#I needed this diversion thank you
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Thanks for the tag, @brendadaaedestler!
Tag (9) people you'd like to know better!
Last song: "Everything in Its Right Place" by Radiohead, which—fun fact—I can never listen to without remembering the Chuck Klosterman book in which he claimed that Radiohead predicted 9/11 with that album. Yes—my brain directly associates this song with 9/11. Thanks bro.
Currently reading: Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra becaaaause I am going to see him speak next week! and I figure I should read the recent thing he's probably going to talk about.
Currently watching: the most recent season of Ted Lasso. very slowly.
Current obsession: I'm just coming off a Six: the Musical binge
tagging @bogglebabbles @xyloghost @lucygold95 @musicalhell @queerolddad @forestscribe4 @sadeyedlady-writes @maddenedbythesstars @pianomanblaine
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What are your favorite Chase moments from the show so far?
Just like with Zuma's post, it's in no specific order, I just really loved all these moments
That first Mission PAW episode when the Princess chose specifically HIM to be the watch dog and guard her crown. That was so adorable I can't even. He seemed so genuinely proud and happy there! Plus he's so damn cute wearing that tux lol
When they were going to rescue Skye and Chase was so worried upon hearing that she was the one in need of rescue. Then when Ryder was choosing which pups would be part of the rescue, that moment he was like "Pick meee pick meeee-"?? That was so cute, he really cares about her and wanted to impress her so bad lmao personally make sure she would be safe (Bonus points for his excitement over being picked for the rescue and everyone else like Go ahead king, we all know you wanted this XD)
The entire time he spent with the owlet and working to rescue the mama owl from that fallen tree. It was so sweet!! The fact I also love owls surely didn't help AUSHAUSHAUSHAU I love that episode SO MUCH
That moment when he finally turned into a Merpup. Poor boy was so fixated on "being on duty" despite wanting SO BAD to go and participate in "the fun". And he couldn't even enjoy being a merpup immediately because he was transformed just because he needed to swim faster for the rescue but he was so overjoyed anyway! Only after that mess, he could go and finally have the fun he wanted and deserved so much.
That moment in the first Sea Patrol episode when he and Skye were left behind at the beach while the rest of the team went on the first mission with the Sea Patroller. His face upon SEEING the HQ turn into a ship and sail away was just priceless XD (Also it's rare to see Chase being put on the sidelines for once lmao)
The first Ultimate Rescue episode!! God, Chase was SO HAPPY. He's THE Police Pup, he gets to lead the mission, supervise, plan, give orders. And the way all the other pups clearly loved the experience and were SO ON BOARD with being Police Pups with him, it was just awesome!
So far these are my favorite moments! Actually I legit just got to watch this first Ultimate Rescue episode like one hour ago. Not to mention it took me five days to think of these moments and then go find the episodes again to take the respective screenshots XD
#Scheduled post#I'm leaving it ready as of 6 AM yeah guess who barely slept this night again hahaha :')#Would you guys believe it if I said it's a bit difficult to pick favorite Chase moments??#I feel the show lacks a bit of creativity on what to do with him#It only became more diverse on situations after they started having different special kinds of missions like Mission PAW and Sea Patrol#Otherwise it's always the same thing over and over again#“Use your net to catch something/someone falling!”#“Use your megaphone to keep people away from the danger!”#“Use your cones to redirect the traffic away from the streets we'll be working on!”#I swear he needs more actual action#He also needs more moments with the other pups like playing around or whatever#Or to have a hobby maybe#Zuma clearly has a lot of hobbies XD#Chase is a GREAT Pup but they're doing him wrong with all that#He can be so much more!#It makes me want to WRITE#HI I'M LARYSSA AND I'M FALLING FOR THE “LET'S WRITE SOME FANFIC” TRAP ALL OVER AGAIN#Anyway XDD#Thanks for the ask!!#Paw Patrol#Paw Patrol Chase#Chase
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I just realized I don't want gender neutral bathrooms and changing rooms just for gender reasons. I don't even want them just for practicality reasons, or just for economic reasons.
I want gender neutral hygiene spaces because, in my experience*, women who are bursting to get out of a sports bra and/or pee are wont to say unkind things and excuse it as "between us girls", and men do not wash properly if they think the bro code protects them.
#gender equality#equal rights#diversity#trans rights are human rights#chronic pain#chronic illness#*a shocking number of venues think having one bathroom per gender operational in an entire massive building is good enough#even if all the elevators are broken#this includes my own employer#and the one before that#on the upside#I've checked in five european countries#very very few people continue making a fuss about you being in the wrong bathroom if you say “I need to PEEEEEE” and keep walking#we're all human#we all get the urgency of the moment#including that one bathroom attendant in Amsterdam Main Station#thank you for not making me pee myself in public sir#yes I noticed the men's stalls were also all occupied#I've learned to work around such things on days my mobility is limited but thank you for your concern#that being said#transphobes have a lot of stuff they're weird about#them insisting we should strive to limit our options to piss-scented cave or grotto walls literally smeared with blood is just extra yikes#I don't care what silly fairy tales the cishets have dreamt up about you#you are in public and what you're doing is nasty#wipe your ass#think before you speak#meanwhile every unisex bathroom I've ever been to has been a haven of cleanliness and peace#every unisex changing room has been an oasis of pleasant conversation with a 70% reduction in noxious deodorant clouds#gender was invented by big bathroom to sell more bathrooms#and it made bathrooms worse for everyone
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something that really grinds my gears as I venture into other writing/bookish spaces is the fact that people have to apologize when stating their opinions/personal preferences when it comes to what they read or consume for fear of offending The Majority. Like there's this sudden hyper-defensive stance that fans or certain groups of people take about what they love and if someone else god forbid states (on their OWN account or a comment thread mind you, with others who agree with them) that they prefer not to consume those things or they don't love it as much as those people do then these people suddenly feel attacked??
Like. Imagine me obsessing over a show that I've binged a million times and then someone across the globe whispers the words "eh I don't really like that show, it feels overhyped and I don't get why people like it. I prefer this other show to that' and I DIVE ACROSS THE OCEAN to be like 'You're entitled to like that other show, but I don't get why you have to put down my show that I love so much in order to say that. Like that's just very rude of you to even verbalize that opinion in your own space of living and existing that's nowhere near my space of living and existing.'
Like??? People?? Do we not see how mad that is?? THAT'S what's happening in the book community rn and we're treating that like it's normal, I don't know. I get that people can cross a line when stating an opinion or make generalizations about people who consume certain things, but...I don't need someone else's validation to love what I love? If they don't like it or think I'm weird or whatever for liking it that's their problem (and their opinion)??? It doesn't say anything about me or change how I feel about the things I like? And if I'm around people who are bashing what I enjoy and I don't want to see that then maybe just...click away? delete their comment? click unfollow? follow more people who like what you love to drown it out? idk. People are entitled to not like what you love, that's what makes us all beautifully diverse. idk.
#inkoverted thoughts#maybe my first mistake was leaving Tumblr to look at other bookish/writing communities#and this wasn't even TikTok which I refuse to touch with a ten foot pole#but I just watched a YT video of a girl talking about things she hates in Web comics and it was obviously said with goodnatured humor#but she still apologized or had to clarify that like these are just her opinions and she's not bashing people who enjoy these things#and someone in the comments was like I hate that she had to do that bc people can't take a joke or respect others' opinions#and I didn't even clock it when I watched the video but I was like yeah you're right...#and then I go on Insta and I see an author being like#'in a time when spicy romantasy books are being obsessed over...I'm writing “clean” sci-fi slow burn romance#and most people in the comments were like 'yes thank you I appreciate you adding some variety to the bookish community'#or 'there are diverse readers who like all types of genres its only that the romance readers are the loudest and dominating social media'#which is a separate thing that I do think is a valid point#but then a reader from the genre that's being pushed as The Majority came into the chat like#'good for you for writing a sci-fi slow burn - that sounds interesting but you don't have to put down other books when you say that'#and I'm just blinking at the comment like 😃#whooooo? where did OP put down other books???#all they did was say they're going against the grain and writing something less popular amongst the online book community#please learn reading comprehension#and fifth of all - if this upsets you why did you feel the need to click on it and comment like???#go back to your spicy romantasy community and talk to them I don't???? what do you gain from being in this comment thread??#I'm getting frustrated for no reason but it's just so mad to me that people have to walk on eggshells now to share what they like and don't#ON THIER OWN ACCOUNTS#mad#absolutely MAD#there was a separate debate that came up about the fact that people using “clean” to describe non-smut stories implies smut is dirty#which I didn't even think that and I don't even think that's what people meant to imply when using that term#it's the same way you would use the word “clean” to describe something PG vs something rated R or M in my opinion#but that's a whole other thing I'm not gonna get into#if you want a reason to be mad 24/7 then how about getting offline and looking at what's going on in the world? 😀#better use of your anger I can *promise* you
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Yeah that fucking "Who are you without the media you consume" post is so insane to me because pretty much all media is something personal to the person who wrote it. It's art. It's supposed to make you feel something. The Gone book series by Michael Grant CHANGED my brain chemistry when I read it in 8th grade. I still think about that book series once a week despite not reading it in over a decade. We are defined by our and other's experiences, inspiration is everywhere, media is just the way family stories and personal lessons can reach wider audiences. MEDIA IS SUPPOSED TO MAKE YOU FEEL SOMETHING I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH "Who are you without media" BITCH WHO ARE YOU WITHOUT YOUR FELLOW PERSON!!!!
#rambling#yes there will be media that was made just to push money#the fifteen billion marvel movies out there i dont think were made with#passion or wanting to share something in mind#but most everything else?#like claymore my beloved claymore best anime/manga every written#the author was heavily inspired by american horror in general#theres a character (rosemary) whos monster form looks a lot like a xenomorph#you know little connections like that#its just a thing people do to want to connect to others#and media is the easiest way and arguably the most diverse#and accessible#'you just need hobbies teehee!'#yeah thanks. everyone knows its impossible to enjoy a wide variety of things#if you like adventure time or kipo or whatever you are physically incapable of picking up a needle and thread#(sarcasm)
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slightly disappointed - just slightly - that they didn't include fischl in the windblume event because she would fit the legend/fairytale category of the charade so much?!
#how did they not remember the person that actually lives in one?#logically it would make sense okay 😂#i hope we get to see the other mondstadt characters even for a second at the end#jean barbara fischl kaeya diona and diluc the excluded ones ✌️#like i don't care about timmaeus and his crush sorry give me characters i care about (mona was so real for interrupting him yes queen <3)#okay sorry timmaeus i hope you succeed in romancing her 😔#i think you're a great addition to the synthesis thingie when i need to make materials the game wouldn't be the same without you 😔#on another note!!! i love when genshin's events or quests are like therapy sessions like yes thanks for teaching us about anxiety and#struggles with self identity and how sharing our problems with others isn't a burden and how being vulnerable will allow us to create#meaningful connections and relate to others around us that only through connection and being able to see other people we are able to#fight the feeling of alienation we had in the first place and gain a new found confidence!!! like yes. trauma holds us back and can#influence the way we interact with others around us and follow us for so much time but we can also thrive regardless!!!!#genshin lore is so good but also the way this game helps us find peace regarding so many things we all struggle with is beautiful methinks#a lot of the struggles the characters face in the game are related to the fantasy world their inserted to sure but they're also still#incredibly relatable to the most common person if we strip down that fantasy layer#i think it's about being seen and understood feeling less lonely and also seeing others through less of a 1st person lense about finding#beauty and significante in diversity#but anyways rant over#i'm having fun with windblume and i love events like this where we just get to revisit characters and see them have a good time with each#other!!! it's so comforting plus mondstadt looks so pretty
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I feel so stupid because I applied for a job at a Catholic school and I didn’t know you need a reference from a PASTOR until literally the last step lmao
#I’m not Christian or Catholic#and they had like 5 messages abt diversity and wanting to hire people of every background blah blah#then I uploaded a custom cover letter#and resume and ALL#and it wouldn’t let me submit bc I needed a pastor reference#like no thank you… I just wanted the job bc it pays mlre#anyway is this normal? I genuinely dk if it’s expected I feel dumb
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that bittersweet feeling of reading a fic and having it touch you so deeply that you want it to live inside you forever — and knowing for a fact that you could never have written it
#i don't know how to explain it because it's not strictly a negative feeling#it's not necessarily about skill either#it's the innate diversity of humanity and the fact that certain stories can only be told by certain people with certain experiences#and when you find a story like that and you know that you needed to read it#you're so grateful#but then you wish you could have seen inside yourself the way they managed to see you#i don't know. i'm not making sense#thank you fic writers i love you
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Have a doc filled with Mario headcanons and wanted to share the sexualities part because fuck it, it’s still pride month.
Disclaimer since it’s relevant to this post : I headcanon that Peach, Daisy, Wario and Waluigi are all creatures from the world of the Mushroom Kingdom who look the way they do due to magic gems (those blue and green gems that Peach and Daisy have respectively). Peach is a Toad, Daisy is a Dino-Rhino (unless those flower people from Mario Bros acid trip Wonder are from her Kingdom, then again I like Daisy being a giant cool Dino, plus the trailer for Wonder showed several other big animals), not sure for Wario and Waluigi but they’re not humans. The Super Crown works the way it does because there’s one of those gems in it.
Also, since it’s briefly mentioned, what I call the “main” continent is made out of the Mushroom, Koopa, Bomb-omb, Thwomp, and Goomba kingdoms. Sarasaland (retconned into Flower Kingdom now ?) and other kingdoms are on other continents (yes I know in Superstar Saga the Beanbean kingdom is neighbors with the Mushroom. But since they never appear in other games, I’ve chosen to ignore that detail).
Anyways, onto the headcanons :
- Mario : Transmasc Aromantic Heterosexual ; he realized he’s aro after finding out Peach is a Toad and losing sexual interest in her (felt bad about it at first because he thought he fell out of love upon discovering Peach at her most vulnerable, Bowser made it worse for him by accusing him of liking her only due to her human form) ; him being transmasc is why he’s named Mario Mario (he thought it would be funny)
- Luigi : Cis Bisexual ; had a fling with Peasley + loves Daisy ; he’s gender non-conforming and sometimes shares clothes with Peach, he also trains his voice to be higher-pitched for the heck of it (+ it can help in case he has to take Peach’s place for a kidnapping)
- Peach : Demiromantic Pansexual ; is cis-passing in human form but is technically transfem due to being a Toad
- Bowser : Omnisexual ; Cis tho I like the idea of him being transmasc and birthing Junior’s egg
- Yoshi and Birdetta are T4T + poly (hence Birdetta flirting with others) ; Birdetta’s eggs aren’t actually eggs (insert joke about her “eggs” being white) ; not sure if “all Yoshis that lay eggs are female” but at least all those that lay eggs that can be fertilized are female (and on that note YOSHI MIGHT BE CANONICALLY TRANSMASC ???!!!) ; Yoshi is straight while Birdetta is plurisexual (bi/pan/omni etc)
- Daisy : Straight + intersex + transfem (imagine if Prince Haru from the 1986 movie was her appearance pre-transition, but remove the whole “Peach’s fiancé” part of the plot, or the plot as a whole since the events of this movie didn’t happen here, just keep Haru’s design as “Daisy before transitioning”)
- Big fan of the headcanon that Kamek is gay ; he doesn’t date because 1. He’s busy 2. He’s getting too old for this 3. He’s devoted to his son and grandchildren which takes all his free time
- Depending on which creature he is Wario would be cishet though I could also see him be plurisexual (bi/pan/omni/other label that has to do with dating more than one gender ; I like putting diversity in queer headcanons but I’m not the most knowledgeable on labels past the most common ones)
- Not sure for Rosalina, either aroace or she’s allo but just stays single due to her life situation ; probably non-binary (she/it, could also be a play on the fact that some see her as some kind of goddess)
- Pauline is Cis Lesbian and her and Mario parted on good terms after he came out as trans on top of other reasons (basically they still care a lot about each other but realized they were better off as friends, the whole “unknown aro + transmasc with lesbian” simply gave them an easier excuse to break up)
- Really not sure for Bowser's kids, the only ideas that are "set in stone" are that Ludwig is gay, Wendy is attracted to boys (doesn't meant she can't like girls), Lemmy is demi-boy (they/him) and Morton is attracted to girls (like Wendy it doesn't close the door for liking men).
Not sure for the rest, though I could see Iggy using he/neopronouns (likely xe/xem) and at least one of them being interesex. Btw the older kids say they don’t date because they’re busy with royal duties but the truth is they are just incredibly awkward + they can’t ask their dad for advice since he’s a romantic disaster
- I could see Toadsworth be aroace, since even in his younger years he cared more about raising his surrogate daughter than dating + he never pressures Peach into marrying ? In general he doesn’t seem to care about romance ? ; he’s also transmasc because Toad
- After seeing Bowser’s Inside Story and the beginning of Dream Team, Starlow is a lesbian crushing on Peach (is very buddy-buddy with Peach despite barely knowing her, makes a big deal out of Peach being kept safe, calls her “Peach” instead of “Princess” from the get go, at times seems to see Peach as the best person in the room)
- Toads and Goombas are naturally agender because mushrooms ; some choose to express a specific gender (ex Toadsworth, Toadette, Peach, the Toads and Goombas from the first two Paper Mario) ; some may use gendered pronouns even if their presentation doesn’t display any specific gender (ex Captain Toad using he/him despite looking like any other Toad) ; basically every Toad/Goomba that use gendered pronouns (or neopronouns) is technically trans and/or non-binary ; cisgender Toads/Goombas go by they/it ; the Super Crown gem gives the shape the Toad see themselves as but it doesn’t have to be cis-passing or even gender conforming, can be androgyne (Daisy took a while to figure herself out, hence her gem giving her Haru’s look at first ; she's not from an agender species but the way the gems work still applies to hers, hence mentioning how her being trans worked on that front)
- That previous point implies either all Toads have the same metabolism and thus all grow facial hair (Peach having to shave tho) or they have mushrooms that serves as HRT for those who want more “masculine” or “feminine” traits (hair/facial hair and tone of voice) ; the color of their hats has nothing to do with gender for Toads (ignore Nintendo’s weird obsession with making every female character in the Mario franchise pink)
- Sexual dimorphism in general is very rare/limited in this world (only the Beanbean kingdom has it ?), in “main” continent, Koopas are the ones where it’s the most present and even then it’s very minimal (genitals, who can lay eggs, possibly size but even then not really since Pom Pom is the only one smaller than her male counterpart, Wendy and other female Koopas aren’t particularly small)
- Toads (and other species) experimenting with gender could be due to seeing Koopas make the distinction between “male” and “female” and finding the idea of changing your appearance based on how you feel to be fun (even though you have the concept of male and female Koopas, there’s no transphobia in Bowser’s kingdom) ; by that point it’s common for Toads to change however they feel and go by any pronouns they want, just because they’re aware of the concepts of masculinity and femininity doesn’t mean they have to follow it to the letter with their pronouns unless they want to
- On that note, I could see Toadette as genderfluid, though she most often goes by she/her ; I could also see one or several of the other main Toads (Ala Gold, Bucken Berry, Captain Toad, "The" Red ToadTM) be bi-gender
- Not sure what’s going on with Waluigi but he’s definitely queer
#Super Mario#Mario headcanons#queer headcanons#long post#Flor talks#not tagging all the characters; no thank you#you have no idea how much back and forth I did with some of these headcanons to put as much diversity as possible with my limited knowledge#and for some like Bowser's kids; I'm still heavily undecided#(I REALLY need to read more about more obscure labels...)#for example: I didn't know who to make as a lesbian aside from Pauline but she's Mario's gf at some point so it wouldn't work#and then I saw comics of both Mario brothers being trans and fell in love with the idea of transmasc Mario#which makes the whole thing with Pauline very convenient#also I tried to balance having a few cishet people in there as well because as weird as it might be to say on a queer-heavy website#in a perfect world; there would be no difference between cishet and queer; so I had to put a few here#on that note; I love how at first I was worried maybe I was making too many cis characters#all the while basically going 'EVERY SINGLE TOAD WE EVER MET IS TRANS'#(btw the whole gender 'fuckery' with the Toads is my favorite headcanon out of all of them#they're just little guys vibing; dressing up the way they want and using the pronouns they want :) )
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Last request ask and I will stop being a prompt hog. You inspired me with your replies-
Reddie for either injury or thunder/lightning?? Quinnick’s choice 👀
I need to stop saying stuff to make you steal prompts (/S /lh)
What if I told you I chose both. If anyone wanted these prompts, sorry but Beck is hogging all the prompts
#/lh#quinnick answers#It has nothing to do with wanting to do Reddie 2 days in a row#Thank you for claiming prompts for outside of ST#My list is full of Byler#I love them but I need diversity#moots#Anyways request more Byler I love them#quinnick fictober#Ask
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My very last comic for The Nib! End of an era! Transcription below the cut. instagram / patreon / portfolio / etsy / my book / redbubble
The first event I went to with GENDER QUEER was in NYC in 2019 at the Javits Center.
So many of the people who came to my signing were librarians, and so many of them said the same thing: "I know exactly who I want to give this to!"
Maia: "Thank you for helping readers find my book!"
While working on the book, I was genuinely unsure if anyone outside of my family and close friends would read it. But the early support of librarians and two American Library Association awards helped sell two print runs in first year.
Since then, GENDER QUEER been published in 8 languages, with more on the way: Spanish, Czech, Polish, French, Italian, Norwegian, Portugese and Dutch.
It has also been the most banned book in the United States for the past two years.
The American Library Association has tracked an astronomical increase in book challenges over the past few years. Most of these challenges are to books with diverse characters and LGBTQ themes. These challenges are coming unevenly across the US, in a pattern that mirrors the legislative attacks on LGBTQ people.
The Brooklyn Public Library offered free eCards to anyone in the US aged 13-21, in an effort to make banned books more available to young readers. A teacher in Norman, Oklahoma gave her students the QR code for the free eCard and lost her job. Summer Boismeir is now working for the Brooklyn Public Library.
Hoopla and Libby/Overdrive, apps used to access digital library books, are now banned in Mississippi to anyone under 18. Some libraries won’t allow anyone under 18 to get any kind of library card without parental permission.
When librarians in Jamestown, Michigan refused to remove GENDER QUEER and several other books, the citizens of the town voted down the library’s funding in the fall 2022 election. Without funding, the library is due to close in mid-2024.
My first event since covid hit was the American Library Association conference in June 2022 in Washington, DC. Once again, the librarians in my signing line all had similar stories for me: “Your book was challenged in our district"
"It was returned to the shelf!"
"It was removed from the shelf..."
"It was moved to the adult section."
Over and over I said: "Thank you. Thank you for working so hard to keep my book in your library. I’m sorry you had to defend it, but thank you for trying, even if it didn't work."
We are at a crossroads of freedom of speech and censorship. The future of libraries, both publicly funded and in schools, are at stake. This is massively impacting the daily lives of librarians, teachers, students, booksellers, and authors around the country. In May 2023, I read an article from the Washington Post analyzing nearly 1000 of the book challenges from the 2021-2022 school year. I was literally on route to a festival to talk about book bans when I read a startling statistic.
60% of the 1000 book challenges were submitted by just 11 people. One man alone was responsible for 92 challenges. These 11 people seem to have made submitting copy-cat book challenges their full-time hobby and their opinions are having an outsized ripple effect across the nation.
WE NEED TO MAKE THE VOICES SUPPORTING DIVERSE BOOKS AND OPPOSING BOOK BANS EVEN LOUDER.
If you are able too, show up for your library and school board meetings when book challenges are debated. Send supportive comments and emails about the Pride book display and Drag Queen story hours. If you see a display you like– for Banned Book Week, AAPI Month, Black History Month, Disability Awareness Month, Jewish holidays, Trans Day of Remembrance– compliment a librarian! Make sure they feel the love stronger than the hate <3
Maia Kobabe, 2023
The Nib
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THE TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION HAVE ISSUED AN APOLOGY AND A RE-INVITATION. HERE IS MY STATEMENT
hello buckaroos. the TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION have issued a formal statement and apology which you can read at the attached link.
while i find the language used to discuss what was done a little unsatisfying, i would like to start by saying i appreciate anyone taking steps to prove love is real and make things right. the genuine feeling of ‘realizing you have made a mistake and hurt someone else’ is a terrible one, and i have so much empathy for this group as they reckon with their choices causing harm. i appreciate their apology.
i also think more good than bad has come from this situation. i am so thankful this happened to me (someone with a large social media presence) and not a smaller buckaroo author without the means to stand up for themselves. i think the next time someone comes to the TXLA with an accommodation need, they will hopefully be taken more seriously
lets trot down to business about specifics now. the TXLA has re-invited chuck to the original panel and even offered to take a moment at the top of the panel to talk about what happened. this is very kind of them and i will say THANK YOU.
unfortunately i will also have to decline.
the fact that it took this much effort, social media backlash, and discussion to let me simply EXIST PHYSICALLY in a way that is authentic to myself is not a good sign. if this organization immediately questions an authors chosen presentation in this manner, i cannot imagine what my other accommodations would be met with.
sometimes i am at an event and i very quickly need extra space to breathe. sometimes i am at an event and i need special guides to help me along from place to place. these are not ‘big asks’ and every other conference has gladly provided them, but if the TXLA had this kind of initial reaction to my physical appearance, i cannot imagine them readily helping with my other needs without ‘proof’.
this is clearly not a safe place to trot for those who require additional accommodations. regardless of any apology, their ACTIONS have shown that people who appear unusual or unique are not welcome at this event on a subconscious level. i believe the TXLA have some serious inner work to do beyond this apology, and i believe this inner work will involve actions more than words.
but even more importantly i would like to make this very important point: IT DOES NOT MATTER IF MY MASK IS A DISABILITY AID OR NOT. i appreciate the way this discussion has allowed us to trot out some deep talks on autism and proved love in this way, but i think there is a much more important point at hand.
regardless of WHAT someone looks like, it is not the job of an event or conference to pick apart WHY. physical presentation can be a part of someones neurodivergence, or gender, or sexuality, but i can also just exist as a nebulous undefined part of their inner self. it can be a piece they are not ready to openly discuss yet. the guests at TXLA are authors (aka ARTISTS) and the idea that a conference dedicated to an ART is going to deny people with unique and unusual presentations for ANY reason is absurd. since when are we applying a ‘dress code’ to our artists?
without knowing it, i personally believe there is an element of the ‘good queer, bad queer’ phenomenon going on here. there is a push to say ‘LOOK we accept these marginalized groups and cultures’ but behind the scenes that means ‘we accept these marginalized groups and cultures who are quiet and speak in turn and wear the metaphorical suit and tie’. it is easy to show diversity when you only take on the voices that arent too ‘strange’.
to prove my point i ask you this: do you think orville peck would have FOR ONE SECOND been asked to perform at the texas library association event without his mask?
so with that i say ‘very sincerely, thank you, but i will have to decline the re-invitation. maybe next year’
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I keep seeing posts talking about the WGA/Sag-Aftra strike, which yes, good, but in all this "support writers" sentiment I'm seeing no one talk about book writers, which I think is something people should know more about right now.
We are at an all-time high for book bans, namely targeting queer & PoC-authored books. This means that a lot of schools and libraries are no longer stocking diverse YA books, and if you're not in publishing, you may not realize this but school & libraries are by far one of the biggest markets for diverse YA books.
This means that in 2023, YA book sales are down. This is also in part because Barnes & Noble (the largest physical book retailer in the U.S.) is no longer really stocking YA hardcovers. This means that marginalized authors and debut authors are struggling to sell books.
But it's a LOT worse than that. In the past couple of years, marginalized authors are *really* struggling to get new book deals. Most books are acquired by a publisher about 2 years before they release to the public, so this isn't all that noticeable yet, but a LOT of marginalized authors I've spoken to (myself included) have been unable to sell a new YA book since 2020. So while I had a book out last year, even if I sell one right now, you won't see it until 2025-2026. That's three to four years without a new release or the income I get from publishing those books.
On top of that, Big 5 publishers have started closing imprints (namely their diverse imprints) and have started telling their marginalized YA authors to just go. I've had multiple authors tell me their publisher basically said, "eh, we don't care to put in the work for you anymore. You can just go somewhere else". Of the authors who *are* getting offered new contracts, we're being offered pay far below the cost of living and we're being handed contracts that split our payments 4 or 5 ways and require we sign over our work to be used to train AI so they can replace us a few years down the road.
Authors are freelancers who own our IPs, which means we can't unionize the way Hollywood writers can, and despite authors showing up in droves to support HarperCollins employees when they went on strike for fair wages, we're being hung out to dry when it comes to our own rights.
If you enjoy diverse books, especially diverse YA, please understand that many of the authors you loved over the past 3-5 years are being forced out of the industry. We're being exploited, and we have no way to defend ourselves. Our books sales are drying up thanks to anti-queer legislation, our rights are being eaten up by AI, and our publishers are degrading us while profiting of us and refusing to share those profits with us.
Within the publishing industry, we've all been watching this decline happen over the last decade, but outside of it, I know most people have no idea what's going on so please spread the word. And if you care about diverse books especially in YA, please support marginalized authors in any way you can. The industry needs to be reminded that it needs us before we're all eliminated from it.
#Books#diverse books#author#publishing#sag aftra#writers strike#writers#labor rights#workers rights#wga strike
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Windbrook Save 2.0 (In collaboration with @cowboycid and @bobnewbie)- Feat. a family by @oshinsimss
DISCLAIMER:
While this is a CC free save file, it is pack and kit heavy. To give more context, this save utilizes ALL EPs, GPs, and SPs (except My First Pets) as well as ALL KITS (except Bust The Dust and Poolside Splash) While you may not own every pack or kit that I used, the save file is still playable. Everything missing will be substituted.
What's new in 2.0
Willow Creek has new homes, rentals, and one new retail lot
Newcrest has been built (restaurant, gym, retail, and generic lots)
Magnolia Promenade has been built, while somewhat finished, still needs work
Every lot that's finished (including commercial) and families have descriptions, stories, jobs, etcetera
New townies from @simsontherope and @cowplant-snacks
Families from @bobnewbie
A special family, The Westfalls made exclusively by @oshinsimss
Special collaboration with @cowboycid
Other worlds are still empty, I do plan on building new worlds
SCREENSHOTS AND MORE INFO BELOW
SPECIAL THANKS
First and foremost I want to thank my good good friend @cowboycid for collaborating with me on this project. I'm so happy we met when we did because I was starting to lose light. You inspired me to keep going, and for that I appreciate you DOWN. You're a real one sis, no tea. Hugs and kisses for ever.
I also want to thank @bobnewbie for coming through with families. You don't understand just how life saving they were. I didn't get a chance to use all of them, and my original concept for the save fell through due to time constraints, but I'm thankful to have had access to the diverse array of families you made for the save.
A huge thank you to @oshinsimss for taking the time to create a beautiful family, The Westfalls, exclusively for Windbrook 2.0, I love them so much.
Also a big thank you to @cowplant-snacks and @simsontherope for their townies. Without them, the townies would just be... ugh, you know. So, thank you for having them available on the gallery.
I also want to thank @anthonydaydreamer for just showing up for me through this whole process. Like, you just get it boo! Hugs and kisses!
Finally a quick apology to those I intended on sending preview copies of the save. Time was not on my side near the end, things took more time than I thought. Honestly, I needed to get this project off my computer ASAP. I really hope you guys understand. Big hugs and kisses.
Thank you everyone for all the kind words and support over these past few months, your words kept me going, even if I didn't feel I had anymore left to give. This save is a love letter to you all, the simblr community.
Thank you, honestly, truly.
*terrain replacement in screenshots by K-hippie, you don’t need it, it’s just for screenshots + updated download link to include The Westfalls made by @oshinsimss for Windbrook 2.0 - please find more info here*
*updated download as of 10/11/23*
Download (SIMFILESHARE)
TOU: Don't upload any part of this save to any platform without explicit permission, thank you.
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and what if nero thinks of himself as a tool for the three magicians he knew for a decade. what if he only limits as himself as a pawn, what if that's why he so easily threw himself as a sacrifice to protect his friends.
#im giving myself pain because i just know maydare would diverse from this#nero knew his worth but as a prince rather than as himself. he have SO MUCH trust on his familiar that it will bring rescue to his team#kanon told nero why he saved him and told him about the future war just when he was 6 years old. he kept that in mind and what his life is#for. kanon literally told nero that he's gonna be a necessary pawn in the future lmao?? kanon who had gone through so much could not care#less for some ordinary people ig since he was so detached from emotions... he's straightforward to nero and nero took it pretty well?????#ANYWAY rereading nero.... nero didn't seem to mind dying??????? like what the hell boy????????? he's not freaking out about himself#dying at all. rather he's concerned for the things happening around him and the people worrying about him????#'beatrice saw me and let out a small cry. did i look that bad?' YOU'RE IN A STATE OF DYING. NERO YOU WERE STABBED.#IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF YOUR BODY. A CURSE IS SPREADING IN YOUR BODY. NERO???#'What was i doing/ thinking about things so detachedly when it hurt so much that it felt like i was going to die' YOU😭#he knows he can't die here. he know he have so many things left to do.#this entire time he's fighting through the curse he did not say anything. the only words he uttered was makia's name. his concern for her.#he felt like he can't die without confirming if she's okay. once he knew that she's already he felt relieved that his vision is turning#white. nero what the fuck omg. i know he's been fighting off the curse the best he can and he's getting tired but nero oh my god#be concerned for yourself boy#for ten years he don't value himself as himself but rather someone who is a pawn for this world and the three magicians.#he's well aware of the purpose of his life. he's already set to serve those three magicians specially kanon for saving him and teaching him#various of things. also what was shatoma saying what did she mean#'What? I merely did what i could do for you wou didn't need any help.' what do you mean#first off i wanna point out the way she replied to nero's apology and thanks 'i merely did what i could do for you' i don't know how to#describe it but it feels like she was familiar with him in a fond way?? that added with 'who didn't need any help' she knows what he's#capable of and i think shatoma knows he can overcome it by himself? but my boy is like. gonna pass out. i think she's genuinely worried lol#each magician had something to do this volume- eska had to go find makia and thor and bring them to ulysses#ulysses makia and thor had to release pan faunus while eska puts up the defense. shatoma could've gone with eska or with kanon but no#she went to where the rest were- it's probably to check on the people in the labyrinth.. i want to know if she knew about nero's injuries..#oh that reminds me- shatoma is in lune ruschia's uniform so she's probably in the labyrinth before nero frey and lapis came back#she and eska probably arrived *after* nero makia and frey went out to find lapis#eska goes to find makia and thor while shatoma went in the labyrinth before gt9 came back#🦋'...Kanon? He's going where he needs to go.' in which nero thought 'So Brother's on the move.'........... he knows he knows..#shatoma trust nero enough to know how capable he is.. maybe she even trust him enough to let him know about their plans since he's
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[ID: An eight page digital comic featuring Sam, Celia, and Alice from The Magnus Protocol on a gray background. The characters are all colored with a single color each. Sam is red, Celia is green, and Alice is pink. Sam is a fat Arab man with short curly dark hair, a mustache, and a small goatee, and he is wearing small black earrings, a cardigan, a turtleneck, trousers and loafers. Celia is a taller Korean woman with short dark hair and she is wearing rectangular glasses, piercings including an industrial piercing, an x-shaped earring, and snakebites, a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a vest, trousers, and black wrist cuffs. Alice is an even taller white woman with long fluffy hair and crooked teeth, and she is wearing cat eye glasses, three pairs of earrings, snakebites, a flannel shirt, a hoodie tied around her waist, a patchwork skirt, bracelets, and a lanyard.
Sam and Celia are stood at a table covered in papers. Celia urgently turns to Sam.
Celia: Alice is coming! She can't catch us researching, we need a diversion, QUICK! How can we make her think we're not doing what we're doing?
Sam, shrugging really hard: UHHHH she thinks I have a crush on you??
Celia, sweating, turns back to where Alice is coming from, panicked, and turns back to Sam, shrugging and reaching for him.
Celia smiling a bit manically: Yeah, that'll work, sure!
Sam, with Celia's hands grabbing his cardigan: Wait whaAAAA-
He is pulled out of frame.
Alice walks in: Hey Sam, working hard or hardly woOOOAA
She leans on the doorframe as she holds a hand to her chest in shock.
The next panel is rendered with soft pink shadows and "shoujo sparkles" in the now pink background. Sam is sitting on the table holding onto Celia, whose face is buried in his neck as she wraps one arm around his back and the other holds up one of his legs under his knee. Neither of their faces are visible. The rest of the page fades back to gray from there.
Sam and Celia look over at Alice, hair ruffled, Sam is now blushing.
Sam: ALICE!!
He pushes Celia away and they look at each other for a moment, panicked.
Sam: It's- .... exactly what it looks like!
Celia: Aw, you've caught us!
He rests his hands on her shoulders and they both look in opposite directions as though embarrassed. Celia is also blushing lightly. There are red and green neon signs pointing to them reading "Totally Ham-Slammin'" and "GAY! (in an M/F way)" respectively.
Alice looks to be in shock with a vacant expression and a computer pop up over her forehead reading "Alice.exe has stopped responding". In the next panel she is fine again and back to smirking.
Alice: WOW SAM, didn't know you had it in you! Now I'm no snitch, so I didn't see anything, BUT- you lovebirds should cut it out before Gwen catches you.
Celia and Sam look at each other anxiously, cheeks pressed together as she speaks.
Alice: You KNOW she'd tell Lena.
Celia, pulling back and smoothing her hair out: Oh, for sure.
Sam: Th-Thanks, Alice.
Alice: Don't mention it! I'll give you crazy kids a minute to straighten up, TA-TA~
She waves as she leaves.
Sam and Celia listen to her steps fade before going "phew" and finally pulling away from each other, now holding hands at an arms distance.
Celia: You alright? That was kinda sudden....
Sam: It's fine! Just a bit caught off guard.
Celia: I can't believe she actually bought all of that!
Sam: Me either! Works for me, though.
Celia: Did you want to get down-
Sam, pulling away suddenly, blushing again: NO!
He crosses his legs and looks away sheepishly, scratching his head.
Sam: I wanna stay here another minute or so....
Celia, concerned: You sure you're alright?
Sam: Yeah! Just, er....
Celia looks at him, confused.
Sam, blushing increasingly harder: Ahem. (He folds his hands in his lap politely.) I am not immune to being thrown on a table.
Celia, smiling and politely stepping away: AH! .... Noted~
She walks away casually, still smiling.
Celia: I'll give you a minute to collect yourself.
Sam, head down in his lap, embarrassed: Thanks....
He looks up after she leaves.
Sam: Wait.
He straightens up, slightly panicked, face entirely red.
Sam: What do you mean by "NOTED"?!
end ID]
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i am SO glad this episode didn't entirely debunk the silly headcanon that birthed this comic. initially i wasn't convinced sam actually had a crush so i made this like "well if he didn't before, HE DOES NOW" so.... here's this silly comic thing <3 i just think they're neat <3
#fg's art#the magnus protocol#tmagp#samama khalid#celia ripley#alice dyer#do sam and celia have a shipname yet. idk.#also i am REALLY proud of the expressions in this one#also also if you see inconsistencies no you don't <3#also also also i hope the id is good!! still not used to doing comics and stuff but i hope it works!
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