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people just keep ignoring us and showing surface level support for us but they do nothing to actually try and dismantle amanormativity or anything like that. people will reblog "aroace people are valid!" posts but then they dont engage or listen to us when we want to actually talk about issues we face.

and yeah, sure, it feels silly, but like. it is genuinely IMPOSSIBLE to escape amanormativity. i want to have fun in a fandom! thats why im here! i want to talk about characters i like, look at art and read fanfiction! i wanna see what people think about the same media i enjoy!!! but its so hard to do that when the vast majority of fandoms wants to talk about nothing but shipping.

and the phm fandom was SUCH a breath of fresh air! not only was it GENUINELY the first fandom where a main character was headcanoned as aroace- but it was also the first fandom where platonic relationships seemed to be the most important and talked about and praised. there were so many posts by aroace people talking about how grace being aroace resonated with them, how it makes his story more deep and meaningful and how good of a representation it is to how it is in the real world!

and people would reblog it and engage! ALLO people would reblog and show support to that headcanon!!!!! that never fucking happens! that never happens! previous fandoms ive been in would only have other aspec people interacting with those types of post! here it seemed the MAJORITY of the fandom would engage!

but now suddenly if you want to talk about how weird it is that people dropped the aroace grace thing in favor of a crossover crackship you get called a buzzkill and get told to just block the tag and ignore it and that people are just having fun.

yeah. people are having fun. much more fun that they had with the aroace grace thing it seems. bmary feels like it appeared out of nowhere and took over most of the fandom. aroace grace is not that fun now that theres a fun dude to ship him with.

and like. i really dont like feeling bitter and angry about this! but it is SO clear that people just genuinely do not fucking care about what aspec people have to say. to them us asking for some representation and acknowledgment is asking them to stop having fun.

i already said it before- bmary is a really interesting concept! but it is SO CLEAR to me that people just want to see two conventionally attractive people kiss and fuck at this point.

and i will say- theres nothing wrong with drawing and writing smut and kissing just for the sake of it. but it gets to a point where you have to wonder why thats the only fucking thing people care about.

(i also want to add on- i feel like as much as this is a bmary problem, it also seems like people are just moving on from the main platonic bond of the movie in general. i see more and more of romantic gracerocky every day, and while i absolutely adore them, it is...a little disappointing. because to me it just screams that its not enough for people and they need them to be something "more". with bmary is even WORSE because rocky gets sidelined almost EVERY TIME. graces whole thing about being a coward was changed when he met rocky! he almost died saving rocky! they would both die for each other! they are best friends! they mean the world to each other! thats canon!!! but when you insert simon, a new human to ship grace with- rocky doesnt matter as much and suddenly hes just a sidekick and almost like a pet. thats one of the reasons why my interest in bmary dropped so quick.)

so yeah. id say im sorry that im pissy and "ruining peoples fun" but also consider this: i do not give a single fuck about what allo people say at this point. wah wah wah an aspec person is talking shit about my favorite ship!

you can ship stuff, yes even romantically, and STILL keep a character as aspec.

maybe the character is aromantic but craves romance anyways- maybe they want go on dates and experience romance even if they cant fall in love. maybe theyre asexual and theyre not attracted to their partner but they like feeling good and close them in a very physical sense.

maybe theyre asexual but not aromantic- and they dont like sex! maybe the relationship is strictly romantic but not sexual! or the other way around- maybe theyre aromantic and not asexual and they get uncomfortable with the idea of being in a romantic relationship- but they still want sex!

and i have examples of my own ships and how i like them!

i love strattland when their relationship is not romantic in the slightest- i enjoy a friends/coworkers with benefits kinda relationship when it comes to them. its just stress relief for the both of them. i also saw someone say they view stratt as aplatonic- and honestly thats one of my favorite ways to look at her too. theyre not dating, theyre not even friends. theyre coworkers. they care for each other, but theres no love attached to that care.

i love carlgrace where neither of them are sure of their sexuality and they experiment with each other. carl is bicurious- is he attracted to men? hes not really sure, but hed be willing to try and see. grace has a complicated relationship with dating and sex- hes dated women before, but it never felt like anything else besides friendship. maybe hes gay? but men dont really seem different to him when it comes to attraction. bisexual then? carl and grace experimenting and figuring themselves out while staying friends.

one of my guilty pleasures when it comes to crossover ships is starstruck. i think that ship is funny as hell especially with aroace grace in the mix. one sided crush on ryders side is a particularly funny way to view the ship. another one is romance repulsed grace who just hits up ryder to hook up when hes in town visiting colt. they never talk or go on dates, its not an exclusive relationship, its just the occasional hookup. grace enjoys it because ryder doesnt want anything more. he doesnt even find him particularly attractive- he doesnt really find most people attractive, but he wants to feel nice without having to worry about someone catching feelings or expecting something more. and with how ryder sleeps around and doesnt particularly care to chit chat with him, its exactly what hes looking for.

when it comes to gracerocky as a ship, i enjoy a friends with benefits situation here as well. theyre both curious about the others biology and anatomy and its a nice little way to pass the time on the way to erid. mutually beneficial biology lessons. i also love a sex repulsed grace who just enjoys rockys company, just likes that theres finally someone in his life who wont expect anything else from him. grace who is finally sure that his partner wont expect sex as the next step in their relationship, that he wont see this as something to "deepen" their relationship.

Body Horror: Things that cannot happen in real life. EX: The Thing, stomach mouths, eyes on hands, etc

Gore: Fresh injuries, often severe. EX: Severed leg, gutspill, deep gashes, etc

NEITHER: Healed injuries and burns, congenital differences, missing appendages, etc. If I could theoretically go to the store and see that character browsing the isles- It isn't body horror or gore. That's just a person. *AND the amount of people that tag, not just fictional characters, but real human beings as body horror is staggering. Its not solely a fandom issue, ableism and bigotry against anyone that looks sufficiently "different" is prevalent in real life and has devastating consequences.

attack on @sharkfiinn !

i saw the poem and thought, hey what if i killed grace :D i liked exploring prism's potential reaction to his eventual death... small cameo of @problematiccheeto 's cheeto!

Greetings bugs and worms!

This comic is a little different than what I usually do but I worked real hard on it—Maybe I'll make more infographic stuff in the future this ended up being fun. Hope you learned something new :)

If you are still curious and want to learn more about OCD, you can visit the International OCD Foundation's website. I also recommend this amazing TED ED video "Starving The Monster", which was my first introduction to the disorder and this video by John Green about his own experience with OCD.

The IOCDF's website can also help you find support groups, therapy, and has lots of online guides and resources as well if you or a loved one is struggling with the disorder. It is very comprehensive!

Reblog to teach your followers about OCD

first page

text reads "what is OCD? an informational comic!!

when most people think of obsessive compulsive disorder, they picture someone who likes things to be spotless and symmetrical... someone which has all their ducks in a row." the cartoon ant is pictured scrubbing a bench, and counting a row of toy ducks.

the text continues, "but unfortunately OCD is not the "liking to clean shit" disorder. OCD is about fear."

second page

text reads "an obsession is a horrible fear that causes repeated intrusive thoughts". the ant is shown very panicked, with a thought bubble reading "what if my mom is dead?".

text continues, "a compulsion is an action that gives you temporary relief from those thoughts". the ant calls their mom, asking "hey mom! how ya doing?". their mom responds "oh i'm doing alright".

text continues, "we live in an ocean of uncertainty and the way we cope with that can be less than ideal". the ant is shown shining a torch, behind them text reads "is that a mole or is that cancer? heart attack or panic attack? what if i die in a plane crash? did i lock the door? am i going to hell? what if the police are after me? what if everyone hates me?".

in the light shone by the torch, the ants mom looks concerned, and speaks into the phone "this is the fifth time you've called me today babygirl".

third page

text reads "obsessive compulsive behaviour can seem pretty bizarre". the ant is shown counting tiles in their bathroom, with a thought bubble that reads "if i don't count my bathroom wall tiles my house will explode".

the text continues, "it usually starts from a place of reason, but can descend, into utter irrationality". under each portion of that sentence the ant is shown in different stages of developing an obsession: first pointing at a visibly mouldy food, thinking "this looks mouldy! better toss it!", then holding a banana, thinking "is this a weird colour? is that mould? better toss it just in case", and lastly frantically pulling food from their cupboard, thinking "this can has a dent! fish might contain mercury! this label looks weird! it's all poison! toss it! toss it! toss it!".

text continues, "most people with OCD are well aware their compulsions don't make any sense, but it's hard to reason yourself out of terror, and the more you do these compulsions, the harder it is to stop". the ant is shown trapped in the middle of a large spiral of smaller ants.

fourth page

text reads "because here's the catch... compulsions make you feel safe in the moment...". the ant stands in a doorway opening into a dark room, with the light behind them casting a large shadow. they exhale in relief, thinking "okay i checked the lock five times, now nobody will kill me in my sleep".

text continues, "but ultimately they reinforce the obsession, making it stronger."

inside a circle of two arrows which loop into each other, one labeled "obsession" and the other "compulsion", text reads "it's a feedback loop of fear!"

in the ants shadow is text representing the intrusive thoughts that follow the ants relief after repeatedly checking their lock, which reads "five times isn't enough, check again, you did it wrong! buy another lock, you will die, check again".

text concludes "this is OCD".

fifth page

text reads "OCD can present in many different ways. a well known obsession is contamination - another is 'checking things'. but an obsession can be... anything! OCD can look like..."

following this is four examples of obsessions, named and with an accompanying drawing. these are:

1. "compulsive prayer": ant is shown praying, thinking "please god don't let me die in my sleep tonight and make me burn in hell forever!!! amen".

2. "seeking reassurance": ant texts someone on their phone - asking "do you love me?", the recipient responds "yes!" to which ant replies "are you sure?". they think "okay what does 'yes!' really mean? they took a while to respond, what if they hate me? what if i'm annoying?".

3. "counting": ant is shown counting aloud many ducks all lined in rows - "27, 28, 29, 30...".

4. "spending too much time on webMD": ant is shown searching rabies symptoms on webMD. they think "could i have rabies? the neighbours dog scratched me two years ago - what if it's been dormant all this time? do i have these symptoms? am i dying? oh no...".

text reads "some people don't have external compulsions at all! this is known as 'purely obsessional' OCD, or pure O".

sixth page

text reads "let's hear some OCD facts!" below this are four facts about OCD, as follows:

"1. it's shockingly common! 1 in 40 people have OCD according to the world health organisation."

39 ants are shown in rows, with one standing to the side exclaiming "wait really?".

"2. OCD often starts in adulthood. about 50% of people begin showing symptoms of OCD in childhood and 50% in adulthood average age of onset: 19."

next to this is a two panel drawing: in the first ant is shown wearing a party hat and about to cut into a birthday cake with a big "19" candle. they say "gee, i sure am glad i don't have a mental illness!". the second is a close up of their face with a dark background, with their eyes drawn as white, indicating sudden shock or doom.

"3. obsessions wax and wane. for many, OCD is episodic. between fear cycles, one may feel better or even completely normal".

accompanying this fact is a circle formed of four joining arrows, titled "the OCD cycle". the arrows are 1: "obsession", 2: "fear", 3: "compulsion", and 4: "relief", which joins back onto "obsession".

"4. OCD is incredibly misunderstood. in everyday language, obsessive compulsive is used as a synonym for 'tidy' or 'meticulous'. this results in people not taking OCD seriously. even worse, people with OCD don't understand what is happening and don't seek help!".

two drawings accompany this fact. in the first ant stares at a weevil, who shows off their tidy closet saying "i'm sooo OCD - i love to organise!". in the second ant stands in the middle of a mess of clothes, papers, and rubbish, with a thought bubble that reads "what? i have OCD but my room is a mess".

seventh page

text reads "now... pop quiz! this is jeff". an arrow points to jeff, a bug shown standing in his neat and orderly home.

text continues, "jeff keeps his home spotless and lines up objects in groups of three.

is jeff... A. someone with OCD, B. autistic, C. a silly billy. vote now on your phones!!

and the answer is...

you can't tell! motivation matters. remember, OCD is about fear."

below this two alternate jeffs are shown. the first jeff lines up a group of three objects, thinking "oh boy! i sure do love lining up these objects!" - this jeff is labeled "not OCD". the second jeff, though almost identical, is shown sweating and fearful, thinking "there must be three or god will not let me into heaven" - and is labeled "OCD".

eighth page

text reads "final note: OCD is a very serious mental illness. i joke around, but i can't properly put into words how much of a nightmare it can be.

there's a decent chance you read this comic and related to it, and an even higher chance it made you think of someone you love.

i made this comic because i have OCD, and a year ago, i didn't know what that was. i didn't know that...

OCD can be managed. i spent last christmas terrified that everyone was trying to poison me. but this christmas i had a potluck with my friends, which is pretty cool!"

ant is shown enjoying cake from a table piled with food, surrounded by other bugs - all of whom look happy.

ninth page

text reads "moving forward"

on a notebook, the text continues, "OCD can be treated with:

• exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP*)

• cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT*)

• medication

there's also support groups and helpful online resources (linked below)

*(ERP is) not to be confused with erotic roleplay

*(CBT is) not to be confused with... you know"

ant lays back, saying "and now that you know what OCD is.. wanna know the first rule of OCD club?". jeff begins to say "don't talk about-", before being interrupted by ant saying "no! don't feed the obsession! of course...

thanks for reading, i hope y'all learnt something. bye!" ant waves happily to the reader.

> post about accessibility that has image descriptions

> reblogger adds more images, all without descriptions

Bonus points for

> someone else comes in and adds an image description in their reblog for the missing one

hi, everyone. the situation at home has gotten progressively worse, with my father turning physically abusive and breaking my nose a few weeks ago. Me and my gf need help to leave the house and rent a small place for ourselves, as well as pay for our meds and hrt. We are kind of in a desperate situation right now, and any amount would really help us.

p*yp*l: [email protected]

I WILL !!! I WILL DO THAT

some of my favourite indigenous artists, in no particular order:

Inuit artists:

the jerry cans (esp their album Inuusiq)

beatrice deer

twin flames

Māori artists:

jordyn with a why

Indigenous australian artists:

tilly tjala thomas (i particularly love ngai yurlku nhiina)

kardajala kirridarra (srlsly check out ngajabu (Grandmother's Song))

And one of her own:

Oh and of course there's also the HU and Bloodywood for people who like more rock and metal mixed in:

Darkaside is a Papuan metal band

Shepherds Reign is a Samoan metal band

Lenin Tamayo, Quechua pop singer.

And of course I can't not add Mari Boine (Sámi) to a post like this:

And Arvvas, who I think have moved on to other things but did mashups of Sámi traditional singing and jazz:

My family is homeless and struggling to find work so we can get out of this situation. I have a lead but it's taking a long time for them to get through the preliminary hiring process so I have no idea how long that could end up taking. In the mean time, we have no income and my wife and I have been dealing with recurring illness and pain every day while struggling to make ends meet. I'm burning out really bad and our support system is almost completely gone at this point.

At the moment, we need help affording temporary shelter, food, toiletries, medicine, and important bills (car/phone/etc.). We are falling behind on pretty much everything right now with less coming in and more being asked of us and we've been having to go to the doctor much more often as our health has been declining. We need rest to recover but there is just so much stress and it's so hot outside. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Venmo: @garbageconnoisseur CashApp: $garbageconnoisseur PayPal: @garbageconnoisseur