reading books, comic books, manga/graphic novels, magazines, or the newspaper? Books. When is the last time you ate donuts? It's been months, man. I've seriously been craving a glazed one, though. Krispy Kreme sounds amaaaaaziiiiiing. Has anyone ever called you sexy? Somehow. Do you like raisins? NO NO NO NO NO. Have you ever overheard a conversation you weren’t supposed to? More than once. Do you like ants? They're genuinely extremely fascinating animals, but they're seriously annoying nevertheless. Did you like the movie Antz? I loved it as a kid. What was your favorite ice cream flavor when you were little? Chocolate. Is it still your favorite? Eh, depends on the day. By the way, what is your name? Brittany. What time zone do you live in? EST. Do you like cats? I love cats. What’s the most creepy experience you’ve ever had? One night when my mom and sister were at the beach for a dance competition, I was having trouble sleeping, and it only got worse when my dog Teddy started freaking the fuck out, barking loudly and staring intently at the foot of the bed. I was so scared that I tried to force his head to lie down, but he fought against me. I was terrified, but got up out of the bed and went into the living room to call my mom at like 3 in the damn morning, and she had to have our neighbor come over to sleep in the house with me (I was in a different room that night). You can't convince me that there wasn't paranormal shit going on. I think the house was haunted honestly, for multiple reasons. What’s the most boring game to exist? Why do you dislike it so much? Hm, I dunno. What’s the coolest place that you've ever been to? What’d you do there? Disney World was very memorable as a kid. We just went around collecting signatures, going on rides, all that fun stuff. I'll never forget fireworks at the castle. If you’re interested in having a long-term relationship with someone, do you think that waiting a certain amount of time before you first have sex is a good idea? Or does it not matter? I think it's a good idea, personally, mostly for the sake of reducing the spread of STDs. Just because you think you'll be long-term, doesn't mean you will be. Besides that, isn't there a science that sex and feelings of love are connected? Like, sex is impossible without at least some underlying emotions? I might be entirely wrong, in which case forgive me for spreading misinformation, but if that's so and things don't go as planned, you've gotten emotionally invested in someone too early and wind up getting hurt. You do you, I just don't think it's smart. Have you ever discovered something big by looking through someone’s phone, Facebook, email, etc.? No. Have you kept anything from your past relationships? (Things they left at your house, gifts, notes, etc) Do you think that’s a big deal for future relationships or not? Yeah, like plushies and little stuff like that. When it's tiny things like I just mentioned, I really don't think it matters. I think some things might be questionable to keep, but at the same time, I don't think it's really wrong to keep memories of a happy time, if the thing still brings you joy and has been emotionally disconnected from the ex? Idk. Do you have any financial regrets? Either way, what’s an example of a GOOD financial decision you’ve made? Going to and dropping out of college three fucking times. I don't know about a good financial decision seeing as I'm not even in charge of my own finances, nor really have any to begin with. Are you a believer in “signs” from the Universe about things in your life? If you are, can you think of a particular example? No. Name some things that one or both of your parents are really good at or really interested in. Mom LOVES medical stuff, like watching surgeries and stuff like that. She is also absolutely incredible with children. Dad likes sports a lot, hockey and football especially. Think of a good friend of the opposite sex (currently or in the past). Have you ever had any sort of “more than a friend” or sexual thoughts about them? If not, can you explain why? Well, we dated briefly, so... It was awkward to, but I let myself imagine sexual situations a few times to help myself understand if I really did like-like him, or if he was truly just a brother to me. Turns out, he's a bro. If someone told you that you would never achieve something and you ended up doing it, would you have any interest in finding that person and showing them? I'ma be honest, yes. I wouldn't actively seek them out, but rather just hope they somehow find out or I run into them or something. What is the most jealousy-induced thing you’ve ever done? Apparently, be the girl Juan liked instead of this girl that literally threatened to deck me. Guess what? We're friends now lmaoooo.

[masterhandss]

Hello. I also think jeord is the ultimate but I have questions about Keith. Keith has always loved Katarina and as a child it is understandable that I call her a little sister. Growing up, however, to keep calling her so I don't think it's a good strategy if you want to be considered as a man. Then for charity as an anti jeord barrier is perfect but in doing so will never develop real possibilities with her. Do you think the parents understood anything about the boy's feelings for katarina?

(Eyyy nice to see someone who doesn’t hate Gerald for once lol jk XDD)

Well, there’s a lot we don’t see from their childhood, so there’s a few small details that we can speculate on. Like you said, constantly flaunting his sibling status to Gerald is a great excuse to be as concerned of her as he is and makes it seem normal that he is always by side without suspicion. 

(proceeds to pull out a scene from a different villainess otome isekai manga with almost the exact same dynamic hjgsjgsjdf)

There’s also the fact that Katarina has always wanted a little sibling, and I can probably guess that maybe Keith had tried to distance himself from the image of a little brother in the past in order to be seen more as a man than as family, but either the endearment to the term on his side (because it is was the start of joining a happy and warm family) or on Katarina’s side (since she’d probably be worried if Keith stopped calling her “big sister”, suspecting that he might be upset with her or unsatisfied to have her as a sibling) might be drawing him back from separating himself from it. 

Though you are right to suspect that his lack of action is giving him bad karma now, as in Volume 6, he gets confused on how to act around Katarina because he fears that being direct and acting on his feelings might scare his beloved sister away. Even though being direct usually works when it comes to Katarina, he is still deciding whether or not to cross the line because he doesn’t know what areas his sister is comfortable yet when it comes to romance. 

Gerald can easily be honest with his feelings, but Keith is very aware that he can’t act the same because Katarina views him as family. Good luck to him on trying to slowly find a comfortable area where he can have best of both worlds before transitioning to a full-fledged suitor in Katarina’s eyes fjsdhgfjs

As for Miri and Luigi’s stance on the matter, well we haven’t actually seen their parents in a while, and when we do it’s very short glimpses. Keith really doesn’t seem to act like a contender to Katarina’s feelings unless it’s around the student council members, so anything caring that he does towards Katarina in front of their parents is probably just seen as being a loving family member rather than anything romantic. 

For a while there’s been some misinformation spread that Miri approves of Keith’s feelings (in fact it’s even in the TVtropes page for hamefura until now), and as someone who reads the English LNs and knows someone who reads the JP/CH novels, I can guarantee that it isn’t true. It’s fun to speculate on it, but if you want want concrete proof then I can’t give you any hgsjfgsj. The idea of their parents approving Keith’s feelings is very endearing, and it means they would love Keith to completely join the family through this way and hand Katarina over to someone who can fully devote themself to her, but also personally I already think that Miri and Luigi already completely sees Keith as a Claes so they might think of having a positive reaction like that immediately. 

Then again, many have already told me that step sibling relationships are approved of, if not encouraged, during the era that hamefura seems to be set in, so who knows. They could probably approve of such relationship, but whether or not they know is something that I still suspect as being unlikely, unless proven otherwise. I’d like to hear other people’s take on it, if mine is too insensitive to Keith or his family or something jhgfsdfgdsj

Thank you for the ask :DD