#he genuinely doesn’t understand himself either sometimes but honestly if he were to have a soft spot it’d be for her

[izuizzy]

How They Show Affection aka OC Dynamics / Tora Edition

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

Aita for secretly following my then best friend home?

(tw alcohol abuse, probably suicidal tendencies)

I know this sounds really awful right away but bear with me. Also this is probably going to get long, sorry in advance

tl;dr I followed a guy i was friends with and had a crush on home after an argument, even after he asked me not to come to his house, bc i was worried he might hurt himself.

Last summer I (20f) moved to the US for college. I didn’t know anyone outside of college and overall I was mostly on my own which was getting a bit lonely tbh. So I was very glad when I met this guy (21m) at a party of one of my acquaintances. We got along right away and he ended up giving me his number. After that we continued talking regularly and also meeting up every now and then and overall it was a lot of fun.

At some point I started developing feelings for him but prepared myself to just wait it out and not tell him bc I knew that he liked having a very active sex life and felt like he probably wouldn’t be interested in something serious at that time.

After a few months however, he began to behave in some ways that made me pretty worried honestly. I had known that he liked to go out and party but I hadn’t known to what extent. Apparently he would get totally blackout drunk at least once a week, sometimes more than that and then he would text me or call me in the middle of the night but often I genuinely couldn’t understand what he was saying. Sometimes he would just call me like that at any time of day, crying, saying that I was his only real friend, the only person he felt safe talking to and so on. On the one hand I knew that that wasn’t healthy behaviour at all but on the other hand my crush on him kept getting worse bc who doesn’t like to feel needed.

On other occasions, he would just randomly do reckless and stupid things like one time we went to a museum and he started arguing with the guard over not being able to take any pictures and we almost got kicked out. Afterwards he laughed it off but honestly it made me feel pretty uneasy. (I didn’t tell any of my other friends about that btw, they only knew that I was seeing this guy but wasn’t dating him.)

He has told me some things about his childhood which I don’t want to share here bc he did tell me that confidentially and although this is anonymous I still don’t feel comfortable telling random people on tumblr about it. But it is severe enough for me to believe that his upbringing and the things he lived through definitely contributed to the issues that he has now. I can say that he didn’t have a great time at home bc he is bi and while homosexuality isn’t illegal in his country, it isn’t really accepted either. Also it’s generally expected that children, especially boys, dedicate their entire life to having a successful and lucrative career and then start a family and he wasn’t really in the right place to do either of that (and he didn’t want to).

He also has been facing a lot of problems and racism here bc he is a poc immigrant from a country that isn’t in good standing with the US. So while I don’t pretend I know what he’s feeling, I imagine that all of these things would affect him quite a lot.

Now I actually get to the incident that is the reason for me to send this (it rly did get long TT but I want to make everything as clear as possible).

A few weeks ago we were just hanging out, it was all pretty chill and we just sat down to eat and talk etc. It had been quite a difficult week for me, also college wise, and I felt like I really had to talk to him about him calling me at night and while I’m in class and all that. So I said as nicely as I could smth like “I don’t want to seem overbearing but have you ever thought about maybe seeing a therapist bc I don’t think what you do is healthy in the long run and I’m not a professional who can properly help you.” He immediately got really snappy and defensive, saying that he “couldn’t fucking afford a therapist and even if I could, all they do is squeeze the money out of you and they don’t give a fuck about your feelings.” I was pretty shocked tbh and responded by saying “well if you really think this badly about therapists you should clearly see one” which was probably too harsh of me but I just couldn’t help myself at that moment. He then said “oh yeah?? I’d rather die than tell any of my shit to a total stranger. But you’ve probably already told yours bc you’re all so fucking dependant on them anyway.” and then he stormed off. (Just to be clear, I don’t have a therapist bc I don’t have any issues that require one.)

I was really scared at that point bc I thought that he might do something to himself (he had said stuff like “I wish I just wasn’t here sometimes” before) so I started following him which I now think was extremely weird and creepy of me but I just didn’t think it through in that situation. He walked for about 10 minutes to a house which I assumed was where he lived (I had never been at his place before bc he always said he lived in a bad neighborhood and didn’t want me to come there) and I stood outside for like another 10 minutes thinking abt what to do bc I realized that this had been totally stupid, also it started to get dark and it really was a bad neighborhood. I ended i up calling him and telling him where I was and he let me in. He was pretty angry but mostly at the fact that I had put myself in such a dangerous situation and he let me spend the night at his place.

We actually got together not long after that and as of now, we’re dating. I know it’s not an ideal situation and probably not the most healthy one but I have been able to keep him from drinking himself into oblivion all the time bc we spend most evenings together now so I think that’s a good thing. I don’t know where things will go from here and I don’t have the illusion that i can “fix him” or anything but so far it’s been pretty good and I really do love him a lot so I just hope it will all turn out for the best. I just still feel guilty for lowkey (or actually highkey) stalking him when he explicitly asked me not to come to his house but it was out of genuine worry for him so idk if it makes me an asshole, I guess I’ll let tumblr decide that for me.

🌃🎀🍨 for finding later

[oinkinpigprince]

AYYYY can i request a platonic! pim, charlie and teen reader who sees them as their dads? and how they would react when the reader accidentally call them dad?

AYYYYYYYYY, MUST BE THE MONEYYYYYYYYYY. I think it’d be cute if reader maybe was like a intern @ the smiling friends hq, someone who shadows them on their jobs :33

Pim and Charlie + teen reader

Pim

Pim has hella strong paternal instincts so when he meets you he tries so hard to be seen as a cool authority figure. Even though we all know he’s the nerdy dad, you still tell him he’s cool

He tries to help you with EVERYTHING. If he sees you struggling he’s quick to swoop in and help you, to the best of his abilities. Sometimes he totally fails and you have to get Allan to do it for you 😔😔

Uses lingo really really wrong. Thinks it makes him look cool but he ends up making you laugh. You were really pissy that day and he says “well looks like someone’s feeling a little zesty today” and it was so jarring you were instantly snapped out of your bad mood and just started to laugh

Being both a teen and working @ smiling friends can be, stressful. Pim understands this so often he suggests helping you with your homework! Or just helping you study in general. He wasn’t too good at math but you two can figure it out together I’m sure

Tries to give you life advice and honestly it’s pretty good, it mainly boils down to ‘being kind, wins the prize’ and ‘be who you are!’ But, good advice nonetheless

Sometimes he can be a little over baring when you’re having a rlly bad day which can lead to tension between you two. It’s never serious but it can get a little annoying

But he’s still always there to lend an ear about anything that’s troubling you. It can be something minuscule like someone stepping on your foot or heavy stuff

You two rlly do have a father kid relationship, so it’s no wonder why you’d call him dad on accident. And he is absolutely over joyed, to the point he sheds some tears

He’d be over joyed to be seen as an actual father figure, it’s something he’s always dreamed of. So when you tell him you think of him as a dad he absolutely ecstatic

Charlie

Does not see himself as anywhere fit to being a father figure, probably more of an older brother type. His opinion is NULL and INVALID though.

Kinda doesn’t understand the ethics of letting a kid work w/ them since sometimes their jobs can be, intense. So he often just makes you do paper work at the office. Safe, totally not because he’s lazy, and actually gives you experience

He’s very laid back, and often just lets you off to your own devices. Although out of everyone he’s the most likely to relate to you. Being younger and all

Although when he does let you come w/ Pim and him on a mission he’s like 1000x more productive. Mainly because he knows he has to make sure nothing goes south that can get you hurt, so he’s just way more alert than usual

Buys you food randomly, especially if you’re having a bad day. Usually just some fries or a soda, it’s the small things though.

Although, he does LOVE sending you out on coffee runs. Just thinks it’s funny since you’re an ‘intern’. He just thinks it’s funny, and the cafe isn’t that far either

Loves talking to you about videogames, sometimes it’s wild how much you remind him of how old he is. He sits there as you call one of the Sonic games retro he has a mini crisis

Gives pretty good life advice too!(go figure everyone here is pretty good at life advice) but his sounds less like a Disney channel original and more like just genuine things that can improve your day to day life. He understands what it’s like being a teen, it’s hard man

Brushes it off when you call him dad by accident, even though he finds it funny he chalks it up to an accident. When you tell him about your home life though, he understands immediately

Although he really questions your choice in parental figures

[deathnguts]

Regulus and rabastan understand each other better than anyone else and that is both wonderful and awful for both of them.

Regulus can only cry around Rabastan. Like truly cry with more than two tears and real sobbing and whimpering out his emotions through babbles and sniffles rather than stealing himself even more and rushing away from the situation as fast as possible. Being around rabastan makes the smaller parts of himself, the parts he’s ashamed of -the little girl who used to cry at every turn- feel… ok. When it’s just the two of them he doesn’t scramble to hide that part if himself the way he naturally does around everyone else. Because even his closest friends are only allowed past a certain point of his walls. Rabastan has been around and encouraging about letting himself be human and waver from his families expectations since the beginning. It’s hard not to give into the beckoning to let it all go when it’s safe ti do so around him.

Rabastan is really only his true self around regulus. Or, the better half of his true self. The kinder, softer half. He never learned to be generous with showing it to others because well he’s a pure blood too. His twin brother was never his best friend the way regulus and Sirius used to be. Rodolphus has always been the perfect heir and Rabastan always wasn’t. He was either pointedly ignored or scolded and scoffed at with eye roll and wave at every turn. He learned ti feel a natural sort of anger and annoyance around others and didn’t learn to hold it back. He’s angry at the world and it’s everyone’s problem. He drinks, he talks shit, he lounges about and lets himself look disheveled in public, he’s just the picture of the family fuck up and he hates it. But he’s not around regulus. He’d always felt softer towards him, albeit for fluctuating reasons through the years. Like @florsial said in one of their posts I think he had a very ‘blind leading te blind’ relationship with him when they (really just regulus honestly) were young. Like he hated the family, but he wanted to ‘save’ regulus. And he kinda did, providing a safe space most if them never have and harvesting a genuine love there.

But the problem is, they’re both very jaded people. They’re both bitter and angry and can only provide so much comfort for such an amount of time. They love each other and unexplainable amount and they never doubt that, but it’s hard to be around each other when it’s not easy, yknow? Like when one of them is in the bitter mood, they can work it out and help the other. When neither is, that’s great! They bask in what they have and it’s wonderful. But when they’re both in an awful mood? Clear the area, there’s about to be an explosion.

When they fight, regulus gets mean. He’s used to not being able to actually participate in fights, it’s always his parents scolding at him, Sirius degrading at him, it’s never a debate or a conversation it’s always just him lying there and taking it. So when he fights someone he feels safe with, he jumps to get his word in. He can be cruel, he says things he doesn’t mean just because he wants ti get a rise. And he does, it hurts rabastan beyond a way he can describe to hear these things. It feels like he personally failed in saving regulus and he’s just another Black.

So when they fight, rabastan runs away. He leaves and he gets drunk and he stays with whoever will begrudgingly take him in for a few days. He doesn’t want to see regulus that way, he wants to forget he did. He wants ti forgive forget. He wants to wait it out and come back when it’s easy again. Because he loves regulus, but he will not be scoffed and scolded by him like everyone else. It makes him mad and he doesn’t want to do something he’ll regret.

And regulus hates it because above all else, he doesn’t want to get left behind again. That’s part of why he fights like he does, he wants to know if he pushes it too far if rabastan will still come back after. He wants to be seen as the person and sometimes ‘monster’ he is but not left alone again. He can’t be alone again. He’ll do anything to not be alone again. So that leads to a lot of their fights ‘ending’ in an even bigger fight where now it’s Rabastan yelling and regulus begging him to stay and standing in his way of doors and eventually they fuck it out with pulling hair and biting words and teeth and when regulus wakes up in their bed, rabastan left anyway. He gets mad and it stews until Rabastan comes back and they both pretend nothing happened, no matter how serious the fight was, because above all else, they just want to love one another. They love each other so much and it only takes a few days of angry separation for them to remember that literally nothing in the world could matter enough to keep them apart forever.

Everything else in the world makes them angry. Everyone else in the world is locked away from deserving forgiveness. But not them. Never them. They can kiss each others wounds, even if sometimes they’re the ones who put them there. They can come home after a fight that almost ended in the killing each other and hold one another close and sway ti a song on the record player like they’ve never fought before.

They love each other. That’s all that actually matters.

[bleue-flora]

i dont agree with what jack and tommy did recently either but i am glad that they didnt say that c!dream died or anything like that and instead siad that everyone in the server left, like tommy oculd have easily been like "the nuke ending and c!discduo talk isn't canon and my character canonically killed c!dream" and cinniters would have seen that as canon.

That is very true. I did end up watching parts of it and I have to say I was pretty harsh on them (though I was really more so harsh on the idea of it being retcon which was being fed like an intentional thing when that’s not what happened), but really ccJack is just there vibing and ccTommy is the one leading the lore. But even then, it’s really just kinda a somber reminiscing. Most of that conversation people posted happened as they just stared at Techno’s house. And it’s kinda sad that this reminiscing moment was ruined by the propaganda that they retconned the lore, which isn’t even what happened. In fact, I’d agree he could’ve taken a different route, but ccTommy really kept things as open and non descriptive of other characters, just talking about himself and what he’s been doing. He mentions Tubbo and that’s it. So you are right it definitely could have been worse, but more importantly things were just kinda blown out of the water a bit and things were taken out of context and at an angle that doesn’t make sense and isn’t true…

But ya see what’s funny is he made the script for the nuke finale, it’s his lore and his streams. CcDream wasn’t the brain child of it and didn’t make money off it. So it’d honestly make no sense to retcon his own shit. Like what is he gonna do go and delete his streams that have millions of views, yeah right. Give me a break… I mean I do personally feel like he has become controlled by his fandom to the point it makes him disingenuous and unappealing to watch (for me), which is sad, but here he at least doesn’t go far especially as Jack certainly doesn’t let him because in both instances of talking about the nuke Jack insists he did it and it happened. It’s ironic because people want to control a narrative but I think it’s the authenticity and in the moment improve that played a big part of making the dsmp popular in the first place. Because a lot of it is genuine silliness between friends and it’s part of why ccDream is popular because he just has fun with his friends and their friendship and banter is entertaining. Sometimes the bloopers are the most fun to watch or the out of pocket improvised lines, because the authenticity and passion is tangible and enticing… anyways in watching it I wonder if this is him perhaps meeting in the middle. Like hey if you don’t like season 1 ending, here is the season 2 ending… or maybe he’s been thinking about c!tommy lore awhile and like took up the opportunity to do some of it, as a writer I can understand the appeal. The dsmp seemed to be a way of projection for him and clearly since he wrote scripts he does think about his character and plots and such… I mean ccSam said he and ccDream did off camera roleplay, because it was fun and something they enjoyed, and maybe that’s what this was, a way to tie up lose ends for them and put out there some of the things they wish they had said.

It doesn’t have to be a big lore thing or a malicious act of ccTommy retconning his lore because he hates the finale or to please his fans that do… if you watch it, it’s really more so just a sad moment shared between two friends who miss something as much as they wouldn’t do it again, playing their characters for one last time.

[mikhailwrites]

Waiting for Connection 5 / Ghost x Soap NerdAU

Ghost is retired and plays milsim videogame. Soap is still in the force and sometimes plays that same videogame...

Previous chapter | AO3

Since that first custom-made mission, every time they get to play together, Soap, without fail, asks if Ghost has another one. He doesn’t because it takes a lot of time to make it good, and Ghost wouldn’t be happy with anything less than perfect. It goes on like this for a week until Ghost can’t help but get curious as well.

“You have a downtime? Haven’t seen you online so much as this past week,” Simon asks while they idle in the game menu.

Soap takes a minute to answer, a telltale sign of him considering whether to tell or not. “Sort of?” he finally says.

“If you can’t tell me, just say so. I understand,” Ghost says, staring at Soap’s avatar on the screen as if it was really Soap.

“Nah, I just… hate lying. Uhm, I’m on medical leave,” John finally admits, and he honestly sounds as if he would like it much better if Ghost didn’t know.

“No shame in that unless you injured yourself while drunk off-duty,” Simon tells him, hoping his voice carries all the conviction it can. He’s not saying it just to make Soap feel better, damn, he’s been injured so many times he lost track. “Just focus on healing and getting better. Don’t lie to your commanding officer if you’re not feeling up for active duty yet.”

John chuckles. “I’d ask if you’ve ever been so diligent yourself, but I think we both know the answer to that.”

“Do as I say, not as I do.” Ghost clicks on the Start the game button, hoping to change the topic.

“Yes, sir,” Soap says in a tone that spells mockery.

The game is fine. It’s a mission they’ve both played before and know what to expect, which takes away a lot of the thrill. So much so that fifteen minutes in, they ditch any semblance of tactical comms and straight-up chat. Ghost is very aware he is *that* person now but can’t bring himself to care. Not even when two other players try to shut them up.

In the end, they both get kicked out of the party. “Alright, that was unexpected,” Soap notes, “how about we play your mission?”

“Again?” Ghost asks. They’ve played it so many times and so many different ways he remembers every little detail by now. One time, they even went totally overboard, Soap bringing a jet and Ghost controlling a tank. It was utter nonsense, of course, but a ton of fun nonetheless.

“You know, I was thinking…,” Soap starts and suddenly, Ghost regrets he didn’t just start the custom mission.

“Well, congratulations on that,” Ghost ribs Soap in the hopes of derailing whatever inquisitive shit he had planned. He should’ve known it wouldn’t be that easy.

“Ha-fucking-ha. Anyway. How come you’ve never joined one of those hardcore mil-sim groups? I know they’re out there, and if I know, you must also know.”

“I don’t want to,” Ghost answers, honest, plain and simple as he starts the mission nonetheless. Maybe, just maybe, it could steer the conversation elsewhere.

“But… why? You don’t like to play with kids,” Soap asks, digging deeper. Ghost doesn’t like it, yet he doesn’t tell him off.

“I don’t like to play with fetishists, either,” Ghost deadpans as he checks the gear and starts walking towards the buildings.

“Alright. What about other pros?”

“Soap…,” Ghost groans, leaning back in his chair, tapping the armrests with his fingers, “I… don’t usually get along well with other people, as you might’ve noticed by now.”

“I thought you were only pissed about the lack of skill,” Soap says, stopping his character next to Ghost’s, waiting for him to move.

“It’s not the only reason,” Ghost admits, feeling the uneasiness grip his body. It must somehow reflect in his voice because Soap eases up on the interrogation tone.

“Should I feel special, then? That you want to play with me?” It’s a genuine question masquerading as a joke.

“Would it matter if I said no?”

“No.” He can practically hear the shit-eating grin in Soap’s voice. “But… what if I recommended someone?”

“John…,” Ghost sighs.

“No, let me finish, Simon. They are my friends and my team members as well. They’re really good and if you like me, then… I think you will get along with them just fine.” Ghost is tempted to end the call. He has been through countless discussions just like this one, and it’s bringing him memories he doesn’t want to think about right now.

After a moment of silence, Ghost moves up, killing a single enemy way out in the dark so as not to be an easy target. He also decides to turn the tables on Soap. “Why are you doing this?”

“So you don’t have to play alone while I’m gone?”

“Fearing I’d get lonely? Touching,” Ghost retorts, his tone carrying a trace of bitterness.

“You can be a right prick sometimes, Ghost,” John replies, more serious and somehow… disappointed. Simon closes his eyes, ignoring a pang of regret.

Before he can reply, another voice joins the chat. Stripey sits on the table, as usual, looking at Ghost with his big amber eyes. “Meow!” Ghost raises an eyebrow at the rare occurrence.

“What was that?” John asks, audibly surprised.

“Just my cat, Stripey,” Ghost replies calmly, aligning the iron sights and clicking the mouse two times to two-burst the enemy.

The voice chat goes silent for a dozen seconds.  Then: “You have a cat? And you named your cat a Sergeant?”

“Well, technically, it’s Sgt. Stripey, so…,” Ghost trails off as another enemy opens fire at them. Great, now it’s no longer a stealth operation. Not that it matters, really.

There’s a very heartfelt groan. “So that’s a Sergeant Sergeant… ye ken, that could pass as animal cruelty, Ghost.”

“Touchy on the subject of Sergeants, Sergeant?” Simon chuckles.

“How did you… well, no, but it’s a horrible name for a cat.”

“How do I know you’re a Sergeant? You sound too young and driven to be anything higher up the chain and too skilled and experienced to be anything less, Soap,” Ghost imparts his opinion. “As for the cat… well, he, too, is too young and driven, and I’m definitely not making a Lieutenant out of him and risk finding myself in a situation where I would’ve to take orders from him.”

John laughs at that, an honest, clear sound that makes Ghost smile as well before he spots an enemy peeking from behind a building. “Tango, front, fifty feet, corner of the red building.”

He sees John’s avatar turn immediately, weapon at the ready, corner in his sights. “Covering the corner, sir,” Soap says.

“Well spotted, keep an eye on it. I’ll go around,” Ghost instructs as he checks the magazine.

They breeze through the rest of the mission, finishing it in almost record time, which is impressive, given the amount of idle chat.

Later that evening, when he bids John a good night and turns off the computer, Ghost finds himself lingering in his chair. Slowly, he reaches out and takes his phone. Ghost hesitates, looking at the name in the Contacts menu for a while before he finally hits the dial button. It’s time to do some due diligence.

[thehamletdiaries]

Hamlet, in the park, in the pouring rain.

So, Stratford-Upon-Avon has this open air theatre called the Dell, where it puts on plays throughout the summer; they are free for anyone to go watch and they are mostly amateur productions or youth groups or the like. I’d never seen a production there before and didn’t really understand…what it was…which sounds silly but the only open air theatres I’d been to were very much full, built up theatres with seating and a stage and the only difference to any other theatre is they didn’t have a roof.

But I had been to the park that the Dell is in, and I knew it couldn’t be that.

And it isn’t…it’s just a small raised platform, with two tents either side as the wings, and people can bring their own chairs, or sit on the grass, or stand. 

Now, the day I’m headed up there to see this production of Hamlet it was raining. And they had meant to be performing at 12pm and 3pm, but the 12pm performance was cancelled because of the rain. And as we are getting closer and closer to 3pm…it is still very much raining, and pretty heavily. So, I’m checking the website, it’s not saying it’s cancelled…so I head to the park (it’s still very much raining), and I’m walking over wondering if this production is even going ahead - and it did! And with a fairly decent sized audience, all of us sheltering under a tree, many with umbrellas and raincoats (I had neither), and whilst I cannot imagine for a moment it was what the cast would have chosen, the reality of watching it like this was actually sort of wonderful - it was this very communal experience…a way of experiencing Hamlet, together, in this very unique way.

The nature of the theatre also has other quirks; a dog nearly ran on stage at one point, and it’s a public park so people are just walking past having conversations…but you quickly end up embracing that as part of the nature of this kind of performance. People were also taking photos - something I would normally never do during a play - but it felt very natural in this environment and I ended up taking photos too.

The company that put on the production is called Necessary Cat Limited…and other than a facebook page I genuinely cannot find any information about them anywhere, except that they are doing the same production of Hamlet at the Edinburgh Fringe. I don’t really understand whether they are a fully amateur company or sort of semi-professional...I got a programme but it really didn’t give me much more information; all of the actors seemed to have backgrounds that were sort of “semi-professional or somewhat around the theatre world but not quite” - and I couldn’t find any of them on social media either; so really that remains something of a mystery.

The production certainly had an amateur dramatics flavour - which I don’t mean in a negative way *at all*; there is something quite wonderful about that style of performance that I really enjoyed.

All of the actors embodied their roles well, I thought (and a couple were notably impressive…I’ll come to that in a second)...except for Colin Povey as Hamlet. He was…not great, to say the least. I don’t think he was a bad actor, but he was bad at playing the character of Hamlet. The problem was, I think, that he seemed incredibly pleased to be playing Hamlet, which came across as him being incredibly pleased to be Hamlet, and if Hamlet is anything it is not pleased to be himself. There was a slight smirk on his face for almost the whole play - and not in the “Hamlet is roguishly charming sometimes” way, but in a “I am just having a great time and enjoying my life and am very pleased with myself” way - and at times, particularly when he was alone on stage (watching to be or not to be when the performer doesn’t even seem remotely sad is…an odd experience), this…version…of Hamlet was so grating I found myself actively paying attention to the dogs and the passers by and things around me to distract myself because it was just such a grating performance. And honestly, I sort of feel bad talking about this guy who gave us a whole one hour and 45mins long performance in the rain but he was just so wrong for the part.

However, it says something about the pace and the energy of the rest of the cast, and about how this performance was constructed, that I still had a really good time watching a version of Hamlet with a very poorly performed Hamlet.

Because everything else was really quite good.

Firstly, the cutting was excellent; it only ran for an hour and 45mins and somehow did not feel choppy or oddly cut; I noticed a couple of cuts here and there but only because I know the script so well and mostly I couldn’t tell which lines they had gotten rid of at all. They cut the whole Fortinbras plot, which was a sensible move in a version that needed to be shorter and more contained.

The Ophelia actress, Amber Lipman, was wonderful - she brought an intelligence to the role that I feel Ophelia often does not get afforded, whilst also feeling very young, and very used, and very much the victim in a way that made you so angry for her.

The Rosencrantz and Guildenstern actor and actress - Alan Sunter and Caitlin Carter (they played them as two men, just one of the performers happened to be a woman) were also really good; they very much felt like real characters that mattered in their own right and not just as plot devices…which often happens with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern; their individual humanities as well as the relationship between the two of them and between them and Horatio was all very evident and really well done.

Also, a fun reality of the stage set up is one of the tents that acted as a wing was completely open; so you could see the actors “backstage” and Sunter and Carter fist bumped after they exited from doing their first scene and it was adorable.

Now, James Scott as Horatio. The thing is…I don’t really see a lot of Horatios that feel like my Horatio. Of course this is a character I am wedded to far more than probably makes rational sense and of course this is going to mean I am far pickier than is particularly reasonable about how Horatio is played…and I really, really loved James Scott’s performance. He captured that Horatio is complicated; that Horatio is a human caught in this absolutely mad situation; he captured how much Horatio cares…not just about Hamlet, but about Ophelia too, and about Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. He captured how Horatio is trying to do the right thing and to help and feels so out of place at court and just doesn’t quite know what to do but also can’t really quite bring himself to try and stop Hamlet because he loves and trusts him too much not to follow him…until it’s too late.

He understood all of that.

And he managed to perform all of that whilst acting opposite a Hamlet who, not to repeat the point, was not a good Hamlet at all. I would love to be able to see Scott play Horatio again opposite a Hamlet actor who was worthy of his performance.

There were also some really nice aspects to how Horatio was included in the play; for a start he was just included in a lot of it…he’s there for the whole of the Ophelia madness scene, not just the first part, they had him delivering letters from Hamlet to other characters in place of the side character who normally does it, which I liked; he generally felt very present and I’m always here for more Horatio.

Without being too heavy handed about it, they weaved in far more of a relationship between Horatio and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern than you get to see in most productions; little details like them talking together before and during the Mousetrap play…but then having Horatio immediately go to Hamlet’s side as soon as it moved into the play upon my pipe scene; that reality that these four were all friends, and Horatio was still going to hold those relationships in his heart in some way…but also was never going to side with anyone but Hamlet when it came down to it; I loved how that was done.

And I loved the care he showed Ophelia and that dynamic was just so well played.

There was this beautiful moment, after Ophelia has first come on stage and is mad, when she had gone off stage, followed by Horatio, and the two actors were sorting out the flowers for her to come back on with (they also had Horatio come on with a flower in his hair which was a nice touch), and they were doing this in the tent where you could see everything and they were talking and clearly joking with each other and for a moment I basically stopped watching the play because instead I was watching what felt like this beautiful tableau of Horatio and Ophelia just hanging out and having a nice time and it was lovely and sweet and beautiful…I had a lot of emotions in that moment.

They rather strangely cut Horatio trying to kill himself at the end; genuinely not sure why.

They did, however, have Osric (the Guildenstern actress doubled as Osric and she played them differently enough to make that work) hold Laertes in his arms as he died so…here are some pictures for all you Osric/Laertes shippers out there.

At the end I went up to James Scott and said something along the lines of “I just wanted to say that Horatio is a character that means so much to me and I so rarely get to see him in a way that feels true to him and you really did that and thank you”...or something along those lines; this sounds very silly but I was amazed I managed to get through saying that to him without crying because at that point I genuinely was so moved and had so many feelings about everything he brought to and embodied about my Horatio.

[neteyamslovrr]

kinda a little confused on why the reader was so dependent on neteyam staying? maybe it’s because i’m thinking of it from a different perspective but that’s so selfish lol,, his whole family is leaving and not leaving for some sort of vacation for fun’s and giggles no they’re leaving for their safety for the forest clan’s safety as well… so her begging him to stay and then saying he broke her..? how? he was doing what was best for himself, his family, and his home the forest and we weren’t apart of that danger that they were in we weren’t a target so why would he drag us into it? ofc he’d leave us behind.. ig it would’ve been better for him to explain rather than just say “no u can’t come” but.. yk for the plot 😭

not hating i’m just genuinely asking bc what he did doesn’t seem wrong at all in my eyes or am i missing something?

i get your point !! i do struggle with getting my vision across in writing sometimes so i understand ur confusion (especially coz i haven’t wrote for neteyam in like a year😭😭) Especially when i’ve changed certain aspects of the original plot of the movie (like neteyam returning alive LMAO)

When neteyam first left she grieved his absence in a full on depressive state. like fully intense heartbreak (bit bleak ik) and over the years things happen such as humans not actually going away as the sullys intended and entering a one sided ‘engagement with vatep’.

I know when i’m sad and things go wrong and i try to find a blame for something and reader can ignorantly blame neteyam coz if he didn’t leave for her safety she wouldn’t of gone through such a tumultuous time. over time that anger would have bubbled especially when she saw him, years of sadness and anger and heartbreak she has tried to push down all coming to the surface when he returns, like ptsd, she relives all her bad memories when she’s sees him not the loving ones she remembered.

It wasn’t that she begged him to stay either she begged to come with them and obviously no one would’ve let that happen so it’s definitely a him leaving in her brain.

Honestly i feel like i’m rambling now but i write return trying to understand the feelings of the characters coz i too would be angry sad and hurt in the position of all the characters 😭 BUT ALSO THANKQ SM FOR READING MY WORK even if it confused u it means the world MWAH❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[strawbrygashez]

Postal 4 + Poostall Royale Fic

The Day Grandpa Slayed

I got the idea to make a short little fic where Poostall Dude & Doe are the ones who helped p4 get his ‘special’ petition outfit together :) This isn’t that good & is just silly ..

————————————————————————

“Okayyy! I see you!” Doe yelled out from her seat across from the other two sitting on the sofa perpendicular to her. Of course she also had her phone out, taking pictures with a wide smirk as she watched the men in front of her.

Dude had to glance away from Poostall to give her a frown which got him a slight slap on the shoulder from the man in front of him. “Don’t make faces. You’re already going to ruin your makeup Dude.” Poostall fussed before he took hold of Dudes face to make him face forward again. Dude mumbled out a sorry before Poostall got back to work on filling in Dudes eyebrows.

Honestly Dude didn’t give a fuck about her taking pictures or either of them joking around about it really. But damn that flash was bothering his eyes and he could deal without her constant snickering. It wasn’t the fact that Dude was man getting his makeup done that was making her giggle of course. Poostall was the one doing the makeup for christ sakes since she didn’t feel like it. It’s just that she liked picking on him particularly for being oldest Postal Dude. It didn’t necessarily get to him that much, he knew he had killer looks and charm but still both her and Poostall Dude were a handful and ‘evil’ rascals most of the time.

But he always also found himself liking that though. Sometimes he wished it was easier for him to still be a fast, sneaky, sly piece of shit person but with his aging bones, he found it harder to do as the years went by. So seeing the both of them gave him a feeling of nostalgia..though he isn’t in a hurry to admit that. Especially to Doe.

“Oh come on…I mean it. You look good! If this doesn’t get people signing your dumb thing I don’t think anything else will.” She said as she finally sat her phone back down and leaned back in the recliner. “You’re lucky you got Mr. Short Stuff helping you too. He’s better at makeup than me anyways.”

Poostall moved back from Dude to check out his handy work from further back. “Hmm…I dunno. Does that look okay to you?” He asked as he gestured towards her for Dude to turn his head back towards her.

Doe slipped off her sunglasses and squinted. “Hm..Yeah.” She said with a shrug before reaching back into the bowl of chips she’d been eating from. “Looks fine to me…Don’t forget to put on those really big eyelashes though! I think it would complete the look.”

Poostall nodded before digging back into his own makeup bag. “Did you actually want those on though old man? We can just do more mascara or something.” He said as he pulled out a couple false lashes and a small thing of what Dude assumed to be eyelash glue. (Hey. Dude kinda knew makeup…he’s fallen down random YouTube rabbit holes at night).

“Eh, fuck it. I’m already committed to wearing fucking stockings and high heels. At this point nothing is too much for me.” He replied. Looking down at himself he really didn’t know exactly how he gotten himself into this position but meh. Worse stuff has happened and he genuinely didn’t care when it came down to it. Maybe some people would laugh or something but he’s gotten that all his life so what reaction could happen this time that he’s not used to?

“Mkay. Do you wanna pick a set?” Poostall asked as he laid some of the fake lashes in their packaging in between them. Yeesh, they really made all these options for eyelashes? He’d kinda just assumed they had only one normal option which were just long and big and then the rest were more for parties where they had fake gems and whatnot. He’d have to try to learn more about this shit especially if these two knew a lot about it. It would make things less confusing for him to understand.

He picked up the set with the biggest lashes and handed it over. “Uhm, I guess this works? Unless I can’t use that or something..”

Poostall grinned. “You can. There isn’t a set you can’t really not use Dude.”

-

A bit later the look was complete. Dude really had done himself up from head to toe. Maybe going through all this just to get some signatures was pretty over the top but everything was said and done. Plus, Dude actually found himself quite amazed with how the makeup turned out as he looked into the small makeup mirror Poostall had handed him. The makeup really tied the look all together and he found he was actually feeling pretty confident! Old him would have definitely gave him shit for looking like this but for some reason, current him felt actually pretty attractive.

“Jesus fuck man. You really out did yourself.” Dude complemented him as he looked at himself from different angles with the mirror. He even made different faces in the reflection a couple times which made Poostall snicker. “Eh, it’s not much. Me and Doe usually take hours with makeup before we hit up clubs. Kinda just threw stuff together just now but I think it looks great too.”

“I mean it. Like you could probably uh- get some kinda career with these skills. I think that’s a thing right? You could be one of those uh..makeup gay guy influencers I see on YouTube.”

There was…many things about that statement that Poostall could say. Especially since the older guy in front of him was for real wearing high heels and Dude currently had a boyfriend but instead he just raised a eyebrow and gave a sarcastic thanks before beginning to put his makeup products back into a little bag.

Dude helped him gather his things back up before he pulled out his own phone to look at himself on selfie mode on the camera. “Do you all really think I look good?” He asked as he fixed a small smudge of lipstick. Poostall nodded, more concentrated on getting his stuff back together while Doe spoke up again to reassure him. “Like I said Dude, if this doesn’t work nothing will.” She smirked as she watched him check himself out. “You should upload a picture even. Tag me and Poostall though!”

Dude barely even knew how to navigate most social media but oh well, fuck it. Maybe he would share it somewhere, just keep it on his phone for memories sake.. or to show his boyfriend later. Either way, he snapped a photo or two before setting his phone back onto the couch with a sigh. “After I’m done I think I’m going to call it a day.” He grumbled, leaning back into the seat. The girl in front of him took another bite of a chip and nodded, crossing one of her legs on top of the other. The day before he’d basically gave them a tour of the town basically.. he’d been dealing with their asses for about a week now and letting them even sleep in his trailer…and even she knew that they can be annoying so she quickly understood. “Yeah. It’s supposed to rain later on I think. That’s what the cute weather lady said on the news earlier anyways. Yknow the one with the long hair? Blue eyes??”

Dude shrugged and checked the time on his phone. “Well it’s six now..”

“Uh.. yeah I would probably go ahead and head out now if you wanna make it back before it gets bad.” She said, picking up the remote next to her and flipping the channel from the old horror movie that had been on, to the weather which made Poostall huff. “I was watching that dumbass.”

“Oh shut up. You’ve seen that movie tons of times.” She grumbled back as she tossed the remote back down.

What was totally insane to Dude was that the two weren’t siblings..not because they looked similar obviously, since all ‘Postal Dudes’ do but just because they had that kinda energy. Plus, they’d both met each other without some funky ‘brain damage’ situation or anything weird. What they’d told Dude at least was they’d met each other at work and eventually moved in together since they just clicked so well..

Thinking of the fact there is apparently multiple versions of himself always just gave him a headache though, but sometimes he did wonder what happened to the one he’d met ages ago with the brown jacket. He understood that situation a bit more since he’d gotten pretty badly injured but nothing crazy to Dudes knowledge made him be able to meet these two but he wasn’t even going to question it. He’d met them, they’d seem nice, they’d needed a place to stay so he’s leaving it at that until whatever else eventually comes up.

-

Seeing that he indeed should go ahead and probably get ready to leave he stood up.

“Wait! Wait! Can I take a picture of you fully?” Doe asked as she lifted up her phone again. Dude rolled his eyes but posed anyways with a hand on his hip and a leg sticking out some. “Jeez.. you got some killer thighs man. Work it!” She giggled. “I know.” Dude dramatically sighed as he gave her another pose. “It’s a blessing and a curse.” He joked as he turned around to give her a over the shoulder pose, making her smile more and Poostall chuckle again.

“You gonna give us a twerk or something?! You got too much cake not to.” Doe joked as she zoomed out on him on her phone. “Cake?”

“Ass.” Poostall clarified as he stood up to go grab a drink out of the fridge. “Oh.. uh. Why not?” Dude said. He was in a playful, silly mood anyways. He liked seeing them finding joy in stupid crap so why not? He slowly dropped ‘it’ low and then to his sudden embarrassment both Doe and Poostall let out a wheeze. Doe laughed pretty hard until her eyes watered up. “Grandpas serving cunt!!” She yelled as she continued to record.

It left him feeling more self conscious than he thought he’d be so he suddenly stood back up, (ouch!! his legs!) before giving a small laugh of his own though his face was red. “Agh, shut up. I need to hurry up and take my meds so I can leave, assholes.” He smiled shyly before quickly making his way to a cupboard and pulling out all the meds he takes everyday.

-

Once he’d taken them and things had calmed down enough, (though Doe was still wiping her tears away) he stood near the door. “Alright. I’ll be back probably around nine. I’m going to pick up some food us even though I don’t think you all deserve it.” He joked.

“Aww, I’m sorry Dude. Well be good while you’re gone I promise and I’ll tease you a little less…eventually.”

“Hm..I’ll believe it when I see it. Anyways, be good you two. Im not saving your asses again like I did Monday night again.” Dude said, placing a hand on Doe’s hair, ruffling it up a little since she was the closest of the two. “Yeah yeah. Don’t worry. The hot chick is on anyways so I’m good.”

-

Dude soon left after giving a couple reminders, leaving Doe and Poostall alone.

“Hey…. My Doe-eyed Deary?”

“Hm?”

“Didnt Dude drive by a club the other day? Wanna go check it out while he’s out?”

“I like the way you think.”

[frostfall-matches]

[ matchmaking... ]

@pleasehelpaaaa : [ match report ready ]

your match is…

✦ Angel Dust

-> [ The Hazbin Hotel seems like a decent place to hide away from Vox’s attention and ire. ] Sure, you could consider staying at whatever home you’ve made for yourself in hell… But perhaps it would be a good idea to have a backup where you could hide yourself away from a certain overlord that you managed to upset. While you’d prefer not to put the hotel inhabitants at any sort of risk, you’ve probably gathered enough information to know that you’ll probably be safe from Vox there due to Alastor’s presence. Whether you’re interested in Charlie’s mission or not regarding redemption is essentially irrelevant - you’ll make your decision to stay or leave as it suits you, though playing up the idea that you’re considering redemption will allow you to assimilate a little better. Regardless, Charlie makes it a point to introduce you to everyone and you’ll spend enough time there to get to know the inhabitants at least a little.

-> [ Angel Dust finds your hesitance in opening up about your insecurities - and often joking about it when you do - to be very relatable. ] Honestly, it takes a long time for either of you to admit anything about your own insecurities, refusing to be vulnerable around anyone until they’re a stable, trustworthy presence in your lives. Even then, it can be a little daunting. Though Angel likes getting the juicy deets about things when he can, he doesn’t really force people to open up and knows when to drop an issue. There are no expectations from either of you to bare your hearts to each other when you’re not ready. Thankfully for you, he doesn’t react badly when you decide to talk about your issues in a joking manner, often laughing right along with you. He understands where you’re coming from - sometimes he just wants to get things off his chest in the moment without the pressure of having a serious conversation.

-> [ He plays up the flirtiness with everyone, so it ends up being extremely difficult for you to tell when he’s actually trying to flirt properly with you (even if others can tell he’s serious). ] There’s a softer look in his eyes and a shift in the tone of his voice, his compliments towards you becoming increasingly genuine and wholesome. But because Angel has always gone heavy with the playful, friendly flirting, it’s hard for you to discern if he’s still just being friendly due to your struggles with reading people. For a while, he did wonder if you were purposefully acting like you weren’t getting the hint, but in his eyes you really didn’t seem like the type to play dumb like that. Eventually he will just have to straight out say that he’s interested in you. But don’t worry - he actually finds it really funny and endearing that you can be a bit oblivious.

-> [ Fat Nuggets completely adores you and you end up becoming his secondary caretaker. ] Whenever you and Angel Dust would hang out in his room, the little demonic pig would always snuggle right up to you. He warmed up to you quite quickly! Angel wasn’t sure if he wanted to be impressed or jealous considering his pig would snub him off just to run right up to you. Admittedly, despite the fact that he knows how much you care about animals (and Fat Nuggets in particular), it still took Angel Dust quite a while before he felt comfortable letting you keep an eye on the little guy while he was out. He can be a bit overprotective of his pet. But the arrangement ends up working out quite well, and Angel is glad that you’re willing to watch (and pamper) Fat Nuggets when he has to work long hours. It really puts him at ease.

-> [ He is so much taller than you it’s almost ridiculous. ] Angel (unfortunately) does tease you about it, often ruffling your soft, fluffy hair as he practically drapes himself over you. He is definitely the type of menace that will use you as an armrest if the two of you are standing next to each other for a while (probably listening to one of Charlie’s spiels as she tries to get everyone to warm up to each other). If it bothers you, just swat him off - he won’t do it again for a while. Angel doesn’t mean to upset you when he does things like this - teasing is part of his own personal love language. But if there’s ever anything he does that genuinely upsets you, he has no qualms about backing off. (A side consideration… you may dislike spiders and other insects, but perhaps you could tolerate a humanoid one? He’s got soft fur, and no creepy mandibles!)

-> [ Even if you struggle with comforting others and dealing with their emotional outbursts, Angel appreciates the effort. ] Everyone has their flaws - he knows that all too well himself - and interpersonal relationships can really highlight one’s imperfections. Angel Dust can be a bit reactive at times, there’s a lot of shit that he’s dealing with and he knows that he doesn’t always process things in the healthiest ways. He might lash out or shut down, turn to self-destructive tendencies on occasion. He’s not the easiest to deal with it at times, and you find it difficult to truly comfort him and calm him down. But honestly? Angel doesn’t need some pity party, and he doesn’t really need you to completely understand and empathize with him. As long as he knows you’re still there for him in the end… that’s all he can really ask for.

-> [ Despite his line of work, Angel Dust still enjoys physical touch with those he genuinely likes. ] Some may think that the sheer amount of physical intimacy that he has to engage in on a regular basis would turn him off of such affection out of work, but that’s not exactly the case. Sure, he may not want to be super touchy-feely right after work, but once he’s had a bit of time to freshen up and unwind he’s happy to snuggle up to you. It’s simply different when it comes to people he genuinely cares about. Cuddling is one of his favorite things to do - he enjoys wrapping a set of arms or two around you while you two are watching a movie of your choosing. The extra arms are nice because he can hold you while he idly scrolls on his phone, something he often does if you’re engrossed in a book.

honorable mention…

✦ Vox

Seriously considered this match mostly because of the idea of you catching his attention and angering him when you accidentally fuck up his networks, but there is a lot of good potential for you two! Regardless, that being your introduction to each other is hilarious and would make for some interesting first interactions as he tries to figure out how the heck you even managed to cause so many problems for him. It’s definitely a different dynamic compared to the one you’d have with Angel Dust - one that is entertaining, but ultimately a bit more volatile in a way that you find exhausting. Vox can get a bit overbearing, clingy, and obnoxious, and his emotional highs may be difficult for you to navigate at times. He’s got a bit of a temper (no matter how much he tries to play it off) and may become frustrated with your forgetfulness and obliviousness. Still, the banter you could have with him would be amazing, and he’d be an interesting one to talk to if you wanted to pick his brain about a variety of topics.

[tutuandscoot]

Things I love about VM: Post skates

1. Scott always helps Tessa all the way out of an ending pose.

This is something I have talked about ad nauseam. I’m obsessed with it not just in the fact that they always do it but the way they do it. In all fairness it’s not always super delicate and soft, sometimes- specifically in practices it’s a bit quicker just to they can move on and get out of the way for the next team, but there is always a constant in that he helps her back to vertical, then to her feet if they have finished on the ground, and holds her to make sure she’s on balance.

Here is a very stark comparison of what it looks like when you do and don’t do this:

Now I know this wasn’t the best skate for HD.. but that’s exactly my point. As the male partner you are responsible for your woman and you can’t let your own disappointment get in the way of caring for her. Scott was not (seemingly) super happy initially after their skate either- I’m not sure why, presumably just wrecked and the music eff up situation at the start of wasn’t fun. But everything he does before he gets up is getting Tessa up and ensuring she’s settled before worrying about himself, despite his current feelings. I know this seems like not much to make a larger judgement on, but given Zach attempts to make ‘cute’, “”””soft”””” moments in warm ups when it’s not necessary/not holding her in an awkward position like these ending poses.. only makes me view those moments as less genuine since he doesn’t hold and support her when he actually should be. This is never the case with Scott and Tessa- both/all instances are 100% genuine whether it’s just a nice intimate moment for them or he is actually responsible for her safety.

Now to be straight its not like this is a huge safety issue- like for eg just dropping the girl when a lift doesn’t go right, but it’s a more nuanced version of safety in the way the man handles his woman. It’s caring for every part of her as if she is made of priceless china and must be handled so carefully. Helping her even in moments where it’s not completely necessary, Tessa or any girl is fully capable of getting out of these positions on her own or with minimal help, but it’s the fact that with TS, T never has to because there is this quality built into their relationship of Scott having absolute priority for her physically and emotionally. Its like when Scott is talking about celebrating on ice after a skate and the fact that he has Tessa and she existing reminds him that he can’t just leave her.. he says it kinda comically but the irony if it is every single time she is his first priority to stand her up and make sure she’s settled before stepping away no matter how excited he is. It also, in reference to any performance prolongs the emotional connection the two skaters were at least attempting to convey in their performance. In the instance of.. really any of TS programs where they finish like this.. the emotions are always some variation of love/romance/devastation/needing to be one/them honestly wanting to keep feeling what they say they feel so strongly whenever they skated together. In an instance where a team doesn’t do something like this- for whatever reason, it takes you out of the performance. If for some reason you didn’t notice HD’s errors or didn’t know enough about skating to know the consequences, you are immediately hit with that fall of energy just by their reaction. I understand the disappointment they felt but you should do your absolutely best not to show it and not take away from the good parts of the program or the audiences experience watching you. I will go on to say further later in this series how distracting it is when a team lets up their disappointment with a performance right at the end, sometimes before they have even finished. With TS that doesn’t come into affect, they are good at remaining professional and Scott is actually good at suppressing his emotions in this respect, as well this care of her is natural and constant in their physical relationship-his utmost protection of her at all times.. it’s not a choice, it’s just what he was taught from an incredibly young age to protect his partner no matter what, as well as his love of her, and so that’s always what he did, and by the end it was second nature.

TS gif is from GPF 2016

[theangelreminder]

I ADMIRE HIM, I REALLY DO.

There’s this boy at school, and he’s the kind of person everyone seems to notice. Not in a flashy way, but in that effortless way that just makes him... stand out. He’s the guy who doesn’t try too hard and somehow ends up being cooler than everyone else who does. I think that’s what makes him so fascinating. He’s the kind of person who’s admired by almost everyone, but it’s not because he’s constantly looking for attention or approval. He just has this presence that draws people in. And somehow, even though so many people admire him, it feels like no one actually knows him. It’s like he’s just this mystery that everyone’s curious about but no one can quite figure out. And maybe that’s part of why I can’t stop thinking about him either.

I remember the first time I really noticed him. He was just sitting in the cafeteria, talking with his friends. There was nothing particularly unusual about the scene, but something about the way he listened when others talked made him different. While his friends were joking around and talking over each other, he would just sit there with this calm, almost serene expression, laughing along with them but never getting caught up in the chaos. He has this quiet confidence, a kind of assurance that just radiates from him. It’s like he knows exactly who he is, and he’s okay with it. He’s comfortable in his own skin in a way that makes me envious because, honestly, how many high schoolers can say that?

He’s the kind of guy who excels at things without even seeming to try. He’s smart, but he doesn’t flaunt it. He plays sports, but he’s not the loud, arrogant jock type. I heard he plays guitar too, and sometimes he’s even seen with a book tucked under his arm between classes. It’s like he’s a mix of everything people admire: athletic, intelligent, and even a little artistic. But he’s never arrogant about any of it. In fact, he’s incredibly humble. He doesn’t talk about himself much, and if someone compliments him, he just smiles and changes the subject. It’s like he doesn’t even realize—or maybe he just doesn’t care—that everyone else is watching him.

I think one of the reasons why so many people admire him is because he’s genuinely kind. He doesn’t just talk to the popular kids; he’s friendly to everyone. I’ve seen him lend a hand to freshmen who look lost or help out classmates who are struggling with their homework. He’s the type who would hold the door open for people without even thinking about it. And when he talks to you, it’s like you’re the only person in the room. He actually listens, not just the way people usually do when they’re waiting for their turn to talk. It’s like he genuinely cares about what you have to say. I think that’s rare. In high school, so many people are just trying to fit in, trying to impress others, but he doesn’t seem to play those games. He just is who he is.

I won’t pretend like I haven’t daydreamed about talking to him or finding some excuse to start a conversation. But every time he’s around, I find myself freezing up, like I’m afraid I’ll make a fool of myself if I actually try to talk to him. It’s silly, I know. He’s just a person, like anyone else. But there’s something about him that makes it feel like he’s on this whole different level, like he’s someone I’ll never really be able to understand or get close to. And maybe that’s what makes admiring him feel safe. As long as I keep him at a distance, he can stay this perfect, untouchable person in my mind, someone who isn’t tainted by reality.

Sometimes, I wonder if he feels the weight of everyone’s admiration. I wonder if he notices the way people’s eyes follow him when he walks through the halls, or if he realizes how many people wish they could be like him. Does he ever get tired of it? Does he ever wish people would just treat him like a normal guy instead of putting him on this invisible pedestal? Or maybe he’s just so used to it that it doesn’t even faze him anymore. I guess I’ll never know, because talking to him about something like that seems impossible. But it’s something I think about a lot.

What’s funny is, even though he’s admired by so many, he doesn’t seem to have that one close friend he’s always with. He has friends, for sure, but he’s not attached to anyone in particular. He’s friendly with everyone but close with no one, and there’s this strange loneliness about him that I can’t quite figure out. It’s almost like he’s an island, surrounded by people but somehow apart from them. I sometimes wonder if he feels lonely, or if he’s perfectly content that way. Maybe he likes the freedom of not being tied down to anyone. Or maybe, deep down, he wishes someone would break through that barrier and really get to know him.

I guess part of the reason I admire him so much is because he seems like he’s got everything figured out, while the rest of us are just trying to survive high school without falling apart. He doesn’t seem to care what people think of him, which, to me, is almost like a superpower. I mean, everyone says they don’t care about others’ opinions, but he’s one of the only people I’ve seen who actually seems to live that way. It’s not that he’s rebellious or anything. He just does his own thing. He doesn’t chase after popularity or attention, and somehow that just makes him even more popular. It’s like he’s found a way to escape all the drama and expectations that everyone else is stuck in, and I can’t help but admire that.

At the same time, I know he’s not perfect. He has flaws, just like everyone else. But there’s something about the way he handles his flaws that makes them almost... charming? I heard once that he messed up during a big game, and everyone expected him to get angry or frustrated. But instead, he just shrugged it off, like it was no big deal. He laughed it off, even made a joke about it afterward. I think that’s when I realized he’s different from most people. He doesn’t take himself too seriously, even when he’s in situations where most people would. It’s like he understands that life is bigger than any one moment, any one mistake. I don’t know if he’s always been like that or if it’s something he learned over time, but either way, it’s impressive.

Sometimes I wonder if he has any idea of the effect he has on people. If he knows that there are people like me who watch him from afar, who notice all the little things he does. I wonder if he ever thinks about what people see when they look at him, or if he’s completely unaware. Part of me hopes he doesn’t know, because it feels a little embarrassing to think he might be aware of all the attention he gets. But another part of me wonders if he’d care at all if he knew. Maybe he’d just laugh it off, the same way he laughs off everything else, and go on being exactly who he is. And maybe that’s what I admire the most about him—that no matter how many people admire him, he’s still just himself, unapologetically, and there’s something incredibly freeing in that.

So here I am, admiring someone who’s admired by everyone, knowing that my admiration probably doesn’t make a difference to him or to anyone else. But in some strange way, it’s enough. Just knowing that there’s someone out there who’s figured out things I’m still struggling with, someone who’s genuinely kind and comfortable in his own skin, gives me hope that maybe one day, I can be that way too. Maybe one day, I’ll find that quiet confidence, that ease with myself that he seems to have. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll be able to look back on all of this and see that admiring him was just a small part of my own journey to becoming someone I admire too.

------

Might make a mini novel out of this.. stay tuned!

[shrimpmandan]

Hey I just wanted to say that I relate a lot to your personal post about being confused about romance. It’s pretty refreshing seeing someone else have the same “issues” as me!

I imagine it’s partially because of neurodivergency and trauma, as you said, but I’ve always had that same difficulty connecting to people. Crushes were always faked, people are easily cut out of my life if I decide they’re “not worth the effort”, I’m convinced I cannot feel the physical emotion of love in any form. Hell, even as a 7 year old I recognized that I felt no connection to my family members. “I love you” always becomes a meaningless phrase - especially since it is/was often used by manipulative family members and past partners.

I haven’t labeled myself as aromantic - the split attraction model honestly just confuses my tiny brain way too much - but I imagine it would fit me. Really it’s up to you if you’d use it for yourself.

In my life, I’ve kinda decided on my own definition of “love”, based on qualities that have been lacking in all the previous, abusive relationships in my life (both familial and romantic). Love doesn’t have to be a feeling or a bouquet of roses or a candlelit dinner. Sometimes, love is just enjoying spending time with someone, and being enthusiastically willing to spend the rest of time with that someone. This goes for both platonic relationships and romantic relationships btw.

My current boyfriend knows if all my neurodivergency and trauma troubles, and understands my unusual lack of certain emotions, including that of love. He loves much more passionately than me, since he’s neither ND nor nearly as traumatized as me - he still considers himself in a “honeymoon phase” even after ~5 years, he loves the usual NT romantic flair of roses and gifts and fancy dinners, and he seemingly never lost that “spark” for me. On the opposite end, I lost the “spark” a long time ago, I hate/can’t understand the cliche concept of romantic love, and I usually have to ask how long we’ve been dating 💀. However, despite our clear differences in this regard, I still trust him more than anyone - he’s my best friend, and he understands and cares for me more than anyone in the past ever tried to. He knows my conflicts with emotion and showing physical affection, and he’s knows I’m much more like a cat than a human, in that I prefer bonding via parallel play and just being in the same room. He knows this and accepts this, and that’s why I want to spend my life with him. Because that’s what I consider to be love.

This is a long-ass ramble for no reason lol, but TLDR: “love” is meaningless, so make your own definition. And I believe anyone can find a partner that they can love and be loved back, including those of us that have trouble with “love”.

Absolutely! I don't have the time/energy to respond to all of this, but I do genuinely appreciate the sentiment. Reiterating that I don't identify as aro, but I realized last night that the attraction I have for two of my closest friends is most definitely alterous, and that eased a LOT of my fears and troubles regarding what I was feeling about them-- not platonic, not romantic, just... intimate. Far more fulfilling that any romantic relationship I've ever had, though part of that might just be shit luck on my end.

Either way! The "hierarchy" of what makes something platonic, romantic, or whatever else is completely made up, do what you want forever

[lonelydiamondheart]

idk how to start this but i guess i’m going in order with what you said,

yes, he has always been pretty open about his beliefs and opinions politically, voting was literally the only thing he waited for when he turned 18, and he has been practically educating everyone ever since. Also, not about this, but the fact that he’s been losing followers is not new either, and in my opinion it’s not because of the fandom or the dramas (cuz fr who cares about Inde?), but let’s consider that many people had followed him for his looks in Scream, and he no longer looks like that + as you already said, he’s not a content creator to be posting all the time, something people don’t like

Personally i think that his friendship with Josh and Hayley doesn’t exist anymore, and I really think that Haley is like their favorite child (maybe because she might have more time with them, because she straightly focuses on training and competences, etc.) and yes, it’s weird for all of us to see that he doesn’t talk to Josh as he used to when we would see them together a lot, but we can’t blame them for preferring Haley (or maybe we could), and him for setting boundaries, he has all the right to push himself away from people he doesn’t want to be around

Jack’s fandom is pretty toxic as it is, sometimes not just from a person but a whole group. They insult each other, sexualize jack, copy ideas, etc. we’ve even got to a point where they’re selfish enough to call people who have been noticed by him “full of themselves” or “believe they’re intimate friends with him”, and believe me, it’s been a whole talk about the situation of him not being active. he absolutely has the right to stay as private as he wants, and i’m def thankful that compared to other fandoms, we still get a glimpse of his life, but what’s sad is that he hasn’t shown to care about his job either, when freaky tales release date was announced, the other cast members shared about it, because it was definitely a movie we were waiting for, but he didn’t do the same, i thought he’d post it later as he did when Avatar 3 name was announced, but he didn’t :c but i guess this also goes to the part of idealizing an idol, that at the end of the day, it just ends up wrong for the fan, not others.

the duncanuyes account has talked about had been a fan of both, Jack and Inde, and i am honestly surprised to see how they were able to find the information from even before they knew them, they’re in a very neutral position, speaking about them both and not only one sided, that one review is from depop, btw, they said it, and another user confirmed the reviews can only be left when the product is marked as “sent”, so take your conclusions on that, i’ve never used that app 

i’m sorry to say this, but you can’t speak about parasocial when your content is erotic about a character he played at 17! i understand you or others like it and it’s your type of content, but sometimes we gotta consider our own stuff too when it comes to this

so yeah, i try to see this in a very neutral position too, because i know they both did wrong and i genuinely feel bad for Ty. as you said, the way they started is the way they’re gonna end, i was really hoping that jack would mark his limits just as he did with haley, but well, us young people tend to do the complete opposite of what we see, are told, or believe 💀 and at the end, the consequences are gonna be just on them

https://www.tumblr.com/realhotgirlshitah/770698535437041664/also-listen-listen-his-ex-gf-like-with-all-her

NOW THATS WHAT GETS ME- I feel like BECAUSE of his ex gf, he’s been more like “guys go vote!” “Vote blue!” Like does he acc care or is this to like restate his image???? Idk Jack’s just weird bro. Him having weird gfs T-W-I-C-E. Like if it was a mistake the first time, then ya did it again pal! 😭 ALSO, I had no idea Josh’s wife was a trumpie, that feels like it reinstates Jack”s “vote blue” shit is just performative…like if he broke up with Haley bc she was a trump supporter, and still like acted all liberal, but still fw Josh and his wife, then ain’t it really all just performative??? And people are really arguing and being like “hey Jack isn’t a homewrecker bc there’s no home to wreck! ain’t wasn’t a marriage” SHUT UP BRO 😭 IF A GIRL WAS TRYNA GET WITH HIM WHILE HE WAS IN A RELATIONSHIP YALL WOULD DRAG HER UP AND DOWN THE CURB.

Another thing I will say is that I don’t think that him being liberal is super performative considering the fact that his mother has always openly been a leftist who advocates for women’s, lgbt and poc rights! She also has taken Jack to a bunch of rallies and educated him on these topics which he has been open about way before haley as well which is super important to note.

HOWEVER… I do believe that the people you surround yourselves with is a good representation of what beliefs you hold which is what has me so split. Haley and Hayley, support shitty causes which wasn’t a good look for Jack but there’s also still people like his mother, Romeo and Willa that hold and represent very different beliefs.

Also Josh himself I do believe is a liberal but it’s just his wife that ms questionable. Very important to note that he’s quite high profile personal trainer in the industry who was hired to work with Jack since he was 14 so to me it makes sense why they haven’t been cut off or kicked to the curb. Contracts aside, Josh has been a big brother/father figure to him through an integral period of his life and career so that’s another thing I’m split on. It’s still fuck Josh for encouraging a relationship with Haley in the first place but overall it kind of makes it make more sense that Jack gravitated towards her so much

The whole thing with Inde is a whole mess though and weirds me out. If Jack homewrecked, that’s very odd of him and im huge believer in how you get someone is how you lose them when it comes to cheating so I guess we’ll see.

But the way a lot of his fans have approached this, is SUPER odd to me. I’ve seen the stuff of Duncanyes insta and though I see where they’re coming from, their content, commentary and stuff said by their moots puts me off. For them and a lot of other Jack stans, it’s way too parasocial and very unhealthy. I cannot stand when people believe that celebrities owe them something just because they’ve shown them support. I would definitely hate if I was in that situation and people spoke about me as if I owe them my entire career and obedience. Yes fans are the reason why celebrities are who they are but I genuinely believe that acknowledging and appreciating the support they’re given is enough. The issue is so many fans are stuck on the belief that they’re entitled to controlling their fave’s life and that they must upkeep that image of them they’ve created in their head. Trying to find the balance as a celeb must be exhausting especially at such a young age.

I think Jack is a good person and overall means well, he’s made a couple of mistakes but it’s so easy to make assumptions and it’s normal to feel a sense of disappointment. For me that’s why more than anything you’ll see me wrote content about his character, particularly Ethan, as opposed to him

That’s not to say I wont write any Jack content! That lil white boy is FOINE. But like i said, Im not one for feeding too much into parasocial relationships with real people and expecting complete perfection from them

Thanks for yapping with me though anon! I love you REAL BAD 😌😌❤️

[ridhearts]

my love’s got a bad rap {misc.}

somebody’s got a bad reputation...but are they really as bad as they seem?

characters: cater + deuce + floyd + vil + rook + idia + malleus + sebek

reader: gender neutral!

cw: none!

masterlists ⇿ request 

• • • • • • • Cater

"What is he doing? Is he doing another dance trend?"

"Oh my goodness, and did you hear all the abbreviations he was using in Crewel's class? Half the time I don't even know what he's saying."

"Honestly, I doubt his mind is ever on anything but Magicam likes. He's so shallow, my feet wouldn't get wet if I stepped in him."

Cater says it doesn’t bother him, and he detests wasting time on convincing you that it’s true. He’s a master at switching the subject at hand, swapping topics almost as easily as he does his many masks. No need to sweat the small details, right, Prefect? Plenty of people love him, if his Magicam follow count has anything to say about that! Having haters comes with having fans, so why let them rain on the parade? There’s no such thing as bad publicity! Now, if you’re done bringing down his vibe, he’s got a few cute photo-op ideas that he’d love to tell you about…

But Cater isn’t as convincing as he likes to think he is. The truth is, it does kind of bother him that people think he’s so shallow. One thing Cater has been deprived of is a true, genuine relationship he can call entirely his own. But the people he considers closest to him don’t always hold him in the same regard, or they’ve grown attached to a fabricated version of himself. Now people think there’s nothing within him worth getting to know? The world loves reminding him of what he can’t have, doesn’t it? He holds people at an arm’s length for a reason, which makes it easier to tell himself that they think these things about his persona, not him. That’s about as successful as you’d think it is, which is to say, not at all.

Deep down, Cater is a lot of fun. He notices little details about the people he cares about, and he wants to spend time with people he thinks truly get him. It hurts to be reminded that there’s a rift between him and them, maybe one that he cracked into the earth himself. But you’re still sitting with him on the other side, and when he hooks one leg over yours and gives you a cheeky grin you lean into him instead of away. It’s not going to change a lot of his behavior, and it won’t change the way people see him. But it’s reciprocation, and it’s enough.

• • • • • • • Deuce

"Did you hear about the big fight by the botanical gardens?"

"Yeah, I did. Isn’t that one Heartslabyul kid getting into a lot of fights?"

"I heard he used to be a delinquent. Guess he never grew out of it."

Deuce doesn’t really mind, at first. If anything, he’s frustrated that people are worried over gossip that’s none of their business, then he worries how many people know about his old delinquent days. He’s positive you didn’t tell anyone, and he’s pretty certain Ace hasn’t, either - but maybe it’s a meaningless rumor that happened to be correct. He did get into a lot of fights, even despite his best efforts to stay calm and collected.

The worst part of it isn’t that his reputation follows him - he was prepared for that, to a degree. Deuce worries that they might be right. While not the most self-conscious person out there, Deuce was most certainly out of his depth in trying to be a model honor student. His foundation was shaky, and on bad days he worried that maybe his efforts were for nothing, and he’d always be a rowdy delinquent that was too quick to anger over things he didn’t understand.

But you don’t seem so convinced. Sure, when you noticed his bloody knuckles you huff in exasperation, but you’ve started carrying around a mini first aid kit just for him. Deuce insists he can dress his wounds on his own, but he rather likes how tenderly you hold his hand when you turn him down. It’s almost like he’s somebody fragile, who would break if the wind blew wrong and doesn’t throw punches without caution. Sometimes, if you’re feeling particularly fond, you bring his hand up to your lips before he can protest and call him your sweet boy. If nothing else, that gets him motivated. He might not feel as sweet as you say he is, but he’s fervently dedicated to being someone you still want to say it to!

• • • • • • • Floyd

"Surely one of the twins would know what to do, but no way they're worth approaching!"

"Our best bet is asking Jade. He's the more reasonable one, I think."

"Yeah, for sure. Even if we wanted to ask Floyd, he wouldn't be able to get himself to do anything."

Floyd cares more about the incessant noise these rumors make way more than he cares about what they're actually saying. Azul and Jade have both mentioned that it might be worth toying with the expectation people have of him, but that would require planning, which would make everything predictable and boring. It's no secret that Floyd hates being bored more than anything. He lets other people do what they want because he does what he wants, and if he wants people to stop talking, he's very persuasive when he's squeezing somebody.

You both know that saying anything bad about the Leech twins is a bad idea, and that anything that's said about them makes its way to their ears eventually. If a rumor really bothered one of them, it'd be 'taken care of’ by dinner time. But Floyd has only ever paused to consider the thoughts of a few people in his life, and even then he still pushes buttons if it's the right opportunity for the most fun. So if you insist on yapping like an angry Chihuahua on his behalf, go ahead! Floyd doesn't mind the extra reminder that Shrimpy likes him the best!

It is rather amusing, though, to watch you get flustered or upset whenever you hear what people are saying about him. Whether you just scoff and walk away or make a show about correcting them, it lifts Floyd's spirits to know you've got a whole list of things in your mind that you like about him. He's got one for you, too, Shrimpy! Item number one is that you're just soooo squishy…

• • • • • • • Vil

“Ugh, I have just about had it with him! If I have to listen to another lecture about beauty standards I’m just going to start biting people.”

“He’s got a lot to say for somebody that’s probably only famous because of daddy’s money anyway.”

"Right? Like, who died and made him queen?”

Vil hated baseless, idle gossip with a passion. It wasn’t because he couldn’t take it - years in the spotlight have hardened him from the harsh words of ill-intentioned critics, and sometimes he simply did not actually care - but he did hate how such ugly words were only spoken because some little potatoes didn’t feel like doing the work they needed to. They’d see the results if they just listened to his advice. But instead they insist on trying to tarnish his reputation and succeeding in tarnishing their own with the mud they flung so carelessly. It was quite a headache.

He does, however, worry about such rumors reaching you. Vil trusts you and believes you’ve got a good head on your shoulders, but he does not like that he can’t simply plug your ears and direct you away from the lies he knows are out there. He cannot act preemptively and tell you they’re false, for he isn’t sure just what you know and doesn’t want to bring them to your attention when the both of you can leave the rumors to rot as they should. Vil is normally well-respected and admired, but he knows that he can come across as harsh or haughty, and sometimes tabloids just need content. He cannot control what you hear about him, and he is still learning to relax when life insists on taking the reins from him.

Of course, he is an excellent judge of character and would never get along with someone who so blindly trusted celebrity gossip. It brings him great joy to see you smirk at the exaggerated headlines and laugh at how preposterous they are. He also values the way you carefully bring up any details they may have a point about. You have gained his trust, and he relishes in seeing that he has gained yours. Few people in this world have had the privilege of seeing the real Vil behind the glitz and glamor, and yet he can think of nobody more deserving of such a gift than you.

• • • • • • • Rook

"He's such a creep! I hate even being in the same room as he is."

"And if you're unlucky enough to get stuck in a conversation with him, isn't he kind of…..weirdly mean half the time?"

"There's no way this isn't some sadistic warm up for his future career in serial killing, or something."

Rook is another one who doesn’t quite care exactly what is said about him. He knows the reputation he holds, and he doesn’t do much to counteract the image. As long as the Pomefiore dorm is not caught in the crossfire, he simply works with the way people see him. They get so skittish when he approaches, and yet they make no effort to hide their tracks! The beastmen on campus get so nervous around him, ears angled towards him and tails twitching in his hands wonderfully! People rarely show hostility so openly - perhaps he is blessed to see such a hidden side of his classmates in full view!

Although, he must admit, unrequited love stories get a bit old after they’ve been told time and time again. His heart remained unbruised but his mind grew restless, yearning for a different tale to catch his attention. School life doesn’t exactly allow for a lot of new acquaintances to be made once the entrance ceremonies have come to a close. Perhaps that is why he values the interactions he has with his Trickster so much; with your original skepticism reaching to every student and not just him, and your stubborn tendency to figure things out for yourself (and forgive great transgressions, if his peers who have Overblotted can be used as evidence), you are one of very few relationships that has grown organically with him.

It revitalizes him, to give such enthusiasm out and have it returned. You, with all your cunning and tenacity, have begun to slowly figure him out, unwinding the threads he has allowed to fray and pursuing him still. All his other quarries have allowed his arrow to pierce them, killing any chance at a benevolent relationship between them, yet you manage to evade him every time. Truly, you have been the most fascinating chase he has ever embarked upon! Should his arrow ever strike you, he hopes it pierces your heart as you have done to him, rather than chase you away to never return.

• • • • • • • Idia

"Uhhhh…is Idia finally out of his cave today?"

"I think there's a practical in Crewel's class. In person. Can't miss it."

"No wonder the mood is so down today…"

Idia knows what people think about him, and he’s convinced himself they’re saying more than he can hear. He truly is his own worst enemy, having already called himself what others have and so much worse. Idia hates how it feels like he’s stuck in his head and everybody else’s too, caught in an echo chamber of self loathing - but he double hates letting people know about it. The last thing he wants is people thinking he’s a paranoid weirdo, and the second to last thing he wants is more attention for him to second guess.

There are few instances where he can feel what he imagines normal must feel like - online, for one, where he can hide behind a custom avi and let his skills speak for themselves. When there’s a job that must absolutely be done and he is (regrettably) put in charge, he can point out the direction to the end just fine. Everybody can get behind finishing their work early, right? Just like everybody wants to finish the final boss battle and get those sweet, sweet rewards. Idia knows he’s capable and he thinks he’s got a few tricks up his sleeve that are worth hearing about - convincing other people takes more energy and effort than he’s willing to give for what seems like a hopeless, pointless endeavor.

…which is why it’s so strange that you’ve stuck around, and you’ve stuck so close. It’s not that he doesn’t like it, he does!! It’s just…well, you’re the super strong and determined prefect who’s saved the school and Crowley’s skin several times over. He’s the weird shut-in…and that’s one of the nicer titles he’s earned! Idia doesn’t dare voice his curiosities, lest it be enough to snap you out of whatever’s taken over you and send you packing once you realize he might be as bad as people say. All the same, it feels really good when you comment on his achievements and praise his skills, even for the small stuff like placing high in his mobile gacha game events. Before, the thought of you knowing what people think about him used to embarrass him to no end - but now he wishes you have, just so he can be reassured that you won’t suddenly come to your senses and push him away. He’s beyond happy that he let you in, but the leap of faith he took was so large…should you leave, it might prove difficult to make his way back over.

• • • • • • • Malleus

"Gyah-! Malleus is coming this way!”

“Huh?!? Why? Did he look mad?”

“You think I stayed around to check? Quick, let’s hide in one of the conference rooms - who cares if people are inside, they’ll understand!”

Malleus is quite aware of his rather foreboding presence. It’s not like anybody is trying to keep quiet, but even so, an entire school of arrogant, risk-taking mages-to-be avoids him, so clearly something is scaring them off. He’s not very good at appearing more approachable (which he thinks is because his attempt at pleasant, polite smiles come across as “terrifying snarls from a creature on the brink of devouring somebody,” as Lilia once put it). It’s rather lonely.

Malleus isn’t subtle about this loneliness, either. Ask Lilia, and he’ll be happy to tell you about the many times he’s found Malleus moping, or had to fight through the rain and narrowly avoid being electrocuted by his angry lightning over another forgotten invitation. Lilia finds it endearing, but Malleus is nothing short of chagrined. Yet his bemoaning does nothing when nobody dares hover around him to listen.

For someone that doesn’t want to be taken so seriously, he makes even the smallest of things seem like life-or-death occurrences. Once you spared him a moment for casual conversation - my, has there ever been anything as wonderfully mundane as that? - Malleus decides that You Are The One. He isn’t even sure what that means himself, but he does know that he might implode from the isolation if you were to decide to stop talking to him all together. (“First love,” Lilia swoons in the background, “Always so dramatic.”) It only took a kind word to make yourself one of the most important people in a future king’s life, and every word only makes things sweeter. Malleus has never been so thankful that his reputation, for once, didn’t precede him.

• • • • • • • Sebek

"Dear Seven, I’ve got the most massive headache…and here he comes around the corner.”

“What does he even yell about? I’ve learned to tune him out but I can’t imagine it’s anything too special if it comes from him.”

“Talking to him isn’t worth the trouble. Let’s just use the ground floor hallway and avoid him completely.”

It’s hard to say if Sebek knows what other people think of him. On one hand, he must not be aware, because he never tones his voice down and always looks surprised when somebody finally snaps and tells him to can it. On the other hand, Sebek is very firm in his beliefs, so he’d be unlikely to back down because a few pesky classmates of his can’t handle a few shouts. Does he not know, or does he not care? It’s a toss-up, and there hasn’t been anybody curious enough to have a talk about it with him.

The most he ever shows is annoyance. How utterly impolite of you to leave while he was in the middle of a sentence! Were you not listening yesterday when he explained the expectation Professor Crewel had for this afternoon’s alchemy lesson?! WHAT DISGRACE DO YOU INTEND TO LAY ON THE YOUNG MASTER’S NAME WITH THAT BEHAVIOR?!?!?! And yet, he sees his peers laughing and huddling in groups, sees them smiling in response to what one of them said, and part of him feels…weird. Like these humans are purposely trying to tear his pride apart, brick by brick.

At first, you’re certain everybody was right and Sebek hates you on the basis of being a human. He’s definitely as loud as everybody makes him out to be, and it’s difficult to hear his true opinion when his words so often fall to praises for Malleus. You suggest he stick to what he thinks, and Sebek acts as if you’ve slapped Malleus in front of him. The relationship takes time. But, eventually, Sebek starts turning his praises to you, whether it’s because you got the top score on a test or he’s impressed with how well you can command the rowdy Grim. He also starts telling you more about himself, almost like he’s expecting you to praise him now. (You do, of course, but it’s sweet how he does it.) Sebek doesn’t really change - perhaps his reputation is more justified than others - but sometimes, if you can catch him feeling contemplative, he’ll spare a moment to be grateful that you’re stubborn enough to seek the truth. (What a display of integrity! Perhaps it isn’t such a disgrace to invite you to Diasomnia one day and dine at the same table as the young master himself!!)

[strawberrykake]

compassion never fails

notes: requested, dancer!reader doesn’t get into competition team, hq boyfriends comfort, angst, comfort, fluff,

warnings: none

oikawa, iwaizumi, bokuto, hinata || dancer!reader

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Oikawa ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳

as someone who never saw himself to nationals, he understands the frustration of working hard yet losing anyways

so when you start crying on his shoulder, he can't help but feel sympathetic, getting emotional himself

"this isn't the end [y/n].." he says, holding you close.

will do everything in his power to uplift your mood

"cmon, let's go get some frozen yogurt, yeah? My treat." he’d offer. “Celebrate all of your hard work. I know you did.”

you take his hand, making him happily chirp

he pulls out his earbuds connected to his phone, handing you one side to listen along to the music

as you both walked, hand in hand to the fro-yo shop nearby, he’d hum along to the music

sometimes lifting the hand holding yours to give a kiss on the back of your palm

and muttering i love you’s into your skin

little moments like these reminds you that at the end of the day, you’ll always return to him: your best achievement of all

you bet he feels the same way about you

just like how you find comfort in him, he finds comfort in you

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Iwaizumi ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳

he's astoUNDed bc you? are incredible at dancing, how is it even possible...

"it must suck...FOR THEM" bc he genuinely thinks they missed out on your talent

when he notices you getting all sad and mopey

he pulls you in a strong embrace

“let’s cuddle?” he requests, kissing the top of ur head

you nod, making the volleyball ace move you towards the couch

as you both hold onto each other’s embrace, relishing the calm silence your bf speaks up, making you open your eyes

“you know you’re incredible right?” He says, a dark pink shade forming on his cheeks at the sudden compliment towards you.

when you shrug, muttering an “I don’t know about that”, the shyness in his eyes are gone

now his solemn gaze is aimed towards you

“i’m serious,” he holds your chin up, making you turn back to him. “You’re absolutely amazing. I see the way you work hard, the way you’re always striving to be at your best. I wish I could even have half of the determination you possess.”

he kisses your (now pink) nose and heated cheeks. “I’m just lucky enough to date you.”

you remain silent, processing his words.

at this point, he could just call you his lil tomato based on how red you get when you’re around him

He finds it cute, pinching your cheeks.

“What? cat got your tongue?” he chuckles.

“Th-thanks, Haji,” you whisper.

“Always here for you. You know that.”

“I love you,” you say, before pulling him close to kiss him.

He chuckles, reciprocating your words under his breath as he presses his lips on yours

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Bokuto ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳

you were always there during his emotional moments

don’t think for a sec that he wouldn’t be there for yours either

he’s being extra caring and soft during these times with you

when you told him about your loss in joining the competitive dance team, he first shouted a loud: “What?!” making birds around him flock

you shush him, smiling at the odd stares (of fukurodani vb teammates lol) going your way

“Oh, sorry.” He makes a quick apology, lowering his voice. “Well, are you alright?”

His eyes search yours, looking for his answer.

“Honestly…?” you give a sad smile, shaking your head ‘no’.

He inhales deeply.

“Ok.” Is all he says, taking your hand and turning to his team.

“We’re going, guys! Bye-bye!” Your bf waves to them, running away with you.

“Babe, where are we going?” you ask, trying to catch up to his long strides.

“The arcade,” he says, walking over to his bike.

Arcade??

“S-suddenly?” you ask as he sits, patting the seat behind him for you to hop on.

“Hmm..” he pauses his thoughts, loosening his uniforms’ tie. “Yes.” He turns around and waits for you to get on the bike.

oh, what the heck.

and with that, you both take a ride to the arcade, your arms wrapping his waist, snuggling him as he talks about his day with you.

Bokuto has a way of clearing your mind from the mess that goes on in your life, he’s like the light at the end of a dark tunnel

It shows during times like this

And when he lets you win the first few games just to see you make the smug look on your face that he misses

—he ends up trying to win,,,yet you kept beating him—

you laugh as you watch him try to get the premium item from the claw machine for the sixth time

“Babe, if you’re not having fun, we could go,” you pat his back, as he presses his face against the glass box.

He stops mid-game to face you. “Are you having fun?” His expression changes.

“Oh,” surprised by his abrupt change in demeanor, you look down, blushing. “Yeah.”

He smiles, chuckling. “Then, thats all that matters!”

“But that’s because I’m with you, Ko,” you say sheepishly. “I always have fun when I’m with you.”

You’ve never seen Bokuto blush so much.

“A-alright then! Let’s get out of here,” he takes your hand, face still hot , making you giggle.

You spend the rest of the day with him, just having the time of your lives glad to have each other.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Hinata ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳

“you didn’t make it in?” he asks with a saddened look when you tell him about not getting into the competitive dance team.

bc all of your dreams are his too

it only crushes his heart more to see your disheartening gaze

“Sorry, this is so uncool,” you say, wiping tears away, embarrassed by your crying

“Despite everything, you still manage to be the most coolest person I know,” he wipes your tears away, moving close to you.

Once again Hinata goes on and on, babbling abt how he admires you

All without realizing the flustered mess you are because it’s just in his nature to unabashedly spit compliments,admiring another’s strengths, and praising them

If it were someone else, you would’ve thought they were just saying it to make you feel better

But knowing Hinata, he’s super expressive with his thoughts

You’d be able to know when he’s lying because he’s easy to read, like a book

That’s what makes you so flustered as he went on and on about your skillset

His eyes would wonder off into the distance, bringing up the cool moves you’d do, as if visualizing it in his head as he smiles, amazed

“Y-you’re just really, cool!” he stutters in his sentence when he realizes he’s been chatting for so long.

His eyes shift back to yours and he notices your crimson face, tears pricking

“Th-thank you, Shoyo,” you sniff. “I think you’re really awesome, too.”

He smiles, pulling you in a hug.

“Don’t you worry, [y/n]. I believe you can get through this,” the redhead murmurs into your shoulder as he places a kiss on it.

“You always do.”

His words make your heart skip a bit.

He pulls back to give you a huge grin, dimples appearing under his eyes.

You lean up to kiss them, making him giggle.

He’s the literal sunshine on your cloudy days.