#a lot of things that would work here are things that I have done very recently... which is. embarrassing

[idle-vapourings]

This is so real.

for myself, I've just had to realize when I'm talking to someone who has no desire to understand me.

because yeah, ableist people be ableist, bigots be bigots, selfish people be selfish, and it will be a losing game every time trying to make them come around.

i had this happen with a friend who had hurt my feelings. I kept it very short and polite because I didn't want to be angry with her or make her feel bad. and then she interpreted that negatively and had a lot of questions for me about my feelings. so i tried to take that in good faith, and explained myself in more detail. I tried to be both empathetic but clear, but really explain and answer her questions. she kept asking me to explain my feelings and at some point I felt that I was being asked to justify having an emotion, which I explained why that hurt. She wasn't getting it, so I explained with more words in an attempt to be clear while being honest how what was happening was frustrating and hurtful to me. she took that as aggression and an unwillingness to work things out with her (the precise thing I was attempting to do). and then she blocked me.

that stung and for a while i thought, hm did i fuck up. but the thing is, no i didn't. really, what it was about is that she refused to accept that she had done something hurtful. so the issue wasn't how i was communicating. it was that she refused to accept a world where she hurt my feelings - even if I had told her it was okay and that I know she didn't mean harm and that I had moved on. Instead, she needed to dissect why I was hurt to begin with and challenge it, rather than accepting that she was a human being who made a mistake. that person wasn't interested in my feelings or my take on the situation. they were interested in being right. and when they couldn't find a path to that with me, they just bounced.

I've also had this happen when requesting disability accommodations after getting a job offer. I requested clarity. I got obtuse replies. I gave more clarity. I got more obtuse replies. That was interpreted as me not wanting to participate in a good faith process. The reality was, the process was not good faith, and it never would have been, no matter what I said.

This feeling of no matter what you say it being wrong can be crushing and frustrating. because at least for me, I feel my autistic brain is really set on there being a solution, a right way to say something to get through to someone or to bridge a connection. and a sincere desire and deep need to be understood and heard. what I've had to come around to is that... sometimes people do not want to hear me. and if they don't, yeah, no matter what I choose, it results in misunderstanding.

I give it a genuine good go once or twice but if they're still interpreting me in the worst faith way possible or choosing to not really hear me then, yanno, time to not bother talking to someone who isn't listening and go talk to someone else worthwhile. I just try to remember that the failure is not mine, here. Someone who doesn't want to listen will never hear me. And people who don't actually want to hear me are never, ever worth my energy in the long run.

The people who really want to listen are out there. I say my thing, I be myself, and I see what the other person does with it.

I LOVE being autistic and trying to communicate because every time it’s

[tywrites]

secrets that you keep (talking in your sleep) | mateo manta

pairing: mateo manta x gn!reader

word count: 1,267

warnings: implied smut, wet dreams, dry humping

a/n: i need this blanket viscerally. hope you fellow blanket fuckers enjoy <3

part 2

It wasn’t a rare scenario to find you in. Curled up on the couch, wrapped up in your fuzzy, yellow blanket ­- the TV on a low volume in the background, playing some overdramatic reality show. The only difference, however, was that you were sleeping.

You didn’t often fall asleep on the sofa, especially after receiving the dateviators. Knowing that every object in your house was sentient honestly made you feel quite self-conscious a lot of the time. You didn’t even want to think about going to the bathroom. Sleeping on Betty was still a bit new to you but she was so chill about it that it didn’t bother you as much. But you didn’t know Koa super well yet. Sleeping on him felt a bit… awkward.

But here you were, soft snores leaving your mouth as you laid in your slumber. The most awkward part of it was that you’d left your dateviators on. They were slightly slid down your nose, but still working. Since you’d been hanging out with Mateo, you’d had them on to be able to converse with him. But now, your head was slumped on his shoulder, the soft material of his duvet jacket acting as a perfect pillow.

Mateo didn’t mind in the slightest. He actually thought it was adorable, gazing on your sweet, sleeping form with a small smile. He gently brushed the hair away from your face, his hand stilling as you shifted. He definitely didn’t want to wake you up. After a moment, you stopped moving, now cuddled into Mateo’s chest as your own rose and fell in even, relaxed breaths. He chuckled at how clingy you seemed to be in your sleep.

“Wow, mi vida,” he said softly. “Guess the inanimals really took it out of you today,”

You’d both had a pretty busy day. All of the inanimals had needed grooming, Sinclaire had dropped off a pretty hyper Sudsy, and Davi had even done his usual disappearing act again. All in all, quite a chaotic time for you both. Mateo of course was kinda used to it. But you? Not so much.

Mateo very cautiously shifted your positions, taking great care not to disturb your rest as he moved you both to a reclining position on the sofa. He propped himself up against the arm, allowing you to lie fully down on top of him, your face snuggled against his chest. Pure comfort. He sighed in content, allowing himself to enjoy this small moment of peace with you. His eyes closed and for a second, he wondered if he could afford to take a quick nap himself.

His eyes shot open as a curious noise broke through the silence.

He looked down at you, a bit confused. He swore he’d heard you speak.

He waited.

Nothing.

With a small frown, he closed his eyes.

There it was again! It was definitely coming from you. Only, it didn’t sound like words. He observed your sleeping form, silently waiting for it to happen again.

“Mmm…”

Oh.

Oh.

A flush settled on his cheeks, turning his face a rosy red. Maybe he was wrong. You couldn’t be… moaning. Right? You’d fallen silent once again, your face burying itself even deeper into his plush chest. Once in the desired position, you let out a satisfied sigh. He tried his hardest to calm his racing heartbeat. Chill, Mateo. He told himself. You’re clearly imagining things. They wouldn’t be-

“Ohh.. fuck,”

He bit his lip as you let out another moan, louder this time and slightly muffled into his chest. Yeah, he definitely wasn’t imagining this. He suddenly felt kind of creepy, as if he was completely invading your privacy. He would never, ever, under any circumstances, want to make you uncomfortable. And if you knew what he was hearing right now… Mateo felt conflicted.

The noises were becoming more frequent and you seemed to be having a very… pleasing dream. He didn’t want to wake you up… You’d been working so hard today and you really deserved the rest! But you also deserved privacy. He took a deep breath and prepared himself for the pure awkwardness that would fill the room after he woke you up.

He didn’t get that chance.

“Mm… fuck yes… Mateo please,”

He froze. Did you… did you just say his name? Blood pounded in his ears, his cheeks heating up adorably. You whined in your sleep, biting your lip subconsciously as you began to grind your hips against him, searching for any kind of stimulation you could find. All the while, you whimpered out the most erotic noises Mateo had ever heard. He couldn’t believe you were still asleep.

Mateo could barely think straight, the noises you were making going straight to his head. And… straight to somewhere else. His body ran hot when he realised just how tight his usually comfy sweatpants had gotten. His cheeks burned with embarrassment.

“Mi amor, you’re gonna be the death of me...”

He had no idea what to do. Hearing you whine his name like that… It was insanely difficult for him to hold back from waking you up to hear exactly what your dream was about. He tried to take deep, calming breaths, raking a hand through his messy locks. But then, a thought struck him. The others; his fellow objects. They could probably hear you right now. I mean, you guys were literally laying on Koa. The idea of that, of them knowing how badly you wanted him… god, it drove him crazy.

You were still going at it, practically humping his thigh at this point. He honestly couldn’t stand it any longer. If you didn’t wake up soon, he’d be giving you one hell of a wake up call.

“Mateo, I need you… please,”

Ay dios mío, the way you were begging so sweetly for him – it drove him crazy. He felt like he was ready to burst. You two had never actually… done anything before. Your relationship was sweet, romantic and caring. Not that he’d never wanted to! It was kind of an awkward thing to bring up and you both were always so busy. But knowing that you’d been dreaming about it… god, he needed you too. Badly.

He gently placed a hand on your cheek, his thumb slowly stroking it, attempting to coax you from your deep slumber. He knew you slept better when you were with him, but he’d never seen you so deep in your sleep. It didn’t take too long to wake you, your eyes slowly fluttering open, blinking in the light of the TV.

“Fuck, did I fall asleep?” you asked hoarsely, rubbing at your eyes.

He chuckled nervously. “Yeah, you did. That tired, huh?”

You smiled up at him. “Must’ve been…” You yawned, stretching your arms. “God, I had the best dream,”

His eyes widened, looking at you curiously. Did… did you know you were talking in your sleep?

“Oh yeah?”

You nodded. “Yeah, it was…” You trailed off, a subtle blush rising to your cheeks. “...good, really uh, good,”

He couldn’t hold back the knowing chuckle. “Uh huh, I could tell…”

You looked at him, confusion evident in your eyes. It was only when he purposely rolled his hips up against your own that you realised what he’d meant. The hardness pressed against you left very little to the imagination. Your mouth dropped open and your body burned all over.

“H-how… how did you…”

He smirked, cupping your chin with a soft but firm hand.

“Anyone ever tell you that you talk in your sleep?”

[hinge]

Hinge presents an anthology of love stories almost never told. Read more on https://no-ordinary-love.co

[mareastrorum]

This is only half a thought so far, but maybe other people want to chime in.

I’m doing Watch Machina (currently at episode 15) and Nein Again (currently at episode 21) while I also keep up with current Critical Role content (Age of Umbra episode 4) and something that bothers me a little is Matt’s current method of narration.

In C1, Matt’s style is very informal with regard to the narration. There’s little added drama via his tone, pace, or choice of words. “Toothy maw” became a meme pretty quickly, but the point of every description was to efficiently set the scene so the players could start their RP and choose what to do. There wasn’t as much precision with his descriptions, and of course that is a talent that takes a long time to hone when you’re describing lots of different things over the course of several hours. However, the narration was far less formal and calculated than his NPC dialogue, so (in combination with voice acting) it was very easy to determine when Matt was in character or not. It wasn’t a bad thing; Matt’s very casual narration and formal dialogue leading up to the Chroma Conclave’s attack on Emon was excellent because it was so sudden, leading the players and the audience to experience the exact same shock the NPCs would have. It’s not a bad way to narrate. If anything, it made the heartfelt moments so poignant, especially at the end of the campaign. That description of snow drops would not have been nearly as impactful if Matt had narrated that way all the time.

In C2, Matt started getting more descriptive and slowed down his narration to match. As Aabria would put it, he “paints a word picture” and includes more environmental storytelling for the setting itself, not just things for the characters to expressly interact with. I think this is part of what led to the Nein interacting with the set dressing more: Matt mentioned it, so it must be important! This led to some fun hijinks as time went on, and it gave Wildemount a different feeling than Tal’dorei. I couldn’t tell you that Emon had a particular vibe to it other than it being a big city, but howdy do we know that Berleben is full of nosy, bored people in a smelly swamp, and we sure know that Zadash is a bustling city with stark class segregation while Nicodranas is a beautiful trade hub with a mixture of different cultures. I think part of that may have come from working on the source books (they have similar language for the plot hooks and location entries). However, that method of narration was mostly limited to first descriptions of a new place or events (“cutscenes” like the attack in Zadash). Within a scene, Matt was still fairly casual in his discussions with the players.

But currently in Age of Umbra, and with a good chunk of C3, Matt’s narration is far more deliberate. There is a consistently slower pace compared to earlier campaigns, usually only speeding up in combat. Part of that may be for production purposes (easier for transcriptions and closed captioning), but it also impacts the pacing of the game itself. There’s also that presence of a new character: the narrator himself has a voice, and that is now part of the story. It’s extremely noticeable when the cast gets Matt to “break character” as the narrator to only be a DM. It requires a baseline level of formality for that to happen, and Matt committed to it in nearly every scene, regardless of the context of the scene. While that doesn’t feel all that strange for Age of Umbra (it fits well with the soulsborne style of game), it does make me realize that it’s part of why C3 felt incongruous. Like, sorry about the dead horse, but I was expecting C3 to be pulpy, which very much benefits from the narration style of C1 rather than the formal narration style Matt prefers currently. Punchy, informal narration sets a player expectation of “you’re here to get something done and I’ll tell you if it works,” while the current style instead lends itself to “you’re part of my story and this is the tone.” The former is great for fast-paced roleplay and the latter is suited to unhurried storytelling—which wouldn’t feel as mismatched if C3 hadn’t been a story where the PCs needed to prevent a second calamity within the course of a few weeks.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say that this was a mistake. Matt clearly enjoys how he narrates currently, and every DM is entitled to their preference. However, I think there’s a lesson in here that varying the narration style to match the purpose of the scene and story would benefit the players and the audience.

To be fair here, Matt is not the only DM who doesn’t mix it up very often. Brennan Lee Mulligan (Dimension 20) is far closer to the C1 style of fast, informal narration with very limited, specific instances where he would slow down for drama; there is no “narrator” character in his players’ story. D20 has a far more casual tone to its seasons than CR does in its campaigns. Luis Carazo (Tales Unrolled) narrates similarly to Matt, with a focus on instilling an emotional reaction for the players to deal with, and the players collaboratively join Luis as the narrator for their own characters; it’s a back and forth where the DM and players contribute to that additional presence. Tales Unrolled is on the opposite end of the spectrum from D20, with a clear feeling that it is a storytelling experience.

Again, choosing one narration style over another isn’t necessarily a flaw. However, I think varied narration is a tool that most DMs underutilize. If used carefully, adjusting narration styles within sessions on the fly could enhance the experience of an Actual Play campaign for everyone involved. It could be used as a signal to the players for what type of scene this will be or when a scene is shifting. It could also signal to performers in a show for pacing within an episode (hijinks are over, time for some drama; time to cool down from the tension).

But, as always, it’s easier to point stuff out like this than it is to do it in practice.

[sentbyjake]

SNEAKY INK [JAKE SIM]

pairing : jake x fem!reader

warnings : no sex scene, just oral (f + m receiving), strangers!smut, public!smut (kinda), jake is just a tad bit mean for one second but he means no harm

synopsis : getting a tattoo from a handsome hot stranger? sign you up.

author's note : four year old fic revamped, give it love <3

word count : 7.1k

hi, how can i help you?"

"i had taken an appointment? y/n y/l/n."

once the receptionist found your name on his laptop, he had you sit in room 3. "the guy's gone to refill his tattoo gun, he'll be back in a minute. you can relax in the room by that time."

you walked to the room and sat on the chair on the other end, looking at everything around you. photos of everyone with their tattoos were stuck around. everyone looksd quite happy with them. *so maybe this doesn't hurt as much right?*

there were ink bottles and all kinds of needles placed on a table beside you, a few rough sketches scattered, too.

"hey! y/n, right? i'm jake."

your eyes darted towards the door, the man standing over there wearing a simple black shirt tucked inside his jeans, a silver necklace dangling from his neck. he was holding a tattoo gun in his right hand and your eyes slightly widened at the sight, the sensation of the needles piercing already gnawing at you.

"don't worry. it won't hurt at all." he gave you a small smile and walked towards the bookshelf. "so, what kind of tattoo do you want?"

"i was hoping for a flower tattoo, but a really small one."

"and where are you planning to get it?"

your heart stopped for a moment before you muttered, "um, my inner thigh."

he turned around to look at you with slightly raised eyebrows before picking out a book that had various flower designs. "here, you can pick a design from any of these."

he handed you the book and went to the printing machine, turning it on and setting other things up.

you flipped through all the pages, finding all of the flowers too common and mundane and overdone. one design caught your eye and you looked at jake while pointing at it. "can i have this one?"

jake took a look at the design you were indicating and once again, gave you a “woah-dude-you-alright“ look before going back to work. "that's the flower of corriander. good choice. not a lot of people choose that one but it's actually very pretty."

you kept the book aside with the page open and had no idea what to do with your hands now.

once jake was done with whatever he was doing, he grabbed the book and let the printer scan the design.

"alright we're done with the scan, now all that is left is to sketch the tattoo on your leg and once that dries, we can finally get you a permanent inking."

his warm smile returned on his face and you smiled back at him. at that moment, when he bent down on his knees and looked at you, you could feel yourself starting to produce strings of arousal. he was literally eye level with your pussy and you had no idea what to do with this piece of fact.

"open your legs, darling."

and you instantly spread them apart, earning a small chuckle from the man in front of you. as soon as his warm fingers brushed across your thigh, you got goosebumps, and he noticed it but didn't choose to say anything, smirking to himself.

you noticed how he had really unique pink knuckles and how his fingers would very skillfully brush the sketching pen across your flesh. how his hands looked so delicate but his arms strong enough to crush a few bricks. you so wanted to just push his face on you and grind against his mouth, wanting to feel his fingers kneading your folds.

by this time, you were sure that you were emanating quite a strong pull from down there, but you didn't realize that jake could smell your arousal very clearly.

"do you know what corriander flowers represent?" he asked you, but you weren't focusing on what we he was saying. you were more focused on his plump lips and eyebrow slit. the way his eyes were laser focused on your thighs.

on hearing no response from your side, he continued, "they symbolize burning fire, passion, and lust." he looked at you for a second with deep dark eyes and then back at your thigh. the smell of you being turned on was literally shouting at him to keep everything down and pleasure you, touch you in places not everyone could.

his mind was swimming in all kinds of lewd thoughts, wanting to make you whimper against him, to hear the pretty little noises you could potentially make. but he had to remain professional and on his toes.

on second thought though, who the fuck cared?

jake lunged at you. holding you close to him by your waist. he was kneeling in between your legs, chest pressed flush against yours. he grazed your lower lip with his tongue, poking his fingers at your covered pussy, asking for permission. when you encouraged him to move on, he didn't hold back. ripping your shorts and panties off of you, he didn't take a second to even look at your dripping state, heading straight to business, immediately inserting his tongue inside you. his hands roamed above on your body, reaching out for your breasts, massaging and pressing them against his hands.

how the fuck was he good at this? and that too, at his first try on you?

as he rapidly flicked his tongue up and down you let out cries of pure pleasure, grabbing his hair and pushing his head deeper, almost depriving him of air.

he clicked his tongue and looked at you witha a sharp look. "did i tell you to touch me? did i tell you to mess my hair?" you shook your head in apology and rested back, signalling that you wouldn't interfere anymore.

he let go of you this time, chuckling at how readily obedient you were for a complete stranger, just for the sake of chasing your high. he went back to fondling with your thighs and nudging your clit with his nose while he gorgeously ate you out. when you came, your moans were too loud to be contained in the room. as he licked off all your release, wiping the excess cum from his chin, he got up and switched positions with you, so that now you were the one kneeling in front of him.

as you frantically took off his jeans and boxers, he put his hands under your shirt to caress your tits. you kept letting out small sounds and a loud one once you processed the sight of jake's long cock in front of you.

was this even going to fit?

but you didn't want to waste time in contemplating on the question, you collected his precum on your fingers and spread it all over his dick, eyes wide with fascination as if you were a toddler discovering paints for the first time. you hear jake snickerlightly and he put a strand of your hair behind your ear. "cute."

once you were done with prepping yourself, you moved your head down, taking his length till you couldn't anymore. he's thick for sure.

jake let out a long array of groaning and pushed you to continue.

moving your head up and down as fast as you could, you felt him gathering your hair in a pigtail, guiding your head. but he was a man of revenge. so he pushed your head further down, returning the favor of you choking him oh so nicely.

hearing you gag, his ego settled. he let go of instructing your head and sat back, letting you do your job.

"fuck, why are you so fucking good?"

hearing his indirect praises, you moved your head even faster, his increasing moans motivating you even more.

it was crazy, what was happening right now. you wanted to make sure that this man - this stranger - felt that you were good enough to make him dance in the clouds and that you were an expert in sucking dicks. and he did, once he came on your face, painting your cheeks, nose and lips with his cum.

he waited for a moment to admire your face, clearly proud of his creation before grabbing a tissue to clean everything off of you. once done, jake brought you up to him and sat you on his laps, hugging you from behind.

he kissed your nape, back of your jawline, ear lobe and tickled you with his nose, small sessions of chuckles following soon. checking the clock, the two of you finally finished what you had come here for, a tattoo.

you wouldn't say it didn't pain but, it didn't hurt as much as you had anticipated it to. plus jake helped you calm down everytime he inched to a sensitive region and just like that you were done with the tattoo in no time.

he walked with you to bid you goodbye till the shop's door and then headed back inside, confused as to why he felt a pit of disappointment when you left, wondering if you'd ever come back or not.

"hi, how can i help you?"

"i had booked an appointment? y/n y/l/n."

"your tattoo artist will be waiting for you in room number three, please wait while he refills his tattoo gun."

you smirked to yourself while walking to the familiar room, memories gushing in as you sat down on that one particular memorable chair.

the door opened and you looked up to see the same man who had made you see stars two weeks ago.

you got up from your chair and walked towards him, pushing him against the door while leaning in for a rough kiss.

looking at you, he smirked and closed the door behind him. "well hello there, miss."

"well hello there, mister."

[shannoneichorn]

Ooh! Pick me! This is the path I've started down and want to get better at.

Both my churches have been participating in our city's Pride parade the last several years. I go with my roommate from a mission trip to our denominatuon's churches in Cambodia--and her wife. And one of my LGBT family members. And some allies from work. And meet up with my LGBT friends from work, who join different parts of the parade.

The longer I live, the clearer it's become that the public school sex ed I had was wholly inadequate. The US is actively harming itself by not investing in better.

I adore my atheist husband and atheist/agnostic/pagan friends. I know my denomination doesn't ascribe to universal salvation, but it's the only thing that makes sense to me.

God fashions variety. No reason we should stamp it out of cultures. I have a problem with trying to convert people instead of gently inviting them to join the community. My ideal church would be a gathering place for all with a subset of activities dedicated to spiritual support/worshiping in community, and I think both my churches are partway there.

It blows my mind that any Christian who grew up hearing about being stewards of the Earth would support environmental harm and environmental injustice. But you know, the church is full of all kinds of people, some of whom are great at cognitive dissodence and terrible at logic. (They're allowed to be wrong.)

I'm part of the second largest Protestant denomination in the US (at least in 2013--a lot has changed since then). On the one hand, it's the denomination I grew up in, and there's a certain amount of lazy comfort in just sticking with it. On the other hand, I also stuck with it because it explicitly acknowledges science and rationalism. God gave us minds and access to tools with which to explore Creation--like science and math and social sciences and literature (since we are part of Creation, too, and lit is great for exploring ourselves).

There is a documented history around how the Bible and translations developed. Many human hands were involved, and humans are limited not only by their own biases but also by the knowledge that was available to them at the time and the culture in which they lived. The Bible can be divinely inspired, but I keep thinking that its components were, first and foremost, written for the audiences of their times. It's amazing how it can still be so meaningful today, but not all the issues of today are addressed within--and they shouldn't be. An active faith requires synthesis of learning and applications to new situations in ways that are consistent with the Spirit of love and compassion that the Bible describes.

I...haven't encountered antisemitism at church...? Like Muslims, those are people we share a distant religious heritage with. They're like second cousins. Maybe treat everyone with kindness and respect, the way Jesus would? This...should not be hard to grok. (I feel like I could do better here, but at least it's a start.)

I'm jumping on this opportunity to shout about this, because it's been bothering me. Yes, we need to be louder, but also... There are reasons why I'm not.

Christians are doing so much harm right now, and I don't want to be associated with it. Churches have done so much harm, and I don't want to remind the people around me who have finally gotten out of it. (Part of me thinks, my church would never! But churches are communities of imperfect people, and at the very least, wherever people gather, there will be drama and hurt feelings. And denial when abuses do happen. And also, many churches haven't been on the forefront of all we've learned about psychology in the last 50 years, and there are also harmful cultural habits where communities haven't rooted them out.)

And also, I want my friends, neighbors, and acquaintances to believe I'm safe to be around. Evangelizing does not accomplish that goal. Caring for people has to come first, or what's the point?

Thank you for this call to be louder. I shall now go back to hiding under my rock/bushel.

In general, I think it's currently really important for progressive Christians to be very loud about being both progressive and deeply religious Christians, and for everyone else fighting for progressive values to be supportive of them doing just that. I know that's like, idk, counter-intuitive or cringe or whatever, but seriously folks, the alternative is that progressive Christians have to be quiet about their faith to be accepted within broader secular and interfaith progressive advocacy, which means that the regressive asshole Christians (a) sound that much louder and (b) dominate the USian religious landscape all the more. That's a problem, for all of us.

We need people pushing back within the faith as well as outside of it, because that destroys any edifice that this is about Christianity and religious freedom.

You can be a devout Christian and also:

Openly, proudly, and without being forced to remain celibate or otherwise limit your full expression of self, identify as LGBTQ+ or be a supportive ally.

Advocate for full reproductive autonomy and comprehensive sex education.

Love and support people of other religious groups, non-religious people and/or atheists, by choosing to believe that a truly loving God would not pursue anything less than universal salvation.

Stand against evangelism and proselytizing as they have thus far been interpreted and used, because there are ways to interpret the Great Commission that don't promote colonialism and cultural genocide.

A steward of the earth, protecting God's beautiful creation and lovingly tending to it as the unique and incredible gift that it is.

A believer in science, rationalism, and human progress as part of God's divine plan for humanity.

A believer in history and someone who understands that the Bible can be both divinely given and open to interpretation (no really)(if you're confused, please talk to a knowledgeable traditional Jew)

An ally to Jews, who stands against supercessionism and antisemitism in the church.

And in before regressive Christians come shouting at me that (1) what do I know, I'm a Jew and (2) no lol you can't because of ___ reason:

My source is that I've personally met and talked to Christians of great faith and integrity - people who embody the closest forms of kindness I've seen to what Jesus himself advocated - who are each of these things.

It is 100% possible; you just choose to believe otherwise.

[womanofwords]

Darling Demon (Part 19)

Yandere!batfam x betrothed!neglected!male!reader x yandere!demon!spouse

TW: public humiliation, consensual non-consent.

Azrir had won. They'd taken your virginity at long last, and it felt like fireworks were exploding in your head the whole time. Yeah, being married to them for eternity would be pretty damn good. Most demons would then parade their human around while tormenting them in whatever ways they wanted for the rest of eternity, but Azrir couldn't afford to do such a thing. A prize like you had to be kept safe, after all.

And definitely bragged about.

"Little prize, I have an offer for you," Azrir said. "I've been meaning to show you off, but I had to wait until your virginity was taken so the other demons could smell the sex on you."

"You guys can smell that?" you whimpered.

"Yes, darling. In order to show you off, I'll need to doll you up, and that means bathing you."

Gently, Azrir took you to a bathtub and drew water for you. "I am only going to use unscented soap on you so the scent of sex can still be detected," they explained, as sweat was scrubbed off you. Their hands were thorough, but not sexual, which felt like a relief. Thick, clawed hands rubbed shampoo into your hair. "You will be clean for this demonstration," Azrir said.

"Azrir, who are you going to show me off to?"

"Some of the lower demons. Winning a human spouse is a high honour for us. I want to show them what they will never have."

Humans were a status symbol? Well, that got you thinking. "Azrir, if human spouses are a status symbol, does that make me a trophy husband?" you asked.

Azrir paused, their hands temporarily freezing while soap suds latched onto their claws. "Technically, yes," they admitted.

"Well, Azrir, if I'm really going to be paraded around as your little trophy, then I should get some sort of reward. After all, I have to be actually tempting for this to work."

Azrir forced themselves not to laugh. Here you were, negotiating your way through their own display while being bathed like a show dog. "Very well, Y/N. What are your demands?"

"First, I want to be able to shapeshift on command, too. My family has a tendency of looking for me, and I don't want to be recognisable. Second, curse Damian into compulsively sucking his thumb explicitly while he is trying to be intimidating or cause pain."

"Consider both of those things done, little prize," Azrir said.

"Also, when we get back, I'm going to drink a cup of sex potion, tie you to the headboard, and top you like it's my only reason for existing."

Azrir's mouth curled into a large smirk. "Deal, little human. Now, put on this outfit and let's go taunt some grunts."

*_*_*_*_*_

The outfit Azrir picked out for you was merely a shirt that went halfway down your thighs with the words "AZRIR'S PRIZE" written on the front. "I don't have to remember lines, do I?" you asked.

"No, Y/N," Azrir said. "I must warn you, little toy, that my hands are often going to . . . have a little fun with you, but nothing too far. Just enough to torment those peons."

"I can live with that," you said, as Azrir hoisted you over their shoulder and began to take you to the ring of lust.

You were ogled a lot. You grew up not drawing much attention while with humans, but here, you were drooled over. You really were a prize.

"Give us a piece," a demon growled, reaching towards you. Azrir grabbed their hand between theirs and squeezed it, hard.

"Touch this human, and I shall eat you," they hissed. Demons fled. Azrir took you off their shoulder and cooed at you. "You poor thing, that must have been a nasty thing to see. There, there, I'm here."

You arrived in the ring of lust and met two demons that were significantly smaller than Azrir. "Azrir, what brings you to us?" one of them asked.

"Bringing you motivation," Azrir said, showing you off with pride. "I used to be a lowly and weak demon such as yourselves, but then I toughened myself up and fought for a human spouse. This is what you can have if you work hard. A little human to do . . . this to."

Azrir's hands went up your shirt, and you stifled a yelp. "This is a bit much!" you whimpered.

"I know," Azrir taunted, grinning as the hand over your crotch got more adventurous and audacious. "Want it to stop?"

You felt dizzy, head spinning. "No, Azrir. Please keep going."

"That's what I like to hear."

"So you brought your human spouse here to . . . taunt us?" the first one asked, notes of disbelief in their voice.

"No, of course not!" Azrir lied. "This is what you could have if you applied yourself."

"If that's the case, why are you blatantly pleasuring it in front of us?"

"Because I can and he's mine. And if you just put in the effort to be stronger, you could have one."

You were going crazy. If Azrir kept going, you would legit go insane. You weren't sure whether to be relieved or annoyed when they stopped and put you back over their shoulder.

"I'll see you around, peasants," they laughed, taking you back home to your bed while groping your behind.

Once you were alone together, you were glad to remove that damn shirt. "Honey, you did so well," Azrir said, smothering you in kisses. "And now, your rewards." Azrir snapped their fingers, and changes occurred.

Your body tingled, but only temporarily and it was over so quickly. That had to be the manifestation of your powers. You only really needed to change one thing, really.

"My love, you have shapeshifted your loins," Azrir said, looking down at your dick with alarm.

"All the better for pleasuring you with," you said, as you got yourself the lube and a cup of aphrodisiac.

Your mother screamed with pain as the scoreboard went up again. "WHY ISN'T THAT DEMON GETTING OFF OF MY SON?" she screamed.

"They can't. Your son is on top of the demon, and having a lot of fun with it," one of the demons said.

Limbs were sawed off again, and your mother screamed. "MAKE IT STOP!"

"We can't. It's honestly entertaining," another demon said. "Azrir knows what they're doing."

The numbers on the scoreboard spun again, and your mother's blood spurted in celebration.

Taglist: @tinybrie, @bunniotomia, @c4xcocoa, @darkmoka, @fightmebissh, @bloobewy, @chi1lllb, @cqerrz, @heart-cream, @noone1233nobody, @type-ink, @sonyboos, @atlasbatman05, @eyeless-kun, @zomqiez.

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[hinge]

Hinge presents an anthology of love stories almost never told. Read more on https://no-ordinary-love.co

[vergess]

You've probably seen some folks fear-mongering about an "M.I.T. study" that was recently released "proving" that using LLMs causes "cognitive decline."

In fact, I can link you to the very study right now. It's DOI page:

And the study PDF itself, which you can reach by clicking the "view PDF" in the upper right of the DOI page.

So, this is a very scary study that uses a lot of advanced jargon from two fields with fairly little overlap. That makes it a hard read. Which wouldn't be an issue if it were going through peer review. However, it was published to an archival service; it is not a journal and it is not peer reviewed.

The first red flag we all need to consider is that this was not read by other specialized experts in cognition, machine learning, or the overlap between the two fields. It wasn't reviewed by anyone beyond a content moderator making sure it looks "appropriate and topical. Material that contains offensive language, non-scientific content, or is plagiarized may be removed."

So the number one thing to remember, as I critique this study, is that it has had no review. Which forces every reader to do their own review. Which is a problem when you're writing in specialized technical language from two rarely overlapping fields.

So now that we know there was no review and the only oversight came from the authors themselves, let's look at those authors.

Nataliya Kosmyna is a human/computer interfacing expert who specializes in neurotechnology. She is also extremely pro-AI. Make a note of that, it will be important later.

Eugene Hauptmann is an AI developer himself, with a "faith based" AI company he started to build a "technological singularity".

Ye Tong "Tina" Yuan graduated Wellesley last month (May 2025)! First off, congratulations to you, Tina. Well done on getting this much press attention as a fresh Bachelor!!!

Xiao-Hao "Harry" Liao is an expert in UX design. He is also pro-AI, and even develops his own LLM interfaces.

Ashly Vivian Beresnitzky has no other publications or significant online presence I was able to find.

Iris Braunstein is another AI developer and design expert.

The same is true of Pattie Maes.

Are we noticing a pattern here?

We have a lot of computer scientists--dazzlingly advanced experts--who love AI. We also have a stark absence of cognitive scientists of any sort.

This study was not authored by experts in cognition. It also did not use any standard forms of cognitive testing.

That's right! It turns out writing essays with electrodes on for 20 minutes once a month for 4 months isn't "cognitive testing."

Those electrodes measure how many signals different regions of your brain are sending, with relatively low precision. They do not and cannot measure how hard you are thinking or how well you are learning. That is not how that works.

They also graded the essays. Oh wait, no they didn't. An LLM graded the essays.

But they did do n-gram analysis on the essays too! That's where you look for common word groups of different lengths. In fact, n-grams are the underlying mathematics of LLMs! Which is why this batch of LLM scientists decided to use them. And worse, they used them exactly the way you would use them to test an LLM's functionality.

So, let me repeat that in different terms:

A bunch of computer scientists decided to run a cognition study, using only their familiar computer science methodologies, consulting no cognition testing experts, and without actually grading the fucking essays.

They then published their unreviewed gibberish to an archive, where the media picked it up, misread it, and misapplied it.

I say misapplied, because if you look at the selection of experts who wrote the paper, another pattern emerges from their past published works: they are making LLM software in direct competition with chatGPT.

This was an attack ad to try to drive AI loving consumers away from chatGPT and towards their own products.

And then people somehow misunderstood that and went ballistic about how interacting with AI is ~basically brain damage~. A thing the study was not even trying to prove in the first place, and in no way proved by accident either.

[layaart]

was asked to see a bit more of my process of making my bookmarks! I don't save much process but I have an ongoing concept document and I can ramble about things for Ages so here's some of that:

This was my very first group of sketches after the initial mushrooms I did (which were planned/lined traditionally). As you can see, some are almost identical to how they ended up, some changed a lot, some didn't go anywhere. the book spines I guess I just started like that and developed them further in the actual final file.

Below is kinda 1.5 I guess (crossed off after I completed them, I just hid that layer on the other images), there's the couple newest dagger ones, purple/yellow fungi (different species at this point, I just wanted those colours), very rough colour blocks for the book spines I already had + new ideas just to see all the colours together..

and then current page:

shifted those vague book shaped blobs here to work on them better. some, like the dragon, I just figured out in the proper file, the rest are clearly pretty worked out at this point already. I'm not sure if I'll do the lichen since I already have a bunch of green ones, and I really want to do a wizard spells kinda vibe I just can NOT figure out a colour palette or what objects to use for it.

I've been prioritising the book spines since they sell way better than the daggers/swords and I think are the most unique, but I do want to make more swords because ultimately i just do what i want........ have almost finished the jungle & dark water ones which is probably where I'll stop for now.

[I also haven't 100% decided on the dark or light version of the snowy book - I will print proofs of both. I like the contrast of the dark one but I think the light one might look better as a physical object]

As far as decision making, I start with ideas/colours I like obviously, but I also think about:

what colour palettes are common on book covers with similar themes (I often think of a few books I like to match them to specifically)

what colours/palettes have I not used yet? I like to have a rainbow of bookmark designs. (you can see in the concepts above I've got a little group of some colours I might use for new ones...)

what genre/niche of book have I not covered much of yet (how I came to do a couple more horror & sci-fi - ish ones)

what other slightly different imagery or design element can I add in to the main theme to make it a bit more interesting? (like: the celestial theme on the cards/coins one; the key on the fantasy map, there's some spiderwebs on the eldritch one #tma)

also all of them (except some of the fungi) are different on the back in some form! either subtly (slightly different flame overlap) or very obviously (different colour or details, broken sword, closed angel eye)

my only 'limits' really are keeping some level of consistency with the different types, ie: fungi designs all have a squared bottom shape; the swords all have a wider background element (often kinda elements or environments?), the daggers have more closeup specific objects as a background; the books are either fantasy or sciencey themed. if I ever choose to do non-book or non-sword/dagger bookmarks I would want to do a set, not just having a random bookmark that's a different kind of weapon or something

Oh, the other relevant thing to the book designs is that I briefly explored if I could get special versions made with gold/silver foil on the spine designs - only sparkly ink was an option, and that wasn't obvious enough to be worth it. But that is what made me end up doing these matching sticker designs - because metallic effects can be done on stickers! Some of these I did after the matching bookmark design, some before.

Also I have speedpaints of some of these on tiktok: bones, crystal dagger, potions, plants part 2, crystals, fire, water, honey, orange fungi, purple roses, a couple daggers, raven, murderbot, sabran, ead. mostly just parts of the process on the rare occasion I remembered to record some.

-----

Also since I'm here? I made graphs of all my bookmark sales at events since late 2023

This doesn't include the sets that I used to sell (5 swords, 6 daggers, 5 book spines), since I don't sell them as sets anymore in person. I keep making new designs and it's annoying to update sets constantly (also, table space)

I didn't include the fandom designs in the rest of this post since I did them kinda separately but here's the sales for those too. obviously I sell them mostly online!

and below is all of the total bookmarks I've ordered (as in the numbers I requested from my manu - not counting the extras they sometimes give me or bgrade/damaged ones, etc). I also of course have a thousand or so in stock that I haven't sold yet

(I've been counting the 3 priory designs in one total here, which is why it's far above the others)

organised by type, then in order from when I made them. obviously some have been around for 4 years so I've had more time to sell more of them, hence the general downward curves

we are approaching 10k. that's a lot of bookmarks. wow thanks!

[charity-angel]

I currently live just outside that area (still on the screenshot, just... That big road at the far east, towards the top, that has an absolutely massive kink in it, just outside the red circle? That's pretty much where I live.

We've got some absolutely gorgeous countryside, pretty much all round. It rains a lot, so it's REALLY green.

Our fabulously rainy, and thus damp climate is really awesome for spinning cotton - keeps the dust down, and the fibres supple enough they won't snap. The industrial revolution was really A Thing round here. Mills everywhere.

They're mostly closed down now, converted into flats, or shops, offices. But we do enjoy some of the last bastions of the British fabric industry being around here. I highly recommend a trip to Immanuel's Fabric in Burnley, if you're a sewist. Never the same stuff twice, and they have a massive room that's £1/metre. (Cash or PayPal only, no card payments. And it's not particularly wheelchair friendly - there's steps in, and some very narrow bits in the £1 room. But the staff are always amazing - help me in, grab whatever I need, walk me and my haul back to the car...)

God, there has to be something more than fabric... And the chemical factories made to support the cotton factories...

That said, if the Industrial Revolution is your thing, there's still a working museum/mill south of Manchester. Quarry Bank Mill - I very much enjoyed it, both times I've been.

Pendle Witches? That's a particularly *fun* part of our history. Probably a lot less sci-fi than Doctor Who made it out to be.

Accrington bricks? Those bright red fuckers that are hard as iron and WILL wreck your drill bits if you're unlucky enough to find one in your wall? Well, that's because there is literally iron in them. And they're made within that red circle. (They're also called Nori bricks, because the whoever made the first stamp for them sort of forgot it has to be done in mirror, so it would be the right way round when the bricks are stamped. They were supposed to say "iron". Now they're stamped with Nori on purpose, because why mess with what works?

Totally doesn't make us look like illiterate idiots at all...

Ooh, speaking of ancient typos, there is a place south of Manchester called Altrincham. The engraver who made ye olde "welcome to" sign managed to put a C instead of a G. It's pronounced "alt-ring-um". The OG pronunciation stuck around, but the typo also stuck.

Wheeling back to Accrington and its bricks, one of Accy's other claims to fame is probably the best-known of the "pals" divisions from WWI - definitely the best reason it shouldn't have happened:

If you don't know, when the army was recruiting for the Great War, in a moment of genius they decreed that men from the same town would fight together. That way they already had the camaraderie to help them stick together and have each other's backs.

It worked. Right up until the entirety of Accrington's men were lost at the Somme.

Weirdly, they stopped doing Pals battalions after that.

(there's another example, but it's from way outside the circle, so... not covering it here)

Anyway, the reason I circled back to the bricks is that there is a specific memorial to the Accrington Pals in the Somme. You might have guessed by now, but it's made of Nori bricks.

I didn't manage to find it, despite having a decent map (pre sat nav), but I'm assured it does in fact exist.

Accy is also bloody ancient - it's listed in the Domesday Book. Not quite as big as it is now, but it's there.

Um... There must be more.

(but yeah, the football thing pretty much came about because of the mills - gave people something to do other than work and drink. That's why it's so prevalent up here.)

HEY

HEY YOU!

DO YOU LIVE IN THIS AREA???

Tell me about it! BRAG IT! DRAG IT! ANYTHING (that isnt football)! I'm begging ( T∀T)°°

[aroaessidhe]

I need to get better at posting about aspec books as I read them, not just quietly adding them to my database and mentioning in the bottom of my reviews lol so here's the last few months [no order]

The Keeper of Lonely Spirits - cozy fantasy. the MC is likely acespec - he's only been interested in two people in 200 years, mostly uncomfortable about it otherwise. (& I think I saw the author mention this also). He's gay and also immortal - and elderly, not like an immortal-20-year-old, which is nice. It's vague/brief enough that I probably would not read it for aceness though.

I finally read the Villains duology, everyone knows about it, it's solid, only a brief direct mention of his asexuality in book 2 but the vibes are there throughout.

Be The Sea - a slow character focused scififantasy, with a demisexual (nonbinary, autistic) MC, and an ace SC. asexuality is discussed quite a bit in the book. lots of things are discussed. the book is mostly discussions.

The Fallow Year / Holy Terrors - end of the little thieves trilogy! Vanja and Emeric are still demisexual. they both explore some other relationships in TFY - I've seen some opinions that it felt 'not very demi' of them but imo the way it was depicted felt pretty clear on the difference of attraction vs action? I would have been happy with not as much focus on their relationship in the latter books but it's fine it's a good series

This Ends in Embers - end of a YA fantasy duology with dragons and sisters. one MC is demi. it's only briefly brought up but she has a romance subplot that it's lightly woven into.

Kiss Me, Maybe - contemporary romance with a greyace lesbian MC. I wrote a bit in my review here, it's not bad

The End Crowns All - YA Cassandra/Helen Greek retelling fantasy with a sex-favourable ace lesbian MC. bit too long and slow for me, but her ace journey was nice.

Wearing The Lion - heracles retelling, aroace author, athena (minor character) is alloace which is briefly discussed in a scene. probably won't put this in my database, just mentioning it here tho

Cradle and Grave - postapoc horror with an aroace character - just a single mention. no romance.

The Ocean Hugs Hard - historical mystery w a bit of cosmic horror, ace man MC. the depiction of his asexuality felt pretty true to the historical setting and was decent and complex, just didn't love the book.

Limitless: Poetry of an Aromantic & Asexual Journey - what it says on the tin. i'm not really a poetry person

What Wakes The Bells - YA fantasy with a demisexual girl MC, m/f. I liked how it emphasised the friendship aspect of their relationship just as much. her brother is also aroace. the book was just okay.

We Are Villains - YA mystery/thriller from Kacen Callender. the main MC is aroace, briefly explored. very glad for more Black aspecs from a Black author! the book was.....okay.

Vagabonds! - great Nigerian contemporary fantasy with a couple of ace/aroace coded characters in the ensemble cast, though only really discussed in a few paragraphs. very good book.

Unbury The Bones / Boneless - a couple very short cozy fantasy mystery novellas about an aromantic vampire & the werewolf who's trying so so hard to be their friend

That’s What She Said - contemporary novel about two friends in their 20s, one is demisexual. it is very focused on her demisexuality which is done pretty well imo, unfortunately the other MC is arospec coded and then villainised for it (aromanticism is never brought up. it's just commitment issues or whatever, eyeroll)

The Chronicles of Nerezia - not new, I just read the most recent two books. 3 aroaces and a lesbian going on adventures and playing so many board games and trying to save the world

Come Drink With Me - chinese fairytale vibe novella about two immortals who live/work at an opera house, who are both aromantic. this isn't new I just reread it bc i've been meaning to for a while! read my bestie's books 🫵

Children of Ruin - unexpected major character in book 2 of this trilogy is mentioned to be asexual (implied aro). very much the asocial mad scientist stereotype and only mentioned the once, I wouldn’t really call this good representation. But I do like this kind of character and I also liked the books, so,

Black Salt Queen - again unexpected, a side character is an aroace woman. (just mentioned once). fingers crossed POV in book 2? idk

A Stage Over Ruthless Stars - YA sci-fi with an aroallo MC and gay MC. his being aro is pretty much just mentioned the once. the other MC also expresses disinterest in amatonormative 'when you settle down with a partner in the future' rhetoric. no romance.

Hallowed Be Her Flesh - another monster romance/erotica from emryn bird, sapphic with an ace MC and asexual-species angel LI

a couple books I've heard/ been reminded about recently and are on my hopefully-near-future tbr:

The Star Crossed Empire - space opera with an ace MC

The Map And The Territory - high fantasy with aroace MC(s?), been vaguely on my tbr for ages but I just got a copy.

A Crimson Covenant - sapphic vampire/werewolf romance, I believe one is demisexual

Threads of the City - demiromantic ace MC

Demon Song - an ace MC, I think

That Devil Ambition - it's a linsey miller book I'm sure there's an ace girl in there somewhere

Painted Flock - obviously! I always forget about books I designed when im book blogging lmao

Rising Ashes - Fallen Thorns sequel, aroace MC

One Morning Sun - book 3 in the Sãoni Cycle! aroallo & alloace MCs

(there are obviously MANY more I know about these are just. I do actually plan to read these soon)

[hinge]

Hinge presents an anthology of love stories almost never told. Read more on https://no-ordinary-love.co

[soundop-central]

RE: your post about rebranding to megasound-central. I've always thought the best flavour of megop has soundwave squeezed in the middle, and the best flavour of wavewave has megatron off to the side only half in frame. Which is to say megasound too also is only improved by optimus being in there somewhere. I understand you.

AJDBWIXBWIZWH

megasoundop is the only brand of megop that i can tolerate, not even going to lie.

i just think that both of them need a sort of buffer there. soundwave fundamentally understands megatron (imo), and has a knack for coming to deep and accurate conclusions about others. meaning that if he spent enough time with optimus, he'd probably end up liking him.

ive always shipped megasound, like how ive always shipped wavewave and optiratch. there is so many of my favourite dynamic tropes wrapped up in this ship (i.e.: knight/lord, guard dog/leash holder, devotee/idol, etc.). i've always liked ships that have subtle power dynamics wrapped up in a morally grey (or straight up evil) bow. megasound has always been "universe's worst enabler/universe's worst warlord" to me.

i havent always shipped soundop. i actually pavlov'd myself into shipping it just because i came up with a really funny crack au that accidentally sent soundop careening from "silly nonsense" to "oh god, they're actually really good". soundop isn't as cut and dry to me as megasound- there arent a lot of dynamic tropes that actually fit them, so it's hard to quantify in simple terms what their relationship would be like. but its based on agreements, a mutual acknowledgment of the past and the future, respect and understanding. it's a lot of work, but it's rewarding.

i love both megatron and optimus as characters, and i totally recognize why the fandom ships them (ESP the idw and tfo side) (though, side note, i do actually like dpax; my opinion on megop is very nuanced and continuity dependent.) either way, i just dont see it working after literal millions of years of war without someone to act as a sort of mediator. whether that be in a romantic or platonic position, its up to whoever is doing the interpreting; but here's my take.

so we've got this guy (soundwave) who's basically sworn to this other guy (megatron), and the depth of his oath has become pretty muddy to both of them, even teetering on blasphemous if one looks hard enough. their (now ex-) enemy is an all around pretty Okay dude (optimus). while he's definitely tried to destroy everything they've done, they have also tried to do the exact same thing to him. and now that it's all done and over with...

well hey, why not? optimus seems amicable. he's definitely still sympathetic to them; remembering their time together before the degeneration that the war had become. maybe it would be worth it to try and test the waters.

i see it as an enemies to friends to lovers deal on all sides. everyone has to want it, has to work towards it, has to put in that effort.

soundwave is very suspicious of optimus at first, and frustrated that megatron would simply welcome him in so easily. optimus has to earn soundwave's trust. soundwave is protective of megatron- it's hard to undo 4 million years of protecting him from the very person he's now let in their home.

optimus is, understandably, a bit intimidated by how... intense... the vibe is. he feels like he's constantly in hostile territory. but he also knows that he's the odd man out. he resents having to earn his place, but also understands that if they want to have any hope at success, he needs to have soundwave's trust.

megatron is... both delighted and cautious. he's probably the one who's walking the thinnest line. it was his idea, he's the one who kept touch with optimus, he's the one who wanted to at least try. he convinced soundwave, no easy feat, and optimus, only slightly easier. he has the trust of two people that he cares very much about on the line.

it's definitely stressful.

both optimus and megatron are stubborn mechs. megatron has a temper and optimus has a no nonsense attitude. both of them can bicker back and fourth for hours, and to anyone on the outside, it would look like a normal conversation. yet, it is bickering, and despite how much both of them try to deny their own internal feelings, it does leave them a bit more hollow each time.

megatron never wants to apologize; he can only admit fault if he's given irrefutable proof of wrong doing. it's like pulling teeth.

meanwhile optimus is trying so hard to be reasonable, but also firm in his stances. he wishes to help both soundwave and megatron adjust to a life without war- while he can barely do that himself.

but soundwave, at first, would be doing this for megatron. as always, he's the self-sacrificer, the one who will do whatever is asked in order to further their goals. that much hasn't changed, even if the rhetoric has. yet, as time goes on, he slowly begins to enjoy this arrangement. which is something he never expected.

soundwave is adaptable and level headed; able to parse out fact and fiction within a blink of an eye. as he slowly grows more confident in his identity beyond just being megatron's most trusted, he finds himself growing more and more satisfied by finding another ship in the sea that is loving megatron.

anyway, tl;dr - they're gay. painfully so. theyre also traumatized and like not having a good time usually. but they're trying to fix that and make it work. and if that isn't real love idk what is.

[rainbowsky]

Hello, I hope you're doing well!

I was watching a video from a Chinese Turtle (who was originally a Wyb solo) and she said something about how after the "scandal" in 2020, Wyb helped Xz get endorsement, and that when they bought products that they thought Wyb endorsed they'd receive some Xz merch with it as well

This is my first time hearing about it and was wondering if you had any information about that?

Hi meyjustscrolling,

I am doing well, thanks! Hope you are well too. 😊

These sorts of rumors were swirling around a lot around the time of 2/27, and they were very controversial and caused a lot of fan wars. I personally don't think it's something we should be treating as candy at all.

The idea that GG would need DD to save his career understandably pissed off GG's fans. It's an insult to GG, and it only added salt to the wounds for GG's fans, and massively stoked their anger and criticism of DD for 'not speaking up' in support of GG at that time* - which in turn led to cyberbullying attacks on DD, and likely is the root source of a lot of the virulent hatred between their two fandoms to this day.

*I have a whole post about that here.

Some of the similar rumors that were circulating among turtles were that DD was supporting GG financially during that time, that he set GG up with opportunities and allies, and various other (in my view, pretty self-serving, poorly thought out and often extremely toxic) CPN. (There were some more believable and sweet fake rumors at the time, too - it wasn't all bad).

Let me be clear on where I stand with all of these sorts of rumors: I don't think there's any value in them, I think they're harmful and in most cases totally false, and I think that this sort of thing doesn't warrant any speculation at all.

2/27 was a tough time, but GG did have allies of his own, he had a huge fanbase that is still with him, he had the sympathy of a large portion of the bystanders and passersby who heard of the situation, he has a very sharp head for business, and he clearly pulled through it stronger than ever. All of that work and effort would have been his own, and speaking about things the way some turtles do only undermines GG's resourcefulness, resilience, patience and hard work.

I think it's likely that DD was a big source of love, support and encouragement, and it's possible that he was able to help GG in more tangible ways, but all of that is completely unknowable and the whole "DD saves the day!" narrative reeks of fan fiction fantasies.

I also think it's unlikely that DD's brands would have touched any of this with a 10-foot pole, nor would his backers and management. His fans wouldn't have tolerated it, and GG would definitely not have allowed it.

Companies and brands are extremely risk averse, and DD's team and endorsement brands would have been working overtime to try to keep his name from being dragged into things. It's extremely unrealistic for people to think his brands would have done any sort of joint promotion to support GG.

More about that in this post.

It's possible that some fans sent merch to people who bought GGDD's endorsement products, but I don't see any planet where a brand would invite scandal onto their own heads by running a promotion like this. It's not how brands operate.

In my view it's massively disrespectful to GG for turtles to treat him like DD's 'kept man' who couldn't get by on his own.

It's not romantic on any level. The people who get excited about takes like this tend to buy heavily into heterosexist and heteronormative ideas about relationships, and try to project toxic het gender role norms onto GG and DD.

GG and DD are two men. Two strong, independent, talented men who have endless capabilities of their own. GG was a professional and an entrepreneur before he entered the entertainment industry. He's more than capable of handling his own career.

We can CPN that they handled some of this together as a couple, but I don't like any implication that DD carried GG through the ordeal.

Of course, it's all unknowable and people are free to come up with their own theories and believe whatever they want, but you asked me and that's my answer.

Related posts:

Why didn’t DD make a public statement about 2/27?

Which of them is more sensitive? - (I talk about fan perceptions about them in this post)

Feminization of GG in the Fandom

Feminization of GG in Fan Fiction

DD being into skateboarding and motorcycles must mean he’s straight, right?

Endorsement brands dropping candy

[tawghasa]

I endorse all of this.

I had to change careers in my early 30s (grant-gunded research scientist + four years of no grants in my speciality = redundancy with no hiring opportunities). Here are a few things I learned from that journey:

Consider doing the same job for a different employer. I spent 5 years working for a lab that, in retrospect, had a really terrible workplace culture. I got a position in another lab in the same institute, and the experience was a LOT better.

(It was still rough at times, due to the bullshit I had internalised clashing with similar bullshit my lab supervisor had internalised. But I cried in the bathrooms WAY less.)

There can be a LOT of jobs that are tangentially related to your current job, that no one in your current job is really aware of. Or if they are aware, they overestimate the barriers to getting there.

(E.g., I moved from medical research into intellectual property. I assumed that you would need some kind of legal background for that... But nope!)

On a related note, be sceptical of any career advice you get from people at your hell-job. If they haven't gotten out themselves, they are sharing conjecture, not facts.

Most people have bad resumes and weak cover letters/responses to selection criteria. I highly recommend checking out Askamanager.org, in particular this masterpost of advice for resumes and cover letters. Alison also has a guide for preparing for job interviews that I've used with success (it's free when you sign-up to her mailing list. I think I've gotten maybe two e-mails in the six years since I signed up to get the free pdf).

Being older can be a benefit in the workplace. Some recent hires at my job are in their 50s, and were REALLY surprised they made the cut... But they both have so much experience under their belts, they're very familiar with the norms of a 9-to-5 job, etc. (They're also less likely to look for another job before they retire than younger hires.)

Also, you just know more stuff. You have more experience in having a job, talking to people, doing things. You have more years under your belt of troubleshooting, finding easier workflows, cleaning up messes.

E.g., I hated my time in retail but I know a LOT about how to talk to people: how to give someone bad news without them yelling at me, how to tell them they stuffed up without them yelling at me, how to tell them I stuffed up without them yelling at me...

I have an excellent phone manner and a "customer-centric commitment to issue resolution" which has been a huge asset in both of my post-retail careers - but neither of those jobs had any kind of intentional training/mentoring in those areas! Those are skills I developed in THE shittiest supermarket in South Australia while developing bone damage in my feet because I was standing for 10 hours a day.

A few other bits of advice:

It's hard to be productive outside of work when you work a terrible job that is corroding your soul. It's hard to write a good resume/apply to further education/whatever when you hate your job and you're exhausted and everything is pointless. Don't beat yourself up if it takes longer than you'd like to get anything done.

Make things easier for yourself by asking for/accepting help. Use the Ask A Manager resources, ask friends and family (ideally ones who have jobs they like) to help you with your job search and your application materials.

(Are we mutuals? Do you want some help with a resume? Send me a DM. I can also hop on a Discord call and chat with you about interview prep and technique.)

Try to start prepping now, BEFORE the dream opportunity crosses your path. It's easier to have an up-to-date master resume that you can tailor to the role, than to scramble to pull one together the night applications close.

Reddit can actually be really helpful. There are subreddits for a lot of careers/industries, with posts every few months asking how to either break in or get out. They can also be a good place to ask what the day-to-day is like in a career you're thinking of switching to, which can help you identify any skills you already have that would be an asset/consider whether you'd enjoy the reality of the job. Keep in mind that it's all subjective, and no two people's experiences will be the same.

If you've read this far, try to find time to update your resume this weekend. Even if you like your current job. (That's usually the best time to look at other jobs - you're not desperate, so you're in a strong position to negotiate any offers.) Because if you've read this far through a thread about changing jobs/careers, you're probably interested on some level in doing the thing.

I’m thinking of doing a complete career switch- or at the very least, making an attempt to start it- and the idea is frightening for so many reasons- money, feeling like I’m behind, insecurity, family- but then i think of just sticking to the path I’m on and it sends me into a crying fit so. I think I’m going to have to be brave

Be brave! I changed industries at age 41 and it was so good for both my career and mental health.

It sounds silly to have to outright say, but if the thought of going to your current job makes you cry every day, it is time to LEAVE. You are not the first person I have had to give this advice to this week. The longer you stay in a dead-end job, the more your skills will rust and the inertia will drag you down.

It feels frightening, but you can get through the imposter syndrome by becoming a thorough note taker (assuming you are white collar, but a lot of this also applies to blue):

Capture every conversation you have

Immediately distill meetings and emails into to-do lists

Review your to-dos daily

Most importantly: write down your accomplishments, no matter how small, at the end of every week

Notes by hand helped me so much, and my little treat to keep going was to begin a fresh mini-notebook every 2 weeks, which I could decorate with ink stamps and washing tape. I used a different color gel pen every day, too. My notebooks were fun and super helpful with keeping me organized.

You will catch up soon enough. It sucks to be an older person in a junior role, but you will be more mature and hopefully adept at handling work drama. I hit senior at age 47 after doing my time, and now I'm pretty indistinguishable from the folks who beat me here.

People aren't meant to do the same thing for all their lives, if it means sacrificing other opportunities. It's ok to say goodbye to a career or hobby or whatever else, to make room for something new. Don't feel guilty sampling from life. Specialization is for insects.

[bullet-prooflove]

Does Charlie and Emery have any hard turn OFF’s?

I really think that neither of them would respond well to degradation and this is one of those things that I think writers need to give some seriously thought into when they’re writing about it. Why do the characters need it in that moment and how do you make it into your own unique scene because at this point every fandom is inundated with it but there’s rarely people who do it well because they don’t explore WHY someone gets off on it and why there are certain things that work for that character and certain things that don’t.

Why Em’s not into it:

She has faced a lot of prejudice in the past, mostly from men and the words men like to use to describe a woman are ‘bitch, slut, whore’. That is something she does not want to bringing into the bedroom. Loves Charlie’s dirty talk, happy with stuff like ‘you’re so desperate for me aren’t you honey, I’m gonna fuck that pussy until you remember it’s mine.’  But telling her she’s a ‘needy little slut’ < for me as a writer its generic, I mean the sentence above turns you on way more but for Em, that’s just gonna piss her off and not in the good, rough sex way.

Why Charlie’s not into it:

He’s done it before as requested by a partner and did not like it. Working in gangs he sees a lot of fucked up sexual violence towards women in the form of initiations, revenge, abusive relationships where the man thinks he owns them, women who are turned out to earn for the gang. The language again is always the same and the actions laced with cruelty. It disgusts him and it’s not something he wants to bring into his own relationship. He’s more likely to say ‘oh honey, you love me filling your mouth don’t you, you’re gonna swallow every drop for me like a good girl aren’t you’ as opposed to ‘that’s it you little slut, take it for daddy’ < again generic and the above line is more sensual and personalised.

All this to say these two respect the hell out of each other.

Restraints are completely off the table for Charlie, in terms of him being tied down. He can’t stand to be helpless like that. However is very game if Em wants to be tied up because the trust it exhibits, here’s his beautiful girl, tied to his bed, trusting him to pleasure her, he gets off on that.

Gags are a no go because there needs to be open communication between the two of them at all times. Sometimes things get a little rough, Charlie needs to know that Em can tell him if things are getting out of control. On Em’s side of things, she hates the idea of having her voice stolen away.

Waxplay, Charlie did it once and it was a mess. It took him ages to get it out of his chest hair and as much as he likes a bit of pain, it just wasn’t for him.

Sharing – Charlie Reid does not share his partner, he has no interest in anyone outside his partner. His focus is on them and only them. The thought of another person’s hands on Em, man or woman makes him want to murder.

Pegging – Again it comes back to control, he just can’t bring himself to lose it in that way. He needs to be the one doing the fucking. However if his partner is into anal, he’s happy to incorporate that into their sex life.

That’s everything I can think of off the top of my head.

[crownmemes]

Secrets & Lies Sentences, Vol. 6

(Sentences for those that lie, conceal, and seek the truth. Adjust phrasing where needed)

"I don't owe you any sort of honesty about my personal life."

"You lied to me! Right now, I don't even know which side you're on!"

"Whatever you've done, your secret's safe. Unless, of course, there's something you want to tell me?"

"I'm not the man that you think I am."

"You have a curious secretive streak in you!"

"What is it that you don't want to tell me?"

"Can't you give me a straight answer anymore?"

"Everyone has something to hide, but I won't say anything you don't want me to."

"Secrets will always come out. There will always be a reckoning."

"Tell me your secrets, and I'll tell you mine."

"If I'm holding something back, is it so unthinkable that I have a good reason?"

"Don't tell me you're innocent. It insults my intelligence and makes me very angry."

"In my advanced middle age I've learnt one thing, and that is ignorance truly is bliss."

"Once this gets out, you're going to hear some things about me. Some of it's true. A lot of it isn't."

"I never lie to my friends."

"If you want to stay working here, you need to understand that I will tolerate no more secrets."

"It's not your actions and betrayal that I resent; it's just the lies."

"Isn't not telling me the whole story the same damn thing as lying?"

"I suppose you have good reason for making me look like a liar?"

"There you go, lying about me again."

"You're not fooling anybody."

"Look, are you going to let me in on what you're thinking here?"

"I want to tell you my secret now."

"You're a good man, and I shouldn't have lied to you. I'm sorry."

"I believe you - this time."

"If you open this door, you won't control what comes through. Are you ready for that?"

"What are you doing? Who are you protecting with all these lies?"

"When people don't tell the truth, it always ends badly."

"In my own way, I've always told you the truth."

"Secrets don't stay secret here. They have a way of getting out."

"You must like hidden things, for you hide things very well."

"I was trying to protect you. The less you know, the better."

"We said no more secrets, but I've still got one."

"There's a lot I can't tell you, and I know that's upset you in the past. You felt it was because of a lack of trust of confidence, but it's because I admire you and I love you that I kept things secret from you."

"We're all alone. I want to know all your secrets."

"If I were to tell you it's not what you think, would you believe me?"

"We all have secrets. We all lie."

"You know something. Don't lie; you're not good at it."

"It's not like I lied. I just never told you the whole truth."

"This must all be so confusing for you."

"I haven't lied to you. Yet."

[rissararity]

It Just Needs a Little...Shaping! -Bob Reynolds X Thunderbolt!Reader

Bob is full of so much magic and feels hopeless about learning to use it. In your Avenger days, you had your own magic, were known to have incredible power and joined Doctor Strange on several of his own missions.

Sentry's power is untapped, untamed...but you think it just needs a little...shaping.

You're the bow, he's the arrow

Word count: 1,043

In which - you, an ex-Sorceress- help your friend Bob control his magic in a sweet, supportive way. The team is proud and a group hug ensues.

You and Bob are slowing falling for each other/idiots in love, there's little hints at that. Writing Yelena is so fun! Found family vibes!

“It's too hard! I can’t do it!” Frustrated, Bob threw his hands down. “I'm such a failure!”

The mug he’d been trying very hard to levitate simply changed color from orange to blue before your very eyes.

You were quick to pat his back and reassure him that magic based on emotions was very hard to control.

Before you’d lost your powers, you’d gone through a lot of guilt, pain and therapy before you’d gotten to be the Avenger everyone knew and loved.

The masses here had no idea of the multiversal blood on your hands. An entire world that no longer existed because you had one bad breakdown.

One slip up covered you in invisible blood that stained in a way you couldn’t describe.

You would do everything you could to make sure Bob didn’t go down the same path.

Sentry certainly had the same, Will driven, do whatever you want kind of magic you once did.

“Hmm…”

He peaked over at you, baggy sweater sleeves slightly tear stained as he wiped his face a final time.

“Maybe you just need some help to…direct it. Maybe…” you started to pick at your lower lip as you put together your thoughts, dully feeling Bob pull your hand away before you peeled the skin and drew blood.

Again.

His much larger hand kept a hold on your dominant one, feeling how your fingertips twitched and you still tried to pick despite it.

Bob’s grip tightened ever so slightly to keep you from slipping out while he watched the gears turn in your head.

Your eyes skimmed over your handwich, then up and down both your forearm and his.

He noticed you refocus, feeling excitement in his stomach when you looked up at him with a renewed spark in your eyes.

“Maybe I can sort of….guide it. If you feed your magic into me -just a little bit – I think I can…shape it.”

“Is that safe? Will it work?”

You shrugged, “I’ve done similar things in the past. I know you don’t know much about…who I was but trust me…a little bit of Sentry’s magic won’t hurt.”

You brought your other hand up the back of the one on the bottom of yours, pressing together.

A bright smile lit up your face, nudging him a little with your shoulder. “We can do this! Let’s give it a try! I’ll help you.”

A light dusting of pink entered his cheeks, small nod making his long, dark hair dance around them.

A striking, white ring formed in his iris’ as your support instilled the confidence he needed.

He rolled up his sweater sleeves, showing surprisingly toned, milky forearms.

Not wanting to risk ruining the moment by making him ask, you held out your non-dominant hand.

Bob was a little too eager to take it, sandwiching it between his own again and visibly a bit surprised at it's size.

Heat shot up your arm at the touch, you assumed it was Sentry's magic going from his body to yours.

Admittedly, it was magic but not the kind you thought.

You inhaled sharply as a rush of energy came to you, pupils dilating as your body re-learned how to handle magic; Like plugging in an old refrigerator for the first time in years.

Bob watched a similar ring appear in your eyes for a couple of seconds, calm and unaware of the risk you were taking for him.

You had no idea if your body could still handle magic, physically. You could have exploded into ichor on contact from the inside out.

Luckily, the ‘fridge still works!

It only took a couple of seconds but, for you, it felt like several minutes had passed by the time you felt his magic flow through your pipes like it belonged there.

Turning your gaze on the mug, you held out a hand the way you once did and used the magic Bob was feeding you to make the ceramic slowly lift from the counter.

Cheers came from both of you, your shouts of joy gathering the curious ears of a couple of your teammates.

When Yelena, Alexi and Bucky entered the kitchen, they witnessed you turning the mug different colors at Bob's gleeful request – all while it hovered a foot off the counter.

Both of you had huge smiles on your faces and genuine happiness in your eyes.

“Glad to see you’re making progress.” Bucky offered, aware he wasn’t good at this sort of thing.

“Making progress?! They’re in here kicking ass and doing actual magic!”

You set the mug down as Yelena came over with her arms wide, letting her take both you and Bob in them.

He hesitated for just a second before putting his arms around the two of you, still smiling.

“You guys are amazing! I’ve seen a lot of technology…some reeeeally fucked up shit, honestly,” she glanced over at Alexi, who shrugged and nodded, “But magic I just cannot believe exists! That’s so cool!”

The large man joined the hug, putting his daughter in the middle and easily encircling your and Bob’s shoulders while Yelena shifted to hug your waists.

“And our friends can use it! Together, there is nothing you can’t do!”

Bob’s chuckle of joy warmed all of your hearts as you were squeezed.

“Oh no you don’t, Barnes. Group hugs are mandatory. I don’t know what this is about but I’m in!”

You all looked over to see John enter and stop Bucky who’d tried to weasel out while the group was distracted.

He pretended not to like the hugs, but you all knew he got just as much from them as the rest of the team.

And that’s why he rolled his eyes and immediately turned back on his heel to hide his grin from the other super soldier, then came over to join the group hug with confidence.

Bucky draped himself around you and Alexi, cool metal of his arm going around your lower back.

When John wrapped around Bob’s back you felt his arm cross your shoulder blades, pulling you a little closer to Yelena who happily tipped her head back to have room to breathe.

You agreed with her.

The minor suffocation was well worth it.