#maybe using humour as a coping mechanism is not actually a good coping mechanism

[craving-for-chaos]

What are your headcanons for sagebean in terms of their...substance use? For humourous reasons I think Viper would be a pack-a-day smoker or (for angst) a problem with alcohol and I think Sage will probably have some kinda unhealthy coping mechanism that she will never let anyone see

Ohhh good question, I actually haven't thought about this very much (or at least not as much for Sage).

I think that pre-Protocol Viper smoked, but not nearly as often and only when she was super stressed. As you can imagine, she smokes much more now 💀 I still can't imagine she'd smoke extremely frequently though, only because I think she'd genuinely hate having to repeatedly pause her experiments for smoke breaks. She doesn't care about the physical consequences though (not that she has to worry about that since Sage keeps healing her throat + lungs.)

As for alcohol, I actually think she intentionally doesn't drink very much. Like, a glass of wine or champagne is fine, and she doesn't mind being a bit buzzed, but the idea of getting genuinely drunk disturbs her. She's a workaholic, not to mention paranoid as all hell, so she is NOT a fan of willingly distorting her senses and mental faculties. One too many assassination attempts will do that to you haha :D Although, I could also see her maybe drinking more heavily on the anniversary of a loved one's death or a similarly upsetting situation.

Anywayyy, Sage's turn! On one hand, I feel like while Sage does have unhealthy coping mechanisms, they err on the side of mental rather than physical—y'know, repressing emotions, escapism, that sort of thing. On the other hand, I could see her spiking her tea pretty often without anyone knowing (except for maybe Viper and probably Cypher, because what doesn't he know about?).

So...yeah :D

[hersweetrevenge]

i love how the monkey (2025) balances it's cartoonish characters and deaths with moments of real gritty emotion and grounded motivations.

i'm especially intrigued by ricky and his family because of just how much is implied in their very limited screen time. they're a family who are trapped by circumstances that are beyond their control in terms of socio-economics.

ricky

firstly, ricky himself. we don't actually know a lot about ricky, other than what we can infer from details in the movie, and the descriptions of him given in press release material: the local burnout.

the way i see it, he's a 20-something who doesn't have, or doesn't feel like he has, a lot of prospects, likely due to a combination of academic and financial reasons. a lot of what must be shaping him comes from his family, which i'll go into next.

brother

ricky's army veteran brother, beauchamps, is a character partly played as a weird bit of surrealist humour, but also reveals a lot about how they as a family are effected by their circumstances. firstly, it's made very clear that beauchamps is suffering from ptsd (shell shock) in some form or another -- he still wears his fatigues and is mostly mute -- and based on timelines, i think he's most likely to have been in afghanistan. secondly, i feel like based on what we see of the family as a unit and their socio-economic status, i feel like beauchamps might have signed up via a military recruiter, with promises of having a good career, when really all it made him was a foot soldier for american imperialism. while ricky and his mom seem supportive of beauchamps in that they appear unfazed by his demeanour, and still include him in their day to day conversation (sort of), i'm not sure how much help he's truly getting to support his psychological wellbeing.

also, this is assuming that beauchamps is ricky's older brother (though nothing is ever explicitly mentioned, not even that he is his brother), but depending on their age difference, ricky might have seen what happened to beauchamps and how the military effected him, which is what stopped him from signing up himself, if that was ever a consideration. although it was probably for the best, it would close off another opportunity for ricky.

mother

ricky's mom has seemingly been a single mom for as long as ricky's dad has been gone (which i'll go into later), and even earlier than that because it doesn't seem like ricky's dad was very hands on even before he left.

when ricky comes home to get his dad's gun, he shouts "hey ma, are you at home or at the factory?". the mention of her working at a factory is very interesting to me; presumably if there is a factory close to the town, then a lot of residents probably work there -- ricky included, maybe. but if not, ricky might still feel the ramifications of those types of underpaid labour jobs, and be used to his mom having unsociable work hours (like doing night shifts or having irregular shift patterns), and her not being entirely present when she is there -- i.e. day drinking -- because of having no coping mechanisms or support systems in her life.

their house is cluttered with décor and trinkets, and seems a little untidy but not necessarily dirty. there are a lot of empty beer cans/bottles, and she offers beauchamps a drink, but there are notably no empties by the side of the couch that ricky sits. they have at least one pet bird, a parrot. it's in a large cage/enclosure, and there's a visible portrait of a parrot (maybe even their parrot) in their living room.

father

finally, we get to ricky's dad. we know he left at some point, but we don't really know how long ago. the way ricky asks his mom if she ever wonders where his dad went makes me think it was a while ago, and that they probably don't talk about him very often. he seems to think of his dad with slightly more affectation than the rest of his family does -- both hating him/knowing he's a deadbeat, while still missing him -- given how his mom's first response is to tell him not to go down the road of wondering, implying that she knows it'll just upset him if he does, "baby, that ain't worth it."

there's a lot of stuff about ricky's dad that i haven't really come to a conclusion about yet, but it feels like there's a lot going on.

the flashback ricky has when he finds the monkey at the yard sale is kind of strange, like it's a home movie, with a low POV that could suggest it's a memory from when ricky was a very little kid. that isn't to say his dad has been gone that long, but rather that the monkey is reminding him specifically of how he saw his dad when he was a child, or maybe of a certain incident. anyway, in that flashback we see his dad in bed, drinking beer and watching TV, partly-dressed in his cop uniform like he just got home from work. it's definitely a deliberate choice, almost cartoonish in how he points at the TV with his baton, the blue-print of a no-good father.

i also think it's interesting how disgusted ricky (as well as beauchamps, actually) is at his mom's suggestion that his dad is "under a hooker" somewhere, only to then say something similar to hal about it, only sounding much more indignant -- that yeah, his dad would still be cheating on his mom but why couldn't he stay in town to do it? maybe he's so disgusted the first time because he doesn't want to hear his mom saying anything like that, but he says it so offhandedly to hal that i think it's less about the cheating/sex itself and more about him just not being able to make sense of why his dad would leave him, when he could get whatever he wanted "in town".

then, i think the fact that ricky becomes so focused on getting the monkey back, to an arguably unstable degree, could suggest that the monkey hasn't brought up particularly good memories, but having the monkey signifies some control over that memory and/or his relationship with his dad?

plus, bill telling ricky that he told him to "find the monkey, not fall in love with it", which is obviously him projecting his own psychosexual obsession with the monkey onto ricky, even after ricky tells him it reminds him of his dad. but then again, "falling in love with it" could be interpreted as bill's rudimentary understanding of that obsession, and really serves as a catch-all term to describe the draw the monkey has on people.

hal and bill

speaking of bill, he and hal have been traumatised by death and both suffer arrested development as a result (bill more so than hal). while their lives clearly changed when their dad left, the clear turning point for them is their mother dying. if the monkey represents death as an unstoppable and indiscriminate force, then the ground zero for their trauma (lois' death) was a truly tragic, but ultimately random event.

ricky and his family are effected on a much broader scale: low income, industrial town, military pipeline, single parent family with no support system, lack of opportunities, the poverty cycle. ricky doesn't even know what the monkey is, yet he is still caught up in the tragedy of the twins' sphere of misfortune, only because he views the monkey as a connection (or replacement) for his father.

[alittlebitofloveliness]

OKAY outside of Dallas and Johnny, I think Two-Bit is one of the sadder characters of the Curtis gang. Like YES his home life isn’t as bad as Johnny’s, and he doesn’t want to watch the world burn like Dallas. But Two-Bit is such a self destructive character if you think about it. Yeah he doesn’t hurt anyone, but he does hurt himself. Especially since addiction is a core part of him as a character.

I think a lot about his family too and how sad the dynamics of his family COULD be. Well depending on how you view them. Two-Bit is genuinely a good guy, but he carry’s so much hurt that he can’t help BUT he self destructive. Unknowingly to Two I think that habit causes harm to the people around him too, like potentially his sister.

I just— Two-Bit Matthews the guy you are…I think you and your sister may be doomed by the narrative.

Two-bit is SO tragic, I've said it before and I'll say it again, he's just as violent as Dallas, he just turns that violence on himself instead of projecting it outwards. I think one of the cleverest parts of Hinton's writing and showing us The Outsiders from Ponyboy's point of view is that as an audience we fall for Two-bit's facade the way Pony and the gang and pretty much everyone does. Two-bit uses humour as a coping mechanism and it works, it works so well we rarely if ever see any characters worrying about him because he's funny, easygoing Two-bit with his cartoons and his beer bottle. Nevermind the fact he's nineteen and an an alcoholic, and that the 'laziness' Pony repeatedly remarks to be a part of his character just often sounds like a hallmark of undiagnosed depression running rampant. This is a kid whose dad left and his mom is hardly around, who lost four people who were very close to him in a short period of time, and watched a bunch of other guys he considers his brothers change so fundamentally that they're hardly the same people he knew growing up. Like everyone in the gang he has a lot of trauma that he has no healthy way of ever dealing with.

As for his sister, I GENUINELY meant it when I said she is maybe THE most tragic character in the Outsiders and she gets like, one mention. But I just feel so bad for this little girl. She's a girl growing up on the rough side of Tulsa, whose dad left and whose mom works so much she hardly has anytime to see her let alone hear about any problems she may be having. Her older brother, who's supposed to look out for her, is a drunk, too preoccupied playing happy family with his gang of friends to actually BE family to her. (I know a lot of people think two-bit would be the best big brother ever. I 100% don't.) She grows up and no one has time for her. By the time she's ten she's used to tucking Two-bit into bed when he stumbles home drunk, knows to turn him on his side and put a trashcan beside him for when he pukes. She watches at school as he ruffles Ponyboy Curtis' hair and wishes more than anything in the world she'd been born a boy, because apparently kid brothers- even fake ones- are more fun than kid sisters, and maybe if she was a boy he'd actually want to hang out with her. He stumbles inside one day after the worst day of her life and doesn't even notice anything is wrong. Two weeks later he slurs out that he'll always be here for her and she doesn't know how to explain that he's never been here for her, not really. just. Agh. Susie Mathews is so tragic because she is so alone and so incredibly VULNERABLE and someone could so easily see that and take advantage of it. (I'm working on a fic about her right now because she deserves her story to be told)

Anyway. Thanks for the ask!

[remotely-radical]

Just when I start thinking a male can be good, and put into my "all men but maybe not this one" and have a friendship

They just say one thing and it shatters it. They joke about rape, or paedophilia. Then it's just oh... they really are the same, even the "good" ones, they just.. have the same brain and highschool level humour.

I just can't deal with them, my female friends just arent like that, I have one that says questioning shit, though I dont like it and feel disconnected from her in that area, it feels different

When a man jokes about it, it often jokes about them doing the act, or talking about another man doing to to another girl/you

When a girl using that humour, its often used with them as a victim, them talking about them being the one being raped or preyed in a joking matter.

They aren't good either but definitely think it stems from different sources, the men, like the power and how it feels to make that joke, women use it most likely as a joke and coping mechanism because a man or men have actually done that, and they were a victim. Using that humour and making it a joke is how alot of girls cope.

Once again, men being the root of the problem, SHOCKER.

[sizzlinglightsoul]

25 Christmas Humor Memes That Perfectly Capture the Holiday Chaos

Let’s be honest—Christmas is a magical time of year… but it’s also pure chaos.

Between tangled fairy lights, awkward family dinners, and the last-minute panic shopping, sometimes the only way to survive the season is with a good sense of humour. That’s where Christmas memes come in—little gifts from the internet that perfectly capture the stress, hilarity, and madness of the holidays.

Whether you’re feeling festive or frazzled, these 25 Christmas humor memes will make you laugh, cry-laugh, or mutter “too real” under your breath.

🎄 1. “I’ve Been Good All Year… Okay, Most of the Year… Fine, I’ll Buy My Own Presents”

Because Santa knows we’ve been winging it since March.

🎅 2. That Face You Make When the Wrapping Paper Costs More Than the Gift

Aesthetic Christmas vs. Budget Reality.

🎁 3. “All I Want for Christmas Is... a Nap”

We’re not asking for much. Just eight hours of uninterrupted sleep and maybe a day of silence.

🦌 4. Reindeer Games = Gossiping About Santa

Plot twist: Rudolph is the drama.

🍪 5. “Dear Santa, Define ‘Nice’”

Because our version may be a little… flexible.

💳 6. Christmas Budget: Set

Actual Spending: LOL

Swipe, regret, repeat.

⛄ 7. Trying to Be Festive at the Office Party Like…

Smile through the forced fun and mystery gift exchange.

🎶 8. Mariah Carey Defrosting on November 1st

It’s not the holidays until she hits that high note.

🎄 9. Untangling the Lights = A Full Body Workout

Who even packed these things last year? Past me has some explaining to do.

📸 10. “Let’s Take a Family Photo!”

One Hour and 93 Photos Later Still no one looking in the same direction.

🍗 11. Holiday Calories Don’t Count

It’s science. Or at least wishful thinking.

😒 12. When Someone Asks If You’re Ready for Christmas

Is anyone ever ready for Christmas?

🧦 13. Opening Socks Like It’s a Rolex

We’ve reached peak adulthood. And honestly? We’re not even mad.

🐶 14. Pets in Christmas Costumes = Instant Comedy Gold

They hate it. We love it. A true holiday tradition.

👀 15. “It’s Only December 15”

Amazon: ‘Arriving January 7’

Too late. Now it’s a New Year’s gift.

🍷 16. Wine = Holiday Survival Juice

Sip responsibly… or just sip.

🙃 17. That One Relative Who Brings Up Politics at Dinner

Thanks, Uncle Greg. We were so close to peace on Earth.

💔 18. “Single for the Holidays” Starter Pack

One mistletoe. Zero action.

😬 19. Secret Santa: The Art of Pretending You Love It

"Oh wow, a desk calendar shaped like a llama. How… thoughtful."

🎤 20. Caroling in the Shower > Caroling in Public

Let’s keep the high notes private.

🤳 21. Decorating the Tree for Instagram vs. Real Life

Expectation: Winter Wonderland Reality: Half-lit, cat-destroyed chaos

🛒 22. Last-Minute Gift Shopping = Competitive Sport

May the odds be ever in your checkout line’s favour.

📅 23. Christmas Eve: Wrapping Presents at Midnight

With Tape in Your Hair and Paper Cuts on Every Finger

'Tis the season for mild panic and glitter everywhere.

🧁 24. Overachievers With Homemade Gifts

Just say you hate us and go.

🎉 25. “New Year, New Me” (Same Me, but Tired-er)

But first… let’s survive Christmas.

BONUS: Want More Laughs?

Check out the Humor Quotes section at Scoreven for funny quotes, witty one-liners, and more memes that keep the cheer going all year long.

Final Thoughts

The holidays can be overwhelming, but laughter is the best coping mechanism. These Christmas humor memes remind us that it’s okay to embrace the imperfections—and find the funny in the frenzy.

So, share these with your friends, post them in your group chats, or just enjoy a good laugh between gift wrapping and baking marathons. You’ve earned it.

[graceisinthelibrary]

You made many good points. The one thing I actually struggle with is Tristan and his drinking. I think it's odd that he's so determined to come home drunk every night because he feels lucky to have survived. We all know he prefers to look on the bright side, but this coping mechanism still feels wrong. Maybe Siegfried’s assurance that he wants him around will resolve this issue.

James story in ep6 was well done and Nick could finally prove what a good actor he truly is. It's actually the way his character is written that makes him an absolute bore for 90% of the time.

Helen was violently underused during the whole season. That surprised me. Women can get more than just mothers. Audrey proves that on a regular basis.

I'm going to miss Carmody. He added another layer of humour and humanity to the show.

Audrey was wonderful this season, though her last conversation with Bosworth felt flat to me. I hope their arc gets a proper ending in the CS, but I doubt it. No mention of Edward though, which doesn't sit well with me.

As for Siegfried x Audrey in general: for the first time, I feel the writers are simply trying to prolong it, so it fits a certain narrative. I miss some organic development in this area. Also the way they introduced Miss G - as an obvious misfit - only to make her a big off-screen thing in episode 6 is just.... well, it feels forced. I wonder if we will somehow get a fitting end for this storyline that gives us a clue as to why Siegfried suddenly has overcome his pining for Audrey. It doesn't make much sense, especially since they have grown closer over the course of the season.

A few thoughts from 5.6.

I loved this episode, and I’ve loved this whole series. I know we got very little of our favourite pairing in the second half of the series, but what we did get was good.

In this episode, although they were barely in any scenes together, there were still some things I absolutely loved in relation to them:

1. I love the comparison of Miss G having a hissy fit about Siegfried correcting her grammar, while Audrey, when faced with the man carrying a pig muck covered coat, just smiles and accepts that that’s Siegfried.

2. I also love the comparison of Miss G (presumably) ignoring Siegfried because she’s sulking at him re the grammar corrections, but when he doesn’t get home at the time Audrey expects him she’s worried and rings Dobson to check on him. (She plays down the worry but it was there).

3. I enjoyed the direction at various points in this episode, particularly Tristan telling Siegfried to ask Miss G out, pretty much immediately followed by him injuring himself, cursing, and then a cut straight to Audrey at Skeldale. (Let’s face it Tristan has a terrible track record with romance, so this felt fitting even if it hadn’t given a bit of a ship boost moment)

Re: Audrey in this episode, it was a perfect example of quite how easily the lady could (and does) run the house. She cooks jam, takes care of Helen, knows where to find prescriptions for patients, feeds the dogs, and generally just handles everything in her stride. She is indeed remarkable.

Re: Tristan in this episode, I actually love the way his ‘mystery’ played out. I was convinced there was something malign, something painful from the war. It never occurred to me that actually the problem might be that there wasn’t. That there’s an element of feeling guilty for getting out without injury (which would explain his reaction at Pumphrey Manor) and thinking that his brother maybe thinks less of him for it. I actually think that was a really interesting way to play it out, and I enjoyed it.

Re: James’ storyline, it was heart wrenching when he was talking in his delirium. I think that was handled very well and performed very well too.

And finally, the Siegfried and Tristan scenes were just brilliant for me. They didn’t play out how I necessarily expected them to, but they were brilliant. The love between them coming out in the end, after all of the bickering, and the way Siegfried was audibly upset explaining how he wanted to have his brother’s company of an evening, it was all so beautifully written and played.

So those are my thoughts. I loved it, and I can’t wait for the CS now.

[stupid-2012tmnt-pics]

okay. i know this is an extremely emotion scene but when i saw this i actually stopped crying and burst out laughing because this?

looks a helluva lot like this

[ghosts-bandwagon]

can we have a headcannon of y/n (female) thats throwing dark humour around everytime and have 141 + Rudy, Alejandro nd konig react to her lmao 🤣

Can we have that? 💜 Thank you

Girl. Literally me. (I give my coworkers whiplash but they dish it pretty good too lmao)

Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley:

Might actually get a decent laugh out of him, we’ve all heard his horrendous hilarious jokes, so we all know he can dish it, but can he take it? Depends on the type of humor

If it’s self-depreciating, probably not. Doesn’t really get it? Like he does but he sees you too positively for the humor to click.

Unalive jokes? Definitely not. Hates hearing it from you even if you’re laughing about it, so if you want to make them, you better be cheeky about it (“Head down, sergeant you’ll get spotted.” “Aw sweet, you think so?” You don’t have to be near him or even see him to feel his glare)

Jokes about your traumas? Not super keen on it but if you’re at a point in your life that you feel ok enough to laugh about it, he’s not one to take wind out of your sails (“Damn, this drink hits harder than my dad.” “Sweetheart. Please.”

But if your jokes are similar to his, then your chances of getting a laugh out of him went up exponentially (he thinks he’s so god damn funny and he’s right. king.)

“How do you turn a salad into a Cesar salad?”

“How?”

“Stab it 23 times.” Soap audibly groaned,

“That’s my girl.”

All in all, you’ll get a deep sigh with pinching the bridge of his nose for every joke you make, and maybe you’ll get a pretty laugh from him (god I bet his laugh is so nice 😭)

John ‘Soap’ MacTavish:

(laughs nervously) what the fuck?

He’s heard Ghost’s jokes firsthand, so the dark humor isn’t new to him. He might even laugh with you and crack a few of his own

Honestly, as long you’re having a laugh he’s not really that worried (still a little worried tho)

He trusts that if you’re feeling particularly bad about something, you’d talk to him about it and he’s here for that

He kind of enjoys the theatre of it, the dramatic reactions to something so seemingly mundane,

“So when are you gonna take me out?”

“To dinner? We just ate, bonnie.”

“… not what I meant but I love where your heads at.”

“Not in a million years.” He laughs kissing your temple and squeezing you against him

“So you’re saying there’s a chance? It’s just a matter of when, got it. Thanks babe, I owe you”

John Price:

He’s not thrilled about it but he’s worked with Ghost so he’s somewhat built a tolerance

He knows you sometimes use dark humor as a coping mechanism but he’ll tease you saying you should come with a warning label

He’s definitely choked at hearing some of the things come out of your mouth, at least the jokes relating to your own traumas, those always give him whiplash

He finds your situational dark humor much funnier than anything you might say that involves you being harmed, even if it is a joke that’s kind a nightmare scenario for him

Those will definitely get a chuckle out of him, just please stop making jokes about yourself, he loves you a little too much to stomach them

“What does my dad have in common with Nemo?” He refuses to answer, he knows, he fucking knows

“They both can’t be found.”

God damn it, sweetheart

Kyle ‘Gaz’ Gerrick:

He’ll join you for sure lmao

He’ll see you sparring on the mats with Soap and he sees you land a particularly rough kick that he managed to block

“Damn babe, that was clean. Now do it right here.” He’s pointing at his temple, you laugh and throw your sweaty towel at him

You’re out on recon and you’re making your way towards the targeted area,

“I’d be terrible if I was discovered, sure hope there aren’t any snipers to take me out. That’d be awful.”

Price groaned even as Kyle stifled a chuckle,

“Come on, love, we’re a bit too good to let that happen to you.”

“That’s the real tragedy, honestly.”

“Enough, you two.”

König:

He thinks you’re funny but low key a little worried at how easily the jokes come to you

But if you’re laughing and having a good time, then so is he!

Sometimes you really do say some crazy things and he doesn’t know whether to laugh or to hug you

He likes the jokes that have nothing to do with you much better, you’d be sitting at a briefing in the far corner when you lean in and whisper quietly,

“Köni, what’s red and bad for your teeth?”

“Hm?”

“A brick.”

He stifles a laugh and shakes his head, you can see the corners of his eyes crinkle as he tries to hide the smile.

Alejandro Vargas:

Honestly, he kind of gives me the vibe of “telling a joke becomes receiving a lecture”

Like you’ll make a joke and look at him and he’s deadpanned,

“Mi amor, that’s no laughing matter.” And then he goes into a full lecture about why what you said was out of pocket and a little hurtful

It’s not that he doesn’t understand the humor he’s just concerned

But, he prefers the goofier jokes I feel like,

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away, or at least it does if you throw it hard enough.”

“Mensa.” He pushes your shoulder playfully with a laugh.

Dumb jokes like that get a good laugh out of him, just don’t make them about you please he loves you so much and he will lecture you

Rodolfo Parra:

Mortified in Spanish

“Mi vida, please don’t make those jokes.”

They break his poor little heart :( he loves you so much it makes him sad to hear make such harsh jokes about yourself or even see such awful things

He sighs every time he hears one of your jokes and gives this look 🥺

He doesn’t like that you joke about yourself or the things that have happened to you like that

He understands that humor is sometimes a coping mechanism, but he’d much rather talk through the things you’re joking about

He just cares about you so god damn MUCH

But if they’re nonsensical, then he’ll chuckle quietly,

“You don’t need a parachute to go skydiving.”

“What? Amor you definitely-”

“You need a parachute to go skydiving twice.”

“Dios mío, amor.” He chuckles.

[ritualove]

Lorelei laughed at Leo's hypothetical electrocution, however it was more polite than out of humour. She had come to like Leo, even if they have only talked a small amount, and overall she didn't really like self deprecating humour, however she understood that people use it as a coping mechanism. She was just appreciative that he was talking to her at all. "Drinking thoughts away is doing me good for now" she said.

Leo's confession about a powerful witch was a surprise to Lorelei. She dosen't know of his personal connection to Leo at all, so she just assumed witches know about other witches. "Really? Who?" She realised that perhaps if Leo wanted to disclose he would have, so Lorelei tried to brush it off, "Actually maybe I don't want to know if you hope he's not here." She said with a nervous laugh. "I just hope we don't have anything to be actually concerned about." She said, hoping that Leo can say that it'll all be okay, even if that is unrealisitc.

Laughing, Leo replied, "Yeah, until I get struck by lightning or something. I guess that's one way to get my brain to shut the hell up." Really Leo knew that getting struck by lightning was not a common occurrence, and it wasn't like he went outside with a lightning rod during these storms. But the truth was that he was suddenly really aware of how much he had told Lorelei, so his natural instinct was to deflect. For so long, Leo had kept everything to himself. He'd moved around so much growing up and even into adulthood, and eventually he'd stopped confiding in people because the only constant in his life had been his mother. And Leo hadn't confided in her much either as the years went on. For one thing, there were some things you just didn't want to tell your mother, but for another, she had had so much going on, and Leo had never wanted to add to her burden. So it was his natural inclination to keep everything to himself and deal with it privately, and while he was enjoying talking to Lorelei, it still felt strange to let his guard down. "I'm sure there are safer ways to quiet your mind," Leo went on, and he'd been about to add "like drinking," but was that any safer? Probably not with how much Leo drank sometimes.

Leo thought about what he'd just said, and for some reason voicing his concern made it feel more real...made it scarier. "A storm is one thing, but a storm controlled by someone is a whole other thing," Leo replied. He laughed at Lorelei's remark, and he retorted facetiously, "You've caught me. I'm a storm maker," a smile on his face. But then that smile faded, and he said, "I've only known one witch who could maybe make a storm like that, and I really hope he's not here." This was another thing Leo couldn't believe that he had said. Moving past that before Lorelei could ask questions, Leo went on, "Even at the height of my power, I couldn't conjure a storm at all, let alone one like that," he told the florist, and this was another thing he hadn't meant to say. Apparently he'd had more than he thought of the "free" booze that came along with being a bartender.

[leejungchans]

— dance with me?

word count: 1.7k

pairing: dino (svt) x ateez oc (juliet)

warning(s): none!!

genre: an overwhelming amount of fluff bc i love lee chan

set on february 11, 2021

summary: during a late-night date on dino’s birthday, he asks juliet a special question.

juliet’s masterlist

minnie 🐭❤️ [22:16] i’m heading down now!! (◕‿◕) don’t drive off without me please ur so sexc 😩😩

From where he is, parked a street down from the building where ATEEZ’s dorm is in, Chan shakes his head fondly, looking out the window from the driver’s seat for any sign of his girlfriend.

Sure enough, just a few minutes later, Juliet emerges from the building’s entrance, glancing down the mostly empty street before spotting the familiar car.

Under the light of the street lamps, he can see that she’s wearing a huge puffer jacket with a scarf wrapped around her neck, purple hair stuffed under her beanie to avoid catching the attention of prying eyes. With all the layers she has on, she reminds him of a waddling penguin as she speed-walks towards the car.

Cute.

Chan unlocks the door as Juliet approaches, her eyes smiling while she settles into the passenger’s seat before leaning over the console to hug him. “Happy birthday, Channie,” she beams, taking off her mask to nuzzle the bottom half of her face into the thick material of her scarf.

“You already said that,” Chan teases, also smiling as he watches her fumble with the seatbelt for a bit.

“That was from almost twelve hours ago at 12 am! I think it’s illegal if I didn’t wish you a happy birthday again,” Juliet protests. “Sorry for being late, by the way. Have you been waiting long?”

“It’s only a few minutes, don’t sweat it.”

“Okay, but there’s actually a good reason! I was about to leave the building when Mingi-oppa called me because I left your present on the table, and I had to go back up to grab it! So you have him to thank that you have a birthday present.”

Juliet takes out a small gift bag, its handles tied together with ribbon so he can’t look into it, and hands it to him with a sweet grin. “Don’t open it now, though,” she warns half-jokingly.

“What? Why?” Chan whines. “I can’t even open my own present on my birthday?”

“No, because if you open it now then I’ll have to explain the meaning behind your gift, and if I do that I might actually cry. There’s a card inside explaining it.”

“What if I want to hear it from you?”

“Then you can call me when you get home,” she responds cheekily.

Chan relents. “Fine, you win. But you didn’t have to get me anything, I hope you know that,” he adds the last part seriously.

Juliet smiles reassuringly. “I know, but I wanted to. I hope you’ll like it, though.”

“I know I will.” It’s at that moment when he finally gets a good look at her face, the light from the street lamps hitting it just enough for him to note the dark circles under her eyes. “You look tired, baby. Don’t get me wrong, you’re beautiful no matter what, but is everything okay?”

“Hm? Oh, yeah.” As though on cue, Juliet brings a hand up to cover her mouth as she yawns. “Just a little tired from comeback preparations and practising for Kingdom. I’ll be fine, though, don’t worry.”

“I’ll always worry about you,” Chan admits. “You shouldn’t have come so you can rest.”

Juliet frowns. “No, I wanted to see you. Plus, it’s your birthday.”

“Okay, but you have to promise that you’ll take care of yourself.”

“I always do!” A pause. “Okay, sometimes I don’t, but I’ll try,” she promises genuinely.

Chan smiles. “Good. Let’s go, then. Seatbelt on?”

“Mhm!”

“Um, where exactly are you taking me?” Juliet asks suspiciously, noting that they’re currently driving up a hill away from central Seoul.

“Patience, Minnie. You’ll find out soon,” Chan says with a mischievous smirk. “We’re almost there.”

She feigns an offended gasp. “I am always patient! I’m just asking because I’m too pretty to meet my end now.”

“If something happens, I’ll protect you.”

“Nice try, but don’t think I haven’t watched that episode of GOING SEVENTEEN with you guys in the haunted house,” Juliet teases with a raised brow. “If anything, we probably need to call Wonwoo-ssi or Minghao-ssi.”

Chan groans. “Can we not talk about my members when we’re on a date?”

This only earns a laugh from Juliet. “You’re cute when you’re jealous.”

“You’re going to tease me even on my birthday?”

“It’s how I show affection!” she defends while the car comes to a stop at the side of a dimly lit road. “Are we here?”

Upon his nod, she unbuckles her seatbelt to hop out the car, snow crunching under her boots. Immediately, harsh winds whip at her face and she shivers, the temperature even lower due to the higher elevation.

She hears a lighthearted tsk from behind her before feeling her jacket being draped over her shoulders. “You left it in the backseat, silly,” Chan says softly while he helps her into it, referring to when she took it off during the car ride. “You’re going to catch a cold.”

“No, I won’t. I have you to remind me,” Juliet says cheekily, earning herself a light flick on the forehead. She follows Chan to a clearing a few paces away from where they parked and immediately realises why he took her here.

Seoul, with its sparkling lights, is captivating at night when you’re in the heart of the city, but perhaps even more so when you’re looking at it from afar. She can’t help but admire the stark contrast between the tranquil hillside they’re at that compared to the vibrant city centre it overlooks.

“I sometimes come here with the members when we want to be away from... the loudness of it all,” Chan explains quietly as they move closer to the railing. “To think. Or just to take our mind off certain things.”

Juliet leans closer to his side to link their arms, her head coming to rest on his shoulder. “It’s beautiful. Thank you for bringing me here.”

“Don’t come to places like here often?”

She snorts. “I don’t just let anyone drive me to a dark hill in the middle of the night.”

Chan laughs, gently resting his head on hers. “You have a point. Does this mean I’m the only person allowed to take you here?”

“I’d like that. I also have a horrible sense of direction, so I don’t think I can remember the way here even if I tried.” Despite her quip, something in Juliet feels fuzzy and warm at the thought of this place being one only they know of.

It brings a sense of giddiness, the same one she felt when she was much, much younger; when she and her friends first decided on a secret hideout at their school back home in Sydney. Only this time, there’s more to it than just childhood innocence.

Juliet doesn’t know much about love. She’s had crushes here and there throughout her life, but none of them ever developed into something further. Of course, until she met Chan.

She doesn’t know much about love. But this feels like it.

And that’s more than enough for her.

His voice cuts through her thoughts. “I actually have something to ask you.”

At her hum, he continues.

“I was wondering if you’d want to be on Danceology. You know, like for a collaboration. We can choreograph and dance it together... anything you want, really.”

Juliet looks up at the boy with wide eyes, not knowing if she heard him correctly. “You’re sure?”

“You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to. Or you don’t have to decide now, I know you’re really busy these days. No pressure at all.”

“No, no,” she clarifies. “I meant if you’re sure you want to do one with me?”

The look in his eyes is so tender that she feels like crying. “I wouldn’t want anyone else.”

Something tells her he’s not only referring to Danceology.

Juliet leans her forehead on Chan’s shoulder to hide her face from him. “You’re going to make me cry on your own birthday,” she mutters.

“Is that a yes?”

She nods against him while blinking away the hot tears prickling at her eyes, feeling his lips press against her temple.

“That’s the best present you could’ve given me.”

“Yah, you can’t say that!” Juliet says, somehow finding it in her to crack a joke. What can she say? Humour is one of her many coping mechanisms. “You’re only supposed to say that if I didn’t give you anything! What does that make the gift I got you?”

“Best of the best?” At her laugh, Chan presses again, “am I still not allowed to open it?”

“No, you’re not.”

[00:05—Outside ATEEZ’s dorm]

“Okay, fine, you can open it.”

“What made you change your mind?” Chan grins, already reaching for the small bag in the backseat.

“Honestly, I don’t know,” Juliet admits, smiling as she uses the dimmest setting of her phone’s flashlight to illuminate the dark interior, the overhead light being too risky to turn on at this hour lest they want to draw unwanted attention to themselves. “I guess I want to see your reaction.”

She stares quietly as he undos the ribbon tying the handles together before looking into the bag and taking out a small box. Despite her shyness and the sudden urge to jump out of the car and run back up to the dorm, Juliet continues to hold up her phone as he takes out the silver band within it.

It’s simple, minimalist, inconspicuous enough to wear during the day but at the same time uniquely his due to the custom engraving on the outside of the band. A snowflake.

She bites the inside of her cheek from nervousness as Chan silently reads the small card that came along in the bag, subconsciously tracing over her neat handwriting with his finger.

“Like a snowflake, I fell for you hahahaha (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) You asked me to be yours during the first snow of the year. I hope that is only the start of many more years to come. Happy Birthday, always be happy and healthy ❤️ And don’t forget to take care of yourself!! (♡`Д´) If you forget I’ll come over and nag you, but maybe you’d like that more than not ㅋㅋㅋ — 🐭❤️”

Chan’s eyes are glossy when he finally meets her curious and worried gaze, trying to gauge his reaction. He beams brightly.

“Told you I’d like it.”

find their collaboration here!! 😼

a/n: blessing you guys with this gif bc look at him go!! ;-; stream dino’s dancelogy to be sexcie 😼 pls don’t let juno flop </3 also i thought it’d be too mean if i didn’t tell you what the present was bc i definitely considered not saying anything about it 👀👀 anyways let me know what you think about this chapter 🥺 personally i am <///3 bc bwhehwhs i want what they have but also i’m not very good at writing fluff whjehdhw i cringe at myself sm when writing it 🤡

thank you so much for reading 💕 please do consider leaving feedback whether it’s a reblog, a reply or an ask, it would mean the absolute world to me as feedback really motivates and supports creators 🥺 and feel free to chat with me about juliet or anything else through my asks!! as always, take care and have a good day!!

[marvels-bitch-boy]

SWORD agent story idea backstory

here is the backstory for Y/N Y/L/N from Sword agent idea, you can imagine him however you want, you can choose any kind of name for him

I will be including all the information on him that I have come up with so far, If I come up with anything that seems good enough I'll add it

Agent Y/N Y/L/N,

He was born in (your birthplace) and is currently 21-22 (as is Wanda and Pietro) he doesn’t like to celebrate his birthday because his parents never took time celebrate with him

both his parents don't have any kind of relationship with him (or with each other), they only reach out when they need something and they claim all his accomplishments as their doing

He is a very gifted individual, he has a very high intellect, he is highly trained in many fields of combat, he is very physically fit, and he became an enhanced individual after a training mission gone wrong

He graduated high school at the age of 15 and was enrolled at west point, he graduated west point at 18, and then went on two tours (both lasting 2 years) in the United States Army before he was recruited by SWORD there he enters the agent training/recruitment program

He comes off as immature and reckless or careless to most regular people, but to more perceptive-and maybe mind readers-he is more self-conscious and uses humour as a coping mechanism, he is an extrovert that has anxiety in one on one settings (except with his emotional support Pietro)

He has yet to allow himself any kind of romantic relationship because he is scared of ending up like his parents

His powers are enhanced strength and stamina along with fire-based abilities, much like Inferno, he can create fire, he can control fire around him, he can control the temperature of the space around him, he can make walls of fire, and uses his flames to fly, he surprisingly likes the cold and anything cool, when he gets sick he doesn't get a fever his body actually cools itself (which surprises him) he doesn't tell anyone about his powers except Director Rambeau, Director Fury and of course Pietro (steve knows because he read his file and questioned Fury on him)

He got the nickname Ignes after he got his powers during the first week of training, no one from his group knows about his powers they just think he accidentally set a training room on fire

He has a large sports background, he played soccer, track and field, rugby, diving, swimming, and does triathlons, he finds them all very fun and takes breaks from them when he no longer finds joy in them

He loves to read and finds solice in a good book

Most will find him either in the library in a quiet corner (mostly at night with a cup of tea) or training in the various workout rooms

That is all for now! I hope you like it, if you have any questions about him let me know! AGAIN THIS IS FREE TO USE!!! COMPLETELY FREE TO USE!!

I just posted chapter 1 for the story! go check it out!!

[kenxmatsui]

"I often tend to be right, not always though that much I can admit, maybe this case is one. Who knows." He doubted that, to not have a point that was obvious was not an issue but to not have one at all seemed too unbelievable to register. "That seems illogical too," he said after a beat, "You'd still be holding onto the resentment and sentiment. Is that not in a way the same? You won't forget the issue but will extend forgiveness, what fuss that solve?" Maybe he was missing something here, the spaces in between words could hold answers but the now the question was if he would dissect them to find. But he didn't forget nor did he forgive, that was in a way like respect to him – had to be earned.

He scoffed lightly at her words, shake of his to indicate the opposite to be true, "Keeps me going, actually, resentments are a fuel." He paused slightly, unable to keep humour for from showing. With a hand to his chest, he looked at her positively scandalised, mock shock flashing to a grin, "Are you saying I have unhealthy coping mechanisms? Unheard of. I'm the picture of health." He wished the coffee in his hand was actually alcohol to drive that ridiculous point home. But the act soon dropped like her smile, and Ken schooled his features back to his normal baseline stare, "Blunt is how I operate so take this less harsh than it sounds. Your strive to be understood, to be liked, to be seen, will lead to resentments." His life was something similar thought not as desperate as hers was, Ken from the get go had standards to maintain, to achieve, and there came a point where he simply did not care anymore. "You must be aware that others have their own perceptions, right? They will react differently than what you expect, so why don't you let them? Must they understand you entirely to be supportive or considerate? I know you're not expecting it all to be equal but no matter what you say or do, things have a chance to be used against you." He paused briefly, somehow reaching a conclusion of his own, "Maybe the writing thing is beneficial for you actually. Clarity might be found."

He knew he wasn't the right person for Briar to talk all this with, yet somehow they stumbled into such conversations. "Sometimes not doing anything is the best thing one can do. Situation dependent of course." He considered her statement, letting it roll in his mind before responding, "This might seem contradictory, but think it more of seeing the other side of the picture than a contradiction, my stance on this matter hasn't changed much, the path of our lives has already been decided, how you exist is the choice that I somewhat agree to now. You can stand in one spot, walk slow or sprint, there's reason to everything. So yes, intent matters, but sometimes there's a purpose to a pause. You're running with no reason or rhyme, but I can't speak on life and living given I'm only alive on a technicality, so you can consider what I've said to be void."

Ken sputtered a laugh, "That's the conclusion?" But as she continued his brows creased, Supreme nonsensehe had no time for but the other? He couldn’thelp but speak on. "You gave up Yale for this town? What the hell is wrong with you? That's a fucking dumb choice you made." But what good did chiding after the event do? She likely knew her mistake. "My purpose died when I did, doesn't mean I'm aimless or have no direction, just that," he paused again, trying to find the words, "My purpose isn't on an intangible thing anymore, at least not in the direct sense. I'm not striving for a rung on the ladder, approval, or success. I think I've achieved that." He may have found his purpose too if he thought on it, with Leyla and Rohan in his life now, life seemed to have meaning. "Aspirations differ to actualities though, I suppose this is why Yale didn't happen for you. Only time will tell what actually happens, just as long as you don't waste it wondering on the could bes."

Her shoulders rose in answer, "I think, sometimes we're driven to do something even when the point isn't obvious yet. But maybe you're right." Briar was looking for answers, perhaps where there were none, sense in the senseless. Perhaps not everything was meant to be understood. She still tried, full of the tenacious hope that sometimes made her stomach roll with the sickening feeling of crumbling hope. "I think you can forgive, but you don't forget."

She answered with a nod, there wasn't really a point in trying to bury the truth under self-effacing humour or denial. She did want to be liked. "I do realize the paradox. Remember so you don't get burned twice, but maybe don't resent...I doubt it's good for your health to hold onto resentments. It would be exhausting to feel that way all the time." She gestured to the book, "Hence writing it down." She seemed to be finding her point, "I don't expect to be understood. My words have been used against me more than once, so if I write down how I feel, it's just for me. No one can twist them, use them against me but I can in a way let them go...I think that may be the point." The revelation was not massive, but a small relief to understand a bit better. Her lips twitched into a sad smile, "Knowing I can't stop it doesn't mean I won't try to do something. Maybe that's foolish, but I feel more distraught in doing nothing." Maybe it leads her to recklessness to be so full of desperation to prevent suffering. She wrinkled her nose, "I think intent matters. If we're just doing things to do them with no rhyme or reason, is that really what existence is? Just doing with no reason for any of it?" She drew a thoughtful breath, purpose.

She had thought of it her entire life. Her purpose had been to be the perfect daughter. Obedient, loyal, a good witch, and eventually maybe Supreme. It was the only purpose of her entire life, and then it was gone. "Sometimes, I think my problems are minimal. Built up terribly in my head so heavy...impossible to put down." She began to explain, her eyes sweeping around them. Her entire life had been in this town, anything before it she could not recall. Whoever she could have been before her mother stole them away to a town that became Briar's only home was a stranger to Briar.

Whoever she could have been before her stepfather's death, before Poppy became Supreme before she and her mother died before she killed a man- that woman was lost to her, too. Casting her eyes to his face, her teeth ran over the insides of her cheeks. "Radical acceptance?" She said, unsure, "I've always believed the only way out was through...I'm working on the purpose part. I have had a few different versions of my life change pretty dramatically- I was going to go to Yale. I'd been accepted. Imagined that life before it was gone. Then I was going to be supreme," she laughed despite herself, running a hand through her hair. "I can't imagine it now." Tapping her book, "What's your purpose?" She asked curiosity wondering what purpose meant from someone whose opinion she had come to value a great deal.

[artobotsrollout]

The more I think about it, the more I'm thinking I'd like to bring Jazz into Harbingers.

He's smart and lovable and deserves screen time!!!!! Exodus did him dirty. I'm so sorry Jazz you deserved so much better than the role of frequently ignorant devil's advocate. 😭 (I'm also still salty at how bad Micheal Bay messed up Jazz like?!?!)

He'd have his own arcs to explore! *exploration into possible deeper arcs is below the bullet points

With the Decepticons losing Starscream and Knockout, the least loyal to the cause so the most likely to give up information, they're gonna need someone to gather Intel and insight into what Megatron's loyalists are doing.

He would really work well with the general energy Team Prime in TfP has and would connect well with the humans. MORE SLICE OF LIFE MOMENTS!

Optimus is already a serious character which is a big reason imo Ultra Magnus wasn't the best choice to bring in to fill a SIC role. Giving Jazz a more second in command role would be an ideal choice. He would be a good fun contrast to Optimus. With the energy of TFP having some really dark moments, bringing on someone like Jazz would bring hope and fun to a dark situation. He'd be a fun character to have that stands well on his own or with others!

With Starscream and crew taking on a neutral role, there needs to be another higher ranking person, besides Optimus, who is clever, chill, and good with people. Jazz helping Optimus build bridges and keeping a cool head would be helpful in working together, so the first insult thrown by say... a grumpy Wheeljack, Ratchet, or Ramjet won't escalate too far.

On the flipside, having another person who can keep team members in line besides Optimus and Ratchet would add variety and other unique approaches to situations.

As a leader figure, he could connect with the team w/o being as distant as Optimus. (more dads? In MY team prime? It's more likely than you think.) Maybe even be the character to bring in the emotional validation that TfP sorely lacked.

Another person to make fun of Megatron is always good.

Starscream is very clever and having someone who can keep up with his witticisms and not hesitate to call him on his bluffs would be a good edition. While Optimus is clever, I have a hard time seeing him actively engaging with some of Scream's sharper digs or calling people out on things that aren't essential. And I feel like Starscream and Ratchet would both rant about things together but also argue in circles together. XD. Jazz and Starscream could have a somewhat friendly relationship w lighthearted banter while also having some of that warning laced into what they say.

Stealth missions? Hell yeah another whole avenue of stories to explore!

With stealth/spy missions being more of a thing, Smokescreen could be developed further and become an essential member with emphasis on diversionary tactics like he was in other continuities.

While Arcee fills some of the above roles, I feel like a bouncier playful character is enough reason to make him a great addition.

I may or may not want to have Soundwave and Jazz have a music battle.....

*2. He could bring his own character arcs.

I could touch on how important he was to the rebellion against the senate and what he and Optimus were like back then. Having been with OP since the very beginning he'd be pretty exhausted as well

I could see him sometimes using humour/ putting on a smile as a coping mechanism. That's a big avenue to explore too. Maybe even making light of situations that are actually pretty dark. Maybe even accidentally making things awkward by joking about something awful that happened to him. This would be stemming from one thing he and Optimus would have in common: they both have a certain blanketing numbness due to being overwrought.

Imo he could be a good person to explore the masks sometimes made to cover depression or despair with. Maybe even touching on using distraction as a coping mechanism. But I wouldn't want this exploration to be the reason for his interests, instead it would be like, as a person he genuinely loves playing and listening to music, learning about earth and well... learning new things in general. He's genuinely a nice dude.

I could just see him not taking a moment to pause on his off hours and constantly trying to keep himself busy. Anything to keep giving himself purpose and reason to move forward. I think most agree that no cybertronian would be emotionally well adjusted this late in the war. He, like everyone else, is doing what he can to hold himself together. Jazz could try and keep the person he was before the war around for others but mostly himself. The war has taken everything from everyone. He doesn't want the war to take away pieces of who he is as well.

Anyways this post is way longer than I expected it to be and while writing it I went from "I'm considering adding Jazz" to "I'm adding Jazz". This is what I have so far but be aware some things may change as I develop things more!

Jazz would have been one of the members to steal the show if he had been added. Hasbro was too afraid of his power but I want to free him >:O!!!! . Dnchsjdkw

If you're still here after that massive ramble/glorified brainstorm session please take the greatest honour I can bestow, the Autothots Badge of Thottery. Thank you.

[crazymisscarly]

on today’s episode of essay-length hot takes nobody asked for:

So I freak out and internally implode whenever ~bughead~ doesn’t let their ship set sail as much as the next person, but I’ve been (over) thinking about it and maybe doing all this weird ‘everyone breaking up and going to the person they dont really work with’ is actually a good thing in the long run.

Not saying I like it, in fact I have approximately seven fanfics that deeply demonstrate HOW MUCH i don’t like it, but this is the canon storyline we’ve got.

Since the writers clearly want to drag it all out for as long as possible because they… want to (their choice, its their work of art, we can only glare at it from afar), perhaps they’re trying to go full circle and prove that couples like bughead, varchie, choni and even kangs are the ones that will work out in the end.

here’s my reasoning:

Yes, I have scrolled as fast as humanly possible through my dashboard to avoid the jughead and tabitha gifs, and earlier today learned that they sang ‘perfect for you’ and my immediate reaction, after I’d finished mourning their platonic friendship, was just *vomit emoji*. But, then I saw the lyrics to perfect for you…. And it sounds like Jughead is trying to change himself into being someone ‘perfect’ so that tabitha will like him. That just doesn’t strike me as either healthy or long lasting. He shouldn’t HAVE to change himself to be in a relationship with Tabitha. Get better, yes, because he’s recovering, but change himself??? They were good friends, they worked well as a team, but in none of those interactions did he try to change himself to make her happy. So why is he now??

And take Fangs and Toni for a moment - they just had a baby together, and they’re apparently in love after one episode (hey if it works for barchie and veggie then why not -.-), but really, aren’t they doing this because they work well as a team and are starting to think ‘maybe we can be a perfect little happy family’???

And Veronica and Archie (won’t lie didn’t watch the musical ep so can’t be sure) broke up because they see themselves doing different things in life (?) and veronica wants to go back to New York. And she wants to work on herself (valid)  and for some reason goes back to Reggie the sister-swapping gigolo next ep (whom she made THIS face at when she found out:

But I digress.)

With this in mind, I would assume Veronica is fearful that, like she lost herself in her relationship with Chad, she’ll lose herself in her relationship with Archie because he isn’t a big time New York City high roller like Reggie must want to be. So she’s hoping that maybe Reggie, who she works well with in a team, could be the one for her.

Now, Betty and Archie…. My soul shivers with cold despair as I even type this, but let’s humour them for a second. Archie is upset that veronica has left him, betty has been shown to use sex as a coping mechanism to avoid her trauma, makes sense they might start their FWB situation again, right??

Except…

Betty is devastated by the loss of her sister and needs to stay in Riverdale, Archie needs to stay in riverdale because he has 673 jobs there, and both of them have shit they want to move on from or be distracted from - they’ve been shown to work well (dare i say it?) as a team, and they’re apparently good friends with each other, so why not give dating a go since their first choices (and make no mistake, Veronica is Archie’s first choice and Jughead was Betty’s first choice) are unavailable and they’re both depressed, traumatised and lonely??

So this should all be just fine and dandy, then right?? Everyone’s happy with their friends-to-lovers relationships, they can frolic blissfully in Pickens park with the loves of their lives shouting “Go teamwork!” Because this is the height of passion! Right??

No.

None of the above mentioned ships have achieved anything more than showing that the characters are SETTLING for the relationships that are ‘second’ best because they’ve come to the conclusion that this is safer than going for the ones they really love. You can’t get burned by your second choice because they don’t hold your heart in their hands - after all, you haven’t truly given it to them.

So if all goes to what I think (hope) is the plan, then by the end of this mysterious 5 episode event, most of these ships should have realised that their relationships are all just relationships of convenience. They aren’t passionate about each other. They are trying to force themselves into a ‘perfect’ relationship that suits what they think they need.

But inevitably: 

Betty will realise that nobody understands her like Jughead. Nobody else lets her feel vulnerable and shows her its okay to open up. Jughead will realise he doesn’t have to change himself to suit a relationship, and he and Tabitha can still be friends - Betty accepted his darkness for what it was, and he loved her even when she showed him hers.

Veronica will realise that she doesn’t have to give up being who she is, even if she chooses to live in Riverdale. And she doesn’t need to be with another Hiram-Lodge wanna be - she loves the small town boy who tries to be good rather than rich. She sees the value in his desire to help others, and HE sees her passionate nature and refusal to give up when she knows something is right!

Toni and Fangs will part amicably as happy little coparents, and i’m sure Kevin and Cheryl will eventually sort their shit out - what’s beautiful about these four though, is that they’ve been working on themselves all season and have actually spoken to each other a fair bit. I’m not even going to pretend to know whats up with Cheryl, but she at least leaves Thornhill occasionally now, and while I don’t know how its going to happen, i’m sure kangs and choni will rise.

On that note, fangs still doesn’t know kevin wanted to win him back, so that can be some actual tension between the characters in the coming episodes.

So where does that leave Tabitha and Reggie?

I can see it going two ways:  1. Tabitha franchises pops diner and moves back to Chicago where she doesn’t need no man, and Reggie keeps being a little philanthropist car salesman (possibly still hooking up with veronica’s sister) 2. #Teggie rising??? 

They’re both very driven people, both business-minded, both excited about the opportunities life has to offer AND they’ve both been shown to be incredibly ambitious. 

They’ve hardly interacted this entire season…. Maybe the writers are Saving a sneaky little surprise for when all the main ships get back together??

We can hope.

Anyway, I wrote this instead of an overdue essay (a real one for my masters degree) so i’m gonna leave my theories in the tumblr void for the time being. Let me know what you think :)

[not-poignant]

Hi Pia, please excuse my broken English. I feel the need to let you know how you saved me earlier from almost driving myself into a panic attack.

I sent a difficult email, and I kept pacing around my apartment, anxiously waiting for a response for about two hours. I finally had the idea to watch the first episode of TGBBO s6, and instantly felt calmer, and it just distracted me totally.

My heart was filled with love for Efnisien every time Tamal popped up on the screen, and I intend to watch the rest of the episodes.

So, I was curious to know who is your favorite from that season? And what do you usually do when you feel extremely anxious? Sorry if these are repetitive questions, I am kinda new here. Lots of love. 💚

Hi anon!

I'm so glad GBBO helped you! Honestly sometimes shows like that can just be so good, and it's good to have a little rotation of comfort shows that you know just make you feel better (for me it includes GBBO, but also The Office and Community, as well as recent Smosh Pit and Smosh Games YT videos).

It's so awesome that you were able to send that difficult email! You did so great, and the fact that you were able to stop and think and give yourself something comforting when you were scared and panicky is something that all of us have struggled to do at some time or another, and I hope you're really proud of yourself!

(I really love Tamal, Nadiya and Paul from that season, and I have a soft spot for Alvin, lol - Tamal's sense of humour makes me so happy. And I'm so glad he's been doing well ever since then, but Nadiya is just so expressive and awesome and creative, I fell in love with her).

As for me, hmmm, what I do when I'm extremely anxious varies! Sometimes I write. Sometimes I watch some of the above shows. Sometimes I chat in a group chat. Sometimes I listen to music (like, really loud, through headphones, so that it drowns everything else out). Sometimes I play video games like Stardew Valley and in the past things like Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Writing is actually one of my go-to coping mechanisms, so when I'm really panicky, I'm often sitting at the computer, writing to deal with it. And sometimes I walk while listening to music, but that's less common at the moment.

And sometimes I just have a panic attack x.x

(Oh, and maybe I shouldn't be admitting to this, but sometimes I just reread my own fanfiction and fiction. Knowing other characters are going through things I've been through, and reading them be comforted through that, is actually something that I find really helpful when I'm stressed out). :D

I hope you're taking care anon!

[oldsmobile-hotdogs]

Willex + ⛵️💍💫

ohoho bestie i had fun with this (also it’s almost 2k oops lol)

it’s also available on ao3!

may i present to you:

Two Ghosts... Having a Date on a Stolen Boat... They Might Kiss...

Alex had to admit: even for Willie, this act of delinquency was a lot.

When he’d first floated the idea of joyriding a sailboat under cover of night to Alex, albeit somewhat casually and hypothetically as they strolled along the pier during a mild June afternoon, Alex had gone along jokingly in that way you do when a friend asks who’d be eaten first if the whole group were trapped on a desert island.

But then Willie had brought it up again on their next- Date? Outing? Meeting?

(Alex was vehemently avoiding putting labels on their spending time together, just in case Willie were to put a different one on it to the one he ascribed it.)

And then on their next, next… hanging-out session… Willie had mooted a date for the grand theft boat and didn’t phrase it much like a question. And then he’d gently pointed out when the sailing class stopped for the night on said date: a Sunday, no less, so it closed before the sun even got close to setting, meaning anyone inside the little shed where they stored the paperwork and lifejackets would certainly be gone by the evening.

This wasn’t accounting for how objectively shocked Alex had been to learn that Willie knew how to sail, of all things. He knew Willie knew how to skate, though that was hard to miss, and he knew Willie had mentioned he used to surf a little when he was alive, but as far as Alex was aware, and he was sorting through all of their conversations just to be sure that he was sure, Willie had never mentioned he could sail.

-

In retrospect, that could have largely been because he couldn’t, strictly speaking. Alex had watched on in a strange mix of awe and terror as Willie had untied a small sailboat that lent itself easily to being pitied, if he was honest- all chipping paint and scuffs on the body and sunbleached sails- from its docking, and then suddenly he'd been yanked onto the vessel by his arm and made to crouch just behind Willie, close enough for the wind kicking up to whip his hair occasionally in Alex's face, and then Willie had knelt behind the sails and done something, Alex couldn't be sure what, that meant they were off. It was pleasant at first, which had surprised him immensely. Initially they were travelling relatively slowly, but still smoothly, not too far out from the shore, and the longer the joyride had lasted at this pace, the closer Alex had been to letting himself relax.

But then it had very quickly become apparent that Willie was somewhat out of his element: not majorly- he'd probably taken a few classes in a summer, maybe- but enough that he had psyched himself out. And whenever Willie felt psyched out, he turned reckless. Well, more reckless.

Despite the fact that he was a ghost, which meant that even if they had capsized they would have both been able to breathe, and that even if they had crashed no one would have been hurt and it would be physically impossible for the crime to come back to them, Alex had found himself with a white-knuckled grip on either side of the boat as it had picked up speed almost exponentially and began coasting erratically from side to side, the sail changing direction so obviously and violently that even an absolute novice, which Alex was, could have seen that something was wrong.

'You alright up there?' Alex had asked, even though "up there" was about four inches from his face.

'Yeah, I'm just- hold on-' And then Willie had let go of the tiller, which had filled Alex with the fear of God for a good six seconds, before rolling his shoulders back, shaking out his hands, exhaling a quick breath through his mouth and grasping it again. Willie must have gotten himself out of his Beserker state in that time because the boat had then begun moving in a relatively straight line again and, after a little while, had eased itself back down to a manageable speed. Alex would have to ask about that coping mechanism when he got the chance.

After what felt like maybe ten more minutes of sailing lightly around, but may have been quite a bit more, spent mostly in comfortable silence, Willie had pulled clumsily back into where the boat had previously been docked and Alex had clambered out from the little space he had been guided to originally and had remained in the entire joyride, tying the rope back around the little wooden pole that tethered it to the beach. Sailors' knots Alex could do. He'd been so afraid of getting lost in the woods one spring when he was a child, although an opportunity had never presented itself for him to go into the woods, that he'd read a Boy Scouts handbook cover to cover to the point where, even now, if he closed his eyes, he could see the passage on how to sterilise river water laid out in front of him.

'When you're done come back onto the boat. I wanna sit here for a little bit.'

Alex had looked up from his handiwork to meet Willie's gaze. His eyes had been bright, filled with the leftover mischief from their escapade, and a soft smile which had made Alex wonder if Willie had something else up his sleeve had played on his lips.

'Okay, yeah, I'll be back in a second,' he had replied, leaning down one last time to tighten the knot in the right places.

-

Willie had genuinely expected Alex to tell him to stop at some point, but the more Alex had gone along with what was originally at least partially a joke, the more Willie had wanted to see if he could actualise what had previously only ever been a poorly planned pipe dream. When everything started more or less crashing down around them, however, and their outing previously slated as some dangerous, blockbuster-level adventure had fizzled out into the anticlimax of the season, Willie couldn't help but worry that he had done something to threaten what the two had going for them, which would be poor timing, considering.

Now sitting sideways on the boat together, ghost legs phasing into the shallow water below, hands in touching distance if one of them just worked up the courage to splay their pinky finger a little more, Willie was getting nervous. A little giddy, too, at the possibility of this going right, but mostly nervous.

'Alex?' he began, a little embarrassed, though he knew that was needlessly so, at how his voice hiked in pitch from the nerves.

'Yeah?' Alex responded, his eyes suddenly fixed on him. Willie felt his face grow warm at this, and hoped the relative darkness afforded him some ability to hide the blush he knew was developing.

An added problem was that now Willie had no idea what to say next. He was great at listening to people divulge their emotions, sure, but he always struggled a little with expressing his own, preferring to offer solutions to the other people in his life's struggles and pretend like his own feelings weren't always too close to overflowing for comfort. Willie was suddenly hit with the overwhelming urge to backtrack as quickly as was humanly possible.

'No, never mind, actually. It's not important.' Willie attempted to sound casual, but was unsure of how successfully it actually came off.

'Well, see, now I definitely wanna hear what you had to say,' Alex retorted jokingly.

‘No, it’s stupid. Really.’

‘No, it’s not,’ Alex was now looking Willie pointedly in the eyes. ‘I don’t think you’ve said a stupid thing ever-’ Willie opened his mouth, ready to counter him- ‘Not when it counts.’

And it’s not like that admission of blind faith in Willie made the next words out of his mouth any easier, but they were now propelled from hiding by an added energy that wasn’t there before.

‘Okay, so I went to Tokyo a few weeks back-’

‘You- ...okay.’ It was obvious that this anecdote would have Alex wanting to throw himself into one of his crises about the afterlife and ghost powers and the limitations of poofing, but he was, so far, very valiantly, in Willie’s opinion, holding back. ‘You’ll have to tell me about that later.’

Willie couldn’t help but giggle at how resigned Alex sounded. ‘Oh, I will, hotdog, don’t worry.’

'Anyway,' Willie began again, more confident now that the conversation had taken on some humour. 'So I went to Tokyo, and I was walking down a street with a bunch of vendor stalls, and I saw this one stall and I, uh.' He paused a little, taking a few gentle breaths to build up the courage necessary to continue. 'I remembered my Mom telling me about these, uh, these rings.' Willie could almost feel Alex's eyes widen as he drew out the small, purple pouch that kept them safe from his hoodie pocket. He rushed to clarify. 'They're not- it's not a big thing in Japan. They're not like promise rings.' Alex audibly exhaled. 'Yeah, don't- I wouldn't... spring that on you.'

'No, yeah, I didn't... think you would.'

A silence came over them, uncharacteristicallly awkward, and Willie felt a little hopeless to save the moment.

Eventually, it was Alex who broke it. 'So, these rings?'

'Yeah,' Willie quickly responded. 'I stole them.' Alex chuckled under his breath. 'They're called couple rings, and people- well, couples- they buy them to mark the fact that they're- well, that they're couples.'

'Seems simple enough,' Alex joked, evidently warming to the idea.

'Oh yeah, very simple.' Willie could feel a smile spreading across his face. 'And there's no implication that you're gonna, like, do anything else later on either, which I like because, I mean, we're ghosts.' He gestured at how their legs became translucent where they dangled into the water. 'And that's probably already enough thinking about "forever" on its own, without the added pressure of any big promises.'

'Yeah, I agree.' Alex let out a sigh.

There was a beat of quiet before Willie continued.

'But obviously actually seeing them and putting them on is the main event, so I'm going to get them out of the pouch now, finally,' he joked, pulling open the hole in the top and lightly shaking two thin, silver bands out onto his hand. He then placed them gently onto the edge of the boat, and turned them so that Alex could see clearly what they looked like, or as clearly as was possible at this time of night.

'They've both got this line engraved in them almost the whole way 'round, and then one has a star stamped into it, and the other has a moon,' Willie explained, the nerves returning now that his gift was out in the open.

'I can see that,' Alex responded breathily, leaning a little closer to the rings. 'Willie, these are- they're beautiful. Thank you.'

'I thought you could be the star,' Willie suggested, the arm of his that was further away from Alex reaching up to rub at his neck, lightly avoiding how to respond to Alex's gratitude.

'Okay.'

Gingerly, Willie closed the gap between their hands and slipped the band onto Alex's ring finger, and then donned his own. Neither of them spoke for a little while, both stunned into silence and afraid to break this air of closeness they'd achieved. Once again, Alex was the first to move.

'So, this definitely means we're dating, right?'

Willie flung himself backwards into the hull of the ship, his hair somewhat cushioning his head as he landed, his legs sticking up over the top, now opaque. 'Ugh. Yes, hotdog, we're dating,' he called back up in fake annoyance.

'Cool, just checking,' Alex called back.