#I can… sort of function. Sort of

[gemglyph]

I think my two week long headache is starting to get to me. Anyone have headache advice?

[jeeaark]

Alright. So. I'm not making this triangle conclusion because I like triangles

But because it's the only. the only conclusion I could make

For the morning after. After noticing Babe-

YOU'D THINK it'd go that Lae'zel and friends would never find out because even though I wanted to tell Lae'zel, A SHAME IT DIDN"T GIVE ME THE OPTION. A SHAME THE GAME WANTED ME TO KEEP THIS A DANG SECRET FROM MY TEAM AND JUST HAVE SOME SIMPLE-ASS INTERNAL CONFLICT.

But ohnononono, this magical patch 0 playthrough had other plans. Because for some reason. Babe was talking like we were in ACT 1 again. Babe became a killer coconut again

Babe knew. BABE KNEW ABOUT LAST NIGHT. AND BABE WAS CRANKY (understandably so of course)

And yet. Babe was also still allowing kisses. so. not. not OVER. BABE STILL LOVED THIS IDIOT HALF-ORC.

So. I could only conclude this. This is why.

and totally not because apparently it was a glitch (that they now fixed) all along pff

SO. Maybe just. This once. With this Tav. This playthrough. A Godsdamn Love Triangle friggin' happened alfdjkkasdj

Bonus (Because Greygold had to tell somebody):

[shloodles]

ID: two digital colored illustrations featuring legolas, gimli, and aragorn. 1) legolas and gimli riding a horse together, with gimli sitting behind legolas in the saddle. legolas is a pale, skinny elf with long pale blonde hair, a big pointed nose, and long pointed ears. he wears green layers and a grayish cloak that matches gimli's and aragorn's. he's holding the reins and looking ahead with a deeply flustered and slightly bewildered expression. gimli is a short stout dwarf with ruddy, long curly hair and beard. he's wearing a helmet, red sleeves, matching cloak and an axe on his back. he grips legolas' sides for stability and looks away in the opposite direction with an equally flustered expression. 2) two drawings of aragorn on his horse. he's a slim man with tanned skin, stubble, and dark brown jaw-length hair. he's wearing a matching cloak and silver vambraces. he's holding the reins and looking behind him with narrowed eyes and an expression of annoyance. the second drawing is him in the same position with the same expression but he's rolling his eyes. end ID

re-reading the two towers again and decided to dig up and color these old sketches

[redhoodinternaldialectical]

"Murder is Werewolves" - Batman

I don't got the SPOONS to do this thought train justice, I have seriously been trying to write this thing for MONTHS so just, idk, have this half baked skeletal outline of the essay I guess:

I don't believe that Batman's no-kill rule is primarily about rehabilitation or second chances.

His refusal to believe that Cassandra could have killed someone when she was eight years old because "how could a killer understand my commitment not to kill" is absolute fucking MOON LOGIC from a rehabilitationist standpoint. No jury on the planet would think for even a second that she could reasonably be held accountable for her actions in that situation! Her past cannot condemn her to being incapable of valuing human life under a rehabilitation centering framework. However, Batman's reasoning makes perfect sense if he believes that killing is a spiritually/morally corrupting act which permanently and fundamentally changes a person, and that corruption can never be fully undone.

Dick Grayson killing the Joker is treated both narratively and by Batman as an unequivocally WIN for the Joker. The Joker won by turning Nightwing into a killer. Note that this is during a comic in which the Joker transforming people was a major theme! Batman didn't revive the Joker because the Joker deserved to live; he revived the Joker to lift the burden on Dick.

His appeal to Stephanie when she tried to kill her dad is that she shouldn't ruin her own life. He gives no defense of Cluemaster's actual life. Granted this is a rhetorical strategy moment and should be taken with a generous pinch of salt, but it fits in the pattern.

When Jason becomes a willful killer, he essentially disowns him, never treats him with full trust ever again, and... Well, we can stop here for Bruce's sake. Bottom line is that his actions towards Jason do not lead me to believe that he thinks Jason can become a better person without having his autonomy taken from him, either partially or fully.

The Joker is, for better or worse, the ultimate symbol and vessel of pure, irredeemable evil in DC comics now. He hasn't been just another crook in a long time. He will never get better, he will only get worse. If you take it to be true that the Joker will not or can not rehabilitate, then there's no rehabilitationist argument against killing him.

Batman does not seem to consider it a possibly that he'll rehabilitate. Batman at several points seems to think that the Joker dying in a manner no one could have prevented would be good. Yet Batman fully believes that if he killed the Joker, he himself would become irredeemable.

Batman's own form of justice (putting people into the hospital and then prison) is fucking brutal and clearly not rehabilitative. He disrespects the most basic human rights of all criminals on a regular basis. It is genuinely really, really weird from a rehabilitationist standpoint that his only uncrossable line is killing... But it makes perfect sense if he cares more about not corrupting himself with the act of killing than the actual ethical results of any individual decision to kill or not kill.

In the real world cops are all bastards because they are too violent to criminals, even when that violence doesn't lead to death. Prison is a wildly evil thing to do to another human being, and you don't use it to steal away massive portions of a person's life if your goal is to rehabilitate them. In the comic world, Batman is said to be necessary because the corrupt cops are too nice to criminals and keep letting them out of jail. I don't know how to write a connector sentence there so like I hope you can see why this bothers me so damn much! That's just not forgiveness vibes there Batman!!

I want to make special note here of the transformative aspect. You don't simply commit a single act when you kill, no, you become a killer, like you might become a werewolf.

The narrative supports this a lot!

Why did Supes go evil during Injustice? He killed the Joker. Why did Bruce become the Batman Who Laughs? Bruce killed the Joker. Why was Jason Todd close to becoming a new Joker during Three Jokers? Because he killed people, to include the Joker.

Even if these notions of redemption being impossible aren't the whole of his reasoning (people never have only one reason for doing what they do) it is a distinct through-line pattern in his actions and reasoning, and it is directly at odds with notions of rehabilitation, redemption, and second chances.

So why does he give so many killers second chances?

Firstly because this doesn't apply to all versions of Batman. Some writers explicitly incorporate rehabilitation and forgiveness into his actions. You will be able to provide me with examples of this other through-line pattern if you go looking for them. The nature of comics is to be inconsistent.

Secondly the existence of that other pattern does not negate the existence of this one. People and characters are complex, and perfectly capable of holding two patterns of belief within themselves, even when they conflict to this degree. You can absolutely synthesize these two ideas into a single messy Batman philosophical vibescape.

Finally and most importantly to this essay: he has mercy on killers the same way that werewolf hunters sometimes have mercy on someone who is clearly struggling against their monsterous nature, especially if they were turned in exceptional circumstances or against their will. They understand that they are sick, damned beasts, cursed to always be fighting against themselves and the evil they harbor within. It is vitally kind to help them fight themselves by curtailing their autonomy in helpful ways and providing them with chances to do some good to make up for their eternal moral deficiency.

I think in many comics Batman views killers as lost souls. Battered and tormented monsters who must be pitied and given mercy wherever possible. (The connections to mental health, addiction, and rampant, horrifying ableism towards people struggling with both is unavoidable, but addressing it is sadly outside of the scope of this essay.)

Above all, the greatest care possible must be taken to never, ever let yourself become one of them, because once you have transformed the beast will forever be within you growing stronger.

To Batman, it is the most noble burden, the highest mercy, the most important commandment: Thou shalt suffer the monsters to live.

[magpod-confessions]

So im trying to break this habit of picking at my skin. And I remembered that Jane Prentiss talking about picking at her skin actually scared me out of doing it for a while. ...So I wrote an entire Spider aligned statement fic about horrible things happening to me from picking at my skin to traumatize myself out of doing it.

(it unfortunately did not work)

But I did submit it for a creative writing class, minus the statement framing (i feel like it didn't count as fanfic? I didnt include any cannon characters and spiders as symbolism for compulsion wouldnt be a TMA fear if they werent very established as a thing outside of TMA) and it was recieved really well actually?

.

[taz-writes]

here's a hot take for today

the narrative function of sex is the same as the narrative function of fight scenes is the same as the narrative function of songs in a musical

no i will not explain

[onebizarrekai]

I've been playing beta minecraft for reasons

bonus: windowed mode obliterated color glitch

[rearranging-deck-chairs]

artists impression of the doctor and yaz and their levels of mental wellbeing and why this current fic (ie remeet) is so much fun to write rn

[hajihiko]

That is generally sad because having parents who aren't really abusive or emotionally straining yet- they don't really feel like people who LOVE you? I guess? Like- Hajime's parents were probably just normal everyday parents like Makotos but, I'm just spit Ballin here, they're less optimistic than Makotos parents, who in contrast, always bonded with their children and loved them right off the bat.

You can feel like a stranger in your family, and that sucks. It's no one's direct fault and no one can point to any huge grievance, which makes it hard to pinpoint, which means you never get the Comfort Of Family or the Tools of Dealing With Abusive Parents- you just. Manage.

[ruthlesslistener]

Do bugs kiss? Can bugs kiss? I'm writing a fic that involves two kissing but I just realised that I have no idea how bug mouths work (I know mandibles are a thing but do they have tongues or?). Are there any other forms of intimacy that intelligent bugs would partake in that would mark the start of a romance but isn't like jumping into sexual territory (sorry if I'm not describing it well)?

I dunno, I just been following you for a while and you have a lot of cool headcanons for the bug cultures in hallownest so I thought I'd consult you before I attempt to have two bugs interlock mouthparts

[cracks knuckles] dw anon i got you

I think that they can, though it's less of a kiss and more like holding hands, but with your mouth. Remember that bug mandibles are basically there to cut up and shovel food into the mouth- there's a level of dexterity there that our lips don't have, which is probably amplified given the fact that they can speak. So their mouthparts are likely just as sensitive as ours, but with better moving parts that make contact with them easier (and also more dangerous). It's probably also an intimacy where the allure is steeped in showing the other that you won't hurt them by gently entwining your very sharp bits with theirs, with some added sensory stimulation. Honestly sounds more appealing to me than actual irl mouth-to-mouth kissing (which is gross)

Options for bug kisses include:

-gently trying to grasp or twine around the other's mandibles, like how one twines fingers with a partner to hold hands

-stroking one's mandibles against the other's (like rubbing your hand against the back of another's palm)

-lightly grabbing the tip of your partner's muzzle before releasing

-light, gentle nibbles to simulate allopreening

-brushing muzzles against one another, maybe with added mandible-grabs for a little bit of spice

-nuzzling mixed with a bit of gentle nibbling, like the above point but more drawn out

-tapping a body part with one's mouthparts, a bug equivilent to a quick peck

-Rubbing cheeks against each other (not really a kiss, but something I'm personally quite fond of)

-Locking mandibles together and doing a lil play wrestling contest (wyrms do this before mating to test the strength of a new partner, which is really intense and can lead to death if one grows bored, but is often used as matebonding after they pass the vibecheck)

-Outright grabbing and holding one's mandible's still or spread open with a hand, receiving nibbles in return (likely common for spiders and mantids)

So yeah, you've got quite a bit of options here for bug kisses. I'm not going into more general terms of intimacy, mostly bc those would probably be highly variable across species, but I think that mandible clasping or nuzzling is something that can be universal for intelligent bugs, albiet in slightly different configurations for different mouthparts. Lots of options for you here!

[unpretty]

every time i try to do something involving text-to-speech on my ipad i get pissy all over again

"just activate voiceover! :)" says the app's official faq. okay first of all that completely changes the control scheme of the device second of all it sounds like absolute dogshit so consider the merits of fucking right off.

[sisterdivinium]

Lilith might just have made the worst choice she could in going to Jillian, no? Not just because of basically becoming her lab rat and throwing herself into the unknown by walking into the ark, but because of the sharp, undeniable contrast that is painfully drawn between Jillian's love for Michael, which sees her stop at nothing to retrieve him, and Lilith's mother's indifference towards her own daughter.

Of course she had met Jillian before, but season one had another context to it. Now, however...

Here's a woman who will set the whole world on fire in order to help her son if she must; meanwhile, Lilith's mother could care less if she knew about her daughter's little season frolicking in the flame pits of hell after being dragged there by a tarask.

Lilith goes to Jillian expecting the brilliant scientist -- she finds her, but perhaps more than that she finds the devoted mother she does not have. There's a cruelty to Jillian's treatment of her, of course, but in this moment of recognition she realises that a) not only is her worth still seen as tied to her "usefulness" to others, but b) that nobody will do for her what Jillian is doing for her son... And that might just be the deepest wound.

[ecoamerica]

Watch the 2024 American Climate Leadership Awards for High School Students now: https://youtu.be/5C-bb9PoRLc

The recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by student climate leaders! Join Aishah-Nyeta Brown & Jerome Foster II and be inspired by student climate leaders as we recognize the High School Student finalists. Watch now to find out which student received the $25,000 grand prize and top recognition!

[bonefall]

Is it legal for us to submit Clanmew-related questions on days other than the thirtieth? I understand that in your recent ask etiquette post you stated that answers are PUBLISHED then, but is it okay for us to send in asks on other days of the month?

Yeah that's fine! Happens a lot actually.

[obessivedork]

OK but I will always never understand "playersexual" criticisms in video game romances. Maybe it's because I'm both bi and gender funky flavours of queer but most video game worlds don't share our perceptions of sexuality and gender also who really fucking cares, if I want to romance my blorbo I should be allowed to regardless of gender ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[ophionyx]

Sketch that got a bit out of hand of Picea, a skydancer who controls will o’ the wisps and guards the Gloomy Hollow. I’ve tried to design her before but I like this scaly look for her. I think I want her to be a shingleback with feathers.

[normalbrothers]

though in all seriousness i can't get over how people just gloss over how violently he grabs/squeezes her throat twice in the show and the second time he sexually assaults her on top and this having so little impact on how arthur's character as a whole is seen by the fandom

[ecoamerica]

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!