#i'm fairly pleased with myself

[onlygenxhere]

20, 51, and 59 for juke <3

Luke and Julie were in the studio minding their own business just making out like two normal teenagers when Alex and Reggie threw open the studio doors.

“Ugh,” Alex groaned and called over his shoulder. “I regret to inform you the straights are at it again.”

“Hey!” He and Julie both protested as Willie came rolling in on his board behind Alex.

“I’m offended,” Julie said sliding off Luke’s lap and handing him one of the pillows next to them without a word. He grinned and casually put it in his lap where she’d been.

“Yeah me too!” he pointed at himself.

Alex rolled his eyes as he sat in the recliner and Willie plopped right down in his lap.

Reggie was already in the other chair grinning like a loon, watching the show.

Alex was distracted by his boyfriend so Willie was the one that asked. “And why are you two offended? You were the ones making out in a public space and I thought we’d decided that was against the rules.”

“Yeah, no,” Luke started, “we definitely owe the rule breaking jar a fiver.”

“We’re offended you called us straight.” Julie nodded at them.

“What?” Alex finally looked up. “You two aren’t straight?”

Luke rolled his eyes. “None of us are straight dude.”

Reggie raised his hand, “I’m straight.”

They all looked at him until he put his hand down.

“Sweetie, we’re not getting into that right now.” Julie reached over and patted Reg on the knee making him blush and jump up. “I thought we had practice today.” He headed over to his bass not making eye contact with anyone.

Everyone ignored Reggie. He’d figure it out when he was ready.

“So you two aren’t straight?” Willie asked.

“When did you figure that out?” Alex leaned forward wrapping his arms around Willie’s waist to hold him steady.

Julie shrugged, “I’ve known I was bi since I was twelve.”

Luke grinned at his girlfriend long enough for Alex to get impatient.

“Luke?”

“Oh, yeah sorry.” He turned back to Alex. “I think everyone is hot so I’ve been thinking I might be pan?” he glanced at Julie again who nodded encouragingly. “At least bi.” He looked back at Alex. “I mean you and I had that thing…”

Alex’s eyes bugged out and he hid his face in Willie’s back who started to howl with laughter, “How have I not heard about THIS!?”

Alex stood up with Willie in his arms and set him down gently on his feet kissing him quickly. “Like Reggie said, we have practice.” He darted off to his kit and started checking his snares for tuning.

Willie plopped back down in the chair. “Well someone is going to tell me that story sometime soon.”

Luke and Julie got up and as Julie headed for her keyboard Luke leaned down and whispered, “I’ll tell you tomorrow if he doesn’t tonight.”

Willie gave him a wink and a pat on the shoulder. “Thanks man.”

Band practice went great for about an hour and then Julie missed her queue to come in on Now or Never and then thirty minutes later she flubbed her piano playing on Edge of Great. When she messed up the words to Wake Up, which they’d modified to make it a whole band piece, Luke knew something was wrong.

“Hey, baby.” He set his guitar down as he looked over at Julie who was looking more tired and sweaty than the rest of them and she’d been sitting the last couple of hours. “Are you ok?”

She sighed and shook her head. “No, I don’t think so.”

They were all frowning at her as Reg reached over and put his hand on her forehead. “Oh no, she’s hot.” He looked over at Luke who was making his way over to her to check himself.

He pressed his lips to her forehead. His mom had always done that saying lips were a better judge of temperature. “Jules you’re burning up.”    

“Oh good,” She leaned against him, “Because I feel like shit.”

He chuckled. “Ok, band practice is over.” He scooped Julie up in his arms. “Everyone go drink like a gallon of orange juice.”

“What about you?” Reggie frowned as Luke turned to carry Julie up to the house.

“Dude,” Alex rolled his eyes. “Do you not remember what they were doing when we got here?”

“Oh…” Reggie nodded. “You’re screwed.”

Willie laughed from over on the sofa. “You need any help?” he asked standing up but keeping his distance.

Luke shook his head then paused. “Maybe text Ray and let him know what’s going on.” He glanced down at Julie who had her eyes closed and was leaning against his chest. “I’ll text my mom that I’m staying over here for a couple of days. I can’t afford to get either of them sick right now.”

The guys all nodded solemnly. They all knew his dad had just finished his first round of chemo for throat cancer a couple of weeks ago. Getting either of his parents sick right now would be… bad.

He got Julie up to her room and in her bed as quickly as possible. She was going downhill fast. Her teeth were chattering by the time he got back with some medicine to bring her fever down and a large glass of water.

He held her up, helped her take the pills and drink some of the water.

She looked up at him with glassy eyes as he laid her back down. “You’d marry me if I asked, right?”

“What?” he chuckled as he went to stand and she grabbed his hand tightly, tears filling her eyes.

“You’d marry me,” her voice broke, “if I asked… right?”

He had no idea where this was coming from and this wasn’t the time to ask. The answer was the same no matter the reason anyway.

Luke leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. “Yes, I’d marry you if you asked.”

She grinned. “I thought so.”

He went to stand again and she held his hand tighter. “Stay?”

He’d already agreed to marry her so what would be the harm in staying.

Still, he got in the bed on her other side but stayed on top of the covers so as not to upset Ray when he got home.

Although by the time Ray got home a couple hours later he was shivering and feverish too. Ray got him some meds and reluctantly agreed he might as well stay with Julie who was sound asleep.

She didn’t remember asking him if he’d marry her once they were well but Luke wrote it down and told her the whole story when they were on their honeymoon five years later.

[blackpearlblast]

a rundown on the listed e-sim platforms from this tweet from mirna el helbawi. visit esimsforgaza to learn about this effort. (they also have a tutorial on how to purchase an esim and send it to them)

update v12 (5/21/24) holafly (israel and egypt), nomad (regional middle east), simly (palestine and middle east), mogo (israel), and airalo (discover) are currently in the highest in demand. if it has been more than 3 weeks since you initially sent your esim and your esim has not been activated, you can reforward your original email with the expiration date in the subject line. you can see gothhabiba’s guide for how to tell if your esims have been activated. if your esim has expired without use, you can contact customer service to renew or replace it.

troubleshooting hint 1: if you are trying to pay through paypal, make sure you have pop-ups enabled! otherwise the payment window won't be able to appear. (this issue most frequently seems to occur with nomad)

troubleshooting hint 2: if you are trying to purchase an esim using the provider's app, it may block you from purchasing if your phone does not fit the requirements to install and use their esims. use their website in your browser instead and this problem should go away.

nomad

for the month of may, first time referrals give 25% off for a person's first purchase and 25% off the referrer's next purchase! it's a great time to use someone's referral code from the notes if you are a first time buyer.

you can use a referral code to get $3 off your first purchase and also make it so the person whose code you used can buy more esims for gaza. many people have been leaving their referral codes in the replies of this post and supposedly a referral code may eventually reach capacity so just keep trying until you find one that works! BACKPACKNOMAD is another code to get $3 off your first purchase, it's been working for some people but not others so try out a referral code instead if you can't get it to work. NOMADCNG is a code for 5% off any middle east region nomad esims posted by connecting gaza. it can be used on any purchase, not just your first but is generally going to give less off than the first-purchase only codes, so use those first. it can be used in combination with nomad points. AWESOME NEW CODE: nomad esim discount code for 75% off any plan, NOMADCS25 do not know how long it lasts but this is an amazing deal esp. since they are really low on esims right now! (nomad promo codes do not work on plans that are already on sale, unlimited plans, and plans under $5)

weekly tuesdays only code on nomad web, PST timezone! it gives 10% off plans 10gb and above. NOMADTUE

nomad also seems to be kind of sluggish sometimes when it comes to sending out emails with the codes. you can look for them manually by going to manage -> manage plans -> the plan you purchased -> installation instruction and scroll down to install esim via QR code or manual input then select QR code to find the QR code which you can screenshot and email to them. often just the act of logging back into your nomad account after purchase seems to cause the email with the code to come through though.

mogo

mogo's website is fucking annoying to navigate and i couldn't find any promo codes, but their prices are massively on sale anyway. you have to pick if you want your esim to be for iphone, ipad, or android for some reason. according to statcounter, android makes up approx. 75% of mobile markets in palestine while iphone represents approx. 25%. so i would probably recommend prioritizing donations of android esims but if you can afford multiple, try buying an iphone one too? if i can find any official direction from the connecting gaza crew on this i will update with it.

a good referral code to use for mogo is 8R29F9. the way things are worded are confusing but as far as i can tell, if you use it we both get a 10% discount on your first purchase. (the referrer gets a 10% voucher that allows them to top up in use esims, they are someone who i know has bought a lot of esims and will be able to make good use of the top-up discount vouchers!) also upon signing up it automatically generates a password for you which you can change by downloading the app. (check your email to find your account's current password)

holafly (also looking for holafly esims for egypt now)

holafly is pricier than the others and the only promo code i could find was ESIMNOW for 7% off. someone in the tags mentioned GETESIM7 as another 7% off code they had received, so if you have already used ESIMNOW or can't seem to get it to work, try GETESIM7. another 7% off code is HOLAXSUMMER7 which is valid until june 2nd. referral codes only seem to give 5% off and they don't stack. (i don't remember the source, it was on some sketchy coupon site i don't want to link to and only can recommend because i tried it myself) you can also use my referral link for 5% off if you can afford the 2% worse deal on your end, it will give me $5 credit which i can put towards buying more esims. connecting gaza has also posted the promo code HOLACNG for 5% off but since it is less than the 7% off codes and as far as i can tell does not give credit towards others to buy esims like the referral links, i would consider it lower priority for use.

simly (note: simly must be downloaded as an app to be used, the website link is to help people confirm they are downloading the right app)

i have not personally used simly so i am going to be going off of the sixth slide of mirna el helbawi's instagram guide, with some corrections from someone who has successfully purchased an esim from simly. after downloading the app and making an account, search for palestine or middle east and purchase your preferred package. the page the app takes you to after your purchase should have the QR code to send to the esimsforgaza email, it won't show up in your email receipt. someone kindly left her referral code in the tags of this post, it gives $3 off your first purchase and will give her $3 credit to put towards purchasing more esims for gaza. the code is CIWA2. (if this referral code doesn't work, try one from the notes of this post!) according to someone in the notes, ARB is a simly promo code for 25% off esims that is still working as of march 3rd.

airalo

some people have noted issues trying to sign up for airalo using the browser version of the website, it worked for me but if you are struggling you can give the mobile app a try and that should work. you can use a referral code to get $3 off your first purchase and give the code suppler a $3 credit for buying more esims. KARINA9661 is a code sourced from this post which is also a wonderful example of how using people's referral codes can really make a difference. if for some reason that referral code isn't working, you can find more in the notes of the original esim post i made here.

@/fairuzfan also has a tag of esim referral codes for various platforms!

(note: mogo and holafly both link to israel esims as there are no general regional packages for the middle east like on nomad and the esims for gaza website specifically linked to the israel package on mogo, so i linked to the equivalent on holafly.)

[punk-angel]

ive been working on animation again 😋

[sekaicards]

my card wishlist is so fucked guys

[dredshirtroberts]

i was going to say i hate when i'm right but actually i enjoy the sensation of being correct even if i don't like the thing i was right about. So I'm very happy to be right so often, actually (especially now that no one in my life is actively trying to gaslight me)

[piplupod]

and i often get upset with myself for complaining and venting as much as i do, or also for being as anxious as i am, but given the circumstances that I live in, I do think realistically I am being ... incredibly "well-behaved", all things considered. i could be acting so much worse.

but i do still wish i weren't so ... [gestures vaguely at this whole mess] because it's off-putting for people! and understandably so! but i wish i could make friends!

[ilicythings]

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[songofsunset]

Let the record show that I DID finish my homework for the day, even if I had to stay up late to do it

[sashannarcy]

do you guys see me as the Amphibia guy

[sysig]

Finally officially restarted Chapter 2 and managed to not delete my save file at the same time ✨

[spookymarkers]

Hey y'all, a quick question to prove to someone that I'm not crazy:

[soyoursoulisgreen]

5, 11, and 30 for the artist ask meme!

5. Estimate of how much of your art you post online vs. the art you keep for yourself

It's increased over time! Well, actually, it's been a bell curve, kind of. Maybe more like a roller coaster lol. Obviously before I was online I wasn't sharing any of the stuff I drew; I drew for about seven years before posting anything - casually, for my own entertainment - and then for a while I was posting almost everything in some form or another; if I didn't post the original doodle, it was because I cleaned it digitally! But I got pretty burnt out on that haha - it does still come and go in cycles lol. Nowadays I probably keep back about 30% of what I draw? Although it can be hard to quantify - if you upload to an audience of zero, is it actually online? Haha ♪ Or an audience of one! Just because it's shared using the internet as a middle man, does that count as "posting"? :0 I don't know! I think it's an interesting question tho!

11. Do you listen to anything while drawing? If so, what

Yes! It really depends on what I'm drawing; my go-tos are always Reddit story readings since I don't have to think too hard about picking one, they last a while, and they keep my auditory brain occupied while my hands and eyes are busy. For a couple days of Requestober, especially the Portal/Stanley Parable days but also the song prompt, I was listening to themed stuff - GLaDOS lines, Narrator lines, the aforementioned song haha. I hate having to stop to pick the next thing! It makes editing my footage harder and throws off my flow :P

30. What piece of yours do you think is underrated

A lot of my Law Abiding Citizen stuff probably - LAC is such a good series!! I wish more people would see it/were still into it. We're few, and I was late to party, but my love still burns! If I had to pick just one thing tho, I think it'd have to go to one of my Just Desserts comics - I cried while drawing it initially, and I still think Charm's transition from her smiling-crying face to her angry-crying face is so well done ♥

[stressfulsloth]

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[peppermintbutch]

Of course my gender crisis moment hits when I need to finish writing a fucking thesis TONIGHT

[nerdvi]

In the wake of the whole james somerton fiasco and inspired by this post, I wanted to share a few of my um, soft signs, like, orange flags to detect when someone is bullshitting you.

First of all, I am on the spectrum which means 1) I tend to take what people say at face value and 2) I have a strong sense of justice which makes me prone to biases, all of which combined means I am at perpetual risk of swallowing the bullshit.

So, what to do about it? You turn on the critical thinking and pay attention.

As one of my favorite youtubers, Hannah Alonzo, likes to say: "consider the source, remember the motive". Who is talking to you?? What do you know about them?? What biases might they have?? How do they interact with your own biases?? Where are they talking from?? Is it anger?? happinness? boredom?? Also, why are they talking to you? Are they trying to sell you something?? Are they trying to convince you and why?? How do they go about the finantial motivation, if present? If you have, in this case, a white cis gay man talking to you as it he has it the worst of the worst in the world, there's probably some exaggeration and you should start to wonder. There's a good chance he's bullshitting you.

How they talk about women and POC No, no, stay with me. There's a rule I had back when I was dating men: Always beware of how they treat their mother. With the exception of extremes like mama's boys and cases of abuse, how a man treats the woman with whom they have that familial bond is a good indicator of how they are going to treat you. Do they berate her? speak ill of her? are aggressive or controlling? do they dismiss her opinions? Same with creators, and by god I tell you, specially cis male creators, queer or otherwise, always always beware of how they speak of women, how they treat women, how they treat POC. Somerton had a weird vendetta against straight women. It went mostly unnoticed. Then, he was dismissive towards lesbians and other queer women and it was once again overlooked. Then he went ahead and made sinophobic content about genres and cultures he knows NOTHING about. Again, it went unchecked. What I am telling you is IT'S NOT NORMAL. Contempt about women and non white-western cultures is not normal and if someone has them as them as an enemy or a scapegoat, they're probably bullshitting you. Take what they say and fact check it, see for yourself.

If at any point in a video or an essay you find yourself thinking "wait, really??" then it's time to fact check. Is it a bit suspicious?? is your logic telling you that's not quite how this works?? Then take to google, my friend, they might be bullshitting you. At worst, you dodge a fake fact, at best, you learn way too much about a topic you were already interested in.

Beware of the lack of nuance. I can not stress this enough. We all love monochrome, but life and societal issues are never black and white. It's just impossible, there's too many factors to consider. If you are being presented situations or anecdotes as absolute truths, you're probably being bullshitted. If it's too good to be true, it is. If it sounds waaay too convenient, it probably is. A good researcher, a serious investigator, will always have some nuance because they have done the work and checked the sources. If someone provides you 1) no nuance and 2) no sources, THEY'RE BULLSHITTING YOU.

These are the ones I can come up with just of the top of my head, I'm sure there's more and please, add them. Remember that naivité isn't a crime, I'm fairly naive and that's made me distrustful, and these are some of the techniques I've found that help me navigate through a world of information without losing myself.

[threadmonster]

I have been very depresso lately and I'm at work til 7pm and it isn't even 10am e_e

It doesn't even feel like depression. I am just. Really really sad. I feel like, that feeling when someone you love passed away and you are just stuck in the grieving process. Specifically that. I have no clue what to do about it.