#ma'am I cannot do anything with 'the same as always'

[grassbreads]

I have to organize an event at work. I asked the assistant of the guy running the event whether he wants anything changed in the event room (tables moved, chairs added, etc).

She said "he wants the same layout he always uses for events."

I said "Can you be more specific? You know what the room's default layout is. Does he want anything moved or changed?"

She said, "I think he'd like the same setup he has always used."

MA'AM

[starwarsanthropology]

Canon genders the clones, both individually and collectively, pretty aggressively. They're men, brothers, boys, sirs. Omega is notable for being the "female" clone, to the point where she's not recognized as a clone in a meaningful way.

But the clones grew up without gendered social groups! Despite how clones are gendered by external factors, gender is functionally a nonentity in their lives until they meet civilians, and civilians do a load of other weird shit anyway.

So why do they still use gendered language?

My argument is that feminine language isn't used as a gendered form of address, but as a form of address that reflects a specific kind of power dynamic and relationship between parties.

Given the structure of the clone army, the only people a vast majority of young clones interact with who could insist on being called ma'am are exclusively kaminoans.

The kaminoans view clones not as autonomous subjects, but as property. They have and expect complete control over their lives and actions. Incidentally, the female kaminoans we see (such as Nala Se) tend to demonstrate an even more proprietary perspectives on the clones.

You can question a sir, like your superiors or trainers, at your discretion, but you can't question a ma'am. A sir is someone who has power over you, but is somewhat responsible for you. The have personal accountability to you in some way. Sirs are responsible for men under them. A ma'am is someone whose power over you is absolute, an authority without accountability, who is not beholden to you but that you must obey. You are tool or a number to a ma'am.

And when you bring clones out into the wider galaxy, I'm not sure anyone would figure it out that quickly.

Say you're a new jedi general. You meet your men, and they address you as "ma'am". Maybe you correct and move on, figuring that they've grown up surrounded by thousands of identical men and aren't great at guessing genders based on social and appearance cues. Scuttlebutt has your forms of address spread through the men by the end of the day, and you don't think about it again.

The clones, on the other hand, take this correction as he/him jedi stating that they want to work with them and suppourt them despite having so much power over them, which fits with both what they know of the jedi and, most often, their leadership style.

She/her jedi (see Shaak Ti especially!), clones maybe treat a little more as absolute authorities. This gendered divide in behavior gets met with, "hm, maybe they're just not used to women." For many jedi, they eventually switch to calling them sir as well, especially as they build rapport.

For Shaak Ti specifically, she is an absolute authority as the representative of the Jedi on Kamino, not just as a figurehead but as a decision maker and educator. Even as the clones grow to trust and love her, she's a relatively distant and all-powered figure. She has near total authority over them, and clones might ask for help or suppourt, but there's no social obligation for those requests to be met, she's just kind. It's compassion, not duty.

Senators, there's a good mix of different factors that make it confusing. "Senator" is always an acceptable form of address if you're not sure how'd they react, even if they should be ma'ams by default, but they're either trying to build rapport for some reason or genuinely want to work with you when they say to call them sir, regardless of the actual power dynamic at play. The she/her senators that respect the clones are in the same boat as Shaak Ti: Padme Amidala may care about clone rights, but I am still just one of hundreds to her and she has no personal accountability to me. Her position is such that she should not and cannot owe me anything. Same with Riyo Chuchi, Mon Mothma, etc. etc.

And a civilian that insists on being called ma'am or sir is going to be an asshole either way, and they technically have power over clones without personal accountability or responsibility for them. It works.

Finally, Palpatine.

He's a slimy rat fuck who pretends to be affable and kind, so of course he's going to laugh and say, "Oh, no, call me Sir!" when you call him ma'am. He is not personally accountable to you, and he does not care about you, but it helps his image and it helps him manipulate people to pretend, so of course he's making you use sir to build false intimacy despite the fact that he's the ma'am of ma'ams, both in power gaps and lack of accountability for his treatment of clones.

So having clones using sir vs ma'am not as a reflection of gender but as a reflection of power? Yeah, I think it works.

[velvetreds]

endgame: day one (i)

mlist.

nobara and yuji help you pack; to say the least, you're nervous. a whole week with someone you barely know. you stuff your clothes haphazardly into the bag, barely listening to anything they're saying.

"y/n! stop zoning out, did you hear what i said?"

"no, sorry yuji," you reply automatically.

"he said, inumaki may be a bitch and a brat sometimes, but he's a good guy," nobara tells you helpfully.

"that's not what i said!"

"i paraphrased."

you raise an eyebrow. "a good guy, yet you called him a bitch and a brat in the same breath."

"hey, i'm just being honest!" nobara tosses another pair of jeans at you. "this'll do. close it, yuji!"

"yes ma'am!"

you smile at the sight of them — two of your best friends — even as their chatter dissolves into giggling and hitting each other on the shoulders. "i'm really lucky to have you guys," you say aloud.

"what's all this sappy bullshit?" questions megumi from behind you. "since when do you like us?"

"y'know, just saying. in case i get murdered at inumaki's."

megumi groans unamusedly, but hands you a bag anyways. "snacks for later."

saying goodbye to them feels like you're getting married in the 1950s and leaving your parents' home forever, even though you'll be gone for a week at most, and you already know you'll be texting them all day. still, it's extremely nerve-wracking to spend even an hour in the same place as inumaki, alone. megumi drives you there, a surprising gesture considering he's always on your ass for not driving yourself. and then he's leaving again, and you're standing at the doorstep of an enormous penthouse like you're homeless, ringing the doorbell while you pray to be struck down by something else — you're not really sure what.

toge inumaki opens the door, and from the start it's clear that he's not expecting you. his hair — or what can be seen of it, anyways — is messy, and he looks like he's just woken up. (is he even wearing pants?) his eyes widen when he sees you. "shit, this early?"

"i think i'm exactly on time," you reply coldly.

"what?" he fishes his phone out of his pants pocket — to your relief, he is wearing shorts — and checks the time. "oh what the hell, i overslept."

"yeah..." you don't feel quite as enthusiastic.

"um, i'll show you to your room, and then we can draft out the formatting when i have breakfast."

breakfast? it's a little past three in the afternoon, but oh well. he shuts the door, then clears his throat. you turn to look at him, and your heart jumps up to your throat. he's pulled the hood down to reveal his pale, messy hair, and you forget who he is just long enough to register the fact that he's terribly attractive, even with the bedhead and puffy eyes. and then you remember that he's a stuck-up loser prick, and the thought is forced away from your mind. "yeah?"

"it's just comparing our routines, right?" he asks you. "for an entire week."

you nod, still speechless from the momentary revelation from half a minute ago. the heat on your cheeks refuses to dissipate.

sparks fly!!!

sorry for the delay, i got into haikyuu and lost all inspiration until reading two fics that caused me to mental breakd(ance/own) this morning.

also i feel like inumaki is lowkey chill about finding yn attractive but yn is dying on the inside.

i stepped on an entire lego set maybe 3 minutes ago and it broke under my foot and it still hurts

my pookies at poopynation, also mimi and nora, ily guys yall my faves fr nghh

tags r open !

likes n rbs r appreciated <3

TAGLIST !! @inumak-eumine @dawnisatotalqueen @satoryaa @punkhazardlaw @carefree-flowerchild @fawnios @shokosbunny @nakopii @lemonnotade @cloudnaiii @bellsoftheball @bubbleteanadboba @shuuji71 @maywill0ws @diorzs

tumblr cannot find some usernames, sorry!

[mrsmikaelsxn]

Muggle Activities

masterlist

pairing: tom riddle x female reader

warnings: fluff, kissing, a snippet of protective/jealous tom

summary: you finally convinced tom to go to a carnival with you

a/n: guyss i have a small something planned when i get just a few more followers and im excited :) also i have no clue what the cost of the wristbands are so i just made up a price.

song: best song ever - one direction

"I cannot believe I agreed to this," Tom aggressively sighs.

"You did it because you love me." You stand on your tippy toes and kiss his cheek.

He lowly grumbles something along the lines of, "Yeah, yeah."

You were wearing a pastel blue, knee length sundress. Along with a matching pastel blue ribbon holding your hair back behind your head.

Tom was dressed in black dress pants and white button up. His put his hands in his pants pockets and you grabbed his elbow, pulling him to the ticket stand.

The elder woman looks at you two, "Hello."

You smile at her and fidget with one of the rings on Tom's finger. "Hi! Um, may we please have two wristbands?"

"Sure, that'll be $65."

You go to take the money from your purse but Tom grabs your wrist and shakes his head. He pulls his wallet out and hands her the money.

Before you came, you and Tom went to change some of your wizard currency into muggle money.

You sigh and look at him, "Why do you never let me pay. I feel bad, you're always spending money on me."

He leans over as the lady moves to grab the wristbands. "Who's to say I don't enjoy spoiling you, darling?"

You blush and mumble, "Well, thank you."

"Alright, here you go, enjoy."

You thank the woman and excitedly move away from the stand to put the bands on. "May I see your wrist, sir?"

"Yes, ma'am."

He holds out his wrist and you put it on, he then does the same for you.

"Alright! Where should we go first?"

Tom looks around and shrugs, "I don't know, you're the one who's familiar with these things."

"Hm, let's start with... Zero Gravity!" You grab his hand and start walking towards the ride.

"Do we have to go on rides?" Tom practically whines. "Why not those things over there?" You look at him and see him watching the carnival games. "Muggles think this stuff is fun?" Tom asks as he looks at the ride that swings back and forth as people scream.

"Yep! Oh and don't worry we'll do the games. After a few rides," you grin. "Come on."

You make it to the line and to your surprise, the line was decently short, so you were able to get onto the ride quickly.

You two stand next to each other and the ride starts a minute later, spinning so fast that you two are pushed back against the padding behind you.

After it stops, you two walk off and stand out of the way. "So! How was your first ride experience?"

"It was... nauseating. I don't know what the point of that was."

"I think it was fun!" You bounce on your feet and look up at his hair which got a bit messed up.

You reach your arms up and comb your fingers through his hair, neatening it.

"If anyone else were to touch my hair, I-"

"You would use an unforgivable curse, blah blah blah."

"You know me too well," he gives you a boyish grin. He puts his arm on your shoulders and turns you. Running his fingers through your hair and tightening your bow.

"Thanks, love," you kiss his hand. "Okay, next let's go on the swings!"

He nods and follows you like a lost puppy, although if anyone were to say that they wouldn't have a tongue to say anything again.

You two show your wristbands and find your seats. The ride begins and the swings start going around as it rises into the air. Tom has to admit it's a good view since it's nighttime and everything is lit up.

It spins for about two more minutes before slowing and going low again. When it's stopped you turn to Tom, "That was great, wasn't it?"

He shrugs as you both unhook the straps, "I don't know if I would use that word, but it wasn't bad." You walk over to him and take his hand in yours, walking through the exit. "Where to now, angel?"

You bite the inside of your cheek. "How about that roller coaster?"

He looks at where you're pointing and starts to shake his head immediately. "No. Abso-bloody-lutely not."

"Come on Tom! It's not that bad." You start pulling him and you look back at him, "It's practically the same things as the Gringotts Mine Cart."

"I suppose."

You wait a bit on the line and get put in your own cart. You hold his hand and put your free hand on his bouncing knee. "Don't be nervous, love."

He scoffs, "I'm not nervous."

You narrow your eyes at him, "Mhm."

The ride starts and you go all directions at a great speed. It goes in loops and goes up before it drops.

You look over at Tom and see his eyes closed. You smile and poke his cheek. He opens his eyes and looks at you when you laugh, "You're so cute."

He doesn't have time to scold you for calling him cute because the cart takes a sharp turn before going back to where you started.

The man running the ride comes and lifts the bars. You two step out and go down the stairs. "That was amazing," you lean against Tom's side.

"Whatever you say, darling."

"Okay, why don't we get some cotton candy and then play a few games. It's already 10:45."

"Okay," he kisses your head. You two walk over and purchase two cotton candy and then walk to one of the games.

"Tom! I need to win a fish! The poor things are probably miserable in those tiny bags."

"Okay only one though because I don't think Hogwarts allows pet fish."

"Bloody hell," Tom says holding two large buckets full of bagged fish.

"I can't leave them to die in there!"

"As much as I love how caring you are, was winning thirty-four fish necessary?"

"Yes, Tom. That lady was nice enough to let me play for almost twenty minutes. Okay! Next game."

You two walk up to the game with darts you throw to pop small balloons on the wall.

You smile at the guy working the game. He seemed about your age. "Hi!"

He looks up from his phone and Tom places the buckets on the ground. "Hey," he says, lips curving into a small smirk.

"Mind if I play once?" You ask, handing him a five dollar bill.

"Not at all," he winks and hands you three darts. You hand two to Tom and keep the last one.

Tom throws his, popping two balloons. You throw the last one and pop a balloon.

"Great aim," the guy says. "Pick whatever."

You glance around, spotting something before turning to Tom. "That looks like Novalie," you beam at him, referring to your owl. Tom looks behind you and sees the guy looking quite low in a place he certainly shouldn't be.

He turns you around and wraps an arm around your shoulder while he glares at the guy, "We'll take the owl," he says coolly.

The guy grabs it and hands it to you with a charming smile. He opens his mouth but Tom cuts him off, starting to walk away. "Let's go, sweetheart."

You glance back at the guy who's watching you two walk away. "Bye, thank you! Oh, the fish!"

"I'll get them, wait here." Tom walks over and picks up the buckets. You see him lean over and mumble something to the guy who looks like he's seen a ghost.

You hit his arm when he gets to you, "What did you say to the poor guy?"

"Nothing," he says.

"Didn't look like nothing to me."

"Nothing that you should hear."

"Tom."

"Don't 'Tom' me. We should get going, don't you want to get the fish a thing to live in?"

"A fish tank?"

"Yes."

"Yeah, luckily I saw a place called 'PetSmart' on our way here. I'm going to buy so many decorations for it."

You two walk to the car and put the fish on the floor in the back. You two sit down and as soon as you put your seatbelt on, Tom's lips are on your.

He puts his hand on the back of your neck and holds you in place.

You put a hand on his arm and the other on his shoulder. He bites your bottom lip and you lightly gasp. He slides his tongue in your mouth and slides his against yours.

You kiss him for another few seconds and then pull back breathing heavy. "Goodness me, Tom."

"I love you, you know that?"

You furrow your eyebrows, "Of course I do. I love you, too."

"You wouldn't leave me, right?"

"Tom," you peck his lips. "Never in eternity would I leave you."

"Okay. Let's go get that fish tank," he puts a hand on your thigh and starts driving.

[kittybroker]

Intro post!

I'll reblog cat pictures and value the kitty.

Now I'm sure you're all saying kitties are all valuable, and while that's true one cannot simply dismiss the importance of proper accounting in today's economy.

If you want to submit a picture of a cat you can use either the ask function or send in a post submission and value it yourself. Feel free to tag me into any kitty post you want.

Please make sure to read the FAQ below before sending in any questions.

While I am mostly a joke blog, please be wary when sending overly personal/strange asks, particularly when I do not know who you are. Absolutely do not ship this blog with other blogs, and particularly do not make comments to me about this.

For reference I use any pronouns and don't particularly like formal titles (sir/ma'am, ect).

Tagging system: I'll tag all the cats here with #crazy kitty The pricing of kitties is set into one of five categories:

#free bin - $0 kitties #bargain bin - Under $5 #discount kitty - Under $20 #valuable kitty - Under $50 #premium kitty - Anything over $50

#alt currency is used for any kitty not using kitty dollars.

Note that kitties from before 27/01/24 may not include the #bargain bin or #premium kitty tag as those tags were introduced after the blogs creation.

#set deal - For pairs kitties sold together #collection - For collections of different kitties in a collection

#silly kitty - For memes and humorous kitties #art - For drawings of kitties or kitties with art attached #fake kitty - For kitties that aren't really actually kitties at all

#text post - For posts that aren't actually evaluations #asks - Posts that are sent via ask #tagged - Posts sent via tagging #in the replies - Tags from the replies of a post #my cat - For pictures of my cat #kitty music - For self-promotional music posts or music performed by kitties (meowsynth)

I'll probably post my own cat a bit here as well and tag that with #my cat.

Submission: You can submit kitties by tagging me in posts or sending asks (when the inbox is open). I will not always get around to tags as sometimes there is too many to get to or I have already evaluated the post. I prefer people tag me into a post over DMing, and will not evaluate a kitty sent in DMs. I would also ask you to not send too many asks or tags in a row simply to avoid too many posts being sent in at a time and allowing others to send stuff in. If you are unsure on how to tag me please refer to the FAQ, do not message me asking how to tag me into posts.

Rules for submission: Please no real people or anthropomorphized cats. Anything that is pretty much just human is a big no go zone for evaluation (particularly evaluating real people). As long as it's clearly an animal I don't really care. Do not tag me into more than 2-3 posts at a time.

FAQ

Why hasn't my ask been answered? I get a lot of asks, and I can't answer everything. It usually takes a few days to a week to get around to answering an ask. Sometimes the ask may also contain a submission that cannot be posted, ie you submitted a real person, a cat in the harmful situation or with wounds. For text based asks I cannot get to everything and am frequently inundated with comments. Not all will get a response. If you ask a question answered in the FAQ I will not answer.

How do you evaluate the kitties? The economy guides my hand, I merely see the truth of what is already there.

I tagged you into a post, but you never responded? I get a lot of tags, and often a lot of the same post. I will try to avoid responding to the same post multiple times (sometimes I forget!). Sometimes I just have so many tagged posts to get to I have to cut some out. I do see every tagged post though so you're post will still be seen, even if not answered.

What is the most valuable kitty ever? Our current estimates would put Intergalactic Shiro, now at an impressive 720000000000

What currency are the kitties evaluated in? They are all in Kitty Dollars. I've never heard of this "USD" or "Euro" stuff. None of it is real.

I want to tag you in a post, but I don't know how? To tag me into a post you will need to reblog the post and add the tag into the text field of the post (no the tags!). If you type @kittybroker you should see this blog appear in a dropdown menu. Select kittybroker and then reblogging the post. You can also tag me into the replies of posts by opening the notes, heading to the replies section and tagging me there with the same method.

Can I submit myself? Many before have attempted this perilous feat. Yet I remain strong. No real people will be evaluated!

Kittybroker, you reblogged a bad post! Sometimes I reblog posts that I should by mistake. Please notify me if this is the case, ie. the cat is in danger, the video is not safe or harmful. I do my best to try educate myself on what the best, but I still miss stuff. THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO FANDOM DRAMA/PROBLEMATIC USERS. DO NOT MESSAGE ME ABOUT THIS.

Kittybroker, I want to support you but I hate capitalism! Good news for you! The best way you can support me is to check out the #kitty music tag! I write a fair bit of music and you can find it at my old soundcloud, or you can find my recent piano sheet music here or use my website for more information the musical work I do! I really appreciate any support with my music work outside of kittybroker and sharing or listening to my stuff helps a lot!

Do you have a cat? I do, although I rarely post it out of both privacy concerns and the sheer number of other kitties sent in. The rare occasion I do however they will all be tagged. His name is Boris and he is around nine years old. He is very crazy.

That is all for now! Remember to stay crazy and kitty!

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

No Time This Time 9

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as noncon and other elements. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: You prize order and practicality but your past, and newest client, throw your life into chaos. (older [~50s] reader)

Character: Tony Stark

Notes: Alright. Tony is growing on me but only because he’s a shit stirrer.

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me <3

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!)

Love you like Tony loves his own voice. Take care. 💖

"Please clear the week. Reschedule my meetings," you toss a pair of unworn sandals into your suitcase, your phone on the bed next to it.

"Yes, ma'am," Halton answers from the speaker.

"I did a quick sweep, there shouldn't be anything urgent. As it were, we will not be accepting any new clients until the end of the month."

He acquiesces again as you open a drawer and sift through, searching for a swimsuit. You can barely recall the last time you needed one.

"You can file it as paid vacation," you inform him.

"Thank you," he says, the smile obvious in his tone.

"Well, off you go. I don't want to hear from you again unless it's an emergency," you find a black bikini with the tags still on.

"Got it."

"Great, have a good day," you drop the suit in the bag and tap the screen, ending the call.

Almost as soon as the line is dead, another incoming call pops up. Your morning has been effectively avoiding the series of attempts from both Samia and your mother. You've set your voicemail and your automatic replies, you are out of office and soon to be out of the country.

It's as spontaneous as you've ever been. You're a planner. You don't just hop on the next plane out but that's exactly what you're doing. 

Your father was the same way. When he was practicing, he never took a vacation. And what did that get him? A heart attack. Several, actually. There will never be a better time to get away or a better reason.

No, you won't give Stark that much credit. It's not just him, it's you. You're old enough, you need to start doing things just for you.

Another call. Your mother has never been known as subtle. Or to take a hint. Sometimes even when you spell it out, she refuses to understand.

So be it. You need a moment to breathe before you relent. You need a second wind before you face the task that is your family and your past. More so, you need to be far from New York.

👜

You cannot claim to be unfamiliar with decadence. It is a privilege you treasure but never one you place as requisite. You can still admire luxury and you would define the resort as nothing less than.

Your room has a broad balcony that overlooks the Italian coast, the sun beats down on the sparkling sea, and illuminates the space, shadowing intricate patterns carved in wood. The decor speaks of an old world drawn into the present. Refined and elegant.

You wear a caftan down to the shore and claim your reserved seat among the row of vacationers. You strip off the sheer layer and rub in suncreen before reclining beneath the shade of a broad umbrella. You open your book and dive into the plot, forgetting the hot sands and the stolid air.

You're still not used to it. It's as if you're on a whole new planet. The first day saw you fighting not to check your phone or delve into your work email. You fought the urge to cling to routine and won. Your determination has ever been a talent.

After twelve, you have your first cocktail. A simple gin drink with lime. You let it seep in and ease you back into your fictional escape. An attendant brings you a fruit cocktail and some pastries not long after.

It's paradise and you value it dearly. You hadn't realised how sorely you need this. 

As you pack up, balmy and slightly sleepy from the sun, a speck flits across the sky. You look up but cannot place the phenomenon before it disappears. Your imagination must've been sparked by the mixture of heat and alcohol.

You return to your room and enjoy a dinner of handmade gnocchi and wine sauce. The more you indulge, the harder you know it will be to go back to the city. Your peace is underlined by a strand of wistfulness.

Several days trickle by in the same vein of lethargy. You have no appointments, no calls, no obligations besides the beach, a cocktail, and a book. It’s as if you are an entirely different person, as if you’ve taken on someone else’s life entirely. The stuffy overworked lawyer is still trapped in New York with her leeching family and arrogant clients.

A few too many mojitos have you sprawled on the sofa. The open balcony lets in the warm dusk breeze and lulls you deeper into drowsiness. The weight of the alcohol shrouds your body, sweeping you up in a swirling slumber that makes you dizzy.

The soft whisk of metal doors shut and you look over as a button clicks beneath the push of a finger. You follow the arm, the dark fabric of a tailored jacket, to the familiar face. You sneer and take a step back, the elevator tipping with your movement. You stumble and fall against the wall.

He laughs. A menacing laugh that echoes all around you and adds to the disorienting skew of your subconscious. You brace the metal rail against the wall and suddenly, you’re falling back, plummeting through open air.

Bright flashes of white appear above you as you flail helplessly. The laughter is muffled but deep. You’re scooped up in a hard metal embrace, the red and gold mask taunting you as you’re carried through the open sky.

The metal retracts and reveals your saviour. Not who you expect. It isn’t Tony but Carlisle, mocking you with that slanted grin you once thought was charming. He winks and lets you go, letting you fall like a stone through water.

You spin and face the looming ground, hurtling faster and faster towards you. You let out a shrill scream and jolt awake as it cuts through to reality. You’re out of breath as you sit up, nearly rolling off the couch as the sharp noise continues. It isn’t you, but your phone, shrieking at you.

You stagger to get to your feet. You shiver, still in only your bikini, and the phone goes silent. You search around the dim room, the sounds of the ocean crashing through the open doors.

Your cell lights up again and you snatch it from the wooden tabletop. You drag your finger across the screen, only vaguely reading the name on the display; Samia. You answer with a croak, holding back a hiccup.

“About time!” She sounds like your mother with her abrupt greeting, “I’ve been calling you all day. Don’t you understand it’s a fucking emergency?”

“Samia,” you say dully, bracing your forehead, “shhhhh,” you amble around and sit on the sofa, “why are you yelling?”

“Are you drunk?” She accuses.

“I’m on vacation–”

“Yes, we know, but not all of us just run away from our problems–”

You snort. Loud. You devolve into sardonic laughter and click your tongue loudly.

“Don’t lecture me on running away from responsibility, Sam, don’t,” you warn, “tell me what it is. Let’s cut out the rest.”

She gives a dramatic heave, “mom’s in the hospital.”

“What?” You sit forward.

“She fell. This morning. I… I was looking at venues, I couldn’t be there.”

“Fuck!” You exclaim without filter, “Samia… have you seen her?”

“Mmm, I really wanted to but Carlisle–”

“Oh,” you snarl, “Carlisle!” You growl as you ball your hand to a tight fist, “I’ll get a flight.”

“I’m going in the morning, I prom–”

You hang up and throw your phone onto the narrow table before you. You hang your head, cradling it as you fear it might split in two. Were you really stupid enough to think you could ever catch a break?

👜

The redeye has you back in the city by noon. You fall into the rush of the city naturally, hailing a cab and collecting yourself in the back seat. You tip the driver as he idles outside the hospital and you hop out, rolling suitcase in tow as you march through the front doors.

It takes another hour to be admitted to your mother’s room. You don’t expect a warm welcome. You’re not entirely sure what to expect as you enter her private room. The nurse informs you before she lets you in that your mother is awake. That must be good.

The entire space is decorated in bouquets of flowers. You didn’t know your mother would have that many wellwishers. You leave your bag by the door as you give a long consideration to the red roses nearest you.

“Finally, you decide to show up,” she yaps at you.

“Flights from Italy are not quick,” you reproach, “I came as quickly as I could.”

“You wouldn’t pick up the phone.”

You repress your frustration, “I left it in my room. I’m sorry, mother.”

“Selfish, as always.”

You swallow tightly. Selfish. You cut short your first vacation since your honeymoon to come make sure she was alright. Even after calling and being assured by the staff that it was luckily only a fall. She hadn’t even broken her hip.

“Lovely flowers,” you remark as you walk along the row of vases.

“Oh, isn’t it so pretty? Mr. Stark is so generous–”

“Stark?” You spin on your heel, “what do you mean?”

“Well, of course, he heard that my daughters were both absent and he had to be here. Samia is so busy so she called him just to be sure that I wasn’t alone.”

“She called him. Why would she do that?”

“Oh, he’s been most helpful with the wedding. He’s let her have his Tower for her party and he’s been helping with all sorts of details. He referred her to a wonderful designer for her dress, too. Ah, and he’s invited Carlisle to some tournament? I think, golf or the like–”

“That makes no sense,” you sniff, “why is Tony Stark… doing all that?”

“Perhaps he sees a lonely old woman who’s been neglected by her only children,” she bemoans.

You know you won’t get the answer from her. She’s drunk the fresh-ade. She is entirely swindled by the overpaid crook.

“So, where’s Samia, then? She told me she was coming this morning.”

“She’s on her way, I’m sure. The city, traffic.”

You could scream. You could break her hip yourself. She would excuse Samia for not making it across the city but would remand you for not magically teleporting from across the globe.

“Well, I’m not waiting on her. I think we have something to discuss.”

“Is it lunch? I am rather hungry and this hospital food, it does not agree with me,” she touches her stomach, “Mr. Stark was kind enough to come for dinner last night but I hate to trouble him further.”

“That can wait. Mother, we are hiring you a caregiver.”

“A caregiver? I am not helpless.”

“That isn’t what I’m saying. But it would bring peace of mind if you had someone around when me and Samia are not. It wouldn’t be forever but given your fall, you will need supervision.”

“Oh, so you can take time to go traipsing across the world but you can’t take any for me?”

You cross your arms and sigh. You stare at her blankly.

“It’s not an argument, it’s not a negotiation. It is how it will be. You are getting a nurse, at least until the physiotherapist clears you. That’s that.”

She scoffs, “ugh, you always did have the makings of a lawyer, you know that?”

“Thank you,” you retort harshly, “that’s the kindest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“Oh, lord, what is up your behind? You’ve always been trite but you’ve never like this.”

“Mother, realise that you are not the only one with hardships, yes? I have to make sure you are well, which is what I am doing. I have attend the wedding of the husband who cheated on me, and I have to deal with the that is—” You stop yourself before you can say his name, “I have work. I have responsibilities and I hold to them. And it will never be enough.”

You wave her off and go back to the door, “I will order you lunch, we will eat it together, and we will hope that Samia for once comes through and shows up.”

You leave the room before you can combust. You stand in the hall, searching through your phone for somewhere nearby, or somewhere to order from. You fight to keep from shaking as you read the screen; get yourself together.

👜

Your vacation is a quickly fading memory as you fall back into the city life. You make several calls around in search of an appropriate homecare worker for your mother. Amid that, you return to office and work on your own to catch up. Halton is away but you’ll let him enjoy the last of his days off.

Between all that, you are faced with the daunting sight of an unexpected delivery. The clear glass box with the bouquet of pure white roses. It’s all very elaborate and exhausting. You flick back the silver clasp and lift the lid. Inside is a crystal rose on a golden stem, a date etched into the metal.

It’s an invite to your sister’s wedding and you are unsurprised by the tackiness of the overdone gesture. Beneath the ornament you would rather smash to bits, is a triarch that folds out to reveal the details and how to RSVP. You roll your eyes and blow out a breath.

A vineyard. Suiting. You replace the pieces in the box and leave the bouquet where it is. You type in the venue to Google. You nearly choke. Brick and Blossom Vino recently acquired by Stark Industries. How convenient.

It’s no coincidence. Stark has no business in wine or vineyard or event planning. It is not an advantageous deal, it is a direct statement. He may not be there in your face but he is haunting you nonetheless. Taunting you.

Let him waste his efforts. You will not be affected.

A knock comes at your office door. Another delivery. You sign and accepted the second bouquet. This one small and admittedly aesthetically pleasing. The small wooden box holds a cluster of pink tulips and baby’s breath. There’s a ribbon around it, attached to a simple card. It doesn’t really suggest Stark handiwork.

You take the envelope and unfold it. You smile as you see only the embossed bumps of braille within. Oh.

You take the card to your desk and grab your phone. You pull up Matt’s number and put him on speaker as you wait for an answer.

“Hey,” his voice comes amidst the honking of traffic and shuffle of the street.

“So, uh, how exactly am I supposed to read this card?”

“Ha, well, I could show you,” he offers, “if you’re free for dinner.”

“Hmm, well, I suppose I could clear my schedule,” you hum.

“Wow, really?”

“Sure,” you chew your lip and catch the unusual pinch, unclenching your teeth and clearing your throat, “I could use a drink.”

“Hopefully, this one doesn’t end up in some jerk’s face,” he chortles, “I’ll pick you up.”

[seelestia]

who are a few mutuals that you appreciate alot? mutual appreciation day 🥰❤️😊🤩💐✨

OOOO FUNFUNFUN!!! thank u so much for sending this in and for essentially spreading positivity, nonnie. this is appreciated ♡ also, instead of strictly moots, i decided to extend my appreciation to everyone! moots, anons, friends and readers alike ໒꒰ྀི´ ˘ ` ꒱ྀིა

some odeliaesqué sappy appreciation under the cut:

@yvnaology - one of my fav facts abt yona was that she's one of the first moots i ever had on tumblr!!! and she's a lyney kisser and a fellow aventurine kisser (#taste). also she's so silly (/aff) and easy to talk to! like u'll feel at ease around her. she deserves good great and awesome things in life, so make sure to water ur yona daily with love <3

@solarisfortuneia - mika wished me congrats when i reached 1k and i still remember it till this day <3 she's friendly in a shy/modest way and suchsuchsuch a good writer! e.g. i cry over this every day actually. mika also has her silly moments sometimes too. someone save her /j

@floraldresvi - simply the sweetest & most supportive moot EVER! vivi is full of love and she's good at giving some of that love to others <3 her selfships are like bottles of serotonin to me. 100% would drop anything and everything in my hands to support her!!! and ik she'd do the same for me <3 mwah mwah 💐💐

@monicahar - the moot who comes online once in a while and drops absolute meals when she does. ate, left no crumbs 🔥🔥 also SUPER FUNNY!!! and unhinged, i'm concerned but amused at the same time. i hope she's having a nice break!! thank u for ur past & future services ma'am. we love u 🤭🤭

@milk-violet - MIREI !!! sunshine personified but also vv precious. i'm the leader of # protecc mirei squad (real). best person to have ever appeared in my notifs and i lovelovelove when her username pops up. take care & good luck with school! IK U CAN DO IT. remember what i said: slay before ur slayed 🗣️

@xianyoon - the butterfly moot 🦋 !!! both socially and aesthetically hehe. sosooso sweet & kind. has creative projects and executes them well at that too. i personally crown her as genshinblr's best hostess™! also, send her a moodboard and she'll cherish u forever - that's one of her love languages <3 ++ her pretty & aesthetic rb's are such a good refresh for my dash. love her for it!!

@hermosacolibri - the name, 'starlight' fits them sm bcs i feel like if we were to take a peek into their mind, stars will burst out!!! /pos (<- unique complimenting skills ik pardon me). their ideas are brilliant and i can tell they put their all into pursuing their vision <3 it's truly an honor to be a witness & reader. if u want to check them out, they write over at @/starlightlacrimosazpsff !!! ★

@wolfhookk - aaaaa ri !!!! booping her x1000 rn bcs i cannot believe boop trend ended when she came online. the discrimination 😔 /j i'll always remember ri as my first ever moot on here like first, 1st, #1!!! i forever thank her for swooping into my inbox back then and she's welcome to do that even now any time she likes <3

@kaiserkisser - skylia is the true angst consumer, the realest of it!! even in different fandoms LOL. she's nice (and gremlin-ish) when u get to know her more and she reciprocates energy really well! i'll never forget the disaster of boops in my notifs /lh

@callilouv - COOL MUTUAL ALERT !!!! cool art & cool interests. truly, picasso w/ the finger and fandoms!! idk if cal still draws with his finger dhjahshsj but still vv mega cool!

@manager-of-the-pudding-bank - the grandpas & old men kisser where art thou 💔 /j loqua has that awkward & silly rizz!!! idk if she still does wax stamps but i still think it's really cool. bcs qua's just cool in general !!! hehe

@calxlu - aaaaa vi!!! the one who enables my rambles and selfships shhshsh i am so thankful <3 rambler 🤝 rambler is the best. i love talking to her and it's super reassuring to know that it's mutual! even if i take some time but i always look forward to seeing her replies in my inbox. it's like we're penpals across the screen talking abt irl stuff and our f/o's ꒰✿´ ꒳ ` ꒱♡

& honorable mention: @/zhongrin. rin does not interact with minors anymore (which i respect and so should everyone!), so we count as former moots. but !!! i still think she's an amazing person regardless <3 (note: her blog is equally as great but plsplspls be mindful of her rules beforehand.)

brainrot anon - A REAL ONE!!! always there when i come back from the grave each time. i get reminded of them whenever i look at my inbox, it's an instinct atp. their brainrots are so fun & random (but that's a charm in itself /pos) !!! tbh i love elaborating them all so never stop sending the brainworms in <3 feel free to treat my inbox as a drop-off for ur thoughts LMAO /gen. come by again soon!

michiki anon - MY COUSINNNMNMN!!! i still love and miss when they'd come into my inbox to chat. it was so nice getting to know someone in a casual way <3 i hope ur doing well wherever u are, michikinon! i'm doing well these days and i hope u are too 🤍

rix anon - their series still has me FLOOOORED. i still think it deserves a proper platform than just thru my lil ol inbox. it deserves more recognition :( but just the fact that i got to help share their writing alone is an honor of its own!!! i hope ur doing well too, rix anon <3

++ everyone who has left a nice feedback / said anything nice in my notifs or my inbox!! even a simple 'cute' or 'this is good' or even just leaving a note means sososo much to me. i'm just a measly guy in my own little corner on this site, really - so thank u thank u thank u all !!! 🫂

[underworld-park-offical]

GREGORY: Ugh

GREGORY: That one girls hair looked so ugly

GREGORY: It didn't match her clothes at all

GREGORY: I can just tell  she’s related to Craig_The_Real_Tucker

ESTELLA: Gregory!! Do NOT be rude!

GREGORY: What!?! I’m just saying!

ESTELLA: They are just children!

GREGORY: So? Children can be ugly as fuck, too!

ESTELLA: Gregory. Don’t make me do the count

GREGORY: Yes, ma'am...

ESTELLA: Well, we cannot discuss anything until Phillip, Tweek and Thomas are back

GREGORY: Ugh, seriously?

ESTELLA: You know our "nobody left behind policy", Gregory!

GREGORY: So what are we supposed  to do?

ESTELLA: I suppose we shall have to wait

GREGORY: Hell no

ESTELLA: Language, Gregory!

GREGORY: I’m looking around for something to do

GREGORY: Ugh, there's a drawer full of Supreme hoodies

GREGORY: No way in the seven layers of hell will I ever put these disgraces of fashion on him

ESTELLA: Language!

GREGORY: Hell  isn't a curse word, Madame Estella

ESTELLA: It very much so is

GREGORY: This is still not going on him, no matter your insistence.

ESTELLA: He needs warmth Gregory

GREGORY: There's always the option of burning these.

ESTELLA: Quit it!

GREGORY: (scoff)

GREGORY: It doesn’t even suit him well in this lighting anyway

GREGORY: The white barely complements anything

ESTELLA: Young man, i mean it

ESTELLA: Knock. It. Off.

GREGORY: Alright, I suppose no more nitpicking for me…

GREGORY: This will unfortunately have to do…

ESTELLA: While we’re here we may as well close this portal up

GREGORY: Why??

ESTELLA: So no other demons wander and get hurt, of course!

GREGORY: Oh you and your safety

ESTELLA: I don't want the parents of these implings to start worrying if their child goes missing!

ESTELLA: Would you mind giving me a hand?

ESTELLA: I can’t exactly do this type of magic by myself

GREGORY: No!

ESTELLA: Gregory, I'm not asking you, I'm telling  you!

GREGORY: I’M NOT DOING JACK SHIT I JUST GOT MY NAILS DONE!!!

ESTELLA: LANGUAGE!!!!

ESTELLA: WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE GROUNDED TOO?!?! GREGORY: WE ARE THE SAME AGE YOU HAVE NO AUTHORITY OVER ME

ESTELLA: OH YES I DO!! DON’T THINK I WON'T GO THROUGH YOUR INSTAGRAM DRAFTS

GREGORY: YOU WOULDN’T ESTELLA: I VERY MUCH SO WOULD. GREGORY: UGH! FINE! I'LL HELP!!

GREGORY: BUT I AM NOT STANDING!

ESTELLA: Thank you!

GREGORY: (scoff)

GREGORY: (eyeroll)

GREGORY: …?

GREGORY: Oh ho ho! NOW we’re talking!

ESTELLA: Gregory, what are you giggling about?

GREGORY: Ohhhh nothing~

ESTELLA: If you so much as BREATHE on that lap top young man, the last thing that you will be seeing is my sandal

GREGORY: I never said I was going to touch it!

ESTELLA: Well I can tell you were! No electronics until you help me fix this!

GREGORY: Yes ma’am…

ESTELLA: Although…. I suppose you have  been very good up until now…

ESTELLA: If you say that you’re sorry for the way that you acted, I allow you to go on the computer until I need you

ESTELLA: But you HAVE to mean it!

ESTELLA: No sarcasm!

GREGORY: Right, right,

GREGORY: I want to apologize to you for what I did, it was VERY wrong and I am VERY sorry

GREGORY: I just would like to move on and lead a normal life, you know?

GREGORY: Get a job, a husband, and change my ways.

GREGORY: I hope this apology impresses you, even though you made me do it and I don’t actually mean it.

ESTELLA: You mean you do mean it?

GREGORY: I mean i do mean it

ESTELLA: Hmmm…..

ESTELLA: I suppose that will do

ESTELLA: Go on, then,

ESTELLA: I'll let you know when you're needed

ESTELLA: Do not give me sass when I need you, either, or else you won't have ANY computer time!

GREGORY: Hooray! Thank you, Estella!

GREGORY: Time to scroll through Instagram reels and hate myself!

(Images edited by @pissblanket)

[kassandras-one-braincell]

ugh when is it my turn to have an irl kassandra i would do anything for her .

anyways what kinds of clothing styles, jobs, or just general day-to-day life (like their houses) do you think modern!kassie/eivor/soma would have?

Pssh, it's not like I've given this any extensive thought in the past or anything... That would be weird... Who would do that haha

I would let's go

Kassandra dresses like a dad who lost his passport in Tenerife on holiday and has been stuck cycling between the same 4 hawaiian shirts since three Tuesdays ago, but owns a few casual suits for work.

She's a historian and museum curator. Specialises in the history of weaponry, occasionally giving guest lectures on ancient swords at universities. Mention any type of weapon and she will not be able to stop herself from rambling about its evolution over the centuries.

Has a pottery wheel. You know that scene from Ghost (1990)? Yeah. Very reliable with the ladies.

Ikaros is her pet eagle, do not ask her how she manages to get him pet insurance because she may have lied about his species.

She has a vegetable garden (her pride and joy, this might as well be her child with how well she takes care of it) and a briki to make coffee with. Kassie always starts her day off with freshly brewed coffee the traditional Greek way, some bread and some fruit, which she always plates too much of because Ikaros likes to steal it.

She's a great cook.

Dozens of books on old weapons are dotted about her home and some (so many. so fucking many holy shit) model replicas because she's a fucking nerd.

You cannot turn a corner inside her home without seeing at least three family photos. Family includes Myrrine, Alexios, Barnabas, Herodotos, Markos, Alkibiades and Phoibe. Nikolaos is in prison for trying to yeet his stepchildren off a cliff.

Phoibe is her goddaughter who calls her "auntie" and Auntie Kass absolutely gives her the world.

━━━( ͡ಠ ͜ʖ ͡ಠ)━━━

Eivor serves lumberjack realness. Flannels, cargo pants, work jeans, yes she has a tool belt, yes she looks a damn treat in it. All she's missing is the hard hat and the protective visor. The axe is in her workshop.

She wears glasses. This isn't up for debate.

Tattoo artist by trade and has a degree in literature. Her love for poetry knows no bounds. She specialises in black and grey realism and her pieces are breathtaking.

Speaking of poetry, her colleagues bully her mercilessly for being a "big old sap". She has fancy paper to write her poems up on, and a wax sealing kit for handwritten letters. She's old fashioned like that.

Technology is a demon she would rather not trifle with. 100% complains about the need for there to be an app for everything, but she does appreciate video calls so she can see her people.

As a hobby, she pursues woodworking and blacksmithing, sometimes selling her creations. She'd make the engagement ring she proposes to you with herself

Dwolfg (or Chewy, or Mouse) Nali and Dandelion Puff are all beloved members of her household. The neighbours' kids named them all; sometimes she babysits Knud and Sylvi, and of course Eira has to tag along.

Her fridge is full of boring meal prep (you better wife her up and cook for her) but her pantry? Brimming with baking supplies. Ma'am loves to bake. Sure, she eats a lot of grrr protein big strong macro gym buzzword meals, but she loves bread and cake. Big muscles but she likes to eat, so she isn't lean, I'm gonna stop before this gets unreasonably gay

━━━( ͡ಠ ͜ʖ ͡ಠ)━━━

Soma, look, this is gonna be specific, but there's foundations for this in game (her metric fuck ton of rugs in the longhouse). She evidently likes fancy things. Her modern!AU occupation: owner and ceo of a sustainable luxury jewellery brand. Recycled metals, gemstones that are sourced/synthesised sustainably, everything is ethically manufactured and her employees are paid well.

She's from humble beginnings, so she does loads for charity and really enjoys quiet domesticated tasks.

Waistcoats and tie when she's attending businessy things, simple t-shirt or jumper and joggers when working from home. Outside, she wears a few rings that she designed.

Not a particularly great cook, but she's a mean pastry chef. She has a massive sweet tooth. Loves to start her mornings with a homemade croissant and a cappuccino.

There is a post-it note above her desk to reminder her to straighten her posture because she tends to sit like a fucking goblin.

Her home is pretty eclectic, which takes people by surprise given her organised manner. Lots of blankets strewn over the couch, lots of knickknacks she collected over the years, some sentimental ones from Lif and some ruder ones from Birna. A few sketchbooks are scattered about with designs for work.

She has a record player and an ungodly collection of country vinyls. It's okay. Nobody's perfect. It's what makes her human.

Also needs to wear glasses, but wears contacts usually because she insists the specs make her look "old", oblivious to the distant sounds of feral lesbian screaming whenever she puts them on.

[justalildumpling]

moots as nct members

I'm not sure if uve already done this sorry if u have/ don't want to do this

ahh i love love love moot games like this hehe ty for sending this in💗

(i’m realising that a lot of my moots that i mostly interact with are from deobiblr😭 i’ve only tagged ppl who i am certain they stan nct but if i forgot i’m sorry!! this was written at like 3am delusion)

@sungbeam - mark

miss ma’am works herself as much as sm overworks the shit out of mark lee istg😭 TAKE A BREAK MA'AM IT'S OKAY. ok besides from that, i feel like mark is universally a comfort person for everyone in the nct community and beam is literally MY comfort person, my soulmate, my best friend (yes, she's mine. no buts😤) she's so talented at what she does, an absolute sweetheart, she cares so so much about her peers and i rlly just admire her as a person outside of tumblr. i could literally write an essay about how much i love her but i'll save everyone the read😭

@jaeminvore - jaemin

chaos. the both of them. OK BUT besides from that, nics gives off like hot girl energy like jaemin. he's is like woah he's so sexy and he knows it type vibe and nics is the same! i remember first seeing her blog/works and being like girl. im such a fan (and i still am, she's fucking hilarious and amazing) i folded for nics as much as i did for jaemin fr. it's always so fun talking to nics about literally anything from plain old thirsting over korean men to throwing irl ppl off a cliff and like jaemin she makes any scenario so much more enjoyable!!

@polarisjisung - jisung

LOOKLOOKLOOK yes he is her bias BUT the amount of rizz the both of has😭 UHM HELLO ALSO BOTH MAIN DANCER ENERGY nah i folded fr😩 ok but besides that, we all know jisung is the most wholesome bean ever and I JUST WANT TO PROTECT HUA YK?? idk she's such a cool person to talk to and i feel like we just clicked from the first time we met. jisung gives off like ride or die energy and i can def say that hua is the same💗

@winterchimez - xiaojun

THIS ISNT CHEATING ISTG ITS A COINCIDENCE THAT HER BIAS HAPPENS TO BE HIM AS WELL OK????? Both ally and xiaojun are literally the biggest sweethearts and can get along with everybody!! I always thought that xiaojun would be such a great conversationalist and no joke, ally and I got along so well as soon as we met and now we're forever emotional support buddies🥹🤞

@sehunniepot - jungwoo

literal golden retriever energy, like ball of sunshine. the most sociable and friendliest person i’ve met. i literally fell in love with nikki’s personality as soon as we met just like I did for mr kim jungwoo😔😔 I just feel like if I were to be in a room with her, she would be the lighting everyone up like idk how to describe it. She’s just someone that I feel like everyone couldn’t help but adore.

@jaehunnyy - taeyong

I LOVE THESE TWO PPL SO MUCH ALSNFOAFEI ok. i've calmed down. but fr tho like u CANNOT hate both taeyong and chip. LIKE she's literally a beam of positivity and she cares so much for her peers and always checks up on everyone when she can🥺 our bubu is a great leader and residential cutie and i feel like chip fits that to a tea

@wuahae - haechan

something about cat always screamed haechan to me idk why. just her mannerism/texting/talking style. as soon i started talking to her on the deoboyznet chat like i knew she and i were on the same wavelength just like i felt with haechan LMAO cat may seem playful and fun all the time but she's firm when she wants to be and she knows her boundaries/morals/values which is very admirable.

@mosviqu - ten

for some reason bar and ten just makes sense. both insanely talented, sarcastic and has strong opinions which they’re not afraid of expressing. lowkey intimidating to approach at first due to how highly i thought of her work, but was literally the most down to earth, loveliest person ever. I always love when she talks about the process behind her pics because they blow me away every time just like ten’s dancing.

@daegall - renjun

yes. I know it’s literally illegal for me to put anyone else other than lee donghyuck for sunny BUT IDK MAN SHE JUST GIVES OFF RENJUN VIBES!! we all know renjun is like the cutest little ball of sweetness ever and sunny is always so lovely and whenever she gets giddy like i get giddy too😭 and her expression of emotions towards haechan is portrayed thru capitalisations, keyboard smashes and typos which reminded me of renjun's little spits of anger yk??

[mi-rae07]

Kang Yeosang : Between The Grave

Pairing : Kang Yeosang (Ateez) and named character (Moon Yu-hi)

_____________________

Synopsis : Yuhi is a neurosurgeon, and with that comes dealing with the deaths of her patients. What happens when she has to deal with the death of one of her favorite patients and goes back home to her husband, in shatters?

______________________

A/n : inspired by something my dad told me about. This is short, but it is meant to be. 

______________________

"Dr moon, we really can't save her anymore. We've tried our best-"

"Then we must try harder! Mina, I cannot lose another patient this week"

"We are surgeons, ma'am, neurosurgeons. This is…this is how our line of work goes forward"

"So we just let her die like that? After all that she fought against, after everything her family trusted us with, this, mina?"

"I'm afraid this is our only option, doctor"

"I'm sorry, soyoon-ah. I'm sorry I couldn't save you"

"Time of death, 12th august, 2023"

"YOU KILLED MY DAUGHTER! WE TRUSTED YOU, DOCTOR! SHE, TRUSTED YOU!"

"I'm sorry for your loss, mrs kim. But there was no other way"

"I hope you rot in hell for this"

Yuhi hated it, she hated having to see death like this. Sure, she had studied this hard and become a neurosurgeon knowing what she would have to go through. Hell, she had been a surgeon for almost a decade now. But it never got easier, especially when someone as close to her as soyoon died just because yuhi couldn't save her in time.

Yuhi opened the door to her house as she entered inside, throwing her bag away as she removed her shoes. She had no mood today, all she wanted to do was go back to sleep and cry about the entire day.

??? : yunnie!

Yuhi let out a sigh as her husband rushed towards her, engulfing yuhi in a hug as he muttered

Yeosang : I missed you!

Yuhi : mm. let me go, I need to take a shower.

Yeosang pulled back, his face twisted in a frown as yuhi kept her keys aside on the table with a blank face.

Yeosang : did…something happen today?

Yuhi : nothing special.

Yuhi was about to walk past yeosang when he held her arm. He knew she was hiding.

Yeosang : yuhi-ya, remember what we promised? Communication.

Yuhi : please, later okay? I need to be alone now.

Yeosang : but I-

Yuhi : god PLEASE YEOSANG! LET ME BE FOR ONCE!

Yeosang flinched, stepping back with hurt eyes. And now she had made things worse. Yuhi ran her shaky hand along her face as she said

Yuhi : please just-please don't get upset? I'm…yeosang, I don't know what I'm supposed to do-

Yeosang : I was just trying to help you, yuhi.

Yuhi : I know, I know. I just had a hard day, yeosang-ah.

Yeosang : you can talk to me, yuhi.

Yuhi : I don't want to talk to anyone right now. I can't.

Yeosang let out a breath, there was no point in saying anything. Yuhi was always going to be the same. And so yeosang turned around to leave as he said

Yeosang : then I'll just leave you to be.

Yuhi's eyes widened at that as she rushed towards yeosang and said

Yuhi : oh no please! Don't go away.

Yeosang : yuhi, you asked me to leave-

Yuhi : I-I said I didn't want to talk with you right now, not leave.

Yeosang : that is why I'm leaving, so you don't have to talk to me.

Yuhi : but I want you next to me.

Yeosang stared at yuhi, feeling his head spin. What the hell was she saying?

Yeosang : yuhi, I can't understand you.

Yuhi : I-

Yeosang : no tell me what you want. Tell me what you want and I'll do it. What do you need me to do right now, yuhi.

Yuhi : take a shower with me, please?

____________________________

Yuhi let out a sigh as yeosang ran his hand along her bare back, the lukewarm water splashing against their bare bodies as the water slowly washed away the soap lathered on her body. Yeosang kissed the top of yuhi's wet head as she rested it against his shoulder blade, closing her eyes.

This was what she wanted, comfort. And yeosang was the only one who could give her this.

Yeosang : why won’t you talk to me about what's going on with you, yuhi?

Yuhi closed her eyes, she knew this would happen eventually and yeosang had been keeping quiet and taking care of her for long enough now. The water was slowly starting to run cold.

Yeosang : am I not trust-worthy enough for you?

Yuhi : no, never. It's not that it's just…I'm just-I'm not used to that, yeosang-ah. I've always kept work related things to myself, knowing how things like this can affect people.

Yeosang : you think it might affect me?

Yuhi looked up, lifting her hand as she placed it against yeosang's wet cheek and whispered with a small smile

Yuhi : you're the kindest most purest person I've ever known. I don't wish to burden you with harsh things like this, my love.

Yeosang : but I want you to be happy, I want you to be rid of your burdens when you're with me.

Yuhi : yeosang-

Yeosang : tell me about what happened, please. I want to know.

Yuhi sighed, looking back on the floor as she realized there was no point in trying anymore.

Yuhi : I caused the death of someone else today, again.

Yeosang : what?

Yuhi : kim so-yoon, she's dead now, yeosang.

Yeosang blinked his eyes, he remembered the times yuhi had told him about her most favorite patient who had been such a fighter. And how proud yuhi had been of how far soyoon had come. But now…so suddenly?

Yuhi : she went into sudden cardiac arrest while she was on her medications and she's…she's gone, yeosang.

Yeosang : oh, darling.

Yuhi pressed her lips together as yeosang held the back of her head against his bare chest, nuzzling his head into her hair as yuhi continued with a broken voice

Yuhi : I wanted to save her so bad, I wanted her to live, yeosang.

Yeosang : you tried your best, yuhi-ya. You can only do so much.

Yuhi : but I should have done better! I robbed a parent of off their child, I robbed a husband off of his wife, and a child off of his mother. You think anyone would ever forgive me?

Yeosang : don't think of it like that, yunnie. You-

Yuhi : it's all my fault.

Yeosang : don't you dare say that. You are what stood between soyoon and her grave, and if it weren't for you she would've been gone a long time ago. You protected her, yuhi, even if it was only for a short time.

Tears slipped down yuhi's cheeks as yeosang pulled back, holding her face in his hands as he whispered

Yeosang : you are a surgeon, not a god. Everyone who is born, will die. Whether they die sooner or later, that is not entirely in your hands. You can try to save them, but sometimes you can't and that's okay. None of that makes you a bad doctor or a bad person, sweetheart.

Yuhi : really?

Yeosang : yes! You're a good person, because if you weren't we wouldn't be in this situation right now. If you weren't a good person, you wouldn't have cared so much about soyoon's death that you'd be crying about it. You are not a bad person, yuhi. You never will be.

That would take some time for yuhi to believe, but the least she could do was try. And so yuhi let out a shaky breath, resting her forehead against yeosang's shoulder as she whispered

Yuhi : thank you.

Yeosang : this is what I'm here for. And tomorrow, we will attend her funeral and we will talk to soyoon's family. I must not be the only one who sees you as a good person. They should remember you not as the one who killed their loved one, but as the one who protected their daughter, wife and mother.

_______________________________

[voidselfshipp]

MK S/I Interactions.

Cw: mentions of bad parents. Suggestive (sex jokes)

>Ask to tag.

>Only mutuals allowed to reblog.

Liu kang: your Beauty never ceases to bring me to my knees.

Me: Even before the reset?

Liu Kang: If theres one constant that I cannot control,its how breath taking you are.

♡

Me:should I adopt the name Kalon?

Liu Kang: Whatever you choose to do,im sure you'll have no issue bringing even more Beauty to the name.

♡

Me:Hate to break pretty things

Liu Kang: Next to you I become frail as porcelain. But I dont mind falling to pieces at your feet.

♡

Me:Was Kalon loved?

Liu Kang: She was just as loved as you are. I dont Belive that there wasnt a timeline where anyone who met you didnt love you.

♡

Liu Kang: I can only imagine this Will stoke your competitive Fire.

Me:dont worry,ill kiss it better when you lose.

♡

Tomas: I dont want to hurt you

Me: Hah!. I can take it,pretty boy.

♡

Tomas: whoever loses pays for our Next date.

Me:today your Wallet is going up in smoke,dear.

♡

Me: well if it isnt the prettiest ninja ive ever did see

Tomas: oh psh...[face red]. Uhm...hi.

♡

Tomas: can we cuddle after this?

Me: all day long, smokey.

♡

Tomas:have I ever told you that I love you?

Me: every day. But I love you too,tommy.

♡

Scorpion: Fields are often times razed to ashes to make space for New crops.

Me:then maybe I wont mind if I get burnt.

♡

Scorpion: you make art out of your gift

Me:And seeing you fight is like staring at a fashion runway.

♡

Me: have I told you I like bugs?

Scorpion: [chuckle] so thats why you like me

♡

Scorpion: Will you aid me in building a New clan?

Me: with anything you need,Artistics included.

Scorpion: my dear,I trust no-one else but you in regards to our image.

♡

Scorpion: I promise you I only have eyes for you.

Me: Harumi is a beautiful woman

Scorpion: And my Friend. As much as I am fond of her,she cant compete with you against your fierceness and your Beauty.

♡

Scorpion: do you still love Bi-Han?

Me: much to my grief,yes. But know that my loyalty Will always be with you and Tomas.

♡

Kenshi: Sooo when are you free?

Me: How about right now?

♡

Kenshi: My eyes are not the prettiest now..

Me: bygone Beauty remains the same even if you can no longer behold it, kenshi.

♡

Kenshi: ive always felt my tattoos to be a source of shame

Me:Theyre art,just Like the rest of you is.

♡

Kenshi: I wish to calm your mind,your thoughts are a whirlwind...

Me:if theres somebody who can soothe me,its you.

♡

Kenshi: often times love is blind

Me: [long snort,audible smile] AWFUL!

♡

Jhonny: Youre coming on as my art director.

Me: I really did make it up into the world.

♡

Jhonny: with your skills, this movie series is going to be breath taking!

Me:You dont know how much that means to me.

♡

Jhonny: Theres my favorite nerdy film student!

Me: theres my favorite airhead director!

♡

Jhonny: How about a Poison ivy cosplay for cage-con,Rooty?

Me: Only if youre my Harley Quinn.

♡

Jhonny: you are a work of art!

Me: what are you waiting to pin me to your wall,then?

♡

Raiden: Lightning always looks for the ground. In that same way,youre the only one that can soothe me

Me: thats adorable,but you can say you just want a hug.

♡

Raiden: when I met you,I really felt what thunder was. My heart wouldnt stop beating.

Me: I hope I didnt bust your eardrums,then.

♡

Raiden: Madame Bo has taken a liking to you

Me: we're going to be such a chaotic duo.

♡

Me: ive got sunshine in my pocket,but I wouldnt mind a little storm.

Raiden: [loving eyeroll] cheeesy!

♡

Raiden: would you like to walk through the gardens after this?

Me: I would love to,honey.

♡

Raiden: just when I needed some sunshine

Me: what has your mood all stormy? What can i do to help?

♡

Syzoth: Do you love all animals?

Me: Specially reptiles.

♡

Syzoth: I feel this odd pull towards you...couldnt it be your powers?

Me:whatever it is, come to me.

Syzoth: [smiles] yes ma'am..

♡

Syzoth: Would you still love me in my reptile form?

Me: babe,I'd still love you even if you were a worm!

♡

Syzoth: your warmth makes me happy

Me: like a gecko under sunlight!

♡

Me: [dragon tail wagging]I'd tease you because your tail is wagging, but im in no better spot.

Syzoth: Heh, I find that adorable.

♡

Bi-Han: my love...I am so sorry

Me: there is an exception for better late than never,Bi-Han. And its you.

♡

Bi-Han: I never meant to kill the fields of your flowers with my winter,my love.

Me: pretty little things Wilt away...

(Reference for the song "Pretty little things" by the crane wives)

♡

Bi-Han: there isnt a day where I dont miss you,my bed feels so cold without you.

Me:youve condemned yourself to eternal winter,Now suffer.

♡

Bi-Han: be honest,do you still love me?

Me: I do,but ive long since seldomed the habit of not doing whats best for me.

♡

Bi-Han: When Will be the day I can bask in your light once again?

Me:when you repent for your crimes and betrayal.

♡

Me: the way you treated tomas was disgusting. My siblings and I arent full blooded and I still adore them. As a fellow older sibling,im dissappointed in you

Bi-Han: [gaze lowers,under his breath] your Dissapointment Hurts me more than any heartbreak.

♡

Kung Lao: youre as beautiful and fierce as mother nature

Me:where do you think she learnt it from?

♡

Kung Lao: [Teasing] youre always so grounded! Live a little.

Me: [teasing] and youve always got your head full of air!

♡

Me:is that a lawnmower on your head?

Kung Lao: thats not funny!

♡

Kung lao: shes Beauty,theyre Grace

Me: shes gonna punch you in the face.

♡

Kung Lao: Dinner at Madame Bo's?

Me: Whoever loses foots the Bill.

♡

Kung Lao: you warned me about Suchinko, and still you didnt say "I told you so" when the everything happened.

Me: I bit it back for the sake of your morale.

♡

Kitana: No hard feelings,Kalon.

Me: [Laughs] raiden has already shown me hes got eyes only for me. Youre good,Princess.

♡

Kitana: If im not mistaken, Punk is often anti-monarchy.

Me: Luckily for Outworld,Mileena is doing an excellent job as Empress.

♡

Kitana: An earthrealmer and an Outworld princess? Scandalous!

Me: c'mon,live a little. I know the perfect spot for a date

♡

Me:You blow me away,Princess.

Kitana: and my love for you has bloomed into a beautiful garden.

♡

Kitana: you've met Outworld,but ive never met Argentina.

Me: oh,you'll love it.

♡

Mileena: I find myself in need of your expertise in plants. The gardens in the Palace look...dull

Me:count me in,empress.

♡

Mileena: I am so,so sorry for blinding Kenshi.

Me: he holds no ill Will,and so do I.

♡

Mileena: [endeared]Syzoth is distracted,i believe hes always thinking about you.

Me: seems I took root within his mind,apologies.

♡

Shang Tsung: is there a timeline where we can be together?

Me: if you abandon your evil ways,it could be this one.

♡

Shang Tsung: I love you,that fact is not a deceit.

Me:Actions speak louder than words.

♡

Shang Tsung: just this once,lets sneak off together.

Me:if you win this fight,we Will.

♡

Shang Tsung: Ah,the owner of my heart. My beautiful lotus, you bless me with your presence.

Me: hah, flirt.

♡

Me:youre so lucky youre pretty...

Shang Tsung: [with a smile] considering myself lucky.

♡

Sindel: your powers are most peculiar,how do they work?

Me: honestly? No clue.

♡

Sindel: I was sure you were going to kill Jhonny during your stay at the Palace.

Me:as Someone who was raised right,that boy lacks manners.

♡

Sindel:out of all the champions,you and Liu Kang are most alike. Respectful,well mannered...

Me: so the guys did that bad of an impression huh?

♡

Me: you dare touch a single hair on Bi-Han's head ...

Havik: he came to us willingly.

♡

Me: you are disturbing to see

Havik: this is the fault of your beloved scorpion.

♡

Me: listen here,you parasite,you dare feed on tomas again and ill rip off your teeth one by one.

Nitara: feisty...

♡

Me:rat with wings...

Nitara: houseplant..

♡

[Mirror]

"In your timeline do you also have shit parents?"

"Ive yet to find one where we dont"

♡

"Do you have a cat in your timeline?"

"I have a poodle,actually"

♡

"Oookkay,this is going to change my self worth"

"I dont like this either"

♡

"Are we always destined to be pariahs?"

"Love always finds us, I promise"

♡

(If using the shang Tsung timeline! Cosmetic)

"Im glad that at least in one of the timelines,he And I can be together"

"Its complicated, but we manage"

"All those scars..."

"Shang Tsung didnt inflict them on me,theyre all battle scars. He doesnt dare hurt me".

♡

Kabal: sooo should I worry about any of the guys youve met in China?

Me:Youre my most special one,Kabal.

♡

Kabal: I always thought you'd fist fight god if you met him.

Me: sadly for me,god's hot.

♡

Kabal: home didnt feel the same without you. Ive missed you

Me:im home how,im not leaving any time soon.

♡

Me:erron told me you were unconsolable in my absence.

Kabal: [flustered]that yeeeyee Snitch...

♡

Kabal: youre working with Cage in his New movie?!

Me: isnt that fun?!

Kabal: I want front row seats. If the movies are a bust its his fault,im a firm believer in that!

♡

Kabal: sooo are you taking me to the opening gala?

Me: get yourself a suit,Youre coming with me. Oh! And It better have plants in the theme!

[akai-anna]

i saw the ship opinion bingo AND I REALLY WANNA ASK FOR OOFURI so here i am. obviously i wanna know about abemiha, tajihana and akimaru haruna!! but also mihashi/haruna, abe/haruna, mihashi/tajima and any other combo you want to ramble about I LOVE YOUR OPINIONS ON THESE THINGS

hi im back can you add izumi/shinooka and haruna + abemiha to the oofuri ship opinions bingo please

Mikh, you are the absolutely most precious thing, always enabling my Oofuri tendencies, bless your lovely soul, my darling. *whispers* I love you. Thank you so much for this.

Notes still apply:

i interpret relationships in the broadest possible sense

i check everything that makes sense to me, even if they seem contradictory; i view them applied to different situations/universes/possibilities

ship opinion bingo in question

I. Abe Takaya - Mihashi Ren

The No.1. Battery of my Heart they are, Ma'am

Where to even START WITH THESE TWO?

"MOST CODEPENDENT BITCHES ON EARTH" WAS PRACTICALLY MADE FOR THEM (as you could witness it in our reading sessions, god, you are an ANGEL FOR READING WITH ME!) and fits them like a glove. The canon material just provides so MUCH CONTENT FOR THEM already that I feel so well fed.

THE SHEER DEDICATION TOWARDS EACH OTHER, THEY CARE SO RIDICULOUSLY MUCH. THEY HAD TO SPEND A FEW WEEKS NOT PLAYING (NOT APART!!! JUST LIKE!! NOT PLAYING TOGETHER!!!) AS A BATTERY AND YET EVERY SECOND YOU COULD TELL THEY WANTED TO BE PLAYING TOGETHER. THEY ARE RIDICULOUS (already stupid enough on their own, no need for me to change anything there)!!!

ABE TAKAYA WHO CARES SO MUCH BUT ALSO CARRIES SO MUCH HURT FROM HIS PAST, WHO IS SHIT AT COMMUNICATING AND NEEDS TO GET HIS HEAD OUT OF HIS ARSE YET TRYING HIS BEST AND MIHASHI REN WHO WAS BULLIED SO MUCH HE LOST EVEN THE LAST DROP OF HIS SELF-CONFIDENCE SLOWLY OPENING UP AGAIN AND ALSO LEARNING HOW TO COMMUNICATE AND SLOWLY GAINING CONFIDENCE AND GROWING SO MUCH AS A PERSON AND AS PART OF THE TEAM! MY!! HEART!!! I'M FERAL OVER THEM MIKH, FERAL!!! The way Abe needs to learn to TRUST MIHASHI and let him MAKE DECISIONS TOO, and see that respect IS IMPORTANT (MIHASHI BEING BETTER THAN ABE AT COOKING!!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, SUCH AN IMPORTANT LITTLE MOMENT!!! MIHASHI BEING MORE COMPETENT THAN ABE AT SOMETHING!!!) BOTH WAYS, and a battery is not a one-sided BUT A TWO-WAY THING (NOT JUST ABE GIVING SIGNS AND MIHASHI DOING WHAT HE IS TOLD BUT ALSO MAKING A DECISION TOGETHER!!!) I'M CRYING- AND THEN THERE IS MIHASHI WHO NEEDS TO LEARN HOW TO SPEAK HIS MIND ABOUT THINGS, WHO NEEDS TO LEARN THAT IT'S NOT JUST ABE THAT MAKES HIM AMAZING BUT HE IS PART OF THAT, IT'S NOT JUST ABE, IT'S HIM (AND THE WHOLE TEAM TOO!!! VERY IMPORTANT!!!) TOO, AND HE IS SOMEONE TO BE RELIED ON TOO, SEE tHAT HE is GOOD TOO!!

I'll be honest, their bond is just so deep and so very meaningful to me. I personally don't view them as romantic, instead I see them as one of the most precious queer platonic relationships. (The very fact that I view Abe as aromantic, thank you canon material, is a big part of this.)

Honestly, as we read we gush about them a lot (obviously), and I still feel I could still go on about them forever. Have one of my favourite moments with them, that I feel started them on the whole journey for becoming so much better, so much closer, CORE ABEMIHA MOMENT, BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT ONLY WERE VERY HONEST WITH EACH OTHER BUT ALSO SAW THAT THINGS CANNOT REMAIN THE SAME AND THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO A BATTERY THAN THEY'VE BEEN DOING SO FAR (MUTUAL!!!) AND ONE OF THE VERY FIRST MOMENTS ABE'S BRAIN SHUT DOWN (but who can blame him, Mihashi's smile IS PRECIOUS AND HE WORKED SO HARD FOR IT), IT'S JUST SO IMPORTANT TO ME!!

(But I was also so tempted to put the "But you are the one who cares about me the most" scene or the name calling scene here... It was a hard choice.)

⊱✿⊰

II. Mihashi Ren - Tajima Yuuichirou

The Natural Braincell Share Duo

I'm going with TajiMiha next for a reason, which is the VERY FACT THAT IT'S THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE OF ABEMIHA. (Which I couldn't help but talk about in this post because I ADORE THE PARALLEL/CONNECTION SO MUCH.) So I'm sorry, I'll be talking about TajiMiha in relation to AbeMiha BC I'M OBSESSED WITH THEM.

Compared to Abe, Tajima has no problems communicating with Mihashi, they are on the same wavelength, TAJIMA IS LItERALLY THE tEAM'S MIHASHI tRANSLATOR, there is a mutual respect between them from almost the very start.

Tajima and Mihashi also seem to share other interests outside baseball, and non-interests too (Sir, they are SO STUPID, PLS tutoR thEM MORE).

While there is a solid foundation for AbeMiha battery that solely relies on Abe, TajiMiha battery WORKS TOGETHER FROM THE VERY START, MAKING DECISIONS TOGETHER, LEARNING TOGETHER, GOING THROUGH ThE PROCESS OF DECIDING THINGS, MAKING MISTAKES, ADJUSTING; TajiMiha having battery as equals, while AbeMiha being so ridiculously unbalanced at first (putting everything on Abe's shoulder).

Also the contrast between Tajima-Mihashi. Tajima, the star player with his natural talent, the very definition of Wild and Feral, always as bright as the fckin sun, loud and honest with his every feeling and thought, "he's got one mean presence" thought. Mihashi, the team's Ace (but thinking not by his own ability), lil anxiety birb who is afraid to say what he thinks but also having the loveliest of sunshine smiles if one takes the time to get to know him and ACCEPT HIM, "he's such a nice person" thought.

Tajima-Mihashi are so precious to me MIKH. SO PRECIOUS. The way they are just so COMFORtABLE WItH EACH OTHER. URGH. ALSO THE VERY FACT THAT TAJIMA IS A YOUNGEST BROTHER IN A BIG FAMILY BUT ALSO FEELS LIKE A BROTHER TO MIHASHI, IT'S PRECIOUS? ALSO SO READY TO PROTECT AND THROW HANDS FOR MIHASHI'S SAKE I'M!!! FERAL!!! AND THEN MIHASHI OUTRIGHT TELLING HIM THAT IT'S A MISUNDERSTANDING!!! I LOVE THEM SO MUCH, ONE OF MY EVER FAVOURITE SCENES!!

⊱✿⊰

III. Hanai Azusa - Tajima Yuuichirou

The True Rivals TM

Yes, I'm going with them for the third round because basically, they are my main romantic ship (don't ask why, brain chemistry said so, and idk why). I'm SO ATTACHED TO THEM, THEY REALLY AFFECT AND INSPIRE EACH OTHER SO MUCH, CONSTANTLY MAKING ONE ANOTHER WORK HARD TO BETTER THEMSELVES AND CATCH UP TO ONE ANOTHER.

Tajima being the Force Of Nature that he is, the Natural Talent (not that he doesn't work hard! HE DOES!!! But also the very fact he only needs a few tries to achieve something! GOD! HE'S SO BRIGHT!!) and having so much CONFIDENCE IN HIMSELF TOO, BEING SUCH A RELIABLE PLAYER ON THE FIELD. And then you have Hanai: who can be so awkward, despite trying his hardest, still feeling like he is failing, feeling INADEQUATE NEXT TO TAJIMA, despite the fact that before Nishiura he thought of himself as a good player. Very reliable and responsible off field (TEAM CAPTAIN MATERIAL!!!!), but not feeling so next to Tajima, esp on the field. IT BREAKS AND HEALS ME.

AND THEN AS TIME MOVES ON HANAI BECOMES BETTER, MORE SURE OF HIMSELF. TAJIMA BECOMES MORE CONSCIOUS OF HIM. LIKE GOD LORD. IF YOU ASK WHO THEY ARE COMPETING AGAINST? THEY HAVE EACH OTHER AS THEIR IDEAL, AS THEIR RIVAL, I'M!!! FCKIN FERAL, MIKH!!!

HANAI "I DON'T LIKE MY NAME" AZUSA, FROM THE FIRST MOMENT HE SUSPECTS GIVEN NAMES ARE GOING TO BECOME A THING FOR THE TEAM, FREEZING UP AND PALING AND ABSOLUTELY FREAKING OUT BC HE DOESN'T WANT TO BE CALLED AZUSA, REFUSING TO SAY HIS OWN GIVEN NAME WHEN IT COMES UP, INSISTING ON BEING CALLED "HANAI", AND EVERY TIME WHEN SOMEONE SAYS "AZUSA" YOU CAN SEE HIM DYING A LITTLE INSIDE, ONLY TO SAY IT OUT LOUD THAT HE DISLIKES HIS OWN NAME (discreetly to a couple of his teammates only, INCLUDING TAJIMA), FOR TAJIMA TO CATCH ON HE DIDN'T WANT TO COME TO TRAINING AT THE TAJIMAS' BC OF THE NAME CALLING THING, AND THEN ONLY FOR TAJIMA TO BE LIKE "OK I'LL TELL EVERYONE NOT TO CALL YOU AZUSA", WHICH LEADS TO HANAI "AWKWARD AND EMBARRASSED" AZUSA TO DIE MORE INSIDE. REST IN PIECES SON. (THIS BIT IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME, I'M RAMBLING, I'M SORRY. TRAINING AT THE TAJIMAS' IS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE ARCS IN THE WHOLE OF OOFURI.)

Already went through the whole ship tag, both on AO3 and FF.net and i'm dead inside. (oh why OH WHY IS OOFURI AND A SMALL FANDOM IN WESTERN PARTS!!! WHY IS TAJIHANA A FAIRLY RARE SHIP!!! A CRIME, YOUR HONOUR, A CRIME!!! I'm still digging around for more fics, but those 2 sources are out now. *cries tears of blood*)

Hanai's whole Internal Crisis during the Nishiura VS Sakitama game? IT HAS MY HEART, I LOVE MY BOY SO SO SO MUCH. (Not to mention the little moments you can see how big a crush he has on Tajima. Everyone has a bit of a crush on Tajima Yuuichirou, but Hanai's is the biggest. God, bless his heart.)

I'll be honest. I wanted to include like... *checks* 6 different scenes (some a few pages long) for TajiHana. But I'm trying to limit myself bc 30 pic/Post limit so. *coughs* I'm only leaving these 2 here (A side and B side, if you will). (Also, sorry for the mild spoiler, bear with me.)

⊱✿⊰

IV. Akimaru Kyouhei - Haruna Motoki

Most Ridiculous and Devoted Childhood Friends TM

I LOVE LOVE LOVE THEM MIKH. THEY ARE SO RIDICULOUS, SO ENDEARING, SO STUPID, and definitely in a relationship (is it just friendship? is it romantic? is it the Annoyer and Annoyed? who knows, but THEY ARE DEFINITELY TELEPATHICALLY CONNECTED AND IN A RELATIONSHIP).

God, Haruna wanting Akimaru to be as serious about baseball as the rest of the team, TO BE ON THE SAME PAGE ABOUT IT AS HIMSELF, IT HAS ME SHAKING, HE CARES SO VERY MUCH, and the next second he kicks and smacks him (LOVE LANGUAGE, IT'S HARUNA'S LOVE LANGUAGE!!), God, GOD.

Akimaru, who is so very laid-back (at FIRST, WE ARE CURRENTLY READING THE TURNING POINT MATCH MIKH CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT INCOMING!!!), only was there to help Haruna out, only to start THINKING later on, after he sees how much Haruna CARES, how the TEAM CARES, IT'S SO DELICIOUS!!

Akimaru is a Good Guy, really, I love how he sucks at baseball outside catching Haruna's pitches (for the time being), but he is SUCH A CASUALLY NICE PERSON, and the way he can so easily get on Haruna's nerves is one of my favourite things, YET ALSO REMINDING HARUNA OF THINGS HE FORGETS!!!

Haruna caring so much that he CAN GET ANNOYED AT THE SMALLEST OF THINGS WHEN IT COMES TO AKIMARU, I LOVE AN IDIOT, WHO FORGETS SHIT SO MUCH.

TO BRING BACK SOMETHING NICE FROM OUR READING: THEY ARE JUST SO STUPID, MIKH, I LOVE THEM-

⊱✿⊰

V. Haruna Motoki - Mihashi Ren

Abe's Ex-Pitcher and Current-Pitcher

Not much to check here, but, but... I really love their dynamics. Obviously, the connecting points for them are 1) Abe and 2) Pitching.

I absolutely love what a different perception they have of each other! From the first moment, Mihashi thinking that Haruna is awesome (despite everything Abe says about him), even sort of having him as his goal as a pitcher, and Haruna looking down on the weird lil guy, talking about dichotomy LMAO

Only for it to be not Looking Down as time moves on (and interactions happen) and a sort of more Realistic admiration on Mihashi's part. (HE COULD GO AGAINST HARUNA IN A WAY!)

THEIR INTERACTIONS ARE SO UTTERLY FUNNY AND RIDICULOUS, I LOVE THEM!

Another Mihashi translator (pitchers are a weird species, but they get each other it seems).

⊱✿⊰

VI. Abe Takaya -Haruna Motoki

The Bitter Exes TM

I cannot believe my FIRST BINGO TURNED OUT TO BE "HE'S THE WORST PITCHER" AND "HE HAS A NASTY PERSONALITY" DUO, HOLY SHIT-

As we already established it at our lil Oofuri talks: They Are The Bitter Exes (bless you Mikh). Even if (usually) I don't see them in a romantic context, they are still Exes TM. (Ex-Friends surely exist too, right? And so Ex-Battery Mates.) And they totally didn't end well. And totally stupid and fcked up.

The very fact that they have such vastly different opinions of each other, all based on their perceptions and misunderstandings, just makes this dynamic so layered and delicious. All the hurt Abe is carrying with him EVEN NOW, while Haruna is like "Oh, you talkin' about that!"

The fact that Abe cannot help but COMPARE all pitchers to Haruna, being so affected by the experiences, that he cannot let go of Haruna in a way (which is also a backwards way to say he cared and respected him so much that the BETRAYAL hurt him so much, it wounded him for, if not life, but even till the current timeline).

While for Haruna, Abe's presence and perseverance actually helped him so much through his hardships when he was injured.

AND THEN THEY FINALLY TALKED ABOUT IT, AND THEY BOTH HAD TO REALIZE THAT THEY WERE SO WRONG ABOUT SHIT, I'M IN TEARS, MA'AM-

Moving on from this section, I could put the whole conversation they had in here bc GOD THAT WAS SO GOOD, SO NEEDED, SO BEAUTIFUL, but have only these 2 pages to save space.

⊱✿⊰

VII. Abe Takaya - Haruna Motoki - Mihashi Ren

The Old Battery and The New Battery

I LOVE THESE 3 TOGETHER, THEY ARE JUST SO SILLY TOGETHER, and I already talked about them separately, so imagine all of that put into one bowl AND MIXED.

Abe's complicated feelings towards Haruna, his hardworking personality, how his bond with Mihashi is so very different from Haruna's.

Mihashi's admiration for both Abe and Haruna, and wanting them to get along because he SEES HOW MUCH ABE HAS BEEN HURT, and seeing that he still CARES about Haruna.

Haruna, thanks to his current team, being in much better spirits, and admitting he was at fault too (and that he was also in a bad place, but that didn't make what he did ok!), appreciating Abe in his own way.

And yet Abe and Haruna still just going "he's the worst control" or "he'S NASTY" IT'S HILARIOUS, while Mihashi is there "They are amazing!"

No particular scene comes to mind (aside the ones I shared in the HaruMiha section) for these 3, no caps this time.

⊱✿⊰

VIII. Izumi Kousuke - Shinooka Chiyo

I'm going to be pretty boring this time, because as I'm nowhere near invested in them, I don't have much to say. I can only say that they ARE ADORABLE.

Hope you enjoyed this Rambling Session, my dearest Mikh, and hope you had fun reading this absolute word-vomit.

[16woodsequ]

Hello. I found your blog by accident. And you write that you are not annoyed by random questions or chatter. So.I just want to say that I’ve been thinking about Captain America being unfairly ridiculed in the fandom for a very long time. Because he does not like foul language. For being too good.

And I just thought, what’s wrong with being good? Wouldn’t you like to associate with a good person? Maybe I’m just exaggerating and just being too sensitive. But it has always been bittersweet for me to see how people in the fandom treat Steve Rogers.

You can leave the war, but the war always remains in you. And you don’t just fight. You do it for something. And then you realize that everything you fought for is gone and dead. You don’t have anything. And you’re not even human anymore. Just Cap. Just a function.

So thank you for writing that it’s bad. Thank you for letting everyone remember that a person cannot be called by his title all the time. Work erases us. Makes you speak at home in the same tone as at work. It is ridiculous to make a reservation when addressing someone as a colleague.

I don’t know how to properly translate this into English so as not to lose the meaning, but in my language you can say “you” in different words. It’s like using “sir” or “ma'am” without actually using it. We say “ты” for equal treatment and “вы” for respectful. So I get confused sometimes. The stationery language sticks to you. You can no longer speak and write as before. But, fortunately, we can all relax at home. But, even if you are addressed by title even in a calm non-working environment, I think it is very mental traumatic.

I also get really angry at people who try to write stories that make Steve Rogers sexist or racist. In these stories, he is always some kind of moral freak. And the most cardboard “bad guy”. But Steve was such a good person. Isn’t that a serum criterion? Be a good person.

[...] He also admires Sam Wilson because he was able to overcome all obstacles and became a good person.Just stop trying to pretend that Steve Rogers is not that good in reality because he is a prude, sexist and racist. Because the imperfection of a character can be shown much better in many other ways.

In general, sorry for my incoherent nonsense. I wanted to say this to someone who might understand me.

Sorry for my English. This is not my first language and I have a little help from a translator.

I’ve never written anything on tumblr, so I’m sorry if I did something wrong.

[twentyyearstoolate]

"I'm sorry, come again?"

"No pets allowed. Sorry for the inconvenience."

Inconvenience? An understatement if there ever was one. "B- Where do pets go when they die?"

The steward doesn't flinch as they deliver the information. Practiced. Methodical. "Unfortunately, we have to turn them away into Limbo, and we don't keep tabs on their whereabouts afterwards. So sorry. Any other questions?"

"How can it be heaven if Roxy isn't here? I... I always thought I'd see her again, when... Where is she?" You're on the verge of tears.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, I do not know. Any other questions before we get you situated in the afterlife?"

"Can I... not do that? I want to find Roxy."

Their smile cracks, just for a moment. "Are you... dissatisfied with Heaven?"

You're unsure how to respond. "Well, no, I mean... It's nice, but Roxy was my best friend. You can't imagine a heaven without your best friend, could you?"

"I cannot imagine anything, I lack the capacity. Is there something I can do to make your stay more comfortable?"

Suddenly, you're not so sure. "I... I think I'd like to leave."

"Please be aware that if you reject Heaven now, you will never be able to return. Are you sure about this decision?"

You look around. It's a veritable buffet of creature comforts. Everything you loved in life. And yet... you know it wouldn't be complete without her.

---

You've been wandering limbo for what feels like an eternity. It may very well have been - without the rising and setting of a sun, without thirst or hunger or fatigue, it's impossible to account for the passage of time.

"ROXY! BABY? COME HERE, GIRL!"

Your voice would be hoarse for how much shouting you've done, but even the strain of calling over and over again doesn't seem to affect your throat. Nonetheless, you feel a lump beginning to rise. This seems hopeless.

You sit, and begin to cry. You gave up an afterlife people have killed and died for, on the off-chance you'd find a childhood pet. What were you thinking? Now you're doomed to wander this featureless plain for eternity, nary another soul in sight.

You feel a poke at your ribs. And you hear sniffing. You look.

"Roxy!"

Your favorite black lab jumps into your lap, all over you as you're knocked backwards. Still just a big little puppy after all this time. So many kisses, and crying like you've never heard her cry before - It seems like she missed you just as much.

For a time, the two of you just lay there, enjoying each other's company. Then, she gets up and tugs at your sleeve. You take the hint and get up, and she leads you onward. As the two of you walk, you meet a rabbit, which seems to hop after you.

Then a turtle, crawling slowly - you stop to cradle it in your arms. A tabby cat. A calico. A beagle. A corgi. They all follow you. And they're all happy to stop and play and socialize, but Roxy keeps tugging. The further in you go, the more your group accumulates, until at one point you look around and you're surrounded by a veritable zoo. A sea of cats, and dogs, and birds, and snakes, and on and on.

Roxy looks up at you with her best sad puppy face. You know the look. The same one she would use when she used to bring strays back to you. You sigh, and smile, rubbing her head.

"I'll see what I can do, girl."

You’ve died and have reached the after life. They are giving you the grand tour of heaven. “Any questions before you decide if your staying with us?” You, “yes just one, where’s my dog?” Them, “ahh yes, we have a strict no pets allowed policy.”

[mejomonster]

just a rant about gender and dysphoria and happiness and frustrations i guess?

im gonna go on a few more tangents fuck it ToT so for one: while i love that binders exist (truly they're amazing), i personally hate wearing them because for me they feel just like a bra, and a bra makes me feel Not-Great, and i'd much rather wear layers and bigger clothes to hide my chest (while being pissed all genders cannot simply wear no shirt and no Nothing and be treated the same), because the simple thing of Some Constricting Thing on My Chest makes me feel more dysphoric ddkdkd

and then second: so when i was lets say a teenager to in college, i did a lot of varying with my self expression. high school saw me volley from very butch to lazy femme looking frequently. i chopped all my hair off, then got wigs so i could still do those high glam looks when i wanted. in college i tried out long bleached hair deep side part with undercut and cut off sleeve t-shirts (think Pat in Bad Buddy if he was a punk lesbian) and then 1 inch hair when i got fucking sick of long hair like i always do (and many a dad sweater). i got a tiny waist and big fucking hips. big shoulders. so im an hourglass i guess, when i wear anything that fits me. its pretty easy to read 'feminine' to a stranger, when all u gotta do is put on clothes that fit, 1 line of eyeliner, and there u go (and i'd learn later w a face like mine there was no need for the eyeliner... or the rest).

but for a while i just did not Want to Ever read feminine, unless i was on a date with a cute girl, so at work nonstop i wore loose pants to hide my waist size, baggy sweaters, binder, my hair was cut off, no makeup, my usual glasses. on paper i shoulda looked like a hipster guy i guess. in reality every fucking day some customer would say 'ma'am, miss, young lady' to get my attention. and lo and behold i find out i just wont really ever read as butch to a stranger. not with my face -3-)/ i mean yeah. maybe if i took testosterone, if it changes the shape of my face enough. i already have a mustache. i've grown it out, and bleached it, and shaved it, and even at it's longest strangers were like 'hi miss could u help me'. and that was i dunno. an interesting thing for me to realize. to realize that for every stranger i meet, generally, they're going to look at me and think 'marilyn monroe' no matter how i decide to present visually.

and well. i DO like some feminine presenting appearance things. i like lolita dresses, i like dying my hair every color i can get a hold of, i love eyeliner because that part of the teen emo phase never left me. i like bright colored eyeshadows, and drawing fun things with my eyeliner. i like dressing up as high femme as i can if i'm going on a date with a femme, because it's fun to dress up with someone else going to the nines. i like my waist, it's like Link! and Raiden! and Axel! And if they are guys, i can be a guy too (and honestly this is to all guys - you a guy? then you ARE a guy. you don't have to prove that to anyone, or meet some arbitrary standards, there's a wonderful rant Enterprise Incidents Podcast did about 'what is a man? a woman? anything they want' because humans come in infinite diversity and what is a man to one man is not the same as another, its just who that guy themselves IS.)

and well. i decided - if strangers are gonna misgender me no matter what, i might as well stop trying to change my looks to what 'strangers' might prefer from me, and instead just look the way i want to anyway. and of course, college was a good time in some ways. i found tumblr, i found other bisexual people and felt a hell of a lot less alone, i found trans people sharing their experiences, and realize Ayyyyy Dysphoria is what i felt all through high school now it all makes sense why i kept praying for god to turn me into a dude! I already AM a dude! feeling SO much like u are one... u probably ARE already one.

(y'all have no idea how uninformed my knowledge was of trans people in high school was... my school had zero out kids, most kids as naive and uninformed as me - some who would later realize they were trans like me, and the only info i had on trans people was the movie Boys Don't Cry which... that movie's got a host of issues. But what teen mejo took from it was: no one in the world would acknowledge me as a man unless i got surgery. And since i never heard of transgender before, i assumed that meant 'ur gender has to match ur body' hence the praying for years to just wake up a guy. jokes on me! i was already! wishes do come true dkdkdkd. Anyway. It wasn't until getting to college, finding educational resources online, and finding community on tumblr, that i realized Simply Already Feeling I Was a Guy internally... made me one.

And also the much broader, more healing realization for many people including cisgender people: YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT, whatever makes you HAPPY, you are the gender you feel you are and that's literally all it requires. You already ARE whatever you are, and your heart knows. Or your heart doesn't, and you explore. But my point is: cisgender men can wear makeup and love it and still be men. Cisgender women can shave their heads and grow lots of body hair and be 6 feet tall and love fishing. Your gender doesn't mean you can't like something or can't do something or can't be something, you can like/do/be WHATEVER YOU WANT. No matter who you are.

And being trans doesn't change that. Yes, there's additional factors: a trans woman who doesn't want big boobs and loves short hair is at risk of being misgendered by strangers more... but so are cis women. So are all women. That doesn't mean masculine hobbies or looks or likes makes you a man, it's just whatever. Strangers making judgements happens for so much bullshit, it doesn't mean they get to define you, strangers opinions do not Decide what you are. Only you do. Cis men and trans men can love makeup, can love baking, whatever the fuck! What makes you a man? Feeling you are a man. What makes you a woman (or anyone)? Feeling she is. Simple as that. What can you do/be/look like in this world? WHATEVER the fuck you WANT.

So yeah. I go through all those realizations in college. (and to get down in the weeds, I probably related to bigender the most as in line with my feelings, which i just label as nonbinary for strangers because... to be honest the number of people who even knew what Nonbinary was when i realized i felt nonbinary was miniscule, even less then the ppl who knew what bisexuality was. i mostly feel like a dude. i still connect with being a woman. maybe its because im nonbinary, but i feel like gender is so dumb in some ways. i'm so happy for y'all who feel gender euphoria, and i recognize a huge portion of people find solace and comfort in strongly feeling like their gender. but at the same time i feel like straight ppl could figure out how to only be attracted to the ppl they like now, even if gender didn't exist. knowing humans, we'd make up a new system to divide humans into classifications like a gender-equivalent construct based on nose shape or eyebrows idk. so its not like humans are about to stop caring about gender, and there'd still be some made up human way of splitting people apart they'd probably use to build inequality idk. humans already do that with a lot of other concepts they made up besides gender.)

the point i'm circling back to is: gender is great for many a person, and the only important thing to really remember is you can be whatever you want in this world, you're allowed. if you're a boy, if you're a girl, if you're nonbinary, if you're agender, whatever body you have, whatever hobbies or likes or talents or whatever. you do not have to be trapped in a box, you're allowed to be Fully You. Whoever that is. You're allowed to conform to expectations of A or B or whatever, you're allowed to do your own thing, you're a human being and whoever you are - is you. You are not broken just because YOU are a bit different than someone else.

and then a third tangent: i hope for cis people to internalize that fucking realization too. I dunno if it's people older than me, or younger, or in the same boat, but sometimes i am just hit Hard by the terror i'll be hearing cis people distraught about. i'll hear how horrified they, a cis woman, are to be 'masculine' or simply to be 'not interpreted by strangers as feminine Enough' (whatever the fuck the Enough Impossible-Standard is that society perpetuates to them - usually a white classist patriarchal conservative ideal, where an ideal woman is 1. white. 2. long haired. 3. wears full makeup. 4. is very skinny 5. is upper class and wears expensive things 6. has no body hair 7. is 'demure' and submissive and caretaking and sweet and innocent OR sexy and appealing to others etc).

So many cis women I see crying, full on horrified, because they're overweight. Dieting to dangerous degrees, because they're overweight (like most of the population in my country, their weight is perfectly average it's not like most other ppl aren't just like them), and overweight = ugly = poor = black = masculine = man in the fucked up mainstream ideals of beauty and white womanhood. So many cis women freaking out they have boxy bodies instead of curves, have hair on their face (newsflash all humans have at least this thin peach fuzz on their face - if you are not white and blonde then Yes, Sometimes that peach fuzz is darker colored or you get a mustache like me) and just shaving it isn't enough - they still feel they aren't inherently allowed to be a 'woman' because of it. SOOOOOOO many of these cis women would benefit greatly from the recognition of a woman as 'anything.' A woman IS anything. Any appearance, any hobbies, any likes.

So many cis men horrified they don't live up to a strict fucked up box of an ideal as well - terrified they don't make enough money to be a 'real' man. Terrified they aren't skinny enough, or aren't muscular enough, or aren't assertive enough, or can't provide Enough to others, or show Too Much emotion. (A lot of these limiting gender ideals coming from the same white patriarchal upper class ideal, so by design MOST men will probably never manage to reach such ideals - the ideals causing them to fight each other, to prove who's 'most alpha', the ideals causing them to abandon themselves - because to be a 'real man' is to not cry or show weakness or admit to struggling to live up to the ideal, the ideals causing them to lash out at others - and rewarding them for it, because if they harm others then they'll help perpetuate this fucked up system by hurting more people and putting the pressure on more people To Strive to Live Up to The Ideal in the hopes of finally gaining enough acceptance to avoid further attacks). Every incel in some degree is so internally distraught trying to live up to the Ideal Real Man, who 'gets bitches' and feels they'll never really be a 'real man' until they can too. Every dude sucked into the manosphere has heard so much awful stuff about what a man has to do in order to 'prove he's a man and Deserve to be treated as a man' that they've taken to heart. And now they're perpetuating that harm, hurting MORE guys and insisting even more other guys aren't REAL unless they conform as well (and hell - probably still don't deserve to be respected as Real Men unless they also get rich and successful).

How many of these cisgender people would be so much fucking happier, and hurt significantly less people (and stop hurting themselves) if they just realized, really fucking took to heart, that a person is their gender JUST BECAUSE they feel they are. My guy, do you think you're a guy? CONGRATS you're a real man and whatever kind of guy you are IS a real guy. Miss over there, you are desperate to prove you're a woman? You ALREADY are. You do not need to diet more to prove that, or change your hobbies or quit your fucking job.

It's frustrating to see that giant system hurting people on so many levels. Just everywhere.