#it's a pattern I've seen for a while

[voidpumpkin]

seeing analyses of nimona is fun because they have really good insights and are analysing every inch of this movie but in virtually all of them there is a gaping hole where the very obvious messages and metaphors in regards to race and racism in this film lay.

Like tell me, do you believe the story of a brown man, brought in by a black woman in an attempt to fix the systemic issues in a system where ancestry is valued over merit, is framed for the murder of said black woman by a white woman who is fueled by paranoia that a black woman’s efforts might upend the system, the supposed threat this brown man and of dangers that don’t exist and a desparation to fulfill the legacy of a white woman who is a literal metaphor for the way bigotry is taught (in particular homophobia/transphobia). And thus the brown man is villanised for something he didn't do and is forced to find support and companionship in another victim of the system, with this story ending with the white woman willing to destroy everything than let the brown gay man and a trans girl change the system/her mind, has absolutely no racial implications or messages surrounding race.

[swinging-stars-from-satellites]

I think cancel culture has rotted my brain and I'm way too Law & Order pilled

[lamortwrites]

Tagged by the lovely @aliasknives to make myself in this picrew, ty!

Tagging @eregar @mashamorevvna @stabknives @sybaritick @lilac-lich @bharv 🫶

[idkaguyorsomething]

Is it weird that I am perfectly fine with Araki giving Jodio a severe mental illness but still wish he had given Jodio a different one?

sorry it took so long to answer this one, i was trying to figure out how exactly to answer it, and it turns out there's a lot of different ways:

from a perspective of representation: mental illness is an incredibly stigmatized subject, and in mediums like manga and comic books even more so, as it is incredibly common for a lot of popular plots in those mediums to go "well, x character went crazy, that's why they're evil", as well as stories in general to associate a lack of empathy with a lack of ability to act in traditionally heroic ways. jjba itself has shown that, as part of dio's initial villainous characterization involves him showing a lack of empathy towards various figures such as dario or george (although this isn't the only way his villainy is characterized, as we're also shown right off the bat that he's very deliberately cruel). with jodio being set up as more of an anti-hero, giving him more traits that could be considered unheroic as well as a commonly stigmatized mental disorder, it makes sense to not have that sit quite right. but taking the history of the series into mind, jojo's is no stranger to exploring more shades of gray in its protagonists in its past. johnny and gappy have certainly committed far greater acts of brutality in their parts, while giorno, who jodio is set up as a parallel to, outright aspires to be a head of organized crime. even josuke, who is portrayed as one of the kindest and most pure-of-heart jojos, basically condemns a guy to a fate worse than death in his first arc. this isn't necessarily anything new the series is giving us, and the fact that the jojolands is largely portrayed from the perspective of jodio himself is a massive plus, as it gives us insight into his thought processes and helps us sympathize with a character we might not have done so otherwise (telling a story from the perspective of someone doesn't necessarily ask us to sympathize with them, but things like the goofy jokes he makes with dragona, his own insight on his diagnosis, and his clear love for his family go a long way towards making jodio likeable). one could view this as the natural progression of jojos tending towards the anti-heroic while araki explores more marginalized communities he's interested in portraying, or a poorly thought out decision that furthers stigma towards said marginalized communities. personally, i think it's still too early in the story to make any real judgements, but the way i see it it's kind of similar to the situation with jolyne. she's the only female jojo, and the only one besides jonathan who ultimately fails in her quest at the end of her part. there are narrative and thematic reasons for doing so, but it doesn't sit right with a lot of people, and that's perfectly fine.

from a medical perspective: according to the dsm 5, a person must fit at least three of the criteria for antisocial personality disorder in order to be diagnosed as having it, most of which jodio does fit. failure to conform to social laws and norms (he's a teenage drug dealer), deceitfulness (when barbara ann asks him where he is and if he's hanging out with paco, he lies), impulsivity (he destroys one of the lava rocks to try and get rohan to cooperate), aggressiveness (he kicks that one fucking cop until he's a stain on the ground, twice, although he is justified in his actions and this kind of willingness to fight people is essentially a requirement to be a jojo), reckless disregard of safety (again, practically a requirement for most main characters), consistent irresponsibility (assuming what we've been shown of him is how he acts all the time, yes, although the story so far takes place over too small of a timeframe to determine that), and lack of remorse (dragona has to remind him not to get too violent in the opening chapter with the cop). so he does fit most of the criteria, but it is also a requirement that, to receive a diagnosis, a person must be eighteen or older, with evidence of having fit some of the criteria before the age of fifteen. so by real world standards, jodio would be on track to being diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder, but actually receiving it from a high school psychologist is bullshit. then again, this is the universe where the president made a cowboy race battle royale where the contestants had to collect magic body parts, so it's entirely possible that psychiatric standards in that world are just different. but you would be entirely justified in not liking his diagnosis, and there are several other disorders that fit the behavior that jodio shows. there's adhd (the impulsivity and tendency to get lost in daydreams and beating the shit out of cops), depression (the sense of emptiness he describes upon being given his diagnosis), anxiety (irritability and angry outbursts), and that's just some of the more common disorders. we haven't even gotten into some other full-on personality disorders or common comorbidities with antisocial personality disorder! from this perspective, your assessment is totally fair.

from a thematic perspective: as mentioned earlier, jojo's is no stranger to making its heroes increasingly reflected in shades of gray, and parts seven and eight especially make a point of contrasting their protagonists with their respective foils from parts one and four. johnny is a paraplegic gringo jockey twink that murders people so hard his friend the executioner had to tell him to slow down, in contrast with the jacked and kindly gentleman jonathan who impressed a stranger so much with his dignity that he immediately joined him in his quest. gappy is a quirky lil amnesiac who beats people to death with shovels while josuke has one of the more normal personalities of all the jojos and possibly the lowest kill count. at first it might seem like giorno and jodio are the most similar duo, since they're both criminals that act a-okay with murder, but while giorno's goals and reasoning for joining the criminal underground are motivated by a sense of empathy towards the people of italy and a belief in a higher ideology that passione can aspire to, jodio is a very self-centered kid. he has a very inflated idea of his own reputation, can't spot obvious traps, and the very first thing we're told about him is that he wants to be stinking rich. he also believes in the ideology of mechanisms, but it's an ideology that is explicitly centered around gain and his own material wealth, in contrast to giorno's philosophy, which involves ideals of self-improvement and certain boundaries that should not be crossed in the pursuit of power. giorno's ruthlessness stems from a place of compassion, so having his counterpart being someone who lacks the ability to feel empathy is a really interesting choice that gives the story a lot of places to go. the fact that the other criteria he fills, like impulsiveness and irresponsibility, stand in direct contrast to giorno's ambition and planning ahead, also adds further potential for the jojolands to explore a completely different sort of crime story than golden wind. so from this perspective, i'd say that your assessment is rather harsh.

tl;dr there's a lot of different angles to approach this question from. it's 90% probably that i completely misunderstood what you were trying to ask, though, so please tell me what i got wrong :P

[invinciblerodent]

"why don't I do more blackwork embroidery?", I ask myself, right before I start a project, and immediately realize why I don't do more blackwork embroidery

[apollyonics]

Sometimes it really bothers me how dismissive some leftists are of office work. Like, you can really tell they think of, e.g., Executive Assistant as "CEO eye candy role", and not what it actually is, which like 90% of the time is "person without whom the organisation would collapse".

[fragmentedblade]

It's sort of ironic how fans often link the leaf 🍁 to Dan Heng, considering "Feng" means "maple", but it's also so fitting

[navramanan]

still heartbroken but cannot move

[dailypokemoncrochet]

@pilby: crochetparade dot org isn't what you're looking for but it is very neat. its like 3 breakthroughs away from being able to turn 3D meshes into crochet patterns which feels like a golden egg to me

Ooohhhhhh what they've got now is actually like, the reverse of what I've been searching for in terms of a program for crochet patterns. Like how you said they're kind of leading to a point where you could turn a 3D model into a pattern, that's exactly the thing I've been wanting for a while now!

Not affiliated with the website in anyway but it is very cool: crochetparade.org. From what I understand about it from playing around on it for a bit is that you can build up designs stitch by stitch. I really wanted to try recreating one of my own patterns in it, and I'm sure it's possible, but I couldn't quite figure out how to word the way my notes are formatted into how the site needs it. At least that was the case back when I first tried a month ago, I may try again later because it would be really cool to see one of my little guys built on a computer

You know how there's a Yoshi and Kirby yarn game? I want a pokemon yarn game. I get a lot of enjoyment out of seeing all my little yarn pokemon and having them in a video game would be especially cool because they could have all the little extra details and effects I can't quite make in real life

[catboybiologist]

half baked morning rant

I do want to make it clear that the reason I talk about HRT and its biological effects so much is not because HRT or medicalization defines your gender.

Its because, for me personally, the interface of my biology education and my transition was mostly centered around figuring out what sex hormones do. I learned about basic biology principles like DNA organization, gene regulation, cell biology, and physiology in high school and undergrad. Taking that understanding and extending it to the mechanisms that hormones use to change gene regulation, and by extension, the rest of your body broadly, was something I did as my understanding became more complete in later undergrad and grad school. It was the key to me starting my own transition.

Why?

Because it was the first time I realized that the "basic biology" arguments of transphobes were complete and utter bullshit. From that point, it was a cascade. As in, wait, if dynamic changes in gene expression aren't considered "biological" to them, then why am I believing anything they say about anything else? When they talk about gametes, and try to include infertile cis people in their definitions of biological sex by talking about what gamete you're "intended" to make, what do they even mean? Why does my current gene expression not define that "intent"? And wait, back up, why is the brain suddenly not considered part of our biology? Why are neurological differences suddenly not "biological"? Why can we say someone's thinking patterns aren't "biological"?

Backing up even further, why does any of this matter more than psychological gender, or sociological gender? If the way we navigate society is gendered, that affects a lot of our lives, and we're just throwing that away?

Basically, being educated about how deep the biological changes of HRT really go was the first domino to fall when I worked through my internalized transphobia.

This is one of many reasons why I hate, hate HATE the concession that uninformed allies and even many trans people themselves give: "well NO ONE is saying that you can change your biological sex, sex and gender are completely unrelated, sex is binary and gender isn't!!!!!"

Well. I am saying that you can change your "biological" sex, I am saying that biological sex isn't binary, and I am saying that misunderstanding of those points has set back transgender advocacy. It makes medical decisions surrounding us less informed, it poisons conversations about how we interact with society, and it makes trans people feel like their gender and sex are less "real" than cis people's.

Not to mention the horrific way it discards intersex people from the conversation entirely.

Recently, I've seen this point enter the mainstream a little, by using intersex people and variation of sex in other species as a "counterargument" to "binary biological sex" thinking. It still doesn't sit right with me. One, because it uses intersex people as a prop for trans advocacy while not actually addressing the needs of either group. And two, because it completely disregards that your current biology and physiology is not 100% predestined from birth, and using people who were "born this way" as a prop does absolutely nothing to increase people's acceptance of trans people who change their biology later in life.

Ugh. This got away from me but yeah. That's my sipping coffee ramble for this morning. If anyone wants to add comment or correct me on discourse here, please do. Especially if you're intersex- this is all the observations of a perisex trans woman.

[tokkiwrites]

Hi happy holidays! Can you please do a Sergei kravinoff smut x innocent female virgin reader “babe in the woods” trope. Sergei is immediately fixated on reader and wants her to be his grude & mother of his children. He immediately marries and later takes her virginity. He hopes to impregnate her from their first time together. Ty!

thank you for this request, anon! and sorry it took so long to post. I've had it written, but it just took a while for me to get the smut part going. i hope you like it!

Sergei Kravinoff × F!Reader ♰ themes of stalking, obsessive Sergei, kidnapping, Kraven is a weirdo and needs to be locked up, i would say innocent reader but more so an unbothered reader kind of, she is just confused, forced marriage, themes of Stockholm syndrome, loss of virginity, fingering (reader receiving), afab reader, unprotected p in v, Sergei wants to get the reader pregnant.

The woods were quiet, save for the whisper of wind threading through the branches above. You loved this time of day when the sun filtered gold and green through the canopy, casting dappled patterns on the earth. It was your sanctuary, far from the clamor of town and the heavy, watchful eyes of others. Here, no one could accuse you of being strange, or sheltered, or too naive. You simply were.

The faint crack of a branch made you stop mid-step, your basket of wildflowers swinging lightly at your hip. “Hello?” You called, voice soft, hesitant. The forest had always been safe— or so it felt. until now, you had never had the need to question it.

He emerged from the shadows, and your breath caught. The man was massive. A towering figure, his broad shoulders draped in animal pelts and his chest bare save for the crisscrossing scars that marked him as something primal, dangerous. His face was angular, carved from stone, with piercing eyes that pinned you where you stood.

Sergei Kravinoff. The name would mean nothing to you, but to others, it struck fear—a hunter of men and beasts, a predator who bent the wilderness to his will. He did not speak at first. He only looked at you, as if you were some rare, delicate creature he had stumbled upon. The longer his eyes lingered, the hotter your cheeks burned.

“Who are you?” you asked, clutching the basket to your chest. His lips curved into a smile, though there was nothing warm in it. “I am Sergei,” he said, his voice low, thick with an accent you couldn’t place. “And you" he paused for a bit. " Should not wander alone in places like this. The world is not kind to lambs.” You blinked at him, confused. “Lambs?”

“You,” he clarified, taking a step closer. His sheer presence seemed to draw the air from your lungs. “Soft. Untouched. So trusting.” You took an instinctive step back, and his smile widened, as if he enjoyed your unease. “I—I’ve never seen you here before. Are you lost?”

“No,” he said simply, his eyes roaming over you with an intensity that made your skin prickle. “But perhaps I have found something worth staying for.”

It reeked of dangerㅡ death. yet you still came back.

Over the next week, you saw him again and again. Always in the woods, always watching. At first, you told yourself it was a coincidence. this strange man simply shared your love for the forest. But his presence became impossible to ignore. He never tried to speak much, yet his eyes seemed to devour you every time, as though he were committing every detail of your face to memory. You should have been afraid. You should have stopped going to the woods entirely. But something about him fascinated you. He was so unlike the boys in town, who stammered and avoided your gaze, intimidated by your quietness. Sergei was bold, unflinching. He seemed to look right through you, to the parts of yourself you didn’t even understand.

you little lamb.

“Why do you keep following me?” He tilted his head, his gaze softening though not entirely. “Because you are mine.” The bluntness of his words made your breath hitch. “I don’t even know you.”

“You will,” he said, stepping closer. He reached out, brushing a strand of hair from your face, and though you should have flinched away, you didn’t. His touch was surprisingly gentle, reverent even, even if his rough fingers scratched your skin. “I have decided. You will be my bride.”

“Bride?” You echoed the word foreign and strange on your tongue. “But we’ve only just—” you laughed. surely it must be a joke. “You are meant for me, little lamb” he interrupted, his voice firm, leaving no room for argument. “I have hunted all my life, little one. I know when I have found my prize.” Suddenly, the world went dark.

maybe it was all just a bad and confusing dream. though his touch still lingered.

You woke in the morning to find yourself not in your small, familiar room. outside the window that overlooked the bed you were in, the forest. The air smelled of pine and smoke, and outside, the trees loomed tall and unyielding. Panic gripped you as you sat up, heart racing. “Where—” The door creaked open, and there he was, filling the frame with his imposing presence. “You are awake,” Sergei said, his tone calm, almost pleasedㅡ excited. He carried a tray with food: fresh berries, bread, and cheese. “Eat. Now."

“Where am I?” you demanded, your voice trembling. “Why did you—” He set the tray down, cutting you off with a look. “You are safe. That is all you need to know.”

“I am not! This isn’t right,” you said, tears pricking at your eyes. “You can’t just—”

“I can,” he said sharply, though his expression softened as he stepped closer. “I have waited long enough. You do not understand, but you will. I will take care of you. Protect you. You will want for nothing, my little one.”

You shook your head, backing away from him, but he caught your wrist with startling ease. His touch was firm, yet not cruel. “Do not fear me,” he murmured, his voice dropping to something almost tender. “I would never hurt you. You are too precious.”

Sergei did not wait long to make you his.

The days in the cabin blurred together, each one steeped in an odd rhythm. Sergei’s presence was constant, protective, and overwhelming. He would watch you eat, his sharp eyes softening whenever you complied. He brought you small gifts: wildflowers, trinkets carved from wood, pelts to keep you warm. He never let you wander far, always ensuring you were within sight. And though he never forced his touch upon you, you could feel the tension thrumming beneath the surface, like a predator waiting for the right moment to pounce.

In the evening, as the fire crackled and cast flickering shadows on the walls, Sergei sat across from you. He leaned forward, large hands resting on his knees. “It is time,” he said, his voice calm but unyielding. “Time?” you echoed, your throat dry. “For us to marry.” You stared at him, heart pounding. “I… I can’t. I don’t even know what you want from me. I—I never— You kidnapped me!”

“You were made for this,” he said, cutting you off. his eyes were setting you a-light, it made your skin prickle. “You think I do not see it? Your purity. Your innocence. You were meant to be a wife. My wife.” Tears burned in your eyes, but you blinked them away. “But I’m not— I need to marry someone I love!"

“You are ready,” he insisted, his tone softening only slightly. “I have waited long enough. It will be done."

And it was.

The ceremony was simple, ritualistic. Sergei had prepared everything. rings made from woven silver, a bearskin cloak to drape over your shoulders as a symbol of protection. There was no priest, no people, only the two of you and the forest as your witness. He spoke vows in a language you did not understand, his voice deep and reverent, as though he were offering you up to some ancient force. When it was your turn, your voice faltered, but under his watchful gaze, you repeated the words he taught you.

“You are mine,” he said at the end, taking your face in his hands. His eyes burned with possessive fire. “And I am yours.”

but every wolf gets hungry eventually.

When night fell, you found yourself sitting on the edge of the bed, your hands clutching the thick wool blanket. Sergei entered the room, his movements slow and deliberate. He had shed his usual pelts, his bare chest glowing in the firelight.

“You are trembling,” he said, his voice softer than you had ever heard it. He knelt in front of you, his massive frame now not so intimidating. “Are you afraid of me?” You couldn’t meet his eyes. "I don’t know... what you expect from me? What you w-want...”

“I expect you to trust me,” he said simply, his hand brushing against your cheek. “You are my wife now. It is my duty to show you what that means.” Your breath stopped as he leaned closer, his lips ghosting over your forehead. “I will not hurt you,” he murmured, the warmth of his breath sending shivers down your spine. “But you are mine, little lamb. Every part of you.”

His lips met yours— soft at first, testing, as though he feared you might shatter like porcelain. But when you didn’t pull away, his kiss deepened, a low growl rumbling in his chest. His hands cradled your face, his touch reverent, almost worshipful.

“I have waited for this,” he said against your lips, his voice thick with desire. “Waited to claim what is mine.” You didn’t resist as he laid you down, his hands tracing over your trembling form. He was patient, guiding you gently, his touch surprisingly tender for someone so fierce. But his intent was clear.

oh, little lamb.

rugged hands make their way up and around your hips as his bearded face stays flush against your tender neck. he was ready to devour you. Sergei looked up into your eyes and for the first time you've seen him smile. and as if all of the things you felt caused you fears melted away, so did you into his embrace.

his lips meet yours, and it all finally made sense. you could feel the hunger, the will in him to give his all right here, right now. you wrapped around him like vines on a tree, his low growl of approval making you clench around nothing. it all felt so new, yet familiar, as if somehow, this wasn't the first time. the forest outside sung as your quiet moans filled the cabin. Sergei discards all of your clothes with ease, leaving you in nothing as you stayed splayed on the bed. the fur coverings under, pooled around your body, the moonlight dripped on you like dew in spring and you looked like a precious painting.

with no time to wait, sergei quickly gets naked. it wasn't the first time you saw him like this, but it was the first time you saw it. to say all that fear bubbled up into your stomach was an understatement. you gulped down as your glossy eyes looked at him up and down. "Spread your legs for me." it wasn’t a request, it was an order. and you obey. spreading your legs you give him a full view of you dripping cunt, and sergei throws his head back with a low groan. you finally speak up. "IㅡI am a...a virgin." it all seemed so silly to say now. "I know." he smiles in the corner of his mouth. "Smelled it on you the first time we met." and you whimper. "I will get you ready now." somehow, you knew what it meant. He kneels in front of you on the bed, pulling you so that you thighs are right over his, your puffy lips on full display. two of his digits make their way up to your mouth. "Suck." you comply.

after that was done, his calloused fingers make their way between your folds, gathering up the juices you've been dripping. You whimpered softly and Sergei shushed you, rubbing small circles on your plushy thigh with his other hand. He pushes one of his fingers inside, and you can feel it. It didn’t hurt, not yet, it was just strange and new. the second finger comes quick after and he starts pumping them, swirling them around as his lips made contact with your swollen bud. Your eyes jot open as this feeling washes over you, and you can't help but let your legs shake uncontrollably. The fire wave envelopes you whole before it comes to an agonizing stop. You open your eyes again and above you is Sergei, his shaft in his hand as he aligns it with your asking entrance. "If it hurts...yell. Scream as much as you want. Hurt me back. I am here to teach you."

and teach you he does. he pushes in slowly and the stretch is agonizing, the pain making all of your muscles tense. "It's alright, I'm here, little girl." you let out a sigh, the tears slipping past your lids when you open your eyes. the moon engulfed Sergei in It's beautiful light, his silhouette looking as if it was carved out perfectly. a couple of inches, then some more, and some moreㅡ until he is fully inside. you bite down on your tongue, but Sergei preps soft kisses along your jaw and you seem to forget about the pain. "You're doing so, so good. So good for me." he hums, taking in a big breath of your smell before he snaps his hips slowly. In a few seconds, the burn turned into a delicious feeling you couldn’t quite describe. And though it felt so new, your body fell in place right into Sergei’s touch, as if it were meant to be.

When he finally started to move faster, his groan was one of triumph, a sound that you know will echo in your ears long after. “You will give me childrenㅡ" he said, voice low and ragged as he moved inside of you. “Strong sons and daughters. Our legacy will begin tonight.”

your legs quiver around him, but he leaves no room for mercy. Above you, he looked just as a predator ready to swallow his pray whole. you weren't one to fight back, and you really didn't want to. you back stayed arched against the coverings of the bed, fingers clawing at his broad shoulders as he pumped into you. your tummy was churning, and your head was dizzyㅡ you were far gone, too drunk on the way he perfectly hit that spot with each thrust. "You were made for me, made to take meㅡ fuck, you are so beautiful." you whimper, feeling that fire wave starting to take over again. your velvet walls squeeze around him, causing him to growl. Sergei leans forward, propping one of your legs above his shoulder, the angle making you gasp for air. you look up at him, eyes glossy with tears. An animal. His eyes grew darker, lips crooked in a smile before he delivered his final blow.

you come undone right under his fingertips, writhing and shaking as small pleads fall from your lips. You can feel his seed deep within you, threatening to slip out around his cock that was still inside of you, pulsing. "Good girl."

he prays it sticks.

Sergei’s obsession with you only deepened—he barely let you out of his sight, his touch lingering whenever he could. Yet there was a softness in him, a desire to make you happy, even as he bent you to his will.

He began teaching you small things. how to tend the fire, how to skin an animal, how to defend yourself should a predator come. But you were never allowed to go far. “Why can’t I leave?” you asked one afternoon, your frustration bubbling over. Sergei turned to you, his eyes darkening. “Because the world is cruel, little one. It will devour you. You are too soft, too trusting. Here, you are safe.”

“Safe,” you repeated bitterly. His jaw clenched, and for a moment, you thought he might lash out. But instead, he cupped your face in his hands, his gaze softening. “I would rather you hate me than lose you.” you were beginning to see the truth of it. his love for you was consumin and obsessive, but it was real. He worshipped you, protected you, but at the cost of your freedom. And yet, part of you began to adapt. To find comfort in his arms, in the way he looked at you as though you were the only thing that mattered.

Perhaps you were.

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

Actually, I think this does link in with a wider conversation that I have been thinking for a while Tumblr maybe needs to hear.

There's a common meme on this site now that no one here has any reading comprehension skills. The best one is, of course, the original "No offense but reading comprehension on this site is piss poor/How dare you say we piss on the poor" post, which gave rise to the nickname "pissing-on-the-poor website". There's also the "I like pancakes/How dare you say waffles are terrible" one. Both of these are great, because they're silly jokey ways to show two closely related phenomena that are probably the commonest ways to fail a reading comprehension check.

The first is someone reading certain catchphrases or buzzwords in the post, and based on their own biases or prior experiences or whatever else, their brain simply fills in what it reckons the poster is saying on the topic. Instead of reading the rest of the sentence and digesting it, the reader then just uses their assumption as the interpretation, and reacts to that.

The second is closely related, because it also uses biases and prior experiences to to interpret the post, but rather than ignoring what the OP is actually saying, it instead performs a series of gymnastic leaps to construct a whole new assertion on the OP's behalf that simply isn't there.

There's also a third, of course; that one is people being so eager to feel smug and superior over someone they perceive as Bad that they wilfully assume the OP is stupid or being serious when they're actually joking. And if the reader hadn't been so blinded by their desire to get to look down on someone, they'd have seen the very obvious tells, sometimes even including sentences like "Obviously this is a joke." (I think we have all seen examples of these. Also, in a bid to avoid as many reading comprehension fails here as possible, this does not include misunderstandings borne entirely of neurodiverse struggles to parse intentions; but, neurodiverse people are just as likely as neurotypicals to have ego play a part in their misinterpretation of others, and that is what this point is about.)

And the thing is... actually, we are all capable of any of these. I imagine a sizable chunk of people reading until this point were probably thinking "Lol, yeah, people are so stupid," but na, nage, I'm not having that. Literally everyone does these sometimes. And it becomes a particular risk when the topic under discussion is something that might brush against an issue that is a pressure point for you, like a social justice talking point that you are forever having to argue with internet strangers about, for example. Your brain holds schemas! And sometimes it likes to pattern match things before it deigns to tell you about its findings! And that can hit you right in the emotions, which if they are strong enough, really can shut down all rational thought.

But. This brings me to the real point of the post.

Because the thing is, we have all saddled up and gone to war under these conditions, or at the very least been strongly tempted to. And a vital skill that literally everyone has to learn, sooner or later, is:

Before you hit 'reply', double check the post to make sure you fucking understood it.

And that does not mean "simply re-read, confirm your bias, carry on." It means, "Is it possible to read this post from the point of view of someone who doesn't intend it the way I've taken it? If I put myself in the shoes of an innocent, could they still have written these words? Is there another interpretation for these phrases?"

And you do have to do this step. You simply do have to. Because if your desire is to 'clap back' and call someone a gargling knobskin made of garbage, fuck me sideways but you must see that it is imperative that you check if they actually deserve that kind of treatment first. You cannot spend your time claiming that we must all choose to be kind and then not bother doing your due diligence before screaming a person's various and assorted bigotries at them. If you misread it, and they were innocent - you are the raging aggressive cunt in this situation.

It does not matter that you reacted from an emotional place of normally having to defend yourself either, by the way. Sure, that makes the quality of your human soul better than that of the average Redditor who just enjoys anonymously hurting people, I guess? But it's also irrelevant. If you messaged someone and called them a misogynist because you performed several mental somersaults and landed on your own sore spot when they meant no such thing, you are the attacker. You owe them an apology. And yeah, sure, you can explain your over-reaction as the product of your normal experiences if you like, but that is only an explanation, not an excuse. You are still the asshole here. You still need to apologise and mean it.

And you could have avoided it if you'd done that due diligence, as you should have. If you're going to take a swing, make sure it's the right target. This was once described to me as donkey people - they don't think, they just kick. This is admittedly a little unkind to donkeys, who always do their due diligence, but I feel it's an apt metaphor.

TL;DR: If you feel moved to angrily reply to something, first make sure you've interpreted it right. Don't be a donkey person. And if you ask for clarification, people are innocent until proven guilty. Ask nicely. If they are a bigot, you can then smelt them for parts.

[sinkuna]

╰┈➤ Nanami Kento

"You're making such a mess," Nanami sighs, but there's a playful glint in his eyes as you dance away while flicking at him with fingers full of flour, giggling as it poofs across his pristine suit.

"Am i?" you tease, shrieking with laughter as he stalks toward you, his arms outstretched as though he means to catch you.

The honey bread baking fills the kitchen with a sweet smell, almost as sweet as your teasing giggles.

"You are," he tells you, his lips tugging upward as he lunges for you, purposefully missing so that he could watch you dance away.

"Maybe you should help me clean up then," you suggest innocently, deliberately bending over- acting as if you were going to pick up something. His sharp intake of breath tells you he's noticed you're bare beneath that thin pink apron you've been parading around.

As Nanami reaches up to loosen his tie, and you can see his cock stirring against his slacks.

"Such a naughty little baker." he purrs, suddenly pressed against your back, his large arms circling you from behind, those addictive veiny hands of his slipping into the apron leaving white handprints across your breasts as he kneads them tenderly.

"Getting my suit dirty… making a mess of my kitchen…" His voice deepens as you grind shamelessly against his bulge.

"I- I was just trying to make you honey bread, hone- eep!"

You gasp as he spins you around, lifting you onto the counter with such ease.

Flour puffs into the air as he spreads your thighs wide, leaving dusty handprints everywhere he touches, "And such a beautiful little baker i've seen to have caught," he murmurs fondly, leaving floury fingerprints on your cheeks as he cups your face, "What am I going to do with you?"

╰┈➤ Gojo Satoru

"The cake needs decorating!" you protest through giggles as Gojo steals another fingerful of frosting, painting it across your collarbone before licking it off with a sly grin.

"I am decorating~," he argues playfully, blue eyes bright as he corners you against the counter, "Just found a much prettier dessert…" More frosted fingers trail down your inner thigh as he drops to his knees, "And it tastes so much sweeter too~"

You try to scold him, but his tongue darts out to lap up the frosting, leaving you shivering instead. He lifts your leg over his shoulder, giving him better access and making you clutch the edge of the countertop, your toes curling. He works slowly, teasingly, until he reaches your knee. By then, you're a shaking mess, whimpering softly, and when he suddenly pulls away, you're almost embarrassed by the needy sound you make.

He stands, licking his lips and smirking at the way you lean towards him, trying to pull him back into range, "I think you’re right though. Cake is more important."

"Mean!" you complain, and his smirk grows.

"Mean~?"

You nod, pouting slightly, "I'm gonna make sure you have blue balls forever now."

"Is that a threat or a promise?" he asks, and you shove him in the chest, only earning a laugh as he slowly sinks back down- his hands holding your legs apart before he huffs against your inner thigh, "Then again, i think i rather frost these pretty thighs instead…"

He glances up at you with a grin, "Now be a good girl and lift your leg back over my shoulder, I want to make sure I don't miss a spot."

You can't resist. You never could when it came to him.

With a shaky nod, you rest your heel on his shoulder, your leg trembling as he paints intricate patterns with the frosting before slowly, achingly, lapping them off.

"So delicious," he hums against your skin, kissing your inner thigh, "but…" his long lashes flutter as he nuzzles closer, "there's a part I've been dying to taste~"

"S-satoru-"

"Shhh~" he presses his mouth to your sex, his tongue darting out to taste you and you nearly scream, "Can't wait to stuff this pretty little cake with cream~"

╰┈➤ Geto Suguru

"You have flour on your nose," he chuckles warmly, swiping it off while you try to shape cookie dough hearts for Nanako and Mimiko. His arms wrap around your waist from behind, chin resting on crown of your head as he watches you struggle to make the dough do what you want. You try to keep focused, but his warm breath and body against yours makes you a little lightheaded.

"Y-you're distracting me," you complain without heat, melting back against his chest as he hums contentedly.

He steals a bit of dough, offering it to you with gentle fingers, "Can't help it," he murmurs, pressing soft kisses behind your ear, "You're too adorable in that apron, making treats just for the girls… I think I'll keep you."

Your cheeks heat at the praise, heart fluttering in your chest, and you're pretty sure you could live in this moment forever. Dropping the dough, you turn in his arms, leaving floury handprints on his dark robe as you pull him down for a kiss. He tastes like cookie dough and happiness, making you smile against his lips.

"The cookies will never get done at this rate," you whisper as he lifts you effortlessly onto a clean spot on the counter, settling between your legs with that tender smile you adore.

"There's plenty of time," he says simply, stealing another sweet kiss, deeper and longer this time, long fingers threading through your hair.

An hour goes by and the front door creaks open as two pairs of small feet patter inside from their adventures. Nanako and Mimiko pause at the living room entrance, twin grins spreading across their faces at the sight the find.

There on the couch, you and Geto are sound asleep, their papa’s arms wrapped protectively around you. His long dark hair is dusted white with flour and dried cookie dough crusted adorably on his nose. Your hair is equally disheveled, face mimicking his with equal parts dough and flour.

"Look! Look! They made cookies!" Mimiko whispers excitedly, pointing to the beautifully decorated plate on the small kitchen table.

Nanako spots the note and clutches her sister's hand, both girls beaming at the simple message you wrote: "Love you both ❤️"

⋆｡˚꒰ঌ 𝑀𝒶𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓁𝒾𝓈𝓉 ໒꒱˚｡⋆

[astrolook]

✦🌒The Moon in You: Where You Crave, Connect, and Collapse🫀🕳️

Note: These are all my personal observations and patterns I've noticed over the years. Take what resonates with you more and leave the rest. Lemme know in the comments if it hits home!

The Moon is where your body holds emotions, where your cravings reside, where safety and surrender blend into one. It rules instincts, erotic memory, the way you want to be held, touched, or simply understood. Locate where your Moon is in your Vedic chart!

Moon in 1st - needing skin-to-skin contact, impulsive sex, quickies for emotional reassurance, morning-after cuddles, exhibitionism in private settings, mirror sex (seeing yourself being loved), soft dom/sub with praise, being touched often, celebratory sex after emotional wins, birthday sex, body worship, needing emotional foreplay, deep kissing as regulation, sex that starts from eye contact, needy subspace, mood-driven sex, “make it about me” kink, being fucked with affection, crying from being seen, passion that shifts fast, chasing validation through touch, collapsing when ignored, needing to be reassured during sex, orgasm as emotional release, making love in shared spaces, craving emotional recognition during pleasure, emotional mirroring in bed, touching your own body while they watch, homebody kink, touch as grounding, sex tied to mood, clinging during climax, over-identifying with desire, disappearing when needs aren’t met.

Moon in 2nd - slow, intentional sex, deep kissing with weight behind it, giving oral as devotion, slow undressing, sensual bondage, earning trust before play, possession kink, needing consistency to feel aroused, sex in safe familiar spaces, “prove it” kink, craving reliability in lovers, staying in bed after, long foreplay, ritualistic touch, praise for patience, orgasm as reward, needing to be held after, emotional security kink, money kink (emotional currency), massage before penetration, feeling used when not seen, silent resentment during sex, investing in someone who won’t stay, hating casual touch, craving loyalty more than lust, earthy submission, kissing every inch slowly, being told they’re safe now, crying when sex feels one-sided, physical affection as proof of love, grinding slowly in rhythm, emotional shutdown when ignored, giving too much without return, needing to be wanted consistently, collapsing when love doesn’t grow.

Moon in 3rd - talking during sex, overstimulation kink, whispering dirty confessions, mental domination, love as obsession, brainy foreplay, being told exactly what to do, fear of saying the wrong thing during intimacy, orgasm with eye contact and words, needing verbal reassurance, feeling rejected when misunderstood, craving lovers who “get” your mind, humiliation kink, sex after arguments, spiraling after hookups, edging with intense internal pressure, guilt during arousal, emotional overexposure, anxious touch, need to narrate feelings during sex, craving mental control, fear of vulnerability through speech, overstimulation leading to shut down, submitting through logic, writing fantasies no one sees, begging for clarity, sex to quiet the mind, fear of being boring, emotional masochism, wanting to be unraveled mentally, crying from being misunderstood, needing to explain desires, shame kink, losing words mid-climax, craving someone who speaks your emotional language, touch that calms the panic.

Moon in 4th - spooning sex, slow touch under blankets, soft dom/sub with emotional care, sex at home only, needing emotional intimacy before arousal, breast/nipple worship, craving to be held more than fucked, hand-holding during climax, melancholic masturbation, emotional withdrawal during sex, kissing that feels like remembering, sex to feel close after distance, aftercare as foreplay, making love to sad music, crying silently during intimacy, being touched when you’re numb, emotional avoidance kink, needing reassurance mid-sex, longing for past lovers, hating casual sex but doing it anyway, silent longing, delayed arousal, playing hard to reach, giving affection quietly, memory-triggered arousal, clingy subspace, emotional shutdown mid-act, slow oral with eye contact, sex as emotional grounding, mood-dependent desire, nostalgic kink, fear of being too much, being held until you soften, pleasure that feels like safety, sadness when they pull away after sex.

Moon in 5th - performative sex, praise kink, being watched while touching yourself, riding for eye contact, fighting then fucking, bratty submission, needing applause in bed, striptease as emotional offering, orgasm as validation, hair pulling with affection, jealousy-driven sex, dramatic dirty talk, sex as show, needing to be chosen loudly, thigh grabbing, competitive teasing, passionate roleplay, sex as self-expression, giving head like a power move, being taken hard then held tight, push-pull dynamics, show-off kink, quick sex in risky places, craving to be admired naked, flirting as survival, fear of being boring in bed, collapsing when ignored, emotional highs and lows, climax as catharsis, rage sex, making love like it’s the last time, needing reassurance after dominance, deeply attached to who gives you pleasure, using sex to forget self-doubt, wanting to be someone’s favorite/ best.

Moon in 6th - needing to be needed, sex as care, slow touches, proving love through effort, devotion kink, tired but still giving, healing through hands, folding laundry as foreplay, feeding each other, craving consistency, emotional fatigue, love through labor, collapsing into touch, being good enough, invisible service, resentment kink, needing permission to rest, quiet submission, emotional routine, wanting to be useful, staying for duty, guilt-driven sex, loving through chores, overwhelmed but loyal, held in the kitchen, soft control, burnout lust, safe hands, waiting to be noticed, love as responsibility, craving structure, emotional routines as intimacy, building love brick by brick, care that aches.

Moon in 7th - needing to be met, quiet sex, stillness between bodies, emotional mirroring, craving closeness without noise, being held without fixing, collapsing into someone, sleeping skin to skin, sex as peace offering, unspoken need, love that doesn’t rush, fear of being misunderstood, freezing during intimacy, needing someone to stay, soft domination, being seen in silence, delayed touch, touch with meaning, avoiding conflict, love that feels like rest, sexual pause, absence kink, calm after crying, fear of being too much, emotional distance, shutdown moments, needing presence not passion, ache behind the eyes, sharing space without pressure, fear of not being chosen, wanting to be wanted gently, mirror sex, touch that asks nothing, tenderness under tension.

Moon in 8th - craving to be undone, obsessive desire, emotional possession, losing yourself in someone, sex as surrender, trauma bonding, needing to be consumed, grief kink, pain turned erotic, fantasy addiction, emotional shapeshifting, love that haunts, fear of abandonment, jealous lust, hidden affairs, craving what’s forbidden, deep eye contact, psychic sex, wanting to be broken open, emotional overwhelm, touch as power, guilt after pleasure, erotic control, sexual secrecy, drowning in options, yearning for one true bond, confusing love with escape, haunting memories, sex that feels like drowning, intense fantasies, trust as kink, emotional chaos, pleasure with consequences, devotion that hurts, wanting to be changed.

Moon in 9th - sex in unfamiliar places, long-distance obsession, love letters before sex, edging for hours, overstimulation, emotional masochism, tantric sex, deep-throating as offering, craving mind-opening sex, praise during penetration, needing to be worshipped, teacher-student kink, being talked through climax, wanting to feel "changed" by sex, holding eye contact while finishing, performance pressure, missionary with meaning, sex that feels like a quest, craving someone “wiser,” overstretched libido, emotional pain during orgasm, collapse after giving too much, begging to be understood, guilt after sex, carrying emotional weight during kink, crying mid-thrust, taking too much to prove love, rough sex with meaning, overstaying in hookups, submission as learning, needing to be “taught a lesson,” loving from afar, losing yourself to their philosophy, deep convos then deep sex, craving sacred kink, feeling broken after casual sex.

Moon in 10th - needing control, sex with rules, withholding touch, wanting to be wanted but hiding it, slow sex with full clothes on, fear of being messy, approval kink, being told “you’re enough,” sex as pressure release, mommy/daddy kink, boss/employee kink, teacher/student kink, needing structure to feel safe, silent dominance, staying composed during orgasm, slow undressing as foreplay, locked jaw during oral, craving recognition more than pleasure, holding back tears during sex, praise kink, sex to prove you're capable, public/private contrast, needing to be useful in bed, being taken care of but resisting it, routine sex as stability, fear of being exposed, letting someone see you lose control, being bossy but fragile, begging quietly, trying to be perfect, sex that feels like a job, staying in roles too long, reward-based intimacy, emotional detachment during climax, sex with one safe person only, touch as proof, clinging without showing it, breakdown behind the scenes.

Moon in 11th - sex with friends, watching others, voyeurism, secret affairs, emotional distance kink, quiet jealousy, friends with benefits, craving group acceptance, poly fantasies, exhibitionism with detachment, ghosting guilt, fucking with eye contact then disappearing, wanting to be the exception, soft manipulation, flirtation as currency, emotional withdrawal during climax, casual sex with deep hopes, dirty talk over text, group sex with one true focus, hiding arousal, lying about feelings, needing to feel chosen, anonymous hookup kink, trust issues in intimacy, being fucked while pretending not to care, avoiding attachment, guilt after pleasure, intimacy as rebellion, intellectual seduction, emotional betrayal kink, fear of being used, craving to be “in,” slow reveal fantasies, friendship-to-sex pipeline, rejection sensitivity, playing it cool while needing connection, sex to feel relevant, needing safe distance.

Moon in 12th - soft surrender, spiritual kink, sex in the dark, crying after orgasm, erotic aftercare, silent sex, losing yourself in them, needing emotional safety before touch, bath sex, craving to be saved, dreamy eye contact, being held more than fucked, merging kink, sex that feels like floating, loving unavailable people, healing sex, body worship, falling in love too fast, needy subspace, sex as escape, needing to feel chosen on a soul level, kissing until it hurts, devotion kink, self-sacrifice during sex, mistress, side chick/side guy, stealing other's partner, experienced/ inexperienced kink, erotic dissociation, deep cuddling after, emotional absorption, sex that feels like goodbye, writing poems about them after, shame around pleasure, craving emotional absolution, edging with music, wanting to disappear into moans, priest/priestess kink, being taken gently but completely, lost time during sex, being fucked like a prayer, orgasm as release from loneliness.

🌙💬 For readings, check out my pinned post for pricing and more info 💫💸

[hecticelectron]

Hi, this is a big post about my new TTRPG, Defy the Gods, which I’m Kickstarting right now! It’s a queer sword & sorcery adventure-romance set in fantasy ancient Mesopotamia. I was inspired by Conan, Clash of the Titans (1981!) and Princess Mononoke. (I've also got a BlueSky megathread going about it.)

Back the Kickstarter here!

Art by Thalie Shelen! @thalieshelen

(Btw hi I'm Chrys, a queer, trans game designer in Columbus, Ohio. This will be my second published game. The first was a furry pack of nonsense called Raccoon Sky Pirates.)

Defy the Gods is sword & sorcery as a story game. My favorite PbtA games emulate specific stories and lead you to resonant emotional moments like you find in those stories. Here, I used PbtA to emulate sword & sorcery, with an emphasis on the romantic moments—but also plenty of metal 🤘. You use the flirtation mechanics (taken from Thirsty Sword Lesbians) to tempt, support, or thwart others. But then, you can roll too high (taken from Apocalypse Keys), where you get more than you bargained for. Like Conan running out of the Tower of the Elephant while it crumbles around him.

Also like Conan, you have a glorious destiny, but in this case it ain’t good. Rising to your most powerful self makes you monstrous, heralding your character’s end as a hero and their beginning as an NPC antagonist.

It’s a queer game. You can fall in love with anyone, or make them fall in love with you. But because the game is also about power, the gods and tyrants wait to stomp on you if your enticement falls flat. Like if you flirt with someone in the wrong neighborhood. Every character has their own arc, and one of the things I had the most fun with was making those feel like queer problems as well as ancient-world sword & sorcery problems.

Play a fierce Sword, chaos-loving Sorcerer, fugitive Revenant, mischievous Sailor, immortal-sworn Vessel, or wild-raised Wolfling. (All character portraits by Thalie Shelen @thalieshelen)

The Sword is big-hearted and violent. You have a move that lets you kill any human-sized mortal NPC within arm’s reach, without rolling, if you’re not already in combat. This always causes more problems than it solves.

While most players roll just 2d6 & add their stat, the Sorcerer casts spells by rolling a lot of dice & looking for patterns in them. If you can’t find any patterns, your sorcery runs amok. This chaos is kind of lovely. For instance, you're always changing your body—sometimes on purpose, sometimes not. But always gorgeous.

The Revenant is like Inanna, or if Eurydice made it out. They escaped the land of the dead. They aren’t who they were in their past life, nor who they were as a shade. They're still figuring out who they are now. Demons pursue them to claw them back to the Underworld.

The Sailor can call on a cast of past friends and lovers for help. They always have a plan, and an eye for the exit. One of their moves lets you fill in the map of the otherwise unknown world.

The Vessel is in love with a minor god. They channel their patron’s power by wounding themself, but their patron can also soothe their pain.

The Wolfling was raised by animals in the Wilds and is curious about the humans, but they belong in neither world. They're definitely the part most directly inspired by Princess Mononoke.

The World Forces are the antagonist. You build them at the table, in quick rounds of pick lists. They are:

The Pantheon: gods, goddesses, and demons. They make the rules, but maybe you can break them.

The City: tyrants, the wealthy, and others with the gods' blessing. They push you to the margins, but you can fight to be seen.

The Wilds: gigantic creatures and their trackless wilderness home. It's place of danger and new rules, but you'll probably break them.

The Shadow of Atlantis: long-gone elders. They dared to scorn the gods, and the Pantheon destroyed them for it, but through you they may live again.

Death: a hungry, totalitarian force. Its underground domain is the end for all mortals and the mockery of hope. But maybe you can return.

Art by Shan Bennion! @anonbeadraws

This was an intensely personal project, but it was too big for me to do by myself. Here are all the people who helped make it a reality:

Avery Alder: Design advisor

Basheer Ghouse: @basheerghouse Cultural consultant

Cat Tobin: Horizons Mentor https://www.pelgranepress.com

Cris Viana: Graphic designer & layout artist

Ezra Rose: Interior art

Kanesha Bryant: Interior art

Katrin Dirim: Interior art

Jaqueline Florencio: Cover art

Lyla Fujiwara: Developmental editor https://www.jarofeyes.com

Mary Verhoeven: Interior art

Omar Ramadan-Santiago: Cultural consultant

Rae Nedjadi: Developmental editor https://temporalhiccup.itch.io

Rue Dickey: @ilananight Copy editor

Sean D’souza: World-builder & writer https://linktr.ee/seandsouzax

Shan Bennion: Interior art

Thalie Shelen: Interior art

(art by Shan again! @anonbeadraws)

Thanks for reading! See the Kickstarter here!

[revenge-of-the-shit]

As much as it's fun and good seeing the cultural exchanges on XHS happen some of the patterns and posts are just so dehumanizing. "What do Chinese people think of Cuba" "Do Chinese hate all Japanese" "What do Chinese people think of Muslims" "What do Chinese people think of foreigners" "What do Chinese think of Latinos" "What do Chinese people think of gay people" oh my god shut up shut up we're also people??? We're not a fucking monolith and we're not robots we're also people who live and breathe and stop gawking at us like we're mystical creatures in a zoo with *mysterious thoughts* we're literally humans too. Every single one of these posts are posts I've seen and while I appreciate the curiosity I strongly do not appreciate the complete and utter lack of thought that goes into posting them