#and will have painful consequences

[furiousgoldfish]

Kids instinctively test their boundaries and challenge authority; not to be annoying and cause trouble on purpose, but because they need to know where the boundaries are, what are the consequences for breaking them, and who actually is the real authority that can bring forth the consequences. This is normal and healthy human behaviour; if they don’t try it, how will they ever find out? It's curiosity, courage, need to know exactly where they stand, how much freedom can they get, what they can get away with, it's something we all have to test in life at one point or another, and childhood should be the safest, most protected place to test this out.

Based on how well they manage to establish their own place, their own rules and figure out what will and won't have consequences, they'll continue to develop this knowledge in the adulthood; they'll fight for their needs in their friendships and relationships, they'll stand up to their teachers and exploitative bosses, they'll follow their sense of justice and sometimes defy authority in order to do what is right. And if they learned something is a hard limit in childhood, they'll be careful not to cross that limit where it would come back to harm them. And those limits should be along the lines of causing physical harm to others, hurting smaller, more vulnerable people, using their power for cruelty.

In abusive households, children are not allowed this test of limits. Abusive parents insist on complete authority, punish something as small as 'talking back', and thus take away the child's ability to explore boundaries. In abuse the boundaries are usually uncertain, undefined, so the child can never know what could be taken as an offense, as a provocation or excuse to harm them. Abusers prefer keeping children not knowing where they stand, so they would assume anything could be taken as disobedience, even lack of action could be punished. This enables abusers to change the rules at will and to punish child who hasn't done anything wrong – they can retroactively decide something offended them and take their anger out on a child. The child learns that even if someone just perceives a transgression, that didn't even happen, they will be punished for it. They learn to live in absolute fear, analyzing their every action, anxiously trying to figure out how everyone around them is feeling and reacting to them, trying desperately not to give anyone a reason for offense.

So how will this child deal with an unfair teacher, one they get in that situation? How will they handle an exploitative boss? How can they fight back a bully, navigate an abusive friendship or a relationship, how can they stand up to anyone? They've learned that even doing nothing can have devastating consequences, and doing everything sometimes isn't enough either. All they know how to do is to try to please everyone, desperately overthink everything, accept blame and punishment even when it wasn't their fault, even when they're being exploited and harmed. Their needs get forgotten and neglected completely, in their endless quest to protect themselves from harm, by trying to avoid it with their every action and word. They've been taught, by pain and torture, that other people's authority over them is final, that refusing to please others means pain. So they'll accept being exploited, neglected and violated, because to refuse would mean even worse type of pain. And the abusive boss, partner, teacher, friend, will revel in realization that this person is afraid, that anything can be done to them, that rules can be changed on the fly, exploitation can be endless because this person won't ever test what's been said to them; they'll assume other's authority is right, and that to fight back would mean severe consequences.

That is what authoritarian parenting teaches, that's what forceful, demanding, aggressive and punishment-eager parents do to their kid's lives. They lie every time they say it's to make the kid strong, or to prepare them for 'the real life', it's anything but. It's creating a person who cannot fight for themselves or stand up for themselves because they've been tortured for their first attempts to test the boundaries.

Let your kids try stupid shit. If they can't figure out boundaries by testing them out with you, they won't be able to figure it out any other way. Adults do it all the time, because they've learned as children that this testing can bring them benefits, certainty, fairness and needs fulfilled. As it should be, children should try and see what happens if they ask, if they demand, if they try to get their way, if they protest, if they fight back. They need to know that sometimes in life it's worth it. That sometimes it's necessary. They need to know life won't end if they try it. They need to know it's okay to try. They need to believe they have every right to.

[cj-the-random-artist]

I kept debating how to end this short little mini comic. In the original script, they were gonna hold hands (scandalous, I know lmfao), but I didn't think it hit quite right in comic format when I tried to make it longer. Hence why it ends... like that.

Anyways I wrote like a ton of comic scripts for COTL comics that just didn't hit right / I couldn't commit to making and then when driving home from work last week in the pitch darkness I thought about how nice it is to see like actual stars. And I feel like with the cult grounds being kind of among a lot of trees and all that it might take a short hike to get a really, really, really good view of the night sky and stuff. Thus. This.

It's arguably not my best work (I'm out of practice drawing good night skies and all that) but I'm happy with it. Enjoy this thing I made

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

hope you feel better soon!

I am riddled with ailments, but I stay silly!

[autoraton]

Riz pulling so much weight for everyone and securing votes vs Kristen being the closest to failing out of school thus inadvertently screwing him. plus her inadvertently bringing Kalina back, who as it stands serves as an antagonistic and deeply painful force in Riz's life. there's just something really ripe and tragic about their friendship rn (even moreso if you wanna throw in the meta that the narrative was steered towards Riz running against Kipperlilly) and it's neither of their faults. I feel like I'm watching a disaster in slow motion.

[ooogleys]

DRDT SPOILERS IN TAGS!!!!

highkey i would hate being ace markey

[dianagj-art]

The coolest wine aunt there is

for @gemini-forest's DTIYS

version without the chains so Mikey can be seen in his full glory

[basilbots]

Ironically Ruin killing Solar is what appealed Solruin to me like yes let's make this tragic as hell

[laniidae-passerine]

I made my post about Dean Highbottom and then as I was writing my tags realised that his Hunger Games counterpart is Haymitch. and now my head is in my hands and I don’t think I’ll ever recover

[sulfies]

Il love it when fic writers give him golden or charred arm :,0 its mwwwwaaah

[softmeetscreatureplz]

Okay fuck it more Chuuya brainrot ideas of mine because fucking hell I cannot think around this shit

Chuuya Nakahara is host to a god, there is a god inhabiting his body 24/7, who can (most likely) see and hear whatever Chuuya can, right?

It's a known thing in religions that swearing a vow in front of a god is how it's taken seriously, and especially in the past when people would swear alligances, servitude, or loyalties, that doing so in front of a god was a way to be taken 100% seriously for life, and that making vow(s) like that were also for life unless specified otherwise.

Now picture this with me, please.

Chuuya Nakahara, finding the sheep while living on the streets- they take him in and help him, and in his gratitude, he promises to protect and take care of them forever. Little does he know, that he signs his fucking soul away like this, because the sheep don't know what he's saying- vowing really-, and Chuuya doesn't quite realize either.

Then, he meets Dazai. And Dazai is annoying and he hates him but he's also a weird guy and seems like he might be a bit fun to mess with, so he decides to follow the bastard.

Flash forward a bit; they're at the arcade and Chuuya makes a stupid- stupid bet.

And he loses.

Now, again, at this point in time, there are quite a few factors. Dazai is the newer vow, and despite what it seems like, doesn't actually order him around much at all, despite his teasing. Not only that, but Chuuyas promises are fundamentally differnt in wording; one to protect and help, the other to "serve and be a dog."

In any case, Chuuya keeps more of his free will, as a servent and protector. He keeps the sheep safe, and ignores his growing bond with the mafia boy.

Then the sheep betray him.

Chuuya is left with his active vow, the final if unsaid order, to die.

He pulls the knife out of his side, and gets ready for death- but that's not what happens.

No, instead, along comes Dazai, who reminds him of their bet and, however intentionally, reclaims that part of Chuuya that had given in to death.

Then he brings Chuuya to the Port Mafia, and Chuuya swears his loyalty again- this time to Mori.

Once again, he's safer now, because he has two people with control over him, except now he's starting to catch on.

Not only that, but Mori has suspicions as well.

Flash forward again; Dazai leaves the PM.

The worst thing he could have done to Chuuya- Dazai thought he was doing Chuuya a favor by not making him choose between loyalties; sure in his heart that if Chuuya wanted to leave he wouldn't care about the consequences and would just follow Dazai.

Instead, he dooms Chuuya to a life filled by orders solely from Mori and the PM.

If it wasn't for Chuuyas steadfast denials, the very bond of servitude would have been long dissolved as a result of Dazais action(s).

And Dazai never actually knowing this, that he is the reason Chuuya is alive and also still stuck in the PM.

[attaladydraws]

*slides in* did I mention I play dnd-

anyway you should totally look at my archfe- I mean totally normal fairy rune knight who is very normal and has a very normal name and no other underlying motives wheresoever, off to save the world with a party of friends.

[piastrinorris]

RJ'S SPOTIFY WRAPPED GIF MEME 2023 → 51 + leonard bast: consequences by lovejoy

[voidcat]

leaning in for a peck on the lips and telling your windbreaker darling they're so sweet they give you toothaches... only to be hit by a real toothache hours later

[shrews-art]

I could write a whole essay about how Victor Vale and Kell Maresh are two sides of the same coin, opposites yet somehow similar when it comes to their relationship with pain

[uncanny-tranny]

It's evil that you can be in pain while doing nothing. What do you mean my body is damaged and shouldn't be used in certain ways, I'm literally doing NOTHING what more can you WANT.

[yoimix]

「 いかないで 」

[ note: takes place before inazuma archon quest finale and contains spoilers for scaramouche backstory! ]

SCARAMOUCHE has thought of many ways to say it.

he parts his lips, forming the words soundlessly, and repeats. over and over again, till he memorizes the shape of the words. however, he does not understand his compulsion to say them to you—you, who makes his blood boil in the same sentence you make it rise to his cheeks. even now, he swallows his anger to talk to you. the scowl on his face is only quelled by the thought of your soft gaze. he never anticipated this feeling.

will his voice crack? he wonders as he searches for your figure near the abandoned shrine. that would be embarrassing. you’d dismiss it airily but as much as he denies his affection for it, he’d get to hear you laugh. it’s surprising. his temper and unpleasantries barely ever get you down. it’s not like he deserves your patience but it would be dishonest to hide the light in his eyes you bring.

despite what the world says, scaramouche can feel gratitude. 

adrift for hundreds of years without guidance, without a sleeve to hold onto, it’s only fair for him to be this unruly, this tempestuous. it’s a miracle you make him smile the way he does.

“ah, there you are!”

oh, how his heart blooms at the sound of your voice. is that right? perhaps it’s another malfunction.

“..llo? hello? why do you look so lost, wanderer?” you giggle, your face unbearably close to his. your examining eyes make a flush of heat flood his face.

“wanderer? that’s a new name,” he comments. 

you hum. “but you’ve been wandering for so long. it makes sense, doesn’t it?”

he swallows. you call him a variety of names. it’s a strange contrast with his past. kabukimono, he was called. and he was taught there is no place for nameless eccentrics in this world. 

“besides,” you continue, despite his lack of response, “scaramouche is a little... well, the fatui have interesting names. they don’t feel personal.”

“i’m not anything personal,” he snaps. “what does that mean?”

“but our friendship is personal to us, isn’t it?” you grin, eyes closing in mirth.

really, what’s there to smile so hard about? you look so much more alluring than usual, and he can only watch. 

“well, it might get harder now,” you ramble on, scratching the back of your head. “i’ll write you letters though!”

scaramouche furrows his brows. it’s nothing to me, he thought to himself several times. but he’s driven his nails into his palm, knuckles sheet-white. you’ve been by his side for so many moons. how could you go your own way now? 

“why?” he asks, louder than he intended. there it is again. rage and resentment rise like bile in his throat till he’s scowling again.

“what do you mean why? for business, of course! i’m a merchant, after all,” you laugh. “i mean, fontaine isn’t that far.”

“you’re unsafe on your own,” he cuts, glaring. “do you know what the fatui do to traitors?”

you shrug. “i was never fatui to begin with. and it was a deal they broke.”

“you don’t understand.” his impatience shows in his voice. he should say it now, but the words don’t come out. he’s too pissed to ask you that. after all, you’ll never know what he feels, what he’s ever felt.

you are happy with all things as they come and go. he cannot agree with the natural order of the world.

“are you leaving?” he asks sharply, choking over his words. before he knew it, his voice was raised. 

what he really wants to ask is “are you leaving me?”

it would be so much easier if you treated him with contempt too. if you glared at him instead of smiling softly, if you were at his throat instead of greeting him with your warm smile. he wishes you would tear him apart instead of trying to piece him together. why do you have to be so difficult? 

“whatever.” he grits his teeth. his heart beats rapidly despite himself. “go get eaten by the riftwolves for all i care. it’s not like we’re friends.”

“please don’t sa—”

he growls, irritated. “shut up. you won’t ever understand anyway. at least, when i take her gnosis, i can finally—”

why are you looking at him like that? is it so obvious how he feels? he’s hooked onto you, with your liberating smile and loving gaze. no matter how lonely, how unwanted he may have been in life—you open your mouth, and every syllable soothes the burden of his past. to him, you are not a place of betrayal. then why are you looking at him like that?

“say, does it snow in inazuma?” you ask in a gentle voice.

“yes,” he answers, furrowing his brows. you are so strange, with your meandering words and phrases.

as if on cue, you reach out and smooth your fingertips over his eyebrows, effectively relaxing his face. he absentmindedly reaches out to grab your hand, placing it against his cheek. with this gesture itself, he feels defeated. he will never be able to separate his emotions from his body. the defect is permanent.

“even on the beaches?” you continue asking.

“yes,” he says quietly. “it’s not as cold as snezhnaya though.”

all of a sudden, he realizes why you’re so strange. you call him with love. not the code name from a foreign land, not the name he chose for himself out of resentment.

“i hate you.” his voice cracks. he’s certain he looks miserable. it’s not even what he wanted to say. “i hate you so much.”

you purse your lips. “really? but you’re still holding my hand.”

his grip tightens. the truth is, he wants to say it out loud.

“don’t go.” his voice is a hoarse whisper. yes, those are the words he practiced. so simple and yet, they wouldn’t come out. does he truly deserve to say it? he, who was discarded with one look from his creator?

a wretched little makeshift heart is all he has. did his mother design him to be a failure? the words are still caught in his throat. isn’t it funny how with each passing night, he tries harder to become more and more of what she wanted him to be? he wishes to rid himself of all emotions so bad and you won’t let him.

“please,” he adds, unable to hear himself over the ringing in his ears. he’s allowed to do this right? it’s natural he wants to protect the one who’s been by his side, who’s listened to his story by shakkei pavilion.

with much difficulty, you slip your hand from his grip and look at him with sorrow. it seems fate is fond of hitting him where it hurts.

“come with me,” you whisper, before clasping your hands over his stone-cold ones. you can’t possibly look at him like that and expect a response. “you’re not one of them.” 

“i have no place to belong,” he responds, feeling a deep tiredness course through him. he leans forward into your touch.

“you’ll always have a place to belong with me.”

you brush the pad of your thumb over his cheek. his skin is always so cold, yet sculpted slender and beautiful. the red of his lips is only surpassed in hue by his cheeks. does he bleed? where does he get such pretty colors? it’s your turn to feel drawn, as you lean in to press a kiss to his forehead. even if he refuses, you have a feeling he’ll find you again for better or for worse. 

but for the first time in his life, the two of you can enjoy an inazuman winter in shared warmth. he can have this at the very least.