#and the conclusion is whatever you make it

[alchemistc]

Part One

Oh, I've got plenty to be thankful for

I've got eyes to see with

Ears to hear with

Arms to hug with

Lips to kiss with

Someone to adore

-bing crosby

He keeps waiting for someone to say something. To accuse him of lingering where he doesn't belong, or remind him he'd never actually made it all the way in. To tell him to go home, maybe get a halfhearted promise to let him know how Buck is at some point.

Maddie lays an exhausted head on his shoulder and Bobby sneaks him a slice of pumpkin pie he's apparently been hiding in the tote at his feet. Hen tosses him a power bank with a lightning cord and Karen makes a joke about his holiday attire.

When the coffee comes, Howie takes the trip to the lobby with him, pulls out his wallet and does his damnedest to strong arm Tommy into letting him tip the haggard looking girl another twenty bucks on top of the fifty Tommy'd figured was appropriate for having to balance a literal stack of hot beverages from the parking lot on Thanksgiving. She eyes them both with a smile and Tommy is more compelled the grab the drink carriers from her tired arms than stop Howie.

They're halfway back when Howie purposely slows his pace, and Tommy fights the urge to pick his up and avoid whatever's coming down on him. "So. Was this the wake up call you needed, or can I expect Buck to order a freezer on a Black Friday deal for my garage to store more baked goods?"

He doesn't know what that means.

He can extrapolate, though. "He's been baking?"

"Tommy, I cannot stress enough exactly how much he's been baking."

He'd tried his hand at a few things here and there, but Tommy's used to experimental chef Evan Buckley, not baking Evan Buckley. To be fair, if he'd seen Evan working a KitchenAid, apron tied loose and flour on a cheekbone, Tommy doubts he'd have actually had the time to finish whatever he had planned. That was then, of course.

"What was he doing on that trail, Howie?" That, too, he could maybe extrapolate. He doesn't want to, but he could.

Howie eyes him. Uses his free arm to elbow Tommy in the ribs. "You were the first person he ever invited to a 118 Thanksgiving, you know. My guess? He wasn't in the mood to be reminded of it while there was no room in the oven to bake away his feelings."

Yeah.

Jax had been over the moon when Tommy offered to take his shift, no trades necessary. What would the point have been, when Christmas and New Year's would be unbooked too?

Evan had bribed like six different people to ensure they'd be able to swing dinner on the day. Hobbes had sounded so thrilled to hear Tommy asking for the time off that he'd approved it without even looking at the shift.

"I'm just warning you in advance. The grovelling process is gonna involve eating your weight in loaves, most likely."

And that's that, apparently. No heavy handed warnings, no suspicion about why Tommy hasn't fucked off yet. Like it's some foregone conclusion that Tommy's not gonna panic and bolt a second time. Nothing has changed, yet Tommy gets the feeling they're all expecting some tearful reunion and a return to TommyandBuck.

Tommy slips the tea into Maddie's hands and watches her sniff it in distaste, which is an interesting nugget he'll have to revisit later if -

If.

There's no guarantees, here. That Tommy will be able to articulate how fucking terrified he is, that Evan will understand it. That the two of them will find a way through it together. All he has to go on is a solo hike on a day Evan should have been with family, an apparent bakery full of feelings spread between the 118, and the quiet calm that had washed over him when Eddie prompted him to make a decision.

Feet to the fire, he'd stayed.

---

Maddie's pregnant. It hits him between the eyes right around hour three of sit-and-wait. He's not an idiot, or a fool, and he hasn't spoken to any of these people in weeks so he's not going to announce it to the world, but somewhere in between the sporadic naps on Tommy's shoulder and the way she is attempting (failing) to power through her now cold tea makes him think. She and Bobby had driven here, and it's clear everyone else had been indulging. Maddie's no lush, but he's seen her knock back half a bottle of wine before when she's got nowhere to be.

She excuses herself to the bathroom for a third time, looking a little green, and Tommy ends up locked in a staring contest with Howie that only ends when Tommy mimes zipping his lips.

He still hasn't gotten the story about Eddie and why he's not here.

Bobby and Athena are apparently closing in on a new house.

Howie is less than a year away from having a second kid.

Athena's kids are apparently at Howie and Maddie's, attempting to keep Mara and Jee from destroying the house in the absence of adults.

And Tommy wants.

Wanting has never really been the problem, though. Wanting is the easy part. Wanting doesn't get him over the hurdle of knowing he's not enough. For Evan, for this family he's built that just keeps growing bigger and bigger. It'd been a relief, those first few days after, not to have to wonder which member of the 118 would land in the hospital next, not to have to rearrange something else on his schedule because Evan was convinced he was cursed, or Eddie'd had another shitty call with Christopher.

The relief hadn't lasted. A week in, he'd stayed up all night demolishing the half-bath off his dining room, because he'd been putting it off for months and he'd nearly texted Evan something that was startlingly revealing and left him exposed on all sides. Two weeks in he'd finished grouting the backsplash in his kitchen. And in between, he wondered how Eddie was doing, if he'd made any progress with his son. He'd wondered if Maddie enjoyed the bottle of wine they'd brought back from a spur of the moment trip to Napa. He'd wondered how Nash was doing, if he was readjusting to having his crew and his station back. He wondered how Hen and Karen were, how many things Denny had already gotten stuck in his cast trying to ease an itch.

He'd wondered, and he'd sat in it, and then he'd rewired the shoddy work an electrician had done in his spare room that he kept telling himself he'd get around to.

The wanting never goes away. He just finds new places to put it when he starts to care too much.

"Kinard and Buckley?"

Maddie's still in the restroom. Tommy - has no fucking clue why the nurse is staring at them like they'll just materialize the right people. She sucks in her lips and gives him a dead eyed stare before her eyes dart to his chest. More specifically, the nameplate on his chest.

Tommy blinks.

---

The having is where he's always floundered. Things are temporary. People are temporary. He's always been borrowing. Borrowing time, attention, affection.

For a few months there, he'd really started to think he could handle the having. That he'd get to keep it.

---

"I'm Buckley, he's Kinard," Maddie says from somewhere over his left shoulder, and he turns in time to see her adjusting her jacket, wiping at her lip. She stabilizes, looking unfazed, and stands tall. As tall as she can, at least. "You have news about my brother?"

The nurse glances around the room. No one is bothering to pretend not to be listening. Maddie hovers a wave behind her.

"Ignore the audience, we're all waiting with bated breath to see how obnoxious my brothers going to be. It depends entirely on whether or not he gets pie tonight."

She gives them all a disapproving look. This must not be one of their normal nurses.

Christ. They have normal nurses.

"Well, no pie tonight, but he should be able to eat a sandwich in the morning."

He's fine. He's fine.

Tommy knew going in that most of his injuries were superficial. The ribs had been a concern but with the pain meds and the collar he hadn't really had a chance to exacerbate those injuries. There's no reason he should feel quite so relieved to know that Evan will have a few annoying splints to work around and he'll probably need to rehab his ankle for a couple weeks once it's healed. The concussion isn't ideal, and he'll need help for a few days, but he's fine.

Tommy can feel the tears building.

"He'll likely be out for a few more hours, but I'll let you know when he's set up in a room. Two visitors at a time," she warns. "The concussion will effect his response time. Don't be surprised if he doesn't remember much, loses his train of thought."

Hen shifts somewhere behind him. It feels a bit like she's being held back from correcting the nurse about the normal side effects.

Things move on around him. The nurse leaves, Hen passes a Stanley cup around that definitely isn't filled with water, the normal sigh of relief is released while Maddie drops into the seat next to him with a groan, the team has a strange competition around him to battle for visitor position.

Tommy breathes.

I should go, Tommy thinks to himself, as half the people in the room raise their phones.

His own phone vibrates against his thigh.

A message from Howie, time stamped two minutes - Tommy squints to make sure - two minutes ago, an update on Evan. Another from Eddie reminding them all to give Buck a patent Eddie look from him while they were giving him shit. A selfie of Eddie, with Christopher somewhat reluctantly bending into the picture over his shoulder.

In another thread, he's got three messages from Eddie.

If I have to remove you from this group I'm sending my kid after you with his crutches.

You guys hiked Griffith Park for your Not-A-One-Month-Anniversary-We-Swear date, right?

Send Buck my love. Not like that, though.

Tommy sends back: When the fuck did he add me to his emergency contacts? and then decides he doesn't want to know anyway so he turns off his phone.

---

Maddie goes alone, and Tommy spends the time alternating between tapping his foot against the tile to distraction, and clamping his hand over his knee in an attempt to stop the tapping.

Bobby and Athena go next, then Hen and Karen. Then they're pulling on jackets and promising to save a plate for Buck.

Howie slips away for a few minutes and then returns, looking amused. "You think everyone else got the same greeting?" he asks his wife, who grins tiredly at him, pats his wrist. Her gaze turns to Tommy.

"Should we stay?"

That's a trap of a question. That's an assumption Tommy doesn't have a clue how to handle. He clears his throat. Shakes a few curls loose.

"What makes you think he'd want me to?"

Maddie's perfected the unimpressed eyebrow. It must be a parent thing.

Tommy barely holds in the sigh. "Go enjoy your meal."

---

Evan's been watching the door. It's clear the moment Tommy makes it to the threshold - he presses up, winces, tips sideways just enough to peek around the corner.

"Tommy," he says, and his expression melts.

Tommy's heard some iteration of that name a million times. Tom, from his dad. Tommy, fond and quiet from his mother, who'd never really learned how to speak up before she was gone. Thomas, in school, from teachers annoyed that he wouldn't just apply himself.

He was Kinard, to teammates, then fellow soldiers, to the firefighters he'd worked alongside for a decade before he ever let any of them know him.

No one says his name with quite so much reverence as Evan Buckley. He's convinced himself, over the last few weeks, that he'd been hearing adulation in that tone. But now it just sounds...relieved. Happy.

Evan slumps back and tries to cross his arms in a pout. There are too many cords and wires attached to him for it to work. "I'm pretty sure I'm mad at you," he says, and Tommy steps over the threshold.

---

Hobbes sounds fucking thrilled to find out he's going to be down a pilot for five days.

Evan throws a fit when he finds out Tommy's plan is to sleep on his own couch for the short duration of Evan's stay. Evan wins the proceeding argument and doesn't even complain that Tommy hadn't argued too hard

Bobby brings over enough leftovers to keep them in turkey sandwiches for a week, and Tommy doesn't think to ask how he got Tommy's address.

Tommy breathes. Tommy thinks. Once Evan can hold a train of thought for more than five minutes, Tommy talks.

Evan listens.

---

"So no Christmas," Evan pouts, and Tommy wants to bite it. "And no New Year's."

Tommy shifts a hand over his shoulder, tucks his chin over top of it so he can't see the pout anymore. "We were both already working those anyway."

"Do people do anything to celebrate Presidents Day?"

"Evan."

"Tommy," Evan mocks, and pulls far enough away to catch his gaze. "In the interest of transparency that was mostly a cover so I didn't ask about Valentine's Day."

"Is this you not asking about Valentine's Day?"

His smile is deceptively sweet. "I need help with my sandwich."

Tommy's seen him balancing a glass of water, his phone, two books and a takeout bag in his one good hand. He's absolutely full of shit.

Tommy leans forward to grab the sandwich off Evan's plate for him.

---

"You should stay," Tommy says, an hour after midnight two days into the new year. He's tipsy on his second glass of cheap champagne and he can't think of a reason to keep this in, anymore. Evan crinkles a brow at him.

"I... wasn't planning to go?"

There's a gold crown perched in his curls, and Tommy still hasn't taken the cheap plastic 2025 glasses off. The house is quiet, and there'd been shockingly few fires started by fireworks this year, so he's less tired than he'd expected to be.

"I meant -." Tommy starts, and then pauses. "I meant permanently. You should live here."

Evan laughs. Takes a bite out of his cake, and rolls his eyes, and then...stops. His entire body stills. "What."

It's ridiculous. The very thing that had pushed Tommy up out of his seat just a few months ago, sent him out the loft door with wet eyes and a heaviness in his heart.

"Tommy," Evan prompts, and Tommy catches the hand frozen on the countertop. He'd planned to hold this back, wait until something significant or poignant. But Evan had baked them a red velvet cake and argued with him the entire drive back from dinner about the proper way to fold a towel, and Tommy's tired of denying this isn't everything he's refused to let himself want for decades.

"You don't have to say yes just to confirm you're not breaking up with me," he tries to joke, and it falls flat.

"Tommy," Evan murmurs, quieter but more insistent.

"I'm serious. I want you here. I want -."

"Yes," Evan says, and squeezes his hand before he ducks his head bashfully. "Sorry. Continue."

"I want a life with you." The tears tickle at the back of his throat. He's gonna fucking cry, again. He'd always fucking known opening himself up to this was just an invitation for more tears in his life.

He can't quite convince himself the rest doesn't make them worth it.

"Yes. Again. Tommy, of course." He tips his chin. Purses his lips. "If you're sure."

Tommy swallows down the lump in his throat. He's never been more sure or more terrified of anything in his life. So he tells him so.

The words are like knives, but he works his way through the soreness, fights up past the fear that he's not sure will ever completely go away, and claws past the reminder that it's been a blink of an eye since Tommy walked out on this.

"Well. You can't walk out of your own house," Evan points out when he's finished, and of all things, it's that that snaps the tension of for once in his life prioritizing something other than fucking survival. He tips a grin, curls his elbow to bring their entwined hands to his lips. "It's gonna take years to coordinate another Thanksgiving with everyone," he bemoans, looking suspiciously watery-eyed himself as he holds Tommy's own wet gaze.

Tommy can extrapolate from that.

[splishfish]

Toys (NSFW)

Tomura Shigaraki x AFAB Reader

Tags: PiV, Use of Vibrator, Overstimulation, Squirting, Unprotected Sex, Pre-Established Relationship, Slight Dacryphilia

WC: 1.5k

"C’mon…don’t cry…let’s do it again…”

Sex with Tomura is amazing. Truly, it really is! Although he can be very rough in bed, he’ll always make sure your comfortable and enjoying yourself. If you ask him to change positions, he’ll always shuffle around just for you, even if he’s grumbling under his breath about how needy you are.

He’s an amazing partner in bed. Really…it’s just that…

More than half the time, he can never make you cun during sex.

That doesn’t mean the sex isn't good! No, of course not! It’s amazing! His cock curves so sweetly into your hot cunny, rubbing up into that squishy spot just a few inches deep inside you. And he loves to pound into you like his life depends on it, his heavy balls slapping against your ass / clit depending on your position, and his fingers so tenderly rub against your aching clit, causing your sweet little pussy to clench around him…

But it’s never enough

In the end, once he finishes, he’d have to use his long slender fingers to plunge inside you, desperately finger fucking you into oblivion until you cum. He doesn’t care if you cry and sob against his fingers, begging ‘Please! No more! ‘s too much!’  with your sweet little voice, he’s determined to make you cum.

Whenever you fail to cum during sex, he always seems so grumpy. So mad and upset at himself for failing you. It’s gotten so bad that he’d even end up scratching at his poor neck until it bleeds, beating himself up for disappointing you. All of this makes your heart ache, and eventually, you bring up the prospect of using toys during the bedroom.

When you first bring this up, he stays silent during the conversation, his mind whirring with different thoughts.

Were you seriously thinking of replacing him for some silicone dick? Was he not enough? Were you that unhappy with your sex lives? Would you break up with him? How fucking dare you try and replace him?! He was going to fucking kill-

Before his thoughts delved deeper into hatred and despair you quickly explained to him that no, this wasn’t a way to replace him, and that you were happy with your sex life. The conversation lasted a long time, the both of you sharing your opinions and thoughts on the matter.

Tomura was blunt about his thoughts on the matter. He refused to let you bring any dildo’s or toys that would require any sort of insertion into the bedroom. No, that was his job, only he belonged deep inside your weeping cunt, not some plastic toy.

He also didn’t want any toys to be used on him either. He was already upset about bringing in toys to begin with, so even bringing up using toys on him would cause him to start scratching his neck.

Eventually, the both of you reached a conclusion. You’d go out together, and buy whatever toy would suit his merit and your needs. 

When the day finally came to go shopping, you were absolutely buzzing with excitement! Not only would you be able to go shopping for something for your sex lives, but also you’d be able to spend time and help Tomura understand your needs.

Entering the sex shop hand in hand, you dragged Tomura towards the first few toys you saw, holding them up and explaining their function to him. At first, he didn’t really pay attention, his eyes darting throughout the store, his body stiff and his hands constantly coming up to tug the black hoodie further down his face.

You weren’t too sure if he was embarrassed, or maybe paranoid of being recognized, but eventually he managed to calm down enough to actually help you browse throughout the store. He scowled at every dildo or phallic item you passed, and he even spent a few seconds gazing at the wall of monster dildos in the corner.

For a moment, he imagined you struggling to take such a monstrous cock, and how your pretty little cunny would squelch and cry at such a big size. But he quickly pushed those thoughts away.

Eventually, after spending around an hour or so of browsing, you both decided on what you thought was the most basic purchase, yet best item you could have gotten. A hitachi wand.

As you two warped back, you spent the first few hours unpacking and letting the wand charge completely. Once it was finished, you took it back to Tomura’s room, holding it up like a prized possession as you spoke.

“Let’s try it out now!”

As you laid on your back, your legs spread wide as Tomura stood between them, his cock sliding between your puffy folds. Your slick mixed with his pre, your body buzzing with lust and excitement. Tomura grabbed the base of his cock, slowly sliding it down your slit until the tip of his cock nudged your eager hole.

You sighed in relief as he slowly pushed in, the head of his cock sliding in with a small squelch as you reached over the bed to grab the vibrator. You could see his lips twitch into a small frown, but he didn’t comment on your actions as he bottomed out.

Once you felt the familiar slide of his cock moving inside you, you turned on the vibrator, the buzzing noise causing his hips to stutter as he pulled back far enough to watch you place the bulbous head against your clit.

Instantly, a breathy curse escaped your lips, eyes fluttering shut as your hips bucked up in response to the intense vibrations against your needy bud. You could hear Tomura whimper from above you, his hips beginning to move as he spoke.

“Oh fuck…I-I can feel it even when i’m inside you…”

From above, Tomura felt chills of pleasure run down his spine. Everytime he moved, he could feel his cock buzzing from the pleasure, and everytime he pulled out far enough, the force of the vibrations would go straight to his tip. He groaned, his cock twitching as he moved faster, your slick causing his light blue pubes to stick together, a small string connecting the both of your bodies every time he moved away.

You could feel your pussy begin to drool, your tits bouncing with every hard thrust of his hips. His grunts became louder from above you, his hands coming up to grip at your thighs, the plush flesh pooling out of his fingers as he rammed himself deeper into you.

“Fuck…you feel so fuckin’ good…hah…so tight, you gonna cum already?”

You didn’t even notice the way your cunt so desperately clung to his cock, the coil in your stomach forming so quickly you could only babble a whiny ‘yes’ as you pressed the vibrating head even harder against your clit.

Your throat burned as you screamed out in pleasure, your orgasm ripping through you in multiple waves, both the vibrator and his cock drawing it out until you were nearly crying. You pulled the vibrator away from your overstimulated clit, gasping out as he grasped your wrist and forced the toy back against your nub.

You yelped, a searing pain that felt way too good suddenly coursing through you, your body squirming under him as you sobbed in response to his actions.

“No! Aagh! Tom-Tomura! W-wait wait wait! It's too much!”

He giggled from above you, a breathy moan escaping him as his hand pressed the toy against you even harder as he spoke in a dark tone, his hips stuttering against your pulsing cunny.

“Fuckk…feels so good baby…I can feel the vibrator against my cock-shit! Oh god…mhn…just a bit more..!”

You couldn’t stop the tears from falling from your face, your clit burning from overstimulation and pain. It felt so painful but with every second the vibrator was held firm on your clit the more you could feel another tight coil forming, ready to burst once again.

But this one was different.

Your legs began to tremble involuntarily, loud sobs escaping your throat as your cunny began pulsing against his cock in an almost painful vice. You didn’t even notice the sudden gush of liquid that squirted out of you, hitting Tomura’s pelvis and forcing his cock out of your gushing hole due to the intense pleasure of your second orgasm.

Tomura groaned in surprise as a sudden force caused his cock to pull away, watching as your sweet little cunny quivered and pulsed as you squirted against him, the strong yet short stream eventually dying down to a dribble, falling onto a pool of your fluids beneath you.

He couldn’t tear his eyes away from the sight, and only after a few moments of staring, laughter began to bubble up in his chest, leaving his mouth in small manic giggles as he trailed his eyes back to your face.

Oh, what a beautiful sight you were. All sweaty, flushed and wrecked. Fat salty tears escaping your eyes as you shook, small pretty sobs escaping your lips as you laid out all blissed out and messy.

He leaned down to lick the salty tears off your face, his cock pulsing and throbbing with eagerness as he grinded against your sloppy pussy.

“Oh fuck…that was so fucking hot…holy shit..eheh…c’mon…don’t cry…let’s do it again…”

Did you enjoy this? Check out my Masterlist for more!

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[peppermintquartz]

By the end of the hour, Rocker has come to three conclusions:

1) His twin is an idiot.

2) Evan Buckley is an idiot.

3) They deserve each other.

"There's this thing," he says, completely deadpan, "called Talking To Each Other, and you both suck at it."

"Hey!" "That's not fair-"

Rocker ignores their protests. Idiotic protests shouldn't be acknowledged. "You," he started, pointing at Buckley, "told my brother you admire him, started talking about queer people being brave and all that, and marriage... Before you even said I love you?"

Buckley gapes, giving a wonderful interpretation of a fish

He turns to Tommy, whose thick arms are crossed over his chest. "And you, baby bro-"

"-don't call me that-"

"-is so spooked by that that instead of saying stuff like ah we need to slow down you fucking break up? And you felt so bad you called me at four in the morning sobbing and drunk? Luca wants to hear from you later, by the way. You scared him too."

"You can tell him I'm okay."

"Are you really?" Rocker is unimpressed with Tommy's glare. "Again, S.W.A.T. I've been eyeballed by scarier than you, sweet cheeks."

"Screw you."

"Luca's got that covered."

Buckley is watching the twins banter, his big blue eyes bouncing between them. Tommy is assiduously avoiding Buckley, which is stupid, because Rocker can tell that Buck wants to take Tommy back.

Well, if his twin can't get out of his own way, Rocker will have to help.

"Buckley," Rocker says.

Buckley jolts to alertness. "What?"

"My baby bro. You still like him?"

Buckley flushes, but stares at Tommy. "Yeah. Never stopped."

Rocker nods. "Alright. At least that's cleared up." He stands and Tommy does too, as if assuming they're about to go, when Rocker grabs and hoists Tommy over his shoulders in a fireman's carry, before he heads up the loft.

"Buckley, come on!" he shouts.

"The fuck, Donny?" Tommy yells, trying to kick free. Rocker deposits Tommy on the bed and straddles him, pinning his twin to the mattress.

Buckley is gawping from the stairs. "I've had fantasies like that," he says dazedly. "Have you ever-"

"Hell no," Tommy and Rocker both exclaim at the same time.

"Buckley, you have handcuffs? A belt will do in a pinch." Rocker grins when Buckley hands him handcuffs from a box in the closet. "Knew you'd be a little kinky. Tommy always ends up with the naughty ones."

"Donny, don't you dare," Tommy warns. He struggles against Rocker's hold, but it's useless.

Slipping one of the cuffs onto his twin, Rocker glares down at Tommy but speaks to Buckley. "Get in here, kid."

Bemused, Buckley comes to the bed, and is promptly cuffed to Tommy. Rocker gets off Tommy and the bed.

"You two. Cuddle, fuck, whatever. Then talk it out." Still holding down his brother, Rocker rolls his eyes and mutter, "Simplest solution in the world but you gotta be up your own ass about it. I'm gonna put the key downstairs. Tommy, let me know if you're coming home."

Whistling to himself, he jogs down the steps and puts the key on the kitchen island. It's silent up in the loft, but Rocker knows it's because he's still around.

"Have fun, you crazy kids!" he calls out just before he leaves the loft.

Idiots, he thinks. Then he makes plans for dinner with Luca; he doubts Tommy will come home tonight.

"Donny, not today."

"Hell you mean not today," Donovan Rocker pushes his way into his twin brother's house. "You drunk called me, crying about your boyfriend whom you were supposed to introduce to me next week, saying that you broke up 'for his own good', and you think I won't take a couple days off to check on you? Fat chance, fathead."

Tommy groans and drops onto his sofa. "Whatever, man."

"What happened?"

"He asked me to move in with him."

"Tommy that's awesome! You love the guy!"

Tommy cracks open an eye. "Donny, he didn't even tell me he loves me. And I have a fucking house, okay? I have a whole damned house which you are sitting in."

Rocker makes a face. "Did you say that to him?"

"Like that's gonna make a difference." Tommy shuts his eyes and tilts his head back. "Fuck. Fuck all this. At least now he doesn't have to know how shitty I am."

Humming in sympathy, Rocker sits next to Tommy and carefully gathers his twin into a hug. Tommy resists a little at first, but then gives in to lie on Rocker's shoulder, curling his socked feet onto the cushions.

"Sometimes I think Mom should've fought harder to have custody of us both," Rocker says quietly, after a while. "She'd have got that low self-esteem out of you somehow."

"Yeah, well. Wishes and horses."

Rocker kisses the top of his twin's head. "I'll stay here tonight, baby bro. Seems like you need someone in your corner."

"I'm only eight minutes younger," Tommy grumbles, but he doesn't chase Rocker away; his arms wrap more tightly around his twin, pretending it's not a different body he wants in his embrace.

[isaidyoulookshitty]

idk it is so upsetting to me that veilguard is the first dragon age game i won't be replaying. when i was 15 i played origins so many times (almost a dozen) it is one of the only games i have ever 100% finished. da2 was the same! and while i didn't make it through as many playthroughs of inquisition i put hundreds of hours into it and made an effort to get to the bottom of everything the game threw at me. until veilguard, i had bought every available dragon age dlc for all games, tried to play almost every route given in the story choices, and spent hours reading through codex entries to soak up as much lore as i could.

veilguard has rendered all of that completely null.

it feels almost spiteful at this point that this new frakenspliced bioware cared so little to honor the bones and meat of the first three games. 15 years i have spent loving and cherishing (and criticizing) this franchise and now i feel like a fucking idiot for it. my grey warden? canonically awol and never addressed again. hawke? irrelevant and, for some players, potentially stuck in the fade forever. inquisitor? stripped of any complexity or depth i had given her in favor of the most syrupy, out of character fairytale true love's kiss ending with a man that shattered her worldview and broke her heart. how do you take 10 years to craft an ending this dissatisfying and thoughtless?

and the world i spent a decade and a half fighting for, shaping with player choices, and calling home? gone. "overwhelmed by the blight." literally scorched earth for the next game to build on with whatever the writers pull out of their ass to make players forget all about the original dragon age. it's tragic! disrespectful to longtime fans at best, at worst it feels intentional and like i am being made the butt of a joke told by writers who in the promotional material sound like they could not even be assed to play the games they're attempting to draw from. veilguard is just a product to be sold, not a story worthy of The Dragon Age Setting.

and i haven't even touched on all my gripes with the game's writing, the sanitization of any canon conflict that could be uncomfortable or difficult to address, the stale and cutesy therapyspeak and lessons in basic morality that are baked into every in-game interaction (most of which are shallow and all the same anyways) compared to the dialogue trees from the other 3 games. it is so frustrating to see that the devs chose to cave to a decade of vitriolic fandom politics in favor of addressing the kettle they wrote themselves into.

instead of hand-waving racism toward elves, the panic over qunari, the isolation of the dwarves, the corruption of the chantry, the abuse in the circles of magi, and slavery in tevinter, we should have been given the chance to confront all of it. to put a real end to it. we will never get to do that now. in fact, in their failure to follow through, bioware has only succeeded in exacerbating all of these issues. they have made the elves, which they have openly ADMITTED were "inspired" by Jewish and indigenous peoples, their mouthpiece for white guilt and shame passed down from one's ancestors (while also gutting elves' religion, culture, history, social differences, etc. i could go on). they PERPETUATE the same stereotypes of barbarity, violence, and warmongering imposed on the qunari by the rest of thedas by continuing to make them an opposing enemy force with the exception being a couple of friends they have neatly packaged for us. the unsatisfying conclusion to the mage-templar schism in inquisition is inconsequential. who the player chose to HEAD THE SOUTHERN CHANTRY as divine is deliberately made irrelevant. the dwarves are still isolated and ignorant of their origins save for harding (assuming she doesn't end up killed) and a single closed-off group. and the slaves in tevinter (again, mostly elves)? conveniently kept out of sight and conversation when we finally get to minrathous. everything that happened to fenris to make him the character he is, arguably the most impactful and sympathetic out of all the da2 companions, is not even addressed, much less tackled. all of it is swept under the rug.

i could go on about how i, a queer and nonbinary adult fan, thought their handling of gender and LGBTQIA+ identities was heavy-handed, infantilizing, and felt so out of place within the setting it makes easy fodder for the "woke=broke" crowd that wouldn't have been receptive to queer rep anyway, but that would need to be another post in itself. not to mention the romance! unfortunate that i chose to romance lucanis not knowing his is now notorious for a lack of content, meaningful dialogue, pacing, and actual development. i won't even get to see the other romances in comparison because, as i have said, i will not be replaying.

i wanted dragon age: dreadwolf. i wanted a solid conclusion to a story almost 20 years in the making. a dragon age reboot might even have been a great idea somewhere down the line, but this was not the game to do it with. it was supposed to be a sequel and they couldn't even get that right. did i enjoy parts of it? of course! i finished it! but i won't be doing it again. the game clearly intends you to, considering a significant portion is locked away by decisions players are forced to make pretty early on, but i can't make myself do it. it makes me way too sad.

[tommyssupercoolblog]

There's nothing I hate more in the Phandom than people reacting to someone seeing it as queerplatonic with "umm just watch any of their videos lol" none of you actually fucking know what a queerplatonic relationship is if you think pet names, kissing, sex, "heart eyes", monogamy, living together forever, being soulmates, etc are exclusive to romantic relationships.

The whole point is that queerplatonic relationships are supposed to ignore all boundaries between "types" or relationships and be whatever the people involved want them to be. A queerplatonic relationship can be LITERALLY IDENTICAL TO A ROMANTIC ONE ON THE OUTSIDE and be queerplatonic if the people inside deem it so.

THEY ARE ALSO NOT EXCLUSIVE TO AROACE PEOPLE

Stop acting like calling them queerplatonic is the same as erasing all that shit because queerplatonic relationships can literally include that. If your argument is just "they do romantic things and aren't aroace" then you have a collosal misunderstanding of what a QPR is and are being an asshole!!!

In conclusion how about you just ignore them instead of reblogging their shit with nasty comments or taking screenshots or making memes about how they're "ignoring the facts" they aren't ignoring SHIT you're just ignorant

I've always seen them as romantic but I am this close to calling them queerplatonic out of spite. There is NO INHERENT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO WHATSOEVER BEYOND WHAT YOU CALL IT!!!

I understand that people are used to queer relationships being erased and can be jumpy about it but 1) their relationship is still queer either way 2) this doesn't actually erase or deny anything about their relationship nor make it "lesser" 3) if you're still so upset about it how about you block them instead of acting like the whole idea is some homophobic psyop

[cynthiav06]

Annabeth stans and Percabeth shippers are talking about how ooc Annabeth is in WOTTG with her thinking Percy is stupid as if she hasn't constantly made fun of Percy's intelligence since the very beginning. As if she doesn't do it in every book, multiple times. Rick's characterization of Annabeth isn't changing, people are finally just growing up and realizing their fave ship when they were 12 isn't healthy. But instead of actually acknowledging that it's a bad ship they just blame the author.

Warnings: This is going to be a rant; bear with me. People from the "take everything as a personal offense" group stop reading. Will give us both the luxury of a peaceful mind.

It's easier to blame Rick, I think, given his series of shit decisions. The Wrath of a Triple Goddess is a complete abomination, and so is Chalice of the Gods in many ways. But at least it has helped readers understand the glaring flaws of Percabeth as a ship. How Percy's character is butchered to hype up Annabeth.

And I am completely exhausted of trying to get any of them to think rationally and in an unbiased manner. I can't make a willfully blind individual see sense after all.

But yeah, Annabeth has many, and I mean many character flaws throughout the series. The number of times I have made a post on Annabeth's flaws or even why Percabeth is incompatible.... At this point, I believe open-minded and careful readers are going to see and make their own conclusions, and the blind shippers will keep doing their own thing. This , I think, was my most recent post and will probably be one of my last ones on a similar topic. Unless I get newer asks that have some different viewpoints that I can actually explore cause, all has been said so far, I think.

I had a feeling that things would get better as they got older, more mature, you know, an Annabeth character arc of some sort. Maybe exploring the positive and negative nuances of Percabeth or even Percy's suicidal thoughts, non existent self esteem and how Annabeth has been unknowingly feeding into those.

She is one of the more iconic characters to people even outside the fandom. One from a very, very , and exclusive pool of actually strong female characters and the way her character is devolving isn't helping anything.

-------------------------------------------------------

All of Riordan's characters have such high potential, and the amount of plots he could explore is staggering, and yet he still dishes out the same generic plot again and again. He is in it for the money now, has been for a while, and so there's no hope there.

This might be a very hot take, but I think romance ruined the series. Rick kept slapping romantic relationships on every character as if that would suddenly make things better. Give them a relationship rather than explore their trauma. I guess it's the easier of the two.

But seriously, Caleo? Jiper? Solangelo ? (I can see the hate comments already). Whatever he was doing with Reyna, but at least she wasn't completely butchered.

Rick's problem is that he keeps giving more importance to romantic relationships and makes that the entire personality of a character.

He butchered Percy, even Jason at times, Leo bloody Valdez and Nico more prominently.

The way Percy and Nico's very deep and volatile bond and heavily dynamic relationship was butchered and distorted to feed into Solangelo and Percabeth, and I can't possibly understate how highly that's been going on.

Then Luke and Thalia's relationship was completely butchered for no absolute reason. I have no idea why. They were in love or at least had romantic feelings for each other, and Thalia just woke up and wanted to kill him? He literally gave all the angst to Annabeth even though Thalia had known him longer, and they had a more nuanced bond.

Jason's relationship with Camp Jupiter individuals was completely scrapped, his and Reyna's dynamic completely watered down, or even his and Leo's great friendship discarded all for Jiper or whatever else was shoved at him.

-------------------------------------------------------

As opposed to this whole shit show, I loved the relationships in the Magnus Chase series and Kane Chronicles. That was good stuff. Both character relationships and romantic ones even though I am pretty sure he got a lot of diverse representation wrong or so I have read recently.

Then there's the stupid, blind, bigot part of the fandom that just can't help themselves. I mean dumb Percy takes, Annabeth stans ruining Percy's character arcs and overinflating Annabeth's character, which in turn made Rick do the same.Then the boring Jason thing? What the hell was that? It's like everyone missed the point of why Jason is the way he is. I am going to make a post on that soon, but seriously, the shit that's been going on.

Then the shippers. Solangelo stans and Percabeth stans. They have single handedly ruined the ships for me with their distorted ideas of character dynamics. And their blatant and brutal hate against other Percy or Nico ships is just ridiculous and heavily toxic.

It's a fandom, not a monopoly. Everyone can have their own little thing as long as you don't meddle in someone else's own thing. Let everyone enjoy their own thing.

And for all our sakes, at this point, just pick your own version of canon. Choose which books to stop at. Trust me, it's less frustrating that way.

[multiisketch]

One of the recent TV spots for Sonic 3 showed that Tails has used his hologram technology to help Tom and Maddie with disguises. I don't think they actively join GUN in the movie, I think they sneak into one of their facilities using holographic faces that make them look like actual agents. That's what the uniforms are about.

But, what gets me about this plot point is that TWO DAYS before that trailer dropped I had been thinking idly about a situation where Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles would need proper disguises for the exact same situation. I also reached the conclusion that Tails' hologram technology would work for this. And then thought... hey, whatever GUN agents they disguised themselves as could be played by their voice actors for peak comedy about appearances. Just a fun plot thing that I didn't think would ever happen, but would be fun to see. Three kids in a trench coat type scenario, you know?

So, imagine my surprise upon seeing that TV Spot with Tom and Maddie. I was not okay for a solid five minutes. I initially thought, too, that the hologram technology was gonna be from GUN. But close ups I saw today showed that the technology is actually Tails' so I'm just...

I'm just flabbergasted by my ability to unintentionally predict a plot point a few days before it was revealed and needed to share XD

[literallys-illiteracy]

Slay the Princess: analysis of the Cycle:

Whatever horrors you may find in these dark spaces. Have heart and see them through. There are no premature endings. There are no wrong decisions. There are only fresh perspectives and new beginnings. This is a love story.

The story of Slay the Princess is one of learning, of self discovery, and one about a viscerally human experience.

As a preface, this game is not a singular, cohesive moral as others may be. There are no premature conclusions in one’s understanding of this game, and, like the vessels within, one’s knowledge and experiences past will define their understanding of this story.

As I always do, I encourage you all, to kill the author with your own hands, interpenetrate media as yourself, understand others conclusions but make your own where possible — While it is undeniable that media has meaning, there is no story that will end at the author's intent, and this game alone is proof of that. The narrator’s struggle against the player’s understanding each cycle, his desire and failure to control the humanity of the player and princess alike, to prevent their growth and understanding, each showing how any *human* story will inevitably live beyond the intentions that created it.

Like the Narrator says himself:

“there was no accounting for free will”

There is no singular understanding to be had.

There are no premature conclusions. There are no wrong decisions. There are only fresh perspectives, and new beginnings.

Chapter 1: The Heroes and the Princesses:

throughout the game, the player encounters several “voices”, or aspects of their character who help inform decisions and who each reflect past actions taken in the play through.

There are additionally also 10 Princesses in the second chapter of the game, each being the titular focus, accompanied by one of the aforementioned voices.

Each new voice is a perspective gained, a lesson learned of both yourself, and your.. ‘Relationship’ with the Princess.

The mirror reflects this (god that’s an awful line I’m keeping that in), presenting itself to you, the player alone, unseen by the narrator, in every chapter beyond the first; Each vessel’s final moments is proceeded by this mirror again, finally allowing us to “Reflect” on this moment, on this vessel, without the chorus of voices to guide us.

Each voice exists in dichotomy to a princess of chapter 2: The Hunted and The Beast The Opportunist and The Witch The Prisoner and The Septic The Smitten and The Damsel The Stubborn and the Adversary; The Broken and The Tower; The Paranoid and the Nightmare; The Cold and the Spectre; The Cheated and the Razor; The Contrarian and–

Chapter II.

The Stranger.

“Physical sensations dull and then vanish, until the only things experienced are the endlessly repeating patterns and emotions of the journey. A continuous march forward to a destination long forgotten. Consumption and betrayal. Scepticism and Blind devotion. Rivalry and Submission. Terror and Longing. Pain and Unfamiliarity. And at the heart of it all, an emotion that can only be described as—“

If one chooses to scorn their responsibilities and leave the cabin behind, they are met without ever having met the princess herself (once again, an awful line there), leaving no lesson learned, no perspective gained; The Princess in this chapter is a foreign to you, unfamiliar, a stranger.

The Princess, or the Shifting Mound itself, exists as a creature of perception; Though she changes, learns, from her past experiences, as is claimed quite directly by the Beast, she too changes from our notions of her being — The Princess changes depending on several prior actions, most notably, changing in both appearance and tone depending on whether the player chooses to bring the knife before first meeting her; One’s seemingly innocuous or unconscious decision is imprinted upon the princess upon being made, moving her being into both the player and the hero’s mind, where the princess begins to develop from an archetypal being, present only due to being perceived, into a construct.

This concept of constructs is far from foreign to this game, alike with the idea of archetypal beings; The story of Slay the Princess, is, in my estimation, one of individuation and realising one’s ���Self”.

The archetype of the Hero Cycle, also known as the Hero’s Journey, is described by Joseph Henderson’s “Hero’s and Hero Makers” chapter within Carl Jung’s “Man and His Symbols”, as one that occurs nearly universally throughout human stories in relation to maturity and development of the self.

The cycle centres around the hero, or their ego (or your awareness of your “Self” both subconscious and conscious; meaning “I” in Latin), which, over time and through a process of struggle, including a pivotal moment of “death” or “the abyss”, comes to defeat the villain, representative of the “shadow”, or the desires and emotions within ones self, moreover their id, that they wish not to acknowledge or associate with.

When one undergoes their pivotal “death”, when their persona is disintegrated and formed anew, if they then fail to incorporate these realised shadows of their “self”, and instead choose to live fully in ignorance or denial, then they are left as immature and seemingly lost to the world — This, of course, correlates with the route of The Stranger, or rather the Contrarian, as, never having faced the shadow, there was no realisation made for another voice to form; As the princess was never perceived, the ego of the contrarian, who is in and by far the most immature of the voices, takes the place of a more realised voice.

This same concept is even paralleled with the route taken in chapter 1, which aligns with the hero’s “Denial of the call” within the journey, and the continued denial leading to the lack of a journey all together.

Throughout the game, different voices will accompany you, different fears, doubts, and desires will reveal themselves, opposing paradigms of shadow and ego, and each providing a new perspective; Each vessel delivered we are once again greeted with a moment to reflect, finally punctuated upon learning, upon living in this story, in your final realisation, knowing how hollow and vast you are, realising your nascence and multitudes, finding your understanding and perspective when faced with your “self”, that in the end:

Author's Note(s): Wow i finally kept one pretty short... mostly because i intend to make many different essays about the various aspects and faucets of this game, but still. Shoutout to "Katie and Catburger"'s video on this game, which i have had on my "Watch later" list for at least a few months, and which inspired me to write my own on the topic.

I know this one is fairly short compared to my usual projects, but there will be more. Soon? unlikely. But there will be more.

[aonemanarmy]

The explanation Vincent attempted to make for the Turks wasn't nearly enough to sway Sephiroth's opinion, although no one could've really done so considering his mental state. Trying to reason with a madman would always prove fruitless and an exercise in frustration, but it was nevertheless admirable that the gunman had made the attempt. Precious few other people would've bothered to grant Sephiroth even that much consideration, yet it was something that he'd come to except and even accept before long.

“And yet, they signed that contract fully knowing the consequences that would come of it.”

No one had held a gun to the Turks' heads to get them to sign their contracts. They had done so willingly all for the promise of money or power regardless of the consequences, that or they had foolishly thought themselves to be above them. Whatever the case was it all amounted to the same thing – that they had chosen their fate and as such Sephiroth couldn't feel any form of pity for them, not even if he were capable of such an emotion.

…What makes you think I could easily take theirs, when I hesitate to take yours?

He didn't. It was actually one of the things that had persistently bothered him about Vincent's presence. As a creature of logic and instinct Sephiroth couldn't understand why Vincent hadn't killed him yet or at the very least made a decent attempt. He always expected it, but so far it had never come and the fact that it hadn't continued to be a point of confusion for him because it made no sense. After all, why would Vincent not kill him?

Sephiroth already knew that humans saw him as a weapon at best and a monster at worst, so why hesitate in destroying him? Once he'd broken free of the shackles that bound him to Shinra's control he was no longer of any use to humans and had become an active threat to them, which was why he fully expected each and ever one of them that were capable to try to kill him. So why didn't Vincent?

Was it really because the ex-Turk thought himself responsible for had happened to him? If that were the case then he should've killed Sephiroth upon their first encounter, to make amends for the monster he'd released upon the world. There was no reason to keep the madman alive as he could no longer be controlled, and as such could no longer be used either. He was a liability and they both knew it, so why...?

The only logical conclusion he could draw was that Vincent wouldn't kill him because of some sort of deal he'd struck with Jenova, although what that deal was exactly remained a mystery to him. However, even that line of reasoning didn't explain why the gunman hadn't seized upon the opportunity when they'd first met back in the Shinra Mansion. By all means Vincent should've killed him and he didn't like the idea of not knowing why that was, but before he could voice those thoughts aloud the gunman continued in a soft, almost forlorn-sounding voice.

What was with that tone of voice?

Sephiroth couldn't understand sympathy as he'd never been the recipient of it before and as such he lacked the capability of expressing it himself. So when he heard it in Vincent's voice he was unsure what exactly he was hearing and automatically assumed that it was somehow meant to be taken as demeaning. But why ever would a lion concern itself with the opinion of sheep?

“Yes.” There was no hesitation in Sephiroth's voice as his answer came automatically, as if it were obvious, and in his mind it was.

There was no question in Sephiroth's mind that dying would've been a mercy rather than living through what he had. What life could there be for him anyway? The only life he'd ever known was one of suffering, where he spent each waking moment living in fear of what new horrors the next day would bring. Worse still was knowing that he would never be able to escape from it, since when he tried he only suffered more and was left praying to whatever uncaring gods might've been out there to let it all end. Unfortunately for him those pleas for mercy were never answered and even when he tried to take matters into his own hands he found himself incapable of doing so.

Jenova wouldn't allow it.

Sephiroth didn't know it then, but even without meeting his 'mother' in person that Jenova's cells still retained some measure of control over him. As an entity beyond mortal comprehension Jenova was essentially immortal, and as such her cells always sought to survive no matter how harsh and unforgiving the circumstances. This survival instinct was hard-coded into her very DNA, so it required no conscious thought on her cells' part to act whenever their host was threatened, which was why whenever Sephiroth had tried to kill himself his attempts always failed. Either he would find his muscles freeze up and refuse to cooperate or the wounds he'd sustained would miraculously heal themselves no matter how severe the damage. It was as if his own body was working against him and in that regard it was true, and for that his suffering was forced to continue.

If only he'd been capable then he would've died long before ever reaching adulthood or even before he'd become a teenager. Things would've been so much better if that were the case, so knowing Vincent could've possibly granted him that wish and didn't was infuriating.

“What is this life that you speak of?” He spread his arms wide, the smile on his lips a stark juxtaposition to the topic of their conversation. “Forgive me if I fail to see this existence as something worthy of treasuring.”

Dropping his arms Sephiroth walked toward the gunman, only pausing beside of him as he considered the thoughts that must've been running through the other man's head. Did he truly struggle with such a decision? Did he really think that any form of life no matter how awful was worth living? If that were true then it only served to prove how naive Vincent was in spite of all that had happened to him.

“Would you have chosen this existence if you were given the option to chose between it and oblivion?” Sephiroth strode past the other man to gaze up the path winding up the canyon where several figures in black began to appear – the first of Hojo's failed cloning attempts finally making their way here. “If this is what life is meant to be then I want no part of it. Fortunately, mother has granted me an alternative, one which I had not thought possible until recently.”

It was also the only option he had left since Sephiroth knew that death would never be able to truly claim him.

The venom in Sephiroth’s voice was anything but subtle. Sephiroth could lightly regard anyone else’s plight in favor of his own. And while others would have spurned it all in the name of calling Sephiroth a full-bred monster, Vincent could understand Sephiroth’s point of view to some degree. However, he also knew that what Sephiroth knew of the Turks was only from the viewpoint of someone who had no understanding of kindness, of sympathy, a conscience, or simply moral dilemma. One couldn’t have a set of morals without an opposing side to compare it with. There was no point in correcting Sephiroth’s opinions in that respect.

“I cannot speak for the other departments. But as a Turk, the only way to leave Shinra is death. To defy ones orders could also lead to the same punishment.” The Turks were like walking secret databases. They were a huge liability to the company. The only free Turk was a dead Turk. Once a Turk, always a Turk.

Perhaps to Sephiroth, death was indeed a choice. But for mortals, it was the end of everything. Yet knowing this, Vincent had chosen to defy Hojo. He should have been dead. But instead, he had received an even worse punishment. Neither of them had the choice of becoming a monster. But unlike Sephiroth, Vincent did have a choice stepping into Shinra and submitting himself as a permanent employee of Shinra. He had a choice to become complacent and allow Hojo to work unsullied. He would have probably been high up in the ranks, and still be human, well respected within Shinra as head of the Turks. But now he was a killing machine, Sephiroth was a monster, and Lucrecia’s existence hung in the balance. If death could be considered a choice, then technically Sephiroth was correct. Knowing what Vincent knew of the Jenova cells, death was a luxury to even Sephiroth. The man was indeed a prisoner to the inevitable. It was tragic… something Sephiroth was quick to remind Vincent about. What was more blood on top of blood already spilled?

Vincent knew there was little he could do to explain the reasoning behind his motivation to spare the life of another. A soft glare crossed over Vincent’s face as Sephiroth trivialized his past murders. At this point, he couldn’t tell if it was Sephiroth or Jenova trying to worm their way under his nerves. Either way, he could feel a trap once again being laid. It was just a ploy to get him to do even more killings. “…What makes you think I could easily take theirs, when I hesitate to take yours?” Sephiroth had killed more than all the Turks combined. He was the most feared being in the entire planet, outside of Jenova. While one could argue Sephiroth had committed the greater evil, the flip-side could also be stated that Sephiroth saw himself as a savior. The Turks were ‘just doing their job’. Sephiroth was ‘just doing what Jenova wanted’. The sharp gaze from Sephiroth didn’t visually affect Vincent, but he felt it very keenly all the same. It was fleeting, but that response was coming from the depths of a hurt boy buried long ago. As Sephiroth drew his gaze upward, his second comment caught Vincent a bit off guard. Was Sephiroth admitting he had wished he had perished those many years ago…? Vincent wouldn’t have doubted such a dark thought had crossed his mind. It had certainly been one of his own wishes as well. The question made the gunslinger grimace and look away, diverting his gaze towards some of the gaping caverns where the winds were swirling. He wasn’t any better than Sephiroth. But at least he had something to anchor his sanity onto-- For now at least. He was merely a step away from becoming no different. “To kill the son of the woman who loved him” Vincent spoke more to himself than to Sephiroth, his fist tensing slightly at his side. "Or to let him live, knowing he would suffer." The guilt-laden gunslinger lifted his eyes, finally meeting Sephiroth's dagger-like gaze; his own eyes reflecting something akin to sympathy and less malice. "You were robbed of a normal life, yes." "...But should I have deprived you of a chance to live, as well?"

[damnfandomproblems]

Fandom Problem #6503:

I know anime has this reputation of being like super sexual or whatever and it's like everywhere and you can't avoid it. But it doesn't really match up with MY experience of watching anime for almost 10 years. I feel like this has something to do with me being more drawn to shoujo and just anime more geared towards towards women in general and I don't really watch many mainstream shonen animes. I think I actually finished only one of the mainstream shonen anime and it's one of the most ridiculed one. It's not that I hate mainstream shonen, it just so happens that I'm not interested in the plot of them. Not hating, just not my type of story. I even like fanservice, it's just that it doesn't pop up a lot in the stories I like. Also, in the shonens I've read (I read more shonen manga than anime), not all of them have excessive fanservice. I wouldn't even say half of them have.

I've mostly been watching seasonal animes lately and this complaint about there's so much excessive fanservice just confuses me because there's not that many in the stuff I watch. For example, Spring 2022, I watched 7 anime, I think 4 of them is relatively popular. There's like 1 scene in each that could be considered fanservice (I am being very generous and including stuff I don't really considered fanservice) and pretty tame. The most horny show I watched is the least known one that I think that most anime fans didn't even hear about and the fanservice in that is quite mild. And this is pretty much consistent with my experience with seasonals for the past year or so. There's like 1 or 2 horny shows but half of the shows I watch every season isn't fanservice-y. So it confuses me as to why I keep on hearing complaints about there's too much sexual stuff in anime and acting as though 75% of the shows that come out every season is High School DXD. Like do you only watch every generic isekai harem that comes out every season because that's the only conclusion I can make. 

[astrologanize]

december 2024 sun sign horoscope

aries sun: guys!! how about we not end this year on a poor note lol. i'm seeing potential messiness this month - & either this would come about because you guys are getting way too in your head and allowing feelings of uncertainty to cause you to act rash (and/)or there could be something that is said that causes you to get reactive. there certainly is a lack of grounded energy in your month, i'm not seeing any adherence to anything or solid structure, i'm seeing more go-with-the-flow and you deciding to do things spur of the moment. thanks to the instability of this month, behaving childishly is something you are going to have to look out for, very important to bear in mind that sometimes you need to take a walk and distance yourself from a situation instead of acting in the moment. your best advice is to try to be deliberate during this time, try to contain yourself no matter how uncomfortable that may be, and try to not sensationalize situations.

taurus sun: there are choices and possibilities that you will be addressing this month and unfortunately they are not the fun kind. amongst your month there will be ego issues going on, you may not be feeling at your best, some of these choices and possibilities may require you to set aside your pride or make you feel out of your element in a way that causes a lack of confidence. you will be trying to pay heed to lessons learned and choosing what you know is for the best, even if it's not exactly what you want or something that makes you feel confident. your best advice is to persist and do your due diligence! let go of any notions you may be holding too tightly to and just give your all to the best of your ability. do also be careful of letting any ego issues cause you to be insensitive this month or allowing any seeming insensitivity from others to shake your confidence.

gemini sun: oh goody! for this month i am seeing a positive sense of resolve happening for you. there will be something(s) coming to a conclusion, a situation or a habit or what have you, as you shift your path in a different direction, a direction that does or will bring you contentment (a period of detouring if you will). the phrase "rest assured" is coming thru, like you're reaching a point this month where you are absolutely certain of what you need to do in order to attain whatever it is you're desiring for yourself/your life. your best advice is to make shit happen this month, be action-oriented, do not meditate and hesitate, indulge in some frivolity, allow your life to get thrown off balance, choose to live!

cancer sun: feelings shall be placed in the box to the left this month because you guys are going to be focused on your priorities and getting shit done. its looking like a a productive holiday season, there will be plans in place that you want to make happen, there will be one thing after another taking place, and all of this will be making you feel quite practical during this time. your best advice is to take on a more serious attitude this month and choose to lean on others when you can instead of trying to do everything on your own - you're going to be busy with enough and you definitely don't need to overload your plate trying to be superhuman.

leo sun: y'all have had some notable things to say this year and this month will be no exception to that. i am seeing you be more open this month and being direct in a way that is helpful to a situation somehow - maybe its you coming clean about something or maybe there's someone who has been wanting a straight answer from you in regards to something and you've been too prideful to give them one until now, as you will feel ready and willing to do so. it's a chance to set things straight and find greater cooperation! your best advice is to be mindful and dutiful this month, pay close attention to your actions and your life, acknowledge what you need to and choose to have integrity and follow-through.

virgo sun: ah, virgos finally being back in an energy that resonates with them, niiiice. you will for sure be having your thinking cap firmly on while you try to figure things out because oh boy is there is a whole lot of pondering that shall be taking place this month. there is a starting over from scratch type of dealio going on here as you choose to wave the white flag and no longer persist with something. you may be feeling like you're in a place in life that you've never had to deal with before. your best advice is to stick to the meditating because it is not a time to make any decisions yet, take the time to let things weigh on you in the ways they're needing to and refrain for now.

libra sun: this could very well be an inspiring time in your life where you know in your heart of hearts what you would like to do and are willing to be thorough enough to make it happen but there is potential for you to instead get hung up on things and continue to put wasteful energy towards a situation that you should be leaving behind. so either you can stay in ~low-vibrational~ energy, being unnecessarily reactive and beating a dead horse, or you can know that you are above such things and put your energy towards opportunities that will grant you progress in your life.

scorpio sun: lol what a....not scorpio-like time for y'all...this month is looking surprisingly chill and honestly lackluster. i'm seeing you guys reach a sort of plateau or standstill in life where you will be feeling free, maybe even a bit lost and unsure of where to go at times, but overall stable. taking any sort of risk is going to be unappealing, you have been letting go of a lot & releasing plenty of notions, and have been striving towards absorbing lessons learned, so it's going to be a somewhat boring time as you saunter through this month. your best advice is to just find acceptance and let things be. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

sagittarius sun: there is something off about this month for you, something that isn't going to thrill you, i'm afraid there continue to be lessons of maturity for y'all. unfairness and accountability is coming through, there is potential for gossip, but it looks like you are going to be taking accountability for yourself by the end of this month so regardless of any unfairness that may be on your part you will at least be able to internalize it. similarly to aries for this month, you will need to know that sometimes the best thing you can do is just take a walk - choose to get better not bitter! don't allow yourself to get hardened by whatever may occur this month, try to enjoy good times with others and get through this month treading lightly.

capricorn sun: oooou, there is a bit of mystery surrounding this month for y'all, there may be some potentiality in regards to a situation...like something that is a possibility, something you're not entirely comfortable with or gung-ho about but a worthwhile opportunity or lesson nonetheless. your best advice for this month is to choose to get out of your comfort zone, don't get your hopes too high, lessen your expectations, go with the flow and allow for this month to unfold without the need for a firm grip. something you really want will come to fruition this month somehow, just make sure you're taking your chill pill and not getting ahead of yourself.

aquarius sun: nice, nice, nice. what will be happening this month is a pretty swell time! i'm seeing freedom and contentment and vibrant energy, along with a resounding theme of you persisting forward in life. for some of you, you may be freeing yourself from a connection that has been weighing you down but for most of you you're going to be taking chances that will actually help you to move on from the things you've been stuck on. your best advice for this month is to maintain momentum in life by being assured in what you know for yourself and where you're headed, practice practical self-care and do away with all the doubts!

pisces sun: hm, this will be a chaotic month for y'all but you guys do tend to like having an abundance of flavor in life so you may not mind the extremism unfolding. it does seem like your routine is going to get majorly thrown off somehow or you will be doing things differently and i am seeing you quite emotionally distraught throughout this month but it seems to be for good reason. the full picture is looking like there are things you haven't let go of that you are going to be dealing with this month, or you shall be forced to deal with, but it's difficult because it does require you to assert your boundaries and practice restraint as you cease to endure or persist with whatever this is - maybe it's a situation that is leaving you feeling helpless and you have to face that fact that you can only do so much. your best advice is to assess the worth and value of things & habits in your life and to act accordingly, if it's not worth it then why are you blocking your blessings? for some of you it could be that you are hardcore in your feels this month and ya just need to put a cork in it lol - dry those tears and put effort into something worthwhile!

[tommykinard217]

Monday motivation

Okay it is definitely no longer Monday but only by 30 minutes so it's fiiiineee. Anyways, have the first 600 ish words of that bucktommy s1 au. Yes I decided to include Abby, but who knows, I could completely rewrite this and take her out entirely. Or I could still write a s1 au without Abby and still write this. The world is my literary oyster lmao.

Buck had no idea what to expect when he called Abby, saying he was going to help her find her mom. Obviously, Abby was gorgeous, but also was going through a serious crisis, and he was promising to put his prior antics to bed. So to speak. 

He knew that it was going to be a rough day, and that finding Patricia wasn't going to be easy. 

But he didn't expect the knock at the door when Abby, Carla, and himself were trying to make a game plan. And neither, it seemed, did Abby. 

He stayed at the table with Carla, focusing more on the maps to try to get a decent idea of where to start, but he couldn't help but to be curious. Besides, the table wasn't exactly that far from the door.

“Tommy? What are you doing here?” Abby asked, seemingly confused. He looked up and saw Abby with her arms crossed. He couldn't exactly see the other figure in the doorway from this angle, but from the way Abby was looking up, he was probably around Buck’s own height. 

“You sent me a text. Patricia is missing? I know I'm probably the last person you want helping you but I actually have some experience with search and rescue. And I care about Patricia too, Abby. Even after everything between us.” 

Oh god. An ex? Was he going to try to win Abby back? Buck had no clue exactly what was going on between him and Abby, but he did really like her. He didn't want some asshole ex ruining things before they even started. But also, him stating he had search and rescue experience piqued Buck’s curiosity. Was he also a first responder? A cop, maybe? 

“You have search and rescue experience via a helicopter, Tommy. That's not exactly the same as doing it on foot.” Actually, that probably made him even more badass, though Buck hated to admit it. He could already feel his hackles rising at the mere thought of this Tommy dude helping. Which definitely made him an asshole considering any help was needed when it came to finding Abby’s mom.

Abby seemed to come to the same conclusion right before Tommy replied with whatever he was going to try to say to convince Abby to take him back. Or find her mom. Or both. Buck was starting to feel a little irrational already. 

“Fine. We need all the help we can get and we're wasting time standing in my doorway. I've already created a general radius of where she could have gotten in the nine hours she was gone.” 

Abby started walking over, Tommy in tow, and Buck couldn't help but stare. This was Abby’s ex? The man could have been sculpted by the Gods if he didn't know any better. Tall, built like a brick house. He even had a cleft. Man was basically Superman. And Buck had to compete with that? 

“And who are you?” Carla had said, breaking the slightly awkward silence that had built when Abby brought Tommy over. She looked him over appreciatively and honestly, Buck couldn't help but do the same. He was allowed to admire another guy, even if he was technically competition. 

Tommy had smiled slightly, a crooked little grin that Buck hated to admit was charming. “I'm Tommy. Abby's ex.” 

Carla’s eyes narrowed. “The guy who dumped her because she was taking care of the very woman we’re trying to find?” 

Tommy looked taken aback by the statement, and when Buck looked at Abby, she looked…sheepish was probably the best word, honestly. Tommy looked over at Abby, seemingly hurt. 

“That's what you're telling people? That I broke things off because of Patricia?” There was a hint of steel to Tommy's voice, checked in anger and hurt. “Damn, I knew I hurt you but I didn't realize you'd paint me as a total dick for it. You didn't seem the type. But I guess neither of us actually knew each other, huh? Anyways. We're here to find Patricia. You can clear things up later. Or not.” 

Abby looked regretful, and like she wanted to say more on the subject, but Tommy was right that time was being wasted on this. 

[andreabaideas]

@mzannthropy

Seeing your tags in the previous post ("I come across as a hater" one) was the final straw for something that has been eating me for months :

I've been seeing (and many other peoples tags here at Tumblr or Twitter and Instagram opinions, or TikTok) kinda justifying or explaining themselves for liking or disliking things...

And I am so fucking tired of seeing women, ALWAYS, having to defend their things, I wonder why Only women? Never or almost never men, I feel so envious of their self confidence tbh.

No one truly should have to explain themselves. You can like and dislike whatever you want...

Heretics rock!!!!!!!!

I enjoy reading different opinions...I mean I am a fandom war veteran at this point!!! I survived Supernatural drama, TVD drama, The Hunger Games love triangle war....Even the biggest one : Team Edward vs Team Jacob on Twilight fandom for fucks sake!!! XD.

And as a Twilight veteran fan (since 2007) believe me, i've learned to not give a DAMN crap about others opinions on my little beloved things that make me happy ("Twilight suck" , "Its just for Girls", "vampires dont sparkle"....🙄🖕Let me enjoy my shitty problematic beloved saga!!!! ) cause i'm happier like that XD.

On a personal note about you @mzannthropy and to show my example.

I like things similar to you that we share and we speak about, which make me very happy to talk-write about with you (or with other whom i share interests with) like : Sam Claflin, Florence Welch , The count of Montecristo, Agatha Christie, Cats...I even started reading LM Montgomery for curiosity , as i had just read Anne of the Green gables as a teen, i am re reading her now and i'm liking her!!!! I Will read everything I find of her ASAP.

But i also have different tastes to you: I dont hate me before you (I dont like It either Its so so to me like 6/10) , I like Peeta a lot while I dislike Gale with an intensity (Im always going to say that id rather have him dead than Finnick, i'll die on that hill, forever angry at Suzanne Collins) and I fucking love Riley Keough (I know you dislike / hate her).

And what? Does that make me unable to relate to you??

Noooopeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We just have different tastes and thats okay!! I like /reblog your posts that I like, the ones i dont...i ignore, and that's It. You probably do the same I guess?

I dont get why people make such a fuss! I myself received hate for liking daisily, like... Calm tf down girl , i'm just a (still) young woman reposting photos and gifs?! What harm can i possibly make you with my things??...But i blocked and I moved on. And I bitch about hatefull people like that Sometimes.

Related to the previous Sam post :

I must admit i dont dislike any of Sam's co-stars, I like most or feel neutral tbh. I even made a post with Sam + Chemistry, with my personal list of faves, those Who I didn't post about were neutral to me, fine but not super Special, and I know how you feel about that C word XD...

Believe me I find It cheap myself...but I don't know how explain that to people without that word , in english that's it...In spanish (and french too) there are way better more complex words for romantic / frienship /sexual or mixed complex conections?? English sometimes Its poor compared. We mediterraneans are messier we need those words to figure ourselves out XD.

Conclusion to this long post :

Everyone has right to their opinions and speak for themselves, Thats freedom of speech, if everyone thought the same It would be super boring tbh.

And @mzannthropy You are not a hater you are yourself. Period. Keep posting the way you do, cause Its very you , and It makes It very cool :)

Looooong pooost aaagaaaiin.

Sam Claflin and Holliday Grainger in ‘Any Human Heart’ (2010)  

[bookshelfdreams]

fr if "this is no longer the queer joy show" for you, idk what to tell you. maybe next time try engaging with the actual story instead of the version of it you made up in your head

[nwarrior777]

"fat!amputee!fem!laios" bro just make an OC instead. that's no longer laios

well i made one

this oc and laios inspecting each others bodies in ways which i am afraid person bitching about jpegs can't handle

[tacagen]

one of the things that fascinate me about thawne: yes, he CAN be normal with kids! surprisingly normal!

((not at all times, though. his mental illness still spills through and as usual he, in trying to manipulate or hurt others, spits out at them the exact stuff that would hurt him (or have in his childhood/barry's rejection interpretation) the most in the first place lmao))

but at the same time. his like second instinct when doing his bullshit is FUCK THEM (as) KIDS

(and, well. whatever this classifies as)