#that’s all that’s happening no big nbd

[sen-ya]

they have no right to be this tender

[tonyglowheart]

Thinking again (more, lmao) about The Contentious Chapter 45, and my Why It Needed to Happen thesis, so here are some more semi-organized thoughts on this topic:

Why It Needed to Happen: Yan Wushi edition. So, we don't ever really know what specifically Yan Wushi went through/experienced in his life and more specifically his childhood - we get hints here and there that seem to imply or can be interpreted to be that he's gone through some shit as Xie Ling, and that's (partly? mostly?) what led him to reinvent himself as Yan Wushi, and then there's also the New Years Extra that has a line about how he'd (already) witnessed countless evils borne of the human heart - but the text does tell us he has this belief that human nature is wicked, slash humans can be pushed to do wicked things no matter how "good" they may think themselves to be. As far as YWS knew by Chap 45, SQ was no different -- he'd received no proof yet that SQ was different, he just hadn't found SQ's bottom line. This is sort of similar to the abused child or abused dog thing, where they will lash out to try to provoke the abuse they're expecting either to "get it over with" or so they know where the line is with this new person (except these are purposeful tests that YWS is doing and not like a reactionary mechanism). Basically, this needed to happen for YWS to know/believe that Shen Qiao is different from what he's observed of human nature -- he needed this proof of concept that the world isn't just rival(/rival peers) -- the closest to equals he has, and rabble. This needed to happen to show/prove - to him and the reader - that there may be a thousand Chen Gong's in the world, but there is only one Shen Qiao.

Why It Needed to Happen: Shen Qiao edition. Shen Qiao is a good guy, but he WAS very sheltered and naive. He holds his beliefs firmly, but his worldly experience was limited and so his character was untried. It's the "it's easy to be a good person when you're rich" idea -- he doesn't know if he has a bottom line yet if he would snap. It's easy to say that you will stay true to your principles when they're not tested - it's when they're put under the stress test that you can truly say that you know yourself and your character. Yan Wushi threw him into a fire, yes, but in many ways this was a tempering of his character, much as one would temper steel. This whole experience very much was an absolute low for Shen Qiao, and it's easy to see fire (analogy) as only destructive, but fire can also be a creative force -- e.g. the forging/tempering analogy from earlier, fires used to clear out brush and weeds choking up the land so that new growth can germinate in the new fire-enriched soil, that kind of thing. This isn't to say that Shen Qiao doesn't experience agony in this metaphoric fire, but he also very much textually experiences a sort of epiphany and rebirth. This is both a spiritual (character-based) sort of rebirth, as well as a rebirth of his wugong. It's after this and after traveling with Yan Wushi that we see Shen Qiao exhibiting much more wisdom when it comes to people, where he's not just naively believing and expecting the good in everyone (I don't have specific citations but iirc this is textual, there's whole parts where it's like, before he might have thought x, but now having traveled with YWS he knows xyz, etc.) Yes this was "bad," maybe, but it tempered Shen Qiao, catalyzed his recovery/"rebirth," and overall led to the strengthening of his wugong and his character. (The conversation they have in Chapter 124 underscores this point, actually.)

Why It Needed to Happen: Yanshen edition. Or maybe more like, what does it do for us from a yanshen perspective lol. Cuz imo, it does a lot. I've posted about this elsewhere before lol, but like aside from the above for the YWS side of things, an argument can also be made that this was YWS going "wait. oh shit, I'm experiencing... feelings? for him" (narrator voice: that feeling was friendship, although he had never experienced it before) and like, lashing out at Shen Qiao like "that'll show you for thinking of me as a friend (and maybe making me feel friend-like feelings towards you..)" -- he was already softening before this (him digging that grave for the dead boy unasked, for example), and the way he's like. ....so you think of me as a... friend? before he pulls the rug from under SQ's feet. But this is important because it tells us that YWS *does* care. He's flippant and teasing and gives the impression that he does it for personal amusement and not really out of affection or anything, so really Shen Qiao may be his latest target of amusement, but it could be anyone. But the fact that he reacted like this to Shen Qiao declaring him a friend instead of just dismissing him as not being worthy of being his friend, not being on his level, etc (I mean he does also do that, but it's not the FIRST thing he does, and also I'd argue that when he Declared it contextually he was purposefully trying to hurt Shen Qiao's feelings), or like, just laughing at him and ridiculing SQ for something so preposterous -- this tells us that he IS feeling some kind of way about Shen Qiao already, that something HAS changed and Shen Qiao went from "latest disposable amusement" to at least "point of fascination." We're not in the endgame yet with this, but it does show that for all that Yan Wushi is trying to influence and "experiment" on Shen Qiao, traveling with Shen Qiao/being around him is conversely having an effect on him, too. That he's not just some unchangeable flat "evil" archetype but is also a complex character that responds to stimulus/reacts to his environment and is capable of being influenced by Shen Qiao. Theirs isn't just a one-sided relationship of one influencing the other or one trying to change the other-- it already by this point is a mutual communion between the opposing but complementary worldviews they hold and embody. They're already like if the taijitu were people (sans the dots in each section-- that comes through the course of the story with their mutual temperings). The same or similar actually holds for the SQ side of things too. Actually, the very fact that he feels anguish from this act and finds it a betrayal is also a very huge indication that Shen Qiao also already cares. I mean, yes, he declared YWS his friend, but like YWS said when they were burying the boy - you didn't even cry when your shidi Yu Ai betrayed you - or later when YWS was about to face Hulugu and SQ says if he were to do it, it would seem natural, but if a friend were to do it, he'd worry. and YWS is like, a friend? If LQY were to face Hulugu would you feel the same way? -- Basically, a similar idea holds here. Would you feel the same way if it were someone else? Yu Ai betrayed him, we didn't see him experience this level of individual, personal anguish. Chen Gong betrayed him, he just kind of sighed and moved on. But coming from Yan Wushi... he reflects on how much it hurt, actually. I still hold to my theory that SQ fell first and by this point was already at least kind of in love with YWS, but even that aside, the very fact that this "betrayal" hurt SQ shows that Shen Qiao, like Yan Wushi, despite seeming above worldly/petty matters slash is disconnected from such normal-people-problems like getting your feelings hurt or, godforbid, heartbreak -- are very much not above that, at least, not when it comes to each other. They're not just two ships passing each other in the night -- they're already mutually entangled together, and this growing bond will only grow stronger as they travel more together

[snekdood]

if ppl telling you "jewish ppl in israel were already kicked out of other countries and have no where else to go" makes you feel compelled to call whoever said that a "zionist", I really just dont think you give af about jewish ppl's lives quite frankly.

if your "free palestine" means "getting rid" of all jewish civilians in israel I think you're probably just a heartless asshole.

[b-blushes]

okay cool i just remembered why i hadn't tried to solve being so cold indoors by bundling up and that is because i *have* tried it, forgot about it, and was just reminded that the reason i dress cold is on purpose because i can't really tell when i'm overheating until i 'out of nowhere' get to the 'feels sick/dizzy/shaky/my autonomic nervous system goes from 0 - 100 and tells me that i'm dying' about it point 🙃

[invisibleoctopus]

i genuinely think the only reason my uncle's dog (who is a pitbull... on the smaller side but shes still A PITBULL and a medium-large dog overall overall) doesnt show more signs of Not Being Fed Enough despite getting ONE scoop ONCE a day is bc she makes up the rest of her food intake eating the cat food or cat litter or the other dog's food and ALL of that i have to pay for :) when we're already struggling to make ends meet :)

[yonpote]

ok heres how i split up the dnp eras (loosely based on dan's timeline in his interview w anthony)

2009-2011: the Sillies era :3 dan refered to it as being a dumb teen just posting cuz he was bored, which is like, thats what all of youtube culture was at this time. they met and like fell in love or whatever you know the lore dont you. phil moved from his parents home to his first apartment in manchester, and dan technically moved to uni but really he moved into phil's apartment to take advantage of his washing machine and ps1 and. yknow. other stuff. they officially moved in together in 2011 yippee hooray, the phanchester apartment holds a special place in my heart

2012-2013: THE SHIFT. they started getting Serious about youtube as a career, doing more stuff w the radio, superamazingproject started in 2011 but THE SHIFT is very easy to observe when you compare the first season of sap to the last season. ALSO. they were NOT A DOUBLE ACT AND NOT GAY 🙄. it could also be called the No Homo era lmao idk this is when a lot of shitty things were happening wrt leaked information, harassment of their families, and just generally becoming more in the spotlight especially while still in the closet being a horrible experience. but also, they moved to london and got cool opportunities with radio stuff and were starting to actually make a living on this shit.

2014-2016: Peak Dan And Phil™ Era. at the height of their popularity. they realized oh shit, we ARE a double act and not only does everyone enjoy us best as a double act, WE enjoy working together. tabinof, tatinof, dapgo, still doing the radio every month up until they start touring, 7 second challenge app, gamingmas, what the hell DIDNT they do during this time period (what they didnt do was uhh take care of themselves and not overwork and not blur their work and personal lives so much to the point where they felt like the whole apartment was a film set.)

2017-2018: Gay Softlaunch Era (aka post-baking aka glass closet) the baby steps toward authenticity, moved to the double apartment to separate work and life, ii's whole theme, dan talking abt depression, phil getting the quiff, both of them being gay as hell in every way other than saying it explicitly. important things of note: TRUTH BOMBS dropped, Interactive Introverts happened, still uploading gaming vids and honestly by the end you could feel their fatigue. and then they hiatused dapg.

2019-2022: ok these four years each feel like whole eras in themselves, but also theres an overarching theme. THE GAY ERA.

2019: im gonna futher split this year in half. first half- dad left to buy milk so other dad is taking care of us. rough six months for dannies im sure. important phil thing of note- he changed his film set from his "bedroom" to a fairly basic but cute shelf backdrop. honestly prob didnt wanna keep pretending that was his bedroom considering.... second half- DAN AND PHIL GAY. dan uploads his magnum opus. phil comes out via tweet. they go to japan and its really gay and it's The Trip to japan for them like yes they first went in 2015 and again in 2023, but Japhan 2.0 Was The One. what does this mean? proposal? anniversary? idk exactly but it was gay as hell dude and theyve talked about that trip with such love in their hearts.

2020: Phandemic (sorry that was bad) but also where tf is dan again? even with the big C-word happening, it was business as usual for phil, regular vids but make em gayer, caught a pigeon nbd, and end of the year introduces the Stereo app show Phil and Phriends where he's had chats with pj, louise, his brother, seth everman?????, and finally. dan reappears. they reveal that they bought and FULLY PLANNED a house together and are ready to move!

2021: they don't move house for another like six months! basically their house was (and is??) still being worked on AND they were in lockdown AND turns out at the end of last year, they were kicked from their Life apartment and were now living in the Work apartment so you can imagine what all of this can do to their psyche and lowkey they were getting sick of each other like it wasnt just bordering on phivorce it was nearly Phurder. Phidow. but to fill the time so that DOESNT happen, my favorite fucking thing ever happens: Lockdown Lads (and all the other names). the first taste of what a dnp podcast would sound like, with the added bonus of chaotic listener interaction. oh yeah also dan wrote a mental health guide book whatever (IM KIDDING I REALLY LIKE YWGTTN I WROTE LIKE TWO REVIEWS ON IT NOW) and they finally become Homosexual Homeowners. theres quite a bit more dnp content this year, dan being on phils channel a bit more, the phodcasts, dan's gay and not proud special.... oh yeah and hometown showdown i guess AND TEXT VIDEO 2!!! my favorite and my namesake!!!!!!!

2022: Prophecy Year..... but they didnt get married. dan returns with another longass video to say: hey i hate being a youtuber and also youtube majorly fucked me over. but also fuck that im gonna do a weird talk show and ALSO GO ON TOUR WITH THIS APOCALYPSE THEME! phil actually... slows down this year. more dan uploads than phil somehow??? but also Dan Is Leaving me is posted and i go completely insane and become the deranged individual you see today. WHICH FINALLY LEADS US TOOOOOO

2023-present: The Unhinged Era. dan's tour was a huge Emotional success for him but uh not without its hiccups due to management and all that and i think he and phil finally realize. Fuck It Who Cares. dan flies back to england FROM AUSTRALIA to make sure he can be with his future ex-husband on his birthday. CAKE HEART EMOJI. YELLOW PLAID SHACKET. they go on a gamer date and post a picture of playing footsies in a cab. THE PHUDE HAPPENS. they go to japan again and while this one will never be The One it was still a well earned holiday this time with bryony! and they took a bunch of very cute film camera pictures.... THIS IS ALL JUST THE FIRST HALF OF 2023 BTW. in phil news, he talks about going to therapy and figuring out how to manage his anxiety!!!! he changes his hair again!! he hires an editor, phan is his otp, he teases about the gaming channel a couple of times but so many of us already dropped any hope of that returning- OH WAIT WHAT THE FUCK?!!!? HUH!??!? they returned, and more chaotic than ever before. the gayness upped to the max, the Weirdness on full speed, the Horniness at Very Scary Levels Oh God Stop Talking About Dogging, phil can swear uncensored now???? and this energy has continued into today...

[shentheauthor]

Headcanons for how the Harbingers react to their S/O getting into a fight and just beating the breaks off of some assholes who were insulting their beloved Harbinger? And the Harbingers see this happen? But then the next time they see their beloved Harbinger, they wanna act like they slick and that they didn't just solo a bunch of people in a fight to defend their honor?

On it 🫡

Harbingers with an s/o who defends them

~~~~~

Pierro:

First of all, he’s frankly shocked

He was ready to deal with it himself, but THERE YOU GO—

Just kinda watches for a minute in shock before getting hit with pride

Of course he’s concerned for your safety

And he will scold you to make sure you don’t put yourself in danger

But the way you act so casual after will give him pause

How often do you do this???

How strong are you if you can solo a bunch of people and not break a sweat???

Confused and shook, but he appreciates it

“Next time, let me handle it, dear”

Capitano:

He normally wouldn’t even bother with people insulting him, unless it’s soldiers who need to be put in their place

But oh boy

When you go in, fists flying and WINNING that fight?

He is SO impressed

He never knew his s/o had so much hidden strength!

He would tell you to let him handle it, but he secretly likes being protected

It’s nice to have someone else take the wheel

He’s not really phased by you pretending you didn’t just lay a dozen people out in front of him

He’s casual about his achievements too, it’s no big deal

Y’all are a literal power couple, it’s kinda terrifying KGKBKDKV

Dottore:

He’d be shocked by two things: the fact that you had this much hidden strength, and the fact that you beat him to it…

He wants to study you (literally)

“My dear, why didn’t you tell me you were so powerful? I would’ve asked you to participate in my experiments sooner!”

Don’t do it bestie—

He’d find your casualness hilarious

Def wants to pick your brain and find out why you brush it off like “it was nothing”

(It’s bc you care about him, he’s just stupid)

Be prepared to fight off his experiments for a LONG time

Unless you want to participate for some reason???

Columbina:

She hides her surprise well

But honestly she’s delighted

She likes being protected, and she finds it adorable that she has a personal defender now

“Perhaps I should hire you as a bodyguard, hm?”

Even more amused by the casualness of it all

You can perform incredible feats of strength when it comes to defending her, and brush it off like it’s just another Tuesday

It’s impressive, especially for a human

If you’re visionless? That’s just even cooler

Columbina doesn’t want you to sell yourself short in front of her

So she will encourage you to display your strength more often

She definitely doesn’t just think it’s hot, not at all /s

Arlecchino:

How did you beat her to it???

Seriously, she’s so fast to deal with insubordination, your speed is terrifying

Not to her tho

She thinks it’s impressive as hell, and she just watches with a smile

Doesn’t really get why you’re so casual about it

“You can’t seriously be trying to gaslight me into believing it wasn’t impressive 😒”

Lets you handle things from now on

Nobody else gets that honor

You are her personal bodyguard

Is it because she likes watching you fight, or watching people in pain from the outside?

The answer is both

Everyone is scared of y’all

Pulcinella:

One of the few who’s just worried, not impressed

A bit shocked, but the concern takes over fast

“Are you alright????”

Utterly baffled when you not only emerge without a scratch

But without even seeming to care about what you did

“Oh haha yeah it’s nbd, I’m happy to defend you”

“YOU TOOK OUT TEN PEOPLE”

You’re giving this man a heart attack

He tries to keep you away from people insulting him now

He doesn’t want you making things worse unintentionally, or getting hurt

Mostly getting hurt

He can’t stop you all the time tho, so plenty of rude politicians end up in the hospital still 😭😭

Scaramouche:

Again, how did you beat him to it

He’s annoyed at first, bc he had it under control

But that vanishes when he sees you LAY WASTE to the idiots that insulted him

He’s so impressed

He will hide it, of course, but he would be so bad at it

Especially when you brush it off after he asks about it

“What do you MEAN it’s no big deal????”

His tone sounds like he’s berating you

But he’s actually hyping you up

*don’t sell yourself short, you’re amazing, you’re so cool and strong aaaAaAaa*

That’s what he’s thinking

You are VERY impressive for a mortal

And if he lets you take care of insubordination from now on? Well that’s none of anyone’s business

Sandrone:

Honestly? She’s slightly annoyed that you damaged them so badly

She wanted some new dolls, dang it

BUT!!!

She also loves it 😭😭

She’s highkey down bad for you, and this only made it worse

Annoyed when you ignore what happened

“Don’t just pretend nothing happened, doll”

Demands an explanation as to HOW you did that

If she doesn’t get one, she’ll be pissy 😭

But hey at least she has a super strong partner who can take care of the dirty work so she doesn’t have to

Signora:

Dawg

This woman is not easily flustered

But you did the impossible and actually got her to blush

RIZZED UP

She would hide it fast, but man you impressed her

She doesn’t need protection at all, but she will accept it if it comes from you

Still, she makes sure you understand just how reckless that stunt was

“Let me take care of it from now on”

Lowkey angry when you pretend it never even happened

You can’t just do that??? And not answer any questions about it???

The audacity

Still, genuinely proud of you, happy, and a tad concerned for your safety

Pantalone:

Now where did you get those skills from???

This man is hella curious

“You never told me you could do that, darling…”

When you answer with “do what?”

Oh man, the offended look on this man

He doesn’t like secrets being kept from him, even if it… isn’t really a secret

Will deliberately bring you to places he knows he’ll get insulted

Partially bc he wants you to acknowledge it, and partially bc he also loves the feeling of being defended like that

He also likes seeing his enemies get the shit beat out of them

Congrats, you’re his personal bodyguard now /srs

Like he will deadass pay you money

You have a new job now KRKBKBKWKKV

Tartaglia:

I saved the best for last (I totally don’t just go in rank order every time so I don’t leave anyone out, nooo…)

My god this man is EXCITED

He is RIZZED

“Beautiful, fun, AND strong??? You’re so perfect :D”

No matter how much you pretend it didn’t happen, he won’t let it go

Constantly asking you to spar

He will talk bad about HIMSELF just to see if you’ll fight him

It wont work

Please please spar with him, he’ll be so happy

Of course he doesn’t want you to put yourself in excessive danger

But he will offer to train you

POWER COUPLE!!!

He loves having someone who will watch his back

He will have to keep you from overdoing it tho 😭😭😭 sometimes it’s better to let things go than fight

[chaifootsteps]

ghostfuckers anon - I think the other thing I'm not looking forward to about the next ep is that (assuming the storyboards are mostly accurate) the ghost repeating that Blitzo hates himself is just a waste

we already know that. it's been very well established at this point

what's the point of this episode if they don't progress the characters, even incrementally?

the storyboards have Blitzo asked M&M if they really like hanging out with him and they're all "sure, whatever" but basically nothing has happened all season to show the bonds between IMP getting stronger. Blitzo and Loona's relationship is as tense as ever, they have this big storybeat in seeing stars then she basically isn't a character for the rest of the season until full moon. then the ghostfuckers storyboards has Blitzo admit he knows she doesn't actually like him like it's just nbd, we just move on from it?

saying it's a cost saving measure isn't an excuse imo - they had the money to animate a full mv of Stolas singing about how sad he is Blitz doesn't love him. we already know this is the case! he sings about it constantly! running out of money to pay Loona's VA to have any moments between her and Blitz isn't a money issue, it's a prioritization issue

Viv is actively wasting what money still remains to even make this show on the wrong things. I know the comparison to RWBY has been made more than once with the handling of the Faunus subplot but it also has in common with the RWBY writers that they do not know how to spend their time. and both of them waste time on creator's pets who suck up screentime while making things worse (but at least RWBY's author inserts weren't such sucky people that they sexually coerced any of the main cast and then cried about it)

She's putting every last dollar and second of screentime towards furthering Stolitz. It's Verbalase levels of self-indulgent, and at least he was honest about it.

Also, between Apology Tour and the Ghostfuckers leak, the "Blitzo hates himself" plot point has officially reached levels of uncomfortable. The message seems to be that he's just sort of inherently awful, that anyone who's ever cared about him was wrong to do it, that people are right to tell him to kill himself, and that he'd better wise up and let his sexual abuser love him, because no one else ever will.

[differenteagletragedy]

I have been replaying Baxter's route in Our Life and analyzing it like I'm in English 101 (shout out to @meowzilla93 for listening to the unedited version of my rambles lol) and I've only played one moment so far (extra lol) but there are may thoughts.

-- Please play Hang first before Sightseeing if you haven't, doing things in this order is my truth and maybe it could be yours too! If you do it this way, then it's like you meet Baxter, he's a charming little weirdo and you exchange numbers and then the gang is going to the beach one day, so you can invite the new guy!

-- If you are feeling forward or nice or just have a big crush on him already (totally fair of you tbh), then you can invite him over to your room before you head down to the shore to get an extra hang in.

-- Before this, he was looking at you as maybe a potential fling, nbd, but if you are nice enough to not only include him in your plans but also to invite him into your home and also your ROOM? Well, that's pretty special, isn't it? And Baxter likes to feel special.

-- Ok listen, PLEASE don't try to convince this guy to get in his swimsuit and get in the ocean. I get it, I get it, but he is so surprised and happy if you just accept that he has a fear and tell him that he doesn't need to push himself, it's totally fine with you and not a dealbreaker. If you pick this option, then it's the one that makes him "crack his guard" for a moment, and he'll thank you sincerely instead of saying something jokey or flirty.

-- Because of this I think that he's used to people pushing boundaries with him, so much that he's surprised you DON'T do that. Not that he would think MC is being mean or insensitive if they do ask him to try the ocean, there's obviously not any sort of mean-spirited option there. But boy does he like just being fully accepted as is.

-- ALSO if you don't get him to go change, he waits for you downstairs while you do and you catch him smiling gently at a picture of you when you were a kid on the beach. Guy has got it bad already.

-- If you don't get him to change, then you can see that he's wearing little heels, and if that's not everything then what is

-- When you get to the beach, please tell him again that there's nothing wrong with being scared of the ocean. If you do, then "the tension in his face gradually softened when the 'but' he was waiting for never came." He is waiting for everyone to tell him that he's doing something wrong in some way. You gotta be Baxter's hype person, MC.

-- Ok so then everything happens, but if you play Hang first the way nature intended, then it all happens with Baxter as a crush instead of as your suitor for the summer. And that doesn't necessarily mean anything, but if you like a slower burn then that's an option!

-- He'll still put his arm around you and give you a little snuggle at the fireworks and tell you you look amazing even if you're not dating. Adorable.

-- Oh and if you aren't already dating then you get to hold his hand and walk through the sprinklers and pretend like it's raining, he's such a goof.

[christopher-bryant]

one incredible thing about percy jackson series is how everyone around percy has been reminding him how not normal he is. how powerful he is. how different he is as a demigod.

its incredible and great for us watching because we're so used to reading about percy pulling off incredible feats. we're used to reading about his powers and how they work and i feel like because of that, when we're watching it happen, we're thinking "oh yeah. percy can do that. nbd."

except book percy as we all know is an unreliable narrator and tv percy isn't really ever in awe of what he does. both version just shrug things off like its nothing.

and annabeth has subtly been reminding us of that by mentioning what he did to clarisse was not normal. beating a minotaur is not normal. percy is the least normal of demigods. his dad is one of the big 3 and that alone sets him LEAGUES above any other demigod.

percy came crashing into the magical world relying on instincts alone and that in itself is scary. now he's going to hone his powers and work on his fighting and its going to make him scarier and he will never realize that.

how many times has it been said in the books that percy's aura is scary/menacing without him even trying to be? even when he's friendly and calm, there's something off about him.

[tomorrowsgardennc]

how do i do this again? oh yeh...

garden update // august 20th 2024

the pollinator garden that was literally a "toss seeds and see what happens shrug emoji" has officially reached covering-the-view'of-the-house stage. eventually over the course of this fall and winter we will add a fence and plant perennials instead of whatever annual flower seeds i had lying around. asters are popping up in the shade of them all which i find funny since asters prefer cooler weather.

speaking of cooler weather... from the first bit of fall seeds i started i find the interesting germination contrast of saved seeds (not even my saved seeds, a friends) dwarf siberian kale versus bought online. the left was the saved seeds 📝👀 her's grew 10 minutes from my house, the one bought online was from a big boi store further up north. and these did hit 90°+ weather too, which technically was bad BUT not for the seeds that are all "yeh, we know how crazy this weather is nbd 😎"

my favorite basil ever, the spicy globe basil, is finally bolting for seed. i kept harvesting just one bush so i could get seeds sooner rather than later. okra is doing great, too. still giving off flowers and already got a first batch of dried okra for the seeds. i let the okra dry on the plant itself to ensure the most energy gets into those suckers as much as possible.

ok, so i'll start a separate thread for my quest for a frog pond, but i plan on putting it in the middle of the large square bed. everyone, even hubs, was like why big square you cant reach the middle and i was like it fits the space though!! but they were all right, hurts my back trying to reach the middle and tripping over the plants defeats the purpose. but it fits so nicely in the spot!! so frog pond will go in middle, around it is brassicas during the winter, then 2025 is purple tomatillo, 2026 is corn, 2027 okra, and then repeat indefinitely. so tall plants to shade it during the summer, and short plants so it gets plenty of sun in the winter. should be ok right?????? also i have yet to plant my prickly pear cactus because i legit dunno where to put them. i keep moving them around the garden and just not loving wherever they go. ughs.

peppers are almost done, so fall must be around the corner. but don't worry, tomorrow i'm going to dig up most of them and overwinter in the greenhouse. hawks claw totally, cayenne probably not because they had such stunted growth, lemon drop totally not because i have too many, but totes the giant marconi because that's my favorite sweet pepper so far. haven't tried many sweet pepper varieties though, and would love to grow an heirloom not a hybrid. my purple bells still haven't produced anything 😭 but i'll wait to pull those at the last minute... just in case...

lots to do this week. tomorrow is a false fall day, so going to spend it all outside and enjoy it 💚

[facewithoutheart]

Today in fics I’m never going to write but keep thinking about: Baz getting hit with amnesia shortly before the events of WS and being told he’s dating some guy with wings and a tail who never gets off the sofa. And he’s like, “Yeah I don’t see it,” which is kind of heartbreaking but also kind of a giant release of pressure for Simon because, “Oh he doesn’t know what I’ve lost,” and they become tentative friends. Baz of course loves Penny and they nerd out trying to figure out what’s caused Baz’s amnesia. There’s no real incentive for Baz to get his memories back except, “They’re my memories, Simon. Don’t you think I’m owed them?” To which Simon just smiles sadly and misses the way Baz used to call him Snow. But it’s fine! Honestly! Simon keeps downplaying what they had. Telling little stories like, “Oh that’s the time you spelled my laptop shut nbd,” and, “Yeah I got locked out in the cold all night but the stars were really pretty,” and Baz is like… and you dated me??? But there’s also moments where Simon explains he broke Baz’s nose and tried to out him as a vampire, and Baz just doesn’t get it, them, at all.

Except… okay so maybe it hasn’t escaped Baz’s notice how attractive Simon is. And there are moments when he gets off the couch that he’s shockingly funny, and sweet. He sometimes slips into quiet but Baz has started to piece together what’s happened and maybe that makes sense. It’s not like he has anything to say, either. “What would I have to offer in conversation, Simon? I barely even know my own name.” And they sit together on the sofa and watch television. It’s… something.

Insert a bit of Baz spiral with Baz wondering, “is this what made me fall? Is this?” As he keeps looking for the spark, the reason, the moment he fell for Simon Snow.

I’m not sure what the conflict is here. Maybe Baz overhears Dr. Wellbelove talking to Simon about the Mage? Maybe there’s a Fiona intervention? A Malcolm one? But at some point there’s some big argument where Baz confronts Simon and they’re screaming at each other and then Baz bursts into laughter. And Simon’s like wtf Baz but Baz can’t stop laughing because of course this is it. Of course this is when he falls for Simon. When they’re screaming at each other.

But it’s not that, is it? It’s every time Simon smiled, and every time something on the television made him laugh and Simon’s first reaction is to look at Baz. And it’s how he teases Penny and hasn’t pressured Baz to get his memories back. Just accepts him as he is. Helps him hunt. Maybe yells at Fiona to back off when Baz doesn’t get his memories back fast enough. It’s how Simon Snow is alive, alive, alive, he’s full of life and that’s when it all comes rushing back. All of his memories falling like rain all over Baz; not a flood but a cleansing. It’s not overwhelming to love Simon it’s never been and having this outside perspective on who Simon is and what he’s been through independent of Baz’s issues has reminded Baz of what he’s fighting for.

Baz finally stops laughing. He walks over to Simon, presses both hands to his cheeks, says, “Snow,” then kisses him. And of course Baz hasn’t called Simon “Snow” this whole time so Simon knows Baz’s memories are back.

Ok and insert more angst: Simon immediately pushes Baz off and walks out their door. Because it’s been easy letting Baz in hasn’t it? He didn’t know what Simon lost. Who he used to be. He finally understood, didn’t he? The arsehole… ever since Baz lost his memories he knew better. He knew what Simon had always known: that Simon is nothing. Not the Chosen One, not even a mage. God not even Normal. Just a chewed up bit of empty space with wings and a tail. A freak. Wasn’t it nice, getting to know Baz without any of that history? Without any of the pressure? I mean sure sometimes Simon wanted to pounce on him and snog him senseless or hold his hand when the movie they were watching got scary. And Baz kept doing things for Simon like getting him the brand of cider he likes best and making sandwiches for him when he forgot to eat. And spending time with him without huffing about how Simon was wasting his life and not looking at Simon like he could see who used to be there: someone. Someone who mattered. And that’s what it’s gonna be now, right? More pointed looks and disappointed smiles and knowing, always knowing and never saying that Baz is too good for him.

Didn’t he know Simon Snow was meant to be alone?

Oooh okay maybe Simon just like, rage runs back to the flat and slams open the door and is like, “How dare you?” But he’s not even sure what he’s saying. He’s not even sure what he’s thinking. All he knows is that he wants Baz, any version of Baz, even the one who thinks he’s wasting his life because of course he’s missed that. He liked sitting next to Baz and watching shows and not feeling any pressure but god the way he felt when Baz was screaming at him. Simon’s got wings but he never feels like he can fly without Baz, next to him. Pushing him.

Because if Simon is alive alive alive it’s only because Baz makes him want to be. Baz has always been Simon’s reason, even when things were…

And then Simon’s kissing Baz, and Baz is kissing back, and maybe Simon can keep this. Maybe he can choose this.

Maybe he can try.

[rocksibblingsau]

You’ve mentioned the ‘Brawl Code’ a couple of times. All I know about it is that it’s Rock Troll’s rules for fighting. But what exactly are they?

I'll get more in depth on it in the fic, but Brawl Code is their set of rules for fighting.

Fighting is a language of it's own for Rock Trolls. They fight for fun, to settle issues, and to let off steam. Their goal isn't to actually HURT anybody.

Brawl Code isn't exactly written up, it's more of generally agreed upon conditions. Some bits have been shown. You can't just beat someone up to rob them, for example. Barb broke Brawl Code by taking Blaze's stuff, and he was technically entitled to retribution. Blaze however saw it was for a good cause and generally doesn't care too much, so he was fine with it.

You can't fight someone on unequal terms. Meaning things like adults shouldn't ACTUALLY fight with children, just roughhouse, or if you know someone is sick or physically unable to have a fair shot with you, it's wrong to try to actually fight them.

Especially in fun roughhousing or blowing off steam, you shouldn't try to actually hurt them, and if you do on accident make sure they're alright. Don't push people into mosh pits that don't want to go in them, and if you see that happen, punch the guy who did it.

They also have an I4I/NBD, which is the 'payback' system of picking unfair fights. I4I (Eye for an Eye) is basically a 'get what you dish out' rule, meaning if you go picking fights with people who can't fight back, be ready for someone who CAN to come after you. NBD is what Blaze invoked on Barb- No Big Deal. A way of saying there's no hang ups on what happened. Often used for more minor issues or if you know something was an accident.

[ko-existing]

Hope all is well Ko and friends(I know it is 😇)

Ive been off tumblr since this past October...I let go of all seeking. And just pondered on the basics when it was relevant. I also did a bit of lucid dream exploration, even tho it's all the same, it helped some. But one day, there was an "ohhh" moment. It really was no big deal. You kinda already know...lol

Anyways, I'm experiencing 3 different "dream worlds" currently. It's fun. It's nbd. It just is. Anything can happen, yes. There actually is no one seeking. Youre only aware of such interpretations. Intense thoughts and emotions drop like flies when you notice youre not them. Idk, it doesn't rly matter, we've already made it lol, like there is truly no need to be upset. What you know is all that seems...thoughts arent knowing...it's "that" (you) that knows

A lotus flower for you 🪷

[homeofhousechickens]

Also, do you have any tips on telling the difference between young pullets and cockerels? I know the basics in theory - comb size, posture, attitude - but I’ve never actually raised cockerels before. There are some of mine that are obviously boys even at 2 weeks old, and I’m having fun making guesses. But some of them are tough, especially the ones with pea combs and the Hmongs- I’ve never raised chicks with that kind of Asian gamebird-type build so they almost all have that kind of upright posture they tell you is a sign of being male. The worst is the Hmongs with pea combs! It’s NBD, they’re still pretty young. Do cockerels tend to be larger/heavier even as babies? Sorry to bombard you with questions, I know you’re busy. Best of luck to baby Saffron and the Phoenix kids - if I was you, I’d name one of them Phoenix Wright but that’s just me being nerdy. Anyway, thanks for everything! Here’s a pic of one of my Hmong babies who’s growing the prettiest feathers!

Yeah cockerels tend to have a thicker and heavier build then pullets especially game birds. Here you can compare Donuts to his sister Paperclip. He is more dense and his legs are thicker. His skull is larger and his tail is shorter.

Cockerels tend to take a little longer growing in their tail feathers since they have bigger tails than pullets.

Cockerels also are more likely to explore new objects and food items while pullets will be more wary. Cockerels will also stare down the other chicks and are more likely to play fight more roughly.

My advice for raising cockerels is to establish positive experiences with them so they see you as a good thing. Don't handle little cockerels to roughly and try not to accidently scare them.

Whenever my cockerels get big enough they start trying to mount the pullets I seperate all the boys from the girls so the girls don't get harassed and the boys don't learn bad behaviors. This can happen earlier or later depending on the brood. Sometimes you get polite boys who can stay with the pullets for a while before needing to be removed.

Whenever they get the teenage evil hornies it's important to not let them try to bite and mount your hands and feet and instead redirect them to a stuffed animal instead so they don't build on that behavior. If your good about redirecting and disengaging with them when they do that and are rude they should grow out of it. Fondue for example was high risk for this behavior because he was a single chick raised by me for a while so he sees me as a chicken. He grew out of It though using the above technique.

He still has crazy eyes though however 🤪

[teruel-a-witch]

that one time steve and danny took a sidebar at a crime scene for some eye-sex and emotional bonding

nbd, just eye-humping each other next to a bunch of barrels filled with corpses, it being a dumping ground for yakuza and all, like normal people.

danny asks steve how things are going with his mother but that doesn't stop him from checking him out in the process, multitasking is a skill.

he's particularly good at doing it when steve is distracted ↓

↑in case we forget, mcgarrett doesn't have monopoly on heart eyes.

only steve and danny can have unparalleled levels of romantic tension while standing at a crime scene filled with dead bodies and discussing the antics of steve's wayward spy mother.

steve tells danny about doris breaking into the fbi database, but danny astutely asks him if steve is more upset about that or the fact that she is in trouble, because he knows his man and his big heart.

steve is definitely conflicted because he knows he should be less forgiving of doris but he can't help it, his need to fix things.

'look, look, it's none of my business, alright? but whatever she did, so what? she's your mother, she's in trouble and you gotta help her, right?'

doesn't matter what he personally thinks about doris, danny knows steve, so he gives him approval to do what he wanted to do, aka help his mother, no matter what she has done. sure he could have preserved his dignity or whatever but danny knows if steve doesn't help her and something bad happens he will never forgive himself, so he takes pressure off of steve/absolves him of his doubt.

danny essentially plays a function of a sin-eater for steve in this instance which prompts him to give danny one of the most intense and longest looks ever, because he cannot adequately put everything he's feeling into words.

steve: danny is too good for this world and precious and boy do I love him so much but I can never tell him so I'm just gonna bore holes in the fabric of time with my gaze. who cares about the barrels with corpses anyway?