#we replaced it with 'minor'

[soath]

Obviously, DnD characters are wish fulfillment and lots of people don’t want to address the slow senescence of the vulnerable human form in their fun games. That being said, narratively, I do think that levels should probably fluctuate over the course of a lifetime. The level twenty world-saver is going not going to stay level twenty into their old age—that’s not how athletes and retirement work! Wisdom and Charisma casters maybe, but your STR/CON/DEX builds are going to soften with age. They might still be the spryest bastards in the old people tai chi group, but “terrifyingly in shape 70 year old” is not the same as “deadliest man on the planet”. Drop those old folks a few levels, give them some creaky bones and presbyopia. It’s good for them, promise.

[spotaus]

Thinking about Orchid and her connection to my take on Gender (because this was meant to be about her and the Crew but it just devolved into a character analysis kinda??? More trauma-dumping maybe???) This is very much an oc/personal rant so feel free to ignore it 🫡

So, Orchid started off as a character I didn't really think much of (hear me out this is going to be relevant) because I wanted to add a 'girl' character but didn't know what to *do* with her, y'know? She was always going to be the strongest one there, she had the odds stacked in her favor with her parents. She was always going to be the gloomy side-character to match Reset's energy. But I think she's gone through every stage of Generic Woman I could possibly find.

At first she was angry and abrasive (think Fell!Sans) where every other word was a curse and she was likely to throw the first punch then laugh as she kicks her enemy while they're down. This was when Reset was a cartoonishly self-centered villain whose goal was simply to prove others wrong. Then Orchid became a sort of sisterly figure. This was short-lived, but she was the one comforting people who Reset would torment, but would ultimately follow his orders, because at this point he was actually a danger and sadistic. And then there was the phase where the story mellowed out and she became the token Goth Girl who, yes she was strong, but was heavy on the 'whatever' energy. Then there was her Era of deep self-loathing and anxiety about her worth that held her back and made her a much more timid and meek character who would only lash out on occasion.

Now, Orchid is the best of those iterations I've written yet. She's calm, level-headed, and a natural leader. Her father raised those traits into her. But she's very reactive, and can be silly, and when she's comfortable it's likely that air of importance transforms into something more comfortable and familiar. She laughs loudly and grins wide, she likes loud video-games but loves to read in the quiet. She's extremely disciplined, and normally no one can get through her tough exterior besides her best friend, Reset. She does what she does for her own enjoyment, sure, but she's thought of every angle and makes her choice to help Reset and control the others with her whole chest. She still worries she won't live up to her invisible expectations, and that and her loyalty are her two driving forces.

I know that Orchid is important to me because she's the longest-running female oc I've had. I have a rough relationship with womanhood/girlhood and I know looking back that Orchid recieved every ounce of my distaste for being a woman that I could shovel into her. That never made her less of a character, she was actually always one of my favorites, and rarely was she a 'punching bag oc'. I just... projected onto her a lot. And she's a good sign of how I've learned who I am. I've decided that my own femininity is something I could live without. I'd rather not associate myself with it, and I'd like to leave it in my past, focusing on a future where I'm not tied down with any gender roles or expectations. That won't happen, but I've come to terms with it myself. Orchid though? I figured out through her that I don't have to hate women characters. My own distaste for my circumstances doesn't mean I have to push it onto my characters (on God I've never expressed anything rude to actual people, that'd be rude as hell and uncalled for, but I have a bad habit of disliking fictional women in media). So, Orchid is a well-roubded character finally. She has motivations abd goals and a *lot* more depth than I ever expected her to. She's happy with being a woman, she's content. She's not treated differently for it in unfair ways by those she cares about, so she doesn't mind it. She likes to wear pretty outfits and lets Reset add bows to her ribbons. She doesn't let being a woman hold her back in the slightest.

So, yeah. Orchid is one of my babies. If I ever leave this Fandom behind for good, she's one that's coming with (Ichor, Orchid, and Pretender all have human designs I can use elsewhere lol-) but in the meantime I'll just rotate her around in my brain for a while longer.

If I'm right, she's been with me for nearly 5-6 years and I went through a *lot* with her as an outlet. So, she's kinda just like an old stuffed animal. A lil ripped, matted fur, maybe a stain or two, but there's a story there and that makes it important beyond belief.

[ratbastarddotfuck]

my lamp just died... I fly out in 5 days... highly unlikely that I shell out the money to replace the bulb before I leave. I am gonna be so mad at myself when I get back in November lmfao

[swinging-stars-from-satellites]

prayyyyyy for meeeeee

[synthetic-sonata]

today is dedicated to that one ex-friend who sexualized all of my ocs who were projections of me ( and later i realized were. me. ) and barely talked to me unless i was sexual for them and left me out of things on purpose otherwise. Fuck you

[stressedbeetle]

sometimes I watch video footage of Sweden from several years ago (70s, 50s, 1920s etc) because, I like history and I find it interesting. But then when I unfortunately check the comments there will without fail always be so many racist, xenophobic, Islamophobic comments saying that Sweden has been overrun and that the time from the video was the "good old days". Which just makes me SO FUCKING MAD PLEASE JUST SHUT UP YOU RACIST PIECE OF SHIT

[ichabodcranemills]

call me a fucking luddite but when our manager told us today we have* to use AI to write our documents (and indicate so in the spreadsheet with time and # of documents created), I wanted to walk.

*have as in: if you don’t use it, you’ll be marked as not having done the job properly. Even if your text is correct. The AI is to be used even if you don’t find it useful or necessary

[marklikely]

sorry ive tried to avoid being a hater for no reason like . hating on stuff just bc i resent its popularity rather than actually genuinely disliking it. i try to avoid doing that now. but can the eras tour please just end already so i never ever have to hear about it again ever.

[echofromtheabyss]

I’m 50. My culture as I know it may not survive another hundred years. I don’t know what the future holds. I am going to spend the rest of my life doing whatever the fuck I want, what I want in a job is something that gives me the work-life balance I need for that, and “whatever the fuck I want” in this particular year means obsessing over my self directed multimedia projects and making music about space.

[taichissu]

still depressed about banri not being a support character in esute summer act 2

[no0dlru]

My household full of diy-loving self-sufficient people...

... with adhd. Talk about having a screw loose... [affectionate]

[eileenleahy]

i just loathe the state of higher ed so much sometimes. sorry i hate paying to be surrounded by people who arent even mildly excited or even willing to learn more than what they need to get a degree. why is college just extra high school now why am i made to feel elitist for wanting to engage with people that arent effectively anti-intellectual

[chipped-chimera]

I am asking the general public at large a very 'please stop poorly informed knee-jerk virtue signalling and actually learn what cultural appropriation MEANS'

[lokilysolbitch]

i don't see influencer content very much so i get confused why the "you don't need this" sentiment is so aggressive until i hear about influencers BUYING NEW BEDSHEETS FOR EVERY SEASON??????????????????????

YOU GOT BEDSHEETS AT HOME

[weepingfireflies]

Freedom is Inevitable 

I want to preface this by stating in no uncertain terms that Biden’s statements and actions are unforgivable. He has caused the death of hundreds, if not thousands, of people by his constant and unwavering support of Israel’s war crimes and Obama’s bombings of the Middle East.

I will not shed a single tear when he dies. 

However, freedom comes slowly, but it will come. I’ve seen many people framing elections as a judgment on what kind of nation we have been, are, and will be. If Biden is elected, we lose the fight to free Palestine. If Trump is elected, we lose so much more. 

But it’s not true. The fight is not over because there's a setback. Politicians are rarely deserving of respect, but the freedom we are fighting for is. 

The idea we have to nominate Biden as the democratic candidate in the first place is untrue - contact and support those you think should run against him, vote in the primaries for someone else, and show support for a 2024 Democratic Presidential Debate to showcase other candidates. 

If he wins the nomination, let him know that we do not support Israel’s genocide, and we will not be quiet. We may vote for him because he is a step toward progress where Trump is not, but we will not stop at him. He may end up being a necessary stepping stone, but he is not at the end of our path. We will go further.

The main question is not whether or not we have to vote for Biden in the 2024 presidential election. So much more needs to be done before, during, and after Presidential elections - vote in lower elections/at midterms. Protest. Petition. Donate. Protect and enshrine rights for everyone, and if we fail once, do not stop until we succeed.

Just because the options are bad now does not mean they always will be. We can make a world where we don’t have to weigh the sins of our leaders every four years, but we have to be willing to try, to keep moving forward as fast as we can.  Refusing to take a step because it is small only helps the people we are fighting against, but we need to keep taking them, even if it seems impossible. Stop giving up because “there are only two bad options,” and “well, we voted for the lesser evil, so we’re done.” Freedom comes slowly, but it will come, and people like Joe Biden will be crushed under its wheels. 

[trans-leek-cookie]

crocheting in the dark has made me much more aware of the random shit I do to get proper tension on the yarn and like. I get why machines can't do this shit how the fuck would u program that