Dudebros love to make Deadpool into Their Guy but in reality, like in actuoal canon, he’s pansexual, a csa survivor and not the kind of person who would be shitty and racist/sexist/etc. Like it’s true, they are fake geek boys.
I will, until I am blue in the face, defend any adult’s right to enjoy whatever silly, all-ages thing they like without being hassled for it.
But there’s a flip side to that right: As adult fans it is absolutely our responsibility to make sure our enjoyment of that thing does not interfere with a minor’s ability to enjoy the same thing in a safe space.
That means putting warnings on fics that have adult themes, that means not posting porn in the main tags, and it absolutely positively means not having any inappropriate interactions with minors you meet on this website, even if it’s their idea.
This is the basic price of admission every adult has to pay for entry into an all-ages fandom.
I used to wear a chainmail shirt to elementary school. The teachers never knew what to do about it because there was no section in our dress code forbidding medieval armor.
Growing up as a historical reenactor meant that my parents are friends with lots of people who make chainmail. My godsister received a real rapier in fourth or fifth grade, so our unsupervised outdoor playtime was… formative.
omg sooo much fun… Did you ever hear… “Be careful, you could poke an eye out with that?” Or did you have the masks? I knew someone who made chainmail once long ago, That shit is heavy. And did it keep you from being bullied? I think I might have to consider writing a character like that? Are you M/F? OMG that’s just fabulous!!! I just can’t get that out of my mind. I just wow.
Mostly we stomped around in an old growth forest and got ourselves out of whatever trouble we got into, so there weren’t many people around to tell us not to climb trees with a sword at your hip.
The chainmail definitely didn’t protect me from getting bullied, but I found the weight of it strangely comforting - I sleep with a weighted blanket now and it’s much the same feeling. I’ve always been pretty androgynous.
I used to laugh at superheroes who wear domino masks and aren’t recognized, but like… I wore a shitty domino mask to two conventions and took selfies with people who follow my blog and know what I look like and they didn’t realize it was me until I tagged them later.
I came out to my classmates in Morocco by showing up to a nightclub dressed as my alter-ego, Margo. Contact lenses, bangs, makeup, feminine clothing… it helped that they’d been drinking, but it took a long time before anyone recognized me. If I’d worn a wig I’m not sure they would have at all.
An anon asked me if there is a way to celebrate the Wheel of the Year in an Afrocentric way, and it inspired me! I guess I just invented a new set of holidays?
What are Kwanzaa & the Nguzo Saba?
Kwanzaa lasts for seven days from December 26 to January 1. Each day, one’s family does different activities together to honor each of the seven principles of Kwanzaa, which are called the Nguzo Saba. These principles are focused on celebrating and encouraging an Afrocentric way of living by a connection to black identity, values, and culture in a positive way that supports oneself and one’s entire community.
The reason why I believe it makes sense to celebrate the Nguzo Saba as different holidays throughout the year is that Kwanzaa isn’t meant to be about one week. It’s meant to be about inspiring a connection to one’s African roots and heritage that lasts all year long! Each holiday in this Afrocentric Wheel of the Year will focus on a different principle of the Nguzo Saba culminating in Kwanzaa at the very end, bringing them all together in one.
Days of the Afrocentric Wheel of the Year
You do have to be of African descent to celebrate Kwanzaa (and this Afrocentric WOY) but you don’t have to be African. The Afrocentric WOY is inspired by Kwanzaa, an Afrocentric, Pan-African holiday for anyone of African descent designed to help those of us in the global diaspora connect with African values, language, culture, and spirituality.
I’ve included a basic overview of each day of the WOY. They correspond to the Wiccan sabbats, but they are not called “sabbats” to be inclusive of anyone who wishes to celebrate them whether they practice magic, witchcraft, or neither. Underneath the ~ read more ~ line, I’ve added lists of altar ideas, mundane activities, and magical/spiritual activities for each day!
UMOJA: United as One
Date: February 1st Corresponds with: Imbolc Season: Beginning of Spring Color: White Symbol: Cowrie Shells
Nguzo Saba: Umoja (Swahili), Unity (English)
To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.
KUJICHAGULIA: A Fresh Start
Dates: March 20-23th (depends on year) Corresponds with: Ostara Season: Spring Equinox Color: Blue Symbol: Arrow
To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
IMANI: Faith in Each Other
Date: October 31st Corresponds with: Samhain & Halloween Season: End of Fall (last harvest, end of the year) Colors: Rainbow (all colors together) Symbol: Yams
Nguzo Saba: Imani (Swahili), Faith (English)
To believe with all our hearts in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.
KWANZAA: A Joyous Time
Dates: December 25th-January 1st (1 week long) Corresponds with: Yule/Midwinter Season: Winter Solstice Colors: Red, black, and green Symbols: Kinara (candle holder), mkeka (straw mat), mazao (crops), muhindi (ear of corn), kikombe cha umoja (unity bowl), zawadi (gifts), mishumaa saba (seven candles)
Nguzo Saba: All seven (one for each day of Kwanzaa)
You should have seen me when I was in circus training. My party trick was folding myself into drawers and tiny cabinets and then unfurling when people walked into the room.
Aside from being accomplished architects and artists, many bowerbirds are also skilled mimics. Male satin bowerbirds will imitate the calls of other local birds during their courtship displays. Even more startling, MacGregror’s bowerbirds have been heard imitating human speech, pigs grunting, and even the sound of nearby waterfalls.
Something about working in Wildlife and natural resources in general is there’s always someone who is absolutely fine working outside in like a category four hurricane, tornado coming down the road, lighting striking a nearby tree, acting like they don’t notice.
And I’d accept them and ignore their apparent death wish if not for the fact that this type of person ALWAYS is also the type of person who thinks they’re the normal one.
Tornado sirens will be going off and I’ll be like “looks like we have to call it a day”
And they’ll be like “we’ll……I mean if YOU want to go in just because it’s storming I guess we can put off this work but that’ll make it a hassle later…”
And everyone else is like you know what’s a bigger hassle
