#everyone else in my life who knows about this situation thinks she is unfair to me

[morphean42]

Rewatching Falsettos I was suddenly struck by an epiphany that I’m sure someone else has had at some point, but I needed to write out. This ending scene from “March of the Falsettos” jumped out at me from the first watching, but even though I recognised the nod to the “See no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil (and lesser known do no evil)”, I didn’t know what it meant. Today, I tried to piece it together, and I think I’ve gotten it. These poses represent core attributes of the characters, as well as Trina’s view of them, so click the read more to hear the ravings of a mad man wayyyyyy too obsessed with this show

The idea of ‘evil’ to me is very loose. It can represent a lot of things for these characters; their actions towards each other, their character flaws, etc. But, for this analysis, one can replace ‘evil’ with ‘truth’. Each of the characters refuses to see, speak, hear, or ‘do’ the truth (please excuse the lack of grammar for that last one), and that is where the ‘evil’ stems from. Taking into account this is mostly based on Trina’s view of the men, I think ‘truth’ fits in well.

Let’s start with the one who fits in least— Jason. “March of the Falsettos” is a physical manifestation of how Trina views the men in her life (as childish and immature), but some slack is given to her son. He doesn’t sing his lines in falsetto, because we acknowledge he is in fact a child, and has more of an excuse to act as such. So, take his analysis with a grain of salt. The boy has every right to be a little selfish— he’s 10.

So, Jason has his hands over his eyes, representing ‘See No Evil’. This is a direct nod to his character flaw; his view of the world with him at the center. Although his parents are less than good to him, he still sees them through unfair lenses— ‘My mother’s no wife/My father’s no man’. He sings ‘everybody’s yelling and everybody’s ruining it’ in “Everyone Hates His Parents” because he is unhappy with how his Bar Mitzvah is turning out and wants to simply cancel it. He doesn’t have a concept of doing things for other people (again, he’s a child, I’m not blaming him per se), so he is blind to the will of others and refuses to see their side. In addition to this, even when Mendel tells him Whizzer will most likely die, Jason pleads with G-d to save him. He still views himself as the center of his world, thus Mendel’s line ‘Life’s not all about him’.

In addition to this, his ‘See No Evil’ means something when thought about from Trina’s perspective. She thinks her son is blind to the truth of the world, this son who stays inside playing chess alone, this son who ‘seems like an idiot to [Trina]’. She worries Jason will turn out like these other men in her world, blind to everyone but himself.

Now we come to Mendel, who has his hand over his mouth in ‘Speak No Evil’. Mendel’s flaw throughout the show is his refusal to accept the truth of any situation. He tells Jason to ‘feel alright for the rest of your life’ instead of actually trying to help, he is ‘frightened of questions’, he repeats over and over ‘I’ll make you well’ to Whizzer in the hospital. He will never say anything negative, nor will he allow others to do so. Even in the end of the show, he tells Jason they don’t know ‘when or if’ Whizzer will get better— he is still not accepting that it’s a definite thing. He believes that if he and those around him just don’t speak about the real problems, they’ll go away.

Trina’s view on Mendel is complicated here. In the next song she agrees to marry him, of course, and we know she at least likes him (the most of all three adults she knows). She says that Mendel ‘decides the role to assume’. She looks down on the fact that he can’t speak the truth to her, that he’s expecting this happy wife, this perfect new family. He wants her to play along with him and make their home together, even if she sings ‘liking our lives’ instead of loving. Even if he’s better than Marvin ever was, there’s still an element of control here. Mendel wants this family, and he wants them to all pretend nothing is ever wrong again.

Marvin, our titular character, is in the ‘Hear No Evil’ position. This one is fairly straight forward— he wants control and will never listen to the needs of those around him. He can’t hear what they actually need, he simply does what he wants. He also struggles with his masculinity throughout Act 1, his outward misogyny and need for the nuclear family (his treatment of Trina and Whizzer), so he imagines himself at the top of his family system. He will never take any other opinions, or counsel, in his decisions, seeing that as weakness. He’s similar to Jason in this regard, as he only hears what he wants to (like Jason only sees what he wants). He ignores the pain around him to pursue his own desires, he covers his ears and moves on.

Trina, of course, despises Marvin at this point in the show. Her subconscious showing Marvin in ‘Hear No Evil’ can tell us a lot about their relationship, how she was never seen as equal in decisions. Marvin always put her to the side, not listening to her needs, acting without thinking of her.

Whizzer is complicated. I’ve seen people laugh at his pose before, saying we’ve got ‘See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil, and Gay’, but I think he represents the ‘Do No Evil’. This final character is not often seen with the other three, and can be depicted with arms over the chest or covering the genitals. It wouldn’t make sense to have Whizzer be the outlier (especially because the fourth depiction of evil does exist), so I’m assuming he is supposed to be ‘Do No Evil’.

This fits in well with Whizzer’s flaws throughout the show. He doesn’t accept responsibility for his relationship with Marvin; seen in the lines ‘I’m not responsible’ during “Late For Dinner” or ‘I will not accept blame’ in “Games I Play”. He sleeps around, despite Marvin wanting monogamy, and clearly did not have an issue hooking up with a married man. Whizzer fundamentally doesn’t think his actions have consequences, he believes he has done nothing wrong (he has done no evil). Whizzer also has a hard time admitting to his love for Marvin. He says it ‘depends on the day’, he flat out says ‘no’ when asked if he loves him. He doesn’t want to show his love for fear of being too vulnerable, so he hides and doesn’t do anything about it.

To take this even further, him being ‘Do No Evil’ can represent his later question of ‘why me of all men’ when he is dying. He hasn’t done anything to deserve his death, and ‘all men get what they deserve’, right?

Moving on to how Trina sees Whizzer. He’s come into her life and ruined her marriage, though she ‘wants to hate him’ she can’t. She views him as the cause of her recent hardships, his actions being to blame. He is ‘Do No Evil’ to her because he has done evil in taking Marvin away (though it is obvious Trina is better off because of it). He has upset the careful balance of her world by breaking down the lies of her marriage and exposing the truth— Marvin never loved her, could never love her. She puts him in ‘Do No Evil’ because what he has done is what the rest of the men won’t— see, hear, speak the truth even at the detriment of her family.

Another way to view this is, of course, the fact that ‘Do No Evil’ is rarely seen with the others. Trina is separating Whizzer from the other men, not putting him in the same category as the rest of the ‘family’. He views himself as an outsider as well, yes he’s part of the group, but only as a technicality. Only as Marvin’s lover. Once he leaves Marvin, he is easily taken out of the equation and the remaining three do not feel the loss.

My conclusion is such: Each of the poses our men do represents the character flaw they must overcome throughout the show, as well as how Trina views them in her mind. I really hope this made any sort of sense, and if someone has already said all of this well… I guess it can’t hurt to be thorough.

I’m way too tired to read through this again so if there are spelling mistakes please print out this post, correct it in red pen, and send it to me by carrier pigeon.

[pippin-katz]

Random Satisfying & Clever Moments Of Audio From Dead Boy Detectives - Part 4

There's a few moments in DBD that utilize audio really well, or use sounds that always stick out to me while watching, and these are some of those moments!

This one is a bit of longer one, and might not make sense to everyone, but I'll do my best to explain it below!

Ep. 4 - The Case of the Lighthouse Leapers: The lack of music when Charles gets up after the trauma nightmare, then the addition of just The Wellerman song as he advances on the Night Nurse.

Using sound is very important, but so is the lack of sound. The lack of music or sound effects as Charles starts winding up the music sphere creates tension. After the overwhelming amount of stimuli in his trauma nightmare, the quiet is unsettling. It is the calm before the storm; that moment when everything is too still, too quiet, and you have a gut feeling that something is wrong.

Watching Charles wind the music sphere, speaking with such conviction, yet also composure, after everything she just put him through, it's unnerving. An explosion of blind rage would be expected, not the calculated way he twists the handle, walking and talking with full clarity and awareness of the situation.

The music sphere being wound up also coincides with Charles' emotions. The Night Nurse practically did exactly that to him by forcing him through all of that pain. Charles even acknowledges that she accomplished her goal: to make him crushed and devastated. But she didn't take into account his resilience, his strength; someone else would be helpless and sobbing on the ground after what she showed him, but Charles?

He knows how it felt. He was fucking there. He knows how much it hurt. He knows how unjust and unfair his life and death were. For the Night Nurse to play it for him like a slideshow presentation, as if he needs to be taught, pisses him the fuck off. Charles is furious that this woman has the audacity to walk into his nightmares and lecture him, as if she has any comprehension or understanding of what it was like to experience it.

I think it's part of why he mentions the memories specifically when he's about to kick her: "Those memories are not why I choose to stay here!"

Charles is fully aware of what he went through, and he's moved on, or is trying to at the very least. He does not want all the horrible things that happened to him while he was alive control and influence every decision he makes. He's not that sixteen-year-old boy trembling in a corner anymore; he does not have to bend in the face of danger and injustice. He can stand up for himself, for others, and he will because he wants to. It's not to make up for some "failure" from his life. It's who Charles wants to be.

SO! Back to the audio specifically, the use of The Wellerman song is obviously fitting since the sphere was used by sailors to "calm the seas", but also because there is something inherently haunting about that tune. It's right after he says that he's angry that he pulls the pin out; after trying so hard to hold back all his anger and pain, Charles is ready to let it loose.

The beats of the scene then follow the music. From the moment the song starts to the end of the first verse, the first "segment" of the fight happens. Charles speaks, she tries to reply, he hits her, and she reacts in that timespan. There are very faint bass notes underneath the song after he's hit her. They get louder as the song progresses, reintroducing the score of the show.

When Charles takes a second swing, it's at the start of the chorus of the song.

(The difference between verse and chorus is the starting note. Verses start low and get higher; choruses start high and stay high until the very end.)

During that chorus, Charles swings and hits her; he very nearly lines up his swings with the notes, but not quite. Then he speaks once she's backed against the wall. He lets go of the music sphere in the middle of the chorus, and completes his lines up to: "I still have a purpose!" as it ends. That's the second "segment" of the fight.

The second verse starts with him making his declaration and kicking her, and it plays out as the Night Nurse falls. The second half of the verse swells into a full score version of the song instead of just the sound of it coming from the sphere. It's the third and final "segment". Charles ends the confrontation, and once Angie disappears, the song fades out.

This sequence is such a good example of knowing when to cut the music, and how to gradually reintroduce it. It enhances the uneasiness you're meant to feel while watching Charles' anger slowly escalate. It's part of what makes the whole scene so effective.

part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4

(ko-fi)

[prince-liest]

was recently talking to a friend about qi rong which then lead to me going on a reread of my favorite qi rong fic EVER, and now I’m in my feels about him, his relationship with his family, and his relationship with xie lian and guzi.

I just love qi rong a lot. to be clear, he’s a horrible little gremlin and that is a lot of WHY I love him - but I also think that fundamentally qi rong is a character who is super traumatized but does not receive sympathy for that trauma because he is not traumatized in a “palatable” way which is a trend that starts when he is young and just never ends, canonically, at any point in his life

right from the bat: the first 5 years of his life, he's being physically and emotionally abused, he's cast out to live in a shed, his mom is forgotten by her family. by the time she finally escapes his abusive father and goes back to the palace, her elopement with him has been swept under the rug and most people don't actually know what happened - and are then weirded out by her and qi rong, causing all the children and even most adults around qi rong to basically refuse to interact with him. so he's abused and hated, then isolated to the point where nobody talks to him, nobody plays with him. the one time he thinks he succeeded at attempting to make some friends, it turns out that they tricked him into writing a death wish for himself and his mother on his lantern.

and all the while, he's watching xie lian and the adulation he receives, not understanding why xie lian gets those things and he does not. everyone always says he looks like xie lian. he’s even called xiao jing, like he’s a mirror of the crown prince. what’s the difference?

and then xie lian himself is the only person aside from his own mother to be genuinely kind to qi rong. qi rong is desperately lonely, envious and fixated on the cousin that nobody will stop comparing him to, and then said cousin is the only person to reach out to him with kindness. of course he wants to attach himself to xie lian and emulate him.

unfortunately for both of them, then his mother dies - not just randomly, but specifically in defense of xie lian’s mother, and having extracted a promise for xie lian’s parents to care for qi rong. however, things don’t actually change at that point. sure, they take him in and buy him whatever he wants, but as far as love and care are concerned, xie lian is really the only potential source of those things left for qi rong. xie lian is also a teenager with a lot of pressure on his shoulders and a lack of understanding of difficult situations. of course he doesn’t know how to raise his traumatized, misbehaving cousin! and nobody else bothers to. it’s deeply unfair for xie lian to be used as the singular tool to discipline and direct qi rong, and that directly contributes to their extremely soured relationship.

now that qi rong’s mother is dead, there is nobody left around that actually wants him or is willing to put effort into properly raising him. when a kid turns out as wild as qi rong - that's not just random happenstance, that happens because they weren't parented right (or at all). he acts out in increasingly insane ways for the attention everyone hates to give him - anyone's, but especially xie lian's, which sucks for xie lian because it should have been his parents providing qi rong with an authority figure and source of love, not xie lian's teenage self. and people respond by waving him off, giving him whatever he wants just to make him go away, and ignoring him, because he has a deeply off-putting personality.

and it causes everyone around qi rong to resent him in this vicious cycle that escalates his behavior because he doesn't know what else to do - until eventually even xie lian, the one person that he really looked up to, hates him too.

obviously qi rong is an awful person by the point we reach in canon, but I also think that if he had received regular hugs as a child and maybe some actual parenting from someone who didn’t beat him, instead of just being given a bunch of money and being told to fuck off

specifically because he was weird and traumatized and unlikeable

things would have turned out very different for him. because he very clearly tries - that’s one thing that’s very clear in the flashbacks and even continues to modern canon: qi rong really tries to get love and attention, and when that doesn’t work, he just escalates to “any attention, bad attention, attention that proves I’m worth something, proves wrong all the people saying the supposedly-amazing cousin that took away my only source of kindness when he started hating me, is so much better than me”. he starts out an awkward, off-putting kid and ends up the night-touring green lantern. of course he holds enough resentment to end up a calamity. his cannibalism shtick doesn’t even read as genuine to me, it just seems like he picked out “what’s the worst, most attention-grabbing thing I can possibly be to pre-emptively justify everyone’s disgust in me” and landed on that.

(see also: I think it’s hysterical that he has very strong opinions and abilities as pertains to gourmet cooking, and then just uses them to lure in victims so that he can have his meal of Raw Unseasoned Human Flesh. you can’t tell me he’s doing it for anything other than the bit at this point.)

and that’s also why I think his weirdly wholesome relationship with guzi also makes a lot of sense. qi rong is a shockingly decent father to him (eventually), probably in part because he overidentifies with guzi also being abused by his father, but also, because guzi is literally just a kid and therefore is not someone that yet has the capacity to have all these preconceptions about qi rong, nor for qi rong to read into his words and be insulted, because. that's just a kid. there’s nothing to read into.

I think his treatment of guzi (eventually) shows that he's capable of being at least kind of decent (or at least functional), he's just never been in a circumstance where his trauma and relationships let it happen. his material life was always supplied for, but his emotional and familial environment in xianle was invariably toxic for him.

anyway, I think qi rong needs a shower and a hug, in that order, and then to be forced to learn to interact with people who don't immediately assume the worst of him. thanks for coming to my TED talk, I know it was long as hell.

[broadwaycutie16]

Hey, I hope you don't mind me asking, but what is this whole Karma of Lies thing about? I often have some of your posts showing up on my dashboard about how people are not listening to you clarifying things about your story, but I avoided looking into the whole situation myself because I don't want to expose myself to so much (Adrien) salt which I know is at the initial root of all this (or at least, thats how it came across to me)

Would you explain for me what this situation is about? I'm always intrigued by this whole thing whenever I see another post from you, because of how wild reading about it all out for context is, but now curiosity finally got the best of me x3

So basically, KoL starts as your basic salt plot. Marinette’s being bullied by Lila, her friends are extorting her and accusing her of being unfair to Lila, Adrien’s just like “everything’s fine, Marinette” and telling her to just take all the crap from everyone.

Then Hawkmoth’s identity gets out, and Lila decides to cut her losses and get the hell out of there, but not without getting something out of the deal. She gets Adrien to send her money to her, and because Adrien is so trusting, he puts in the info for his family’s emergency bank account right where she can see it, not even thinking that Lila would try to screw him over. Spoiler alert: She does. She drains Adrien’s whole account of fifty million, leaving him without a cent in this catastrophic time in his life, and skips town by telling her mom a sob story. She also tricks the class into giving up their most expensive possessions, and then sells them to other people after she leaves.

So now Lila’s committed a grand felony, and she’s clear to continue her reign of terror anywhere she wants, with her newfound wealth goving her limitless potential on destroying lives. And you know what Marinette does to stop her?

NOTHING.

Marinette refuses to lift a finger to get Lila arrested. The narrative would have you believe that it’s because she’s setting boundaries and taking care of her mental health for a change, but it’s easy to figure out the REAL reason. She gives all these excuses over why she’s unable to do anything about it, using lots of loopholes, completely ignoring the fact that she’s supposed to be a superhero and thus has a moral obligation to stop Lila, if nothing else just to save all the innocent people she’ll destroy in the future.

Meanwhile, Adrien becomes penniless, his father goes on the run, and his aunt refuses to personally take him in because she’s more concerned about the scandal than about her orphaned nephew, basically resigning him to live in Marinette’s old apartment with hardly anything to call his own while Marinette moves into his old room at the mansion after getting a job with Audrey Bourgeois, who has now taken control of Gabriel’s company. And all through this, Marinette and the narrative are basically saying, “you didn’t help me when I needed you to stick for me, so now I’m not gonna help you when you need it”, basically ignoring the fact that what’s happening to Adrien is a hundred times worse than what happened to her.

Even worse, Marinette trashes all her friends’ reputations on live TV, calling them out for mistreating her without stating the reason why they mistreated her, so the public doesn’t know the full story. And Adrien, desperate to get his life back, makes a stupid and arrogant mistake and tries to take down Mayura by himself, but is easily fooled by her to give her opportunity to steak his ring. The villains are defeated, but now everyone in Paris thinks Adrien gave Nathalie the ring on purpose, and accuse him of being a willing accomplice to his father, effectively crushing any little particles of hope he had left for his future.

But what truly makes this fic a dumpster fire of a story, is how the author directs the whole narrative to try and make you believe that everything that happened to Adrien was 100% justfied, that not supporting Marinette and letting some girl bully her and turn her friends against her, a problem that was temporary at worst and that basically was nothing more than some schoolgirl drama, means that he, a fourteen year old boy from an abusive household, deserves to be virtually homeless, bankrupt, disowned by his entire family, and falsely accused if terrorism, and doomed to living the rest of his life out on the streets, without even the slightest conception that maybe it was a little too much.

Oh, and the only punishment Lila gets is some vague warning from Marinette about her future, and apparently, that’s supposed to be enough to stop the girl who knowingly teamed up with a terrorist and was willing to doom the city just to get back at one person for one embarrassing incident in front of one person.

Basically, The Karma of Lies is the worst salt fic of all the salt fics, punishing Adrien for childish stupidity with permanent life damage beyond anything written in salts before, and trying to send the message that it’s okay for Marinette to let it all happen just to get back at him for not being a better friend.

Trust me, do not read it. It is a garbage fire. I regret reading it every day. It’s really messed with my head. Even now, I’d wholly welcome an infinite number of sequel fics punishing Marinette and her “friends” (read: evil minions) for what they did, because if the story says that Adrien deserves his fate for doing nothing, they deserve even worse. This fic is the epitome of everything wrong with the Miraculous Ladybug fandom.

[stupidphototricks]

Bear with me here because I want to talk about a parallel between a character we hate and a character we love, and I know it's not the same thing in both cases, but also it's kind of hard to explain how it's different.

Lord de Worde:

"He just doesn't believe the ordinary laws apply to him. He really believes they can't touch him, and that if they do he can just shout until they go away." -- Terry Pratchett, The Truth

Esk:

He tried hinting that she should obey the unwritten rules of Zoon life and stay afloat, but a hint was to Esk what a mosquito bite was to the average rhino because she was already learning that if you ignore the rules people will, half the time, quietly rewrite them so that they don't apply to you. -- Terry Pratchett, Equal Rites

So on the one hand we have an entitled person who believes they're better than everyone else, and on the other hand... well no, actually the first hand is both of them.

To be fair Esk is only (almost) nine, and she does learn a little humility in the course of her hero's journey, and in any case her high opinion of herself is objectively justified.

But here's the thing I don't get.

What, fundamentally, is the difference between being arrogant and being assertive? Both involve asking (or telling) people to make a special case for you.

My hypothesis is that it basically comes down to whether you legitimately deserve to be a special case (assertive) or just think you do (arrogant).

It's clear in the books. Esk does. Lord de Worde just thinks he does.

But how can we possibly know this about ourselves, in real life?

I feel like I'm nothing particularly special, so mostly I follow the rules and don't speak up, and that made sense right up until I realized that my child had internalized my worldview. My child (who is obviously the most special person in the universe!) strives for invisibility.

I mean I'm glad they're not an entitled brat, but sometimes they need to advocate for themself, right?

But again, what's the difference between "entitled brat" and "standing up for yourself"?

How do you manage to have enough self-confidence that people don't walk all over you, but not so much that you tread on others?

How do you make sure get your fair share, without being unfair to everyone else?

I don't actually have an answer. If there is one it's probably in the form of a huge decision tree, because in any situation there are many, many factors that go into whether it makes more sense to push for the special thing you want or take what you get and don't throw a fit.

Just, if you only follow one rule, try this one: Be kind. To yourself, and to everyone else, as much as you can. I don't think it's possible to truly be kind and also be an arrogant entitled brat... or invisible.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

If you don’t mind, I was wondering if you could do a Heket x reader and Kallamar x reader type of scenario where they both like the reader and end up both being with the reader (so basically love triangle turned polycule). I was also hoping you could make the reader a demon bat (that one bat follower form with the many eyes from the blood moon ritual event that happened last year) since it’s almost Halloween. Think of the reader in this as a spooky little mf that is actually chill and laidback that’s entire thing is things that are spooky but in a fun way.

"That's not fair!"

"I...got here..first..."

"Well..you can't woo somebody with a pumpkin pie, sister! You need to bedazzle them!" Kallamar sneered at Heket, before he cleared his throat and turned back to you.

There was a twinkle in his eye as he presented a bouquet made of crystals and bones. "I picked the best ones I could find from my missionary...just for you!" He kneeled down.

You just blinked, utterly dumbfounded by what was happening in front of you:

Two Bishops of the Old Faith--now followers of the Lamb--were professing their love to you with gifts.

They could have set their sights on literally anybody else, but they chose to court you, a demonic bat creature who showed up during last year's blood moon festival.

You used the still-active demonic circle as your gateway into this world, and have lived in the cult ever since.

As scary as you might appear with your many eyes, horns, and wings that made you look like something out of a nightmare...you were actually very easygoing and approachable. You actually enjoyed living on earth more than being stuck down below.

That being said, you got along well with everyone. Even scaredy cats like Kallamar eventually warmed up to you over the past few months.

Perhaps it's your kindness towards him that inevitably sparked his interest in courting you.

But unfortunately for him, Heket had the same idea.

And at this very moment...it put you in a tough situation, as both of them were now confessing their feelings in their own special ways:

Heket had baked you a pumpkin pie, because she knew you loved all things Halloween, including the vegetables from Anura. You didn't even know she could do more than just make delicious pumpkin stew....she can make a yummy-looking dessert as well! It's her own special way of showing how much she cares.

But Kallamar, on the other hand, had gone through the trouble to find you these bones and crystal shards. He risked life and limb venturing back into his former domain of Anchordeep, overcoming his cowardice to find the best ones for this floral arrangement--all just for you.

You loved them equally, but you knew that you couldn't be with one sibling without upsetting the other.

A blush rose to your cheeks as you took the pie and bouquet. "These are both lovely, dear bishops..but..." You paused, looking up to see them briefly glare at each other, only to snap their attention back to you. "Would it be wrong to say that...I just can't choose? I'd hate to break either of your hearts."

They frowned a bit, anticipating your rejection-

"But you know...I just remembered Lamb has several spouses, so.....couldn't that work for us, too?"

"H-Huh..?" Kallamar blinked in surprise, before glancing to his sister. "I mean..erm..marriage isn't something we had in mind just ye-"

"Oh, I know that." You chuckled. "I was thinking I could date you two at the same time."

".....us?" Heket muttered, equally stunned at your suggestion. "We...have to...share you?"

"If it's possible for Lamb, then surely it's possible for us, is it not?" You shrugged. "I say it's a good compromise...unless you two plan on fighting to the death over my heart."

She smirked. "Yes....fight pit-"

"No, no, no! That would be grossly unfair!!" The squid whined. "Let me tell you something about my sister, [y/n]...she is a BEAST in the fighting pit ritual! She killed one of our elders!"

"....tax...collector."

"Listen, I know you didn't like them. But that's-!"

"I was only joking around." You huffed, causing them to shut up and listen to you. But once you realized you startled them, you sighed and set down the gifts they gave you. "Nobody's fighting anybody...because I wanna be with both of you. If you guys need some time to think about it, I-"

"No....we...can't wait..." Heket grunted as she stepped forward, taking one of your hands into her own, examining your claws. "We..share."

"Why of course, we can settle for that." Kallamar held your other hand, smiling as he kissed you on the cheek, beneath one of your eyes.

You smiled as well, moving your bat wings out of the way so you could embrace them both, relieved that they accepted your compromise.

"Good. I bet Shamura didn't foresee any of this happening, huh?"

[jelzorz]

25. as a 'yes' for sorpeli (or particular number of your choice)

50 ways to kiss someone (sorpeli edition)

25. As a 'yes'

There are a lot of things they don't talk about.

This has been the arrangement from the beginning. That's the thing about forbidden romances, after all: they're forbidden, and if they're going to happen, they'll happen in secret, and secrecy is an entire language on its own. Soren has grown pretty well used to the stolen glances, the metaphors, the lightest lingering touches, and he knows, and has always known, that this is how it has to be, but that doesn't stop him from wondering. It certainly doesn't stop him from wanting more.

Sometimes he even lets himself dream about it: another, simpler life, like in all those poems he's been reading, where he can sing ballads to his lady and wear her favours on his arm.

That's where the problem lies, really. Opeli is a cleric, not a lady, and it's by virtue of that that she cannot be his.

It's been months of this. Of tea in the early mornings and quiet conversations and excuses to be in the same room. They're in the council chambers now, and everyone has left but them, because Opeli is the one who records the minutes and tidies the documents and actions all the decisions everyone else has made, and Soren thinks it's unfair that she should be left to do it on her own. It's weak as far as excuses go, but it's true, and plausible deniability is their greatest weapon in a situation such as theirs.

She looks troubled today anyway, not that anyone else noticed. She has always been good at pretending she has it all under control. It's only recently that Soren has started to notice the little downturn in the corner of her lips and the faraway look in the icy blue of her eyes.

"Is everything okay?" he asks, as he stacks the documents for her and sets them aside.

"Mm," says Opeli. She pauses, her fingers so very close to his. "Everything's fine. My apologies. I've just been... distracted, I think."

Soren raises an eyebrow at her. "Care to share what's been on your mind?"

Opeli says nothing for a moment. She stares at the sky beyond the window, and something about the way she way she sighs reminds him of a bird in a cage looking out at the freedom it doesn't have.

"Do you ever wonder, sometimes, if you made your decision about what to be too young?" she asks at last. She looks at him then, her lips thin, her eyes full of that thing that hangs so heavily between them.

Soren chuckles ruefully. "I dunno," he says. "I think I did a lot when I was younger that I probably shouldn't have. I don't regret any of the decisions I've made recently, though."

"Even still, do you sometimes..." She looks away and inches her fingers towards his without touch them. "Do you sometimes wish things were different?"

The distance between them is so large, so vast, and Soren sets his jaw and crosses it, his fingers very purposefully clasping around hers, his thumb soft over her knuckles. "Yeah," he whispers, bringing them to his lips. "All the time."

They talk no more of it. It's just another thing to add to the list of things they don't say.

[aria-greenhoodie]

Yknow I was mentioning “A World Without Wordgirl” earlier to my boyfriend and it’s honestly such a fucked up episode if you think about its implications for more than like, 2 seconds.

Like, Becky Botsford aka Wordgirl is 10 YEARS OLD and she has to CONSTANTLY leave behind her friends and family and miss out on fun, normal kid activities to take care of some mess a (usually grown-ass) villain made. We see this happen in plenty of other episodes, but “A World Without Wordgirl” makes it even more obvious.

It’s this kid’s BIRTHDAY, and her parents decided to go all out for her. They brought her best friends, got her a bouncy castle, got her ponies to ride, did all these really sweet and amazing things for their daughter, but she didn’t get to enjoy ANY of it because she kept having to zoom off and fight crime as Wordgirl. She’s just a KID! She is a 5th grader for goodness sake, she shouldn’t be sacrificing her BIRTHDAY, the single most exciting and highly-anticipated day of the year for a kid, to clean up after criminals that the local law enforcement couldn’t handle. And she isn’t forced to interrupt her party once, no, she’s forced to interrupt her own fun SEVERAL TIMES to the point that every single nice thing her parents did for her she misses, doesn’t get to enjoy any of it. So of course, she’s so fed-up by the end of the day, so tired of having to pick up after everyone, she makes the wish that she wasn’t Wordgirl, and that Wordgirl never existed�� just like ANY EXASPERATED 10 YEAR OLD MAY DO IF THEY WERE IN HER SITUATION!

And what is she given in response to her extremely understandable angst? SHE IS IMMEDIATELY SCARED STRAIGHT BY EVERYTHING AROUND HER FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGING DUE TO WORDGIRL BEING ERASED FROM EXISTENCE (courtesy of electrified magic birthday cake).

In the universe without her, CHUCK of all villains is running the city, allowing the other villains to run amok as well, under his rule (sans Twobrains). Becky is shown that if she DOESN’T continue to sacrifice every single nice thing that happens to her in order to clean up messes that ADULT LAW ENFORCEMENT SHOULD BE HANDLING, the city will fall to villainous hands. She’s shown that she HAS to be a savior, a protector, a hero above anything else. She’s not allowed to be a kid, she’s not allowed to have a carefree childhood and leave larger issues to the adults, she’s not allowed to enjoy herself without the anxiety of another crime taking place that she has to stop.

And you know, this would be bad enough if this was the only episode that touched on this, but it ISN’T. This type of shit has happened to her SO MANY TIMES. The people of Fair City are absolutely HELPLESS without her, a 10 YEAR OLD GIRL. she’s not allowed to be a kid for more than 5 seconds without hearing some alarm in the distance! Sure, she chose to be a super hero, but she made that choice when she was still VERY YOUNG, and even if it was her choice, it’s still completely unfair that her entire childhood is marred by constant interruptions from villains and constant anxiety in anticipation of the next crime, not to mention the physical danger she’s put in nearly every day by (again, usually GROWN-ASS) villains who hold no care for her well-being!

She doesn’t even have a trusted adult figure to really confide in, either. The only adult who knows her secret identity (as far as I’ve gotten in the show) is her grandfather, but he doesn’t live with the Botsfords and seems to be perfectly ok with his granddaughter throwing herself into dangerous situations for the sake of others. Sure, later in the show Scoops figures out her identity, and I’m pretty sure Violet does too (Haven’t gotten that far yet though), and while it’s great that she has peers to confide in after all this time, she still really needs an adult in her life who can shield her from some of the sacrifices she feels forced to make.

I know this is a kids show and her being frustrated with villain interruptions is usually played up for laughs, but as an adult watching the show I can’t help but feel kinda angry on her behalf at the adults around her if I think about it too hard. Yes, she’s capable and strong, but that doesn’t mean that the adults in her life shouldn’t be protecting her anyway. Has no adult in Fair City worried about Wordgirl, the 10-year-old heroine? Has none of the local law enforcement questioned why they keep letting a 5th grader do their jobs for them?? I guess it’s in-character of cops to be incompetent and selfish, that’s definitely realistic, but what about the other adults who know Wordgirl? Hell, Sally Botsford, Becky’s own MOM, has said she sees Wordgirl almost like a daughter, but she still has little to no problem with her constantly being the city’s only defense against crime both big and small. Sure, Kid Math is now able to help out, BUT HE’S JUST A KID TOO! And Becky/Wordgirl is still doing a LOT of the work! She’s never even had a proper mentor who knew of her superheroism. Her LAST hero-mentor was fucking MISS POWER, and we all know how that turned out.

This is why I’ve been writing a fic about Becky (and Tobey because I’m a sucker for Tobecky) 15 years after canon dealing with her mixed-up feelings about her childhood and her superheroism. It must be such an angering, terrifying feeling to grow up thinking that you can’t be allowed to be a KID, to have FUN for too long, because a villain might rob a bank, or steal an artifact, or turn the city into cheese, or WHATEVER. Imagine Becky as an adult, imagine the anger she must feel, and the guilt because of that anger. Someone give this kid a hug and a proper mentor figure. And some THERAPY.

[awsydawnarts]

Just saw some posts defending and discussing Gale and felt like throwing some of my current thoughts on the topic out into the void

I feel like it’s unfair to be too harsh on him for the actions he took as part of the war effort. Yes, Gale invented an incredibly fucked up weapon that caused the deaths of many innocent people, not just Prim. Yes, Gale suggested strategies that would have caused undeserved mass death and devastation. Yes, Gale was angry and cruel and violent and ultimately a destructive force rather than a constructive one. But you cannot look me in the eye and say that after everything Gale has been through-growing up poor and literally starving, losing a parent and having to step up as the head of his family, watching the obscenely rich use his peers as entertainment in their sick murder games that his best friend was eventually sent to and ultimately lost to (even though she survived)-you cannot say that you or otherwise good people you know wouldn’t have turned out the same way when all was said and done. Gale lived a life ravaged by tragedy, and he did the best he could in the circumstances he was in. At the end of the day, we have no right to judge him because we will never be in his shoes and have to make the choices he made during the war.

Completely pivoting here. On the other hand, Gale was a terrible friend and love interest to Katniss over the course of the books and deserves our full judgment and ire for it. His choices about the war are not a real part of life that most of us will experience. His choices regarding Katniss are. Everyone will encounter people who are jealous, insecure, and entitled in the ways that Gale is towards Katniss. Gale isn’t a villain. Gale is, however, very toxic, and absolutely an unnecessary presence in Katniss’s life after she comes back from the first games and he starts being a little bitch about Peeta. I haven’t reread the books in several months so I can’t pull up specific instances with page numbers and everything but Gale’s behavior towards Katniss is really gross and demanding, and he prioritizes what he wants rather than what she needs, such as when he gets pissy that she won’t leave Peeta to get tortured for information after they survived the trauma murder games together. He sees their relationship as transactional and Katniss as a part of life that is “his”, shown by how he realized he had feelings for her-when someone else was flirting with her and he realized he was jealous. Gale feels like Katniss owes him a relationship when she owes him nothing. He operates with no regard for her feelings and no consideration of her PTSD and how important Peeta is to her, while Peeta uses Gale as a reason for Katniss to survive the Quarter Quell. Gale can’t acknowledge what a horrific experience Katniss has been through and how much it’s changed her, and his lack of empathy towards her trauma is what really pushes them apart in the end. Prim was just the nail in the coffin.

I could go on but this is not a love triangle post, I’m trying to make points about Gale. I know it’s fun to shit on him (I’ve done my fair share), but I think it’s important to acknowledge why he behaves the way that he does and offer him *some* sympathy for his actions. Gale’s story is ultimately a tragedy, and I pity him for being put in situations where he was able to act on his darkest impulses and desires.

(He deserves NO sympathy for Katniss choosing to save herself the headache of being anchored to his insecure, selfish ass for the rest of her life though, get fucked Gale)

[royalfriday]

🌹The beauty about your dark truth 🪻

ARGENTI X KNIGHT!F!READER

🪻PROLOGUE🌹

I have seen many scenarios with argenti x reader I even have seen one with a reader being a knight of beauty but i have never seen one with reader being a knight but not the kind that argenti is.

So this was born 😃

Also this is my first time writing something soo big.

(also this is based in my hsr oc that i ship argenti with, but i had the vision to also turn it into x reader ,so i have replaced my oc with reader 😃)

Find more from me here!

In a few words:

Imagine a knight!reader who is aloso a knight but not of beauty but the opposite. Of the negative feelings. And they go by a name Knights of Dark Truth.

Who fed those inside people to show them how rude and unfair life is. And that the "beauty" they all think is nothing but a lie.

All of this only because in their planet many centuries ago someone got so injured that changed everything about those people. And lead to make everyone like him, a full mess full of ugly "things" likescars, burns, bandages, stitches.

And with all of them being full in scars, burns, bandages, stitches, and only know how to show these motions: disgust, anger, and madness. But they still fell the rest of them but don't know how to express them to people they care.

Since they only have been show how to fight since they were a little kid. And with no empathy towards others.

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

Warnings: murder, poison, violence, maniac, depression, burns, bandages, stitches. Probably spelling mistakes, kinda of yandare?, ENGLISH IS NOT MY FIRST LANGUAGE SO PLS DON'T ATTACH ME!

No warnings: our little knight Argenti doesn't show up for long but still (🤡 sorry but he doesn't play sooo much role in this one here but in the following yes) reader is called princess.

So keep going and enjoy your meal

"Once upon a time. Long time ago far far away there was a planet. Full with the most beautiful things in the whole universe. Even though that almost everything was rotten and black.

Everything started when a man fully of armour finally got engaged with the woman of his life... She was the princess daughter of the emperor of this planet... the emperor of the planet that goes until now by the name Mávri Alítheia

Many people though that the name was weird and didn't make sense. But in reality it had a dark meaning. With the word mávri meaning black or in our situation dark. And the word Alítheia meaning truth

But there was a issue. A issue the royals could not dare to ignore. The man was from the poor. And even though that he was a knight they couldn't afford it. So they tried to break them up. By making the princess marry someone else.

And because the princess and he were deadly in love they couldn't make the princess marry someone else.

They were now in their 14 try to attend to get the princess marry some other prince. Also since shewas tried she said that if they try another time with this she will kill herself so they could leave her alone with the love of her life.

Her father was in his limits. Then an Idea come across his mind. He agree to marry his daughter to the poor knight. But only if he come back with the heads of the dragons emperor. The king's and the queen's head so he could prove he was worthto became a member of the royal family.

But why the heads? The answer was simple. So the people would have the dragons under their control. To make tham part of their army. All because the king's selfish personalitie to not let his daughter marry who she wants. He put the knight in this mission because he knew that he wouldn't come back again. The land of the dragons were a dangerous place. And if a human dare to step in he would die in seconds.

So you can't imagine his reaction when that knight comes after two weeks with what he asked him. Then he became amazed and asked him his name.

-What is your name young knight?- the emperor said in a strict tone to seem dangerous

-My name isn't important to you..But I will make sure you know it when you leave your last breath.... Father in law..heh- he said to him.

So the days became weeks then months and the day that they would get married comes.

The princess and he were happy that they will finally get their happy ending.

.

.

.

.

But fate had other plans... When the moment of their kiss come to make their marriage official the princess collapse in the floor. The knight panic and fast sit down next to his princess now wife.

Everyone was in shock. Even more when it comes out that the princess had a heart attack and die. That day becomes the day that all the planet will be mourns her death for the entirety that comes to this planet. Everyone was mourns her death everyone except from one ... Her father he had a grin that didn't show sadness of anything that everyone had.

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

Two years had passed it was that day again for our dear knight that lost his darling two years ago. Hw was on his way yo the castle. Angry and mad was in his face in his way in the throne. He had discover something.. something that would change everything.

When the doors slap open the emperor jump out of suprise with the unwanted visitor in that hour _it was almost time for dinner_. Then the knight started yelling at the emperor

-HOW COULD YOU EVEN TO THIS TO YOUR OWN DAUGHTER?! TO US?! WE COULD BE HAPPY BUT YOU CHOOSE TO NOT! WHY!?- the knight said with his sword show now to the emperor. The emperor had to put a relax and clam face so he wouldn't be read by him.

-I have no idea what you are talking about kni-.- he was cut by the sword now next to his face. Gace now that draws fear with what he sees. The now knight was up from him. Only a few breaths away.

-I know everything..that cake the wine before the ceremony! HOW COULD YOU! HOW COULD YOU EVEN CHOOSE TO POISON YOU OWN DAUGHTER ONLY BECAUSE SHE WANTED TO BE WITH ME!... But it doesn't matter anymore because if you remember correctly my king, I tell you my king you will learn my name when you leave your last breath.- now the knight had a sadistic smile almost maniac to his face that leave the emperor breathless. The he talks again. - Arthur~-

Then a sound appeared. The sound of the emperor's head in the floor.

Then all the guards in the room started to clap. They all knew Arthur's plan. They were all with him. They wanted him to become the next person to rule. No he wasn't violent..he was just broken. So with that he walks to the head and takes the corona and put's it in his head with a sign of relief leaving his mouth and walks back to the throne and push the body away so he could sit on the throne.

When he did he make his first order as the new king -"Take this thing away from me..but don't clean it's blood from the floor..it will be there to show what i do to those you don't listen ~"-..when the guards take the body away and he was left with only two of them he said - now we can leave in peace my darling.. -

He had found out about the poison cake and wine the ex emperor had give his daughter two years ago but he didn't know that the princess never died..

-You can come in my darling and sit with me ,my dear Amelia ~-

Then the princess came in from the doors...but something was not the same about her . It was like she was rotten and beaten up by something.

Well since in the wedding day the princess never really died. She had passed away and after weeks she was awake and her beauty "gone". The poison didn't work. And had only damage her body inside out. But she had her dear Arthur by her side. He hide her from her father for teo years. He was supporting her to accept her new her. And that he could change the meaning of beauty just for her. And he did in fact.

That lead to the following army to be trained with dragons which was by itself dangerous. Tgat were not enough. The must difficult and dangerous training was put in the knights. Which was chosen by the age 5 to train so they could follow the moto.

"The more you know how to fight the more easily you will share the truth about this galaxy to everyone. Everyone who is blind by the knight of beauty and their aeon Idrila!"

They were kids training to become "saviours". But at one cost they weren't allowed to show emotions to anyone.

And to make sure his bloodline will always be treat right by anyone. He make all the following descent of his family to be generals and emperors.

So they could always share the true around.

And with that he cast a spell so his bloodline would always be strong and brave. But at the cost that they will not fell the opposite feelings until they meet the one.. the one that faith has braw the lines for them.

And that spell will cast at the pregnant woman that carries that future heir ,that will leave a small symbol in parts of their body but usually in their upper body especially the neck and face. So they could be recognised by everyone.

And this was the end of our dear saviour and his darling ~"

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

Then the maid end the story that she was saying to the girl. Who was in the other side of the room. That she turn to look at whene she closed the book.

"hmmm...Is something wrong princess? You didn't like the story? I thought that was your favourite one?" said the maid to the little girl.

In the other side of the room there was a little girl, no older than 7,who looked out of her giant window to the stars in the night sky.

She was related to the person everyone called their "saviour". So technically she was the "princess" of this planet.

"It's not that nana Rita ... it's just ...*sign* i have heard this story many times. I know her by heart. But tonight the stars are ... Beautiful and it feels warm and cosy to just look at them" said the princess. She was laying in the window and her hair was slipping in the side and you could see her mark in her forehead. A little small simple symbol. The symbol was mostly like a "eye" someone would say but no. It was more like a star with something in the centre that looked like the called "eye". The same symbol that runs in her family for so many many many years.

The called nana Rita joined the girl that she had looked after her birth. Since she was orphan. Her father died two months before she came to this world, and her not so dear mother was killed because of not caring for her and husband's heir and wanted to get married again and put someone else in the throne.

The little girl didn't had the childhood nana think she deserves. Since she was something like the new ruler since she closed 6 the last year. And with the training she was put in.

She sat next to the little girl.

"Yes princess (y/n) . They are in fact... much like how you tell.. your always so wise and smart to describe things. And always right "

"Nana .. may i ask something?"

"Of course my princess" nana rita said and put her hand in

(y/n) haid to start petting her. She had a feeling what she was going to ask so she was somehow prepared.

"That .. tonight is the last time that we..we will spend... Master William said that tomorrow will be ...your..."

"Yes my princess this is the sad dark truth.. it's my time now to go...but don't mind your little young mind yet."

"Will ..you miss me?" Said (y/n)

"Every single moment.. and i will ask you my dear yo stay strong you will be there and i would like to see you stay strong while my time has come... and i will try to watch you from there"

"I know... I will miss you too nana Rita! I WILL STAY STRONG LIKE YOU SAID!...even when they will cut your head off..."

The both of them knew this time would come. It was a tradition for the future heir to kill the woman that looks after them.. and to (y/n) , nana Rita had only lived because she was a mother . She had watched her father grow. She had tell the princess storys from her father's mission until he leaved his last breath. She was like her grandmother. But because of their faith she was only allowed to call her nana Rita according to her grandfather, her teacher in fighting, to be a good leader and ruler, the only person that gives her advice to her from since she toke the throne last year, her grandfather, Master William.

Master William had made it clear to them to not get close to each other. But Nana and the princess couldn't. They had the bont of grandma and granddaughter.

"Come on my dear. It's time for bed. We don't want you to be tried tomorrow. It's your special day. You will get the spear of the legacy! " Nana said with a warm smile when she noticed that (y/n) started to falling asleep.

"Yeah...*yawn*.we should ho to bed.." she got picked by nana Rita and she put it er in her bed and cover her with her covers.

"Sweet dreams my dear sweet brave princess..." Said and plase a good night kiss in her forehead where her symbol was.

"Good night nana..." Said before she gets in Dreamworld.

Nana Rita started getting in her way out of the room and when she was about to close the door she whispered

"I know you will be the perfect empress our kind has ever seen...may the aeons give you their blessings... and you may find your one soon after you be set as general when you get 15..wise, and kindness my dear (y/n)... Good bye~"

____________🌹_____________

Somewhere far far away. In a different planet, there was a little boy in a garden, he was admiring the rose that was growing. The rose that match his hair. His rose red hair that were put in a little ponytail and with one white hair stride in ther front of his bags. He was older than 7. And he was called-

"ARGENTI ARGENTI IT'S TIME FOR LUNCH!! COME ON!" his friend called him

"In a moment ...but first come over here! You gotta see this beauty"..he said to turn once again his attention where once was before his friend show up.

So his friend listen to him and walk until he stop behind him. And stand in confusion.

"Emmm Argenti... This is emmm a rose that has started to rot...?"

"Exactly!" He smiled with eyes closed "but is also beautiful in it's own way..you see even like this ... it's truly a beauty , right!?"

"...emmm how about we go inside, everyone is waiting for us."

"Oh right!" He grabbed his friend's hand and started to run inside the mansion. "Lunch is one of the most important things in someone's day! Especially when later they have training! We are the future knights that will speak the truth about beauty! And to find the only true beauty being, Idrila!"

".. Argenti....we are still under training!.. don't look sooooo far into the future!"

The two little boys ran inside laughing.

.

The two young boys were in mansion that belonged to the knights of beauty.

Even though they were learnt to be gentle and kind to everyone they had an enemy they despise with all their ego.

The Knights of Dark Truth. Tgey believe they speak lies to people around the universe. So tgey learn to hate them without even realising it .

____________🌹_____________

Knights of beauty...the most hated enemy of her planet...the army.. and most of all her people believes. The princess has read many books about them. About the battles between the two armys had in the past. They hated this community.. only because they were speaking and manipulated people around the universe about that everything is beautiful and there is nothing ugly... only because they were doing the opposite that the Knights of Dark Truth.

.

.

.

.

.

So different...the princess and the little boy. The princess with a rough future and the boy with a maybe more light who always carries a rose with him.

They were learnt to hate each other, even though they never met face to face.

So different , but at the same time so similar.

But...who knows? Maybe fate was some plans for those two in their future.

.

.

.

.

.

🪻🖤❤️‍🩹🌹

Bye

[surftrips]

butterflies — part six.

pairing: rafe cameron x female reader

summary: after returning home from college for the summer, y/n runs into rafe cameron and the two form an unlikely relationship.

word count: ~ 1000

a/n: i was listening to taylor swift’s lover album while writing this which will become very obvious towards the end haha. only a few more chapters left! masterlist.

Rafe’s not even sure how Emma came back into his life. He’s convinced one of his frat brothers saw him moping around and called her up, assuming (incorrectly) that he was still hung up on her.

In reality, Rafe was still trying to get over you and how everything went down. It wasn’t ideal, and he was miserable on most days, but he still believed that leaving you alone was the best thing he could’ve done.

That is, until he found out that Emma had been lying to him.

To backtrack, she had simply showed up at the golf course one day to announce that she was in town for the week. 

“Emma? What are you doing here?” he had asked.

“My father’s here on business, thought I would tag along. Maybe see a familiar face… and I was right,” she winked. 

Rafe could hardly believe it. Here was this girl who had broken his heart, reentering his life as he was going through yet another heartbreak. 

But heartbreak makes one lonely, and it was unfair for him to refuse Emma’s company under the premise that he was “taken” by you, because he wasn’t. Rafe knew he had to move on eventually, he just wasn’t expecting to do it with his ex-girlfriend. 

She’s only staying for a week, Rafe thought to himself. It’s totally fine that she’s sleeping over. And we’re going out to eat together. And people on the island are starting to speculate. 

To make things clear, Rafe and Emma are not sleeping together. They’re not even holding hands. The furthest they’ve gotten is a side hug and the occasional hand brush, courtesy of Rafe’s boundary settings. He would probably die if you saw him and Emma out in public being touchy with each other. As for everyone else in town, he didn’t care who saw or what they thought. 

Even after a month, you were still the only person in town he cared about. 

Unfortunately for him, and maybe purposefully by Emma, one week became two. Two became three. Soon, she had her own place at the Cameron dinner table. 

“So, are you like Rafe’s girlfriend now?” Wheezie asked Emma once. 

Rafe coughed, “Oh, no-”

At the same time, Emma responded, “Actually, I was his girlfriend last semester. We just took a little break, didn’t we, Rafe?” 

Emma smiled sweetly at Rafe, who, refusing to start any discourse in front of his family, simply nodded. 

Sarah was frowning. 

—

Later that night, Rafe revisited the conversation Emma had with Wheezie at the dinner table. 

“Listen, Emma, I don’t know what we are or even what we’re doing right now, but I don’t think it’s dating. Do you?” 

“I don’t know, I don’t think we’re just friends either. There’s too much history between us,” she said. 

“But that’s just it,” Rafe sat up. “It’s too much history to get past, how are we supposed to just move on like nothing happened? How am I supposed to move on like you didn’t break my heart?” 

“Rafe, I’m here now,” Emma said quietly. “I’m sorry I hurt you, you know I loved you.” 

“Did you? Did you love me or did you love being with me?” Rafe’s voice was growing louder, he couldn’t help it. “Because when push came to shove, you didn’t fight for me. You let me go.” 

“Look, are you talking about that guy you saw me with after the breakup? Because he meant nothing to me, he was just a rebound.” 

“Great, like that makes me feel better. Emma, what are you really doing back here?” Rafe sighed. 

“I missed you,” she murmured. “I didn’t actually expect to see you when I came here with my dad, but I really, really wanted to. And when I did, I was so happy, I didn’t know how to approach the situation. I just want to be back in your life.” 

Rafe felt as though the universe was playing a trick on him. A few months ago, he would’ve hung on every last word that came from Emma’s lips. Now, they all sounded like empty promises and half-hearted lies. 

“You deserve better,” was what you had told him at the beginning of the summer. He didn’t believe you then, but it seemed so much clearer now. 

“Emma, I can’t do this again. You know it’s not going to end well,” Rafe began.

“Is this because of Y/N?” Emma interrupted. 

“What? How do you know Y/N?” Rafe felt his heartbeat quickening at the mention of your name. 

Emma stammered, “I-I heard Wheezie and Sarah talking about her.” 

Now, Rafe knew Emma was lying. Ever since your fight, his sisters had been careful not to mention your name around the house. 

“Please, no more lies.” 

“Fine,” Emma’s features hardened. “She may or may not have called you.” 

“Are you kidding me?” Anger was now radiating from Rafe. “When?” 

“Like last week, I don’t know,” her voice trailed off.

“And you didn’t think to tell me?” 

“I didn’t think it was important!” she said defensively. 

“It’s not up to you to decide what’s important and what’s not!” Rafe put his hands up to his face in frustration, looking around for his phone.

“What are you doing?” 

“I’m calling her back,” he said. “You should leave. Goodbye, Emma.” 

“Rafe-” 

“I’m serious. Please don’t make this harder than it has to be.” 

The two were quiet for a moment. Rafe trying to stabilize his heart rate and Emma trying to gather her thoughts. 

“Fine, I’ll leave. But can I ask you one last thing?” She looked on the verge of tears. 

“Yeah.” 

“Do you love her?” 

Rafe used to think love was burning red: violently passionate, ready to explode at any given time. But he was wrong, it’s golden, like daylight. 

“I think I do.” 

And for the first time in a long time, he smiled, a real and true Rafe Cameron smile. The one that you had fallen in love with.

—

TAGLIST: @holy-macncheese-balls @everythingmarveltopgun @maybankslover @totallynotkaibiased @allsmilesreally7 @kys4-20 @golden-tangled-earphone @siesie2 @palmwinemami (let me know if you want to be added!)

[aaakikoo]

SOMETHING PRECIOUS

summary → when you think that you nothing in your life other than to get married to the prince your parents set you up with, someone else comes along your way.

paring → bodyguard! b.katsuki x princess f!reader

an → sorry this took so long, and this is so shitty omggg! Been busy lately :)

warnings → cursing, killing attempt, uncomfortable situations etc, tell me if I missed any! VERY CORNY AND NOT READ PROOF, idk what was happening here icl.

series m.list - this is part 3

“Hurry y/n.” Your mother said as she dragged you from your room down to the dining room. Where prince Todoroki and has parents along with your father, the king sat.

“Good morning y/n, my beautiful daughter.” Your father said as he welcomed you in with your mother. You both took a seat on each of his sides.

“Good morning, beautiful.” Prince Todoroki said as he took your hand and kissed the top of it. After that moment you didn’t want to sit with him anymore.

“G-good morning.”

You sat there next to the man you hated the most as the everyone else discussed while you remained silent, not that anyone will take your ideas or thoughts seriously.

After that meeting you went back to your room, changed to a smaller more comfier dress and took a stroll down your garden to water your plants.

After you had finished you went back to your quarters to be met with a familiar face.

“Good afternoon, princess.” Bakugou said as he opened the door for you.

“Drop the formalities and get in.” He didn’t have a choice, you pulled him anyways.

“Can I help you, princess?”

“I told you to drop the formalities.” You said and room fell quiet.

“What do you need then, y/n?” He said as he took off his suit jacket and hanged it on one of your pink Victorian chairs.

“Do you remember what I said the other night?” You were shying away, Bakugou knew exactly what you were talking about.

“Yes I do.” He replied with crossed arms.

“Have you..considered or even thought about what I said..”

he sighed deeply. “Not very much. Because there is no point, you’re a princess, waiting to get married to another prince who is soon to be a king. While I am just your bodyguard that can be replaced any moment. Why would I ever consider something that will never happen?”

His words hit you very hard as you looked deeply into his eyes and said.

“It could happen. If I run away.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, y/n. I am here to do my job, not to make you my wife.”

“But I-I don’t love prince Todoroki. I don’t want his wife or have anything to do with him.” You were crying at that point. Bakugou hugged you very tight.

“I know that you’ve never asked for any of this, and I know this unfair. But the world isn’t fair. I know you appreciate me, and I appreciate you too, but we can never be together.” He said as he stroked your hair.

“Can we at least be friends?” You asked.

“It’s fine with me.”

You and Bakugou sat in your carriage on your way downtown to go shopping, just because you felt like it.

He had carried all of your bags and put them at the back of your carriage.

“I need a break from home so badly, it’s always nice to be here.” You said as Bakugou smiled at your enthusiasm.

As he was about to say something you heard a loud bang and him screaming your name at the top of his lungs.

As you both fell down to the ground, him on top of you.

You couldn’t process what happened as he already started running after someone. You ran quickly to your carriage and sat yourself inside, waiting for Bakugou.

Many minutes had passed and you didn’t know what was going on.

As you had decided to order the carriage driver to leave, he then came with a stranger between his two arms, wearing all black, wrapped with an old rope.

“Y/n, get home. I’ll be there soon.” Bakugou said as he was panting.

“No get in.” You fought back.

“Y/N LEAVE! ILL BE THERE SOON.”

You knew not to say anything back as you sadly nodded and made your way home.

As you got home you ran straight to your parents office where they were sat there looking very stressed out till you entered the room. Your mom ran over to you and hugged you.

“My y/n, what happened? we got calls from your bodyguard and from the police!”

“Mother! We were heading back from the city and I think someone tried to shoot me, but Bakugou chased after him and told me to get home.”

As your father was about to speak your personal maid knocked on the open door,

“Sorry to disturb, but there is alot going on downstairs.”

You and your family headed downstairs to see your bodyguard standing and panting heavily, and police officers and patrollers standing by the entrance.

“CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN WHAT HAS HAPPENED HERE?”

Your father yelled in frustration.

“Your majesty let me explain. As far as I am concerned, princess y/n was on her way back from a trip to the city when all of the sudden she gets attacked by this man right here.”

One of the police officers pulls the man from behind.

“Mr. Bakugou right here whom happened to be her bodyguard defended her and chased him down till he caught him and wrapped him with old ropes that he had found on the streets. We took both of them in to our department for investigations, and after along time we find out that someone had paid this man to attack the princess in different ways” The officer finishes and bows his head to the king out of respect.

“Can that explain the attack that happened while we were at the neighboring kingdom?” You asked and Bakugou was very quick to answer.

“Yes. But we need to figure out how he and perhaps other know when you are at home and when you aren’t, and how exactly did he get so close to the prince Todorokis estate.”

Your father had chatted with the police he told them to have more police officers patrolling in the cities, and keep their heads up at all times.

[caffeinatedopossum]

disability vent (tw internalized ableism maybe? I'm not sure)

I really can't think of a single thing I'm useful for. If society was all people like me- or even just, say, 20% of it was- things simply wouldn't work. There wouldn't be enough people contributing.

So it feels like my survival depends entirely on luck and people's generosity... but what happens when those things run out? I know from experience that generosity is a luxury of a privileged life, something that's never been guaranteed. My girlfriend (who supports me atm) could ditch me, leave me to die, and you know what? I don't think I could even blame her.

If something happened to her, if she for some reason couldn't support me anymore, I'd want her to take care of herself first. I hate to say it but I'd probably do the same thing if the roles were reversed... I mean, in that situation, what's the alternative? We both suffer and/or die? It might seem unfair to me but wouldn't it be equally unfair to expect someone to shoulder a burden that would slowly kill them?

I mean... in a sense, I already am in that position of reversed roles. I can't help anyone because *I'm* the one who needs help. I just can't afford it. I have nothing to give. I know it's not really my fault of course and this isn't me trying to blame myself. It's just... thinking about it practically? The things that I depend on realistically do have a limit to how much they can afford... and those limits are constantly fluctuating unpredictably.

Idk it just seems like maybe it's still too soon to start planning my future. Maybe it always will be. I want to live- I want to experience things and have things to look forward to, just like everyone else. But... I'm not like everyone else, am I? If everyone else was like me, we'd all die.

[wannaeatramyeon]

HIII how are u doing girlie😍🤞🤞 Anyways can u pls write a scenario where ur classmates (htf characters?) find out ur dating seong taehoon and their reactions?? You dont need to if u dont want to ofc<333

Hey Anon! Thanks for the ask <3 I'm doing great!! Brain rotting away as expected but HAPPY FRIDAY! Hope you're doing well too and having a good start to the month :)

Don't you agree that there's a disappointingly small amount of writing for our lil nutjob?

Please enjoy the whiplash of my change in tone!

HTF discovering You & Taehoon dating!

Things were tentative between you and Taehoon. You've only been dating for a couple months, and you're still getting to know this side of him. Well. You say this side but it's still the same old Taehoon that you've come to grow very fond of.

The one that tells everyone to piss off but comes running, no, sprinting when one of his friends need his help. Who threatens to beat everyone up, but will come to your defence with no hesitation. This prickly, insufferable little shit.

Sometimes you worry about your own sanity for liking someone like Taehoon, but then he gives you a look in the middle of the company meetings and your feel your entire body flush and your heart palpitate. And you think about just being alone with him, the way that he looks at you like he wants to devour you, the way his hand runs all over your body and god bless his pale skin because it's so obvious how crazy you're driving him despite how cool he plays it- "Huh? Sorry Rumi, I missed that question. What did you ask?"

You know already this guy has no respect for other people's personal space, but since you've gotten together, a complete and utter lack of personal space has become the norm. At least when no one else is around.

Taehoon corners you in the company house.

"You got 500 won?" He's leaning casually on the wall, blocking your path of exit. He wears a smug smirk as his face moves closer to yours.

You roll your eyes, "Get your own 500 won, I'm not lending you any more money you bastard."

He glances down at your lips, "How about a kiss then?"

Bastard indeed. You blush, but with him so close by, with his lidded gaze and goddamn pretty pink lips slightly parted... you couldn't say no if you tried.

You lean forward to kiss him, and Taehoon deepens it before you have a chance to move away. His arm circles around your waist, pressing your entire body against him. You put your arms around his neck, pulling him impossibly closer and his hands start to roam your body. Perhaps you and Taehoon should move this somewhere more private-

A glass shatters. "OH MY GOD!!"

You both turn and see the entirety of Hobin Yu company frozen in shock.

Fuck. This was why you shouldn't be making out in the living room.

Hobin: Very happy for you! Congrats Y/N!!! But then after a moment... wait. Hold on. The reality of the situation sinks in. What?! That psycho Taehoon managed to bag you???

Yeah Taehoon has a nice face but his personality STINKS. How can anyone stand him? AND MOST important of all: how did you guys beat him and Bomi getting together?! Life is so unfair!

Snapper: similiar reaction as Hobin. Who tf can put up with that nutjob. Side eyes you a bit cos surely you must have a few screws loose too. But... the opportunities for a newtube channel! Couple dates, couple vlogging! Ok, maybe this isn't such a bad development.

Gaeul: completely clueless. Even Gyeoul has commented on you two getting closer. This innocent little chick just thought... well, she didn't know what she thought - maybe you guys were just close friends? "You fellas, I'm so happy for you. Now don't you young whippersnappers get up to no good!"

Rumi: Oh Y/N I'm so happy for you! Hold on- let me just text Wangguk to set up a double date. What you doing this Saturday?

Mangi: another cinnamon roll. Gives you and Taehoon the biggest hug, squeezing the life out of you whilst Taehoon is just glaring, gearing up to give him a kick. So so happy for you, wishes you guys a lifetime of happiness (woah, steady on Mangi we've just gotten together!!) and that you are as happy as him and his girlfriend <3

Yeonwoo: You've always been nice and sweet to him. So you and Taehoon? Together? You're making this lil genius's brain hurt. Of course he'll congratulate the both of you, he's too polite to do otherwise. But his protective side flares up to make sure Taehoon treats you right.

Gyeoul: Who fucking cares

Taehoon finding out about everyone finding out: Headaches all around. What the fuck is wrong with these losers? Gets inundated with questions about you and their relationship. "Bastard that's none of your business", "Ask more questions if you want to die".

Temporarily wonders if this is worth it, but then looks at you and ok. Maybe it is. "Fuck, I'm so cringe I'm going to kick my own ass"

[avrelia]

In some AtLA fandom discussions I often find the most ridiculous argument – namely that Katara is forced to do all the household chores alone, and the Gaang doesn’t help her at all until Zuko shows up and takes on the chores to help her.

And it baffles me to no end.

Like people who claim to be fans of Katara think that the Gaang would force her to do something she didn’t want to do? And, namely, the household chores?

When Avatar the Last Airbender spent two episode discussing the division of labor, and Katara’s indignation when she perceived the existing situation to be unfair. She didn’t hide her anger to tell Sokka that he is sexist for letting her do all the housework because she was the girl. She didn’t mince words to tell Toph about accepting the way they all do the chores and participating in the chores in the group.

We don’t see her being angry at Aang in regards to doing chores. And I don’t believe she had her anger suppressed, or afraid of telling Aang off, or thinking he was a baby. I use my analytical skill to infer that he must have been doing all the necessary work without being told. After all, as an Air Nomad, he spent a lot of time traveling alone or in a small group, so I assumed he knew basic survival skills and could take care of himself.

True we don’t see the Gaang cleaning and cooking. But do we need to see them doing it every day to believe that they were doing it every time? We see them settling into some comfortable traveling routine when nobody complained of the rest not doing their share - and we know that Katara would not have hesitated to raise the issues again and again if she perceived unfairness.

Then Zuko joins the Gaang and we see him making tea for everyone. Does that mean he is now doing everything?

No, we are meant to understand that he is trying his best to be a part of the group and showing his best and most useful for the group ability – which is making tea.

Remember, until very recently, Zuko, even in exile, didn’t have to deal with household chores. Yes, he spent three years on a tiny ship, but on the ship there were other people who obtained food, cooked, cleaned, and let the prince do important things, like training, sulking, and looking for the Avatar. We have seen how pathetic his attempts at fishing were in the beginning of book 2. And sure, he had three months of life as a refugee where he had to learn how to live without servants. But I can hardly believe he learned more than Aang, Sokka, or even Toph, for whom secretly being able to take care of herself was a matter of pride.

Now, being able to make good tea was much more important to Zuko now, as part of him trying to show that he learned his Uncle Iroh’s lessons, both in tea and life. So it is important for us to see him making tea and bad jokes for the Gaang, as a part of his efforts to prove himself to be worthy.

On the other hand we don’t really need to see Aang sweeping the floors, and Toph cooking dinner to believe that they share household chores equally with everyone else. Just like we don’t see them eating and sleeping every day.

[panxramic]

A little excerpt from my Sundrop and Moondrop AU :)

-

Chayanne and Tallulah

-

When Tallulah wakes up it is late at night and Chayanne is gone. Her face feels icky from all the crying and the last thing she wants to do is get out of bed. She looks over to Chayanne’s side of the room and finds his bed empty, which is odd at this late at night. The moon is just above their window shining a light glow into their room. Everything feels cold tonight, more so than usual.

Sometimes it feels like the world is laughing at Tallulah, seeing what it can take from her next. She’s young still, and it feels like people keep coming in and out of her life more often than she can remember. She’s been abandoned again and again, left to rot alone in countless orphanages and attics. No matter what she does, or how nice she acts, no one stays. Soon everyone gets tired of her, they send her to the next home or throw her out into the streets to die. It was a miracle the emperors wanted her.

Tallulah was found one breath away from death. She doesn’t remember much, but she remembers a man with blonde hair and giant wings holding her. She remembers a long journey in which she spent the majority of the time sleeping. She also remembers a little boy with bright blue eyes and blonde hair. He wouldn’t leave her side, even took it upon himself to hold her throughout the journey. But the one thing she will never forget is his eyes.

When Tallulah first met Chayanne she swears his eyes glowed. They called to her, mesmerized her in a way nothing else ever has. She was only 6 when she met him. Phil and Missa say that for the longest time, they couldn’t get her to stop crying, but Chayanne could, he always could. Tallulah distinctly remembers it was the eyes, something about them calmed her down.

She thinks maybe it was her just imagining things, maybe some trick of the light. Either way, bright blue eyes or not, Chayanne’s ability to calm her down has remained. Through every nightmare and bad dream, he’s always been there. Every scrap and every bruise. Even when she’s gotten into trouble and grounded, Chayanne would always be the one to sneak her in cookies or treats she was banned from having.

He knows her, knows her better than anyone else ever has. And just as he knows her, she knows him too.

Cautiously she makes her way out of their chambers. This part of the castle seems quiet tonight, even with the extra guards she can see down the hall. No one else seems to be asleep, probably trying to figure out where apa Missa went. Quietly she sneaks down the hall and around the corner to the doors of her parent's bedroom. She opens the doors and surely enough, there is Chayanne.

He is wrapped up in the blankets, lying on apa Missa’s side of the bed. She makes her way around to his side, closer, she can see him clutching tightly onto his duck plushie.

The moon's light is perfectly situated on his face. Tallulah swears she can see bright yellow and blue specks in his eyes. But under the light, she can also see faint marks of dry tears down his cheeks. She feels her heart shatter.

Tallulah thinks the world has been incredibly unfair to her. Time and time again she’s been abandoned, left to rot by her parents who believed her to be a curse. She believed she could be happy here, she believed she had parents that would stay. But the world was unkind and decided to take one of them away from her. And yet through it all, there’s been one person who has stuck by her side, one person who hasn’t left her. For the first time, Tallulah has someone to cry with. She has someone to hold her and dry her tears. It hurts, but at least she’s not alone.

Tallulah makes her way around the bed onto papa Phil’s side. He must still be awake, trying to find out what happened to his husband, her other dad. She climbs into the blanket and gives Chayanne a tight squeeze.

Into the moonlight, she whispers, “I’m here for you too.”