#a festering problem in anime communities

[questioningespecialy]

hope someone stabs you on your way home you fucking pedophile

Let's start from the beginning. (do not harass)

edit: Jesus fuck, I've gotta fix these screenshots. For now, they've all got image descriptions and look fine when you click 'em. Done

This is a redacted copy-paste of my reblog at 2:26pm.

This is their response to my reblog, 18 minutes later.

This is their followup response to my reblog 20 minutes later.

A minute later, they (because of course it's them) sent me the Ask.

And finally, this is their follow-followup response 23 minutes later.

...So~ wth?

I think I should, like, say~ something~? Like, appropriate~? And not immature~?

This is gonna be more of a general post to people who think it's okay to tell someone to kill themself (holy hell) and, I guess, keep things from getting misunderstood.

First of all,

it's pretty frickin' irresponsibly childish to tell another person to commit suicide. Like, there's no telling how bad their day was, how much that could ruin their mood (and ability to function), or how close they are to that point. Fuck "jokes". That's childish at best.

But here's the thing,

I assumed a person who'd say something like "hang/kill yourself" is just a (childish-ass) kid who doesn't understand wtf they're saying or the affect it can have. Nevermind consequences. That's benefit of the doubt talking (for the most part), and I could be wrong. But let's assume I'm not. Let's assume this is just a (pre-)teen-ass person tellin' a "funny", though. Why? 'Cuase that's what I do when I see mofos talkin' waifus online. "Must be a kid." 'Cause, let's face it, the alternative's not great. At all. Am I correct in that assumption, though? Like, most of the time? ...possibly 😐

Remember that Reddit post

about how a buncha people who got auto-banned from a sub for participating in a teenage sub turned out to be in their 30's+? o_o And they even provided proof. 😑 Yeah, I'm sure that happens. But just like certain arguments online, I tend to lean towards the "they're 14" assumption. Nothin' against 14 year-olds as a demographic in this regard ('cause i know y'all here). There's just... a mentality and understanding that develops as your brain develops and you find yourself in certain shoes. iow: y'all immature 🤷🏿‍♂️

And that brings me to the other matter:

pedophiles. "Some" of these mofos are 20+ year-olds fantasizin' and lustin' over underaged characters. And that's its own issue that I'm not even tryin'a get into beyond what I already said.

But wait,

why did I censor this rude-ass harasser out in every image? Well, I was curious to get some kinda confirmation on their age (and mentality)... so I kept scrollin'. All I'mma say is 1) they claim to be in their late teens and 2) they clearly aren't doin' well mentally. Like, they ~just might be the kinda person who's too close to that edge to endure online harassment. Ya feel? And I don't need that shit. Fuck y'all. And fuck them especially. Movin' on.

Ah, and I should clarify something.

Whether we like it or not pre-teens are gonna engage sexually with eachother. Hopefully, it's consentual (and enjoyable for all parties involved). Whether or not they're doing it as a byproduct of trauma is honestly between them, their therapist(s), and whoever they're close to. All that is to say that kids, like adults, can be into some wild/weird shit. It's called sexuality. Whether or not they should act on it, especially at that age, is different conversation.

But wait, you still haven't explained yourself.

Well, I feel like I already did as much explainin' as I need to tbh. Just in case y'all didn't catch it, though... my original reblog was directed at underaged people who were into Asuka. fuckin' duh

. . . But why'd you reblog in the first place

considering their addendum? 'Eh, that don't even matter at this point.

[meldingintheunderdark]

Halsin's ending is not a beautiful, pain free dream

I don't know if this opinion is unpopular because my return to tumblr is so recent, but hear me out. I will not speak about Tavs since I don't ever play them. My post will be solely focused on Halsin solo romanced by the Dark Urge, i.e. Sszazar who fought tooth and nail for redemption.

Rationally, I understand that some players are satisfied with his ending, yet I find it soul crushing all the same. It's the perfect example, nay, the quintessence of Halsin's problems. A messy knot of unaddressed traumas, of questionable decisions, the embodiment of his perpetual fuite en avant (rushing ahead to avoid something, to repeat actions that led to a first crisis).

His project is a clear attempt to fulfill needs forever denied: to have a family of his own, a community where he's at long last free from the shackles of leadership, or even to follow his own path as a druid, away from the suffocating traditions of the Emerald Enclave. A commendable project, but too ambitious for one man.

Indeed, Halsin's plan is his and his alone. Although he spoke of his desire to have a family or to help the unfortunate children, the PC is not directly involved in preparing the commune. They are kept in the dark until Halsin is ready to leave without them.

Halsin single-handedly shoulders the planning and the responsabilities that the future settlement entails. Needless to say, for centuries now, he has favored a paradoxical approach of avoidance and obsessive behavior combined with extreme guilt trip to deal with his own troubles, even distorting traumas to make them palatable. In my opinion, his solitary preparation is the expression of said approach.

They won. Faerûn is saved. The shadow curse is no more. It could be the ideal time to slow down, to assess the extent of damage after such a nerve-racking adventure. Yet Halsin is already rushing into another long lasting project involving countless settlers, among them nine whole wagons of children. He's restless. Instead of turning inward to acknowledge his shortcomings, to simply heal, he barrels along at full speed, continuing his never-ending cycle of avoidance. What about his failings as the archdruid of the Emerald Grove? A group of haggard tieflings and his absence were sufficient to let hate and cruelty fester amongst his druids. How did he fail to notice the rampant corruption? Were the Shadow Druids manipulating his people under his nose? Why did he welcome the refugees, exhausted and traumatized, only to abandon them because Aradin was going to the shattered sanctum?

Halsin must do everything alone. He welcomes the tieflings. He leaves with Aradin because he must deal with the shadow curse. Survivor guilt. If it's about himself, his most vulnerable side, then Halsin oft deals in absolutes.

Ironically, he cannot save Thaniel and his realm on his own. Although far-fetched, I personally interpret Halsin's personal questline as his reflection.

Halsin's questline is his reflection

He's obsessed with the shadow curse, without a true confident for a good century, and neglects his druids and the tieflings he decided to shelter. Out of the blue, he chooses mercenaries to support him in his irrepressible, compulsive endeavor. Unfortunately, wrong team, they fail. He is then caged like a rabid animal, at the mercy of goblins who don't communicate with him at all. There is nobody to listen to him, to his worries, to his needs. He's once again alone, like he had been with the drow captors.

The PC gives him his freedom back when no one else would, thus he faces his main fixation obsessively with this newfound support. And yet... Who listens to him? Who finds Art Cullagh? Who finds the lute? Who finds Oliver? Who kills Ketheric? The PC.

He goes to the Shadowfell to find Thaniel, alone, protected by his allies. He wants that light, that friendship, that support. (The portal with a warm, comforting glow attacked by shadows, the fact he can die if the portal is destroyed while he's seeking Thaniel… The portal could be a representation of Halsin, of the positive changes he yearns for, but he cannot progress as he's attacked by doubts, old pains, traumas.) He comes back with Thaniel, split in half. Thaniel and Oliver are reunited by the PC who, if the right options are selected, encourages Halsin to soothe Oliver.

During the last push to chase the shadows, if he's in the team to vanquish Ketheric, he's supported and led by the PC.

I know my interpretation is highly disputable, nevertheless, his questline is so him. That positive side, Thaniel, hollow. The darkness, Oliver, deeply lost and lonely, surrounded with shades that are his pseudo friends. Thaniel and Oliver are stronger together, however the curse is still overwhelming. The PC carries Halsin all the way till the shadow curse is lifted.

And the very last cutscene is all about Halsin and the PC watching nature blooming once again. Hope for a better, brighter future.

Halsin: I don't deserve you, my friend.

Halsin needs support. Don't get me wrong, he's a capable adult. He can take care of himself. Yet the glaive (though it was in EA) ended in a lone, secluded vault. Out of sight, out of mind. Halsin has been alone for so many years that he craves the support of his trusted equal to progress. It doesn't make him weaker or less of an adult. It's merely a lot less wearing to be helped by someone who reciprocates care happily and willingly.

The consequences for the commune and the orphans

All that scarcely credible yapping about his questline to say that Halsin tends to shoulder responsabilities alone, too many, far too many, with little to no self-empathy. That, without proper support, he tends to fail and hurt himself, to repeat situations which have already wounded him in the past (cf. my post about the drow twins). So, what does it mean for the commune?

I assume he will fail to nurture an environment without a vertical organizational structure at first. The hierarchy won't be similar to the Grove's, however he will become the de facto leader because he cannot for the life of him acknowledge his deepest, most painful shortcomings. Case in point:

Halsin: All these months, and I haven't been away from what we built together. There's a whole community out in Thaniel's realm that has never known a day without our presence. Halsin: Being away from it... I cannot help but worry how they will fare in our absence.

He will surround himself with like-minded people, nevertheless, we must not ignore the fact he's an archdruid, a 350 years old elf as he loves to repeat, and one of the saviors of Baldur's Gate. His experience, his fame and his tendency to burden himself are a recipe for disaster. Six months after the Elder Brain's defeat, the commune depends heavily on him. He fled leadership, only to become a leader again.

Halsin: At last count, there were nine whole wagons of children in tow. They are my duty now. 'Daddy Halsin', they call me. Who am I to tell them otherwise?

The Daddy Halsin has been "memed" to death. From my point of view, it's jarring. When Halsin reveals his plan, he barely mentions adults and doesn't associate them with the kids. His statement is crystal clear. The nine wagons of children are his duty. He's their caregiver, their new father figure. Not one parent, or one guardian among many, but the one they call Daddy. From his point of view, the concept of family seems to be eminently traditional.

Halsin: I just hope the children get by without me there for their bedtime stories...

Ultimately, the orphans will be neglected temporarily because Halsin cannot provide the necessary parenting, the emotional support nor the individual time any child deserves on his own. Furthermore, these children are extremely vulnerable. Abandoned, parents and siblings killed by the Absolute forces, who knows? It may last a week, but Halsin needs to realize first that he cannot be their only Daddy, otherwise he will hurt them. Not out of malice, not on purpose, just because he's deeply entrenched in his views and his longings.

The Dark Urge

Halsin is overly positive about the refugees wishing "to praise the savior of Baldur's Gate", adding that "quite a few little fans will be overjoyed to make your acquaintance". I won't ever believe that every single settler will be in awe of The Dark Urge, a war criminal, a murderer and a former Bhaalspawn. I can't imagine no one would demand revenge, swift and brutal justice, that nobody would directly conflate Sszazar and the destruction of their home, the death of their friends, their lovers, their families. That everyone will be levelheaded, willing to forgive and forget, or downright clueless about his identity. Not everybody will be magnanimous like Alfira. Would Halsin choose to lie by omission or be truthful about his lover's bloody past? A commune built on such a massive lie won't withstand the revelation of this ugly secret.

Henceforth, people who suffered because of the cult will be exposed, day after day, to the sole surviving Absolute mastermind. The cause of their plight is their next-door neighbor. At first, it will surely go beyond petty disagreements. Some may leave and never return. Halsin's reputation may be tarnished since he loves and shelters a war criminal. He sold them his dream without the Dark Urge because he was persuaded to be unworthy of commitment and love.

All in all, I don't think his dream will crash and burn, but I believe the canon scenario forces the happy ending devoid of nuances upon the player. Truth be told, I imagine the commune will go through a rough patch, especially if the Dark Urge is present. I won't even talk about the logistical side of the commune. Tending the crops, buying tools, managing resources, so many details... With luck, Thaniel is a real powerhouse and can heal his realm in the blink of an eye. I doubt it.

Halsin's ending is, as depicted in game, a beautiful nightmare.

[09/15/24 - edited for clarity, grammar and to highlight that I hc Halsin's failures as temporary]

[queering-ecology]

Chapter 7. Polluted Politics? Confronting Toxic Discourse, Sex Panic and Eco-Normativity by Giovanna Di Chiro

“Stereotypes and lies lodge in our bodies as surely as bullets. They live and fester there, stealing the body.”—Eli Clare

Queer ecology as defined by Mortimer-Sandilands (2005, 24) “both about seeing beauty in the wounds of the world and taking responsibility to care for the world as it is”. (200)

Environmental justice constructs an eco-politics that defines the environment as our communities: the places where ‘we live, work, play, and learn’ (200). Environmental justice activists embrace inhabited/built places---cities, villages, reservations, agricultural fields, workplaces, poor and low-income neighborhoods next to hazardous industrial facilities as environments worthy of recognition and protection (Di Chiro 1996)

There has been rising environmental anxiety that surrounds cultural fears of exposure to chemical and endocrine-disrupting toxins especially as it relates to the troubling and destabilizing of normal/natural gendered bodies of humans and other animal species aka the “chemical castration” or the “feminization of nature” (Cadbury 1998; Hayes 2002)--rising fears that we are “swimming in a sea of estrogen” (Raloff 1994b, 56; Sumpter and Jobling 1995 173) as a consequence of rising levels of estrogenic, synthetic chemical compounds emitted into our water, air and food known as estrogenic pollution (ova-pollution). (201)

Pop-science warning about the ‘instability of maleness’—warns that the rising incidences of male-to-female gender shifts and intersex conditions observed in the ‘lower’ species of animals, such as frogs, fish, and salamanders, represent the newest ‘canaries in the coalmine’ portending an uncertain fate for human maleness and for the future of ‘normal’ sexual reproduction (Robert 2003) (201) also anti-toxins discourse has concerns about estrogenic chemical toxins disrupting/preventing/disturbing ‘normal’ prenatal physiological development and natural reproductive processes, leading to rising cases of infertility and producing disabled, defective, and even monstrous bodies (201)…

What can develop is a “sex panic” that resuscitates familiar heterosexist, queerphobic, and eugenics arguments classifying some bodies as not normal: mistakes, perversions, burdens (I would add ‘freaks’)…under the guise of laudable goal/progressive goals, a certain type of anti-toxics environmentalism mobilizes knowledge/power of normalcy and normativity and reinforces compulsory social-environmental order based on a dominant regime of what and who are constructed as normal and natural (Davis 1995; Garland-Thompson 1997; McRuer 2006).

Disability becomes an environmental problem and lgbtq people become disabled—the unintended consequences of a contaminated and impure environment, unjustly impaired by chemical trespass. (202) The true scope of the mortality and morbidity of POPs (persistent organic pollutants) becomes distorted by alarmist focus. This fixation ends up de-emphasizing and worse--naturalizing and normalizing other serious health problems associated with POPs that are on the rise: breast, ovarian, prostate and testicular cancers, neurological and neurobehavioral problems, immune system breakdown, heart disease, diabetes and obesity (202).

There is good reason for alarm concerning the continued use and accumulation of toxic chemicals that are wreaking havoc on the health and reproductive possibilities of the living world. Our cumulative exposures to endocrine disruptors, carcinogens, neurotoxins, asthmagens, and mutagens in our normal, everyday lives from our daily contact with plastic water bottles, shampoos, and kitchen cleaners to insect repellents, food preservatives, and factory farmed meats, among others, are most certainly putting at risk the health of our own bodies and our earth. (210) But where should the critical attention lie?

The hyperfocus on the world turning into hermaphrodites participates in a sexual titillation strategy summoning the familiar ‘crimes against’ nature’ credo and inviting culturally sanctioned homophobia while at the same time sidelining and naturalizing ‘normal’ environmental diseases such as cancer (211).

--

Environmental theory and politics in the US have historically mobilized ideas of the normal, to determine which  bodies and environments/landscapes embody the distinctly American values of productive work, rugged individualism, masculinity, independence, potency, and moral virtue upon which environmental advocacy movements should be based (Haraway 1989; Cronon 1991). Critical histories of U.S. environmentalism have revealed the capitalist, patriarchal, colonialist, heteronormative, eugenicist, and ableist histories underlying its “progressive” exterior (Boag 2003; Darnovky 1992; Evans 2002; Gaard 2004; Jaquette 2005; Sutter 2001).

Eco-normativity (or eco[hetero]normativity) appear in alarmist discourse in the anti-toxins arm of the environmental movement. Their alarm about contaminants effect on sex/gender appeals to preexisting cultural norms of gender balance, normal sexual reproduction and the balance of nature. The use of “anti-normal” “anti-natural” in antitoxins discourse is highly questionable and risks reinforcing the dominant social and economic order (the forces actually responsible for environmental destruction and toxic contamination of all our bodies and environments) by naturalizing the multiple injustices that shore it up”…and thus creates what the author terms, polluted politics.

[slasherparty]

Hello! I would like to request a match-up for when you have the time! Prepare for a long description (sorry in advance)

My name is Jay, I'm a gay trans man. I also have a laundry list of mental health issues (Adhd, social and generalized anxiety, depression, sensory issues to name the most prevalent). I'm very specific about physical touch (sometimes I crave it, other times I despise even the idea of it). I also have issues with sudden loud noises, but I love loud music (I can control that) I have communication issues, meaning i don't entirely know how to show how much I appreciate people and I also don't know how to communicate my feelings or thoughts properly, either nothing comes out or it all comes out jumbled (give me patience and time though and I'll get it out eventually though!). Validation is something I kinda need a LOT of, though I tend too keep my thoughts and feelings inside untill it blows up into a meltdown.

I'm very sarcastic as a person. Dry humor is my forte. I enjoy relaxing and going to concerts/festivals (even though noise is a big sensory issue for me, I still enjoy attending them), creating art, and playing the drums. I like all things horror, and i am a massive metalhead. I also enjoy acting. Im an aspiring actor. I also have a love for animals. I speak English and a little bit of German.

Physically, im basically a pale twig. I'm about 5'4" and quite skinny and very pale (kinda like a vampire, lol). I do not have just one style of dress that I adhere to. I can dress in alternative fashion, vampire Gothic, Grunge, or basic metalhead attire.

I'm sorry if that was too much information, im a very specific person if it wasn't abundantly clear, but I hope this will do you well. I just love your work. Thank you!

thanks for the request!! i got immediate inspiration — thank you for being so thorough! 💛

without further ado… i pair you with michael myers (rob zombie edition)!!

why it works…💭

michael’s silence is a steadfast void, a canvas for your jumbled emotions to unfurl. he doesn’t demand words, and his eternal quiet carries a validation of its own. your eventual articulation — be it slow, messy, or explosive — would be met with his unsettling yet steady patience.

you, with your distaste for sudden, uncontrollable noises, might find unexpected solace in michael’s deliberate, methodical way of moving through the world. his every step is precise, almost rhythmic, a metronome that mirrors the thrum of your own heartbeat.

though michael is stoic to the point of unnerving, his blank mask offers an irresistible setup for your dry wit. imagine quipping to a man who never blinks — humor thrives in the silence where awkwardness would typically fester.

as an aspiring actor, you might appreciate the irony of performing for michael — a slasher who watches with a predator’s intensity. the attention is validating in its own twisted way, a gaze that never looks away, though it might fluster you.

your love of horror would resonate with michael’s very existence, as he embodies the genre you adore. he would silently admire your appreciation for the macabre, finding kinship in your fascination with darkness.

your alternative and gothic style would pair almost poetically with michael’s eternal, monochromatic uniform. together, you’d look like a horror film’s marketing poster brought to life. being prone to grungy styles himself, you may even convince him to wear a few of your concert tees or ripped pants.

when you crave touch, michael’s almost mechanical stillness would provide a controlled, consistent form of physical presence. when touch is unwelcome, you won’t have much of a problem setting that boundary, as it takes persuasion to get michael to express the most basic of intimacy to begin with.

you, being a metalhead, might find a strange kind of excitement in michael’s soundtrack-worthy killings — slow, relentless, and impactful, much like a doom-metal song given human form.

at concerts and festivals, michael’s towering and intimidating presence would ensure you feel protected. he wouldn’t flinch at loud music or chaotic environments, standing steadfastly by your side so you could enjoy the experience fully.

michael would appreciate your creativity, watching with silent fascination as you bring your art and music to life. whether you’re making art, drumming, or performing, he would quietly recognize the passion and individuality you pour into your work.

while your love for animals might clash with michael’s cold indifference toward life, his history with animal violence would likely be tempered by your sharp wit and strong personality. you would be the only person bold enough to say, “Leave the cat alone, Michael,” and somehow, he’d listen.

michael’s actions speak louder than words, and his quiet but absolute protectiveness would provide you with the validation and reassurance you need. his devotion would be unshakable, making you feel seen and appreciated without the need for frequent verbal affirmation.

in the quiet, eerie pockets of your companionship, something haunting and strangely fulfilling could grow — a connection as sharp as a blade and as fragile as breath in the cold.

thanks for participating in a matchup! 💌

you can find more of my writing here on ao3!

[amberbeach]

'POWER COUPLE'

gif belongs to me

There were many reasons Kimberly envied Trini's relationship. You always found time to communicate, if something upset you, you would discuss it instead of letting it fester. You always found time for each other, between the different clubs you joined, and dating a Ranger had it's own problems - it wasn't uncommon for a date to be interrupted by Rita's monsters but your relationship remained strong. And you always supported each other in everything you did.

When Trini was called forth by Miss Applebee to play her video project, you smiled and clapped your hands.

"Whoo!" You cheered, cupping your hands around your mouth.

You knew better than anyone how much effort she put into it as you aided her with recording footage.

"My video project is called Pollution Problems In Angel Grove."

You leaned back in your chair, fiddling with your pencil as you watched the video, meeting Trini's gaze and sending her a smile. When the short video ended, she removed the tape from the player and returned it to the cardboard sleeve.

"Very nice job, Trini." Miss Applebee praised, sending her a smile before addressing the class. "Pollution is a serious concern to our society."

"I couldn't agree more." Billy spoke up, "I am deeply concerned about the eco-logical ramifications of ozone depletion, acid rain, deforestation and the loss of our soils."

You nodded your head as he spoke, looking over at Kimberly when she agreed. "Yeah, you're right." She turned to Trini, "So what can we do to help beautify our city?"

Trini stepped forward, placing her hands on your desk, "I want to start a clean-up club. One day a week we can do some recycling, clean up nature trails or even count animals that are endangered." She stepped back, placing her palms together.

"Yeah!" Billy nodded.

"Count me in." Jason added.

"Sounds cool." Zack replied.

"Totally." Kimberly agreed.

Trini's gaze fell on you and you sent her a smile. "A chance to spend some time with you and help the planet? Sounds good." She mirrored your smile and you nudged your friend who was sitting next to you.

He quickly agreed to join and you grinned as you looked at Trini, your eyes following her as she took the seat next to you. She leaned over to your table, sending you a smile.

"I want to thank you for all your help." She began, "We make a really great team."

You mirrored her smile, "Yeah, we do."

Kimberly's eyes danced between you both. She never knew until that moment that a simple smile could convey so much love and admiration. You really were the power couple of Angel Grove who could do it all.

[hotgirlmythology]

Dragons and an introduction to Kobolds

because of course there are dragons in the fantasy world

Dragons are the premiere example of magical creatures. Flight when it should be impossible, fire from nothing, and a suspicious cleverness that makes most very wary of trying to trick one.

Dragons began as cold-blooded creatures in the cool, moderately northern reaches of the world. Free of a majority of predators, and thus the only threat to them being the cold, they eventually adopted the odd decision of producing fire externally, rather than heating through internal means like most creatures in cool places do. This developed into a method of hunting prey comprising biting into it and then torching it. Even if it didn't die there, the burn would fester and become infected, and so a repeat attack would make quick work of the target. The brains of these proto-dragons developed in order to better track their prey, which in turn gave rise to more potent flames. This led to the first diversification event of dragons, into Biters and Burners.

Biters were closer to archetypical proto-dragons, remaining fairly small. Their niche was that of a communal ambush predator against far larger creatures, latching on with long, serrated teeth and doing their utmost to burn its skin beyond proper repair. The bacteria that proliferated among the serrations of their teeth did not make matters any better for their prey, and they proved a great threat to wildlife in the region. Their weakness became apparent when they weren't the ones doing the surprising, their communal telepathy taking up the majority of their magic and so making it difficult to produce fire in a defensive scenario. Against animals with armour they also faired poorly.

Burners took the opposite path, their growing magical power being directed into ever larger gouts of fire. As they needed to be able to produce huge bursts at a moment's notice, they also needed to eat more to keep their minds in good working order, and so grew while the Biters shrunk. This size meant they could travel for longer distances to find food, and gradually Burners took to roaming further north, where the animals hadn't evolved defences against heat. Burners were predators of small animals, scorching away the vegetation cover and flushing them out of burrows with gouts of fire. They were also, however, slow. And this became a problem when all the prey started to get wise to it and developed alarm calls or pheromones. Burners started to be forced even further north because of this.

The following species diversification occurred following the diversification of Biters (D. mordax) and Burners (D. cremator). I will only give brief overviews of the dragons that arose from them, but may give more information about the ones still alive / having a great effect on the world. Here we go!

D. salvia: More intelligent variant of mordax capable of forming cross-family social groups, having sacrificed their fire in large part for improved telepathic communication. Majority nomadic horde hunters. Display some omnivory.

D. munitor: A return to form in somewhat of a midpoint between Biter and Burner. Nevertheless, being in a more sinuous arrangement than Burners, they are clearly of Biter heritage. They use superheated fire to melt stone in order to forge their dens and dig tunnels for ambush predation. Preferring the more exposed rock of the tundra, they have also drifted towards the northern inclination of most of the Burners

D. asylum: Larger dragon still, possessed flaps of leathery skin that it used to construct a tent around itself and keep warm as it went further north. Crucially these flaps were not segmented.

D. saggitaritrix: On the verge of extinction since the introduction of humans to the north, famed for its ability to heat the air (and prey) directly rather than making wasteful fire. However, this makes them somewhat of a menace to humans, seeing as one could park right outside your goat pen and evaporate all of them. Thus they have been hunted persistently.

D. aedifex: Flaming capability is non-existent, with the brain now comprising in large part either telepathy or cognition. Form permanent cross-family groups, and tend to occupy abandoned D. munitor tunnels when they can find them. Have been known to use tools, construct pitfalls and show restraint towards vegetation harvesting. These are not nomadic.

D. innumerabilis: Nomadic swarm predators that have retained the ability to flame insofar as they can cook their food in their mouths so as not to get ill off it. Otherwise, their brains are given over almost entirely to telepathy, which results in their entire species being all one super-organism. They are nomadic, and as they pass through an area they tend to strip it bare.

D. volatrix: Flaps of D. asylum developed the sufficient joints and tendons for flight. This is helped by the fact volatrix's magic helped it follow its wish not to fall out of the sky. Generating thermals to rise up on was also an option. However, telepathy was sacrificed, and obviously flaming midair was spotty at best.

D. dorminator: This one is the only variety of dragon still living in the north proper. It has developed tendons in the flaps that, while not particularly energy efficient, can pull them back incredibly fast. This combined with the powerful back legs render it a terrifying ambush predator that is almost indistinguishable from a rock outcropping until it burns you to a crisp. It also, of course, keeps itself warm with this fire like its predecessor.

Note on D. incursitor and D. imperatrix:

These two, while they are the most likely to appear in books as they are rather impressive and have a storied history with sentient species, are in fact freaks of nature. D. volatrix came into contact with the Elves as they began their farming revolution, and understandably frequently poached from them. The more telepathically inclined did not much enjoy the pain their activity caused in the Elves minds, as they were magical themselves and so their emotions wrought a more potent effect on the threads of power than prey. Hence they stopped fighting the elves for their livestock, instead lurking around, stealing a few when the elves weren't around to broadcast their hate and pain at them and fighting off the less telepathic volatrix to stop them inducing these irritating emotions. In close contact with the magic of the elves and in a scenario necessitating socialisation, these protective dragons saw their telepathy and cognition progress implausibly quickly, as well as their size, though their fire saw a remarkable decrease. In comparison, those not so affected by the telepathic exposure to the threads of power adapted heavily for preying on the fruits of civilisation, even the people living in them, telepathy sacrificed for flame and intelligence.

D. incursitor: Fairly agile on the wing and with a flame to back up its bulk, it is almost impossible for an unprepared creature to fend off one of this. It is therefore of no pleasure to anyone to hear they mate for life, and despite the lack of telepathy, they have no problem finding prey and cooperating. It may not be intelligent socially, but it is cunning, and has had a very long time to circumvent the defences often put in between it and a flock of livestock.

D. imperatrix: The single largest variety of dragon in existence. Though in flight their flapping is often ungainly, the sheer size of their wingspan leaves them able to glide for tens of miles with little effort. This does mean it can readily flame on the wing as it does on the ground, though it has nothing on the torrent that incursitor can produce when provoked. Its true strength lies, however, in its social adaptations. D. imperatrix understands concepts far more complicated than any solitary dragon has any right to, due to millennia of coexistence with elves and later other sentients. In all this time, it has still kept its distance from sentient species, perhaps because of the temptation of their delicious flocks. The only issue is when one has to communicate with one without being an expert on dragons - they can make their desires vaguely known by exerting their formidable telepathy on visitor's minds, but most have no such ability to do so in return. In addition to this, their sensibilities, especially in mating, are far too refined to make their homes look good enough without help. Thus, D. imperatrix has perhaps the most unique adaptation of any dragon: Kobolds.

Many people think they could benefit from the companionship of a dragon. Some of these actually go and look for one. Still fewer end up finding the right kind of dragon. At this point, the Kobolds already present will quiz the newcomer to see if they are an appropriate fit. If so, the D. imperatrix will come and take a personal look. If they like the newcomer, they will allow them to remain.

Tune in for the next episode of "Girl On Her Bullshit Once Again" to hear more about ferocious dragons and their personality cults (ok not quite but it's a funny comparison)

[lynd3w]

I swear to god I don't wanna hear another subs only cunt complain about the patriarchy line from the dragon maid dub again. If you read a lot of older Manga, you end up having to read a fan-translation or two at some point and I just had to read, wimp, dweeb, freakzoid, and the r slur in a fucking juji ito book. You're seriously telling me that you think one of the masters of horror couldn't come up with a better word to describe a strange girl than "freakzoid?" And it doesn't stop there. The older you go back in touhou fanworks, the more you see slurs directed towards Hong Meiling. Most of the time Japanese creators would just call her China, which is incredibly racist. But some of the fan-translations will call her more us centric slurs for Chinese people. Every aspect of online anime or Manga interaction seems to have been birthed from the alt-right festering hate whole of 4 Chan, but none of you seem to give a shit about that. Hell there's still a huge fascist problem in the touhou community, and from what we've seen of vtubers the past few weeks, that and pedophilia seem to go hand in hand with the more popular ones. Yet that's never a problem. Fucking choke on my dick you absolute wastes of air

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

When people say they enjoy things, they usually mean one of two things. The first is that these things are fun; that is, they satisfy immediate emotional needs or desires for pleasure. Candy Crush is fun, for people who are into that sort of thing; waterslides are fun, watching TV is fun. Fun, in the way I'm defining it for this post, is the party food of pleasure; immediately and usually temporarily satisfying, and after that, mostly satisfying only as a happy memory (although some of these activities, like watching a TV show, can generate further opportunities for pleasure down the line like daydreaming, discussion, and making fanart). Like party food, this kind of fun is a good thing to have, and someone who doesn't get enough of it is at high risk of stress-related health concerns. Also burnout. A lack of fun is a major contributor to burnout.

The second kind of pleasure that most people talk about is rewarding activity. The lack of rewarding activity in one's life is a major contributor to depression. It creates a sense of purposelessness and worthlessness and generates a low attention span, sapping the ability to feel long-term motivation or pleasure. People usually try to pick themselves up with the first kind of fun, which is a band-aid but not a very sticky one; the lack of rewarding activity grows and festers over time. Rewarding pleasure involves working on something long-term that feels worthwhile. There are usually also spots of fun (or you wouldn't have gotten into the activity enough for it to become rewarding), but there also tends to be long slogs that aren't that fun. Nevertheless, when people report on doing said activity, they will speak about it with great enjoyment and remember it being enjoyable and claim they like it. (I like being a writer. Writing can sometimes be boring as shit.) (Look into Csíkszentmihályi's work on experience sampling and flow states for more info on this, it is FASCINATING.)

In Reality is Broken, Jane McGonigal sums up what she thinks are the most important contributing factors to rewarding activity. These are not the only factors, but I agree that they're a good baseline of the critical ones. I'm going to paraphrase them using different language. The four big contributors are:

Satisfying work. This is the vaguest one because different people find different things satisfying. Basically, the task itself should feel productive, and you should not feel bad about doing it to the point where it causes you distress. Satisfying work involves clear goals with actionable steps and a clear product, preferably something that you can see, touch or use. A clean house, a new high score, a freshly built table, a happy child.

Mastery. Rewarding pleasure is often something that you can get better at. There are things to learn, practice, improve. Improving your ability to solve tricky code problems, getting better at painting landscapes, figuring out fun new strategies in Magic: The Gathering, being able to build computers better or faster or cheaper. Mastery does not require becoming the best at something (although some people enjoy that specifically also), merely seeing progress in yourself and being able to take pride int he fact that you are better than you were.

Social connection. Rewarding pleasure often involves social or community connection. A long-term social group that discusses fan theories of their favourite show. Your weekly tabletop rpg. Teaching a room full of kids who to make leather belts. Working at a small bookshop and making small talk with all the tourists. Some people find social activity to be fun in the 'immediate pleasure' kind of way, some don't, but it is a critical factor in mental health and in the long-term... rewardingness (?)... of a hobby. Animals can also partially fill this niche, but be warned, they are far, far less effective than people. Your cat might be able to stop you from committing suicide today. You cat alone will not make your life satisfying.

Contribution. Humans are community animals and have a need to be something larger than ourselves or, more specifically to be of service to something larger than ourselves. Looking after kids, cooking big meals for others, creating art or physical products for others. Teaching the next generation how to read. Serving your God. Saving a species of small fish from extinction. Volunteering at your local charity shop or soup kitchen. Being a member of a crowd to reach the Guinness World Record for "most people fit into a storage crate". Making useful tutorial videos, being an entertainer, joining your local queer support group or political organisation. Humans fucking love to be part of something bigger than their own brain and they fucking love to help people.

The world is full of rewarding activities, and not all of them rate high in all four categories. The woman working in the charity shop warehouse and chatting with her coworkers isn't necessarily all that interested in mastery of her job (although I've worked in these places and some people do take pride in learning to be as efficient as possible), the musical hermit training to become the best violinist in the world might not be all that interested in social connection or how the audience actually feels about him. You might have noticed that I've listed hobbies, jobs, and non-employed but important life work (volunteering and childrearing) as possible rewarding activities; you can find rewarding activities everywhere. (In fact the lack of rewarding pleasure in our work lives is a very serious problem that companies keep trying to condescendingly band-aid over. The late David Graeber had a lot to say about this and I highly recommend his work, particularly Bullshit Jobs, which is a book specifically discussing the lack of above points 1 and 4 (satisfying work and sense of contribution) in so many modern workplaces and its distressing psychological ramifications). Rewarding activities are not 'fun' all the time; in fact, Csíkszentmihályi's work found that many of them are quite unfun most of the time. They do, however, create long term pleasure, and are emotionally and psychologically critical.

One final point: research shows that computer stuff counts less. This isn't a 'hurr durr edison was a witch get off your damn computers and get a real job' point; plenty of people do most of their rewarding activity on computers, because the supply cost is so low (most of us already own some kind of computer) and it's so much easier to find an existing community. But it does, psychologically speaking, count less; your brain isn't very good at seeing computers stuff as as 'real', on a primitive sensory level, as things you can touch with your hands or people that are right in front of you. Your massive community of fellow fans on the internet are less effective at filling your social needs than the crochet club at your local library, even if you like the people on the internet much more. It doesn't have to be everything, but ideally you should have at least one physical meatspace social club and at least one physical meatspace hobby, craft, or volunteer job. (They can be the same thing. You can volunteer at a soup kitchen for both.) They don't have to be the most important thing -- I care way more about my writing (electronic) than my crochet (meatspace) and I do the writing a lot more -- but the meatspace thing should exist, if you can manage it.

I think people get mixed up a lot about what is fun and what is rewarding. These are two very different kinds of pleasure. You need to be able to tell them apart because if you don't have a balanced diet of both then it will fuck you up, and I mean that in a "known cause of persistent clinical depression" kind of way.

[binbidet]

Thwarting the Garbage Critters of Southern Indiana with a Local Trash Can Cleaning Service

Southern Indiana, especially in Clark and Harrison counties, is known for its picturesque hilly, wooded areas. However, these beautiful landscapes also mean an abundance of wildlife, many of which are attracted to the smells and scraps festering in your trash cans. 

Critters rummaging through your garbage can create a mess and pose several health and safety risks. 

Here’s a look at the common local critters, the problems they cause, and how a local trash can cleaning service can help keep them at bay.

Common Local Critters Attracted to Trash

Raccoons: Raccoons are notorious for their dexterity and intelligence. They can easily open unsecured trash cans, making a meal out of your waste. Once they discover a food source, they tend to return, bringing along more raccoons.

Opossums: Opossums are scavengers and often turn to trash bins for an easy meal. While generally less destructive than raccoons, they can still create a mess and potentially spread diseases through their droppings.

Stray Cats and Dogs: Stray animals, including cats and dogs, are attracted to the smell of food in trash cans. They can tear through bags and scatter waste, leading to a bigger cleanup job and more persistent odor issues.

Rats and Mice: Rodents are drawn to the food scraps in your trash bins. They not only make a mess but also pose significant health risks as they can carry and transmit diseases.

Why Creatures Getting into Trash is Bad

Health Risks: Animals rummaging through trash can spread diseases through their droppings and saliva. Rodents, in particular, are known carriers of diseases such as leptospirosis and hantavirus.

Mess and Odor: Critters can tear open trash bags, scattering waste across your yard. This not only creates an unsightly mess but also exacerbates odor problems, attracting even more pests.

Property Damage: Persistent animal activity around trash bins can lead to property damage. Animals like raccoons can damage bins, requiring frequent replacements and repairs.

Environmental Impact: Scattered trash can contribute to environmental pollution, affecting local wildlife and waterways. Ensuring your trash is contained and bins are clean helps mitigate this impact.

How a Local Trash Can Cleaning Service Can Help

Creatures are attracted to your bins by built up smells and residue. Here’s how to combat this and keep critters far away from your trash cans and your property.

Regular Cleaning and Sanitization: A local trash can cleaning service provides regular cleaning and sanitization of your bins. This removes all of the nastiness that attracts critters, making your trash less appealing to wildlife.

High-Pressure Washing: Using high-pressure washing, these services can effectively clean your bins. This method uses less water compared to traditional cleaning methods, conserving resources while providing a deep clean.

Eco-Friendly Products: Local trash can cleaning services often use eco-friendly cleaning products. These products eliminate odors and bacteria without harming the environment, providing a safer option for both your family and local wildlife.

Proper Wastewater Disposal: Professional cleaning services ensure that dirty water is disposed of responsibly, preventing pollutants from entering local waterways and sewer systems. This helps maintain the environmental health of your community: Clark and Harrison counties.

Convenient Scheduling: By aligning their services with your trash collection schedule, local cleaning companies make it easy to maintain clean bins without extra effort on your part. They handle the dirty work, so you don’t have to.

Finding a Local Trash Can Cleaning Service

Living in the beautiful, rural areas of Southern Indiana comes with peace and proximity to nature. But it also has its challenges, particularly when it comes to keeping wildlife out of your trash. 

By employing a local trash can cleaning service, you can significantly reduce the appeal of your bins to local critters. Bin Bidet is a locally-owned business that exclusively serves Clark and Harrison counties. They provide regular trash can cleaning using eco-friendly practices that are designed to repel critters and keep your bins clean  and your home a sanctuary.

[mossmagus]

kindness

Existence itself is unkind not in that it aims for suffering but that it cannot inherently be kind. To exist is to consume. To exist is to cause suffering.

By taking a job it is robbed from another. By eating, something is killed. Making a home means destroying an area that was once alive - digging up roots, hollowing a living tree, clearing brush.

The goal therefore is not elimination of suffering, but it's mitigation. Aiming to be kind. Eat that which is killed with the least amount of suffering. Use things that have the least negative impact upon the world. Reuse things as much as possible. Give back when able. Protest wars, protect the rights of those around you, plant things simply for the benefit of pollinators. Spread leaf cover on the ground in spots that lack it during the cold so the bugs and grasses do not die over winter. Support animal conservation efforts. Plant a small food forest for yourself instead of working with traditional home gardening. Use natural materials as much as physically possible. Educate yourself.

But this never ending list of "ways to be better" can be weaponized just as easily as it is used to do good. A combination of immaturity, lack of life experience, and changing humanity has lead to a problem of performative kindness. Film yourself crying so people know you're a real person who has a life just as deep as theirs. Speak about something that others are talking about or be accused of not caring and being a bad person. Make sure to agree with the most prevalent opinion of the time or be criticized incessantly by people who won't recognize your humanity. Make sure you cater to those who will assume your intent behind words or a sentence like the last one will get people saying "but what about nazis? what about x, y, z?" and then be accused of supporting them or being one and getting sent death threats and getting doxed.

The goal is kindness. Kind people know others have feelings and lives and relationships just as deep as their own. Kind people do not assume the worst of others. Kind people know that people are flawed and bursts of emotion can make people say things they genuinely do not mean or want. Kind people allow others to make mistakes and learn from them. Kind people understand that something does not have to be explicitly stated to be true. Kind people make small concessions because there are more important things in relationships and the world than refusing to understand what a person meant by "kind people make small concessions".

And then there are those that are proud to be petty. They are proud to refuse to let things go. They are proud to allow negativity to fester and they are proud to cause it. They do not wish the world to be a better place because they themselves are hurt and are either refusing to deal with it or they cannot deal with it. If the world moves on then what about the pain that was caused to them? Holding onto something only hurts yourself until you decide to weaponize it, which is the cycle of abuse. To be kind is to let go of the pain or to recognize it in others and not take it personally. To be kind isn't to forget but to give another chance to be better. To be kind is to communicate the pain and let them meet you with apologies. To be kind is to remain open to an apology and growth.

To be kind is to be kind to yourself as much as others. To achieve the best for all things you can touch without running yourself thin. Aiming for real possible changes for those near and far. To be kind is to realize there are enough people to touch everything. To be kind is to understand that there are enough people in the world for each aspect to have a dedicated group. Donating here and there and spreading awareness is enough. Focusing on a problem doesn't make someone a bad person. They aren't ignoring everything else. They aren't pretending it's not happening. They're not supporting it. Kindness is both big and small. A single dollar is kind. A thousand of them isn't somehow more kind, more moral, or more deserving. 1 is greater than 0 and that is enough.

To be kind is to be nuanced.

[notmuchtoconceal]

That was delicious. Sometimes I listen to you without any of goal of obtaining you or anything. I just enjoy listening for the sake of hearing a new thought. I'm not as crazy and obsessive as I make myself out to be. Sometimes. Frankly, I hope whoever he is, he's getting mad, too. He sounds like he deserves it! We can appreciate it together. Thanks for sharing!

My pleasure, bud.

As a more sincere response to your last (and near-simultaneous) ask, I'd like to further elaborate that belief in psychic supremacy, which is to say -- the bloated corpse of materialism is the festering ideological whale carcass we're currently eating our way out of -- is why I myself am Actually Humble (tm) because I can't take sole authorship of anything.

When I think of you, or the otter, or the adorable german boy, or Our Toxic King (worthy of capitals, throw roid needles into the air as you honor his marriage procession to himself), or like .... y'know, anybody else I'm highly psychically resonant with, like meine Schwesterfrau or Good Drone Boy, Service is King or Bobby Vinton is Not the Polish Prince, You Are (You Know Who You Are) ... um my petnames are footnotes inserted into the text, as though icefloats in an eternal current, like ... what I mostly feel is that I can respond so quickly, for in fact the person speaking to me (your last great barrier wall of text had much of this quality, indeed) because we've been mutually collaborating on the problem invisibly and at a distance for the entire duration of our separation, and now our communication is simply a brief dispatch into conscious awareness to square things on the topmost layer of the psychic edifice. As though writing things down to be read is simply crossing the last few T's or Dotting the I's on a signature to seal the completion of a work.

It's that feeling behind why you sometimes see lengthy acknowledgements sections at the front of academic works.

I always feel the gratitude of these displays is real and deserved, because honestly man -- the more eyes on a text the better. Human beings are fine-tooth machines the likes of which could never be adequately replaced. The sophistication of human consciousness is truly divine, we are so much more than machines. Yet, also -- I can't help but feel there's also a twinge of desperation at the same time. I dunno. It feels either like someone covertly wants to hide behind others, or like... maybe the cultural attitudes we have ingrained towards authorship as something sole and sacred makes this look simpy. Like someone's a little kid who couldn't make it on their own.

Since both of these attitudes feel unrealistic, and I realize we can't realistically expect surface-level reasoned arguments to change years of hard-wired animal conditioning, I think the best way to make subtle progression once you can isolate the dilemma is simply to change the medium in accordance with a higher value and let the change be invisible and inevitable. It makes sense that we have an attitude as author as sole or primary owner and creator of a work. Someone, you might say, is the primary herald of the vision. There are also others who contribute meaningfully and perhaps even drastically, in ways which may be difficult to detect. There's also the real nuts and bolts assistance of proofreading, editing, beta readers (i am so stupid to not have readers who are betas being my beta readers, god what am i doing. DM me with examples of your work and photos of you on your knees, head down, if you wanna sign up for my faggot erotica workshop.)

I feel the work ought speak for itself and the experience with the text the primary point of consideration. I also think the proper time to show gratitude is after delivery. A list of people who you care for, cumbersomely inserted at the front of the text, scratches an itch and shows not only gratitude, but gives public recognition. I often feel that being harangued or hurried into giving thanks in ways which feel unnatural to me often leave me preferring to detach. I'd rather come to understandings with people than feel coerced into serving them. With lengthy acknowledgements, I feel it's best to say ... well, the author is more properly a conductor. He controls streams, be they of traffic, time, gulfs or speech. The work is a coalescence of controlled effort. It's not any different from weaving, in a sense. One did not necessarily construct the material of the thread (unless one has the uterus of a spider) but one is moving it to and fro, to and through itself, making things tangible and solid, both a net and web, a thing which is a structure and a trap.

With that in mind, I think the best place for lengthy acknowledgements is after the text, functioning like a proper credits sequence.

[alyjojo]

Advice to Work on Yourself 🦄 in March 2023: Cancer

Temperance - 2 Swords - Queen of Cups

Regarding: 6 Cups

Pulling Seagull usually comes with some past regret, which isn’t necessarily true here, but you do wonder about it. In the past you were The Fool & Ace of Wands, inspired, excited, spontaneous, taking some leap of faith into a new beginning and not even thinking twice. Whatever you were jumping into didn’t work out how you’d originally thought it would. Who hasn’t gone through that? Idk anyone 🙏

There’s a split emotion here. Not so much regret as…how would your life be different if you hadn’t done whatever it was? Would someone have stayed? Would things have worked out? Would you still live by the river, own an iguana, etc etc. Some regret, due to missing whatever you wonder about. Now that things haven’t worked out, you have no idea where to go from here, what’s “meant” for you. Or what to even say to whoever you wish you were speaking to.

The advice is that as uncomfortable as this may be, “desert” periods are just as important as action packed ones. You figure out what it is you really want when you feel like you can’t get there or can’t have it. And you’re not even being necessarily rejected, just redirected. Whatever this specific thing was, was not for you, but taught you something valuable. That Fool and Ace of Wands feeling is exactly what you need, not to act impulsively, but to have fun and be carefree, choosing relatively safe things that are new…and maybe a little impulsive. The fun kind. Work with the time you have to figure out what has changed, what don’t you want, and what is it that you do? Throw yourself into some new hobbies, work on improving yourself, things will pick back up again in no time and you’ll be ready. For someone this may involve a job, if you’ve lost one and things repeatedly keep not working out. I’m not getting that it’s anything you’ve done, and there’s no reason to feel afraid of speaking up about worries & fears, it’s better than them festering in your brain and causing all sorts of problems. Heal any thoughts that you may be a “failure”, you’re not. What do you really want? What can you do today that gets you closer?

Animal Oracle: Seagull 🌊

“Now is the time for deep emotional healing.”

You have an emotional sea of emotions below your consciousness that needs to be acknowledged and expressed. Expressing emotions doesn’t mean indulging in them compulsively or creating drama around them. If there are tears, let them be tears. Explore your feelings by sharing them with someone you trust or writing them in a journal, and don’t be afraid to ask yourself why you’re feeling the way you feel, why you’re responding emotionally the way you are to whatever this is. By talking them out or writing them down, you bring them into your own awareness, which creates an opportunity to heal or release them. Don’t let this be a theatrical exercise, embellishing emotions you don’t really feel. Don’t attend to your most traumatic experiences too often, but take them slowly, and make sure to add good doses of humor for your own sake. It isn’t necessary to tackle all of your emotions and memories in one day, but it is necessary to begin addressing yours.

Artist Oracle: J.M.W. Turner

- Find the facts in a feeling.

- Nature does not sit still.

- The sun will rise whether or not you are there to watch it.

Advice:

- Level Up a Skill

- Improve Your Sleeping Habits

Charms:

Lips 👄 on 2 Swords shows speech being an issue, probably with you, you don’t know what to say, or how to address anything out loud. You don’t know how to talk to friends or those involved, or rather how to translate your feelings into words that can be understood. You do need to communicate your doubts and invite people in to help you work through these murky emotions, they could have good advice or inspiration for you and not even know it. If you’re waiting on other people to speak up, that’s probably not going to happen.

[shatteredfears-arch]

@canonfoddcr convinced me sb remind me to add m/orticia g/omez and w/ednesday (maybe fester) when my brain functions

[rinphoria]

Shoto Todoroki 🤍

𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏 𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐘𝐒𝐈𝐒 - 𝐓𝐎𝐃𝐎𝐑𝐎��𝐈 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐓𝐎

a relationship with todoroki is a breath of fresh air. he can be vulnerable around you, let his guard down because he doesn’t feel the need to prove himself to you. he doesn’t have expectations to live up to in this relationship, which is a refreshing change from what he’s used to. he isn’t exhausted or worn out around you, in fact, he’s more animated in your presence. he openly talks about his interests and emotions with you, as he feels no need to keep them from you. communication comes easily with you. there’s no dancing around subjects or pretending things didn’t happen—no room for problems fester into uncontrollable issues. he’s accepting of your affections, holding you tight when you hug him, squeezing your hand when yours and his are joined, and letting out soft sighs when your fingers run through his hair. the smile that rarely makes an appearance around others is is almost always plastered on his face. even though the things he experiences in this relationship are starkly contrast what he’s accustomed to, he wouldn’t trade your love for anything in the world. shoto is beyond happy to not feel suffocated when he’s with you.

[the-wilderness-calls]

"humans are terrible", "humans are greedy", "humans are cruel" are all statements that should be abandoned if we can't discuss them with nuance.

Humanity is inherently compassionate, cooperative, social, and loving. We are wired to love babies with big eyes and heads no matter their species, we are wired to feel love for others set off by touch or eye contact, we are programmed from the start to have compassion for other lifeforms (human or otherwise). Paleolithic people taught their toddlers to paint the walls of caves, they befriended beasts like wolves. Our kind have molded generations of domesticated animals, our kind have buried ourselves with beloved pets, our kind have cared for our sick and disabled since before written history, we have loved and lost billions of times over. These hands you call greedy were once hands that respectfully worked the land, hands that served within the ecosystem, instead of above it.

This is how we evolved and how we are meant to be. There's a reason complete isolation harms us, there's a reason all human civilization has arisen from teamwork and community, there's a reason our greatest boon as a species is communication and language. We are not selfish by nature, we have been misled, and pretending this is natural and that we are simply bad and inevitably greedy is part of the problem. You can't heal a festering wound if you've been convinced it's supposed to be that way and leave it as it is.

Humanity isn't a disease or parasite, we can and should be better than the capitalist lies expect us to believe. This mentality exists to kill off hope of change, to excuse it with a banal statement treating cruelty as mere fact. We should not fall into this way of thinking. Humanity is no parasite. Capitalism is.

We are a collective, we should act like it. Even the human body fails if not held up by community. Each individual is a community of microorganisms, a community of cells, a community of neurons. No individual is truly alone and without community, and we should form a community with one another to serve our Earth and each other in the same way the microbiome of our own body cultivates and nurtures our own well-being. All consciousness is collective, and in the end we are all but pieces of the universe observing itself, so shouldn't we reach out to our fellow vessels of universal consciousness to uplift one another? The universe lives through you, and even if you think life is without purpose, you can create your own. Human beings are incredible, never forget that. Remember our kindness, our altruism, our many forms of love whether it be for a lover, friend, family, or animal in our care. Humanity is love, rejection of this love is a result of a toxic idealogy, not human nature. We are made to love, not consume without thought.

[aphrodite-would-be-proud]

hi i love your kiddo HCs sm!!! May i ask of one where reiner and his f!s/o get into a fight and the kids try and help them make up bc they're sad when they see you sad

Hey! I'm happy you like them💛 and of course I'd love to do that.

You get in an argument with Reiner and his cousins try to fix things

{ Reiner x reader | tw:arguments | angst with comfort, drama, fluff | modern }

{ Sunset on the Seashore by Vartan Makhokhian 1869-1937 }

Zofia's the first to sense that something is wrong. The air between you and Reiner being too tense, avoiding eye contact or talking to each other in general. Only putting up an act whenever one of them talks to you both, as if you're only acting nice to each other in front of them

The next to notice was Falco, it isn't like you two to not sit next to each other or act unaffactionate. He started getting a bit worried when your usual playfulness and lovey dovey sides didn't show at all.

Udo observed how unusually down Reiner seemed, it reminded him of how he'd act in the past before you came, unfocused and out of reach, as if something keeps replaying in a loop in his mind.

People couldn't just fall out of love this fast so...what's wrong?

Gabi didn't notice anything at all actually, she was too invested in her chips bag. Smiling proudly to herself after convincing Falco to buy the spicy hot kind knowing fully well he couldn't handle it, and so he gave it to her.

It wasn't until you and Reiner leave the room, that the other three began talking sharing their theories while she watched. That's when it clicked and now recalling how you too acted, you really do seem strange huh.

Reiner always seemed following you as if he wants to say something, but whenever he'd open his mouth no words would come out. Gabi thought he was acting weird.

It was almost dinner time, you and Reiner went to cook something for the kids before Colts picks them up. Both of you silently deciding to cook together and then resume your game of avoidance.

Your brain keeps bringing back random moments from the argument you two had mere hours ago, some harsh words you said, the way Reiner put a lot space between you whenever you got close.

Things you said, things you've done in anger and frustration.

Sensitive topics Reiner brought up from the grave, saying both of you got really emotional is an underestimation.

Why did it happen in the first place...well, it's because you wanted to help. Help Reiner with the something he's been avoiding facing for a while.

You knew it could go south fast, but goddammit you couldn't just watch the love of your life spiral into a hole of his own making just because he let it fester long enough to swallow him whole.

But one topic followed the other, the main problem forgatton as defensive words and denying facts took over.

The sizzling of the whatever Reiner is cooking on the stove brings you back to reality, it smells good. Goddammit his food always smell good but you can't tell him that because you're still angry.

But isn't anger just hurt sadness who didn't get the comfort it needed?

The atmosphere is uncomfortable, both of you cooking in silence, barely acknowledging the other or talking. Thankful to your brain for being on autopilot while you were cutting vegetables, all your fingers intact.

Reiner steals glances at you from time to time, deep in his own head. He wants to apologise, he truly does but he stops himself each time, instead drowning in guilt as it bubbles up his chest burning his throat.

He scolds himself for getting so defensive, you ment well and you knew that. So what ticked off his brain to go in defence mode?

Maybe it's the way you phrased things that hit an insecurity he had...he knows he isn't good at confronting problems but he's trying and it's just too painful to look at reality as it is.

Well look at where that got him now.

A sigh leaves his lips, you look at him. Both of you staring at each other, unlike the previous frustration and anger your eyes held, now it's filled with...exhaustion and tiredness.

Sadness resurfacing back, regret and guilt following it.

He wonders how'd react if he held your hand right now, would you push him away? Or pull him closer...he takes a deep breath, licking his lips before speaking

"Could you...uh, pass me the salt" was all that managed to come out.

There's that look of disappointment in your eyes, he looks away. Frustrated with himself and the stupid salt shaker.

Neither of you aware to the four pairs of eyes watching your every movement through a crack in the door.

"Wow...they're like robots" Udo says.

From under him, where Zofia's head was "more like Zombies, at least Robots have some form of communication" she said.

Falco was attempting to get closer to the door without opening it, "Do we really have to stand by height? I can barely see anything."

" you think you have it bad?" Gabi was attempting to push their combined weight off, "I'm being crushed by gaints here."

After they retreat, a discussion about how to get you two to talk begins, Gabi suggest locking you in a room together under the threat of violence.

Zofia thinks putting one of you in fatal danger is the key to opening up. Udo wonders if a trip to the hospital from food poisoning will make you two bond more.

Finally, it's Falco who suggests reminding you both about the good times and memories you have with each other.

The other three reluctantly agree to his idea

Tha plan is set to action when dinner is served, they make sure to hog all the chairs so you and Reiner are forced to sit next to each other.

Whatever empty chairs you had left, Udo put his plush toys in and Zofia's limited edition collection dolls. Yeah it did invovle bribing.

So now you're having dinner with four children and four animal plushies and the monkey one keeps giving you weird looks.

Gabi brings up the beach trip that you took them to before, saying how she missed playing volleyball and the beach. You remember Reiner helping you with sunscreen and carrying the sleeping kids back to the car.

Falco talks about how their english teacher is decorating the class for  valentine's day....Oh right it's right around the corner, didn't Reiner bake you a cake last valentine's. It was your favourite flavor, really delicious.

Udo offers to help you with the dishes after. While handing him plates to dry, he tells you how much Reiner talks about you when they text.

"He brings you up whenever something reminds him of you" he says, "he really seems to like talking about you."

...he does, huh.

You look at him, in the living room currently getting his ass kicked by Zofia and Gabi in Mortal Kombat.

Falco seems to tell him something that makes him smile, looking at you after.

And without realising it, you're smiling too.

[The four of them share a look, before Udo pulls you to play with them and Reiner.

You sit next to each other, he holds his hand out.

...you take his hand, he pulls you closer.

Just as Zofia and Gabi have their second win against him, Falco and Udo take the controler and steal his turn.

He doesn't mind, instead focusing his attention on you. "You know that I love you no matter what, right?" He whispers in your ear.