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#I understand that is comforting to some but.... that isn't true
mightiestofmumblers · 22 hours
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Simon Riley, who's been surrounded by death for longer than he can remember. It's become harder and harder to remember the years without it. Whether the ones who fall are the soldiers beside him or enemies at his own hands no longer matters to him, not really, not like it should.
Ghost, who becomes used to watching that final spark leave a set of eyes before they become glossy and empty. It takes him years to notice that final little thing. Nothing more than a reflection, but She's there.
Ghost, who questions Price and Soap, quietly and reluctantly, but they don't understand. They don't get it like he does. And it doesn't make sense, he knows it doesn't. Soldiers are known to go insane after too long in the field, perhaps that's what's happening to him.
It's after not sleeping for 60 hours that he sees Her after all, sweeping or floating through the battlefield, draped in every colour on the spectrum and not a single one of them. Ghost has never seen a face like it, and he knows he never will. All of Her reeks of paradoxical features and curves that swirl and change whenever he thinks he's finally grasped some aspect of Her. She bends down, soft and caring, as the final light slips from his teammate's eyes, and She carries him with her while his body remains.
The second he tries to stop Her, reach out and touch her, his hands slip through her. For one moment lasting years and less than a second, She glances at him. He doesn't blink, but She disappears anyway.
Years pass. Ghost recognises her. Always. In time, she watches him through reflections. She follows him wherever he goes. But there's nothing cruel about it. It's impossible with the sad smile shining from Her. It's not something she does but rather something that she is.
Ghost, who no longer has any true fears on the battlefield. It's simply another work day. But it changes when he sees Her. How She looks at him. He isn't afraid of Death but he manages to stagger back. Running is futile, he's seen others feverishly try to crawl from Her, fingers scraping at the ground until the skin wears away, a bloody trail following the leg no longer there and all of it with no use. Fighting is quite the same: as impossible as this entire thing is improbable.
"Shhh." Something beyond a voice, coming from his own head, he's sure, coos. "So close to me. You rarely ever are. How long has it been? No... you're alright, my love."
Ghost stops. She's infinitely tall yet he looks down at Her. Her smile isn't sad as She stretches a hand towards him, lifting the bottom of his mask, and that's when an inkling of fear finds him. For years, She's been his sole comfort on the battlefield. A single neverending entity he could always trust to be with him no matter how many years were to pass, but after wishing for so long to see Her, have Her closer, he wants nothing more than hundreds of miles to separate them.
"Is it time?"
"Afraid not, love." She smiles with a thousand pleasant summer days and cosy winter nights. "I have a job to do, but you've been close to me for so long. I want to see your face before I go."
Death lifts the skull, removes every layer until his scarred skin is visible to Her.
"How can I see you?"
"What a wicked thing it is." A sigh falls from wonderful lips as She caresses his cheek with a cool touch. "I'm sorry, Simon."
"Simon..." He repeats, tasting the foreign word.
She's fading.
"Wait! How can I-"
"Don't worry, love. No matter what, you'll see me again at the end."
Ghost becomes worse, more than he's ever been. With enough blood on his hands and enough souls at his feet, he can see Her again. He haunts the battlefields like never before, staring into the eyes of his victims for the mere chance of catching a glimpse. However long, no matter how many bodies it takes, he will see Her again.
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I've had this in my ideas doc for, like, years, and I just needed to get it out lmao. I'd love to write a full fic but unless I'll get 30 hours in a day, I don't have that kinda time lmao.
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leidensygdom · 4 hours
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Ok, I'm gonna start a post idea I had been pondering. If you're either mentally or physically disabled and you have opinions about representation, this is the thread for you!
So, I've been seeing more people trying to tackle the topic of autism in their stories, but I've felt some of it tries to woobify a bit what is to live with autism, or just focus on the more socially acceptable quirks of it. And as someone with autism/ADHD (was suspected of it for most of my life, got it finally diagnosed by my therapist (who specializes in autism and ADHD) last year), sometimes I'd like for people to acknowledge the more unsavoury parts of it, the weird quirks, etc.
So, this post is going to be about that- If you wanna help people understand how your disability/neurodivergency affects your life, feel free to add to it! Just mention what do you have (no need for a full list, just what you consider relevant to the post) and some experiences, quirks, anecdotes or such that you think that are not often seen in stories or media, and that you consider an important part of it. They don't need to be huge things! I encourage people to share just whatever they feel comfortable. My list is gonna be a mix of stuff, but yours can be very different. Let me start!
Clothes and how they feel was surprisingly one of the most disruptive parts of my autism. As a kid, if I was forced to wear something that caused me some bad texture/sensitivity issues, it would significantly affect my behaviour and performance. It took me many years to be allowed to use mostly sportswear. (And it turns out being a "girl" (not anymore) wearing only sportswear tends to cause a whole lot of bullying)
This happens even nowadays. I've found out that non-heeled boots are more comfortable to me than sport shoes, because feeling something against the back of my foot makes me feel overwhelmed. I tend to wear yoga pants under actual pants, because they keep the actual pants' seams from causing sensory issues. There's almost a sort of ritual on how do I need to combine clothes to be able to function "normally", mostly consisting on reducing how much they annoy me.
On that topic, hygiene is actually a huge thing too. As a kid, I wasn't allowed to shower daily. Days I didn't shower, no matter how much I tried to keep my hygiene in other days, were "bad days" to me. I would literally plan hanging out with friends or eating out around the days I was allowed to shower. I could physically feel the difference between the day I showered and the day I didn't (even if I washed my face, armpits, used the bidet, etc).
This is true even nowadays. I can thankfully now shower daily, which isn't recommended by a lot of experts (specially because it can damage your hair and skin), but it's more worth to me than having days where I feel like I shouldn't be seen in public.
Being overwhelmed sucks! Meltdowns are mostly associated with kids, mostly because adults either learn to mask them, or do everything they can to AVOID having that meltdown. I've mostly figured out routines and such. There's this one place we go eat out every other Tuesday- And in the hours we go in, there's a sort of silent corner that is always free. This week's schedule was a mess, so we went yesterday to that same place, and the silent corner was filled with a very loud group. I got extremely overwhelmed. But enough masking drilled to me means I just sat there unable to talk for maybe 30 minutes.
Autistic adults still do have autism and experience often the full spread of traits, they've just found ways to mask, or avoid being in situations where they do need to do that. I've adapted my life and routine to that. But sometimes I land on situations out of my comfort zone that will make me feel just like when I was a kid. I want to freelance online because I'm fully aware I can't perform properly in a public facing job.
Group projects sucked so much. I know they suck for most people, but most times it was easier for me to do the entirety of the project by myself and add the others' names to it than dealing with chasing people for their parts. My college had a 6-months-long massive group project in the last year, with a 7 people group, which obviously I couldn't do alone. The whole experience was so harmful in so many ways I've had several full therapy sessions talking about it :'')
One of the reasons it's because mental flexibility is HARD with autism. If i set a schedule, I expect that schedule to be followed. If people agree to do a part, I expect that part to be delivered (unless there's a proper reason) on due time. People hate this a lot usually! It will tear group projects apart!
Stimming can be harmless, or it can be very annoying to some. I tend to shake legs and play with something in my hands. I could easy this off drawing in classes- My high school found out that I was paying more attention when I was allowed to draw in classes, and my academic performance was pretty much perfect, so they gave me permission to do that.
However, I had a teacher in middle school that did forbid me from drawing. I stimmed during a class with pens- She got so mad she sent me home with a note to my parents they had to sign. Fun!
Not exactly an anecdote, but I am ace. I hate the discourse about "making an autistic person be aro or ace is infantilizing autism". Aro/ace people can have autism. That's just how it is. I've been infantilized a lot for being ace- Which only got worse because I am autistic, and people perceived some of my special interests as child-ish. The combo didn't make things easy.
On that topic, people will often be very patronizing of your opinions or takes for being autistic. I've had people debate my sexuality (or lack of thereof), my gender identity and presentation, my hobbies, my preferences for everything, down to "what do you want to eat tonight?". This isn't too different to shitty takes about how "autistic people are more prone to being affected by the trans activistsTM", because people assume autistic people can't choose on their own. Trust me: We can.
Anyhow, I'd love if this post could be a good compilation of these sort of anecdotes! I think it could help people who wanna learn more about what is it to live with specific disabilities (and how to better portray them in media)
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spicybylerpolls · 3 days
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Here me out, I am not against a byler sex scene cause I don’t think it would be anything remotely explicit anyways so discussing it in depth for me feels pointless, but I have issues with tying a sex scene into the character arcs of mike and will as if it’s the only logical way to wrap up their story, only because had there not been a pandemic and multiple delays, byler would have happened while at least one of them was still a MINOR (maybe both I would have to do the math) and there’s no way the show woulda had a sex scene in those circumstances so it’s more likely to me that having a sex scene—while it would be interesting to go there now that the actors are older—it is not the end all be all for their character arcs and not something that *has* to happen for their end narrative to make sense, since it probably was not going to happen in the first place. So maybe let’s reframe the discussion away from “they have to bone or else all the build up and such makes no sense it’s the only way to end things because blah blah blah” and more as it would be fun/cool/hot to see something more adult now that they ARE actual adults, and it would feel satisfying to their story, but that’s it. cause some people are starting to feel so passionate about the idea that i am concerned they are going to make themselves very angry if there isn’t one …
Hmm, I kinda see your point, but I also feel like there's no real point in speculating about what might have happened in the hypothetical past where the pandemic and the strikes didn't happen because A) we don't live in that timeline lol, and B) the Duffers have always had the ending in the show in mind from the jump and many/most of the beats they knew they needed to hit along the way, BUT I personally don't think they've planned out literally every single detail from the start with no wiggle room.
The writers have said as much, like for example when they tweeted all the crazy things that were supposed to happen in season 2 like possessed Will killing Bob or El mercy killing her mom. They've definitely added and subtracted some things along the way.
Beyond that, regardless of the ages of Finn and Noah, it's not outlandish to argue that sex is still thematically connected to the characters and their arcs. Byler is a story about sexuality, of which sexual attraction and, well, sex play a huge role.
And ST is a coming-of-age show, of which sex often plays a huge role regardless of the age of the actors. During S3, the writers didn't shy away from including sexual themes such as Max's happy screams comment, and the actors were still minors then. Every season has progressed these themes further. The writers and filmmakers are the ones putting the sexual symbolism and jokes into the story, and we're just picking up what they're putting down, right?
Like, I don't think Murray using the phrase "experiment sexually" was accidental, nor was hosegate, nor was Mike checking out Will's ass lol. It's all fair game when you're telling this kind of story (as long as you're creating a safe and comfortable set, of course). Because of this, IMO, there's a high chance the ST writers would've still at least implied that Byler had sex even in your hypothetical scenario. There actually isn't a hard-and-fast rule that prevents actors who aren't legal adults yet from acting out light, non-explicit sex scenes.
You say that, "byler would have happened while at least one of them was still a MINOR (maybe both I would have to do the math) and there’s no way the show woulda had a sex scene in those circumstances," and I understand why you'd say this, but if you look closer at films and shows in media history, that's not always true. I can name several shows and films that call this theory into question.
While it's true that most modern shows with teen sex scenes do tend to also have adults already playing teenagers- there's a whole page on TV Tropes about this phenomenon called Dawson Casting- (and these tend to show a lot of skin, i.e. Euphoria), which makes it easier to explore sexual storylines, that's not the case across the board.
In your hypothetical scenario, the Byler sex scene obviously wouldn't have been an explicit one (and no one's saying it will absolutely be that way now either), but that doesn't really mean it wouldn't have existed in some form. There are many examples of coming-of-age shows/movies where the actors were technically still underage at the time of filming, and it showed them making out intensely before cutting out (and sex was implied) or it showed something slightly more (closer to Stancy) but still not anywhere near HBO-level.
McLovin's sex scene in Superbad comes to mind (his actor was still 17 at the time, and his mother had to watch while it was being filmed). Thora Birch was 16 when American Beauty was filmed. More recently, there was the Jevon sex scene in Chucky this season. Devon's actor recently turned 18, but Jake's actor is still 17. And yet the season was non-subtly building up to the scene, it was 100% tastefully done, and it cut away before anything super specific happened.
Now that both Finn and Noah ARE adults, and we know there will definitely be a time jump, this hypothetical is extra meaningless. And if the Duffers want to go further and bolder with a Byler sex scene, they can, even if this wasn't the original plan. And there's lots of brilliant analysis that argues the Duffers have been planting the seeds for a while for at least some kind of sexual resolution.
But your assertion that, "some people are starting to feel so passionate about the idea that i am concerned they are going to make themselves very angry if there isn’t one" doesn't seem based in reality either. Spicy bylers might want a sex scene, and many might believe there at least will be something implied like Jancy, but I don't think anyone will actually be angry if there isn't one. Correct me if I'm wrong? I think most people are just happy there's a space to talk about Byler in unfiltered ways, to analyze the mature themes of the show, and also to have fun while doing so, especially since the season is still a ways away. It's not like people will actually fist fight the Duffers if Mike isn't moaning and giving Will backshots in S5 💀.
What do y'all think?
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hazel2468 · 8 months
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Something that I need people to understand, especially on this hellsite. Is that oppression does not depend on who you actually are.
It depends on how the world sees you.
If the world sees you as X identity. They will treat you as X identity, whether you are or not. If the world sees that you are not X identity, but they can use the oppression of X identity as a cudgel to make you act the way they want you to? They will use it.
Oppression is NOT dependent on who you actually are. It depends on how the world sees you. It depends on how people see you and what they decide to put on you because of that.
Oh. And when someone experiences a form of oppression that is NOT based in the reality of who they are? It's still that kind of oppression. It's not "misdirected"- it is still that kind of oppression being leveraged to maintain the current social climate.
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stairset · 10 months
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I think the portrayal of Spider-Man 2099 in Across the Spider-Verse is in-character in that aside from like Shattered Dimensions he's always been portrayed as a bit of an asshole who slips into anti-hero territory at times and generally has a "needs of the many over the needs of the few" mindset and given his specific circumstances in the movie it's not unreasonable to think he could take the actions he does. However it does kinda suck that since like 99% of moviegoers had no idea who he was before the movie came out their first impression of him is when he's in an antagonistic role and people think "antagonist" and "villain" are synonyms so now I'm gonna have to listen to people who've never read a comic saying he's a villain or isn't a real Spider-Man for the rest of time or at least until he inevitably changes his mind in the third one.
#hell you don't even need to read a comic just look up a let's play of spider-man edge of time you'll get what i mean#but yeah i saw a post that was like#''the first movie had a joke about how spider-man doesn't wear a cape and miguel has a cape they did that to show he's not spider-man''#as if he hasn't had that cape since his creation 30 fucking years ago#he's not even the only spider-man to have one. spider-man unlimited is also a thing that exists.#even the first movie had that call-back joke where they see the peter from miles's universe had a suit with a cape#these movies have a lot of little details with deeper meanings but the cape thing just isn't one of them sorry#but yeah. play edge of time or find it on youtube it's good.#shattered dimensions is also good but miguel's personality in that game is closer to peter's for some reason#so edge of time is better for getting a feel of what he's usually like#but yeah i do think spider-verse miguel was probably more straightforwardly heroic like other versions before the whole dead family thing#and i think he and the rest of the spider society are just genuinely misguided about how the whole canon event thing works#cause like george and gwen don't die in every universe peter doesn't get the symbiote in every universe#even uncle ben doesn't die in every universe#but miguel THINKS those things always happen. that's why he got the others to believe it cause he genuinely believes it himself#and i think they all take comfort in the idea that these bad things that happen to them happen for a reason#i know that's josh keaton's interpretation for why spectacular peter joined and i don't disagree with it#that's also why i disagree with people saying that miles is The Only True Spider-Man There just cause he was the first to outright reject it#look me in the fucking eye and tell me spectacular peter and insomniac peter don't understand what it means to be spider-man#or actually don't cause i'll bitch slap you into next week if you do#miguel o'hara#marvel#shut up tristan
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femboykaz · 1 month
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Starting to feel like I'm the only one that highly disagrees with that richard siken 'it isn't love if it's unrequited' post lmao
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fabulouslygaybean · 2 years
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gerard way gender rant in the tags bc this is my blog so i get to talk abt what i want and it's been on my mind for a hot minute
#like... it just feels weird that ppl are taking them wearing a dress to mean that they've come out as transfem?#please tell me y'all haven't forgotten that clothes don't equal gender right. like a dress is not inherently Female#it just leaves a weird taste in my mouth. it would be 110% fine if he WAS transfem but it feels weird to just assume#he has talked abt how he relates to trans women and that he's struggled with gender and that's valid!! im not denying any of that!!#but they've talked about how they dislike applying labels to himself and i feel like im the only person who finds it weird that ppl are -#- so quick to jump to the nearest label the moment he wears something more gnc than he usually does#also like.. its one thing to say that they're probably not cis. which is very true#but another thing to be so adamant that he's a 100% binary trans woman that it comes off as more intrusive than anything#they probably aren't cis. they've struggled with gender and use he/they pronouns and use some typically feminine terms to refer to himself#and it's fine to look up to him when it comes to gender!! i admire the fact that he's so open about it and i find comfort in knowing that -#- in a way he's kinda like me!! they love their trans fans and don't rlly consider themselves cis but also hasn't said anything about -#- using the word trans to describe himself. and those things can coexist. there can be a gray area between cis and trans#idk man. it just feels weird. i dont like how ppl force labels onto someone who has made an effort to avoid labels.#are they probably queer? absolutely. im not denying that. is it still weird that folks are being oddly invasive about his gender? yeah.#we're allowed to talk about his relationship with gender/sexuality + how he's always been focused on making a welcome space for queer folks#but acting as if it's Written Fact to assume he's a binary trans person is just. weird.#to clarify: this isn't me being mad at anyone in particular. if you're one of the folks who talks abt them being transfem then whatever.#im too tired rn to have any kind of beef with y'all. in the end we all basically know nothing. the only one who understands his -#- relationship with gender is gerard themself. im no expert. im just some queer teenager on the internet.#ive just seen it being passed around and i needed to type this out for myself so i can figure out WHY it was making me uncomfortable#nobody's obligated to agree with me or to even pay attention to this. im rlly only writing it out for myself and myself only.#im keeping the reblogs turned off though bc i don't wanna start fights over it
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quitethepirategal · 10 months
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Ah oof. Feeling kinda anxious again.
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I don't think goyim properly understand the fear and change that the wave of antisemitism currently taking place in the wake of the October 7th massacre has induced in the Jewish community.
In a wide-lens view, Jews have become a 1000% more wary and introspective. This isn't limited to diaspora Jews--the headlines pouring out of Israel until October 7th have been of division, polarization, and conflict. Conflict over the 2018 Nation-State Law. Over Bibi's premiership. Over the judicial reform laws. Over the Orthodox Rabbinate. Over this. Over that.
But Israeli society is more unified than ever right now. The judicial reform laws were shelved shortly after the war began and the protests ended on October 8th. Some of it is the rally around the flag effect, yes, and will probably fade as time passes--politics never stops--but the era of Israelis being at one another's throats? Of forgetting that we are all one people and we are all under attack? Gone. It died on October 7th.
In the Diaspora, Jews are once again asking themselves the question--will I need to flee? Guys, a fifth of Gen Z--my generation, that I attend university with--believes the Holocaust was a myth. Two thirds of them think Jews are oppressors. That's terrifying. And the reason we don't take comfort in people saying, 'They're kids with no political power.' is that that won't be true forever. Today's slacktivists who casually say that Israel has no right to exist are tomorrows lawmakers. They will grow up and set policy.
We don't know if they'll grow out of it. I pray to HaShem that they will, but how do I know if they will?
And that's tomorrow's world. Today's world is already bad enough. I don't wear my Star of David necklace to the self-defense classes I've started taking because being surrounded by burly dudes learning how to fight people better isn't a great place to potentially learn that I'm surrounded by antisemites.
Jews--in the year 2024--are being doxxed, seen their homes and synagogues vandalized and threatened, walk past Palestine protests screaming for the death of Zionists, and antisemitism has increased in the United States alone by more than 400%. It's worse elsewhere--Turkish shop owners have been barring Jews from their stores and France has seen antisemitic incidents increase by 1000%. Jews have been leaving social media sites like Tumblr, Reddit, Tik Tok, and Twitter in droves, chased away by the constant, unceasing stream of anti-Jewish hate.
Gentiles need to understand that their words and actions have very real consequences. Jews are not dumb. We're not imagining things. We aren't 'getting our just desserts'. Our fears are grounded not only by historical context but by our current, everyday, lived realities. To gentiles, reading 'antisemitism has gone up by x percent' is a factoid. To us, it is a serious threat and a deep concern.
EDIT: I'm tired of pro-Palestine people sharing this post and using it to back their agenda. You are not welcome to use my experiences to suit your agenda. I am a Zionist! This post is Zionist! Stop taking my words from me and using it against my people.
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etheries1015 · 4 months
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I had sort of a crack idea of what would the non-human twst boys do if their crush or s/o was allergic to them? Savanaclaw and Octonivelle with like the fur allergy and seafood allergy. Maybe diasomnia’s s/o has some sort of fairy allergy? Sorry if this is too silly for you to write, it’s alright if you don’t 😭
I LOVE THIS BECAUSE I'VE HAD A SIMILAR THOUGHT i'm allergic to cats and i'm like...man what am I gonna do around Grim BUAHAHA...this is a great idea. Nothing is too silly to write my friend!
Non-human Twst boys reacting to a S/O who is allergic to them!
featuring: Savanaclaw and Octavinelle!
general warnings: gender neutral reader, not really proof read \
TW: None! just fluff. and allergies.
Leona
The first time you sneezed around him, they didn't know it was literally BECAUSE of him. This was until you two took a nap together for the first time, and when you woke up he saw your face...Oh, brother. Your eyes were puffy and red, congested, and your nose leaked like nobody's business. He genuinely felt bad about this, but wouldn't let you in on his true feelings/emotions. Without understanding the cause (though he had an inkling) he immediately took you to the doctor.
"They're allergic to me? What kind of shitty nonsense is that?!"
Leona invested in the most expensive of healthcare for you. Allergy pills and whatnot, because he wasn't about to sacrifice his lovely naps with his significant other. No amount of allergy is gonna stop him from getting what he wants, and that is your affection.
Ruggie
"Sooo...basically you're saying you're allergic to me? Cause' im part heyena?"
"It's a little more complicated than that. It's more like...animal dander? I guess?" You didn't seem to certain in your answer either, it was more or less a guess since...well, there wasn't half beast half human where you are from. You can only make an educated guess on why you're so allergic to him based off of the information you had back at home.
Ruggie is honestly so sad about this. He can't afford to get you any treatments or medical help with this, so you two just have to be careful. He does manage to get his hands on some special washing products (probably legally) and takes extra care of what he eats, and how clean he his. He's consistently brushing his hair and cleaning his ears.
"Man i'm such a simp. What's wrong with me?!" ...He isn't used to bending backward for people. But seeing you so sick around him, hurt him even more than his pride, so he of course would do anything to make sure you're as comfortable around him as possible. Ahh...the power of love <3
Jack
He gives me the "I must stay away from you for your own good," Type. Although this doesn't last very long. Jack is incredibly loyal, and he's far too attached to let you go. There's times where he would try and keep a distance (much to your annoyance), but when you began sneezing and itching your eyes you knew he was somewhere nearby. Jack is protective like that, but it pains his heart to see you so sick because of something he cannot control.
He does both a mix of what Ruggie and Leona does. He took up extra part-time jobs to afford good allergy medication for you, the entire works. Pills, eye drops, nasal sprays, breathing treatments...He also invests in high-quality shampoo and conditioner to help rid of his dander and hopefully reduce the amount of shedding he has.
With the amount of hair Jack has, he is CONSTANTLY brushing it and it is CONSTANTLY shedding. He does EVERYTHING under the sun to control this, all for you. Although... this is a partnership! You told him that a relationship goes two ways. You love him regardless of how itchy you may get, and you equally chip in to problem-solve.
You're both loyal to each other until the very end, no matter what trivial matters may get in your way <3
Azul
He knew before you two started dating that you had a severe allergy to seafood, so he made it a point to avoid you. But...that didn't stop YOU from coming to HIM. It was one of the things that drew him towards you, the way even though you were gaining a rash you would still wrap your arms around the back of him. Although it wasn't as bad in his human form, he was always terrified what would happen if he were to unleash his original form.
But worry not! We are talking about the literal king of potionology. He finds a remedy very quickly, and you trust him...a little too fast. He is astonished when he says;
"Take this...the second you drink this your allergies will be something of the past. But be warned-" You grabbed it out of his hand and chugged it. He stared at you with his jaw slacked open, his face turning a deep shade of hot red when you throw yourself onto Azul and place a big fat kiss against his cheek.
He imploded. But hey! his potion worked! He tried to get you to give him some sort of paypack, but you mentioned that your form of payment was in that kiss.
He now demands kisses every time he makes the potion for you <3 It's kind of a silent agreement. He just stares at you after you're done drinking it, and whenever you feign ignorance the point upon his lips is far too obvious.
Jade
The first time you broke out in hives, he remained completely calm. Jade is rather smart, and he understands your allergy must be because of his disposition as a mer-folk. Although in human form, he couldn't help but notice the way you would hide your rashes either behind makeup or by bulking clothing. He was amused by this for a moment, but when he saw it worsen he couldn't help but become worried.
"Why would you go so far for me? what do you gain by allowing yourself to become sick?" When you replied with a blush that you simply liked Jade, thus his shock soon turned into action. He excused himself for a few days to climb mountains and collect the most effective of flowers and medicinal remedies for allergies and put together a potion that you were able to take to alleviate your symptoms.
He isn't the vice house warden for nothing! His talents and magic prowess truly aided him, albeit in a way that was seemingly selfish. It was all worth it for you, though.
But he does use you as an example during a class project in potionology, having you stand up in front of the class while he compares your allergies before and after taking the potion.
He got a 100% in the project. And a Significant other. A win-win for everyone!
Floyd
Floyd is much smarter than he lets on. The moment he hugs you from behind and touches your arm, he notices the rash right away. He eyed it with a frown, and without saying anything he let go of you much to your dismay, leaving you to your lonesome for a few days on end.
You had to admit you missed Floyd, his silly jokes and way of talking, his unpredictable personality, and the attention he would often give y you. While sitting at the table during a free period, your head was propped up against your hand and a sad sigh escaping your lips.
"Ehhhh? Why is shrimpy sitting here all alone? Didya miss me?" A familiar voice teased as arms wrapped around you and something akin to a vegetable drink set in front of you. You gasped and smile up at the tall male, who wasn't wrapping his arms around you as you were used to, typically ignoring the itching of your rashes. He convinced you to drink what he sat in front of you, and although you eyed it with suspicion, you sighed and drank it in one gulp and tightly shut eyes.
Nothing happened. You turned to look over at Floyd, about to question the purpose of making you drink the (surprisingly tasty) smoothie-like liquid but were quickly interrupted by lips pressing against your own.
The kiss caught you off guard and you began to panic, talking about your allergy...before you realized that nothing was happening. No rash, no itchiness, nothing.
"Seeeee? It's a potion. I made Azul make it for me. Now I can touch you as much as I want," He smiled proudly. However he managed to convince Azul would forever be beyond you...
He forgets to give you the potion sometimes, only when you two are cuddling and a rash or itching pops up do the both of you realize it's time for a dose.
Ya'll are so silly for each other <3
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talaok · 1 year
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Will you kiss me?
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Pairing: Pedro pascal x reader
Summary: You are a famous actress who Pedro has a crush on, and he finally gets to meet you once you get both invited to The Graham Norton Show
warnings: just fluff
a/n: I had to
"What a pair we have here tonight huh?"Graham spoke enthusiastically, making the audience explode in roaring cheers and applauses.
You just smiled as you tried looking at the crowd, getting overwhelmed by the blinding lights.
"Y/n Y/l/n and Pedro Pascal, just- wow"
Other applauses filled the studio.
"Ok so let's start with you y/n, you have a show coming out next week, two oscar nominated films already out, and one more coming out next month" he took a deep breath, feigning fatigue "You must be tired, I mean, How long has it been since you slept?" he joked, making you laugh.
"well I did work a lot this past year, but it was worth it, I'm happy I got to be part of so many wonderful projects and I'm really proud of all of them, I just can't wait for people to see them"
"well I'm sure we're all gonna love them"
"I hope so, I'm always nervous about it"
"Really?" The man beside you asked, surprise clear in his tone.
Pedro Pascal,
You had heard of him before, of the boom he seemed to have made lately, but had never met him until half an hour ago, when you briefly introduced yourselves to one another.
He looked nervous, awkward even, and you didn't know if it was because of the show he was about to get on, if he just was like that, or if there was something else bothering him.
"of course, when I go to premiers I'm always looking over at how people are reacting, if they're like bored or on their phones or actually interested, it's nervewracking, don't you?"
"well of course I do" he chuckled "but I'm no one compared to you"
He had a beautiful smile, you noticed, sweet, comforting.
"oh stop it" you smacked his shoulder playfully " you're a big deal, Pedro"
He just shook his head, still smiling softly, and Graham took the opportunity to intervene.
"of course you are, I mean, Game of Thrones, Narcos," he listed " and now the Mandalorian and The last of us, I mean you're really killing it"
The crowd cheered some more at the mention of those shows.
"thank you," he said shyly, looking like he almost wanted them to stop.
"so how does it feel?" he asked, "to be on such massive hits at the same time?"
"Well, it feels... scary" he laughed, joined by the audience
"you don't like being the center of attention?" Graham asked
"oh no I do" he corrected, making you laugh "It's just frightening at times, 
but I'm having a good time y'know, it's also comforting seeing everyone I've worked with kind of be in the same position as me" he shrugged.
"People you've worked with?"
"yes, you know like Bella Ramsey, they're also- well they're young so of course, they're new to this- but, y'know, we're not used to all this attention and it feels good to have someone by your side who understands what's going on"
"of course" graham nodded "that's true, Bella is really young" he noticed "that's a thing both your shows have in common, young people," he said, "how did that feel? working with the new generation, I'm not saying you're old, but did you ever feel left out?"
"oh, all time" Pedro laughed
"yeah me too" you agreed "there were times when I was really lost but too ashamed to ask " you laughed in embarrassment
"absolutely," Pedro said, " they have a language of their own"
"right?!" you exclaimed, happy someone finally understood you.
"yes, like, there's one term that I learned recently that's really wonderful- somebody was saying - you swerve - "
You frowned
"do you know what swerving is?"
"nope" 
"I was like oh- get somebody off your scent or something like that- I don't know - confuse somebody, and they were like: no, they come in for a kiss and you swerve" he demonstrated, pretending to be avoiding a kiss on the cheek.
"Isn't that great?"
you nodded, laughing, as an idea came to you
"We should try"
His eyes widened as he turned to you 
"c'mon swerve me"
"no, I cannot swerve you!"
"c'mon it's for science"
"I can't, I can't swerve y/n Y/l/n, that's like - a crime"
"oh stop it, just do it, I wanna try it c'mon," you said, flattered
"ok fine, but just because I can't say no to you" he surrendered
"ok" you cleared your throat, preparing yourself "Oh wow, hi Pedro" you pretended to greet him, going in for a kiss.
He just smiled, as he did, eventually avoid your kiss,
his beard grazed your cheek, and the proximity to him, sparked something inside you, something quick, but likewise persistent.
As you leaned away, you noticed with amusement the flush on his cheeks and had to bite down a smile.
He fanned himself exaggeratedly "I'm blushing," he mumbled, making you chuckle, as you rested a hand on his arm, trying to soothe him.
" So how does swerving feel?" Graham asked
"it's... interesting" you glanced at him.
"It makes me feel rude" he looked at you too now, "I would never do it, it feels- it's mean"
"oh we know you wouldn't" you reassured him.
"I didn't like it" he shook his head
You smiled, tilting your head "would it make you feel better if we did it again without the swerving?"
You noticed how he seemed to have a momentary shutdown.
"yes," he said bluntly
"oh my god yes"
You laughed softly, as his mouth gaped open.
"Will you kiss me?" he almost begged, which was funny considering you had proposed it.
"Alright then, come here" you gestured, and he leaned closer, letting you press a quick kiss to his cheek.
"there" you smiled
"I think I just died"
"oh stop it, you're flattering me," you said, noticing a trace of red on his face "whoops, sorry I left a lipstick print" you went to clean it 
"no no" he stopped you 
"please leave it, I want proof this actually happened"
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genderkoolaid · 2 months
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yeah, but you do mean 'loveless' like 'romanceless' right? Just cause you're not interested in a romantic partnership, and you're never attracted to anyone romantically, that doesn't mean you can't love your family and your friends. Am I understanding wrong? I feel like it's a widely accepted concept that 'love' isn't just romantic, it's about caring about someone, no matter if they're your family or platonic friend or your pet.
No, "loveless" means love-less. Another anon also asked me to explain as well so:
"Lovelessness" in the aro context comes from the essay I Am Not Voldemort by K.A Cook. The essay confronts normative ideas on love, its inherent positivity and what it means to not love. From the introduction, which brings up the question of non-romantic love:
This June, I saw an increasing number of positivity and support posts for the aromantic and a-spec communities discussing the amatonormativity of “everyone falls in love”. I agree: the idea that romantic love is something everyone experiences, and is therefore a marker of human worth, needs deconstruction. Unfortunately, a majority of these posts are replacing the shackles of amatonormativity with restrictive lines like “everyone loves, just not always romantically”, referencing the importance of loving friends, QPPs, family members and pets. Sometimes it moves away from people to encompass love for hobbies, experiences, occupations and ourselves. The what and how tends to vary from post to post, but the idea that we do and must love someone or something, and this love redeems us as human and renders us undeserving of hatred, is being pushed to the point where I don’t feel safe or welcome in my own aromantic community. Even in the posts meant to be challenging the more obvious amatonormativity, it is presumed that aros must, in some way, love. I’ve spent weeks watching my a-spec and aro communities throw neurodiverse and survivor aros under the bus in order to do what the aromantic community oft accuses alloromantic aces of doing: using their ability to love as a defence of their humanity. Because I love, they say, I also don’t deserve to be a target of hatred, aggression and abuse. But what if I don’t love? What if love itself has been the mechanism of the hatred and violence I have endured? Why am I, an aro, neurodiverse survivor of abuse and bullying, still acceptable collateral damage?
The author criticizes the idea of "true love" that is incapable of harm. Ze questions why we construct love in that way, and how it ignores and simplifies the experiences of victims of abuse ("It’s comforting to think that a love that wounds isn’t real love, but it denies the complexity of experience and feeling had by survivors. It denies the complexity of experience and feeling that makes it harder for us to identify abuse and escape its claws. It denies the validity of survivors who look at love and feel an honest doubt about its worth, as a word or a concept, in our own interactions and experiences.") Ze talks about being forced to say "I love you" to transphobic, abusive parents whose feelings of love was the justification for their abuse.
The core of what "loveless" as an concept is about is summed up in this quote:
There is no substantial difference between saying “I’m human because I fall in love”, “I’m human because I love my friends” and “I’m human because I love calligraphy”. All three statements make human worth contingent on certain behaviours, feelings and experiences. Expanding the definition of what kinds of love make us human does nothing but save some aros from abuse and antagonism … while telling survivor and neurodiverse aros, who are more likely to have complex relationships to love as a concept or are unable to perform it in ways recognised by others, that we’re still not worthy.
Lovelessness is against any kind of statement which quantifies humanity (and implicitly, human worth) in the ability to feel or act or experience certain things. Humans are human by virtue of being human, and nothing else. And, it is socially constructed! "Love" has no natural definition! Some people are not comfortable using "love" to describe positive feelings and relationships, and some people do not feel those positive feelings in general. And those people deserve the right to define their own experiences and their own relationship to the social construct of love.
In essence, lovelessness is both a personal as well as (in my opinion) a political identity, born from aro and mad experiences that challenges not just amatonormativity but all ideas that associate personhood and worth with the ability to feel certain things.
& as a note, there is also the term "lovequeer" which describes using the term "love" in ways which contradict mainstream understandings of what it means to love, and which kinds of love are considered worthwhile.
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brodieland · 19 days
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.˚ 𓈒 ࣪.𝝑𝝔 always matching, now the matched ´ˎ˗
Percy Jackson x Fem!Eros!Reader Synopsis: She's cupid, but doesn't believe in love. Yet here comes Percy Jackson, believing other wise Warning(s): potty words, LOL! Word Count: 4420 PART 2
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Y/N Y/L/N, daughter of Eros, also known more famously among mortals as Cupid.
When Y/N first arrived at camp, she wasn't claimed yet. While stuck in the Hermes cabin, she would listen into a lot of gossip (Hermes kids loved to gossip!!). When she had heard about her new friend Silena Beauregard and her ongoing crush on the Hephaestus boy, Charles Beckendorf, Y/N decided to step in. She would be on both ends giving each other advice on one another. Eventually she finally got Bechendorf to ask the amazing Silena out on a date, a real date and not the friendly hanging out they did before that.
The next day when they finally announced to their friends that they were in a relationship, above you appeared a bow and arrow surrounded by hearts. At first they were confused until Chrion announced Y/N was being claimed by the god Eros. The god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection. Ever since then, she lived up to her legacy at camp, and always had people asking her for advice on love.
Love.
Despite being camp Half-Blood's new found resident cupid, Y/N herself had never been in love. She found love a beautiful, yet terrifying experience. Love is showing someone your most vulnerable side for an experience of comfort, an experience that isn't guaranteed to last. It's not like Eros stuck around with your mom. Others craved it, and Y/N serviced it, and she was fine with staying behind.
Before coming to camp when you were 15, you watched your mom never manage to move on. She had fallen in love, and she had fallen hard. Hard enough to have a baby with a man she'd known for such a short amount of time. He'd left and for years your mother was heartbroken. You had step-father after step-father, though they never lasted, they were just to fill the void. You grew up never understanding why people ever bothered with something that wouldn't last, but it never stopped them. You always thought if you couldn't help your mom, you could help others.
As Y/N strolled along the green of camp, she watched all the newer found couples be all lovey dovey with one another. 'You did this, and one day they'll get hurt.' She ignored her running mind and continued on with her day.
You walked down the beach in some denim shorts and a white bikini with mini pink hearts all over it, basking in the sunlight as it tanned your skin. The ocean looked beautiful as you watched Piper and Percy surf the large waves, though you thought Percy had something to do with the size of the waves.
"Hey guys," you waved to your friends as they walked out the ocean.
"You here to enjoy the waves, too," Percy asked.
"The ones you're probably creating," you crossed your arms and the two just chuckled. You were correct though, when Percy stepped out the waves calmed down.
"Hey, could this be the day you finally let me teach you how to surf," Piper wiggled her eyebrows at you, causing you to smile.
"You know what, fine. Sure it is," you said. Piper started cheering as she made Percy go find a board for you to use.
"So, any new matches today, Cupid," Piper asked as she used the nickname that's become quite popular around camp. It was all anyone called you.
"Nope, not today. Everyones happy as they are. For now at least."
"For now?"
"Yeah, you know how I think about it."
"When will you learn that love can last? You don't have to be so gloomy about it you know."
"Spoken like a true Aphrodite kid," Piper just rolled her eyes. "I'm not judging anyone, its just not for me."
"One day it will be, and I'll be here to laugh in your face," Piper declared. You just rolled your eyes as Percy made his way back with the boards in hand.
"I got you a pink one, matches the hearts," Percy said as he handed you the board and gestured to your bathing suit. "Let's go!"
You were not a surfer to say the least, but you held your own. It was probably because Percy made the waves nice and small for you. You told him he didn't have to 'dumb down' the ocean for you, big mistake. You were knocked off your board and washed up ashore looking like the seaweed that washed up next to you.
"I don't think I'm a surfer guys," you said to your friends as they laughed at your current state. With your hair a mess and sand all over you, you looked like you ran through a hurricane.
"Maybe not," Piper couldn't stop laughing. Percy helped you up as were spitting sand out your mouth.
"Hey man, couldn't you help me out? I thought we were gang," You asked, gods you loved talking like a little frat boy.
"I'm the one who washed you up and didn't let the waves drown you???"
"Do I look like I wasn't just drowning," you gestured to yourself from head to toe, causing the two to just laugh.
"You look amazing," Percy said. "Like a 5 year olds shitty sand castle."
"After it's been stomped on of course," Piper added. You shook her hair back into place, sorta, and jumped back into the ocean to wash off the excessive sand.
"Yo Y/N," Percy yelled.
"Yeah," you turned toward Percy, and before you realized it, a wave smacked you from the side and knocked you back into the ocean. The pair on the shore were now doubling over, holding their guts in laughter. When you stood back up you gasped, inhaling oxygen like you've never before. "YOU'RE NOT FUNNY."
"We're laughing," Percy shouted back. You ran back out the ocean before Percy could send another wave your way.
"I need a shower, there's sand in places sand should not be," you announced as you walked off, waving your friends off. Eros doesn't have any other kids, so there hasn't been a cabin built yet. You walked in the Aphrodite cabin and waved at some of the campers as you walked straight toward the bathroom. When you were washing the sand out, you could hear some of the girls gossiping outside. Gods, you always wondered which between the Hermes or Aphrodite kids were the bigger gossips.
"I don't get her at all," one girl said.
"Yeah, how can she be like, so good with everyone else, but hate the thought of one for herself," a second girl said. Then the door opened.
"Hey, whatcha guys talkings talking about," a boy said.
"Cupid and how she refuses to get in a relationship," the first girl said.
"Gods, she soo hot, what'd I do for a night with her," the guy groaned. You just rolled your eyes as he further proved your point on why you'd rather not get into a relationship.
"Yeah she doesn't even like, just have fun with guys. She's like totally closed off," like, like, like. You turned off the water and started to dry yourself off.
"Literally, like it's the 21st century," you were tired of listening to the three go on and on about you like they didn't just watch you go inside the bathroom. You wrapped your towel around yourself, as tight as possible, and opened the door.
"Hey guys, whats up," you smiled as you walked toward your bed and going through your chest of clothes. Watching them go silent may have made your day. You walked back to the bathroom door to change. Before you shut the door, you turned back and said "I heard everything, and I don't need to be in a relationship to be happy."
You sighed as you put your clothes back on and walked back out the cabin, ignoring the silenced trio inside. You saw Percy walking back from the beach. He looked tanner.
"Hey Percy," you waved.
"Hey Y/N, you washed the seaweed out your hair I see," he smiled.
"You mean after you tried drowning me? Yeah I did wash it out thank you."
"I thought it was a nice little accessory no?"
"No," you deadpanned. "Anyways guess what, while I was showering I got stuck listening to people gossip on me, can you believe?"
"What could they possibly be talking about?"
"How I choose to stay single, like gods forbid. One of the was all like," you used air quotes and pitched up your voice, "like its the 21st century, blah blah."
Percy chuckled at your interpretation, "Wow, you should be an actor."
"Thank you thank you," you bowed.
"But really, Y/N, you're always helping everyone else get into relationships. How come your so against it?" You felt like a weight was dropped on your shoulders, like a shadow fell over your face.
"Nothing, dinners starting we should probably head over," you started walking, a neutral expression painted your face. You saw Piper and sat next to her, not before putting on a smile.
"Hello my queen," you beamed as you leaned your head on her shoulder.
"Hey babe," she kissed the top of your head as you leaned back up. You guys always joked like this. You got your food and started eating. You never burned your offerings, who would you pray to? Your dad? Eros? You never liked him after how he left your mother, and you decided to never pray to him. He didn't deserve the offerings. Your cabin mates came back and you all finished your dinner, now heading back to your cabin. You staggered behind slightly as Percy started to catch up.
"Hey Y/N," he sounded a little out of breath as he was walking next to you. "Look, I'm sorry if I said something earlier. I didn't mean to like offend you or something."
"Look its fine, I think I was just hungry or something," you said, kind of hoping he'd drop it.
"If you say so, just wanted to make sure we're good," it was quiet for a second. "We're good right?"
You chuckled, "yes Percy, we're good."
"Okay good," Percy breathed out as you slightly smiled. You both reached the doors of the Aphrodite cabin. "well, goodnight then."
"Good night," You walked into your cabin and headed over to your bunk above Piper. Lots of the other campers were up talking to one another from their bunks, but the second your head hit the pillow, you were out. And just as quickly as you fell asleep, you were pulled into a dream.
'You were standing in your old bedroom with your stuffed bear in your hands. You'd just woken up and were now staring out the window watching the clouds pass.'
You remember this, you were just about 4 years old.
'As you were cloud gazing, you heard your stomach rumble and made your way down into the kitchen. It was nearing 10AM so you knew mom was up. Normally you'd smell the breakfast from your room, but not today. When you walked down you didn't smell any bacon or hear any sizzling of the stove. All you heard was crying.
"I.. I can't do this anymore..." You knew that voice, you knew it better than any other voice, it was your mothers. "I miss him so much, and what do I do with her? I can't.. I can't tell her."
Up until now, you'd never heard your mother cry, but here she was pouring her eyes out. Who did she miss so bad? And why was she so sad they weren't here?
"Mommy?"
Your mom jumped as she wiped her face and turned around, clearly not expecting you. "Hey there sweetie, how's it going?"
"Why are you so sad," you walked up to her and hugged her leg. She smiled half-heartedly as she picked you up. "Why are you crying mommy?"
"Oh nothing, I'm sorry you had to see that," you may have been 4, but you can tell she was pretty upset. And you asked the worst question ever.
"Mommy?"
"Yes sweetie?"
"How come.. all the others kids have dads but I don't," you asked as softly as you could. You saw the slight switch in your moms face, before she quickly smiled again.
"Your dad was special, more than you know. He was amazing, I hope one day when you get to meet him, you'd understand how important he is, and forgive him for leaving." That's what she always said, and the more she said it, the less you believed it.
You woke up, not moving from your spot in bed. You laid on your side continuing to stare at the wall as a single tear fell from your eye. You hated that dream, hated it more because it was a recurring one. From that day forward, you watched your mom fall for different men, and watch it end the same way it always did.
You heard a yawn from under you, "Good morning, Pipes."
"Morning, cupid" Piper groaned. You sat up and hopped off your bed and sat with Piper. "Wanna try again at surfing or are you still a wimp."
"Definitely still a wimp," you laughed. There was a knock at the door and a boy walked in.
"Yo," Conner Stroll called out. Piper sat up and you both turned into his direction. Conner's eyes widen as he smiled and walked over. "There ya are cupid, I been looking for you."
"I told you I'm not helping you steal from the camp store again."
"No no not that," Conner clarified, "Though I do believe you should rethink that."
You glared at him before he continued, "Anyways, Chiron wanted to ask me to pick up some demigod that was found in Florida, but my license got um, suspended."
"What's this have to do with me?"
"Please cover for me, I get it unsuspended in three days I'm begging you," Conner got on one knee and pressed his hands together, pleading with you. You and Piper locked eyes and laughed. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing, nothing, I'll do it. Always wanted to go to Florida anyways."
You got up and got dressed in some normal clothes, opposed from your camp Half-Blood shirt. You put on a another pair of denim shorts, a baggy shirt, and some converse, before heading out to the big-house for the car keys.
"Chiroonnnnn," you sang out as you walked into the house.
"Ah cupid, there you are, I assumed you are here for the keys," you nodded as he fished into his pocket and handing you the keys. You found it funny how even the staff called you cupid, it was like an endearing nickname you supposed. "Can't believe Conner got his license suspended."
You laughed as you headed out the door, "Hold on!"
You paused and turned as Chiron called out, "Whats up?"
"I would appreciate it if you brought a friend with you, maybe Percy," Chiron suggested, you nodded and this time made it fully out the door. It's almost like he was summoned by speaking his name, because there he was.
"PERCYY," you shouted as you ran your way over. He turned over with a concerned look on his face. "Hey there."
"Y/N," he deadpanned, "Is there a reason that your screaming like someones chasing you?"
"How would you feel about leaving camp and picking up a nice ol' demigod with me?" You smiled. "Pretty please."
"You don't gotta twist my arm about it, I'll go change," you smiled as he walked off.
"Wow, you asked Percy but not me? I feel offended," you jumped and saw Piper standing behind you.
"Don't feel offended, Chiron suggested it you know."
"Hmm."
"What?"
"Nothing, nothing. Have fun being stuck in a cramped car with Percy," you had to take a double take.
"Whats that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing, nothing-"
"If you say that one more time-"
"I'm back," Percy reappeared now changed into some jorts (I think jorts are underrated) and a baggy shirt. "Ready?"
"Ready," you said. You and Percy went and walked off, as you quickly turned back to glare at Piper. You and Percy kept walking till you finally made it to one of the black SUVs reserved for transporting demigods. Percy walked toward the drivers seat before you stopped him.
"You don't have a license?"
"I'm showing some good manners?" Percy said as he opened the doors and allowed you to step in. You thanked him as he got into the passenger seat. You guys were 2 hours into the drive when you both drove into the drive through of a McDonalds. As you continued driving you guys ate and listened to music. And though Percy wouldn't admit this, he loved Lana Del Rey.
They judge me like a picture book By the colors, like they forgot to read
The soul read was crazy! After about 11 hours, the both of your eyelids were falling heavy, knowing it was time to get some sleep. You parked off into an empty parking lot and rolled back the seats, falling asleep. Or trying to.
"Are you asleep," Percy called out.
"Yeah," you heard rustling in the seat next to you. You turned your head and saw him looking at you. "Why're you staring at me?"
"I'm not?"
"Whatever you say," you smiled. "Percy?"
"Y/N."
"How come you don't call me cupid like everyone else?"
"You have your own name, so why stick you with your dads name," Percy turned on his back. "You don't even like him, do you?"
You were quiet for a second. You never really opened up about him. Sure Piper knew that you never liked relationships, but that's about it. "No, I don't."
You were quiet a few seconds. You didn't think about continuing, but the words spilled out. "When he left my mom, she was never the same. She tried hiding it but the older I got... I don't even know. All I know is she couldn't love the same."
You stopped speaking and turned back to Percy who was listening to you intently, you felt encouraged to continue. "What really sucked was, all she did was talk about him with love."
It was silent again before Percy spoke up, "is that why you closed off being in love?"
You waited a second before nodding,
"Through this sting was Amor made wiser. The untiring deceiver concocted another battle-plan: he lurked beneath the carnations and roses and when a maiden came to pick them, he flew out as a bee and stung her,"
you paused, "at the end of the day, love just hurts people."
"We both know you know that's not the case," Percy said lowly. "Think of all the people you've set up, if you really believe that, then why help them?"
"Just because I'll never understand why people want love, doesn't mean I can stop it, can I?"
"No, guess not. Still, why do you really help them," Percy asked again, turning back to you. You thought about it again.
"Sometimes I wish I was just as naive as everyone else," you admitted. "I wish I saw love as beautiful as everyone else did, not as a bee waiting in the flowers ready to sting me when I got close. Or.. vulnerable."
"You seem pretty vulnerable right now, and last I checked, I don't see any bees around to sting you," you looked over at Percy who was smiling. His contagious smiling spreading to you.
"We have a long drive tomorrow, we should sleep," you said.
"Yeah. You're right."
"I normally am."
You both drifted off to sleep, and thankfully, there was no recurring dream. Just a peaceful sleep. You two woke with the sun as it blasted into your faces. After saying your good mornings, you drove off. Getting some breakfast first, of course.
Percy looked at you with his eyebrow raised, "I don't think a Baja blast is good for you at 8 in the morning."
"Shut the fuck up."
You were not a morning person, if it wasn't clear. You guys kept driving and driving before finally making it to the young demigod's house by 6PM. You and Percy stretched your legs before walking up and knocking on the door. An older man, who you assumed to be the demigods father, opened the door.
"Are you the ones from the camp," the man asked.
"Yeah, I'm Y/N, and that's Percy," Percy waved.
"Hello my names Richard," he introduced himself before calling down his daughter. "This is my daughter, Delilah."
Delilah waved at the two at the door, she didn't look older than 7. She had blonde hair like her father and flowers in her hair and mud on her hands, like she'd been out in the back yard.
"She loves the the garden out back, can never get her away from it," Richard said.
"Well good thing we have a lot of gardens at camp," you said. You watched as Richard picked up his daughter and hugged her.
"I'll see you at the end of summer okay? I love ya pumpkin," he kissed her forehead before putting her down. The scene tugged at your heart strings, the little girl on the inside was shaking right now.
"Hey Delilah, ready to go on a little roadtrip," Percy asked after kneeling down to her level. She nodded her head quickly while smiling. "Well cmon, no time to waste!"
He picked her up while jumping and skipping on the way to the car. You said your goodbyes to the girls father and headed back to the car. You watched as Percy effortlessly made the young girl laugh and smile, it gave you a warm feeling inside. It's a feeling you wish you had when you were younger. You envied Percy's future kids, he was just so good with people. Of all ages.
"Let's hit the road," you said while hitting the gas. You and Percy hadn't eaten since breakfast that morning, determined to make it to Delilah at a reasonable hour, so now the two of you were starving. "Delilah, you want some pizza?"
"Yes! Yes!" That's all you needed, you pulled into the first pizza place you saw, a 'Groovys Pizza & Grill.' You guys all split a supreme pizza with pepperoni, sausage, ham, bacon, green pepper, onion, black olives. Turns out little Delilah was a bigger eater than she looked. After about an hour you all finished eating and packed back up into the SUV.
It was now 11PM, you and Percy were determined to push through to at least 1AM this time. Not Delilah though, she was asleep in the back.
"You were so good with her you know," you said.
"Hmm?"
"With Delilah, its like it came natural or something."
"Maybe. That's just how me and my mom always were. We always had our fun, never made me feel different you know," you smiled. Percy always talked so highly of his mother. Never with an ounce of resentment towards her. It was beautiful. "You know, I watched my mom go through a pretty bad relationship too."
You turned for a second to see Percy completely serious about what he's going to say, "She was with this guy, I always called him smelly Gabe. He treated us like shit, but she stayed with him because he protected me. Not like it was on purpose, his smell was just so ass it covered mine. I thought after getting with a god, she'd never have the normally life she wanted. Then she met her new husband Paul, and I'd never seen her happier. I even have a new sibling now, Estelle."
You smiled, "That's amazing, I'm glad it worked out for her. With the way you talk so highly of her, she deserves it."
"Yeah, but I didn't just say that to gloat."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying, sometimes a relationship goes sour. Sometimes that's how life is, giving up doesn't solve anything," Percy said as he yawned.
You drove in silence after that. He was right, but that doesn't make you less scared. You looked at Percy who was trying to get some shut eye, then at Delilah through the mirror up front. You always wanted to blame Eros for how he left your mom, well you did, but what good is that doing you? Missing out on a giant piece of life for the sake of resenting your father. Hades, after all this time, did you even know what it is to love someone? It was nearing 1AM, so you found another empty parking lot to fall asleep in before making it back to camp in the morning. Hopefully.
The next day, you three arrived at camp by 7PM. You might've broken some speed laws but you didn't care, you were tired of that car. You stretched out before walking Delilah to the main house where Chiron would talk and show her around. Now it was just you and Percy, walking your way to the dining pavilion where everyone was eating dinner.
"I hope you consider what I told you, you know," Percy said.
"What?"
"About getting over your fear. I knows there's someone out there ready to love you, trust me," you looked to Percy, watching him continue looking forward as he walked.
"I'll think on it," you almost whispered before looking back forward, nearly at your respective tables. You walked behind Piper, tapping her shoulder. When she saw you she put you in a bear hug.
"Pipes, I missed you too, but my ribs," you croaked. She let you go and let slip into the seat next to her.
"So, how'd it go?"
"Gods the drive was treacherous," you dragged. "But it was pretty fun."
"Fun?"
"Have some decorum please," you held up your hand. She smiled and so did you.
"But seriously, stop keeping the gossip to yourself," Piper complained.
"There's no gossip," you smiled. You remember watching how Percy acted towards a kid he's never met, and again, you felt the mix of the little girl in you and the you now sitting on this bench feel happy about it.
"Yeah sureee," Piper looked at you up and down before coming close to your ear, "because looks like cupid shot herself with her own arrow."
You just rolled your eyes, "did not."
"Whatever you say."
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cannibalistic-deer · 1 month
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It baffles me that I've seen people say "Alastor is canonically sex and touch repulsed" as a reason people "shouldn't" be shipping Alastor sexually/romantically.
Why assume that the sex repulsion applies to every relationship in his life, permanently? Some aces are sex favorable, or may develop more favorable feelings for specific people, even if otherwise repulsed.
And the same applies to touch repulsion. That's such a weak argument. Alastor canonically, and very clearly, is okay with or possibly even enjoys touch in specific situations. He does seem to be touch repulsed in general, but again, there are specific people it doesn't apply to. (Rosie is the best example, since with anyone else it is more brief, but Rosie touches him, and is the one initiating that, frequently.)
All types of attraction, or comfort levels with different manners of affection, are fluid. This isn't ever an excuse to invalidate real people who are telling you their identities, but it does mean that assumptions really can't be made about what a person would or wouldn't do.
And this type of thinking is what really leads to invalidating real people, because even if you think "being asexual means never having sexual attraction," and then an ace person shares that they think they might have experienced sexual attraction at some point but still identify as ace... then you have to be open to that. You cannot put sexualities in boxes. This applies to all sexualities.
I'm a fictive of Alastor myself, and I am sex repulsed, so I understand the discomfort, but I also understand that people are not harming any real, living person by making fanworks where Alastor is having sex. It also doesn't mean they're inherently rejecting his asexuality.
If people want to ignore Alastor being aroace completely, that's different. Alastor is canonically aroace (or asexual at minimum), and he always will be. But jumping to conclusions about what people think because you're too naive and stubborn to understand that sexuality and attraction doesn't fit into tidy little boxes is harmful and is a way of thinking that must be changed.
This became longer than intended because I was mostly thinking about the "Alastor is touch repulsed to everyone!" claims some people make, which are frankly incompatible with canon. But the rest of this post is also true.
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candy-heart-brew · 1 month
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I've seen some fans theorize that the lyrics to "Bug-a-Bye and Goodnight" tie into Frank's developing relationship with Eddie, potentially foreshadowing a grisly end for a favorite mailman. The lyrics are incredibly emotional and poor Frank sounds like he's fighting back tears during this entire record, making it feel like there's something more going on under the surface. While it's entirely possible that this is meant to foreshadow Frank and Eddie eventually being separated, I think the song's symbolism could be pointing to a different direction...
I touched a bit on this in a different post but to summarize: the attitude that Frank displays during "Bug-a-Bye and Goodnight" is completely at odds to his reaction to Eddie at the party. During BaBaG he's sad but resigned to fate, he knows that hibernation is inevitable but takes a bit of comfort in the knowledge that it's only temporary and that his loneliness will only last through winter. So, he does his best to power through, keep his personal feelings out of it, and assure his little friends that he'll be alright.
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By contrast, his reaction to Eddie's behavior at the party is one of panic and confusion. He doesn't understand what's happening to Eddie or why he's suddenly gone unresponsive, he just knows that he isn't acting like himself at all and he can't accept that. He refuses to leave Eddie alone even after being ignored, continuing to push until he gets a response, at which point he immediately realizes something is wrong and tries to push further, only stopping when Eddie leaves. At this point in the story they don't appear to be especially close but Frank's terrified reaction speaks volumes about his true feelings for Eddie. And if this is how he reacts to him being quieter than usual, I can't imagine that he'd be much calmer or more composed in the event of losing Eddie altogether. IMO, he's far more likely to get angry and demand answers rather than wax poetic. So while "Bug-a-Bye and Goodnight" could potentially foreshadow Eddie's fate, Frank's subdued reaction makes me question that interpretation. I do think there's a deeper meaning to BaBaG, that Frank is singing about something other than bugs, just not Eddie. But then who? Well, as we found out in this last update, bugs are not the only creatures in the neighborhood that hibernate...
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Think about it for a moment- Julie is going to be gone for months, leaving Frank all alone without his best friend. Who's going to invite him to games now? Who's going to listen to him about his interests and laugh at his jokes? Who's going to bake gelatin monstrosities with him? Julie is practically his other half so to lose her for months on end must be very difficult for him! He knows that she can't help it and he doesn't blame her but that hardly makes it any easier. All he can really do now is just push that sadness down, wish her goodnight, and wait for her to return.
Under this interpretation, certain lyrics in BaBaG take on a different meaning to me. Lines like "I know it's for the best, I can't keep you," or "I'll be the first to tell you, you just can't stay," could imply an oncoming rift between the two of them. The recent updates have implied that Frank and Julie were written to be a couple and were perceived as such in-universe. We don't yet know how the two of them felt about that but we do know that they were very close to the point of doing basically everything together! But now Frank is falling in love with someone else, someone who may very well come to eclipse Julie in terms of importance to him. No matter how much he loves her, no matter how much they might want to stay together, there are some things you just can't fight and this play-relationship they have can't last forever...
But that's just my interpretation!
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comicaurora · 4 months
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Nick Bostrom's "Fable of the Dragon Tyrant," which CGP Grey adapted into a video, left me feeling unsatisfied, and I got a certain unsettling vibe about the entire story.
I don't think it was the dragon's lack of agency, that just makes it an unusually traditional Western dragon.
You're a master at picking narratives apart to figure out why they don't satisfy. Do you have any insight, opinions, or cracktheories about why this story might be unsatisfying to some folks?
Probably because it's a very unsubtle metaphor casting the dragon as death, and death itself as a cruel, malevolent beast devouring and subjugating humanity for its own whims. This is very much intentional on the part of the writer. The paradigm of the story is that the dragon is huge, terrifying and incalculably cruel, and everyone lives their lives in the shadow of its terror or are just too deluded to recognize that it's COMING TO EAT THEM OH GOD
Intrinsic in this metaphorical structure is the idea that the dragon, aka death, is an artificial imposition on the natural order, and if we just got rid of the big ol' mean dragon, everybody would live forever and be fine. Accepting that the dragon exists is framed as a sign of desperation or even cowardice. This is an understandable read when facing a monster that only SEEMS timeless and inevitable (like LeGuin's thoughts comparing the current state of capitalism to the historical acceptance of the divine right of kings) but becomes bizarre when applied to something as legitimately factual as biological death. It's not even framed as unnatural death - the dragon specifically gets sent mostly old people. The metaphor is very explicitly about trying to frame death from old age as a big horrible dragon that everyone only thinks is unstoppable.
I get what they're going for here. The purpose of this story is to make the audience question if death is a true inevitability or if it can be fought, staved off, even defeated. But in the process, the story frames the systems of the world that have formed around death - doctors, pallative caregivers, will executors - as macabre gears in the machine dedicated to the genocidal cruelty of feeding the dragon.
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In the dragon tyrant framing, these people only exist to make the rest of the world more okay with flinging themselves down the gullet of the dragon and to streamline the process by which everybody dies. By casting death as the enemy, everybody whose jobs are based on the compassionate act of comforting and aiding people suffering from loss become reframed as collaborators with the incalculably evil enemy, and everyone who's ever accepted their own death becomes a loser. This is a deeply cruel way to frame people who dedicate their lives to helping people through one of the hardest and most tragic aspects of life.
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Damn, that's fucked up. Look at this eloquent idiot, explaining why we should be okay with letting a big dragon eat us because it's the natural order. Clearly he is wrong and it's not debasing at all to want to stay alive and not get eaten by a big dragon. This is a fallacy of false analogy: death is like being eaten by a big mean dragon. All his arguments look ridiculous when applied to getting eaten by a big mean dragon, therefore they must be ridiculous when applied to dying when your organs start failing because they've been running nonstop for nine decades and biological systems accumulate wear and tear like literally everything else in the universe.
Entropy increases; systems break down, from DNA to planetary orbits. Successfully shoot down the dragon and you'll end up outliving everything you thought was eternal, even the stars. The goal of immortality isn't really to personally witness the sun exploding, it's to have more good time. It's to make your twenties last into your sixties. It's to keep your back painless and your vision good for longer. We want to postpone the story's end as long as we can, and so we extrapolate "more time" into "I never want to die, I want to be young and healthy and hot forever" even though "forever" doesn't exist. To look to "forever" is to understand that your culture and language will drift, your home will eventually crumble out from under you, your shoreline will erode and change, your climate will transform, your tectonic plate will subduct or shatter, your moon's orbit will slow and tidally lock, and eventually your sun will start burning helium and cook your planet. You don't want "forever" to look like that, you want it to look like your twenties felt. But at that point you aren't fighting the Big Mean Dragon That Eats People, you're fighting the ocean and the biosphere and the earth and the stars, trying to hold them in place against entropy so your immortality can have an equally immortal world to enjoy it in. No, this argument doesn't want true immortality, it wants their twenties to last longer. But it can't admit that.
Back to the story. There's a condescending and spiteful tone in the narration. Death (being eaten by a big mean dragon) is OBVIOUSLY awful and we should all be fighting as hard as we can to make it stop happening. Even a child can see it.
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The story even helpfully adds a lengthy moral explanation at the end, in case you didn't understand that the dragon was the inevitability of death and we should dedicate all our resources to figuring out how to make a big rocket and shoot it.
"Nobody should ever die" is generally understood to be a childish dream with extremely obvious and unpleasant consequences that would turn its realization into an unending and waking nightmare, and once out of the confines of easy metaphor, the story tries to act like that wasn't what it was just saying. But its more realistic proposed substitute, "It would be great if people could live longer and have more healthy, youthful years in them," is probably the world's most uncontroversial statement. This story frames it like a bold revelation that the world will attempt to beat down and crush out of a misguided acceptance that Big Mean Dragon comes for us all. It's a morality fable whose conclusion is "I hope science improves the length and quality of our lives, potentially even to the point where we never have to die at all," which has been the number one goal of huge swaths of science since the invention of agriculture. This is not a bold or controversial take. It's just being written as though we're all looking at the naked emperor and pretending he's wearing pants.
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