#that’s important to me. that is an important part of this.

[aliosne]

I stumbled into another facet of this due to a less-than-ideal ttrpg experience. Sometimes the fantasy is What If Everything Were Fucking Easy, Actually

I understand and respect that a lot of people want to be challenged by their games! I’ve watched lots of meta for fromsoft games and the like, I understand why working hard at things and mastering skills down to the frame is satisfying!

It is hard for me to go piss.

Recognising I have to piss, initiating Time To Go Piss protocol, standing up, walking to the bathroom, lowering myself safely to the toilet, and so on? It is physically and mentally hard—and painful!—for me.

When I sit down to play a videogame or gather around the table for a session, I want to live a fantasy where not only are mundane things like going to the grocery store or washing dishes not a gauntlet, but I can do AMAZING THINGS with minimal effort and feel cool doing it. I don’t want zero challenge from my games but please. Just for a few minutes or hours. I want to live in a world where things ARE fucking easy.

a reminder to my fellow disabled people it isn't wrong or make you less of a player for using accessibility options.

a reminder that playing on a low difficulty only or (like with games with minecraft) no difficulty

a reminder that using unlimited health options like in cult of the lamb is not bad or wrong and you are no less of a player for using it

turning brightness high on horror games like tattletale whether its because you are visually impaired or because you cannot handle the fear a low-light scene can cause.

disabled people are not any less a gamer for needing accessibility options. we are not any less a gamer for playing the game on easy. we are not any less a gamer because we are disabled and might not be able to get all the achievements or trophies or whatever a game has available.

we deserve to be able to enjoy the games we want to play

[drchucktingle]

the curve

somehow ive found myself in a position where folks come to chuck in times of strife for encouragement. lets get the big part of this conversation out of the way LOVE IS STILL REAL and that is the thing to remember. that north star remains. today there is more to talk about though

existence pushes towards love community and freedom, because CREATION is what we were built to do and creation thrives with these things as fuel. IT GETS BETTER. LOVE IS REAL. however this change comes in up and down waves. its not a straight line and should not be expected to be

some of these waves are short and small, and some of the slopes are years or decades long. there is no mincing words here, we are entering a massive downward wave. the implications are huge and it is okay to mourn that. FEEL THOSE FEELINGS. it is an important part of the ride

the most telling sign post on our slope is this: tromp won the popular vote (or likely will when the votes are done). we can talk POLITICAL STRATEGY all day about electoral college or who should court the center or the left and on and on but ultimately THIS is the real story

to me it signals a TRUE cultural shift. likely conservatives will have presidency, senate, house, and supreme court. WHAT A GIANT SLOPE. HOLD THE HECK ON because we will be riding it for a while, deep into the pit of the void. hold your buds tight, prove love at the local level

but heres the thing, MASSIVE waves have happened before. theyll happen again. mind numbing slopes into the abyss and great soaring leaps into the sky. in fact the inertia almost ALWAYS causes them to happen right after each other. hippies or punks back in the day, buckaroos now

politically we were trapped in a basically fifty fifty trot for a long time, but it was not always like this (just look at old election maps what the heck). to be honest, tromps map looks like one of those old maps right now. and DANG did COUNTER MOVEMENTS blooms from those times

in other words, THERE WILL BE A COUNTER CULTURE MOVEMENT THAT WE HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE IN OUR LIFETIMES. you are now a rebel for the resistance and the wave that will swing back towards love will awe us in ways we cannot even imagine yet.

but for now, feel those feelings, mourn, prove love, stay safe. do not let the hope i am espousing feel like a distraction from the very real, even deadly consequences of the terrible pit we are plummeting into. it is a horrible day, and FUTURE HOPE does not diminish that, BUT

get ready because that counter culture wave is coming and YOU are a part of it. if you want to shout HECK OFF DEVILS then shout it LOUD, if you want to cry then cry HARD, if you want to love then love with your WHOLE HEART. thats the start of the movement that we dont know yet

when that movement takes shape we will feel the inertia of the curve and it may make us sick from the rollercoaster turn, and that pressure will be uncomfortable and scary, but THEN buckaroo, we will soar, and ill be so dang glad to be holding on tight with you when we do

[bbcphile]

This FB post by Rebecca Solnit is the thing keeping me sane this morning,so I’m sharing it here in case it helps you all, too:

��They want you to feel powerless and to surrender and to let them trample everything and you are not going to let them. You are not giving up, and neither am I. The fact that we cannot save everything does not mean we cannot save anything and everything we can save is worth saving. You may need to grieve or scream or take time off, but you have a role no matter what, and right now good friends and good principles are worth gathering in. Remember what you love. Remember what loves you. Remember in this tide of hate what love is. The pain you feel is because of what you love.

The Wobblies used to say don't mourn, organize, but you can do both at once and you don't have to organize right away in this moment of furious mourning. You can be heartbroken or furious or both at once; you can scream in your car or on a cliff; you can also get up tomorrow and water the flowerpots and call someone who's upset and check your equipment for going onward.

A lot of us are going to come under direct attack, and a lot of us are going to resist by building solidarity and sanctuary. Gather up your resources, the metaphysical ones that are heart and soul and care, as well as the practical ones.

People kept the faith in the dictatorships of South America in the 1970s and 1980s, in the East Bloc countries and the USSR, women are protesting right now in Iran and people there are writing poetry. There is no alternative to persevering, and that does not require you to feel good. You can keep walking whether it's sunny or raining. Take care of yourself and remember that taking care of something else is an important part of taking care of yourself, because you are interwoven with the ten trillion things in this single garment of destiny that has been stained and torn, but is still being woven and mended and washed.”

[bluebelly-sun-serpentine]

November 5th, 2024

[opencommunion]

looking back on how liberal political analysts talked about donald trump during his 2016 campaign, I notice two very important insights that have vanished from the conversation this time around.

1: the dire warnings about the rise of fascism were really centered on trump's followers, not the man himself. what concerned scholars of fascism in particular was that the already well-established neonazi presence in the US was openly rallying around a presidential candidate. trump's campaign emboldened neonazis, but the neonazis were already there — this is why we saw an astronomical rise in hate crimes against many marginalized groups during trump's campaign, before he was elected. trump himself was understood as an opportunist riding the wave of rising fascist sentiment — the wave itself was a bigger concern than the surfer. trump was replaceable. liberals now seem to have forgotten that trump's followers won't disappear if harris wins. the heritage foundation (originators of 'project 2025,' blue maga's favorite boogeyman) won't disappear if harris wins. extreme right politicians — many of whom I would argue are even further right than trump, and more embedded in the establishment — won't disappear. even if you mistakenly see the republican party as the sole provenance of usamerican fascism, republicans won't disappear if harris is elected.

2: the people centered in the crosshairs of trump's agenda were migrants and asylum seekers; chiefly those from south of the US border and from majority muslim countries. the intensified demonization of these groups led analysts to draw parallels with fascist parties that were on the rise in europe. hatred of migrants and muslims is indisputably the primary driver of 21st century fascism, from the UK to India. so tell me why the conversation in the US has shifted to revolve around white trans people? yes, trump supporters are obviously transphobic, but you have to trace this particular manifestation of transphobia to its source, which still comes down to white supremacy and anti-migrant sentiment. when you actually look at the way fascists talk about trans people, it all comes back to the idea that hostile foreign elements invading the country have degraded white christian values. trans people of color have already been targeted for a long time, because we're seen as a sort of vanguard of non-white perversion; this isn't new to us. white trans people are now experiencing increased persecution because transness is seen as infiltrating white families/communities and corrupting their whiteness. I'm not saying we shouldn't talk about the rise of transphobic policies; of course we should. what disturbs me is that anti-migrant sentiment has been shunted to the sidelines of discussions of 'trumpism,' when it is still very much the center of his platform. and that's the part of his platform that the harris campaign has adopted to try and pull voters from him! that's the part of the republican platform that the biden administration advanced with the excuse of 'reaching across the aisle.' and what more extreme manifestation of an anti-migrant anti-muslim platform is there than committing genocide in gaza and then refusing to let gazan asylum seekers (or even gazans with US citizenship!) into the US?

the entire US government, red and blue, is unified around the anti-migrant, white supremacist crux of so-called 'trumpism.' large swathes of the american public, whether they vote red or blue, are enthusiastic about genocidal foreign and domestic policies. none of this stops when trump is gone

[leonardcohenofficial]

i've put together a recommended reading list titled WHAT DO WE DO AFTER THE REVOLUTION FAILS: A PRIMER

the list gets its title from an essay by george jackson published in the black panther newspaper on august 28, 1971— in it, jackson discusses the failures of revolutionary movements, failures of reform, and the questions and issues necessary to tackle in "raising a positive mobilization of revolutionary consciousness in a mass that has gone through a contra-positive, authoritarian process"

in other words, what do we do after the revolution fails?

part of the work of raising revolutionary consciousness is education; i'm aiming to do my part by providing some resources that i have found particularly motivating and consciousness-raising irt my own political growth

this recommended reading list is a living document. the titles included will be updated with pdf links as they are found and archived. these sources are recommended not as gospels, nor should they be viewed without meaningful criticism, but are beneficial starting points for critique and revolutionary thought to begin

if you have questions about any of these titles, want assistance in finding copies, or want to talk about any of these topics, message me! i find it hugely important to do my part to help folks educate themselves and raise their revolutionary consciousness; no one does this work alone, and if you are feeling stuck/isolated/overwhelmed by what to do next, let's walk together

[ultraviolet-ink]

An Important Warning:

On November 1, 2024, I received the below comment on one of my fics. I had replied to it, believing it to be in good faith. This person, Leaona Colin, as seen by the Ao3 comment chain and discord profile below, directly messaged me under the guise of discussing my fic, and the conversation was normal for the most part

The conversation started to change into an attempt to strong arm me into commissioning them directly (something that unfortunately does happen through a desperate measure) for an animation project. I had believed, in my naivety, that this was just two artists workshopping ideas until they had mentioned this being a "paid collaboration". Please note that I at NO POINT made any indication of wanting to make a commission or anything of the like. For the full context, I will link our discord conversation in its entirety

At this point, the conversation started to change to the commission, and in my own personal awkwardness/fear of being perceived as rude, I played along because I honestly did not know what to do next. The way that this person has approached me feels like a MUCH bigger red flag than the insane price they came up with. It would be one thing to come into my direct messages and say "hey, I'm an animator and I'm wondering if you'd be interested in commissioning me to draw [scene] as a paid commission", however what I went through was a bait and switch. I had gone into this thinking I would be entering a casual conversation about my fic, about the story, and about my writing process, but that pretense was very quickly dropped after the above polite small talk

Mind you, THIS is the animation that they seem to be requesting between 1800-2200 USD for:

I had debated whether or not I should include the video, but I feel that it is important to bring up due to the insane price and the information that @baratrongirl helped provide me with due to her husband's own experience in this industry (thank you SO much Richard!!)

I have reported the comment to Ao3 and I have reported the profile to Discord itself. This is a warning to fic authors and other fan creators to please, please, PLEASE, be on the lookout and to stay safe. I have also learned of a recent scam in Ao3/FFN comment sections where a wave of commission scammers use stolen or ai art to promote themselves and either make of with the money or send some sort of ai art. There hasn't been any mention of anything for animation, but it is very much possible that the scam is evolving, more info about this can be linked below r/FanFiction: PMs on Fanfiction.net offering me commissioned art r/AO3: Great, the art scammers are now being registered users r/AO3: These comments are starting to be an annoying trend

[demaparbat-hp]

When I saw you making For the Spirits art I was so excited, wow, one of my favourite artists is reading this too, how nice!! Then I realised you’re actually the author and I just want to ask, how?? Are you so talented???? I love this fic and I love your art so so much, thank you for sharing it all with us. Can’t wait for the next update!!

Ah, thank you! This is literally so sweet! For the Spirits (adding a link for the curious folks out there!) is my love child. This project owns my heart and soul, and it's truly so rewarding that you like it! I want to sketch so many different scenes, really, but I'm doing my best to give you some quality artwork of my favorite moments in the story. It's a slow process.

As for next chapter—soon! I'm working on some sketches for this particular scene, and I am so excited to share it with everyone! Things start to pick up from here... But, for now, have a (very little) sneak peek ❤️

Zuko stood at the end of the world, surrounded by miles of snow and the resounding echo of his own shallow breaths. He took everything in, closed his eyes to receive Agni’s light, and howled.

Something howled back, and he smiled.

[sasquapossum]

I'm ace, but I'm not repulsed by sex. More like meh in my case. I do have a kid, after all, and that didn't exactly happen by accident. 🤣 But I totally get this feeling. The part I hate is the assumption that I might start hitting on someone, or be receptive to them hitting on me. Fortunately most of my friends seem to get that I'm both ace and married so that just ain't gonna happen, but I can tell some of my new friends haven't figured it out yet. It's particularly noticeable when I play pickleball, where it's an older crowd and I play at a different level than my wife. I guess guys my age who still know how to have basic clean fun are in short supply, so there have been a couple of awkward moments. I'm not flirting. I'm just trying to make friends.

This is why I think ace representation is important. People need to get used to the idea that some of us just don't, but it's so much a part of our culture that it still seems weird.

The best way I can describe to an allo person how you feel about sex as a topic as a sex-repulsed or averse asexual is that it feels like a hype that never ends. As though Despicable Me came out and everyone around you was sending minion facebook memes to each other for years to come. The stores are full of minion themed products; they're in ads and your friends talk about them all the time. And deep in your heart you're like "I'm glad that they're able to enjoy something I personally don't like and am not interested in :3". But there is always this little voice in the back of your head that's like "If I have to see ONE MORE of these little yellow FUCKERS today then God help us all." You make an active choice to communicate only the former.

[lifemod17]

ANZ leg of the Unreal Unearth tour kicked off tonight AND WE GOT THE PARTING GLASS!!!

RAC Arena, Perth, night 1 || 11/05/2024

[bbokicidal]

"What Happens When..." | [SKZ] OT8 | [Bangchan]

The members get to witness just how proportionate and thick their leader really is.

Genre: Smut [18+ MDNI] Pairing: Bangchan x Fem!Reader Warnings: Penetrative sex (vaginal), all of the other members watching y'all have sex, exhibitionism/voyeurism, teasing, groping (male & female), little bit of mxm if you squint really hard

Notes: This IS a short fic and isn't anything really long. There's no plot - it's purely smut for your viewing pleasure and my mental peace, lol.

Word Count: 1.2K

Divider by @enchanthings

"There we go, angel." Your boyfriend's voice was soft; Whispering sweet nothings down into the space between your bodies as he sunk into your pink, gummy sweet walls. With his hands placed on your hips, squeezing in adoration any time you let a sound escape, Chan had made sure you were perfectly comfortable before any of this happened - And though he partially doubted your quick pleas for him to fuck you and how you whispered you were totally fine, he had to trust that you really were already with laying splayed out on the coffee table for everyone to see. "Tell me if you need anything, yeah?"

"Never seen anything like that, huh, Innie?"

Minho's hand had wrapped into Jeongin's hair, elbow resting on his shoulder and fingers holding the youngest's bangs back from his eyes so he could see just how perfect their leader's cock split you open; Though he really couldn't justify looking away or letting his hair get in the way when he was standing directly beside where Chan knelt on the carpet. The youngest hadn't blinked in at least twenty seconds, dark eyes wide and curious - captivated at the sight of your puffy pussy gushing around Chan's length every time he pushed in just a little further.

Hyunjin had approached from Jeongin's opposite side, leaning against him with a playful grin as his teeth sunk into his lower lip. "It doesn't get much better than this, ayen-ah. This is what you're missing out on, saving it for marriage 'n all that."

Jeongin was actually starting to rethink that. He had seen your lashes flutter; watched as your eyes peeked open just to glance at him after hearing the three - well, two - talking about you as if you weren't right there. His own gaze had darted up your body, flickering between your most intimate parts and your eyes as if unsure where to look. What if he missed something important? He wasn't sure what was more beautiful - your expressions or the glistening slick dripping from between your legs.

Seungmin was well aware of what he considered the most gorgeous. His eyes simply hadn't left your face the entire time he'd been sat there. Previously sat stiff and arms crossed over his chest, he'd begun to lounge back a few minutes prior - the moment their leader had finally started prodding at your folds with the heavy, ruddy tip of his cock. With his arms resting against the chair and his thighs parted to give himself room in his jeans, his fingertip had begun to swipe back and forth over parted lips, analyzing every reaction you let them see so openly. He could really care less about watching the fucking happen; He just loved seeing the raw emotion. The desperation in your eyes.

"Look," Came a softer tone, falling out of Jisung's lips and catching almost everyone's attention. He was shaky, cheeks and ears a beet red and his chest probably matching the color his throat had taken on. But despite his shaking, a sign of his anxiety spiking, he seemed to be enjoying himself as he subtly shifted back and forth atop his best friend's thighs. He couldn't make it too known he was rock hard after all. Each gaze from the others falls to the rapper than over towards your body where he had lifted a hand to point.

Everyone could see it whether they were right there or sitting off to the side; The soft, heavy bulge that prodded along your tummy each time Chan's cock slipped fully inside of your walls. You seemed well aware of it, though it was really nothing new to you; But to them? Well...

"Holy shit." Felix's hands tighten their hold on Jisung's sweater, his hands kneading and plucking at the fabric prior to having to physically halt his actions so he could focus on watching everything happening in front of him. He swallowed hard, his eyes flickering back and forth between your body and it's gentle sway against the coffee table each time their leader pushed into you and Chan's heavy form looming over your own, hands planted on the table to keep himself steady by then. And while Jisung, currently planted in Felix's lap, couldn't bring himself to look at Chan out of fear of never seeing him the same - Felix was more than willing to stare at both of the beautiful entities in the room with them.

With your eyes slipping open to get a glance at who all was around you, your find yourself met with a sudden shadow hovering over your upper body. The looming figure makes you peek up, head tipping back to see who it is; But the first view you're greeted by is a heavy, thick bulge in the jeans of whoever is lurking near your face. And with no thoughts in your pretty little head, you lift a hand to blindly grope at the cock straining against the black denim.

"Mnh-" Changbin's voice gravels in his throat, both hands leaving his pocket so he can gently take ahold of your wrist and stop you from continuing to feel over him - as much as he loves it, "Now isn't the time, pretty."

But he makes it up to you as you let out a soft whine in complaint, bending down to press a kiss to your palm and let you feel over the warmth of his cheek before he pulls away. His body rounds the coffee table, steps slow and deliberate, until he's standing to your right; And he can't help but take notice of the way your eyes drag over every movement he makes. How you won't look away from him, like you want him closer - to let you touch him again.

Your eyes only jerk away from his body as something touches you - no, not something; someone. A hand sliding over your hip, up to your lower abdomen until it was pressing down gently on the bulge that prodded at you every time your boyfriend pushed deeper. The painted nails gave it away, your eyes following the arm to the shoulder and up the man's neck; Hyunjin's giggly and sultry smile bliss to your lingering gaze. He sighed out as he pushed down just a bit harder, your sounds only increasing in volume at the added pressure.

Minho's eyes, only leaving your body this one time since the 'event' had started, drag to the youngest he still clings to. Jeongin looked starstruck, eyes sparkling and lips parted as he sucked in each breath. "Maybe if you ask really nicely," he coos, "our precious leader might let you have a turn."

Jeongin bristles at the suggestion - a strike of hope hitting him right in the chest before it begins to prickle and curl as reality overtakes his cloudy mind. He couldn't have sex with you; He was waiting for marriage and you were his Hyung's girlfriend anyway.

"You're barking up the wrong tree, Minho." Chan bites suddenly, a few of the members letting their eyes redirect to him instead. He huffs out a breath or two, every vein in his neck fighting to push against his skin when he turns his head. "As much as - God - I love sharing with you guys," he sighs every word, refusing to stop snapping his hips against your own as if accentuating his point, "This is mine."

Tag List : @dwaekkicidal @jabmastersurpriseee @possum-playground @thatonedarkskinnedsiren @oc3anfloor @theyadorevalerie @inlovewithstraykids @seungminsbest @edit-me-prettyplease @butterflydemons @satosugu4l

[hoovesandfloorpaws]

[since everything under a Read More cut gets deleted in case a blog deletes/gets deleted and the WayBackMachine isn’t so good with pictures, for Archive Purposes only, I will add the most important bits of the full post and have also checked/updated all the source links] Part 1 - Engaged

December 2010, X factor Video Diary week 9 (video)

You sure would, Louis.

February 2011, Harry’s "I think i wanna marry you" tweet (x)

September 2011, “I met One Direction” (x)

[...] The journey is getting interesting. 

November 2011, Dome 60 interview (video)

I love that Zayn, as soon as he hears that, turns his head to look at Louis, even before Harry.

I think that at this point they had at least discussed the possibility to marry in the future. Bringing up the topic of marriage for the first time, in public, would have been a risky move otherwise.

 March 2012, Kiss 95.7 interview (x) [note: Harry had already been gifted his dark silver "Promise/engagement ring" by Louis by this point]

They are asked what they would name their future daughters and Harry says Darcy. Then Louis looks at Harry and says he hadn’t thought of it, Harry says "Whoops!" and Liam laughs. They definitely act like two people who discussed their future together, who are committed to each other (..but never talked before about the name of their children. Oops.)

April 2012, ZMTV interview (source video nowhere to be found anymore)

They are asked who would get married first and Harry says that you would think Liam, but in fact Louis is the dark horse in the race. Eager much, Harry?

October 2012, One Direction with Cauet on NRJ (x)

They are asked if they get a lot of marriage proposals, and that's Harry's answer. I have nothing further to add. I'm just going to hide in a corner and cry. [hint hint, dark silver ring *eyebrow waggle*]

December 2012, Barbara Walters interview (video)

The moment that killed us all. [She asks: "Do you all wanna be married and have children?" and] They say that they want to marry and have kids, and then they look at each other, smiling and blushing, like the leading characters of a romantic comedy. [...]

Speaking of:

[TWO OR THREE KIDS, i'm GONNA CRY. PLEASE. i wish this for them so much! ;______; ]

July 2013, Twitter Questions (x) [note: by this point Louis has already gifted Harry his Peace Ring, which is strongly believed to be an engagement/wedding ring and Harry is wearing it to this day (2024)]

Niall says “But, nothing happens when you’re under 21." and Harry very quietly says: “You can get married.” and then he says again, a bit louder: “You can still get married, Niall!” Ok, Harry has clearly done his homework.

August 2013,  CQC Brazil interview (x)

So, Louis goes "Marriage, sex, kissing, everything, the lot." with someone who looks like Harry. Ok, we got it!

August 2013, Capital FM Interview (x) The interviewer congratulates Zayn on being the first to pop up the question.

[...] Those little shits. They’re already engaged! Their faces when the interviewer says that is priceless. And Louis' smirk makes me think he was the one proposing to Harry. [considering what happens the following month.. 9/28/13.. WELL]

Besides, Louis, who are you looking at?

continued in part 2!

“Even as young as you are?”. Or, Harry and Louis are engaged to be married. A masterpost

This is a journey in time.  A journey in the love story between HarryandLouis and marriage. From the openness to dialogue in the earlier days, to a commitment and finally, i think, to a formal engagement.

Keep reading

[starmocha]

Carrot Cake Zayne + Son | 1257 words | Masterlist | AO3 Zayne and his son are identical in appearance, personality, and mannerism, but there is one thing that baffles Zayne about his son. A/N: Needed a smile today, so I finished a wip that’s been sitting around. ❤️ Another part of my LNDS Men + Their Child series, but circling back to Zayne again. 🥹

“Well, doctor, did we forget anything else?”

Zayne looked down at the little three-year-old boy sitting in the shopping cart. The toddler’s appearance was practically identical to his father minus the hair color. The boy grinned at his father.

“Cake!”

Zayne laughed. The little boy was definitely a mini-him.

“You’re right,” Zayne said thoughtfully, “We shouldn’t forget the cake.”

The boy’s smile slowly disappeared, almost as if he remembered something very important. He furrowed his brows in contemplation, speaking softly, “But Mommy said no cakes…”

Zayne leaned down, his face in front of his son, his smile gentle with a touch of mischievousness.

“Mommy is not here. Daddy is in charge,” Zayne said, his smile widening when his son grinned again. “Now what kind of cake should we get?”

“Carrot cake!”

“Denied.”

He pinched his son’s cheek when the little boy pouted. He sighed with mock-exasperation. “I swear you and your mother are always messing with me.”

“But Daddy…carrot cakes are yummy…”

Zayne raised a brow, feeling doubtful. “Who in their right mind would think to use such an ingredient in a dessert…”

“Mommy likes carrot cakes!” the boy said suddenly, hoping this little tidbit of information could persuade his father to change his mind.

“Does she now?” Zayne smiled in amusement, seeing the boy’s earnest look. He casually resumed pushing the shopping cart through the aisle, absently looking at items after items on the shelves with faux interest.

“Yes!”

“She…or you, doctor?” Zayne paused in front of the condiment aisle and grabbed a bottle of soy sauce. As he turned to put the item into the cart, he met his son’s shy smile.

The boy looked bashful, almost embarrassed, as he answered quietly, “…both?”

Zayne laughed. “Maybe there is some truth in that conclusion,” he murmured, his next comment spoken lower and more to himself, “Your mother did eat a lot of carrots while pregnant with you…”

He continued to push the cart through the grocery store. “I don’t know, doctor, you haven’t been able to convince me why we should buy something so terrible.”

The boy frowned, his face scrunching up thoughtfully as he tried to think of a new convincing argument. He looked absolutely determined in his goal to persuade his father to change his mind about carrot cakes.

Zayne chuckled and continued to move through the aisles casually, taking his leisure time. He absently hummed along to the music playing overhead, occasionally sneaking glances at the quiet toddler. He could see his son was still thinking deeply, his only objective was his pursuit of the elusive carrot cake his father was denying him.

“Ah,” Zayne said suddenly, “Tofu is on sale. We can make mapo tofu tomorrow night for dinner.”

Zayne peeked at his son, still not hearing a response. He picked up two containers of silken tofu and placed them into the cart. He pinched his son’s cheek again. “Are you upset with Daddy now?”

The boy pouted. “…No…”

“That did not sound convincing.” Zayne leaned his face down closer again. “We can get a chocolate cake, a castella cake, strawberry, tiramisu…”

“…Carrot cake…”

Zayne playfully pretended he didn’t hear, and pushed the shopping cart through to the bakery department.

“We should get some sandwich bread for breakfast tomorrow,” Zayne said thoughtfully aloud as he examined the array of choices. “We still have that jar of raspberry jam you like…”

Zayne’s words fell on deaf ears. The little boy gasped, his green-yellow eyes catching sight of the cake display. He immediately zeroed in on the two-tiered carrot cakes. He reached out for his father, tapping Zayne’s hand impatiently.

“Daddy, Daddy, the cake, the cake!”

“Hmm?” Zayne continued to feign ignorance. “Oh, right, Mommy did ask us to pick up some steaks.”

He pushed the cart away, heading to the meat department. The little boy’s mouth hung wide open in shock as they walked further and further away from the bakery department. He looked up at his father, lips quivering, but Zayne continued to keep his sight ahead. The toddler slowly lowered his head, disappointed.

“Daddy…”

“Hmm?”

Zayne looked down, seeing his son was sulking. He smiled softly. “Do you want Daddy to hold you?”

The boy nodded and raised his arms up eagerly. Zayne chuckled. “Alright, alright, I will,” he said as he reached down to unbuckle the seatbelt. He lifted the boy out of his seat, and smiled as his son clung to him. He rubbed the toddler’s head gently. “Let’s hurry and finish shopping. Mommy’s waiting for these ingredients to make dinner.”

Zayne resumed shopping, one arm was carrying his son while his free hand pushed the cart and grabbed items from the shelves. When he was close to being done, he noticed his son had fallen asleep with his head resting on Zayne’s shoulder and his small fingers unconsciously rubbing at the material of his father’s coat. Smiling, Zayne, walked back over to the bakery department. He quietly motioned to the employee, pointing at the cake in the display.

He smiled gratefully as the employee handed him a small cakebox. He quickly finished shopping, paid for everything, and put them away in his car trunk.

Once he had returned the shopping cart to the store, he returned to his car, opening the back door and gently set his sleeping son in his car seat. As he buckled the toddler into his seat, Zayne quietly tapped his son’s shoulder.

“Wake up, sleepy head,” Zayne said softly, smiling at the little boy’s bleary eyes.

“Home?”

Zayne chuckled and shook his head. “Not yet,” he answered. He settled into the backseat and sat next to the child. The boy looked up confused.

“We can’t let Mommy know, alright?” Zayne said, pulling out a small cake box from a paper bag, his smile widening at his son’s bright eyes. “Our little secret, got it?”

The boy nodded eagerly. He gasped quietly when his father revealed the inside of the cake box. “Carrot cake!”

Zayne sighed in baffled amusement. “You look completely like me, but this…quirk…of yours…” He reached in and pulled out a small carrot cupcake, handing it to his son. He grabbed the other cupcake—a chai latte—and held the confection next to his son’s. They tapped the cupcakes together.

“Cheers!” both father and son said simultaneously.

The boy giggled and happily bit into his soft, sweet cupcake. Zayne smiled fondly, pleased to see his son’s smile again.

“You know, eating too many carrots will turn you orange,” Zayne warned teasingly.

“Like Windy Carrot?” the boy asked curiously, eyes growing wide.

“Almost,” Zayne said, laughing.

“Daddy?”

“Hmm?”

“…Will you still love me if I turn into a carrot?”

Zayne laughed again. He leaned down, nuzzling his face against his son’s before kissing his cheek. “I will never stop loving you…even if you were a carrot.”

The boy giggled again and turned to kiss his father’s cheek in return.

“I am certain you will be the only carrot I love,” Zayne added as he wiped the cream cheese frosting off his son’s mouth with his thumb. “Can’t leave behind any evidence, remember?”

The boy took the last bite of his cupcake, showing his hands to his father with a wide smile. “All gone! No evidence!”

Zayne finished his own cupcake, laughing. “All gone,” he repeated, “Our little secret from Mommy.”

The boy motioned with his finger over his mouth, shushing quietly. “Secret!”

“Good boy,” Zayne said, kissing the top of his son’s head. “Now let’s get home and help Mommy with dinner.”

[foldingfittedsheets]

My beloved is very particular about their belongings. I was surprised when we first started dating about the scrutiny their loaned objects would be placed under when returned. Their car would be checked carefully for scrapes if someone loaded a bike into it, all returned objects were carefully and thoroughly looked over. Even now if Korben has bitten something left out like a dildo they’ll carefully look it over for damage it has one tiiiny tooth dent.

It won’t surprise anyone to learn that books they’d loaned people had previously been returned with broken spines and dog eared pages, and now it's very important to them to maintain their things in good condition. Their things weren’t treated with care and now it’s a sign of respect to them.

The first time they loaned me a book I was a little shocked that they received it back and began immediately investigating it for wear. To my chagrin there was indeed a tiny scuff at the corner where I’d put it in my bag too hastily. They said nothing, but nothing needed to be said.

Going forward I treated each book they gave me as utterly precious. I dogear my own pages but I’d never dare on a book that wasn’t mine and on their books I elevated to special protocols, handling them as gently as possible.

When it came to books I loaned them I got them back exactly as I’d handed them over. I had them read American Gods. They weren’t totally sold and I suggested the lighthearted sequel Anansi Boys might be more up their alley. It’s about a trickster god and his sons.

I was lounging when I got a call from my beloved. We usually texted, they’re not a phone talker so I picked up right away.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m so sorry,” they blurted.

“What happened? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, but I was getting in my car, and I had a coffee and I was trying to juggle things and well-“

The silence stretched out.

“What?” I asked gently, afire with curiosity.

“I left your book on top of my car and I drove off. When I realized I drove back but I couldn’t find it. I’m so sorry!”

As the words sank in a laugh started rising out of me. “You lost my book?”

“I’ll buy you a new copy! It was an accident!”

“I’m not mad, it’s okay! Its just really funny, you’re always so careful.”

I then realized that they were holding themself to their own standard, beating themself up for something that to me was just a silly mishap.

“It’s really okay! I’m not mad, you can get me a new copy.”

They did, and when I chuckle about it they still pout a little like the funny part is that they made a mistake.

But honestly the thought of someone coming upon a copy of a book about trickster gods being left in a coffee shop parking lot and taking it is the funniest part. I hope they enjoyed it.

[undead-moth]

That’s not quite accurate though.

Bury Your Gays as a trope began with the Hayes Code when it was literally required that if a queer character existed in the story they had to be narratively punished for existing. They were allowed to be depicted, but they were not allowed to live.

From then, Bury Your Gays specifically referred to the unnecessary and tragic killing of a queer character for basically no other reason than to depict queerness as tragedy. If a queer character died when they wouldn’t have if they were straight, and this was generally used to convey “Queer existence is a tragedy” to a cishet audience, it was Bury Your Gays.

It needing to be for shock value or for developing a straight character became considered part of the definition later, for no real reason, and in my opinion was probably because people wanted to write stories in which queer characters died without feeling bad.

I think what’s more important to understand here is

A) queer writers are rarely (not never, but rarely) purposefully conveying queerness as a tragedy specifically for a straight audience.

B) Tropes Are Not Inherently Bad.

Like I think that’s what’s more frustrating here - for me personally anyway - is that at the same time people developed their landlord white preference for media, they also lost a very basic understanding of literary devices, including tropes.

Every story has tropes. Stories should have tropes. Some tropes can be harmful - but that’s largely based on how those tropes are incorporated, why, and how frequently. There aren’t any tropes that are just bad by default forever and always.

So a lot of the time people accusing xyz piece of media of Bury Your Gays are right - but that doesn’t by default mean that piece of media has done something homophobic.

I would argue Brokeback Mountain is an obvious, undeniable example of Bury Your Gays. It’s also a beautiful movie, that’s very sympathetic towards its queer characters. And more importantly, for a lot of straight people in the US, that movie was the first to ever present queer issues to them in a sympathetic way. It made a lot of straight people give a shit about queer rights for the first time, or even consider them for the first time.

I'm convinced it was a tragedy that tumblr learned the phrase "bury your gays" at the exact same time it decided that any fictional media darker than Landlord White was pearl-clutchingly problematic. Pouring one out for every creator of earnest LGBT+ media wanting to explore the themes of grief loss and tragedy who then got subsequently hounded by mobs of terminally online users brainrotted on nothing but conflict-free coffee shop AUs.

[ewwww-what]

friendship so strong it grants you a sixth level spell slot. I have words to say.