#MAPs aren't valid | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lilywhisperer · 11 months

Text

So fucking pissed at people who say that hyperspecific labels “make the queer community look bad” or “is just pure attention seeking”, NO MF I JUST LIKE HAVING A NAME FOR THINGS I FEEL.

Like, my situation with gender is so fucking complicated that having a person coin something such as “dazegender” was so good to me, and I still have a complicated relationship with gender !! I’m so glad for whoever coined the term “Omnisexual/romantic” because it would've been a living nightmare to do mental gymnastics to feel like I fitted pan or bi.

“But those are spectrums” do people treat them as such ? Do they really ? Plus it's just difficult to my head to grasp the concept of “spectrum” it either is or is not, that's how my brain works personally. (My brain needs to be able to name things, basically. And also to know exactly what to do, if we're talking about chores, per say).

In today's generation so many people (me included) just find it SO HARD to put their feelings into words that it is genuinely a blessing to have labels that can label what we feel so precisely (to us, at least), “but you're overcomplicating something that should be simple” feelings are so far from being simple, honestly, and what is simple to you may not be to me, and that's okay, just don't call me attention seeking or whatever.

Also, also !! Hyperspecific labels/flags just make me (at least) feel more validated, since it makes it clear to me that I'm not alone in the way I feel and it kinda validates me (in a good way) :] And it's the Queer Community after all, so I think it's past the time we start actually acting like that.

#★﹐echos lost into the vastness of space #tldr ; just let people do whatever they want as long as they aren't creating labels such as “MAP” or “animesexual” istg #this post was brought to you by #A Random Video I Saw Talking About How Cupiosexual People Are Not Valid !#not going to tag this because i just won't. know. how to deal with people wanting to fight #i will hear your arguments against this tho #(if you have any)#doesn't mean i will agree #but that's ok. you don't have to agree with me either ! just. be kind. please.#this is kinda vent-ish but it's just something I've been dealing with for a really long time #my brain likes having names to thing such as feelings. attraction. gender. aesthetics. personality traits. etc #i know people are really against this thing of hyperspecific labels (or even aesthetics. i see a lot of discourse on that)#but some people are. just. Like That™#and while i do agree humanity can't be properly labelled #i enjoy having labels ! helps me to not feel insane and actually feel normal and comfortable with myself #also if i can't name a feeling. thing or if i don't have clear instructions on something i'll simply not work #anyways #thanks for coming to my tedtalk #and also happy pride for both people with simple labels and people with hyperspecific labels !! all valid ! :] 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈

34 notes · View notes

highectolordcommander · 10 months

Text

Oh this shouldn't even need to be said, but hey Dude That's My Ghost fans,

1. Billy Joe Cobra is at the *least* 19 years old. Spencer is 14.

2. Billy Joe Cobra and Spencer are related.

3. It is wrong to ship a child with an adult.

4. It is wrong to ship people who are related.

And finally, it is very. Very wrong. To sexualize children.

Do not interact, thank you! In fact, blocking me would be even better!

#maps dni #fuck proshippers #proshippers dni #anti proshitter #fuck proshitters #dude that's my ghost #while I'm at it #no fucking endos #dni endos #endogenics dni #endos aren't real #endos are not valid

4 notes · View notes

the-incorrigible-chaia · 1 year

Text

So, I've been reading the arguments that several Jumblr folks, including @starlightomatic and @tikkunolamorgtfo, have been having with ex-Christian atheists over the term "culturally Christian", and said ex-Christian atheists' staunch refusal to engage with the term, and it got me thinking that I see a very similar dynamic to that with white liberals, especially white queer people who came from conservative areas.

A lot of the time, white liberals from conservative areas, especially queer white liberals, have been hurt, sometimes badly, by their conservative communities. They've been marginalized and oppressed by white conservatives, and so they run as far in the opposite direction as they can to disassociate themselves with them. Which, I will add, is perfectly valid, and I can understand why they do so.

What's not valid, however, and is also extremely common, is when a person of colour then starts talking about white supremacist culture, and the white liberal insists that they cannot be racist, because they were marginalized by white conservatives, and they react with extreme hostility.

What's missed here is that the axis of oppression is a different one. Yes, white queers are marginalized by white conservatives, but it's on the basis of their queerness, and they still benefit from white supremacy on account of their whiteness. In the same vein, yes, ex-Christian atheists are marginalized by Christians, but it's on the basis of their atheism, and they still benefit from Christian hegemony on account of their being...

And here is where the term "culturally Christian" comes into play: All the things adjacent to Christianity that are still informed by and contribute to Christian hegemony. Analogously, whiteness is adjacent to, informed by, and contributes to white supremacy. And just as a lot of white liberals really, really don't want to think of themselves as white, because it feels like being lumped in with the white conservatives who hurt them, culturally Christian atheists don't want to think of themselves as being culturally Christian, because it feels like being lumped in with the Christians that hurt them.

And just as whiteness portrays itself as the absence of race, making it extremely hard to map out its defining characteristics as a discrete phenomenon, Christianity's portrayal of itself as a religion separate from culture—and the ensuing portrayal of ex-Christian atheists by themselves of being a cultureless secularity—makes it extremely hard to map out the defining characteristics of cultural Christianity.

But, just as we have to mark out the bounds of whiteness to dismantle white supremacy, we have to mark out the bounds of cultural Christianity to dismantle Christian hegemony.

And those bounds aren't policed from the inside.

EDIT: Accidentally @'d the wrong person.

#jumblr #cultural christianity #whiteness

2K notes · View notes

sansundertale14x1 · 6 months

Text

Reminder for (some) allies that aren't that well informed:

Not all gay men are feminine

Lesbians can be feminine

Trans Women are women before surgery / hormones.

Trans Men are men before surgery / hormones.

Pansexual people are not 'just bi'

Gay men don't need to just 'find the right woman'

Lesbian women don't need to just 'find the right man'

Asexual/Aromantic people aren't weird for not wanting sexual / romantic relationships

MAPS are not part of the LGBTQ+ community, and never will be.

LGBTQ+ is valid, and should not be discarded as some 'mental issue'.

edit: because I forgot some things:

Non-binary people are not “just confused.”

Transgender people are not a political topic to debate the existence of.

Heterosexual and Cisgender Asexual men / women ARE queer.

“Queer” is not a slur

Have a good day <3

249 notes · View notes

darkacua · 8 months

Text

The boys who I think prefer writing romantic letters over romantic text messages

Malleus

Not only is he the most obvious, but he is also one of the ones who puts the most effort into every letter he writes to you.

His letters are long and detailed, his day may have been extremely boring but that won't stop him from writing to you about how much he misses you.

He uses the finest paper and ink that can be found in the Briar Valley because you deserve only the best.

His handwriting is extremely beautiful and with a lot of garigole, is the type that if you don't know how to read and write cursive it will be impossible for you to make sense of it.

He writes to you at least once a day, although you usually find at least two letters on your desk every day. If you stop receiving your daily dose of letters at least once, you should check that he is not dead because according to him that is the only reason. valid for not writing to you.

Rook

Another guy who will let you know that he loves you through the forgotten art of letters.

He goes to great lengths praising your beauty in every letter he sends you, occasionally including other people's beauty in the process.

He likes to put small gifts or photos in the envelopes, especially if in the writing he is talking about an event for which he believes visual context is needed.

All of his letters are delivered through an arrow.

He has a bad habit of sending them at different times of the day, they have arrived in class, at lunch and in the early morning. You had to talk to Vil to get him to stop it at least a little.

Riddle

He firmly believes that it is the right way to express his love, respect and admiration for you.

He doesn't have a problem with text messages, he just feels that they aren't personal enough to be able to describe his feelings.

You won't find more scented letters in all of Twisted Wonderland.

The experience of romance is complete and he refuses to skip any steps that make you understand how much he loves you.

He will give you letters at least twice a week, he would like to write to you daily but his schedule does not allow it.

He has a notebook full of drafts, he will write there before transferring it to the official letter since he is afraid of writing something too insensitive.

Jade

Romance classes on the surface are not very up to date for this eel boy.

He doesn't do it for romance, that's more than clear.

He finds it interesting to see your reactions to his letters more than the idea of expressing his love for you in them.

More than love letters, they seem like improvised expedition diaries about his trips in search of mushrooms.

If he discovers that you keep the cards along with the little drawings he makes on them, he will put more effort into his explorations, this boy likes his effort to be appreciated.

Jamil

Started because his phone broke down and he couldn't find you anywhere, his first letter wasn't even romantic, it was more of a note with a little map drawn to tell you where his date was that afternoon.

He kept doing it even when hers got his phone back because he found out you saved that first note in an album.

His letters are more of a summary of his day than anything else, but he likes the sense of intimacy they give to their relationship when he writes them.

If it's a special date like an anniversary or birthday, he will write you a short poem in his native language and send it to you by letter.

His official messenger, as ironic as it may be, is Kalim.

His letters always arrive safely to you if Kalim is the one who delivers them, our white-haired boy takes that job very seriously.

Silver

Lilia told him that it was the only official way in Briar Valley for couples to communicate.

He forgot to mention the very small detail that it is the only form of communication because in his homeland THERE ARE NO CELL PHONES.

His letters are almost always short, simple and straight to the point, he is not very good at being poetic.

However, they always come accompanied by a small bouquet of wildflowers, picked especially for you by him and his little furry friends.

He writes to you daily but always at the end of the day, if for some reason he falls asleep and forgets to write to you one day he will send you an apology letter the next morning explaining what happened.

If you're the type of person who writes back to him, he'll have all your letters in a small, locked wooden box, away from the prying eyes CofLiliaCof of his other dormmates.

Deuce

He…had the bad idea to ask Professor Trein for advice on how to be romantic.

Trein was married, right? It's obvious that he has to know a thing or two about romance, especially if he talks about how much in love he and his wife were!

Well, let's just say that Deuce does what he can in the realm of romance demonstrated through writing…

His letters tend to be somewhat abrupt, both in letter and content, he does not know how to express his feelings correctly, and he is even less successful having 3 idiots as dormmates making fun of his failed attempts.

He doesn't give up anyway and he writes to you at least 2 times a week, his letters and handwriting improve a lot with time and practice.

Riddle is very proud of him for all the effort he puts into this whole letter thing, and ends up forcing all of his students to have a mandatory calligraphy class.

Español bajo el corte

Los chicos que yo creo que prefieren escribir cartas románticas por encima de mensajes de texto románticos:

Malleus

No solo es el más obvio, si no que también es uno de los que más empeño le pone a cada carta que te escribe.

Sus cartas son largas y detalladas, su día pudo haber sido extremadamente aburrido pero eso no lo detendrá a escribirte sobre lo mucho que te extraño.

Usa el papel y la tinta más fina que se pueda encontrar en el Valle de Briar porque te mereces solo lo mejor.

Su caligrafía es extremadamente hermosa y con mucho garigoleado, es del tipo que si no sabes leer y escribir cursiva te será imposible encontrarle sentido.

Te escribe mínimo una vez al día, aunque usualmente encuentras mínimo dos cartas en tu escritorio todos los días, si dejas de recibir tu dosis diaria de cartas al menos una vez, deberás de revisar que no esté muerto porque según él esa es la única razón válida para no escribirte.

Rook

Otro chico que te hará saber que te ama a través del arte olvidado de las cartas.

Se explaya demasiado alabando tu belleza en cada una de las cartas que te envía, incluyendo de vez en cuando la belleza de otras personas en el proceso.

Le gusta poner pequeños regalos o fotos en los sobres, sobre todo si en lo escrito está hablando sobre algún evento del cual él cree que se necesite contexto visual.

Todas sus cartas son entregadas a través de una flecha.

Tiene la mala costumbre de enviarlas a diferentes horas del día, te han llegado en clase, el almuerzo y en la madrugada. Tuviste que hablar con Vil para que lo detuviera al menos un poco.

Riddle

Cree firmemente que es la manera correcta de expresar su amor, respeto y admiración por ti.

No tiene ningún problema con los mensajes de texto, solo siente que no son lo suficientemente personales como para poder describir sus sentimientos.

No encontrarás cartas más perfumadas en todo Twisted Wonderland.

La experiencia del romance es completa y él se niega a saltarse algún paso que te dé a entender lo mucho que te ama.

Te dará cartas al menos dos veces por semana, le gustaría escribirte a diario pero su horario no se lo permite.

Tiene un cuaderno lleno de borradores, escribirá ahí antes de pasarlo a la carta oficial ya que tiene miedo de escribir algo demasiado insensible.

Jade

Las clases sobre el romance en la superficie no están muy actualizadas que digamos para este chico anguila.

No lo hace por el romanticismo, eso está más que claro.

Le parece interesante el ver tus reacciones a sus cartas más que la idea de expresar su amor por ti en ellas.

Más que cartas de amor parecen diarios de expedición improvisados sobre sus viajes en busca de hongos.

Si él descubre que tú guardas las cartas junto con los pequeños dibujos que hace en ellas le pondrá más empeño a sus exploraciones, a este chico le gusta que su esfuerzo sea apreciado.

Jamil

Inicio porque su teléfono se descompuso y no podía encontrarte en ningún lado, su primera carta ni siquiera fue romántica, fue más bien una nota con un pequeño mapa dibujado para decirte donde era su cita de esa tarde.

Siguió haciéndolo incluso cuando su recuperó su teléfono porque descubrió que guardaste esa primera nota en un álbum.

Sus cartas son más un resumen de su día que otra cosa, pero le gusta la sensación de intimidad que le dan a su relación cuando las escribe.

Si es una fecha especial como un aniversario o cumpleaños, él te escribirá un pequeño poema en su idioma natal y te lo enviará por carta.

Su mensajero oficial, por muy irónico que sea, es Kalim.

Sus cartas siempre llegan segura a ti si Kalim es el que las entrega, nuestro chico de cabello blanco se toma ese trabajo muy enserio.

Silver

Lilia le dijo que era la única forma oficial en el Valle de Briar para que las parejas se comunicaran.

Se le olvidó mencionar el pequeñísimo detalle de que es la única forma de comunicación porque en su tierra natal NO HAY CELULARES.

Sus cartas casi siempre son cortas, sencillas y directo al grano, no se le da muy bien eso de ser poético.

Sin embargo, siempre vienen acompañadas de un pequeño ramo de flores silvestres, recogido especialmente para ti por él y sus pequeños amigos peludos.

Te escribe a diario pero siempre al final del día, si por alguna razón se queda dormido y olvida escribirte un dia te enviará una carta de disculpa a la mañana siguiente explicando lo sucedido.

Si eres del tipo de persona que le escribe de vuelta, tendrá todas tus cartas en una pequeña caja de madera bajo llave, lejos de los ojos curiosos *CofLiliaCof* de sus demás compañeros de dormitorio.

Deuce

Él… tuvo la mala idea de preguntarle al profesor Trein por consejos de cómo ser romántico.

¿Trein estuvo casado, no? ¡Es obvio que tiene que saber una cosa o dos sobre el romance, sobre todo si habla de lo muy enamorados que estaban él y su esposa!

Bueno, solo digamos que Deuce hace lo que puede en el ámbito del romance demostrado a través de la escritura…

Sus cartas suelen ser algo bruscas, tanto en letra como en contenido, no sabe cómo expresar sus sentimientos de forma correcta, y lo logra menos teniendo a 3 idiotas como compañeros de dormitorio burlándose de sus intentos fallidos.

No se rinde de cualquier forma y te escribe al menos 2 veces por semana, sus cartas y caligrafía mejoran mucho con el tiempo y la práctica.

Riddle está muy orgulloso de él por todo el esfuerzo que pone en todo esto de las cartas, y termina obligando a todos sus estudiantes a tener una clase obligatoria de caligrafía.

228 notes · View notes

sparklemaia · 9 months

Note

Dear Maia, I just saw your substack comic about your growing disconnect from your body and journey to getting top surgery, and I found it deeply touching. As someone who doesn't feel the need to apply firm labels to themselves and their gender identity, there was something very comforting about seeing your journey, seeing you come out on top and feel at home in your body even if it means not having a simple answer. I feel as though nowadays young queers are expected to have perfectly defined answers about their identity and not stray from the chosen label (sometimes even ironically). Gender and sexuality aren't shameful or taboo topics, but must I wear it on my sleeve? Must it be obvious, neatly arranged for consumption? Isn't it enough to feel at peace with my body, whatever that might mean for me? Though I might be entirely wrong, I feel like I don't see enough stories of self discovery where the newly discovered territory can't be easily mapped for others to read. And that doesn't mean the place itself is any less alive and beautiful! I wish you the best of luck & a quick recovery from your top surgery. 💕

Right! Like, I know I don't neatly fit into any of the boxes we've got, and "nonbinary" as a catchall for "everything that doesn't fit in Box A or Box B" can sometimes feel restrictive too! So I'm just vibing I guess 😜. But oh wow my relationship with my body now that I'm tit-free is so much better, regardless of what gender terms it might suggest or elicit.

I'm very supportive of the right to bodily autonomy for *everyone*, without people needing to fit a script or follow the rules✌️ Babes if you have a body that developed breasts and you want top surgery for any goddamn reason, you deserve it. Full stop. (Actual access is another whole barrel of monkeys, but if you're asking yourself if you're *worthy* the answer is unequivocally yes.)

I also don't see many stories like mine, that stray from the more common binary transition experience (valid! important! but not mine!) which is one of the reasons I choose to share my journal comics. I hope they help others feel less alone ❤️

#sparklemaia answers #trans #gender #nonbinary #genderqueer #transition #top surgery #transmasc #bodily autonomy

246 notes · View notes

alex51324 · 1 month

Text

It's Almost Here! North American Solar Eclipse, 2024

As I mentioned in that other post, it will be visible as at least a partial eclipse to most of North America, with the path of totality cutting a diagonal from Sinaloa, Mexico to Newfoundland, Canada, including 15 US states from Texas to Maine.

Don't be fooled by how we just had one back in October, and another one a few years ago in 2017: total solar eclipses are rare! They only happen when the Sun, Moon, and Earth line up just perfectly--and only for a small portion of the Earth's surface each time.

It's a wild coincidence that North America/the US has gotten three in such a short span of time; the last one before the recent trio was in 1979, and the next one won't be until 2044. (We do have a big partial coming to us in 2033!) The Northeastern US won't see another until the 2070's.

(Note: If you are not in North America, you can use these maps to see when your continent will have its turn!)

This eclipse is also really special in that its path of totality sweeps across a lot of heavily-populated areas. About 31 million people live within the path of totality, and millions more are expected to visit.

So, it's a pretty big deal, and now's the time to get ready!

If you live in the path of totality:

Lucky you! Look up your location on these maps to get the exact time and duration of totality.

Be ready for extra traffic & crowds--especially if you live somewhere with stuff for tourists, or a place that people outside the immediate area will have heard of.

Totality times are in the afternoon, ranging from about 1:30 in Texas to 3:30 in Maine (local times), so if you'll be at school, or at work in a setting where you can't choose your own break times, now's a good time to talk to whomever you need to. It's not unreasonable to ask to step out into the parking lot for the three minutes that people will be coming from far and wide to see--but depending on your setting, it may take some arranging ahead of time. (If you're in school, hopefully your science teachers have already thought of this, but if not, ask them. And if your science teachers are jerks, try other teachers.

If you live near the path of totality:

Try to go! As the American author Annie Dillard says, "Seeing a partial eclipse bears the same relation to seeing a total eclipse as kissing a man does to marrying him, or as flying in an airplane does to falling out of an airplane."

(Link is to the Atlantic; if you hit a paywall, the 12-foot ladder works.)

Here's a map of approximate driving distances to the path of totality, in the US (from this page).

If you're close enough to think about going, here are some Google maps with eclipse overlays for more detailed planning. (I like the Xavier Jubier one.)

Once you're inside the path of totality, anywhere you can see the sun is a valid viewing location, but if you're making a day of it and you want to find a special spot, check local visitor's bureaus or tourism offices for the area you'll be in. They'll probably have a list of parks and other places. For instance, here's what Erie, Pennsylvania has.

Seriously, If you are able to drive/have a car, live within day-trip distance of the path of totality, and can be away from work/school without losing your job/being arrested for truancy, you should go. This is a once-in-a-lifetime type of thing, and there's still loads of time to plan a day-trip.

(Note: If you aren't in day-trip distance, but now you want to go, you don't have a lot of options: hotels and flights have been full for ages. However, if you're in two-days-driving distance, you might be able to find a Sunday-night base camp, from which you can get up on Monday morning and drive several more hours to the path of totality. For instance, in Pennsylvania, there are still reasonably-priced hotel rooms to be had in State College, which is--in normal traffic--three and a half hours from Erie. (You might even be able to get a little closer than that; I just checked State College because they have a lot of hotels for the Penn State football crowds.} So if you're coming from, say, Maryland or Virginia, that could work, and there may be similar creative options for other regions. Again, if this is something that's feasible for you to do, without bankrupting yourself, getting fired, or other long-term consequences, I would strongly consider doing it!

If you live in North America, but have no way to get to the totality:

A partial eclipse is still pretty cool! And again, it'll be a while before you have another chance to see one, so it's worth it to make the time.

All of the 48 contiguous US states will be able to see some amount of eclipse. So will Hawaii, Mexico, Central America, and most of Canada and the Caribbean islands, plus a little bit of South America. (Alaska and part of the Yukon are SOL, but you will have your turn in 2033!)

Use these maps to look up the time and extent of the eclipse in your location.

As of this writing, you can still get eclipse glasses here, among other places. If you run out of time to get them, check for eclipse-viewing events at local parks, libraries, etc.--they may also have some to give away ahead of time, but even if not, if you go to an event, there will almost certainly be some to share.

The plus of a partial eclipse is that you have a fairly relaxed viewing window--as much as a couple of hours, depending how far you are from the middle of the eclipse zone--rather than a standout moment that you want to make sure you're in position for.

That makes it pretty easy to get a chance to see it even if you're at work--everybody can take turns stepping outside for a look. You can share eclipse glasses, too.

#eclipse 2024 #psa #my other post was such a big hit #I now feel an obligation #hope this is helpful to someone!

61 notes · View notes

sunshine-jesse · 5 months

Text

In defense of Andrew Graves: A character arc in one sentence

HEY! I rewrote this essay and fleshed it out a lot. I'm keeping the original here for posterity, but the new version renders this one completely obsolete. Find it here!

I've focused a lot on Ashley in my past writings. She's my favorite character in the story (and depending on how episode 3 pans out, maybe ever) and I'm pretty mortified by how some parts of the fandom have reacted towards her, so I pretty much made it my life's mission to push back against that. From highlighting the ways Andrew mistreats her, to coming up with justifications for her behavior that aren't just being a manipulative bitch, I really wanted to prove that a more favorable picture of her could be painted than most were willing to.

But in doing so, I've left Andrew in the dust.

In highlighting his flaws and the ways he mistreats Ashley, I think I've implied a level of intentionality to his actions that I don't believe he has. Most of his worst actions are spur of the moment, or caused by a fundamental conflict that exists between his desires and his idea of the way things should be. That doesn't excuse them, obviously! But they do reveal interesting things about his character and how it develops over the course of the game. He starts out as a doormat, but eventually settles on either his bitterness or a sense of calmness and acceptance, both over Ashley.

But what exactly causes this change?

There's plenty of reason to believe that he was slowly evolving before the story took place, but within the context of the work itself, I believe there are two points where he can no longer ignore the changes that have happened to this point, both of which are in the first chapter: The killing of the warden and the 302 lady. In the first case, he was forced to do it to protect Ashley in a way he hadn't done before, or depending on how you look at it, since the death of Nina. But the intentionality was the key point here. After this point, he calls Ashley Leyley, which may or may not seem important at this point, but it's something I'll draw attention to later, so keep that in mind.

Next is the killing of the 302 lady, which is the much, much bigger point. We don't learn much about it until later on- as at first he just gives an excuse about the nail gun that doesn't line up with what we see on the map- but during the dream, it's revealed it was a calculated, intentional killing that he did to make sure there was no evidence left behind, and because Ashley (supposedly) would've wanted him to do it anyway. I say supposedly because Ashley herself doesn't seem to ever want Andrew to kill for her past Nina's death, because he only ever kills for her to defend one or both of them. If you want more evidence that violence for violence's sake isn't something she wants, look at this part in the final dream:

A knife isn't what opens the door, despite it being placed on the ground in that very map. While it seems obvious that the knife (violence) would be the key to solving the puzzle, it's put there explicitly to show you that it isn't. It's not what she wants; what she wants is a flower.

So, why is this important? Why am I centering Ashley- again- when this essay is supposed to be about Andrew?

Because I think it's important to point out the discrepancy between what he thinks Ashley wants, and what she really wants. When Ashley starts to grill Andrew over the killing of the 302 lady, he gets mad. Very mad. Ashley sees it as pointless, as him covering his own ass, but he genuinely did it for her sake, because he thought that's what she wanted, and that it'd make her happy. But what makes her happy isn't violence- or any similarly extreme action for that matter- it's attention and validation. Something he's always reluctant to give her, despite the fact that he always chose her over the alternatives. But despite making that choice, it's always empty and meaningless, because in Ashley's mind, he never did it for her sake.

And hoo boy, does he not like it being framed like this.

But is she wrong, though? He WAS the one who chopped up the Warden, and he WAS the one who chose to kill the 302 lady. Violence is his job, it's all he knows. He has to do it to take care of Leyley, right? To protect her? To keep her happy? Then why doesn't he ever acknowledge it? Why does he never admit that he did it for her sake, to keep her happy?

Because he doesn't know what he sees her as.

In his unique dream sequence, he sees two versions of Ashley; the child version of her- Leyley- and the adult version of her- Ashley. And the differences in the ways he interacts with the two of them are stunning. Leyley is an obstinate, annoying child. She's the one he NEEDS to take care of, and he hates that. He hates Leyley for what she did for his childhood. He hates that he needs to provide for her. He has the option of trying to kill her, even, over something as small as a candle!

But in the room with all the murders, the gilded cage, he sees Ashley as an adult. This version of Ashley is stuck in a closet that he himself has to open- and to choose to see. Their interactions are calm and friendly. She teases him a bit, sure, but she's still helpful, and they have fun together. He doesn't need her, and she doesn't need him. He needed Leyley- needed the candle- but here, there are other limbs strewn about for him to take. And, crucially, he doesn't even have the option to kill this Ashley for one of the limbs.

And during the choking scene, he lets her go the moment she acknowledges that he doesn't need her anymore.

What he really wants is Ashley for Ashley's sake. Not for what she can provide him. He doesn't even need her for sleep, he just wants her. But Ashley has trouble acknowledging this, because he's never before shown that WANT. Only a NEED. She keeps trying to find ways to make him need her, because she's never seen what his desire for her is really like. She's only ever seen him desiring someone else, someone other than her. She's only ever seen him as Andy, because she's never truly seen Andrew, only the violence he can inflict on others. Andrew, meanwhile is arguably further along in the realization of their relationship, because he can see and acknowledge both sides of Ashley.

He can see Leyley, the needy, bratty child who always needs his attention, that he needs to provide for. The one he hates and wants to get rid of. The one he kills for to protect. And he can see Ashley, the one who engages in friendly and cute banter with him. Who comforts and shows him physical affection. The one he loves. The one he kills for to make happy.

He just can't choose which one he wants to see. Every outside influence- from his parents, to Julia, to Nina- makes him see her as Leyley. Ashley herself makes him see her as Leyley too, whenever she brings up all the things he did for her, and calls him Andy, his child self, instead of Andrew, his current self. And as long as he sees that child, he feels like one too, and can never give Ashley anything that comes from the heart.

But he really, really wants to see Ashley as an adult. He wants to take pride in her, how much she's grown, and how driven and competent she really is.

But god damn, does that bitch ever make it hard.

But in the end, it's him who has to make the choice how to see her. Ashley can only see what she's shown, but Andrew can choose.

And in the basement scene, he makes that choice.

If Ashley refuses to leave him alone with their parents, that's it. In one of the most critical and important moments of his life, she couldn't give him the space needed to make up his own mind. She couldn't treat him as an adult. She couldn't see him as Andrew. If she does give him that choice, she chooses to acknowledge that Andrew is an adult who can be trusted to make his own decisions, even though she (perhaps foolishly) believes that this choice lines up with her own interests. And frankly it does either way, but in accepting their mom's offer, her chooses to see her as Leyley once and for all. He chooses not to reciprocate what Ashley showed him. He does it because he needs to, not because he wants to. Because it's his duty, not his desire.

But if he WANTS to?

That respect becomes mutual.

In choosing to treat each other like adults, to treat their relationship as one of desire rather than need, Andy starts to die. From that point on, their relationship becomes a lot more friendly, lighthearted, and playful. They ironically start acting more like children, but to quote CS Lewis:

"Critics who treat adult as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence."

He's not ashamed of being playful with Ashley, or showing affection towards her. He's grown up. He finally sees her, and himself, as an adult- although he still doesn't show that in full until much later on (more or that later). But in Decay, he still sees her as a child, and to an extent, probably himself. Let's compare the ways in which he reacts to being called Andy. In Decay, he lashes out at Ashley and gets angry, even threatening her. But in Questionable Burial, he calmly says that Andy is dead and doesn't need Ashley's comfort, but still tries to reassure her that she's still needed. He's not ashamed of or hostile towards their prior dynamic, because he's grown past it. He still recognizes Ashley's need to feel needed, but he still RECOGNIZES it, where he was hostile towards it before.

It's a display of respect towards her feelings.

This interaction doesn't happen in the Sane ending, however. He doesn't play games with her and is just a lot less fun to be around all together. Why is that? Because he still hasn't yet shaken viewing Ashley as Leyley there. He still views her as a burden, as someone who needs taking care of. He's calmly accepted that, too, mind you, but he lacks respect for her because she's still a child, in his mind. But in Questionable?

The vision did more than just make him extremely embarrassed and lay his deepest desires bare. It forced him to recognize Ashley as an adult. When choosing between "Never" and "Never say never," if Never is chosen, the burden of thought is lifted off of him. But if Ashley chooses "Never say never!", he has to reckon with the fact that Ashley is an adult, someone who can consent to those kinds of things. Someone who MIGHT. Someone who has agency, and can make her own decisions. And more importantly… someone who can trust him to make his own.

Whether he desires sex or not is secondary; he's always had those feelings and has always been ashamed of it. But now that the part of him where that shame came from is dead and buried, there's no childish impulse to grow up. There's no attachment to the hate and bitterness he had before. Look at what he worries about when he picks up that she's uncertain or confused about who he is now:

This is the one sentence I was referring to in the title.

It's her feelings.

He wants to be fun to be around. He wants to make Ashley happy. He loves her, and not as a romantic interest or even as a sibling. He loves her independent of all that baggage.

He loves her as a person.

In learning to respect Ashley, our boy has finally grown up. But there's a certain intimacy to being hurt by someone else that Ashley isn't getting in this ending, and now she has to reckon with that. And that's really, really hard to do when you're so used to being hurt.

Especially when you're no longer around someone who wants to kill the part of you that needs nurturing the most.

#andrew graves #ashley graves #the coffin of andy and leyley #gaming #tcoaal #tcoaal essay #gravecest

133 notes · View notes

majachee · 6 months

Text

One criticism of LMK I don't agree with whatsoever is that "LMK villainizes Wukong."

It doesn't. It really doesn't. The show's portrayal of Wukong is meant to be a flawed individual with good intentions, and the main themes of the show center around not letting the past define you and growing past your mistakes. While not every villain is redeemed, the clear message of growth is there within the main cast, especially with them being reincarnations/descendents of the Pilgrims. And Wukong's major character flaw is closing himself off, and this is very much connected to these themes.

MK, at the beginning of the series, idolizes Wukong. While he does acknowledge that Wukong was a troublemaker in the past, it's not elaborated on nor does MK really think about it. MK is excited about his new powers and meeting his hero for the entire first season!

It isn't until season 2 that doubt really starts to creep in, where this idea that Wukong is a perfect hero starts to fracture in MK's eyes. We, as the audience, know that Wukong is investigating LBD and trying to keep MK safe by leaving him behind; but to MK and the characters in the show, they take Wukong's word at face value. If Wukong says he's going on vacation, then he's going on vacation. While they're not pleased about it, they don't have a reason to believe Wukong is doing anything else. And that's what Wukong wanted, nobody following him and putting themselves in danger. He's the immortal monkey, he can handle this himself, in his opinion that is.

And then LBD gets the staff, and they finally learn where Wukong truly was all this time. The main group rightfully feels a bit hurt, they trust Wukong but Wukong didn't trust them. We know his reasons, but we can still empathize with the others' hurt and confusion. This doesn't make Wukong the villain or a terrible person, though. He wasn't plotting behind their backs, he was trying to handle the threat by himself.

In season 3, the most vocal person regarding their distrust of Wukong is Pigsy. Even before Amnesia Rules, Pigsy scrutinized Wukong's meditation and even the validity of the map to the Rings. And then Amnesia Rules happens, where Wuking reveals that there aren't just 3 Rings of Samadhi but 4.

Pigsy is rightfully suspicious, and its meant to give suspense to the audience as well. Why didn't Wukong tell them about the 4th Ring?

And then we learn the whole story: Wukong slipped during the ritual, and one of the Rings ended up forming inside Ao Lie. Mei, as a descendent of Ao Lie, now carries the fourth Ring. When it's revealed, Nezha specifically mentions the fire possibly burning Mei to a crisp. This is also when we learn that Wukong's plan was to extract the Ring from Mei and harness the power of the Samadhi Fire hinself.

Wukong's main fault in this entire scenario was his tendency to push people away and keep things to himself. His desperation when they begin the ritual without him also points to him not wanting Mei to get hurt. He also feels responsible for the Ring being in Mei in the first place.

His plan was flawed from the get-go, not because he's an evil villain, but because in trying to handle things by himself he pushed his new friends away from him, and created a situation where they couldn't trust him. We see this trait of his again when he goes to fight LBD alone, he feels responsible and wants to handle it by himself. His mindset is constantly looping between "I'm responsible for this" and "Don't get the kid and his friends involved." And what the show is trying to tell us is that he should reach out for help, and that this isn't a healthy mindset.

In season 4, Wukong's past mistakes are exposed for everyone in the main cast and the audience to see. And his past with the Brotherhood explains so much.

We don't know much about the pligrimage other than the fact that it was mentally and emotionally beneficial to Wukong after he got locked up, so for now I'm going to focus on the Brotherhood.

The Brotherhood assembled to fight against the Jade Emperor, as Wukong was openly rebellious during this stage of his life. After the battle, he had to lock his former friends away because they clearly hung onto this goal of rebellion. We also see in the memory scroll that Azure Lion's "paradise" caused environmental devastation to the surrounding areas, and that after Wukong was imprisoned he lashed out at Macaque. He feels responsible for Azure's ideas of grandeur to some extent, in his eyes he was the one who fed into these ideas and lead their first attempt at rebellion. He was so caught up in his journey towards immortality and strength for the sole purpose of protecting his loved ones, that he ended up pushing them all away and hurting them. He even says at the beginning of season 4 that most of the bad guys MK faced were people he has history with, specifally that he crossed them at some point.

Based on Wukong's self-destructive behavior that's been previously established, season 4 brings a lot of light onto Wukong's behaviors. Once again, he left some things unsaid because he felt solely responsible. When MK and Macaque rescue Wukong from the scroll, it takes MK reassuring Wukong that he can still correct and grow past these mistakes that haunt him — with Macaque offering him a small, forgiving smile to really motivate him.

Wukong's character in this series is that he's a flawed individual who has made mistakes and will continue making mistakes, even with the best of intentions in mind, but that he can grow from them. And that he is going to grow from them with his newfound family. LMK made it's message of growth so painfully obvious here lmao

#incoherent ramblings #maja needs to shut up tag #delete later #long post #text #lego monkie kid #lmk spoilers #ramble #INCOHERENT. SORRY.

143 notes · View notes

thepeacefulgarden · 1 year

Text

Spiritual Self-Care Can Look Like...

Praying or meditating

Spending time in nature

Attending worship if you choose

Deconstructing, and questioning what you've been taught

Letting go of purity culture (that doesn't mean you have to jump into hookup culture, and it's not "anything goes.")

Absolving yourself of responsibility for other people's choices

Forgiving yourself for your mistakes, and giving yourself grace and compassion as you strive to do better and be accountable

Practicing gratitude, even (especially!) when it's hard

Mindfulness and grounding

Joyful movement

Resting, and not feeling guilty about resting

Participating in rituals and celebrations that are meaningful to you (and letting go of ones that aren't)

Sitting with your feelings

Learning to discern intuition from trauma, learning to trust yourself

Getting in touch with your cultural heritage, learning the things your ancestors knew

Making art, writing stories, and being creative, just for its own sake. (Even if it's "not very good," or wouldn't make it into an art gallery.)

Setting up a small altar in your home

Taking a ritual bath, or even just taking a shower after a rough day

Reading sacred texts

Being kind to yourself and others

Leaving a religious group that does not suit you anymore, or that never did in the first place

Finding your own path, even if it's not the one your parents and culture mapped out for you at birth

Listening to a spirit guide (whatever form they might take in your culture or belief system)

Letting go of shame

Starting over

Letting go of bad habits

Decluttering

Getting away from screens, even just for a little while

Volunteering, doing good deeds

Slowing down

Practicing self compassion

Listening to your conscience (and learning to distinguish it from trauma and insecurities), deciding not to do something that "feels wrong"

Working through religious trauma and generational trauma

Letting go of grudges and resentments towards others, practicing forgiveness (not because they deserve it, but because you deserve peace)

Processing your feelings, sitting with them, and accepting them as valid

#spirituality #religion #self care #self compassion #gratitude #kindness #mindfulness #self forgiveness

295 notes · View notes

spicypopcornfromhell · 6 months

Text

IF I GET NERFED FOR BEING TRANSFEM MY DISCORD IS POPCORNFROMHELL (mutuals only) if not ask first

This blog is safe for systems and/or otherkin. Yall are valid idc what the feds say fuck em neopronouns are also fucking dope. Idc what you look like your hot and if you see this you get one (1) kiss and one(1)headpats. Also im like trans now. It took me 18 yrs but i figured it out

This blog is also pro therian(idk if spelling is correct)

If i say no animals yalls are excluded welcome to the blog

2024 jan 8th( i think)

I has a discord if mutuals wan it ig

Thanks for making me realise, a list of contributors:

Other trans ppl

Femboys

Furrys

Irl cis women ik

Egg irl

Traaaaaaa

Funny kink list( it dosent apply to you so if ur not into it I understand lol, a good example is my piss kink. If you aren't into that kink, I would avoid it whenever I talk to/reference you. Thus rather focusing on what your into if it fits my criteria)

Hell you dont even have to be horny here, this space exists as my "I'm a adult and interested in my own sex life" blog.

Last edit 2023dec

So I reblog alot of porn or written thoughts and sometimes memes. However it is like a cursed pendulum it changes at random the ratio I post and what I post. Today it has just been hentai. Tomorrow it might me horny thoughts of myself or other peaple please keep that in mind uwu

Before we begin:

Hiiiii it's me I'm pop but pet names and nicknames are also chill👍 I'm 89.9% submissive and I can top in a subby way though I'm mostly bottom ❤ I have they/them pronouns and such but use like any pronouns you'd like,(neopronouns welcome) HOWEVER pls pls pls try not to use masc pronouns bc I'm girl now heheheh yayyyyy!!!!!!

dude is gender neutral here👍

Oops I forgot to add I wanna try bottoming sometime lol bc am virgin

Dec8 update. Ok maybe domming is cool but im still a submissive bitch. Tho i can be a dom amongst subs

Dec19

Heyyyyy i saw other people say this but like

I struggle messaging first alot of the time and like im sorry mutualssssss

Hii yes you found my kink exploration and h3nt8i blog+y1ff so theres that

I like

Toys

Furrys

Furry toys (those tail things and cat ears and such)

Casual hj

Casual nudaty ( basicly only thighighs or such idk)

Good vibes in public (literal) app controlled lol

Mutually getting off casually

Calling my dominant master ( or any dom name idk)

Causal free use between partners

Biting( any participant)

Clamps

Fingers in mouth kink

Choking

tounge biting

Tied up with other subs (bc group activity is fun uwu)

2 domms but like at once

Watersportsss( both top/bottem)

freeuse( again, yes)

Being manhandled (rough)

Ear licking( I get the asmr now) + endogenous zone

Neck biting/kissing

Ik I missed ALOT of kinks so ye sorry bout that

Tbf I'm into most things kinky but I have my limits so discuss first uwu

I do not like

Transphobes ( dni like go die painfully )

Maps(pedos) ( no no no dni die)

Chasers (VERY FUCKING RELEVANT NOW)

Verbal degradation (do it physically rather ig)

Like you can call me slut and what not but bc of trauma dont like say I'm shit or not enough and such bc nah

Beasiality/zoophilia ( kids and animals dont belong in kink )

Minors( join my sfw blog but FUCK Off from here)

Age regressors are fine tho welcome hiiii

If you didn't get it the first time animals and kids do not belong in kink.

I'm putting down these limits because I want this to be a safe space for kinky (vannila is also chill)queer peaple and if you are a proper ally to lgbtqa+ then cis peaple are fine here but straight peaple are gonna struggle finding their stuff here . I mean ur welcome but like I'm trans, and if you cant be fine with the fact I'm trans then leave.

In other words, cis peaple are welcome. Respect my boundaries, i respect yours. Also respecting boundaries are hot btw

I talk alot about t4t and gay shit both ways. You wont find relatable stuff here (unless you're into the hentai/yiff) nothing personal ofc

Also also final thing is you can call me any pet names but please, try going for the more feminine complements and pet names and nicknames 2024 update no more masc terms byeeeeeeee am so trans it hurts

Do not call me this,(slurs) unless you are trans them we can be ironic about it

tranny

, if you are cis NO, i kick you. In crotch. The unpleasant way. Transpeaple that reclaimed this can be ironic about it lol

, sissy cuntboy or shemale ,

No. I kick you in crotch. The bad perma injury way.

Heyyy I did a thing yall

Also sorry for the mispells bc website flags words on posts I thinks

Aight this shit bout to get updated for my safety bc of what happend

Commandments of my dms

If ur lgbtqa+ ur chill come say hi even

I accept Cis ppl that are chil and accepting (chasers die)

If ur straight tho then this place ain't really for you (affectionate bc I have straight besties that actually are nice)

Do NOT just storm into dms with an exception of pics, being freeusse is a bedroom fantasy I do with CONSENTING peaple. If I havent given you a go ahead then you talk to me like a person

I'm here to make queer gay bi/pan and trans besties. Chill cis peaple are also chill because I realise that allies exist and that gay/lesbian/bi pan peaple also exist

Also If ur sapphic i do also reblog waifus so everybody profits from this blog, still do chat with me bc I like meeting new peaple. No being horny isint rlly a requirement bc I use this blog to Express my more sensual and sexual side sure, but like we can just like for example gush about our fantasies and traumadump to eachover.

Also I forget to mention if you are a mutual you basicly already have most of my trust

Anything below marked in red is mentions of trauma and venting ignore if you wish

I like shit when its consensual but I dont like rape, idk why but it's a serious topic for me .27nov2023 I saw someshit depicting it and not only did it kill the mood I legit felt shit the whole morning, I get cnc but non consent is fucked. It affected me when I was young , it still affects me today. I wasent touched and I may be a softie but having a bathroom door forced open while I was doing my stuff in there, even today I struggle to pee in public bathrooms oh and I got bladder infection from that. Long story short rape is fucked and if you condone actual rape I hope to whatever is out there you die. Once more I reiterate but cnc stuff is fine. Actual stuff is not.

Ty for understanding ig

This piece of shit pinned keeps growing huh

Hehe( vanilla means treat me like a prince/princess/gender neutral term for those)

Big words bc eng is my 2nd language. Idk what half of those means

I'm guessing hostility means I'm a brat uwu

If you red this far for some reason then I'm proud of youu❤ also even tho I'm a sub TOPS and dommes also deserve praise

Also 3 dec edit: ive been giving it thought and i knew i wasent cis, but im like, super trans. Its comforting knowing who i am after years of doubt.

Also new pronouns just dropped!!!!!!

@meandering-rook im not leaving that response to die in the tags uwu this is like top tear complements

Woah uwu

2023last edit 29dec

Ummmmm im trying a feminine alias

Call me poppy or Silova or any feminine name your brains conjure

75 notes · View notes

sonqgmi-sims · 3 months

Text

SIMS 2: My Essential Mods/CC

Hi everyone! I figured since I have been playing Sims 2 a lot lately, I'd provide my current essentials! Will update as I try more things, but this is valid as of February 1, 2024! ♥

Links for everything are under the cut! Found throughout MTS, Tumblr and other Sims Youtubers!

If any links don't work please let me know so I can try to find replacements!

View my video here!

AFTER INSTALLING SIMS 2 (Windows 10) Sim Shadow Fix: Fixes that weird shadow box glitch! Increase Resolution Fix: Have to go into the data files and alter some things to make it compatible for Windows 10!

NEIGHBORHOOD MODS Seasons Icons In Color: Colors the Season Icons in gameplay and in neighborhood view! Easy To Decorate Camera Mod: See more of the neighborhood map that you couldn't see before! CAS MODS Widescreen CAS Fix: Fixes the UI so your sim isn't covered! There's options for every resolution! (I use 1920x1080) More CAS Columns: Adds more Columns in CAS! Just like in TS4! Evie's Equal Genetics: Equal chance for offspring to receive dominant and recessive genes! 5 Custom Genetics Haircolors: Custom recolors for the Maxis hairs! Chocolate (Brown+Black), Sandy (Brown+Blonde), Icy (White Blonde), Auburn (Brown+Red) and Caramel (Brown+Red+Blonde)!

BUILD & BUY MODS Sim Blender: The holy grail of Sims 2 Mods. Can do anything with this! ACR: Sims autonomously Woohoo, Try for Baby, Get into Relationships, etc! Great for drama & storytelling! OFB Shelf Recolors: Beautiful wood recolors for the OFB Shelves! (The OG's were kinda ugly lmfao) Stay Things Shrub: Choose which items stay after a sim moves out! Monique's Hacked Computer: Pay bills, Order clothing, etc! Object Rotator: Rotate objects on an angle! Small, Large and End Tables! Lifetime Want Chooser: Pick your sims LTW!

LIFESPAN MODS 1 Day = 1 Year (Sims): As the title says! More realistic as I consider 1 sim day a year! 1 Day = 1 Year (Pets): Same as the Sim version, but for pets!

UNIVERSITY MODS Uni After Birthday Party: Teens can throw a birthday party and before blowing out candles, the game asks if you'd like to go to college first! Semester Changes: College is now 8 days instead of 24! Faster Uni Education: 24-48 Hour semesters! There Can Only Be One Professor: 2 per major seemed much, so I like this one! Generates less NPC's for me :D Doctors Need Degrees: Depending on your sims education/grades, they can either be stuck at career level 1 or 10!

GAMEPLAY MODS No 20K Handouts: As it says :) Now my sims aren't wealthy! Extended Family Treated As Family: Always hated it when second cousins could marry. This prevents it :) Community Time Project: Time spent on community lot matches with time at the home! Memory Manipulator: Hide/adjust Sims memories without using SimPE Break Up Via Phone: End a relationship over the phone! (Going Steady, Marriage, Engagement) 50 New Lifetime Wants: Adds new LTW's to the game! OFB Adopt Teen&Townie: Adopt Babies-Teens!

PREGNANCY MODS Shorter Pet Pregnancy: Pets give birth within 1 sim day! The default seemed way too long, so this is a must :) PregRel NL+: Can't find original post so I can't remember what it does, but I found a secondary version below! PregRel Compatibility Patch: Negative reactions to baby bumps if your significant other suspects cheating! Alternate Pregnancy Controller Lite: Possibility of your sims getting a miscarriage (Only had it happen once so far!) Triplets & Quads: Allows up to 4 babies to be born at once!

DEATH MODS Death By Childbirth: Morbid, but I like this for storytelling! Select Your Cemetery: When your sim lives alone and dies, a prompt shows up to move the tombstone to any lot! Now you don't have to cram the younger generations in your home ♥

MISC MODS/HACKS Last Name Copier: Edit/Change a Sims last name without using SimPE! Baby Pet Creator: Create a puppy/kitten with stray genetics! CJ Smart EP Checker: Does nothing, but it is required if you use any of Cyjon's mods! TS1 Prank Calls: Get the same funny and scary prank calls from Sims 1!

BONUS & EXTRAS The Christian Collection: On a MTS forum post, (look for Liv Lukas's post) but ChristianLov's mods are no longer able to be found separately. This is also linked where I put the Baby Pet Creator! Sims 2 Store Content: I only use the extra cars in my game, but there's loads of new stuff!

TOOLS SimPE: Edit ages, relationships, memories, family trees, etc! Sims2Pack Clean Installer: Used to install new lots and sims into your game! Mootilda's Hood Checker: Check any custom neighborhoods for corruption! Bat Box (FFS Lot Debugger): Similar to the Sim Blender. Here's the Vase version!

#ts2 #mods #sims 2 #sims 2 mods #the sims 2 #mine

41 notes · View notes

celestialholz · 1 year

Text

Surrendering fucking Sunflora.

Oh Brassius. Brassius, Brassius, Brassius. I'm going to have to murder you with my bare hands for this one. Don't even need to wake up the Armarouge - you take an extended nap, king, keep those cannons fresh.

Did you know guys that there are thirty-three Surrendering Sunflora in and around Artazon? I do, because I've just spent forty-five minutes of the only life I will ever have working it out. And then another twenty ensuring I'm not wrong, which I possibly still am because this bitch has hidden these things everywhere! Arceus has placed me on this earth only to suffer.

But in spending over an hour on this, finally my soul can rest, because I have confirmation. Confirmation of what, exactly?

... Well, every single Surrendering Sunflora location is representative of what Hassel means to Brassius, in one way or another.

Might want to get your popcorn for this one, friends, maybe grab a blanket...

First though, before I attempt the frankly ridiculous task of explaining all these locations and their meanings, corporate needs you to find the difference between these two pictures:

They're the same picture.

Hassel is Sunflora in human form and with more dragons, right down to his mostly-green-and-yellow colour scheme and sunshine personality. And we know from this little extract that he is the direct inspiration for Surrendering Sunflora, because after Brassius tells you Hassel saved his life, he adds:

Much like The Harvest is part-Arboliva, part-Brass and part-Hass, as seen here in respective shape, spikiness and dragon colour...

... Surrendering Sunflora is part-Sunflora, part-Hass and part-Brass, in form, representation, and mood at the time of its creation.

Anyway, with that established, a map that took me another forty minutes to put together:

This is the location of every Surrendering Sunflora in and around this goddamn hellscape of a town. (/j, it's very pretty, but I am a salty girl.)

Now, some of these are notably easier to figure out than others, but just for clarity's sake... one to thirty-three, a breakdown. (Of the numbers, not me. Although you pull any more of this shit Brassie, it will be my personal breakdown.) I would screenshot every one, but Tumblr's 10-pic limit is having none of it, so I'll show off the more interesting ones at points and note the rest in text. I will also be looking at them from the perspective of being the Sunflora - the direction the sculpture itself faces.

Now, bear in mind... these are allegorical. I've had to surmise what they mean in most cases, but... that's what an artist does. Art asks you to consider the artist's intent, to interpret what they meant by location, form, colour... whatever the piece entails. It's why we have art critics, why we have museums and art galleries - and all of these point to one singular conclusion: Brassius? Super fucking gay. If you've ever made a fic or a piece of art that hides small details or leaves things just a little to one's imagination, you've been Brassius with these sculptures.

... And frankly, why the hell else are they where they are? These are chosen spots. Most of them aren't even central, or helpful where they are, without an alternate dialogue to them.

So, let's begin!

One: just across and to the left of Two, and directly facing Glaseado Mountain. Hass leading him upwards, to literal higher heights. Doesn't get any grander or higher than Glaseado.

Two: atop a cliff face, and it's already pic time!

This one has a few things to say. First, it's overlooking the gym, second it's pointing directly south if you look at my mini-map. This is one of several that faces south, which is valid - most of Sunflora's dex entries tell us that it loves facing the sun, and in terms of planetary orbit, south is the direction in the day where the sun is at its height... which is telling, when Hassel led Brass out of depression, being his literal sunshine.

Three: right beneath the centre of the maze. Hass guiding him to the heart, his 'core' - helping him find meaning in life.

Four: also in the maze, but near the entrance. A guiding hand when one is lost, at a genuine 'dead end'. A little girl in another dead end of this maze comments how lost she is.

Five: is actually hilarious.

Sir are you fucking kidding me I will fight you in an Every Wich Way parking lot right now

Six: facing local small cliffs. Climbing the smaller hills first is a notable method of depression recovery, and given that Brass' health issues also seem physical, this is a small, easy-to-climb hill - a step to feeling healthier.

Seven and Eight: greeting you as you walk into town for the first time from the direction of Mesagoza. A feeling of comfort and homeliness, which two men with such a connection clearly have.

Nine: has a similar vibe - straight ahead of Seven and Eight, the first thing to greet you in the central plaza. The kind of welcome feeling Brass gets from Hass.

Ten and Eleven: are very obvious. These two directly face the maze, and are facing one another on opposite sides. Trust, warmth, familiarity. Interestingly, one faces east, and one west - where the sun rises and the sun sets. Hassel's always there for him.

Twelve: faces the way out to Levincia beyond, because welcoming works from either side of town.

Thirteen and Fourteen: are both either underneath the gym arena, or very nearly underneath, and Fourteen looks straight at the gym. What did I say about these two taking one another into battle?

Fifteen: is facing the pool... for a man who cries a lot. No further explanation required, but this is one of my favourites for how adorable and accepting it is on Brass' part.

Sixteen, Seventeen and Eighteen: the first of the climbing frame Sunfloras, and all of them are in a line, facing the gym. See Thirteen and Fourteen, but... these ones are also elevated, as though Hassel is watching over him during battle. Another gesture of support. They also happen to overlook a Heterarchical Loop, which we'll revisit in a mo...

Nineteen: is on the side of the climbing frame, staring at the Sunflora field used during the gym challenge. Given that it's also staring at said field's house, this is one of two things - emotional vigilance, or home comforts. It's also beside a version of The Harvest, which we know is part-Hass too.

Twenty: climbing frame, above Sixteen, Seventeen and Eighteen - an even higher guardian, and also one that can see the arena. This is also directly across from the Paradoxical Popper, and coupled with what I just mentioned about the Heterarchical Loop... well, this brilliant piece of meta that you've probably already read (top job, fellow theorist <3) shows us that yeah, these old pieces by an unnamed artist are probably also Brassie's, which makes this completely adorable - we know from Art (4) that Brass considers his old pieces 'shallow trash'. By his masterpieces overlooking them, they act as a reminder - that Hassel believes in him, that he can do brilliant things - that his new work has a purpose. Even if they aren't his old works, the fact that he places them literally higher up shows that he has more respect for something inspired by Hassel than any other works.

Twenty-One and Twenty-Two: the last of the climbing frame ones, and again, at height, and directly facing the gym. Just behind these is a climbing wall, which heads up towards a dragon-coloured Harvest. Considering that we can infer that Hassel influenced Surrendering Sunflora first, as Brass tells us that he created it directly after Hass saved him, having to head up to a Harvest coloured with Hass' type is really quite sweet as it was likely a result of their connection later down the line. But regardless of order, these two are again indicative of Hass' care for him.

Twenty-Three: is... well, at the back of someone's house. What's fun about this one is that A. there is literally no reason for this to be here if it's simply about showing off an art piece, and B. even in the daytime, as you can see, this spot? Perpetually in the shade. Even when Brassius feels dark, there's Hassel - his permanent sunshine, making sure he never feels too alone, or abandoned in a place no one would look for him.

Another of my favourites - the symbolism here is gorgeous.

Twenty-Four and Twenty-Five: greet you if you walk into town from the Levincia side, which is very much along the same lines as Seven and Eight - a warm, sunshine welcome, a peacefulness of spirit.

Twenty-Six: stares directly at the side of the Go-for-Broke Grill... which just so happens to be where one finds Encounter Power: Dragon food. Goddamn gay people and their apples...

Twenty-Seven: is behind the Grill, and looking straight at the Sunflora field. The Sunflora field is not only a core part of the gym test, but the specific direction of this one points at the house attached to the field. So not only is this field full of sunshine, it's overlooked by it, too. Anything directed towards a house also speaks of hearth and home - a comfort, a feeling of literally being 'at home' in someone's presence.

Twenty-Eight and Twenty-Nine: stand as guardians to the Sunflora field, right on either side of its gate. Now, for this one, I would like to draw your attention to a piece of dialogue Hass gives you during the League:

"I am Hassel, the dragon guarding the final fortress of the Elite test."

Whilst this field is no fortress, these ones nevertheless stand taller than any other Surrendering Sunflora in the town - the 'protectors' of the field of sunshine, the warmth and the light Brass has experienced beneath Hass. Now, given that Hass also tells you in the League that his job as a teacher is to guide students and watch them grow... well, here we are. He's helped Brassius grow, prosper, and find his inner light, and he'll protect him at all costs from that darkness. And size matters, here - these are big, they stand out, therefore they are deliberately important. This is Brassius' greatest impression of his love - as a protector, and a guide to the light.

Thirty: stands in the Sunflora field itself. This one is notably smaller than the gatekeepers, the usual size of those around town, and is just across from a dragon Harvest in the same field. Again, why not put your emotional sunshine in a field of your actual ones? (And why not do it twice, y'know, because you're massively dramatic...)

Thirty-One: sees our final return to the climbing frame - this is one of the ones I missed originally, because it's directly beneath it. There's another one down here too, right beneath the Popper, but as they mean the same thing as Twenty-Three, we'll count them together - a location always dark and in shade, illuminated. They're also hemmed in by the wooden walls of the climbing frame - they are, quite literally, trapped - like one might be in their own mind, during depression, without a source of light.

Thirty-Two: is probably my favourite of them all. This harks back to number One, overlooking Glaseado, except...

Well, this looks at another mountain, and it's literally not in Artazon - it's the one I showed you in the very first photo of this post. The location box for Artazon doesn't even crop up. It is, however, facing direct south, but... what's it doing here?

In facing the sun's peak, this one exists to show us that there isn't a mountain Hassel can't help Brassius overcome, however high. Look at where you end up, if you follow this cliff directly from this Sunflora:

The highest peak you can see all of Artazon clearly from, considerably overlooking every other Sunflora that already overlooks core parts of the town important to Brassie. You know what they call that level of symbolism? Fucking love.

And finally, we end on Thirty-Three, which... well. I think we all know what a Pokemon Center does. It heals, it brings your Pokemon back from the brink of death - and who do we know, who's done that for Brassius?

... Pokemon Centers are free, and in this generation, even feature a kindly Nurse Joy who will offer you guidance and assistance through the big, wide, open world of Paldea from the goodness of her own heart.

... This whole town is a love letter. At every turn, you run into a new page of narrative through these Sunfloras: you slot together another meaning, you see the hearts of two men woven into every little stitch. And whether or not this was Brassius' intention, it was almost certainly the intention of those who made him. This is what art directors do, this is what devs hide for you to find. This is Pokemon's ultimate Easter egg, and it is fucking beautiful.

I don't know any more than you lovely people do if they're ever going to officially confirm Hassius as a romantic duo - in love, married, whatever. And I'd love to see it as much as you all would, but... well, I already have. Here it is, right in front of us, if only we're willing to look. Of all the meta I've posted on these two so far, this... yeah, this is the most gay and glorious of them all. And I've still got more to say, just... not on this. We're good here.

... Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to do that killing thing I mentioned earlier, though maybe after a nap... sir you must die by my own hand for CRIMES AGAINST MY FREE TIME. (jk, king. Love you, keep doing what you're doing. I am but an average poster without your delicious homosexuality. xoxo)

#ephemeralartshipping #hassius #brassel x hassius #brassius #hassel #pokemon scarlet and violet #I have sunk about five hours of the ONE LIFE I have into this and I regret absolutely nothing if I'm honest lmao #it's the most goddamn beautiful thing I've ever seen #I'm literally that one meme guy who's like 'I've looked at this for five hours now'#... fuck. Just... fuck.#meta #gay gay homosexual GAY.#how are you going to give me the most wholesome love story in the canon and not even officially TELL ME it's the most wholesome love story

335 notes · View notes