#the care and time you put into that with all this intentionality?!

[imsobadatnicknames2]

ok but i need the evrart claire essay

Okay just be warned that this is gonna be less of an "essay" and more of a loose collection of thoughts, and I don't know how fresh or novel any of these ideas are going to be when it pertains to popular Disco Elysium fan discourse because I don't really do fandom, you know?

Anyway, I think the most obvious factet of Evrart's character is how he very intentionally calls to mind a caricature of corrupt union leaders, the image of a sleazy mobster who only cares about his own personal gain but pays lip service to leftist politics and pretends to care about the interests of workers as a way to obtain and maintain his power. And I think a lot of people straightforwardly read him as such, because that's the way he carries himself and the type of character the game is riffing on. There's also the question of how much of Evrart's manipulative, duplicitous attitude is just how he normally acts and how much of it is him specifically acting that way towards Harry and Kim specifically, it's important to have in mind that your main character is a cop and that would definitely play a role in making Evrart go out of his way to be a bit more of a bastard and toy with you a bit before he decides to actually do anything helpful.

However, once you dig a little deeper into his characterization, it becomes clear that he's pulling a very interesting double bluff, because it becomes apparent that the shady mobster who only cares about his personal gain is an act he's putting on. He's very self-aware about the fact that he's playing the villain, he seems to actively revel in it, but ultimately, it seems like he does it because playing the villain is the way he gets shit done.

This is not to say he's not actually corrupt, or that he's not ALSO involved in all sorts of shady stuff and taking advantage of his position of power, but the game does make it apparent that on some level he DOES have the interests of the people of Martinaise at heart.

For example, it is textually stated that the harbor doesn't need a night watchman, and Evrart created the position specifically to provide a source of income for René. He knows the pension Rene gets is not enough for him to live on, but he's also aware that René is the sort of right-wing guy who would rather starve to death than take a handout (especially from those dirty union commies), so Evrart created a job position which pretty much involves doing nothing for a few hours every night so he could help him with his economic troubles in a way he wouldn't refuse out of principle. René hates his guts, ideologically stands against everything his organization represents, and is generally an unlikeable asshole and a fascist prick, but he's also a disadvantaged member of the community and that seems to matter more.

Even when he asks you to get the signatures to build the community center, which is definitely one of the most morally questionable things he does during the events of the game (as it will improve the community, but at the same time displace the people from the fishing village), his intentions seem to be ultimately good. Due to the very nature of his character and the act he puts on, it's purposefully hard to tell when he's being sincere and when he's being manipulative. However, if Harry's drama and empathy skills are high enough when he's confronted about it, you'll be able to tell that he's not lying about his motives for wanting to build a community center or about the fact that he intends to provide better housing for the people displaced by the project, and that he feels genuine rage about their current living conditions. It can still be said that he's ignoring their self-determination and essentially forcing these people out of their current homes, but he does seem to have good intentions and think he's doing a good thing for them in the long run, even if his methods are morally questionable at best.

In that way, the Union is an extension of him in this regard too. They're pretty unapologetic about the fact that they're openly operating as a crime syndicate, but the game doesn't give you any reasons to believe they're lying when they say they're doing it as a way to muslce out all the more dangerous gangs and crime organizations out of Martinaise, or that their involvement in the drug trade is at least partially motivated by a desire to make sure it's not controlled by more dangerous and violent crime organizations. Again, they're playing the villain as a way to fill that power vacuum and make sure more dangerous people don't fill that role (but of course, that doesn't erase the fact that, noble as their intentions may be, they're still involved in all these shady activities and turning a pretty substantial profit from them too)

Of course, on the other hand, just because the game seems to hint at the fact that Evrart and the Union are, deep down, a force for good, doesn't erase the fact that he's done plenty of bad shit to further his interests, and the game doesn't shy away from this. He's still extremely corrupt, his long-term plan to wrestle control of the harbor away from the company and turn it into a worker-owned operation (which *would* massively improve the material conditions of the dockworkers if succesful) involves endangering the lives of a lot of his own workers, he and his brother Edgar pass the position of union foreman back and forth between each other to circumvent the term limit and keep themselves in power indefinitely, and if you explore all dialogue options with the Deserter it's all but explicitly stated that they rose to power by getting him to assassinate the previous Union forewoman.

These are things that Evrart himself would probably rationalize as sacrifices that need to be made for the greater good. After all, it is implied that the previous union forewoman was also corrupt, except in favor of the company's interests, and might have even been a company plant. However, this doesn't make those things morally right. Good intentions nonwithstanding, it's clear that the Claire brothers are very "the ends justify the means" kind of people, they probably see getting the previous Union leader killed or endangering the lives of the dockworkers to overthrow the company that exploits them as "pulling the lever" in the trolley problem, which is extremely callous at best.

Here's where we get a little more into "disjointed thoughts" territory, but Evrart can also be seen as a critique of the limits of trade unionism and social democrat politics. Something that I completely missed in my first playthrough but was able to catch on during my second is that the people of the fishing village refuse to unionize, and as a result they don't get the same level of support and protection that the union provides to the people of the more urban section of Martinaise. This is apparently widely known enough for characters other than Evrart to comment on (I forget what character I learned this from, but it was definitely not Evrart). So it's clear that Evrart and the Union put their interests of the members of their own organization over those of other working class people, which is one criticism that can be leveraged against the way a lot of leftists seem to treat unions as the ultimate tool for worker class liberation.

Similarly, when Evrart tells you his long-term plans, it's clear that his ultimate goals don't involve complete worker liberation. As far as the game shows, he's a socdem who's still looking to work within the confines of capitalism. There are more radically left wing characters in Disco Elysium, but Evrart is the only one with any actual power to affect change, which kinda speaks to the lack of presence of more hardline leftist positions in mainstream politics. As someone living in Latin America, I kinda ended up seeing a bit of a lot of our currrent socdem politicians in him in that respect, I guess, but i'd need more time to articulate this thought properly, I guess.

Ultimately, I think Evrart is an amazingly crafted character. He evokes a well-known archetype of a shady, corrupt, power-hungry union leader, but he adds a lot of depth, self-awareness, and nuance to it and subverts that characterization in several ways. I think he atually serves an important role of ideologically challenging players who share the developers' and writers' political leanings. I think it would have been very self-congratulatory and autocomplacent to make the most influential leftist character in the game an unambiguously good paragon of workers' rights and working class liberation. By instead giving us someone who's an absolute callous bastard who definitely has a bit of blood on his hands, who's a socdem at best and a self-serving mob boss at worst, but can ultimately be interpreted as a force for good, and asking the players to decide what they think of him I think it brings interesting questions to the table of our commitment to material gains, what sorts of people we're willing to work with, and the sort of acts we're willing to tolerate, and makes the game a lot more thematically rich.

I also think a good analysis of Evrart is incomplete without an analysis of the ways in which he serves a a charater foil for Joyce, but I don't feel like getting into that rn.

[saras-almanac]

So I’ve been sitting on my feelings about the BuckTommy breakup and handling of it for a while, trying to get my thoughts in order. And after a while of thinking on it—and the recent Lou interview dropping making me feel like my feelings are valid—kind of made me want to just blurt them all out and hope for the best. So this is that.

Ultimately the entire handling of the BuckTommy breakup feels cruel. And not just cruel in an intentional way, but cruel in a casually, not even given any thought cruelty, which is worse sometimes. And to be honest, I think that’s part of why I’ve been struggling with it so much. (That and the echoes of Magicians season 4, which if you know you know).

What I mean by cruelty is just the lack of any real effort or care put into this storyline, one that they had previously been handled with so much care and concern and were praised (rightly so) for at the time. It’s the way they introduce this Tommy as Abby’s ex thing, which makes hardly any sense at all, but also feels cruel in the intention of laughing at the invisible string of fate theory between them. It’s they way that they’re 6 months anniversary and not only have they not talked about this, but Buck (Evan Buckley) didn’t get him a gift that feels cruel because that feels so wildly out of character for him. It’s the way they had the break up play into some bisexual stereotypes at best and inherently biphobic at worst by having Maddie suggest Abby turned him gay or that Buck needs to “explore” things to figure out what he wants or that Buck “Doesn’t know what pond to jump back into” of it all. (Not to mention the comments from OS about wanting Buck to fuck—which I’m not getting into because I didn’t read it and as a bisexual woman, don’t feel the need to go and try to find something that might upset me more.)

All those reasons are why the breakup itself is cruel to the characters, but it’s also cruel to those of us watching, and especially to anyone and everyone who loved and/or related to the character of Tommy, who we see walk away much much worse off than when we found him. It’s the way the story (intentionally or not) is framing it like a romcom break up – make up – pining storyline which they apparently are not doing according to interviews. It’s the way they didn’t give any sort of closure to Tommy for the character or for the audience.

There’s a reason that people lose themselves in stories—it’s because they follow certain rules and contracts. It’s expected that stories do not match up to real life because while things don’t have bigger meanings in life or they don’t work out according to plan, in stories, everything happens for a reason. Because that’s the whole point of what you’re consuming. And along with that, emotional moments are meant to feel cathartic in a way, at least eventually, because you were able to see the bigger picture, to feel the finality to things, and to really understand what’s being said and what’s happening. This breakup does none of that and actually seems to have been included and rushed for shock value and that to me, is just shitty, lazy writing.

If you were going to break them up and have no desire for any sort of reunion or closure, why not make it intentional? Tommy could be the one who wants marriage and kids and settling down and Buck internally freaks out because theoretically he wants that but maybe it’s too soon and as much as Tommy loves Buck, he’s not going to wait around and hope that Buck feels the same for him because he’s been hurt too many times like that. Or Tommy could be leaving for another state because he’s no longer going to be a firefighter or needs to go for family reasons or gets a job at a different station that he applied for ages ago and he has everything all set up and isn’t going to ask Buck to leave his entire life for Tommy, so they decide to breakup even if it hurts both of them. In either of those cases, it’s sad and devastating, but at least there would be some closure to it and understanding of it for both the characters and the audience and some peace knowing that at least these two are going to be moving toward happiness in whatever way that means for them.

Instead, what we have, is a hail-mary last-second breakup that comes out of nowhere and feels abrupt and crappy in the way we leave Tommy specifically because we might never see him again. And that is the crux of the issue. Because the way this was written, the understanding is that they are going to get back together or reunion or at least have that final closure conversation—because that’s what happens in stories. We see this type of surprise breakups, breakups where they issue is they love each other too much and are afraid to go further (Athena/Bobby and Maddie/Chimney to name two examples we saw in universe) only to eventually fight to be together and realize that if they don’t take a chance they might never know how amazing it is. So the fact that it’s set up to follow this same path while nearly every interview is telling the opposite, again demonstrates that casual cruelty as well as an inherent failure on the writing. If you have to go in interview and explain what it is you wrote or are telling, then you have failed as a writer. It’s really as simple as that.

This breakup doesn’t feel set up or foreshadowed, it just feels like they added it on because they didn’t want to do anything more with it? And that feels incredibly crappy as a decision to so many people who related to Buck and Tommy and them coming out later in life and all those other things. I’m rambling and on my phone and feeling a lot of things that I can’t fully express right now, but the long and short of it: If this was always intended to be the final time we see Tommy, this breakup is even crueler than intended.

[mattyriddlesbitch]

Healer (Chapter Five)

Mattheo Riddle x F!Reader

Warnings: Mentions of blood and fighting, slightly angsty

It was fourth year now. Last year felt like you really made progress with Mattheo. He was opening up more, you caught a few smiles from him. Though, they were mostly at the expense of someone else, but he wasn’t so closed off anymore. He always gladly accepted the sweets you gave him when you came back from Hogsmeade, still never daring to tell you he hated them.

The fights and trouble-making didn’t seem to end, though. In fact, it seemed to get worse at times. He would never tell you about them either, you always had to find out through other people or when you’d see him covered in new injuries.

Today, you were walking to the Great Hall when you found Mattheo bloodied and injured outside in the courtyard, sitting on the ground against the tree. He was hissing in pain as he smoked, but otherwise, showed no indication that he was hurting. Everyone else either didn't notice him, or was too scared to approach him and headed to the Great Hall for dinner. You decided to check on him instead, coming up from beside him.

“What happened?” You asked, standing a few feet away from him.

He looked up at you as he exhaled some smoke. “Got into a fight.” He said simply, almost monotone.

“Are you in pain?” You asked, kneeling in front of him, ignoring the cold of the snow on the ground on your knees.

“What do you think?” He responded in a frustrated tone before sighing, closing his eyes for a moment. “Yes, I am.”

“Let's get you back to your dorm and get you cleaned up.” You said, standing up and offering a hand to help him up.

He looked at your hand for a few seconds before standing up without your help and dropping the cigarette, stepping on it to put it out. He started walking, wincing and leaning a hand on the tree to steady himself. He sighed again and clenched his jaw.

“Here. I got you.” You said, coming up to his side and wrapping an arm around his back to help steady him.

He didn't look happy, but he let you guide him back to his dorm, even if you had to stop a few times.

You finally got to his dorm and guided him over to the connected bathroom, making him sit on the toilet seat. He sat down with a heavy sigh, leaning his head back as you scoured his cabinets for a first-aid kit.

“Under the sink, behind the towels.” He said without looking at you.

You grabbed the first-aid kit and placed it on the counter beside him, grabbing the antiseptic and a cotton pad. “This is gonna sting. I’m sorry.” You said, putting antiseptic on the cotton pad before placing it gently against a cut on his cheek. He let out a wince and you apologized again. “I’m sorry. You know, we wouldn’t have to do this if you didn’t keep getting into fights.” You say with a small sigh, moving onto another cut.

“I know.” He muttered, looking down, refusing to meet your eyes this whole time.

“You’re not gonna stop, though, huh?”

“Probably not.” He shrugged.

“You’re ridiculous, you know that? You’re so stupid. It’s like you’re intentionally getting hurt. What would’ve happened if I didn’t find you?” You’ve never really gotten upset at him, never insulted him, never criticized his choices, and now here you were, ridiculing him.

He finally looked at you, silent for a moment. You were so sure he was upset at you, pulling your hand back from his face as you looked back at him, waiting for him to tell you to get out.

“You don’t have to care about me, you know? I’m aggressive, and a dick. No one really likes me. The boys barely tolerate me. I get into fights what feels like more often than not. You don’t have to take care of me.” He said, looking between your eyes.

“I know. I’m not caring about you or healing you out of obligation. I’m doing this because I want to. Also, those boys do more than tolerate you. You can be a dick, but they all do love you and care about you. You know that, right? And it’s not out of obligation either.” You didn’t look away, having a small staredown with him.

“So you just care about me out of pity or something? You have no reason to care about me. And how would you even know what those guys feel? They could hate me and hide it. They could pity me too because I have no one else but them, so they tolerate me. They could just be tolerating my bullshit.”

“They’re not friends out of pity, Mattheo. They aren’t the type to go out of their way because of pity. If they didn’t like you, you would know it. And I don’t need a reason to care about you. I don’t care about you out of pity. I just care about you.”

He shook his head, looking to the side with a sigh. “That’s such bullshit.”

You took a deep breath through your nose before cupping his face gently to turn his head back to you, making him meet your eyes. “I promise it’s not. I’m telling the truth. I care about you. Those boys care about you. We’re not just tolerating you.”

“How do I know that?” He asked quietly. You could see a hint of sadness behind his eyes.

“You don’t. You just gotta trust us.” You replied just as quietly as him.

“Yeah, trust isn’t exactly something I’m good at.” He let out a huff, pulling his head back from your hands.

“I know. But I mean it. I’m telling the truth. Have I ever lied to you?” You asked, dropping your hands to your sides.

He was quiet for a moment, looking down. “No. No, you haven’t.”

“So trust me then, please?” You asked quietly, crouching down to meet his eyes without touching him.

He sighed softly. “Alright.”

You smiled at him before standing back up. “Let’s finish getting you cleaned up, yeah?”

He just nodded and looked back up at you, letting you clean and bandage his cuts in silence other than his small winces and your quiet apologies.

“How do you feel?” You asked once you were done, packing up the first-aid kit.

“Like hell.” He said, watching you.

“Well, maybe some rest will help fix that.” You said, putting the first-aid kit back in the cabinet.

“Do you wanna go to the Yule Ball with me?” He asked suddenly and you tried getting up quickly, hitting your head on the counter.

“What?” You asked, looking at him as you rubbed the back of your head.

“Do you wanna go to the Yule Ball with me?” He repeated, keeping his normal expression.

“I, uh-” You stood up, looking at him in confusion. “Um, yeah. I’d love to.” You nodded.

“You alright? Didn’t hit your head too hard?” He asked, standing up to look at the back of your head.

“I’m fine. Just a little bump.” You said to reassure him.

“Good.”

“How’s your leg? You were limping earlier.” You asked.

“It’ll be fine before the ball if that’s what you’re asking.” He said, and it was hard to tell if that was a joke or not.

“I mean now. Is it alright?” You asked, frowning slightly as you turned your head to look at him.

You saw the faintest smile on his face. “It’ll be fine in a few days.” He said, turning to leave the bathroom. “Come on. You don’t wanna miss dinner, princess.”

“Two years later and you’re still using that pet name. Are you ever gonna drop it?” You asked with a small smile, following after him.

“Probably not.”

“Fine then. I’m calling you Matty from now on.”

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[clanwarrior-tumbly]

looks at u with sopping wet eyes.... can i request pest w/ a (nb) partner who is so patient w him despite him being an Ass... with kisses.. love him......... he is so evil and yet. i give him the world.

Of course. He deserves the world <3

...........

Who would've thought you could win the heart of a certain grumpy, thieving stag beetle?

Of course, you two had a rocky start, as Pest didn't like to make friends. He definitely didn't see himself having a partner any time soon.

No matter what, you've always been nice to him, asking about his day while riding in the elevator together (and somehow not taking offense when he tells you to stop bothering him).

You often gave him gifts you obtained on other floors, claiming you had no use for them.

You would even intentionally put coins just within his reach so that he can "steal" them from you, and you'd act surprised.

But Pest quickly catches onto your kind acts and assumes you wanted something from him...and he's right.

You only wanted to be his friend.

It took some time, but eventually he did warm up to you enough to invite you to his underground home, where you discover his coin collection, as well as all the mechanical trinkets and scrap pieces he's gathered over the years.

You liked hearing him explain his hobbies of building things, trying to assist in his construction of a robot.

One night, you went to meet him in the subway station to give him a part....only to trip and fall onto the tracks just as a train was passing through-

When suddenly Pest flew in and saved you from getting hit.

He rarely used his wings anymore, but he was genuinely worried for your safety in that moment. He didn't care that the useful mechanism you brought got destroyed. He could always find another one.

That's when you both realized..maybe he did care for you more than others.

Since that incident, you two have gotten close enough to be considered a couple (although it wasn't official, Poob ran off to tell everybody you and Pest were dating).

Pest was adamant about you actually liking him, thinking his irritable attitude would drive you away...but despite everything, your love, care, and patience for him persist.

Of course, he's not 100% ready to let his walls down yet. He still acts a little cold and sometimes annoyed when you give him kisses or hold his hand (especially in front of other people)...

But not even the sounds of the elevator could drown out the quiet purrs and happy chitters that come from the beetle.

Just like how he looked out for your safety that night at the train station, you've been looking out for Pest's safety as he went around scavenging on different floors.

Whenever he ran out to dismantle the gatling gun (Turret) or steal the ruby (Temple of Something), you'd keep a medkit handy in case he gets hurt.

He claims his exoskeleton is tough and doesn't need "pampering", but he won't complain if you insisted on patching up some of his cuts.

To your surprise, he actually enjoys dates at the Fishy Aquarium.

It's quiet and away from all the noisy people.

Although while you're admiring the fish, Pest is staring at the passing submarine outside the window, thinking of all the ways he could dismantle it for parts.

Too bad he's not a water beetle.

The others see a change in his attitude ever since you started dating him, noticing that he's been a little less rude while in the elevator with him.

He's kept his past with Folly and Dr. Retro a secret from you, not wanting you to get involved in his vendetta against the dream parasite.

You can tell he's hiding something, as you refuse to believe he was always this cold and irritable, but you won't pry unless he's ready to open up to you more.

It took a lot just to get him to befriend you, so you didn't wanna push any buttons you didn't have to.

[cosmowgyral]

Jude's Main Story

Chapters 3-4 Snippets

(only contains short summaries of few incidents)

At the dock, MC is amazed by Jude’s excellent employee supervision. He reportedly pays all of his hardworking employees a respectable salary and even gives them another chance if they mess up something.

While returning to Crown castle, Jude gets attacked by a man whose business Jude destroyed because he was allegedly smuggling drugs through Raven's network. After that, Jude's assault on his way home from work appeared to happen every day. His life was sought after by politicians, business executives, bureaucrats, and even aristocrats. According to Ellis, Jude enjoys trampling on the lives of people in positions of authority.

(I know I know, he's amazing isn't he? - says that with puffed up pride)

MC feels that Jude could have easily avoided all of this, but he doesn't, which leads us to believe that maybe he was intentionally infuriating people and making them harbor resentment toward him. She requests Ellis to teach her self-defence as being with Jude was endangering her life. Ellis gives her a little gun from Victor's arm collection in addition to teaching her self-defense.

In chapter 4, Jude, Ellis and MC go to an aristocrat’s mansion who was allegedly involved in human trafficking and drug smuggling at one of Jude’s warehouses. Jude told him that selling 6 people will result in 6 smacks from him. MC tried to stop him as the scene became more graphic, but he warned her not to impede with her needless sense of justice. After some time, the guards of the mansion entered the room and Jude had to use his curse to put them to sleep, including a guard who was about to hit the MC from behind.

A fire is started in the mansion to destroy the evidence and Jude hurls MC out of the window, sneering at her for being in the way.

-But, it's the heart that really hurts.

Premium Story-

(If I be honest here, Jude's treatment can get very harsh. Just like mentioned above, his words did sorta sting at times. But, his harsh and bitter remarks make me even more determined to resist him, kinda makes me wanna glare at him back. )

Jude and his choking (gaaaaaahhh!!)

He basically threatens her so she leaves him, telling her she’ll die if she stays with him. But she resolutely says that she’ll kill before she dies herself. (THAT’S RIGHT)

Naturally, he is taken aback and lets her go after which she offers to tend to his wounds. Here we get to see the book Jude carries around with him- Jules Verne’s From Earth to Moon. She is surprised to see Jude carrying a science fiction book and asks if he loves the moon. He claims to detest it. He feels compelled to gaze at it even though he doesn't want to because of how brilliantly it sparkles in the night sky. It doesn’t let him forget things he wants to forget.

Jude asks for something in exchange for MC's gratitude for saving her from the fire. Following a string of suggestions and Jude's rejections, he asks her to stop yapping or else he’ll shut her mouth himself. (IF YOU KNOW YOU KNOW)

Naturally though, we are teased because this is only Chapter 4. He brings his face near enough to give the impression that he is truly going to kiss. Despite his taunts, she says that she doesn't care for a kiss or two. So he’s like “Should I just do it then?”

But this is Jude, so you can't really anticipate it this early. Therefore, I'm not disappointed, maybe? *tries to calm my heart down*

I'll share a few screenshots from the premium story in another post.

[nostalgiclittlespace]

help idk how to be a caregiver

TW: Brief mention of ABDL and kink

Not to worry, I’ll run you through the basics!

Firstly, Caregiving, put simply, is take care of an age regressor. And taking care of an age regressor just means helping someone who thinks and feels younger than they actually are. While this can seem daunting, especially at first, here are some tips :)

1.Firstly, communication is key. When acting as a Caregiver, you should probably know how, when, and why your Little regresses. Asking your regressor about their individual needs is really the most important thing. There isn’t a cookie cutter answer, as we all have different triggers, tastes, etc. Some good points of discussion are:

What age do they usually regress to?

How often and for how long do they usually regress?

What gear do they use?

When do you need to be present/contactable?

What are good or happy things that can cause regression? What bad things can trigger it?

Are they prone to pure or impure regression?

What things make them happy when regressed?

2. Based on the established needs of your regressor, it might be a good idea to get basic supplies. For example, snacks, sippy cups, stuffed animals, and coloring books. These are necessities, especially if they already have their own gear, though I do recommend them for ease and comfort.

3. Most regressors really just want to be cared for like children. Using nicknames such as ‘kiddo’ or ‘baby,’ helping them with tasks such as cooking, playing toys with them, talking through something scary going for a walk together; it’s all about retaining that child like experience, with you taking the place of a parent or babysitter.

4. Know their interests and hobbies and engage with them. Watching Bluey, having a tea party, reading, gaming, exploring the park—whatever it is. Just doing it with them will make them happy.

5. You might already know this since you’re on my blog, but Caregiving is in no way NSFW. It is entirely SFW. Do not confuse it for any ABDL or kink relationship. Again, you probably know this, but I do feel the need to say it since this will be circulating this side of the internet.

6. Just be there. Listen to them talk excitedly about their day. Tell them you’re proud. Give them a sticker. Remind them you love them. It’s those small things that really mean a lot. 7. Lastly, here are some important things not to do. All of the things listed below can be incredibly damaging or even traumatic

DO NOT:

Say derogatory things like “you’re too old to be acting this way.”

Sexualize their regression

Intentionally trigger them without permission

Weaponize or withhold caregiving and regression, such as “I won’t take care of you if you do this” or “I’m going to tell everyone about this if you don’t listen.”

Disrespect or disregard their opinions because of their headspace

Use corporeal punishment

Generally do/say anything that is unkind or disrespectful!

Ok, that’s all I can think of for now. I might update this as time goes on. And if anyone in the community has anymore suggestions, feel free to add them! And to you personally, anon, thx for taking the time to ask and learn about all this. I know it’s a lot, but just that you’re willing to educate yourself on the community means so much. So thank you! anyway, hope you all are having a great day!

-Marty

[will80sbyers]

I just wanted to pop in and say thank you for all your posts. You’re a soldier Dani. Whenever I’m having doubts and scrolling through the tag, I see your posts and they kinda smack me upside the head and make me remember that I don’t really have any reasons to doubt something that has clearly been built up from the beginning and was left on an unresolved high note in season 4.

Although, in my defense, the reason I get doubts is because was a k/ance shipper when I was a dumb teenager, but now as a dumb adult, I can say k/ance didn’t even have 2% of the proof Byler does, but yknow sometimes there’s that voice in the back of my head that sounds like Theadore from Alvin and the chipmunks telling me that I’m just getting queerbaited again.

ANYWAY I appreciate you so much and just wanted to send you a nice ask, since I know you get a lot of hate!

Thank you dear!! ❤️❤️

Honestly I get why people have doubts, we queer people have had to deal with so much queerbaiting or just our queer shows being all cancelled, you really never know even against all logic... there's always that 1% of possibility that straight people are being intentionally or mindlessly cruel writing about our experiences and don't give them as much care as they do with the storylines of straight characters

so I get it, it's probably usually healthier to not trust in it so you don't get heartbroken again, but in this case I'm really convinced there's TOO MUCH stuff and it has surpassed the "it could be a coincidence" option wayyyyyyy too long ago! It would be a level of intentional cruelty I would have never seen before if Byler didn't happen

Lucky for us, I believe we have nothing to worry about and they are good writers that have been building this story and this slow burn romance between Will and Mike and also have been planning for El to become her own person at the end of the show, the narrative is really telling us that and we have so many parallels that would be a complete waste of time and resources if it didn't mean anything for the story + if you look at all the other seasons they are ALWAYS foreshadowing things that happen in the season after and imagine putting this intentional ass COUPLE framing in the show and then doing absolutely nothing about it I would be flying to the Duffers house and knocking on their door asking for ANSWERS because WHY WOULD ANY DIRECTOR DO THIS IF THEY DIDN'T MEAN A ROMANTIC PAIRING WHEN ONE OF THEM IS CONFIRMED IN LOVE WITH THE OTHER!!!!

Anyway sorry I started rambling about them again lmfaooooo but as you know we have SOOOO MANY reasons to logically believe in Byler, it's not crazy to believe in it at all and there's so many people that literally STUDY cinema that said the same thing we are saying 🤷

Byler will be endgame! 🌈🌈🌈

[astraearinehart]

──Stella slapped him across the face as soon as they were out of the apartment, far enough for any argument to be out of her father’s earshot, too. “I may have been a fucking awful mother, but you were downright nasty for what you did to her!” she told him, she was confused, angry, and overwhelmed. all those years, she had spent under the impression that her father was not aware of Liz’s existence, and that turned out to be a lie. Not only he had known all along, but he had, apparently, also been sending her funds to help her have a comfortable life —funds that Claude admitted to putting to other uses; anything but her, who was the rightful recipient. Stella felt her father’s pain, too, upon hearing that he had spent a lifetime thinking he was helping his granddaughter, taking care of her, and she hadn’t had a single clue of his existence for anything other than him not wanting her. She blinked at the thought. “and you, bitch,” she pointed at Vivienne, “don’t think this is over!” she threatened before turning around and walking away.

up in the apartment, Alex left to check on Luke and the twins once he made sure she was alright, and it was evident she didn’t feel uncomfortable in the presence of her grandfather —even when he met him in the hallway, the older man gave him the impression of coming over with genuine intentions; he truly believed that he was expected since he had informed Claude that he would be arriving. as it, unfortunately, turned out, this gathering had been more than they had bargained for; there was still the question what Vivienne was doing there, too, but he wouldn’t bring this up to Liz any time soon —it was not of importance when she had just gotten such shocking information; and he didn’t think she would intentionally invite her to her home —he may not share much of his past, but Liz is not stranger to how strained his relationship is with his mother, how terrible she had been too all of the ( she even sold Luke, literally, something Alex had shared with Liz when he told her that Luke is his younger brother ).

John’s attention was fully focused on his granddaughter once her man walked away to leave them alone. though surprised by the embrace, it was an unwelcome one; his arms wrapped around her, holding her tightly; protectively. he felt awful he was, in a way, the reason for her outburst, finding out the truth had been equally shocking to him, he had thought he was helping her all those years; what a fool he had been. he nodded, listening to her, and slipped in the space beside her when she made some space. “don’t think about them,” he said, taking her hand in his and giving a firm squeeze. “they may be your parents, my darling, but they are awful at that…” he sighed quietly. “focus on yourself now,” a smile formed on his lips, though pained at first, a little brighter as he added a “for both you and your little ones you carry.” he knew that he was a great-grandpa, but it was still emotional to him to hear that she was pregnant —and both his daughter and her ex-husband did not respect that. a part of him wanted to ask if he could meet the twins, but for now, he didn't. he squeezed her hand.

“I hoped meeting you would be under better circumstances,” he admitted, tone almost guilty for blaming himself for all this ruckus.

⸻ Claude looked at Stella, holding his giggles when her father also requested her to be out, and the trio left. Outside he cackled at Stella's face. ⎯ He knew that his daughter isn't that happy with him. The fun was over, upon this realization. ⎯ Her grey-bluish hues were locked into Alex's blue hues, with a frown on her features when he explained she fainted. It now occurred to her she was fighting with her own father before the blank out. This wasn't a nightmare but a reality. Fucking hell. The younger Aussie almost forgot that she requested that Luke watch the twins. She watched her man walking away to check on his brother and their children.

The younger Aussie sat on the sofa looked at her grandfather, and hugged him. ❛ It's not your fault. ❜ She says after a certain moment, pulling away from John. ❛ My name is Elizabeth Louise. ❜ She had no idea if her grandfather knew her whole name, but he did find his way to her place, maybe he knew a bit about her, and she was unaware. ❛ My father isn't an easy man to deal with. As for my mother, respectfully, because she is your daughter. I don't know how I feel about her after all those years. There was a moment, I kinda hoped she would come and pick me but this day never came. And now, I was at one of the best moments in my life, having my own family. I should've known when things were too good to be true; meant something else was about to happen to break the temporary happiness.❜ She confessed.

When she was little, she was kind of hoping her mother would come and rescue her from the misery but this never happened. There was a moment when she wasn't even sure if she wanted her mother to pick her up either because she hardly recalls having nice moments as a daughter & mother. ⎯ Liz gave a space for John to sit beside her. Elizabeth was angry with both of her parents. Stella for ignoring her sentiments and thinking they can play a happy family that easily. Claude for lying for all those years. All the things her mother said, she wasn't sure if the older woman was lying or masking it to sound pretty to her side. Stella is basically a stranger to her, just like Liz might be for her as well. Liz is no longer the little girl who used to do anything to be recognized, pleased, or acknowledged by her own mother.

[therealslimshakespeare]

https://www.tumblr.com/precious-little-scoundrel/762081538731114496/love-the-new-board-so-much-and-i-want-nonnie-to

Oh yay happily!! I put that photo in there specifically because based on my experience, and the experience of some of my friends, a big part of the 😫😫 danger 😫😫 of your first college relationship is that you get wayyyyyy too close way too fast and lowkey… sort of trauma bonded. But I obviously use that term just to explain what I’m getting at/ sort of lightly and not exactly accurately haha because it’s too extreme to fully be used to describe what I mean. But basically. You’re out of the house for the first time, living on ur “own” and like. I just feel like you get way too attached way too quickly, there’s nothing/ no one stopping you from seeing that person alllll the time. Or even basically starting to live with them because whatever you’re just young and fun and in love. And then if that person is your first for a lot of things, like Spencer would be for Lu? Even silly things like, let’s say you go out and get absolutely wasted and u miss ur parents and they take care of you? Or the bigger things like intimacy. You can become codependent so fast and dangerously attached. And I could see that happening to Lu. Like for example, him being the first guy to see her scar even. All those things could get twisted in her mind and just. It’s not good. So I thought the pic in the bathroom was like an example of if she were to get in that headspace with him.

Everybody look they answered!!!!⏰

[sonknuxadow]

it's kinda funny that some people seem to think eggman has a soft spot for kids or something because of his relationship with sage like have you guys not seen the way he interacts with 90 percent of the other characters in this franchise . hes constantly fighting with teenagers and little kids and putting them in danger he does NOTTTT care lmao

[bmpmp3]

I NEEED to go back to making art that makes it ABUNDANTLY clear that theres something wrong with my brain BUT NOT in a cool or stylishly interesting way. i need to do it in a way that makes people say "hm." and walk away

[horce-divorce]

It's wild watching someone who used to be self aware (or at least, who didn't want to be like their parents) become entitled to things like avoidance. And children. Often simultaneously

[taylorswiftdebut]

y’all are actually wild to me you constantly complain about how ugly taylor’s merch is then the graphic designers at umg hear your feedback and create good designs and you’re still not happy! you claim it’s stealing fan art but fail to see the graphics directly correlate with the new stage production and aesthetics of the ttpd lyric booklet, and if you were to get mega technical putting taylor’s lyrics on shirts is stealing her art, taking the images on getty without accreditation and changing them is stealing a photographers art, ect ect when fan art is stolen it is terrible and horrible but umg deciding to invest in their design team and give them the creative freedom to take a little more time with this collection (these items have probably been in production for months btw) and do a slower rollout instead of dropping all merch at once is such a take truly

[kaoharu]

sooo pissed off why is mt sister getting bitchier and more annoying by the day i swear to GOD

[slvttyplum]

any chance you got to tease choso, you took it, not caring for the rough consequences that came with it later on. in the moment, it was all worth it because of the reactions you got out of him, especially since he wasn't shy.

your favorite thing to do was to slide your slit over his dick with no intentions of putting it in, just letting the warm wetness coat over him and look him in the eye as you watched his soul slowly leave his body as you kept going.

his small moans quickly changed to whimpers as he tried to control himself, his hands that were placed firmly on your hips now losing grip as his nails dug into your skin, not being able to help what he did, just letting pleasure take over.

it was all too much for him to handle, and that's what turned you on—the fact that he couldn't control his horniness even if he tried, trying to put on the fact that this was just an innocent coincidence, but you intentionally put your dripping pussy right on top of him.

too late for you to "oops" and instead decided to feed into it; again and again and again, his flared-up red face never got old. the wetness that coated over him had his stomach tingling and the tip of his dick twitching, trying to stop himself from finishing right there, but he always failed.

you just felt way too good for him not to finish; even when he wasn't inside of you, he always found himself finishing for you. the feeling was just too good; he sunk into it, letting his body take over and soak himself into the pleasure you were giving him.

not only did it feel good for him, but it also felt good for you; the feeling of sliding over his dick and having the warm sensation on your clit gave you all the feeling you could get. your mouth watering every time you moved your hips.

the both of you couldn't handle this teasing, yet you did it anyway, just to see that cut look on his face when he was about to cum.

[sleepymarimo]

❝𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐮𝐩!❞

synopsis: you're tasked with waking up zoro for dinner, but it's hard to make him budge.

pairing: zoro x gn!reader cw: more tooth rotting fluff for my favorite swordsman :) wc: ~1.6k an: i had a dream about this and added some even more fluff because why not. ty all i hope you enjoy <3 also i realized i have a decent chunk of zoro fics about napping lol maybe this is why im sleepymarimo i just love that sleepy lil guy

"Where the hell is that shitty swordsman?" Sanji grumbles, cigarette hanging from his lips as he sets a hefty plate of rice on the dining table.

Even though you're acutely aware that the marimo is missing, you pretend to peer over shoulders and swivel your head to give the impression that you're just as clueless as everyone else. You're already sat at the table, utensils neatly resting beside your plate.

Everyone else is already in the dining room, Luffy practically on the brink of perishing as the food is placed before him. Chopper and Usopp are close behind, their forks glinting in the light.

Robin is patient, smiling at the sight before her, the one she's grown to love. "I believe he said something about taking a nap," she reveals, her fingers wrapping around the stem of a wine glass. "He might be holed up in the boy's room."

"You mean the men's room?" Franky speaks up in an attempt to lighten the mood, the cola bottle in his hand hissing as he pops the cap.

Nami shakes her head, not in the mood to entertain the hooligans she calls her crewmates- her family. When Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper start to chant for their food, the navigator's last straw cracks into a million pieces.

Her chair slides back with a screech as she stands, planting her hands on the table. "Ugh, I can't believe that guy, sleeping through dinner!" The sigh she gives is intentionally dramatic, her charm working its magic as Sanji quickly offers to knock some sense into the green-haired swordsman.

It all comes to a halt when a pair of hands sprout from the table, tugging at the cook's shirt in a silent command to stay put. All eyes go to Robin, her knowing gaze easily hiding whatever ploy is running through her mind.

She calls your name and you immediately feel your cheeks warm, though you still feign obliviousness even if it seems like she's peeking right into your brain.

"Why don't you get Zoro?" she suggests, yet deep down you know you don't have an option.

Even if the thought of protesting crosses your mind, the chorus of growling stomachs and pleas for you to hurry have you standing and scampering up the stairs and to the deck.

Standing in front of the door to the boy's cabin, you feel your stomach drop a bit. You're quite literally entering a tiger's den, into the willing jaws of a beast who has been known to treasure booze, swords, and naps above all else.

The air inside the room is significantly more warm, heavy, compared to the cool breeze blowing outside. It's dark, your eyes adjusting to the lack of lighting as you carefully step over shoes and dirty clothes.

For a moment the beds seem empty and you wonder if he's even inside, yet the massive figure atop one of the bunks makes you quickly reconsider that thought.

His bare back rises and falls at a leisurely pace, his arms sprawled over the sides of the bed while he lays on his front. Cheek pressed comfortably into his pillow, Zoro naps away without much care for anything else.

After gawking for a second or two, you step toward the bunk, mentally cursing, and steel yourself for what feels like the millionth time. The wooden structure is a bit too tall for you to get a look at him, so with a small grunt you step onto the bottom bunk and grip onto the rails to hoist yourself up.

As soon as you take a glimpse over the top bunk's railing, you feel the warmth of his exhales across your nose and cheeks. It makes your face warm, your own breaths stalling as you take in the sight of him looking so… serene.

His face is softened, relaxed, a stark contrast to the pinched brows and scowls he usually wears.

Imagining the exasperated faces of your hungry crewmates, you get on with your small mission. Even though you're there to wake him, you're considerate enough to keep mindful of your tone. "Zoro?" comes his name from your lips, a murmur not quite suited for waking a beast.

The most you get out of him is the slight wrinkling of his nose, like a fly had perched there for a second before buzzing off. In a way it's expected given that he's slept through storms and whole marine attacks.

Your tone is louder the next time you call his name, more firm, his silhouette becoming pronounced as your eyes adjust to the dark room. "Zoro," you call again, arms starting to ache from how you're pulling yourself up to the top bunk.

Again, nothing. It's almost comical at this point, really.

You resist the urge to groan in frustration, your options becoming more limited. Time really isn't on your side here, not when the odds of a hungry pirate barging into the room increases by the second.

Taking a big breath, you decide that this is going to be the last try. This is going to be the one to wake the marimo, whether he likes it or not.

Unfortunately, the sea has other plans for you.

The ship hits a patch of rough water, the violent movement causing you to lose your grip on the railing tethering you to the top bunk. Your breath also catches when the sudden jolt makes your feet slip off the mattress belonging to the bottom bed, your heart skipping a beat when you feel yourself starting to fall back.

You're fully prepared to brace yourself against the harsh floor, your muscles tensing and jaw tightening, but you don't even have the chance to fall back a single inch.

A strong arm, previously hanging limp over the bed, curls around your waist and holds you steady. It supports all your weight, even as your legs kick out in an attempt to find solid ground. With your face suddenly squished into the junction of his neck, your own arms act on instinct and wrap around his shoulders.

Zoro's awake now, steel-grey eye open and aware as if he hadn't been knocked out cold just seconds ago. His senses have a unique threshold, not bothering to pick up on the calls of his name but always managing to be ready when his crewmates need him most- especially you.

His skin is warm, a tell tale sign that he'd probably been napping for hours. Tightening his grip on you, he sits up, pulling you with him. You're still disoriented, wondering why you haven't hit the floor, but he's as sharp as ever.

"The hell are you doin'?" he grumbles, voice still heavy from his rest, carrying that delightful rasp. His irritated tone is a facade, more of a light chide than anything. "You tryin' t'break your neck or something?"

You feel like a fish out of water, mouth opening and closing a couple times while you're still dangling from the top bunk. It's hard to not get in a few mumbled apologies, not knowing if he's ticked from being stirred from his sleep.

"Dinner is ready," you reply, managing to find your words, your hold on him not letting up due to fear of falling once more. He feels so warm, the definition of a guilty pleasure, and you're left to exert as much self-control as possible.

He lets out a scoff, amused, then grunts as he finally realizes you're still hanging over the bed. His hand moves, sliding across your waist to grab at the back of your shirt. While Zoro's strength is known throughout all the seas, it always leaves you in awe. With nothing more than a bicep curl, he hoists you up and onto the top bunk with him.

A sigh of relief leaves your lips as you sink into the soft mattress, the bunk creaking with the added weight and how Zoro shifts into a seated position. Legs crossed over one another, he stretches his arms over head, unintentionally showing off his physical prowess.

Your eyes find the ceiling out of respect, but mostly because you're another second away from bursting into flames.

He yawns, then rubs at the back of his neck. "Dinner, huh?" he repeats, finding the answer satisfactory enough and shrugging his shoulders. "They sent the right person. I don't need that shitty cook hurling a kick my way."

You nod and even get out a laugh. "Yeah, I'm sure waking up to me almost falling is a lot better," you joke, looking over the bunk to see the drop to the floor.

"It's no problem," he assures, his gold earrings catching in the slivers of moonlight entering through the window as a lazy smirk grows on his face. "I got ya."

While you'd be willing to skip dinner to stay with the swordsman, your stomach protests with a hefty grumble. Zoro's stomach follows suit, making it's need for food known. The timing of it makes another laugh slide past your lips, a sound that makes his smirk soften into something more genuine.

With a small grunt, he hops off of the top bunk and lands on the floor with a solid thud. "Alright," he starts, stretching his back out a bit more before lifting his head to meet your gaze. "Let's go eat." His arms raise, ready to help you down from the bed. Whether you want to take the ladder or propel yourself into his embrace, he silently vows to be there to offer support. Although Zoro could be stubborn, gruff, and brash, he'd never let you fall, not ever.