#but at the same time I can empathise with how you turned out this way and if things were different we could've been friends

[malaierba]

I kinda do believe that Toshiro IS afraid of being head of his household.

He's barely made any decisions of his own his whole life. Only time he did was to save someone he cared about. He's too used to the comfort of obedience, I think he believes it absolves him of participating in the activities of a household that does things in a way he disagrees with.

What kind of things you ask? Mainly how those bound to it are treated, I think:

He's angry at Maizuru when he learns about the flying hag that chased him as a kid being her doing.

He let's Izutsumi/Asebi go. There's two translations going around of the scene where Maizuru informs him that she's missing. I've seen bilingual Japanese users on twitter say that the one where he goes "She'll find her way back if she wants to" is more appropriate, it carries the intention of him letting her go. Saying "just leave her" is probably what a native English speaker assumed to be the more straightforward intention.

When he tells Laios about how Tade was probably in a very bad situation because she saw his dad (who he doesn't respect at all) as a saviour he says "I wanna speak to her". He doesn't because, passivity man, but, I get the feeling he wanted to tell her "he's still not a good person, Tade". I get the feeling he'd allow her to leave after Izutsumi if they were ever in a situation where he can actually be the decision maker.

He apologises to his party for dragging them down to confront the Faligon. Remember how that was all of those guyses first death in a dungeon? I've said this but. Man saw them get wipped. Childhood friend AND mom figure died in front of his eyes, and I know that's normal in a dungeon, but jeez. His mom-adjacent figure. His "MOM". idk I'd be messed up, unrelated but I think Laios is definitely suppressing how much it affected him to see Falin be eaten, be turned, be stabbed, etc etc. He's definitely an "I'll focus on problem solving to avoid looking at my emotions" type of guy.

During the fight he asks Laios "what about me is strong?". If you'll remember, Laios said that in the original party, Toshiro was in charge of finding an opening and dealing the killing blows. I wonder if he felt burdened, responsible for their failure then?

If he takes failure that hard when he's just following orders, I can see him feeling anxious about the prospect of failure when he's the one issuing them. It's probably why he comes across as so half-hearted with the whole "earn the right to be the next Head of the Clan" thing.

Not to mention, I remember seeing someone on X say, "the big gap between Toshiro and his baby brothers (13 years) is probably because Toshitsugu originally just wanted one (1) heir out of his arranged marriage to Toshiro's mom, since he actually loved Maizuru. But then he decided that Toshiro wasn't made of whatever was necessary to be a leader of their shady ass clan, so he had another two kids as backup".

If Toshiro is aware of that, fuck man, what kind of confidence is he going to have 😵

But, it's also a shame, right? Because he's explicitly empathetic. I think that's the meaning of him being shown playing with bugs as a kid, being coded as kind of softhearted. He empathises with things/beings he "shouldn't". But he's also obedient, he's always masking, so he has a hard time showing it explicitly. Honestly, the fact that he has that discussion about Tade with Laios is impressive imo, he trusts him and feels more comfortable with him than he lets on. He should NOT say the same thing to Maizuru or Hien, even though he respects them and cares for them.

If he had a bit of a spine, he'd be good for the people in the household. Probably bizarre in a way that even his dad can't predict, and maybe wouldn't like (he likes weirdos but only when it means chaos and fun it seems?). Maybe there'd be infighting. He just doesn't agree with the way his dad does too many things.

On the other hand, I also kinda think he should just take Tade and fuck off back to Melini lol. Become a bodyguard for Laios, help a bit with politics. What's for him in Wa anyway? An Estranged family and friends he doesn't fit with anymore. I think he'd be more likely to feel homesick for his friends in Melini than the Nakamoto household.

In any case I hope that Falin encouraging him to be more of an active participant of his own life has an everlasting effect on him. Even if he's afraid of shouldering that responsibility.

[makingspiritualityreal]

Moon Ruled Nakshatras - Consequences of Attention Seeking

A trope very commonly seen in many creations, executed with various contexts and endings, in which the protagonist has his big 3 in Moon Ruled Nakshatras (Rohini, Hasta, Shravana), is the consequence of the Moon ruled Nakshatras following the stage of the Sun.

The Sun is self sufficient and self focused, so full of themselves their light even spills outside. However, in everyone's horoscope, the Sun burns out over time. By the time we reach the Moon Nakshatra stage, we mature to realise that we need, and are attached to other people in our lives, and we won't survive if we don't adapt and don't form relationships.

This brings up the topic of paying attention to people's feelings, that we only discover in the Moon stage. In the Sun stage, as we are learning independence, we don't bother with that and we can come off as insensitive and self centered. The Sun is also an intelligent, logical planet, capable of providing solutions for both oneself and the others. However, by the Moon stage our shine wears off, and we begin to need other people. At the beginning, we try to catch their attention with rational means, but over time human behaviors become increasingly irrational and instinctive, the more desperate we are to get what we need and assert our position. These situations develop differently depending on the Nakshatra, but they always invariably end up the same way.

The Moon Native gets caught in their wrongdoings and suffers consequences for it, being taught a harsh lesson about including the other person's point of view, developing a capacity to empathise and bond through forced circumstances. However, that actually gives the Moon native happiness, as it provides them with what they unconsciously craved all along - stable connection.

In Vedic Astrology, the Moon as a planet is called "lovesick". It has no enemies, because the one quality of the Moon is its constant desire for attention and stimulation. ANY attention will do. Moon is where the saying "negative attention is still attention" originated. The one desire the Moon has is to be constantly surrounded by love and presence. And it will go to any lengths to fulfill that desire, irrationally, and will always, inevitably pay the price for it.

The antidote for a Moon native is either having very secure connections or tapping into their intuitive, psychic abilities.

Below, I will give a brief description of how this process unfolds for each Nakshatra, and give fiction examples.

Rohini Nakshatra - For movie examples, I recommend the Rohini video created by The Hidden Octave on Youtube. There are two paths for these natives. One is obsessive flirting, pathologically seeking attention of multiple romantic and sexual partners, for the sake of feeling constantly adored, but not taking anyone's feelings seriously, which leads to generation of resentment from many people. In anger, these people retaliate on the native, causing their downfall. The productive path here is working with pets or releasing one's urges through creativity or really surrendering to romance, even if just through art or fiction. Introducing more sensuality into already existing relationships can also help.

Hasta Nakshatra - The desire for attention here mostly leads to a tendency towards financial fraud, where tempting people with financial mistakes is yet another call for help. Huge sums of money are in fact a compensation for a desire for true family connections. Still, irresponsible criminal financial activities are always met with a sticky end in this Nakshatra, at the hands of governmental powers. Hasta Lagna Leonardo DiCaprio in "Catch me if you Can" plays a youth turned into a hardened criminal, after he escapes home, heartbroken at the onset of his parents' divorce. He retains a very childish behavior while committing financial fraud crimes, almost as a tantrum, and ultimately calms down when finding a boss and a surrogate father in an FBI agent played by Pushya, avatar of Brihaspati, Tom Hanks. At the same time, crime and cheating is replaced with offering society a useful skill. The real desire here is for an exchange, socialising. It’s a less romantic, more ���friendly” expression than Rohini, but equally desirous of connection.

Shravana Nakshatra - I recommend watching the recent Nina Dobrev flick, Shravana Moon "Sick Girl" for this one. It's about a girl who fakes having cancer to draw attention of her close friends and loved ones back to herself. This is the highest expression of the Moon, where the native seeks out attention from groups/media/through faking an illness or through provoking very serious, life threatening situations. Same behavior for Rosamund Pike, Shravana Sun in "Gone Girl", she commits murder and fakes death and victimises herself to feel loved by her husband and parents again. Amanda Bynes in "She's the Man" goes to drastic measures and poses as her brother to get everyone's attention to her misery of having her life career denied. The desire for collective, mass attention here can lead to fame if channeled towards public service, and if one's contribution is genuine. The real desire here is to be part of a close knitted group or fit into some comfortable place in the world, and find oneself surrounded by a group of close ones on a permanent, regular basis.

[elliespuns]

Quiet the Winter Harbor

Summary: After Ellie experienced horrors beyond her comprehension and was forced to do what was necessary, it completely broke her. Not knowing whether he was still alive or not, she slowly started to lose all hope of seeing Joel ever again. Terrified, helpless, and lost—that's how he found her when he appeared and took some of her pain away.

Pairing: Ellie & Joel, father-daughter

Wordcount: 1.5k

Tags/Warnings: canonverse, angst, comfort, fluff, found family, platonic relationship, father-daughter, soft Joel, baby girl Ellie, Joel POV, Ellie POV

Note: This one-shot of a 'story' is based on the actual TLOU game events; on a scene where Ellie kills David and Joel comes to take her away. Ellie & Joel mean so much to me. Writing them into fluffy scenarios will always make me happy. Hope this silly little 'scene' can make you happy too.

Rushing away from the burning building that's slowly tumbling down as the flames lick the air, Joel's arm is wrapped around the little girl's petite back as he's leading her away from the danger. She's trembling. She would never thought that she'd ever go through something like this. Ellie has killed people before, but this? This was different. He was trying to—was he? He definitely was. She keeps replaying the last few moments before her eyes, sobbing softly. She had to do it. She had no choice. She didn't want any of this to happen. Yet it still did, and it absolutely broke her.

The young girl who needs him right now is falling apart right next to him, and he has no idea what to do or what to say. The man Joel wishes to torture to death was trying to hurt her in ways no girl should ever experience. She's so young, innocent and fragile. There are no right words to empathise with something like this.

Instead of opening his mouth to say something that would only make her feel worse, he just gives her shoulder a gentle, loving squeeze with his hand and pulls her closer to him as the tears keep running down her freckles and leaving salty taste on her lips.

She's quiet. He is too. He feels miserable. If only if got there sooner. The anger, the frustration, the helplessness that suffocates him knowing he can't turn back the time to do something, and her little, quiet sniffs are not making this any easier on him. All Joel wants to do is to bring that motherfucker back to life, only to torture him and make him suffer in an agonizing way. Make him experience evil—evils that he had the nerve to put Ellie through.

And even after all this, he still can't believe what a brave and courageous kid she is. Hell of a fighter. He had never seen so much strength in a person before, let alone in a little girl.

When he arrived at the scene and he witnessed what she has done to the man, he knew that he would've done exactly the same thing. Except she's a kid. She shouldn't know what this feels like. Having her clinging to him tighly as she cried, embracing her, he finally realized that she must have gone out of her way to save his life. In that moment, he regretted everything he said to her back at the farm house and from this moment on, he decided to make his life's mission to dedicate his all this kid.

He should do something. Say something. He owes her so much. If it weren't for her, he wouldn't have been here right now. Feeling helpless, with nothing but love inside his heart for her right now, he can't take this deafening silence any longer. He stops and crouches down in front of her, putting them at eye-lever with one another. The freezing, snowy path sends an icy cold feeling through his entire body as soon as his knee hits the ground and his hands reach for hers, having her lift her red, puffy eyes on him. "Listen, Ellie. I er… I have no idea what to say because, honestly, there is nothing I can say or do to take away what you've just gone through." He says softly, his voice deep but full of endearment and understanding as he caresses the knuckles on her fists with his thumbs, warming her extremely cold hands.

"Joel, I don't wanna—" She sobs, her words stuck in her throat, her teeth chattering from the cold.

"You don't have to say anything. Just know that I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry for everything. For every damn mean thing I said to you. I didn't mean any of it." He says, regretting the harsh words that left his mouth at the farmhouse before everything went down so fast and he has come to realize that he hurt her. "You deserve so much more." He assures her, his huge palms covering her fists.

"Joel, can we just—"

"No, listen. Listen, Ellie…" He stops her by cupping her wet, icy cheeks that are somehow burning up, wiping her tears away with his calloused thumbs as her sad, pained eyes peer into his and her lower lip quivers. "You are the bravest fucking kid, do you understand?" He says, his voice trembling as if he's on the verge of crying himself. "And you saved my life. No one else would care enough to take so many risks to do that for someone like me." He adds and smiles, his cold hands sticking to her cheeks as he's refusing to let go. "And you still did. You matter, okay? You matter to me. I should've never left your side and—"

It's when his words are cut short as the frail girl in front of him throws herself his way and wraps her arms around him, burying her face in his jacket and weepeing softly. "I was so scared, Joel. I was so fucking scared that I lost you." She mumbles into his neck, searching for comfort in the smell of his shirt and coat.

It was as if his heart stopped beating for a second the moment she clung to him. His arms are suddenly taking on a life of their own when they instinctively wrap around her and pull her closer before one of his hands comes up to caress the back of her head as she keeps sobbing, leaving wet traces of her tears in the crook of his neck.

They never embraced each other like this before. Freezing on the cold ground, Joel's knee that's buried deep in the snow to keep his balance steady for her starts getting numb. But he doesn't mind. He doesn't care. It's the warmth of her heart that's softly beating through her chest right against his as they keep hugging tightly, quietly, and affectionately. If it weren't for the howling of the wind, he could have sworn he heard it too.

This girl means everything to him. How did this happen? He has no idea. But he curses himself for all the time he made her life a living hell by constantly rejecting her charming, beamy, and at times, ridiculously goofy personality. She might be the best thing that has ever happened to him after Sarah, and all he has ever done till now was be an asshole. Now he's going to do better with her.

Carefully breaking the embrace, he cups her cheek again. "You don't ever need to feel like you have to talk to me about what happened there, okay? Just remember… if there's ever going to be a day when you feel like laying all this burden out on me, don't hesitate." He pays her a smile. A smile so warm and full of love it made her heart flutter.

She's devastated after all that happened, but this? This smile on his face? Smile that he never gave her before? Smile that says, 'You'll never be alone ever again.' She can't help but nod and crack a tiny smile too, wiping her tears with the sleeve of her jacket. "Okay." She sniffs, her voice trembling as she's doing her best not to cry anymore. She doesn't know how, but Joel is making her feel better. He wouldn't take away the horrors she's still replying in her mind over and over again, but it means a lot. She's never thought that one day this stranger of a man would be someone that she deeply cares about. Someone whose love would mean the world to her.

"Okay, kiddo. I don't want to spoil the emotional moment we have here, but… you're going to need to help your old man." He chuckles, trying to loosen up the tension by using humor—the one thing he knows always wins with Ellie. "I think my knee got stuck to the ground, and I also can't feel it anymore."

Ellie smiles and wipes her nose with the back of her hand before she reaches for his. "You're such a dumbass." She shakes her head and lets a few little giggles out, helping him on his feet.

Slapping the snow and filth off his jeans, he reaches behind him to grab something that appears to look like Ellie's backpack. "Here. I believe you have a few valuable things in this thing." He hands it to her, watching her eyes beam at the sight of her pack that she thought she'd never see again.

"You might be old and helpless sometimes, but you're not totally worthless." She jokes, grinning at him before she flings the pack over her shoulder.

"There she is." Joel chuckles and is head over heels for his baby girl's smile, which he thought he had lost too.

The end.

Author's note: This is not an actual attempt at a fic or a story that has a continuation. This is just a silly little one-shot I wrote for myself, and the nice people here helped me overcome my fear of oversharing my privacy, so I finally posted some of it. If anyone else already wrote fics based on this scene, just know that I got inspired by the scene itself, not by any of the stories related to it. Anyway, I hope it's not that terrible, and keep in mind that English is not my mother language. Typos are possible.

[the5thcellar]

Hi, I recently stumbled upon your blog and I am so glad I did! While I’m very sorry for all the troll hate you’ve received, I like the sassy way you’re handling them. I’m trying to find the humor in why so many people are pressed and feel like they need to defend something that you haven’t even denied is real. And just because you have a different opinion, they cannot handle it. Reading your responses, and reading the responses of other people with whom I share similar sentiments, has made me laugh and feel better over the last week. I’ve been desperately trying to find other posts/people that have similar vibes because this whole… situation-ship has been a bit much. I also appreciate your reminder that ��no matter how good a man seems, trying to justify anything they do is still a sure path to disappointment!” 

I was wondering if you had any thoughts about Luke’s social media lately? I’ve read some points about how messy his social media presence has been handled (or mishandled) over the past year+ and how it did not help with the way everything played out. Also, I feel like he’s either turned on notifs for Nic because he’s been very diligent about liking all her posts, or maybe, he’s finally gotten a team to handle it. I just feel like everyone is in crisis comms mode, trying to wrangle back control. Just genuinely curious because it’s what I’ve been pondering over for the last day or two. Thank you in advance for your time if you answer my ask!

I'm so sorry this took me awhile - I started replying it in the morning on the way to work but decided I needed to gather my thoughts more.

To the first part: I completely empathise with how the entire situation has just been so "much" - it really has. It seems so silly, but somehow, whether or not two people I DON'T KNOW are in love or not in love, are best friends or are not best friends - can affect so much of my mental and emotional wellbeing.

I know I'm being parasocial (it seems to be the internet buzzword of the moment). But let's be clear: almost EVERYONE online - everyone who has written in to my ask box, who has commented, who has liked - everyone on twitter and tiktok who has talked about this - they're all just as parasocial. Because we're all assuming and casting aspersions on people we do not personally know. No one online who engages in discourse has the moral or ethical high ground. We are ALL in the gutter together (that said - I believe the gutter has many levels 😂).

IN ANY CASE - I just want to assure you that what you're feeling is not some atypical affliction. It is normal to feel awful that something you believed in and something you felt happy about is untrue. It is normal to look for other people who feel the same because misery is always better with company. It is normal to feel disappointed even as you remind yourself that men have been useless since the dawn of time.

The best counter to all these sad, awful feelings is to remember that life is a cycle. That life is complex. And although I'm saying this for the millionth time - that life has many, many grey areas.

As a kid I thought Zanessa was everything. Then they broke up, and she got together with Austin whom I hated. For years I seethed at the very mention of them. And after almost a decade... they also broke up. And not even 2 years after that, she's married and with child.

For a long time I also thought Brangelina was everything - you can't imagine my devastation when they divorced and I found out Brad is a complete dirtbag. But at the same time that I felt this horrible upset - I'm sure TONS of other people were feeling vindicated because they were fans of Jen A.

There are just SO MANY other stories like that. I mean come on - JLo and Ben Affleck. On again, off again, finally made it to the altar ... and now they're headed for divorce.

Chris and Mariska - both married to other people for 27 bloody years (or maybe longer) - and still making it very clear they are each others soulmates - and NOT platonic ones btw.

Tony and Kerry - WHAT EVEN ARE THEY? Perhaps the only pair on the internet that has people rooting for cheating and affairs 😂

Lessons: don't let a long term boyfriend stop you from finding a husband. Don't let a husband stop you from finding your soulmate. Don't let your soulmate stop you from engaging in a late, great love affair.

All crazy, contradicting statements distilled from all the above real life stories.

It makes one thing very clear to me: I can believe what I want to believe about Luke and Nicola. Because no one fucking knows what is in the future. They could get together next month. Next year. When they're in their 70s. No one can tell me SHIT about what I believe - not when life is clearly full of incredible twists and turns.

So fuck it. Fuck the haters and the antis and the naysayers. I can ship them till the day I die and no one can tell me any different. Because how could they? They literally canNOT !

To the second part: this is an easy answer and there's no need to think too much into it. Luke's social media has simply undergone an extensive renovation by his agents and team in anticipation of him becoming a big star (whether or not that will actually happen remains to be seen). All highly personal, "non-aesthetic" posts of his have been archived - his posts are all related to work and his coworkers. He has many posts with Nicola because he / his team knows those get the most engagement - and the more engagement he gets, the better the IG algorithm works in his favour to push his OTHER, non-Nicola or Bridgerton related posts to people's feeds. I don't think anyone is in crisis comms mode tbh. Maybe Nicola panicked a bit after she posted that tiktok that everyone took wildly out of context. But beyond that I don't think the wider audience gives af who he's dating - it seems like his personal life is very big news only because we keep searching about it and talking about it and so it feels like EVERYONE is. But if you step outside the online bridgerton fandom bubble ..... no one cares. There is a HEFTY portion of netflix viewers who watch bridgerton without EVER going online to read about the actors.

Long story short I think Nicola and Luke will become even MORE conscious about what they post - but I don't believe there was a crisis in the true sense of the word. And although Luke's team clearly handles his socials he obviously has access to it as well. Btw - all celebs have someone who handles their socials I'm sure Nic does too, just that she's also on her own account a lot. I don't know if Luke has his notifs on for Nicola's posts but even if he does I don't believe his consistent likes mean anything much. I mean...he also diligently likes all of Antonia's posts 😂

Social media isn't much of an indicator of honesty to me ... as someone whose work heavily involves it, everything is curated to a disgusting degree.

What I put more stock in is what we can see - and what we can see of them when they DON'T think about being seen - which is to say, all the unconscious, natural moments between Nicola and Luke - the vibe around them both, and the easy way they breathe and exist together.

That's what makes me such a big believer in their bond.

[bl00dst41ned]

Hellooo. Can you please write a fic where Jobe goes to meet the reader’s family or she goes to meet his family? Or maybe both? Thank you.

*.·:·.✦ family ties ✦.·:·.*

pairing: jobe bellingham x female reader

summary: in which it’s time for Jobe and you to meet one another’s family

author's note: I liked the idea but couldn’t choose so I decided to create a context in order to do both. didn't know how to finish it. taking a little pause to start school, coming back once I'm organized

word count: 1319

You slipped on your pair of White Oreo Jordan 4s as low music played in the room. You finalized your outfit with beaded colorful bracelet and your apple watch. Before getting out of your room, you went to the full body mirror and checked yourself, readjusting your shirt and fixing the little cowlicks in your hair. Once you felt ready, you grabbed your phone and went down to the living room.

Downstairs, your mother walked back and forth between the kitchen and backyard. You went up to help her prep the table. As you did so, you received a message from your boyfriend, Jobe.

Jobe 🪐

We’re here in five

Y/N 🦋

Okay

Are you nervous?

Jobe 🪐

i wish i could disappear rn

you?

Y/N 🦋

I’m silently dying

Jobe 🪐

yeah, we’re ready

Y/N 🦋 liked this message

Seems like neither of you were ready for this moment.

You and Jobe had got together three months ago. It was all going smoothly, the two of you enjoying the beginning of your relationship. But some way your parents found ou about it and immediately wished to meet their daughter’s boyfriend. After a conversation between you two, Jobe agreed to tell his parents about you so that the two families could meet. Which led to now. The Bellinghams were on the way to have a lunch with your family. At first, it didn’t affect you that much but the closer they were to meet, the more nervous you felt. Unfortunately for you, you did not have time to calm down as you watched their family car park in front of your house.

You watched as Jude, Jobe and his parents walked towards the door before ringing the door.

“Go open the door” Your mom raised her voice getting you out of your thoughts.

Without noticing, you had zoned out and stayed immobile. You hurried to the door, taking a deep breath before opening to the wide smiles of Jobe’s parents. You gave one back, translating your shyness, a small voice escaping your mouth greeting them. You then let them in, individually addressing them until it was Jobe’s turn. 

It was very uncomfortable to be watched by your relatives while interacting. You two weren’t big on PDA, especially since it’s still the beginning. As if your brains connected, Jobe bent down to give you a small hug, a hand resting on your back as you had your arm around his neck, leaving a quick kiss on his neck when nobody noticed.

Except for Jude. He sent him a knowing look as if to signal he had seen the intimate moment. It only resulted in earning a glare from his younger brother.

“So you must be Jobe ?” Your dad came out of nowhere, standing straight making you chuckle a bit. He was not frightening at all, just loved to stress his daughter’s boyfriends.

Jobe only nodded not daring to say anything out loud. You could only empathise with him since his mom made her feel the same way.

The conversation between your dad and him was very awkward for you and Jobe. Luckily, the rest of the people were talking with your mom and not paying attention.

Once the introduction ended, you all went to the dining room to enjoy the food your mom made.

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

It had been almost two hours since the Bellinghams were at your house. Your mom and Denise seemed to get along well. They asked questions about you or Jobe at times but fortunately for you, the whole lunch was not focused on your couple. Until now.

“Oh Y/N, you didn’t tell me how you guys met?”

Both of your eyes widened as you didn’t think they would acknowledge you at all.

“Well, we were at the activity centre together back then and we found ourselves in a groupchat” You simply explained, mentioning your old activity centre hoping that the conversation would shift away to another subject.

“Oh you were at the centre too, Jobe. You remembered her?” Your mom kept on asking questions now to Jobe.

“Yeah” He paused to finish swallowing his food. “She was the only girl that played cars with us boys”

The whole table shared a little laugh now talking about the two of you as kids. The parents took turns into revealing embarrassing moments of your childhoods as you two just laughed, both out of mockery and embarrassment.

“I remember once Jobe was chased by a goose”

You tried to contain the loud laugh that attempted to escape your mouth as Jobe’s mouth dropped.

“Mom we agreed to not talk about this day” Jobe whined as you laughed at him.

“I don’t know why you’re laughing Y/N because it happened to you too” Your dad spoke loudly making sure to be heard by the entire table.

It was now Jobe’s turn to laugh at you as you sent a mean stare to your dad. You were very good at clapping back but your dad was the ultimate champion at violating. He taught you everything you needed to know. Even though you were accustomed to this, it still stung a lot.

You tried to keep a mean facial expression but the smile on your dad’s face only made you smile too.

The rest of the lunch, you talked and got to know each other, the happy atmosphere never leaving.

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

After lunch time, Denise went to you in order to have a conversation. Your nervousness from earlier came back in a second, having you bite your cheek repeatedly.

You two sat down outside on the outdoor sofa. She could tell you were nervous as she began talking by, firstly reassuring you. 

“I’m not here to threaten you, don’t worry” She spoke as she put her hand on your thigh to calm you down. “There’s nothing that made rubbed me the wrong way about you. You’re nice, funny and look gorgeous. So me talking to you has nothing to do with complaining about you. As long as you stay respectful and don’t hurt my son I’m good. Other than that, you’re welcome in my house with my family, okay?”

Throughout all the time, you could only nod and agree, each word making you more comfortable. Once she finished, you let out a small “Yes” before she pulled you into a warm hug.

While you spoke to Denise, your mom went to talk to Jobe, bringing him to the porch. Jobe instantly went stiff, not knowing what to expect from her.

“Don’t be nervous, I don’t bite” Your mom joked as Jobe tried to chill. “When I found out about you and Y/N, I was a bit skeptical. But her excitement every she went to see you and her coming back with a smile on her face took all my doubts away. She’s smart and knows what she’s doing, and I trust her to do the right choices. Now I need to trust you.” Her tone felt more serious at the last sentence.

“All I’m asking you” She continued “is to promise me to keep that smile on her face, okay?”

“Yes, ma’am” He spoke as confidently as he could at the moment.

She repeated to make sure he stood on his answer, which he did. Once your mom felt like she said what she had to say, they got up and got back inside. He found you seated on the stairs and joined you, putting his arm around your shoulder.

“She wasn’t to harsh with you?” You asked, scared of what your mother could have said.

“Nah, at all. You?”

“No, your mom is so nice”

He nodded and sighed. Meeting each other’s family is a big step in your relationship, and you both were very happy to have overcome it. Having the trust of your relatives meant everything. You now knew you could grow freely in your relationship.

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[fanartist666]

Idk if passenger is really a thing on here or if Barry Sloane gets any love on this app BUT I literally adore that show already.

THIS POST WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR PASSENGER IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT!

Passenger. Oh my fucking GOD. I've watched it so many times. Eddie Wells has altered my brain chemistry. The tears I shed over that sweet, beautiful man.

The way he didn't even remember doing it, but thought he must have done because he was told he did, because everyone else was so fucking sure he'd done it, he believed them. He was branded evil, a monster, a freak, and probably everything else under the sun for something he didn't even remember doing. The guilt he felt. The staggering loneliness in those five years. It isn't discussed but I bet you any money his family didn't go and visit him once. In five fucking years. (I do understand why, I totally understand Joanne, Katie and Lily's motivations but that doesn't make it hurt Eddie any less)

Then he got out, and all he wanted was to be a part of his own family again. He wanted to be a husband and father again. He missed his little girls, he missed his wife. He missed his home.

And what did he find, what was his open and welcoming heart met with? Coldness, tension, conflict. His family is everything to him, and they didn't want anything to do with him. He wanted to bring Joanne a sandwich to her work, just to be nice, and she asked when he was leaving. Later his eldest daughter nearly threw boiling coffee in his face, his little girl, ready to cause him serious harm. A few days after Lily asks if she can tell him a secret.

He looked so delighted to be trusted with one. To be let back in just a little by the baby of his family, his darling baby girl. And she tells him "I wish you were dead." The TEARS I SHED when he looked up at her and visibly broke. (Barry Sloane is fucking slept on as an actor i swear to god, he is literally incredible). You could see something die in his eyes. The resolve when he stood up.

He went to end his life in the icy lake. 'This is what monsters deserve'. And who saved his life? But Jim, his 'victim'. Jim pulled him from a terrible death.

Because he was owed an answer.

Because Eddie was the beast that attacked him for no reason. Because Eddie was evil and did an evil thing, and Jim wanted to know why.

And then it turned out he was fucking innocent.

The whole time, HE DIDN'T FUCKING DO IT. 5 years in prison, in a 6x8 shoebox. For a crime he didn't even commit.

If you've read this far, do you get why he's changed my brain chemistry forever? He was pushed away, shunned, got himself beaten up, nearly killed himself over something he didn't fucking do.

Eddie was broken by the people of Chadder Vale. Even his own family. And none of it was his fault. 5 years stolen from him, his relationship with his family stolen from him, his reputation stolen from him, his life stolen from him.

AND THEN- AND FUCKING THEN- BARRY TWEETS THIS.

THE FUCK YOU MEAN HE HAS HIS DAUGHTER'S BIRTHDAYS ON HIS WRISTS. THE FUCK YOU MEAN HE HAS HIS WIFE'S NAME ON HIS LEFT FOREARM. THE LAYERS OF TRAGEDY IN ONE CHARACTER IN A SIX EPISODE SERIES ON ITVX. I AM A MESS OVER THIS INFORMATION.

HIS FAMILY IS HIS WORLD. CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW MUCH IT WOULD'VE HURT HIM WHEN AFTER ALL THAT TIME THEY REJECTED HIM??

I'm sobbing all over again. Don't even get me started on the 'it felt real, no?' When Joanne rejected his affection so harshly, because my boy was fucking devastated. (Again. I can empathise with her, I do get it, I do understand her point of view. Eddie has just messed my brain up and I adore him.)

Sincerely, I love him. Thank you Barry for him. I'm going to sob in my corner and think about giving Eddie a hug until there's a season 2.

I am never going to be the same.

[ramonahblog]

Fighting the urge to write an Epic Winter rewrite because damn, they had an opportunity and flubbed it by making Daring the beast instead of Rosabella but I don't want to deal with the whole...Epic Winter thing.

Wait, hear me out.

Rosabella gives me big "I know best" energy which is typical for teenage activists but easily leads to talking over and ignoring the people one claims to fight for as well prioritising stuff that...doesn't matter or is very minor.

First off, let's get rid of the aura-thing. Or rather, Rosabella can still see auras but she's mistaken in that it reveals the true character. I'm thinking it's really more of a reliable mood ring but not to fuss on what it actually is. Only that it can't be true-character-reveal thing. I get where it was getting at but no. Unless it does but Rosabella is misinterpreting the meanings? IDK, I just dislike the whole aura-thing as it is with her.

Rosabella, in her attempt to fulfill her mother's destiny, assumes Daring will become a beast because she hyper-focuses on Daring's self-absorbed traits to the point she ignores the times Daring is sincere and caring. She also ignores the fact she isn't close to Daring so she doesn't really know him.

In her attempts to "fix" Daring before he turns into a Beast, she (accidentally!) keeps interfering with his genuine kind moments because he's still Daring about it so she doesn't see them for what they are. He doesn't do them like she does. She's a teenager who has been told she'd be the next Beauty of Beauty and the Beast in an universe that is very There is Only One Right Way To Do Things.

And she's the next Beauty, so she can't be wrong about Daring being beastly, can she? She's the next Beauty, so she's helping, isn't she? She's helping and she's right and she helped keep Rugsy in school and made sure people know ogres just wanted to live their life so she can't be wrong, she can't be.

After all, she's the next Beauty and Daring is obviously her beast so she's helping him. She can't be wrong.

Wakes up one day and oh oops, she's now a beast?

This also fixes the fact that Daring had arcs in Lizzie's Date (deliberately humiliating himself to keep his promise to Lizzie) and Thronecoming that Epic Winter backpedals in a way that doesn't make sense.

This leaves a few possibility in regards to Rosabella's "Beauty".

Daring, who has also recently discovered the destiny he was raised and groomed for isn't his, could be someone that empathises with how Rosabella would feel being blindsided. This would show her that just because Daring's method of kindness isn't the same as hers doesn't mean it's no longer kind. And that it's normal for people to have flaws.

Plus the fact the Daring wait from cowering from his Beastly form to checking himself out in just a matter of words...I'm just saying, no one does that unless a part of them already was, you know?

Whether this is platonic or Daring is her beauty (which part of me is tickled at the idea of a kindhearted but vain beauty) or he is her Beauty but platonically is whatever to me.

There's few downsides to making Daring be this character.

First is Daring's been raised from birth to rescue damsels-in-distress. Granted, Epic Winter is set right after Dragon Games so a Daring choosing to comfort Rosabella is still a choice he would have to make. And have to make at his lowest, (and possibly most humiliated) point.

He's also now aimless, his entire purpose was not his purpose. So the whole thing of what had turned Rosabella into a beast could easily get lost.

I suppose this could be upsides depending on the writer but, for me, this is a downside.

The other downside is that Beauty and the Beast seems to be one of the (or only?) few fairytales in EAH where the girl has to rescue the guy has an expected role to play. By having Daring become "beauty", it kinda flips that to an unexpected but still expected role.

The other possibility:

Cerise.

Hear me out (again).

What better way to say Grimm (and EA in general) insistence of by-the-book follow is wrong than have the character The Rules insistent shouldn't exist and is an abomination for existing be Beauty? Someone whose existence has Hood Hollow vying for her banishment to the point they loophole the whole "banishment has to be unanimous" rule they apparently had.

Which gives me so many questions but is irrelevant to this particular post right now.

Having Cerise, who entire existence is pretty much summed up to "You Should Not Exist" and shies away from people because of it, because she's not meant to exist be the one to comfort and help Rosabella is great.

There's also the fact that it would be more of...a difficult* choice for Cerise to be search out Rosabella and help her than Daring as Daring would at least have his hero training to fall back on even while he's at his lowest point.

That and Epic Winter did have Cerise be the only one to react positively** to Daring's beast form during his Daring Walk. So you know, there's that.

If I do write this, I'm probably going to go with Cerise as Beauty simply because I adore how much of a "screw you" it would be to the whole Destiny&Legacy thing that EAH (in-universe) pushes.

IDK if I will write it. I just wanted to put this out here in case it tickles anyone else's brain and they want to write it or whatever creative form they like.

**Epic Winter AU where Daring turns around and sees Cerise checking him out. I have no further thoughts.

[momojedi]

FAREWELL PAIRING: none

GENRE: Angst, Hurt/Comfort WARNING: The Bad Batch S3 Finale spoilers A/N: This is very self-indulgent/OC-based but I guess it could be read as an x Reader story. Its a bit of a way to offer my personal goodbye to the Batch if you will.

MASTERLIST | MOMOJEDI'S 300 FOLLOWER CELEBRATION

"Ah, that must be the final one," I remark, brushing another unruly strand of brown curls from my face as Wrecker stretches beside me, the last crate safely stored aboard my shuttle. "Thank you, Wrecker," I say with heartfelt gratitude, though I wince as I notice him grimace slightly, his injuries from Tantiss still lingering. It took some persuading to accept his help with the crates after Omega's rescue, but eventually, I relented.

Wrecker's booming laughter fills the air, eliciting a subtle grin from me. "Don't worry 'bout it!" he exclaims, clapping a heavy hand on my back, nearly throwing me off balance before we're interrupted by approaching footsteps.

"There you two are," Hunter greets us, accompanied closely by Omega and Crosshair, with Batcher following cheerfully. "How's the packing going?" he inquires, to which I hum, glancing over my shoulder at the shuttle's cargo. "Wrecker just stashed the final crate," I reply with a smile, turning back to them. "I'll be departing shortly."

"Do you have to leave?" Omega's plaintive gaze meets mine, tugging at my heartstrings as she takes my hand. She's grown so much since our first meeting on Kamino during the war, barely reaching my chest then and now almost at my chin's height, the pang of guilt is palpable as I squeeze her hand before enveloping her in a warm hug. With a reassuring murmur, I offer her a smile. "I'll stay in touch, I promise."

"Don't forget about me!" A simultaneous squeal escapes us as Wrecker joins in, lifting us into a tight embrace before setting us back down. Then, the two engage in a playful scuffle with Batcher trailing behind. As I observe them goofing around, a lump forms in my throat. Despite the bittersweet feeling of leaving them behind, my decision remains.

"My father is still out there," I sigh, "I have to find him." The warm hand on my shoulder startles me, and I meet Hunter's hazel eyes. "Regardless of your choices, Pabu will always welcome you," he assures, gesturing towards his siblings. "as will we."

I beam at him, embracing him tightly. Hunter visibly tenses in surprise before he finally returns it. "Thank you," I quietly breathe next to his ear, barely loud enough even for him to hear, yet judging by the tight squeeze he offers, he understood. Then I turn to Crosshair. Despite my apprehension towards him, a curiosity and an un-Jedi-like attachment bordering on romance have always lingered when it came to him. "How's the hand?" I ask, nodding towards the stump of his arm. "It's ... it's healing," he responds with a frown, raising it to show me, yet I find myself drawn to his face, empathising with his internal struggle. I'd seen how he'd scanned his rifle after the mission. With his hand now gone, I can barely imagine how badly he must be questioning his significance as a soldier and sniper at the same time.

"I think you'll be fine," I offer gently, meeting his gaze. It's unusually soft as he watches me carefully, almost thoughtfully. Then, to my surprise, he brushes a stray hair from my face with his healthy hand. "I think you will be, too."

As my departure nears, I bid farewell to the island's inhabitants. Echo had departed to join Rex earlier, leaving me his well wishes. Before I board the shuttle, I halt.

"Oh, Omega!" I call, holding her back before retrieving something from my belt. With a sad smile, my eyes scan over it before I hand her the object. "Perhaps you'll find a better place for this." "Your lightsaber?" Her gasp catches my attention as she takes the lightsaber from me. For a moment, it feels as though a piece of me leaves with it and a peaceful rush fills me knowing a part of me will remain here. "Are you sure?" she asks, and I nod, finding solace in knowing it will be safe with her.

"Yes… I won't need it anymore. That chapter has closed," I explain, flashing her a knowing wink. "Can I trust you with it?" Omega grins. "I'll keep it safe. I think, I have just the spot for it."

Hours later, long after the shuttle has departed, the dim light of the sunset bathes Shep's and Lyanna's home, illuminating its treasures of the past. Tech's goggles catch the light beside Lula, with a silver lightsaber hilt resting nearby.

[thesonicpunk]

im gomma vom..... i just watched a satosugu edit on youtube and i..... i have so many feelings about these two. with sns i can imagine a happy ending you know. BUT WITH SATOSUGU THERE IS NO ESCAPE. I feel like geto's actions are unredeemable. even if he hadn't died how could we redeem anything he's done. like he killed his own parents. there is no turning back. i understand him, what motivated his decision, his logic and his journey, but i really struggle with seeing how geto, hidden-inventory-arc-geto, becomes that radicalised (bear in mind i'm a sasuke defender but i think the JJK and Naruto worlds are different in ways that make Sasuke's and Geto's radicalism significantly different). at the same time, because i empathise with him, i respect his decision, and i don't think that it should be taken lightly, or taken away from him (this is something i think gojo feels too, hence never trying to dissuade geto or win him back to his side after that burger king (lol) meeting). so even if Geto was alive, stsg would still be unachievable AND IT FUCKING KILLS ME. sometimes i wanna write fanfic about them being happy and together but then im like... i can't do that without fully denying one of them their wholeness, you know? the decision both geto and gojo make regarding who they are in relation to jujutsu society can't be severed from who they turn out to be as people. please prove me wrong in the tags or reblogs or in the comments or ANYWHERE i need some fucking respite from this hellhole that gege has drawn me into.

[billiuspendragon]

Doctor Who & Mob Psycho/Saiki K crossover rambles

Imagine a crossover between Doctor Who and Mob Psycho 100. Like the TARDIS picks up this signal of a super powerful being in Japan and they go there expecting some kind of monster and it's just a teenage boy.

I feel like Mob would not go along with The Doctor as a companion though, they'd go on maybe one adventure and then he'd be like "I have my friends to go back to now and I was planning to talk to Tsubomi at the end of the year..."

I feel like Mob just doesn't have that curiosity for the universe that would tempt him to leave his family and life, even with the ability to time travel back to the same point he left so that he wouldn't miss anything. He already lives so close to the supernatural. He sees horrendous spirits all the time so I think he would be pretty unfazed by all the aliens and everything. It would be a really interesting dynamic actually because I can imagine he would try to empathise with Daleks and things, but if he were to become a regular companion there would have to be some kind of extraordinary circumstance that would prompt him to leave his life behind.

I did also think about a DW/Saiki K crossover and I think that would be really funny because Saiki and The Doctor are both so aware that They Are The Protagonists, and that would make them butt heads a lot. Saiki would want NOTHING to do with The Doctor, and The Doctor would tease the hell out of him. The Doctor (I'm picturing Eleven here) would be like "You are SO grumpy Mr Grumpy Pants" and Saiki would just be like "and you're annoying. Go away."

I think with Saiki there would be less of a "companion of the day" dynamic and more of a mystery that The Doctor + companion(s) have to solve. His powers are so huge that they have affected all of humanity, plunging them into a timeline where everyone's hair is a weird colour and nothing makes sense. Imagine the mystery building up over the episodes; first they start seeing more and more people with (apparently) dyed hair, then they notice that injuries are disappearing faster than they should, and nobody on Earth seems to notice because they think that's the way it's always been. But of course the TARDIS crew would notice because they've avoided this meddling by time-travelling everywhere. Then they'd travel to 2010's Japan and find this teenage boy just trying desperately to fit in.

I don't know how the episode would end, maybe they would find a way to undo Saiki's changes and this would force him to accept his reality. I still like the idea that Saiki has sub-consciously turned his world into a comedy because he doesn't want to face anything. Saiki would just deflect and deflect and do his usual escaping from the plot, turning everything into a joke for the audience and rolling his eyes, but then towards the end The Doctor would get all serious and help him undo everything and it would be so emotional and I don't think I will ever write it. I will imagine it to death though. Fuck.

[royaljestersfirst]

Fizz & emotional integrity

this is the first of a series of character analysis posts i want to make about Fizz because i think that he’s a very rare representation of a character in great contact with his emotions and quite far in his trauma healing journey. this post turned out to be mostly about s2e6 bc i think it shows up well in conflict. i don't claim that Fizz is communicating in a perfectly healthy way (who does tbh!), but he is very genuine in his feelings and communication and i looove to see that. imo you can absolutely be an emotionally authentic bitch 💅✨

some ppl judged Fizz for being very rude to Blitz and i don't see why that's necessarily a bad thing. he thought that his childhood best friend actually resented him, wanted to hurt/kill him, was not interested in seeing him for 15 years, then crushed his gig and fucked off again. he has no reason to trust or be kind to Blitz, and it’s understandable that he’d want to vent his anger and protect his pride.

what touched me was how he reacted to Blitz saying that's not how things really went. even though he was just furious, he immediately unclenched his fists and paid attention. it shows that Fizz cares a lot about this relationship even after all this time, so he's ready to lower his defenses and try to listen.

he is still angry at the hurt he was caused, at this point he still thinks that Blitz left him after the accident. even then, after hearing that Blitz is remorseful, he deeply empathises. Fizz tries to get where blitz is coming from while not downplaying his own hurt.

without hiding his true feelings, he expresses how important Blitz was to him by saying that he wouldn't be so angry if he stayed by his side. that requires lots of emotional honesty and vulnerability, especially for a traumatized person, especially in conversation with the same person who hurt him.

he honestly says that he can't just forgive and forget everything. however, by talking about being okay now he shows that he may move past it. his words may also ease Blitz's guilt and self-loathing which Fizz empathized with earlier.

after this rollercoaster of emotions, he openly shows how much he appreciates his "former bestie, then lifelong enemy, then recent hero, now newly rekindled sort of friend" (btw the fact that Ozz knows all that shows how much Fizz is communicating about his trauma&emotions with his partner which is sweet).

Fizz is a character who feels a lot and deeply. he is unapologetic about his anger but he also is not embarrassed to show how much he cares. he is ready to confront and process difficult emotions, listen and be vulnerable even when the conversation is hard.

he demonstrates great emotional integrity considering his childhood of conditional "love", physical&mental trauma, abandonment, abuse and exploitation. his ability to stay true to himself after all that speaks volumes about his resilience, his connection with his own emotions, the supportiveness of Ozz, the strength of his childhood bond with Blitz, and perhaps the professionalism of his therapist 😄

anyways what do you all think about his character? do you agree with my interpretation? i love this bitch and love to talk about him 💕

[glazelilysoup]

how you met alhaitham

content: reader is gn, alhaitham is blunt, implied as a spantamad researcher, reader is sleepy, i don't think the house of daena has an upper floor but a girl can pretend, might be ooc, i don't think there are any legitimate warnings, its just fluffy

info: this was supposed to be headcanons with multiple characters, but i got really into it and wrote too much. might do similar concepts with other characters (as originally planned) in the future. i wrote this over the course of 3 days and it was usually at midnight, so it's not the greatest. gets progressively worse the more you read.

word count: 1.4k

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times like these were enjoyed immensely by both you and the scribe. it often became the most anticipated part of your days. it began with the fact that alhaitham had wanted more space than usual, and as a result, had gone to the largely unoccupied upper floor. there were fewer shelves on these higher floors, largely used for works of fiction. it wasn't often researchers indulged in anything but facts, so the area became frequented by those looking for solitude.

he took note of how every large table had multiple people sitting there- after all, a crowded library will still be crowded even in the most secluded spots- so he walked clear to the other side of the astoundingly huge library. it was a mirror of the other side, the same amount of tables in the same spots. just like before, every table had two or more people at them. he internally scowled before he viewed you in his peripherals. you were at a smaller table, alone, hidden away by a bookshelf.

you looked like you wanted to be alone, with your nose buried so deep in that book of yours- information on irminsul, he noticed. he surmised that wanting to be alone in the company of someone who had the same goal would be preferable to sitting next to someone as annoying as kaveh. he saw the small glance you took at his hand once it rested on the back of the chair, quickly going back to focus on your studying.

"may i sit here?" it was strange to hear the scribe be so quiet, but it was a library after all. you gave a terse nod, one that would have easily been missed had he not been the ever-perceptive scribe.

as time went slowly by, the scribe realised he may not have been as perceptive as he thought. every 50 pages or so, at a good stopping point, he would observe you for a few moments. you looked like you would pass out at any moment. a while later, you had adjusted your posture to have the book flat against the table and your head lingering just above it. not long after, your head was resting on your elbows, arms crossed, with hushed, relaxed breathing the only sound from you. no longer did you turn the pages.

alhaitham pondered his options for a moment. he could wake you up to spare you the embarrassment of being asleep for so long. on the other hand, you had looked very tired. he could let you sleep. he couldn't empathise with your current situation, so he settled to leave you be until either you woke up of your own accord, or until he left.

in all honesty, he was somewhat shocked to find that you were still asleep when he decided to leave. it had been hours, and there were exponentially fewer people than there were when he had arrived. "hey," he frowned when you had not even so much as stirred. he didn't want to be rude, but he resorted to his method of waking up kaveh. he slammed a book down on the table. it instantly proved fruitful as you jumped immediately, squeaking out a small "sorry!" he guessed that this was a more common occurrence than just this time.

"i apologise for the rude awakening. i had tried to wake you up other ways, and they hadn't worked." he found your shy expression and the pink that dusted your cheeks at this revelation to be quite endearing.

"oh lord- it's alright, i shouldn't have fallen asleep. uhm, would you mind telling me what time it is?"

"i believe it's slightly past eight o'clock." that's no good, that's no good at all, you promised your roommate you would make dinner tonight. you scrambled to collect your things, choosing not to notice how he watched you panic.

"thank you for waking me up, but i really must be going now," you didn't make it very far before he stopped you.

"hold on a second. you're still tired, i can see it in the way you move. i don't think it would be wise for you to walk alone in your current state. would you let me see you home safely?" it was truly appalling, the sheer amount of bluntness his words held. your pride told you to refuse because you were fine. but common sense was screaming at you to say yes. tiredness tugged at your eyes, blurring your vision and pulling your eyelids down.

again giving a small nod, but he was perceptive enough to pick up on it. as you exited the library, he asked you something, "i don't think i caught your name," oh, right. with how infamous the scribe was, you had already known him, yet he had no clue who you were.

"oh! it's y/n," he mouthed the word a few times, practising how it rolled off his tongue.

"y/n... i quite like that name," you saw the smallest hint of a smile and could've sworn you were hallucinating.

the next time alhaitham went to the library, he didn't bother with his usual assessment of how busy the library was. instead, he headed directly upstairs to your usual spot. one he got to the table, he didn't bother asking to sit, either. he knew you would let him. it had gone largely the same as last time, you fell asleep after an hour or two, and he had woken you up when he left. he walked you home just as he had before, as well.

those walks were always comforting, and though the sun was setting by the time the two of you left, his presence filled you with warmth.

this routine was repeated most days, and you two became quite good friends, often making thoughtful conversation should you see each other. provided you have free time, of course. unfortunately, alhaitham has been running low on just that recently. his position as the scribe became rather demanding, but you weren't too worried. he always made enough time to reach the library to wake you up, and sometimes he got there early enough to read. he wasn't the kind to keep to a routine, but this particular one gave him a semblance of normalcy that he quite liked.

one day, when he arrived at the house of daena, you were nowhere to be found. he felt a sort of... melancholy wash over him. when you had found him the next day and informed him that you simply hadn't the time to go to the library that day, he was glad that it was just a miscalculation, and that it wasn't any fault of his own. in his subconscious, he felt a pang of guilt for not being there lately. he vowed to arrive a bit earlier from now on.

the next day, alhaitham arrived at the time usually he did before he became incredibly busy. he had sat in the seat directly next to you, instead of across the table like usual. you raised an eyebrow, but didn't question it further. "y/n, would you humour me for a moment?"

humour? that was the last word you expected to come from the scribe's lips at this moment. "i guess it depends on what humouring you entails."

"go on a date with me," you nearly choked on your saliva, he didn't hesitate at all, "i just so happen to find your presence more enjoyable than most. is that such a bad thing?"

"not at all! it was just- unexpected," it took a moment to regain your composure, "i'd love to go on a date with you, 'haitham." he raised a brow at the nickname.

"i'll be here same time tomorrow to get you," and then he brought out his book and started reading as if nothing had just happened. once again, his blunt nature served only to shock and confuse you. after a while, sleep caught up to you, as usual. only this time, you had fallen asleep sitting up. strange, alhaitham thought, you always rested your head on the table when falling asleep. he figured you would adjust to lying on the table soon enough. he soon felt something hit his shoulder. as he looked over, he saw your head on his shoulder.

and although his face showed no change in expression he couldn't help but feel his ears get warmer, and for a split second, he could've sworn his heart ached.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

© glazelilysoup 2023 | do not modify or repost

[plantsjustwannahavefun]

I am once again begging Ed stans to understand that it's possible to love Ed and believe he deserves love AND also admit that he mistreated and tormented the crew during the Kraken era. Not only is this possible, this is the position the show wants you to have. You think Izzy deserved everything he got? Fine, whatever, forget about him for a minute. There's a whole crew in there you're supposed to empathise with and feel sympathy for, too. The six of them that Ed actively tried to kill or left for dead, for starters. Pay attention to the crew's experiences and reactions. They're shown to be traumatised, grieving, clinging to disassociation (Frenchie) and nihilism (Archie) as coping mechanisms and suffering from PTSD flashbacks. And, since this type of fans constantly go on about how it's racist to think Ed did anything wrong... what about the fact that a lot of the crew are PoC too? What then?

If you've watched the first 3 episodes of S2 and there was only one person on that ship you felt sorry for, then you're not a fan of OFMD, you're just a fan of Ed in isolation. And if the only way you can love Ed is by denying that he ever did anything wrong, then you're completely missing the point of the show. OFMD never said that people only deserve to be loved if they're morally perfect and flawless. The show doesn't subscribe to the dichotomy of Good vs Bad. Good people can do bad things. They can hurt the ones they love. Even if they didn't mean to, even if they themselves were suffering at the time, it doesn't mean they don't need to take responsibility for their actions or avoid the consequences. Stede didn't mean to hurt Mary and his kids when he left, but he still did. He had legitimate reasons for leaving, he didn't just do it for the lolz, but it was still wrong and Mary was right to be angry at him. And Stede needed to face up to this - not just for their sake but his too. Even though it turned out their lives were better off without him, reconciling with Mary was still crucial for his character development.

It was the same for Ed, it just didn't get handled quite as well due to lack of screentime, but the idea was the same. When Ed realises he'd been cruel to Fang and apologises, he isn't sinking into self-hatred and despair. Quite the contrary, this is a moment of growth for him. Because the fact is, just because you as a human being are inherently worthy of love doesn't mean you can go around hurting everyone and expecting them to put up with you. That's just not how it works. You don't need to be perfect, but you do need to listen to people when they tell you that you hurt them and apologise genuinely and try to be better. The show is very sympathetic to Ed but it does NOT excuse his actions. The crew aren't portrayed as villains or antagonists for being scared and angry at Ed for what he did to them. Even Stede was on their side with this one. If even Stede is able to see things from the crew's POV and have sympathy for them, then you should too. Stede doesn't love Ed because he sees Ed as a pure uwu angel. He loves Ed... because he just does. He loves being around him. They really click together. They have so much in common. That doesn't mean he approves of literally everything Ed has ever done. It just means he loves Ed despite that.

[thenightfolknetwork]

Good afternoon. I hope that you can assist me with a family matter.

I come from a very long line of mischief-makers, extending back for well over twelve generations. And my children all took after the family trade, as did all—well, almost all—of my grandchildren, and while my gaggle of great-grandchildren are too young to be working, they seem to have the knack for it as well.

You may have noted that I said almost all of my grandchildren. This is because of my youngest grandchild. They went to uni, had a strange and unnerving group of friends, got varied grades, graduated, and became… are… decided to become—my youngest grandchild is, you see, well, they’re a… they’re an accountant. A white button-down shirt pressed slacks accounting accountant!

As I’m sure you can imagine, the whole family was a bit shocked. We’re not all strictly mischief-makers; I’m a shenaniganerist myself! Still, none of us have ever strayed that far from the family business.

In retrospect, we really should have anticipated this—they were always a bit less inclined towards tomfoolery than their siblings and cousins. And they are overjoyed with their job, always chattering on about numbers and graphs. Besides, perhaps becoming an accountant when you come from a family that prides itself on chaos is chaotic? Either way, I’m trying to be happy to them, and I am confident that with time, I will be able to succeed.

However, I’m not quite sure what to talk about with them. They’ve always been a bit more distant than my other grandkids, likely because of their interest in… other topics, and this job has just exacerbated that. With the exception of a few reclusive ghosts, I’m the oldest person in my family. And, as head of the family, I’m the figure who people go to when they need help, whether it’s something small, like illusion homework, or big, like setting up an ongoing scheme that’ll run for decades.

I don’t know how I could help with this new profession. Well, I do, but I have a feeling that anything involving dental floss, temporary hair die, and two pounds of mustard seeds isn’t what they would be looking for. I want to show my grandchild that I am here, for whatever they need, and have it be true. How do I do that when I don’t know the right way to support them?

Oh, reader. This sounds like a very delicate situation, and my heart goes out to you. I can certainly empathise with your surprise at your grandchild's chosen profession. But at the same time, I can see how deeply you love them, and want to show that love in a way that supports and validates their identity.

Your grandchild is likely very aware of how different they are from the rest of the family. It's a very good sign that they've felt comfortable enough to share this part of their life with you all, and that they feel able to talk to you about the things they enjoy about it.

I understand that it's important to you to be someone your family can turn to for help and practical support. But that's not all you bring to the relationship. You are valuable and precious to your family beyond the role you play as a help-mate and advisor.

Your grandchild doesn't need you to understand the ins and outs of accounting. They don't need you to work out some way of helping them directly in their career, or to come up with a complicated scheme involving their accountancy skills.

This seems like a very good time to step aside, and let your grandchild take the lead. After all, they're the best possible person to know what will make them feel supported.

I recommend taking them out to spend some one-on-one time together. Don't make complicated plans – this is about spending quality time together, and giving them your attention. Let them know how proud you are of them, and how much you want to support them in their endeavours.

If there is anything specific they need from you, all to the good. You will have opened those lines of communication and let them know you're happy to help. But I strongly suspect that all your grandchild will need is to know that you're there for them, and that you love them. That's quite enough to be going on with.

[For more creaturely advice, check out Monstrous Agonies on your podcast platform of choice, or visit monstrousproductions.org for more info]

[evelhak]

Hey! So we talked about Kuroko and Haizaki, and now I’m curious in your vision of other Kuroko interactions.

Not shipwise, since I know you only do kagakuro, but in terms of dynamics, what are your fav characters to write Kuroko with?

Lets say, top 3 GoM and top 3 non-Gom?

Oh my friend how you're letting me go nuts again.

May I suggest you get a cup of your favourite drink and maybe some snacks?

Also how do you expect me to choose...? Hmm okay, to make things slightly easier for myself I'll exclude Kagami of course since I've been talking about them a lot already and I also believe I've talked about Momoi at length at least twice in relation to Kuroko so I'll define GOM in the strictest sense for this, but I also won't count either of them as non-GOM haha. I hope that makes sense.

Okay, not surprisingly, I'm going to start with Aomine. I love writing him with Kuroko particularly because when he's at his worst they are absolute poison to each other and they don't really even know it for lot of the time or at least understand why, and that makes for peak relationships drama. (It's complex and I love it.) They have a particular way of feeding each other's weaknesses. When Aomine is stressed out, average Kuroko's communication style and philosophy actually makes him worse in the long run. Also Aomine at his worst makes Kuroko worse. This is because Kuroko's weaknesses at his most stressed resemble some of average Aomine's weaknesses (anxious, lonely and pessimistic) while average Kuroko's optimism and understanding actually give Aomine more room to spiral down because what he's subconsciously looking for is pushback and someone he can trust to practically force him to get it together and average Kuroko is always going to be too accepting for that. However. Here's the cool part. Aomine at his best has some of the strengths of average Kuroko (loyal, secure, taking care of others) which is why when he's getting better he's drawn to Kuroko's typical idealism and particularly when Kuroko is getting worse, Aomine actually steps up, and can empathise with Kuroko at his weakest because while it's a rock bottom for Kuroko it's all actually pretty mundane to Aomine and he can stay quite level-headed about it. Meanwhile Kuroko at his best can direct the same qualities productively as Aomine at his worst does destructively (confidence, independence, stubbornness), and that's why at his best Kuroko appears like he has got the answers Aomine has been looking for after all, because Aomine is actually looking for trust but he needs hard proof for it unlike Kuroko who at his average is just able to trust that things will turn out alright for no particular reason. This is in a nutshell why I love writing the larger scale of their dynamic. It just makes for such interesting plot twists.

Also it's so God damn funny sometimes. Like, I was writing a scene where Kuroko is pretty significantly sick and Aomine is pretty significantly enlightened and although it was a rather serious scene in my story, I just happened to come across a song from some musical that illustrates the inherent comedy of their practically reversed dynamic a 100%.

For contrast here's bit from Kuroko's POV when he had to take care of drunk Aomine:

I just find them hilarious to write and they bring me so much joy.

Then, I suppose the next one will have to be Kise. I just love how they poke at each other's insecurities and how incompatible their communication styles are. You're probably seeing a theme here? I just love it when characters' personalities collide in a way that causes a lot of friction and ultimately provides opportunities for growth, so long as both are eventually willing to go out of their comfort zone. Of course it's only so satisfying because there's so much they can help each other learn, which is true here as well. Kise and Kuroko can both be particularly annoying to each other, because Kise has this habit of putting the burden of interpretation of how serious he is on the other person and that really doesn't work with Kuroko so he's often particularly dismissive of Kise. And while Kise seems like he's bothered by it I think he actually finds it reassuring because it means that with Kuroko he can be as goofy, flirty, needy and attention-seeking as he pleases with zero consequences because Kuroko just deflects it. Obviously Kise actually doesn't want the kind of attention from his friends that he gets from elsewhere, so at his core he doesn't actually feel rejected by Kuroko, he feels quite secure. Meanwhile, I think Kuroko secretly likes the attention he's getting from Kise, because everyone needs some attention. Kise is getting too much so he finds Kuroko relaxing and Kuroko is getting too little so he finds Kise refreshing. And annoying. Because Kuroko actually craves direct and genuine interaction the most, and that's why Kise's way of avoiding it can get really tiresome for him, meanwhile Kise becomes instantly self-conscious and evasive when Kuroko attempts to get some unambiguously genuine expression of feelings out of him (unless they're on the basketball court of course where it's suddenly okay to let things go to your feels). So, as I want to develop their communication I end up writing stuff where Kuroko is quite fed up with their shallow interactions and attempts to get more under Kise's skin, which of course is way too much emotional work for Kise. But it slowly gets better, of course.

A lot of their interactions for me are also based on how Kuroko needs more of Kise's easy breezy "do things for the heck of it and don't think about the deeper meaning" attitude while Kise obviously needs the exact opposite and Kuroko is a great person to make him think about what things he's just doing because it's easy and provides instant gratification, and which things he would actually find meaningful in the long run. Kise has opportunities to make Kuroko less serious and Kuroko has opportunities to make Kise more so. I think Kuroko very much dislikes any shallow or vain feelings that he has and rejects them, but Kise can help him be more comfortable with that part of humanity, while Kise is scared of his deeper feelings, and Kuroko can help him with that instead. So both can find that the feelings they dislike in themselves or make them anxious still have their place and it's better to get acquainted with them.

It takes quite some time for them to get to a point they can understand this because it's obviously not fun trying to consciously work on your insecurities, but when they get there it's really satisfying.

Now I kind of feel like showing this development. So, here are three scene's from Kuroko's POV. Although two of them are with Kagami, but they are talking about Kise.

First one is a conversation on the phone.

About ten chapters later with Kise:

And then about 20 chapters later:

I just wanted to show you because writing this kind of development makes me so excited. (The sport they're talking about is quidditch/quadball.)

The third place is a really tough one because I enjoy writing Kuroko's interactions with every GOM and I think the reason I'm going to have to pick Midorima is actually not because I inherently prefer him, it's because his interactions with Kuroko naturally happen more because he lives closer than Akashi and Murasakibara. But this is how it is because the more I write interactions with characters the more I begin to like them. Kuroko and Midorima are a blast because of their completely opposing conceptualisations of the world. The funny thing is that they might not actually be as opposing as they seem, it's just that they are looking at the same thing from different angles and describing it in language that leads them to believe they disagree more than they do. Yes they also have completely different strategies to getting where they want but maybe it's not as stark as they sometimes seem to believe. This is where the most friction in their relationship comes from and I have done my absolute best to be fair about it, because I am so much more likely to see things in Kuroko's way and I despise horoscopes. So I think another reason I like to write these two so much is that it challenges my objectivity in a particular way.

Anyway, basically Midorima describes fate as something that is above humans while Kuroko basically says you can make your own fate, if you really simplify it.

But. I have these song lyrics in my mind...

"You can plan a pretty picnic, you can pick the perfect time, but you can't expect the weather to be fine".

That thought is still true for both of them. They would both agree to that from their different perspectives. So their views are not actually complete opposites. Just their reactions and how they deal with it, are.

As funny as it sounds, Midorima is actually uncomfortable with the 'supernatural' or abstract unseen realm of things, and that's why he's looking at sources outside of himself to control his thoughts about that which is uncertain. Meanwhile Kuroko can just casually be like "hey what if a meteorite hit the bench" and "cool let's go look for ghosts I've never actually seen one" because he doesn't fear the uncertainty. He is the uncertainty. For Midorima that is his pressure point. Kuroko gets strength from the thought that anything can happen because he feels familiar with and in control of the uncertain, so he believes he can work it to his advantage. For Midorima the idea that anything can happen is daunting because it feels like it pulls the rug from under him and his hard work. He just genuinely doesn't understand that realm of things, much like Kuroko just genuinely doesn't understand cold hard facts and numbers. And that's why they have trouble understanding each other, because they are always approaching things so differently even when they desire the same conclusion.

Anyway. I wanted to do something with Midorima that I felt canon didn't really do. I wanted his way of thinking to get Kuroko off guard and even question his view of reality a little. I wanted Midorima to be able to foresee something about Kuroko because of his strange relationship with fate and I wanted Kuroko to dismiss it because he thinks his way of thinking is above Midorima's. And ultimately Kuroko would be wrong. I thought this would bring more depth to their relationship.

I'm going to show you one key scene in that plot to illustrate some of the tensions in their interactions. This is Kuroko's POV and they are at Suutoku's cultural festival where Midorima is doing fortune-telling from tea leafs.

Alright, that's it for the GOM. I wonder if there's a limit with post length...

Then the others.

Well, there's Ogiwara. And he was not so discussed in depth in canon that I have definitely developed some of his personality on my own. He was obviously contrasted with Kagami and Aomine a lot and explicitly said to have some similarities but the way I see him, he is also similar to Momoi and Kiyoshi in a particular and pretty defining aspect, and that is that he can control the emotional atmosphere of the room. So, while Aomine and Kagami have a lot of physical presence, Ogiwara and these other two characters have a lot of social presence. But the way I see it Ogiwara is also the least manipulative of these examples, pretty chill in the way that he has less of an objective, like it's rarer for him to try to manipulate things to a particular end although he generally could if he wanted to. And I think that's because he mostly just wants everyone to be happy and to have a good time, which aligns well with Kuroko's instincts, so it's no wonder if their friendship was a pretty uncomplicated one before shit hit the fan.

There's actually very little conflict between them in canon that has anything to do with them as individuals. However that's also what makes the relationship kind of stagnant and less interesting because when there's no outside force, then there's nothing about them as people that makes them push each other enough to create the level of conflict and opportunity for growth as there is with some other characters. In some ways that's refreshing, but only as a breath of fresh air. Basically in a story it just makes for nice filler. There isn't enough meat to write for an extended period of time.

That's why, if I wanted to keep Ogiwara in the story in any meaningful way, I had to make something up, and I do enjoy what I came up with. A lot. One key aspect is miscommunication that is due to the fact that although Ogiwara is socially very smooth he doesn't quite understand that Kuroko is actually significantly less so, probably because Kuroko still has emotional intelligence and the ability to match a more a dominant personality (I mean this in a broad sense, not like dominating or something) in a way that makes interaction feel smooth, because the other person is the leading force whether they mean to be or not because Kuroko can pretty much just make it so. (Like in Kagami's case it's more like Kuroko is redirecting a lot of Kagami's emotions so he's not actually dominating it's more like he's Kuroko's 'material' unlike Ogiwara who actually means to lead the interaction.) So, Ogiwara has a habit of implying things, hinting at things, speaking with gestures and believing that Kuroko understands what he's saying, but actually the implications go completely over Kuroko's head. For example, their whole promise: Kuroko didn't understand that more than anything, for Ogiwara it was about staying in touch. Of course facing each other in a game was important and exciting in and of itself, but Kuroko took that way more literally than Ogiwara meant it, and became so single-minded about this one thing he thought his friend wanted from him, that he actually kind of forgot about talking, which led Ogiwara to misinterpreted it as Kuroko not missing their everyday interaction as much as he does. Because Ogiwara thought the implication of their promise was totally clear, while to Kuroko it wasn't. It takes kind of a lot to start seeing why things that are totally clear to one aren't so for another, so they repeat this miscommunication several times and it stretches out into the future so much that it turns out Kuroko's view of their childhood is in some significant ways different from Ogiwara's view of the same events.

Writing more of them together I also found that Ogiwara sees Kuroko in a quite different way from most people and can sometimes say stuff that other people probably wouldn't say:

I'm not saying he's right or wrong, and out of context it may seem like he's undermining the fact that Kuroko didn't have much options, but it's more complicated than that, just too much to explain here. I just put this here because it's interesting contrast to write someone with a little bit different perspective to some things, because his key points with Kuroko have been so different from that of the other characters in the canon timeline which Ogiwara was mostly absent for.

A character whose interactions with Kuroko I actually write way less than I would like is Furihata. Because they have similar temperaments in ways pretty much no other characters do, and I feel they would make the kind of friends who are perfect for peer support and venting to, if either of them could just be a little more proactive about it, but that's the difficulty with a similar temperament, isn't it? It's not just my fault, it's not just that the story is already so bloated from these other relationships, it's that both of them are also going to respect each other's space too much and are generally the type to just sort of let things in relationships develop in their own time. Obviously they both have a lot of drive to make things happen when they need to, but when they don't need to, they are both the type to be more likely to just sit back and watch things develop. So circumstances would need to force them closer to get closer. So far such circumstances happen here and there but not that much. Most often it's Furihata needing emotional support and Kuroko being there, because he has already gone through the same thing. This happens several times in my writing. It takes a while for things to turn the other way around because Furihata is more likely to seek comfort from someone, and Kuroko is more reserved in that way, but once Furihata grows aware of their similarities and differences he also makes more effort to make sure Kuroko knows he can be relied upon too, which fits quite well with Furihata's growth into a captain which is part of my headcanon too.

This is probably his sharpest moment so far, after Seirin's darkest moment in my story. (Kagami's POV)

Then there's Yagi who practically counts as an OC because I've invented like 90% of his personality but I love him so I'm going to talk about him. Yagi is sort of like if Aomine and Furihata fused in some ways. His insecurities come from lack of experience and skills but he reacts to them in a similar way as Aomine to his overwhelming skills, feeling like he's alone and no one can possibly help him. He's more even-tempered and timid, but his negativity comes through in a passive-agressive way and he basically needs someone to kick his butt at all times and he punishes people emotionally if they don't. You can imagine this creates some very intense conflict with Kuroko whose gentle approach to helping Yagi integrate into the team just... doesn't work AT ALL because he's an even harder person for Kuroko to be tough on than Aomine. Kuroko can kick butt when it's Kagami or another openly aggressive person as long as they are not being vulnerable. But Yagi is like... Nope. Nothing is getting through because he wants someone to boss him around but you're supposed to figure that out on your own and Kuroko wants someone who will tell him what they need from him. Match made in heaven right. Well, still it's not hopeless once Kuroko does figure out which string to pull (with the help of Aomine haha). But yeah, it's a minefield. (Not to mention Yagi also starts out as homophobic.) But they do develop when Kuroko realises that he needs something new to help him stay out of sight and Yagi is exactly that because he's radiating negative, passive energy as much as Kagami is radiating positive, active energy so when Kuroko uses both of them he has a double cover as the neutral point between these two energies. But what makes this difficult for Kuroko to figure out is that while Kuroko is technically using Kagami to hide himself he's not using Kagami in a sense that he would need to control him. Kagami is doing what Kagami wants, and Kuroko is using that which Kagami would be doing anyway. But Yagi isn't going to do anything unless someone makes him. It is when Kuroko realizes that Yagi is actually begging to be used, that the game changes. Despite of appearing otherwise Yagi has basically zero ego. He just wants to be useful but he wants other people to tell him how. (Akashi should have used someone like Yagi not Mayu lol.) This was difficult for Kuroko to get, because despite of being as team-oriented as he is, being a shadow was still always a sacrifice for him. Had he been able to he would have wanted to be more "normal". And he still does have enough ego to want to create something for himself and be in control even if it's in a less traditional more subtle way, and he mistakenly believed Yagi would want the same. But Yagi doesn't have that kind of desire. Kuroko is willing to sacrifice himself. Yagi enjoys it. Yagi is a "soldier". Well, in this case, Kuroko is the trickster and Yagi is the rabbit= the star of the magic show who isn't actually doing anything but who things are being done to.

Or...? (Kuroko's POV)

I just love to play with metaphors.

I don't have the best action writing skills to get the most exciting games out of this idea (and a lot of it is probably so out there that it wouldn't even work) but I am actually very proud of how it plays in the interpersonal and metaphorical realm of the story.

Okay. That's it for now. Looks like I didn't run out of space. I hope I managed to keep you interested.

[sprolden]

Hope you're doing okay bud 💛💛💛 just so you know the tag "i guess the question is whether the empathy is greater than the resentment" has absolutely haunted me since i read it and I feel it on a spiritual level as a 20something Going Through It with 20something friends who are all Going Through It

I'm alright! doing a lot better than a few months ago both physically and mentally, definitely not back to (my) normal yet but slowly moving in that direction :)

I think it really is the shitty 20something experience right!!!!! ideally you take turns taking care of each other but usually you're going through your own little personalised circles of hell all at the same time. can't whoever is in charge of torturing us at least schedule these things better...........

I guess it's important to remember that a reason isn't an excuse, so even if you fully understand why someone is acting the way they are and you can empathise with that reason that doesn't mean you can't break contact with them, not even in the sense that youre "punishing" them but more that you can just let go of friendships that aren't working for you regardless of why that is. it hurts and it can feel shitty but in a very real way I am already so tired and I simply do not have the energy for any of this

and honestly maybe this is just me but there is also such a thing as too much empathy. like, do my friends really not have any energy or mental space to come over some time, or do they just not want to and I'm crafting a nice excuse for them in my head while quietly simmering with rage and at the same time feeling like I am the problem for feeling that way. it goes both ways! sometimes you need to be less empathetic actually🙏

either way good luck!! i hope you can figure out how to make the friendships that are worth it work, and how to cut off the ones that are not <3