#idk I just got out of therapy and im feeling some things
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thetangibleghost · 1 year ago
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It's kinda like before anti-psycotics I experienced my innerworld, my subconscious, the observable world, and other people innerworlds all on top of each other. They mixed together and when information was missing it was hard to tell as it was all so messy.
All those realities still exist, and they still exist all at the same time. Now, they are all the same world, instead of layered realities. Delusions no longer exist in bubbles that I get stuck in but as a part of the world that contradicts or doesn't contradict other parts.
The world is like nothing else. I'm still depressed, suicidal, and delusional. But now I can like sorta feed my self and keep my body clean. I had all the tools before to do so, but my entire life I couldn't keep up and I never knew why. I thought maybe trauma and autism, those still play a part but like literally my life is just. Exactly the same but I shower and pick up things I don't want to step on off the floor.
My self awareness too. It's always been a struggle for me to understand how I'm perceived. I'm constantly, as I think most people do, reflecting, making changes, and grieving. But now progress is more satisfying. I can make plans that have more moving parts and understand situations without that sliding reality feeling. Even if my actual follow through is the same.
I dissociate a lot still
I tend to react well to medications and antipsychotics are nothing to mess around with. But I but a lot of thought (I was lucky to be able to) into starting them and the results just. They weren't what I was expecting. Like, I expected them to work, but like. like look at this I wrote this long silly post that stays on topic and moves between subtopics. I didn't even plan that. My thoughts are just. Literally organized. And I was able to write in an organic way before my delusions got worse last year, but it still wasn't like this and I wasn't always able to.
#mania and alters make the whole thing hard to work out#also have WAY less intrusive thoughts now and im able to walk my self away from 'evil' thoughts#amd comunication is better with my system!!!#well some parts other are like woosh#theres a few alters who came out of dormancy too because I guess the delusions got too intense when i was 20 or so.#POV: u can now make long posts like all your fav DID blogs because you can write in a straight line now.#im gonna read this to my therapist and im going to make him clap at the end because therapy makes me go mad with power#im going everyother week now o-o#i think i could actually have a routine now. omg does this mean i get to ax murder all the doctors that didnt believe m#me when i said i couldn't keep a routine?#what about the ones that didnt believe that i was experiencing delusions? idk why. I guess I was too articulate still?#i had one therapist tell me i was in the arly stages of schitzoaffective#tried some antipsycotic for a week and they made my corner of the eye halusinations worse! so I stopped them#then everything got worse a little over a year ago and i was like#Its just so funny I feel like Im staring at everyone on tumblr with big huge eyes now like 0_0 -_- 0_0#i dont even know how that is related but that how i feel#i thought my inability to write was because i was embarrassed from the truman show!! literally#and im still embarrassed sometimes but#and im sure this is a little difficult to read but its stream of consciousness and like#duuuuude like you know
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skimmingmilk · 1 month ago
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aughhh sonic going back in time to visit little two yr old tails as been in my brain for what feels like forever! like how many dots does he end up connecting? how does he have the strength to not travel back further and knock the daylights out of tails’s mom? how does he react to the whole kukku invasion and forest fire? so many questions…aaaaa im so excited for this fic i will be in ruins. in ruins, i tell you
also with the whole sonic punching tails’s mom thing: you were talking about tails and his parents, but like sonic interacting (or just seeing) tails’s parents is always something ive thought about. idk, im curious about what your take on that would be, if you have one. (sorry if you’ve already answered something like this ahshhshs)
your boys are just spinning around in my brain constantly. they are living in there completely rent free. i adore them sm, they make me sick. anytime there’s a reference or parallel to something in their past, it hurts. these boys need therapy immediately. maybe even before immediately. your portrayal of them is such a huge inspiration istg
anyway, sorry this is kinda all over the place 😭 i just had a bunch of thoughts and threw them together in the most coherent way i could lol. hope you have a good rest of your night/day! stay safe out there 🩵
So, I was saving this because it really inspired me to write a little something, and it felt fitting because I live for your baby Tails and Sonic art, it's seriously the best boost of serotonin for me xD I'm sorry it took a minute to get to this, and I'll address the second idea you had in another ask (someone else was on the same wavelength as you around this time, and also asked about Sonic and Tails and Tails's parents xD).
But for now, please accept a continuation of the back in time shenanigans <3
Sonic Back In Time Shenanigans WIP #2: Back for the Luggage
Tracking down a second Chaos Emerald so he could skip back in time for an afternoon wasn’t how Sonic saw himself spending the past few days. Though, to be fair, he spent a good chunk of them trying to ignore the very itch encouraging him to give into this particular whim of the week, but impulse control wasn’t Sonic the Hedgehog’s claim to fame. Not by a long shot.
His curiosity had been piqued. New insight into the lore of his little brother’s life before he’d ever crossed his path niggled at his mind no matter how far and fast he ran from the temptation to take a peek. The glimpse he’d got on that rainy night hadn’t been all that reassuring, with Tails so small and sick and the time Sonic got to spend with him in that dusty, stuffy cabin all too brief.
Cocoa Island. He’d looked it up after he and Silver returned to Sonic’s present, their respective futures stabilized for the time being, but he couldn’t find much information on it. If it wasn’t for the fact that Sonic could chart it on a map, it almost seemed like it didn’t even exist.
Historic records mentioned studies of the volcanic activity on the island more than a decade ago. Mines had also been dug out in the cave systems throughout the island long before Sonic had been born, in search of potential esoteric energy sources.
The Chaos Emeralds, no doubt.
But other than that, it seemed the island had never been properly settled. Sonic could’ve flown over in the Tornado for a quick jaunt—running to small islands never boded well for him, they were always tricky to aim for—but he knew it wouldn’t have the answers he was itching to find out.
And sure, the big one was already answered. The sick baby fox he’d had to leave behind in the care of some flickies after that rainy night obviously made a full recovery, or else Tails wouldn’t be alive in Sonic’s present, off on his own adventure. Flying solo. Alone.
But knowing that without actually seeing it, experiencing it for himself, didn’t satisfy Sonic in the slightest. He was all about experiences. And he wanted to experience this mysterious chapter of his best bud’s life, one he never really let himself think all that hard on.
So, that was how Sonic found himself on a nearly deserted island eight years in the past with two Chaos Emeralds in hand. It was warmer than in his present, willing to bet they were somewhere in spring or early summer as opposed to late fall, but the dense cover of pine trees kept the forest floor cool in its shade. Allergies tickled his nose, prompting Sonic to scratch at it as he took in his surroundings. Flickies sang throughout the branches, their chirps a comforting song accompanied by the steady hum of insects hidden in the brush. With his own curious hum, Sonic picked a direction and ran with it—er, walked with it. He took it slow for the moment, trying to find his way back to the cabin from that night. It seemed like his best bet to start his search for Tails.
Until a child’s voice somewhere in the forest caught his ear, both perking up and flicking towards the sound with an instinctive pull as everything else faded into the background. A breath Sonic hadn’t realized he’d been holding lifted from his chest. The child sounded light, healthy. No coughing or crying as far as he could tell. 
Sonic followed the voice to a clearing. Unlike the stormy day he’d first stumbled in on, sunlight flooded the patch of grass between the trees with its warm beams. One fell across a tree stump where a two-tailed fox kit lay sprawled across on his tummy, bright-eyed and bushy tails further confirmation that he’d made a full recovery. Sonic’s shoulders sagged with relief as he observed him from the brush, his own green eyes lighting up as he realized he was playing. Making motor sounds with his mouth, Tails rolled a toy airplane through the long, wild grass. His tongue poked out as he accidentally blew raspberries amidst his very serious airplane noises.
“Pfft—” Sonic’s laugh nearly sputtered out of him, cut off only by the fact that the kid heard him and froze.
Ears swiveled in his direction, but Tails couldn’t see him through the trees from his spot on the stump. The toy airplane fell to the grass with a soft thump as the baby fox squirmed and tried to hoist himself up into a sitting position, his two blue boots dangling just over the edge as his bare hands planted themselves on the wood between them to support himself. One tail flicked up and down with excitement while the other twitched limply against the tree stump, like it didn’t know it could lift itself up like its twin.
“Mom?” he called out, and the hope in his voice ensnared Sonic’s heart in a vice. “Mom!”
“Ah, sorry, little guy. Not mom.” Sonic stepped out from behind the brush with his hands up, a sheepish smile on his face. “Just me. Long time no see.”
His tails immediately wilted as the bright-eyed, eager expression on his face retracted into something shy and pensive. But not scared, Sonic noted. There wasn’t a trace of fear in his eyes.
“Remember me? I stayed with you during that rainstorm the other night,” Sonic added, hoping to jog the little guy’s memory, but he didn’t actually know how long it had been since that night. 
He didn’t have Silver’s neat little time travel gizmos. His comm couldn’t pinpoint where he was in time, only in space. Which meant he couldn’t stay long, because if Tails or anyone else tried to ping his location, it’d probably come up blank. 
The Tails sitting in front of him drew his legs up, curling into himself a bit the closer Sonic got. Okay, well maybe he was a little afraid. Sonic stopped short of reaching the tree stump, hoping a reassuring smile would get him the rest of the way.
“My name’s Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog. What’s yours?”
Tails stared at him for a moment, until his gaze slowly slid past him to focus on the tree line behind him. Sonic planted his hands on his hips and canted his head back to see if anything was there, but aside from the buzz of insects and rustling of flickies in the leaves, the forest was still. No one else but the two of them smack dab in the middle of it.
“…Mom?” Tails whispered, grabbing onto one of his tails to hold.
Sonic’s smile slowly slid off his muzzle. In all the time he’d known Tails, he’d never once called for his mom. Not a single cry. By the time he came into Tails’s life, whatever innate trust he’d had for this faceless person had completely evaporated. There was only one person Tails had ever called out for, ever cried for, ever searched for when he was lost or scared or lonely.
Sonic swallowed thickly. “I don’t know where your mom is, bud. You waiting for her?” Tails nodded with the most intense certainty, his ears flopping forward and back with the force of it. “Did she… did she say when she’s coming back?” 
This time Tails pursed his mouth as he thought carefully about his answer, his pensive expression the same one he’d still make to this day when he debated how to explain something to him. If he should explain something to him. If he should give his big bro a glimpse into the inner workings of his big brain, or if it’d be easier—safer—to keep it all to himself.
And just where’d he pick up that particular trick?
But this Tails was young enough—hadn’t been hurt enough—to trust someone who looked like a grown-up, so he slowly shook his head in response, wide blue eyes gazing up at him like there’d be some sort of prize if he answered all the questions correctly. 
Sonic’s brow furrowed. “Do you know how long it’s been since you last saw her?”
“Long.” The small, squeaky voice was so matter-of-fact, Sonic nearly fell over with the sheer amount of joy a single syllable filled him with; his little bro’s attitude had been baked into him from the start.
“I’ll bet,” he huffed out a chuckle, choosing to sit cross-legged in the grass so he wasn’t towering over Tails like some kind of threat. “You like planes?” Sonic glanced meaningfully at the toy plane still discarded in the grass.
Tails glanced down at it, the tip of his tail in his mouth as he gently chewed on it. “Mmhm.”
Though Tails had long-outgrown the habit of chewing on his own tails, Sonic would still occasionally catch him nibbling on the ends of pens and pencils when he was deep in thought or starting to get hungry. Or, at least, he used to. Back before Sonic had been captured and Tails had been out on his own for six months…
“I like ‘em, too,” Sonic piped up with a grin. “Probably my favorite way to travel! Second to running, of course.”
Tails blinked at him, head canting to one side. Sonic’s smile grew and he scooched forward a couple inches, steadily closing the gap between them.
“Y’see, running’s sort of my thing. What kinda things do you like to do?”
Tails glanced down at the toy plane again, then up at the sky. He pointed shyly at the white, puffy clouds slowly floating by overhead. Sonic followed his gaze, unable to help the way his smile crooked to one side.
“You like to watch the clouds?” Sonic filled in for him, beaming when Tails nodded. “Me too. You ever look for shapes in ‘em?”
The little guy’s brow furrowed. “Shapes?”
Sonic laughed as the perplexed, and ultimately unconvinced, expression remained fixed on Tails’s face. “C’mere, I’ll show ya!”
Unceremoniously flopping onto his back, face turned towards the sky, Sonic patted the grass beside him. Though they were mostly shielded by the thick cover of trees, a light breeze still wafted down into the clearing and carried the salty scent of the sea with it. The stands of grass tickled Sonic’s side as he laid back and took a deep breath, listening for the familiar patter of eager footsteps following his lead.
Except they didn’t come.
Sonic pushed himself up onto his elbows. Tails was still curled up atop the tree stump, chewing on the tip of his tail as he watched him with worry in his eyes. Worry that had no place being there in a kid so young.
So Sonic cracked another smile. “Don’t worry. The floor’s not lava,” he teased, but it was something the toddler obviously didn’t understand. “It’s safe, bud. I’m not gonna hurt ya. Promise.”
Tails’s gaze darted to the treeline again, searching amongst their thick trunks and low-hanging branches before snapping back to Sonic. “Mm… s’pposed to wait here,” he mumbled, his words sounding a little thick as some of his syllables slurred together in a mouth that was still so small, but ultimately what he’d said was clear enough for Sonic to understand.
His smile slowly faded as he processed the simple explanation; the same feeling rising in the back of his throat as when he sat with a sick Tails in the cabin while the kid asked if he could go home. “Your mom tell ya that?”
Tails nodded. “Wait here. Be good.” His little face scrunched up in a look of pure, earnest determination. “Wait here an’ be good, then mom will come back. She said… she said.”
But she wouldn’t.
No one would.
And maybe Tails already knew that. Even if he didn’t want to believe that someone he loved would leave him, he’d always been a smart kid. Tails’s tiny claws caught in the fur of his tail as he clung tighter to it—like he could physically cling to the hope that his mom would still come back if he did this one thing really well.
If he did his very best.
“Look Sonic, I made this for you!”
“Sonic, I’ve made some adjustments to the Tornado’s aerodynamics, so her base speed has more than doubled! Pretty cool, huh?”
“I made a radar to help us track the Chaos Emeralds faster!”
“I still need to optimize your Extreme Gear’s turning radius and acceleration for your next race. It’s not good enough.”
“The Cyclone still has a ways to go in terms of balancing its different modes of transport. It’s just not good enough at land or air travel yet.”
“I’m wildly inconsistent. I’m just a burden to you. I’m not good enough.”
Not good enough.
Sonic’s fingers dug a little firmer into the soft, damp soil beneath the grass. “Well, I mean, ya gotta get off that stump sometimes. What about when you get hungry? You leave to go get food, dontcha?”
Tails stiffened, fur frizzed up like he’d been caught with his hand in the proverbial mint chocolate chip cookie jar. “Don’t tell,” he pleaded, eyes wide as panicked tears welled up. “I’m sorry—”
“Woah. Hey, hey, hey,” Sonic sat up straighter so he could lift his hands, using them to make a calming gesture as Tails’s little chest started to heave with each little gasp. “Easy there, bud. I’m not gonna tell her.”
“…Not?”
Despite the storm brewing just beneath the surface, faced with further confirmation that Tails had never truly felt safe or wanted, he refused to scare the kid with its intensity. Offering up a kind smile and reassurance, Sonic held up a finger to his mouth. Like they were keeping secrets from some nameless authority figure they’d never shared. 
“I won’t tell if you won’t.”
Tails’s ears perked up and the grip on his tail eased up. “M’kay…”
“M’kay,” Sonic mimicked, smile growing as he watched Tails scrub at his face with the fur of his forearm. “C’mere, kiddo. Watch the clouds with me.”
Tails looked at him for a moment, then scooted closer to the edge of the tree stump. He swung one leg over, then the other, his little boots scraping against the bark as he eased himself down. He was a little off-balance as he toddled over. Both arms splayed out to steady himself as one tail flicked up and the other was dragged behind him, still as limp and awkward as it had been on the stump.
Sonic’s gaze narrowed in on it immediately. “Didja hurt your tail?”
Tails paused and craned his neck back, wobbling a little as he tried to look behind him. “No,” he answered simply.
“Then how come it’s not up like your other one?”
Tails reached behind him and picked up the limp appendage, hugging it to his chest. “Doesn’t do it.”
Sonic’s frown deepened. “Let me see it.”
Tails didn’t even hesitate. He let go of his tail as he waddled right over to him. He turned his back to him, giving him complete access to the part of his body he protected the most. Sonic was the only one he’d learned to trust with them over the years, but he’d had to earn it. 
Sonic gently ran his fingers through the fur, watching his baby brother’s posture for any sign of discomfort. He didn’t flinch, but his good tail started wagging almost immediately, thwacking Sonic in the side of the face. 
“Careful with that,” he chuckled, catching it in a loose hold when it smacked him again. “You could take someone’s eye out with one of these bad boys. Here, hold onto this for me.”
He waited for Tails to grab onto his eager tail, hugging it hard when it wiggled uncontrollably. “S’tryna get away,” he giggled.
“Oh boy, better get a good grip. It’s a slippery one, that tail,” Sonic laughed, using the distraction to his advantage as he palpated along the base of the weaker tail with his fingertips.
There was barely any muscle to it, and the fur was patchy and matted, flattened in a way that his other tail clearly wasn’t, even though his fur overall could’ve used a good brushing. But it wasn’t injured, no welts or bruises or cuts. It was just… weak. Like it was developing slower than its twin. He’d caught a glimpse of it that night where he was sick, but now that he was getting a good look at it, the differences between the two were stark. He couldn’t imagine why; Sonic’s brain literally wouldn’t let him conceive of a situation where this would happen—where Tails wasn’t allowed to use one tail to the same extent as the other.
Whatever had caused this had reversed itself by the time Sonic met Tails, both little propellers of equal strength. At least, he thought they were. To be fair, he’d only been eleven and he hadn’t looked all that closely at them. And Tails barely let him patch him up from where he’d been smacked around by bullies or badniks in those first few weeks.
Idly petting along the length of his tail, Sonic stilled when it spasmed against his palm. Just looking at it, he’d have thought he accidentally pulled on it or snagged his fur, but there was a gentle rumbling sound emanating from Tails’s chest that assured him otherwise. Sonic flicked his gaze up to see Tails watching him, a smile on his face while he purred openly. His tail jerked in his hold again. It was trying to wag.
Sonic’s shoulders sagged, his own smile lopsided as he let his tail slip from his grasp. “All clear. Time to park those two tails of yours right here on the runway.”
Tails squeaked as Sonic nabbed him around the middle, but dissolved into a fit of giggles as he was lifted up and plopped down on the grass next to him. Kicking up one leg over the other, Sonic laid back once again, arms pillowed behind his head as he let out a contented sigh. Beside him, Tails laid back and wiggled a bit to get comfortable, both tails swept to the same side so they wouldn’t get pinched underneath him. He tilted his head up to look at the sky, the same color reflected back in his eyes.
“Shapes?” he asked.
“Yeah, we’re gonna look for shapes, little buddy,” Sonic hummed. “Go ahead and tell me what ya find.”
Tails considered the sky for a moment, then pointed at a blob above them. “Oval.”
A sharp laugh burst right out of Sonic. “Sorry, sorry,” he wheezed when Tails pouted at him. “Not those kinda shapes, pal. I’m talking things like flickies or flowers or chili dogs! But good first try. I’m thinking that one looks more like… a whale.”
“Whale?”
“Uh-huh. See the tail?” Sonic removed one hand from behind his head so he could trace the oblong cloud as it faintly curved upwards at the end, making sure Tails’s eyes followed where he pointed. “And there’s its fin. And the wispy bits at the top are like the water shooting out of its spout.”
“Spout,” Tails echoed, blinking up at it like he was trying to solve a puzzle. 
“Yeah, you know. Like when they come up from the water and all that mist sprays from that hole on top of their heads like…” A devious grin spread across Sonic’s face before he looped his arm around Tails and dragged him close enough to blow a raspberry against his cheek with a loud, “pbbbbbbfffft!”
Tails squealed, legs kicking as he squirmed about instinctively, but made no move to pull away entirely. The ticklish sensation buzzed through him like a bunch of tiny butterflies; the feeling silly, unfamiliar, and almost overwhelming all at once. He eventually pawed at Sonic’s muzzle, pushing it away from the fluffy, baby fur of his cheek, but he was smiling and laughing as he looked over at him, eyes shining with delight.
“Was that funny?” Sonic snickered.
“Yeah!” Tails beamed at him, his tails beating an inconsistent rhythm against the grass. “You’re funny.”
“I’m funny?” Sonic feigned offense. “Excuse me, but seems to me like you’re the funny one, wiggling around over here like a cup of sparkle gelatin!”
“No!” Tails squeaked, curling up when Sonic poked him in the tummy. 
“No?” Sonic eased back, reminding himself to reign it in a bit so he could figure out if the “no” was just in play or if he was serious. 
As much as he wanted to give this little guy something to smile and laugh about while he was out here on his own—and it was so easy, it was almost intoxicating when he hadn’t seen his brother’s smile in weeks—he didn’t want to overwhelm the kid. But as he let him go and pulled back, a panicked look flashed in Tails’s eyes. His smile fell and a fear that was too big for a guy so small replaced it as he froze up.
“Hey, it’s okay. You’re okay.” Sonic lowered his voice, but even that didn’t stop the tears from suddenly sprouting in the corners of his eyes. “Was that too much? Sorry, kiddo. Not really used to you like this. I don’t know your limits.”
Tails didn’t answer him, probably because he didn’t know how. He was a baby, after all. Four-year-old Tails had often had trouble expressing how he felt or what he wanted. And heck, even ten-year-old Tails was still facing that particular issue. He couldn’t expect a maybe-two-year-old to know…
Tails’s tiny paw reached for Sonic’s arm, the light touch barely registering as anything other than an itch before his fingers curled into his fur. Sonic stared at his hand for a second, then immediately darted to his face. Tails sniffed, muzzle quivering as he held back his tears.
Always sucking it up. Always putting on a brave face. Always trying to be a big kid, like his big bro.
Even when he was just a baby.
“It’s okay,” Sonic repeated, his arm curling around Tails again. “I’m right here, it’s okay.”
Tails nestled against his side, nuzzling his face against him with a shiver and a barely suppressed whimper. “Mom… dad…”
The storm returned with a white-hot flash of frustration and resentment. Sonic directed his glare at the cloud whale lazily floating past them, since he couldn’t look the people responsible for this in the eyes. Not that he particularly wanted to. If they never crossed paths, his and Tails lives would only continue on for the better. That was one thing he was still certain of. There was nothing in the universe that could convince him otherwise.
Not even the baby who desperately wanted them.
But he didn’t know any better. They were all he knew. 
Releasing a long sigh, Sonic let go of the past and pulled himself back into the present—or, well, two-year-old Tails’s present anyway. He patted Tails’s side, then ruffled his fur a bit when he cuddled closer. His fur tickled as he rubbed his little face against his ribs, so Sonic scooched him up a bit more until his cheek was pillowed against his shoulder.
“Sorry if I scared you, bud,” he hummed, watching as one of Tails’s ears twitched from the lull of his voice. “Didn’t mean to. You’re safe with me, okay? When I’m around, I’m always gonna do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”
Tails tipped his head back to watch him, silently absorbing his words, even if he didn’t understand them. But as Sonic looked down at him, he saw his four-year-old brother snuggling up to him in a storm and his six-year-old brother falling asleep on him during a movie and his eight-year-old brother trying to be strong for Sonic as they lost another friend… He could see all of Tails in the way he looked at him, every moment where he let Sonic see a little of that vulnerability he always tried so hard to hide.
He could even see his ten-year-old brother, hundreds of miles away, determined to bury that vulnerable little kid for good, somewhere Sonic would never find him. And that was fine. If that was what Tails wanted, then Sonic wanted that for him. He wanted Tails to feel confident and capable and every bit the hero Sonic saw in him every day.
“And even when I’m not here… when you can’t see me? I’ll still be with you. Wherever you go, whatever you face, you won’t have to do it alone.”
Tails sniffed, then lifted his head to gaze up at him. “Pomise?”
Sonic’s breath hitched, his eyes as wide as saucers as the fox kit who’d only known him for a few minutes at most looked at him with nothing but trust. “Yeah. I promise.” He had to clear his throat, then tugged Tails up to sit on his chest. “You’ve got no idea just how stuck with me you are, keed.”
“No idea,” Tails repeated, shaking his head with the utmost seriousness a two-year-old could express.
Sonic’s laughter traveled through him and right up into Tails, the two of them shaking with it. The feeling of being bounced about coaxed a few giggles out of Tails and he nearly slid off his unsteady perch. But Sonic’s hands supported him, holding tight so he wouldn’t fall.
“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” Sonic choked out as his laughter petered out on a breathless sigh. “Don’t ever forget that, okay?”
“M’kay,” Tails agreed.
“M’kay.” With one hand remaining on Tails’s waist, Sonic lifted the other to poke him on the tip of his nose, grinning at the way he went cross-eyed from following his finger. “I’m gonna follow up on that in eight years, y’know, so better work on committing that to memory, stat.”
“M’kay.”
“I mean it. There’ll be a test and everything.”
“M’kay.”
“You’re so agreeable,” Sonic sighed, closing his eyes as he laid his head back, leaving the comfortable weight of the baby fox on his abdomen. “I don’t think I know what to do with a little bro that actually listens to me.”
He felt Tails squirm a bit, one knee digging into his ribs as he attempted to scoot further up, then a finger lightly tapped Sonic on the tip of his nose. One green eye cracked open, immediately greeted with a pair of pleased blue ones and a wagging fox tail. Despite the fact that it was pinned beneath him, pressed into the grass, Sonic felt his tail give a jerky little wag, too.
“Shapes?” Tails asked.
“You wanna look for more shapes in the clouds?” Sonic waited for Tails’s eager nod before turning him around and laying him back in the grass beside him. “You got it, bud! You need a redemption round, after all. Let’s see what kinda shapes you can find this time.”
Tails hummed, contemplative gaze fixed on the clouds for a good minute before he pointed slightly to his left. “Floor!”
“Floor?” Sonic squinted up at the cloud, making sure he was looking at the right one. “Oh, ‘flower!’ Yeah, that does kinda look like a tulip flower. Good eye, kiddo.”
Tails nodded proudly. “Mmhm. Floor.”
“Flower,” Sonic repeated, and even made the sign for it, touching each side of his nose with his fingertips, like he was smelling a flower.
“Floor-er.”
“Close enough,” he chuckled. “Oh, okay, now that one looks like a crab claw. Like from a crabmeat.” Grinning devilishly, Sonic made a claw-like grabby motion at Tails with his hand while the little guy laughed. “Or, y’know, an actual crab.”
They watched the clouds, picking more shapes out of them until Tails’s stomach started growling. Sonic quickly sped through the forest to gather up whatever kind of fruits or vegetables were available on the island, eventually settling on some peaches, plums, and cherries. He grabbed them from the other side of the island, so as not to take from anywhere Tails was likely to forage on his own. He liked the plums and peaches, the sticky juice staining his muzzle as it dripped from his hands. He kept trying to lick his fingers clean while Sonic wiped the fur around his mouth so it wouldn’t bother him later when it dried. He didn’t care for the cherries as much, but Sonic still left a small stash of them and the leftover peaches at the base of the tree stump.
With a full tummy and sticky paws, Tails let out a big, squeaky yawn before he curled up on top of the tree stump. His tails covered him like a blanket as he settled down for a nap, giving Sonic just the out he needed. He’d been debating how to head back to his present time without sounding any alarms for Tails. He honestly wasn’t sure he’d be able to if the kid just looked at him with those sad eyes, like he was being abandoned all over again.
But if Tails was asleep, then maybe this would all have felt like just a dream. Sonic had just wanted to check on him after leaving him so abruptly that first time, and then he figured it couldn’t hurt to give him one good afternoon. There would be so many days where he’d be on his own after this, so many months before their paths would cross. One afternoon where a stranger showed him kindness and played with him wasn’t going to break the time stream, but even Sonic knew it couldn’t really go further than that.
“I’d break time lines for that kid.” His own words echoed at the back of his mind, the certainty he’d felt at the time faltering when faced with the sleepy face of a baby fox who wasn’t supposed to have met him yet. It wasn’t so simple.
Sonic waited until Tails’s breaths were deep and steady, arms wrapped around the weaker tail while the stronger one blanketed him with its fluff. Smoothing down his bangs with his thumb, Sonic gently stroked the top of his head and scritched behind his ear.
“Love ya, little bro,” he whispered.
Things would be okay, Sonic reminded himself as he backed out of the clearing, picking up the two emeralds that were his ticket back to his time. Because they were okay in the present. Even if Tails wouldn’t be there when he returned, they would still be okay. Eventually. They always came out on top. Sonic still believed that.
If there was anything he still believed in above all else, it was Tails.
So, to be fair, when he left the Poloy Forest that afternoon, it had been with the intention that this wouldn’t happen again.
But then, Sonic the Hedgehog’s impulse control wasn’t his claim to fame, was it?
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A/N: Anyway, just wanted to say thank you again, 0vergrown, and that I appreciate you so much! I'm so happy you're interested in this little side plot I've got brewing and all the angst potential that it holds <3 I have so many little scenes I want to write for them, you have no idea! Hope this scratches a bit of the itch for more of these boys who need so much therapy. So much...
And thank you everyone else who's also interested in this idea! Much love to all of you!
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eclipseberrycake · 3 months ago
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Poly! MoonBerryCake x Reader Pt. 13
AN: Whoever recommended Glimpse of Us, I'm sending you my therapy bill. /lh IT WAS SO GOODDDD OH MY GODDD Also, yeah Im convinced I have the Ao3 curse bc like I was doing okay and now my g.gma is dying and there was a bomb threat at my school like GIRL STOP IM NOT GODS STRONGEST SOLDIER
So, I have a confession. I lowkey-highkey hated part 12 of this, so it put me off writing for a while, but I was on the bus today and Indigo by Sam Barber and Avery Anna came on and yeah. I decided to hurt today.
Part One -> Part Two -> Part Three -> Part Four -> Part Five -> Part Six -> Part Six 1/2 -> Part Seven -> Part Eight -> Part Nine -> Part Nine 1/2 -> Part Ten -> Part 11 -> Part 12
Warnings: idk I'm sad, take that as you will, mentions of past abuse (Ooh, Ciara when we catch you Ciara-), Mentions of being turned into a twisted/ past mentions, Reader lowkey does not have a good time, angst, but with comfort, mentions of vomit
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☁ Cosmo had known you a long time. A very long time. He had known you far before Astro and Sprout had entered the picture He had been in love with you far before he had known what the feeling was.
☁ The first time Cosmo had met you, he knew he wanted to know you. Just just know of you, but know you inside and out. How you started your mornings, or how you handled your anger, watch you settle down for the night. He wanted to be apart of those aspects of your life. To understand your little habits, your isms, and know your ways of speech enough that he finds himself saying them.
☁ If you knew you would've called him a hopeless romantic while pinching one of his cheeks with that same cheeky grin you always wore to hide when you were too flustered to think straight. He had no reason to really hide how long he's had a 'big, stinkin' crush' on you, but it felt nice to keep it to his chest for now. Close and safe and a happy little secret.
☁ Watching you now, he knows that the feeling has always been there, but where it was one an electric thing that lit up his nerves and made his stomach flutter with butterflies, it's now a softer comfort that eases his mind and soothes his weary soul.
☁ He doesn't really remember when it happened, nor does he care to know. It's always been you for him, only bolstered when he got to know Astro and Sprout. But you were first.
☁ He remembered more than most of the other toons of the pre-break. Nothing large or substantial, but small moments. Moments spent with you that he would ache to remember fully during his time as a twisted, clawing at his bad eye as he yowled at the pain blooming from the thought of loosing you.
☁ He remembers learning to bake with you, way before he was worth any nickel with his baking and hearing you laugh over his failed attempts. He remembers the hum of a tune you made while you took great care in placing new sprinkles in his icing every other day. He remembers the weight of your hand as you pull him into another adventure, sneaking past Ciara to pull some sort of prank.
☁ He remembers the quiver of your back as you sobbed into his chest, burrowed into his sweater to muffle to sounds of your cries as he soothed you to the best of his ability.
☁ They sit in the back of his head, a constant prodding at him if the quiet lasts too long. It was why he needed the reminder of the several blankets if he went to bed earlier than the rest of you. He needed to be grounded, to have that weight around him to remind him that he was no longer left ambling uselessly, half-blind and doing nothing but thinking, and thinking, and remembering and thinking.
☁ He groans, rolling his shoulders back before switching his stretching position, laying on his back and pulling his left knee to lay on his right side- feeling at least four things crack, making him groan. You were across the way, headphones on and your feet pounding on one of the treadmills. You were keeping good track of your improvement as a runner since distracting, moreso since your recovery. It seemed almost manic the way you would track every minute, every second, timing yourself and the distance you could make.
☁ It was both uplifting to see and oh so disheartening.
☁ it was no secret that Sprout had the most stamina out of all of you, it was a fact you all were very well acquainted with, however it seemed recently you had taken that as a personal challenge. You kept pushing yourself whenever the two of you went on jogs, always yearning to not only be faster but out last Sprout, even if he shot you worried glances.
☁ Cosmo knew that Sprout had no interest in becoming a distractor. Astro knew this. Sprout had made this explicitly clear to everyone when Vee had tried mentioning that he could do more than the brief save should a twisted become lose. He had no want or interest in becoming a distractor. That would be taking resources from you, he would say. You knew this as well. So none of them could understand this sudden need to just...outdo him.
☁ Sprout had brought up his concern about this one night while you all were doing your weekly check in and while you gave him a smile that seemed to ease his worries, Cosmo caught the flicker in your body. The shift of your weight. So miniscule and quick, a true blink and you miss it moment, he himself only caught it due to his years of learning you, your body, your reactions.
☁ It stuck him then and there. It may have been unconscious, but something was bother you. Maybe it had yet to fully manifest, but it was something that your hindbrain was already raising as a red flag.
☁ But you were so determined to be what you once were, pushing yourself further and further. Anything to be more than what you are. That determination burned so bright, sparking like it's own personal show.
☁ Ginger had once compared you to a phoenix. He wasn't sure she knew the entire legend of the phoenix, but every time that same scene flashes behind his eyes, of your gaping features as your side was hit, he wonders if she actually knew more than she let on.
☁ Phoenix's burned out, even if they came back brighter than ever. There's a part of Cosmo that whispers you won't. That you are as ethereal as ever and that turning was a flickering in your smoldering flame.
☁ Switching sides, he knows better than to believe that something as easy as being turned would make you burnout. No, it would be something much deeper.
☁ He clocked it in the elevator as well, watching your anger bubble and burn even when they all thought he wouldn't notice. He did. He does. He notices.
☁ He notices the little things in all of you. Astro refuses to extend all of his arms at the same time and when he cries, he hides his face. He doesn't drink anything unless it has a straw. And he absolutely refuses to touch his own cheeks. The only ones really who are allowed are you, Cosmo and Sprout.
☁ Sprout's are harder, but no less there. He keeps his right side angled to the other toons and favors said side. He went from a rather ambidextrous individual to right exclusive and keeps the end of his scarf tucked into his sweater- that is, if he wears it at all. Some days it's too much and he simply leaves it behind. He also compulsively watches where he steps and is exceptionally anal if one of you trips.
☁ But you? Cosmo can see you desperately clinging to the life you previously lived, refusing to let even the smallest part go, even if he sees your hands shake every time you reach for one of the toons.
☁ Breathing out the last few seconds, he gives a final pull to his stretch before sitting up. You upped the speed, he noticed. It's higher than it's ever been, even at your peak. You look like your struggling but keeping your footing. If barely.
☁ He should stop you. But the way you're running is desperate. It's like your back in that run and rushing at Vee. You aren't crying, but the visible distress on your face pushes Cosmo to stand and approach, carefully knocking on the control panel. You barely glance his way, waving slightly before continuing. He glances at the clock.
☁ You've been at this for his entire workout, already on it by the time he came in.
☁ In the second it takes for him to read the time you've been on the blasted machine, you lose the little control you had. Your hand slaps the arms of the treadmill as your foot falls too far back, the safety key pulling itself free and slowing the equipment as you place your raised foot on the side part.
☁ Cosmo's right there right away, catching you from collapsing. You lean your weight onto him, and sobs are already choking you before he can even ask.
☁ Your mumbling an assortment of things too fast for him to really comprehend, but he tries, picking select things out to focus on. You're angry. You're upset. You're frustrated about your lack of progress. You're...scared.
☁ One thing he manages to pick up is the continuous of "Not again, almost did it again, not again-"
☁ In a practiced habit that's practically muscle memory at this point when he picks you up, sinking to his butt with a dull thud and crossing his legs to properly cradle you. Your head is tucked into his shoulder, close enough you can cling to the soft notes he hums.
☁ It's a slow process to ease you back to a state where you can articulate how you're feeling, but one Cosmo is, unfortunately, well acquainted with. Rubbing your back, he waits for your hands to retract from his sweater before daring to utter anything.
☁ "What's your color?" Is all he says.
☁ You pause, hiccup, sniffle and wipe your eyes. "Yellow."
☁ He nods, taking this into account. "Okay." Is what he begins with before taking your hands in his and flipping them so your palm is facing up. One by one, he prods each of your paw pads, gently counting. One he counts all of them, he starts over and does it again. Then again. And again. Then, you join in. You skip a number every now and then, but when you're able to keep up smoothly, he finishes with a kiss to your temple.
☁ "Color?"
☁ "...Green." You mutter with a deep breath. He nods at this again, gently rubbing his thumbs into the flesh of your thighs. The muscles are tight and tense, unrelenting which will make you sore tomorrow. "What're you feeling, pudding?"
☁ You take a moment to collect your thoughts, fiddling with your sportswear. "Frustrated." You finally say. "With myself."
☁ It isn't a surprising revelation, but still makes Cosmo pause. Before he can even think of something to say though, you're pulling away and scrambling to the trashcan, ducking your head deep enough he worries you'll fall in. He's by your side in a heartbeat, gently pulling anything that gets in the way back with soothing hums and rubbing your back. He'll make a note of this trashcan and take it out later, but for now, he lets you do what you need to do. He's honestly surprised it's taken this long given how long you were running, but he's guessing your internal systems were waiting for your adrenaline to crash.
☁ It leaves you sobbing again and he picks you up this time, cradling you to his chest as he makes his way to your room. Sprout and Astro are supposedly in there and if nothing else, Cosmo knows the extra people will help him help you, if not help you directly.
☁ They're cuddled up in the bed with Sprout laying on Astro's chest, playing with two of the celestial's hands while the other flick through Sprout's leaves. Both immediately sit up at the sight of you, easily making space for Cosmo to sit between them. Astro's already brushing a hand along your forehead while Sprout grabs one of your hands. "What happened?" The berry asks, noting the scrapes on your one knee.
☁ "Hard day." Is what Cosmo responds with, settling enough he can hand you his pillow. You cling to it, holding it to your chest. It takes a moment before you let out a shaky breath. "I-...I'm not-..." You struggle to articulate your words properly for a moment, hiding in the pillow for a long moment before returning. "I am frustrated with myself. I-...I don't think I'm getting better in the way I want to."
☁ Astro looks at Cosmo for a moment, trusting the cake roll to take the lead since he seems to understand how to help you best. But Cosmo simply let you be, letting you explain exactly what was going on without speaking for you.
☁ Sprout opens his mouth, not quite having the same manners, but stalls as your own voice cuts through. "I understand it takes time, but I think I'm taking steps backwards. What happened with Teagan the other day, I-" You stall, eyes glazing over for a second. "I shouldn't have done that."
☁ You all have gone over this situation a number of times, explaining the feelings that were happening during that time, but there was the sense that there was always some piece missing. You weren't quick to anger, and even while the situation was scary, you admitted you felt your reaction was...a lot, even after Astro had been placed in a much safer area.
☁ "I didn't...feel like myself. I felt like I did when I was-...When I was a twisted. Like I was back in that mind frame and focusing on nothing but the anger." You hold your hands out in front of you. Your nails need to be trimmed. They've been growing differently since. "I think I'm going about this in the wrong way, but I don't know any other one. I'm not... the same. That much is obvious-"
☁ "Bud," Sprout begins, but your shake your head. "It's not just that. It's a whole selection of things. I still can't see Astro like I used too, seeing Brightney in dark rooms irks me more than I like to admit, I can't even sneak up on anyone anymore!" You exclaim before deflating. "I'm more twisted than any of you. And I hate it. I want to be like I was before."
☁ You're crying. You're crying heavy, full tears, but they don't seem to be of anguish. They seem to be of relief as you finally explain the heavy stones that seem be a common partner in your gut these days.
☁ Cosmo continues being a heavy support for you, hushing your wails softly. The pieces begin to click into pace, one after another. You don't feel you are progressing since you were so hyperfixated on being a twisted all over again. It hurts his heart, deeply, and judging by the faces Sprout and Astro are making, they feel the same, but flounder on how to help.
☁ Cosmo has known you a long, long time. He's known you isms, your dreams, and your biggest fears. Back then, he was the only other one you went to for support other than yourself. You two could only find solace in each other, clinging to each other like loosening your grip would take the other away entirely.
☁ But this isn't then. It's not longer just the two of you.
☁ So he looks at them. They look at him. He nods to you. They can't just be him when it comes to supporting you. They need to figure out their own way to support you.
☁ Sprout opens his mouth again. "I did...notice your eyes, when that whole thing with Teagan. I worried, but trusted you had it under control. Which you did. I'm not...scared of you becoming anything more than who you are now." He explains softly, bringing his leafy tail over so you can play with it. "Nothing ever stays the same. And I don't think we can expect it to. So I think it's unfair to yourself to think it will."
☁ "I think you've done remarkably, personally." Astro adds, now mindlessly smoothing down your fur. "Honestly, I probably would've done worse."
☁ "And he doesn't even have the excuse of being turned twice." Cosmo scoffs making you sniffle as you giggle. Astro takes this as a good sign, giving a faux affronted gape as he throws two of his hands up. "If that's what it takes to put Teagan in her place!"
☁ "You cannot hit Teagan, oh my god-" You snicker, dragging your hands down your face. You can't lie and say you don't feel a little silly about how easily they defuse feelings that have keep you laying away and staring at the ceiling at night. At least now you know there are 49 glow in the dark stars on the roof that you had put up there as a surprise for Astro. You thought there was more.
☁ With a final breath, you sit up, and Cosmo lets you, smiling as you lean back onto his chest. Normalcy has settled again, even if he's sure there's more that'll come. But just as he was then, he'll be there for you again.
☁ Still, just to ensure your mind gets off it, he pokes a sleeping bear. "Did you guys hear what Glisten did?"
☁ You take the bait, eagerly turning to Sprout and Astro, happily exclaiming, "HE KISSED GOOB-"
☁ Cosmo hides his chuckle in your back at the gasps ring out and the other two are immediately demanding details.
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tan1shere · 8 months ago
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can you PLAHESE make more Eva x fem!reader i don’t have like an idea but im thinking one of evas therapy sessions get a lil freaky
(idk this my first time asking for something lol, if you cant thats cool)
You're No Good For Me
Eva x female reader !
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A/n: Oh gurl I just had the PERFECT idea for one, yes it's inspired by the song slightly 😇
Summary: you and Eva have known eachother for awhile, you go and spend your break at the place she lives, when you were in the therapy room together, things turn into something else. Something more.
Warnings: smut smut and more smut ! Scissoring guys 🤭 fingering, soft dom Eva, sub reader - and I think that's about it, enjoy !!!
Masterlist
You had to clear your mind, so this was the exact place to do that. Eva was an old friend who you had known for years, the both of you were texting one day when she suggested you come down for a long weekend to set your mind at ease. You never exactly knew what she did but you agreed nonetheless. Once you got there you head up to the door, knocking on it. And there she was. "Eva." You smile, going to hug her. "Hey you." She kindly leaves a kiss on your cheek. "Missed you." She finishes. Pulling back to place her hands on your face. "You look good." She grins. You smile again. "Too kind, but so do you my goodness!"
She lets you into the house helping you with your luggage. "I'll put them in the room you'll be sleeping in." You thank her, looking around the beautiful house. You saw some other girls wandering around. It made you think what she actually did, it was probably time you asked her. As she came back, she began to show you around. There was so much to the house, many rooms, big spaces. It was very beautiful. "I've been meaning to ask - out of curiosity." You then pipe up, making her look at you. "What do you even do? What is this place?" She smiles that intoxicating smile. Maybe you had, had a crush on her when you were younger. Is that feeling still there?
Because that just sent a shiver down your spine. "We run a female empowerment group. Just me and the girls that live here." She turns back around to continue the tour. But something felt off, was that fully the truth? Why did you get the feeling it was so much more than that. You knew Eva, and she seemed a little bit different. Especially with how she acted with the others. Although she didn't seem to do that with you. She knew how you saw her from all those years ago, she didn't want to blow anything and scare you. But if anything you were just more intrigued.
It had been a few days, you got to know some of the girls that lived there, doing little activities with them. You eventually started piecing it together on what was really happening. You were currently just drinking a tea, while sitting on a small sofa in the living room. When Eva comes in. "Join me?" Your head pops up from out of your book. "What for?" You asked. "Just come with me, ok?" You reluctantly get up, following her. "You're not gunna kill me are you?" You then say, half joking. For the first time Eva showed more emotion in her features while looking at you. "What are you on about?" You laugh a tiny bit. "Nuthinn." She still looks at you bewildered. You then reach a room, it was quite dark in there.
The only source of light was coming from the circular window on the wall. She sits down on a small pillow, encouraging you to do the same with the other that's infront of her. You slowly do. "I usually do therapy lessons but I feel like we haven't spoken much over the last few days. Gives us a chance to in here, away from everything." You nod at her statement. When a silence was being cascaded across the dimly lit room. "Are you going to tell me what this place really is?" She just looks at you. "I told you babe, female-"
"That's bullshit." You cut her off.
"Eva, just tell me." - "You aren't going to brainwash me are you?" You laugh a tiny bit. She knew how smart you were and that you caught onto what this place truly was. "I've known you since we were kids. And this is only for a weekend. Plus I don't brainwash I persuade." Your eyebrow raises. "Y/n it's me, just trust that." You take a moment, but you always trusted her, you knew she wasn't going to force you to stay with any kind of words. But she also knew you'd willingly come back to see her. Ever since you were younger there was something between the two of you. She knew that your friendship would last a long time, so she had no worries.
"I don't need to tell you then. Your smart-ass figured it out." She tilts her head forward slightly, having a tiny smirk on her face. Her head then tilts to the side as she leans forward. "You know I think about you often." She admits. "That so?" You ask intrigued, a small grin plastered on your own face. "Well I mean I'm sure the feelings mutual." She then adds, making your eyebrow raise again. "Says who?" Her smirk widens. "Well you did have a crush on me as teens." For some reason that makes your body stiffen. You never thought she actually had suspicions about it. "I don't know what-" But her face gets impossibly close.
"Don't even finish that sentence, because we both know I'm telling the truth." You were, silenced. "Still know how to zip it when told. Noted." You stare into her eyes. The perfect ocean blue. Except they had something more taunting in them now. Almost challenging. "So what if I did." You then speak. She looks down at your lips. "Yeah?" Silence. Her eyes meet your own. "Feelings mutual baby." As soon as she uttered those words you grabbed her face and kissed her, it was hasty. Feverish. Her hands move to place them on your thighs, getting you to lay back on the floor. You then pull away. "Won't someone come in-?"
Your worried expression just makes her grin. "Nah, rules are no one comes in here til I come back out. Even if they need me for something." You breathe out a relieved sigh. When her lips are back on yours in an instant. "To be honest-" You began as she kissed your neck. You always were a blabber. "I don't even know why-" your words cut short as she bit down, causing a small noise to come out of you. But nonetheless you continued. "-I liked you.. you were kind of bitchy to me- teen years." You breathe as her face comes in view with your own.
"Really huh? Bitchy?" You shrugged. "Ever think that was my way of saying, 'hey you're so fucking hot I just have to have you?'" Her eyebrows raise in question. Your face goes totally still. "That shut you up." Once again her smirk returns. Her soft lips returned to your neck, leaving a small mark. Your eyes flutter close. Was this really happening right now? "Ever since those years you've invaded my mind." Her hands move to pull the straps down on your dress, surprised you had no bra on. But she was definitely not complaining.
Her hands make contact with your tits, kneading gently. You gasp a tiny bit, still having your eyes closed. A small whimper leaves you as her lips travel down to them. She takes her sweet time, worshiping every sliver of skin around your breast. She was soft, but definitely firm with her intentions. "We-" You gulp back a moan, causing her to look up at you. "What? Dont think we should be doing this?" You nod ever so slightly, just a tad worried. She grabs your jaw getting you to open your eyes and look at her. "I promise. It's just you. And me." Her eyes stare into your own, and for some reason you just trust her by that single look.
Grabbing her face again and bringing her down to kiss you. Maybe you did still have a crush on her, maybe that feeling was still lingering. Her hands make their way down your body. Her fingers teased the thin fabric that laid under your summer dress. "Please.." You breathe, just wanting it to finally happen. "Eva please." You grew needier when she wouldn't budge. But that only causes your eyes to open again, looking to see her staring down at you. "Patience." She then says as your eyes meet. It was a warning. She was making clear that she was in control here. You whine with annoyance until you feel her hands back on your jaw.
"Uh uh, don't do that. You'll get what you want." Her fingers danced around your face delicately, moving down to your neck. "With time.." She finishes. "Being sooo good for me though." You swallowed at her tone, God she was even more mesmerizing than years ago. Her hands move under your dress, pulling your underwear off, letting out a satisfied hum. "Haven't even touched you and you're sopping." Her fingers go to touch. "Was it my words? My voice?" You're in a daze when you hear her fingers snap. Causing your attention to be back on her. "You wanna answer me pretty girl?" Your eyes meet. "Y-yes.. your voice.." Her face shone with admiration. "Your touch..." You carry on. As you soon feel her fingers sliding into you, you're gone.
Head back, arching just slightly to feel more. The worry of someone walking in fading away. "Keep going, know you can. Tell me." Her voice was like a drug. Her fingers curl inside you, feeling your gummy walls suck her in. You gasp at the feeling. "Come on, just want to hear it. Unless you want me to stop, is that it?" A fake concerned, pitty look is on her face. You swallow hard. "N-no please don't." She hums lightly. "What, else." - "Y- your eyes.. and-" Your lids screw shut as she suddenly adds another finger, making you stretch like crazy. "Fuck!" But her hand is quickly over your mouth.
"Quiet angel, not too loud." Her hand slowly moves but you grab it. "And.. your lips." You continue, grabbing her finger lazily. Sticking it in your mouth and sucking. She's impressed with all your sudden obedience. "That's better. Good, girl." Your eyes roll back as her pace quickens once again and you feel it. It gets harder for her to move before she pulls them out. You let out a whiny cry around her finger.
"I know my girl I know." She soothes. But Eva truly meant that, she wanted you to cum. But she needed it. To be against her. "You're being so incredibly good I just need to do something ok?" She pulls her finger out of your mouth as your face is tired, pouty. "Awww." She bites her lip at your face currently, it was too precious for words. "You're just so sweet."
"Just like all those years ago." She began, standing up to take the layers of clothes she was wearing. You watch intently. "Always nose deep in those books, not giving a care in the world. Style is still the same. Always made me want to rip those dresses off your beautiful body." Your head falls back as you couldn't keep it up any longer. "Eva-" You were about to say something else when you felt something warm and so soft on your cunt. Causing a moan to escape you. "And i get to fuck her raw." She breathes the words out. Your eyes open so quick.
Looking down at where you two were connected, her pussy against your own, making your mouth hang open. They fit perfectly together, your wetness making it easy for her to grind against you, the pleasure building up again for the both of you. "What if I told you I craved you." She then says, her velvety voice making you ache for her to speed up. A tiny whimper leaving you in the process. Your eyes shut again.
Focusing on the pleasure she's giving you. But she was teasing, causing you to whine. You just needed it. Her. But she needed to hear you say it, beg for her. "Please fuck me." You moan out, having your eyes closed. "What was that?" You let out an annoyed whimper. But you open your eyes to be in line with hers, they were full of adrenaline, lust. "Speak." - "Please just fuck me Eva please!" And so she does, more intensly fucking against your cunt. The feeling was everything, she felt way too good against you. "Mmm Eva." You whine out, going to grip her arms.
She leans over you, your breasts touching one another's as she grinds harder against you. Her head rests in your neck, kissing, biting sucking. "I'm so close don't stop!" You blab as if she was going to do that. She was enjoying this too much. As she ruts against you a moan of her own is let past her lips, against your neck and ringing in your ears. It was so hot you might cum from that alone. She balances on her hands still hovering above you. Face, to face.
"Cum against me, know you can." She breathes, out of breath herself, matching your ragged breathing, chest rising and falling fast. The eye contact increases every sensation you were both feeling. "Fuck, you really are an angel.. look at you.." She moans. "Eva- i-" She nods. "With me, come on baby." She says when you both shortly after cum against the other. The feeling was even better than you had anticipated. Your head falling back completely against the hardwood floor. Catching your breath and so was she. Until you make eye contact again, no words. No nothing. Just a beautiful silence.
Maybe she was brainwashing you. But at the same time she wasn't. You were just so intoxicated by her and you had to stay.
"Do you think we'll be inlove?"
"I count on it."
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fianne-0123 · 2 months ago
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MARAUDERS and also other HP headcanons because I'm very sick about them
pisses me off that voldemort calls peter wormtail so id like to say that sirius black names a rat, after he gets out of azkaban, wormtail just for the fun of it. he raises it and lets it get extremely fat but he never feeds it cheese. "that's the only difference between him and pete" he'd joke, "peter always ate cheese, when i knew him."
james potter has some crazy pansexual vibes; he wouldn't know he's pansexual like ever because he's too busy being in love w lily evans, but pan james is my canon always 'cause he seems like he just wouldn't give a fuck.
sirius black thinks blokes are hot. and when he says it in a platonic way, everyone thinks 'ey its just typical pads!' but its not typical pads because he's a homosexual god damn it.
james'll never tell anyone this, but he actually suggested sirius be called "padfoot" because he makes a little "padpadpad" sound when he walks. Barefoot, padpadpad. Socks? padpadpad. His feet could be dry, the floor could be cement, he could be wearing shorts and it'd be padpadpad.
lucius and narcissa? guess you could say she's his.. beard. because idk something about the malfoys that give me that 'im a pent up homo!' vibe. im sure you know what i mean?
lily evans had a huge crush on severus snape growing up, and thats the only reason why severus snape ever reciprocated it (but never worded it out); the warmth of her love kind of burned through his emotional constipation aura and made him feel things in return.
but then him calling her a slur was kind of a dealbreaker.
also lily thought her type was emo and mean but then james potter strutted 'round the corner and suddenly she was the one being mean/j
regulus black writes poetry. free-form, raw, hurtful and then stuff salt in your wound type shit. it's in his face structure, you know? mother's son, because fuck all if walburga didn't write a poem or toe, i'd eat my own toenail
ok so yeah i do think peter pettigrew eats cheese. and yeah, maybe sirius black sheds hair from his head. AND yeah, maybe james potter would scent things. and if anyone dares to tell me that remus lupin does not vocally growl at people when he's pissed then you've got another thing coming at you !!
to add to my agenda, and this deserves its own bullet, is that minerva mcgonagall rubs her hands on the table makes biscuits when she's extremely happy.
pansy parkinson, after everything, goes to muggle london and gets a cup of coffee at a cafe. she asks someone what to do when she doesn't know what's wrong with her. when they tell her to go to therapy, pansy does. so yeah, i do hc her as a reformed racist, classist, elitist, and wtv the fuck.
albus dumbledore is kind of a bitch, I KNOW its not a hc it just kind of pisses me off and i feel the need to broadcast this to everyone who has every glorified him. kinda pmo that harry names his kid after him considering that he is indirectly the reason for harry's struggle in childhood.
that said, albus dumbledore makes a morning announcements about homosexuals with the endnote of "but keep out the broom closets, maybe?"
maybe if evan rosier and barty crouch jr looked a little less sheepish then they'd have convinced everyone that it was sirius black and one of his homie-os.
bill weasley romanced fleur by yapping about curse-breaking spells like a little weirdo and he is, in fleur's words, "a man with passion."
ok thx goodbye
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cinnaleaf · 5 months ago
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ESSENCE OF US - CH 16: TIME WILL TELL
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Please read responsibly. This fic will get hot and heavy as the story progresses, 18+ only MDNI | CH 15 | MASTERLIST | CH 17 (soon)
summary: a fleeting encounter with a mysterious Trent leaves you wondering if fate is playing a bigger match. your paths continue to cross in unexpected places as the fragrances around you mirror the growing tension between you. maybe it's just a coincidence..or maybe its destiny in the making.
warnings: angst, fluff, language, therapy representation, mentions of mental health, scenes inspired by serendipity the movie, writer/reader inside joke wc: ~11.9k (sorry) 💌: idk how slot got in here but im rocking with it song inspo: The Sun x KYLE ft. Bryson Tiller & Raphael Saadiq
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The first year after your break up with Trent went just how you would expect it to go – terribly.
It felt like trying to unspool a stubborn thread that wouldn’t come undone. The breakup coupled with Les Notes d’Amour no longer existing due to sabotage and betrayal left you feeling emptier than ever. You spent weeks replaying the sequence of events trying to pinpoint the exact moment your dreams turned into ash. Ember was nothing more than a pawn for Aaron’s game. She became a vehicle for him to drive his petty vendetta into the heart of your life. Her misguided attempts at gaining his approval quickly backfired and left her a jobless criminal. 
Tara on the other hand, was nothing more than a girl who loved a gossiping yap session, though she was more careless than malicious. None of it mattered anymore though. You already lost everything, including the one person who may have been able to help you navigate it all. You figured it would be easier to cut ties in order to protect him from the wreckage you became. 
The tears came first – there were enough of them that you were genuinely surprised you were somehow still hydrated. They started off as silent tears that soaked into the plush folds of your pillow at night, but then they turned into loud ones that made your chest heave in the shower when no one else was around. You thought the tears would stop as time went on, but they never really did. Instead, they settled into an ache that you became used to. 
The first few months of the year were spent in bed, trapped between the walls of your apartment while the rest of the world passed by. Your days blurred together into one endless loop of doom scrolling, ignoring calls, and deleting messages. Trent’s messages came frequently at first. He went back to the simple texts he used to send when you first started dating, but each notification alert struck you like lightning.
I miss you.
Talk to me Y/N. Please.
I don’t understand why you’re shutting me out.
I love you. I always will.
You couldn’t bring yourself to open any of them, or even read the previews for long. If you let the words sink in for too long, you knew you’d let the warm cadence of his voice play in your head…and you knew you would cave. You couldn’t afford to cave. 
So you blocked him – his number, social media, email, everything.
You thought that would be the end of it, but then an account by the name of ‘scentimental’ followed you. You wanted to relock your account after your break up but never got around to it. The instagram follow made you take a second glance, almost as if your intuition knew something you couldn’t quite place just yet. You weren’t in the mood to entertain any random accounts, but you tapped on the profile anyway. It had one post featuring a blurry picture of a perfume bottle on a window sill with a caption:
Some things don’t fade, no matter how hard you try.
You stared at it for a long time as your finger hovered over the profile. The bio was empty, the follower list was suspiciously small, and the account only followed you and a few random fan accounts. You immediately received a DM, sensing that same magnetic feeling you always felt with Trent. That feeling was something you missed, so you opened the DM, chasing the feeling one last time.
Hey, Y/N. Love your work! I saw something that reminded me of you the other day. You’ve been really quiet lately. Wondered if you were still out there making the world smell better?
The messages were vague, but not vague enough for you not to peep what was going on based on the phrasing and timing. This wasn’t a random account at all; it was Trent’s burner account. You stared at the messages for a while, hovering your finger over the block button.
“Seriously?” you muttered while shaking your head. He couldn’t possibly believe you wouldn’t notice, the man wasn’t subtle at all. He could have at least followed a few more accounts and pretended a little better, but it was clear he would do anything to get even a small snippet into your life now that you had locked him out. You let out a deep sigh, pressing the block button without bothering to send a reply as you tossed your phone on the bed. 
As more months went by, the twins had become your lifeline to the outside world. Ezzie made it her personal mission to pull you out of the pit you sunk into. One day, she showed up with her hands full of groceries as the sound of the door opening broke through the silence of your apartment. She didn’t bother knocking anymore because she knew you wouldn’t answer.
The soles of her trainers stamped against the hardwood floors as she cut through the silence with her voice. “You should really start locking the door properly. What if it wasn’t me? What if I was some random person here to steal all your stuff and murder you?”
Your body was buried underneath a weighted blanket and you didn’t bother looking up. “They would be doing me a favor honestly. I don’t care anymore.”
Ezzie set the bags down on the kitchen counter with a huff, scrunching her face up in frustration. “You’re really dramatic. Just lock the door, okay?” You let out an irritated sigh as she started unpacking groceries filled with ready meals, snacks, and fresh fruit. She knew you probably wouldn’t eat any of it, but she bought it anyway – every week.
“You really shouldn’t spend your money on me” you mumbled as your voice muffled through the thick layers of the weighted blanket you were huddled under.
“I shouldn’t have to, but here we are. Someone has to take care of you if you won’t.” She rolled her eyes, leaning against the counter while crossing her arms. “I should charge you an inconvenience fee. Do you know how hard it is to carry all of this every week? I hate manual labor.”
“Maybe you should’ve stayed home then.” you shot back very weakly.
“And let you rot in here?” she quipped. “No way. Ziggy would’ve sent me up here anyway. He’s downstairs by the way. He didn’t want to deal with your sulking today.”
“I’m not sulking.”
“You’re literally sulking right now.” She motioned toward you huddled underneath the blanket, toying with the remote because the episode of Grey’s Anatomy you were watching had just ended in Derek’s death. That episode usually made you cry, but all you could do this time was shake your head and change the show to something else just as equally depressing. 
“Before you tell me to leave, I’m not. I don’t want to hear your ‘woe is me’ speech. I brought snacks and I’m staying until you eat something that’s not depression air.”
You peeked out from under the blanket, squinting at her like you were seeing daylight for the first time in weeks. “I don’t need you to babysit me, E.”
“Umm. Clearly, you do.” She walked over to the couch, plopping down next to you. “You’re acting like life ended when Love Notes burned down. I get it was really bad and you’re torn up about it, but you’re still alive Y/N. You have people that care about you. You can’t just give up like this.” Your sister’s voice softened at the end. She wouldn’t say it outright, but this was a lot worse than last time and your behaviour scared her.
“You don’t get it” you muttered, pulling the blanket back over your head. 
“No. I definitely don’t” she admitted frustratingly. “You can’t keep hiding from the world. It’s not a healthy way to cope.”
You sighed and pushed the blanket off as you sat up. “What do you want me to do then, Ezzie? Pretend everything is fine when it’s not? My career is gone, my shop is gone. Trent’s gone. Everything I’ve ever cared about is just...gone.”
Ezzie frowned. “Trent is not gone. You pushed him away.. there’s a difference. Love Notes may be gone, but that doesn’t mean your career is. You’re acting like this is the end of your story when it’s not. You can still keep going and rebuild something.”
“No. I don’t want to rebuild.” you snapped as your voice cracked. “I’m tired. I’m really so fucking tired.”
Ezzie pouted her lip and reached out to give you a hug. “But you can’t stay here forever. I won’t let you.”
Before you could respond, the sound of footsteps echoed from the hall and Ziggy appeared in the doorway with an unreadable expression. “Can I come in or is this intervention for girls only?” he asked dryly.
Ezzie rolled her eyes. “Come in. Maybe you can knock some sense into her.”
Ziggy walked over and dropped a bag in front of you. “Brought some food,” he said casually. “I thought maybe you would eat it if it was something you like.”
You looked at the bag, shaking your head as your stomach knotted. “I’m not hungry but thank you.”
Ziggy gave a disapproving look but didn’t push it. He sat on the floor next to the couch, sprawling his long legs out in front of him. It seemed like he had the growth spurt of a lifetime as soon as he started academy. He took his hoodie off, revealing the Liverpool emblem stitched on the corner. You froze as you eyed the crest – it sent a pang straight through your heart. You looked away, pretending to adjust your blanket, but in reality, you wanted to cry. You hated that something so simple made you feel this way, but it did. 
Ziggy was on his phone, rapidly tapping his fingers to fill in the awkward silence. “You know…” he started casually, not looking up. “Trent asks about you.”
His name made you stiffen instantly as your hands clenched the blanket. “Ziggy..”
“What?” he asked innocently, as if he didn’t just bring up the person’s name you were desperately trying to avoid. “Just saying he’s concerned. He’s not doing so well either.”
“Ziggy. Stop.” Ezzie said, leaning over to grab his hoodie. She flipped it over so that the emblem was hidden, then she shot him a death glare. “Don’t bring him up right now.”
“I’m not bringing him up” Ziggy voiced defensively. “I’m just saying he cares. He asks how she’s doing every time I see him. That’s all.”
You exhaled, feeling extremely guilty about how you ended things with Trent. “You don’t have to tell him anything. He’ll get over it eventually.”
“Yeah, I know. But he’s really persistent. I don’t think he’s doing it to be annoying. He just really –”
“Isaac.” Ezzie cut in, so irritated that she used his legal name. “Let. It. Go.”
He sighed, scratching his head. “Okay! Damn. I’ll drop it.”
The room went silent aside from the chatter coming from the tv and the sound of Ezzie unloading groceries in the kitchen. Ziggy picked at a loose thread on his joggers as he glanced up at you before quickly looking away. “It’s hard to see you like this Y/N. You don’t even leave from here.”
“I do leave. Sometimes.” you retorted. 
Ziggy arched his brow, not buying your statement at all. “When? When do you leave? Because you’ve been in the same spot every time I come over here. And I’m here a lot.”
You slumped further into the couch, rolling your eyes. “I go places. I don’t need to announce when I go somewhere. I’m not a child.”
“Yeah? Where did you go last?” he challenged, putting his phone back in his pocket.
You opened your mouth, but the brain fog had gotten to you so bad that you couldn’t think of something plausible quick enough. “The shop down the street” you muttered, not sounding convincing at all.
Ezzie popped her head out from the kitchen with a box of cereal in her hand. “She’s lying. I have her location on and the little circle never moves from here. She doesn’t even check for mail.... I do.”
You let out an irked sigh. “Okay. I don’t leave that often. Happy now?”
“No.” Ziggy replied flatly. He gestured toward the untouched takeaway bag. “And you don’t eat either. Y/N you look...bad. Like a sad Victorian child. You need to eat something.”
“Wow. Thanks.” You glared at him, taking all offense. 
Ezzie walked over setting water in front of you. “He’s trying to say we’re worried about you...but in his own way.” she said gently, pointing toward the takeaway. “Maybe just take a bite? At least try it…”
You stared at the bag. You wanted to eat, but your brain wasn’t connecting to any of your hunger or thirst receptors and you just felt numb the majority of the time. The thought of eating anything besides crisps here and there made your stomach churn.
“I’m not hungry.” you repeated the same as earlier.
Ziggy threw his head back, groaning dramatically. “Y/N come on. We’re not leaving until you eat something. I got pad thai.”
You sighed, pulling the bag towards you. The smell of the food was comforting, although you still weren’t all that hungry. You grabbed the container of pad thai and pulled the lid off. Ziggy and Ezzie eyed each other as you took a bite, doing the twin telepathy thing they always did since they were little.
“See? Not so bad, right?” They spoke in unison eerily. 
Them speaking in unison always freaked you out a bit and you found yourself frowning while lazily chewing a mouthful of noodles. “It’s really creepy when you both do that...but the pad thai is fine. Thanks.”
After an unplanned but filling dinner, Ziggy tilted his head, watching you carefully as you wrapped your blanket around yourself again. “What’s your game plan?”
“My game plan for what?”
“To get better,” he said simply. “You can’t stay like this.”
You recently scheduled an appointment for a therapy session, but no one else knew besides Camille. You fidgeted with the edge of your blanket and sighed, finally admitting you were at least trying to be better. “I have an appointment with a therapist in a few weeks.”
Ezzie’s face lit up with excitement. “Really?!”
Ziggy looked skeptical and eyed you to see if you were telling the truth. “Forreal? You’re actually gonna go?”
You glanced between the two of them. They were 17 now, and the tables had flipped. Instead of you trying to take care of them – they were taking care of you like you were their kid, and it made your heart hurt. It wasn’t fair to them and you knew it.
“Yes Ziggy.” you replied in annoyance. “It’s just one session so don’t get too excited. But I’ll see where it goes.”
“That’s just the first step,” Ezzie smiled softly. “I’m proud of you.”
Ziggy nodded, agreeing with his twin but he tried to play it cool. “Yeah, same. Just don’t cancel. Gotta see it through.”
You sighed, scrolling through your phone while cuddled into your blanket. “I’m not going to cancel. Promise.”
The day of your appointment, Camille’s car glided through morning traffic while soft R&B played in the background.
“Nervous?” she asked, glancing over at you from behind her Loewe sunglasses. You were staring out the window, nibbling on your fingernails as the buildings blurred past you.
“No. Not really.” you lied, feeling your stomach knot together.
Camille knew you better than that and was skeptical, but not pushy. “Dr. Ali is good...like really good. She won’t sit there and make vague comments like ‘How does that make you feel?’ She’ll push you but not in a break you down type of way. She’ll build you up with what’s already there.”
You arched your brow up, pulling your gaze from the window. “How do you know so much about her?”
Camille smirked. “I do my research, babe. Never underestimate my sleuthing skills. You think I’d let my bestie walk into a dodgy therapist’s office? Not a chance. Dr. Ali went to Harvard, has years of experience and will probably be able to read you with just one look.”
“That sounds terrifying actually.”
“She’s not terrifying” Camille replied, making a sharp turn that made your body tilt a little. “She’s just real. You honestly need someone like that. I can only do so much. Just let her help you..even if it’s just to unload.”
You felt a pang in your chest and tugged at the hem of your jumper. “Maybe..”
The car pulled into a building with glass windows that reflected against the bright morning sun. Camille turned off the car and turned to you. “I’ll wait here. If you go in and decide you hate it, that’s fine. But at least try first.”
You nodded, swallowing hard as you stepped out the car with your emotional support water bottle, clutching it in your hand as you entered the building.
The waiting area was pretty minimalist and didn’t have anything that was overstimulating. There were a few plants scattered around to add greenery to the muted calming space. You checked in at the desk and sat down, fidgeting in the chair as you waited for your name to be called.
“Y/N?” a soft voice called out.
You looked up and saw a woman who looked like she was in her early 40s standing at the door. She had warm brown skin, curly medium length hair and wore trousers paired with a tailored blazer. You were imagining some old, decrepit lady, but this woman seemed very approachable from the start.
“I’m Dr. Ali” she said with a welcoming smile. “Come on in.”
You followed her into her office, which was just as inviting and warm as the waiting room. Her office had a large window that let in natural lighting, shelves lined with trinkets and books, and plush seating that could make anyone feel comfortable. As you sat down, she settled in the chair across from you.
“So, Y/N. Tell me what brings you here today.”
You didn’t know where to begin as you searched for an answer. “Umm....I guess....everything?” you said in a weak voice.
Dr. Ali nodded. “That’s okay. We can take it one piece at a time. Start with whatever you’re comfortable with.”
You sighed, taking a drink of water from your water bottle, though you weren’t really thirsty. You were carrying the water bottle around more as a coping mechanism than anything. “I really don’t know where to start. My relationship ended, my career went up in flames..literally. And my family…” You trailed off, shaking your head. “Everything just feels fucked up and broken.”
Dr. Ali’s expression didn’t change, but she eyed you with calmness in her eyes. “Sounds like a lot of loss,” she said gently. “What was your relationship like?”
“Good. Really good for the most part, actually. His name is Trent. He’s a footballer. You’ve probably heard of him before.”
She didn’t confirm or deny, instead gesturing for you to continue.
“He’s amazing,” you admitted quietly. “He was always supportive and everything I wanted a boyfriend to be. But being with him meant attention. People started lots of rumours and just spewed utter nonsense. And when my shop burned down because of someone I thought I could trust…it felt like too much. It felt like I would just be dragging him into my mess.”
Dr. Ali leaned forward, keeping a curious but non judgemental tone. “So you let him go to protect him?”
You nodded, staring at your hands. “It felt like the right thing to do at the time. But now I really don’t know. I don’t know who I am anymore, honestly. I feel really lost.”
“What about your family? You mentioned them earlier.”
You laughed dryly, no humour laced within. “Well that’s super complicated” you muttered. “My parents are more focused on appearances than the people behind them. They only care about me being the perfect daughter so they can parade me around for their own gain. They don’t really know me. They don’t even know my favorite color and it’s right in front of their face.”
Dr. Ali tilted her head with a calming expression that invited you to continue. “That’s a heavy burden to carry. Do you think that influenced how you approach things in life?”
You nodded, feeling a lump in your throat as you swallowed. “It’s not just me though. My brother and sister feel it too. They’re twins..only 17 but my parents are the same with them. They pretty much treat us like trophies waiting to be displayed. And I have to make sure they don’t end up like me.”
Dr. Ali quickly wrote something down before she spoke again. “So you feel responsible for protecting them too?”
“I’ve been responsible for them since they were born” Your voice cracked. “My parents cared more about grades and achievement. The love and support was all on me. I helped them with their homework and packed their lunches most times. Sometimes it feels like I’m more of a parent than a big sister.”
The therapist kept her eye on you and the silence encouraged you to open up more. This woman was good as hell and you had barely been in there for 10 minutes.
“Now it’s like the roles are flipped” you continued, fiddling with the opening of your water bottle. “Since my shop burned down they’ve been taking care of me. Ziggy brings me food and makes sure I haven’t died off somewhere. Ezzie tries to get me out of bed or make me laugh. It’s like they took everything I taught them and turned it back on me.”
“That sounds like a testament to how much you mean to them. But I can see how it feels strange to have the roles reversed. Especially when you’ve never experienced those roles from your parents before.”
You felt tears begin to sting and fill your lash line as your throat tightened. “It does and I hate it. I hate that they feel like they have to take care of me because I can’t take care of myself right now. I should be the one doing that for them..not the other way around.”
“What about your parents?” Dr. Ali asked gently.
You let out a sharp exhale feeling bitterness rise within you. “They don’t give a fuck. They only call when they want something or to ask about Trent. My mum’s never even met him but was so interested because of who he is. Being with him validated me in their eyes and now that I broke up with him and have nothing they can capitalize on I’m back to being the invisible daughter. I’m only worth something if I make them look good.”
Dr. Ali made another note, keeping her voice steady and calm as she spoke. “It sounds like you spent a long time trying to fill a role they created for you. Have you ever been allowed to figure out who you are outside of that role?”
Her question made you freeze and you thought about it for a second, but you couldn’t answer. Dr. Ali’s question was forcing you to confront something you really never allowed yourself to think about.
“I don’t know,” you whispered finally. “I don’t think I have.”
For the rest of the session, you talked about the destruction of Les Notes d’Amour and how it left you feeling like you lost a piece of yourself. You also talked about Trent and how letting him go was the hardest thing you ever did. When the session ended, Dr. Ali walked you out and gave you reassurance.
“Healing isn’t linear Y/N” she said as you reached the door. “But you’re here and that’s a good start.”
Camille glanced at you as you sat in the passenger seat of her car. “Well?”
You leaned back with a deep exhale. “She’s good.”
“Told you” Camille smirked, starting the car. “So you’re going back?”
You nodded, giving her a small smile back. “Yeah. I think I will.”
For Trent, the first year without you was just as brutal. Trent didn’t expect the breakup to hit him so hard, but it did. At first he thought he could push through the pain by burying himself in training, matches, partying, or anything else to avoid the emptiness he felt in his heart without you – but it never worked. Everywhere he turned, you were there. He could see you in the way Ziggy smiled. Sometimes he would hear someone laugh and the faint sounds of your laugh would come resurfacing back to his memory. He heard your name in the most unexpected places. He felt you in the soft floral notes of Enchantée – your very first creation and his mother’s favorite perfume that filled the air whenever she hugged him. 
You were in the bed he couldn’t sleep in anymore due the void of warmth from where you used to lay. When he did sleep, he would reach out for you out of instinct at night, only to be met with cold sheets instead of the softness and warmth of your skin.
He tried everything to feel close to you again. His texts went unanswered, his calls you never picked up. He sent thoughtful gifts but they always came back marked Return to Sender. On Instagram, he still had your profile saved under his recent searches. He knew your posts by heart because it was the only connection he had to you outside of Ziggy. When you blocked him there, it felt like he had been punched in the gut, but he didn’t give up. He created a burner account – scentimental – a little nod to what brought the two of you together. He thought he was subtle enough leaving a simple message, but you preed it immediately and blocked him there too. He logged in a week later and saw the dreaded User Not Found when he tried to search your profile again.
“How did she even know it was me? Is she psychic or something?” he muttered to himself, staring at the screen in frustration. He threw his phone on the couch and sank into it, covering his face with his hands. He spent the majority of the year chasing after someone who felt like a ghost, knowing he would never catch up.
That night, Trent found himself slouching on the couch, trying to distract himself with the latest season of Love Island. It wasn’t really the same binge watching it without you. You always made watching it more fun from your commentary. He loved that you mocked the drama, laughed at the crazy flirting, or yelled at the screen whenever someone made a questionable decision.
On the screen, an islander named Cassie was crying in the corner of the villa while a boy named Logan was pacing in front of her, furious.
“So you’re just gonna do this now after everything? You’re pulling the ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ card?” Logan shouted with his overly groomed brows arched in frustration. “That’s real fucking cliche. Play it up for the cameras, yeah?”
“I just need time!” Cassie wailed with mascara running down her cheeks. The girl looked a hot mess, honestly. “I can’t give you what you want if I don’t know who I am right now!”
Trent tilted his head at the tv in disbelief. He shoved a handful of crisps into his mouth to keep from yelling at the screen. Logan groaned, dragging his hands down his face. “You said you cared about me Cassie. It was all bullshit?”
“I DO care about you but I need space!” Cassie countered, breaking into another sobbing spell.
Trent grabbed the remote to turn the volume up. He could hear it just fine, but the parallels were striking and felt eerily familiar. The universe was funny in that way. He leaned forward, staring at the screen like it was going to give him the solution to his real life problem.
“Fucking hell” he muttered as Logan stormed out of frame. The scene then shifted to a confessional where Cassie started sobbing about how much she wanted it to work but needed to protect her peace first.
“Protect her peace?” Trent repeated out loud to no one in a sarcastic tone. “What the fuck does that even mean?” He turned the volume back down, staring at the ceiling. He couldn’t bear to hear it anymore when it felt so eerily similar to what happened the night you broke up with him. “This is fucking stupid. I hate this show. Cassie’s a fucking producer plant, no shot this isn’t scripted.”
A few weeks later, disappointed chatter from the crowd was heard at Anfield after a terrible match. Trent was bent over with his hands resting on his knees. He was exhausted more than usual. Sweat dripped down his face, mixed with tears that weren’t quite visible to the naked eye. The score was 1-2, mirroring a devastating loss. Trent misplaced a pass during the last crucial minutes of the game, basically handing over a winning goal to the rival team. He walked off the pitch, avoiding eye contact with everyone else as he made his way down the tunnel. Slot was waiting near the changing room with his arms folded.
“Trent!” Slot called out in a sharp tone. “Need to talk. Now.”
Slot stood off to the side, piercing his gaze on Trent. “What the hell was that out there?” It was clear Slot was frustrated with Trent’s performance.
Trent shifted around uncomfortably. “It was a mistake. It happens.”
“A mistake?” Slot repeated in disbelief. “This hasn’t been a one time thing Trent. It’s been going on for weeks. Your focus is shit out there, your passes are sloppy as fuck and your energy is damn near nonexistent. You think you’re on holiday or something? People are starting to notice. You’re supposed to be a leader on this team and you’re not acting like it.”
“I’m trying,” Trent muttered with a tight jaw.
“Not good enough,” Slot snapped, stepping closer. “I can’t afford to put someone on the pitch who’s not mentally there. Pull your weight. Whatever you have going on in your personal life needs to be sorted out. Because if this continues, you’re going to find yourself benched. I didn’t plan on bringing Ziggy on this early, but the kid’s good at multiple positions. I’ll put him in your spot if you don’t fix it.”
The thought of being benched and replaced with Ziggy while he watched from afar made his stomach knot. He nodded stiffly. “Understood. I’ll fix it.”
Slot patted Trent on his shoulder, giving him a small smile. “You’re a great player Trent. But you need to think about what brought you here. For your own sake and the team’s.”
When Trent walked into the changing room, the usual post match banter was replaced with mostly silence. Trent sat down, staring at the floor while still in his kit. He felt a familiar presence and looked up to see Mo standing in front of him with his arms crossed in concern.
“You alright, brother?” Mo asked, low enough so no one else could hear.
“Nah. Not really.” Trent admitted with a heavy sigh. Mo sat down next to him, concern still etched on his face.
“What’s going on? You’re not yourself.”
Trent debated brushing Mo off, but the deep concern in Mo's eyes made him decide against it. “It’s a lot. The games, pressure...personal stuff. Don’t even know where to start.”
Mo nodded thoughtfully. “Maybe you should talk to someone. I’m not going to get all up in your business but it could help if you talk to someone professionally.”
“Like who?” Trent asked, frowning. “A therapist or something?”
“Yeah” Mo said, shrugging. “No shame in it. Everyone’s been there. Another perspective could help you get out of your own head..”
Trent leaned back against the wall with his legs stretched out in a manspread. “Nah..I don’t know about that. Feels like I’m admitting I’m weak.”
Mo chuckled lightly. “It’s not. I can give you a contact. She’s a family friend – Dr. Ali. She’s very good.”
Trent stared at Mo, weighing the suggestion. “You think it’ll help?”
“Inshallah. It’s worth a shot. You never know.”
Mo gave Dr. Ali’s contact details to Trent discreetly. Trent saved the number, staring at it before he put his phone back up in his bag. It could be the first step to getting back to where he needed to be.
Or at least figure out where the hell he went wrong.
When Trent arrived at therapy, he expected something a lot more clinical and overly sterile, but Dr. Ali’s office wasn’t any of that. There were no blaring fluorescent lights making his eyes hurt or making him feel like he was being interrogated like a prisoner. She had a diffuser that filled the therapy room with a lavender scent. It would usually be comforting, but it made him uncomfortable because it reminded him of you.
“Trent” Dr. Ali greeted in a professional tone, extending her hand. “Make yourself comfortable.”
Trent wasn’t sure if comfort was an option given how he’d been feeling lately, but he nodded and sat in the chair, leaned back enough to look relaxed but not like he wanted to be there any longer than he had to. The therapist watched him carefully, waiting to see what he would do next. She wasn’t in any rush, and it threw him off.
“Ever been to therapy?” she finally asked while sitting in the seat across from him.
Dr. Ali’s lips quirked, but not in a patronizing way. “Fair enough. The first time isn’t easy for most, but no pressure. Start with whatever you want to. Or we can just talk and get to know each other.”
Trent’s knees bounced restlessly while he sat, shifting around nervously. He couldn’t believe Mo had somehow talked him into this. He felt a bit stupid to try therapy. In his mind, it was too formal for what he was going through. He felt like he overreacted by even showing up to the place at all.
“Not sure what to say really. Feels pointless.” he muttered while frowning.
“You’re not the only one who says that. It can feel like that at first. But you’re here and that’s something.”
Trent’s jaw clenched as he looked up at her. “Yeah? So what’s it mean then?”
“That you want things to be different.”
He huffed and looked away, knee bouncing harder. “Maybe but I don’t know. My mate, Mo, gave me your contact. Said you were really good or something.”
Dr. Ali hummed softly. “Mo Salah, right?”
“Yeah..he said I should talk to someone.” Trent tugged at the string on his joggers, feeling exposed all of a sudden.
“And why do you think he said that?” she asked.
Trent exhaled. “Because I’ve been playing like shit on the pitch. I haven’t been right since…” He trailed off, biting the inside of his cheek.
“Since??” Dr. Ali prompted him to continue, gentle with her tone.
“Since my ex. Y/N.”
Dr. Ali paused her pen over her notebook before jotting down a note. “Tell me about her and your relationship.”
Trent’s throat suddenly went dry. He rubbed his hand down his face, staring at an area on the floor. “I’ve never met anyone like her. She’s smart...but stubborn as hell. She ran a shop called Les Notes d’Amour and made fragrances. It was her dream.”
“So you met her through her work?” Dr. Ali asked.
“Nah...well..sort of. We kept running into each other like it was serendipity or whatever. It sounds mad but that’s what it felt like. We met on a train, then at some café, and again at her friend’s launch. Next thing I knew I was walking into her shop asking for a custom scent. After that I was done for.”
Trent smiled faintly but then it disappeared just as quickly as it appeared. “Her shop burned down because of her ex and an assistant. Then everything fell apart from there.”
“And you blame yourself for that?”
Trent’s head shot up. “No but at the same time, yes. I promised I’d protect her and I don’t feel like I did a good job of doing that. Feels like I could’ve done more, y’know? It’s been a year and I still think about her every day.”
“And thinking about her everyday...what does that look like for you?”
Trent looked at his hands. “It’s stupid stuff. I’ll hear someone that has her name on tv and my heart sinks for a second. My mum wears this perfume Y/N made. It’s called Enchantée and every time I smell it, I think about Y/N. I see her brother in training every day and I want to ask about her, but I can’t anymore because I know he’s trying to protect her.”
Trent went quiet for a while but then he continued. “And then at night..I’m always reaching for her and she’s not there. It sucks because I’ve tried to reach out and it’s gone nowhere.”
“What happens when you try to reach out to her?”
Trent laughed bitterly. “I’m blocked everywhere. I made a burner Instagram account just to check her page. I thought I was incognito and sent a simple message but she blocked me there too. Don’t even know how she figured out it was me behind it.”
Dr. Ali lifted a brow. “Why did you send that message?”
Trent scratched his head, embarrassed. “I just wanted to see how she was doing. We went from talking everyday to nothing. Feels like quitting something cold turkey and I hate that. It’s like I lost her forever.”
“What do you think stops her from contacting you?”
Trent shrugged in frustration. “I guess she didn’t want to drag me down with her but I didn’t see it that way. I would help her through anything..even now I still would.”
The therapist’s pen tapped against her notebook as she watched Trent. “You carry a lot of unresolved feelings about your breakup with her. And a lot of guilt too.” Trent didn’t respond and bounced his knee more.
“Let’s switch gears and talk about football for a minute. How’s that been going?”
Trent scoffed and shook his head. “Going like shit. I can’t focus at all. I replay every mistake in my head and I can’t let it go. I’m letting everyone down.”
“What happens when you make a mistake on the pitch?” she asked in a curious tone.
“I think about it for the rest of the game. Then it just spirals and one mistake turns into a lot more. I can’t get my head back in it and it used to be my escape.”
Dr. Ali leaned forward. “In therapy, I typically teach people how to break those cycles. We can’t change the past, but...we can change how we react to it and replace those thought patterns with healthier ones.”
“So what? You’re saying I need to let go?”
“I’m saying I can help you understand and process those feelings” she corrected in a soft manner.
Trent leaned back in the chair, crossing his arms. “I still don’t know if this therapy thing is for me.”
“That’s okay, you don’t have to decide today.” she said with a smile. “We’ll work on it and see where it goes.”
“Yeah. Okay, sure.” he nodded with uncertainty, but felt less resistant than before.
“Same time next week?” she asked.
Trent stared at the floor longer than he needed to, and then sighed before nodding. “Yeah..same time.”
The second year without Trent wasn’t as bad as the first. You weren’t fixed, but you weren’t broken down either. Therapy helped you alot, and you began to move forward, even if it was just little baby steps. You had a new house, a new routine, and a new normal.
When you started packing your apartment up for the move to Manchester, it felt bittersweet. It was painful, but necessary. The last room you packed was your bedroom. Ezzie and Ziggy helped in their own way, which barely involved any packing. Ziggy was sprawled across your bed scrolling through his phone while Ezzie sat on the floor putting clothes into a box you tossed her way.
“Are you gonna miss living here?” Ezzie asked, looking up at you.
“Maybe a little..but it’s time” you said in a low voice, crouching down to pull out the drawer in your vanity. You reached behind it to make sure you weren’t leaving anything behind, and you felt something hard against your fingers. You tugged at it, revealing your old and dusty perfume diary. The diary had all of your old formula notes and ideas in it. You sat on the floor, staring at the cover like you had just seen a ghost.
“What’s that?” Ziggy asked, giving a quick glance and then going back to his phone.
“Nothing” you answered quickly, flipping it open. It wasn’t nothing. The pages still smelled like bergamot as you flipped through. You landed on a page that had Trent’s handwriting on it. It wasn’t something you saw before, and it made you take a second glance.
I want you for as long as the stars shine.
You scoffed, laughing before you could stop.
“What?” Ezzie looked at you, curiously.
“Nothing. Just a reminder of how stupid I am.” You snapped the notebook shut and tossed it to the nearest box. Ezzie stared at you, but then she decided to let it go.
Ziggy still had his face in his phone but suddenly spoke up with perfect timing. “Trent’s still with his new girl by the way. Alannah.”
“I don’t think I asked.”
“Yeah but I’m telling you.” He flipped onto his back with a groan, his muscles still sore from training. “She’s leng but boring as fuck.” Ziggy propped his phone on his chest, trying not to laugh while he continued to spill the tea. “Forreal though. She’s got no aura. She’s fit, yeah, but she reminds me of mum’s chicken.”
You raised your brow, trying to hold in your laugh. “Mum’s chicken??”
“Dry. No flavor.” Ziggy emphasized, motioning like he was trying to season a chicken breast with something other than salt and pepper. “She’s fucking weird too. She won’t drink water unless it’s a certain temperature and she swirls it first like she’s in the movie ‘Get Out’ or something.” He mimicked her, twirling his fingers in an invisible glass. “Then she won’t sip it unless there’s a straw.”
Ezzie cackled loudly from across the room. “Shut up! You’re lying.”
“Swear down!” Ziggy held up his hand, completely serious. “Watched her do it at a team dinner and Trent just sat there like it was normal. Like bro..say something. Blink twice if you’re in the sunken place.”
You pursed your lips together, trying not to burst out laughing. “And what does she look like?”
Ziggy shrugged, dramatically. “Exactly like you would expect. She looks like a walking Lululemon advert.” 
Ezzie snorted, tossing a pair of jeans in a box. “So she looks like every beige aesthetic girl on Tiktok then?”
“Yeah! Exactly that!” Ziggy pointed at his twin like she cracked a code in his mind.
“Leng, but boring beige girl who swirls her water while wearing Lululemon, huh?” you snickered while shaking your head. “Perfect match if that’s what he wants.”
Ziggy scoffed, sitting up. “Nah, he looks miserable. I asked him about her and guess what he said?”
“What did he say?”
“He said.. she’s nice.” Ziggy mimicked Trent’s voice, void of any enthusiasm. “Not she’s amazing or that’s the girl of my dreams. Just.. nice.”
A tiny smile cracked through your expression, but then it left. Dry chicken or not, she was there and you weren’t. Ziggy noticed your shift and he stopped teasing. He scratched his jaw, briefly stroking the facial hair that had grown on his face.
“Anyway she’s not that great. She’s boring. You’re–” He stopped mid sentence, looking at Ezzie for help.
Ezzie shot him a look that told him to shut up, then she finished his sentence for him. “She’s not you Y/N.”
And maybe that was the problem. 
When you finally arrived at the house in Manchester, it felt like you were closing one chapter and opening a new one. The new house had enough room for the three of you now that you all had officially gone no contact with your parents. It was in a comfortable neighbourhood, where neighbors said hello but didn’t pry too much.
It was a place to breathe...sort of.
Most of your breathing now consisted of Rêveur wafting through the air wherever you went. Thanks to Camille’s ability to persuade you into continuing to sell the scent at department stores through her manufacturer, the fragrance had spread in popularity over multiple continents. It was surreal to smell something that used to be so personal to you on strangers. Men walking past you on the street were wearing it. People’s husbands were wearing it on a simple shopping trip to Tesco. Even teenagers who were way too heavy handed with their sprays were wearing it. It followed you everywhere – almost like the universe was taunting you. You didn’t love the idea of smelling your past on a stranger’s skin, but it brought in a lot of money. Rêveur used to be you and Trent’s creation, but now it belonged to the whole wide world.
“You gotta stop frowning when you smell it” Ezzie told you one morning while lounging on the couch in one of your old hoodies. “It’s iconic now. You’re a fragrance legend.”
You snorted, shaking your head. “It literally feels like it’s haunting me. It’s meant for my footballer ex, but now Steve from accounting is wearing it to Piccadilly station on his morning commute so I can afford to live.”
Ziggy walked in mid rant, dropping his bag on the floor after training. “You didn’t have to keep selling it. I would’ve made sure you were good.”
He was right. Ziggy had been grinding through the academy the past two years and started training alongside the first team. Ezzie’s calendar was filled with castings, campaigns, and now New York Fashion Week. You were proud of them, but you couldn’t help but feel a pang of longing for the life you had before Les Notes d’Amour burned down. Including the life you had with Trent – especially now that Camille was engaged to Jules. She Facetimed you religiously during her wedding planning. You could see the huge diamond ring on her finger sparkling at every angle of light every time she called.
“I can’t deal with him right now” Camille sighed one night, pacing around her living room. You could see Jules in the background, quietly scrolling through his phone and wisely pretending he didn’t exist. Camille had become a bit of a bridezilla since the engagement.
“He thinks sage and laurel are the same color Y/N.”
You held back your laugh, not wanting to set Camille off. “Maybe he just doesn’t care which colors you choose?”
“Of course he doesn’t care. He’s a man.” she responded flatly, tearing up. “I can’t have sage at my wedding Y/N.. it’s sooo tacky. It has to be laurel.”
“So we’ll do laurel then. It’s not that deep.” you reaffirmed her, still not trying to laugh at Camille’s new bridezilla persona.
“It is that deep,” she snapped. “I really can’t deal with this right now.”
You nodded, letting her spiral in the same way she let you when you were worried about something miniscule. As you listened to her ramble about the difference between the shades of green, you started zoning out. You wanted to tell her about your decision to sell your formulas to a fragrance house during NYFW since you hadn’t told anyone else yet, but you couldn’t find a way to bring it up. So you kept it a secret – from everyone.
Little did you know, Trent was headed to New York too – but with Alannah.
The week of NYFW, Trent was in a quiet hotel room with Alannah as she tapped her nails against her phone screen. She sat on the bed in another Lululemon set that was void of any color besides neutrals while her hair was held up with a claw clip. The girl really had no fashion sense at all – not like you did. She looked like she was ready to head to pilates at any given moment. They matched at least – Trent wore his tracksuits as always, while she always wore Lululemon. Alannah irritated Trent though. Everything about her was aesthetically curated, clean, and so devoid of anything interesting or chaotic that it was extremely eerie. He didn’t want someone perfect, he wanted you. 
Trent stood near the window, staring at the city traffic and people watching. New York was a lively city that moved fast, but in the hotel room it felt like life had been sucked out of him.
“Babe?” Alannah said suddenly while looking up from her phone.
“What?” Trent answered with agitation in his voice, his back still facing her.
“I didn’t want to say anything but...I found the ring.”
“Huh?” For a second, Trent thought she was joking.  “What ring?”
“Don’t be daft Trent.” she giggled. “The little velvet box in your drawer? Are you planning something?”
He turned all the way around now, blinking. “Planning what???”
“Babeee. You know what. We’ve been together a while so it makes sense to head that way. I’ll pretend to be shocked when you ask” she winked.
The silence was awkward…very awkward. Trent looked at her like she was an idiot. “Alannah, what the fuck are you talking about?”
“The engagement RING. I’m not stupid. I saw it.”
Trent ran a hand over his face, trying to process how he wanted to continue, but then he gave up. “Yeah, no. That ring isn’t for you.”
Silence.
Alannah looked as if the perfection in her had short circuited, clearly the girl wasn’t used to being told no. No matter how hard she tried to force it. 
“I’m sorry, what?”
“It’s not for you” he repeated more clear this time, painfully obvious to him but not to her.
Her face contorted into a mix of embarrassment but also anger as she processed his words. “Then who the hell is it for Trent?”
“Doesn’t matter. It’s just not for you.” he muttered while turning back to the window.
“It doesn’t matter?” Alannah’s voice went higher. “You’re serious? I’ve been with you for almost a year. Met your mates, travelled, pretended to care about football. And I’m just some placeholder?”
“I’m not about to argue with you right now.” Trent turned back to her, his tone flat. “Not in the mood for it.”
“Oh, we are” she shot back, ready to put on the performance of a lifetime. This was the most personality she’d shown since meeting him at the club one night. “You don’t want to have sex anymore, you barely spoke on the plane ride here, and now I’m finding out there’s a ring that’s not for me? You’re wasting my time!”
“Then leave.” Trent said in an unbothered tone.
Alannah’s mouth fell open, caught off guard. “Are you serious?”
“Full stop” he shrugged. “I’m not marrying you. Never planned to, never will. I don’t feel that way about you.”
He didn’t mean to be that harsh about it, but there was no point in keeping up with the charade anymore. Alannah fumbled with her bag as she stormed out the room in tears. “You’re such a dick. And you’re not that cute by the way. Let’s see who’ll put up with all your bullshit like I did.”
Trent didn’t answer and instead watched her as she slammed the door so hard the empty hangers rattled in the hotel’s wardrobe.
“Glad that’s over with.”
A few minutes later, Trent headed outside with his hands shoved in his hoodie pockets as he walked through the Lenox Hill area of Manhattan. He had no idea where he was going, but he needed to breathe in something else that wasn’t stuffy hotel air or Alannah’s suffocating perfume that he never liked. He wandered aimlessly past the people of New York City, letting the noise of the city drown out his thoughts. He really only dated Alannah to keep the other side of his bed warm, but she could never compare to the way he felt with you. He was checked out of that relationship from the moment it started. She couldn’t be you – no one could.
Eventually he stopped. Looking up to see he was at 225 East 60th Street
Serendipity 3 was a cozy spot he never heard of before that was known for selling frozen hot chocolate and had grown in popularity because of a 2000s rom-com film. He could see a couple sitting off to the side, sharing a hot chocolate at a small table with twinkling lights. They looked like they were on their first date, but he saw the way they looked at each other. It reminded him of the first date he had with you.
Then he smelled something. Vanilla and amber. Vanille Étoilée.
The nostalgic scent of you made him freeze on the spot. He whipped his head around, eyes darting through the crowd. He saw a familiar silhouette walking a bit further ahead, just turning the corner. He thought it was you, but he couldn’t be for sure.
“No shot…” he whispered, heart racing. He started weaving through people in a speed walk with the smell guiding him like a thread. When he reached the corner, he looked down the street but he didn’t see anyone who looked like you. There were nothing but taxis, Uber Eats bike couriers, and faceless strangers walking by. He stood there, looking around in a dazed state, staring at everything but also nothing at all as the noise of the city became the soundtrack of his confusion.
In a city like New York, you had to be a fast walker. You were a few blocks away now, but you smelled him too when you turned the corner. The faint scent of Rêveur enwrapped you, bringing back a flood of memories. That wasn’t out of the ordinary for you now that the scent had become a bestseller. You shook your head, laughing to yourself. You figured it was just another stranger wearing a scent you once created for the love of your life. Nothing more.
You couldn’t be any more wrong, but neither of you turned back.
“I’m losing it” Trent whispered to himself, dragging his hand across his face. 
Maybe he was, but the universe had other plans.
An hour later, you found yourself inside Bergdorf Goodman on 5th Avenue. The marble floors reflected the ambient lighting of the circular chandeliers above. The department store was filled with luxury goods like Gianvito Rossi, Moncler and Saint Laurent. You weren’t looking for anything specific, just window shopping and killing time before your big meeting. The fragrance section immediately drew you in. You looked at them all until you saw one single bottle of Rêveur sitting on display. It really was a bestseller. 
You walked over to it, reaching out for the bottle instinctively as your fingers brushed the cool bottle. Another hand met yours at the same time and you froze, smelling the scent of bergamot, lavender, sandalwood and apple drifting into the shared air.
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to–” Trent’s voice stopped mid sentence. His familiar voice threw you for a loop in the sea of American accents. You felt your heart drop as you glanced up, trying not to give away how rattled you were. Trent’s hand pulled away a bit, almost like he wasn’t sure whether to back away or stand his ground.
“Oh.” The word slipped out before you could think of anything else. “It’s you. Hi.”
Trent tilted his head, a small smile appearing on his lips. “It’s me. Hi.”
The silence stretched longer than it needed to as the magnetic tension you used to feel reappeared. You were painfully self aware of everything – how the bottle felt, how good Trent looked, how fast your heart was beating, and how Vanille Étoilée and Rêveur were enwrapping to create one intoxicating scent.
“I didn’t know you shopped at Bergdorfs…” you said finally, looking him in the eye as you pulled away from the bottle of Rêveur. 
“I don’t” Trent shrugged, stepping closer to you. “Was just walking by and something pulled me in.” He eyed the bottle, grabbing it and resting it in the palm of his hand as he smiled back at you. “Guess I know what now. It’s the last bottle.”
“And here I was thinking I was special,” you smiled back.
“You are.” The words slipped out so naturally you weren’t sure if he meant to say it out loud.
You glanced back at the bottle of Rêveur in his hand and cleared your throat, trying to find anything to talk about to settle the awkwardness. 
“So..um..you still wear it then?” you finally asked.
“Never stopped.” He tilted his head, searching your face for something. “Can’t bring myself to switch but it’s getting harder to find nowadays.”
You bit your lip, trying not to show your widening grin. “A number one bestseller will do that.”
“I guess so” Trent’s gaze drifted to your left hand and you clocked it instantly. He was checking to see if someone else had scooped you up.
“Looking for something?” you teased, cocking your brow.
He laughed, scratching the back of his neck. “Uh..nah. Just checking. You’re not all that easy to keep up with these days. You even blocked my burner.”
You blinked, surprised he brought it up, but then you smirked. “...Scentimental. Really Trent?”
“I thought it was a good name” he defended himself with a sheepish grin. “How did you know it was me?”
“You were following a JudeTrent fan account and then you sent me a DM that sounded exactly like you. Didn’t take much. You’re not that subtle.”
“Ah, damn. I thought I was incognito enough” he muttered with a soft laugh.
“You weren’t. But A for effort.”
Trent’s gaze on you softened and he felt an itch to reach for you, but he couldn’t – you weren’t together anymore. He hesitated during a pause of silence, then spoke up. “So how have you been?”
You shrugged, trying to be nonchalant even though you were everything but. “Busy…”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only one you’re getting.” You glanced down at your phone, your pulse spiking as seconds ticked by. You needed to go but you didn’t want to be the one to leave first. 
“You free? To catch up, I mean..”
You heard the vulnerability in his voice and it immediately made you want to say yes, but you forced yourself to keep it together. “I have a meeting. I’m already cutting it close.”
His jaw tensed, but he nodded. “Right. No problem.”
You took a deep breath, searching for the right words. “But maybe if it’s meant to be, we’ll see each other again?” 
“You think so?”
You nodded, giving him a bittersweet smile. “Yeah. It’s worked before, right?”
“Guess so.” Trent smiled just enough to make your chest ache. You stepped back, walking away before looking over your shoulder. “Bye Trent. Nice seeing you again.”
“Bye Y/N…”
The further you walked away from him, the harder it was to breathe. You didn’t look back again, but you could feel him watching you leave. As you disappeared into the crowd, Trent stood there – frozen in place as he inhaled the faint remnants of your scent in the air.
“If we’re meant to see each other again..we will.” he said to himself.
After you left Bergdorf’s in a hurry, your heart was racing. It felt like no time had passed between you, even if it was somewhat awkward. You had no time to think about that though. You had an important meeting to get to.
Or so you thought.
By the time you arrived, you were already running a bit late. You glanced at your phone, sighing heavily as the lift dinged with each floor. When you finally arrived, you bolted to the receptionist’s desk.
“Hi. I’m here for the meeting with the fragrance house.” you said, a little breathless.
The lady at the desk gave you an apologetic smile. “Sorry Miss L/N, but that meeting ended over an hour ago.”
Your stomach sank. Thanks to jetlag and a five hour time difference, you miscalculated the time of the meeting. You fumbled for your phone, scrolling through the calendar. The meeting time was clear as day – an hour earlier than what you originally thought.
“Would you like me to reschedule?” the receptionist offered in a kind voice.
“No.” you muttered, pinching the bridge of your nose. “It’s fine. Maybe it’s just not meant to be. Thank you though.”
You walked back to the lift with your shoulders slumped. When the doors opened, you barely noticed the person already in there until they spoke up.
“Y/N right?”
You turned to see a girl in head to toe athleisure, swirling a straw around in the drink she was carrying.
“Yes?” you replied hesitantly. 
She smiled a bit too knowingly. “I’m Alannah. Trent’s ex.”
You were confused, but you kept your expression neutral. “Oh. Hi.”
As the lift descented, an uncomfortable silence filled the tiny space. You could feel Alannah’s gaze on you and it made you feel weird. Something about this girl was strange – Ziggy was right. Her perfume wasn’t a vibe either, it smelled awful.
Coco Mademoiselle, you thought to yourself. In this day and age??
“He’s mentioned you before,” Alannah said in an eerie tone, cutting through your internal judgement. “I mean..obviously not to me directly but..”
You scrolled through your phone, avoiding the awkwardness as best as possible. “I’m sure he has.”
She tilted her head, studying you. “That ring is for you, isn’t it?”
You stiffened, unsure of what she was getting at. “What ring?”
Alannah scoffed in disbelief. “Cut the bullshit Y/N. I know why you’re here. Me and Trent broke up today and all of a sudden you’re here too? I’m not fucking dumb.”
You gave her the nastiest side eye, putting your phone back in your pocket. “I don’t know who you think you’re talking to..but it’s definitely not me. It feels like you’re projecting. Maybe sort that out before you come for me babe.” You stepped out of the lift and into the lobby before she had a chance to say anything back, and before you had a chance to give her the filthiest read of a lifetime.
When you got back to your hotel room, you flung yourself on the bed with a groan, rubbing your temples. Trent, Alannah, and the missed meeting. It all felt like some lame, poorly written story on wattpad, but this was your real life.
It was supposed to be easy to get lost in a big city like New York, especially during NYFW, yet somehow you kept running into the past. You didn’t understand it at that moment, but the universe was slowly resewing the loose thread that connected you to him – waiting for the perfect moment to sew the final figure 8 knot in place.
A few months later, you were back at Anfield and it felt surreal. It had been over two years since you last set foot in the stadium. But now you were wearing your own surname on a shirt instead of Alexander-Arnold. The number 16 was displayed on the fabric, representing your brother’s first team debut. Ezzie was beside you, documenting everything on Instagram with her phone.
“This is so weird” you admitted as you sat in your seat.
“So don’t make it weird. We’re here for Ziggy, not Trent.” Ezzie affirmed, sitting beside you. “You probably won’t even notice he’s there.”
She couldn’t be more wrong. The entire game it seemed like him and Ziggy were attached at the hip, mirroring each other alongside the pitch. During the second half, Trent had a near perfect assist and Ziggy was able to score a goal on his debut night. Both of them were obnoxious as hell when they celebrated – they were still doing their crazy handshake that had somehow become even more ridiculous. 
Although the game ended in a draw, Ziggy and Trent’s performance was the highlight of the night. The crowd dispersed from the stadium and you found yourself looking up at the sky – tonight there was a full moon. You decided to stay behind, letting Ezzie head home without you so you could process all the happenings of the night.
The last time you were here your heart was full of love and chaos, but now it was filled with remnants of the past and the newfound pride you felt for Ziggy. It was nice seeing him live his dream, but it was bittersweet at the same time because every time you saw a smile on your brother’s face...Trent was right beside him. 
You made your way down to the pitch, walking to the center. You sighed, crossing your arms to shield yourself from the chill of the night as you tilted your head back, taking in the moon in all its glory.
“I didn’t think you would stay.”
His voice startled you. Mostly because of how much you missed hearing it. You turned around and Trent was standing at the edge of the center with his hands in his jacket pockets. The view of him alone nearly knocked the wind out of you. You had no idea he was still watching every full moon with you while you were apart for two years.
“I just needed a minute,” you replied softly.
Trent walked toward you slowly, trying to figure out if he was welcome or not. You didn’t move, so he continued to bridge the gap.
“Hell of a debut, yeah?” He nodded toward where Ziggy scored his first goal.
You nodded, smiling shyly. “He really thrives under pressure.”
“Nah, that’s all you.” Trent replied in a warm voice. “He’s lucky he has someone like you to keep his head on straight.”
You glanced away from him, taking in the view of the moon again. “Just doing what I need to do. He’s too young to handle it alone.”
Trent sat next to you, but kept a comfortable distance. He looked up at the moon, and then back at you. You found yourself instinctively scooting toward him. You convinced yourself it was because you were cold, but you knew better.
“I missed you,” Trent said, breaking the silence. His guard was fully down, emotion in every word.
“Trent…” you began, but he shook his head.
“Just let me say it Y/N” His eyes searched yours and you felt goosebumps appear on your skin. “I miss you every single day. I tried to move on..I really did. But I can’t. I miss you so much it hurts.” You felt a lump in your throat as tears welled in your eyes. You were trying so hard to keep it together, but you were crumbling fast.
“I thought I was doing you a favor.” you admitted in a trembling voice. “I was really depressed Trent…I didn’t want to drag you with me.”
“I would’ve stuck beside you through it all.” 
“I know,” you whispered. Tears started spilling down your face. “I didn’t mean what I said to you that night. I was angry..hurt..really scared. And I only blocked you because hearing about you or even looking at you hurt so bad. I couldn’t be what you needed me to be.”
Trent moved his hand and brushed them over your knuckles lightly. He searched your eyes and you could see the pain of all the months he spent wondering. 
“Never needed you to be anything but yourself, Y/N. I don’t care if you’re not perfect. I fell in love with you because you never tried to change yourself for me. I fell in love with every bit of what makes you, you. I just wish you would’ve given me a little longer. Been lost without you ever since.”
You glanced down as your tears fell more quickly now. Trent cupped your face, forcing you to look at him. His eyes were glossy, filled with tears threatening to overflow. “You don’t get it Y/N. I’ve never seen you as someone that needs fixing. I love you the way you are. Through the good and the bad I’ll always love you no matter what.”
“I– I love you too....I’m sorry” you whispered. “I didn’t mean to do you like that. I honestly just didn’t know what to do. I–”
A faint crack of thunder made you pause. Trent’s thumb traced over your cheek, wiping away the tears that kept falling no matter how hard you were trying to keep them in. His gentle touch felt just as familiar as the moon hanging above you both.
“I didn’t know how to come back to you.” you murmured in a soft tone.
“I’d wait forever for you baby” Trent replied, barely audible over the soft drizzle starting to rain over you. “I only want you.”
“Trent..” You said his name like it was the only word you ever wanted to say again. Another clap of thunder broke from the sky as Trent pulled you into him, placing his hands on your waist. You couldn’t hold back anymore and found yourself wrapping your arms around his shoulders. The moment you kissed him, it felt like you were kissing him for the first time all over again. Every part of you felt like it was being stitched back together with each movement of his lips against yours – like a stitched figure 8 knot.
When the rain began to fall harder, Trent pulled away breathlessly to take off his jacket, holding it above you to shield you from the rain, then he smirked at you.
“If it’s meant to be, we’ll see each other again.”
“What?”
“That’s what you said to me in New York” he reminisced. “You looked me dead in the eye at Bergdorf’s and told me that. Then you walked away like it was nothing.”
You let out a laugh. “And here we are..seeing each other again.”
“After two, long and miserable years.” he chuckled sarcastically, walking you toward the tunnel. You felt guilty, so you didn’t say anything back, but Trent sensed it immediately.
“I’m not saying that to guilt you.” he added. “I just don’t want to waste any more time wondering if I’ll see you again. I don’t want to leave it up to fate or serendipity or whatever we’ve been calling this.”
You didn’t want to leave it up to fate either. Not anymore.
“Trent..I really don’t want this night to end..” you admitted quietly. “I missed you so fucking much.”
He gave you a big grin, making your heart skip a beat. “Then let’s not let it end, yeah?”
“What do you mean?”
“Come with me” he said, very matter of fact while smiling. “Anywhere. Right now.”
“Anywhere?” you asked softly.
“Anywhere.” he repeated, leaning in closely to kiss you again. “As long as I’m with you.”
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thank you readers ily 🫶🏽
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fictionfixations · 2 months ago
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rewatching bridon arc for the en dub (be prepared for more yapping after this) and i have to question
how the fuck did the photo not fall out during this part
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he takes it out and puts it on top of the book
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and aside from that we know its not glued cause she just took a photo and put it in and then closed the book nothing else
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photo is no longer on top
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GIRL THROWS IT (why) so if there was a photo there its gone
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idk maybe there was a line i missed but i cant approve of throwing a book for any reason😭 i just wouldnt trust that something wouldnt go wrong (dude what if she didnt catch it!?!?!?)
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also i just realized she takes the pen with her too aw
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anyway cute moments of dub i liked
"Lu Guang! Grab the developed photos for me pleasee~!" like something about that please is just pleasing to the ears. its like a sort of playful-ness to it? but not quite in the same category as like 'pretty please?' i dont know how to explain it its just how i feel about it 💀 like it doesnt necessarily sound like a could you pretty please do this, but more of a like a simple you doing stuff for friends and then theyre like thank you and its just. that simple?? idk i kinda feel like im yapping outta thin air im tired man 😭 like its a simple request between friends and cxs appreciates it when lu guang does it but its not in a him trying to get out of doing stuff type of thing
also actually since watching bridon arc for the first time i got into mdzs so i keep staring at at the i forget the name but i keep staring at the cosplay and thinking wwx!?
also very wangxian coded imo with cxs talking about like 'the pretty girls' or something something he was gonna photograph (you can see i forget things very easily i literally just saw that scene like 20 minutes ago) and then lu guang chokes on his soda and cxs is like ohh? you excited about the girls? or something like that 💀 and then also wwx realizing its lu guang and then being like hey beauty is beauty something something i forgot what he said? i think the subtitle for what he said in chinese tho was something like 'well im also good at photographing a beautiful boy like you'
like with wwx flirting with girls and talking about girls (unaware he is into guys) and like bringing up girls to lwj like arent you interested and lwj is just like ..no. or like the the one with locauts or whatever its called i forgor and theres this girl who finds him pretty or something iirc and is giving him like free locauts (its like a food i think?) and then wwx looks at lwj and is like heyy miss lwj is pretty handsome too right? lmao
anyway i got off topic (i really havent had an opportunity to yap about mdzs to anyone outside of my one post of 'hey is it just me or do you sometimes read lan zhan but the other way around so it kinda sounds like san lang😭 ??')
look at him hes so cute LMFAO
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'but i need help sometimes 🥺'
never gonna get over her name being Vivian but shes Vivan in contacts (pretty sure thats an error and gives me same vibes as 'Camrea' in the Link Click Live Action. ALSO ITS SO GOOD you need to watch it also the song is PEAK (its not following the same plot as the the donghua but i find it really cool (new clients!! ALSO CXS GETS ACTUAL THERAPY)! they also did the earthquake episode really well, and had something unique to it for people who have already seen the donghua so its not just a copy and paste, if anything it felt worse in a good way at some parts😭.)
LIKE HOLY SHIT LISTEN TO THIS
youtube
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YES IM PROMOTING THE LIVE ACTION DUDE ive never watched like a live action based on like asian animated stuff before so this was my first experience and i really enjoyed it
okay, here it is. the pretty please in comparison to the please from before. tell me you hear a difference or if im just hearing stuff
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anyway cxs is so impulsive dude please share all your plans at least with lu guang before doing them. ..i mean i know you kind of prob think of them up on the spot but i swear youre gonna make everyone grow gray hairs
i love the voice LMFAO its THIS quality that i say isnt in the please from earlier and thats why i say its different from the kind of 'pretty please' tone of voice you have (?? im not shutting up about this i love domestic moments)
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anyway actually
since im listening in english and i already know what happens its easier for me to not pay so much attention to subtitles and whats going on and look around instead for details i missed before (theres a lot i missed tbh because im the type who doesnt notice stuff even if its right in front me)
..... *stares at what slang this sounds like if you say it out loud*
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lu guang the epitome of disappointment like wtf am i doing here at this powerpoint slideshow explaining to some dumbass how he got scammed and is still in disbelief 💀💀💀
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even cxs is like. dude.. come on..
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?? whyd she hit the chair?? to emphasize her point??
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LMFAO
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? doesnt really look like he hung up? did he do it off screen?
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dude i keep seeing wangxian 💀💀 'you keep saying no to this stuff and then change your mind when i need ya' 'you always say no but then you always change your mind' or something i dont remember what he said but it was about the rabbits and lwj being like no to them and then wwx is like well ok ill give them to someone else and lwj is like. ..who? and wwx is like to a butcher! theyll make for nice roasted meat! and then lwj is like. i. will. keep. them. and then wwx is like haha so you do want them! you always say no but then [something something i forget what he said]
and thats not like a complaint either i love wangxian and i love shiguang so much 😭 i feel like the vibes are similar tho. teasing black-haired one who acts more immature and unserious but has a heart of gold, stoic one (in white, lwj in white, lu guang with white hair) who usually pushes back against the teasing but actually really really cares and tbh kinda really wants to save/help the black-haired one and stop him from being in so much danger (and have also lived through the black-haired one dying. no this is not a spoiler if you open up the novel or donghua the first line is literally 'wei wuxian is dead!' and if youre here i assume youve seen season 1 and 2 of link click as well as bridon arc)
'just be careful, all right?' 'it'll be fine. you'll be watching my back the whole time.' 😭😭😭😭😭 cxs trusts him so much nadisajnduifhjndrgrfij
lu guang: he'll be the death of me (exasperated)
dont set up the death flags im gonna crash out if the only way cxs lives is lu guang dying and then either cxs listens (the same way he listened to lu guang being like no dont intervene keep the photo safe with like the pink-haired family i forget the last name and cxs listening even though he really wants to stop the bad things from happening because he KNOWS how important it is to not change anything poor baby :( ) or maybe he'll act
although he decided not to in the car when he thought lu guang was dead but also he isnt aware of lu guang time travelling
to save him
and i wonder if knowing that lu guang is doing so much for him, and then to die for him, if that would be a breaking point of actually fuck this im gonna save you!
i want them to get a happy ending man 😭 i kinda wish there was a source material this took from so i could read ahead and be assured that ah yes they are ok 💀
lu guang calling it gross hearing cxs call someone babe 💀💀💀💀
same vibes as lwj being angry at wwx whenever he flirted with someone else in front of him 😭
?? dating asmr for lu guang of if i was on a date with my crush mayhaps
lu guang is so stressed not wanting cxs in danger but he also knows cxs is too stubborn for him to tell him to not go 😭
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'i can't stay forever' i wonder if that could also on the other hand mean like i cant promise to stay in this time forever but ill stay as long as i can (until cxs dies or something probably)
NO BABY JUST SMILED AND THEN HE RECALLED CXS' DYING WORDS OH MY GOD
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actually wait wheres partners for life did i miss it ??
i cant remember watching the ending in full- i kinda watched bridon arc in a watch party so when the ed played id have like a few minute break to quickly do stuff i hadnt been able to for the past half hour (or hour for ep 1) before rushing to see end credit scene lmfao
gives me same vibes as in like my s-class hunters with um. um. um. yknow what im pretty sure thats spoilers but if you know that scene you probably understand what i mean???
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'i swear why is express delivery so unreliable' GIRL i can actually relate to this a few months ago i moved and im just sat here in misery as some furniture has gotten lost and its like dude all my stuff was in there tf do i do now wth 😭😭😭
it arrived eventually but if i got lost idk what id do it has all my stationary and like drawings and journals 💀
actually how tf DID he know ????
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'found it, has he?' oh i just got chills down my spine man damn thats a deep voice
oh wait he was on call did someone alert him? whyd it show a scene of him closing a book tho was that a red herring
or well i think the books important if i recall it had a hint or something but tbh i forgor
'now we can finally start the game'
😭😭😭???
the music picking up like probably the mans heartbeat after liu xiao(? is that his name i always worry i misremember) presses the trigger and then it like quiets down a little after the man picks up the gun because of his ability of like yeah its okay still nervous but less
do we know why hes so interested in cxs' dad or is that prob a thing we'll learn in s3
malewife energy we love a man who can clean (tho iirc cxs does the cooking right? or am i misremembering)
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bruhs like 'lu guang protect me! youre on my side right?'
LMFAO THE WINKING
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SERIOUSLY WANGXIAN VIBES
wwx is doing something silly and then hides behind lwj like cmon youre on my side right and then lwj is like *sigh* and then defends him
i wish no trauma aus were canon dude it might be boring as hell but itd be so cute and i just want to wrap them all up in bubble wrap aghh
male.wife.
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ohh the filter put on the voices when showing parts of something that happened in a previous timeline is spooky
its like. kinda distorted a little bit which is cool. like you know how its like something something the more you i think you copy a tape or something like that the worse it gets? its like generation loss or something like that i forget exactly but it reminds me of that. ithappened in a different time so its distorted, a little messed up, not in perfect condition, or at least maybe in his memories. idk if im making sense i want to sleep but i wanna finish the ep first
bruhs like what is this? a message? now?
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trying to understand the reason of why his mom didnt want him to go to bridon but tbh im not the best at putting puzzles together i need like an explanation or something thats probably just like a re-explanation of events just in a way that idk a 5 year old could understand 💀
wait is cxs taller than lu guang
HE IS WTH I JUST NEVER NOTICED LMFAO
why does what vein says kinda osunds like an innuendo 😭 bruh please not my innuendo during the lu guang trauma scene
ITS NOT FINE LU GUANG GET A THERAPIST
TAKE A PAGE OF OUT OF THE LIVE ACTION BOOK actually like get a therapist 😭😭😭
?? he has a fang? i just never noticed
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straycalamities · 10 days ago
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.
story of my life but i am not doing too hot yet again. verge of breaking point etc etc weve been here so many times i might as well pay rent
things that i actually had good strategies for are rearing their head and kicking my ass bc my strategies no longer work for some Fucking raisin
and rhis is on top of all the same old shit thats been kicking my ass for over a decade and i tried to get medicaid to get back in therapy but the process is being a pain in the ASS
and i just dont know how much longer i can upkeep my chill and silly guy persona before i jist shatter bc to keep myself from being the downer, the needy guy, “oh stray is going through it get again whats new” its all turned inside as self-punishment and self-rending bc i DONT know what else to do at this point because where im at i really need
an entire multi person demolition team to dig me out i am so serious i dont think i can do it myself but idk where to go bc everyone around me is in the same boat or bad Enough or even better but still struggling so i dont wanna be The Guy to drag them down when im inevitably hard to deal with
or it costs money i dont have
and this is all making it even more impossible to Make the money. it feels like ive fell into an impossible situation bc the bad keeps feeding the bad
i dont know
(heavy af sui shit sorry)
every day i get more and more understanding of why when ppl finally go through with it they dont say anything and nobody can tell its coming
(end heavy)
ive been trying to do this by myself for ten years and i just feel exactly the same the problems are just different or evolving or idk im sincerely at a loss
i thought it was just seasonal depression doing its thing more than its had a chance to bc the past two winters id been distracted by my retail job but no i think this is just. me being back in the fucking building again which the end of my job made WORSE so it could be even more bad but its still pretty fkn bad lmao
im fighting the isolation and bedrotting urges but thats abt all ive got in me rn
i manage to feed myself and i even made sweet tea? but those feel like herculean efforts these days and then thats like it. thats all i can do. too tired after
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nightsunecilpse · 2 months ago
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this is just a stupid theory abt earth and luna (and theia)’s relation to each other, there’s three main gods in Hindu mythology- the creator, preserver, and destroyer
I think earth could be the creator (because obviously, he created life). And it makes sense for Luna to be earths counterpart, destroyer, but i feel like he fits the preserver more. Like, his whole ‘job’ is to balance earths axis and protect ( preserve) earths creations from asteroids Idk if Theia could be seen as the destroyer, but… she is associated with destruction?
or maybe im js going insane over them idk
After some video binging and Wikipedia reading, I'd like to add and make adjustments to your theory. Out of all the things I'd hope Solarballs wouldn't make reference to, it would be Hindu mythology. Due to my unfamiliarity with the whole thing and the complexity of Hindu cosmetology. I'm going to go on a little rant, I'm already trying to warp my head around the concept of Yin and Yang. Also, I'm trying to brush off my understanding of the Book of Genesis because of the reference to "two became one". But thankfully, most religions follow a similar concept of creation and the following destruction. If we want to parallel the Hindu Trinity to Solarballs we need to apply the proper roles that suit the characters best.
Let's start with the Sun as Brahma who represents the creation. Apparently, after Brahma created everything, his role was diminished because there was no need to continue creating after everything had been placed. It was expected that everything would find its place eventually. Just like how the Sun stays in the center of the solar system and the rest of the celestial bodies, after accumulating from the Sun's dust, had found a place within it.
This is when preservation comes in. Vishnu represents the concept of preservation and his job was to protect creation and create balance. This is why I believe Jupiter would fit that role best, as he is the protector of the Rockies and he helps balance the solar system. To be frank, I think he's mostly motivated because of the Earthlings.
Now, the last one is the destroyer, or Shiva, which I think Earth fits a little too well in comparison. The god's role was to destroy creation but paved way for new creation. The Earth is in a constant state of change and is currently going through a mass extinction. Moreover, the things he said in his therapy session were interesting. Along the lines of saying he's willing to start over if humanity doesn't get better but admitting he still has hope. To showcase that Earth represents the destroyer then look no further than his own creation and the constant looming presence of crisis he's always in.
To include Theia in the Trinity she might fit Shakti, the counterpart of Shiva. The personification of femininity and the energy of creation. I believe Shiva had split himself in two to mold the universe and needed to make a more feminine aspect of it. Later, after the goddess was done, she was reborn as a mortal to rebuild karma. She eventually found Shiva again, and they became one as husband and wife. Unfortunately, she died, and Shiva got really mad. Then he went on a rampage and cut off someone's head but replaced it with a goat's after cooling down. Shiva would then remain without his other half as he sat in spiritual solitude. Fortunately, Shakti was reincarnated as Parvati, Mother Goddess, Goddess of Power, Nourishment, Devotion, Motherhood, Fertility, and Harmony, according to the wiki. I believe Luna would fit that description because he's the Moon. The Moon has mainly been associated with women. Plus that whole planet Colliding and being created from the ashes like a phoenix makes it seem like Luna is the rebirth of Theia (or Proto).
Anyway, I kinda went a little overboard there. I think it's cool you drew this parallel, and I love to see how wild a theory can be. If you have your own elaboration please share. Also love your Vercury fanart.♥️
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msp9 · 1 year ago
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THIS IS MY LIKES AND DISLIKES OF CHAOS THEORY ⚠️Spoilers below cut⚠️
When i first finished this season, I too like some people, was skeptical about it. I get why some people say its bad, I just thought it was very different from cc. At points the characters didin't feel like themsleves, the way some of them were written and the designs gave me a real hard time to get used to them. Also i felt as if it was just too much to process at times so i rewatched it and my final answer is that its a good show the pacing is incredeble, the plot, the suspence and character development. i just had a hard time getting used to everything new? Ig. I'm still doubting whether its a 10 but sure thing is that it was a very good first season its a easy 9/10. So here are the thinks i liked abt it:
-THE WAY THEY POTRAYED EVERYONES TRAUMA/STRUGGLES , Sammy having anxiety, Yaz overcoming her ptsd, and KENJI. MY BOY. That must have been the best breakdown i've seen in animated series. Whoever wrote that scene. Wow. It was the best thing in the whole show honestly. His vision gtting blurry, having truble breathing. The panick. Wow. I CANNOT SAY THIS LOUD ENOUGH.
-Ben and Sammy duo? Hello? Im srry to say but you might just be better than Yaz and Ben duo. Idk i really loved them.
- "Benjamin."
- Showing Yaz is doing better. Despite her ongoing struggles, she has clearly grown and matured the last 6 years, and the way she calmed Sammy in the sinking van? Ig all those therapy sessions and college paid off. That scene is a clear illustration of the progress she has made. I mean sammy did say "i can tell shes still struggling" but there wasnt really a clear scene of her getting stuck in place as she used to. So my guess is that it was just Sammys anxiety and the fact that they didint talk much. Bc then Sammy was surprised how she kept herselve together. So yeah
-YASAMMY. NOTHING MORE TO ADD.
-UM SAMMYS CHARACTER?? HELLO? GLOW UP, CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, i loved her sm. She moved up to my top 3.
And her anxiety? It was so well shown too
-the fight between Sammy and Yaz felt so natural and not at all forced. They both had valid points and in the end they did understand each other and were on the same page.
-Ben being Ben in almost every episode
- Yasmina's "boo."
-Brooklynns design?? Majestic to say the least.
- ingore what i said ealrier abt the acting out of character. They do remind themsleves they just grew
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Well, all except Ben...
-Kenjis new voice actor, he did a real good job, as much as it doesn't sound like him, he really captured some emotional scenes very well.
- The robot lady. THEY REALLY SAID TAKE A WOMAN AND MAKE HER CREEPY ASF. I was genunanly creeped out. And the detail that at the ranch if u listen closesly u can hear the whistle. Hell nah that was scary.
-Benrius Ben and Darius friendship, okay actually u can't tell me u didint feel it too, the tention between ben and Darius cmon we all know what u are Ben stop making up girlfriends in Europe
-Brooklynn turning bad, or from what we are told worked for bad people ig. Personally as much as it shocked me, im sure theres a good reason as to why and i cant wait to hear more abt in season 2.
-I can now undertand what everyone meant in reviews saying "its more mature" not only in the more death and dinos but it woyud be kind of confusing for a younger audience to undertsand some stuff in this show.
-I really liked Daniels kon death, maybe it wasn't necesarry but im all in for that dark death scene.
-Lastly the comment Sammy makes when Ben asks how bumpy got pregnant, and the yazs smirk. Gurl i was suprised they added that but i loved it
Now, the things that i didint like and why:
- First of all, Darius being in love with brooklynn. I mean i get it but i also dont get it. In my opinion, there shouldn't have been a different reason as to why Darius was the most effected by her death. They were close and she died. Its okay to be really effected by someones death and not bc u liked them, and i also do believe that the reason for him not showing up the night she "died" should have been smth more serious. Then again i get it bc now he felt a lot more guilt bc it was for a not so important reason he didint show up and thats why he didint tell anyone. Well axtually it isnt that bad, but i just felt it was forced for the plot. This again could be bc i started to like kenlynn and now they turned the tables completly but sure.
-Brooklynns voice actor. I just couldn't connect her to brooklynn? She sounded a lot different, not a major bad thing it was just hard to get used to.
-Ben having a gf, or supposedly having one, u telling me this man has a gf:
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I thought it funny but yk that man is a homosexual
- and lastly, Brooklynn being alive. This might sound bad but it made sense for her to die. And i was kinda lamed out that she wasnt dead. (Pls ironically enough, just weeks ago i begged for her to be alive.) But like the way everyone suffered bc of her death, going throught the 5 stages of grief, and the way the show was played. It just would have been better if she died, all those flashbacks, the emotional moments, i mean its not gonna be the same when i rewatch it bc i know shes alive. Anyways enough abt this.
Actually i have nothing more to add to my "bad stuff" list but i might come up with smth later. Bc i will be rewatchibg it obviously. Ig lastly i just wanted more episodes how dare they cutting the season of right there.
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shreddeddescent · 8 months ago
Text
hhhhh yeah ok just for funsies.....
here's a snippet (its way longer than a snippet its 4000 words) of the worst case scenario story i wrote.
idk how much of the specifics will be canon. but i do think this is such a good blow up that it would be mean to keep it to myself.
maybe im posting it just to be like YEAH OK HERES THE TONE. IF YOURE NOT COMFORTABLE THEN YOU CANT BE HERE...
Warnings for mentions of: CSA rape forced incest uhhhh more probably. nothing shown but much mentioned. possibly warnings for more im not even thinking of. Im sorry just be careful.
Don’t be fucking weird about it to me ok we are in the raw place
so context. shredder kidnapped the boys for days to get what he wanted out of them. implications are clear enough through context i think. lot of drugging. they escaped and killed him (like for real this time) shit is weird and they're handling it as best they can. everyone is aware of this. they've had one therapy session w a weirdly inhuman therapist april found (from her connections in cryptid world) and nobody wants to look their mom in the eye. least of all raph. cuz god does it ever feel bad to know she knows.
the boys seem ok to the naked eye though. hence. this.
--
When they woke up the next morning Mikey had decided to make everyone pancakes. A true feast of flavours after their days of slop.
Donnie and Leo had set the table and let Raph rest at the head of it, he was still wearing Donnie’s old ratty black hoodie, it fit him perfectly. He’d also found some sweatpants, but those only rode up to his mid thigh. It still helped though.
Mikey was making two batches of pancakes, half with chocolate chips and half without, the pickier eaters with the cool mask colours refusing to try something sweet.
The air smelled strongly of bacon, and it was making Raph’s tummy growl loudly.
“Mikey you better hurry up, Raph’s gonna eat his plate!” Leo joked as he pat Raph on the back.
“You can’t hurry perfection!” Mikey whined as he plated some bacon.
“Uuuughhhh Mikey…! I can see the light!” Raph gasped out and reached his arm out above his head, miming his own death.
Mikey huffed and chucked a piece of bacon on his plate.
“To tide you over you big baby.”
Raph gasped and picked it up between his fingers gobbling it down with a loud moan.
“So fucking good Mikey…”
“Oh you’re all up!”
Raph froze, swallowing hard.
His mom was behind him and he was wearing Donnie’s hoodie. He had just moaned Mikey’s name. And his mom was behind him.
He felt Leo hovering over him but he didn’t move.
“Hi mom.” Leo said gently.
“Decided to make a big breakfast?” She wandered over to look at what Mikey was doing at the stove.
Leo put a hand on Raph’s shoulder when she turned and leaned down to enter his eyeline.
Raph stared at him with a panicked expression. Leo looked sympathetic.
“Yeah, we’re all pretty hungry.” Mikey responded.
“You want some help?”
“I got it, it’s almost done anyway.”
Raph was trying like hell not to have a panic attack. Leo put both arms around his shoulders in a loose hug, leaning down to speak in his ear.
“Deep breaths, Raph, it’s just mom. You’re okay.”
He tried to breathe, placing a hand on Leo’s arm. He saw his mom turn and quickly threw Leo’s arms off him.
She stared at him sadly, but tried to smile anyway.
“How are you feeling today Raphael?”
“Hungry.” He answered quickly. “Just really hungry.”
Her smile faltered for a moment, but she tried to keep it up anyway.
“Well, good thing your brother is such a good cook.” She turned to the fridge to grab some juice.
Raph clasped his chest, he didn’t know why it hurt.
Donnie was staring at him with some concern, he looked like he was about to ask him something so Raph just glared at him and held his finger to his lips.
Donnie rolled his eyes and rest his folded arms on the table.
Raph just stared at his empty plate, trying to calm his nerves.
Leo pat him on the back and shook him gently.
“Raphael do you want me to put on some coffee? Or would you like to take a nap later?”
He stared at his empty plate. Caffeine would make his chest worse than it already was.
“No, I'm very awake right now, super okay.” He super fucking wasn’t okay and he didn’t know why.
She turned around to pour a glass of orange juice for herself.
“Enough food for me to join you boys?”
Mikey turned his head to look back at Raph in question.
Raph stared back at him with an anxious look in his eye. He then looked back at his mom.
“Of course you can eat breakfast with us we’re not avoiding you or anything that would be mean!” He tried to make his words sound as playful as he could but he was pretty sure he sounded crazy.
She gave him a puzzled look but smiled anyway, and sat at the other end of the table.
Donnie gave him the most dumbfounded look, shaking his head slightly.
Leo nonchalantly scooted his chair closer to Raph and leaned over the counter.
“So. What did our doctor tell you?”
Raph kicked him under the table but he didn’t react.
She frowned and clasped her hands around her cup, looking down at it.
“She… said a few things. She told me to give you space, but not be too far in case you needed to talk. I’m trying not to worry, but I’m a little surprised that none of you have seeked me out for anything.”
Raph frowned and rubbed his arm, looking away.
“I.. I’m sorry, feels too raw right now..”
“I think anything we need to talk about can be said to the therapist.” Donnie said.
Raph looked up to glare at Donnie for his rudeness, but he’d stood up to help Mikey bring plates of food to the table.
“Which I understand, but I feel out of the loop. You’ve spoken to April. And this doctor. But no one even looked to me for a hug…”
Raph chewed his lip and closed his eyes. He felt horrible.
“Mom, I’m so sorry I just—“
“Because trying to be physically close with anyone right now is hard, mom.” Leo interrupted. Raph thought his tone was too harsh. “We’ve been through hell and we’re just trying to be normal. It’s awkward and it sucks. But it’s hard to add other people to it.”
Raph groaned and shoved him lightly with his shoulder.
“We’re fine, mom. We’re coping.”
She eyed the two of them carefully with her hands clasped in front of her face as Donnie and Mikey placed the plates of pancakes and meats in front of everyone.
She was looking at Raph’s hoodie, she was looking at how close Leo was to him.
He looked away from her so he could pile as many chocolate chip pancakes onto his plate as he could. Leo leaned over him to add some bacon and hash browns to it, knowing he would forget to diversify his plate.
It was not helping.
Raph grumbled and took a big bite of pancakes. He couldn’t help but moan again. “These are so fucking good, Mikey…”
Mikey grinned from his seat near splinter at the corner. He and Donnie had very different plates, his full of all the variety, Donnie sticking to his plain pancakes with nothing on them.
“Thank you! Worth the wait right?” He asked with his mouth full.
“Yes, I’m sorry.” Raph whined dramatically and stuffed his face more. Eating real delicious food after all that gross paste felt so good. He’d never felt so hungry, he was going to overindulge.
“How are you coping?” Splinter asked suddenly between her bites of food.
Raph tensed and looked up at her, gulping back hard.
“Sorry?”
“You said you were fine and coping. So how are you coping?” She looked up at him with a weird look and he needed to look back down. It was making him queasy.
“I.. I don’t know, we’re just hanging out I guess.” He mumbled and picked at his food.
“Is that a new hoodie?”
He tensed and tried to make himself small.
“No, it’s Donnie’s…”
“Hm.” She washed back her food with a chug of juice.
His brothers weren’t as tense as he was, but they did look uneasy by her presence. It wasn’t unusual, he was usually the only one trying to hold conversation, and he had been the one to inadvertently invite her to join them. They all kind of wanted to be alone.
“Mikey? You should have let me help, you seemed to have forgotten the eggs.”
‘She knows she knows she knows she knows!’
Raph slammed his head down on the counter to shut the voice in his head up.
There was a pause. Leo pressed a hand to his back.
“You good..?”
He picked his head up sharply and grunted.
“Never better.” He started scarfing down the pancakes in as big of bites as he could. Maybe he could finish fast and get out of here.
“I… didn’t make eggs cuz our stomachs are a little too empty for eggs…” Mikey mumbled between bites.
‘She knows he’s lying she knows he’s trying to protect you she knows!’
He clenched his fist around his fork and swallowed hard, staring intensely at his plate. He put his free hand under the table to dig his nails into his thigh instead of hurting his head where she could see it.
Unfortunately Leo noticed and grabbed his hand under the counter to stop him. Which she also noticed.
He slapped his hand away and glared at him.
“Leo what are you doing to your brother?!”
Leo snapped his head up to look at her and he looked like a deer caught in headlights.
“Nothing!”
Raph wished he had hair so he could pull it all out.
“Oh for fucks sake, SPLINTER, we are NOT. FUCKING each other!” Donnie shouted as he suddenly stood up and leaned over the counter.
Raph looked at him in absolute horror.
Splinters eyes went wide and she looked at him angrily.
“What?!”
Donnie growled.
“I can see what you’re doing! You keep eyeing Raph up for being too close to us! You’re assuming the worst!” Donnie gestures to him with one hand without turning his gaze away from splinter. “You’re going to give him ANOTHER panic attack!”
Raph clutched his head in his hands, staring wildly at nothing as he curled his upper body over the counter, facing down at the table.
“Donnie!” He heard Mikey yell as another stool scooted back.
“I-I am not assuming anything!” His mother sounded offended and angry.
“Guys.” Leo said sternly.
“You literally asked him about my hoodie! As if it was the weirdest thing in the world for my traumatized rape victim of a brother to request items of clothing!”
“He’s just never worn anything like that before!”
“Gee Splinter I wonder why!”
“Donnie this isn’t your fight!” Mikey yelled and Raph heard a small smack.
“Someone has to fucking fight for that idiot! Everyone’s fucking dancing around it as if we don’t all know what’s wrong!”
Raph was staring at his plate so hard the colours were burning into his brain.
“No one wants to tell me what’s wrong! Everyone comes home from hell and avoids their mother like the plague! And I am just supposed to not fear the worst?! You have no idea all the things I can smell on you boys!��
“Where was that nose THE FIRST TIME?!” Donnie shouted as it sounded like he slammed both fists on the counter.
“What?!”
He was growling.
“You didn’t smell DAD all over Raph?!”
Raph stood suddenly, hands still clasped over his ears and he didn’t look at anyone, just kept his head facing the ground as he ran out of the room.
He bolted into the bathroom and proceeded to throw up all of the delicious pancakes he’d enjoyed so much. He couldn’t even have one nice thing.
He heard a gentle knock at the open door and didn’t turn away from the bowl.
“I have some water…” Leo said quietly. He made no effort to step inside.
Raph reached his arm back to take the cup without looking.
Leo passed it to him and stayed in the doorway.
Raph kept staring at the bowl, waiting to see if he has anything left before he chugged water and rinsed his mouth out a few times.
“Thanks…” he mumbled as he grabbed toilet paper to wipe his face with.
“Do you want me to sit with you..?”
Raph kept staring at the bowl.
“Yeah…”
Leo walked inside and sat beside him propping up an elbow on his knee.
“Can I rub your back?”
“Why are you asking permission?” Raph looked up at him frustratedly. He was just giving him a sympathetic frown.
“Cuz I think no one is asking how you feel before they decide they know what’s best for you.”
Raph turned back to the bowl, taking in what he meant.
“I… thank you…” he sighed, straightening his back out to look at the back of the toilet. He was pretty sure there was nothing left in him, but he just kind of wanted to sit in this quiet moment away from everyone else. Puke or not.
Leo took it upon himself to flush the toilet for him.
“If it helps, I’m pretty sure Mikey’s gonna chew Donnie’s ear off for that.”
“What does it matter, he’s not wrong.” Raph sighed.
“It was not his place to shout your bullshit at mom.”
Raph turned to look up at him frustrated.
“He’s right though. That’s what hurts.”
Leo frowned and nodded.
“He is, but it’s still not his place to talk over you about you. It’s not moms place to make you feel like shit about yourself when you’re barely holding on. And it’s not Donnie’s place to decide how you tell mom about your own shit.”
Raph looked away, feeling tears coming.
“I was never gonna tell mom. I was… I was literally never ever gonna tell her that…”
Leo scooted closer and leaned his head down to be at eye level with him.
“I get that. We all kinda knew that. I’m sorry Donnie did that to you.”
Raph closed his eyes.
“You can hug me if you want to…”
He felt Leo pull him in to a loose hug from his side, letting him lean his body against his.
“I… I know what Donnie did is fucked but… but I also mean that I was never going to be ABLE to tell mom that…”
Leo hummed and rubbed his shoulder.
“You’re half grateful. Half angry.”
He laughed a little. “Yeah… I know it’s.. it’s my fault for saying it was ok for her to join us but… but god Leo I feel so bad all the time, she seems lonely and sad and I just.. I can’t look at her and think about what she thinks of me…”
“I mean—“
“And don’t just tell me not to worry about what she thinks.”
There was a pause.
“That’s all you were gonna say.” Raph grumbled and pat Leo’s arm. “I hate that nobody ever gets along, and I hate that I’m stuck in the middle of it…”
“Sounds exhausting.”
“It is! I’m tired and I just want people to fucking… I don’t know.. I’m trying to be okay…”
Leo tugged him closer. “You don’t have to be okay, no one expects you to be okay.”
He sighed and pat Leo’s arm. “I wanna go back in there…”
Leo gently let go of him and stood up, holding his hand out to help him up. He then pointed at the sink.
“Maybe one last rinse and spit.”
Raph sighed and leaned over to gargle tap water for a moment before turning and staring up at Leo who gave him a thumbs up.
Leo let him lead the way out of the room.
He was still hearing arguing as he walked towards the kitchen.
“—have any idea how hard this was?!”
“Yes! Because you never shut up about it!”
“Oh that’s kind of you to say!”
“Does it EVER cross your mind how hard WE had it as BABIES?!”
He hovered in the doorway for a moment.
He saw his mother standing on a stool to shout at eye level, Donnie just glaring daggers still in the same spot.
Mikey had his arms folded, the expression on his face looked far older and exhausted than it should have on his sweet face.
“Of course I do! That’s why I needed to get you out of there!”
Raph walked in the kitchen and they all stared at him.
Mikey’s expression softened instantly, he looked worried.
Raph parsed the last thing his mother had said and he turned to look at her, feeling angry for some reason.
“But… you didn’t get us out… I got us out.” He said quietly.
He sensed Leo standing behind him leaning against the door frame.
His mother made a face.
“That’s not fair.” She said as she climbed down of the stool to sit normally. “I found us all a way out, I got us a home.”
“Six years later.” He almost whispered. He wasn’t sure where this was coming from.
Mikey and Donnie were staring at him in awe. Splinter looked offended.
“You know where I—“
“I know where you were. I know why you were gone.” He clenched his fists and took a breath, standing up straight. “I don’t blame you for leaving. Or being gone. I’m sorry. But…” he looked at Mikey, his sweet eyes growing larger. He eyed Donnie, whose guilty look was turning warmer. He looked back at his mother. “But when you were gone bad things happened to us, and no one came to save us.”
Her eyes were watering. It made his water too, so he turned his head to look away.
He sensed Leo step in beside him and felt him grab his hand gently.
Raph looked up at him, he was giving him a gentle smile and nodded at him to continue.
Leo had him.
He looked back at his mom’s tearful eyes.
“I-I know that! And I feel terrible about it every day!”
He gave her a dark glare.
“Did you know dad raped me?”
Her eyes went wide and she didn’t say anything.
He frowned.
“You either didn’t think about how bad we had it, or you knew and didn’t do anything about it. I don’t know which makes me more miserable to think about.”
“Raphael—“
“Stop!” He shouted. She tensed up and he felt guilty instantly, none of them liked a booming voice.
He rubbed his temple with his free hand.
“Stop. We know the therapist was April’s idea. And we know you didn’t let her get one for us before. I understand….” He sighed, “I understand that we were in hiding. That you were scared for us, scared we’d get caught, shipped back there and have the worst thing happen, but… but we could have gotten help years ago! I could have gotten help! I-I shut down mom! I forgot all about it! And you might think that’s good! That makes it all okay cuz I shut it all out but it came back to haunt me!
Tears were falling down his cheeks, he felt so angry and so miserable and so so justified.
“You said… you told me. When you found me you told me you had been watching us! Trying to watch over us right? What… what did you see dad do that finally pushed you over the edge and made you admit you were there?”
She looked so pained, so guilty. He didn’t want to break his stare no matter how much it hurt. He didn’t want to give her a way out.
“Your… the things he wanted to do to you… to your brothers because of you…”
“BECAUSE of me?!” He snatched his hand away from Leo’s to clench both of his fists.
Her tears were free roaming, she balled her fists on the counter.
“Because of how you were born! H-he got opportunity as soon as he found that out! He was going to use them on you! Because of how you were born!”
Raph shook his head dumbfounded, staring at the ground.
“Because of how I was born…” he repeated. “So it’s.. so it’s my fault guys! Because I was born like this!”
“Raphael that’s not what I meant!”
He snapped his head up to glare at her. “Isn’t it?! You just said what caused you to finally warn me was learning about that! How did you even learn that!”
She stared at him for a long while. Crying silently as she tried to find her words.
His muscles were trembling from how tightly wound he felt.
“I… saw you get examined in the lab… I was in the vent, y-you were on the table with your little legs…” she sobbed. “I-I saw what he did… i s-saw you lie there l-like you were asleep…”
Raph felt an icy chill run through his body.
He stood back, staring at her in shock and shaking his head a little.
“You… you saw him do it…”
It wasn’t a question.
Her face answered it anyway. Anguished, guilty, miserable. Sobbing away at the table.
He couldn’t move and she didn’t say anything.
“Mom…” Leo softly whispered beside him.
Donnie kicked his stool over with violent force and marched out of the room.
Mikey was staring at Raph with big wet eyes.
Raph was frozen.
“How… how could you..?” Leo asked her.
She hid her face in her hands, sobbing loudly.
“Y-you couldn’t go back! H-help would have brought attention! You couldn’t go back!” She wailed. “A-and you blocked it all out! What was I supposed to do!!!”
“SOMETHING!!!” Mikey screamed suddenly.
They all turned to look at him. He looked more furious than anyone had ever seen him, pure rage in his eyes, sitting up on the counter with his body hunched over.
He shook his head in utter disbelief and got down off the stool, marching over to Raph and taking his hand.
“We should leave.” He said seriously and tugged on it.
Raph didn’t want to move.
“H-he tried to do the deed himself Raphael! H-he tried to use himself as the donor first! H-how could I tell you that!” She slammed her fists down.
Leo’s hands were on Raph’s shoulders now.
“You… saw dad rape me…”
She kept sobbing.
“I-I couldn’t d-do anything to s-stop him!!”
He shook his head slowly and turned his body to face Leo behind him.
“I… I don’t want to talk to you…” he said softly.
Leo stepped around him to hold him from behind and Mikey tugged him once more.
This time he followed.
And just left her crying alone.
They both walked him into the bedroom and sat him down on their pile of beds, Donnie was already here curled up in the corner crying by himself.
Raph just sat very still, his feet still on the ground. He stared into space as someone put a blanket over him, someone else shut the door.
He couldn’t even cry, he felt emotionally comatose and just stared blankly into the wall.
He felt his brothers grab his hands and squeeze them.
“Raph…?” He thinks it was Leo, he couldn’t see.
A soft chirp came from his other side.
He blinked but didn’t look over.
“I… Don’t wake me up…” he mumbled. “I don’t want to feel this…”
They both went quiet, he sensed movement behind him, and then felt all three brothers hugging him on all sides.
He just kept staring at the wall.
“She watched him rape me…” he said quietly again.
The grips got tighter. Someone was sobbing. It could have been all of them. They just held on to him, and it was the only thing he was going to let himself feel.
“If mom watched him rape me, then that means she let him rape me…”
He kept staring. The grooves between the bricks started to glow from how little he’d moved his eyes.
“And if she let him do that, and then… then all these years she should have known what was wrong with me, right..?”
“Raphie…”
He closed his eyes.
He took a deep breath.
And then he just screamed as loud and long as he could. Until his lungs were fully empty and then some.
Then he finally let himself break down.
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WIBTA if I date someone as a phobia desensitization?
Background- I (26F) have never really dated/ been in a relationship. I've went on a few dates in the past but my anxiety gets so bad I freeze up. Or I panic and ghost the dude. I've had severe social anxiety since HS- at my worst I would call myself borderline agoraphobic. Tho over the past few years I've made a lot of progress (ty therapy). The thing thats actually helped me most in dealing with my anxiety is practice, just putting myself out there more and working thru the fear instead of avoiding it. like exposure therapy for social interactions. That's only for casual/freindly relationships tho, when things get more intimate/romantic any confidence I've gained goes out the window and I just want to hide
Now- I got asked out recently by a coworker of mine and hes really sweet, but I've been having panic attacks even thinking about it. I think I should say yes bc I'm supposed to and bc i could use the practice. But I'm not actually interested in him
I actually think I might be ace maybe?like part of why I've never dated or had sex is pure lack of interest. Not totally sure bc how can I know I don't want something I've never had lol. But I'm def not looking for a relationship, casual or serious.
So, am I leading this guy on if I agree to go on the date? Idk whats normal but it feel scummy, like im just using him. But is that what a date is?
If I do go, how honest do I have to be with him abt my lack of experience? bc it's kind of embarrassing and not really important
Am I overthinking things? (Probably)
TLDR should I go on a date with someone if I'm not interested, just to get some practice?
What are these acronyms?
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nordidia · 2 years ago
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Do you think CJ and Raph ever talk about their experiences with PTSD/anxiety together or even share advice on coping? Or do you think Raph would rather not? Explain your reasoning in your essay below
(i typed an entire novel and then accidentally closed chrome and it deleted everything let me try doing this again i barely remember what i said ok so. also this is just me blabbering idk guys im not a rise writer im just some opinionated guy online and you can completely disagree with me and i dont say what goes or not ok? ok!)
i dont think raph would go to him with his issues but i think it'd defo get talked about through asking CJ about things and checking up on him etc. and i think CJ would give raph alot of insight and advice on how to deal with anxieties and traumas,, tho alot of their convos would just be one of them saying something vile and the other one going "oh. is that not normal?" and the first one looking at the latter like this
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but all in all i think they'd definitely help eachother with dealing with stuff... i think especially raph will assist CJ in just taking the blow on how much there is to unpack... his entire life has been a big traumatic event, i imagine suddenly living a sustained life without having to fight for survival every day would be a lot for him to deal with, especially the confusion and grief over what he has lost (maybe what he has lost feels a bit like pointless grief to him now? which is a trauma in itself) and also grieving what he never had. as we know, grief is also things we shouldve had but never got, and i think all the hamatos would be really helpful in dealing with that.
tho CJ seems to be a bit of a hardass on stuff like this which is incredibly understandable when you've had to fight for everything with zero stability at all anywhere you went. i could see him confiding in raph about it, but not only him if im honest. but there is an undeniable security about raph i think that the characters i the show feel, and i think CJ would seek the stability and consistent reliability that raph provides.
i also like that CJ doesnt seem too scared about calling out people when they do wrong, i can defo see CJ bluntly telling raph that bad coping mechanisms is stupid and makes things worse and worries everyone around. (this is ofc hand in hand with the good ol' HC that raph bottles shit up/avoids talking abt things. personally i think he never shuts up and frequently rants about stuff and lets his family know whenever shit is up but he avoids going too deep so his family thinks he's being fully transparent when actually he's just not voicing the worst shit. this is so real to me no i do not need therapy shut u)
i definitely think raph would confide in CJ about the krang thing. CJ is the one who knows the most about it, i can see raph going to him to just get a bit more information about what was going on, and also a bit of relief hearing that it didnt go as bad as it couldve gone... CJ being experienced with krangification would absolutely soothe worries and make him feel less alone about knowing what he knows and having gone through something thats a step further than his brothers
IS THIS A GOOD ENOUGH ESSAY i have academic anxiety dont grade me please its 4am i have taken melatonin pills im on my last leg help m *ficking dies*
edit: GOODNIGHT LOL
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confessioncivilization · 4 months ago
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ok so, the new episode was cool. did a lot happen? not really. did it set up the rest of chapter 2 well? yes. so i am very excited for the next episodes!!!
heres some random things that stood out to me i suppose?? (not in order probably because my brain cant remember the sequence of events)
- um hello seawatt you arent... you arent supposed to be here.... my guy....... uhhh..... get out.....
- cool animated scene goes hard as always. the tabi part at end was very sad. please come back and give my boy a fist bump. :(
- not that much of the other diamond swords, but its nice... i like when they help evbo buy his shit. very nice. they are bonding!!!!
- retail therapy mention
- parrot and zam !?!?!? i am intrigued. tell me more. please?
- evbo going completely overkill the first try with the flint and steel. and it not working. and it being a sword not a bow. and then when he actually gets it he has to be super modest w the amount of fire cuz he used all of the durability.
- the bow civ looks very different. i think thats neat
- imagining seawatt just standing there for like ever while evbo yaps. like "bro please stfu. please stop so i can kill you. oh my god does this guy ever shut up. please." i need to draw this actually
- why is seawatt here why is seawatt here why is seawatt here why is seawatt here
- clownpierce is ACTUALLY here?!?!???? deadliest diamond axe in the deadliest pvp civilization ahh character
- i need to know what happens next. cool fight scene? somebody run away? seawatt lore drop? they gay kiss?
uhh yeah im happy cuz i got to watch it when it got posted since i don't have school today yayyyy
i might do a predictions/hopes/dreams or hcs thing later... idk...
-pvp civ lunch person
I feel like the fanart for this episode is boutta go so hard. Already plotting one out in my head. Bowwatt honestly is kinda a w but lets be real, hes only here to appeal to the seavbo yaoi agenda and thats really based of him. Clown and tabi is gonna be such an insane duo omg hehehe
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jimmedicated-jambino · 1 month ago
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hiii umm feel free to ignore this if u want. im not really good at words and articulating things and i know the full project and context is still yet to come but i would really like to ask what direction you’re coming from with this… cause im perceiving like, a sort of unempathetic “HA stupid shit idiot loser finally realized he needs therapy and medication to be worth something” undercurrent (yknow not maybe in those exact words but this general vibe) and i would really like to know if im totally wrong about this, cause i like your art plenty and it gets shared in my circle but something still pokes the back of my mind y’know? i hope the rest of your day is good :)
Ok I avoided mentioning this because I really prefer not to share details about my mental health and personal traumatic experiences, but I guess I should've said this sooner:
TW: Depression, su*cide attempt
Note: To be clear, whenever I mention "Jimmy" I am NOT talking about the character from the game. I'm talking about the Jimmy in my AU.
This AU is rooted in my own experiences with mental illness, severe depression, and taking medication. I have struggled with depression for the majority of my life and around 4 years ago I reached my lowest point. It got so bad that just being alive hurt. Living hurt. Everything just hurt. From the moment I woke up until the moment I fell asleep all I could feel was just pure pain. Not just emotional pain, it manifested into physical pain. And it was bad. I felt like I was rotting on the inside and my soul was trying to climb out of the torture chamber that my body had become. I was willing to do anything to make the pain and suffering stop. I was prepared to end my life and if I hadn't made the decision to try medication as a last resort, I can say with 100% percent certainty that I would be dead right now. I really couldn't take it anymore. I had reached the absolute bottom. I gave up.
Jimmy in this AU is sort of a projection of myself, both past and present. Good and bad. Not sure why my brain decided to pick this character specifically to project onto. I hated him with a passion when I first finished the game. Idk might have something to do with me having autism and adhd or something or all the jimcurly fanfic I started reading. I'm doing better now, but that experience will always stick with me. Because it's part of me now in a way and I found that using creative outlets to sort of cope really helps. Like taking parts of my trauma, creating something new out of it, and then just putting it out in the world and letting it go. It's not trapped inside my body anymore. It takes some of the weight off my shoulders. It's helped me heal a lot. I also have a tendency to use self-deprecating humor as a coping mechanism. Not sure if that's a good or bad thing.
Maybe I've been too hyperbolic about Jimmy's traits? I'm not sure. I tend to do that a lot to myself.
But, all of this au stuff isn't just something I pulled out of my ass or made up. It's all based on something real that happened to me. This is built on an actual person's experience. My experience.
Jimmy is also meant to be a lot more nuanced. There's an animation in progress that tells the story a lot better. It's like one of those animatic music video things ppl make and post on YouTube. The song is really important to this AU, honestly it's kinda like the theme song to me?? Idk It's called TENSIONNN by Webcage (such a bop legitimately) it's meant to describe the tail end of the "fallout" and the entirety of the "split" from Jimmy's pov. The most important lyric in that song and probably the lyric that this AU was created around is:
"I won't leave you now, It's too poetic"
It's poetic that Jimmy left with the intention of watching Curly crash and burn without him in his life, only to turn around and watch him succeed and soar. It's a tragedy. But it's ALSO poetic that Jimmy started to heal and worked so hard to get to a place where he could re-enter Curly's life and have a healthy relationship with him. Now they're together again, but this time they're not two impulsive, emotionally immature, 20 year olds. They're two adults that have had time to learn and grow as people. And that is beautifully poetic to me. Also super interesting to explore that concept.
If canon Curly and Jimmy sticking together was what allowed the events of Mouthwashing to happen, then them spending some time apart could be what prevents it from happening. Atleast that was my logic while writing this. I wanted to make a sort of fix-it AU to fill the "wholesome Jimcurly" hole in my heart bc fanfics like that are scarce as fuck (understandable bc of the source). I tried to write this whole thing as a fanfic, but I quickly realized that 1) I'm not good at writing anything longer than 1,000 words and 2) this story requires visuals to properly tell it in the way I intended.
Also, I'm having fun. Drawing and writing all of this makes me happy. Obviously, the story isn't very "fun" (I've cried for hours while writing and drawing the more depressing parts probably 20 times by now), but telling it is. I don't know. I'm just a guy that draws. A depressed guy that draws and is still healing. I'm in no way "cured" by the medication I'm on. I still have depressive episodes, but I've been managing them better. I'm in a much better place mentally rn and I'm proud of myself. I've been fighting an intense mental battle against depression everyday for 10+ years of my life at this point. I'm not like 100% happy, I'm just kinda chillin rn idk.
I'm glad you asked this question! I encourage other people to ask questions! It helps me grow as a beginner writer and storyteller.
I hope that answered your question. I appreciate you.
TLDR: No, that isn't at all what I'm doing here. Jimmy is a reflection of myself and my experience with having severe depression and how I started my healing journey. It's based on very real events and thoughts that I have had. No, I don't have any bad intentions. No, I don't hate mentally ill people. I'm mentally ill and neurodivergent. I'm diagnosed. (We're in this fight together, man why would I do that??) I'm not a mustache-twirling villain with an ulterior motive. I'm a tired, mentally ill college student with audhd that is recovering from severe depression that literally almost killed me and drawing these guys is my current hyperfixation that helps me cope with that. That's it.
Also Jimmy is my favorite character (in this AU!!!!) idk why ppl think I hate him. Don't artists usually dump all their trauma on their ocs and make them suffer incomprehensible horrors bc they love the oc?? I thought we all did that. I did that. That's what I'm doing rn. 💀
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constantfragmentation · 14 days ago
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hiii i know your last post was probably spurred on by someone’s comments regarding your work, but im a woc and have throughly enjoyed all of the content you have written. not to dismiss other people’s issues, but within art it’s always important to consider who is making it and their cultural background, because it always permeates into their creations. while it is blunt to say; people are sometimes sensitive, you shouldn’t let that wear you down or feel overly guilty. the fact you were so open about seeing this as an issue and addressing it is already worth so much.
idk maybe this is insensitive, don’t feel the need to respond to this. i just really love your work and thought i would give my two cents.
Not insensitive at all.
In fact, as several people in this fandom know, unfortunately, I am very, well.... overly sensitive. And they're correct. Coming from a toxic and abusive upbringing and obviously not having the best coping mechanisms or self esteem... I tend to worry a lot, fear rejection and crave acceptance/safe place. I am very aware of this and trying hard not to be this but I still have my triggers and shit happens. It bothers a lot of people and I'm used to most people pulling a 'nope'.
Because of that, I don't ever want anyone to feel unaccepted, etc because that's what I was/am. I know I sound negative too much but it's only because I have difficulty with accepting compliments, kindnesses, etc. I've never been accepted anywhere, so when online strangers are being so kind, I almost don't want to believe them. And it's a bit like a drug too.
If anyone says they don't care about the hits, kudos, comments... I'm going to call them out. Yes we do or we wouldn't post our works publicly. Of course we crave validation and I probably crave it more than normal people because it's something foreign to me.
Saying that. I'm not fishing for people to give me compliments. If anyone wonders why I'm a bit 'off' or I talk too much, respond with huge comments (like now), its because I'm hoping people don't think I'm a total weirdo but I think I've shot that in the foot. I guess I feel like I put up a warning sign "hey, if you interact with me, I'll probably be socially awkward af".
I get so thrilled when someone is so happy with something I made. Maybe @villainsidechick is right that I'm wanting to please everyone and it's not possible. She's not wrong that I'll probably be paranoid that I'm not doing it right and writing will no longer be enjoyable because I'm worrying about how I'm writing. To go from 3rd person limited to 2nd person was hard. Never until Silco had I written that way and I'm still catching mistakes.
So maybe more tags is the answer for now. IDK. I've got different people telling me different things I should do in DMs and I'm just... blank.
I suppose it's all these years of ingrained behavior that I do worry about how I affect others and it truly does hurt me if I feel I've offended someone in any way. I'm mortified by it.
Writing in a strange way is therapy. I can't afford therapy, not in this country and my wages. It's probably unhealthy as hell but in some scenes, I can let out some demons if that makes sense or wishful things I would love to have. That's the beauty of fiction. I can tune out the real world for a bit.
I can't help but take things to heart when other, more normal folks, would brush it off and move on. I'm just not wired that way.
And I over share, like I'm doing right now. Sigh.
I think no matter what I do, someone is not going to be happy with me. I wish that didn't bother me, but it does. Sooner or later someone is going to see this side of me, so I might as well get it out now. Mental health is a bitch even with therapy and meds. It's probably why I write the characters I do and empathise with Jinx and Silco.
I'll go back to just posting nice things and won't mention this again. I'm sure there is a handful of people I know in this fandom who are shaking their heads right now, thinking I'm nuts for posting this and it will bite me in the ass, but so be it.
To those that I've made uncomfortable, I'm sorry. It's better you know where I'm coming from if I make a mistake again. Or perhaps just post stories and keep to myself from now on.
Back under my rock, I go.
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