#they're saving money but at what cost

[musicalchaos07]

No, because I can see Jonathan, Nancy, Will and Mike begrudgingly sharing an NYC apartment from 1993-1995 so clearly that when it doesn't happen in canon I'm gonna be upset

[irawhiti]

man there is really no way out of poverty huh. like for real.

[karmaphone]

everyone every spring making posts about how working with your hands and doing something creative helps ur mental health like the bitches with the poorest mental health are actually able to afford hobbies

[worldlydesiretemple]

if the corporations on jorvik don't lower their prices or people don't start giving us raises i will kill myself in front of them to change the trajectory of their lives forever

[fallingbyjuleecruise]

[nunyabznsbabes]

Katniss is like Lucy Gray this, Katniss is like Sejanus that, and yes fine that's all good and true and lovely but Katniss Everdeen is also a direct parallel to Coriolanus Snow and people NEED to start talking about this because it's driving me crazy.

Think about it: they both grew up poor and deeply vulnerable, losing parents at a very young age, with a matriarchal adult (Katniss' mother and Coriolanus' Grandma'am) who fails to provide for them emotionally and physically. They intimately understand the threat of starvation, even developing with stunted growth because of it, and their narrations in the books share a fixation on food. Throughout their childhoods, both experienced constant fear and suffered a fundamental lack of control over their circumstances. Because of this, they're inherently suspicious of the people around them. They resent feeling indebted to others, especially those who have saved their lives. They're motivated almost entirely by family and deeply connected to their communities. Both are used and manipulated by the Capitol, both are forced to perform to survive and despise every inch of it, both are thrown into the Arena and made to kill. Both have a self-sacrificial, genuinely sweet sister figure acting as their conscience. Peeta and Lucy Gray - performers and love interests with a fundamental kindness and sense of hope about them - fulfill markedly similar roles in their narrative. Both contribute to the development of the future Hunger Games, Snow throughout tbosas and Katniss towards the end of Mockingjay.

It's easy to ignore these similarities because, as mirrors of each other, they are exact opposites. Katniss is from District 12, viewed and treated as less than human; Snow is the cream of the Capitol crop, given the privilege of a name with social weight, an ancestral home, and the opportunity of the Academy despite having no more money than a miner from 12. Katniss has no agency over her life, and responds by being kind whenever she's able, while Snow justifies horrendous evils in order to continue his quest for complete control. Katniss does everything she can to protect her family; Snow does everything he can to protect his family's image as an extension of his own ego. Katniss loves her District and connects with its inhabitants on a meaningful level, but Snow is indifferent at best to his peers - the apparent "superior people" - and only engages with his community for personal gain. Katniss emerges from the Arena horrified at herself and the system, but Snow takes his trauma and turns it into an excuse to perpetuate the violence with himself at the top. Katniss cares for Prim until her death and then snaps at the loss of her little sister, while Snow survives on Tigris' blood, sweat, and tears and then torments and abandons her, presumably because she calls him out on his insanity. Snow actively adds to and popularizes the Hunger Games because of his vendetta against the Districts following his childhood wartime trauma - Katniss briefly agrees to a new Hunger Games in the pursuit of vengeance, but later stops them from happening by killing Coin and choosing a life of peace and privacy. Snow is obsessed with revenge, but Katniss empathizes with the Capitolites and does what she can to keep them from suffering. He exists in a cruel system and selfishly upholds it; she exists in a cruel system and works to dismantle it for the good of her family and community, at great personal cost. And Peeta and Lucy Gray are incredibly similar, but Katniss and Peeta forge a relationship of genuine love and understanding that shines in comparison to Coriolanus' obsessive projection onto Lucy Gray.

So, yeah, Katniss is Lucy Gray haunting Coriolanus. But I bet you anything that eighty-something year old President Snow looks at her, the girl on fire, bright and young and brilliant, emerging from a childhood of starvation with a relentless hunger for success, a talented and charming performer helping her win the Games, and he sees the ghost of his own past. And that's why he's so afraid of her! Because if he sees himself in her, then he's up against his own cunning, his own talent for manipulation, his own charisma, his own genius. He's up against the version of himself that he once wished to be, with the nightmare army of his childhood at her back and her star-crossed lover at her side, spewing Sejanus' truths in his own voice. This isn't to say that Katniss ever achieved the level of power and agency that Coriolanus did during her time with the rebellion, but it is to say that Snow was taken down by what truly terrified him - his own morality, come to finish the job.

[thebibliosphere]

I both believe "poor people deserve art" and "artists deserve food", but it's hard to reconcile those beliefs. I blame capitalism. And I suppose it mostly matters who you're stealing from?

I don't mean to question you at all, I'm against people pirating your stories. I guess I was just wondering if you had more thoughts regarding the reconciliation the two beliefs I quoted above.

I think the reconciliation is working toward a future where things are better, and authors and artists don't have to beg people not to steal from them because they think every author is Stephen King, who wouldn't notice if you stole the pennies found under his couch when in reality most of us are hunting for spare change down the back of the couch because we are earning below minimum wage.

We need people to embrace the idea that art belongs to the working class, both in terms of consumption but also creation.

If you don't support the working-class creators, you'll only end up with rich fucks with no scope of the world beyond their own narrow view of privilege.

Indie creators are actually working very hard to change the way the industry works, and the publishing industry is shitting itself over it. They don't like the success some of us are having. It's why they keep upping prices while slashing corners on their own production (while never affecting the man at the top) to try and stay competitive within the rat race they've created.

They're not interested in the proliferation of art. They're not interested in making sure their authors can afford to live. They don't want more diversity. They don't want inclusion. They want profit at whatever the cost.

And while indie creators very much need to get paid because we live in a capitalistic society and everything is burning down around us, and a carton of eggs now costs more than what I earn per hour, our creativity is directly at odds with the type of profiteering big publishers want.

The money should go to the writers. Not the CEOs. The money should go to the workers in the print houses. Not the CEOs. No one needs the kind of wealth these people have. It's obscene. We need direct action against these conglomerates. We need unionization. We need a means to fight back so that we can make art and make it accessible.

So, how do we do that? I don't know. I'm just a very tired, disabled creator doing my best to keep my head above water. But I think getting people to realize that art and books are worth saving up for would be a good start.

That putting money in the pockets of creators is just as important as your own enjoyment of their art. Because if there aren't any artists, you've got nothing.

Getting them involved with their local libraries would also be a great start. Educating them on how the industry works is part of that. The number of people telling me they had no idea libraries paid authors is staggering. And that's intentional. It's a by-product of right-wing propaganda to make you think libraries are worthless and just sap taxpayers' money.

They're not.

If they were, the fash wouldn't be trying so hard to take them away.

Basically, we need working-class solidarity and for certain people on the left to rid themselves of the idea that just because something isn't borne of manual labor, it doesn't have worth. We need the artists and the dreamers as much as we need to bricklayers and the craftsmen. Otherwise, what's the fucking point of it all?

[littlecornerinbrooklyn]

hahahah the terrible company i worked for like two years ago is tanking so hard because they did literally all the things I told them not to do and *surprise* dog food is actually a FOOD product and not a TECH product oooooh I'm twiddling my fingers with glee at this demise they were an unsafe underregulated company and I really hope not too many dogs got sick from their shit quality and lack of care about animals

[marvelsmostwanted]

This is sad but unfortunately I think this is just going to be the norm for the next few years as streaming services die a slow death.

HBO Max should in theory be able to make money from a show that was at one point the top new series in the US. At the time, David Jenkins said "This is what happens when a major media company invests in inclusive mainstream stories" (agree!) but unfortunately that major media company, like all streaming services, has a terrible business model that can't support that investment.

This is an interesting article about how streaming services are losing money and scrambling to make it back by trying to convince people to buy cheaper, ad-supported options or bundling with other streaming services. Unfortunately for them, I think that's like... all of the options? At some point they're just going to continue to lose money. Making shows is expensive and very few consumers are willing to pay more when they could just cancel and use a cheaper service (or, you know. 🏴‍☠️)

This is also a good article that was written after Shadow and Bone was cancelled by Netflix about whether it could be saved:

"The problem is that while saving shows used to be plausible, at times, the cost of Shadow and Bone combined with the fact that streaming services are really, really starting to cut back on spending means that this would be an extremely tough sell. WB Discovery’s Max is being lambasted for killing finished projects for tax breaks to chip into its massive debt. Disney Plus has done the same thing and has said they will cut back on things like expensive Marvel shows. Amazon Prime is mired in expensive creator deals going nowhere and throwing insane amounts of money at projects they are realizing are not panning out. Paramount Plus losing $500 million a year. NBC’s Peacock is losing $650 million a quarter."

TLDR; Streaming services have reached such a dire point financially that they have to cancel some of their most popular content (Marvel shows on Disney+???? These have seemingly been very successful; it's wild to read that they're "cutting back") in the desperate hope that a new season of something that's cheaper to make will get more attention.

What I gathered from these articles is that steaming services are dying a slow death and sadly, a lot of good shows are going to go with them.

[sillysadduck]

I never wanted it to get to this point, but I don't have a choice. I finally made a paypal and I'm trying to set up a ko-fi.

Please read to the bottom and reblog, for the first time I seriously need your help, I mean it.

Hi again, context for my desperate behavior:

For those who know me from my dhmis or fnaf fanart, you know I have been around for years, and I was always happy to bring you free requests. I have never asked for money, it didn't feel right for me even when you were willing to donate to help me escape my living situation, but I am eternally thankful with those who offered ♡ having said this, you know I would never ask unless I absolutely HAVE to.

I'm studying -and pretty much living- with the money of a scholarship, but with the costs of food and books I cannot afford to live. I'm not being dramatic, I have spent more than one day without eating in the last few weeks.

I'm off my meds because I cannot afford them either.

I can't work because I'm the only one who takes care of my disabled sister at home, my mom isn't strong enough to pick her up and change her on her own anymore even if she tries. The days when I'm not home, I'm at college all day trying to survive while my elderly aunt helps take care of my sister.

Recently, what made me hit rock bottom was that my cat, Chimu, started peeing blood. My parents refused to help me pay for his vet bills, even when they're the ones who adopted him. He cries in pain everyday, he's a cat from the streets with a mental disability and I'm the only one who cares about him. The cat food for cats with urinary issues is $70, it may not seem like a lot but I'm surviving with $20 a month (in my country's currency, minimum wage is around $200) and I didn't care about suffering on my own but I won't drag him down with me.

Plus, this month, the government website has been glitching and I didn't receive the money I had been receiving so far. I need your help, if you can't buy then please reblog. I'm currently trying to set up a ko-fi too. I need you more than ever, even if I'm not as active as I used to be, as you can see now there is good reason for my absence.

TLDR: I can't afford to eat, study, or save my family cat, and my parents are pretending I don't exist. Please help me.

Thank you if you read this far <3

[ms-demeanor]

Also I have to say "but bands are using AI art for their album covers" is not a winning argument.

That band wasn't going to pay you. That band was going to beg somebody's artist brother for a freebie or they were going to have the people in the band who can kind of draw draw something or they were going to use a moody photo someone took with their cellphone. Best possible scenario is "they were going to trade for something from someone in the scene," and this is still the most likely scenario for bands that *give a shit* about that kind of thing.

And I've been the one doing freebie artwork for my musician friends; I've made album covers and done promo shoots, I've drawn logos and I've got a standing offer to make buttons for the cost of materials for every band I've ever played a show with. The people who give a shit in the scene are already doing this because everybody knows that everybody's broke.

I'm certain that there's not *zero* overlap between "bands that can afford to pay artists and photographers to create album artwork" and "bands that are using AI art for their album covers" but if you think "indie musician" is a demographic that has money to spare on commissioned artwork, I'm pretty sure you're mistaken.

Like. Okay, I mean my *big* argument is that AI image generation is fair use, full stop.

But the secondary argument that I've got is that I'm not sure there's a market to have the bottom fall out of.

The person making shitty covers for their amazon romance novel was not going to pay you. They were going to pay someone on fiverr eight dollars *at best* and that's only if they couldn't find a way to DIY.

That band that's trying desperately to sell ten tickets so they can play a show at the cool venue was not going to pay you to do their cover art. Their last fifty bucks just went to covering those tickets because their friends aren't even coming to their free shows. They were going to stage a photoshoot with a cellphone and a timer and someone's sister's selfie stick.

That person who made an AI avatar was not going to pay you for a custom avatar they were going to take a screenshot of your work and use that.

The people who are able to afford to pay artists and who are interested in paying artists are not the people who are replacing artists with AI. The t-shirt dropshippers, the shitty book cover designers, the bland corporate artists, and the art reposting instagram pages were the ones who undercut your market.

If you're concerned that someone is going to use AI to make art that is materially similar to yours and sell it, you're just concerned that someone is going to make art that is materially similar to yours to sell. The concerns about AI doing it are functionally exactly the same as what happens when someone says "wow, I want that on a t-shirt" under your drawing. If someone were to draw a character similar to but distinct from yours with words similar to but distinct from yours and put a link to that on a reblog of your post, that person is not actually infringing on you. They're a shithead, but that's not actually art theft. If they used your character and your words, or if they directly copy the image, that's art theft and you can try to get their post taken down. It's the exact same thing with AI.

The people who care about art and can afford to pay for it are always going to pay for it. Your problem isn't with AI, your problem is with the fact that people don't value art and that's as true now as it was a decade ago.

You are trying to sell a complicated, crocheted sundress made with 100% hand-dyed alpaca wool on Etsy and are complaining that the loose knit acrylic sundress from walmart is undercutting your market. Some people are always going to make the effort to save up and pay for your work because they value the craftsmanship, but those people didn't want to shop at WalMart in the first place. And the ones who value your craftsmanship but just plain can't afford it were going to dig through the bins at a thrift store until they found a crocheted swim cover from the seventies that they could pass off as a dress with a few alterations.

[fandsart]

Steve whose parents are scrooge level extreme capitalists who don't believe that children should be allowed to "freeload" off their parents.

Steve whose dad pushes him into sports to eventually make something of himself and earn what little he is provided with.

Steve whose mom makes Steve maintain the house while they're away instead of hiring a housekeeper.

Steve whose parents are scrooge level extreme capitalists who pinch pennies even when they have so much money already.

Steve whose dad who doesn't pay for heating and cooling if he's away for long enough.

Steve who sometimes won't have access to warm water for months at a time.

Steve whose mom gives limited allowances for food, but is the level of rich that she's never really checked for prices herself and so underestimates how much things cost.

Steve who himself must pinch his pennies.

Steve whose parents are obsessed with appearances.

Steve whose mom who is sends clothes every now and then. The most stiff and respectable items on the market.

Steve who can't afford to waste money on clothes he actually wants because of his limited budget.

Steve whose dad sends a house inspector at least once a month if he's away for longer than a full one to make sure Steve has in fact been keeping up on it.

Steve who sometimes has to waste some of his precious money on cleaning supplies for the house.

Steve back in high school sitting there like ;-; while Eddie goes on a tabletop rant about how rich boy Steve could never understand what it's like to race in the shower with the water boiler to finish before the heat runs out, or what it's like to regularly skip meals to save money for clothes that are both actually comfortable and stylistically preferable.

Steve who took a cold shower that morning, and is now wearing the itchiest and ugliest thing left in his wardrobe because he needs to buy detergent which is why he skipped lunch that day ;-;

Steve whose always been teased for his big-ass house and his pool and these luxuries that surround him that he honestly has very few positive experiences with. Steve not realizing until that very moment that he, himself, is not actually all that financially stable at all.

Steve having an existential crisis in the middle of the day in the Hawkins High cafeteria

[ryker-writes]

TWST characters as parents (Staff)

Crowley:

proud bird dad

literally he is so proud of anything you do and will share your achievements with the rest of the staff

he also has a box of things that you've completed/given to him

childhood artwork, cards you've made, old gifts you've given to him, your first assignment and test, and even some of your old stuffed animals from when you were a kid

he also has a thick photo album full of pictures of you growing up

the kind of parent who takes so many photos

he looks through that photo album a lot to look back on the precious memories

the box and the photo albums are protected using magic

he will cry is something happens to them

pretty sure he lives at the school so you grew up at NRC

you know the entire layout of the school, visited every dorm, and even met all the ghosts

the ghosts all love you

they watch over you when Crowley and the other staff are busy

naturally you become a student of NRC when you're old enough

and once again, Crowley is so proud of you at orientation

he's taking photos as you walk up to the magic mirror and get assigned a dorm

he's so happy no matter what dorm you end up in

and if you want to change dorms, say no more it's already done

he's a little bit protective

loves when you make friends

he already knows if they're generally good people because he has their student files

it's a bit different if you have a romantic relationship tho

he's scared and will look into your partner more

will express his worries, but not to you

the other staff members hear it

"my child is growing up too fast!"

if you get involved with any of the overblots he is terrified and hovers around you afterwards

other students have mixed feelings about you

some will want to be on your good side because you're close with the headmage

others will be cautious of you because they worry if they offend you then they'll get expelled

and some (Azul) may try to take advantage of you

he's also painfully supportive

if you play any sports at NRC he has set up a cheering squad for you and you alone

also probably going to ask you to help him with his work

"won't you help your dear loving and hardworking father?"

when breaks come up he will give you the choice to stay at NRC or go on vacation with him

even if you say no to going with him he will try to convince you

he calls it parent child bonding

while other students may say he's not a very good headmage, he thinks he's great

he doesn't mind what the other students say, but if you were to say it...

he may start to consider that he's not as good as he thinks

what would really make him realize they were right was if you somehow overblotted

if you did overblot, he's full on crying and heartbroken

of course he's going to save you from the overblot

but afterwards he's going to just hug you and cry

he can be a bit of an overbearing father at times, but it's because he loves you

Crewel:

a more strict but loving father

he absolutely loves raising you

he calls you his pup

unlike Crowley, he won't keep a million photos of you or collect your first assignments or anything

but he is proud of the things you do

if you present him with some art you made or something cool you did he will be proud

the type of dad to keep your art on the wall

he also will spoil you

like you won't even know how much he spoils you

you'll be happy just to get a new coat and it's actually one of the best brands that costs so much money

his motto is "Only the best for my little pup"

this motto perseveres throughout your life

when you attend NRC, he's super proud no matter what dorm you end up in

when you attend school is when the slightly more strict side of him shows itself

he wants you to pass all your classes and will help you study

you might not get many breaks until he's sure you understand the concept and know how to do it

of course he's not as strict with you as he is with other students

they might not even get breaks

he will push you to get good grades but he always knows when he starts to push too far and will stop himself

if he accidentally does push you to hard he will apologize and try to make it up to you

Crewel is a bit of a protective dad

he pays attention to what his students are like so when you mention your friends he already knows them

he doesn't mind as long as they're good people

if you're in a romantic relationship he's a bit more protective

remember that motto I mentioned earlier? yeah that comes into play here

he thinks you deserve the best and will not tolerate your partner giving you anything less

he can be very critical of your partner and you may have to tell him to back off

he may also give your partner more work in class than other students

Crewel likes to make sure that you're dressed well and will tidy up your appearance when he sees something out of place

Trein:

very loving father

he already has daughters so you aren't an only child

you know how he treats Lucius? you get similar treatment

he is a doting cat dad and a doting dad

he spends a lot of time with you and your siblings as you grow up

he never wants to miss any part of your life

also will hang your artwork on the wall

he'll even bring some to his classroom and hang them up there

he will go on and on about you to his students if they ask

some may do this to get out of doing classwork

they find out later that they still get the assignment but now they have no explanation of how to do it

he's very proud whenever you complete assignments or get good grades

and he's very proud when you finally get to go to NRC

he won't really mind whatever dorm you get into

but he will worry if it's Savanaclaw

students in that dorm are more prone to fights so he's worried

like Crewel, he's a bit of a protective dad

he will slightly judge your friend choice depending on who they are but won't interfere with anything

unless they get you in trouble, then he'll say something

if you're in a romantic relationship, he will silently judge them too

will also be more strict towards your partner in his class

he will not tolerate them slacking off in any way

well...he doesn't tolerate anyone slacking off in his class but even more so your partner

when you're in his class, he is much more relaxed with you

while he won't let you sleep you can still get away with spacing out or not paying attention

you also get Lucius' attention while you're in the class

most students find the cat annoying and Lucius will glare at them, but Lucius loves you!

he'll lay on your lap during class and purr very loudly

whoever sits next to you may be nervous not to disturb the cat

whenever Trein and Lucius get separated he gets really panicked

unless he knows Lucius is with you

you're the only one he trusts with Lucius

Lucius himself is protective of you

if anyone gets too close for the cat's liking, he may scratch them

while Trein is more passive aggressive with his protectiveness, Lucius is more outwardly disapproving

Vargas:

proud dad #4

he's unashamed to be your biggest fan

no matter what you're doing or where you go he's cheering you on

he probably has you playing at least one sport growing up

wants you to be super fit and active

and he'll also feed you all sorts of healthy foods

he wants to be your role model so bad

he just wants to hear you say even once "I want to be just like you Dad"

if he does hear it, he's fallen to his knees and overwhelmed with emotion

he won't cry, but he comes close

super proud when you become a student of NRC

he doesn't really mind what dorm you get in, but he secretly hopes it's Savanaclaw

Savanaclaw is the most athletic dorm

no matter what dorm you end up in, he is cheering as soon as the magic mirror says it

Crowley has to tell him to calm down

he's not a protective dad

he encourages you to make friends and doesn't mind them at all

he doesn't mind when you have a romantic partner either

in fact if you introduced them he would simply hug them and get straight to bonding

your father has now stolen your partner for bonding time

where did they go and how long will they be gone? nobody knows

when they do come back Vargas will say he's part of the family now

when you're in his class, he already expects you to participate and stay fit

so he's not as worried about you as he is for other students

if you play any sports in school, he is coming to all your games and cheering for you

he will be the cheerleader

he's over there with pom-poms and everything

Sam:

you are such a spoiled child

like really anything you want, you got it

and I do mean anything

he has connections so he can get ahold of anything

you are his special little imp

he treasures the little artwork you make as a kid

it's the one thing he won't sell

he often trains you on how to run the store

so even though you may be small, he may still have you work in the shop

he won't have you do anything too big of course

but little by little you learn more about how to work and run the shop and you get to bond with him too!

but people are more likely to come again and buy things when there's a cute child

so having you there is also a business strategy

he's such a fun dad tho

he loves to play with you a lot and will generally do anything you think is fun together

he's happy when you finally become a student at NRC and it doesn't bother him which dorm you end up in

though if he had to choose he would say Octavinelle because they got the business strategies

he's not a protective dad either

he encourages you to make all sorts of friends

he even encourages you to make friends on the other side but never specifies beyond that

he doesn't mind if you have a partner either

they shouldn't expect a discount unless they are really good to you

speaking of discounts

you don't have to pay for things while you're at the school

he gives them to you for free

but he will ask if you want to help him out at the shop sometime

some students may try to get close to you so they can get more discounts (Ruggie)

and some may try to get close to you so they can get some of those business connections (Azul)

Sam hopes that in the future, you may be able to take on ownership of the shop

it's been in the family for a long time so he hopes he can pass it on to you

you have a while before that tho

[lostlegendaerie]

nah this gets its own post:

imagine that someone comes up and compliments you on something - maybe it's your hair, your voice, your clothes, whatever. And you thank them and plan to move on. Then they ask for a little bit of your hair and you go, "okay fine, it's not gonna really hurt to give that" so you give them a couple strands. you'll grow more. whatever.

next week they come up to you again with a clone of your body that they can control like a puppet. "I liked you so much I wanted my own version of you so I can see/hear/talk to you whenever I want!" you would react with horror, right?

Art is inherently a personal creation; the things that you feel, the things you have lived through, your emotions and your skills and your past will affect what you make and how you make it. There is a bit of 'you' in everything you make, and the analogy above is what generative AI feels like to me as a creator. And I'm just a writer/artist. My art isn't a direct representation of me. If I was a supermodel or a voice actor or anyone in the public eye, my analogy is even more spot on with how viscerally horrifying it is to watch someone make a "you" that they can get to use to make whatever they want. say whatever they want. be whatever they want.

and then you have to listen to the people who make or use the clones brag about how much time and money they're saving by making all these clones (who they don't have to treat like people and who can't say no) instead of asking you to do the thing you're best at, at enormous environmental cost to create and power the damn things, all so they can make profit with no effort selling a thing wearing your face...

... so, yeah. I get a little mad about generative AI sometimes.

[taxidermycanine]

5 WAYS TO HELP WITH SPECIES DYSPHORIA AS A THERIAN (with and without gear)

- please note that most of these are focused mainly on being a wolf therian, but i'll try my best to make it more inclusive to others.

1 •

my personal favorite, wolf quest! this one does cost money, so this isn't for those who don't have the money/don't already have the game. it really helps me feel more connected to who i am. you find a mate, raise pups, hunt prey, defend your den and pack from predators, and there's even a multiplayer option for you to play with your friends. :o)

(and yes, you can customize what your wolf looks like. all NPC wolves in the game have different personalities for immersion, including you, your pups, and your mate)

please note that the game is still in development! they plan to add a saga where you can live constantly with your pack and continue with new generations each year (and no, you don't HAVE to pass away). you can toggle whether your mate dies or not, if you play on easy you can avoid your pups getting sick by reloading saves if you're sensitive to that, there are constantly new updates being brought out that make the game feel more realistic each time and the development team are incredibly sweet. if you have the money i highly recommend this game, wolf therian or otherwise.

2 •

documentaries. a wonderful way to not only feel more connected to your theriotype(s), but to also learn more information about them! my favorite thing to do when i'm stressed is to wrap myself in warm blankets, turn off my lights and put on a documentary to calm myself down. bonus points if you DO have gear to wear during this, if not that's okay too.

i also like to have my plush friends join me so i can act like they're my pack :o) it's a nice way to feel less lonely as i watch. this also works if you're a domestic cat therian, have your plushies be your clouder! no matter what animal you are though, never feel less valid for wanting your stuffies with you during this. it doesn't matter if your theriotype isn't a social animal in the wild.

if you're an aquatic therian of some kind, i think a good idea would be taking your phone in the bathroom with you and setting it up outside of the tub to watch whilst you're in the water! (or shower if you don't have one, you can also use a kiddie pool outside in the warmer months). PLEASE remember to be safe during this though, if you worry about getting your phone wet then instead find some blue blankets and pretend it's the ocean!

3 •

going outside to where your theriotype resides in naturally. of course this won't be for everyone, since a lot of the time trips can end up being quite costly. something that i like to do is go to my local forest whenever i have the time to do so! i find it refreshing to sit by the stream and play in the water with my mate.

if you're a domestic dog therian, ask to go on a walk around the neighborhood with your friend! (or hell, go by yourself if it's safe enough, you're a free dog, you can do what you want). even as a wild animal i still enjoy this, so don't feel ashamed if you're ALSO a wild animal who wants to do things that domestic dogs do. it doesn't make you any less undomesticated.

if you're an animal that's used to deserts, i recommend going to where you can access sand (e.g. a sandbox at a playground, asking for a small sand tray to play in as a gift, a day out to the beach if you live near one). i also find that dried dirt that's very damaged can feel sort of similar to sand!

if you can't go outside for whatever reason, then there's always ways to make your bedroom feel similar to where you would be more comfortable. if your theriotype lives in dens like caves and underneath trees, make a blanket fort and pretend it's your home! if your theriotype rests in a burrow, make a tunnel with some blankets from the top of your bed all the way down to under it (if that doesn't work, pretend that anything below your bed is underground, and anything above your bed is the surface).

4 •

dressing in clothes that are the same color as your theriotype. i have this fluffy hat with ears that feels very affirming for my species dysphoria, paired with my favorite dark sweaters, warm pants and my tail. if you don't have any gear, don't worry! you don't need to have any to complete an outfit. sometimes clothing textures can also be affirming. for example if you have smooth skin like a whale, a bathing suit can feel similar to blubber. (if you have gender dysphoria, i recommend either full body bathing suits, or wearing pants on top of it and a jacket to help yourself feel more affirmed). i wear fluffy clothes because my fur is fluffy :o) it helps me, personally, but this might not be the same for everyone!

5 •

studying the behavior of your theriotype and trying your best to imitate it to the best of your abilities with the body you have. this can be as simple as copying how they act around each other as a family (for example wolves who are mates will rest their chins on each other to display affection), and as difficult as trying to vocalize what sounds your theriotype makes.

if you wanted to try the latter, i recommend looking at vocal exercises online before as a lot of creature sounds can and will strain your voice, i promise you that warming up your chords will not only help you sound clearer, it'll ensure that it won't take as much effort to do!

[seat-safety-switch]

Television loves to tell you all about giant robots. They're cool! They fight in the middle of cities! They're our only hope against alien invaders. Let me tell you that giant robots are not all they're cracked up to be.

First, there's the size. In your life, when has "making something bigger" resulted in a net positive outcome? Giant robots consume a remarkable amount of fuel, they're harder to park, and statistically you will step on about 1.22 people every time you take it out for a ride. Sure, that number is offset every time you save humanity from the Globthorians, but let's be honest with ourselves: you are not driving the giant robot exclusively to wage heroic interstellar war. Sometimes you're heading down to the liquor store and end up pressure-washing a pet salon off your 10-foot-wide boot before the rivets rust.

Beyond the practical concerns, it is a bad look for only the well-heeled depressed teenagers to be piloting these suckers. Children with emotionally distant fathers and a confusing puberty are found in all socioeconomic strata, but a recent study showed that only the super-rich and well-connected are ever "chosen" for their "merit" as potential robot pilots. Maybe someone with a little more empathy would do a better job. We have to raise the question here: are we promoting equal access to giant robots, or is this merely another stage for the rich to get richer?

Last, there are some economic concerns to speak about. Giant robots, owing again to their massive size, cost an absolute shitload of money to build. We can't afford that stuff these days, what with being at war with the Globthorians and all. I suggest instead that we spend the money we would waste on a single giant robot on several hundred regular-sized robots. While the military's own accountability office and the defence contractors' lobbyists will tell you that this just encourages more waste with overhead per robot, let's not forget who are the assholes who decided to build a giant robot and then try to find an alien civilization to provoke in order to "see how it works out." It worked out badly, folks!