Harp the Wigglytuff @wigglytuffitout@computerfairi.es

@eightbitsamurai@elekk.xyz @BestGirlGrace YES!!

and it's not like you can't get PLENTY of examples of symbolism in those books. i mean dear lord the very premise of animorphs that slaps you across the face with it on the very cover is ANIMAL SYMBOLISM ANIMAL SYMBOLISM ANIMAL SYMBOLISM THEY ARE ANIMALS AND THE ANIMALS MAY BE CONNECTED TO THEIR CHARACTER TRAITS AS REFLECTED IN THE STORY COME GETCHA ANIMAL SYMBOLISM, blared at three thousand decibels with a giant neon sign

@eightbitsamurai@elekk.xyz AGREED 100%.

i feel like so many people got on the "lit analysis is bullshit, it's just stories, and stories can't have hidden meaning or affect things" train while being dragged through literature that has historical significance but is a chore to read for most everyone there

...and tbh i saw that leap happen with Lord Of The Flies, when all the white boys lined up to square down with a book that didn't think too highly of their judgment so they got pissy at it lmao.

@Sapphicgiraffic@snouts.online it's like i just found the Soul Brother To Masto Transbian cross-dictionary, and you have revealed to me what is the translation for "she's a brick (da na na na) hoooouse"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrBx6mAWYPU

well, i came, i spammed music, and now we're on to "unsolicited advice from a wigglytuff: personal edition" as i flail wildly at innocent people on the fediverse timeline

@tastymochafox HELL YEAH

there are also some parasols that are rain-resistant enough to be umbrellas and fold down small like a travel umbrella, too! (i have one of that style that has its own carrying bag!)

it takes some delving but if you find the right keyword set, aliexpress (and taobao if you're more hardcore) have GREAT selections - i get the sense that right now in asia, physical sun protection is a lot bigger than in the west. there's also cute sun-blocking tops and shrugs to find too!

@DragonNamedRedd@snouts.online and honestly most of these effects are self-reported. so, again, it's completely fine to go "doc, i don't think this is quite it".

getting to healthcare is a pretty expensive trial, but if you really are wrestling with major negative impacts in your life because of it - well, worth having them do some basic bloodwork at least. there's plenty of shit that can just Happen and get hormone levels outta whack, and worth investigating.

@DragonNamedRedd@snouts.online it's def worth bringing up because since hormone balance is so individual, if you're taking medication that affects them in some way, well... a lot of it is "we know broadly how this works for everyone, but let us know if this fits right". at some point it's the medicine equivalent of buying clothing off the rack, since we can't do individually tailored (yet), so there's no shame in going "i really feel like a size 8 is too big, let's try a size 6 in these jeans".

@DragonNamedRedd@snouts.online it might not be a bad idea to go have them draw some bloodwork and see if any hormones are clearly outta whack. and i don't mean it's just sex hormones like estrogen/testosterone they need to look at (idk that much of your personal business), honestly - things like cortisol can also affect sex drive immensely (though mostly you'll find people discussing the opposite problem of hormones out of whack causing low sex drive).

@DragonNamedRedd@snouts.online as a rando scrolling past on the fediverse... if you think that it's significantly impacting your life for the negative, it might be a good time to talk to your doc about it. especially if you're on any medication that's hormonal or affecting hormones, tbh. hormones are hella useful, but they're also by definition big fucking guns, *and* everyone's hormonal balance is individually different, with everyone responding to hormones in a very individual manner to boot.

ok now i'm just knee-deep in my own bullshit because GOD the build-up in When I Still Needed You is SO. FUCKING. GOOD.

i'm gonna be obnoxious and go ahead and pop it in a tag. if you are looking for some new #music to listen to, give this a whirl. yes it starts slow, yes it is worth it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oC_cKVDM_zY

Afro Celt Sound System is very marmite-level music, you're either going to fucking love it or fucking hate it, but i'm gonna argue you might like it a whole lot more than you'd think

(then the male vocalist comes in and then the choir, so i guess that male vocalist - who is a regular part of the band - i have decided probably sounds the most like botw link in fine singing form is... ...idk, link's singing in gaelic somewhere in the distance. no idea what the choir is and where they fit in that's where this all falls apart a bit

it's fine, it's still a real fucking good "music to imagine a video to and thus flesh out your story idea" song)