#I literally feel like i’ve been given a gift lol

[ringneckedpheasant]

Hi! I saw your Bible post and if you're interested in doing this, I have a few things you could look into/do which might make the process easier if you have trauma/want to approach it like a set of myths/historical document! I studied theology and religion at uni (particularly queer and eco theology) and came at it from a non-christian angle. Anyway feel free to delete this ask if it's not useful/too much etc. I just thought I'd give some ideas!

Yale has a series of online free lectures on the Old Testament which are super interesting and don't assume any faith! They go into the various myths which inspired the various stories in the bible (such as the flood), and the history of particular parts of the old testament library (they also have one for the new testament but I haven't watched it so don't know how good it is)

Look into apocrypha! The Nag Hammai scriptures, the gospel of Judas etc. Might actually be super interesting to you if you like the myth/history aspect! They're the books which were de-classified as canon (or never were canon), but all were written super early (2nd century) I specifically recommend the Gospel of Mary Magdalene and the Gospel of Judas. "Lost scriptures" by Ehrman is a great laymans book explaining the histories/controversies around this and even goes into the controversies surrounding the secret gospel of Mark aka the gospel where Jesus seems to have gay sex. (Ehrman writes a lot of good layman books on the bible which might be worth looking at!)

If you're looking at the NT maybe look at books like Jesus the Jew by Geza Vermes or The Crucified God by moltmamn. They're a bit specialised but it is SUPER important to modern historical studies of jesus to situate him as a Jew because that is who he was! Also Moltmamns book is v leftist and not fundamentalist.

"And man created God" by Selina O'Grady goes into detail about all the OTHER religions around during the 1st century (emperor cults etc.) Which is great for context for the gospels and also learning about cool religious traditions around in the 1st century!

Queer theology? Maybe? Might be fun for ya? Queer readings of the Bible are abundant from Ruth, Judas, David and Jonathan and jesus and there's quite a few books on them (I'm not dropping any here because I've read some Intense Theological Ones which Im not sure would appeal but if you Google you will find)

Look into Song of Songs the Official Sex is Good and Holy Book in the bible! (It's also just beautifully written)

Looking at things like "the Muslim Jesus" might also be interesting? Little collections of how Islam has viewed/interpreted Judaism and Christianity and why is always interesting and often another angle on those myths/historical documents

I'm sure other people could give you more ideas/ways to approach! I approached from a non religious angle but my institution was firmly situated in the Christian tradition so is slightly biased that way. But anyway! I just thought I'd give some starting points you could look at on the myth/history angle?

Have a lovely day!

I AM LOOKING??!!?? gd this is EXACTLY what I didn’t know I needed, all of this sounds very up my alley & like it’ll be great for what I’d be trying to get out of it. like. I have gone from “this is a thing I’ve been idly thinking about” to “this is a thing I could reasonably do and where I could start”!

I’ve done a little bit of looking into queer readings of things in the past (particularly david & jonathan) but then I had a years-long period that I technically still haven’t gotten out of where I physically could not bring myself to open a bible so I haven’t tried to actually read those stories myself while keeping a queer perspective in mind. also have had more years of lit classes that I dropped out of halfway through the semester so I have slightly more knowledge of how to dissect and analyze Texts than I used to

[aloekat]

giving pokemon teams to d20 characters!

The Bad Kids / Fantasy High!

pt 1/?

part 1 || part 2

hello chat and welcome to aloe shoves their hyperfixation onto everything they enjoy! making pokemon teams for fictional characters has always been a fun past time for me that i enjoy greatly so i wanted to apply that to dimension 20! i plan on doing every season once i’ve watched it, starting with all the intrepid hero seasons before moving on to side quest seasons

(also i finally decided to post these after @jadelion made posts sharing their team picks, so go check those posts out as there are some great choices! i also wouldnt be inspired to finally post these without him doing so first! i made my list completely independent of hers so if there's the same pokemon its purely coincidental lol)

first i want to talk about some guidelines i’ve given myself for this, which will apply to future posts as well:

only 4 pokemon per team - this keeps things more easy and makes them feel closer to mid-game trainers rather than fully stacked end-game ones. or feel like gym leaders maybe? it also helps with rule 2…

try to have no repeat pokemon - this just keeps things unique between seasons but sometimes a pokemon is a perfect fit for more than one person but for the most part everyone gets unqiue pokemon and there are almost no doubles

low to no legendaries on teams unless for a good reason - same goes for shinies but im more lenient on the shiny rule lol

i made a lot of these these like 3 months ago as of posting this - some choices may be outdated or the character has changed enough that a choice may not fit as well but i didnt want to change it lol (this is solely for the fantasy high kids tbh)

thats all for the rules! finally it’s time to get into the teams!

! SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THE CURRENT SEASON! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED !

Kristen

Lycanroc - representing Tracker, again i made these before junior year so trackerbees was still a thing but i imagine it can count for cassandra also since it’s a night themed pokemon. don't know which form of lycanroc she would have though Solrock - she was given solrock during her time with Helio, and while i know sunflora exists i think solrock makes a little more sense, since she was a chosen of Helio she would be at an elevated status and therefor have a better pokemon if that makes sense? it also pairs with... Lunatone - representing her change to Cassandra, a goddess of night. there's like cool symbolism with her pokemon now wow isn't that so cool and awesome!! Unown ("?") - a question mark unown to represent Yes? (and the other Yes forms) along with her cool question mark staff! can also ALSO symbolize doubt with cassandra

Fig

Toxitricity (Low Key) - low key form gives the vibes of a bass and Fig plays the bass! toxitricity would help fig practice her instrument and come up with music. also literally called “the punk pokemon”

Obstagoon - similar reasoning, obstagoon has The Vibes that fit along with also being a sort of rock n roll pokemon

Moltres - representing Ayda, i imagine Ayda gifted it to her once they became girlfriends :)

Mimikyu - a pokemon known for its imitation of another pokemon, very much fits into Fig’s actor feat and her high deception and her not wanting to be her real self sometimes

Fabian

Dhelmise - big connection to his father and being a pirate, his father probably gifted it to him as his first pokemon

Marowak (Alolan) - fun idea i had for this is he originally just had a cubone with him during freshman year, but once he went to Fallinel and learned about the power of dance it evolved into an alolan marowak! it's a fire dance pokemon of course he would have it lol

Sirfetch'd - representing his mother and also his general fencing/fighter style that he works with

Tentacruel - just a cool ass water pokemon i feel he would have, also vaguely pirate-y with big kraken vibes

Riz

Pikachu - detective pikachu go brrrrr i imagine he would have gotten a pichu when very young, and it's evolved over time! it would wear a tiny detective hat as well because um i said so

Inteleon - super spy/gun pokemon also go brrrr, very much a reference to his father and just the general super spy-ness of Riz and Pok in junior year especially

Togekiss - ok this one feels very out of place and i forgot why it was here originally BUT i think it's to represent like a guardian angel sort of? again another reference to Pok because i love Pok and think he's very cool

Voltorb - he's the ball. this is a pokeball pokemon. are we starting to connect the dots

Adaine

Politoad - representing Boggy of course, nothing much else to say

Espeon - a very psychic pokemon representing her oracle powers, it would be fun to think that she had an eevee that simply evolved into an espeon once Adaine realized that she in fact was the elven oracle!

Delphox - another powerful psychic pokemon, again this is just vibes and it's a cool pokemon and adaine is a very cool character lol

Audino - these pokemon are known for being able to hear super well and know how their trainers are feeling from listening to their heartbeat. a gift given by Jawbone to help with Adaine's anxiety but still a good member of her team regardless

Gorgug

Archen - "i'm Cloaca, i suck!"

Gogoat - a grassy pokemon which can sorta represent the tree he lives in but also intended to represent Zelda in some ways (again i wrote these before junior year came out). it would help him carry around a lot of scraps for tinkering

Rotom - found in the village near the Nightmare King's forest, this rotom had gotten lost in the forest and, with no tech from solace nearby, couldn't find a way home. gorgug rescued it and lets it inhabit the Hangvan a lot

Rillaboom - another grassy pokemon but this one is also a drummer! can we take a wild guess as to why i picked this one. for it's drumming ability. because. because gorgug is a drummer.

=====

whew ok that's the first season done! i'll probably do unsleeping city next, which will be linked to this post once it's done!

have a better option that would fit a PC better? please tell me i would love to hear everyone's takes on this!

ok that's it that's the post everyone go home now (once again go look at @jadelion for their pokemon team picks!)

[savindeku]

as a long time bnha fan, had to drop some thoughts i’ve been having about the manga ending! i’ve held this series near and dear to my heart, through the moments when i felt it was great story telling and when i felt so much was missing, or didn’t quite hit the mark. so i definitely don’t think bnha (or hori) is above critique, i love to yap about this series ((:

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THE ENTIRE SERIES BUT OF COURSE PARTICULARLY FOR CHAP 430

to me, there’s three main parts to the ending that i felt make sense:

izuku giving up OFA

izuku becoming a teacher

izuku still having the chance to be a true quirkless hero

going into depth on each of these, while i love the inclusion of these three pieces, i can understand why the actual execution didn’t land with folks. even i have my qualms! okay let’s get into it! ps. this is really me just yapping away from the heart so bare with it 🫰🏽

1) izuku giving up OFA:

I think this one should not come as too much of a surprise, given that the reveal of OFA essentially being the cause of the early demises of the previous holders sort of insinuated an uncontrollable aspect to the power. even though izuku has an advantage as someone who was quirkless, it still creates a sense of foreshadowing that this is a gift that might have an expiration date. of course, a part of me would have loved for him not to have given it up but there’s enough build up there that it doesn’t feel out of left field. in addition to the running theme in the series being that anyone can be a hero/a quirk doesn’t make a hero, there’s certainly some symbolism in izuku now affectively being without, making him a quirkless hero - what he had dreamed of since the first chapter.

2) izuku becoming a teacher:

personally, i really love this for him! as a consumer of many a fanfic, i have grown obsessed with this job alternative for him, since it allows him to continue to work in the hero field, he can inspire the next generation to save to win (that as long as you willing to extend that helping hand, that’s what being a real hero is), his analytic mind is doing important work, and can use his own experience to help others learn! “deku sensei” makes my heart so happy and if anything, i would’ve loved an extra chapter just to see him as a teacher. one thing ill add here is, i can understand some disappointment with this or frustration at hori because to some, it may seem izuku ended up becoming complacent and didn’t at least try to continue to pursue his dream of being a hero after the war. not sure where i fall on this, but food for thought.

3) izuku still having the chance to be a true quirkless hero (sorry this is gonna be long lol):

now to really get into the big reveal for this final chapter - a tech suit designed just for izuku (at the main request of a one katsuki bakugou, which yeah i Will Be Totally Normal About) so he can still be on the field as a pro-hero!! okay i also loved this, i won’t deny it as much as im on the deku sensei train! bnha is a series that is never going to please everyone and its ripe with many issues throughout but i do think this was a beautiful way to wrap it up. once again, from chapter 1, we are met with izuku who wants nothing more to be a hero despite being quirkless. i never really liked the argument of “well why didn’t he try harder or train up” when the series explains to us over and over again that this is a society that values quirks above all else. its a literal systemic issue (hitting close to home but i digress), where izuku would NEVER have been accepted as a quirkless hero no matter how hard he worked because it simply isn’t designed to allow that (also where the fuck would he have gotten the resources for that is beyond me lmao).

to me, this part was actually very important for bringing the story to a full circle in which we actually (somewhat, but arguable not completely) address the core issue and theme “people are not born equal”. instead of perpetuating a “pull yourself up by your boot straps” mindset, hori tells a story where we acknowledge the system and how it is working as intended - and that’s the very reason it needed dismantling. of course, i think along the way, we maybe lost the plot at times (thinking about how we didn’t fully address izuku’s martyrdom mindset, children get sent off to war multiple times, most of the villains being k*lled off rather than being saved as izuku wanted) but there’s much evidence of this. knowing that there was still the spirit of a hero in izuku - which is MADE SO CLEAR HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HAVING A QUIRK - and he now has the chance to continue onward, quirkless. i mean c’mon, it’s really something (to me at least).

bonus note time

here’s a sprinkle of random lingering thoughts. one critique i saw was that it felt strange for izuku to accept he couldn’t be a pro-hero until his friends (ehm mainly Katsuki teehee) gifted him the suit. as if he really just gave up and this sort of hurts any character development for izuku. while i see the thought process here and would’ve also welcomed izuku getting the suit designed himself, it doesn’t upset me quite as much that this is how it actually played out. it’s definitely conflicting feelings for me because ultimately i would’ve loved for izuku to have had an arc where it was more explicitly stated that he overcame his overly sacrificial tendencies - or that the story spent time sitting with the trauma inflicted on the children fighting a war. but here is where bnha slacks off (imo) - we don’t get that breath to explore or analyze or genuinely know izuku’s thoughts or feelings on the matter (beyond that he’s sad that shigaraki died, enjoys being a teacher, and can admit that he misses his quirk). so in this way, it makes sense why hori chose this path. it’s more about his friends extending their hand to him, an offering of never leaving anyone behind who is a hero, quirk or not. i think of it as something more symbolic than it having to say anything about izuku’s character. i think for that to be addressed, there’s so many things further back we would need to unravel too lol

lastly - bnha is also a story about disabilities!! there’s been a decent amount of analysis on this so i won’t say much but i think this is also good to keep in mind. it helps for understanding the metaphor in place - quirks can be disabling and rather than creating a world that is accessible to all, the world requires that you figure it out instead. “people are not born equal” what if we dared to dream of a world that understood “we each take shape differently…” so that we might want to care for one another. so we can build something that makes the space for all of us to be able to live and thrive.

okay so that’s what i’m feeling now! like i said, i really love bnha and i simply can’t bring myself to say i hated the ending or anything. it’s a series that will always have a special place in my heart! there’s are just thoughts rattling in my brain and how ive interpreted things as someone whose read the manga the last 5 years! it’s crazy to look back and remember key moments that shook the fandom to its core. anyway, if you read all of this, thanks!! :D

[clover-the-awesomest]

Talkin bout Angel Dust (Hazbin Hotel) for a hot sec okay thanks

Okay. Listen. This is a pretty big topic I’m gonna be delving into, and it’s a topic I’ve had no real exposure to until recently, so a lot of the things I’ll be saying is of my own opinion. I will be talking about SA, child abuse, abuse in general, alcohol, self-destructing, SH, and Hazbin Hotel in general. All of these are very big topics (Yes, including Hazbin lol) so if you are not keen on listening to some outsider talk about these things, please leave. I don’t want you reading something that will actively make you uncomfortable.

And again, let me reiterate: I am an outsider looking in. I have had no real exposure to any of these topics until I watched Hazbin Hotel episode 4. This is not meant to be a call-out or me making any educated guesses. It is purely just for my sake and so I can say my piece about these topics. DO NOT, IN ANY CASE, ASSUME I KNOW 100% WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT. I AM YOUNG AND DUMB, AND I AM VERY LIKELY TO MAKE SOME HOT TAKES HERE. IF I MAKE A MISTAKE OR SAY SOMETHING CONTROVERSIAL, DO NOT HESITATE TO HARRASS ME, BUT BE WARNED THAT I WILL NOT ENGAGE.

One final disclaimer: If you know anyone. ANYONE who is going through a rough patch, or someone who has experienced any of these things before or are currently going through it, please please PLEASE just at least reach out. Say hi. Make them a gift. Listen to them talk. Sit with them for a while. Stay on call with them for a while. Just… Just be there for them. Please. Even a little can go a long way.

With all that out of the way, here is my very overdue take on Hazbin Hotel episode 4: Masquerade.

———

====

It is depressing. Genuinely, it is a very sad and very raw episode. And honestly? It does not deserve any of the hate that it is most certainly receiving.

Masquerade is an episode all about the horrors of an abusive (Sexually and otherwise) relationship and how it affects the one being abused. Angel Dust, who’s been shown before this episode to be very toxic and sexual, is once again given the spotlight that he very much deserves, shedding light on his behavior and why he acts the way he acts.

What is genuinely saddening about this episode is that we know that what Angel goes through is not far from reality in the slightest. If we take away the magic and the soul contracts, we get a day in the life of a real human being in the world right now as you are reading this. Someone is out there being hurt, being abused, by someone they once looked up to. They are being manipulated, being slapped, being thrown against the floor, and all the while they are powerless to do anything. It’s such a sad, sickening reality that I wish wasn’t true, but it is, and that’s that. I want more than anything to be able to help these people who are being hurt and are being used, but I currently have no way of doing that and I feel so so terrible and wrong for saying that but it’s true and I just… Ugh. It’s so depressing, really. The lengths that other human beings are willing to go to just to have someone under their control at all times. I hate it, truly.

“When I say ‘Come,’ you say…”

“Yes, Valentino.”

“When I say you are fucking 20 guys before lunch, you say…?”

“Y-yes, Valentino…”

…

Valentino wants money and control. That is all this fucker wants. The moment he laid eyes on Angel’s desperate drunken ass he instantly knew he struck gold, and just like that, the spider was under his control. In the beginning, Angel did just as he was told with little pushback, because he was looking to make a quick buck and this was also literally a goddamn overlord he was working with. Disappointing his boss could spell disaster! After a while though, Val’s demands became much more intrusive and much more harsh than they were at the beginning, and Angel’s hope for a fresh start began to slowly fade away. Soon enough, he got to where he is now. Still working with Valentino, but wanting desperately to find a way out. To be free from this double-hell that he’s dug himself into. To be happy again. But of course, now that he’s dug himself a grave and has already lied in it for some time, he can’t exactly escape. Valentino has seen his work first-hand, has experienced it with his own disgusting fuzzy body, and loves it all with every fiber in his bones. He doesn’t just want someone to fuck 20 guys before lunch. He wants Angel to fuck 20 guys before lunch. He’s found his new favorite toy, and he intends to keep playing with it.

Now this is where the manipulation comes in. Angel wants to leave, he knows he does, but he also knows that he can’t. Literally, he can’t, because his soul is bound by a contract that only Val has access to, but even without that in the picture, he cannot leave. It was shown via a previous episode (I forget which one I’m not sorry) that Valentino cannot and will not let go of his favorite toy. He sends Angel text after text after text, voicemails, emails, calls, you name it. We see a clip of him sending Angel a large amount of voicemails, and in each one he switched between being nice and caring to his spider baby to going full on insane! He yells at Angel in one voicemail, then starts cooing and whispering in kindly tones in the next. It’s such a terrifying way of showing the abused that the abuser can change their mood on a dime and that they can’t control it. That they need an out, something to let their frustrations out on. It terrifies the abused into staying, leaving them both to fester in this cycle of cat and mouse for a while before one of them inevitably breaks said cycle. Though it usually isn’t broken until it’s too late.

There is one upper hand that Angel has over Valentino though, and it’s that he knows what Valentino is doing and doesn’t fall for those kinds of tricks. Angel is a spider, and spiders are well-known for being tricky and sinister and gross, so naturally he’d pick up on Val’s manipulative behavior. This then leads Angel into another issue in his life though, and that’s his coping mechanisms.

Since Angel knows how terrible Valentino’s treatment towards him is, and since he knows how much it hurts him, he turns to other things that don’t exactly help. Alcohol, drugs, clubbing, more goddamn sex like can this man please just stop having sex if he wants to get away from it please can he just have a break por favor-

These are good substitutes for the pain. They are like numbing agents, or more questionable anti-depressants. Angel goes to the club to forget it all, to forget how much everything hurts. He goes to get heavy drinks so that he can forget. He gets high so he can forget. He has sex so he can forget.

He hurts himself more so that he can forget.

Rather than talking with someone and dealing with his stress and emotional turmoil head-on, Angel pushes it away. Off to the side. Bottles it up in a small plastic container where he’ll never have to see it again! But when leaving a glass of water under the tap for too long, it’ll quickly begin to overflow, and that’s what we see happen with Angel in Masquerade. It’s been so long of him using his illegal methods of forgetting, of numbing the pain and ignoring it, that everything just begins to spill over. He starts losing his touch, starts affecting those around him who clearly had nothing to do with any of it in the first place. He oversteps Husk’s boundaries, is constantly rude to Charlie and Vaggie, and just straight up ignores everyone else. (As far as I’m aware. Not mentioning Pentious in this btw cuz he’s a temporary resident at the hotel.) Even when Husk calls Angel out on his behavior, even when he calls the guy fake, the spider does not, CANNOT, budge. He remains indignant, is still a cocky little bitch, and just tries his hardest to not drag everyone else down with him. It backfires horribly, of course, and Husk soon ends up dragging him away from his escape, from his anti-depressant. And Angel snaps.

”IT’S NOT AN ACT!! It’s who I need to be…! And this? This is my escape! Where I can forget about it all, how much I hate… EVERYTHING. A place where I can get high and not have to think about how much it hurts.”

And then… We get this line.

“And maybe, if I can ruin myself enough in the process, if I end up broken, I won’t be his favorite toy anymore.

And maybe he’ll let me go.”

…

This line hurts me so much. My chest aches every time I hear it. Because what it entails is genuinely horrifying. Angel is telling Husk that he is literally just a toy to Valentino, just a perfect plastic doll that he loves in a perfect plastic house that he owns. The spider doesn’t know how much it’ll take to full break himself, doesn’t know if he’s even able to do that, but at this rate he is very ready to see if he can. He wants to do that, he wants to break himself. Angel wants to become physically unable to do Valentino’s dirty work, to get thrown away just like all of Val’s previous toys did. He wants, more than anything else, to just get tossed into the trash and get crushed by the truck that collects him, just so he doesn’t have to be hurt by Valentino anymore.

But the part of his speech that truly hurts me is when he says that MAYBE Valentino will let him go. If Angel was so sure that his idea would work, that breaking his boss’s favorite toy will get him to lose interest, he would’ve said “And then he’ll finally let me go.” But instead he says Maybe. Because Angel isn’t even sure if Valentino will let him be free after all this. He is unsure if Val will lose interest, if he’ll be tossed aside, if he’ll be able to find happiness in his afterlife once he is broken. He’s so far from what he dreamed of that he is more than willing to hurt/kill himself, even when he’s unaware if it’ll even help him in the first place.

Seriously. How sickening is that??

And again, one of the saddest aspects of all this is that real people experience these things in real time, in the real world, right now, as you are reading this. It’s terrifying, scary, downright depressing to think about! How so many people are willing to kill themselves just for the slightest chance at grasping freedom, yet are unsure if they can even reach it once they have that chance.

The worst part is, though, is that before opening up to Husk, this was literally Angel’s only way of finding freedom. To break himself apart so that he couldn’t be used anymore. If he can’t be broken, if he can’t die, then Val will just keep using and using and using Angel. He’ll keep hurting him and abusing him and manipulating him, and the poor guy is very unable to do anything about it at the moment. It’s so sad and so twisted and I hate it so much.

This episode of Hazbin Hotel has been getting a pretty fair amount of hatred just for existing, and honestly for once, I can see why. It touches on a very, very heavy subject that not too many people are fully familiar with. And even if there are people who are familiar with/have experienced SA before, they most likely did not have the same experience as Angel does in the episode. Which, yeah duh, of course they didn’t! We’re not in Hell yet! But the way they go about it is horrible. I’m assuming people are hating on the episode for both painting SA in a terrible light, and also not being true to their specific events. So, in response to this, let me just say this…

Nobody, no matter what, no matter what you do or where you go or who you are, is gonna have the same exact experience. For example, I went on a big hiking trip with my dad over the summer, and I saw many other families go on the same exact path we did. And yet I could tell they all were doing fine, and they all enjoyed themselves, while I was feeling like I was gonna fall and die at any fucking moment and I just wanted to get back on solid ground. The view was nice but the journey honestly made me think I was gonna go splat right then and there and I was not too happy about that.

What I’m saying is that I did not have the same exact experience to anyone else on that trail. Everyone else except for me was doing fine, yet their experiences were all purely their own. This is what makes us human. The difference in appearance, expression, and experience. Thus, for people to come out and watch an episode all about SA and for them to expect it to be exactly as they imagined… No. just no. Get a therapist, please, because you clearly have something wrong with you.

And as for painting SA in a terrible light… That’s… That’s good though? SA is genuinely a horrible thing and I do not, under any circumstances, want anyone ever to go through anything remotely like it. We are human beings! We have compassion in our blood! Use it, for fuck’s sake! I do not want anyone to ever be hurt by anyone else that they know or love dearly. That is a thought I’d never wish on even my greatest enemy! So yes, it should be painted in a horrible, terrible light! It’s bad!

====

———

This episode was… It was a lot. I still get sad and depressed to this day whenever I watch it. What I watch Angel go through makes me sick. However, I’m glad that issues like these are being addressed and that people are talking about it. I don’t like it in the slightest, but that’s why it should be talked about more. We need to be able to help more people, and even though I can’t right now, I pray to God that someone out there is hopefully getting the help and love that they truly do deserve.

Thank you so so much for reading through that whole thing, I know it was a long one. I just have so many thoughts on episode 4. I’ve been working on this for almost an hour and a half now btw so I am very gladly going to end it here. Hope you show some love and respect to those close to you and I really do hope you keep the negative thoughts to yourself. Now go get yourself a drink of water, go eat a banana or a bowl of cheerios, text your loved ones and hug ur stuffed animal, and have a great day/night! Thank you.

[itaehynz]

𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒.

our fairies are different in many ways . . . 𝜗𝜚 𓂃 a fawn, around 1k—9k words. ❀ 𓂃 a vidia, around 10k—20k words. ♥︎ 𓂃 an iridessa, a series of fairytales in one.

the fairies hold different beauties, mature beauty, fluffy beauty, angsty beauty and suggestive beauty.

OTHER MASTERLISTS

(specials/events i’ve held!)

♡ 800 FOLLOWERS! + SPECIAL MASTERLIST!

CHOI YEONJUN.

❀ I CAN’T REMEMBER TO FORGET YOU.

↳ it’s funny how your first love can also be your first heartbreak. choi yeonjun, the cute boy you met in high school, the boy you had a crush on. once your feelings began to develop, he was gone. well, that’s atleast what you think… not like it matters anyway, you hate him now. but, what if he decided to come back? ꒰ a vidia, fluff, angst & 18+ ꒱

☆ nia’s fav!

♥︎ INFRUNAMI.

↳ you & yeonjun have been bestfriends since middle school, inseparable since then. guess you can assume you know everything about one another . . . well that is what’s expected when it comes down to bestfriends right? right. yet, what you didn’t know was that you were both utterly in love with each other. ꒰ an iridessa, fluff & angst ꒱

𝜗𝜚 SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

↳ “yeonjun is sooo seven coded — based off the song ‘seven’ by jungkook, i can no longer contain these thoughts about yeonjun 😵‍💫😵‍💫 i just know he’d be so consistent when it comes to him being in love with someone, like a lovesick puppy!” ꒰ a fawn, 16+, fluff & angst ꒱

𝜗𝜚 ANY GIVEN SUNDAY.

↳ with yeonjun’s birthday right around the corner, you gift him with something he’ll never forget. ꒰ a fawn & fluff ꒱

loving the pixie dust? there’s more in ♥︎ . . 0913fairy.

CHOI SOOBIN.

𝜗𝜚 IT’S ALWAYS BEEN TRUE.

↳ ꒰ a fawn, fluff & angst ꒱

𝜗𝜚 A NIGHT TO REMEMBER.

↳ soobin hasn’t seen you in months. but after tiring days of work, late night practices and tons of all nighters, another successful tour finished. what better way to gift him than showing up at his afterparty & leaving him with a night to remember? ꒰ a fawn, 18+ ꒱

 ☆ nia’s fav!

loving the pixie dust? there’s more in ♥︎ . . 1205fairy.

CHOI BEOMGYU.

𝜗𝜚 IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE. (requested)

↳ “txt member of your choice + picnic date <3 hehe im really excited that you’re back to writing !!” ꒰ a fawn, fluff ꒱

𝜗𝜚 COFFEE.

↳ based off of beabadoobee’s song “coffee”, you and beomgyu working on your group’s tracks at 3am in the morning :( ꒰ a fawn, fluff & angst kinda ꒱

𝜗𝜚 LOVE YOURSELF OR NO ONE ELSE WILL.

↳ the night of your anniversary, the night you wished the best for. you and beomgyu had your ups and downs but you never would have thought it would’ve escalate this far. ꒰ a fawn, angst ꒱

𝜗𝜚 THE WAY THINGS GO. — a sequel to the work above!

↳ it’s been two years since your heartbreak. he comes back to apologize but it’s too late. ꒰ a fawn, fluff & angst ꒱

☆ nia’s fav!

loving the pixie dust? there’s more in ♥︎ . . 0313fairy.

KANG TAEHYUN.

𝜗𝜚 SMOKING OUT THE WINDOW. (requested)

↳ “Since ur taking requests, I was thinking of an angsty story where reader confesses to best friend/fwb Taehyun, but gets rejected, then spend some years away from eachother but when Taehyun comes crawling back, reader gives him a taste of his own medicine. Sorry if this makes no sense lol” ꒰ a fawn, 18+, angst ꒱

☆ nia’s fav!

loving the pixie dust? there’s more in ♥︎ . . 0205fairy.

HUENING KAI.

𝜗𝜚 LAST DAY ON EARTH. (requested)

↳ “HEY BAEEEEEE so i was thinking… a cute arcade date with huening kai. i’ll literally love you forever if you write abt that <3” ꒰ a fawn, fluff ꒱

𝜗𝜚 TWO SLOW DANCERS. ☆ nia’s fav!

↳ inspired by the movie, “20th Century Girl”: while trying to help your friend get a boy she likes, you meet your own love… a love you thought would last forever. ꒰ a fawn, angst, fluff ꒱

☆ nia’s fav!

loving the pixie dust? there’s more in ♥︎ . . 0814fairy.

MULTIPLE MEMBERS.

♥︎ THREE’S A (CHOI) CHARM!

↳ school’s out and it’s time for summer! also known as the ‘hottest season of the year’ so in hopes of finding a hot, potential soulmate, you go on tinder and match with three people! who shall you end up with in the end? (ongoing!) ꒰ an iridessa, angst, fluff ꒱

loving the pixie dust? there’s more in ♡ . . 0304fairies.

© iTAEHYNZ.

[atmymercy]

Reading Feedback:

So I got the spirit tea reading (again for like the billionth time oop 🤭). And it was so amazing! I wasn’t expecting the first part to come up and was shoookkk as I read it. It’s something I’ve been feeling and literally can’t stop thinking about,, so the fact that it was brought up was like confirmation for me. My intuition was right and that scares and amazes me at the same time because of other things I think my intuition has been trying to tell me?? Ahhh. Lol I told my little sister about it and she was like “well duhh we talk about this all the time,, it’s for real”. And I was like “I know but stilllll”. Ahhh omg I was stunned. And the fact that my guides are super duper serious about this too? Like oh!! Lemme stop playing fr :3 They really called me out in the nicest way possible lol!

This reading was so accurate especially about my feelings!! Everything just makes sense! I got really great, relevant advice I really needed— Omg!! btw about that part where they said to “let sleeping dogs lie”, it was said again in a movie I watched today! In Fantastic Four—the early 2000s one—Johnny Storm says it. I wasn’t even focused on the movie but that really caught my attention and I completely zoned in for some reason lol. I was thinking “wait I think this phrase is important…” and then remembered this reading!!

And I also got an additional clarification that was super duper helpful as well. I highly recommended getting this reading done! It's just the best!! need I say moreeee? (because I can! I can yap! lmao)

Thank you so much!! Gahh I don’t know what else to say!! I’m so grateful for you fr!!😭❤️❤️

(Sorry this is long asf lol!)

hello golden!

you did! and omg! that was fun and very telling! especially because they would not stop talking about the first part! so it's funny how much that part talks to you! it was obviously meant to be going straight to you! lol honestly love how that exchange can shake you to your core because then you know how strong of a connection you have with your spirit guides that they can speak and you just feel it! so cute! so moving! eee! and omg! i laughed at your sister part! like duh!!! and that's the feeling they were giving to! like this is a given! a given gift! lol and nice call outs are fun! i'm just happy to be apart of the call out! lolol like "yeah! get her spirit!" that's me! lol

omg! i love how you found that saying somewhere else! omg! such a random place yet it's so perfect for you, honey! i love how connected you are with your clairaudience as well! eee! we're so vibing and that's so amazing! your spirit guides are doing an amazing job of showing you how everything connects and giving you hints along the way! eee! i'm getting goosebumps! are you? i bet! lol

also i can't help but think of the snowball effect you mentioned in your book club response! it's like we are causing snowball effects in each other by both radiating love and positivity to each other! eee! we're causing a snowball to grow and cascade down the path for us! love it!

aww! i'm so grateful for you, honey! eee! yep! i'm positive we are absolutely causing a snowball effect with our love and effort being pointed in like the same direction for each other! yay! it's giving me such a silly grin for my face! lolol i can't help but giggle and just say thank you again, honey! this effort and care mean so much to me! i so happy i can express that to you and share it with you! yay!

love & light!

-tea

♡ message me for details/questions & to book a reading! ♡

[eureka-its-zico]

So I just finished reading the 5th chapter for the 4th time - will continue to do so till the next chapter - and decided that I owe you a few words of gratitude.

I haven't read any fanfiction stories in a couple of years. And wasn't actually planning on starting any time soon, if I'm being honest. Not because of any prejudice, mind you😅 But just wasn’t feeling like I'm interested in one. On top of that, I was never into One Piece, but caved in under constant demands friendly recommendations to watch the Netflix adaptation (and maybe catching a little tiny crush).

This is when the beginning of the story finds us - me, a week ago, upon finishing my 3d rewatch, scrolling through the tag here and coming upon your post with the first chapter. I was planning to energetically scroll by, but then I saw the words count and went: "Hhhhmmmmm🤨🧐🤔🤔🤔". And this right here is a SUCKER for long things. So, deciding "What the hell, I don't have anything to do right now anyway", I've jumped right in and went through all four chapters. And then I did it again. And once again the next day. And then started to reread favorite parts, desperately waiting for the 5th chpater.

Thank you so much for gifting us such a fantastic and amazingly written story!! Your writing is superb, well-realized and so gripping that I find myself returning again and again. I honestly desire for it to be canon in the show, because you did the greatest job with putting your lead right into the story - it's so easy to visualise, reading it is like watching the show in my head.

It would've been incredible to read even without the romance, but that part is just *Chef's kiss* (I'll take one from the waiter as well😈😈😈). The building of their relationship is just perfection, with the constant bickering and teasing. But the soft and sweet moments (so many in this chapter, honestly), like how he didn't want to let her go to the kitchen, give me quite literal butterflies in the stomach🥰💙

The conflict in Zoro is so fascinating to read, even though it's very heartbreaking, because he's just not letting himself be happy here. The angst IS REAL and I'm fully prepared to die with the next chapter, given the subject matter😅

All the characters are brilliantly written and such a joy to read! Can't wait to see what else you'll be so generous to give us in the feature!!! Thank you so much, once again💐🌷🪻⚘️🌸🩵

P.S. I'm BEGGING you to still give us "That’s a date" scene! She should just be petty and become besties with Sanji in order to annoy Zoro for being a selfish asshole, who's throwing himself into death matches😈🤣🤣🤣

Osiyo, Carrot!!

I’m not going to lie. I’ve been holding onto your ask for a while. It was incredibly humbling to read it and, like you rereading Chaos in Their Bones, I have reread your comment about the same.

I’m so happy that you took a chance on reading my fanfiction and find it funnier that it was due to the fact of my word count. I am always paranoid that my word counts are too large. I wish I knew how to write smaller 🤣🤣 so I found it ironic that what intrigued you the most to start reading it was the length.

“Reading it is like watching the show in my head.” This comment right here feels me with so much joy. I know that this is fanfiction. It’s supposed to be fun and a place for fantasies and escapism, but I put so much effort into making sure it feels authentic and the characters realistic and it’s immersive in the best possible way. So, reading that comment made this one of my favorite I’d ever received.

As for the Sanji part I cannot confirm or deny that a date like interaction happens lol.

Thank you so much for sending me this wonderful review comment on Chaos in Their Bones and taking the time to send it. It has made a difficult week more bearable. I hope you have a wonderful weekend 🖤 Much love

[ilovedthestars]

congrats on the ability to answer ask memes, stars! I shall ask you: single heart emoji, gift box, yellow heart, pallette?

(usually when I answer these I include a link to the meme for reference- also, bc of the way my phone is rude, these emoji descriptions might not match what you see XD just lmk if so)

thank you verso!!! look at me, answering an ask!! I feel very fancy! (I appreciate the tips very much lol)

let's see, this should be a link to the ask game: Fanfic Writer Ask Game

and I think the ones you asked for are: ❤️🎁💛🎨 ❤️ What is your favorite line that you’ve written in a fic?

Obviously this has to be something from carry us to freedom. The line about “safety as the unfaithful child of obedience” is the one that people quote back at me all the time, and I’m very proud of it, but I’m going to go with something different. I’m cheating because this is two lines, but it doesn’t make sense alone and I really like it because it distills a lot of the writing I’ve done with SecUnits going rogue: “But those who have had their first taste of hope are soon addicted to its ache. They would leave behind this life-long death for a single breath of freedom, even if a second breath is too much to ask for.”

🎁 Have a piece of a WIP you want to share?

verso thank you for enabling me. I always want to talk about WIPs. the question is which WIP snippet I haven't already put on discord that will make sense without too much explanation. hmmm....here, how about a sneak peek at chapter 2 of Old Unit, Young Unit? don't mind the [bracket notes], this isn't polished yet.

This is not a security incident. Cameras show that a crowd is gathering in the [public space]. The supervisors are looking for a way for the workers to blow off steam without diminishing productivity. 

When we enter, the crowd of humans gets loud and rowdy. HubSystem is smart enough to recommend that another two SecUnits be redirected here in case the crowd becomes out of control. I backburner most of my SecSys inputs. They will be irrelevant to my current task. The supervisor has given us our instructions.

Beside me, Unit 8891 stiffens almost imperceptibly. Young units are often distressed by situations like this one. I am not. I have been in similar situations more times than I can count. Unit 8891 is lucky that we have been ordered not to use our energy weapons. 

Unit 8891 pings me. Is that a challenge? A threat? I ping back. I’m not interested in posturing. I will ensure the fight is as short and uneventful as the supervisors will allow. 

Knowing humans, it will not be short or uneventful.

💛 What is the most impactful lesson you’ve learned about writing?

The thing I have learned and am learning and will probably never be done learning is how to be less of a perfectionist, lol. I get very embarrassed about sharing work that’s not up to my very high standards for myself. But honestly fanfic and ao3 and discord have really helped me with that—sometimes I want to show off this cool thing I made more than I want it to be perfect!! And knowing that people will enthuse over cool ideas with me even if I don’t write them perfectly is so freeing.

🎨 If someone were to make fanart of your work, what fic or scene would you hope to see?

Oh my goodness LITERALLY ANYTHING, I would be so honored if someone made art of my fic!!! But if I had to pick something…well, carry us to freedom is still my most beloved fic (altho Old Unit, Young Unit might catch up once I have more of it to share!). I’m not really sure how you would visualize it, since it’s very short but also broad in scope and there aren’t really any specific characters, but if someone could find a way to capture the prosetry vibes in art I would be in awe. A lot of my others are just sort of miscellaneous Murderbot interactions and emotions and somewhat similar to each other—but ooh, you know what else would be fun to see visualized? what did I do?, the fic i have gotten the most wordless screaming for.

thank you again for the questions, verso!! 💜 (fingers crossed that I post this correctly)

[ahiddenpath]

Hidden’s Life

I have basically been staring at the wall all day- overstimulation from the last 48 hours, maybe?- but my darling husband just made me coffee, so maybe I can wake up, LET’S FIND OUT!

Christmas

If you know me/my history, you might know that family stuff and Christmas are complicated subjects.  Even without all that, I find Christmas overwhelming on a stimulus and activity level (decorate, find gifts, buy gifts, wrap gifts, prepare traditional food/treats, office parties, etc).  My husband and I host Christmas Eve for my mother and his parents and brother, then we go to his maternal family for Christmas morning and my maternal family for Christmas evening.  We’re in the car for 3-4 hours on Christmas Day.

All things considered, Christmas went smoothly this year, except that my bro has covid (he knew and stayed home, he is not feeling his best, but there is no need for the hospital or any danger, it seems).  My brother in law gave me a stuffed Lapras from the Pokemon center, and it is my new treasure.  My mom gave my cats a treat hiding toy, Darcy is not interested in it, but Dinah can already solve it on the hardest “mode.”

But I really smashed my stimulus threshold, and today I’ve only been able to muster “sitting around doing literally nothing.”  I don’t even mean “mindlessly scroll the internet,” I mean nothing.

New Job

It turns out that my new job is a much bigger deal for my career than I realized.  My company is doing amazing and important work- I want to be more specific, but it will probably be obvious where I work if I do.  But, um, I think I’m going to learn a lot, and I’m around brilliant people who are being given the tools to do their thing.  

So far, it’s going well.  My coworkers seem nice, and we have much more support than I’ve ever had before.  For example, at my previous companies, if an instrument broke, I would have to:  Try fixing it, find and call a repair person if I can’t, organize their visit, make a PO request to pay for it, shadow the repair tech when they arrive, Sign off on the PO, do everything all over again if it takes more than one visit.  Now, I just...  Call Lab Ops and report the broken thing.  The end.

I have been shadowing a colleague for a month, receiving actual training- which is also something I’ve never been provided before (I always got chucked into a lab and assigned stuff right away).  I don’t have my own projects yet, so it’s too early to say anything definitive, but...  It seems like this job is going to be an improvement, which is amazing.

Creative Stuff

I’ll be honest: my life has been mostly about adjusting to my new job lately.  I have been quietly editing existing writing in the background.  Camp digimonth is almost here, so I imagine this aspect of my life will be picking up again soon. 

Life in General

It’s hard to describe how things have been going!  I’d say... busier than I’d like (or at least, more demanding than I’d like), but...  Good.  Like, I’m not angry or frustrated or torn about what I should do, like I was when I worked at my previous company.  I’m just... working hard and adjusting, and sometimes it’s overwhelming, but mostly it’s just...  Working hard, but not feeling frustrated or left to flounder or anything like that.

Maybe that wasn’t much of an update, lol, but there it is!  I’m hoping to think back on this year and consider my goals for 2023, but for now...  My brain is mush, lol, so I won’t try to wring anything else out of it.  I hope you had/are having amazing holidays <3

[larksbooks]

lark’s top 5 books of 2022!

ok! so! i read (drumroll, please...) 52 books in 2022, one for every week! (although, i didn’t exactly pace it so that i finished one every week, lol) and that’s NOT including the copious amounts of fanfiction i read, which probably would make it average out to a lot more. anyways. i wanted to share my top 5 :))) (even though i’m a couple days late shh)

1. The Lord of the Rings trilogy/The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (1937-1955) 🦅✨🏹🏔️🧙🏻‍♂️

is this technically four books? yes! shh! i had been putting off reading these for ages because i never had the time to sit down and really give them justice. luckily, i found these phenomenal audiobooks which are on spotify! as someone who chiefly writes fantasy, it was definitely overdue for me to read lotr, since tolkien is THE master worldbuilder, lol. classics, and must-reads for sure.

2. The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune (2020) 🧚🌅🏝️🐈👹

speaking of fantasy! this book, in a word: whimsical. the tone & cadence of the writing is reminiscent of a lot of the stories i read as a kid, though certainly not lacking in complexity or emotional depth. the cast of characters is colorful and bright. you can’t help but grow fond of the well-meaning but stuffy caseworker linus baker as he gets to know the magical children of marsyas orphanage--including a wyvern, sprite, gnome, and the literal antichrist--and their mysterious, eccentric caretaker arthur parnassus, for whom he starts to develop feelings. this was such an enjoyable, refreshing read, and definitely one of the highlights of my year.

3. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (2021) 👽🔭👨🏻‍🚀🪐🚀

i don’t often cry because of fiction. really, i don’t. even E.T. didn’t make me cry. this book made me cry. and that’s saying something, given the subject matter. *clenches fist* it’s the enduring and selfless nature of humanity!! and our inherent goodness and curiosity!! even when we’re stranded in the middle of space with no idea why we’re there or what we’re supposed to be doing. ugh (/pos). i adore this book.

4. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque (1929)

another classic! i read this ahead of the netflix movie adaptation which came out this year. this is one of the most powerful and impactful pieces of literature i’ve ever read. this book displays the horrors suffered by german soldiers in the first world war, and serves as an apt condemnation of warfare in general. the first-person perspective is poignant and intense, and it’s hard not to emerge from reading this book a pacifist.

5. If Not, Winter: Fragments of Sappho translated by Anne Carson (2002) 💖📝🌸💫💋

i was gifted this lovely, lovely book and it made me so happy. i have been wanting to read sappho for so long and i am so glad i finally got the chance in 2022! her poetry is just beautiful and reading her fragments are like reading the most devastating kind of blackout poetry. i’m not a huge fan of poetry myself, but sappho is definitely the exception.

[purplesurveys]

1596

Is Christmas your all-time favorite holiday? If so, why? I count my birthday as a holiday, and that’s actually my favorite one – I’m more intense with preparations and treats on my birthday than any other holiday. I feel like my overall feelings about Christmas are dulled knowing the reason why it’s even celebrated in the first place. I’m here just for the food and the 2-week company shutdown I get to enjoy, lol. Is Christmas more about presents or family? Family (and food, haha). Never been about the presents for me in the sense that I wouldn’t mind if someone didn’t have a gift for me; I do like getting presents for my loved ones though, just to let them know they’re always in my thoughts.

Do you have your Christmas tree and decorations up? We have a Christmas tree that’s bombarded with decorations, and we we put that up starting either late October or early November. We used to have a wreath by our front door, too, but we haven’t done that in a few years.

Do you even decorate? Yeah, just the tree. It’s filled with every kind of Christmas tree trinket you can think of, though.

Have you ever told a person that they are all you want for Christmas? Nah, not even with my last partner. I find it too cringey lol.

What are you hoping to get this Christmas? All I asked for is anything with BTS’ faces on it, doesn’t matter if it’s an authentic product or fanmade or replicas, to make it easier for everyone who might have no clue what to get me. But really, I’m fine with anything and nothing. It sounds so pretentious LOL but honestly the effort and presence of family and friends alone is enough.

By any chance is it a game console? I don’t think I ever asked for a game console for Christmas, this year being no exception; we weren’t the most well-off family in my childhood years and I didn’t want to put any more pressure for my parents.

Do you even make Christmas lists? I make Christmas shopping lists, if that’s what you mean. Mine is more or less done, just have around 4-5 people to buy for and I’ll be all set.

Are you grateful with anything you get for Christmas? Yes. Comes with the upbringing. I have relatives who have difficulties getting by, so if I get anything from them at all I know it must have taken lots of effort and thought. I’m grateful for literally anything and I make sure to use everything I receive, whether it’s a generic mug or headband or phone stand or whatever.

Have you ever given away a gift because you didn't like it? No. I’m honestly just genuinely grateful for any gift I get! And I like to make good use of every single one.

Have you ever gotten a gift that you felt like you couldn't accept? Yeah, last year my friends got together and we basically exchanged K-pop merch with one another so I felt super shy accepting what they got me! I feel like I felt this the most with Reena’s gift - a picket of Taehyung, hahaha.

Are you going to do any traveling this Christmas? Just short-term trips - we’re heading south on the 25th to gather with my dad’s side. We also have a quick vacation the weekend immediately after New Year’s.

Is anyone coming to visit you for Christmas? No, we’re the ones doing all the visiting.

In your opinion, what is Christmas really all about? Spending time with family that you only get to see during this time of the year.

Do you enjoy the 25 days of Christmas on some TV channels? I have no clue what this means.

What Christmas movie is your favorite? Love Actually and It’s A Wonderful Life!

Have you seen 'A Christmas Story'? If so, did you like it? I haven’t seen it.

Do you think that 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' is lame or classic? I’ve never seen that either.

What is the first Christmas movie you have seen this month? Haven’t watched anything Christmas-y so far. The only thing I’ve binge-watched is Breaking Bad, and that is the furthest thing that would give you holiday vibes lol.

Do you enjoy listening to Christmas music? Eh, not really. I like the jazzy kinds, but overall I rarely turn on Christmas playlists. Mariah Carey, Michael Buble, and Friends™ are way too overplayed during the holiday season anyway.

Do you really get involved in the Christmas spirit? Idk what this question is trying to ask, so I guess not. Like I said, I am largely here for the food and the 2-week vacation I get to get, lol.

Does the Christmas environment make you feel comfortable? You know what? I’m really glad and grateful that it’s been starting to actually feel that way. I had the worst seasonal depression every single year a while back, and Christmas was always something I dreaded. If I wasn’t in a family reunion that I didn’t want to be in, I kept myself locked in my room where I watched whatever comfort show I felt like watching. Not the case anymore.

Do you donate toys for the toy drive this time of year? Not toys. But I’m looking at donating money for a few animal shelters I follow. When I’m able to save up more, I’d love to give in-kind donations, like leashes, pet food, etc.

What is the best Christmas gift you have ever received? Paramore tickets.

Have you ever cried on Christmas day? Maybe Christmas 2020 because it was my first post-breakup Christmas? Idk I barely remember anything from the time but I’m not ruling out crying.

Are you usually the first one to wake up on Christmas day? I haven’t noticed. Probably not.

Are your favorite colors red and green? No, my current favorite is purple.

What colors do you like to see in Christmas lights? Yellow.

Have you ever helped your friends decorate for Christmas? No, that’s usually a family thing where I’m from, and I’m not about to interrupt their own decorating sesh.

Do your Christmas decorations stay up until New Year's? Until the end of January; that’s how long the Christmas season is here.

Are you usually the one that takes down the decorations? Our entire family does, since we have a million Christmas tree decors up.

In your opinion, what is the best gift you have ever given someone? Unfortunately that title belongs to stuff I’ve given my last partner; I always went down the sentimental path when it came to giving them gifts, so there were a few presents that I was a little prouder of. But putting that aside, probably the film camera I’m getting my cousin and his fiancée this year! They recently got engaged, so I thought of getting them that so they can capture more 2023 memories the old-school way.

Have you ever given someone a gift they didn't like? I’m sure. Nobody can get it right all the time. < This. I’ve had to be resourceful in the past when I wasn’t earning yet, and I’m sure I had misses here and there.

Is it really the thought that counts? Yeah. Again, it all boils down to perspective since I have loved ones who aren’t the most well-off but insist on buying presents. I’m grateful for anything I receive even if I never really expect stuff from anyone. 

Do you throw Christmas parties every year? Well our house is a little farther than everyone else’s and is also a bitch to get to, so as much as we want to host parties we don’t really do so to avoid hassling people. We’re the ones who do the visiting. I host parties for other stuff though, like if there are online BTS concerts to watch.

Do you even enjoy Christmas parties? Yeah, but it depends on the crowd. Parties with family and friends are great, but my social battery drains out faster if I’m at like a company Christmas party.

What happened on the worst Christmas you ever had? I’d say 2020 because I had to fake a smile through most of it when I was crushingly depressed inside. But it also allowed me to recognize the people and things I did have around me.

Has Christmas been on your mind more and more as the days go by? It’s barely in my mind, honestly. I can’t even believe it’s already the 21st -- I have none of my presents wrapped, and tomorrow I still have to shop for 3 more people lol. I’m mostly ecstatic that I get 2 weeks off work and want to focus on resting up and powering up for 2023.

Do you usually count down the days until Christmas? Only as a kid, when Christmas used to feel a lot bigger and more exciting. Only thing I’m counting down for anymore is Jin’s discharge from the military...

Do you know people who hate Christmas? I used to – the person was me. These days I don’t think anyone I know hates the holidays.

What age did you stop believing in Santa Clause? I never believed tbh and I remember being 4 or 5 and questioning his ‘midnight visits.’ I didn’t understand why I had to be asleep for him to drop by.

Do you host any kind of Christmas event or help with it? Starting last year my Army friends and I get together for Christmas to exchange gifts and have some drinks, and we plan that out together. This year’s gathering is going to be tomorrow.

Do you like eggnog? I’ve never tried but I’d love to have it someday!

Have you ever done a 'Secret Santa'? Yes, monito-monita is a big tradition in our extended family, on my mom’s side, and we’ve been doing it...pretty much the entire time I’ve been alive, lol.

Do you hate to see people sad on Christmas? I mean, I don’t like seeing people sad at any time of the year. < This is true. To answer the question more directly though, I guess I feel for people who don’t want to be alone on Christmas but end up so.

Have you ever ruined someone else's Christmas? I hope not? Idk for sure.

Do you decorate any online profiles for Christmas? No.

If you could live Christmas over day after day, would you? No. Imagine how tiring/draining that would be...

Do you have any pets that you buy Christmas presents for? No, it’s not like they can grasp the context of Christmas lol. Their dinners during this time of the year get a whole lot fancier though LOL

Are you or have you ever been in a Christmas play? If so, which one was it? Nopes.

Does Christmas get old year after year? Not for me, but I empathize with people who feel this way. Personally, I feel that it doesn’t get ‘old’ per se; it’s just that the older you get, the bigger shoes you have to fill, you know? You start to be the grownup who helps the other grownups in organizing parties, who has to think of nieces and nephews and family friends to give presents to, who has to start paying attention on whether or not you’re keeping within budget, who has to focus on feeding people and making sure everyone comes home full, etc. Christmas is largely a test of practicality for me at this point.

Do you like, love, or hate Christmas shopping? I dread it at the start when I open my shopping apps and there are like 47374934723822038207483 stuff to choose from. But being able to find a good gift for someone is always a nice feeling.

Has anyone ever ruined your Christmas? I remember having to take care of 50 work-related deliveries in the middle of Christmas in 2020. Same year I also had a client who needed reports to be done on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so I was literally working on my laptop while in the car and on the way to see family.

Have you witnessed your neighbors arguing on Christmas? (I have, bad scene) I haven’t. People are just karaokeing all over the place lol.

Are you working on Christmas? We have a company shutdown that started today and lasts until January 3rd, but of course that doesn’t permit us to completely shut off our lines from our clients. Urgent things that can’t be avoided still have to be attended to, of course, but in general we have these two weeks off to relax.

Have you ever had to work on Christmas? Yeah, I touched on that a bit earlier.

Have you ever lost someone special on Christmas? Fortunately not during the Christmas season. But like most people I’ve had to deal with those ‘first Christmases’ - first Christmas without a grandparent, a friend, a pet, etc who died earlier in the year.

Is Christmas better than New Year's or are they both equally awesome? I love New Year’s. It was always the more exciting holiday for me.

Are you really excited for Christmas? Not really, it’s just nice to be off work. < Completely this. 

Did you like this survey? I hope so. Well, bye! ^_^ Sure, thanks!

[reiding-writing]

Cold!Reader having to be given pain meds that make her out of character? Still having her vibe of being stand-offish and blunt but just a little more… open and happy LOL

VISITATION — SPENCER REID!

the team come to visit you post surgery, you’re feeling a little more accepting than usual

spencer reid x cold!reader | fluff | 1.0k | cold!reader masterlist.

cw— fem!reader, injured reader, reader is in hospital

a/n— i’m trying to get back into a rhythm, i promise-

main masterlist.

“Heyyy, welcome back to the land of the living,” The sharp enthusiasm in Morgan’s voice could make you wince if you had the energy to.

“How’re you feeling?” Emily enters shortly behind him, peeking her head over his shoulder with a bouquet of bright yellow and orange flowers in hand.

“Like I got shot in the shoulder?” You blink heavily, eyes squeezed shut before re-opening as the rest of the team file into the room. “What’s with the flowers?”

“They’re for you!” Garcia plucks the bouquet from Emily, a tall empty glass in her other hand, and leaves the flowers propped up inside it on the table next to your hospital bed. “Reid picked them out,”

“He did huh?” You sound remarkably more tired than usual, words slow and quiet despite your seemingly fully awake state.

“They’re calendulas, uh— marigolds,” Spencer scratches the back of his neck awkwardly, like he’s embarrassed to be given the credit for your gift. “They’re said to represent strength, healing, and resilience, and are even actually used as a natural healing agent thanks to their antimicrobial attributes—”

“Reid,” Hotch shakes his head shortly to cut off his tangent, and Spencer nods with a mouthed “sorry,”, pressing his lips together.

“Thank you for the flowers Reid,” You wave your left hand to dismiss Hotch’s intervention, or at least try to, nose scrunching up in discomfort from the strain it puts on the muscles in your shoulder. “Let’s hope they actually work,”

There’s a small smile that breaks through Spencer’s awkwardness at your indirect way of confirming that his tangent wasn’t of any annoyance to you.

“Yellow is the poster colour for optimism, and orange is often regarded as it’s first runner up,”

You give a small hum at his assessment, nodding slowly with a small sigh. “I could use some goddamn optimism right now,”

“That bad huh?” Emily raises an eyebrow and you shake your head.

“I’m fine, I’ve got enough, whatever, in my system to not feel like my arm is literally going to fall off.” You adjust yourself to sit further upright with a groan, immediately met with Garcia at your side to assist you. “But it still hurts like a bitch,”

“No kidding,” Garcia frowns at the bandage peeking out underneath your hospital robes.

“Oh my poor girl, what did they do to you?” She tuts lightly as she reaches forward to remove some hair from your eyes, but you redirect her hand before it gets there.

“I don’t need to be fussed over,”

“But you deserve it my sexy little wonder-woman,” Garcia leans over with all of the determination of forcing you to accept her compliments as a kindergartener complimenting their teacher’s outfit. “It’s not often we get you in a position where you can’t run away from our love,”

“Okay—” You let out a mix of a groan and a sigh as she reaches over to hug around your neck, letting out a sharp hiss when she leans in a little too far. “Ow— ow, alright that’s enough—”

You push her away with your right hand, and she’s received safely by Morgan so she doesn’t make another leap to smother you in her affections and leave you in the hospital for even longer than you already have been.

“That’s enough babygirl, she gets it,”

Her reply is almost a pout, but she concedes with a small nod and a promise—a threat—to smother you in a hug the second you were discharged.

“You’re okay?” Spencer’s hand hovers uncertainly above your uninjured shoulder, like he’s afraid that even touching that’ll leave you in more pain.

“I’m fine Reid,” You give him a small nod, breathing out softly through your nose. “Just tired,”

“That’s understandable,” Spencer nods with an understanding smile, “A majority of pain medications given in hospitals have fatigue as a side effect,”

You give him a small hum, resting your head against the hospital bed’s headboard, landing your hand on top of his until they’re both resting on your shoulder properly. “Thank you,”

“For— for what?”

Your eyes flutter closed uncertainly. “I don’t know,”

It’s a rare moment of softness, almost too soft if the way Spencer’s heart rate picks up has anything to say about it.

“Maybe we should keep you like this all the time,” Morgan laughs shortly with a shake of his head. “Melt the ice a little,”

“Shut up, Morgan,” You scrunch up your face with a roll of your eyes, but all it does is elicit another laugh from him, one that quickly spreads throughout the rest of your teammates until even you’re on the verge of cracking a smile.

“Alright, alright, clear out team, let’s leave her rest for a while now,” Hotch is the one to call the end of the little get together in your room, and you’d 100% be lying if you said you weren’t grateful for it.

You might have a silent love for your team, but god if you didn’t feel like you could pass out and sleep for the next week.

They trickle out slowly, trying to prolong their visit for as long as possible.

Spencer, of course, is the last one to go, and his hand slips from underneath yours and away from your shoulder almost hesitantly, lifting it into an awkward wave with a mouthed goodbye as he neared the door.

“Get some rest,”

You nod slowly. “I will,”

“Good,” Spencer smiles. “I’ll come and see you tomorrow okay?”

“Yeah, thank you,”

“You’re welcome,”

[alsjeblieft-zeg]

326 of 2023

survey by lafemelle

1. How many cars have you ever owned?

None on my own, but one as a co-owner.

2. Can you do math in your head well?

Quite much so. I’ve been always good at such things.

3. What’s your least favorite chore to do around the house?

Cleaning the floors and the toilets.

4. What’s your favorite flavor of potato chip?

I don’t eat these.

5. Do you ever read the weather forecast?

Yeah, before travelling so I know what to expect, possibly.

6. Do amusement park rides make you sick?

I don’t ever use them. My health doesn’t allow.

7. Who is your favorite Star Wars character?

No.

8. What kind of cheese do you put on your sandwiches?

Normal cheese lol. Like gouda or emmental or o.

9. What radio station do you listen to the most?

UVB-76 lol. I don’t listen to the commercial radio.

10.Who was the last person to give you a gift?

My husband, as usual.

11. How old were you when you got your driver’s license?

Nevergot it at all. I don’t know how is it in your States, but here people with neurological disorders are generally restricted from driving in some cases.

12. What was the first thing you ever learned how to cook?

Water lol. Just like most of people, I suppose.

13. Did you ever collect beanie babies?

Never heard of it.

14. When was the last time you got a haircut?

Last year lol. This calls for another one.

15. Have you ever been to a bachelor/bachelorette party?

No, and I’m not sure if I’d like it.

16. How many people can you say you TRULY love?

About ten.

17. Where are you most ticklish on your body?

Everywhere, literally.

18. Do you like kids?

I do like toddlers, but only when they are curious about the world and ask questions.

19. Have you ever cheated on a test?

Once or twice.

20. Is your next birthday coming up soon?

No, next year.

21. Have you ever bailed anyone out of jail?

I’ve never had an occasion to do so.

22. What’s the last board game you played?

I don’t play board games.

23. Have you ever given someone a fake phone number?

No, but next time I will give a police number as my own when someone is too intrusive.

24. Do you actually eat 3 meals a day?

Even less.

25. Do you have any bumper stickers on your car?

No, my husband doesn’t like them.

26. Do you leave good tips when you eat out at restaurants?

I just leave tips. It’s normal in my country.

27. What’s your favorite thing to eat at bbqs?

Veggies.

28. Do you still own any VHS tapes?

Not anymore, but I’d love to.

29. How many of your friends have you known for at least 5 years?

Most of them.

30. Are you superstitious?

Not at all, it just makes me laugh.

31. What was your favorite book as a child?

Pelle Svanslös.

32. Have you lied to anyone in the last 24 hours?

Nah, I had no occasion anyway.

33. What’s the most expensive restaurant you’ve ever eaten at?

Probably this one in the Martin’s Hotel in Waterloo. It was very elegant :P

34. How many jobs have you had?

One as a fruit picker when I was a teenager, one Infrabel maintenance summer job (from my dad), cleaning the library as a student, and then this job in the rolling stock company.

35. Are you keeping a secret from anyone right now?

No, not really.

36. What’s the smallest town you’ve ever visited?

I think Lillo, it’s a town near Antwerp.

37. If there was a real Jurassic Park, would you visit it?

No, thanks.

38. Have you ever gone golfing?

Omg no, boring.

39. What’s your favorite kind of soup?

All of them, really. But I need to have chunks in it, I don’t like blended soup.

40. How old were you when you learned how to ride a bike?

About four, or even earlier.

41. Do you know any sign language?

No, I don’t.

42. If you became famous for something, what would it be?

Photography, I guess.

43. How many friends do you have that are married?

Most of them, really.

44. Do you ever read the newspaper?

Sometimes when I’m at the physiotherapy.

45. When you’re having a bad day, how do you make yourself feel better?

Let my cat sleep on my lap while she’s purring. Optionally going somewhere with the train.

46. Do you still have your wisdom teeth?

Yeah, I do, all of them. I’ve never felt them growing, honestly.

47. Did you have a swingset in your yard when you were a child?

Yeah, I did.

48. Have you ever played poker for money?

No, I’ve never played poker at all.

49. You’re making a fruit salad: what kinds of fruit do you put in it?

Strawberries, blueberries, banana lices, tangerine pieces, maybe peach cubes.

50. What are the last 2 digits of your phone number?

09.

51. What’s the scariest movie you’ve ever seen?

I don’t even bother wasting my time on movies.

52. Do you eat your mac & cheese with a fork or a spoon?

I don’t ever eat this shit.

53. Where did you have your first kiss?

On a tram stop lol.

54. When you were a kid, were you ever afraid of cooties?

I still don’t even know what it is.

55. Do you ever go Christmas caroling in December?

No, not anymore.

[harrylights]

👏💖🎀 <3

hii sorry i passed out early yesterday and have been travelling most of the day but ty for sending these to me love 🫶

👏: What’s something you’ve done recently (even if it’s a small thing) that you’re proud of? i’ll keep it to happy things so i told my crush i like them without TOTALLY freaking out lol

💖: What’s a goal that you’re working towards in terms of your self-improvement/personal growth? working on balancing my ebb and flow of creative energy into smth that’s at least a little bit more consistent than only working on projects for days on end and then literally ignoring its existence for at least a week lmao

🎀: What’s the best gift you’ve received? What in your opinion is the best gift you’ve given someone? not that i’m not grateful whenever i receive any gift at all, but most of them feel like smth that the person giving them to me would rather have themselves rather than smth that is all that meaningful for me, but my mum gave me her headphones a few years ago when mine crapped out and i love them. the best gift i’ve given was to my ex for his first bday we shared together but it went mostly unappreciated lol

positive asks (to help keep me sane lol)

[lyonfreddie]

prolonged wailing and gnashing of teeth under the cut!!!

let me just preface this by saying that i never get super personal on here anymore but i really just need to vent!!!!

i love my job mostly because i love my coworkers. i work in development/fundraising at a pretty big museum and our team of 5 is all a bunch of young professional women with Good Taste and Witty Banter. like we are all successionpilled. i would hate my job so much if i didn’t work with these people. last week, my favorite coworker announced she was moving to another city and got a job there to be with her long-distance fiancé (he got a tenure track job and obviously... cannot move lmao), and i was SO SAD because she is SO COOL and SO POISED and i want to be just like her, but i took comfort in the fact that we would still have 4/5 of our lovely team still together.

and then my boss pulls me aside first thing this morning and tells me SHE’S LEAVING TO LMFAO

like. i’m literally going to go insane. after march 16, our team of 5 will be a team of 3, and we won’t have either a leadership giving manager OR a membership manager. i print member cards and assemble renewal/new member packets once a week each week as my Big Project but before my boss leaves she’s going to teach me how to do pretty much everything she does that she hasn’t taught me yet. which is really, really nice of her, and also kind of a vote of confidence—i seriously doubt she would take another job if she wasn’t absolutely sure she was leaving her membership program in capable hands. 

my boss is the best boss i’ve ever had. she’s so organized and she knows everything about our museum’s institutional history because she was working there before it was even built. she has always given me clear instructions and honest feedback and she’s just so, so funny. she’s great. we’re practically the same person and have the same interests. and i still have so much left to learn from her. it almost feels unfair that she’s leaving, but i’m an actual adult now and i know this is the correct career move for her. she’s not even going that far. she’s going to work at another museum that is like 800 feet away from us.

but i’m still SO fucking sad. i’ve been crying on and off all day, including at work, where i had to hold it all in. the major gifts officer saw me at the printer and was like ‘you must be feeling sad, huh’ and all i could say was ‘yeah’ and she patted me on the back and i almost lost it in the middle of the office. like... GOD

it’s so embarrassing. i pride myself on being very cool and calm and collected, and the rest of my team always tells me it’s nice how i’m so calm all the time, especially when we’re running events. but i literally walked home today and then sat on the floor of my apartment and bawled for 5 straight minutes until i was out of breath. lol. i am going to be a wreck for every single bit of their farewells and it is not going to be pretty. i’m so sad. i’m so scared. what the fuck.

i’ve also just like... been On Edge for the past week or so in a way that hasn’t really manifested since grad school. my first semester of grad school was when i developed really bad anxiety that only manifested as physical symptoms—nausea, diarrhea, constipation, loss of appetite, insomnia, weird painful muscle cramps, etc. to the point where i literally thought i was on the verge of death! i’ve been reading a book about the salem witch trials and couldn’t help but notice that the “fits” described by the “afflicted” were weirdly similar to how my anxiety jumped out, save for, like, hallucinations. it’s a good book and i want to finish it but just thinking about the similarities almost gave me a panic attack one night... which is crazy. and then i woke up this morning and found out my stupid hemorrhoid is flaring up again. which, in retrospect, just seems like an omen. lmao.

if there is any silver lining to this at all, it’s that there is a possibility i may be promoted to membership manager. i’m currently at the coordinator level, but when my boss broke the news to me, she said that we’d be working with our external membership consultant (who i’ve met! she’s great.) to help keep renewal notices and regular mailings going out. presumable until i’m up to speed. i’ve been at this museum for over a year, and full-time for 7 months. they might wait a few months, until i get closer to a year as a FT employee. or they might just hire a new boss for me. i’m ok staying at the coordinator level for a little while longer; it’s nice not having to worry a TON about budgets and financial goals. but i could probably do it if pressed. and getting a big ass salary bump would be nice.

if you made it all the way to the end, thank you for being cringe with me 🤝 the reason this is here and not in my journal is because there was clearly too much to put into my journal without having my hand cramp up. i’ll be ok. i’ll get through this. but it’s gonna fucking suck 😭

[i-never-forgot]

Y’all know I can’t leave anything alone so I’m elaborating lol—I cannot be saved from the brain worms at this point

We already know Celebi would likely suffer with “ooh, shiny” syndrome bc…well, she is shiny—plus she’s able to travel quite a bit (in space and time, evidently) and I think she’d get easily distracted by anything that even remotely piques her interest. I also think that she’s the most liberal with her affection in general (pet names and PDA), but on the flip-side I get the feeling that she treats everybody she holds in any semblance of positive regard that way—you only know if you’ve secured a place in her favorites list if she starts bringing you things that reminded her of you. It could be rocks, orbs, items, scarves, flowers—anything. She would shower you with gifts to show how much you’re on her mind—and I think she’d get a kick out of Sky Gifts, so I’ll bet she’d becomes a regular at Shaymin Village gathering presents for her little found family “just because” (and for every reasonable date/event/birthday/anniversary—because you’d best believe that she never forgets anything).

Grovyle is quiet-natured and seemingly soft-spoken until pressed—I believe the motivation behind his impatience and rashness was the looming probability of the literal end of the world, because in the slower scenes (like the night in Partner’s home after returning from the future, for example) he seems a lot calmer. Therefore I think he’s not quite as forward with his affection in the rest of these…even his dialogue seems somewhat restrained; it doesn’t seem to particularly come easily to him, in my opinion (and this could very well be a result of his upbringing in the dark future—we don’t know for how long he was on his own before he met Hero and/or Celebi). So, because of this, I think he’d find the most comfort in spending time with those for whom he feels the safest and closest—proximity and mutual silence can vary, but he’s most content when he’s able to relax with his chosen family. Oftentimes, even if he’s trying to keep busy with work, he finds himself drifting off to sleep; this result could easily be surmised, given that he’s survived on his fight-or-flight instincts for, presumably, the majority of his life. Give him ten minutes to be able to sit still, now that the world is saved, surrounded by those who would unquestionably attempt to keep him from further harm…despite himself (because I think he would also struggle to wind down because of the fact he’s been running nonstop forever), he’s knocked out and snoring like a Snorlax. (Also he would absolutely be a fiendish cuddle bug and you cannot convince me otherwise. This is my personal headcanon and you can pry it out of my cold dead hands.)

Upon first consideration in this thought experiment, I had a bit of trouble pinning down Dusknoir…the others came relatively easily, but once I tagged them, the pieces fell together for this old ghost. My supposition (which I have also discussed here) is based upon the fact that he tends to put himself out there for others—he’s willing to let the Guild crowd him for autographs (even if it was part of his guise), he saves Hero and Partner in Amp Plains without asking anyone else to do so for him and without help (even if it was urgent), and he asks the Sableye to check on Grovyle and Celebi after Primal Dialga almost crushes him to death (which speaks the loudest and most plainly to this idea of all these examples, in my opinion). He obviously has the hardest time discussing his feelings (although the only example of this we have is with Grovyle, whom he had considered his sworn enemy for a long time), he’s keen to violence as his default setting (I’ve talked with @fujii-draws about him learning casual physical affection in the past mostly via Hero and Partner as it is a totally foreign concept to him), and—like Grovyle—he’s been in survival mode for so long he would most definitely struggle emoting anything sincerely without relying on a performative sort of expression (so his enthusiasm and such might come across as sort of fake to those with whom he interacts most frequently as a result once his entire identity and worldview is altered post-SE5—he’s always been forced into a malicious role and has only played benevolent parts in a deceptive context, so it’ll definitely take him some time to rediscover himself and figure out who he really is once the danger of being erased from existence is no longer preoccupying his finer mental faculties). I think he would cope with the inevitable lack of self-worth and survivor’s guilt (among myriad other issues surrounding the aforementioned redefinition of his entire literal life) by doing way too much at first, for everybody, to try to redeem himself and his past mistakes, to earn forgiveness he’s already been granted, to amend the injuries he’d incurred although they’re well on the way to healing…Grovyle and Celebi have enough let-sleeping-dogs-lie attitude to leave all that stuff in the past, but Dusknoir’s not going to find it as easy to do so. He’s going above and beyond to make sure they have everything they need, meals are prepared, tools/bags/housing is repaired without asking, jobs are taken and done for money to put in the bank, et cetera…I imagine Grovyle and Celebi would have to set him down and talk it out so he doesn’t run himself into the ground prematurely on the second lease on life he’d been so graciously given (because he thinks his worth is defined by what he can offer in terms of his skills and energy as opposed to his mind and personality based on all his prior experiences [and this is why, with Eliana and Lu, he finds it so surprising that all they really want from him is to share his knowledge—even with Team Skull, they don’t want him to kick their asses like he was initially inclined to do, they just want him to scare them off so they’ll leave them alone]). [This tendency would get especially worse if he tries to reconcile with Hero and Partner eventually; he’s going to smother them ten times as much as Grovyle and Celebi, hovering constantly and trying to fix everything even remotely remiss and being super protective of them as a result. I could go on forever, but I hope my point has been made.]

I think that Partner is in a similar boat to Celebi—they’re relaxed with their words, don’t carry as many hangups as some of the others do (although after Dusknoir’s betrayal and losing the Hero after restoring Temporal Tower, I think this point could be debated), so without as many traumas they’d find it significantly easier to be affectionate in general. This is evidenced by the fact that they trust Hero right off the bat despite being a perfect (and rather perplexing) stranger, only tipped off to their potential benevolent nature by their assistance in recovering their Relic Fragment in Beach Cave. They’re clear with their feelings (if a bit naive about admitting them, to a certain extent), even the negative ones, throughout the entire storyline—they’re not afraid to admit when they’re excited, uncertain, or terrified—and just as transparent with their fondness and worry about Hero. The only time I recall that they don’t really open up is during the Darkrai debacle, and I think that’s only because they were putting on a brave face for Hero so they wouldn’t worry about them on top of everything else that was going on. I think it’s easy to suppose that Partner would give nicknames and not hesitate to let those for whom they care know exactly how deeply they feel about them.

And this may be a bit on the nose, but I think Hero would lean towards physical affection because: a) they don’t have a lot of spoken dialogue (partly for immersion and partly for narrative limitations, I admit, although it gives room for the player to fill in the blanks as a result, so this point could fluctuate depending on your own versions of the Hero), and b) the Dimensional Scream…maybe they develop the habit of touching/bumping into/brushing against foreign objects/other Pokémon in an attempt to get a sense of them. After Drowzee, Dusknoir, and Cresselia/Darkrai’s betrayals, I imagine that Hero would become somewhat cagey around strangers, especially those that the people around them don’t know personally (e.g. Wigglytuff already knew and trusted Team Charm as opposed to the Guild having only heard rumors of Dusknoir), in effort to better protect those they care about. As they grow more comfortable around the Guildmembers and citizens of Treasure Town, perhaps they get to the point where they don’t even think about touching others—I can see them being particularly more affectionate with Partner or Marill/Azurill, for example, and maybe some of the Guildmembers (like Bidoof). Maybe you know you’ve won them over if their previously unknown/undeveloped grooming instincts kick in and they start picking through your fur/hide/scales/feathers to make sure you’re clean and warm. (Maybe Hero had always been physically affectionate, and that subconscious trait trickled through their amnesia as familiar as their name had—maybe they had indulged Grovyle’s insecure clinginess, holding him so that he could sleep for just a few hours while keeping watch; maybe they helped him when he was shedding and itchy and miserable by scratching the hard-to-reach places on his back; maybe they introduced him to gentle, caring touch that was not strictly violent for the sake of survival, either due to the nature of their relationship or by patching up each other’s wounds after a close scrape in a dungeon or narrowly escaping Primal Dialga, Dusknoir, and the Sableye.)

(…posts this without context…)

Celebi: Gifts

Grovyle: Quality Time

Dusknoir: Acts of Service

Partner: Words of Affirmation

Hero: Physical Affection