#and how in the end he still was shitty to and about familiars; including and especially his daughters; who he abused

[angorwhosebabyisthis]

one of these days i'll write up a post about the parallels and foils between vivi and hermes and why it fucking kills me. for now all i can say is in hindsight the 'latched onto vivi Hard as a kid' to 'latched onto hermes Hard as an adult' pipeline is Real

[bratscave]

ᯓᡣ𐭩 IN ANOTHER LIFE !

summary. falling in love with a old! driver, who's name was james while you were still in college was one thing — but finding out that he was wolverine after his death and meeting another version of him, was another.

includes/warnings. lots of flashbacks (sex heavely implied!!), let's just pretend he was an uber driver or smth cause miss college princess had no money for a limousine for sure :/, there will be chpt 2 dw!!

You remembered that first time like it was yesterday. It had been raining, one of those cold, relentless downpours that drenched you the moment you stepped outside. It had been your first day back at physical collage after all the online classes, all nervous, fumbling with your phone as you waited for the car to pull up.

He was intimidating, didn't utter a single thing, you quickly learned he wasn't a big fan of small talk. You had tried to make conversation, anything to fill the suffocating silence. You’d rambled on about the rain, about how much you hated storms, but Logan had only grunted in response, his gaze fixed firmly on the road. You’d thought that was his way of telling you to shut up, and for a while, you had.

But silence had always been uncomfortable to you, so you continued talking, about school, your shitty new teachers, your weekend plans. Anything that crossed your mind, really.

He had pretty hands, veiny n' all. That's what you thought when you first saw them, inappropriate thoughts to have about a man who was so much older then you. But back then, you weren't actually planning on doing anything about that small attraction.

It had been a particularly bad day — the kind where nothing seemed to go right, where you felt like the universe itself had a problem with you specifically and decided to make your life hell. You had barely held it together as you climbed into Logan’s car, your hands shaking as you fumbled with the door.

And for the first time in months, the car was quiet.

But you remembered the way he drove slower than usual, the way his eyes had softened every time they flicked to the rearview mirror. When he pulled up in front of your apartment, he had turned to face you for the first time, his voice low and gravelly: “It’s just a test, bub. You’ll be alright.”

You had always asked yourself weather he listened to your ramblings or not, the fact that he remembered that you had an exam that day, clearly proved one of your points.

It was such a simple thing to say. And if any other person would've said it, you would've given them attitude because nothing had been going alright that day and you were sure you had failed the damn thing.

But when he said it, you believed him.

“When does your shift end?”

Logan didn’t respond at first, his brow furrowing as he kept his eyes on the road. For a moment, you thought he hadn’t heard you, or maybe he was just ignoring you like he usually did when he didn’t want to answer a question.

But then, he glanced at you again, his eyes dark and unreadable. “Why?”

Your breath caught in your throat, but you pushed through, your voice softer this time. “I know a place. Quiet. You might actually like it."

For a second, you thought he was going to say no — that he was going to shut this down before it even started.

But then, he muttered a rough, “Sure,” and the air in the car shifted.

The tiny ramen shop was a street down your apartment complex, the prices were afforadable, for your college-spent wallet to afford, at least.

The familiar bell over the door chimed, and the owner — a small, elderly woman. She had made a lighthearted comment about 'you finally getting a man' and you were sure you had seen logan fight a grin.

You glanced at Logan as he sat across from you, his gaze sweeping over the modest interior. His lips quirked, just a little, at the sight of the place, like he found it amusing in a way you couldn’t quite place. His eyes flicked up to meet yours, and for a second, you forgot what you were going to say.

But you'd quickly gather yourself, a chuckle escaping you at his antics, "Don't give me that look. You'll like it."

You didn't talk a lot, for the first time around him, you didn't feel the need to.

When the bill came, you reached for it, but Logan’s hand shot out, his fingers brushing against yours. The brief contact sent a jolt through you, your breath catching as you looked up at him.

“I’m paying,” he said, his voice low, almost a growl.

You shook your head, determined. “No. I invited you. I’m paying.”

His brow furrowed, and for a moment, you thought he was going to argue. But instead, he leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest, giving you a look that screamed ‘you’re being ridiculous.’

“I’m not letting you pay.”

“Well, tough shit. I’m paying,” you shot back, pulling the bill toward you and slapping your card down on the table before he could react.

Logan let out a deep, frustrated sigh, but the corner of his mouth twitched, just for a second. “Stubborn as hell,” he muttered, shaking his head.

When you finally stepped outside, the cold air hit you harder this time, cutting through the warmth of the ramen still lingering in your stomach. You wrapped your arms around yourself, shivering slightly as you started walking back toward your apartment.

“I’ll walk you,” Logan said, his voice gruff as he fell into step beside you.

You shot him a look, raising an eyebrow. “It’s literally down the street. I think I’ll survive.”

Logan didn’t respond. He just started walking down the street into the direction of the complex, his larger frame casting a long shadow over the pavement. You smiled though he didn't see it, in your humble opinion he was the stubborn one.

It took you all your courage to press out a, "Wanna come in?" after he walked you all they way to your door.

You had silently cursed yourself for not tidying up the space before wards, everything was just such a mess.

Shelves stacked with vinyl records lined one wall, your favorite albums mixed in with a few old books and random knick-knacks. Posters hung slightly crooked, tacked up without much care for symmetry, while polaroid pictures were scattered across the walls.

And then there were the plushies—so many plushies—bright pops of Sanrio characters peeking out from the corners of the couch, the bookshelves, even the bedroom beyond, where they seemed to be taking over your bed. A pink Cinnamoroll pillow lay tossed on the couch, its floppy ears slumping over the armrest like it was too tired to stay upright.

Logan’s eyes swept over everything, taking it in with a slow, deliberate gaze. You could see the corner of his mouth twitch again, that same almost-smile from the ramen shop, but this time it didn’t go away as quickly.

“You’ve got… a lot going on here,” he muttered, nodding toward the Sanrio plushies with a low grunt, but there was no judgment in his voice. Just something… curious.

You rolled your eyes, kicking your shoes off by the door. “I like cute stuff. Sue me.”

“Cute stuff,” he repeated, letting out a low, amused sound, but his eyes stayed on you, lingering just a little too long as you made your way to the couch.

He picked up one of the countless vinyls, carefully sorted next to a shelf, running his rough fingers over it. Something older from the 70s.

The next time you play that record, you'll think about how he kissed you on your coach a few minutes later. started of slow and tender, went all sloppy.

Maybe you’ll think about how he whispered your name, low and gravelly, like it was the only thing grounding him. Or the way his lips found your shoulder, kissing a line down your collarbone as he leaned you back against the cushions, his body hovering over yours, every inch of him pressing into you until you could barely think straight.

You’ll remember how his weight felt on top of you — solid, real.

“Christ,” he’d muttered against your throat, his breath hot, rough as he began moving. You highly doubted he believed in christianity or any religion at that, but the way he treated your body; felt like he was starting to believe in a new one, worshipping and all.

You had talked a lot that night, a few more hours, before you both fell asleep on same coach. It was the first time you heard multiple sentences beside just grunts and nods, from him.

If you only knew just how fast he'd leave you.

[saerins]

𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒐

+ itoshi sae x f!reader | wc 2.1k | content: fluff, slight angst, hurt/comfort, mentions of jealousy/insecurities

notes: of course when i’m back i write for sae … who else is possible of holding me hostage like this ? :’)

summary: he’s stupid and stubborn and bad at being a boyfriend. you make him want to be better though. always.

itoshi sae has a bad habit.

he’s not used to relationships, or the notion of having to care for someone in a certain romantic way that tests his own boundaries. this much is apparent in the way he’s only ever had one relationship before you and it was over before he started, because he’d chosen career over his ex.

and no, the situation right now with you isn’t like that. even so, it’s tough; when you feel down for no particular reason and sae doesn’t know how to handle it. and sometimes he’s tired too and you catch him at the wrong timing and you both end up sulking the entire night.

you won’t lie—you have a bad habit too. you can’t really bring yourself to express exactly how you feel. it’s difficult to open up just like that, especially when you aren’t used to it. but sae’s especially confused with how to handle these situations, like right now.

right now; when you’re sobbing in front of him and he’s feeling frustrated. when you can’t really handle the heat well—he’s a world-renowned soccer player, one of the world eleven. and next to him, no one even knows you. not when you have a non-disclosure agreement and have to keep everything super private.

it’s funny how you thought it’d be simple. then again, you didn’t factor in all the external disturbances. it tests your patience whenever sae makes the headlines when he’s out for a simple lunch with friends and makes it to the front page with a dating rumor with a top model. it’s tough for you to hold it in when you see people shipping him with someone you can only wish to be.

insecurity just hits you sometimes.

“is it really that hard to just assure me, sae?”

that includes now, when you’ve just had a shitty day and he’s so so tired from all the events he’s had to go to now, having to parade around with that top model, all to promote a brand’s upcoming fragrance line. emotions run high, neither of you have the capacity to deal with this right now.

“look, i’m so fucking tired, can we just deal with this in the morning?”

some pessimistic part of you is telling you he’ll just brush it off in the morning—all the jealousy, the frustration. you don’t even think you can last staying mad at him for that long.

“what’s the problem with talking about it now?”

“i don’t want to talk about it now, could you just let it go for the night?”

both of your voices get higher and higher, just a hair’s breadth away from actual shouting. that’s when sae reels himself in, averting his gaze.

and there goes sae’s bad habit; grabbing his keys and walking out of your shared apartment, no umbrella even though it’s raining outside and he’ll get soaked just trying to walk to the car.

you can’t find it in yourself to tell him to stay safe because you’re all out of energy tonight. everything has been sucked dry into your anxiety, and you’re spent. now what can you even do besides curl up on the couch, wondering if you’re too much?

when your phone lights up, you catch the wallpaper—a picture of sae looking off camera while he presses a kiss on your head.

it just makes you feel worse.

he’s tired. his efforts are spent. on soccer, not you. but still. it’s exhausting. couldn’t you have just waited for a few more fucking hours?

he’s tired. so fucking tired.

“hey.”

it’s a lame greeting, but that’s all he can manage right now. shidou’s in his doorway, a cock in his brow and a very annoyed look on his face.

“oi, i got a girl here—”

“don’t care, i’ll just crash on the couch,” sae cuts him off, trudging through the door and settling himself on the leather black couch, the familiarity sinking in. he used to live here with shidou before he got together with you after all.

shidou mumbles something like suit yourself before he leaves his old roommate be, mulling over the remains of his relationship with you.

sae opens his phone, the picture of you at the beach that he snapped glaring at him in this dim light. he swallows the lump in his throat—he doesn’t know how to feel. part of him knows that you feel like shit each time he does this; you’ve made it known over at least three different occasions now. but his head’s throbbing way too much and his muscles are way too sore and all he really wanted was just to come home to you, to the peacefulness he always loves.

is he really the asshole here?

a notification pops up on his phone an hour later. sae’s first train of thought is to wonder if it’s you. but it’s nothing important. it’s just oliver going over the next training’s details. the same old thing. but then sae looks up at the date and he curses inwardly.

it’s your second year anniversary. two years since you’d dated this fickle, troublesome guy.

sae’s head ducks between his palms, elbows resting on his thighs, as he considers the weight of his words.

this morning he woke up without even so much as a greeting for you; all he knew was he’d be late for practice if he didn’t leave in exactly five minutes. he’d rushed out the door and only responded to your morning greeting with a grunt. sae didn’t spare you any time for the rest of the day either, when you’d attempted to ask him out for dinner. he left you on read before ultimately tossing his phone to the side. when he came back home you’d given him a kiss and he barely reacted, too tired to give you anything even when you showed him the big dinner spread you’d cooked.

now he’s here—in an apartment at the other end of the city that’s no longer his while he left you alone in your shared apartment, leaving the argument unresolved and letting you stew in your own thoughts.

sae lets the time fly right by, staring at the ceiling while he contemplates everything. but the answer is plain and simple to him: you.

he’s tired and he’s hopelessly invested in soccer and he shouldn’t have time for anything else in his life but he wants you. he doesn’t know nearly half the right things to do in whatever situations, but the thought that he could really possibly lose you this time is enough to overwhelm him—sae grabs his car keys and leaves just as shidou and his girl leaves the room.

“oi, made up already?” he shouts after him through his front door.

sae rolls his eyes and ignores him; all he needed was some time to himself anyway. he’s glad shidou wasn’t there to poison his head with anything (or more like, he wasn’t there to convince him to drink his guts off).

ten minutes later he’s in his car and speeding back to the apartment, back to you. because no, it’s not too hard for him to assure you—it’s what he should have done. just because he’s used to being the center of dating rumours doesn’t mean you are. just because he knows it’s nothing doesn’t mean you don’t get insecure because of them.

after all, he remembers what he told you that night he asked you to be his. that he’ll make sure you’re happy. being happy all the time isn’t realistic, but at the very least, sae should’ve known better than to keep leaving you alone with your thoughts.

he speeds through the familiar city roads, however fast he’s going just doesn’t seem fast enough. but he still makes it safely back to your shared apartment within twenty minutes, and hopefully still fast enough to make sure you’re not completely disappointed in him.

it’s still raining and the living room lights are still on and he can faintly make out where you’re pacing the room through the blinds. sae feels like a creep staring at you from his car, but his heart’s pounding loudly in his ears and he can’t help but think he’s seen that sleek black car parked next to his somewhere before.

keys out the ignition, rain pattering lightly on his head, he gets out only to meet who he knows has been there for you since day one.

“done running already?” the hostility of your best friend irks him, but he can’t say he didn’t earn it. “that’s faster than i thought.”

“reo.”

your visitor rakes his hand through his purple hair, sighing and rolling his eyes. thanks to sae’s busy schedule, he hasn’t really had time to hang out with any of your friends, and probably hence their usual animosity towards him. though, well, nagi seems to be more indifferent than anything.

“if you’re here to break up with her, don’t worry, i’ll take care of her,” reo tells him, an air of indifference surrounding him. three guesses who you go to whenever you feel upset about your relationship.

sae clenches his fists, reminding himself that reo’s your best friend and punching him would do more harm than good. “i won’t,” is all sae says before he pushes past him, already done with whatever this conversation is.

reo scoffs, “for a guy who loves her, you do a shit job of showing it.”

and although sae shuts the lobby doors right after, reo’s words stay ingrained in his head. it’s not like sae doesn’t know it, but fuck if he knows what to do about it. but when he opens the front door and is greeted by the sight of your red puffy eyes, he forgets everything. forgets the frustration and the anger and the stupid excuses in his head—they’re all secondary when it comes to you anyway.

his feet take him straight to you, pulling you against his chest and holding you tight.

“i’m sorry,” he says, and that’s the easiest it’s ever come out.

from your lack of response, sae finds himself hoping for the best, hoping that he didn’t just lose you because of his stupid impulses. but then he feels your arms wrap around his waist and he hears himself breathing a sigh of relief.

“you’re an ass, you know that?” you sniffle, and it’s kind of hard to breathe when he’s pressing against you that much but you’re more relieved than anything that you don’t really care.

sae chuckles, weakly, the tension leaving his shoulders. “i know.” he can feel you pouting without even having to look at you.

“i should really leave you,” you whine, though your actions betray your words, holding him even tighter.

“then why do you put up with me?” it’s a funny thing, how he can be afraid to lose you yet he can tell that you’re not someone who gives up so easily.

that’s exactly why he has to prove that you didn’t choose the wrong person to be with.

“i guess i’m just stupid too.”

you’re not. sae’s going to make sure no one else thinks you’re stupid for staying with him. it’s enough having your best friend think that, but that’s fine, sae’ll prove him wrong soon enough. it sucks that he’s only good for soccer, but at the rate you’re going? you’ll teach him how to be a good boyfriend. he’s two years in and learning slowly but he’ll get there.

you’re the only one who can get him there.

“no,” sae says, all of a sudden, and you pull away, confused.

“no what?”

“what you asked earlier… it isn’t too hard. i’ll work on it.”

oh, must be right before he left, when you’d asked if it was hard for him to just assure you sometimes. to be honest, you didn’t think he’d even listened. but sae is sae and he’s stubborn and stupid and a little bit of an ass, but he still listens to everything you say.

you try not to break out into a smile—you don’t want to show him how whipped you really are. “i’ll hold you to your word, then.”

sae smiles, ruffling the top of your head before slowly pulling you in again. “so… don’t leave me, okay?”

it sinks in what he’s saying. you didn’t think you’d ever hear sae say those kinds of words. but it’s unfair, really, because how can you say no when he’s like this?

“you already know i won’t.”

and somehow, you’re right. sae knows you won’t. doesn’t mean he’ll get caught lacking though.

“good then.”

because he plans on keeping you forever.

[worstcharacterpoll]

[Image description: A tournament bracket of 32 contenders, labeled "Tumblr's most hated." The matchups on the left are Vriska vs. Pearl from SU; Rex from Victorious vs. Rick Sanchez; Ansem the Wise vs. Gul Dukat; Kylo Ren vs. Kokichi Ouma; Scrappy Doo vs. Sheldon Cooper; Pierre from Stardew vs. Mort from Madagascar; Seraphine from League vs. Heimskr; and Jurgen Leitner vs. Andre Glacier. The matchups on the right are Walter White vs. Light Yagami; Buck Cluck vs. Ross Geller; Bramblestar vs. Starlight Glimmer; Goro Akechi vs. Pariston Hill; Katsuki Bakugo vs. Berdly; Angel Dust vs. the Impostor; Olaf from Frozen vs. Hooty; and Zenos viator Galvus vs. Tony Stark. The bracket is red on a black background. End ID]

Here is the official bracket for the most Hated Character on Tumblr! Each round will last 24 hours, with a 12 hour break in between. Round 1 should start Feb 9, 2023 at 9:00 AM CST.

As a reminder, this tournament is for the characters that you hate the most, so always vote for your least favorite of the two options. The winner will be publicly executed.

FAQ under cut:

Q: Why did you put in x character and not y character? Aren't there more hateable characters from that franchise?

A: I wanted to keep the competition light-hearted, funny, and interesting. I intentionally avoided most shitty parent characters, dictators, characters who were meant to be hated, etc., as well as characters heavily associated with bigotry and sexual assault, and gravitated towards characters that were more divisive in fandom. Exceptions were only made for characters I am familiar enough with and can use my own judgement for. Using Zenos as an example: He is a villain who is very evil and meant to be hated, which I mostly avoided when taking suggestions for things I wasn't familiar with myself. However, he's very divisive between people who think he's a good interesting villain, people who don't think he's a good villain and don't like him in the story at all, and people who want him carnally. Walter White is also meant to be hated, but he has a meme status, and as a villain protagonist I think he's more interesting than most "meant to be hated" characters. Also, there are certain franchises that I simply didn't want to include. If JK Rowling wasn't such a real and horrible political presence, owing all her influence to Harry Potter, I would've definitely put Snape on the poll. As it stands, I don't really want to give HP any attention. TL;DR answer: Because it's funnier that way

Q: But I LIKE that character :(

A: As mentioned before, I specifically gravitated more towards characters who are more divisive rather than universally hated. They are usually more interesting, and there is more variety with those types of characters - you don't have shitty dad character #1 vs. shitty dad character #2. I actually looked for "anti-(character)" tags and discourse about that character when making decisions about who to include. lol If you actually like some of these characters (uh, my condolences), vote against them in their respective matchups.

Q: Is it too late to suggest a replacement?

A: Yes.

Q: Why are you doing this?

A: I feed off of hatred and violence. I want to see who tumblr users REALLY hate.

Q: Why Pearl?

A: It was quite a while ago now so I get it if people don't remember, but Pearl discourse used to be a big thing and people argued that she was irredeemable for many of the things she did early on in the show. If you remember the "Pearl hates the Irish" meme, that was a parody of how much people hated her

Q: Why Hooty?

A: I haven't seen the Owl House but I'm told many people think he's annoying. Also he's voiced by Alex Hirsch and fuck that guy he did my boy Ford so dirty I'm still mad about this

Q: Why Starlight Glimmer?

A: MLP:FiM is another show I didn't really watch but she was a villain who got redeemed and became a main character and a lot of people think her redemption arc was rushed and botched and she actually made a lot of people quit watching the show. One of my close friends really really really hates her and I don't think that's an isolated incident

Q: Why Berdly?

A: Annoying. Personally I think his arc of becoming less annoying was pretty fun but a lot of people still hate him.

Q: Why Bakugo (instead of Mineta)?

A: I actually debated this a lot and held a preliminary poll which Mineta actually won. But then I decided democracy is dead because Mineta really wouldn't be as interesting as Bakugo in this tournament because he's basically universally hated. Bakugo is more interesting because people who hate him REALLY hate him, while people who love him REALLY love him. Kind of like Vriska. I think. I never read Homestuck and I don't plan on ever doing so.

Q: Why Tony Stark?

A: He's a heavily divisive character because he's a war profiteer billionaire with a superiority complex, but the narrative treats him as a morally pure hero. Also, he's MCU Spider-Man's mentor and most of MCU Spider-Man is basically defined by Tony Stark and he's not allowed to be his own character. There's a bunch of other stuff but I didn't watch and I don't care about most of the MCU. Personally I'm a really big Spider-Man fan and I despise him for what he did to Peter Parker but I shall refrain from making this a long rant.

Q: Why did you include characters that you're not familiar with?

A: I didn't want to exclusively have characters from my interests. I wanted a bit of variety. Before the poll started, I accepted submissions for candidates, and basically trusted submitters to send in decent characters. Some of the characters I ended up with may go against the vague guidelines I set for myself, which kind of sucks, but that's how it is now.

Q: This bracket sucks.

A: Make your own tournament then. I'm just some guy making a tournament on tumblr dot com for free. Don't take it too seriously.

[kitnjon]

Do you have any modern au fic recommendations where Jon and Sansa meet again after breaking up? Preferably nothing that includes infertility (those were the only ones I could find)

Yes!!! Some fics set after their breakup/divorce:

halcyon by @wandering-scavenger

“Is that a lightsaber?” Margaery asked Robb, attention fully on him as she reached out to touch the hilt strapped to his waist. If Theon’s hopes of hooking up with her hadn’t already flown out the window, it certainly did now. Robb cleared his throat, careful to maintain eye contact instead of staring at her breasts like the rest of the guys that walked past them to stop and stare. “Erm. Yeah. I borrowed it from my brother, Bran.” he managed to say, removing it from his belt to let Sansa’s friend hold it herself. The heiress weighed it in her hand and twisted it around like a baton before finally switching it on; the saber made its distinctive hum as it extended, glowing bright blue under the club’s red lights. “It’s bigger than I expected.” she remarked, tilting her head innocently. Jon choked on his drink then, his laughing eyes meeting Sansa’s own in a moment of shared understanding. She couldn’t count how many times they had shared that look with one another before she ruined things. Before he stopped being hers.

2. red lights mean you're leaving by @cellsshapedlikestars

"Did you need something?” he asks when she doesn't speak, and it feels like a slap in the face, though she knows it shouldn't. She showed up at his door with no warning, after five years of silence. He has every reason to be skeptical. “Your help, actually,”

3. You tend the ash, and I’ll tend the pine by @eruherdiriel

“Are we really never gonna talk about it?” Arya snaps. “We’re all gonna pretend everything is normal and happy when Sansa just got divorced?” “Statistically, it is normal,” Bran says. “The divorce rate is something like—” “It’s not normal! Not for this family, and not for Sansa. True love, forever and always, that’s Sansa.” “Jon isn’t the person she married,” Catelyn chides. “Not anymore.” — Sansa and Jon get divorced, but fully untangling their lives is impossible.

4. snow angels by @kingsansa

He finds, as the hairs on the back of his neck rise, as his heart completely fucking nosedives, that her voice is lower than he remembers, but unmistakable all of the same. Sansa Stark stands in the hallway of his shitty, hole-in-the-wall, egregiously outdated bar; unmistakable.

5. in good faith by @kingsansa

Her hand is a dancer on his back: light, graceful, and bold. “Mr. Targaryen.” She’s always been soft spoken, just a tiny hairbreadth away from shy, words inflected with a polite sort of girlish tentativeness. It isn’t, anymore. Jon doesn’t want to turn around. He doesn’t want to see what else has changed about her. “Miss Stark.” It feels wrong for them to refer to each other so formally. He doesn’t know why. They’re little more than strangers now if they had ever been anything else.

6. frozen pines by @cellsshapedlikestars

It hits Jon, then - the sharp smell of ozone. A scent that years ago, he’d become all too familiar with. The aftermath of a lightning strike, the burning of wires. Electricity heavy in the air. The hair on his arms still stands on end. The scar on his hand feels tight. His heart is still pounding. It’s just a storm coming, he tells himself. He’s in White Harbor, not Eastwatch. It’s just a storm. or, the Exclusion Zone spreads for the first time in almost fifty years, with Sansa trapped inside. Jon will do whatever it takes to get her out.

7. Beans series by @justadram

Jon and Sansa never seem to be on the same page about their relationship.

8. Hammerfall by @kittykatknits

Jon and Sansa are busy with their lives in Winterfell and White Harbor, unaware of the danger that would soon be upon them. Then, one day, Jon's friend Sam issues a terrible warning, leading him and his best friend, Robb to begin quietly making plans. As the day of Hammerfall grows closer, they are left with one problem, Sansa refuses to come home. With time running out, Jon goes to rescue Sansa before it is too late. In the horror that follows, Jon and Sansa realize that surviving Hammerfall was the easy part. It's the day after when the real work begins.

9. and now i see daylight by @theshipshipper

Sansa Stark is among the most notable celebrities in Westerosi mainstream cinema. When an ex-boyfriend smears her reputation with lies and deceit, she finds herself back in Winterfell and in the arms of her former lover, Jon Snow.

10. baby, it's you by @kit-kat21

“Sansa, please,” Jon had pled with her, grasping her hands. “I’ll tell Robb. I promise you.”

Sansa had shaken her head, pulling her hands from his and cursing the tears that had insisted on building up in her eyes despite her best efforts. “You won’t.” She said it in a whisper, but her words were strong. “I know that now.”

***

Sansa has only been in love one time during her life, but that's in the past and now, she's trying to start over - getting over a relationship that left her broken on the inside and out while trying to give her young son the best life possible. She doesn't have time to dwell on Jon Snow and pine after him. She's been over him for years now. Completely over him.

[shaylogic]

Wishlist for DBDA Season 2:

A proper noir episode that plays off Edwin's fondness for traditional detective stories

Significantly more focus on Niko's character now that the traditional comic trio had season 1 to establish. Exploring her father's afterlife situation, meeting up with her Mom, discovering her own strength and skills (especially if she has supernatural powers after the polar bear figurine)

More of Charles' living backstory and family mystery possibly reflecting the comics

Edwin's living backstory and family, whom we know next to nothing about even in comics

Crystal picking up more tech/hacking skills

Cryland Crystal x Charles relationship dynamics: conflict around her bully side, trauma-bonding and conflict around the different kinds of shitty parents they have (which so far has been something Crystal's been better about with Charles than Edwin has been)

Monty, Jenny, and Cat King all move to London with the squad. Idc how or why. I'll accept any reasoning.

Happy lesbians or other wlws!!! Didn't quite get that in season 1.

More Kashi! What is going on with him? He seems important

An episode where one of the main characters is stuck floating upside down like in the Topsy-Turvey comic, and the others take turns holding their hand like they're a balloon

Squooshing and the Ghost Roads

More worldbuilding of realms (Neitherlands?) and ghost rules/abilities

Crystal resolving buried David of course

Desire of the Endless interaction with the rest of our queer characters (which is basically all of them)

Flashback montage of the silly early cases Edwin & Charles did together in the past that they referenced in season 1

Flashback on how the boys began their Detective Agency: their very first case.

Expand their first meeting in the attic scene to include if they actually spoke to Death, what happened to their bodies, and showing them realizing the school is covering them both up

Return to St. Hilarion's. Put bodies to rest. Burn it to the ground.

Edwin new outfit. Once done with the school visit and flashbacks, he should pick something mature and individual to separate the new him from the death trauma time

Jenny's new role in the agency group now that she's aware and sees ghosts. Bonus points for goth knowledge

Charles crop top for the fans

Charles figuring out his 🤞 bisexuality 🤞 this season much like Edwin worked through his internalized homophobia in season 1. We desperately need meaningfully in depth, genuine, quality bi rep in media and I trust this show with it. (Shout out to Nick Heartstopper though)

Payneland dynamics: still slow-burn figuring out their relationship as friends or more now that the confession is known. By the end of season 2 and Charles bi journey?, relationships start to shift a bit from Cryland to Payneland perhaps... [I love them both honestly]. Just when Edwin is making up his mind to put his crush on Charles aside and start looking for his "adventure of the heart" elsewhere, that's right when Charles starts to get more interested. And we may expect him to get all flirty but he actually gets more nervous and genuine with Edwin.

Monty becomes humanoid again and is learning who he is out on his own. Maybe he gets a job and apartment. Trying to figure out his purpose as an individual instead of familiar.

Cat King has a name, an animated backstory, and a new love interest that sees through his bullshit and keeps him humble

Feel free to add your own wishlist in the reblogs/comments! <3

[the-hinky-panda]

The Hare Series: Part I

Title: The Hare

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Richie Jerimovich x Reader

Summary: You and your brother leave Ireland to open a pub in Chicago...just a couple blocks away from the new restaurant "The Bear." Connections are made and maybe The Bear and The Hare will help each other become successful.

Warnings: mentions of suicide

“So,” you set down a fresh pint of beer on the bar in front of the patron who’s been entertaining your patrons with wild stories for the last two hours, “how long has your friend been gone?” 

His good natured demeanor falters for a split second. “What are you talking about?” 

You had just opened the corner pub two weeks ago, around the same time that the deli down the block had closed for renovations. People who frequented the deli ended up at your business, including some of the people working on the restaurant. There were a few that you saw on smoke breaks that hadn’t crossed the threshold yet, but some like Fak and Angel, had shown up for drinks a couple times. Tonight was the first time that the tall, charismatic, blue eyed Richie made his way into the establishment. Two beers in, you figured out why. He and his best friend used to hang out here when the previous owner had it. Under new management, and Irish management at that, meant the familiarity went away with the sale of the bar. 

“Your friend, Mikey,” you wipe down the bar. “How long has it been since he passed?” 

“What makes you think he’s gone, Irish?” he counters, pulling a cigarette from behind his ear and lighting it. 

“You just spent the last two hours entertaining my patrons with stories of the shenanigans you and he got up to in here. I figured if he were still around, you wouldn’t be here alone.” 

He laughs. “Shenanigans. Way to keep it authentic. The accent’s not bad either.” He rubs his forehead with the back of hand and blows the smoke out the side of his mouth. “You always ask personal questions to people trying to drink away their fucking problems?” 

“Only if it looks like the person needs to talk about their fucking problems.” 

“Well, I don’t. Thanks anyway.” 

“Fair enough.” 

You move away from him, cleaning glasses and snacking bowls as you move down the bar and talk to the other patrons. By the time you ring the last call bell, Richie has disappeared. You’re surprised to find yourself disappointed in his departure but closing up the bar keeps you busy until the last patrons leave. It takes another hour to clean the dishes, wipe down the bar and tables, and make sure the kitchen staff put the small kitchen right before they leave. 

With all lights off and doors locked, you start the short walk down a few blocks to the shitty apartment you’re renting with your brother as you work together to get the pub off the ground. Your commute takes you past the closed deli and that’s where you see Richie, leaning on the brick face, smoking a cigarette. The lights are on in the restaurant, dim behind the newspaper covering the window, so he must have come over to work on the renovations. The drywall dust on his pants and shoes confirm it. You cross the street and he nods at you. 

“Kick everyone out?” 

You smile. “The entertainment left.” 

He offers you a cigarette but you shake your head. “You gotta get better entertainment.” 

“We’re still working out some issues. Never opened a pub across the pond before.” 

“How many do you have over there?” 

“Two. One in our hometown of Thurles, another one down in Cork. This one,” you point across the street, “this is just practice for Dublin. Figured cutting our teeth in Chicago would be a good training run.” 

“If you can make it here…” 

You nod towards the newspaper covered windows. “Well, you’re certainly trying.”

“Trying. Yeah.” He drops the cigarette on the ground and grinds it out with his shoe. “It’s been almost a year.” 

You know the deli has just closed a couple weeks ago. “A year?” 

“Since my friend, Mikey, died.” He shoves his hands into his coat pockets. “It’s been almost a whole fucking year. I can’t believe it.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

He gives you a serious look. “You actually sound like you mean that.” 

“I do.” You lean back against the brick wall next to him. “When I was nineteen, my little sister was killed in a car accident. I was bartending at our family pub and called her to come pick up our dad who was pissed and asleep in the corner. She never made it so I brought dad home that night and found out why she never showed. Some locals, drunk off their arses and joyriding, hit her.” 

“Fuckin’ drunks.” 

You nod slowly, remembering that evening when the family priest arrived with the police to tell your family the news. The wailing, the not being able to breathe, crying until there wasn’t anything left. Your mother pointing to you from across the living room. This is your fault. You called her. She would have been home if you hadn’t fucking called her.  Nevermind the fact that you wouldn’t have called her if your father had been sober. You clear your throat, shoving that memory from your mind. “Fucking drunks.” 

“Mikey shot himself. On the State Street Bridge.” 

“Fucking hell.” Suicide. Nothing accidental about that but the what ifs are just as brutal. 

“You can say that again.” He lights another cigarette. “I just keep asking myself, what did I miss? What if I had shown up five minutes earlier, caught him before he left the house. What if…I don’t even fuckin know anymore.” 

“You never will, dovey. Those of us left will never know.” 

You’re both quiet for a few moments, standing under the streetlamp in front of closed down Beef of Chicagoland, remembering Mikey and your sister, still running through all the what ifs that will never let either one of you go. Moments of silence are like that. They should be spent remembering the loved one and the joy they brought, but all they hold are your own personal failures. 

“So,” you break the silence, “I never did get to hear that voice message.” 

“The Bill Murray one?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Oh well,” he pulls out his phone with a flourish. “Can’t have you missing out on this piece of history.” 

And standing under a streetlamp in front of a closed down deli in Chicago listening to a voice message that could or could not be Bill Murray is how you fell in love.

[paintedplum7]

Dave Miller’s Character—From the Perspective of an Age Regressor

Slight disclaimer: This is not meant to be a 100% ‘yes this is the intended reading’ kind of analysis post on Dave Miller. I’m mostly writing this for myself more than anything, but I also feel like there is something here, intended or not! Take in mind I’m also not going to be using supplementary material like ask replies from Dogman into account, just the games! Feel free to take anything I say with a small palmful of salt ;]

So when I got back into DSAF earlier back in November, becoming familiar with Dave after realizing that I was an age regressor sort of made me put his character in a new light. Recently, I played through all three DSAF games in order, and there were several moments—particularly in DSAF 3—that sort of made me go “oh yeah, he totally is an age regressor”.

Dave’s regression is more psychological, more permanent, similar to my own, so that’s the lens I’ll be viewing Dave from for the remainder of this post. Usually, when I think of Dave, there’s a Bojack Horseman quote that pops up in my mind every time. Paraphrased from memory, it’s “People who become famous in their twenties stay in their twenties,” and I think that quote applies to Dave very well. Even Jack, who similarly died in his twenties, still matures with his franchise if we take his dialogue options at face value. Dave however, never changes all that much. Yes, his character is refined in between DSAF 1 and 2, but after that point, he remains largely stagnant.

We know that Dave associates his young adulthood to be his childhood, and seeks to recreate his childhood via Jack. Well into his middle ages in the nineties, and even after his soul is split apart between realities, even after he learns the truth of Henry, and leaves Jack, he still clings those memories. That much is obvious. Dave’s childhood at Fredbear’s is tied to him all throughout the series; it dictates how he acts, but that’s explicitly stated in the games several times. I want to dig a little deeper, because I think his regression extends more than just him being close to the diner.

Dave is incredibly childish, even for someone that’s presumably stuck in his twenties due to the experiments conducted by Henry. Henry said himself that Dave’s conscience ‘unburdened itself’ after he started taking tissue from his frontal lobe. Some aspects of his childishness include:

Talking to himself.

Being a messy eater.

Throwing tantrums. (I’m sorry for the dip in quality. I had to boot up my computer to get these specific lines of text because there was no useable footage online, and I had to use my shitty phone camera to get these pictures because Windows makes transferring screenshots to mobile devices so DIFFICULT).

And squabbling on whether Chica is a duck or not with Dee, to name a few. (I find this fight to be interesting on Dee’s end, too. Dee and Dave are foils. Dee believing herself to be an adult despite being six years old, and Dave’s childish tendencies well into his adulthood is just one of the many examples of them being foils).

Even his fears display his immaturity!

This is just off the top of my head, too! If I’ve missed something let me know!

In spite of that, Dave loves feeling useful, and I think it’s in due to the fact that Henry frequently infantilized him in their time together, and him calling Dave ‘Willy’ is only scratching the surface of examples.

(Mollycoddle means to give someone an absurd amount of protection, or pampering, typically towards men and boys).

I know that feeling of knowing that you’re less mature than your other peers, and having the need to make up for it, and I think Dave encapsulates that feeling very well.

I think what I love the most about Dave and his regression is that he’s still unapologetically raunchy! His childishness, his immaturity, his regression, whatever you want to call it—it doesn’t exempt him from that part of himself. It’s easy to associate what isn’t the perfect pastel-colored box as ‘ugly regression’, a term that I hate because it implies regression needs to look a certain way. It doesn’t; that’s not true at all. I’m very glad there’s a character like Dave I can relate to, even if I am grasping for straws out here lol

This was a really fun, self-indulgent analysis to make, and while I doubt most of it was intentional, I think there’s something you can get out of this, particularly with Dave and Henry, but that’s it for now!

[tarpauline]

I’m Only Cryptic and Machiavellian ‘Cause I Care || Eddie Munson x Reader

She has always had a crush on Eddie. So she planned a way for them to interact "on accident". Flashforward, they are now dating and she confesses about the plan she made a few months ago.

Or, the one where she successfully plans a way for her and Eddie to meet as if it was destiny. Inspired by Mastermind by Taylor Swift.

Contains: fem!reader, both reader and Eddie are down bad for each other, shitty writing, grammatical errors literally edited this quickly, reader is Steve’s cousin but you guys can imagine her as anything didn't really include any appearance descriptions so it's all up to you, I have terrible communication skills and I feel like it’ll show on my writing so yeah, might be ooc?? Idk I hope I managed to write them right thats all I can think of rn

Word Count: 5,360

AN: My first Eddie fanfic and first ever fanfic here on Tumblr! I might delete this if it flops or if I reread it and end up hating it.

What if I told you none of it was accidental

And the first night that you saw me, nothing was gonna stop me?

I laid the groundwork and then, just like clockwork

The dominoes cascaded in a line

What if I told you I'm a mastermind?

And now you're mine

It was all by design

'Cause I'm a mastermind

The restaurant screamed money that only her cousin Steve could afford. Despite dressing in a Maroon dress that she deemed "fancy enough" for the place she still felt like she would stick like a sore thumb in the crowd. Little did she know that her boyfriend Eddie felt the same except he knew he would stand out. In a restaurant full of men dressed in perfectly ironed three-piece suits and women who wore designer dresses, wearing a worn out leather jacket (insisting that it adds a bit more flair to the overall look) over a white dress shirt and a black tie and paired with his only black pants that aren't ripped and black shoes that he definitely borrowed from Steve is guaranteed going to garner a lot of attention. But he pushed aside his thoughts when he saw his girlfriend seemingly glued to her place.

"Hey you okay?", He looked at her with concern before taking her hand and giving it a light squeeze.

She looked back at him and smiled. "Yeah,let's go."

They enter the restaurant and are greeted by the warm atmosphere. The place was fancier on the inside. Tables covered with white cloth with a small vase full of flowers for design. The entire room was illuminated by the chandelier on top.Soft music was playing in the background mixed with the chatter of the fully packed place.

She looked around the room for the familiar face of her cousin. It didn't take long for her to see him as he was waving at them with his date beside him .They made their way over to their table on the far corner of the room. Greetings were exchanged between the pair of couples.

A waiter gave them menus filled with fancy food they don't even know how to pronounce. After a few minutes the waiter came back to take their orders and left quickly. As they were waiting, Steve's date, Clementine decided to strike a conversation with Eddie and her.

"So…", She settled down her glass of water with her perfectly manicured red nails that matches the dress she wore. "How did the two of you meet?"

She can see Eddie smile widely as he looked at her. "It's actually a really funny and beautiful story". He says before diverting his gaze on Clementine.

"So we first met when Steve and our other friend Robin, brought her to one of my band's shows in the club near us. I'm the guitarist of the band,you know…", he pretends to play an invisible guitar to prove his point.

Eddie loved telling everyone the story of how they met. And she loved seeing his wide smile, his bright eyes, and his animated gestures as he tells the story. But along this is the feeling of guilt. The guilt of knowing the truth behind said story.

"We were short of staff in the cafe I work at and luckily she was also looking for a part-time job…", Eddie continued and she felt Steve's eyes on her. Steve gave her a knowing look which she then returned with a glare,signaling him to not be obvious.

The more Eddie talks, the happier he gets and the more guilty she gets. It doesn't help that Steve would smirk at her from time to time.

"And I finally got the courage to ask her for dinner and here we are. Three months and counting," He looks at her with heart eyes and a big smile which she returned. The guilt growing inside of her.As Eddie concluded the story their orders came in.

The double date ended late at night. On the car ride home, she remained silent which didn't go unnoticed to Eddie's eyes.

“Hey, you good?”, Eddie places a comforting hand on her thigh.

“Yeah”, she mustered a smile. “I’m just tired that's all”

-

The next day, she was still quiet the whole ride to school. Eddie had tried to talk to her but they all ended abruptly.

"Are you okay? Are you sick?",Eddie asked with concern as he parked his car in the school parking lot. "You can ditch school and work today if you want, I'll take notes for you."

"Thanks but I'm not sick," she smiled reassuringly.

"Are you sure? Maybe it's because of that pasta you ate last night.What was it? Tagtale? Tagtialie?", He scrunched up his nose trying to remember the pasta.

"Tagliatelle", she corrected him and giggled. "And no it's not the pasta, I'm just quite sleepy that's all."

"Okay, but if you don't feel good just tell me I'll gladly skip class and drive you home", he said with a grin.

"Please don't do that"

"Can't make any promises, sweetheart",he opens the door to the driver's seat before going to your side and opening it. He exaggeratingly bows and offers his hand to you and puts on a fake British accent. "My lady."

She giggled before taking his hand which he was quick to intertwine with hers as they walked through the school doors.

He leaned in to whisper in her ear "You're prettier when you smile, by the way."

-

"I'm planning to tell Eddie the truth about…everything", she said while leaning against the back room door. Steve was inside changing from his work clothes.

It was closing hours for both the coffee shop both she and Eddie worked at and the ice cream shop across it where Steve and Robin worked. As Eddie was closing up the shop she immediately went to consult Steve.

"Okay…?", He says against the door.

"Steve, I'm planning to tell Eddie the truth about everything!", She raised her voice more to make it clearer for Steve.

"I heard you fine the first time!", Steve said. "I honestly don't know why you're working yourself up about this.

"What if he finds me weird and creepy?"

"Come on, we both know Eddie isn't the type to judge people." Steve continues. "Besides, you should give yourself a big pat on the shoulder for using your Machiavellian ways to control Eddie because believe me, if you hadn't that man would've talked my ear off about you."

"One, I'm surprised you know what 'Machiavellian' means", she started. "And two, You make it sound like I manipulated him and three, I’m being serious."

The back door opens to reveal Steve wearing a white shirt with a denim jacket and matching pants. "One, this may come as a surprise to you but I actually do read and two, I'm sorry didn't mean for it to sound like that but you get what I mean and three, I'm also being serious."

"Look", he continued. "Eddie is never going to change his opinion of you okay. That man likes you too much to even hate you. I bet if you tell him something like…you commited a crime the man would be sad,yes. But he would be sad that you didn't tag him along", she laughed at him.

"I'm being serious! Trust me, I'm a man. I know a whipped man when I see one and Eddie is a whipped man!", He exclaimed with a huge grin before laughing along.

-

Steve's words calmed her down a little bit. But the nerves is still there, especially since she is now in Eddie's car. With Eddie. Alone.

"Hey something on your mind?", Eddie asked as he begun driving.

"I-yeah…", she started. 'Its now or never', she thought. " Listen, you know how back then after we met we were coincidentally in the same place, at the same time almost all the time…",she looked down at her lap suddenly finding interest in her nails.

"Yeah why?", He looked at her briefly before focusing on the road again.

"Well they're not entirely coincidental…"

(Flashback)

She had always found it difficult to make friends. Never had been lucky with finding other kids who had the same interest as her. So at a young age she developed a skill…observing people, looking for things they liked, things they disliked and then she would scheme like some sort of criminal and make them like her enough to be her friend. And it has worked quite well in her eighteen years of existence.

But everything has changed once her parents decided to move to her mom’s old town, Hawkins. The reputation and relationships she has well crafted through the years is now behind her. And now she had to make a new one.

At first she was devastated at the thought of having to restart everything. But the longer she thought about it and now that she’s finally in Hawkins she felt like this is a good thing. Maybe this time she'll actually be herself. Maybe this time she'll feel…free.

Her parents picked the house nearest her mom’s aunt and uncle and her cousin, Steve Harrington. She’s quite close with her cousin and even considers him her true friend for she was not afraid to show her true side to him and she was excited to be able to see him more often.

The Harringtons have been helping them with the moving of their stuff to their new home so it was quicker for them to settle into their new house.

Steve immediately introduced her to his friend, Robin Buckley, and despite being a total nervous wreck and blabber she liked him and was happy to have a new friend around. The day after finishing moving in they both invited her to hang out at the local bar they frequent called ‘The Hideout’.

It was a simple bar with wooden chairs and tables. It's warm lights giving it a cozy and warm atmosphere. She sees in the front that a band is setting up.

"That band right there", Robin points using a french fry. "The guitarist and vocalist is our friend."

She sees a man with dark messy hair testing his guitar. He had his leather clad back facing the crowd so she couldn't really see his face.

She didn't have to wait too long to see his face though when the band started playing. He was the frontman and the band was smart to put him in front. He was extremely charismatic and very skilled with the guitar. He also had a nice voice. The band was really good and she enjoyed them despite not being into heavy metal music. They certainly knew how to hype a crowd.

The band finished and thanked the crowd. All customers clapped but she was sure their table was the loudest. The guitarist got off stage and immediately went to their direction.

"That was so good, man!", Steve raised his hand in a high five which the guitarist returned. "Oh by the way, this is my cousin”, he said her name. “You know, the one I've mentioned before"

"Yean, I’ve heard about you. He looks at her with his huge smile,messy hair framing his face, sweating and still catching his breath but looking so beautiful. “Hi, I'm Eddie", he extends his hand to her which she took. It was warm. "Nice to meet you."

“Nice to meet you too”, she returned the smile and she was quite sure that they'd been holding each other's stare and hands longer than usual for a first meeting.

He had to let go first and she can't help but miss the warmth of his hand. "I gotta head back there to help the band pack our stuff I’ll be back", and just like that he left as quickly as he came.

"So that's Eddie huh…", She said as she followed his direction.

"Yeah", Steve replied and he looked at his cousin, eyes widening in realization. "Aw come on!"

"What?", She whipped her head to look at Steve who had captured the attention of the other tables with his sudden outburst.

"Out of all the people you could've been attracted to, you chose Eddie?!", He said in a hush tone to avoid garnering more attention.

"I'm not attracted to him", she denied, which was a lie because she was definitely attracted to him.

"I'm not stupid-"

"Yes,you are"

"Shut up, Robin", Steve glared at her. "Look, my point is, I'm not stupid with this kind of stuff. You're definitely attracted."

"I love the fact you didn't deny that you're stupid", she said playing along with Robin and hopefully changing the subject.

"Haha funny", Steve playfully glared at her.

-

On their first day of school, they were given their schedule and the lock code of their designated lockers. She was walking alongside Robin trying to find their lockers when Robin suddenly stopped.

"My locker is beside Eddie's", she whispered to her, directing her head to the direction where Eddie's unmistakeable back is trying to open his locker.

"Wanna trade lockers?", Robin extends the paper with her lock code. "It's fine by me."

"Yeah sure, thanks", she didn't hesitate. She saw her chance, and she took it.

Robin left her not before mouthing "Good luck in making your move" to her which she shook her head at.

She went to the locker on the right side of Eddie. It didn't take long for him to notice her.

"Hey”, he says her name and she realised that she liked the way he says her name.

"Yeah, it's good to see you, Eddie", she replied back.

"Likewise", he turned back to his locker before adding. "You know, I didn't expect it would take this long for us to see each other again."

This perked up her ears. "Oh you were expecting to see me again?", She asked, trying to fight back her widening grin.

"Yeah, I mean— you're new here so I was kinda expecting Steve would drag you everywhere to familiarize you with this town."

She let out a little "oh" before turning back to her locker. It wasn't exactly the response she expected (and wanted). A long silence sat between them as she tried to think of a way to keep the conversation going. But when she turned to look at him he was already gone. As if on time, the bell rang signaling the first class and she silently cursed herself.

-

The following days started the same. She wakes up early, gets ready, catches a ride with Steve and Robin, goes to her locker, and exchanges "hellos" with Eddie. That's all. No matter how hard she tries there has been no development whatsoever. But thankfully that Tuesday morning seemed to be on her side.

"Oh no", she heard Eddie groan in frustration. "I thought I brought it with me…"

"You okay?", She asked and he stopped checking back and forth between his backpack and locker.

"No, not really… I left my stupid history book at home", he reached up the back of his neck and sighed.

'This is it, this is your chance', she thought."Oh we can share you know", she thanked her brain's quick thinking as she waved her history book in front of him.

He grinned at her. "You're a lifesaver. A literal angel."

They sat beside each other during History class but Eddie tried not to lean in close to read the text better to avoid being caught by Mr. Smith not having his history book on him.

"Look, I wouldn't care if I get caught and sent to detention but if he finds out you're lending your book to me he'll definitely send you to detention too. And I don't want to ruin your good record",were his words.

“Bold of you to assume I haven't been in detention before”, she whispered and gave him a sly grin.

“Oh really huh?”, he is now also sporting a grin himself. “How many times have you been in detention?”

“30”, she said, the first number that comes to her mind.

Eddie's eyes widened. “Well, well congratulations, sweetheart you’ve beaten my record.”

She tried to ignore the way her heart fluttered at the nickname. “How many times have you been?”

“20”, he replied and then they went silent and she thought the conversation ended there until Eddie spoke up again. “Damn, can’t believe someone beat my record.

She left out a quiet giggle. “It's a lie, I've never been to detention before”, and she continued to giggle.

“Wow, you got me there alright”, Eddie said with a chuckle.

But you know what? Spending detention with you doesn't seem so bad", she said as she looked at him. "You don't seem to be bad company to me."

She mentally pat herself on the shoulder as she saw Eddie start to smile wider at her before letting out a small "Yeah?"

"Yeah"

Their eye contact was broken by Mr. Smith's loud voice. "Okay everyone get out one piece of paper we're going to have a quiz."

Everyone visibly groaned.

-

"Hey", are you planning to take a part-time job?", Robin asked a few weeks later. "You know, for college.

"Yeah, but only on Summer break. I don't think I can handle my academics with work", she answered and Robin nodded in understanding before they heard a loud clang of metal as Steve set down his lunch tray at the table.

"Guys you wouldn't believe who got punched earlier in the hallway…", Steve said excitedly as he told the latest gossip in your school.

"He honestly deserved it, he's a real jerk", Robin said and she hummed in agreement.

"Hey guys", Eddie finally arrived at the table and Steve turned to him ready to retell the incident in the hallway a few minutes ago.

"Hey you'll never guess who got punched in the hallway earlier-"

"Yeah I know it was Jason. I was there when it happened. I cheered for the guy who punched him. Man had it coming for him", Eddie chuckled before popping a pretzel in his mouth. She laughed at his antics which didn't go unnoticed by Eddie. They then continued their lunch like they normally do.

After their meals are finished Eddie suddenly talked to her. "Hey are you perhaps looking for a part-time job?", He looked at her before continuing. "You see, two of my co-workers just quit and we are short of staff and these two", he pointed at Steve and Robin. "Already work at the ice cream shop across the street and I can't really ask my band members because they already got jobs-"

"Yeah", she cut him off and he raised his eyebrows. "Yeah I am in fact looking for a job".

"You are?", Steve asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"Yeah we were actually just talking about it", Robin was quick to reply and she mentally thanked her.

"Great, does Friday sound good to you?", Eddie grinned and she nodded.

-

"I didn't know you were looking for a part-time job", Steve said as he drove her home after dropping off Robin.

"Yeah just thought of it this morning", She said trying to sound casual.

"This isn't just an excuse to spend more time with Eddie,right?", He looked at her through the mirror above him but her lack of response answered his question.

"Oh it's definitely an excuse to spend more time with him, you sly fox!", he exclaimed.

"So what if it is?",she retorted. "It's not like you can stop me."

"He plays at the Hideout every Tuesday", Steve said out of the blue.

"What?", She asked not because she didn't hear him the first time, but out of elaboration.

"Eddie's band plays every Tuesday at the resto. Gives you even more time to spend with him", Steve elaborated.

"You're not gonna stop me?"she asked, trying to not sound too happy.

"Like you said, I can't stop you and besides he's a good guy", he continued. " Just make sure to not form any public displays of affection in front of us and don't break up because it'll be awkward. You guys would ruin movie nights."

-

Friday finally rolled around and Eddie offered to take her to his workplace after school. The cafe looks small on the outside but once they entered it was definitely bigger. It didn't have anything special on it. It just looked like any other cafe with small tables and chairs, some couches and a plain white wall with random frames of quotes hanging on the wall.

"Wait here a bit okay", he patted her shoulder before going behind the counter. A random guy entered the shop and stood beside her while a dark haired woman who appeared to be in her late 20s or earlys 30s greeted them.

"Hello, you must be the applicants", she said. She and the other applicant learn her name is Elise and she's the manager of the cafe. She brought her and the other applicant whose name is James, at the counter.

"You will be working here in front of the cashier while James will be brewing some coffee", It didn't escape her notice the flash of disappointment in the boy's face.

The manager told her what to do and which buttons are which in the cashier. It wasn't hard to grasp and she got everything in one listen. The manager watched as she took the order of the very first customer, making sure she got the hang of it before leaving with the boy at the back where the brewing area is.

To say she was bummed that she got the job where she had to talk to the customers and write down their order as they enumerated it incredibly fast was an understatement. She took a peak at the back to see Eddie, his leather jacket nowhere to be seen and replaced with an apron as he made a customer's coffee. Yeah, she was incredibly bummed. Then the gears in her head started to work.

After work, she approached James.

"Hey",she called out to him. " James, right? Listen I can't help but notice earlier that you seemed quite disappointed about working in the brewing area. So… I was kind of wondering if maybe you'd wanna switch? I mean to be honest, I kind of only took this job because I just wanted to learn how to make different coffees", that was definitely a lie but he didn't need to know that.

"Um yeah,sure", he accepted immediately. "Kind of wanted the simpler task, to be honest. But are you sure Elise will be okay with it? She's the manager after all"

“I’m sure she'll be fine I’ll go talk to her”, she reassured James. Elise seems to be a kind woman surely she'll understand it. She then thanked James more excitedly than she intended to. She mentally cheered for her plan's success.

-

On Monday, she entered the brewing area and put on one of the aprons there. Luckily, Elise didn't have any problem at all with her switching their positions.

She heard her name being called and turned around to see Eddie already wearing his apron. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm going to make coffee", she replied as if it was the most obvious answer.

"I thought you were assigned at the front", he made a pointing gesture over his shoulder.

"Oh um, James asked me if we can switch since he wanted to work at the cashier more", she half lied to him.

"Do you even know how to make coffee?", He quirked an eyebrow at her to which she shook her head at.

"Come on, I'll teach ya", He beckoned her to follow him as he took an order that just came in. " So over here is the creams, and on the left side is the syrup, the coffee and some of the toppings are there at the back…", He started teaching her the basics like how much is one pump of syrup equivalent to, how much drizzle is recommended, how tall the whipped cream is, etc.

“Wait I can't seem to make it right”,she was trying to decorate a latte but the design just won't come out.

“Here let me help”, she suddenly felt Eddie's presence behind her. He had his arms around her and put his hands on her wrists to guide her hands. She tried so hard to focus but it was so difficult when she could feel Eddie's body against her.

Suddenly Eddie lets go of her hands and she was too preoccupied by his presence that it took her a minute to notice the heart design on the latte.

"I did it!", She exclaimed as she showed him the first drink she made..

"Good job! You're a quick learner", He smiled at her and put his hand on her arm. "If you need help with anything else don't hesitate to ask me, okay?"

She felt giddy at the compliment she received and at the warmth of Eddie's body that still lingered.

-

She secretly begged Elise to let her get off earlier every Tuesday so that she can see Eddie's band play at the Hideout. Thankfully, she agreed but in the condition that she will make up for it by working every Saturday.

Steve and Robin were unfortunately too busy and had a stricter manager so they didn't get to join her. She didn't exactly get to mention it to Eddie which is why he was surprised to see her working at the cafe on a Saturday morning.

She was on her way to the brewing area when she heard the bell ring and her eyes met with Eddie. “It's supposed to be your day off,right?", he asked.

"Uh yeah but I decided to make up for it by going to see my friend's band", She smiled at him.

"Oh you don't have to do that-", she cut him off.

"Oh no I insist. At least in the future I get to tell everyone I know that I was a fan of the biggest band in the world before they became famous", she said which earned her a grin from him. "I didn't know you work on Saturday too", that was a lie she figured that if the manager made her work Saturdays for leaving earlier there is no way she is going to let Eddie not make up for his.

"Um yeah gotta make up for the half hours I miss every Tuesday", he said. "So… you think we have what it takes to be the biggest band in the world huh?" His grin was still there.

"Yeah I'm like your number one fan", she said. "Don't tell Robin or Steve I said that though because they love arguing about who's the bigger fan between them."

Eddie laughed. "You're secret's safe with me, sweetheart." Her heart flutters everytime he calls her that.

“Well, I’ll let you in on a secret of mine as well”, he moved closer to her and leaned close to her ear and whispered: “You're my favorite fan.”

He moved away and had a wide grin on his face. He winked at her before going to the brewing area.

She felt her cheeks warm up and her heart felt like it was about to burst. ‘Oh shit… I’m completely down bad for this man, aren't?’

-

The final week of school is exciting and stressful. Exciting because vacation is finally near. And stressful because all the teachers were giving a lot of work with extremely short deadlines.

She really tried to keep her mind off her studies while at work but it just kept getting in the way. She got two customers' orders wrong, she almost put too much whipped cream on every drink, and now she accidentally spilled coffee on herself and Eddie.

"I'm so sorry about your shirt", she apologized for what seemed to be the hundredth time after leaving the bathroom wearing a new shirt.

"Hey I already told you it's okay", he reassured her.

"It's just that I'm so stressed about work and Mr. Smith's homeworks which has a deadline that is way too early for the hundreds of amount of school work he has given us", she ranted.

"I understand. He can be a pain in the butt", he told her. “Hey this is just coffee it’ll wash away”, he reassured her again but that didn't seem to remove the frown she had on her face.

"Wait here okay", he returned to the brewing area. After a few minutes he returned with two cups of coffee. "Here, drink this." He handed her one of the cups and she took a sip.

Her eyes widened. "This is so good!"

"I know right!", Eddie exclaimed. "I accidentally made this when I was new here and I got the measurements mixed up and voila! I made a masterpiece."

They sat in comfortable silence sipping the special drink Eddie made before she breaks the silence.

"I'm sorry I couldn't make it to your show last night", she looked him in the eyes. "I really needed to finish my school works."

"Hey it's okay",he reassured her once more. "Although I did miss my number one fan."

She finally smiled at that. "I might get dethroned by Steve or Robin."

"Pfft never!", He laughed before taking a sip of coffee. “You're my favorite remember?”, she nodded and smiled at him.

They fell into a comfortable silence once again but it was cut abruptly by Eddie.

"I really did miss you, you know", she met his gaze.

"Without you there the room just seemed…empty despite the Hideout being packed full". He continued. "No trace of your presence or your smile. Did I tell you you look prettier when you smile?"

"No…", she smiled wider as she shook her head.

"Well you do. I got proof of it right here", his smile widens as he continues to look at her.

"Well then thank you Eddie for making me smile today", she continued. "I missed you too."

"Yeah, seems like we can't stay one day away from each other huh?", He asked even though he already knew the answer.

"Yeah it seems that we can't"

The next words that left his mouth were unexpected but something you've been wanting to hear for a long time."Then how about we spend more time together. Does Monday after work sound good to you?"

"Are you asking me on a date?", She asked in disbelief.

"Yeah,I am", he answered with no hesitation.

"Well then Monday does sound good to me", she answered also with no hesitation.

(End of flashback)

-They arrived at her house just in time as she finished her confession.

"Look I know it may sound a bit weird and it ruined the whole "destiny" thing the events leading to where we are now had but-", she tried reasoning with him but stopped midway when she looked up to meet his gaze and see him smirking.

“Why are you smirki-”, She looked at him, brows furrowed in confusion before her eyes widened in realization.

"You knew the entire time, didn't you!", Eddie bursts out laughing.

"Yep, I sure did", he continued laughing. "And no, I don't find it weird. I actually find it very endearing that you liked me that much to the point that you planned how we'll end up together."

"I hate you",she glared at him.

"Oh you love me,sweetheart. That confession is enough proof of that. And I love you too, by the way", he smiled at her which caused her glare to falter and turn into a smile of her own.He was right she definitely loves him.

So I told you none of it was accidental

And the first night that you saw me, nothing was gonna stop me

I laid the groundwork and then saw a wide smirk

On your face, you knew the entire time

You knew that I'm a mastermind

And now you're mine

Yeah, all you did was smile

'Cause I'm a mastermind

[sourcherryandsprinkles]

prompt list 2023 1 w stiles!!!

‘’I don’t care we broke up, I still love you.’’

I miss Stiles so much 😢 I’m so sad he won’t be in the Teen Wolf movie. I probably won’t be watching it - unfortunately - because I don’t have Paramount+ and won’t be paying for a streaming platform I can only watch on a small screen with shitty earphones

my taglists are here  + you can requests here at any time

—

It’s been two years since your and Stiles’ breakup, but he still looked at you the same way every morning since you were eight years old. You were too busy faking laughs at Mr. Popular’s bad jokes to notice though. He was nowhere near as funny as Stiles, but you were scared he would dump you if you didn’t laugh. A woman had two things to stroke to keep a man in her life, their dick and their even bigger ego. That included laughing at their terrible jokes.

Very soon, you won’t have to fake a laugh at Mr. Popular’s bad jokes — or to stroke anything of his. Very soon, you’ll be graduating and leaving Beacon Hills for the opposing coast.

At the beginning of graduation week, the yearbooks got distributed to the seniors. Everyone spent the day writing sweet messages to their friends and fellow classmates, knowing that soon they will part ways and — for some — never see each other again.

After the last bell, you were about to get to your car and go home when you spotted a familiar face at the end of the hallway. Stiles Stilinski.

Although you didn’t remain friends after breaking up, Stiles was part of your high school life. He was your first date and you were his first kiss. You even went to homecoming together in sophomore year…with his dad as the driver. Not getting his signature in your yearbook, the physical closing chapter of high school, would feel like erasing him from your past and you didn’t want that. You wanted to remember him.

‘’Can you sign my yearbook?’’

Stiles closed his locker, looking at you with a dumbfounded look, very surprised to see you standing there holding your yearbook and a pen. ‘’Yes!’’ he replied a little aggressively. He cleared his throat and rubbed his neck, realizing how he had sounded. ‘’I mean…of course.’’

A soft laugh left your lips. ‘’I didn't want to leave without your signature. It wouldn't have felt right,’’ you said as Stiles opened your yearbook to find a blank space to write his message. His expression was a mix of nostalgia and a hint of sadness as he wrote a few words. You could tell he was reminiscing about the past, just like you were.

You couldn't help but steal glances at him. Time had changed both of you, but the familiar features were still there — the way he furrowed his brow when concentrating, the constellation of light freckles on his face and his perfectly-crafted nose he loved to push in your neck when cuddling. It was bittersweet, knowing that you were about to go your separate ways.

Stiles finished writing and handed the yearbook back to you. ‘’Here.’’ You eagerly opened it to see what he had written, but he stopped you. ‘’No. Read it later.’’

You looked at Stiles curiously, his request piquing your interest. ‘’Okay. Eh, thanks for signing my yearbook.’’ You smiled and Stiles walked away, probably to join Scott.

Freshly showered, you sat on your bed and opened your yearbook to flick through and read the messages from your fellow graduates. You smiled through your friends’ paragraph-long messages, then fell on Stiles’s.

You’ll probably forget about me, but I’ll never forget about you. You're etched in me. We have shared so many firsts together, so many laughs too. I wish you nothing but the best in the future, following those big dreams we used to talk about.

love, Stiles

Yes, love, because I don’t care we broke up, I still love you. I always will.

You read his message again, making sure you read correctly, and called him. 

—

All and more taglist: @spiokybirdstarfish @kenqki @liidiaaag @hawkegfs  @gillybear17  @areaderinlove @acornacreacure @black-rose-29 @fudge13 @cece05 @rosie-cameron @Caxddce @laylasbunbunny @gemofthenight @beautyb1ade  @hi-bored-as-fcuk-rn  @lovelyy-moonlight @mellabella101 @vxnity713  @marzipaanz  @bisexualgirlsblog @queenofslytherin889 @thatbxtchesblog @softb-tterfly @ethanlandrycanbreakmyheart  @xyzstar  @graceberman3  @Heartsforneteyamsully

[anastaaaaaaasia]

I really hate HBO

I am writing this and understand perfectly well that this post can cause a lot of discontent and hate, but I feel that I can no longer remain silent.

It's about HBO and the character of Aegon, and more specifically about the incident with Dyana.

Many of the green team and even Tom Glynn-Carney himself are hated and called rape apologists. *Deep breath*

Honestly, I will never understand this, especially when real people are bullied for fictional characters. But today I would like to talk about HBO.

I absolutely love the character of Aegon, I love the books on which the series was based, but HBO is hitting another rock bottom with their masterpieces.

All the scenes with Dyana look terribly awkward, because the serial Aegon is so pitiful that sometimes you think that he himself is being straponed by all the servants in turn. As my mother says, you can only hug him and cry. Diana as a character is a simple cardboard figurine for HBO's convenience.

All modern values, agendas and education on these topics are, of course, good, but not when they cover their asses with it for their own convenience. Unfortunately, in the modern world, where the topic of violence is very acute, it also turns out to be a very profitable topic. Profitable for increasing coverage, convenient for creating a clichéd image of a villain. I wouldn't even be surprised if HBO released Dyana T-shirts later.

But the most deplorable thing is that a large corporation does not remember about rape, when they could have donated to a fund to help victims and talked about it at events. Just perform an educational function!

Sorry, but HBO essentially monetized violence.

Chapter 2. Fans and double standards.

I can understand why the TV series Aegon is hated. Yes, he’s no good! Despite the fact that he still remains my favorite character. The first scene with the adult Aegon, right where Alicent scolds him for Dyana. This act is essentially presented to us as the main one, as the main feature of Aegon. How else should those who were not familiar with the books before react?

But I have another question, many of the fans of the House of the Dragon watched Game of Thrones, where there is much more violence. Why then were only new characters included in the distribution?

We had Ramsay raping Sansa on her wedding night. We believed this because we saw the sadistic tendencies and understood that Sansa was not a Mary Sue who would be able to escape from Ramsay at the last moment.

We had JAIME raping Cersei over the corpse of their own son. but his character had been revealed before from the best sides, so many did not even understand what happened.

I will never get tired of saying that the writers and producers, frankly, did a terrible job. We were supposed to have a series where the fight is between two types of shit, all of them gray. But we ended up with characters without motivation, with unnecessary clichés and, frankly speaking, boring in many places.

We got a real feud between the fans. This is good for business, but bad for humanity. It turns out that many actors receive hate.

Yes, I’m on the green team, but first of all, I’m on the team of those who condemn the shitty work of screenwriters and producers.

[jewreallythinkthat]

I’ve seen you mention a few times about having problems with standing together. If you don’t mind, could you go further into detail about that? I’m not super familiar with the organisation, but from what I’ve seen and heard they seem to be pretty good (especially now that they’re trying to deliver aid into Gaza)

Yeah for sure.

I think their aim to have peace, a Palestinian state, and the attempt to bring food to Gaza is really important and admirable. In theory, they stand for pretty much everything I do.

The problem is the way they go about achieving some of their aims, I feel, is incredibly devisive and finger-pointy-blame-slinging. For example, this was their statement on 7/10

Hamas terrorists were still in Israel committing their (officially classed as a genocidal) attack and ST were already demonising Israel. The entirety of the second paragraph is not necessary. The inability to outright condemn the barbaric nature of what happened, without also condemning Israel at the same time is not something I can get on board with. There is no justification for what was done. None.

Anyone with a brain, especially left wing Jews and Israelis know that the occupation of the West Bank, and the Gaza situation (which once again, Egypt are also involved with) are unsustainable and there is absolutely further discussion, protest, and debate to be had over how to get the fucking settlers out of the West Bank, set up a successful Palestinian state, make Gaza livable again in the fastest way possible, and obtain a sustainable peace in the region but in a statement condemning the biggest single slaughter of Jews (along with Palestinians, Thai nationals, and multiple other peoples), that was not the time.

I also found the immediate and aggressive personal attack against Hen Mazzig when he posted about an LGBT+ issue unbelievably distateful. I will admit that Hen's wording was certainly.... A little point scorey.... But the actual event he was talking about was a big deal. I think having a direct go at a gay man, including an impressive case study worthy example of the Straw Man argument, when talking about an LGBT+ issue is unacceptable. It frankly came across as a personal vendetta and incredibly childish.

The other thing that frustrates me is that as a Palestinian-Israeli joint group, the only people I ever see ST calling out, insulting, and demeaning are Israelis. They (from what I see) do not condemn the PA or other Palestinian groups at all and while the current Israeli administration are reprehensible in their behaviour, it takes two to tango and they are not the only ones in the wrong. If you are building a solidarity movement, you need to call out both sides for being shitty. If you don't, it's not a solidarity movement IMOH.

All that being said, I do think there is a lot of good that ST do, I just wish they would take people's concerns with their behaviour at times as a genuine thing that people want them to better about rather than immediately going on the defensive and shutting any attempt at discussion. It feels like they refuse to take any criticism, no matter how valid it is as if they are the only people trying to end this.

I hope this answers the question a bit. (Basically, as always, it's complicated 🙃)

[befuddledcinnamonroll]

Themes in Pit Babe (or why the racing omegaverse show is deeper than you think) - Part 2

Part 1 here. Let's keep this thought train rolling.

Part 2: Self-Worth & Relationships

To start, a few notes about self-worth.

We're all deeply familiar with the common refrains around finding your own sense of self-worth without relying on others. Think of the whole RuPaul "If you can't love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?" kind of thing.

Which on the surface is a fine message, and absolutely it is a good thing to put time into self-reflection and finding value in your inherent self.

But of course this is real life, and as lovely as it would be to be able to catchphrase ourselves to that perfect place, it is much more nuanced than that.

For one, many of us who have fairly solid senses of self-worth (and I do include myself in that category) will still have days where we wake up and feel like a completely horrible unlovable mess of a person. This is called being a human. It's normal to have ebbs and flows, and peaks and valleys. We're on a journey, y'all, and when it comes to growth and self-actualization, no one makes it all the way to the end.

For two, humans are social creatures, and we cannot help but be influenced by who is around us in our lives. You can have the strongest sense of self-worth in the world, but you end up surrounded by people who treat you like shit all the time - it's gonna have an impact.

And, of course, we have to also acknowledge the impact of being part of marginalized communities, and how insecurities around worthiness can become very internalized by the constant reinforcement of bias and oppression.

All of that to say, who is in your life can be deeply important when it comes to self-worth. You shouldn't be seeking a relationship with someone just to feel like you matter, but the person/people you are around should absolutely make you feel like you do.

Ok, let's get back to Pit Babe!

Pete/Way/Kenta

Ha, no, I don't actually think we'll get a throuple here, but I do find the dynamics really interesting. Both Way & Kenta are characters I would identify as having some of the poorest self-worth in the show, to the extent that they have long been incapable of making their own decisions, and primarily follow orders from Tony.

Way seems to do it more out of despair that Tony's will cannot be defied, while Kenta is heart-breakingly still in a place of needing Tony's approval.

And then we have Pete. Who apparently has a bit of a sad pathetic man addiction. But like I said before, the key to Pete is empathy. He knows their pain.

I'm going to write more later about the critical role Pete plays in the show's theme around self-determination, but for now, I just want to point out how vital he is in showing up for both Way & Kenta, and telling them they matter, and the choices they make matter too.

They've done shitty things, and other characters are rightfully furious and distrustful of them. Pete is the one who said, "you still have value as a human being, don't let Tony define you". He knows what it's like to walk out of your abuser's house and determine a new way to find value and purpose. He's key to Way leaving his place of grief and despair and working to rebuild a path to Babe's trust again. And when Kenta gains the confidence to defy Tony next episode (it's being foreshadowed pretty hard), it'll be because of Pete as well.

Sometimes when we cannot see the value in ourselves, it can mean the world for someone to take our hand and speak it out loud for us.

Alan/Jeff

Ah, my sweet, sweet secondary couple. I love these two. Jeff may have a special ability that is considered valuable, but it's also made him feel utterly unlovable. And then he meets this man, who loves taking underdogs under his wing and giving them chances. And this man is being so kind and so sweet. And even when he learns the truth, learns that loving someone like Jeff comes with more than the usual hardship and challenges, he doesn't hesitate for a single second.

This is part of why I think the age gap works so well here, because this kind of optimism in someone younger might come across as naive. But Alan is not naive. He's experienced, and he knows that someone like Jeff is not going to cross his path ever again. He is going to love Jeff unconditionally, and we can already see the inner shine coming out for our poor vision-addled boy.

Everyone has their flaws, and dark sides. But we are still worthy of loving.

Sonic/North

You thought I wasn't going to give a section to our delightful, one-brain-celled, won't-admit-they-are-a-couple couple?

These boys may be uncomplicated, but their existence as a unit is a big part of what makes them such lovely examples of self-worth. Not all of us are lucky enough to find that person who fits with us like a puzzle piece, but these two have. They may vastly underestimate their importance to each other (see Sonic's face when North jumps in to take hits for him), but the consistency they have in their relationship, and the care they show for each other, gives them such a solid ground for being their authentic little idiot selves.

Never underestimate the value of having a person who you can be your authentic silly weird self with.

Charlie/Babe

And of course, we have the beating heart of our show. Though on the surface he comes across as too-cool-for-school, Babe so deeply needs to feel loved. He is achingly desperate for it.

It's all well and good to tell Babe that he should love himself. That he should feel fine and worthy as he is. But his external success is not enough. He needs intimacy, and trust, and someone to baby the hell out of him. To make him feel like he's worth loving.

But between his own fears, founded by his father's abandonment and his childhood in a cold and neglectful house, and Way's constant reinforcement that he couldn't trust anyone, he was trapped.

And then Charlie shows up. A man who sees no value in himself, but sees the world in Babe. Can you imagine what that experience was like for Babe? To be in a world of ice and have a being of warmth & comfort come and wrap him up in his arms?

As for Charlie, he's doesn't seem to be in a place yet where he truly understands how much he has become Babe's world. But I expect he will get there. He's tenacious and committed. He just needs to realize that others see the value in him that he sees in them.

Self-worth doesn't mean acting strong all the time. We deserve sweetness & softness and having someone we can be a scared babygirl around.

The X-Hunter Crew

Oh, no way am I just talking about romantic relationships here. I love romance, don't get me wrong, but there's plenty of folks who can live quite well and happily without romantic relationships. Romance is put on a pedestal in our society, but it really shouldn't be. Platonic relationships, on the other hand, are incredibly vital, and I wish they were given more status in our world.

And this is what makes the entire crew so important. It's not just about the individuals, or the couples - it's about all of them, as a unit. Call them a team, call them a family, whatever you like.

Because Babe may need someone like Charlie in his life, but he definitely needs the X-Hunter crew. I firmly believe the care he has been given by Alan (and even Way to an extent, when he was in supportive friend mode) is what made him even able to take those first steps with Charlie.

And the family remains critical after he thinks Charlie is dead - the care and love the team give him is vital to him being able to continue functioning. Alan, North, & Sonic give him physical touch and comfort, make sure he's eating, and literally pick him up off the floor when he can't go on.

Just like Sonic & North give each other a stable place to stand, this is what the entire X-Hunter family is able to do for each other. Despite an unfortunate tendency to miss when Jeff gets kidnapped, overall, they look out for each other. Everyone has their place, and knows they're important to the team.

Self-worth is never going to be just about the individual, or the group, but the interweaving of the two. Strong self-worth can help us feel more connected to others, but our connections to others can make us feel more worthy.

A couple of additional thoughts:

Dean let his insecurity override his sense of inherent self-worth. Alan wants to help Dean do better, to push him to grow and develop. And yes, you can debate the sense of putting Charlie into the race, Alan is definitely not perfect. But also denying someone an opportunity is not inherently bad, or a sign of lack of love or trust. Challenge is where growth happens, and people who genuinely want the best for us understand this.

Instead of turning to his family and being vulnerable about how deeply hurt he was, Dean turned away. He let his insecurity and narrow focus on self-worth through racing achievement override everything else. He didn't remotely consider what anyone else might be feeling. He didn't think about what his actions would cost the family long-term. At any point, prior to attempted murder, if he had come to Alan, there would have been compassion. But he pushed it to the point where there was no turning back.

Contrast that with Kim, who knows he has value regardless of whether he wins races, or how he gets treated by his racing crew. He has enough self-worth to not making everything in his life about himself. Which is why he was able to fit in instantly with the X-Hunter team. He's willing to come in, find his place in their little family puzzle, and commit to being there for everyone else just as much as they will be there for him (once we've all moved past their well-intentioned, but failed rescue attempt).

Relationships are essential, but can't magically fix us - we still have to put in the work.

[anxious-witch]

I loved the previous anon's ask about poly!JO💚 so my prompt is a drunk cuddle puddle, bonus if you can include Jan's sparklative

Anon, I know this has been a long wait, but I did finally get to your request! It ended up more emotional than I planned, but there is a cuddle puddle and lots of Jure appreciation.

Also before anyone asks, the bit about Jure's dad I made up, it's not based on anything, I just needed to give him some angst. It's how I show my love.

TW for past emotionally abusive parent

It was just a regular movie night. They spread out the big couch in the living room, which could still barely fit five grown men. But they managed.

There was alcohol, too although it wasn't required. It had just been a lot of touring lately and they all need a bit of unwinding with a random shitty movie and a bit of alcohol.

Jure couldn't even tell what exactly they were watching. Some comedy? He couldn't find it in himself to pay attention.

He was nestled between Bojan and Jan, right in the middle of all of them. Kris was on Bojan's end of the couch, while Nace took Jan's side. Bojan was holding his hand and drawing circles into his palm, while his head was on leaning Kris' shoulder.

Jan's arm was wrapoed around him waist and Nace was playing with his hair on the other side. It was comfortable. Familiar.

So why couldn't Jure relax?

He knew why. His phone lay on the coffee table innocently for anyone else, but for Jure he felt as if it loomed over him menacingly. There was an unanswered text message from his father, with a simple: Call me.

For most, while that could be a bit alarming, it wasn't the world ending message. Except Jure wasn't in contact with his father in years, with the exception of little tidbits his mother shared.

And it seemed his father gave up on trying to contact him. Until now. So what changed?

He drank more than he usually would for a movie night, but fear spurred him on and Jure hoped it would make it better. Which led him to now.

He didn't feel better.

"Will there be a day where you don't get into some kind of trouble?! I am so sick of you! No one will take this type of shit too long, do you hear me? If you don't start behaving, everyone will get sick of you!"

Was Jure just waiting for the inevitable? It was hard to get four boyfriends to get sick of him, but then again he was always known for making trouble. If someone could do it, it was him.

He didn't want that, though. He felt the sting of tears at the mere though of them leaving him. Where would he go? Who would he be without them?

Alcohol only served to bring his emotions out on the surface. His vision blurred as he stared, unseeing, to the tv.

"Jurček," Bojan whispered, suddenly touching his shoulder, "Jurček, hey, are you crying?"

Oh. He was. Jure covered up his face with his hands, as if he could push the tears back. Or at least hide them.

Unfortunately, Bojan never learned how to whisper particularly quietly.

"What's going on?" Jan asked, and Jure could feel him shift to look at him.

He tried to shake his head, to say nothing, but words got stuck in his throat.

"Kris, stop the movie. Jure is crying."

"I'm fine," he managed to choke out.

It seemed that that made everyone freeze for a second. Then he heard Kris swear quietly and reach for the remote.

Jan pulled him closer to his side, and Bojan nuzzled into his neck to his right side. Then Nace took a hold of his wrists.

He must have shuffled to the front of the couch. He was gently pulling Jure's hands away from his face. Jure put in a bit of resistance, but he knew that sooner or later, he'd lose that fight.

So he let him pull his hands away and simply stared at his lap. Kris pushed in between Bojan and Nace into the circle that suddenly surrounded Jure. He reached out to wipe his tears with a tissue.

"What happened?" Nace asked, his voice soft.

Jure shrugged.

"Nothing."

"Don't lie," Kris chastised him, even if he tried to keep his voice gentle.

Jan began combing his fingers through Jure's hair. It was soothing. And comfortable.

"My father told me to call him."

Bojan tensed where he was curled up beside him. Nace and Jan exchanged a look and even Kris' mouth turned into a straight line.

"I just-nothing else happened. I didn't even call him yet, but I have no idea what he might want. But then I started remembering how he used to say everyone would eventually get sick of me the way he did and-and I-"

He interrupted himself with a sob. Then suddenly, they all surrounded him and he found himself in the middle of a group hug. He clung to them, even though he wasn't sure exactly who he was clinging on to.

It took him a bit to calm his sobs for long enough to finish his sentence. And for them to slowly release him from the all-encompassing hug.

"I don't want you to get sick of me."

Bojan narrowed him eyes and before Jure could even think to react, pounced on him. Jure yelped as they fell down on the couch, now lying down.

For someone so short, Bojan was stronger than he looked like. It was easy to forget sometimes.

"We. Could. Never. Ever. Get. Sick. Of. You," Bojan emphasized each word with a kiss on his face, until Jure could help but giggle through his tears.

Nace chuckled in the background, before Kris gently pulled Bojan back.

"Com'on now. Don't hog him. And we need to finish this conversation first."

Jan helped pull Jure up to sit again and immediately curled his hand around his waist protectively.

"Jure," Kris said, voice serious, "you know you don't owe him anything, right? You don't have to call him. Or reply. It's your choice of course but-"

"But calling him and risking your mental health for that asshole would be a stupid idea," Jan interrupted sharply.

Kris rolled his eyes at him before turning his attention back to Jure. He held uncharacteristically soft look on his face.

"Not how I would have phrased it, but essentially, yes. It's your choice and we'd support you either way, but we also don't want to see you hurt."

Jure nodded. He wasn't sure. He didn't want to call him, but what if it was urgent? What if it was important?

"Can I just...can we just cuddle? And I can decide tomorrow?"

"Of course," Nace said, leaning in to his his forehead.

They formed a cuddle pile, making sure they were all somehow touching Jure this time. We was quite a feat on the couch, but they managed.

Bojan was lying with his head on Jure's chest, and Kris had his arm over both of them. Jan had his legs wrapped around Jure's and his head was resting in Nace's lap. While Nace had his hand in Jure's hair, stroking it gently.

"We love you, you know that, right?" Bojan asked, looking up at him, "And we will never get tired of you."

Jure pressed a kiss on top of his head.

"Thank you."

"Obviously," Kris said deadpan, "I mean, Bojan is much more annoying and we manage him too, so."

There was an eruption of laughter from everyone but Bojan, who loudly said: "Hey! Rude!"

Which caused further bickering and teasing, that quickly drowned out most of what remained of Jure's somber mood.

Jure smiled softly. He knew that whatever he decided, they would be there for him. And really, how much trouble could he get into, with that much support?

He took another look at them, Kris and Bojan deep into the bickering while Nace was laughing. Jan met his eyes and squeezed his shoulder.

Well. Perhaps there would be trouble. But this time, at least he wouldn't be alone in it. With that, he made himself more comfortable and closed his eyes. Everything would be alright.

[lutawolf]

Hi luta

I'm not really sure how to do this as I'm new to basically everything, including Tumbler. But I want I had a few questions. So I was recently introduced into this community and I'm sure where I fit. I have always been super independent even at a young age and took care of others I'm 20 almost 21. Im still a college student and working full time as a nurse so life is stressful. My friend just recently interduced me to this community so forgive me if I'm doing this completely wrong. She told me that I seem to have little tendencies and I'm not sure where she is getting this or how to know what she means I've tried looking this up but I never feel I drop to another headspace or age. I'm not even sure I would consider myself a submissive. I've always cared for others and told others what to do as I was the oldest and it was my responsibility to care for my younger siblings at that time then I became a nurse so I'm still doing the same really. I am extremely independent I have high boundaries and people can lose my respect easily I don't trust easy I don't like being spoiled cause that takes time from others. I know once I'm close to people I act differently I prefer them make small decisions as I make them everyday sme life changing ones for other people it gets tiring but I still make my own decisions also. I know I can seem childish but thats always brought me comfort small things like blankets and stuffed animals watching cartoons I did as a little kid but I always thought that was normal comfort items to want when stressed. So I'm not sure what really im asking or if you really can help me or even if you talk about littles or little tendencies also sorry for the long post. Bye-bye

Hey marshmellowbunny,

I'm gonna be honest and say that I don't like how your friend went about this. It feels more like someone leading a horse to a trough to drink because they have a rider that needs a horse. Just because there is a hole doesn't mean everything should go in it, nor does everything fit.

The fact that you don't know the basics or basic safety is concerning. And for all I know, this is exactly how your friend was introduced and maybe doesn't know any better either. So let me give some perspective and then answer your questions to the best of my ability.

Why am I bothered by how you were introduced to the community? You don't know what a submissive is. A submissive is not a doormat and should absolutely have boundaries that will be respected. A Dom that doesn't respect boundaries is a shitty Dom. Being submissive doesn't mean that a Dom shouldn't earn your respect or that you should just trust any Dom. That's a good way to ending up face down in a ditch somewhere. I would never disregard my sub's boundaries. Boundaries and guidelines are there for a reason. If they clash with my needs, then I simply look for a different submissive who I better fit with.

I don't know how familiar you are with me, but I'm 100% Dom and my husband is only submissive within our relationship. Outside of our relationship, he's a Dom. Think Porsche from Kinnporsche. Do you know how many stuffed animals I got on my bed because of that man!?!? Which I thought was ridiculous until he pointed out my blanket that I will fight the kids over. I've also caught him on more than one occasion watching his nostalgic childhood cartoons. And that man is so far from a little it's not even funny. I don't want to decide what to eat on any given day, but I'm still Dom. So our status within the community isn't based on a few tendencies we might have but on our personalities and needs as a whole.

First, take a test. Don't look up anything, just take the test.

This test is not perfect, but it will give you a starting place. It will also help you to start thinking about your wants. Then start educating yourself. The same website that I gave you to take a test has blogs and educational resources.

And keep in mind that you can be intrigued by the kink community, enjoy watching or reading about it. Without being a part of it. There is no rush to the finish line with the community. Twenty to Twenty-one is still very young for a scene kinkster, so take your time. You don't read one book and jump right into nursing, right? You don't take one dance class and jump into a dance competition?

Hopefully I wasn't too blunt that I scared you off from asking any more questions and I truly hope I was helpful. Wishing you the best. 💜💜💜

[pedges]

WOKE UP MARRIED IN VEGAS JOEL FICCC i need psychiatric evaluation

BRAINROT IS BRAINROTTING

no because imagine it

you and joel are friends (good friends? best friends? does joel miller even do best friends? you don’t know. you do know you spend a lot of time with him, you love sarah, tommy, and you get this fuzzy feeling around all of them but it’s a little different with joel. whatever.) and maybe one of you wins some all expenses paid trip to vegas, probably joel, absolutely joel, because tommy whines and asks joel to bring him as his plus one but joel asks you and you’re not sure why but fuck it, right? tommy flips you off dropping y’all off at the airport but he still wishes you guys lots of fun (he loves y’all, he’s like your annoying brother too). but it’s like, it’s just you and joel and vegas and you’ve seen enough movies to know it might not end well. actually, though, it starts out really fun. the contest included tickets to whatever current artist residency, and it’s fun. at least until you guys start drinking too much, and things get blurry, and you end up at some shitty little chapel because one of you got emotional (both. probably both) over how being single sucks and it’s not fair because you deserve love and to be loved and to give love and UGH! you’re not sure who suggests it but you end up at some shitty little chapel because some drunken “i love you, man!” “i love YOU, man!”s were exchanged and it’s just a very fun and shimmery night. except you wake up the next morning naked in bed with joel in your hotel room and you’re cuddled up against his chest, he’s snoring in your ear, and he’s so warm, and comfy, and safe, and familiar but oh my god, you’re naked in bed with joel. and your head fucking hurts. he starts waking up when it seeps in and you shout and push him out of bed and now you’ve both got a headache worse than it should’ve been. he’s naked, you’re naked, he’s on the floor, you’re both wearing wedding rings. there’s a polaroid of you two kissing on the nightstand, drunk, and messy, but genuine. it’s painfully obvious that you’re married, did something last night your sober minds would never had the guts to do, and well! fuck! joel mentions annulment faster than you can remember how to breathe and you’re not sure why your chest feels so tight but you agree because you have to, of course you do. he apologizes, so do you, and you both go back to texas with the notion in mind that this will be undone faster than you know it, and you’ll never have to speak about it again. neither one of you asks why you haven’t taken the rings off yet. (of course there’s aftermath but this is so long already oh my god i’m sorry)