#how they show their concern varies. But hey! They Care

[faeriekit]

Health and Hybrids (V)👽👻💚

[I can't remember the original prompt posters  for the life of me but here's a mashup between a cryptid!Danny, presumed-alien!Danny, dp x dc, and whatever prompt made the one body horror meat grinder fic.]

PART ONE is here PART TWO is here PART THREE is here PART FOUR is here and this is part five💚 Ao3 Is here for all parts

Where we last left off... Batman had a meeting! Danny acquired age appropriate enrichment toys. All is well. You know. Except for the everything else. But it’s fine and MM is on his way so it’ll all be great soon for sure! :)

Trigger warnings for this story:  body horror | gore | post-dissection fic | dehumanization (probably) |  my awful attempts at following DC canon. On with the show.

💚👻👽👻💚

One…Morning? Evening?

Well. One day, Danny rediscovers his tongue.

Most of the muscle is there. Things taste better after he remembers how to taste.

(If everything tastes like iron, well…Danny tries to ignore that.)

Its main function is social. When Danny needs the quiet humans he can’t see to Shut Up or Go Away!, it is now within his power to blow a raspberry.

A slightly bloody raspberry. But still! A success! And when the fuzzy red human buzzes and whines about scaring them off, Danny blows it one too.

If all it does is make the human cry more, hey. That’s not Danny’s business.

*

The buzzy human comes back with its friends, with fresh sheets, spilling nervousembaras!sednervous all over the room.

Blech. Danny saves himself the trouble and phases through his bed and through the floor below. He does not need to be grabbed again.

He has more energy than he used to. It gets him farther than he’s used to; by the time he finds and works his way through an apple, a pear, and a whole plate of chicken wings, he’s still not sleepy.

…Huh. He rolls over underneath his usual haunt: a conference table. He isn’t feeling the urge to drop into his core. He’s achy, sure, and his limbs hurt and his mouth hurts from eating and he can’t see, but also…

Is Danny bored? Is he finally well enough to be bored of being sick and injured?? That’s. Is that progress? Is it…regression??

Danny sulks under his conference table (his now) with a pile of chicken bones and a few stems and doesn’t know what to do.

If he goes back to his bed…will the sheets already be done? Will people be waiting to get him? Did he lose his…ugh, he doesn’t want to think of them as toys. His…enrichment? Educational tools?

…Okay they might be toys. Whatever. When Danny feels better, he’ll grab something more age appropriate. Maybe he’ll get them from his—

Danny flinches.

…From his house.

If he can get there.

Whatever. He doesn’t want to think about that right now. He wants to figure out how to get rid of his trash without revealing his location. Or leave his conference table shelter.

Danny drums his claws against the low-pile carpet that stretches below him. Should he stay? Rest up? Wait for the threats to his admittedly-kinda-pathetic territory to leave? Should he…go get more food? Should he explore more? He feels all kinds of sore and tired but his head mostly feels clear. Maybe if he—

There’s a hissing noise. Danny bristles. He hisses in like, but—oh. It’s a door.

…Oh. It’s the door.

Uh oh. That’s um. That’s.

Uh oh.

Danny quickly pretends that he hadn’t hissed. He invisibly pushes the top of his head through the thick wood of the conference table. They shouldn’t be able to see anything if he peeks.

Well. Unless they can? But if they can, that’s. Uh. That’s a whole new problem.

Several tall, colorful, adult humans walk into the room. He can’t quite tell how many. Just a bunch. And they’re tall. But hey, they’re color coordinated for easier determination, at least.

Danny lowers himself back down through the table. Should he leave? Will they see him if he tries to leave? Can they spot him?

He sits and worries and he dithers as the humans slowly surround the table and the hidden ghost underneath. Should he…should he go through the floor? Will they know he’s there? Is it even safe to get back to his cot yet?

Feet start appearing underneath the table. Danny shies away from them. He pulls his chicken bones away from them too; if they step on one, they might notice him.

Then everything gets quiet. There’s only one quiet, droning voice.

So maybe Danny peeks again.

There’s a giant shadow at the front. It’s probably human. It has black arms and black legs and a patch of what is probably skin in his very fuzzy vision. It stands beside a lit screen.

Danny squints.

…Oh. He can’t quite tell what it’s about, or what’s exactly is being shown on the screen, but he knows what a powerpoint presentation is supposed to look like: a person, a lot of talking, a screen, and a lot of people listening. They’re just…talking. They’re not even talking about Danny.

Okay. He’ll rest under the table. It seems…safe enough for now.

It’s better to listen to human heartbeats and breathing in a room than it is to sit in his silent one, waiting for some new horror to break the everpresent quiet. Danny lays on his belly, nose to the carpet, and counts how many feet are under the table. (There are sixteen feet.) Some humans are wearing real shoes, with inch-thick soles of hard rubber at the bottom. Some are wearing things that look like shoes, but are too flexible, with soft soles that bend and curl as they flex under the table. Very few of them have laces or fixtures. Huh.

A wrapper falls. Danny watches the ball of foil flutter to the floor, at peace with his position, tired of inspecting shoes. And then a face pops down.

Danny freezes. (It’s not the smartest move.)

The face that popped down probably sees him back, considering how still it goes. And then, very slowly, so slowly, a hand reaches down. Danny flinches back, and—

…It grabs the wrapper. The adult carefully gets back up. The face disappears.

Danny doesn’t move. Danny doesn’t leave. Danny doesn’t breathe.

He waits. The human slowly goes back to tapping its toes, wiggling in its seat—and vibrating, in a way that says bored/bored/bored the way the younger human sometimes does.

…No one says anything. No one does anything. No one jumps under the table to get him, there isn’t a break in the speaker that indicates identifying Danny as Present, or as A Problem. Danny is simply…hidden.

He should leave. It would be smart to leave. Danny would be safer if he left.

But also.

Maybe.

This might be the first time he’s been so close to humans in so long.

They don’t know he’s here. It should be…safe. If he just. Listens to the indistinct sound of human voices. Let them wash over him, like a radio left on in the other room.

Danny’s sated. He’s achy. He’s bored. He’s sad. He’s lonely.

…He stays.

He doesn’t notice his humming or the quiet purr in his chest before the hand comes back down again. Danny flinches away from it, the hum guttering to a stop where it had laid.

There’s something about its hand. The hand came down, before, but now there’s something more to it. Another color—a darker color. It’s hard to tell in the shadow underneath the desk. Maybe a—green? A blue? Maybe?

The hand shifts, just a little. And then the thing comes flying at him. Danny jolts backwards, digging his claws into the mere millimeters of carpeting underneath him, and—

Oh. The thing isn’t moving. It hasn’t even exploded.

Danny reaches out a hand. Taps it, gently. It doesn’t hurt. It doesn’t attack him. It doesn’t excrete anything acidic or bite him. He sniffs it, just to be doubly sure, and nope. It smells like plastic. The wrapper crunches under his hands, even when everything sounds mute and muffled. The noise is borderline imaginary, so Danny can’t exactly tell what it sounds like when he plays with the little plastic flaps.

He can tell what it is now, though. The food bar goes down whole, wrapper and all, into his gullet.

Nice. The outside tastes bad, of course, but it’s nice.

The hand goes away, and no one bothers Danny. It’s nice. There are voices, but they aren’t yelling. They aren’t mean to him. They aren’t talking about what his insides look like or how bad he is or how to take more pieces off of him.

…Danny’s core thrums evenly. Peacefully. Maybe he will want that nap after all. His body gets kind of grouchy when it comes to plastic. He can pretend that it isn’t grumpy with his improvised diet with a nap.

Danny curls up on the floor, core beating along with the quick and even taptaptaptaptap fluttering of a too-quick human heart, and settles in for a quiet one.

(When he wakes up again, no one is around to see him throw out his chicken bones in the tiny trash receptacle by the doorway.)

(His toys and new sheets are all there when Danny gets back to his cot.)

(He’s too relieved to do anything but take a second nap.)

*

“So,” Wally tries, leaning against the wall. “The… Alien? Extraterrestrial?”

Barry shrugs. Fishes a cheeto out of his bag. “Bart’s been calling it a ghoul. They crashed half a mile off the Kent farm a little after you popped out of the Speedforce; there’s a huge chance something happened to them as part of the temporal anomaly.”

“Happened as in…?”

“Yeah.” Barry takes another cheeto. “Bad.”

And theeeere is the visible guilt. There isn’t exactly any great way for Wally to feel after his unintentional resurrection led to an unintentional…something else.

“…Ah.”

Barry shrugs. There isn’t anything they can do about it; short of rewinding time and shoving Wally back into the Speedforce, which has been shoved off the table with a great deal of force by all of the man’s former teammates, there’s no way to undo the accident that landed the poor alien smacking straight into good-old-fashioned American dirt.

“Don’t worry about the way it happened. It wasn’t your fault, and it sure wasn’t intentional on your part,” Barry points out, and offers the bag of Cheetos towards Wally. The snack is gone in microseconds. The curse of speedsters is really footing the bill of all their emotional eating.

“So, they’re…do we know what they are? Because they definitely shapeshifted fangs as soon as I found their little—whatever that is. Container? Unit? Under the table.” Wally traces the vague shape of the thing’s cerulean heart in the air. “One second I was holding a glass paperweight, and the next I was on the opposite end of a very angry shadow-snake. I think they would have done worse than bit me if it hadn’t had a clear escape route out of there.”

Barry balls the empty bag and shoves it into a pocket. If he litters in the Watchtower, it’s going to be water cooler gossip for years. Bats would never let anyone defile his super cool, super-secret base with garbage without his own form of petty revenge. “Medical says it likely serves as an organ for him,” he says instead, since monologue about how inconvenient it is to be held responsible for his own actions wouldn’t be professional. “So. Think of it less as a container; think of it more as a turtle shell. Medical is pretty sure it’s a part of their body. Messing with it would really hurt them.”

“Yeowch.”

“Mmhmm. One micro-sec.” Barry darts out and away from his nephew; he just remembered he has bottled smoothies in his room. In the time it takes him to fetch two from his mini-fridge—one of his favorite flavor and one of Wally’s—and circle back, the dust motes in the air have hardly even realized he’s gone. They hardly drift even upon his return. “Here.”

Wally catches it easily. To anyone else, Barry would barely have blinked away. To any other Speedster…Barry knows intimately how lethargic and thick time feels against his skull. Slowing down to a mortal, human speed can feel maddening. Sore. Viscerally and bone-shatteringly wrong in his skin, maybe.

“Thanks.”

“No problem.” Barry would do that and more for his family.

They drink their smoothies.

“You know,” Barry breaks back in, the thoughts of their previous conversation looming lightly in his mind, “Medical says that the fact that we sometimes see their—let’s call it a core—is really, really bad. It’s not a shock that they’re hiding. It would be like climbing in a closet when you’re so vulnerable that you don’t feel like you can defend yourself.”

The rim of Wally’s smoothie bottle drops from his lips. The man frowns. “Oh?”

Barry shrugs. “Imagine losing your skull so that your brain is exposed all the time. Imagine being a cell and having your cell wall break so your nucleus is exposed?”

They both wince at the image.

“Oh boy. And Bart is…playing? With that entity?”

His uncle snorts. “You tell me. I think you’ve seen more of them than I have at the moment. All I did was catch them hanging out in a conference room. I have to admit, the purring can get a little loud in the…” he makes a vague gesture that could mean anything from room to atmosphere to Speedforce.

Wally’s been mostly of the same mind—the physics of the entity, whatever they are, aren’t specifically third-dimensional. It might be related to how they only sometimes manifest, or how they manifest with only partial corporeality.

“It’s been at least some play and some games for him, I’m sure,” Wally admits, a smile pulling at his mouth nevertheless. “I spotted him going through a stim toy website before he suddenly and mysteriously had a mission on the other side of the planet. But I think most of his concern is the…”

Wally winces at the thought of the myriad of medical issues the entity’s faced since his arrival to Earth. Barry’s wince stretches to match. They both saw the report.

“…So it’s been a lot of food on Bart’s part. A lot of managing his care of them too; Superboy and Rob aren’t the most straightforward team in the world, but I think they’re largely keeping Bart in check on this one— not that they’re on base as much as Bart is.”

Wally smiles. It’s not a very happy smile, or very relieved of his earlier guilt, but it’s a smile nevertheless. That’s fine. Barry’ll work on the rest on Sunday; they’re due for a good luncheon out somewhere nice. Their JLA-approved food budget can foot the bill. Maybe…Indian? There’s got to be good food in Delhi they haven’t tried yet.

“At least J’onn’s back on base next week.” Wally sighs, crooked and a little weary. “Maybe this will finally get them to stop running every time someone gets within forty feet of them. Like, they realize they’re losing vital fluids, right? Wait, is Bart even giving them any water?”

“…I’m going to hold off on that worrying thought. I have a different one I’m sweating over. Do we even know if Bart will let our resident telepath get within forty feet of his new playmate?”

Wally groans, face in his hands. Barry can’t help but laugh a little—perhaps tinged with desperation.

Sidekicks. Always with the new problems. At least last time they had this problem, Kon could talk.

[topguncortez]

Pink Skies - J. Seresin x Shy!Wifey

whumptober masterlist || previous day

Prompt: "Leave No Trace Behind, Like You don't Even Exist"

synopsis: The Seresin kids have all come home, but not for the reason they wish it was for. Jake has to face his hardest challenge yet, saying goodbye to the love of his life. Based on the song "Pink Skies" By Zach Bryan

warnings: MAJOR character death, implied suicide, dying of a broken heart, mentions of miscarriage, mentions of postmortem body tampering (does not happen, but it is a concern that is brought up), mentions of parental death, grieving process.

word count: 4.3k

“The kids are in town for a funeral. So pack the car and dry your eyes.” 

Alex let out a deep sigh as he parked his car in front of the one place he had been dreading coming back to. Ever since getting that call, he had waited until the last possible moment to make the trip down from Lemoore. He would’ve put it off longer, showing up the day of, but a tearful call from his sister told him he needed to be back sooner. 

The house felt cold as he turned the knob, the only sign of life was the misplaced shoes by the front door and his dad’s truck in the driveway. He had been back a few weeks prior, helping do some odd end things while his dad attended to his mother, and even then, the house still felt warm and lived in. Now, this house felt anything like the childhood home he had been raised in. 

“Elle!?” Alex shouted, hearing voices and clattering from the kitchen. 

“In here!” His sister called out. Her blonde hair looked like a halo around her head as she turned to greet her brother, “Hey,” Her smile was bright, well as bright as it could be as she pulled him for a tight hug, “How are ya stranger?” 

“Been good,” Alex nodded stiffly, pulling back from his sister, “Where’s everyone else?” 

Ella sighed, stuffing her hands in the back pocket of her jeans, “Eli and Stella are at Val and Javy’s. I sent the twins to go grocery shopping and Dad is um. . . at the funeral home with grandpa and grandma.” 

Alex nodded again, watching as his sister got back to work cooking whatever meal she managed to scrounge up. Even though she had the looks and personality of their father, Ella Seresin was her mother to a t. She was the one who spent hours in the kitchen helping make meals and bake. Alex sat down at the kitchen table, glancing briefly at the various hospital bills and sympathy cards that had gathered there. Flowers had also started to gather around the kitchen, and he guessed that Ella also took care of all those. 

“Where’s Piper?” Ella spoke up from stirring something on the stove, “I swear Dad must have been photosynthesizing these past two weeks. I barely had the basic ingredients for spaghetti.” 

“She’ll come down tomorrow with Billie.” 

“God, I miss that girl.” 

Alex did too even though it had only been a day since he had seen his little girl. Her big blue eyes, soft blonde curls and big smile could make anyone in this situation feel better. All he wanted to do was curl up with his girls by his side. 

The two eldest Seresin kids sat in silence as Ella continued to work on dinner. Alex missed the days of being so near his siblings. Him and Ella had always been two peas in a pod, though their personalities varied greatly, they always leaned on each other when they needed one another. Alex could remember those late nights, sneaking back through the backdoor after being at a party they shouldn’t have been at. Their mom, somehow, always knowing that they had left, would leave a plate of cookies, water, and tylenol on the kitchen counter with a note: 

“Cookies gone, means you are home. Wake me if you need - love, mom” 

How Alex wished he could turn back time and get a plate of her homemade chocolate chip cookies again. 

The silence was broken with the sound of the garage door opening, followed by the rambunctious sound of the youngest Seresin boys. Jasper and Maxwell Seresin stumbled through the door, grocery bags lined on their arms. Jasper’s blonde hair was long, hitting past his shoulders while Maxwell kept his cut short in a fade. Their eyes both widened seeing their older brother sitting at the table. 

“Do I have to like, salute you or some shit?” Maxwell asked, and Alex chuckled. 

“No you shit head,” Alex smiled, standing up and walking to his younger brother. The boy set the groceries down, embracing Alex in a hug. Alex fought back the sting of tears as he hugged him. Being almost 10 years apart had its positives and negatives. Alex got to watch them grow up with a whole new perspective, but he also missed out on those vital years when he went to the academy. While Maxwell decided he too, was going to join the military, getting into West Point (something that surprised the whole family when he applied), Jasper was going to NYU to major in music (also something that surprised the whole family). 

“Missed you bro,” Maxwell nodded, pulling away from him. 

“Missed you too,” Alex said, “And you,” He looked at Jasper, “Looking like fucking Fabio.” 

Jasper chuckled, running a hand through his hair, “Someone had to live the California lifestyle.” 

“Get over here,” Alex chuckled, pulling him into a hug too, “How are you guys? Doing. . . okay?” 

The twins looked at each other, it was a loaded question with about ten different answers they could give. The easy answer was to say “yes, we’re fine,” but they knew that would be a lie. Instead, they both just shrugged, grabbing plastic bags from the ground and beginning to put them away. Alex shot his sister a look, who also just shrugged. She knew them better than he did, having stayed in San Diego for college, completing ROTC before going to flight school and becoming a pilot herself. As much as Alex envied his sister for living the dream that he wanted, he was mighty proud of her. Only a handful of women were pilots in the Navy, and an even smaller number were TopGun pilots. 

“I’m making spaghetti,” Ella said, trying to cut the tension in the kitchen, “Should be ready soon. Anyone heard from Dad? Eli?” 

“Eli said he’s staying at Aunt Val’s for dinner, but will be home for dessert,” Jasper chimed in, “You did make dessert, didn’t you?” 

“The fuck I look like?” Ella sassed, “Betty Crocker?” 

“Mom would’ve made dessert,” Maxwell said. 

And just like that, the tension filled the kitchen once again. Ella looked around, trying to fight back the burning sensation of tears in her eyes. She was yet to cry, and she told herself she wasn’t going to start crying over a comment about dessert. She sniffled, blinking back tears as she looked up at the ceiling, seeing that there was still a crack in the foundation that her dad was supposed to fix years ago. 

“You’re right,” Ella nodded, “And she would’ve let us take turns having a spoon of batter.” Ella clapped her hands, “Alright, pretty sure I wrote down the ingredients for chocolate chip cookies. Help me get them started?” She looked at her three brothers, who all nodded and helped her find the items. 

— — — 

“I know they’ve got plenty of young blood left in them”

It was dark by the time Jake had returned back to the house. This day had been more exhausting than the past three had been. Who knew there were so many details to decide on for a funeral? Jake was thankful that he had sat down and gone through all that so many, many years ago, putting it all in a manila envelope he kept in the bottom drawer of his desk. He was slightly pissed that she had never thought of doing that, but then again, no one expected to one day just die before their life was truly over. 

Jake was surprised when he opened his front door to be met with the sound of laughter and soft music in the background. His house had been quiet for so many days that he had somewhat started to get used to it. He tossed his keys in the bowl by the front door and toed off his shoes, before making his way to the kitchen where he was met with the sight of his five children, all sitting around the table, all laughing. 

“Oh my god,” Eli shook his head, tears in his eyes, “I don’t remember that at all.” 

“Oh I do,” Alex said, “I thought Mom was going to ground my ass for days. I did everything I could to glue Bucky’s urn back together.” 

The whole table burst back out into laughter, not a single one of them paying attention to their dad in the doorway. It felt like old times, and for the first time in a week, Jake felt like his heart was beating in his chest again. There was warmth in the house that he once considered his home. 

“Hey dad,” Ella said, tipping her wine glass to him, “Alex was just telling us about how he and Eli decided to play football in the house and broke Bucky’s urn.” 

“It wasn’t me! It was Maxwell!” Alex pleaded, “I was just supposed to be babysitting.” 

Jake chuckled, shaking his head at the memory. Y/N had been in near tears when she came home to her eldest son sweeping up the ashes of their beloved family pet. Jake couldn’t believe what he was hearing over the phone as she tried to explain. 

“Surprisingly, that’s not the worst phone call I got while at work,” Jake sighed, pulling up a chair and sitting next to his daughter. 

“Oh yeah?” Eli challenged, “What was the worst?” 

“Rooster Bradshaw telling me that my wife had my son on our bedroom floor.” 

— — — 

“So clean the house, clear the drawers, mop the floors, stand tall” 

Jake hated packing. 

Over the course of his military career, he had packed up and moved with a moment's notice. Before he had met Y/N, all his personal belongings had been what the Navy had issued him, plus a handful of civilian clothes and things to go out in. It was easier that way, to shove all his stuff into those navy blue duffle bags and leave for his next assignment. But Y/N had changed all that the moment she came into his life. 

He had never felt like he could settle down, that he could actually put things on his walls, and buy furniture and have an actual house that was a home, and not the standard issued living quarters the Navy had. When he had asked Y/N to move in with him, the first thing she showed up with was a welcome mat to place in front of the door. Jake could remember smiling so big, his cheeks hurt, before handing her his credit card and telling her, “make this place your home.” 

Now, Jake sat in their bedroom, a cardboard box at his feet as he wondered where to start cleaning. He had decided last night that he was going to sell the house. It didn’t feel the same knowing that his wife wasn’t going to walk through the door anymore or spend hours upon hours in the backyard building the garden of her dreams. Their children were all scattered across the country, Ella and Alex in Northern California, Eli in the midwest, and the Twins on the East Coast. Sure, the kids were upset when Jake had told them that he was selling their family home, but they knew it was for the best. Alex had immediately opened his doors for his dad to come live with him. 

Jake sighed, shaking his head and standing up from the bed. The bedroom was going to be a job for another day. 

Jake walked downstairs, where his kids were busy making piles of things to keep and things to give away. He smiled as he watched them reminisce about different items they found; pictures of them as kids, old sports trophies, art projects that hung on the fridge. 

“Hey, who is gonna get the door?” Jasper asked, as he was wearing an old baseball team hat. 

“Oh shit yeah,” Maxwell nodded, “What are we going to do with the door?” 

Alex shrugged, “It's part of the house.” 

“Yeah but, it’s the door,” Jasper whispered, “We all got measured on the door. Hell, even Bucky and Steve got measured on the door.” 

A pang of sadness hit Jake as he looked toward the front closet door. Jake could remember holding a very small, toddler Alex against the door as Y/N marked his height on his first birthday. It had been a tradition ever since then, each Seresin child (both human and furbaby) got measured on their birthday against the door. Jake didn’t say anything as he walked into the garage, grabbing his tool kit. His kids all stared at him as he walked in, opening the closet door and began taking it off the hinges. 

“Dad. . .” Ella called out to him, but the look on his face told them he was determined to get this door off the hinges. Alex stood up from his spot on the floor, going to Jake and helping him. Once the door was off, Alex leaned it against the wall, tears in his eyes. 

“So,” Jake huffed a breath, looking over at his kids, “Ella, there was no way you were four-one on your eighth birthday.” 

Ella ended up taking the door home. 

— — — 

“If you could see ‘em now, you’d be proud.” 

Ella couldn’t remember the last time she had dug her dress blues out of her closet. It had to have been for her Uncle Mav’s funeral years ago. She wasn’t shocked to see them outdated, with her old rank and ribbons still on them. She hated wearing her dress blues. Nothing good ever came from wearing dress blues. 

It wasn’t very often that civilian funerals got honored this way. But when your aunt is the commander of the Pacific Fleet, some calls get made. The moment Grace “Dragon” Bradshaw got the call about Y/N Seresin, she was pulling out all the stops she could. Dragon had called Jake, telling him that she was sending a unit to stand by Y/N’s body, until she could be moved to the funeral home. It was the least she could do, given all Y/N has done over the years. Sure, being a naval aviator was hard work; flying missions at top speed, spending months at a time in the middle of the ocean, working your body to its physical and mental limits, wondering if you are going to make it home alive. But being the one at home, having to take care of the kids and the house and the animals and everything else, was also hard. 

How Y/N did it, was beyond Dragon’s knowledge. Raising five kids while Jake was gone for extended periods of time. Dragon could remember the first time she had to deploy, leaving behind her husband and son, Cash, she thought she wasn’t going to make it through. Dragon had called Bradley in tears, totally ignoring the time difference, begging to see her son. It was even harder for Dragon after the birth of her daughter, Noa. 

Jake sat on his bed, his hat in his hands. His thumb rubbed along the worn edge, trying to find the strength to put it on and go down stairs. He was thankful that Dragon had gotten this honor for his wife, knowing the sacrifices she had made during his time in the Navy. He never imagined that there would come a day, him still in the Navy and Y/N not here. Every plan that they ever had, the things they had dreamed about doing once the ink dried on his retirement papers. 

“I want to get one of those pull-behind campers,” Y/N said as they looked up at the stars one night, “My parents did about a month-long camping trip when dad retired. I want to do that.” 

“Sweets, we can do anything you want,” Jake said, looking at her like she had hung the moon. It took a strong woman to stand next to a military man, and an even stronger woman to have a family with him. If a month-long camping trip to the middle of nowhere was what she wanted, then that’s what she was going to get, “I’ve never been up to Yellowstone, or the Grand Canyon.” 

“You’ve never been to the Grand Canyon!” Y/N gasped, looking over at him. 

“No,” Jake shook his head, “We were going to go but we got called out.” 

Y/N sighed, looking down at her hands. There were a lot of trips that they never got to go on because of Jake’s job. She hated it, but would never admit it outloud, how many things Jake had missed over the years because of the Navy. The births, the birthdays, the first steps, the first days of school, the vacations, the first dances, the first breakups, the college acceptance letters. Jake knew that she had a small resentment for what he did, it was normal, but she never held it over his head. 

“Well, it’s not that cool,” Y/N said, trying to play off her sadness, “It’s like a giant red hole in the earth. And the kids really didn’t like it. Eli cried the whole time and Ella scraped her knee falling in the parking lot. Totally skippable.” 

Jake gave her a small smile, reaching over and grabbing her hand, “Totally.” 

Standing up from the bed, Jake ran his fingers through his graying blonde hair. He remembers joking with Y/N, shortly before her death, that he was happy he was going gray and not losing his hair. But he wouldn’t be surprised if he was going to lose it now, after the past couple of weeks he’s gone through. Jake walked down the stairs, pausing at the sight of his five kids, all of them in various different military dress uniforms, Alex and Ella both in their Navy dress blues, Eli in his Army pinks and greens, and then the twins in their very best black suits with lavender ties (Y/N’s favorite colors). 

“Oh Sweets,” Jake whispered, “You would be so proud of them.” 

And Y/N was beyond proud of her kids. She had jokingly gotten those car decals that say “Proud Military Mom” and “My Daughter is in the Navy!”, putting each of them in the fridge. The kids hated them, blushing in embarrassment every time someone would point them out, but Y/N was so proud of them. She even managed to find a “My Son is going to NYU!” sticker for Jasper. 

“Dad, are you ready?” Maxwell asked, looking up at his father. Out of all the kids, Maxwell turned out looking the most like his mother. 

Jake just nodded, walking the rest of the way down the steps and towards the garage. The kids all looked at each other, before following him out. Jake decided to ride to the funeral with Ella and Maxwell. Piper Trace, Natasha and Luke’s daughter, and Alex’s wife, had come down yesterday with their daughter, Billie, the other day. Though Jake loved his grandchild, he just couldn’t muster up the energy to keep up with her. Eli and Stella rode in another car with Jasper. 

“Your funeral was beautiful. I bet God heard you coming.” 

The funeral was exactly how Jake had planned it, or slightly planned it. He doesn’t remember much about sitting in the funeral director’s office, trying to make decisions on things like what color casket and flower arrangements and songs to play. But everything was perfect, from the flower arrangements to the eulogies the kids gave. When it was Jake’s turn to speak, he removed his hat, placing it gently on the head of the casket. 

“I’m not sure if I can find the right words to say,” Jake started, looking at the large portrait of his wife, “There’s no right words to explain what it feels like to lose the love of your life. Though we’ve been together for half the time we’ve been alive. . . it still feels like we didn’t get enough time. And some days, I’m not sure if I can live without her.” 

It felt like a constant battle for Jake. Getting up every morning and looking over, finding her spot on the bed still made. Seeing her clothes still hung up and put away. Sitting on the couch, waiting for her to walk in with her hands full of either flowers or floral magazines having to get things ready at the shop, or hustling in to grab a quick bite of dinner before dashing off to whatever child’s event she had to go to. There were days, where Jake felt like he was so in the dark, that he would never see the light. That was, until his kids came around. 

Jake’s eyes shifted to his kids, who all sat in the front row, their partners and children sitting behind them, “Your mother was perfect. In every single thing she did. She was perfect. She would lie and say ‘I’m not perfect’, but she was. There will never, ever, be another person like her. And I’m so lucky that she took a chance on me. Even when I messed it all up, she still took a chance on me. There’s going to be a hole in my heart, for the rest of my life.” 

When the funeral was over, the family had a small, private burial. Jake picked a plot that was near Nick Bradshaw, Maverick and Iceman’s plots. Y/N only knew two of the three men, but it still felt right burying her near there. It felt like family, it felt familiar, it felt like the right pieces to the puzzle, putting her there. Each of the five seresin kids sprinkled a bit of dirt on the dark mahogany casket, as it was lowered into the ground. Ella had tried to get her dad to leave, but Jake wanted to stay until the very last moment. 

“Dad,” Ella said softly, placing her hand on his bicep as the groundskeeper started to lower the vault lid, “Come on, Aunt Bea and Uncle Bob are hosting the luncheon.” 

Jake shook his head, “I can’t leave her here like this.” Jake hated thinking about it, but he wanted to make sure that Y/N’s body was left alone, that she was buried and entered in peace, not having been tampered with. Ella frowned at her dad, leaving his side and getting into her car, her feet aching in her dress shoes. Once the dirt had been packed on top of the grave, Jake turned and got into his daughter’s car. 

He was thankful that Bob and Bea decided to host the after funeral meal at their house and not his own. Jake had stayed for a little bit, catching up with old coworkers and friends. He didn’t really have much to say to them, other than he was thankful that they came to the funeral. Jake never realized the amount of people that Y/N had met over the years or had created some impact on. People from Lemoore, Pensacola, Hawai’i, and even from overseas had flown in when they heard what had happened. 

“I’m going to go home,” Jake said to Alex, whose arm was wrapped around his heavily pregnant wife. It was like deja vu, watching Alex and Piper interact. 

“Okay,” Alex nodded, “Do you need me to drive you?” 

“No,” Jake shook his head, looking around at the people at the table. It was truly like a blast from the past. All at the table sat a kid from every dagger squad member; Alex Seresin, Stella Machado, Cash Bradshaw, Piper Trace, Josephine Floyd, Mickey Jr Garcia, and Jordan Fitch. It filled Jake’s heart with joy, knowing that the next generation was as close as he is to his friends. 

“Ella said I can take her car,” Jake said, “Stay here with them. You guys don’t see each other enough anymore.” 

Alex nodded, looking back at the group of kids he grew up with, “Yeah. We’ll be home soon to put Billie to bed.” 

“Take your time,” Jake said, patting his son’s shoulder, before leaving. 

It was only three weeks later that Alex found himself pulling up to his parents house. The same familiar feeling of dread filling his body as he put his car in park and grabbed his duffle bag out of the back. Ella, of course, was already there, trying to make the best of a sad situation. Just as before, the house felt cold and unwelcoming as Alex kicked his shoes off, by his sister’s misplaced ones. 

“Ella?” Alex called out. 

“In here!” She called back from the kitchen. Alex stopped in the doorway, giving his sister a sad smile, “Didn’t think we’d all be back so soon.” 

“Neither did I,” Alex sighed and wrapped his sister up in a tight hug.

It was a lie, Alex knew the last time he saw his dad, that it wasn’t going to be a long time until they were all called back here. Alex felt a tad guilty, the morning that he left, with a box full of stuff from the house, his wife and child in tow, watching his dad’s retreating figure out the rearview window. He wished he would have stayed. He wished that he would have convinced Jake to come up to Lemoore with him. To get some time away from the house, away from the memory of the love he had lost. Jake was stubborn, giving his son the promise to visit soon for the birth of his next grandbaby. But instead, Alex got another tearful call from his sister, begging him to come back home. 

“He said he couldn't live without her.”

taglist: @damrlova @phoenix1388 @mygyn @cherrycola27 @sio-ina-bottle @seitmai @topgun-imagines @bradleybeachbabe @na-ta-sh-aa @xoxabs88xox @atarmychick007 @lunamoonbby @sophialastbraincell @bradswolfe @fandom-princess-forevermore @angelbabyange @dempy @lovelywiseprincess @krismdavis @eternallyvenus @dakotakazansky @pono-pura-vida @daggersquadphantom @gspenc @poppyalice2001 @els-marvelvsp @nyx2021 @t0kyoreveng3rs @frazie99 @spencvrr @kmc1989 @avada-kedavra-bitch-187 @malindacath @justenoughmadnesss @sagittarius-flowerchild @hardballoonlove @harrysgothicbitch @hookslove1592 @noonenuts @marvellouscroissant @senawashere @bradshawsprincess @alwayshave-faith

@smoothdogsgirl @4everademigod

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[mochinomnoms]

Hey! I just wanted to say i love your stuff before anything 💜

How would the Twisted boys react to yuu who had a twin that didn't initially get dragged to TW with them, but showed up later (my brain puts it somewhere past book 2)

[p.s. also imagine the pain of seeing the tweels and not being able to see your sibling]

Thank you! That's so sweet I'm glad you enjoy my works!

I think it all varies, even though there's only one pair of twins, a good chunk of the cast have siblings and I'm sure they'd be able to sympathize being separated from their loved ones in an unknown and unpredictable situation.

When it comes to the tweels, I don't think it's necessarily the visual of the twins that would be upsetting. Jade and Floyd, though vastly different in interests, mannerisms, and even voice, do care for each other quite a lot. They aren't always together and have their own interests, and sometimes even get into gnarly fights that terrify their dormmates. But they do come back to each other in the end, they choose each other afterall. They have the luxury of going back to annoy to be with their twin.

It's the pain of not being able to see you own twin and have the ability to leave but come back that is painful. The cain instinct is strong, but the love for a sibling is just as strong.

But, some how!!! Your twin is sucked into the chaos that is NRC! They're back and you can now hug and beat them up! Joy!!! What is everyone's reactions though?

"Oh fuck no, there's TWO!" - CREWEL, Riddle, Vil, JAMIL, Idia, Sebek

Canonically, I think many of us forget that the MC, and thus you, are a major troublemaker. Whether it's intentional or not is another conversation, but Crewel calls you a troublemaker, Rook calls you trickster, you are well known for getting into things that are not your business. You can also be considered either a key player or even an instigator of some of the overblots! You cause them STRESS!!! They like you, of course, but fuck them, their hearts can't take this much stress. Maybe your twin won't be so bad?

"Oh fuck yeah, there's TWO!" - JADE, FLOYD, Cater, Rook, Kalim, Lilia

The resident twins are of course excited (mostly for the reasons the others are not above, they thrive on interesting things) and somewhat eager to see what trouble you and your twin get into. The others also have similar sentiments, just more for innocent fun. Except Rook. The freak.

Is happy for you, slightly concerned about a second magicless student though - Deuce, Trey, Leona (quietly), Azul, Jack, Silver, Epel

These guys are mostly just happy for you, if just concerned about another magicless student at NRC. Nothing super of note here, though Deuce and Epel particularly might want to get to your twin a bit more. They're friends with you already, what's another!

"...I'm NOT taking care of a second you!" - ACE, GRIM, Ruggie

Oh fuck no, you're already a handful, he's not taking care of another you. No he doesn't care if you tell him that they're nicer, or less of a troublemaker. He already has his hands full with you, he doesn't need more stress!!! He (unwillingly) does get his hands full and more stress after a few days, despite his best efforts.

"New friend? :)" - MALLEUS, ORTHO

New Friend :)

[kotoku]

Hey, can I request Aventurine and Sunday with Yaoyao! reader?

It will be cute to see two older mans being take care by the small child with adult soul. 🥺❤️

ꜱᴜɴᴅᴀʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀᴠᴇɴᴛᴜʀɪɴᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ʏᴀᴏʏᴀᴏ! ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

pairings - sunday & yaoyao! reader / aventurine & yaoyao! reader

content - reader is gender-neutral/not a lot of angst/mainly fluff/sibling or family dynamics

warnings - none, except the yaoyao part might be ooc (apologies!)

⋘ ʟᴏᴀᴅɪɴɢ... ⋙

↻ Sunday, after dealing with an issue at the reception, would be wandering the area to survey if there would be any more troublesome occurrences

↻ His first meeting with you would be him spotting you attending to a distressed Misha, who fell over with his bell cart and had sustained forming bruises on his knees

↺ He watched on curiously as you used a cold water bottle to reduce the swelling, giving the boy a small scolding and advising him to follow a list of remedies you wrote on a piece of paper

↺ Sunday would make his way over shortly after, helping the bellboy up and letting him take the day off to treat his injuries (he notified a medic to assist him)

↻ Sunday who was caught off guard by your seemingly young age, would ask if you had come with your parents to which you would give a shake of your head to

↺ He’s concerned about the fact you are alone in a bustling place such as Penacony, he had ensured that the place is safe for all individuals but why would a kid be there in the first place..?

↻ He would have a small walk and talk with you, showing you around the lobby and listing what Penacony has to offer as you seemed clueless about the place

↺ At one point he thought he had lost you, turning around to see that you had disappeared, giving him a mini heart attack

↺ Turns out, you were talking to the origami birds and showing them the little friend that you had brought along with you (Yuegui ˆˆ)

↻ When the small tour concluded, the two of you waved goodbye and went on your separate ways (Sunday made sure that you got to your room safely, watching you roam around and chat with other guests)

↻ Sunday didn’t know if he’d see you again in the dreamscapes, but he prayed for your safety during your stay at Penacony

↻ … He ends up finding you tending to the Trailblazer who had made their appearance in Golden Hour

↺ After helping the Trailblazer regain their bearings, Sunday would introduce you to his sister and the Trailblazer 

↻ From there on out, he’d start seeing you around more (usually helping people with anything concerning them)

↺ Whether it’s offering dishes or varying teas, you always had something on hand to offer if someone was feeling unwell (both mentally and physically)

↻ Whenever you bumped into Sunday, you two always engaged in a conversation

↺ The topics would range from how was each other’s day to debates about the best locations in the dreamscape

↺ From here, the two of you learned a lot about each other and basically adopted a father-daughter/older sibling-younger sibling relationship (although, he felt like the younger one here…)

↻ If you spotted Sunday feeling unwell or stressed, you’d scold him for continuing to work in such conditions, sitting him down and offering anything that could help his condition

↻ You’d recommend treatment options whenever he came to you about a certain health concern he had, providing him lots of information so that he was educated about the issue

↻ You would bring Sunday a treat, maybe one of his favorites in Penacony or from distant worlds, to help him cheer up or feel better

↻ It was weird at first, but Sunday had grown accustomed to your doting self and was really appreciative that you took the time to help him with his troubles

↺ He never really liked relying on anyone, but you always reassured him (he felt like he learned a lot from you)

------

“Sunday…” “Hm? Yes, _____?” “Are you feeling alright? You look like you haven’t been getting rest…”

Seeing the formation of dark circles around his eyes gave you a pang of worry, fearing that he was overworking himself to the point of exhaustion. But through it all, Sunday still gave you a smile.

“I’ll be alright, _____.” “Not if you get enough rest and take some time to relax. Doctor’s orders!”

------

↻ sigh This man would be such a hassle for you

↻ You found Aventurine sitting on a bench in Golden Hour, seemingly contemplating something but looking a bit distressed

↺ When you walked up to him, his demeanor took a sudden turn, a friendly smile greeting you (however, they never met his eyes)

↺ But you knew better, despite being told that you would be too young to understand, you knew that this was a front the man decided to put up (yet you never wanted to overstep your boundaries)

↻ You stayed to keep him company, telling each other stories that the both of you have encountered before coming to Penacony 

↺ You inquired about his eyes and how pretty they were, learning a little bit about his Sigonian background but never delving too deep

↻ From the day that the two of you had first met, a friendship had been established (Aventurine didn’t really take it seriously at first but he warmed up a bit to you)

↻ Aventurine wasn’t used to your friendly personality; if he had one word to describe you it would be warm

↺ Warm like the tea you brought him, the dishes you had made, the comfort you provided.. It all felt so foreign to him but it comforted him so deeply

↻ He’d treat you like a kid/little sibling, teasing and joking about you which you always pouted at (scolding him for being so mean)

↺ If his teasing was enough to make you upset and tear up, he’d quickly apologize and offer to treat you to one of your favorite dining spots 

↻ Despite treating you like a kid, there were times that he felt like he was a child with how you scolded him for being so reckless, sitting him down and telling him to take a step back

↺ If he was injured, you’d help patch up his injuries and advise him a list of self-treatment options, if he was stressed or feeling upset, you’d be there to talk to and offer some calming tea

↻ As a way to cheer him up or help him loosen up a bit, you’d bring out Yuegui and set them down on Aventurine’s lap

↺ Initially, he was confused and almost wanted to laugh, in fact, he did, but it made him feel a bit better 

↺ He’d inspect the little guy inquisitively, asking you about their origin and what world you found them on

↻ Aventurine would show you around Penacony (golden hour), introducing you to some of his personal favorite spots

↺ You found some of them a little concerning, but whatever makes him happy…

↻ He’d show you around the casino, the loud and chaotic atmosphere of it almost overwhelmed you but you kept your cool, finding interest in the slots and different things they had to offer (not really a child-friendly atmosphere however…)

↻ With your introduction to the casino, you’d get to see how bad Aventurine’s gambling addiction was

↺ It really worried you how he was so willing to gamble everything away, how easy it was for him to just discard everything

↺ That fact made you feel a bit upset, almost wanting to run out and find comfort in other things

↺ But you stayed for Aventurine’s sake, just in case he got into any trouble 

↻ When the two of you finally leave the casino, you hesitate to tell Aventurine about your feelings and concerns, the air rising a bit in tension as he is confused about your sudden change in attitude

↺ After some time walking, you tell him what has been bothering you and he sits you down on a bench, bending down to your level with a sigh

↺ Aventurine couldn’t make any promises to you, but he’d try, for your sake, to stay safe while doing something dangerous (whether he’s on business, he’s gambling, etc…)

------

“Now that you are feeling better… How about we go get some of your favorite stir fry, hm?” Aventurine smiled, getting up from his bent position and dusting himself off. “My treat.”

Slightly sniffling, you rubbed your nose and got up from the bench. Looking up at him with your own smile and warm eyes, you nodded your head. 

“That sounds delicious, let’s go!”

------

⋘ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟᴇᴛᴇ! ⋙

note - as promised ˆˆ

[luffyvace]

Vinsmoke Sanji x male reader

Wano Sanji>> 😍🧑‍🍳💋

I won’t tolerate any hate for me writing Sanji x a male reader if you don’t like it block me :)

Sanji loving a male has two possibilities of how it happened: A) an au where he’s bi or smth or B) he loved women until you. Now he respects women and loves you!

let’s go with B for the sake of making you feel as special as you are 😉👌

honestly from here you can basically just read any Sanji headcanons and know what your relationship is like so I’m not gonna repeat the traditional sanji things 😅 but from now on male reader will be heavily implied/mentioned :3 💗

Sanji as a boyfriend is a great punching bag if you have anger issues and sparring partner! 😁 if your a hot headed person he’ll let you punch him as many times as you want til you get all your emotions out. He knows what it’s like to bottle it up and he’s rather have you take it out on him then implode it on yourself. Now, others he doesn’t care about unless they’re a woman. Will still side with you tho

”hey watch where your going!”

- you

”excuse me??”

- random woman

”please excuse us, my lady, my lovely boyfriend~ (😍) is trying to get through”

- Simpji

Sanji is really strong so as a sparring partner he’s great! You can tell him to stop holding back as much as you want but you can’t rely on him for that. 😊 He would rather just be used as a punching bag honestly, he doesn’t wanna hurt you!! 😓 Will be 00.1% less lenient if your strong like the monster trio buuuut not a big difference. He’s not underestimating you at all! You can tell by his constant praises on how strong you are- but he just doesn’t wanna hurt his DAAAARLING FUTURE HUSBAND~ (😍)

if your weaker, he insists you won’t have to train much because he’ll always protect you. Just like he has the instincts to detect a woman’s tears, he now has the ability to tell if you need help! His heart will clench and his stomach will twist before he darts off to find you without a word (despite worrying your crew-)

Will spar with you if your really serious about getting stronger to help protect you and your crewmates. But he might suggest you get a weapon built by Usopp (or Franky) first.

”MY LOVELY BOYFRIEND IS SO KIND~ HE WANTS TO GET STRONGER TO PROTECT EVERYONE!~~ The rest of you jerks better be grateful!! 😤 -not you! Nami-San! Robin-Chwan!”

No matter your body type Sanji will dote on you! 😘 ABS⁉️ AN ALL OUT NOSE BLEED!! YOUR SO HANDSOME HE JUST MIGHT PASS OU- 😴 A dad bod?? 😍😍 AWOOGA~ Sounds sensual and sultry to him 💋💋 On the chubbier side? STILL HOT!! Mwah! Come over here sugar lips 😜

- his words not mine 😚

his dates can vary from really romantic to more casual, depends on what type of guy you are. If your in tune with your emotions like him you guys’ll probably seem a lot more cheesy- IN A GOOD WAY‼️💗 Otherwise, if distant or just put up a front, etc then he’ll tone it down. His side of the party will still be uh, not necessarily dramatic but dramatic, on the other hand. What I mean by that is he’s still a simp but your dates won’t be so cliche, at the least. More so activities like festivals, carnivals, roller skating, all that good stuff!

of course he can always arrange a time on the merry/sunny for a food date where he cooks all your favs!…one prob tho..Luffy. 🤦‍♀️ Actually, a good time to get away with a dinner date is when Luffy’s not around! And by that I’m talking when he’s on an island exploring and Sanji tells the others to go on ahead, leaving you two alone on the ship! 😁👍

Sanji thinks your so cool when you fight tbh. It doesn’t matter how strong or weak you are, you’ll always look tough while fighting 💪 If your weak he’s got your back!! Of course, likewise if your strong, but he worries 0.1% less if you are. He will forever be concerned about his boyfriend’s well being 🤷‍♀️ At the very least he knows you could handle yourself on your own if there’s a 0% chance that he can’t come to your aid. (He will always show up for you 🙏)

The op men seem to be more annoyed with Sanji’s simp behavior so if that’s you….it still won’t change anything…feel free to kick him tho! He’ll let you 😘 He has a nose bleed after too (not only cuz you kicked him but bc you looked hot while doing so 😍) Yeah the grind never stops, and that’s on simping 😜👍

Will let you call him any nickname! Or insult- you could practically hate him and he’d still be your loyal lap dog 🐩 Bro is down on his knees down bad 😭🙏 ‘Even when he calls me crude cook~ HE’S STILL THE MOST GLORIOUS MAN IN THE WORLD!~ 😻” If your pet/nicknames are more romantic or loving it’ll give him an even worse nose bleed for sure. He gets butterflies either way- of course. 😂

If you were to ever get hurt he’s going to quite literally hurl his boot at their face, and I’m not implying he takes his shoe off. Naturally, this outcome only happens with a man. If a woman is beating you he will prioritize your safety and run away with you. Or distract her so you can get Nami or Robin.

⚠��Skip if you haven’t watched Whole Cake arc⚠️

(Now, for a head’s up idk how Sanji’s fam works bc I’m not on whole cake yet-) Sanji’s family will likely diss him even further for being a man who likes other men. Reiju might support him- but his father will be utterly disappointed! ‘Now he can’t even marry a women to strengthen they’re bloodline!’ (Sanji’s dad<< 🙄) But don’t worry ik for a fact his super awesome boyfriend came through to save the day 🦸

(Back to regual hcs, mini Whole Cake spoiler over 👍)

This hc right here kinda gn but he will give you the biggest, happiest, silliest smile ever if you compliment his eyebrows. Or at least say they don’t look silly/you like them. IK he’s not necessarily insecure of the look overall but bc his doesn’t look like his family’s eyebrows, but it still makes him feel better about it ❤️‍🩹

so yeah please do compliment him on it 💗

I don’t really like to talk about who’s the “dom” in the relationship but I’m gonna mention it just this once and hear me out‼️

He’d be so flustered if you were!! Like?? Your taking care of him?? Being protective over him?? 😻🙏 AWOOGA- 💥 (he passed out) You could practically demand anything from him anyway but imagine him having a nose bleed all down his face as he stutters out a “yes sir” and immediately gets on the job 🙌 Bonus points if you have a deep voice 🤷‍♀️ (Not even in a suggestive way, btw, just genuinely having rizz 🤪🙏)

Or maybe he’s the “dom” He’d be so happy to take care and protect you, as he always is. But this time he cranks up his flirting game x200. Like he’s actually trying and not just using simp, servant, slave rizz (LOL- 😂)

Think about him leaning in real close to your ear, lowering his voice, before saying “I’ve cooked you a meal 😏” (or smth I ain’t the rizz master-)

You get my point! Case closed ok? Point is he’d be a lot more smooth than a simp. Ya got me? Good.

Edit: I added more! ψ(｀∇´)ψ

Reqs officially back open!! Now I’m just gonna freelance and write from my list

[grahminradarin]

Hi hey hello. I've been watching Miraculous since September, and I just finished.

WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THIS FANDOM?

That finale was amazingly well-made. I definitely get why people were disappointed, but there's no way that's everything. The writers who made the rest of the season so good are not capable of writing something this confusing and unsatisfying, unless it's on purpose. This story isn't done.

There has been a lot of focus in the season on class dynamics, but in the last couple of episodes they really start bringing this theme of how people deal with power to the forefront

With Ladybug and Chat deciding not to do anything against Chloe because it's not their responsibility even though they have the power to do it, everything with Lila, the increasingly reckless and harmful ways Gabriel is manipulating people because he thinks he gets to decide what is good for others, Gimmi complaining that no one ever summons them to tell them anything good and only summon Gimmi to use Gimmi's power.

And the thing that brings it together: Marinette's speech right at the end, just before Gabriel makes the wish, when she says the power is only valid when it's used for the greater good of other people.

And then the statue of Gabriel. Right after all of this, a statue commemorating the man who refuses to use his power for the good of others. The dissonance is on purpose. This story is thematically incomplete, and I think the London special will finally wrap it all up.

What does the fandom come away from this talking about? How interesting this all is and wondering how it gets resolved? No. The fandom on the subreddit (and some of them on Tumblr) say "The villain won without consequences! This is bad writing!" and "Why is Marinette not telling Adrien he's a sentimonster?".

I just. How do you watch that and come away with your biggest concern being "Marinette didn't tell Adrien the truth"? How do you not see that it's so much bigger than that? That's not one dangling plot thread, we're looking at an unfinished garment and complaining that the edges are fraying.

And a good portion of the fandom cannot for the life of themselves see the loom and the people working it still going. I don't know how to stretch this metaphor any further, but I cannot believe that anyone would look at something so blatantly incomplete and still treat it like it's the entire picture. It's a microcosm of a bigger issue with the fandom, which is, as far as I can tell, that this fandom wants to watch a different show. Seasons 4 and 5 are so vastly different from seasons 1 and 2, and I think the people that came here to enjoy the first two or three seasons but hated the later ones are angry with the show for not following the traditional kinds of stories in the genre.

This show isn't trying to be an episodic or somewhat serialized story about love squares and middle school nonsense. It's a deep and varied exploration of what being a magical girl does to a 14 year old (in addition to many other things), and it's not pretty. The show is trying to say "this was terrible for everyone, and it shouldn't have happened, but it did, and here's how". And most people didn't want that, which is fair. But it doesn't mean the show is badly written, nor does it mean the writers hate certain characters. It pisses me off that a show this well made, with so much time and effort and care, is constantly dismissed as a badly-written, disorganized piece of crap that people only like ironically. Something this well made deserves a more neutral presentation to let people form their own opinions, and it deserve appreciation for the innumerable things it does well, especially in later seasons and the specials.

In summary, Miraculous isn't bad. A vocal part, maybe even the majority, of the fandom just wanted something else based on the first 3 seasons, and hasn't realized it because they're so devoted to hating on the show. And it deserves a much better reputation than it has.

[blorbosinmyheadcentral]

your art makes me explode in a positive way like

im chewing and swallowing it in an aggressive way like

it's just SO good im melting ilove your shading and KEHEKEBEKJDJF

anwayshi hello do you happen to have any headcanons for showtime rolls on the floor and dies

Thank you so much, really appreciate it!

Oh God I don't know if this will read as coherent because my thoughts about Showtime are all over the place. But I'll try to format this the best I can

✨Showtime HCs! ✨

Their relationship starts when they start spending time together.

(The reason why they do so could vary. In Supervised Machine Learning's case, Pomni becomes something of a "tutor" to Caine; They discover that they work well together, and the other's company can be quite pleasant!).

So Pomni and Caine build a weird, but comforting friendship, and all is well.

Then the feelings appear.

Caine is the first to realize he fell in love.

It sounds illogical but hear me out… it'd be really funny--

Ok no seriously I think Caine can actually feel. Keyword "can". He's very much still a machine and it shows in the pilot. But like his inspiration (AM), Caine is also a rogue AI. Whatever his programming originally intended him to do, he probably doesn't follow it as closely now as back when he was created (which is a whole other post).

Caine knows what love is and the extend it can go, since the Moon is so open about her feelings. He just doesn't like the Moon back specifically haha (sorry Moon) :}

All this to say, I do believe this is within the realm of possibility for him. (Not that it's ever gonna happen towards anyone in the show. These are just wishful shippy thoughts).

He might not recognize it as love at first, because it manifests in such a different way from his one reference point.

His friendship with Pomni had gone through phases.

When they first met, he continuously touched her with no concern for how she felt.

Learning from and about Pomni herself led him to come to respect her boundaries (and becoming mindful of everyone else's).

Then they're close friends, and gradually, Pomni does not mind his regular wacky, touchy-feely self. So Caine acts as he had always done before.

Caine expresses his love for Pomni with physical gestures and his undivided attention.

When they teleport to travel to other places, he holds her close so she doesn't get too dizzy; he pats her head to reassure her; he touches her arm to get her attention; he grabs her hands when he's excited about her ideas; he holds eye contact for prolonged periods of time; and he touches, and touches, and touches, and touches.

It's selfish, and so he keeps it buried in his deepest 0's and 1's. But he'd like to keep hanging out with Pomni, having her in his sight, and feel the texture of her gloved hands until the end of time.

Despite all this, to him, virtually nothing changed.

What? He's spending time with Pomni as he'd always been doing, and behaving as he'd always behaved!

It's Bubble of all people that has to point out that, "Hey boss. I think you WANT her!"

Absurd. Nonsense. Preposterous! It is merely a relationship of mutual support and affection between a ringmaster and his trusted, former-human companion. Nothing more.

(Declaring his love to her unprompted didn't ever cross his mind, so there's no way it could be that. Is there?)

Caine finds out that yes, there is.

Pomni had always been a nervous wreck, but her mind state becomes more manageable over time. She eventually adjusts to the circus life like everyone else did.

"Accepting" her fate is a different story. The will to escape, to remember, never really leaves. She's just more careful about it.

So when she starts working with Caine - to improve life so people don't go abstracting anymore, and hopefully find a definitive exit - she's not expecting to end up liking her time with him.

Not that she'd absolutely hate it, either. He's… "okay"… Just-- outlandish, loud, he keeps invading her personal space, he keeps touching her, and it makes her die a little every time.

If he's up to listening, though… it can't be that bad, right?

Turns out that no, it wasn't that bad.

Yes, he is outlandish, loud, he keeps invading her personal space and touching her. But she explains what she means to him, clearly and patiently, and he makes an effort to do better. An actual effort.

Sometimes he'd misinterpret what she meant - the ambiguity of human language - and the new games would go horribly. But little by little, his efforts make life overall better. Something reminiscent of actual, real life, the one they've all forcibly left behind.

And he tries, and he tries, and Pomni finds herself enjoying the process as much as the good results.

Pomni likes Caine's eagerness to learn. His enthusiastic attitude borders on silly, and the absurdity makes her laugh on occasion. When faced with the prospect of a "real" exit, she loves his upbeat optimism.

When she's not hanging out with Ragatha, Jax, Gangle, Zooble and Kinger, she begins to enjoy spending quality time with Caine.

Each one of their hang outs is a new surprise. They make a picnic in the tallest mountain exactly in between day and night. They learn to dance - while floating in the air. "Since you asked, here's a DIGITAL camera! Let's take pictures of the Void for one tenth of a second at a time!"

Sometimes he just comes by Pomni's room, and they end up losing track of time. Just chatting about how things have been, what they could be, and what to do next. Ideas and ideas and ideas.

Before Pomni knows it, she's comfortable enough that recalling his old habits makes her not dread them anymore. So when Caine stands close and lightly touches her arm due to oversight, she makes sure he knows it's all right.

And they keep spending time together, and he touches, and touches, and touches her. Pomni, in turn, feels lighter, and lighter, and lighter. Peaceful, at ease. Dare she say, happy, even.

Life is not perfect. As it stands though, it's good enough. No one has abstracted. No one is at risk of abstracting so far.

Progress is slow, but the research for an exit continues, and she is hopeful. The thought of actually leaving grows closer to reality. But a part of her feels heavy.

When it occurs to Pomni that leaving the Amazing Digital Circus means leaving Caine behind, she is alarmed by how much she'll miss him.

It'll hurt. Badly. So much the thought pains her even now.

The moment Pomni realizes this, she comes to the unexpected conclusion that she may like Caine a little more than she thought she would.

This later leads to an interesting discussion with Ragatha.

By the time Pomni comes to that conclusion, Caine is already down bad.

Neither has any idea that the other is in love with them.

Cue dumbasses trying to deal with their feelings while the potential conflict the escape brings looms over their heads.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk!

[bite-scars]

Recently fully contenting with the fact that I have a big brother kink,,

I blame being stuck as the oldest child but with horrible anxiety, autism, and emotional neglect making the idea of being any kind of role model without one for myself Terrifying, combined with being transmasc and having that pretty much dismissed or at the very least constantly undermined literally all throughout my teenage years 💀

I was also just an obsessively horny kid for no discernable reason dhzjhx maybe it was the only clear form of affection from guys I was at all familiar with being romantic/sexually coded and not really knowing how someone was meant to bond with them otherwise idk. Add that to me literally making an imaginary friend that was just a caring older brother at first and you can imagine the progression of that had a hand in this also🧍

I'm just. I think enough Tough Love type kinda loser older brother that's also just super overprotective and will back you/help you through anything while simultaneously insisting you should "man up" fantasies could fix me--

Older brother that on the one hand has a rebellious dgaf overall bad influence reputation to uphold but on the other hand had to deal with the same parents I did and can't help but be protective of his cute little brother seeing him going through the same or similarly shitty situations, doing his best to mitigate the damage when he realizes how much more sensitive I am to it than he was.

Being the only person in the house I'm comfortable going to for anything, always making me feel safe even when trying to get me to push a boundary for my own good (whether it's Actually for my own good or not-). Insisting any and all unhealthy coping mechanisms I've turned to (or he's introduced me to) are done in his presence only, he's just concerned about my safety and doesn't want me doing them alone (again whether true or not I'm too trusting or dependant to notice a difference). Basically singlehandedly supporting my transition, making sure I get any and all hand-me-downs he still has lying around (and there are plenty, his closet is like a museum of old shit at this point, like he's never gotten rid of a thing in his life even though he definitely has. There are still character-print boxers in there that are pretty much my size), going over our parents' heads to talk with my school about it (having to "correct" all that would be too much effort for them anyways, they'll just leave it be at that point) and interacting with our parents in general for me unless it's absolutely necessary for me to be there.

Finding any excuse to brag and show off his adorable little brother to his equally delinquent friends, letting me join in on smoke sessions since he knows I can't go 10 minutes without following him around like a little puppy, always wanting to be in his lap (he tries to act like it's annoying but he thinks it's cute, not to mention convenient), and hey, with how high-strung i am already he decides maybe the weed would do me good anyways. Keeping the less respectful of his friends on a short leash around me, not hesitating to kick anyone out that can't heed a warning (full-stop, better not forget anything on your way out because you ain't gonna get another chance to get it back-). Getting quietly jealous over any of the others I end up getting sort of attached to, but rather than starting actual shit with them he'll just find ways to remind me that he's the most important to me, even if his friend is cool he's always cooler, right?

Idk this general underlying setup is a theme in a lot of my fantasies tbh, there's a lot that can vary between them (sometimes either brother is grosser or more genuine, really just depends on my mood lol) but the dynamic is always some flavor of this and it probably says a lot 💀

[would-this-pokemon-be-a-friend]

Can you please rate either alcremie or purrloin?

[I’ve covered purrloin before, so I’ll link that post at the bottom of this one! Oh, and how serendipitous! Alcremie is returning in The Indigo Disk, making this an apt post for this week!]

An alcremie would actually make an excellent pet (even if I’d constantly worry about them getting dirty)!

At only a pound in weight, alcremies Are tiny little creatures. Space won’t be an issue for caring for one, though you’ll want to keep in mind that they don’t appear to be super agile or quick-moving. You’ll definitely want to keep your alcremie away from animals and other pokémon that will want to eat them, because they may have trouble protecting themselves or getting away!

We don’t have a ton of data about wild alcremies’ behavior, but we do know that they get along well with humans. Once you earn an alcremie’s trust, they will happily give you gifts to show their gratitude and affection: they have been known to offer beloved owners berries that they have decorated with sweet cream (Sword - Vanilla Cream). If you can get past how (admittedly) gross it may be to eat the cream that alcremies produce from their hands, it is exceptionally sweet and tasty if coming from a content alcremie (Shield - Vanilla Cream). The flavor of an alcremie’s cream is impacted by the conditions in which they evolved (Sword - Ruby Cream, etc.), ranging from tart (Shield - Ruby Cream) to aromatic (Shield - Matcha Cream) to sour (Shield - Lemon Cream) and beyond. The berries they carry on their bodies vary as well! It’s pretty rare to see two alcremies that look exactly the same.

As previously mentioned, alcremies aren’t the greatest at defending themselves. In fact, in a pinch, they are much more likely to try and distract enemies with tossed sweet cream rather than fighting them. Alcremies aren’t capable of using very dangerous moves, relying on fairy-type staples like Draining Kiss and Dazzling Gleam in tandem with disarming moves like Sweet Scent and Sweet Kiss. Altogether, alcremies just aren’t that dangerous to humans, and are unlikely to attack. They even know some beneficial moves that allow them to heal themselves and others, like Aromatherapy and Recover, which is a huge plus!

Earlier, I mentioned that I would be worried about an alcremie getting dirty. What I mean by that is that, if their bodies have the consistency of cream as they appear to, they’d pick up all manner of dirt and particles just by exploring their environment. How do you clean an alcremie? Would they be okay getting wet, or would they dissolve? I’m a little concerned about the lack of clarity about just how cream-like this species’ bodies are! But hey, that might just be me.

Overall, alcremies appear like they’d be the perfect pet. They are small, friendly, not-too-dangerous, and will even offer you some delicious sweet cream on top of all of that. There’s certainly a reason that this pokémon is a highly favored companion by pastry chefs all over the world! For those who like unique and pretty pets, the variety of colors, flavors, and adornments that can be found in alcremies are a total plus. Just don’t let them play anywhere too dirty, please!

The Purrloin Post:

[thiscrying]

Bad idea!

Kenny Mccormick x F!reader

𓂃𖤐 .* 𖥔៹ ࣪｡✧˚₊ ⊹

➟ 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: NSFW, aged up characters!!!

➟ 𝘀𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀: "darling, are you ready for more?"

➟ 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: Kenny Mccormick x F!reader

𓂃𖤐 .* 𖥔៹ ࣪｡✧˚₊ ⊹

You had an ex from three years ago, who you never really got over and was constantly on your mind, you had sex a few times after breaking up but he never really seemed to care about it.

It was almost 3 am and you miss him really bad, you even consider calling him but thinks about it and thinks this might be a bad idea.

With a joint and your phone in your hands, you take a hit and think about Kenny, his soft lips and the way his body felt on top of you.

Maybe it wouldn't be that bad if I called him, right? you wanted him, you desired him. Deep down you knew it wasn't going to stop so soon.

As soon as you click the call button, you feel a slight regret rising in your brain, it was too late to come back now. You're completely pulled out of your thoughts with a husky voice on the other end of the line.

"Hey sugar tits"

Oh lord.

Maybe i was just calling him to satisfy a late night craving, like i always did. This all started when i was drunk and decided to call him.

It was a bad idea to think I could stop.

"Hey kenny, i was wondering if you could come over"

"On my way, but what makes you call me this late at night, hm?"

"You'll see." You said and then hung up.

He knew what you wanted, and you also knew that you missed him more than you should, you would have walked away if his sex wasn't so strong, in fact the best you've ever had.

After a few minutes, Kenny shows up at your door, giving you a slow kiss. Wasting no time, he carries you to the bedroom.

"You look so pretty moaning my name with my cock in your mouth. I missed you." Says Kenny looking at you and approaching, he licks his lips and looks at you from top to bottom.

You both knew that you shouldn't be doing that, but what was the use of getting so far and everything ending up in vain?

Without thinking too much, Kenny quickly threw you against the wall while you stared at his beautiful ocean eyes, pressing your bodies against each other and putting your knees between your thighs. Without hesitation, your lips collide and the blonde asks for passage with his hands to your neck. Gently, Kenny pulls you to the bed, getting on top of you. How could he attract me like that? I really don't know and honestly? That was my last concern

"Look at you... so pretty. I'm gonna make you look like a mess, absolutely ruin you, slut." He said, and took one last look at the bottom of my eyes. Before you even think, you were already kissing once again, you quickly have a vague memory that you had sworn to yourself that you would never even look to Kenny's eyes again, you wouldn't make that mistake again. But as long as you were together, nothing really mattered, you both just wanted your bodies together again. Fuck, why did he have to be so goddamn hot?

You couldn't stop, not so soon, you were addicted to each other's bodies and maybe even wondering how you got there, anyway, fuck everything, I just want him on top of me now.

Kenny puts his hand under your shirt, giving a slight lift in your bra, thus giving way to his hands that, in turn, played with your hard pierced nipples. His kisses became more intense and went down to your neck, varying between kisses and hickeys as he started undressing you.

For a brief moment, it crossed my mind and I found that there was a reason why I always made the same mistakes: He was addictive. A fucked up drug that made me want more, and honestly? I would die of a happy overdose if Kenny were the cause. I'd always went back to him, in the end of the day.

"Show me how much you want me, how much you missed me." he said, running his pale, cold hands over your body, sending shivers all over you.

"Try not to moan too loudly, babe." He declared grabbing my thighs and kissing the inside of them, pushing my legs apart and running his fingers all over my skin, causing goosebumps all over my body. "I don't want everyone to hear my girl moaning, I'm kind of selfish in that sense."

He says, as he pushed away the last piece of clothing I had left and introduced his fingers into my cunt. My mind turned into a complete white and I could only think about how much I wanted that boy to fuck me.

My moans echoed through the room as he licked my clit. "M-more Ken, I want more."

You felt a smirk as Kenny introduced another finger into you, you felt your whole body electric and it didn't take long for your orgasm to spread throughout your body, making your legs shake.

You knew it was a bad idea needing him so late.

𓂃𖤐 .* 𖥔៹ ࣪｡✧˚₊ ⊹

HEY BITCHESS!!! IM BACK 😈

This was inspired by @kenny-the-ken and @n0tangeliccc

They're both amazing writers, check on their profile

Sorry this is short! I'm trying to improve! 💞

[oneatlatime]

The Storm

This post was delayed due to dumbass technical issues. I managed to save it from annihilation by the skin of my teeth, and learned an important lesson about saving drafts along the way.

Long time no blog. As it's currently storming where I am, I feel it's time to watch this one.

Aang in the opening credits has his tongue out like a dog on a car ride. Now picturing a car full of airbenders hanging their heads out the window.

It's been long enough since I watched one of these that I forgot that dream sequences tend to be tinted brown. Had a two second panic trying to remember the episode where Sokka learned airbending.

I wanted to see more of Gyatso but not like this!

Appa the morning person.

Hey Zuko's back. Haven't seen him in a few episodes. Pipi Longstocking hair is still doing him no favours. Also is he really pale this episode?

I feel like Zuko's intelligence varies wildly from episode to episode (usually to serve the plot) but this may be a new depth of dumbness: tell the crew to their faces that their lives don't matter. You know, the crew that prevents the thing you're standing on in the middle of the ocean from sinking. The crew that keeps you fed and actually going somewhere. That crew.

On the other hand, Zuko's method for creating mutiny may break a world record for efficiency. He's such a dumb smart guy.

I'm with Katara on this one. I don't like that swishing either. And if they're out of money, why were they in a market anyway?

And with a kick to the rear, this episode's 'violence towards Sokka for laughs' quota is filled.

Never before in the history of humanity's hubristic quest to tame the seas has a wharf ever been this clean.

And I'm with the crewman on this one too. Zuko's actions really do line up with him not caring about anything beyond his own concerns.

Talk about rock and a hard place for Iroh here. From what I've gathered, it's Zuko's ship, which means that Zuko's in charge of everything including keeping order. But, Zuko is also being unreasonable in the face of a very reasonable complaint from the crew. So Iroh has to pacify both while undermining neither, and not appear to be in command. Takes delicacy.

Appa gets a mooring! Also what is that cave back there?

I was hoping the show would bring this up! To anyone who isn't riding along on Aang's adventures, it sure does look like the Avatar disappeared when he was needed most, continued to stay gone no matter how bad things got, and then just reappeared randomly one day with seemingly no plan to set set things right. Did he reappear to fight the firelord? According to rumour, he reappeared to ride giant koi. What would the average person be left thinking? The fisherman is right. And Katara - will you please let Aang fight his own battles for once in his life?

Aang being the bravest person you know? Do you not remember this?

You know, this?

"That fisherman was way out of line."

Poor guy needs a blow dry. Should be possible, what with airbending and all. Didn't know that Appa had a goatee. Actually the facial hair in general in this show is pretty creative.

If this is going to be the exposition dump storytelling episode, we may all need an emotional support Momo.

These air scooter shenanigans are making me think that the first lesson airbenders learn is how to nullify motion sickness.

Is this the first airbending we see by someone that isn't Aang or Appa?

Someone's been taking fashion tips from Narcissa Malfoy.

Oh fuck off that's too much pressure for a kid. Nice Wisteria though.

Isn't the toys thing a thing in the real world? Something to do with the Dalai Lama?

If Avatars have to be told that they're the Avatar, that implies that they don't know instinctively. Theoretically, could an isolated avatar living in peace time go their whole lives without figuring it out?

Oh wise and learned council of airbenders, please tell me how relying on a 12 year old is going to save you from a war?

Baby Zuko! Baby scarless Zuko! He looks like just the prettiest little princess in these shots. Also, either this happened not all that long ago, or Zuko is majorly overdue a growth spurt, because he's maybe one inch shorter in this flashback. Also also, Pipi Longstocking hair doesn't work no matter how much hair you have to put up. Also also also, the whole reverse tonsure look he has going on in the present really downplays how round his face is. He's got chubby baby cheeks. Also also also also, if Zuko is as much of a prince as his title implies, he's right that he needs to know how to rule.

I have picked up over the course of this show the fact that the fire nation seems to prioritise aesthetic. But this is just ridiculous. And a bit on the nose too. A literal wall of fire dividing you from the commoners? Not even the commoners, the highly esteemed generals in charge of your war? How does this guy see or hear anything that's going on?

Katara asking Aang why he wouldn't be excited about being the Avatar seems out of character for me. Why exactly would he be excited about being catapulted to the number one spot on the fire nation's 'enemies of the state' list? It's not like Katara doesn't know what happens to people on that list.

Don't worry about these jerks. They'll all be immolated in a little bit.

Smelly kid jokes. That's some peak 90s comedy right there.

I love Gyatso. Solidly in Aang's corner and happy to advocate for his charge even against grumpy temple elders. Never loses sight of the fact that Aang is just a boy and needs balance.

This Zuko disrespecting old farts stuff is nonsense. Like when you get called in to HR for 'walking disrespectfully past Sherri's desk' or 'aggressive choice of footwear' and you know it's just because they're looking for a bullshit reason to fire you/force you to quit because the owner's nephew wants your job and they don't want to pay for severance or unemployment. If pointing out obvious flaws in objectively stupid plans is an offence worthy of an honour duel (I'm not even going to try and spell the actual name), then this guy needs to be dueled too:

He called bullshit too.

No

No no they're not actually going to

oh fuck no

hang on he doesn't have his scar yet is this going where I think it's going?

Back to idiot monks phew. Another rock and a hard place situation. Aang needs to be a normal 12 year old. The world needs a fully trained Avatar. The best they can do is a half trained 12 year old avatar. That would have ended well I'm sure.

Oh yeah just yank out the remainders of Aang's support system. That will certainly encourage him to quickly develop into a responsible adult, rather than an emotionally disturbed 12 year old with unmatchable uncontrolled powers. What were these monks thinking? Or were they thinking at all? Were they just panicking? Because only Gyatso seems to have his head on straight. Upset avatars destroy things - we've SEEN that - and these monks think the best way to turn Aang into the Avatar they need is to do something that will upset him probably more than any other possible thing? At least they didn't think to take away Appa too.

Katara's right. He does have a right to be angry. I like that this show gives the characters permission to feel.

Indulging my inner pedant for a minute, he never saw Gyatso alive again. His bones were in pretty good condition. Actually, given that firebenders killed him, why weren't his bones covered in scorch marks? Also, is that where all the other airbender skeletons went? Instant cremation?

The fisherman's right - the avatar did turn his back on the world. Aang's right - he did run away. Katara's right - not running away wouldn't have saved anyone. Kudos to a kids' show for not flinching from tackling topics that have no right answers. Yay nuance!

oh god here we go

Free life tip: If you ever see a dependent and/or child assume this position at the feet of their guardian, call the relevant authorities. Quickly.

And of course there's a crowd of hundreds too. Nothing like a little public mutilation of children to flex your power over the masses. This firelord's ego is so fragile.

So that's where the scar comes from. Also the firelord's line about learning respect casts a new light on when Zuko said he'd teach respect to the crewman at the beginning of the episode. Guess he was channelling the firelord.

Big repsect to Zuko for the above. He's never lacked in bravery. This is the opposite of the "shameful weakness" nonsense.

"Things will never return to normal." THANK YOU

Why is Zuko in such a hurry to go home to that anyway? Seems like the only person who likes him is his uncle, and he's travelling with him.

This is odd. I've always felt like I know Aang, and hearing his story this episode just confirms that I do know him, who he is, what makes him tick. And it lets me know him better. I've deepened an already deep understanding of who he is. However, I thought I had a surface (if jumbled) understanding of Zuko, but hearing his story this episode, and especially the final series of shots, the way they frame him as alone in darkness contrasted with brightly lit memories, makes me sure that I've never known Zuko at all. Who is this guy? I feel like this is meeting him for the first time.

There's also definitely something worth examining in the fact that Aang tells his own story but Iroh tells Zuko's (beyond the fact that Aang is the only person left who could tell his story).

Thank god some comic relief. Not a moment too soon.

I didn't know firebenders could do that. Judging by his face, I don't think he did either.

The judgmental energy in this shot is unparalleled.

"I'm not but I still don't wanna!" This old couple has some seriously good lines.

Appa saves the day once again, this time with an assist from the Avatar powers. I swear if Appa's existence was paired with Sokka's brain they could do the Avatar's job no problem.

Zuko apologises. That is good. But is it Iroh he should be apologising to?

"I'm here now and I'm going to make the most of it." A lovely message to conclude a show on. But are we going to gloss over the whole 'father mutilates his son BARELY offscreen' thing?

Appa shakes!

Final Thoughts

This section could very easily devolve into increasingly hysterical ranting about the whole ZUKO JUST GOT HALF HIS FACE BURNED OFF AS A FORM OF COURT ENTERTAINMENT thing. Lord have mercy the fire nation is fucked up. To prevent that, I am going to share one thought, and only one thought on that fiasco:

this is the first time I've really felt that I'm not the target audience of this show. If I had seen this at 8 or 10 years old, I would have been appropriately mad at the firelord for doing such a bad thing, but it would have made perfect sense, because he's a bad guy, and they have to do bad guy things. It's what makes them bad guys. As an adult, with more knowledge in general, but especially about things like power dynamics and the long term consequences of child abuse, I am valiantly fighting not to spiral down a path of horrific implications because I want to be able to sleep tonight. From both a political and a familial point of view, there was no one (who wasn't 12 and frozen) who could have stepped in. It was the firelord who did it; it appears that there is no one above him in the fire nation hierarchy. It's Zuko's father who did it; good luck getting a kid to stand up to a father in front of an audience of hundreds in a culture that obviously worships a bastardised concept of respect (zuko tried though). Iroh couldn't (or wouldn't) interfere on either political or familial grounds. As an adult, seeing a child (because Zuko may be 16 in the show but that boy kneeling is BABY) stuck in such a situation, knowing there's literally no way to get out of it, no hero going to swoop in and save the day, no judicial process to dish out consequences, well that's hard to watch. And that's all I'll say about that.

Here's a thought: did the avatar (not Aang, but the figure/concept of the Avatar) disappearing fail Zuko, and by extension the fire nation, as much as it failed the other three nations? And the natural follow-along to that thought: did the fire nation attacking the rest of the world hurt the fire nation as much as it hurt the rest of the world?

Aang made a mistake many years ago by running away. He gets to redeem himself by not running away and saving Sokka and the fisherman. Zuko made a mistake at the beginning of the episode by undervaluing the lives of his crew (to their faces, no less). He gets to redeem himself by saving the helmsman and letting the Avatar pass in favour of getting the crew to safety. But I don't think these stories are really parallel. Aang's natural impulse was the mistake. He learned from it, modified his behaviour, and did better the next chance he got. Zuko's natural impulse was to act as he should have. He was taught (violently) that this was incorrect behaviour, and modified his behaviour based on his father's teachings. This modification (not valuing the crew) is the mistake. In Zuko's case, learning from the experience and modifying his behaviour actually means unlearning the lesson he was taught and reverting to his former behaviour. Aang's natural state needed modification; Zuko's externally imposed behaviour needed to be forgotten. Not parallel.

Aang = hope is an interesting conclusion. It's only possible for him to represent hope because he dashed everyone's hopes by disappearing and staying gone. If the avatar had defeated the fire nation 100 years ago and prevented a war from ever happening, he would not have been a symbol of hope. I don't know what he would have been a symbol of, but it's the fact that he's been gone long enough for things to get really bad that makes him a symbol of hope in the present. So if Aang was always meant to be hope, then he was always meant to get frozen.

Aang = hope is also interesting in that it positions Zuko on the side of the enemies of the fire nation. If Aang represents hope to the world, and Aang represents hope to Zuko, then Zuko is not on the Fire Nation side of the conflict (whether he knows it or not).

The humour in this episode was minimal but very welcome. The old couple was heaps of fun, Sokka got a couple of good lines (although never enough - still waiting on a Sokka episode), and the juxtaposition of humour and very serious themes was artfully handled. It was never jarring or tonally off. The switching back and forth between the two story threads was well done too, especially how they tied in at the end.

I'm kind of annoyed that Katara got relegated to shouty defender of the actually-a-little-bit-guilty or Agony Aunt. She deserves better. I'm not at all annoyed that Momo filled the role of cuddle administration. That was lovely to see.

It didn't even occur to me to check if the art/animation in this episode was pretty. That's usually a primary concern with me, but I was too wrapped up in the plot to notice.

I can't believe a kids' show went there, but they did. And they did it well. This episode felt much longer than 20-ish minutes, in a good way. It was packed. Definitely going on my rewatch list.

[film-in-my-soul]

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Until the World Ends | 8,009 | greenstuff

Summary: Nothing in Bradley Bradshaw’s thirty years of life on Earth prepared him to leave it. He knows he’s staring at the receding ball of land and sea with mouth agape and he probably looks like an idiot, but he can’t quite get over the fact they’re in space. To his left, Jake Seresin competently pilots their spaceship (no matter how many times Seresin corrects him, Bradley isn’t buying it; they’re in space, it’s a spaceship). To his right blackness and stars stretch out far beyond the limits of his human sight and if he turns just a bit he can watch the planet growing incrementally smaller. If they don’t succeed, the planet below them will be destroyed in under two weeks. No pressure

flames look beautiful (if you forget what they can do) | 8,359 | Ravens_Words

Summary: Bradley Bradshaw returns to consciousness with a gasp, hand going to his side, where a searing pain makes itself known. "-ster, hey," Jake snaps, holds his face in both hands and forces him to look his way, "breathe." Bradley does as he's told, as painful as it is, and his vision clears somewhat. Jake's crouched beside him, concern etched on his face, and what happened comes back to him in flashes. The mission going sideways at every possible turn, seeing Jake's plane get shot down in the sky, the less than smooth emergency landing in the woods that followed.

no sanctuary (when my eyes close) | 8,757 | attolians / @maroonmorons

Summary: “You coming tonight?” “Of course,” Jake’s mouth says before he can catch up. “Wouldn’t miss it.” “Sounds good.” Rooster smiles after another second, “I’m gonna shower but I’ll see you later.” “Yup.” Rooster takes a few steps closer to the showers before meeting Jake’s eyes in the mirror again. “And, uh, thanks for the help up there.” Jake nods. He can’t answer with the ghost filling the other side of the mirror.

cinnamon and sugar | 9,434 | bottledyarn

Summary: Jake was slumped in the doorway, propped up against the wall beside the door. He was a strange, pale, near-gray against the dark backdrop of his apartment, and he looked—well… “You look like shit," Bradley said. Bradley draws the short straw and has to take care of Jake when he's sick with a stomach flu. Jake doesn't want to be taken care of.

You Moved Me, Honey | 9,517 | 1001lifetimes

Summary: For Bradley, it starts with the accident. Somehow, he lands the plan, his muscle memory taking over as his mind crashes with Hangman to the ground. The rest of their classmates are standing on the tarmac, a few because they’re worried and most because they’re looking for a show. Bradley doesn’t have time for either.

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Master Reclist · Personal Masterlist · Blog Nav.

[iheartchv]

Hey I was hoping I could get a cod matchup? Sorry in advance for the yapping

Umm as for appearance I am 5’4” in my early twenties. I have layered curly brown hair that comes to just above my shoulder, blue eyes, freckles pale as hell, a few scars here and there that I’m kinda proud of (from various causes) I don’t really have a specific style it can range from a tank top and sweats to t-shirt and jeans or something completely wild, color coded decked out in jewelry, skirts, layers the whole bit. Relatively active build, used to be a gymnast until an injury now I just workout twice a week w a friend. Interests; I like movies top five rn probably Scream (1996), Spiderverse, 10 things I hate about you, the last unicorn, Dead poets society, +Star Wars cause I can’t leave it out. I like playing chess every now and then, I’d say I’m pretty good but I still have a ways to go. I’m also an artist, and I like music I can’t do anything music related I just like listening to it, all kinds. I like baking when I’m stressed, typically cookies during finals week at 2 am. My future prospects, or at least what they are currently, is just going to law school, after that I’m not really sure, I’ve thought ab going the military route, both of my parents served/are serving, so I’ve thought ab the possibility of being a military JAG or something in Intel, but I’m still feeling for it, I mostly like law cause I’m pretty good at it and I like knowing more than people. I’m Bi so my taste in Men/Women varies. As much as I’d like to say I don’t have a type, hot people are hot, there have been patterns in the past few fictional guys. Tbh my taste in men is shit, like I don’t have daddy issues, I have a great relationship with him, but my past fictional crushes say other wise. But basically, capability is HOT, if they’re good at something to the point of mastering it I’m entranced. Women are just pretty, there’s not much there. I’m relatively paranoid, even describing myself like this online is strange, I think it’s just growing up around military but I’m typically just cautious. That and trust issues. I’ve done some martial arts/self defense and I think sparring is really fun I just need someone to teach me. Also I am a huge simp (with shit taste as my friends say) I’m an ambiavert, so I like to be pretty adaptable depending on who I’m around. I’m also German/American but definitely more American than anything else, I ‘grew up’ in south Germany and we still have family there but since we moved here I’ve forgotten most of  the language. JFC in hindsight I am SO SORRY about all this I got carried away. I hope it didn’t come across as self absorbed 😭😅 thanks 

Sorry again 

🤔 I'll pair you with...

Captain John Price 🚬

Price might be the one to fall for you

If you ever decide/decided to join the military, him and Laswell will look through files and find you

He can't help but feel that you would bring something to the table

Recruiting you, along with many others, he'd be watching you

Through the tests, he'd be silently hoping you'd pass

When he asks to see you, you think you've done something wrong

Instead he just tells you that you've done a good job with all the training and tests he's put you through

"I admit, I thought you would call it quits anytime soon... but... you're determination surprised me."

"You've got guts, spirit. I like that"

He wants to take you under his wing and train you

He was right about you; there was something special there

Though he didn't know just how special you would be to him later on 🤭

After many months and near death experiences later, he'd come to realize he cares about you... a lot

💞

When off duty, he will take you somewhere to talk

Price doesn't play games, you know that

So... he tells you that he really likes you

All this time he'd spent getting to know you, he felt something he hadn't in a long time

One time, when he looked like he was about to fall asleep he was surprised that you showed so much concern for him; You wanted to do something, anything, for him

His hand gently held yours, showing how gentle he can be

"If you'll have me, love, I can make you happy... even if it takes my whole life to"

[alarrytale]

Hey I’ve talked about this on here before but I very much disagree with people wanting to label Louis as an alcoholic. People really like to use that term and it doesn’t really apply to Louis from what I can see and this is why: in addiction medicine addiction is something that gets in the way of a person’s ability to live their lives. Things like relationship problems, inability to work/hold a job or legal problems related to their use and continuing the behavior despite persistent harmful consequences. And then there’s dependency and brain changes and things like that. In the US where I am, the surgeon general says men can have 2 drinks every single day. Whether you think people should or not is up to you but that’s the official stance. Louis doesn’t seem to have trouble with his work commitments considering he just came off a successful international tour. He seems to have strong relationships with people in his life. And I’ve never heard about Louis being too drunk. As we’ve seen this week addiction is very serious and should be taken seriously, Louis doesn’t hit the marks for that diagnosis or label. At most, in my opinion, he MIGHT be a problem drinker (that’s the official term 🤷🏻‍♀️) which means in practice that he should be careful. Personally I don’t think he is, I think he’s a social drinker and he’s young and likes to have fun and is very much in control of his substance use. He also seems to have a strong support system which is critical. I don’t think it helps anyone to decide anyone who consumes drugs or alcohol is an addict. They could be! But most people are not. I also think that it’s not right for us as fans to decide that. If he ever does experience addiction which I hope he does not, I hope we will all respect his privacy and show compassion if he ever wanted to share that with us. Liam chose to share it but he didn’t have to. Ok this has gotten way longer than I meant for it to. My main point: Louis doesn’t appear to meet the requirements.

Hi, anon!

I haven't seen anyone label Louis as an alcoholic, other than harries who say it to hate on him. I don't think Louis is an alcoholic, but he's got a dependency that he's talked about himself that's concerning to me. We have had several instances of Louis being too drunk, and it's all been after life changing events in his life. Alcohol is a coping mechanisms for him, and i don't think that's debatable at all. I think we can all agree on that. There are also a lot of functioning alcoholics out there, who has an addiction and a dependency, where you can hardly tell they have a problem because they do their job and keep their commitments, while hiding their dependency or not realising they have an issue.

I don't think it's very helpful to judge anyone, but it's also not helpful to ignore the signs we see and sweep it under the carpet either. If he's got a problematic relationship with alcohol, i think he should seek help and stop drinking alltogether before it turns into alcholism. I understand Louis' need to dull his pain and trauma, because we all know what he's been through. He's doing remarkably well mentally despite everything. But he's still at risk and there are better ways of dealing with pain and trauma that i wish he'd give an honest try. We all love him and want him happy and healthy, and around for a long time.

Also, the amount of units of alcohol per week people should limit themselves to, varies from country to country. It's also about how often you drink, pattern of drinking, what you drink and tolerance levels. Some people are more at risk than others, and i would say Louis is in that category.

It's really hard to sit by and just watch someone you love be in pain and dealing with it in unhealthy ways, without being able to help and support them in any way. I really hope Louis is concious of his relationship with alcohol and knows he's at risk. But i have to say that i'm not sure he is.

[s3ren-draws]

Happy Valentine’s Day!! Drew these two babs in honor<3

Read below for the drabble I wrote along with it!! (Ella belongs to @/KoriAnelise on DA)

When Robin had called Nightowl that night, a small part of her became giddy with the hope of him asking her out. They’d been playing the will-they-won’t-they game for years now. The whole Team had a running bet on who was going to be the first to ask the other out!

Instead, he called her to ask if she could help patrol Gotham that night since Batman was going on “a hot date”. Nightowl was secretly a little disappointed, to say the least. She accepted nonetheless, reasoning that a night spent with Robin, even if fighting crime in the most crime-riddled city in America was not the most romantic activity in the world, was still a night that got him all to herself.

Nightowl took her time getting into her costume, careful to braid her hair neatly. She even took the time to dust her eyes with a nice shimmery eye shadow and mascara.

Bzzz!

She looked down at her phone, a text from Ella popping up.

Ella: Nervous for your date with Rob?

Nightowl chuckled. She’d hardly call this a date, no matter how badly she wished it was. She was simply helping a friend in need. Nothing more, nothing less.

Nightowl: Cause going on patrol in Gotham City is romantic.

Nightowl headed to a zeta-tube, satisfied with her appearance after a quick once-over in the mirror.

Ella: I wouldn’t call it romantic but you two can’t seem to take a break from superheroing so I think it counts :P

Nightowl rolled her eyes as she stepped out of a telephone booth. A quick check showed no baddies hiding in the shadows of the alley.

Nightowl: I’m in Gotham now.

Ella: Give me ALL the details in the morning ;)

Nightowl pocketed her phone and started to scale one of the buildings in the alleyway. Robin had told her to meet him off the corner of Main Street by 11pm. She had about ten minutes to run down four blocks. Not her best moment in time management, but she’ll manage.

The skyline of Gotham City was very different from Slater City. While the gothic architecture was gorgeous, it was obscured by smog and clouds that seemed to be a permanent fixture of the city. Despite the pretty architecture, the buildings seemed to be in varying stages of disrepair. And unlike Slater City, the streets were rather quiet even though it was Valentine’s Day. She didn’t know whether she should be grateful for the quietness or concerned crime has driven people into an unspoken curfew.

She made good time, managing to get to her rendezvous a minute early. However, Robin was nowhere to be found. Nightowl found herself a wall to lean against, resigned to wait for the Boy Wonder.

“Hey, Nighty!”

Nightowl practically jumped out of her skin at the voice. She turned and found Robin standing a few feet away, a stupid grin on his face.

“Glad you finally showed up. I was beginning to think you ditched,” Nightowl lightly accused, trying her best to slow her heart rate down to a more normal rhythm. She pushed herself off her wall and closed the distance to Robin, leaving just enough room to be somewhat respectable. Despite their little game that toed the tightrope they’d been walking on for the last couple years; she didn’t want to cross a line that may upset their balancing act.

“Me? Ditch you? Never!” Robin exclaimed, placing a hand to his chest in feigned innocence. Nightowl simply raised an eyebrow in response. She’d be rich if she was paid for every time Robin disappeared on a mission.

“So, what’s the plan?” Nightowl asked.

“Well, I was thinking we could tag-team the streets,” Robin says, pulling up a holographic map of Gotham City. “Usually, Valentine’s Day is pretty quiet here. Guess even villains take time to be with their partners.”

“Hmm, Slater City is similar,” Nightowl hums, peering over to get a better look at the map. “Although, the streets are usually a bit busier.”

“Heh, walking the streets at night is asking for trouble,” Robin said, shaking his head slightly. He gives a rundown of his plan to Nightowl before the two take off to patrol the streets.

They did a short once over of the Southside of Gotham before focusing most of their energy in the Northside, specifically Crime Alley. While there were no big baddies to face off, the occasional mugging, assault, or drug deal still took place in the darkest of shadows. The two made quick work of each thug, occasionally taking a break to escort an unlucky victim back home. It wasn’t long before Robin called it a night.

The two sat side by side on the ledge of a building, neither speaking. Nightowl was acutely aware of how close they were sitting. Only a few inches separated them. And that was after Robin scooted closer. It made her a bit jittery. Was this all in her head?

Nightowl took the time to reflect on the night. All in all, it was patrol. A few brushes of the hands with Robin here and there, but they were innocent touches. Necessary. Unavoidable, even.

Robin sighed next to her and Nightowl took the opportunity to sneak a glance at him. He looked rather handsome with his tousled hair. He turned his head when he realized he was being watched, managing to catch her gaze before she could turn away. Nightowl blushed furiously at being caught, the redness getting worse when Robin grinned.

“Like the view?” Robin asked, running a hand through his hair.

Nightowl couldn’t respond, too tonguetied to form any words. It wouldn’t matter anyway; her brain was racing a million miles an hour and any words that came out of her mouth would just be a jumble of thoughts.

“You’re cute when you’re flustered,” Robin said, scooting even closer to her. If Nightowl shifted some, she’d bump into his arm. She kept her face strictly facing the street below, finding the occasional cars speeding down very entertaining at the moment. “You wanna dance with me?”

The offer had Nightowl snapping her head toward Robin. The motion caused her to bump into him a bit.

“You wanna dance?” Nightowl asked, making sure she heard him correctly. A swarm of butterflies seemed to fly around in her stomach.

“Yeah, Nighty. I wanna dance. With you,” Robin repeated, making sure she heard exactly what he wanted.

“Uhh, no thanks,” Nightowl said, her answer rather unconvincing.

“Are you sure?” Robin asked.

“There's no music,” Nightowl replied dumbly. She wasn’t even sure why she didn’t say yes. This was exactly what she wanted, but she couldn’t help but feel some apprehension.

“We don’t need music,” Robin said, giving her a reassuring smile. “We don’t have to if you don’t want to, but are you sure?”

Nightowl stared at Robin, eyes tracing his face in search of any false intention. She didn’t know why. She couldn’t find any.

“This is your last chance,” Robin said in a sing-song voice.

“Ok,” Nightowl breathed.

Robin stood up and offered her his hand. She took it after a moment, being pulled to her feet. Robin guided her to the center of the rooftop, glancing at her one last time before slowly putting his other hand on her waist. She placed her hand over his arm, a little unsure of the placement.

They started out just swaying a bit, getting used to the new closeness to each other. After a minute, Robin led them through a slow waltz pattern.

Nightowl, despite her inexperience in dancing, felt pretty confident in her steps. She did step on Robin’s toes a few times (apologizing profusely each time she did) but quickly found a steady rhythm alongside him.

The two danced across the moonlight, steps guided by the dim moonlight that shone down on them. Nightowl shifted ever so slightly and closed the distance Robin had left between them, holding onto him tightly. His already-big grin seemed to stretch even wider, a quiet chuckle escaping his lips.

“This is nice,” Nightowl said after a while, laying her head against Robin’s shoulder. She felt the vibrations as he hummed in agreement.

Their dancing soon slowed to a stop but neither one of them made a move to separate. The air buzzed with an electric feeling that had Nightowl’s heart skipping a few beats. Despite Robin’s eyes covered by his domino mask, the way he looked at her made her heart melt. It was so soft and full of love.

“Can I kiss you?” Robin asked, seeming surprised by the question himself.

Nightowl froze for a beat before taking her mask off.

“Of course.”

Nightowl leaned on her toes and pressed her lips to his first, offering a quick peck. She smiled at him coyly, giggling a bit at his surprised, almost lovesick, face. Robin gathered himself quickly and leaned down for another kiss.

This one was longer, deeper. Nightowl moved her arms to wrap around his neck, hands carding through Robin’s hair. His lips were soft against her own, a slight smile on his lips. Robin’s own arms both moved to wrap around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer to him, leaning her back ever-so-slightly.

The kiss ended too soon as Robin pulled back, smiling down at her.

“It’s getting late,” Robin whispered, looking toward the horizon.

He was right. The night had passed, and the sky was lightening with the sun rising. Nightowl was almost disappointed, but she knew he was right. She could even feel her body asking for sleep despite the adrenaline coursing through her veins from the kiss.

But every moment has to end, right?

She only hoped this wasn’t a onetime thing.

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” Nightowl whispered in his ear before being pulled under his arm. They scurried back to the phone booth zeta-tube, hardly leaving any room for the rising sun’s light between them. Her body felt cold when they finally separated for her to get into the booth. She spared him one last glance before reaching to close the door.

“We should do this again,” Robin quickly said.

Nightowl smiled thoughtfully at him.

“We should,” she agreed before closing the door, surrendering to the blinding light of the zeta-tube.

The second the light subsided, and she was back in Slater City, Nightowl got her phone out and texted Ella.

Nightowl: I’ve got a LOT to talk about.

[foggyparadisecandy]

On Love and Loving

Talking with a friend about what love is and how to show it.

For some of you, this might be a silly thing to consider. But for a lot of people (like me), we didn’t grow up with healthy role models for love. And really … love is complicated and hard to pin down.

Most people figure out what works for them. And, yes, it’s easy and common to love more than one person at a time. Different people meet different needs in your life and so your love will often vary by individual.

ELEMENTS OF LOVE

My own love style veers to codependency (I’m working on it) so I’m aware I’m no foolproof expert. Regardless, here are some basics about what feeling love can involve:

Compassion

Affection

Caring

Intimacy

Trust

Commitment

Vulnerability

Attraction

Respect

Need

Passion

Admiration

Desire

Concern

Empathy

There are many different ways to love another person and you won’t necessarily feel or display all of the components listed above.

I think the easiest type of love that people can fall into is passionate love. Where you are completely into the other person. This happens early stage in many relationships when you vibe with someone and really love getting to know them.

As things get a bit more deeper, and you have weathered a few dull moments and possibly a few rough moments, love can grow deeper, and more substantial bonds can form and you can feel the power of deep compassion and care for the other’s well-being.

If you can really see another person, flaws and all, and still accept them, care for them, and want to be with them, substantial attachment can grow.

SHOWING LOVE

And when it comes to displaying love, there are so many ways to do so. People have different love languages so it’s good to determine what your partner(s) respond to.

Here are a few ways to demonstrate love (far far from complete):

sharing plans for the future

being vulnerable

forgiving

being empathetic

supporting their journey to be their best self

admitting faults

looking out for the other person

prioritizing them

showing care

showing affection

sharing yourself

listening

acknowledging their worth

Plus so many more ways, small and large, that show you love them.

IMPACT OF LOVE

Love has many positive benefits for both parties.

It can create better mental and physical health, it can create resiliency, it can make life richer and deeper, it can lower your stress and anxiety, and it can make you more loving. Love breeds love.

Of course, it can turn ugly and foster jealousy, depression, anger, resentments, obsession, possessiveness, anxiety, and sadness.

Love can be complicated and messy. Relationships can be complicated and messy. Sometimes we can find someone we love and things don’t work out.

We can also find someone we love and still find they don’t meet all of our needs in life. Or possibly they do initially but … things change. Needs change. People change. Shit happens. And you might find you fall in love with two people.

That also can be confusing and messy. Ain’t love great?

So yeah … there you go … a basic Love 101.

Usually for most of us, we know love when we know it.

ATTACHMENT STYLE BASICS

I’ve always been lucky in love. I honestly think my Anxious Attachment style helps with that because I’ve always been quick to care and slow to let go. I forgive people and I empathize with them. I have been guilty of people pleasing and keeping my needs quiet (working on it) which is not only unhealthy to suppress my own needs but also builds quiet resentments and cheapens bonds.

But … I’m learning.

Some people are naturally (due to upbringing- don’t blame or shame or hate on yourself!) Avoidant and find it hard to be in a relationship, although they too want love. It makes it difficult to establish deep love when you feel trapped by another person and want to get away.

The answer to both of these styles’ weaknesses is: communication. Honest expression of vulnerability to allow the other person to understand where your head is. “Hey, I’m nervous you are pulling away. Can you comfort me?” “Hey, I’m feeling really skittish. Can I have some alone time? I love you but I just need to have solo time, ok?”

Of course, some lucky bastards (about 50% of us) grew up in healthy households and are Secure in love. I honestly can’t even imagine but I am jealous lol.

Not sure who read all this. If you want to know more about attachment styles, let me know. I’m happy to ramble on about those too.

LOVE DOESN’T HAVE TO HURT

Ahhhhh … love doesn’t have to hurt.

That is a hard lesson for some of us. Our subconscious learned a lesson early on and it will fuck with you and fuck with you and fuck with you and sabotage loving relationships.

Hey … if that happens to you, if you find you do that often … don’t get angry with yourself, ok? Don’t start hating on yourself. <3

It’s been programmed into you from when you were young. Be kind to yourself. Be compassionate. And work to identify when it happens and catch it.

Find a friend to act as a sounding board if you aren’t sure “is this a bad relationship or am I self-sabotaging?” It might sound silly but no … it’s really not.

And in the end, if you really want to heal a lot of internal struggles? Re-read everything above (from the top down) and say “what if *I* was my own partner in love? Do I do these things and treat myself these ways?”

If you don’t, why not start today? What’s stopping you? You deserve love. We all do.

Ok, that’s all for now. I love you.