Transman Badass

Grief is inconsistent. It's not logical. It doesn't follow rules and the one thing about grief is that everyone processes it differently.

You can grieve the living, and you can grieve the dead. You might grieve an unrequited love that was never meant to be, or you might be grieving the death of a loved one.

People react in ways that might not make sense to others. Your character might cry over a misplaced object. They might feel 'fine' one moment, and then completely overwhelmed in the next moment. Small, unexpected things can trigger this. Your character is in public and briefly hears lyrics of their loved one's favourite song? This could easily trigger a meltdown.

Mundane things can become emotional. This means cooking meals or seeing a certain snack in the shop. Reaching for their phone and opening a specific conversation as if to text that one person by pure habit.

It shows up in behaviour. These are the physical affects that someone would see. Perhaps something a close friend or family member would only notice. Maybe the character looks more tired than normal, or has far more nightmares. Forgetfulness, withdrawal, or conversely, getting more attached to others. Does your character throw themselves into work to stay busy, or pick up random hobbies they thought they'd enjoy, but actually hate? Might they take up risky habits just to feel some other emotion again?

People around them act differently. Friends avoiding topics, people either trying to get closer to help, or even withdrawing from the relationship altogether.

There isn't a timeline. The event might not be something that your character gets over. It sticks with them. It builds or breaks their character. Setbacks and obstacles: This event might change the shape of their future completely. Do they get over it quickly? Do they seek help to process it? Do they power through and take this grief with them their entire life, or do they fall to the intensity?

Think about a time in any media you've consumed (webcomics, TV series, anime, films, books, etc...) where someone has lost something. This could be a lost love, a lost life, or even lost someone they thought they hated.

As someone with adhd I have a lot of trouble being productive and staying focused. This year i’ve developed a few techniques that have really helped me write more!

Write for a set amount of time Every day I write for one hour. Sometimes I don’t write much, other times I write a lot. What’s important is that I have one hour every day to sit down and do it. Making it a habit is important! Also, the fact that I have a set end point helps me to focus. 

Have a writing space I never seem to be able to focus as well when i’m writing from bed. Now what I do is I have a table in the living room, and I go there to write. That’s what I do there, and when I sit down at that table, it puts me in the mindset to write. 

Have writing music I have playlists for certain stories! Personally I have to listen to ones that are soft and mostly instrumental. When I listen to the playlist, I know it’s time to write!

Have a writing candle This one might be a personal thing, but I like to have a scent associated with a task. 

You can move to scroll in another space (if you haven’t gotten out of bed yet, move to the couch; if you haven’t left the house yet, you can sit outside)

You can make your current space more pleasant to scroll in (if it’s not possible to move spaces, open a window or light a candle in your space)

You can scroll while taking care of your body (change into clean clothes, scroll while brushing your teeth or washing your face, scroll while drinking water or having a snack)

You can stay on social media but avoid depressing or mindless content (try searching for fun facts, hobbies you’re interested in, or good news)

Hard mode: try just making the switch on your phone from short-form to long-form content (from dozens of short posts to an article, a fanfic, or an ebook; from TikToks/Reels/Shorts to a interesting or fun YouTube video, podcast, audiobook, or film) — this can be the first step in transitioning out of being “stuck,” because you can, for example, go on a walk while listening to an audiobook, fold clothes while watching a video, etc.

Expert mode: Set a timer for one minute and put down your phone. Do anything else. (Take deep breaths, go get a drink, pick up a book or craft.) If you can do this, aspire to two or five minutes and keep increasing your time away from scrolling. (Use your phone to play music, a podcast, or an audiobook if this prevents you from picking it up again)

‣ rain against the window ‣ fire cracking ‣ neighbors gossiping outside the window ‣ wind howling ‣ laughter from a room over ‣ floorboards creaking ‣ pen scraping on paper ‣ the heating groaning and rattling ‣ muffled music ‣ kids giggling as they sneak around past their bedtime ‣ branches scraping the window ‣ arguments from somewhere in the house

2. The Delectable Negro: Human Consumption and Homoeroticism Within US Slave Culture by Vincent Woodard

3. "Abolitionists turned the tables on Europeans by accusing them of being cannibals when they ate sugar tainted with the flesh and blood of slaves."

here's the intro

I wanted to put together a post of resources and advice all collected into one spot, so here we go!

And remember, just because you think you live in an area where you are safe from wildfires because "it doesn't happen here" does not mean your risk is zero. Wildfires can happen anywhere in the United States, and their prevalence is increasing. Don't be afraid, just be aware and prepared.

Watch Duty

First and foremost, no matter where you live, I HIGHLY recommend getting the Watch Duty app and turning on alerts for the area you live. It is available on Apple, Android, and just as a website. It will allow you to get push notification updates for any wildfires that start in your area, what's happening with them, evacuation information, shelter information, and more all in one spot. It is now available in all fifty states.

The basic and important functions are all free, but you can also get a paid subscription to access some other neat stuff like a flight tracker to see what the firefighting aircraft are doing, fire progression prediction models, a list of links to local emergency services radio feeds you can listen to, etc.

Local Alerts

Signing up for local alerts is also something you need to do. EVEN IF YOU WERE SIGNED UP BEFORE 2026, RECHECK THAT YOU ARE SIGNED UP. Last year the Code Red system, which was one of the most popular local alert systems, was hacked and many places have since moved to other platforms. This means you may need to sign up again even if you were signed up before.

To find out what your local alert system is and how to sign up, search for your town's emergency management information, check government websites, check local fire department websites, or ask local officials.

Mitigate Mitigate Mitigate

Wildfires are going to happen. The best way to help protect your home and/or your business is to mitigate the impact when a fire starts. Things like defensible space, keeping your roof free of combustible debris, screening vents with metal mesh, and using fire safe plants can all be the difference between saving your home and losing it.

The FireWise program is a great place to get started with mitigation, especially if you are interested in community and neighborhood scale projects.

Another great resource if you want to look at mitigation on the community scale is the trainings offered by Coalitions & Collaboratives.

Be sure to also check what resources are available in your local community. You may be able to grants or other forms of support to help with your own mitigation projects.

Prevent the Fire Before it Starts

Put your campfire all the way out. Maintain your vehicle to prevent sparks. Don't park on or against dry plants. If you are towing, make sure your tow chains aren't dragging. If you have snow chains hung on the bottom of your vehicle anywhere, make sure those aren't dragging.

Obey Fire Restrictions

Fire restrictions are generally done on a city or county level, and can be found on the associated city or county websites. Some places are better about this than others. Most areas use the same general restrictions like no open burning, no fireworks, etc., but some may have more specific restrictions you should be familiar with.

And use common sense. If it is hot, dry, and/or windy, don't do things that could start a fire.

Know How to Report a Wildfire

Reporting a wildfire, or potential wildfire, can be tricky without an address. The BEST way is to provide a latitude/longitude, which can usually be obtained on your phone by opening a map app and dropping a pin where you think the fire is, or using other place finding apps like a compass.

If that's not an option, the closest cross streets and landmarks are good. Try to give the closest town as well, even if it is a good distance away, since there are many duplicate place names so having the closest town will help narrow things down considerably.

Understand Your Insurance

I wish I had a good link for this one, but it's going to vary heavily by state. Everyone is doing something different these days, pushing different legislation, enforcing different things. The best thing you can do for yourself is to read through your current policy(ies), talk to your insurance agent, and look up ongoing reforms in your state/area. But it is better to take the time to understand these things now, ahead of fire season.

Have an Evacuation Plan

Know multiple ways out of your neighborhood AND the area where you work AND anywhere else you spend an extensive amount of time. There is a very, very good chance that in a wildfire emergency your cellphone will lose signal and you will not be able to use a GPS app. Pre-planning your evacuation route--and actually driving it a few times--can be critical.

Keep up to date paper maps in your vehicle as well, and know how to read them, in case you lose cell signal for a more extensive amount of time.

Do not attempt to drive on roads that you and/or your vehicle is not capable of. If you get stuck, that creates a much bigger issue for you, other evacuees, and responders.

If you don't drive, for reasons of disability or otherwise, make a plan with friends or family for how you will get out. If you don't have a good support system, reach out to your local fire department to see if they know of any local services that can help, or if they can just take note of your address.

Have a Go Bag Ready

Last but not least, have a Go Bag ready along with your general preparedness measures. A Go Bag is something with JUST the basics. It is not meant to be everything you could ever need, or a full survival system. It is a backpack with the necessities to get you through the first 24-48 hours of an evacuation so you can get your feet under you and figure out the rest from there.

(Full alt text for this poster below the cut.)

If there is no electricity, how are tattoos done? By hand? Magic? Using another tool? More like brandings?

What are people's prejudices towards tattoos? Is it totally common or does it mark you as type of a certain group? Do different species have differing opinions? Why?

Can all species get tattoos? What would the most common style or imagery be for each species?

(If they exist,) How would a species with naturally occurring patterns on their skin feel about tattoos?

Can tattoos and magic somehow be intertwined in the forms of runes? What is the most powerful or dangerous rune someone could have? What is a rather silly one?

Would magical healing get rid of tattoos accidentally?