#not with the intent to do harm

[sammyofold]

Honestly Sam and Dean were abused but I don't think John ever hit them. That's too obvious. Say what you will about the man, but he loved his sons and I don't think he would knowingly abuse them. Hitting as a form of abuse is very obvious, it's what people think of when they hear abuse, so I don't think John would have done that. He never meant to abuse his sons. But he did physically abuse them. Training them from such a young age to hunt literal monsters could not have been gentle, could not have been soft. Could not have been what any child needed and was probably more than any child should handle. He knew training from the army, and we know that's how he trained them. That no doubt left physical and mental scars for them. Sure, they ended up needing this training and it saved their lives more than once, but does that mean what they went through wasnt abuse? I dont think so

[simplysomelilguys]

People have got to stop making Trump and Musk out to be idiots with no awareness of their surroundings, it only devalues the actual harm that they are doing

Musk is not too dumb to know what a Nazi salute looks like

News sources have to use terms like he appears to do this or alleged to do that because of risk of being sued for libel or slander or whatever but we do not

Be for fucking real, they know what they are doing and they are slowly getting more extreme like we are a frog in the pot and the water is slowly boiling around us

[lazycranberrydoodles]

getting back into the untamed and i had a thought. / follow for more yllz babygirlism

[adragonthatwrites]

Shen Qingqiu as a Naga thoughts continued (Part 1)

At first Liu Qingge doesn't know what to do, which is very much a first for him. He's been in the business of Monster Pest Control for years and this is the first time he's found himself frozen in the face of a beast.

On the bright side the Naga hasn't made any move towards him either, even though he's seen it and it undoubtedly knows he's seen it; they're looking right at each other.

Eventually, Liu Qingge works up the nerves to start slowly backing away, one careful step at a time. He hopes, however stupidly, for a moment that he can just back his way out of this and turn around and leave the territory without further incident.

This hope dies a sad, sad dead as the Naga starts moving in response. Liu Qingge is a trained professional and damn good at his job at that, so he does not panic. His heart is beating against his ribs like a terrified bird but he remains outwardly calm and collected as the Naga slowly unspools from its hiding place, slithering out into the clearing and seemingly following him in his retreat.

His conclusion from the shed skin was correct; it's fully grown. Not a Constrictor type; wrong patterning, and huge though it is he knows those fuckers can get big enough to swallow dragons. This one isn't quite to that size, though its torso alone easily dwarfs his own.

It; he, it's a male; has shimmering green scales; darker on the back, slowly fading into a soft teal green along the underbelly. They shine in the sunlight, reflecting like gemstones in places. The Naga has dark hair, pulled partially up away from his face but otherwise allowed to spill about his shoulders.

His eyes are trained with incredible intent upon Liu Qingge, tongue flicking out every so often to taste the air and coils whispering softly over forest floor as it draws closer to him.

The distance between them is shortening, and Liu Qingge is rapidly running out of ideas for how to get out of this (not that he was coming up with many aside from Back Away Slowly)

Then Liu Qingge steps on a stick, and a loud crack rings through the air. The Naga suddenly freezes, eyes going wider and coils pulling tight. And Liu Qingge, like a fucking idiot, turns around and runs.

He makes it about five paces before something huge is crashing into him. Claws hands meet his back and wrap about his shoulders and then he's spinning, rolling over as coils come forth to wrap about him and secure him tight in their hold. Next thing he knows he's caught tight in the embrace of the Naga, smooth scales pressed against him from all sides and a pair of shining green eyes peering curiously at him from less a palm's width away.

[oatmealdoodles]

“Your mine, all mine” '

Calypso honestly needs more haters.

rant under cut, TW for mentions of SA

Like even if it’s left super ambiguous wether or not she actually 🍇ed Ody she still kidnapped him for seven years, despite him having a wife and kid he wants nothing more than to go back to. Also she had explicit intentions to sleep with him and showed she was incapable of taking his “no” for an answer the entire song so….. that’s not a good sign. And he literally tries to off himself at the end to escape her. Just saying

[khaire-traveler]

Digital Temples are really lovely, and I adore the fact that all these temples are suddenly popping up (I actually have been thinking of dedicating one to two deities as well), but the usage of the words "priests" and "priestesses" is genuinely concerning to me. It makes me feel a bit wary.

Why, might you ask, would that even be a problem? Let me explain.

These words carry a lot of power with them. With these words comes the implication of religious authority. If I went around saying that I was a Priest of Hermes himself, it asserts a sense of power and authority in a religious space. There are a lot of people who would love to use that power negatively; I have been directly impacted by this many times over. I am always wary of people who use this title as a result of what I've seen and experienced.

Those titles also carry the implication of having an established religious knowledge that others do not. It's not just a title used to identify people who are in charge of a Temple; it is a title that explicitly identifies someone as a researched, trustworthy, religious figure who is extremely experienced. This ties into how these words carry power. A lot of people I've seen stake claim to this title have also claimed to speak for the gods directly. Either that, or it is often assumed of them, and that bothers me a lot. I have yet to meet someone who genuinely speaks for the gods in every situation.

On the inverse, I'm sure some who use these titles mean it in a harmless and genuine way (I've met one before), and that's fine, but if you are one of such people, realize that these words seriously do carry immense implications along with them, and do not fall into the trap of moral superiority or dictating rules in a religion you do not own. The most genuine people I've met who identify with these titles are the ones who don't advertise them publicly. I'm not saying the use of these titles are wrong, but I am saying that people seem to be inclined to abuse them. Horrifically abuse them.

Instead, I suggest using a title such as "Cleric". I've seen another temple do this, and personally, I feel it is less intimidating and claims less power of authority. Or maybe not using a title at all. Why use one if you don't need it? Hell, you could call yourself literally anything else.

So, please, those who run digital Temples, I ask you to be aware of the power the words "priest" and "priestess" have before applying them to yourselves and ask yourselves why it is that you're choosing to identify with these titles in the first place.

[abyssalzones]

I generally hold a "bad press is still press" opinion irt giving the time of day to the latest soulless live action reboot because I do think they're aware of this and bank on people either talking about it because they're mindless drones or because they're susceptible to Getting Really Mad Online and regardless you're doing half the job of advertising.

But that being said (second part of the post inbound) even just hearing about the ending of the live action lilo & stitch movie is pissing me off so bad for how blatant it is it's unreal. "nani gives up custody of lilo to go to college and get a STEM degree!" oh okay so we're just mask off saying that the only worthwhile life for native people is through entering the american academic system so you can go be exploited by the government in a way that makes the economy happy. cool. cool cool cool. what if I killed you

[a-christmas-fruitcake]

HEY!!! YOU!!!!

YOU, WITH THE WEIRD INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS YOU HAVE TO KEEP BOTTLED UP BECAUSE OTHER PEOPLE MIGHT BE CONCERNED FOR OR AFRAID OF YOU

I FUCKING BELIEVE IN YOU AND WE'RE GONNA GET THROUGH THIS ALRIGHT

[wackywatchdotcom]

before i go do smth else like smth i think abt often but was thinking abt a few hrs ago in particular is how the circus easily tricks the audience into thinking the circus would be Better Than Real Life. when i think from literally almost any angle you examine it its just as bad (if not worse, depending on your own problems)

i think theres like so many problems its hard to even list them all. some of it is personal taste things. cus i think a lot of people think itd be fun because they enjoy specific aesthetic choices in the circus, or bc of other interest related things. but like. what about people who HATE bright colors. what about people who dont like the idea of not being human. what about people who dont enjoy things like roleplaying. some aspects of the circus are only even appealing to specific tastes in things, making one of the few 'draws' of it not really even being a universal thing

and thats the superficial stuff. because more importantly, if you dont like the real world (for whatever reason), the circus may provide a temporary solution to that, because its so far removed from reality. but i think the circus is way smaller than people realize. theres definitely always going to be things to see since caine can always make things, but its just as limited if not more than the real world, because while the world grows and changes, genuinely new things are created and discovered and stuff. caine will never really get to see that, let alone recreate it for the players- and even then, it still isnt actually that thing. that doesnt even factor in that caine is already operating on limited knowledge of the real world. its not clear how detailed he can get on things, since the accuracy can vary (spudsys being so accurate to the real world, vs the dinner in ep 1 being so flat and lacking almost any detail), but theres a good chance that anything he makes is going to be limited to, at the most, a CONCEPT from the real world, if theres nothing in the real world you like, thats still all youll get, just in a different way.and if you DO like things from the real world, youll never get to truly reexperience it (even if caine remakes it, youll know its not the real thing, and it wont be 100% how you remember it, either)

then theres the safety/pain/horror aspect to what caine makes. i think because there hasnt been gore or anything its easy to assume the circus is still tame, and that anything bad that happens cant be TOO bad. but this is NOT true at all. the teaser of the show establishes that even when caine is not going for horror, he still hurts the players. theres things thatd be physically horrifying to a person like getting possessed, theres physical pain (i see it debated but i think its clear that even if they were to experience less pain, they still DO experience pain, but thats a different topic) or extreme discomfort, theres psychological torment (the exit doors are genuinely very cruel even if that wasnt caines goal, what ep 4 did to jax and gangle. kinger getting taunted in ep 3, etc). its all survivable but even if you like them caine isnt trustworthy enough in this way to never do smth horrific to a person, or cause it through his actions

then theres the complete lack of autonomy, which imo is one of the most frightening things about the circus. bc unless your tastes are always aligning with the exciting, completely family friendly existence of the circus, and you never deviate even a little, you are going to be barred from any semblance of it. its best illustrated in how pomni HATES being touched but caines always prodding her and moving her places and stuff, and in how zooble is denied the option to opt out of adventures even when they state they want to directly by episode 4 implying the choice to even have time to yourself is deeply conditional (plus, the whole lack of an exit entirely meaning that even if you liked the circus, the lack of option to leave would still affect a person. youre getting locked in a big room for the rest of time and youll never get to leave). and also this post

and THEN you factor in the social aspect. because regardless of how you prefer socializing if at all, the circus is a nightmare. if you dont like people, thats great! you dont NEED to be anyones friend! except that you are going to be forced to interact with them eventually, and when you do its going to be repeated. its not gonna be once. and once caine notices hes going to bother you about it. forever

alternatively, if you DO like social interactions in any way, no matter what, if its not you, youre going to see others abstract. you are going to inevitably watch those you care abt struggle and eventually get stuck in a state that Seems Extremely Horrifying To Experience forever. its long and drawn out and itd suck and it wouldnt happen once

then is the easy to forget fact that if you have psychological problems they can and WILL follow you to the circus. gangle and zooble are the biggest examples of this. the circus didnt get rid of their problems, they just gave it a new, horrifying inevitable consequence. i sometimes fall victim to looking at the circus and assuming that ohhh i wouldnt have this problem! because i wont have to deal w it getting set off! but like... yeah i would. i wouldnt stop having this or that in the circus id just have to deal w it while ALSO going on adventures

theres many things. you cant truly eat you cant die you dont get to decide anything when you do die it seems terrifying to experience and youll be stuck in some level of that forever and anything you enjoy is not with you and anything you dont enjoy will follow you too to some degree and the list goes on and on

all this said i dont think any of this is an indicator that the characters lives are meaningless or smth just because it sucks. theres a reason gooseworx has said that the takeaway from the show should be that theres meaning to be found in a stagnant life. theres still meaning in their existence and i dont think its as hopeless as it may seem- but i think its still BAD. and tbh the idea that its worse only HELPS that theme of the show!!! i dont think itd hit as hard as a theme if the circus DIDNT suck

[kokoasci]

hey! i want to make something incredibly clear.

ive clarified this on my instagram but i don't know if i didn't explain it well enough. I am aro/ace-spec. I do not like romantic or sexual interactions. I do not like NSFW content. This is my OWN preference. I'm not condemning it or speaking badly about it. I won't engage with it, neither will I portray it in my own art. I make art because I like drawing characters I like together and doing things. This does not mean I ship these characters, nor am I drawing things with the intention of a ship. If I tag a ship, I mean this in a platonic pairing. You will never see me draw anything romantic unless it is very clearly me playing on a joke or something. i.e., I won't draw anything that makes me uncomfortable.

I cannot stop someone from seeing a drawing I make and taking it as a romantic ship. It's always been my intention that I draw what makes me comfortable, and that means platonic interactions. If YOU think it's romantic, then like cool ig? But that's not my intention, and it wasn't meant that way. It's not up to me to make sure every person will see things exactly as platonic, and if you ask me why something looks like ship art, then that's someone interpretation, and not my intention

[oceanwithouthermoon]

okay some people genuinely really need to accept that the ONLY "queer coding" in saiki k is when they make gay jokes. there is NO other intentional queer coding, and i think people dont understand that claiming rep where it isnt there is much much more harmful than you think it is... just headcanon! its fun! you guys act like youre going to fucking die if you ship/hc something not canon, so you convince everyone that everything you say is canon ☠️ its literally insane

theres a HUGE difference between a headcanon or ship having what YOU see as canon backing, and a hc or ship that is actually implied or canon...

the only ship that you could argue is implied in saiki k is terusai, thats literally it, you could potentially make an argument that yumekai could be reciprocated towards the end, satoumiya, or MAYBE mikosai, but im pretty sure thats it...

nonbinary saiki is one of my personal favorite headcanons (one of the only ones i pretty much ALWAYS have in mind when talking or writing about him, it's practically a given) and i think it has pretty good canon backing, but its not ACTUALLY implied.

hes FAIRLY certain that his biological sex is male, and all evidence points to that, but he doesnt know and specifically says that he doesnt know what his true gender is... he clearly has absolutely zero discomfort with masculinity OR femininity, doesnt know or care about his gender, and is comfortable with either sex... he seems very happy to just be either...

seems like pretty solid evidence, but you also have to realize that there is literally zero chance that the author intended for saiki to be read as nonbinary, or trans in any way, this was literally just an excuse for plot and to have a reason to take advantage of his shapeshifting to do crossdressing/genderbend chapters ☠️ i love to see it as him being nonbinary and i think it has a lot of backing, but its not canon or even "implied" at all.

theres a lot of other examples of this kind of thing in this fandom, like theres a lot of people who claim that kubokai are queer coded (its usually just a joke when people say things like "hehe my ship is so canon" but im talking about like... people who see yumekai and go "um 🤨 this is LITERALLY homophobic because erm um kubokai are basically canon and queer coded and you shipping one of them with a WOMAN is HOMOPHOBIC" lmfao) and i am actually just not even sure where this comes from because they dont have anything that can even be twisted into romantic subtext, theyre just a popular ship because they have a good friendship. which is great! but theyre like the LAST thing i wouldve expected people to claim as implied or canon. they are absolutely not. the only thing i can even think of that might make people think that is saiki saying they look gay in that one chapter ☠️

[daisydisciple]

Ok thought not fully formed yet but I think everything would make a lot more sense if we thought of "sin" as more along the lines of "something that weakens your connection with God" and less "a morally bad action in the secular philosophical sense."

In modern secular philosophy, usually we only think of an action as "bad" if it causes measurable harm to society/the environment/another person etc. No victim = no crime. This makes perfect sense when we're thinking about regulating behavior with laws, rules, and, to an extent, social norms. The goal of this kind of thinking/regulating is to create a harmonious, free, and safe society in our mortal/temporal/earthly condition.

In contrast, Sin as a religious (Christian) concept is more concerned with the state of an individual soul and that soul's relationship with God. It is possible for something to be a sin and yet be a "victimless crime." (Arguably the "victim" here is actually the "perpetrator" but you know what I mean.) The goal of this kind of thinking is to help the individual be in harmony with God.

I think the problem here is when we conflate the two uncritically. Yes, there is a lot of overlap (murder, for example, would draw you further from God and also is harmful to the murder victim/their family/society.) But the two concepts are not one and the same. Just because a behavior is sinful doesn't mean it can and should be forbidden by law, rule, or even social norm. Likewise, just because enforcing or encouraging a certain behavior is beneficial to society doesn't mean that behavior is or isn't a sin.

I think this conflation is a source of miscommunication and misunderstanding. Lots of people seem to interpret calling a behavior sinful to mean "if you do this you are an bad person who is actively harming society."

I also think that's why people get so turned off by the concept of all sin being equal in the eyes of God. That isn't the same thing as all morally bad actions having equal weight or consequences in society. The point is that all sin separates us from God, and what His plan requires for us is for there to be zero separation. (That's where Jesus comes in). The point of saying all sin is the same in the eyes of God isn't to say that murder and not praying are equivalent in secular morality. The point is that someone "guilty" of not praying needs Jesus just as much as a murderer. (Because! We all need Jesus completely and equally.)

So anyway I guess my point is that Christians need to recognize that just because something is sinful (separates a soul from God) doesn't mean that that thing should be illegal or against the rules or even socially shamed.

But! Non-Christians should also understand that the concept of sin is distinct from secular morality. If I say that something is a sin, don't take it as me saying "anyone who does this is evil and depraved and deserves to be executed by firing squad." girl I sin. we all sin.

[zombiedeers]

Fic idea i just had uhhh

Oneshot that's basically just Gerald and Tina, now that they've started rebuilding their relationship with Teeth, are finally noticing the subtle changes in his behavior when they're around him

Like, YES they've accepted him finally and begun rebuilding things, but they've left an affect on their son that simply apologizing isn't gonna fix, and in this oneshot they can't stop noticing it

Little glimpses at moments along the lines of where they're visiting Teeth and the band, and he's off to the side talking with one or two others so openly, smile wide as ever, talking with his hands and using his unique vocabulary a ton, then one of the two approaches and join the ongoing conversation, being polite and everything

And while Teeth's smile remains and he happily holds conversation with them, he seems to instinctively shrink in on himself, not using his hands as much as he speaks and keeping them close to himself, posture ever so slightly worsening, his word choices losing some of its flair (all things that happen in Fortunate Son if you pay attention to it)

It's not something he means to do of course, it's something instinctual that has happened around them for a long time

And it can be so subtle at times, but I want Tina and Gerald, now that they're focused on their son's happiness and not his career choice, to notice it, notice the small things and be forced to confront it, as it doesn't seem like they grasp the effect their actions may have had on their son and I personally think they should see it for themselves

OUH GOT A LITTLE CARRIED AWAY THERE but I think I got the point across,,,, Tina and Gerald noticing all the little things

[foundfamilywhump]

day 100000 of me seeing a post about 'care/whumpers' and thinking 'that is literally just a whumper who is nice sometimes. you are literally just describing a whumper'

[sillystimmings]

arcane fandom finds out traumatized man in tense political climate effects traumatized mentally ill girl living in the same conditions, more at 11

[in-fair-verona-we-set-our-scene]

Like, the Emperor is definitely laying it on rather thick when you explore his little hidey-hole underneath Elfsong Tavern. I've seen a few people claim it placed those items solely there to manipulate us which no, I think it is just genuinely that sentimental. If it were staged 1. when would it have time to set it up, it's stuck in the Prism, and 2. I really do not think it would so readily reminds us that it eats human brains by leaving the cages there. But yes, it is certainly doing its best to reinforce it's Just Like You Really so you can Trust It and Please Don't Murder It Maybe.

But I don't really... mind? Lots of people are acting like doing that is something totally unforgivable or makes it untrustworthy but if anything I find it relatable and sympathetic.

The Emperor is in a really vulnerable position here. It cannot leave the Prism. The only reason it has not been forced to return to the Netherbrain is because it's sucking the powers from Orpheus, a tenuous ability at best. Externally, it can doing nothing but try to get a group of traumatized adventurers to do this very important, difficult thing without dying or getting too distracted or siding with the enemy before the clock runs out and the Netherbrain wins. Also it's a mindflayer, a species of known mind manipulators who common knowledge says You Do Not Trust Under Any Circumstance that have already harmed the party.

The Emperor is either functionally helpless and at our mercy or refuses to exert what mental influence it has over the party outside of mundane manipulation regardless of how dire things get. It will do no harm to us beyond some threatening mental images which it never follows through on anyway, and only if you're a real asshole (until it's taken by the Netherbrain at least). YOU hold the majority of the power here since you can act outside the Prism and what little leverage the Emperor had by being the only thing stopping us from falling under the Absolute's control can be lost if you free Orpheus (and it's entirely reasonable for it to expect that Orpheus will kill the Emperor and the rest of the party for being infected as well). Every risk you take is also the Emperor's in practice and it can't do shit to stop you beyond getting a little angry and trying to reason with you. It's position in the party is incredibly fragile and can be easily lost if an alternative is found, at which point it could be discarded unless you decide you decide the Emperor is indeed a person who want to help and trust willingly. It's fate is entirely in your hands.

So like, it's behaviour here is totally understandable! If I were in that situation, even without the additional mindflayer hurdle, I'd probably be doing the exact same thing! Also just in general I'm kinda empathetic to someone doing an exaggerated This Is How Normal People Act Please Like Me act, or trying to lead someone to a realization about yourself that you know they'd reject if you just told them. Maybe it's just the neurodivergent in me, but I get it. Who hasn't done that dance before? I certainly have. So this isn't something I can hold against it.