#a negative thought is inevitable and not something you can just stop. however you CAN decide from there how you let it effect you

[angelnumber27]

violently forcing myself to have better days

[alixmarauders]

Why try? | poly! marauders x fem! reader

angst / fluff

CW: brief mention of bully, negative self talk, some cursing (?) I think that’s all :)

word count: 1.4k

note: it’s my first mini series and English is not my first language, just wanted to say so in case you spot any error :)

chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3, chapter 4 coming soon

“Why are they dating me?”

That’s the question that kept flashing in your head 24/7 for the past week.

It all started when you were sitting with your group of friends in the Ravenclaw common room. You had just returned from your secret date with the marauders; even though they wanted to love you in public, you didn’t. It was silly, really, but you didn’t want all of the backlash that it would inevitably come from dating them.

You knew, deep down, that if you were to love them in the open, everyone would be confused as to why they chose you. They were the marauders, for god’s sake, even you had doubts about this… thing that you had been going on, god only knows what everyone else would be thinking.

So you invented an excuse. You told them that your brother was protective over you, that you didn’t want to cause them trouble. You could have been spending more time thinking about a better story: your brother couldn’t care less about your wellbeing, let alone who you dated. It didn’t matter what he really thought, though, because they believed the lie.

It hurt to have to lie to the boys that you were growing fond of, but still, years and years of bullying made you this way. You never really viewed yourself as someone worthy of affection, let alone of love. You never really liked your physique, you hated your nose, you wished you had something special about your physical appearance but you couldn’t find it.

Even your personality didn’t seem worthy of being known, or at least you thought so. You were an A-student, but only because you studied hard. You had a lot of hobbies, sure, but you weren’t exactly good at them. All of this to say, you didn’t deem yourself worthy of their attention.

Now you were sitting with your friends, chatting, and of course, of fucking course, they had to start talking about james.

“I really don’t get how he can be so oblivious about my flirting”

This caught your attention. The girl talking wasn’t exactly your friend, however she shared her room with Emmeline, one of your best friends, so she started hanging out with you. Still, you didn’t know about this flirting until now. You chose to listen quietly.

“… I mean, I even went to his game wearing his damn number on my back. What do I have to do in order to get his attention?”

“I don’t know Aurora… Rumor has it they are all dating some new girl, though nobody knows who she is! They saw them hanging around near Hogsmade, but nobody saw her face. I really thought they didn’t want to include anybody in their relationship”

“Another girl?” Both you and Aurora exclaimed at the same time. This. This was a rather embarrassing situation.

“What Y/N? Decided to join the conversation?”

“Yeah, didn’t take you as a marauder fan?”

This is why you should learn to keep your mouth closed.

“What? Am I not allowed to be curious?”

“Yeah, not like they’ll ever consider you.” Em stared at Aurora blankly, you were sure your face was showing every little thought that was slowly, but surely, starting to crawl over your consciousness, making you doubt yourself.

“What? Don’t look at me like I’m the evil guy. It’s nothing personal, Y/N, but you are just a normal girl, they seem like the type to enjoy someone more… special?”

And that’s when the doubting started.

“Yeah… I think I’ll go study now”

You excused yourself, while you clearly heard Em starting to get angry at Aurora, but you just couldn’t take this.

It was one thing to doubt yourself, but if even your friends thought the same of you, maybe you were right, maybe you should just stop bothering them.

You ran to the library, to the farthest corner. Staring at the rain pouring outside your window, you started to do the one thing you were really good at: self loathing.

A hand made you jump.

“Hey there dovey, didn’t mean to scare my girl”

Remus was looking at you with that loopsided grin of his that made your stomach flip. He called you ‘his girl’, even though you weren’t official, your heart swelled.

“Hey Rem” You tried to smile, you really did, but for some reason your facial muscles couldn’t bring themselves to work. His face immediately fell.

“What is going on?”

You could have just told him.

Maybe you should have.

But you really weren’t one to just talk about problems, you preferred to just pretend.

“Nothing! Nothing I- I just-“ You stopped for a moment. Great job, Y/N, you were doing such a great job! You took a deep breath. “Nothing, I’m just a bit stressed about herbology? You know I’m not the best at it”

He seemed to believe you. “Well, we can study together then?”

Again, you should have said yes.

“I’m sorry I just- I mean, we hung out earlier? Aren’t you tired of me?”

He frowned. “No? Why would I be? Sirius and James are napping, I was actually looking for you? I feel like we hardly ever have some alone time together”

You wanted to cry, you wanted to talk about every little doubt crowding your mind. But you couldn’t, your tongue twisted.

“Oh…”

“But I mean, if you want some alone time I understand!

You simply nodded.

“See you around Remus”

“Okay then? See you around?”

He turned, stopping for a minute, likely pondering if he should just go away or stay to talk. He decided to leave.

You fell even further on the armchair, your mind flooded with doubts.

You sat at dinner, exhausted. You have been spending the whole afternoon running through the endless possibilities as to why they were willingly spending their time with you. Were they making fun of you? Were they just bored? None of your answers made you feel any better about yourself.

Now you were staring at your plate.

“Hey Y/N” Em looked quite concerned. “Are you alright?” You nodded, she frowned.

“If it’s Aurora who got you so sad, don’t worry, I kicked her ass”

You snorted at that. “No, don’t worry Em, everything’s alright. You know I get like that when the winter nears”

She nodded. It was exhilarating how everybody seemed to believe your lies.

Throughout the whole dinner, you sensed three pair of eyes burning through your back. You decided you couldn’t stay a minute longer under their scrutiny, pretending to eat, pretending to have fun. You simply stood up, exiting the Great Hall.

A hand grasped yours, making you jump.

“What’s up with you lot today? Trying to induce a heart attack?” James snickered, tugging your wrist and making you end up in his arms.

You noticed Sirius and Remus looking at you, the latter still sporting the frown he had in the library.

“Just wanting to check up on you. Moony here was quite worried about you, said you seemed sad. Is everything alright?” Sirius searched for your eyes, while you looked at your feet. “Did we make you uncomfortable in any way?”

“No, no it’s not that”

That’s it. You really were stupid.

Remus quirked a brow. “So you are sad about something.”

“Well, you know… the rain.”

James looked like he was about to laugh. “Well yes, it rains quite a lot in Scotland?”

“No, I mean I get quite moody when the weather starts to worsen” At that James hugged you.

“You poor thing, you should have told! Wanna come in our dorm and have a cuddle?”

A cuddle did sound nice, but then again the doubts started to flood your mind. They already had to spend time to someone as uninteresting as you, the least you could do was try to not be a burden.

“No, sorry I just want to take a shower and have some alone time, you know?”

They seemed worried. James looked like a lost puppy, not understanding why you were so suddenly trying to create space between you and them.

Sirius nodded. “Okay love, but if you change your mind you know where to find us, yeah?”

You wanted to cry. To actually sob into their shoulders and word vomit every single mean thing that you told yourself in the last six hours. Instead you just smiled, waved, and ran to your room.

And so began the worst week of your sixth year at Hogwarts.

[devildom-moss]

Celebrating the holidays/New Year headcanons (the others)

The second part of this ask by @angel6776

(Part 1: general + the demon brothers headcanons)

(Suggestive, except for Luke's part, obviously) (Platonic/familial for Luke)

Word Count: +5,300 (no wonder this request took so long)

Diavolo

He’s so excited to hear about your usual holiday traditions. He’ll invite you over for tea just so you can tell him all about it. Honestly, he’ll feel a bit disappointed if you don’t have any particular traditions or if you have negative feelings about the holidays. However, if that’s the case, he’ll be even more motivated to ensure that you have an excellent holiday season in the Devildom. Diavolo wants to build new traditions with you that you can cherish. If not for Barbatos and Lucifer, Diavolo would be willing to spend anything to show you a good time.

He will actually get his work done ahead of schedule if it means you can come over and decorate the castle with him. It sounds like such a fun couple-y experience and if he can’t do that, he’ll pout, and Barbatos will never hear the end of it – especially if the brothers or someone else mentions that you helped them decorate.

Schedules a date with you near the end of the year 2 or more weeks in advance and uses it as motivation to get through all his work. Although, on occasion, he gets scolded for daydreaming too much. He can’t stop imagining holding your hand on a chilly Devildom night or kissing you in the snow or wrapping his arms around you in bed and pulling you so close that your breath would warm his skin.

Brings an assortment of rare Demonus to the party, which puts everyone in a good mood. He drinks moderately and joins in on every possible activity everyone is involved in, and he tries to drag you into them too. “MC, you have to sing a duet with me. Please?” “Have you tried the cake Simeon and Luke prepared yet? Here, I brought you a slice. It’s delicious. I wonder if they would share the recipe with Barbatos.” “Would you care to dance with me?” “You should join our game, MC. Come, you can sit on my lap if you’d like.”

It starts to feel like even if Diavolo is involved in some other activity, he always has an eye on you. He just can’t keep his eyes from searching for you. He’s one of the first people to notice if you disappear with someone else, but assuming you aren’t exclusively together, he lets you have your fun. Just know that whatever state you return in, once he gets you to himself, he’ll be determined to unravel and fluster you twice as much as the last person.

He will get his chance to steal you away for a while. If he can’t find the opportunity during the party, he’ll ensure that he’s the last person awake so he can have you all to himself at the end of the party. If you’re out, too, then you’ll mysteriously be impossible to find the morning after the party.  

Gifts – giving: The man loves giving gifts, and while he’s usually fine handing out presents in a group, he preferers the intimacy of giving you your present alone. He’d give you a whole house if he thought he wouldn’t get in trouble for it. Instead, he’s likely to give you fine jewelry or clothes. He’s a bit like Asmo in that he adores dressing you up in items that accentuate your attractiveness. It’s also a thrill to know he’s the one who gave you the clothes that will inevitably end up strewn across his bedroom floor. If it’s immediately clear that you like the clothes/jewelry, he’ll chuckle, lean in, and whisper in your ear, “If you like it so much, wear it on our next date. I want to be the first person to see you in and out of it.” If not clothes or jewelry, he might do something more extravagant like importing some of your favorite plants to be displayed in a temporary exhibit at the Devildom botanical gardens. (so much research goes into this, too). Diavolo will invite you on a date to show you the exhibit before it opens to the public. He’d probably arrange it so you can go during off hours and enjoy the entire location by yourselves. He might also opt for sentimental gifts: photo albums, scrapbooks, or trinkets that will remind you both of some shared memory.

Gifts – receiving: Literally anything (well, almost. Don’t give him pickles or something he despises). Diavolo is too thrilled to be getting a gift from you to care about exactly what it is. That’s not to say that he doesn’t appreciate your efforts, though. Just show him that you care, and he’ll be a happy little prince. If it’s handmade or sentimental, he’ll love it – even things as small as a keychain from somewhere you visited. If Barbatos would let you, Diavolo would love to make you be his butler for a day (he would reward the thoughtful gift by being at your service all night).

Barbatos

He strikes me as a “I could do without the holidays” guy. Everything gets so busy and he has to scramble to finish up all of his work for the year – and on top of that, Diavolo’s desire to shirk his responsibilities seems to get worse this time of year. (Shit like: “Barbatos, the brothers had a snowball fight today. Do you think we –” “Did you finish that paperwork I handed you this morning?” “. . . no.” “Then, no.”)

However, your presence makes it all more bearable. He likes helping out and ensuring that everyone he cares about has a good holiday season but knowing that he can give you a good holiday brings him a unique, unmatched joy.

Barbatos will invite you to tea a few times under the guise of wanting your opinion on the party menu. If you can be trusted in the kitchen, he may even ask for your assistance – not because he needs it, though. His only need is you. His heart melts when you try his cooking and praise him. If you help with the cooking, he adores the feeling of working beside you. This man will absolutely charm you up in the kitchen: hand feeding you before kissing you to experience the flavor of the food combined with your lips, swiping sauce or icing along your skin just to lick it off, pressing his body firmly against yours while he peers over your shoulder to check your progress, and goodness all the things he could do for you while he waits for the oven timer to ding.

The quantity, quality, and variety of food this man prepares for the party should earn him head praise. For all the effort he put in, you almost wish he would do a bit more than sip at his Demonus and people-watch most of the time. He might play a few games or dance if you, Diavolo, or Luke encourage him to, but he tends to fade into the background.

Luckily, that makes it easier for him to slip away with you. He suspects that he won’t have much time, so once he gets you somewhere quiet, he makes quick work of improving your night. “You look lovely tonight, MC. I must admit, I’m quite taken with you. I’m glad you seem to be enjoying yourself. Please, allow me to make you feel even better while we have some time to ourselves.”

Luck may yet again be in his favor if he happens to get you all to himself just before midnight on New Year's Eve.

Gifts – giving: If you’re a fellow tea lover, you can expect custom tea blends from plants that Barbatos has grown himself. No doubt, they would be delicious. He may also use a bit of magic to give them a calming effect or to bring you happiness. Another likely present would be hand-made outfits. Affection swells in him when he sees you wearing something that he crafted just for you. “Oh dear, I’m afraid I’ve made a mistake. You look so enticing that I’m eager to get you out of those clothes already.” He would love to offer you his services for a day if you wanted it, but he may have to postpone that until after the New Year, when things are less hectic. In the meantime, he’s more than happy to prepare delicious meals for you.

Gifts – receiving: Barbatos is keen on more practical gifts, but he’ll appreciate a touch of sentimentality: custom kitchen knives with a sweet message engraved on it (a kitchen knife with something symbolic of love, affection, or even lust like a rose or lilac engraved on it would melt him); embroidered handkerchiefs, kitchen towels, or dust rags for him to use; human world herbs and spices; and tea blends that you created with him in mind. He’ll appreciate the thought and usefulness. Alternatively, if you just want to give him yourself, he has no complaints.

Luke

This sweet child is so hyped for the holidays. He wants to try whatever fun traditions you tell him about. That excitement is only compounded by the introduction of new seasonal foods becoming available. There are so many new sweets to try, and he can bake often with the cool winter temperatures.

He will be begging Simeon and Barbatos to teach him new recipes, and, of course, they’ll cave. Luke will be bringing you new treats every few days. When he isn’t bringing sweets to you, he’ll try to bring you to the sweets. Luke, Beel, Asmo, and Thirteen are up on many of the limited-time seasonal offers at cafés and bakeries. He’ll invite you to go with him to try something new. Sometimes he wants alone time with his parent #3 best buddy, but usually he’s happy to have Simeon, Solomon, Raphael, Beel, Barbatos, and/or Mephisto tag along (he’s fine with the others, too, but these six are his favorites).

Asks you to help decorate with him or offers to help you decorate. He has a great time making things look all festive – even if he is too short to reach some places.

Helps Simeon with the baking for the party – although he also prepares a few things on his own. Luke savors the experience of baking with his loved ones during the holidays; it seems like the cheer-bringing thing to do.

Juice, mocktails, and hot chocolate only! They’re good drinks, but the assortment was primarily prepared with Luke in mind.

He spends a lot of time playing games, singing karaoke with Levi, and eating with Beelzebub. Your son Luke is less clingy than most of the demons, but he makes sure to check in with you once in a while to ensure you’re having a good time. He’ll ask you to be on his team for games and he’ll even bring you food (especially the things he made).

Falls asleep relatively early on despite insisting he can stay up. When he wakes up before the others, he’ll start cleaning and probably prepare breakfast for everyone (because he’s the nicest son ever).

Gifts – giving: Luke would probably give you cute gifts that accidentally remind you what an adorable little angel he is. Items like plushies, matching keychains, and cute stationery are likely options. The latter would probably come with a sweet admission: “You’re always helping me study, and I’ve learned so much from you, so I thought something that made studying more fun would be a good gift.” If he has the time, he might ask Raphael, Levi, and/or Barbatos to teach him how to sew a plushie for you. He might also bake a box of assorted cookies for you (possibly more than you can even eat).

Gifts – receiving: Luke is easy to give gifts to. On the more practical end, he’d be excited to receive kitchen tools or serveware: cute animal-shaped silicone molds, cute bento boxes, a nice teacup, etc. Giving him books (I feel like fantasy, mystery novels, and cookbooks would be especially good) would also work. On a more sentimental side, getting him matching keychains or sweatshirts would have this little angel eager to show off. (Just imagine Luke in a big, cozy sweater telling Simeon, “Look, Simeon, MC gave me this sweater. They have one just like it. We match now!”) Additionally, you could compile a book of recipes for him, collecting all the recipes he’s learned and been taught since coming to the Devildom. He would cherish that so much he would keep it in a prominent spot on his bookshelf.

Simeon

Why does Simeon strike me as such a winter boy? Maybe I just think he’d look cute in cozy sweaters or baking in the kitchen? Anyway, he has a lot of fun learning about your human traditions, but he especially enjoys seeing you and Luke having a good time.

Invites you over to bake at least once before the holidays – just you and him. He’s much less outright flirtatious than Barbatos but he builds up romantic/sexual tension as if he was a smut author in his down time: his hands lingering on yours when he asks you to pass him something, brushing your arm or shoulder when he works beside you, a gentle touch on your back as he passes behind you, his warm breath as he contently hums over your shoulder at your progress, the feeling of his fingers grazing your lips when he offers you half of a cookie fresh out of the oven (that he deliberately split in half so it would be small enough for your lips to touch his hand). He won’t even kiss you while you’re in the kitchen, but he’ll leave your heart pounding. You’ll have to blame the rising heat in your face on the oven, or just tell him how you really feel, and have him drag you back to his room for a few minutes.

Helps decorate and does the second most cooking for the party, but he probably also prepares the most drinks. Simeon could make a cup of hot cocoa that would turn a bad day on its head, and he’d offer it to you with such a warm smile that you couldn’t help but smile back.

Hangs back with Barbatos, Lucifer, and Raphael during the party, but he’ll happily join in whenever you or Luke insists. He doesn’t drink much until after Luke falls asleep, but he keeps a good hold on his senses.

I wouldn’t put it past him to fake being drunk to get you alone again. If not that, he’ll ask you to get some air with him – probably (and only) in front of the ones least likely to try to tag along (Lucifer, Beel, Barbatos, Raphael, Thirteen, and Mephisto – the latter two mostly because they’d feel awkward around Simeon for that long). However, despite going out to get air, you end up more breathless than you were before.

Gifts – giving: I could see Simeon offering to be your personal chef for a week. He’d get so much joy about being your little househusband for a bit. If he happens to have a novel in the works at the time, Simeon might also present you with a signed first copy of it, only for you to find that he dedicated the book to you. Another likely gift would be jewelry – but it would probably be something matching or a custom piece (or both). This might be kind of messed up and maybe even yandere territory, but I imagine Simeon would probably burn one of his feathers and get the ashes crafted into glass or cast into resin for a custom piece (but he wouldn’t admit to doing that).

Gifts – receiving: Anything. Give him flowers and enchant them to last for a while longer than they are supposed to. He’ll think of you every day that they live and dry or press them as they begin to die so he can keep the memory of your shared holiday fresh in his mind. As far as jewelry is concerned, pendant necklaces might be a good option – probably for the same reason as Beel: keeping you close to his heart. Simeon would also appreciate quality or engraved pens. Even if he gets flustered thinking about you when using it to write, he’ll also feel encouraged to keep writing, and that will outweigh the occasional distraction. Speaking of writing, if you write him a letter splaying your heart on the page for him, he’ll be over the moon. The man just wants constant reminders of your love.

Solomon

Tries to bake for you during the holidays and must be stopped; even if he gets cute and pouty, don’t let him anywhere near the kitchen – unless he promises to just stand there and look pretty. Although, I do believe he can actually make a decent drink without killing anyone, so as a last resort, you could probably let him make you a seasonal drink. He might even be allowed to make a few drinks for the party if he promises not to cook any food while he’s preparing them.

Solomon won’t get super clingy, but he will mope around and bury himself in his studies whenever you don’t spend time with him. He’s trying to let you have your fun and freedom, but he’s so lonely, and he wants your love and attention.

Invites you over for a cuddly movie date but specifically plays holiday themed horror movies – even the truly awful ones (have you ever watched The Gingerdead Man or Jack Frost? Ridiculous trash. But he’ll throw some good ones in there, too.) He thinks movie dates are perfect for winter nights, but you should expect to stay the night, too.

If he could get away with it, he would try to invite you to the human world – in part so you might be able to celebrate some of your usual traditions (if you have any) and in part so he can get you all to himself.

He’ll be pretty chill at the party – mostly hanging back. However, Asmo will inevitably pull him into some of the fun. (He might even be feeling enough holiday cheer to give Asmo that kiss he’s been begging for all night.) Solomon would add to the party by using his magic to create beautiful visual effects (like shining, iridescent snowflakes cascading down from the ceiling). He does it as a party trick, but he would also use it to distract the others so he can steal you away for a few minutes. If you feel like you’re missing out on his magic, he’ll promise to recreate it just for you.

This little shit would definitely leave a hickey somewhere visible when he gets you alone, like he’s marking his territory. He finds it amusing sending you back to the party and stirring up chaos as everyone tries to find the culprit. If you want to make it easy for them, mark him too.

Gifts – giving: He is so soft and overprotective that he would give you enchanted jewelry that has a protection charm on it or something you could use to summon him to your side whenever you want him, even if your D.D.D. dies or something. He might also give you part of a matching set so he could subtly claim your heart in front of everyone. Solomon might also teach you a spell or potion that he concocted himself as a sign of trust and to show you that he believes you’ve progressed significantly. (He can’t get over the way your face lights up when you learn something new and interesting – when he teaches you something new.) Solomon is an incorrigible flirt, so he might give you enchanted sex toys (something that could connect to his body or that feel just like him), but he might present it as a joke, unless . . .

Gifts – receiving: Solomon would appreciate things that would further his magic research: rare herbs and flowers, magical tools and materials, rare books, etc. It means so much that you would get him something so difficult to obtain because he might be able to use it in his studies. However, he might pout a bit and wish that you had told him so he could have gone with you to get it. It would have made for an excellent date. Similarly, taking him out on a date and showering him with affection would also be wonderful. He’s also a sucker for domestic things, so giving him your homemade food or sweets would melt him – just beware: he might try to cook for you in return. Finally, at your own risk, you could offer yourself. Now that would be a present he could play with for hours on end.

Thirteen

She wants to take you to every café she can think of and share all the adorable winter- and holiday-themed sweets with you. Thirteen would even bring you seasonal drinks or snacks because she just so happened to be waiting in line (and not at all because she wanted to see you smile).

Doesn’t decorate her cave or anything unless she can make a trap to do the decorating for her. Work smart, not hard. However, she does enjoy sight-seeing and looking at decorations that pop up throughout the Devildom with you. She would hold your hand and pull you towards interesting window displays, her eyes lighting up the whole time.

She’s the most likely to be forgotten about when everyone is party prepping, which annoys her to no end, but she’ll pretend like she doesn’t care. To be fair, part of her just wants to chill at home in her cave, so she would consider not even showing up if not for you. She doesn’t need to spend her holiday with idiots, a sham of a sorcerer, and an outnumbered amount of decent people who she’d have to compete with for your affection. At least that’s what she tells herself.

In truth, she has a lot of fun. She even brings a few traps to see what gullible fools she can toy with. No one is safe except Luke. He’s just too precious for her to do that. Thirteen will also join in on the games, determined to win and show off for you. She’ll enjoy sampling all the food, and she’ll be so sweet and bring you drinks and food throughout the night.

Does Demonus work on reapers? I imagine it doesn’t, which makes the night even more entertaining for her. She’ll make note of who can hold their liquor and what they’re all like when they get drunk or tipsy. If nothing else, it’s good blackmail material.

Proactive about her need for alone time with you and gets you alone pretty early on in the night. Like Solomon, she’ll leave her mark on you, but she has the decency to mark you somewhere more inconspicuous. (Although to be honest, she also has the lack of decency to mark up your thighs and spends half of her alone time with you on her knees.)

She will probably fold and give Asmo a kiss on the cheek. It’s a holiday after all. (But if she kissed him on the lips, I can just imagine him commenting on how she tastes like you. Sorry. Throw me in the trash.)

Gifts – giving: Thirteen would give you strange traps and gadgets she made herself. Although most of her traps are designed to prank people, she might actually decide to make you something more practical. (She could probably build a functioning cuckoo clock if she wanted). Thirteen might also surprise you with date reservations at a nice café – possibly one that’s outside of the city so she has an excuse to steal you for an entire day. Other than that, she would probably give you clothes, especially cozy sweaters, shirts, or cardigans that she will inevitably steal from you. She’s the most likely to give you your present in front of everyone.

Gifts – receiving: She would be content with strange gadgets you found. Thirteen could spend hours taking them apart, putting them back together, and figuring out how to replicate their actions. Sweets gift baskets are another good option, especially if you can bake and you fill them with homemade desserts. Thirteen would be happy with jewelry (primarily necklaces). She would adore those skull-shaped carved pearl necklaces. They suit her so well. Last but not least, give her yourself. Seriously, even a symbolic gesture, like couples’ items while you tell her, “I’m yours: my soul, my body, my heart. I’m all yours,” will have her heart pounding.

Raphael

He doesn’t have the emotional expression range to match the other angels’ joy, but a gentle smile will grace his lips when he finds you baking in the kitchen with Luke and Simeon.

If you want a date with him around the holidays, you’re probably going to have to ask. He just assumes you’re too busy for a date with all the party planning, so he doesn’t bother asking. He might stubble across you while he’s shopping and just tag along with you until you’re done with whatever you’re doing. He’ll even buy you a meal if it means he can keep you to himself for a while longer. A warm smile will find his face when he sees you enjoying your time out with him.

Raphael doesn’t decorate, but if someone asked, he would sew holiday-themed outfits for them. It would be fun for him, at least.

The wallflower whose vines are so tangled and cling to the wall so strongly that you can barely get him to join in on any activities. He mostly just leans back against the wall, sipping at his Demonus and observing the others. He might chat with a few of the tamer people or play a chill game of cards or chess.

He finds it easy to sneak you into some quiet hallway or empty room (he doesn’t even care if that room belongs to someone else) and make out with you. He probably drags you off somewhere because he got jealous after watching you enjoy yourself around the others, but he’ll claim he just got bored and wanted to mess around.

Pulls you closer than necessary when you spend time talking to him – especially in front of Diavolo or Lucifer. He does it by grabbing you by the thigh or waist.

Eventually drinks himself to sleep relatively late into the night. Falls asleep in a really weird, uncomfortable position (slumped over in a chair or couch, sitting on the floor with his back still against the wall, or using his arms as a pillow on a table).

Gifts – giving: Usually pretty bad at buying gifts, but he’ll give you nice, sewed items that he made for you – usually plushies or warm sweaters/outerwear. He likes making plushies for you because he knows you’ll look at it and hug it while thinking of him. When he can’t be with you, it’s a comfort to him to know that you’ll have the plushie. As for sweaters or outerwear, he thinks you look adorable in cozy clothes and layers (but he’ll never say that). Raphael never thought he would enjoy giving a gift as much as he does when your face lights up and you thank him for your present. He stifles his cuteness aggression so hard, but he desperately wants to pull you into his arms and bite you. Also, he probably blesses whatever he gives you.

Gifts – receiving: Even though someone told him that giving gifts was a common tradition during the holidays, he didn’t expect you to get a present for him. He would love fabric and sewing supplies. He finds it sweet that you’re supporting one of his favorite hobbies. It lets him know that you care. Raphael would also be pleased with gift baskets containing strong-flavored foods: super spicy hot sauces, extra sour candy, bitter snacks, Solomon’s cooking, etc. Lastly, he would be pleasantly surprised if you set up dates as a gift.

Mephistopheles

Only cares about the holidays because Diavolo seems so into it. It at least makes for some interesting newspaper content, though. Likely the second to last to get an invitation to the party – but it comes from Diavolo, so he doesn’t mind too much. He isn’t thrilled to be spending a holiday around Lucifer and his brothers, but if it means spending the holiday with you, he’ll come along. Once Satan invites him to join in on his and Belphie’s prank plans for Lucifer, he starts to look forward to the party a bit more. He’d be thrilled to see Lucifer embarrass himself in front of you and Lord Diavolo.

Uses his stalker journalistic skills to find you on days off and escort you around town while you go about your business. He might show you around if he has any insight into seasonal attractions that he thinks you’ll enjoy. Mephisto, then, invites you for a meal or a drink or back to his place. He’s such a gentleman when he wants to be, and he’ll help you carry things home or get you a ride.

He brings a few rather expensive bottles of Demonus with him, and almost gets kissed by Asmo for it, too. Mammon will throw an arm around him and thank him in a way that somehow annoys Mephisto more than if Mammon hadn’t said anything at all.

He hopes that at least one of the pranks he helped Satan and Belphie with will work, so he keeps an eye on Lucifer throughout the party, anticipating his humiliation. However, his eyes still seem to be trained on you. He follows your every move. Even when he’s talking to Diavolo, he still finds a second to follow your figure.

The only ballsy mf who steals you away multiple times throughout the night. It’s partly because he’s jealous, and partly because he wants you too much to hold back (and it scratches his exhibitionist kink), but he’s cautious until after he’s certain that Luke has gone to bed. After that, all bets are off. He’ll be all over you just behind a pillar in an open hallway – with barely enough room to obscure you and some of his body.

Gifts – giving: Sorry to be back on this foot fetish Mephisto HC but Shoes. Whatever style you’re into, he will get the perfect shoe designed for you. I’m talking more than one person is involved with the design and creation of these shoes. They will be custom made. You will not be able to find them in even the fanciest shops. They’ll be incredibly comfortable, too. If you are able to walk comfortably, they’ll probably include at least a slight platform or heel. He will even drop to one knee and offer to put them on for you. Additionally, he would make some kind of affectionate gesture while he’s down there (probably grabs your calf and brings his lips to your shin or thigh – depending on your height, mostly). Perhaps needless to say, he’s on the “gives gifts in private” team. Mephisto might also present you with jewelry: necklaces, bracelets, and for obvious reasons anklets. No surprises here, but it’s for similar possessive reasons as some of the others.

Gifts – receiving: If you can procure a bottle of Demonus that this man has not managed to get his hands on, not only will he be impressed, but he’ll be so delighted that he will kiss you on the spot and want to try the bottle with you right away. Other than that, you could flip the script and buy him shoes. He’ll be a mess, his cheeks hot and flushed, as you help him slip them on. You could also get him a custom cane. Mephisto probably wouldn’t use it daily though. Adorably, he would designate it for special occasions just because you gave it to him. I’m half joking, but collar him, please. Just imagine his precious face when you tighten the collar around his neck and pet his head and maybe attach the collar to a leash. ��Are you trying to claim me?” “You mean I don’t already own you, Mephisto?” “. . . is the door locked?”

A/N: Congratulations on making it all the way down here. Hi. Anyway. I'm going to extend requests for the 1 year flash request event (more details here) for at least another day since I only have 3 requests so far, which is a bit of a bummer, but I'll still be starting with SFW stuff tomorrow. Please feel free to join if you feel like getting a short request. (Also, for real, the past few months/years? have been just bad globally, so I figure it might be nice to write some stuff that might make people feel something good for a while.)

[gaoau]

smth smth uhhh tsurune character analysis time wsg

i've never done this before in my life and i shouldn't even be doing it cause that's crazy tf BUT hi :blush: i'm Kisaragi Nanao's number one fan and hater simultaneously and i need to talk about it. chances are none of this will make the slightest bit of sense, cause thinking about his brain for more than five minutes usually has me going around in circles like a headless chicken. its been almost a year and i have not been able to stop thinking about him, not even in my most trying times so i might as well do the one thing i'm good at and write each and every single one of my thoughts down so the void can eat them all up. my friends are tired of hearing me talk about this so now its your turn, people in the tsurune but more specifically the Nanao tag on tumblr dot com. i'll try to avoid the Kaito talk as much as i can cause i wanna make this solely about Nanao, but i also understand that a lot of their character development goes hand in hand with one another, so it's sort of inevitable

to be completely honest, i wanted to be a Ryohei girlie so bad, i would've even settled for Seiya. i just knew the moment Nanao pulled up and was presented as the flirty annoying playboy, i wouldn't like him. i said it with my whole chest, firmly believing i would find absolutely no reason anywhere in his character to enjoy him. motherfucker i have never been more wrong in my life. at first glance, it doesn't even look like there's much to talk about, cause he doesn't do a whole lot in the first season. except he does. there's only snippets of depth in his character that exist, but he does not let show in order to watch over everyone around him. his introduction is loud and frivolous, especially with one of his first spoken sentences being about his "hakama beauty."

sure, he's good at kyudo, but he's not particularly excellent nor passionate about the sport. this, however, is not true, which builds up in his character as the first season progresses and eventually overflows in the second season. for a character that, in universe, is shown to be in the spotlight consistently ever since he was a child, he's none of that on the range, because that isn't his place. his position on the range is not as important as it is outside of it; he is the yonteki, he is neither at the beginning nor the middle nor the end, he cannot show off, he cannot be the centre of attention as he tends to be. it's true that he attracts a lot of attention and plays into it naturally, because he enjoys it and extroverts, however unfortunate, do exist, but he knows when to take a step back and when to go all out.

there's something i can't ever seem to quite put my finger on. although he is naturally easy-going and playful, this is only a ramped-up front he uses to watch from the back. it's like he's hiding, like he's staying nonchalant and uncommitted so things wash over him. he's blunt. he's so blunt. he really doesn't sugarcoat things, he just doesn't say them until he needs to. i don't wanna call it manipulation, cause that's got a rather negative connotation, but i do wanna call it manipulation, cause that's what it is. he knows how to manipulate responses and reactions with how easy he reads the people around him, and he uses all of that in a very level-headed way to keep peace, though it's always mainly Kaito. it's as if people are malleable to him. it's in the way he pulls Ryohei into doing that whole charade to get Kaito to like Minato, in how he straight up tells Kaito "yeah, it's cause you're being annoyingly tsundere, we're just giving you a push," or in how he tells Minato "yeah, Kacchan don't like you, but he's working on it."

he knows, he's watching, and he's making sure everyone is being accounted for without meddling too much. he sets things into motion with the right push, but he stays out of it, uninvolved. he keeps going on and on about how he's only doing kyudo with nothing but simple bull-headedness, like it doesn't matter all that much, like he can just shrug things off and let Kaito's impulsive comments not get to him. he plays it off, he plays everything off, leaning into that flighty, frivolous prince charming persona, but at the end of the day, he's the most mature and emotionally intelligent of the bunch. 

most of his development is built around connections. whenever Kaito reminds him that he is not taking kyudo seriously, that kyudo is not a game, that kyudo is more than just fun and looking pretty in hakama, Nanao keeps quiet. it's something he knows very well, because none of those are any of the reasons he ever picked up a bow in the first place. he has been watching over Kaito since they were children, going so far as to follow him into kyudo and into the same high-school. however, this is something that Kaito does not recognize for the longest time—not until Nanao actively blows up on him and spells it out for him. Nanao doesn't need for his efforts to be recognized, because he is only doing it to keep peace and read everyone carefully—not only Kaito—to figure out what makes who tick.

he supports his buddies from the back and intervenes only when it's necessary. he aims to please without being self-abandoning; he keeps true to his own self while being a perfect fit for everyone. despite claiming his reasons for shooting are frivolous and superficial, Nanao has an understanding of what sets the people around him off that makes keeping him around necessary, because he shoots for Kaito and now for this team, rather than the target in front of him. he knows, he's so perceptive of it all. there's a scene stuck in my head where Ryohei tries to speak up about the whole Seiya-Nikaido interaction that was bugging him, but he ended up going back on it last minute, and Nanao straight up went "bro, either you commit to it or don't talk."

idk!! call it his big brother instincts, cause that's another thing. things do kinda make a lot more sense when you consider that he is the only one out of everyone in the club (that we know of, cause there's not much about my girls) who is an older sibling. Kaito has two older sisters, Seiya has an older brother, Ryohei has an older sister, and Minato is an only child. Nanao is the only big brother. god i'm losing my fucking mind.

i called him loud and i'll keep calling him loud, but in all honesty Nanao is a lot more silent than he seems. he flirts with his fanclub and attempts it too with the girls in the club, he is quite loud with his "Merha!", he pushes and prods all around with funny comments because, at the end of the day, he is still an entertainer, a mood-maker, and most of all, he's a child. he's still a fifteen-year-old kid that's just dicking around with his friends cause it's not that deep. he's a kid. however, he is consistently reading everyone around him, keeping peace from behind them, working his way around everyone’s quirks and kinks. he's been somewhat forced into this caretaking role, taking comments like "it'd be nice if you and Kaito went to the same school so you can keep him in check" to heart. he too wishes he could be there for his cousin to reel him back in when he steps out of line. and he does, he tries, being the first one to react and try to pull Kaito back before he can bash Minato's face in.

he does things carefully in a way that won't put pressure on anyone other than himself, watching and watching and watching and being so hypersensitive to the smallest of mood changes from anyone. that one little sigh Ryohei gave, to which he immediately went, "what's wrong?" while nobody else batted an eye. when he is the one whose patience finally runs thin, he confronts Kaito about it with truths he has never needed to explain because Kaito would not have been able to digest them properly, and Nanao has always known.

he competes not to win, but to keep up, to stay with his cousin and his team; not approaching a sport with a competitive mindset would be a hindrance to the team, which does not mean he is competitive himself. and he loves kyudo, too, just as much. his expressions and mannerisms are subtle and soft in a way that anyone would miss, but he is happy to see the people that surround him stay on track, with or without his help.

i lose my train of thought every time i start a new sentence cause there's so much i have to say about Nanao. there's a crazy amount of points i go over in my head time and time again. the fact that his hit rate is so consistent, enough to keep up with Kaito and almost with Seiya. how he does not give one flying fuck about Noririn, but he indulges Daigo anyway cause it's fun and it works and he's got nothing to lose by showing a little bit of interest in some guy's idol obsession. how he was watching from the outside, because Kaito never told him what happened with Masaki or why he suddenly wanted to start kyudo, but he was so into it that he was going in all on his own. (i say "never told him" but there's that audio drama where he did, in fact, tell him and the boys.) how kyoani uses him as a sort of bridge between the girlies and the boys just cause he's that much of a social chameleon, i guess. how he's the only other character aside from Minato, the MC mind you, who has not one but TWO features in the character songs album. he's a bridge dawg he's a fit for everyone and anyone. i dunno man i have so many thoughts and zero words to articulate them, but i love this kid. shoutout to this kid, i hope he's having a great day and his lemon teas are always the right temperature. lil bro needs a pat on the back and i wanna be the one to give it to him.

[the1975attheirverybest]

To/for all fanfic readers and writers, with lots of love ❤️:

Hey friends 💗 so, as many of you already know, a lot of fans (many of them fanfic writers) have been leaving tumblr lately and our community has been affected by a lot of negativity and stress for the compounding effects of multiple reasons. Though this is by no means the ONLY reason, fanfic writers have recently dealt with a lot of undue hate, unnecessary drama, and not enough appreciation.

Writers don’t only write for validation. HOWEVER, the experience and practice of writing comes with a lot of feelings of inadequacy and imposter syndrome. Moreover, writing is primarily a mode of connection. Al of art is. People who write, paint, make music, build stuff…we all do so as ways to express ourselves and connect with others. And getting to share what you write at the end of the writing process adds a layer of meaning to what you do that wouldn’t otherwise exist if you just saved it in a little folder somewhere on your device. So, when writers feel more stress and drama than appreciation, support, or any sign that the connection they reached out for has been made, it naturally makes us question what we do.

It pains me (and I know so may of my mutuals share this sentiment) to see so many talented and beautiful souls leave the fandom space because the culture of community and support that used to be here is no longer inclusive of everyone. It seems, these days, every time I log on, I’m seeing more and more mutuals saying that they’re going to leave, take a long break, or stop posting. I don’t know about you all, but I know I speak both, as a reader, and a writer, when I say that other people leaving is not good for them, for me, or for anyone who loves this fandom and this community.

What can we do about this?

Writers:

Hello my babies ❤️ I love you all. I see you all.

PLEASE OH PLEASE KEEP WRITING.

You’re doing amazing. You are the glue that holds this community together. You make art. Inspire conversations. Stir other people’s imaginations.

Art produces art. I started posting on here because I read the writing of other talented people on here that MADE ME want to start doing it.

Whether you write little blurbs, take request, writer multi-chapter, long, thousand + word fics, or just concepts; whether you write smut, fluff, angst….whatever it is that you do, you are valid. Important. Needed. Necessary.

When the inevitable “hiatus” occurs or even in between shows….who do you think this fandom depends on for keeping the energy alive? Writers.

Writing can be a lonely and self-loathing experience. We need each other. Reach out to other writers. Lift them up. Support them.

Share your work with one another. Discuss. Fangirl. Celebrate yourselves and each other. No, no, no ,no!! I heard that. I heard that sneaky voice in the back of your head telling you that you don’t have the right to call yourself a writer or to celebrate cuz you’re not even that good. FUCK THAT SHIT. YES YOU DO. YES YOU ARE.

Readers

Y’all are so so so special. ❤️ yes we write to entertain ourselves. Yes we do it cuz it’s fun. But when I tell you that there is no greater joy to me than reading y’all’s thoughts in the tags when you reblog, or seeing your comments or asks….literally means more to me than anything.

Do NOT let anyone make you feel bad or guilty about enjoying fanfiction.

If you like a fic, engage with it. Like, comment, reblog, reach out to the writer and let them know that you liked it.

Bonus points if you let them know WHAT you liked about it. I promise you, you’ll have that talented and slutty and sweet mf kicking screaming twirling their hair and smiling for the rest of the day if you tell them you enjoyed what they wrote.

You are never bothering us. We never get tired of your kindness. It’s never repetitive. It’s never meaningless. Any time that you say something, your comment will pop into our head when we next question whether or keep going or not.

Sooooo….what do we do about this?

I encourage you, whether you’re a new writer or a writer with a platform, please don’t stop because some childish killjoys with inferiority complexes wanna take your shine away. Post your work. Enjoy the unique pleasures of making art outside of the structures of capitalist consumption. Nobody is paying you for this. Nobody is estimating the value of your worth and trying to market your labor. Do you know how rare that is???

Writers support writers. Lift each other up. Share each others work. Give each other feedback. Remind each other of each others talent when you see someone starting to doubt themselves or haters getting under their skin.

Readers: like, COMMENT, FUCKIN REBLOG. it takes an extra second. It’s worth more than you know. Do it. It’s the least you can do for someone who has poured their heart and soul into something and delivered it to you on a silver platter.

Writers, readers, shitposters, fans a like: look out for one another. Take care of each other. Have each others backs. If you see a hateful comment, if you see someone trying to gate-keep, shame, or alienate anyone for any reason, CALL. THEM. OUT. Actions have consequences. If you’re so cowardly as to take yiu hate from one platform to another, you don’t have the write to make people feel like shit and ruin their hobby without consequences. You’ll be called on to answer for your bullshit.

There is no hierarchy within the fandom. You don’t get to tell someone how matty will feel about them as a fan and you don’t get to judge the way that someone participates in this fandom.

This month, a lot of your favorite authors will be posting October/ fall/ Halloween themed fics because of this. I think it’s the perfect time to revisit the way that we do reader and writer appreciation around here. I encourage you all to engage with fanfiction more personally and help make this fandom safe for everyone.

[anonzentimes]

do you also get so so so sick of "my fandom sucks" jokes? i got into sonic last year and the series is awsome but the fandom (mostly on twitter) is annoyingly full of "dont mess with us sonic fans we dont even like the games", and then i got into danganronpa and the exact same thing happened. people dont allow themselves to just enjoy anything for some reason????? as if they had to have a justification or apologize for having fun with a thing perceived as annoying by non fans??

anyways i really like your posts, thoughts and rambles so for that and as a fellow sonic and danganronpa enjoyer i want to know what your thoughts on this whole "haha i hate my fandom *stays in the fandom*" phenomenon are. i find it rather confusing personally

DUDE. OH MY GOD KINDA SAME??? Okay, I got into Danganronpa 3 years ago now and only recently last year got into Sonic, Well more like I finally got out of denial about the fact I could be a Sonic fan since I always cared and researched about the franchise more than somebody who wasn't a fan would LOL.

Anyways, It really depends on the context of the joke because I think it's funny when people don't even remember basic information and it's used there? But otherwise it's kinda weird and pointless. The reputation of the fans with media I liked alongside knowing someone who viewed their own interests negatively caused me to become really embarrassed about my interests for a while. I'm finally just kind of embracing myself again and not caring much anymore, I think the jokes and general feeling of people trying to apologize for enjoying something is a lot more harmful than people think. I can say a few of my joking "I hate the fandom," sentiments but it's always followed by SOMETIMES or a PART of the fandom when referring to any drama or specific people misunderstanding things. Every generalization has exceptions and I think it's quite unfortunate people kind of put themselves in a corner like that sometimes.

Honestly it also depends on what the person means when they say it too actually, because sometimes saying that means from the person that they've admitted they have this "bad" status as a fan of something and kind of have accepted it? Like they accept they have that status, say the status is bad, and then stick to it because they've accepted that they're "bad" and enjoy the thing. It honestly is kind of an interesting phenomenon. I don't know, it just kind of all depends on context I suppose.

Just overall I think the attitude people have of bunching status together because of reputation is kind of harmful but inevitable. I do know that whatever phenomenon it is I've been recently stopped being harmed by it from embracing myself lol. I still understand it has a reputation and I may say something like "Yeah, I'm a sonic/danganronpa fan" in a teasing way when it comes to cringe culture jokingly, but genuinely like I'm not sorry or guilty for enjoying anything anymore at all. I mean like, I'm the person who's gone out in public with my surprisingly comfy monokuma jacket and sonic backpack before LOL I don't care what anyone says I'm just having fun and living my life happily with the time I have in this world. I don't need to waste energy thinking about the reputation of the fans of the thing I'm enjoying as long as I'm enjoying it, and honestly life has been so much nicer after that finally solidified in my head again. Nobody lives forever and I'd rather spend it being myself and enjoying what I want to.

Basically my conclusion is this: It can be funny depending on context, primarily when someone isn't having great media literacy, and I think it's fine when exceptions to a generalizations are considered. HOWEVER in general I don't enjoy the negative tone people have towards themself and the guilt about enjoying something that is created with the negative attitude sometimes. We're all just like people on a floating rock I don't think anyone cares if you like the silly hedgehogs, and if they do then they're kind of a loser for getting upset over your enjoyment they should be more concerned with themselves and their enjoyment loll.

Sorry if this has typos or anything lol I was about to go to bed but this resonated with me so i wanted to get my thoughts out right away. Thanks for the ask!! <3

[drakulateeth]

More on friendships

I’ve been wanting to write about my journey in friendship reformation and now the time has finally come. Without further ado, here is a collection of thoughts from the one and only.

I've always valued my social life, however, I've decided to reduce my availability intentionally. I'm now taking a more laid-back approach, no longer feeling the need to rush in replying to every message and be available 24/7.

One important lesson I've learned is that friendships are complex and rarely warrant ending over a single mistake. Pay attention to red flags and take proactive steps to avoid similar issues in the future. For example, when two friends left a fancy event early after I'd purchased tickets, I was deeply hurt, since they basically took advantage of my generosity. From that point on I have only hung out with them in coffee places or public spaces.

When that friend failed the "test" from the last post, I revoked all her privileges. I started to actively ask for help so that she would refrain from contacting me at all. Similarly, my longest-standing best friend flat out told me that "communication wasn't that important" when we started university. This led me to step back for a few months, which ultimately strengthened our friendship. Although it was challenging, it was worthwhile for preserving a significant relationship. Sometimes, it's essential to reassess and adjust boundaries, as our closest relationships can shift when people grow in different directions.

Spending too much time with someone or dealing with strong anxious attachment can quickly become frustrating, which is why I often change the people I hang out with and how much time and energy I put into each relationship. Just like flowers don’t bloom all year, we can’t always be the perfect friend. I suggest auditing your friendships to see if you're giving more than you're getting. Friendships require balance. A few years ago, I told a friend I felt my best friend wasn’t giving enough back. She suggested I stop tallying what we did for each other, which felt liberating at first. But now I realize that approach only delayed the inevitable. Trust your gut—choose your friends instead of letting them choose you.

So, when should you let go of someone new? I suggest allowing up to three offenses, whatever they might be. Don’t cut them off immediately, but once they hit that limit, it may be time to drop them to the acquaintance category. Giving people space, not demanding constant attention, and avoiding oversharing has made my newer friendships healthier and stronger. If someone says or does something you can’t get past, and you find your intuition had warned you, it’s time to move on. If they are combative, insist on being right, display excessive jealousy, offend you, share your personal stories with others, or negatively impact you in any way, it’s time to let go. While I may not have always found the perfect moment to end things, if you’ve given someone multiple chances and it’s still not working, it’s time to let them go.

snow

[nihilnothings]

Aight I know some may groan considering love debates tend to go awry but considering how romance and ship teases have been a part of this fandom for too long it is inevitable that discussions for this shall arise.

Source: https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/109469704

Note 1: This post was partly inspired by the thoughts of a blogger who goes by Kanae who believes that is possible for the three heroines: Ruby, Akane, and Kana to represent three types of love: "Familial", "Romance", and "Admiration"

Note 2: If you're curious on their views, head over to their blog to hear their interesting perspectives on the dynamics between the Quartet (Aqua, Ruby, Kana, and Akane....though it's mostly Akane/Aqua considering how most misinterpret their dynamic a lot)

Kanae's Blog: https://skania.tumblr.com/

Note 3: Just because I defend this theory doesn't necessarily mean it comes true, I just find that this view makes sense and is coherent with the story but who knows if Akasaka might pull off something that'll throw this theory off

One of the criticisms that I notice regarding the "Akane Love Interest" theory is the fact that people find it as "derogatory" or "limiting" her scope to just that.

However, this may be considered a hot take by some, but I don't necessarily think there's anything wrong with being a "Love Interest" because she isn't just a "prize" or "narrative McGuffin", she's a love interest character with a thematic and narrative purpose, whose done a lot by progressing the plot, develop characters, and entertain the audience with her personality and character dynamics.

Seriously, it can be difficult to find "designated love interests" in shounen to ever contribute to the plot in the same way Akane does, most of them tend to not even interact with the male lead and kinda is just there as a "prize".

People need to understand that certain characters are created for a purpose, just because a character doesn't have a current overarching goal that involves a career or mending/breaking familial ties it doesn't necessarily mean that it degrades their character. If let's say that they are created as a love interest, it's not a big deal as long as they show instead of telling why they're a love interest and move the plot going. There's a narrative and thematic reason to why Akane's development is tied to Aqua in comparison to most characters with Ruby being a runner up in that department. Even with her breaking off from Aqua her goals still involve Aqua despite the fact that she can choose not to follow through but instead she chose to plunge herself back into danger and Aqua for all his talk of cutting her off is still drawn to her in spite of his efforts to hide it.

(Read this: https://skania.tumblr.com/post/720497617513201664/can-we-please-talk-about-how-silly-aqua-is)

Kind of a weird comparison but I consider her as something akin to "the Joker", where both characters are a lack of a better word "Entertaining Narrative Devices", they embody a certain theme and move the plot while having a personality which keeps the audience entertained. They also are glued to the main lead where they both are at the same wavelength yet are different at the same time alongside having goals that often tie back to the main lead.

I guess if you really want a goal then patching things up with Kana can be considered one but I feel like that isn't the same as an overarching goal of "I want to be an Idol", "I want to be an acknowledged actress", or "I want to kill my dad." Patching up with Kana shouldn't be a slow or difficult endeavor considering that both do not really have negative feelings to harbor in the first place. I guess breaking off from Aqua but the thing is she already is away from Aqua and is choosing to go back and stop him out of her own free will instead of being ordered because she cares a lot for him.

Whether or not they end up together is anyone's guess as it depends on how both of them will resolve this issue at hand during or after the revenge plot (I can safely say that the revenge plot would not be interrupted with a romance as the killer genuinely needs to be stopped considering how he's life-threatening to entertainers everywhere.)

Edit 1: Late edit but changed the wording of the disclaimer a bit to accurately represent my source's thoughts.

[marveltaughtmetoread]

Okay, I didn't think I would have state this but I have now been accused of it multiple times by Pro-Jedi stans so here it is

Just because I think the downfall of the Jedi was inevitable doesn't mean I think it was right or good

The Jedi did not deserve to be slaughtered, let alone the younglings, the younglings were innocent and the Jedi still deserved to live

I may see the Jedi as bad and flawed but they didn't deserve to die for it, nobody deserves to die for their sins

However, I still view the Jedi's downfall as inevitable, why, because the tragedy part of the Prequels is honestly compelling

The Prequels is about a young boy full of "negative" emotions, found "too late" for the Jedi to save him, manipulated by one of the few people he is closed to, and failed by an institution that doesn't know how to help him (because whether you liked the Jedi or not, it was clear they couldn't help him, why is where we disagree), and unchallenged by the woman who loves him (Padme tried her best but quite frankly they were too distant from each other, and that's part of the tragedy)

He was thrust into violence and tragedy so he wrought violence and tragedy

This is compelling, it's execution might not be the best, but how can you look at this and not think Anakin's downfall was inevitable, how can you look at this and not wish there was a way to save them but know, because the tragedy is well thought out, that there was no way to stop it without fundamentally changing the story

That's a good tragedy, that's how they work

We don't have to think it's good to see it as inevitable, in fact the entire point of a tragedy is that we don't see it as good, we are saddened by it, but we also understand that there was nothing that could be done to stop it

It's like with Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, or Oedipus Rex getting the crown was never going to override Macbeth's guilt, Romeo and Juliet were never going to be allowed to be happy because of their families' strife, and Oedipus was always going to kill his father and marry his mother, these stories are tragic because we wished we could change the ending but know we can't, the story is already set in stone before there is a chance to change it and that's what makes them compelling

The fact that I say the downfall of the Jedi is inevitable is a testament to George Lucas'ability to craft a good story, for all I dunk on him for his many, many mistakes and bad choices with the Prequels, I genuinely think the bare bones of his story, like the characters and the plot where good

The downfall of the Jedi is tragic, it is supposed to sadden you and leave you wishing you could change it, and a good story leaves you feeling upset whilst also feeling that the ending is a natural progression of the story, me saying it is inevitable shows that I think it was a natural progression, it shows I think George Lucas actually did something well, it reveals nothing about my personal beliefs on the morality of the in canon events

I also don't see Anakin as a good person, contrary to what some might believe, I don't think killing people, even if they are those I dislike, makes you a good person, personally I think it makes you an awful person, who should be held to account for committing genocide against an entire group of people

But Anakin's morality is not why I find his character compelling the character, I find his character compelling because he is a good example of how repressed emotions only leads to more suffering, but that doesn't make him forgivable, his reasons behind committing genocide doesn't negate the fact that it is still genocide, having motivations and complexities just makes him interesting

I can find the character compelling without agreeing with them morally, in fact I enjoy his character because I don't agree with him but I can see how he ended up the way he did and it makes him compelling to watch

And I really, really don't think he was redeemed by killing Palpatine and saving Luke at the end of the Original Trilogy, this man directly and on-screen killed children, probably directly murdered millions, if not billions, and was indirectly responsible for hell knows how many deaths, turning against his master should have been the start of his very long and never ending road to redemption not the end but Lucas clearly has a different worldview than me so here we are

[audrinawf]

How do I get my SP back? We've been together for years, and it's been months now since the breakup. I've been successful in manifesting other things like passing exams, revising grades, and attracting financial abundance for myself and my dad. I've even received overseas internship offers without even studying that much or working hard; I simply decide once that I have those, and then they got reflected in my 3D. However, this situation with my SP has to be quite challenging for me.

this is a common problem we all have. some people are better at manifesting one thing over the other.

I think you need to do a lot more shadow work / inner work to manifest a relationship cause it’s either that you have some subconscious beliefs about relationships or it’s your beliefs specific to your SP.

A few things you can do to figure out these subconscious beliefs :

analyze what kind of content you’re watching about relationships, what people are you following? are you following people on social media that hate men? Is your fyp filled with “men ain’t shit” content? cause the things we watch 57473 times a day become our reality even if we think we’re note subscribing to those beliefs.

what movies are you watching? I find 99% of the movies and tv series today just reiterate toxic beliefs about relationships.

how do you speak about relationships? I’ve been guilty of gossiping about relationship drama , like for example when a celebrity gets cheated in , the whole internet goes wild. I’ve been guilty of engaging in cheating drama. I realized that even if I was in a healthy relationship, it didn’t serve me to discuss other people’s misfortunes cause the more I did it the more I felt bad and then that turned to anxiety about my relationship.

So how do you speak about your SP? Do you keep talking about the past drama you had with your SO to your friends? I’m not judging you cause this is what I used to do. I used to retell the same story of how we broke up or how we fought multiple times cause I thought venting was good but I realized that I was just speaking the old story in to existence over and over again.

And I think society also created this mass hysteria and keeps us in a low vibration where we think all relationships are doomed and that we should all fear for our relationships.

there are good men out there, there are so many men out there who are loyal and want marriage and commitment. but whenever I go on TikTok for example all I see is this mass panic that men ain’t shit and that if Jay Z cheated on Beyoncé then we’re all doomed which then just reinforces the belief that if someone as pretty as Beyoncé gets cheated in than us uglies will as well as if cheating has anything to do with our beauty or worth. They want us to believe that cheating is just something inevitable that happens out of nowhere and that it can happen to anyone instead of just admitting that low quality men (despite how much money you have you can still be a man of low values) will cheat.

and most importantly, you can have it all. You can be a master at manifesting wealth and success and also a master at relationships. Perhaps you have some deep seated belief that you can’t have both? I’m not inside your brain so I don’t know what your beliefs are exactly.

For me personally I had to stop following a lot of creators that I looked up to cause they were successful but they had such horrible beliefs about relationships and men and I witnessed these people speak into existence a lot of negative things to their lives cause of it. And the more I watched their content the worse I felt over time.

[library-of-crow]

5+1: Billy and Aviva

Generally speaking, there was no Billy without Aviva. This information was widely known to any who crossed paths with him. As they listened to endless stories about her beauty or were incessantly reminded of her many strengths and talents, it was quickly made apparent the depth of love he held for his Aviva. 

Casual ‘I love yous’ were popular between the two. He reminded her of this fact daily, perhaps even hourly, and she’d return every single one. That being said, there was a time before domesticity settled and Billy struggled more with the concept of love and feelings. 

Here are five times Billy didn’t say ‘I love you’ and the one time it mattered the most. 

The first time was not long after they’d reunited. It had taken Billy some time to find Aviva after she finished school but he was determined to keep his promise. Granted, he barely knew her outside the couple of weeks she’d spent stopping by his cage and extending the first kind hand he’d seen in awhile. That, however, was enough for him to come crawling back like a wild animal that had gotten a taste of domestic life. 

When he found her, he joined her travels. It was awkward at first. He didn’t talk much, she couldn’t talk forever, they both understood this. Yet, eventually, their conversations grew longer and Billy’s more curious side overtook them. He asked her all sorts of things that were otherwise mundane to Aviva. Why would you use a fork? What made trees grow so tall? How could she love a fruit?

“What do you mean?” She asked, the pleasant sound of her amused laughter filling the space over the crackle of the fire. 

“They rot and sour over time.” Billy shook his head, sticking his tongue out from behind his mask. “Terrible thing to travel with. No sense in enjoying them.”

“Well, you can enjoy them before then. Besides, some soured fruits can be turned into new things. Just because something’s gone bad, doesn’t mean it's without any value.” She shook her head lightly, that smile never leaving her face. “And you can love things that are not perfect all the time. You just have to love them in spite of that.” 

At that moment, Billy felt something inside him shift. He stared at her for a moment, listening to her light chuckle and truly taking in the way that the flames flickered off her face. Did that mean she could love other things that weren’t necessarily perfect? He wondered if he could too. He wondered if he should tell her that he could love her like she loved fruits, but decided not to. 

The second time was over a meal at an inn. It was late. The two had been traveling together now for a little over a month. Billy had removed his mask before and occasionally left it off when they walked alone. Here, he wore it. 

“It's going to be difficult to eat with that on, and I know you’re starving.” Aviva pointed at him with her fork. Her eyes were sunken with exhaustion but her teasing smile lit up the space between them. Still, he rolled his eyes and crossed his arms across his chest. 

“I’m not starving.”

“You absolutely are.”

“I’m-” His stomach interrupted him. Proudly, she pointed at him again and didn’t have to say anything. He groaned. “Not here.” He gestured to the fairly busy inn with his head. Too many eyes.

"Alright, then.” Aviva stood up. Her form was followed by a confused set of eyes as she grabbed both of their plates and began towards the exit. “Well? Come on.” Obediently, he stood and followed her out. She didn’t stop until they were around the side of the inn, in the shadow of the building, with nothing but the moonlight to illuminate the both of them. Only then did she sit down, legs crossed and unbothered by the dirt. She gestured for him to do the same. He did.

“Why?” Billy asked, accepting his plate of food from her hands. 

“So you can take off the mask. Now eat.” She urged, returning to her own food without a second thought. Confused, Billy hesitated. He waited for the inevitable negative side effect that he expected from moments like these. It never came. Slowly, he reached up and removed his mask. His eyes never left her as he folded it and set it aside to move for his first bite of food. She didn’t return the eye contact, instead focusing on eating her own meal.

This continued for a few bites until Billy fully believed that she meant him no harm. The two ate in silence, protected by the walls of the inn but otherwise hidden from view, and Billy felt comfortable in a way he’d only ever felt around Aviva. He thought back to things he’d learned from her and considered breaking the silence to tell her that he loved her for doing something like this for him. He settled for, “thank you,” whispered softly in her head. 

The third time occurred when Billy somehow found himself in the presence of high society. It was the first time Aviva had been summoned back home and insisted that Billy joined her. The last time, he resisted and opted to wait in a nearby town until she was ready to leave, but this time she’d convinced him to join her through a series of well thought out promises to be fulfilled. Most of them involved foods he enjoyed, at least one involved a basket of his new favorite fruit. Now, however, as he stood in the stuffy reception hall surrounded by little girls staring at him with wide eyes, he wondered if it was a good idea.

“Why are they staring at me?” His voice reached into Aviva’s head, earning him only a stifled laugh in return. “I fail to see the humor in this.”

“They’re just curious about a new face.” Aviva crossed over to where he stood and ruffled the twins’s hair before shooing them off with gentle shoves towards the other end of the hall. “They won’t bother you too much. Maybe a little bit, but not too much.” She covered her mouth with her hand as she giggled a little bit. Billy did his best to remain stoic but the corner of his mouth twitched up in betrayal. 

“Do they have nothing better to do?” He questioned, rolling his eyes a bit to return to his more natural grumpy state. This earned him a firm pat on the chest as Aviva then turned to go about doing her own thing.

“No, they don’t.” She called over her shoulder, waving to him as she headed down the hall. He looked to either side, noting the soft sound of giggling children from behind a nearby pillar, then chased after her to avoid further interactions from the kids. 

As expected, Billy found himself constantly looking over his shoulder. The soft pitter patter of little feet running off would always sound when he turned in any direction. He’d killed horrors beyond anyone’s comprehension but children were an entirely new beast to conquer. Following a stiff and extremely uncomfortable family dinner, he’d followed Aviva for a walk around the castle to detox from the encounter. As expected, they were never truly alone.

“And then, of course, we could-” Aviva halted mid-sentence. Billy moved to speak but she put a hand up to stop him before bringing it to her lips in a soft ‘shush’. He didn’t fully understand it. After all, it wasn’t like he was going to talk out loud. “There.” She pointed with the same finger that had hushed him to a set of suspiciously lumpy curtains. The curtains giggled quietly before hushing themselves. Without saying anything, Aviva stepped lightly in their direction. The giggling swelled. “It's rude to,” she threw the curtains back to reveal the twins clinging to one another in a fit of laughter, “eavesdrop on people!” 

Billy watched with a tilted head as she jokingly scolded them, earning more laughter and mock salutes in return. When she invited them to join their walk, he groaned softly to himself but followed along nevertheless. The conversation shifted towards extravagant stories that held their sparkling eyes on Aviva as they walked. Billy trailed silently behind, lest he startle the girls with a voice in their heads. 

“What about him?” Aiyane asked bluntly, pointing in Billy’s direction as they slowed to a stop. Instinctively, Billy looked behind him then turned back pointing to himself. “What is he?” Aviva scolded her candid question and pinched the bridge of her nose. 

“This is Billy, you met him earlier.” She reintroduced him, circling around him and giving him a soft pat on the shoulder. He straightened. A couple bones in his back cracked. 

“Okay?” Aeries looked unimpressed. “Does he like, love you or something?” 

The world faded to a distant echo for a moment as Billy mulled the question over. Vaguely, he could hear Aviva once again scolding the girls for being so outright, but it was no more than a whisper in the back of his mind. Did he love her? What is it to love someone? Like really love someone? No, he really shouldn’t. That wouldn’t be fair to her. His eyes flicked around as he thought it over. Aiyane noticed this. Billy said nothing. 

The fourth time was back on the road. More specifically in the middle of a fight against some particularly nasty creatures. The two of them were ankle deep in gore and death when an ogre joined the fray. They were both exhausted, having taken numerous hits over the course of the fight, and neither was in any shape to take on a creature quite so large. With no other choice but to fight, they got to work on the beast. Each of them hacked and slashed until they could feel their arms holding on by a mere tether. Then, it all went wrong. 

Billy, from the other side of the beast, heard a stuttering noise and a quiet ‘shit’ spilling from Aviva’s mouth. Something had jammed Intervention. She was kneeling, prepared to shoot the creature for a finishing blow when it happened, so the sound was quick to alert the beast to her predicament. 

“Aviva, move!” He yelled, watching her head shoot up to see the creature approaching her with its weapon held high. She scrambled, trying to get out of the way as Billy moved to make an attack. As if swatting a fly, the ogre sent Billy into a tree with a branch firmly implanted in his back. The pain was excruciating but he felt nothing as he desperately tried to push himself up and rush back to her side. He was too slow.

Aviva had hesitated when Billy went flying, putting her in a less than favorable position as the ogre reeled his weapon back and struck her down. Billy didn’t hear anything from her as her body slumped to the ground and immediately feared the worst. With a devastating scream, he ripped himself from the tree and felt dark energy surge and crackle through his body. His veins blackened as every eyeball on his body turned to watch as an eldritch blast ripped from his soul and tore through the ogre as if it was nothing. The eyeballs cheered him on, their voices meddling in his mind like swarming rats. His throat constricted as he felt Seiran’s grasp on him tighten but he didn’t care. Two more bolts sent pieces of the ogre flying across the woods before Billy was finally brought to his knees. 

The world was hazy as he desperately tried to catch his breath. “Aviva..” He called, hands gripping the dirt as he forced himself to crawl towards her. He felt his body ache and tire but he pressed onwards until he made it to her side. He cradled her head with bloodied hands, brushing her hair from her face. Even with blood dripping from the crown of her head, she was soft and beautiful. His head dropped to touch her forehead to his own, wrapping her close to himself in a protective hold. “Aviva.. Please…” He sounded again, wanting any sort of reply. 

Aviva’s hand twitched ever so slightly. He caught sight of it just out of the corner of his eye. He dipped down further, pressing his ear to her chest to check for a heartbeat. The soft, rhythmic sound came as a comfort. He felt his entire body relax. He was spent but he couldn’t leave her side, not like this. “Aviva, I-” He started to croon into her neck, picking her body up slightly to find solace in listening to her pulse there. Aviva groaned. He stopped short of finishing his sentence.

“Bloody- What in the hells happened?” She asked, groaning but otherwise staying limp in his arms. He got the feeling it was more comfortable that way. The sound of her voice, however hoarse it was, sent relief through his body. He peeled her back far enough to just look at her. 

“You died.” He joked.

“So it seems. I’ve found myself in the arms of an angel.” She retorted, smiling at him.

Billy said nothing.

The fifth time happened much later in their time together. By now, the two of them walked and talked like an old married couple. Everyone they crossed paths with assumed they were together but the two of them had never felt the need to define their relationship any further. They took pleasure in each other’s company and that seemed to be enough. This night was unlike any other as they sat around a dwindling campfire and watched the embers spark and jump in the darkness.

“Tomorrow, we should get a room at an inn.” Billy’s voice broke the quiet as he stretched his arms above his head with a resounding crack as his elbows straightened. Aviva watched with a bemused smile.

“What happened to the man that preferred ‘roughing it’? You used to scoff at the thought of a bed, gods forbid we have a roof.” She wiggled her fingers at him with a laugh. His head tilted ever so slightly as he fondly listened to the sound. He never tired of hearing it.

“That man is dead. I want a feathered bed.” This threw Aviva into a fit of laughter as she doubled over and slapped the log she sat atop. He wasn’t the joking type but his attempts at humor were always well received by her. She had told him once that it made her feel closer to him. He huffed a chuckle but was far more captivated in watching the way the fire danced on her features. He cursed the shadows that hid parts of her face but praised the ones that highlighted every crease of her smile and squint of her eyes. 

“Hey? Come on back now.” Aviva had calmed her laughing and was wiping tears from her eyes when she noticed him drifting off. She waved a hand in his face, to which he jumped a bit and turned away. “You’ve been doing that a lot recently. Dazing off, staring forward. You alright?” She asked with hints of concern permeating her tone as she leaned forward to stare back at him.

“Fine.” He attested but firmly avoided looking back her way. A small part of him was grateful for his strange undead status. He didn’t exactly blush because of it. “Just tired.”

“Then you should head to sleep. I’ll take first watch.” She reached forward and prodded at the fire while he pushed to his feet and crossed to her side. He wouldn’t argue with a bit of sleep. At least, not anymore.

“Goodnight Aviva, I-” He looked down as he started to pass her. She looked up. There was a twinkle of expectation in her eye as she stared at him just waiting for the end of his sentence. “I’ll see you in the morning.” He patted the top of her head lightly before continuing on his way. She nodded, humming her response with a subtle smirk on her face. 

Aviva would never tell him that she heard him cursing himself as he walked off.

The one time his confession mattered, was long after the two of them had pursued a romantic relationship. In fact, they were long married and doting ‘I love yous’ were so common between the couple that they hardly seemed significant when they were exchanged. They took the place of farewells and greetings. They were peppered in between kisses and shared in quiet secrets. Billy even went as far as dropping them in Aviva’s head though the two were on opposite sides of the castle. There certainly were perks to his strange abilities. 

All in all, the pair were happy. Billy was happy so long as he had Aviva nearby. For awhile, even, he had forgotten the pact he was ensnared in as he let his warlock duties slip into the back of his mind. Aviva had taken precedence. 

Unfortunately, ignoring a pact was no way to go about escaping it. Tired of his thralls slipping away, Seiran yanked Billy’s chain. The lich had brought him into his realm for the first time in a while and brought him to his knees. Billy’s body burned as iron chains held him in place and wires crushed his throat.

“You will not disobey me again. Should you even consider it, I will burn everything you hold dear.” Seiran’s voice sliced through him like the sharpest blades. His resolve buckled under the weight of fear.

When he returned to Aviva, he clung to her in a way she’d never seen from him. His hands shook as his grip on her clothing went knuckle white. For once, she didn’t know what to say. 

The next few weeks were dedicated to brainstorming ways to free him of his pact. Billy, naturally, didn’t participate in these conversations and instead was the perfect little warlock to appease his nasty patron. Aviva led these discussions, asking Anri and Nerys for their thoughts, reading extensively on warlock pacts, eventually ending up at Wyn’s door.

“Have you considered the Raven Queen?” Wyn asked with the subtle tilt of her head. Aviva mimicked it in a questioning gesture. “She’s mentioned him before.”

“We’re trying to get him out of a pact. I’d prefer not to throw him into another one.” 

“Wouldn’t be one.” Wyn said firmly, taking Aviva’s arm to walk with her. Aviva didn’t resist. She’d piqued her interest. As they walked, Wyn clarified that the Raven Queen could protect Billy from Seiran while asking for very little in return. She explained that the Matron had allegedly taken notice of Billy, as his mere existence was enough to land him on her radar. While Aviva wouldn’t have made a decision without consulting Billy first, this route felt the most viable for ensuring he was safe and happy. 

That night, she brought it up to him.

“I thought I was getting out of a pact, not-”

“It's not a pact.” Billy cocked an eyebrow. How’d she know he was going to say that? “It's a way for us to keep you safe and keep Seiran off your back.” She explained, before delving into the semantics Wyn outlined to her before. She paced around their shared room as she spoke while Billy watched her from his seat on the edge of the bed. 

Before either of them knew it, they were standing in a large room. At the front stood an altar to the Raven Queen and Wyn to the side of it. Billy had been ushered to the center of the room as Wyn recited some words that Billy didn’t fully understand. He looked back at Aviva, who smiled at him encouragingly, then up towards Wyn. Only when he turned, he was met with the visage of a large white mask peering down at him. The floor below him gave way to reveal himself held gingerly in a pair of great hands. 

No words were exchanged as he stared up at the Matron, entirely awestruck by what he was staring at. The moment he moved to speak, he felt something tighten on his throat. He reached up to feel an iron collar sizzling his neck, connected to a long chain that vanished into oblivion after a certain point. Another white hand wordlessly reached and crushed the chain to dust. Its particles turned to black feathers that rained onto his body from above. Air rushed through him as the collar disappeared and he felt himself overcome with a strange new sensation: safety. The bone wings on his back flapped, revealing themselves to be freshly coated with feathers he’d lost long ago. Hands touched at his torso, now devoid of peering eyes and coated only with the scars he’d received over time. Checking his shoulders, he saw smooth skin where horns had once protruded. She’d let him keep the ones on his head, though, he couldn’t help but like those. 

Billy started to thank her, to swear fealty, to bend the knee in her service, but was interrupted as a wave of understanding washed over him. Nothing needed to be said. His eyes fell shut and when they reopened, he was back in that room with his lover standing above him. 

“Billy? Billy? Are you alright?” Aviva’s face was twisted in fear and concern that he could just barely see through his squinted eyes. He couldn’t recall at what point he’d ended up on the ground, but he was there now. “Billy, please, are you alright?” She repeated as he started to blink more and return to the present moment. 

As if it was second nature, Billy started to open his mouth in reply. Then he paused. Why had he done that? Could he.. No, he couldn’t possibly. A sound croaked from his throat and he looked surprised for a moment. Aviva was confused but she didn’t let go of his hand as he propped himself up and turned his wide eyed stare her way.

“..Vi..va..” Billy barely managed, his voice hoarse from decades without use. “..Lo..Lov..” He grimaced, agitation present on his features. Why was talking so hard? He took a deep breath, calming himself and turning his attention back to her. 

“I.. Lo-Love you..” It was awkward as he opened his mouth in odd shapes to try and approximate the sounds, but the point got across. “I love..you.” He repeated, this time with more confidence. “I love you.” He said again, his voice beginning to sound more and more like his own.

Aviva was awestruck. He could speak. For a second, she didn’t say anything. Eventually, her shocked expression broke into a wide smile as she tackled him back to the ground with her arms wrapped around his neck. Billy hit the ground with a soft ‘oof,’ but was quick to wrap his arms around her in return.

“I love you, too..” She whispered, squeezing him gently. The first words he’d spoken, and they were meant just for her. 

“I love you..” He continued repeating as his eyes fell shut. “I love you.” He nestled into the crook of her neck. “I love you, Aviva.” He squeezed her close, but this time he wasn’t afraid to lose her. This time, he was just happy to have her near.

[lavienbleuuu]

Armed with a Mind

The mind is its own place, and itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven, aye? I’m at the office and a little loose at work, so I decided to pure my anxiety into this shit. As a human being, we must have experienced suffering. No matter how fucking rich or noble your parents, even if your grandma’s queen Elizabeth or your father is Elon Musk. As long as u human, u will suffer and it’s inevitable. Mark my word.

I often listen to the stories of my friends. Usually they vent about things that make them suffer, such as love, career, family and so on. What really attracted me to listen to their stories wasn’t actually their storyline, or my fondness for seeing their emotional outbursts. However, my interest is more to “how can these things cause them to suffer and where does the suffering really come from?” As I listened to stories about what made them suffer, I came to one conclusion. A conclusion which is of course based on my personal opinion which has not been tested theoretically. The truth is up to you. However, this is my perspective on suffering.

If wealth, occupation, knowledge are not guarantees for someone to avoid suffering, then what is it? With my sense of naive, I would say it is our thought. Based on my personal experiences, I tend to complicate things that are actually simple. For instance, I was a person who likes to complain about things that I really don’t need to complain about. This complaint then makes my day worse and ends up making me suffer. The part of the chicken that doesn’t match with my request, the traffic jam, the coffee that’s too sweet, slow internet, and complicated client for example. These things often becomes the cause of my suffer which it shouldn’t be. The chicken is not wrong, but my mind is.

We live in a world of thought, not reality. Sydney Banks once said “Thought is not reality; yet it is through thought that our realities are created.” Each of us lives through our own perceptions of world, which are vastly different from the person right next to us. For example, you could be sitting in a coffee shop having a fucking quarter-live existential crisis, completely stressed out of your mind about how you have no idea what you’re doing with your shit when it seems like everyone else has.

Without our usual thinking about a particular event or thing, our experience of its completely alters. This is how we live in a world of thought, not reality, and how our perception of reality is created from inside out, through our own thinking. Therefore, you can change the reality by changing your mind.

My advice is, don’t fight your mind, its just futile endeavor. The analogy is like quicksand. The more that we fight our thinking, the more it amplifies the negative emotions and the worse it gets. The same is true for quicksand. if we’re in quicksand, the way out isn’t to fight it. If we panic and frantically try to fight it, it only makes things worse by tightening the grip it has on us and pulling us under faster. The only way out is to stop struggling and allowing the natural buoyancy of your body to take over to bring you back up to the surface with ease. The only way to break free from our thinking is to let go and trust that our natural inner wisdom will guide us back to clarity and peace like it always has.

Our reality is neutral event, but we put our meaning, thinking, or interpretation to it so it becomes something -either pleasure or suffer. Any meaning or thinking we give the event is on us and that is how our perception of reality is created. This is how our experience of life is created from inside out.

It’s not about the events that happen in our lives, but our interpretation of them, which causes us to feel good or bad about something. Maybe this is how people in third world countries can be happier than people in first world countries and people in first world countries can be more miserable than people in third world countries -remember calmness is the orientation of eastern philosophy. Our feelings do not come from external events, but from our own thinking about events. Therefore, we can only ever feel what we are thinking.

From there, if I can only feel what I’m thinking, didn’t I need to think positively to feel that way rather than complaining about the part of the chicken that doesn’t match with my request? Hmmm…

[worldinshadows]

This sadness and anxiety is paralytic. I just... don’t feel like doing anything; however, I know that by not doing anything, I’m spiraling deeper and deeper into anxiety and depression.

But I just don’t know what to do.

I journal, I write, I try to distract myself with games and exercise, but ultimately, I still feel its grasp around me in the time that remains. It’s this persistent foreboding feeling of being ‘alone’. Sharing time with just me in isolation brings about these feelings of criticism and overthinking. I hate it. I don’t want to think about these things. I don’t want to continue making myself sad and projecting my worries and fears onto other people.

I suppose it’s a feeling I’ve never really been accustomed to. I feel like throughout my life, I’ve either had a crush to distract myself from ...myself, or I’ve been dating which accomplishes something similar. It’s something that shifts the focus away from me to someone else. Now that all this is gone, I’m just... left with myself again.

The worst part this time is I feel like I can directly see the effects of my self-sabotage or my anxieties affecting the people around me. I feel like I ruined something that could’ve been fine if I had stopped projecting my insecurities. I feel like my anxieties manifest as self-fulfilling prophecies where I tempt reality into whatever negative outcome I expect because my brain thinks ‘it makes sense’. Maybe it would’ve inevitably gone down this route, but I do think I’ve made it considerably worse by bringing up my fears the way I did especially when you’ve given me no reason to believe them.

I don’t really know what to do. Both with regard to the anxiety as well as what is happening with you. Do I pass the time until you get back and hope for the best? Will you even want to talk to me or hang out with me? Will you be interested in someone else or not be interested in me anymore? What happens if nothing happens and I’m, in the end, left to my own devices again?

These are the thoughts that go through my head and they’re all... things that I can’t answer. Things that no one can answer. A lot can happen in 2 months. All I want at the end of the day is to be comfortable being alone without looking for a distraction. I want to feel comfortable in my own skin when I’m single with no crushes. I don’t want to feel so dependent on other people.

[fmhiphop]

A Livid Latto Speaks Out Against Blogger

Everyone has something to say, but it doesn't always mean they should voice it. However, on March 1, Latto took on a YouTuber whose unsolicited opinion riled her up. The Issue Latto seems to be the nucleus of some negative sentiments in the cyber sphere. And it was only a short time before everything went nuclear. A blogger's tweet went a little like this: "I thought y'all said this was the one! It didn't even break Top 50! Let alone Top 20, 10, 5, 3, or NUMBER 1… I was wondering why it was so quiet. 😂😂😂.” https://twitter.com/ArmonWiggins/status/1630774487456296963?s=20 While such a statement could have been ignored, Latto wasn't in the mood, so she hit back. Making the Charts Isn't Easy No one denies that being a chart-topping artist requires a lot of work. Predicting where you will place on the chart is far easier than achieving that goal. One must always consider the fact that people drive the numbers, and people can be fickle. Jay-Z nailed it perfectly in the lyrics of his hit song Holy Grail. As Justin Timberlake sings in the chorus, "I just can't crack your code. One day, you're screamin' you love me loud, and the next, you're so cold.". Frankly, the energy of fans changes quickly. So does the music they vibe with. Latto Responds Latto took the time to remind Armon Wiggins what it takes to make it on the charts. In so many words, she's been about her business while others are minding hers. Latto held nothing back as she vented her frustrations. In her words, "I'm really sick of y'all LOW LIFE GROWN ASS MEN speaking on me! P####! ain't doing HALF of what I'm doing but want me to be ashamed of my accomplishments? https://twitter.com/Latto/status/1630870265881313280?s=20 Reportedly, the exchange continued, and the longer it ran, the hotter it got until Latto relented. In Latto's words, "I quit! For I catch a case!" That still wasn't enough for Wiggins, who snuck in one more jab. Latto The Success There is so much drama to digest here. But one thing is sure; Artists never have to justify who they are. Their success speaks for itself. Latto has had four releases fall within the top 100. While her last three fell further in the rankings, according to Billboard, her "Big Energy" release made the top three and remained there for 51 weeks. She's living the life many only dream about. She's more than proved what she can do. And in reality, some individuals thrive on negativity. For some, it's nothing personal; this is their bread and butter. Fundamentally, this discourse went on longer than it should have. But kudos to Latto for speaking up for herself. Haters will inevitably hate there is nothing anyone can do to stop them. As long as Latto has fans who adore her, she's making money and consistently breaking the records she sets for herself; keeping that big d*** energy, that's all that matters. Written by: Renae Richardson Read the full article

[elenjaxx]

Unfu*ck Yourself / Desj*dete

Unfu*k Yourself by Gary John Bishop: overview.

This book emphasizes on taking action rather than drowning in our emotions: stop blaming external issues and accept the truth, do something about it, no excuses. 

I am Willing

According to Gary John Bishop, people struggle to change because they are scared of taking the first step. For example, people are scared of the lack of skill to accomplish something, but that is only a mindset that would turn out to be true if we keep repeating ourselves the same. All in all, most tasks aren’t as difficult as we believe, and trying is more important than being an expert, for if you don’t try, you will never be one. To sum up, don’t blame yourself and be willing to start.

I am Wired to Win

Refusing to lose will make you win. However, this positive mindset always needs a plan. Think about it as a game you want to play, define the rules, the struggles and how you are going to tackle them. 

I Got This

Nothing is perfect in real life and if we try to think so, we will get disappointed. However, our perception can be tamed to stay in the middle. First, take an optimistic view: for instance, downfalls are the first step to go up. Once you master this, you can shift your perspective entirely: it is not certain aspects of your life, every aspect of it has a positive trait, you just have to look for it. Everyone has problems, but if we think about past issues of our lives, they are not so big right now. Future problems are going to follow the same path.

I Embrace the Uncertainty

Becoming comfortable with uncertainty opens up our lives to immense potential. All in all, uncertainty is inevitable, and success always appears after taking some risks. 

I am not my Thoughts. I am What I Do. 

Everybody has negative thoughts, bigger or small, and not a single one of them defines you. Ignore them as much as you can, for they do not say anything about you, only your actions do. So, please, take action, it will make you more confident since you won’t be wasting your precious time navigating your dark thoughts. 

Bishop knows that we cannot suppress our emotions, but desire, envy or lust can be tamed if we reframe them as change. Finally, we must learn how to react to criticism. Sometimes it’s just another toxic voice that we must ignore, others are feedback that we must assume.

I am Relentless

The author advises us to visualize success and push through obstacles. Obviously, one of the biggest obstacles of our path is self doubt. However, one of the key observations of this chapter is that the journey doesn’t have to look exactly how we imagined it would. The idea is quite comforting, for it pushes you to move forward no matter what. In fact, the author says that life does not worry about you, it goes on and on. Adopting the same mindset that life itself has is the key to move on and, finally, success, even if it is not what you expected at the beginning. 

I Expect Nothing and Accept Everything

This chapter reminds us that getting your goal is not always the most important aspect, but making it to the end of your journey, so you must start doing rather than wishing. People do not like taking responsibility and usually won’t accept any fault. Therefore, knowing those flaws and acting against them will eventually give you the freedom you need. Thus, one of the final tips is stop doing useful tasks, since life does not care about irrelevance. If you identify the actions that make you a better person, you will have the key to surf in life’s sea. 

My thoughts about this reading: 

Positive:

Finally! This book has relevant advice! I’ve listened to some of these takes in therapy, and even the names of the chapters are mantras that truly work. Repeat those ideas, convince your mind. It does not suddenly change everything, BUT it makes you feel better.

I love the closeness and how down to earth these tips are. When you read this book, it seems a friend is talking to you: your friend tells you that you are fucked, yes, but that it is your responsability to unfuck you. Your best friend gives you the meat raw, but also gives you some actual steps towards unfucking yourself, and that’s enough for me.

Negative:

None??? I can’t think about anything, to be honest. 

I would recommend this book: it is one of the few self-help books that truly holds some facts that everybody could learn from. Besides, it has a nice word on the title. That’s funny. I am not five years old.

Desj*dete, de Gary John Bishop, resumen.

Este libro nos anima  a actuar ya en vez de ahogarnos en nuestras propias emociones: debemos dejar de buscar excusas fuera y aceptar la verdad, hacer algo al respecto. 

Quiero Hacerlo

Según Gary John Bishop, la gente no cambia porque todos tienen miedo de dar el primer paso. Por ejemplo, hay mucha gente que, creyendo que no tienen la capacidad para hacer algo, se asustan y nunca lo intentan, pero esto no es más que una forma de pensar que sólo es cierto si nos lo creemos. En realidad, muchas actividades no son tan difíciles como creemos en un principio, y lo que importa realmente no es ser un experto, sino hacerlo, porque si no se hace, nunca se termina. En resumen, no te castigues y ten ganas de empezar.  

Sé que Voy a Ganar

Negarse a perder te hará ganar. Sin embargo, esta forma de pensar tan positiva necesita de un plan. Imagina que es un juego al que quieres jugar: define las reglas, los retos y cómo los vas a abordar. 

Lo Tengo Controlado

Nada es perfecto en la vida real y si pensamos así, nos vamos a decepcionar. Sin embargo, podemos educar nuestra percepción para encontrar el término medio. Primero hay que adquirir una perspectiva optimista: por ejemplo, si tocas fondo, ya no hay más camino que ir hacia arriba. Una vez que entiendas esto, puedes cambiar completamente de perspectiva para buscar los aspectos positivos de tu vida; no sólo para algunos, sino para todos. Todo el mundo tiene problemas, pero si pensamos en los problemas que hemos tenido en el pasado, ya no nos parecen tan grandes. Por lo tanto, los problemas del futuro van a seguir el mismo camino. 

Abrazo a la Incertidumbre

Estar cómodos con la incertidumbre abre el camino a un inmenso potencial. Después de todo, la incertidumbre es inevitable, y el éxito aparece tras tomar algunos riesgos. 

No soy mis Pensamientos. Soy mis Acciones. 

Todo el mundo tiene pensamientos negativos, sean grandes o pequeños, y ninguno de esos nos define. Ignoralos todo lo que puedas, porque no tienen nada que decir sobre ti, sólo tus acciones pueden definirte. Así que, por favor, actúa, porque te hará más valiente ya que no estarás perdiendo tu tiempo entre pensamientos horribles.  

Bishop entiende que no podemos apagar nuestras emociones, pero el deseo o la envidia pueden controlarse si entendemos que nos ayudan a cambiar. Finalmente, debemos aprender a tomarnos las críticas con elegancia. Algunas son voces tóxicas que debemos ignorar, pero otras son críticas constructivas que debemos asumir.

Soy Implacable

El autor nos aconseja visualizar el éxito y sortear los obstáculos del camino. Por supuesto, uno de los mayores obstáculos es la falta de confianza. Sin embargo, la clave de este capítulo es que el camino no tiene por qué ser como nos lo habíamos imaginado. La idea es reconfortante, ya que te anima a continuar pase lo que pase. De hecho, el autor dice que la vida no se preocupa por nosotros, ella sigue su curso queramos o no. Adoptar la actitud que la vida misma adopta es el truco para seguir caminando y, finalmente, llegar al éxito, incluso si no es lo que esperábamos en un principio. 

No Espero Nada pero lo Acepto Todo

Este capítulo nos recuerda que llegar al objetivo no es más importante que el camino en sí, por lo que debemos empezar a caminar en vez de quedarnos quietos en nuestra mente. La gente no suele asumir ni responsabilidades ni culpas. Conociendo esto, podemos actuar en consecuencia, asumir y con ello encontrar la libertad que nos merecemos. Así, uno de los consejos finales es dejar de hacer tareas inútiles, ya que a la vida le importa una mi** lo irrelevante. Si identificamos esas acciones que nos hacen mejores personas, tendremos el medio perfecto para navegar en el mar de la vida.

Mi opinión: 

Positiva:

¡Al fin! ¡Este libro da consejos relevantes! He escuchado algunas de estas ideas en terapia, e incluso los títulos de cada capítulo son mantras que realmente funcionan. Repetid esas ideas en vuestras cabezas hasta que os las creáis. No es que vaya a cambiar todo así de repente, PERO os hará sentir mucho mejor. 

Me encanta la cercanía del texto y cómo sus consejos son bastante humildes. Cuando lees este libro, parece que tu mejor amigo te está echando la bronca: te dice que estás jodi**, sí, pero que es tu responsabilidad desjod*rte. Te dice las cosas como son, pero también te facilita los primeros pasos para salir del problemón, y con eso me basta. 

Negativa:

Ninguno??? No soy capaz de sacarle algo malo, la verdad…

Recomiendo este libro: es uno de los pocos libros de autoayuda que he leído que sí que tiene algunas ideas de las que todo el mundo podría beneficiarse. Además, tiene una palabra preciosa en el título. Me parece divertidísimo. No tengo cinco años, prometido.

[rammu]

5 Ways To Teach Kids About Personal Responsibility | Parenting

Why is it important to encourage responsibility in your children? It is often challenging to cultivate responsibility in our children. As my children grew older, I became more aware that raising responsible children isn't something that just happens. Additionally, it isn't something they merely "pick up." Accountability and responsibility must be taught.

Apart from school education kids need to learn a lot more from home itself in some schools they itself teach kids about personal responsibility like various  schools near Whitefield as well as Bangalore also even though for more of the parents it will be useful if they understand this below 5 ways to teach kids about personal responsibility

5 Ways to show Kids About Personal Responsibility

Teach children to try to do their cleaning.

Your child's education in responsibility may tackle a different appearance. While preparing a snack, you'll teach him to wash any dishes he has used. After he has finished the day's worth of schoolwork, you'll ask him to tidy up and store his belongings for school.

The first step in instilling personal responsibility in children is teaching them to clean up after themselves. It conveys the thought that the child is accountable for his or her actions. And when mistakes are made, cleaning them up is additionally part of that obligation.

Teach your children about family obligations.

Children must understand that they have roles within the family as they mature. If you've got more than one child, occasionally assign an older child to help a younger one.

Making each child liable for a job in the family is another way to teach family responsibilities, especially as children grow old. Choose one or two kids to handle the laundry. And hold them genuinely in charge of it. They'll start realizing that their failure to satisfy their obligation will negatively affect the entire family.

They'll comprehend the worth of their responsibilities and roles within the family. they're going to also actually realize that how they handle responsibility has an impact on others, whether permanently or badly.

Give them the required care 

Because we attempt it when children are too young, this attempt at teaching responsibility frequently fails. regardless of how hard he tries, a five-year-old is perhaps not going to be able to consistently keep up with feeding the dog. However, it's reasonable to get a dog for your middle schooler and anticipate that with just a few reminders, he will be able to walk, feed, and water it. like other chores, we assign responsibilities to the pets in our family.

Kids can learn that, occasionally, they have to take responsibility for something outside themselves by being allowed to have a pet and being expected to care for it. Pet owners are often a great practical way for kids to learn to take responsibility, provided you wait until they're truly old enough.

Teach a toddler to accept responsibility for their actions

It's also very simple for me to ignore a child who I know should be working on her schoolwork but is instead watching a television program. Or once I pass the living room and see a particular child's game still spread out on the floor even though she was supposed to have picked it up. It's simple to continue walking at that time because I'm too exhausted to stop and deal with her. But promoting personal accountability is crucial! it's essential to teach children responsibility by holding them accountable for their deeds.

Some of the schools near Whitefield like Harvest International School have specialized not only in teaching academics and sports activities they also teach personality growth and responsibility

Allow children to experience natural consequences

This can be challenging! As parents, we do not like to see our kids go through bad things. And it's simple to intervene and make things right in order that kids never have to deal with unpleasant consequences. However, removing those inevitable outcomes prevents children from learning responsibility.

Letting children experience consequences can change as they develop and age. A three-year-old should not be expected to load her belongings into the car, in my opinion. However, as children grow more mature and capable, they will be held accountable for more and allowed to suffer the consequences of their actions.

As the saying goes, "responsibility must be taught, not caught." Use some of these useful suggestions to teach your kids to be accountable right away! Or else you can make your child or kids join in best schools that also focus on teaching kids about personal responsibility like that one of the best schools is Harvest International School it is one of the schools near Whitefield and there is nearly 3 to 4 branch across various places in Bangalore.