#I have to prove to my friends that I don't like girls regularly

[fool-of-a-triceratops]

One of these days I will prove you all wrong and get a boyfriend. But he will probably be not worth my time as most boys are.

[anneapocalypse]

On Wuk Lamat, and Female Characters in FFXIV

The Thing with Wuk Lamat is you can tell me you think she had too much screentime; you can give me numbers on how many lines she had or how many scenes she's in relative to other characters or other expacs; you can prove to me "objectively" that she gets more focus than other main NPCs; you're simply not going to convince me that this is something I should be unhappy about. And not just because it's silly to think you can use numbers to prove a story is good or bad and make someone else go, "Wow, you're right, let me just throw away all the joy I experienced with this story and revise my opinion because you've scientifically proven to me that I'm wrong."

Because while I love Final Fantasy XIV and I have greatly enjoyed its story in so many ways, fundamentally one of my biggest beefs with this game has been how much female characters have been denied complex character arcs and growth and agency and interiority.

Minfilia gets treated as a sacrificial vessel who lives for everyone but herself and doesn't even get to have feelings about her own death because that entire arc is focused on a male character's angst about it instead. The game tells us in the Heavensward patches that Krile sees Minfilia as her best friend and then just forgets about that later and never follows up on what that loss must have meant to her. Ysayle is basically right about most of what she's fighting for but harboring a bit of self-delusion is apparently such a terrible sin that she has to pay for it with her life, while her male foil is deemed so worthy of salvation that there's a whole plot point about how important it is that we risk our lives and others' lives to save him. Y'shtola is a major character who's been around since the beginning, and the game keeps dropping maddeningly interesting things about her (apprenticed to a cranky old witch in a cave! saved her own life and the lives of her friends with an illegal and dangerous spell and it worked! reserved and undemonstrative yet regularly through her actions reveals herself to be deeply caring! disabled!) and then shows complete disinterest in following up on any of those things with the kind of depth and care shown to male characters with complex arcs like Urianger.

In general there is also a repeated thread of female characters being portrayed as weak or overly emotional: Minfilia is weak because she doesn't fight and needs to be eaten by a god in order to gain "a strength long sought." Krile is portrayed as not being able to pull her weight with the Scions (despite the fact that she actively keeps five of them from dying in Shadowbringers) and the only thing they could think of for her to do in Endwalker was be yet another vessel for Hydaelyn (hmm, that sounds familiar) and it's not until Dawntrail that she gets much actual character development in the main story and even that has to come alongside "Look, she can fight now so that means she's useful." (And I love Picto!Krile, I'm just saying, there's a pattern.) Alisaie, despite having very good reasons for needing to find her own path apart from her brother, is portrayed as having to prove herself when she returns, that she's "not the girl she once was," and "will not be a burden" (while Alphinaud is repeatedly given the benefit of the doubt and reassurance and affirmation from other characters even after he takes on responsibilities he isn't ready for and fucks up big time).

And if you follow me you know I adore Urianger, and I love Alphinaud and Thancred and Estinien too, so please don't misunderstand what I'm saying here! I'm not knocking those characters, or saying we shouldn't also love them. I just use them as a comparison to demonstrate how the female characters have been neglected.

Lyse has some of the stronger character development among the female Scions, and while she's still kind of portrayed as being too emotional and hotheaded in early Stormblood, I think it's actually explored in more depth in a way that I like; Lyse has good reasons for wanting to fight for her nation's freedom, but having been away from Ala Mhigo for several years now, she needs to understand the stakes for the people who've been there fighting for years, what they've lost and still have to lose. She grows as a person and rises to the challenge of leadership, and I'm even okay with the fact that she leaves the Scions afterward because it feels right for her to stay in Ala Mhigo, and at least she doesn't die.

And by all accounts she was, like Wuk Lamat, widely hated when her expansion came out.

Unironically I think the other female Scion with the strongest character arc is Tataru. She tries to take up a combat job, finds that it's not for her, and decides to focus on where her strengths are instead. In doing so, she both holds the Scions together as an organization in the absence of a leader by capably managing their finances, and also comes into her own as a businesswoman and makes international connections that benefit both the Scions and her personally. In contrast to Minfilia, she's not portrayed as weak because she doesn't fight, and is actually allowed to be an important character who's good for more than being sacrificed. Tataru is still distinctly in a supporting role for the player character, however, and her character arc happens as a side story that takes up a relatively small amount of screentime over several expansions, which I think is probably why she doesn't evoke such a negative reaction.

But there is a pattern of the game's writing showing disinterest in the interior lives of female characters generally, and in making their growth the focus of a story.

So yeah, I'm going to be happy about Wuk Lamat! I'm going to enjoy and celebrate every moment of her character arc, of her personal growth, of watching her put the lessons she's learned into action. I'm going to love and treasure every moment when she gets to be silly, embarrassing, emotional, scared, grieving, confused, upset, seasick, impulsive, and still deemed worthy of growing into a hero and a leader. I will love her with all of my soul and you simply will not convince me that it wasn't worth the screentime after such a profound imbalance for basically the entirety of the game. We've never had a major female character get such a strong arc with this much love and attention put into it and that means more to me than I can truly say. The backlash to it is disheartening, as this kind of thing always is, but I'm not going to let it ruin the wonderful experience I had playing it and how much joy it continues to bring me.

And for those of you who don't want any of that for a female character, thank goodness you have Heavensward and Shadowbringers and Endwalker and no one can take those away from you.

(And if you follow me you know that I love Shadowbringers and Endwalker and have very fond memories of Heavensward despite some issues with it, so not only can I not take that from you, I am not trying to!)

Some of us have been real hungry for a character like this with an arc like this, so, I think, y'know, maybe we can have that. As a treat.

[cursedcola]

Prompt: "Will You Marry Me?" - Proposal Headcannons Characters: Everyone :) Part(s): Heartslabyul, Savanaclaw, Octavinelle (Here!), Scarabia, Pomefiore, Ignihyde, Diasomnia(Pt.1)(Pt.2) Fandom: Twisted Wonderland Warning(s): None. I mean, unless you don't want to marry any of them. Just don't read if that's the case. Note: These are all if he is the one proposing btw. I've been thinking about maybe programming a small fan-made mini-otome using these ideas. Just for some practice for school while also being self indulgent hehe

Azul Ashengrotto

Fortune. Azul is one fortunate soul. At least, not he thinks himself to be.

and to think that it's because of sheer luck. He did not work for you. He did not climb or claw or plan for you. He did nothing.

No, you chose him. You saw him at his lowest and decided that he was worth becoming friends with. You actively sought him out...just to spend time at his side. Regularly. You enjoyed Azul's company

and over time, he grew to enjoy yours. Immensely. Like a giddy school-girl, his heart fluttered at the thought of you and all his notebooks were covered in doodle hearts.

This was it for him. Azul is a one and done kind of man. It’s you or it’s no one. Which means that it obviously is going to be you because hello??? Azul is not a quitter.

During your younger years as students….he may have been a bit too ambitious. In other words, Azul has proposed many times

And in turn has been rejected. Many. Times.

It began passively. He’d mention here and there his future plans for after schooling. Try to talk himself up, yeah? He’s going to be a big business man, isn’t that just perfect husband material? He can take care of you easily so there’s no need to stress.

Naturally you pushed off these moments as daydreaming and casual joking. Nothing serious. So he ups his game. It just so happens that he mistakenly got a bridal magazine in the mail…oh, look at these dresses and suits! So fancy. So beautiful…oh, you would look absolutely darling in one.

….oh sweet merciful seven please take the HINT. He is LITERALLY throwing himself at you

He ups his game. Again. A romantic candle lit dinner for two. The works. Jazz music, slow dancing, good company, and the casual proposal y’know just your average date.

You have to be doing it on purpose

In your defense. He did not flat out say “will you marry me,” because he chickened out. Instead he asked if you’d like to live with him after graduation as…roommates.

The world is out to get this poor man. It is. It truly just wants him to crash and burn in embarrassment. The way you laughed and went “I think we’re a bit more than that, don’t you think?” HAUNTS him

He screamed into his pillow that night. For hours. Floyd still gives him shit for it

Life continues this way. For reasons unknown…he just couldn’t bring himself to be direct. Which is so unlike Azul considering he spent years toughening himself up.

Maybe deep down he did fear that things wouldn’t work out. A merman and a human…what if you did not want to lige in the sea? What if his body could not sustain human form for long term? Maybe he wanted you to take initiative and prove him wrong. Eventually he did give up.

At least until you both aged into the “roommates”he dreamed about. There were trials and compromise. He never thought to have two homes, one by the ocean and one literally inside of it. Life was perfect….just without the title. And on one random night, Azul thinks “One more time,”. No elaborate ruse. No trickery to get you to ask him. Just….

“Will you marry me?,” Azul whispered into your shoulder. You both lay together in your shared bedroom with nothing but the sound of crashing waves coming in from the outside. Your steady breathing halts, proving that you heard him. With a sigh, he reaches to massage your scalp, “I do not know if you have realized by now…no, I am sure of it. No one is that dense. I won’t pry for why you have ignored my past attempts…all I ask is that you answer this. Will you marry me, (Y/N)? Having you at my side has truly made me the most fortunate man alive,”

{ A black pearl over a gold band. One of the most ultimate displays of wealth. Azul is well aware that this is not the traditional pathway. He could have easily acquired a ‘genuine’ Pearl, perhaps a diamond - but no. You are a rarity. A true jewel. Only a ring worthy to reflect that is worth buying. You were the most unexpected thing and are now the most cherished. This ring represents that,}

Jade Leech

The want caught him by surprise one day, which is rare. Jade is never thrown off guard. At least, not easily.

Then again, you have always been the most difficult person for him to predict. Something he finds very charming since there is always an upbeat atmosphere wherever you go. If his days were a dimming flame, you would be just the right amount of Co2 to spark some fun - not that he would easily admit to it.

Albeit so, Jade is not blind to his emotions. He hides them well underneath a polite smile - but they are there. He is aware of them.

Which is why he snatched you up early on. A relationship was the last thing he thought to find on the surface (or in general, honestly), but Jade knows what he wants when he sees it.

He merely asks you on a date with confidence. You accept, and the process repeats until an unspoken bond formed between the two of you. Not a soul in the nearby vicinity would dare make a move on you with his lingering presence. Jade was pacified, entertained, and happily content with your circumstance.

A circumstance that Jade gets maybe a bit too comfortable with. Just like surprise, it takes a lot for Jade for feel secure. The only person he has truly felt that with is his brother. This lack of overbearing responsibility, where something is being unspoken. No ulterior motive or underlying tone in your actions that make him have to over-analyze.

In the beginning he thought of your bluntness as an extra entertainment factor. Something that he could count on to make those brief unpredictable situations amusing. Yet, as time passed he notices that it's comforting. When he's with you, Jade turns his brain off. Not entirely, of course. He still needs to throw in witty quips and fluster you at LEAST twice per day.

but it's different. It's a different comfort than what he feels with his sibling or with his friend. It's new, and strangely similar to how he feels when he forages while hiking. Perhaps finding peace in another person...maybe there is merit. Hah. Yet another surprise.

On an evening long past curfew, Jade was tending to his botany collection and miniature greenhouse. You sat on his bed, watching videos on your phone. It was almost like you weren't there with him, yet not since he felt your presence. However, there was no pressure to talk or be attentive. He found himself enjoying your presence alone, and it slipped.

"If this is how our days will be when we live together, then perhaps sharing one life is not as inconceivable as I once thought," he said amidst trimming one of his herb plants. Jade turns curiously when he hears a thump from behind, and sees you gawking at him. You had lost your grip on the cell phone, and it fell to the ground.

He eyes you suspiciously. What's startled you? He doubts that any video could render you speechless.

....he spoke aloud, yes? Not in his head. Now it's Jade's turn to lose his composure.

Another surprise, but this is his own doing. Jade has not had a slip of the tongue since his childhood. Even then it was rare. He's never experienced this kind of mess-up...yet, you don't appear appalled.

Jade places the clippers down, and coughs into his gloved hand, "well, it appears I have gotten a loose tongue. It must be from your influence, no doubt". He stands, and moves to sit next to you on his bed, "I've never spoken out of place before, you know. Do you know what this means? I've become weak...and perhaps it it is time you take responsibility for these newfound emotions. I fully intend for many moments like these to happen, and for you to not leave my side. When it is time to leave this place, I believe you will join me. No, I am certain of it"

{An eye of lapis. A reminder that he is always watching - waiting, to see you again. The gem is not see-through. It’s a tough stone. Yet it is beautiful and is appreciated nonetheless. Enough said}

Floyd leech

At first, you believed him to have an obsession. Many did, actually.

The judgement isn't uncalled for either. Floyd's emotions towards you are very strong. With the way he loves to tease and follow you around - he's got a deep attachment. He's always demanding your attention, pulling you from your duties, starting trouble, and nosy. Floyd is oh so nosy and into everything in your life.

You're a toy. His little Shrimpy. The plaything that he absolutely adores and loves to watch. You're the Friday night sitcom to his late-90s grandma.

That's how you see it because that's how he portrays it. With others in agreeance, it is easy to overlook the small undertones in his actions. Especially since he's a touchy and emotional person normally.

Somehow, Floyd had himself tricked as well. He didn't akin his emotions to obsession, but he did think that you were a toy that he would

eventually out-grow. At the start, it really was just a game for him. He liked your reactions and therefore decided to keep you around.

Yet, he never got bored. Eventually the fun events around you stopped being what he found interesting, and instead he liked you alone. Floyd being Floyd instantly tried to confess this, not wanting to waste another minute. Yet you never believed him.

He brushed it off. You'd come around. Not a day went by without him by your side. To the average onlooker (and you, to Floyd's dismay) this still appeared normal. Weeks past by like nothing.

Only the people closest to Floyd see the small giveaways. Like how he glares holes into the mirror portal every morning, or gets snappy with customers if you take too long to visit the Monstro Lounge at night. There's a booth saved, every evening with no student brave enough to go near it unless they want their head chopped off.

When he gives you a 'squeeze,' he never wraps his arms around your stomach. He instead smothers your head and goes tightly around the shoulders. Your squeezes are special. He loves them.

or the name 'Shrimpy'. How he says it to you in public, but in private he occasionally lets your real name slip out. This normally happens during moments when he feels "bored,"(i.e has nothing to talk about) or lighthearted (the rare moments when you get him to relax). Floyd has never said that name with anything other than a positive emotion, despite his mood swings. Shrimpy is his calling card for you, and only his. Yet your name is different. He feels a tummy-twisting kind of weird when he says it.

but the biggest change is Floyd's attitude towards danger when it comes to you. Before, he thrived on it. He liked to hear your stories and be part of the fun. He took joy from the scary adventures you got wrapped into; heck, he was one of them.

Now he gets morbid. Not like how he was before, with eerie threats and a suspenseful aura. He never actually acted unless told to do so, since the over-blots and delinquent students were your problem, not his.

One afternoon, you didn't show up to have lunch with him. That already made him irritable since you know better than to no-show. Did you want a squeeze? Huh, Shrimpy? He'll give you one later.

Then two students come in, all snickering and acting suspicious. Strike two. Now Floyd is upset AND annoyed. Others in the area can feel the animosity in the air.

"Did you see their face? Psh. That'll teach some snot-nosed no-mag to act all mighty. If they know what's good for them, they'll go back to whatever sh*t-hole they came from alrea-" The no-face couldn't finish his sentence. Not with one of the infamous Leech twins gripping his arm tight enough to snap bone.

Floyd smiled, "oh~ So you're the reason my little shrimp isn't eating lunch with me, aren't ya? So. What'd ya do? C'mon guys, I want to know what 'lesson' ya taught, " as Floyd spoke, his grip gradually tightened and he stared straight into the other student's eyes. Each word came out harsher than the last.

They broke quick, as he suspected. With a rough shove Floyd pushed them aside to find you. He had their faces memorized. Let them live in fear for a bit until he collects due payment. For now?

Floyd finds you at your home. He doesn't bother to knock and bursts through the front door, only to see you nursing a black eye on the couch with some ice. He wastes no time in taking it and kneeling in front of you.

Floyd holds the ice to your eye - a bit too harsh- and clenches his jaw when you wince. You won't meet his eyes and it only pisses him off more, "Oi. Look at me," and you do with your one eye. "Why didn't you call me. Why'd you not show up," You sigh and reach a hand to cover his, "because I knew you'd be pissed... I handled it, okay? No need to fake the whole 'I will protect you, my little Shrimpy' scenario. We both know that's not your thing, "

You're wrong. It's not a scenario. You can dismiss his flirting all you want, but even Floyd has a limit. Do you not see how absolutely wreaked overhearing those airheads made him? He's going to do worse than you can think. He won't kill them. No, he'll make sure that no one messes with you anymore. You can't see it, but on the inside he is over it. Done. Finished. Officially has 0% patience.

"Did you know that every time you spout crap like that, it pisses me off? I don't 'act,' because that's boring. I'm not lyin' when I say I like you, and you better start believin' it because I'm over the niceties. If someone messes with you, they mess with me. You're in deep (Y/N) and I'm not letting go, so wait here while I handle some little pests. I love ya. I act this way BECAUSE I love ya. Quit denying me already,"

No one will ever mess with you again. Not with the sparkly little gem on your ring finger, tying you to one of the largest and most threatening groups in the undersea world to date.

{ An aquamarine tear. In all honesty, Floyd did not put much thought into his gem. It sparkled. It is the color of his hair streak (or close to it). He imagined it on your finger and thought that it would stand out - ensuring that anyone and everyone could see it. He thought of your possible expression upon seeing it, and was sold}

[the-colourful-witch]

i'd love to know more about astrid cresswell if you're willing to tell us more. such as her family, is she dirk cresswell's daughter? what's her wand like? what year was she born? etc

Hiya! I can't believe you found her! I forgot I shared an illustration of Astrid on my page a long time ago :) Astrid Cresswell is my OC. And yes, I did take inspiration for her name from Dirk Cresswell, who is an Auror at the Ministry. He was one of the Aurors who was supposed to arrest Dumbledore if I remember correctly. In Order of the Phoenix. The two of them have no relation, actually. I took the last name when I was toying with the idea of her being the daughter of Dirk, but I went in a different direction. The last name kind of stuck, oops :) Anyway! Astrid!

Astrid is a Slytherin, in the same year as Fred and George (born 1978). My story for her is:

She was raised by her dad, who is a Healer at St Mungo's, in the permanent ward. Her mother was a Muggle, who died in childbirth. Robb Cresswell, Astrid's father, never told his girlfriend he was a Wizard. Astrid grew up with her dad, who was always working. They lived in the hillside village of Ottery St Catchpole where a few more magical families were housed in the hills. Robb regularly dropped Astrid off at the Weasleys, where Molly was more than happy to look after Astrid when he went to work. And so Astrid grew up with her two best friends: Fred and George Weasley. But that friendship didn't last very long after Astrid got sorted into Slytherin House. From that moment on, Astrid and the twins became rivals. They will do anything to destroy each other, both on and off the Quidditch pitch.

Astrid is a Chaser, the only girl on the Slytherin team. She's constantly dealing with Marcus Flint's sexist antics but is determined to play. She has something to prove, after all. Her patronus is a fox and her wand is 9 1/2 inches, Aspen wood with a dragon heartstring core. It stylishly resembles ivory; excellent for duelling and charm-casting. It's a wand made for revolutionaries but can be temperamentful, reacting to uncontrolled emotions. Astrid has two best friends: Maeve and Dorian, both Slytherins in her year. Dorian plays on the Quidditch team with her, as a Beater. He wants to be an Auror, like his father John Dawlish and is ahead of everyone in their class in all subjects. Maeve is the oldest of seven girls and the only one sorted into Slytherin. Hogwarts is the only place where she doesn't have to be a parent to her sisters. She enjoys reading and is Captain of the chess club. Oh, and she has a pet: a tubby black and white cat named Tibo. Tibo likes treats and scratches behind his ears. He has one of those loud purrs.

Astrid herself has a toad, which is a surprisingly uncool pet for a girl of her status. He's called Samuel the Second. You don't want to know what happened to the first. Sebastian usually hangs out in Astrid's room, but she takes him with her to the greenhouses sometimes when she's doing extra credit work. And Astrid is popular! After finding out she wasn't ever going to fit in with her Gryffindor friends (not really friends anymore), she decided to really embrace the Slytherin identity. She is clever and cunning. She knows how to get what she wants. To everyone who does not know her, she is perfect. Prefect, Quidditch player, star student. Behind the scenes, it's a little more rough... But she tries. She wants to become a Healer, after a successful Quidditch career, of course.

I am still figuring out Astrid's story, but it's fun for me to work on her every now and then. I admit, it's been a while. I dream of writing a fic for her one day, but I am not much of a writer. I start with something and then I can't finish, because I get distracted and instead draw my characters. What can I say, I like to draw! Maybe one day I'll actually finish a first draft :)

(an older version of Astrid - I don't love how I drew this)

I would like to share some more OC work in the future, but it's been a while since I worked on my characters. All the existing HP characters take up a lot of my time at the moment. One day :) I hope you like this. I'm happy to answer more questions if you have them <3

Magical wishes, Fleur

Some more earlier concepts of Astrid..

[blackdagger456]

Let's Talk About: MHA 430, How This Fandom Can't Read, How Leaks Ruin Chapters And While Imperfect This Finale Was A Good Sendoff

So, here we are.

Ten years. Ten years and 430 chapters we've been with My Hero Academia. Ten long years of excitement, fandom interactions and so many fics I won't bother to count saved, subscribed and bookmarked.

It's strange really. To be apart of this fandom for so long...and find out that so many still can't read.

Like holy cheeseburgers Batman, so many of my fellow MHA readers/fans can't read it's astonishing.

So, for what'll be the last time for this series, let's go over the latest chapter of MHA and allow me to inform you of what it means. Or at least, that was the plan before the leaks came out. Just with the added addition of going over how people have reacted to chapter 430 before it was even officially out, and we're going to start with the first stone that began toppling Dominos.

[Official Spoilers Below]

This. Oh god, this sentence has been nothing but a headache for me and so many others. Because of the leaks ,and subsequent mistranslations, being taken as fact the reaction to the finale started out as shit. This entire week leading up to today has been frustrating for me and many others as we tried to explain what should be obvious.

Firstly, none of this is coming from any official translation. What people were seeing before today were things fans and unlicensed translators are spreading around as if it's fact. This does NOT mean that they are correct and therefore these translations shouldn't be treated as such.

Secondly, in no way shape or form does Izuku imply or state that his friends abandoned him after he lost his powers. All he said, was that it was a bit more difficult to meet up regularly. Something that makes sense not only because they were working in different fields but also because work in general is like that.

It can be hard to meet up with the boys n girls for hang outs but that doesn't mean you don't talk. That doesn't mean you don’t call or text or keep in touch. Something which is easier to do when you've fought and lived through an entire war together!

His friends didn't abandon him. They didn't stop caring about him because he became powerless. Hell, the ending of the chapter proves this wrong if nothing else!

Now, is it a shame the ships didn't get officially confirmed? Yes. But I think the implications are more than enough to satisfy. Even if they aren't, there's no reason not have fun with things being open ended. It opens the door to so many fun possibilities OUTSIDE of this whole NTR trend people are trying to start. [Thankfully that's a small part of the fandom]

But moving on, lets go into what he's been doing since becoming OFA.

In what way shape or form does him becoming a teacher make him 'fall off'/make the Mc Donald’s meme become a reality?

 First off why are we hating on the man for enjoying his life without conflict after saving the world? We doing my boy like Gohan now? If he wants to retire to a teaching role, one he very clearly enjoys, let him. What do people think they can take him? Ya'll forgetting exactly what he had to do BEFORE he was able to get OFA in the first place. Izuku is still physically stronger than most normal people both in MHA and in reality.

But, I'm getting off topic. The point is Izuku has and continues to be an inspiration to those that will follow after him. Even to the point of mirroring his starting point with All Might when he inspires yet another young kid to become a hero.

Is he a bit sad he isn't an official hero? Yes. Is he frustrated or unhappy with where he is in life? No. Not at all. He's content. His goal was never to be the No.1 Hero it was to be like ALL MIGHT. To inspire and protect people like his mentor had.

He's done just that and for it---for it he's rewarded.

His kindness, his determination and his faith in those around him comes back to him in the best way for it was those people he spread said traits too that spent those eight years putting together the thing that would bring his dream back to him.

That would bring HIM back to standing by their side on the field of battle. For Izuku Midoriya never truly stopped standing by his friends. For they too had become their own inspirations to Japan and the world. But now, finally, their friend...their inspiration...their Deku could lead them on the frontlines once more.

They, and he, couldn't ask for anything less.

[writteninlunarlight-years]

Hey, I was wondering if you could do a match-up for Harry Potter! Specifically the Marauders Era.

Female, She/They, Pansexual

Plus size!, but more thighs (and boobs) than anything, dirty blonde hair, blue eyes, i have glasses,

My personality is loving, patient, (surprisingly) smart and good at classes, but that's probably bc I'm determined and work hard- I can be really sassy though, nurturing, I have to stick to a semi strict schedule, forgiving, and I guess caring, also im an ambivert!! (I just kinda looked up personality traits and went with what I thought fit me. Bear with me.)

Likes: Reading, writing, SWEATERS, school, candles, blankets, sour candy, chocolate, sunflowers, sunsets, the moon

Dislikes: When my schedule gets completely destroyed, sudden and really big change, people who chew with their mouth open, feeling really embarrassed and like everyone is judging me, olives,

Extra fun facts: I have chronic headaches, bad knee problems in my right knee 😍, if I have an assignment I will always do way too much for it

Hope that's okay and you're okay with doing this, and I hope i did it right!!! Sorry for any spelling mistakes :)

Annos, please never apologize for spelling errors, lol. I don't know if you've read my posts, but I can not spell either. I am incredibly reliant on Grammarly, and my partner makes fun of me for it regularly.

Also, does anyone else pretend/feel like that lady from Mulan when they do these matchups? No, just me. Aight, I'll be in the corner now.

~~~~~MATCH UP~~~~~

Annon, I must match you with the sweetest boy of the tricksters.

Remus Lupin

~~Headcanons~~

This man would bake you and buy you the best chocolates. He will curb your sweet tooth like no tomorrow.

He respects a girl who is not afraid to be herself, and if anyone tries to put you down and make you get in your head, he's not scared to be a big bad wolf ( see what I did there )

He loves it when you can put up with his three headaches. Wait, he means friends.

He would want to study with you all the time, so much so that James, Sirius, and Peter complain about missing their friend.

MANS WOULD WEAR MATCHING SWEATERS PROVE ME WRONG

Remus strikes me as the guy who will get you flowers just because, so expect to be showered with your favorites. However, he always forgets that he should buy you flowers on a holiday.

Though he is afraid of the full moon, watching the skies with you any other time has become an enjoyable pastime, especially to see you light up.

When he has to hide away for the full moon, he makes you a goodie basket to 'remember' him by till he comes back.

If you are ever feeling unwell or hurt, he will carry you up to his dorm and make you comfy in his bed. He will get you all the fixings to cure your ailments. I'm talking hot water bottles, heavy blankets, blackout curtains, water, pain medicine, and, of course, cuddles.

~~~~~Blurb~~~~~

You sat in the library waiting for Remus to arrive for your study date. As you finished your potion essay for him to look over, an exhausted, panting Sirius appeared before you. You looked up at him, amused, "Y/N, I am telling you we need him for Quidditch. Please, please, tell him to skip Hogsmeade this weekend." As Sirius was begging, he got down on his knees.

Around the corner soon came James looking almost as exhausted as the other boy in front of you. You chuckle into your hand, knowing that the Librarian will soon grow tired of the Maurder's antics. "Boys, you know he is his own person, right? What makes you think I have any say." You looked at the boys innocently. With a scoff, Sirius stood, wrapping his arm around James' shoulder. "Y/N, the man is so in love with you that he talks to you in his dreams. Of course, he will listen to you."

Before you could open your mouth again, James and Sirius were on the floor, this time due to a perfectly timed nudge to the back of their knees. Remus looked up at you and smiled softly, "Hi, my sweet. I brought you some treats." Placing down your candy, which he knew you favored, he sat across from you, ready to study.

James popped up from the floor, "Look, Y/N, he's even wearing a matching jumper with you! We have asked to match as a group of friends for ages. You can't tell me this man isn't whipped." You laughed at the remark, watching Remus nudge the back of James' knee again, causing him to collapse.

~~~~~EXTRA~~~~~

(You are looking up at the stars with the whole friend group. Your head is placed in Remus' lap. Peter is asleep lounging on the grass. Sirius, James, and Lily are all leaning back, looking at the stars.)

Y/N: Do you think that when the first people watched the stars, they thought they were crazy when they started moving each night.

Sirius: Wait, do the stars move each night?

James: I thought it was the moon that moved.

Lily: Sometimes it amazes me how you two breathe on your own.

Remus: (rubbing his temples, feeling the headache coming on) I'm glad someone else said it.

I hope you enjoy!!

[plzhearmeout]

Bastards and Broken Things

Sandor Clegane x Original Female Character

~Chapter Two~ Chapter One

Summary: Reina Rivers returns to Westeros, disguised as a noblewoman with an offer of marriage for King Joffrey. Joffrey's hound catches her eye, and she catches his.

CW: MDNI, Cersei & Joffrey, language, mentions of slavery, vague allusion to/mention of sexual slavery, age gaps

Note: I'm getting the hang of like,,, posting regularly and tagging everything, so please don't be afraid to be like hey girl you totally didn't tag this shit (my anxiety is telling me I somehow missed a major trigger tag but I wrote this and reread it ten million times and there isn't anything 😭). I hope anyone who reads this enjoys it!

Volantis might have been beautiful had Reina arrived there under different circumstances. She pictured herself as a traveler, stepping onto the dock with eyes full of wonder, but she couldn't quite see it. The reality of being bought and paid for was too heavy for her to shoulder any other possibility.

Her new master was a man named Malaquo Maegyr. He was a man with power, and a man with daughters too close to her own age. Reina wondered how he could look those daughters in the eye, how he could preserve their youth but shatter her own as he brought her into his home as a bed slave.

She could have been angry, furious with the girls that were full of the innocence that had been stolen from her. But then, she met Laenaya, a girl too young and naive to care about their difference in station. She met Talisa, who was noble and seething over the treatment of slaves by her father. They were too kind and lovely to stay cross with, forcing their way into her life with all the persistence of flowering weeds in the garden, and they soon proved themselves to be spots of glimmering light in the darkness.

While Laenaya wore the ignorance of childhood like armor, Talisa spoke often of leaving Volantis. She wove stories of far off lands and magical beasts, of cities without slavery. The sisters would sneak Reina into their chambers when the rest of the household slept, and there Reina found pieces of herself hidden in laughter and candlelight. She found hope in Talisa’s stories, memories of her mother in the gentleness of Laenaya’s hands as she braided her hair.

And then Talisa left, and Tyrion Lannister offered Malaquo Maegyr an alliance with a King.

“He’s going to send me away,” Laenaya sobbed, and Reina cradled her head against her chest. Her friend shook against her, and something within her bared its teeth.

“No,” she replied, “he isn’t.”

Reina couldn’t remember much of her childhood, but she knew she had been hopeful. Standing before the Queen, she could feel whatever she had regained of her youthful optimism slipping through her fingers.

Cersei circled her, her gaze sharp as a knife, and Reina’s thumbnail dug into her finger behind her clasped hands. She recalled seeing vultures circling a dead elephant in Volantis. They had been impatient, studying their prize as Cersei studied her now, something like bloodlust in their eyes. They had descended upon the carcass in moments, tearing through skin and muscle with razor sharp beaks, and she remembered Talisa’s words as the girls had watched on above all else: “The world is cruel, Laenaya,” she’d said to her sister, “don’t let it scare you.” 

Cersei Lannister watched her as if she might tear into her flesh, but Reina stood tall. She kept her back straight as a rod, her shoulders back, and her chin up. She reminded herself that she was doing this for Laenaya, entering the lion’s den knowing that, should her identity be revealed, she would be killed. She thought that she might have been doing it for herself as well, freeing herself from a life of servitude even under risk of death. 

Cersei caught a strand of Reina’s hair between her fingers, studying it for a moment before speaking. “Have you bled yet?” The question was direct, but not unfamiliar. 

A lady would blush, Reina thought, willing her cheeks to redden. “Yes, your grace.” She steeled herself as the Queen came around and faced her, taking her in from head to toe.

“Why haven’t you married?” Cersei’s eyes were piercing as they met hers, and for a moment Reina worried that she might see past her highborn mask, see right down to her common bones. She summoned the answer she’d practiced so many times on the ship from Volantis.

“My father wanted only the best match for me, your grace,” she said, and her voice didn’t shake. Cersei’s eyes flashed to Tyrion who sat at the council table, sipping his wine.

“Joffrey already has his eyes set on the Stark girl,” Cersei said, smug and dismissive. 

“Sansa is our only bargaining piece against her brother,” Tyrion shot back, “a Volantene noble is a perfectly suitable alternative. We could use an ally across the sea.” He finished off his wine, giving his sister a look. “Father approves.”

Cersei considered his words for a moment. The silence was heavy, stretching over them like fog settled over the bay, and its breaking was no less tense.

“We’ll see what Joffrey thinks of her.” To Reina’s ears, it sounded like condemnation, and the walk through the halls of the Red Keep was silent as a death march save for the clink of the guard’s armor. 

The great doors to the throne room swung open, and she couldn’t help but think that Joffrey was painfully young, more boy than man. Laenaya had begged and cried when her father agreed to marry her to the King of Westeros. Lady Maegyr had gone to her knees, pleading with her husband not to send her remaining daughter away. Then, it had been so simple to take her friend’s place, to let Lady Maegyr ship her off under her husband’s nose. Now, she could see a glint of malice in the King’s eyes, and she wondered if she had truly escaped her Volantene prison, or if she’d only exchanged it for a gilded cage.

“Dog,” Joffrey said, and the tall man behind him stepped forward. He caught Reina’s attention for the first time. His face was lined and gnarled with scarring, his expression hard as stone, and yet there was a familiarity to him that replaced any fear Reina might have felt with curiosity. “Escort Lady Maegyr to her quarters,” Joffrey instructed. He kissed her hand again, giving her a sickly sweet smile. “I shall see you soon, my lady.”

Reina returned his smile, bowing her head. “I will eagerly await our next meeting,” she replied, and the lie was sticky on her tongue.

Joffrey’s guard led her through the castle’s twisting halls. He towered over her, broad shoulders made all the wider by his dark armor, and Reina couldn’t place him. That familiarity itched at the edge of her mind, just out of reach of searching hands.

She could remember the end of her childhood with startling clarity. She could still feel the rocks biting into her bare feet as she waded through the river, the pinch in her side as she ran until she tasted blood. She recalled the face of the slaver who’d caught her, the feel of his hands binding her wrists, but she couldn’t pinpoint how she knew the man walking beside her. 

“What is your name, Ser?” He scowled, hardly looking at her.

“I’m no Ser,” he grumbled.

“Then what are you?” He paused, seemingly caught off guard.

“A dog,” he replied. His voice was harsh and unreadable, his face more so, and Reina frowned. Joffrey had called him dog, spoken to him like a man calling his hound before a hunt. The man had replied with all of the biddability of the hound, but with none of the admiration for his master. She wondered then, if not admiration, what fires forged his loyalty? 

She didn’t speak again until they arrived at a large, wooden door, and neither did he. The door creaked as the man pushed it open.

“Thank you, Ser,” Reina said, and he bared his teeth like a wounded beast.

“Don’t call me that.” His voice was sharp, meant to scare her. Instead, clarity washed over her. He’d spoken the same words to her what felt like a million years ago, left her sprawled on the ground with the weight of his tourney winnings heavy in her hands. “I’m not a fucking knight.”

“Then tell me what to call you,” Reina countered. She thought that she should have been frightened, but as the words spilled from her mouth she couldn’t find any recognition in his eyes, only surprise.

He observed her, quiet for a moment. She almost thought he wouldn’t respond, that he might turn around and walk away, but then he spoke. “Sandor.”

Reina smiled softly, genuinely. “Thank you, Sandor.”

Sandor trailed behind Reina and Joffrey in the gardens, and for once, he found himself glad to be a Kingsguard. The streets of King’s Landing ran red, and here he was, cloaked in white and free of blood. Sandor Clegane may have been a killer, but the glow of Reina’s fair hair in the sunlight was a far more welcome sight than a babe at the end of his knife.

Joffrey said something to make Reina laugh, and Sandor wondered if the lamb knew the nature of the knife held to her throat: marry Joffrey and live under his cruelty, or scorn him and die. She was bright as the sun, flirting and joking like she was born to do so, but Sandor had been in King’s Landing long enough to note the difference in tune between lie and truth. Joffrey was none the wiser, but Sandor suspected that the girl was more aware than her lovestruck act let on. He could see it in the slight strain in her smile, in the flash of her eyes, and he knew that her lies would eventually float to the surface like bloated corpses in the Blackwater Rush.

There was a strange twinge in his chest, the urge to raise his hackles and defend her with claws and teeth. He pushed the feeling down, smothering it with anger and hate, and yet her smile lingered behind his eyes.

“My mother wishes for you to dine with her tomorrow evening, along with my brother and sister,” Joffrey said, pulling Sandor from his thoughts.

“I look forward to it, your grace,” Reina replied, and there was that smile again, “I miss my own sisters. The company will be more than welcome.” Sandor found himself wishing that she would grace him with that expression once more, like a flower searching for sunlight. He scowled at the thought. Even if she did, he was the Hound, hardened and cold. And yet, he craved the warmth of this girl’s smile.

Footsteps sounded behind them, and Sandor’s hand went to his sword. “Your Grace,” a voice called out. It was Meryn Trant. Sandor considered drawing his sword anyway, but Joffrey turned around to face them. Trant caught up, leaning in to speak to Joffrey so that only the King could hear. Joffrey looked annoyed, but nodded.

“Duty calls,” Joffrey said. He turned smug and preening when he looked at Reina. “Dog, follow me.” Sandor bristled, but bowed his head, ever the dutiful hound. He didn’t miss the way Reina’s smile flickered before returning in full force as she curtsied. 

As Joffrey walked away, surrounded by guards, Reina turned her attention to Sandor. “Why do you let him call you that?” She asked as if Sandor was more than a dog, as if Joffrey wasn’t the King. She looked at him without hesitation, without fear or disgust, and Sandor couldn’t make sense of it.

Why does it bother you? The thought swirled, and Sandor returned her gaze. “Back to your cage, little lamb,” he said instead, following after Joffrey, “or your lion will be missing you.”

Note: So Reina's backstory is starting to come together, and she's got Sandor's attention! I'm literally about to freak the freak out to get to the juicier parts, but I'm also having so much fun with the way the story is building. Any feedback is welcome (aka it would cure my mental illness)! Much love 💕

[littleplantfreak]

you could fill whole posts with your feelings about Ume, you say? why don't you prove it? 👀💖

Em, sweet pumpkin spice latte, i have a reputation (i dont actually) so it's going under the cut because no one should actually have to hear me scream about him for 10 years PLEASE if anyone here thinks im cool dont read this i wanna keep my nonexistent street cred

This is my second time writing about him so im sure its consolidated a bit which is preferred cause earlier it was like,,,,, ten paragraphs more than it is now

lets start with my favorite manga panel of him that i keep so safe and close to my heart because look! he broke the wall and his arm hangs over the panel and i looove it Satoru nii i can tell you were gonna make him the mc but im sooo glad you didnt because i love himmmm. though sometimes he reminds me of myself when i was younger way too much but this aint about him. ANYWAYS I FORGOT I DONT THINK ANY OTHER PANEL DOES THAT? its and important panel TO ME

When i first saw him with his hair down? instant heart eyes jesus christ ive never drooled over someone so hard which must be why my post with the most notes is me gushing about his hair. Ive always had a thing for hair tho im just a weirdo. Don't even get me started on the reading glasses!!!! i could just scream.

Also ive always had a thing for big guys esp gentle ones and once i learned more about him it was like bullseye bullseye bullseye- with how boxes he ticked but i just wanna climb him and maybe fight him for real but also fight him with my mouth. I wanna take care of him soooooo bad its not even funny. Like i know he's a big caretaker but i wanna pamper him i want that boy loves and cherished ill fight chika for him rn baby you dont have to lift a finger just sit over there right now.

Just heard a country song on the radio called must be doin something right by billy currington or whatever his last name is and went "i could dance with ume to that right now!!!!' also its a really sweet song though i love it.

Also he's hates needles...i hate needles.. we can take turns holding each other's hands for bloodwork and shots!!!

I started writing mainly for him and it was like....a "im not seeing enough content/the content i want" for this character so i put my pants on and did it myself. PRetty much my whole life i didnt like writing but now i do it semi-regularly and im pretty proud of that actually because ive begun to enjoy it? It probably helps that everyone's so sweet and the atmosphere is so chill but also nice and crazy and cool??? I dont have a lot of friends so im sooo soo thrilled to be able to gush with people its not even funny though sometimes im like "Girl you gotta be cooler than this you're not acting chill AT ALL calm down" so anyways i love him but i act like i really cant stand him he makes me so mad im furious at his existence

The scariest thing in the world to me is physically having kids? Like ive had nightmares about it i just dontttt wanna and i can tell he wouldnt push that like he'd be thrilled to adopt too it wouldnt matter but i think i would literally have his kids which is wild!!

Also? when i made that kissing picrew i actually flustered myself and that was crazy too because i don't fluster easy with boys at all but i physically turned red giggling kicking my feet about it every time i looked at it lmaoo you should see how red i get its baaaad im down baaaad

anyways ive alreasdy written too much have some more ume pics

[kaibutsushidousha]

Marble World and Candy Resist (Sagrada Reset 4) - Chapter 3

[INDEX]

Sera Sawako was in a dark place with her eyes closed.

Why bother keeping her eyelids up if she wasn't going to see anything? She considered sleeping but couldn't.

Instead, she turned off most of her consciousness and remembered the past.

Back then, Sera was still 9.

"Not going home yet?", asked her elementary school third-year teacher.

The teacher looked very old from the 9-year-old Sera's perspective. Closer in age to her grandparents than her parents. To this day, she still doesn't know the teacher's exact age.

Sera and her teacher were in her classroom after the lessons were over. They were the only ones. All classmates left Sera while she was changing the water on the flower vase.

Sera put the vase on the cupboard left of the blackboard and stared out the window. She could see students leaving the schoolyard. All backs were turned against her. She recognized some as her classmates.

"I'll leave in a bit.", answered Sera.

There still could be classmates changing their shoes. Meeting them would be awkward.

She didn't hate her classmates. There were some she regularly talked to and sometimes played with after class. But she still didn't feel included in the community. The longer it passed, the more she noticed she didn't laugh when everyone else did, and that they cherished different things.

After changing the water of the flowers was one time she didn't want to talk to anyone. Replacing the water was not Sera's job. It was a duty assigned to a different student each day. But most of them forgot it and the teacher didn't bother checking it either, so Sera replaced the water every day. But if a friend asked why she did it, she wouldn't be able to answer it.

"Thank you.", her teacher smiled.

She could tell this was about changing the water but didn't know how to respond. She was always like this. She never reacted positively to a "thank you". "You're welcome" was theoretically the correct reply, but she disliked how self-important that sounded.

As always, Sera only hung her head low and said:

"Don't mind me. I just find the cleaner water more beautiful."

She felt her teacher smile. She didn't know since she wasn't looking at her face, but she imagined she was.

She heard her teacher's voice, soft like a petal.

"You have something truly beautiful in your heart."

"Something beautiful?"

"Yes, there's something beautiful in the hearts of people who appreciate the beauty of simple things."

"What makes you think so?"

"Because otherwise, how would be able to find the beauty in this? You have something beautiful in your heart, and by comparing everything to it, you can know what's truly beautiful."

She didn't understand.

Seeing Sera was silent, her teacher continued.

"That's how it works for everything. We know fire is hot because we have a flame in our hearts. We know ice is cold because we have icy hearts. People can only know what's in their hearts."

(I'm not sure about that. Do I really have a hot fire and a cold ice in my heart? )

"I'll prove how beautiful what you have in your heart is."

"Prove?"

The teacher nodded.

"Close your eyes. Imagine the most beautiful thing you can think of."

The little girl loved her teacher.

She didn't always smile when her teacher did and they didn't necessarily value all the same things. But she could accept that without discomfort. Their differences weren't a cause of concern.

So she obediently closed her eyes and imagined the most beautiful thing she could think of. The vague picture formed in her head was one of globes sparkling in many colors, small enough to fit the palm of one’s hand.

"That’s your inner beauty. The most beautiful thing within your heart.", the teacher continued.

She could feel it there.

She believed it was real.

"When you open your eyes, you won’t be able to continue seeing what you’re imagining.", the teacher said.

Immediately after it, the world on the other side of Sera's eyelids turned brighter.

She could tell she was no longer surrounded by darkness. The light phasing through her eyelids flashed in countless red dots.

Sera opened her eyes.

A girl with a distorted face was watching her.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She hadn't seen the boy named Asai Kei since the café.

After that, Haruki Misora tossed the marble with Sera in it into her pocket and moved to her house. More than 10 minutes to the destination but less than 15, per Sera's approximations.

Sera looked at her surroundings through the marble. She was in a neatly organized room, presumably Haruki's. It felt strangely barren despite a few cat-themed accessories.

Observing around too much would be rude, so Sera returned her gaze to Haruki.

"Sorry for the unannounced visit."

Haruki sat on her desk before answering.

"It doesn't upset me."

"But don't you dislike having strangers in your house?"

"No."

Her head was slightly tilted in confusion and her eyes contained emotions Sera wasn't capable of deciphering.

"Does it upset you?"

"Huh?"

"You're currently in a stranger's house."

Sera's answer was yes.

"I'm a little nervous. But none of this feels real."

"It lacks realism?"

"Yup. It's hard to feel bothered at being at a stranger's house at this point."

Before she knew it, she was inside a marble. She knew she had this ability, but this was only her third time experiencing it. This didn't happen every year, and in the previous cases, it started suddenly and passed before she knew it. It felt like a long dream, so she saw no realism in these situations.

"Is that so?"

Haruki nodded and didn't say anything else.

Sera repeatedly glanced at her surroundings. Less to admire Haruki's room and more because the world in the marble was fascinating. Her two previous uses of her ability were in a glass shard and a mirror. That was her first time in a sphere.

The term "world in the marble" can be misleading, as Sera didn't see any glass dome covering her surroundings. Nothing was flipped vertically or horizontally nor did she feel shrunken.

The scenery was simply distorted. Like if you zoomed the center of a photo and compressed the borders. At the corners of the room, it looked like the floor and the ceiling were glued together.

Sera was floating in the center of this space. Her shoes were at a considerable distance from the ground. She couldn't feel her weight. She felt like she was floating in breathable water, which was nice but would be nicer if she was able to move.

No, that description wasn't accurate. Sera was able to scratch her head or take candy out of her pocket and remove the wrapper. She could move her legs and even walk. But that action had no consequence. She could walk forever and she would still be seeing the same scenery. It was like she was stamping in place. She couldn't touch things either. If she tried to put her hand on Haruki's desk, it would pass through it.

It was like she had become a ghost. Sera and the world clearly existed in separate planes. She broke off without any point of contact.

Sera asked a question to Haruki's distorted figure.

"Hey, what do I look like to you?"

"You're inside a marble. You stand upside-down in an upside-down reflection of my room."

"Ok."

(My perspective only sees the distortions, but from Haruki's perspective, I'm upside-down. We see it in different ways. Maybe it's because everything is inverted. I'm standing upside-down in an upside-down room. If everything is reversed, nothing is.)

But the Haruki outside the marble wasn't upside-down. That's why she could see Sera upside-down.

Haruki took her phone out of her pocket and set it on her desk next to Sera. The phone had a cat strapping. She squished the cat with her fingertip.

After some hesitation, Sera struck a conversation.

"You and Asai are kinda odd."

Haruki's gaze shifted from the cat to Sera.

"Odd in what sense?"

"In general. You two don't feel too normal."

Sera wasn't sure what she was talking about either.

They simply weren't normal. That's how she felt. They were different from her image of a freshman high schooler—and one on the first day of class, at that.

"What part of us is not normal?", Haruki asked.

Slightly puzzled, Sera answered.

"Your sense of distance feels kinda off, for example?"

"Define distance."

"I mean, aren't we classmates? I wasn't supposed to be getting this dry treatment."

She wasn't truly bothered by that. But that could be one out of many trivialities that piled up to make them seem not normal. Each minor gesture and phrasing was unusual.

"Would you prefer if I changed my tone into one more approachable?", asked Haruki.

"I guess I'd be more comfortable with that.", answered Sera.

Haruki nodded.

"Sure thing, let's go with that, then."

"Huh?"

"I'm not too particular about the way I talk. Are you cool with this tone?"

(This gotta be some kind of joke.)

But Haruki looked at her with dissonantly serious eyes. She caught herself giggling.

Haruki tilted her head without changing expressions.

"Got a problem?"

"That doesn't work. Where did you get this tone from?", Sera answered, laughing.

"I'm just copying Kei. That's how he talks to me.", said Haruki. "Though my speech can get kinda broken since I never practiced it like this."

Sera was still laughing. Broken language was far from the problem.

"I don't mind your natural way. What you're doing now feels strained. A bit eerie, even."

"Is that so?"

Still with an unreadable face, Haruki nodded and returned to her impersonal tone.

Sera wiped the tears of laughter from the corners of her eyes.

"You really are not normal."

"Is my speech truly that odd?"

"Not at all. It's probably less how you talk and more how you think."

Sera brought the white stick in her hand to her mouth. It used to be a lollipop. It's been in her hand this whole time since she had nowhere to throw it away.

"But I really like the oddities you two have. Makes you feel sorta special."

"Aren't all oddities special by default?"

"Huh? How so?"

"Odd is a word used to refer to what is rare. Everything becomes normal in enough quantity. And I believe rare and special are almost synonymous."

(That's not it.)

Sera shook her head.

"That's not true. I was probably an odd person, but I'm not special at all."

"I don't fully understand."

"I mean..."

Sera went quiet for a while, tilting the white stick in her mouth up and down. Then she picked the stick with her right hand and spoke.

"Through all of middle school, I've been called by an odd nickname. But this nickname wasn't special in the slightest to me. I wanted to be done with it as soon as I could."

"Why did you want to cast away your nickname?"

"Because it was unwanted. Odd things need values to be special, and this didn't have any."

Sera believed that the word "special" indicated value. Being unusual only meant being special if value was attached to it.

Haruki nodded deeply.

"Now it makes sense to me."

That was the last thing she said.

Sera closed her eyes again.

An odd nickname. The beauty in her heart. A lollipop stick.

She actually meant to eat that candy in school. That beautiful sphere would melt away inside her mouth and set her free.

Yet now the lollipop was gone.

(And I'm inside a marble.)

Inside a globe that wouldn't dissolve inside a human mouth.

Confined inside such a beautiful and cheap place, she had no means to escape.

[fish-bowl-2]

okay lmao you don't have to answer them all but im interested in your hot takes when you have time

7, 8, 9, 13, 16, 19, 21, 22, 24

😁 we need something to talk about in this micro fandom

Oh boy oh boy...

7. What character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because of how the fandom acts about them? Honestly, a bit of a hard one for me to answer because I don't really have one. I mean, there are always going to be fandom interpretations I am not into, but even so I don't really let that influence how I feel about the actual characters. A lot of those fandom interpretations don't seem to be the overwhelming majority anymore either. I feel that if I was invested in the EEnE fandom back in 2013-2014 I would absolutely be tired of Kevin, but that isn't really the case anymore. As far as I can see lol.

8. Common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about? That all the Kanker sisters (excluding May) are irredeemable and will never break out of whatever cycle they are present to at home. I mean, I'm not asking for any neatly packaged happy ending when I say that, but idk, despite my issues with their lack of development and presentation on the show, I think they are really interesting. If you want to get deep, they are just kids after all, with a lot of room for change in their life going forward. I like to think that they ALL go onto better things. Better can be open to interpretation. I do not mean any kind of stereotypical college degree manicured lawn and job type stuff. Satisfaction can look like a multitude of things. A lot of people apply this to May, which is great! But does that have to mean pushing aside Marie and Lee in the process? I personally don't think that is very fair.

9. Worst part of canon? Harassment when it is girls towards boys = funny : / Also, this is more of a fandom thing, but there are so many youtube videos where ppl are titling them stuff like "Kanker sisters RAPE Eds" like wow so edgy and funny guys how about we keep this in 2009?

13. Worst blorbofication? Absolutely Edd. No argument. I don't think that this is an unpopular sentiment nowadays either. It has been discussed to earth and back at this point.

16. You can't understand why so many people like this thing: - That in high school/college Edd will make a complete 360 change in personality and become a complete bad-boy shadow the hedgehog recolor. Granted, I do think that Edd will grow to tone down his anxiety over following rules, BUT to completely change is out of the question. This is still Edd we're talking about. Rebelling for him would be something like jaywalking or wearing shoes inside someone's house he doesn't like. It nags me a bit when people completely ignore the defined quirks and personality of a character in favor of creating a whole new oc. You can of course be inspired by a character you like to create your own, but how about present them as that? - That Edd will start to drift away from Eddy and Ed as he grows older, or the other way around and Eddy and/or Ed drift away from Edd. I don't get how this head-canon keeps popping up. The WHOLE point of the show is their friendship and that they are blood brothers and meant for each other!!! This goes beyond their diverging interests and personalities!! The actual show proved this with the movie!! "But lots of people don't stay friends with the people they knew from childhood" umm and lots of people do? I am still closest with my middle school friends then any other people I've met in adulthood. My dad doesn't talk to anyone from university but still meets up with his childhood friends. And even so, I just don't understand the appeal. Their friendship kind of IS the whole show, and doing away with that ultimately defeats the purpose for me. I find it a lot more interesting to delve into aspects like how they would uphold these connections and friendships into adulthood, when work and responsibilities makes it a lot harder to get together regularly.

19. You're mad/ashamed/horrified you actually kind of like... Ngl I can't help feeling kind of shy about being super invested in a slapstick cartoon that came out nearly three decades ago. Even when I am talking to other cartoon/animation fans, I feel a bit silly about wanting to analyze their dynamics and traits when most people casually just remember the show as fun slapstick (of course it is but I also wanna get insane about it without being seen as MysteriousMrEnter or smth lmao).

21. Part of canon you think is overhyped? "What is under Double Dee's hat, guys?" "Why have they never confirmed what is under there?" "Any one else disappointed that they never showed Edd without his hat?" Umm idc lol

22. Your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores? - Probably the connection between Ed and Double Dee. I think it is really cute. I love how so many episodes kind of have them hanging out together. I don't think people acknowledge enough how their dynamic works. It is very Autism 2 Autism, like Edd gets to kind of info-dump about whatever to Ed, and even if Ed has no clue what he is talking about, he still enjoys the company and has fun in listening and partaking in whatever Edd is invested in. - I always really dig how Nazz is depicted kind of "cool" and "sporty". Idk it could have been very easy to make her just any kind of popular girl trope, but she kind of holds her own (even if she is super underdeveloped compared to the other characters). I think it makes her friendship with Kevin interesting. - On that note, I also really like Kevin and Rolf's dynamics in their friendship. I do actually see people discuss this a bunch, but I felt like I had to mention it. I really like how the typical American Apple Pie jock is besties with the foreigner with odd customs and both are kind of at an equal footing to each other. - Sarah is insanely strong, like almost on the same level as Ed. What is in that family's genes??

24. Topic that brings up the most rancid discourse? Shipping, probably. (When is it not shipping).

[pixelated-whump]

@ailesswhumptober Day Sixteen - Amputation

Contents: Engineer TF2 cuts his own hand off to be able to use the gunslinger. This actually wasn't my plan today, but my friend @m1domaple gave me this idea so I went ahead and wrote it. Also this was posted on Ao3 like an hour ago but I went out to go do something so it's a bit late here, sorry for that!

Character is Engineer from TF2, Medic and Soldier (who is slightly sexist in this but when is he not /hj) are mentioned but don't physically appear

Also posted on Ao3!

Engineer looks between his right hand, which he had strapped down himself, and the bonesaw he borrowed from Medic.

“You don’t have to do it yourself,” Medic had explained when Engineer had approached him about amputating his hand. “I would be very happy to do it for you.”

He had declined, of course. He wasn’t sure what kind of weird experiments the other man would try to perform while he’s unconscious. Hell, Medic probably wouldn’t even do that. He didn’t when they got their ÜberCharge surgeries. That had hurt pretty damn bad.

It’ll be fine, Dell, He tries to reassure himself, taking a deep breath. It won’t be as bad as you think.

Engineer knows he can’t just cut it clean off, that won’t work. He’s a logical man; he knows how he should do this.

There’s no anticipation, no buildup when he cuts into his arm. Engineer has high pain tolerance, being killed regularly for your job does that to you, but even he has to grit his teeth while muttering curses under his breath. Still, he sinks the bonesaw down until he meets resistance.

Engineer doesn’t consider himself squeamish, but he still feels queasy when he realizes that he’s hit bone. He blinks back the tears building in his eyes, thinking about Soldier’s words of wisdom. “What, are you ladies gonna cry like girls? Man up!”

Remembering his coworker, maybe his friend (he’ll consider the possibility if he doesn’t die of blood loss first), he lets out a pained laugh and starts actually sawing.

Nothing could’ve really prepared him for the pain, though. It’s a sharp, deep, burning ache that somehow gets worse as he continues.

He almost considers taking a break of all things, but he also knows he’s almost done. This proves to be true when he finishes sawing through the bone and slices the rest of his hand clean off.

Engineer heaves a sigh of relief, though he knows he isn’t done. He still has to get to Medic’s infirmary, because he doesn’t exactly know what to do after this.

Suddenly, he finds himself wishing he just had Medic do it to begin with.

This Gunslinger had better be worth it.

[sunnywalnut]

You know. Personally I really hate the whole "men thinking a sexworker is in love with you is like girls thinking their therapist actually cares about them" post. Cause like. Dude. You're giving a whole bunch of people trust issues just to prove a point?

Yes. Sexworkers are actors. That's how they get money. No they don't actually have any emotional ties to you and you're not entitled to it either. Lovely. End post.

But you just had to add that last bit. And I, a person who not only has a mother as a therapist, but my former therapist is also my mother's best friend, don't believe you.

Because when nobody was supporting us, she was. Both of them.

My mother is the strongest person I know. And she will come home telling me about her clients and about the good times she has with them, all the smiles and the tears she shares, and yes. While some of them grind her gears(like when she works with people who refuse to acknowledge their problems), she genuinely loves her job.

The entire first month she was working at her new job, she would be regularly reduced to tears because of how she wanted to sweep up all the little kids that walked into her office and adopt them so they wouldn't be hurt anymore.

And my former therapist? She's the one that saw my mother's drive and will to help other people and encouraged her to go back to school to get her degree. She was the one to tell my mom that "you can do this, even if it's hard." And she was my mother's therapist originally, as well. Before they became coworkers and friends. And this is the same woman that came to my graduation party and gave seventeen year old me a $50 gift card to spend on art supplies. And as someone who grew up scrounging together change and building up off of Crayola and every sketchbook I was gifted for birthdays, it was like gold. I finally was able to afford good quality alcohol markers and a gigantic multimedia sketchbook. I even bought myself a wooden easel so I wouldn't hurt my neck anymore staring at the table. I still have all of these things. And we still have contact with her.

And while this isn't the case with everyone, and I'm very lucky to have been given the life and resources I have right now, I know that I wouldn't have been able to do any of it if that woman hadn't sat down with my mother and actually gave her the love and encouragement she needed to be better. If she hadn't sat down with me and done the same.

And as somebody who grew up with extensive trust issues, I can tell you full throttle that this idea of your therapist not caring about you is bullshit. If they don't care about you, get a new one. Because their whole fucking job is to have you get better. And I'm sorry but you cannot convince me to any degree of persuasion that you can spend years across from the same person, get to know them, the real them, their fears, their joys, their motivators, their love, and then just??? Not??? Care about them???? At all???? And even if you don't spend years with this person, isn't it something to be proud of when you see them succeed????

So no. I won't be subscribing to this idea. Because everything I've ever known has proven it wrong. And to anyone that's been affected by that post and thought that they were crazy- I'm sorry. Because I felt that way too when I first came across it.

You're therapists should care about you. So should your doctors and your pharmacists and anyone who is fully vital to your well-being. Because if they don't, you're not going to end up healthy. And the whole point of going to these people is to be healthy. Or at least try your best at it.

It's not your fault.

[natesmack]

do you have any more deets on ur nick/jake bdsm fic 👀 (or nick/kaiden for that matter omg) saw u talking about it and almost passed out bc i feel like no one else is baby-girling nick suzuki the way he deserves!!

omg anon you are my people pls I think nick deserves to babygirl-ed so hard and no one lets him, everyone wants him to top and take care of cole

so like I'm a nick/kaiden girl bc last summer kaiden spent pretty much his entire summer in montreal and nick did too (nick's captain so I get him wanting to show Commitment To The City tm or whatever but I don't understand kaiden's reasons tbh but I'm not complaining). they spent all summer together and it was very cute of them 😭 (also not to be insane but kaiden gives me shea weber vibes and I shipped nick/shea 💀)

my jake/nick feelings though!!! they're VERY loud also. they seem like such good friends and have been since both of their rookie years. jake's been around since nick was new and fresh and still proving himself and has seen him become the player he is. they have insane chemistry.

SO now that im done rambling, my fic is set in a bdsm verse where this is nick's first season as captain. this is set after the incident last year where chris wideman made a bitchy comment about the leafs letting a ebug get into the last minutes of a game vs the habs bc they were up (link here) and nick's STRESST the fuck out and hasn't been scening regularly. jake notices and takes him down.

its gonna be a little intense bc i think nick needs to work hard to please and earn praise before he feels settled but ultimately they both really care about each other and i hope it shows!

[pinkacadessays]

Social Media, E@ing D!sorders, and a Debate I lost in High School: Typed Up Edition

Obvious Warning for Content. I don't necesarily agree with everything herein, its just the nature of debates. Resources for EDs below essay.

Last Warning for those who might be triggered.

An Introduction to Why I'm Doing This

I’ve been haunted by the memory of a high school debate for the guts of a decade since it passed. In class, our teacher paired us up and gave us topics to research, and positions to hold in a binary question- one student for, one student against. To myself and my partner- or rather, my opposition- the question was “does social media cause eating disorders?” and my job was to prove that they didn’t.

Let’s talk a little bit about why I was the wrong person for this as a fifteen-year-old, or whatever the hell age I was doing this, I blocked out most of high school… anyway…

I was a little know-it-all who was sitting on the top-predicted grade in our class, predicted among the top in our year, and that had gotten to my head. I also had an eating disorder and I was in serious denial about it. I’m still working to get better years later…

Oh and also, I knew nothing about social media because I barely used it, and I would delete ALL my accounts over the course of the next two or three years… So, I was NOT educated about either aspect of this topic, are you joking?

But most importantly, I did not do my research, I barely knew how, and I didn’t even get a pity vote in the debate! Hell, I wanted to vote for the other girl- in part because I had a crush on her and no other friends in that class, so there’s that.

So, this is my redemption. I know how to research now, I love doing research, and I’m more willing to confront my own issues head-on… and I’m not going up against my first girl-crush this time, so I might make it work.

An Introduction to the Topic at Hand

Eating disorders are about as much of a part of internet culture as cat videos and vine. It’s not like I’m going to sit here and lie to your faces and act as if pro-ana isn’t a significant community on tumblr, or as if Instagram isn’t a cesspit of anorexia, or any other of the countless problems that could be listed on this topic alone.

But I’m here today to prove to you that the notion of social media causing eating disorders… is bullshit. Social media doesn’t cause eating disorders; it doesn’t cause anything, it’s an inherently neutral force with no biases or agendas.

While I will be addressing the issues, I will also be analysing a history of social media compared to a history of eating disorders, and analysing the benefits of social media too to prove social media’s innocence in the face of this accusation.

Point One: Well, it’s Not Like They Don’t

Not to do my opponant’s job for her, but I’m not going to ignore the evidence just to make a point. There is of course evidence to support the idea that eating disorders are directly linked to social media.

I’m going to confess as well that the only social media platforms I regularly use are among the heaviest hitters…

My point here isn’t to deny that, ot to diminish the horrible affects that are evident here; my point is only to acknowledge that it is not social media itself that is to blame, and that there are benefits to social media too.

Point Two: A Brief History of Social Media

In the grand history of the world, social media is pretty new. We joke about Facebook being for old people and for our grandparents, but its fewer than twenty years old. It’s the oldest on this list, with the newest being TikTok at less than a decade old… are we really going to say the “cause” of eating disorders is something that’s been there for five minutes in the scheme of things?

And yes, I am going to be pedantic about definitions of terms. I have an eating disorder and I deleted Instagram because of it, I need this angle.

Point Three: Eating Disorders Before Social Media

Eating disorders are a whole lot older than Facebook, and even than Facebook’s geriatric userbase, and frankly, the little voice in my head that reminds me to check calories before I get a damn smoothie talks more sense than some of those Facebook mum groups. We need to go a hell of a lot further than twenty years to get the full picture of the true cause of eating disorders, but if we even go back fifty years, we get the true insidious history of these horrible diseases.

In the nineteen seventies, one of the ideal images of a woman, who at the time was the thin, pretty it-girl who would have been as popular on tumblr as Taylor Swift was in 2014. She had the bodytype sought by many in the 2010s. While we’ll touch more on heroin chic later, the highly-romanticised Syd and Nancy have had a social ideal projected retroactively onto their waifish and ill figures- with of course the Sex Pistols being sex icons of the day.

In the 80s, we saw the rise of the exercise video encouraging losing weight from home, including notorious titles such as Jazzercise in 1982 featuring the quote “the bigger the circle, the thinner the waist,” reminding the participants of their goal. I’m sure we’ve all heard of Buns of Steel, even if just referenced by Tai in Clueless.

Speaking of Clueless, we go on now to the nineties and return to the mentioned heroin chic. It Girl Kate Moss really did damage when she practically became of the face of an art movement devoted to people who were skinny due to use of heroin, with a boyfriend of Kate’s, the Libertines Peter Doherty being seen carving into his bare chest in a similar fashion to the previously mentioned Syd Vicious.

Only now do we get into the early days of social media in the early-mid 2000s, and its clear to me at least that eating disorders are a pre-existing condition.

Point Four: But that’s Not All

So, if not social media, then what was the cause of eating disorders? Well, the short answer is that nobody actually knows. But one of the proposed theories is that genetics plays a huge factor in the development of eating disorders from anorexia, to bullimia, and others in between.

Two quotes here from Cynthia M. Bulik and her co-authors on these two papers higlight the truths of genetic factors in eating disorders. “Eating disorders aggregate in families, and twin studies reveal that additive genetic factors account for approximately 40% to 60% of liability to anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge eating disorder (BED).”

The significant role genetic factors play in the development of eating disorders is becoming increasingly clear. It has been suggested that about 50% of eating disorder cases are attributable to genetics.

Other suggestions include a connection to OCD, dietary requirements or coeliac disease, or even personality traits such as perfectionism. There are also theories relatedto child abuse, parental influences, peer pressure, and yes, social media; because again, it would be dense to ignore that social media can have a part to play, but it would be foolish to condense the argument down to a simplistic yes or no.

Point Five: Benefits of Social Media

I also want to point out that there are serious benefits to use of social media too. And I want it to be known that I deleted most of my social media accounts a few years ago… because they were fuelling my eating disorder. Trust me, I’m as skeptical as anyone else. But I’m going to talk about it.

First, generally, the site Digital Citizenship points out that “Social media, when used in a responsible and age-appropriate way, can help children learn, think critically and build the skills they need for the future.”

Moving onto eating disorder-specific uses for social media, while there are certainly harmful parts of social media, there are also aspects that can be beneficial. YouTuber Ro Mitchell, to name an example, documents her recovery from an eating disorder on her channel, and she’s not the only one.

Conclusion

Social Media in and of itself is not to blame. Blaming social media just creates a scapegoat and shoves the problem under the rug. But do they actually cause them? Or do they exacerbate a problem already there?

The Full Video is Available Here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6zdMxb6870

Resources if you or anyone you know needs Help

[ravenloftgm]

Faith Meade

Backstory of the best worst Ventrue.

As promised I'm gonna do big posts about all of my OCs and hyperlink them in my big OC post, and the one I've got brainrot about right now is Faith, so here we fucking go:

In life, Faith was the only child of an incredibly, incredibly mentally ill single mother. Her mum was a devout Catholic, but some sort of schizoaffective disorder or straight up schizophrenia led her to frequent episodes of believing her daughter was possessed by the devil, a sinner, an angel, etc. She was often punished severely, being deprived of things or even, on rare occasions, beaten.

Faith has an eidetic memory. She's a character in a text-based chronicle, so it's nice and simple to roleplay this, as opposed to in a tabletop game. She was the "weird kid" at her school - not being allowed to see 'satanic' movies or play video games, or generally experience anything normal, as well as remembering everything perfectly and often explaining things in too much detail, she wound up often taking lessons aside from the rest of her class, which did not help her to make friends.

While I don't have an eidetic memory, this is borrowed from my real life. I was hyperlexic and very good at math as a kid, and distinctly remember reading Anne Frank's diary in P5 while the rest of the class read with the teacher, and studying maths with the special education teacher in a private room rather than staying in the classroom. Unlike Faith, though, I had some solid friends despite this.

She did a little better in high school, but not much. She wasn't allowed to hang out with her friends outside of school, so she missed out on partying and sleepovers and such, and her relationships with the girls in her friend group just weren't as deep as the ones the other girls shared with each other. She continued to study at an advanced level, and was able to apply for, and get into, university at just 16 years old.

Faith did her best at university. She lived in student accommodation, rather than with her mother, so she had a lot more freedom. She made a few friends and mastered her social skills, and while she still couldn't go drinking with them all at clubs, she managed to secure her first boyfriend, get into video games, and catch up on some media she missed. She prioritised her studies, though, determined to wind up in a high-paying job so she could get her mother into some sort of mental health facility, and enjoy an independent life away from her forever.

Faith maintained her Catholicism throughout her life. While her mother wasn't well, she had grown reliant on religion to get her through her experiences, and she just wasn't willing to give it up. She tried not to think too much about whether or not she actually believed in it all - her faith was a choice she was making. She ended up finding a church that she liked, rather than the one her mother attended - one with an evening mass, so she could juggle studying and part time work with her religion. The priest, a rather attractive man, considering your average priest, was someone she felt quite drawn to. She regularly went for confession, as someone who is quite self-pitying and self-deprecating, but she also ended up helping out with fundraisers and community projects, really finding something to live for between this community and purpose, her new friendships, and her career prospects.

She graduated and started working as a Sales Trader, the youngest in her company, and proved to have an incredible knack for it. Nobody can predict patterns quite like everyone who has seen and remembered every pattern, after all.

It is worth noting now, that Faith is a naturally very curious person - she often managed to find out things she shouldn't know. Occasionally, she would share this information with clients - and this bad behaviour came up in confession from time to time.

How was she to know that her beloved local priest was a kindred? And a Ventrue at that? Watching her develop over her teenage years from a strange, yet intelligent teenager, into a perfectly amiable young woman with a highly profitable set of skills?

The worst part, really, is that isn't even the real reason he killed her. Perhaps she could have understood, if it had been.

[la-cocotte-de-paris]

Sending you lots of love. And I feel you on the leg hair thing. My own hair is thick and grows rather long everywhere. When I shave my legs in the evening the next morning they already feel like my grandfather's cheek. It's hopeless. But babes don't feel ashamed of going to the salon. Body i hair is perfectly natural and not gross and all the people working there see lots of body hair every single day. Nobody will think anything weird, I promise. What music are currently listening to? I'm fully back in my Enya era these days (the music that accompanied my early childhood). I hope the rest of this Friday is kinder to you and that you'll have a beautiful weekend💝💝

This anon made me tear up when I first read it and every time I've re-read it, I've had the same result. Thank you so much 🥹 I always feel weird talking about hair removal with friends because almost everyone who removes hair either 1) has no issue with any methods they use or 2) has blonde hair so it doesn't need to be done as regularly. Meanwhile I'm over here feeling like I'm fighting for my life just trying to remove unwanted hair without irritating or damaging my skin, ESPECIALLY in my inner thigh area lol (which is why I so seldom bother unless I expect to be sexually active bc I'm like "BRO that took me like over an hour to do last time, now I gotta do it all over again?!?! Fuck off"... which also sometimes influences how often I'm willing to be sexually active lol. It's a vicious cycle lmao and i fucking hate it ♡).

I'm gonna go back to razors for the moment and maybe go to a salon sometime. And I'm absolutely getting that hair lasered off once I'm settled in a particular place, sale or no sale.

I think one reason I'm so upset about it atm is because I *KNOW* it's such a stupid and ridiculous thing to be upset about (there are fucking wars happening and I'm upset over some long leg hair on my own body that I know naturally grows there? Gtfo) but I also feel so stupid about it affecting my confidence so much. I'm the type who prefers wearing dark tights anyway, hair or no hair, but that isn't always viable when it's warm. Or maybe i just feel like a change! And I have no problem with body hair on others at all, yet for some reason I've a problem if I show mine lol. Anyway WHATEVER, I have something internalised but I've no idea what and I've tried managing it in the past but I think tonight really just proved I need to fix my shit.

In terms of music, I'm REALLY vibing with the Succession Season 1 soundtrack atm. It makes a girl dream ;P AND motivates me to get my shit done, hahaha. Oooh Enya is so beautiful and ethereal 💖🩷🤍✨️ Also the fact she lives as a recluse in a castle and seems to live comfortably is just...ICONIC!!

Anyway, thank you again for your kind words. I know it's silly to say but it really meant a lot (I keep tearing up as I answer you 😅). I'm starting a new chapter in my life this weekend (if all goes according to plan) and it's going to be scary but also necessary. I've wanted this new start for a long time and I can't believe it is slowly beginning, bit by bit. I sincerely hope you have a wonderful weekend, too. 💖🩷💛✨️