#I didn’t proofread this at all

[lycandrophile]

i clicked on the original tweet just to see if anyone else felt as weird about it as i did because at this point i’m just tired of seeing people going on and on about trans men dating cishet men who try to convince them not to transition as if it’s a funny joke about a trans man doing something silly and not a manipulative and generally very unhealthy relationship dynamic that can hurt the trans man involved really deeply (as forcing someone back into the closet tends to do.)

did i find anyone else feeling that way? no. there were a few people pointing out that it was weird in general, and plenty saying it’s a weird thing to say about a cis woman, but nothing expressing any sort of concern about the tired stereotype it’s perpetuating.

but you know what i did find? replies like the one in the second screenshot, using the tweet as their chance to tell the world how much they hate trans men and how repulsive they find the idea of ever being compared to us. and replies like the third one, shaming trans men in relationships like that as if the fact that they’ve found themselves in an unhealthy relationship makes them deserving of public shaming, as if their relationship is hurting anyone other than them.

stereotypes like this just feel like yet another way of indirectly calling us stupid little girls who don’t know what’s good for us, and the fact that a picture of a woman is being used (even jokingly!) as an example of what trans men “like that” look like should make the implications of rhetoric like this all the more obvious.

it’s relationships like these that keep us miserable in the closet for so long and drive up our sexual assault rates even more. they’re not funny and if anyone is going to be making jokes about them, it certainly shouldn’t be people who have never been in that situation. if you actually cared about us you’d be looking for ways to support the trans men you know who are in relationships like that instead of hopping on twitter to joke about how stupid they must be.

i don’t care if it’s a joke. if it victim blames trans men for the transphobia we face in our personal relationships, adds to the common idea that we can’t be trusted to make decisions about our own lives, and invites even more blatant transphobia against us by people who unabashedly admit they see all trans men as “disgusting and phony”, it’s not fucking funny.

(i also want to note that the people making these jokes never like to mention that this also happens to trans men in relationships with queer women. they also hate those trans men, of course, and are happy to express that when they get into fights about trans men who date lesbians, but they’ll never talk about it in the context of this particular stereotype. it’s always a man being manipulative in a relationship and pressuring trans men to not transition, as if a woman would never be capable of such a thing.

they also like to conveniently ignore the existence of older trans men who transitioned after already being in a committed relationship with a cishet man and were able to make that relationship work despite their transition, because acknowledging that would require recognizing that trans men can be in seemingly contradictory relationships and genuinely be happy with their partner. who needs nuance when you can simply choose to judge all trans men for our relationships regardless of what they’re actually like?)

do you think they also would call me “a trans man being purposefully misgendered” with this kind of vitriol because i’m still living with parents who don’t recognize my gender instead of moving out before i’m ready to be financially independent? at this point, i’m starting to feel like they might, with the way every decision a trans man ever makes is the subject of a public debate and people have decided that trans men are secretly using being misgendered as a weapon to somehow hurt other trans people.

as a general rule, i’d say the only people who should be making “X looks like a trans man” jokes about literally anyone/anything are trans men, and posts like this show exactly why those jokes being made by anyone else (even by other trans people) just isn’t a good idea.

[desaturate-worlds]

logan falls in love first. not in an unrequited way, but in a way so immediate there was never going to be any competition. he’s in love with wade before he even agrees to move in with him, well before they ever kiss or talk about whatever the fuck their relationship is. he is in love with wade in a way that doesn’t leave room for nuance or argument.

when they do (finally, blessedly) get together in a way that’s more than wade’s boisterous flirting and both of their dancing around the topic, logan has to fight the words slipping out of his mouth practically every minute of the day. he knows it’s too soon to put that pressure on wade, but god he’s in love.

when they’ve been together exactly one month (but who’s counting?) (logan is), it finally forces itself out. when logan makes his way into the living room that evening after a shower, wade is curled up in the corner of the couch, mary puppins snoring away in his lap. he’s wearing one of logan’s softer flannels - they got it at a thrift store so it had that pre-worn comfort built in - and custom pajama pants with the little dog’s face on them. mary is wearing a matching little sweater with wade, logan, and althea’s faces all over it (logan had not been involved in this purchase, but he could admit to himself that it was pretty cute).

he feels a warmth come over him at the sight, a feeling he can’t quite place when he sees the merc being able to relax and cozy up on a random wednesday night with their dog. he knows that life was never exactly easy for wade, he’s there when the nightmares and bad days and assassins hit. he was goddamn grateful that wade could be afforded a kindness like watching a dumb cartoon while wearing his boyfriend’s shirt.

he’s only watching the other man for a few seconds before he’s caught. the mercenary looks up at him and smiles so easily, so warmly, that logan can’t help it. he walks straight to wade, grabs his face, and plants a soft kiss on his forehead. “i’m so in love with you.”

his voice is barely a whisper, but he knows wade hears it by the way he goes shock still. logan pulls back to look at him, worried that he fucked this up before it even got solid footing. but when he looks at wade, he sees the blinding smile on the other man’s face.

“god, i’ve been trying not to say the same thing to you for weeks now. i’m fucking in love with you, peanut.”

[outivv]

Scar x masc reader!!

“So like… do you like men?” That stupid idiot of a man asks you from behind bars, tied up cause he’s a dangerous criminal who’s a threat to Jinzhou… but- he’s kinda hot. “Sure.” Is all you say, looking at the book you have to keep you company, or so you thought- but this… Scar fellow seems to be plenty entertaining, or at least he’s trying to be. “So… does that mean a handsome man like yourself would be able to be bribed with some kisses to let me out of here?” Scar says, clearly trying to bargain his ass out of jail… but you just look at him, and roll your eyes. “No.” You can just see the pout forming on his face, and you nearly feel bad for your boyfriend who’s locked up. “Oh- but why! I thought you loved me, my darling.” Jesus Christ, the way he calls you his darling nearly has a shiver running up your spine, and he sure as hell notices it- making a smirk spread across his face.

Are you maybe… a part of the Fractsidus, and just posing as an officer in Jinzhou? Yes. Why? To break your boyfriend out of jail. However, you think he needs to learn his lesson first. “Cause, you were too careless and got yourself thrown into jail.” You say, reaching between the metal bars and flicking his forehead while he’s all tied up. “In my defense, it’s all a part of my master plan, darling.” You just want to wipe that sorry smirk off of his stupid, handsome face! You roll your eyes at him again, and scar stands up with his hands tied behind his back, and he gets closer to the metal bars of his cell. “Just one kiss? You don’t even have to let me out.” He says, almost teasing you- and you know he is. But, how can you resist.

“Fine.” You say, against your better judgement of course, before you gently kiss him between the bars of his cell, and melt into the kiss too… until you hear the jangle of your keys, and his cell door swings open. “Oh, darling- didn’t I ever tell you to never let your enemies get too close?” He teases, hands reaching out to grab your hips- before he kisses you again, and again. “You’re not an enemy, so it doesn’t count.” Your playful whispering between kisses has Scar smirking against your lips, before groaning as he feels your fingers tug through his hair. “Mm- pretty boy… I think we got some time to spare before we gotta kick my master plan into action…” scar says, breaking the kisses just for a second, before playfully rubbing his nose against yours, and trailing his lips over your jaw, and down your neck. Course, this is all just a part of his plan… so how can you say no?

[ghastlybirdie]

I went grocery shopping and couldn’t be bothered to carry everything bit by bit to the third floor so I had six heavy bags between each arm and carrying two crates of more groceries as well as my purse and giant whiteboard so it was a great struggle to climb to the third floor

So I fantasized about that mutton chop neighbor again

Imagining that he comes outside his apartment, maybe to grab mail, and seeing you struggling with an absurd amount of groceries, grunting and whining about how heavy everything is

So he rushed to you and scoops away the crates of fruits and snatches three of the bags from you as you stumbled down the narrow hall

You exclaim in some graceless manner, equally surprised and relieved at your arms being freed

“Ya got quite the armful, love?” He asked, unbothered by the weight load and awkward armholds. John, he introduced himself as when he beat down the door some weeks ago, asked for the rest of the bags. Even if you denied again and again he won’t concede until he’s removed everything but your purse from your hands.

It sounded near like an order when he told you to lead the way, one more flight of steps won’t kill him he says, before gesturing with his eyes. You won’t try to think about how little space he gave you to pass him by in the narrow hall, making no effort to move. You chalk it up to him hands being completely full, despite his entryway being more than enough room for him to move back.

John carefully drops your groceries down to the ground and even helps you put it away, giving up on rejecting him after he couldn’t hear your four times repeated refusal. John already knew where all the spices went, and even where your breakfast pastries go in your pantry, but you suppose it was good guesses since he mixed up your recently organized junk drawer for your knife drawer

Once everything was put away, and kitchen quickly tidied by your awkward need to keep busy, John prolonged his stay by pointing to water damage at the baseboard of your walls and inspecting it with hums and hahs, muscles barely contained in his undersized shirt

He says he’ll be over later, will tools and supplies after a run to the hardware store, mentioning something about a good friend who’s a plumber and can look at these pipes with a knowing eye

“Bloke lays pipe real well” a passing tongue-in-cheek that seemed too literal to be anything less than a joke as John saw himself out

He made sure to mention to keep your door locked tight

“Heard there’s been a lot of break ins in the area. Don’t worry… I’ll keep you safe.”

[unordinary-diary]

Blyke and John: Parallel Characters

I’ve written multiple entries about this,

[x] [x] [x]

But I’m back to make a comprehensive analysis about the glaring similarities between these two. I’ll try not to repeat myself here.

‼️SPOILER WARNING for the whole series‼️ but this mostly focuses on the story before John’s suspension.

Firstly, this scene:

ch. 121

This conversation takes place near the beginning of the Joker arc. It’s after John targets Zeke, after he targets Juni, and the day before he goes after Seraphina’s kidnappers. The timing is important.

“If someone hit your best friend, would you let it slide?”

That question is supposed to remind us what John does to people who hurt Seraphina: hunting them down and sending them to the hospital. Blyke shooting a destructive beam really close to John was an example of a trait they share: they both blow up violently when people mistreat their friends.

John’s downward spiral carries strong themes of hypocrisy. He’s angry at the world, he’s angry at himself, and as a coping mechanism, he chooses to believe that everyone else is as bad as he is. That means that most of the traits he hates others for are the same things he hates about himself. In this scene, Blyke is unintentionally calling out this hypocrisy: “What I did is no different from what you do”.

But Blyke’s just trying to connect with John here, he has no idea what John’s been doing. And John, of course, doesn’t give a shit about what Blyke has to say. This line was here for the audience to notice.

They’re both so similar, but their similarity immediately causes tension between them because, well, John was on the wrong end of Blyke’s protectiveness.

I really love the way this was written— there are so many flashbacks to this scene, but they remember it differently. John remembers the part that hurt him— he’d describe it as “the time that jackass shot a beam at me”. Blyke remembers the part that hurt him, or rather, hurt Remi: “the time that jackass hit Remi for no reason”.

Blyke and John are both hotheaded characters with strong ideals. They’re similar enough that Seraphina points it out:

(ch. 80)

As Blyke grows as a character, he becomes more like John: sticking up for low tiers and speaking out against the injustice in the world. But while Blyke is doing that more, John is going in the opposite direction, until they are fully opposed to each other.

Speaking of Blyke’s character arc, it took me a few rereads to actually understand what part of him changed. His kindness, selflessness, bravery— all of those things were there from the start. Blyke’s character arc was about becoming more aware of his surroundings, and how his carelessness can harm others. Blyke was never malicious, but after X-Rei and integrating more with the school, he becomes aware of people suffering around him and how he unintentionally contributes to it. He becomes less reckless, privy to the flaws in the system he grew up not questioning, and uses his power more responsibly. He even comes up with a more controlled way to wield his ability. The part of Blyke that changes is his maturity.

Part of John’s character arc is also about being careful. It’s not as close of a parallel as other things are, but one of the things that John works on during his redemption arc is holding back. Both of them learn self-control throughout the series, and for John, that means acting early before his emotions spiral out of hand.

Adding onto my first point about the two of them wanting to protect their friends— the fact that they can’t do that makes them both angry and desperate. For most of the story, the “block” that prevents John from protecting Seraphina is in his head. It’s his own trauma that holds him back. The block that prevents Blyke from protecting his friends is, guess what? Also John’s trauma! Parallels abound.

Another thing I noticed in Episode 80 is this:

Notice that when Seraphina says “I’d take that over strength any day,” John is looking at the camera. He’s avoiding Sera’s gaze. Seraphina is saying she prefers honesty over strength. John is very strong, and very dishonest, but Seraphina thinks the opposite because John is so dishonest. John appears to be reflecting on this disconnect.

In relation to this analysis, Seraphina is actually pointing out a major difference between Blyke and John. Beyond that, she’s praising Blyke’s traits, (less strong but very open) above John’s traits, (strong as fuck but a liar with his pants on fire). Furthermore, John really cares what Seraphina thinks of him. Knowing that she would think less of him is the main reason why he spent so much time and effort preventing her from catching his lies.

This leads into my main point here: Blyke is the “goody-two-shoes” version of John. Or, more accurately, the person that John wants to be. Blyke has a clean track record and doesn’t really get into trouble. He is respected and left alone by the school without being hated and feared, he de-escalates conflicts without taking things too far, he doesn’t lose control, he’s someone Seraphina thinks highly of, hell, even his grades are better! Blyke represents everything that John wants to be, and the person that he could have been if he’d gone down a different path.

But, crucially, John is also what Blyke wants to be. Well, not wholly, but his ability? His strength? It’s one of the things John hates about himself, but Blyke wants that strength so desperately that he risks his life for it over and over again.

They’re both desperate to be like each other, even when they hate each other the most. Neither of them have any idea how alike they already are.

I don’t know what Season 3 holds in store for us, but I do hope that John realizes that Blyke embodies who he wants to be, because mutual jealousy would be a very interesting dynamic to explore in my opinion. I also hope that it ends up being something they can bond over, by helping each other accomplish their personal goals. (Blyke being another helper in John’s character arc, and John helping Blyke train.)

A side note: John beat up Blyke four separate times. That’s more than any other character, which is interesting because John’s main rival is supposed to be Arlo. For reference, John has beaten Arlo twice, three times if you count the time when Seraphina intervened, and he only beat him unconscious once. But John beat Blyke to the point of passing out all four times, the worst of which being a shot clean through his chest. (shoulder? Unclear. S1 finale).

It’s odd, isn’t it? Out of everyone, Blyke is the one who John physically hurt the most. John’s only grudge against him is an old memory from episode 33, of an event that didn’t actually harm him. John’s grudge against Arlo is much more serious and again— that’s his main rival. So why is it that he’s so much more violent towards Blyke?

The problem here is that I’ve been thinking about these fights as “John picking on Blyke”. And that’s… kind of true? But while Blyke didn’t start any of these fights, they were all consensual in a way. He didn’t seek to fight John, nor was he ever happy about fighting John, but he was always a willing participant.

(138, 153, 206, & 211)

In three out of these four fights, John didn’t even expect to be fighting Blyke going into it. This is significant because while Arlo is John’s main rival, John absolutely fills that role for Blyke. Blyke’s own agency is what leads to most of these events. The reason, narratively speaking, why they fight so much is not for John’s character, but for Blyke.

For John, his reason for fighting Blyke so much is not narrative but moreso symbolic. John is angry at everyone and everything, but ultimately the person he hates the most is himself. It’s only fitting that the character most like him would bear the brunt of his wrath.

As John is having his positive character arc (suspension and post-suspension), he is becoming more like Blyke, and the two of them reach a point where they’re even more similar than they were at the start of the series.

In the Rowden amusement park, John does start to realize how similar they are:

(249)

Additionally, I want to draw your attention to the parallels between this scene:

Blyke and John’s argument in chapter 249

(which the image limit won’t let me add, scroll until you see red hair.)

And this scene:

Argument in ch. 121 (it’s at the beginning)

Two sides of the same coin.

Furthermore, in the S2 finale, Blyke is shown being taken to Keon. There is an implication that by Season 3, Blyke and John will share Keon-related trauma as well. Despite my pessimistic predictions, I do hope that this is a similarity that can bring them together rather than tear them apart.

[fallenwhumpee]

"An Hour."

• Masterlist •

Warnings: Hospital settings, aftermath of captivity, mentioned death.

Medic, despite what their job would suggest, wasn't a caregiver. They were just a mechanic working on circuits, not who carefully kept the whole mechanism running. They could fix people, but it was that. Someone would have to take over the aftermath.

Much to Medic's relief, Leader was a caregiver. A good one, even.

Too good, they lately noticed. Too good that it was starting to make Medic worried. But just like every other day, Medic knocked the infirmary door in exactly same time, before opening it fully. Youngest was asleep in the hospital bed - Medic had said Leader that it was unnecessary, but Leader  brought one anyway - and at last drops of their IV.

"An hour," Leader muttered. At this point it felt like a ritual. So, without a word, Medic moved and changed Youngest's IV to antibiotics as Leader deserted the room silently. Probably to sleep.

Good, Medic thought. Leader needed it.

Medic made their way to the armchair, only to see Leader's office keys on it. For a moment, they considered giving it back. They respected privacy, but they were also curious. For the last one month and a half, all Leader did was looking for Youngest, caring for Youngest or staying in their office. The first two was understandable, but the third...

Now Medic could learn whatever Leader was doing in their office.

Medic hesitated. They shouldn’t invade Leader’s privacy—Leader had done nothing to earn suspicion, at all. And Leader never broke anyone's boundries, so Medic doing it to them was just wrong. But something had been gnawing at the back of Medic’s mind for weeks now, something beyond the usual worry for Youngest. Leader’s behavior, so single-minded, so intense, felt wrong. So wrong for someone almost obsessed with making the future better. And if there was something in that office that could explain it...

Steeling themselves, Medic turned and walked down the hall to Leader’s office. The key slid into the lock with an ease that almost felt too simple. "Where's Leader?" Medic shouted. Leader's room was wide open and Leader wasn't there.

"Went for a quick walk," Right Hand shouted back.

Medic took a deep breath. "Okay," they muttered. With a simple twist, the door creaked open. Medic slipped inside, shutting it quietly behind them slowly. The room was dim, the only light filtering through the half-drawn blinds, casting long shadows across the walls. At first glance, it looked like any other office—neat, organized, professional. Just like how Leader liked to keep everything. Medic opened the lights.

Notes. Dozens of them, pinned to a board on the wall, scattered across the desk, and even taped to the edges of the bookshelves, almost creating a wallpaper. Most were in Leader’s precise handwriting, detailing locations, names, dates, and other pieces of information that, together, painted a picture out of a detective's office. Medic’s gaze was drawn to a map on the wall, marked with pins and red string connecting various points. They moved closer, recognizing the locations as places where incidents had occurred—break-ins, disappearances, attacks. All related to Youngest.

Their heart pounded as they picked up a file from the desk. It had a picture, the person's face partially obscured, but there was no mistaking who it was. Medic had seen that face around Whumper—one of the underlings of them. The person had been found dead two weeks ago, the cause still under investigation. There were detailed reports about them, autopsies, locations, biographies... informations that Medic doubted Leader had the authority to kno let alone storing.

They set the file down, their hands trembling slightly. Leader had been gathering evidence, but it wasn’t just about finding Youngest. It was about something more.

Another photo on the desk caught their eye. Medic took it, revealing more photos, more notes underneath. Some were crossed out, others highlighted. A list of names—people connected to the kidnapping—each one with a note beside it: confirmed dead, under surveillance, possible lead.

Some of these people were no longer a threat because they were dead. Was it coincidence, or had Leader...?

The sound of footsteps in the hallway snapped Medic out of their thoughts. They hurriedly closed the folder and placed thr picture back on the desk, glancing around to make sure everything was as they’d found it. The door clicked shut just as the office door opened.

Leader stepped inside, looking tired but alert. They froze for a moment, eyes narrowing as they stared in the sight of Medic standing in their office.

“What are you doing here?” Leader’s voice was calm, but there was an edge to it, a warning.

Medic tried to keep their expression neutral, forcing a casual shrug qs if they weren’t digging through the room for the last ten minutes. “You left your keys on the chair. Thought I’d drop them off.”

Leader’s gaze flicked to the keys in Medic’s hand, then back to their face. For a moment, neither of them moved. Then, slowly, Leader crossed the room, taking the keys with a nod.

“Thank you,” they said, their tone polite but distant. “Please wait for my return next time.”

Medic nodded, feeling the tension in the air like a physical weight. They turned to leave, but couldn’t help one last glance at the desk, at the folder now lying innocently on the surface.

Leader didn’t miss the look. “Is there something else?”

“No,” Medic replied quickly, shaking their head. “Just... take care of yourself, okay? You look like you haven’t slept in days.”

Leader’s expression relaxed, a smile so soft and tender taking over. “Don't worry. Byt you should get some rest too.”

How could Medic be suspicious of them when all Leader did was worrying and caring for the team? Shoving the guilt down, they forced a smile and left the office.

-•-

Later that day, Medic was in the break room when the news broke. The television mounted on the wall buzzed with static before the anchor’s voice cut in, somber and urgent.

“We interrupt this program with breaking news. Henchman, a key figure in the recent string of criminal activities linked to the late terrorist Whumper, was found dead earlier this evening. Authorities are investigating, but details remain scarce at this time.”

Medic’s blood ran cold. Henchman—another name on Leader’s list. Dead. Just like the others.

They stood frozen, the room spinning around them. The timeline didn’t add up. Leader couldn’t have done it—they had only left the office for ten minutes, not enough time to cross the city and back. But the coincidences were too many, too pointed.

When Medic next saw Leader, they couldn’t help but study their face, searching for anything. But Leader looked even more drained than the last time, still trying to hold it together desperately. When Medic mentioned the news, Leader’s response was calm, almost indifferent.

“Tragic, but not unexpected,” Leader muttered, shrugging slightly. They weren’t even focused— they looked like they could just collapse and take a twenty four hour nap. “Agency was after them. It was only a matter of time.”

Medic nodded slowly, but the uneasy feeling in their gut only grew. There was something, something that was beyond their understanding. But as Leader walked away, Medic knew one thing for certain— Leader was doing something wrong. It was either their sleeping habits or the team had a huge problem.

-•-

Soo, have another random one. This is standalone, but I wrote this with "A Score to Settle" in my mind. Not quite part two, but I began writing with that intention.

[skyward-floored]

I have so many questions about Warriors and his magic. And the triforce. What is happening, why is it happening, and how did I not know this sooner?

XD Well I’ll give you as good of an explanation as I’m able!

So at the beginning of Hyrule Warriors, Link is just a soldier trainee of sorts, just doing drills and sparring and stuff and not wearing a helmet the dummy. When an army of monsters attack Hyrule, the trainees aren’t supposed to go fight but Link runs out anyway because he’s Link you know.

Impa and Zelda are both impressed by his skill and they start wondering if maybe he’s the hero (Zelda actually saw him earlier while he was training, they made brief eye contact). They can’t be sure though, and there’s a lot going on and the castle’s being attacked and they all lose contact with Zelda and then Link finds himself face to face with this dragon knight guy named Volga.

Link does okay but Volga finally smacks him out of the way and decides to kill him, and Impa comes to help him, but Volga decides to just blast them both to death with his fire breath. Link jumps forward at the last second and throws himself in front of Impa, but the fire engulfs them both.

Except... it doesn’t work. Because Link has his hand stretched out and the Triforce of courage is protecting both him and Impa from certain death. Turns out she was right— Link is the hero, and has a piece of the Triforce.

And in lu, he actually has a large scar from the incident!

Now that’s the only time Link explicitly uses the Triforce to help himself, but it’s obviously something he can do, even if it’s subconscious. For the rest of his magic though, he’s able to use it much more freely.

For starters there’s focus spirit— which is actually an ability that everyone can use, not just Link— once your magic meter is full, it essentially heightens your focus and makes you hit harder, culminating in a big attack right at the end. You’re also glowing as you use it, and it takes a while to get enough magic to use it at all, which means it’s pretty powerful I’d say. I wonder if Warriors’ll ever use it in the comic or not?

The other big magic thing is one of Link’s main weapons— the fire rod. Link shows off a great proficiency with it, and is able to do several different attacks with the thing, including sending a big fire dragon out that spirals around and hits stuff. It’s one of his main weapons too, so obviously he’s pretty good at it!

And of course, the less obvious magic of his fairy friend Proxi, who gives hints and basically speaks for Link. He can obviously talk to her, plus... the great fairies seem to have a keen interest in him (yikes).

Now I’m sure there’s more magic he uses that I either haven’t unlocked or can’t access (since I have the “boring” version of his game XD) but I think that’s mostly it. Does that answer all your questions? (hopefully this was helpful!)

[caterpillarinacave]

for your prompt (I‘m bad at this I‘m sorry) — Christopher Lightwood + his scientific spirit + mushrooms (throw in some of the merry thieves or henry or grace or anna whatever you feel like)

——-

“It’s fascinating,” Christopher continued, holding the mushroom up to the light, “Fungi exist so entirely separately from the rest of the world. They aren’t plants, they aren’t animals; they can wreck crops and grow them, they decompose piles of debris like it’s nothing and can be squished beneath a boot. They’re the tool and the builder of the natural world, they save everything and they kill everything. We see them everywhere, as these tiny little things, as if the mycelium doesn’t stretch for miles beneath our feet, as if we aren’t so small compared to them.”

Christopher fell back into his chair, looking immensely satisfied, and upsetting tall glass full of strange shimmering liquid, that seemed to slosh around in its container at an oddly delayed pace. He did not seem to notice.

“Christopher-“ Henry began.

“No matter how many you pulled up, or what ground you burned, you could never kill- oh.” 

Henry, thankfully, had managed to lean across Christopher, narrowly righting the glass before it could tip its shimmering contents onto the table; the likes of which flashing with little streaks of color as it hit the sides of the container. Henry set it down on his side of the table, carefully away from the papers he’d been scribbling on, to search through a drawer for a lid.

Christopher looked sheepish; “I did not mean to do that.” 

“Do remember that you can, in fact, be killed,”  Henry responded mildly, ever agreeable, capping the glass bottle and offering it to Christopher “Gesture vividly away from the table.”

“Of course,” Christopher replied, looking a little abashed, but took the bottle none the less “Thank you.”

Henry hummer amicably in response, unbothered. “I believe you were saying something about the mycelium?”

“Oh, yes indeed” Christopher replied eagerly, sitting forward “Wait a second, I’ve got some about this in my notebook…”

—-

[i-wanna-show-you-off]

I finally got caught up on disventure camp and oh my goodness all stars is crazy

spoilers btw

First of all, Emily being introduced as a character who tries to instigate fights and cause drama between contestants and then ??? helping people with their issues?? like I did NOT expect that genuine friendship she had with Trevor towards the end there. I’ll miss you girl please keep in touch with that poor man

Alec holy shit. The mixed feelings I have towards this guy are crazy. He annoys me SO BAD with some things (giving horrible advice that somehow always circles back to his ex wife, the way he clearly mistreated his ex wife and son but acted surprised when his wife divorced him, just his general lack of empathy and understanding towards the people around him) but god damn it I have had a few giggles from his lines. I’m so so glad he is not siding with Yul, and the fact he even messes with him during challenges and tries to make him the butt of the joke all the time is sadly very funny to me.

Fiore!!!! I gotta be honest I love fiore when she’s not around Alec (granted, I’m a little biased) because it kind of makes you realize that she is literally just six years old. She really seemed like this master manipulator around Alec, but the moment she’s by herself she starts worrying about getting voted out and even asking other people to help her. (Her knowing her teammates were going to vote her out the first chance she got, resulting in her desperately trying to get either duo on her team to side with her.) Obviously I could be misinterpreting her character but you gotta remember she is just a kid. You can’t expect a six year old to be a genius all the time.

Ally’s character arc hitting a little too close to home, even down to her friend (..boyfriend? I genuinely don’t remember if they were dating or not) thinking she cares what people think more than she cares about him. Like yes fearing what people think of you is a real relationship killer and I’m really glad the writers didn’t try to portray Ally as a bad person for feeling that way. (At least I don’t feel like they did, but maybe it feels that way to other people)

I could talk about Grett and Yul but I really don’t think I have anything new to add to the conversation. I’m with the “kill him” crowd I’ve been rooting for Grett since literally day one

[lonelycelsadpilled]

When you have absolutely zero ideas for college you feel how your family thinks less of you. Every single thing I have somebody ask “why don’t you try college for that?” As if that makes any sense. As if I could do that. What do I know about fashion design? About making clothes? About English and teaching? About art? About architecture and design? I like listening to music but I have no idea how to make it myself. My family sees me as lazy and maybe I am, it’s a force of habit, I guess, but I have absolutely zero passion in my life and I have zero drive.

I see family I haven’t seen for a thing and they ask me”are you still doing your art? I hope so” I was a child last time you knew about that. Maybe I do art sometimes. Do I like it? Kind of. Sometimes. Is that any reason to go to college with people who have adored it since they could hold a pen, who have practiced and know the techniques better than me? It’s ridiculous, I’d be made a fool out of. People see me as this unaccomplished person and it’s true, but I didn’t think I’d even make it to sixteen, never mind now. As a kid I thought it was so stupid to get into something like the arts or sports because to make it a career you had to excel. It’s different than just being another cog in the machine. You have to get lucky, go at it for years in hopes you stand out amongst the competition. Otherwise, you’re just another small, nameless person. So what am I meant to do? I’m forever just going to be a nobody and my family hates me for it.

[malachitezmeyka]

A few of the various iterations of Suiren in our Multiverse of Madness and the different things she is into, comprised into one (not so) neat list for my beloved @katkastrofa as part 1 of her birthday present (intended to be used as reference for a certain something 🤭👀 and also bc she said please when she reblogged my earlier post and who am I to say no to that? :D)

(Alternatively: Tumblr please don’t nerf me I beg you)

Under the cut for comfort reasons :’)

SotRL/post-SotRL – At first uses sex as an outlet for her frustrations, wanting it fast, rough and with as little feelings involved as possible. Merciless biter, loves attention on her tits, has a raging praise kink but would rather die than admit it. Touch her hair and you die (at first. After some time she’s okay with it being stroked or brushed out of the way, especially while she’s sucking Kuvira off). Generally rather sensitive and vocal so is very fun to play with, but she doesn’t let herself lean into it fully, and thus is extremely unaware of her submissive side. After she starts healing from her trauma and trusting Kuvira more, on the other hand… 🤭 She is still very much capable of domming or topping of Kuvira so desires, but for the most part she can’t get enough of letting herself be guided into the subspace and giving her brain a little break, willing handing Kuvira the control and trusting that she will be taken good care of. Discovers her oral fixation and leans into the praise kink, as well as riding Kuvira’s strap, having her tits fucked, imagining Kuvira being able to actually come down her throat or inside her, general BDSM stuff, bondage, light petplay, dehumanisation, ownership and edging. So, so much edging 🤤. It gets to a point when she’s not even too keen on coming at all, not wanting the experience to end. But she does love her orgasms, especially when she’s nice and full, so sooner or later she will end up begging for it anyway :D I very much might have missed something, but in my defence, there really is a lot to her

UtOS – Somehow, the complete opposite to SotRL Suiren. Extremely dominant, loves being in control and isn’t too fond of giving it up. Essentially, power bottom to Kuvira’s service top, though she does also love having Kuvira writhe on her water tendrils. Can and will use her bloodbending to her advantage once she finds out Kuvira likes being overstimulated, and heavily leans into the possessiveness kink by calling Kuvira hers as often as possible. Drops orders and light degradation as easily as breathing, and while she does enjoy being praised, it’s to a much, much lesser degree than her SotRL counterpart. Less being called a good girl and more being thanked for giving it to Kuvira so well. A bit of a sadist and somehow even more of a biter than usual. All in all… Grandma Ikiaq is a bad influence 😁

Ultimate AU – Looks like the dominance depends on the bloodbending rather than not being raised by Haya, because we’re back to something more closely resembling SotRL. Except here, Suiren is an impossible tease. Every Suiren knows full well that she’s attractive, but this is the only one who flaunts it quite as openly, wearing almost exclusively low cut dresses, putting an extra sway in her hips as she walks, always squinting at Kuvira in that seductive way… all that good stuff. And as a result of being a tease, she’s also one hell of a brat just begging to be tamed. She’s known nothing but freedom her whole life, so there’s little quite as enticing as the idea of having control forcibly taken from her. She likes being restrained after Kuvira gets sick of being teased and snaps, and fucked as roughly and thoroughly as possible. Most likely is incredible at giving tit fucks while her dress is still mostly on, just with her tits popped out. Is okay with having her hair pulled as long as it’s done lightly. The praise kink also isn’t that prominent, she’s much more into soft cuddles – in which Kuvira is *not allowed* to move as if a cat had fallen asleep in her lap – as a form of aftercare

MoA – I don’t have much on her bc this AU is rather underdeveloped, but she’s essentially pre-discovery-of-submissiveness SotRL Suiren, but even more repressed because the load she carried for her entire life was doubled and having to dispose of her abuser’s body after she was killed by her 15yo sister did absolute fucking wonders for her mental state. A bit more on the controlling side, preferring to take charge. Very into angry sex bordering on hatefucking, will ride Kuvira like her life depends on it to the point of hurt. Insults and death threats take the place of normal well adjusted flirting. Is nowhere near ready to be indulged in her even more well hidden praise kink, would probably claw Kuvira’s eyes out if she ever tried. Perhaps she should get a taste of Kuvira’s newly formed spirit cock and maybe she’ll calm down

Sacrifice AU – Easily the most vanilla out of all her counterparts. After her near death experience she’s extremely averse to all manners of being restrained, whether with metal cuffs or simply being held down. Her wrists are particularly sensitive, never to be grabbed. She doesn’t like being manhandled in any way, she gets to pick the position, and she picks something that will allow her to be on top and not trapped under Kuvira. Prefers grinding or humping to anything being inside her, be it fingers or a cock. Still just as obsessed with having her tits sucked, but it has to be lighter, not enough to leave bruises. She doesn’t like seeing bruises on herself. Praise kink to the max, anything to drown out the voices always shouting obscenities at her. Only while being called beautiful and desirable as she rides out her orgasm, clinging to Kuvira like a lifeline, does she actually feel alive again

Small rarely talked about bonus, Avatar Suiren AU – Living as an all powerful being with not one but two Great Spirits residing inside her gets very tiring very easily. Luckily, a certain someone is always willing to help her mind to drift away and her to lose herself in pleasure for a few hours. A bit more into degradation than praise. In those moments, she isn’t the Avatar, the master of all four elements, saviour of the world, and the memories of lives that came before her as well as those annoying Spirit kites’ constant bickering all fade away. No, in those moments she is simply Suiren, Kuvira’s Suiren, her beloved good girl. And nothing else could possibly matter

[pollenallergie]

ok ok ok so

the year is 1987, it’s your second semester of your freshman year at college, and you’re super fucking nervous about taking chem 101 because 1) you haven’t taken chem since you were like a tiny little bitty bopper in high school and 2) the last time you took chem, you totally sucked ass at it.

so on the first day you’re like praying to god that the professor will let you guys work in pairs and by some miracle, he does.

here comes the hard part:

who do you pair up with??

you lock eyes with the girl at the lab station next to yours. she’s a cute, tiny, strawberry blonde with a blue scrunchie in her hair that perfectly matches the blue of her eyes. it’s 7 o’clock in the morning, so, she’s fresh-faced with not a lick or makeup on. however, if you had to guess, you’d probably say when she does wear makeup she tends to stick to the pretty baby blues and pinks. she looks like every popular girl from your old high school, but somehow prettier, with kinder eyes and a warmer smile. you think there’s no way in hell she’s gonna pick you as her lab partner, so you quickly avert your eyes and resume your search of the laboratory for a potential partner.

however, your search is swiftly interrupted by the sound of a soft, sweet, timid voice call out your name. your eyes quickly flit back to the girl on your left only to find her looking at you expectantly, albeit a little shyly.

“that is your name, right? it’s, um, it’s written on your notebook,” she says, pointing to the lab notebook you’ve set out on your station.

“y-yeah,” you stutter back. you response earns you a sweet smile from her, she seems oddly reassured by how nervous you are.

“i’m chrissy,” the strawberry blonde introduces herself timidly, as she holds her dainty hand out for you to shake.

you accept her hand, shaking it quickly, nervously, before dropping it in favor of picking at your own cuticles. “nice to meet you,” you respond simply, though not unkindly, as you muster up a small smile to offer her.

“do you want to be my partner?” chrissy asks.

“me?” you reply dumbly, mentally berating yourself for being so awkward.

“yeah,” she responds with an easy chuckle. “i noticed you already have all your stuff set out,” chrissy clarifies as she gestures towards the goggles, lab notebook, calculator, and two number two pencils you have set out neatly at your station. she continues, “i like having a partner who’s as prepared as me; shows you’re going to take this course seriously.”

“yeah, y-yeah, definitely,” you stutter, “i, um, i’m majoring in biology so i kinda really need to pass this class.”

“really?” chrissy asks, perking up excitedly. “i’m a bio major too!” she explains giddily. “are you premed?” she asks.

“no, no. i wish had the brains for that, but, um, i actually prefer environmental sciences,” you reply. somehow the smile on her face only gets brighter.

“me too!” she all but cheers. “are you taking principles of biology this semester?”

“yeah, i’m on my second semester of it. i have professor hughes,” you reply.

“so do i! i’m in her 3 o’clock class!” chrissy says excitedly as she unthinkingly reaches forward gently grasp your arm, unable to contain her joy; you think she’s somewhat like a golden retriever in the regard, especially given her luscious strawberry blonde locks. she blushes when she notices how forward she’s been, murmuring out a quiet “sorry,” as she releases her featherlight hold on you.

as if to placate her, you smile at her brightly, her excitement serving as a balm for your nerves.

“unfortunately i have her at 10,” you remark, “wish i would’ve signed up for her afternoon class so we could’ve been partners there too.”

chrissy’s bright smile swiftly returns at your words, any lingering shame fading away as her excitement renews.

“well, if we can’t be lab partners there too, maybe we could get together and study sometime? i’ve heard the first couples weeks of this semester focus more on viruses and bacteria, and, well, microbiology really intimidates me,” she admits.

chrissy’s offer takes you by surprise; mere moments ago you would’ve guessed that someone like her would simply turn their nose up at you and now, here she is, asking you to be her study buddy in addition to being her lab partner. maybe all the clique-y high school shit really does get left behind when you graduate.

“yeah, i’d like that,” you agree.

you don’t miss the way she blushes slightly and bites her lip before bashfully responding, “great! m-maybe we could meet at the café here on campus this friday and get a head start on studying?”

“yeah, that sounds great. i have some free time in between bio and my 1 o’clock psych class if you want to meet up around that time,” you offer.

“sure, yeah! it’s a date!”

for the rest of the week leading up to your meeting on friday, you hyperfixate on those last three words as well as the way chrissy kept sneaking glances at you during the remainder of the lab. <3

[libidinous-weeb]

oh also! to anyone following me that writes! ESPECIALLY ESL writers or anybody with any form of disability! (not a requirement tho!) i am always available to grammar check (for free!) if you’re interested! or to be a beta if you need one!

maybe you just want to see how something sounds before you post it? or check the flow? concerned about inclusivity too? making sure you get all the TW? let me know! i’m here to help! my DMs are always open and proofreading is a lot of fun for me. love ya’ll!

[ascendingtostardust]

So I just saw this video of jake and had this thought and I can’t keep it to myself, I’m so sorry.

You had been holding out on Jake for days, yet still teasing him every chance you got and toeing the line between having fun and feeling bad for how desperate for some kind of relief he had become. When you could tell that his fuse was getting shorter and shorter with everyone on the touring crew plus you and his brothers, you knew it was time to let him have what he so desperately wanted.

The two of you lingered by the stage entrance of the back hallway before the boys took the stage, the volume of the intro music and screams vibrating your whole body. His hands gripped your hips in a way that felt a little more than innocent as he drew your body in closer to him. Your arms wrapped around his neck with your fingers tangled in his hair, scratching lightly at his scalp. Jake pressed light kisses to your lips, afraid to ask for more and get his hopes up just to be left frustrated again. He loved this little game, really, but he would never come out and give you the satisfaction of saying it.

You pull away from his lips with a hum, letting your hands slide down the front of his jacket and looking up at him with the most innocent eyes you could muster.

“Jakey?” You say, grabbing some of the fabric to pull him closer against your chest.

“Baby…?” He scans your face for any sign of what you’re about to say next, his anxiety visibly rising.

“You’ve been such a good boy the past few days and I think you’ve earned yourself a reward.” You smile up at him, taking in the way his cheeks instantly flush and his breath quickens when you move a hand down to the waistband of his suit pants.

His shoulders seem to release some of the tension that had been building over time and he mutters a quiet ‘oh thank god’ under his breath as he looks over at the stage entrance, then down the hall.

“Baby I-” he starts, frustration growing over the circumstance. “I don’t know if we have time right now, we’re about to go on…”

“Well you know how much I love the Weight Of Dreams solo, right?” You ask, slipping the tips of your fingers into his waistband to tease the soft skin just below.

“Yeah-yeah of course I do.” He gulps as his gaze becomes more frantic the closer it gets to the time he has to get up on stage.

“Well I was just thinking about how frustrated you’ve been and I thought that maybe during the solo tonight you could take some of that frustration out, hm? I bet the audience would love to see you play it out while having no idea what’s going on behind that guitar.” You twirl a piece of his hair between your finger as you speak, purposefully avoiding eye content to make it seem like a casual proposition.

As the crowd grew louder, josh bounded around the corner towards the two of you to let Jake know it was time to get into their places. Happy with his seemingly speechless, frazzled reaction, you pull him in closer with gentle tug to the back of his neck.

Your lips ghost over his ear, dragging your lower lip over his earring before breathing out, “show me how much you missed me.”

[anoddopal]

🐰 Thoughts: Dynamics With the BB Pirates [1/?]

Potential Trigger Warnings: Mentions of mental illness, depression, thoughts of death

☞ Silva wouldn’t have agreed to go along with the Bla.ckbeard Pirates when they left Mock Town had she been in a better state of mind at the time. The reality was that bun didn’t think there were really any other options left for her- her dream for the future had crumbled, her heart was shattered, and she was spiraling fast. Bun had lost hope. Silva’s decision to leave with them could have easily been the death of her. [And frankly? Bun was kind of counting on it.] And when that didn't happen, she decided to stick around anyway. Bun knows the #1 rule of nature: only the strong survive. Therefore, if she was going to continue onwards, she needed to align herself with a powerful force. ☜

☞ Yet despite being amongst a group of very dangerous people, Silva isn’t in inherent danger. [At least she isn’t in the kind of danger that she’s personally worried about.] Just so long as she stays out of their way, her biggest concern is avoiding getting bowled over/stepped on. [Everyone who makes up the crew is more than twice her height and easily several times her weight. Bun has to watch out! Though most of them are so loud she can hear them coming a mile away...] ☜

☞ Bun is merely there as D.oc Q’s assistant [and does other odd tasks here and there] in the beginning. She’s far too weak to be an actual member of the Bla.ckbeard Pirates. …. At first, anyway. ☜

☞ It isn’t until after the battle of Marineford that Bun is invited to become an official Bla.ckbeard Pirate. She accepts- aside from her pets, the crew was all she had left. The original five members of Teach’s crew are so proud when bun’s first official wanted poster is released. Look at how far their Bun has come! ☜

☞ Silva is regarded as lucky amongst the crew. Even though she doesn’t see how that alleged attribute applies to her, the others seem to emain firm with their opinion. A few even perceive her as a being that brings luck their way; a “good luck charm” of sorts.

And perhaps some credence can be leant to this belief. Bun avoided getting poisoned by Magellan because she refused to go to Impel Down with Bl.ackbeard's crew. And like Teach, Bun also escaped being frozen by Ku.zan when the crew randomly encountered him at a bar in the New World. Whenever something unfortunate happens to the group as a whole, Silva always manages to circumvent the circumstances. ☜

☞ Despite Bun’s various differences with the rest of the crew, none of them are unfriendly with her. In fact, it could be said that she’s decently liked by them. [Though she was quiet and meek when she first came aboard. It wasn’t until she hesitantly agreed to drink with them one night that that a bit of her hidden self slipped out, and Bun’s upbeat, playfully witty side came out to play. Heeey, turns out that seemingly shell of a person has a fun side! Whadyaknow, she does know how to smile!] She's affectionately regarded as the crew's resident little creature™️, and without her around, hijinks cannot properly ensue. Bun's individual relationships with the main members are as follows:

Spouse, Soulmate [or so he insists]: La.ffitte

The Best of Friends: D.oc Q + Stronger, Ca.tarina Devon, Ku.zan + Camel

On Good Terms With: Jesus Bur.gess, Sa.njuan Wolf

It Depends on the Day: Van Au.gur, Ma.rshall D. Te.ach, Av.alo Piz.arro

Avoids: Sh.iryu [he kinda reminds her of someone...🐊]

Refuses to be in the Presence of: Va.sco Shot

☞ Bun is allowed to have bad days around them. She’s allowed to be flawed, to be all the parts of her that she doesn’t like and tries so hard not to be. Those ill moods and dour states of mind are handled with a surprising amount of grace by her crew mates. It still surprises her after 2+ years of being around them. Bun has known "better" people who have left over much less... ☜

☞ Teach knows right away - from the moment they meet - that Bun has immense potential hidden within her. Sure, she comes across as a weakling, but he can tell she is stronger than she lets on; she is stronger than she knows. And she for sure has much more knowledge and awareness in that mind of hers than she lets others believe. With time, bun could develop into a very valuable asset. Teach keeps an eye on her.

He is one of the first to figure out that she has Conquer’s Haki [it’s how she is able to tame animals so easily]! Teach was also the first amongst the crew to find out about Bun’s past with Crocodile. Though this wasn’t due to intuition. Instead he found out she was kinda-sorta wanted by the World Government when he briefly became a Warlord. They wanted to… ‘question’ her about her knowledge of the Alabasta incident and… silence her so the truth behind their coverup wouldn’t get out. But all they had was a photo of her on Crocodile’s arm. Fortunately her identity was a mystery. Teach had no reason to sell her out to them, but he certainly ribbed her about her former love life the next time he saw her: “Zehahaha, hey Bun! When were you gonna tell us you used to f*ck Crocodile?!” >:)

In a way, one could go as far as to say that Bla.ckbeard personally finds Silva endearing. They've had quite a few philosophical late night talks when neither could sleep due to insomnia. He finds her sass hilarious- to the point of letting her get away with talking back to him. He always laughs her mouthiness off. Zehahaha, that little firecracker really does have the heart of a rabbit! What’s the worst she could do to him, nag him to death?

…

… Aw hell, she actually probably could- ☜

☞ On the topic of nagging, Bun isn’t afraid to speak her mind when it comes to scolding the recklessness of her peers. Actually, said tendency to nag becomes part of her job in the future. Post Timeskip, Bun often works alongside her husband as something of a secondary support to the Chief of Staff, often smoothing out petty issues amongst the crew or nipping potential problems in the bud before they have a chance to make their way up to Bla.ckbeard. Bun often handles matters in a constructive way, and she does her best to be pragmatic and fair. Everyone knows they can expect Bun to speak with straightforward, well-intended honesty. On the other side of the coin, Bun can verbally tear a person to shreds when she’s in a genuinely bad mood or if the actions of another have personally pissed her off. Most would agree they’d rather deal with Bun as opposed to La.ffitte when some constrictive criticism is in order… but there are some that would actually rather take their chances with the Demon Sh.eriff when they see that trademark grimace twist up Silva’s facial features. Heaven forbid anyone screw up to such a significant degree that they have to deal with both spouses at the same time. ☜

☞ Silva is not a Titanic Captain, but she does keep a very close proximity to a few of them! Those captains being her friends, of course! Bun bounces around between the 5th, 6th, 9th, and 10th Ships. It goes without saying that the majority of her time is spent with La.ffitte on the 5th Ship. Bun's official profession is 'Beast Wrangler', though as mentioned prior, she assists with staff management and still pops in to assist D.oc Q when she can. ☜

☞ Several of the crew members [aside from her spouse] refer to Silva with terms of endearment- such as “Honey Bun” or “Varmint”! 🖤🖤🖤✨ If I listed all of La.ffitte’s pet names for her, we’d be here all day. ☜

☞ Bun will allow only a VERY SPECIFIC FEW of them to pick her up and carry her. A VERY. SPECIFIC. FEW. Usually Bun prefers to be plucked up and balanced upon her friend's shoulders, but of course La.ffitte opts to hold her in his arms instead. ☜

☞ TL;DR? The super simplified explanation of the Forbidden Fruit AU tag on this bog can be found here. ☜

[roseandgold137]

Cassie fixed the straps of her Hello Kitty bag resolutely, and turned to face the tall front door. She’d been on many harrowing missions - but this would undoubtedly be her most dangerous one yet.

“Mommy, I don’t want to go to school.”

Helena - or Mommy, as Cassie knew her - didn’t seem to pay her much heed. “You’ll do great, Cassie. They’ll love you.”

Cassie crossed her arms in a huff. That wasn’t the point.

“I’m staying at home,” she declared, quickly looking back at Helena to see what she might do. Helena didn’t seem to react much at all, while she continued to look for her keys in the drawer.

“Mommy? Mommy, I said I’m staying home.” Cassie refused to just… not be heard. That was ridiculous. Everything Cassie said had to be heard by someone.

“Really?” Helena asked. “And what will you do all day?”

Cassie thought for a moment. “I’ll play dinosaurs with Tim,” she decided.

“Tim’s at crèche,” Helena said. “But, maybe when you get to school, you can play dinosaurs with the other kids there.”

“But I want to play dinosaurs with Tim,” Cassie insisted.

“You’ll be able to do that later today,” Helena assured her, slipping the car keys into her coat pocket. “Now, are you ready for your first day?”

The door was open. Cassie knew she’d been excited about this earlier in the week. But somehow, actually going to school seemed very different than just thinking about it.

Helena crouched down to Cassie’s eye level. “What’s up, goldfish?”

Cassie didn’t know what was up. Instead of answering, she burst into tears.

“Oh, goldfish.” Helena brushed away her tears. “It’ll be fun. You remember when you were in crèche, yeah? Remember all the arts and crafts?”

Cassie nodded, sniffling.

“School isn’t going to be so different from that. You’ll get to do arts and crafts. Some of your crèche friends will be there too.”

Cassie wiped her face with her sleeve. “Will Georgie be there?”

Helena smiled. “Of course Georgie will be there. So, are you ready?”

And, as Cassie watched their house disappear from the car window, she felt the apprehension morph into something more like anticipation.