#my happy little family of buddies

[toribookworm22]

Hello, you are a cool person and I have just discovered your blog!

Great to see more aro writers in the universe.

May words come easy to you today

That is all, have a good day!

Hello, new lovely buddy!!

This literally just made my day, so thank you! And I am happy to meet other aro (and queer in general) writers as well! I am sending you the warmest of regards and the bestest of wishes!

~ toribookworm ❤️

[vaguely-concerned]

lucanis truly has a near terminal case of burned out golden child syndrome. caterina fucked both of these kids over so incredibly bad with the dynamic she enforced there, with illario being labled the perpetual fuckup kid where lucanis 'could do no (would never be allowed to do) wrong'. the way he admits in the first coffee date scene that the only thing that happened when he showed he could carry the weight of expectation was that more weight was added makes me so sad. you can hear it in caterina's voice in his intro mission that she's incredibly proud of him, but this is clearly a leandra and hawke situation where that pride never translates into relief or resolution or unconditional warmth or understanding or anything that really helps.

[cafe-mouse]

I've shown you my childhood best friend Fudge, now meet all his younger siblings! I got one of them in highschool but the rest are very overly-loved childhood friends

[raticalshoez]

Assissins and spies and their stupid found families

[aashiqeddiediaz]

you know, the placement of both hugs buck and tommy shared are kinda…wild. because in both of them…buck is facing eddie.

like we don’t exactly see eddie watching them or anything, and yeah he might be tipsy in the second one, but i think it’s a lil telling for them to have buck’s expression turned towards eddie in these hugs.

the first, when he sees the contentment on buck’s face when he and tommy tip their heads together in a hug that lingers a beat too long to be platonic much like some of the hugs buck and eddie have shared but i digress

the second, when he sees the clear disappointment on buck’s face at tommy leaving, and the intimate way tommy holds his neck and the way buck’s palm rubs against tommy’s back before he calls out for him to be safe.

and maybe we didn’t get to see exactly what eddie’s looking at/thinking about but i think there’s a little bit of a tie-in with the way the camera specifically pans to the proud, sparkling look eddie gives buck after he and tommy show up with march in soot-stained faces in that eddie’s genuinely happy for him - his eyes literally follow buck around the room. he sees how invested buck is in tommy, and it feels different to other partners and idk. it’s just a choice to have eddie as the main witness of buck and tommy is all i’m getting at here

[zsbrainrot]

It was Miri’s idea to start sending out Christmas cards this year 🥰

Happy Holidays Everyone!

[sarahtarth]

buck should have been there when chris and eddie reunited with carla after lockdown, he would have been just as excited to see her. nervously fluffing the cushions alongside eddie, her favourite meal cooking away nicely while they waited, zipping through the house making sure everything was perfect. he would have hugged her just as tightly as she stepped through the door, a year is a long time without a carla hug and he feels it just as much as eddie and chris.

but most importantly, he could have witnessed the tension slowly release from chris the longer that carla stayed. the relief settling in knowing that carla had come back, that she didn't leave, just like buck had promised him.

[atti-rambles]

I wanna go into how Miri sees Kazuki and Rei differenty based on how they are presented to her. I haven’t seen anyone talk about this so I wanted to share my take since I grew up with a blended home (I grew up with my birth mom and my stepdad).

So at the start, Miri thinks Kazuki is her bio dad. Of course, he isn’t, but that is how he presented him to her when they met. So she always called him Papa and saw him as her “real” dad.

And then there’s Rei. He doesn’t allow Miri to call him Papa at first, still not letting himself be in at position. This would technically make Rei the stepdad, since he’s the definition of one. Being the partner of her “bio” dad.

Sure, that’s obvious, right? Yeah, you probably noticed that too and didn’t think of anything of it. Of course, for me I noticed how Rei’s emotional distance wasn’t only due to his trauma but also how it fits his role as the stepdad.

I know in media stepparents are protrayed as evil or like the same as a bio parent. And yes, they are the same as a “real” parent, but there is a line you can’t cross. Because at the end of the day, they aren’t your child. Sure you’re their parnet, but your partner was their parent first. You need to respect that boundary by letting that parent sit ground rules and displinary actions and so on.

This isn’t a bad thing at all, actually it’s healthy. Even if you’re not doing what you think a parent should do to their child or treat them; you’re still their parent. You can still care for them and be in the parental role all the same. The kid will still see you the same as a bio parent if you still fill that parnetal role they need.

With Rei this is clear with how he acts towards Miri. At first he doesn’t want to be a father to Miri, not letting her call him Papa. Yeah, part of it is due to him not wanting to develop an emotional attachment since he was taught to not grow those. However, he also knows Kazuki is more into the Papa title. He was the one who claimed the girl as his daughter after all, which makes him the “bio” father.

Although, since Rei is in the role of stepdad, he doesn’t know how he’s supposed to act with Miri. He knows he needs to act a certain way with her, but due to his upbringing and inability to let himself be a father; he chooses to be more distant.

Of course, over time he lets himself be in that father role. He grows closer to her because she was the one who tried to break his shell. Once he saw Miri did see him as a Papa, he allowed himself to be more emotionally available for her.

Even with Rei’s upbringing, he’s letting himself break the cycle of showing his daugther he cares. Even if he’s still stoic at times, he’s allowing himself to show his emotions and smile around her, and Kazuki.

When Rei lets her use the Papa title with him, that’s when his character takes a turn. When he’s Papa Rei, he can be the father figure Miri needs, one that Kazuki can’t fill. He is the stability that the two needs when it comes to things getting overboard and such. I mean, he calls out Kazuki for when he’s being too overzealous over something related to their daughter. He was completely unable to read someone emotionally like that until Miri.

It’s great how Rei can heal because he wants to be a good father to Miri. And yeah, this is true for Kazuki too, but his situation is very different and I might go into later idk. 

It’s rare to see media, especially stuff from Japan tackle this stuff. Divorces and remarriages aren’t seen highly in Japan. Of course, in this situaition that’s now how the public sees them; they see a gay couple with an adopted child.

Maybe later in the series it might be explained Kazuiki is the “bio” dad, and Rei is just his partner. We won’t know for certain until later, but I feel like it could go this way. I don’t know if it was intentional or I’m looking too deep into it, but I feel like the subtext is there. This show has been going very realistic and different routes that what you except from an anime, or shows in general honestly. I’m still amazed on how realisitic they protray the relationships with a blended family like this, it’s really beautiful to me.

Maybe I am projecting a little, and maybe I’m subtly sharing upbringing a bit too much. But, I saw my relationship with my stepdad in these two. Kinda relatable too bc my stepdad did not have a good dad either, ofc i won’t go into it.

[laur-rants]

A Starry-Eyed boy, who now lives amongst the stars...

First Pet Commission done: Jack, aka Starswift Unfinished Business.

This boy was a very special dog, and it was a very special privilege to get to draw him. An inspiring story, he was diagnosed with a liver shunt around a month old, and given a low prognosis for continued existence. But with a special diet and a lot of determination, that tiny puppy grew and grew and beat the odds multiple times, eventually becoming 90 lbs of lovely, happy, sweet puppy. An absolute joy to everyone who knew him, he had an instagram account and many followers rooting for his success. He was a fighter and even his registered name reflected this: Unfinished Business, because he was too young to go just yet. So full of life and vibrancy, he had one crucial message to give to the world: no matter how disabled you are, no matter your lot in life, never give up and live every day to its fullest. Jack unfortunately passed away in October, just a few months shy of two years old. He fought until the end, but his owners knew it was better to see him off, than to let him suffer. I'll spare the sad details here, but it was a hard blow on everyone who knew him. It's up to us to carry on his unfinished business, and to make the world a kinder, happier, and perhaps even a little bit of a bouncier place, than when we entered it. @starswift-borzoi

[feroluce]

Some off the cuff 1k of Skirk & Tartaglia (skirtaru???) hcs before 4.2 proves me wildly wrong, they are very much a dynamic in process to be changed as we see more of them and as I think and consider them more, but I wanna see them interact so BAD.

Anyway. Tartaglia is an idiot who develops a crush, or at least something like a crush, on anyone who can give him a good fight. Obviously there are plenty of people who can just kick his ass- he's ranked at the bottom of the Harbingers. But they all suck, and there's no passion when they fight! They don't appreciate it the way Tartaglia does! So it's not a good fight and those assholes don't count!

So I think little Tartaglia was doomed the second he saw a very very pretty lady with a very very sharp sword and she immediately beat the shit out of him. Like she awakened something in him right then and there, unfortunately for the rest of the world haha

And then! Not only could she beat him one handed! But she took the time to teach him! And this! This was exactly what Tartaglia had wanted when he ran away from home with nothing but some food and his sword! He'd wanted an adventure! He'd wanted something new and different and wild!

And he can have that now, with Skirk and the Abyss! So his crush could have instantly dissolved right there, but it didn't, because Skirk was weird and interesting and Tartaglia adored that.

((Wheezing imagining Tartaglia trying to show off because he wants to impress his shifu, and she genuinely is impressed because Tartaglia progressed so fast, but then she pops his teenage boy ego with a pin and he deflates sjzjnskdkz))

He develops such an endless amount of respect and admiration for her. He's so happy and so proud of himself when he masters the Foul Legacy, because this was a goal laid by his shifu and hell yeah, he blew it out of the water!! And I'd like to think this was when Skirk said those words in his profile-

"You shall ever be the eye of the storm,"

"And the clashing of steel shall ever accompany you."

"The pitch-black memory of stepping into uttermost darkness,"

"Shall, at last, become the strength by which you will overturn this world."

-with Tartaglia knelt before her and her sword at his cheek, as though she were knighting him. And Tartaglia realizes then that oh. He likes it here. He likes being in the Abyss. He likes being with Skirk. He likes hunting and killing and surviving here in the Abyss with Skirk. Morepesok is and will always be home, but it was stagnant there. Too much of the same. No room for growth.

But the Abyss is boundless possibility to explore in every direction, and Skirk has never flinched away from him even once. Tartaglia can be as violent and bloodthirsty as he wants; Skirk is worse. She gives zero shits. She loves to fight and hunt and kill and make things bleed. Tartaglia is free to explore and revel in all of his worst inclinations and instincts and that is what the Abyss and Skirk become to him. Freedom.

And then he falls out of the Abyss just as suddenly as he had fallen into it. He didn't even get to say goodbye.

And it's not all bad or anything. Tartaglia isn't miserable. He's plenty capable of making his own happiness. He brings his own joy everywhere he goes (derogatory, unfortunate for everyone else ndkdjdjkd) and he genuinely likes being around other people. He would have missed a lot of things if he'd been permanently trapped.

But now there is an itch that he can't scratch. And it's driving him nuts. And he misses Skirk. She was fun to be around. He liked her.

He finds himself seeing things in everyday life and wishing he could show her. He pulls out ingredients in the kitchen for dinner and wants her to eat his special dish and show off how good he can cook. He reads through reports about the Abyss and he never finds what he's looking for (a swordswoman, an entrance, anything-), but he wants to ask her her opinions about them. He sees a really nice sword and wonders if she would like it. Little things.

Tartaglia decides he's going to find her. Even if it's just for a chance to thank her. Even if it takes years, decades. He just wants to see her again.

And then, it finally happens! They really do get to reunite! I have no idea what will happen in the archon quest of course, but like. I really like the idea that after things settle down, Skirk decides to stay for a while. She doesn't really want to live here or anything, but she's curious. She wants to see what Teyvat is like. She especially wants to see Snezhnaya, like Tartaglia used to talk about. And Tartaglia decides to go with her, he's an experienced traveler, a man of the world after all! He'll take her wherever she'd like to go.

And I'd love for them to say goodbye to The Traveler and Paimon and depart from Fontaine on a classic will-they-won't-they sort of vibe, where it's obvious that Tartaglia has Some Feelings about Skirk, but it's not clear how Skirk really feels about him yet. But it's the kind of thing where it's hopeful, and you want to root for the guy to get his love interest haha.

(The Traveler and Paimon bump into them a few months later and Paimon chides Tartaglia because Childe have you seriously not confessed yet the hell have you been doing all this time, which he responds to with hey, Skirk is a classy lady, give me time to do it right! and meanwhile The Traveler can see around Tartaglia to where Skirk is sitting at their campfire, manspreading on a fallen log, eating raw meat with blood on her face and dripping down her arms BNSKXJSMKDMD)

[deva-arts]

Some obligatory hiatus doodles

[beesandboswells]

Chased the serotonin, ended up making Buddy Daddies playlist. I put a lot of thought into the songs I picked so please check it out :>

[jackalopegothic]

Godspell (1973) didn’t make me religious but it sure as hell did make me want to join an acting troupe.

[trashbaget]

“you’re a good friend,” my brother says once, in goodbye.

i tell him again, “i love you,” and i can hear the static in my voice. he doesn’t hear me at all—probably expects i’ve already hung up the phone—he’s singing so loudly. “enjoy your movie,” i say a bit louder. he shouts, “okay,” and i press the red button.

over a hundred miles away, in a hollow apartment, the quiet of loneliness is rustled by a mouseclick when i close a results page.

[blizzardfluffykpop]

when everything goes to shit so you just start "dancing, walking, rearranging furniture, babs is- shopping. i let the bird out of the cage" to the tune of virtual insanity

[bethanydelleman]

I'm really tired of the "woman sad about her arranged marriage" trope, especially if that woman is royalty.

I am sure that many women across time were sad about their arranged marriages, but I'm sure a lot of others were excited, ambivalent, or resigned. Again, especially if you were royalty! I am sure if you were born a princess, you were trained from birth that your whole purpose in life was to marry someone important to solidify the power of the person on the throne. And honestly, it's an important job, if it wasn't, they wouldn't have tried so hard to do it.

That woman isn't just marrying another king or prince, she's going to be an ambassador of her country. She's supposed to be there promoting good relations. She isn't just a woman being sold off, she has a job! Also, if she is marrying the reigning monarch (or the heir), she may well end up running the country if the king is off at war or he dies when the heir is really young. That happened a lot throughout history! (or maybe she marries the third son and helps him find his way to the throne. Good for her)

It just feels like a modern sentiment being projected back. In Romeo and Juliet, when Juliet's mother first brings up marrying her to Paris, Juliet's basically cool with it and says she'll try to like him. She would have known this was going to happen because that is what rich women do, they marry into another family so their two families can be buddies. What else would she even be expecting?

It wouldn't bother me so much except that it's all we see! Give me a story about a woman who is like, "Cool, I shall give it my all!" Or she's like rolling up her sleeves and planning how she's going to get the court on her side and rule France, power behind the throne style (these women are mostly portrayed as villains, but who is to say the king would do a better job?). And also, have a little faith in women's fathers? You think men in the past didn't occasionally consider the happiness of their daughters? Not even a little bit?