#it was fine and i think it was just me being pedantic

[steaksex]

Ohhhhh im gonna be a pervert forever <- did a little meditation thingamajig in an app i got and the meditation itself was not super helpful just bc of the basis it used BUT. I twitched and got hard when the meditation told me i was doing well. I love being NORMAL !!!!!!

[icewindandboringhorror]

examining a seemingly normal image only to slowly realize the clear signs of AI generated art.... i know what you are... you cannot hide your true nature from me... go back where you came from... out of my sight with haste, wretched and vile husk

[letteredlettered]

Went to a panel about slash fanfic at a con. Moderator said, "Welcome to the panel about erotica." The words "slash" and "erotica" were used interchangeably throughout. Panel was great.

There was a Q&A at the end so I raised my hand and said these terms seemed conflated. Moderator explained she'd run this panel for 10 years and it started out being about slash but drifted into erotica and she never changed the name. (She also said she was glad I brought it up and would keep it in mind for the future of the panel.) The guy on the panel who writes original m/f erotica said that slash and what he writes are basically the same thing. I said I had no complaints about the name of the panel or the panelists, I was just curious about what slash meant to them, and whether slash by necessity had to include sex scenes to be considered slash.

Two panelists answered that slash was romance between men but usually had sex. Eventually one of them did make clear that slash didn't have to have sex but that it was what they wanted to read. Another panelist said that to them slash really just meant dude romance but people wouldn't read their fic unless there was sex so they felt they had to put sex scenes in.

Person came up to me after the panel. Said they felt I didn't get my question answered. Then they explained that since the 70s, 'slash' has been used to mean m slash m romance, meaning explicit and sexual. Then they said it sounded like what I wanted to ask about was shipping. They explained to me that shipping is just wanting the characters to be together but slash meant sex. They explained that since the invention of AO3, people had begun to use the ampersand to mean the fic had two characters who were friends and that the slash was used to denote ships, but even though that punctuation just meant romance, the word "slash" in the last twenty years had become synonymous with explicit fic. I explained I had been in fandom longer than twenty years and this was not necessarily my experience. They said, "Bye!"

Though they seemed confused as to whether what they personally defined as slash had been mainstream since the 70s or since the last twenty years (the person was 24), they were well-meaning. The panel was great. I'd recommend it to anyone, though I'm not stating the name of the con here because I don't want anyone involved to feel this is really a critique of the panel itself. The moderator in particular was superb.

I think that this conversation just brought up a whole lot of feelings for me. I think it bothers me that people still think that all fanfic is smutty, that all slash requires porn, and that all fic must have porn in order to be read. I am familiar with this conflation and feel perfectly fine going to a panel that I think is about slash fic and finding out it's about erotic lit, some of which is fanfic. After all, I like both, and I recognize that fandom mushes these things together and teasing them out into separate strands isn't something everyone--or possibly even most fans--have any interest in. I recognize that I am pedantic to a degree that most people find uninteresting.

I have a little bit more of a problem with the idea that slash is "basically the same" as het, but this was said by only one of the panelists. If your panel is actually about straight up erotica and not slash, then the problem is just the name of the panel.

What I found the most frustrating, however, is that whenever I have this conversation, I feel like the default assumption most of my interlocutors begin AND end with is this: smut is why we're here. And I just don't understand that. Away Childish Things has 44,800 kudos, and it has no smut in it. My next most kudosed fic has almost 15,000 kudos and tons of smut. My next most kudosed fic has almost 14,000 kudos and it doesn't even have a kiss.

I'm not talking about kudos to show off how many I have, or because I think kudos make a point about quality of a fic. They have nothing to do with quality. But they do have to do with popularity, and the truth is, sex doesn't sell. It's something else. It's not good writing. It's not a great plot. It's not in-character characterization. IT'S SOMETHING ELSE. What is it?

I've had people say to me, "Well, you're lettered; it works differently for you." DOES IT??? Maybe they meant that because enough people know me as fic author, people will read my fic anyway, but let me tell you, it's always been this way for me, long before my fic was really popular. The ones with smut did not get more praise and attention. The ones that PEOPLE LIKED got more praise and attention. Do people like fic that has smut in it more than fic without smut? Some of the time! Does there have to be smut for people to like it? NO.

Have I had people tell me they didn't want to read something I wrote because it didn't have smut? YES. But the point I'm trying to make is, there are people who want to read fic that doesn't have smut in it. THEY are your audience for the fic you want to write that doesn't have smut in it. Fic does not have to have smut to be fic; it doesn't have to have smut to be read.

I think part of the reason I get so upset about it is that slash as we know it today didn't just emerge because some people weren't getting to read smut and they wanted to. It emerged because women and queer people and other marginalized communities were not getting to see what they wanted to in mainstream media. They weren't getting sex scenes, but they also weren't getting queer content, they weren't getting stories about sensitive men that defied patriarchal stereotypes of male toxicity; they weren't getting stories about disabled folks and people of color and folks who are into kink and folks who have different lifestyles. To reduce fanfic to porn is to remove the rich history of why it exists and who it exists for.

I asked earlier what makes a fic popular, and to me, it's exactly this. It's when you read a thing and you feel, "this is really satisfying to my id in a way that I am not getting from mainstream media." And sometimes what is satisfying to your id is very horny anal sex. Other times what is satisfying to your id is Bucky Barnes getting a blanket and facing his trauma. Sometimes it's Harry Potter being trans. Sometimes it's Naruto and Sasuke getting to just hold hands as the sun sets. I have no idea who those two people are but boy howdy do I know they just fucking need to hold hands.

But the other reason I get so upset about it is I'm so fucking tired of reading a great fic that devolves into mediocre mechanical porn that is there due to the collective brainwashing that states that this is the ONLY reason ALL of us are here.

Discuss.

[muddyorbsblr]

team loki pt1

See my full list of works here!

inspired by this TikTok POV

Summary: Thor poses a question that puts you in an uncomfortable situation, and causing you to give him a desperate and thinly-veiled half truth

Pairing: Loki x Reader

Word Count: 1.7k

Warning/s: one (1) cuss word (nope, not sorry, Rogers); other than that…none? i think? this is mostly fluff with a side of slight angst?

Things to be aware of: mutual pining, idiots in love, Thor being a himbo

"Lady Y/N, may I ask a rather…personal question?"

You made sure to shut your Kindle before you looked up at Thor, bracing yourself for whatever the god of thunder might throw your way. However, nothing could have prepared you for the next words that came out of his unnecessarily nosy mouth.

"Are you in courtship with my brother?"

The common area filled with the sound of your sputtering bumbling reaction, as well as the borderline derisive laugh from Loki, who sat beside you. In fact the question caught him so off guard that he'd carelessly slammed his book shut.

"Are you out of your mind?!" you blurted out just as the raven haired god said, "Brother, don't be absurd."

Bitch please, only in my dreams, you finished in the safety of your mind. He could do so much better than me and he probably knows it.

What you didn't know is that Loki kept quiet his own sentiment. I should only be so fortunate. Every shake of your head and flippant denial felt like a dagger burrowing deeper into his heart.

"We're friends, Thunder," you answered, again biting back the words of Of course I'd love to be more, but that's neither here nor there. "That's it and that's all."

"I see…" Thor replied, the fond smile growing on his face putting both you and his brother in discomfort. "I'm glad."

"Excuse me?" you managed to croak out despite the lump that suddenly formed in your throat.

"Well if my brother is not what you fancy then that could only mean--"

"Whoa whoa whoa hold on there, buddy," you stopped him before he could even think of finishing the sentence. "I'm not into you like that, can you believe this doofus?" You looked to the god seated beside you, who surprisingly seemed even more tense than you were.

Jaw tense, eyes slightly squinted as he assessed the blond seated across from you. His entire body language suggested he was readying himself for a fight, which had you confused to no end. What stake did he have in this situation?

"Lady Y/N, I am no 'doofus', I promise you that," Thor said haughtily, shifting his posture to puff his chest out. "I will have you know that back in Asgard many a--"

"Well you're not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy," you quipped. "I know you're gonna find it hard to get through that thick skull of yours, but not every woman with a pulse here wants to throw themselves at you pussy first. This isn't Asgard. And some people just like…different things."

You didn't dare even sneak a glance at the god of mischief beside you. But if you had, you would have seen that for a split second, his face lit up at your words. That for even a fleeting moment, he felt a glimmer of hope that perhaps because your fancies didn't lean towards his blond oaf of a brother, then there was even the slightest plausibility that he had a fighting chance to capture your attentions.

"Does that mean that you prefer…urgh what was it that Stark said about these unnecessary pedantic terms?" the blond Asgardian sighed. "Something about teams…?"

Your hand slapped down on the sofa, and you let out a frustrated groan. If he kept on prodding it wouldn't take long before he'd circle back to his brother and both of them would figure it out in record time. "Fine, Thor," you said, exasperated, throwing your hands in the air. "Yes. Not that it's any of your goddamn business, but yes. I am on the other team."

You really were. In a way. Just not in the way that Stark probably meant, considering that the billionaire genius didn't spend all that much time on social media these days.

So there was no way for him, or most of your teammates really, to know that the "teams" you were referring to were actually "Team Thor" or "Team Loki". Yes, the Internet was a messed up place that you wouldn't ever bother to understand at your fully grown age, but sometimes one of its considerably saner corners were mildly entertaining.

And in this case, that corner managed to wiggle you out of a near "egg on your face" situation.

"In that case, I hope you'll accept my sincerest apologies, Lady Y/N. For breaching on your privacy so--"

"Ham-fisted?" Loki spoke up, the slightest sneer still on his face. "As you always are?"

"Yes," he murmured. "Precisely. I hope this does not affect our friendship irreparably."

"Awww Thunder, of course it won't," you said with a click of your tongue, slightly feeling sorry for the goof that currently looked like a human embodiment of "sad wet dog". "Just give it a few weeks for that awkwardness to go away…because buddy you got me real worried there."

You stood up to take your leave from the common area, wanting nothing more than to get a drink and try to put all memories of the exchange behind you. Maybe if you acted fast you could hack your brain into not having to hold on to the trauma of watching how Loki's face curled up in disgust over even the thought of you two being perceived as a couple.

"Ohh! Lady Y/N, I distinctly remember that Lady Olivia in Research is also--"

"Appreciate the offer to wingman, Thor, but I'm all good, thanks!" you said over your shoulder, walking even faster to get out of there and return to your apartment.

Once you were out of earshot, Loki turned to his brother, conjuring a dagger in his hand pointed at the oaf. "What in the Nine was that, Brother?" he nearly hissed the last word. "This will be the last time I ever make the mistake of confiding in you who it is I wish to court. Norns, you cannot even help yourself, can you? Your ego is as fragile as rice paper that you have to prove that somehow everyone I ever set my sights on will prefer you."

"Loki, I--"

"Well in this rather unfortunate and might I say humiliating turn of events, at least I have been granted the fleeting consolation that she prefers neither of us. Perhaps I can derive some form of happiness from that--"

"Brother, I apologize," Thor blurted out. "I did not set out on this foolish endeavor of mine to scorn you and thieve away Lady Y/N's affections for myself. Though now I do understand how my actions may not translate consistently with my intent."

"No, no they really hadn't, you oaf."

"At the risk of my friendship with Lady Y/N, I posed those questions in hopes that perhaps she would have shown some inkling that your desire to have your friendship become something more was…reciprocated," he confessed. There was a somber look on his face as he continued on, "I truly am sorry for not bringing forth a more desirable outcome."

Loki stewed in his seat. He'd never known his brother to express even the most minute trace of allegiance to him in their youth. "All the others," he said accusingly. "When we were in Asgard, you consistently stole them away, why am I to believe that this time was different?"

"Brother, I know you may not believe me now, but please hear me when I tell you this. Those actions were not done out of greed. They were a test of loyalty. Theirs. To you. And each and every one failed," Thor explained somberly.

Just before he could let out a barb that in your case, the only failure was his own, the sounds of junior SHIELD agents' voices floated into the common area. "Look Sierra I get it, okay? We can all have different tastes and like different people, but we can also be wrong about some things. Like honestly after everything we've seen both of them do with our own damn peepers, how can you not be Team Thor?"

"I don't have to explain my choice in men to you, Ellie," the second agent spoke. "Besides you've always known that I like brunettes and I prefer the color gree--Ohh hey, you two!" The area filled with the grating sound of their heeled boots squeaking on the floor as their steps halted upon seeing the Asgardian brothers still seated on the couch.

"Ladies," Thor addressed them with a wide grin and a wave. Both women scampered off in the opposite direction, audibly flustered before they returned to their conversation.

Loki could pay them no mind, however, for their exchange suddenly gave new meaning to your words from earlier. "I am on the other team," he quoted you. When he looked up at his brother, it seemed the blond had come to the same realization, his face lit up with excitement as he stood to take his leave.

"It seems Lady Y/N has passed my ham-fisted test after all," he said triumphantly, clapping a hand down on his brother's shoulder. "Your lady."

Manners and decorum were the furthest thing from the god of mischief's mind as he stood abruptly, shrugging off his brother's hand. "I have somewhere to be," he mumbled, his mind racing with endless scenarios of how he would go about seducing you. Of where and when and how it would commence. If he should shower you with gifts, or perhaps whisk you away to one of Midgard's more picturesque destinations to create a breathtaking backdrop to his confession.

To the consummation of your affections for one another.

But then images of your features when you both brushed off Thor's prodding questions flashed through his mind, particularly the way you winced and squinted your eyes when he'd told his brother to not be absurd. And he knew that the only right scenario would be no tricks, no illusions. To come to you here and now.

He'd waited long enough. You both had.

A/N: Merry Christmas, everybody! This is yet another one of those ideas I had where I kept on shaking my brain hoping for some loose change in the form of ideas on how to get to my next story point, before ultimately realizing that this needed to be a 2-parter. Though who knows when part 2 will be posted because as my Discord status says, I am forever ✨drowning in a sea of WIPs✨ But just know that I'm fully intending for part 2 to be mostly some smuttery between these two 🤭

This might be my last story for 2024, but let's see where the final week of the year takes me. Anyways, I hope y'all have an amazing holiday with your families, I'm going back to working on 'the gallery™️'

'everything' taglist: @simplyholl @loopsisloops @imalovernotahater @coldnique @loz-3 @huntress-artemiss @salempoe @vickie5446 @athalialaufeyson @lokiprompts @kats72 @kikster606 @asgards-princess-of-mischief @lokixryss @thomase1 @mischief2sarawr @lovingchoices14 @lunarnights95 @goblingirlsarah @iamlokisgloriouspurpose @creationsbyme @maple-seed @mjsthrillernp @ladyofthestayingpower @mygfloki @sititran @glitterylokislut @ozymdias @fictive-sl0th  @lokidbadguy @mochie85 @silverfire475 @joyful-enchantress @elizabethmidnight2017 @holdmytesseract @smolvenger @gigglingtiggerv2 @lokidokieokie @lunarnights95 @superficialdomina @kmc1989 @november-rayne @goddessofwonderland @buttercupcookies-blog @peaky-marvel @lokiified @tom-hlover @dryyoursaltyoceantears @herdetectivetheorist @alexakeyloveloki @lulubelle814

[scramratz]

So, I tried reading some articles but really feel like I'm not getting the full/real story. But why is being a hotep a bad thing? It seems like excessive pride in one's unknown/imagined origins but I could be really missing what's between the lines here.

On paper, it's fine, but in practice, hotep ideology promotes a lot of conspiracy thinking, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, and often antisemitism. These are just a few things I've heard or been told by hoteps

"It's unnatural for black women to have periods. Black women didn't have periods until they started eating pork"

Being gay isn't natural for black people. It's a white concept that's used to emasculate black men

There's a hollywood conspiracy to put black men in drag as a form of degradation ritual

The media and the banks are controlled by Jewish people

That just off the top of my head. My mom was just straight-up racist towards Asians, didn't "believe" there were Natives Americans (natives are also African in her world, which if you wanna be pedantic isn't technically false), jews have never be persecuted, Egypt was a homogeneous culture with no connection to other countries like Greece, interracial dating and marrage is bad, and being gay/trans is white people shit. Also she'd call me melanin deficient (which is hilarious in a vacuum) despite being the reason I'm mixed

[lily-alphonse]

Sebastian's Age

Ok please excuse me while I get autistically pedantic about this but I do not believe Sebastian is 2 years older than Maru. How would that even happen? He’s not 20. He’s not 22. Sebastian is 26.

FOLLOW ME OK LETS GO FOR A WALK.

Canon Facts:

Maru is his half-sister

Demetrius does not have a single line of dialogue about Sebastian

Sebastian has only negative things to say about his step father

Sebastian and Robin have no lines about a biological father

Are you telling me that Sebastian was raised by this man from infancy? He was raised from infancy, with this man as his only father figure, with Maru as his sister very close in age, and has no relationship with either of them?

Is it technically possible? Yes, I will give you that! But it is far less likely. Especially in fictive works, we have to consider the more likely scenario.

The more likely scenario being: Demetrius entered Sebastian’s life when he was old enough to reject him as a father figure. At the earliest, I would say seven years old. But even that feels young? The average seven year old will WANT a father figure unless something goes terribly wrong (which I headcanon it does, but thats another post). Then, a year or so later, Maru was born.

By my conservative calculations that puts Maru at 18 and Sebastian at 26 for the events of the game. And it makes sense! A 26 year old could absolutely be working as a freelance software developer, AND still live at home.

A 26 year old man can be emo. What would be stopping him, he works freelance and everything? Maybe you think he’s younger because of the band, but again, can’t someone be in a band at 26? He is a working adult with a hobby.

I guess if you really hated Demetrius you could headcanon that Demetrius refused to see Sebastian as his son, and then that would excuse how he could be younger and still not have a relationship with him. But you'd have to also assume Robin was a pretty lackluster mom to get married to a man who refused to even try to love her baby.

Maybe you'd excuse it as them having had a falling out. Maybe there was a time when they did see each other as family, and the relationship fell apart. Okay, I think you'd still have to do some mental gymnastics to explain how Robin had a baby with one man and then another baby with a different man almost immediately. Maybe if Sebastian was the product of a one-night stand, and Demetrius was fine taking in a woman and her newborn baby. But again that feels like more of a stretch to me.

DISCLAIMER: Im open to everyone having their own headcanons, its just odd to me how prevailing fanon has him at ~22 and Maru 20 when that does not make sense to me considering the family dynamic

Am I missing something? Do you agree? If you have an alternate explanation I will be checking reblogs of this post

[manstrans]

I agree with a lot of "fiction is just fiction" takes but you know I don't think it's said enough that like, there are a few lines that probably shouldn't be crossed, by which I mean bigotry. like, maybe it's the autism but I think it's weird to go back and forth between "all fiction is fine it's not real" and "south park is extremely bigoted and has set back progress against bigotry which is bad"

idk to me it's the same as how swear words can be offensive to some people but are ultimately just words, while slurs are also offensive but more than just words, they're tools of oppression

idk I just think there's a difference between like, someone's weird kink and stereotyping minorities. I mean obviously there's more nuance than that (who's writing this? what purpose does it serve? is it meant to be subversive?) and maybe I'm being pedantic but like. just my thoughts

[adobe-outdesign]

Origami brush review?

Origami was released in 2018 as the third-place winner in a pet poll featuring new colors (surprisingly as a brush—would've expected this to be a Lab Ray colour, but then again Lab Ray colours are a pain so I'm not really complaining). I think the idea behind this colour is solid—paper-craft pets is a unique idea that has both flexibility and consistency. Granted, I don't think most origami pets actually legally qualify as origami due to the clear use of scissors, but hey, that's just me being pedantic.

One big thing about origami as a colour is that it's gone through three distinct visual changes since its release. Originally, origami pets tended to be a single color with drawn-on features, and they tended to look somewhat flat. This was fine, albeit a little bland given that it's just a paper version of a base/simple colour. Then they started to become more three-dimensional, and started having normal eyes and mouths; pets from this stage might also have two colors in their design. I think these pets tended to be the worst looking, in that they neither look like paper nor look all that appealing in general.

Stage 3, however, brought a welcome shift: starting with the origami Korbat, the colour gained a distinct visual identity by including colored paper (usually with more muted/pastel colors, though not always). This was a fantastic move that added some much-needed depth to the color, and it fits perfectly with the theme. This stage also brought back the drawn-on eyes and a slightly more paper-y look. TNT seems to be sticking with this route for the time being, and I'm all for it, as all of the best looking origami pets fall into this category.

Origami was released post-customization, so no need to cover conversion this time.

Favorite Species:

Yurble: The origami Yurble has a lovely muted brown palette with a flower-patterned mane, and I think it looks lovely. The eye is drawn-on and manages to be two-dimensional without looking too flat, and the folds are pretty decent (the mane in particular looks very papercraft-esq.). The shading might be a smidge dark for paper, but that's a nitpick—otherwise, this one's very nice.

Korbat: The first origami pet to use patterned paper, the Korbat really knocks it out of the park. The patterning is kept subtle on the body to not overwhelm the design but is allowed to be more prominent on the accent areas, and the use of three colors works surprisingly well even though the darker blue wings aren't technically needed. I do think the face could've been a smidge more scribbly, but it's not too noticeable here as their eyes are already black.

Koi: I really like how the paper used for the fins here is both incredibly flat looking and also has a wave pattern to it, which makes a lot of sense thematically for a fish. The subtle patterning on the body is also a nice touch, and kind of mimics a Koi's natural markings. My only minor issues are that the eyes feel a bit dark, and I wish the whiskers were both the same pattern as the fins and flatter. Still, it's good overall.

Least Favorite Colour:

Kougra: The Eyrie was also a strong contender here, but I have to give it to the Kougra for not even looking like paper. Instead, between the very normal eyes and the weird flat folds overlaying a very three-dimensional body, it looks more like a regular Kougra wearing paper armor. The design is also just mostly solid orange (technically two different shades, not that there's enough contrast for that to matter), so there's not a whole lot of visual interest. The scribbly stripes are cute, but that's about it.

[velvetvexations]

So weird question, but I've been seeing posts going around in transfeminist(and transradfeminist) spaces talking about how there's this huge problem in the queer community of people not agreeing rhst trans women are women, and like claims of people responding to the question of "would you stand up to defend trans women and argue that they are in fact women?" by saying "yeah, of course, gender is whatever you want it to be :)" and how that's a huge problem because it shows they don't actually agree that trans women are women, and insisting that "it only makes sense to categorize trans women as women and nothing else and if you won't accept that you're a bigot" and I'm just getting the feeling I'm missing something?

Cuz like yeah, trans women are obviously women, that's. That's obvious? And I don't think I've seen anyone on any side of trans discourse or theory or whatever state that they don't think trans women are women, or that any trans person isn't the gender they say they are(except for like people who are against afab transfems or argue for why it's okay to use theyfab, I guess) but I think that's something we all agree on overall, kinda the foundational stance of trans rights, but it's being said like this gotcha?? But I have no idea what the hell it's supposed to be a gotcha against??

The only thing I can possibly see this being about is like, people saying transphobes and our transphobic society don't fully view trans people as the gender they are, which they don't, that is also obvious and it doesn't mean trans women aren't women, just that society puts them more in the broken pervert faggot freak category and occasionally moves them between the woman and man categories based on whatever will hurt said trans women the most in any given situation, but if that's what it's about then how does people talking about how gender can be fluid have anything to do with that? It's honestly kinda weird to see people get so focused on like proving without a shadow of a doubt that trans women are women in all aspects and saying that acknowledging that gender is fluid and complicated and not easily defined is transmisognistic like...it feels a little transmed-ish to me?? And like also I thought we as a community were moving away from slogans like "trans men/woman are men/women" and on to like "trans liberation" because arguing that we are the gender we say we are with bigots breaks down into pedantic nonsense that detracts from the real issues like bathroom bills and anti-drag laws and HTR bans??

I just keep seeing these posts all over and it's making me feel like...idk like I'm in middle school and people are teasing me by asking me questions that I don't have the full context for and then calling me a freak when I answer wrong, but I'm worried if I ask any of them "what's this really about" I'm going to get insulted and called a transmisognist for suggesting it's not just about trans women being women even though I really am getting the feeling it's not actually just about trans women being women.

Anyway if you don't know that's fine, I just thought you might have some insight since you seem to understand these people and their talking points pretty well and you're also a trans woman so I trust and value your input on this stuff.

the entire point of trans radical feminism is basically that it soothes dysphoria a bit to imagine that Christofascists do actually think trans women are women and trans men are men and treat them like the cis equivalent so they've abandoned gender anarchy because it's not validating enough

they don't care about liberation they just want to tell themselves that other people see them as what they identify as and that is literally their only priority

"trans women are women taxonomically because we're oppressed" Emily that's how radfems define womanhood they just think the oppression is based on sex rather than self-identification

[mr-payjay]

i am making my own ii human names list, but very slowly, because i am pedantic. also, i will not be counting mephone creating them as canon. ive had these ethnicity and family hcs for ages, and i will base my names on them. now, here are the two most important names.

OJ: Olivier-Jean "OJ" Jacques Silveira. my oj interpretation/gijinka is brazilian (paternal side) and ivorian (maternal side). his last name comes from his father and is brazilian portuguese. his first name and middle name were given by his mother, as many people in côte d'ivoire speak french (french colonization —> it's the official language now but there's MANY others accompanying it). a lot of people who speak french like to use "jean" in hyphenated names (trust me ive met a bajillion of them), so i included it. i think his name sounds quite classy.

oj was born and raised in america, speaking english at school and french at home. as well as some portuguese, but he never actually learned it. i think he would become quite pissy when kids at school would pronounce his name incorrectly (Olivier-Jean is... very not intuitive to english speakers. i believe they would say it like Oliver-Jeen) so they ended up using oj as shorthand. and he was fine with that, so it stuck. but at home he's Olivier and Olivier-Jean. he tells new people he meets to call him oj just because it's consistent and because he doesn't like the sound of his real name being mispronounced. coming from someone who constantly gets her real names mispronounced.

Paper: Paige Hsu (foreign name) and 许佩妍 / Xǔ Pèiyán (original name). my paper interpretation/gijinka is han taiwanese, so fully of han chinese descent. more specifically, hoklo (chosen because i hc he can speak mandarin AND hokkien). his family immigrated to taiwan from fujian (province in china with hoklo ancestry) post ww2. Xǔ is a particularly common surname in fujian, so i chose it for him. be gentle with me if i messed up with his given name LOL i know much less about chinese than french (but DO inform me if you know more about it and spot any mistakes!). Pèiyán means, in a way, beautiful garment. to wear something beautiful. to be adorned. etc. it's partially based on trying to make it seem a bit like the name "Paige", partially based on what i think his mother might name him (no real hopes or dreams for him so it's a little shallow), partially based on him as i know him (focused on presenting himself). it's also, as far as i know, a name mostly used for women. note that my interpretation of paper is usually a trans man.

now, Paige is unisex, it sounds like page, and it's a loved one of mine's favourite name for him, so i like it. i also think it makes sense for when he immigrated to canada with his mother as something they chose, and something he can still keep (being conveniently unisex). Hsu is one of the taiwanese romanizations for Xǔ. im not sure if he'd take on oj's last name. perhaps he'd hyphenate them. he's not particularly attached to his family, but Paige Hsu is quite a pretty name.

bonus: nickel is named Nikola Stević. this one was easy because my interpretation of nickel is kosovar serb. last names come from the father but the exact practice of it is a bit outdated so Stević is likely from his grandfather or great-grandfather (unless im misremembering how it works). i don't like the name Nicholas his name is Nikola. Nicholas sounds like a sweet little boy Nikola sounds like a menace. i see Nicholas everywhere start calling your nickel Nikola

[avelera]

Thinking about the lovely “New Inn Through the Ages” post by @virgo-dream in terms of alternatives to the popular “Hob built the New Inn for Dream after the missed 1989 meeting” headcanon.

- Quick disclaimer, this headcanon always mildly (and irrationally, this is fandom after all) irked me because to my pedantic, archaeology-obsessed ass, the New Inn was obviously visually at least 200 years old just based on the brick work so “built” never really worked, at most Hob could have purchased or renovated it if it was in response to 1989. To some that’s splitting hairs but what can I say, I never pretended to be rational about dumb history stuff.

- THAT SAID, it would be kind of interesting if Hob does own the New Inn but not necessarily since 1989, but even earlier. It could even be interesting for him to have built the New Inn in truth but back in the 1700s when the building was actually built.

- Hob appears not just comfortable at the White Horse in its 1889 but at the very least a regular. He recognizes Lou on sight and names her immediately, he knows her nickname at the establishment. This familiarity doesn’t track if this is his first time at the White Horse since 1789.

- After 1689, Hob appears to have opted to buy out a private room for them for their discussion, perhaps in response to his return in fortunes but also perhaps based on the memory of being nearly thrown out in 1689 and interrupted by Shaxberd in 1589. The guy is learning how to better manage their encounters. So it stands to reason that after they were interrupted by Constantine in 1789 as a result of her paying off the proprietor, that Hob would simply buy out the inn for 1889.

- Hob owning the White Horse in 1889 actually rather tracks with his familiarity with Lushing Lou and the fact that he’s so at ease there and clearly arrived well before Dream. He speaks to Lou with authority and is dressed with signs of at least middle class prosperity. Being the owner of the White Horse tracks with that level of prosperity shown, nothing flashy, after all it’s in a bad part of town these days.

- Thing is, Hob has a mind for business as we see in numerous instances at the centennial meetings. As a result, to me, it wholly tracks that he wouldn’t stop at buying the White Horse, he’d also purchase a few neighboring taverns and inns once he got a hang of the business. (Consolidation of neighborhood pubs under mega corporation ownership in the 1990s is its own interesting side note on this because again, I’m a history nerd.) The New Inn is presented as so close to the White Horse that a graffiti arrow is enough to point it out. That’s very close indeed.

- SO, I think from this it’s reasonable to say that Hob could very well have owned the New Inn as part of one of his business ventures since the 19th century or earlier, perhaps even as a result of the 1789 meeting and “Finding another pub”, perhaps even building the New Inn then in truth either before or after the meeting as an alternative in case another lunatic Constantine shows up. It’s so close by he might have hoped he could persuade Dream with its proximity.

- Right then, if that’s true, why can’t Hob save the White Horse?

- Perhaps after 1889 he simply sold his ownership stake in it. Heartbroken and angry at himself, especially if he’d provided all these contingencies like the New Inn in case of interruptions or other disasters, he might have just felt as much like a fool as in 1589 when he tried to provide a fine meal. Probably best to just give up and stop trying to control matters, since look where that got him.

- So he sells the White Horse. But the other inns don’t have the same emotional stake and business is business, so he sets those up with a “family trust” to keep running, lending the building out to different managers, etc. and simply carries on.

- Cue his look of devastation in 1989 upon learning the White Horse is going to shut down. If he once owned it, it might be a particular gut punch to know he could have prevented this if he hadn’t let his bitterness get the better of him. Despite his best efforts, he can’t prevent it from being condemned.

- LUCKILY he still had his own business interests nearby in the form of those pubs he built or bought centuries ago. He dusts off his paperwork around the New Inn and reassumes direct management (or at least, his nephew does in a few years). The 1789 “nearby pub” contingency might just pay off in the 21st century, who knows? And it worked!

And there you have it. My take on how Hob could have built the New Inn starting from its actual original construction. Very fun to consider too when you check out Virgo’s post and discover that a Mr. Hobert did indeed own it at one point ;)

[cute-girls-from-vns-anime-manga]

do you think that these anime girls are problematically over sexualized? cause I've written a paper on that topic, and it seems like most people are actually fine with this stuff, as long as your not being a creep about it.

I just kind of wanted your opinion because you are a connoisseur of the anime form.

At the end of the day we should always keep it in mind that all of these girls are rendered or drawn and the concept of reaching a limit of over sexualization in which no story or desgin is ever is to cross is to me absolutely absurd as for staters how would you quanify such an idea either you create a hard line that over or undergeneralizes all content, or you get so pedantically specific that all such understanding of what the original intent was is lost.

I think sexualization and horny bait desgins can be done well and it can be done poorly and without tact but never would I make the claim that something is over sexualized.

[wisteriagoesvroom]

gax + corporate/law vibes + ‘The powerpoint was steadily taking over their relationship, something that Max was not willing to stand for.’

gax?? gax!!

power (you make some points): a gax ficlet

rated m, ~1.2k words now also readable on ao3

author babble:

bear in mind i wrote this before i knew more about the Gax Lore i.e. karting together, actually being nice to each other blablabla. you could also just retrofit the vibes and hopefully they still work. anyways!

will throw this up on ao3 when i’m not sitting bleary eyed in an airport

————

If there was one thing that Max Verstappen wouldn’t tolerate, it was George Russell having the monopoly on good PowerPoint presentations. Max had won all four years of debate in College, as well as the dubious title of “most radical deployment of Google Slides templates” at his MBA, and he was not about to be usurped by the other guy in his department who actually knew how to use an animate transition.

“You missed an indent there.” Max says, pointing at the monitor. Yellow and red lights wink at them from the outside, as if to say: you’re both in your mid-twenties, quit wasting it on a computer screen at 11pm on a Wednesday, maybe?

Max is not staring, very determined not to look at his teammate’s facial expression. But George is almost certainly rolling his eyes right now.

“Was coming back to that, alright?” George huffs back. Max is very professional most of the time. But something about how wound up George is, how insanely pedantic he is about everything from semicolons to coffee cup placement for the Directors to taking insanely detailed minutes that nobody except Max reads after the meetings – well. What is it that Nietschze once said? We hate in others what we most identify with about ourselves. Or was that from Twitter? Max does not really use Twitter except to look at Bloomberg News updates and cat videos, so he does not know. And anyway Nietzsche never made a six figure salary.

“It would just be easier if you would let me do it.” Max says.

“Fuck right off, mate.”

“Oh, wouldn’t you like me to.”

“Not now.”

“Just share the link to this. I’ll do it.”

“We agreed to take turns on this.”

“Yes, Russell. But sometimes, the rules are meant to be bent.”

George swivels his chair to Max, then. Fully attempts to pin him with his gaze, commencing an awkward stare-off that lasts way too many seconds and makes Max once again realise that George’s eyes remind him of the expensive fish tank he saw at the Partners’ sushi dinner once. Max doesn’t think those same fish were the ones they ended up eating. But he does remember that dinner because it was the one where the Partners had dangled the promise of a huge promotion if they could help carry the company merger across the line successfully. The problem is, there was only one spot.

George’s distracting aquatic orbitals aside, fortunately, Max (i) never backs down, and (ii) has been told that he has the dead-eyed emotional stare of a robot missing an empathy software upgrade sometimes.

And clearly, the powerpoint was steadily taking over their relationship, something that Max was not willing to stand for.

Max leans back in his chair, stance all mock-relaxed. “Do you want to be out of here before midnight, or not?”

“We’re expensing the Ubers either way, so it doesn’t make a difference to me, mate.”

Fine. If George is so hyperfocused on The Tasks that he’s forgotten the fun part of being Questionably Close Coworkers, so be it.

Max deploys the nuclear option.

He sticks his leg out, nudging the toe of his Pradas onto George’s slacks. And strokes his foot halfway up to a sensitive point on George’s thigh. Max may even flutter his lashes a little.

To his credit, George does not react. Merely swings his eyes like a lamp to Max’s face again. His hand does, however, goes still on the mouse.

“What exactly are you doing?”

“I don’t know.” Max feigns. He knows that George hates, more than anything, anyone getting dirt on his precious Ralph Laurens. But at least he has his attention now. “Was hoping we could move onto the more fun part of the typical evening activities. Maybe.”

“We shouldn’t be doing that again anyway.”

“George.”

“What?”

“That is not what you said the last, hm, fourteen times that we have done this, eh?”

“Who’s counting?”

“I thought you were the most careful of rule followers and data analysis, knapperd.”

George is a human being, but Max is almost certain the other man shakes himself like he’s preening right now.

“Well. It’s what the team likes me for, and it’s what I’ll keep doing.”

“Oh yes. Surely we must keep in mind the team. And the shareholders. They are very important.”

“Quite.”

“But should we tell them that you like it so much, George. When I do this.” Max says. Rising up, fully crowding George in, hands gripping the cool handles of the computer chair. Leaning in to nibble the side of George’s neck.

George swallows. Max watches his throat move.

Next, Max mouths the words onto the side of George’s jaw, stubble prickling his mouth. “And this.”

The click of the mouse continues steadily as Max moves his mouth to the shell of George’s ear. “And let’s not forget. This.”

Max tilts George’s face up fully, then. George’s face is flushed, eyes sparkling, all surprise at the sudden change of pace, but eager, too.

When Max seals his lips over George’s, George groans, and his hands shoot up to Max’s waist immediately. It doesn’t feel quite like winning a deal or a pitch does for Max, but the completion comes pretty damn close.

Max sweeps his tongue into George’s mouth. George opens willingly, like he always does. In the back of Max’s logical brain, a warning sign blares that the computer chair may not be able to support the weight of them both – because they spend a lot of time pretending they don’t work out together at the gym but Max knows exactly what George’s deadlift PB is and it’s pretty damn high for a scrawny looking dude.

And despite the keening protest of said chair, the two of them are both lost to it now. Max jams one knee between George’s legs, George nibbles hungrily at Max’s lower lip, Max thrusts his hips all needy, and maybe if Max is nice about it George might suck him off under the table, and–

Outlook chimes again.

“Blasted piece of shit.” George says, breaking away. His hands go still at Max’s waist. “Why we’re using G-Suite and Microsoft Office at the same time I will never know.”

George squeezes his eyes shut, as if making himself stop this is causing him physical pain. Maybe it’s that or the workflow incompatibility when George tries to move his custom Excel-Trello gantts into a third party API.

And Max won’t lie. He kind of likes it when George gets so irritated about these things. When he cares a bit too much. Because what is Max but exactly like that, too.

“Hazards of a merger, I guess. But without that, I would never have met you, no?”

George makes a noise like he knows what Max means. The other man straightens his shirt collar, and Max runs a hand through his hair. He’s been growing it out lately, because George had made a passing comment at the bathroom sink once about it looking good.

Sleeping with the person competing for the same Chief of Staff position is possibly the worst decision he could’ve made, and Max once dyed his hair platinum blonde. But, they’re stuck here together. Hell is a slightly more tolerable place when Satan’s right hand man looks this good. And knows his coffee order without asking.

Besides. Max is not bothered. He knows that the promotion is his. This is just a minor plot inconvenience.

Later, they will expense the uber back to George’s place, where Max will put his mouth on George’s arse, and give him a practical demonstration of the three different ways he’s learned to elicit pleasure from the male prostate.

George will whimper and whine the whole way through it, and after they’re both sated, they’ll both roll over to check their emails, barely concealing their smiles. They will pretend that what’s happening between them could be as clean as their zero-email inboxes. As if their connection is not violently seeping through containment.

All in the name of team bonding. For the firm. Yes.

(Or this is what they tell themselves, to maintain the illusion, anyway.)

[mammoth-clangen]

Hi! In your answer to another anon's question about clangen comic tips (all those resources were amazing btw, tysm!), you said picking a unique name really helped. I'm considering starting a clangen tumblr for a New Years project (yay!). And it will need a good name!

Any tips/preferences on naming conventions? Do you prefer longer names, descriptive adjectives, just main character names, etc? Any names that are particularly better/worse for you as a reader?

And of course, happy holiday season! Much love to our fluffy prehistoric family!! 🦣🦁

Referring to this ask

I'm glad the resources were helpful! That doc is really good because it helps summarise a lot of things I've absorbed through osmosis reading so many comics and listening to what the authors have to say cx

On naming conventions, I'm once again gonna give a disclaimer that this is all just my opinion! If you have chosen/want to choose a name that would be "wrong" by these standards, don't let me stop you!

That being said, if I can't remember your comic name and/or I see the name and can't remember which comic it belongs to, it really messes with my ability to get invested in the story/characters :'o

DeviantArt was super renowned for having comics with long unwieldy names that had to be shortened to acronyms, to the point readers would forget the name entirely. T.W.O.R.R. page 34 is easier to forget than It Cascades Down page 34 (these are both my own examples, the latter may come back to life after Kindred of the Mammoth).

Now clangens are different than other comics in that most are just called __clan. Which is fine + it makes it clear that this is a clangen and, at least to me, means I'm less critical on the plot because "sometimes crazy stuff may happen bc RNG said so" cx

My personal issue is that there are so many clangens and a lot of the time their name has little relevance to the clan as a whole. ((Briefly ignoring that "Mammothclan" doesn't exist because they don't call themselves a clan.))

I like to think Mammoth-Clangen is pretty distinct because mammoths are often seen as synonymous with the ice age. Most will instantly know after reading 1 moon that mammoth= iceage= sabertooth cat clangen. If I named them Fleetclan or Glacierclan or slightly more plot relevant Remnantclan, it might not immediately bring up that connection. I also pedantically refuse to use "Saber" in anything because that's a sword and cats don't Have swords XD

Some memorable examples off the top of my head would be

Circusclan and Jungleclan= it's the setting, simple as that cx

Ashpaw is Alone/Lionpaw's Diary- both have a titular character that's easy to remember

Goofyclan- just silly guys, haha unless

Loudclan and Splinterclan also have names I remember for the lore tied to them- Loudclan have a loud train running through their territory, and Splinterclan have splintered off a larger clan!

Again, if you want to name your clangen blog Ravenclan, Stoneclan, Cloudclan, Vulcanclan, Humuhumunukunukuapua'aClan purely because it sounds cool, go for it! I'm not your dad and ngl I think making art and comics should be fun first and serious only when you want it to be uvu

[integra1127grimmreaper]

Should Probably Leave (Joel Miller)

Joel Miller Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Warning: fluff, implied smut, angst

Summary: After being Sarah's babysitter for the past ten years, Joel and you finally act upon your feelings for one another but your chance at a good life pushes Joel to make sacrifice it all. Inspired by - Chris Stapleton's - You Should Probably Leave.

"So, officially part of the workin' class..." a very familiar voice drawls out from behind, causing you to turn around with a broad smile.

"Hey, Joel... thought we weren't comin'."

Joel audibly scoffs, "miss my favorite person's graduation party...? Never", giving you a playful wink then.

You roll your eyes at his words, "favorite person? Only because I've babysat your kid for cheap for the past ten years."

Joel presses a hand to his chest in pretend offense, "ya wound me, Sweetheart."

With another eyeroll, you softly chuckle at him, "where's Sarah?"

"Out back, with the rest of the kids" he nods his head in the direction, "she'll come round to pester ya soon 'nuff."

"Guess she don't need me much anymore now she's a teenager..." you remark disheartened as you think of the once four-year-old little girl that used to cling to like a barnacle.

"Nah, ya still her best friend" Joel attempts to cheer you up.

You respond with a weak smirk, shrugging, "if ya say so."

"Ahem..." Joel clears his throat, awkwardly scratching the back of his head, "got ya a lil graduation gift."

"Really...?" you stare at him in starry-eyed disbelief.

"It's at the house though" he nervously chuckles, "wanted to give it to ya in private, without makin' a fuss"; referring to the house filled with people.

"No-fuss-Miller..." you giggle at his explanation and his chuckles along, nodding.

"Yeah. Come round later and I'll give to ya?"

"Sure thing, Miller" you broadly smile in agreement.

The interaction between Joel and you end when your mother calls you over to talk to someone and you leave Joel to head over to them. What you didn't notice though; was the look of yearning on his face as you walked away from him.

"Hi there..." you smile at Joel when he opens the door for you.

"Hey, c'mon in" Joel flashes you a dimpled smile, stepping aside to allow you entrance.

"Sarah home?" you enquire at how quiet the house was.

"Nope. Sleepover at a friend's" Joel responds, shutting the door.

"Was hopin' we'd do a movie night" you plop onto the couch with a disappointed sigh.

"Sorry to disappoint ya, hun..." Joel plops down next to you, a small gift box in hand.

"That my gift?" you eagerly eye it.

"Ain't we an eager beaver...?" Joel teasingly bobs his head from side to side, handing it over to you then.

"Don't start with me, Miller..." you shoot him a glare, lips twitching in amusement as you open the box.

"Oh my gosh, Joel!" you stared open mouthed at the silver pedant necklace.

Joel shyly smirks at your reaction, "it's a Celtic infinity knot cross. Symbolizes everlastin' love, friendship an loyalty, least what the guy at the jeweler said..."

Your heart couldn't help but skip a beat at the mention of everlasting love. Could he possibly feel the same as you? Then again, he mentioned friendship, so it was only wishful thinking on your side as always. Joel had never once shown any interest you and you were quite sure he never would.

"Want me to put it on for ya?" Joel enquires, snapping you out of your thoughts.

"Sure" you hastily move your hair out the way for him to put on.

"Perfect..." Joel remarks, admiring the pedant resting on your chest.

Reaching up to touch it, your stared starry-eyed at him, "it's beautiful, Joel... thank you."

Joel silently returns the stare; you were absolutely breathtaking, and he wanted to kiss you more than anything at that moment. Knowing that it was quite impossible but not wanting you to leave just yet, Joel offers up something he had never before.

"If ya still keen on the movie night, I don't mind still doin' it... that is, if ya fine with it."

Ecstatic at his offer but not wanting to seem too eager, you teasingly act taken aback, "ya really prepared to sit through a chick flick just to keep me company, Miller?"

Joel scoffs, rolling his eyes at your remark, "as if I ain't done it every time Sarah an ya have a movie night..."

"She always falls asleep halfway through..." you chuckle, nodding in agreement.

"Then ya forced to sit through the rest of it with just my ol' ass for company" Joel drawls in response.

"Ya ain't old..." you scoff, lightly slapping his arm in protest.

"If ya say so" Joel utters out under his breath, giving his head a little shake then, "so, what torture ya got for me this evenin'?"

Reaching for your bag, you flash him a sly smirk, "actually brought two, one to watch with Sarah an one you would enjoy, for after she fell asleep..."

"Really?" Joel's eyes widen in excited interest, "whataya got?"

Taking the DVD out, you playfully wave it in front of his face.

"Oooo... that's one of my favorites!" Joel gasps, snatches it out of your hands in excitement.

"I know" you chuckle in response, "thought I'd repay ya for all the times ya were to finish watchin' all those chick flicks with me."

"Ya a doll!" Joel comment, causing you to lightly blush at his words.

"No problem..."

"This calls for snacks an some drinks, don't cha think?" Joel enthusiastically jumps up from the couch scampering towards the kitchen whilst you shook your head, giggling in amusement.

*

I know it ain't all that late But you should probably leave

And I recognize that look in your eyes Yeah, you should probably leave

'Cause I know you and you know mech And we both know where this is gonna lead You want me to say that I want you to stay So you should probably leave Yeah, you should probably leave

As interesting as the movie was, you found Joel to be way more; sneaking side-eye peeks at him every time you took a sip your drink.

What you didn't know was; that Joel was quite aware of what you were doing, making it extremely difficult for him to fight the urge to just give in and kiss you. As much as he wanted to, Joel knew it was impossible, you were everything could possibly want a woman; smart, fun, strong, and most importantly; you cared deeply for his daughter. Even though you were only twelve years older than Sarah, you were the closes thing to a mother figure she had ever known. Although it seemed that she wasn't fazed by the possibility of you moving away, Joel knew his daughter well enough to know that the girl was shattered by it. You were the most constant woman in her life and soon you would be leaving, it wasn't far off to believe that the girl felt that she was losing her second chance at having a mother. Sarah never knew her real mother, so there wasn't much to miss about her. But you... you were part of her life for the past ten years and that meant the loss of you would hurt far more.

Sarah wasn't the only one being torn apart by the realization though, Joel was too. He wanted more than anything to keep you by their sides, yet he knew it was impossible. You were still young, had your entire life ahead of you, was just about to start the career of your dreams, unlike him. He was washout and old, a father to a teenager and he knew it would be selfish of him to ask you to stay with them. You had your own life to live, even if it meant breaking his and Sarah's hearts in the process.

*

There's still time for you to finish your wine Then you should probably leave And it's hard to resist, alright, just one kiss Then you should probably leave

'Cause I know you and you know me And we both know where this is gonna lead You want me to say that I want you to stay So you should probably leave Yeah, you should probably leave

Like a devil on my shoulder, you keep whisperin' in my ear

And it's gettin' kinda hard for me to do the right thing here I wanna do the right thing, baby

As the movie continued, Joel was finding it more difficult to keep his need for you suppressed, especially when you lean into him to rest your head against his shoulder. Lost in the moment and as if it was the most natural reaction, Joel absentmindedly places his arm around you, pulling you closer to his side.

Attempting your best to hide a satisfied smirk, you begin playing with the taut material of his t-shirt spanning across his middle.

"Whataya doing...?" Joe's voice calls you out.

"Er... nothing" you slowly retreat your hand, but Joel stops it.

"Now why don't I believe ya, Sweetheart...?"

"Don't know what ya mean" you murmur, feeling put on the spot as you attempt to pull away from him.

"Nuh-uh..." Joel quickly responds, gripping your chin to look him in the eyes, "ya know exactly what I mean."

"Joel..." you softly plea, tears of frustration prickling your eyes.

"Jesus..." Joel mutters out at the needy look in your eyes. Not able to any further deny either of you of what you both desperately wanted, Joel's head tips down to capture your lips in a gentle kiss.

Letting out a soft whimper, you reach up to bury your fingers in the back of Joel's hair; allowing him the opportunity to slip his tongue into your mouth and deepen the kiss.

"Just as sweet as I thought ya would taste..." Joel slur against your lips.

"Less talkin', more kissin'..." you grumble out, causing Joel to chuckle as he pulls you into his lap.

"I got ya, Sweetheart..."

The kiss becomes more heated then as Joel's hands travel up your dress to grip at of your bottom. Letting out an approving at the contact and feeling the swell of Joel's erection beneath, you slowly began grinding down onto it. Breathing out a deep moan, Joel's grip on you tightens as he assists by rocking you against his clothed member.

Breaking from the kiss for some air, Joel rests his forehead against yours, "wanna take this to the bedroom?"

You against him once with a soft whine, "please..."

*

Sun on your skin, 6 am And I been watchin' you sleep And honey, I'm so afraid you're gonna wake up and say That you should probably leave

'Cause I know you and you know me And we both know where this is gonna lead I want you to stay, but you'll probably say That you should probably leave

Yeah, you should probably leave Oh, you should probably leave

Joel silently stared at your beautiful features as you laid sleeping draped over him, you were absolutely magnificent, and he still couldn't believe that last night had happened. He felt like the happiest man alive at that moment, yet he knew the feeling would be short-lived and it was killing him to have to attempt it. You could never be his, not the way he wanted you to be, not when you had so much potential ahead of you.

He wished that last night had never ended and that this morning had never come. Joel knew he had to let you go and live your life, even it meant breaking both your hearts to do so.

NXT

[x-other-souled-x]

No. Nope.

Using language that systems may also use in a medical setting to describe their expereinces and go through treatment is not appropriation. Full stop.

There is no culture being exploited, unless you want to argue that the medical-industrial complex is a closed culture somehow.

Which I have definitely seen posts saying something dangerously close to this, and I urge you to not base your entire sense of self on the guys making money off of you. Even if they're helping, there's intentional siphoning of money from poor patients.

Secondly, language is a tool used to communicate. Words exist as "bodies" to a concept, and sometimes this concept is interpreted a little differently from person to person. There are a lot of words that mean several different things depending on the context. The most important thing is the setting which they're used in. A good ammount of medical terms are also words that are used by laymen in other contexts, meaning something different.

A system is a group of interrelated parts working together as a whole.

An Operating System (OS) is a system of code and software that tells the hardware what to do in order to make your computer run. There's agricultural systems, government systems, the solar system itself. Are these things appropriating the medical-industrial complex by existing as parts that make one whole thing work?

And before anyone splits hairs about this, I am not equating human life to computers or the government. These are examples of things that are literally defined AS SYSTEMS. The main takeaway you should be having here is that system is a broad term with many many applications outside of the medical-industrial complex. That one institution does not own the word nor the concept of being multiple parts (headmates/alters/whatever) working together.

The concept still exists and system still is a word outside of a medical context.

In other words, people would have eventually came to the conclusion of calling themselves systems regardless of if it was used in a medical context or not. It's not hard to put 2 and 2 together, to see parallels in concepts and expereinces and decide those words work just fine. Thank you for coming to my TEDtalk.

This is a post online, made by a trauma-formed system. I'm not going to have the time and foresight to cover every little nuance, and I don't care to be pedantic and pick apart small case instances. At the end of the day, this does not actually matter to how I live my life, how I get therapy, how we as a system have to work together. Endos using terms that are also used in a medical setting (but also used outside of medical settings) is not harmful to me in any way. And quite frankly, I think anti-endo witchunting has done more damage to us as a system trying to figure out how to navigate life than any endo friendly post has. I'm not arguing semantics, I'm going to go live my life and go outside and do my job and pay my bills like everyone else.

All this discourse around stealing terms and what you can and can't call yourself is so seriously unimportant in the grand scheme of things. You all sound so comfy and privileged to be worried about something so trivial as a word or three that is used in multiple contexts accross human language.