#i don't trust the reading comprehension here in general

[boozye]

Was the "on tape" question your way of figuring out the age demogrphic of your followers or comparing your own youth

Age lmao.

[tuiyla]

I love your Santana metas and I think Finn deserves all the criticism he gets from you, but why don't you also condemn Brittany for outing Santana twice (on Fondue for Two in 2x19 AND after she releases their sex tape in 3x16)?

All due respect Anon but I've had this convo too many times. I know it was (probably) not with you and not only this blog but I'm just too tired to get into it. Not today, but in general. Ever.

I will say two statements that can coexist and leave it at that: a) Brittany messed up on both occasions and it should have been acknowledged more in the narrative and b) comparing either of those things with Finn's deliberate act of cruelty is disingenuous.

[leebrontide]

Ok so I said I would do a post on “reasons you’re not writing” from the POV of a writer/therapist who works with anxious, depressed, and neurodivergent clients. If you dig that, read on.

But firstly, a disclaimer. This list is far from comprehensive. Don’t yell at me if your experience isn’t represented. This is a tumblr post. Have realistic expectations.

Also, sometimes the reason you’re not writing is that your other obligations are just taking all of your energy and focus. Fixing that is well beyond the scope of this.

That said, here’s a bunch of barriers I see people run into all the time.

1) You’re afraid of failing, and subconsciously feel like it’s safer not to try.

This is a tricky one, because it's probably messing up many areas of your life, which in turn means you're going to frequently feel stressed out in general, which speaks to the point above.

This is around about where the general internet will tend to offer you an array of affirmations to use to sooth yourself. And that's fine. If those work for you, then use them! BUT, if the affirmations aren't working, then friend you have a bigger project on your hands.

You need to get comfortable with failing, particularly at creative projects. I know that can feel scary and vulnerable, but you won't take risks if you can't fail, which is going to hem in your creativity so hard that your motivation will starve. This is why people talk about writing a garbage draft. Not because they want to make garbage, but because they need the option of making garbage in order to take risks. That may or may not work for you, but either way, you really might wanna look at how to lower your stakes.

2) You’re not sure what you’re trying to communicate.

You can make things happen in the story, but you feel like you’re wandering around aimlessly. You don't find you're making decisions with conviction. It might be hard to really fall in love with any of your writing decisions.

For this one, I suggest stepping back and figuring out what the core of your enthusiasm for a story consists of. That CAN be a message or philosophy. It can also be a feeling or a vibe or a dynamic. That gives you a structure that you can build your decisions around, that you can be enthusiastic about.

3) You switched hyperfocus. And maybe your new hyperfocus is a lot of fun, but you feel sadness thinking about the WIP you left behind.

This one has a similar need to the one before, with an added layer of nuance, because you're probably already struggling with identifying what does interest you. This can make people feel really hopeless and helpless.

I have three totally different suggestions for this one. The first is to just be patient with yourself. Sometimes it's good for your brain to just indulge, and let your brain mine for dopamine where it can. Like, lean in. Spa day for your brain, as long as it's feeling good.

Secondly, see if you can find creative ways to weave your hyperfocus into your writing. Is there a dynamic in your favorite show that can inspire your writing, even if it's an original work? Do you want to take a moment to think about how transportation works in the history of your world? Can you consider your MCs relationship to old movies?

It doesn't always work, but sometimes instead of trying to switch things over, you can build a bridge, that gives depth and texture to your work.

Finally- consider embracing short fiction! Do some writing inspired directly by the hyperfocus du joir while it's around.

4) You feel like nothing you say will be interesting to anyone else.

We understand this is a self-esteem issue, right? You're gonna have to develop the trust that your experiences are not so utterly unrelatable to everyone else that your perspective has no value.

Friend, you are a human, with human experiences, writing for other humans. Trust me, you can do this.

It can help to think about your actual convictions. What do you know? What have you experienced? What matters to you? Funnily enough, the cure for feeling like nothing in you is worth expressing is to pour more of yourself into your writing.

5) You’re collapsed. It’s hard to feel enthusiasm and energy for things.

You're not gonna like this, but for this one I encourage you to put your keyboard or notebook down and stop trying to write right now. I know that when you're feeling better the writing feels good, and you're trying to feel better because everyone is telling you to feel better.

But it's not working, is it? If it was, you wouldn't be reading this.

For many people, writing requires them to be able to feel investment and excitement, because those feelings help steer them towards what's going to work and be exciting for the reader.

Your best bet is to focus your energy on finding gentle little activities that aren't so hard to focus on. Ideally, ones that get you moving just a little bit. You'll have a better time writing when you're less collapsed.

Shaming yourself and getting hopeless and anxious because you can't do this really difficult task right now will make you more collapsed, not less, which will be the opposite of helpful.

And yes, these are depression symptoms. Consider reaching out for supports and assessment around that if you can.

6) You can’t figure out the next step.

Thank God for the internet, this one is a lot more actionable than it used to be.

The first thing to do here is step back and ask yourself "where am I getting lost?" If you have someone to talk this through with, even better.

Then you hop on to your favorite search engine and type in "Stuck on my outline 2nd act" or "can't get started editing" or whatever. People LOVE giving writing advice. There's plenty around. Read some advice! Try things out!

Now here is the critical point- when and if that advice fails, stop and figure out why it failed. For example, I have a short term memory disorder. Most writing process advice is for people who do not have short term memory impairments. So a lot of the advice just plain didn't work for me.

By figuring out that my subpar memory was in the way of my writing process, I was able to put together processes that work for my specific brain and my specific process. You can read about that in more depth here and here.

Frankenstien yourself a process out of stolen bits of other people's processes, with an understanding of your own personalized needs as the lightning that brings it all to life. If you have even traits of ADHD or autism or other forms of neurodiversity (no diagnosis needed) you might also google "ADHD editing hacks".

Finally, and maybe most importantly, chuck anything that you can't adapt right into the trash. I don't care how great the writer who gave the advice is. That's what works for their life and their brain. You have neither. Writing advice is only as useful as it is adaptable.

7) You think of yourself as someone who doesn’t finish things, possibly with history to back that up.

Oh, I feel this one. This was me so hard. For so long.

Make room for the idea that you can and will change over time. Getting shit done is largely a matter of developing a bunch of skills. You've already developed so many different skills in your life that you might not even recognize some of them as skills. But I promise you that you have.

But you see #6? Go read that one again. If you're not finishing things, it's because there's something missing in your routine and process that you haven't developed skills around yet.

I'm not gonna tell you it's easy, but you can find and isolate the barriers and figure out ways around them.

8) You have too many projects and feel frozen when you try to pick one to work on.

Ask yourself if this is a real problem. It may be! Maybe you dream of making a living off of your writing! That requires a level of consistency.

But it also might just be that you've had it drilling into your head that not finishing things is some kind of personal failing.

Write out all your WIPs and story seeds.

See if some of them can be mushed into one. Some AMAZING stories come from people combining story ideas that seem separate into a single story. That's fun.

See if some of them are not for finishing. What's that post going around? Some stories are for finishing, and some are just for "getting the wiggles out"? That's solid advice.

Maybe some stories are just for daydreaming on the bus. Maybe some stories are actually only 1/3rd of a story, and you want to leave it to grow in the ground before you try to do anything with it. That's incredibly valid and common!

If you actually look at the stories that you have that are for finishing, right now, you may find a much more manageable number. And if you only have like 2 or 3 things you're working on, you can just let them take turns as the passion for each project takes you.

Keep a file somewhere of these undeveloped ideas. I have a scrivner file that has each idea it's own little sub-document so I can add thoughts to them for years as they percolate.

9) You get lost in preparation and don’t make it to the page.

A couple different things can be happening here. One thing that may be happening is that you're just a writer who needs a lot of research and prep time before you write. I'm like that. I will prewrite intensively for a year before I write a single sentence. That sounds ridiculous to a lot of people but it works with how my brain works and then when I do start writing I can easily and happily churn out a consistent 2-4k words per hour. If it works it works! Don't let anyone shame you!

The other option is that you feel like you're going to get something wrong/fail/get in trouble if you get anything "wrong". You feel safer doing research, so that's where you stay.

Only you can figure out which it is. Introspect. Then you know whether to focus on managing anxiety or just keep preppin.

10) You want to write, but when you sit down to write suddenly it’s two hours later and you’ve written like 5 words but curated 3 new playlists, read some fanfiction, and argued with some strangers on the internet.

Brains are rough, aren't they.

There are two schools of thought here. Both work, but not for all the same people.

Option 1 is to clear distractions. Download one of those apps that keeps you off the internet. Put your phone someplace that you need a ladder to reach, so you have to very actively decide to go get it. Noise cancelling headphones. Comfy clothes. Protein rich snacks and a beverage within easy reach. Pee ahead of time. Make a routine out of it to train your brain into associating this with focus.

Option 2 is to figure out the optimal level of distraction. When I write nonfiction I almost always have mindless home renovation shows on at the same time. Because nonficiton writing isn't quite stimulating enough to hold my attention. So my attention wanders and I end up doing something that WILL hold my attention. When I write fiction, I need music OR to be outdoors where I can look at trees or clouds or people on the sidewalk. I can't watch any kind of TV.

Think of your attention like a pie chart. Different writing tasks may take up different percentages of that pie. If you're awesome at focus maybe you can just put 90% of your focus on writing, and the other 10% is just making sure you don't forget to eat or something. But if you can't reliably conjure up more than 70% for one thing, then fill the rest of the pie with things you can easily pick up and put down. I only look up at the home decorating shows when my passive audio scanning suggests it's something I want to look up at.

These are both good approaches. Ignore anyone who demonizes either. That only means they've found the version that works for them.

You have your brain. Build a process for your brain.

I hope this helps. I have a free monthly newsletter if you like hearing my rants. It is...not consistently about writing advice or mental health. One time I wrote about how genetically modified goats are related to French colonized Madagascar in the 1800s as well as the modern US military. One time I broke down modern challenges to medical privacy practice policies. This is all to do with what I write but in an idiosyncratic way.

Cause I gotta write about what I care about.

[maniculum]

Do you have any books or sources for learning Olde English? I want to write a medieval-based story but I don't know how to write the characters speak the language.

That depends -- when you say "Olde English" do you mean Old English, like pre-1066 English? That's pretty far from modern English and it's unlikely that readers will be able to understand it easily. If that's what you're looking for, the texts I was taught with are:

Bright's Anglo-Saxon Reader

Quirk's Old English Grammar

Sweet's Anglo-Saxon Reader

They're all from a while back -- and, as you can see, some use the now-deprecated term "Anglo-Saxon" -- so you can find older editions free in the public domain. More recent revised editions can generally be found in cheap paperback form. I believe there are some more modern textbooks that are quite good, but I haven't looked at them, and I don't know how affordable they are.

I have also consulted with Zoe (@meanderingmedievalist) on this, and she recommends Baker's Introduction to Old English, as well as the related resource Old English Aerobics:

The reason there are textbooks for this, though, is because you genuinely have to treat it as a foreign language. It's very different from modern English. As a sample, here's the beginning of Beowulf:

Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum þeodcyninga þrym gefrunon hu ða æþelingas      ellen fremedon. Oft Scyld Scefing      sceaþena þreatum monegum maegþum      meodosetla ofteah egsode eorle syððan aerest wearð feasceaft funden he þæs frofre gebad weox under wolcnum weorðmyndum þah oð þæt him aeghwylc þara ymbsittendra ofer hronrade      hyran scolde, gomban gyldan      þæt wæs god cyning.

So if you put a lot of it into a story for a modern audience, most of them will be a bit lost.

If when you say "Olde English" you mean "English that sounds archaic and medieval, but is comprehensible to a modern audience", you're probably looking for Middle English.

I don't have any direct references for learning the language there, as I was mostly taught through immersion (i.e., here's a Middle English text, read and translate it, now do another until you get a feel for it), but Zoe recommends Fulk's Introduction to Middle English, so that's a good bet if you don't want to go through that process.

However, I do think the "just read the texts" method also works fine -- especially since, if you're writing a medieval story, you'll want to read some of the literature anyway for inspiration. Here's what you can do to use that method outside of a classroom setting:

Step One: Get a Middle English text with a facing-page translation. Armitage's edition of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is good for this. Read the Middle English text, referring to the Modern English translation on the facing page whenever you don't understand it. Do this with a pencil in hand, so you can annotate the text with definitions, translations, and notes about how the sentences work.

Step Two: Get a Middle English text for which modern translations exist. Don't get the modern translation. The Canterbury Tales works for this: it's a classic and you should be able to pick up a copy anywhere. The version on my shelves is Baugh's Chaucer's Major Poetry -- which is heavily footnoted with definitions, potentially saving some time with the dictionary -- but it doesn't really matter as long as it's in the original. Read it. Every time you don't know a word, look it up in the Middle English Dictionary (available free online, in searchable form, here) and write it down. Again, best to annotate directly on the page with a pencil. Trust me, it helps to do it that way. Once you're done, get a modern translation and check your work.

At this point, you'll probably have picked up enough of the language that you should be able to write in it to some degree, though you'll want to continue making reference to the Middle English Dictionary to make sure you're employing period-appropriate usage and spelling. If you have access to the Oxford English Dictionary (if you're at a university, you almost certainly do, otherwise check with your local library), use that to check when the words you're using originated -- the OED has that listed, and that'll keep you from accidentally dropping an 18th-century term into medieval dialogue. You can also use their Historical Thesaurus to find period-appropriate equivalents for terminology.

Optional Step Three: Keep reading more Middle English literature with the dictionary open, annotating as you go, to get additional practice. If you can get through Le Morte Darthur in the original (get the P.J.C. Field edition), I think you'll be set in terms of "writing convincing medieval prose". Not because it's particularly difficult -- it's late medieval, so the language is actually more modern than either of the texts mentioned in steps one and two -- but just because it's long, so you'll get a lot of practice working through it. As a bonus, reading Malory will familiarize you with lots of good knightly vocabulary in case that's the kind of story you want to write.

Optional Step Four: Read scholarly articles on Middle English language and literature to get a more in-depth understanding. Again, check with your local library, or if you're at a university, a university library will have a vast amount of resources on this subject you can browse through.

[eksvaized]

I'm currently taking a break from writing and editing. So, I thought I'd let you in on the apps and sites that have been my go-to for writing, and give you a quick run-down on how I make the most of them. Everything I use is free 'cause you know, college student budget. You might already know about most of the stuff I'm gonna talk about. However, if you are just starting out and unfamiliar with these apps and sites, I hope you'll find this information useful.

Got any other recommendations? Please let me know!

This tool is my go-to-tool I use once I finish writing and start editing. It identifies surface errors like overlooked typos, punctuation errors, and grammar issues; with a single click, you can fix all these issues instantly.

It also includes an integrated thesaurus that I use when I need to quickly find synonyms for a word.

There are two versions available: free and premium. I use the free version, which, in my opinion, performs just as well. The only minor drawback is that when you run a report, it only checks the first 500 words. This might require some effort to copy and paste the texts, but I promise you, it's absolutely worth it.

Here are all the reports it can generate:

You also have the option to download this instead of using the web version if you prefer.

As a non-native English speaker, I occasionally find myself struggling with the constructions of simple sentences; when I read them, I feel that it doesn’t sound quite right for me, and I know I want to change it. In such cases, I use this tool.

However, I would not recommend using it to paraphrase extensive texts.

There's both a free and premium version available. Personally, I stick with the free version.

I use this app for writing. It offers many functionalities, but what I really appreciate is the ability to create multiple pages within pages. This feature eliminates the need to open numerous files as it organizes everything in one place:

However, my favourite feature is ‘Synced block’ because it allows me to sync content across different pages. This is particularly useful when I'm writing and want to keep my notes visible, ensuring that I don't forget any minor details:

The online version is free.

[tosahobi-if]

different anon, if it's okay with you, i'm interested in how you come up with the names! i've been using random generators but perhaps seeing a different approach is what i need...

this took me forever to answer and i'm so sorry about that, but this is about to be a lengthy post so strap in!

i'll give an overview of korean names and i'll explain some ideas for how you can go about naming your characters! for now i'll stick to korean names, but i've also done research into go-on kanji and chinese given names during the late three kingdoms period, so i can offer a little bit of help on those if people are curious about those as well! i can't promise it'll be as comprehensive tho hehe

a "brief" overview: modern korean names are made up of a surname followed by a given name. for the period tosahobi is set in it was exceedingly common to NOT have a last name. historical records state that last names typically only belonged to nobility and/or royalty, hence why certain characters have last names (jinwol) and other characters don't (yul). korean names are written with hangul, which was invented in 1443 however murim stories are an amalgamation of historical fact and fantasy, which is why i used the "modern" naming system.

korean was originally written using chinese characters. that's why there are typically two versions of a korean name, one in hangul and one in hanja. there are tens of thousands of characters in chinese and many of them have similar sounds which can be differentiated by intonation.

rather than being read logographically, korean is phonographic (modern korean no longer has intonations and different phonemes than chinese) so the same reading can be attached to different characters. (this is called sino-korean!)

hangul was designed to simplify the language to spread literacy to the population. each character represents a sound, and written together they form a syllable. for example, jin (진) has multiple hanja (進, 鎭, 眞, 振, etc.) and are all read as just jin, but in mandarin, they could be read as jìn, zhēn, chén, and so on.

thus korean names are chosen in hangul (ex; jinwol or 진월) then each syllable is assigned a hanja which carries the sound of the syllable used, but carries a corresponding meaning! i did a little breakdown of the hanja used in jinwol's name here!

some things to think about: if you take away anything here, it's that there's no single definition for any name! the components of a name make up the meaning. unless it's a name like yul with a singular character, the two syllables can be built to signify a wideeee variety of things. (that's why you shouldn't trust Name Your Baby sites that are like xyz means This Exactly HAHA!)

gender! hangul names are typically gender neutral, however, hanja can sometimes denote birth gender as there are masculine, feminine, and neutral character radicals. (ex the syllable "yeon" is gnc, but with the hanja 延 (to stretch, lengthen) it can be seen as masculine since that's a more "masculine" quality whereas the hanja 媛 (beauty) it is seen as feminine.)

there are indigenous korean names that come from native korean words being used as names. iseul is one such example! her name 이슬 means "dew" and does not have a corresponding hanja.

important!!! one can still assign arbitrary hanja to syllables, which is why in iseul's case i chose corresponding characters that i thought suited her personality! vibes are a really easy way to go about it. the hanja i chose for "i" (이) is 怡 for joy and 瑟 as in the guse, (known in korea as a seul) which is a type of zither. all together her name signifies "rejoicing at the pleasing sound of the guse".

how i make a name: names are usually one or two characters, for example, iseul is (怡 and 瑟) while yul (律) is one character. some nobility had three character given names, but since this already getting super long i won't be delving into those today.

typically i make the name in hangul first. i think you could do this in reverse (hanja -> hangul) but it'd probably be harder. most given names consist of sino-korean morphemes for each syllable, but you could def give your character a native name like iseul! (ex; garam, naro, roda)

you can theoretically choose any hanja you want (jsyk there's a korean law with a list of hanja you can't use in a name HAHAHA) parents, especially well-educated ones put together names with deep meanings and cultural references.

a common practice is to visit a naming-place where a fortune teller or a scholar (almost always a fortune teller, i've never met any naming scholars but they're out there!) they'll assist parents with hanja meanings for names after receiving information like due date estimations and personal details!

this is where elements of anthroponymy come in and they analyze things like stroke count and the five elements of nature to come up with a "beneficial" name for the child! (for example, if a child was lacking in the water element, the fortune teller could suggest a hanja related to water in some way -> balance achieved!)

vibes are a great way to name your character. one of the first things i consider is personality (are they happy? sad? thoughtful?) followed by things like birthplace (topographic names are popular!) and goals/achievements (what kind of person do i want them to become? brave? smart?) and then start looking up the hanja to attach to their name!

if this seems overwhelming, you're not alone! i take foreverrrrr to name my characters for that exact reason. names are considered very special and sacred (maybe not so much nowadays LOL) but back then they were thought to be a vital part of the soul and identity, which is why it's such a lengthy process!

anyways if you've somehow read to here, thank you so much for sticking through my (unedited) rambling. i'm really excited to be sharing this with you guys! and i'm also happy to help you guys come up with names if you send me asks or dms for your mc if you're having a hard time thinking of a name.

[vieraslaji]

Hello fellow Finnish learners!

I've been meaning to put this post together for weeks and I kept thinking it wasn't ready, but now I've decided to just keep updating it after I post so here it is, in its unfinished form:

While I do enjoy Käärijä's music and I think it's a great way to learn vocabulary, I have difficulty with auditory processing and sometimes I can't understand rap even in my native language. Also, as someone living very far away from Finland, listening and speaking are the hardest things for me to practice.

So! Here's some random assorted Finnish media that I think are nice listening practice and also (most importantly) not Peppa Pig. I cannot professionally vouch for any of these as a learning tool; all I can say is that I've watched/listened to/read them and I feel like maybe I learned something.

MUSIC

Katri Ylander (check out Pandat, Älä kysy miks, Sano mulle jotain kaunista, Kyselen) - she has a pretty low vocal range, which is great for understanding, and she has a lot of repetitive choruses

Ollie (check out Ainakin mä rakastin, Aavikolla, Älä riko mua enää) - we've got kind of a downtempo sadboy thing going on here, which is excellent for our learning purposes

Mikko Harju (check out Meidän puolella, Oon nähnyt unta, Mä olen tässä, Sinä riittää) - there tend to be clear breaks between words in his songs and he uses less puhekieli than a lot of artists

Younghearted (check out Kuljetaan, Tässä ja nyt, Sun numero) - literally I just like them idk

Antti Tuisku - Koti - I wouldn't put Antti Tuisku as an artist in general on this list, but Koti basically feels like an Ollie song

YOUTUBE

KatChats - great educational content for all learner levels, speaks very slowly and uses very little puhekieli. I also think she has a facebook and/or discord community?

Nedde - mostly a Sims and Sims-esque gaming channel, which is great for vocab building and comprehension because she narrates what she's doing onscreen

T I N K E - lots of life vlogs and sims videos; I think she speaks really clearly and understandably

Herbalisti - he speaks a lot faster and more colloquially, but his minecraft and random-pelit videos are good for the same reasons as Sims videos. also he has a really cute cat

Aleksi Rantamaa - specifically his TLDR LIVE videos are easiest to understand because he's talking to chat so he repeats himself a lot and takes a lot of pauses between his sentences

PODCASTS

Opi Suomea! - hasn't been updated in a long time but it's great listening and vocab practice about everyday topics

Soturikissat Kastepilven kanssa - I am about to make another post about this whole phenomenon but just trust me on this one

Miksei kukaan kertonut? - the host speaks very understandably and, way more importantly, her guests always have decent microphones

NETFLIX (it's what I have sorry)

Julie and the Phantoms - it's honestly very well done for a teen drama and the music is stupidly catchy

Zero Chill - another netflix teen drama; I liked it less than julie and the phantoms but it's fine

Heartstopper - don't lie to me, you're on tumblr. you've heard of heartstopper.

Carmen Sandiego - genuinely super engaging as far as kid's shows go; it reminds me of the educational cartoons I watched as a kid

The Dragon Prince - literally by the creators of ATLA, you don't need my elevator pitch for it

[heich0e]

Liv you don’t have to answer this if you’re not comfortable with it but I was just wondering if you have any tips on how to have safe sex? I feel like those kinds of conversations are so overlooked in media and as a person who’s never been sexually active im kinda nervous and scared. I know having a condom it’s important but what else? Like, how to prevent infections or something like that… anyway yeah, sorry if that was an intrusive ask. I hope you have a nice day!

EDIT: i say this below the cut, but i want to add it here too i am not an expert i am just a person speaking from what i know and sharing what resources i can.

first of all please DON'T apologize!! this is such an important question/subject and i think it's very sweet you came to me with it, and i appreciate you trusting me to help!!

off the top of my head the three biggest things that came to mind were condoms (the big obvious one) but also ideally a backup birth control method if contraception is necessary, making sure you and your partner are tested for STDs/STIs (also probably obvious) and just generally are able to communicate about stuff like that, and (something that i wish more ppl talked about!!) lube. lube helps reduce friction, which prevents any tearing (both internally but also for condoms!! just make sure the type of lube you're using is ok to be used with whatever kind of condom you're using.) i've been saying for years that more ppl need to get on board with using lube because it is there to help!!

when it comes to sexual hygiene it's going to differ a lot for every person, not just depending on your anatomy but because everybody's body is different. everyone says "pee after sex to prevent UTIs!!" but the reality is that sometimes that just doesn't help—i know ppl who deal with chronic UTIs because they have a rly sensitive PH/flora and sex just fucks with it (no pun intended.) yeast infections can happen too. the most important thing is that you know this is NORMAL and is not something you need to be scared of or embarrassed about.

please for the love of god my sweet angel if you are a vagina haver do NOT use internal "feminine washes." they are BAD for you and your snatch. no matter how "natural" or "ph balanced" they claim to be they are not meant to go inside you and can rly fuck with your body chemistry. use gentle unscented soap around the area and otherwise JUST water to clean inside. (here's a link to a webpage from the royal women's hospital on dos/don'ts for hygiene! it covers everything from washing to menstrual care to sexual hygiene, but it is specific to vaginal care.)

i'm not an expert, or a doctor, i'm just a girl on the internet who's sharing what she knows with you. but i want you to be informed and feel empowered and reassured by that information, so i found some resources on safe (/"safer") sex for you in case you want to read some stuff from people who know what they're talking about.

scarleteen - this is the largest online resource for "comprehensive and highly inclusive sex and relationships education, information and support." This is an incredible and regularly updated source for info on EVERY possible subject related to sex, bodies, and relationships.

the safer sex toolbox from the american sexual health association - after skimming through this seems like a very helpful and incredibly detailed resource!

planned parenthood resources - they have pages that talk about everything from birth control, to healthy relationships, gender identity, and even sexual pleasure.

love you little friend, and i am very proud of u for asking and wanting to know this info. you're doing amazing!!

[anotherpapercut]

College Resources

hey y'all so I have a degree in math, and have been tutoring college level math, stats, physics, and study skills for a few years now and I have several certifications as a college level tutor and in my years tutoring I've picked up a lot of absolutely essential things you NEED to know to pass math classes (and others!) if you have a hard time in math class, which unfortunately most schools will not teach you

so if you're in college (or high school, but some of these will be college specific) and you would like to hear my Professional Tips for how to survive math in college I have compiled a list of things I think you should know below the read more! I'm going to put a couple general tips at the top though for people who aren't taking a math class

alright, welcome to the read more! let's start with some general things

ok I'm starting with a kind of tip before the tips: if you are disabled, talk to disability support services at your school. a lot of times they provide services to attain a diagnosis if you don't have one, but if you do it's typically pretty easy to get accommodations and if your teachers try not to follow them, they will get in A LOT of trouble (I'm in the us so idk how disability laws are in other countries but here this is a big deal for universities bc public funding etc and if you make a complaint they will be FORCED to comply). I'm not saying bad experiences never happen, I've not been to every school in the us and I'm sure there are places that suck abt this, but I literally would not have been able to get a degree in math without accommodations (I'm autistic and have dyscalculia + memory issues) so it was worth every annoyed sigh by a dumbass teacher (which honestly rarely happened. most of them were cool). some possible accommodations include, extra time on tests, separate testing locations, formula cards, ability to use notes etc etc

I work in a free tutoring center at my local community college. while I won't say these are definitely universal, every college I have encountered (in the US, where I live) has one of these. Google the name of your school with tutoring. there is a very high chance you have free tutors available in a variety of subjects who are ready to help you. you should utilize the fuck out of this bc ur already probably paying for it in ur tuition

my favorite resource ever is one you may have heard of but I'm reminding you of it anyway. the Crash Course YouTube channel! it has free comprehensive videos about various subjects (including anatomy, physics, biology, economics, statistics and lots lots more). the videos are about 10 minutes each and they're incredibly easy to understand. they're an amazing way to study for finals. trust me on this one. they actually now have real introductory college courses that you can take for credit (tho I think you have to pay for that?) through YouTube so check into that!

take notes!!!!!!!! for real. seriously. even if you've never had to before. trust me. and don't just copy exactly what the board says, write what your teacher says out loud as well, that is often the most important stuff. I highly recommend investing in a few colored pens and/or highlighters. anytime the teacher says something important (such as formulas in a math class or a grammar rule in an English class) either write it in another color, or highlight it. color coding your notes even the tiniest bit will help you tremendously when you're studying and doing homework later. this doesn't mean having a color code so elaborate and strict that you're spending more time and energy figuring out the right color than listening and writing. I usually do the bulk of my notes in black then things like formulas or whatever in one bright color and extra bits of info from the teacher in another, this way it's easier to find the important stuff later on

if you've got a couple extra bucks, invest in a mini stapler. you'll be shocked how often those lil bitches come in handy

DO NOT EVER purchase your text books before the classes start (unless you get like an email before class starts telling you you need the book, but this is pretty rare tbh). half of your teachers are going to tell you on day 1 that they don't use the book at all. and honestly almost all of your books can be found by googling the name + pdf. just triple check that you have the correct edition!

speaking of emails, CHECK YOUR FUCKING SCHOOL EMAIL. I am so dead serious about this one. set up notifications on your phone. if you do not check your email you are going to show up for cancelled classes, miss assignment corrections, and generally not do nearly as well in your classes. I know this sounds fake but holy fucking shit please for the love of all that is good and holy check your fucking email. seriously.

the best way to study for your finals is to look at past tests and homework! if your teacher isn't a total dick they'll give you back your tests and homework. when studying for your final, go through and redo any that you got wrong, and look over the ones you got right. teachers usually take final questions from old tests and homework so if you do this it's very possible you'll study your exact finals questions. if they won't give you these back, reread your notes (in a way I'll describe in a moment)

reread your notes the same day you take them or very soon after so the lecture is still fresh in your mind! when you do this, grab a colored pen and take notes on your notes. I know this sounds ridiculous but it's actually a very important study tool. if you come across something you wrote that is confusing, write out an explanation. write down extra things that will help you understand the material. if there's something that you don't understand or don't remember PLEASE ask your teacher. some of them won't answer email so catch them in office hours or after class if you can. at the end of the semester when you're studying for finals, do this all over again but through your whole notebook for the semester (not all at once. pls take breaks lmfao)

if your teacher doesn't offer it up at the end of the semester, ask "can you please tell us some of the topics we should emphasize when studying for our finals?" (you can also say this in a far less pretentious way but I've found that professors are more likely to give you a real answer if you talk like this ¯\_(ツ)_/¯) I'm ngl, some of em will be assholes about this. they may laugh at the idea and snarkily say "look at your homework" or some shit equivalent. roll your eyes at these old bitches and move on. but many if not most will at least give y'all some idea of what to expect. and crucially: write down what they say and use it as a study guide

okey dokey!! that concludes the general section. now I'm gonna talk about some math specific stuff that will help you a lot if you struggle with math!

starting with an easy one: get a good calculator. please for the love of GOD do not get the TI-30X IIS unless you love it and are EXTREMELY familiar with all of the different operations. I'm sorry but this calculator sucks ass and it will hold you back. for about the same price you can get my personal favorite the Casio FX-115ES Plus (1st edition only, I haven't tried the 2nd edition bc I don't like change) or an FX-991 EX. if you're a Texas instruments guy get a TI 30XS or if ur doing calc and shit I'd get a 36X pro. I just prefer Casio personally lmao. in all likelihood your math teacher will be a calculator nerd who can teach you how to use any of these but there are also lots of videos made by calculator nerds on YouTube as well

so next I just want to emphasize how important your notes are. you cannot pass a math class without good notes unless it's a class you've already taken or something, and honestly even then I'd recommend you write some stuff down because the thing about math is there are a lot of different ways to do the same thing. which brings me to my next point

pay attention to the process your teacher uses to solve problems (I'll give an example in a sec) and especially to how they write the process down. if you're like me and you have trouble with the whole "show your work" thing this will help a lot, because you can use what your teacher writes down as a guideline for what you should write down. for instance, you may have learned about a math concept like permutations and combinations in high school one way, and then be taught a completely different way of performing the calculation in college. if this happens, ask your teacher about your way. sometimes their way is better for a specific reason and it's really important that you learn it. sometimes they'll say it doesn't matter just do what makes the most sense to you. sometimes you will also not get full credit if you do things a different way too so be careful and pay attention to what your teacher says abt it. you may have also been taught to show some steps in an operation but not others and your new teacher may want all of them. or none. or different ones. unfortunately math has a lot of variations

similarly, if there's a concept you don't understand, start by asking your teacher about it first bc they may want you doing a specific thing. if they're not helpful and you don't have access to a tutor turn to the internet. here are my recommendations for resources: Khan Academy has videos and examples explaining concepts in pretty much all types of math. usually really helpful because they'll show you several different methods and use different explanations, MathWay for classes that come before trig/calc. you can use it for those but it's a little more annoying lol specifically in regards to graphing and solving integrals and shit. this tool has A LOT of stuff in it but is best as a calculator to check your work on stuff and for showing you graphs that have transformations and shit like that from college algebra. it's got settings for different math types and even chemistry tho!, for more complicated graphing I'd use Desmos. you can use this in all classes but it's just a bit more complicated imo and it's more made for complex operations so I prefer to use MathWay as much as possible bc it's just more user friendly., there's also Symbolab which a lot of my fellow tutors really like but I personally tend to use the others more, Wolfram Alpha is a pretty well known one. tbh I find it kind of hard to use sometimes so i usually use it as a last resort lmfao but it is really good!, this last one is calculus specific (including things like calc based physics ofc) but derivative calculator and integral calculator are everything to me. could not have gotten through calc 2 and 3 w/o these mfs

OK THIS PART IS REALLY IMPORTANT!! we're going to talk about how you can make your math tests WAY easier on you and massively improve your chances of passing. here's what you're going to do for every test

1. when studying for your test, go through and find ALL formulas that you used in the unit(s) your test is over (this includes formulas you learned previously but used in this unit as well!!)

2. commit them to memory. easiest way to do this (besides practicing using them!!) is to rewrite them a few times including what you use them for and what all of the symbols and letters stand for

3. when you go in to take your test, spend like 5-10 minutes beforehand, right up until they make you put everything away, studying and rewriting these

4. the SECOND the test hits your desk, flip it over and write down every single formula immediately (including as much extra info like when to use and variable definitions as possible). now you won't have to try to remember them 30 minutes in when your brain is frying!!

5. go through the test and read each question carefully. if you can't remember how to solve it within 30 seconds skip it. you might only do 4 or 5 questions (maybe less depending on the length of your test) after the first pass, but just go back to the beginning and do it again, giving urself a little more time w each pass. this will ensure that you're not spending 45 minutes on problem 4 and having no time to get to the rest of the test. additionally with math it is extremely common to basically find the answer to how to do one problem while you're doing another problem. doing the ones you know first will also boost your confidence and help prevent anxiety from wiping ur brain. this is a really really important part of math tests

6. before you hand your test in, make sure you've written SOMETHING down on EVERY SINGLE QUESTION. even if you have absolutely 0 idea whatsoever what to do, there is always a chance for partial credit. a lot of times, you also know more than you think you do. so even if you can only do half a step of the whole process, half a point is better than 0!! if you really have no clue what to do, make something up. I know this probably sounds ridiculous but I'm so deadass. once I was taking a physics test and could not for the life of me remember what formula to use so I just made one up based on my vague idea of how it worked lmao. I wrote off to the side "I know this isn't how physics works, but I can't remember that so just pretend I'm god for a second" and I got like 75% of the points bc the teacher appreciated the effort!! there were fucking countless times when I was taking a test and I got to a point where I knew the steps of what I was supposed to do but could not figure out HOW to actually DO the math. so I wrote in words my understanding of what the next steps were. even though I didn't finish answering the question, I always got points for trying. this is what teachers are wanting from you. effort. so PLEASE write literally anything even if you're just making that shit up (just explain your reasoning in words to the side, as long as you're using logic you're really getting the essence of math anyway). you would not BELIEVE how fast your grades will improve by doing this. I tutored a girl who went from Ds to Bs within literally 2 weeks of starting tutoring just because she stopped leaving any questions blank and started getting partial credit

that's all the important stuff I can think of for now though I'm sure there's much more so I may update this in the future!

of course everyone is going to have a different experience and relationship with math. so adjust all of these tips to fit how you learn best. please try to remember that learning math is a very important part of developing your critical reasoning and logistical analysis skills. these are essential to understanding and interacting with the world and math is just a way of exercising those muscles. trust me when I say I know how infuriating math can be. I have dyscalculia and a math degree. I've spent so many hours crying over math you probably wouldn't even believe me. but it's worth it! and frankly, if you're in college, you're paying a lot of money for this class. you deserve to get everything you possibly can out of it

above all, if you're having trouble ASK FOR HELP. ask your teacher, ask your classmates, ask the head of the department, ask student services, ask Google!! and if you need help you can always ask me! :) I love helping people with this stuff and even if I don't know the answer to your question I'm pretty good at knowing where to look for them!

[zzzzzestforlife]

Thank u so much for your answer 💗 i am also in my early twenties (21) so this is gives me some motivation that i can have my shit together too 🤡 I have ADHD and it’s either I am very productive or absolutely not a functional human 😩 I especially have a hard time with my sleep schedule I could manage it last semester and set up a routine but this semester I have insomnia and my energy levels are so low 😭 do you have some apps to help u manage your goals? Or you write on paper? I want to set a system but I’m not sure how to !

Also what is your MBTI?

hello again, i'm glad i could help a bit! ☺️ although i've never been diagnosed, i relate so much to your situation, love. hope these help you! and now i'm also curious about your MBTI if you want to share 👀

apps i use 📱

YouTube — ok, not your standard productivity app, but hear me out: it's incredibly motivating when i can watch my favorite vloggers (ones who embody non-toxic productivity, good habits, and in general, aspects of the healthy and wholesome life i want to lead myself) and be inspired for the week/day/month/year ahead! i also use it to keep myself on task with easy-but-not-too-easy-listening playlists so that i don't get bored and zone out or something, and of course it's where i get all my comprehensible input for language learning! i'm a firm believer that it's not the took but rather how you use it. deleting social media doesn't work half as well as training yourself to use it in ways that serve you. yes, it takes more time and effort and there will be times you feel like you're backsliding, but it feels so good when you get into a healthy groove with it, trust me!

Standard Notes — no frills, great privacy, edit history so you can always roll back, super clean and easy to use. i love lists and this is great for that. definitely do an audit and purge every now and then no matter what app you use or else you'll always find yourself not knowing where you're at or where you need to be! i also use it to draft emails, important messages, even stuff i want to remember to say at work meetings (planning things in advance helps me orient myself better in the present to action on my goals~). i used it to journal as well before, but nowadays i journal longhand also because i want to practice handwriting in Korean/Chinese.

Notion — i use this more for long-term stable tracking/lists like Life Goals™️ (literally just a bucket list that i intend to evaluate once a year, but i give into the urge to do it roughly every quarter, lol). so if something's been in my Standard Notes for a while and hasn't changed, or i notice myself journaling about it regularly, i might transfer it out to Notion. i also manage my course notes and program plan here because i like being able to quickly search for things.

Tumblr — the challenges i've been doing are all that's keeping me accountable sometimes 😅 when it comes to goal-setting, something about needing to articulate as if someone else is going to read it helps me be more realistic and clear about what i want to achieve. the community support is also very motivating 🙏

Calm — the sleep/breathwork meditations help me a lot when i'm too wired or anxious to sleep. the also have some energizing ones that help when i need to be awake but feel too low energy🔋

Clock App — literally, just set an alarms for when you want to go to sleep. i recently turned mine off because i've gotten into the habit so much that it's more annoying than actually serving a purpose now, but in the beginning it helped me a lot. set them aggressively too, like the way you would when you want to make sure you wake up, like one to go off every five minutes for like an hour 😂 also since i'm juggling work, school, etc, it's very useful for making sure i get to all my appointments on time!

what i keep track of on paper 📝

journal entries — as i mentioned, i like doing this longhand lately as it feels more therapeutic when i'm writing myself out of a non-functional period.

school to-do list/daily planner — i don't know why i just started keeping track of this analog and it works well for me. i write down a masterlist of readings, assignments, etc. for the week and then from that list, write down what i'm going to tackle each day.

my MBTI

as a psychology student, i feel obliged to preface this with a short "your MBTI is not a stable thing because your personality is constantly evolving" speech, so:

your MBTI is not a stable thing because your personality is constantly evolving *end speech*

i'm INFJ (but i've also been ISFJ, INTJ, ENFJ, probably others i don't remember, basically if you're a different personality and we spend some time together, i will use my INFJ empathetic powers to become not-INFJ)

💌 previously answered ask for context in case anyone else is in a similar situation ❤️

[pruning-the-minds-garden]

Index Of Writings on Safety & Consent

Included in this list will be some adjacent posts that aren't explicitly about safety or consent. I will put them in a "related content" section below to separate them out, as they are information, education or opinion-related topics related to kink in general without being overtly sexual, but aren't specifically about either safety or consent.

... okay okay okay they are mostly about other stuff right now but I will fill that out in due course...

Writings on Safety and Consent:

On Trust: A writing about the place of trust in the hypnokink community, and specifically about the idea of proximal trust (read for more), and whether I want you to trust me implicitly (I do not), and where I think accountability lay for abuse (with abusers).

Towards a Safe(r) Hypnokink: a prelude to the second post on this list, it details a number of the Best Practices that the second post elaborates on even further.

Layered Best Practices in Erotic Hypnosis: This is exactly what it sounds like, covering a whole array of best practices starting from the very beginning going to the very end to keep you and your partner safe and make sure you have as enjoyable a time as possible in your hypnokinky scene.

Five Lessons: Five Lessons gained while I was having active discussions with people, putting myself out there as a hypnotist specifically focused on doing trances for safety suggestions and to help ameliorate the effects of hypnokink scenes gone awry.

Making Dreams Come True: Dropped By A Stranger: In this writing I talk about how to feasibly and safely make the fantasy of being dropped and used by strangers into a reality. It's not exactly the same as the version that people often envision, but this one comes with 100% fewer internet randos deciding to use you in ways you did not consent to being used!

Writings on Safety and Consent by Other Hypnokinksters

Here are some of the better and more comprehensive writings on the subject by other hypnokinksters. I will add to this list as I run across other posts on the subject, and people are free to send some to me as well.

"They Must Have Wanted It": A post about arousal non-concordance (that is, how physical arousal does not correlate with or imply consent and how that disconnect happens) and how that applies to hypnokink as well, and can be broadened to more phenomena than just sex. (Originally by @writtenbynath)

Can a Hypnotist Make You Do Things You Don't Want?: Answering, essentially, the question right there on the tin. This delves into the somewhat layered answered to whether a hypnotist can do that, and why they both can and can't in different scenarios, and the complexities of consent. (Originally by @writtenbynath)

Hypnosis Ethics: Setting Aside the Myths: Ethical Hypnotists Use Safeties - A post discussing how intrinsic safeties - that is, safeties that work within the trance itself and are laid down in the trance itself - are not by themselves enough to minimize the risk from hypnokink. I also added a bit at the end. (originally by @sweetsurrenderdoll)

Hypnosis Ethics & Safe Practice Advocates: Be Careful Who You Listen To - A short primer on the idea that you should be careful who you listen to in the hypnokink safety and consent space, and make sure that you are consciously judging and scrutinizing the advice you receive to be sure it is good. I added my own thoughts at the end, also. (originally by @sweetsurrenderdoll)

Resources to Avoid and Deprogram from Cult Thinking: A multi-author post that is exactly what it sounds like, an extensive list of resources and tools to prevent and break people out of cult-like thinking and avoid it yourself, as well as that discusses some stuff around Gen Z and TikTok. (By several contributing authors)

Guidance on Reality-Altering Hypnokink and Psychosis: This post focuses on the "Goncharov" fake fandom as a lens through which to talk about the potential impact that blurring the line between reality and unreality can have on people, especially people with psychosis (ex: schizophrenia). (Originally by @misscammiedawn)

Shutting Down a Scene: A short guide on a set of circumstances in which a Dom would want to stop a scene, when it is clear that their partner has lost the capacity to provide ongoing, meaningful consent. (Originally by @instructor144, though his blog has since been deleted)*

How to use self hypnosis to change or remove hypnotic suggestions on yourself: Exactly what it sounds like, a guide on how to use self-hypnosis to remove adverse suggestions in your own mind without any outside assistance (Originally by @writtenbynath)

Safety Thoughts from Vulnerable Experiences: Starting with a bit about NNPP, Yoyo talks about subject agency and reclaiming yourself after your limits have eroded because of abusive hypnotists and unsafe hypnokink practices. (Originally by @yoyomindloops )

The Hypnofetish Trust Pyramid: This lays out a model for trust and rapport in hypnokinky relationships, that encompasses the explicitly consensual, dubiously consensual, CNConsensual, and others, as well as discussing aftercare and out-of-scene interactions and the importance of having and building a healthy dynamic. (Originally by @fallinginward)

Unethical Files, Content Warnings, and Dubious Consent: A rather lengthy breakdown of some of the potential dangers of some free files, and things to watch out for if listening to them. (Originally by @rainytigerdinosaur)

Patterns of a Predatory Hypnotist: This is another lengthy breakdown on dangers in the hypnokink community, this time the general patterns of behavioral escalation to look out for to keep yourself safe. (Originally by @rainytigerdinosaur)

Signs of Hypnotic Abuse: And this is the third file in RTD's safety set, this one on the signs to look out for in yourself which can indicate to you that you are in a potentially unhealthy dynamic. (again, Originally by @rainytigerdinosaur)

Thoughts on Consent - Best Practices, and When Those Aren't Necessary: Like a lot of other articles here, it's exactly what it says on the tin. It describes some best practices of consent in hypnokink - or kink in general, really - and some cases where those best practices aren't really necessary. Life is complicated, and you don't always need to play with the absolute highest level of safety as you would with a new, first-time partner. (Originally by @daja-the-hypnokitten)

How to do Kink as a Disabled Person / Spoonie: A long list of tips from multiple creators on how to do various kinks and sexual practices if you are a disabled person, and for various meanings/iterations of disability.

[aquariclily]

🔞 Minors do not interact! 18+ only, & preferably 20+.

⠀General Roleplay Information!

All my blogs are listed here!

I personally prefer long RP stuff to be discussed through messages or Discord as I value OOC trust & communication. However, I'm good with filling in interest checkers as well.

I accept most inbox submissions, even for non-(Tumblr)roleplayers. But please don't expect for literally all inbox replies to turn into threads (though, you can ask.)

I can't consistently cut posts bc I'm generally on my phone & open Tumblr on the app.

I roleplay on both Tumblr & Discord. Discord RP's are a little more prioritized sometimes because it's more easy for me for short/more casual stuff. I'm open to try out other platforms if convenient.

NOTE: I am highly selective with my canons.

⠀Do Not Interact…

— DNI if your blog contains the following: Pedo/Incest/Bestiality/Anything Too Problematic (think of e.g. uncomfy~immoral/illegal taboo stuff, etc.) I really don't care what tf you're into - I just don't want to SEE these things on my dash. (Plus, I also don't want trouble.)

— OOC garbage behavior such as; Racism/Sexism/T.ERF/S.WERF/G.ender critical/M.AP/Z.oosexual/A.lt-right/Any discrimination or insensitivities to marginalized groups/etc. I will block that shit on sight.

— "Collectors". I block collectors on sight. I have terrible experiences with them. I usually block them on sight (for my mental health.) If you want your OC x Canon ship, you must offer double-up or leave me alone. Find some other blog.

— I'll repeat: No minors. Roleplay is for 18+ only, 20+ is preferred (not mandatory. This is because I'm 30+.) However, minors are free to follow my blog(s) if they are SFW. It's just that I don't want to roleplay with them.

— If I blocked you: Don't fucking block evade me!!

Notes: I block very liberally to curate my Tumblr Experience™ (it usually means that I just don't want to interact so don't take a block too personal) & it would be too laboring to fully elaborate on every small thing that just bothers me. (Along on how a lot of people on this website lack basic reading comprehension… not worth it. 🗿)

If you read this. Please don't worry about me blocking you out of the blue, I usually (kindly) confront people if we're mutuals for a while.

I admit that I suffer from trauma (C-PTSD) so curating my experience is very important. I don't want to list my specific triggers because it can be used against me but it's in the range of taboo/extreme stuff (what's in my DNI.)

⠀RP Do's…

— Just wing it. Don't get intimidated, I like casual RP's on Tumblr too. Don't worry too much about length/detail.

— Try to read the Blog/Muse Info's. Not mandatory, but it would be nice. This post is just the general RP rules (hence, it's posted on my main.)

— Be patient. Acknowledge that there is an actual PERSON behind the screen. I am not an AI. Don't treat me like one. I have my preferences, & prefer to stick in my comfort zone. And sometimes I get busy. Sometimes, I just want to do different things. Sometimes, I'm just too tired, moody, sick, or whatever reason. You can ask what's up when in doubt, though. It's fine. I'm just saying that I have a life, my preferences, and that I need my rest.

— Talk OOC, plot stuff, discuss dynamics between our muses, etc. I may fill in interest checkers but I personally prefer to work through messages. Interest checkers don't really work for me on my canons so I no longer do that. I value good OOC communication. This is how you get things done with me.

— If there is a problem, talk it out. Let's acknowledge that we're human and being humans means that we're flawed and we all can have our bad days; I want to keep my mind open and hear you out.

— Give attention, show some excitement; I gravitate to those who seem most interested & express it. Don't worry about ♥/reblog-spam lol, I don't mind. I like the attention.

— Come up with ideas. Talk about our muses & world-building. You could never ever bother me with genuine interest & passion. Passionate writers are admirable.

— If you struggle with coming up with ideas: Ask! I will not mind if you ask, because that indicates that you're interested! Which is a good thing. I'll gladly brainstorm for you.

— Drop threads & start new ones if you lost muse. It's fine.

— Take a break if you need it! ♥

⠀RP Don'ts…

And I can't stress it enough.

— Don't be weird. Respect my boundaries. I am very tired.

— Don't sexualize/romance the muses that are minors or child-coded.

— Don't godmod. Don't try to control my muse without my consent.

— Don't expect me to ship something if we haven't discussed it. Also don't be a jerk if I say "No". I'm still selective. Don't demand me to do double up for ships if I don't see you demand it to others & don't see it in your BYI/RP Rules. (It's unfair to put a double standard to me.)

— Don't disrespect my wishes and preferences in roleplays. I am not an AI that is willing to write literally everything. Don't get mad if my muse isn't going to act the way you want them to. Don't guilt trip me for retiring muses: My muse for things isn't going to stay the same forever.

— Don't pressure me to write things I'm not (or no longer) interested in. When in doubt, just ask. If you don't ask; I guess you'll just stay in doubt then! Sorry.

— Don't make OOC vagueposts & stuff like that. It makes me nervous and worry if it's about me. I also will raise a brow at you if you give OOC drama more attention than roleplay, this can result into me confronting you or even unfollowing you if we're not close enough. Outside that: I actually DO support callouts of genuinely shitty & problematic people with actual/proper evidence! I'd rather not want to end up interacting with e.g. someone who's predatory or weird around minors.

— Don't be afraid to message me!! I'd love to talk.

Discord…

— Feel free to message me for my Discord if interested. Be sure to have some clear information about yourself somewhere before I add you!

— My status often says that I'm "offline". I want to reply at my own pace.

— Even on Discord, I take my breaks.

⠀⠀♡ this post to confirm that you've read the "General Roleplay Information"!

— Message me if there are any questions! Don't be shy if you don't understand some things.

[goatpaste]

Considering how Araki liked killing off so many ladies in Part 8, or ignored them, I'm more bothered that we didn't get any female-Rock Humans. I get maybe Pillars were rushed for time, but he had way more time to say, make some rock humans who weren't guys. Just something that bothers me.

YeaH I'm gonna admit like I love jojolion a lot

But the rock human plot felt? Off to me

Like idk if my reading comprehension is just not there but in like.. idk if I fully get the reason for the rock humans? And why they couldn't just be regular humans. Like I don't hate that there's rock humans but I didn't see the point of them having to exist the way they did

And arakis really weird convoluted whatever about insisting their just kinda antagonistic in nature and cannot hold a positive relationship with humans and romantic relationships with humans end with them hurting or killing their partners? Like what was the point of that especially when at least 2 of the rock humans from their lil group were ruining by their humans romantic partners? Like they loved and trusted their humans so much that it near destroyed them ? And one of them still wished to be with his old love?

Then being like, rock humans cannot have with kids with humans..... (100 chapters later) lol sike here's a half human half rock person for some reason

Like what did we gain from them specfically being rock humans ig? Geniuenly idk if I read jojolion too fast and suck at understanding but if someone has their interpretation or better understanding of this I wanna know fr? Like I LIKE rock humans I just fjdjjd don't get it lol

Maybe thats all it is? Just that it's a cool concept and araki always seems set on nearly non human thing being evil by nature it seems? Like vampires and pillar men even tho I could say the way he wrote the pillar men as human and sympathetic? Was also confusing if he wanted us to just think their the bad guys. Just a running araki trend?

And yeah araki kinda just barely has woman antagonist in general like... being able to literally count every female antagonist on my hands it's like... yeah he doesn't! Tend to go the way of making many cool evil woman sadly.. so it's not a surprise no female rock humans... but fuck dude it woulda been nice to see!

[tjmystic]

Short version: racists, stop co-opting religious symbols, because now I can't tell who's just religious and who's using those symbol to declare their racism.

Long version (under the cut):

Something happened to me in the late 2000s where I stopped seeing crosses as a source of comfort. Like, I have one in my bedroom, but I mean seeing crosses on other people, like on necklaces and things. As a kid, seeing them made me feel safe, to a degree, because I automatically "knew" that I had something in common with the people wearing them.

And then I started listening to the kinds of things that most of those people said, and all of the comfort bled away.

I'm still Christian, but I never see a cross anymore and think, "Oh, that person believes the same things I do!" More often, they believe the exact opposite. I generally hate to be an idealism purist, same as claiming to know everything and have all of the answers, but I DO know that Christianity has rarely been what Jesus wanted, and never when it was the predominant religion of the ruling class. Even though what these people practice clearly ISN'T Christianity, though, the religion itself and its symbols mostly make me feel uncomfortable now.

Well, I'm starting to feel the same way with Stars of David. And I DETEST that. Because, just like with my religion, I KNOW that Judaism is NOT what Zionists and evangelical hate groups are trying to make it into. I know that more Jewish people than not oppose the genocide in Palestine because they've been victims of countless genocides themselves and know that "never again" means for everyone, not just Jews. I know that Judaism is not a religion or ethnicity built on hate. But, just like I know the same about Christianity while evangelicals and fundamentalists clearly don't, I know this about Judaism while Zionists don't. I can't even say there's a significant difference between the two, because, at least in America, nationalism has tainted both to the degree that most public figures of both Christianity and Judaism are the loudest supporters of Israel. And now I'm wary every time I see a Star of David in someone's profile picture, because I don't know if it's from a Jewish person who's rightfully proud of their heritage and/or religion, a Jewish person loudly reaffirming their faith by asserting that their beliefs don't condone genocide, or a Zionist who co-opted the symbol for their hate crimes or support of them.

I hate it.

I mean, what next? Am I going to start feeling uncomfortable when I see the aum? The crescent? The yin yang symbol? Which group is going to take a religion -- an inherently neutral thing -- next and turn it into something vile that makes me question the morals of everyone associated with it?

I don't hate religions. I love the ways that people have faith and express it. I love the different ways that so many human beings see God or the divine. Religion is not the enemy because, to paraphrase David Mitchell, people have killed each other in the name of anything, whether it was politics or religion or something else, since the dawn of time. Removing religion just removes the comfort and sense of identity that a lot of people cling to in their darkest moments. But the more that wicked people appropriate symbols of faith, the harder it is trust that any religious person believes what they say instead of using their beliefs as a justification for cruelty. Especially since the people who are loudest about belonging to a specific religion are usually the ones doing the most harm.

And in case it wasn't clear (and because reading comprehension on this site is notoriously poor), this is NOT a place for antisemitism. Get out of here with that bullshit. Jewish people are just as much people as everyone else and have just as much of a right to their faith and ethnicity. Zionists, however, are scum who typically hide behind either Judaism or fundamentalist Christianity as an excuse to kill innocent people and colonize land that doesn't belong to them.

[striving-artist]

okay, its This Post if you want to go look, but I'm not going to reply on the thread cause I have writing to do tonight and, like I said, yelling at a brick wall does no good. But I WILL take the opportunity to point out a couple things that are common mistakes online during discourse and how you can manipulate a response.

Under a cut because most people don't find examining fallacy and post analysis interesting.

To start, here's all responses of the thread in a simplified form:

Post about voting against Trump

Post from Ohsalome supporting OP with a reference to a commonly heard complaint about Biden (that he is supporting Israel)

Post supporting OP, with a reference to a statement from Trump about creating a dictatorship.

Post supporting OP, talking about the dangers of Trump globally.

Post about the use of Russian misinfo in 2016, discouraging voting and dividing progressives from more moderate dems. Also that it is visible today about Gaza.

Me, supporting OP, and #5, acknowledging the existence of nuance, and adding reminders of Trump being awful.

Quote of someone's tags in support of people voting

Arabian Knight shifts tone and topic, sounding more like Trump, and throws out a lot of directionless insults at the rest of the thread.

Arabian Knight again, misquoting #2, turning a statement into a scare quote that they use to expand on their insults.

Anathema comes in, loudly outraged by the quote Arabian Knight presented in #9, claiming it came from Ohsalome in #2

Wet Paint arguing for people to vote in a primary against Biden (there is no primary btw, this is not an option) and then tagging me and my quote, to claim that I think American lives are worth more than Palestinian lives.

So. That's an excellent example of how fast online conversation can be derailed by one person, and how misquotes and misrepresentations can invent a new conversation and scandal.

Fast analysis version: Arabian Knights changed the quote - maliciously or not - Anathema only reacted to the last post, with the false quote. Now in an emotionally charged setting, Wet Paint responded emotionally, colored by the anger of Anathema and Arabian Knight's posts.

Slower version:

High in the thread is Ohsalome who (Im not tagging folks in, do not do so for me) references a hypothetical argument against Biden. They don't say a specific source, bc its a simplified version of the hyperbolic complaint that shows up on a lot of posts lately. "he is murdering palestinian babies" Many progressives are rightly horrified by Biden supporting Israel, and don't know how to square that with voting for him. To me, that's a fairly clear and obvious generalization by Ohsalome, ymmv. Highlighted below.

In response to Ohsalome, Arabian Knight abbreviates the hypothetical quote, reducing it to just the phrase Palestinian Babies, and places quotes around only those two words. Yes, those are words that Ohsalome said, but you should basically never trust a tiny quote if someone is hinging an argument on it. That change turns it from a hypothetical quote from someone talking about why you wouldn't vote for Biden, and implies that Ohsalome themself was using scare quotes and doubting the existence of Palestinian Babies killed in the attacks on Gaza. That is not what it says or implies. It is a manipulation by Arabian Knight (statistically, this wasn't intentional manipulation, just tumblr's reading comprehension fails) But by putting that cherry picked phrase in quotes, it shifted the meaning and tone of the entire thread.

Then they bring in the accusations - and to be fair if Ohsalome DID claim that the dead in Palestine were fake, that would be super fucked up - and Anathema jumps in to back them up, responding exclusively to a misrepresented quote, not the original, and not the context of the original. They're specifically mad about quotation marks implying that there are no dead Palestinian babies, which - Again - were placed as scare quotes by Arabian Knight, not Ohsalome.

Anathema then takes another step to move the argument into emotions and morals by citing their own reaction to images they have seen.

See how fast it's turned into emotions? You already know that pivoting into emotions is a super effective way to manipulate someone. In this case, it took a post about hey, we really gotta prevent Trump winning, and made it into whether those people therefore, personally support murdering babies. You make that jump with emotion. Anything else, and people notice it.

Now.

I got tagged into this despite getting skipped by the misquote kefuffle. Here's what the new contender, Wet Paint, said, and the grab of what I'd said in my response.

This time, its not a misquote or a modification of a quote. Props for that. Yeah, it skips the context of the rest of the comment, but that's the nature of pulling quotes. Which is why you have to get in the habit of going back to the source to check context. I know its obnoxious, especially in the age of paywalls, but. do it anyway.

What Wet Paint does instead is create a false dichotomy. If I thought it was done intentionally, I'd almost be proud, because my post IS talking about a dichotomy... but not the one they are. I was talking about how its going to be Trump or Biden. A dichotomy.

They remade it into a zero sum scenario where it is Biden or Palestine. They've added the assumption that by saving American lives, you are killing Palestinians. There are times when that situation exists, so, this can easily sound like something you should stop and consider. And honestly? Do that. Pause, consider, and when you do, go chase down the source and see if you're missing something.

If a situation is as clean cut as 1 for 1 exchange of life, holy fuck, grab a pitchfork and give me a call so I can grab mine.

I'm not repeating my statements from that post. That's not the point right now. I just wanted to talk about how arguments get shaped and twisted online.

If I was a russian actor, and I wanted to manipulate this conversation to divide voters and increase Trump's odds of winning, the above is a really good starting point for how to do it.

[queerprayers]

Hi! I'd like to ask you a question if that's okay with you:) what do you think about the promised eternal life? Like what do you think it's really about? Because I've been thinking about how Jesus promises the eternal life for everyone who believes him and how death isn't the end but honestly. I'm not sure if I want that. I want to love Christ but I'd also like to just, have eternal sleep when I die. No happiness, no sadness, just pure bliss and final rest

Such a great question, beloved!

Okay, I'm not trying to get out of answering this, and I will write more, but my first instinct is to say: I genuinely don't know, don't want to know, and don't think it's something we're able to know/comprehend! It's like that quote about how if we fully knew God, we'd be God—if I knew what eternal life was, I'd have died already.

That said, here are some thoughts:

When Jesus and the writers of the Bible tell us of the afterlife, they're using human language. They're talking to various different people throughout times/cultures. What is considered paradise to some is hell to others. I try to look through the literal meaning and attempt to find what they're trying to convey: What is God trying to tell us?

The Bible gives us many things: we have disjointed images, of cities and singing—but more than that we have promises, that it's what we desire, that we will be happy. I think these are many facets of an experience that can't be put into words, and reading too literally into any of it is dangerous. If John says he saw people in heaven wearing white robes, our first response should not be, "So we'll have a physical form? Why will we need clothes? Why robes? Do they have to be white?" I instead ask myself what John is communicating—and I hear holiness, and communion with God and each other.

Trust factors into this. We have to trust that it all comes down to love, that God knows our hearts as much as and better than we do, that while They try to communicate these ideas the best way our language allows, there is more and it is beautiful.

I hear you contrasting eternal life with pure bliss and final rest, but I don't think those are opposites at all. You've given a lovely description of what many believe Heaven to be. Again, I don't think there are words in any language that could contain something so beyond our comprehension, and we all find different words to describe our imagined future, and none of us know, and what you've said is incomplete, yes, but not incorrect.

We use the word "life" scientifically—physical growth, reproduction, metabolism—and we use it as humans experiencing the world—breathing, sleeping, pissing, hunger, pain—but that doesn't mean God uses it that way. When we hear "eternal life," it's not as in more of being a human on Earth, but as in: we will not be lost or cease to exist. "Death is not the end" doesn't mean you have to keep doing what you're doing forever and ever—it means there's a future for us, after we've done our life's work, that doesn't hurt. In some ways, death is the end, of the known. But God knows more.

"Death" is used in the Bible not just as an action, as something we will do, but to name an evil. Death is described as an enemy that Jesus came to destroy. We have to remember that "Death" used in this way is not a scientific or even literal death—it is a separation from God, it is a loss.

We only have death and life, in our understanding of existence—those are the two ways of being. (I'm not saying there's not nuance/debate, but generally that's how it goes—people are either alive or dead. You get me.) But God tells us there is another way of being. It's after what we call death, but it is not capital-D Death. Because we are not separated; we lose nothing. Death has lost its sting.

Live now, live fully. Whether we desire death or resurrection, they will both come for us. You want to love Christ. You want to be with him when you die. You want to rest. I can promise you all those things. (Well, it's not me promising, but you know what I mean.) You don't have to want the things other people say are in Heaven, and you don't have to be able to imagine a Heaven you would want. A new heaven, a new earth, a new imagination, a new capacity to desire. For now, you see as in a mirror dimly, but in the future, you will see face to face. Now you know only in part, but then, you will know fully, as you are fully known by God.

<3 Johanna