#and maybe they should learn boundaries before they talk about stuff

[astarless-fights]

A question I have always had: Do people care about the border because someone tells them they need to be concerned? Do they ever see proof? Or speak with someone who lives down there? Is it actually an issue or are people coming in and paying taxes, beefing up towns, and taking a part in the community? Is illegal immigration actually bad or is it a complex issue that is both good and bad and non local medias are just giving you a basic interpretation to have a talking point? Let’s dive deeper.

I have heard OP’s thoughts here before and it’s always come from border towns and border city limits. Which always tells me something else is going on.

Because here’s the thing, media reports and political agencies always misreport and misrepresent things that happen across the country. I have a couple examples as someone who comes from the East Coast but has had the pleasure of working in western states.

1. Remember when they introduced the wolves to Yellowstone in ‘95 and the media updated us back in 2016 “oh there’s wildflowers coming back! And the water is clean again”? I got that propaganda too on the East Coast. And sure, the good stuff probably happened. But wanna guess what I found out that year when I eventually shipped out to Idaho and spoke to wildlife biologists on the rivers?

They introduced the incorrect subspecies of wolf. Instead of using the historic Northern Rocky Mountain Wolves, they introduced a much larger, well traveling wolf called the Northwestern Wolf. The NRM wolves were small and tended to stick to a territory which would have been perfect for what they were trying to do for Yellowstone and the area surrounding. Instead they added a much hungrier wolf that follows its meals across the region, fucking up the ecosystems and wildlife patterns in surrounding states. Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana already had a pretty decent Rocky Mountain Wolf population that could no longer source its meals consistently due to wildlife patterns shifting dramatically, so they started going after the farms. Which if you are not someone who pays attention to wildlife laws and regulations, is the worst thing that could happen for them because farmers hold a lot of political power and often lobby local governments to increase population regulation (ehem, kill em).

2. When that kid died at Disney World… the one with the gator attack? Yeah, that was awful. I come from the southeast and growing up with gators nearby was a common experience for me. I was out in Idaho watching the news when it hit breaking news. The western media proceeded to push ideas that gators are controllable, it’s Disney World’s fault for not putting gates around the whole property to keep them out. It’s Florida’s fault for allowing this to happen.

Sure, should a gate have been placed around that beach? Totally. From working in tourism my whole life, the number one thing I have learned is that tourists are generally ignorant of local knowledge and common sense. I don’t mean this in a horrible way… but people forget they can die on vacation and tend to act as if it’s not possible so they disregard a lot of warnings. The gate would have been specific to people though. Gates don’t stop gators.

In fact they can climb. They can climb over a wooden gate, a chain link, climb up a tree, climb up the stairs… they are the largest vermin. They know no rules or boundaries. If there is water, they are there and they will find away to be there. It is common sense for those in southern coastal states to not go near the water at feeding times, watch the water, maybe keep your distance. If there are warning signs, then there’s definitely a gator that frequents the area but if there’s no sign, then there still is when no one’s watching. Western US media made it sound like they should have killed all the gators off and that just is so ignorant of the sensitive Floridian habitat. We need them there and in georgia, in south carolina, in Louisiana, and alabama. We need them in that ecosystem.

I remember listening to my boss at the time and my coworkers who had just listened to what I had were already shooting off the mislead comments of what the reporters had brought to light. Mostly because they didn’t know gators. They didn’t know Florida. None of them had ever been down there so when information is presented by a trusted source, why not trust that it’s correct?

Yes I explained to them before the topic left. But my observation still stands. Media that is not local to the topic will misconstrue the topic.

So when I see the LA fires and the east coast media telling everyone “the reason is due to them not taking control of their wilderness”, I want you to think of this post, what I have heard and seen with my own eyes, and search for a local reporter to the topic. Because I guarantee it is more complex than that.

Or when you see the border crisis and you aren’t from the border and neither is your favorite news channel… find a local news report to the topic.

If you see something being reported on from across the nation and you are not local, do yourself a favor and check out local to the topic reports. You’ll get more correct information instead of talking points used for political needs.

there is no border crisis. there is no immigration crisis. there never has been. it’s fear mongering, xenophobic, racist propaganda.

sincerely,

a life long borderland resident

[traumasurvivors]

I see a lot of conversations surrounding consent and wanted to talk about it a bit.

When most people think about consent, they think about sexual contexts.  In reality, consent is important in non-sexual situations, too.  You need consent before you borrow or touch someone else's stuff, get in their personal space, or show up at their home.

When it comes to consent, it should be a freely-given yes. This means it is not threatened, guilted, manipulated or coerced in anyway. And silence is not consent. This means that things like "maybe", "I'm not sure" or even flirting are not consent. Consent must be a freely-given yes, and not what you assume is a "yes."

Another thing to consider is whether the person is capable of consent. If someone is high or drunk, they cannot consent. Children can never consent to sexual acts. And consent must always be informed, as in the person knows what they are consenting to.

Consent should also be for the specific thing you're about to do. Someone consenting to kissing does not mean they consent to touching or so on. Someone being in a relationship does not mean they automatically consent to anything else. Consent should also be for this specific time. As in, if someone has consented before, then that doesn't mean they consent this time. A person's comfort level may vary, or they just might not be up to something and that's okay.

With that said, sometimes people have different standards of consent in their relationship. And that's okay. For example, a couple may decide that in their relationship, someone doesn't need a "yes" every single time but is free to proceed unless someone says no. They've mutually agreed that it's okay to assume the answer is "yes". For them, they've decided their consent is 'no means no' instead of 'yes means yes'. Another example in a platonic relationship is that some friends might decide that in their friendship, hugging without asking is totally okay.

One example is that I have people in my life that are allowed to hug me without asking unless I ask them not to. My partner went to hug me when I was upset the other day, and that's okay because he has been told he can do so unless I say "no" and in this case, I did say "no" because I was upset. And he respected it, and we moved on. I let him know when I was up to being hugged again.

However, when agreeing to different standards of consent in a relationship, the same rules apply. It should be a freely-given yes to the new standards, and the person should be capable of consenting. They should also be fully informed of what they are agreeing to.

One last thing I want to touch on is that consent can be withdrawn at any time. Even if you're right in the middle of something.

Consent can be incredibly complicated, and if you are ever not sure, ask. There is nothing wrong with checking in and making sure someone is okay with the situation.

It's especially important to be careful in how you navigate consent with children.  Modelling healthy consent in non-sexual contexts with children helps them understand that their bodies are their own and they have the right to feel safe and comfortable, too.  It protects them from predators as children, and sets them up to navigate consent in healthier ways as adults later in life.

Consent for hugs is frequently ignored with children.  Many children are forced to give or accept unwanted hugs from family members and told they're being rude or unfriendly if they don't cooperate.  This teaches them that their bodily autonomy doesn't matter, and makes them vulnerable to sexual predators.  By allowing children to set their own boundaries around what kinds of non-sexual physical touch they are comfortable with, when they want to receive that touch, and from whom, it helps them learn to recognize and enforce their own boundaries.  Those skills are incredibly valuable later in adulthood when they begin to navigate sexual consent both with their own bodies and with the bodies of their sexual partners.

[gamerbot-22]

Touchstarved LIs and Cuddling

Two posts in two days? On my account? Someone pinch me!

Also half-spawned from @asexual-abomination, because we’ve had this conversation a thousand times.

TW/CWs: Potential Accidental Canon Divergence (this will probs be a warning on ALL my TS stuff until the game’s released), mentions of sleeping together but it’s purely literal and genuinely not a euphemism for sex, hand-waving the touch curse a bit, Ais is an asshole about personal boundaries, Mhin is meant to be read as combatively shy but willing, partially proofread.

Can be read as platonic or romantic! Same as before! Also I’m gonna be making a lot of references to the “No one asked but I found Mortal Kombat’s best cuddler” video by Brian David Gilbert for Polygon because it’s a good vid and you should watch it if you haven’t already!)

(One day I’ll make a custom sparkle banner for the cut, mark my words! Also rqs are open! Likes and reblogs appreciated!)

🕊️ Kuras

Definitely one of the Emotionally Vulnerable & Safe Cuddler types from BDG’s video.

I don’t think. Kuras needs to sleep? At least I don’t remember there being anything in canon to suggest that. But! I think he enjoys the occasional catnap, and can be persuaded to actually sleep with you if you ask him about it.

Like you hit him with the “isn’t a good night’s sleep supposed to be good for you?” and “shouldn’t you be a good example for your patients?” and he gives you a good-natured—if slightly stiff—chuckle as he guides you over to the cot in his office.

The cot’s kinda narrow since it’s only build for the one patient to sit/lay on it, so by default a lot of spooning/honeymoon hugging(? Spooning when you’re facing each other) is happening.

There’s not really a blanket situation happening, but he’s really warm and his hands are eternally soft so it’s just super pleasant.

And after a while he starts to get his wings involved, too. At first it’s only when you’re asleep, but later on, after you learn about his status as a fallen angel, he’s more open about it, even if he gets all shy when you ask.

And there’s something just so peaceful about how he holds you. His hands never wander, and he keeps his voice soft. The first couple times he asks to pet your hair or touch your face, and soon enough it just becomes a rhythm for the two of you. <3

🪄 Leander

This man wants to hold you SO BAD.

Literally will get on his hands and knees if you ask him to. Touchstarved isn’t just the name of the game, babes!

Brags so much about his big bed at the Wet Wick but the man is so clingy you two end up using like. 20% of it.

He’s tryna be all suave, inviting you to come over and lay your head on his chest but on the inside he is screaming.

For the first dozen times he just stays up, watching you snooze or daydream against his chest. Then after a while he starts to doze off before you do.

Definitely the type to tell you bedtime stories. Most of them are just recounting things that have already happened to/around him, but occasionally he does a little embellishing or a bit of improv for flavor.

He’s doing it to keep things interesting and maybe make himself look cooler to you? But he’s keeping it as low energy as possible so you don’t lose any sleep.

🦊 Vere

If Kuras is in the Emotionally Vulnerable and Safe Cuddler corner, Vere is on the fucking polar opposite side.

Definitely makes a big show of it the first time you ask, joking about his rates and the rules (“no kissing and hands off the tail!” shit like that.)

Also gives zero fucks about your comfort. He’s like a tiny dog taking his half of the bed out of the middle and you’re just gonna have to cope for a while.

Buuuuuut… if you talk nice, let him come to you, and show him you just want proximity and nothing else… maybe he’ll warm up.

And the jokes die down, and he gives you room to settle, and eventually he’s curling up right next to you and draping his tail over your legs.

Congrats! The cute fox boy is sharing a bed with you! Beware his flicking ears and squeak-snoring.

The whole process takes a good while, but I think it’s worth it <3

⛩️ Ais

Definitely kinda coy about sharing a sleeping place at first. It’s not Vere levels of mockery—mostly cause he doesn’t mean it the way Vere does—but Ais has a really annoying habit of getting under your skin.

But yeah, after some “arm-twisting,” he’ll let you lay down and get cozy.

He goes right to sleep more often than not, though, even if that’s not what the cuddling is for. Dude just closes his eyes and drops into dreamland like it’s nothing.

He says he’s just resting his eyes but that’s only the case maybe a third of the time.

I think he probably shares his sleeping space with Soulless, which usually means he’s all cramped up, but now that he’s only sharing the bed with one other body he takes the chance to sprawl.

You will end up flat on your back/face with Ais on top of you, it’s just a matter of when it happens.

He’s an asshole about it, too. He makes this big show of how cozy he is and how it’s been supposedly “forever” since he’s got to curl up like this, but if he gets the feeling you’re being serious he’ll get off.

🪡 Mhin

Inside of Mhin are two sleeping wolves.

One of them wants cuddles really bad but is abysmal at asking for them.

The other sleeps flat on their back like a corpse and startles awake at the slightest sound.

If you’re cuddling to pass the time instead of going to sleep Mhin gets all defensive either way. “Sounds like a waste of time when I could either just sleep or do something else” type shit.

You kinda gotta wrastle them into it, especially if they’ve been staying up for prolonged periods. “Rest isn’t sleep but it’s better than nothing.”

They’re not in the habit of initiating any of the cuddling (again, that wolf would sooner die than ask,) but if you “insist” (ask politely) they’ll let you take a crack at it, “if only to get some peace and quiet.”

If they doze off, like I said, they’ll startle awake at any sound so you’re probably not going to get a lot of sleep by proxy. But! You get to hold them and explain away all the noises, which is fun <3

[sinnabarmoth]

Tribute for the Dragon (7/18)

Pairing: Dragon|Sylus x Fem|Reader

Summary: You and Sylus exchange stories.

Content Warnings: Mention of past suicide attempt.

Length: 2k

Chapters: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15) (16) (17) (18)

Read on AO3

In the morning you went about making breakfast and found Sylus waiting there for you. You felt a bit ridiculous thinking back to last night and how Sylus had to carry you back to the room like you were a child. He seemed to do that a lot, carry you around. Always made you feel light as a feather too. No grunting or huffing, he just swept you up like you were an empty sack of flour.

“Morning,” he said.

“Good morning.” you came in and started cooking some breakfast. “Sorry to make you carry me back to the room last night. I really tried staying up till you got back.”

“And why was it you were so insistent on waiting till I got back?”

“Because I wanted to talk to you.”

“I gathered as much.”

You rolled your eyes. “I just wanted to apologize for going through your stuff and figure out where we stood. I know I crossed a boundary and poked my nose into something very personal to you.”

“If we’re making apologies then I have to apologize too.” he said. “I scared you yesterday. I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t--”

“I could smell it. There’s no use denying it.”

You squared your shoulders and turned to look at him. “I wasn’t scared of you. I was more frightened about having been caught. Surprised really. Not scared.”

“If you say so.”

“If I was really scared of you wouldn’t I be stinking up the place right now?” you divided up the food onto two plates and set one in front of him. “Although, I will admit it unsettled me seeing you angry like that.”

“It shouldn’t be a surprise that dragons have tempers.”

“But I’ve yet to see it before yesterday. You’re usually very level headed actually.”

“I never had reason to lose my temper before. I regret that you had to see that.”

You waved it off. “I think maybe we should think of it as getting to know more about each other. You promised that we’d do that today. Get to know one another.”

“I did say that.” he pushed the meat around on his plate. “Alright, ask whatever you wish.”

And just like that, it was as if the previous day had never happened. You fell back into easy conversation. The best conversation you had ever had with him in fact. Over the next several days you kept having great conversations.

You learned a lot about him in that time, much more in depth than what you had learned already. A lot of your questions had to revolve around dragons and their culture. It was fascinating to hear everything he knew and it gave you a better understanding about who you were living with. Some of the things he explained to you included him taking you into the hoard room and explaining why he was attracted to certain treasures and not others.

Apparently while dragons all had a taste for treasure, their hoards were actually rather diverse. Most liked gold but there were some dragons that dealt only in gems. There are sea dragons who sometimes only collect pearls for their hoards. Sylus was one of the dragons that was attracted to gold but primarily he was attracted to gold coins in particular. He couldn’t explain why but the shape and plentifulness of it attracted him. Hoards could get cluttered with many large objects that get caught up in the mix and buried, by coins are small and can scatter. There is something in all the sameness he had said. That didn’t mean he didn’t like gems or the occasional other treasures but coins were his favorite.

He told you about dragon traditions, celebrations, species hierarchies, family dynamics, and special rites. You had never thought of dragons having traditions or parties before but it was nice to hear.

You liked especially when he told you about how hoarding worked in adolescent dragons, hatchlings is what he called them.

“Hoarding is a kind of instinct for dragons.” Sylus explained. “When you’re a child you don’t have the means to plunder castles and whatnot stealing treasure but you still want to collect something. So they’ll run around and collect little things like pinecones, feathers, bottles, that kind of thing.”

“Did you collect anything when you were a child?” you asked.

“Nuts.”

“Nuts?”

“Acorns. Walnuts. Chestnuts. Whatever I could get my hands on.”

You snorted. “Are you a dragon or a squirrel?”

“Har har, yes, I didn’t get enough of those comments when I was little.” his tail poked you in the side. “If you were a dragon as a kid what do you think you would have collected?”

“Me? Buttons.”

“Buttons?”

“Why not?”

“Certainly a new one. But it fits for you.”

In turn you told him about your own life. You told him about your childhood growing up with just your father in the village and how you had worked in his glass shop with him. You had pulled out the pendant your father had made for you before you left and showed it to him to see the kind of wonderful work he was capable of.

“It’s beautiful.” he held the charm up to the light. “What sort of flower is this?”

“It’s a moonflower, specifically a blood moonflower. They’re a rare breed of moonflower that grows in shades of red. Strangely enough they’re also the only ones that aren’t toxic.” you took the charm back, holding it close to your chest. “My favorite story growing up was actually about the myth of the blood moon flower.”

“I’m afraid I don’t know that one.”

“Want me to tell you?”

“Sure. Tell me a story.”

“There once was a little girl that lived in a small village. One day the village was attacked by foreign invaders and everything and everyone was lost, except for her. During the chaos of the attack she had ran as fast as her feet could carry her and went up into the mountains seeking protection.”

“Wait, this sounds familiar. A girl whose village is under attack so she flees to the mountains searching for help. Where have I heard this before?” Sylus tapped his chin.

You rolled your eyes. “May I continue?”

“Go ahead.”

“Anyway, the girl makes it to the mountain and starts to climb it. She climbs and climbs and climbs till her shoes have worn through and she has made it to the top. There she finds a huge empty nest with a patch of brilliant white moonflowers growing all around it. Inside the nest were dozens of huge feathers. The girl, being cold, decided to rest there and use the feathers as a blanket.

“The next morning she awoke to find the giant bird whose nest she was resting in had returned. She feared that this would be her end but the bird saw the blanket of feathers surrounding the girl and mistook her for a baby bird.

“For years the girl lived with the bird, eating the food the giant mama bird had brought and resting warmly under her feathered body during the long windy nights. All was well until one evening under the light of the full moon the mama bird had decided that it was time for the girl to leave the nest. The girl naturally did not know what to do since she was not an actual bird. She was liable to fall and die if she leapt from the nest.

“But the mama bird kept on pushing and pushing, edging the girl out of the nest. Without any other options the girl took the feathers of her blanket in hand and held them tight. The sharp ends of the quills dug into her palms and blood seeped from her hands. The blood that fell from her hands landed on the white moonflowers around the nest and when they did it created magic. The girl stared out at the starry sky and wished with all her might, and she jumped. The moment she leapt her wish came true and the girl was turned into a bird and she flew off into the world.”

You looked back at Sylus, “And that’s why blood moonflowers are red.”

“That is a fascinating story. I do not think such magic is actually possible but it makes a nice tale.”

“Whether it was actually possible or not wasn’t what I liked about it. I don’t know why but I found it comforting. It made me believe that even in a world where I’m backed into a corner there’s another way out, another way to do things. I don’t have to plummet, I might fly.”

“It’s a lovely message my little bird. I’m afraid the tales dragons tell do not have such heartfelt meanings.”

“What kind of stories do dragons tell?”

“You want to hear one?”

“Yes.” you scooted closer. “Please?”

“Fine. Fine.” Sylus sighed. “I have a story for you.”

You smiled at him expectantly. Sylus cleared his throat and stared off into the distance. “This story does not begin with a dragon. It actually starts with a human.” he said.

“A long time ago there was a human woman who had longed for a child. She went to every healer she could find but no matter what they tried, she remained barren. So, one day, she decided to seek out magic. Not just any magic, dragon magic. Said to be the most powerful of all.

“The woman had come into their land hoping to steal some of their magic for herself so she could have her child. The dragons asked her what she was doing in their land and when she told them she came to humbly ask for their assistance, they saw through her deceit. She had not just wanted a child, she wanted a strong one. She longed to give birth to a warrior that would bring fame and glory to her family’s name. That is why she truly came to the dragons.

“The dragons decided to punish the woman with exactly what she wanted. The elder of the dragon tribe plucked a scale from their body and gave it to the woman. They told her to eat the scale and that the magic within would make her fertile. And so the woman ate the scale and returned home. Soon after she became pregnant.

“Because she had eaten the scale though her pregnancy was no normal human birth. Instead of birthing a human child she had birthed a giant egg. She realized then that she had been cursed by the dragons and tried to destroy it, but the egg was too strong. Not with a hundred hammers could it be broken. So she abandoned the egg in the forest.

“The egg was found by some passing dragons and taken back to their land. When it hatched though, what emerged was neither human nor dragon, but some monstrosity stuck in a crossroads between the two.” Sylus’s face twisted, loathing you had not seen before etched into the crease of his brow.

You wanted to reach out to him but you were scared he’d stop if you tried to comfort him.

“The dragons could not abandon this thing because it was of their kin, but they did not embrace it either.” Sylus said, his hands balling into fists, “The hatchling grew, neither a part of either world. So they decided to cut off their horns and their tail and go to live with the humans.

“For a while life with the humans was good, until his horns and tail started to grow back. He was driven out again. From town to town he went, cutting off his horns and tail over and over. When scales started to grow along his arms he scraped them off too. What no one knew was that every time he cut off his horns and tail the appendages were sinking into the earth, causing the land to fallow. Soon word had spread of a silver haired boy that would bring famine to your land if allowed to remain. Village after village he was driven out.”

Sylus had gone quiet again. The rage had swelled but smoldered into ashes before it could erupt. When he spoke again, he sounded weak and tired. “One day,” he muttered, “He came to a great cliff. Feeling he had nowhere in this world, he jumped. He fell and he fell…then, a pain exploded from his back. A pair of large webbed wings caught the air and he soared across the sky. Why it happened then he could not say but he thought perhaps it meant something. Perhaps there was a land yet that would accept him.”

For a long time neither of you said anything. Sylus was stone faced but the way his tail twitched from side to side let you know how he was really feeling. “This is a story that dragons tell their children?” you asked, quietly.

“It is.”

“Is it true?”

“What do you think?”

You lapsed back into silence. You looked him up and down, your eyes lingering on his horns. You brushed a hand through his hair. “Did it hurt?”

“What?” he looked at you out of the corner of his eye.

“Your horns. Maybe that’s why they’re so sensitive.”

He looked back out into the distance. “Maybe.”

You could not imagine what his childhood was like if that was what he had lived through. It was the most he had ever confided in you. You wanted to say something. Encourage him. Assure him. Tell him in no uncertain terms that he was not a monstrosity. You wanted to let him know that it broke your heart to hear what he had tried to do. You could not imagine being in so much pain and being so alone for so many years.

Words would not come. So instead, you pulled yourself into his lap and hugged him tight. His arms closed around you, holding you close to him. His tail even had curled around you, pushing you as close to him as you could get.

You didn’t know how long you stayed like that but it did not feel at all long enough. One hug could not put all his broken pieces together. But maybe the fact that you embraced him at all let him know that he was not alone in this world. Not anymore.

[moccasins]

YES. EXACTLY

i've read the comic a million times, i basically have it memorized at this point. it's a problem. and he was kinda a jerk to life at the start too. he stumbled across her garden on accident and saw how much she disliked him and thought "you know what. i'll come here as often as i can" knowing full well how much she didn't want him to do that.

but as they started to get closer, he'd still mess up like that. she'd show him a beautiful bird and he'd tell her a story about crows eating a human alive and when she looks at him in horror is when he realizes "oh. that's probably not an appropriate story.."

he doesn't get social cues, he can't read a room, and the only stories he can tell are ones that are just disturbing. he's not a bad person, he's just never had the experience to learn what's ok and what's not. he was made and immediately thrown into his job, everyone hates him, and he hates them back. that's just asking for disaster.

and that's how he acts around gods. imagine how much of a disaster he'd be around mortals..

you know what. in afterdeath, nay, any ships involving reaper, any dynamics involving reaper, i need his status as a god to be realized more. and i don’t mean extreme shows of power (which btw i LOVE, especially if it’s nightmare getting his ass beat bc he lowkey deserves it), or the types of art where he’s the size of a tall building (which i also love)

i mean i need him to struggle with morals, with what mortals need to keep themselves alive and satisfied, struggling with figuring out what people normally do with friends or lovers, how to make them happy, forgetting to make them happy. i need him to break a social code that he just doesn’t understand because they don’t exactly have those kinds of unspoken rules in the heavens. i need him to do something that hurts someone he cares about by mistake, because he just isn’t used to what mortals need, how fragile they are (both physically and mentally) compared to him.

things just don’t apply to him and the other gods the same way they do to everyone else. and i want that shown more. i want him to struggle with social etiquette because the only people he really talks to also struggle with that because they are gods, not people. they don’t live in a society 😔

i need him to be blunt about loss, because he’s never felt it before (ASSUMING this takes place in either a version of reapertale where life doesn’t die, or he just never meets life). i need him to be inconsiderate and neglectful without realizing, because he doesn’t need to eat or drink or shower or sleep, he forgot mortals need to do that, and that mortals have emotional needs as well. he can’t just go to work for weeks on end and come back without warning, but he doesn’t get why for a while. time is meaningless to him, but painfully valuable to mortals.

he doesn’t see the day to day life of mortals (take a shot for every time i’ve said mortals jfc), only the end of it. he doesn’t grasp it. what i’m saying is make him a bit more like that one scene in steven universe. “can’t you just talk to me like a real person?!” “i’m… not a real person.”

i also need him to improve on this behavior after being informed, obviously not perfectly i mean in a realistic manner. i am not saying you should make him toxic. just clarifying. don’t make him an abusive prick or bad partner for no reason i just want his status as a god, confused about mortals (yet another shot) and their needs, to be used more bc it’s interesting

[strwbmei]

Matchup Event

Matchup for: @woman-simp

Matchups: Elysia, Lisa, Kokomi

Contains: maybe ooc, fluff, nsfw, alcohol consumption (lisa), mommy kink (lisa), impact play (lisa), whipping (lisa), tentacles (kokomi), guided masturbation (elysia), phone sex (elysia), underwater date (kokomi), possessive sex (kokomi), cunningilus (kokomi), marking (kokomi), dacryphilia (kokomi)

A/N: So, so sorry for taking so long! I think this is the longest thing I've written. I hope you like it!

Elysia

╰┈➤ SFW ;

: ̗̀➛ You two are so different, yet so similar at the same time! You complete each other's flaws in all of the best ways, and neither of you can imagine a life without the other.

: ̗̀➛ As much as Elysia wants to wrap herself around you and cling to you at any chance, she's very understanding with your boundaries when it comes to that sort of stuff. Besides, it'll only make your shows of affection that much more meaningful— or so, Elysia says.

: ̗̀➛ She'll definitely be holding your hand 24/7, though! Elysia would either drag you to every interesting thing she sees (mostly boutiques and small food stalls on the street) or squeeze your hand tightly if you're getting overwhelmed by crowds or loud noises.

: ̗̀➛ Elysia doesn't mind when you act "mean" to her. She can easily see through what you're doing, and in fact, she thinks it's cute! She'll act all dramatically hurt, but that's really only one of her many ways to "trick" you into giving her a kiss to make up for what you did.

: ̗̀➛ Whenever you're talking about your interests, Elysia is torn. She just can't decide if she should learn about them to match your enthusiasm or stay uninformed because you are extremely attractive in her eyes whenever you're explaining something you're passionate about.

Dates with Elysia are... spontaneous, to say the least. Most of the time, neither of you are prepared nor do you have anything planned. You and Elysia are just walking aimlessly, stopping across anything that piques your interest.

: ̗̀➛ You don't need to worry about cuddles— Elysia will gladly provide as much of them as you want, and more! She was a bit shy about it when you two first started dating, but now, you've accepted your fate as her personal pillow to hug, lay on, and hold as much as she wishes.

Even on your first date, you were only spending time together as usual before the elf suddenly asked you out. You had no time to prepare, but you would never refuse her. "Ooh, look! I didn't know they had such a cozy cafe in this part of the city!" Elysia suddenly exclaimed, hurriedly speed-walking to what seemed to be a small, homey coffee bar with your hand in hers. Before she can even reach the cafe, she's already talking about going there for your next date until she spots a small stall on the side of the road offering tarot card readings. And then someone selling animal balloons. And then a cute cat. It doesn't take much time until you're getting dragged from place to place. Elysia is like a small kid walking into a store with all of the toys they could only ever dream of, and you have to admit, seeing her all excited has your heart racing and blood rushing to your cheeks.

It's like she's seeing the world for the first time. And it is when she's with you— your presence somehow makes the world that much more of a positive and colorful place in her eyes. Normally, you'd be tired out of your mind from running around so much— and frankly, this is probably the most you've walked in a single day— but Elysia somehow manages to make even the most draining and mundane things enjoyable. You can't imagine wanting to spend your life with anyone else.

╰┈➤ NSFW ;

: ̗̀➛ Elysia is surprisingly more on the vanilla side. Sex for her is more about being vulnerable and open and showing your love for each other. Still, that doesn't mean she doesn't have any kinks.

: ̗̀➛ She's mostly into overstimulating and/or edging, whether she's the one receiving or giving. Being able to give and take away her partner's pleasure as she wishes gives her such a power trip. You're just so cute, all teary-eyed as you beg her to make you cum like you know she can easily do.

: ̗̀➛ Elysia isn't cruel at all, though! Sure, being edged for hours on end might burn, but she somehow makes the orgasm you'll feel by the end of it make all of it worth it.

: ̗̀➛ On that note, Elysia isn't much of a fan of rough sex. She wants to feel loved and safe during it, and she wants the same for you as well. The last thing she'd want is to hurt her precious sweetheart. Light choking and slapping are definitely on the table, though.

: ̗̀➛ Oh, and if you happen to mention that you'd let her use you any way she wants? Good luck because there's no way Elysia would have any need to masturbate when she has such a pretty girl willing to service her on those nights when she wants you most.

: ̗̀➛ Expect endless praise while you're having sex. You're just so beautiful and pretty and gorgeous in her eyes, and Elysia just can't shut up about it! It's not even a conscious decision— she's merely saying whatever comes to her mind.

For the first time in your relationship, Elysia is away. Far, far away.

Her job had an emergency and required her to travel for a week. It took many "fights" (aka Elysia refusing to leave your side, even going as far as to offer to somehow fit you inside of her suitcase), but you finally managed to convince her that what she wanted just wasn't possible.

It's only a week, after all. You've survived a decade or two being single; one week away from your lover isn't going to kill you. Or so, that was what you thought. As much as you didn't want to admit it, you had gotten used to her beaming smile greeting you first thing in the morning. Your days don't seem complete without her by your side. You were missing her. Badly. Hearing her voice only made you miss her touch even more, and the elf was quick to pick up on that. What you had intended to be an innocent phone call quickly turned into Elysia telling you with her voice smooth as honey how to finger yourself. "That's it, pretty girl... You're doing so well for me, aren't you?" You nod, even though you're aware that Elysia can't see with the camera's position. As your fingers start speeding up, she can tell you're close to orgasm. "Turn the phone up, hm? Let me see your face as you cum." As your facial expression contorted with pleasure, Elysia wouldn't want anything more than to come home right this second and give you orgasm after orgasm. Being able to make you cum without even touching you might just be her proudest achievement. "I miss you so bad, baby... I'll make it up to you ten- no, a hundredfold when I get home." She sighs. With most people, you'd think this would be an exaggeration, but Elysia isn't just "most people." She's completely serious, and you know that she's more than capable of fulfilling that promise. Just a few more days. A few more days, and you'll be able to spend as much time together as you want. After all, you missed her too.

Lisa

╰┈➤ SFW ;

: ̗̀➛ This librarian thinks you're the cutest little thing in the world, and she doesn't hide it in the least. Your walk? Lovely. Your sneeze? Adorable. Your eyes? Absolutely delightful.

: ̗̀➛ Lisa isn't crazy for cuddles, but whenever the two of you sleep in the same bed, she's the type to pull you back in for them as soon as you try to get up. If you're a morning person, that's too bad because you don't have any choice but to stay huddled up with her until she eventually decides to wake up.

: ̗̀➛ She calls you a bunch of terms of endearment, mostly using "cutie," "sweetheart," or "darling." At first, this was only Lisa's way of showing her love, but after seeing your flustered reactions, she practically abuses these just to see you blush. She knows the effect she has on you and she takes full advantage of it.

: ̗̀➛ Whatever you're interested in, Lisa is knowledgeable about. She'll easily match how fast you're talking, as she's also just as excited as you are. Conversations where she can talk about these niche topics are rare, and it can't get much better than having them with her favorite person.

: ̗̀➛ Afternoon tea is Lisa's way of rewarding herself with a few minutes of leisure, and she always has them alone. Her inviting you to join her is basically her telling you that just you being there is enough to put her at ease. She'll often play with your hair, running her fingers through your scalp while reading a book.

: ̗̀➛ Lisa prefers to keep her desk mostly clean other than a some books and a tea set, but over time it's gotten filled with all the little gifts and trinkets you've given her. Now there are flowers that she takes very good care of and a framed picture of you two that she can't help but smile at.

Being the more quiet and introverted type, Mondstadt's library seemed to be the perfect place to relax. There are little to no people, and occasionally, you could hear who you assumed to be the librarian humming almost inaudibly from the restricted section.

Whether you're into reading or not, there was nothing quite like listening to the soft voice of this mystery woman. It was hauntingly beautiful, as was her appearance itself.

Lisa was attracted to you, and she made that obvious with every chance she got. It didn't take long before she just decided to outright ask you out to dinner.

You were curious where she'd take you as there aren't many options in Mondstadt, but you didn't expect her to invite you to her house. Most of all, you didn't expect her to take you there as soon as you said yes, but hey, it's not like you have anything better to do anyway. At least, nothing better than having dinner with such a gorgeous woman. Her house is almost as elegant as she is with the classy, yet also cozy furniture along with the relaxing ambient lighting. It's not very organized, but she keeps it clean. The whole place, down to the smell (which was very good, by the way) just screamed Lisa. She'd do mostly everything by herself like lighting the candles and setting up the table, but she'd gladly accept help for the more complicated and time-consuming tasks like cooking. The food is great, and the atmosphere is romantic. You're honestly surprised since Lisa doesn't seem to be the type to put this much effort into dates. Or anything, for that matter. Even her table manners are perfect down to the smallest details. "The night is long. Allow me to use this time to get to know you better, sweetheart." Lisa smiles, pouring you a glass of finely aged wine. As you see your own reflection in the glass, you get the feeling that tonight is going to change the direction of your life.

╰┈➤ NSFW ;

: ̗̀➛ Oh, she's freaky freaky. Instead of asking what she's into, it'd be better to ask what she isn't. She's dominant both during sex and outside of it.

: ̗̀➛ Lisa can be gentle, especially if it's your first time, but if she knows that you can take it then you will take it. Expect to wake up with your body littered with whip marks and hickeys. She generally tries to avoid spots that often show, though.

: ̗̀➛ She'll combine the dirtiest words with the sweetest voice, teasing you for being so filthy and desperate while calling you her sweet angel. She loves seeing your mind turn into mush from the mixture of praise and degradation.

: ̗̀➛ Has a huge mommy kink. Calling Lisa that is a surefire way to get her to bring you to the bedroom and fuck you. Or any surface and location works, really. She's not picky.

: ̗̀➛ Doesn't use strap-ons much. Lisa thinks they're a hassle to put on. She's more than capable of making you squirt with a few careful movements of her tongue and fingers anyway. If anything, she'd much rather use a double-ended dildo or make a strap using her electro vision.

: ̗̀➛ She's an absolute god at aftercare. Massages, refreshments, a fresh bath... anything you can think of, Lisa is prepared to provide, especially after a particularly rough session. You somehow end up feeling lighter and more energized than you did before having sex.

"Already so wet for me, and we haven't even gotten started yet." Lisa chuckles darkly, whipping your ass. The pain makes you yelp and arch your back even more.

As much as you want to grip the sheets, your hands are bound together tightly behind your back. All you can do is squirm and whine helplessly in Lisa's grasp, and you love it. She knows that you do.

"Yeah? You enjoy being a filthy whore for Mommy?" Soft hands gently rub over the spot she had just whipped almost apologetically, until she harshly slaps the same area.

Her free hand grabs onto your hips, and you hear electricity crackling behind you. You don't have to look to know what she's going to do next.

"Do you want it inside of you?" Lisa asks, her tone almost mocking. It's more of an order rather than a question, really. She already knows what your answer is going to be, she just wants to make you beg for it.

"Please, Mommy... I swear I'll be your good girl, so plea- mmpf...!" Your words turn into a moan as you feel the tip rub against your clit, electricity coursing throughout your whole body.

"So cute when you beg all nice for me..." Lisa coos. Her strap is warm and big, the electro making it feel as if it were vibrating as it bullies itself inside of you.

"You know that Mommy can't resist cute little bunnies like you."

Kokomi

╰┈➤ SFW ;

: ̗̀➛ You two are the type of couple to generally just enjoy each other's company, no matter what you're doing. There's no need for words, just your mere presence is enough to provide her with respite.

: ̗̀➛ That said, Kokomi shoulders a lot of responsibility as both the Divine Priestess and supreme leader of Watatsumi Island, often leading to her spending an ungodly amount of hours working. She's very apologetic about not being able to spend much time with you, and she appreciates it a lot whenever you visit her in her office. You often end up massaging her shoulders as she takes a much-needed break.

: ̗̀➛ If Kokomi has the time, she'd much rather take a stroll through Watatsumi Island with you. Taking in the beautiful scenery and clearing her mind with you by her side is no doubt her favorite way to relax after a hard day's work.

: ̗̀➛ Like you, she's not big on PDA in public— just for different reasons. Kokomi is aware that she may have enemies lurking in the shadows even after the Shogun's Vision Hunt Decree, and she doesn't want her beloved to get hurt because of her selfishness.

: ̗̀➛ If you're feeling down or tired, Kokomi would make little water replicas of your favorite animals and sea creatures. Sometimes, she'll even make them do little tricks to cheer you up. It's hard to control her vision so precisely, but it's all worth it once she sees your eyes light up again.

: ̗̀➛ The biggest reason why Kokomi fell in love with you was because you don't put her on a pedestal like everybody else. They always expect her to be able to do mostly anything when in reality, she's just a normal girl. Her hands also shake whenever she's about to give a speech, and she also sometimes feels like giving up whenever she sees the pile of work on her desk. It's only with you that she can be vulnerable because only you see her for who she truly is.

"Lian," Kokomi called out to you, rubbing a pattern of soothing circles onto the back of your hand. "Don't worry. Everything will be alright." Her voice gives you the courage to open your eyes once more, and you're met by the sight of all of the sea creatures you thought you'd only be able to dream of seeing this close. The whole experience was like something from a fairy tale with how magical it was.

Kokomi loves listening to you talk about the things you're passionate about! She's always eagerly paying attention and taking note of everything you say, already thinking of date and gift ideas. Hence why she had this idea for your first date. As Kokomi stepped into the water, it separated and diverged as if to make way for her. "Shall we?" She turned to face you, offering her hand. You don't know what you were expecting when she asked to meet by the shore, but it wasn't this. Still, you believed in Kokomi. You always have and you always will. The smile she wore at this moment was different from all the forced ones during those business meetings you know she loathed. It was a smile that, without any words, told you only one thing: "Trust me." You take her hand. The water formed a bubble around the two of you as she led you further into the sea. It didn't take long until the two of you were completely underwater.

You take a deep breath, squeezing your eyes shut. Honestly, you were scared, but as long as you had Kokomi by your side, you knew that you'd be safe. She wouldn't let you come to harm.

Bioluminescent jellyfish lit up the waters. Sunlight shone through the surface of the sea, its light dispersing to make everything look that much more beautiful. Resplendent corals decorate the sea floor beneath you. Soon after, a school of the most colorful fish you've seen started swimming circles around you two. The bubble you were in felt like it was in a different world, and with how you felt like this moment was the only thing that mattered, it may as well have been. Kokomi takes out a pearl necklace and speaks, her voice filled with utmost devotion and love, "Will you give me a chance to make you happy, my dearest?"

╰┈➤ NSFW ;

: ̗̀➛ Dominant switch, mostly tops. Sex with her is always about intimacy and/or claiming each other rather than just for pleasure, though that's also a big part of it. She's the definition of the phrase "treat her like a princess, fuck her like a whore."

: ̗̀➛ Lots of kissing and hand holding during it. It doesn't exactly give the two of you more pleasure per se, but she finds her hands seeking out yours to intertwine fingers. Both of you are much better at communicating through actions than words, anyway.

: ̗̀➛ If you make her jealous, you better start praying to Orobashi that you'll keep your ability to walk. Kokomi knows very well what the limits of humans are, and she's more than capable of bringing you to its very edge. This woman might look cute, but she is not to be underestimated.

: ̗̀➛ Tentacles. For everything. Restraints? Yes. Gags? Sure. Penetration? As long as you're up to it. She's particularly into tying you up with them: tight enough so you can't get away, but loose enough so she can still watch you struggle helplessly.

: ̗̀➛ She's probably the most sadistic out of everyone on this list. Kokomi doesn't want to hurt you physically, but whether she's topping or not, she'll edge or overstimulate you to the point you're crying for mercy. Seeing tears run down that pretty face of yours just does something to her.

Slimy, translucent tentacles wrap themselves around your arms and legs, effectively immobilizing you. For some reason, the grip they have on you feels... rougher than usual.

Kokomi walks towards you with a smile, but it's neither warm nor inviting. If anything, it was similar to a predator looking down upon its prey. Sensing something was off, you were about to ask when a tentacle covers your mouth.

"Shh... I'm sorry, my love, but I need this." Your legs are spread involuntarily, and she brings herself face to face with your weeping cunt. A messy mixture of kisses and bites are left along your thighs before she dives her tongue head first into your folds, lapping you up like a starved man.

You want so badly to close your legs, but you can't. You can't even moan her name. You can't do anything. All you can do is let out muffled moans and cry as you're helplessly brought to orgasm after orgasm.

Really, she feels bad for this. Kokomi trusts you, but she just needs to convince herself that you're hers. That only she can make you squirt until you genuinely feel like you're going to pass out if you cum one more time.

That doesn't mean she doesn't enjoy it, though.

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

Hey sex witch!

I’m in my first relationship and neither my bf or I have had partnered sex. We both come from evangelical purity culture backgrounds. I’ve done years of work on educating myself and reconnecting with my sexuality. We’re both on the same page that we’d like to have sex. But I recently realized (after months of dating) the extent to which he is not in the same place as me.

He hasn’t done much at all to discard his sheltered upbringing. He admitted he knew very little about sexual anatomy or how arousal works. He has a hard line that we don’t do anything sexual that involves genitals until he isn’t freaked out by the idea. Obviously I’ve respected that boundary and I sympathize with it, but the idea is that we’ll get to that eventually.

I’ve asked him to do the self-work required to get us both to where we want to be sexually, but he gets weirdly defensive about not knowing stuff and really isn’t making any progress on educating himself or getting more comfortable with his sexuality. I recently told him that I don’t feel very secure in his seeming lack of curiosity and initiative in this area and he took it pretty personally.

Is it reasonable that this has shaken my faith in the relationship? Should I keep waiting for him to get it together? Do you have any good resources that cover basic sex ed for adults, or talk about dealing with sexual shame and self-image?

Thanks for all you do on this blog (Batfam takes included)!

hi anon,

I remember reading this right before I took my little inbox hiatus and really looking forward to answering it, so thank you for your patience.

based on the information I have access to, it seems seems like there's a definite need for a check-in here. if the current understanding in your relationship is that there are certain places where you're paused barring certain criteria being met - you would both like to have sex, but he needs to get to a place where he's able to engage with that comfortably - and he's not doing anything to meet those criteria, then that warrants a conversation about where exactly he feels like he's stalling out.

seeking out new information can be daunting, especially if it's information that someone feels like they're "supposed" to already know. it can be embarrassing and shameful, and having that lack of information pointed out can compound that embarrassment.

it might be fun for you and your partner to start seeking out information together. you could watch Lindsey Doe's Sexplanations videos to start nailing the basics of anatomy and arousal, or check out a lighthearted and bingable series like Sex, Explained, How to Build a Sex Room, or the Principles of Pleasure to get sex into the conversation in a way that's low-pressure and fun. maybe you could even start a book club - maybe something like Ruby Rare's book, Sex Ed for Adults?

of course, if all of this leads to a whole lot of nothing and your boyfriend remains uninterested in learning alongside you, it may be time for a serious conversation about the future of your relationship. it's all fine and good if he's a reluctant learner and isn't ready to have sex quite yet, but you also have the right to move on when things are moving at a pace that's gotten to be too slow for you and is no longer meeting your wants and needs.

[hugemilkshake]

https://www.tumblr.com/hugemilkshake/746976766494720000/httpswwwtumblrcomhugemilkshake74666492724104?source=share

I love a lot of those ideas...and actually now got ideas for a part 2:

Imagine if the ancients visit y/n after a while of y/n just staying mostly in bed...and it's so they can dote on y/n too and make sure they are relaxed and happy and can imagine a little add on if you want...based off the "freshly baked cookie" part...

Like at one point dark enchantress shows up and ancients prepare to fight buuuut turns out she isn't here to cause stress for y/n by causing a war...she is here to help y/n learn to walk! Like she is holding y/n up and letting go so y/n slowly learns to stand and when they get the hang of it...they make a fun game to make sure y/n is having fun and happy while learning to walk (and so various cookies can have a chance to hug y/n...you'll understand why when I say game. Also it's so cookies can show their love for y/n and vent out a little of their competition through a fun game...aaaand remind themselves to keep their fight for y/n on the down low because...again want y/n to feel safe and happy.)

The game? A play obstacle course where each cookie is a 'check point' where y/n simply has to walk up to them and give them a hug before going onto the next cookie...and like the cookies are cheering them on "come on y/n! You can do it!" Ofcourse having some cookies nearby so if y/n starts to stumble, they can rush up to y/n like "hey hey its ok its ok...you're ok, we are here for you!"

And can imagine at the end, the cookies are all super proud of y/n lol!

Oooor maybe you can make up you're own 'y/n learns to walk' game where cookies can be more...competitive...buuut ofcourse maybe they mask it behind playful banter and so on so y/n doesn't feel the stress of having cookies fight over them lol!

Sorry if I'm being too descriptive or if I Sounded weird or anything lol! Just got thoughts flowing lmao!

Enjoy the milkshake! Don’t worry about sounding too descriptive, it’s actually more helpful for me since I don’t have to think of a plot- also dark enchantress might be ooc

How do you walk?

Part 1, part 3

Self aware AU

-platonic-

“ … and that’s when Blackberry Cookie came over to calm down Onion Cookie! After that everything was fine!”

You rested in the bed as Gingerbrave talked about recent events, this was a weekly occurrence, you didn’t hate it! But you wished you could walk around and talk to more cookie besides Gingerbrave, Strawberry, Wizard Or Custard lll…

Gingerbrave got up to leave before saying one last thing “Oh and one last thing before I leave! The ancient Cookies are going to be visiting! They might come see you to try and help you with your problem”

Huh… that was new… some cookies who might be able to help you out… only issue was that these cookies are some of the strongest in this game, or well this world you should say. So you were nervous about that.

A week went by the ancient cookie finally arrived in the cookie kingdom

You were nervous, an even a little scared

I mean these cookies could kill you if desired.

And you couldn’t even walk! So you couldn’t do anything against them!

When the ancients arrived, Pure Vanilla was the first to come into the room, along with Gingerbrave.

Dark Cacao and Golden Cheese came in next, followed by White Lily and Hollyberry.

Gingerbrave introduced you since you couldn’t talk

Now the vibe was meant to be nice and friendly, but it just wasn’t

It was VERY awkward

Now all the ancients had different opinions on you

Pure Vanilla wanted to help you get better since you literally couldn’t do anything but you couldn’t talk so he didn’t want to overstep any boundaries

Hollyberry wanted to lighten up you mood, so she told jokes and it worked for a little bit

Dark Cacao was very unsure of what to think about you. He’s not good with stuff like this

Golden Cheese was a bit like Hollyberry in a way but her jokes didn’t land that much

White Lily was very fascinated by your predicament. She has studied cookies for a while and has never seen something like this happen before

And Gingerbrave was there to have things to a bit more smoothly.

But in the end you guys didn’t get anything done. You couldn’t talk so it was to be expected.

The ancients bid you a farewell and left along with Gingerbrave

You were now alone…

It was the dead of night and you were reading since you were so used to staying up late and not sleeping, it was something you were working on.

But unlike all the other nights, everything felt off. Like there was a lurking darkness around you, it kinda give you anxiety.

No… not kinda…

It did give you anxiety.

You were reading when you heard your door open, and you saw a figure that resembled White Lily

You greeted her…. At least you thought you greeted White Lily…

When the figure responded, if definitely didn’t sound like White Lily

The figure stepped into the light and you froze in fear

Dark Enchantress was right in front of you

Now you were used to stressful situations but this was different

You were actively in danger.

You were going to scream before the sorceress shushed you

“Don’t scream. Im not going to hurt someone as pathetic as you.”

Ouch… but you weren’t in danger so that was good..?

Dark Enchantress told you that you needed to get up and walk. And without warning she pulled you up and got you to balance yourself

“Your not going to survive if you keep being babied by cookies. Now I’m going to leave you. Next time I see you, you better be able to walk”

And just like that she left.

You were left confused and started

And needless to say the next day Strawberry Cookie came into the room she had a heart attack since you were standing.

[lukyan-james-barnes]

"And who am I, father?"

People usually hear the last name “Barnes” and think they know everything they need to. They see the history behind it—the legends, the shadows, the expectations—and for some reason, they expect me to live up to them. The thing is, I don’t try to be someone I’m not, but it’s hard not to feel the weight of it sometimes. Growing up around parents like mine, you learn fast that your actions carry more than just your own consequences. I guess it’s not always a bad thing, though. It keeps you focused. It keeps you moving forward.

I’m not a big talker. Not because I can’t hold a conversation, but because most of the time, there’s just no need. I watch, I listen, I think. Then I act. I’ve learned that less is usually more. You don’t need to speak every thought that comes to your mind. And when you do speak, it better count. My parents always said there’s power in silence—it forces you to listen harder. It’s a habit that’s stuck.

I guess I’m not a typical 21-year-old. Most people my age are still figuring things out, still testing boundaries, still trying to figure out who they are. I’ve always known exactly what I am: a reflection of everything that’s come before me, but also something different. Something that’s still finding its own way. It’s why I spend so much time training, not just physically but mentally, too. I’ve spent years working on my mind, sharpening my instincts, building my endurance. I’ve been pushed to my limits in every way, from combat to survival to just holding it together when everything around me seems to fall apart. I’ve learned how to push back against my own limits. And I’ve learned that knowing when to step back is just as important as knowing when to move forward.

I guess, in a way, I’ve become this blend of things—my dad’s resilience and my mom’s calm, focused precision. The way they both move through the world, seeing everything and nothing at the same time. It’s not something that’s always easy to handle. People tend to have their own ideas about who I should be, based on who they think I come from. But I’ve always done my best to stay grounded in what matters: doing the work, learning the lessons, and finding the space between all the noise.

I can be quiet, but I’m never unaware. Some people think I’m distant or cold. I don’t mind that. It’s just who I am. I don’t waste energy on things that don’t matter. I’d rather observe, take my time, and understand the situation before I make my move. When I do speak, it’s not just to fill the space—it’s because I have something worth saying.

Most people don’t realize how much of a fight is mental. It’s not always about strength—it’s about knowing yourself and staying calm when things get chaotic. That’s how I approach everything. Life, combat, decisions—it’s all about maintaining control, even when everything’s in motion.

I don’t talk about the other stuff much—the part of me that’s a little... different. The side of me that carries a few extra genes that make me more than just human. It’s there, sure, and it makes certain things easier, but I’ve never let it define me. In some ways, it makes things harder. People expect more from you when they know what you’re capable of, and it’s a lot to live up to. I guess it’s just another layer of the balancing act I’ve been figuring out my whole life.

So, yeah. That’s me. I’m not perfect. I’m not trying to be. But I’ve learned to trust myself—to trust my instincts, my training, and the lessons I’ve been taught. Maybe that makes me seem distant, maybe it makes me seem like I’ve got everything together. But the truth is, I’m just doing the best I can with the cards I’ve been dealt, while still trying to figure out what happens next. I’ve got a long way to go, but I’m not backing down anytime soon.

-- L.J. Barnes.

[ghostwiththeemost]

⇢ ˗ˏˋ FROM THE CRADLE TO CREMATION . . . DEATH JUST NEEDS A LITTLE CONVERSATION ~ !࿐ྂ

Hey babes~ seems ya found my blog! Welcome to my humble abode. You may be asking “who is this SEXY SEXY man?” Well I’ll tell ya! I’m Behjdbbdnf… Beejkbngd… Bug wine. 🪲🧃. Use the emojis babe. I can’t type my own fucking name apparently. How fucked up is THAT?! Ugh, anyway… Let’s get onto the real shit. I’m the boss bitch here, you should hire me to get some shitty humans out of your beloved home. Or, call me up to fuck. Either works.

Alright, alright. People put their info and shit so I’ll do just that. I’m 🪲🧃, but ya can call me “sexy” or “handsome” or “sweets” or “pretty boy” or anything ;)~ Kay, moving on! I’m the ghost with the most, the biggest dick in town babe. He/him, but I can also be your/yours~ ;) I don’t care for labels, I’m a sexual beast. You wanna talk? Talk. You wanna flirt? Flirt. Send nudes? Eeeehhhh… Probably not, sorry sweetheart. I’d totally say yes, but that’d get me banned.

Anything else? Yeah, a lot actually. Ask me about shit. I’m over 600 years old, I’ve seen a lot, done a lot, witnessed a lot, I’m the fuckin best. I mean look at me, I’m the coolest ghost in town! ;)~ Also the best dick. DEFINITELY the best dick.

Well well well! Quite Fancy seeing you back here! Yet ANOTHER wonderful roleplay blog, and even a BETTER character?!?!??!?!1 WOAHHHHH! Wowie!

Hi! I'm the wonderful mod behind this obnoxious green ghoul of a man, and I hope you can stay a bit, have a seat, chat a bit! Learn a bit, see some tags behind this wonderful super duper cool page, yakknow how it is!

The name's Dew! Dewey if you wanna be fancy, but nah, I'm just a guy on the internet here to write for his funny bug man. No formalities needed. The pronouns are HE/SHE! I'm Genderfluid and Gay!

Kay, mini bits of info here... I'm an adult! So that being said I'm going to keep a boundary on certain aspects such as some forms of nsfw and SOME ships. Mostly I don't care? I'd just prefer if you were to tell me or have your age in bio before deciding to imply nsfw ROLEPLAYS. Flirting or nsfw anons I don't really care about, it's bound to happen, but you get it. also beetlebabes dni you all SUUUUUCKKKK.

Let's see... I have some other accounts. @candycoffinss , @photographerstanheight , @screamingqueenxoxo ... Other stuff, we'll see what I reveal.

Right, right... Tags and extra info... |🪲| ~ 𝑴𝑶𝑫 𝑻𝑨𝑳𝑲𝑺! - This is me talking!! >:] |🪲| ~ 𝑩𝑬𝑬𝑻𝑳𝑬𝑱𝑼𝑰𝑪𝑬 𝑨𝑵𝑺𝑾𝑬𝑹𝑺! - Replies to asks, you know how it is. |🪲| ~ 𝑩𝑱’𝑺 𝑽𝑰𝑪𝑻𝑰𝑴𝑺! - call for interacts maybe?? |🪲| ~ 𝑩𝑬𝑬𝑻𝑳𝑬𝑱𝑼𝑰𝑪𝑬 𝑺𝑷𝑬𝑨𝑲𝑺! - Random yapping he does, reblogs... etc. |🪲| ~ 𝑩𝑬𝑬𝑻𝑳𝑬𝑱𝑼𝑰𝑪𝑬𝑺 𝑯𝑨𝑼𝑵𝑻𝑰𝑵𝑮𝑺! - Interactions Yeaaaaa

|🪲🔞| ~ 𝑺𝑼𝑮𝑮𝑬𝑺𝑻𝑰𝑽𝑬! - yea some things will be suggestive labeled just in case pleeease be cautious tyyy beetlejuice can be a menace.

ALRIGHT! FINAL BIT OF INFO!!!!! This writing of beetlejuice is a mix of everything, but I'm mainly leaning toward Justin Collette's version of Beetlejuice. He's still Beetlejuice of course, but keep in mind he won't be much like Alex Brightman if you're looking for an adaptation of him! (...There will be crumbs tho. Pathetic meow meow...) ANYWAY! Yeah, Just wanted to throw that out there, I didn't know if people would want my head for it LMAOOOO but YEAH!!! I'm free w any interactions btw. other fandoms, other blogs, movie characters, musical characters, do it !! >:] ok I think that's it... until I decide to go bonkers again. thanks for reading if you got this far! smooches ur forehead /p

[permanentlyexhaustedpigeon88]

My parents were the first to teach me to see myself as ‘less than.’

Not in so many words, of course, and not explicitly.  If asked, I know for a fact they will deny this reality to their dying breath.  And maybe an argument could be made that I was (and still am) reaching, where this is concerned.  Maybe I am, and all of their gaslighting when I try to explain this to them is actually true.  Maybe I’m the crazy one.  But I’m asking all of you to indulge me anyway, because what if—

What if I’m not?

My earliest memories as a kid go beyond being taught basic manners and respect.  As I’ve grown older and spent more and more time thinking about stuff like this, trying to dig out the why behind some of the mindsets I’ve adopted through the years, I’ve learned that for them, it was less about respect and more about complete, unquestioning compliance with their will.  Of course, I can recognize the wisdom in that, depending on the circumstances.  If a kid is rushing, full-speed at danger, you want them to listen and stop when you tell them, and you can’t always afford the time it will take to delve into an explanation as to why that stop is necessary in the first place before they comply.  

I’m not talking about that type of situation, though.  Rather, I’m talking about any act.  Any conversation.  Any opinion I had, from a very young age, where I differed from them, and they retaliated, despite how my perceived “deviance” truly would have had little to no bearing on my continuing health, or safety.

If it didn’t match up, 100%, with their own thoughts and expectations, I had best change my behaviors/actions immediately, or risk severe consequences.

I can remember coming home from church one Sunday, after some vague transgression, and being screamed at, at 5 years old.  “Who the hell are you, and what have you done with my daughter?”  I can still see my mother, kicking her shoes off in the hallway, in my general direction, and me, ducking out of the way of the flying projectiles as she was storming up the stairs to leave me with my screaming father.  Whatever I’d done, it clearly failed to live up to who they thought I should be.  How they thought I should represent them.  And I was going to pay the price.

Sure, this did teach me to toe the line.  To behave.  To be the girl who was “far more mature than her age, a genuine pleasure to have in class.”  And maybe that’s not always a bad thing.  I did learn how to show respect, and how to treat people—all people—as human, and I value that more than anything.  I never wanted to be cruel.  But what it also taught was that anything I wanted, or needed, or thought?  It always had to fall underneath the desires of others, or there would be a punishment.  

And that punishment did not always fit the crime.

Fast forward to my first friendship.  A girl who was not raised like I was, she was confident in herself, even in kindergarten.  Sure of her place in the world, and her worthiness of love.  That confidence astounded me, and intimidated me, and when she tested the boundaries between the two of us, however tiny they might have been at the time, given our age, I immediately fawned.  Capitulated.  Whatever she wanted, she got, without a fight, and whether on purpose or not, she grew used to that, and continued on.  How could she know to do any different, when I never once acted like I minded at all?

Still, it reinforced how I thought my life was supposed to be.  I didn’t recognize it as such at the time, of course, but the people-pleasing tendencies were already firmly in place.  As I grew, and found other friendships, or at least what I imagined were other friendships, the same sort of patterns emerged.  

Confident, and potentially domineering alpha friend?

Check.

Me, giving in to their every whim, to keep them as a friend because I was terrified of being alone?  Because being alone, somehow, would mean that I was even more inferior than I already felt myself to be while sometimes being blatantly and openly disrespected and mistreated, and I sure as hell couldn’t afford that?

Double check.

And then, enter the time when most of the girls my age were finding their first boyfriend, and I was still, predictably, single.

It added an entirely new layer to the inferiority complex.  Not only with the obvious “something must be wrong with me, since no one ever shows interest” side of things, but with the “my friend canceled plans at the last minute because her boyfriend wanted to do something instead” angle as well.  I often asked myself why would anyone want to spend time with someone like me, voluntarily, when they had something else better to do?  Someone else better at their side. 

And again, I said nothing, because only having a part-time friend was still better than no friends at all.

By the time I reached high school, I can’t honestly say if pure chance kept me finding these so-called friendships, or if I was somehow unconsciously seeking them out by this point, because they were all I felt I deserved, but it created an interesting situation at home, as well.  (And by interesting, I mean…not in a good way).  My parents were flabbergasted as to why I put up with this treatment.  They would spew vitriol my way about my “wrongness” for choosing these allegedly terrible people to spend my time with, and demand that I “stand up for myself” as though it was as easy as flipping on a switch.  As if they hadn’t created this perfect, meek little people-pleasing mess with their own hands, words, and actions.

I was being criticized at home, and at times openly bullied by these ‘friends’ at school, so there wasn’t a second of escape from it, at all, and when I dared to inadvertently take out my frustration at the entire situation on—you guessed it, my parents—we returned to the “consequences” stage as easy as breathing.  Punishment was far more of a routine in that house than praise ever was, and how could it be any other way?  How could it, when the things I was praised for—grades, performances in band and dance—became what was expected of me, instead of something to be celebrated (and you might have already guessed, any transgression here was punished as well).

It was just a matter of what that punishment would be.  Spankings and groundings turned into guilt trips, facial slapping, and screaming matches almost overnight.  And so, the cycle of drilling into my head that I was to be meek and subservient at all times continued, even if those specific words were never once spoken out loud.

So why am I rambling about this at all?  Honestly?  It’s not because I’m against discipline, or boundaries, or making sure that, if you’re out there, raising a child, you’re helping to develop someone who will treat others with respect and kindness, and compassion as well.  

Rather, it’s because in the process of training and developing young minds, stressing the importance of obedience when necessary, and so much more, it is imperative that there is some sort of balance.  That compliance when needed is still achieved (particularly as it pertains to the health and safety of the child and those around them), but that it is not emphasized at the expense of the child developing any autonomy and confidence in their own right.  Demanding that your child become a mirror image of you, a puppet on your strings to do with as you will because you’ve drilled into them early to never question you?  

That is just a one-way ticket to a lot of pain and heartache for years to come.  At best it will create a shell of a person with no real self of their own.  No experiences and feelings that didn’t come about because of someone else’s orchestrations, and at worst?

At the worst, it will create a constant internal voice in your child that tells them they have no right to their own thoughts and feelings.  That anything that doesn’t match what someone else tells them to be, think, or feel, is inherently wrong, and that they are somehow at fault, and horrible people for it.  It will teach them to quiet that part of themselves that is in any way ‘different’ because being different is unacceptable to the two people who were meant to show them the meaning of unconditional love.  

And lastly, it will teach them that they were put on this earth for the sole purpose of belonging beneath the weight of someone else’s boot.

[password-door-lock]

Mystictober Day 11-- Doll/Heart

Saeyoung teaches you and Saeran how to make dolls (771 words). 

“What do you think, my love?” Saeran asks, holding up the mermaid plushie for you to observe. The hair isn’t quite finished yet, but otherwise, the toy is very well-made.

“Oh, it’s so cute,” you beam. It’s clear that Saeran has taken great care in sewing and stuffing his doll. You particularly like the iridescent fabric that he used for the mermaid’s tail. “I’m sure the kids will be happy to play with it once they notice.” 

At the moment, the entire population of the orphanage is absolutely captivated by Saeyoung. As part of his volunteer work (now that he no longer works for the agency, he has a great deal of time on his hands, and has been putting the vast majority toward community service), he’s been teaching the residents how to carry out various crafts. This week’s lesson is in dollmaking, and Saeyoung invited you and Saeran to attend and help the kids gain courage in working at something so difficult. 

“I wonder where he learned to do this,” Saeran muses, carefully sewing the yarn hair onto his doll. He’s apparently elected to go for a rainbow of colors, which is sweet, but the task itself looks somewhat tedious, considering how often he needs to switch yarns.

“I overheard him telling the kids that he studied with Santa Claus at the North Pole,” you report. Your own doll is not coming along half as well as Saeran’s— the stitches were a touch uneven, so your attempt to stuff the vaguely heart-shaped plushie did not go over well. Right now, you’re focused on giving your creation a friendly face, so as not to scare the children.

“What?” Saeran laughs good-naturedly. “I never heard that before.” 

“It’s true,” Saeyoung materializes beside your table. For the benefit— and amusement— of the children, he’s speaking in his 707 voice. While he’s gotten comfortable existing just as Saeyoung around his family and friends, he’s much less confident around strangers, and occasionally defaults to his old persona. To his credit, this way of speaking does elicit lots of giggles from the kids. “I went there hoping I could train to become a Christmas elf, but Santa told me I was too tall. He agreed to teach me how to make toys, though, since he didn’t want me to be sad.”

A cluster of nearby kids giggles. “You should talk to Jumin about getting yourself a spot on the Children’s Network,” you advise.

“Does C&R… own the Children’s Network?” Saeran asks, adding a pink hair to the head of his doll. 

Truth be told, you have no idea, but you wouldn’t be surprised. “C&R owns most things,” you shrug. 

“They said I’m too tall for that, too,” Saeyoung pretends to lament. 

You snort, and Saeran giggles. “Maybe they could give the spot to me, then,” he muses, “I know how to make dolls, and I’m shorter than you are.” “Wow,” Saeyoung examines the mermaid, “Nice work, Saeran.” He then redirects his attention to your creation. “And MC… good effort.” You can’t help but laugh. “Shut up. Mine is cute.”

“If the kids don’t want it, I’ll take it home and play with it,” Saeran jokes. 

“Of course the kids will want it,” Saeyoung tells his brother off, “It was made with love.” 

“Thanks! How do you get the eyes to be the same size?” You ask, too focused on your project to internalize the compliment. 

“Mr. Saeyoung!” A child calls from across the room. “Could you show me how to do the hair again, please?”

“Oh, so cute,” Saeran observes quietly. You can’t help but agree. The kid’s polite phrasing is adorable. 

“You’ll figure it out, MC,” Saeyoung assures you with a pat on the arm. “I trust your creativity.”

“Okay,” you’re not so sure, but you know Saeyoung means well. “Thank you.”

When his brother is gone, Saeran turns toward you. “Would you like some help, my love, or would you prefer to figure it out on your own?” 

Saeran is always checking in like this, making certain that he knows what your boundaries are to ensure he doesn’t cross them. You really appreciate this about him. 

“Please help me,” you give him the biggest eyes you can muster. You really want to make a nice doll for the kids. 

“Of course, my angel.” Saeran sets down his doll— which looks like it’s almost finished— and reaches for yours. “I’ll show you what I did for mine. Then I’ll pull out the stitch and let you try it for yourself. Watch closely, okay?” 

You are so head-over-heels in love with this man. “Okay.”

[igglemouse]

I start off my day, a dreary and cloudy day, with my paper delivery route. I don't think I'll be keeping this job for long but I guess it shall do for now!

When I get home there's odd looking book just there on my coffee table. It has an unsettling presence to it, like it doesn't belong, and I can only wonder who put it here. I suppose I've allowed one too many magical beings into my home and so it could be any one of those. I should really learn how to set up boundaries my self.

Despite the off putting vibe of it I'm not going to just let it sit there and take up space and so I pick it up and am rewarded with a tingling sensation that trills through my fingertips. It didn't burn or hurt but...I do open it and quickly realize it is about vampires. Perhaps it belongs to Lilja? I'm not sure when she would have had the time to drop it off although it is a cloudy day so it is possible. I definitely think she is stalking me, that is what vampires do after all.

I'm not going to spend too much time thinking about it so I put the book away and slide into the shower to finally wash away the scent of today's work. I'll be honest, I'm not sure what I'll be doing with the rest of my day but there is still plenty of time left in the day to find something to do.

Around lunchtime the skies brighten just a little and since Niklas isn't here to cook for me it looks like I'll have to do it myself. Maybe I've been too reliant on that guy a little too much huh? Any way, I'll go with a chicken fried slider and honestly? Honestly, I think I do okay with it!

I spend a lot of my day playing games and so maybe you won't be able to expect much of me today. No magical stuff, at least, unless you count the book from this morning. You know, I deserve a nice, quiet, and normal kind of day for once.

As the day goes on and the sun begins to set, I retreat to my little work desk and start to craft new earrings! They are okay, like most things I do, and they are definitely not my best work, but who knows? Maybe someone out there will find value in them and throw simoleons my way?

I end the day with a call from Niklas, who goes on about how busy things are where he is that the situation, whatever that means, is getting wild. I have no idea what he's talking about but he does sound frustrated, I'm guessing it has something to do with the Realm? Before I can hang up he mentions how he'd like to get away from it all and I let him know that if he does I'd like to know. Maybe I'd tag along with him? Time will tell!

Episode List - Next Episode 3.5

[our-t4t-experience]

hi Evan! Big fan of what you do on your page. I very recently got a boyfriend who is also a trans man. Do you maybe have any tips on how I can make this relationship last more than a month? (Knowing my luck…)

-🦦(if I ask anything else)

there are some things that are in your control and some things that are out of them. its worth mentioning that if you have been abused before, its more likely that you will either perpetrate those behaviors, or on the flip side, allow people to perpetrate those behaviors against you

in my experience i have had a lot of unstable relationships where the instability wasnt necessarily caused by me (or me alone) as much as it was the other person being abusive to me and me letting it happen

so this advice IS coming from a place of "ive been abused," if this isnt applicable, my apologies

-communication is very important and remembering that people communicate in different (and sometimes incompatible) ways is also very important. you may be extremely direct and dating someone whos a little sensitive. you may want to de escalate an argument by being by yourself and they may want to talk about it. its important to be able to compromise sometimes and for them to compromise sometimes if your communication styles arent aligned. my girlfriend has to be very direct with me because shes learned that while we're both southern and she has learned to approach boundaries and conflict in a passive, sugar coating way, because im autistic, that approach doesnt work, for example

-how do you express love? how does your partner express love? its important to show your love in a way that is fulfilling to you, but its also important to show your love in a way that your partner receives it. ive heard mixed things about the "5 love languages" test but honestly i did the test and it was decently accurate and may be a good start, its also worth noting that neurodivergent people may also express love in different ways than the "norm"

-never stop dating your partner. yall like flowers? get each other flowers! go on cute dates! send each other memes that make you think of the other person! never stopping trying to impress your partner can make for a more fulfilling and exciting long term relationship

-time together, especially later in your relationship, is super important. distance can make the heart grow fonder (trust me, we're long distance lol) but you dont want to be away from them all the time. work and family obligations can make that hard, but having time to yourselves is important, me and caspian sleep together on the phone every night, and thats one of my favorite parts of the day

-specifically trans advice, but your trans partners transition should be a celebration. ive heard from one trans man that you should be responding to your loved ones transition like you would if someone was having a planned and wanted baby, and thats good advice. get excited! get funny with it! get romantic with it! my girlfriends excited for me to get top surgery and that makes me feel very good about my transition

(past this is longer term advice)

-i dont usually like those "3 weeks 3 months 1 year" rule stuff, but in my experience, you can usually tell if youre compatible with someone by 3 months. this is enough time for the "honeymoon phase" to chill out a bit and youre more receptive to their flaws. by some point you should be able to know if these flaws are a dealbreaker (unless youre like me and have a fawn instinct lol), and ive also found that i can tell when a relationship is unhealthy USUALLY by around 3 months, at least in my subconscious

-i knew i wanted to marry caspian by 6 months of us being together, and we're not getting married right now for a couple different reasons mostly boiling down to we're just not ready yet, but id recommend waiting 6 months before you start thinking seriously about a future with this person

-a rule ive had for a long time regarding marriage with anyone is that i want to have lived with them for a full year before we get engaged. i dont live with my girlfriend and wont until probably the end of this year (our 7 months os tomorrow!) but i have lived with a partner and have found that you can find out a lot about a person by living with them for an extended period of time

if i missed anything lmk, anyone else is also free to give advice in the comments (:

[tanglepelt]

Run Ghost Run - 14

prev master ao3

John Talks to Lady Gotham. Jason talks to Bruce. They have varying levels of success.

John was over the bat.

He just walked in silence. Com clicking away. No response after no response. Yet the man stayed silent. Looming in the shadows. Hell. It was annoying.

Not to mention Gotham as a whole. How he despised this city. He was very over Gotham, this town really stunk. Curses ran a mock in this city. Death gets trapped and corrupted here.

Only reason they didn’t run amock was due to the city's resident ecto-being lady Gotham. She managed to either absorb those stuck or shoo them out to be others’ problems. Lady Gotham was obsessed with protecting this city.

By all right. Should be in the realm herself.

But no. She got bloody obsessed with Gotham, that was a pain ta realize. Claimed the bloody city as if it was her own. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say she was obsessed with the bats.

The bat.

He could live without him. You can only take so much of the brooding and the arguments about science vs magic. Why did the being have ta choose Gotham? Desperation despair, just why here of all places.

Bloody hell. She don’t even let other entities here. More than one odd fight here and there. Ghost disputes. Ain’t cause damage as she kept the lot from causing any.

She ain’t let squat through. So why come to Gotham of all places? Maybe this guy felt Lady Gotham's presence. Or maybe she reached out to him? Or just completely dumb luck?

Wherever the kid was Lady Gotham would know. Knowin' her got a deal out of it or something.

Granted. Gotham was the ideal place for these entities to hide. Factoring in he could be hiding out. The stench of Gotham would by the time he supposes. Wouldn’t be the first time something tried to hide out here.

 As much as the bat disliked the occult, his entire city was crawling with the stuff. Just had to get the kid hope he ain’t dead and go from there. Just had to stop the infinite realm from going all out.

Bloody hell. Yeas. This was just peachy.

“Where’s the kid?”

A grunt. That’s the response he got. He was typing away again. If the world wasn’t on the line he’d be amused. Of all the times for the cold shoulder. It sure wasn’t bloody today. Who knows what condition the entity would be in? Blood blossoms aren't a joke.

The US government. Well, they were a joke. God bless England, it ain’t condemning the world to an apocalypse. He didn’t want to think of the other possibilities they could do. Just had to mess with an entire dimension.

 Whoever had the supposed kid was still not responsive.

You’d think at a certain point he’d stop calling. Didn’t he have trackers on everyone or something? Like he’s a detective and all. Trackers just for him.

Hell, he couldn’t even sense any ego signature in the city, well minus Lady Gotham’s. Her ectoplasm was stretched all throughout the town. She was also directing her essence directed at him. Couldn’t feel jack cause of it.

Clearly, not a fan he was in her city.

If anything is here, he wouldn’t know.

Same ain’t true outside of Gotham. Before entering the city boundaries. He felt it, something coming this way. A newly formed ecto entity less than a year old, one beelining it.

It wasn’t a baby ancient or even a world ending in strength. Maybe a scout? That didn’t feel quite right either. Still too young to have any proper training. If it were possible, he’d say it was just forming a core. Which didn’t track.

Those things came premade. They pop into existence with them. No forming happens. A life moved on to the afterlife, not ready to give up or it's somehow too powerful for a normal afterlife. Instantly knew the rules for the realm.  Instantly knew their powers.

Then deal with the other beings. Fighting to learn their powers all to help the younger ones use them properly. This didn’t track.

That young of a being ain’t supposed to be out and about.

Well, whatever it was would be on Gotham’s doorstep soon.

Time was not their friend. When was it?

Lady Gotham decided to push more of her ectoplasm toward him. Great.

Bloody hell. He was gonna have to deal with Lady Gotham. The only way to find this entity. Hell. Maybe he’ll get lucky, and she’ll spill.

She didn’t like him, and he didn’t like her.

Having all your thoughts shared made it awfully tricky to get a loophole in any deal. Ugh. Oh well. He’d figure it out. If the bat was no help. He’d just go around the guy. Unless he finally got an answer.

Another failed call.

Screw it.

He wasn’t bound to the bat.

“I’m out. Follow my own hunch. Pester lady Gotham. She got ta be hiding him.”

Only a grunt. The guy must be stuck in his phone. Whoever had the kid aint talking? He won't waste time waiting. Best to go hunt down Lady Gotham. He knows her tricks and knows better than to make any deals. He should be able to get at least something out of her, joint feelings and all. Just had to use that to his advantage.

He’s done it before.

Now to deal with Lady Gotham. Great. Well… she agreed to meet with him. Even before he sent out a request to her. Her ecto signature hit him like a brick of walls. He allowed the void to take him.

What business do you have here John could feel her anger.

Let an ecto being here anytime recently.

Protectiveness hit him.

What business do you have with the prince?

Dread filled the channel between them.

F*ck

What business do you have with the prince?

Blood blossoms were injected into him. He needs help don’t he?

He Is with my favorite knight. Any human in possession of these blossoms will be dealt with. No more will be permitted within his presence. He is under my protection now.

Gotta be affecting him. If the kids a royal and I can’t feel it. It’s bad. Not even you could hide his signature alone.

There was some form of discomfort creeping in between them.

Kid needs help.

As long as you are working with Batman. You arrived with him. Unlike normal. I will not help. The deal I have stricken will remain unbroken. That holds the prince to remain under my protection. Until Gotham is unsafe he is suck. I shan’t lead my knight to him.

I’ll ditch the bat. That ain’t a problem.

Then we shall strike our own deal

****

The kid was out. No time like the present to deal with Bruce.

“What”. Bruce was lucky Jason could go outside via the window. He would not risk waking that kid up. Only reason he was willing to talk. Well. Willing was a strong word. He just needs information, to find out what is going on. Maybe get the kid's parents' name out of the conversation.

Purely for educational reasons, no other reason.

Wouldn’t know how much he’d get until he dealt with the man.

Bruce was just as stubborn as him.

Might as well make this as quick as he could.

“I just got that kid into a bed. Dealt with his injuries. Kids lucky he didn’t bleed out jumping off a roof. Might I remind you to avoid you guys? Whatever you need, make it quick.”?

“This is serio-“

“Kid was vivisected. Know that? Parents no less. If you have info about his health or well-being I’ll take it, show up here and we bounce. Kid and I quote specifically said no cops or those weird vigilantes. I’ll take my chances.”

“He was poisoned by something called blood blossoms; Constantine says they're deadly to ecto-entities.”

“You have a cure” Bruce better have some solutions or something. He will not let this kid die on him.

“Constantine said he’d have to look” Bruce’s voice was more frustrated than normal. Most of been trying to deal with this for a while.

The kid needed treatment and the blood blossom thing had to be a recent discovery. None of the attempts to contact him had been as separate as the last few.

“That ain’t gonna work, that kids running if someone shows up here. I’ve managed to get him some help by being his best option. We’re both guilty of crimes ya know.”

“He needs help you can’t give”.

“I’ve done more than your merry band. They scared him off a roof. That could have been fatal” from what he’d gathered. It was the “blood” son who caused that mess. Dick just got stuck with the blame.

“Danny is a teen who is terrified. Having someone come around ain’t gonna help.

That kid certainly won’t trust a drunk in a trench coat. He doesn’t even trust me; he just knows I ain’t turning him in. I only know what I know cause he accidentally spilled when I was patching the kid up. Not very tight-lipped when pretending he is fine.

I’ve barely managed to get him any medical treatment. It’s not a pretty sight. If that kid bolts and these stitches pop again, he very well could bleed out. Blood blossoms aside.

No way you’ll be able to convince him to go with you willingly nor let anyone near him. Couldn’t John just use his magic or whatnot to work just close by”?

“Hm”

“Did Constantine ditch the big bad bay?” Jason could find the humor in that even given the situation. So they had to figure out some way to get this handled.

Getting him to agree to let a British English man come over. That ain’t happening. Not like that. Not when the kid likely has some of his powers back.

But.

Maybe. Instead of a random British man, he could bring up an older British man. John would have to figure out lurking from a distance, he could lurk around while Alfred was in the apartment. Kid clocked him when he was on the roof. Couldn’t just have John show up to sneak about. What if he got sensed out as well?

Bruce and them were a no-go. Too public or too suspicious.

Use Alfred. Lie and say he knows a guy. Not a doctor just an older man who offered help. More luck with him then the drunk. Then he’d at least get better medical attention. He could handle this stuff with no problem. He was most certainly not on Alfred’s level.

“Just maybe I could convince him to let Agent A stop by.

Not ideal. But just maybe it could work. Have John show up at the same time. Let him feel around.

The ectoplasm in the vial seemed to help the kid out. Have one of the bats come and grab it. They can pass that off to John for now.

That’s the only way any of this will work. The kid has powers and all. For now, it’s my only offer.”

Crash bang

That was coming from inside the apartment. Oh no. It’s been like 8 minutes did he wake up? Did he hear any of this? Was it actually super hearing?

“What was tha-“

“Gotta go”

“Don’t-“ Jason hung up mid-sentence. He had to see what’s up. Maybe the kid just tried to leave again and failed. Knocked over the side table or something.

Getting back into the apartment Just in time to see Danny's panic and fear evident in his eye bolting. Once again going intangible right before his eyes. Backpack in hand.

F*ck.

[sevi007]

Tales of the Abyss, part 19 - Things are getting risky, and spoilery, so back under the cut you GO

- just let me say, I will cover Deo Pass all in one post, since the dialogues at the beginning and the end of the pass need to be seen as one big event, things that are connected.

Haaaah. Okay, see here - I‘m not blindly protective. I will readily admit Luke’s new „position“ is getting to his head, and he is acting terrible.

(I think this is an amalgamation of all his wishes and dreams and what he learned in a short time - his hunger to be seen and avknowledged as HIM, not the boy he supposedly was seven years ago, or a child on house arrest. His wish to be free, which seems to be possible when he becomes a hero. His dream that he and the only man he considers kind, Van, will run away together. All that is connected into that one foretold thing he must do to become a hero, obviously it will get straight to his head! Everything he wants is right THERE and he will be a hero and nobody will laugh at him when he doesn’t know something.)

But. Big but. I think the group is ALSO handling him terribly. They get angry (which I do understand!) but instead of either admonishing and showing him other options, OR maybe point out what an Ambassador is or does, or that to fulfill the scores prophecy you still need to work for it - instead of using one of many, many better options, they leave him in the dark, and ignore his outbursts. They snap at him, then walk away before explaining what was wrong, or how to do better. See Guy here for example - he probably holds the most sway over Luke in this group, seeing as they know each other the longest, but he only thinks something, never says it. Yes, he is Luke's servant, but that has not stopped him before.

And then to add insult to inury - or blatant secrecy to neglect more like:

they keep heavily hinting at what Luke IS - and then ignore him when he asks what is going on.

Of course he will feel like they are keeping him at a distance, laughing at him behind his back, or think he is dumb.

Look at this here:

The thing is, Luke's attitude is partly born EXACTLY because the party is treating him like they are right now, by ignoring him and not telling him stuff - making fun of him, he feels like. It is a cycle. by ignoring his demands to know, and only reacting to him when he pushes boundaries by being rude, they are cementing his belief that they are not taking him seriously, and fortifying his bad behavior.

I know they are all dealing with their own stuff, but this is dangerous. this will further drive him towards Van, whom he repeatedly claims is the only person kind to him.

This last thing ESPECIALLY should worry the party and make them reconsider how they are handling this. They - or at least Tear - don‘t trust Van, but make no move to cut that connection to Luke.

Instead, even Tear bursts out at him and calls him a puppet, the last thing he wants to be.

I talked about this in the previous post, but at least Jade KNOWS what's going on with Luke at this point, but he does not say. Then there is Tear, who knows her brother cannot be trusted (she tried to kill him) but does not stop Luke from spending time alone with Van, even though Luke is easily influenced. And Natalia knows what Van and Luke have planned, at least the running away part, but makes no move to stop Luke either.

There are ample opportunities to pipe up and at least try to steer clear of the very obvious disaster coming their way, but nobody makes a move. You could argue, and I do see some sense in it, tgat everyone has other things on their minds, pressing matters. But still, right now, Luke and Van are a ticking timebimb, and it's like everyone is standing next to it and whistling until it goes off in their faces.

Here, again, I wish the group would stop for only a beat. If Luke is acting terribly like this, smack him over the head and yell at him - Natalia is especially good at this. If Luke’s frozen, tell him where he can help. Remind him that he won‘t look like a hero when ge freezes now. Jade has proven he can provoke Luke into doing things, Natalia gives clear orders, Tear and Ion can talk to him

Yes. They are taking the most pragmatic, quickest route in a stressful situation. But this is the last straw in a long line of moments where they did not act to stop Luke's behavior - and it adds up and adds up, until they drive Luke away - straight towards Van

(I'm not taking the blame away entirely from Luke, btw. He is acting like a spoiled brat here. But I think this is born of seven years of neglect, and missed opportunities to point out how to behave properly. He is a Duke's son, but was never told how to act like a noble. He was not taught the mere basics of social interactions - remember how he did not even know to pay for food. He's like a toddler never given rules, and it shows.)

@magicmetslogic

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