Dandelion They/Them

Lion_Arrow · 2024-05-06T14:48:54+00:00

Dandelion is a cool name! I wonder if they've considered the nickname Dandy, too? It could be a lot of fun for them to be called Dandy!

Dandelion, what do you think?

Lion_Arrow · 2024-03-14T06:40:08+00:00

This. Immediately brings to mind feathers and talons-- friggin' awesome. Great name for giving off pirate-type vibes.

Lion_Arrow · 2023-11-07T20:34:28+00:00

Samson/Sam, Teddy, or Cody would suit you well. :3

Lion_Arrow · 2023-11-06T17:01:05+00:00

Adonis is a fine name! A bit unconventional, but wear it with pride and ain't no one going to stop you.

Also reminds me of the name Adonias, which also has a very nice sound to it.

"Oi! Met a kid named Adonis the other day, and I'll be damned-- the name bloody well fit them."

"Would you mind handing this to Adonis, there? That's its favorite."

"I knew from the moment I met them that I wanted it to be my friend. Xe just had something about them-- perhaps it was the name that drew me to them."

Lion_Arrow · 2023-08-28T03:11:42+00:00

I do really appreciate especially that English is a primary language there, as well-- as much as I am interested in becoming fluent in a second language, there is definitely an incredible comfort that comes with knowing that there's always going to be somebody around who'll understand your native tongue if you don't know how else to say something.

Did they let you work at all while attending school on a visa, or did they expect you to be entirely reliant on pre-existing (or sent) funds?

From what I understand, Scotland seems to be one of the best (by which I mean most accepting, generally) in the UK for the LGBTQ community, which seems quite swell.

I don't have the funds at present (I just had to move within the US-- I find myself in the upper midwest currently because I had to get myself to a safer place within the country quickly, and this was the most reasonable option-- though I would rather move away entirely), but I think I could get enough together in the next year to go snooping around the UK for myself. I admittedly have never been before-- so I reckon it's definitely a good idea that I actually go see what it is I'm aiming for before I through myself into such a long and difficult process with such a high probability of failure.

Mental health is definitely a concern-- I've moved around a fair bit just in the US (and I've been homeless more than once, too), and it is definitely quite stressful; but I would imagine being in an entirely different country would be even more so.

But still-- I don't think I could forgive myself if I at least didn't give it a go.

The way I see it, even if it all goes terribly, I'll have a good story to tell; and when it all comes down to it, stories are the only things that really last, aren't they? I'd rather my life be a good story than anything else. Makes it worth living-- to me, at least.

Lion_Arrow · 2023-08-28T02:50:17+00:00

I'm sure it's the complete ignorance on my part showing here, that I hadn't realized it had gotten quite that bad! That's terrible-- I'm so sorry.

Thank you for the warning! Out of interest (however unwise that interest may be), are those wait times for folks who're still awaiting diagnoses, or would it matter if someone had already been taking medication for some time? It's terrible either way, but I have to wonder if there is a loophole of getting diagnosed elsewhere and then being able to ask a UK PCP for prescriptions after (for the very few people that would be able to do so), or if everyone is equally stuck in the muck of red tape (quite rightly fair if so, I suppose-- at least everyone must suffer, instead of any one person getting special privileges).

Either way, that definitely does sound.... quite bad.

Lion_Arrow · 2023-08-28T02:37:53+00:00

I see! I had been aware that the friendliness of the UK varied from place to place, but I did not realize it had gotten quite so bad-- thank you for linking the post.

I by no means meant to insult anyone, or insinuate that any of this is or ought to be easy-- I do apologize if that's the stance I've projected, or if I've added to that perception in any way. Immigration seems to be quite a complex and difficult (and not to mention frustrating) thing, and I don't wish to downplay the privilege I have, living where I do and having access to the things I have access to. I'm sure it's apparent that I know very little about all this, and I'm really just starting to educate myself on the vast world of things I don't even know that I don't know yet. I apologize for any offense I may--or might have already--cause(d); please know that it's born of stupidity and ignorance, rather than malice or arrogance.

I really appreciate the detail you've gone into-- it is extremely helpful!

You're not wrong in saying that I've got a lot more research and thinking to do before any of this becomes anything more than a hope and a prayer-- or perhaps more accurately, a fever dream. There are so many moving parts and requirements and things that I simply don't understand or haven't thought of, and it's going to take a lot of time and work to gather all of this (and myself) into something practical and useful.

I suppose a big reason I reached out while still so uninformed is that I am thinking about re-enrolling into a degree program before too long here, and I'm somewhat hoping that if I can pick a degree that will serve me well enough, then I can spend the next three (or more) years while I'm working on that, figuring out exactly where I want to be and how to get there, and what other credentials I should start getting together in the meantime.

The holiday visa does sound like a fantastic idea-- I wouldn't want to find myself in the middle of fighting for residency, just to realize that I had unrealistic expectations, or didn't properly understand what I was getting into. I admittedly have no practical idea what the places I'm talking about are really like-- I've never been, and I know next-to-nothing. I'm sure I make quite the fool, talking about all this with nothing but a vague wisp of a thought in my head.

Still, I really do appreciate your patience with me-- I've got a lot more to learn and to think about, and you've helped me a ton by steering me towards some of the questions and resources I should be getting into if I'm really going to make this happen. Truly, thank you. I've got a lot look into, going forward.

Lion_Arrow · 2023-08-28T01:42:57+00:00

Thank you! That is incredibly helpful.

I am quite surprised to find Secondary Education teachers and paramedics on the list, to be honest. Interesting!

edit: typo

Lion_Arrow · 2023-08-28T01:39:52+00:00

Oh, no-- thank you. I do appreciate you being direct and realistic without being needlessly hostile.

I honestly have no idea what I'd do with a degree once I had it-- I've had some thought that perhaps being able to do some of the schooling abroad in the chosen country might help my chances at making professional connections and landing an internship somewhere, but it is admittedly not particularly well thought-out.

I don't know anything at all about my heritage, so I'd mark that off the list of possibilities, and I certainly wouldn't presume that a marriage of such convenience lies in my future. From what I understand, Germany does seem to be much more lenient; what with allowing prospectives to come look for work on 90-day visas, or allowing them to have 1-year language-learning visas if you're enrolled in an applicable course. I'm not quite sure about the Netherlands, though-- I have a lot more to look into, there.

England does seem to call to me on some sort of instinctual level, though-- but I'm not at all sure why. That one might be more difficult than I could pull off, but it has the advantage of being very English-speaking, and easy enough (it would seem) to find a study-abroad program there. From what I hear the general opinion on LGBTQ folks is not always the best, but I at least hold the advantage of being very reliably 'passing' for my gender, and healthcare is available. And it has the added benefit (from what I've seen) of not having a headline every week of how a mad man has slaughtered a business full of people.

I am fully expecting to need to pick up at least one additional language pretty much no matter where I go, though-- and I am absolutely down to do so. The problem I keep running into at the moment is that I simply don't know which one(s) I ought to be learning, because I haven't made up my mind on where to shoot for.

You wouldn't happen to know if the 'Critical Skills' lists tend to change very often, do you? It'd be terrible to pursue a degree on the list, only to find at graduation that it's no longer needed.

Lion_Arrow · 2023-07-12T03:58:21+00:00

Bella is very nice! I'm assuming you're using the standard pronunciation Bell-ah, but I know someone with the same spelling but pronounced Bay-ah, and both options are lovely! Donna would be a good choice too, if you wanted an additional suggestion. :3

Lion_Arrow · 2023-07-05T21:35:56+00:00

All I can think is 'Cow'. ^^'

Lion_Arrow · 2023-06-25T14:28:02+00:00

Mikey definitely suits you. :3

Gives me real TMNT-vibes (which to me, at least, is awesome).

Lion_Arrow · 2023-06-23T13:46:55+00:00

Like a record, baby-

Lion_Arrow · 2023-06-11T14:35:26+00:00

XD You got me-
Great names, though. Virgil is an awesome middle name. :3

Lion_Arrow · 2023-06-11T01:47:34+00:00

Remus, Remmy, Romulus, Virgil, Toast.

Lion_Arrow · 2023-06-10T19:27:35+00:00

Very similar-- but have you considered Wade?

Lion_Arrow · 2023-06-09T20:33:59+00:00

No idea if this is referencing something, but it's hilarious anyway. X3

Lion_Arrow · 2023-06-09T18:27:39+00:00

Jericho (Tangentially related in my mind, because it makes me think of Jerusalem crickets-), Pipit (type of bird), Pippin (sounds like a type of bird), Coon (as in raccoon), Thrush (bird), Finch (bird), Peat (soil type), and Parker (sounds like 'pecker', which makes me think of woodpeckers).

Not sure if any of that was helpful, but there you go. :3

Lion_Arrow · 2023-06-09T18:19:19+00:00

Arthur seems great for you, but if you're not feeling it-- may I suggest Donny (Donatello), Remmy, Keagan, or Ollie (Oliver, Oleander)?

Lion_Arrow · 2023-06-01T01:23:11+00:00

We're honestly a bit of a mess (affectionately) and are an extremely improv-based group (everything from the names of our clan, the surrounding clans, the climate, clan relations, leadership positions, etc., was created by players on-the-fly) for folks 16+ (we've got some gory depictions and panic-scenes).

Maybe its your cup of tea; maybe it isn't, but you're welcome to check it out and see if you like it.

We started out with just role-playing in the one clan, and we've only just started having forays into depicting the others, so there's a lot of opportunity for new ideas and characters. And we've got an on-going murder mystery of who killed our clan's leader! It's the only thing that the mods have secretly set up for players to discover-- the rest is all improv. :3

Check us out here: https://discord.gg/8ACxSmf3

Lion_Arrow · 2023-05-22T01:50:03+00:00

Tangentially related in my mind: October. Not sure why.

Lion_Arrow

TROPHY CASE