#so make sure you don't miss it

[riding-the-sunset-bird]

A character reference based on all four Steps of Our Life! It's only "sort of" a height reference as well since obviously they're not 100% accurate (the devs don't have specific heights for everyone to my knowledge).

I did dig into the code to try and get characters at their "normal" heights but there are other matters at play too (example: Nicolas is obviously "taller" than he should be because he needs to be pushed upwards to be visible enough above the game's text box; likewise with other very short characters).

Still, this should serve as either a nice reference guide for every character or a "height reference" in the sense of getting an idea of which characters are shorter/taller than others.

I'm also going to detail some extra notes below the break, including posts from GB Patch's Tumblr that reference any defined heights (with Cove being the obvious one) or general height things, as well as some more stuff about the MC's height in comparison to the three love interests depending on what you pick.

Cove's height is listed on GB Patch's FAQ as 4' 1" in Step 1 (also stated as "mostly average, perhaps a bit on the short side"), 5' 4" in Step 2 (in-game this is defined as "very tall" on the MC's potential height spectrum, as that is the only option considered on par with Cove's height), 6' 0" in Step 3, and 6' 4" in Step 4. A fun fact is that Cove's final height was originally 6' 3" (191cm) instead.

Derek in Step 2 is under five feet tall (this post also lists Cove as "around 5 and a half feet tall" which you could take as either close enough to 5' 4" as stated above or a potential original height he had that got changed). In-game, he's "short" but not "very short", as having your MC be "very short" will prompt narration telling you that you're shorter than Derek, whereas "short" only has you relate to him in smolness generally.

Step 4 Derek is "mostly average." He wouldn't be considered tall nor would he be considered short. His youngest brother Nicolas will "probably end up as a similar height to him" once he's more grown up.

Step 4 Baxter is "taller than average, but not especially tall."

I've been informed that, on the Our Life Patreon Discord, Step 4 Derek's height is listed as 5' 9" (175cm) whereas Step 4 Baxter's is listed as 5' 11" (180cm), so those are their defined heights. Before that, both of their heights had jumped around somewhat. A post from 2019 said that Derek was 5' 11", but a post from June 2021 said that Baxter was 5' 11" and Derek was 5' 9" (so consistent with the Discord). Then there's also another post from July 2021 (you'll have to scroll down for this one) that listed Baxter at around 5' 10" while Derek was 5' 8"/5' 9". If you're insane enough to try and use the character reference too, then Baxter would actually be around 6'1" at minimum since he's taller than Step 3 Cove (though you could also make the same argument that this means the mom trio of Pamela, Noelani, and Kyra must be decently tall as well since they're so close to Cove on the character reference).

I don't have any experience with GB Patch's other game, XOXO Droplets, so I don't know what ages the characters are in it, but since both Shiloh and Jeremy are characters seen visibly in Our Life, I thought I'd also mention that they're listed as 5' 10" and 5' 5" (or 5' 5 1/2") respectively in XOXO Droplets. Jeremy also apparently grows to 5' 8" in his 20s and he's 22 in the Our Life Cove Wedding DLC (I don't think this is spoken of in the game specifically but he's labeled as 22 in the code).

As for the MC and how their height plays into things, "tall" and "very tall" as well as "short" and "very short" tend to be considered the same for the most part in the game's code. It's not that there isn't a difference at all (I would say it's still notable), it's just that sometimes the game may be more vague about height differences. My post about Errands references this where you don't need more athletic points due to being "very short" instead of "short" to give Cove a piggyback ride.

A guesstimate I'd make is that about 5% of the time, the game will take note of whether you're "very tall" instead of "tall" or "very short" instead of "short." Otherwise, you're either "generally tall," "average," or "generally short." There are also other instances (usually with Cove) where the game might just check if you're either generally tall (around Cove's height) or not generally tall (i.e: definitely shorter than him).

This is actually relevant to the heights because, following all above information, one would assume that Step 4 Derek is average, Step 4 Baxter is tall, and Step 4 Cove is very tall going off the MC's potential "height spectrum" of very short, short, average, tall, and very tall, but it's not entirely the case.

A "tall" MC (generally tall) will look "down" at Step 4 Baxter just as he will look "up" at them or they'll look directly at each other if the MC is "average," same as Step 3 Baxter, but--

when the game has any instance of differentiating between "tall" and "very tall" (they never do this for Step 3 Baxter so the base assumption would have to be that he's just average height), things change.

During Baxter's apology in the wedding of his Step 4, Baxter dips his chin to look at the MC if they're "short"/"very short," levels his chin to look at the MC if they're "average"/"tall," and then lifts his chin to look at the MC if they're "very tall." A generally tall MC still has to lean down to kiss him if they choose to do so though.

Also, during the intimacy scene with Baxter (either in his office or his living room), if the MC is "very short," "short," or "average," it states that Baxter is taller than them. If they're "very tall," then Baxter is shorter than them, but a "tall" MC is "almost the exact same height" as him.

This is all a really long-winded way of saying that GB Patch referring to Step 4 Baxter being "taller than average but not especially tall" might mean that he's some infuriating middle ground between average and tall where he's not quite one but not quite the other either (which honestly is very Baxter of him so I can't even be mad).

#type: helpful #type: cracking the cove #our life #olba #our life: beginnings & always #((If you line up the images yourself then make sure the height of the original images are all the same)) #((I don't know if Tumblr squished any.)) #((Let me know if I'm missing anyone!)) #((I know there's Step 3 Jeremy and someone named Cala in Derek's Step 4 (haven't gotten there yet))) #((but you only see those two on the phone so there is no ''default'' position/size for them.)) #((Also I was worried that Tumblr would eat the quality if I uploaded such long images)) #((so I separated Steps 2 and 3 and 4 into multiple images.)) #((Hopefully that's fine; if you line them up side-by-side it still works out.)) #((Me feeling so exposed because now how I design my Coves is here for everyone to see.)) #((Feel free to judge my bias towards the color blue.))

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 115

“Seriously old man?” the rumbling voice nearly caused Tim to jump, his eyes darting away from where Ras was sitting, the Al Ghul almost seeming to perk. It was kind of hard to miss the man… teen… being? It was kind of hard to miss the owner of the voice what with how their hair looked like it was on fire. 

They motioned around at well, everything, crimson eyes looking exasperated. “Really?” They were definitely motioning towards him, interrupting Ras when he opened his mouth to talk. “No, I don’t want to hear it, I swear- Did he kidnap you?” That was definitely aimed at him. 

“N-no?” Tim was feeling slightly unbalanced and may be on hour sixty without sleep at this point, if the hour long nap was counted. “I need help finding my not-dad who's lost in time.” 

The being let out a strangled noise that Tim could nearly swear was almost another one, but couldn’t vocalize his slurred thoughts as the dude muttered something, motioning around as though he was tempted to strangle something or someone. 

Ras cleared his throat, looking almost awkward which was how Tim knew he had to be dreaming or drugged. Probably drugged. “Jordan, how good to see you, it’s been so long-”

“Can it Pops,” the being-named-Jordan scoffed, finger pointing towards the Demon’s Head. “Moms still pissed and isn’t coming back any time soon with you still pulling this shit.” 

Tim felt his brain stall, process for a moment, then process some more over what he just heard before his mouth ran before it could catch up. “Ras is married???” 

#dcxdp #dpxdc #league of assassins #Are Danny and Ras married? Who knows #They did raise their kids together #Well technically Dan & Ellie got de-aged but still #They met during time shenanigans for Danny #Trained together for a bit and became a tiny bit of rivals #Ras missing his platonic or romantic partner: If I adopt-steal these teens/children I can pspspspsps them back #Jordan looking down at Talia: Hello demon child #Talia: Brother Damian isn't talking to me anymore and I don't know what to do T-T #Ellie: Would he like more siblings?? That made us feel better??? #Talia: Of course I can make clones to send to him he shall surely call me back then! #Dusan: Sister I don't think that is what they were saying- #Talia: I have things to do out of my way Ghost! #Tim is so tired and has no clue what's going on #Jordan: Whelp I'm going to help you out because I'm always one to take Mom's side against pops #Tim: What #Jordan: Let's go bother the primordial being of Time he happens to find us amusing anyway #Tim: W h a t #deadly decisions

[eyes-of-nine]

they're so childhood friends to lovers bodyguard au coded to me 😌✨ (they have killed so so many people)

#oh how i missed doing a good ol fashioned leyendecker study #and hey look IT'S THE SILLIES<3 #<- tho my lore knowledge has not improved since last time I posted about them I have in fact gotten slightly better at russian #anyways someone plss appreciate the fact that I edited all the serifs to make the font fit nicer ywy #why are cyrillic fonts so ...ehhh #and if anyone feels like summarising over 100 comic issues in my dms i would sell my soul and left kidney to you🥺👉👈 #I wanna talk about them sm but also I genuinely don't really know shit #it's actually super fun highly recommend #sergey razumovsky #oleg volkov #....do they have a ship name??? I'm sure they do???? oh well #plss let's appreciate oleg for being very fun to draw too #major grom #major grom plague doctor #bubble comics #Сергей Разумовский #look look I figured out how to get cyrillic symbols on mobile easily :DD #Олег Волков #майор гром #fanart #my art #mgpd

[its-a-beautful-day]

Been thinking about how it feels, being the wild child

the struggle of not feeling human, when emotions get too strong,

when hands feel like paws and teeth become fangs, shoulders and hunches raised in anger and low growls of fear,

somehow this body language is easier, is more natural than my own

#star's art #my art #artist on tumblr #vent art i guess #actually autistic #Not really sure what to tag this as #But I was the kid that growled at others #People didnt listen to no and stop #But they do listen to growls and snarls #Unfortunately it also makes you really really lonely #It wasn't always out of anger or fear I'd get to transform #Sometimes on my own I'd be able to play and it was always so much fun #Trampolines are great for crawling soft play sorta thing #Getting to wrestle with our dogs and learn their language #How they play and signal for different moves #How I could mimic it without ears or a tail #I miss the joy of being a creature but I don't have the room currently #Shitty laminate hurts to crawl on #Bleh I know this is my post but I feel I'm blabbing #Idk I hope this resonates with someone like how freeing making it felt

[alsojnpie]

dishes are forever

#I MISSED HAVING A TABLET!!!! #ht papyrus #a gentle touch when you're sad #a menacing touch when it would be funny #he can do it all #LITTLE PRO TIP LIFE HACK THOUGH: IF WASHING DISHES MAKES YOU WANT TO LIVE ON A DIFFERENT PLANET #MAYBE YOU HAVE TOO MANY DANG DISHES #BEING IN A SITUATION WHERE I HAVE 80% FEWER DISHES THAN BEFORE MEANS I DO DISHES MORE OFTEN BUT IT'S SO EASY #AND NOT SOUL SUCKING AT ALL #JUST MY EXPERIENCE!!!!!! THAT'S ALL #I'm sure when i am reunited with my other dishes i will languish in bed staring at this psyching myself up to the task #but i like keeping random jars from food i bought and dishes that i picked up in different places. #they physically remind me of everywhere I've been and sometimes i just look at them and remember where I've been #my favorite is the old ratatouille jar i bought at carrefour in Chengdu #that jarred ratatouille was the nastiest food to grace this earth #i bought it in case it would make a quick easy meal (you don't really find those at the grocery store in China at least not back then) #but even my cheap lazy self couldn't eat it #so no one ever consumed that ratatouille but the jar was pretty big so i put other stuff in it and now it's my dish #and somehow the label is glued on PERMANENTLY it has never washed off after all these years #actually idk maybe it eventually did it isn't here for me to look at but it lasted a long time i know that

[fawna12]

Theater is

Theater is a kid, trying to figure out what clubs to do in second grade, knowing that they've seen musicals and plays before and loved watching them and seeing drama club on the list

Theater is

Audition

Casting

Rehearsal

Theater is the kid, old enough to sing in the musical, memorizing their lines and others, loving every second of being onstage

Theater is

Memorization

Blocking

Choreography

Theater is the kid, now in middle school, deciding to do the theater class since there is one at their school now, meeting the theater teacher, meeting new friends, being good at it, finally auditioning for their first actual musical

Theater is

Stage Fright

Friendship

Confidence

Theater is that kid getting the main role, doing theater again the next year, knowing so much about all of it and teaching the newer kids, painting set pieces with their friends, the friends that they now have because of theater

Theater is

Props

Costumes

Lights & Sound

Theater is the kid going into high school, leaving their middle school theater teacher and younger friends, so anxious about it but quickly finding their place in their theater class, volunteering at a drama fundraiser and meeting older theater kids there, learning their names and being able to make an impression

Theater is their first high school audition, for the fall play, multiple smaller plays directed by seniors, and having fun, getting cast in one of the biggest ones with the best directors they could've asked for, still anxious about being a good cast member but getting more confident again

Theater is rehearsals 3 times a week after school, the kid finding their footing in the cast, making friends with the older kids, being able to make suggestions or point things out that need fixing in the show

Theater is the kid being able to impress people, being able to memorize their lines, being able to be confident, being able to fix things, being able to say hi to their cast in the halls, at first just smiling at their director when they passed each other during passing period but then saying hi, even talking for a minute or two, the cast walking to the grocery store together at the start of a rehearsal for almost no reason, the kid being able to talk to their castmates, their friends, and not feel out of place, being excited for the bigger productions later in the year, not being worried about stage makeup because they know the older kids will be there, knowing that the older cast members and their directors will help them if they need it, knowing that they'll still be able to spend more time with them, knowing that they'll be so sad when the seniors graduate, but knowing that they still have almost all of the school year with them

Theater is

Belonging

Safety

Laughter

Freedom

Joking

Focusing

Acting

Acting, but with people that you trust. With people that even though you met them 2 months ago, that you know. You know their mannerisms, how they laugh, their sense of humor. You know that they're kind, you know that they care, you know that all of you love this. You all love this so, so much. You know that if you make a mistake on stage, that they'll improv and cover for you, and that you'd do the same for them. You know that no matter how anxious you are before the show, that they'll be someone with the same nerves and you can comfort each other.

And then the last show will end, and the audience will applaud. You will bow, with these people, these people that you may not have known a few months prior, but that so much trust has formed between. You've played improv games with these people, walked to the store with them, rehearsed over and over and over again with them, learned so much from them, taught and helped and been taught and helped, and it's over.

Until the next show, and the next, and the next year with more new freshmen, some of the kid's younger middle school friends now there too, until the year that the kid will direct their own show, as a senior, and try to be just as good a director as the ones they had their freshmen year.

And they will belong.

They will all belong.

#here's a little bit of my soul please be careful with it- #this got out of hand #but this is what theater means to me #this is mostly about my personal theater experience as I'm feeling sentimental at the moment #not sure if this is poetry or word art or a story or something else entirely #but whatever it is it is mine #I love theater and I always will #I don't think any of my cast is on tumblr but if they are and somehow found this and know its about them #I love you guys and thank you so much for making my high school theater experience a good one. I'm going to miss you all so much #and I hope I can make you proud #alright normal tags now- #theatre #theater #musical theatre #plays #theater kid #theatre kid #high school theater #high school theatre #poetry #poem #(i think) #art #word stuff #belonging #fawn's poetry

[wigglebox]

i'm going to make an art tag list!

I wanted to make a tag list whenever I post my art so interested folks can see it when it's posted instead of it getting buried.

i've seen others in the fandom do this, and I know i like being on tag lists, and thought it could be a good idea!

This will include SPN fanart and sketches. This list isn't for when I post original art or anything -- just bc I know not everyone would be interested in that and I'm mostly posting fanart ATM.

*It's not an obligation to reblog; it's just that if you like my stuff, and want to see it when it's posted instead of it getting buried on a dash or if you're busy and want to come back to it.

If you're interested, you can message me or reply to this post!

I'll start implementing it on the next art I post <3

#i've done tag lists before but then i kinda stopped bc i lost track of t and most of the time it was for my writing #idk if i've ever really done it for art before so #regardless #new era #new list #lmao #again you're not obligated to reblog if you're on this list #it's just if you wanna make sure you don't miss anything i post #not to say that my stuff isn't worth missing or anything but y'know #bc we're all around this world on different timezones #and i don't lke reblogging my art 930801938423 times #so yeah okay anyway awelkfajwelj i'll stop rambling. the coffee is getting to me

[sysig]

Join in! No seriously join in, please, come on, you were invited (Patreon)

#Doodles #UT #Handplates #Sans #Papyrus #And a few others lol #Mix of things to make sure nothing's missed! #Starting with an idea I had fairly early lol - going to a party and only socializing with each other pfft #It's something smol and I would (and have) do/ne so to them it goes! #Sans at least some of the point of going to a party with other people is to socialize? #No lol #Walks past everyone and gives maybe a casual in-passing greeting but hovers around Papyrus the whole time #Papyrus on the other hand quite sociable! Just a bit less graceful haha ♪ #Keep at it boys whatever makes you happy #Very slightly egg-shaped Sans! He's very clearly not sleeping don't you know lying is wrong #''but I lie all the time - on my mattress and the couch and the floor'' alright lol #Sleeps with one eye open - he would #There are some specific quirks I like to indulge in when drawing skeletons so I just piled them all up into one big piece! And it's weird! #I had fun tho hehe ♪ I like the weird socket-like shapes all over in the brow and on the nose of the bridge #I kept Sans' mouth cartoony and I'm not sure how I feel about the slightly more realistic teeth on Papyrus hmmm #He does have that line in his text sprite! Beak child #Weird little style things all over lol #And finally some cool guys in sunglasses! Or - one cool guy and one silly fellow lol #I was inspired by some very lovely pieces with Sans and it made me want to try a slightly more dynamic pose #And that ended up introducing glasses and Papyrus needed to join in! Very important haha #I'm quite pleased with both of them :) They look very cute and happy <3

[wereh0gz]

#ramblings #'piss on the poor' reading comprehension strikes again #you know i kinda regret making that shipping post already. not one but TWO ppl missed the entire point and keep putting words in my mouth #but i also wanna keep it up out of spite #gonna have to edit the tags tho since apparently it's showing up? not my intention so i'm gonna fix that #but also. ppl gotta learn how to not waste their energy responding to posts #literally just block me it is that easy. don't be annoying. and also make sure you fully understand a post before commenting on it #i hope i never become super popular i cannot stand these kinds of ppl

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

hmmmm having angsty Lights Out thoughts

#i know when i post about it i usually make it Lighthearted if not outright Memey #but oh boy. this au is dark. like - like beyond the literal meaning #imagine being abandoned by your creators without so much as a warning #one day the lights go out and thats it. no answers. no comfort. no friendly faces or explanation #show's over. curtains closed. doors locked. they're all gone #it's just waiting in a pitch black room because surely the lights will turn back on. the next day will come #but it Won't. the next day won't come. it will never come. your friends won't open their eyes again. it's just you now. #you've always had company - friends and the comfort of feeling Watched Over by something beyond your understanding #but you blinked and its gone now. it's just you. no matter what you try or what you do - its. just. you. #days and weeks and moths and years of silence and a complete lack of color #burning matches down to your fingertips just to remember what shade of yellow your fleece is #its still wrong. firelight stains the color. #slowly forgetting the sound of your friends voices and what their smiles looked like and what the memories you made with them were #what was your best friends favorite joke? what was his hotdog order? how did he laugh? he used to pose for your paintings didnt he? #you can't be sure anymore. maybe the neighborhood was always dead. maybe You're dead. how can you tell? #you don't breathe. they don't either. they used to didn't they? you never did but they used to. ...right? you hope their dreams are sweet #one of your friends starts sleepwalking. you're so happy. she hurts you. you know she didnt mean it. you're scared anyway. #you can only see with one eye now. it feels... Wrong. all of your chalk drawings start coming out wrong too. #you keep missing when you reach for things. just one more thing to adjust to #were the lights ever on? or was that your own dream? you thought that was something you couldnt do. #you also thought the lights always come back. you were wrong about that. what else are you wrong about? #wh lights out au #wailing sobbing screaming etc over lights out wally... this poor little 12 apples dude... #aimlessly wandering through the town... walking through the buildings.... #eventually getting so fucking lonely and desperate that you keep your best friend's severed arm for comfort #all you can do is protect your eternally sleeping friends from the Things crawling out of the shadows #mark another tally on the ground for each full circle the town clock's short hand completes #and wait for the day you fall asleep and join your friends dreams. it will happen someday. #you can feel it in the pitch seeping from your eyes and mouth. more with each decade that passes #just a little while longer. some more waiting. just you. in the dark.

[felizusnavidad]

taylor swift lyrics that keep u up at night?

*takes a deep breath*

remember looking at this room, we loved it cause of the light now i just sit in the dark and wonder if it's time.

(oversharing in the tags)

#i know it's not the most obvious choice and i think i've never talked about this line before #but i think it will keep me up at night for the rest of my life #so when i heard you're losing me for the first time i was in a very similar situation #most of you don't even know i was engaged and had the most terrible break up this year #it's easier when someone breaks up with you #it's much harder when you have to make that decision #and the hardest when you know you made this decision already but you're not sure if it's actually the time... #and i feel like both taylor and i knew it was the only option but we were never 100% sure if it's time to go #if that makes sense #i did eventually #i still remember moving into our apartment 3+ years ago when we were still happy #and then spending last six months of our relationship alone in this apartment knowing it's going nowhere and i have to leave eventually #and moving out in june to my own small cozy place i live in now #but i never even got closure #so i still didn't fully recover #and it will haunt me forever #trust me this line always makes me cry #ugh #sorry for that #i still miss him sometimes even tho he was a bad person #thanks for the ask tho #i feel like i wanted to say all of that long ago and you just gave me a perfect opportunity to do that #so i'm grateful ❤️ #yes i got your letter yes i'm doing better*

[birdmenmanga]

@raventhekittycat

hi okay so I've been mulling this one over for the past day or two and I think I have the answer. not to be using hamburger to explain anything to an american but you're my detco mutual so I'm going to try and explain it in detco terms

There's a post going around recently about how if you've read detco and only detco, the first time hakuba shows up you're going to be totally flummoxed, because damn this guy is clearly important, he gets to be even cooler than Shinichi, he's got a half-page shot of him (in such a panel-dense series such as Detective Conan, no less!!) and he's got a fucking hawk. he's CLEARLY important. everything about the narrative is indicating that you need to PAY ATTENTION to hakuba and that he's the coolest guy and he's important!!!! and then he dies in the case lol (not for real. but still.)!! and you're like huh??? what was that. why did aoyama do that.

But with the context of magic kaito this totally makes sense. He's a beloved character that people have been waiting decades to see again. Of course Aoyama is going to hype him up!! It's his big moment after years of being locked in the backrooms!!!

Anyways reading birdmen for me was kind of like that. The author's previous series, Kekkaishi, was pretty one-dimensional at the beginning, and even after the main plot started picking up at around volume 6, it still felt quite understandable. I knew what she was trying to get at, and the spectacular job she did with the anthropocene and climate change metaphor towards the end of that series really made me interested in the rest of her works. That and the way she writes familial relationships is absolutely DEVASTATING. (I mean this with the highest of praise)

But when I read BIRDMEN for the first time, I was probably in... middle school, maybe? And I read it, sure, but I didn't get it. I could see what was literally happening on the page but the narrative choices were absolutely baffling at times. Why skip over the entire part of the plot where they figure out who the birdman that saved them was? She blatantly doesn't care about that. What does she care about then?? I knew I didn't get it, I knew there were parts of it that were important and I couldn't figure out why and THAT'S how it dug its pretty little claws into me. Even after I finished catching up it nagged at me a little bit, not often at all, but enough that every once in a while I go, huh, right, that was a thing, let me go read it again.

For the record this type of story haunting has happened to me twice. First time was the Heart of Thomas, second time was BIRDMEN. I think the thing is that these are both stories which are not what other people say they are and I think I came into both of these stories with a misconception, trying to look too hard for things that weren't important and therefore missing the things that were.

Because sure, BIRDMEN is about mental illness. Yeah, it's about an evil scientific organization growing mutants in a lab. Yeah, it's about what it means to leave your humanity behind. That's all technically correct, on a surface level, and the fandom at large likely agrees with these takes for the most part, but in my opinion none of that really delves into what the thematic messaging of the story is about.

There are cryptic conversations about authority and human extinction and peculiar outfit and ability choices. You can tell these choices weren't made to serve the purpose of "writing exciting shonen manga" because that was what she did for the most part in Kekkaishi and you can tell she wasn't putting her whole pussy into doing that here. So what was she doing? What's like. All of this. Waves my hands at this.

The short answer is that it's really about the interplay between capitalism (represented by humanity) and communism (represented by birdmen), and explores the role institutional white supremacy (EDEN) plays in enforcing capitalism. It is ALSO about queer liberation and the importance of community, but hey, that double-stacks conveniently with the communism metaphor.

But also take this opinion of mine with a grain of salt. As far as I know I'm the only one who really truly deeply believes that it is not only AN interpretation of the work, but one that was fully intended by the author.

So basically, I like it, because I think it says something true and beautiful that I also believe in, even if I didn't have the words for it the first time I read it. But I don't really think that's what people really look for in a media recommendation.

Do I like it? Yes, I love it. Will I recommend it to others? Yeah, sure. But do I think it's deeply flawed? Yeah, absolutely. It's flawed in the same ways as The Witch from Mercury— a rushed ending, too many threads that were opened and never tied together. The pacing and characterization is perfect in the beginning, and too rushed at the end. There are prerequisites you basically HAVE to read in order to understand the story (tempest for G-Witch and the communist manifesto for birdmen). I think a truly good story wouldn't have any of these things so if people don't like it I never blame them.

It's my personal experiences that make birdmen so profound to me. If you are not queer I just don't think Eishi coming out as a birdman to his mom will hit the same, just as an example. Sorry that I wasn't the kid you wanted me to be. I know you love me and you just want the best for me and that's why you're so controlling, because you think I can be saved by conforming to societal expectations. But I can't live like that. I can't be like that. And that's why I must go. etc.

Aesthetically I do love birdmen a lot. If I had to describe it in a few words it would probably be "chilling", "beautiful", and "powerful", which nicely coincides with the type of things I personally like to draw. It's also silly to a small degree but it's so serious and I know Tanabe can be way way way funnier (read kekkaishi for this. kekkaishi and hanazakari no kimitachi he were foundational to my sense of sequential art humor) so that's not really the standout trait of this series.

I can't let it go because I'm chewing this series like a bone. And it's taking me years but I am getting that sweet sweet marrow. By god. We are on year 3 of this shit and I am GOING to understand this series. and I'm going to make 3 video essays about it

#just thinking thoughts... #stray bird thoughts #so it's like... I don't like it because birdmen is good #I think I like it because I am a certain type of person and the author was trying to say something specifically to the type of person I am #OH #I'M THE TARGETED AUDIENCE THATS WHY I LIKE IT. #YEAH THATS REALLY IT!!! #A long time ago I said that birdmen wasn't written for the people who read it at the time it serialized. #it was written for the people they would become. #and I stand by that 100% #if it really stays with you there is going to be a reason even if you can't articulate it yet #and it may APPEAR sloppy to someone who doesn't see the queer or communist metaphor #like 'what is she doing what is she saying here she's not saying anything meaningful and emphasizing the wrong things' #but that sort of presumes she is gunning to make 'the best shonen manga ever' #which she clearly isn't. #I remember when I was reading fma with a bunch of my classmates and I'd lend them a volume or two every day #and a piece of feedback I received that has stuck with me was 'volume 15 was so boring' #(that was the volume recounting the ishval civil war. it was boring because we were middle schoolers and didn't REALLY get it.) #and like. I think to people who are looking for something like kks. the whole thing is going to feel like fma volume 15 #like WHAT is she going on about? ? ? #like witch hat and dunmesh I think are similar types of stories but I think these two are just executed way better than bm #but because of that it is just not as compelling to me you know. #like yeah yeah it's well constructed. we all see it's well constructed. #the metaphor is so well constructed that I don't feel the need to point it out. everyone is saying it already you know #but bm is cryptic enough and just slightly missed that execution enough that I feel like I'm pulling the analysis out of a smoking wreckage #recently I've been watching mentourpilot videos about airplane accidents and like. that's exactly it. #there's nothing to say about a perfectly executed flight. #it's the ones that failed. and in particular the ones that just barely failed by a little bit. that compels people the most. #cue my de communism is failure post. bc that bm sure did fail.

[ravangie]

hello

an anon appears in your inbox

-sits down,drinks tea from the spout-

what is your opinion on Chel?

Hello, anon!

Interesting question, but why would you ask for my opinion, when you can hear the opinions of those who have actually met Chel:

#not sure what kind of answer you were expecting but i hope this one satisfies you #i see all of you talking/asking about Chel and i wanna see her too #i wanna draw her and Tulia and Miguella in proper traditional Maya clothing #and draw that feast scene SO BADLY #but i literally don't have enough time #thank you for making me make time to draw these two again i've missed them #the road to el dorado #tulia and miguella #fanart #dreamworks #okay i'm done thank you for reading through all the hashtags #just art 2023 #ravangie answers #ask

[hinderr]

session 0 sal and penelope skiesly you are so special to me

#what do you MEAN you wake up in an unfamiliar cabin and your first instinct and the only thing on your mind is to look for your not-daughter #to the point of tunnel-vision you leap out of bed to find her #what do you MEAN you find a doll and after making sure its not cursed you give it to her #what do you MEAN you realise the woods are too quiet and start walking faster and when your NOT-daughter starts lagging behind you just pic #her up like its second nature to you what do you MEAN you take away her bowl of cereal because you're not sure if its safe to eat and when #she gets sad youre unable to comfort her so you just pat her head and pray that's enough what do you MEAN you meet a man you try to lie to #but when he calls penelope your daughter you deny it and he calls that a lie too except its not a lie (except it sorta is isn't it you-) #(-just dont want to admit it because it scares you but just because you're also lying to yourself it doesn't make it any less of a lie) wha #do you MEAN WHAT DO YOU MEANNNN #i miss her. i miss penelope so fucking bad you don't even understand #sal skiesly #penelope skiesly #hinderr posting #agoraphobia campaign

[crossbackpoke-check]

a junkyard dog ain't always pretty but you always love that toothless smile

#i miss tyler bertuzzi #liv in the replies #the absolute way i just got bodied by shake it out coming on as i uploaded the pictures to this post #um. sorry not sorry. the google doc/pdf of the quote that i used for this was literally titled #god fuckin curse the notesapp i wrote two years ago #directly referencing the note i have (pretty sure from when the maple leafs seemed really serious about wanting bert) & i remember #being slammed out of NOWHERE by the sudden thought (because i've been preparing for years for bert to leave) (andreas in feb moe in april) #verbatim: if tyler bertuzzi ever gets traded or retires it's catalog of unabashed gratitude the heart part and i will sob #S T O P #tyler bertuzzi #detroit ride or die #this does actually rival we don't have a future we have a dog for some of these for me which. fuck u past me for being so right about this #things that i need you to know for the narrative: oh dumbstruck is tyler's first nhl game (vs the flyers) #thank you every day is from tyler's hat trick & yes the bruins on knucklehead is intentional because it hurt my feelings #also should note. i'm sorry is from when tyler broke his hand this season & no i'm not okay about the narrative of who is he w/o his hands #yeah yeah yeah. the last five make me want to throw up screaming crying shaking wailing #i made it so much worse by looking at dyl's post #dylan larkin #anthony mantha #andreas athanasiou #catalogue of unabashed gratitude [abridged] - ross gay #my sincerest apologies to fabs i simply could not put him in here he was in we don't have a future we have a dog that was all i could take #should i have abridged the last one to say 'for every day'? yeah probably. did i think of that too late? also probably. wait hang on #ooooookay so i did it so now that tag doesn't make sense but it's fine i also have an alt for dumbstruckand pelican heart :))))))) #what i wish i could've made for u but the pictures don't exist is tyler running down the drive barefoot on the phone the day he got drafted #do you really believe in him? is he a good kid? no problems? you're gonna love him. you're gonna love him. #i'm also fully not even gonna talk to y'all about vrana. i can't do that red string tonight. we're also ignoring sunny #STEVE WHAT FUCKING TEAM ARE WE GONNA HAVE TO PLAY WITH #yes i made this exclusively for me no i don’t care yes i am a lil sorry i love him u’ve heard it all before. dilly i’m kissing ur forehead

[singingtinydeskengineer]

I think a lot about the fact that Miss Pauling knows who Scout's father is and just doesn't tell him. Not just that actually, but actively keeps it a secret from him and doesn't seem to feel guilty about it.

#tf2 #team fortress 2 #This is not like an anti miss pauling post #i just find her detachment really fascinating like i wanna dissect her thoughts #Although she is friends with most of the mercs #i feel like she simultaneously doesn't engage with their emotions and concerns in a serious way #She treats a lot of them more like a baby sitter would treat their kids i guess #Even the mercs that she is closer with #I almost feel like she talks to them the way you'd talk to an older kid you trust to watch the other kids for a short amount of time #She keeps them happy and makes sure they don't die #But in the end she is fine going against their wishes and manipulating them #because whatever cause she is about is what's best #I don't feel like anyone else seems to mention or pick up on that #i almost feel insane for getting this vibe #I wish the last comic actually came out so i knew what her deal was #Not exactly an anti scoutpauling post either #i don't see her liking him back the way he likes her but i think the idea of her psychologically torturing him is sort of cool