#because what else can they do?

[lohstandfound]

Royal Pains brain rot got me writing a thing.

"you're better off without them"

Rich and Brooke observe another Jake and Chloe break up, once again trying to urge them that they're better off apart- despite knowing that it won't work. No matter how much it hurts.

“You’re better off without her.”

Rich sits across from Jake.

Jake’s tears have long since dried and they sit in silence, the only sound is Jake’s ragged breathing. It’s always bad when they break up, but Rich is always there to piece him together.

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

Jake sniffs and shakes his head. “No.”

That’s always the answer. But Rich always knows what’s running through Jake’s head, anyway.

It’s routine, by now.

They break up. Jake calls Rich. Rich is by his side almost immediately. Jake is crying (and he hates that he still cries over her but goddammit it still hurts every single time). Rich sits with him.

Rich sighs.

“You can’t keep doing this, dude.”

Jake doesn’t respond. He doesn’t look at Rich.

Jake knows that Rich is right, but he doesn’t want to let her go.

It’s intoxicating.

And he knows its not good for him but he can’t stop. Her claws are dug too deep into his shoulders, he can’t imagine them not.

He can’t remember what it’s like to not be in her grasp.

Rich didn’t expect Jake to respond.

“You’re better off without her,” he tries quietly.

“I’m not.”

Rich frowns.

“Jake…”

“I’m not. I need her. I need her, god, Rich. I need her.”

Rich is silent for a moment.

“I don’t- I don’t know what to do without her. I can’t just let her go.”

“She hurts you. You go back to her and she hurts you all over again. And it breaks you every time.”

“It doesn’t.”

Rich knows that Jake doesn’t want to hear this. He’s tried this conversation before.

“Jakob, you’re not good for her. She’s not good for you-”

“Who are you to decide what’s good for me and what isn’t?” Jake snaps.

Rich doesn’t flinch.

He doesn’t shy away from the glare that’s turned on him.

“Your friend.”

The word pains him.

“I care about you too much to watch you destroy yourself like this.”

Jake turns away from him.

Rich knows that this is the end of the conversation for now. But god, he wants to talk more.

He wants to plead with Jake to let her go.

He wants Jake to see how much he’s destroyed himself over her.

He wants Jake to see the damage they’ve done to each other.

He wants Jake to see that he’s right there in front of him.

He wants Jake to see what they could be.

But Rich knows he won’t. So, he’ll continue to piece Jake back together as carefully as he can.

“Do you want me to stay?”

There is no hesitation in Jake’s nod.

Rich hesitates, his hand moves forward to take Jake’s.

But he doesn’t.

If Jake noticed the small action, he doesn’t say anything.

“I’ll stay.”

======================

“You’re better off without him.”

Brooke sits cross-legged on Chloe’s bed, watching as she paces around the room.

She’s on edge. She can see the tears building up in Chloe’s eyes but she doesn’t know if she’s going to scream or yell or cry.

She’s been through this before.

And she knows Chloe.

She knows to treat this situation like she’s walking on eggshells.

“Chlo?” She speaks softly.

Brooke knows that it’ll snap Chloe out of her head. Brooke knows that Chloe’s attention will zone in on her. Brooke knows that she’s going to be the recipient of every horrible thing she has to say about him. And Brooke knows she will sit here and take it.

Chloe will take it out on her, and she will let it roll off her shoulders because it’s better than Chloe taking it out on anyone else.

And it’s better than Chloe running back to him.

As predicted, Chloe’s venomous glare turns to her.

“I hate him. I hate him, I hate him, I hate him so fucking much. He can fucking rot in hell for all I care. Why should I care? He’s nothing but a fucking prick.”

Brooke nods idly.

Starting with yelling.

Brooke listens as Chloe spouts off every insult she’s ever used for him.

And she agrees, because she doesn’t want to make it worse by saying she’s wrong about him.

Chloe screamed and she yelled and half the things she said weren’t true.

And she could never truly hate him.

She was wrapped around his finger and she liked it that way.

He was always there to make her feel good,

Feel wanted.

His rough lips on her neck and his careful touch,

She could never get enough of it.

When she was the centre of his attention, it was intoxicating.

She felt wanted, needed, complete.

It wasn’t healthy, god it wasn’t good.

But she just couldn’t help herself.

She couldn’t remember a time where Jake wasn’t all hers.

Brooke watches as the tears well up in Chloe’s eyes.

The crying step will come soon.

Chloe collapsed on the bed next to Brooke.

Brooke carefully wrapped Chloe up in her arms as she cried.

Brooke wouldn’t say anything as Chloe cried.

She wouldn’t comment on the tears.

Instead, she just held Chloe as her heart ached, listening to Chloe curse him out again and again.

Brooke knew the words she said could switch Chloe right back to screaming at her.

But they were words that Chloe needed to hear.

“You’re better off without him, Chlo. You don’t need him. You don’t need his attention to make you feel better. You’re more than enough without him.”

“You just- You don’t understand, Brooke. I need him! I need him, but god I hate his fucking guts.”

“Chloe, you destroy him and yourself and everyone around you when you’re with him.”

And Brooke knew what it was like to destroy yourself for someone else.

“We’re supposed to be together, Brooke! He’s mine, I’m his. That’s how it’s supposed to go. That’s how the story always goes. We’re good for each other!”

But Brooke’s words were true, and Chloe knew it.

Chloe wasn’t ready to admit that.

Of course, Brooke knew that.

But she would keep waiting for the day Chloe realised that she didn’t need him.

She would keep waiting for the day that Chloe would open her eyes and see what was right in front of her.

Maybe Chloe rejecting her would hurt less than watching Chloe try to hold herself together after every single breakup.

Until then,

Brooke would hold Chloe as she cried, listen to Chloe as she screamed, and watched as they would get back together and destroy themselves all over again.

[dr11ft]

chicana miku 🤎

[akanemnon]

I don't like this place. It's turning everyone edgy and sad.

FIRST - PREVIOUS - NEXT

MASTERPOST (for the full series / FAQ / reference sheets)

[blueboyluca]

“When I first heard it, from a dog trainer who knew her behavioral science, it was a stunning moment. I remember where I was standing, what block of Brooklyn’s streets. It was like holding a piece of polished obsidian in the hand, feeling its weight and irreducibility. And its fathomless blackness. Punishment is reinforcing to the punisher. Of course. It fit the science, and it also fit the hidden memories stored in a deeply buried, rusty lockbox inside me. The people who walked down the street arbitrarily compressing their dogs’ tracheas, to which the poor beasts could only submit in uncomprehending misery; the parents who slapped their crying toddlers for the crime of being tired or hungry: These were not aberrantly malevolent villains. They were not doing what they did because they thought it was right, or even because it worked very well. They were simply caught in the same feedback loop in which all behavior is made. Their spasms of delivering small torments relieved their frustration and gave the impression of momentum toward a solution. Most potently, it immediately stopped the behavior. No matter that the effect probably won’t last: the reinforcer—the silence or the cessation of the annoyance—was exquisitely timed. Now. Boy does that feel good.”

— Melissa Holbrook Pierson, The Secret History of Kindness (2015)

[musubiki]

balor 🥰

[egophiliac]

do skully have pokemon?

Pumpkaboo is the obvious one, but y'know, sometimes the obvious one is the right one! (we'll say SUPER SIZE Pumpkaboo, just for fun. big pumpkin for big skeleton boy.) and another person actually also suggested Greavard, which I somehow hadn't considered, but feels so perfect that I feel like I should have. dangit.

(they can also have little Nightmare Suit costumes :D)

[captain-krow-drozdov]

Danny Is An Alternate Version Of Ra's Al Ghul And Flash Already Called Dibs On Adopting Him

Danny In All His Sleep Deprived Slightly Scuffed Up From A Fight Glory Is On His Way To Clockworks Tower To Hopefully Get A Nap And Maybe Some Homework Done When A Natural Portal Opens Up In Front Of Him And Proceeds To Unceremoniously Drop Him In The DC Verse Just Outside Of Central City Before Promptly Closing Leaving A Tired Danny Behind In A Run Down Abandoned Parking Lot.

It's Times Like This When Danny Regrets Putting Off Learning How To Make His Own Portals, Cause Now He Is Very Much Stuck For The Foreseeable Future And He Has No Idea Where Or When He Is. Luckily For Him However Central City Isn't Too Far Away, Unlucky For Him However Is That Once In The City He Realizes This Isn't His Dimension. He's Pretty Sure He'd Remember Something Called The Justice League.

So What Do You Do When Supernatural Bullshit Fails You? You Fall Back On Your Mad Scientist Roots And You Make A Portal Gun. So That's Exactly What Danny Plans To Do.

Unfortunately Staying Alive And Building Questionably Safe Portal Technology Requires Money And Supplies, So He Ends Up Wandering From City To City Doing Odd Jobs/Fixing Up Busted Tech For Cash Or Unwanted Electronics For His "Operation: Get Home" Needs. This Obviously Ends In A Few Superhero Encounter Shenanigans.

Though He Always Ends Up Back Near Central City, Both On The Off Chance The Natural Portal Will Open Up Again And Because Out Of All The Superheroes That Apparently Exist In This Universe The Speedsters Are His Favorite (Red Robin Is Solidly His Second Favorite Ever Since The Gotham Vigilante Gave Him A Large Coffee Filled With Enough Caffeine To Kill A Man).

Unbeknownst To Danny However Is That Every Hero/Vigilante He Has Encountered Has Come To At Least One Of The Following Conclusions; 1. Run Away Meta Who Is In Desperate Need Of A Good Meal/Adoption Bait. 2. Possibly Red Robin/Tim Drake Clone 3. A Good Kid But Could Possibly Be A Future Rouge If Left Unsupervised. 4. Did Bats Get A New Kid And Why Is He Here?

All Flash Knows Is That He Saw The Kid First And Therefore Has Dibs. Suck It Bruce.

Fast-forward A Few Months And Danny Gets Hurt During A Rogue Attack While Trying To Help Some Civilians Get To Safety (Old Hero Habits Die Hard (Ha Die Hard) And All That Jazz) And He Nopes Out Once Everyone Is Safe And When The Paramedics Are Busy With Other People Unaware He Left A Blood Sample Behind.

One DNA Test Brought To You By Paranoid Bat Concerns Of A Possible Red Robin Clone Later And They Find Out That Dannys DNA Matches One Ra's Al Ghul.

They Now Think Danny Is An Escaped Ra's Al Ghul Clone.

Memes For The Vibes:

[thisiswhereikeepdcthings]

I think Duke Thomas should get to give off eldritch horror vibes to all JL-associated magic users. As a treat.

[beneathsilverstars]

i think it's key that being a kid is soo frustrating... both because you're not in control of much of your life, which would be frustrating for anyone, and because you haven't yet learned how to deal with frustrating situations.

when you're an adult and your friend gets hurt in battle, it's a tragedy, but you have seen battles and you have seen tragedies (more or less directly), and you know that shit just happens sometimes. it's scary and sad but you've built habits for how to react when you're scared and sad. you hoped it would never happen, but you knew it could, through sheer bad luck.

when you're a kid, this is the (second) worst thing that has ever happened to you, and however unready an adult might be a kid can only be less so. siffrin is cool and strong, he is not supposed to get HURT like this. it rocks bonnie's whole worldview. this isn't supposed to happen, it's not fair, and that's where the anger comes from! and they direct the anger at whoever caused the tragedy or should've-but-didn't prevent it: siffrin, who jumped in to defend bonnie. and bonnie themself, who couldn't take out the sadness on their own or do anything to stop/protect siffrin.

so they're mad at siffrin for jumping to their defense and getting hurt. and it's extra hard to move away from that feeling, because every time they even just look at siffrin they see the eyepatch. and they feel guilty, mad at themself for being unable to help, and they think siffrin should be mad at them too - but he's not, he's trying to act like it's no big deal. and that's even worse. what is bonnie supposed to do with all this guilt, then! why is no one else angry, why doesn't anyone else realize that it's not FAIR!

but what can they do? they're still not allowed to fight. siffrin won't yell at them or cry to them or anything. the adults try to shield bonnie from the worst, saying it will be fine, but bonnie knows it's not fine but what can they do. so they distance themself from siffrin because looking at them makes them feel angry and guilty. and they do their best to cook things their friends will like, helping the one way they're allowed to. and they just keep going with their life, but a little more volatile now, because every injustice or failure or frustration flares up that same ever-burning fire of anger and guilt. esp when it comes to siffrin; now that they're mad at him, it's easier to latch onto any additional reason to get mad at him, anything that is easier to understand and express.

specifically when it comes to fear turning to anger, i feel like the relationship between those emotions is like... acute fear in the moment. next, anger that something so awful happened. and then the slow burn of fear that it could happen again, alongside anger at anyone who caused or didn't prevent the scary thing. so fear is about what's happening, and anger is about why. also, anger feels more productive? when you're afraid, you run away and hide. when you're angry, you yell and fight. and bonnie is sick of running! so they lean into the anger whenever possible instead.

Hello bonnie enjoyer. How does one characterize bonnie. I want to write them but I don't know when their fear turns to anger, or when their sadness quiets down. I want to know bonnie!! - @wish-upon-the-universe (when will tumblr let side blogs ask questions 😔)

i am.so sorry HHELP i honestly. dooo not know SQUEAKS. a lot of my bonnie characterization is cross referencing with the game and then hoping REALLY hard.. child characters can be hard to write SQUEAKS!! i apologize but i am also honored that i am the bonnie enjoyer o7

[ironunderstands]

The way some of yall mischaracterize Ratio as being stoic in chill when in reality he is 24/7 resisting the urge to rip everyone around him a new one is crazy to me like. He cares so much, so much. It’s unhealthy, he loses the idgaf war every time because Ratio is the least nonchalant person ever like

He was this close to breaking character and throttling Sunday like you cannot tell me he wasn’t planning a murder in this scene. Ratio straight up calls Sunday a crazy bitch but everyone brushed it aside 😭

Honestly his entire conversation with Screwllum is just him tweaking, watch it on YouTube the VAs performance is amazing, you can here just how much He Cares

Genuinely, Aventurine is way better at concealing his true feelings that Ratio. Ratio may be acting for the sake of the plan but the way he truly feels about anything he’s doing always seeps through, it’s why he apologizes to Aventurine in 2.0 in their staged argument scene. It’s why he is as mean to Sunday as he can be. It’s why him pretending that he “hates” Aventurine makes him act so silly. Ratio can’t fully commit to the bit, he can’t force himself to not care or to be someone he isn’t, because fundamentally Ratio CARES and that is something he is incapable of hiding, alabaster bust or not.

The problem is that him expressing his care is often done in a rude and/or blunt manner which people tend to interpret as stoicism or apathy when it’s anything but. Ratio’s vial that he gives to Aventurine is short, sweet and gets straight to the point, because that’s the easiest way for Ratio to express his emotions, even if it’s often detrimental for him and anyone else around him. However Aventurine understands him quite well, and knows that although brief, Ratio telling him to “stay alive, survive this and keep on living” is how he truly feels towards Aventurine, and that’s enough to keep him going.

Underneath Ratios carefully crafted marble facade is a man who cares so much and is so bad at expressing it and I wish the community in general, especially Aventio shippers would acknowledge that more. Ratios true moments of sincerity are brief, but they are anything but stoic. Let the man be soft, it’s in character.

[lazylittledragon]

i refuse to believe that boycotting is hard. my favourite thing in the world is ordering maccies after a late night at work/a concert/getting drunk. yes i do miss it sometimes. but the other night i ordered from a small place near my house instead and it was the most orgasmic burger i've ever had in my life. i very rarely say this but fucking suck it up people are DEAD

[skateboardtotheheart]

there is just something about the difference between edwin's love interests and having the cat king's reaction to edwin in hell being "i'll be waiting when he gets back" vs charles "no version of this where i don't come get you" rowland convincing a powerful trans-dimensional being to open a door to hell just so he could get him back

i am insane

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Hello Madam. Sorry Madam.

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[sicklyseraphnsuch]

Okay. But. Kinger can only have memories when he's in the dark. So *not* actively breathing (which they dont need to do - which they can forget to do) means Kinger lights up like a little lamp

By being a lightsource himself, he can never have darkness.

Which means, Kinger actively (and never forgets) to keep breathing - keep maintaining the illusion of life - because if he allows himself to truly truly forget, he will lose the only way he can keep his memories...

DO YOU UNDERSTAND???? GRIEF IS THE ONLY WAY TO LIVE!!!

[fifthnailinstevesbat]

thinking of a new steddie fic/au hmmm.

It’s just the classic, Steve buys weed from Eddie in season 1 era, he and Tommy meet him at the bench in the woods behind school. Steve and Eddie have some playful banter and clearly get along, but it’s dismissed as just a drug deal and they go on about their lives.

Next time they meet is when a frantic Steve comes and finds Eddie after he’s just fought off the demogorgon for the first time. He’s rattled, and skittish, wearing a nasty black bruise on his eye, and just overall not acting like himself. He snaps at Eddie multiple times to just ‘hurry up’ and ‘get him his stuff’, and sure he’s being an asshole, but more than anything Eddie is just concerned. He has never seen The King Steve Harrington lose his cool like this. So Eddie cautiously gives him the weed, making sure not to give too much, and lets him go about his day, but not before asking if he’s alright. Steve clearly wasn’t expecting this and brushes it off defensively, but that doesn’t mean he’s not thinking about it for the rest of his week. How the hell did Eddie Munson notice something was wrong, when his own parents didn’t? Nor his “friends”?

They cross paths again a year later, the beginning of season two. Steve is still with Nancy and has freshly dumped his old douchebag crew of superficial friends. He is still sitting quite comfortably on the higher ranks of popularity, but there is no denying his status is not what it used to be. He comes to buy weed from Eddie in the first week back at school, and it’s a casual interaction. He’s still as charmingly stuck up as he ever was, but now without Tommy there to judge his every move, he seems a little more at ease when making casual conversation with Eddie. Eddie doesn’t mention the year before and Steve is so glad for it, secretly very embarrassed that he went to Eddie for some refuge after arguably his most traumatic experience to date. He gets his stuff, giving Eddie a smirk when he notices he’s dropped the price significantly for Steve when it’s just him alone. Eddie gives him a challenging smile back, almost daring him to call it out, but he doesn’t. They both just laugh and part ways.

The next run in is tina’s halloween party. They notice eachother when Steve first arrives, making eye contact and giving a polite nod. Maybe Eddie lifts his drink up to Steve in a silly salute. They don’t speak at all or make any effort to hang around eachother. That is, until Steve storms down the stairs in a rage after he’d gone up there with Nancy Wheeler. But then are those- tears? Eddie was standing on the front porch smoking a cigarette, trying to discreetly hide from one Billy Hargrove to avoid having to sell him anything, but staying visible enough that he won’t lose all chances of making any money tonight. Steve storms right past him and hits his shoulder. Eddie whips around and is about to call him a dick before he sees who it is.

Steve tries to quickly wipe his face, he won’t make eye contact with Eddie, and he’s clearly trying to get out as fast as he can. Eddie doesn’t let him, though, since he’s obviously not thinking very clearly and is most likely about to do something emotional and stupid. He asks if Steve’s alright, and his answers are all short and rushed, so he’s definitely not. They’re not really friends, but Eddie’s not an asshole.

— “Did you drive?” Eddie asks

“Yeah”

“Well, you’re drunk, Steve. You can’t get behind a wheel right now. And if I knowingly let you, then that makes me an accomplice. I’ll take you home.”

Steve tries to protest, attempting to push past him, but Eddie interjects. “Yeah, yeah, alright! Don’t thank me yet, Steve’o. This is not for you, see, I’m not trying to get a criminal record, here. I cant go to prison, Steve. Do you know what they’d do to a pretty guy like me in prison? Nope, let’s go hot stuff.” —

Eddie takes Steve home. They don’t talk much. By the time they reach Steve’s drive way and Eddie has put his van in park, Steve is making no attempt to exit the vehicle just yet. Eddie doesn’t know what to do, he didn’t really plan this far, so he’s just tapping away awkwardly at his steering wheel while Harrington stares down the dashboard so clearly lost in thought Eddie fears his head might explode. Steve tells Eddie what happened, says it’s ‘relationship troubles’, and he’s not quite sure what compelled him into being so honest with Eddie Munson, but he’s blaming the alcohol. Eddie wasn’t expecting that. They chat for a bit, Eddie makes Steve laugh and considers the whole night a success after that. Then they start cracking jokes about their shared hatred for Hargrove, and Steve looks and sounds a bit more ok to go inside. He thanks Eddie, quite sincerely actually, and it throws him a bit. He stutters a ‘yeah, for sure. It’s no problem.’ And Steve goes home.

After that, it’s a little different. Steve, doesn’t actually really have anyone, anymore. When they go back to school he’s now greeting Eddie here and there in the hallways, making conversation when they find themselves alone together, in the lunch line or at the bathroom sink. He doesn’t approach Eddie when there’s too many people around, though. As much as he’s grown, Steve Harrington still carry’s some prejudice in him about how certain things may make him look. But it doesn’t bother Eddie too much. It’s not like they are really friends, they’re just like, strange acquaintances. And Steve would never deny that they get along, that really Eddie’s ‘not so bad’. So that’s a win.

Steve finds Eddie again not long after the party to buy some more weed, a plan that sparked purely out of boredom. Eddie says yes, of course, but tells him if he wants it today he will need to wait till after school and meet Eddie at his place, since he was busy. So Steve takes a trip to the Munson trailer to make his deal. Eddie invites him inside and they sit together on the couch as he gets Steve’s bag ready. They end up making quite pleasant conversation, joking around and ultimately finding they are really enjoying each other’s company. They enjoy it so much so, that Steve ends up smoking there, with Eddie. So now they are kind of like, hanging out? And it’s fun, so they do it again. Still they’re not, friends friends, they just get along. Eddie just sells Steve weed sometimes and they keep it civil.

He doesn’t hear from Steve for a while, and the next time he sees him it’s from a distance, in passing. The man has the most roughed up face Eddie has ever seen, bruised and swollen in multiple areas, stitches and bandages all over. It’s really, concerning? completely metal, but alarming. This is the second time Eddie has seen the guy all beaten up like that. He knew that boys fight, but surely not that bad? As worried as he was, Eddie doesn’t approach him to ask questions, because they don’t know eachother like that. So he goes on about his day, and he doesn’t see Steve again after that for quite some time.

Then it’s summer, Eddie isn’t graduating again, and he’s not really sure what to do with himself over the break. The new mall has just opened up, and there’s a cool music store up on the second floor that he likes to visit sometimes with his band friends. And wouldn’t you know, working at the Scoops Ahoy located directly across from his favourite store, is Steve Harrington. The guy hasn’t come to Eddie for any weed since last year, and then there was that sighting where he looked like he’d just fallen face first into a flying fist or two, so it’s been a minute since Eddie’s seen him. And he’d be lying if he said it wasn’t a nice surprise. He only goes into scoops once. He’s curious, okay? Sue him. And, he knows the girl who works with him, Robin. So he plays it off like he had no idea he’d see Steve there. And to his surprise, Steve actually acknowledges him. He doesn’t act like Eddie is a total stranger just because they’re not in school anymore. The interaction is quick, they make very casual conversation, Eddie says hi to Robin, grabs his milkshake and goes home. That’s all. He doesn’t go back, and he doesn’t really plan to. Steve’s nice, and he knows Eddie’s around if he needs to buy from him again, and that’s really as far as their relationship goes. That’s all it ever was. It’s been fun getting to know Steve Harrington a little bit better, even if it was just for a short time. Eddie liked having the chance to see in past the quaffed hair and pressed polo shirts to learn that Steve was really just a person under it all. He never thought he’d say it, but Harrington wasn’t so bad. It was a nice little eye opening experience for Eddie.

Eddie was ready to write off his little blips of interaction with Steve Harrington as a thing of the past, no hard feelings, and move on with his life. That is, until he gets a knock at his front door in the middle of the night afew days after the big mall fire. And it’s Steve on the other side. And he looks awful, his face is the worst Eddie’s ever seen it. And he wasn’t really knocking, more like pounding. He says he needs Eddie’s help.

What the fuck?

[lucabyte]

Olive Branch

Wrong Move