#this is why we use references kids!

[nevadas-night-time-novelist]

posting before i ruin it with colour lol

#madness combat #madcom #madcom oc #custodian #x scribbles #i think he looks nice #well the face does at least #chest is okay but the arms are a YIKES #lmaoooooo #this is why we use references kids! #normally he doesnt even have arms but since i went with a more 'human' look he has em #it just dont look right #ramblin in the tags fo today

[handsomegentlebutch]

My 3 little cousins were baptized today. "Triggered" is kind of a strong word but being in a catholic church again... I'm a little fragile rn ngl.

#butch speaks #it was hard not to shake as i held J over the basin to have the water poured on his head #when he was cleansed of sin. as if a little kid could ever knowly or intentionally offend a so-called loving god #the words came naturally to me #but they meant nothing #i remember when they used to mean something. when i begged gods forgiveness for my sin (being a lesbian) and tried to pray the gay away #i remember how much i wanted to die bc i could never truly embrace the sacred #i STILL deal with the complex of catholic guilt. its a very real thing. its hard to shake #i cant help but wonder if the catholicism ingrained in my brain is why i have a hard time with casual dating n sex #fun fact: there was a point when i was a teen that i got REALLY catholic #i prayed everyday. i talked to my patrin saint (st agnes) every day. i wantsd to become a nun #the thought of marrying a man mad me more sad than feeling like an alien did. so id marry the church as a nun. #not the way to hide being a dyke when ur fam is catholic btw LMAO #the first priest i knew was father joe. i loved that guy. he was so kind. friendly. briming with love. #he was one of my biggest references for what a good person was like #he talked about gods love a lot. how its for everyone. no one is exluded. ever. #he used to look right at me when he said stuff like that. a few other kids too. all of whom grew up to be queer #then father joe passed away. our church merged with another church. father jeff was the priest there. #he was kind but not as kind. he talked about hell and sin more. he looked at the same kids father joe did. #but the kindness in his eyes wasnt there. #that wasnt for us. #my family wasnt even THAT catholic #i went to church every sunday i did vacation bible school and catechism classes and youth group #i was an altar servant and in the choir #i even used to speak/understand a little latin #imagine how much worse id have been if my mom could have afforded catholic school lmao #grateful to have grown up poor in that regard #hm. actually... reading my own tags. mayne we were pretty catholic actually. #fucking hell. #i need to have lesbian sex in a church before god and everyone. mayeb that would fix me.

[welcometoteyvat]

society moved on too quickly from furina's demo

#i think about the fontaine brawl that she imagined in her head sometimes like i feel like society needs more characters like that #ramblings! #also when she changes into pneuma form............ i've never seen something so fucking crisp in my life #the lights???? the music syncing?? it's like biting into a juicy apple cannot be topped #also the symbolism................... i was like 'hm. i actually dont really agree with that bilibili analysis video' after thinking it thr #through. <- also known as dumb behavior they almost predicted the entire 4.2 quest #tbh i feel like people also moved on too quickly from neuvis demo because that yellow field of grass is peak #i love when rando characters are dropped in the middle of nowhere contemplating existence #we also moved on too fast from ly.ney's story quest why do i keep seeing him in love with traveler #like his subtle threats to that woman... guys he's killed people dont make him just a flirt #dont mind me im just. replaying fontaine but in my head and via youtube trailers #actually something else is that while i still think most of the sumeru chars look a bit too much like they used skin bleach #the sequence right before nah.ida's burst where she's traveling through her own dreamscape is like. soo good im soooo.... #references her character story... full of whimsy and elegance.. visiting children while asleep etc.. knowledge spreading something somethin #i also always liked how the 2 children floating in front of that window looked like they were guarding the gates of wisdom or smth #like sentries in front of a library. but theyre kids so its less somber and more like. idk joyful. house of learning open to all etc. #in a character trailer appreciation mood rn ig

[anotherpapercut]

CORRECT THANK YOU FOR SHARING

#submission #I actually have seen this meme because someone sent it to my supervisor at some point and she showed it to all of us ajdbkajs #working with a bunch of gay autistic math nerds fucking rules lmfao y'all have no idea #one of my bosses is super into sci fi and is also a math teacher and puts star trek and firefly and buffy and hitchhikers guide etc etc #references in EVERYTHING he makes. I took a math class from him once and all of the test questions were about some fuckin show #whenever he runs meetings he asks us questions based on star trek usually. recently in a meeting he asked us to choose the best captain #I'm one of only like 3 people who watches all of this shit so I looove going to meetings when he runs them #bc he'll ask some fuckin question like who's the best star trek captain. and the 3 of us who knows what's going on will just start arguing #while everyone else looks around like what the fuck is going on right now (this one always gets the newbies) #my ALL TIME favorite Jake moment tho was when I was there one night and there were no students so we were all just hanging out #and Jake walks out of his office and he looks kind of annoyed. and he's a big dude like super tall and broad and loud as hell #so I can hear him like mumbling shit all annoyed and I'm like hey Jake what's up? you doin ok? #and he sighed and was like no. the schools internet filter started blocking my FAVORITE board game forum #and now when I have a thought I can't just look it up to see if anyone's said anything about it. and that's like ALL I do. it's so annoying #and I was like Jake maybe that's why they blocked it akddjkansbdjsdbebs #god I love that dude. and this barely mentions my other supervisor who is autistic and pansexual and married to a woman #and both of them foster several kids. Jake has like 10 fuckin kids or smth bc he was fostering a couple of kids and then he got married #and she already had children and then they had a baby together. idk he's got like a whole baseball team they're very cute

[ereborne]

Song of the Day: March 27

"Long Time Gone" by The Chicks

#song of the day #I'm still thinking about the Country Songs About Country Songs #this is actually a cover too though I never hear the original around anywhere #(it's by Darrell Scott who is also the originator for 'You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive' #turns out he's got a bunch of songs that got picked up and made somewhat more popular in the hands of other folks. an interesting legacy) #the best lines of this song to sing are also the bits About Country Music--well the whole song's about chasing the love of it #but this bit is bemoaning the kids these days you know. country music isn't what it used to be. why back in my day etc etc #it's so so so much fun to sing too because you get to exaggerate your 'I think's until they rhyme with 'Hank'. excellent work #'we listen to the radio to hear what's cookin / but the music ain't got no soul #now they sound tired but they don't sound Haggard / they got money but they don't have Cash #they got Junior but they don't have Hank / I think I think I think / the rest is a long time gone' #it's fascinating to me to think about these songs in (saying 'historical' here is giving me psychic damage but) historical context #because the Darrell Scott original for Long Time Gone came out in 2000 and The Chicks released their version in 2002 #so they were talking about the trend towards American jingoism in country music of the time #versus like Waylon Jennings in 1975 'Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way' #(I typed that and /then/ went back and looked up the release date and I'm so proud I got it right) #already bemoaning the state of country music in the 70s versus good old classic country like Hank Williams Senior sang #(Hank Jr covered Waylon's song in 1981. like yes it's a tribute to his father but also Hank Jr was a big push towards outlaw country #and has a few pretty famous songs himself about not singing like his daddy did. it just seems a strange choice to me) #and then Eric Church put out 'Lotta Boot Left to Fill' in 2009 calling out the shallowness of the country music scene of the time #(talking some only-thinly-veiled shit about a few of his peers in the process) #and then he released 'Stick That In Your Country Song' in 2021 and that /definitely/ put some backs up #that one's a less directed but more direct call-out if that makes any sense #no lines that are direct references to other artists' songs but stronger sentiments overall #not just general 'y'all are getting shallow prioritizing good times and high sales over genuine heart and integrity of craft' #but some straight up 'you have forgotten the face of your father' shit towards country artists and fans alike. the whole industry #a very good righteous-anger song

[velvet-games]

reunion

#I want to paint this renaissance style but also I am sleeby #damn the quality is SHIT #hope it looks better on your side lol #also did not bother with a reference for stede's stache so that's why it looks weird if you're wondering lmao #use references kids #I was just not feelin it today cause I haven't finished something like this in so long #if you can call this finished #anyway hope you like it byeeee #ofmd #my art #sketches #stede bonnet #ed teach #blackbonnet #gentlebeard #stedward #which one are we using again?? #I like blackbonnet but idk if that's the most popular ashgfdkj #our flag means death

[fuwaprince]

When somebody only uses my chosen name while putting me down, it kind of makes me wish I didn't have a name at all.

And when somebody only uses my pronouns when they try to coerce me into something, then switch back to they/them when talking about me to anybody else, it kind of makes me uncomfortable af.

I sincerely do not enjoy being labeled or referred to. Being referred to is such a negative experience for me irl.

Yet not giving people a set of name/pronouns when they ask automatically seems to make them think you're secretly a serial killer trying to cover up something?????? Or like you're untrustworthy and must be hiding because you're a Bad Person instead of just not wanting to label yourself.

Can I just please not be forced to label myself for everybody else's comfort?

I feel like that information is so personally intimate anyways like unless you know me and we're close, why do you even care? I don't think it's necessary for the first stages of getting to know somebody even though in this culture we've normalized it to be that way.

Plus if I don't give you a name then I have the opportunity to earn one. Give me a name that you think I deserve and let it be what you honor me by instead! How about that? It's probably the only way I'll be comfortably perceived since some people will change my labels as they see fit regardless. Just call me what you like, I feel like my name/pronouns have been corrupted as is

#i feel weird about having a name and a gender and pronouns assigned to me.... such a weird thing to make a big deal #i mean it's a big deal as in you need to write names down for job apps #and when i walked in to request for emergency aid the person looking at my case asked for my pronouns #which just felt so irrelevant and it didn't make me feel any more respected #and i can tell some people are so uncomfortable using the pronouns that i say are mine that they'll opt out for ones they give me instead #which is like WHY DID YOU ASK IF YOU WERE JUST GOING TO DO THAT ANYWAYS #silly things just don't make sense and to me they bring more trouble than they're worth #those things have been used as weapons against me so why keep giving ammo yk? #also i like the process of earning a nickname #one time this girl got offended that i reffered to her as snake girl the second time we met and i was like??? #imagine being offended that somebody remembered you for having 4 corn snakes instead of using your boring old name #like when people call me fuwa i feel like they're honoring me as a blogger #i get it i get it this culture is just so strictly uncreative and boring #if i had a cool new name from each person who knew me i would be so cool with that #like if somebody i met found out i liked sasuke and then started referencing to me as sasuke boy i would actually be so happy #idk dude #also sorry to that girl for calling her snake girl but honestly her loving her 4 snakes actually felt more significant to me than her name #in other cultures they refer to parents as “[insert child's name]'s mom/dad” and it's actually seen as being so respectful #like it's the family bond that gets honored instead of the individual and idk maybe some people take that to be a negative thing but #imagine as a parent loving your kid so much and then everybody identifies you as the parent who loves their kid #maybe that's dehumanizing in a sense idk #i see it as an honorable thing to be bestowed by others #yeah maybe people can be mean and call you “poop boy” for the one time you shit your pants while drunk #i get not liking being called “poop boy” but like dude... you're a legend and the story behind you earning that name would be legendary #idk i guess it's all about perspective #i don't know if I'm making sense #feel free to share thoughts #late night blogging

[perenlop]

there's something so... off. about the battles in journeys that i can't quite put my finger on. it's not all of them obviously but something just doesn't feel right about them?

#the first battle centric episode in jn (episode 7 with the flute tournament) starts off just. so strange #ive gone off abt how acting like ash caught mimey and its part of his roster is stupid and a bad idea and ofc this episode rubs that in #bc ha ha we gotta cash in on those le epic detective pikachu references that totally dont feel dated today #plus its just such a cop out for ash's fairy type #but its like. just such a weird choice overall... even if mimey is ash's pokemon its not a battler #and what always stuck out to me was like.... why choose mimey and not yknow. his 20+ roster at oak's lab? #this is THE throwback series so dont cry that kids might not know who corphish is or whatever #well. i guess getting a few viral tweets on twitter abt how the pokemon anime EPICALLY referenced the detective pikachu memes #was worth more than actually showcasing ash's pokemon or making sense. its such a weird note to start on for the first battle episode?? #but aside from that. idk something feels missing. i used to say it might be the animations #and ''theyre trying to stick too close to the games animations like for swords dance when they could get creative'' #but thats not an issue unique to this series at all. kalos was also pretty faithful to the games and thats got some of the best battles #echoed voice #jn lb

[ahsokaisawesome]

Hometober Day 6

Just trying to catch up, I'll try to get day 7 done by the end of the night so wish me luck! This one is about homes outside of homes, I call it "New Signs" based on a memory of my aunt Lorena making me a milkshake at her new place. This was a sweet little apartment home for her and her son, I wasn't there too too often but I remember feeling safe and happy whenever we visited. As usual, more under the read but otherwise have a great day!

My aunt Lorena had some complicated relationships during the time I lived in Calgary, but she loved her son more than anything in the world-and still does! At some point early on she managed to find this basement apartment by a man I called uncle Julio who had a cool ass parrot, and it was small and quaint but it was everything they needed and they seemed happy. We had some birthdays there, we had some family reunions there, and despite the few years between her son and I we got along like a house on fire. He was the cousin who played with my playdoh back in the second picture, and they both visited often at the house we rented for a year [we were always an inch or two off in height but he eventually beat me haha]. Reason for the name here is that we were watching that awful movie Signs about aliens, I remember being sHOCKED at that scene where the alien shows up on the news at a Mexican party it was so scary to me at first. I don't think they live there anymore, from what I could gather back in May but I know they're doing better and my cousin works hard for both of them. I love them dearly, and they always had each other so their home was peaceful for me. Another fav memory was walking to a closed-off driving entrance with a chain and using it as a swing where he flexed his french at me-I didn't know much french yet but I got better quickly. Thanks for reading!

#october prompts #october 2023 #drawtober #monochrome #calgary #hometober #hometober 2023 #hometober day 6 #bunart #estoy la #rason why i didnt name drop my cousin is bc I don't remember his name very well #reason for THAT is bc i didnt know what his name was until just a few years ago #what the hell lossie what didyou call him #i called him junior #he was always called this around me #everyone used that name when refering to him and no one corrected me #he was junior to me and my BFF and her mom laughed at me when I told them #this is all true i was only reminded of his name when I visited this year lmao #he's still junior to me and we got along perfectly well #im proud of him too he was like a brother to me as kids #anyway have a great day yall <3 #also the movie signs suUUUUUUUCKs

[hausofmamadas]

I have no idea why tf, or for what tf, or who tf I even wrote this for besides it came to me and I don’t know what else to do with it but share bc like I think it’s kinda funny and like gifs. So, yeah, here’s a thing sksksksks a drabble? as the real fanfic writers say??

═

| Only good for a good time |

Character/Pairing: Isabella Bautista (heavily implied Isabella Bautista x Enedina Arellano Félix)

Word count: smol ~850

✷ TWs: the general stupidity of men none ✷

⁂

Because a pretty face, dirt poor from Culiacan, can only possibly be good for one thing, right? If Isabella Bautista had like a lifestyle guru blog or a Wordpress diary or was like some kind of YouTube vlogger and/or Instagram influencer or god forbid, had a Tumblr, I feel like this would be an entry?? Regardless of the exact avenue, she is out here, screaming into the void of the internet about how her almost bestie and the rest of the world did her so beyond dirty and questioning what it means to be so damn sexy all the time. (You think I'm joking ... I promise you, this might actually be that shallow.)

⁂

It was almost like every breakup I’d ever had. A pat on the ass, a “thanks for your time” and “be on your way.” Actually it was worse, because none of the dirtbags I ever dated had left a check to add insult to injury. Another thing this one had that those breakups didn’t? The worst part? The absolute and complete cherry on top of this shit sundae?

I didn’t. fucking. see it. coming.

In hindsight, I probably should have. I’d never worked with another woman before, so I kinda just chalked it up to that. Less dicks and egos to dance around and deal with. But if I think about it now, there were always three operating in the background, after hours, and things were going too well, working too smoothly, had too few headaches, too few fires to put out. That should’ve tipped me off. Because life is never so kind. I mean, they say you can’t have it all, right? I never used to believe that but I’m beginning to. Because a pretty face, dirt poor from Culiacan, can only possibly be good for one thing, right?

And yeah, I do like to have a good time, if your idea of a good time is watching endless reruns of El Derecho de Nacer with a seventy pound German shepherd, drooling, half-asleep in your lap. I guess I don't mind dancing either, but that always depends on the company you're with. (If you're ever in Colombia, I've got a number for este chulito viejito who ruined dancing for me because it's just not the same without him ...

... he made that much of an impression.) But people are always projecting things onto me based on my looks. Which isn’t actually my problem … but is still somehow my problem.

So, it’s a question I ask myself often. Is it worth it to be beautiful? And now, don’t even start because I already know what you’re thinking like qué debo ser tan loca, sí? Oh poor linda, bonita, chulita, fresita. How life must be so terrible and hard for you. Cry me a river, pendeja. Ya cállate alashingada pues and smile.

And look, I get it. It sounds nuts to be asking that question porque por supuesto que sí, que ser linda, lo vale la pena.

And you’re right. The answer to that question is "yes" ... in some ways. I mean, sure, it may have gotten me out of a ticket, paying a fine or two. And well, yeah, actually come to think of it, I’ve never paid for a drink in my life.

It’s also part of, but definitely not all (not even close) of what got me out of Sinaloa and onto bigger things. Tijuana, Colombia, beyond.

Because people are nicer to you if you’re pretty. They tend to give you things when you ask (for the right ones) nicely.

But (and there’s always one of those) when I replay every single leer, every joke some sleazeball cracked about how “Colombians love a girl with a fat ass,” every pair of hungry, beady eyes behind sunglasses slid down the bridges of their noses. When I replay all of that? Yeah. I wish wasn’t. Or at least, not in the way I am.

See, because as much as I admire and respect her, the most annoying thing about Di— scratch that. One of the most annoying things about Dina is that she’s beautiful too. Noticeably so. I mean hey, I certainly noticed. Hell, I wouldn’t have passed up the opportunity had we not been in business together. He probably thinks he taught me so much, but Miguel was right about one thing: business in lust or love is a Bad Idea. (Well that, aaaand had she not been so busy making eyes at that Snack of a sicario working for them, whose name I can never remember.)

(And really …. I can't blame her.)

(… Or him, for that matter.)

So yeah, she’s beautiful. And yet, still, somehow people always seem to take her seriously. And okay yes, she’s someone who does naturally command respect, sure. But hey! Newsflash! We’re not that fucking different!

How do you think we worked together so well in the first place?

I guess, maybe it’s that she’s beautiful in a way that’s honest and doesn’t make too much noise. Frankly, for the longest time, I always thought it was because of how she dressed, like in those unflattering, oversized tiger sweaters. And good god, that 80-year-old librarian’s polka-dotted suit jacket, the one that made her look like a kooky preschool teacher …

If preschool teachers came customized with a mouth that savage. (I don’t think they do.)

But that theory went right out the window. Because when I did that, no matter how hard I tried to make myself look hard, they still all saw the same thing. One Thing. (Except the One Person I might’ve actually wanted to see the One Thing. Then again, what’s that saying? Don’t shit where you eat? As I said, bad for business. Although, now that I think about it, maybe I should’ve thrown caution to the wind since the whole thing went to shit anyway. Oh well. Así es la vida.)

Oh, I’m not even gonna bother spelling it out for you. Don’t ask questions you already know the answer to. And you do already know what it is. Because it’s the One Thing you see too, isn’t it? I mean, isn’t it what you all came for in the first place?

#isabella bautista #isabella bautista x enedina arellano felix #implied Isabella x enedina #drabble #or drivel? #can we tell? #can you spot the dinarrón reference I shoehorned in here #bc I’m actually fucking insufferable idk if you knew this #and also any excuse to use a gif of Bobby Soto #like ofc are you kidding me sksk #can you also spot the IsaChepe reference I shoehorned in here #bc i'm actually fucking insufferable see above for details #no but in all seriousness I have no idea what this is or why I wrote it #but here have some gifs #which are gifs I’ve technically already posted but these are vastly superior bc I have a Jedi system for making gifs now

[ray-without-organs]

im so mad at people who think time travel will ever exist. thats not how physics works buddy I would know (im 13 and have never studied physics in my life, however, due to an intense ego, I believe that everything my brain tells me is true because it sounds true) you are not larger than the universe you cant just grab fucking time like that and fuck with it. how would you even calculate where to go? the universe isn’t sentient or a thing it doesn’t register your HUMAN MORTAL concepts of time. you cant just tell your machine to go to 2009[1] and it’ll understand what the fuck youre talking about . shut the fuck up. listen I have childish dreams and ambitions too but you know what im NOT. an OPTIMIST. you are NOT time traveling. these are also the same reasons for visual snow and why teleportation isnt possible as well.

in 2009 stephen hawking (rip king i miss you I dont care about epsteins island you will always be in my heart) made a party for time travellers, after the party ended he released the invites . nobody showed up of course. or DID THEY? maybe they showed up but told Stephen hawking not to tell anyone they did because that could fuck up the timeline? No they didn’t. time travel isnt real. go fuck yourself hawking. love you though!

#thoughts #important #rambling #time travel #physics #people who think time travel is real are either children with dreams that I will crush because I get a sick pleasure out of seeing #childrens dreams get stomped on because I have unresolved issues or people who haven’t heard anything physics wise. #though I have to admit there is an overlap between the two because most children (especially those who haven’t passed kindergarten(garren of #ban ban reference?)) haven’t had that much time to learn such complicated things and are left to use the small amount of knowledge they have #picked up in their life. think about how much you’ve learned in 5 years #and then imagine that being all you know. I cant really blame kids that much. I wasnt blaming them in the first place. stop antagonizing me #you fucking bitch. this is why we dont talk. you always say im doing something im not. sorry you cant fucking parse basic English and the #meanings behind my words. its not my fucking fault you dont get anything god. #ive been meaning to talk to you about something #I think we should stop being friends. we only talk once a month and its all just so empty. not even one sided #neither of us have love for eachother anymore. its just a weight on both of our backs that is just holding us down. I dont hate you #but I think its time for us to just stop talking. i know you can find other people that will probably be better than me. im sorry for #everything. bye man I love you

[bumblingbabooshka]

Watched episode one of SNW, in love with everyone. Two thoughts only: If I was about to have sex with my hot Vulcan wife and my boss called me to go into work I’d simply quit. If I was running for my life after being abducted by aliens and Uhura said “Hi~!” to me I’d also completely forget about any danger and talk to her about whatever she wanted.

#Uhura is SOCUTE!!!!!! I love it!!! yESYESYES >D #I'm glad this series seems like it is really going to be about strange new worlds instead of gritty war or whatever #Every woman I've seen I've had a crush on v_v #except chapel - NO offense to her she's just serving so much white girl realness #her fucking SPRINTING after that guy was funny though - I love her I just don't want to hold her hand #Spock going 'hey one sec mind if I-? (screams bloody murder)' #we love more references to earth's destruction that hit way too close to home (just kidding it gives us anxiety but that speech was GOOD) #I have to look away from the screen when Spock is shirtless. Why's he that buff. It intimidates me. No need to be that buff you nerd. #strange new wooorlds please give me more vulcan looore so I can directly transpose it onto Tuvooook and T'Peeel thankyou~ #and I will ignore the stuff I don't likeeee <3 thankyouu...more T'Pring please too I wanna fall in love with her #cause Spock sure isn't #episode mvps: Alien scientist who immediately trusted Uhura no questions asked #and restuarant worker Vulcan who saw Spock&T'Pring kissing and went UM EXCUSE ME WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOIN-!? #also ppl who say they masculinized Uhura - no they didn't you liars!!! She just has short hair. What decade are you from~?? #She's cute and I wanna see more of her!! #Idk who Una is but the fact that her name reads as a pun is funny enough to make me like her

[paragonrobits]

some important calvin and hobbes facts in case you haven't read the original comic strip in a long time or only absorbed stuff on it from memes and out of context bits on here:

Calvin's last name has never been given, and neither has any of his parent's names. This was actually why his uncle Max only showed up for a brief storyline; the creator of the comic, Bill Watterson, ultimately felt that while it was fine to have him as someone for his parents to talk to, it felt far too awkward to never have Max refer to them by name and he never made a return appearance.

The general tone of the comic is fairly light-hearted, with a big emphasis on goofy slapstick comedy contrasted by clever wordplay and often surprising adult-centered jokes that'll hit you like a slap. A big part of the comedy is, as Watterson put it (paraphrased) "It's really funny to me when people express deeply stupid ideas with really fancy terminology." One notable example you might have seen is that one bit where Calvin asks his mom for money to buy a Satan-worshiping rock album and his mom replies that there's nothing genuine about them and they're just putting on the attitude for shock value, and comisserates with Calvin as he deplores that mainstream nihilism can't be trusted. He concludes that childhood is disillusioning.

There is a LOT of criticism of the extreme materialism and selfish mentality of the late 80s, when the comic was initially written. This may go a long way to explain how its aged so well; much of what it criticizes resonates well with people today.

Bill Watterson views comic strips a legitimate form of artwork, and repeatedly fought to have more space to draw more beautiful and artistic backgrounds, which was a very hard fight and unpopular even with other comic strip artists. He eventually did win some compromises and a lot of Calvin And Hobbes' artwork shows it, with the use of space to indicate time as well as a sharp contrast between the often plain environments of mundane life contrasted by the wildly beautiful imagery of Calvin's imagination (which often sports realistic depictions in an art shift of sorts).

Hobbes is explicitly not an imaginary friend, by word of Watterson himself. We don't know WHAT he is exactly, and Hobbes is apparently unaware of the strange nature of his reality; people look at him and only see an ordinary stuffed tiger plushie, but he has a tangible effect on the world that would be physically impossible for Calvin to do on his own. He's apparently been around for a while, and was apparently around when Calvin was a young baby.

On that note; Hobbes has implicitly killed (notably treated as both a gag and also with the vibe of 'he's a tiger, duh') and while he doesn't do it again on-screen, he doesn't have any moral issues about it. Calvin claims that he's never had trouble bringing Hobbes to school because the last time he did, Hobbes killed and ate a bully named Tommy Chestnut and simply comments that it was gross and he needed a bath. Calvin's tried to repeat this again, but Hobbes was grossed out at the thought having to eat a kid raw and not being allowed to use an oven first, or complaining that children are too fattening.

Hobbes became gradually less human-like in body language and more like an actual cat in both body language and behavior; this was due to Watterson drawing more inspiration from his cat, who also inspired a lot of Hobbes' running gags, such as pouncing on Calvin when he got home. Several years into the syndication of the strip, Watterson's cat passed away, and he did a tribute to her with a comic strip of the two of them agreeing to try to dream together so they can keep playing when they have to sleep; Watterson's commentary (if I recall right), remarks on his cat: "We can see each other again in dreams."

#calvin and hobbes #queued

[creatingblackcharacters]

“That One Hairstyle? RETIRE IT!” Black Hair is an Art (pt.1)

(This is part one of two lessons, with this one focusing on how our hair itself! The next lesson will encompass how to incorporate its existence into your writing. It'd be a massively long post otherwise.)

So! Black hair. Black hair is a CENTRAL, ESSENTIAL part of our culture and identity. Writing and drawing it means understanding the vulnerability and trust that comes with access to it, and yes, it is racist to suggest that ‘it’s just hair’ when our hair serves such an important role in our history and art. I already wrote a mini-lesson and ask on the topic, but being aware of what our hair looks like, and what means to us, will help you to understand why we care that you put in the effort to get it right.

Hair Textures

We are not a genetic monolith! However, for the sake of this series, we are focusing on 3C-4C, because 1) it's most likely to be seen in life and 2) least likely to be seen in popular art! When you are creating your characters, consider the style and care for THESE textures. I will get more into this next lesson.

Let's get into SOME of the hairstyles!

Afros (36 Afro Hairstyles)

“So, what’s the phenomenon behind the Afro? Well, it’s our hair in its most natural form, but that’s only part of the phenomenon. It’s a way to fight the status quo without saying a word.”

-Ebony Magazine, The History of the Afro

When nonBlack society hears ‘afro’, they think completely picked out, Black power imagery, political statement. And it was, and is! But in actuality, afros are just the natural hair growing out of a Black person's head. The same way your hair grows out of your head. Our texture. Even my hair is not allowed to be ‘hair’, it has to ‘assign’ my Blackness; my distance from whiteness. Imagine, the hair growing out of your head being automatically associated with how you should be perceived. Just by existing, it is making a statement in a Eurocentric society.

Braids (31 Braid Styles)

There are SO MANY TYPES of braids and ways to wear them. If you can imagine a design, I bet there's a Black braider that can do it!

CORNROWS ARE NOT AUTOMATICALLY BRAIDS! Internalize this! They may be used in the same style, but they are NOT INTERCHANGEABLE TERMS!

Braids are considered a protective style; that is, a hairstyle designed to let our hair 'rest' and grow without having to manipulate it. If you have a Black character that's constantly on the go and/or doesn't have time to focus on their hair, and you want an accurate, more true-to-life experience for them, braids can be a crucial part of character design.

Locs

(Yes, while that link has plenty of examples, it was also self-indulgent. Locs are gorgeous, Black men with locs are gorgeous!)

"Locs vs Dreads": As someone in the loc community, there’s been a push to refer to the style as ‘locs’, rather than ‘dreadlocks’. Some people with the style will not care, but others take it very seriously, so it’s something to keep in mind. There’s a societal stigma behind having locs, that they’re ‘dirty’ or ‘unkempt’ or ‘lazy’ and that is NOT true. Locs are beautiful, and they take far more effort than people seem to want to believe lmao.

Locs, though there is currently a positive revival, are still highly discriminated against. Kids have been expelled from school and even have had their hair forcibly cut off to be allowed to participate in sports. Many places won't hire you if they think your hair is 'unprofessional' or 'dirty', especially if you're a Black woman. To consider yet another example of the hair that grows out of my head 'dirty' is extremely racist.

LOCS ARE NOT BRAIDS!!!!

Locs are also a protective style, albeit a much more permanent one, and one that comes with a long history and culture behind it. Many Black people consider the biblical story of Samson to be a man with locs, and that our locs hold power within them. That not just anyone should be allowed to touch your locs. So, if you're interested in mythology and powers, that might be an intriguing way to go, that would be possible if you had a Black character with locs!

In Professional Media

The lack of awareness and concern about our hair isn't just a fan or amateur creator experience. It is ubiquitous in the professional media world. Black actors, actresses, and models have discussed having to do their own hair when working, because no one would properly care for it on set if it wasn't familiarly white. It’s admittedly grown better- however! After decades of not having options other than ‘stereotypical afro’, ‘box cut’, and ‘white people hair’, it is LONG PAST TIME to stop settling for the bare minimum in Black character design. We can tell when "one of us" (with some sense, at least) wasn't in the room to make decisions in popular media.

If you were curious about the lesson title, here's a current example of what I'm talking about in video games. Tell me if you see a pattern:

This style? The Killmonger? We seent it!!!! It has become the “hairstyle to show I understand the exaggerated swagger of a young Black teen” option, the "I know the Black people!" go-to, and frankly, we are all tired of it. Okay it was cute on Ekko. The Black Delegation DEMANDS the professional video game industry pick something else! We have SO MANY DIFFERENT HAIRSTYLES!

I'll give you an example on the other end (not trying at all; refer to Lesson 1) from one of my favorite games, Hades:

This is my blorbo. My favoritest guy. I’ll fight for Patroclus being Black til the day I die. While I begrudgingly settled in my excitement, I can tell you no one Black with any voting power was in the room at Supergiant when they approved this design. Why? His texture! Locs were such an easy option if they wanted long hair! Locs existed BEFORE Ancient Greece! The man did not have a flat iron while fighting in a war! A good Black designer would have considered that!

To give him a more accurate design, some artists (myself included) lean into giving him locs (one of my favorites is @karshmallow 's Pat; a phenomenal example in caring about your Black characters). It’s something Black fans find themselves doing- redesigning Black characters. That's not something we should have to do at all, especially in media we pay for!

But if you REALLY want your Black character to have straight hair, that leads into the last style of this lesson:

Straight Hair

We do have straight hair. But it’s not straight because it grew out that way! It will still look and be thicker! It might be a wig or a sew-in (human or synthetic), it might be flat-ironed (while relaxed? While natural?) It takes effort to get and maintain straight hair.

'I think it looks better good this way!'

If you catch yourself thinking this, this is a racist statement. Whether you’re aware of it our not, there is a bias towards Eurocentric/white features in our society, and that includes in our media. When you think “I only drew [this Eurocentric hair texture and style] because I think it looks good on them!” I want you to PAUSE and think about the WHY. WHY do you think that this Black person’s natural features are unattractive in comparison to the white hair texture you gave them? And how hurt might a Black peer of yours would feel hearing that you find their natural features not worth drawing because they’re “not attractive”. It requires approaching your own internal biases, recognizing them, and then working to unlearn them. And that means practice! Using references to draw our hair and styles, and growing used to using OUR features on US!

Doing it in Art

Me personally, I think if you think drawing thinner hair textures is easy, thicker hair textures should be a BREEZE. I was curious, so I challenged myself and-

(it took me about thirteen minutes total to do ol boy's hair and it's still not right. I'm sick fr y'all don't even know 🤢)

@ackee has a really good art lesson on the how-tos of drawing Black hairstyles. I highly recommend checking it out, as well as following and supporting a fellow Black artist (who is far better than I!)

Hair Brushes

Finally, an option you can use for painting is downloading Black hair brushes! Vegalia has an amazing array of brushes with different types of curls, locs, and braids at her Etsy store! You can also follow her on social media to see how she applies them, and support yet another amazing Black creative!

I know this was a long one, but you made it! Just keep going. Remember, it's the thought that counts, but the action that delivers!

#creatingblackcharacters #black art #black characters #character design #black hair #black history #black culture

[itostea]

the strongest (gojo x wife! reader)

gojo can't help but feel annoyed that he feels concern for the wife he swears he doesn't care for.

warnings: arranged marriage au, gojo refers to you as his wife, enemies to lovers (?), gojo tells you to lift up your top, slight angst, he's really bad at feelings okay, image from loving yamada-kun at lv999 (part of gojo’s wife series)

The lines of intrigue and fear are often blurred. It explains why we admire fire from afar, careful not to get too close in hopes of not getting burned. It explains why we find peace in parts of the ocean and tense up in deeper parts. It also explains why Gojo Satoru seeks your presence yet pushes you away the moment he finds himself feeling something other than indifference or vexation–it’s never hatred though. The strongest can’t envision himself ever hating his wife and it scares him. 

He’s not sure that can be said about you. Gojo wouldn’t be surprised if you grew to hate him after the treatment you put up with. 

Your marriage is what you call a “marriage of convenience” and Gojo made sure you remembered that. He wasn’t always so distant with you. Back then, you might’ve considered him a friend but time did its bidding and you two drifted apart, your time together merely a memory. Now fast forward a few years and you were wedded to him, taking up his surname and sleeping in the same house as him–in separate rooms of course. 

Your steps on the wooden floors were silent as you intended not to make a single noise at such a late hour. You sighed, feeling the weight of your heavy shoulders drag you down. 

Gojo might be considered cruel to you but the elders were on a different level. They knew this mission would be too much for you yet they sent you on it as punishment for speaking your mind the last time everyone gathered. 

At that time, your husband had an unfamiliar gleam in your eyes as you voiced your thoughts on the matter of Itadori. He’s a nice kid, you thought when you first saw the pink-haired boy. 

Taking away his youth wouldn’t be fair. After all, he didn’t choose to have the Ryomen Sukuna use him as a vessel. Yet, sentiment doesn’t do well with the higher ups and they made sure you knew your place with the mission they sent you on. 

You inhaled sharply, wincing as you felt the bruise on your rib with your palm. There was blood soaking your tights, little cuts littering your legs. You’re so tired you can’t find it in yourself to even eat. Then again, you needed to be in your best condition tomorrow since another mission was sent out of you and specifically you. Those in power always make sure it’s clear that they are in power. Your voice of opinion meant nothing to their beliefs in tradition or what you liked to call, “backward thinking.” That’s one thing you and your husband could agree on. 

“Ow,” you wince for the nth time as you open the fridge, scanning the items. Mochi. Ice-cream. Leftover cake. Perhaps it would’ve been wiser to go grocery shopping a day prior so you could have a proper meal. This was the kind of stuff Gojo could live on but you couldn’t. Closing the fridge, you opt for instant ramen instead. Not the best choice in regards to healthiness but cracking an egg in there meant more protein and it also minimized the spice levels. 

You’re halfway in between preparing the noodles when you feel a presence right beside you and soft breathing besides your ears. “You’re home,” your ‘husband’ mumbles, his eyes half-lidded from just having woken up. 

“God! Satoru!” You gasp, flinching away from and only realizing how close he was. For someone who claimed he wasn’t interested in you, he didn’t know what personal space was. “How did you know I was home?”

“Your cursed energy leaked in,” he shrugs his shoulders, peering down at you without the constraints of his blindfold or shades. You gulp as his eyes flit up and down your appearance, causing your insides to tense up in a sudden wave of self-consciousness. Being scrutinized by the six-eyes himself wasn’t much fun and you’re suddenly aware of the fact that your hair is disheveled and your face is sweaty from just having come home from a grueling mission. 

You don’t even notice the glint of rage that crosses his hues before he masks it. “Who did this to you?”

“Huh?” You blink, coming to your senses that your body was bloodied up and battered from having fought a curse. “Oh it was just a mission. It’s normal to be hurt on missions.” 

Gojo’s been living with you for nearly half a year now and he knows you’re more than competent when it comes to shaman duties (not that he’d ever tell you). He knows you return home by 7 p.m.., and never at hours well past midnight. He knows that you usually only get injuries on your back because you get careless at times. But now, he sees cuts everywhere and he’s not sure if you’re running on adrenaline or if you’re too tired to notice. 

His eyes glance at the way you press a palm on your rib, subconsciously squeezing the area as if hiding it from him. “Let me see.”

Your surprise is immediate and he would’ve felt a strange fluttering in his stomach if not for this concern he was experiencing for you. You smile. “See what?”

“Your injury. Let me see it,” he says again, pressing on the hand you hold close to your ribs, narrowing his eyes as you hiss in pain. “Don’t be stubborn (Name).” 

His voice is different from the cheery one he often uses and you’re left leaning further into the kitchen counter, acutely aware of the fact that his taller frame wasn’t allowing you to escape. His eyes widen the slightest once he gets a glimpse of your flustered expression as you peer up at him and he only realizes what he was asking from you. Part of him tells him to ignore this and pretend his concern for you was brief. Yet, part of him screams at him that he was your husband, so he should feel the right to be worried–even if he was months late. 

He sighs, tilting his head. “I’m just going to look. I promise I won’t do anything else,” his voice is oddly tender as he speaks to you, a contrast to the usual nonchalance you’re used to. 

You gulp and let out a shaky sigh, giving in when your fingers reach to pull your top up for him to see the bare skin that you can’t even say is spotless or void of marks. Multiple wounds litter your skin–some faded, some new. You’re scared his gaze would show some signs of judgment or disgust but you’re left bemused when you see how his eyebrows furrow and his lips purse. For a second, you allow yourself to be deluded by the fact that he might be worried but you quickly abandon that thought, averting your eyes from him.

You can see how he pieces everything together. From the way you rebelled against the elders and how they saw it as a means to punish you. He does it so quickly that you can only blink when his blank expression morphs into something different. You almost feel relieved from the fact that his expression of pure anger wasn’t directed at you and rather those who sent you on the mission.

It’s almost natural how he slides the top further up, mapping the extent of the bruise with his eyes. His hands are warm and calloused. They’re also gentle, tracing the bruise carefully to not hurt you. “I’ll kill those old bastards,” he chuckles with a sneer. “They have some nerve letting my wife take this mission without me.”

You frown as you see his anger first-hand. “Satoru–”

“Why didn’t you go to Shoko?” He interrupts, gently holding on your waist to prop you on the counter while he stands in between your legs. He watches you intently, in search of answers.

You feel somewhat embarrassed as his hand still lifts your top up to see the bare skin but don’t comment on it. “I didn’t want to bother her so late at night…”

For the first time since today, you see him flash a genuine smile, as if exasperated by your reasoning. “But you’re fine with bothering me?” 

“That’s different!” You say, a pout slowly forming on your lips and he can’t help but feel drawn to you even if he doesn’t want to. 

He laughs as you pull your top down with a huff, finding it cute that you were so bashful. “Because I’m your husband?” 

You go silent and for a second, Gojo thinks he’s messed up for mentioning that. Despite being your husband, he’s not the greatest at doing his job. He’s not callous or spiteful towards you, instead taking on more of a cold and aloof attitude towards you. Even so, he thinks that hurts just as much as a few insults. 

He’s about to pull back but your voice draws him back to you. “Yeah. It’s because you’re my husband.”

Gojo can’t stop himself from glancing at your lips at that single statement. He was today years old when he realized he was a man of simple tastes. All you had to do was tell him that he was your husband and he’d want to kiss you until your lips turned red. He considers himself lucky that you didn’t see that slip-up of his–though he wouldn’t have minded if you did.

He breathes out a sigh, propping his chin atop your head while his fingers draw circles around your hips. “I won’t let them hurt you.”

It’s a vow he swears to keep. 

“I know,” you whisper quietly enough for him to hear. “You’re the strongest after all.”

He thinks it’s funny that even as the strongest, he feels weak when he feels your fingers play with his sleeves. No words are said after that and a comfortable silence drifts between you two. It’s like the barrier between the two of you is cracking once you feel his lips press gently against your forehead and you think it's his way of sealing the promise. 

Gojo Satoru thinks–or rather he knows that he wouldn’t mind living the rest of his life with you. And he knows that he should fix his behavior around you and stop running away. That way, instead of a kiss to the forehead, he can finally give you one on your lips. 

#gojo satoru x reader #gojo satoru #gojo x reader #satoru gojo #jjk x reader #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jujutsu kaisen #arranged marriage #i'm in my jjk phase bye

[perenlop]

kudos to the xy anime at least for a) using zygarde in a genuinely really interesting and fun way and b) not trying to be like “ohhhhh lysandre has a point thoughhhhhh hes just extreme about itttttt”

#the world if we got pokemon z #which ig the anime did give us in a way so. #xy hurts me personally bc like its so close to being fantastic and a really good expansion of the games w a darker tone #but its held back by the fact that the anime will never really get as dark as it wants to its ''dark'' moments come across as forced #the time it felt the most natural was during the flare arc which felt appropriate bc they finally set up that people were going to die #and there were massive stakes at hand instead of. ''oh boo hoo ash lost a battle'' #quoting dante but like just read pokespe xy it does a much better job at being a darker adaptation of the game and expanding on it #also personally just dont like it when media is like ''oh!!! oh!!! we're ADULT actually!!!!!! look at us reference porn!!! and DEATH!!!!'' #and it puts no effort into actually being a more mature take. especially when we're talking about a kids show #like. gravity falls is mature in a way thats palatable to kids still while still being enjoyable and tense for adults #because it does talk about death and family estrangement and drama and focuses on that stuff #it takes the time to dedicate itself to those moments #and thats why the flare arc is so good to me and not the rest of xy. flare arc is able to focus all of its energy into the emotional stuff #bonnie's song is hands down my favorite xy moment tbh like the buildup for that througout xyz was phenomenal #its just that to get to that i had to sit through ''ha ha this scene looks like ash is begging serena for sex'' and ''ha ha snake kink!'' #echoed voice