kindness is strategic and necessary @purlturtle - Tumblr Blog

It's now been a bit more than a year for me on this webbed site, so let me make a little introductory post to pin:

Hi, I'm Purlturtle (Purl, Jana, she/her)!

I'm shamelessly and endlessly obsessed with Bering and Wells (Warehouse 13) - this is them, my beloveds:

I will reblog pretty much anything to do with them. 90% of what you'll get here is gonna be Bering and Wells. The rest is usually feel-good/affirmation stuff, queer stuff, cute stuff or historical stuff (bonus if a post meets two or more of those criteria). Also language stuff and writerly stuff, because (drumroll) I am a writer. Find my stuff over on AO3 (and sometimes here too).

Other media that I love include Star Trek and Discworld (my first loves), and more recently Legends of Tomorrow and Wheel of Time. I'm nowhere near as obsessed with any of those other ships than I am with my OTP, though.

I'm old (40+) but a baby in fandom spaces, having only really found my way there in 2020. Before that, I was mostly muddling along on my own. So I'm extra grateful to have found so many friends here!

I love asks, be they from memes or just randomly dropped in my inbox, so if you're curious about something, just go ahead and ask! I'll never mind that (just as I'll never mind comments on any of my fics!), and you won't ever be a bother to me.

Thank you for your attention, and have a wonderful day!

purlturtle

Have an updated gpoy!

purlturtle

It's my three year Tumblr-versary!

I wanna post another selfie to celebrate, and I also want to boost awareness of mental health issues like sensory or emotional overwhelm, and therefore my selfie this year is this:

This is me crying and shaking after getting home from a situation that was just too much. I barely made it inside our front door; I'm sitting right on the inside stairs, coat still in my arms (hugging it, in fact, because I needed to hold on to something).

Some days I look like this. And that's okay.

purlturtle

Tumblr continues to be my happy place. 2025 was hard; I spent all of it too sick to work, and a lot of it on the couch or in bed. Here is a little pic, not of myself but of Lyra curled up in a snuggly warm cave on the couch - might not be me in actuality, but is extremely emblematic.

I still have no idea what I have; signs are getting clearer that it might be Chronic Fatigue and/or something about my mast cells, though apparently not MCAS? There isn't a lot I can do about it except pacing, which in way too many cases means I can't do this and I can't do that; it fucking sucks. Can't even go on a stupid mental health walk without being bedbound for most of two days (extreme example, but a taste of what my life has become these past few years).

Tumblr, hellsite and friends' living rooms, continues to be my happy place. I honestly wouldn't know what I'd do without all y'all here, and on Discord as well. If we're connected, here or there, please know that you've played a part in keeping me sane.

#about me #5 year tumblrversary #pinned post update

allthingswhumpyandangsty

“creator chose not to use archive warnings” tag on ao3 means a fic may or may not contain things that are triggering and taboo, but the author chooses not to tag them and they choose not to say if there’s any at all. it means proceed at your own risk.

if a fic contains heavily triggering/taboo topics that are not properly tagged, but the author uses “creator chose not to use archive warnings”, then that tag alone means they’ve already tagged everything ao3 requires from them, even if they don’t tell you what these taboo topics are. so the only way to find out is to actually read their work. it means you know the risk and still choose to read their works. you cannot be mad at the author, because they’ve basically told you to proceed at your own risk.

so no, this is not against ao3’s terms of service. this is what “creator chose not to use archive warnings” tag is for.

thesituation

my 100% failproof way to handle reactionaries asking why i don’t shave at all is going “because i don’t want to” it works because what they really want is an argument about the merits of feminism, and they’ll draw it out and try to convince you it’s a cult or whatever, but you can avoid it all by sticking to “i just don’t wanna. don’t feel like it” and if they argue with you about it you can use your ultimate ability, which is “i’m sorry i thought it was a free country?” which, believe me, they cannot come back from. they’ll either drop it or start harping on something you didn’t say, and it’s important you don’t take the bait at that point. when they can’t argue with what you say, they assume your beliefs and attack those. and you crucially must be visibly baffled at their change of direction because it will make them seem and possibly feel crazy (which they are). “i don’t want to shave” is a perfect response because truly it all comes down to autonomy and the ability to do what you want. they’ll try to say “feminism makes you think you have to do that” and it’s important to not take that bait. to reiterate that you don’t know what they mean and you just don’t like shaving and that it’s really weird to look into it that deep. this works i promise

fellshish

reading other comments on the fic you’ve just commented on is like. asynchronous book club meeting 🫶

rabbiteclair

auto immune disorders happen when the immune system ignores regulatory factors and begins attacking healthy bodily tissues, due to what scientists refer to as "sheer love of the game"

lilyannifer

Pretty early on in my rheumatoid arthritis journey I found myself reframing my autoimmune disease as an immune system which loved me not wisely but too well. Sheer love of the game is such a good way to put that.

formaldehyde--face

We've got immune systems that are basically like bored Border Collies that desperately need something to do but since there aren't any sheep to herd, they are eating the walls. If that isn't love of the game IDK what is.

ymutate

Filippo Palizzi (Italian painter 1818–1899)

Excavations in Pompeii, 1870

Oil on Canvas

119.5 × 86 cm.

Private Collection

rabid-transcendentalist

@anthropologist-on-the-loose get peer-reviewed because your shared experience with the subject of the painting really heightened the emotional impact of this artwork for me ( An impact which was already high tbh. The idea that Pompeii was built by generations, buried by generations, uncovered by generations. What if I just started screaming and never stopped. )

anthropologist-on-the-loose

"Built by generations, buried by generations, uncovered by generations" is ruining me, thanks

vivecguccibelt

“Bisexuals don’t belong in the LGBT community” ohhh ok I guess the B stands for ‘bitch’ and that’s where you fit in, gotcha

rapidashrider

I was explaining bi and trans erasure/phobia in the gay community to my mum and she was outraged and burst out “WHAT DO THEY THINK IT STANDS FOR? LESBIANS, GAYS, BICYCLES AND TRICYCLES?!” and I don’t think I’ll forget that until my dying day.

vivecguccibelt

“Bisexuals don’t belong in the LGBT community” ohhh ok I guess the B stands for ‘bitch’ and that’s where you fit in, gotcha

rapidashrider

pastelispunx

My emotions about space travel, and the history of, are strong today.

whumpster-fire

Okay aside from the inherent coolness of seeing a rocket launch from an airline flight, this is an awesome shot because it gives a sense of perspective on just how fast that vehicle is going that ground-based filming can't usually achieve.

And that's still early in the burn, so it's only a tiny fraction of orbital speed.

garaks-padded-cell

Bowie stupidly emerging from the laundry hamper after a NINE HOUR kip because i said the word dinner. To my HUMAN FAMILY!!

And No this is not a senior cat she is ONE year old.

garaks-padded-cell

I keep fishing my phone out of my pocket at work just to get a hit of this image

#tagged for liebsteface

hellyeahsickaf

I found an extremely dope disability survival guide for those who are homebound, bedbound, in need of disability accommodations, or would otherwise like resources for how to manage your life as a disabled person. (Link is safe)

How to have a great, disabled life.

It has some great articles and resources and while written by people with ME/CFS, it keeps all disabilities in mind. A lot of it is specific to the USA but even if you're from somewhere else, there are many guides that can still help you. Some really good ones are:

How to live a great disabled life- A guide full of resources to make your life easier and probably the best place to start (including links to some of the below resources). Everything from applying for good quality affordable housing to getting free transportation, affordable medication, how to get enough food stamps, how to get a free phone that doesn't suck, how to find housemates and caregivers, how to be homebound, support groups and Facebook pages (including for specific illnesses), how to help with social change from home, and so many more.

Turning a "no" into a "yes"- A guide on what to say when denied for disability aid/accommodations of many types, particularly over the phone. "Never take no for an answer over the phone. If you have not been turned down in writing, you have not been turned down. Period."

How to be poor in America- A very expansive and helpful guide including things from a directory to find your nearest food bank to resources for getting free home modifications, how to get cheap or free eye and dental care, extremely cheap internet, and financial assistance with vet bills

How to be homebound- This is pretty helpful even if you're not homebound. It includes guides on how to save spoons, getting free and low cost transportation, disability resources in your area, home meals, how to have fun/keep busy while in bed, and a severe bedbound activity master list which includes a link to an audio version of the list on Soundcloud

Master List of Disability Accommodation Letters For Housing- Guides on how to request accommodations and housing as well as your rights, laws, and prewritten sample letters to help you get whatever you need. Includes information on how to request additional bedrooms, stop evictions, request meetings via phone, mail, and email if you can't in person, what you can do if a request is denied, and many other helpful guides

Special Laws to Help Domestic Violence Survivors (Vouchers & Low Income Housing)- Protections, laws, and housing rights for survivors of DV (any gender), and how to get support and protection under the VAWA laws to help you and/or loved ones receive housing and assistance

Dealing With Debt & Disability- Information to assist with debt including student loans, medical debt, how to deal with debt collectors as well as an article with a step by step guide that helped the author cut her overwhelming medical bills by 80%!

There are so many more articles, guides, and tools here that have helped a lot of people. And there are a lot of rights, resources, and protections that people don't know they have and guides that can help you manage your life as a disabled person regardless of income, energy levels, and other factors.

Please boost!

uristmcdorf

US-Specific but I have some US-based mutuals so

dykeofthedirt

Happy pride month to people that can't go to any sort of in person pride events, for whatever reason. It can be really disappointing and feel lonely to be excluded from the fun, but you aren't alone. I hope you still enjoy fun in online spaces and feel the community and love. 🩷❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜

#oh look it me #thank you for this‚ seriously #❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤎🩵🤍🩷