#i am no expert by any means tho

[ghost-proofbaby]

hey friend!!!! obviously you know i looooove everything you write, but I do have a question, since I know you also have the shire is burning on wattpad/ao3 and it is an oc fic. i have an eddie x oc fic that i’ve been actively working on for almost a year and i’ve been considering posting it to tumblr (since my oneshot for a diff fandom that i have posted did decently well in my books) as well as wattpad but i’m really on the fence about also updating on here or maybe doing like posts where i share the link. how do you feel about having an oc fic and posting it on here and other platforms?

i only ask because you are one of the authors that i actively keep up with that does write anything with an oc and posts on here and on other platforms :)))

also feel free to answer this on private if you want, i know it’s a bit of a different ask than you normally get but i’ve been so torn about it lately!! i hope you are having an amazing day friend!!

hi love!!! i’m gonna go ahead and answer this publicly cause i’ve been asked about it before (specifically if i’d ever repost shire on here properly) if it’s cool with you 🖤

i personally won’t ever dip my toes in posting my oc stories on here (at least full chapters) rather than ao3/wattpad due to knowing oc fics on here get little to no attention. which is a shame. but i also get it, because each site functions for different things when it comes to fics! ao3 is known for long and epic stories, tumblr is known for short and sweet reader fics, etc. honestly, prior to 24, my little corner of the internet was fairly small because i was only writing oc. if you’re looking for the story getting more traction, i just wouldn’t recommend here for actual posting of chapters :-( (although maybe times are changing! this is just something i’ve noticed in both past fandoms and this one)

that being said — tumblr has a lot of strengths in using it in tangent with those other sites! like you said, you can post announcements of when you’ll update or when you have updated with links, fanart is more popular here, you can create more visuals for your fics, etc.! also i primarily moved here for the social aspect. it’s a lot easier to connect with everyone who reads my fics on here rather than somewhere like ao3 🖤 ALSO people who dig oc might catch sight of your announcements in the tags, and so it does have potential to help you gain an audience in a way. (again, if that’s what you’re looking for!!)

TLDR: essentially, tumblr is cool to make friends as you write and make it look pretty. ao3/wattpad is awesome for long stories and (another huge factor for me) anonymity.

i say do whatever feels right for you! i’ve had more issues actually posting on here as well, for what it’s worth. like general technological difficulties. but that just might be me and my grandma approach to technology haha

i hope this drawn out ramble helped/gave some perspective and that you are also having such a wonderful day, my friend <3 also always feel free to reach out with any further questions!!! (and to let me know when you do post 🥰)

[chronicroc]

The fandom I'm currently in on twitter is going through this weird phase where they get upset/make fun of pretty much any fan work that involves angst, doesn't perfectly stick to the source material's tone, or interprets a character as having more depth than they were portrayed to have in the show.

I'm getting so tired of it. Like...people are calling regular angst "problematic" because it's triggering (even when it's thoroughly tagged), or saying people are stupid when it's clear they are ACTIVELY changing the role/personality of a character for plot purposes.

It feels like people are completely forgetting that fanfiction is not just "this is exactly what I want to happen in canon and I think this is 100% realistic", but is usually more like "I'm going through something and I want to project my feelings onto a character that I like"

[strawbuddy-luv]

Tim Drake would love video games sm tho, and I do not see that represented enough.

He'd be a total nerd about it to. He'd rant and rant and rant about all the games he's played and all the cheats and the secret cut scenes and the hidden lore. He'd be a game theorist for sure, probably has a YouTube account dedicated to it since he's such a little detective. He knows the true lore of FNaF.

He'd definitely speed run minecraft, rp to probably. First person shooter? How about first hand experience. FNaF fanatic oh my God he'd LOVE that game so fucking much. Absolutely a Sonic kid, like you cannot convince me otherwise. Mario less so but you knows hes probably played every single game anyways. Pokemon? Every single one memorized down to their exact coloration. Stardew valley? Do i even have to ask. Animal crossing? Perfected his village, villagers and all. Zelda? I cannot prove it but he has a lino Cosplay somewhere and he's worn it for under cover missions. He'd slay in DTI, have like 5 different mansions in Bloxburg, defiantly played Royal High until the capitalism became to close to the real world, probably has hundreds of avatars to. An expert at games like fnf has played half the mods to ever be made for that game. He's been playing fortnite since it's release. He'd have one of the top scores ever in subway surfers. He'd download those "complete your restaurant" type games and finish them in two weeks and it'd only take that long because the game forces him to wait sometimes. Candy crush is his bitch 100%. He'd download mobile games and finish them in a day and then keep redoing them till he's perfected his method. He has played and replayed countless driving based games, can learn almost any new one in 6 minutes. Going back to the speed run thing I think he'd just enjoy speed running games in general, and gridning. He'd love minecraft so much omg-. Last of us? Played. Iron Lung? Played. Cuphead? Played. Detroit Become Human? Played. Kindergarten? Played. Sallyface? Played. Splatoon? Played. He'd love small games to I just am not that into video games to know any to list- :').

I mean think about it. Going off the "Tim's parents are never home" version of him, he'd have so much time to just sit around and play video games. He has the money to buy them and the time to spend getting ungodly good at them. He'd have amazing equipment, and it'd give him some sort of community even if he doesn't really interact with it personally. Like if he's not out stalking Batman or at school, he's playing a video game. Even after he starts working for Batman, he'd overwork himself to the bone and he'd STILL find a way to go pro gamer in-between. Probably for like 0.5 seconds whenever he's got to stand up to get himself another energy drink.

Like please, video game nerd Tim Drake on my knees begging you add this to your stories and headcanons. Have him introduce other batfam members to video games. HAVE HIM INTRODCUE BRUCE TO CANDY CRUSH AND MAKE THEM GET INTO A COMPETITION ON WHO CAN GET TO A HIGHER LEVEL FASTER. He shows Damian animal crossing. He gives Jason a gaming console and like 50 different shooter games and one copy of stardew valley as a joke and did not expect Jason to get so into it. Him Cass and Steph would love those Roblox horror games. He'd force the whole family to start having game nights and they'd have a world on Minecraft that has the most insane lore you've ever heard. Like please give me more video game nerd Tim and tell me your headcanons on what games he'd like and what he'd introduce different batfam members to in the comment I am begging you.

[putschki1969]

Hello dear Sarah, I hope you are well, I want to ask you a question since you are very expert on the subject, When kalafina existed (it hurts to say that😭) I was a teenager I couldn't buy their merchandise now that I can I want to know if I buy something from them, do they still make a profit or not?My friend says not anymore, if I want to support them, I better buy their materials as soloists. Please give me some advice.

Hello there!

I am so, so sorry! This reply is long overdue. I had this in my drafts for way too long. These days, I've really been struggling with summer fatigue and can't get motivated to do anything except the bare minimum. As a result, lots of asks have remained unanswered in my inbox/drafts.

Without further ado, let's get to your question〈(•ˇ‿ˇ•)-→

Disclaimer: Take everything you read here with a grain of salt. Even though I would consider myself to be quite knowledgeable on the matter, I don't have all the facts.

I think your friend is correct. If you are buying Kalafina releases (CDs, DVDs/BDs/etc) or merchandise (live goods etc) right now, it is very unlikely that the girls will profit from it.

The way the Japanese entertainment industry works, idols/singers often don't have any rights to their music (especially in a case like this where they don't have an active part in the creative process). From what we know, the members of Kalafina were most likely managed in a very common and traditional "employment dynamic" with their talent agency "Space Craft" , meaning that after the label (Sony/SACRA MUSIC) got its sizeable share, the agency basically pocketed all remaining earnings from Kalafina's activities and then distributed a contractually agreed upon percentage to the members in the form of a monthly salary. As the creative force behind everything, I would assume that Yuki Kajiura probably had a more favourable arrangement with Space Craft along the lines of a client <=> management relationship and therefore received earnings directly with a certain percentage going to the agency but I'm only speculating here. Considering the amounts of money that went to the label, the agency and Yuki Kajiura, it is likely that the girls received a quite meager share compared to everyone else involved. Not saying they weren't paid decently, it was obviously more than enough to allow all three of them to live comfortably (or luxuriously in Keiko's case - keep in mind tho that her family is well-off) but certainly nothing too crazy.

After leaving Space Craft, I very much doubt that Keiko and Hikaru would have financial gains from any Kalafina-related sales. Wakana on the other hand might profit indirectly from such purchases because she's still signed up with Space Craft. Some official Kalafina merch is still available in the Space Craft online store so if you buy anything from there, the money would obviously go to the agency. All other merchandise items that are floating around online or in stores are almost certainly second-hand goods so no profit is made except by the seller/thrift shop. As for music releases from official shops or distribution partners, I'm actually not sure if Space Craft would still receive a cut from that. I guess it depends on their arrangement with the label. I definitely wouldn't rule it out. (YK is probably getting something).

Long story short, if you want to support the girls, the best option currently is to buy their solo stuff. However, that doesn't mean that you should give up on your dream to buy Kalafina releases and merch. Even if the group is disbanded, it is a good thing to signal that there is still demand for them. Also, if you ask me, nothing feels better than to own physical merch/releases. My Kalafina shrine is one of my biggest sources of happiness and pride.

[ben-the-hyena]

THE RETURN

My current contract is soon gonna end and I'm gonna be jobless soon again, furthermore I have many new projects (not professional but personal, sentimental ones) that need a reaching goal, I don't know how much, and I need to motivate myself into drawing again so it is time to open commissions again isn't it ? New commission sheet, updated to be more visible with other examples and a few more options than before ! NO SLOTS this time, for now I'm keeping these open indefinitely unless something serious or busy happens ! And remember, pay me on Ko-Fi, and if you paid me the most out of anyone during the trimester, I'll reward you with a free drawing of your choice in the end of it !

My Ko-Fi : https://ko-fi.com/benthewackyhyena

Things to know :

-Keep in mind that I might add filters or, for traditional, digitally edit mistakes

-When I talk about stylization I mean it can like go from silhouettes to semirealism/realism (but if so I will only sketch, more comfortable with it) by way of chibi, stylized figures etc And for techniques, well it can depend but keep in mind I'm NOT a super big expert so I may be limited hence why it's better to discuss first

-I don’t do just characters but also objects and scenery. Tho I don’t truly know what to price it yet so if you are interested we should talk first too

-I do NSFW too yes but NO weird fetishes please, also I will NOT do dubcon or noncon, as well as no zoophilia, necrophilia or pedophilia (which is also for SFW shipping pics)

-I will privilege OCs and original work in general over fanart if getting short in time

-Knowing that I am also looking for a job as well as trying to work on my personal and/or professional stuff I might take time so please be patient

-Pay first, so that I wouldn’t have drawn for nothing if you are a scammer who won’t pay. In case you did pay but I can’t finish (work, health etc) I will give you back your money

-Sure if you did not imagine things to look exactly that way I can tweak and fix a little but I emphasize on a little. I once knew a guy who had me redo a pic 15 times without a please or a thank you because he gave bad instructions when I was doing point commissions and I lost a day of my life so PLEASE don’t do that

-For the same reason, I am allowed to refuse a commission even if the reasons do not fit my rules if I am overwhelmed or don’t have the time or I find you rude or it makes me uncomfortable for reasons I can’t a put a name on or think of right now

-In general, know that drawing takes time and effort and that it is a job like any other so please let us treat each other with respect and politeness

[smolandweirdwriter]

I always see fanfics of Jesper‘s adhd manifesting as “can’t sit still for long periods of times, tapping & fidgeting” and while this is a genuine experience, adhd is SO MULTIFACETED and there are SO MANY different manifestations of it for different people! It’s not a one-size-fits-all, and as someone who has been told far too often that I “didn’t seem” like I had adhd just because I didn’t display the stereotypical symptoms, I’d like to propose some other ways for fic authors to show Jesper’s adhd!

Jesper not stopping or talking for HOURS while he fabrikates or practices shooting skills or something else he genuinely enjoys (seriously tho hyperfixation is a part of adhd that neurotypicals often forget about. Please include it!)

Jesper interrupting other people to say something completely unrelated that, to his mind, seems completely sensible

In a similar vein: Jesper having a genuinely good idea but failing to articulate it and being mocked for wasting time 

Kaz telling jesper the plan and jesper being too afraid of being ridiculed to ask for clarification 

Also: Jesper saying he understood something without actually realizing he didn’t internalize ANY information whatsoever 

Or: Jesper saying he gets it, then popping back in 2 minutes later to ask for clarification on the entire plan

Jesper zoning out mid-conversation, or even at the beginning of a conversation (could be good for a wesper miscommunication/disagreement fic, but it’s important to remember that Jesper isn’t doing this because he doesn’t care about what wylan is saying, he’s most likely doing it because a) he had something on his mind and didn’t even realize wylan started talking, b) wylan said something that reminded him of something that distracted him. It’s often a struggle for people with adhd to corral our thoughts to focus conversations, but that doesn’t mean we don’t care, it just might take a minute!)

Jesper not being able to focus with certain sounds or in certain environments (ie, if the table is too small or the wrong size, if there’s too much or too little noise, etc)

There’s a LOT of other ways for adhd to manifest as well! I won’t claim to be an expert; I can only speak to my own experience with it. But if you’re interested in accurately representing Jesper or other characters with adhd, PLEASE do your research first! And if you have any fic recommendations, I am so here for them! 

[moonbreezes]

Mary and George made me really invested in George and James. Do you have any recommendations for reading that covers the romance and arc of their relationship?

Well to begin with there is no singular text that explicitly covers the relationship between James and Buckingham. Or I am not aware that such text exists, tho I have done a thorough search for such a book. Nonetheless, their relationship, in varying amount, appears in James’s biographies, so you could hop through them in search of something different, and Buckingham’s own (singular good one).

I have not read many biographies about James, however, when it comes to relationships in his life, and how they influenced him I’d highly recommend the 2023 biography by Steven Veerapen, a personal favourite of mine, as it touches upon James from the perspective, as mentioned, of relationships with various people through his life.

There is also George's sole good biography (his relationship with James and his life in general up until James's death takes up around half of the book) There are also their letters, and books concerning James's court and sexuality.

By no means I am an expert in either their relationship or that period, so if anyone much more knowledgeable than me sees that I omitted some reliable sources please do correct me.

[ganymedesbussy]

idea: tailor Aziraphale

YOU KNEW IT WAS COMING

Now he's doing custom work tho for Rich But Touch Starved Crowley whose usual person is gone for Reasons

and normally he just emails measurements and it's Fine, but Mr. Fell insists on in-person fittings and draftings

"If you're looking for prêt-à-porter, my dear, there are a thousand stores you can go to. If you want a real, bespoke suit, though, you will show up at nine o clock on the dot."

"Mr. Crowley, while I understand that you are very wealthy and important and an expert in your field, please understand that I am also an expert in mine, and I know exactly what my time is worth, both in terms of money and of respect. If you will not provide the latter, there is no amount of the former that will suffice."

"Mr. Crowley, please remove the cucumber from your trousers before our fitting, unless you pan on wearing it to [event]?"

"to which side does sir dress? Ah, strike that. I see from here that your last tailor wasn't as exacting as I am"

HE GOES TO REMOVE THE """CUCUMBER"""

“Yes, yes, very funny, you’re not the first to-- oh”

A good tailor will cut to adjust for and disguise the side to which sir dresses

Crowley: "Is it possible to do the opposite of that?

Crowley asks for wang-emphasizing pants, Aziraphale snorts, it's the first time Crowley's made him laugh

oh, so he goes in for like a Traditional Men's Suit for some event, and then like

then he starts coming back for more gender-neutral stuff and tailoring female-coded clothes to fit him

He brings a dress for alterations and Aziraphale huffs. Crowley's all "oh no, he's gonna judge and be mean" but it's just that Aziraphale feels he can do better working from scratch

"That will hang off you terribly, you haven't accounted for your frame at all."

"That neckline is all wrong for you, your collarbones are entirely too lovely to go hiding them like that."

"Now, you need it when? Hmm. Well, I hope you don't have anything scheduled for the rest of the night."

"What do you mean you don't have any foundation garments -- you simply can't get the silhouette you desire with out at least a slip."

god, just Aziraphale casually manhandling him to test range of motion and how things lay

also also Aziraphale making him lingerie

"I do so love to see you in me, darling. I mean, wearing me. I mean, my work. Oh bother"

"You've had me on my feet all day, the least you can do is let me rest on my back when you fuck me."

Crowley in a front-lacing corset of some kind Aziraphale holding on to the laces while getting fucked Back lacing corset and fucking Crowley whilst holding the laces

Ok, so Crowley is getting laced in for the first time. Aziraphale shoves him forward and then jerks the laces back to get a good pull. Crowley makes A Noise and Aziraphale reacts

just just leans in a little and whispers good boy

that should happen at some point after Crowley has already had a full boner around him

You get some strength kink with the rough lacing. Maybe crowley asks to be laced very tight

and a little bit of lightheadedness maybe OH SHIT AZIRAPHALE'S FOREARMS

You gotta be unlaced slowly and gradually after being tightly laced like that or you'll take too deep a breath and possibly pass out

Az is internally like “ok I thought he WAS a colossal prick but turns out he HAS a colossal prick and my new mission is to get that inside of me”

then later he's like 'oh it's both'

"I do custom tailoring in Soho, my dear. I've worked as often in leather as wool."

[saturns-cryptid]

Never got to share some of my headcanons for the hfr characters but here we go:

Chai is a blind mf (near-sighted) and needs glasses. Like, right now.

I don’t really know what glasses to give him though. Maybe like John Johanas has. Those could probably suit him.

Korsica is sporty, without a doubt, all about that daily exercise and healthy nutritious diet. What sport would she do though? I think boxing, like with Macaron, would probably suit her, yet I’d also think of kickboxing and maybe some jogging on the side.

On that note, Chai seems extremely flexible, almost if not outright gymnast levels. It remains a mystery for how long Chai had his right arm the way it was before the implant. Maybe he had it like that since he was a baby, but I can imagine him somehow injuring it in his early years, and it was just so severe that he couldn’t get its fine motor skills back. Like, maybe Chai has a degenerative disease that either runs in the family or only affected him due to him being a gymnast.

Or he’s just that naturally flexible and jumpy idk

Another headcanon for Korsica (me fine woman) is that she actually used to play drums and it’s not just a motive that she has in the game with her batons. Maybe she was part of the school orchestra and would only play simple tunes in there, while actually being good enough to pop off any minute. I instantly remember that video “When you’re overqualified for the job” when I think about it.

If the groups were to start a band, then Macaron would def be a piano guy and Peppermint the bass girly.

OKAY i'm gonna go down the headcanon list ting bc i love your takes and i want to respond to all of them properly TEE HEE

would NEVER have thought chai to be blind or in need of glasses tbh, though i'm here for it!! i personally think he would've been more far sighted bc of his ability to snatch onto magnets and grab enemies and stuff... (the thought of him squinting the entire game and hitting any moving robot looking blobs in his field of vision is pretty funny though tbh LOL) ... also i looked up john johanas and it's been a hot minute since i've booted up the game but i SWEAR the ones with the thick black frames are an actual pair of glasses you can get in the shop for chai and i am SOOO doodling that if i have the time

korsica is absolutely sporty. proof: sporty fit in shop. also she's head of security she literally HAS to stay in shape to spin that thang around. (also idk if it's just me but it's implied her batons are pretty heavy bc there's this one specific scene during her boss fight when the game is like "okay scratch parrying everything!" where she strains JUST a little bit to get into the spinning motion so she is SOOOOO absolutely muscular). ALSO did not think about korsica and macaron sparring!! macaron doesn't seem like the type to spar at his age LOL... but maybe he'd be up for it occasionally post game :0!!

i definitely think he would've tried to stay limber growing up all things considered, he has WAYYY too much stamina if he can beat up all those robots LOL but now that you mention it, he DID practically fold in half at the very end of the first stage... BUT i personally hc he has monoplegia as a result of an accident when he was really young as opposed to something he was born with. i'm by no means a medical expert, but it sounds... medically inaccurate for a degenerative muscle disease to stay in one arm? (if you ask me tho, i think he would have a brachial plexus birth injury IF he were to be born with it, but again) take that with a fistful of salt, i'm not a doctor and i don't know shit

i don't have much to say for the last two, i agree with you for the most part BWAHGAHGW i love the idea that if someone asked korsica about why she chose the weapons she chose, she'd just say something like "hitting drums, hitting people. same difference." and shrug BWAHWBJAHGSHJF

[cookinguptales]

god tho so I'm researching Minoan sealstones for Fic Reasons and I stumbled across the Pylos Combat Agate, which is a sealstone (in other words, a seal made of carved precious stone or gold that was used to create a relief in clay or wax) that was found in a grave in Pylos (Greece) in 2016.

(all photos via the University of Cincinnati)

They used photomicroscopy to take that last photo, because this entire sealstone is 3.6 centimeters long, or about an inch and a half.

and it is

*deep breath*

3500 YEARS OLD

This thing is estimated to be from 1450 BCE.

Y'all, I am losing my mIND. Apparently, experts think that it had to have been carved using a magnifying glass? Which is nuts because they've never found any sign of anything like that from that period.

It really just goes to show how much we've lost from ancient history, y'know? We have our assumptions about technological abilities and art history, and then we find one little rock that totally upends everything we thought we knew -- and then you have to wonder how many equally beautiful works of art there were back then that were just lost to the ravages of time.

I mean, we know that fragile, delicate things break more easily! So god, like -- can you even imagine what must have existed back then that we don't know about? How many gorgeous things have disappeared without a trace?? because they were just never designed to be sturdy??? they were designed to be beautiful?????

Guys, I can't stop looking at this thing. Can you even imagine creating something like this with the technology they had back then? How long it would've taken? The skill it would've required?

This little sealstone is making me pace the halls, I'm so excited!!!

(and if you'd like to know more, here's an article from Smithsonian magazine about it, and here's the researchers' Palace of Nestor excavation webpage!)

[barbwritesstuff]

Hmm ok hard to say 🤔early 1800s would mean miasmas was still the leading belief around sickness which means that hand washing and hygiene was secondary to "clean air" and scents hence why it was so easy for bacterial things to spread, I could be simple and say some sort of bacterial infection in its dormant period

If I want to be creative I'd say something like an autoimmune disease would be interesting, they're still relatively deadly today but there are a few well known for their slow creeping progression as the body's immune system failed (or turned on itself and started killing itself) leaving people feeling relatively fine at first before issues start arising very aggressively (or just flaring up and having your immune system devastate you out of nowhere, some have reported not knowing having one until they woke up paralyzed one day with no warning and then only having a few days before said paralysis spread to the heart/lungs)

The early 1800s was also a time that diabetes was a very sudden killer with no treatment it was definitely a decent death sentence and around 20% of people nowadays don't even know they have it despite testing being a thing (with no testing or treatment or statistics for diabetes in the early 19th century all we really know is that it existed and would suddenly kill people within weeks of symptoms) so it could be said Marcel had early stage type 2 diabetes perhaps

I can't think of a super notable plague or epidemic of any sorts that'd feel like it during the early 1800s off the top of my head, the bubonic plague did its third wave during the mid - late 1800s and the first cholera outbreak started like a year after Marcel died iirc. The only outbreaks I can think of would perhaps be typhus which ravaged french soldiers and was brought back home with them during 1812 and yellow fever which had tons of outbreaks all throughout the 1800s. Typhus can take ~2 weeks to show symptoms with yellow fever usually only taking a few days and both had rather standard flu/cold symptoms of feeling run down and feverish so I'd say both are a bit harder to pin if he didn't feel sick at all

But uh yeah those would be my main ideas/guesses I suppose? I am no expert tho just someone a bit too interested in diseases lmao

My evil writer trait: Why world build when readers will do it for me for free?

[novelcain]

I meant like, the whole homophobia/transphobia thing, unless China was very accepting of enbys. Idk I don't really do history.

OOOOOOHHHH!!! Sorry I have a big dumb Skittle brain and am incapable of reading between the lines when it comes to nonverbal communication. 😅 Ok ok I did some research on this just now so I could give an accurate (as much as I can but I'm no expert for sure) answer.

And that answer is... it depends.

China has a very long history regarding sexually and its views of sex have shifted a LOT from one era to another. But for this post, we'll focus on the Tang Dynasty because that is the time period JTTW is set in (tho which time period of the Tang Dynasty is unclear)

So I'll start by saying that the Tang Dynasty was notoriously open about sex and sexual desires and homosexually was accepted in ancient but only in certain situations. Usually homosexuality or simply non-straight behavior was only accepted and allowed within the upper class. For example most if not all (I'm not too sure) Chinese emperors had several male lovers and they didn't hide it as it was often revered with great admiration.

NOW as far as gender orientation goes. This would HIGHLY depend on the person and their beliefs as during this period China was dominated by 2 religions Taoism and Buddhism.

Taoism was the official religion of the Tang Dynasty and states that nature is perfect as is and by proxy some believe that would mean they view transgenderism as a flaw of nature while most Taoists themselves do not view transgenderism negatively as the Tao is pretty unconcerned with identity and focuses on virtue and coming to accept things as they were born in nature. Therefore I think the only thing that would even remotely be said against transgenderism from a Taoist standpoint is that you shouldn't feel the need to change your body to reflect your mind. Conclusion: ancient Taoism would likely accept transgenderism so long as you don't pursue gender affirming surgery.

Now while the official religion of China at the time was Taoism, many emperors highly favored Buddhism and that can even be believed of the emperor described in JTTW.

That being said. Buddhism believes that the body is a cage that traps the spirit in suffering and should therefore be distanced from as much as possible. HOWEVER! The Buddha himself said that while you should try to separate yourself from the Earthly Realm one's body should be used as a tool of awakening, and given that awakening in to find Nirvana, one could argue that pursuing your gender identity is simply using your body to reflect your soul and therefore is good. But honestly Buddhists are pretty chill and as long as you ain't hurting anyone or anything I HIGHLY doubt a true Buddhist would care what you do so long as you live amicably. Conclusion: transgenderism would likely be cool with about 99% of Buddhists even in ancient China.

Overall conclusion: MOST people probably wouldn't care, though these are ancient times, so I'd really read the room before offering any info about being gender nonconforming or nonbinary. Having said that, the worst thing you'd have to do is pretend to be whatever gender you most closely resemble. But honestly I think a lot about how it'd be best to pretend to be a man when traveling as they are much less likely to be attacked, assaulted, or hate crimed.

So again, in situations like these you need to be flexible and willing to present as something you aren't. And while that can be hard, I feel like dying via whatever brutal death an extreme transphobe can think of is a lot harder. So if you play your cards right the most a nonbinary reader would get is probably some nasty comments and a few even nastier looks. Tho both could easily be corrected by Tripitaka explaining they shouldn't do that and that isn't what Buddhism believes if the person is a Buddhist and if that doesn't work or they aren't Buddhist then a few sharp glares from the Great Sage Equal to Heaven should be more than enough to get them to knock it the fuck off. Tho if you're good at talking people over to your side then they probably wouldn't even need to step in.

As for how the group would take it, I think they'd all accept it rather quickly after you explain what being enby is with maybe the exception of Bajie who just truly doesn't understand so you'd just have to explain the concept of other genders to him a few times.

I hope this answers your question at least somewhat 😊

[machiavellli]

I watched the two first episodes of 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓐𝓬𝓸𝓵𝔂𝓽𝓮 and I got thoughts:

SPOILERS BELOW

First of all I just would like to say that most of the negative reviews that I saw where pretty thrown around just beacuse haters can’t help themself. So I don’t think this is the “worst sw product ever1!1!”, but I do got some (constructive) criticism myself and I want to express MY opinions (I am allowed to have and share them).

Let’s start with the positive aspects of this show

Fighting scenes and choreographies:

I was really impressed by the actions sequences. I’m glad that at least in this aspect Star Wars (after whatever happened in the sequels) is putting more effort in creating more impressive fighting scenes, but in the specific lightsaber fights!

Even if, yes, the lightsabers haven’t been used as much as I hoped, I still found this fighting style really mesmerizing. Now I’m not a martial art expert, so I won’t comment on that, but I just want to say that I do find this style way more appropriate than actually using a lightsaber all the time. It just makes sense for a Jedi of that time to minimize their usage of their weapon. They are at a high point of history, there is no war, just (apparent) peace.

I was afraid that the jumps would weird me out, but I gotta say that I liked them!!

How they showcased the temple and the characterization of the Jedi:

First thing first: ANOTHER LIVE ACTION TEMPLE OTHER THAN THE ONE IN THE CAPITAL???? Miracle!!! (Even if the interior design was questionable but I think they are just very isolated jedis and that’s their style? Idk man, there was literal sand in a corner tho??)

I appreciated how they showed Jedis as humans.

Sol is a jedi at heart yes, he is clearly suffering at the idea of his former padwan in such position, but he stays focused. Also I do get the comparison with Qui Gon, especially at the end of episode 2 when he tries to stick to the hunt, going against the council decision, but he still follows their leading in the end. But anyway, do not attack my new Star Wars father figure‼️

Yord also has his heart in the right place, I’m sure of it, he just wishes to help, but it’s clear that in this desperate search for perfection (brotha quoted the code by memory and was ironing his clothes for AN OUTSIDE MISSION💀 ) he might be losing what being a Jedi actually means. He always being the one to reach his lightsaber first :(( I’m really interested in seeing his development!

Jecki my smart girl, please humble Yord more often, that was the funniest part in the two episodes. I just want to say that her being 18 and going on her FIRST mission is so special and heartbreaking for me, just think the comparison with Ahsoka becoming a soldier at 14.

I also really liked the fact that the two Jedis killed got killed by their own compassion. Perfect.

Osha character:

Maybe it’s obvious, maybe not, but IN MY OPINION (so far) she is the best written character of the whole show (this actually comes from a critic that I have about the writing of the show, but it’s not the case for this character!)

Maybe it’s also that she is genuinely so sweet for me, I DONT KNOW I GET THIS VIBE FROM HER OKAY?? But she is the character I enjoyed the most in those first two episodes.

It’s just that I feel like we got to see only one side of the other characters, while with Osha she already feels like a well rounded character. We see her in various situations, in various states of mind, from the fear and then the calm of meeting her former master, to being taken by the negative feelings, the rage, she still preserves from her past. It was a great spectrum.

Also she was standing way more out as her own character than any one else in the show (see writing criticism below) and I liked that.

The actress was often carrying the show when put side to side with the other characters. (I’m under the impression that not everyone was giving their best performance tbh…but Amandla Stenberg was great!)

Really interested to see how the whole trauma/I just found my presumed dead twin alive/the Jedis I left are back thing will play out of her.

Also shoutout to Star Wars for continuing the tradition of the main character with a new cute droid. Gotta be one of my favourite tropes 🙏

Love this duo<333

In between opinions

I’m not going to comment on the plot YET, I find that it’s too early, but I was surprised by the decision of reveling the twin plot right away?

I was expecting it to be one the main thing that they would dance around for the whole series, but maybe I was under the wrong impression. It’s just that it felt rushed. But that’s a problem that comes down the fact that those episodes are TOO SHORT!!

I wasn’t also pleased by the fact that MASTER Indara died with that tiny knife in her chest. Like okay, maybe it was directly through the heart, but still: it doesn’t feel justified. Star Wars needs to decide a common trajectory, we can have people that survive a light saber in their stomach and others that die from far less concerning attacks. Also Osha surviving a terrible crash without a scratch?? Uhm.

Fire in space, gotta be my favorite mistake in space fiction products🙏 (I know that math and physics ain’t USA favorite subjects but cmonnnnnn, even Star Trek did this and uh😭😭). But anyway, I wouldn’t count it as this big mistake that everyone is freaking out about, because again, it’s common (somehow), and also was need for the trauma moment. 👍

But…25 MILIONS for episode, 12’500$ PER SECOND. We could have done better uh🧍‍♀️

And on this last bitter tone…

Negative aspects (it was bound to happen sorry)

The writing:

I have two main bones to pick at:

The quality of the lines,

Every character (besides Osha) is missing a speech pattern, some characterization…

I personally found the their speech to be not as cured as I was hoping for a show that had 4 years of development.

“Attach me with all of your strength” I literally heard in my head: 🦗🦗🦗

Sorry but some of Mae lines especially weren’t it (kinda funny when I actually enjoyed Osha’s)

Also yes, the characters were missing characterization through the dialogue, which is pretty crucial when you are showcasing brand the characters that no one knows. I just wished they weren’t so flat in that aspect.

I especially had a weird feeling with Sol, I do like him, but some of the lines weren’t it. I think it was also a bit the delivery, but I don’t want to attack the actor.

I wish their words were more expressive. Painted by their personality.

The poem was okay, this one ⬇️

I found it cute, but nothing too crazy

(Also side note that I don’t know where to put: the little twin looked like the Snapchat baby filter. Idk you can’t change my mind😭)

Also the pace of the storytelling per se: it felt rushed but at the same time slow, because I’m sorry but the delivering was a tad boring. I was expecting more.

To sum up: I was expecting more (I’ll say this till the end 180M budget) from the writing 🧍‍♀️

Costumes:

Before you all attack me: I did liked them, but with that budget I was expecting more. Let me explain

I really liked that they changed clothes when they went outside, leaving the white and yellow for the more ceremonials acts (like studying) for then changing for the outside. I loved that touch. In particular Yord attire in his first scenes was so good

I like their outfit so much (I hope the dope Padawan returns btw🧎‍♀️)

But, because there is a but, there is something weird about their clothings.

Now, I know that I am a prequels apologist and all, but you see how well clothes fit there:

They look realistic here, garments that have been actually worn

It’s just that their clothes look like they are sitting on them (have you in mind when people say “oh this foundation is sitting on my face” yeah in that sense, in the sense that doesn’t melt well)

NOOO IVE FINISHED THE GIFS LIMIT. TUMBLR UGH- (no more cool gifs guys😔)

It’s not a huge problem, but I wanted to say it regardless.

The set and lighting:

It’s just that for that type of budget and for that amount of time I was expecting some cinematic level of show. Maybe my bad (again), but the set looked often plastic and the lighting wasn’t really helping either.

Some scenes were well done: the ones in the Coruscant temple, the shore and in the bar/restaurant at the beginning were well done.

But especially the set in the second episode did not impress me at all.

Final thoughts:

Thanks Star Wars for making BTS canon🙏🙏 (THE TATTOO TOOK ME OUT OK?)

It’s hard to judge on just those two episodes, I feel like they haven’t told much, but for now I can only say that I will keep watching, without expecting too much (even if I should given the cost of the show).

I was interested in this project because I was excited to see the high republic in live action, but I don’t think this show will portray the typical high republic type of Jedis, something in between. I just hope that for once they will treat the jedi nicely because they can’t ever take a break in this franchise uh😭

Also I got a question…because if the Sith have been extinct for a millennium, according to the Jedi in the movies, by the time of the phantom menace…how will all of this play out??

Will they all die and the Jedis will just hide the evidence? But what about Yoda (or Yaddle)? Okay that he is chilling away but doesn’t make much sense…anyway I think I’ll have my answer by the end of the show.

Overall vote: 6/10 (a tad more than sufficient, I’m not feeling generous tonight🧍‍♀️)

It’s not a bad show, absolutely, I was just expecting more. It still has time to redeem itself!

[kimbapisnotsushi]

you seem to have a good read on HQ and your takes are great, so i have a question...and if you'd rather not go there, please ignore this! but i see oikawa get called "arrogant" quite often and i'm curious, would you say he is? what is it that makes people think that? imo he has a plenty of flaws, but i truly don't think arrogance is one of them. self-centered, sure, but not arrogant i think. i'm open to being wrong, i'm just legit so confused by that particular criticism, it makes me doubting my reading comprehension. i feel like that one post that's like "free my man, he didn't do that. he did a lot of other stuff tho" LOL. if you do answer this, then thanks for your time!

oh, dear anon. this is a very very big question and i'm honored you think i am capable of providing an answer that does it justice!! i don't consider myself an oikawa expert by far, but i'll do my best because he's still very beloved to me, and i hope whatever i say helps!

(but also - maybe take what i say with a grain of salt LMAO)

anyways, to get the main point out of the way: i completely agree that oikawa isn't arrogant! i actually haven't seen any commentary about that myself (bless!!!), so i can't say for sure why some people might think that, but my guess is that they think his pridefulness = arrogance — they think that the confidence he has in himself and seijoh contributes nothing to their actual power and is utterly meaningless if they don't win, especially in the face of ushijima. which, like, come on. what kind of captain would he be if he wasn't confident in himself and his teammates? is he supposed to tell them that they're going to lose??? is he supposed to discourage their hard work and effort???

or maybe it's because oikawa acts like he's all that, but doesn't have anything to show for it. who does he think he is? what does he think his pride is worth? what right does he have to go around making grand declarations when he has nothing to his name?

(which isn't entirely true, either, but we'll get into that, promise.)

now, do i think that he can, occasionally, be flippant, shallow, and/or petty? yeah, sure. he's got one hell of a personality about it. even iwaizumi says as much. oikawa is great at being a little shit. it's one of my favorite things about him!

but is oikawa genuinely arrogant, or self-centered? well . . . i don't think so.

see, here's the thing about oikawa: he knows he's good, but he doesn't think he's good enough. i think it'd be easiest to really explain what that meant if we broke this down into two separate parts, so let's give it a go, shall we?

(buckle up, friends, because it's about to get LONG. also: TIMESKIP SPOILERS!! and there's a tldr at the start of the tags because. WOW.)

so, first things first: if people are calling oikawa arrogant, then i'm like 99% sure that they don't actually know what the word "arrogant" means.

"arrogant" is used to describe someone full of themselves. it's used to describe someone conceited and pompous. it's used to describe someone so assured of and invested in their self-importance that they don't care for other people, and if it seems like they do, then it's usually wildly off the mark and still serves to inflate their own egos.

oikawa has never once been like that. he's been pretty much the exact opposite, in fact.

and yeah, sure, by his third year of high school, he knows he's good at volleyball, and that's fine! it's perfectly all right to claim you're good at something if you have the skills/experience to back it up. confidence is healthy as long as it isn't in overabundance, and we actually see a lot of this throughout the series!

(not to mention that this was where ushijima fell short. he was overflowing with confidence. he did not believe, for even a single second, that hinata shouyou and his meager, scrappy little flock of crows could beat him.

but oikawa? he knew. he knew what it looked like to make something bloom.)

the key to oikawa's confidence that made him better was that he could pinpoint others' strengths and weaknesses just as well as he could with his own. and (bear with me, please, i might get kind of boring here bc it's nothing that hasn't been said in the manga before) i don't mean it in the way we see the coaches or more analytical players do, as observations to be taken advantage of by everyone else; i mean that in the sense of how vital it is to his position as a setter. that was always the biggest difference between oikawa and kageyama: no matter how much more raw talent kageyama had, no matter how much better oikawa believed him to be, kageyama, especially in the beginning, struggled to do what oikawa could with a team. kageyama struggled to bring out the best in each player. and it wasn't because he didn't know how -- oikawa freely admitted that kageyama had the skill for it, that kageyama, once he got his shit together, could win against him -- it was because kageyama didn't have that same confidence in himself.

(not until much later, anyways. but that's another story, for another time.)

so, oikawa's confident. he knows he's good. he can bring out the best in each player. he's got a killer serve (and a killer smile!), a mind for tactics that borders on machievallianism, and cherishes the trust he is given like it's something precious. his coaches let him lead without leaning on them. his team has the utmost respect and admiration for him. he has a reputation. from karasuno to shiratorizawa to the whole of miyagi -- there is not a single character who knows oikawa tooru and would believe that he is, in any way, bad at volleyball.

but it's not enough. despite all of that, oikawa still doesn't think he's good enough. and that, friends, brings us to the second point.

oikawa tooru is nothing if not passionate.

so were the others, of course. kageyama kept going after his grandfather's death. hinata kept going while being a nobody from nowhere with no one to back him up. atsumu kept going while osamu didn't. it's not even about just those who went pro -- kenma, kuroo, noya, and everyone else found things that they were passionate about and kept going with it. the entire story revolves around loving what you do and trying to keep that love alive, and, sometimes, that can be really, really difficult when it seems like it doesn't love you back.

oikawa was so insecure over kageyama to the point where he nearly decked the poor kid. oikawa got crushed by ushijima-- who kept telling him that his team was not good enough, that his choices were not good enough, that there was nothing good enough to be proud of -- for years in a row. oikawa was taught that there would always be someone better than him no matter how skilled he was, but if he let that stop him then he didn't fucking belong on the court in the first place.

oikawa tooru is intimately acquainted with not being good enough, but he keeps trying to be. he keeps going. he tries to keep the love alive even if he's not loved back. he pushes and practices and takes a plane far from home to become even better. even if he doesn't have the skill, even if he doesn't have the talent, even if he doesn't have the love -- he still has his pride. and what does that mean, in the end? how far does that take him?

in the end, oikawa tooru walks across a world stage and sees people who believed in him on the other side and calls it a family reunion. in the end, he gets to play the volleyball that reminds him of why he loves it and how it gives him so much love back. in the end, his pride is unyielding and unbreakable, a product of the forge. he molded it with his own two hands. he will not let it falter so easily.

arrogance would not have taken oikawa tooru this far. i hope this has proven that he is anything but.

remember: instinct is something you polish. talent is something you make bloom. and never, ever let anyone else tell you what your pride is worth.

[barbthebuilder]

Do you have any advice on how to come to terms with my genderfluidity? Like i want to ask people to use multiple pronouns for me and not just pick one and use that all the time and i want to ask people to use 2 names for me but i feel really selfish doing it which is really stupid considering i have a friend who goes by 2 names and all pronouns and i dont think he's selfish for it and i get pissed off when people say they are for it

Yo, thank you for the great ask!

I won't pretend I know the perfect answer for your question, but I can try helping anyway :)

I would start by a little bit of introspection. Be honest with yourself. What is selfish about demanding a right name and pronoun? Rationally, we both know that there is nothing selfish about that. But what do you feel? Try understanding where does this view come from and challange it. This could be some internalized transphobia. Pronouns are not a perk, a privilege - They are an act of a basic respect. It's important to aknowledge it doesn't always feel that way because of the way our society is structured around gender and sex.

Reading your ask I kinda deduced another thing. I might be VERY wrong tho haha. You have mentioned a friend that uses more pronouns and two names and how some people don't like that. Are you afraid of people's reactions? Do you think they will think you are selfish as well? It feels to me you internalized the thing they say about your friend and you're scared that may happen to you too. Or maybe not. I dunno.

I think you could ask your friend how he did it. If they had a similar experience I'm sure they will be thrilled to help you! It's also good to prepare some pharses. Like, practce the way you will communicate to other people your name and pronoun. Something along the lines of "Hey, guys! Just letting you know I'm genderfluid and I would appreciate if you used pronouns interchangebly for me, and also adress me as >name1< and >name2<. It's okay if you mess up sometimes but it's really important to me you try. That would mean a world to me! Thanks." Be clear about what you expect and make sure you show your appreciation. Sadly, we can't force people to adress us properly but we can try letting them know how it affects us.

Most importantly, be patient with yourself. Give yourself a pat on the back. This shit is tough and it's not easy to accept yourself when it feels like you haven't been prepared for all of this. But remember your friends love you. Ask yourself: "Would my friends want me to feel comfortable, respected and loved?".

That's all I can help with haha. Thank you for trusting me with this. By all means, seek more support if it feels like I didn't really help! I am not an expert, after all haha ^^

[sans-guy]

Do you have any advice about keeping bittys? I was thinking of getting one (maybe classic or fell, or both if they would get along and keep each other company?) but I'm not sure if I'm ready. Do you keep yours in a cage or can you let them roam free? Also how much should you feed them?

i am definitely not an expert or qualified by any means, before crumb i really had no idea how to care for one, but it really is just like having your own guy hanging around.

most sanses are typically Ok with just existing around you, but the buggers can teleport short distances, so just be mindful.

i don't really know anything about papyrus bitties but i heard they're a lot more social typically than sanses; but then again always depends on the type.

remember they're just little guys so i wouldn't recommend sticking them in a cage; i did with crumb for a while but eventually i just let him roam my house as much as he wanted, and he was much happier that way. He didn't go far because there's no nice hot fresh food outside.

If you really want them to have a nice place of their own, a doll house could work?? might be a little patronizing to them since most of them are like pink and frilly barbie houses. but there are people who hand make small houses for bitties. they're pretty expensive tho

they'll eat whatever you eat, i guess just make a little extra whenever you cook. obviously they don't eat a lot, but it does bring a guardian and their bitty closer when you guys share meal time :>

don't feed them like. bitty pellets. that's a load of bs. would you want to only eat crunchy dried food all the time? wears their teeth down too.

enrichment depends on the type but all of them like joke books, im pretty sure.

Idk what bitty would be fine with being left home alone all the time so i really only recommend getting another one if you work all day; but it's a costly mistake if their personalities don't meld with each other :(

i'm sure any rescue/adoption centers will let you bring your bitty in to meet another one to see if they get along initially.

If i'm going to reccomend one to a beginner, i'd say a blue/swap is the best choice, ik ik they're popular but they really are pretty easy to take care of and very interactive

classic is another good choice, but they like their naps and alone time so they're good if you just want a chill guy without the higher maintenance and attention a swap needs.

ones like swapfell or horror or yandere i only recommend for intermediates, i hear a lot about their temper or aggression.

crumb is a special case for me, he's my first and only bitty (so far)

his last caretaker wasn't so great with him, not sure what they did, but whatever they did resulted in crumb's hesitation when it comes to socializing. He's getting better though, but i still allow him to pick and choose when and who he wants to be around; forcing him to is counter productive.

tldr; just show your little guys some respect and decency.