#it held up

[okay-letsdothisonelasttime]

I'm back on that hunger games bullshit. Cause you know, the world is turning into a dystopion nightmare before our eyes, so why not consume media that showcases the hell on earth we are barrelling toward. And as always I have some (many) thoughts.

(This is long, but I needed to get it out of my head - sorry in advance if anyone does actually read it)

Gale is the worst - we all know this. He's manipulative, petty, short sighted and insecure. A great representation of fragile masculinity. But I'm only now coming to realise a lot of my dislike of the third book was largely ignited by his increased role in the narrative. Don't get me wrong there was a good potion of it that stemmed from being a (privilaged) adolescents at the time and thus unable to fully comprehend and empathise with the themes being discussed. But even at that age he was so unpalatable (and still is) that having to hear about him and his shitty behaviour throughout the story really undermined the complexity of the narrative (at least for me. Shitty unnecessary love triangle with a terrible man = loss of interest).

The third book is so much more interesting to me now (excluding fucking gale) that I have (experience with) comprehensive knowledge of mental health struggles (i.e. ptsd, depression, anxiety, panic disorders etc.). The way that finnick, katniss, haymitch, Johanna and of course peeta (and really all of the tributes) struggle with their truma, particularly in the third book, is very interesting, if horrifying, to read about. Especially when you consider the time during which this was written. Like yes mental health was being discussed more freely and with less stigma. But it wasn't the same open conversations we are having now, over a decade later.

There's so many small details from the books that I had completely forgotten about. Details that subtlety weave into the narrative and really intensify the characters, themes and political systems being represented. Things that make the capitol and their power that much more terrifying. Ideas that anchor the distopian themes more to reality and reflect the growing injustice and corruption in our own world back at the reader.

The books do a better job of representing katniss and peeta's age then I remember. Yes they have grown up with hardship, poverty, oppression and are therefore justifiably tougher and more comprehending then your average (privilaged) teen. But both show a level of naivety (for lack of a better word) throughout the books, particularly catching fire, that is a fundamental buy product and nessisary reminder of the fact that these are 16 to 17 year old kids. Forced into being the face, voice and engine of a revolutionary war.

While I once resented certain character deaths at the end of the series and questioned the motives and decisions made by individuals. I have come to realise (with age and experience) that it was so much more important for the story that it's wasn't contorted into some kind of palatable "happy ending" for fan service. The story would have never worked as a whole if it wasn't being brutally honest about the cost of change. Not just in the indicriminant loss of life (it could be your mum, your neighbour, your bully in school - just like it could be the unnamed character or your favourite protagonist). But the tax it can take on the mind, body, spirit and morality of the people who are fighting for it. Standing up for your rights, for your friends and families safety, for the quality of life of hundreds of unnamed people who you have never met will take a toll. And standing up against the oppression of yourself and or others will never be easy. And there's every chance you might walk away from that fight and no longer recognise yourself when you look in the mirror.

Anyway I'm sure there's so much more, but in conclusion 'the hunger games' aged like fine wine for the most part.

And while i understand why there was so much push back against it for the last little while. A young white women being represented as the savour of the oppressed because she was a figure head (at least for a large part) for the movement, while many grass roots organisations do the actual fighting on the ground. [Please see edit to add below for corrections]

I think overall there's a lot of political issues the book discusses well, which have remained topical and relevant enough that it still has a place in the current day. (Particulalrly with the distopian shithole amaerica is tuning into as we speak).

EDIT TO ADD: it has come to my addention that Kitniss was infact written into the books as a POC, likely either Native American or Melungeon. Something I didn't know, but makes a hell of a lot of sense, and I think is far more powerful when you consider her role in the series. However this does bring the white washing of her role in the movies to the forefront and opens up the issues of racial prejudice and lack of equal oppunity in hollywood. How visual media can very easily corrupt and alter our comprehension of literature. And why represention is so incredibly vital.

Because the reality is that, for me, having Katniss' role payed by a white women in the films completely steam roled and mentally erased the nuance of her characterisation as a POC women in the books. As I'm sure it did for a lot of young white teenagers. Which in turn emboldened a lot of (priviaged and white) people to participate in proformative activism. And subsequently led to the backlash that I wrote about above.

Thank you to @bluestrawberrys for bring the above issue to my attention so I could make the nessisary correction.

[egophiliac]

still ruminating over Lost In the Book With Spooky Skeletons Part 1, so here's a selection of some of my favorite little bits! (...some more loosely paraphrased than others) (I just feel like Idia has no room to criticize in general, okay)

anyway, I'm sure we're just going to have a fun time celebrating Halloween and nothing bad is going to happen whatsoever! :)

[anna-scribbles]

emma dupain cheng on the brain😽🎀

more:

[crows-home]

part of my nimona viewing experience. idk why but i got super emotional in the first five minutes.

ID by @peachygos

[ID: A comic juxtaposing screenshots from Nimona 2023 and drawings of a person watching the movie. The first screenshot is Ambrosius's introduction; he grins at the camera as the news anchors introduce him, his name in big print on the screen. The person watching thinks with a bored expression, "Ah. Ok. This guy is gonna be the jackass. Typical golden-boy stuck-up prince that thinks he's better than the underdog. I see where this is going.

The next screenshot is of Ambrosius and Ballister on the platform above the arena, Ambrosius doing his news anchor bit and saying, "Aaand will Ballister be broody on the biggest day of his life?" Ballister laughs at his antics. The person watching now has a small smile, as they think, "Huh! Aw, they're actually nice to each other and are friends! I wasn't expecting that, that's nice-"

The third and final screenshot is a shot from behind of Ballister leaning his head on Ambrosius's shoulder. The caption reads "the knighting ceremony is just moments away." The person watching now has a touched, soft expression, like they're holding back tears. They think "OH." as a partially transparent doodle behind them bends over crying and blubbering, with another doodle showing their heart shot through with an arrow. /end ID]

[kensatou]

forget about elon musk vs mark zuckerberg. i need to see yoshiki fight elon musk.

update: x japan has released its first single in eight years. to further shade elon musk. this is a thing that happened.

[lungthief]

listen. i know it's not 2014 anymore and i know it's just a throwaway line and that the russo brothers didnt intend for marvel action blockbuster captain america the winter soldier to become the tragic gay love story that never was but man. having steve say "it's kind of hard to find someone with shared life experience" in a conversation about romantic relationships right before the bucky reveal is so cruel. it's not just about steve and bucky obviously having the shared experience of being "out of time," it's the fact that they've both been stripped of their humanity in opposite directions. steve is a legend, he is an american hero and a national icon before he is a human being the same way that bucky is a weapon and a killing machine before he is a human being. steve knows that anyone who falls in love with him in the 21st century fell in love with captain america first, and that's just not him. but then the one person who knew him first and knew him best and loved him (not captain america, that little guy from brooklyn) so much he died for it is alive, impossibly. and it's a miracle because he's back and it's horrific because he's back under the worst possible circumstances. but to steve, the winter soldier is worth tearing the world apart for because he's always been bucky first. they find each other and suddenly they're human again. and maybe, despite it all, being "out of time" becomes a blessing, because in this century they'd finally be allowed to love each other the way they've always wanted to. like real people do.

like. no. the captain america trilogy isn't about two queer men traumatized and alienated by war and modern life rediscovering and reclaiming their humanity through their love for each other. but. i mean. it couldve been

[boonjur]

X-Men High School AU? X-Men High School AU.

[giantkillerjack]

Today my therapist introduced me to a concept surrounding disability that she called "hLep".

[plain-text version of this post can be found under the cut]

Which is when you - in this case, you are a disabled person - ask someone for help ("I can't drink almond milk so can you get me some whole milk?", or "Please call Donna and ask her to pick up the car for me."), and they say yes, and then they do something that is not what you asked for but is what they think you should have asked for ("I know you said you wanted whole, but I got you skim milk because it's better for you!", "I didn't want to ruin Donna's day by asking her that, so I spent your money on an expensive towing service!") And then if you get annoyed at them for ignoring what you actually asked for - and often it has already happened repeatedly - they get angry because they "were just helping you! You should be grateful!!"

And my therapist pointed out that this is not "help", it's "hLep".

Sure, it looks like help; it kind of sounds like help too; and if it was adjusted just a little bit, it could be help. But it's not help. It's hLep.

At its best, it is patronizing and makes a person feel unvalued and un-listened-to. Always, it reinforces the false idea that disabled people can't be trusted with our own care. And at its worst, it results in disabled people losing our freedom and control over our lives, and also being unable to actually access what we need to survive.

So please, when a disabled person asks you for help on something, don't be a hLeper, be a helper! In other words: they know better than you what they need, and the best way you can honor the trust they've put in you is to believe that!

Also, I want to be very clear that the "getting angry at a disabled person's attempts to point out harmful behavior" part of this makes the whole thing WAY worse. Like it'd be one thing if my roommate bought me some passive-aggressive skim milk, but then they heard what I had to say, and they apologized and did better in the future - our relationship could bounce back from that. But it is very much another thing to have a crying shouting match with someone who is furious at you for saying something they did was ableist. Like, Christ, Jessica, remind me to never ask for your support ever again! You make me feel like if I asked you to call 911, you'd order a pizza because you know I'll feel better once I eat something!!

Edit: crediting my therapist by name with her permission - this term was coined by Nahime Aguirre Mtanous!

Edit again: I made an optional follow-up to this post after seeing the responses. Might help somebody. CW for me frankly talking about how dangerous hLep really is.

Plain-text version:

Today my therapist introduced me to a concept surrounding disability that she called "hLep".

Which is when you - in this case, you are a disabled person - ask someone for help ("I can't drink almond milk so can you get me some whole milk?", or "Please call Donna and ask her to pick up the car for me."), and they say yes, and then they do something that is not what you asked for but is what they think you should have asked for ("I know you said you wanted whole, but I got you skim milk because it's better for you!", "I didn't want to ruin Donna's day by asking her that, so I spent your money on an expensive towing service!") And then if you get annoyed at them for ignoring what you actually asked for - and often it has already happened repeatedly - they get angry because they "were just helping you! You should be grateful!!"

And my therapist pointed out that this is not "help", it's "hLep".

Sure, it looks like help; it kind of sounds like help too; and if it was adjusted just a little bit, it could be help. But it's not help. It's hLep.

At its best, it is patronizing and makes a person feel unvalued and un-listened-to. Always, it reinforces the false idea that disabled people can't be trusted with our own care. And at its worst, it results in disabled people losing our freedom and control over our lives, and also being unable to actually access what we need to survive.

So please, when a disabled person asks you for help on something, don't be a hLeper, be a helper! In other words: they know better than you what they need, and the best way you can honor the trust they've put in you is to believe that!

P.S. Also, I want to be very clear that the "getting angry at a disabled person's attempts to point out harmful behavior" part of this makes the whole thing WAY worse. Like it'd be one thing if my roommate bought me some passive-aggressive skim milk, but then they heard what I had to say, and they apologized and did better in the future - our relationship could bounce back from that. But it is very much another thing to have a crying shouting match with someone who is furious at you for saying something they did was ableist. Like, Christ, Jessica, remind me to never ask for your support ever again! You make me feel like if I asked you to call 911, you'd order a pizza because you know I'll feel better once I eat something!!

Edit: crediting my therapist by name with her permission - this term was coined by Nahime Aguirre Mtanous!

Edit again: I made an optional follow-up to this post after seeing the responses. Might help somebody. CW for me frankly talking about how dangerous hLep really is.

[hinamie]

thank u canon plant nerd megumi for my life

bonus:

[lazylittledragon]

ok someone please correct me if i'm wrong but am i weird for thinking those 'audiobooks don't count as reading' posts are ableist as fuck????

[floccinaucinihilipilificationa]

[biscuitdragonwithastick]

Minotaur Ranch

cw: cnc, dubious consent, monster fucking, bestiality(?)

Based on the Eggpregtober Fic 3

I keep imagining what it'd be like to work on a Minotaur Ranch.

The beasts mostly keep to themselves, grazing the fields and laying around in the shade. They can act real cute with you sometimes. Nuzzling into your palm when you scratch their head just right. Mooing impatiently to be let out after being cooped up at night. It's easy to forget they're running on primal instinct until one shoved you against a wall and rips through your pants.

That's when you remember the rules of the ranch: Don't pet the Minotaur, Don't feed the Minotaur, and Don't ever present your ass to a Minotaur.

You hadn't thought these rules were that important.

How could you have known that petting and rubbing their bodies with soothing touches would be seen as an act of submission. It never would have occurred to you that feeding them a bit of your lunch every once in a while would be seen as a sign of courtship.

And when you turned around to pick up some equipment off the floor, how could you foreseen that the bull behind you would take it as a sign you were in heat.

Muscular hands hold you off the ground. As your legs dangle below you, you feel the wet muzzle of your Minotaur lick into your neck. It's meant to be a soothing gestures as he lines his bovine cock against your opening, but all you feel is terror at the rough fucking about to take place.

You've seen the ways the Minotaur's fight each other in the fields. It's part of their DNA to show dominance to the weak. You've heard of monster "bitching" before, and you know it's supposed to be an act of ferocious claiming meant to humiliate a subservient other.

You close your eyes, waiting for the pain of being split on Minotaur cock, but instead yelp as they pull you up further off the ground and lick you. Their tongue is long, wet and thick, thicker than a human cock. You can't help but moan as it breaches your hole. That only seems to encourage it, roughly thrusting it's tongue into you as deep as it can go. You writhe in its grip. At the angle its holding you, you can look down and see its tongue pushing your skin taut.

Once it's satisfied you've been opened enough it moves you down, back over its cock and thrusts inside. It doesn't hurt. It's so gentle with you, fucking you like it knows you weren't built for the full force of a Minotaur's strength. You clench down as you cum from the treatment. It bellows loud and low at how good you feel.

It fucks you against the wall like that. Slowly rocking forward into your human frame You can't help but imagine if you had been any other Minotaur. Would it have fucked you harder? Or was Minotaur mating far softer than you gave them credit for? You'll have to answer those questions later. Right now, you just want to focus on your next orgasm.

You know its close when it starts to breathe heavier and thrust a little faster. Wet slapping sounds fill the air as its balls hit your thighs. In one final thrust, it groans and hot cum fills you. You can feel its balls draw up behind you. You didn't realize how long a Minotaur could cum until minutes passed and you were still being filled. Most of it has pooled between your legs and onto the floor, but your bulging tummy is aching from what little can fill it.

But you love it. You loved being bred by your bull. You wished you could be fucked over and over again just like this.

As it pulls out of you and holds you limp in its grasp, it hands you over to another Minotaur. The whole herd had watched you be claimed, now they think your a mare in heat. You can't blame them. As you spread your legs for the next bull, you think about how good it is to work on a Minotaur ranch.

[yuutaguro]

creatures in heaven 🌸

[raycatzdraws]

Wolfie and Four friendship appreciation doodles! They're shared secrets besties! I hope Four's distrust of the shadow crystal doesn't drive anything between them. Wild found his way into this compilation with a force. It seems I can't draw Wolfie and not include him too!

[potatoes-tomatoes]

[doydoune]

something something about mentors and cycles and mentors and cycles