#End of the Rainbow Foundation

[hyuniemyunie]

Jason todd x gn reader˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

doing his makeup!<3

sfw

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

(ФωФ): hes sooooo wifey i love him sm

THIS IS FOR EVERYNYAN. MEN WITH MAKEUP. WOMEN WITH MAKEUP. NONBINARY PPL WITH MAKEUP.

men who do makeup..r..like. so hot. sorry..not sorry..

⠄･ ⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠄･ ⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠄･ ⋆ ･

Jason Todd was many things—an ex-Robin, a vigilante, a walking, talking trauma case—but a guy who let someone put makeup on him? That was where he drew the line.

At least, he had drawn the line. But you had this look in your eyes, that mischievous little sparkle that made it real hard to say no.

“Come on,” you pleaded, holding up a fluffy makeup brush like it was a weapon of mass persuasion. “Just let me do a little bit.”

Jason crossed his arms. “I’m not gonna look like a clown, am I?”

you gasped, placing a hand over your heart in fake offense. “How dare you. I would never make you look bad.”

He squinted at you. “Uh-huh.”

You scooted closer, eyes shining. “Please?”

Jason sighed, already feeling himself caving. “Fine. But if I look ridiculous, I’m making you watch all my shitty old Westerns shows with me.”

You grinned. “Deal.”

And that was how Jason Todd, Gotham’s brooding menace, ended up sitting on the edge of the bed while you happily went to work on his face.

At first, he felt stupid. you started with some primer and foundation, muttering about “undertones” and “coverage” while he sat there like an idiot. Then came the contouring—something about sharpening his cheekbones, which he thought was unnecessary because his cheekbones were already sharp enough to cut glass.

Then you moved to his eyes.

“This is where the magic happens,” you declared, pulling out an eyeshadow palette.

Jason groaned. “I swear to God, if you give me rainbow clown eyes—”

“Shhh,” you hushed him, dusting warm brown and reddish shades onto his lids.

Jason stayed quiet after that, mostly because the feeling of the brush against his skin was oddly relaxing. You blended, added a bit of shimmer at the inner corners, then pulled out the eyeliner.

“Keep still,” you warned.

Jason tried to keep still, but the moment you got close to his eye with that little black pen, his survival instincts kicked in.

You huffed. “You stare down thugs with guns on a nightly basis, but this is where you flinch?”

“It’s a reflex,” Jason grumbled.

you rolled your eyes and cupped his jaw, gently tilting his face. “Look up.”

He did. And maybe—just maybe—he liked the way you were touching him, all soft and careful like he was something delicate.

Once you finished the eyeliner, you moved to mascara. Jason blinked too hard the first time, getting some on his eyelid. You scolded him, wiped it off, and tried again.

Then came the final touch—the lips.

Jason narrowed his eyes as you picked up a tube of lipstick. “No bright red,” he warned.

You rolled your eyes. “I know. Trust me.”

You picked a deep, natural shade and carefully applied it, your thumb tilting his chin to keep him still. When you pulled back, you studied him, eyes wide with satisfaction.

“…Holy shit,” you muttered.

Jason frowned. “What?”

“You look really good.”

Jason snorted. “You’re supposed to say that. You did the makeup.”

“No, but like—really good.” You grabbed your phone and flipped the camera so he could see.

Jason expected to look ridiculous.

Instead…

Oh.

The guy in the reflection wasn’t some overgrown crime alley stray. His skin looked flawless, his cheekbones more defined, his blue eyes sharp. The eyeliner made them pop, the mascara darkened his lashes just enough, and the lip color—damn.

He turned his head slightly, raising a brow. He looked—

“…I look hot,” Jason muttered, genuinely surprised.

You burst out laughing. “I told you!”

Jason kept staring at himself, tilting his head like he was studying a piece of art. “…I look like I could scam rich men out of their fortunes.”

You snorted. “You totally could.”

Jason leaned closer to the mirror. “This is bullshit. Why does this work?”

You smirked, resting your chin on his shoulder. “Because, babe, I’m the one who did it.”

Jason gave you a sideways glance. “…So you’re saying if I let you do this every time, I could be the prettiest crime-fighting menace in Gotham?”

You grinned. “Oh, absolutely.”

Jason hummed. “Huh.”

He turned back to the mirror, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully.

“…So how do I take selfies?”

Jason stared at his reflection, turning his face slightly to the side, then back. His sharp jawline looked even sharper under the contour, the dark eyeliner made his blue eyes pop like something out of a painting, and the lip color—deep, natural, and just glossy enough—gave him a dangerous kind of charm.

You watched him with barely contained laughter, chin resting on his shoulder. Oh, he was eating this up.

“So,” you drawled, watching his expression shift between admiration and disbelief. “What do you think?”

Jason exhaled through his nose, tilting his head again like he was analyzing a priceless artifact.

“…I look like I scam rich men for a living,” he muttered.

You grinned. “And you’d be good at it.”

Jason let out a soft, amused scoff, still not looking away from the mirror. You could see the way his brain was working—turning over the fact that he, Jason Todd, could be pretty in a way he hadn’t really considered before.

His fingers brushed over his jaw. “This is bullshit.”

You snorted. “What’s bullshit? That I made you look hot?”

“That it works,” he grumbled, squinting at himself like the makeup had personally betrayed him. “I mean, I expected to look like some try-hard clown, not—” He gestured vaguely at his face. “—whatever this is.”

“A masterpiece?” you supplied helpfully.

Jason shot you a look, but there was no real bite to it. He was too busy admiring his reflection.

You grabbed your phone and flipped the camera, holding it up. “Wanna take some selfies?”

Jason hesitated. His instinct was probably to say no, but you could see the little flicker of consideration in his eyes.

“…If you send them to Dick, I’ll throw your phone off a building.”

“Duh,” you said, like that should’ve been obvious. “These are for us. For documentation. For history. For—”

Jason rolled his eyes, but you caught the way his lips twitched like he was fighting a smile.

“…Fine.”

You gasped dramatically. “Did the Jason Todd just agree to take selfies?”

“Shut up and take the damn picture.”

You beamed and held the phone up, making sure the lighting was just right before snapping a couple of shots. Jason barely even tried to pose, but he didn’t need to—his natural sharpness, the way he glanced sideways at the camera with that slight, lazy smirk, made him look effortlessly cool.

After a few shots, you checked the photos, grinning. “Okay, but you actually look so good.”

Jason leaned over, eyes scanning the images. His expression softened for just a second before he covered it up with faux nonchalance. “Yeah, yeah. You’re just saying that ‘cause you did the makeup.”

“No,” you said seriously, nudging his arm. “I mean it. You’re gorgeous, Jay.”

Jason blinked, caught off guard. He cleared his throat, looking away like you hadn’t just turned him into putty with one sentence. “…You’re so full of shit.”

You just grinned.

“Alright,” Jason sighed, stretching his arms above his head. “Time to wash this off before I start getting ideas.”

You gasped. “What kind of ideas?”

Jason smirked, standing up and flexing dramatically. “I dunno. Maybe I should start conning rich old ladies.”

“Oh my god.”

“I could be Gotham’s prettiest crime lord. Make Bruce’s life a living hell.”

You laughed, standing up with him. “I knew this would go to your head.”

Jason slung an arm around your shoulder, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. “Your fault, babe.”

And yeah—maybe it was your fault. But looking at Jason now, with his newfound appreciation for just how good he could look, you couldn’t bring yourself to regret it.

Jason wasn’t one to fuss over things like makeup. Sure, it had turned out better than expected—hell, he’d even admit (to you, and only you) that he looked good—but after a few selfies and some teasing, he was ready to wash it off and go back to his usual, rugged, Gotham-worn self.

At least, that was the plan.

You, however, had different ideas.

Jason stood in front of the bathroom mirror, rolling up his sleeves as he turned the sink on. His reflection stared back at him—still sharp-jawed, still intense-eyed, but softened just a bit by the expertly blended makeup you’d applied. He reached for a towel when, suddenly—

SMOOCH.

A pair of lips landed on his cheek, warm and deliberate.

Jason froze. “What are you—”

SMOOCH. Another one, this time dangerously close to his jaw.

“Babe—”

SMOOCH. SMOOCH. SMOOCH.

He turned just in time for you to attack with another kiss, smacking your lips dramatically against his face. Jason stumbled back against the sink, hands bracing himself as you grabbed fistfuls of his shirt to keep him in place.

“Alright, alright!” he laughed, hands coming up to ward you off. “What the hell has gotten into you?”

You grinned up at him, smug as hell. “Just appreciating my work before it all goes to waste.”

Jason gave you a suspicious look, but when he wiped his cheek with the back of his hand—his eyes widened.

A bright red lipstick stain smeared across his knuckles.

He turned back to the mirror.

Oh, shit.

There were marks everywhere. Little red imprints covered his cheeks, his jawline, his nose, and—he rubbed his lips together, realizing you’d definitely gotten him there too. His mouth was slightly smudged, like he’d either been thoroughly kissed or had just finished robbing a bank with Harley Quinn.

Jason looked back at you, you looked way too pleased with yourself.

“Are you serious?” Jason groaned, rubbing at his face. The lipstick refused to budge.

“Very.” You crossed your arms, proud of your masterpiece. “I think it suits you.”

Jason ran a hand down his face. “I look like I got mauled by a very aggressive valentine.”

“You look loved,” you corrected sweetly, batting your lashes.

Jason exhaled through his nose, staring at you like he was this close to enacting revenge. Then, with zero warning, he grabbed you by the waist, hoisting you up onto the bathroom counter.

“Jay—”

You barely had time to react before he pressed his face all over yours—cheeks, nose, forehead, even down to your neck—rubbing against you like a damn cat.

You squealed, trying to push him off. “Jason, no—!”

“What?” he murmured, voice smug and low against your ear. “You don’t wanna match?”

You huffed, knowing damn well he was transferring all those lipstick marks onto your face. When he finally pulled back, he took a second to admire his work.

You glared at him. “You’re an ass.”

Jason smirked, running his thumb over your now-stained cheek. “You love me.”

You tried to look annoyed, but the way he was looking at you—smug, sure, but with that soft glint in his blue eyes—made it impossible to stay mad.

You sighed dramatically. “Yeah, yeah.”

Jason chuckled, leaning down to press a much gentler, slower kiss to your lips. This time, neither of you cared about the mess.

[hazard-symbols-that-fuck-hard]

Okay time for the PBS Kids essay

Read it under the cut!

:readmore:

In 1968, before there was PBS Kids proper, there was Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood. While it came several decades before the children’s block, it laid the foundation for the themes and values present in every facet of the network’s history.

Mr. Roger famously hated children’s programming at the time. To him, it all was droll and useless. But he didn’t dissuade the medium entirely— he saw potential. Potential that led to a few smaller television jobs, and eventually the creation of Mr. Roger’s neighborhood.

Rogers didn’t invent educational TV for children, but he did perfect it. He poured real heart and soul into probably the most sincere, heartfelt program in history.

Honestly, he could have his own essay. The more things you learn about the real man of Mr. Rogers, the more you’ll like him.

Anyway, the biggest thing that makes PBS different is the fact that it earns money through grants, fundraisers, and private donors— not through sponsorships and merchandise sales. This way, PBS Kids can push programming that it feels is important, rather than programming that merely sells well.

This also means PBS is less afraid of pushing social boundaries. Money doesn’t go away when their shows become subjects of debate— and Mr. Rogers took full advantage of this.

For context, this was 1969. The Jim Crow era had just barely, barely ended. Pool segregation was still very much legal.

Mr. Rogers sharing a pool and a towel with the Black Mr. Clemmons was a pretty big deal at the time— especially on a show made for children.

Rogers was far from the untouchable sacred cow of today. When he was alive, he had a large number of detractors. Let’s just say that scene didn’t fly nicely by everyone.

Just one year after the debut of Mr. Roger’s came Sesame Street.

While Mr. Roger’s was made for all children, Sesame Street had the explicit goal of supplementing the education of underserved communities— especially inner-city Black (and later Latino) children.

While it was made to be accessible to children of all races and income levels, they definitely went the extra mile to make it something special for inner-city Black and Brown kids. (Why do you think it it’s “Sesame Street” and not “Sesame Cul-de-Sac”?)

At the time, a wholesome, sweet show set in a brownstone street was practically unheard of.

Jon Stone, the casting director, deliberately sought to make the cast as rich with color as he possibly could, bringing on a huge amount of Black talent such as Loretta Long, Matt Robinson, and Kevin Clash, as well as featuring Black celebrities as guest stars. Later, the show would expand its horizons, bringing on actors from Latino, Asian, Native American, and many more backgrounds.

White actors were and still are a minority on show.

In addition to letters and numbers, the purpose of Sesame Street is clear: make kids of color know that they’re smart, beautiful, and loved.

It doesn’t get more explicit than this.

I want to point out this comment because it’s funny

You’re telling me this bitch isn’t Hispanic???

Anyway, these two were followed up by Reading Rainbow in 1983. And guess what?

That’s right. Non-white focus.

These three shows, (along with other, lesser-known programs like Lamb-Chops Play Along, Newton’s Apple, and Shining Times Station (who featured Ringo Starr himself?? seriously how did that happen and why does no one talk about it) and some other nostalgic favorites like Bill Nye the Science guy, The Magic Schoolbus, Arthur, and Thomas the Tank Engine) aired on the new PTV block, which evolved into PBS Kids in 1999, bringing along Between the Lions, Dragon Tales, and many more.

Arthur is another stand-out that I’d like to talk about— it doesn’t have the same racial focus of Sesame Street, but it does focus on different income levels. The characters have various housing situations, from apartments to mansions to no home at all.

It also takes cues from Sesame Street and Mr. Roger’s in regards to talking about tough topics, though as Arthur has a slightly older target audience, it discusses things through stories rather than talking directly to the audience.

Cancer, religion, workplace discrimination, along with current (at the time) events such as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina are all discussed on the show.

Another big focus on Arthur is disability. For once, they don’t stick a character in a wheelchair and then pretend he’s not in a wheelchair. A striking number of major characters either develop or get diagnosed with physical disabilities and/or neurodivergences, such as asthma, severe food allergies, and dyslexia, and they deal with them in very realistic ways.

A handful of minor characters have more obvious disabilities, and THANK GOD they go beyond the trite messaging of “disabled people can do everything abled people can do! everyone clap now!”

One episode in particular has the awesome message of “holy shit stop trying to help me all the time— it’s patronizing as fuck. I can get around just fine without you stepping on eggshells and trying to be the hero all the fucking time”

There are sooo many other shows I could talk about, but I can’t write about them all. I’m definitely gonna point out some more standout ones, though.

Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat

Created by Chinese-American woman Amy Tang

Dragonfly TV

Features a multitude of female and non-white scientists to foster an interest in science with kids in those groups

Maya & Miguel

One of the network’s first Hispanic-led shows

SciGirls

I shouldn’t have to explain what the goal of this one was.

Molly of Denali

When was the last time you saw a show that treated Native Americans as people? Much less a children’s show? 90% of the cast is Athabascan, and the show revolves around Athabascan culture, not shying away from topics like boarding schools and modern-day racism. Most of the writers are also Athabascan, and the show even has an official Gwich’in dub!

It’s this commitment to real, authentic social justice that makes PBS Kids so much different from its competitors. Could you imagine the Paw Patrol dog looking at the camera and earnestly discussing what happened to George Floyd? I don’t think so— but Arthur talked specifically about it, Sesame Street did an hour long special about race in general, and the network itself made a 30 minute special.

Disney Jr. could never. (Other than trying to teach colorblindness, of course.)

I’m gonna have to cut this into two parts, since I just hit the image limit

[theveil-and-thepath]

Mini PAC n° 3: Three things that will be solved before the end of mercury retrograde

Pile 1 (red) - Pile 2 (orange) - Pile 3 (green) - Pile 4 (blue)

You can pick more than one! Just follow your heart!

The current mercury retrograde period ends on december 15th 2024, so this may also be read as 3 things that will soon happen to you.

*This is a source of entertainment, your destiny is in your hands.*

Pile 1

1 - Three of Wands , Four of Swords, XVI Thunderbolt (The Tower). Ring , Lily , Sun. Jupiter in Virgo – Patience

2 - The Lovers , Ace of Swords. Seven of Water (cups) - Projections. Fish , Clover , Ship. Moon in Virgo – Order

3 - The Chariot , Seven of Pentacles, Ace of Clouds (swords) - Consciousness. Fox , Stars , Whip. Venus in Virgo – Discrimination

🌸 You will hear news of someone who has been far away or hasn't been in touch for a while. Good for people in long distance relationships or who are waiting for your partner to return from a trip. The waiting time will be over.

🌸 Arrangements for a long awaited trip will be successful. The money for a trip will appear. A friend or partner may help you in these. You may receive good news from abroad. Some of you will receive a package or be able to ship something that may have been stuck (if you have a business and a customer had issues with their order, it will be resolved).

🌸 You will call out on someone, or pass judgement on them, vocally make a criticism towards them, after you have been observing their behaviour for a while. You may remove things or paperwork from your room/ or your life after you see it no longer aligns with your values. You can declutter your house and your life. You may be very black and white or extreme when it comes to deciding the objects that stay or leave.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Pile 2

1 - King of Wands , Four of Pentacles, Queen of Clouds (swords) - Morality. Ship , Coffin , Anchor. Mars in Libra – Choice

2 - Five of Swords , Nine of Cups, XII New vision (The Hanged Man). Tree , Man , Book. Jupiter in Scorpio – Manipulation

3 - Page of Swords , The High Priestess, Queen of Clouds (swords) - Morality.Stork , Dog , Tower. Sun in Aquarius – Idealism

🌸 I think you may change jobs, or decide you want a different boss, or go solo in business. You will decide to invest money in yourself and your future. You learn that clinging to your present self will not give you stability. You let go of your resistance to change.

🌸 You will undergo deep learning of some sort. It can be an argument you have, or a man in your life may bring something up that you hadn't noticed before. This can be self realization of your own patterns or about their behavior or someone else's behavior. It is a moment to be awakened and see which relationships are toxic in your life, or the bad habits you have, you will decide to be smarter from now on.

🌸 Sorry about the repetitive message, but you will decide to change your life in order to live according to your standards. You will raise your standards or realize that what you once dreamed and seemed far is, in fact, an achievable goal. After a period of introspection, as soon as mercury turns direct you may witness yourself changing your own life. This makes perfect sense for mercury retrograde in sagittarius, you will use all your intellect and intuition to enact change and give birth to a new life for yourself. Coming from the page to the queen of swords, you mature a lot and decide to bring a stable foundation.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Pile 3

1 - Three of Cups , Five of Swords, Ten of Clouds (swords) - Rebirth. Ring , Child , Moon. Venus in Cancer – Birth

2 - Seven of Cups , Eight of Cups, Knight of Fire (wands) - Intensity, Stork , Crossroad , Fish, Mars in Virgo – Criticism

3 - The Emperor , Six of Cups, Three of Rainbows (pentacles) - Guidance, Heart , Lily , Sun, Venus in Scorpio – Secrets

🌸 You will solve a problem with your mother or family. You either get the reconciliation you thought impossible, with them bringing a peace offer to you; or you break up and end a relationship to start anew. A new life or a new relationship may start after the old is gone.

🌸 If someone is rude to you or overly proud, you may turn your back to them temporarily. You will assess some of your life choices and chase only what makes you feel good.

🌸 The third thing that will be solved is that you will no longer feel lonely because you may discover someone at work has feelings for you. Or someone at work will be very gentle and nurturing and teach you or assist you with something. A man also has sexual intentions towards you, but you will see this as something to bring you great joy. I'd say a situation with a crush may be resolved or progress.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Pile 4

1 - Six of Wands , Queen of Wands, XXI Completion (The World), Rider , Key , Lily, Venus in Capricorn – Convention

2 - King of Pentacles , Eight of Wands, Four of Water (cups) - Turning in, Child , Fox , Clover, Venus in Cancer – Birth

3 - Nine of Cups , Ten of Wands, XXI Completion (The World), Heart , Sun , Crossroad, Mercury in Taurus – Resistance

🌸 You will successfully complete something that was difficult or that you depended upon someone else's input to conclude. The other person does their part, or you manage it yourself, but it is solved brilliantly. Something you do during this period will bear a LOT of fruit, and i think people will even compliment you, say you are perfect at something, they will look up to you, and all eyes and attention will be on you. You can be seen as beautiful as well, or a suitable and attractive person for marriage.

🌸 You will receive a surprise opportunity. I think you will spot, very cleverly, an opportunity. For some, you will set your eyes on a new romantic prospect. For others, you will find a way to speed up something that may have been slow.

🌸 You may second guess or start to question your relationship. Alternatively, you will ask yourself "Am i truly happy with all of these accomplishments? Was it all worth the effort?". You will take time to think if what you seem to love truly brings you joy.

[duckprintspress]

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH, EVERYONE! We are thrilled to announce our second-annual Pride Bundles for Charity with two all-new short story bundles – 30 stories total! – that we are selling at a discount to raise money for our chosen queer charity!

Last year, our debut Pride bundles raised almost $350 for queer charities. This year, we’re back with a new General Imprint Bundle and a new Explicit Imprint Bundle, each discounted 20% from their list prices (and each including multiple stories that aren’t for sale and are usually only available to our backers on Patreon) and with 20% of the net profit going to Rainbow Railroad.

How This Works

you buy one or both bundles between now and July 8th, 2024.

we tally up all the proceeds earned and do some math-e-magic to figure out how much we’re donating!

before the end of July, we donate the raised money to Rainbow Railroad, we post the proof we’ve done so.

you get fantastic stories!

we all get that happy, glowy feeling of knowing that money has been well-spent on fantastic causes!

About the Press

Duck Prints Press is a queer-owned indie press, founded to publish original works by fancreators. We’ve been in operation for over 3 years, and in that time we’ve worked with well over 150 creators to publish six anthologies and almost 100 other stories, from shorts to novels, and we’ve got more on the works (our next anthology, our first erotica collection, will be crowdfunding within the next month!). The vast majority of our creators and their creations are queer/LGTBQIA+ (maybe even all, but we don’t out anyone and we don’t ask demography because, frankly, it’s none of our business).

25 of our authors have chosen to include their short stories in one or both of these short story bundles, and all our short story authors nominated potential charities and voted to select Rainbow Railroad as the beneficiary for our 2024 Pride Bundles.

About Rainbow Railroad

In countries around the world, LGBTQI+ people face violence and oppression simply because of who they love or who they are. Rainbow Railroad helps them get to safety! Rainbow Railroad is a global not-for-profit organization that helps at-risk LGBTQI+ people get to safety worldwide. Based in the United States and Canada, they’re an organization that helps LGBTQI+ people facing persecution based on their sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics. In a time when there are more displaced people than ever, LGBTQI+ people are uniquely vulnerable due to systemic, state-enabled homophobia and transphobia. These factors either displace them in their own country or prevent them from escaping harm. 

Note: This charity isnot affiliated with the Press, do not know we’re doing this fundraiser, have not endorsed this in anyway and are, as such, utterly uninvolved in this beyond being the beneficiaries of our efforts! Text is from the Rainbow Railroad website.

About the Bundles

We are offering two bundles, one with 18 short stories published under our General Imprint, the other containing 12 stories published under our Explicit Imprint. The shop listings include details about and excerpts from all the stories. Here’s the gist…

Titles in the General Imprint Charity Bundle:

The Princess and the Maze by A. L. Heard

Of Loops and Weaves by Catherine E. Green

Glass Slipper: A Dance by Cedar D. McCafferty-Svec

Songs, Suppers, and Stories by D. V. Morse

Waiting for the Tide to Turn by Genevieve Maxwell

Chinaski’s Dirty Work by J. D. Harlock

Foundations by Johnathan Stern

Seal Island by K. B. Vimes

Into the Wyvern’s Lair by Mikki Madison

Sarisa by N. C. Farrell

Whispers of Atlantis: A Tale of Discovery and Belonging by Neo Scarlett

Be Not Afraid by Nicola Kapron

Awkward and Oblivious by R. L. Houck

Washer Wars: A Laundromat Feud by Samantha M. Piper

The Wayward Timekeeper by Terra P. Waters

if it’s meant to be by Tris Lawrence

Meet C(omm)ute by Violet J. Hayes

Chrysopoeia by Zel Howland

18 stories. 254 pages. 82,462 words of fiction!

Price: $22.50

Approximately 20% of the list price of this bundle will go to Rainbow Railroad.

Titles in the Explicit Imprint Charity Bundle:

Brambles, Pollen, and Other Natural Disasters by A. L. Heard

A night such as this by April Steenburgh

Theirs All Along by boneturtle

Orchidelirium by Dei Walker

Old Kings and New by Lyonel Loy

Weather the Storm by Lyn Weaver

Pretty 7 Days a Week by R. L. Houck

Adventures of the Scarlet Sentry: After Dark by Samantha M. Piper

Worlds Apart (but Still Close) by Sanne Burg

Taken at Sea by Shea Sullivan

Warm Anything You Want by Tris Lawrence

LA Photographs Itself by YF Ollwell

12 stories. 198 pages. 69,550 words.

Price: $21.50

Approximately 20% of the list price of this bundle will go to Rainbow Railroad.

Come get some great stories, support a queer-owned business this Pride, and benefit two fantastic causes. Win-win-win situations don’t get much better than this!

These bundles will only be available for one month, so don’t miss out. Visit our webstore between now and July 8th and get yours!

[mim16s]

Survival In Game

Cho Hyun-ju x Autistic!Fem!Reader

Another chapter of survival in game is out, I hope you enjoy it! In the next chapter, I promise more development of the relationship between Hyunju and the reader.

I would like to write for other characters, any ideas in mind?

Part 2

When the music began to play through the speakers, waking everyone up, you started to wiggle your fingers, a rhythmic and soothing movement you made to calm yourself. The first thing you saw was Hyun-ju stretching. A smile escaped her lips as you watched her. It was hard to explain, but in a short time, you had grown deeply attached to her.

— Attention, please. The second game will begin soon. Follow your team's instructions and head to the game hall quickly.

The robotic female voice echoed, and instinctively, you positioned yourself next to Hyun-ju. Unlike the people you had been around in the past, she didn’t seem bothered by your proximity. On the contrary, she smiled reassuringly, allowing you to get closer. That simple gesture filled your heart with joy, to the point where, for a few minutes, you forgot about the looming risk of death.

— How are you feeling? — Hyun-ju asked, concerned. Yesterday, you had a strong episode, the game environment pushing you to your limit, and she was genuinely worried.

— A little nervous, but overall, I’m fine. Thank you for yesterday. — You said, looking down, unable to meet her gaze at that moment. The weight of your anxiety was still there, but her words had been a foundation in the middle of the storm.

— No need to thank me, I’m just happy you're feeling better. And don’t worry, I’ll be by your side today in the game. I’ll do everything I can to help you. — She said kindly, her soft and comforting tone bringing you instant relief. Sometimes, she seemed so calm and strong, but you knew there were times when she had her own struggles. You wanted to say that she could count on you too, but the words got stuck in your throat.

You looked at her, your heart tight with the desire to reciprocate, to be her support too. Your eyes met hers for a brief second, and you felt a warmth growing in your chest. Maybe today would be the day things would be different. Maybe, just as she had always been by your side, you would also be strong enough to stand by hers.

When you arrived at the vast court, you looked around for clues about the game, noticing a rainbow drawn on the floor. You felt a slight excitement upon seeing the vibrant colors, always enjoying observing small details that others might overlook.

— Players, welcome to the second game. It will begin soon. This game will be played in teams. Please form groups of five within the next ten minutes.

You turned to Hyun-ju and found her gaze fixed on you. She extended her hand hesitantly, which you delicately took, almost as if you were made of glass. Hyun-ju was always careful with you, respecting your limits. That care warmed your heart.

— We need three more people. — She said, and you nodded, glancing around. The first challenge was right in front of you.

You walked through the court, trying to talk to some groups, but you were rejected. Even though this was a common situation for you, Hyun-ju's presence by your side made it all a little more bearable.

— Attention, the team selection period will end soon.

The robotic voice warned again. It was then that a man and a lady stopped in front of you.

— Would you like to… — Do you need…

The sentences came out simultaneously from their mouths, but they were interrupted by an arrogant voice, making you jump in shock.

— You insolent fools! How dare you? — The woman, who had caught your attention before, approached with an arrogant expression. — You should’ve come directly to me. Instead, I had to search for you? What an insult! I should cut you to pieces with a straw cutter!

You didn’t like her, but you knew there weren’t many options left. With time running out, you needed one more person to complete the group. Hyun-ju gently squeezed your hand, a silent gesture of support. Even amidst the chaos, you found comfort in the special bond you had with her.

— The team selection period has ended. Today’s game will be a Six-Legged Pentathlon. Team members will begin with their legs tied together. Every ten meters on the track, one team member will play a mini-game. If that player wins, the team can proceed to the next challenge.

You thought about what the mini-games could be. If it was Ddakji, you would have a good chance of doing well.

— The mini-games are as follows: Game one, Ddakji. — You silently celebrated when you heard this. — Game two, Flying Rock. Game three, Gong-gi. Game four, Spinning Top. And finally, game five, Jegi. You will have five minutes. To win, you must complete all mini-games and cross the finish line before time runs out. Now, decide which player will be assigned to each mini-game.

— What are you good at? — The man identified as number 007 asked.

— I’m good at Ddakji, I used to play a lot as a kid, — you said shyly.

— That’s great, I can play Jegi, — Hyun-ju added.

— What do you think? — 007 asked the shaman, who murmured something inaudible, not responding directly.

The game began, and everyone was tense, anxious about what was to come. You waited for the other teams to start, watching each move closely, secretly hoping they would succeed. Hyun-ju, by your side, discreetly cheered with every successful play.

However, the timer advanced relentlessly, and your team was still far from completing the task. When the time reached zero, the deafening sound of gunshots echoed through the environment. You jumped in shock, your heart racing. Instinctively, you moved closer to Hyun-ju, who immediately wrapped her arms around you, protecting you from the horror around.

Although you had witnessed other deaths before, you could never get used to it. It was always painful to see lives taken so abruptly, and the sound of the gunshots seemed to pierce your ears. Hyun-ju noticed the impact it had on you and gently covered your eyes, preventing you from seeing the scene. Her kindness brought immense relief.

— It’s okay, it’s over, — she murmured with a soft and soothing voice. You slowly lifted your face, meeting her gaze. There was a tenderness in her eyes that made your heart slow down… but only for a moment, as it soon began to beat faster, this time for an entirely different reason.

You noticed her features. Since the moment you first saw her, you knew Hyun-ju was beautiful. But now, seeing the details of her face so closely, you felt your heart race, as a new and confusing feeling grew inside you. The heat rose to your face almost instantly. Hyun-ju noticed the blush on your cheeks and smiled gently, as if she wanted to reassure you even more.

In that moment, you felt protected. For a brief moment, it seemed like all the cruelty of that place was far away. — Will the next two teams please rise.

Everyone stood up. You hesitated for a few seconds, looking at Hyun-ju as she tied her hair. The movement was hypnotizing. You decided you would give your best, not only for yourself but also for her. She looked at you with an encouraging smile, but you avoided eye contact for too long, feeling uncomfortable with the intensity.

— You’ll do great, I believe in you, — Hyun-ju said, and you responded with a faint smile, still scared, but calmer with her words. Her tone of voice was reassuring, almost like a soft melody that helped you focus.

— It will be okay, — you murmured, trying to convince yourself. Repeating the phrase helped organize your thoughts.

— That’s right. I’m Jang Geum-ja, and I lived through the Korean War, so I know a few playground games won’t kill me, — said the lady on your team, trying to encourage herself. — All right, come on. Let’s do this together, we can win this.

You nodded, agreeing.

— Yeah, and I’m the son of Jang Geum-ja, who is a survivor. Park Yong-sik. Hi, — he introduced himself, and you smiled faintly at him. — And you? Your name is?

— Seon-nyeo, — the shaman replied, her voice faltering and trembling a little. — Shaman of the sea.

— Team, listen up. We can get through this together, okay? Let’s show all the other Players here that these games are nothing to us. I know we can do it, — Hyun-ju said encouragingly. You took a deep breath, gathering all the courage you had. The feeling of having your life on the line made you uneasy, but her words were an anchor.

— Team 3 and Team 4, get ready to play.

The voice echoed again. The chain tied to your feet was deeply uncomfortable, every pressure heightening your anxiety. But the fear of death was stronger, and yet, the physical discomfort distracted you. Everyone gathered their arms, preparing. You were far from Hyun-ju, which seemed like a problem because she gave you a confidence you didn’t have on your own. The shot rang out, signaling the start of the match, and you began to walk.

You took the paper, nervously spinning it in your hands, searching for the best way to throw it. The repetitive stimulation helped you focus, but the noise around you bothered you. You threw it on the ground, but it didn’t flip.

— Fail, — the voice announced, making you take a deep breath, while the fear grew.

— It’s okay, try again, — Geum-ja said, trying to encourage you. You tried again, but the paper didn’t flip.

— What are you doing? Pick it up and throw it! — the shaman exclaimed, irritated, which only made things worse. Anxiety began to take over, your fingers moving involuntarily, trying to find a rhythm to calm you.

— It’s okay, you said you played a lot when you were a kid, right? So you know how to do this. Breathe and try again, — Hyun-ju said calmly, trying to calm you. You looked at her and nodded, your hands trembling slightly. You took a deep breath and threw it again, watching the paper spin in the air.

— Success, — the voice announced, and everyone cheered. You sighed in relief and moved on to the next phase. The palms of your hands were sweaty, but the relief was greater.

Now it was the shaman’s turn. She was visibly nervous, making repeated mistakes.

— The gods of heaven and earth chose to abandon us, — she whispered.

— She’s lost her mind, — Geum-ja commented, worried. Your heart raced. The fear was imminent. She couldn’t give up.

— We are all going to die… — the shaman was interrupted by a slap to the face, followed by another. Hyun-ju held her firmly, pointing the spinning top at her.

— If you give up now, I’ll kill you before any of your damn gods can, — Hyun-ju said, trembling with anger. You had never seen her like this. She had always been sweet and delicate, but now she seemed strong and determined. Anyone else would have scared you, but not Hyun-ju. — Now do it! — she ordered, handing her the toy. The woman threw the top, which finally spun.

— Success, — the voice announced, and you jumped with happiness, along with all the other players.

Now it was Hyun-ju’s turn. She looked at you, gathering courage.

— No one watch me, okay?

— What? — the others murmured, confused.

— Please, — she insisted, and everyone obeyed, turning their faces. — You too, everybody turn, don’t look! — She said to the spectators.

She began. Five kicks. She did it. You turned around and saw her looking at you. Smiling, and celebrating together, moving quickly toward the finish line.

When they finally removed the shackles, the pain and discomfort in your legs didn’t matter. You just wanted to hug her, and she was already waiting for it. You hugged her, feeling her sigh and hold you tightly, as if she wanted to make sure you were there.

— We did it! — you said, nestled in her arms.

— We did it— she repeated, burying her face in your hair. The sweet scent you exuded seemed to soothe her, relieving some of the tension.

Part 4

[dnickels]

Its been six years and we all know this but the writing on Terror is so tight I can never get over it. Take one line: "It is no accident the world was reborn clean out of an ark" and think of all the the things it tells us about Irving, how he understands the world and how he understands himself. Not just "this guy is religious" but that he understands their situation to be analogous to one of the more dire acts of God, the total destruction of all life on earth as punishment for humanity's transgressions. But clearly, since he's on the ark, he must be one of he elect. An ominous fin parts the water and the many-toothed maw of Calvin breaches the surface, then disappears back to the depths. But of course one can never be sure of one's own righteousness, guarding always against vanity, so total withdrawal from the wicked world and constant internal surveillance of one's own nature is a must.

Because of course if someone volunteers that they think it good to be separated from the temptations of the world, even under such dire circumstances, we start wonder what those temptations are-- what's keeping you from getting a seat on the ark?

It also distinguishes him from the expedition's other vocal evangelical, Sir John. Think of the difference between angels soaring overhead, the invisible world of light etc, and the scouring violence of the flood to make the world clean. The difference between "God loves you :)" and "God will take a brillo pad to your sinful flesh...because he loves you".

And if we wanted to stretch this bad boy beyond the bounds of reasonable inference (my favorite) we could place him among early 19th century scriptural geologist types who are using the tools of the Enlightenment to try and walk back any philosophical gains by proving that the Biblical flood was a real and literal occurrence that left worldwide evidence. This isn't a story he's telling himself, its the physical observable reality of the world. It's carved in the rock. And yet, when someone implies that they don't believe, its catastrophic. You're not supposed to think about it too hard. You're not allowed.

He's trying to share this very personal, foundational, soul-deep belief that suffering is good because its part of the plan, whether it be in obeying orders that dont make sense (build the ark while bystanders call you a fool) or enduring extreme conditions (forty days of rain while everyone you know drowns) or the day to day ordeal of wrestling with one's own depravity. It can be joyful! Its good to be chosen! There's a rainbow promise coming at the end! Singing is fun! And Hickey looks at him like he's out of his mind and that's when the shouting starts.

The entire scene is what, less that three minutes? But I could mine it for days. Hats off

[dapper-lil-arts]

I'm invested now, why don't you like fluttercord?

Okay, here we go then, why don't I like one of the most famous and prolific ships on the fandom?

First of all, there's a major power imbalance at play, you know, chaos god that can reshape mind and reality with a snap of his fingers matched with a regular pegasus girl, and an drastic age difference (which could be discarded cause Fluttershy's an adult, just worth a mention.)

But the primary issue comes from the canon itself, especially with how they came together. Fluttershy was just shafted for her full responsibility to be to make sure Discord gets better; Something that already was a strange choice of Celestia (like girl why are you throwing a random mortal you dont know that well onto a godlike chaos being even you struggled with? It reeks of writers already having come up a solution and not wanting to build a foundation to lead there.) and canon proves again and again that if discord doesnt have fluttershy around, he will make bad choices and hurt people, something that gets proven again and again all the way to gen fucking five. That's textbook codependency and it makes it even more weird by the incredible, terrifying power imbalance. Discord isnt just an alicorn, hes the only one of his kind because of how powerful he is, and his powers are insanely dangerous to have on a relationship with a mortal. Like, you saw how he was when he was jealous of Fluttershy for having a diffrent friend. Can you imagine what he'd do if somebody flirted with her? (even if they weren't dating, if Fluttershy said she got a girlfriend or whatever, Discord would straight up throw rainbow dash on a labyrinth of infinite agony)

I think my primary issues come from the canon because he is always abusing his powers, never using them wisely, and always causing trouble (WHICH WAS THE ORIGINAL POINT OF EVEN BRINGING HIM BACK TOO)-- And the ratio of slaps on the wrist lower dramatically by the end (the final conflict is entirely his fault purely because he thought having a conflict would be cool)-- All of which just makes him untrustworthy to be on a relationship with a mortal hes obssesed with. He'd be like a yandere boyfriend exept a chaos god, which, yikes!

Srsly the fact that cozy glow the toddler gets sent to hell and turned to stone instead of the chaos god that sponsored her is just plain WEIRD. It's a writers problem.

There's a reasons why Alicorns have to ascend, earn their power-- And why they tend to abuse it less. Being born with power just begets a diffrent attitude towards it; Which is smth that the writers do interpret quite well, with how Discord acts. he has no empathy, he doesnt need to care, because reality is his to shape, and then boom, teaching someone to be better just became a lot harder. Good character! Very funny, very well designed and voiced-- But goddamn he's weirdly written as a ""Good"" guy.

Now lets finally turn to the woman in the relationship. because Fluttershy is a normal mortal gal with a normal mortal life with her own needs, which generally shouldn't have to involve her entire life or routine on making sure a godlike manbaby does the right thing with his powers. it doesn't feel like the kind of thing that has any consent to it, after all, discord doesnt need to ask for anything, he can just do. (THANKS FOR THE IDEA CELESTIA) It just reeks of a kind of misoginy-ass writing where the woman has to bend over backwards for the man.

Its like the shy pegasus was just. Set up for LIFE on this strange relationship. Its kind of creepy.

And Fluttershy just deserves better than him in my opinion; And she can do better, too. Also it doesnt help that you know-- 99% other ship with fluttershy dont have any of these issues lmao. Even canon Rainbow Dash would treat her better, so i dont bother with Fluttercord ever!

[bobacupcake]

Can you do one about the Sea of Thieves water?

OK

so . there was a biiig long talk about this at siggraph one year!! you can watch that here if you'd like . in the time between me getting this ask and me fully recreating the water, acerola also released a great video about it . the biiig underlying thing they do and the reason why it looks so good is they are making a Really Detailed Ocean Mesh in realtime using something called an FFT (fast fourier transform) to simulate hundreds of thousands of waves, based on a paper by TESSENDORF

WHAT IS AN FFT - we'll get to that. first we have to talk about the DFT - the discreet fourier transform. let's say you have a SOUND. it is a c chord - a C, an E, and a G, being played at the same time. all sounds are waves!!! so when you play multiple sounds at the same time, those waves combine!!! like here: the top is all 3 notes playing together, so they form the waveform at the bottom!!

now if someone handed you the bottom wave, could you figure out each individual note that was being played? how about if someone handed you a wave of One Hundred Notes. you would think it would be very hard. and well, it would be, if not for the Discreet Fourier Transform.

essentially, there is a way to take a bunch of points on a waveform comprised of a bunch of different waves, add them all together, do some messed up stuff with imaginary numbers, that will spit back out at you what individual waves are present. i made a little test program at the start of all this: the left are the waves i am putting into my Big Waveform, the top right is what that ends up looking like, and all the little rainbow points on it are being sampled to spit out the graph at the bottom right: it shows which frequency bands the DFT is finding (here it is animated)

this has enormous use cases in anything that deals with audio and image processing, and also,

THE OCEAN

tessendorf is basically like, hey, People Who Are Good At The Ocean say that a buuuunch of sine waves do a pretty good job of approximating what it looks like. and by a bunch they mean like, hundreds of thousands to millions. oh no.... if only there was a way we could easily deal with millions of sine waves..........

well GREAT news. not only can you do the DFT in one direction, but you can also do it in REVERSE. if you were to be given the frequency graph of a noise for example, you could use an INVERSE DFT to calculate what the combined wave graph looks like at any given time. so if you were to have say, the frequency graph of an oceaaaan, for example, you could calculate what the Ocean wave looks like at any given time. and lucky for us, it works in two dimensions. and thats the foundation of the simulation !!!!!

BUT WAIT

as incredible as the DFT is, it doesn't scale very well. the more times you have to do it, the slower it gets, exponentially, and we are working with potentially millions of sine waves here

THE FAST FOURIER TRANSFORM here we are . the fast fourier transform is a way of doing the discreet fourier transform, except, well, fast. i am Not going to explain the intricacies of it because its very complex, but if you want to learn more there are a ton of good 30 minute long videos on youtube about it . but essentially, due to the nature of sine waves repeating, you can borrow values as you go, and make the calculation Much faster (from exponential growth to logarithmic growth which is much much slower, and scales very well at higher numbers). it's, complicated, but the important part is it's so much faster and the diagram kind of looks like the shadow the hedgehog story plot

so if we use the inverse FFT on a graph of a rough estimate of what frequency of waves in the ocean (called a spectrum, basically tells us things like how many small waves, how many big waves, how different waves follow the wind direction. sea of thieves uses one called the phillips spectrum but there are better ones out there!!) now we have our waves !!!!!!! we can also use another inverse FFT to get the normals of the waves, and horizontal displacement of the waves (sharpening peaks and broadening valleys) through some derivatives . yayy calculus

OK MATH IS OVER. WE HAVE OUR WAVES!!! they are solid pink and look like pepto bismol. WHAT NOW

i cheated a bit here they look better than not being shaded because i am using the normals to reflect a CUBEMAP to make it look shiny. i think sea of thieves does this too but they didnt mention it in their talk. they did mention a FEW THINGS THEY DID THOUGH

FIRST OFF - SUBSURFACE SCATTERING. this is where the sun pokes through since water is translucent. SSS IS REALLY EXPENSIVE !!!!!! so they just faked it. do you remember the wave sharpening displacement i mentioned earlier? they just take the value where the waves are being sharpened and this will pretty naturally show off the areas that should have subsurface scattering (the sides of waves). they make it shine through any time you are looking towards the sun. they also add a bit of specular ! sss here is that nice blue color, and specular is the shiny bits coming off the sun. the rest of the lighting is the cubemap i mentioned earlier, i dont know if thats what they use but it looks nice !!!!!

then the other big thing that they do is the FOAM !! sorry i lied. there's more math. last one. you remember the wave sharpening displacement i Just mentioned. well they used that to find something called the JACOBIAN and well im not even going to begin to try and explain what it means but functionally what it does, is when the jacobian is NEGATIVE it means waves are clipping into eachother. and that means we should draw some foam!!! we can also blur and fade out the foam texture over time and continuously write to it to give it some movement, and bias this value a bit to make more or less foam. they do both of these!!!

YAYYYYY !! OK !! THAT'S SEA OF THIEVES WATER!!!!! THANKS FOR WAITING ALL THIS TIME. you can see my journey here if you would like to i have tagged it all oceanquest2023

thank you everyone for joining me :) i had fun

[gay-jewish-bucky]

what would bucky and steve wear if they got married? anything personalized about their attire?

Outfits My Headcanon: I flip between suits, with jackets made in a unique material (for example: Chris' velvet jacket), perhaps Bucky in a white jacket to symbolize a kittel (a ceremonial white robe rooted in the Ashkenazi minhag). Or, maybe they wear something more rustic, like a soft dress shirt with suspenders, and nice pants.

Kippot My Headcanon: I see Bucky in a blue satin kippah that matches his eyes, and the accents of his outfit (such as tie/bow tie and/or handkerchief). Steve might even wear one too, perhaps even matching, or in a complementary colour! Inside is the embroidered date of their wedding on both Hebrew and Gregorian calendars and their joined last names, Rogers-Barnes.

Button Hole Flowers My headcanon: I go back and forth, researching symbolism, but I always come back to wildflowers; the kind they could have collected together as little boys.

Ceremonial Tallit My Headcanon: The large tallit, wrapped around them during the ceremony, has a beautiful, but stubble, rainbow print. I like to think it's a beautiful way to celebrate their pride in their love and identities.

Wedding Rings My Headcanon: For the double ring ceremony (a common feature of queer Jewish weddings), I imagine this style of ring pictured below this section. It's a perfect amalgam of the Jewish-Irish culture they unify.

On the Jewish side, it's a simple unbroken gold band, without gems, or embellishments that impact its monetary value. It represents the hope for a pure and unbroken union that is honest and beautiful.

On the Irish side, the carries the imprint of a traditional Claddagh. It represents important foundations of a relationship: the heart for love, the hands for friendship, the crown for loyalty, with the Celtic knot symbolizing these things being unending.

The ring style actually originates near Galway, which is where I picture Sarah Rogers being from! This is a place that still spoke Irish when she would have been growing up, which makes it plausible that she would have spoken the language to Steve at home.

In Jewish weddings the ring is placed directly on the right pointer finger, when doing so it should be unobstructed. It can be moved after the ceremony if desired. I'm partial to Bucky wearing his on his right, closer to Jewish tradition (with the heart of the Claddagh facing inward to symbolize a committed relationship) and Steve wearing his on his left (with the heart of the Claddagh facing inward to symbolize marriage). It's directly on Bucky's skin, meaning he always has it on regardless of wearing a prosthetic that can accommodate it or not, and when he and Steve hold hands their rings touch.

Handfasting Band My Headcanon: I see tablet woven linen bands with intricate Celtic and Jewish motifs, such as Celtic knots that have special meaning for Steve, and the words Ani L'Dodi V'Dodi Li which is Hebrew for I Am My Beloved's and My Beloved is Mine. I chose linen because it calls back to the sheets they'd share in their small tenement apartment as younger men.

Each linen band has two colours: gold signifying longevity, and a single accent colour-like pink for unity and romance, red for passion and strength, purple for piety and sanctity, blue for patience and devotion-to give it additional meaning. The ends of each band have a charm representing the tree of life, a symbol that unites across cultures, particularly those of Steve and Bucky.

Honorable mention to the chuppah. It's not worn, but I love to think that they use the same one used by Bucky's parents. It was passed down the through the generations from Becca to her children and then grandchildren, and now back to Bucky.

[mmavverickk]

The children of the big three are painfully beautiful.

beautiful as poisonous flowers.

One touch and you're dead.

they are though—they’re venomous creatures, poisonous flowers, forces of nature. the world itself runs through their veins. gods treat them with caution; mere humans don’t stand a chance.

Percy is a riptide. he’s the calm of ocean, moments before its rage. he’s the sun on the beach, the warmth of the sand, the calming, constant crash of the waves. he’s the smell of the salt in the air and the cold of the water against your skin. you can swim, you think, you’ll be fine. he smiles and it’s more beautiful than a sunset over the shore. and then the pull starts. in seconds, you’re farther from shore than you’ve ever been before. trying to swim back tires you out and sees you no closer than before. in fact, now you’re even farther out. the water pulls you under, still as beautiful as it was from shore, and you can’t find your way back up.

Thalia is the eye of the hurricane. the deceitful calm at the end of the storm, luring you out from your shelter. there is nothing more peaceful, more still and tranquil. the sun peeks out from the clouds that surround you from all sides. the wind and rain have died. there’s a rainbow in the sky. the storm is over—except it isn’t. one moment is all it takes, and the hurricane is back with a vengeance. the wind tears at you, rain lashes at you, thunder shakes your bones in place. you walked too far from your shelter, and you might not be able to make your way back.

Jason is hail. the rain is beautiful. it’s a breathtaking storm: impressive thunder, streaking lightning, howling wind. the house shakes around you and the lights go out. the concussive sound of the rain on the roof is soothing, until it isn’t. until it isn’t rain, and the roof isn’t whole. now, the storm is invading your home. the hail is punching its way into everything it can reach. car alarms spring to life outside; those who were watching in awe are now fleeing in terror. it only takes one hit, after all—one lucky piece of hail—to end a life.

Nico is an earthquake. the planet is ancient; the ground was old before you were here and it will be old after you go. it’s sturdy, and supportive, provides life and food and shelter. long ago, when the ground danced, when it shook itself free and sent cities tumbling to the ground, they called it the gods’ wrath. now, it’s called plate tectonics. no matter what it is, no matter why it happens, it is lethal and dangerous and uncaring of those it affects. nowhere is safe when the world turns on you, and if it decides you and your shelter should fall, you will.

Hazel is a sinkhole. the appearance of stability, of rock-solid ground and firm foundations. nothing is wrong, will ever be wrong, she’s the rock that holds everyone up. and then that rock is gone, and you’re falling, down, down, down—your home collapsing around you, your belongings claimed by the morbidly hungry earth. there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, but is it sunlight, far, far above you? or is it magma, far far below?

[joebaidoo]

TD Inglewood Ramsay Pride Patio Party

End of the Rainbow Foundation, in partnership with TD Bank Group, Centre for Newcomers, Cold Garden Beverage Company, and OL’ Beautiful Brewing Company presents to you the annual Pride Patio Party. The event is scheduled to take place on August 26, 2024 from 18:00 – 22:00 at the Cold Garden Beverage Company, 1100 11 St SE, Calgary. Come meet and interact with fellow pride members. There will…

[wowwforever]

POKEMON EVIL TEAMS RANKED BY HOW LIKELY I WOULD BE TO JOIN THEM

Team Flare

I'm not wearing that suit and I'm not changing my hair. Lysandre is easily the fucking dumbest antagonist and if their plan is successful either they're immortal and I have to live with these losers forever or the whole world dies and I have to live with these losers until I die.

Team Yell

This entire team is centered around having a parasocial relationship with a teenage girl. Also British.

Team Galactic

Similar horrible haircut, bad outfit, and death cult scenario to Team Flare. At least they're like a semi-actual company. I could maybe just go bald and get a regular job after the Poke-government liquidates Team Galactic LLC. But I legitimately think this would be the least fun evil company to work at. Imagine stealing some kids Pokemon but you get chewed out by fucking Galactic Admin Uranus because you forgot to fill out the Paperwork.

The Lame Part of Team Plasma

Okay so to clarify these are the people that actually believe in the Team Plasma shit, which means I'd probably be spit on in the streets while wearing chainmail in New York. Why the fuck would I wear Chain Mail on the East Coast? Do you know how much rust there is? Also I have to become a ginger and worship some green manchild as a monarch. At least they're not a death cult.

Team Rocket

This one is just being a criminal. Like, yeah, you get to steal Pokemon but there's no real advantages except the free gray boots. Probably does not pay well and Giovanni leaving kind of sent them spiraling. Plus they have a lot of Koffings in an underground base so you know there's like lung damage galore. The R stands for Respiratory Distress.

Team Aqua

I don't like the idea of being surrounded by the ocean and I do not like boats and submarines. I would actively join this to sabotage their plan. Also every other evil team has an actual place to put their Pokeballs but this one it seems like the plan is to just shove it in my underwear? ???

Team Star

I haven't actually played Scarlet and Violet because I recently learned I can legally drink. I think this one is the equivalent of a school club? So I'm not actually getting paid to do evil shit. I'd probably just join, like, DnD club or something.

Team Rainbow Rocket

I'd join this one just because I know it's going to fail. I mean, it's got like four people who explicitly just want to end the world in different ways. I'm just gonna join and steal pens and shit until it eventually crashes in on itself for infighting. I'd wear my gay-ass R shirt every june in line with a P, I, D, and E.

The Cool Part of Team Plasma

Fuck yeah. This is the Team Plasma that knows the shit Ghetsis is up to. I'd love to be in on the scheme, plus I don't have to wear chainmail. Downside is I'd probably get murdered or have to murder to stay in, and they have the biggest shot of accomplishing their goal. But Ghetsis is hot so that's a plus.

Team Magma

This one is because there's 0.0% chance this plan will work but I get to just hang out in these cute-ass hoodies and pet camerupts all day. Look at that outfit, I'd wear that all the time. That being said, would probably have to be a field guy. Their location is in a volcano. I'm gonna get a call that says 'Hey all of Team Magma's leadership died' and I'd have to get a job at like Poke7-11 with a major gap in my resume.

Macro Cosmos

This hardly counts as a villain team because they're just, like, security guards for a company whose CEO goes a lil nuts. This is like if you worked for Virgin Atlantic and Richard Branson decided to summon Satan. No one can really put that on you. You'd probably get paid ridiculous amounts of money for essentially doing nothing. Con is you'd have to live in Galar.

Aether Foundation

Working for the Aether Foundation is like doing an internship at Bell Labs or whatever. The evil shit is probably fixed by the end of the game and I could just go back to researching Rotom electromagnetic applications and have that 'week where we tried to fuck up reality' be a weird company thing we brush under the rug. The con is they have all white outfits so I can't eat spaghetti at work. But even if I left I could probably just use Aether Foundation as a decent enough jumping off point for any career.

Team Skull

Genuinely this is just goofing off with a bunch of scummy weirdos. I can respect that and their outfits are thankfully not skin-tight jumpsuits, but main I'd join because they all kind of suck. With the most moderate competency I could run Team Skull. Also Guzma. He's pretty hot.

[pokepollsters]

Best Pokémon Villains Tournament- Individuals Bracket- Round 2: Match 22

More highers ups in their respective organisation go head to head, though their demeanours are extremely different!

Aether Branch Chief Faba (you better remember his full title!) is a very proud man, and won't stand disrespect! He's constantly bragging and boasting, and really dislikes children, and he also- despite Lusamine being his superior- will withhold information and even undermine her! He betrays the Aether Foundation for Rainbow Rocket, and in the end gets demoted to being an intern. All in all, a very unpleasant man, but isn't that a form of villainy in itself?

Mars is the most active of the Galactic Commanders! She fights the player more times than any other of the Admins, and with her early game Purugly, she's not a character Sinnoh players will easily forget! Mars also has a bit of a hard time getting along with her fellow Commanders, with her showing a dislike for both Jupiter and Charon, though she's extremely loyal to Cyrus- so much so that she'd brave the Distortion World to find him! One of the more prominent villainous faces in the 4th Generation, has she earned your vote?

[theallianceofcelestials]

I have a small request for a dribble if possible for SEA.......Eclipse and or Solar ends up on the animatronic equivalent of shrooms entirely on accident

Sure! I just have no actual idea what shrooms actually do, so I gotta have ta wing it and make something up fpr animatronics

Solar was not having a good day.

First, he somehow got into an interdimensional shenanigan, met a different version of himself who still goes by Eclipse and actually enjoys working at the Foundation, and now he's looking at a rainbow coloured vibrant flashing dragon as it sails through the air, coming dangerously close to his dimensional counterpart who just leans heavily against his own dad, staring at the ground with abject horror.

Solar has no idea what could be worse than the colour switching spiders slowly descending from the air to wage war with the sugar gnomes, but he doesn't want to find out. He has enough problems with the glowing cyan lava pouring over the couch he's sitting on slowly.

He also thinks his legs are hurting, which is real unfortunate when he doesn't have his family here to help. A massage would be really nice.

"Are we sure it wasn't caused by the other one? This deed he could have easily done"

"No, he seems just as high as Eclipse. Also, he's completely harmless. I mean, look at him sway"

Sway? Is that why the world is swimming? He didn't notice it before.

Or maybe he's really underwater somehow, because he heard those voices from under it!

"You! You Solar guy! Do you see the unicorn?!"

"The one eating the corpse? Yeaah..."

He and Eclipse stare at the disgustingly pink horse, watching as it slowly tears a bigger chunk off, looking back at them unblinkingly. When it's done, it smiles at them with sharp teeth. When his dimensional counterpart grabs onto him, pressing himself bodily against him, he doesn't fight it. They're in this together.

And well, Eclipse seems cool despite his questionable tastes in work places. If this is the moment when he dies, he'd be happy to with this one by his side.

"Creepy piece of shit"

"What scared you so much earlier? I thought the spiders were the worst thing"

God dammit Solar! You weren't supposed to ask!

In answer, his head is turned to the floor, and he notices with disgusted fright how there're centipedes crawling out of a hole there, with disgustingly long antenna, and awful smiley faces. It makes him rear back in fright, clutching at Eclipse just as much as he's clutching at him.

"I think I'm going to get murdered by a different version of myself, and for good reason. Our sons got high under my watch"

"Our? Jesus KC, you already grabbed the other one?!"

"And I'm fairly certain he'll want mine. Best not to fight it"

He can feel Eclipse shake against him as a butterfly with Barbie's head from the Barbie Movie land on the coffee table before them. It obviously asks them whether they think about death.

Solar whimpers. He wants his dad so bad

[weaselandfriends]

Have you written your thoughts in Infinite Jest anywhere? I'm interested in your thoughts on it and DFW's work in general, since you mention him alongside the classics as influences on you, and seem to consider him the most recent "Important Author" in the history of literature.

I've read all three of David Foster Wallace's novel, including the posthumous Pale King, but it's now been over a decade since I read Infinite Jest. It might be time for a reread.

Infinite Jest has a reputation, especially in literary circles, as "the book posers who don't read books read." The stereotype is your young, 20-something male, who has never read a book in his life, who either reads Infinite Jest or pretends to read it for the cred of looking intelligent. This has led to most of the literary circles I've frequented to hate the book, though it's always been difficult for me to get out of them what they hate about the book ITSELF, rather than this perceived demographic of people who read it. (At best, I've gotten some of them -- all of whom were drug users themselves -- to accuse Infinite Jest's anti-drug messaging as being akin to a Reefer Madness PSA.)

The Infinite Jest reputation has simmered down in recent years. I think Blood Meridian is replacing it as "the book young men who don't read say they read." I can fully imagine it receiving a similar backlash founded entirely on its readership rather than its merit as a work.

Infinite Jest itself is somewhat strange as a work. Despite being the foundation of post-postmodernism, it really has little in common even with people who directly knew and were influenced by DFW, like Jonathan Franzen or Dave Eggers. It is a work that borrows heavily from Pynchon, and its rejection of Pynchonian postmodernism is done primarily through rather oblique thematic and structural processes rather than through a difference in style or tone. Infinite Jest's grand trick is being played on the idea of the postmodern anticlimax, where a work ends abruptly and deliberately unsatisfyingly. Pynchon did this a lot, especially in Lot 49 and Gravity's Rainbow, where he refused to elaborate on the massive conspiracies that drive the plot, and where most characters simply ebb out of the narrative by the end. In Infinite Jest, the trick is almost so basic as to be facile. The book begins with about 100-200 pages of disorienting, contextless scenes, most of which makes little sense to the first-time reader. But after the book ends, with a Pynchonian anticlimax, the reader can go back to those first 100-200 pages and realize they are a flash-forward set after the end of the book that explains the results and outcomes of most of its major mysteries and plot threads.

I say this is basic, but the whole reason I know about Infinite Jest was because I was recommended it in college by a stereotypical "Only reads Infinite Jest" guy who was entirely unaware of this trick, and who wholeheartedly believed the story simply ended with no resolution and had no further explanation. He thought this was awesome.

Infinite Jest's structure rejects postmodernism while being, aesthetically, postmodern, and I've always found that to be a more sophisticated reaction to postmodernism compared to the myopic and inward-looking autofiction that has become extremely popular in the current literary landscape. DFW rejects postmodernism's cynicism and nihilism, its inability to find order in the infinitely complex modern world where no absolute truth exists, and does so not by sealing itself away from that infinitely complex modern world into a small-scale personal narrative that is blind to anything beyond the narrator's immediate perspective but by embracing it fully. In this way, Infinite Jest is similar to later works like 2666, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Spider-Verse, Homestuck, Umineko, maximalist works that nonetheless try to make sense of that maximalism (to varying degrees of success), and not similar to the insular family dramas of Jonathan Franzen, even though Franzen was DFW's personal friend and acolyte. And like most of those works, Infinite Jest has a pop cultural vibe to it, embracing so-called "low" culture without shame or remorse. (This was another criticism my literary circles gave of it, that it was too "middlebrow.") I am increasingly coming to believe that pop culture is the new domain of the avant garde, that the most unique and ambitious works are coming from that sphere. Maybe not the forefront of that sphere -- I'm not talking about the MCU here -- but in its fringes.

[velchronica]

imperfect love ♬~*.°₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ itoshi sae

maybe i'll cry for a love that isn't perfect yet

but i wanna make endless stories

like the ones hidden inside an old book

or, since meeting you, all itoshi sae wants is a sappy happily ever after with you.

content: established relationship, gn!reader, fluff, sfw

wc: 1.0k

sae falls asleep to the sound of your breaths, the rise and fall of your chest underneath the weight of his arm over your waist. he’d rather fall asleep next to you every night—and most nights he does—but sometimes it simply cannot he helped, so when he’s away from home, he facetimes you until one of you falls asleep or has to go.

he easily falls asleep to your voice over call, phone on the bedside table next to him, and you only hang up once he’s quiet for at least half an hour and is no longer responding to you with a barely-there ‘mhm.’ after all, sae has never been much of a chatterbox to begin with, per se, so it’s not unusual for him to just listen, to savour your voice telling him about your day, to bask in the mimicry of nomalcy as you go about your day as usual on the phone to him, as if he’s there with you.

people are, more often than not, surprised by the sweet and affectionate nature of your longstanding relationship. while you’re all soft smiles, sunshines and rainbows, he’s terse, with sharp edges and a mind and mouth just as sharp. he’s cold, and spares no effort to sugarcoat his opinions nor fake humility to the masses, whereas you are warm and modest, never asking for anything in return for your kindness and hard work. still, despite this, your relationship is built upon strong and sturdy foundations, and the home you have built together is full of love and joy.

where he is can be too closed up, sometimes too wrapped up in himself, you encourage him to be more open-minded and compassionate. where you can be careless and impulsive, he is there to tie up any loose ends you’ve left behind. though your worlds do not excessively collide, they do overlap. while you don’t necessarily need each other to complete your own individual existence, you bring out the better and the best out of one another. you’ve learned through time and patience that symbiosis is often the better alternative to codependency.

there have been ups and downs to your relationships. you’re both only human after all, and no relationship is perfect; with personal flaws can come misunderstandings or miscommunication. the thing that sets successful couples apart from those that break up, however, is how you maintains and manages the things that strain your relationship. to maintain a balance between your independence and your time together is key, especially when sae is away from home so often.

it’s not uncommon for you to fall asleep in sae’s arms, only for the bed to be cold and half-empty in the morning. sometimes his voice or his face over the phone isn’t enough to keep out the doubt and anxiety gnawing at your heart. you don’t want to welcome him home with frustration and tears, but on the rare occasion you do, sae understands. he knows how much trust and faith it takes for you to wait for someone who will leave not long after.

but you also know it was your choice. you knew, when you agreed to start dating sae, that it wasn’t always going to be candy-floss and kitten fluff. you knew how much sae treasured his dreams, his work, his success, how much effort he had poured into crafting the formula to take over the field. you admire him for his tenacity and diligence, and you would never expect him to give up football for you.

you’d never understood why people say you should be willing to sacrifice in a relationship. compromise, yes, but sacrifice? if the person you love can’t accept you for what you are and do, then they don’t love you, not really. at least, that’s what you think.

but that’s why sae is your forever and always. sae loves you for your flaws, not despite them, and that makes all the difference in the world. he never expects you to show him the ‘best side’ of yourself at all times, because he knows how much faith you have in him to bare yourself wholeheartedly to him, to not shy away.

you’re lucky, you think, so unbelievably lucky to have sae in your life. for him to love you. for every day you spend with sae.

unbeknownst to you, sae thinks the same thing. he thinks it so often, hundreds of times a day, and he thinks you’ll say yes if he grabs that little box out of his suitcase and gets on one knee someday soon.

he hopes you’ll cry—tears of joy, not anguish or pain. that way he can wipe them away for you, hold your face in his hands and kiss you like there’s no tomorrow. hold you in his arms like the fool in love he is, so utterly enamoured and enchanted by you.

he doesn’t know how it happened, but he’s not complaining that it did. somewhere along the line he’d ended up completely bewitched by your mellifluous laughter, your sunny smile. there’s something perfect in coming home to you, knowing someone yearns for him in such a way. perhaps it isn’t this penthouse that’s home, but your warm and loving presence. he’s not quite sure. almost, though.

but what he is sure he knows is that he wants to spend the rest of his life with you. where he once wanted to write his name into history with a football career like no other, something deep inside would be wholly content to just have the memories of being yours. he wants to spend every day cherishing you, loving you, never yearning from thousands of miles away, but rather holding you close, lovesick and sappier than ever. happier than ever. happier than he’s ever known.

itoshi sae’s happily ever after is a forever after with you.

he can’t believe what you’ve turned him into. a lovesick, lovelorn fool. but still, waking up to the sound of your shallow, breaths, your body curled up into his, and the warmth of your presence—it’s fine.

this is his happily ever after, an imperfect love it may be.

© velchronica 2024