#but that means you also have to live in fear of ME

[bohemian-rhapsody-in-blue]

I’ve been thinking about this a lot. I realize it’s sort of connected to this chart:

This was a chart that puts into visual terms a system used by US President Dwight D. Eisenhower to decide what to prioritize and do when, and is supposed to help increase one’s productivity. I think Stephen Covey also used it in that Seven Habits of Highly Effective People book that my school was obsessed with for some reason. You can put Tasks You Need/Want To Do into each box, depending on how urgent and important you deem them, and then that will—y’know, in theory—help you decide what order to do them in.

Tim Urban of Wait But Why (he also has some bullshit “enlightened centrist” and Elon Musk-fanboy opinions I don’t agree with, but I love his series of popular posts and TED Talk about procrastination) suggests in this post that procrastinators’ matrices tend to look more like this:

We tend to live in Quadrants 3 and 4, avoiding Quadrant 1 until it’s absolutely necessary and we’re sent into a panicked frenzy of productivity. But the trick to this is, if you think “oh, clearly what I’m doing to procrastinate is my passion, so I’ll pursue that instead,” it turns from a fun, desirable Q3 or Q4 task into an undesirable Q1 one. It might be the exact same task, or similar, but now it’s urgent and a responsibility and people expect things of you and that’s scary…so now you’re avoiding the task you used to love!

OP seems to have experienced this with art, where it started as a Q4 task (doodling in class, to avoid the Q1 task of learning about Henry VIII) or Q3 task (updating their webcomic on a regular schedule) to a Q1 task when they made it their career. I’ve gone through it with writing: fanfic or random cracked-out stories I write just for myself? Fun! I wanna! My senior thesis, which is literally the same thing, writing short stories? Oh no, now it’s an assignment, and that’s to be avoided.

And like OP said, this means procrastinators are rarely just sitting idle, and they are getting stuff done! Even if it’s not urgent stuff, or stuff that looks important to you right now, it is stuff that is getting done. Of course, what this Q3 or Q4 stuff is can range from “mindlessly scrolling through Instagram” to “working on a successful webcomic and letting your creativity flow.” The other day, I found some free Latin textbooks online and found that I was doing the exercises in them as a means of procrastination—I was literally teaching myself a dead language instead of doing the psych homework I was supposed to be doing. My brain is broken. (Of course, if I actually took a Latin class, I’d probably start procrastinating on doing the exercises for THAT too…)

I don’t know what the conclusion is here—doing a Q1 job I hate to save mental energy for Q3/Q4 stuff I love? I don’t want to never try and seek credit, payment, etc. for things I love to do for fear that they’ll become Q1 things and I’ll start hating them. I don’t know, I’m only a college undergrad here. But I thought OP brought up a very good point that I’ve actually been using for a whole as a framework to look at my procrastination, and I thought I’d provide an alternate visualization that’s helped me too.

i feel like i had a massive breakthrough with understanding in hindsight how adhd has affected my relationship with art, and i sat there for about an hour just like

[scarletemeterio]

Wanting for More (Ekko x gn!reader)

Warnings: None

Genre: Fluff

Fandom: Arcane

Summary: Ekko sees you asleep and covers you with a blanket

Word count: 767

•••

You both had lost track of time, that was obvious. You two had been working on something in Ekko's workplace for a few hours, and a while ago you decided to take a break and lie down for a bit.

He'd been really concentrated in his work, but he suddenly realized he hadn't heard you in a while, so he decided to take a look at you, only to find out you'd fallen asleep. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of you, looking so peaceful and dreamy. This wasn't the first time Ekko got lost in his thoughts while staring at you, it was quite common actually, or it had been lately at least.

There was something more than just friendship between you two, you both knew that. But neither of you had the courage to do something about it, and both of you were scared, too. It seemed easier to not act on your feelings and just enjoy the relationship you already had, but the wanting for more was starting to be unbearable for him. He wanted you to be his, as much as he wanted to be yours.

No one understood him like you did, and no one supported him and trusted him like you did. You two had known each other for years now, since you were one of the first ones to join the Firelights, and from that day his life was never the same again. Ekko was genuinely happy when you were around, he saw hope in you, maybe even a future together. When you two were together, he wasn't the Firelights' leader, he was just Ekko, he could relax around you. In a world like yours, having someone like that was a privilege.

He got out of his thoughts when he realized you were curled up into a ball, clearly cold. He quickly got up and looked for a blanket, and when he found it he covered you with it. He got down to your level, next to the bed, and put a strand of hair behind your ear, putting it away from your face and leaving his hand on your shoulder. He smiled again, feeling grateful for having you in his life and being able to share these little moments.

You got a bit startled by his touch and slowly opened your eyes, seeing Ekko at eye level with you.

"Hey," you said in almost a whisper, and he replied with a shy smile. "How long have I been asleep?"

"I have no idea, I just found you a couple minutes ago", he replied, while caressing your shoulder a bit.

You still felt sleepy, but you could see how tired he was, his eyes could never lie, and definitely not to you.

"You should get some sleep, Ekko", you told him. "Here, I'll move so you can fit in here." You did as you said, leaving space for him to hop on the bed and lie down next to you. This wasn't uncommon between the two of you, but lately the tension in these moments had become obvious, even if you tried to ignore it. Still, you were so tired you didn't really care right now, you just wanted to go back to sleep.

"I should keep working."

"Just shut up and come here, working can wait." He was a very self-demanding person, but he knew you were right, so he took off his shoes and did as you said.

You ended up being face to face, and you could feel your heart beating really fast, like it was gonna explode. You closed your eyes and you rested your head on his shoulder. "Thank you for the blanket", you murmured, loud enough for him to hear.

"Anytime", he answered, wrapping his arm around you.

You closed your eyes and enjoyed his warmth and his touch, wishing you could stay like this forever. It didn't take long for you to fall asleep again, and he could tell from the way you were breathing. He gave you a little kiss on the forehead, savouring every second with you in his arms.

"You mean the world to me", he whispered. He imagined sleeping like this every night and couldn't help but smile. He knew life was hard and that the world was dangerous, but he also knew he couldn't live in fear and put a stop to his own life just to help and save others. He knew he had to tell you how he felt, and find a bit of hope with you amongst all the chaos that surrounded you.

•••

okay so this is my first arcane post. i haven't written in a while so i'm a bit rusty and english is not my first language, but i hope you enjoy this!

requests are officially open for arcane characters, you can check my rules in my profile!

[artepti]

Your LLR au is amazing!

Though now I can’t help but wish for a version where Macaque and Wukong were captured earlier and MK was somehow hatched under LBD watch. The shadowpeach love would have unknowingly doomed the world by giving LBD exactly what she wants. A Champion.

Thank you!! I'm happy you enjoy it! :D And heheh, alright I'll indulge you! I’ll warp LLRs canon here and there a bit to fit this narrative, so take what I say with a grain of salt! :D

This may lead to two outcomes. In one, they love MK too much to harm him and surrender, resigning themselves to the twisted version of family that LBD allows, even if it means erasing parts of who they are. In another, they defeat LBD, but the result is uncertain. MK might be freed (yayy some light at the end of the tunnel) or her magic could have sunk too deep, leaving his mind trapped. 

In the latter case, Wukong and Mac would choose to stay by his side, letting go of their past grudges to care for him for the rest of their lives, no matter how corrupted his mind may be.

Also, to the other person who sent me an ask a bit ago, fear not I will certainly answer it, I just can't do that right now, as it might spoil what happens next in LLR! :D 

Lastly, a small ss under the cut against all the angst

(Took me some time to get him there, but everything for Shadowpeach--)

[felicity-worthington]

Why is “Doctor Odyssey” a television show that very cleverly shows the depth of the human condition?

So, I have seen some people say that Doctor Odyssey is fun (especially because of Ody3) but also just a superficial show with no plot and I have to politely disagree. I think this show is the opposite, it's just supposed to look silly and superficial at first glance, as you can see when they repeat the phrase "we constructed a paradise" in the weekly recaps.

It is supposed to look like that, it is the idea of a cruise itself, for a week you escape the real world, you enter a new constructed one, which is supposed to be paradise without problems. But here's the thing, here is why there's a doctor and two nurses on this ship: it's just an idea, it's not real.

We especially see this in the episodes "I Always Cry at Weddings" and "Quackers" and of course in the main storyline of Max, Tristan and Avery navigating their relationship and their constant struggle with what they really want in life.

Let's start with "I always cry at weddings" to deconstruct the idea of superficiality with the weekly funny themes and the show only being silly because it's quite obvious here I think. I mean, a man commits suicide in this episode because he's deeply conflicted about what he really wants out of life and how he thinks there is an incurable darkness within him. And we see him, his bride and his best man as an example of how this construction, this idea of heteronormative happiness is just that for a lot of people: just an idea that doesn't guarantee you happiness, but actually destroys lives (not everyone's, of course). And we start this episode superficially, with a couple about to get married on a cruise, the perfect wedding in perfect paradise. But as the episode progresses, we see the cracks and then it gets very real. The scenes with the groom breaking down in the infirmary, the bride talking to Avery and Max after the suicide and her mother's confession are all absolute tearjerkers in the best way. I mean, watch that scene and then tell me again that this show is just a silly Riverdale for adults:

This is actually one of my favorite scenes of the show because the delivery of the line "we need to help this boy" is just perfect, the actress did an amazing job. Also, the character herself says "she pretended her fears away", which underlines the show's idea that this is a paradise where people should just forget their worries, but actually real life catches up with you no matter where you are, you cannot hide from it.

The other example I was thinking of is the latest episode with the Quackers community, which is super silly in a lot of ways and I love that, don't get me wrong.

And then you have this older couple, the leaders (?) of this community, who seem extremely superficial and silly, I mean, going on cruises to go on a quack treasure hunt? So silly. BUT then the cracks start to show again as one of them, the husband (I don't know what his name was, so I'll just call him the husband and her the wife), shows a serious condition, the compulsive urge to swallow objects. When confronted, the wife literally denies it, unable to face the ugly truth. In her world everything is perfect, she and her husband are on a never-ending treasure hunt on paradise cruises, and when something real, something problematic threatens that, she can't accept it at first. And we see that again later in the episode when she refuses to leave the ship:

She wants to stay in paradise, in denial, on the surface. But that's not possible, you can't ignore real life:

But this is her and her husband's dream, an endless paradise in search of ducks, and it's hard to let go and take a deeper look at life and accept that floating through life is a nice idea and might work for a while, but it can't go on forever:

regarding her husbands condition:

Once again the theme of what we want (superficial) and what is really going on (what is behind the construction of paradise) is mentioned.

All of this, and all of the recurring themes I mentioned, are also at play with the three main characters and their constant struggle with what they really want out of life. In a way, their calling to help people is fulfilled by their professions, but then they keep asking themselves, "Is this enough? Is this what I really want out of life, taking one cruise after another?

The theme of constructed ideas versus what is actually going on is also seen in their throuple situation. Max and Tristan have probably always seen themselves as straight, and now they are getting a deeper look at who they are and what they really want out of life. And that is scary, and it often takes years to deconstruct habits and self-image.

But there is no unnecessary weird teenage drama in this show, it is very real. It is supposed to look superficial, you only have to look a little closer to see that it is not.

So once you deconstruct the idea that this is all superficial, you will see that yes, it is silly, so is life and we need those silly and funny moments in life and in this show, but it is also very, very deeply human in many tragic but also good ways.

[adrianastrix]

Reblogging only to add that - yes, ALL THE YES to giving voice to marginalized people in times that they were silenced or just not recorded.

But I think it's also important that either white guilt or people cynically trying to "cater to the woke" don't erase the fact that white/male/cis/straight people weren't just bigoted villains or silent bystanders troughout all History. Allyship, however imperfect, always existed, and without it, things would have been even harder and more unfair to most causes.

The fact that Engels' burgeoise riches paid for Marx's books isn't a "gotcha" moment against communism, for instance, just a reminder that you CAN use the tools that your privilege gives you to work against that privilege. You can use your platform to raise someone else even higher.

Narcisistic and/or sociopathic people might not fathom why you would use your influence to tell people to be less influenced by you, but remember that the more heads were involved in a decision, the more hands you will have to fix things when they go sideways (and they WILL). The charismatic leader now is always the perfect scapegoat later.

You don't have to be a genius ahead of your time to notice this and have a "wait, who elected me as the babysitter 'guardian' of a woman's honour and best interests? I can barely make such decisions for myself!" moment. Or a "why SHOULD I care about how people present at or what they do in bed again??" moment. Or a "that person is basically me with a different skin/accent, why are we fighting/enslaving them like it's nothing??" moment. And suddenly, a can of worms is open and the worms will never fit in again.

(DISCLAIMER: I will say that again just in case, discussing allyship and bringing out historical allies' lives and feats into spotlight ISN'T the same as giving voice to the marginalized groups, it definitely DOESN'T count as representation.

I just feel that people should learn with their ancestors that recognizing you have a privilege doesn't mean you have to defend it at all costs or live in constant fear that you will be just as hated as people create and mantain this unfair state of things. You can use it to help making things right. And it might mean that your effort won't be recognized in life, since most of the marginalized people will understandably be wary of you and the privileged people will consider you a taitor. But you will be making a difference, you will be inspiring the change you desire and you will be making meaningful connections to the people you are helpig, if only locally and secretly.

And that certainty is enough of a reward. No one should do what is right expecting adulation of the masses.)

Genuinely 90% of historical fiction would be so much better if more writers could get more comfortable with the fact that to create a good story set in a different time period you do actually have to give the characters beliefs & values which reflect that time period

[saramurad1]

‏I am Sarah Murad from Gaza, Palestine. I married Abdullah Murad in 2018, and together we started building our home with hard work and dedication. Every brick in our house carried a special meaning, and it was a small dream that we began to realize together. We faced many challenges from the beginning, as my husband worked for a very low salary, barely enough to cover even the simplest daily needs or pay the house installments. Despite that, we worked together to live with dignity, never giving up.

‏Seven years into our marriage, we still had not been blessed with a child. It was one of my biggest wishes, and I longed to experience the joys of motherhood. But I had to face the painful reality of infertility, and fertility treatments, which are extremely expensive. Despite living in poverty, my husband was always there to support me in every way possible.

‏In July of 2023, after long suffering and immense pain, I was able to raise the money needed for the fertility procedure. I felt a glimmer of hope return to my life, and when the procedure initially succeeded, I thought our lives were about to change for the better. But then, disaster struck. The war on October 7th broke out, and with it came immense fear and anxiety for our lives. My husband was unable to buy the necessary medications, and the procedure ultimately failed, resulting in a miscarriage.

‏Just three days after the war began, our home – the home we had built with so much effort and sacrifice – was destroyed. The Israeli military demolished it, shattering all of our dreams and our future. In one moment, we were left homeless, with no place to return to. We were forced to flee to the southern part of Gaza, and our search for safety began.

‏We spent over 13 months in dire conditions, under the scorching summer sun and the freezing winter cold. No shelter to protect us, no place to call home. We lived in tents and exposed to the open air, as if we were living in another world �� one where there is no comfort or peace. Yet, even in these harsh conditions, hope still lingered in our hearts.

‏As time passed, life became even harder. Due to the ongoing siege for more than a year, we could no longer afford even the most basic daily necessities. There is not enough food, no meat, no vegetables, and no cleaning supplies. My husband is now unemployed, and we have no steady source of income.

‏Since I got married, my biggest wish has always been to become a mother. To hold a child in my arms and feel the joy that comes with motherhood. But as the years passed, this dream seemed farther away, and my daily struggle became not only with the loss of our home and hope, but also with this deep sense of grief—the grief of motherhood I had always longed for.

‏I was sure that motherhood would come one day, but in Gaza, where wars and difficult circumstances prevail, that dream feels out of reach. When I finally managed to raise the money for the fertility treatment in 2023, it was a moment of hope, a moment of triumph over the pain that had accompanied me for years. But, as is the case in Gaza, the circumstances were not on our side. The occupation destroyed our home, and with it, the hope of a future I had begun to see.

‏But hope still lives in my heart. I can’t let go of my dream of becoming a mother. I know that the treatment requires huge costs, and these amounts may seem out of reach given our difficult circumstances. But I am here today, humbly asking for your help so I can cover these expenses. So I can continue my treatment and finally have a chance to become a mother, to experience the motherhood I have always dreamed of.

‏Your donations may not seem like a big deal in the face of many of the challenges you may face, but they mean everything to my husband, to my family, and to me. Every contribution, no matter how small, brings us closer to realizing

[doberbutts]

"No research ass resource" ah yes. Because the lengthy amount of description of it varying between states and the fact that much of it is DIRECT EXPERIENCE means you clearly don't know what you're talking about. Wonder why a trans man of color might be particularly thorough about legality.

Honestly it's not even that it's just like.

Yeah I pretty much flat out stated that in my country, DIY T is not legal and thus I wouldn't be talking about it. However if someone wanted some advice for legal access to T, the post was just to clear up some misconceptions about how difficult it is to source legally (answer: depending on your state, varies from "easy" to "annoying but doable" to "not possible if you are under 18 and live in a state that restricts it for minors") and what to do if you encountered pushback while following the legal path.

To then accuse me of fear mongering when talking about my direct experience, and give a link to a website that more or less says the same shit I just said but does give a quick guide for DIY (while also cautioning that it is not legal in various countries including my own) is just sort of... weird.

Like I didn't make a guide to DIY deliberately on purpose because I made a guide for "what to do if your pharmacy or insurance have decided to be annoying about it but your doctor is willing to play ball". That's sort of. The opposite of DIY.

Sorry if that's "no research" and "fearmongering" but these are common problems I hear from other trans guys who experience interruptions getting their T legally so I figured I'd write out all the stuff that I've found that has helped either them or me 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

[magnuspanoptes]

readings of the podcast which try to frame jon as having been tragically manipulated and forced through every decision by elias are of no interest to me. because it's not true, is it. when elias tells him in mag 92 "you always chose to see," he's being cruel, yes. victim blaming him, even. but to completely disregard it as an attempt at manipulation would be a mistake. much of the podcast is about exploiting people's trauma. as i've said before, jon's role as head archivist, back when it was still presented as a mundane office job to the audiences, and he hadn't developed any beholding powers yet, involved filing away statement givers' trauma without offering help of any kind. the institute subsists on this form of exploitation, in a literal sense obviously, because it's a temple to the eye. but even if you take that reveal away, it's also true in simply an administrative sense in season one. and jon used to ruthlessly dismiss every single statement giver with as much apathy as he could muster (while knowing that if a statement doesn't record digitally, then it's the truth), and note that faking skepticism was a form of coping mechanism for him, it was the choice between making statement givers feel small or making himself feel vulnerable—and is this not simply the bureaucratic version of what he does later as a supernatural avatar of the beholding, vampirically feeding on people's terror to stay alive or risk being consumed by the eye?

(Season 3) MAG 117 - "Testament" // (Season 4) MAG 142 - "Scrutiny"

of course, i'm not saying he bought it on himself, that he deserved to be put in an impossible situation later for being an arse in season one. jon too, has had his trauma exploited in the form of a guest for mr spider, an experience which eventually led him to the magnus institute where he would help fulfill the web's designs. so, in the grand scheme of things everyone was puppeteered by forces beyond their control, but would you excuse jonah for eveything he's ever done because of it? then why must jon be rendered completely non-agentic? yes, elias manipulated him, but he has never had to straight up coerce jon into anything. jon's just always done what's been expected of him. because they're alike. their shared desire for knowledge originates from fear. jon always chose to see because something had hurt him once and he needed answers, and we can assume jonah chose the beholding because it was the only entity which would expose him to information on all the other fears. knowledge is a means of survival for both of them, an inclination which later manifests literally as they become avatars who must subsist on terror. it all really comes down to letting yourself be exploited or exploiting someone else to escape that fate (you don't escape, not really, nobody does in the podcast), and jon did choose (with as much agency he could've possibly had in a story like this). the difference between them being that elias feels no remorse for his choice, but jon's character is defined by the enormous guilt he feels about the things he has done and what he must do to continue living, until he doesn't.

[pumpkinnning]

this really does not feel like the kind of statement to throw out there without any sense of context or place. there's definitely sth to be said about how women are taught to live in a constant state of preyhood by overwhelming societal messaging - and yeah it's also people's responsibility to see past that but "self victimization" feels kind of umm. a shitty way to describe it. are you gonna tell minorities who have internalized shitty cliches about themselves they're self victimizing ?

also yeah there are A LOT of places on earth where these kinds of fears are at least a little warranted. personally i grew up in a place where i was sexually harassed very regularly by grown men in the street starting age 10. and not just the whistling and creepy petnames, im talking graphic descriptions. a random guy once told me he was going to put out his cigarette in my eye bc i didn't smile back. when i started going on there was a notorious rapist operating in the same area as the popular clubs. one of my friends got her life completely ruined by a stalker and nobody did anything when he would just hang out in front of her door with a baseball bat for hours every other day. etc etc i could go on for a long time. and yeah sure i didn't actually get physically harmed but that kind of psychological violence takes a toll. and i tried not to let it make me too afraid i still pushed myself to go out and walk in the woods at night and go out alone. but that didn't mean i then turned around and called my friends weak and crazy for being scared. i am older now less vulnerable and i moved to another country and it barely happens anymore and i feel so much freer and safer and that still does not mean im gonna go call women who do experience this shit crazy online

again. absolutely we have to look at the way female victimhood is constructed in a way that plays into racism, classism, transphobia, etc. this kind of post however, which i have been seeing more and more of, does not sound like that. it sounds like misogyny using woke terms, and victim blaming, and "haha if it hasn't happened to me it can't be true and everyone else must be making it up" and "why don't [marginalized group] simply stop whining about their oppression and suck it up and pretend its not happening and everything will be fine. if you're impacted by it it's actually your own fault" and just very very privileged.

i'm sorry the self-victimization of some women i see online is crazyyyyy, they're saying shit like "yeah being a woman is so crazy, if you go on a date you have to text his full name and picture to your friend, and also where you're meeting, and share your location throughout the date, and check in hourly" girl the only safety measure you need is meeting in a populated place. that man is NOT going to kidnap you from Popular Cafe on Well-Frequented Street in broad daylight at 2pm. i promise. do you go forest hiking as a first date or what the fuck.

[2346khith]

My name is Ahmed Bakr, a Palestinian. I live in the Gaza Strip. My least wish is to save my wife and children (Neven, Khaled, Joan, Aida, and Musk) from certain death. I write these words and ask for your help. I do not know whether we will be able to survive. This is my last message to you as a human being and the story of my life and my family since the beginning of the war. My son (Khaled) is his age. (8) years old and suffers from enlarged liver diseases, infections, and anemia from contaminated food and water. We are unable to treat him, buy medicine for him, hold a baby no more than two months old, and I am unable to provide her with milk, pampers, or even supplies for small children. My children need food and treatment. We are deprived of the food we love. Our mental health is deteriorating and very destructive, and we need hygiene supplies in the tents. I was displaced from my home from the north to the south, to Khan Yunis, then to Rafah, and then to Nuseirat. I was injured by an occupation sniper while searching for a living for my children. I endured carrying water, searching for wood to light the fire, and bringing food for my children because there was no gas for long distances. Long, all day long, surrounded by devastation, bloody missiles and shattering shrapnel. We endured constant fear day and night for a whole year without any peace or comfort. I do not know where to take my children. Our lives are very painful and difficult, and every time we miraculously escape death, I want to help everyone who can help us, those with compassionate hearts. We live in the heat of tents and under the blazing sun. My house was completely demolished after years of effort and fatigue and building our house. Then, one night and one day, everything disappeared and my children’s room was completely burned and demolished. Even our car was not spared from the bombing, as we had all the wonderful means and tools. For the sake of a decent life, we started roasting our food over the fire despite the fatigue and heat. We are still standing despite the bombing, hunger, and severe shortages. We need your help. At this Save My Children event, we invite you to share our story with your friends and families with clarity and support. Your sensible words and prayers provide strength to endure these difficult circumstances... (Your donation) can make enough difference in our lives. We depend on your support and your standing by our side through this traditional ordeal, boxing, to restore hope and safety to Hayat and her family. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for considering my application. Your support and donation are very important to me and my family

Show your support for this GoFundMehttps://gofund.me/1d3a37c4

For those who see this please, visit their blog and reblog their blog’s posts so they  get more attention and if you have the money to spare please donate.

Also I apologize, but I do not have the ability to donate to you. Trust me if I had the ability I would but I don't and I can't. I have no bank account or credit card to transfer money to and no job to gain any money. Every time I ask my parents to help they shut me down so this is the only way to help you. Please forgive me.

[hoes4matthew]

Mamas Boy

Warnings: angst / traumatized!little!chris / cg!reader / flashbacks / poor little Chris / really short :c

Summary: somebody says two words that absolutely destroy Chris.

A/N: this full song kind ass but the one part is kinda what this is kind based off. Anyway this is also the introduction/part one of a series!

Chris wanted to go to the mall with you and your friends. Even though he hasn't outed with you a lot, he wanted to today. So you let him go along, texting your friends that he would be there and little.

He stayed as close to you as possible, one hand picked with yours tightly while the other was tightly gripped onto his stuffed animal monkey. He didn't talk one bit, just occasionally nodded when you asked if he was okay.

He wasn't a big shopping person, so he'd just watch you go in all different stores and pick out different things. Sometimes he'd get distracted at store windows by bright colors, even if he didn't even know what the store was.

Your friends were patient with him as he'd stop to look at random things. They'd hold things up that they'd think he'd like, maybe even sneaking something into their shopping bags that he said he liked.

After a while you all sat down and got pretzels. Chris laid his head on your shoulder as he reached out and grabbed the small bite sized pretzels from the cup.

"aw, he really is a mama's boy, ain't he?" You friend smiled, chris froze immediately. His heart sank right down to his stomach. Then suddenly he was in his toxic cgs couch getting yelled at...

"My god Chris! I'm so pissed off at you right now!" Her box is boomed through the house as she passed back and in front of the living room. She was yelling at Chris for "ruining her date" all because he started stimming at the dinner table.

"You always do this!" She groaned. Sitting down next to him on the couch. She crossed her arms over her chest, shaking her head disapproving. Chris was just being himself..he didn't mean to make her mad. He's had his head down the whole time.

"Look at me Christopher." He hated when she called him that. She knew he hated it. Yet shed still always calls him it. He slowly lifted her head, with tears rolling down his eyes.

"Do you know how much you embarrassed me today??" All he could do was nod. His sad eyes locked with her angry rough ones. Her voice never lowered.

"You used to be so behaved. Where'd mama's sweet boy go?"

He snapped out of it as your gently shook his shoulder. "Chris?" He looked up At you with fearful eyes. He was so close to crying..he felt tears pooling up in his eyes. He hated having flashbacks like this. Especially in front of other people.

Sometimes he wished he just wasn't as sensitive.

@heartsforsturniolo567 @pvssychicken

[luxheroica]

under your tree (1/3)

Anyways Ekko/Jinx has made me insane and I'm not stopping. So here have fanfic about Ekko, Jinx, and the tree that I wrote in a fugue state last night. Planned part 1 of 3, the first is alternate-Powder and alternate-Ekko.

Also on AO3

----

She drags him up out of her lab, not entirely sure where to go but too jumbled up to stay. Powder’s heart is racing as she twines her fingers in Ekko’s, and she has never been happier to feel his grip strong and vital in her own. That breathless moment when he wasn't moving when she thought– she had held VI's body in the same way. 

“Where are we going?” he asks, bewildered, stumbling along behind her. 

“Just come on.”

Her feet know the path and she trusts them. While she does her mind races, all of the strangeness of the past few weeks slotting into place like a puzzle in her mind. 

His fear on seeing her, his confusion at Milo and Claggor, the way his whole face changed when he saw Benzo… the way he hadn’t known Vi was dead. She thought he was just messing with her, in a particularly cruel way, or maybe he’d lost his mind after a particularly weird dream. 

The way he’d kissed her tonight, like he was so desperate to hold on to her. 

Now it all makes sense. Something that she was beginning to suspect but didn’t think was quite possible. 

Her feet take her to the tree. Where Ekko painted his portraits of Vi. 

Vi who lives. Vi who is from some other place and time entirely. 

“What… is this?” Ekko– her Ekko– crosses to the portraits alongside her, wonderment in his eyes. “Is that Vi?”

Powder smiles. “A present,” she says. “From another you.” 

Ekko scoffs disbelieving. “Seriously, you can stop messing with me.” 

“Did you know that the competition is tomorrow?” 

Ekko whirls around. “What? No– it's weeks away!” He waits for the punchline that he knows is coming, and then scratches at his head. “Seriously? What do you mean it’s tomorrow, I thought–” 

“You had plenty of time?” 

Ekko nods. He swallows and she watches his Adams apple bob, as he takes this in. “Powder, why did I wake up on the floor of your lab?” 

“Because an alternate universe version of you took over your body for a few weeks, built a time machine that created a space anomaly, and then went back to his universe.” 

She expects him to laugh. She expects him to accuse her of making it up. Even as she says it, it sounds a little crazy. 

Ekko flops to the ground. “Huh.” 

“Yeah,” she says. She doesn't approach, doesn't touch him. Gives him time to process. 

“That is about the wildest shit I've ever heard.” 

Powder snorts. “Don't I know it. Imagine three weeks of my boyfriend acting like a lunatic, and I only now figure out why.” 

“Imagine losing three weeks of your life to an another version of you!” He scratches at his head in that way he does when he's frustrated. “I can't believe the content is tomorrow and I haven’t prepared anything!” 

Powder laughs. The Innovators Competition seems like the least of her concerns right now, but of course for him he was just thinking about it. It consumed his every thought “To be fair, while making his time travel device he maaaaybe finished your battery. It works great, by the way!” 

Ekko sits up, offense playing across his face. “He finished my designs??” Then he shakes his head. “Is it weird to be jealous of another version of myself?” 

Powder considers. And yeah she's gonna push it because she likes pushing his buttons. “Would now be a bad time to tell you he kissed me?” 

Ekko nearly chokes. 

“In my defense I thought he was you!” 

The fight goes out of Ekko, and he sighs. Lays down in the grass and looks up at the wall where Vi’s eyes from another universe look down on the both of them. “You think she’s alive, in his world?” 

Powder nods. She curls herself next to him, intertwining her fingers with his. “Yeah,” she says. “He told me about her, a bit– said it was a dream he had. Said she was the strongest fighter in all Zaun.” 

There under that tree she tells him all about the dream the other Ekko told her about, that strange world where Vi lived and was in love with a Piltover heiress of all people and she went by a different name and she and Ekko hadn't really talked in years and Zaun was still just like it used to be and maybe even worse. 

“It’s weird,” Ekko says while she talks. He rubs his forehead, his brow creasing in concentration. “It's like I can remember it, a little– while you're talking. Flashes of memory… I don't know if they're real.” 

Powder curls their fingers together. “I think alternate universes are uncharted territory for anyone.” 

Ekko snorts. “You're telling me.” He squeezes her hand reassuringly. “It’s strange. Everything I'm feeling, it all feels so sad and awful and scary… even if VI's alive so many people were dead, and we hadn't talked in forever…” he trails off, and Powder imagines it– really imagines it– that universe that other-Ekko came from and it makes her sad. “And don't get me wrong, I'm glad he left and I get to be me and not have my life hijacked by some alternate me, but…” 

Powder levers herself up. “But?” she prompts. 

“But why'd he do it?” He turns to look at her, and there's something anxious in his brown eyes. “I don't know if I could leave to a world where we never talked.” 

Powder smiles. Rolls over and kisses the bridge of his nose. They haven't said it yet but she loves him–whichever version. “Because he's you. And because they needed him, the people on the other side.” 

Ekko turns this over in his mind. “What was he like, the other me?” 

Powder scrunches her nose as she tries to think. “Like you but weird. Like, he was really jumpy at first and then he got all sentimental over weird stuff. But, he was you– just as smart, just as idealistic. Always had his head in the clouds and his nose in an equation.” 

Ekko laughs. Flicks her nose. “That doesn't sound like me at all.” 

“Oh doesn't it, Mr. Free-Energy-For-All?” 

“I still can't believe he finished my designs.” 

Powder rolls back laughing, because he sounds so indignant. He continues to glare, annoyed. And then after a minute joins her in laughter. 

“I think I saw him for a minute, at the end there.” Powder says once she's caught her breath. 

“Oh? What was he, uh…?” 

“Really hot,” she says, because she knows it's going to make him jealous but she’s also calling him hot and he can't say anything about it, and it’s such a delicious conundrum. “Kind of rugged, too– big baggy clothes and wearing war paint. Not at all a buttoned up nerd.”

Ekko rolls over, pins her to the ground like she's been goading him to do. “I'll show you buttoned up nerd,” he says, and he kisses her breathless. 

And it’s different from the way he kissed her earlier tonight. For one he knows how she likes to be kissed, knows how to tease her. But there's nothing of that delicate way he held her like she was this precious thing that could break, and she wants that intensity again. 

They stay like that awhile. Just kissing, just enjoying each other. And they don't think of other worlds where they haven't talked in years and maybe never will again. 

At last they stop, because Ekko looks at his watch and says, “Oh shit, I should get you back home!” 

Powder tickles his knee with hers, hoping to tempt him into giving in again. “We’ve got time. I said I was going to the dance.” 

“It’s almost 2am, I'm pretty sure your dads are gonna kill me.”

Powder snorts disbelieving. “Nah, they wouldn't.” 

“No, I know Silco quit being a crime boss but I'm pretty sure he still knows how to hide a body like, super good.” 

Powder kisses him again– with a little bit of tongue, for good measure– and then when she's sure he's about to give in she jumps to her feet. Ekko looks at her exasperated but fond. “Alright, genius. Let's get you home– you've got a presentation to give tomorrow.” 

Ekko groans. 

[comflexxed]

june studied hans in the quiet that followed his words, taking in the vulnerability in his expression and the way he fidgeted with his hands as he spoke. it struck him how much hans cared — not just for sunny, but for the kind of space he wanted to create for her and anyone who stepped into their lives. it was humbling, in a way that made june’s chest ache with a mix of guilt and something warmer, something he wasn’t ready to name.

he leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees as he let the silence linger for a moment. hans’ offer hung in the air, tentative and open, and june found himself struggling to form a response that would do justice to the quiet sincerity of it.

with his voice softer than usual he started, “i don’t think it’s a lot. not in the way you mean, anyway,” he glanced at hans, a faint smile playing at his lips. “it’s just... real. and maybe that’s a little overwhelming at first, but it’s also rare.”

he let his gaze drop to his hands, turning hans’ words over in his mind. heavy emphasis on if i want to. june’s stomach twisted at the uncertainty in that phrase, the quiet fear hans was trying so hard to hide. He let the words hang between them for a moment before meeting Hans’ gaze again. “and if you’ll have me, then I’d like to be part of it.”

something about this moment made it feel like they were clearing the air, opening a proverbial window to let some fresh breeze in. hans felt a tug on his heart as he saw the faintest hint of a smile on june’s lips, the tentative bridge between them seemingly doing its job for the time being. his own lips showed a coy smile, looking down at his hands as he found himself at a loss for words. 

it felt like the ease of talking to june from the previous days was slowly returning, the fluke of this evening slowly being erased. well—not erased, but tucked away and not marked as important as it had been earlier. he was still looking down at his hands when he spoke again, softly, carefully, “you were. with us.” it wasn’t exactly how he imagined their first dinner would be, but perhaps it wasn’t as bad as what he had been telling himself either. “and i think i speak for both sunny and me when i say we’d love to have you over for dinner if you want to—heavy emphasis on if you want to. i know this is… a lot.” 

the words hans wanted to say were right there on the edges of his words, not quite spoken but not quite unspoken anymore. he wanted june to be a part of their life. if he wanted. “there will be days when sunny will be a handful, so i do want to set your expectations. she’s not all sunshine and rainbows,” he said as he finally looked up again, meeting june’s gaze with fondness for his daughter but also something more complicated. a gaze that wanted to look into june’s soul, to see how sincere he was with his words. and, a look that was hopeful and fearful all at once. 

[dobadoo]

˗ˏˋ ꒰ YOU BELONG TO US꒱ ˎˊ˗ yandere twins..

characters — Lumine/f!reader/Aether

warnings — a bit of NSFW at the end, forced relationship, hint of yandere a/n — PLEAS READ! In this AU, Lumine and Aether arrived in Teyvat together, before the disaster in khaenri'ah and long before the very emergence of this region, and they became the rulers of khaenri'ah. sorry in advance for my English, I wrote everything in my native language and translated.

3.964 words

In the progressive kingdom of khaenri'ah, life flowed as measuredly as the wind in the fields, where people did not know about God and did not seek his mercy. There were their own laws and orders. It was according to these laws that a simple family (your name) was forced to sell their only daughter, you, to two royal twins - Lumine and Aether. Your parents did not have the means to feed you, and in a hopeless situation they took a step that changed their lives forever.

When you entered the palace, You was overcome by a feeling of unreality. The spires and golden domes running up to the sky seemed like an illusion, against which she was lost, like a flower among stones. Although the twins looked good-natured and welcoming, You felt something strange under the surface - some kind of understatement, a secret that connected them.

Lumine with her short golden hair and starry eyes looked gorgeous like the sun star of the sky itself, she wore an interesting white dress with golden accents and a star on her stomach while Aether, with the same hair but braided into a long braid and charming eyes, he wore a tom and a star on his chest like Lumine, he wore boots and baggy pants. He cheerfully stands next to Lumine, embarrassing you with his curious but intriguing gaze and bright smile. You couldn't understand why you felt so uneasy. They both waved at you in a friendly manner. Lumine ran up to you, grabbing your hand and tucking a strand of your hair behind your ear, while you literally froze, staring at her, trying to understand why they were both so friendly to you.. You imagined these two differently…

"Hello.. You are (your name), right? Don't worry, everything will be fine. Dainsleif will show you your room! Get some rest..!"

--

In the first days, you tried to return to normal life, believing that if you were quiet enough, the twins would leave you alone. But instead, gradually, like the heat of a fire, a strange attraction flared up within them. Lumine and Aether began to show their affection… And jealousy if you spent time outside the palace or interacted with others.

After some time, you realized that the twins were not just kind or gentle, but something in their behavior went beyond the boundaries of normality. Lumine often repeated that "true love must be owned", and Aether sometimes, with a slight mad glint in her eyes, claimed that "everything that belongs to me must remain with me." You understood what consequences this could lead to, but the overwhelming magic of their attraction clouded her mind.

As time went on, you realized that the twins were subjecting you to control, and this control was becoming more and more oppressive. The doors of her room were always tightly closed, and she was not allowed to walk in the corridors of the palace without an escort under the pretext that they were not always there to protect you

Once, having decided to escape, you went out into the garden at night. It seemed to you that at least the madness would subside there, and you would be able to feel free for at least a moment. But the twins, anticipating your intentions, were nearby. At that moment, not only tenderness flashed in their eyes, but also discontent, anger, which was taut, like a nerve of a taut string.

"Where are you going, my dear?" asked Aether, his voice was as always, lively and friendly, but chilling your soul.. "We promised to be together, forever…"

Lumine was silent, her eyes shone with crazy affection. You realized that you could not get out. Fear seized you. You saw Them - familiar faces, those who loved you, ready to help. But they were silent shadows that could not enter this world, surrounded by the dark bonds of love.

The feelings you had for the twins resembled the magic of an enchanted forest - dangerous and enchanting. And the tenderly scary looks of Lumine and Aether said that they would not let you go.

Finally, fate escalated. In despair, you made a decision. Hiding the confusion inside you, You decided to do what she had dreamed of all these weeks - to try to regain her freedom, even if it required more sacrifices.

"You can't control me!" you screamed, and your voice sounded like a bell humming in the silence. "I am not your property!"

Lumine looked at you with a pitiful expression, putting her hand to her heart, and Aether sighed silently, coming closer to you.

"We just want you to be with us," Lumine whispered, her voice soft as the wind in the grass.

"Yes, forever," Aether added, shuddering with the joy that filled him at the thought of how you would be together.

As soon as they met you in the garden, everything changed. The misunderstanding between them turned into outright tension. Lumine, with her calm voice, suddenly said: "Understand, we made you ours, and no one will dare take you away." She lacked emotional closeness, and the fear of loss enveloped her.

Aether, on the other hand, approached you, his golden eyes shining with love and… something else. "All it takes is a little time, and you will understand that we are perfect for you," he whispered, setting his boundaries.

You felt a chill run down your spine. The twins had changed, their bright personalities drowned in darkness; Every second spent with them became more and more creepy. You tried to justify yourself, planning to run away, but the twins literally surrounded you with attention.

--

One night, when you were trying to escape from this dark world for the last time, you found that the twins were already in your chambers..

..............................................................................................................................

You feel hot palms on your hips. You tremble from gentle kisses. You are caressed gently. You are lying on Aether, between his spread legs in pants and boots. You lean your back against his chest And you yourself touch with hot lips the plump and tender chest under you. Iter, gently touches with gloved fingers between your thighs, gently rubs, making you moan, tearing yourself away from the woman's breast. Gentle gentle hands pull your head back. You look up: Lumine looks at you with tenderness and love.

"shh..Haha. You don't want us to be heard, do you?" Aether cooed tenderly, putting his chin on your shoulder

You close your eyes and, arching slightly, moan in pleasure, feeling the warmth of some hands and the cold of others. Dawn, sunset, rustling of leaves and the voices of dear people in the palace, and your voice - everything turns into an image of something unbearably beautiful in your thoughts, that a cage somewhere inside you collapses, crumbling into fragments of the past.

"you are our girl..only"

You open your eyes.

@himasgod @neuvigroove @quimichi @rsventhesecondd @anemoswirlsmyheart @nil4everheartz @kujiba @genshingorlsrevengeance

[skele-bunny]

Can I ask for some age regression dewdrop with aether as his care taker?

OOhHHHHHHH MY GOD THANK U THANK U!!! Me and @artificialmoth talk about agereg Dewy all the time 🥺 this is so special thank u

Little Dew, who we call Kitty (name idea thanks to Sphylor), came around during era 3. He finally felt comfortable and safe in his environment to relax after so many stressors, giving him the opportunity to just... Be small! Kitty is extremely non verbal, and in the tinier age range of 2-4. Unfortunately, within my canon, his environment became too unsafe to have such vulnerability so kitty just, basically, hid.

It wasn't until the beginning of Prequelle did kitty come back again. In the old bedroom with Aether to get some of their things to move to the new den when he seen one of his old toys. Just gently going over the ridges and bumps before he slowly sat down, playing with it and eventually so lost in that comfort it kinda just... Slipped.

Now, I think ghouls can change their size and appearance. Age regression plays into that a bunch! Aether came back to a tiny Dew surrounded in toys and playing, looking up at him and freezing. Just a fear response. But Aether slowly sat down, tilting his head before smiling and picking up a teddy bear.

"What are you playing?"

And from there, Aether met Kitty. He's kitty's immediate caretaker and they wouldn't have it AANNYY other way. He's also met "Dewey" (specifically with an e, his words) which is Dew's middle. Bitey little thing and has a lot of fits. Doesn't know how to regulate himself a bunch so Dewey requires a lot more attention, structure, and gentle parenting rather than Kitty who just needs gentleness.

Kitty has pacifiers he doesn't really use unless he's really small, but the handle? Yeah? He doesn't like it. Fussed CONSTANTLY until the point Aether figured out what was bothering him, and learned to remove it.

He also kneads on Aether a bunch! He doesn't mean to, but sometimes his lil claws will prick Aether. Aeth never gets mad tho :3 just gently redirects to another area. Sometimes Aeth will fold the blanket in half to help prevent getting nicked

Aether got Kitty an extra soft blanket for his first gift! Kitty fuckin LOVES it sooo much!!! It also smells like Aether so it's a plus. You'll never see him without it in his lil nest

Also, have you ever seen the videos of cats and weenie dogs in a hoodie/jacket sleeve? Yeah, that's Kitty.

Kitty doesn't like a lot of noise or lights, so they have fairy lights and a specific playlist dedicated for little time. Sometimes if he needs visual stim, Aether will put on aquatic videos of like... Jellyfish or an aquarium live stream. There's also led around the TV that matches the screen to help with lighting! He's just in straight awe, purring, eyes full and watching. Lil tail thumping cause he's so invested

[justwriting]

THK episode 1 rambling thoughts

I am obsessed with this show. I have watched episode 1 five times! And I am absolutely in love with all 4 main characters.

I am not good at writing in-depth analysis or meta of any series as I tend to take things to literally sometimes. However, several things that strike me:

Kant and Fadel are more similar than we (I) think: Fadel with his job as an assassin by night and chef by day is precise with whatever he does. One only needs to see when he cut those tomatoes perfectly and carefully prep the burgers. Similarly, Kant as a tattoo artist means he needs to be meticulous and patient when he designed + apply those tattoos on his clients. Both also clearly love their brothers and willing to do die anything for them - including letting said self being blackmailed multiple times by a shady cop or moving your entire life hood/business to another town cause your beloved baby brother went bonkers during a drunken karoake session. Both also internalised their problems and project calm externally - although Fadel comes across as broody (but handsome) while Kant appears more affable (also handsome!) because of his flirtatious nature. Nevertheless, this is one of the reason why I think Kant & Fadel clashes (apart from Kant wanting to boink Fadel's baby brother) - they are too similar in nature and knows how the other operates.

Style and Bison are chaos incarnates and gremlins to the core. While Style may come of as ridiculous and bold, he is sharper than he looks. The fact that he can get under Fadel's skin so quickly means he clocks on what irritates Fadel and just roll with the punches without fear. Similarly, when Style told Kant he will only hit on Fadel if Kant gives up his precious car? That is him checking out Kant's interest in Bison because he knows how much Kant adores that car. Bison despite his sweet look is cunning and knows how to play to his strength. We know he has Fadel wrapped around his fingers. And while Kant may be the one flirting (at this point), Bison is the one pulling the strings. Even from their first one night encounter, Bison sets the pace (and tone) - from declining to give his name to boldly stating "You're not doing this solo, you know?". Plus while he seems receptive towards Kant's flirting (later on), Bison is constantly watching Kant's moves and calculating in his mind how much he wants to trust him.

Fadel and Bison relationship as brothers - they are polar opposites. However, it is obvious Fadel loves Bison even though he does not truly understands his lil brother. Similarly, while Bison may rebel, he ultimately obeys his big brother. After all, he wouldn't have asked Kant to win Fadel over if Kant ever wants to date him. May I also add that both Bison and Fadel are broken in some ways and it will be interesting to see their background story as the series progresses. I also personally think while Fadel is more stoic on the outside, he also has the gentler/fragile heart when compared to Bison.

Kant and Style are crazy - the former knows Bison is a hitman but still decides to seduce him (even with him being blackmailed, you can't convince me that is enough reason to proceed with the seduction). Style does not know Fadel is a hitman - however, the fact that Kant does not feel the need for his best friend to know of this important fact tells you a lot about how bold and fearless Style can be.

Kant, Bison and Fadel have control issues - in some ways they are all powerless and have no say on how to live their live. From Kant being frequently used by the police to do their dirty job to Bison/Fadel being raised as assassins. So, it certainly will be interesting to see how the 2 couples face their lack of control - some people have already theorized the BDSM scenes we will be seeing from KantBison stem from the need to have/give up control and it certainly seems to be heading towards that direction.

Either way, I am enjoying the cat and mouse game both couples are playing (although Fadel is clearly an unwilling participant at present). Both sides are convinced they have the upper hand, but I think all 4 are actually on a more even plane than they themselves realised.