okay so if i wanna get real high and watch a single lethal weapon episode with no context, what would be the most batshit (in a fun way) one to watch?

anon it is genuinely VERY funny how completely unqualified I am to answer this question, but I'm going to make an attempt anyway. please also use your best judgment.

if the Council of Martin Appreciation wishes to weigh in on this (or anyone else sees I've made some mistakes), have at it! no-pressure tapping @onyxbird & @darkfinch so they know it exists.

(reblogs closed, but they're weighing in in the replies & also there's this, please listen to them over me <3)

—

okay. so. my recommendation is none of them!

that said, clearly this is a thing some people can watch (at least in parts) without sustaining significant emotional damage, and we've been talking about it being fun because it can be fun, especially with accurate expectations and proper warnings.

("don't do the thing" is obviously crap advice next to "here are the risks of the thing so you can make an informed decision.")

this is the internet and you're on anon, so: if you're under eighteen, it's cool that you're here and no hard feelings, but I'm not comfortable advising on, like, any of the drugs-related part of this. if you want to check out the episode-specific content warnings here, that's okay! that's good info to have! otherwise please respect my wishes and disregard the rest, because I really cannot advise on this.

—

if you're over eighteen, then hi! you asked me, so you're getting excessive caution. them's the breaks, I'm afraid.

1) anon, if being high can make you fragile or exposure to any of these themes can make you fragile, or if you don't for sure know the answers to those questions, or you wish to help me sleep soundly at night, please have a trip sitter or at least a trusted friend nearby. I don't know if people actually have trip sitters for this kind of thing, but they seem sensible.

2) my tentative recommendation, because I found it fun and finch survived it and enjoyed it while very sleep-deprived, is 2.7 Birdwatching!

THAT SAID I've seen, like, three and a half episodes so there may be a better one. this is what finch recommended to me though, more or less, and it is a Sleep Deprivation Antics episode, which seems appropriate.

viewing tip A: for the love of all that's holy don't let the next episode autoplay. I don't know anything about it specifically, but just… if you do, there be monsters. the second half of season two is very unkind. I'm not even planning on watching it.

viewing tip B: the birds are specific to that episode, not a general lethal weapon motif.

viewing tip C: if you want a gentler ending to the episode, stop watching after the cosy suburban scene with eggplants in, very near the end. you'll see a very obvious change in lighting.

viewing tip D: if you want gentle martin content after, here is the coffee clip again, here is onyx's fic, here are my babysitting thoughts. (trust me, harper's adorable.)

3) GENERAL CONTENT WARNINGS for the ep, I will put more specific spoilery ones at the end so they can hopefully be scrolled past (or press J on desktop to skip past this post) if you don't want them:

suicidal ideation (this is a big one)

past abuse (also a big one)

gore and body horror

significant food/grossness intersection

some sleep deprivation & flashback-ish unreality stuff

also, this is a Cop Show with Cop Antics, violence, killing, dead bodies etc, just to state the obvious for a sec.

4) honestly, my advice remains to not watch it like that. cc's portrayal of fucked up shit is visceral and believable enough (in a show that's callous and careless enough) that I'm not sure I can recommend any of this. but, best judgment, informed decision-making etc etc. and you know more about the 'watching stuff while high' aspect than I do.

(I told you you were getting excessive caution.)

birdwatching is, however, a Pretty episode and the first glimpse of CC in it… actually I do need to post that too. [edit: done.] I utterly adored him in that moment. if you watch it, I hope you enjoy it, and feel free to come yell at me about it if you want to!

####

SPECIFIC SPOILERY CONTENT WARNINGS (non-exhaustive)

####

ABUSE: horrid flashbacky nightmares to martin's father, also if I recall correctly a flashback to a physical confrontation involving a gun and his father's face when he was a child. his father seems to have physically and emotionally abused him.

GORE AND BODY HORROR: martin's father in his dreams is missing a piece of his cheek, like an open wound from a shotgun blast. it doesn't seem to bother him.

also, if I recall correctly, someone's finger is deliberately severed.

FOOD GROSSNESS THING: at one point martin's father convinces him to eat a meal and after taking a bite martin sees it contains the missing piece of martin's father's face and starts retching.

SUICIDE: the nightmare version of martin's father tries to convince him to kill himself and dream-martin smiles, puts a gun to his own chin and pulls the trigger, waking up. it's emotionally visceral & affecting.

FURTHER EPISODE SPOILER REGARDING SUICIDE: martin does not, actually, shoot himself while awake.

####

####

I wish I had a place to post my fucked up arts without being cancelled 😭

Honestly I think the drawn arts have suffered perhaps the most out of modern censorship. Especially the communities, too, because when sites ban things to please advertisers, investors and the handful of people squawking about protecting the children, it creates this mentality of; 'if its been banned its bad, so whoever makes it or enjoys it is bad too.'

There will literally always be at least one person who comes after you for what you create. Lord knows I enough enough angry anons in my inbox on a daily basis and all I do is rant about antis and occasionally knock my braincells together with enough force to say something vaguely helpful.

My best advice for avoiding being 'cancelled' is to heavily, heavily curate your online space and the people you aim to include within it. This could be by:

Following specifically other blogs who post similar content or express interest in similar content to what you produce or your interests.

Pre-emptively blocking blogs who express disgust or hatred for the content you produce or like, blogs who express moral stances conflicting to yours, ect. This is expressly helpful on sites like Twitter where options to limit engagement are limited.

Tagging properly, and including trigger and warnings tags whom others are likely to have blocked. This prevents people from seeing something they don't want to, and also gives you coverage if they try to accuse you of 'spreading it around.'

In cases of art that may have more extreme content, try using spoiler flags or any filtration option that requires viewers to actively consent to viewing it. Relevant to above, nobody can cry wolf about 'being exposed' because they would've had to physically reveal the work to themselves.

DeviantArt unfortunately recently changed its policies to a frankly ridiculously constrictive degree, so while I previously would've recommended that as a place to host your artwork and find a safer community, I can no longer. Hopefully someone is successful in pushing for the site to reform to its previous rules soon.

ArtStation is an option. The site is not eligible to anyone under 18 and sexual, gore, fetish, and 'mature' content is allowed provided the usual stipulation that you aren't using it in order to cause, infer or threaten harm against someone. A lot of the site is geared toward marketing artwork, though, so you might be hard pressed to find more of a community aspect to it.

Rule 34.com is... Objectively one of the best places you can host your artwork if you create content that is based on sexual themes. The protective rights aren't the greatest, but anyone who uses Rule 34 has no leg to stand on regarding morality and censorship.

Reddit has a lot of subreddits for sharing art, and a bonus is you can find subreddits specifically geared toward artwork based on things like gore, violence, sexual content, ect. Filtering options and monitoring are basically non-existent, however. Also, Reddit sometimes spontaneously decides a specific post is against its TOS and yeets it.

There's also the option of building a Discord server based around sharing artwork of certain themes, which is objectively the format that allows you the most control over who views it, but it also means your art has a limited presence. (Can't be reblogged, ect.)

If you do check out any of the websites, always be thorough in reading the Terms of Service and the Community Guidelines.

White Lies

Yoongi is everything you could ask for. He is attractive, confident, and smart. And his partner Taehyung is as possessive as he is beautiful. Too bad a relationship would be a major conflict of interest.

You need to have them, at all costs.

🤍 Yoongi x Female Reader x Taehyung

🤍 word count: work in progress (currently 10.5k words) + images of social media posts & text conversations

🤍 college au, partial social media au with a lot of written story, strangers to lovers & established relationship, yandere, hurt/comfort, smut, fluff, angst, slash, poly, minor character injury & death, graphic violence, nsfw, 21+.

🤍 warnings: 🕊 dead dove 🕊. toxic relationships (dishonesty, jealousy, yandere behavior); ACAB includes our MC, sorry you found out this way; corrupt policing. more specific warnings coming soon, pending the release of each chapter.

🤍 part 2 of the Rose-Tinted Obsessions series

🤍 this is a sequel to Boy Blue! i highly recommend that you start at the beginning to fully understand the the dynamic & history between Yoongi & Taehyung. there will be a lot of references to Boy Blue; this fic will spoil the shit out of it. this includes some major character deaths!!! this MC/reader character is not the same MC/reader character from Boy Blue.

🤍 note: all detective work and cop jargon in this fic is either made up on the spot or comes from years of watching/listening to true crime media. i have no credentials in this field and i do not claim to know what i am talking about. for the sake of simplicity & also my sanity, all dialogue that is written and spoken is going to be in English. characters are from Korea and living/working in the US, and we can fill in the gaps between what language they are speaking in which context. also, although i try to keep the mc's physical description vague, i will refer to her as having curves and having hair that can be gripped onto. length and texture will be left vague. places mentioned are completely made up. i may be using actual city and neighborhood names to make it feel real, but every school, bar, etc. is fake and any similarities they have to real places is coincidence.

🤍 also note: this fic is going to be extremely contrived and dramatic, just like its predecessor was. we are not here for award winning story telling; think of it like a trashy daytime soap opera and a gore porn horror film had a baby. obviously, i do not condone the behaviors in this story; it is a work of fiction.

🤍 written parts beta read by @neoneunnajimin

🤍 check out the playlist!

🤍 posted nov. 2023 - present | read on ao3

INDEX

0: Introductions | 0 words + screencaps

1: Do not, under any circumstances, become emotionally attached to either of these men | 2.9k words + screencaps

— TaeGi POV 1: What the fuck is this??? | 0 words + screencaps

2: Sleep sweet, pretty | 7.4k words + screencaps

tag list: @aidam9911 @andrea613 @bangtan-tee-86 @ffion451 @fluffybuns69 @here4kpopfics @icedtaericano @iloverubberduckiez-blog @kiki-zb @lovemeforeternity @mgthecat @moonleeai @mother2monsters @neoneunnajimin @oceansmerchild @unsureofwhathappens 🤍 by asking to join this tag list, you are agreeing that you are at least 18 or older and that you are comfortable engaging in dead dove content. please tell me at any time if you would like to be removed and i will be happy to pull you off.

White Lies copyright 2021-2023 theharrowing, all rights reserved. No translations or reposts are allowed!

Since I've seen many posts about people missing how common asks used to be, I have been trying to send to more asks to engage more. I really don't want to bother anyone though so I'd love to know if you enjoy receiving asks and if so what kind of asks. Detailed? Vague? Work? Fandom? Movies? Books? Childhood? Gardening? Thoughts? OTPs? OCs? I'm sure there are way more categories, I'm not limiting you to these listed options. Perhaps if it's an easier question what types of asks do you not like?

pPAAASGGFYGGJIK THANK YOU?

Detailed asks good yes

Vague asks??? Do not understand but open to the concept

Fandom: My first Fandom was X-Men, then Lord of the Rings, then Homestuck, Transformers, Fullmetal Alchemist, Teen Wolf, Avengers (first movie, when it came out), Batman, Overwatch briefly, Mass Effect, Gravity Falls, Trigun, and now my sister's getting me into Call of Duty! Feel free to ask about any!!

Movies: Yes movies are a great topic I have SO MANY

Oh lord I haven't consistently been up to date on books in FOREVER but yes books are good, you can ask book questions, I'm reading a lot of old classics and recently finished Pride & Prejudice, am now on The One That Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

Childhood- oh my god bud you have no idea

Gardening- My house is full of plastic plants on account of how good I am at killing things

Thoughts- Always

OTPs YO YES

OCs? YO YEAH GO FOR IT I NEVER TALK ABOUT THEM aaaaah I need to start writing again- I've been working on an urban fantasy for like. God like 7-8 years now

If I don't like an ask I'll just ignore or delete it but not much is off the table. I will not answer where exactly I live, who I am, if I'm a specific person you met, etc. for safety reasons.

I've worked in sex education so I can answer questions on that topic but if you get too personal or abrasive I will not respond.

I'm regularly flooded with donation requests and it's often too hard to figure out which are real and which are scams using stolen legit posts so as a general rule I do not spread those, I'm sorry.

And if you pop in to sexually harass me or use abusive language towards myself or others then I'm just gonna block you and delete the message.

If you want to warn me that a post I shared came from a bad source I do appreciate that, but if I do my research and can't find a legitimate reason to block someone then I probably won't.

I consider Legitimate Reasons to block someone on recommendation to be abusive language and behaviour, threats, bigotry, propagation of misinformation, production of AI content, and encouragement of dangerous behaviors that pose genuine harm to self or others. I'm not gonna block a random cause they enjoy Steven Universe and you think it's annoying. We all like stuff.

Womp-womp.

Thanks for asking!!! I probably shoulda talked about some of this myself, lol

EDIT: Terfs and radfems are block on sight, it's not your fault you're dumb but I am not capable of educating all of you

i promised more reigen and gojo (I'll get back on that grind soon) but I'm thinking about a follow up to messing with roommate denji, specifically telling your friends about it afterwards. like

"denji finally did something and we fucked after he caught me getting off on his pillow. I wonder how I can mess with him now."

and this is very specific but imagining him holding you up against a wall while he holds your legs and presses his forehead up against yours while fucking is doing something to me like hdhfhfhhfhf

(this fic changed my life BTW highly recommend if you haven't already read it https://www.tumblr.com/tteokdoroki/709164167622508544/%F0%91%8A%A1-hi-hi-pussy-drunkdenji-who-has-a-habit?source=share)

-sculpture anon (manifesting ask worthy gojo horny thoughts)

"denji fucks like a rabbit slay!!" is killing me i need more of this in my life...

can we both just live in this roommate!denji world together?? please??? im salivating...................

₊˚ʚ ☁️ ₊˚ ♡ ﾟ. content warnings ⤸ aged up!denji x afab reader. nsfw. wall fucking. cunnilingus. vague mention of possible possessive behavior.

your legs dangling off his forearms, muscles tensed from how much he's bullying his cock into you. your bodies sticking together with sweat, every inch of your skin glistening with either your juices or globs of his cum from his earlier orgasms because the thing about denji is... when you get him started, you're in it for the long haul.

he's a huge fan of edging, though i imagine this is something he learns because of you. let's be honest, you're taking that man's v-card- er, actually he'd be giving it to you FREELY.

"pussy so fuckin'... tight, shit. can barely move... open up, will ya?" he's nipping on the shell of your ear, fangs greeting your flushed skin before his tongue. man is nasty and depraved when he ruts into you, hips oscillating in a waving motion and smacking your cunt full of his long (and i mean long) cock.

probably eats your pussy against the wall all sloppy like too. he doesn't have a rhythm and honestly, probably isn't that good at it because he's focusing on the taste and just wants it ALL so there's no method to his madness. but he pops a finger in your pussy, thrusting it to the knuckle and the most loud and wet shlicking sounds coming when he decides to extend it to two.

the only bad thing about fucking your roommate on the regular is the man can't shut up about it. he's far too proud to keep it to himself. probably territorial too... so watch your back when you host another party and try cozying up to a rando.

🌸Trigun fics recommendations🌸

Links are attached!🌈✨

Dropping the fics I’ve read so far in my free time with summary and all that :) [in no specific order] oh and these are almost all Vashwood so brace yourself for that. I did put a warning in my description

‼️Be aware that most of these take place in Trimax so spoilers are a given‼️ it’s up to you to read the tags to have a better idea of its contents im just here to provide the list 🫡

1. “Falling stars” by Dozycerberus

“When a set of twins are found wandering the desert without any family in sight, Hopeland Orphanage is the only logical place they would end up.”

One of my personal favorites! If not my favorite. All I have for this one is praises.

2. “Love and it’s decisive pain (sunlight)” by FlowerCitti

“He hears a rumbling laugh, like the wisps of cigarette smoke and the crack of the first shot in a gunfight, like the pleasant sting of whiskey in his throat— “I take it that he was looking for you, huh?” A voice rasps from behind him, and everything in Vash feels like it comes to a halt. He knows that voice.”

Reincarnation fic (you will see a lot of these) that I willingly let destroy me. You will also see lots of Flower’s works here, they are great at hurt/comfort trust me.

3. “Donuts are one way to the heart, the other one is with a knife” by Dezace

Another favorite author of mine that you will see more works of on this list.

Vashwood antics, them being sweet and a angst sprinkled here and there.

This is actually a collection of works that I definitely could list individually but this list is way too long for that— so, feel free to check it out! How vague I know OAJSKW

4. “Tell me why your hands are cold (show me how)” by desertblooms

“Wolfwood eases him back down into the bed. Runs a hand through his own hair, digging his nails in just to feel the burn because he’s seriously starting to think he’s bitten off more than he can chew. “You idiot,” he breathes into the open air, “I’m goin’ to kill you when you wake up.” If the sickness doesn’t get to him first. But that thought goes unspoken.”

Sick fic you know how it is. “I need you” absolutely life changing.

5. “Forgive me father for I have sinned-Wolfwood (P.S. He isn’t sorry at all)” by Dezace

““I want to fuck a priest.”

“A good one?”

"Yes."

“I understand.”

“Good, good.” (Or: Vash and Wolfwood are fucking thirsty for each other and everyone suffers(Except Meryl, she has popcorn ready))”

Crack fic! Because it’s needed after you’re drenched in angst. I know what you read. You’ll appreciate a cackle or two.

6. “Bendición ” by varilien

“Having been dating for as long as they have, Wolfwood's known that it was only a matter of time before Vash popped the "do you want to meet my mom?" question, although admittedly he was hoping he could put it off a little longer.”

Modern setting in where Wolfwood meets Rem (she’s alive so that’s always a plus), and it’s so sweet and it’s pure fluff. That’s all.

7. “Bag of bones” by chaiku

“Not only was he fucked up physically, but he fucked up in front of Vash of all people. He was the last person in the world that Wolfwood wanted to see him like that: broken and helpless. And now he would also need to explain it all…His head hurt just from thinking about it.”

Wolfwood being vulnerable. That’s all I’m gonna say to hook you in.

8. “Who’s to say I don’t hold everything in my hands?” by Dezace

“Wolfwood likes to try and figure out Vash the Stampede whenever he had the chance. Traveling with him gives some insight into the man behind the bounty. He doesn't mind what he finds.”

Vash being the smarty pants he is! I love to see it. It’s so lovely I adore it.

9. “To the white of your eye” by Dezace

“Vash doesn't only have scars across his body. Wolfwood finds out and nothing changes.”

Face scar Vash is on.the.table. You’ll notice a trend in Dezace’s work of how WW is down bad for Vash no matter what and honestly I can relate to that heavily, we all love Vash.

10. “Hold my body down” by The_IPRE

“You're dead.” Vash's eyes are shiny behind the glasses, unshed tears barely held back. “We waited! We tried to bring you back! I kept them from burying you for as long as I could but you were dead!” Wolfwood lets himself follow the pull on his shirt, leans into Vash’s space to rest their foreheads together. “Guess I’m pretty hard to get rid of, huh?”

So basically, WW is all casual about coming back from being “dead” and Vash isn’t. Hurt/comfort mhm.

do you think about me now and then / fallon carrington x reader

summary: you and fallon have a very specific type of routine

a commission for @devillskettle

pairing: fallon carrington x reader

words: 1226

trigger warnings: FWB, fingering, strap riding, orgasm, angst if you squint?, 

Reading is hard.

You’ve been trying to finish this book for weeks. It’s not as though it’s not good! It’s fantastic, it’s been recommended to you by so many people…and yet, here you are on a wintery Friday night, tucked into the world’s most comfortable recliner, with the world’s most comfortable blanket, and the world’s most comfortable three-sizes-too-large hoodie and underwear that’s seen you through three apartments, four girlfriends, and your summer obsession with audio porn.

Here you are, in the perfect conditions to finish this fucking book…and yet here you are, scrolling through Instagram as you stalk yet another person you graduated college with who just got married.

You’re soon glad you’re looking at your phone, though, because your droomscrolling is rudely interrupting by someone calling. Luckily, It may be someone who can make this night a little better.

“Hey, Fallon,” you try to ignore the flutter in your chest. Neither you nor Fallon were looking for a relationship (work always came first, despite your differences the both of you could agree with that). Still, the oil former-baronness has never left you dissatisfied, and you liked to think the arrangement you two had outlined one fateful spring night benefitted each of you. “What can I do for you this fine evening?”

You can hear her huff angrily, and you’re sure she’s already rolled her eyes. “Shut up.”

And…?

“I’ll be at your place in thirty. Food is already ordered. Have a glass of red prepared for me when I get there.”

You smile. It’s been a tough week, something about mergers and lawyers and the HR department. You’re not really sure, you work in accounting at a different media company, but from the whispers on Slack and the texts from Fallon…it has not been her easiest week. But her call comes as no surprise—this little ritual of yours, the food, the wine, the sex…It had become an easy way for the both of you to blow off steam. It was a good, simple relationship between people who had signed enough NDAs to know what to keep private. Like a Secretary of State to her therapist, the both of you understand the nature of insider trading and the risks it poses to both of your careers.

Still, nothing was illegal about vague, wine-induced gossiping. And so vague, wine-induced gossip you two did.

Food arrives only a few minutes before Fallon does, the woman letting herself in as you plate what you know to be her order (Caeser salad, light dressing, with a medium-well steak). You hadn’t started on the win yet, though, and so she poured two glasses of a too-expensive red.

“So,” you smile just a little, a bit sadistic in how cute Fallon is when she’s annoyed. “How was work?”

Soon, both of you are full. It’s the nice kind of full that has you sleepy, content, almost drunk (that could also be the few glasses of wine you’d consumed as Fallon ranted about having to fire another assistant and HR fucking up payroll again). Her hand rests on your thigh, under the blanket but over your sweatpants. Some cheesy TV show the both of you had watched several times over plays lowly in the background, but all you can think about is the feeling of her thumb rubbing back and forth.

Fallon never seems to notice the little things she does—now, the thumb; other times, the way she buys you lunch when you don’t text her during your mandatory lunch break. The way she offers trip ideas when you haven’t taken PTO in a while. How she cares for you in her own specific way, even if that way is hidden behind eight layers of obfuscation.

“What are you thinking about?” her words cut through your high-speed train of thought easily as a knife through room-temperature butter.

“Spreadsheets,” you answer.

She snorts. “I’ve been able to tell when you’re lying since before grad school.”

You snort. “Nothing worth talking about.”

Fallon rolls her eyes, a smile playing on her lips. “Whatever.” A beat. She looks you up and down, in that slow, predatory way lions scan injured zebras. “You want to go to bed?”

Both of you are creatures of habit, and so this is always how it starts. It’s a dance, a wonderful ballet, that begins with the same opening number. A disrobing behind closed doors, changing into comfy clothes and taking off jewelry. Your bed, perfectly made as always, makes itself a stage as you displace well-loved Squishmallows while Fallon scoffs about how childish they are. She tucks herself into your chest, using your forearm as a pillow, while you read on your tablet and she rubs those small circles on your tummy. You stay like that, pressed against each other, until she decides to shift herself upwards, so her breath fans across your neck. You’ll pretend to ignore her, until she nuzzles her nose just under your ear, leaving a little kiss on your neck.

Then you smile, not looking at her. She likes this dance, even if she won’t admit it. “You want something?”

Fallon hmms, her hand moving higher and higher until she’s tracing just under your breasts. “Maybe.”

That’s another thing about Fallon—she likes it when you make the first move for her. “Hmm,” you pretend to consider your options. It is then, silently, that you go in for the kill, placing your tablet to the side before shifting down to kiss her ever so lightly. Her lips are soft, always soft from her oils and scrubs and constant attention to her appearance. “This what you want?”

She furrows her brow, an adorable shade of frustration washing over her face. She’s a slow and careful predator, until something she wants is just within reach. What comes next is not a surprise, but certainly isn’t unwelcome—she climbs atop of you, abandoning any sort of subtlety as she tangles her fingers with yours and kisses you with her pillowy lips.

You know there won’t be much talking after this—moaning and begging and teasing, sure, but certainly no talking. It’s easy to follow the choreography you two had performed so many times before, dancers in each other’s arms as clothes come off and skin becomes bruised from teeth and hands. It’ll all be hidden tomorrow, but for now, both of you remain bare to the other in every way that matters.

Being with Fallon is easy in the best way; the way pleasure washes over you as she presses her fingers into you as easy as rain hits ones skin if they find themselves trapped in a thunderstorm. The only choice you have to make is to be present, to feel your fingers tangle into sheets and in her hair. To feel her tongue press against the most sensitive part of you and hum as you gasp your ever-approaching climax.

It’s a similar kind of easy to push her onto her back, to mount her while she grips your hips.

“You’re gorgeous,” she says, breathy and barely above a whisper. “Literally so gorgeous.”

All you can do is fuck yourself up and down the toy and let the heat from your abdomen travel up to your chest and cheeks. This¸ you think, as she rubs her thumb over your clit. This, is where you belong.

Hello! I just wanted to say, that I don't think I'm as well read in shoujo/yuri as you seem to be. Ever since RGU changed my life ~2 years ago, I've been trying to fix that! If it's not too much trouble, I'd love to know if you have any particular recommendations (both for things that are very good, or critical reads/genre defining stuff).

Cheers, and I hope this isn't too vague an ask!

hiii! I mostly read shoujo/yuri (or as I call it, proto-yuri) from around the 70's, a lot of it isn't very good in a traditional sense, especially if you don't have a taste for melodrama and tragedy, but I find it deeply interesting and valuable nonetheless.

right now I have a list of proto-yuri I'm working through reading: https://www.tumblr.com/dregs-leftovers-parsley/748591148718833664/aries-no-otometachi-1973-satonaka

a lot of these are japanese only but some of them have fan-translations (namely sakura namiki, shiroi heya no futuri, maya no souretsu, utsukushiki kyuketsuki, oniisama e, and sakura no sono) I would highly recommend checking out sakura namiki, oniisama e, and sakura no sono (and its 1990 movie adaptation) especially.

if you want to look into some of the many works that have had an influence on revolutionary girl utena. I'd recommend oniisama e (again, read oniisama e), rose of versailles, heart of thomas and its movie adaptation, summer vacation 1999 (1988), kaze to ki no uta (be sure to check the content warnings on this one first), and sukeban deka (both the original manga and the ova series), specifically the witch hunt arc from ~volume 9

as for stuff I just personally enjoy consider checking out tokimeki tonight (long series), saint rosalind by watanabe masako, the hanshin anthology by hagio moto, the visitor by hagio moto (prequel to heart of thomas) and wata no kuni hoshi by oshima yumiko

I don't even have an excuse for saint rosalind it's not very good I just find it very endearing for some reason

thanks for letting me ramble ^_^ I'll turn you loose now

hello!! no pressure to answer this but i was wondering do you have any recommendations for books, specifically books that made you feel things very deeply? i know that's vague and weird but like i also love the goblin emperor/baru cormorant/similar books as you and i was wondering if you had any faves you'd like to share :) i am looking for a book that will put me in agony in a good way lol

HELLO FRIEND

okay so I am a Big Emotional Dummy so everything makes me feel very deeply, whether or not it's actually any good. So I'll try to keep it to recs that I felt alot while reading, after reading, and I think are actually good.

Also idk if you want specific genres or sticking to fiction, so I'm just gonna throw a whole whack of things at you, hope that's ok!!! I'll also try to avoid super popular recs (like trc or ursula k le guin) not because i love them less, just because you've probably already heard of them?

Hands of the Emperor - Victoria Goddard - probably my current fave book and protag, read it twice in less than a year despite it being like 1200 pages, if i loved it less i could talk about it more, and without crying. maybe it's niche and imperfect, but to ME? book of all time

The Queen's Thief - Megan Whalen Turner - fave book series for more than a decade, makes me experience shrimp emotions that nothing else will ever be able to replicate

Piranesi - Susanna Clarke - how did a portal fantasy meets psychological horror become actually the most existentially comforting book in the world

Tuyo - Rachel Neumeier - technically a series, with 3 main novels and other novels and novellas about other characters (which i enjoyed less but still), but def start with tuyo. I fully went in expecting to not like it At All and was blown away???? I wept. I still weep. I can't explain why I love it without spoilers but it's technically a fantasy war story and yet is almost entirely character driven

Wind, Sand, and Stars - Antione de Saint-Exupery -reading this rn and technically it's billed as a memoir and adventure novel but actually its an existential meditation on the nature of human interaction and the soul and definitely comes from the same core as The Little Prince

If you HAVENT read the cemeteries of amalo/thara celehar spinoff of the goblin emperor PLEASE do, in many ways i love them even more than tge bc thara is up there with kip mdang in terms of characters i cant talk about without crying because it's too personal

The Sparrow Duology - Mary Doria Russell - PLEASE check the trigger warnings, unlike most of the recs on this list, this falls way more to the side of Baru in terms of dark content, but also it's maybe the closest I've ever come to being at peace

I'm definitely missing things, but these are all the books that have made me want to chew drywall in the last 2 years. I've also linked my goodreads here with the caveat that my ratings skew high because i am very much a 'i didnt say it was good, i said i enjoyed it/was entertained' type person. also i have read a lot of trash YA. oops. like yes some of it is real bad but also some of it makes me Feel Some Things even (or especially??) when it's real bad.

Friends pls chime in with your recs, and also please rec things to me!! Am seeking new and interesting emotions previously unknown to humankind.

There’s a video called “how to radicalize a normie” which explains how seemingly normal people fall into the alt right pipeline and it’s scary how much that fits to antis

Main points were

- the alt right target a specific audience, in most cases that’s someone who is already emasculated in society.

- Bigotry is being “sold” to them as a cure to whatever form their anxieties take.

- they create a community that appeals to people whose niche interests allow them to feel vaguely marginalized and who are not used to progressive critiques of said interests, or they infiltrate a community their recruitment subject is already part of

- To keep people interested and stuck in the rhetoric, the alt-right isolates them from other communities that may challenge their message.

- This alienation can “guide” the recruitment subject into replacing any normal contact with progressive media with content that is filtered through an echo-chamber

(Unfortunately the video got age restricted even though there’s a content warning right at the beginning of the video)

yeah that video is excellent! very informative. I would also recommend watching the other videos in the series that video is part of

what actually is malevolent? i see you talk about it a lot but i don’t actually know :o

ah okay! copying from a pitch I sent to someone else: it’s a lovecraft-inspired fictional horror audio drama set in 1930s massachusetts that begins with a man who wakes up with no memories, no vision, and a voice in his head. the show follows him and the voice (which can see out of his eyes) as they try and figure out what is happening and what to do next. I have also pitched it as “what if venom couldn’t do any of that cool shit but got shot/stabbed/mortally wounded just as often”. I really think the premise is such a clever way of utilizing the indescribability of eldritch horror and the audio-only podcast format. being as it is a horror show, I heavily recommend checking both the general and episode-specific content warnings which are available on the website, though I will say as a professional coward that with the help of the full and extensive transcripts I rarely got scared while catching up. the “strong arguments” warning for the show in general is so true btw these bitches fight!!! they’re both losers also never be fooled into thinking that either is cool. being vague in case you decide to listen but it’s very much a story about caring for someone at their worst and finding the strength to stumble on together hand in unloveable hand (LMAO. you may find this funny later) and figuring out how to trust someone before and after you know what they are.

okay now that I’ve put the fucking star wars title crawl of description in your notifications, there’s absolutely no pressure at all to listen to it! but if you do I will tag all further non-vague posts as spoilers (which I already do for posts made about the latest episodes). oh yeah there’s a new ep every month or so usually around 45 minutes long (we’re currently in s4). OH and I don’t remember how I knew this it might be in the episode blurbs or something but it’s just one guy who does all the voices. and also patrons can vote on some of the decisions that the protagonist makes (which is why after some emotionally fraught episodes you may see people saying that democracy was a mistake). both of these things are probably stated somewhere on the site but a friend of mine who started listening recently got to a later season without knowing the patron thing (which really adds to some scenes) so I’m saying it now! I hope this was maybe somewhat helpful and if you have further questions I’m happy to answer them!

Could you help me with sci-fi book (or other media!) recommendations for my wife? I don't read much in that genre so all I can do is recommend anime and some movies I watched with my dad. We're currently watching Gunbuster. She likes Howl's Moving Castle (the book), Ancient Magus Bride, Yu Yu Hakusho, Fruits Basket, and Matilda (the movie), if that helps with her taste. Thanks for any help you can offer!

OHOHO I’m assuming she actually likes Gunbuster?

General recs: I recommend The Murderbot Diaries to anyone vaguely interested in sci-fi (and no, it doesn’t actually have much if any murder!). Same for Becky Chambers’ Monk and Robot series. 11/10, made me weep in joy and also weep like I went to a particularly good therapy session. And I cannot mention sci-fi without saying everyone should read some Octavia Butler. I was getting burned out on the entire genre until she blew my mind back open with what it could be.

For even more specific recs… my own tastes are pretty damn different, as I tend to skew more to fantasy and horror (I am extremely a Locked Tomb enjoyer), but from what you say she likes, I think she needs a copy of Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson and also to check out Seanan McGuire (the Wayward Children, October Daye, and InCryptid series). Also maybe Legends and Lattes, Space Opera by Catherynne M Valente, and Brandon Sanderson’s Skyward series! And OH IF SHE LIKES HOWL BOOK THE AUTHOR WROTE SO MUCH MORE and all of it is good. I love DWJ I owe her my life. It’s all kids and YA and they’re older books so some things wouldn’t fly today but most of it holds up so well as an adult!

A bunch of books that I have been blown away by reading recently and want to share just in case: A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine (difficult and dry but the slow burn is chef’s kiss), Leech by Hiron Ennis (this skews very horror), the Lady Astronaut series by Mary Robinette Kowal, Priory of the Orange Tree, the Daevabad series by S. A. Chakraborty, The Luminous Dead (also skews extremely horror, please check content warnings), absolutely anything else by Catherynne M Valente, some John Scalzi for light sci-fi fun reading, and the requisite “I know it’s older books but reading Ursula K LeGuin is life changing”. I have left out most of my incredibly dry political space opera favorites because that is an acquired taste as well as most of my epic fantasy series favorites that are shaped like bricks and can be used in a home invasion. Same for the purely horror books and stuff like The Goblin Emperor and its spinoffs (which are incredible but also very dry and very difficult and therefore difficult to recommend to anyone whose taste I don’t know well enough to know they’d enjoy it).

EDIT: WATCH GUNDAM 0079

At this very moment, I just finished reading "Hell Followed With Us" by Andrew Joseph White and I am vibrating. Dawg, the beautiful and viseral feeling of becoming a monster, being a queer person, and trying to fight against an evil church and your own want to maul everyone.

(I also finished it just under two days. This is me humble bragging.)

While I suggest this book, it's important to know that is does have some content warnings you should be aware of(none of which is really talk about for the rest of this post). "Hell Followed With Us" does contain a lot of talk about Christianity, churches, and the immoral use of religious beliefs. The book graphically describes gore, violence and diseases. Just be sure you know what you're gettin' into. :)

Potentially mild(very mild) spoilers about the book below. I'm not specific about events, it's mostly just my opinion and vague references to what I'm talking about.

I love Benji, the main character, because, so far in my Real Book™️(physical book) reading experience, Benjamin is the first character I've read to get close to understanding how I feel about my body and my identity. I am not a man. I am consider myself trans because of how I understand the word. I have transitioned from who I was to who I am now. I am very masculine in my presentation and like to be perceived that way, but it's not what I am. I think it's just easier. Anyway, Andrew(author) describes Benji as not really caring about the size of his meager chest or other feminine-seeming features until he thinks of someone else seeing his body that way. The author does such a good job of describing that, which would make sense considering the fact that White is a trans man himself. I love how he describes Benji's transness. Putting to words feelings I know I've had.

Cormac was probably my second favourite next to Nick, of course. I know Cormac was kinda dickish, but he showed he genuinely cared in other ways. Unlike Calvin, who I totally didn't occasional confuse with Cormac. I like Cormac. And Salvador. Sal's attitude toward Cormac was funny and xe were just a really good, really genuine character. The neo-pronouns are also a pog. >:)

The monsters. I fucking love birds and wings on people and the idea of angels being these fucked up creatures. The gender envy I get from a fictional(that's important) person-turned-monster. It's fucked up in a way cis-people'll stare at me for, but also in a way that other people who want to "sharpen their teeth and bite(quote from note at the beginning of the book)" will sagely nod at. This book is, ironically, the gospel of how I feel some days. Angry at the world, at people, uncomfortable in myself because what people see, what they think. It's nice to be seen in such a way. I know that somewhere, other people feel like monsters, too. Either by choice or forced that way.

Beaded lizards. :) I have one that I made with a friend before I ever read the book. They had which is why they had the idea. Mine's smallish, only the length of my palm, with a green body and yellow eyes and toes. It's a nice weight to hold and it's floppy- slinky. I can't remember if I named the lizard or not. I don't think it needs one. If I had more beads, I'd probably make more lizards, but that's an art supply I don't need filling my drawers.

If you want to talk about this book or give me recommendations on what to read next, send me an ask or something. :) I'd love to hear from literally anyone else who's read this book. Thank you.

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 💗 (i don't know if you do these sorts of chain-letter things, or if you'd prefer not to, but for my part i do like to know which of their works a given author is especially hype on, so consider this an opportunity to gush!)

hi there! I'm not really a fan of chain letters, but I do support people gushing about each others' (and their own) art. I hope you don't mind if I open this up to anyone who sees this (to anyone who sees this: if you're feeling like showing off your favourite pieces of writing or art or gifsets or music or sculptures or whatever you do, then please do so! I'd love to see everyone's best ofs! @ialwayscomewhenyoucall @al-in-my-head @chaosheadspace I am herewith asking you specifically to show me your favourite fics :D)

These are in no particular order:

A Gentleman's Guide To Dancing Fandom: The Witcher Pairing: Geraskier Rating: T Words: 8,433 Why is this a fave: Gay Regency Pining™️and dance lessons Other Stuff Worth Mentioning: Regency Era, Witchers still exist, Slow Burn (ish, with only 8k words)

Insane Twink Takes On Military (or how Lambert learned that Geralt's husband is actually terrifying) Fandom: The Witcher Pairing: Geraskier Rating: T Words: 1,068 Why is this a fave: BAMF Jaskier, also intimidation is one of the best skills in DnD and Jaskier rolled a Nat20 in this fic Other Stuff Worth Mentioning: BAMF Jaskier, do I need to say more?

New Perspectives Fandom: The Witcher Pairing: Geraskier Rating: T Words: 4,226 Why is this a fave: vaguely Victorian setting, people respecting boundaries, trans character, supportive husband (and friends) Other Stuff Worth Mentioning: trans Jaskier, Arranged Marriage, Historical Fantasy (ish) AU (don't ask me to define the settings my brain comes up with), transphobia (not from Geralt), dysphoria

For A Moment We Are People Fandom: The Magnus Archives Pairing: LonelyEyes Rating: T Words: 3,075 Why is this a fave: Hurt Elias. Also Peter trying to justify falling in love with a horrible man called Elias Other Stuff Worth Mentioning: Illegal Soft LonelyEyes, Peter finds out he doesn't like Elias in pain if it's someone other than him who does the hurting

Five Times Jon Faces His Dysphoria Alone... Fandom: The Magnus Archives Pairing: JonMartin (Teaholding because I think it sounds cute) Rating: T Words: 4,266 Why is this a fave: the trans. also I projected a bit. maybe. and again, supportive partner and friends Other Stuff Worth Mentioning: trans Jonathan Sims, gender dysphoria, comfort

I know it said five fics, but since everything I write concerning trans characters and being trans is kind of very personal and important to me, I'll have to add another of those fics (and feel free to check out the trans fics that I have not listed here)

Questions Of Identity Fandom: The Magnus Archives Pairing: JonMartin (Teaholding) Rating: T Words: 4,496 Why is this a fave: the trans (again, yes). again, projecting and me being angry at ignorant people. supportive partner and friends (do we spot a theme yet?) Other Stuff Worth Mentioning: trans Martin Blackwood, gender dysphoria, comfort, pre-T Martin

I'll have to add another note (sorry): I haven't done so for my earlier work, but my more recent fics all have content warnings about what kind of dysphoria is discussed. If dysphoria in fics is triggering to you, feel free to check the content warnings and take care of yourself <3

Last thing (I promise): feel free to ask me anything about these fics or any other stuff I write and post. I also love recommendations, if you feel like I might enjoy something you've seen or read :D

Submission Window: November 1, 2023 - December 31, 2023 Payment: 8¢ per word Theme: Speculative flash fiction Interstellar Flight Press seeks speculative flash fiction for 2024 publication in our online magazine and yearly anthology. We will publish one piece of flash fiction a month in 2024, celebrating micro and small fictions. Submissions will be read by our team of readers and final selections will be made by flash series editor, Annika Barranti Klein.  Guidelines: Genres: as long as it’s speculative (even a little bit!), anything goes for genre. Please see below for specific content hard sells and loves.  Length: up to 1,250 words (no minimum) Payment: 8¢ per word (minimum payment $25) within 30 days of publication. 1 print contributor’s copy of our yearly anthology.  Simultaneous subs? Yes! Please let us know right away if you need to withdraw a story by emailing [email protected]. Multiple subs? Yes! Up to three stories per person; please fill out a separate form for each story.  Response times: We aim to reply to submissions in 90 days. We will try to get first round answers (rejections or holds) out as quickly as possible.  Terms: Original stories, no reprints please. First English Rights with a 3-month exclusivity period. Inclusion in our annual print anthology.  Please do not send anything generated using the large language models commonly called AI; they are built on plagiarism and we won’t publish them. Tools like spellcheck are absolutely fine.  Accepted stories will be featured on our website and Patreon, where authors will be asked to complete a short Q&A interview for our patrons. All accepted stories will also be in our yearly anthology, along with the interview.  About the Flash Series Editor Annika Barranti Klein’s flash fiction has been in Mermaids Monthly, The Future Fire, Milk Candy Review, HAD, Hallowzine, and Worlds of Possibility. Her longer fiction and poetry has been in Asimov’s, CRAFT, Fireside, Weird Horror, Fusion Fragment, Haven Spec, and Kaleidotrope. Her work has been nominated for the Pushcart, recommended in Quick Sips Reviews and on Tor.com, gone viral on Twitter (just one time!), and been a finalist in the Gotham Writers 2021 A Monster Comes contest and the Cast of Wonders 2023 flash fiction contest.  Annika writes nonfiction for Interstellar Flight Magazine and Book Riot, and has also been in Paste TV, The Toast, and more. She is a freelance editor and has worked with Interstellar Flight Press, Book Riot/My TBR, and private clients on projects ranging from novels to medical articles to listicles. Prior to getting into editing, she was a reader at a film company. She’s been a nanny, a caterer, sold advertising space in USA Today, and taught people how to knit.  Thanks to a convenient nick in the space-time continuum, she somehow also finds time to write novels and have a family — they are very understanding and can all make their own sandwiches (not the novels; they are total freeloaders). Hard Sells: Graphic violence, especially sexual violence, domestic violence, or suicide — please include content warnings at the top of your story. Stream of consciousness  Super vague endings (I love ambiguity, but don’t want to be left wondering wtf I just read) Racism, sexism, homo- and transphobia are unacceptable themes, but may be all right within the story (especially if those are your margins and you’re exploring your reality in fiction) — please include content warnings at the top of your story.  Clichés  Loves: Beautiful, deliberate writing Time loops Fun use of form, including “found footage” stories Friendship, feminism, found family Endings that make me rethink the story and/or immediately read it again with new context Tropes Some flash fiction I love: The Hulder’s Husband Says Don’t by Kate Lechler  Giants by Allison Mulder  Advanced Word Problems in Portal Math by Aimee Picchi  Space-Time by Stella Lei  Silver and Shadow, Spruce and Pine by Maria Haskins 

You Called Me by Avra Margariti  A Case for De-Extinction at the End of the World by Lyndsie Manusos  Bone Deep by K.C. Mead-Brewer  From the Journal of Sawyer L. Gibbs, Hero, Aged 13 ½ by Premee Mohamed  Untitled [daycare worker at the end of the world] by bixbythemartian  Unknown Number by Blue Neustifter ​ SUBMIT A FLASH FICTION Via: Interstellar Flight Magazine.

Hello! I have an unfortunate cocktail of arachnophobia and psychosis, which results in (to be very vague) delusions of spiders "spying" on me. I guess my question is: What's the general consensus on the relationship between phobias and delusions? I know the criteria for recognizing the phobias is irrational was removed, does this open the door for psychosis-based phobias to be recognized (either phobias from psychosis themes or vice versa)?

Tbh I can't answer this off the top of my head, and over time I grow increasingly less interested in sussing out the current distinctions and associated developments in psychiatric classification. I recommend getting your hands on a copy of the diagnostic manual which applies to your region, but I also will warn you that many psychiatrist won't be studying it all that closely either.

In my experience they are likely to give you a diagnosis commonly associated with psychosis if you are experiencing any such symptoms.

Now in reality, of course there's a difference between the experience of delusions born out of a specific phobia and other delusional content. And you already seem aware that this is happening.

If your question is whether you are "allowed" to identify with "just" having a phobia, or whether you are allowed to consider yourself psychosis spec etc, my answer is a quite simple "of course". If you relate to these experiences then these spaces are also going to be safe spaces for you.

If it's a question as to what is possible in a literal sense, I will say that anything is possible. Nothing is possible. The ever changing diagnostic manual reflects statistical likelihoods and current cultural understandings. You represent you.

Best of luck to you! The experience sounds scary and uncomfortable, and I hope you have, or find, community, help and support!