Pinned
The best shot of the year
Those in the notes worried about this being AI, it's not - her name is Pan Xiaoting and she's a badass billiards pro
You're simply never going to convince me that the people who learned how to analyze, think critically, and build up skill sets so they could become genuinely informed and competent in a field and accomplish tasks independently aren't better off than the people who use generative AI as a crutch and replacement for doing anything by themselves. There's not a world where knowledge and skills are a disadvantage, so no, people really don't need to "learn how to use ChatGPT or else they'll get left behind." That's just a marketing tactic to get people to use this product sooner.
I think I am officially Fandom Old. I am so worn out from the arguments on who's the top or the bottom (who cares), what is allowed to be written (anything you want, bejeebus), what is Problematic (I know, just tag it), what other people Should Do (they Should live their lives free of judgment). There isn't a Right Way to do things. Tag your stuff appropriately, don't read stuff you don't want to read, and leave other people (me) alone.
There is nothing quite like the freedom of having gone through all of the Discourse and come out the other side into the promised land of Not Giving A Fuck.
The three keys to the promised land are “Block, Unfollow, and Do Not Engage”
This.
P.S. Optional: getting rid of the Ask button too. I have had such peace and quiet. I now only talk to people I wanna talk via DMs.
like/reblog if u are:
no one will know which one u chose! :D
"Vox emotionally abuses Valentino."
Counterargument: Their relationship, when Alastor isn't around, is remarkably healthy considering how repressed Vox is. I can think of one example of potentially abusive behavior between them, and it actually comes from Valentino. But Alastor not only brings out all of Vox's worst traits, he actively feeds them. And he's around for most of Vox's interactions with Valentino, so none of those can be treated as evidence of how their relationship is normally.
The very first time we see the two of them interact, within the first ten seconds of that interaction, Valentino throws a glass at Vox (this is the potentially abusive behavior I mentioned, because he does it more than once, and we know it could actually hurt Vox because it breaks his screen the second time. I have flagged it as potentially abusive because Vox does not care. At all. He looks more upset about Valentino breaking his phone than about having things thrown at him).
Vox is openly annoyed about being called in to calm Valentino down, but he doesn't show that annoyance while talking to him, beyond getting on his phone while Val is ranting. And apart from that, there is nothing unhealthy about how he handles the situation. There is one flash of anger when he realizes Valentino is planning to go attack the hotel, and he immediately recovers himself, steps back, and changes his approach. Before that he just lets Valentino vent while asking questions - which shows that he's listening, even while he's on his phone - and after he realizes he needs to take a more active approach, he just. Talks him down. Last I checked, talking people out of bad ideas is not manipulative or abusive.
Meanwhile, Valentino is so surprised by Vox's brief outburst that he snaps out of his own rage. He allows himself to be talked down. And I suppose you could argue it's because he was afraid of upsetting Vox, but he consistently pushes back whenever Vox crosses a line with him, so I kinda doubt it. And when he expresses disappointment in not being allowed to go shoot people, Vox lights his cigarette for him and offers to call up the lowest earners. Which, to me, says Vox isn't only talking him down to protect the company's image. He could have just said tough luck, but instead he offers Valentino something to make him feel better.
"He's just rewarding him for doing what he wants!"
Show me the line where love becomes a transaction. Valentino took his anger out on Vox and Vox still handled the situation with maturity, including reining in his own anger. I do not see anything abusive here (except from Valentino, but again. Vox doesn't care).
I think this is the only scene we have between them that's truly just them, but frankly, it's all we need.
Backstage at Vox's rally, the two of them have a moment together as they're preparing for the show. Not a dramatic one, just some light flirting that both of them seem comfortable with. And then trouble quite literally rolls in, and a few mocking words later, Vox's behavior towards Val changes considerably: dismissive instead of flirtatious, and he decides to go onstage alone instead of with his team.
This is not Vox being neglectful. This is Vox being manipulated by someone who knows exactly which buttons to push. And we know this isn't normal behavior for him, because Valentino is surprised. He knows full well that Vox struggles to share the spotlight, but it still comes as a shock when he makes the conscious decision not to. And once the surprise wears off, Valentino becomes angry, though he keeps it to himself for now.
Later, Vox goes to Valentino so he can "borrow" Angel Dust. But Valentino is still mad and calls Vox out on his behavior at the rally. And Vox mishandles the situation! He doesn't take Val's feelings seriously, and when he starts to say that they've been partners for decades, he catches himself and corrects it to "partners in business". He then attempts to play off his recent behavior as just "pushing the fan favorites to the front", which shows that he hasn't clued in to why Val is actually mad at him.
Valentino isn't mad because Vox is making himself the star of the show, he's mad because he's hurt. He's losing his partner to an obsession, and he needs reassurance that Vox still cares about him. Being treated as just a business partner makes it worse because it diminishes what they are to each other, and comes across as Vox caring more about his own goals than about him. At this point, Valentino stops talking to or looking at him. But he does squeak, which is a thing some moths do when they're startled or agitated. And that's when Vox finally figures out what's actually bothering him, and changes his approach.
"He's using sex to get what he wants!"
Well, yes. He is also affirming his relationship in the only way he can. This man is so repressed that he would probably choke if he tried to say "I love you", he is not going to resolve a problem like this with words. Sex is safe because it doesn't involve feelings, but it's still an explicit request to spend some time together, just the two of them. It's still acknowledging that he hurt Valentino and making an effort to apologize, even if he can't say it.
And no, I don't think I'm reading too much into it. This is the face of a man who just realized he fucked up.
Even healthy couples fight sometimes. Sometimes that fight is about their relationship. It's their business if they want to resolve it with sex, as long as the conflict is resolved and not just ignored. And Valentino has known Vox for far too long not to have noticed his issues with emotional intimacy, or to expect a spoken apology. If it works for them, that's all that matters. And Valentino is happy to accept the offer, even though he wouldn't even look at him a moment ago, so it clearly works for them.
And then they get interrupted, and Vox's personal hell is right there to drive them apart again. Alastor mocks him and Vox lashes out at Valentino, trying to hypnotize him even though he knows he can't. And once again, Valentino looks shocked before anger takes over and he pushes Vox away, with a wings-open intimidation display for good measure. Vox is clearly treating Val in a way that isn't like him, and Val is not putting up with it.
And Vox backs down. Mind you, he does not give a single solitary fuck about being threatened. He has had an angelic spear held an inch from his chest and didn't even flinch. He is not afraid of Valentino. But he steps back even though Alastor is there to see him concede. He stands there and lets Valentino yell at him even though Alastor is there to watch.
And then he just has to get the last word in to save face, and he gets hit in the face instead. But the point is that he's not being abusive in this scene. He is being human. He hurt someone he cares about, he doesn't realize it at first, and when he does, he tries to course correct. And then he immediately fucks up and hurts him again, because his own emotional wounds are being picked at until they bleed.
These two are terrible people, but there's no evidence that they're terrible to each other, at least when Vox isn't dragging the living embodiment of his own insecurities around with him. Just Valentino throwing things, which Vox clearly considers annoying at worst.
I dunno. I think they're pretty happy together, when Vox isn't having a mental health crisis.
This.
I second all of this.
mark my words
redbubble / trans flag version
I feel so insane about ai. I've had face-to-face conversations with people who use it for therapy, who use it to calculate the safety of pill interactions, who use it for all their emails and grant applications and legal documents and academic papers and finance sheets and for every single question they have about the world, and if you tell them about the ecological costs they just laugh and say "I guess I've used a lot of water." and I've been in multiple gatherings of 10+ people where I'm THE ONLY PERSON who doesn't use chatgpt. it's turning me into a ranting raving pariah, because how don't you people see??? why don't you understand??????? this bullshit didn't exist five years ago, you absolutely do not need it, and it is destroying everything
I have seen a lot of people talking about Alastor emoting with his ears in ways that make it apparent they assume deer emote like cats and dogs. They do not. Deer are prey animals and they do not emote like predators. So let's clear up some things!
To begin, because this is the reason I'm making this post: yes! Deer do, in fact, pin their ears back when they feel threatened, or as an aggressive display. Here is an example of what that looks like for Alastor.
Note how angular the shape language is, with a sharp bend at the top of the ear. This creates a sense of tension, especially when paired with the hunched posture. This is not a happy deer.
With that established! Let's proceed.
The ears of a happy deer will be relaxed. They may droop, lie flat, or move independently of each other. This deer is paying attention to his left side, but he is calm and comfortable.
Let me repeat that. The ears of a happy deer may lie flat.
The ears here are laid back, but they are gently tapered from base to tip. They are not pressed to the skull, and the overall body language is relaxed. This deer. Is fine. He is not upset. He is not bothered by what's going on, or what's being said. He is not annoyed by Vox imitating him. A brief touch to the shoulder draws his eyes down, but there is no other reaction. If he dislikes it, it's a momentary irritant that doesn't ruin his mood.
Want to know something else laid-back ears can indicate, specifically in a social context? Search images of "deer showing affection". You will get so many laid-back ears. At worst, Alastor is comfortable with Vox, in spite of the touching, and it would not be a stretch to suggest that he enjoys his company.
Ears upright but still relaxed. This deer appears mildly interested, but not bothered. He offers no reaction at all to being touched this time, maintaining the above posture and ear angle both before and after.
Ears upright but no longer relaxed, accompanied by a slight growl. A line has been crossed. This deer is no longer comfortable, and may take action to escape the unpleasant situation if it persists.
From the moment Vox proposes a partnership, ears upright becomes Alastor's default for the rest of the scene. Which might not seem noteworthy because that's their default position anyway, but it hasn't been their default for this scene. The ears of a happy deer are relaxed, and they move freely; rigidly upright indicates alertness and alarm. There is a non-zero chance that this deer is having a crisis over a label being put on his relationship.
Socially speaking, ears up is also a display of dominance. Which is doubtless the interpretation Alastor would prefer, and a valid one considering he spends the rest of the scene verbally tearing Vox apart.
I choose to interpret it as a bit of both. Maybe one more so than the other.
Writers, take notes.
i think the most upsetting thing about american-flavor puritanism is how fucking patronizing it is. it's 2026 but the whole world still has to deal with a cultural hegemony grown from the gnarled vestiges of victorian-era paternalism. tax-paying adults with passports and the right to vote are treated like wayward children because of the antiquated idea that authorities must protect the weak minds of the unwashed masses from depravity and corruption. the average american can send a fellow citizen to the chair, but they can't piss in a ditch without being declared an outlaw. american entertainment media is saturated with sex, but you can't talk about it online without getting your account suspended. it's such blatant censorship at a universal scale, but because sexual content is framed as inherently dangerous, this restriction on basic adult autonomy, this blanket denial of moral and intellectual adulthood, can be reframed as protection, an expression of care, a moral duty. "won't someone think of the children!" I AM A GROWN MAN! I AM A GROWN MAN! I AM A GROWN MAN! I AM A GROWN MAN! I AM A GROWN MAN! I AM A GROWN MAN! I AM A GROWN MAN! I AM A GROWN MAN! I AM A GROWN MAN! I AM A GROWN MAN! I AM A GROWN MAN! I AM A GROWN MAN! I AM A GROWN MAN! I AM A GROWN MAN! I AM A GROWN MAN! I AM A GROWN MAN! I AM A GROWN MAN! I AM A GROWN MAN! I AM A GROWN MAN! I AM A GROWN MAN!
thank god that the video game that features slow motion animations of graphic gunshot wounds and is rated 18+ has a profanity filter in single player offline mode. thank you for protecting this 33 year old mind from the corrupting influence that is a horse named apple slut
69% of the reason to support NSFW artists (medium and subject to your taste) is because without them the above scenario shifts from “default” to “exclusively available”
This post was made 4 days ago. Probably a good time to take another look at these threats
There's a post going around Tumblr about how if you're post-menopausal and have bleeding, you should get it checked by your doctor. I brought some minor bleeding I'd had up in a doctor visit earlier this year, prompted by that post, and this week, after a biopsy, I found out I have cancer. It's early stage and the survival odds at 5 years are 99%. I have an oncologist appointment and we may have caught it early enough that surgery alone will be sufficient treatment (no radiation/chemo).
So that post may have saved my life and it may have made my treatment a lot easier too.
If you get into menopause and then start bleeding again, really, get your reproductive innards checked out. The life you save may be your own.
This is also true for anyone who's stopped bleeding from birth control or T and then starts bleeding again. Around year 4 of my Mirena iud I started spotting in a regular schedule like a mini-period, but I absolutely got that checked out. Everything was fine and they figured it was because after a few years there's a lower level of hormones coming from the iud, but still. If you have ovaries/a cervix/a uterus, have stopped menstruating for a period of time, any new bleeding is cause to get that shit checked out!
If you're in the US, now is a great time to talk to the young people in your life about the US military:
All of this!
If you want an organization who WILL tell you the truth about your rights to conscientiously object, how to legally get out of the DEP (Delayed Entry Program) or about any of your other rights in the military (whether you’re enlisted, thinking about enlisting, or a family member or friend of someone enlisted (or thinking about enlisting)), who will do it confidentially & for free, you want the
run by NGOs & non-profits, which has been counseling folks for DECADES now:
Or by phone:
1-877-447-4487
Even if all the person you're speaking to cares about is the money, the money sucks.
Minimum wage in California just went up to $16.90. You need to be rank E4 or be E3 with at least 3 years of service before you're making more than the CA minimum wage in the military.
You will literally get better pay and benefits working at a costco. (And that's not even accounting for the fact that the military isn't a 40 hour work week, your entire life is on the clock)
I cannot emphasize this enough, if you're a desperate young queer person you will make better money, get better healthcare, and have more affordable options for school if you move to California, get a job at costco, live with roommates, and go to community college than you will have if you join the US military.
Actually you SHOULD make problematic content. You SHOULD explore dark or taboo topics. You SHOULD have a space where you can cope with your traumas or explore sensitive topics in a way that doesn't hurt anyone.
Also you should make problematic content for funsies. You don't need to have had trauma or need to be coping in order to explore dark creativity. You can just be a human who wants to explore dark and taboo topics because you want to. That's completely normal, btw.
Every single person on this planet thinks about dark and taboo things. It's literally the most normal thing in the world.
Go draw the horror porn and be free.
