#males offering health advice

[balkanradfem]

My dad also offers mom to cure her problems with vodka (I suppose it's part trolling on his side) and also constantly rants that we (me and mom) are not supposed to go to doctors or take medicine, because it makes everything worse! While he constantly does some crazy 'healthy' things like drinking a lot of baking soda in water, I can list many. I am impressed he's still alive with what he does not himself honestly. But nothing can shake his certainty that it's all good health practice and whenever he heard me talking with mom about health he always self inserted with new fad advice.

This is giving me the 'I want her to be drunk so she doesn't complain about her illness so I don't have to listen to it' vibe...

I think baking soda is not toxic, just yuck, I think I used it with water once to fix a stomach issue. And it was yuck.

Males being convinced and trying to convince others that alcohol is the solution to illnesses makes me pissed off. It's ignorant of the painful history - and current state of domestic affairs where drunken and alcoholic males abuse their entire families and destroy the family financially by purchasing large amounts of alcohol. I'm not saying weird health nuts are the ones who do that, but they should be reminded every time they act like alcohol is a 'cure', that it is historically, a poison to families, in the hands of males. No male should be allowed to speak positive about it, seeing how stupid and easily destroyed by it they get.

Also seeing this they also should not be allowed to be doctors or give any health advice, if this is how easily they're spreading stupid and fake information. It's even worse when no study or fact or proof will change their minds! They just go 'no I'm right' in the face of overwhelming evidence of being wrong and they keep on repeating the same shit over and over until they die. That is not a rational being, that's a walking disease. We should call them hysterical every time they do it.

Sorry I got so mad! I know nothing about alcohol but I do know male addictions to it can end fatally for women. So I don't stand them talking about it this way. They need to be humbled and ashamed of needing it.

[getaandlucius]

A brief taste of honey (emperor Geta story)

Geta is being held captive by Lucius and becomes sad and depressed after his brother Caracalla gets killed. Someone unexpected (Lucius/Paul Mescal) takes care of him. Fluffy/smutty. Please leave a comment if you want another part 💕

Themes: war, love, male intimacy in the ancient times

Warnings: nudity, a little smutty, fluff and mentioning of depression

On his way back from the training grounds to his private quarters, Lucius encountered Marcella, one of the servants assigned to Geta in his new imprisonment: a spacious room in the south wing.

“Lucius, you can’t be serious,” she protested, ignoring any regard for rank or propriety and grabbed him by his arms. “You’re putting me in a room with him? You might as well throw me into a cage with a wild animal!”

“There are two guards posted outside and two inside,” Lucius replied calmly. “If he lays a finger on you, they will intervene.”

“Why me?” she demanded.

“Because he needs a woman’s touch. No—your touch. You’re a healer, intelligent and empathetic. As vile a person as he may be, and as poor a ruler as he was, he needs that now. I need him to survive and regain his health.” He kept to himself that she was also very beautiful, and knowing Geta appreciated the finer things in life, he hoped he would listen to Marcella's soft words and advice.

“Fine. But if anything happens to me, it’s your conscience.”

“I’m aware,” Lucius replied sincerely.

A week later, Lucius returned from a diplomatic trip to Ostia. His first stop was the south wing to check on Geta’s condition.

To his surprise he found Marcella and Athena sitting outside the room with the guards, working on some needlework.

“What are you doing out here?” he asked, knitting his brows together.

“Oh. He begged us to leave the room,” Marcella replied, straightening her shoulders. “We didn’t protest, to be fair." she added. "We couldn’t bear the crying anymore—well, wailing, really.”

“He’s also refusing to eat—or bathe,” Athena added, wrinkling her nose. “He’s getting rather… pungent.”

Lucius groaned softly. “Has he eaten anything at all?”

“Some fruit, I think. But he complained about the variety offered.”

Lucius nodded grimly and ordered the guards to open the door.

Inside, Geta was perched on the windowsill, his head drooping. When Lucius entered, Geta lifted his face, revealing red, tear-swollen eyes and damp cheeks.

Lucius walked over to the window and stood before him. “What is it that you want, Geta?”

“To die,” Geta replied in a voice still thick with tears.

“No. Anything but that.”

He met Lucius’ gaze. “That’s all I want.”

“Starving yourself won’t bring your brother back,” Lucius said, keeping a safe distance to avoid an outburst.

“No,” Geta murmured, his voice breaking. “But it might bring me to him.”

“Don’t speak like that.”

“Just… leave me alone. I want to be alone,” he replied, voice heavy with exhaustion.

“What you need is a bath.”

“No.”

“You smell.”

“I couldn’t care less.”

Lucius sighed, lifting his hands in the air. “Fine. I’ll leave then." He bent a little forward. "After you drink some water, at least.”

Geta didn’t respond so Lucius fetched a cup, holding it out until Geta finally took it, sipping slowly. Lucius found himself staring at his face, the stark contrast of his eyes against the fairness of his skin and hair. He was such a strange creature to look at.

When the cup was empty, Lucius took it from him. “I’ll return in a few days.”

----

Three days later, Lucius found the room quiet. Marcella and Athene were in the sunroom, reading.

“He’s still asleep,” Marcella warned as Lucius passed by.

It was late in the afternoon. This was a bad sign.

Lucius stepped into the sleeping quarters, his eyes adjusting slowly to the dim light. The air felt heavy with the stillness of sleep. Geta’s right arm hung limply over the edge of the bed, the other tucked beneath his cheek. He was still lost to the world, his features slack and unguarded. The skin of his bare back gleamed pale as marble against the deep blue of the linens, a thin sheet draped over his lower half.

Lucius hesitated, then knelt next to the bed. He reached out to shake Geta’s shoulder gently. His skin was warm under his fingers. When Geta didn’t stir, Lucius shook harder.

“No,” Geta croaked, voice thick with sleep, turning his face away. “Leave.”

“It’s nearly evening,” Lucius said. “You’re going to bathe and then join me for supper.”

“I said no.” He moved to the other side of the bed.

Lucius groaned in frustration. Without warning, he bent over the bed, grasped Geta’s arm, and hauled him toward the edge. Wrapping the sheet more securely around him, he slung Geta over his shoulder.

Geta shrieked and kicked, his protests ringing loudly through the halls, but Lucius held firm. Ignoring the wide-eyed stares of Marcella and Athena, he marched toward the bathing house, taking a shortcut to avoid prying eyes. He had no interest in feeding the gossip that already thrived in Rome.

At the bathhouse, Lucius considered tossing Geta into the water, sheet and all, but thought better of it. He suspected Geta knew not how to swim and didn’t want the hassle of fishing him out. Instead, he set him down firmly on his feet.

Geta clutched the sheet tightly, his eyes darting toward a group of men passing nearby. Lucius followed his gaze and decided to drag him to a smaller, unheated bath at the back, one rarely used by anyone.

“We forgot the cleaning supplies.” Lucius remembered then. “ ’ll fetch some from the servants.” Geta gave a brief nod, and Lucius left.

When he returned with honey, oil, and a soda mixture for his hair, he found Geta had not moved an inch.

"Go on, then," Lucius ordered.

Geta hesitated, clutching the sheet. It made Lucius uncomfortably aware of the situation. Nudity was commonplace in their world, but something about this moment felt strange and a little wrong. Lucius turned his gaze to the wall as Geta let the sheet fall to the ground. After a moment, Geta's hand drifted into view, reaching out for the flask of oil. Lucius handed it over and looked away again as Geta began rubbing it into his skin, wondering to himself why he was still standing there like a statue instead of just leaving him to it.

After a while, Geta placed the flask back into Lucius' hand, but instead of reaching for the strigil, he came closer and stood before him, his back facing him and his head bent forward slightly. Lucius frowned in confusion, then realized that Geta was wordlessly asking for help.

Lucius inhaled sharply and tensed, dropping some oil into his palm. He was well aware that this was not his responsibility. There were male and female servants available who could perform this task. Yet, he found himself dutifully starting to apply the oil to Geta’s skin���beginning at his neck and then moving down between his shoulder blades. He kept his touches clinical, distant, not letting his eyes wander. He was simply helping him, he reminded himself.

As he was working with his hands, he was taken aback by the smoothness of Geta’s skin. It was so unlike his own, softer than most women’s he had touched. It felt like the skin of a peach—easily bruised, and delicate like silk. He applied some pressure, and heard Geta’s breath hitch slightly, as though he feared being hurt. Lucius wanted to tell him it was okay, that he could relax and trust him, but he kept his mouth shut. He let his hand drift lower, reaching Geta's lower spine, where he lingered for a moment -almost shy, not daring to move any further.

When Geta’s back was covered, Lucius took a jar of raw honey and began rubbing it into his skin, mixing it with the oil to moisturize and smoothen it. He then took the bronze strigil and began softly scraping the mixture off.

Lucius swallowed when he reached Geta’s buttocks, awkwardly gliding the copper over his skin, briefly dipping into the crease. He even knelt down to reach Geta’s calves.

No words were exchanged—Geta simply allowed him to do it. When Lucius finished with the back, he handed the strigil and honey to Geta.

“You can reach the rest,” he murmured in a low voice.

Geta met his gaze, and said, "Thank you." There was a strange pride in his air, in the way he held his chin. A new-found confidence, while Lucius' had weakened.

Lucius gave a nod in acknowledgment. "Meet me in the dining hall after you've washed off." He replied and left, cheeks flushed with the intimacy of the moment.

Next part:  Part 4

Thank you for reading! If you’d like to read more: there are two previous parts on my page. If you’d like more parts, please leave a comment 💗

[bellestarot]

Niki's Reading

January 02, 2025

Right Now

He’s a bit upset about something he had been waiting for a long time. This opportunity has only now appeared for him, but he no longer values it as much as he once did. He’s unsure about what to do with this offer.

There is a significant female presence in his life at the moment. As the situation unfolds, it will become clearer who she is, but she is someone he’s very happy to have in his life.

He’s connecting with two much older men, possibly family members or people from his workplace. They seem to be influential figures, likely in the entertainment industry.

He and his group are planning to travel abroad, and he’s excited about it, as is the rest of the group. He’s sharing this moment with his groupmates.

Love Life

He’s in a relationship right now, and he’s very happy with this person.

Although he seems quite young, he’s already thinking about marriage or having children. He feels very at home with this person, who appears to be around his age, maybe a year older.

From the beginning, he felt a strong connection, which gave him the courage to pursue this relationship despite his fears due to past disappointments in love. However, with this person, things were different, and he was reciprocated, making him very happy.

He enjoys giving gifts to his partner but tries to control his spontaneity and excitement. He’s receiving advice from an older friend, whom he sees as mature and balanced, about how to navigate this relationship.

Career

In terms of his work, he feels that things have been fair so far, and he’s satisfied with the opportunities coming his way. He is ambitious and creative, with many ideas he wants to bring to life.

He feels sad for a work friend, possibly a groupmate, whose mother might be dealing with health, psychological, or family issues. He’s very empathetic and sensitive, and this has affected him directly.

He enjoys his work but is very intuitive about the people around him. There’s a lot of conflict in his environment, not just within the group but also with others, so he tries to protect himself from this.

Family

He is very happy with his family. He loves them deeply, especially his mother, for whom he has great affection.

However, he feels a bit down about his family’s financial situation not being great at the moment. Still, he remains hopeful and believes things will get better. He is very faithful and optimistic.

There seems to be a conflict with a male family member, possibly a brother or cousin.

Friendships

He is worried about a friend who is involved in harmful activities, possibly illicit or excessive behavior. This situation bothers and worries him.

He sometimes feels bored or unmotivated to go out with friends and prefers staying home. Yet, he wishes to have new friends and people in his life but doesn’t take any steps to make this happen, remaining stagnant.

There’s a friend who has romantic feelings for him, wanting to be more than just a friend.

He also has two female friends with strong personalities.

Future

He will mature a lot and gain a better understanding of the value of money and how to manage it. In the future, he’s likely to have a strong financial relationship, earning significant wealth.

He will become even more famous than he is now and will use his money to make substantial donations to help others and support institutions.

He will continue working, as he enjoys feeling useful, and his efforts will pay off. He might collaborate with someone in the entertainment industry, a partnership that will bring him even more success.

While he values fame and power, he may become cautious and slightly attached to them as his career advances.

Advice

"The starting point of all achievement is desire."

— Napoleon Hill

[white-sinner]

Yandere Baizhu

x tighnari cousin male reader

Warning: kidnapping,heat,touching,

Breeding,

Yandere Baizhu: who met you when he went to the forest of Sumeru because he needed flowers for medicine when he was attacked by some mushrooms he was about to attack when an arrow comes to kill the mushrooms it was you with your cousin Tighinari

Yandere Baizhu: who was infatuated when he saw you run towards him worried he saw your colored ears (h/c) move your soft tail and your worried eyes towards him, after you had ensured that he was not hurt Tighinari I introduce you saying that you were his cousin that you had moved to help him with the diseased areas of the forest being as well versed in medicine as he was

Yandere Baizhu: he start to come more often to Sumeru just to see you, the 2 of you have become very good friends eventually you have started writing letters to each other sometimes telling you about your days and others where he gave you advice on the medical field

Yandere Baizhu: that he couldn't take it anymore his obsession with you grew more and more so his snake that wanted to see his master happy gave him the idea to ask Tighinari if you could work for him questioning that Liyue was a safer place than in the forest and of course Tighinari as a good cousin accept

Yandere Baizhu: that now he had the opportunity to see you every day but it wasn't enough for him there was still one thing that was bothering him you weren't entirely his but he didn't worry about this he knew that soon you would go into heat being a hybrid and this is where the your instincts would take over

Yandere Baizhu: that when you asked to be able to leave earlier due to "health" problems he offered to drive you home meanwhile you kept getting worse in fact you didn't notice that he didn't take you to your house but to his house when you asked for explanations he answered inocently that his house it was closer

Yandere Baizhu: that he start stimulating you so that you go into heat faster despite your protests and attempts to stop him thanks to your cryo vision it was useless as he blocks you with his vision

Yandere Baizhu: that when he noticed from your eyes that by now you had given in and accepted his touch wanting more and more your instinct was telling you to let him touch you that you trusted him that Baizhu would protect you to let him do what he wanted with your body

Yandere Baizhu: who made you sign a contract saying that now you were his husband, after you had done it he wasted no time he picked you up and carried you to his or should I say your room after all he couldn't leave his sweet husband in that state

Yandere Baizhu: that he gently undress you while he kissed you later seeing you all wet and that you begged him saying you needed him he started to fuck you gently he didn't want to hurt you but when he realized how tight you were and you with a red face you told him that he was your first he start to go faster and you with watery eyes a thread of drool coming out of your mouth you kept moaning his name

Yandere Baizhu : that feeling of his orgasm next to him he came inside you now you were exhausted you already came 3 times after he took his cock from inside you Baizhu took a syringe and injected you with a sleeping pill and then washed you gently with a smile on his lips

Yandere Baizhu: the following morning you woke up and started to panic remembering little of what had happened the door opens and Baizhu enters with breakfast ready for you ,you order him to let you go home and he amused replied that you were home and later he show you the contract you were about to cry he put a ring on your finger equal to his and he kissd you saying there was no need to cry nothing could hurt you anymore and that you were his fragile little house husband who needed his protection like demonstrated by the heat and that he would be here to satisfy all your desires except to go out

"You don't have to worry baby nothing can hurt you I'm here you can stay home and cook and clean you'll be my little house husband and when I get back I can spend all the time with you isn't that wonderful M/N💜 "

“you are really funny face the reality M/N you need someone to protect you you are too fragile and defenseless like in your heat if I hadn't been there to protect you who knows what would have happened to you but now let's not worry about this honey💜 “

[mariacallous]

A ninth-grade health and wellness textbook has caused a minor uproar in Russia after activist Yekaterina Mizulina — more commonly known for championing Internet censorship measures — unearthed excerpts showing dubious advice to young women about navigating the hostile world of male sexual predators. For example, the textbook urges schoolgirls to avoid wearing bright makeup and short skirts to prevent becoming victims of sexual violence, reasoning that such displays “provoke boys and men.” Despite claims from the book’s lead author that it’s not required reading in Russian schools, the victim-blaming lessons offered in the text have raised concerns that at least some schoolchildren are being subjected to a backward education in gender norms.

Sergey Vangorodsky, who coauthored The Foundations of Life Safety, told RTVI that Mizulina’s complaints are “unfounded” because the book is not standard reading in Russia’s high school curriculum.

However, several readers told Mizulina that the textbook is used in health and wellness classes at schools in Rostov-on-Don, Volgodonsk, and Tambov. It’s also available for sale online. “Given that not all school library collections are updated in a timely manner, it may still be in use in [other] schools. I’m confident that the Education Ministry will investigate the matter,” Mizulina wrote on her Telegram channel.

In a section called “Safe Behavior for Girls,” Vangorodsky and his coauthors write that women who are alone with a man “should be prepared for him to develop a desire for intimacy.” Here are some other eyebrow-raising snippets from The Foundations of Life Safety:

“Many conflicts and attacks occur due to the victim’s own behavior, signaling through her appearance that she is either ‘ripe for it’ (being in the wrong place at the wrong time), willing (too available), or defenseless (drunk, scared, aroused, [or] overly trusting). Avoid standing out among others with excessive extravagance.”

“If you are alone with a man (even one you know well), be prepared for him to develop a desire for intimacy with you. Maintain a relaxed demeanor, but do not try to flirt or tease him, as in an intimate setting, he may interpret your flirting as an invitation to intimacy and your resistance as playacting.”

“If you cannot escape or counter a rapist’s weapon or physical superiority, you can still defend yourself by leveraging men’s psychophysiological traits during sexual intercourse and targeting their vulnerable spots. Try to trick the rapist into believing you agree to intimacy, get him to lower his defenses, and then act decisively according to your chosen plan.”

“How not to become a victim of violence: When going to a party, a café, a bar, a concert, any large event, or somewhere with a bad reputation, do not wear very short skirts or paint your lips, eyelids, and eyelashes in wild colors. This provokes boys and men and is perceived by them as a signal.”

[fictionkinfessions]

im a fictive who is male in my source, and formed into the system as a man, and then realized i was a girl and socially transitioned later. but the body is afab, so ive been really confused on what to call myself. i would call myself transfem but our body isnt, but calling myself cis just wouldnt be right. and its kind of hard to find resources on, like… the ways plurality and gender interact.

has anyone else experienced something like this? open question

PARTY EDIT an anon made a decent reply i will copy paste here and th elink to that anon is here https://www.tumblr.com/fictionkinfessions/763901103886729216/

Anonymous asked:

A reply to post/763833243511439360

I am not in your exact situation, but I am alarmed that so many people are offering you terrible advice in the notes, advice which could be harmful to your mental health, to trans women you may meet, and others as well.

My own situation is rather tricky, I am a cis girl but the host of my system is a trans man who has long since undergone social and medical transition, so our body's physical appearance and way of being perceived in everyday life is that of a man, and I am required to answer to he/him pronouns and such. Rarely I am able to dress as myself, and typically I am perceived as a trans woman when I do so, especially if I do not spend a lot of time on makeup.

I understand that it is extraordinarily difficult to talk about this thing without sounding like you are trying to claim to be transmisogyny-affected or like a detransitioner, and the labels of cis and trans do not feel quite right. Plurality and the effects it has are not something anyone knows how to talk about. However calling yourself an 'afab trans woman' or something like that, even if you would not personally mean it this way, unfortunately lends itself to the interpretation that 'trans woman' is a gender distinct from 'woman' that can be transitioned towards from any starting position, as opposed to describing a subcategory of women.

I do not know whether you are the host of your system and/or the one whose gender is perceived externally. If you are, my recommendation would be to tell those in your life that you are something like a 'nonbinary girl' or a 'genderfluid woman,' so that you can be described as a girl, without having to pretend to be a normal cis girl. Genderfluidity is also useful to claim for systems with a variety of genders overall, even if it is not true for any one member.

If you are talking about online presence, with those who know you as an individual and/or have an understanding of fictive terminology, my recommendation would be to say you were transfem in your canon. Even if you did not know it at the time, it seems likely to have been the case, right ? If it is someone you then get to know better, you can explain your situation more precisely just as you have outlined it here.

It is tricky, I know ! But I wish you luck, and it is comforting to know there are other people who get tangled up in this type of confusion. I

am sending you love and support 💖 You've got this, girl !

[sharkboywrites]

Hii could I request a trans male reader who needs help binding and asks Halsin for help? Thank you in advance if you write this :33

Halsin With an S/O Who Needs Help Binding

A/N: sorry these fics are taking so long for me to get to, sport season is rough and I barley have any time to myself between that and hospital visits :(

Trans male reader

- Being suddenly thrown into this situation, traveling with a bunch of strangers with the threat of turning into a monster, was definitely difficult

- Especially when you’re trans

- For your own safety, you decided it would be best to hide it as best you could

- But being trans comes with its own problems, and while struggling to bind you realized you needed some help

- But who would you go to?

- Astarion? Definitely not, he’s too dramatic. Karach? Too loud and would probably spill your secret by accident. Lae’zel? Hard pass

- After pondering for a bit, you found the best person to go to

- Halsin

- Halsin could keep a secret, and isn’t a person to judge, along with taking health into consideration

- He seems the most helpful

- So, when no one was looking, you snuck into Halsin’s tent for a bit of help

- He was confused on why you were there, at first suggesting something more… intimate

- When you worked up the courage to tell him what was going on, he was happy to help

- Halsin is old and in touch with nature, you’re not the first trans person he’s met and probably won’t be the last

- He did end up helping you, giving you helpful tips and advice along the way

- Once he was done, you looked better than ever

- It felt better than ever too

- He made sure to give the usual reminders, don’t bind for too long, take it off if anything feels wrong, don’t sleep in it, etc

- He did seem very worried for you, trying to make sure you don’t overdo it

- And he was like that for the whole day

- When the day ended and you went to him to take it off, he was very gentle, the most gentle touch you think you’ve ever felt

- He did a small check up and even made you to some stretches just to make sure you’ll be fine

- Ever since then he always offers to do the binding for you, discreetly of course

- And he’s always attentive, making sure you’re okay

- One a few occasions he’s actually made you take it off if something felt wrong

- He’d then offer you some of his larger clothes for comfort

- Halsin is the best person to go to in this situation, always knowing what to do and what you need

[maleyanderecafe]

Kanau (Kinetic Novel)

Created by: Chattercap

Genre: Horror/Romance

Kanau is the prequel to Karamu and man is it as amazing as the first game, if not more so. I actually think I like this one better because of how it builds more from the first game and the fact that we get to essentially see the origin story for Raku as a yandere. There is one more game to this trilogy that is currently being made, so I can't wait to see it when it comes out. If you like this game, be sure to see more at @chattercap.

The story starts out with a college boy named Carter who is lost in the woods. While walking, he meets a young boy named Raku who promises to help him out of the woods. The two of them talk to each other for a bit, with Carter asking him why he's in the woods in the first place. Raku seems hesitant, but talks about how he wants to get away from his family, how his mother is especially harsh to him, how she favors his sister and how he really doesn't want to partake in the family traditions that he now has to accept. Carter listens and offers him advice on how he should set boundaries with his parents, even giving a story about how he would fight with his dad sometimes when he was Raku's age. He talks about how he has to pick up his 17 year old sister later and how he spent two months of his paycheck to get his dad something expensive. Raku seems to have a change of heart and tries to lead Carter elsewhere before being suddenly confronted by his mother. His mother expresses great disappointment in him, lamenting at the fact that he was trying to let his prey escape. Raku tries to set his boundaries as Carter had advised them, but to no avail. Raku attempts to protect Carter from his mother, but ultimately fails as she knocks Raku out and drags Carter back with them.

Upon waking up, Raku finds himself in the basement, with his mother watching him over a the dead body of Carter. His mother has prepared his meal, breaking open Carter's ribcage and takes out his liver for him to eat. Raku refuses despite how delicious looking it looks, still traumatized by the once alive Carter, dead on the floor. His mother talks about how she expected better of him, that she shouldn't have kept him alive if he would act like this. We learn that his family or species, I suppose, only really care about the females in the family, with them mating with a random human only to eat them if they need to reproduce. As such, males are generally killed after they are born. However, his mother states because she loved him so much, she kept him alive, even at the expense of having the other families shun her. When Raku continues to refuse, his mother basically rips out almost all of his monster spider arms and locks him in the basement, forcing him to eat before he can leave. Raku knows that if he eats he could very easily heal from his wounds, but when he tries, he vomits it back up after seeing Carter's face.

After a couple of days, Raku's little sister, Mayu tries to look for him in the basement. After hearing that his mother said he was being bad and not eating, she decides to bring some of the halloween candy that he got for her, despite their mother not wanting them to eat it as it's tainted by humans. She is able to sneak in and give him the candy, allowing him to at least restore his wounds. After she leaves, Raku is able to sneak out of the basement by turning into as spider and runs away from home. After a couple of days of running, he becomes so tired that he can only maintain his spider form. He ends up in someone's yard and almost gets killed by a cat, batted inside the house. There he meets a young girl named Nelli. Nelli is kind to him, noticing his missing legs and puts him in a jar to take care of him, giving him dead insects. For a while, Raku is taken care of by Nelli who watches his health every day and feeds him. Nelli also recounts how she used to have a cat, but was scared that her father might do something to her and ended up giving it away to a friend, and wished that in the future she could become a vet.

We get to know more about Nelli's home life, with her mother constantly at work and her father being a deadbeat. Nelli likes playing games, not only as a hobby but as a way to avoid dealing with her father. As time goes on, Raku notices that Nelli often seems less lively, with screaming and yelling becoming more of a constant in her household. She comes home crying one day and talks to Raku, about how she witnessed one of her friends and her dad's relationship and that she wished that she had parents like that, as neither of her parents came to the parent teacher conference. She later hides in the bathroom later to avoid her father who seems to be trying to find a reason to punish her, quietly playing her favorite game while Raku watches. Things get even worse one day when Raku witnesses her father come into her room to look for something to blame her with, only to find Raku. When Nelli gets home, her father scolds her for bringing a disgusting spider into the house, smashing the jar on the floor. He tells her to kill Raku or else before stomping off. Here Nelli prays that someone will kill her father, as she never wants to see him again. Raku, hearing her wishes and being mostly healed, turns back into his human form to confront her father. There he kills him without hesitation.

He is able to bring his body back into the woods, eating it to gain substance before finally returning home to gift his mother. His mother is overjoyed that he was finally able to kill and devour someone, before he finally is able to return to his room.

A couple of years later, in college, Raku while waiting in line notices the keychain of the game that Nelli plays, and finds that the two are in the same high school. They end up greeting each other and this is how the game ends.

I think I've said this before, but I really liked Karamu and this game is just so great. I like the artstyle a lot in this game, the way the sprites animate to look left or right in the beginning, the backgrounds, framing and all of that. It's absolutely gorgeous and I like how the picture book style story is connected in game as well, despite being coded in a new engine for the creator. The story in this one is pretty solid as well, and I think I like it more than Karamu in this regard since we get to see a lot more about Raku and Nelli's childhood- how they both do have pretty rough childhoods though in different ways and how Raku at least meets Nelli. The idea of Raku's species being more matriarchal and how males of their species are basically nonexistent is so interesting, it makes me genuinely wonder what his mother saw in him to keep him alive. While it's still horrible, I can see why Raku's mother pushes Raku so hard into eating humans, given her own biases against humans and the fact that she kept him alive despite the fact that she should have killed him, he just wanted him to be worth keeping. Nelli on the other hand lives in an abusive household, with parents that either seem to ignore her or outright abuse her, so it's no wonder she clung so hard onto Raku as a spider, as she wanted to take care of something. The fact that Nelli's father is already extremely terrifying to the viewer makes you feel sorry for Nelli who is even younger at the time. Both Raku's mother and Nelli's father are fairly terrifying in their own way and all the voice actors did a really good job in conveying that feeling.

Raku as a yandere is really built up here as his reluctance to fulfill his family traditions is eventually overtaken by his desire to protect Nelli. It's no wonder Raku falls for Nelli so hard considering that she basically not only saves him but nurses him back to health. The two of them are very similar in many ways and Raku really does seem to want to want to protect and take care of Nelli just as much as she takes care of him. We can really see why Raku ends up being so protective over Nelli as he actually lives through part of Nelli's life and sees just what kind of life she lives and how difficult it is for a lot of it. It's no wonder later on Raku is so willingly to literally eat and hide the evidence in Karamu and how he seems so very protective over her. I do think perhaps its a bit strange that Raku didn't come to look for Nelli later on down the line (or maybe he did and then gave up), but I do think that them meeting up is very poetic.

Anyways, I can't wait for the last game in the triology. I think Chatter really improved on their stories and games since last time and I can't wait to see what other games they'll make. I know that they're making a shorter game with a green color scheme that also has a yandere in it so I need to look for that as well in the future.

[ktempestbradford]

Jumping off of what I said in this post about having to dismantle certain toxic ideas about myself, I realized that folks might not know how deeply not being a straight, white, cishet, able-bodied, Christianized male (aka the Dominant Paradigm) in the West messes you up mentally. It's a huge mental health problem that isn't always addressed.

When I started up my latest round of therapy I began to acquire labels for some of the ways I acted or reacted to situations. One day in session I was like: Was that a trauma response? It was, wasn't it? And my therapist confirmed. What confused me is that I didn't think I'd experienced trauma.

The idea I had of trauma was some Major Incident in which something Very Bad had happened to me or near me. Or it was about being in abusive situations, usually at home. The kind of ways trauma is depicted in the media.

Then I came across a Twitter thread in which the person said that everyone needs therapy, especially marginalized people, because the way Western society works, anyone who is not the Dominant Paradigm or doesn't hew closely to it is constantly being harmed by society.

Are you BIPOC? Racism is almost everywhere, and where it is, it's constant. It's also not always KKK-level in your face racism; it's more often wave after wave of microagressions on top of whatever challenging condition you're in due to historical racism. In other words: Chronic.

Are you neurodiverse? Good luck not being overstimulated by allegedly benign activities like going to the grocery store. Good luck not being criticized on a daily basis because you can't act "normal". Try holding down a job that expects you to sit at a desk for 8 hours yet you can't even sit in a quiet environment because the asshole CEO read that open office plans make employees more productive.

Are you anywhere under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella? Welcome to the constant barrage of invasive questions from strangers, invasive laws, invasive religiosity... Once again, an allegedly benign activity (going to the bathroom in public) can be a damn crucible if you don't look like the "right" kind of woman or man. Have fun navigating the medical system when you want affirming health care.

I could go on. Disabled people, poor or working class people, fat people, any people who have been historically marginalized and oppressed all experience this. It is trauma. It is harm. It does affect us. But it's Chronic and Systemic. That's the crux.

Because we have to keep on going even with all this. It's every day and it's not easy to escape. So we "deal with it." Some of us have good coping strategies and or supportive family (bio or found) and that really helps. It doesn't alleviate the overall problem. Thus, we all need therapy (so the OP of that Twitter thread concluded).

I don't know that we ALL need it. And I for sure know that some mental health practitioners and therapy frameworks are quite harmful to marginalized people. I'm very lucky in that I have a great therapist and the treatment I'm getting is informed by my identity and background, not ignorant of it. Not everyone has that or has access to it.

What I do know is that we all need Community. True community offers true support, which is necessary for healing.

We also all need to know that our mental health struggles and our trauma are real and valid, even if they don't look or manifest the way we've been conditioned to recognize them. Don't let anyone invalidate your experience or mental health struggles because you don't fit into a specific, wrongly-labeled box.

And don't let anyone tell you that this society isn't out here traumatizing you, because it is. Society doesn't need to be this way. But here in The (European Colonizer Created) West, that's what those with more power have chosen for the rest of us. And it sucks.

I have nothing but hugs and empathy for all the other people out there experiencing this. The only piece of advice I have is: Find community, hold on tight to each other, be that oasis of Okay that others need and they'll be that same oasis for you. <3

[beardedmrbean]

Is there like a cultural reason why male circumcision is so popular in the US? I'm from Brazil where it's just seen as the treatment for phimosis, and when I hear about babies getting it I think "oh so they're jewish". But apparently non-jews do that frequently in your country?

Gonna start out with this so that the people that already know can get a laugh first.

I promise you it's relevant too. found a couple infographics that will cover it in a much less drawn out way than I would

Admittedly he was not advocating for infant genital mutilation, not that that makes it any better especially since he specifically stated no anesthesia, but people figured why not when they're infants I'd guess.

There's a bit of a different take on it here.

First, it helps to know a bit of history. Although religious practitioners have been snipping foreskins for thousands of years, the medical practice dates from the late 19th century—a time when the causes of most diseases were poorly understood. Mystified by everything from epilepsy to madness, some physicians in both America and England began to suspect that the real trouble was phimosis, a condition when an overly tight foreskin hinders normal function. By removing the foreskin, surgeons believed they could heal all sorts of maladies, from hernias to lunacy.

Around the turn of the 20th century, American epidemiologists were also trying to explain why Jews lived longer than other groups of people. Jews tended to have lower rates of infectious diseases, such as syphilis and tuberculosis, in part because they had little sexual contact with non-Jews. But some scientists began to suspect their rude health was a product of circumcision.

At the time, surgical interventions of all kinds were becoming more popular, owing to better anesthesia and greater concern over cleanliness, which reduced hospital contagion. Doctors began recommending the operation as part of the neonatal routine. Not only did the procedure prevent phimosis, but it was also believed to make the penis more hygienic and less tempting for wayward masturbating boys (a notion that might have been quashed by something known as the scientific method). As David Gollaher explains in his book Circumcision: A History of the World’s Most Controversial Surgery, a circumcised penis swiftly became a mark of distinction, a sign of good breeding, sound hygiene and the best medicine money could buy.

In Britain, too, circumcision became a habit of the upper classes, including the royal family. Anyone who could afford to have a child delivered by a doctor rather than a midwife was keen to heed the latest scientific advice.

But this changed in the UK with the launch of the publicly funded National Health Service in 1948. Because British doctors could not agree that circumcision was necessary, the practice was not covered. At a time when most Brits were financially strapped, few cared to pay for something that suddenly seemed frivolous. Circumcision rates swiftly dropped.

In America, however, the postwar boom years created a glut of jobs, and employers often wooed workers with plush health benefits, which typically covered circumcision. A growing number of Americans could suddenly afford to give birth in hospitals, and routine infant circumcisions spiked.

This helped entrench an elective medical practice, creating generations of foreskinless fathers and doctors who were inclined to believe it was best for their sons, too. It is a trend that America’s unwieldy fee-for-service health-care handily reinforces, as doctors and hospitals have incentives for offering interventions deemed unnecessary most everywhere else.

___________

not sure how much I agree with the greed section, but this one also looks to reinforce that Kellogg has some responsibility for it as well.

There's similar weirdness when it comes to graham crackers too, trying to stop masturbation and all.

[midnightfantasiez]

OT11 / Multiple Members

;༊ Kinktober 2023

;༊ OctoberFest 2024

Lee Sangyeon

;༊ A Litte Care

➸ you have been awfully stressed out with work lately, and your boyfriend notices how it has affected you negatively, so he finally decides to give you some care for the night.

;༊ Pleasure Me

➸ ever since your boyfriend was featured in the latest issue of Men's Health, you have had a serious "problem" that you were sure that nobody was to ever find out about, that is, until you were caught red-handed by your very own boyfriend, Sangyeon.

;༊ A Gift For You

➸ your boyfriend Sangyeon has always treated you so well since you both began your relationship six months prior. it was about time that you returned him the favour by giving him a gift that he would never forget.

;༊ Watch It

➸ you were summoned to stop the crime spree of the renowned group The Boyz by hacking into one of the systems to retrieve information about a specified location before it's too late. what you did not expect was that their leader has been spying on every move you make from the shadows and eventually confronting you about it, which then turns into your biggest nightmare.

;༊ Twisted Love (series)

➸ you were certain that you would never find love nor ever lose your virginity throughout university, that is until a man named Lee Sangyeon came into the picture and offered to become your tutor; in exchange for keeping your grades up, and most importantly, teaching you everything you needed to know about sex. it was all just for fun & games, that is until one of you started to develop feelings for the other.

;༊ [00:50AM] Taste Of You

➸ your boyfriend was convinced that he absolutely nailed the performance for the night, and he was also going to make sure that his partner was fully aware of every single detail he had shown on stage and finally indulge in his little reward after the show.

Jacob Bae

;༊ Invitation

➸ never would you have thought to have instantly clicked with the one and only idol Jacob Bae, within a short period. when he finally invites you to take a further step in your relationship with one another, how could you possibly refuse?

Kim Younghoon

;༊ Training Session

➸ Never would you have expected one of your clients to actually come to you and ask for sexual advice. But when he does, there is no way you could turn him down & decide that it would be interesting to drag your fellow host from the club to join in on the fun.

Lee Hyunjae

;༊ Play With Me

➸ Lee Hyunjae was known to be the campus heartthrob and is literally the perfect guy to ever exist. Little did you know that he was hiding something behind that lovable smile of his that you have grown to love and admire.

Lee Juyeon

;༊ Wrapped Around Your Fingers

➸ your bully had made a huge mistake humiliating you for the past year and during your first sex with one another. now, he's going to have to face the consequences of his actions.

Kevin Moon

;༊ loading...

Choi Chanhee

;༊ loading...

Ji Changmin

;༊ Pineapple Slice

➸ All you wanted was to just drink the night away and forget about all of your problems, but what if someone offers you something much better than alcohol? Would you be able to reject the offer?

Ju Haknyeon

;༊ Shape Of You

➸ all you wanted to do was to rekindle your passion for pottery, which was the reason you decided to sign up for the newly opened studio near your neighbourhood. what you didn't expect was that the instructor himself turned out to be a dashing young male, and soon you find yourself going back to the lessons for him instead.

Kim Sunwoo

;༊ Camellia Muse

➸ it was your first time visiting your boyfriend while at work, and for some reason, you just couldn't seem to get your eyes off the bright red lipstick on his plump lips. with that, he knew just the right way to please you during his little break from work.

;༊ Training Session

➸ Never would you have expected one of your clients to actually come to you and ask for sexual advice. But when he does, there is no way you could turn him down & decide that it would be interesting to drag your fellow host from the club to join in on the fun.

Eric Sohn

;༊ loading...

[misspermitted]

Being a sex-repulsed asexual a lot of coming out stories don’t really speak to my experiences. Because I don’t date, never will date, experienced dating exactly once (in a hetero-conforming relationship) for like 3 days and wanted to die. Generally I don’t even participate in LGBT+ discussions because I don’t have a lot of sexuality experiences (and if i start talking about my gender i might cry). I just linger in the background of my friend groups and give relationship safety advice. Offer pizza. Call out toxic behaviour. Offer more pizza.

The thing about communities is to share your experiences they need to fit into the community’s categories. And I don’t think that’s bad. LGBT+ spaces are safe spaces for those in the community, and in order for that to happen they have to exclude certain discussions. It’s like female-identifying only spaces should exclude male-identifying people. It’s the whole point of a community.

This said, the other point of community is feeling less alone via shared experiences. So I thought I’d share a funny part of my sexuality journey which did seem pretty queer:

How I Made My Family Believe in Asexuality by Being So Goddamn Asexual They Actually Couldn’t Not

My family is generally really nice and supportive. But they’re also low-key homophobic. They’re getting better, but my mother straight up didn’t believe bisexuality existed for most of my childhood because “Everyone is attracted to men and women, just pick one.” (Yeah. She identifies as bisexual now.) Every so often someone says something transphobic and I get to call it out. Last I checked my sister still thinks gender fluidity is just people being attention seeking.

So when I came out as asexual, my sister sat me down, very well meaning, and told me that she also didn’t feel a lot of sexual attraction but when she started dating it came (yeah, I know, demisexual coded, but I’m not touching whatever the hell is going on with her). And because we’d both grown up without a lot of physical affection it’s just that. I should just try dating someone. No matter what arguments I made to the contrary both her and the rest of my family would often make comments to that vein (because internalised homophobia doesn’t listen to reason).

My mother did a retrospectively hilarious The Sex Talk: Pt. 2 “there’s nothing wrong with you and you’re definitely not asexual don’t worry.” She sat me down, very serious, and assured me that women get turned on less easily than men. So not being turned on by porn or being able to masturbate was normal for some women and didn’t mean anything was wrong with me and I was “asexual.” That was a fun conversation.

Somehow, despite their inability to listen to reason, I solved this problem about two years after coming out.

The thing about coming out is that you slowly stop pretending you’re straight. I didn’t even realise I was pretending before I came out (because, you know, I wasn’t dating anyone). But I was actually masking hard. I talked about dating way too much. Made way too many dirty jokes. It was weird. I was overcompensating the hell out of it. Which, after I came out, I slowly called myself out on until I stopped.

And it turns out when I’m not pretending to be attracted to people I am hilariously, almost stereotypically, asexual. For example, about a year after I came out I was watching Thor with my sister and this shirtless scene happened:

My sister: 😳

Me (turning to her): Hey did you know that when Chris Hemsworth filmed this movie he was so dehydrated that he almost died? Actually that might’ve been the movie after this. But it’s a huge thing to get actors to look like that they dehydrate them, which seems like a lot of health concern just to make them look like Greek sculptures. I mean I know he’s supposed to be a god but i really don’t think it’s necessary. Like Norse gods had different beauty aesthetics anyway.

My sister: (just stares at me for a second) It’s not so he looks like a Greek god it’s so he looks attractive

Me: I know but do the aesthetics really matter that much?

My sister: No, like, people watch this specifically because they’re attracted to Chris Hemsworth in these scenes

Me: Oh. So it’s for audience engagement?

My sister: I… guess so?

And that is how I acted so asexual I actually convinced my sister to believe in it. She has not made a comment about my asexuality since.

The same thing has happened with the rest of my family members. One by one they have become corrupted because I am just too asexual to be denied. You cannot meet me and maintain a state of disbelief.

We’ve gotten to the point where my mother is so certain about my sexuality she got offended for me, because “someone was calling themselves asexual but was in a sexual relationship with someone.” (We had a lovely discussion again about asexuality being a spectrum and just reflecting you having a not-normal level of sexual attraction. She still thinks this invalidates my experience and struggles which is very nice of her but once again I do not care. If people want to be one of the only sexualities still classified as a mental illness in the DSM-5 then the more the merrier. Gatekeep pizza not oppression.)

[epithet-beloved]

Yo!! Could you maybe make a Giovanni + One of his minions, but they suffer with chronic pain and fatigue? I suffer with these but id totally still enjoy crimes so id love to see something like this! (The eepy gets to me sometimes but 🖕 it, crime time)

GIOVANNI + READER WITH CHRONIC PAIN/FATIGUE

synopsis… Giovanni with a minion who experiences chronic pain and fatigue

ft. Giovanni Potage, The Boys (mentioned), Molly Blyndeff (mentioned)

tags… epithet erased, can be read as romantic or platonic, reader has chronic illness, fluff, reader is one of Giovanni’s minions, crime time fun times

word count… 735

a/n… I’m not familiar with chronic fatigue or pain, so I hope I did a good job! Inclusive fanfic is very important everyone deserves the comfort character content ✧ 🦄

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 He is so accepting of literally anything you tell him, it’s almost enough to make you weep.

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 Like the first time you explain some of your limitations or that you can have off days where you can’t do much or can hardly do anything, he just smiles and says “alright!”

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 It damn near brings you to tears.

“Hey, hey, what’s wrong? Did I say something weird?”

“No, no, just…..” you smiled, making no effort to hide the tiredness behind it. “You didn’t….ask me why I couldn’t just work around it, or ask me to make an exception for you, or anything, you just….said okay?”

“Pffft,” Giovanni scoffed at the very notion. “The hell would I do that for? You know you better than I do!”

You resume crying.

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 It’s seriously such a breath of fresh air to be with somebody who isn’t constantly offering unsolicited advice the second your condition becomes inconvenient to them. Giovanni is a lot of things, but a know it all is certainly not one of them.

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 Whenever Giovanni has a suggestion or a piece of information he found that he wants to present, he phrases it as a question to you because you’re the one who knows most about your health and he doesn’t want to Mansplain(™). In fact, mansplaining is strictly prohibited in the Vincent Murder Bad Guy Rulez, so that sort of stuff won’t stand.

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 Of course, all the boys follow these rules, too! If anyone is unaware of your needs they will get a very enthusiastic interruption by Giovanni while he insists they let you explain. Yeah, he always lets you explain yourself first. It’s amazing.

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 You will be accommodated anywhere, anytime. Feeling faint during a walk? He’ll find the nearest place to sit. Hell, he’ll sit down and let you rest on his knee or something. Real villains know how to protect their minions at a moment’s notice.

“Hold on.” You grabbed Giovanni’s jacket sleeve to support yourself, instantly catching the tall male’s attention.

“Woah, you good?” You answered by leaning on him even further, feeling your legs fail you at the most inopportune of times. “Here, let’s sit down a minute.”

Slowly, he would sit down on the closest available bench, guiding you as to not have you collapse. The second you were safely seated, you felt him pull away from you. At first, this confused you, but your curiosity was resolved when you felt a jacket drape over your shoulders.

“There. Can’t have any of my minions freezing to death, after all!”

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 One of Giovanni’s love languages is food, so if you let him, he will give you homemade soup when you’re feeling under the weather. He understands you don’t have a cold or anything — it’s just a gesture he does to let you know you’re always on his mind.

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 If you can’t attend a Cool Crime Event(™) because you’re feeling under the weather, Giovanni will have you on speaker on his phone the entire time so you can still chat and engage with the Boys.

“Ben said he stole a bag of chips in your honor today. We can drop it off later!”

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 Accessible crime is VERY important to Giovanni. Villainy is an art and should be able to be practiced by anyone and everyone! This results in him getting more and more creative with his antics to include you if needed. Prank calling from Crusher’s treehouse is always a classic, and pirating a movie is one of the best crimes of all! Fun for the whole evil family!

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 You and Molly can be tired together. Once, when Giovanni had invited you both over, he found you two asleep together in front of the TV. He sent a million pictures to everybody he knows.

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 There is also time that Giovanni makes sure to reserve specifically for you. Being included in a group is important, but so is one on one attention! These hangouts are highly customizable to whatever your tastes are and whatever your energy levels are for the day. Even on days that you may insist you’re cranky, tired or not great to be around, he’ll still be there for you if you let him!

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 And if you need time to yourself, no matter what the reason is, then he’ll make sure to always have a new fun surprise planned for when you’re ready to wreak havoc again.

[hello-nichya-here]

Would only having daughters made Viserys and Alicent's marriage better since there'd be no conflict with Rhaenyra?

No, because their marriage's biggest problem was not the inevitable power struggle between the blacks and greens, or even their age gap, or that for most of their relationship the dude was a walking rotting corpse (though obviously none of that helped), but the fact that Viserys was objectively a terrible husband (and father and king).

When they are sort of courting each other, it is all about how Alicent makes dealing with his grief easier since she's always keeping him company, giving him emotional support, engaging with his interests, trying to bridge the gap between him and Rhaenyra, etc.

Meanwhile we don't get a single scene of Viserys trying to do something Alicent would like to do, and, more importantly, we never see him offering her any sympathy over her mom's death, even though the first thing Alicent ever said to him was how sorry she was for his loss, and how she knew how horrible it was to constantly be given advice but not genuine comfort.

Alicent spent years being basically Viserys's nurse as his health got worse and worse - to the point that even Rhaenyra recognized all the devotion her father was shown by her. Yet on the hunt to celebrate Aegon's second name day, Viserys has that same wife travel while heavily pregnant, which was obviously incredibly uncomfortable for her, and could have even offered potential risks for her and their baby.

When Alicent manages to patch things up with Rhaenyra for the first time, aka the thing Viserys wanted the most, and then goes with her to try and be all polite and gracious towards her husband's beloved brother, how does he repay her? By immediately humiliating her in front of said brother, because he's just that much of a dick.

Alicent's life revolves around being a good wife to the husband she doesn't even love, and to the kids that she clearly struggles to properly raise without help. Viserys repays that devotion by calling her by his first wife's name and saying Rhaenyra is his ONLY child. The one "duty" he happily complies to, is having sex with Alicent - even when she's clearly not enjoying herself and only saying yes to it because she has no other choice.

And like I said, while the power struggle between Rhaenyra and Aegon is not what made their marriage horrible, it also didn't help - and Viserys is to blame for that, because he went from a king with no heirs, to one with too many, as he named his daughter heir yet STILL got himself a second wife to give him a male heir, which would naturally create conflict even if the kids got along.

Alicent did her duty. She gave this man she did not love and was not attracted to three children, two of which were sons like he so desperately wanted. She gave a male heir to the king, like everyone, including him, wanted her to. Yet she's still a queen that would NEVER see her eldest child become ruler if her husband had his way. Even as someone who is very firmly Team Black, I say that is unbelievably unfair.

For fuck's sake, look at what Viserys did with Aemma, the woman he actually loved: he forced her to get pregnant over and over again even though she was constantly in physical and emotional anguish because of all the stillbirths and miscarriages, and then had her be murdered to get a baby out.

THIS is the guy Alicent is married to. Someone who ALWAYS puts his own needs and desires first, without so much as a second thought to anyone else, even those he feels genuine affection for.

They were NEVER going to be happy, or even just be a functional pair that is together out of duty/convenience instead of love, because Viserys is a weak, cowardly man that uses his own vulnerability as sword and shield to be unfair to others. Viserys is honestly just as bad as Daemon at having healthy relationships, if not worse.

[antitheticallyargumentative]

Hi! I would very much love to hear the entire long rant about Ted and Jamie’s relationship!

I love you for indulging me.

A little disclaimer that I in no way hate Ted. I love him. He has good intentions. He's just a flawed human with a lot of his own baggage that hinders him from actually being able to objectively see Jamie's situation for what it is. And that leads to him offering shit advice. He seriously fucked up when it came to Jamie, (in my opinion), even if his heart was in the right place. So here we go.

TW- mentions of mental health issues, canonical suicide, and abuse and trauma

The way I see it, there are several things happening here. 1) Ted sees Jamie as a surrogate son-figure, because he misses his own son and Jamie is a little bit wayward and lacking his own father-figure, and that activates Ted's savior-complex-I-can-fix-him ways. 2) Ted sees Jamie as a little part of himself- his own inner child. The sixteen year old boy who brutally lost his own dad and never worked through the grief. 3) Jamie sees Ted, at least a bit, as a form of father figure, in the way that he both wants his approval and is innately distrustful of him. (Mind games.)

The problem then lies in the fact that Jamie is not truly either of these things that Ted sees him as, and Ted cannot be a healthy male figure for Jamie because he has too much of his own shit to work through, first. And Jamie also has his own.

I think that, at his core, Jamie wants to be a good person. His time at Richmond has seen him growing into one, and in his head I think he at least partially equates that to Ted's influence. So he wants to stay in Ted's good graces, because like he's said he never got a lot of support from older male figures, and that's clearly something he craves. He wants Ted's approval, but there's also the fact that Ted has left him during confrontations with his dad twice, and in Jamie's eyes, sent him away to Manchester City right after he started trying. Need for approval paired with feeling like he's walking a very fragile line and can't quite trust anything about his relationship with Ted to stay safe.

Ted holds onto a desperate need to fix things. When you see someone hurt themselves, or lose them to mental illness, it's traumatic. It makes you wonder if you could have, should have, done more. Seen it coming. If you could have stopped it. Ted said to Dr. Sharon that “I wasn’t ever gonna let anyone get by me without understanding that they might be hurting inside.” So now he walks through life trying to make sure everybody stays OK, except for himself. And you can't do that. It's not healthy. So when he sees Jamie, this twenty-something-year-old kid with a fucked up relationship with his dad, Ted can't see it clearly. He's so caught up in his own father-related trauma that he projects that onto Jamie. He gives Jamie the advice that he means for himself. Ted needs to forgive his father, so that he can process the grief and the trauma and move forward. Ted needs to give that to himself. But that is incredibly dangerous advice to give someone who's father is clearly shown to be emotionally and physically abusive.

Ted and Jamie both have a lot of father-related trauma. But their situations are not at all applicable to each other, it's just that Ted can't see that because he hasn't worked through any of his own issues. Which leads to complicated relationships and shitty, dangerous advice. There we go.

Woo! That was long.

[angeltreasure]

I have a few testimonies for any one who is struggling with their faith or feeling hopeless!

TW: References to homosexuality

Jesus can free you from the shackles of homosexuality

My cousins were freed from the homosexual lifestyle and they are both interested in the opposite sex now. I prayed for them. My female cousin is now interested in the opposite sex and my male cousin is now dating a girl. They are both happy. Sexual immortality does not bring glory to God. It says so in the Bible.

As Christians, I do NOT think our only focus should be on the LGBTQ community. Leviticus 18:22 is NOT the only Bible verse worth highlighting. Christianity is SO much more than being against the LGBTQ community. Christianity is about LOVE!

CHRISTIANITY IS ABOUT LOVING GOD AND ALL PEOPLE, REGARDLESS OF THEIR LIFESTYLE CHOICES. Christianity is preaching the Gospel and not perverting the Gospel. I just read about this in my Catholic Bible.

2. Live for God’s will

I prayed to the good Lord to help me on my path— the right path. Delight in the Lord and he shall give you your needs. I want to live for God’s will. I prayed to Jesus and he told me to go in my front yard and so I obeyed. Sure enough my neighbor, with my special needs, was outside with his mom. I want to be a special education teacher and think this was God’s way of telling me that I should be a special ed teacher. I will continue to pray on it.

3. Your body is a Temple

My friend, from Bible Study, wanted to spend some quiet time with God. She got in her car and did just that. God told her to start running again and now she feels better. Praise Jesus!

What can we take away from this:

It is never too late to be freed from sin.

You should always listen to God’s plan because God’s plan for YOU is beautiful.

Your health (physical, mental, and emotional) matters.

PRAISE JESUS for He is good.

Also, Angel Treasure, from a sister in Christ, find some quiet time and pray on it. It will be okay! :)

✝️✝️✝️

:) My little two cents to add to this:

—— When you said “Christianity is about love” this refers to God because God IS love itself. The Holy Trinity is there Persons in One: the Lover (the Father), the Beloved (the Son), and the love shared between Them (the Holy Spirit). There are many ways we can use images to describe the Holy Trinity but this is a good one to start.

— While not every soul can be turned from “other” tendencies by prayer alone, all of us are obligated to live a life of chastity regardless of the vocation and state of life. We can look to the Holy Family as wonderful examples of holiness and in humility to see the straight and narrow path, especially our Blessed Mother (the perfect example for us on how to be a disciple of Jesus Christ).

— If you are Catholic and reading this, please come back to confession and do your perscribed penance as soon as possible after you leave the confessional, don’t walk away and delay. That’s advice directly from an exorcist that I listened to today.

—- Our bodies our temples of Someone very special: the Holy Spirit. We must take care of the temple and care for Him, the helper. It takes humility, meekness, and patience to recognize the importance of how to care for our own temple, which leads us directly to the fruits that the Holy Spirit holds. Eating healthy, drinking water, taking our prescribed medicines, exercising, daily grooming, modesty, respect, prayer… this is how we can take better care of our bodies and others.

— Contemplative prayer is great for quiet time! Try it sometime under the stars. So is Lectio Divina and Visio Divina. The best outside of Mass is Eucharistic Adoration and other forms like Benediction, where you are directly in the presence of the Creator of the entire universe.

— Prayer can sometimes make us feel amazing and other times dry like a desert. Do not despair if you are in the desert. God allows this so we can recognize that we need Him. Offer yourself up daily for God right when you wake up ‘God, I offer myself up to You today so Your will, not mine, be done’. Even the saints felt the desert and the dark night of the soul. Stay close to God by modeling after our Lady, give your own fiat to Him.