#should probably number them so they're easier to find

[nerdierholler]

IT'S DONE! I made a book! I never thought I'd ever be able to make a book. Sure mistakes were made but it was still a fun process and I learned so much from making this first one.

This a binding of The Wayhaven Chronicles IF but with my personal Detective's choices included and the resulting text smoothed out to read more like a novel.

Honestly, I thought something like this would be way beyond my skill set but it wasn't as scary as I thought once I got started. Definitely check out @renegadeguild for some book making and typesetting guides and their discord is super friendly and helpful as well.

If you want to learn from my mistakes I'll go into some trials and tribulations under the cut.

I'm not sure how well this book will hold up long term but that's ok! It was more about learning and I'll make some adjustments and try again with the same text probably.

Typsetting

Margins - need to make them bigger. I mostly read paperbacks so I was going for that format with narrower margins but then when I ran into paper problems, I didn't have a ton of room for trimming.

There was an option on the imposer to add dotted lines to the center fold and I clicked that but they're visible still even after binding. Could be that I needed to sew my signatures tighter and that would help but regardless I don't think I need them in the future so I'll be skipping that feature.

The font was intentionally small, along with the margins, because I was trying to minimize the number of signatures I was dealing with for a first project. I'll bump it up in the future.

Paper (so much wrong)

So the grain should run parallel to the spine but I couldn't find short grain paper. I read at some point that someone recommended using sketch books instead because that should be the right grain. It was not, at least not what I bought, so it still ended up going the wrong way.

The sketch note book I bought had perforated pages. It made them easy to get out but I didn't realize that the page widths were inconsistent until everything was printed out. The paper width varied by at least 1/8 of an inch. I wasn't planning on trimming my pages but my top was super uneven because of this so an attempt at trimming was made. It could have gone worse (there was no blood) but the trimming could have been a lot better too.

Should have just used printer paper. The results would have been the same.

Making Book Cloth

Used the Heat and Bond method with some spare fabric and it worked pretty well. The problem was when it came to adding backing. I'd read tissue paper or even plain paper so I grabbed some piecing paper that was close at hand. That was a mistake. It was good quality fabric so it was thicker already and the paper backing made it too thick. I could barely fold it over and it kept wanting to flip up. It's the spine fabric and I'm still concern it's going to do this in the future.

Used tissue paper for the marbled looking fabric and it was much easier to work with.

Book Board

Not measuring right was all on me. The rice box worked in a pinch but I think it will be prone to bending. Got me the experience I needed be wouldn't be my go-to material for a project of this size.

Glue

I used Elmer's All Purpose and it got the job done but, again, probably not going to hold up the best long term. However, I'm glad I didn't buy PVA and basically waste it on this project. Elmer's was good and cheap enough for practice. I'll be getting some PVA for future projects.

#the wayhaven chronicles #twc #bookbinding #life at nerdy holler #nerdy makes a book #Already poking the typeset for a second attempt #I really and truly am pleased with this though #even if it isn't super fancy or didn't come out exactly like I wanted #so jealous of the fancy htv titles and cover designs people make #but sadly I don't know anyone with a cricut or similar to make it

[wildtornado-o]

Textposts part whatever lol

Kofi <3

#should probably number them so they're easier to find #the first one was made on my phone so its ugly lol #temeraire #my art #william laurence #john granby #tenzing tharkay #no one else in here appears enough 2 tag

[steakout-05]

autistic coded men who have orange cats my beloved

#star trek tng #star trek #star trek data #garfield #garfield jon #jon arbuckle #jetpack joyride #professor brains #jetpack joyride 2 #this is my type. weird silly or otherwise quirky guys who have orange cats #brains being autistic is more just a headcanon i have rather than deliberate coding #but he's been shown to have a few autism-like behaviours and traits across the shorts and jetpack joyride 2 #it's kinda stereotypical but he's more of a logical simple thinker and he finds strings of numbers to be easier to remember than names #which i find to be interesting! he just has different thinking patterns from what i've seen in neurotypicals. and it's like. #it's the autism radar. i can always tell when a fictional character seems to be Not Neurotypical because holy shit they act like me- #-or another autistic person i know! #also all these characters are like. different facets of autism and i think that's so interesting #on the left we have highly logical direct and ''idk what to do with my face or my hands help'' sherlock spin autism #and then there's slightly unhinged dorky possible ADHD combo and complete lack of social skills autism #and finally there's the evil autism #and i love all three of them <3 #i just realised they're also all sitting in big comfy chairs! #jon's armchair looks so comfy though. like i really wanna sit in there #it's probably slightly dirty and most definitely scratched up by garfield but my god that's what make it more homely and comfy #i wonder how many armchairs jon has gotten over the years. i should count all the instances of him having a differently coloured armchair #anyway yeah. autistic cat dads my beloved <3

[wingwaver]

A few tips for new Tumblr users wanting to write here

Yo if you're here from Reddit or Twitter or some other site and just wanted to give this a shot you may have seen some blogs that are dedicated to writing headcanons or short fics or even original works for their own OCs and you may be thinking "hey I wanna give that a shot! I like to write!" then I have some tips to make it easier on you and people who see your content.

1. First off, if you're writing a pretty long piece the you should probably put it under a read more, it'll look like this on mobile

and this on desktop

or you can write :readmore: on a line by itself and press enter.

2. Now if you're gonna write for a whole bunch of different fandoms and you wanna make a master list then I suggest making an actual list with the fandoms you write for and then making more lists with the actual content as a you go along because you can only have 100 links in one post (I know that sounds like a lot but as someone who has around 300 Transformers things written trust me you fill up a post quicker than you expect, especially if you take requests from other people). The way I typically do it is like this

The first pic is the MASTER master list that lists everything I write for and when they're underlined like that it means they're links. The second pic is after clicking the G1 link, it's a separate post that has the actual fics and headcanon links. Note the 6/100 in the tags, this is how I keep up with how many things I've added. You can of course just use the numbers options from here

or just number them manually from your keyboard like I'm doing with this post. Adding links has no barring on what else you add to the post so you can add yourself some fancy header or divider pics if you want.

3. Adding links! Links can look like this https://www.tumblr.com/wingwaver/721887224846778368/test-post-for-reasons?source=share or like this https://wingwaver.tumblr.com/post/721887224846778368/test-post-for-reasons depending on whether you're linking from mobile or desktop/browser Just highlight the text you wanna add a link to and a the little chain will move to the end, click it and paste your url you want to link to and press add link, then press post/save draft/save (whatever the blue button says)

Now you've successfully linked a post to another post!

4. Tagging! To get your fics and headcanons seen to build an audience you usually wanna tag the stuff correctly. If you're posting a fic about Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright from Ace Attorney then you'll tag it with #Ace Attorney, #Miles Edgeworth, and #Phoenix Wright in the tags area. But it's also a good idea to mention if it's a ship or general fic in the tags too. If so then putting ship names and #Miles Edgeworth x Phoenix Wright and #Miles Edgeworth/Phoenix Wright in the tags will help everyone know this is a ship fic. Tagging with characters or fandoms that aren't apart of the fic just clogs the tags for people looking for content of said characters and fandoms so it's very looked down on here and will likely get some of your stuff reported for spam so only use the relevant tags. Also tagging for triggers can be tricky here because of how fucky tumblr is but please don't tag censor tags. Tagging things like #a**** or #a*use or even #abu$e doesn't work here because people who have #abuse blacklisted will be able to see this content because it wasn't tagged properly. Also if you're writing for OCs or reader inserts it's common courtesy to tag those appropriately too. Someone looking for a reader insert may not want to read an OC and vice versa. Also many people filter those out so try to add tags like #x reader, #*fandom name* x reader, and #*character name* x reader for easier filtering. Also people cruise those tags too so it'll help people who fo want to read that content find your stuff!

#tumblr tips #writeblr #twitter migration #reddit migration #reddit blackout #twitter refugees #196 #r/196 #Twitter #Reddit #fanfiction #writing #writing blogs #tumblr help

[sourceblogcentral]

It's always a shame when you put hours of effort into a gifset, only for it to get 60 notes. And now, as people are reblogging less and less, the success of your gifset relies even more on using tags effectively to expose it to the maximum number of people possible.

Of course, at the end of the day, you should create for you, not notes, but that doesn't stop it from hurting. So, without further ado:

Guide to Tagging Gifsets

There are three main categories of tag, which I'll explain one at a time: fandom tags, sourceblog tags, and user tags. But it's key to remember only the first 20 tags are searched for; tags after that are irrelevant. So make sure every tag counts. It's also a good idea to visit a tag before you use it; if there's hardly any posts in that tag, it's probably not worth including.

Fandom (edit) Tags

Tags relevant to each fandom. I'll use Marvel as an example:

#tvedit, #filmedit, #[genre]edit, eg. #scifiedit

#[fandom]edit, eg. #marveledit, #mcuedit. Sometimes uses an abbrievation, particularly if the name of the fandom is quite long

#[show/tv]edit, eg. #infinitywaredit, #wandavisionedit. Only relevant if the fandom had multiple pieces of media.

#[character]edit, eg. #natasharomanoffedit. Mainly applicable to larger fandoms.

#[ship]edit, eg. #sambuckyedit. Mainly applicable to larger fandoms.

#[actor]tag. Note that this is sometimes the full name, sometimes first-initial-followed-by-surname. Check the tags to find the relevant one.

There are, of course, other types, but these are the main ones. It's a good idea to use these ones before tracked tags, as it makes it easier for people to find the content they're looking for.

Sourceblog Tags

A sourceblog is a blog dedicated to one fandom/character/genre etc, usually run by multiple people. Their main purpose is collecting every relevant post for whatever it's dedicated to, in one place for easy access.

They usually have names including 'source', 'daily', 'gifs', or 'edits'

Most sourceblogs have a tracked tag, often the name of the blog, and may also track the main edit tag. In that case, you may not need to bother tagging the sourceblog as well.

However, many sourceblogs go inactive, and so it's a good idea when tagging one for the first time to have a quick look in the archive and see if they're active. Just note that most sourceblogs don't use a tag such as 'thanks for tagging' to indicate they're reblogging from the tracked tag.

Sourceblogs usually have a lot of followers, all interested in whatever the blog's dedicated to, and therefore it's an excellent idea to tag any relevant ones.

You can search our blog to find relevant source blogs and their tracked tags.

User Tags

These are not always exclusive to edits, so pay attention to what people say they'd like to be tagged in. You can usually find people's tracked tag in their blog description, pinned post or about page.

I'd like to highlight - don't be afraid to tag people in your gifs! Most people love to be tagged. Although be aware it is common courtesy to only tag people that you follow/are mutuals with.

Most user tags are either #user[x] or the blog's url. Most people state what they do/don't like being tagged in, but if they don't, just go by what they reblog.

Just be aware of gifmakers that you follow, so that the next time you make a post, you can check their blog and see if it is appropriate to tag them

Usertags are best to use after fandom and sourceblog tags, to fill it all the way up to 20 tags, personal blogs are not dedicated to one thing only (usually), and therefore a lower proportion of followers will be in that fandom.

Finally, it's also good to use non-edit tags: for the fandom, character and ship. This means it's easy for people looking in the tags to find content.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask! And if you run a sourceblog we haven't yet added to our directly, please send us the url of the blog and we'll add it right away.

Good luck & have fun with your giffing!

#resource #arthurpendragonns #ughmerlin #userava #userbecca #useralison #userisaiah #alivedean #usertom #jemmablossom #tusershay #userkristi #userhaleths #userv #usernik #userelio #uservivaldi #userk8 #uservalentina #userace

[eldritch-spouse]

okay so odd-ball thought abt the zombie asks floating around;

santi and his lil obsession get separated, he’s absolutely GEEKED out, already stressed and fatigued, so he’s kinda reverting back to his OLD old snappy self.

a few weeks of this happening and he’s reached his peak, just a complete douche and asshat when patches (i’m assuming if the Clergy gang were all together when it happened they stayed together cause numbers=safety most of the time) runs up and has this fucking lump in his arms covered with a blanket— santi instantly smelled his lil lover and damn near rips patches’ arms off to get to her and just kinda stands there holding her and purring or smth

then they fuck cause yeah it’s santi and he’s a mix of absolutely starved and carnally obsessed with this sudden reunion with his lover.

(i love zombie aus. sorry if this doesn’t match his personality or traits, i’m severely tired but i HAD to blurb about this for a hot second-)

TW: Noncon moment.

It's not unlikely that he'll revert back to that mindset. After all, it's almost like his younger days in the Rings, always looking out for himself and trusting no one.

He might become worse, actually, since there's so little people out there who retain their intelligence and social norms. Santi doesn't have to be constantly checking himself and acting in ways that purposely charm others around him. There's no one to charm, no one to seduce, therefore he doesn't need to exert energy in thinking of tactics and lines and what kind of expressions he should make. Overtime, those mannerisms fade and he becomes a more raw, brute version of what an incubus truly is deep down. A predator looking to fuck the energy out of you so it can sustain itself.

His coworkers don't make a big deal out of it, they've known Santi for a long while, especially Grimbly, and they know how he gets when in a truly foul mood. They've seen him devoid of charming mannerisms. They don't care for his tantrums, but there have been instances where Santi simply picks fights with them just to prove something to himself he can't even understand, just to take his mind off things, because it's easier to brawl and sexually harass someone than to admit that he needs help. That he's broken and sees no real reason to exist anymore except to remember you.

In this state, Santi has no qualms being incredibly sadistic and hunting down anything he considers worth the effort, hurting them as the brute acts necessary for his feeding unfurl. They're not even people, these walking husks... And the survivors he does find, they'd rather try to kill him, so they're not any better than the zombies are they? They don't deserve an inch of his mercy, so they can squirm themselves to death on the incubus' cock for all he cares.

When he gets you back, as surprising as it is that he even got you back at all after basically mourning your loss and spiraling into the worst version of himself... Santi doesn't know what to do with himself. It's like being hit with a brick to the face. And he realizes what a cunt he is.

You won't love him like that.

It's been so long, he can barely crack the same smile he used to for you. His claws are way too big, his body's covered in scuff marks from willingly getting into dangerous altercations. Santi forgot half the charm he used to have, and the remnants he's trying to put back on are forced. Unnatural.

When you wake up in his arms, it's all the demon can do not to blubber like a fucking baby. He doesn't speak too much initially because aside from "I'm so glad I found you again.", he's probably going to spit something tasteless and ruin the moment.

Santi finds himself unintentionally being brutish to you, snapping, speaking too roughly, grabbing you hard, subconsciously treating you the same way he would his prey. He sees the fear in your eyes and instantly freezes, realizing he's a danger to you and not recovering fast enough to avoid damaging the relationship.

The others around him, the ones that can still stand him, try to offer Santi advice and comfort him when he distances himself from your hurt self.

It all culminates in an intimate moment where Santi stops listening to you and just takes. You tell him to slow down, and he doesn't. It's a few minutes of him being a senseless rutting beast until he hears you sobbing. Not the pleasured sobbing of someone who has orgasmed too many times, the sobs and cries of someone who is in pain and scared.

You're the last person he wants to hurt, and Santi just wounded you in the worst way he possibly could.

After that, the incubus comes clean about what happened to him, who he was in his past, what happened when he thought he had lost you forever. And more than that, as much as he hates to do it, Santi gives up most control of things to you while he works to restore the incubus you fell in love with.

Because if you considered leaving him now, he would probably never recover at all.

#Santi oc

[andhumanslovedstories]

I’m looking for a second career after working corporate. I’d like something away from a computer, workin with people, in demand, and more flexible. I do have some autistic traits though (one therapist floated it but never officially diagnosed). Do you think nursing would be a bad choice?

Here's a useless answer: it depends! I'll also give my usual caveat that nursing is a very broad field and a school nurse versus a dialysis nurse versus an ICU nurse versus a home health nurse vs a community health nurse are all going to have different experiences. You'll probably spend more time at a computer than you might like (documenting......), but if you get efficient at it, you can blast through it alright. Except when you can't.

And you will work with people! In any part of nursing, you'll be working with people, often in intimate and vulnerable ways. You meet a lot of cool people and get to be there for a lot of cool moments, cool and funny and profound moments. Working with people when they aren't at their best can be exhausting. Working with people when they aren't at their best and also you're understaffed and also someone is complaining of new onset chest pain at the same time someone else is calling to be cleaned up because they've been incontinent--it's really easy to exhaust yourself out of compassion. You have to care and actively engage with people's often tragic situations, but you also have to protect yourself from secondhand trauma. It's okay if this is not something you're comfortable or good with, but if so, you should probably think critically about whether nursing is for you.

And flexible--maybe??? Again, different jobs will have different perks. A lot of nurses work prn which means they have to pick up a certain number of shifts a month, but they aren't on the schedule normally. You just pick up as you want. Very flexible! But also a lot of these nurses are getting their healthcare elsewhere, usually a partner. Like any shift work, you can always swap shifts with a coworker if you can find one who'll do it. When I worked in home health, it was very hard to adjust my schedule because there wasn't necessarily another nurse that could fill in. And often units in the hospital will have various schedule stipulations--work every other weekend, work a certain amount of holidays, work night shift until you get the seniority to go to days or become a nocturnal little freak (me). I currently work in float pool, which makes it way easier to call out and adjust schedules because I'm not assigned anywhere specific until like ten minutes before the shift starts.

And with regards to the last bit, the autistic traits, I don't know exactly which ones you mean, but none of them are an inherent obstacle to being a nurse. We need neurodiversity in nursing. Some patients might find you cold or awkward or weird or whatever way you worry you might come across. Other patients will resonate with those exact same traits. No one's the perfect nurse for all people. Some people want to that extra care, some people want competent work and then to have space for themselves, some patients want to learn everything about their situation, some patients don't even want to know what pills they're taking. Think of yourself as a specialty nurse. An oncology nurse can take care of a variety of patients, but they're most well suited and situated to take care of cancer patients. There's a patient type that is a perfect fit for you. And the same way cardiac nurses deal with strokes, and orthopedic nurses deal with respiratory infections, you work competently outside your specialty because you have a good base for your practice, but you also know that you have specialties that you are uniquely equipped to handle. Specialties like cheerleading through physical therapy, calming down dementia patients, knowing the shit out of telemetry, making sure patients get a bed bath and clean sheets, using a machine to pump a patient's blood outside your body--whatever you most like, you're most good at, what gives you energy to work. I think mine are working well with "difficult" patients, managing pain, and stealing cranberry juice from the patient fridge. for me.

I'll say too if you're worried like a lack of empathy or easy understanding of other people will be an impediment to care--I'm not saying I'm autistic, but I don't think I'm particularly empathetic. I NEVER know what people are thinking or feeling. I struggle to tell when patients are like "talk to me more!" versus "I am being polite to you, but please leave." I have never once been comforting a crying person and thought, "I am NAILING this. I am making them feel better." But I don't think I'm a bad nurse. I reverse engineer empathy by finding a situation that I was in that's similar to the situation a patient is in, and I think about what I would have wanted and appreciated in that situation. I think about what evidence says is a good thing to do in this situation. I think about what experience tells me has worked in this situation in the pas. I also just ask patients what they're feeling and what they want and why they do what they do instead of assuming I know. (That last one is so choice, we should all do it more.)

The job puts you in a lot of Situations that are hard for anyone to manage. So you can study up for a lot of Situations. I read conflict resolution books and writing by sick people, I think about how adherent I am to my own treatment plan when I get judgy, I ask patients a lot of questions in part so I can understand them but also so I can understand the next patient like them, I practice difficult conversations I can predict before I go into rooms, and I make sure I have certain phrases and reactions in my back pocket in case I'm caught by surprise. I've figured out my safe topics of conversations that I can chat about with patients that are personable but not intimate (cats, how long you've been in the area, how hard it is to sleep in the hospital at night). I periodically try out new conversation styles and topics to see how those work. I find people I admire and I try consciously to emulate them.

I make a shitload of rules too that help me structure my behavior so I can act like a person I'm proud of. If I can't get something for a patient, I have to go back and tell them that instead of just never returning to the room. Whenever I leave a room, before I go, I make sure the call light is within reach and I ask if there's anything I can do before I go. If someone is sad, ask if they want hot chocolate, and if they say yes, ask if they want it with hot water or milk. If I have a patient that is very chatty and always on the call light, allot conversation time with them like I'm scheduling wound care in case they're lonely. Whenever I tell a patient that they can't do something, I explain the clinical reasoning for that. If the only reason I can think of to tell a patient why they can't do something except "it's against hospital rules", I reconsider the refusal. I've got so many rules and guidelines I've developed for myself so I can best act in a way that I think a good nurse should act.

(usual disclaimer that this does not mean I always accomplish this or that I always behave in a way I'm proud of. but I do think developing these rules and following them makes behaving like I want to more habitual.)

All this to say--I care tremendously about my patients when they're my patients, but I don't take most of them home with me. I feel often feel very distant from the emotions of the situation. I used to feel like I was watching the world through glass. Now I still feel like that, but not in a bad way. I don't get mad when patients yell at me. I can view their problems as quests to solve. I'm engaged but I'm not flustered by distress.

look alllllllllllllllllll that to say is have you considered making nursing a special interest? works for me. oh and YEAH. The job security is AMAZING. It's such a weight off my mind to know that if I don't like my current job, it's so easy to get another somewhere else.

#nursing tag

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

Dazai Likes People

Ok. So this is probably not the analysis you think it is. I'm not going to talk Dazai's dynamics with specific characters - I think that's better suited to personal interpretation and I've kind of already gone over my thoughts on Dazai's close relationships starting with this analysis here.

Instead, this is more about Dazai's thoughts on human beings in general, which, admittedly, can be a little hard to parse. There's a variety of thoughts on this amongst the fandom, ranging from the one extreme of "he loves people" to the other "he doesn't care at all".

This is merely my own thoughts on the matter. I don't know if this fully counts as an analysis, but I hope it at least sparks some discussion or helps piece some things together.

As you might've gathered from the title, I lean towards the idea that he likes people. There's always been things he's liked about people, as a matter of fact, but I think the nature of what he likes about them has changed across his development.

In fact, I would go so far as to say that Dazai's development as a character is, rather than a behavioural shift, instead based on his changing perception of human nature, and the value found in human connection. His methods are largely similar, however, the thought behind them and the direction they're given is different.

I'm going to be jumping around a bit with the timeline, so here's the core ideas in advance just so it's easier to follow.

Belief #1: "People are stronger in groups than individually." This has not changed across his character arc.

Belief #2: "There is a divide between myself and humanity that cannot be broached." to "Some of that divide may not be as wide as it seems." This development is still ongoing and key to his overall character conflict.

Belief #3: "Attachment is an incomprehensible motivator." to "Attachment is a reliable human drive." Take a close look at how his plans change as he ages.

Belief #4: "People just can't stop killing each other." to "There is beauty in the fighting human spirit." This one is a bit more conjecture based on hints in the story, but I think it holds some weight.

Belief #1: Groups over Individuals

This point requires very little explanation. If you look at the intro to the DHC conflict, linked here, you’ll find that he actually says it outright.

"What's more, you underestimated the power found in organizations. Humans are stronger in groups than they are as individuals. That's just the undeniable truth, Mr. One Man Army."

Again, in Stormbringer, Dazai confidently says the following:

"This is how the world works. It's an absolute truth no matter when or where you go. Groups are stronger than individuals...There's strength in numbers."

This is a canonical belief of his that he holds very strongly to, and at a young age at that. This is a primarily logical value to place on others. It's interesting though, because it goes beyond just "strength in numbers".

His further dialogue in the DHC prologue has him go on to respond to Shibusawa asking if the reason he joined the Mafia had to do with the strength in a group affirmatively. It ties in quite interestingly with what he tells Odasaku in The Day I Picked Up Dazai as the reason he should consider joining the Mafia, and Oda's own thoughts on the organization.

If one of their members is attacked by an outsider, they will turn into a row of fangs and bite the enemies.

"If you join, you will no longer be bothered by anything from your past. Because no past can touch that place."

He's said to speak with some pride about the organization in this scene. It's not just about strength. It's about safety. It's about knowing someone has your back. It is, ultimately, about trust.

So, really, it's no wonder that Dazai thrives in, and is honestly at his best, when working in partnerships.

The comfort in partnerships appears to have come rather quickly to Dazai in Fifteen; he works seamlessly with Chuuya after only a few minutes planning and is much more "alive" than in the previous scenes. We see a similar level of confidence, even unusually brazen cockiness, when working with him again in chapter 31. Dazai also works fluidly and has incredible faith in Kunikida, which explains their flawless teamwork in Entrance Exam.

He appears to be at his most confident when he is working with someone else. Look at these facial expressions.

So, it's no surprise that his response to crafting a way to protect Yokohama... is to create another partnership - this time between Atsushi and Akutagawa. And it's clearly not just for ability complements, but also some kind of genuine belief they have what it takes to support each other, if Chapter 84 and Beast are any indication.

It's about trust, in your partner and in your group. It always has been.

Belief #2: The Divide from Humanity

This divide comprises much of the fundamental core and conflict of Dazai's character - his disconnect and alienation from "humanity".

Again, this is not something I really have to defend - this becomes readily apparent to anyone who is the least bit familiar with the author's actual work, No Longer Human, from a cursory read through the manga, and is really quite obvious in the light novels, especially Dark Era, Fifteen and Stormbringer. As of now, it's still an ongoing aspect to his character, and if Oda's words are to be believed, he will likely always struggle with this disconnect to some extent.

However, there's a difference in how this aspect manifests in his dynamics with others across time.

Initially, it is a little like Dazai is unclear on how he differs from others; he only knows that he does in some way. He responds to Mori asking him why he wants to die with genuinely innocent confusion on why one would find worth in living, and responds to Chuuya stopping him from shooting the body with surprise and a simple admittance that not doing such a thing would be the "normal" way to think, before laughing it off.

By Stormbringer and Dark Era, Dazai is all too aware of what is "different" about him - that is, his apparent inability to connect with others in a meaningful way. However, I need to stress that this distance is also at least partially self-imposed. Dazai has internalized his differences from others, his lack of humanity, and decided to put up a front of being some inhuman mafia monster. Think "I am a man hated by righteousness" before repeatedly firing at Akutagawa.

Even with this initial uncertainty, there's one thing he's been quite clear on as different since the beginning: his high intellect, and he wields it like a weapon, appearing somewhat proud of at least this aspect of his distance from others. He's almost cocky about it, complains of boredom, and usually becomes interested in people when they sidestep or outright defy his predictions. It's something we see quite a lot of in his Mafia days and also a little in Entrance Exam. While he appears to grow more attached to people who live their lives in the midst of seeming meaninglessness than those who observe from the sidelines the way he does, he also comes off a bit envious in the same respect, especially when younger.

In some way, I wonder if this doesn't mirror Mykola's envy of those who "don't know they're stuck in a cage", in that sort of ‘how do people not see what I see’ kind of way, or 'if they do, then how can they deal with it'. Dazai’s intellect is rather like a double-edged sword - while it allows him a distinct advantage in prediction he enjoys, it’s likely also a strong contributor to his loneliness and separation from others, much like Ranpo. However, while Ranpo externalized his issues and thought there was something wrong with everyone else, Dazai internalized his and believed there was something wrong with him, which unfortunately caused him to isolate himself even further, rather as a self-fulfilling prophecy regarding the next point.

Dazai is a bit odd about his perceived inhumanity, because on one hand, he wields it when necessary much like his intellect, but on the other, he is almost dismayed by any reminders of his differences from "normal" people, even a bit hurt. A prime example of this is in the Dead Apple prologue, at Chuuya's "no one would believe that" line, but can also be found to a lesser extent in certain interactions in Fifteen, Dark Era, and Stormbringer. A lot of the complexity in Dazai's character comes from this juxtaposition - the mental superiority vs the human inferiority. So, he feels isolated in two ways: one is intellectually, which he tends to see as an advantage, and two is a bit harder to narrow down, but roughly has to do with the nature of the human self and its connections, for which he feels lacking.

Interestingly, Dazai seems to regard people with similarities to himself as threatening, and even gets uncharacteristically direct about how he is going to stop/kill them (Fyodor, Q). An interesting case occurs in Entrance Exam. Entrance Exam is really valuable for looking at Dazai's character because it is very much a transitory period for him, and there is one part in particular close to the end that gives me chills, both in the action and the implications of the action.

I am, of course, talking about the part where Dazai arranges Sasaki's death.

I'm going to expand on this later on once I do my analysis focusing on Sasaki herself, but her and Dazai have some pretty notable similarities between them that I heavily believe Dazai was aware of close to the end. For now, the most important similarity is the way they manipulate others - Sasaki's selective distribution of and often misleading info created situations that encouraged most of the people she contacted to act entirely on their own accord but also in the exact way she intended, without her having to do anything herself. This is quite eerily similar to the way Dazai tends to operate (though I'd say in his case with a bit more finesse that comes from Mori's strategic training).

And Dazai... he arranges her death using this same method. He kicks the gun, Rokuzou picks it up and shoots her out of revenge - and Dazai didn't have to do a single thing.

"She killed too many people."

So have you.

"That was the only way to save her. This was the best we could've hoped for."

........

I think I'll just leave it at that. There's a lot more to this complicated situation that deserves a thorough analysis of it's own, but I do think that the only means in his mind to save an empty, apathetic person who was responsible for too many deaths was to kill her says quite a bit about his mentality at that point.

But that appears to be changing.

I loved that Asagiri confirmed that Dazai's words to Kyouka in Chapters 34 to 36 are genuine. He's being probably as close to honest as we've ever seen. And we know this, because who shows up?

Why hello, Odasaku silhouette. Dazai knows full well how similar Kyouka and Odasaku are - their situations, even their dispositions, I'd say, and the way the both of them seem to unwittingly trigger character development in the people around them lol. But there's more to it than just that.

"Every person has their good and bad points, and your bad point happens to be killing. That's why you think you can't become an Agency member. That's just stupid."

"No one can know everything. That's what possibility is."

"You are not the only person with this kind of distress."

"Why do we fight? How should we live on? There is no one who can tell you the answer. All we have is our right to waver."

None of this is something I'd expect Mafia Dazai, or even Entrance Exam Dazai to say. This is someone who, from my perspective, has the barest, slightest will to live on.

"No one can know everything." In spite of his intelligence, in spite of his eerily accurate predictions, this admittance means that his perception of that intellectual distance is likely somewhat decreasing. He's still on a tier far above most other people... but he's closer to them than he is to a god. He cannot know everything.

It's similar to what he tells Sigma in Chapter 105.

"It's all a play of hands. I'm not a superhuman beyond the limits of human wisdom."

The emotional gap may also be closing a little. I think fondly of Dazai's dry "Don't you have any friends?" to Shibusawa in Dead Apple, then following up Shibusawa's dramatic 'I understand everyone so much that everyone bores me but don't understand myself' spiel with "You wouldn't be saying that if you had friends." Dazai really said friendless behaviour, pfft.

There's also his "I wonder how Kunikida-kun is doing~!" in the prison and his internal (and I thought oddly fond) comparison of Sigma to Atsushi.

Still, though, there is a significant gap in the way he removes himself from other people. Even as Dazai affirms his belief that it is the people who fight through uncertainty and live and breathe within it that create the greatest change, he still excludes himself from that category, placing himself, alongside Fyodor, above all others yet paradoxically inferior in the ability to enact real influence, sitting alone in a prison at the end of the world.

Belief #3: Attachment as a Motive

"I see... so it's all for your partner. Betraying the Mafia, spreading rumours about the old boss's resurrection, this fight we're in now... it's kind of hard to believe, to be honest."

Dazai, in his earliest appearances, seems to underestimate the drastic lengths people will go to in the name of the people they care about. The above line to Rimbaud, after he reveals he did all that he did to find out what happened to Verlaine, indicates that while he does understand bonds between others, he fails to grasp how that could be so incredibly motivating - whereas by contrast, Chuuya understands it instantly.

In fact, earlier in Fifteen, Chuuya's assistance is assured by Mori's capture of the Sheep members, which prevents Chuuya from harming anyone - Mori weaponizes this attachment and responsibility Chuuya has to great effect, and points it out to a bemused Dazai, who doesn't... really care. Dazai seems much more intrigued by the growing strife between the Sheep and their leader, and amusedly pinpoints Chuuya as a "sheep getting stared down by a wolf", before intentionally ramping up the tension. Dazai weaponized the cracks that were already showing between them, and while he seems to have started to acknowledge the importance of attachment as a powerful motivator, unlike Chuuya who sees it as honourable, Dazai at this point seems to regard it as a weakness to be exploited.

While Dazai absolutely shows budding signs of attachment himself in Fifteen and Stormbringer, it's nowhere near enough for it to be a key motivator of his own. He runs on logic. His plans are practical, precise and take no chances; a logical strategist much like Mori.

But that all changes with Odasaku. Odasaku's impact on Dazai was undeniably the strongest motivator for change he's had, but I want to talk a little about Dazai's side of things, and his unusual devotion towards his friend. For as much as Dazai is evasive, incredibly concerning, and apparently added some kind of stimulant to a dish he made for the trio without telling them (!?? bro.), when it comes down to it and things get serious, Dazai is, surprisingly enough, an objectively good friend to Odasaku. He gets panicked when he realizes Odasaku happened on Shibusawa during the DHC. He tells him immediately he doesn't need to use the Silver Oracle to ask for his help. He apologizes for killing the snipers in front of him because he knows Odasaku doesn't like killing (even if, at this point, he doesn't know why he holds this philosophy). He arranges for the kids to be hidden in a safe location once it becomes obvious Gide is targeting Odasaku. He tries to convince Odasaku he can find a reason to live, even though he doesn't, at that point, have one himself. He runs to him at the end, even when it is pointless, even when it is not logical, all because that's his friend. And this isn't even touching Beast Dazai, who wasn't even friends with the guy but saw that another him was, and decided he would do everything he did to protect that one person's dream (thereby missing what Odasaku wanted for him, which also, incidentally, was for his friend to live on, but I digress). Dazai is a surprisingly incredibly devoted friend to him. This guy experienced close friendship and it completely changed his perspective, because he'd never had anything like that before. Connection and understanding are extremely powerful motivators. He knows this now. It's in everything he does. The person is gone, but the bond remains, and it drives him to this day.

It's also important to point out that while we haven't seen the turning point in Double Black's dynamic where they went from uneasy partnership to that intense trust, Chuuya is the poster boy for attachment as a ridiculously strong motive for living. His decision to risk everything for the sake of those he has sworn to protect means that Chuuya is reliable. So, suddenly, Dazai doesn't need to make such stringent plans with him - they can be more loose about it, yet still perfectly in sync. "Chuuya is a reliable partner" is not an opinion to Dazai, it's a fact. Attachment as strength, not weakness. I feel reasonably confident in saying he likely learned this first from Chuuya. It gives him the power to persevere through the pain. It's not always fragile. It can be relied on. Chuuya struggles through his life and finds purpose in his bonds with others, and Dazai, both envious and admiring, picks up that he can utilize this in his plans.

Dazai making plans in the Agency is a little different to how he makes them in the Mafia. While there is still hefty reliance on logic and trickery, there's now an extra caveat of social and moral expectation. Dazai makes plans, knowing that people will carry them out because of the kind of people they are. He's making character judgements, not purely logical ones.

While Mori and Fyodor are also capable of much the same, it's rather unlike their methods, as they use attachment, often by leveraging it. Dazai can and does do this too, but notably, Dazai's allies are also regularly left to act in accordance to what they believe to be right without much direct interference - Dazai uses but also relies on this attachment to people and morality. It's odd, because in a sense, it's both an accurate logical prediction and a form of trust. Many of his plans in the present involve people doing what they would have done anyways given their character, but in a narrowed scope that comes from Dazai's influencing of them and the situation. He knows Ranpo will take charge when the Agency is threatened. He knows Atsushi will risk it all for his friends and family and people who remind him of his younger self. He knows Kunikida will never accept lives being lost if there is something he can do about it. He, highly unfortunately, knows Akutagawa will do anything to gain the recognition he seeks.

It's odd, because while undoubtedly still a manipulative tactic, he also has to know, for certain, that these people will act on their morals, drives, and bonds, otherwise it quite literally would not work. Is it manipulation? Is it trust? I lean towards both. Whatever the case may be, it is clear that Dazai finds at least some value in attachment (even if he, again, still largely detaches himself from pure expressions of this kind of motive - Odasaku was the major exception).

When Fyodor says people are sinful and can't help killing each other even when they know they're being manipulated to it and Dazai replies with yes, and? "What's so wrong with that?"

The way Chuuya wins against Verlaine, because he cared for people and Verlaine, in spite of everything, had at least one person he didn't want to let die. The way Gab might not have met such a tragic end if he'd had the chance to connect the way Atsushi had. The way the isolated Sigma ultimately falls, and Tachihara finds new purpose and drive from his conflicting bonds that should've weakened him but instead gave him conviction.

Attachment can be a foolish thing. It can be logically irrational, and in certain cases leaves one vulnerable, but it's not inherently a weakness. It can also be the source of incredible strength and perseverance. Human connection is the beating, bleeding heart of this series. The Agency barely took a breath after being framed before they were preparing to hold their own and prove their innocence - because the Agency meant something more to them than just a workplace. It's their place to belong. They rally to protect it and each other, just as Dazai knew they would, and he, too, is taking great risks to protect it.

Which brings me to the last point.

Belief #4: Beauty in the Fight

Fyodor and Dazai are foil characters - they are intellectual equals, and their methods of thinking and planning tend to be very similar. However, motivation-wise, they are very different - Fyodor says things like the above, clearly with a low opinion on most others. While Dazai agrees with the statement, he disagrees with the sentiment.

"What's so wrong with that?"

But I'll be honest: I don't think he always felt that way. In fact, I suspect he used to feel similarly to Fyodor when he was younger.

In Fifteen, Dazai describes the situation with the Sheep as similar to the "Undercooked Meat Theory" to Rimbaud, which acts as an analogy for violence - everyone wants to eat more of the meat, so one takes it earlier to get more than everyone else, then another takes it even earlier to get more than that guy, and so on and so forth until they are all eating undercooked meat. Here are some key points from that conversation:

Dazai: "If one person stops, he alone will end up with less meat than the other two. Therefore, each of them is trapped, forced to eat the undercooked meat and nothing else, even though all three know that perfectly cooked meat tastes much better."

Dazai: "It explains at least half the misery in the entire world."

Rimbaud: "I see... in other words, since everyone pursued what was best for them, they couldn't achieve what was best for the group..."

Rimbaud: "Violence and war are not necessary for survival... if everyone agreed to stop fighting and banned all weapons - then violence would be no more. But that isn't realistic. No matter what, someone will break the rules to get ahead of the rest... everyone else... would have to maintain their stance on fighting back only when provoked."

Although Dazai expresses his interest in the criminal underworld as a "thrill", there's cause to believe this dog-eat-dog world is something that Dazai himself personally does not like. After all, shortly afterwards, when Chuuya crashes onto the scene and proclaims that "the strongest always win", Dazai disgustedly says,

"It's people like you who turn the world into undercooked meat."

In a way, it almost reminds me a bit of what Teruko proclaims about what a rubbish society it would be if those with the strongest violence always ended up on top. That's her purpose, as a Hunting Dog - to use violence to stop criminals - but violence to maintain order is still violence. Violence begets violence, but you can't just not defend yourself in a world that wants to hurt you. And so the world goes round, and people still kill each other, often quite needlessly.

It seems both Fyodor and Dazai shared the mentality that people are all the same, self-centered and out to protect themselves at the cost of others; sinful, boring beings. Except Fyodor, a more proactive person, decided he was going to try and fix the problem. Dazai, prone to inaction, did not... and saw nothing interesting in the world worth living for.

"It explains at least half the misery in the world." I wonder, does it explain some of Dazai's misery too? He appears to be drawn to the Mafia, not because of the violence in itself, but because of the honesty with which it is approached. You know what you're getting, with organized crime - there's going to be crime, and death, and murder. The proximity to death is a removal of the veil of social acceptability; the mask over the world - Dazai is hoping that by getting closer to the cruel world's "reality", he'll be able to find that something that the people around him would kill for in order to live.

Unlike Fyodor though, who still sees people as boring for their foolishness, Dazai apparently seems to find them interesting by this point. What changed?

It's worth noting that even though Dazai genuinely thought Chuuya was just an arrogant, violent kid before the confrontation with Rimbaud, in an earlier fight scene, Dazai goes breathless at Chuuya's battle prowess. That sheer display of life and energy and raw destruction is something captivating to him. And that's interesting, because that fight there was one he had just previously been deriding Chuuya for starting - it was pointless violence, to him - and yet, he can't help but watch.

So, when the Arahabaki reveal happens and Dazai suddenly realizes he'd been mistaken about Chuuya, it triggers a shift. Chuuya wasn't looking for power. Chuuya was looking for himself.

In Fifteen, Dazai is intrigued by Chuuya's situation. In Stormbringer, Dazai is invested in Chuuya's story.

Once again, Dazai watches Chuuya fight as he relinquishes control to use the full power of Corruption, carefully watching the progression of it all. When Chuuya turns fallen angel, Dazai says to himself, "That's Arahabaki's - that's Chuuya's true form." This incredible show of strength is not just the result of a raw power. This is the will of a human who has something worth fighting for. Chuuya is not a blank vessel for Arahabaki. Arahabaki is Chuuya's to wield. This is all Chuuya, through and through.

Chuuya, caught in the act of dying, in a last-ditch play that could easily be a self-sacrificial one, surrounded by death and destruction, is nonetheless fighting with all the life within him to defend the lives of his people, with the symbol of his stubborn will to survive (that is, Arahabaki, the singularity that should've killed him) on full wrath and display. To the death-obsessed kid who wanted a reason to live, who did not see why people would fight so hard to live on, such a sight would be breathtaking.

Dazai is drawn to the people who struggle through hardship, and the ones who rebel in the name of valuing life. He becomes interested in Ango when he finds the reports he made on the DHC dead, that he made to preserve their lives even without Mori's permission. Dazai does not want to compromise Odasaku's morals, and is deeply fascinated by the juxtaposition of his Mafia status and his no killing rule, though he doesn't pry for the reason. With Kunikida, much as Dazai does not care much for ideals, he sees how Kunikida keeps on pushing through against every setback and horribly cruel reality check, and I honestly think he respects that.

Then there's this bit when Atsushi has just succeeded in getting Q's doll safely to Dazai after the curse on Yokohama.

"It was your spirit that emerged victorious."

He likes it when people succeed. He wants to see people triumph, against all odds.

I find it fascinating because Dazai becomes most invested in the aspects of the characters that we tend to get invested in - we, the readers, which makes a lot of sense given his consistent observer status. The story is never actively about Dazai, but he's always there, watching others' stories unfold, growing fascinated with the struggles they face and the development they undergo, and feeling pride and admiration when they learn to overcome.

But the tragedy in Dark Era in part was a vicious reminder that the story impacts him too, no matter how much he tries to detach himself - to become invested and connected is to open yourself up to the inevitability of getting hurt. But it's also in this struggle to find balance that we are open to make change, and to live.

Fighting to save a life - even and especially when that life is just your own - there is beauty to be found in that fight.

#hi hello here is the meta i said i'd write two months ago ✨ #i hope it is coherent. i really need to stop writing these at 3 am. #bsd #bsd meta #bsd analysis #<-i guess lol #bsd dazai #storyrambles

[damianbugs]

hi saki hiii if it's not 2 much of a bother, do u have a link to a batman reading list w some of the older comics u often talk abt? despite The Disease I've only read maybe 4 actual Bruce Wayne centered runs

-Angel 🫶🏾

HI ANGEL !!! unfortunately i have not yet found a good reading list of older batman comics. most of them are just like "read every single thing published since 1940" and like, okay, fair enough, but also no one wants to do that.

fortunately this gave me an excuse to look through my own fav reads and compile a short list to get you started! the thing about older batman comics is that (personally) they are far more easier to follow compared to modern day comics, so once you get familiar with the older style and layouts, it's so easy to just find the kind of stories you want to read!

most of these are published after the 1970s but all of them are before the New 52 (2011) !!

for a more concise list (+content/trigger warnings) you can find this reading list on my comic geeks.

> Batman: Legends of The Dark Knight

now this collection features over 200 issues and a dozen writers BUT it's because it's full of 2-4 issue short stories. out of these, the ones i recommend most to begin with are; #16-20 (venom), #39-40 (mask), #100 (the choice).

if you like the tone of these, then i would recommend reading the other stories too. great thing is that they're not connected to each other at all, so if you don't like one then you can skip it no problem. i definitely jumped over a few writers and weird stories when reading.

> Batman 1940

now from the main run itself, the advice to just read everything published is not worth it. some of these stories really just drag or are super confusing.

some favourites of mine to start with are; #402-403 (One Batman Too Many), #423 (You Shoulda Seen Him...) and of course, #404-#408 (Batman Year One).

> Detective Comics

now i have always been of the opinion that tec is the better of the two main runs, and you can really see the quality of story telling shine in older comics !

a few of my favourite issues are: #408 (The House That Haunted Batman), #439 (The Night of the Stalker), #457 (There is No Hope in Crime Alley!), #573-574 (My Beginning... and my Probable End) and #598-#600 (Blind Justice).

> The Brave and The Bold

all runs of tbatb runs, whether that be the 1950, 1990, 2007 or even present 2023 run, are so good !!!

for an older story, #93 (published 1970) is my favourite !!

> Batman Black and White

okay so i know i have been giving singular issue recs up until now but i am so serious when i say you should just read every single issue of Batman Black and White. there are three runs, the 1996, 2014 and 2020 with only around 6 issues each. some of the best and truly life changing stories are within it.

in fact, my all time number one favourite batman comic EVER is published in #1 of the 1996 run (Perpetual Mourning). there will never be a batman story ever like it again.

> Other Stories

there was something in the air during the 1990s, because some of the best ever batman stories were published during that time. i fear there has truly never been such a stacked decade like that one.

a few essential must reads from 1980s-1990s; Batman The Cult, Batman: Night Cries, Batman: War on Crime, Batman: The Ultimate Evil, Batman: Son of the Demon.

happy reading!!!!

#bruce wayne #saki comic talks #batman comic recs

[stedebonnit]

Okay but what if Ed and Stede occasionally have guests at their little inn that are not safe to be openly gay around, and the first time this happens they convince themselves they can just pretend to be friends, that'll be easy!! But every time they look at each other they just can't stop themselves from getting all lovey or pushing each other into a closet to fuck. They get caught and threatened, so they just kill that guy, of course.

"But," Ed says, "thats no way to run a good business."

They can't make a habit of killing every rich guy who visits just because they don't like gay people. They'd never get any stuffy rich guests that way, and while they're certainly not the only rich people, they also don't want to limit their market that way.

So, the next time a rich fucker comes to visit they decide pretending to be friends doesn't work, so instead they'll just have to have one of them dress as a woman. Stede offers, saying Ed already had to learn the high society rules for men and this is a lot of information in a short time before their guest arrives, so it'll probably be easier if Stede does it, he'll know how to act like these people expect women to act. Ed agrees, of course, but the second he sees Stede in the pretty dress (and right after having sex with Stede about it because damn he looks good in that dress) Ed finds himself daydreaming about wearing it himself. He'd make a pretty lady, too, wouldnt he?

So once this guy leaves with a promise that he'll tell all his buddies to come and visit, too, Ed turns to Stede and goes "can I be the lady next time? I want to try to the dress."

Stede eagerly agrees, now that Ed has seen the way to be a fancy high society lady it should be easy for him to repeat the process, and besides, it means Stede (who has begun to make his own clothes) can make Ed a custom fit dress for the occassion that suits him even better, and Stede always loves to take on a fun new project!

When the time rolls around and Ed is dressed up for their next guest (and after Stede has fucked Ed thoroughly about it because HE looks hot as hell in his dress), Stede starts fussing over the dress.

"It would look nicer if you tied it like this-"

"Fuck off, I like the way I tied it."

"I'm just saying you could-"

"I could, but I don't want to," Ed snips, smacking Stede's hands away with the fancy little fan he made for himself.

"Its just it would really look nice if-"

Ed frowns, then it dawns on him.

"You're just jealous that I get to be the pretty one this time!"

Stede blushes "Pft. No! Besides, you were plenty pretty last time, too."

"Yeah, but you miss wearing the dress and having all the fancy frills and extra lace."

"...maybe. Only a little bit."

"Well I'm the girl this time, you promised!"

"Yes, of course, I know! Thats fine, of course-"

"But maybe we can take turns? You know, both get an equal number of chances to be frilly and shit."

Stede grins.

"I'd like that."

And so every time they have one of those guests, and even sometimes when they don't, they switch up who gets to wear the pretty dresses, and Stede gets busy making plenty more options for them both. Ed, in the meantime, has taken up the hobby of making a variety of accessories. Fans, bows, hair pieces. They both get incredibly talented at various updos that work for each of their hair types.

One time, when a familiar face is visiting, one who doesn't mind seeing two men in love, they decide its the perfect time for them both to dress up for the weekend, and they have a truly lovely time both getting to be fancy and frilly together for a weekend in their fancy dresses. Their guests don't question it.

#ofmd #our flag means death #ofmd s2 spoilers #gentlebeard #blackbonnet #d speaks #mine #ofmd ficlet

[jmagnabo92]

What do you think of Molly and Hermione’s views or whatever you’d call it of Sirius during The Order of the Phoenix?

This is going to very critical of BOTH Molly and Hermione. Don't come at me if you don't like it, but feel free to politely discuss.

I am not a fan and think they're both being rather shitty and entitled for a number of reasons, different on both sides.

For Molly, while I understand how she spent however many years thinking of Sirius as a mass-murderer that lead to his BFFs demise (and we truthfully don't know how many years because at one point, it's stated that most people didn't know about his part in what happened to the Potters - but it came from Fudge and he's stupid, so...), we also know that she was told that Sirius was *innocent* of *everything*.

And I would be totally okay with her having issues wrapping her mind around it, EXCEPT she has *no issues* accepting Dumbledore's words when it comes to Snape despite his outward terrible recent behavior towards the kids, order members, and others, so it makes it *terribly shitty* to insist on treating *Snape, the active DE (even if he's a 'spy')* with respect because 'Dumbledore said he's on our side now' when he's acted like a shithead to the kids *for years* and continues to do so, but NOT TREAT THE INNOCENT MAN WHO HAS HELPED THE KIDS with things and who lost YEARS of his life to prison with the same decency and respect is shitty as hell.

And then, to make matters worse, she's only known Sirius for about a month (probably less) when she's living in HIS HOUSE - where he's PROTECTING HER ENTIRE FAMILY, and she's tearing him apart because he was at least emotionally abused (the Portrait of his mother is ENOUGH for her to know that he would struggle in that house) despite his efforts to support Harry and the Order and her family in this hot mess they find themselves in.

Despite knowing that he has very valid reasons for struggling - she talks down to him and about him, in front of him and his godson, undermining him when he was the ONLY ADULT to help Harry through the tasks, even though she was better equipped to help him and *didn't*.

With all of this in mind, I think it's shitty and entitled that she treats him and speaks about him the way she does. She never got to know him, she knows very little aside from a reputation that she knows is *false* and it's shitty as hell to judge him and not even TRY to make things easier on him. She's an adult that should be able to have some *fucking* compassion and just *doesn't* and it's shitty.

Fuck that was an essay. I have thoughts. And it's not even got references like my POA post.

Now onto Hermione:

So, Hermione was *there* the night that Harry met Sirius. She knows multiple things about him prior to OOTP, things like:

He offered Harry a home

He is fucking innocent of everything - proof with Her Own Damn Eyes that everything she knew was a lie and he's truly a good dude

He went to check on Harry and was watching out for him all of third year

Crookshanks Trusted him and So does Buckbeak (aka animals' good judgement of character)

He immediately reached out to Harry with the letter assuring him multiple things - like the fact that he gave the broom, that he watched out for him, that he wanted to protect Harry by getting himself seen so the Dementors would go away, and that he knows what's best for Harry ... giving him the Hogsmeade Slip, and a way to deal with the Dursleys (the threat of him was enough that that summer allowed him to do his homework and write his friends).

He wrote to Harry and offered advice when Harry expressed worry over *just a dream*.

He gave up his blissful freedom to 'fly North immediately' and supported Harry by LIVING in a Cave and Eating rats throughout the tournament when NO OTHER ADULT DID.

He was trustworthy enough to give them advice on other past war things and the dealings at Hogwarts while he did this. She even insisted Harry tell him things to get his advice.

That he has a good measure on things despite his imprisonment and whatnot.

That he thinks the measure of a man can be made by looking at treatment of his inferiors.

This last point is what I think turned her against him. She knows and understand enough (despite not being empathetic at times) to get why Sirius is the way he is in those few short weeks when her attitude changed. The ONLY reason I could see her completely disregarding her previous understanding of Sirius and his goodness and trustworthiness is because of Kreacher.

Hermione's stuck on the House-Elf thing and in fact, was thrilled when Sirius sided with her over Ron during the whole Winky/Crouch thing. And even though Sirius NEVER orders Kreacher to do anything other than leave his guests alone (and keep Order secrets) the fact that he has issues with Kreacher and isn't "Nice" to him is enough for her to change her view of him.

She thinks about that "measure of a man" statement from Sirius himself, and says, "you know what - you're right, you suck" - completely ignoring the legitimate reasons for Sirius' feelings and behavior towards Kreacher and the fact that he literally just wants to be left alone.

She adds that to Molly's words, and his increasingly depressive behavior and decides he's no good after all.

ALL of this factors into my view of her behavior, but I still think it's shitty. It's shitty that she, too, defends Snape (after the BS she's been a target of, not to mentioned witnessed for ALL FOUR YEARS OF SCHOOL, so far) and yet, immediately turns on Sirius.

It's shitty that she lives in HIS HOUSE and is talking crap to his godson - not just to Sirius, but Harry as well. How the fuck, do you look at your BFF and say 'oh the godfather you love so much - he's not trustworthy' never mind that he was the ONLY one there for you last year and he's all you have. It's shitty and uncalled for.

I, specifically, hate that she pretty much cons Harry into doing the DA and then Sirius is on board (for the right reasons) and backtracks because of this terrible and untrue idea that "Sirius is trying to live through them".

Hermione is not a voice for Sirius, she doesn't know shit about him, she doesn't write him or talk to him, and she barely spends any time with him. So like... where does she get off?

Anyway, this is long, but suffice to Say, I DON'T like their thoughts. I think they're 100% wrong and even though they can feel or think whatever they want about Sirius, it's rude as hell to say it to him or to Harry, AND to feel that way when he provided you a fucking shelter so you were safe for a year.

This was a fucking Essay, I apologize, I hope you like it.

#sirius black #harry james potter #Molly Weasley Critical #Hermione Granger Critical #OOTP #Kreacher #Jen's asks

[clangenrising]

so im thinking about starting a blog about roseclan (carnation’s clan!)!! do you have any advice on how to stay motivated and update regularly?

Ooh, thats a tricky one. I've honestly been Surprised at my ability to crank out content for RisingClan. I would probably give the following advice:

Schedule Posts.

I try to be at least three weeks ahead of by current post, with content in my queue so I don't have to remember to post things every day or during prime hours, etc. When you have inspiration, make a lot of content and then schedule it so that you're covered when you don't have the energy.

Get Selfish.

You are posting this stuff online, but really your art should be for you first and foremost! So get selfish with it! If you have a specific oc you wanna write about then do that! Don't worry about making things balanced or varied unless that's fun for you. Find a character and figure out how to get a little obsessed with them and then writing them will be easy. I'm that way with Scorch.

Figure out Your Brain.

If you struggle with Motivation in general, do some research and find ways to hack your brain that work for you. For instance, I have ADHD and depression so it can be tricky for me to get things I need to do done, but I've been working for a very long time to find ways to motivate myself. Share your work with friends for validation, set alarms or write goals for your posts on a sticky note, reward yourself with a treat or some video game time after you fill your queue sufficiently!

and as a side note to people who follow blogs like mine, YOU have the biggest power of all to motivate artists like me to keep making stuff like this and there are three easy steps: Reblog, Follow, Comment.

Your interaction with my posts is the BIGGEST thing that has kept me excited to make RisingClan stuff. Reblogs are so much more satisfying than just likes, so if you like something and want to see more of it, Reblog it! Follows are also exciting, its great to see that number tick upward and it also makes it easier for you to stay updated on the content. and Comments!! Comments are so important! One comment is more powerful than a thousand likes, even if all it says is "I love this!" or "Ooh, they're so cute!"

So yeah. I hope that was helpful haha good luck to any artists taking on a Clan Gen blog, and thanks again to any followers who reblog and comment on my stuff <3

#asks and answers #golden-songbirrds #tips and advice #not art

[is-the-snake-video-cute]

Hello!! I wrote you a really long ask and then accidentally deleted it, so I'll ask you the...not much shorter tl;dr version 😅

I really want to get a ball python (probably male) at some point in the future (once I've done a lot more research, set aside a budget for it, and prepared better), and my extended family seems absolutely convinced that this will be a problem because I have two cats (they think the snake would pose a danger to the cats). Considering ball pythons' everything, I would assume this would be relatively safe for all involved, provided I'm careful that they don't interact (closed door if I'm handling the snake, etc), but also having never in fact owned a snake before, and the fact that ball pythons do get to be pretty large snakes, I wanted to ask what you thought. I feel like I always hear about snakes managing to escape their enclosures somehow, and I guess that's more what I'd be worried about (if you have any tips about that also I'm all ears).

I also wanted to ask what size enclosure you'd recommend for a ball python. My gut says bigger is better (at least to a point--and obviously with a number of appropriate hides) but my research has largely been telling me the opposite, at least until I found your blog. Should I get a smaller enclosure if I get the snake youngish and then move it up to bigger when it grows? Can I just fill a really big one with a lot of enrichment-type things so it's not a big empty space? Is this more of a "keeping the humidity appropriate" problem?

And also I think you'll simply enjoy knowing that a few years ago there was a garter snake hibernaculum near the plant nursery where I work. We never did figure out exactly where they were overwintering but we were kind of working in a river of garter snakes there for a bit, which was honestly pretty delightful. Some of them really didn't want to go around us and just kind of scooted past underfoot instead. We also have a huge and rather cranky black racer that's basically a coworker at this point, she lays eggs in the mulch pile nearly every year and last year I spotted her finishing her shed so I kept the shed skin and it's nearly four feet long. She's about the same color as the hose we use for watering so at least once per year we startle the crap out of each other because she's easy to overlook when she's sunning, but it's fun to have her around. Just keeps us sort of on our toes.

Hello hello!

Re: ball pythons and cats - if anyone's in danger there, it's the snake. Ball pythons don't get anywhere near big enough to hurt even small cats, but a cat could easily seriously injure a snake even if they're just trying to play, so cats and snakes should never interact. It's possible to have cats and snakes in the same house (I have a cat!), but it's important to make sure the cat never has access to the snake. Most of preventing snake escapes comes down to prevention - it's crucial to take time when you're setting up your enclosure to make sure there's no openings big enough for the snake's nose, and invest in a good pair of screen clips if your enclosure has a screen lid.

My minimum recommended enclosure size for adult ball pythons is a 4x2x2 enclosure (120 gallon equivalent), and bigger is always better. It's easier to start baby snakes in smaller enclosures - it'll be much easier to clutter it up so the snake feels safer. I usually start my bps in a 20 gallon, upgrade to a 40 gallon at a year old, and then move to their adult enclosure once they've outgrown that. You could absolutely jump right in with the 4x2x2, though - you'd just have to be very intentional about adding lots of clutter and hiding places! I also find it's generally much easier to keep humidity levels right in bigger enclosures because your heat element doesn't dry out the entire enclosure when it's bigger.

I love the black racer who lives near your work! She sounds like a delight.

#not a rating #snake husbandry #ball pythons #snakes and other pets #snake enclosures

[bonny-kookoo]

will we ever find out why joon is so against hybrids? im thinking maybe he had a bad experience with one before… like maybe he adopted a hybrid but they didn’t trust him so they ran away and now he just doesn’t like hybrids?

It's quiet in his home, no lights turned on as he sits in front of his bedroom closet, box in his lap. The words Yoongi had thrown at him had punched him harder than the producer would've ever been able to.

"-and don't you dare try and contact authorities about this!" His friend's voice echoes in his mind.

Namjoon knows it's not all that simple. There's no way to just undo what has been done, no good option available to simply remove those hybrids from his friends lifes to spare them the hurt that might be inevitable. They're idols. Busy. No private life. Always in danger of being dragged into something that might end their entire career in a heartbeat. It's not only Jungkook or Yoongi he's scared for- but those hybrids as well.

"They're not pets for fuck's sake!" He hears both of his bandmates in his head, and he knows that. He knows it probably just as well as they do.

It's been two years almost. It's going to be next month, on the thirteenth. And yet he still can't look at the green metal tag in the box, one he's seen Jungkook's hybrid wear as well. It's the international standard color for category 3 hybrids- it's not a surprise they're similar.

The design isn't the same, Jungkook's hybrid probably having received a newer version at some point, since the tags have to be renewed every year.

"But- you told me that I'd still be able to at least see her once in a while!" He'd argued with his management, having asked for where they'd brought you after workers had picked you up a few days prior.

"Namjoon-ssi, it's better this way." They'd explained to him. "With everything going on right now, it'll be easier to handle it all without the added burden of a hybrid." They'd told him.

"Thats not for you to decide!" He'd yelled, panic setting in as the reality slowly became too apparent to him. He hadn't just given you into temporary care. He'd given you away. He'd promised you, as you'd been crying the day before they took you, that it wasn't how it seemed. That he would always come see you. That he would get you back full time as soon as he could manage.

To you, it now must've seemed as if he lied. He himself at least feels as if he did, even if he didn't even know that what he said wasn't true.

Do you hate him now?

Surely you do, if you even remember him these days. He'd searched every shelter for your name, your ID number, everything, and nothing ever came of it- so you must have a new home at this point. He hopes you're happy.

He just wants to protect his bandmates from all of this.

Jungkook is easy to manipulate in his eyes. He would definitely fall for the same lies they've told the bandleader back then as well- and he doesn't want to imagine how devastated the youngest of the group would be if his hybrid, his partner, was to be taken away like that.

And with Yoongi, it's even worse, since he wouldn't even have a choice. If he wasn't to give his hybrid up voluntarily, there would be other options to get her taken by the system itself with just a call.

Namjoon closes the box again, burying it in the corner of his closet where he keeps it safe. He knows he'll come back to it just like tonight, whenever he feels like he needs to at least remember a little bit when it was all alright. When things were okay.

Maybe he should change his ways. Maybe he should start to try and protect both or his bandmates from this not by doing the same his management had done to him in the past- but by trying to be an example of what not to do. But at this point, with Yoongi clearly angry at him, and Jungkook more or less equally hostile, he's not sure if that's even an option any longer.

Maybe he's just doomed to lose.

#bts imagine #bts fanfic #bts fic #namjoon imagine #hybrid imagine

[brokenfoxproductions]

Probably the first bit of discourse that I'm going to post on here intentionally, but as someone who used to self identify as having did before I got a proper diagnosis, I really just wish people had the nuance to understand that you can assume that you might be dealing with something, but you are not capable of diagnosing yourself with a complex dissociative disorder the same way someone who is gone through 12 years of med school and a psychiatric rotation would be able to, and it really really bothers me seeing people trying really hard to push themselves into acting how they think someone with DID would actually act while ignoring that they have very textbook symptoms of things like a personality disorder or complex PTSD or even other dissociative and delusional disorders that simply are not DID.

I'm not saying that self diagnosis is always invalid, especially for things like autism where the majority of providers don't know the updated criteria for diagnosis and it's something that tends to not really go away or change, but there's a big difference between my partner who hasn't gotten into a psychiatrist self-identifying as autistic because it allows him to get the things that he needs to be able to function and someone who has access to psychiatrist but refuses to go to one or who does see a psychiatrist but refuses to believe them purposely trying to push a narrative so that they get attention online from a specific community.

I did that as a teenager. I used to and still do dissociate very frequently and whenever I was a teenager I thought that everyone with dissociations had dissociative identity disorder so I started making up alters like the way a lot of teenagers on tiktok and on here do, but unlike most of those teenagers, I was actually in psychiatric treatment and acting out this way didn't get me temporary Fame. It got me hospitalized, forced into a RTF where I was horrifically abused for a year, and then it caused me to go to foster care. It also caused years of not getting proper treatment because you can't get treated for what's actually going on with you while you're obsessed with a diagnosis that you don't have.

Self diagnosis and lying about my experiences and condition as a teenager cost me 2 years and 5 months of my life. People who are still doing this and encouraging it are feeding into ableism and they're making their situations worse.

If you want to diagnosis yourself with a debilitating mental health condition, eventually you're going to be treated like you have it. And I don't mean attention and Tik-Tok followers. I mean like, not being able to drive. Not being independent. Long term inpatient stays. Residential treatment facilities. Medication. Therapies. Debt. Facing ableism. Actual diagnosed disabled people seeing you as mocking them. Facing hate crimes. Having your life ruined and your rights taken.

Maybe you should consider just getting a real diagnosis instead. It's easier than leaving your actual condition undiagnosed and untreated so you can get the attention you think is trendy without trying to get better.

(And inb4 "waaaahhhhh not everyone can access services!!!1!!!" If you're not working and can't get workplace insurance, go to your local assistance office and apply for medical assistance, and then call the number on your insurance card to get on a wait list for a provider. If my broke, crippled ass can manage that, so can you. If you can't, get a caseworker to manage it for you. Google "mental health case manager" and find who's closest, they're county funded and their job is to help you get services. There's no excuse for being a burden on the system, those around you, and people with actual diagnosed disabilities.)

#anti self dx #anti self diagnosis #nuance #self diagnosis #actually disabled #discourse #to clarify #i understand self dx for autism but not psych disorders #you're not a psychiatrist and your POV is skewed by your symptoms and culture #trauma #childhood trauma #ptsd #ableism #actually traumatized #actually ptsd #actually bipolar #actually mentally ill #actually autistic #fox bites sometimes

[brown-spider]

Hi! I really love your Spidersona Sunny, they're such a mood. Ngl they crack me up with how done they already are with the whole hero gig😂 and I was curious about something.

Do you think Sunny and Miles would get along? They seem like they would be great friends for lots of reasons, like their shared love of art and how similar you said their worlds are. Also maybe a shared kind of disillusionment with heroing, cause let's be real, there ain't no way Miles is coming out of any of this even slightly okay. Highkey think he was a little depressed before he got jumped by hundreds of spider people and after having the friends and mentor he was desperate enough to give up his passions for, only for them to gaslight and betray the hell out of him, plus whatever fucked up shit that's for sure happening in Btsv, it's gonna get so much worse. That and I think Miles would find Sunny's ability to juke the canon, kinda like he does, so awesome. Deadpool joking about Sunny avoiding plot trauma by running off screen is everything. They just say, "nah, fam I'm good" and just leaves🤣

Miles: If you teach me how to juke canon I'll watch Deadpool for you.

Sunny: Deal

I feel like Miles could make friends with anybody tbh 😂

Miles and Sunny's attitudes towards heroing are a bit different, i think. Miles stepped up to the mantle after building up confidence that he deserves it, that he can be someone ppl rely on. He's outraged by the idea that Spiderman as a symbol of heroism/hope can't "always" win or can't do "both." He also has bit of pettiness around the lack of reward/freedom/gratitude for being Spiderman; it comes with the territory of being a teenager who does selfless deeds on the daily only to get grounded or have his roomate not bother to dial 3 numbers or be told that he isnt allowed to stop his dad from dying-

Ahem.

Whereas Sunny doesn't have a sense of duty or optimism towards being Spiderman. They don't WANT to be someone people rely on, they NEVER believed that one person could "always" or "do both", they're resigned to the things happening around them.

Sunny doesn't know about canon events, courtesy of their Peter not telling them because they freaked out at the mere concept of a multiverse and want nothing to do with HQ outside of removing anomalies from their own dimension. Deadpool makes 4th wall breaking jokes but Sunny sees it the same way you and I would react if someone pretended to break the fourth wall; its just a joke. Like "haha, what if we were in a simulation." Of course, ever since they found out about the multiverse, those jokes became much LESS funny to them 😬

So yeah, Sunny dodging canon doesn't come from a determination to live up to what they think Spiderman should be, or out of defiance of The Way Things Are like how it is for Miles, its the exact opposite. They're avoiding responsibility and expectations, they've decided that nothing they do will make a Real difference except to make them More Depressed when they inevitably fail.

If Miles told them about canon events, their response would probably be something like "......... I wish you hadn't told me that." Because what are they supposed to do?? Not only are they being told that Fate has guaranteed certain tragedies occurred to hundreds of thousands of heroes WAY BETTER THAN THEM- but ALSO that those same far-more-skilled-heroes have dedicated themselves to making sure those tragedies continue to happen. So tell them, what the heck are they supposed to do??

They wouldn't do anything. But they also wouldn't stop Miles. They hate the concept of fate and would hope he breaks the algorithm with his friends and saves the day, because its way easier to place their faith in people who can Actually make change than to get involved and get themself hurt.

#this was a long as hell response thank u for asking about my Debilitatingly Defeatist Spidersona lmao #ppl love Sunny from a relatablity stand point but as a protag in a story i think they would drive y'all UP THE WALL #yall would be sooo sick of their attitude so fast #which is why i have to make them funny to make up for the fact that they are depressingly useless <3 #sunny brown #brown-spider #miles morales #peter parker #asks