#and shun as someone of space i think is fitting

[thinemoonshine]

⋆𐙚₊ 𝓽𝐡𝐞 𝔀𝐞𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝓴𝐢𝐝 ˚⊹♡

admirer!sunghoon x oblivious!female reader content(s): sunghoon yearns, obsessive mannerisms, manipulation, reader likes cats/dogs, both implied to be in college/university — the weird kid's become fixated with you, and he wants you for himself

sunghoon isn’t a weird kid—well, not in people’s eyes. but he himself thinks he is. because for some reason, he can’t seem to blend in with any crowd, neither can he maintain a private conversation with anyone over 5 minutes. he doesn’t understand their jokes, or their slang, or their mannerisms. sometimes, he believes he’s from an entirely different ecosystem than them.

was he an impostor—an alien that got left on earth by mistake? at this point, he thinks it’s plausible.

it’s not that he’s shunned or anything. in fact, it’s the opposite. with striking features that are practically ethereal and a figure so lean and defined that rivals sculptures, he turns heads wherever he goes. but he can’t seem to reciprocate the attention.

and despite never being alone, he feels alone.

like a puzzle piece that fits too tight or too loosely—filling the space but never quite fitting in.

until, you came.

you weren’t outstandingly eye catching, nor were you completely inconspicuous but sunghoon’s gaze caught you either way.

crouching in an alley near his apartment, cooing as you fed the stray cats in a manner one would think you’re feeding human children. your socks mismatched in your cartoon slippers and fingerless knitted gloves doing nothing to warm your frozen fingers.

he isn’t sure what exactly about you caught his eye. maybe it’s the unfamiliarity in his otherwise typical routine, or the way you had your back turned so carelessly, or the way your eyes sparkled with genuine affection and attention for the cats who you clearly can’t socialize with.

there’s an obvious language barrier between you and the felines and yet, you speak to them, dote on them like you truly understand them—a species so entirely different from you.

and for the first time ever, he thinks someone else is weird.

the next few times he saw you, it was always at the same times. he would see you on his way back to his place, he’d pause to watch with hands in his pockets and cheeks flushed from the cold and leave the moment you stand.

even when it rained, when he’d expect you to be cooped up at home in comforting warmth and security, he found you in the alley with an umbrella over the cats rather than yourself as you fed them. and you’d hold it for as long as they needed to finish their meal.

and for the first time ever, his brows knitted as a thought crossed his mind.

‘how dumb…’ a pause. ‘and weird.’

it was the first time he had found someone foolish. he’d fail to understand people’s lingo sometimes but he’d always thought it was a flaw in his part—never theirs. until you came.

despite how dumb and odd sunghoon thought you were however, he couldn’t help but keep coming to watch like an avid fan. in fact, he's found himself a new guilty pleasure in learning your schedules—how elated he was when he found out you live in the same building as him. and even more so when you're just above his floor. and this kept going and going until the snow melted and flowers bloomed.

he’s ditched the coats and gloves to something lighter now and with a plastic bag of snacks in hand, he makes his way to watch his favorite artist: you.

he expects you’d be wearing an array of colours—a habit he's found you do because you can't be bothered to plan your outfits everyday—and crouching again, sacrificing your poor knees as you feed your furry friends with your back turned towards him and—

oh.

he’s stiffened entirely in place just as he’s about to crash into you who swerved out the alleyway with your head low.

you gasp as you jump backwards slightly and he furrows subtly.

you’ve strayed from routine. weird.

“sorry, i should’ve looked where i was going,” you apologize timidly and the sound of your normal voice—different from your doting cooing—sends shivers down his spine and his ears ring.

in a good way. because now your voice is echoing inside his head as if bouncing off the walls of a hollow cave.

sunghoon forgets to answer initially. “it’s fi—”

now it’s his words that freeze at the sight of your face. no, it’s not because your beauty steals his breath away or because you look different from how he expects—none of that. after all, he’s seen you time and time before.

instead, it’s because you’re…crying.

there are pools of blue in your typically scintillating eyes, shimmering cold lines on your usually warm, glowing cheeks and a downward curve on the corners of your lips that are always, always lifted.

once again, how odd.

“yes?” you pull him from his thoughts and only then does he notice the croak in your otherwise velvety tone.

his jaw clenches and eyes sharpen.

this is weird. you’re weird. and he doesn’t like this. he doesn’t like how he’s affected by this—by you.

he’s supposed to walk away, turn a blind eye to things that don’t concern him. you’re not one of his acquaintances, there’s no need to pretend to care and ask you what’s wrong and offer his shoulder.

he can walk away. he should walk away.

“what’s wrong?”

but he doesn’t.

there’s a flicker of surprise in your eyes before you look away with a weak chuckle.

“nothing, just, the cats i usually feed aren’t here. apparently they’ve been taken by animal control because someone reported them as ‘neighborhood pests’.”

sunghoon listens intently as you speak.

your raw voice is beautiful.

you turn to him—a smile, bittersweet, on your face. “i just got a bit sad that i won’t be seeing them anymore.”

your smile is simply sweet.

he blinks a few times, processing your words after brushing away his ‘intrusive’ thoughts. “they were strays, weren’t they?”

your brows knit for just a second.

he notices.

“this place was their home. they’ve lived in this neighborhood far longer than some residents have,” you declare. he senses a hint of defiance.

he takes a mental step back. there’s no use arguing.

“you’re right,” he agrees. “i was insensitive. i’m sorry.”

your shoulders visibly loosen and stare softens. “no, i—i get it. they were strays if you think about in another way. i just…felt it was a bit unfair to just take them away from the place they’ve been living at for so long.”

sunghoon tilts his head, curious at the way your mind works. he wants to know more. he yearns to know you. his fingers curl around the handle of his plastic bag tighter. it crinkles. you notice. he sees.

“i just bought some snacks but i think they’d taste better with company—if you don’t mind. as an apology,” he offers. “we can sit at the chairs outside the convenience store.”

your eyes widen slightly and brows raise. he’s going above and beyond just to make up for offending your beliefs. he seems…sweet. he looks sweet. kind and respectful.

feeling slightly uplifted, you nod with a smile. your oh, so honeyed smile. “sure.”

and sunghoon can’t restrain the grin that forms on his typically nonchalant face. “i’m glad.”

the two of you walk side by side and he peeks down at you stealthily. you’re weird and so is he. you’re foolish but even more, he. but you don’t need to know that.

it’d be foolish to confess that he was the one that called animal control just so you’d finally look at him more than you do at your feline friends. he didn’t expect them to be so quick, though.

it was abrupt—his decision—spontaneous and atypical of him.

but weirdly enough, you fell for it.

he’s feeling less lonely now that you’re with him. and it’s weird—but he likes it.

ᡣ𐭩ྀི₊ ⊹ masterlist ᝰ.ᐟ✮⋆˙

copyright © 2024 thinemoonshine all rights reserved

[showeredinstardust]

I am not a big Tumblr poster. Ok? I'm an observer in all aspects. A lurker, if you will. I don't reblog stuff. I barely even like things. I only follow people sometimes.

But recently I've been scrolling through the 'transandrophobia' tag a lot more than I used to. recently I've seen posts that send me into a train of thought that's like. "People really think like this?" And it's more tiring than I realize sometimes. So I'm putting my thoughts into this post.

I've recently watched masculine trans people and queer people of all kinds getting the short end of the stick. I watch people put others down based on their masculinity, and I think- if this is such a big issue when done to femininity, why in the world would you think it's acceptable to flip it around? Feminism has never been about saying that women are better. It's never been about hating men. It's been about uplifting women so that they'll be seen as equals, and breaking both men and women out of patriarchal mindsets. It's about uniting over the fact that no group of people is better than another.

Trans men and enbies and mascs do not have whatever perceived systemic privilege you think they do. Trans people in general will only ever have conditional privilege in specific situations, if that. Society only praises performative masculinity- the kind that fits into their neat little boxes of 'should' and 'shouldn't'. Masculine queer people have never fit into those stupid little boxes. Trans men. Mascs. Butches.

I'm tired of this. Tired of the 'femininity good masculinity bad' talk. You're not children. Grow up and learn some nuance. Trans men are whiny and annoying to you because they've never had the privilege of being anything other than invisible. Constantly erased and brushed off so when they start getting angry you see it as an attack because you haven't cared to see them before. You haven't cared to see them when they were scared. You haven't cared to see them when they were just begging to be seen. You haven't cared to see them as anything other than traitors or thieves or anything because until it's not about you anymore, you don't give a fuck. You only look at them when you're personally slighted by whatever they have to say.

What does it cost to have empathy for other's lived experiences? Nothing. When a group of people is telling you what they've consistently and repeatedly been through, you listen to them. You don't shut them down because of an immutable trait. You don't shut them down because you've never seen it happen. You don't shut them down because they're not your idea of someone who's oppressed. That's not how this works. People are angry for a REASON. Masculine queer people have every right to be angry. we've been pushed aside and had statistics ignored and been told that other people's oppression is more important than ours simply for what? the sin of masculinity?

Now, above all, trans people should be united. Instead of fussing over whatever sort of strawmen and caricatures you have in your head, we should just be listening to each other. we should be able to listen to other's lives and traumas and pains without throwing a fit over words or theories. Having words to describe oppression is important. Being able to label your pain is important. But none of that matters more than what's happening to people in their real lives. the people who are dying. The people who are being raped and silenced and shunned out of public spaces and even their own homes. No words will ever matter more than the people who are actively hurting due to your refusal to even look in their direction.

if you want to talk about this, be my guest. Ask me questions. Tell me I'm wrong. Whatever. I just have a need for this to be known above all else. I don't care what people on the internet think of what I have to say. This site is a fuckin cesspool. so's every other corner of the internet.

Thanks for reading.

[fiddleyoumust]

So, the reality series The Boyfriend has eaten a large chunk of my brain recently. I'm not usually a huge reality TV person, but this show is scratching my brain so well, and I think it's mostly because it's very communication focused. So we get a lot of these men being exposed to different ideas and perspectives, different ways of communicating and problem solving, and most importantly, different ways of being in intimate relationships.

Shun is not my favorite person in the house, but I do find him the most fascinating to watch navigate these new relationships. He's extremely low energy, moody, introverted, outwardly calm, and reflective. He very obviously does not trust his own instincts about love and relationships, which is understandable given what he's revealed about past partners.

There is obviously a lot going on with Shun below the surface, and I get the feeling he is an extremely emotional person who has gotten very good at masking those emotions because he's never had anyone who cared about him enough to unmask them. We show our emotions to others because we want something in return - validation, comfort, understanding, etc. But we are able to show those emotions because we have an understanding with the people we are showing them to, that we will get something in return, that they care enough to give us something back for being open about our feelings.

Shun, an orphan who spent his entire childhood in an orphanage and who has had mostly toxic romantic relationships, hasn't had anyone he could trust enough to share his emotions with, so he is very closed off, even though he has a good understanding of his emotions and is a very good communicator when he needs to be. I think Dai (the guy Shun is most interested in) is a great fit for him, even though Shun hasn't fully realized it yet. Dai is ready to be that person for Shun, and his desire for Shun to trust him, his desire to be Shun's safe space is palpable in every move he's made to get closer to Shun.

In one of the most recent episodes, Shun passes up the opportunity to spend time with Dai simply because Shun's in a bad mood. He immediately feels bad about it because he knows his rejection hurt Dai's feelings. When Dai gets back from the daily mission, Shun makes a failed attempt to explain himself.

The conversation is so interesting because Shun is making a case for why not going with Dai was his perogative and Dai, who is just a really excellent person, and who has really tried hard to meet Shun where he is emotionally, is 100% not interested in having that conversation. Because he doesn't actually care if Shun wanted to go or not go, it's Shun's disregard for Dai's feelings that he's upset about. It's being taken for granted. They are not having the same conversation. But Dai also doesn't want to tell Shun how to fix it because he wants Shun to care about him enough to figure it out on his own.

They leave that conversation with Shun feeling worse than when he went into it. He goes off to sulk with a bottle of wine. Then Taehon, another contestant, joins him, and they have one of the best conversations I've seen on a reality show.

Shun talks about why he didn't go on the daily mission with Dai and how he doesn't feel like he had to volunteer to go, even though he likes Dai a lot. Taehon validates Shun's feelings, and here is the part that really hit me, and the part that I really hope Shun remembers later because he's revealed a bit about his past relationships and it seems like he was very much a person who got obsessed and lost himself to the whims of the men he's been interested in.

Shun tells Taehon, "I'm not obligated to go with Dai. We're not even dating yet." And Taehon replies, "Even if you were dating already, you're still not obligated to go." And MY GOD I hope those words stay with Shun for the rest of his life. That was something someone like Shun NEEDED to hear. You do not have to bend to the whims of your romantic partner. They are not entitled to drag you beyond your boundaries, and it is 100% okay to set boundaries and demand your romantic partners respect them.

Shun goes on to wonder if he wasn't wrong, why does he still feel so bad about what happened. Taehon tells him maybe focusing on right and wrong isn't what's important here, and Shun all on his own realizes what he feels bad about is hurting Dai's feelings, and even if hurting Dai wasn't intentional, and even though Shun had the right to not spend time with Dai, he should still let Dai know he's sorry that his choice caused Dai pain.

So, Shun apologizes for hurting Dai, and Dai is very happy, and the two of them get back on track. The entire show is so emotionally satisfying because you get to see in real time the ways people communicate, the intricacies of navigating new relationships, both romantic and not. If you enjoy watching people in all their odd, frustrating beauty, I highly recommend checking out The Boyfriend on Netflix. It's delightful.

[holyraconteur]

I am currently bouncing off the walls thinking about Spider forging his own path and creating his own family of misfits and outcasts, both Na'vi and human.

Instead of remaining caught between two worlds that refuse to fully claim him, Spider chooses to carve out his own space—his own home—among outcasts who, like him, never fit into the structures of either the RDA or the Na’vi. These outsiders were either set aside or left.

Imagine this blue-striped human quietly slipping away one night, leaving behind Hell’s Gate and the Omatikaya with nothing but a pack slung over his shoulder and a determined heart. He treks deep into the wilds of Pandora, following instincts honed from a past life, seeking others like him—those abandoned, cast aside, or seeking something greater than survival under someone else’s thumb.

At first, it’s only three of them—Spider, an ex-RDA scientist who defected, and a Na’vi warrior shunned by their clan for challenging tradition. Together, they build a home high in the mountains, tucked between floating cliffs and waterfalls where neither the RDA nor any hostile clan can reach them easily. They hunt, they craft, they survive—and then they grow.

More come. A lone Na’vi mother with her child, fleeing persecution. A human engineer who sabotaged RDA equipment before running into the wilds. A pair of Na’vi twins whose father was an avatar and whose clan cast them out for it. Orphans. Runaways. The lost and forgotten.

Spider becomes their leader, not because he craves power, but because he understands their pain better than anyone. Together, they thrive and live free, far from the chaos of their past. They build something beautiful—a village woven into the mountains, suspended on bridges of vine and wood, with glowing bioluminescent lanterns lighting the bridges and paths at night. Their home hums with laughter, music, and the quiet, unshakable bond of a family built by choice rather than blood.

And when Spider finds orphaned human children—abandoned by war, unwanted by both sides—he takes them in. He raises them as his own, refusing to let another child endure the loneliness and rejection he once did.

By the time anyone realizes what he’s done, his little village is no longer little. It is a thriving community of hundreds, a sanctuary for those without a place. The RDA cannot touch them. The Na’vi clans leave them be. Some fear them, some scoff at them. Others—those who have known suffering and loneliness—seek them out, hoping to start anew. Eywa graces them all with her many blessings, and for the first time, Spider finally has a place to call home. And when the day comes that war reaches their doorstep, Spider stands at the front with his newfound family, no longer a boy without a home but a leader, a protector, a brother to those who were once lost like him.

[undertale-fic-librarby]

Any error x nightmare fluff? Preferably cannon personalitys 🩷

Howdy, thanks for asking! Here are some fics that might fit what you're looking for!

I'll hate you as you hold me by Casual_Spectatee (Mature, Incomplete)

Nightmare has always had an interest in Error. From the moment he saw the Destroyer in action, he wanted that kind of power on his side. He imagined the terror he could bring if forced the Destroyer himself into submission and to assist him. Error does not give two fucks about Nightmare's dreams, he isn't fucking going to help that prick until God himself walks down and threatens him with eternal hell, and even then, he'd still prefer hell for the rest of his existence than to spend a single minute with Nightmare. Unfortunately for Error, Nightmare is set on getting the Destroyer to work with him one way or another. If that means helping Error for nothing in return, so be it. Error just wishes that it wasn't all such a common thing to wake up in the beds of his two worst enemies, because they all have shitty fucking blankets and he's getting sick of it.

To Trust A Nightmare by Otletes (Mature, Incomplete)

Error has been alone longer than he cares to think about. He's been insane longer than he likes to think about as well, but now he's come back from that insanity. He knows that he has to continue destroying, for the sake of the multiverse, so he's accepted that he will always be alone, in his cold white space. One day though he finds himself watching Nightmare and his gang, it becomes his new favorite pass time. He can't remember much of the dark skeleton, but watching him now, he can't help, but wonder… could this be a group that he'd be accepted in? A place where he could have a family? … Find love? Or will he fall back into insanity and remain alone?

Working through issues with a shunned diety by Hellian_Eden, Jesus_fox (General Audiences, Incomplete)

The Multiverse is vast and nigh infinite, possibilities, concepts, the very function of a world's reality only limited by sheer creativity. Within this realm, Dreamtale exists as an enigma, plucked from another Multiverse entirely. The tragedy of it's Story forced to continue beyond it's Endings, for it forced the concept of Balance into the Multiverse's rules. Now open-ended, the only two Characters wanders throughout the Multiverse as one of it's Outcodes. Dream broke out of stone to one colorful and curious Inkblot, so much to comprehend for someone so small. But alive nonetheless. Nightmare woke up freshly dead. Au: Get it? Cuzhe died lmao

Your memory has faded [BEING REWRITTEN] by unalivedcow (Not Rated, Incomplete)

Nightmare doesn’t remember anything after his transformation, leaving Error devastated. [BEING REWRITTEN] ! spoilers below ! (By the way this is based off a real life scenario of a man with Alzheimer’s forgetting he was married and falling back in love with his wife but I just tweaked it a bit)

Eclipsed by You by BadOmen (Mature, Incomplete)

A gentle breeze drapes the landscape like a soft blanket, with a lone figure standing atop a grassy hill. Feeling disconnected from the world and neglected by his busy brother, he’s on the brink of losing himself. His hopelessness drives him to the edge of fleeing from his own despair. But a planned encounter in the snowy expanse of a fading universe brings an unexpected twist. There, amidst the winter wonderland, he meets a warm and friendly face who gradually draws him out of his shell. Caught between the desire to retreat from this newfound kindness and the urge to let his walls crumble, he faces a profound choice. The story follows Geno and Night, two monsters from separate AUs—Who eventually turn to Error and Nightmare. Geno, struggling with his own emotional barriers, meets Nightmare in his gentler form. Together, they recognize their shared scars—both physical and emotional. Nightmare, self-conscious about his shattered eye socket, finds solace in Geno, whose own eye is also damaged. Through companionship, they agree to keep each other at arms length, perhaps sharing more than just laughter.

Here's a few more fics that are similar to what you're asking for!

[saturn-sends-hugs]

one thing i’ve never really seen explored in fics explicitly is the fact that despite both echo and tech being autistic, they were brought up in very different environments with different responses to their autistic traits.

tech’s special (war-related) interests and obsessive data gathering was likely encouraged by the kaminoans. he had a group of supportive brothers who were equally shunned by the other clones, but the kaminoans saw them as elite, and they internalized that. what the regular clones say can hurt, sure, but they aren’t the ones in power, the kaminoans are. the bad batch know they’re different from the other clones, but they think they’re inherently better. and yeah, the batch still tease tech and are outright mean about traits of his sometimes, but they stand by each other when it counts. tech’s differences make him special in a good way, and despite the hardships, he knows that.

but echo? echo’s batch were also shunned, they were an actual “bad batch”, but the kaminoans were upset by it. these weren’t special defective clones, these were just defective clones. echo in particular had his habits of repeating orders and obsessively reading reg manuals, and because his batch were all trying so hard to fit in with the others, they learned to look down on traits like that, echo included. i think echo has a good amount of internalized ableism not just as a formerly physically able-bodied person who suddenly lost three limbs and his autonomy, but just as an autistic guy growing up in a system that praises conformity to the extreme. he’s literally a CLONE. and not a special elite one, he’s supposed to be just like everyone else, but he isn’t. (fives might’ve even been so adamant about clones’ individuality because of this, because echo had internalized harmful ideas of conformity and fives wanted him to see past that. idk i might add on to that later lol)

my point being, i think it’d be really interesting to see echo clashing a bit with tech when he first joins the group. not in an outright mean way, not with the intention to harm, but just. on accident. he’s ignorant, and he’s learned over the years to suppress those traits in himself, so seeing someone so openly and freely embracing his passions and interests and differences would probably make echo uncomfortable in ways he wouldn’t even recognize.

he might make casual comments or jokes that are meant to be harmless or at the most self-deprecating, but that end up hurting tech. he might be stricter with tech in certain situations, like formal events that he’s learned the hard way to pay attention during, but that tech brushes off to mess with his datapad. i think echo would scold tech for little unimportant things, things that echo trained himself out of, because he thinks he’s doing him a favor when really he’s just perpetuating harmful ideas. they might even be things tech already is aware of but knows are ableist ideas, so he ignores them.

idk. i just think it’d be fun if, in addition to helping him accept all the changes that have happened to him, tech also helped echo learn to accept who he’s always been :D

and of course there would be the side plot of crosshair gradually getting more and more defensive and protective of tech when echo is being a bit of an unintentional dick and them inevitably butting heads in a big way because of it. because ofc they would :D

tagging @the-bi-space-ace and @phantom-of-the-501st cause why not lol

[aylacavebear]

Soulmates? Yeah, right, pft. - Epilogue

When you turn sixteen, and your soulmate's name doesn’t appear anywhere on your body that you can find, you figure you had to be the only person on the planet who didn’t have one. Most of the town shuns you, so you stick close to family. Your Aunt Ellen raised you after your parents died in a car crash when you were two, but what happens when the Winchesters return to town and buried secrets begin to come to light?

Pairing: Mechanic Dean Winchester x OC Reader/You

Word Count: 1600

Warnings: Dean being Dean, Fluff - LOTS - get the tissues.

A/N: This is my non-Supernatural fic I'm attempting. Please let me know what you think, as I always love hearing from my readers.

----------------------------------------- Epilogue

In the days that followed, Dean moved his belongings into your home. He didn’t have much—just a few duffel bags, a couple of sentimental keepsakes, and his favorite tools—but each item he unpacked added a little more of him to the space. The house began to feel less like just your home and more like your shared home. 

You worked together to make room for his things, clearing out two drawers in your dresser and rearranging your closet to fit his flannels and worn leather jacket. Dean was helping in his own way, teasing your body every chance he got, promises to christen every surface of the house as the two of you had in the bunker.

On one of those afternoons, there was an unexpected knock at the door. When you opened it, a man in a sleek, tailored suit stood on the porch, holding a small electronic device and a large envelope. Dean was instantly by your side, his arm around your waist the moment he felt your unease. 

“This is for you. Please sign here,” the man said in a clipped, official tone, extending the device toward you.

You hesitated momentarily, puzzled, but signed your name as instructed and handed the device back to him. He passed you the large, official envelope without another word and left. “That was weird,” you muttered, absentmindedly closing the door.

Curiosity outweighed caution as you sat down on the couch with Dean beside you, his arm still resting protectively around you. You tore open the envelope, pulling out a stack of papers covered in dense legal jargon. 

Dean leaned over your shoulder as you scanned through the pages, your brows furrowing in concentration. “What’s it say?” he asked, his hand lightly rubbing your lower back. “It’s about the premonition I had the day after your birthday,” you murmured, reading one of the pages. “Apparently, it led to the arrest of someone named Chuck Shirley.” Neither of you knew who that was, so you continued scanning the pages, more interested in what it said about Cole, and it didn’t take you long to find it.

Your pulse quickened as you read over the page and found the details of his situation. “Cole is in lockdown, and so is that other guy from that premonition. Says here, his name is Gordon Walker,” you read, Dean’s hand on your lower back, keeping you both grounded.

They were the papers Missouri said would come. Papers detailing that it really, truly, was over. Utter relief washed over you, but it was overwhelming, causing tears to well up and spill down your cheeks. Dean didn’t hesitate, pulling you into his arms as the documents slipped from your hands and onto the coffee table.

“I got you, Sweetheart,” he murmured softly against your hair.

Ellen had held a celebration at the bar, and everyone came. Dean only knew about it being a celebration of everything being over, having conspiratorial plans of his own. Everyone else knew of both, but you only knew about the surprise party.

The drinks flowed while the music played over the speakers. Laughter filled the corner of the bar as everyone caught up. Sam and Jessica were even there, having flown in from Cali two days earlier, for Dean’s surprise party. Dean knew it was coming but figured it would be over the coming weekend. 

The feeling of being around family again, without the fear that had weighed you down for so long, was refreshing. You were able to keep that bubble up to keep their emotions out while keeping the connection between you and Dean open. Seeing him smiling, laughing, and just completely relaxed brought warmth to your heart.

A half-hour into the celebration, Mary followed Ellen into the kitchen, your eyes following them with a knowing look. You didn’t need to feel their emotions to know what was coming. A moment later, they reappeared, carrying a cake aglow with candles. Jo killed the lights, then rallied everyone in the bar to sing Happy Birthday. 

The crowd’s voices swelled, a slightly off-key but enthusiastic chorus filling the room as the two women walked the cake through the bar and then set it in front of him. You squeezed his hand, a gentle reassurance that you were right there, noticing the way his cheeks flushed a faint pink. Sam and Benny both had smirks as they sang along, belting out the lyrics with exaggerated enthusiasm. 

As the song came to an end, Mary looked down at her son, nothing but pride in her eyes, mirroring her husband's sitting nearby. “Make a wish, birthday boy,” she whispered softly, leaving a motherly kiss on the top of his head.

Dean looked over at you, that sweet, tender smile adorning his lips. “I don’t know what to wish for. I already have everything I’ve ever wanted,” he admitted, but his words were soft as his gaze never left yours.

“I’m sure you can think of something,” you told him in a soft whisper, squeezing his hand again as a smirk began tugging at his lips.

He looked back at the cake, watching the candlelight flicker for a moment. Then he looked up at his brother, who had been sitting across from him. Sam gave him a small nod before Dean blew out the candles.

“What’d you wish for?” Benny piped up, grinning.

Dean didn’t say a word. Instead, he shifted in his seat toward you, slowly slipping from his chair and down on one knee before you could process what was happening. “I know we haven’t been together long, but you’re my home, my peace, and I want to spend every day of my life being that for you.” his words were soft, steady, and full of emotion as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small box.

The bar went completely silent save for Thank You by Led Zeppelin, playing in the background, which Jo had put on, just for this moment. Dean slowly opened the box, his green eyes still locked with yours. “Will you marry me, Y/N?” he asked, that boyish grin you adored spreading across his face as tears began slipping down your cheeks.

He had planned on waiting, wanting to take you someplace fancy, wine, and dine you. But tonight, in this moment, with everyone he cared about surrounding him, it just felt right. There was no stopping the tears of joy as they fell freely, and all you could do was nod your head. The words had caught in your throat, the overwhelming joy moving through the bond in waves. Yes, repeating in your mind, earning a quiet chuckle from him as he slipped the ring on your finger.

As Dean stood and pulled you into his arms, you noticed the glistening in his eyes, the entire bar erupted in cheers. Mary and Ellen were dabbing at their eyes, both overcome with happiness. Ellen, your aunt and the closest thing you’d ever had to a mother, looked prouder than you’d ever seen her. 

Dean’s arms tightened around you as he pressed his lips to your ear. “Told you I had everything I’ve ever wanted,” he murmured, his voice low and full of love. “And now, you made my birthday wish come true.”

The rest of the night passed in a blur of laughter, love, and the kind of joy that only comes from being surrounded by family. Dean never left your side, his hand either entwined with yours or resting comfortably on your back as if to anchor you both in the moment.

As the celebration wore on, the crowd began to thin. One by one, your friends and family trickled out with warm hugs and heartfelt goodbyes, their faces glowing with shared happiness. Before long, it was just you, Dean, the guys from the garage, and Sam. Ellen, Jo, and Ash tidied things up to prepare for closing time. Dean’s arm slid around your waist as your eyes met, the bar now mostly quiet except for the faint rhythm of some random song playing from the jukebox. “So,” he said after a beat, his voice warm and teasing, “think we’ve got time to start christening the house tonight?”

You laughed, swatting his chest playfully. The guys grinned, already picking up on the undertone of his words. “Only if you think you can keep up, Winchester.”

His grin widened, his eyes twinkling with that mischievous spark you loved so much. “Sweetheart, keeping up with you isn’t the question,” he drawled, implying things that made your breath hitch and your lips part as you let out a slow breath.

Dean took full advantage of your momentary distraction, leaning down to capture your lips in a slow, lingering kiss, sealing the promise of everything still to come. The guys erupted into cheers and whistles, clearly enjoying the show, but neither of you paid them any attention, getting lost in each other for a few moments longer.

“Get a room!” Sam hollered with exaggerated exasperation, his voice cutting through the moment and making you both laugh too hard to continue.

You leaned your head against Dean’s chest, letting out a content sigh. “That’s my cue boys. See you in a couple days at the garage,” Dean said, his tone light, but his focus entirely on you. As the two of you stepped out into the cool night air, hand in hand, the stars above seemed impossibly bright. The future stretched ahead of you, unwritten and full of hope, but one thing was certain—no matter what came next, you’d face it together.

----------------------------------------- A/N: Thank you for coming along the journey this story took us all on. It isn't how I had originally seen it in my mind, and it is FAR longer. I love it, though. All of your comments, hearts, and reblogs have meant so much to me during writing this, even more so when I had writer's block.

Story Master List Main Master List

Tag List: @deans-spinster-witch @jamerlynn @jackles010378 @bruhidkjustwannaread @onthehuntforshinies

@chriszgirl92 @angzls @xolivvies-cornerxo @certainsaladstarfish @onlyangel-444

@nancymcl @muhahaha303 @suckitands33 @kr804573 @justrandomthougt

@suckitands33 @mxtansy @scarletqueenx @krazykelly @roseblue373

@whimsyfinny @ladysparkles78 @aaathazagoraphobiaaa @hobby27 @perpetualabsurdity

@cicibunbuns @n-o-p-e-never @vanessa-boo @foxyjwls007 @uoberpmollah

@xolivvies-cornerxo @certainsaladstarfish @kdadss @bitchykittenconnoisseur @reignsboy19

@bonbonnie88 @ghostieghoul711 @flamencodiva @kayleezee @stillhere197

@lexasaurs634 @enamoredwithbella @winchester-whiskey @brandinicole911

@megs-gadom @dianawinchester03 @nikimisery @cheekygirl2309 @ashleybutler

@deans-baby-momma @bobbdylan @tommysaxes @likedbygaslyy @ambiguous-avery

If I missed tagging, please let me know. I had a lot of requests for tags for this one. If you'd like to be tagged, drop me a comment.

[callingofstars]

i’m going absolutely insane over a Ride the Cyclone x Amphoreus au, somebody hear me out .anybody hear me out. (taps mic) is this thing on

“Mydeimos, the angriest boy in town”

his upbringing has similar themes to Mischa’s, neglect in the form of his mother weeping, and father casting him away. consumed by rage and unloved by the world, he uses outlets to make himself feel as an embodiment of glory . (in his case strength in battle, in Mischa’s case rapping.)

he falls in love with someone imaginary, sees them but can never quite reach them, visions of showing them his culture and spending their lives together - yet it can never come into reality. sort of like..him with phainon.

“Anaxagoras, the most imaginative boy in town”

minus the suggestive themes in Ricky’s song, the idea of conjuring and dissecting the intricacies of a world that (to others) doesn’t exist, which is seen as an elaborate dream, fits the idea of their characters? likely more intuitive that imaginative, he’s a Swingin’ Space-Age Scholar !!

also being a rather socially isolated character, who is often shunned or misunderstood, when they get a chance to speak they will take it and they will be the strangest little guys (/pos I love them dearly).

I could also see it this way -

“Cifera, the most imaginative girl in town”

In a similar form of imagination, crafting the world as she sees it and holding up reality with her vivid fantasies (I like to think the reason there are cats in Okhema was because of her reality-altering as well).

she is the one who drags behind others and laments at the state of the world, crafting an ideal city so vivid that it seeps into her reality. also I kindly omit the suggestive themes of Ricky’s song because. never let these two meet. ever

“Hyacinthia, the nicest girl in town”

being the person who feels like she’s responsible for everyone else’s happiness, the line between a true smile and one put on for reassurance begins to blur. and after everything she’s been through, she still has an overwhelming love for the world.

soaring in the sky at the moment of her death and looking down on the world with a burst of happiness, comparing her death to a sugar cloud. being unashamed of who she is after time has passed and knowing it’s okay to be happy.

“Phainon, the most romantic boy in town”

lore-wise he would be more like Jane Doe, but hear me out on this one. what if “I embrace a new man every night” and constantly imagining himself in a different world is him reminiscing about all the lives he never got to live with Mydei. becoming obsessed with the tragedy of it, that they’d die either way and in every universe but have something perfect each time. His lament is that they could have so many lives and loves and deaths, but in this universe he didn’t get that, he’s alone.

there could be an alternate reality where he didn’t have the weight of the world, he could be fucked up and imperfect and most of all loved.

“Castorice, the unidentified body”

tethered to the concept of death, her sense of identity fractured from the sacrifice of her other self (Polyxia serving as a parallel to her severed head), she will be eternally in death and unknown.

other characters are afraid to touch her, a somber demeanor that casts people away and makes them uneasy. the canonical mention that she sleeps with plushies is also similar to Jane’s doll.

Jane Doe’s ballad also mentioned themes of flowers withering to feed rot, searching for her missing soul, as well as “time eats all these children in the end” (Karnak’s prediction of death to the choir on the rollercoaster being similar to the chrysos heirs’ prophecy). also just their vibes are so so similar.

“and, she’s asking why, lord? this is no way to die, lord” referring more to the cruel fates of other people than to herself, pleading with fate to erase death from her touch.

Bonus: Flame-Reaver as Virgil, given their shared theme as the silent executioner, also it’s funny.

(Gonna be honest. i have no idea who Ocean’s parallel would be bc she doesn’t truly fit Tribbie or Aglaea.)

[wisteria-lodge]

burnt snake primary (interest in a lion model) + burnt snake secondary (badger model)

Hey, I hope you’ll be willing to sort me. I was a timid kid, always did what I was told, I was nice, respectful and I believed what adults were saying. My family valued books so I took pride in reading early too.

It's a normal, human thing to want to please your parents, and to believe what you're told as a child. I suppose a very strong tendency to fit in with the family culture might point to a young Badger primary... but that's not the only explanation. Going to need more data.

I could never play alone and always wanted a friend, almost as much as I wanted peace and quiet of my room. And yet, boredom was often my companion.

Hmm. This need for community, companionship, another person around is sounding very Badgery.

I have two younger siblings and I was their nanny.

Ah. Got it. So if you aren't a Badger secondary... you definitely learned to model it.

I taught them various words and its meanings, but I also cheated in card games, would be mean to them or blame them for things I knew I would be punished harsher for. 

Hmm. Interesting. I mean being mean to your siblings is neither here nor there - I mean I'm sure you resented them a little for nanny duty for one thing, I've been there. But this tactical move of blaming your siblings because you kew that your parents would be more lenient with them... that's definitely the sign of an I-Move secondary (Snake or Bird.)

Once at my job I had (more like wanted) to figure out why the Internet was down, was it the death of a router or electricity problems. A co-worker was convinced it was the router because everything else was on, I wasn’t so sure. I searched my head for the easiest and quickest way to solve this. It was of course to see if the outlet was popped by the kettle before.

I know that English isn't your first language, and I have to admit that I'm not completely sure what "popped by the kettle" means. I think it means "someone accidentally unplugged the router in order to plug the kettle in."

Now that I think about it, there were easier ways to go about this, and without me even leaving the room, but then I figured I’d take an old job NOKIA and see if it charges from that outlet. It didn’t, and I felt really smart and gloated silently that I was right and they weren’t. With high-stakes problems I really think I just do what needs to be done.

You've definitely got this love of going a little bit solo when you problem solve. You did a little experiment, you isolated the problem. Could be Bird... but somehow I'm really getting single-player Environment Snake from you. Might be the slight agent of chaos energy.

I’m a nurse, well, I’ve a nursing degree. Going back to that system after all I’ve been through was a difficult decision. I was bored studying it, a breakup with my friends from college was awful and I still cuss thinking about them, most clinical weeks were shit while we were being ignored, shunned out or used for free labour. Like I had one proper clinical month in 4 years were I was properly taken around with the nurse’s consent, and was given space to learn things. It’s a different republic man.

Sigh. Okay, so it's sounds like your Badger secondary is on full display here with nursing, just like it was with nannying... but I'm sort of thinking it's a model. You CAN do it, but you don't enjoy doing it. This is also the second mention of you being bored. Which, yeah is a human thing... but it's also MORE of a thing for a reactive, improvisational secondary. I'm kind of liking Snake for you.

I never wanted to go back, but job market was shit, so with a heavy heart, kicking and screaming, I faced the reality of me running out of savings, and sent a job application to a hospital, not without my mother’s nudge and support from people I know, who kept saying if it will be awful, you will leave. Sure, like I would even go back if it was that easy.

A badger secondary would put a little more weight on what the community had to say. Also, you talk about always wanting friends as a kid, but as an adult you seem pretty aggressively independent. Burned Badger? Snake?

I know, I know, I could have tried less medical procedures heavy nursing positions, but one thing I knew was that starting in a hospital meant with good social relations I could always ask for help and have an experienced nurse to learn from. Those other places kind of leave you on your own in the field.

So there's definitely some Badger in you. A very PRACTICAL Badger secondary model at the very least.

Sometimes I am a bit sad for being the reasonable one, for not trying to be an artist, to be a translator of a lesser known language, or for not studying literature and living in a dream that one day it will work itself out somehow. But then I get warm in my bed, I get to buy books I want, treat my dogs or get them to a vet when something’s wrong, help my mom or buy a new bed-sheet, and I know being comfortable was more important than whatever my head imagined.

I'm kind of liking Snake primary for you. You have that pin-point practicality Snakes always seem to come back to in the end. Art, following your heart and all that stuff... it sounds nice, and I'd be nice to do. But at the end of the day, the most important thing is to stay warm, buy yourself and your dogs little treats, and help out your mom. That's a Snake primary, with a small circle.

Snake do tend to like Lions, and when things are calm and going well, Snake primaries will often model something else, for fun basically. So I hope something eventually shifts for you (since no situation is permanent) and you can do something maybe a little more Idealistic, which suits your Snake secondary a little better... since I bet it can get both bored and burnt-out by nursing.

Also I know there would’ve been a lot of boot licking, besides the need to be really smart and ingenious, which I wasn’t.

Clients are... a very difficult part of being an artist, it's a thing.

Would I be happier if I followed my sworn oath to never come back? Maybe, if I could study again, learn what I really want, which is too much to pick one subject, as I think a lot of things, could be neat to study for 4 years.

This feels like a Lion primary fantasy to me: Life is loud and chaotic, wouldn't it be nice to spend four years just figuring your self out?

Not nursing though. Maybe if I was able to work in a bookshop or a coffee shop.

This sounds a bit more like a Snake secondary fantasy: work at a nice little shop where there are a lot of low-stakes interesting problems (like figuring out why the router isn't working) and lots of people coming in for you to bounce of of and have fun with.

However, my idea of comfort was more important then. It turned out fine, it doesn’t haunt me.

Because this is, at the end of the day, the only acceptable answer for a Snake primary.

Not like my study years. I’m not sure I would ever go back for masters though, and I shouldn’t, right, as someone who found their subject so boring.

This is definitely a big challenge with you - you get bored easily. Which makes me think Lion secondary or Snake secondary (and with everything else I've read, almost certainly Snake.)

My fantastical dream is living in a nice place, a cottage full of books and comfort near some castle where I can go socialise, work or do anything else with my time that’s needed. But when I come back to my cottage, I am not alone, although I can be if I want to, but instead I am surrounded by a group of friends, who feel like home, who I can be myself with, as in I know I am stupid, and I do and say stupid things as I’m sometimes too airhead or too emotional, but I will first be met with their understanding and kindness rather than judgment and outrage. Basically I want a found family that I don’t have and a home to make my own and with my rules. So little in life is how I want it to be, and only fictional found families are understanding, supporting and kind. That’s why we like them.

I think this is a Double Snake fantasy. Live in a comfortable little cottage, surrounded by friends/found family who "feel like home." That's the dream of a Snake primary. Then you can leave and go someplace cool (a castle!) in order to meet people, work, or just go along with whatever's happening that day. At which point... you come back home and take off all your faces, go into Neutral... and don't have to worry if someone thinks you're stupid, emotional, or air-headed.

(that's a little bit of negative self-talk coming through. Often people with strong Badger secondary influences can look at their Improvisational tendencies and think they're not valid/real/logical. I hope that's not the case with you.)

I know people see reality in various ways. In my reality, everyone is selfish and doing things primarily for themselves (starting with me) so it is hard to understand when we barely can see past our noses.

Yep. You're a Snake primary. A slightly Burned Snake primary, sounds like.

(which might explain why you're sort of fascinated by the Lion way of doing things. Burned Snakes will sometimes model Lion because it seems easier/less painful, and Burned Lions will do the reverse.)

In reality, I want the family heaven, the damn Hallmark Christmas movies. I don’t think I’ll ever do the whole normative family thing, but I’m either lonely or everyday is the same now and nothing’s special.

Staying within the bounds of this system (because I'm not diagnosing anything else over the internet) it sounds like your Snake secondary needs some enrichment. You cheat at games and figure things out for fun! There's got to be something interesting for you to get into. Also - yeah you probably need People apart from your pets and your mom. Easier said than done, though.

I want a plot of land to call my own so I’d be able to put my pets to rest when the time comes, so I’d be able to visit them.

This is why I love Snake primaries. What an incredibly lovely thing to say.

I feel most powerful and confident when I improvise and it works.

SNAKE.

I went for a little trip alone last winter.

Oh yes, absolutely. I love this for you.

I checked for my ride to and back, all possible times, wrote it so that if my devices went out I had something, and I knew I could survive a day or two until my ride home. I booked a place, and I knew where I planned to go for the event. The other 2 days? Who knows, just go around, see the town, explore, and see the places I have not seen. All of this was made spontaneously a few days before because I had a fight with my brother and decided going and staying with a Buddhist group was better than celebrating New Years at home. I had a great time, everything was okay and I am really proud of myself for doing that.

Your Badger model (planning, double checking, making sure all your info is written down) and your Snake secondary (leave on a whim, do whatever once you get there) are playing very well together.

Sounds like a snake secondary right?

Sure does.

But then why do I physically hate lying? I think I am afraid of getting cough [caught?], afraid of not having the right answer in the moment. It seems that I can never evaluate a situation well and choose the right thing to say for a useful lie. I would rather anyone else create the lie and I would then try to make it as honest as possible. I doubt it would work, unless it wasn’t that important.

Your Snake secondary sounds like it's a little Burnt. Not actually that surprising, considering it looks like you've been around such heavy Badger secondary energy all your life, and been expected to use your Badger secondary, and only your Badger secondary, so much. The message you would have been getting is that the Snake secondary way of doing things is - unreliable, cheating, bad. Which just isn't the case. Snake secondaries have a perfectly useful, morally neutral way of doing things.

But all of this - 'I'm afraid, I can't, it wouldn't work,' all that is Burnt secondary language. As is "With high-stakes problems I really think I just do what needs to be done," which is what you said earlier.

I wouldn't be too concerned though. From everything else I've read, you're grounded, stubborn, and have a good sense of who you are. Chances are your Snake secondary is just rusty. Also this: "I would rather anyone else create the lie and I would then try to make it as honest as possible" - that's a good description of how a Snake secondary works. You're bouncing off whoever you're talking to, you're not creating from nothing.

It was difficult when I didn’t know what I’ll do in the future, after school, when all my plans failed. It was really difficult to go through high-school with no friends and shun out, like, if I was a badger primary originally, that would’ve messed me up so bad that I’d never know. I never had a chance to look like the two amazing healthy badgers I know who surrounded themselves with communities and are thriving.

I do think that part of this is just - that you fundamentally do not want a Badger-style community. You want a Snake-style community, which is different.

It was hard when my college friend started to shun me out and drifted away when she found better like I was nothing,

This friend - this one important friend left you, and that gets a shout-out on a level with your plans for the future falling apart. Very Snake primary

or when I had to lie heavily in my academic papers because no one cared to help and I was exhausted to care myself after covid and almost half a year of clinicals and paper writing.

Okay this is fascinating. First, it does sound like you had a bout of situational depression (or similar) which you pushed through, so good for you. But I'm interested in the way that - okay, you lied on your academic papers when push came to shove (which I would expect from a Snake secondary.) BUT. That decision is bound up with your Burnt primary, in feelings of abandonment and loneliness. I'd say you don't like lying, because you associate the need to lie with feeling alone. Ideally, you feel your life should be set up in such a way that you don't *need* to lie.

My relationship with a long time friend from art school is important. She was a positive and inspiring figure in my life, as well as someone who taught me a lot about communication and friendship. We fought a lot, but neither one of us wanted to let the other one go, maybe because we knew we wouldn’t find anyone else who’d match our freak, so we had to figure it out.

Sounds like an important Snake primary relationship.

I love my siblings but all they gave me was a baggage of fear that I was a horrible sibling and broke something in them.

You were a kid. Kids don't have the emotional maturity (or authority) to raise their siblings well, that's just not a job that they're able to do. It's the job of the adults in their life to make sure all those interactions are running as they should. You can be a horror of a little kid a grow up into a wonderful, well-adjusted adult, or you can be a lovely docile little kid and fall apart when you get older. All you can do (all you have to do) is be decent to your siblings now.

My relationship with my mom is really important. To this day she thinks I’d be an artist or that I was a really studious and meticulously prepared person, but without her support I would not be the person I’m today. Neither I’d be that without all the loops I’d to jump because of her haha.

Sounds like your mom might be a Lion Badger. Which could help explain where those models are coming from. It's common for Snake primaries to build models for their important People.

Thank you for your time!

You are very welcome.

Thank you to Novemberkid for such an excellent submission. If you'd like a Sorting of your very own, commissions are open on my ko-fi. :D

If you'd like to read more about the system I'm using, my explanation is right here.

[grayintogreen]

There's been a lot of talk about hubris and confident characters, and I think it's time everyone who wasn't aware of it were introduced to my personal favorite trope.

Break the Haughty.

The thing about this trope is that it only works if characters are GENUINELY self-important no nuance and no deep-rooted insecurities and it also only works if the narrative (or the fandom) acknowledges that hubris is a necessary part of many narratives and the natural part of hubris is that you're going to get punished for it. Hubris, in the Greek sense, cannot exist without punishment.

However, the problem I've noticed in fannish spaces is that people either try to counter this by making prideful, arrogant, and confident characters deeply insecure and claiming "that makes them more interesting" (it doesn't- what it does is make them more relatable and also "protects" them from narrative consequences because if they're not REALLY prideful then the narrative can't punish them), while at the same time wanting characters they don't like who have the same traits to be humbled/punished/etc in ways that are not proportionate to their actions. (I.e. wanting characters who were mean to Blorbo to be utterly humiliated and shunned).

Going back to hubris (in the greek sense), the important part of it is it is nearly always proportionate and appropriate. Nemesis, the goddess of exacting punishment for hubris was all about just desserts. Icarus flew too high when all he needed to do was fly period and that should have been enough, so he fell to his death. This may seem harsh, but literally all he had to do was not fly that high. He already won. He needed more. Oh no, he died.

Now yes, there is disproportionate retribution out there in media and there are examples in Break the Haughty that I find absolutely not 'punishment fits the crime' material, but that's a whole other story. The problem people seem to be having is the idea that they are aware of hubris as a concept and that it's punished, but they cannot untangle the idea that if x character they hate "deserves" punishment, they have to figure out a reason for y character they love doesn't, because general ambiguous nobody wants to watch their favorite characters suffer for their actions because we now live in a society where blorbos are apparently solely for projecting on I guess.

And fellas I watched a lot of anime where it's GUARANTEED that the haughtiest motherfucker in the cast WILL be humbled at some point and come out better for it usually (exceptions exist). This is what I want in whump- not pathetic, mewling woobies weeping as they're tortured, but someone who had everything on lock who absolutely doesn't. NOTHING satisfies me more than a character who never loses starting to lose or having to react while backed into a corner. This is where the best character development comes from and you cannot get that if a character is not already filled with hubris. You wouldn't be breaking the haughty at that point. It's just... you know, another Tuesday for Penelope Pitstop. That isn't interesting to me. Breaking characters with no flaws and nothing to learn from the experience of being broken does absolutely nothing for me.

(Sidebar: For the same reason that Break the Cutie pairs well with Determinator (aka your basic Magical Girl one-two punch), Break the Haughty pairs well with Defiant Captive, which is probably yet another reason why people want to make their hubris-filled Blorbos secretly insecure. Defiant Captives don't make for good h/c fanfics because they aren't breaking pretty and succumbing to the torment they're biting and snapping, and just like a haughty character getting laid low feels like a punishment that doesn't feel like actually being tortured, so, like, are they supposed to deserve comfort when they're not acting like perfect victims???? And the answer is yes dammit. There's where the fronting and hiding the start of insecurity can come in- when they're losing, not all the fucking time. It's a goddamn spice you need to use sparingly.)

What this all amounts to is people have gotten things so twisted that anything that looks like "punishment" for a character that you love is absolutely rejected and will rewrite or add things that simply do not have reason to exist in the narrative so "OBVIOUSLY my precious baby only flew towards the sun because he was so afraid he would never see it again and its so cruel that the gods killed him for it, but also that guy over there who called Blorbina a dumb bitch once should have his liver pecked out over and over again and never know true happiness because bad people (people I dislike) deserve to be ripped apart by wolves and good people (people I love) deserve to have their every action validated."

Learn some fucking nuance. Punishment is not judgment. It's a learning experience (if you survive it rip icarus but some people are different). Embrace your prideful characters and learn to love what will come out of them experiencing Consequences for their hubris. You will have a way more fulfilling time watching them grow, assuming you... want that and don't just want a silly little collection of tropes in a sexy coat you can shape to your heart's content, which is your prerogative, I guess, but at least admit that's what you're doing and don't try to argue with people who are going "none of that is in the sacred texts."

[xxxsharpcheddar]

Hey I gotta say I'm proud of how you're handling yourself after getting screwed over. Years ago, when I was a younger man in college, I got cheated on too. It was my first relationship where I was open about feederism and we were talking about getting engaged. Turns out she had a secret relationship over a year. Yaknow, I did not handle it in a healthy way at all. I protected her, kept others from knowing because our field is male dominated and she would've been shunned, basically losing her education. I ended up internalizing everything. Secondly, I rebounded, hard, I started dating before I was ready and I ended up leading girls on and sometimes just hooking up with girls I knew were wrong for me because I was just filling a void. It was fucked up, at the time I couldn't heal right because I couldn't get away from her, she lived 100 ft from me and was in all my classes, but even if I could have that space I don't think I would've done it right. I wouldn't have taken the time to take care of myself before trying to move forward, I couldn't be honest about my pain because of my shame. This was like, 11 years ago, Ive been thru therapy and a lot of life and I'm good. But I just wanted to say I applaud you for taking time away from dating, from gauging your comfort with your sexuality and recognizing how it's been affected by his infidelity, and dealing with this stuff head on. Letting yourself be angry, and sad, and all the other emotions these kind of betrayals put you through. I don't envy your position, but I do respect you taking this head on. Your honesty with yourself about what you're going through shows exceptional internal strength.

Wow…thank you for sharing this. I’m sorry you went through that and I’m sure even now it’s not fun to bring up. Sometimes people at my gym who don’t know me super well will ask what happened with shit stain and it’s such a bizarre thing to explain. The infidelity after (or during) deciding to move across the country to be with someone…like what was the plan here lol

Thank you. My normie friends ask if I’m dating and say how I can do so much better when I’m ready lol and I just roll my eyes because 1. I need and cherish this time alone and 2. He was a garbage human who happened to be fat; he wasn’t a garbage human because he’s fat lol so I hate when people say “you can do better” regarding finding a fellow fit crossfitter or some shit 😩

Anyways, thank you for saying this. It’s nice to feel seen sometimes.

[projectorthus]

For the past Few Years I've been building a list of Jacob Geller videos that represent the fifteen Fears in The Magnus Archives.

Today he released a video that finally completed my list.

Here's the list, in the order of the fears on the TMA wiki (most of which have links. Some of the videos are age restricted, so I can't post working links here).

THE BURIED: Fear of Depths While this concept may at first seem more aligned with The Vast, the video surrounds a motif of needing to go Deeper. Of a cave or darkness surrounding you completely, burying you. It also follows a few stories of people getting stuck in caves.

(List continued under break)

THE CORRUPTION: Gross Games About Flesh And Stuff "But Orthus!" you cry. "The word flesh is literally in the name!" You would be right! But one of the games this video heavily features (Perfect Vermin) is about cancer, and the slow painful progression of it! It's arguable if How Fish Is Made is corruption aligned fully, but since it features a tongue eating louse, I'm saying it counts too.

THE DARK: Fear of Dark As of writing this, Fear of Dark was released four hours ago, completing this list. I was so stumped on this one until literally twenty minutes ago. Thank you, Mr Geller. This one is self explanatory I think. Yes, I haven't finished watching it. I don't care. I know it's a banger already.

THE DESOLATION: Returnal is a Hell of Our Own Creation Yes, this video isn't about fire. But The Desolation isn't just fire. It's about pain, it's about loss, it's about cruel destruction. And Returnal is about the horrible cycle of grief after catastrophic loss. To me, it fits.

THE END: Fear of Cold Usually the "fear of" videos on this list are pretty straightforwards but I feel like this requires some explanation. This video is about cold, but it's also about dying from cold and the lengths that people will go to, however painful, to avoid death. Lots of Geller videos are about mortality. This one hits extra hard though.

THE EYE: Control, Anatomy, and the Legacy of the Haunted House Houses can't watch someone, but Oh Boy do the games in this video make it feel like they can! There's something so fitting about this idea for The Eye. No matter where you are in a house, you're always in its walls. If it's perceiving you, there's nowhere to escape that. Banger video. Also banger games.

THE FLESH: Head Transplants and the Non-Existence of the Soul This one is a bit more of a stretch, I'll admit. But here's my defence: it deals with the separation of the body and the soul, the treatment of the body as just a vessel for our minds. Vivisection is absolutely something aligned with The Flesh. So I think this one fits here. The video is age restricted and so I can't put it here. There's a content warning in it that I very much recommend heeding.

THE HUNT: The Decade-Long Quest for Shadow of the Colossus’ Last Secret Another one that was a bit of a challenge for me to figure out. I do think the essence is here, but it's definitely not fear based. I think it's more the desperation, the blind belief in the hunt itself to the point where it becomes about the process, not the end goal. Spaces online around theories like this often get pretty toxic, and this is no exception. Naysayers are ridiculed and shunned, etc etc. So I think this fits. It's also just a fun video.

THE LONELY: Gaming’s Harshest Architecture: NaissancE and Alienation/ Cities Without People/ Artificial Loneliness You get three videos for this one! Hopefully that makes up for the head transplant video link not working. Cities Without People and Artificial Loneliness have sort of the same vibe going in terms of Why They're Lonely. Gaming's Harshest Architecture is my favourite for this entry though. God I love hostile landscapes. I love places that weren't built for people. Just the forced alienation of those games is PERFECTION. I love all of these videos.

Tumblr only lets me post ten videos per post. If you reblog this without the continuation I'll be sad.

[toss-a-coin-to-your-stan-account]

so like. don't get me wrong im a huge fan of going "I'm not a proshipper I'm not an anti I'm an adult with a job" like. it's objectively the best and coolest response to have. however comma. yesterday I thought about Being A Kid/Teen On The Internet and relying on fandom spaces to find friends/community because I can't form those connections irl for whatever reason (illness/strict parents/etc) and i think about how a lot of fandom spaces are so polarized over "pro"/"anti" shit (which is. as most mature adults recognize. just purity/New Age Hayes Code bullshit that boils the nuance out of any media discussion) that if I were this hypothetical Kid Who Has To Rely On Online Fandoms To Make Friends and someone decided I fit a near fucking meaningless buzzword based on whatever they've perceived about me (i.e. reblogging the Wrong Piece of Art by a Wrong Person or not having the Right Reaction to what they think is a problem or even just liking the Wrong Person's post) I'd be suddenly ostracized and hated and perceived as a disgusting monster and people would be too scared to interact with me out of fear of being branded with the same Bad Buzzword and I'd be shunned from that space when it's one of the few communities accessible to me. and I was like. yeah I'd care about whether or not I was seen as a "proshitter"/"anti" too like holy shit that would be so fucking nerve-wracking

[in-a-vancaster]

I’m aromantic.

I’m cishet.

I don’t know my feelings, I don’t know what people are talking about, I don’t know how to express myself in a good way.

Just in general, fuck it

Is it so important to put people into your nice little boxes and determine if they’re “queer enough”? “Aro enough”?

I understand wanting to make a space for you, and those like you, but when you become what you swore to destroy, someone who discriminates because someone isn’t like you, you’ve missed the point. You can’t make criteria for queerness, because everyone experiences this differently.

To those who think there are those who aren’t aro enough, queer enough, and otherwise like you enough to fit into your box, I give a big fuck you, aro beam

To all of you who don’t know your place, don’t know your feelings, don’t know what you’re “supposed to be”

I love you, you deserve to have a place in a community that doesn’t shun those who don’t fill their strict criteria

[theogclownboy]

hi hi i saw your post from a couple days ago and I wanted to make an ask about it I'm coming from a genuine place and I mean no ill will in this whole message cause i think it's very important more people hear this I can understand the intital confusion about the terms and I can give full context but given your posts after i think ya already know but I still want to say something if you don't want to deal with this message I understand but I would appreciate it alot if you heard me out (also I'm sorry if there's any typos I tried my best)

baby/fur and kid/fur both as terms inherently come from k1nk and Nsfw orgins and while there are many people who use the term that are stirctly sfw and don't want to be associated with any k1nk community the lack of info on topic causes people to think that its safe to used the term interchangeably as sfw or nsfw depending on the context, however using a term like this can cause more danger cause in whatever context because it's still a k1nk term its like saying sfw ab/dl

i wanna also say it's the same as saying sfw little/space and babyspace as well however we just don't have an inherently sfw alternative for that tag sadly(aside from putting sfw at the front) but if one does emerge in the future i would encourage using that term instead.(i guess the closest we have is babyre but it doesn't really fit)

basically my main point is that we should steer away from using tags that overlap with k1nk communities as it raises the chance of the most vulnerable in our community to be taken advantage of cause even when we mark our posts as strictly sfw people still don't still respect our boundaries so we should be able to limit that as much as possible

people in more recent years have came up with the term kinderfur this is an strictly sfw term that aims to strip any and all nsfw context from the tags like baby/fur and kid/fur so people who age regress and are furries have a tag to use, again while I don't think you people should call others gross or shun you others for not knowing or not seeing why its a big deal at first when they're using it an sfw context,I think it's VERY important that more people know which tags to use so they our posts don't overlap with k1nk communities as much as possible just for the basic safety for everyone in this community. Im sorry you got on a blocklist account im sure if ya talk to them they'll understand where you're coming from /gen wanna end this off with a message to everyone to obviously don't harass anyone, for everyone here this is suppose to be a place where we can relax and talk about something very vulnerable to us and i get the inital reaction cause if you feel someone is invading your personal space but before you throw insults at anyone at least talk to the person first and after talking to if you believe they are not respecting your boundaries even after talking to them please just block and or report them insulting them is not worth the energy for your own sake I personally really do not like those specific nsfw and k1nk accounts since they are normalizing dangerous behavior that directly affects real people so ik insulting them is not gonna do any good so just block and or report them please

thank you for the explanation

[transdragonlira]

Your addition to the monster post is... So nice. You seem like you're incredibly passionate and fierce and loving and using your sona as an example of a 'monster' is really, really strong. Thank you!

also. can I see the bug please. I would very much like to see the sexy legged beast if that's okay please

Thank you very much! I have an incredibly strong connection to my sonas and being a furry in general! My entire queer identity as a person would have been completely different if I didn't manage to find the fandom (if it would have even existed at all). My fursona is even the origin of my irl name, I just used her name to try stuff out, and it really stuck!

And yeah, I really vibe with the monster interpertation of my sona. I really wanted to write more in that post but I didn't have the time or words when I wrote that, and didn't feel like it would add much to the post to go even more in detail about that, it would be a repitition of what they already said

But this is a new post so I can say what I want here

As someone who's autistic and trans, and had major hearing issues when I was younger (I'm fine now, but when I was younger I once lost aroud 90% of my hearing), I was never the type to fit in. I only have ever felt like I fit in in places that are queer and/or neurodivergent (like furry spaces are). I am too familiar with being shunned by average people. Furries really are the best

One specific part about the monster example that really hits in the feels is the fact that I really was seen as scary at school. Because I was autistic, I had autistic meltdowns. And mine manifested in the way of anger issues. I was lost and confused of all the unspoken rules, and that caused me to lash out at the bullies. This was first a reason to bully me more, but when I got older, this got a bit scary. I was genuienly seen like a monster. A monster to try to agitate a little bit to get a ruse, because she was chained to a cage of rules. But the same bars that enchaged her, protected her bullies from being punished for their deeds.

That is why although my sona may seem fierce, she really is a sweetheart, almost motherly (Centipedes in nature are known to be very caring mothers!) Despite being seen as a monster, she is still kind to all. But if you wrong her, or even worse, a fellow monster, she won't hestitate to bite. She is only fierce as a defense mechanism. She does not want to be fierce. She wants to care. But she keeps on being fierce anyway. She had no other choice.

I want to say that I'm currently in the proces of changing into this sona, as my sona was a dragon for a long time. And the more I think about it, she is kinda the person I want to be rather than the person I am right now. And that's completely ok! She is still very close to me, as she is the origin of my irl name. I (still) need something to strive for, and she is the perfect way to do so. Especially when I was a younger queer, unsure of what I wanted out of my body.

To be loved is to be changed. And I am currently loving myself, and my sona.

It's only natrual that she will change a bit. However, she will always be the same creature in my head. After all, I am my sona, and I am all my previous iterations of yesterday -why couldn't she be as herself as well as all of her previous iterations as well?

And while I'd absolutely love to show you the sexy legged beast, the nature of this sona being fairly new means I haven't gotten the time to draw her very much yet, and the one real fullbody of her is nsfw and idk if I can show her because of tumblr rules, but here is a cropped version, and a emote of her being embaressed. (and you can dm for the full! I am not scared to show my full, beautiful body!)

It kinda really sucks that I can't show the full here. A HUGE part of this sona is about the fact that she isn't a particularly girly girl, and that she has a big dick instead of a pussy. But she is still a girl! She might be embarrased about people wanting her, but that's because she is inexperienced! (They are 18+, don't worry) She is confident in her body and showing all of it of, because she knows that there will always be people that will be disgusted by her. But the love she receives by others makes it all worth it.

Honestly I could write a full article on how fursonas and gender (and queer identities in general) are linked. I don't think it's a coincidence that around 1 in 4 to 1 in 3 of every furry is not cisgender. (Less clear source, scroll down for the latest update: https://furscience.com/research-findings/demographics/1-3-sex-and-gender/) Heck, my very first fursona from when I was extremely new to the fandom was a girl- I had no clue back then that I was transgender. All I knew is that it felt right.

Lastly I want to say, despite really vibing with the monster theme, and it really applying to me and my sona, a big part of it (and what I mostly wanna draw with my sona) is trying to accept that we aren't really monsters. We are othered by society, but we are not bad monsters. We are lovely creatures, trying to love our lives like everyone else. We have all sorts of positive traits! I may have trouble understanding everyone, and yes, I am quick to anger. But you know what I also am? Like you said, I AM passionate, loving, and fierce. I am also intelligent, and have great marks in college, and am creative. And most of all, I want everyone in the world to trive to the point where it eats me up inside thinking about the evils in this world. Is that a trait you would say a monster would have?

And again, thank you, I got a couple of asks asking to see my sona because they sounded cool, and it's people like you that make the online world amazing to be in, stay yourself, and love yourself for who you are