#they're talking for themselves

[therealmnemo]

*motions for my fellow trans afab peeps*

hey, I know that we've been dealing with transmeds using theyfabs to invalidate our existence... but you gotta understand that words can have different meaning and the widespread use of it by trans women right now is specifically with the meaning of someone that is afab and being transmisogynistic by trying to slap down their asab over trans women's real material complaints. look for context. theyfab isn't a slur and I'm honestly all in for that to be the most accepted context because I refuse to validate a transmed's train of thought. I will listen to trans women though when they talk about their oppression, and you should too.

*pats you on the back* good talk

#mnemospeaks #and because I've seen it floating around #i'm not really a fan of benjanun but she wasn't being anti-trans masc for shits and gigs #she called out a trans inclusive authors list have 0 transfems on it #and they decided to attack her on her past instead of owning up to their oversight #that's transmisogyny baybeee #and when trans women tried to speak out #they implied that benjanun controlled them #like no #they're talking for themselves #and benjanun was sticking up for them #and starting to get nasty with transmascs who refused to drop their issue with her tone and language #aand instead focus on what the issue was #anywho #tldr #theyfab is for afabs that decice to use their asab as a cudgel to silence transfemmes #that's it #that's the context in the transfemme community #get the fuck over it and look past insults and figure out why you're getting insulted on the first place maybe???

[hajihiko]

Trainwreck in double speed

#Fuyuhiko kuzuryu #Peko pekoyama #kuzupeko #super danganronpa 2 #sdr2 #an art #Fuyuhiko ruining himself with the pressure and violence and fitting into shoes he neither fits nor wants #Peko ruining herself by erasing herself and falling into a role she hates for someone she loves #Both of them shaving off bits of themselves until they're just not the same people at all in a bad way. Together through it all! #Both of them hate it but are powerless to change what they were sculpted into! #Anyway. How are we feeling tonight guys. I'm having weird feelings about family (not found but obligatory) #(Hiko and Peko aren't found family they actually are. Enforced obligatory family that's barely even family.) #(That's NOT as in they dont care about each other they care so much. But they didnt grow up as family or friends) #(They grew up through obligation) #OKAY time to stop talking

[lloydfrontera]

the webcomic can have one (1) funny "earnest moment interrupted by comedy" joke. as a treat. but also because it is so in character for them ajkshdjkas

yes they will say the most earnest shit to each other and then immediately try to cringe out of their own bodies. they are best friends but they would rather jump out of a window before admitting it. they are incredibly devoted and grateful to one another but you could not water board that out of either of them.

the only thing that can get either of them to admit how much they care for each other is if the other is in life threatening danger and not a second before aakjshdks

#i talk a lot <3 #tged #the greatest estate developer #lloyd frontera #javier asrahan #llojavi #i'm sorry i do think this is incredibly funny i'm still laughing ajksdhsjkfsd #they're assholes! they're best friends! they will risk life and limb for one another but you won't get them to say one nice thing #about the other unless it's a matter of life and death! and even then they might risk it if they're the ones in danger and not the other lo #like!! this is in character! this is a joke made by the characters and not at them!! this is them acknowledging how much they care #for the other and then cringing when they realize they let themselves be earnest out loud. #not the narrative itself cringing and not allowing the characters to be earnest at all. not the author pointing and laughing at the story #you're supposed to care about. #i'm getting serious again so i'm gonna stop!! just!! i do love them <3333 #ep 122

[insomnya777]

boat boys coded

#....does this make sense #it does in my head #lovers lane. dead end. #aka double life #they know it won't lead anywhere #in the long run it will only end in pain #whether it ends in a screaming match or just one too many empty promises — it doesn't matter. it still ends either way #and that's the part that really counts #but they don't do anything about it because what is there to do? your only option is to live the story #even if you know how it ends #so they go along with it #what other choice do they have? #they fall in love and they kiss and they kill and they do it all together. they follow lovers lane all the way until the end of the road #until they can't deny it anymore #their time is up #double life is over #they're running on borrowed time - delaying the inevitable #it's a dead end #and it was always going to be #and somewhere in between they may have convinced themselves that it might be different #(it's not) #(it never is) #IS THIS ANYTHING GUYS... #maybe i'm just insane #nya talks #hermitblr #trafficblr #joel smallishbeans #boat boys #smalletho

[count-doodoo]

hey since we joke about biden and trump being political enemies both on death's door

have we ever considered

do you think the citizens of the gffa were at all concerned about the fact that the leader of the republic was an Old Decrepit Looking Man and the leader of the confederacy was an Even Older But Maybe Less Decrepit Looking Man? like do you think there were factions out there praying for them both to just die of old age. was there seppie propaganda showing palpatine unable to walk up a ramp while dooku could still do backflips. i need to know.

#star wars #dooku #sheev palpatine #ofc they're both actually force users blah blah blah #but palpatine was a secret force user #and dooku was known but also very clearly grey and possibly sounding senile with his bs #i'm trying to figure out how to work the dementia test incident into this #i don't think either palps or doo would themselves go on tv talking about their lack of dementia lol #but i'm sure reporters/politicians on either side /accused/ both of them of having dementia

[scintillyyy]

also i think there's a tendency to cherrypick tim's moments of morally grey thought musings as a gotcha for the idea that tim is totally cool with murder and just one bad day away from shanking someone only kept in line by the "rules", when in reality. tim's thoughts of moral greyness, the ruminations on what they're doing and why they're doing it the way they do and why they can't cross the line they set. he's not. alone in that. like. at ALL. dick has reckoned with wanting to kill someone (sigh. the joker). dick lowkey didn't want to give someone a chance at redemption simply because he hurt bruce (bane). bruce has thought about killing (and almost killed) both the joker & black mask. bruce is very frequently ruminating on his role and why he can't kill even if he wants to. barbara has very seriously considered killing and has wanted to kill. cassandra has killed and used that as the basis of her staunch belief that nobody dies tonight, but she's also still in frequent conversation with what that means ethically and morally. tim having doubts or trying to remind himself why they do what they do or debating their rules to himself is not some grand outlying abnormality here, it's par for the fucking course.

#barbara almost headshotted black mask but tim made a joke about using guns he's clearly barely refraining from killing someone /s #sorry. just. it's like tim always gets called out for this in particular and he's not even the worst offender #this is fucking gun batman's fault isn't it. he's my worst enemy for a reason and the worst mistake ever #was bringing him back after the one stupid story like he's some kind of inevitability when the point #is that tim would genuinely rather die than become him. #don't talk to me about that guy (gun batman) i hate him #anyways the point is that they're all in conversation with themselves about why they do what they do #it's actually super important that they are! because it's very human to want to go against your morals if it seems easier #and the point is that it takes strength of character to make a conscious choice to do what you think is right #even when it's hard and it's the last thing you want to do

[happyk44]

thinking abt a version of hoo where nico puts almost as much effort into avoiding jason that he does with percy. idk maybe a different couple falls in hoh. or no one does or they find and save nico earlier on in the book, but either way nico flinches when jason gets close and recoils from percy and everyone is just like "hmm, maybe he doesn't like his cousins?"

but nah he recoils from percy because his crush was a flagrant nightmare for him down in tartarus and his comatose state, a constant laugh of percy coming to save everyone else but not nico because "he's not worth it". it's not percy's fault, nico isn't ashamed of who or how he loves but it's hard to see percy the same way without the torture and nightmares outlining his frame

and he flinches away from jason because he got to reexperience over and over again his mom's death, the deaths of his half-siblings at the hands of their fearful skyborn cousins. jason's soul is too similar to zeus', bright yellow and painfully loud. electrically charged around the edges. nico's skin ache as his body remembers the pain he felt, the burning, the seizure of his muscles, when his mother died. always so tapped into his family, so sensitive to the souls around him - it just ricocheted back at him.

he chokes on the ghostly taste of his own blood from nightmares when percy's around and burns from the phantom sense of electrocution when jason flits by. jason is kind and it feels like a trap. percy is concerned and it feels like a trap.

it's not. he knows it's not. but he has history and fear on his side. as soon as it's all over, he's headed for the underground. settling in deep like a corpse six feet under. they can't get him there.

#idk why they needed to close the doors themselves. like certainly thanatos could've done that? #like okay it's tartarus but like. bro that's your birthplace. so?? #also they're the doors of DEATH so like. bruh. #anyway some angst for the lot of you #nico di angelo #percy jackson #jason grace #happy talks pjo

[bonefall]

I personally like Thunder's prosthetic. Explained it to my friend (who does use a mobility device, a cane and wheelchair, and listens to me rant and infodump about BB) and they agreed, it's important to know that not every person needs what someone wants to give them. It's another example of "bad ableist person does a thing that hurts a disabled person because they are bad and ableist".

Clear Sky got Jagged Peak killed and would have killed Sunlit Frost! He would absolutely force his disabled son to be "normal" and present it like a privilege. "I wouldn't do this for anyone else, it's special, why don't you want to be helped?"

Thunder Storm should toss it in Clear Sky's face. (I would say toss it into the river but we do not pollute waterways in this house)

Thank you for telling me this, and tell your friend I'm thanking them too! If they have anything else to add please forward what they have to say

Since BB!DOTC tackles some of the heaviest topics in the entire series because its canon equivalent is so dark, I think very carefully about what I do here and how I show it. I take feedback on its sensitive aspects very seriously. If I'm understanding the criticism properly, it's that I should avoid stigmatizing prosthetics by making sure Thunder Storm's not the only one with it-- which he's not! And I'll add even more.

I don't want to avoid something only because it's uncomfortable if the topic is important, and my portrayal is respectful. Ableism IS uncomfortable! There are some situations where a prosthetic is not wanted! I think the rejection of this particular one is both a good opportunity to show a type of ableism and ALSO is very fitting for the characters.

In BB!Clear Sky's mind, the villain, he's fixing an old mistake. He can't admit that he got Jagged Peak killed or take REAL accountability for it (though he will, occasionally, apologize insincerely), but deep in his bones, he knows what he did was cruel. He'll never tell anyone this because he doesn't really cognate it himself, but Thunder Storm NEEDS to take his gift.

If Thunder doesn't take it, it blows a hole in his newest story. You see, throwing Jagged Peak out was All That Could Have Been Done back then. It was a Tragedy and he simply Made A Hard Choice. He regrets it very much, But You Have To Understand.

But now? Now? Well, behold. Look at what he's accomplished since the tragic death of his little brother. His cats are well-fed, cared for, and stable enough to make such incredible advancements. If only Jagged Peak had been able to hold on longer, if only he could be here now, I could fix him.

Just like I can (MAKE YOU JUST LIKE ME) fix you.

"Everything I've ever done is for Jagged Peak. For Fluttering Wing. For you." Thunder Sky is SPECIAL, but if he rejects any gift, tries to turn down the "privileges" offered to him, in an instant that becomes ungratefulness and arrogance. He both forces him to be special, and then leverages it against him if it's rejected. "Spoiled brat, doesn't appreciate what I've worked so hard to give him."

It all goes back to him and his own guilt. He can NEVER be wrong. He can't accept his family doesn't have to be "normal" or reflect his own ability. He won't see himself as a bully, let alone a murderer. It was never about his son's comfort or finding out what Thunder Storm wants or needs, it was about his own ego.

...All that said I'm still taking feedback if there's anything else I should keep in mind, or if anyone has a counter point, especially if you also have experience here.

(In the interest of having a link trail for posterity, here's the critique/call for feedback this is in response to)

#ALSO also I will take suggestions on other characters who should have prosthetics #Sunlit makes sense and it will make a really nice character moment later for him to have one built #There's also an amputee in RiverClan few people talk about called Stonestream #I can give him one and bump him up into a bigger character. In BB he is the sibling of Willowshine #BB!DOTC #better bones au #Also just as a side note... I love writing BB!Skystar. My ire for the character comes from his redemption arc so I feel like I get to-- #--write the character I WANTED to see #Same with Bramble in other BB arcs #cw ableism #tw ableism #ableism #They're fascinating in that they always have to see themselves as the victim or the hero #They believe every lie they tell. #If you ever catch them in a contradiction they will still try to find some way to turn it on you and YOUR lack of understanding. #Interestingly both of them are ableist. Sky's is just more obvious because he's LOUDLY bigoted. #But BB!Bramble is *notably* less close to Jay for a very sad and very subtle reason. #Jay just doesn't serve his ego like the others do until much later in his life. #unfortunately most bigotry is like that. #the type you have a hard time calling out because it's a deniable bias. the constant gaslighting of being part of a marginalized group #Maybe I need to address the criticism by adding a character with a prosthetic to THIS arc even earlier #Problem is that like... Thunder's small merc group is already full of disabled characters and their THING is forming in response to ableism #OH maybe I'll put someone in the Forest Cat group which is lead by Slash? #I need to finish that last book and then gather up all the cats for sorting into allegiances

[bumblingbabooshka]

Voyager should have had an episode where the command trio beat the absolute hell out of each other while blaming each other for being stuck in the delta quadrant as the fever pitch of a rising tension that was building throughout the episode. Like, they're absolutely being pushed to do it by some outside force. Maybe it's a telepathic being - maybe it's that they're stuck in some arena or an alien court or a time loop only the three of them are aware of - no matter the specifics, the sentiment behind their words has to be true and it has to be something they've been keeping back for months, maybe years. That fear and hatred and blame that doesn't really have an actual target because it's not actually rational but 'who's to blame' doesn't have to be capital T true to feel true. If Chakotay hadn't been in the badlands, If Janeway hadn't made that choice, If Tuvok hadn't supported it... "You trapped us here. It's your fault. If you hadn't-! If you hadn't-! If you hadn't-!" are just echoes of "I trapped us here. It's my fault. If I hadn't-! If I hadn't-! If I hadn't-!" Because at the end of the day more than being angry or hateful they're despairing in their own ways. Episode probably has a somber end - they beat whatever it was and it's a victory! They won by working together even after they beat each other half to death! But after the celebration we see them alone in their quarters...silent. Gazing out at the stars, into a candle's flame, at that same family picture before turning away. Because even though they won they're still there in the delta quadrant. Is that really victory?

#fake star trek voyager episodes my beloved #the thought of a time loop wherein the three of them are at times aware of the loop and at times aren't but it's ONLY the three of them is #a separate but interesting thought I had while writing this... #of course the looped time would be 'Caretaker' #st voy #star trek voyager #Chakotay/Janeway/Tuvok #Chakotay #Kathryn Janeway #Tuvok #and yes I think people undervalue the fact that Tuvok agreed with Janeway when she made that decision in 'caretaker' too much #idk enough about the chakotay buzz to know whether or not they also do this with how Chakotay also co-signs the decision once it's made #instead of fighting back against it which he very much COULD have done #I just think the complicated 3 way uneven guilt is more interesting than 'Janeway did it it was 100% her alone' #I love seeing characters devolve...even a starfleet captain and a vulcan can be driven to wrestling in the mud they think they're so above #and maybe it's 'the worst version of themselves' but maybe it's also a release - a relief you just can't get from talking

[vellichorom]

okay so i virtually never talk about the fnaf fixation that has plagued me since 2015, but i think some of you are lying when you say there's anything more than 3-5 games. what are you talking about, fnaf 3 was the last one, or possibly fnaf 4.

what the hell is a henry emily or a security breach. yeah you sure are breaching that security aren't you

( i am gaslighting you; i know what a henry emily is & i know what security breach is, i simply think it is for the better we disregard them )

#twinkie talks #i lost track of where the lore was going after the silver eyes & the books became prominent honestly #i mean fnaf 4 was a pivoting point as it was but god damn #it took me. YEARS to realize who henry or charlie or whomever you are talking about is #sorry this got spurred from suddenly reading a catalogue of fnaf discourse after a long day #babygirl i have all kinds of fnaf takes you would hate to hear #including but not limited to! i don't care about the daycare attendees remotely #LIKE. okay no they're honestly cute little extras to an already bloated story & they're interesting in of themselves #i wonder about that dynamic. but otherwise. i miss the classic animatronics #where are they i have not seen them in years. does anyone care #anyway random ass posting AS usual

[butchcharliee]

anyone who says stone butches and femmes are partaking in heteronormative roles doesn't know shit about what being stone means

[Terfs dni/18+]

#this person said that reducing femmes as always being the receiver is reducing it to heteronormative roles??? #like being stone as nothing to do with heteronormativity #it's a part of our identities #our experiences #pillow princesses and stone tops exist #like what on earth is this person talking about.. #and i cant tell if they're even stone themselves.. #stone butch #stone femme #mine

[little-pondhead]

DP x DC idea:

Danny is very familiar with dimension-hopping, and his favorite to visit is the DC universe. It seems he needs to practice his timing, however, because all his new friends there never seem to remember their adventures together. Maybe he should try overshooting the timestream a little?

or

Danny likes visiting the DC universe but is unaware he's visiting a different version of that universe each time. All his adventures with the heroes and villains aren't shared experiences with every counterpart in the multiverse. So to Danny, he's met the Batfam and Supers dozens of times and knows their identities. To them, a slightly eldritch teenage boy who knows more than he should just appears out of the blue one day, talks to them like they're old pals, and is never seen again once his "vacation" is over.

extra:

A few of the multiverses collide by accident, and the heroes get to meet their counterparts that did go on those wacky adventures with Danny. Bonus points if the collision point lands them all in the Ghost Zone.

#pondhead blurbs #just imagine three batmans show up and do the spiderman meme #once they figure out that they're the people who danny is talking about #it's themselves #throw in gun batman for the fun of it #no one knows how danny thought they were the same people #danny just thought batman was going through a phase #they may not like each other but they gotta get home to their own universe #so they hunt down danny #who does the surprise pikachu face #he promises to return them to their universes and to not switch them up anymore #but behold! #his stupidity wins again and Danny puts them in the WRONG UNIVERSE #so batman with a gun is in the adventures of batman tv series or something #idk i just think it'd be funny #i don't know anything about the dc multiverse so unfortunately i cannot be the one to bear this weight #dpxdc

[unamazing-sheep21]

The Traveler's loneliness

When you REALLY think about it, The Traveler themselves is one of ( if not) the most heartbreaking character in all of Genshin Impact I'm so serious. They barely have any genuine friend they can share or is willing to listen to their problems with. They never do this with Paimon because they know what they're worried and scared about is far too heavy for her to handle. Like in the Sumeru quest in the first dream they're cannonicaly deathly afraid that their family bond with their twin isn't enough to bring them back together. They always make time to listen to and help their friends ( and ENEMIES sometimes, i.e Scaramouche) go through their struggles but not one of them ever ask The Traveler how they're doing. Not one of them steps up and is as earnestly willing to help the Traveler as they did everyone else. And like.. that's so heartbreaking. We've never even seen them cry.

Even after saving/help saving five countries they're only barely an inch to finding what's going on with their sibling. The only person who could possibly understand them , and is consequently the one leading the group that's causing all the trouble for her Teyvatian friends. On TOP of that there's the fact that they'll always be an outsider no matter how much they do for Teyvat. The fact that they actually love Teyvat so much but can never connect with it the way everyone around them does. ( My headcannon is that Traveler does all these things not just because they think it's right but also because they don't want to be useless to Teyvat, and that they don't want to be hated and singled out just for being an outsider). And on TOP on top of that Traveler has been lied to and manipulated and betrayed and looked down upon more times than they can count even by people they call friends ( Kaeya, Zhong Li, Childe, Raiden etc etc).

And furthermore it's canon that they're slowly loosing their mind from all of this. Look at the Caribert quest, and the recent Lantern Right trailer where they're eating with their sibling, their crazy dreams about their twin where it seems like they're there with them. LIKE UUUUGH. Aether/Lumine is actually SUCH an interesting and complex character they make me SICK.

#genshin impact #genshin fanart #lumine #aether #genshin traveler #no joke her loneliness isn't actually far off from Furina's #they're so similar as characters actually have you guys noticed that #they're both not lonely in the physical sense but in the sense that they have no one to rely on or talk to #while they help other people at the expense of themselves all the time #they're not a perfect person at all even though they're so heroic #love them for that

[lloydfrontera]

what do you think llojavi's child will be? I love reading your hc.

mmhhh i never really stopped to think about it tbh! kid fics aren't really my go-to and i'm terrified of having children myself so it's not something i tend to explore with my ships

but if i had to have a hc for them... i think they'd have a lot of children. all of them adopted.

it just makes sense for them as characters imo! they are both deeply compassionate individuals who know what it's like to lose both parents and know how much it means to be brought in to a loving family. they know.

they wouldn't be able to come across a child who needs what they received at one point and look away.

that plus lloyd is an only child, he always wanted a little sibling and was absolutely delighted to get julian, i think once he gets over the instinctual fear of "oh god what the fuck am i doing i don't know how to be a father" and is more comfortable in his role as parent he wouldn't be able to resist the idea of having a bunch of kids running around their home. i'm thinking maybe four. probably six. no more than eight.

but. i do think the first kid would be javier's fault.

in one of those rare occasions he's not glued to lloyd's side, he'd go out to run some errands or something and then come back with a semi-terrified look on his face and a far-too-small-for-their-age kid in his arms.

lloyd just,,, stares at them for a little bit before taking the kid and charge of the situation. he's never really had any experience with kids but they're just,,, people. in tiny. he knows people, he can work with that. his friendly and straightforward demeanor immediately wins over the child, making him relax and open up in a way that javier's warm but stilted demeanor weren't quite able to.

i'm thinking a four or five year old, just to really hammer down the parallels between javier and him. very tiny. with dark hair and dark eyes. the kind of features that don't really stand out in a crowd.

i think the two of them would think it's just something temporary, just until they find someone more suitable to raise a kid, a good family that could take him in.

neither of them really mentions the idea of keeping the child, at first because it's not even a possibility but then as the weeks pass by because they're just too wary of disrupting the routine they unconscionably created and actually having to take a decision about it.

but then one morning javier looks over during breakfast and there's lloyd pilling all sorts of food into the kid's plate, chatting him up the entire time, playfully teasing him into eating everything he can, the two of them very solemnly haggling and bargaining over just how many vegetables he has to eat in every meal and a wave of pure love and affection rushes through him and he realizes that. oh. he wants this to last forever.

he doesn't mention it tho. he knows lloyd has always talked about having an easy, relaxed life, free of any concerns and burdens. and raising a child is not an easy responsibility. spending the rest of his life at lloyd's side already feels like more than he deserves, he won't selfishly asks for more than lloyd is willing to give.

he will just enjoy however long this lasts and hope the separation won't hurt as much as he's bracing himself for.

meanwhile lloyd caught javier with the kid on top of him napping on a sunbeam like two weeks ago, both of them completely sprawled out and dead to the world, except when they unconsciously moved to chase the moving sunlight and then he immediately decided he was gonna keep this. them. all of it.

he already reached his limit on how many times he can lose his family. he's no longer letting anything else keep him from hoarding his loved ones like a dragon with their treasure.

and he's terrified to admit it but the pipsqueak has already burrowed his way into his heart and now heaven help the soul that tries to take him away from lloyd. he's not above biting.

that's precisely why he doesn't bring it up with javier because,,, he really doesn't know what would happen if javier isn't on board with the plan. he's not selfish enough to make a decision like this for the both of them but he really doesn't think he can give the kid up anymore.

so he just. doesn't say anything. he continues with the routine they've made and hopes time will be enough to make javier fall for the child the same way lloyd did already.

and then this goes on for a couple weeks because these two are terrible and i love them for it. but this is like. not great. it actually kind of really sucks for them but also for the child

it all comes crashing down when the poor kid breaks down on them at some point because someone told him they were giving him away and, hey, turns out, not telling a child who's been left on the streets to survive by himself what's the plan for them because you're too busy worrying your partner won't be on board with keeping him is not a great idea! because he's gonna be lowkey fretting about what will happen to him and ultimately freak out at the slightest suggestion that he's being abandoned again! who would've thought!

they both immediately try to comfort him but they can't get to the bottom of his fears and actually give him reassurance because they don't know if they can promise him anything because they don't know what the other is thinking.

that is until they make eye contact in the middle of comforting him and it's one of those perfect moments where they're in total sync and can have entire conversations with just one look. and they realize how stupid they've been. because of course the other also wanted the same thing. of course they would want to give this child the very same thing they've received from their loved ones. how could've they ever doubted that.

after that is just really a matter of convincing the kid that of course they're not giving him away, he's staying right there with them, they can be his family now if that's what he wants. which isn't really hard because apart from this one communication issue they have actually been pretty good improvised parents to the squirt. and now that they know for sure they will be his parents forever, they try even harder to be better.

so that's how they adopt their first child.

i could go into detail about the rest of the kids are adopted but. that would make for an even longer post and this is already way more than i wanted to write askjhdkss

this is,,, really not what you asked for but it's what came out when i sat down to answer this ask, so like. i hope you still like it nonnie and i'm really sorry 〒▽〒

#hey i got an ask #Anonymous #tged #the greatest estate developer #lloyd frontera #javier asrahan #llojavi #by the way i didn't wanna crowd the post even more but like. when lloyd and javier tell arcos and marbella tha they're keeping the child. #they're so fucking delighted. and also really really relieved because for one moment it looked like they would have to step in #and adopt the kid themselves because there was no way that child was leaving their home now. #so lloyd was this close to having an even tinier new little brother instead of a new son asjdkhsjkf #and listen could they've talked with lloyd about it? yes But. they've noticed lloyd has trouble telling them no when he thinks #they really want something. and they really wanted a new grandson but they didn't think that decision should be made #by anything other than lloyd and javier deciding they wanted to have a child aklsjdklsdfd #also you've probably noticed i haven't named the poor kid. that's because i'm bad at names. sorry. someone help me pls.

[skitskatdacat63]

This is a special genre of f1 picture(to ME.)

#ive talked a lot about helmets lately oops #i guess i just rly have an obsession with how they're an extension of the driver #and a representation of them and their only sense of personality and individuality when theyre all geared up #so theres something to me about the separation of helmet from driver like in these pics #of course theres pics of the helmet on its own for model kinda pics(like all the pics i used for my past project posts) #but this is its own genre. helmet doing its own thing. helmet away from the vicinity of its owner #helmet being protected from the elements. it has its own carrying bag. it gets an umbrella. etc etc #the first pic made me on the lookout for pics w a similar vibe. IDK WHY BUT IM RLY OBSESSED WITH IT #having a severe helmet fucker era </3 i look at these and i feel very weird about them 😭 #not included cause its a differnt genre but also thinking abt pics where someone other than the driver themselves is holding their helmet #theres something weirdly intimate to me about it. its too reminiscent of that one painting of the germanic warrior holding the roman helmet #<- DO YOU GET WHAT IM IMPLYING HERE. #anyways. i digress. helmet being taken care of and protected is cute to me #its such an extension of the driver so its kinda funny ig that they get their own photoshoots #also yeah these are all nando helmets bcs i couldn't find pics from other drivers that i thought had the same vibe #and i think its interesting how these correlate with whom the photographer is and the level of popularity of the driver #like are you popular enough that someone will see your helmet apart from you and think its important enough for a pic? #and its so interesting comparing pics from the same time from different teams #bcs you can see how different the motivations of the different photographers are based on what the pics are like #well blah blah blah helmet kink blah blah blah #f1 #formula 1 #fernando alonso #helmet

[molagboop]

Mawkin children undergo several maturity rites before they're granted full tribal citizenship. The first occurs around eight years old, involving a basic academic evaluation and the child's choice between a physical fitness test or a dream-walk.

The evals are simple: how much has the child learned, what do they know, where can we supplement their education, etc. How can we stimulate their curiosity and foster a lifelong love of learning? Have they displayed any skills or passion for any particular subject? How can we encourage their hobbies and interests? Those are the kinds of questions the adults involved in carrying out the evaluation are asking themselves.

The evaluations help parents figure out (or reaffirm what they already know) ways to engage their childrens' interests in a fun or productive way, and how to help their child along the path to success, academic or otherwise. Every child is different: they have their own needs, and while 8 years old isn't old enough for anyone to ascertain exactly what they wanna be when they grow up, the evaluation is a good starting point for the rest of their academic track until their next formative rites.

The next part of the rites is a branching path. The fitness test is typically favored by more outdoorsy or athletic types, as well as children who are afraid of specters or arent very interested in the old ways. That's fine: old people stuff can be boring! The priests go on and on about the ancestors during holidays, but you're eight years-old and you've never seen the ancestors show up before, so big whoop. You've got toys to play and things to learn.

Another general assumption is that children who are likely to grow into steadfast warriors or athletes may pick the fitness test enthusiastically and without thinking about it, but again, this is an evaluation, and the kids are like, eight. Nothing is set in stone. Eight year olds also typically love playing outside.

A number of kids, hearing about all the cool things their elders know and are capable of, or just being curious about what their ancestors might have to teach them, opt for the dream-walk.

The dream-walk involves exposure to psychoactive fumes, but is nonetheless completely safe: the kid is monitored and made as comfortable as possible.

The dream-walk is overseen by priests and doctors. The burners are lit and the trial-goer falls asleep, entering a state similar to lucid dreaming.

Everyone's experience is different. Some kids have profound surreal experiences: others spend the entire time sitting at a table with a long-dead ancestor having a meal. Some kids are shown events from the past by an old ghost: some even experience said event from the perspective of someone who was there when it happened.

For others, the dream is of an old-fashioned hunt, typically guided by a departed grandparent or neighbor. It's not unusual for Mawkin kids to have experienced the act of hunting for food or sport by this point in their lives: many who hunt take their babies out with them on their backs. The quarry during the dream-walk, however, is typically more than your mundane game beast.

Tribal scholars and doctors of psychology have posited that the dream walk largely reflects the experiences of those involved. Formative memories and strong feelings, they believe, greatly affect the appearance of conjured apparitions in the dream. If a kid is fighting any demons at eight years old or harbor any powerful fears, they may very well be forced to face them head-on during this trial.

Therein lies the value of the dream-walk: it's not just a curiosity to get the kids to engage with cultural practices of yore, it has utility in teaching children valuable lessons through experience without actually making them fight the six-eyed serpent of a hundred and seventeen mouths. And they're usually not facing it alone: the ancestors quite literally walk with plenty of kids during these trials.

There are some truths a given child must face alone, and plenty do. But when they wake, they will find themselves among familiar company, the sweet smell of wood smoke permeating the air and a feast awaiting back home to celebrate their first milestone towards becoming an adult.

Some kids don't fight any major bosses or experience the heat death of the universe through the eyes of a slug, instead deriving value from the dream-walk in the form of sensory-guided introspection. The lesson they learn may not even be apparent to them until six years down the line. It doesn't have to be deep: it can just be an experience that gives then a new perspective on the world.

The senses are heightened supremely during the dream-walk, allowing the dreamer to experience the world in a whole new way. Tasting color, feeling the vibration of every sound beneath one's skin, perceiving the shape of every smell. Even if the kid walks away thinking "huh, I've never experienced the world that way before", the trial will have been a success. In the very least, a child should come out of that dark room with a unique memory for them to examine later on.

Several minor rituals and evaluations occur around twelve and fifteen years, but the foremost citizenship rites occur around seventeen, when an individual's stomach is strong enough to handle sap wine in greater quantities without suffering catastrophic liver failure. The dream-walk is a requirement this time around, as well as a combat test. The combat test is the actual rite that determines one's status as an adult: the mandatory dream-walk occurs beforehand as a way to shed all doubts about the strength of one's resolve if they have any insecurities, and perhaps gain some personal insight in the process. Introspection assisted by psychoactive substances.

You may be wondering how those with varying degrees of disability come of age if they can't engage in the rite of combat. There are alternatives to the combat test if the participant doesn't feel able enough to fight, or otherwise can't exert themselves without experiencing undue pain and discomfort.

There are alternative rites for individuals of every combination of physical and cognitive impairment, and all are treated with the same gravity and dignity afforded to the typical rites. Poetry recitals, music, research projects, an oath of maturity: these are a few examples of things disabled Mawkin have done to establish their claim to adulthood in place of the rite of combat. An individual doesn't have to be "good" at something: they just have to show that they accept the responsibility that comes with being an adult, or are otherwise committed to their community and the tribe at large.

For some people, that commitment comes in the form of thriving to the best of their ability. Surviving to the next day, striving for tomorrow to hurt a little less than yesterday. It doesn't matter whether they can "contribute" or be a "productive member of society": all are one, and one serves all. The Mawkin take community very seriously. There's an age-old adage that says something to the effect of "if one is suffering, all are injured", and "when one is deprived of dignity, we are all cast naked face-down into the mud".

Anyways, that's how juvenile Mawkin are granted all the rights, responsibilities and privileges that come saddled with being an adult. It's worth noting that most of these rites line up with a typical Chozo's molting cycle, with the final rites occurring just as young warriors are shaking off the last loose feathers of their old coat and displaying their first (clear) adult patterns.

#mawkin #chozo #headcanons #txt #the dream-walk not only gives children a stronger bond with the honored dead #it gives them a window into the lives of the priesthood #some are intrigued by what they experience and eventually dedicate themselves to learning about and preservong the old #traditions while ushering in new waves of progress and advancement #preserving the old while welcoming the new. #i put emphasis on the old and the new bevause using drugs to see ghosts specifically is a very very old practice #some traditions evolved with technology and the Mawkin's migration to ZDR: others remained relatively untouched #most people keep some sort of house shrine or curio to honor their ancestors: only the priests and people who need advice #are getting zonked off their gourd to talk to ghosts #and most normal people aren't even given the chance to commune with the dead outside of the maturity rites #some of the blends these priests are burning would knock a grown unaccustomed warrior flat on their back #straight into concussion territory #they are not for the faint of heart. #to clarify inhaling fumes to see ghosts isn't all the priests do. but it's part of the job for a specific subset of them #the dead walk among the mawkin ans their wisdom is appreciated #priests are historicans lorekeepers and storytellers as well as dead-talkers #they're librarians and funeral directors and community hermits and warrior monks