#you can't save everyone. but you can save as many as you can.
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chipped-chimera · 6 hours ago
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Okay psych nerd here who is not going to bloat this with a tag explanation and instead just write the thing:
The answer is two things -
Dehumanization / Distancing from Humanity
Moral Psychology
Here's an example in action. So I'm sure everyone knows about the Trolley Problem - you are standing near a train track at the track switch, an out of control train barrelling down the rails. On one of the tracks, are a group of men working on the rails (or tied to the rails if you prefer the image version). If you do nothing, it will collide with the group of people and kill them. On the other hand, if you use the switch and change the track, it'll instead kill just one person. This one people can reasonably complete, the usual choice being kill one to save five or whatever.
But here is another version. The Fat Man Trolley Problem (not my wording). In this version of the Trolley Problem, you are standing on a bridge overpass of a traintrack. Next to you is a very large man. Below you, are the five workmen. The train is out of control, but you realise if you push the fat man off the bridge and onto the track, his mass will be enough to stop the train and save the five people on the track. What do you do?
Naturally, this one prompted visceral reactions from people it was pitched to in studies - which begs the question, how is this version different from the switch problem? In both problems, you have the choice to sacrifice one to save many, but the mere thought of having to physically push another person onto the tracks crosses a line.
That's because a switch distances you from the situation, in a sense, you are removed from the humanity in the decision making and it's pure logic. Harm is a side-effect of flicking the switch, in a way you are less involved. Having to push the man, however, is forcing you to confront the human-ness of the situation, to look someone in the face and make that decision.
A lot of the problems in the world, and their respective government entities who are supposed to be fixing them, often have zero experience in the very thing they're supposed to be solving. They're sitting in an office, far, far away looking at a bunch of numbers spat out by a consulting agency while there are homeless in the streets. The switch they pull is so far away they can't even see the people their decisions affect. And if they think less of the people they are making decisions over, like the very, very, very obviously misplaced idea that homelessness is somehow caused by moral failing - that will distance them from the humanity of the situation even further.
I think back to an article I read about someone who had lost their husband to suicide after many, many, many years struggling, went to a conference regarding mental health. The participants of this conference would be the ones making major decisions that would affect the health and outcomes of other people. She confronts one of them, and asks them - have you ever been affected by depression? have you ever had someone in your family been affected?
He seemed shocked and startled. But he answered no.
That should say everything. Anyway this is why I think it should be mandatory for anyone forming country-wide, dramatically-impactful policies in government, especially regarding minorities and poverty - should have a MANDATORY amount of hours they have to spend per year with said people who will be affected by their decisions. And none of this distanced hand shaking for the cameras, I mean living that experience as closely as possible.
It's not that humanity is dead. It's not that we get up with the intention of causing harm every day. It's just a fact of psychological distancing that causes us to lose our connection with it. This can be unintentional, but sometimes it is intentional. It's often a tactic in war propaganda, to cast the enemy in such an evil light that the idea of killing many to protect or save your people - even if it's women and children, and disabled and elderly people, and civilians - is somehow justified.
So the next time you vote or support a cause or whatever in your life that may end up influencing the situation of people, outside of your known experience - stop for a moment, and have a think about what it is like for those individuals. If you had to physically go to them, and look them in the eyes - would you make the same decisions?
Also vote for people with lived experience into those positions to make the decisions when you can!
It confuses me how normalized it is to be so anti human. The fact that two countries voted no to food being a human right. The fact so many people are against universal healthcare. The fact that it’s normal to believe some people don’t deserve housing because they’re poor, addicts, mentally ill, or any combination of the above. I find it so hard to comprehend that humans who have experienced hunger, thirst, cold, and illness would wish these things upon others, or at the very least not care. It frustrates me beyond belief.
These are the exact values we’re taught as children, to believe all humans are equal in worth and needs, and yet at some point you’re expected to grow out of that illusion. You’re expected to accept that this is what life’s like, that the world is unfair, and attempting to fix it makes you weak and childish.
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domiiomii · 1 day ago
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It is interesting how shimmer came to be as an effort to bridge the gap in literal bodily strength/power against piltover especially seeing how so much of the population of the undercity is disabled and shimmer is used as a psychical enhancer by them (eg. sevika, silco, viktor) to close that gap. The negative association of shimmer as being a way to "unnaturally" overcome disabilities is also worth looking at, for example, Silco using it on his eye is one of the first actions we see of him and it is meant to create a negative/villainous association to shimmer, later on that same negative view is passed down onto Viktor as his use of it marks the beginning of his "downfall".
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Silco's push to produce and use shimmer is based on the idea of Zaun finally having enough power to defend from the oppression of piltover, however just like Viktor's use of the hextech on himself, this is is seen as a negative because he is striving to destroy the status quo and therefore it is bad.
Despite the fact that shimmer is also shown to be literally life saving, in the case of both Jinx and Viktor, even then it has a negative portrayal as it is heavily emphasized that it permanently alters the person, in the case of Viktor he "loses his humanity" while for Jinx her mental state deteriorates heavily and she becomes even more paranoid. Even with Salo's more limited use of shimmer for medical/soothing purposes it is shown as something he has to hide and be ashamed of, as did Viktor when he began using it.
We can also see the difference in characterization when it comes to Sevika vs. Vi, there is this almost animalistic reaction in Sevika when she uses shimmer, her eyes glow, she growls, her whole body shakes, her body is being altered. By contrast Vi's hextech gloves, despite also being an enhancer are not portrayed as damaging to her because she is not disabled. In hand with this goes the fact that Vi's enhanced power comes from piltover and it is being put in service of defending it/the status quo. So in the same way that hextech is good as long as it only benefits piltover; enhancers are also good as long as they don't permanently alter the "natural" body and it is not disabled people using them to "unnaturally" overcome that disability and/or threaten said status. Sevika's "bad unnatural strength" losing against Vi's "natural good strength".
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Much of the writing, in S2 particularly, has this heavy emphasis against anything that is "unnatural" no matter how beneficial it may be and how many people it may help. This negative association with the "unnatural" overcoming of disabilities is perfectly exemplified by Viktor becoming an "inhuman" being as a result of it alongside with the portrayal of the commune being unnerving because everyone is "unnaturally perfect". Meanwhile Mel's magic is never questioned as bad, because hers is natural, so there are no negative consequences to her using it unlike Viktor who literally "loses himself and his humanity".
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This very reactionary writing culminates when the plot insist that "Viktor needs to accept himself" = not heal himself through "unnatural" means = accepting he has to die due to his lower social status either as a disabled person or as a person of the under city, however you read that, the plot leads to the conclusion that the "noble and moral" thing for Viktor to have done was just accept that the status quo can't be altered and he was wrong for trying to go against it.
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baronessvonglitter · 2 days ago
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Law of Attraction ~ Chapter 6
Rom Com AU divorce lawyer!Dave York x fem!Reader (featuring private investigator!Tim Rockford)
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Word count: 3,761
Summary: You and Dave reconcile, but a heavy confession brings you to realize just how similar you are. And when an unfamiliar name slips off an innocent tongue, a professional is called in to get the truth.
WARNINGS: 18+ Only! Explicit for smut. Angst. Idiots in love but they're too blind to see it or are really good at ignoring it. Mentions of eating and drinking alcohol. Masturbation (m) while watching porn. Marital strife. Accusations of adultery. A certain broad-shouldered detective comes in to find out what's really going on. Reader has hair long enough to blow in the wind & wears a dress and makeup. No use of y/n. (anything I've forgotten please LMK)
Author's note: (at the end)
Series Masterlist
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Your employees are gathered around you as you display your next creation, the dessert of the month at Fiction & Frosting.
"This is the perfect Mille-Feuille," you show them. "Puff pastry, cream, fresh strawberries.."
You tear your glance away from the glossy page in the cookbook and force yourself to gaze upon your own creation: the puff pastry is wilted, the icing is melted, and no amount of fresh fruit decoration can save it.
"So why doesn't mine look like that?" you pose the frustrated question to yourself.
Suggestions are made, recipe changes offered, and you listen to each one, still amazed at how you haven't mastered such a simple dessert. You don't even want to think about the macarons you had to dump out after they burned. ("Shit. They're utter shit," you murmured as you tossed them in the bin.)
With the bakery open everyone moves to their assigned spots and you're free to stay in the kitchen in the back, pondering why you're making so many mistakes. There's no doubt about it, you're not in your right mind. You haven't been okay since the night Dave kissed you.
A sharp twist of wistfulness lodges itself into your heart when you pull out your phone to see he hasn't texted or called. Two weeks of no contact. Then again, you haven't really reached out to him either, afraid of his icy demeanor.
When he'd finally come by to pick up his car, you weren't home. You'd hoped for at least a glimpse of him, but he probably timed it so that he wouldn't have to see you. You can't help feeling pity for yourself for that.
With a sigh you take a bite of the awful mille-feuille. It isn't that bad, just not very presentable, probably because you weren't paying attention. You were never this scatterbrained in your work when Javier was being his idiotic self, so why is this married man taking up so much space in your brain?
"Friendly? Is that what you want me to be? Just friendly?"
His words ring in your ears, a taunting tune. What if you'd said no? What if you'd given in to your true feelings and slept with him that night? Would you be swimming in guilty feelings now instead of wondering What If?
Could you just push aside your doubt and reach out to him? Even if it's just to selfishly calm the torment of being away from him?
Girl, you're talking like you're in love with him.
You push the thought away, not ready to peek inside that particular Pandora's Box. Avoidance is easy for you, you've perfected the art of looking the other way when Javier fucked every woman in sight.
You check your phone again, but the only recent text you have is from your sister, who's trying to talk you into doing a pastry course in Paris, part of her school's program that's doing an art course there as well over the summer.
Years ago you would have jumped at the chance, despite what Javier would do to get you to stay. But now you feel you have nothing to keep you here, even if it is only for two months. You've told her maybe for the time being. You still have a few weeks to decide.
Scrolling back to your texts with Dave, you feel a loneliness there that cuts deeper than your split with Javier. Led by your desire to do what's right, what you want more than anything is to renew your friendship with Dave.
Taking a deep breath in and letting it out, you shut your mind off and let your body take over as you mill about the kitchen, gathering bowls and utensils, turning on the oven and pouring ingredients.
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Across the street, Dave's in a meeting with a potential client. Another scorned woman, another broken heart. Unlike with you, he feels a detachment from her. He's here for business, and he's damn good at what he does.
The new client, a young woman who's giving him lascivious looks from beneath her false lashes, is giving him obvious signals. She's leaning forward to show off her generous cleavage, and he should earn an Academy Award for pretending that he doesn't feel the slide of her silk stocking-ed foot under the hem of his pants, against his shin. She must sense his disinterest because she takes it up several notches when she places her palm on his upper thigh, practically begging for it.
He refers her to another lawyer, politely passing her off to his lucky cohort before going back to his office to reassess.
If he was younger and still in this same predicament with Carol, he wouldn't have given her blatant come-ons a second thought. But it's not his wife who keeps him from forsaking his marriage vows. It's you.
Sighing, he puts his hands in his pockets and goes to the window, seeing your bakery/bookstore across the way. He imagines you scurrying about, a dusting of flour on your face as you roll a rolling pin across a lump of dough, and straightening the shelves to showcase a new book coming out. He hopes you're not thinking of him, then he kills that hope and tells himself he wants you to think of him the way he's thinking of you.
He pushes down any second guesses about the situation you're both in, and puts on his jacket as he leaves the office, heading straight for your building.
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You wrap your green sweater around you as you make your way on the crosswalk connecting your side of the street in his. An olive branch in the form of a cake in a mint green pastry box is in your hands. Your heart races as you wonder if he'll even see you after all that's happened, but those worries drop down and die when you spot him in the crowd walking towards you. There's a twinkle in his eyes as he spots you, and he smiles.
He's on his way to your place, to say hello and see if you're willing to talk to him. He wants to set things right, and the moment he lays eyes on you in that white floral dress and green sweater, your hair held back in matching ribbon, his heart (and his dick, if he's honest) react in a very positive way.
Both of you meet in the middle, the crowd rushing around you on either side, but neither of you take any notice of them. Time stops for a brilliant, beautiful moment.
"I was on my way to you," he says.
"I was bringing this to you," you tell him. "To say sorry."
"There's nothing to apologize for. Really, I'm to blame."
"A lawyer accepting blame? Won't you get disbarred for that?" you joke.
He laughs at that, and the sound of it sets your heart alight. "So that's for me?"
"Yeah.. black forest cake. I remember you told me it's your favorite."
Maybe it's the way the breeze gently lifts the ends of your hair, or the luscious curve of your cherry lips, but he will think of this moment, this small act of kindness, for the rest of his days.
The crosswalk is empty and the light's about to change. And the first thing that comes out of his mouth is, "I think Carol's cheating on me."
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You quickly bring him back to the cafe where you pour him a cup of strong black coffee with a splash of amaretto added from your stash in your office.
He spills his guts to you: Carol's leaving at random times, more often at night to go to "work". He wonders how often a hospital director is needed overnight. He's called, on a whim, just to see if she's really there, but is always given the "she's here but she's unavailable" runaround.
You ask if she gets dressed up for these late night work shifts, if she wears perfume and makeup. (Yes to all.)
Does she shower right after coming home? Has she shown less interest in having sex? (That question really hurts to ask, but you can't help a little selfish joy when he answers that they haven't been intimate in a long time.)
"Maybe she's spending time doing something else," you tell him, your cake untouched on both your plates in front of you. "Maybe she wants time away from you and the kids and is too afraid to say it."
"That sounds like her. She's always put her job first," Dave says glumly.
You hate seeing the dispirited look on his handsome face. "You should talk to her about it. Come on, use some of those lawyering skills you're so famous for," you smirk.
"It's like talking to a brick wall," he quips, leaning forward to enjoy his cake. "I'm actually sorry I even brought it up."
"Don't be. If it's important to you, it's important to me." You pause. "Can I admit to doing something stupid?"
"Are you asking for confidentiality priveleges? Because that only counts if I'm still representing you," he smirks.
"Ha ha," you roll your eyes. "The night you left my place.. I ended up going to Javier's."
"Oh." He puts his fork down, jealousy nibbling away at his rational thought. "Did you..?"
"Yeah," you nod, lips pursed. "I got what I needed, but it wasn't really the same anymore, you know? I didn't feel anything for him."
You lighten the mood by telling him about poor Cindy, the way karma had played the Uno reverse card on her.
A little smile curls the corners of Dave's mouth. "I could write a book on how much I hate that guy."
It's a good feeling to spill to him the secrets of your soul. But what you refrain from telling, the one thing that could turn around and bite you, is that while you were in Javier's bed you were thinking of Dave.
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Carol has been gone for a couple hours, the aroma of her perfume still lingering in the air of their en suite bathroom as Dave brushes his teeth and gets ready for bed.
Laying there alone, as he's used to by now, his thoughts drift to you. His heart is full now that you've reconciled, and even though he has a feeling there's always going to be complicated feelings, he takes the risk because you're worth it.
Your smile, the light in your eyes when you laugh, how your fingers always find a way to brush against his or your hand rests on his arm. The way you kissed him back that one night is burned into his brain. The taste of your mouth has become his new favorite flavor, at least until he can taste another part of you-
Stop it.
With a deep sigh he takes his phone from the nightstand and does a quick search. Not his first rodeo, what he's seeking is already colored purple as he's accessed it many times. When the porn site pulls up it offers every scenario anyone could possibly want, but he has something very specific in mind.
He searches by your features, looking for an actress similar to you, trying to avoid the guilt settling in the pit of his stomach. What would you think of him if you knew? But he's already getting search results, salivating over the thumbnails of women who bear a passing resemblance to you in various positions, scantily clad or even just naked.
Selecting one, his heart pounds in a drumlike fashion as he waits for it to load, the site's short theme song filling him with anticipation, his dick already raging hard. Getting lost in the unlikely scenario between the two actors, he strokes himself, pajama pants pulled down over his thighs. He turns the volume down as low as possible, the moans and sighs barely audible. But after awhile he doesn't even need the video. Just the memory of you is enough, and better than any video.
And then, as if she has a sixth sense for when her husband is trying to meet his needs, Carol comes in and he quickly puts his phone away and stops what he's doing.
"Were you watching smut again?" she sighs in exasperation.
Dave flushes with embarrassment, but he's not going to lie about it. "Yeah, I was," he shrugs, pulling his pants up. Carol just shakes her head and goes straight into the shower, another tally mark in Dave's mental stack of evidence against her.
She comes out later, freshly scrubbed, wearing her usual nighgown and applies some cream to her elbows, facing away from her husband. "If you're going to watch anything crazy just put your earbuds in, okay?" With a heavy sigh she gets into bed next to him and lays on her side, her back to him.
He doesn't even give her the satisfaction of answering. As if he could even get hard in this moment. He lays awake in the dark, staring at the ceiling, wishing himself anywhere but here.
Carol's voice, unusually soft, finds him in the dark. "I think you're having an affair," she accuses.
His heart jumps in his chest. Is there something she knows? Has he been careless? Has she had him followed and been seen with you? He sits up. "An affair? Are you serious? Why would you think that?"
She sits up too, ready to accuse him further. "We haven't had sex in weeks. You're always too tired."
He has no defense for that, but it's not as if things are entirely his fault. "I've just been busy. And tired," he adds. "Besides, your'e the one always running off to work at strange hours."
She huffs. "Are you really going to use my job as an excuse? You're never in the mood.. do you not find me attractive anymore?"
"Of course I do.. you're still the same gorgeous woman I married."
"Then kiss me. Right now."
He's taken aback by the sudden command, surprised by the directness of it. "What?"
Carol lays back down. "The man I married wouldn't hesitate like that."
A pang of guilt flares in Dave's chest. She's right, but as her accusations have gone no further he rests in the meanwhile safety. "I'm just tired," he mumbles, head falling onto his pillow, his back to her and her back to him.
"So am I," she answers, a cold finality in her tone.
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The next evening while Carol's out of town for a conference. When he's called into the office on an emergency case, he asks if you're free to keep an eye on the girls. With nothing else to do, you happily accept, and spend the day baking chocolate chip cookies and watching their favorite movies.
By the time Dave comes home in the late evening, the three of you are watching the classic version of Cinderella. He smiles at the domestic little sight, heart warming at the brief fantasy that this could be what he comes home to every night.
As the girls fall asleep between you, Cinderella meets her handsome prince at the ball. "So This Is Love" plays while the fated lovers dance. Your hand and his find their way across, gently clasping.
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And just like Cinderella, it's almost midnight and you have to go. But not before cleaning up, even though Dave insists he's fine to do it on his own.
From her bedroom, Alice calls out for her daddy, and you both go up to see what's the matter.
"I want a glass of water," she mumbles. Dave smiles at her groggy little voice and goes to fetch her a cup. While he's gone you sit on the edge of her bed and she shows you her stuffed animal collection, her favorite one is a purple unicorn named Mr. Fluffy.
"Where's Mommy?" she asks when her dad comes back with a cup of water for her.
He ruffles her hair. "She's just working late tonight, kiddo. She'll be home soon."
"Is she with Uncle Joel?"
Dave's heart drops but he covers his surprise just in time. "What do you mean, baby? Who's Uncle Joel?" Carol's an only child. The girls don't have any uncles on her side.
"He's Mommy's friend who comes to fix the pipes," she says, chugging her water before getting back under the covers.
He forces a smile, sitting between you and her on the bed. "Does Uncle Joel come over a lot?" he asks innocently.
"He comes when you're not here. Mommy tells him you can't fix them, Daddy. Only Joel can."
A thousand thoughts swarm his head but he's used to keeping his cool in unexpected situations. "What happens when he comes over, sweetie?" His voice is still calm and even, belying the fear constricting his gut.
"He talks to Mommy in private. She giggles a lot."
The dots are connecting and not in a good way. A man in my house, the house I bought because Carol liked it so much, shaking the mud off his boots like it's no big deal before doing god-knows-what with my wife.. His blood runs cold as he wears his facade once more. "Okay, sweetie, why don't you get some sleep. I'll make some cinnamon waffles for breakfast tomorrow."
Alice nods excitedly, then looks at you. "Will you eat breakfast with us tomorrow?"
Shaken by what she's revealed so far you do your best to give an answer. "Uh, we'll see, honey. Maybe." Your smile is strained but she doesn't seem to notice.
Leaving the bedroom door open just a crack he walks down the hall, running his hand over his face.
"Kids," you force some light-heartedness into your words. "They have such big imaginations, you know?"
He doesn't answer you, his back turned to you as he hides his face in his hands.
"Are you okay, Dave?" you place a tentative touch on his shoulder.
Finally he turns to you, face reddened with an anger he never thought he'd have to feel. "My youngest daughter just told me that my wife has been having another man over to the house behind my back. Alice is a bright girl but she wouldn't invent a story like that."
"Hold on," you tell him gently, your hands on his biceps, willing him to loosen up, even just physically. "You don't know anything for certain. Just hearsay. Right, Mr. Big Shot Attorney?"
Your attempt at humor only gets you a bitter laugh from him.
"Is it possible Carol's just friends.. with a plumber?" you speculate. But of course you don't believe it either.
Dave narrows his eyes at you for a moment before realizing nothing about this is your fault and you're just trying to help. The moment that you step into his arms they immediately close around you. He marvels at how you fit together so perfectly.
"You should talk to her when she comes home," you suggest, not moving an inch from his embrace. The last thing you want to do is give him marriage advice when it's a real possibility that his wife could be unfaithful.
"Somehow I doubt she'll be amenable to an honest discourse on her fidelity," he grumbles, not wanting to think about her, shutting the bad feelings away while you're in his arms.
You inhale the scent of him, the warm spice of his lingering aftershave. The spark between you only intensifies. You're tempted to press your lips to his strong, soft neck, you can already imagine his pulse point racing beneath your lips.
When he pulls away it snaps you out of your fantasy, and you are acutely aware of the heat blooming between your legs, the slick pooling in your panties.
"How about a private investigator?" you ask.
He shakes his head as if he's already thought of it. "The only ones I know are in a professional regard. I don't want it bandied about that I've had to resort to surveilling my own wife."
"In that case it's your lucky day. I know a guy."
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After emailing the pertinent information to your contact, he's at Dave's address within half an hour.
Clad in a classic tan trenchoat, white button down with hastily done striped tie and black trousers, Tim Rockford looks every bit what Dave had expected. The former detective sizes up his prospective client from behind thick black eyeglass frames before turning to you with a soft smile. Tim often does background checks for your employees, and you trust him with an even more personal task like this.
"Are you David York?" the man asks, a to-go cup of coffee that's going cold very fast is in one hand and his briefcase in the other.
"Yeah, I am," Dave answers. "Come on in."
The three of you settle in the living room. "Now, tell me about why you want me to surveil your spouse," he says, getting down to brass tacks.
Seated next to you, Dave explains his situation, the late nights that Carol's had to go in, the mention of "Uncle Joel" by his daughter. He leaves out the part about him spending much of his time with you possibly contributing to the lack of affection in his marriage, and you keep quiet as well.
Soon Tim has all the information he needs to move forward. He has Carol's work address, and will do some digging on the Joel fellow. "It'll take a couple weeks to get some basic information, given they're still meeting each other. I advise you not to start any arguments or accuse her of anything in the meantime or it'll risk ruining the investigation. If she catches wind that you're onto her, she may change her plans or even call it off with him altogether. For the time being, just play dumb."
Dave nods, even though he doesn't like it.
"There is a fee, of course," Tim adds. He writes the number on a scrap of paper and Dave, sighing, accepts.
"He was on the force for over a dozen years," you tell him. "It'll be money well spent. Even if there's nothing going on."
"Whatever is going on, I'll debrief you at our next meeting once I've collected the proper evidence," Tim says.
It's a plan set in motion, and Dave isn't really sure what he wants the outcome to be. If Carol's fucking around, he gets his heart broken. If she's not, it's even worse. Because now he knows he'd leave her for you.
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A/n: So yeah, two more Pedro boys in the mix.. yes it is that Joel 👀One of y'all needs to come get your man because he's filling holes that aren't his 🫢And Tim! I've been waiting to bring him to the story ❤️
dividers by @strangergraphics and @saradika-graphics 👑
taglist: @penascigarette @joelalorian @la-vie-est-une-fleur29
@darkheartgatita @speaktothehandpeasants @rav3n-pascal22
@vickie5446 @mrs-pedro-pascal @zascal @sunnytuliptime
@mysticsuitcasealmondwombat @joelmillerisapunk @almostfoxglove
@itwasntimethatdidit40 @604to647 @milla-frenchy
@everybodylovedcontractors @misstokyo7love @ppascalq
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coyotelip · 2 days ago
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wolfstar microfic: first death || surgeon!remus × student!sirius || @wolfstarmicrofic || wc: 510
Sirius chose this career because he wanted to save lives, but when he leaves the operating room for the first time, he has only the blood of an innocent person who took their last breath too soon on his hands.
The chairs in the hallway under fluorescent lights are there for family members, but it is Sirius who falls into an empty seat when his legs no longer hold him. All the other seats are vacant. The woman on their operating table didn't even have relatives who were willing to bite their nails under the operating room and worry about her. Now it was just Sirius.
Staring at his snow-white crocs, he notices tiny drops of blood on the tops - evidence of his first surgery as an assistant. His eyes do not leave them, and Sirius tries to count the exact amount when another pair of shoes comes into view. Gray and worn loafers. No doubt they have been washed many times, but still, upon closer inspection, he sees faded stains of blood and other liquids that will never disappear from the fabric.
The next thing he sees is a hand holding a chocolate bar. Sirius recognizes the bar from the cafeteria snack machine. A protein bar with coconut.
“Here,” a voice says, making Sirius look up. “It'll make you feel better.”
The man in front of him is Dr. R.J. Lupin, the lead surgeon at the clinic. The man for whom Sirius was the assigned assistant today. They hadn't had a chance to get to know each other properly because of the quick call to the operating room, so this is the first time Sirius has seen him without a mask on his face or a cap on his head. The mask and protective glasses have left fine lines on his skin, and his hair is tousled. His eyes are red and full of tiredness from hours of surgery, but despite this, his thin and pale lips are stretched in a smile aimed at Sirius.
His stomach turns at the thought of food, but out of politeness, Sirius takes the bar and places it in his lap. “Thank you,” he says quietly.
“I understand, the first ones are always hard,” the man suddenly continues, and Sirius can hear the sincerity in his voice. The tired sincerity of those words, because the surgeon knows what he's talking about. “But you'll get used to it over time. It's a shame it was your first… but if the next one is successful, try to keep it in mind.” Dr. Lupin folds his hands behind his back and leans over the young postgraduate student slightly to speak more softly. “Unfortunately, we're not gods or wizards, we can't save everyone… but we do our best to do so.”
“How… how long have you been in surgery?” the question comes to Sirius' lips. Dr. Lupin doesn't look all that much older than Sirius, but his wrinkle lines and confidence with the scalpel show his experience.
“Three years,” he answers calmly, sighing heavily. “But each death doesn't make it any easier. Especially when it's a young person.”
And without waiting for another question, the man turns on his heel and disappears through the office door.
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kinthulou · 3 days ago
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This is all so so so true! I have had so many friends be too shy or anxious to share their writing with me because I'd shared mine first, and I'm always having to tell them that the only reason I'm so good at the writing thing? It's because I've been doing it since I was old enough to hold a pencil. Stories have been my Autistic Special Interest (TM) since I learned to read when I was two years old. All I've got that my friends don't is time and practice and I would never ever judge them for just starting out. I want to see their stories! I want them to feel encouraged and motivated to keep practicing! It's an art form!
And this is a shyness that I know super well from a different art form. My entire immediate family is incredibly talented in the music sphere. And I do mean talented--my youngest sib had no music lessons whatsoever and taught themself how to play piano and violin incredibly quickly. Middle sib picked up guitar as a teen like it was nothing. The mother unit was a stellar soprano in church choir, and the father unit, who was raised by a music teacher and so had a lot of encouragement and probably all the lessons he wanted, is not only a fantastic singer but can pick up any instrument for the first time and within ten minutes have figured out how to get music out of it. I had lessons galore. Lots of instruments. Choirs to join. All the encouragement. Almost none of it stuck. I was awful at music. Couldn't sight read music to save my life--and still can't, turns out I had an undiagnosed-at-the-time learning disability that impacts that skill--couldn't figure out my way around a string instrument, and my singing voice was so terrible I was constantly being told to stop.
Fast forward to last night, when I was listening back through a recording of a song I'd learned on ukulele last week. There were plenty of flaws in my performance, but when I listened to the vocal warm-up, in which I just sang the song a cappella to make sure my voice was good to go and I didn't need to refresh on the melody?
Fucking blew me away. You guys? Somewhere along the way I got good at singing? Like actually, legit, super pleasant to listen to, would buy an album of this stuff if it wasn't MY OWN VOICE, that kind of good????? What????? My music skills are catching up to my writing skills! I have more talent in writing than music, which is why there was a gap between getting good at writing and starting to get good at the music, but like. Just keep at it, everyone. It's just practice. Once day you'll look at your art, whatever its form, and be blown away by how far you've come. You just have to be willing to let go of perfection and give yourself the chance to try!
So earlier in art class today, someone drew a characters hands in their pockets and mentioned that hands are really like the ultimate end boss of art, and most of us wholeheartedly agreed. So then, our teacher went ahead and free handed like a handful of hands on the board, earning a woah from a couple of students. So the one from earlier mentioned how it barely took the teacher ten seconds to do what I can’t do in three hours. And you know what he responded?
“It didn’t take me ten seconds, it took me forty years.”
And you know, that stuck with me somehow. Because yeah. Drawing a hand didn’t take him fourth years. But learning and practicing to draw a hand in ten seconds did. And I think there’s something to learn there but it’s so warm and my brain is fried so I can’t formulate the actual morale of the lesson.
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loki-licious-945ad · 1 day ago
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Oh so sweet
Summary: The audacity of some of the people in Asgard. Degrading his pregnant wife. They'll have it coming for them. He'll be coming for them. And you'll be coming too.
Pairing: Soft!Dark!Loki x Pregnant!Wife!Reader
word count: 1.4k+
Warnings: 18+ MDNI, snob degrading reader, rude comments, nipple play, breast milk, public fingering (its better reading it), pregnant reader, choking(f receiving), Loki being mischievous as always, angst, fluff?, SMUT, praise. If i missed anything lmk
A/N: A Wanda reference 😏 Fic did not go the way i wanted. So now i am mad/disappointed at myself. I edited this like 15 times. Tumblr didn't wanna save it. I'm tired too.
@sofilaufeysonn (not exactly like the last fic but yeah)
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The Asgardian people are ruthless. They always seem to say what's on their mind. Especially those high class snobs. Loki could say a few things to them too, but he chooses that it is not worth it. He doesn't care about his reputation. He just knows it's not worth the time. They are snobs after all. At least that's what he thought.
Loki would take you everywhere with him. He does not trust anyone to protect you, but him. Yes, some royal guards may follow you both, but they are for Loki. Prince of Asgard. Everyone knows who you are. Loki's wife. The mother of his unborn child. Loki's property. No one is allowed to touch you. No one is allowed to disrespect you. Only him. Loki made sure of it.
Loki, you, and those idiotic guards that follow walk through the Asgardian Markets. More like waddling for you. The gold rings on both yours and Loki's finger shine in the light as you both walk through the market. A matching gold necklace hangs just above the swell of your breast. The gold jewelry shows ownership of you from Loki. The necklace enchanted with Loki's seiðr. A simple gold chain with the letter 'L'. A snake wrapped around the letter 'L'. Everything about the necklace is gold except for the eyes of the snake. Emerald eyes. The eyes alert Loki if anyone has disrespected you if you somehow wandered off. You always wondered off. Always so carefree with him. You just didn't know he enchanted it.
Once again, like many other times, you have wandered off somehow. He knows that he could easily find you, but you haven't been out in a bit considering the growing child you bear. He wants you to enjoy this time.
You wonder absentmindedly. Finding a book stall, you stop. Looking over all the titles. You pick up a few baby books to flip through them quietly. As you do so a snobby voice pipes up, "You can only touch them if you're going to buy them. Insolent brat."
You look up at where the voice is coming from. An old rich lady with a face of disgust. She doesn't let you speak, "By the norns are you even pregnant? You look like you could be hoarding fifteen pillows under that dress of yours. No pregnant woman looks like that! And those breasts of yours, they have to be fake!"
Tears prick at your eyes as the woman continues her degrading. Then you feel Loki standing behind you. He speaks lowly to the woman, "Is there a problem?"
Eyes glare at you as the woman speaks to Loki, "This insolent brat-"
Loki interrupts her with a laugh, "Insolent brat you say?" Loki looks down at you with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "My dear wife is being an insolent brat? How so?"
She can't even answer. The woman's mouth hangs agape. Staring at you and Loki. Loki glances at the woman, "My dear wife is never a brat. Maybe insolent, but never a brat. In fact. She's very obedient. So obedient, she let me fuck her raw to get her pregnant."
It's like everyone in the market knew to get away from the scene. No one in sight. Only the three of you and the guards off to the sides, watching with stale expressions. Loki doesn't even have to look around to know that no one is around. He just glares at the woman who decided to degrade his wife, "You should close your mouth. At the moment you are the one acting insolent. Disrespecting the prince and his wife. Pregnant wife." The woman closes her mouth as fast as possible then bowing her head to Loki and you. Oh what a dumb woman.
The feeling of Loki's arms wrapping around your waist and placing his large hands on your very pregnant stomach comforts you. The tears that threatened to spill down your cheeks were gone in an instant. Loki coos at you, kissing your head softly, as he rubs your stomach. Stutters and stumbles come out of the woman's mouth, within a flash her mouth disappears instantly. Loki. A chuckle sounds deep from Loki's chest. It vibrates your whole body, making you whimper.
Since getting pregnant your damned body has gotten way more sensitive. It doesn't help that Loki is now cupping your breast in his large hands. Rolling your nipples between his fingers through your dress. He insisted that you didn't wear a bra. He loved the way your nipples were always so hard. Always leaking with that delicious sweet milk you'd produce. He loved when your sweet milk seeped through all of your dresses. Like right now. Such a pretty sight. Standing in the Asgardian sun looking like a damn painting.
The woman watches in disbelief as she watches Loki toy with your hard leaking nipples, "Do you believe my wife is pregnant now? Hm!?"
The woman just stares at the tall god.
Loki hums disapprovingly, once again making you whimper with the sensation on your back, "Oh darling~ I don't think this woman believes us. Cats got her tongue."
Loki moves his hands off your breast, making you whimper. He coos at your noises of desperation. In a blink of an eye your dress is pulled up. It sets nicely on top of your round stomach. You swear the snob was going to faint as she saw that you weren't wearing panties under your dress. You instinctively widen your legs for Loki, like many times before.
"So obedient. Such an amazing wife for your God," Loki wraps his ringed hand around your neck. Not enough to hurt you, but enough were you feel drunk off of the pleasure. His other hand drifting over your stomach, between your parted legs. His pointer finger drags over your spread cunt. Slit to clit. Wet as always. He brings the finger to his mouth. Sucking it dry of your juices. He lets out a loud moan. The taste of your milk mixed with your cunt on his finger is amazing, "Oh so sweet."
You lean further into him as you both stand. Loki moves his finger back to your clit. Rubbing in tight circles. You let out soft moans. Music to his ears. He'd listen to you all day. Fuck, when did he get hard?
The woman face pales as she watches the two of you. The way Loki's ring glints in the sun as he chokes you. The way he touches your clit so perfectly. The way your head falls back onto his shoulder. His grip on your neck never loosening even as you move. The way you roll your hips into Loki's hand and the way it makes your round stomach look. Your dress soaked from your breast milk. The necklace that hangs near the swell of your breast. Moving as you moan and whimper.
Loki can tell you're close to cumming. He shoves his two middle fingers into your cunt. The fingers hit that sweet spot as the palm of his hand rubs against your clit. That familiar coil starts to get tighter and tighter.
Then it snaps.
Your moans vibrate the hand on your neck. You moan so loudly. Even if this part of the market is clear there is no doubt people could hear you across the market. Your cunt clenches so tight on his fingers. He continues to finger you through your orgasm. Nipples leaking even more. Stomach tensing a bit.
Definitely pregnant. The woman faints. Hitting the stone and dirt of the market. Loki chuckles. He pulls his fingers out of your wet cunt. Making you whimper. You're so sensitive. Loki motions for the guards near by to pick the woman off the ground, "Put the damn snob in the dungeons."
The woman gets drug off by the guards. Leaving you and Loki alone. Loki spins you around so you're facing him. Your dress still laying on top of your stomach. He places his hands on your stomach bending to kiss it. Little kicks hit his hands. Damn these mischievous twins. He stands upright. He places a kiss on your forehead, nose, then lips. Soft and slow.
Oh so sweet.
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vhstown · 16 hours ago
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malala windsor ★ general headcanons
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a/n: i love this girl to death you don't even know man... thank you to my friend sadi for talking to me about this character at less than ideal hours 🙏 i hope you like these! a little shorter than my other ones but i don't have much to go off okay...
When she originally gets her powers she's at the mosque for Friday prayers and her hands get stuck to the carpet and she's just stuck in prostration. Everyone sheds a tear from how dedicated she is to her religion but really and truly she's praying the skin of her hands isn't ripped off 😭😭😭 The whole mosque is empty and my girl is STILL there.
Definitely the talk of the town for a while. Loved and hated by Muslim aunties alike. There's a chunk of the carpet missing that's in the shape of her hands. Everyone just knows thats her spot.
Apparently her last name is supposed to represent the House of Windsor... I don't really have anything to add except for the fact that I think it's really funny. I feel like she actually does have a Desi or Muslim last name but really plays into the "Bri'ish" joke at Spider Society except they take her 100% seriously and now she's stuck with the Windsor on her spider ID (and she cringes bad whenever she sees it.)
Hijabi activewear for life. Wears it everywhere for practicality and also the crazy UK heatwaves.
TfL warrior. She can quite literally swing to places when she becomes Spider-Woman but she can't give up her aesthetic tube girlie lifestyle. Has her book and headphones and everything and endures the horrible ear pop on older lines with a straight face. She's kind of serving but the restaurant is empty cause it's London and nobody really cares. (Also I feel like London would be really annoying to swing through cause everything is shaped so differently and the train is probably faster..)
Loves sports. Totally feels embarrassed and tries to act uninterested but is a beast on the court. Plays every single sport you could think of but lover of basketball and badminton (she is not a coconut when it comes to badminton like me OKAY!)
Cannot cook to save her life (she's trying okay... I AM NOT PROJEC)
Has so many frankensteined hijabs in her closet from making suits. Feels like a total genius when she figures it out and geeks out about it to other spiders at HQ even if they've heard it like a billion times.
I think she knows a woman who's a lot like Jessica Drew in her universe so she's more friendly with Jess than anyone else would be. They totally like to gossip over coffee and tea and the bajillion strange UK biscuit variations in the break room (she DESPISES the 2099 cafeteria food).
Her universe's Uncle Ben is an electrician and he sometimes drags her around to his electrician jobs. She's there begrudgingly but definitely has a eureka moment when she remembers something niche and engineery he explained to her while working at someone's house when she's on a sneaky little mission.
Humanities babe. I know all the spiders are STEM people but I like to think she's into humanities and absolutely just free balls all the tech stuff and actually gets pretty good at it. Maybe explodes a few things. I think she's one of those people in her class that LOVE to debate. An absolute menace in history and politics.
She's from East London. No elaboration needed.
That's about it for now! BIG UP MY DESI GIRLS!!!!!!!! YEAHHHHHHH
thank you for reading! check out my atsv masterlist here!
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thechaoticfanartist · 10 months ago
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Grim being determined to change fate in TCWGANV to the point that she refuses to accept that she can't save everyone even when she fails vs Grim not trying to change the ending in ALATL but that doesn't mean she's not going to stop saving who she can, even if it isn't everyone
#grim kennet#in tcwganv grim wouldn't hear it that she couldn't save everyone#even when she suffered a loss she would still refuse to believe it wasn't impossible#she would refuse to believe that not everyone can be saved#she would fight constantly#and she would fail time and time again#and then in alatl grim is still determined to save those she can#of course she is. it's in her nature to want to save people#she is kind and compassionate and determined to a fault#and yet now she realizes she can't save everyone#she can't stop the destruction of alderaan and she knows that. so she doesn't even try.#but that doesn't stop her from warning them about the death star. that doesn't stop her from doing her best to save those she can#of course she knows it won't save everyone. but as many as possible. that's what she has to do now#she doesn't save obi wan. she knows she can't#obi wan made his choice anyways. he lets vader kill him. he sacrifices himself#grim still pleads with him. she begs him not to do it#but she knows she can't stop him. she knows she can't save him. and so she doesn't#but that doesn't stop her emotions. that doesn't save her any grief or anger#but she doesn't blame herself or anyone else. she couldn't save him. she didn't try to save him. still she loves him.#she finally learned that she can't save everyone. she's not going to try and save everyone anymore#but that doesn't mean she won't save all she can.#finally she realizes what that promise she made meant. finally she realizes what it really means to be a jedi#you can't save everyone. but you can save as many as you can.#anyways i love grim and i love when she learns things and grows#fic: the clone wars gets a new victim#fic: as long as there's light
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ofspvrta · 1 day ago
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Ah a simple life, the kind that warriors like them don't get to lead. They either die on the battlefield or their injuries make them retire early. Rarely do old warriors get the quiet life they so longed for. Just look at her own grandfather, he died before she even got to meet him, cut down by the invading Persians. But at least Roxana and she can have each other until their own journies end. Maybe it won't be on a simple farm leading a humble life, but at least they will live it together.
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She can't count how many nights she stared at the ceiling unable to sleep. Her worry was with everyone but herself, until she was forced to fret her that as well. She didn't cry, not when they could see her shedding tears. She saved that for Roxana. Because she's strong enough to know whose arms she'd prefer to break down in. Even when she thought she saw visions of Roxana, she knew better, at least after the first time she tried to hold her. It was an empty embrace, her arms wrapping around her own torso. At least now the arms around her are real. She doesn't disappear when she touches her.
The love she has for Roxana is once in a lifetime. She hasn't felt like this for anyone else, not this intensely. Roxana entered her life at a time when she had to give up her son for his own safety, she helped to heal a part of her that felt broken beyond measure. There would always be a hole where Elpidios was, but Roxana is her world. Just as her family is her world. And she would do anything to protect that. Her thumb gently traces against Roxana's cheek.
"You make my name sound like a prayer, and I will always answer it when you say it. You will not lose me again."
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IMAGINE IF THAT COULD BE THEM . just imagine it , somehow. roxana cooking things in the kitchen. kassandra tending to the harvest outside. MAYBE THAT WILL FLOP . it could be so simple. it could be so domestic. but ... that's not them. THEY HAVE A FATE TO ATTEND TO . the cult wanted that fate to be dead and deader -- but they already broke that. 𝐮𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞.
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roxana wasn't even the one in isolation and that year felt like a lifetime. SHE FELT LIKE SHE AGED TWICE AS FAST . woe is the misery of loving someone without them near. kassandra was missing and there isn't a single stab , blow , or anything close that could come close to the pain that wrapped around her heart. OH , DID SHE LOVE THE TALLER WOMAN . if it wasn't evident by how soft roxana became in kassandra's arms.
roxana's head actually turns in kassandra's hand , brown eyes closing and a soft sigh falling from roxana's lips. she never thought she'd be the type of person to yearn , especially the way she did when kassandra was missing. touching the empty space on the other side of the bed for a missing body or looking specifically for a tall , strong form at the top of the boat. THE HURT WHEN THERE WAS NOTHING THERE .
" as you wish , kassandra. i have missed saying your name , anyway. almost as much as i have missed you. "
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mari-lair · 3 months ago
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Y'know about that worst-case neglect route down the acts?
So, what if the menu changes at that point?
Mirabelle
Isabeau
Odile
Bonnie
"a-and Siffrin!"
Siffrin's turn becomes automatic and Bonnie becomes a playable character
they just want to be useful
they are desperate to be useful to their team
That's absolutely heartbreaking thank you for the mental image I am in shambles
They will still not let Bonnie fight no matter how op they get, no no no, Bonnie is a kid so no getting in harms way! but siffrin feeling like he isn't part of the game anymore? isn't part of the team??? Agh that's so possible I AM DEAD
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rhaenyra-first-of-her-name · 2 months ago
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Somebody send me recs about Team Black please.
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dimensionzero · 2 years ago
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anyway every spider-man in the multiverse is alone except for miles. can anybody hear me
#every spiderman starts out thinking theyre the only one#every spiderman learns the lesson that theyre only one person and they cant save everyone#every spiderman grits their teeth and keeps going in face of tragedy#every spiderman learns about the multiverse and when they realize there are other people like them#they pass on their own trauma in a cycle --- this happened to me and it had to happen so that this good thing could also happen#which means that this terrible thing has to happen to you too#thats their universal truth: they cant save everyone alone so they need to maximize their influence to save as many as they can#but miles? miles morales is the spiderman who got bit already knowing who spiderman was#miles is the spiderman who had six different spider-mentors help him come into his own#miles is the only spiderman whose introductory monologue ends with 'and im not the only one'#miles is the one who looks at all these people whove decided they Have to suffer alone and says#'ok but what if i helped you'#'what if instead of taking the good with the bad we still got the good but stopped the bad anyway'#'sure i can't save everyone alone but the whole goddamn point of the multiverse is that im not the only one'#and thats why miles is our hero#across the spiderverse#across the spiderverse spoilers#(tiny amendment actually: miles is actually not the only spider who knows hes not alone right from the beginning#atsv also introduces us to pavitr --- a member of the spider society whos even more of a rookie than miles is#and huh whaddya know: the kid who knew from the start that he wasnt alone is the one whose traumatic 'canon event' is stopped#in a joint effort between him and his friends#yeah that probably isn't foreshadowing or anything)
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ravenwolfie97 · 8 months ago
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all pokemon games are good but they are not all equally as good
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#pokemon#as a person who has played pretty much every main pkmn game in some capacity#i can find things in them that are worth praise#but like obviously they can't all be the same level of good. there are so many factors to a pkmn game to be balanced#some have a great region. some have a great story. some have just a solid gameplay experience. all of them have great music lol#i could even play devil's advocate and praise bdsp for being a truly faithful remake and pretty incredible for a studio first Real game#but mainly i keep thinking like. everyone has shat on the new pkmn games ever since gen 5 especially#but then over time people are like Huh they aren't so bad after all#like once you get out of the gamehate wormhole generated by inflammatory social media posting you can appreciate a thing more#and there may still be people out there who think red/blue are the best ones. and y'know they have a point#even though objectively those games were littered with bugs to the point where some normal mechanics were not correct#and things just got more complicated and sophisticated with abilities and new types and better moves and stuff#the original games are absolute Miracles to have been made at all and for what they're worth they were Revolutionary#it was a simpler time but the ideas put forth were still pretty complex. especially considering this was the First One#this is the foundation all pokemon games thereafter rose from. and it's a pretty solid foundation despite all the hardships#anyway. i love pokemon. and i love that even after all this time - over 25 years - its spirit from back in 96 still remains in some form#it may not be about catching em all anymore. because physically that's really hard to do with over 1000 guys now#but it's still about finding joy in following a dream of adventure with a bunch of cool animal friends#and sometimes you save the world a little bit. that's p cool
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niteshade925 · 2 years ago
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I can see how the regional phenomena in totk is basically totk's version of a modern 4 horsemen of the apocalypse: pollution (the sludge), addiction (marbled rock roast), climate change (the extreme blizzard; admittedly this one is a bit of a stretch), and pestilence/infectious disease (the giant mosquito boss and the undead gibdo). Which, hey, references to real life issues, great, but what I didn't like so much was how you can just solve puzzles and fight bosses--basically have a handful of big name heroes running around doing tasks--and the water will magically clear up, the addicts will magically become normal people again, the extreme storms will magically dissipate, and the pestilence will magically disappear. Real life does not work that way. I know, I know, it's a game why you taking it so seriously blah blah, but I'm just saying, we have to remember that for any of these problems to be solved, it takes a lot of effort and cooperation from a lot of people to accomplish, and that's definitely an understatement.
#totk spoilers#:P#i haven't played many other zelda games so i can't say#but botw and totk are basically the Great Man Theory#aka 'we only need a few big heroes to save the day and nobody else's input is worth much'#maybe I'm too nitpicky or maybe I'm too old to suspend my disbelief entirely#something about that just doesn't quite sit right with me :P#doesn't mean the game is bad but just my thoughts#and let me add that genshin is also kind of a Great Man Theory sort of game on the surface#but in genshin the story itself actually does challenge that idea in many different places#whereas in botw and totk nothing about that logic is even questioned#you are expected to just accept that 'oh the hero defeated the bad guys and now the problems magically went away'#and since we are talking about real life issues this approach is honestly incredibly lazy#basically the same as 'if everyone can drive less (aka be a hero!) then we can reduce emissions and save the environment!'#while completely ignoring how driving is basically essential to life in the greatest country on earth (tm)#bc of urban planning lack of effective public transportation systems and lobbyists#it's a systemic problem and it's not going to be solved by being heroes or eating the rich#in conclusion: if you want to put real life issues in your game please don't be lazy with it#and if you want the traditional hero vs big bad thing then please stay away from real life issues#this is part of the reason why botw is better than totk
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neonphoenix · 6 months ago
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Hate the number of people I know who just want to leave the US because of xyz political issues that don't exist in the imaginary other country they hope to move to. Not One of these people ever puts in the leg work to make the world around them better (at least one isn't even registered to vote) and it is literally the height of privilege to think you can just go live somewhere else where someone else has made everything work without doing anything to participate in your community first.
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beeseverywhen · 2 years ago
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I mean like. Not to bring the mood down but... you guys know that's because American media is everywhere right? Like the world is unable to avoid some version of American accent on a regular basis. Of course ppl find it easy to mimic. This is absolutely not restricted to ppl in the UK, its really common for ppl who learn English as a foreign language to have perfect 'American actor' accents (cause the reason everyone's so good at the American accent that's expected of them as actors is cause at large there's little distinction between regions in the 'Hollywood accent' that ends up on TV and films and stuff. You guys have massive regional differences in pronounceation, but what makes it on to TV (in 9/10 cases) is a very standardised version of American English.)
But yeah. It's not just actors lol. Most British ppl can speak in a passable american accent, as can loads and loads of people worldwide. I'm not saying this to be like 'you should feel guilty! 😡' but it does always stun me when Americans are unaware of the impact their country has worldwide on all versions of English (and even on use of native languages. Many countries are using English more and more over their native languages and dialects , and yeah, historical colonialism has had an impact there.)
But in the last few decades things have progressed way way faster and that, is thanks to the impact of anglo/american/ect lead capitalism. I'm in no way dismissing the impact the UK has on this, but in recent years, its the US that is largely pushing that train .While the UK and several English speaking commonwealth countries are very involved in this kind of capitalist imperialism, there's a reason that more and more people are speaking American English. Not one of the many UK dialects, not Australian English, or NZ English. Across the world more and more people are increasingly speaking in the same standardised american dialect that's in so much of the media you export. Hollywood based media, with that standardised accent/ dialect and the standardised 'normal american life', has a stranglehold on the world and I just find it crazy that a lot of you guys don't even know.
It's stupid stuff like. So many countries are importing american cars and are widening their roads/ changing town planning to account for it (this is less of a thing in the UK but I see it more and more when I travel). Its the food becoming avaliable everywhere. Its the influence that for profit healthcare has even on countries with socialised health systems. Its houses being built to account for American style appliances. Fashion trends. Worldwide, everything is slowly evolving to be closer and closer to this 'American standard' which honestly? I really don't think actually represents the lives of real American people either. You've been turned in to products, the system has taken an unrealistic snapshot of 'American life' and it's being sold to you all day in day out, but it's also being sold to the rest of us. It's being pushed on us all.
Kids in the UK go through phases of talking only in American accents. Anyone born later than the 90s is carrying round 2 sets of spelling and vocab, cause we're all so used to the American way, that you barely know which one you're using half of the time. In the UK we have always had really strong regional accents yeah, and dialects differ between areas that seem tiny to you guys, I know. But like. Those dialects are being lost cause all UK accents are evolving to become closer to this standardised american and yeah not great, but at least we share a language! US American society is largely rooted in the same foundations as UK society, largely we have the same flaws! But oh my god. What about the rest of the world.
It's global. This impact continues to be seen, steamrollering ahead, in places that had completely different starting points. UK culture isn't that dissimilar to that of the US, so we aren't losing nearly as much as cultures that had something completely different. So much is being lost.
Languages and dialects and everything else is just being wallpapered over so we all meet the same ideal of the 'American life' and it's not even real! It's just a product based on how ppl were actually living in the US, manipulated until it's the most marketable mould. You guys are victims of it as well but like. It's based on your culture so you don't lose as much if you conform to it. Just like how in the UK, if we conform, we lose more than US, but nowhere near as much as countries that had languages, dialects and cultures that were so so different to UK/US culture. The less like the US, your starting point, the more there is to lose.
And look. I said it to start with. I'm not having a go. That's not what this is. But you guys really need to be aware, you need to make an effort to understand the impact that this plastic Hollywood american culture is having on the rest of the world. You need to actively look for it, and make an effort to not pay in to it. Because when Americans see other cultures represented in media and say its not relatable, when you guys go on holiday and make no effort to learn local customs, and try and pay in dollars and spend your time abroad like you're still in America, when you see cultural differences and immediately argue that the American way is better and of course everyone should have giant cars and never dry laundry outdoors and live in American style homes, without any kind of critical thought. Just 'this is how we do it so why wouldn't everyone else do it this way. This is the only way. The American way is obviously best.' When you guys do that you are individually feeding in to this absolute bulldozing of cultures (including American ones!) to allow for better marketability.
It isn't any one individual American citizens fault that things are the way they are, and you guys are victims of the same system, but you need to have some self awareness when it comes to the fact that as individuals you are unknowingly, helping driving this forwards and as individuals, there are things you can do to limit your personal impact (and no arguing that you have no culture is not it!!! Being all self deprecating doesn't do shit. Take some responsibility and accept that individual Americans didn't create this system, but currently, individual Americans really are doing their bit to keep promoting it, to keep pushing it on the rest of the world.
And I've already rambled for an age so I'll stop here but I just want to make clear as an ending note here, that this really isn't about piling on Americans and being all 'boo it's all America's fault. They should apologise. Their culture isn't worth anything.' Not at all this is the opposite of that. The fact that millions of Americans have been convinced you have no culture, all while a mimicry of American culture is plastered on to the rest of the world, and while you as individuals are encouraged to help that happen, often without even realising what you're doing; is a crime. You've been wronged, as have we all.
And America is not the problem. The problem is imperialism and it didn't start with you guys. It started in Europe, and Europeans, particularly British ppl, have a responsibility to push back and be self aware, take some fucking responsibility and not inadvertently keep feeding in to that system, just as you guys do. The US didn't start the fire, imperialist capitalism is a fire that started burning long before the United States was even considered, but its on all of us, to do what we can to not feed that fire. And right now? You guys are the face of it.
This idea of what America is, is the face of imperialistic capitalism, and that means that even if you don't mean to, you guys are feeding that fire more so than the rest of us. You're responsible for spreading it, more so than the rest of us. And if you don't step up and take responsibility, accept that you're gonna get it wrong sometimes and you need to try to do better; if we don't all do that. There will be nothing left. They'll paper over it all, the lives of real Americans just as much as those in Scotland and India and the Netherlands, and 100 other cultures, that are at risk, thanks to this fire, that's currently, largely coming from America.
So yeah. It's absolutely not just on you guys and ppl who act like there's no racism or wealth divide in Europe or anywhere else for that matter are complete idiots, however, this Americanisation of the world (and I hesitate to call it that. Because its not a representation of real American lives. Its simply wearing an American face.) Its real. It's happening.
And we don't tell you about it to make you feel guilty (those of us who aren't dicks at least) ,we are telling you. We are kicking up a fuss. Because it isn't fair. It's not right and while individual Americans ignore that and refuse to take responsibility where they can (small apples. We aren't asking for you to call a violent revolution in our names. Just take some time to learn about the rest of the world. Stop assuming America is always right and examine your biases. When you find them. Stop personally pushing them.) , while that is happening, as individuals, you are contributing to this. It's not even altruism. This system is hurting Americans too. It's hurting us all. All we ask is that you do what you can to not personally contribute, and keep an open mind, be aware. That's all any of us can do.
when a british actor does an american accent everyone’s like “i didn’t even know they were british until they were on colbert.” but when americans do a british accent everyone’s like “they’re supposed to be from east cocksford but their glottal e’s are north dicksford. shameful.”
#so yeah sorry to rant but honestly#I'm so tired of ppl refusing to take responsibility on every side of this#imperalistic cruel capitalist regimes going 'well hey. at least we aren't America. this is their fault.'#meanwhile. Americans contribute to the bulldozing of their own cultures to make room for a capitalist monster wearing them as a mask#and if you call out any Americans or make them aware of something they are doing individually that isn't helping. it's either#refusing to see/ accept their own bias. or just as bad! yes! just as bad!!! america is beyond help. there's nothing worth saving#nothing we can do. that's bullshit and making stupid excuses like 'oh our schools don't teach us to respect other cultures'#'we don't know how.' fucking learn! try! that's all anyone asks of you. nobody cares about your schooling. school is shit for working class#ppl in most countries!#you think the english curriculum is any more balanced? we're subjects of a colonial empire. it's propaganda and its not even competent!#i don't think the average American understands how many more hours of schooling they get vs a lot of places. I'm not saying it's right#but teaching time? you guys have longer school days and you stay in school till youre older. our national curriculum ends the year we turn#16 in the UK. year 11 finishes in June. you can leave school 2 months shy of 16 to get a supermarket job. (and many working class ppl do)#and our government still pat themselves on the back and say its eqv. to high school finishing at 18 in other countries. like for context.#i haven't had a geography lesson since i was 13. my last english lesson? i was 15. that's completely normal here. so yeah. the#'our schooling was shit so we can't use Google to learn a bit of geography' falls pretty fucking flat. sorry.#they should have done better by you but they didn't. join the queue. do what you can and take some fucking responsibility now#the only way out of this is for us all. American and otherwise. to do what we can. be self aware. try to be better. keep learning#because if you fall to apathy? capitalism wins. if you believe the propaganda? capitalism wins. if capitalism wins we all lose#the system is designed to wear you down so you're too tired to remember that it doesn't have to be this way.#that's been happening for decades and it's why things are such a mess now. the only way out. is remember there is a way out#climb towards it. do what you can. it seems like low hanging fruit. it doesn't look like enough to change anything.#but there are more ppl being hurt by this system than those benefiting. 99% of us. if everyone picks an apple. that's a lot!#that's a fucking lot! keep going even when it seems like you aren't making progress. make your voice heard. vote. don't passively support a#system that's on its way to destroying you. destroying us all. do what you've got to do to live. but don't forget that all the things that#seem like they don't matter? really really do matter once you add up everyone's contributions. you can't control other ppls actions only#your own. but your contribution matters. your vote matters. your voice matters. join the union. educate yourself. stay curious. question.#the informations out there go online learning 1 thing. challenging 1 bias is better than all or nothing. i dont have time to learn anything#small apples. low hanging fruit. the oceans made up of billions of drops. the longer you don't try. the longer you've no chance of success#we can do better. we can absolutely all do better.
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