#but i'm also so proud of how far she's come on this journey

[quickstappen]

track 001: end of the beginning

A/N: hello, welcome to another smau i guess, enjoy? this is the real reason why the latest part of carved my name was up so late yall ;) oscar won his first race and i had to do something!! i'm sorry to all the carlos fans, but someone's gotta be the bad guy, yk?

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december 2020

liked by prema_team, arthur_leclerc and others

paola_sainz I can't believe it is time to go, it still doesn't feel real. Thank you for those amazing years together, for the memories and happiness, I couldn't wish for better team, better friends, I love you all and I'll miss you tremendously. Cheers to the next chapter in our lives.

see all comments...

prema_team We'll miss you vice-champ! Make sure to visit when you're around ❤️

↳ paola_sainz of course! I'll visit so much you'll get sick of me ;)

sainzssss_ noooooooo, what???

shithappens what. the. fuck.

carlossainz55 Excited for your new journey! Now you can spend more time in my garage 🔥😎

↳ paola_sainz yeah, im so excited too!

↳ quickstappen this seems... dry

↳ albono_23 right???

ilpredestinatox oh noo! you were the reason i decided to follow my dreams and go to college for mechanical engineering, i can't believe you're not gonna be racing anymore

↳ paola_sainz oh sweetie, i'm so glad you're following your dreams! dm me if you have any enfeneering problems - i can ask around and get back to you ;)

↳ nyoomf1 she's so sweet 🥹

arthur_leclerc I'll miss your annoying face you know? (only a tiny bit)

↳ paola_sainz acting like you won't see me at basically every race anyway (i'll miss you too) 🤍

↳ arthur_leclerc 🤍

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february 2024

liked by arthur_leclerc, jensonbutton and others

paola_sainz does it ever drive you crazy...?

3 years ago i was broken beyond recognition, i lost my purpose and will to carry on, i thought that without racing i was noone. to think that the same girl just sold out her first collection of athletic wear is absolutely crazy, i can't believe how far we've come and i can't wait to see what else we can do

see all comments...

carlando333 girl 💀💀

↳ ilpredestinatox what do you mean, tf

↳ carlando333 Carlos literally just lost his seat for next year

↳ ilpredestinatox well, this is not carlos' page is it? she's not his keeper, she's allowed to be her own person

cuddlyxricc can she like,, read the room?

byelandoo lol, she does not care about the ferrari drama AT ALL

carlove55 are you gonna comment on the carlos situation??

shithappens she looked so happy when she was racing 🥺 i still can't accept that i'll never see her in a f1 car

↳ quickstappen right??

arthur_leclerc i am going to model the next collection

↳ paola_sainz don't know if you've noticed, but i make WOMEN'S athletic wear

↳ arthur_leclerc you just don't want to see me slay

↳ paola_sainz do not say slay ever again

charlosp1 💀

spanishxbabe so Carlos means nothing to you?

jensonbutton So proud! Brittany loves her set 🧡

↳ paola_sainz 🧡

charles_leclerc Knew you could do it Lola 🤍

↳ paola_sainz thank you for believing in me Charlie 🤍

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liked by charles_leclerc, arthur_leclerc and others

paola_sainz oh baby, how good to see you again!

(also, charles_leclerc go and win me a race please, i don't know how many forza ferrari sempre's i have left in me)

see all comments...

shithappens i'm sorry, is that a man? with my wife?

quickstappen queen is back in paddock!

arthur_leclerc so the ones with me in them were not good enough to make it, but the random one with him tying you're shoelaces made it?

↳ paola_sainz guess so, try harder next time

screwderriaf1 she's so real for that, Charles for WDC2024

↳ ilpredestinatox GIRL, be so fr rn

↳ screwderriaf1 just let me dream man

carlando333 oh come on! she doesn't care about carlos at all! fucking snake, thinking she's better than him🐍

logansargeant nice of you to visit old friends

↳ paola_sainz we're literally going for lunch tomorrow?

↳ sheilaxf1 they know each other??

↳ lewibear yeahh, since her time at prema i'm pretty sure

charles_leclerc Yeah, no pressure right

↳ paola_sainz you know it ;)

charlosp1 did she really say that she wishes that charles won and not her brother who's fighting for his future this season 💀

redmilton Paola Sainz soft launching a white man in the year 2024 was not on my bingo card

cuddlyxricc sorry but first no comment on carlos' seat and now this? yeah no, not cool

elmatadorf1 traitor! rooting for charles when your brother lost his seat because of him 🐍

madi_races is my girlfriend in a relationship with a.... man??

predestined55 absolutely no honour, not surprised tbh after seeing who she hangs out with 🐍

darth_nando can we please stop mentioning Carlos in every comment section under her posts? it's so unnecessary

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paola's messages:

YouTube, Screaming Meals | now playing:

↳ 01:52s - - - > - 04:37s

↳ 21:46s - - - > - 29:31s

↳ 52:14s - - - >- 1:08:11s

paola's messages:

madi's radio: okay look, the text between Spanish speakers.... i do not know Spanish and putting entire conversations through google translate is not the best, so let's just pretend they're in Spanish, yeah?

click here to be added to the hiding in the seams taglist!

DISCLAIMER: i do not know anything about this people, this is not real life, this is just something for fun, i do not know anythings about their life or personalities!

[babyangelsky]

My Favorite Expressions in Love Sea Ep. 7

On a personal level this week has been a very mixed bag but I know that if nothing else got me, this show got me. It's gonna come in clutch for me every time, spider bites and potential hauntings be damned.

I. Love. It. Here.

Will I ever not take psychic damage from the expression Tongrak makes when Mahasamut tells him that he cares about him? The answer is no. It's wonderful and devastating every time.

"How would you rate me out of 10?" Mahasamut asks while Tongrak's face plots teasing and mischief.

Opening a safe shouldn't look so much like staring down the gallows but here we are. Not being able to see how Tongrak's hands were shaking in a screenshot is a blessing.

The panic and terror on this man's face when he saw the read receipt on his phone is something I never want to see again. My hatred for Rak's piece of shit sperm donor is murderous and profound. How actually fucking dare he put this look on his child's face I'm going to kill him with my bare hands.

Peat's acting is so genuinely good that it hurts me. Tongrak was trembling so much that he was struggling to put the phone away and when he gets back to his room, he practically tries to crawl into Mahasamut's skin to hide and feel safe. Look at him, he looks so tiny and scared and I want to cry.

Let us take a break from the sad with this supremely horny shot of Mook unzipping Vivi's dress. Everyone say thank you.

And pour one out for our girl, as is now a weekly custom. Vivi my girly is dying CONFESS TO HER AND MAKE OUT ABOUT IT.

"I'm not going to the event! >:(" Yes you are, mi alma, look at your face when Mook threatens to quit.

Not pictured: One (1) resigned sigh

The grumpiest kitten in the whole venue.

Tongrak: *complaining* Mahasamut: *heart eyes*

My favorite moment of the face journey Tongrak goes on when he realizes just how good Mahasamut looks and that he will be Perceived and decides to mess up his hair about it. The grumpy kitten is a jealous jellyfish.

It's the fact that Tongrak looks surprised that his fans like his books and have consumed his entire body of work. I'M GOING TO SOB.

The smile is polite and professional but the eyes are sparkly. He genuinely enjoys interacting with his fans.

The proud husband smile means everything to me.

THE LOOK OF ABSOLUTE LOATHING AND DISGUST! INCREDIBLE PHENOMENAL OUTSTANDING.

IF YA'LL THINK I'M NOT GONNA MAKE A SEPARATE POST ABOUT HOW MUCH I LOVE THIS MAN YOU'RE SO FUCKING WRONG

If I have to have this demonic nasty hell witch on my screen, at least I get to watch her face make this expression after Tongrak calls her out for imitating him because he got it right on the money and she knows it.

Tongrak and the visceral hatred in his eyes said play me another waltz I'm tired of dancing to this one.

God love you, but you look so tired.

This entire scene was more brutal to watch than the fight outside of Tongrak's house. It was obvious that something more was going on from how calmly he was speaking and how non-responsive he became toward the end of it, but look at his hands. Look at how tightly they're clenched. Maintaining his composure while Prin stuck that knife in his wounds and twisted it as viciously as she could cost him, and it would be obvious even if we hadn't already seen them fight.

Tongrak, you're my fighter. He still looks tired because he is, but he also looks like the imperious ice prince he's had to be to survive. Then the utterly dismissive way he turns and walks out and cuts eye contact?

We can barely see Nouel's smile but it's so clearly saying "bruh that's cringe".

He's not just my fighter. He's Mahasamut's fighter, too.

Do ya'll remember how Tongrak was acting when he first brought Mahasamut to live with him and Vivi was teasing him?

Look how far they've come.

I can't quite articulate how, but the way they look at each other has changed, and I don't just mean because they're being lovey in front of Vivi and Mook. There's this undercurrent of sweetness that wasn't there before, even in private. That scene way back in episode 3 where Tongrak told Mahasamut to ask him to stay on the island which had so much softness and fondness to it did not have that same something that's now present.

I'm gonna leave ya'll with that and then go take more screenshots so I can properly scream about Mahasamut. And let me know if you wanna be tagged in these weekly writeups!

[runningfrom2am]

cold nights // epilogue

summary: a few years later...

pairing: coriolanus snow x fem!reader

wc: 3.7k

masterlists / nav / requests

tags/warnings: tribute!reader and mentor!coriolanus, r is very sweet (too kind for this world. literally.), sunshine x grumpy trope kinda, he falls first, violence typical for the source material, depictions of mental illness, also she's is very smart (as she should), district twelve!reader.

a/n:

here it is :) the epilogue :)

(i'm crying, could you tell??) i figured it was time to post this now that we've officially entered the overlapping requiem/michigan cherry era. tbh i was just afraid to let these two go bc i love them so much.

thank you all again SO so much for all the love on this fic. it has truly meant everything to me that so many people came on this actual JOURNEY with me, i never intended this to be so long but here we are.

anyway, stick around for requiem!! and i hope you loved this if you made it this far!!

my asks are also open to talk about this series! (i do have emoji anons open now too!)

send me any and all of your thoughts! here!

series masterlist // playlist // pinterest board

You were all dressed up in one of your finest gowns, attending the gala that preceded the presidential election.

Coriolanus was running, of course, and you were so incredibly proud. He's worked toward this for years, and you had been there every step of the way since the tenth annual Hunger Games, all those years ago. It felt like a distant memory- albeit one that still haunted you regularly.

You were a whole new person. A Capitol citizen most of the year, and you were happy most of the time. You and Coryo had always gone home in the summers, though, to spend your days surrounded by friends and family under the District Twelve sun. You always looked forward to it, but three months never felt like quite enough time. You missed your old life, but that's all it could be now.

While some Capitol elite was talking your ear off about the upcoming games, that's all you can think about. Well, how after the election that your boyfriend would most certainly win, those summers of peace would be a thing of the past. It was hard to think about, which is why you focussed on how you could work around it. Perhaps you would make smaller visits throughout the year- although Coryo was prepping you for the endless tasks that would even be put onto you as the First Lady of Panem. Once he wins the election, he would propose- and it would be followed by the wedding of the century. You didn't know if you dreaded it or if the pressure of it all just scared you beyond what excitement could repair.

"Miss Y/L/N?" Your train of thought is abruptly interrupted and you hum in response, bringing the champagne glass to your lips, acting like you were paying attention the whole time.

"Yes?" You respond as you lower your glass. "My apologies, I just spaced out for a moment there. It's a big day, after all..." You chuckle to recover, tilting your head slightly at them.

"I was just asking if you had any input in the arena for the next Games, if you could give us any hints." The man asks, seemingly impatient with you getting distracted.

"Oh," You reply, smile fading softly. "No, I- I really try to stay out of all of that." You laugh nervously, gripping tighter onto the glass as you take another sip, relieved when you feel someone's hand on your arm.

"Y/N, come sit. Coriolanus's speech is about to start, he got me to save you a seat at my table." Sejanus says, linking his arm with yours.

You politely excuse yourself from the conversation and allow him to pull you away. "Many thanks." You whisper to him, chuckling slightly as you glance back over your shoulder at the older man you were speaking to. "Some people are so tone-deaf, aren't they?"

"Most definitely." He sighs, shaking his head as he guides you toward his table at the front of the banquet hall, close to the stage. "Apparently that will never change."

Sejanus Plinth was your saving grace all these years, that, however, had never changed. You didn't see him as much anymore, with you being locked up in your office in the Snow penthouse focused on writing book after book until you were burnt out. His role as a doctor in and out of the Districts certainly didn't help either, but you knew he was partial to working back home in Twelve so he could spend more time with Lucy Gray. You were glad he was much more fulfilled in his adult life than you were; you always knew he would do well and you were proud. You had to take moments every so often to remind yourself that when you first met him and Coryo, you had been sad that you wouldn't get to see the men they would become but you had wondered. Now, you had your answers.

"Is that not the truth." You scoff under your breath, smiling and giving a quick wave to a few familiar faces as you pass. You had become somewhat of a people-pleasing expert, the same way Coriolanus had.

You sit down at the table at the front of the room just as the lights slightly dim, and the spotlight hits the stage. You gently cross one leg over the other, careful not to wrinkle your dress and clap in just the perfect polite way you had learned how to over the years, smiling as you see Coryo walk up onto the stage.

He waves, and people whistle and clap, and the smile on his face seems a little more genuine than it normally is during these speeches. Of course, though, this is his final address before he no doubt gets voted in as president, and you know that he is excited.

"Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for coming out tonight..." He says, in a subtle cue to get people to quiet down so he could speak, a drink still in his hand that he delicately hovers above the podium next to him. "This has been such an incredible opportunity for both of us running, and I must say, it's been fun." He tips the glass toward the other table at the front, and your eyes follow the movement to the other candidate, your friend and former classmate, Hilarius Heavensbee. They've never gotten along, and you know Hilarius wants nothing to do with this job. Not really. It makes you sad, a little bit, that his family would push him this far when he had confided in you in his freshman year that it wasn't what he wanted.

The man just gives Coryo a polite but nervous smile, taking another sip out of his own champagne glass. From where you were, you could see his hand trembling. You knew he would have to go next, and Coriolanus Snow was always a tough act to follow.

"Now, I am very happy about this turnout, because I have two important announcements to make." He continues, and whispers fill the room. You look over at Sejanus, a slight look of shock on your face. You didn't know he had anything special to announce, and he always kept you in the loop on everything. Sejanus just shrugs, looking back up at Coryo again. It must not actually be a big deal- it was probably just thanking some more people who have donated to his campaign.

"Firstly," He clears his throat, taking a step to the side as the screen behind him lights up. "For just a moment, see me as your head game maker and forget all about me running for president. Or don't, actually, maybe keep that in mind, but at the back of your mind." He chuckles, the little joke making the audience laugh. He was much more personable now than he once was, you smile a little as you remember helping him write his earlier speeches in a way that would make him more likable. "With the help of my fellow candidate and personal good friend, we are trying something new when it comes to The Hunger Games."

When he speaks, your heart drops and you sit up a little straighter- feeling all eyes on you as you just focus on him. For the first time, he looks down at you and gives you a small smile, the slightest nod in an effort to reassure you that it wasn't as scary as it sounded. You swallow and just keep your smile on as best as you can, ignoring all the stares.

"So, we all love The Games. They're exciting, the stakes are high, and I know every year we all pick our favourite tributes to root for and it's hard to watch them fall but, god, do I know better than anyone how good it feels when they win." Your cheeks burn intensely as Coryo sends a smile and a wink your way, and the screen behind him flashes to a picture of the two of you, taken after your shared university graduation just a couple of years ago. You were both smiling, but he was looking at you as he held you tight around your waist, and you looked into the camera and held up a three-finger salute. People are laughing and awe-ing at the photo of the two of you, and you laugh nervously, looking over at Sejanus with slightly panicked eyes.

You would be absolutely fine with this if he had just run it by you before, and you knew that whether you liked it or not, the Games were an integral part of who you were now, and always would be- but you certainly didn't want your name on anything to do with these new changes they're making. But, he wouldn't be talking about you at all if he knew you would hate it. You had to remind yourself of that.

"So, you all know my beautiful Y/N, of course, we're all big fans of hers here," Coryo says, gesturing to where you were sitting and you let out a nervous laugh, shaking your head at him in a way that would appear teasing to everyone else while he waits for everyone to finish clapping for you. "Don't get embarrassed already, darling, I've got a bit more to say about you so just sit tight, okay? Nothing bad, I promise." He says to you, looking into your eyes even as he stands up on the stage, everyone's laughter echoing in the background.

"So, I have known Y/N and her outstanding mind for years now. The Games are what brought us together when we were both just kids, but you all already know that story so I'll spare you the details. The bottom line is, I am so proud of the woman she has become. She's written two books that will soon become three, she graduated in the top three percent of our class with only a District education to build on, and she is the single most well-spoken, well-mannered, beautiful, and caring woman I have ever met. Truly, she has changed my entire outlook on life." He says, talking more so to the audience than to you, knowing that you're so embarrassed by this. And he would be correct. "It has truly been a privilege to know her, and to love her."

"But that was a long journey for us both, and a seemingly endless uphill battle for her recovery, despite her strength. The Games can be scary, let's be totally honest. It's life or death, and winning will change you, but Y/N came out the other side and wanted to make a difference for her family and that inspired me. And she continues to inspire me every day." Coryo says, pausing to take a sip of his champagne again. "So, all of this is to say, I'd like to thank her for all her support through my education, this campaign, and through the life we're building together. She inspired this idea in me and with the help of my fellow game makers as well as the Plinth family..." You look over at Sejanus as he continues, suddenly realizing he must have known about what was happening. He keeps a small smile on his lips as he watches, refusing to make eye contact with you.

"This," Coryo says, turning to look up at the screen while a picture comes up of a small cul-de-sac of beautiful homes. "Is just the beginning of the Victor's Rehabilitation Initiative."

You tilt your head, a shocked and confused smile on your face as you take in the photo and try to decipher what he's talking about.

"So, recently, Y/N has been more open with everyone about the struggles that came with being crowned a victor in our Games. Yes, they get to walk away with their lives, but what if winning meant something more? What if it meant security for them and their families, so they're not returning to their Districts with no sense of what to do next? That, everyone, is what this program is for. To help the strongest of them find a purpose again, and to encourage the bravest of Panem's children to get back on their feet after such an impressive feat as winning the Games."

You have to very consciously force your jaw to stay shut when you realize what he is saying, clapping along with everyone else while your smile relaxes into something more genuine. You knew that he wanted to abolish the Games altogether, and you knew that no matter who won the election, they wouldn't proceed for much longer. This was the first step in that direction, and you were flooded with emotions. Pride, excitement, relief.

"For ten years, until the beginning of the mentorship program, our victors were cast aside. Never to be heard from again after their win, I, for one, became curious as to what happened to them after the Games as soon as I met Y/N, and I have heard that question from many of you as well since we were all given the pleasure of getting to know her." Coryo's smile is one of pride and excitement, sparing a glance at you as he allows the audience to have their responses. So far, all seemingly positive despite the present undertones of him caring about the people in the Districts. He was a smooth talker, he knew exactly how to command a space and get people to believe what he wanted. And he was using it for good. "I mean, how many other victors have something extraordinary, just like her, that won't be utilized or nurtured? We never knew."

"From now on," He continues, the crowd quieting down. "Our victors will be given homes in what we've decided to call Victor's Villages in each of the Twelve Districts. They'll have ensured security for themselves and their families, and a generous sum of prize money to help them with whatever they need. Whether that's medical attention, both physical and emotional, or, if they so choose, when they reach the appropriate age, they could apply at our university to further their education. Though, between you and I, admittance is not guaranteed." He winks at the end and it's accompanied by laughter, which you try and go along with, but you're too close to tears to even process fully what was going on. This was a huge step in the right direction, even if like he said, acceptance was not guaranteed. "What I mean, is that it will be up to them. They can live their lives to the fullest, just like our gem, Y/N."

He looks at you again, and you can really only see his blurry form through your tears until someone is handing you a handkerchief to dry your eyes while people clap and cheer over the idea.

This was something you couldn't have imagined years ago. This was everything you've wanted since the Games- to make a difference, for people to care. And it was happening right before your eyes. Thanks to him. Thanks to you.

"And with that," Coryo says after a few moments, waiting for the crowd to quiet down after taking in your reaction. "We can move on to my second announcement, which is my formal withdrawal from the presidential campaign."

Gasps fill the room and your smile disappears, a hand coming up to your mouth as you look up at him, shocked and confused with the announcement that blindsided even you.

"Are you happy here?" You ask quietly, not wanting to disturb the peace of the evening as you walk from your parent's house back to your own in the Victor's Village.

"I couldn't be happier." Coryo replies through a soft sigh, swinging your hand gently as it's clasped between you.

"Are you sure?" You say again, feeling a little uncertain despite weeks of his endless reassurance that this was, in fact, what he wanted.

To him, this scenario was perfect. He could keep his job as head gamemaker, planning to only return to the Capitol for a few months or so every year for the Games. He knew that wouldn't last much longer, though, not with Hilarius Heavensbee in office. Coryo gives it a few years and a few major "accidental" mistakes on his part for the viewership of the annual event to die out and open the door for the president to call them off, just like he had always wanted to.

And every day Coryo would wake up to see you in your happy place, the only place you'd ever felt truly at home. He was more than happy to give it all up for the greatest sake of seeing you smile.

"Of course." He smiles, never growing tired of telling you the same thing over and over again if it meant he could ease your mind.

The moonlight bounces off his in a way that makes you think it could be glowing if you didn't know any better.

"I told you that I would be. Years ago. You remember?"

"Of course I remember."

He lets out a breathy laugh at your reply, shaking his head. "That was a foolish question. I don't think you've ever forgotten a single word anyone has ever spoken to you."

"Sure I have." You say, tilting your head as you look up at him, trying to catch the same moonlight reflect in the blue of his eyes as you walk down the path. "I just don't forget... the important bits."

"I will try my best to take care of you while you're here."

"My honest, best advice? Figure out a way to escape."

"I can't have killed them all for nothing."

"You are not a beast."

"Please, don't walk away again."

"I survived because I had to learn to love you."

"Like in your books?" His voice interrupts the swirling of speech from years past, and you shrug.

"Not exactly... it feels different. Because I can hear it, still." You explain, voice dropping into something more quiet as the remnants of your fear eats away at the back of your mind, the cold night breeze imprinting your skin.

"God, the way your mind works, love." He says, and as you look up at him to be met with an expression of pride that always changes everything. "You amaze me every day."

You stay quiet, cheeks getting hot as you look back down at the path.

"Are you happy?" Coryo asks after a moment, eyes never daring to leave your profile as you walk next to him, hardly more than a silhouette in the dark. But certainly more than a ghost, now.

"I am." You reply, the smile creeping back onto your lips. "Such hours are beautiful to live, but hard to describe..."

He hums softly in response. That was a yes, but also a no in the most you fashion possible. His heart remains heavy in his chest knowing that there is nothing more he can do for you to help you heal besides be present. "Is there anything more I can do?" He asks anyway, hoping that maybe you would come up with something.

You shake your head, giving him a tight-lipped smile laced with reassurance.

"Well, then..." He sighs, rather dramatically. "I did have an idea, you know, something that might make you happy. Even just for this one beautiful hour."

You let out a laugh, squeezing his hand a bit. "If that was you asking me if we could-"

"I would like to marry you." He says, for the first time ever, not feeling guilty about interrupting you.

You stop in your tracks, and he stops with you instantly as if he were waiting for it, his hold on your hand not faltering for a second.

"I... you-"

"Darling," He starts, stepping in front of you now, blocking out the moon but hardly putting a dent in the presence of the stars over his shoulders, their soft light reflecting off his blonde curls. "I do love nothing in the world so well as you."

Your shock and confusion begins to wear off as he speaks the familiar words, and you laugh softly. "In your own words, Coryo."

He tilts his head at you, clearly not having expected that kind of response. He expected a lot of things. He planned for everything that could go wrong, he prepared for rejection, for tears, panic, even, but he did not expect that. "I, uh..." He chuckles nervously, giving his head a quick shake to get himself back on track.

He had read that play just for you. Just for this- because he knew how much you loved it, and he remembered the joy it brought you. The smile on your face when you told him about it that day at the lake had never left his mind.

"If you ask me in your own words, I shall say yes." You assure him, hands gripping tighter onto his despite your surprisingly calm demeanor.

"I thought you would like that... You know, knowing you..."

He's quick to defend himself, and your eyes almost sparkle as you look up into his own. "We should have learned by now that our story is our own, yes?" You ask. "We are not Beatrice and Benedick, or Laurie and Amy, or even Romeo and Juliet, just like I used to think we were supposed to be when my days were numbered. I thought I wanted one of those stories to be mine at least once before I died, but I was wrong." You say, taking in the embarrassed flush of his cheeks even in the dim lighting. "You are you, and I am me. No matter what you say I will be happy to marry you, so long as you ask me yourself, and not as someone else."

"Alright then." He gives you a curt nod, a smile on his face as he lowers himself in front of you, careless of the dirt that would no doubt cake into the knee of his pants. "You're everything to me, Y/N/N. My world... my heart, my soul. I didn't know what love was until I met you. I've spent the entirety of my adult life learning to love you, and I never intend to stop. Not even for a moment, so please, let me marry you, love."

"A Coryo indeed." You say softly, recalling the first day you had met him- when you only knew him as Coriolanus, and how far you both had come since then. The growing smile on your lips twitches and you nod, holding his hand a little tighter and attempting to pull Coryo back to his feet. "Of course I will. Nothing would make me happier."

He stands again and very quickly his arms are around you, holding you just as tight as they always had.

taglist: @soulessjourney , @that-veela-girl ,  @dreamyysouls , @rockstarbfs , @maysileeewrites , @baybieruth , @kitscutie ,  @fratboyharrysgf0201 , @totallynotkaibiased , @stelleduarte , @secretsicanthideanymore , @bejeweledreverie , @drewsandsebastianswife , @niicole-87 , @queenofshinigamis , @innercreationflower , @nallasstuff , @iovemoonyy , @thatmarvelchick19 , @wearemadeofstardust0 , @regulusblackcore , @puredreamagination , @fantasticchaosthing , @becauseseaotters , @secretsicanthideanymore , @cascadingbliss

if you want to join the taglist for future fics (requiem, michigan cherry, etc.) as well as the bonus content for this fic, follow me over on @runningfrom2am-library and turn on post notifs! all i do over there is reblog my own writing, so it's effectively a taglist :)

thanks again for being here.

xx, raye

[hoseokslefteyebrow]

Woven Home

Pairing : Platonic! Miguel O' Hara X Teen! Symbiote! Reader

Genre : fluff, lowkey crack

Summary : Miguel's soft for you. (Parenting is hard.)

Warnings: Mentions of blood, abuse, nothing too deep

Wordcount: 1.4k

Miguel O'Hara masterlist

" Oh no." Miguel breathes out. He glances around the room. It looks horrible, it was too late. 

The room was covered in blood. The chipped wallpaper had always been disgusting, but now it had a reek of death over it. He can only imagine how it went down here. 

" Uhm, actually. She's still alive." Layla suddenly glitches into existence. 

Miguel's eyes widen under his mask as he turns to her.

" What?"

" Yeah, she made it out alive. " She tells him, showcasing a security video taken out on the street.

And indeed, you were alive. Barely, but still. The cameras follow you until you eventually pass out into an alleyway. But something is wrong. The date on that tape dates back 2 years ago. That cannot be possible- Or can it?

" Who are you?" 

Miguel turns around, claws jumping out as he turns to face the voice.

He's surprised as he comes face to face with you. You're in terrible shape. Skinny, bags under your eyes and dirty. 

You glance at his claws before shaking your head. 

" Trust me, you don't want to do that." 

He cocks his head. Anyone with the injuries you had when you escaped your abusive household would be dead. He doesn't want to take his chances with whatever saved you.

" I'm Spiderman-"

" No you're not. I know that dude. He lives a few streets from here." You scowl.

You don't seem intimidated in the slightest. Still seated with one knee up to your chest in the window sill, your posture slacking.

" I'm from a different dimension. I want to give you a chance." He tells you.

You cock your head.

" A different dimension? And a chance at what?" 

" Yes. A chance at living. You wouldn't have to be alone anymore."

" I'm never alone."

-

To this day, he doesn't know how he managed to convince you to join the spider society. You're one of the very few non spider people around.

So far, years have passed. He's gotten to know you a lot better. Your name is Y/N L/N. And you're the host of Toxin. The strongest symbiote he's ever come across, and he's come across Carnage. ( Which is also apparently it's 'parent' symbiote.) It also led to him bringing you on the team. 

You're a complicated person, having been through a lot at a young age. You had been severely abused by your own parents for a reason he doesn't know (or would ever understand.) Your healing journey was scary, but you had hardened from your experiences, putting up a barricade around people. Thankfully, it crumbled since Miguel now had your back. It made Miguel soft towards you. The society he was building was small when he found you, making you one of the first members. Determined to not give you the fate of a future villain (like almost all the other symbiotes), he's kept you closely tucked in his side. Over time, he found a new chance in being a dad through you. Your own parents never guided you, and he finds himself all too eager to give you that guidance. And so you've been with him, watching as the society grew. And growing it did. Miguel watched proudly as you managed to make friends, and eventually helped guide other younglings just like he guides you.

You're also the only one who doesn't take his shit. And who's able to handle it. (The object he threw the one time he wasn't looking at whoever entered his lab, you had thrown it back at him. It had silenced him. He'd never admit it, but he was proud of that. Glad you'll never cower for people like your biological dad ever again.)

The only downside? Your choice of friends. Hobie caused trouble, and was all too eager in teaching you how to aswell. Gwen was okay. But she was also friends with Hobie, and Miles. And Miles was originally an anomaly. Sure, the boy was now part of the team, but still. The only one he approved of was Pavitr. And the random Peters you hang with often.

Truth to be told, he saw you as his daughter.

Currently, he was stood in his lab, glancing around at the screens. He truly had no idea what you were doing, but as long as you weren't putting shit on fire (you wouldn't, Toxin hates fire,) he's fine with it.

" Aye Miguel!"

Speak of the devil. With a symbiote web, you launch yourself onto his platform, two styrofoam boxes in your hands. You wordlessly set his down on his desk, as you often do.

" Thanks. What have you been upto today?" He asks, barely taking his eyes of the screen as he opens the styrofoam box and takes out an empanada.

You open yours, and immediately the scent of chocolate fills the rooms. It's overly sweet, and it lowkey stings his nose.

" Not much. Mostly training actually. You did anything fun today?" You ask him in return, leaning back against his desk.

Apparently you've managed to find pancakes. And hazelnut chocolate spread. 

" Been watching the multiverse, nothing special. Where'd you get that? " he asks you.

" Made it. We were craving something sweet." 

" Empanadas are sweet."

" Right, well, not pancake, chocolate, strawberry sweet-"

" There's strawberries in there?" He asks, glancing at it.

You hum. Picking up a piece and showcasing it to him. He admittedly can see a bit of a lump in the chocolate, but that doesn't really convince him.

" Yeah, want a bite?"

" No thanks, I'll pass."

" Kay' your loss. So I've been thinking-"

" That's worrisome."

You roll your eyes at his comment.

" Sure, whatever. Anyway. We should get a pet. I was thinking a cat, or a spider-"

" No. We already have spider cat. Also, basically everyone here is a spider. Why would you even think of a spider?" He grumbles.

Nothing he ever has read in the parenting books could ever prepare for whenever you open your mouth.

As he speaks, he finally turns to look at you.

You shrug.

" It'd be funny. A tarantula maybe. We could call her Webs." You tell him.

You're not even grinning. You're serious about this.

" I'm still lost. Why a spider?"

" I just told you. It'd be funny. A spider as Spiderpeople HQ's lil mascot. There's also these adorable jumping spiders. They're cute. And small. And a spider." 

He sighs, rubbing his face in his free hand before deciding to give up and continue to eat.

" No. No spider pet at Spider HQ. You can pet Spider-Cat whenever he's here. That's more than enough." 

As if to save him from this hard parenting moment, ( He kinda wants to give into you, give you the world, but this was just a blatantly bad idea. Even by your standard.) A new anomaly pops up on his radar. And coincidentally,  you just finished your food. ( You're always scarfing it down instead of eating it at a normal pace. Something that has to do with Toxin he believes.)

" What about a frog? Nah jumping spider's more fun-"

" No. No frog, no spider. Also, an anomaly just popped onto the radar. A Sandman variant. Earth-632. Have fun. Bring one of your buddies if you want, I'm here if you need back up." He tells you.

You hum, licking your fingers clean before wiping them on your pants.

" Can we eat them?" You ask as you start messing with your watch.

" No. No eating people." 

" Was worth a try." He hears you mumble.

" No it really wasn't. " He tells you in return.

You roll your eyes.

" Whatever. Don't miss us too much!" You call before Toxin's form envelops you completely right as a gateway forms.

Soon enough you've jumped through, and Miguel finds himself opening up yet another screen to monitor your mission, seeing as you've gone alone. 

A rare smile makes it once his face though. Yeah he's soft for you. And maybe he should look intk those jumping spiders. Just for the heck of it....

[ A/N: Am currently on Vacay so all my usual stuff is on hold for a bit. Also I've seen the requests and am working on them : ).]

[monzaaasharl]

Who Do You Think You Are?

Pairings:: F1 drivers x Female driver! Reader, Christian Horner x Daughter! Reader, Geri Halliwell x Daughter! Reader

Summary:: Y/n Horner is officially announced as a 2024 f1 driver

Author note:: This is set during July 2023 just so the time frame makes sense

Masterlist

Here it was.

This is all she had ever worked for. And now she had it. Becoming a Formula One driver was all she ever dreamed of, and now that it became true she didn't know how to act.

She knew it wouldn't be easy, hell, everyone around her knew that. Especially her parents, Redbull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner and 90s Popstar Geri Halliwell. They knew better than anyone that Y/n becoming an F1 driver would spark controversy, but that's exactly why they didn't hold her back.

Y/n's parents wanted her to have everything she ever wanted. And if helping her with her journey into motorsports was what she wanted, they would do anything in their power to make it easier for her.

Contrary to popular belief her father wasn't as involved with her career as many people thought. I mean of course he gave her advice that the other drivers in F4, F3 and F2 wouldn't get, but they would just have to find it out for themselves. The main part Christian played in her motorsports career was being the person to introduce it to her, and get her her first ever go-kart.

They always tried to keep their father-daughter relationship away from the world of motorsport, because as Christian knew, and y/n would later find out, the media can destroy relationships with information that isn't even true.

Y/n practically grew up at the race track. She was always begging her mother to let her go karting after school and Geri almost always let her with the conditions that she had to do all her homework, and if it wasn't done she couldn't go until it was.

It was almost inevitable that Y/n became a driver, she was meeting new drivers every time she came to a race with her parents. And they could all tell that the way she spoke about karting and her dreams, she was going to go far.

The moment Y/n got off the phone with the Team Principal from Porsche she sprinted down the stairs of her childhood home, as she was staying with her parents at the time, and ran to find her parents.

"Spider in your room or something?" Her father teased, knowing her fear of spiders.

"Much better than that" Trying to hide the smile on her face, however it was growing bigger by the second.

"Go on then, what's happened?" Her mother asked her, confused by her behaviour.

"I'M GONNA BE A FORMULA ONE DRIVER FOR PORSCHE NEXT YEAR" She exclaimed at insane volume.

"Oh my goodness, sweetheart, I'm so proud of you" There were tears forming in Geri's eyes as she spoke. "Come here", she widened her arm's for Y/n.

"That's definitely not what I thought you were about to say", Christian joked, and joined in the group hug.

They all took a few moments to comprehend what was going on. As soon as they let go from their hug Christian spoke up.

"I'm sure you'll be good competition"

"I hope so", Y/n joked. "I'm so excited" She squealed, "but I'm also terrified"

Geri laughed at her statement, Y/n always had conflicting emotions. "I'm sure you'll be brilliant, my love" She reassured her daughter, "Who's your teammate going to be?"

"Mick Schumacher" She replied, "I mean, he's been in F1 before, what if he's much better than I am?"

"Nonsense", Christian answered, "They wouldn't have signed you if they didn't think you would good enough." He tried to soothe her worries, it always upset him when she would second guess herself, she was his baby girl, and he wanted whatever was best for her. "You're going to be fantastic, and I know that"

Y/n hugged her father tightly, she knew her parents would always be her biggest fans. "Thank you, Dad"

"So, how long have you been keeping your signing a secret?" He pondered.

"Since September last year...", She quietly admitted.

"That long?"

"Well, it wasn't certain until about 15 minutes ago" She admitted, "They want me to go sign the papers next week"

"My little girl is all grown up", Geri spoke up.

Herself and her father laughed and rolled their eyes.

After a few conversations, and a few more tears, mostly from Geri's eyes, but Y/n could've sworn she saw Christian's eyes become glossy at one point, Y/n went to her bedroom and decided to pack her suitcase, to go back to her own home and then to Germany to officially sign her contract.

It was now 6th July 2023 and Y/n was about to sign her contract.

"Are you ready, Miss?"

"I suppose so"

She didn't even have enough time to take in all her surroundings, the pen was in and out of her hand in seconds.

"You are officially a Formula One driver for Porsche now, congratulations" The team principal of the team said whilst they shared a handshake after her signing.

This was it.

It was now official.

This is Y/n Horner, and this was her story.

...Introducing Speedy Spice...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taglist::

@treehouse-mouse @champomiel @honkyscats

Please let me know if you would like to be added or taken off of the taglist by my comments, messages or asks.

Feel free to send requests.

[voidpacifist]

things I loved about season four of sex ed (spoilers ahead)

the amount of representation present this season. the disability rep, the queer and trans rep, how not shy the writers were confronting different trans and disability rights issues head on.

eric's arc with his religion and his gayness and how he was able to reconcile the two. this one really hit home for me as someone who is both queer and a person of faith. I love getting to see gayness have a place within faith, it just healed something for me, okay?

otis was so classically otis but he finally (FINALLY) acknowledged his own idiosyncrasies without just writing them off as being the fault of wounds in his life. by the end of ep 8 he was dedicated to making things better for himself and for other people and I'm actually so proud of him for that.

aimee's journey with healing from her SA trauma and how she navigated a new relationship with that. also I know it probably wasn't intentional but she's a very autistic coded character to me and watching her flourish as herself with isaac just did something so special to my heart. I would level cities for her.

and adam too!! him finally getting the closure he needed with eric and them communicating !!!! the scene at erin wiley's funeral when eric is able to tell adam how genuinely proud of him he is, just,,,my heart I love it when people get to heal !! also again with the unintentional neurodivergent rep, like come on - sitting undiagnosed by yourself, handsome? he's just like me fr.

I was worried the writers wouldn't do isaac's character justice, even though he was given a good arc in season three I was still anxious about where they would take it now that maeve was overseas and honestly, they didn't give him very much of a story outside of his history and who he was when he was with maeve. similar to aimee with him, I really liked watching more of his artistic traits pop out and I loved seeing him have a healthy friendship with someone. even better, I love it when the feelings he harbored for that person were mutual with no strings attached. I wasn't expecting him and aimee to be endgame but I'm absolutely not disappointed about it (you can tell he's my fav because I've written the longest paragraph about him so far).

cal and aisha and pk. need I say anything more? my only gripe is that I wish we could have had a glimpse of the three of them on a date or even see if there were other people in the polycule but that's okay !! I also just really loved cal's journey with themself and I loved getting to see them supported for their identity it meant so very much to me.

lastly but certainly not the least, I loved that otis and o ended on mutually agreeable terms with each other, it just really added to the whole theme of trying to heal and open new doors and be okay with things not being in control all the time. it was especially touching that he gave his position as therapist to her because he knew and acknowledged he had work to do on himself like !!! very rare otis w but totally welcomed. had the show continued I would have loved to see more development w him.

[cwritesforfun]

The Bear: Carmen 'Carmy' Berzatto x Fem!Reader: Business Dinner

Enjoy;) Masterlist

(YES, the plot has changed. I do not own The Bear characters.) Y/N = Your Name

Y/N's POV

You finish getting ready and you walk out to your living room where you see your boyfriend pacing. He was pacing earlier, but you were hoping he had stopped when you did your make-up. You exclaim, "Carmy, baby, what's wrong?" He turns to you, sees you, and says, "Wow honey, you're gorgeous. I mean, jaw-dropping stunning. Let me see you twirl." You twirl and he says, "I can't believe I'm your boyfriend. I'm so lucky that I have you in my life." You wrap your arms around his neck and say, "I'm lucky to have you in my life too. I've never been happier." He wraps his arms around your waist and kisses you gently. He asks, "Are you sure you want me as your plus one tonight? I'm sure one of your friends would go if you asked." You answer, "Yes, I'm sure. I can't wait to show you off. I'm so proud of you and your success with the Bear. You also said you couldn't wait to try the food at this restaurant, so I'm happy we get to try it together. Why? Where is this sudden hesitation coming from?" He replies, "I just ... I know that there are going to be a lot of business people tonight with their millionaire star boyfriends or girlfriends. I'm not even close to that. Everyone at the party doesn't have anxiety like us and I'm stressed I'll say something wrong. Times like these make me feel insecure about who I am and like being together doesn't work." You ask, "But if you ignore tonight, do you think we work together?" He answers, "Yeah, I mean sh** I love you. I haven't told you that, but I'm nervous and stressed. I don't want to lose you." You say, "I love you too, Carmen Anthony Berzatto. I think you're the sweetest and kindest boyfriend ever." He kisses you on the cheek and you continue, "I know you're nervous, but you'll be okay. We'll be together all night. You won't ever lose me. And I refuse to hear you talk about yourself as worthless and think that. You're worth the weight of the world in gold. You're the love of my life and you're perfect to me. I love every side of you." You kiss and he says, "Ok, if we are going, we should leave before I back out. And, warn me, next time you say my full-time, I felt like I was in trouble." You laugh and you leave the apartment.

Carmy drives you both downtown and you use the valet at the restaurant. It's free valet tonight, but we're allowed to tip.

Outside the restaurant, one of your coworkers waves and walks up with their partner. The coworker says, "Hi, I'm Pippa and I work with Y/N. This is my partner, Jennifer." I introduce Carmy to them and meet Jennifer. We all head inside and ask to be seated at the table together. I know Pippa and she's a good person. She's also very passionate about food. I've met Jennifer once or twice when she drops lunch off for Pippa at work. She seems cool. They should get along with Carmy and not make him feel anxious.

Drinks are being ordered. I know Carmy is still working on staying away from alcohol and being clean. I'm so proud of his journey with it so far. I lean over to Carmy and say, "Check out their Clean Cocktails. It's their version of mocktails and they're really good." He kisses me on the cheek and says, "Thanks babe."

We then get up to get a salad from the salad and appetizer bar. Carmy gets excited to see the fresh fruit and hot fresh bread. The restaurant has some pepper that makes him excited since it's hard to get, so he tells the chef behind the bar that he is the head chef at The Bear and he wants to know more about how they use it/cook it. The chef behind the salad bar says he will send the head chef to talk to Carmy about it after the salad servings are out. This excites Carmy and you're so happy that he is happy.

You both mingle with a few people as you walk back. You can tell some of their eyes linger on Carmy an extra second or just stare weirdly at you both, so you try to keep moving.

As you're eating the salad, the head chef of the restaurant walks up and asks if we want to see the exclusive inside of the preparation of the peppers as well as the meat. Pippa, Jennifer, Carmy, and I follow him to the back. We learn about their process and they let Carmy try, which makes the head chef intrigued. You all try them hot off the pan and they're so good. We then head back to our seats.

The entrees are served and you notice your boss walking over with his wife. Note about your boss, he thinks he's the best boss and the smartest person in the room at all times. His wife is super fake and clearly is only with your boss for the money. Your boss exclaims, "Hello Pippa and Y/N! I don't believe I have had the pleasure of meeting either of your plus ones yet tonight." Pippa says, "This is Jennifer and she's one of my best friends. You also might recognize her from The Chicago Bandits Pro Softball Team. She's the pitcher and the captain of the team." Jennifer shakes your boss' hand. Your boss says, "It's nice that you were able to make it. I'm sure practice keeps you busy." Jennifer replies, "It's the off-season, so I was able to be here. It's a lovely dinner." Your boss nods. To cut the tension, you exclaim, "It is a great event. This is my boyfriend, Carmen Berzatto. He's the head chef and owner of the restaurant, The Bear." Your boss' wife says, "One of my girlfriends said you had lovely appetizers and a fine wine selection." Carmy smiles and says, "I'm glad, tell her thank you. I helped hand-select our whole menu and think it all pairs well with our wines. Our sommelier hand selects it all as well." Your boss asks, "I'm glad to hear you have a sommelier. Do you think that we could get a reservation there for Tuesday at 7:15?" BRUH wtf?!?!?! The Bear is usually full at peak dinner times and most reservations are already fully booked. Carmy pulls out his phone and says, "Sure, enter your details. I'll send a confirmation of the reservation. We'd be pleased to have you." Your boss enters his details and asks, "Will you be working that night?" Carmy answers, "Yes sir, I will." Your boss hands Carmy his phone back and replies, "Good, we want the best experience." Carmy replies, "My staff is highly trained and all have completed training with chefs worldwide. And, my sous chef is the expediter as well. You have nothing to worry about." Your boss nods and then asks, "How did you go behind the scenes tonight? I saw that you all met the head chef too. It took me forever to meet him. I thought he was avoiding me." And for good reason lol ... You exclaim, "Carmen was talking to them about their peppers. The head chef had heard of The Bear and knew of Carmen's work from NYC as well as here, so he was excited to invite us back into the kitchen. They gave us a tutorial on preparing them, and we tried them hot fresh off the pan." Your boss nods and then leaves with his wife. That was weird, ok.

When they're far away, you ask, "Is there even space free at The Bear on Tuesday?" Carmy says, "We always save a few tables for walk-ins, so yes." You reply, "You should put them by the bathroom." Carmy replies, "No, I'm not that mean." Pippa says, "You should spit in their food." Carmy replies, "I don't want it to bite either of you in the butt if he hates it. They won't be at a prime table, but I'll make sure my staff are on their best behavior. I'll even stop by to check in on their meal." Pippa says, "Don't give them a discount. They have the money." Jennifer says, "You're so evil, babe." Pippa laughs. You say, "Yet there was no lie in what Pippa said."

Dinner finishes and light desserts are served. It's sorbet, which is cold and refreshing. Your boss thanks everyone on the microphone and everyone is reminded to pick up the free swag bags by the door prepared by his wife.

Pippa, Jennifer, Carmy, and I leave together. The swag bag includes a bottle of wine, soap made by the boss' wife, socks with your work logo, and extra pens with your work logo.

You tip the valet and you get in the car.

At your apartment, you strip off the dress and slide on one of Carmy's shirts and your pajama bottoms. You go into the bathroom to wash your face of make-up. Carmy walks in, wraps his arms around your waist, and says, "I'm glad I went tonight. I liked being with you. I also will admit that I liked your friends. Pippa and Jennifer were cool. I don't like your boss or his wife. They kind of suck." I laugh and reply, "Yeah, they're not the best. Why did you give them a table this week at your restaurant? Also, I need to rinse my face." You move slightly out of his arms to wash your face then you say, "Ok, we can go to bed." Carmy holds your hand and you both get into bed. You exclaim, "I loved being with you tonight. You're the best boyfriend for going and for putting up with my boss. I feel like I didn't get to show you off as much as I could have. I forget how many people I dislike at work and don't want to speak to. Ugh, I wanted to tell everyone how cool you are and why you're a catch." He laughs, kisses the side of your head, and says, "Baby, it's okay. I think you're a catch too. I'm sure people saw us together and thought we were just the hottest couple." You laugh and say, "I mean we are." He kisses you as he laughs with you.

Masterlist

[dimonds456]

Transfem Stan Thoughtdump

Okay so @/abyssalzones made a pretty good post that sums up a lot of my thoughts as well, but I have a few extra ones I'd like to add to this discussion, as well as elaborating on one of the post's points. I've been thinking about transfem Stan for a couple of weeks now and at this point I'm like "fuck it we ball" and throwing it out there. 

For one, it warms my heart whenever there's an older character who was raised in the mid-1900s/older times who realizes they're queer, or comes to terms with their identity in old age. You're never too old to realize you're part of the community, and never too late. Adding this on top of the many, MANY identities that Stan has had to take to survive in her life, it'd be like really turning over a new leaf for her. She'd get to really step into an identity that she aligns with completely, and not something else given to her or that she took to protect herself. 

Not to mention, everything regarding Ford. The fact that she had to pretend to be Ford for so long, she more than likely never had the chance to even think about taking on any other identities. She had to keep this one as intact as she could. Otherwise, she could risk loosing the Shack, and with it, the portal- her brother. No way that was happening. 

It was briefly touched in the post, but when Stan was watching that one movie and she was like "JUST LIKE ME FR", obviously the writers intended that to just be a joke since this was as far and away from Stan's identity as they could get. But we're gonna ignore that and take it at face value for a second. 

The channel introduces itself (jokingly) as the boring old lady black-and-white channel, clearly something that a manly-man like Stan wouldn't be into, and he reacts like how you'd expect. But once it gets going, he gets fully sucked into it, leading eventually to the scene where the main character, seemingly about to complete a Character Arc™, tells her mother "I'm not just a dutchess, I'm also a woman!" and Stan cheers for her, saying the "just like me fr" line. 

Without any transfem headcanons, again, this is a joke. Or you could interpret this in hindsight as Stan feeling a similar way about his father, since lines like "I'm a woman!" declared like that usually means "I'm free to make my own choices," which is a message resident make-my-father-proud-issues Stanley Pines would relate to pretty hard. Even though this isn't a conclusion Stan comes to in the show, we could easily see him coming to a conclusion like that in the future.

Now let's add the transfem headcanon back in. With that new layer to it, Stan (whose egg hasn't cracked yet) would be confused as to why she relates so hard. After all, she's a man who was raised to shove feelings down and be a manly-man man by Filbrick. She's more than likely gone her entire life trying to conform to that idea of toxic masculinity that her dad pushed on both her and Ford. Stan was always the one who resorted to punching, after all. That's a manly-man trait, so surely this goes no further right

There's a part of Gravity Falls that I feel doesn't get discussed enough, and that's the underlying misogyny of it. There's not a ton of it, but there are quite a few jokes about how men are stronger than women and the like. Stan has quite a few lines like that herself. So she would be subscribing to a similar mental state, the idea that if you like punching, CLEARLY you're a guy. Cuz that's how it works. Obviously. 

Introducing Mabel Pines, someone who is VERY much a girly-girl. She likes pink and unicorns and rainbows and makeup and sleepovers, stuff of the like. Now I could make a whole other post about my headcanons for Mabel and her queer journey, but one thing she can definitely do that "girly-girls" DON'T? Punching.

Mabel can punch. And she punches a lot. 

It's a small thing, and something I think Stan has just kinda accepted without question over the course of the series, but if she were to stop and think about it, she'd be like ".....wait a minute." and it could very well be the first piece that cracks the idea of manly-man masculinity vs just. existing as a person and what that actually means. 

Once Stan finally starts to break away from toxic masculinity and all those lessons she got thrown into her head, then her egg would finally be able to start cracking. 

As for why it even matters, first off, it just makes for an interesting interpretation of the character I haven't really seen before until VERY recently. Like, within the past 2 days recently (and maybe once like a month ago?? idk). 

But secondly, for her character, it would be a good, healthy step into really taking back her identity. Who IS Stan Pines? She's spent so long being other people, either as a form of self-defense or pretending to be her brother so she can help save him from the sideburn hell dimension, that I don't think she's really allowed herself to connect to who Stan is. 

This is true regardless of gender headcanon, but I think the transfem angle makes it so much more interesting. Who is Stan? Not even she knows. And she's starting to feel VERY confused about the whole thing. 

As for Ford, I think he'd be more than willing to support an identity journey for Stan. After all, he's traveled across dimensions and more than likely had all his teachings questioned as well. I am willing to bet money he's encountered trans people before. And, knowing Ford, he'd be open and curious to the idea, not close-minded, no matter what their father tried to teach his kids. Honestly, I could see Ford pestering Stan with questions long into the night regarding the whole thing, and taking up the whole identity mystery for himself as something the two of them can "crack" (heh) together. Just another adventure for the crew of the Stan'o'War II! 

There's SO much more but I don't wanna re-say things that the og post already said, these are just the big ones that stick out to me and what I wanted to elaborate on. 

TL;DR Stan goes on a journey of realizing that toxic masculinity Is Bad Actually and honestly so was his father, and once he accepts that and starts actively challenging his own beliefs about gender, her egg cracks and she realizes that maybe she isn't a guy at all. The rest of the Pines- but Ford especially- are supportive, and although Stan has a LOT of self-reflection to do and I could see her getting frustrated, flustered, or even embarrassed of her newfound realization, ultimately it makes her happier like this. Cuz it's her identity. She's not pretending to be anyone else anymore and she can just wholly be herself.

Thank you and goodnight

[celaenaeiln]

opinion on songs from Moana being used for dick? (Eg. How far I’ll go, Where you are and I am Moana)

Let's do this!

How Far I'll Go

How Far I'll Go is my guilty pleasure!

Listen, I'm so happy that Dick adores the stuffings out of family and friends and loves them with all his heart but please, I just need one self-indulgent piece of writing where he just abandons everything, takes a break, and goes on a long self-discovery journey via a roadtrip or something. Sometimes I feel like he's too busy being a part of everyone else's self-discovery journey that he doesn't get to enjoy what he wants to do. How Far I'll Go is a cumulation of Dick being the leader and taking on the leadership role while sacrificing his own needs. The lyrics express a longing for exploration and pushing boundaries, which also aligns with Dick's journey from Robin to Nightwing.

Furthermore, Dick Grayson's robin is characterized by a sense of adventure and exploration-

Detective Comics (2016) Issue #1000

literally.

And this need for adventure is what Moana and this song is all about. It's a craving, a desperate urge to go beyond the known and explore. Dick's known for his willingness to explore new territories, both physically and emotionally, often venturing into the unknown to protect his city and his loved ones.

The song is also about his desire for independence because like Moana, Dick Grayson grapples with his desire for independence while also feeling a sense of duty to his family and community.

It's actually a cycle. In the song it goes-

Every turn I take, every trail I track Every path I make, every road leads back

-and this is just a reflection of Dick's internal conflict between his personal aspirations of happiness and living his life vs his responsibilities as a hero and his duties as a leader of his community and the pillar of his family.

Where You Are

Where You Are is literally what I think Bruce wishes he could do to Dick lol. Except he's acting as the village and the father, not the grandma.

Don't walk away Moana, stay on the ground now Our people will need a chief, and there you are

These lyrics in particular -

🤌

*takes a deep breath in*

Now why does this sound familiar? :/

oh right, Bruce tells Dick that he needs a Batman whenever he's gone and he also tells Dick that his place as Robin is by Batman's side. This is also practically word-for-word what Cass says to Dick about his responsibilities of Batman.

Mainly this song is about sacrificing personal ambitions and desires to fulfill your duties.

That's right, we stay We're safe, and we're well provided And when we look to the future, there you are You'll be okay In time you'll learn just as I did You must find happiness right where you are

I don't think this song really needs any more explanation about how it's related to Dick because Dick's life practically embodies this song. It's sacrifice upon sacrifice he's done in order do his duties as Dick Grayson and Nightwing. This is his Eldest Daughter Syndrome song.

(Also just realized that without the background music this song is creepy af. Imagine the batfam singing the lines to him in a dark room where he hallucinates them. It's like a gothic horror story.)

I am Moana

Ooof. "I am Moana" is Dick Grayson's contant identity crisis song. In like every comic he's like "I was robin, I was nightwing, I was amnesic, I was Agent 37, I was Batman. But now I know that I am Dick Grayson."

Look at the lyrics-

I know a girl from an island She stands apart from the crowd She loves the sea and her people She makes her whole family proud Sometimes the world seems against you The journey may leave a scar But scars can heal and reveal just Where you are

The people you love will change you The things you have learned will guide you And nothing on earth can silence The quiet voice still inside you And when that voice starts to whisper "Moana, you've come so far" Moana listen, do you know who you are?

Who am I? I am a girl who loves my island And the girl who loves the sea, it calls me I am the daughter of the village chief We are descended from voyagers Who found their way across the world They call me

I've delivered us to where we are I have journeyed farther I am everything I've learned and more Still it calls me

And the call isn't out there at all It's inside me It's like the tide Always falling and rising I will carry you here in my heart You'll remind me That come what may I know the way

I am Moana!

Just replace girl with boy, add correct context, change Moana to Dick Grayson and boom! There you have him. "I am Moana" is Dick's Agent 37 arc.

Grayson Issue #1

"Dick, you've come so far" Dick listen, do you know who you are?

Grayson Issue #20

[l-in-the-light]

Chapter 1131 commentary

Finally the long break is over!! And no break next week :3 Let's start from the survey again, they're honestly quite fun to come up with :D

Now, let's move on to the chapter itself :D

Luffy's so excited! And why? Because finally it's confirmed they're in Elbaf! Which means I was right, his excitement from before wasn't because he saw Elbaf (this is the reaction right here instead), it was because of the snow! :D

Luffy is so excited and he's not even listening to Loki anymore, lol. Loki at first follows through, but soon he can't even sneak in a word anymore, haha. The manipulator having a hard time getting Luffy's attention. A moment later he snaps and scolds Luffy, I mean... for a master manipulator he's not overly patient or good at steering those conversations in direction he wants them to go...

Hm, interesting how Loki treats humans. He clearly takes care of them, but thinks of himself as their master and requires they call and treat him this way. Reminds me of those thoughts I had in previous chapter commentaries, that for giant people normal humans will seem like toys, puppets or slaves. Though it is worth noting Loki seems to indeed take care of them properly, so maybe more puppets or underlings. I wonder why they wear gas masks... because of the putrid smell?

Treasure Tree Adam confirmed!!! So it's actually not Yggdrasil!

Seems Loki has the same issue as Luffy with remembering people's names, lolol. Loppy, can you imagine...

The Realm of the Dead, lowest layer of Elbaf or also "the first world", where criminals and condemned are kept, a prison and execution ground. Where humans wander around as "walking corpses" (in clothes covered in "putrid smell", in blood from the deceased perhaps?), to disguise their presence to survive, otherwise they will get devoured by the beasts. They seem to be also servants (of the sun god?), they end up here by "defying Elbaf" or by trying to challenge it. It's indeed a lot like Rodo's detention centre roleplay model. Seems Luffy doesn't like the sound of it. Later in Hajrudin's scene we learn that it's also a hunting ground for the brave warriors (but who isn't brave in Elbaf, the land of war?).

It's worth noting that the accursed prince Loki apparently was held in this lowest layer since he was born (or soon after he was born). He says it himself: he friended the beasts because he knows them ever since he was a child. So the conclusion here is that he must have been kept in this underworld realm for most of his life? After all only those "who defy Elbaf, criminals and condemned" are living here. My hypothesis that he is called accursed because of some prophecy or mark he was born with, seems to line up with those pieces of information we got so far.

I admit I'm impressed with Luffy. He actually did not attempt to free Loki, despite the fact he was so shocked that Loki was kept here for 6 years. He listens to him and stays with him, but doesn't agree to his ideas and doesn't even comment much. I'm proud of Luffy, Law would be proud too, Luffy is no longer causing random chaos without knowing more about the situation. Is Luffy finally growing up? 💔

More lore. The World of the Dead belongs to the Sun, hm? Is that why Loki is kept here or is he calling himself a sun god as the result of becoming a master of this realm (by making everyone his underlings so now he is their god)? Interesting.

Also it's kinda rare to associate sun with underworld, not counting some indigenous beliefs of people from Amazon rainforest. I remember reading in anthropology books that sun can be linked with the realm of the dead, because everyday it makes a journey on the sky and finishes it in the underworld (then the night falls on the world). If you hop in on the sun god's carriage (it's actually a canoe swimming on the sky carried by two big birds), you can actually travel between the world of the living and the world of the dead. The god can be nice enough to transport back a lost human that ended up in the underworld because of grief and falling through one of the pekari pig's holes in the ground. But the human that is dead but returns back to the world of living will appear to humans like a regular pekari pig. Apparently after humans die they turn into pekari pigs and are kept in pens by the god of the underworld, who takes care of them. It's actually not clear which god it was. The myths refer to them as "master of the pigs". It might have been the sun god, or god of the underworld, or maybe it's one and the same being.

Amazonian myths are very interesting, but rarely ever referenced in modern fiction. I don't know if Oda is referencing it here, but the moment they called Sun the God of the Underworld, I instantly thought of that. I will be surprised if anyone in OP fandom even considered the possiblity that sun can be linked with the realm of the dead! Oh, it makes me have so many interesting thoughts and observations about the world of One Piece in general...

Also, nice worldbuilding intro to Elbaf. Seems Elbaf has "multiple" worlds, each located on it's own level of the tree Adam; it's very similar to the norse mythology realms that you can travel into by descending or ascending Yggdrasil :D

Luffy already tamed those beasts, huh XD five beasts, a bear, a gorilla, a wolf (I think it's a wolf at least?), an elephant/mammoth and a snake. Snakes and gorillas often appear in important worldbuilding arcs of One Piece, somehow. I know the zoology of OP is often overlooked, but I feel like it will bite us in the ass before the end of the series.

Because look at people's reactions every time Luffy tames the beasts easily. It's a really uncommon talent! It seems very important, maybe it's some special trait only passed down in Luffy's lineage? The picture Oda drew of child Garp taming some wild beast also comes to my mind... it might be a D. clan trait, or maybe it's just Luffy's lineage trait. Was Joyboy good with animals? :P I mean, that question just begs to be finally asked... at least minks and Zunesha have an important connection to Joyboy...

I solemnly swear I'm up to no good, signed by Loki, lol. He said all this shit on purpose to provoke Luffy, but I dunno what his plan here actually was. If he realized that Luffy was so happy at the mention of Shanks, then calling Shanks names is not gonna get him what he wants from Luffy, quite the opposite really. And again, the triple dot of doom... We shall remember this moment, I guess.

TCB is kinda failing with their translation a bit in this chapter. The last line is definitely spoken by Loki again, because it's another pissed off bubble, but they translated it like it was something said by a third party instead... The alternative translation also makes more sense: "if you can't move, then don't piss me off" as in "should you even provoke me if you can't fight back?" instead of the "whatever, I don't care" attitude. Makes more sense for Luffy's personality, he's not a "whatever" type of person. It was also a while since we last saw Luffy defending his friends like this :D

Loki doesn't seem to like Luffy very much, there goes the good first impression, haha. Already plans to kill him off in anger lol. (that will definitely not happen btw, he will 100% change his opinion on Luffy) Curiously enough Luffy seems to like him a bit, as long as he doesn't trashtalk Shanks.

See? Now here it makes more sense. "I will tell you more about Shanks if you do something for me". The earlier "coward" approach was such a nonsense in comparison. Did Loki seriously just expect Luffy to sit there and listen to him trashtalking Shanks? For a master manipulator, Loki kinda falls a bit flat, ngl. People have already pointed it out that he seems more like Usopp-type, selling some lies to appear more important/respected than he actually is. That attitude might have the root in similar childhood: always staying on his own so telling talltales is his coping mechanism, just like it was for Usopp.

At this point we might question whether Loki will indeed bring any sort of end to the world or is it yet another lie (or perhaps he got banned to this underworld realm as the result of a prophecy told at his birth?). And he most definitely isn't a sun god, he just thinks he is because he considers himself the ruler of this lowest realm of Elbaf, which according to the beliefs is the realm of Sun God. So it's a natural conclusion: if he's on top of it then he is the sun god himself, right. But despite his name, he's not really a trickster or anything like that, Doflamingo would easily outclass him.

Also a moment of appreciation for cute blushy Luffy :D last time we saw his blushy cheeks from the cold was in Punk Hazard!

Sunny spotted! It looks like a toy when Giants are carrying it, haha. Like a cool boat toy for kids. I can't with Zoro, always trying to cut up their problems, lol. Glad Usopp is the brain of the group.

I bet the Giants actually want to catch up to Strawhats to get them to safety, not to kidnap them again lol. Well, maybe except Rodo, he might want some payback 😂 though would he openly oppose Hajrudin, even if he refused to work under Strawhats? I'm not sure Rodo has it in him tbh, now that it's been exposed that he kept them hostage, lol. I wonder if he's now in trouble or what haha. Or maybe he lied and said he wanted to deliver them to the feast once they wake up but they escaped him instead lol.

Random appreciation for Usopp the brave warrior getting over his fear of heights thanks to his fear of being chased by their captor :D

Appreciation for their cute little song :D

I wonder what's that all about? Sun stone? I guess I will have to wait for Japanese youtubers to address this, they might have something interesting to share.

I like how Hajrudin is still full of gratitude towards the Strawhats! Even preparing a feast for them. I have a feeling Giants really like to drink and have feasts all the time XD

Woah, what a fun snake-like creature there in the sea!

Brook is cute with how anxious he is. I'm glad that finally he's around new people who are laughing at his skull jokes, because Strawhats are so used to it already that they just ignore Brook by now, heh.

Bonney's excitement :D Franky is suddenly becoming very nostalgic, no wonder, he met Robin at Water 7, his home, and they had that "adventure" at Enies Lobby together. (he really looks great in those clothes btw. Some people speculate his cowboy hat actually belongs to Robin and she borrowed it to him, I actually love that idea!)

Yet another triple dot of doom, this time coming from Robin hmmm.

She looks cute indeed. Oda really highlighted this scene though, hm. her blush is adorable :D

And another triple dot of doom. Third one already this chapter, and two from Robin alone. I wonder, is it time for callback to Water 7 finally? They even mentioned the events of that arc in this chapter, it feels like a build-up honestly. Are we finally getting the payoff from that arc?? Is it finally the time to share my Robin conspiracy theory with the world?! (yes, I do have one. I have it ever since I reread Water 7 for the third time. There are loose ends there and I think I know where Robin's story is going towards from now on. Hence why I'm so hmmmm over all those triple dots bubbles lol)

Hm, TCB translated this as "he fell and can't get up" while other translation went with "he fell and he's not moving". Honestly the second one sounds waaay more dramatic. I mean, he might be just drunk, we saw Saul drinking while he was listening to Vegapunk's broadcast. But that would make this cliffhanger really lame, ngl XD

But IT IS very curious that we get this cliffhanger teaser here just before Robin and Saul can finally reunite, right?? I kinda want it to lead to some serious development, not a gag.

Time to share the results of the previous survey! Technically, everything listed up there can *still* happen in the future, so I will keep it in mind to return to those results later as far, just to see how correct we all were, for the laughs and potential self-satisfaction gloating moment!

But as for this chapter alone, the second option seems to be the winner. "It's not Luffy's business" lol. So far in my surveys only the minority choices win and we all thought we know Luffy so well already! Hey, I was also completely off, I really thought Luffy would attempt to free Loki immediately :D

This break was way too long, I already need the next chapter please, it was hardly enough!

[backjustforberena]

Rhaenys took one of their first flights to Storm's End after becoming somewhat experienced. 🤍

Aw, that's so cute! Yes, absolutely!

We know that she was flying on progress and flew to the Shield Islands three years after claiming Meleys, which is a far longer journey (they're a similar distance to the South but Storm's End is on the east coast of Westeros, and the Shield Islands are on the west) - so I would say it's almost a guarantee that Storm's End would make a natural evolutionary step in travelling long distances. It's quite similar, I think, to flying to Dragonstone.

I imagine Rhaenys, especially in the younger years, and especially when new to her bond, would love to test the limit. You don't get to be the sort of flier that we have in the show without pushing those boundaries, trying things out and working at it. It brings to mind:

During his nine voyages on the Sea Snake, he was forever wanting to press onward, to go where none had gone before and see what lay beyond the maps. Though he had accomplished much and more in life, he was seldom satisfied, the men who knew him best would say. In Rhaenys Targaryen, daughter of the Old King’s eldest son and heir, he had found his perfect match, a woman as spirited and beautiful and proud as any in the realm, and a dragonrider as well.

If Rhaenys is his "perfect match" then the lines regarding Corlys's ambition could well be attributed to her and that, then, could be applied to her dragon-riding. She was also an outlier at this point: her father, aunt and uncle all were married or knighted and in their mid-teens before claiming a dragon. Rhaenys did so at thirteen: without accolade or marriage. The only one who had claimed a dragon younger than her was Aerea, by just a year.

I like to imagine that, if Corlys took to seafaring and his house's traditions in the way no Velaryon had before, Rhaenys was similar to dragon-riding. I like to think of them like that: yin and yang, equally partnered. Especially in the show versions we have of them.

“Storm’s End will stand with us,” Princess Rhaenys said. She herself was of that blood on her mother’s side, and the late Lord Boremund had always been the staunchest of friends.

We don't quite have a full understanding of how close Rhaenys was to her Baratheon kin, over time, and it's a headcanon of mine that Jocelyn stayed more in the Crownlands (including Driftmark) after Aemon's death, considering Borros claims to not know her. Jocelyn's life was there: she'd been fostered in the Red Keep, her half-siblings and in-laws were there and, of course, her daughter and grandchildren. So I don't think we'll ever get to a position where Jocelyn lived at Storm's End. I don't think we'd ever have it so that Storm's End was a frequent flight she made.

But during the happy years? I can well imagine Rhaenys visiting her uncle - you could read their relationship as fairly close, considering how wholeheartedly supported her and how angered he was when she was passed over. And your suggestion? I'm taking that. I imagine the weather wouldn't be daunting to her either. She'd brave the elements and also somehow come out of it looking nothing like a drowned rat or scruffy. I like to think it's impossible for Rhaenys to look scruffy, even after being on dragonback for days, you'd NEVER call her scruffy.

I suppose we'd question whether she'd ever go there to stay - that I can well imagine would not be the case, considering she's an unmarried, young girl as well as Princess. Her duties and her virtue and her instructions would be to stay where her parents are, or where the court is.

[xthescarletbitch]

Hello, hello! I'm here to ask a very important question:

What do you think Aloy would be like as a romantic partner? As a wife? My personal headcanons are that she'd be:

-super caring and kind

-would be genuinely curious about your interests and would love talking with you about any and everything

-shes pretty blunt and sarcastic but I feel like it'd be pretty endearing. Like she'd sass anyone who was giving you trouble or just being a nuisance to general

-compassionate and sympathetic. Would definitely hold you and listen intently if you had a bad day

That's all I got so far (I'm still gonna write that college au fic, so this was a great writing exercise, lol).

that is a very important question… one i’ve been thinking a lot about, actually. i love what you put, and i am in agreement! i’ll also be looking forward to that au. i need more aloy fics. 👀

here are just a few that i’ve thought up while playing. i hope you enjoy! 🥰

✦ aloy loves to give gifts: she knows it isn’t easy for you to sit idly by while she’s out there saving the world, so she wants you to know that you’re not out of her mind completely. she’ll stumble upon something beautiful enough that reminds her so much of you, to the point where she has to grab it and tuck it away to bring it to you later. occasionally, it’ll be an old-world item that she thinks you’ll get a kick out of. i also do not think she’s opposed to just gifting you old-world jewellery like an old-world custom. whatever it is, she finds joy in the smile that comes across your face each time she returns to you with her arms full (the joy also applies when she’s empty-handed, of course… you just missed her).

✦ aloy loves to plan dates: now, this was an idea i had after securing poseidon, but i think she would love to take you out on dates after she’s ensured the location was safe first. the date may be anything from watching the stars on a secluded mountaintop (around base, for example) to a romantic walk through a settlement to the spectacular light show in las vegas—it doesn’t matter. she just wants to be close to you and enjoy that quality time with you before she has to continue on her journey. since she sees so much more than you, i feel that her ability to plan dates is top-tier. she knows all the best sights (and how to secure them if needed).

✦ aloy is big on physical affection: poor baby is always out there risking her life for the world and craves the feeling of her love embracing her. whenever she is finally around you, she never wants to let go or be let go. she makes sure to plan her time around the many hours of cuddling she’ll need before returning to the wilds. it’s a time of catching up on all the physical affection she’s missed while she’s been gone that she knows you’ve been craving, too. she also loves to give and receive as many kisses as possible while there. the others may joke around, acting disgusted, but she doesn’t care. she’s earned it.

✦ aloy loves to give and receive praise: you’re absolutely the first person she’d call on the focus once she accomplishes something. she does it to keep you in the loop and to hear just how excited and happy you are for her. the way you praise her makes her feel so warm and loved. sure, appreciation from others is nice, but it’s so different coming from you. it feels so much more meaningful than you could ever imagine. something as simple as a “i knew you could do it” motivates her to keep going. it’s not an easy journey she’s on and your support is everything. on the other hand, she’ll also dish out the praise right back. if you’ve made moves at the base that has furthered progress, aloy will be so happy for you and ensure that you know just how proud she is of you. while it is a team effort, she is just highly supportive of you and all that you do!

✦ aloy would be protective over you: you’ve fared pretty well in the wilds and have proven that you can defend yourself, but aloy would prefer that you stay safely at the base. she knows that the west is a whole new world with even tougher machines and would sleep much better on her travels knowing that you were somewhere secure (like the base). she also likes knowing she can “go home” to you whenever she wants. sometimes, she’ll walk or ride the extra mile just to be with you for the night. she’s also protective in the sense that if anybody messes with you, she will say something. this is where i’d agree with your sass because those hands are absolutely going on her hips as she handles the situation for you. that’s not to say that she thinks you can’t handle yourself, but nobody messes with her love. even if it’s somebody else close to her, like erend or varl, she’s taking your side 100%. after the conversation, she’ll pull you close and kiss your forehead to ensure you’re okay before continuing with other matters.

✦ aloy would call you every night: this girl cannot fall asleep without talking to you. if there are times when she can’t get back to the base and has to shelter elsewhere, she has to call you to make sure you and everything else is okay. not only that, but it’s an excuse to hear your voice again. it brings her a lot of comfort to get even a little interaction with you. it would become a sort of ritual where you both would talk every night before sleep, telling each other about your day until you fall asleep (still on the call). it makes her feel closer to you, even miles away. it also makes the whole distance thing feel more manageable to deal with. there are nights where you just stay up talking to each other about random things and pretending you are right there next to each other, but you both know you’ll see each other in person again soon… it just can’t come fast enough.

[acupofqueercoffee]

“Make me proud”

Requests by @anonymous

Not sure if requests are open but I may have a fun one! 🤍 How about a Lesso/Reader where the reader gets placed into the school of evil, thinking and trying to convince everyone she's actually evil. But she's more of a "wholesome" evil. Not wanting to like... take over the world but more of a "hey... just curious... what's your favourite flower?" *the next day a person finds their favourite flower in a bouquet on their desk* kind of evil. Like "evil but the motive is you're happy". Technically very manipulative which is probably what ended her up in the school!

Umm you're literally sooo talented, I was just reading a Lady Lesso fic I'm crying you write angst so well 😭 I loveee angst. Would you be willing to write someday for a Never reader whose parents were Evers so they're like kinda abusive? (you don't have to go in detail since the reader is in school anyway). So maybe there's holidays and the reader doesn't want to go home or something like that and Lady Lesso comes to the rescue. Ofc it would be platonic. 💕 If you can't write it I completely understand btw! I looove your work!

i hope you guys don’t mind that i combined your requests. i just thought they would go well together. i honestly couldn’t get into detail for the first prompt. i hope you’ll still find it satisfactory! my god, seriously, genuinely thank you so much for all the compliments 🥹🫶🏻 i’m literally all over the moon 💕

────────────────────

Evermore. A family famed not only for having the quintessential traits of an ever, but also for always being enrolled into the school for good.

They have been upholding this tradition for generations upon generations. In the course of history, never have there been a case of an Evermore becoming a never.

Well, at least, not until you, the only Evermore child of your parents, find yourself drenched like a rat and floating in the moat, the hauntingly dark castle of the school for evil standing before your very eyes. The black water surrounding you splashes and ripples as more and more students keep plummeting.

And just like that, you are absolutely royally fucked.

It has started out rough, your journey at the school for evil. Everyone has given you a weird look on the first day. Oh no, it certainly has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that you have been sticking out like a sore thumb amongst cool goths with your flamboyantly fancy gown. During the first assembly alone, you have caught the evil dean rather blatantly burning holes into you with her scalding gaze, nose wrinkled and brows furrowed as if repulsed by your very presence. If looks could kill, you would have definitely perished right then and there.

It does not take you, a goody two shoes as your peers like to tease you, long to prove yourself.

Although it has not been ideal for a confetti bomb to be an evil student’s choice of weapon, it has splendidly done its job of distracting your opponent. That little distraction has been all you need to catch them off guard, avoiding their impending attack by sliding through the gap between their legs, and from behind, striking the back of their head with the heavy hilt of your sword. In the twinkling of an eye, they fall to the floor unconscious.

And that is that. The end.

You do not want to be presumptuous but you swear you have seen your dean’s lips curving into the faintest hint of a smile. As your eyes trail further down, you catch her fingers tapping against the back of her hand, that is maintaining a firm grip on her cane, almost as if she is clapping for you in the most subtle of ways.

As far as you are aware, the last time your eyes have wandered off to the direction of the dean just before your confetti bomb explodes, she has been looking positively stressed, fingers on her forehead as she shakes her head disapprovingly. The knowledge that you must have made your hardly sway-able dean proud makes you tremendously proud and all gleeful.

Your little triumph has left you surrounded by your fellows the rest of the day. The next day, a girl in your classroom has miraculously found a big bouquet of flowers on her desk. You are just minding your own business when she comes up to you, asking if you want to hang out with her that afternoon. You have agreed, and just like that, you have gained a new never friend.

Adjusting into your new life has been relatively easy for you. You have even done a good job at it. To be unreservedly frank, from the very beginning, you do not mind being sorted into the school for evil. You have always found yourself never fully fitting in with your family, but, since your parents have always appeared so jolly reminiscing about good old days at their alma mater, and subsequently, stubbornly convinced that you will be following their steps, you have thought it best to keep quiet, not wanting to disappoint, or argue with them for that matter.

Honestly, you have never really quite understood why your family is so obsessed with upholding the tradition of always being evers, but you have believed, you have foolishly, naively believed that your parents will understand, that they will, for once, hear you out, that they will accept you for being who you are, ever or never, because at the end of the day, you are still their flesh and blood. Their only child.

“You are a disgrace to the Evermore family.”

Those words have come out of the very mouth of your own mother who has once called you her sweet little sunshine. You have been immediately declared the black sheep of the Evermore family just because you become a never, and the reality that you are but a mere pawn even to your own parents gives you the blues. It has been a bitter pill to swallow. For a while, the sadness follows you around like a shadow, but surprisingly, quicker than you can imagine, you have found tranquility in the darkness, and by the end of the week, all you see when you think back on the incident is red, a bright, burning red.

In the wee hours of the night, the school is hauntingly quiet, but today especially more so, bar the swooshes and whooshes of the arrows being released from your bow, for many have returned home for the Christmas holidays. The moon is in her prime, high on the sky. Courtesy of her soft ethereal glow, you are made aware of the presence of another, as a new shadow is casted on the ground.

“Hello, Lady Lesso.” You greet without turning, releasing another arrow that, yet again, embeds itself in the bullseye.

“Evermore.” When you turn and smile at her, she acknowledges. “You’ve been at it for hours.”

“Have you been stalking me professor?” You challenge, wiping the sweat off your forehead with the back of your hand.

To your surprise, she hands you a towel that seems to have appeared out of nowhere, but after a second thought, you conclude that she must have brought it with her.

“I was simply keeping an eye on you.” The dean points around with her cane as if to emphasise her point. “It’s an ungodly hour to be practising archery.”

After a moment, she asks. “What’s bothering you?”

You sit on the grass, lies down. The stars look awfully pretty tonight.

“I couldn’t sleep.”

“Hmm.” With a hum, she approaches you, once again surprising you by sitting down beside you. “I see that you’ve stayed behind for Christmas.”

“Yes, well, let’s just say I’m in a bit of a sticky situation.”

“Do you want to talk?”

At this, you look at her, and find that her eyes have never left your face.

“Will you listen, Lady Lesso?”

“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want to listen, would I?”

A smile forms on your lips while a sigh escapes your lips.

“My family, that’s what’s bothering me. Scared as I was, I was also hopeful at first that perhaps they would understand. But then, I was devastated and sad when they rejected me instead of encouraging me for finally embracing my true self.” Unable to hold her gaze any longer, you aim yours back at the sky. “Now though, all I feel is anger and,…and bitter resentment. Frankly professor, I don’t think I want to do anything with them anymore. It was not me but them who shunned their own flesh and blood. I don’t want to go back to a family that can’t even accept me for who I am.”

Once you are done talking, it feels as if a weight has been lifted off your shoulders.

“You are not wrong, Evermore. I do however want you to know that you can always talk to me should you need anything. I may be evil but I’m still a teacher. I care.” Your dean’s words of encouragement have been like a soothing balm on your strained soul.

Even though you like to believe that you are not hurting anymore, when all is said and done, it, of course, is not entirely true. You have been your parents’ little sunshine after all. It baffles and wounds you all the more just how easily they can become indifferent to you. It is as if everything they have said and done, all the things that the three of you have been through together after all this time means as much as rubbish to them.

Without your parents in your life, some things can, and will never be the same again.

Which is why your dean’s words truly, truly mean a lot. You can feel that they come from deep within, uttered with sincerity.

“You don’t have to prove anything to anyone, but can you promise me one thing, Evermore?”

You gaze follows her as she moves to stand, cane returning back to its rightful place by her side.

“Make me proud.” She says, thrusting a hand out for you to take. There is a smile on her lips, a warm, easily discernible smile, and witnessing it makes your lips stretch into a bright, beam.

“I will.” Your hand slips into the dean’s. She holds it tight, helps you onto your feet. “I promise.”

“You know Lady Lesso, you’re surprisingly very kind and considerate for someone so evil.” You remark while gathering your things, uttered without even noticing yourself.

So, by the time her cane lands on your buttocks, it has caught you off-guard. Jolted into puzzlement, you stare at her, wide-eyed. “Say that again and I’ll chop your tongue off.”

“Yes ma’am!” You make a show of zipping and locking your mouth before dramatically throwing the imaginary key into the pond.

Although the dean has shaken her head at your silliness, she has smiled at it all the same.

“Come.” And go, you do, like a lost puppy being guided into safety. “I’ll make you a cup of hot cocoa. It’s Christmas after all.”

You may have decided to spend your Christmas away from your own flesh and blood, a family of evers, who cannot even appreciate you for who you are, but your Christmas has never been warmer, spent under the wing of a practical stranger, your wickedly evil never professor who cares infinitely more about you than your ever parents ever can.

────────────────────

[thevulturesquadron]

Ok so this is me sorta headcanoning, so take this with a grain of salt, but one of the reasons why the infantilization of Rogue always bothers me is because I always felt like her powers were a metaphor for disability/chronic illness and fandom police act already like disabled women aren't capable of being in their own villain romances, example being Entrapdak antis denying Entrapta her own agency in her romance with Hordak in the She-Ra reboot.

Oh! But you make a really good point! It’s one of those subtle perspectives that can be dangerous just because of how easy they are to integrate into someone's view of the world. I'm not as vocal online as I used to be. I feel like there are people out there far better equipped to talk about it than I, while I grow old and cranky. But, you brought up a really important aspect that kinda sent me into a 'hold my beer' moment so apologies for the long answer! To start with, I wouldn’t call this a headcanon, not at all, clearly not in the context of X-men, and Rogue in particular. It’s a very apt analogy. The reason why these characters become relevant to us is because we recognize something from our personal journey in them, and the comparison you made for Rogue is a very strong one. Her inability to touch can absolutely be read as a disability! In so many of her stories/arcs it is often portrayed as a struggle, as an obstacle to a ‘normal life��. Her difficulties with gaining control over her powers and dealing with other personalities that are trying to take over her mind can also be a strong metaphor for mental health struggles/disorders. Rogue is a fantastic hero in that regard and seeing her be her own person, learning how to work and be proud of what she can do, can feel like a personal victory for so many people. It’s why it’s important to see her happy, to see her winning her battles and use who she is and what she can do in a positive and impactful way. There are many reasons why fans end up taking away her agency or attributing her choices to a different (often male) character. And, to be fair, a couple of comic-book writers have done this exact thing to her, so I can see where this skewed perspective might be coming from. Within fandom this happens mostly because it serves to support their arguments for whatever thing they prefer or project onto the character. If they don’t like a certain narrative or can’t accept that it might’ve be written for someone else, they have this to fall back on and point to. Or, sadly, one of the simplest reasons for doing this is the age-old turning their ship preferences into ‘I’m right, you are wrong’ arguments. But these things can hide some internalized misconceptions. Unfortunately I haven’t seen the reboot of She-Ra (shame on me) so I don’t have the full picture for the take on Entrapta, but now I have one more reason to invest some time in it. In this situation with Rogue, I believe that what you mentioned applies very well. The argument that I’ve seen going around a lot is that Rogue was manipulated/swayed by being presented with the opportunity to ‘be normal’. Because she wanted to be able to touch and as a result she was taken advantage of because of her ‘disability’. Which is entirely false. In no version of the relationship between Rogue and Magneto in the comics, and not even in the reinvented take in the animation, has he ever abused that. Her attraction to him has always, always, come first, and the ability to touch, second. He was never the first one to act upon it. Even in the animation, every shot in the flashback was carefully considered to portray that - she is shown as the initiator every time (my favourite scene is when she’s trying her very best to pose in a suggestive way and he just paints her as he sees her, lively and sincere). But some fans don’t want to see that. They don’t want to acknowledge the authenticity of her decisions because it doesn’t serve the narrative they want of her/for her.

I read your message and it hit like a hammer how much deeper this problem can actually go, because it’s masked by those surface-level justifications. Removing agency and responsibility from someone just because they operate differently than one’s expectations is damaging in and of itself, and within a fandom it perpetuates an idea that can stifle people’s perspective and critical thinking. (This whole topic actually reminded me of Madison Tevlin's “Assume that I can” commercial. I think it's relevant to the conversation) Thanks a lot for sharing this!!! We need to talk more about these things and if I misspoke on something or missed something important would love to hear it. 💜

[lisannastraussisanangel]

Top 10 characters you could give a 2 hour presentation on with little to no preparation?

Ooo bet

1. Jellal- He's been through so much and I could talk about his journey into the light and learning to love himself and let others love him for hours. My man deserves the childhood he never got to have.

2. Laxus- This man invented character development. He's come so far emotionally and is everything Fairy Tail stands for. The fact that he thinks of himself as weak and not worthy of his friends breaks my heart

3. Juvia- She has spent her entire life fighting for her happiness and finally has it and I get so gushy about it. Also I firmly believe that hides her strength in Fairy Tail because it reminds her of having to be 'tough' in Phantom Lord and that she's tired of fighting

4. Cana- Her learning that her value doesn't come from physical strength and that she can depend on others is so underrated. My girl had some Laxus level issues but didn't make a big scene about it so no one talks about it

5. Loke- The fact that this man lost all his personality and turned into just a slutty dude is so irritating. He cares so deeply for his friends and is willing to lay his life down for them and its so overlooked (don't even get me started on the trauma from his backstory)

6. Ultear- She was done so dirty. The fact that she was raised up to be a monster, never felt loved, but grew to love one child so deeply that she turned her entire life around for her. And then she 'died' thinking she hadn't changed at all and was still a monster. God I love her

7. Lisanna- The fact that she gets brought back and then thrown to the side drives me insane. She's got that mischievous, heart of gold personality and I'd kill to see her have her own arc or character dev. Also let my girl be a badass. Her magic is so cool

8. Freed- I wanna study him like a bug. He has this strong moral code and insane loyalty that is so interesting. He truly believed he was alone in the beginning of the series so watching him learn just how many friends he has and start to open up is so cute

9. Mirajane- I'm such a sucker for the asshole character that learns kindness because of something horrible that happens to them. Plus her power is so cool and badass

10. Gajeel- This man going from being cruel and heartless to being the first to start a family makes me so soft. He's found his happiness and I'm so proud of him

[muthaz-rapapa]

Otona Precure '23: The Sequel We ACTUALLY Deserve

Let's not mince words.

Otona Precure wasn't just fantastic, it puts every reboot or sequel of an established series to shame.

Because yea, it's primarily aimed at an older audience alright but the issues and the themes discussed in the story are relatable and relevant to everyone's interests, regardless of age.

That reality is much harsher than we think it is, more than we can comprehend. That the world will never be perfect like we want it to be.

But also that, because we're on this planet right now at this very moment, we can't just sit around and resign ourselves to not do anything as situations continue to worsen.

Pollution, climate change, toxic society, war.

The show did not shy away from addressing these topics but what's even more notable is it pointing out that people, humans, are the source of them all.

And I appreciate the honesty of that statement because yes, frankly, we are the problem.

People are selfish. We indulge too much in ourselves, our own egos, that we are blinded to the welfare of others. We are also lazy and discriminating and even those who say we'd like things to be better often give up too easily because searching for a solution is too hard and daunting.

Mankind is the shittiest species to walk upon this earth and no one's gonna argue on that.

But does that make everyone inherently bad though?

No, of course not.

We're flawed beings but we're also capable of learning. We're capable of understanding and compassion. There are many among us who do try our best to make this world a kinder and more beautiful place to live in.

But as the finale shows, it cannot only be these few people (like Precure) to do all the hauling and pushing. Everybody has to pitch in. Everybody has to contribute for a better world to be possible.

And that doesn't mean tackling a conflict that's a lot bigger than you can handle. That doesn't mean you have to go at it all alone.

It means that you have to change the way you are, change the way you do things to get the ball rolling. Only by changing yourself first that you can begin to change your surroundings, not the other way around.

It's only through the collective effort of everyone wanting to change for the better that we can protect what we love and create the future that we envision.

Precure is meant to inspire that will to act which is best exemplified in Nozomi. Cure Dream, the Precure of Hope.

Nozomi stands out among the many lead Cures we've had over the years in the quality of leadership she displays as the head of her own team.

She is not the brightest nor sharpest person in any group but damn, does that girl woman never give up.

Not even when she pushes herself to the brink that she falls unconscious from fatigue several times did she ever consider the thought of giving up.

And that's exactly what makes her such a strong and effective leader.

It's not because she's been put into that position so she's only functioning as one.

It's because she inspires everyone around her to become the leaders of their own lives which would then repeatedly bring about the butterfly effect in people beyond their own circle.

Additionally, we must applaud at how well the themes of adulthood and personal struggle have been explored. Look at the girls! Look at how much they've grown, how much they've progressed from the time they were still just middle schoolers dreaming of what they want to be in the future.

(GODDAMNIT, MILK BECAME THE PRIME MINISTER OF HER HOME COUNTRY, I'M STILL NOT OVER THAT AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!)

They've accomplished so much and you can't help but be incredibly proud of how far they've come on their individual journeys.

But now that they're adults, they also realize just how difficult it is to keep the optimism they had when they were kids. Things don't always go the way you want them to. Real life is stressful and exhausting and the accumulation of all those negative feelings of helplessness is enough to send anyone into depression.

As an adult, you're constantly asking yourself "is it really worth it?" because you don't want to betray the hopes you had as a child but sometimes, it's just too hard that all you want to do is give up.

...and that's okay if you need to for a while.

Take a break, go talk to someone you can trust if you feel you've really hit rock bottom.

Find a secure, safe space to cry it all out if you have to.

It's okay to not be okay all the time.

Because that's pretty much what adulthood is.

Being an adult is not about doing everything but knowing you can't do everything and telling yourself that's okay. Because you're already doing everything you can. Your best is good enough.

It's good enough for one person. Nobody's asking you to save the world or become a magical girl to fight off monsters or resolve a major crisis with a miracle answer.

You just need to do your part of the whole in the best way you can. That's all.

And I believe Bell knows that as well.

She knows that just because today's worst was averted, it doesn't mean we're out of the doom radar yet. Because she's right. Humans still can't be trusted as proven by that after-credits scene. There are still plenty of jerks out there who don't give a damn about how much harm they're adding to the world.

But she also knows that as long as there is someone like Precure to do their part, to yell at those jerks to pick up their trash, then maybe, maybe, not all hope is lost just yet.

And so she leaves with the words "I'll be waiting for you in the future", hoping that what the Cures have taught her to believe won't betray her when that time comes.

That said, for us longtime fans of the series, Otona Precure is also a love letter.

A project of appreciation to us for the past 20 years of love and support we've given this franchise.

And I'd say we got what we wanted because before the announcement of this spin-off, I didn't think Toei would ever care to redeem Yes! 5 Precure on how badly it performed during its two seasons run.

Yet here we are and even 100 times better than the original.

They cut out all the fillers which was the primary flaw of those two seasons and focused entirely on the characters. The girls and the expansion of their story arcs. The stuff we actually want to see.

Moreover, the writers did a very great job of showing how everyone has matured. For example, Rin and Karen outgrew their bickering and even the uncalled for vitriol that Kurumi always directed at Nozomi is nowhere to be found.

Seriously! I laughed so hard when Kurumi switched the target of her criticism from Nozomi to Coco. I don't think we've ever seen her this concerned and sympathetic towards Nozomi to the point that she didn't even hesitate to yell at her superior to "cut it with your responsibilities crap and go comfort your lonely girlfriend, you idiot king!"

🤣🤣🤣🤣

Everyone is just incredibly supportive of each other and that's so heartwarming.

I also personally loved how they dealt with Komachi's episode, which introduced a sort of sub-theme of one's love for their hometown.

Komachi has always aspired to become a writer and it would've been fine to go down the route of getting her out of her slump.

But having Komachi put in effort for her community, learn about the history of her town, and becoming determined to defend it after her strengthened appreciation fit with the overarching theme and her personality so much better.

The inclusion of Splash Star into this story was awesome, too.

If I can be honest, I don't think Saki and Mai would've done as well as Otona Precure if they had 12 episodes only to themselves (including Michiru and Kaoru, btw). So by giving them a fair amount of screentime next to the Yes!5 girls, the show just felt more complete with their conclusions.

They're still chasing their respective dreams, had their relationship troubles (and Saki got engaged to her boyfriend/fiance who seems like a very good guy judging by how he's supportive of her going to Luxembourg, ugh so happy for her!) and career doubts but are still as close as ever which allowed them to pull through in the end.

Wonderful.

Finally, let's all agree that no anniversary season is complete unless proper spotlight is given to the dai-senpai Precure, FutariWa.

Maybe that's why 10th anniversary was such a dud?

They didn't get as much screentime as they did during the 15th anniversary (which included two episodes in Hugtto and sharing the main lead role with Hana/Cure Yell in the All Stars movie) but they still made a grand entrance in the penultimate ep of Otona Precure and kicked absolute ass in the finale and that's really all that matters.

So good job, Toei!

And ok, finally finally, NozoCoco officially got 💖MARRIED💖

Romance is not a vital aspect of Precure nor does it ever have to be because focusing on friendship and teamwork is still the most important aspect when it comes to this series...

But only a stupid numbskull would say Coco is unnecessary to Nozomi's happiness because he's the biggest reason she was able to become who she is today. The fact that she even tells him, right after she woke up from her coma, that she needs him to truly be happy is a proof of how irreplaceable he is to her.

She doesn't ask him to be with her because she needs a man. She wants him to marry her because he brings out the best in her. Because he is the one person who can understand her better than anyone else can and the one person whom she wants to share the rest of her life with.

Remember that Nozomi was inspired by Coco. She became Precure, became Cure Dream, because she met him. She aspired to become a teacher because of him. The butterfly effect for her began with him.

For them to overcome all these obstacles to their relationship and promise to be there for one another, through all the good and bad...it's the fulfillment of a dream they both deserve.

And the perfect ending to Yes! 5 Precure.

So congratulations to Yes!5 and Splash Star on an amazing sequel.

Congratulations to Precure for these precious 20 years you've given us.

Here's hoping to more successful years ahead.

See you in the new year!