#I've seen both of these takes REPEATEDLY. RECENTLY.

[essektheylyss]

I don't understand how some folks, both people who like and don't like shadowgast, seem to still want me to believe that Liam "caved" to Caleb and Essek being in a relationship because of fandom pressure and continues to go along with it halfheartedly only because of that even though he secretly hates it.

And meanwhile we have entirely unprompted asides like "Imagine two wizards—" "I do. Often."

[boredtalkingkat]

so i've seen a lot of brushing clit play and really wanted to try it. however, i cannot touch my clit at the moment. but i can touch my nipples.

so i picked out a few different sizes and styles of makeup brushes to test out and then laid down on my bed. i picked out a big powder brush and 3 different shapes of small eyeshadow brushes.

i started with the big powder brush and wow. just gently swiping it across my nipples made my throb so hard. i even brushed a bit on my tits in circles down to spirals ending on the nipple. it was so good and i felt like it could be possible to edge or even cum that way, but i didnt not get close to either.

then i moved to the fluffy eyeshadow brush and that one was like the big powder brush but just more concentrated. i liked that one too, but it just didnt have the same kick as the big powder brush. i mostly used this one to trace circles around my nipples and just gently brush the tips of them.

the other 2 brushes, a more compact flat one and a small circle brush, were both too hard to feel any kind of good.

i thought i could do better with the brushes and decided to put clothespins on my nipples. once they had sat for about 5 minutes, i took the fluffy eyeshadow brush and the compact flat one and brushed the tips of both at the same time repeatedly. that drove me insane. i couldn't necessarily feel the sensations in my nipples, but i sure felt how my body was reacting to them. everything throbbing so hard that my hips start grinding the air by themselves.

after the brushes, i wanted to try one more thing before taking the clips off. i got out my vibrator and put each end on a nipple and turned it to its lowest setting. that felt so good i could feel the vibrations go from my nipples straight to my clit. i kept teasing them with the vibrator until i couldnt take anymore and stopped. i had to put the vibrator straight away bc i didnt want to be tempted to put it on my clit.

i didnt do much teasing after the clothespins came off, but i did a bit. it didnt feel as satisfying as when they were clipped, so i didnt spend too much time on that.

i havent really thought all too much about nipple play until recently and doing this little test was a great step towards finding more ways to have fun that way.

[timeforafuckingcrusade4]

Gore Mod Review

Okay I'm not sure where to begin. Most of what I can say is just...wow. I'm going to be completely honest I installed this mod on a complete whim, I wasn't even really looking for a follower mod specifically, it was more of a I've experienced the mods I have repeatedly by this point. I'm not complaining I still love the mods I have and the followers I already have that being: Kaidan, Lucien and Inigo, but I kind of wanted something fresh and I got all that and much more.

Spoilers but extremely vague ones

Okay so when I initially met Gore I went in with the mindset of not comparing him to my other followers I already have grown to know and love because that would not only set high expectations, but its also completely demeaning to the mod creator.

When you first meet him I was just immediately drawn to him because he is just so easily likeable, but I think the moment that truly solidified that I'd never play another playthrough without him was during the climb to High Hrothgar. His presence and reassurance was just everything to me because thinking about it if I was truly the dragonborn I'd be terrified, all that responsibility in such a short amount of time is daunting (especially considering that it was only recently you were about to be executed) and he really reminded me to take a moment to prioritise myself and what I was feeling.

The small things really sold this mod to me as well as the amazing voice acting and story...he just feels so real? Not to mention that I sobbed his entire story because it was like looking into a mirror. I really resonated with him and I could really see him as my best friend.

Okay now for genuine spoilers depending on choices

His optional romance route was just utterly stunning. It flowed so so easily and didn't feel forced or rushed it just felt so natural. It all really hit close to home though his struggles with relationships and the concept that someone would actually like him for him and not be disgusted by his past. As someone who's never been in a relationship let alone been near another person in that sort of fashion it was just so comforting to both be in the same boat. The build up and everything was just so well executed from him trying to push you away by giving you reasons to end things to finally accepting that you do want to be with him even if it's foreign to him.

But whether you choose to romance him or to remain friends my favourite quality of his is that he is uniquely him; by that I mean he genuinely feels like a real person because he's humorous and he has his own thoughts, feelings and opinions and he will make them known and he stays true to himself and his beliefs all whilst growing as a person and learning to be better. Despite everything he's been though he's such a positive figure to have even if he thinks otherwise and its so nice to get to be apart of his journey and watch him learn to be content with himself as well as his past. I cannot sing his praises enough I genuinely have so much love for the character and the creator. He's become my favourite companion in such a short time and I could write for hours and hours about how much I love Gore and how much I appreciate your work but I won't...Just thankyou so much for making me and everyone who plays this mod seen and felt and much love to you! And I urge everyone to get the mod to experience this absolute treasure! 💞

[the-cat-and-the-birdie]

Small fun fact about me:

My mom is neurodivergent too! And not only that, but

Me and my mom share a special interest.

[A short post about me, my mom, hyperfixations, and how acceptance can help you grow]

For the last ten years, both me and my mother have had a hyperfixation on Marvel movies and Superhero movies in general.

And if anything, she's more fixated than I am.

This started at the same time, despite my mother never picking up a comic in her life. It happened when we first saw the Avengers in theatres in 2012.

Since then me and my mother have seen every Marvel movie on the day of release, or even a day before release.

When I was in high school, I remember her specifically pulling me out of school early to take me to the marathon premiere of Thor 2 and The Winter Soldier.

She's seen every Marvel media to date outside of the Netflix series. She's already finished Secret Invasion.

In recent years, we've gotten Unlimited movie memberships, and because we live in NY we can often see movies the Thursday before the Friday release, so we go to the movies almost twice a month, and we see movies repeatedly.

I saw ATSV three times in theatres while she saw it twice, and saw GOTG a second or third time. We recently saw Blue Beetle the day or two after release. She keeps me CONSISTENT.

The reason why I theorize about Marvel media and Spider-man media is largely because of her.

For years she was the one I theorized with. I've spoken to her about whether or not Peter set Miles up (she isn't convinced), or argue with her about whether or not Khonsu from Moon Knight is cool (he is).

She watches more Marvel fan content than me and inhales all the essays, reacts, and Easter egg videos on YouTube.

She's the same with recent Star Wars, she's seen Andor and Boba Fett and the Mandalorian, and currently working her way through Asoka.

And she knew about my past fixation on Loki in specific. She even knows about Hobie and Diane.

I told her I want to go to NY ComicCon as my spidersona and she was like "... You'd have to work on your roller skating" and I was SHOOK she remembered that about Diane because she's right.

But yeah, we've always been REALLY REALLY close over marvel stuff, and it's amazing having a parent who has the same fixation as you. It's like a natural thing, and I can speak openly about my theories or interests and she'll be like 'Oh yeah I noticed that incredibly niche moment where Hobie did that one specific thing, what of it'

I'm never treated weird for my fixation. Cause hers is stronger. I told her I didn't want to see GOTG again and she was like HUH and I was so heartbroken that I went and saw it anyway 😭😭

Some of my favorite moments with my mom are in movies theatres. And because we share this niche interest and neurodivergency, we're able to have these in-depth conversations about these characters we've formed bonds to together.

When Loki the show came out we'd been waiting literal years for it - like literally since 2013 talking about it. And I had a lot of mixed feelings about it.

But I could talk about those feelings and thoughts and characterizations with someone I know wouldn't ostracize me, knows the material as well as I do - if not more, and cares about these characters.

Because of that, my theorizing skills were able to grow all throughout my teenage years.

Because my hyperfixation was nurtured instead of demonized.

And I just think that's SO COOL.

Just wanted to share. Here's a photo of Miguel because I hate consistency [this is a hobie household]

Bye.

[littleavengerfics]

Stucky x little one where she ks having bad stomach pain and cling to her daddy’s?

Steve would be so protective and wouldn’t take her to the doctor instead he would let someone come to them while she curls up to Bucky in his lap🥺

thank you for the request!

warnings: doctors and mentions medical stuff and injuries

Stomach ache (stucky x little reader)

"Hey y/n guess what your favourite daddies got for you!" Bucky sang walking in with two large shopping bags, steve following behind with another.

However they were met with the sight of you curled up on the bed groaning in pain. Bucky immediately dropped the bags and walked over to the couch where you were laying in agony.

"Doll? Are you alright?" You shook your head writhing around feeling like you were being repeatedly hit in the stomach. "Hurts."

"How long has it been hurting?" Steve asked when he'd moved the shopping from the floor to the counter. "Jus after you left." Bucky and Steve shared a worried glance, they hadn't seen you in this much pain since... maybe ever.

"This could be something serious, maybe we should get someone to take a look hm? Just to check you're doing okay." You gave him a worried glance. "No wan."

"I agree Buck, we can't let them go out like this. They could get something else and I don't think it's a good idea to take them somewhere unfamiliar and scare them."

"Sam told me about an app where you can get them to come to you and if that fails we could always try Bruce." Steve agreed so he stayed with you whilst bucky arranged the doctors appointment.

"He said it will be around an hour." Steve nodded before laying down next to you, you eventually managed to cuddle up close without aggravating your stomach. "Daddy im scared. No like doctors."

"I know baby, but we need to make sure you're nice and healthy, okay? Me and Dada will protect you." After some cartoons and snuggles Bucky answered the knock on the door. "Baby this is Dr Alex can she come and take a look at you?" You saw a woman stood next to him, she seemed really friendly and your caregivers were there so you nodded.

"Why don't you sit with Bucky y/n and I will hold your hand." Steve suggested making you nod, Bucky sat down beside you, pulling you into his lap. "they're little right now, I hope that's okay." Bucky sighed and the woman nodded. "Of course, whatever makes them more comfortable." You couldn't help but smile at that she seemed nice, maybe you could trust her just a little.

"So y/n I've heard you have been having some stomach pain?" She asked sitting opposite you. "Mhm." You replied looking away. "anything else? Fever? Nausea?" Steve shook his head squeezing your hand a little to prove he was still there.

"Okay, do you mind if I take a look?" She asked making you nod nervously. "Alright, I can see some bruising around here." Her fingers touched it slightly making you hiss. "I know I'm sorry, well I think it's mostly likely just a pulled muscle, have they been doing anything strenuous recently?"

"They've been training a lot recently, I can't believe we didnt think of that." Alex gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it, I'm glad you called me out. It's always best to get it checked out rather than assume it's nothing. It seems quite severe but it doesn't require surgery which is good." Bucky sighed with relief hearing that and kissed the top of your head. "You did so good."

"They need plenty of rest and to avoid doing anything strenuous for 4-6 weeks, and I recommend ice packs and heat packs to helo witb the swelling along with some ibuprofen but other than that there's nothing else we need to do." Steve nodded looking at bucky, they both knew it was going to be hard to get you to stay still for 4-6 weeks. If you weren't training in your big headspace you were running around playing with your daddies.

"Thank you Dr Alex, let me show you out." Steve smiled shaking her hand before opening the door for her. "Bye y/n. Thank you guys." She smiled back at Steve and Bucky before leaving. "See kiddo that wasn't too bad." You glared at him.

"alright, I know, it's gonna be hard to stay in bed and rest but it's what your body needs and you can get all the cuddles you could ever want." You gave him a small smile at that. "We love you kiddo and we are so proud of you. You were so brave today." Steve grinned kissing your forehead making you giggle.

Maybe spending all that time in bed cuddling wouldn't be so bad after all.

[kakusu-shipping]

Monty x reader would be cuteee~

But also i wanna see your littol guy with the animatronics!!!i like seein your widdol guy

I've had a concept that can do both at once for a while now so I might as well use that.

Lost and Found

Monty X GN Security Guard Reader

In which you ignore protocol on a whim

Patrols in the Pizzaplex were always very dull for a night shift employee, especially sense the head security guard, Vanessa, gave you explicit instructions not to talk to the animatronics.

There was never a break in at the Pizzaplex, anyone locked in after closing are always found basically right away, and every square inch of the main floors are patrolled by Staff bots who are basically walking motion sensors.

Recently you hadn't even bothered to patrol the floor anymore, and instead find yourself crashing in the Security Tunnels until your shift ended. Tonight included.

You made your way to Monty Golf through the underground maze, as you'd found the muffled golfing music relaxing, when a distant sound caught your ear. Something you were sure the dayshifters were much more use to than you were.

Crying.

A child crying.

You checked the time; almost 2am. If they'd been left here when the doors had shut at 10 surly someone would have already found them by now and reported them to Vanessa, right?

You picked up the pace a little, turning off course and following the sound. Around a few more corners, you found the source.

Montgomery Gater stood over a very small child in a very big sweater, who was currently sobbing his little eyes out.

The animatronic looked rather freaked out, glancing over his shoulders, motioning with his hands for the child to calm down, repeatedly softly shushing them to the best of his ability. You'd heard he was stiff around the kids sense his upgrades to join the band, but this was pitiful.

"Monty? What's going on?" You asked as you approached, tucking your flashlight back into it's holster on your hip.

Monty whipped around to face you, knocking into the child with his large tail as he did so, "Nothin'!" He got defensive immediately, a soft growl to his voice, which just made the loud screaming of the now collapsed toddler next to him even worse.

You walked passed him and helped the kid up. He was small, with round cheeks and big sopping wet eyes. His hair was white and messily cut, which was hard to tell with how wild and curled it was. He wore a child's 2XL daycare sweater you'd seen in the gift shop a few times, with the sun Daycare attendant's cartooned face on it, and one sock.

"Are you okay, baby?" You asked softly, patting his very unkempt hair, "Did the big bad gator scare you?"

"Hey, I ain't bad!" Monty squatted next to you, "He was cryin' BEFORE I found him, just so you know."

You looked at Monty, "Did you contact Vanessa?"

"I tried." The gator huffed, "Somethin's jammin my signal." Monty did a motion that mimicked someone picking their ear with their pinkie, but he both didn't have an ear nor anything worth picking out of it.

"Probably just the way it is down here," You suggested, standing up with the child in your arms, "Let's get back up on ground level and figure it out from there."

Monty nodded and stood up as well, following you as you made your way to the stairs to Monty Golf.

Once above ground, Monty tried again to contact the head security guard, but still nothing.

Technically at this point, you were supposed to take any lost children to items to lost and found and leave them there. It basically functioned as Vanessa's office, and she would eventually show up and handle the situation, but just leaving a kid in an office all alone for who knows how long didn't sit right.

You glanced at the kid, who was doing a lot better now that he was out of the dark tunnels, staring in awe at the fairy lights of Monty Golf.

"Lemme try my walkie." You said, and then passed the toddler off to Monty, who very clumsily took him, "hold this."

"Wha- Hey!" Monty barked at you as you stepped away, you could hear the child laugh at Monty's frustrations, so at least he wasn't scared of the gator.

Just like Monty though, all you were getting was static. The stupid walkies were always junkie anyway. Fazbear was always looking for costs to cut after all.

Now what..?

"Hey," Monty suddenly was right behind you, "No luck?"

"Nothing," You answered Monty, putting your walkie back and turning fully to face him, "Guess we should head for lost and found." You reached for the kid, only for Monty to take a step back from you.

You blinked, "What?"

"What?" Monty echoed you, now two steps away.

"You... Don't want to take the kid to lost and found?"

"I didn't say that." Three steps.

You motioned to the distance between the two of you with an annoyed look.

Monty shifted his weight, still clumsily holding the kid an arm's length away from himself, "..I think it's a bad idea." He finally admitted.

"Why?"

He glanced away, the toddler looked between the two of you, very confused. You felt the same way, but decided to give it up and sighed.

"Alright, but we have to do something with him." You watched at Monty turned to you, shocked you'd agree to go against protocol like this. You were too, to be honest. But, you figured he had a good reason. "Any ideas?"

Monty looked at the kid in his hands, who stared back at him with big, blank eyes. "..The daycare?" He suggested.

You thought on it for a moment, "...It is a place built to hold kids, I suppose..." You walked over to him, finally taking the child from his clumsy grasp, "What do you say? Wanna go meet Sun and Moon?"

The kid's face lit up as he gripped onto your shirt, he nodded rapidly and smiled a wide, jagged toothed grin at you.

You nodded, and headed back down into the maintenance tunnels with Monty close on you heels.

It didn't take long to get to Daycare from Monty Gold through the tunnels, so long as you know where you're going. Which you admittedly did not. But Monty did, and was more than smug about getting to lead you around.

In the daycare the child you'd found quickly lept from your arms and ran to the pickup doors, pulling them open and running inside, calling loudly for "Mr. Sun". When the door slammed closed, you were unable to get them to open again, which was worrying for several reasons, and probably should have been more of a concern, but you let it go when Monty's hand slammed against your shoulder blades with a chuckle.

"Good work, Boss." Monty smiled down at you, "I really didn't expect you to help me get away with that. Thanks."

You rolled your arm, which stung, and looked back at Monty confused, "Get away with... What?"

Monty smiled a toothy grin, "Don't worry 'bout it. Just know ya did good."

You probably would have pressed more if your watch hadn't started going off, signaling the end of your shift already.

"4am already, huh? I'd offer to walk ya to the door but y'ain't supposed to talk to us animatronics anymore, are ya?" Monty turned and made his way back to the maintenance tunnels entrance, "See ya tomorrow night, Boss. Don't tell ol' Vanny 'bout this." He waved over his shoulder.

You gave one more glance to the Daycare door. Inside you could hear the Daycare attendant. His usual anxious voice, muffled and distant, twinged with relief.

You decided you'd done the right thing, even if you didn't really know what you'd done, and made for the main entrance to daycare.

Maybe Monty could explain exactly what you'd done right tomorrow.

[theheirofthesharingan]

Hello,

As someone who’s recently delved into the anime community, I’ve noticed a profound connection many fans have with characters like Itachi and Sasuke. Their stories are undeniably tragic, and it’s clear they hold a special place in the hearts of many.

I’m curious about the depth of affection and empathy for these characters, considering they are fictional. What is it about their journeys that resonates so deeply with you? Is it not challenging to experience heartache over their struggles and sacrifices on a daily basis?

From my perspective, anime is a source of enjoyment and escapism. While I understand the impact of these characters, I wonder if focusing on their sorrow might overshadow the joy and adventure that new anime series can bring.

Itachi’s tale has concluded, and Sasuke’s safety is assured within the narrative. Wouldn’t exploring new stories potentially enrich our lives with diverse experiences and emotions?

I hope this question comes across as sincere and not dismissive of your feelings. I’m genuinely interested in understanding the emotional bonds fans create with these characters.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

Any piece of media that explores emotions and emotional bonds between characters is likely to click with a lot of people and leave profound impact on them. I'm not into anime or TV in general either, so I haven't seen many shows except for a handful few I can count on the fingers of my one hand.

To me, personally, while both Itachi and Sasuke are special because they're well written, there's also a kind of relatablity factor.

Sasuke grew up being compared to Itachi, no matter how hard he tried he didn't get the acknowledgement he deserved, because his brother was considered better than him. Maybe Itachi was better than him in skills and knowledge, but Sasuke was a different person with a different personality who shouldn't have been compared with Itachi at all. I've been through the same. Being compared with my classmates, friends repeatedly no matter how hard I worked. It just wasn't enough for some reason. It poisons you from inside and leaves you feeling insecure with a lot of sell-esteem issues. We know Sasuke went through them.

It's the same with Itachi. Kids experience different versions of parents. Older kids meet more immature and flawed versions of their moms and dads. The mistakes parents made with them aren't repeated with the second and third-borns. That doesn't mean it doesn't damage the older children who didn't ask to be born and bear the brunt of their parents' traumas. They're older so no they're expected to take the burdens and the responsibility. They kind of become mother and father to their younger siblings but more tender ones.

That's how Itachi and Sasuke's relationship before the massacre was as well as Itachi's relationship with his parents. I find this very relatable. The way he's not allowed to voice his opinions yet he cares about his brother. His ideals aren't really considered relevant, and his feelings don't matter to any adult in his life. That is so, so, so relatable to me. I learned a lot about my relationship with my parents when I watched and analyzed Itachi's with his parents. I learned to forgive my own parents after that. This is getting a little personal, but yeah, it happened. I don't feel as angry and bitter with them as I did before I watched Naruto last year.

Other than that, there are people who watched Naruto and also other anime, and they love these two along with the characters from other anime. I'm just not all that interested in it even though, yes, more stories would mean more entertainment. But I'm not someone who moves on easily from things and people.

Plus, I like the 'flavour' of angst some characters provide. It's hard to explain in the words, but it's like seeing colours. And it doesn't happen with every character I read about or watch. With Itachi, I 'see' red colour, and yes, it's the colour of his susano'o as well, but I'd had this feeling about him before it was introduced. It's like his aura that has some kind of purity to it. It doesn't have anything to do with his morals or how I perceive them, but something else. With Sasuke, it was bluish-purple. Again similar to his susano'o, but I'd had this 'vision' about his aura from the beginning. A character from a show in my country made me think of transparent snowflakes - pure and unblemished, and when his character was ruined, I started to see the 'muddied static' and I lost the connect with him. It never happened with Itachi or Sasuke. I love them both so much.

And I don't think I'm missing out on anything by not watching other anime. They might have other well-written characters that I might fall in love with too, but I love what Sasuke and Itachi make me feel. They're my comfort characters and they're therapeutic to me too, and they both feel very personal to me. Their pain made me feel less lonely. I don't really have friends irl (not the ones I can talk to when I feel alone), okay, this is getting even more personal but yeah so I spend my time either reading or writing. And it's also probably because if you've been depressed for too long, this kind of pain becomes addictive. So I need something to latch on to because I don't want to go to therapy.

This whole answer probably hasn't made any sense, because I don't know.. I tried my best, I swear.

[weirdgenetic-fuckup]

Can you do a castor fic where the reader is also in a band? your castor fics are soo good btw <3

A/n: tysm <3 I'm so glad people love Castor as much as I do! I need to write for him more :') I know not many people write for him, I've also been thinking about London Hudson(Slash's son) a lot recently and was wondering if anyone would be interested in something about him🤔

Warnings: Smut, finger(f receiving), oral(f receiving), squirting, size!kink, if you think I missed anything let me know otherwise enjoy!

Bastardane was going on tour and decided to bring along another band with them, that band just so happened to be yours. You were the drummer of another small band and when you guys were offered the chance to go on tour with another metal band you took it with open arms.

The tour wasn’t a break for your band as you were working on songs for your next album, the driving was a good opportunity for writing and banging out some good riffs and whatnot for when you got back, and when you did you guys went straight to the nearest studio.

During your time with Bastardane your band got pretty close with them. They were great people with great energies to be around and it made the whole trip such a positive experience.

You ended up especially close with the other drummer, Castor. You kept chalking it up to being because you were both drummers but on more than one occasion you two had been caught cuddling together, dancing together and doing other romantic things. Still, you refused to believe it was anything more than just being friendly... 

This particular day you were so tired of everyone and everything. You dropped by a grocery store because you were running low on food, a group of girls started following you around and doing whatever they could to make your time a living hell. A random dude yelled at you when your card didn’t work the first try and you almost left without any of your things.

Finally, when you thought you were in a place where you could get out some of that anger you kept messing up on your parts. You started too soon, too late. You hit the wrong drum, repeatedly. Nothing was going your way.

Your band went to get lunch, they wanted you to come but you declined, refusing to leave until you’d gotten through a full song with no mistakes. They asked you over and over again to come with them but you wouldn’t budge and they eventually left with the intention to bring you back something to eat.

Not long after they left you heard a knock on the door and it fucked up what you were playing. You threw your drumstick and it bounced off your hi-tom. The door opened and in came Castor, although he entered hesitantly after having seen your little fit.

“How’s it going?” He asked with a soft smile as he slowly came closer to you. You reached over to pick up your stick and went back to getting through the song, starting at the beginning again. “That good, huh?” You didn’t hear him, choosing instead to just go harder until you had it right.

It wasn’t that easy and you made another mistake. This time you just froze and closed your eyes, taking a deep breath before throwing your stick again. It made it across the room and hit the wall on the other side with enough force that it snapped in half.

Seeing the two pieces on the floor you just sat back on your seat and let out the breath you took. Your seat rocked and you tipped back, landing hard on your tailbone. “Mother fucker!” You yelled, getting up and throwing the seat away as well. You were huffing and could feel tears brimming in your eyes.

A hand came on your shoulder and you turned to see Castor looking down at you with a worried expression. “Uh, I was told you were having a rough day.” He said, glancing around the room. “Didn’t know it was quite this bad.”

“Oh, fuck off, would you?” You groaned and went to get your seat back.

“Why don’t you take a break?” He asked, trying to keep a calm tone in hopes of calming you down as well. “Might help clear your mind so you could get it right without putting a hole in the wall.” He had a small smile, adding a teasing hint to his voice.

You dropped your seat back in its spot. “I don’t need a break.” You grumbled.

“I think you do.” Again he turned you to face him.

“I’m fine, I just need to get this right.” You said, taking a step. Castor stopped you, lifted you onto your drumset with ease.

“You’re taking a break.” He repeated more firmly. You scoffed and crossed your arms over your chest.

“What, am I just supposed to sit here?” You looked up at Castor and noticed his gaze was wandering. “Cas?” His eyes quickly met yours and he gave a small hum in acknowledgement. You looked down to see what he’d been looking at.

You were wearing a skirt, a tight faux leather one, one that rode up your thighs when you spread your legs even slightly and revealed your panties at the right angle. You looked back up at Castor and his gaze had fallen to your panties again, this time he seemed less embarrassed to do so, biting his lower lip.

You enjoyed the way he looked at you. Hungry, lustful eyes, a window into his filthiest thoughts.

Castor got on his knees between your legs, looking up at you for affirmation that this was ok. You bit your lip and give him a quick nod. He pushed your skirt up a little more and pulled your panties down your thighs. He admired your slick folds for a moment, pressing a few kisses to your inner thighs before lapping up your juices.

You watched him between your head rolling back and your eyes closing from the pleasure. He was watching you, seeing what made you feel the best, how your face morphed when he did something you liked.

He pushed one long digit into you, curling it inside you until he heard a noise he liked. He proceeded to hit that same spot over and over again, relishing the way it made you squirm.

When he noticed you were close he pulled away. You whined loudly at the sudden lack of sensation only to calm right down when Castor undid his jeans and pulled himself out of his boxers. His cock was hard and leaking, begging for you just as much as you were for him.

He held a hand out to you. “Spit.” He ordered. You did as you were told and spit in his hand. He stroked himself a few times, using your saliva as lube before pushing himself into you.

You let out a loud gasp as he hit deep inside you, making your stomach bulge slightly. You always thought you just liked that he was taller than you because it made cuddling easier, you’d never thought it would go deeper than that. Both figuratively and literally.

Castor gave you a moment to adjust to his size, not moving until you told him he could. He went slow at first, trying to savour the feelings but soon the sounds you were making got to him and he couldn’t stop himself from going faster.

He held your hips as he rammed his hips into you, making you moan louder and louder. He groaned in your ear, mumbling about how good you felt around him, how badly he wanted this.

A knot built in your gut, a familiar yet different feeling. “Fuck, Cassey, ‘m gonna cum.” You mumbled. Your hands were on the toms behind you, needing to hold onto something. Castor moved a hand and started rubbing circles on your clit. You came hard around him, watching your cum squirt over his abdomen, soaking into his shirt and jeans.

You knocked your cymbals over and the rest of the set eventually went down with it, drowning out both your sounds. Castor didn’t stop. He held you close while he fucked you, bouncing you on his dick. You could feel him twitching inside you, ready to burst and soon he did. You could feel his hot cum hitting your gummy walls while he moaned into your ear.

He carefully set you back down farther away from the fallen drums. You pulled your skirt back down, Castor examined your drumset. “Nothing seems broken.” He said, picking up your panties off the floor and shoving them in his pocket. He got himself back into his damp pants before turning to you.

You had a knowing look, your arms crossed over your chest once more. “What?” He asked, feigning innocence. He patted the small bump in his pocket. “I’m keeping these.” You smiled at him, taking a few steps closer and leaning up to kiss him. Knowing that he’s a giraffe, he met you halfway.

When you pulled away you looked back to the mess, chewing your cheek. “I don’t wanna clean this up.” You said, looking to Castor for an answer.

“Lunch?” He asked, holding a hand out for you to take. You happily accepted the offer and followed him out of the studio.

[poggieking3]

piping hot take! i do not really like PTSD being thrown around with the main 4 (mario, 3, 4, and meggy). i have C-PTSD so i can say shit on this. 4 nearly DIED in that castle and was left traumatized, meggy was mentally AND psychologically tortured for AT LEAST a month straight, mario has his own demons i'm SURE, and 3 is on his way getting more trauma. give these guys a BREAKKK they've gone through way too much, how much else are they going to take.

whole fucking rant under the cut

like, okay please don't get me wrong here. i like puzzlevision, i actually really like him. he is interesting, his character his interesting, i love his character design, his personality. i fear that this mini series will end up having 1 or multiple of the main 4 getting traumatized, and then have it never touched on again. this happened to meggy DEADASS like her trauma was never mentioned again after western spaghetti. wren easily fucked her up for LIFE. and it's just? forgotten...?

like holy shit i wish PTSD was handled more accurately in this series, especially as of recently. i like how melony's was handled. she was grieving deeply for axol and helped herself cope by adopting her pet axol jr and taking care of it, and keeping axol's memory alive. meggy was grieving deeply for desti and trained hard to fulfill desti's wish and win the splatfest, also keeping desti's memory alive. 4's castle trauma also was done right. bro was having a whole bipolar manic episode and was SUFFERING from his own nonexistent self-worth and self-esteem, and was taken advantage of completely by puzzlevision. he watched EVERYTHING around him crumble. he watched HIMSELF crumble and was an outside witness to it, with no control. then, meggy being tortured and killed over and over and OVER again is quickly forgotten about, just like that???

i love PTSD representation in media. i cherish it. it makes me feel seen. i'm just. upset how wren fucking RUINED meggy's life by torturing her over and over, killing her, making her lose her sanity and trust, and then it's. never mentioned again. she has hands down gone through THE WORST of the entire cast. i fucking know what it's like to have my life ruined by people, multiple people in my damn case. i did not go through what she did, but if my trauma was cast off to the side after the movie it occurred in i'd be MAD for sure!

i've talked about how i'd handle meggy's trauma. after wren broke her fucking mind, she'd be coping EXTREMELY poorly because of how much she endured. she'd be inconsolable. she'd be emotionally unstable and lash out. she'd feel threatened by tiny inconveniences because they'd remind her of what wren put her through. she'd be terrified of male inklings. she'd have CONSTANT nightmares since every day in that simulation, she woke up in bed remembering each fashion wren killed her in. she'd pat her chest and stomach, scared she got shot again. she'd have panic attacks hearing guns go off. something as small as a southern accent could set alarms off in her head.

if i had a nickel for every time meggy's life was threatened by a villainous man hellbent on scarring her for life, i'd have 2 nickels, which is weird how it happened twice. she wasn't even safe ON HER OWN VACATION?

i just don't get how the movie pretty much made her suffer repeatedly and there's nothing as small as a reference to her trauma in the current episodes? we saw her fight off wren in that tier list 3 and 4 made together because 3 said she has plot armor. but that's it!

put the solar system bitches in a series of happy, wholesome filler episodes and PRONTO. give these guys a trillion dollars in compensation each. imma be real upset if, after the puzzlevision series, the trauma relating to it is never heard of again, ESPECIALLY given that puzzlevision's been a prominent threat for a solid year now

luke and kevin i love you both saur much i just. clenches fist to myself.

[moonchild-starlight]

Character Analysis on Vere, Part One

I've just played the demo for Touchstarved recently, but I'm already hooked and intrigued. I've got so many questions, and since I'll have to wait two years for answers I figure there's nothing wrong with a little theorizing and reading potentially too much into the characters.

I plan to make this a series of going through the game and picking out parts I find interesting to analyze them and the rest of the love interests as well, but I started with Vere because he's my favorite and the most compelling to me.

Something that intrigues me about Vere is the way he repeatedly establishes that he and the MC are similar, and how he almost seems to genuinely (if absently) want to keep them alive for it.

The first example comes when he's smelling you outside of the Wet Wick. He says "Not quite human, not quite monster. Seems we're both--" before he gets cut off. After this, he tells his handler(?) that you're his friend (which is obviously a lie to get them off his back), and gives you the "advice" he later scolds you for ignoring, though it's more of a statement than warning: "Danger's drawn to you like a moth to flame. It will always find you given time." As is repeatedly stated in the demo, information is crucial currency in Eridia, and secrets are kept close to the chest. A statement that is presumably meant to act as a warning of caution like this can be precious, depending on the circumstances, and it is genuinely and (seemingly) out-of-character-ly merciful for Vere.

Later at the Wet Wick when you choose to speak to him, he claims not to be angry that you shunted his "advice," merely disappointed. The MC states that he's lying, but we're given no reason to believe so aside from their say-so and the bristling of his tail, which itself is only an indicator of displeasure in general than distinct anger.

(As the MC is neither omniscient nor a mind-reader, I'm inclined to treat them as slightly unreliable and take their assumptions with a grain of salt, save for where their connections and objective statements imply thematic importance, as we'll see later.)

Regardless, Vere is unhappy that you put yourself in danger at the Seaspring--but why? Because he wants you alive? Because his pride is hurt that you ignored his warning? Here we get the second instance of him comparing the two of you: "People like us can't help but attract danger." At this point I wonder if he's only buttering you up with feigned comradery to lure you into trusting him--it's after this that he lures you out of the Wick, alone with no witnesses. Yet if that is the case, why mention when you meet that you're both [redacted]? There's no guarantee he'll have ever seen you again.

Once outside you can ask him about what he thinks of the others, and I'll get to that later in the post (edit: I will not. It will have to be a separate post), but beyond that you ask him why he was imprisoned by the Senobium, and he does it again. "For the same reason they'll disappear you if given half the chance: I'm something special." Again, he draws a parallel between himself and you.

Ais tells us that Vere is the most honest person the MC will meet, so long as we ignore everything he says; Vere repetitively says that he and the MC are similar, so it may very well be manipulation, but I'm inclined to believe otherwise based on the contexts he's said them in: An observation of a stranger he's really smelling for the first time (being paired with the statement, "I knew I smelled blood. You reek of death and the road, and that fucking doctor," all of which we conclude must be truthful analysis on Vere's part due to what we as the player just witness the MC go through), an expression of frustration for his advice being disregarded, a report on the Senobium's well-known corruption.

We continue with his statements that differ per backstory. To an Unnamed MC, he says "You poor thing, mislead by those you trusted most. You caused so much suffering unknowingly. I know that pain. I can help you forget it all." To an Alchemist, he says "The misery born of your mistreatment haunts you. I understand what it's like to be used and thrown away. I'll give your life new meaning." Finally, to a Hound he says, "The betrayal, the loss of hope, the sheer desperation that drives you still to search and search with no end. I can give you something new to live for."

For the Unnamed and Alchemist backstories, he draws another parallel--he has felt before what you feel now. This could be further manipulation, but it's curious then that he wouldn't do the same for the Hound MC. This is not to say that he feels no kinship with a Hound MC--he's made three un-customized statements otherwise already, and one still to be addressed momentarily, but if it were all fabricated then one would think he'd make that emotional connection regardless of player backstory, in order to take advantage of the MC's emotional vulnerability.

Granted, during those statements he's trying to devour you. Some might use this as reasoning to take this evidence with a grain of salt; I am not so convinced, for reasons outlined below.

The inner monologue of the MC at about the same moment: "The look on his face makes my blood run cold. I've seen it before. Traveling through the wastes, the lanterns would occasionally reveal carcasses picked clean by starving scavengers whose eyes shone in the dark with the same ravenous hunger."

It is interesting to me that Vere seems by all accounts to relate to the MC and want to keep them alive, and yet kill them so irreverently and with next to no provocation. Personally, this seems like an apt and realistic scenario; as much as Vere seems to sympathize, he's known the MC for barely a date at this point, and likely doesn't care overmuch. Getting them alone was an opportunity for a snack; he well warned them of the way danger follows them, and yet they followed him alone into an alleyway regardless, and he is a killer after all. To me this seems like a rare extension of help (insomuch as Vere would help anyone) that was rejected, and so as this person is insignificant despite vaguely remind him of himself and his circumstances, a meal is a meal.

I bring you now to the final moment of Vere drawing a connection between the two of you. When choosing not to submit he releases you, and as a goodbye, states "You and I might be alike, but don't ever forget what I do best."

I feel that's a perfect way to wrap up that segment.

I'd intended for this post to encompass his feelings towards the MC as well as the other romantic options in the game, but I'd forgotten how I've a tendency to be verbose when theorizing and explaining my line of thinking. I'll split this into two parts for now, then, before moving onto the other characters (who I hope I won't have quite so much to say about ^^;).

Perhaps this all was obvious to you, but I like to think it's worth setting out in the open anyway, and most certainly fun to do so on my part.

[cartooncadet666]

His Voice

It seemed like a fairly normal afternoon in Pac-Opolis, her and her two best friends in the whole world had just recently finished a ghost attack and were helping around the city for people that may have had their cars flipped over or some that were still afraid to go outside. She was watching as Pac was gently consoling a little girl and making sure that she was okay before taking her to her mother..

That always made her heart feel warm, seeing Pac be so careful when children are around him. The little girl let out one final sniffle before hugging the yellow one with a relieved smile, he of course returned the gesture and whispered something to her to make her giggle.

Both Cyli and Spiral let out warm smiles after seeing the girl be more relaxed because of their yellow friend, both walking behind him to see the little girl still waving at the bright hero before grabbing the hand of her grateful mother.

"Bro one of these days, you're going to make us cry seeing your interactions with these kids." Spiral joked, Pac and Cylindria laughed lightly at the remark.

"Aw come on, it's the least I can do. Besides, the poor guys are probably really scared, the last thing I want is for them is to be constantly afraid in their childhood." The thought of that made Pac frown, wishing that the ghosts were still trapped so people wouldn't have to be scared anymore.

"Some things just can't be controlled Pac, but it's nice that you're still trying to make sure people relax afterwards. I've seen the PPC do a not-so-great job at that.." Cylindria winced.

In the meantime, they decided to keep a lookout for anyone else who needs help, looking on every block to see someone struggling, but surprisingly, it's was like everything seemed fine.. too fine..

In fact, the city seemed so empty if it wasn't for the boys walking ahead of her.

"Hey, do you think we should head to Pac In It Burger? I'm starving!" Spiral asked, looking straight ahead but turning his body to look at the yellow one.

"Oof.. yeah, I could use some food right about now." Pac replied.

Were the other two not aware that it almost seemed too empty in the city right now? What's going on?

Her thoughts were interrupted when dark clouds started to form over the sun, which was strange since it was supposed to be sunny all evening.. The light rays from the sun were blocked off completely, and wind had started to pick up.

There was a sudden sound that was similar to a radio playing in the distance, and her watch was scrolling and glitching by itself, despite how much she clicked on it trying to get it to stop.

She tried to shake it off and catch up with the other two, and again, they seemed perfectly fine, just talking away as if none of this was even happening.

Cylindria decided to put her watch away, loosening the strip and sliding it off her wrist, whatever was bugging on it she could inspect it later. But then on the little screen, she saw her messaging contacts open.

She tried clicking on the buttons repeatedly to pause the action or at least slow it down, but it was to no use. She saw the scroll bar quickly go down before raising back up a little, pressing on Skeebo's contact. The glitching pixels and black bars still reappearing and disappearing every millisecond.

'Wait.. Skeebo? But he's-' Her thoughts were interrupted as she saw a spamming of messages go through her watch, asking if she was 'watching' or 'listening'... For what though?? She didn't know.

The pink Pac-Worlder looked up to see Spiral and Pac waiting for her, a normal smile on their faces.. what the hell is happening.

"C'mon Cyli." Was the only thing Spiral said before turning around, Pac doing the exact same thing.

Cylindria swallowed a lump in her throat and put away her still glitching and spamming watch, as it played a creepy melody too loud for her to focus, trying to get her to look at her watch again, but she persisted to keep ignoring it.

... However...

The pink Pac-Worlder heard a familiar voice, but she felt as if it wasn't him...

[elliepassmore]

A Letter to the Luminous Deep review

5/5 stars Recommended if you like: light academia, fantasy, mysteries, epistolary narrative, mental illness rep, LGBTQ+ characters

Big thanks to Netgalley, Orbit, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book starts out relatively slow, and even when it picks up this is a character-driven novel more than a plot-driven one. I've seen it likened to Emily Wilde's, which I would have to agree with, and imo the pacing is pretty similar between the two. With that said, I think the pacing benefits this kind of novel and I enjoyed the unfolding of events and character relationships over the course of the book.

Likewise, this book is written epistolary style, so through letters and journal entries, which I've noticed becoming more of a thing recently. I think it's a really interesting way of telling a story and think it's a great way both to get to know a character and to introduce narrator unreliability (Henerey himself even points out that he purposefully will not write certain things down since he does not want them to be read). I think the way Cathrell utilized the epistolary narrative style for this novel was brilliant. The events that occur are, in and of themselves, a mystery and by having those events told via letter, the mystery is compounded through two layers of characters revealing things. It's a super interesting way to go through a mystery novel and I feel it added to the experience and the suspense. We already know the ending, but E. and Henerey nor Sophy and Vy nor us know how that ending happened, and only the latter two groups are going into this mystery with the knowledge of how it ends.

The world in this novel is quite interesting. It's a mostly-aquatic society that had to rebuild after falling out of the sky 1000 years prior in an event known as the Dive. It seemed to have decimated technology, land masses, and a good portion of the population, though society is now flourishing on it's three "campuses," each of which have slightly different cultures and seem to prize different virtues. I liked getting the snippets about the world and how it functioned, as well as getting to know the names for the animals of the world (some of them are familiar, most are variations on what we would know, such as the "toothed whale"). I look forward to learning more about the world in book 2.

The book is pretty evenly split between E. and Henerey's correspondence and Sophy and Vyerin's, leaning more toward Sophy and Vyerin's. I liked seeing the two sets of relationships grow, with E. and Henerey becoming romantic while Sophy and Vy become friends and help each other heal from the loss of their siblings. I also enjoyed seeing how each group put the puzzle pieces together and the ways in with Vy and Sophy are able to add some additional context both to the mystery as well as to their siblings' lives.

To start with, E. is afflicted with a "Malady of the Brain" with makes her extremely anxious and gives her OCD-like tendencies and thoughts (i.e., she repeatedly checks portholes and airlocks to ensure the Deep House is secure, feeling as though the house will spring a leak and kill her otherwise; she also has major intrusive thoughts), and ensures that she has spent most of her adult life within the confines of the Deep House. Despite her anxiety, she pens the letter to Henerey that gets their relationship, and the mystery, started. E. is remarkably inquisitive and seems to have a broad depth of knowledge in multiple subjects, not least ocean life and fantasy novels (two things she and Henerey bond over). I enjoyed getting tidbits about her childhood and seeing her open up to Henerey and their shared intellectual pursuits.

Henerey comes across as a mix of level-headed and endearingly enthusiastic (and nervous). He takes E. seriously from the get-go and the two are intellectual matches as they talk over the ocean, life, and novels. It's clear that Henerey is excited to have made a friend and I liked how much he cared about E.'s interests and opinions. I do feel that we didn't get to know him as well as some of the other characters, so I would like more insight into Henerey if possible in book 2 (Vyerin will def be in it, so hopefully he can provide more insight).

Speaking of, Vyerin felt very realistic to me. He still clearly misses his brother and is grieving his loss, even a year out from when it occurred. This has prevented him from doing much reading into Henerey's personal affects, but as he and Sophy converse via letter, he's able to reconnect with his brother through those letters and begin to both heal and become invigorated for the mystery central to the novel. While Vy seems more 'stuck' in the grief cycle as compared to Sophy (not to say Sophy isn't grieving still too), he's also able to be humorous at times and I enjoyed his quips, as well as the moments when he revealed more about his husband and children.

Sophy seems to have moved a step or two further in the grieving process than Vy, but she too still deeply misses her sister. She comes across as very determined, and even though she isn't in the career position she was in when E. died, she's still very academic in nature and approaches things in a very systematic and logical manner. I particularly enjoyed Sophy's letters because they gave insight not just into the E. and Henerey affair, but also into the Ridge Expedition, which was a major scientific expedition Sophy was on when the whole thing with E-H was going down. The expedition was alluded to have ended abruptly and to have returned few results, but imo it's clear from the get-go that the mission somehow ties in with what happened to E. and Henerey as well as into the book's central mystery.

Overall I greatly enjoyed this book and found myself immersed in the characters and the world. It's definitely slow paced but I think it works for the story and the narrative style. I absolutely love the epistolary nature of the story and the way both the story and the mystery unfolded in dual 'timelines.' I'm greatly looking forward to the sequel!

[vro0m]

"Clearly you're very annoyed that I don't think Max is completely right, but I'm not interested in debating you on that, so I'm just not gonna do it. (...) I again am not talking about whether he gets punished by the stewards because of course he gets penalties I'm talking about whether his entourage including his team act like "well it is what it is the stewards made a decision" or "he was right and they were wrong and our driver can't do no mistakes and nothing bad" which, historically, they have done."

? Thats not has been said, nor the type of narrative you and other accounts have been feeding regarding Max and his driving. I dont think Max was completely right, for the record. (Not that it matters) He only hurt himself by the choices he made in the fight with Lewis. He was clumsy and frustrated although not in a vacuum. Of course, as a fan, I'm going to be sympathetic of the context that led to his error. I'm not asking u to do the same, ur obviously not a fan. In Austria its a different story, he raced how he was being raced and was fully within his rights to do so. If his team, his "entourage", along with multiple other drivers on the grid, Alain Prost, Eddie Jordan, etc btw, also agree with how he raced, I'm not sure why you thinking it would be "beneficial" for him to change is any way relevant to the discussion. (You, and other accounts like yours, that claim objectivity above all else, asked for a drive through penalty for Austria, on top of the penalties he received. Hungary was considered a racing incident, with Hamilton being noted as the who should have made a better effort to avoid collision. No penalty.. Is this, to u, an example of stewarding favoring Max and rewarding his style of driving?) You've made implicit and explicit references to Max being treated more leniently than others by FIA, and not learning from what you consider to be subpar driving, which ends up hurting him. This is your opinion. This is not based on any data, its just an eye test for Verstappen and what you think is good or bad for f1. This whole time I've been asking you for recent specific instances where max was penalized according to a more lenient rule book that only benefits him and is detrimental to others. I'm also asking you why veteran champions like Max and Lewis have different reactions from you and the public when it comes to what they demand from their teams and what they can or cannot say when those demands aren't met. I also get how this can be boring and uninteresting to you. I dont have any issue or beef with u specifically lol I just saw your posts and wanted to challenge some notions. Thats it. Feel free not to interact anymore.

Yeah see you're talking of "other blogs like me" who supposedly share my opinions but I think you're mistaken about what my opinions are. You seem to have wrongly associated me with other takes you've seen elsewhere that do not come from me and that's why we're both confused in this convo.

Because what you've just said is not what has been said is actually exactly what I've been saying lol

I did not ask for a drive through in Austria? I did not say he should have received a penalty yesterday? Like I've told you before I'm not saying the stewards are favouring him. I also did not say his driving his subpar. I think he's an excellent driver and have repeatedly said so.

Like legit you're misattributing things you've read elsewhere to me. You're generalising based on a stereotype you have in your mind of "blogs like mine" but I am not who you think I am and you are being kinda weird about it to be completely honest.

My point was, I think Max sometimes is rash (like you said he got frustrated and it led him to be clumsy yesterday) and I think that the fact that he's historically not been held accountable for his rash behavior by his team and entourage (NOT talking about the stewards) is not good for him because he would get even better if they didn't see him making contacts with others as just fine. He would have to learn to control his emotions better and not get clumsy like that when he's frustrated (which is a normal thing to happen, but getting clumsy because of it is a pity), and that would make him not less bold but smarter about it, and I would like to see that happen because I like good racing and he's a good racer.

[nothorses]

As an atheist who frequently despairs at the way progressive tumblr talks about us, I've loved reading your recent posts on the subject. You've articulated some stuff that bugged me but I could never quite describe, like how people think of atheism as some broken remnant of christianity rather than a valid worldview on its own.

But there's one thing you've emphasized repeatedly that I just don't think I can agree with: the idea that other people being confidently convinced of their beliefs means that we should act less confident of ours. Yes, I recognize that most religious people are at least as confident in their faiths as I am in my non-belief. But people are confidently wrong all the time, about all kinds of stuff. When anti-vaxxers, flat earthers, climate change deniers, homeopaths, astrologers, or psychics are confidently wrong, we don't take it as a reminder to humble ourselves in the face of disagreement, especially when it comes time to make decisions based on the facts at issue. Sure, we usually don't preach about it to strangers, maybe we decide it's not worth losing a relationship over, maybe we don't bring it up at thanksgiving, but we don't throw our hands up and declare it a tie because both sides wrote down an answer.

Like, let's be clear, this is a question of fact, just like any pseudoscience or conspiracy theory. The supernatural does not exist. Humankind has spent the entirety of our species' history looking for it, we would all desperately like for any of it to be real, and if there was anything there to find, we would've found something by now.

So why does the fact that a lot of people are confidently wrong about that mean that the ones who aren't have to act less confident than everyone else?

It's not that we need to be "less confident" in our beliefs; I have seen people argue that you can't prove a negative or whatever, there's stuff we don't understand yet, so we can't actually claim atheism is Definitely Correct. and like. I fundamentally disagree with that, actually. it's not something I want to get in arguments on tumblr about (can you fucking imagine) but I think the logical conclusion of "you can't prove a negative" is not "therefore, anything you can't prove isn't true is equally as valid". it's that demanding people to prove a negative is unreasonable, and the onus of proof in fact falls on the people claiming a positive.

this is also how things work when someone on tumblr claims I'm a sex freak who hates women and is also a TERF: it's not my responsibility to prove that whatever unhinged accusations some rando on the internet comes up with aren't true. it's their responsibility to prove that they are.

but here's the thing: it's not about who's right, here. that doesn't actually matter.

there are two things you need to consider here:

1. How likely this person is to listen to you

2. Whether the thing they believe actually has a notable impact on anyone else.

Anti-vaxxers believe something that directly and adversely impacts other people. Climate change deniers also do. Flat-earthers conceivably could be harmless, but the roots and execution of that ideology lead to a lot of harmful, antisemitic conspiracy theories that do harm to real life people.

But like, I don't care if Cindy from class thinks astrology is real. I don't actually have to worry about that unless she starts trying to discriminate against people based on their star signs (looking at you, white queer 20-somethings looking for roommates in Seattle).

I don't care if my mom thinks teatree oil is gonna help her... idk, whatever she thinks teatree oil does. She also takes the meds she needs and sees a doctor about stuff, and the addition of teatree oil isn't hurting her. I worry even less about adult strangers making medical decisions for themselves; that's their business, and their choice. I'll take issue with it if they deprive anyone else of necessary medical care on that basis.

#1 is harder to consider, I think. A lot of us want it to be the case that others will listen to us, and a lot of us want to believe that if our arguments are good enough and we're good enough at it, we can get through to anyone.

That's a fantasy. A very silly, very egotistical fantasy likely to drive you to frustration, and ultimately to isolation. The fact of the matter is that it's rarely about you; people decide to listen or not, and there's nothing you can do about it if they decide not to listen. Pushing the issue doesn't change that.

When people accuse me of unhinged shit on tumblr, I don't take it upon myself to prove a negative. I might address those claims in some way, and remind people to get proof of the positive first, but only if it gets to be enough of an issue that I feel I need to. Ultimately, I know the people making those claims don't care, and aren't listening; the only reason I address them at all is if they have an adverse impact on me or others.

People who believe in things we don't believe exist... well, first, they often do believe they have proof. That's just not a basis you're gonna win an argument about that on. And, also, they have no intention of listening to you- and that's fine. As long as their beliefs aren't causing them to hurt others, nobody needs to worry about it. And if they do, we can worry about the impact and the things directly relating to it instead of trying to convince every religious person with flaws to just stop being religious.

Some atheists are assholes because of what they believe. That's not a fact we can ignore, either.

At the end of the day, the goal is just to share space with others. We don't need everyone to agree with us, we don't need everyone to believe the same things, and it's a good idea, in fact, to look at those other beliefs/religions/etc. and see value in them- the value they add to the lives of those who are a part of them, and the value they add to others' through those people.

At a certain point, it doesn't matter if something is Objectively True. Oftentimes we don't know, or can't know- but that doesn't matter either. The obsession with objective truth is very much a white Western one, and it's done a lot of harm to people- entire cultures, even.

You can't be an econ major looking at this through the lens of hard numbers; you need to factor in human life, compassion, and context. It's not about who's right; it's about being a good person.

[cacodaemonia]

This is probably an unpopular opinion among Ted Lasso fans, but the whole Nate storyline has both bored and irked me. Don't get me wrong, I adore this show and how sweet and wholesome it is, and I totally understand if people don't want to read any complaints about it. If that's you, stop reading here. 👍

Anyway: I have issues with the recent emphasis on forgiving someone like Nate.

I loved him at first, but then when he started to show his true colors I was very much in agreement with Coach Beard. Ted was always kind to Nate, always supported him, and the Nate turned on Ted because... his own father is a dick to him? My father was a much bigger piece of shit, but I don't treat people who constantly go out of their way to be kind to me like that.

I am not a forgiving person because I've seen over and over and over what happens to people when they keep on forgiving others for terrible behavior: they become welcome mats. That doesn't mean I dwell on the people who have wrong me—I just cut them off, don't let them waste my time, and my life is much better for it. So the whole 'forgive so-and-so for your own good' thing really doesn't make sense to me. Forgiving someone who has repeatedly wronged you or done something Very Bad to you opens you up to being treated like shit again—because, lbr, unlike in stories, most people don't completely change their personalities for the better. Yeah, it happens sometimes, but it's pretty rare.

So, back to Nate. Since the beginning of season 3, the audience has seen him... develop some? He's got a girlfriend, his dad was not mean to him once, he quit working for Rupert, and he's inexplicably a good waiter when just a few months ago, he was really into demeaning people and bossing them around. I haven't seen any explanation for why he would suddenly tolerate being a waiter, which—newsflash for anyone who hasn't done it—sucks. A lot of customers treat wait staff like garbage and I cannot imagine Nate handling that with a Customer Service Smile™, you know?

So all of that is kinda weird and not really super well explained, imo. But even weirder is that, unlike the audience, most of the other characters never saw any of these changes. For all they know, he's still the same Nate who was utterly awful for all of season 2. Characters like Jamie, Rebecca, Colin, and Isaac, who were varying levels of dicks at the beginning, showed the other characters that they wanted to make amends and worked to do so. They showed that they wanted to be better and gave others a reason to eventually trust them.

But Nate hasn't done any of this with the Richmond crew, so when Isaac, Colin, and Will (who Nate was particularly vile to) show up to invite him back to Richmond, I seriously thought the show was doing a weird dream sequence or something. My partner was equally baffled because it made NO SENSE. And yeah, I get that Ted has influenced people around him to be more forgiving etc. etc. but why would they invite Nate, who was horribly abusive to so many people on the team, back??? It would be like Sam inviting Akufo to dinner at his restaurant.

Anyway, I'm really not looking to argue with anyone. Sometimes you just need to vent, you know? And I just needed to vent about the Nate storyline, which I think has gotten really lame, and about how I take issue with the insistent forgiveness message of this last season. Yeah, I know it's fiction, but they are framing the show's messages as pretty explicit life advice. And the 'always forgive no matter what' message is simply not a universally good policy.

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

Since the Oda and Adam duo post seems to have gone over well here are a couple other duos with potential that get rotated around in my brain after midnight:

Akutagawa and Aya - I've posted about this before. Continues the trend of unwilling and tired young adult begrudgingly looking out for a loud child who consistently runs headfirst into trouble. Bonus if he becomes so done with the situation that he just wraps her up in Rashoumon and carries her like that while Aya screams in outrage. (Bonus bonus: I think they could bond over the respective treatment they have endured at the hands of those who should've been proud of them.)

Lucy and Kyouka - No one thinks they'll get along and it looks like maybe they don't...? The energy is really awkward? But they still choose to spend time together? Actually, they like each other, and any awkwardness or harsh comments are only out of blunt factual observation (Kyouka) or obliviousness (Lucy). One day, they show up to work with matching accessories in their hair. (Also I think they'd be a great balancing act, personality wise. Lucy's very imaginative and Kyouka's quite grounded but both could really help each other regain some of their lost childhoods in that Lucy has lots of cool ideas she never got to do and Kyouka is bold enough to get both of them to try.)

Kyouka and Dazai - ENTIRELY self-indulgent. I want them to get into mischief together. I want Kyouka to show Dazai pictures of all the bunnies she pet. I want Dazai to encourage her into believing she can be good and supporting her no killing philosophy (with a sharp pang in his chest every time he sees her dedication and the serious look in her eyes) but then like. Show her how to commit minor crimes with no trace. He decides one day to take her to a festival and guilt trips Kunikida into letting them both go and Kunikida is forced to relent because aw, that's really sweet and then he turns around and his wallet is gone.

Fukuzawa and young Yosano - It's sad time. I really want to know how she adjusted. And yes, I like the idea of seeing how she was with Ranpo too but I really want to see her with Fukuzawa. He must've shown her the ropes. Helped her get her degree? Made her feel comfortable again and confident that she could heal and not just wound? It's just interesting to me because it would have to be a completely different approach to the one he took with Ranpo and he's not exactly a natural at parenting, much as he tries. I think there's nothing sweeter and more tragic than this man, a master swordsman and former assassin, who has decided fairly recently to open his heart to others, looking at this small, damaged child and thinking "I don't know how to help you." And then helping her anyways. As best he can.

Kunikida and Higuchi - The true "I am so exasperated with everyone in my workplace" duo. An omake introduced the concept that they vent to each other online and I think that's hilarious. They find out each other's real identities and panic for a moment and get hostile and then remember that this is the only other reasonably sane person they have spoken to in months and go get coffee and complain about their jobs.

Teruko and Atsushi - Okay, this one is actually possible. Not much to it other than I think they'd work really well together. They'd kick ass. They could kick my ass. I'd thank them for it. (Actually it's also got something to do with Teruko seeming jaded and older and Atsushi being the offset in that he's younger and naive but also something something she couldn't torture him because he went to go check on a child and something something they both made bodily sacrifices - Atsushi's many injuries and Teruko's surgical modifications - and repeatedly get hurt using their power to protect civilians... I want to know where her character is going because I don't think she's convinced by the DoA's mission and I think a part of her still wants justice... remains to be seen I guess.)