THE COLLECTIVE

My girlfriend has this specific gesture she does sometimes, a very particular way of turning her wrist around and locking her fingers in one specific grip. Fast or slow, the angle of her wrist and the rhythm of the movement are always exactly the same, and at this point I've learned to recognize the motion well enough that she could do it with her back towards me and I know she's doing it.

The first time I saw her do it I thought she was putting something into her pocket, but once I noticed her making it more often I started making connections. I saw her doing it unconsciously when some situation in the house is getting tense - not during the casual sparring arguments with my other housemates, but the serious fights where shit is about to actually get fucking real - and I figured that it's a nervous thing, she doesn't like where this is going and it's scaring her. So that became my cue that it's time to back down.

I don't know when she noticed that I noticed her doing it. We've never talked about it, but at some point she started doing it on purpose, as her way of telling me that I should stop causing problems. Rotating her hand slowly means she's seeing a problem brewing and it's better that I watch myself before I start escalating it, and a quick flick and snap means whatever I was just about to say or do, I should cut that shit out right this fucking second. It works for some reason, so I've respected that.

My girlfriend does some volunteering favors for the neighbors here sometimes. Today she asked if I wanted to come along to walk this one old couple's dog, and I was feeling up for it so I went along. My father was terrified of dogs so I'm not familiar with them, but her family has always had them.

So we were walking, talking about something else, enjoying the nice weather for once, when my girlfriend saw another dog walker approaching. I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary, but the other dog walker started pulling the dog back with this roller leash thing whatever the fuck they're called. And then the old couples' dog started growling.

With the familiarity of someone who's been handling dogs all her life my girlfriend grabbed the little fucker's leash, wrapping it around the width of her palm and gripping it to pull the dog closer a second before it could bolt to attack. A move she's probably done countless times in her life, that she could do in her sleep, by instinct, without ever even thinking about it. A gesture I've learned to fucking spot from across the room from the corner of my eye. That exact same fucking twirl and grip. I have no idea if she noticed me noticing it or making the connection.

Girl that apologizes for all of that, says she was going through a lot figuring out she was gay and took it out on you and feels bad about it, so she buys you a few drinks to apologize.

Girl that feels really comfortable to be around after you notice you her turning away a few guys with a sharp glare so you can be alone with her.

Girl that offhandedly jokes that she can take you out back and give you one last wedgie "for old times sake"

Girl that looks confused when you get visibly blushy and flustered and moan like you need something when she places a hand on your back near your waistband.

Girl whose heartrate spikes when you accidentally let slip that youve been fantasizing about her doing that exact thing to you for the last 15 years.

Girl who smiles sadistically as she invites you back to her place so she can bully you the way she always wanted to back when she didnt know why she thought you were cute.

Girl that bounces you one single time because your panties are too cute and she doesnt wanna ruin them and stares in stunned silence as she finds out that thats all to make you cum your pretty little brains out.

Girl who cant stop herself from grinning while she listens to you apologize for it.

To The Substitute Art Teacher - Jordan Bolton

or the concept of a pride flag is considered to be inappropriate for 13 year olds.

happy pride 2026. here's a pride flag for when corporate interests of a site run by dogshit transphobes, handwringing pearlclutchers, and "powerless" "allies" tell you that pride and your gender is no one else's fucking business:

good, that was the point.

i used to be so sad and so miserable and so scared. Now i get to be a pretty girl in public and other girls see me and smile and we compliment each other and it's normal and im happy.

But like. Functionally it serves as a way for live experience testing to be done on a game. It’s a way to dial it in on what people want, and on how to best make the game.

This means that, stars above, you don’t need to fucking review bomb it the second there’s a problem, you have avenues for giving feedback, stop saying the game is doomed because there’s been one bad update ffs