Author: Jess Mahler

  • Planting Life in a Dying City (Kolchais, E2: the Spinner)

    Season content notes: ableism, internalized ableism The sun on eir face woke Kolchais. Ey blinked a few times, eyes trying to adjust to the brightness. The warmth was soaking through em, leaving eir limbs feeling loose and relaxed for once. Not wanting to lose the feeling, Kolchais didn’t move. Instead, ey reviewed eir memories of…

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  • Planting Life in a Dying City (Kolchais, E1: the Fog)

    Season content notes: ableism, internalized ableism Kolchais trudged through the market, doing eir best to ignore the thudding pain accompanying each step, each breath. Ey couldn’t take day work like Lefeng and Tsouchm, could barely help clear the debris and prepare the ground to build their new home. But ey could do this. Little as…

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  • The Bargain (S3, E6)

    Season Content notes: con noncon*, pain play, sexual contact, trauma reactions, people handling emotions badly, rape (not explicit), torture (not explicit), pony play, mind fuck (minor), privileged ally is privileged(? — I don’t know how to tag what’s going on with Jahlene in this episode, but it’s definitely all about being privileged) A few minutes…

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  • The Bargain (S3, E5)

    Season Content notes: con noncon*, pain play, sexual contact, trauma reactions, people handling emotions badly, rape (not explicit), torture (not explicit), pony play, mind fuck (minor) When he got to the kitchen Mattin found Cook had anticipated him. In the middle of all his fancy work to impress Falthro’s gourmet palate, Cook had found time…

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  • The Bargain (S3, E4)

    I’ll be honest: this chapter is almost pure self indulgence. Season Content notes: con noncon*, pain play, sexual contact, trauma reactions, people handling emotions badly, rape (not explicit), torture (not explicit), pony play, mind fuck (minor) By the time they got to the courtyard, the two women were waiting for them. Jaffrey stood beside them…

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  • The Bargain (S3, E3)

    Season Content notes: con noncon*, pain play, sexual contact, trauma reactions, people handling emotions badly, rape (not explicit), torture (not explicit) The rest of the evening went without incident. Barely. Mattin had observed Falthro’s habits during the meal. Little things, like knowing when to refill his drink, were easy. He found himself falling back on…

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  • The Bargain (S3, E2)

    Season Content notes: con noncon*, pain play, sexual contact, trauma reactions, people handling emotions badly, rape (not explicit), torture (not explicit) Dealing with the dock fire occupied the rest of the day and most of several days to follow. Assistance had to be sent for those injured and those who lost livelihoods. Records of recent…

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  • The Bargain (S3, E1)

    And we are back! This isn’t going to be quite as wild a ride as last season, but it’s not going to be a walk in the park either. (If you need a refresher, check out Season 1 and Season 2.) Season Content notes: con noncon*, pain play, sexual contact, trauma reactions, people handling emotions…

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  • Cover for Planting Life in a Dying City: Kolchais. Two seedlings grow out of black gravel.

    Planting Life in a Dying City: Kolchais (Season 3 cover)

    Born to a runner-family and unable to run, Kolchais is used to being a disappointment. Lefeng and Tsouchm may have laid the current for their new family and that new family may accepts Kolchais as ey is. But Kolchais knows ey still needs to prove that emself. If only ey could figure out how. But…

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  • The Bargain (S2 Finale)

    Season Content notes: con noncon*, pain play, sexual contact, trauma reactions, verbal assault, mind control, reference to suicide attempt, coming to terms with kink (badly), avoidance as coping strategy, unintentional emotional harm, NOT a HFN season ending, mind fuck Mattin froze in the doorway to the lady’s office, too ashamed to face her. Finally, he…

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