#it’s fun to find out other perspectives

[quicksilversnails]

It's so fun how the Princess and the Dragon acknowledges and plays with game mechanics that are assumed to be non-diegetic, and uses them to add insight to the story/characters.

The title card is a really obvious example, being something that TLQ actually sees and can comment on, and something that the Princess hadn't ever seen. What most would assume is just a framing device for the player is a real element of the world/construct.

I think it emphasizes how the story that the Narrator constructed is only "meant" to be told to TLQ. After all, The Narrator only appears in TLQ's mind, providing elaborate descriptions and attempting to contextualize the events of the game as a heroic task to save the world. Meanwhile the Princess is all alone, with no title cards or exposition, no context for why any of this is happening to her. The story revolves around her, but it doesn't care about her beyond her designated role, as something to be slain and hated. Her perspective is irrelevant to the Narrator's plan, so she doesn't get the fancy presentation or necessary context: she doesn't deserve it.

There's also those long stretches of dialogue where the voices talk to each other in TLQ's mind without progressing the story. They're occasionally acknowledged by the Princess elsewhere (Prisoner, Nightmare) but P&tD makes it very explicit and confirms that time is actively passing during these conversations, with TLQ staring in silence for who knows how long.

(Personally I don't think all of the voice dialogue is necessarily in real time, if only because some Princesses wouldn't have had the patience for it. Like if you had really stood still for that long, the Beast would've definitely eaten you... she's not waiting for you to finish thinking lol)

This one I think is more for humour, but it also draws attention to how much of the inner conversation the Princess is missing in normal chapters, when the voices aren't actively speaking to her through TLQ's body. Where we're having vibrant debates or key information revealed by the Narrator, she just sees a silent, staring figure. Speaking of the Narrator, He's completely absent from the Princess' POV, either because He doesn't want to speak to her or is somehow unable to (He does say in Tower that she's not supposed to be able to interact with Him...) Again, the story was not made to be told to her, so she isn't given His context, and because the player is usually so immersed in TLQ's perspective, they probably wouldn't realize just how much she's missing until they see things from her perspective.

One other example: if you choose to [Say nothing] immediately after you excise yourself, the Princess reacts to it:

I just find this so hilarious tbh, and the fact that she repeats back those exact words implies that she literally senses the text written in brackets. If you do it once you're back in the basement, she says this:

I wonder if it's the same for the Narrator/voices... do they also “feel” your actions while you’re choosing them? Do they hear you say (Lie) before you lie? When Skeptic said "Wink" out loud did he actually choose a dialogue option with [Wink] in brackets?? Ok that last one's a joke but there's lots of potential here

I just think it's cool because the average player wouldn't think twice about any of these things, because they seem like simple stylistic/game design choices. In a game where all player input is through dialogue options, the square brackets are an immediately understandable way to convey action, as opposed to plain text. In a game structured around repeating loops, it makes sense to make those loops distinguishable for players by separating each loop with a title card, and the chapter naming convention works as a nod to the fairytale storybook aesthetics the game draws from.

But by placing you into the Princess's head and acknowledging those design choices as diegetic elements that change depending on your perspective, it forces you to reevaluate your experiences: the things you didn't think were really "part of the game" and the experiences you didn't realize weren't universal. It exposes your hidden privileges, the luxuries and structural supports you have compared to the Princess that you don't even notice because you've never experienced the alternative.

It might make you realize how the way you perceive and conceptualize the world might be very different from how others conceptualize it (Tony's recent ask about the multicoloured glass in HEA could also play into this in a fascinating way, with the mismatch in perception between TLQ and the Narrator's script). It's all just very cool for a game that's based on perception.

It also makes me wonder... what other elements of this game are diegetic that we just haven't paid attention to?

Well, I think that the captions are probably also diegetic. TLQ occasionally refers to the voices by their complete titles despite them not ever referring to each other by those titles, instead opting for descriptors like "jumpy one" or "the worst one" or "rage boy" or "chilly little freak" lol. For a direct comparison, Paranoid exclusively calls Smitten "the lovesick one" or some variant in HEA, but TLQ refers to him by his full name using quotation marks, as if he's quoting something he's read:

The voices don't seem aware that these titles exist, while TLQ does, despite them sharing a mind. Also, when the Princess shares a body/mind with you, she never uses their titles either. In the Spectre/Princess and the Dragon, she calls Hero "the nice one", Cold "the quiet one" or "cold little freak", and the Narrator "the bossy one" or "that murder-happy know-it-all". Spectre describes the voices as shards of broken glass on the floor, so she likely perceives them completely differently to how we/TLQ see them.

Even The Narrator isn't aware of His title. If you call Him that in the mirror conversation, He says "'The Narrator'. I suppose that's my job, isn't it?", reacting to the title as if it's His first time hearing about it. There's also this question from the fourth Shifty encounter:

It seems like the titles are presented specifically for The Long Quiet/decider, and that they somehow reflect how TLQ perceives the voices/Narrator, since TLQ takes credit for "calling him" that. If the captions were specifically shown to TLQ in the same way that the title cards are, it'd explain how he has this information without it ever being verbally told to him, and why the Princess doesn't know their titles even when she's sharing your body.

But besides the captions, I think it could be fun to interpret the game as if most, if not all of its game mechanics exist in-universe. The choice menu, the music, the cursors, the save/load icons, saving/loading in general, the title screen, the Clown Princess living in the walls (game files), you name it. Let’s peel away these game mechanics cell by cell! Let's see what meaning we can find together, let's see what we're made of!

[ghostlyferrettarot]

🏷️Lets go Shopping! Pick a Picture:🧥👜🥾 What makes you irresistibe🧥👜🥾

•Pile 1 •Pile 2 •Pile 3

❗️This is a collective reading, take what resonates and leave the rest❗️

✨️Paid Services ✨️ (Natal charts and tarot readings) Open!

🫧Join my Patreon for exclusive content!🫧

👾If you like my work you can support me through Ko-fi. Thank you!👾

👽Masterlist👽

Pile 1:

You have an intense and captivating aura, i feel a lot of mistery around you (as weirds as it sound pile 1!). I feel like you are someone who doesn't reveal itself completely; there is a quality in your energy that makes others' feel like they have to make an effort in order to get to know you, which creates this sense of constant facination towards you. I almost feel a siren type of energy coming from you. Instead of seeking attention, you just do you, and mind your own business, and that really intrigues others. You could also read others with ease and connect on deep emotional levels with others, people always want to find out more about you. You could also have a really unique aesthetic, many may really like the way you style yourself and how you hold yourself. People can be captivated by small details about your image, such as your gaze or the way you move, you seem like a very graceful person in general. . You also have the ability to create a unique environment through your words, making people feel drawn to your way of thinking, to your unique perspective on the world. There is something captivating about the way you make others laugh, and that definitely adds to your charm. Extended reading on Patreon: 👀Who has their eyes on you?👀

Pile 2:

Your irresistible charm comes from your radiant energy and self-confidence. You have a light that is not only seen, but felt, people can feel your presence, it's like the energy in the room changes when you arrive. Your energy is like a magnet, and people feel like they want to be around you, the charm that you radiate so naturally. There's something about your smile as well, I feel like you have a really beautiful one; I also feel like your makeup may really suit you and others love it. People are drawn to the way you make them feel, you manage to make everyone feel good just because you carry yourself and the way you speak with confidence. You are very skilled at reading people and knowing what kind of joke or comment will make the situation lighter and more fun. Good humor is one of your strongest skills, and your carefree energy is one of the things that makes you irresistible ;). Extended reading on Patreon: 👀Who has their eyes on you?👀

Pile 3:

What makes you irresistible is your authenticity. There's this serenity that you radiate attracts people because it makes them feel comfortable and accepted just as they are. You don't question your worth or try to impress others; you are simply yourself. I feel like you are someone really down to earth, who sees the beauty in the simple things in life, and others really admire this quality of yourself. I also feel like you are someone who sees the small details that others wouldn't notice, you truly listen and care. What makes you irresistible is the sense of calm and security that you offer others. You are a safe space for those who need peace and someone to trust. Your ability to be authentic and the way you connect with others from a place of acceptance and understanding is what attracts people the most. The peace you project and your ability to inspire confidence make everyone around you feel at ease, and that's one of the reasons why you're so irresistible. Your ideas and creative project could also resonate with so many people, I feel you are someone who makes a big impact on other people's lives; wow this is a really powerful energy pile 3! Extended reading on Patreon: 👀Who has their eyes on you?👀

✈️ 🛍️ 📸 🎧 🎫Thanks for reading and tell me if it resonated ✈️ 🛍️ 📸 🎧 🎫

[modern-politics111]

Democrats flip a Trump +21 State Senate Seat in Rural lowa

If we can flip this seat, let's start working on taking the federal House back.

This year. 

Amazing work to everyone who volunteered, and looking forward to repeating the experience..!

So here are some resources to help you help yourself, and everyone else you are about as we work through this together. These are my personal recommendations, by order of what I think takes precedence:

1): Join your county party.

This is where so much happens, and if people want to affect change meaningfully, whatever their priorities, this is where to do so. The amount of resources available, regardless of political lean or interest, are just unfathomable. And if someone is Dem-agnostic, there are almost always people who have suggestions on causes and candidates that need help that are more independent...

While the experience helps show that Dems are, in fact, people, and phenomenally good ones at that. 

Not every county has a party structure, and in that case my next suggestion is to shadow a 'sister' party in a nearby county. Democratic clubs can also be useful, but the laser focus on community needs is why county parties are so important.

2): Get involved in your community.

This goes with the point above, and will depend on your interests. It's best to choose one or two; are you interested in information? Your local library could use you. Do you have strong religious convictions? There are probably organizations of your faith focused on housing or social issues from a religious and progressive perspective in your area. How about a union or workplace organization? 

These institutions are force multipliers for the good you can do in your community, and out of it. 

3): Understand you aren't going to save the world on your own, and work is not glamorous.

Attending city/town council meetings, for example, can be draining for everyone. Not even because the day is going poorly, but because - It's a lot of work. Hard work, without an easy one-quick-fix. 

Trust me, if there was, Dems would use it. 

But it's also rewarding. Over the years, when you see things you've fought for start out opposed, be heavily attacked, come under attack for defending or championing them, and then see them become neutral, tolerated - Accepted, even defended by others, that is an indescribable feeling.

It is also why so many of us are so determined not to take any steps back into the past.

4): Treat yourself well.

Nobody can do everything all the time; some days, it's enough to get up, go to work, fulfil your obligations, and then maybe do something you find fun. 

Doing so isn't weakness; it's strength. Accepting that you need to take the time to look after yourself is one of the reasons we're here fighting.

I hope this gives some useful starting points for you

[wintergrofyuri]

@itsonlypolite

@wrathful-banette

TEEHEE OK

so. i forgot to say. skeptic IS a detective. a pi. a gumshoe. a dick, if you will. but i guess thats sort of implied already. i just wanted to state it clearly.

but anyways.

this whole thing was made bc im so fucking insane about the cage chapter. the themes about being a slave to fate and how our actions are not our own and losing control of yourself and your life. just. ugh. it speaks to me a lot. and ofc skeptic being an old timey detective is so universal. i joke about hating him but i Do like him and find him interesting. i want to put him in situations.

and thats what this whole au is. putting skeptic in situations. hearing new perspectives, having his theories proven wrong, dealing with uncooperative suspects, red herrings. i love when hes wrong or ignored or otherwise slighted. he seems very. sure of himself? not an arrogant fool, but more. a guy who hasnt been wrong before. ykno. and i think ur typical film noir (with slay the princess elements like cycles and fate) is just a really natural fit to explore all that.

but its Also about playing with the whole "perception based creature" thing that the princess has going on. i Love "character nobody really knows" and the princess, with her multiple forms and fluid personality, works Rlly rlly well with this concept. i love the princess and i think she deserves to be a mysterious "haunting the narrative" type character. shes like a spy with multiple disguises. or someone in witness protection.

and also bartender hero lives in my mind like a parasite. oh my god that reminds me i need to talk about the others ok.

hero is the bartender (as stated before) of "the long quiet" bc i think its funny theyre still in tlq even in this silly film noir au.

stubborn is the bouncer/bodyguard/whatever the fuck you call it. he kicks ppl out when they get too rowdy.

cheated is The regular there. he either sits at a table and mopes or gets roped into a card game with opportunist that results in both of them being kicked out (theres always blood drawn).

opportunist is a conman/snake oil salesman whos only still allowed bc hero is too nice and opp is too good at buttering ppl up.

smitten is a tortured artist, lamenting to anyone who will listen about his lost love and muse. he is never paying his damn tab, but again, hero is too nice.

cold is a mysterious figure who only visits the bar like. once a month. he barely talks to anyone and only drinks water. (hes an assassin LOL)

broken is the local priest (the god is shifty btw) who only visits bc hero told him to get out more. he doesnt drink either. he just looks vaguely haunted.

contrarian is a guy whos hard to pin down. you cant find him, you just have to pray he appears ykno. the only people who Know him are hero and cold, but hero refuses to divulge anything abt him and cold is just. Cold. ykno.

paranoid is skeptic's partner (lol) and secretary. he does half the work around the office (maybe more) and lives with skeptic. he complains and protests and threatens to quit, but its all bark. hes very loyal. to his own frustration.

now im going to be honest. hunted is Super difficult to put in this au. given his role as a fight or flight, base animal instinct type, he cant be fit into an au like this very easily. ive considered a hunter, but that doesnt fit him at all. so. im a hack and i should delete my tumblr.

but no seriously hunted is very difficult. ALSO. THE NARRATOR. ive been thinking if i should add him and how prevelant he should be and what he would be like. if he should be in the bar or if skeptic would need to meet him somewhere else. maybe hes the villain ykno. but im. not sure and i dont wanna make the whole thing Too big ykno. i swear its not just bc i dont like him (joke (hes fun to hate (but also i hate him), i genuinely am stuck on what to do with him.

anyways. thats pretty much it. i dont wanna derail this post with. yaoi ramblings. so ill keep it close to my chest. also b4 u ask, im. not going to make this a fic or anything. i dont have the energy for something like this and im not very. good at writing longform anyway. i much prefer tiny drabbles. and anyways, its kinda. rlly unfinished cuz ive been too busy thinking too hard about minor details.

listen to 3 time tony winner, broadway classic, city of angels with music by cy coleman, lyrics by david zippel, and book by larry gelbart. thanks.

I ALMOST FORGOT. theyre still birds 💜. yayyyy 💞

[jacobtheloofah]

okay i decided i wanna replay fallout 3 and really try to uh know enjoy it, cuz i kinda hate it. and i have many thoughts which i shared elsewhere and im barely past the supermarket and i just wanna talk about two comparative moments between 3 and new vegas cuz it was tumbling in my head a bit:

in fallout 3 you go to megaton and likely end up at moriarty’s bar, and when you go there some dude, burke, beckons you over and says “hey wanna blow this city up” to which i, someone who doesn’t care about wanton destruction without any plot motivation, say no. i then encounter the sheriff later and see you can snitch on that guy, so i see where it goes. the sheriff runs to the bar and confronts him and this is basically how it goes:

sheriff: you’re causing trouble, you’re coming with me!

burke: ah, forgive me my dear fellow, it seems there was a misunderstanding.

sheriff: don’t fuck around with me, you’re under arrest.

burke: nuh uh.

sheriff: yuh huh.

burke: okay fine lead the way.

they then begin to head out until burke shoots the sheriff and kills him, and the only thing stopping that dude from walking out of the bar where everyone saw him kill their trusted sheriff is you, so you can kill burke and then it’s just done. i dunno if there’s long term consequences of it all cuz i just loaded a save cuz wow that all was so fucking anticlimactic.

let’s compare to one of the earliest encounters in new vegas: you wake up in this town and head to the bar where a woman gives you some pointers on shooting, then she says go talk to the bartender since you’re new in town. you head back into the bar and the bartender is having an encounter with a no good bad guy. you talk to the bartender and find out they’re protecting a guy who the bad guy wants dead, cuz yknow they’re decent folk. you go talk to the hiding guy and the bad guys want him cuz they ganged up on him and he fought back. you can also go talk to the other guy and side with him and find out their deal, but you can also side with the hiding guy and gather the forces of the town to battle the bad guy and his gang, and then guess what you have the control to stop them and help the town folk survive. and then when you fight those guys you encounter the rest of them out in the world and deal with them accordingly cuz now you’ve got a reputation among them. and by the way you save that guy and he says he owes you, and later in the game you go to his caravan head base and he finds you and repays you the rest of what he owes.

do you see the difference there? in fallout 3 you get basically 3 options.

1. blow up the town cuz muahahaha

2. don’t do that cuz fucking why would you do that

3. try to deal with the guy trying to blow up the town, maybe this leads to a quest to figure out why the fuck he wants to do that, but oh he just kills the sheriff and nobody cares and it’s back to square one.

that’s all. kill or dont kill. no talky, talky leads to kill or no kill.

in new vegas you encounter a situation in the middle of things, you can talk to people and see where their heads are at and come to a decision for which way to go based on that. and when you do make your choice things simply happen the way they happen, there’s no scripted deaths there. if a townsperson dies cuz you didn’t get enough folks to help with the defense then that’s that. but you can actively work to make sure the situation goes as good as it can, and you get rewarded for that not just monetarily but by feeling the impact of your decision throughout your playthrough.

fallout new vegas is about a rich world full of perspectives where you go out and try to understand that world and those perspectives, and you get to make decisions based on what you learn. sometimes it comes down to killy shooty punchy, but more often than you expect you can talk it out.

fallout 3 is a retro-futuristic theme park where nothing matters and everyone talks like an asshole.

oh and fun fact in new vegas, the game where decisions matter and you can talk through situations, you can actually kill anyone and everyone. in fallout 3, the game where the stakes are made up and the dialogue doesn’t matter, many npc’s are too important to die so you can’t kill them. make sense of that shit.

anyway play new vegas it’s great.

[updownlately]

If out of the 16 England isn’t playing there best and other teams are out playing them then they don’t deserve a spot. Jus because a team has performed in the past doesn’t instantly mean they deserve a spot in the future if they can’t continue performing consistently enough to maintain their position.

understandable but then think abt this. if you have a team that has an easier qualification route but they’re significantly worse (and i’m talking about the different continental quotas here) then why is it fair for them to take a spot of another good team?

this isn’t even towards england not qualifying. i, as a canadian, don’t really think canada deserves a spot over sweden, yet that seems like what’s going to happen.

berthing in each of the different continents is totally cool imo. but the qualifying allocations overall just seem kinda stupid to me all things considered 🤷‍♀️

[fucktheepilogues]

Agreed i love tfem roxy fuck the epilogues

Kind of old roxy doodle i dont fw but i love her so much

Im cool with people not sharing my headcanons of course but i personally love tfem roxy and obviously have to take advantage of this opportunity to dog on the epilogues.

I admittedly haven't done an in-depth analysis on her character, so im not in the place to argue in defense of this, but it just feels right.

[Yapsesh incoming]

Building on this, I think a lot of people are hesitant to hc transfem characters, even when they are quite the opposite with tmasc headcanons. Im not dissing on them or shaming for being like that, I used to be the same. I think many people have subconscious bias against things without even realizing it. I can admit I certainly did. Once you notice it, and can address it, some things make a lot more sense.

Its not too hard to notice the trend of transfem headcanons receiving a lot more hate than transmasc headcanons. In general, transfem people are subjected to more hate than transmasc. Its not a topic ive researched much but id assign it to the misrepresentation of trans women in media and the way they are often seen as "dangerous." Even if you support trans people, its possible to be biased without knowing. (You are not immune to propaganda)

A lot of this is rooted in the inherent sexism of society, seeing men as dangerous and women as vulnerable. As well as seeing feminity as a weakness. Ex. Tomboys are normalized, seen as quirky at most- feminine boys are often mocked or made fun of for being "girly," called gay. Interesting how calling someone a dick is usually used to describe someone being rude or abrasive, and calling someone a pussy is used to describe them as cowardly or weak. Hmm.

Also, a lot of people-despite claiming to support them- still somewhat see trans women as men. It can be difficult to change your perspective when you have been conditioned to think a certain way since you were young. Transphobia is often unconscious, and its not something that goes away just because you say its wrong. Just because you say you you support trans people and treat them fairly and respect their pronouns doesnt mean you dont still have that internalized distaste.

It's something deeply rooted, firmer for some than others. And if you want to get rid of it, you have to dig it out. It won't just get up and walk out because you look at it sternly. Find out why you feel that way, address it, and try adopting a new perspective.

I was raised in a pretty progressive household, not religious, supportive of self expression and being queer. I still had a subconscious bias against transwomen for a bit, despite supporting them and even questioning my gender myself. Thats a bit embarrassing to confess, but I've worked through it and no longer have that problem.

Sorry to get off track, I kind of started rambling there. Im sure this is poorly written and maybe quite flawed. Im not trying to say you are transphobic if you dont share my headcanon, i just got sidetracked and wanted to share my thoughts on the subject.

Obligatory fuck the epilogues

i'm sorry but if you can't see transfem roxy you straight-up read hs wrong

you are just erasing a heavily transfem-coded character for your own shitty headcanon

"oh but she's canonically transmasc in the epilogues" idfc, the writers of post-canon are notorious transmisogynists

[little-mouse-adventures]

Currently thinking about Artemis's will in the code at the bottom of TLG and how it really kinda shows how strained his relationship with his dad still is. Everyone else gets something they're interested in or that Arty thinks they'd like (sound system for Juliet, frozen chicken for Mulch, ethical investments for his mother, etc) and yet for his father he leaves only bearer bonds, despite Artemis I trying to move away from a money-focused enterprise and lifestyle as of TEC. Not to mention it's Butler who would know how to disengage all the booby traps protecting said bearer bonds, further highlighting the difference in trust & familiarity Artemis has with everyone but his father.

[sleepymarmot]

Is it the gremlin or the good nurse tonight?

[forgetme-eternally-blissfully]

Reset.

An ability where, if Cale believes, he can reset a condition in his body. It’s a temporary fix, but if he keeps his resolution strong, he can “spam” reset all of his body’s conditions for days. He can also temporarily boost his strength, but only by a small amount.

Choi Han and Cale go on a mission and Choi Han gets his legs broken and torn up. Cale has to carry him through a desert for over a day, nonstop, while Choi Han watches in horror as Cale keeps repeating

“I’m fine, I’m okay, I’m awake, I’m strong, I’m okay, I’m not tired, I’m not sore, I’m okay, I’m strong, I’m fine-“

Over, and over, and over again. Unable to do anything but keep going because they need to get back to their base and resting will only waste time.

They make it back in the middle of the night, Choi Han unconscious, with Cale continuing to strongly declare that he’s perfectly fine. Raon bursts out of the house just in time, and when Cale sees Raon, he finally collapses.

For a day, Cale sleeps, mumbling the things he had been repeating for a full day. It’s incredibly depressing and no one can even feel angry about Cale’s unhealthy behavior, because it’s clear how it is a deeply subconscious reaction to his environment.

When he wakes up, it’s because he said “I’m awake.” Everyone stares at him. He says again, “I’m okay,” but no one says anything.

He’s breathing heavily and his eyes aren’t focused, continuing his mantra like it’s the only thing keeping him stable.

“Cale-nim.”

He looks toward Choi Han’s serious voice, and for brief moment he hesitates, before reaffirming “I’m alright.”

He looks down to Choi Han’s legs, which have been healed by now. “You’re alright,” he breathes a sigh of relief. “Everything’s alright.”

“No it’s not!” Raon cracks and throws himself into Cale’s arms. “You’re not okay! Choi Han isn’t okay! No one is okay right now!”

Cale’s eyes blur, and everyone watches with a horrified fascination as his eyes fall half-mast. “No, I’m okay, I’m okay, I’m- I’m awake, I’m- I’m- I’m fine and I’m safe…”

“No, you’re not,” Choi Han grabs Cale’s hand and forces his eyes to look at him. “You aren’t okay, you’re hurt and you won’t let yourself heal.” He pauses. “Is this an ability?”

Cale nods, “So that I’m okay. I can keep being okay if I’m like this,” he squeezes his hand, but Choi Han squeezes harder.

“Cale-nim, what happens when you release it? Does it hurt?” Cale flinches, stuttering another ‘I’m fine’ before he replies.

“Everything that I’ve Reset comes back twice as hard. I’d be unconscious for at least two days, maybe three. I’m okay, I can be okay until everything is over. I don’t have a limit for how long I can stay like this. I’m alright, I can do this-“

Choi Han clenches his other fist. This smart but stupid guy…

“Cale, we already have plans.” Eruhaben cuts him off. “We can handle things without you. A dragon can do this much, so trust us.” Cale’s chest shudders, struggling to continue to be fine.

“I trust you, I trust everyone- I just can’t let anyone get hurt. No… no, no, no one can get hurt. I’m not hurt. I’m fine- I’m okay, okay…”

Raon whines, quivering in his humans arms. This hasn’t happened before, it doesn’t make sense. His human makes no sense, none at all!…

“Raon, go to Eruhaben-nim,” Choi Han orders softly. “I’ll take care of Cale-nim.” Eruhaben and Choi Han make eye contact. They nod.

With Raon out of Cale’s arms, he crawls over and sits next to him. Cale can only weakly struggle as Choi Han settles Cale’s head on his lap. Choi Han forces Cale to look into his eyes.

“Choi Han, I’m okay…!-“

“I’m not okay.” Cale’s pupils shake. “Say it. I’m not okay.”

“I’m okay, I’m okay…”

Patiently, Choi Han repeats it again, over and over. Cale can only look into Choi Han’s steady eyes and fight against it.

After a long, agonizing minute, Cale stutters. “I- I’m-… It’s going to hurt. Choi Han it’s…”

Choi Han places a hand on Cale’s forehead. “It’s scary. It’s going to hurt because you aren’t okay, but it’s not bad to struggle. Cale-nim, please… you’re already hurting.”

Cale pinches his eyes shut.

“…” His lungs shudder. “You… you’re right…” his eyes open, “I am..." his eyes unfocus. "-fine. I'm fine."

Choi Han bites his lip. "You are hurt."

"I'm not."

"You are tired."

"I'm okay, I'm awake," Cale grinds out the words from between his teeth, sweat beading on his forehead. "Until everything is over, Choi Han, I have to be."

"You don't."

Cale's breath shudders, back arching to get away as Choi Han lays his hand over Cale's eyes.

"Wait, no-" with his other hand, Choi Han puts his thumb between Cale's teeth. Cale protests, grabbing Choi Han's wrist and trying to pull it away, but he was never a match for Choi Han's strength. His cries are muffled and arguing, something that Choi Han isn't used to hearing, and his expression is screwed tightly. Cale isn't one to be scared. It's strange how something like this can affect him so much.

Unable to say his mantra, it isn't long before Cale's body goes limp. Bruises bloom rapidly over his arms, and though he has pants on, Choi Han is sure that there are colorful bruises on his legs too.

His thumb doesn't even have a dent from where Cale had been biting at it. Though, for someone so upset, he didn't put much effort into it. There's some saliva on it, but Choi Han simply wipes it off onto his clothes.

Gently, he sweeps his hand over Cale's hair. His closed eyes, revealed to the world, have new dark circles under them, deep and with a purple and blue hew. His skin is pale and sweaty with a fever, no doubt from his bodies quick attempt to recover from the damage.

Cale said a few days but Choi Han had a feeling this wouldn't be such a short coma.

He swallows dryly.

This was definitely... a new side of their commander.

(Written Jan 17, 2023)

[gay-jewish-bucky]

#i'm continuing this version on this reblog chain but i'll do the anonymous perspective on the other one bc i have Thoughts #so. the reviews are going well.. until they aren't #it's not the reviews themselves that go bad or that people dislike (homophobes aside. considering this sex act list and the reviews both #were their official “coming out” it did draw its share of negative attention once someone let the homophobes in on it. but the love and #support had outweighed it a lot and honestly.. bucky and steve were both used to being judged. and they both had been through worse #things than being judged. so none of this was really life altering) the problem was actually two problems in one. and later on bucky would #look back and realize that his - bucky's - own mental health was a big part of why steve had hesitated on saying yes to the reviews #it wasn't just about steve's privacy (although that was another part and in retrospect maybe he should have been a little more understanding #but after the shit they had been through - that he had been through - bucky had just been excited to do something fun. something #that combined important parts of his life: his rediscovered jewishness and his steve (and their already indescribable sex life holy fuck) #it let him express himself and he had - at the time - thought it would make him feel like he was taking something back. that he would be #taking something back. something he'd lost for 70 years to ice and strangers and violence and-

#he didnt want to think about it. it wasn't supposed to end up like this. the list hadn't caused any problems but the reviews.. they had #started out fun and helpful (something he had explained to steve one night when steve yet again told bucky that he didnt understand why#he wanted to tell the world about what they did in the bedroom.. and the kitchen. and the living room and the bathroom and the hallway and- #yeah. steve didn't get why bucky wanted to share all of that. and bucky had explained that it wasnt just about the list and it wasnt just #about the sex or getting to lowkey brag. highkey. (hush he was a lucky man) it was about being able to express himself in a way he had neve #been allowed to. not just because of.. things.. but also because of the time they grew up in. it was about showing people that they were #also just people. who were in love and had fun and sometimes clumsy sex. it was about controlling the way he was seen. to really #understate it. and even that.. wasn't entirely correct. the last part. it was hard to explain why it had felt helpful and good initially #it just had. and if it was helpful then wasn't that good?? steve was always trying to help bucky find things that affected him positively #maybe steve's lack of full support of the idea was a warning. a bad sign. if steve - who always supported him - wasn't entirely sold.. buck #thinks - from where he's curled up under a mountain of blankets on their bed - that maybe he should have hesitated too

@mieczyhale bestie i am so very invested in this, on the edge of my seat, your brain, again, is phenomenal

Thinking about Bucky finding this Cosmo article, listing Hanukkah-inspired sex acts.

While initially excited to try them out with Steve, the article is largely a disappointment. It's lazily put together and some don' even have titles, Steve!

Feeling as though the concept has a lot of potential, Bucky decides to spend the next year coming up with his own list, complete with pun or joke titles for all of them, posting it for others to try.

With Bucky taking the role of the NJB (Nice Jewish Bottom), he tests them out with Steve, and blogs about their experience with each (complete with awkward and funny moments).

1. With Your Dreidel I Will Play Strip Dreidel - Rules Nun: nothing Gimmel: lick one of your partner’s exposed body parts Hay: remove all clothing from your upper or lower half Shin: remove one piece of clothing 2. Miracle of the Oil Give your partner a full body rub down with massage oil, progressing to the prone bone position, combining erotic massage with slow and deep anal or vaginal stimulation 3. Latke But Don’t Touch Both partners are naked, one is tied to a chair, being hand-fed latkes, any oil or toppings that drip onto them must be licked up 4. O, Hannukah Partners have penetrative sex in the candle position with the penetrating and receiving partners in vibrating cock rings (for people with vaginas: use a vibrating clit clamp) 5. SufganiHOT Cover and/or fill your partner’s ass and genitals with strawberry-flavoured lube and eat them out 6. Let’s Gelt it On “Buy” sexual favours of your choosing with gelt as currency 7. Maccabeat It Mutual masturbation while reflecting on the Hanukkah candles 8. Light My Menorah Using the shamash of body-safe (paraffin or soy) Hanukkah candle, the partner bottoming straddles (with or without penetration) the partner topping and drips melting wax on their chest (you can reblog the list by itself here!)

Open Fic Prompt!

[autisticlee]

sometimes people who struggle like to make jokes or find positives about their condition that causes them to struggle so they can escape the constant negative and struggle. sometimes autistic people will say things like "the 'tism" or use the "autism creature" or say their autism helped them have a *positive trait* to feel better about their struggles. because living your life only focusing on the struggles and negatives is depressing and makes it hard to want to live, even if those struggle take up 100% of your life and you can't actually escape them. sometimes any little seemingly positive thing can help a lot.

but there's so many other autistic people that hate when we do that and call it "reducing autism to a cute trendy thing" and say it takes away from *their* struggles and is bad and shouldn't be used. maybe *you* want to only focus on your struggles, but some people can't live in constant negative and need some positive or to find ways to make their condition more positive so they can feel better about living with their struggles. life is hard. I take anything I can get.

I cant get jobs. I can't make and keep friends. I can't get help and support for doing "normal" things so sometimes I go weeks without being able to shower and without eating more than a bowl of cereal a day. most times can't even do things I like. struggle to communicate. have meltdowns. i'll never be able to live independently. I struggle a lot. but instead of sitting here always depressed and having no motivation to live, i'd rather try to joke about "my 'tism is acting up again" when i'm struggling (just an example. don't think I ever actually used the 'tism thing but i saw others use it) or say "i'm just being a creature" when I need to stay in my dark room because everything is too much and I personally find it cute to be a little creature meant in a positive way. i'm not actually downplaying mine or anyone else's struggles. I still acknowledge them and that silly jokes dont make them go away. i'm not trying to be trendy. i'm not doing any of the things people say we do by making silly little jokes. i'm using the silly little jokes to convince myself life can be a little more than pointless, painful garbage all the time.

(continue in tags)

[3416]

thinking about "mitch will assault me if i don't pick him" again.... i circle back to it all the time but it's like..... auston KNOWS how he feels about being left out and will always tease him for it but ALSO wouldn't dream of not including him anyway ...as if it were a given that mitch will always be his pick.......... his face when he says it too. i will never get over how relaxed he seems and i will NEVER stop wanting the mitch and auston leaf to leaf we are OWED. it is so long overdue, how do the leafs not understand this

[bungusofficial]

mutual how are you so good at getting into arguments with people who agree with you

probably bc i only respond to people who cant write or read

"rape play can be consented to" and "rape can be consented to" are VERY different sentences. n like honestly i shouldnt even have bothered.

if you have such a fundamental misunderstanding of the english language i wont waste my time trying to communicate with you. when every word means something different its not really english anymore is it. if everything u say is so divorced from the english language that i need to ask you to repeat and translate everything i dont think im at fault here

i might just cut contact w anyone in the community because everything i say is misunderstood and misrepresented and not taken seriously if im not sucking up to people.

and so many words have new double-meanings and im led to think i disagree with ppl because theyre fucking incapable of writing a coherent sentence. and then its my fault somehow.

and its not like 'transid' or paraphilia dont exist outside of the radqueer community. everyone wants to change things about themselves. everyone changes. people are into weird shit and have mental disorders. i dont have a problem with peoples experiences.

n if rqs put any effort into what they say (or even didnt blame me for assuming that a word doesnt have any new secret meaning) id treat it the same as the mogai or liom community. whatever. kinda fun. sometimes theres a relatable label

.delete later

[daydreamerdrew]

All-Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder (2005) #2

[mobofficial]

kenjaku save me . panels that made me and syn explode into chunks and yapping abt them 4 the past hour