#actually so tender

[inkskinned]

the thing is that they're so fascinated by sex, they love sex, they can't imagine a world without sex - they need sex to sell things, they need sex to be part of their personality, they need sex to prove their power - but they hate sex. they are disgusted by it.

sex is the only thing that holds their attention, and it is also the thing that can never be discussed directly.

you can't tell a child the normal names for parts of their body, that's sexual in nature, because the body isn't a body, it's a vessel of sex. it doesn't matter that it's been proven in studies (over and over) that kids need to know the names of their genitals; that they internalize sexual shame at a very young age and know it's 'dirty' to have a body; that it overwhelmingly protects children for them to have the correct words to communicate with. what matters is that they're sexual organs. what matters is that it freaks them out to think about kids having body parts - which only exist in the context of sex.

it's gross to talk about a period or how to check for cancer in a testicle or breast. that is nasty, illicit. there will be no pain meds for harsh medical procedures, just because they feature a cervix.

but they will put out an ad of you scantily-clad. you will sell their cars for them, because you have abs, a body. you will drip sex. you will ooze it, like a goo. like you were put on this planet to secrete wealth into their open palms.

they will hit you with that same palm. it will be disgusting that you like leather or leashes, but they will put their movie characters in leather and latex. it will be wrong of you to want sexual freedom, but they will mark their success in the number of people they bed.

they will crow that it's inappropriate for children so there will be no lessons on how to properly apply a condom, even to teens. it's teaching them the wrong things. no lessons on the diversity of sexual organ growth, none on how to obtain consent properly, none on how to recognize when you feel unsafe in your body. if you are a teenager, you have probably already been sexualized at some point in your life. you will have seen someone also-your-age who is splashed across a tv screen or a magazine or married to someone three times your age. you will watch people pull their hair into pigtails so they look like you. so that they can be sexy because of youth. one of the most common pornography searches involves newly-18 young women. girls. the words "barely legal," a hiss of glass sand over your skin.

barely legal. there are bills in place that will not allow people to feel safe in their own bodies. there are people working so hard to punish any person for having sex in a way that isn't god-fearing and submissive. heteronormative. the sex has to be at their feet, on your knees, your eyes wet. when was the first time you saw another person crying in pornography and thought - okay but for real. she looks super unhappy. later, when you are unhappy, you will close your eyes and ignore the feeling and act the role you have been taught to keep playing. they will punish the sex workers, remove the places they can practice their trade safely. they will then make casual jokes about how they sexually harass their nanny.

and they love sex but they hate that you're having sex. you need to have their ornamental, perfunctory, dispassionate sex. so you can't kiss your girlfriend in the bible belt because it is gross to have sex with someone of the same gender. so you can't get your tubes tied in new england because you might change your mind. so you can't admit you were sexually assaulted because real men don't get hurt, you should be grateful. you cannot handle your own body, you cannot handle the risks involved, let other people decide that for you. you aren't ready yet.

but they need you to have sex because you need to have kids. at 15, you are old enough to parent. you are not old enough to hear the word fuck too many times on television.

they are horrified by sex and they never stop talking about it, thinking about it, making everything unnecessarily preverted. the saying - a thief thinks everyone steals. they stand up at their podiums and they look out at the crowd and they sign a bill into place that makes sexwork even more unsafe and they stand up and smile and sign a bill that makes gender-affirming care illegal and they get up and they shrug their shoulders and write don't say gay and they get up, and they make the world about sex, but this horrible, plastic vision of it that they have. this wretched, emotionless thing that holds so much weight it's staggering. they put their whole spine behind it and they push and they say it's normal!

this horrible world they live in. disgusted and also obsessed.

[keychaintabithascarlet]

Spoilers for Lisa Frankenstein but the creature writing “Beloved Wife” on Lisa’s tombstone was the most romantic thing I’ve ever seen, it’s driving me crazy

[gravelsong]

Sparkplug is pushing the dadimus agenda so hard

[ezralva]

Just like how nobody ever taught him about the concept of CE and any blood manipulation techniques, he still became the most powerful blood manipulation user and even invented his own CT.

Nobody ever taught him how to be a big brother, how the eldest big brother has to protect, comfort, care, and guide their little siblings. Yet it didn't deter him to be the best big brother there is. This man did everything instinctively, including being a big brother, and always be the best at them.

[kraftykelpie]

Little sketch of a sleeping Dinluke :)

[armandssawtrap]

I have SO MANY thoughts and feelings about Armand telling Daniel the “she wanted to say yes” bit because that’s insane actually.

Assuming we take this at face value, right, no devils minion era… Armand is still trying to soften Louis’ blow… he’s being kind to Daniel which is actually insane given the saw trap in the 70s and what Daniel is there to do (not to mention how he reacts to Daniel ruining his life and marriage). Like… WHY is he being kind to Daniel? We know Armand has very little problem being cruel to people, and again… saw trap

And then… how does he know???? how does he know what Alice felt in that moment because if he was reading Daniel’s thoughts he would have seen it from Daniel’s pov which was probably tinged with the humiliation and grief he was experiencing

genuinely insane and tender moment coming from Armand

[vaguely-concerned]

having seen at least the rough outlines of all the romances now I have to say that I think emmrich's is probably objectively the best in terms of coherence and completeness of story arc (with the understanding that ultimately the 'best' romance is whichever one makes YOUR heart sing anyway so objectivity is a silly thing to claim that way, it just felt like it's the arc with the most well-paced focused content and the least dangling threads)... but lucanis' is my favourite haha. just. the whole kneeling before your beloved full of reverence but without any of the distance that usually implies??? his complete undramatic certainty and calm in every scene with rook after this, having spent the whole game caught between fear and longing???? mr. lives in a pantry but it says nothing about my psyche don't worry about it it's purely for tactical reasons that I keep myself contained in a small dark room not entirely unlike a cell, love among the parsnips -- finally coming to rook in their room and it's so comfortable and comforting???? after all the times rook supports and comforts him through the game he's finally able to return the same to them when they need it while being so calm and steady and it's so fucking sweet and feels so effortless and with no price attached?????? he basically assigns himself the role of your bodyguard and he WILL stab a god over it??????????????? the turn to protector (which was in his heart all along longing to get out and find a place) of it all????? he sounds like he's found himself unexpectedly stumbling into such a soul-lightening state of revelatory existential relief, full on 'you only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves' mary oliver style, and he goes and he shares that with rook and protectively envelops them in it when they're hurting??????????????????????????? hello for the maker's sake hello can anyone hear me?????

[benevolenterrancy]

@hereticcryptid I appear to be slowly but surely developing an entire series about how Hensheng and Baxia apparently get fed up with their owners' inability to express their feelings and take matters into their own hands...

[emergingghost]

i'm still here obviously

[whollyjoly]

i just have a feeling / you're better off than you think you are

(song insp.)

[color-beyond-lines]

Ok but when Peem asks “why do you like me?” and Phum actually replies>>>>

And when Fang is having a difficult time and the first thing he does is call Tan and then they talk about about it>>>>>

Like physical chemistry is great and all but I adore when couple get to have substantial conversations!

I am so glad these brothers found people to light up their lives again.

[emptystreetsandcitylights]

we are, episode 15 & 16

[sunnibits]

potentially hot take but this is a pet peeve of mine

[balee-art]

Still think about this scene a lot

[dukeofdelirium]

the WAYYYYY that they look at each other in this scene is forever going to be my Roman Empire. it actually makes me crazy. everyone else moved on but I never left this moment upon viewing it live fr. altered my brain chemistry forever

[zehl0w]

Zenitsu agatsuma has got to be the biggest egg I have ever seen in my entire life