#partial monogamy

[chronicallyleggless]

Ambiamorous mixed bag! (Pack)

[pynkhues]

Really interesting point about Louis often minimising his actions and painting himself in better light while telling his tale. The problem is, that a large part of fandom tend to take everything he says at face value without critical thinking. Upon rewatching, I've noticed the disparities between Louis' voiceover and what's actually shown on the screen. The most jarring example would be Louis claiming he was being hunted and the next shot we see is Lestat looking at him with utter adoration lol. It's obvious that there was nth predatory about their courting.

There's one thing i can't stop wondering (and sorry if you talked about this before): in 1.03 Louis tells Daniel that because of his diet his libido was nonexistent and that was the reason why he wasn't having sex with Lestat and let his indulgence with Antoinette happen. However, later he was quiet eager and had no problem getting it up for Jonah. If he barely could hold a book how he was capable of having sex? I believe his libido was lower but he clearly wasn't impotent. Imo, the main reason why he wasn't having sex with Lestat- but did with Jonah- was because he was blaming him for "taking his life" and wanted to punish him by witholding sex and affection. He was also rejecting his vampirism and by extension Lestat.

I also wouldn't be surprised if once he started eating people again he also had sex with some of his victims like he did in S2, he just didn't mention it to Daniel. Apparently feeding flings are common for vampires and i don't think that neither of them would consider it cheating. Basically, I don't agree with the fandom opinion that Louis is more monogamous than Lestat and Armand. I think you're right and they all are sluts haha.

Lestat and Louis' courtship is definitely a good example of Louis framing something in a way that's both technically true yet articulated in a way that paints a less-than-generous picture. Like, I think there is a sort of element of a hunt in the way Lestat doggedly pursues Louis with the intent of getting him fall in love with him, haha, but it's a sort of hunt you'd probably use interchangably with the word chase or pursue. The use of the actual word hunt itself calls to mind a predator and prey in a way the other two don't, which isn't necessarily reflective of the dynamic that's happening on screen, like you said.

The word choice is such a deliberate one, and I think does a really good job of establishing Louis as an unreliable narrator. After all, the very nature of the interview being Louis recounting chapters of his life means that he's endlessly informed by everything that's happened afterwards. In a lot of ways, Louis needs to not just paint the picture that Lestat's a monster, but feel that he's one, because Louis needs to justify his own actions in the wake of that both to Daniel and to himself. He needs Lestat to be a predator so that he gets to be prey, and therefore blameless in all the carnage, because if that's not the case, if it's not their dynamic, then Louis is ultimately accountable too.

But yes! Agreed that the restricted diet / animal blood alone wasn't making Louis impotent - which Jonah is evidence of - although I do think it definitely would've impacted his sex drive. I agree with both your thoughts that it stems from Louis punishing Lestat, both for taking his life and I'd say for cheating on him in the first place, and as a manifestation of this rejection of his vampirism that Lestat is the physical embodiment of.

I'd add to it too that I think the withdrawal wasn't just a punishment and rejection of Lestat, but I think in some ways it was a punishment and rejection of himself too. Louis didn't want to open up their relationship initially, and I think the scene where he asks if he's enough is really telling of the deeper insecurity Louis has in his relationship with Lestat. Louis struggles with his sense of self, and at that point in the series had enormous issues of internal repression and external oppression when it came to both his race and his sexuality.

In a lot of ways, that feels partially aggravated by his relationship with Lestat, because their relationship being interracial adds - especially in that era, but arguably still now - its own degree of social taboo even outside of Louis being gay and Black.

In that sense, Antoinette, and Lestat's relationship with her, feels uniquely built to point out everything that's publicly quote-unquote 'wrong' about his and Lestat's own relationship. She's a woman, he's a man, she's white, he's Black, she's straight, he's gay, and together she and Lestat are a heterosexual, white, socially acceptable couple, while together he and Lestat are a queer, interracial, socially unacceptable couple.

Add to that Antoinette and Lestat having a shared language both in their whiteness and in music, which I talked about here, I think Louis withdrawing in intimacy and affection from Lestat was - on top of being punishing and a rejection - manifested by his own deeply held insecurities around what his and Lestat's relationship is. After all, if Lestat still wants her - if he still wants that - when he's with Louis, what's to say that he won't one day decide that the ease of that is worth more than the struggle of it with Louis?

I can absolutely see that having an impact on Louis' sexuality with Lestat, and I don't think it was coincidental that he's able to consumate with a man he shared his own language and identity with being both Black and gay, instead of with his white, bisexual husband.

[docmerlin]

small but consistent pet peeve is the phrase "poly couple"

because....... unless you're talking about 2 people specifically, it's not a couple

2 people in a couple can be polyam/in an open relationship and therefore a "poly couple," and i always assume that's what people are talking about, but it seems most of the time they're talking about three or more people in a polycule

which is not a couple

it's a triad+ (quad, polycule, constellation, etc etc)

[lilly-onthevalley]

Not to be that person, but I feel like a lot of the discourse on relationships and traditionalism on tiktok are heavily inaccurate and fueling a fire that only exists if you feed it yourself.

I hate how political falling in love and having a family is. There are many good men who exist who are interested in marriage, monogamy, and providing. It's not rocked science. There is no theory to it. The men who are making you think that everyone cheats, everyone hates marriage, and everyone is 50/50 are the men who are on their phones all the time. There is a sea of men who are silent on all these topics and don't even know whatever online gender wars are going on and just want a normal traditional marriage like their dad had. If you work online, you will match up with men like you - who are living off of digital wars and opinion.

Perhaps it's because I grew up extremely out of touch with media consumption. The problem, in my opinion, is a lack of culture, independent thinking, and community. You don't need to pay $300 for a woman to tell you to dress well, learn some makeup skills, go to school, and go outside. You can do it yourself and achieve a lot more without someone whispering about "orange peeling theory," "red nail theory," and the like. It begins with common sense and perhaps an old-fashioned book or 2.

Most men of a decent or (I hate to use this word) 'high' calibre will not care about all the work you've put into your paid courses or the little games your fav influencer told you to play. It's a simple calculation that starts with personality, looks, education, and sociability.

Sometimes, you have to sit and piece together that the man meant for you isn't doom scrolling his socials for ways to attract a woman or low ball her. He's probably busy, very well employed, and really simple. He probably doesn't have a tiktok or IG. His mental gymnastics are landing onto something productive, not your fyp or your fav influencers' fyp.

A chronically un-online man from a decent upbringing will naturally provide and be normal. You're competing on the chess board of pornsick, easily influenced men who simultaneously also feed on the courses of other delusional men. You're choosing to build yourself up from influencer tok instead of real life, real women, and touching grass, and I feel like that's the largest fault within modern dating.

You will lose your best opportunities by heading face first with games, politics, and preconceived notions on courting instead of letting nature take its course and vetting from action thereafter. It's partially why I like tumblr. It's a lot smaller and rational. Less opportunity for the construction of a large-scale delusion around one everyday topic.

⭐️

[new-dinosaurs]

Yuanyanglong bainian Hao et al., 2024 (new genus and species)

(Partial skeletons of Yuanyanglong bainian, from Hao et al., 2024)

Meaning of name: Yuanyanglong = mandarin duck [a symbol of lifelong monogamy, referring to the fact that two individuals were preserved together] dragon [in Chinese]; bainian = one hundred years [in Chinese, commemorating the fact that Oviraptor and Chirostenotes, two of the first oviraptorosaurs to be scientifically described, were named 100 years ago in 1924]

Age: Early Cretaceous (Aptian–Albian)

Where found: Miaogou Formation, Inner Mongolia, China

How much is known: Partial skeletons of two individuals, together including a partial skull, parts of the limbs, and some vertebrae.

Notes: Yuanyanglong was an oviraptorosaur, a group of bird-like theropods with short and often toothless skulls. It had relatively long legs (and especially shins) for its size. Although long legs are often an adaptation for fast running, the pelvis of Yuanyanglong does not have much space for the attachment of muscles that pull the hindlimbs back, leading its describers to suggest that it may have used its long legs for wading through water instead.

Both known specimens of Yuanyanglong were preserved with clusters of pebbles in their body cavity (though in one specimen, these pebbles were accidentally removed during fossil preparation), indicating that it probably used gizzard stones to grind up its food. Gizzard stones have also been found in the slightly older oviraptorosaur Caudipteryx.

Yuanyanglong is estimated to have weighed around 12 kg, making it larger than earlier oviraptorosaurs such as Caudipteryx, but smaller than many Late Cretaceous oviraptorosaurs.

Reference: Hao, M., Z. Li, Z. Wang, S. Wang, F. Ma, Qinggele, J.L. King, R. Pei, Q. Zhao, and X. Xu. 2024. A new oviraptorosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Miaogou Formation of western Inner Mongolia, China. Cretaceous Research advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.cretres.2024.106023

[anomaliex]

Im very fond of soulmate AUs but I've never been a fan of the "you spend your whole life waiting for the ONE and you HAVE to date or you're weird" it feels iffy to me (I mean I'm arorace so maybe that's it). I enjoy "oh you're on the same wave length, if you meet you for sure will have a deep emotional connection with this person but who knows what it'll entail. And maybe you'll never meet but that doesn't mean your life will be any less fulfilled". It's more of a,,,you were born under the same star, lol? But yeah I wanna write a few fantasy high fics with that concept.

I'm partial to (temporarily) mirroring markings on each other's skin soulmate AUs but honestly I'm not super sure what to do with this one. But I'm throwing up ideas because I can't just stay silent, I'd explode.

Listen. Listen. Sandra Lynn and Gilear are soulmates. Being inherently compatible doesn't mean you can't fuck up. The two have a genuine connection and she loved Gilear but she was never 100% sure that she was in love with him, and monogamy maybe wasn't right for her either but she was ignoring all those doubts and complex feeling in favour of going for the safe and easy life that society expected and that would, short term, definitely make her happy. It'd make Gilear happy, too. (The possibility of living an immortal life without a partner by her side might have scared her more than the possibility of that partner not being the right one.) Both of them later find new happiness in their respective partners, and they're on okay terms but they never restore the closeness they once had. Which is okay, certain mistakes can't be undone even if they're forgiven, and certain relationships just won't be restored. But yeah complex feeling about this and how sometimes soulmates don't mean forever.

Branching off of this, Fig. The divorce causes all the problems with Fig it normally does, but it also makes her write off the idea of soulmates completely. True love doesn't exist type deal (which I agree with. Feelings can change and you have the potential to love anyone, and anyone has the potential to be loved. But for a teenage girl that might have previously romanticised the concept of it this realisation can be upsetting and lead into the other extreme, which is that love in general can never be sincere. Which hey, is a sad outlook.) She tries to replicate the feeling for validation with faces that aren't her own but eventually finds someone that loves her for her and becomes comfortable being the person she is. Ayda happens to be her soulmate but they'd love each other regardless of that.

(Ayda's past incarnations have had varying soulmates. The ones she has records of never met theirs and she really was in the "why would I have one in the first place" mindset. Who knows about the Aydas that came before her, It's so far in the past that I don't think it matters.)

(Idk if Jawbone has a soulmate and if he does idk if he has met them. But I don't think that matters much they're not on his mind.)

Less romance related take on soulmates are Fabian and Riz I think! Fabian is in denial at first because Riz is a loser (not that Fabian isn't a loser lmao. But Riz is like, a social loser.) but Riz immediately decides this is his GUY. This is his best friend. And Fabian does too honestly but it takes him a while to get over being a shitty teenager and be open about it. The whole sophomore year stuff. I do think Riz is aroace and I have my. aro-spec thoughts about Fabian so this can go either "just" best friends (I don't want to de-value purely platonic relationships they're SO good and important and shouldn't be placed below romantic ones all the time) or venture into more queerplatonic territory. Which I also really like with those two lol. But they're a package deal with a deep connected and care for each other greatly :)

Gorgug hasn't met his soulmate and he truly does not care. He has all the time in the world, and if he never meets them that's fine too? His parents are definitely soulmates but being raised by them I think it'd truly be so hard to become insecure about societal expectations like that. This is covered somewhere in the sex and relationship folder probably. Gorgug is such a guy. Zelda, Mary-Ann, Squeem, Unit, Ragh(??). Everyone wants him. He's mostly up for it. SUCH a guy.

Oh! Also. Lucy and Kipperlilly were soulmates. Just, cause, yeah. I think Lucy has so much shit to work through in therapy and this might be #1 on the list because, like, yeah.

Oh also non-romantic soulmates Adaine and Aelwyn,,,they're so important to me. They're so important to each other too. For a really long time Adaine thought something must be wrong with her for her soulmate to treat her like this, something must be wrong with the world for the stars to align only to promise her cruelty. They're okay now. Aelwyn of course felt deeply guilty for everything she was doing but also shoved said guilt so far down she barely felt it. Their relationship is already perfectly articulated in canon I don't have much to add to this, I just wanna write them softly rebuilding their relationship I love them so dearly.

[crosshairs-dumb-pimp-gf]

From the World of Disgrace

Ga'hah Guide Book : Part I

An introduction:

Ga'hah is a small planet near the outer rim. Being tidal locked, the planet doesn't experience a day/night cycle, instead, it is divided into a light half and a dark half. A massive mountain range marks the equator line between these two extremes. 

Ga'hah has three moons. The main moon, Horula, dwarves the other two which orbit around it. Time on Ga'hah is usually told by the positioning of the two smaller moons around Horula. The small blue moon is named Erolis, and the orange is called Carino. The moons markedly are not named according to usual Ga'haiian structure, suggesting the names' origin being more rooted in nature and elements rather than gods and legends. 

The storm Meha’klei, is a different matter, drawing its name from a mother god that spat life of Ga'hah into existence in the form of rain. The system is a permanent storm spot hovering over the Eastern spread of the equator range. Though the storm itself is violent, its outer bands lend beauty to the landscapes carved from the violent downpour. 

The Meha'klei of legend is wife to Be'llahl, the god who gave birth to culture and pleasure. He is the main deity of Ga'hah and the source of their self indulgent views and way of life. The creed is to do things simply because it brings you happiness in some way. You won't find a Ga’haiian praying to their deity to save them or to bless their crops, those are important matters you need for survival. That's not what the cult of Be'llahl is about. They'll pray that a meal is delicious, that a sexual encounter is satisfying, that they might get a day off to do absolutely nothing. 

Though the cult preaches pleasure above all things, it's not without its limits. To take away another's pleasure on purpose is a cruelty. As with any belief, people will twist the virtues to suit themselves, but the rule of mutual benefit is generally believed and accepted. It is in fact heralded as the true challenge of the pleasure faith, to find the balance where everyone is enjoying themselves. 

Polycules were  the standard for Ga'haiian relationships, breaking into new clans with each generation instead of couples. However, over a thousand years of trade with other planets has shifted the culture slightly to a more conformed view of pairings. The practice of monogamy does not always blend well with Ga'haiian sensibilities. 

The Ga'haiian people are stratified between the poor colonies of the Southern dark side and the elitist rich Northern city state of Sohn.

Sohn was built surrounding the Trimecca farms, giant, hollow pyramids that filter the harsh light from the sun to perfectly grow a dense variety of crops in the controlled environment. Though revolutionary, the farms block the stronger rays of sun from reaching the mountain valley’s, destroying the ecology over thousands of years. The resources created by the agricultural wonders give Sohn a monopoly over the flow of food and materials on Ga’hah. 

Sohn has been influenced by the galaxy at large, adopting both Republic and Separatists ideas in order to appear more influential and accepted while still maintaining a sense of superiority.

Speaking of which, the Sohnese have a cast system not practiced in the general populace of Ga'hah based on blood purity. Pure blooded nobles will have blue markings under their eyes. Humans with partial Ga'haiian will be marked in red. Part Ga'haiian hybrids will be marked in Yellow.

Ga'haiians are a genetic variant of humans. The common visage of a Ga'haiin is dramatically tall, a female generally being 6' - 6'5" and males 6'5" -7'5", tanned, with pure white hair. Their pigmentation is adaptive as a result of the extreme light/dark nature of the environment. The olive tone will lighten to almost white after a few days with out direct sun, and darken to a rich golden tan in only a few hours of UV exposure. Each individual has an upper and lower limit to how light or dark their skin will get.

When a Ga'haiian has a child with someone with out the genome variant it causes a few genetic glitches. Part Ga'haiians will be shorter, with splotches of black in their hair. This hair color pattern is known as "Ga'haiian Calico" and is harshly judged in Sohn City.

Blue Sohnese will usually only bare children with other pure blooded Ga'haiians, though some child bearing marriages to outsiders have occured- usually for influence off planet. The resulting half-blooded noble children will either be marked red, to be a secondary partner to a blue, or as a yellow, strictly a servitude position in a blue household.

There has never been a Ga'haiian jedi, and force users are not common on the planet. The ways of the Jedi are antithetical to Ga'haiian culture, who believe that attachment is what makes life worth living and anything and everything is worth being attached to. A Ga'haiian's opinion of a Jedi will range from thinking them foolish to hostile superiority. A family approached by the Jedi counsel would be horrified by their proposal, seeing it as an offer to emotionally castrate their child. If a Jedi were to hail from the "Pleasure Planet," they would have to turn their back completely on the culture of their home world.

+_+_+_+_+_+_+

Ga'hah and Ga'haiian's are open for use in other fan works.

If there's any questions or you'd like a bit of this expanded I'll do a part 2.

[bandsandwristbands]

itsa me, shukaku of the moodboards, nosying about Dont Ask Smug Nart Face thank u

I am Actually Embarrassed about this one just a little bit 😭

SOOOOO it's basically a longwinded psuedo-swinger smut with Naruhina and Gaalee o/////o 👉👈

Okay so it's a bit more complicated than that but idk if I'll ever be brave enough to Commit but I like complicated relationship dynamics that blur platonic boundaries a lil bit

Overly Analytical Horny Rambling Abound

First! I think Naruto is the type to low key have a crush on all his friends and openly hit on them in a jokey jokey "Unless?..👀" kinda way.

And I know Nart is a bit naive but I think he def picked up a lot of info from hanging around Jiraiya so I think his conceptions of casual sex and monogamy would be pretty chill. So he's pervy but much more consensual and healthy about it, mans loves to communicate even if he can be a shithead about it. Also, he canonically gets a lot of opportunities to get around, (and there's that one movie where he straight up agrees to a proposition to give a priestess an heir???)

I also think Hinata is big voyeuristic like I think she's got a sense of curiosity about it, in general she likes observing people's differences and idiosyncrasies so when it comes to horny behavior I think it's an easy slippery slope and it goes with her kinda shy nature idk freak rights for hinata (i love her dearly)

Then there's Gaara and Lee who are always all over each other and sneaking off to fool around, esp at like party/club settings which is not A Lot but enough for Naruto to see sometimes and give them shit about it, but mostly he's "hmm hot lol if you guys are ever lookin for a third or somethin" *winkwink*

I only really have one part solidified in my brain. Basically Nart walks in on a partially obscured Gaalee and he's like "oop well don't stop on my account."

Oh but gaalee are super possessive of each other no way, except that's kind of the appealing part for them! Lee kinda likes the idea of showing off what's his and the affect he has on Gaara and Gaara is not easily embrassed but for some reason the idea of being seen indisposed with Lee makes him feel very embarrassed (humiliation kink activated)

Anyway it'd cover a couple different once in awhile encounters with lots of trust building and healthy dom/sub dynamics etc etc

I unfortunately do not have a snippet for this because I get too embarrassed whenever I take an actual crack at it my smut game is intermediate at best these days 🫣🫣

[undefeatednils]

Thinking about it, I really like the idea of relationship anarchy. Having a circle of friends you're incredibly close with and which blurs common definitions of what constitutes romantic and platonic relationships. Partially because, to me, it'd be a situation where communication of one's wants and needs is much more direct, and because that level of intimacy (inc. sexual intimacy) just communicates with me more directly that my presence is wanted.

Like it just seems like a really affirming model of personal relationships and closeness, something that a social model based on strict monogamy and relatively marginalized friendships (especially when looking at friendship among most cis men) doesn't do well and which puts people who are single at a massive disadvantage.

[fadavitalis]

Ok, so hear me out.

Most of us know monogamy was partially introduced by ways of ensuring what offspring came from which man. Harmful practices in which women were treated as little more than cattle or objects aside, in the modern day, why would such a practice still be so heavily enforced and expected? We have DNA tests to make sure a child is actually someone's descendant. We do not need to tie people into semi-permanent relationships to ensure inheritances and the like... and even then, blood is increasingly becoming less important in matters of inheritance.

What if I told you that patriarchy still benefits from upholding (heterosexual) monogamy as a standard, especially for women? Look at the double standards of modern Western societies towards sex and how much men should be having versus how little women should. Look at how slut-shaming gets practised even by women, sometimes more viciously so. Patriarchy thrives in women being in competition with each other over the good graces of men. Without monogamy and the need to "tie down a good man," this would not be something that could pit people up against each other.

Men equally suffer from patriarchy, still in this sense, because if they do not find a "modest good woman" to tie the knot with, they are obviously inferior and not successful enough. Marrying well is a privilege for those at the top of the patriarchal hierarchy, after all.

This also enforces the threat queerness is to patriarchy. Without people cutting at each other's throats for the 'end all be all', that is the perfect marriage with the babies and white picked fence, modern-day patriarchy would slowly start falling apart. It thrives on the hatred and competition people put onto one another.

Thank you for listening to my ramblings. Feel free to add your own two cents!

[escapismmaxing]

icewing redesign and headcanons!!

this is kind of a jumble sooooo

physical traits

i think they are so huge. easily the biggest out of all the tribes on average 

huge not just in height but they also tend to be chubby and fat like blubber

furred at hatching, but can lose fur as they age, often ending up with partial fur (mane, down the spine, trailing at ankles, etc)

also perhaps “beards” (genderless, duh)

(my imagination for this is kind of traditional unicorn esque, like those fuckass tails + hair around their feet and their mane. yeah)

speaking of fur,,, they have little toe pads with fur sticking out between their toes!

tiny little baby ears to prevent frostbite

antlers instead of horns!! or at least horns with many branches like antlers

kind of smallish wings compared to their body size, so they tend to be slowish, lumbering fliers but they still get the job done

this “style” of flying lets them be very sturdy despite high arctic winds

icewings hunt underwater, so they’re somewhat partially aquatic and can hold their breath for long periods of time (also hence the blubber)

their “spines” aren’t spines connected to their skeletal structure, but quills connected to their skin, so they fall out and regrow a lot, and also get embedded in opponents skin during battle

colors,,, im always conflicted on. for sure natural arctic animal colors (all greys, whites, beiges, yellows and browns during summer months) but also like. fuck it they’re dragons so blues, purples, and pinks too

i don’t remember when i originally did this, but i gave them a pronounced throat sac thing to produce sound and music? so yeah. we’re sticking with that because ive been drawing it for like a year

on the topic of their throat sac! i love to imagine what the tribes individual voices/languages sound like. i think icewings are very veryyyy scary according to other tribes, with deep growling, warbling, and clicking (like a leopard seal). and really throaty hoots and high pitched screeches like a snowy owl!

just saw a video of a caribou (?) fucking screeching. so yknow what icewings do that too (but not in normal communication it’s explicitly like an “uh oh!” noise)

frostscales! and also frostless. warmscales? i don’t really know but they exist to me. they’re kind of a lot less,, harmful than firescales, especially when kept within the ice queendom, because they just add more ice to existing ice

culture!!

so even though snowfall broke down the physical tracking of the circles, that hierarchy persists and there is for sure a hierarchy of dragons with closer relationship to the queen etc

now it’s just less concrete so it’s easier to move up and down etc

i wouldn’t think it matters any less though, like social standings persist

i think the social climate within the castle is insanely different to what it is outside the castle

inside the castle: cold, cutthroat, fuck you

outside the castle and outside the circle: living in a really harsh environment, so an insanely strong sense of community and togetherness, still with distinct familial groups, and icewings probably have one of the more common rates of monogamy/marriage

formal school settings depend on the town, some towns have them,and these towns also tend to be more formal in general and carry more remnants of the circle system

what’s more common is apprenticeships

speaking of apprenticeships,, jobs

hunting is taken on as a community activity, and there isn’t much to grow so there’s not a lot of agriculture

but there ARE a lot of traders/merchants in the border villages

also a lot of icewings who focus on hide/leather preservation, clothing and fabrics, sculptures,, lots of artisan work

lots of holidays, like holidays allll the time (high stress environment creates a need for frequent relaxation)

just for shits and giggles,,,,, some examples

celebration of first snow melt

celebration of first flower buds

midsummer celebration 

summer ending celebration (heralding in a kind winter)

probably during the winter a celebration every biggest full moon or something

you get the idea

i forget if this was confirmed at some point in the books, but i think “royal” instruments are just straight up like woodwinds carved from ice. so they’re royal because they can’t leave the tippy toppy coldest place of the continent otherwise they’ll melt

i think there’s a lot of legends related to like dragons trapped beneath the ice and lost in snow storms etc, just because water beneath ice makes some crazy terrifying sounds

as for population distribution, i think icewings are kind of concentrated at the castle, and then closer to the sandwing border. the tundra is kind of just meant to be traversed rather than lived in

they’re very friendly with sandwings and seawings! also eventually friendly with mudwings because of crystal, and probably at least somewhat friendly with skywings as well

although they did have a history of fighting with skywings for the northern mountain territories, they’ve come to an agreement now

also, of all the pyrrhian tribes, they’re one of the most friendly w the pantalan tribes since the icewing queendom is the hub for travel

fashion!!

so there’s a lot of mixtures with sandwing culture! drums and woodwinds, shawls are popular, beads braided into manes and tails

furs and leathers are common (using all parts of the animals they hunt) and carvings made from ivory are also common art + jewelry

i think other jewelry would consist of like really thin strands of metal looped around their face and antlers (so inconvenient but so pretty)

royal vs commoner

wow these categories are getting,,,, messy. sorry!!

royals have really political weddings still, related to rising in the circle ratings and whatnot (lowkey so much incest within the castle,,, save them)

it’s getting better, and dragons are marrying outside the nobles but still

monogamy would be commonly practiced but i don’t think they’d hold the “nuclear” family model i think all generations would help raise the hatchlings and instill family values into them or whatever

i think it’s similar for commoners, with generational but not communal raising, but obviously marriage is isn’t as pressured, so it’s less common

i generally think marriage isn’t the norm amongst dragons even if a couple is monogamous

as for commoners' view on royals,,,,, very very icy and unkind. royals tend to be really only concerned with royals.

i think they’re so unconcerned, actually, that there’s a whole separate “cabinet of diplomats” setup that live closer to the sandwing border and handle all the dealings with the other tribes. they send a report to the queen every first moon cycle. fucking maybe

royals and nobles tend to have more fun/thick and long fur because fur is really hard to maintain, keep healthy, and keep clean so a royal with a lot of clean and beautiful fur is a really clear sign that they put a lot of effort into their look

versus most dragons don't have the time for that, so over time they’ve lost fur (not completely)

religions/superstitions 

i think they’re insanely superstitious!!

the amount of ermines or stoats they see in a winter correlates to how fast spring will come (more = faster)

also to herald in spring, icewings collect flowers and seeds, dry them, and hang/sprinkle them around all the entrances to their house

polar bears and leopard seals are bad omens. they’re some of the only other animals that can take on dragons. icewings avoid them

(they’re seen as highly holy or a bad omen. or both. depends on who you talk to)

i think icewings think fire bad. you see smoke in tundra? bad. run

however. still. light is rare in the arctic, especially the winter, so it’s bad luck to snuff out a light and often is thought to mean inviting death into your life. this is also bad! 

so coming across a fire? bad. PUTTING OUT THE FIRE? worse. get outta there

i think there’s a lot of myths of seeing apparitions in the tundra and during the winter (that’s just snow being kicked up by the wind,,,, but also what if it’s not)

most common are: a giant dragon-like creature with a horn on its forehead and a finned tail, following this creature is debatable

still with the apparitions: crowd of small rodents (ermines, stoats, lemmings) scurrying about. decidedly don’t follow these, but they do often point to an early spring

i could go on forever.

(i also think icewings use water to “scry”) ((in general i headcanon magic to be a bit more present in the world. not just animus have it))

holy shit this got so long 👁👁 i hope these were somewhat interesting. dm or send an ask if you want more info on any of them i love spinning these guys around in my head i think icewings are so interesting fr.

[anti-tenten]

I have such a. Weird relationship with misogyny in dune. Like misogyny on arrakis is obviously on purpose, Herbert very clearly tried to make a technologically advanced but a very conservative society.

But bene gesserit being treated like ultimate girlbosses doesn't sit right with me. I actually think it is a very interesting organisation because while it does strive to keep power within hands of certain women but it's achieved through perpetuating misogyny. It's powerful women who found a way to navigate the system where they're ultimately not welcome and succeed and they do perpetuate misogyny among each other because without bigotry they might have never got the power they have now. Which is.... Actually pretty historically accurate.

Think of... Maybe not medieval courts, I don't know enough about them and Christian monogamy made it a bit more straightforward (they key word is a bit) than, for instance, their Eastern counterparts, so think of Eastern harems instead (I know a bit more about Chinese history and media so I will use it as an example)

Historically, for women power often was achieved through marriage to a specific person. In harems, where the man's opinion could change on a whim about who's going to be his next spouse and separation was more easily available than in Christian world, in order to ensure a high place in harem, women (since this moment they will be referred to as "concubines" as I mostly use Chinese concubines as a vague example) a) had a child with their high ranking partner (from this point will be referred to as an emperor since, as you can imagine, being an empress would be probably the highest honour to a Chinese woman of the past and would grant one the most power possible) b) just became his favourite which is so subjective it's a one in a million chance to pull off.

The problem with having emperor's child was that the other concubines wouldn't want you to have it. A pregnant concubine could be poisoned, injured, forced a miscarriage or have an already born baby "die under mysterious circumstances". A previously favourite consort who could not give birth to emperor's son would probably be discarded in favour of someone more "fertile".

And these women weren't just lucky few out of the millions. Concubines would be rich girls groomed from the age of 13 to be emperor's future personal sex objects (I am really sick of everybody claiming that it was "so tragic" for concubines when the emperor died, the only tragic things about emperor's death for concubines were a) they would now not be able to become empresses unless someone else toppled the dynasty and took one of them as a wife (because for emperor's male relatives sleeping with emperor's concubines was considered incest. In china incest seems to be a little less common than among Europeans when it comes to nobles, partially, probably, due to the harem system) b) they would forever live as archimonks now forced to pray and grieve every day all day until they died even if they were like. 18 years old. Do you really think these women could refuse sex with a man who controlled their entire lives? Being raped was a part of their job description). They were chosen based on their physical qualities first: light skin, lack of birthmarks, foot size, body type, presence of body hair (lack of it was considered unnatural). They would spend their entire teenage years being servants after being rich girls with servants of their own their entire childhoods. They could be abused by their ladies too: like consort dun of emperor qianglong killed one of her maids, ordering her to be beaten to death for upsetting her. The emperor ordered her to pay a small compensation to the family of the victim and demoted her in rank before restoring her as a consort later.

Empresses were not known for their compassion towards women either: empress dowager lü, the widow of the first emperor of Han dynasty, was said to kill concubine qi, a lover of her deceased husband, over personal dislike, which caused her son to fell ill of shock and die, leaving her as the main source of absolute power in contemporary Han empire. HOWEVER!! Which is a big disclaimer! This happening was only reported by Sima Qian - a pretty notorious misogynist, and contemporary historians of imperial China had their main goal be propaganda in favour of the current emperor first and documentation of historical events second, and lying about actions of previous emperors and empresses especially - to discredit women as too evil, manipulative and emotional to be in power - was not uncommon.

Overall, the only way for a woman to achieve power in court was manipulation and violence towards competition. She could act as a regent, as did empress cixi while being the de-facto ruler of China while her very young nephew was considered the actual ruling emperor, and so did wu zeitan early on when the emperor was too physically weak to effectively rule, but all in all woman in Chinese history was the source of authority by the right of birth, like some princesses in the West could be. There was no such thing as a princess in China, being born to the empress meant you grew up rich but the chance of being a queen was very small - unless you were okay with marrying your brother if he became an emperor maybe, but it's unlikely anyone would let that slide.

And while Cixi, Wu Zeitan and maybe even Lü might cause fascination among modern Chinese people and history nerds around the world alike and were portrayed as cunning and brave centuries later in historical books and even fiction, they were just as guilty of "petty infighting" and harassing other concubines as everyone who didn't succeed. But those who didn't are often portrayed as "jealous girls fighting over a boy" and "evidence that women are evil" while all they did was try to achieve the power they couldn't get by any other means unless they were incredibly lucky, while men enjoyed power from the moment of birth and demonised women who resorted to fighting each other often just to survive.

At which point my pseudointellectual rambling ends and let's return to our muttons, that being dune. While due to supernatural abilities bene gesserit do have power that has nothing to do with their relation to men, their entire goal was to create a man who would be more powerful than them (by the right of being a man who can do the same stuff as them, obviously. Aren't men in female-dominated fields so exceptional?) and manipulate him, other men and other members of bene gesserit to keep power in their hands. But in order to do that, they had to often reduce themselves to breeders. In the beginning of the book Helena mohiam suggests that Jessica was probably planned to be chosen for an incestuous marriage to "strengthen" a certain genetic feature: her sole purpose was seen in giving birth to a certain child, and that child's entire existence was nothing more but a step in creating kwisattz haderach. Margot purposefully seduces feyd (and considering feyd was 17 at the time I'm concerned about what age Margot was supposed to be at the time tbh) just to keep the harkonnen clan bloodline going on the male side (since historically women don't legally inherit the clan name like it happened with Jessica harkonnen and subsequently her son Paul). In order to keep power in their own hands, bene gesserit do not just cling onto powerful men in hopes of manipulating them, but condemn themselves and each other to marriage to men they don't like, sex they don't want, painful childbirth of children they don't care about: they might have supernatural abilities, but their political power comes from sex (sometimes even rape when they're forcibly married to somebody) and breeding.

And Herbert does not portray it as good: bene gesserit do, at the end of the day, hurt each other and others for the sake of collective power which ends in creation of force that they couldn't control in the face of Paul Atreides that breaks free of their control for better or for worse. But also not the ultimate evil: Jessica cares for Paul as her son first, not as a project in making. These women are not a hivemind of giggling witches treating men like puppets and manipulating them with babies. They're composed of individuals, they're a community united by similar ideas and a common goal, but all of them are different, a lot of them are as much victims as they're perpetrators. Older women use the misogyny they experienced on younger women to show their authority. And no, it's not "girlboss queen behaviour". It's a tragedy. Divorcing yourself from your own body, using yourself as a vessel for The (possible) Man™ or another vessel, a man's toy is tragic. A lot of them didn't choose this fate, it's just all they know. Is the power really worth it, especially when your plan comes crashing down? Were those years spent with family you never wanted worth the political intrigue?

Herbert doesn't give us a direct answer as to how we should feel about this: should we despise, pity or even dismiss them as some club of crazy fanatics. He just creates a world where he shows us women who are not above not only intrigue and cultural imperialism but even just fucking over each other and themselves give up their freedom and happiness for the shred of hope their descendants might be great and powerful and they will play a role in their greatness. What we think of that is up to us. But I, personally, don't think it's anything but tragic for everyone involved.

In conclusion:

what

[that-one-i-think]

Daydreaming about your blessed children AU. Hardcore

Aww thank you! Here are more things about the au to dream about.

The big relationship is a Garroth x Lo x Liochant love triangle, except Garroth is the only one who thinks it's a love triangle while Lo and Liochant accept that it's just poly. Lio is a cat, and Lo is a seal, both species not the most known for monogamy. (Meif'wa and Selkie/Siren respectively)

It is also partially inspired by the family dynamics in SpyxFamily

Lo was a bard and seamstress who used their abilities to investigate corruption on behalf of villagers. Would also peddle information when low on cash to the thieves guild after dealing with particularly rude clients. Exceptional at water and illusion magic due to being half siren and half selkie and is naturally persuasive ; ). Now he just works as Alina and Liliths personal seamstress

Lio is the last temple warrior of Menphia and the last sun/fire magic user and was a revolutionary before being locked up in Tu'la prison. Managed to escape prison and to Ru'aun and was a mercenary for a bit before Katelyn accidentally knocked him out. Believing that she hit a defenseless man, she gave him a maid job, and now he works as Aphmau guards (Garroth, Travis, and Katelyn) personal maid.

Like Lilith is super protected between a person who can just disguise anyone and anything and man who can light himself on fire.

Lo and Lio's romance will happen the fastest because they both come from cultures that are heavy in dealing with emotions bluntly. I am also going to say that Lo has also been arrested a few times, probably due to stealing from houses early in their bard career but was smart enough to never have proof so fun image.

Lio: As you may know, you are in a position where you are in constant danger. But Lo and I have a lot of experience in avoiding and protecting ourselves.

Garroth: *Walks by and decides to eavesdrop*

Lo: So this is how you escape a jail cell, and tomorrow Lio is gonna teach you how to escape shackles

Lio: Way easier than you think! Would be today, but the blacksmith kept asking questions on why I needed child sized shackles, and I needed to find a good excuse.

[pursuehappiness67]

Someone on here asked me if I was involved in the BDSM lifestyle. I gave a very detailed answer, assuming I was answering privately. Then it showed up on my page.

If it was you, let me know. I can give you the full story.

So, whoever you were, here's the shorter version of my answer.

I've always had a dirty mind. But I never acted on it, only fantasized while I masturbated. Then, when I was in my early 40s, I dated a woman who was well versed in kink. And she also lived ethical non-monogamy. So I tried it. Turns out I enjoyed having an open relationship. With her metaphorically at my side, she watched as I explored the wonderful world of kink and adventurous sex.

Since then, I've enjoyed kinky sex with multiple women. And I still like open relationships. Some of them were more advanced at kink than I. Some of them we were on the same level. Some of them I acted as their guide.

I don't require kink in my sex. Vanilla fucking is still fine. In fact, it can be very good. But after a while, I'll ask if there's anything you'd like to try. Anything you've always been curious about. And gently suggest some of the milder kinks.

The partial list of things I've done, and enjoyed, includes impact play, Daddy play, playing the Dom role, role-play, writing erotica about the women I was dating and sharing it with them, piss play, and a whole lot more.

I was married to a woman who, like the lady who introduced me to kink, was submissive in the bedroom and a powerful, independent woman out of it. She agreed to me sharing her with other men and was excited for it, but I never found a way to make it happen before we got divorced. COVID made social interaction very, very, difficult.

The even shorter answer is: Yes. I'm involved in BDSM.

[justthewayuare]

The treatment of sluts

I’m not the first person to write about this topic and I don’t want to dive in here deep into societal problems with slutshaming. But I think about it a lot - there is an interesting approach within the show to this.

I talk about how both characters in the show and the audience treat so-called sluts of the show. Yes, it’s about Boston and Top. But also about Sand and Ray. Because it’s quite clear that all four of them have - or had before by the point we’re now - an active sex life. With Boston, Top and Sand it was spoken out loud, with Ray wasn’t but come on. Like he is horny as fuck.

And the way he just casually raised the car roof here without stopping a make out session - I don’t believe for a second he never did it before.

But Ray also spends a huge amount of his life being blackout drunk so maybe his sex life is not that intense at this point. The other three? 100%

But the approach towards Sand (and Ray) is very different than towards Boston and Top. And it’s partially because of car scene, of course, but not only about that. Top and Boston both constantly judged for their sex life in the show and out of it. And I think characters view on those who actively engaged in casual hookups speaks volumes. It happens in all of the main dynamics but differently.

Friend group. So the whole Boston-Mew drama about feeling superior to the other cause of having/not having sex is amazing. Those two are very dramatic about it. Boston going crazy about Mew’s virginity while Mew being arrogant ass towards Boston’s sex life is just everything. I love it.

Like really, Mew, honey, there is nothing wrong with sleeping around. It’s not something that needs correction. He’s fine.

Cheum said nobody would be happy in a relationship with Boston. And why?

That’s her reason. While so many real reasons exist for her it’s just Boston being a slut. And it’s just interesting to me for two reasons:

1. Boston didn’t say anything about relationship. Not everyone wants a relationship.

2. Monogamy is not the only option, you know? Some couples are great without being inclusive and it’s fine.

We never see anyone talks on Ray about it and, well, Ray is a depressive addict and that’s what should worry people around him more, rightfully so. Ray is also the only one in that friend group who never speaks about others sex life.

Top and Mew. Mew is really getting paranoid by the episode 5. Every time he sees a man looking at Top he gets nervous.

And yes, Top slept with Boston, but Mew seems (at least for me) unaware of that. He’s fine when Top and Boston are near each other, but any random guy passing by Top? Even when Top doesn’t interact with them or even looks back at them.

And Mew really tries his best to be cool about Top’s past.

But he just can’t. It’s always present in their relationship. He can’t get over it to the point he decides to have sex with Top.

And maybe it’s not all about that and he also in love with him and blablabla but the reasoning is “I’m afraid he’ll get bored” and this is all about Top and sex and the role sex played in his life.

And while Mew doesn’t want to judge Top he usually judges people like Top, and of course he can’t separate it. He is not okay with the past Top has. He doesn’t trust him because of that past. So the audience doesn’t too (and also because we know Top fucked Boston obviously).

Boston and Nick. Nick is in a way the same as Mew. While he doesn’t seem to judge people for having sex life, he does it with Boston. He is obsessed with him being with someone else (read as: Top).

Just a reminder, he bugged Boston’s car just because he saw photos with Top. Just in case. While they agreed on being fwb and Boston never lied about having other partners.

And when Boston told him about someone else blackmailing him over sex tape, how Nick responded?

Yep. And while it was meant as a tease, it wasn’t. Nothing is ever a reason to record someone without consent (as that guy did. And Nick did. And Boston did). But Nick says it as this is justified because he really doesn’t like that Boston is a slut. And, well, the audience doesn’t like it too (besides all the other reasons of course).

Sand and Ray. I give it to them, in that particular case they are doing great. Not in a one point of the story not Sand or Ray had issues with other’s past sex life. They don’t even seem to care about it.

The one time Ray asked if Sand is fine with casual hookups he did it for a reason to, well, know if Sand will be into having sex with him. So when Sand said yes Ray was actually pleased with this answer.

And while their situationship progresses into something and Sand sees Ray with a girl, he’s not nervous or jealous. He teases Ray a little and a bit possessive but he is totally chill about it.

I had so much hope we’ll get a threesome with those two at some point of the story, but yeah. Second time they let a gorgeous girl walk away without even noticing. They are simping for each other so badly it’s pathetic. And adorable. I love them. No threesome for them I guess.

And when the fight at the end of episode happens Boston brings up twice that he thinks Ray and Mew had sex. As that has to make Sand feel even worse. But the thing is, Sand is heartbroken not because Ray potentially had sex with someone, even his close friend. I really don’t think Sand would care about it. Sand is heartbroken because Ray loves someone else.

So those two are only ones who don’t judge anyone, including each other, for having an active sex life (being sluts). And this is quite healthy approach (look at me, using word healthy to describe that one thing about OF, I don’t believe myself) to life and relationships. Any sort of relationship, including friendships, romance or people you don’t know but so ready to judge. And while them not judging each other, why the audience would?

I don’t know if the show does it on purpose or not. I do think it does with Boston and Top. But with Sand and Ray? I doubt it. It more looks like those to have enough other shit to worry about both within their relationship and outside of it. I know it’ll develop but by episode 5 characters biggest problems looks something like this:

1. Mew’s biggest problem is his relationship with Top and sex. And Boston.

2. Top’s biggest problem is maybe insomnia but also his relationship with Mew and sex. And Boston.

3. Boston’s biggest problem is Top and Mew and their relationship.

4. Nick’s biggest problem is his relationship with Boston and sex and Boston.

5. Ray’s biggest problem is depression and addiction and inability to love or being loved.

6. Sand’s biggest problem is his financial situation, debts collectors and working his ass off 24/7.

So maybe yes, those two just don’t have enough screen time to worry about sex too. And while I do think we will learn more about other characters, by that point we’ve seen almost half of the show. And the initial idea of who they are already formed. It can develop, but it won’t change.

And the approach to Boston and Top being sluts won’t change either. Whatever they do the “slut” part will be seen as their flaw, something they have to overcome (it is not). While Sand and Ray get a free pass on that.

The thing is, both Top and Boston do have flaws and things to overcome. But their sex life is not a part of it. Them having a lot of sex partners doesn’t mean they can’t be in relationship, or even monogamous, if that what they (or at least Top) want to. And if they doesn’t - nothing is wrong with it. It’s like trying to change something that’s not even broken on the first place, you know?

[thetavolution]

OC SMASH OR PASS

Tagged by: omgkalyppso (thank you!)

Tagging: Any of you who want to do it!

Rules: Include physical descriptions or pics, and propaganda. The “other” label can be used for “sexuality misalignment” (ie: oc is femme and you’re gay, vice versa or you aren’t into smashing but a specific thing you wanna do with them like perhaps hug or study them under a microscope idk).

Ingrid

QUICK FACTS

Height: 3'6"

Age: 28

Gender: Female

Pronouns: She/Her

Sexuality: Pansexual

PROS

She's sturdier in bed than someone might think. She doesn't need people to be physically gentle. In fact, she likes it a little rough or at least intense.

Ingrid is submissive.

Appears to be timid, but will always come through for people.

Experimental. She likes to try new things within reason.

Very open minded. Even if she's not into someone's kinks, she generally doesn't judge unless they are one sick bastard. (There are limits.)

She's totally fine with being tied up.

If a fight breaks out, she will have an undead army at her side.

If her partner wants a tattoo, she has that skillset to give them one.

CONS

She's very shy. She doesn't always verbalize her wants.

Ingrid is selfless to the point of ignoring her own needs. She thinks she's doing people a favor by not speaking up. She's getting better about it.

Not ideal for people for looking for one night stands. She's scared of being "thrown away."

She's quiet in bed.

Absolutely not a domme.

She doesn't have as much experience that others might have.

If people who can—and do—raise the dead makes someone uneasy, they are out of luck here.

Depending on how someone feels, her being a druid is a con, especially wild shape. If you don't let animals sleep on the bed with you at night, she's probably not a good fit.

DETAILS

Despite everything, she's actually good in polyamorous relationships, but she's also happy with monogamy.

She was a professional tattoo artist before being tadpole'd. She's a good artist as an off-shoot of that.

She does not like cooking and hates bitter foods, but loves sweets.

She's circle of the spores and raises the undead partially because of her fear of getting old and dying. It's complicated.

She might not look it, but she loves scary stories and horror novels. If you have a spooky story for her, you have her undivided attention.

Adores Russian honey cake and strawberries.

Hates the Underdark and never wants to go back.

She LOVES spiders. I'll leave it up to you how you feel about that.