#love when there's something easy i can add to make it feel more complicated in my brain :]

[raindropren]

Canon overall patches,,, i'm so happy :D

A target(confusing) and some pastel traffic light hearts(classic) <3

cuute :]

[fuxuannie]

❥﹒ken sato x gender neutral reader

✦. synopsis — romantic headcanons about our favourite baseball player!

✦. love mail — i finished the movie and i loved his character development, simply the sweetest thing <3

✦. tags — SPOILERS, fluff, dadgirl kenji, kenji sato x reader, i have not written in several months, i wrote this w my brain off ( ��͈ ᗨ `͈ ) aka i was just SPITTING whatever brain rot came to mind

I imagine Kenji to be the clingy, but doesn’t want to be type. He loves you, so much, so dearly. But affection isn’t his strong suit, especially not after what happened with his family. He shut out emotions for years, at least towards others. So this feeling of love, a nostalgic one, tends to clash with the walls he’s put up. He’ll hold you in his arms, burying his face in your shoulder, only for hours later to cringe at himself. He’s talked to you about it a thousand times, and he’s listened to you reassure him twice as many. He adores your patience with him, it's something he’s never really had.. especially with so much pressure on his shoulders.

Explaining his identity was surely no easy feat, you thought dating the most iconic and popular baseball players was the hardest thing? Imagine dating Ultraman, who came home to you every other week with some new injury. You always wondered why the reason was so simple for such a complicated wound, “I spilled boiling water on myself,” He explains with burn marks that are far more severe than expected. “I fell down the stairs”, he’ll say after landing in the hospital.. It didn’t make sense. And now that it does and you know the true reasons, your concern is far worse. Though he doesn’t mind the extra attention you give. ;)

Meeting his dad for the first time was.. nerve-wracking. You know how Kenji talks about him, and you weren’t sure what kind of impression you’ll make. But here you were, sitting on a couch and fiddling with your thumbs until you hear a doorbell. Before Kenji could even stand, you rushed to your feet and practically sprinted for the door, only to open it slowly and gently to reveal the kind old man standing outside. “Hello.” Cut to maybe an hour later, you’re laughing at old pictures of Kenji as he sits next to you and an arm wrapped around your shoulder. The two had a long path of forgiveness and understanding ahead, but Kenji appreciated that you brought him and his father together.

Thought the dad was scary? Imagine his daughter. As expected, the moment you walk into the room - distress. Emi’s starting to cry, an unfamiliar presence is in the room and it scares her. You’ve done a few babysitting jobs here and there, and she was really just like a child. Kenji apologized for her outburst and transforms to calm her down, opening the lid and picking her up under her arms. “No no, don’t cry.” His voice soothes her, and almost immediately - she’s okay again. It’ll take a few minutes, it really isn’t long until she trusts too you. Kenji found it adorable, how you played with her so casually.. many would be terrified, and rightfully so - but to him? It just displays your kind heart. My God did he love you.

Remember first headcanon? Right, to add to that, he’s not very good at vulnerability either. He’ll love to comfort you when you cry, or hold you when you need him. But if the roles were reversed? Absolutely not. He’s uncomfortable and you can see it, one look into his eyes and it’s like looking through glass.. he hates being open about his true feelings. Even if it’s with you.. the walls he’s built for 20 years aren’t easy to break, you know? But if you’re patient, and you take your time and say the right words – he’ll crack. And like a dam breaking, the water flows in an uncontrollable wave of sadness. He’ll sob, he’ll break, and he’ll need you more than anything. He doesn’t know how to feel about breaking down, but the way you hold him in your arms and whisper sweet nothings to comfort him, he could get used to it.

But on a lighthearted note, he loves dates! Most have to be in his home, because Emi can be clingy (got it from his dad), but you don’t mind. It’s sweet, he’ll have you play baseball with her or all you do is cuddle ontop of her, it’s the cutest little thing. But other times, when you go out– it’s just the two of you. And upon special request from Kenji for Mina to babysit her while you're there, you two get alone time. and it’s everything to him. The smallest affection has his heart racing like a teenage boy again, wrapping your arm around his, holding his hand, kissing him? Goodness, you’ve got him wrapped around your finger and you don’t even know it. You and Emi are his world, and he’ll do everything to protect it. Other days, you, him, and and his father go out to the home in the woods for some personal time. You get to talk about his childhood with him and you talk about yours. There’s such a tender and unforgettable atmosphere when you’re with them. And you truly feel like you belong.

Overotectiveness, he was full of it. He’s lost so much, and all he wanted was for you to not go either. Nothing, nothing could stop his rage at the idea of you being hurt. You, Emi, anyone else important to him. He’ll take on the world for his family, and by the will of his parents he has. The pain he’s endured, the scars you scold him for so much are for you. If one threat escapes the city, that’s one likely chance he loses you. So he does everything he can to handle it. You’ve never gotten hurt, but the idea of it is enough for him to strive to be stronger.

While recovering from the explosion, you never left his side. It pained you to see him so still, lack of life. He’d usually be pacing back and forth in the room, rambling about something, and when you’d call him a nerd or dork, he'd run to you and playfully attack you with kisses. His arms around you tightly as you two would laugh your worries away, you didn’t have that privilege. You’d either laugh alone or not at all, the pain all too much. When he wakes up, best believe you’re there, and you just cry at the sight of his arms opening. You know his body is far too unstable for a hug, so you squeeze his hand. How grateful you are to feel him squeeze back.

With Mina and Emi gone, the house feels a little more lonely.. but Kenji’s adjusting. Especially because you moved in! He’s able to spend more time with you in bed since he didn’t have to tend to Emi, which was a nice plus. He woke up earlier than you (force of habit.) and he’d just.. stare. Maybe it was a little creepy, but seeing you sound asleep in his arms gave him such joy. He loved the little domestic moments he shared with you, it had him appreciating all the smaller things in life. Like sharing a meal with you, or watching movies together. You made him love the simpler aspects of living.

[meazalykov]

scenes of envy

sydney lohmann x actress!reader

summary: seeing you so affectionate with someone else doesn't sit right with sydney, even if it really wasn't you.

you’re sitting on the hotel bed in new york, flipping through your script for the latest press interviews when your phone buzzes with a message from sydney. 

you smile and open it, expecting her usual sweet texts about how she misses you. but instead, it’s short:

just watched the new episode with laura. great job, babe.

the words seem normal enough, but you can feel something underneath them, something unsaid. you can almost picture her sitting there, awkwardly watching that make-out scene between your character, dina, and your costar‘s character, ellie. 

you can guess how she might have shifted uncomfortably, maybe biting her lip while laura sat beside her, completely engrossed in the show.

you quickly type back, 

thanks, liebe! only two weeks until i’m back in munich ❤️ i miss you.

as the night goes on and you think back to her message, the subtle weirdness of it lingers. sydney knows what your job entails. she knew it before the two of you even got serious, that being with an actress meant dealing with things like this—intimate scenes that are just part of the job. 

still, there’s that lingering feeling of jealousy in her text, and you know it’s probably bothering her more than she lets on.

when you finally get back to munich, sydney is waiting at the airport with her usual bright smile, but you can tell something’s on her mind. 

she pulls you into a tight hug, holding on a little longer than usual, as if grounding herself in your presence after weeks apart.

later, the two of you are sitting in your shared apartment, catching up over a quiet dinner when sydney glances at you, her eyes dancing with something playful but still a little vulnerable.

“so… dina and ellie, huh?” she says with a teasing smirk, but the edge in her voice makes you pause. 

“you’re really good at pretending to make out with someone.”

you laugh, rolling your eyes as you set down your fork. 

“pretending, babe. it’s all just pretend. you know that.”

she leans back in her chair, the smirk fading as she looks down at her plate. 

“i know. i do. i mean, i signed up for this when i started dating an actress,” she says, her voice a little softer now. 

“but it’s still weird seeing you with someone else like that, even if it’s just acting.”

you stand up, walking over to her and taking her hand. she looks up at you with that slight hint of jealousy in her eyes. 

“syd, it’s not real,” you say, your thumb brushing over her knuckles.

“i don’t even talk to her outside of work, except for scenes with the show. you’re the only one i care about. you know that.”

she squeezes your hand, but you can tell the reassurance helps only a little. jealousy isn’t always rational, but you’ve been away for a while, and you get it. 

“yeah, i know,” she says with a small smile. “it’s just…laura was so into it, and i was sitting there like, ‘y/n’s kissing someone else on my tv right now.’ it’s weird, okay?”

you laugh softly and lean down, kissing her cheek. 

“you’re cute when you’re jealous, you know that?”

“i’m not jealous,” she mutters, but the blush creeping up her cheeks says otherwise.

you grin, wrapping your arms around her from behind, resting your chin on her shoulder. “i love you, sydney. you, not my costar, not anyone else. just you.”

"besides, 90% of the time we aren't really doing anything. there are choreographers that teach us how to film intimate scenes without actually being intimate at all."

finally, she turns her head, giving you a proper smile, and you know she believes you. it’s not easy being apart for so long, and you know the show adds some complications. 

at the end of the day, it’s always been the two of you, and that’s never going to change.

masterlist

[mybworlds]

Something there

Pairing: jackson!joel miller x f!reader (no use of Y/N)

Summary: You, after a very long trip alone across the country, arrive in Jackson. Joel is a very lonely man and after Ellie broke up with him, he's even more alone and grumpy. Tommy and Maria decide that you're going to stay at Joel's house for a while, at least until more houses are built. Will your cohabitation be easy? Or will it be more complicated than everyone thinks?

Warnings: use of you, use of alcohol, loneliness, suicidal thoughts, suicidal attempt, a short story about sexual assault that occurred in the past I won't go into details, another SA in the present days, violence, blood, lots of sexually explicit content, use of petnames, dirty talk, fluff elements, mutual pining, the main characters spy on each other for a while, the image of the female character has the sole purpose of representing the character, but you can imagine her however you want, no physical description of the female character except for long hair often gathered in a ponytail or braid, she wears a bra and jeans (most of the time).

follow @mybworlds and turn on notifications to get notified when I post new fics

Masterlist

Thx for the dividers @saradika-graphics

You wake up early in the morning and make pancakes. Their scent spreads throughout the house and you find yourself smiling at the thought of when you used to prepare them with your mom and you offered them to your friends.

It was a wonderful time you were experiencing. If only you had known that the world would soon end, you would have enjoyed it much more, you would have lived much more, you would have hugged your parents more often, you would have told that boy you liked that you loved him.

It's so strange to do something as simple as cooking in a time when you can't be weak or indulge in small activities like this. You wish your loved ones were here with you.

You turn off the gas and then take the plate full of pancakes to place it on the kitchen island, you turn and see Joel in the doorway watching you.

You gape at him for a moment, but quickly look down and say, "What are you doing standing there?"

"Um, I. . . I was going on patrol.” He responds by stuffing his hands in his pockets and looking from the room to you as if to make sure you hadn't destroyed anything.

You nod, “Do you want a pancake?” you ask him stopping him right there. With a slight tremor you approach him, he is so tall, so massive and he looks at you with that piercing gaze. You hold the plate out towards him "This time I didn't burn anything, see?"

He can even swear he saw the faintest hint of a smile in your eyes, your face lit up for a moment and that dark aura that always surrounds you has dissolved and you even appeared pleasant in his eyes. For a moment.

He takes a pancake without taking his eyes off your face, you feel uncomfortable, you do everything you can to keep your eyes down, but you can't help but raise them for a moment and look Joel in the eyes. In this light his eyes are hazel and are, dare you say, beautiful.

He clears his troath before to look away, "I gotta go."

You nod.

Then he leaves.

"She saved your ass, bro!" Tommy exclaims following his elder brother from a room to another.

Joel lied to you. There's no patrol, but it's probably best that the two of you kept your distance. He doesn't want you around.

"Don't call me bro!" Joel replies by rolling his eyes as he carries boxes from one room to another "You're not convincing me this time!" he adds.

"She knows you don't care about her and you keep her away from your life and your heart, because I know that deep down somewhere you still have a heart." Joel rolls his eyes again.

"Yeah, and look where having a heart got me? I only made the people I care about suffer," Joel suddenly falls silent, the weight of his words and actions seeming to fall on him again with the same violence as a few years ago "The truth is that I cannot be with others because I would only be capable of harming ‘em," Joel lowers his head "And it kills me. I made the decision for her, I was selfish, I know. I deserve her hatred, but I'd like to tell her that she's so important to me and I'm sorry 'bout that." Joel places yet another box on a pile of other boxes of canned food.

Tommy doesn't reply, he listens to his brother, then tells him "Then tell her, Joel, tell her. Don't wait another minute, go. Don't waste time!"

Joel looks at his brother's face "Not having control over what could happen. . ."

"Bro, you can't do this. Just let go, open your heart and speak sincerely. There will be consequences because it's inevitable, but at least you'll know you spoke truthfully to the person you care about."

Joel nods.

"And now let's go back to talking about that poor thing you host and that you adore!" Tommy exclaims giving a loud pat on his brother's shoulders "She prepares pancakes for you too! You're going forward!"

"Tsk, don't start!" Joel rolls his eyes shaking his head.

"What is the next step? Prepare your clothes to wear for the next day?"

And the two brothers continued their conversation, teasing each other.

You try to make yourself as useful as possible at home, you sweep and wash the floor, open the windows, wash the windows, dust the various pieces of furniture, throw away the empty bottles, make your bed. You're tempted to do Joel's too, but you're more than sure he won't thank you.

You want to do everything to not feel useless, a burden, you hope with all your heart that Joel will stop treating you rudely. He doesn't have to accept you or want you around, but at least put up with you.

Time flies and you decide to prepare lunch.

It's so strange, you still haven't gotten used to eating at the table and feeling the warmth of the sun's rays kissing your shoulders, your arms, your cheeks.

The last time you felt something like peace was before the outbreak, you had just convinced your father to buy you a piano, you wanted to play it ardently, you wanted to learn and you still remember the overwhelming joy you felt when they brought it to your home, you jumped into your father's arms, holding onto his neck and your father returned the hug by kissing your cheek.

It's been so long since then.

That little girl is gone for a long time, now you're a grown woman who's been through a lot.

You finish your lunch and then decide to read something on the couch. You're not sure if Joel wants you in the living room, but he's not here so why not go. And if you should hear him coming back, you will quickly sneak into the kitchen.

You scroll down his bookshelf and you see lots of books about space and dinosaurs, there's even some comics. You didn't think Joel was the comic type!

When you were twelve or maybe thirteen you liked space and the idea that other creatures other than humans could exist on other planets. As you grew up, the idea of E.T. seemed silly to you and so you dedicated yourself to something else.

Today, well why not read something that can take you back a little to your childhood? You remember how many crazy theories you came up with and how you believed in them and thought they were important!

You choose a little book with a blue cover ruined and faded, there is a moon and a little girl with a small telescope.

You smile.

Well, let's start!

In a few hours, the book is finished and placed back in the library. You adjust the cushions and eliminate the creases on the couch so Joel can't figure out that you came in there and then you go upstairs.

It's time to take a shower.

You take off your sweater, jeans, bra and then with just a towel on you go to the bathroom.

The jet of water gently caresses you, you close your eyes, throwing your head back slightly. You moan, savoring the warm water on your skin. You gently rub the soap on your shoulders, your arms, your breasts, your belly, oh it may have been a busy day, but it feels so good and slowly the efforts are fading away. On a day like this, it seems to you that the outbreak never happened. Or at least you like to delude yourself and believe that it did.

You turn off the water jet and get out of the shower wrapping yourself in the towel.

When you come out of the bathroom, you barely have time to see Joel so you don't run into him.

Oh!

You look at him with surprise, he also seems surprised and runs his gaze over you quickly and then raises it back to your face.

He clears his throat before placing his hands on his hips, "I see you've been busy!" he exclaims, you look at him questioningly "The house." he clarifies "Want me to draw you a picture?" he mocks you.

You look away from his face for a moment, then look at him “How was the patrol?” you ask him.

"Quiet. Just the way I like it." he replies looking you straight in the eyes and you get the message.

No questions.

You look away, then say, "I'm going to change, move up."

You both move in the same direction, you look up at him and swallowing, you pass him, barely bumping his arm.

You close the door behind you and remove the towel, stay naked for a couple of minutes and get dressed. You find yourself thinking that Joel is one of the strangest men you've ever met.

When Joel comes back, he doesn't find the usual dust accumulated in the corners of the entrance furniture, the air is clean and fresh. He looks around confused as if he feared he had entered the wrong door and entered another house. Then he hears the water running from upstairs and has no trouble understanding that you are in the bathroom.

What strikes him, however, is seeing his house, or what was just his house, so clean, tidy, even fragrant, the flowers in the kitchen. This is a lived-in house. It's incredible, but he likes it. He'll never tell you, but it's amazing what you did.

He swallows and thinks that if he had the courage to shoot himself, he wouldn't have you here. Who knows maybe Tommy would have left this house to you and you would have made it even more beautiful!

He has to change before you see or understand that he hasn't gone on any patrols.

When he sees you wrapped in that towel, he can hardly think of anything unpleasant to say to you. You are a tender image.

Tender? Earth to Joel! What the fuck?!

When he snaps at you, he expects you to respond in kind too, but not today. You are so sweet and welcoming.

Oh, damn!

You walk away, putting an end to his thoughts about you, he stares into space for a couple of seconds, then goes downstairs. He inserts an old Pearl Jam cassette and the notes of Alive spread through the room.

He chuckles, almost falling onto the couch. Maybe he's just tired, maybe he just needs to sleep because otherwise there's no explaining how he can think of you as a tender and sweet creature after you forcefully entered his life.

"Oh, I don't believe it!" he hears you exclaim behind him and Joel stands up as if to hide the thoughts that are running through his mind at the moment "These are Pearl Jam!" you continue smiling and shaking your head.

"D' you know 'em?" he asks as you walk over to the stereo.

"Who doesn't know them!" you exclaim while maintaining that smile, while you stare at the cassette tape playing "Oh, so many memories!" you exclaim in a bitter tone and your smile fades.

"You like 'em?" he asks without taking his eyes off you and looking at that baggy sweater on you and those pants that are definitely too big for you, your hair strangely down.

You are a delicious tender image...

"My father loved ‘em, every Sunday when we organized a picnic there was Pearl Jam, when I was little he made me climb on his shoes and we danced." a shy smile bends your lips upwards and your eyes get lost in a distant memory "Don't mind!" you exclaim, returning to reality and shaking your head "Do you want something to eat?" you ask him.

He nods, but his look is thoughtful and he doesn't stop looking at you.

"What?" you ask, looking at his face and feeling uncomfortable having that look on you, that intense look.

He shakes his head, "Uhm, no nothing." he says looking down “Anyway, yeah. I'm hungry."

"Okay." you say, starting to leave the room “Do you want anything in particular?”

"Yes, nothing burns!" he exclaims.

You lower your head tsking and walk out of the room.

Fuck, he's fucked.

He follows you with his gaze, he watches how you move on tiptoe, you are still afraid. He'd like to tell you that sooner or later that fear will pass, but he doesn't because he doesn't care about comforting you and above all tell you things that can never be.

NEXT CHAPTER ➢

[valentine-writes]

their "i love you"s and other drabbles...

「 tws + notes: no tws, HEAVILY unedited, a little angst in sum partz but f it we ball (THERE'S SUMN WRONG W/ ME I NEVER DO THIS MUCH?), fluff, tried to add a lil bit of everyone, little thoughtz abt the characters,,, 」

↳ ft. ben reilly/scarlet spider, gwen stacy, hobie brown/spider-punk, jessica drew, lyla, margo kess, miles morales (1610 and 42), miguel o'hara/spider-man 2099, pavitr prabhakar, peter b parker, spider-man noir, and the spot/johnathan ohnn

「 gn!reader, romantic relationships <3 」

author's note: not my usual content but thought it wud b fun to whip up a few drabbles,, (´。＿。｀) diff format than usual too! all separate and stuff, w/ the characterz at the bottom being the ones the drabble applies to the most (ALL CAPZ MEANS I THOUGHT IT FIT THEM SUPER WELL!!!!) thought it wud b fun,,, altered lyrics are italicized, itz jus a pronoun change 2 make it gender neutral (❁´◡`❁) edit: my tags. do not fit. so i had to redo them. reblogz r super appreciated ^_^ i jus wanna make sure all fans of these characterz are being fed content <33

[ please don't forget about me - pompey ]

"and if you see me everyday / will I lose my shine?"

↳ always terrified of not being exciting and new to you– like one day, their appeal will fade. not like they understand what drew you to them in the first place, but they never asked. maybe you're just hanging around for the hell of it. maybe one day, they'll watch you leave and they'll have nothing to convince you to stay

"how many bad jokes will it take? / or awkward quiet times?"

↳ they wonder if they're already losing you slowly. everytime they speak to you, it's like they're trying to compensate for something. begging you to look at them– but not too close,,, just in case you notice how brutally flawed they are, beyond just the quirks you find endearing. maybe one day you'll look too deep into their eyes and you won't like what you see

▸ JOHNATHAN OHNN/THE SPOT, peter b parker

[ soft sounds from another planet - japanese breakfast ]

"i'll show you the way to hurt me"

↳ loving again is the biggest risk anyone who's been hurt like them could take. you make it worth the danger– the possibility of the pain they've grown all too familiar with. maybe for today, caution can be set aside. when it comes to you, they wouldn't mind letting their guard down.

"in search of a soft sound from another planet / in search of a quiet place to lay this to rest."

↳ they have to admit their past has burdened them in ways they can't even begin to communicate. they know you can't fix everything that has been broken in their lives. still, the comfort you provide is never taken for granted. you are their safe space– the soft sound from another planet. their quiet place to finally lay it all to rest. and suddenly, the aching in their chest doesn't eat them up inside as much as it used to.

you make it easy to love again.

▸ GWEN STACY, MIGUEL O'HARA/SPIDER-MAN 2099

[ our lullabye - miracle musical ]

"i was made for you / you were made for me"

↳ it's hard to believe that you're more than just a distant fantasy sometimes. they can't deny how much they've yearned for a love like the one you two share. something so sweet, so real. it's nothing like the movies or the fairytales, but is anything ever? even when things are messy and complicated, it's undeniable how perfect it all feels. how everything about the two of you just fits. they're inclined to thank every shooting star they've ever wished on, every birthday candle they've ever held their deepest desires in as they blew the flame out for the day you two met. by any manner of higher power or forces unseen to the human eye, they're certain fate was on their side to give them such a blessing.

"i'll love you 'till you're gone / our song goes on and on"

↳ they're determined to hold on as long as possible. all good things cannot last– but they try not to dwell on that thought. they hold onto the hope that you're the one thing that will stay. your love feels divine. radiant, in the way it overtakes them fully. they almost feel undeserving. so, no matter how small or how grand the action, they try to remind you every day, "i love you"s woven into their every being whenever you're around.

▸ lyla, SPIDER-MAN NOIR, johnathan ohnn/the spot

[ i will - mitski ]

"everything you feel is good / if you would only let you"

↳ sometimes they feel you holding back. they can't help but notice the tension in the room as you suppress the things you want to say, silence the thoughts in your head. they know it's not easy to be earnest all the time. but they love you– they care for you. and all they've ever wanted is for you to be authentic. if it's pure, how could it ever be wrong? maybe in your own time, you'll be able to unravel in front of them. they're by your side every step of the way. to finally have you open up to them– to be real, to be honest– it would mean the world to them. they want to show you they love every single part of you. they love you when you're upset, when you're crying, when you're angry– because it's you.

"so stay with me / hold my hand / there's no need / to be brave"

↳ they offer every reassurance they can give you. you no longer have to fend for yourself. those days of being alone are over. you can crumble apart if you need– there's no need for constant bravery anymore. you did such a good job picking yourself up, time and time again. now, they outstretch a hand to you, a silent way of saying, "let me help you this time."

▸ ben reilly/scarlet spider, gwen stacy, HOBIE BROWN/SPIDER-PUNK, JESSICA DREW, lyla, MILES MORALES (1610), PAVITR PRABHAKAR, PETER B PARKER tbh all of them but shhh

[ right side of my neck - faye webster ]

"you looked back at me once / but i looked back two times"

↳ absolutely smitten with you. it doesn't matter how hard you fell. they. fell. harder. and maybe it's not obvious to you. but they've never had someone who made them care so much. some part of them feels immature for feeling so in love,, like a school kid with a puppy crush. they find it ridiculous, how absolutely lovesick and enamoured they are with everything about you. whatever you feel and express towards them, they feel towards you three times as much. they try everyday to show it.

"the right side of my neck / still smells like you"

↳ you just seem to leave a part of you with them always. they can't ignore it– can't seem to escape your presence, even when you're not physically there. it felt like spiralling to insanity at first. but they've learned to appreciate it– find comfort in it, even. the way the smell of your shampoo lingers on the pillow they leant you when you stayed over, the way that the mug of tea (made just the way you like it) is still on the kitchen table from the morning after– you left your t-shirt once and you had to ask them directly for it back. they like keeping pieces of you near. it reminds them of how loved they are.

▸ BEN REILLY/SCARLET SPIDER, gwen stacy, HOBIE BROWN/SPIDER-PUNK, MARGO KESS, miles morales (1610 and 42), pavitr prabhakar, the spot/johnathan ohnn

[ you love me - kimya dawson ]

"but when i met you, right away, i knew / you would never, ever, ever hurt me"

↳ you're used to pulling away. leave before they can leave you, before they even try to make you miss them– but the second you met them? they were insistent on proving that they were harmless. they could never dream of hurting you. and they see as you pull away, scared to get too close– and yet, every single time, they open their arms back to you.

"and the road's still long but you come along / and you hold my hand, and you understand"

↳ "when you're ready" has become second place in their favourite three word sentences. they remind you of these words constantly.

"when you're ready" means they don't mind that it's not now. ""when you're ready" means it doesn't matter how long they have to wait for you, they will. when you're ready" is another form of "i love you"

▸ MARGO KESS, MILES MORALES (1610), pavitr prabhakar, PETER B PARKER, spider-man noir

[ (you) on my arm - leith ross ]

"i wanna buy you pretty little things / and never ever lie to you"

↳ wants something simple with you. craves a form of sweet, normalcy. the mundane tasks and events of life seem far more appealing to them when you're in the picture. no, they never really imagined ever having a quiet life, yet the hope for one with you lingered. to buy you little gifts, to be the best they could possibly be to you, to drive around with you for the hell of it. they're certain anything could be heaven if you were there to accompany them.

a quiet life sounds nice.

"i'd be better armed if you agreed to take it"

↳ having you on their arm just makes them feel secure. keeping you close while showing you off to the world– showing you've got each other. they're a bit sappy for little things like this. everywhere you go, they never fail to extend an arm out to you. something about you makes them feel safer than ever.

▸ jessica drew, miles morales (1610), MILES MORALES (42), peter b parker, SPIDER-MAN NOIR

[ peach scone - hobo johnson ]

"so I fall to ground, collect myself and get ready to take over your heart / or at least your spare time"

↳ they try so incredibly hard to be the one for you. no matter what they try, they just seem to fumble and mess it up. they stumble over their words when they try to compliment you, they get weak in the knees when they try to make a move, and no matter how much they spend deliberating, and deliberating– they've got no clue how to win you over. hopefully you find their clumsy attempts endearing. they're making a fool of themself. and maybe, they haven't really said anything yet– but they're happy to at least hang around you in the meantime

▸ BEN REILLY/SCARLET SPIDER, gwen stacy, MILES MORALES (1610), spider-man noir, the spot/johnathan ohnn

[ dan the dancer - mitski ]

" he liked them more than life itself / i'm sure "

↳ he was quiet in the way he expressed his adoration. still, he did everything he could to ensure you would never go unloved. the way he looks into your eyes, taking you in like you are the loveliest thing on earth... it's only fitting. you're his world. maybe in the silent moments, when his fingers gently brush your cheek, admiring you– you'd begin to understand this.

▸ MILES MORALES (42), MIGUEL O'HARA/SPIDER-MAN 2099

[ lover // over the moon - alice phoebe lou ]

"i'm a lover / i feel it now / i'm a lover / just never knew how"

↳ they don't even try to hide how much they enjoy your company. you're special to them– why would they try to hide that? at this point, whenever you feel arms wrap around you from behind, you've learned to see their grinning face when you glance over your shoulder. maybe they've never been particularly shy about most things,, but now they're just twice as loud. it's inexplicable, the things you do to them. they hadn't anticipated being so utterly soft,,, not like they're complaining

▸ hobie brown/spider-punk, PAVITR PRABHAKAR

[sk-lumen]

High Value Woman Formula: The 4 Key Pillars

Are you passionate about leveling up, but find yourself daunted by the overwhelming list on how to become a high value woman?

Don’t fret, you’re probably not the only one! It may sound complicated at first glance, but when you truly understand what it’s about, the high value woman formula is… quite simple.

In this article, I will show you an easy and concise roadmap to becoming the woman of your own dreams.

Let’s get started.

Pillar #1: Body

Much like Maslow’s pyramid, in order to have a mind that is clear, a heart that is at peace, and a soul that is fulfilled, you need to first attend to your basic physical needs (and not only).

Getting enough hours of sleep

A healthy diet

Fitness & exercise

Haircare

Nails

Skin

Dental health

Make-up

Pillar #2: Mind

Next ingredient in the high value woman formula is polishing your mind.

Upgrading your looks and physical health is great, but if you don’t follow it up with a mindset glow up, you’ll find yourself repeating the same mistakes, and bumping into the same limiting beliefs and bad habits.

Planning goals and keeping track of them

Improving your mindset / develop a growth mindset

Confidence

Embrace failure

Reading extensively to broaden your mind and your education (includes financial education)

Courses, trainings and masterclasses

Listening to podcasts

Watching TedTalks or insightful documentaries (if you’re curious about my recs for TedTalks/documentaries, let me know in comments below)

Pillar #3: Heart

So you’ve leveled up your appearance, improved your mind, now what? Now it’s all about your heart and your emotions. Think about all the things that nurture your emotional dimension and makes you feel appreciated, seen and heard!

Building a support system (friends, family, therapy)

Therapy

Healing your attachment style

Journaling

Self Love

Setting boundaries

Being your authentic self

Speaking your truth

Embracing your journey

Feeling & processing your emotions

Pillar #4: Soul

Last but not least, I’m a spiritual woman, and these are my personal beliefs which some may or may not resonate with. If that’s the case and you’re happy with just the 3 first pillars, that’s perfectly valid and you can skip this section.

But I do believe you have to take care of your soul. You can have the looks, the money and your self-concept in line, but you might still feel empty, unfulfilled, like something is missing from your life… if you ignore the spiritual aspect.

For the girlies that need a deeper connection to the divine, to God, the universe, here are a few action steps.

Joining a community that resonates with you

Prayer

Yoga

Meditation

Various spiritual practices that align with your beliefs

Detoxing from social media, toxic people or environments

Conclusion

What do you think about this list, did you find it helpful? Are there any essentials you’d add to the list? Let me know in the comments below.

This is a topic I believe many women (and not only) would benefit from, and I’m passionate about helping my readers become their best selves.

So, I’m currently working on an in-depth guide that expands on this topic/article, complete with practical steps you can implement in your daily life, in order to become a High Value Woman.

💖 If you want to be the first to hear about the HVW ebook's launch make sure to join my Soultribe! 💖

🎀 More glow up articles and guides on sklumen.com 🎀

[necrotic-nephilim]

you already talked about jayroytim, but how about dickroytim? 👀👀👀

and it all starts with roy and tim, while dick is seething with rage and jealousy in the background and stubbornly arguing that it's all just bc tim is his younger brother, and not something that roy's dirty brain came up with!

oooh, YES. i LOVE this. your mind. especially if it starts with RoyTim instead of the expected DickRoy or DickTim? that's so good. it's the definition of Roy being a little shit, accidentally seducing Dick's younger brother and sleeping with him. i think it's fun if this specifically highlights Roy's fuckboy era, where he slept with just about anyone and wasn't shy about hiding it, as opposed to him being a bit more mature and careful about sleeping around with Tim, knowing Dick would disapprove. (thinking specifically about the time Roy slept with Helena, Dick's complicated ex situationship and when Dick asked Roy was very casually like "oh dw man i wouldn't get between you two like that, i only slept with her!" and just being so casual about it)

Roy *could* hide it from Dick, and tbh he knows he should. but it's a family full of detectives anyway, so what's the point? Roy can only make up so many excuses for being in Gotham and if Tim is old enough to consent, it's none of Dick's business. even if Roy is sort of rubbing it in his face to *make it* his business. i am delighted by the idea that Roy is almost getting off to how angry Dick is about it. Dick doesn't have a lot of good arguments about why Roy *can't* do this. the "he's basically my baby brother" argument doesn't go very far, and it doesn't seem to be stopping Tim. Tim can pretend to be annoyed and scolding Roy about all the bragging, but Roy sees the hidden smiles.

i think it's also fun if Tim is purposefully doing this to rile Dick up. maybe he and Dick have danced around the idea of feelings, but Dick has always shut down their long stares and lingering touches by saying how Tim is like a brother to him. and so, Tim wants to call his bluff. if he's just Dick's brother, than Dick has no right to get jealous over who Tim does or doesn't like. and Roy is two birds with one stone. not only is he someone for Tim to sleep with to make Dick jealous, Dick's *best friend*, even. but he's someone Tim has genuinely had a thing for, and it's easy for him to play it off as though Roy was the one who came onto him and not Tim making himself obvious bait. he's honestly shocked it's worked as well as it has, with Dick seething every time Tim and Roy are in the same room, even if they're behaving. he lets Roy make the jokes about their sex life and show displays of affection because Tim knows it's building and building for Dick, and eventually, he's going to break.

only Dick went a little too hard on the "brothers" excuse and now it's an excuse sort of believes, which adds a delightful bit of incestual vibes to it. bc Dick tells Tim that he *made his point* a little too late, and now Tim actually likes Roy. so Dick is going to have to explain this to Roy too. and somehow, the awkward conversation leads to Roy suddenly being very interested in an incest kink and seeing exactly how "brotherly" they are-

them all sleeping together is Roy's suggestion, and Tim is *definitely* into the idea, and even Dick is more on board then he expects to be. maybe he and Roy fooled around once when they were kids and it was never thought about beyond a sexuality exploration sort of thing for both of them. but now, Dick has to admit it wouldn't be the *worst* sight to see Roy fuck Tim. after all, Roy has to show Dick how Tim likes it. and Roy is *really* leaning into the brothers thing the whole time.

after the first few times they sleep together, i think Dick would just accept Tim and Roy are a package deal. and of all his friends, Roy really can't be the worst one to date. all the fuckboy stuff stripped away, Roy is a great boyfriend and makes sure Dick and Tim are more than happy. he remembers anniversaries and little "just because" gifts. and he's a great dad, which somehow adds to it all.

anyway yes, i love the potential of these three together with Roy being a Little Shit the entire time just because he can.

[sweetbottletops]

When Agu said one phase was ending and a new one was beginning I didn't realize the next phase would be putting Aya in the Pain Cave.

Ch 102

It looks like Koga is spending at least part of her juice box lunch periods with the cool kids now.

The bully (he hasn't earned a name) still seems to be mentally in that desk-kabedon Koga delivered earlier. I don't think he actually knows much about music, but he is still firmly stuck in her orbit with the other cool kids. She's got that kind of pull.

Meanwhile the subculture kids are in the hallway. It's easy to forget they aren't the cool kids and typically stuck to each other even before Koga. Narita gets to be included because Exhibit A.

It's always awkward when a friend crosses over genres and samples other groups at school. Even so...Aya is a touch too in the dumps for Chizuru to believe this is just related to Koga spending her lunch period with the norms. "Because of that?"

Chizuru is the drunken master of love gurus. Never misses even when she doesn't know where she's aiming.

Aka: Back in simpler times when Koga was having an existential crisis and being needy and Aya could fill her needs. Now Koga appears to be doing just fine in her identity and even found other people to talk to about music.

A twist of the knife. How the turn tables.

On a superficial level it doesn't seem like a big deal, but they are teenagers so everything is a big deal. Add in the fact Aya is closeted and hasn't been able to openly share her real feelings even to her best friend all this time and it's complicated.

She couldn't even do abstract girl talk at the overnight trip because "Onii-san" was right there among the girls. And her earlier gushing with Chizuru always was hidden behind "Onii-san".

Aya can only talk a bit more openly to Narita and Kanna and even then she's relying on them to fill in the blanks to accept why she's at this extreme level of desperate about Koga.

From Chizuru's POV Aya had never been interested in boy talk until "Onii-san" came into the scene, and "he" has drifted in and out of the scene unnamed like a "boyfriend" from Canada.

But she never pushed the issue. It was girl bonding stuff and something Chizuru had with Aya that was theirs if that makes sense. And then when Koga appeared Aya stopped gushing outside of when Chizuru would bring "him" up. Which was sus...

Chizuru is about to be jump scared with the title of this manga.

v v v

Chizuru is firing in every direction now. Her? Him? You?!!

The readers who had to have it spelled out to them vs the readers who knew. It was yuri all along.

She's hugging HERSELF. Help her!

The extra sad thing is going all the way back to the Radiohead performance it was Koga who reset them as friends.

Aya had an odd reaction to that at the time. Her crush wants to be friends. "There's no other option, right?" She didn't retract her crush after the reveal. It was Koga who downgraded them to friends and she went along with it. And it was fine at the time because it was the same Koga, however they were going to call it, and she got to at least be Koga's favorite and only.

Which isn't the healthiest considering how isolated Koga was, but when that's as close as you think you'll get with someone you like it's not so bad. She's stuck being hyper aware of how close she has the right to be and worries she might overstep and make Koga uncomfortable. What she wants is how close Joe and Kanna are. And that’s something she doesn't think she'll get. So there's the conflict.

Now Koga is the one feeling comfortable as herself in public and Aya is the only one left hiding who she is. From her perspective she thinks Koga doesn't know who she really is or how it will go over if she found out.

Team Chizuru + Nartia have a lot of work ahead of them. But now that they know at least Aya is not totally alone with her feelings anymore.

[supersmashreaderz]

Baking a Cake With The Smash Fighters(Part 2)

Smash Fighter x Reader

Part 3 Coming Soon!

Chrs: Peach, Bowser, Zelda, Sheik, Ness, Ganondorf, Marth, Roy, Pikachu and Pichu

Reader is GN!

Princess Peach:

Baking a cake with Princess Peach is like working alongside a master chef(practically the goddess of baking). She’s elegant, precise, and effortlessly graceful in the kitchen. Peach is always cheerful, offering you encouraging words as you work together. She has a knack for making even the most complicated steps seem easy. Peach shares little tips and tricks she’s learned over the years, making the experience fun and educational. Together, you create a perfectly sweet and beautifully decorated cake, with Peach adding a signature peach on top. At the end, she gives you a warm smile and says, “Thank you for helping me, this turned out beautifully!”

Bowser:

Unlike Princess Peach, Bowser’s approach to baking is loud, boisterous, and slightly chaotic. His massive claws aren’t exactly built for delicate work, so you often find yourself guiding him carefully. Despite his rough appearance, he’s surprisingly enthusiastic and eager to please, especially when it comes to impressing you. Bowser grumbles when things don’t go his way, but he quickly recovers, insisting that you’re doing great. He may add too much of something (like sugar), making the cake a bit unbalanced, but it’s still delicious. Bowser proudly presents the final result with a gruff smile, his cheeks slightly flushed as he says, “Told ya we’d make it awesome!”

Falco:

Baking with Falco feels like working with a co-pilot in the kitchen. He’s confident, a little cocky, but surprisingly skilled. He jokes and teases you throughout the process, acting like he’s the pro here, but there’s no denying he’s having fun. You’ll catch him sneaking tastes of the batter and pretending not to, but he’s quick to get things back on track when needed. Once the cake is in the oven, he leans back and casually says, “Told ya, nothing to it.” The end result is solid, and Falco looks smugly pleased, especially when you compliment his flying-themed cake decorations.

Zelda:

Baking with Princess Zelda is a calming and magical experience. She’s gentle and thoughtful, guiding you through each step with care. Zelda uses her magic to help speed up certain tasks, but she’s also deeply invested in the traditional process. Together, you create a cake that’s not only delicious but also beautifully decorated, with intricate designs made by Zelda’s careful hands. She smiles softly throughout, enjoying the peaceful time you spend together. When the cake is done, Zelda offers a soft compliment, “You did wonderfully. I hope we can bake together again.”

Sheik:

Baking with Sheik is unexpectedly efficient and smooth. Despite being more focused on combat and stealth, Sheik’s precision translates well to the kitchen. Sheik moves silently, with an air of mystery, and you find yourself impressed by her quiet confidence. While she doesn’t say much, there’s an unspoken camaraderie as you work together. Sheik seems to enjoy the peaceful break from her usual activities, and though she remains mostly composed, you catch a hint of a smile when the cake turns out perfectly.

Ness:

Baking with Ness is pure fun and chaos. He’s constantly excited, bouncing around the kitchen, eager to try every step. He often rushes ahead, which sometimes leads to messes, but his enthusiasm makes it hard to be upset. You both end up covered in flour and batter at one point, laughing the whole time. Ness loves decorating the cake, adding as many colorful toppings as possible. By the end, it might not be the neatest cake, but it’s full of fun and personality. Ness proudly presents it, his grin wide, “This is the best cake ever!”

Ganondorf:

Okay....Baking with Ganondorf is an experience you wouldn’t expect. He’s serious and stoic, handling everything with intensity, as if baking a cake is a battle to be won(to the point it's almost terrifying). His heavy-handed approach can lead to some smashed ingredients, but surprisingly, he’s very capable and doesn’t mind following instructions. You’re the one who lightens the mood, and despite his usual demeanor, you notice his efforts to make the experience enjoyable for you. When the cake is done, Ganondorf stares at it with pride, offering a rare, gruff compliment, “It turned out well… thanks to my power.”

Marth:

Baking with Marth is elegant and refined. He’s polite and charming, treating the whole process with grace. He’s surprisingly skilled, delicately handling the ingredients and ensuring every step is followed perfectly. Marth pays attention to detail, making sure the cake is as visually appealing as it is delicious. Throughout the process, you exchange light conversation, and he occasionally shares stories from his homeland. By the end, the cake is a work of art, and Marth offers you a sweet smile, “It was an honor to bake with you. This cake is a testament to our teamwork.”

Roy:

Roy is full of energy in the kitchen, which makes baking with him exciting but sometimes chaotic. He’s eager to help, but his enthusiasm sometimes causes spills or slight mishaps. Still, he’s quick to laugh at himself and keep going. He gets a bit competitive, trying to do things faster or better, but it only adds to the fun. You both end up with flour in your hair and batter on your clothes, but Roy’s smile never fades. The final cake may be a bit rough around the edges, but Roy is beaming with pride as he declares, “We did it! This cake is gonna be awesome!”

Pikachu and Pichu:

Baking with Pikachu and Pichu is adorable, though quite the challenge. They try to help, but their small size means you do most of the heavy lifting. Pikachu helps out with little electric shocks to speed up mixing, while Pichu excitedly runs around, trying not to cause accidents. It’s a bit of a mess, but their enthusiasm makes it all worth it. By the end, you’ve created a cute, colorful cake that both Pikachu and Pichu are proud of. They both celebrate by sharing little happy shocks, and you all sit down to enjoy the cake together.

[madelee]

How I like to imagine the ZaDr dynamic. How they sift from enemies to something more. And what I fucking love about ZaDr.

Some thoughts.

Zim and Dib, two emotionally neglected kids. Having little to no friends or any emotional support system… They became the primary attachment figures for each other: Based on them being enemies this relationship/development… it’s bound to be very complicated and messy.

There are various emotions mixed up in their dynamic. The initial hatred, frustration, and antagonism because they literally are enemies… but also the feelings of bonding, caring, appreciation, respect, and understanding. Then when getting older, also attraction, passion, and all those fuzzy feelings get mixed in.

But essentially, all the positive emotions that one develops and gets to experience with a close person like love, adoration, connection, tenderness, compassion, or simply joy… all those also get mixed up with the ‘negative’ ones.

The brain quite literally connects feelings of affection and connection with violence, aggression, cruelty, abuse, and brutality. This is trauma bonding, reward-based learning, and positive conditioning.

Them being obsessive and excessive as a fundamental part of their core personality only adds as a multiplier.

When this happens in a critical life phase (being young and in adolescence), having nearly no other positive influences in life and being neglected (emotionally especially), this connection the brain made will get so deeply internalized and won’t ever truly go away.

It could also connect to your sexuality and all that.

(There are real-life equivalencies)

What I’m getting at is, all this makes just so much sense!

This dynamic and their relationship is super complex and nuanced because of this.

Their relationship is incredibly intense and yes totally toxic but also compassionate.

Them fluctuating between high psychological distress/tension (hating, fighting, obsessing, loving, being in denial about your existence, generally trauma responses e.g., through neglect, loneliness, abandonment) and then them experiencing the sweet release through the aspects of their dynamic (connection, closeness, intimacy) as mentioned.

This stuff becomes quite simply addictive to someone.

This is why they can get crazy shit feral/hardcore with each other and also feel pleasure while doing so.

Like cutting each other up (or open), taunting, fighting, beating each other...

But because I’m a sucker for ambivalence and stark contrast, I like to imagine them being very, very cute with each other as well (occasionally even without showing the bad stuff while being cute), still toxic, still abusing and batshit crazy but absolutely meaning everything to each other and deeply caring.

Fluffy but in an obsessive and excessive way.

They will always somewhat be mean to each other and never shy to argue, even if just in a teasing and more lighthearted manner.

This is their love language after all.

This is how they show they care, and it’s what they know.

Also, this is just how they are personality-wise: thick-headed, intense people with strong opinions and even stronger egos.

And let’s not forget about stupidness, dorkyness, and comedy sprinkled in.

ZaDr is a fantastic way to deep dive into complex inner psychological human workings and I love exploring this.

(I love love love intense emotions.)

It’s even comforting in a way, if you ask me.

Hate and love are so close for a reason.

It’s the most intense we can feel.

And I mean, I guess we all (or many of us) can somehow relate to not liking or even hating a close one (even if only sometimes). But when a real deep bond is established with someone and when affection is also part of your connection (even if only sometimes), this stuff just doesn’t go away. Toxic relationships are messy and certainly not easy nor black and white. You just understand this emotion… of how complicated you can feel about someone, and what complexity this can bring with it.

Note that, this is how I like to imagine it. One can have a totally different perspective on it and this is valid as well!

Also this is romanticized, fiction and reality operate differently. Cognitive dissonance baby.

[skyler10fic]

In the Tyler Family panel, Billie recalls the 2000s fashion as a strange time in fashion history but loved Idiot's Lantern, and they agree Jackie would have shared Rose's clothes to be the Cool Mom. 🤣

Shawn says he was surprised to be asked back at first since his character died, but it made sense for him to come back in a multiverse story.

He says it was easy to come back and Camille adds it's the quality of writing makes it easy because you know who you (the character) are at that point because you can trust the writers are guiding it.

Billie says she struggles with how much she didn't understand how it was going to take over her life before s1 airs. Before social media, even though everyone hated it and the idea of her doing it, but it wasn't the constant stream of trolls the new actors have to hear about now with social media. She says with RTD, Julie, and Phil, there was so much confidence and joy, it was easy to believe it would be good.

Camille says her neighbors and friends were surprisingly fans. She didn't realize how many people she knew who loved it and knew about it.

They talk about how cold it was filming the Cybermen. Billie says her jaw locked because it was so cold!! The trick to getting through them was "youth" and she doesn't do night shoots anymore if possible because of that experience.

Camille talks about how Jackie "grew a pair" lol

Billie: "She's a boss!

Camille: "It's Russell, really."

Billie: "No, it's you!"

Love that Jackie's speech and situation in Love and Monsters got a shout-out. Especially going off on Elton for taking advantage of her: "Many people can relate to that moment, I think."

Talking about Pete not being the perfect husband:

Billie: "Why did they break up again?"

Shawn: "Because I died!"

Billie: "I forgot!!!" 🤣

They banter so well! Total family vibes between them all.

Fun moment where Shawn thought Billie was saying "old Pete" when she was saying "alt Pete!" Lol

Rose having the "rose-colored glasses" taken off: Billie says many can relate to realizing their parents are flawed people, and things are more complicated than you thought.

Camille says the Tylers spoke a language people understood, making something fantasy into a relatable story that was relevant to the audience.

Mod jokes that Rose "parent trapped them" across multiple universes!

Billie talks about how she enjoyed the overall romance and human element of their series, as opposed to the more sci fi feel in other later seasons.

Camille says Chris's intensity helped launch the reboot, but David's "Labrador" energy was different and special too to keep it going.

Billie says there was a totally different energy after they knew it was a success, allowing for more playfulness with David's Doctor and in general on set.

Billie says she always thought there was something complex about the romance with the Doctor, it's weird for a 19 year old to just take off in a box, and maybe wasn't written with Chris but it was there in spirit, and then was written in more explicitly in their relationship with David. Hard to keep that intensity of awe and adoration platonic! Camille adds the chemistry between them was a big element as well.

Billie says it was always a thrill to get the script, eager to read the script as soon as she got it to see what new world they were building with each episode. She says she didn't want to go to set when shooting Tooth and Claw because she was riveted reading the Doomsday script! Haha

Billie says the costume tricks can help body language shifts when changing character, like with Rose possessed by Cassandra, the push-up bra helped develop a unique physicality for the previously (literally) flat character!

Camille says they got in trouble for talking a lot because they got on so well!

Billie says she loves the new episodes, especially the dance numbers and theatrics now, and that's exactly where the show should go. "It's super fun again." Sitting down and watching a family show with the kids, an event for everyone to watch together.

Camille said it was good but it would be better if the Tylers were there! 😁

They love Ncuti as well. Excellent casting.

Billie praises RTD's heart and rooting for all walks of life. Everyone can feel represented. Camille says he is so good at pulling heartstrings and "that's what we want as Doctor Who fans." They also love his joy but also his power if they are being unkind. He defended the actors from stupid questions from the press and "told it like it was" when he needed to be the man in charge.

[olympeline]

Been thinking about why I found Arthur in the Dark so impressive and it made me realise something kinda significant. Something significant that I’m going to put under a read more because it revolves around a heavy subject. So I wouldn’t advise looking beyond the cut if you’re sensitive to that kind of thing.

Less important, but everything below is a big spoiler and, guys seriously. If you like USUK and can handle darker fiction - no pun intended - give AitD a try. Don’t spoil yourself here. Go try it first and then come back if you’re interested. Try it if you’re neutral on USUK. Or, heck, even if USUK is a ship you dislike but isn’t an outright NOTP. I’d still recommend checking out this comic. Arthur in the Dark is still worth a read in my opinion. It’s that good. But enough gushing. Read on for the meat of this post.

Ready? Here we go: Arthur in the Dark has one of the best depictions of rape I’ve ever seen in a piece of media. “Best” as in most skillfully crafted for narrative purposes. Honestly and truly. Not even kidding. Which is kind of amazing considering it’s a depiction that came from a fan comic based on a jokey, anime gag series. Why do I feel this way? A couple of reasons:

Firstly, the rape in AitD is frighteningly, tragically realistic. Something the majority of fictional rapes are not. We tend to think of rape as taking place in a dark alley in the inner city. Stereotyping up a scene of a bottom feeder, criminal man dragging a (young, attractive) woman away to violate her. They’re usually total strangers and it’s always violent. These kind of rapes do happen, but statistics tell us they’re the minority. The majority of rapes happen like the one in AitD did: between two people who know each other well. Friends, romantic couples, even family members, make up the bulk of rapists and their victims.

Most narratives prefer the less common type of rape. Usually because the creator doesn’t want to tell a story about rape. Not really. What they want is a gut-punch to add easy drama and darkness to their creation. The sliding scale of “irredeemable bad guy” roughly goes: murderer → cold blooded torturer → rapist → child rapist. Making a villain a rapist is one of the worst things he - because 99% of the time it’s a he - can be. Conversely having a character be raped gains them instant sympathy because people are moral and empathetic creatures at heart. Most creators know this and throw in a rape for the shorthand: “Look how evil our villain is!” Which often makes the rape and its aftermath feel artificial. In no small part because the rapist characters, by virtue of being written to be the worst of the worst, don’t come off as very human. They can’t be when their main purpose is to be loathed by the audience. I could go on because there’s tons more to unpack about rape in fiction, but you get the point.

The rape in AitD isn’t like that. America and England know and love each other. Their relationship is complicated (oh boy, is it ever!) but that part of it is never in doubt. They’re each other’s most treasured person and have been for centuries. They’re not a duo made up of a flat, hate bait, villain on a collision course with their victim. Who’s doomed to suffer and be pitied until the creator decides the audience has had enough of their trauma and shuts it away so the story can move on. America and England are two people living together, going through a period of immense change and stress, trying to manage as best they can, and sometimes getting it very wrong. From a narrative point of view, this makes what happens between them so much better and so much more upsetting at the same time.

Which brings me nicely to reason number two of why this particular rape works: the build up. Like everything else in AitD, America raping England is carefully planned out and set up. The chocolate bar scene, man. Brilliant, I have to say. Alarming, uncomfortable, and brilliant. The scene in the garden is not just sprung on the reader for a jarring “Oh no! Oh shit-!” moment. If your typical under written rape is a cheap jump scare, the rape in AitD is a carefully crafted slowburn dread. Early on we start to become aware we’re building to something bad. From the foreshadowing, the art, the atmosphere, etc. We just know a storm is coming. It’s done without America acting OOC too, which is very important. It’s how he can come back from what he did. Something that would be impossible if the author didn’t handle this setup well. America’s actions aren’t right, but they are understandable. That’s the crucial distinction. The psychology of the whole thing is so very well done. America was in love with England and had been for a long time. The guilt he felt tormented him because of what their relationship was in the past. Caught between his human side and his immortal one. The guilt helped keep America in check because he didn’t want England seeing the lustful way he’d begun to look at him. Then they started living together and England was suddenly vulnerable. Vulnerable in more ways than America was aware. Which is another vital detail of how the creator keeps America sympathetic, but more on that in a moment. England willingly went blind so he wouldn’t have to see when America - the man grown from the child he raised - looked at him with lust. The guilt America felt peaked, only to clash with the realisation that he could freely indulge in his fantasies. Indulge and push (again, chocolate bar scene) now the usual moral restraint - England seeing his desire - was removed.

Meanwhile, England himself felt that same guilt but his was also laced with panic and despair. He didn’t want to lose or strain his relationship with the most important person of his centuries long life. Pulled between human standards of morality and the very inhuman existence of nation-people. Incidentally the clash between their existence as humans, while also being something more than human, is brilliantly done in AitD. It’s something that’s hard to get right - especially involving such taboo topics - but Hotama nails it. USUK usually handwaves the implications around England raising America, but here it’s made part of the narrative. Part of the tragedy, part of the resolution. Good stuff. Anyway, England begged Arthur to take his sight away so he wouldn’t have to see the way America looked at him. Then banished Arthur back into the dark in an attempt to run away from his problems. But without Arthur - without his strength - England couldn’t stand up to America when he needed to. Not that America was aware of any of this because he never knew about Arthur. Which brings me to point three: nuance of blame.

“Blame” is a very loaded word in this context, so I’ll do my best to talk about this carefully. Rape in the media is almost always black and white. Absolutely evil, irredeemable rapist. Absolutely blameless, sympathetic victim. But real life isn’t always that simple. Obviously the rapist is always the perpetrator and the one most in the wrong. I need to make that very clear. But the scene in AitD illustrates that sometimes a victim could have done more to help themselves. Not always, but sometimes. This is a delicate subject so I hope you understand I’m not trying to victim blame. Just saying that rape, like all crimes, doesn’t always deal in absolutes. Unlike media, real life is often complicated and tragic. Good people can give in to temptation. Be weak, do bad things, or allow those bad things to happen. England told America to stop, but failed to follow it up when needed. When America pushed for more and used England’s own words to argue he’d already been given consent, that was when England needed to push back. Interpretation comes in here but, personally, I think if England had told America to stop when prompted, America would have. But England didn’t and he gave in instead. Something America took as a tacit “yes.” Again, not right, but understandable in how it could happen. Their power imbalance had grown extreme, stress and feelings were running high, they were struggling to connect as they used to, England’s prior cowardice and separation from Arthur prevented him from being strong when he needed to be, America was ignorant of his problem, and it all came together in a horrible, tragic mistake. All throughout, the rape continued to be brilliantly, awfully realistic. America not noticing - either genuinely or from denial - that England was not enjoying what was happening. England quickly becoming too distracted by the pain to do anything other than focus on enduring it. Then the aftermath where America didn’t realise what he’d just done due to coming down from a post-sex, post-stress euphoria. Awful, miserable, horrifying, tragic, perfectly crafted scene.

Which brings me to my final reason why this comic impressed me in its depiction of rape: where the story goes from there. Where it goes and how the narrative builds from the rape instead of trying to move on because the “shocking” part is over and now we’re in diminishing returns. Going back to my first point, too many stories see rape as something that happens in an isolated part of the narrative. It happened, it was shocking and brutal, now it’s done and we can move on because we didn’t plan to interweve the rape with the rest of the story. So we won’t give it the weight it needs. At best the victim might get a few scenes expressing their trauma later on - maybe a callback or two - but that’s it. It’s shallow. Plenty of fictional rapes could be replaced with a savage beating and nothing would change. In the worst cases you could remove the rape, not replace it with anything, then run the story with minimal problems. Not so in AitD. There, the rape isn’t just another semi-important plot point. It’s a crucial one which couldn’t be replaced with anything else. The whole first part of the story, the engine of the narrative, is built around America and England failing to deal with their changing relationship. A relationship between a pair of humans who also happen to be strange, immortal beings that ordinary humans can’t understand. Changing from platonic/familial to romantic over hundreds of years. With romance comes lust. Lust can be perfectly healthy just like any other bodily appetite. In this case it became twisted by circumstance, and the only “suitable” narrative payoff was rape. Nothing else would have had the necessary impact.

Then there’s how the rape compares to the final sex scene in some classic narrative juxtaposition. The final sex scene which happens to be the only one in the comic that’s fully consensual on both sides. The one that goes beyond sex and becomes real, honest to goodness lovemaking. It’s a perfect contrast. The rape scene had all the trappings of a classic romance. Right down to it being their first time and taking place in a rose garden. But it’s tragic, horrifying, and deeply unsexy. Then, near the end of their story, America and Arthur get lost on their road trip and have sex in their car. Their crappy, cramped car, where they’re surrounded by ordinary luggage, both of them sweaty and a little cranky with each other after a long day. It’s awkward, ordinary, imperfect and gorgeous. If we didn’t have the rape before to show us the nadir of this relationship, the healing and the dawn that came after wouldn’t be half so meaningful. A very strange thing to say without context, but it was a perfectly done rape that gave the audience the payoff of perfectly done lovemaking. It’s no small feat to get a reader to cheer for a romantic resolution after all of the above. Kind of in awe of Hotama’s skills, I tell you what.

Up to this point and I don’t know what else there is to say other than, geez. This comic, man. Blew me away. I’m so happy I rediscovered my interest in Hetalia if for no other reason than I got to read Arthur in the Dark. I’m a bit of a bookworm in my spare time and I’ve read quite a lot of classic literature over the years. Classic literature with rape scenes not crafted half so well as AitD did. Really think about that. An amateur fan comic based on a jokey gag series about national personifications being silly with each other. Did better at something than the books we hold up as the best of the best. Can’t really say anything else than that is genuinely bloody amazing

[david-goldrock]

Id like to compliment your hebrew song choices for translation, if youd like no criticism stop reading here and סופ״ש נעים

If you dont mind, id like to note that the approach you seem to be taking prioritises approximating a 1:1 ratio between the original lyrics and your translations rather than conveying the meaning and imagery more eloquently. I feel that a lot of the beauty of the original text is lost when you go about it like this, maybe you should read english prose to get a feel for a natural and smooth lyricsm. Much love.

first of all, THANKS!

second of all, you are VERY right, this is a very deliberate choice, and it has its downsided

For the monolinguals: any complicated text CANNOT be actually translated one-to-one. all translations flow between "literal text oriented" and "meaning oriented", between "original grammar following" to "translated grammar following", and how much the meter and rhymes are kept.

My favorite example is the second verse of Ecclesiastes. In hebrew it goes like this:

"הבל הבלים אמר קהלת, הבל הבלים הכל הבל"

How would you translate it?

Let's start by writing the text in english letters, so the problem is more easily shown:

Hevel Havalim amar Kohelet, Hevel Havalim haokl Hevel

Now let's tackle the easy words

Hevel Hevels said Kohelet, Hevel Hevels everything is Hevel

Now there are 3 stuff to tackle

Kohelet: it is used as a name, but most scholars agree it's a title for Solomon, meaning something like "He who gathers a crowd". should it be translated as a name or a title? maybe as the name of the book in the christian world, Ecclesiastes?

Hevel: It's a very complicated word, it represents a fleeting breath, but also fleetingness itself, and also meaninglessness itself. many choose meaningless or meaninglessness in this verse, but another verse the author calls childhood Hevel, should we believe that the author means that childhood is meaningless? maybe it should be fleeting in this context?

<x> <x>s: a hebrew expression meaning "The most something of something", for example "king of kings" would mean "The most king of the kings" or "The most important king of the kings" or "The king over all the kings". Should it be translated in the simplest way (king of kings) or with added interpretation (the king over all the kings)?

How did the official translators handle it? they didn't Here are a few options they chose:

I could continue for ages, it seems like every single translation translated these lines differently

Add to that the fact that even though I read english prose and listen to english songs, my vocubulary is obviously smaller than a mother-tongue speaker, and the choice becomes very easy

I translate as literally as I can (most of the time). I often add context in (red brackets), but no more than that. The reader can use their imagination to find the english version (or native language for a double-translation mess) they think fits the most, but I will make a very literal translation

That is with one main exceptions: phrases that mean different things in hebrew and english. for example, the hebrew לעשות חשבון does have a literal translation: doing math. but in english, doing the math means something like "adding one plus one", and not at all the hebrew meaning of "caring about what people think of you". In cases like these, I try to add a bit of interpretation, and sometimes write the original in red brackets

These are not strong rules by any means, I am doing this for fun after all, sometimes I get lazy, sometimes I forget that something is a phrase and automatically translate the meaning etc. But this is the reason

If someone else wants to go after the translations and add more interpretation so it sounds poetic, I'd be ecstatic. But to do that, I'd need to be able to write english songs and prose myself, and I am not of that level yet

If someone wants to see what that approach to translation looks like, may I recommend the amazing translation of "hallelujah" to Yiddish. it translated the meaning to Yiddish, and then the literal text to the english subtitles, showing exactly what it looks out

[utilitycaster]

1. Why do you like or dislike this character? - Percy and/or Keyleth?

I like both of them, so:

I like Percy for the surface reasons of intelligence and witty comebacks and the general Taliesin Jaffe Arrogant Guy Is Confidently Wrong About Many Things reasons, but more specifically I like how incredibly aware he is of social structures and doesn't dismiss them as stupid or fake or meaningless just because he is aware how much artifice is involved. I love how much he validates Vex in this, as someone who's been on the other side of that social divide most of her life and who knows she "shouldn't" care but does, deeply. It would be so easy for him to say "look, titles are stupid and fake, I should know, I have one," but instead he says "no, I see what this means to you, because yes it's all an accident of birth and yes it is kind of stupid and fake, but it's also the reason why you lived rough for your teens and early 20s, and you are not silly for wanting this security." I also think he's a great exploration of guilt and of someone who has a lot of complicated feelings from the gods but does value their counsel; we don't get a lot of characters with that sort of nuance. His scene with the Raven Queen remains a standout for me and for all he can be melodramatic and obnoxious at times, he is also like 25, traumatized, and should be at the club. I think the question he answers (why would someone invent the gun) is an interesting one, and I think the way that his story ends up with the obvious inevitable happening and yet he still finds happiness is unexpected and wonderful to see.

I like Keyleth for a lot of reasons people will probably be annoyed about, which is...she is annoying. Annoying women: may we know them, may we be them, and may we raise them. Anyway, I think her terror of doing the wrong thing at the cost of doing anything sets up a fantastic arc for someone who is expected to become a leader. I admire how she knows she's not the most eloquent and is scared of her responsibilities but does not back down from speaking up when she disagrees with the party. I like how she's perhaps the only example of lifespan angst that is actually portrayed as making a lot of sense, especially since she is also extremely young (probably shouldn't be at the club given the bar crawling results. She should be at ZooLights and have like, one cider.) I think in general her fears are incredibly real and make sense for the character and shape her, and that's not something you see portrayed with this amount of depth very often. I stuck with the VM-era portrayal of Percy but I will say I especially love how Keyleth is portrayed in Campaign 3, because Percy hasn't changed a ton in adulthood, merely mellowed out a little, but Keyleth very much has as she's grown in confidence, as she was only at the beginning of that during the Campaign. I think her relationship with Vax is incredibly good for both of them; her sense of belonging to a place and his ability to support. I do like that she gets angry, especially after so much time being insecure, but I feel much has been made of her anger and I don't have a ton to add there, and also while I like that she is angry and expresses it, there are other characters I gravitate to for that specifically. Also I have incredible respect for her having to take on a much bigger magical burden than expected; I have said this before but my longest-running character was in a campaign where the player playing sorcerer switched to ranger, and the cleric left, leaving me as the only full caster and primary healer (though thankfully we got a baller paladin shortly after). The fact that Keyleth had to, and could, be whatever the party needed mechanically was a godsend. I know VM died a lot but they would have died like 20 times more without her and Scanlan and especially without her.

[thedaythatwas]

don't mind me, I'm just thinking about how much akechi would probably hate the fact that people defend his actions with some form of the argument "he was so young when he first started killing, he was taken advantage of and groomed by shido, etc."

this is going to be a long one, so let me add a page break real quick:

let me be clear: he was! the last thing I want to do is diminish akechi's agency, but when you are a young teenager there is absolutely no reason an adult in your life should be encouraging you to commit murder for their political gain. that feels... self evident? we know that akechi was young when he killed wakaba isshiki. shido saw an opportunity, and he took advantage of it. he's scummy. absolutely zero argument there.

still, it is integral to understanding akechi's character to remember that he viewed himself as taking advantage of shido throughout their relationship. he was aware that shido was using him, but he viewed himself as using shido right back. in his head, he had complete control of the situation, and his actions therein. for all accounts and purposes, he did! we all have control over our actions. akechi didn't need to do anything. we also know that he was eager to follow shido's orders, not for the sake of the orders themselves, but for his belief that his plan would end with shido utterly defeated and betrayed, groveling and desperate and recognizing akechi for everything he was. valuable. someone who maybe, shido shouldn't have abandoned.

so he was meticulous. perfect, and beyond reproach. we can see it in the interrogation room, when he shoots "akira." it's clear that he's still playing their game (asking akira if he's "figured it out yet"), but when he goes in for the kill, akechi is cold. we know that he cares about akira, but he puts any feelings that he might have aside for the sake of his ultimate goal. nothing is more important than ingratiating himself to shido and subsequently ruining him.

akechi's desire for revenge is complicated. yes, he wants to hurt shido, but more than that, he just wants to prove he's worth something to the man that ruined his life. he hates shido, and he needs him to see that he should have done better by him. he needs to be loved, even if that desire ends up twisted. we've all been there, yeah? it makes a lot of sense, all things considered. this in mind, it's pretty clear that akechi did not have nearly as much control over his relationship with shido as he thought he did. but I digress.

so, back to akechi defense. akechi sees himself as the sole perpetrator of his actions. technically, he was. but he was still taken advantage of. those truths can coexist.

that doesn't mean their coexistence is easy to digest. in the third semester, akechi acknowledges that he was manipulated by shido. arguably, his defining characteristic during the third semester is his refusal to be under someone else's control again, even at the cost of his own existence. still, he regrets the fact that he let himself be manipulated more than he regrets his own actions. for those, he seems unapologetic.

the crux of the issue here is akechi's acknowledgement that he let himself be controlled. that itself is a form of agency. allowing himself to be influenced was his own fault. at least, that's how I suspect he sees it. he can't allow it to not be his fault. that would be too hopeless for him to process.

akechi is angry, and sure as hell, he lets everyone know it. third semester akechi is absolutely awful in a completely different way from base game akechi (and I say this in the most affectionate way possible). as much as goro akechi hates the world, he hates goro akechi. anger internalized is rarely solely internal, likewise, anger externalized is rarely solely external. anger is also often a mask. the black mask is angry in the same way that the detective prince is polite to a tee. neither persona (no pun intended) is complete.

(after all, we know that akechi has feelings other than anger, even if he tries to downplay them. he turns himself into the police in akira's stead. he may not harbor affection for the rest of the thieves, but he certainly feels something for akira. call it respect. call it a need to be seen. call it love. I think that those are all pretty similar in the mind of our guy in question.)

the way I read it, akechi is his own worst enemy, and consciously or not, it seems that he sees himself that way as well.

to claim that akechi isn't accountable for his actions under shido would grate at him because, well, it just isn't true! at least not entirely. the argument that he was manipulated? it wouldn't work either, because akechi sees himself as at fault for that too.

the guy has issues. and isn't that what makes him compelling?

anyway! that's enough for today. perhaps I'll continue this later. believe it or not, I still have things to say!

[sebstanaddict]

Rewrite The Stars

Sebastian Stan x Reader Story

Summary :

Reader is a woman trapped in a loveless and abusive marriage, struggling to keep herself together for the sake of her daughter, when she meets Sebastian. Despite his Hollywood star status, he unexpectedly shows her the love and care she's been missing and her world begins to shift. They find love and deep connection in each other but her situation prevents them to fully realize their love. How will they deal with the situation? Will they be able to rewrite the stars to make them meant for each other?

A/N : This story deals with topics of domestic abuse and SA, as well as infidelity (of course I don't support infidelity in any way but in this story I have a very good reason to include it). So if you feel you can be triggered by these topics, it's best to not read it. The topics are heavy and aimed at 18+ readers so if you're under 18, I advise you not to read it.

Chapter : 2/15 (May add more)

Chapter List >

Word Count : 2.4k

Warning : physical abuse depiction

---

Chapter 2

Y/n hurried down the busy streets of New York, her mind occupied with her boss's lunch order and the dozen other tasks waiting for her back at the office. She pushed through the door of the sandwich shop, the familiar scent of freshly baked bread and deli meat filling the air. As she stepped in line, she noticed a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye.

Sebastian.

He was standing by the counter, waiting for his order. He hadn’t seen her yet, but her heart raced just at the sight of him. Part of her wanted to turn around and leave, to avoid the complicated feelings that seemed to arise every time they were in the same space. But before she could make her escape, he looked up—and their eyes met.

A soft, surprised smile spread across his face, and he stepped toward her. “Y/n,” he greeted warmly, “lovely seeing you here.”

She managed a smile, though the nervousness in her chest was hard to shake. “Hey, yeah, just grabbing sandwiches for my boss. You?”

He gestured to the bag in his hand. “Just picking up lunch before heading to a meeting. Didn’t expect to run into you.”

There was something so natural about his tone, something easy and inviting, but Y/n felt a familiar tug of conflict deep in her gut. She shouldn’t be here, chatting with him so casually. It felt wrong, even though she knew it wasn’t. But despite her internal battle, she found herself stepping closer, falling into conversation with him as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

“You’re still singing at the café?” Sebastian asked, his eyes genuinely curious, that familiar look of concern mixed with admiration flickering beneath the surface.

Y/n shifted on her feet, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Yeah. Every weekend, mostly.”

He hesitated for a moment, then asked, “And how are things… otherwise?”

The unspoken question hung between them, and Y/n felt the tension rise again. She glanced around the busy shop, wondering how to respond. The truth? The lies she told herself? Instead, she settled on something in between. “It’s… complicated,” she murmured, echoing her own words from before.

Sebastian nodded, his understanding eyes softening. He didn’t push, didn’t pry. “Well, if you ever need anything—anything at all—you can call me.”

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a slip of paper and a pen and scribbling his number on it before handing it to her. She stared at the paper for a moment, her fingers brushing against his as she took it. Her heart hammered in her chest as she folded it and tucked it into her bag.

“Sebastian, I—" she started, her voice faltering as she tried to find the right words.

He shook his head gently. “No pressure, Y/n. I just… I want you to know you don’t have to go through anything alone.”

The weight of his words hit her harder than she expected. She felt that pull again, that strange sense of comfort and safety that only seemed to come when she was around him. But she was also terrified of what it meant—what it could lead to.

Before she could respond, her order was called, and she turned to grab the sandwiches. “Thanks,” she muttered, feeling the familiar guilt swirl inside her. “I’ll… I’ll keep it in mind.”

Sebastian gave her a small, reassuring smile. “Take care, Y/n.”

As she left the shop, the paper with his number felt heavier than it should in her bag. The walk back to the office was a blur, her mind clouded with the thought of what just happened. She shouldn’t have taken the number, but she did. She couldn’t stop herself.

---

That evening, Y/n stood at the kitchen sink, scrubbing the dishes in silence. The house was too quiet, the tension palpable even when no one was home. Her daughter was already asleep, tucked away in her room. But the other part of her life—the part she dreaded—was coming home soon.

When the front door finally opened, Y/n’s body tensed. Her husband stumbled in, the familiar stench of alcohol clinging to him like a second skin. She could hear his heavy steps, each one making her stomach twist in knots.

“Where’s dinner?” he slurred, his voice thick with irritation.

Y/n kept her gaze on the sink, trying to stay calm. “It’s on the stove. You can heat it up if you’re hungry.”

His footsteps grew louder as he approached, the air in the room growing thicker with each passing second. “You didn’t make it hot for me?” he snapped, his voice rising.

She swallowed hard, her hands gripping the edge of the sink. “I didn’t know when you’d be home.”

“That’s not an excuse,” he growled, and before she could react, he grabbed her arm, yanking her away from the sink. Y/n stumbled, her heart racing as she tried to steady herself.

The slap came so fast, she barely had time to process it. Her cheek stung, the force of the blow making her stumble back. She bit her lip, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill over. This wasn’t new. This wasn’t the first time. But each time it happened, it felt like it broke her a little more.

“Next time, make sure dinner’s ready when I get home,” he spat before stumbling toward the living room, where he collapsed onto the couch.

Y/n stood frozen for a moment, her breath shaky, her cheek burning. The sound of the TV blaring filled the room, drowning out the silence that had settled between them. She waited until she heard the slow, heavy sound of his snoring before she let herself move.

She moved mechanically, cleaning up the kitchen and tidying the house as if nothing had happened. But inside, something had finally shifted.

Later that night, after everything had quieted down, Y/n sat in the dark, the only light coming from her phone screen. She pulled the small slip of paper from her bag, staring at the number scrawled across it. Her thumb hovered over her phone, conflicted, her heart pounding in her chest.

She shouldn’t do this. She shouldn’t reach out to him. But as she looked at her bruised reflection in the dark window, the pain in her chest became too much to bear. She needed something, anything, to remind her that she wasn’t completely alone.

Before she could stop herself, she typed a single message.

"Can we meet?"

The message was simple, but the weight behind it was immense. And as soon as she hit send, Y/n felt a mix of fear and relief wash over her.

The night stretched on, her phone silent as she waited. But for the first time in a long time, she felt like maybe, just maybe, there was a way out.

—

Sebastian stared at the message on his phone, his heart sinking as he read the three simple words.

"Can we meet?"

He hadn’t heard from Y/n since their last encounter at the sandwich shop, but he knew something was wrong just by the tone of her text. Without hesitation, he typed a response.

"Of course. Let’s meet before your shift at the café this weekend. We can find somewhere quiet."

It didn’t take long for her to respond, agreeing to meet, and with that, the arrangements were made. As the weekend neared, Sebastian couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever she needed to tell him would be heavy. He’d noticed things about her before—the quiet sadness behind her smile, the way she seemed to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders—but he hadn’t pressed. Now, he could only hope she’d finally let him in.

---

The following Saturday, Sebastian arrived early at the small, secluded café they had agreed on. It was tucked away in a quiet corner of the city, far from the familiar crowd of the café where she worked. A place where no one would recognize her or ask questions.

He waited by the window, nursing a cup of coffee, his thoughts swirling as he watched people pass by outside. Then, finally, she walked in.

Y/n looked around the café before spotting him, her face drawn and tired. As she approached the table, Sebastian stood, offering her a gentle smile. “Hey,” he greeted, his voice soft.

“Hey,” she replied, her face lit up as she saw him but her voice was barely above a whisper as she slid into the seat across from him.

Sebastian couldn’t help but notice the faint bruise on her cheek. It was faint but unmistakable. His heart sank, and his mind raced, wondering if this was why she’d wanted to meet.

“You want anything to drink?” he asked, trying to keep things light for a moment.

She shook her head, looking down at her hands. “No, thanks. I’m okay.”

For a few seconds, neither of them spoke. The silence was thick, the tension palpable. Finally, Sebastian leaned forward slightly, his voice gentle but filled with concern. “Y/n, what’s going on? You don’t have to tell me if you’re not ready, but I can see… something’s not right.”

Y/n’s breath hitched as she felt his eyes on her, the concern in his voice making her feel vulnerable. She hadn’t planned on telling him everything—not here, not now—but when she saw the genuine care on his face, the words just started to tumble out.

“I don’t know where to start,” she whispered, her voice shaky. “Everything feels like it’s falling apart.”

Sebastian leaned in closer, his gaze soft. “Start wherever you need to. I’m here.”

Y/n looked away, her hands trembling slightly as she tried to gather her thoughts. “It’s my husband,” she began, her voice barely audible. “He’s… not the man he used to be. He drinks all the time, and when he’s drunk, he’s angry. So angry.”

Sebastian’s jaw tightened as she spoke, his hand gripping his coffee cup a little too tightly. He’d had his suspicions, but hearing it confirmed was like a punch to the gut.

“He hit you?” he asked softly, his eyes flickering to the bruise on her cheek.

Y/n nodded, her eyes welling up with tears. “It wasn’t always like this, you know? We were happy once. We ran a business together and it was successful, but Covid came and we were forced to shut down. For a time we lived in debt as we tried to get back on our own feet but.. things are still not the same as it was before. It frustrates him and.. that's when he started drinking. Now… I don’t even know who he is anymore.”

She paused, wiping her eyes quickly before continuing. “I can’t leave him, though.. because of my daughter, and because… I can’t afford to. We’re struggling. He can’t provide for us, and I’m working two jobs just to keep everything afloat.”

Sebastian’s heart ached as she spoke. He wanted nothing more than to reach across the table and pull her into his arms, to tell her that she didn’t have to endure this any longer. But he knew it wasn’t that simple.

“I’m also sending money back to my family in Tulsa,” Y/n continued, her voice breaking. “My parents, they need help, and my brother… he’s disabled. They rely on me. I can’t just abandon them, and I can’t leave my husband without putting myself in an even worse position.”

Sebastian listened quietly, his hands clenched into fists under the table as he fought to contain his frustration. The more she spoke, the more he realized how trapped she was, how much weight she carried on her shoulders.

“I feel like I’m drowning,” she admitted, her voice barely a whisper. “Every day, I’m just trying to survive.”

Sebastian leaned forward, his eyes never leaving hers. “Y/n, I’m so sorry you’re going through this. No one should have to live like this.”

She wiped her eyes again, trying to hold back the flood of emotions. “I don’t know what to do anymore. I feel stuck. I can’t leave, and I can’t stay.”

For a long moment, Sebastian didn’t say anything. He wanted to help—God, he wanted to help—but he knew the situation was complicated. He couldn’t swoop in and fix everything for her, no matter how much he wanted to.

“I don’t want to say something that might make things harder for you,” he said carefully, “but you deserve so much better than this, Y/n. You deserve to feel safe and happy. I know you’ve got responsibilities, but you can’t keep living like this forever.”

Y/n swallowed hard, her fingers trembling as she traced the edge of her coffee cup. “But what choice do I have? If I leave him, I lose everything.”

Sebastian hesitated, his mind racing for the right words. He knew she was right—her situation was far more complicated than anything he could easily fix. “I don’t have all the answers,” he admitted softly. “But I’m here. If you ever need someone to talk to, if you ever need help, I’m just a call away.”

She looked up at him, her eyes full of gratitude and something else—a longing for a life she didn’t think she could have. For a moment, they just sat there, the connection between them deepening in the quiet café. But there was also a shared understanding, a mutual conflict neither of them could deny.

“I appreciate it,” she whispered, her voice heavy with emotion. “I really do.”

Sebastian gave her a small, sad smile. “I wish I could do more.”

Y/n shook her head, the corner of her mouth lifting slightly in a bitter smile. “You’re doing more than you know. Just listening… that means a lot.”

The silence between them was thick with unspoken words, with a bond that neither of them had expected but couldn’t ignore. Y/n knew she had to leave soon—her shift at the café was about to start—but for a brief moment, she allowed herself to just sit there, feeling the weight of her struggles lessen ever so slightly in his presence.

As they stood to leave, Sebastian gently placed a hand on her arm. “Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything,” he said softly.

Y/n nodded, her heart heavy with gratitude and confusion. “I will. Thank you, Sebastian.”

As she walked out of the café and headed toward her job, she felt a mixture of relief and guilt. She knew she couldn’t depend on him—her situation was too complicated, too messy—but just knowing that someone cared enough to listen made all the difference.

Sebastian watched her go, his heart aching for her. He knew he couldn’t offer her more than his support, but deep down, he wished he could change her life. The connection between them was undeniable, but it was tangled in a web of obstacles neither of them could easily overcome.

For now, all he could do was be there for her, waiting for the moment when she might finally be able to take control of her life.