#Scarry Storys

[ms-horrortales]

Talking Robot

I have a son who I love with all my heart, but even though he is 5 years old, he is not able to speak. I can't stand it when people refer to him as "dumb". He's an intelligent boy, but he has a problem.

When he was just a baby, my son suffered a serious illness. He recovered from the disease, but he never learned to speak. My wife and I took him to several psychologists and therapists, but none of them were able to help him. They said the cause of his problem was psychosomatic and he would eventually grow out of it.

My wife and I spent a lot of time with our son, talking to him and encouraging him to repeat words after us. All he was ever able to make was a high-pitched wailing sound. Sometimes he would get very frustrated and break down crying. All we could do was hug him and assure him that we loved him.

One day, I was in a toy store and a doll on one of the shelves caught my eye. It was a talking robot. I decided to buy it for my son as a present. I was hoping it might help him finally learn to speak.

When my son opened the box and saw the talking robot, he was overjoyed. He was so excited, he hugged me and made high-pitched wails. I pulled the strings at the back and showed how to get the robot talking.

My son fell in love with that toy and brought it everywhere he went. I would often hear him playing with it in his bedroom, pulling the string and making the robot talk. However, my son never spoke a word.

One morning, my son came down to breakfast and I put a plate of waffles in front of him.

"I don't like ... this," he muttered.

"What did you say?" I asked in surprise.

"I said... I don't like... waffles," he repeated in a dull monotone.

I rushed over and hugged him tightly. Tears were streaming down my cheeks.

"You can talk!" I shouted, joyfully.

"You can talk!"

"I can ... talk," said my son

"How?" I asked, my voice heavy with emotion. "How did this happen?"

My son raised his hand and pointed to his bedroom.

"It was... the robot," he said haltingly.

"The robot... gave its power... to me"

After that, my son began talking every day. He says a few words every day, but it is always in the same dull monotone. I should be happy, but I'm not. There is something different about him. He doesn't show any emotion anymore. He never cries. He never smiles. He never hugs me. He just sits there, staring at me.

He also never plays with the talking robot anymore.

Yesterday, I picked it up and pulled the string.

It made a high-pitched wailing sound.

No matter how many times I pull the string, it still makes that high-pitched wail...

... the same high-pitched wail my son used to make.

Even though my son doesn't play with it anymore, I'm afraid to throw the talking robot away.

[ihearth0rror]

im a slut for bubbly cute who is actually really buff/angry little bitch who thinks they are strong x nice but serious and responsible who has a lot of feelings

its cute

[hellfirenacht]

When I was a kid my favorite movie was Mars Attacks and then when I hit puberty I couldn't watch it without getting night terrors so I haven't seen it since probably middle school.

[thattiredsock]

man, I been reminded that frecuencia kirlian exists, I'm not responsible of whatever happens now

[gallimaufryish]

[billlaotian]

[mysticalshop]

Pegasus Silver Pendant Necklace:

Well, this Pegasus Silver Pendant Necklace is the prefect gift for anyone who is into mystical creatures. We hope that you enjoy your new Pegasus Silver Pendant Necklace, Thanks for shopping with us. Have a blessed day!

[cdchyld]

Just added to the Vintage shop!

~ “The Golden Book of 365 Stories: A Story for Every Day of the Year” by Kathryn Jackson (1975) Illustrated by Richard Scarry

[pigeonhorny]

`Narra: Tamari

Las primeras meditaciones siempre eran dificiles. Queria poner mi mente en blanco y seguir actuando normal y proteger mi mente de pensamientos: lascivos, sexuales… Debo de poner mi mente en atencion plena solo en estar ausente pero consciente de lo que pasa. Esta siendo muy dificil para mi esto. Sobretodo si cada vez que me concentro para meditar lo veo a el, mi version ¿“roja”? me da miedo, tiene una mirada muy fria, sabe demasiado, mucho mas que yo.

Siempre me atormenta diciendome cosas, pociones, acosandome para decirme que deberia hacer, segun el, como despertar mi “tercer ojo”, mi poder de oráculo, ¿Qué es eso?

Me estoy volviendo loco.

[neil-gaiman]

Hi Neil—big fan!

My daughter and I both love reading Chu’s Day. A few weeks ago I bought her a Richard Scarry book and it contains a story with lots of similarities to your story. Was this an inspiration for your Chu?

It was, but the kind of inspiration where you read it when you are five, forget about it completely, and then do your own take on it forty years later.

[star-anise]

reading supercut: disability, body image, and trauma

A glimpse into the clothes thrashing around in the washing machine of my mind, with apologies that it is still a wet lump and not an actual synthesis of ideas.

From Easy Beauty: A Memoir by Chloé Cooper Jones:

[This event] embedded a damaging idea in me, one I’d recognize deeply when I read Scarry years later: beauty was a matter of particulars aligning correctly. My body put me in a bracketed, undercredited sense of beauty. But if I could get the particulars lined up just right, I could be re-seen, discovered like the palm tree is discovered. To be deserving of the whole range of human desires, I had to be extraordinary in all other aspects. In this new light, I started to see my work, my intellect, my skills, my moments of humor or goodness, not as valuable in themselves, but as ways of easing the impact of my ugliness. If only I could pile up enough good qualities, they could obscure my unacceptable body. [...] accepting the argument that beauty was malleable came, for me, with a cost. The Platonian view rejected me cleanly, but Hume and Scarry left a door ajar and I’ve spent a lifetime trying to contort my form to see if I could pass through it.

From Til We Have Faces: A Myth Retold by CS Lewis:

I now determined that I would go always veiled. I have kept this rule, within doors and without, ever since. It is a sort of treaty made with my ugliness. There had been a time in childhood when I didn't yet know I was ugly. Then there was a time (for in this book I must hide none of my shames or follies) when I believed, as girls do — and as Batta was always telling me — that I could make it more tolerable by this or that done to my clothes or my hair. Now, I chose to be veiled.

From Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy of Borderline Personality Disorder by Marsha Linehan:

Inhibited grieving is understandable among borderline patients. People can only stay with a very painful process or experience if they are confident that it will end some day, some time—that they can "work through it," so to speak. It is not uncommon to hear borderline patients say they feel that if they ever do cry, they will never stop Indeed, that is their common experience—the experience of not being able to control or modulate their own emotional experiences. [...] In the face of such helplessness and lack of control, inhibition and avoidance of cues associated with grieving are not only understandable, bur perhaps wise at times. Inhibition, however, has its costs. [...] Volkan (1983) describes an interesting phenomenon, "established pathological mourning", which is similar to the pattern I am describing. In established pathological mourning, the individual wishes to complete mourning, but at the same time persistently attempts to undo the reality of the loss.

From How to Respond to Criticism by Danny Lavery:

Apologize, but don’t really mean it, and plant a seed of secret resentment so deep in your own heart that years later you can’t even remember that you’re the one who nurtured it and made it grow, it seems that much like a native part of you.

From Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed:

[After learning that state child protective services had made a budgetary decision to only intervene with children under 12, to one of the teenagers that regularly shared stories of abuse at home] I told her it was not okay, that it was unacceptable, that it was illegal and that I would call and report this latest, horrible thing. But I did not tell her it would stop. I did not promise that anyone would intervene. I told her it would likely go on and she’d have to survive it. That she’d have to find a way within herself to not only escape the shit, but to transcend it [...] I told her that escaping the shit would be hard, but that if she wanted to not make her mother’s life her destiny, she had to be the one to make it happen. She had to do more than hold on. She had to reach. She had to want it more than she’d ever wanted anything. She had to grab like a drowning girl for every good thing that came her way and she had to swim like fuck away from every bad thing. She had to count the years and let them roll by, to grow up and then run as far as she could in the direction of her best and happiest dreams across the bridge that was built by her own desire to heal.

From Essays in Aesthetics by Jean-Paul Sartre:

Freedom is what you do with what's been done to you.

From "I Know What You Think of Me" by Tim Kreider:

if we want the rewards of being loved we have to submit to the mortifying ordeal of being known.

[the-forest-library]

Scarry’s Busytown books seem to be a long-winded answer to the question posed by his 1968 book title, What Do People Do All Day? The answer is, well, they’re busy. Scarry’s many books are dense with animals, jobs, and activities, and seem to mostly evade plot. The Times describes it as “not following a story so much as hanging out in a world. ‘Look,’ these books say, ‘there’s this and there’s this, and over here there’s this.’”

This invitation to explore is one of the reasons why the books are so captivating, but why is it always on my social media feed? Why are so many adults still obsessed with Busytown?

The basic appeal seems to be that it’s always fun to see a little guy go about her day. Looking at animals in little outfits working as carpenters and helicopter pilots satisfies a deep-set human craving for a cuter world. And since Scarry’s books are so wide-ranging, he’s illustrated a little guy that’s perfect for every occasion.

[zosanmylove]

Just imagining Nami and Robin being so motherly with baby Zosan...

Not in a "this kid needs to have a mom" way but more in a cool big sister and chill-cool aunt way.

Like of course, every single ones of the Mugiwaras are very excited at having a new shipmate, but these two are particulary excited about having a new girl on the deck. Since Robin joined the crew like...forever ago now, it was the first time they welcomed a woman.

I like to imagine that the two women will spoil that little lady, with cloches, that the whole crew gives her wich mades her wardrobe very...unique, and quality time. Like when it's time for Kuina to quit her parents room, aka the boy's dorm just with a wall for separation, she'll go in the girl dorm. Nami would give her a piece of paper and crayons and draw maps with her (the drawings of persons or boats are with Ussop, but still) so this kid have some sense of direction unlike one of her fathers, and it's a good occupation for them to wait for Robin to come and read them a bedtime story. The black-haired woman would sit at the edge of her bed, or when she has things to do in the room she's just grow an arm to hold her hand and read anybook she picked earlier with the other woman. Nami would listen to Robin and little comments Kuina sometime makes while she journals.

Also they would help the kid bathes when she become a toddler (because of course, her dads would take care of this until she can walks before relaying on the girls but still), like Nami and her pretending to navigate throught the Blues with little plastic toys and Robin just messes with them by making big waves.

And when she grows, they'll teach her to take care of herself. Of course the knows how to do so, she often work-out with Zoro to stay in good shape and Sanji taught how to have a good hygiene. But Nami would give her make up tips for when she's older, since herself didn't had anyone to do so growing upp, but she always thought it would be so nice... and Robin teach her to do her hair. She has so many hands, so useful! Also her and Zoro just happen to have the thickest hair out of the Mugiwaras (excluding Ussop and Brook, but they have a whole different texture so they might not be the ones to ask help to) and the girl being a litteral copy of Zoro (from the menacing look to the shape of their jawline and cheekbones, and of course grass-green hair, wich Sanji pretends to be annoyed by because now he has two mossball to look after), well the older woman is the best placed for such a role. She'll show her what products to use and how not to damage her roots when she applies it. She'll help her to do a bunch of hairstyle, starting off with a second's head of hers (thanks to her Demon Fruit) as an exemple and test-subjet.

And from this period no Mugiwaras can escape. The child's fake make up Nami bought her (without charging it!) could be seen on everybody's face. Well except Chopper, because he's scarred it wills damage his furr, but we'll see about him later. The Kuina has being walking around offering to do the crew's make up every now and then. Brooks, Jinbei, Robin and Franky would gladly sit right on the spot (or lay in Jinbei's case) and let the little lady "paint them pretty" as she says. Nami would also, guiding her or even making her her make up in return. Ussop and Luffy would straight-up fight to know who gets to be all decorated by her first. Usually Sanji would step up in these fights and steal their turn with joy, making his daughter happier than ever while the two others idiots are crying somewhere. Zoro would also allow her, he'd wake up from his nap just for these and would just forget about it so he stay like that the whole time until Sanji almost get an heart-attack because all the eye-liner and lipgloss went on the pillow and Zoro look like an ugly scarry sea creature sleeping like this.

This didn't really went the same for hairstyles are first, because "pretty hair are for aunty Nami and aunty Robin only!!" But then she spend some time with Zeff because the crew can't take a child where they are heading and the old man teaches her how to braid. And then it's over. The whole crew, would be granted with braids made by Kuina herself. This is also the reason Zoro let his hair grows, but before his daughter can style them another swordman cut them during a fight, causing the both of them to cry along side with Ussop, Chopper and Luffy who has no idea of what's going on but he wanna fell included.

Also when these 3 play princesses, no one is safe either. They'd wear crowns and big dresses, and Nami and Kuina would be so dramatic about it. Also Chopper would almost alway be with them, as the loyal monture of the dangerous pirate-princess Roronoa Kuina. Because of course, no one there tried to raise a damsel in distress, so most of the time they were evil princesses trying to conquier the world (it's Brook who suggested it first, and they went like this since then.). Sometime they had to fight off others princesses, all dressed-up and their make-up done by Kuina a bit earlier. Once they were attacked in the middle of a game and all of them had to fight of a bunch of marines like this while Chopper made sure Kuina stayed safe in a cabine. It's at this moment that Sanji realised heels made a pretty good weapon for him. He didn't want to take anything from his dear Robin-swan, but "I gave it to Kuina, these are not mine anymore, Cook-san" and his queen just handed it to him like "Papa doesn't like my gift?" and oh my it worked. It would never accept anything material from a woman, but his own daughter? She was his weakness. How could he says no??

And oh, the girls would definitelly have the talk with her. Maybe in their dorm, one night when she's around 11 years old. Oh, and Chopper is also there. She didn't got her pediod yet, but they thought it was better to tell her about it before she does. And both her dads agreed, knowing damn well Robin and Nami would do a better job than them. Robin explains what it means and how it could affect her mood or her strenght at the moment, while Nami is gently telling her it's natural, that she should not be ashamed of it and that it was a normal thing. Chopper gave the medical details of what exactly would happens inside her body, not getting into...the dirty stuff (sex). When Chopper left they told Kuina that they were personally using period-panties, because they're more pratical when it's time to fight and more healphy in general, but they still train her to put on a pad, just in case it occurs while she's lost in a island (yes, Nami's efforts were useless, this child was just a mini Zoro girl. It's like Sanji's genes didn't even try).

And as Kuina get older the three of them have girls nights. You may ask: isn't it girls night every nights since they're all in the same dorm? No, I'm talking about girls nights when they do self-care, mask and gossping. Sanji would make them all the snacks they ask for, and because Nami's a witch she'd just ring a bell to call him and he would come like a dog. Sometimes Kuina punched her for it tho. It happens that Ussop sometimes joins the gossip sessions, because he has been Nami's gossip buddy for YEARS. Then he'd just left, leaving the girls with themself. And that's when Kuina would step up. The two women wondered why they didn't think of this sooner. But Law sure did, when he saw this small girl covered in lipstick and mascara with blank nails. (I haven't see Law apprears in the serie yet and I just looked up AND HE DOESN'T PAINT THIS NAILS???? LOOK AT HIM. OF COURSE HE DOES.) He took some of his nail polish, not many colors tho, mainly red and black and while Luffy watched with big eyes, Law showed her how it was put. And now this has become her thing. Kuina would do the girls nails every now and then, and sometime the rest of the crew could ask for it if they wanted to. Sadly the two who never asked were her parents. One because it might fall off in the food and the other because he had very damaged nails from training, and he would never take the risk to ruin something his daughter did for him. And these night would be the one where she would try new thing, like giving a winter-like look to Nami's who usualy has warm colors like yellow, red or orange, and on the other hand, give colorful flowers to Robin instead of the dark-purple and blue she always ask for. Even if her parents didn't let her paint their, they would always compliments someone's hand if their daughter touched them. Zoro would be genuily impressed by the girls nails most of the time and say it, sometime Sanji would pick a fight because of dare he compliments women in his presense? And the two mosshead would be on the same side because if that ain't a hypocrite then what is? And the Cook on his side would just be a fanboy for his queen's art.

And like Kuina just being the closest to Nami and Robin, just after her parents and Luffy, of couse, so when she leaves the crew to follow her own path she just takes Robin and Nami apart for a hug only the three of them?? Yes, that is perfect.

[monstrousproductions]

An unsociable species and their travelling habits; and the crew hear Scarry's story...

Subscribe now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or your podcatcher of choice 🚀✨ Full transcript available here.

This week’s entry was based on a submission from Lionessfeather, and illustrated as always by co-creator Matt McDyre.

We're drawing close to the end of the season, but don't worry - our inbox is staying open in the between-season break! Send in your own archive entries on social media, by email, or through monstrousproductions.org.

Speaking of the season's end, we're also now accepting questions for our upcoming Q&A! Whatever you want to ask me (Hero) or co-creator and artist Matt, send it our way 😍

This episode includes an audience decision. Should the Traveller get up early, or have a lie-in? Vote now on Ko-Fi! Voting closes at 1.30PM UK time on Tuesday 5th. The result will be revealed in Episode 40 - the season finale! 🤯🤩

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[deadbutbetter]

Hi, i'm sorry this is so out of the blue but would you mind sharing sadomasochistic literature recs pls? I love your other rec lists<33

yo not out of the blue at all. i realise i post a lot of content related to sm.

for fiction: besides the obvious bataille, you should look into colette peignot's collected writings under the name laure.

for some rewritten material on her there's kathy acker's my mother demonology. but everything by kathy acker relates to the subject: blood and guts in highschool, empire of the senseless.

(sidenote from an interview w kris kraus on her biography: According to Eleanor Antin, Kathy worked at a massage parlor in Solana Beach for a while, and she did not give massages. [...] She was also, at the same time, tutoring Latin. / If she didn’t give massages, what did she do? / Well, hand jobs, probably.)

another classic but story of o written by pauline réage plus its beautiful illustrations by leonor fini. it's actually said her fantastical owl masks inspired the character of o + she was really close to andré pieyre de mandiargues, whose one story la marge was adapted by walerian borowczky in immoral tales. then there's sacher masoch's venus in furs. you've probably already heard of anais nin's delta of venus.

i specifically highly rec mary gaitskill. bad behaviour is a great short story collection - one of the stories specifically inspired the film secretary (2002). her essay, the trouble with following the rules, on rape culture and agency published in harper's bazaar (later repub in somebody with a little hammer) is one rare occurrence of nuance and grace accorded to women who've had sexual experiences that are difficult to categorise. it gives a rundown of the ways she personally relates to feminist scholars on the subject too.

there's problems by jade sharma. for a more modern story of the eye, try ryu murakami's ecstasy.

for non-fiction (disclaimer that i mostly haven't read these but they are on my list):

gilles deleuze, masochism: coldness and cruelty ; avgi saketopoulou, sexuality beyond consent ; virginie despentes, king kong theory

if you're similarly interested in boundary-pushing experiences, the limits of the body, attraction to the horrific (i getchu) this is moreso sociology, aesthetics, psychoanalysis focused:

elaine scarry, the body in pain ; anne dufourmantelle, in praise of risk ; sylvère lotringer, overexposed: perverting perversions ; umberto eco, on ugliness

other media: the podcast drunk church, the director catherine breillat.

hope this is of help & if you read anything tell me how it went. i'm always looking for more stuff on the subject too.

[misforgotten2]

Four in the pink and all in the stink.

The Boss of the Barnyard and Other Stories by Joan Hubbard illustrated by Richard Scarry - 1949