#now that they're hitting this breaking point neither of them actually know what to do about it

[lisbonsteresa]

what if i just set myself on fire

[thalialunacy]

[for the @calaisreno May Prompthagoreum Theorum. Cheers to ya'll for still following along despite it being, you know, June.]

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15) (16) (17) (18) (19) (20) (21) (22) 23: apology (24) (25) (26) (27) (28) (29) (30) (31)

At first, partially because it's 6am, neither of them recognise what Rosie is actually saying. But it's clearly directed at Sherlock, who looks at John from the table with an eyebrow raised.

John shrugs. 'What was that, sweetheart?'

She helpfully points at Sherlock. 'Say sorry!'

'Oh ba--balderdash,' John says. 'There was an episode of that Australian programme about apologising, I didn't think--'

'Be sorry, Sherlock!'

Sherlock looks merely amused. 'What for, Miss Rosamund?'

She moves her pointer finger to John, but her accusatory gaze stays on Sherlock. 'You ate banana.'

'I… ate your father's banana without asking?'

She nods decisively. 'Say sorry.'

'I'm very sorry, John. I shall ask next time before doing anything nefarious with your banana.'

How they manage to keep straight faces, John has no idea, but they deserve an Olympic sodding medal in parenting for it.

'She's not even old enough to really get the concept of apologising,' he says as it occurs to him. 'I can't--'

'Nonsense, she's brilliant. Aren't you?' This last is to Rosie, obviously, as he clears away her cereal bowl.

John rolls his eyes. 'Oh, so now you're in favour of emotional intelligence.'

'When it applies to my--' He smothers a wince, John is certain of it, but rallies immediately. '--my young flatmate, here, absolutely.'

He stands before John can say anything else. 'Time to be off, yes?'

'Sherlock,' he starts a few minutes later, but they're halfway out the door and he knows he's being cowardly.

Sure enough, Sherlock waves it off. 'You're for pickup today, correct?' John nods. 'Good. I've that case, have to go make several witnesses cry.'

John hides a grin, in case his newly-pious daughter is paying attention. 'Try not to get arrested, yeah?'

'I make no promises,' Sherlock calls back as he heads off down the pavement.

---

'John,' Sherlock says that night, once he's changed clothes and washed the distinct aroma of back alley rubbish off himself while John put Rosie to bed. 'You could take a turn from your daughter about the apologising. Be a good example.' His voice is light, but careful. Only a little bit mocking.

John, who is standing in the kitchen making coffee and around whom Sherlock has just reached to avail himself of the biscuits, is certain he didn't hear correctly. 'I beg your pardon.'

'No, you don't.'

John stares at him, mouth a little open. 'This? Coming from you?'

'Who knows you better?'

'No, I mean-- You never apologise.'

'Implying you yourself are a model for showing regret?'

John can practically hear the 'zing' of the direct hit, and it irks him. 'Fine, I apologise for nothing!' He stops. 'No, that's not true, I apologise for some things. A few things. Several things. I apologise for about half of the things!'

'That doesn't even make sense, you realise.'

'Shut up.' He pulls Sherlock to him. 'Shut up, you absolute wanker.' He drags their mouths together for a surprisingly filthy kiss considering how tired they both ought to be.

John has a suspicion, though, and he breaks the kiss. 'What's this really about?'

'Don't know what you mean,' Sherlock says against the skin of John's jaw.

'Sherlock…' He swallows, considers pulling back but isn't sure he'd be able to get through this if eye contact is involved. 'You know she's yours, right?'

Sherlock stills, his cheek brushing John's, and John feels him close his eyes. 'John, you mustn't say things that aren't true.'

'Oh for--' John does pull back, then, pulling on the back of Sherlock's neck and keeping him in check so he can't escape. He waits until Sherlock's focused on his face, on his nose today. 'Here's the thing: You're right. Beyond, you know, the big-- Beyond what we've worked out in therapy, I'm shit at apologising. I'll work on it for Rosie, and for you. Starting with--' He takes a deep breath. 'I'm really bloody sorry I ever gave you the impression I didn't want you as Rosie's father.' He sees and feels Sherlock's sharp inhale. 'I just thought you knew that you already are.' 

'John.' The air leaves Sherlock's body in a stream, warm and damp on John's skin. 'You're serious?' he asks, doubt small but lingering in his voice. 

John clears his throat, breaking their gaze to look down at Sherlock's collar. 'I asked-- Well, the papers have been drawn up, and I owe your brother now which will only come back to bite us in the arse, but--' 

Sherlock's mouth captures his in a desperate kiss, and John finds himself held so tightly he actually feels his heels parting from the lino.

'Sherlock,' John manages when they break briefly for air.

'Sorry, right,' Sherlock says, very near sheepishly, and loosens his grip.

'Don't be sorry, just, you know.' He tilts his head to indicate the hallway. 'Come to bed with me?'

Sherlock's eyes darken with a combination of lust and merriment. 'Where I can do nefarious things to your banana?'

John groans, then turns away and starts down the hall. 'Oh God, dad jokes now? I have so many regrets.'

'No, you don't.'

John smirks and holds the bedroom door open. 'No, I really, really don't.'

[ <3 ]

[fandomfucker]

heyy, would you be able to write a fluffy rhea x reader one shot please?

one where reader and rhea have been dating for a little bit and reader has a kid (like 1 year old or something), but rhea doesn’t know yet. reader has a conversation with rhea and confesses and rhea is shocked, but asks to meet them. as soon as she meets the baby, rhea falls in love with him/her and adores the baby so much and grows to love him/her like her own. and just make it like really fluffy please?

it’s okay if no ☺️

I don't know a lot about kids so please bear with me, and apologies for taking forever. Please enjoy ❤

Words: 2,336

I was so nervous I could've thrown up.

Rhea and I had been going out for a few months now and she was coming back tomorrow after having not seen her for over two weeks.

And since we've already been going out for a couple of months, I figured it was either now or never with telling her about my daughter, Celia.

She was almost two now and my absolute pride and joy. Her father hadn't been in the picture since before she was born but I wasn't nervous telling Rhea about him. Just her. Because if she wants to have me she has to have my daughter too and if she can't deal with that then...

Let's say that my saying I'm nervous is a severe understatement. I was absolutely terrified.

Neither of us had said it yet, but I love Rhea. So much. So if my having a child is a dealbreaker then I don't even know what I'll do.

Tomorrow I'm going to be picking her up from the airport after her last match against Raquel Rodriguez. They're giving her a two-week injury-scripted break after having been in multiple WWE events each week the past few weeks.

We've both been really looking forward to it and had even started planning some stuff for us to do while she was here. Luckily we actually live only one city apart so she doesn't have to get a hotel or stay at my house, just in case anything goes wrong.

Which, I don't think it will but you never know.

I was currently bathing my daughter before bedtime, the worry must've been evident on my face.

"Mama?" Celia spoke up.

Looking down at her I saw her looking up at me, her eyes fixated on my face. There was a little crease of confusion and concern between her brows.

"Yes, my darling?" I questioned her, bending down to give her forehead a kiss as I filled the plastic cup with water again to rinse her hair out.

"Why sad?" She asked innocently, splashing her rubber duck in the water as she played. This duck was Sir Quacks a Lot, who was married to the other Sir Quacks a Lot. They had drama with the Mrs Quacks a Lot and we're currently in an argument about Baby Quacks a Lot.

"Nothing for you to worry that pretty little head over," I grinned, booping the top of her nose, sending her into a fit of giggles and splashes.

After Celia's bath, I dressed her in the fuzzy brown bear onesie I had found for her not too long ago and put her to bed.

Walking back downstairs after making sure Celia was asleep, all the nerves and doubts I had managed to push aside came back and hit me.

I went to go grab a glass of water, noticing that my hand was starting to shake. I decided to just go straight to bed. After all, Rhea was getting in pretty early so I had to be up and get to the airport also super early. At this point, all I could do was hope that she wouldn't leave me.

-Time Skip-

Waiting at the terminal Rhea would be coming out of with a bouquet of flowers was nerve-wracking as hell. She had texted me the estimated time they were supposed to land but it's never exact so I didn't actually know when she would arrive.

After a little over half an hour, I finally saw her plane land and make its way to the little hallway between the plane and the airport. Another twenty minutes later I saw her. For the first time in over two weeks, we were in the same place at the same time, together.

My breath caught in my throat as I watched her look around for me, our eyes finally meeting from across the room.

I watched as her gorgeous face lit up and she started to make a beeline for me.

Momentarily forgetting my nervousness I grinned and stepped forward to meet her in the middle as we collided into a tight hug.

"Hey, beautiful," I spoke, my voice thickening with emotion.

I felt Rhea release a deep sigh of relief against me before she responded, "Hey, baby."

"I missed you," I croaked into her neck, shoving my face into her and breathing her scent in.

"I missed you too," She replied as she stroked my hair with one hand and my lower back with the other.

Pulling myself away from her I just stood there and stared at her face for a second before speaking, "Let's go home, yeah?"

She nodded and grabbed my hand as we started to walk towards the luggage claim to pick up her suitcase.

"So, are those for me? Or..." Rhea playfully questioned me, trailing off at the end as she gestured to my hand holding her flowers.

"Oh!" I exclaimed. I had completely forgotten about them in my excitement of having her here with me again.

"Yes, they're for you, sorry," I apologized, blushing deeply. She chuckled and took them from me, smelling them before kissing my temple.

"They're beautiful, Love. Just like you," She smirked at me causing me to blush yet again.

I ducked my head down to hide the blush as I grinned widely and giggled.

We made idle talk as we walked to the luggage claim and then grabbed her luggage before making our way to my car.

Getting in the car my previous nervousness hit me again in full force. Pausing to just rest my hands on the steering wheel and take a breather I could feel Rhea turn to me in concern, "What's wrong?"

She was giving me an opening, it was now or never.

"I have something I need to tell you." Slowly I pulled my gaze from the dash of my car to her eyes. Her brows were furrowed in concern and her mouth was pulled into a frown.

"Is everything okay?" She asked sort of hesitantly.

I nodded quickly, "Yeah, it's just...something I haven't told you yet that I probably should have."

Rhea nodded in encouragement for me to continue.

I took a deep breath. "I have a kid."

Silence.

"What?"

"I have a daughter. Her name is Celia. She'll be two in October." I whispered into the quiet, too scared of her reaction to be any louder.

She looked lost in thought for the next few minutes, slumping back against the seat.

"I'm sorry for not telling you but I could never find the right time and-"

Rhea cut me off, "Hold on. Just, stop."

I shut my mouth, terrified out of my mind of what she was going to say next.

"I just need a second to process this."

"Yeah, no I understand. It's a lot to take in." I quietly replied, chewing on my bottom lip.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She whispered. She sounded choked up and on the verge of tears which made me start crying.

"Because I thought you would leave and I was scared." I sobbed, covering my face with my hands as if to conceal the tears.

"No, no no no no no." Rhea clamored, reaching for me over the console. "I just wasn't expecting it, that's all." She tried to reassure me, smiling softly. "I could never leave my best girl hangin'."

I giggled at the reference to one of my favorite movies ever and wiped my eyes and nose with the back of my sleeve.

"C-can I meet her?" Rhea asked hesitantly, "It's okay if not I completely under-" I leaned over the console and kissed her, effectively shutting her up.

"Of course, you can meet her. She's actually been asking for quite some time now when she gets to meet 'Ree-Ree'." I laughed, recounting the many times she asked for another bedtime story about "Mama's friend".

Rhea beamed and kissed my cheek, reassuring me once again that she was okay with me having a child. We'd be having a more in-depth talk about it later on but right now it was time for them to meet.

We pulled up to my house almost half an hour later, where my sister was watching Celia while I was out. 

Getting out of the car, I grabbed Rhea's luggage for her before she even had a chance to grab it and walked up to the door with my keys. Taking a deep breath I unlocked the door, pushing it open before standing aside for Rhea to walk in first.

She nodded in thanks as she walked through, looking around and taking in her surroundings. My house was a bit more on the unconventional side, being a maximalist and all. 

"Zoey?" I yelled into the house to find her after closing the door behind us. "Kitchen!"

I rolled Rhea's suitcase against the wall a little ways away from the door and motioned for her to put her backpack there as well before following me.

I made my way to the kitchen with Rhea following idly behind, still taking in my house. As soon as I laid eyes on my daughter in her booster seat I smiled and made a beeline for her, making "monster" grabby-hands.

She squealed with delight, grinning madly all the while as I unbuckled her and picked her up above my head, blowing raspberries on her exposed stomach making her squirm and giggle.

Bringing her down to rest on my hip I kissed the top of her head as she buried it into my neck. I turned around when I remembered that we weren't alone.

Zoey, my sister, and Rhea were standing next to each other, both watching the two of us with a smile on their face. I side-hugged Zeoy hello before introducing them to each other.

"It's so nice to finally meet you! I've heard so many things about you and Y/n even made me get into wrestling." Zoey exclaimed excitedly, making Rhea laugh. "I've heard a lot about you as well so it's great to meet you too."

"Well, I better get going I have to run some errands before I get home to let the dogs out." Zoey excused herself, grabbing her bag before making her way back over to me.

"Bye-bye CeCe." She cooed, tickling her neck before giving her forehead a kiss. "I'll see you later, sis," She gave me another side hug.

"Rhea, it was lovely meeting you, maybe we can all get together soon while you're here? Oh! We could do a double date with you two and me and my partner!" She excitedly exclaimed.

"Totally! That sounds great, we'll definitely have to get together. I can't wait!" Rhea replied enthusiastically. Zoey gave Rhea a quick hug before bounding out the door, leaving us alone with my daughter.

Rhea slowly walked up to us, I could read the nervousness on her face.

"CeCe, this is mama's friend Rhea, remember?" I spoke gently to Celia. She lifted her head from my neck and looked at Rhea with her big beautiful eyes. I could see Rhea's initial hesitation melt away as they locked eyes.

"Hello there, little one." Rhea greeted her softly, waggling her fingers at her like how she does when she's in character. 

Celia must have recognized either her name or her picture because she then started to bounce in my arms as she giggled and held out her arms to Rhea to hold her.

"You wanna hold her?" I asked her, shifting my hold a bit on CeCe.

"Um, I-I don't know. I'm not really sure how I should hold her." Rhea stammered.

"Just like this," I replied, gesturing goofily to how she rested on my hip. 

"O-okay," She half-smiled nervously, grabbing Celia under her arms and hefting her gently onto her hip. Celia giggled and wiggled around the whole time, putting her hands on Rhea's face and patting them around.

"Sorry, she likes to do that," I apologized embarrassed.

"It's all good," Rhea laughed, gently removing Celia's hands from her face.

Grinning at my two favorite girls I made an offer they couldn't refuse. "How about y'all go and play while I go and make some breakfast yeah?" 

"Yes!" Celia squealed, squirming enough that Rhea put her down. "That sounds great, Love." Rhea chuckled.

Celia raised her arm near where Rhea's hand rested, asking for her to hold her hand. Rhea grabbed a hold of her hand and was immediately pulled away towards the direction of the living room. Rhea shot me a look of panic before disappearing from my view making me laugh.

I put on some music and began making breakfast as Rhea and Celia played in the living room.

After I finished making breakfast I set the table as well, wanting a nice fancy breakfast for Rhea's coming home and first time at my house.

I made my way to the living room to get the two of them to come eat but stopped short in the doorway when I saw them.

Rhea sat on the floor crisscrossed in front of Celia with a tiny plastic crown on her head, a pink plastic teacup in one hand, and a giant plastic dinosaur in the other.

Celia stood in front of her also wearing a tiny plastic crown on her head but I could see that Rhea had given her one of her necklaces to wear as she poured the two of them cups of tea. 

I smiled as I watched Rhea play pretend with her, not wanting to interfere with the adorableness. Just seeing Rhea wearing her scary full black outfit with dark jewelry and makeup wearing a tiny pink crown was enough to make me fall madly in love right then and there. And I think I did.

"I hate to interrupt, but breakfast is ready," I spoke up, finally announcing my presence.

Celia bounded over to me, holding out the end of Rhea's necklace she was wearing to me. "Look what 'ea gave me!"

"Wow! What a lucky girl you are! Let's go wash up for breakfast though, yeah?" I picked her up and set her on my hip as I turned to look at Rhea who was blushing furiously.

Grinning at her I playfully asked what was the matter.

"Didn't know you were there," Rhea mumbled, reaching up to pull the crown off.

"Leave it, I like it," I smirked as I turned on my heel to make my way back to the kitchen. I think this could work.

[scummy-writes]

Ikemen Tier List

whoaaa two posts together whoaaa (you guys didn't witness me doing this first to see if I had the energy to post a finished drabble today)

I've had trouble with the tier lists for a while because I feel like it didn't explain how I felt about these dudes half of the time, but I figured out a better way to mark the tiers and I feel like this sums it up great. And now you too can have a handy dandy 'How does Scum feel about X?' list! If Roderic had a sprite, I would put him in the daily thing, or maybe the top one? hm

Anyway, I'm gonna explain the tiers under the cut for extra clarifications.

[*Wants to write fanfics for 24/7*] : The Current Main Blorbo. All tremble before him - for he holds the writing braincell and he's all anyone hears about forever and ever - until another blorbo takes his spot (usually takes a few years). You'll see him as icons and photos and and and--------

On my mind daily, in some form: Sometimes these characters will be paired with the #1 chara, and so by extension they're thought about often. Sometimes they're not paired with them, but still thought about often. Despite my posting habits, I do enjoy these guys still. A lot, actually.

Think about a few times a week, offhandedly: Rubs chin. I think of Chev and Elbert as a rare comfort. A type of quiet one that is a plesant encouragement in some way or another. Or I get perplexed thinking about how they'd look ordering shitty coffee. Not much of an inbetween. But really I sometimes just enjoy the quiet comfort thoughts when i need them with those two.

Think about a few times a month: They used to be higher up in the faves, but I either got enough of them at some point (in a good way), friends love them with such glee that i just enjoy watching them simp for them, or they just got naturally shifted down in the line as more characters came into view. I won't talk about them much but I do like em in multiple ways.

Scared to think about (for my wallet): legally not allowed to like because I cannot max out my credit card (a joke). I really really really like Alfons and Victor but I am terrified they'll shoot the ranks in a couple of months, and that my wallet will be screaming to be spared (darius is still up for debate)

Want to like but (and/or for reasons cannot): hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Random simping once a blue moon (idk why): I read a translated story of roger once when sitting in my car on a lunch break. I was reading as I was getting out, and nearly fell into the horn when reading about his cock. It tormented me for a week. This happens ocassionally with the others... maybe not a translated story, but i'll have a random thought that hits me like a bullet train and suddenly I'm stumbling and struggling to think about anything else for a bit. (Leonardo is here as punishment, he knows what he did)

Was Favorite when playing but ghosted game: Ikerev was the first(?) cybird game I played, followed very very closely by ikesen. I don't see a lot of stuff for them naturally on my dash, and bluntly ikerev just could not hold my attention especially after I lost my data and got cockblocked by shitty gacha pulls, but I hardcore simped for these dudes when I played. Well, jonah did get pushed to the bottom of that tier fairly quickly, but Shingen is still #1 there. Anju (oc) was originally made for him, and I suspect that when his...eternal(?) is released in eng, I'll be feral for a little bit and then go back to gil simping.

No opinion really: I just.....shrug. They're neither bad nor good. These are characters who I was either SUPER excited for and then sorely disappointed, characters I haven't felt drawn to, or characters I just....never....felt anything towards...even after reading their route... I'm assuming they're just not my type and that's why they're here.

No: I hold negative opinions due to XYZ personal reason. Or their vibes are just rancid to me. I don't care if others like them or not, I don't judge others for liking them.

[quinloki]

A thing I've seen a couple times but wish more people did is "yandere accidentally punishes their darling for something they didn't actually do." The angst is just so good, the yandere being faced with the fact that they've destroyed what little conditional trust their captive has for them. If they do everything right and still get hurt, what was the point of listening to begin with? Depending on the severity, the yandere might've permanently ruined their chances at the relationship they want and all of their progress has been undone by their own hands. For the WBP, since we've been talking so much about drugging shenanigans already, a likely scenario could be a poisoning/assassination attempt wrongfully being pinned on their darling. Maybe they're blamed when certain substances go missing, but the issue is dealt with privately so the real perpetrator doesn't know their theft has been discovered. You're only exonerated when the real culprit proceeds with the poisoning attempt while you're under lock and key, making it impossible for you to be guilty. Ace takes it the worst, as usual. It took a long time for him to be able to hold you close without you tensing or flinching and now you're even worse than before. Him and Thatch lovebombing you to bits but you're understandably not receptive at all, to the point of refusing any of Thatch's cooking.

Oh no, I like that.

The concept of getting in trouble for something you didn't do, especially in an yandere setting where chances are you're already in a tense situation and it could very easily cause things to crumble.

I feel like Izou's the first to lose his temper with you. In the end the two of you are on the deck barking at one another. It's the first time you've yelled maybe ever, but certainly in many many months. You're trading barbs with Izou and neither one of you is holding back.

He's furious because you needed to accept things long before now. You're furious because you wanted none of it, and even on your best behavior they still punished you for something you didn't do.

None of it works without trust, and there's no trust.

It's a phrase that hits everyone like a canon ball. They can't say they trusted you, that's already proven wrong. You don't trust them, and you're being clear about it.

Either it breaks the bond completely - and you're off the ship on the next island - or it breaks the fantasy and you're demoted from darling to toy, living the rest of your life in chains being "doted on" however whoever sees fit.

[chaoticmannamedoliver]

Okay so, below is a health ish update and a vent about my former GP- cause they did smth that feld dehumanizing. This is mostly just so other people who might have similar health issues to me, can point me into right directions....im iffy about doctors rn-

Contents:

- stupid thing my GP did

- listing of my pains i have that neither of my 2 GP's ive been to acknowledged or bothered with. If you have something similar or know ANYTHING, i really need help, even just little things to make it easier.

- So, what my last gp did -

So i had an appointment with her recently that i took my boyfriend too since he was visiting me anyway- love him

I sat down, and the whole appointment was just a disappointment. She basically gave up on figuring out why im dizzy or why my blood pressure is so high with 18. I asked what im supposed to do with my heart, what im supposed to do about the dizzy- that i came to her for answers- but the woman who seemed so keen on finding out whats wrong with me, cursing my first gp for just prescribing me HBP Meds without further research and who daid she loved working with young adults...just apparently gave up n said is nothing n that i should just continue talking my meds. I had my shitty ass cane to the appointment with me, which she asked about - and i said it helped me with my dizzy, to which she rolled her eyes

She offered one more test, probably just to get me out and left for a bit to talk with a doctor. In the meantime i had a breakdown because i got no answers- and didn't get any further.

When she came back, she told me to get up and go straight, i asked to where exactly- then she grabbed my arm, took my cane from me and with a very uncomfortable grip, dragged me to the waiting area in front of the room for the last test and sat me down, giving the cane to my probably very taken aback partner who had followed us and mutteredthat i didn't need it and. I had another breakdown and didn't understand what happened yet- but it felt bad, dehumanizing?? GP asked me not to cry, and that what she did was just to give me courage and then just left. It felt like she never listened to anything i said- and i still don't know what to make of what happened - if anyone has suggestions- do tell? It felt....hurtful

- My issues and ows and whatnot -

So, there are a few, especially now that i have someone who actually tells me that they're not normal.

- my feet/heels start hurting after 5 ish minutes of standing

- i get dizzy if i stand for a minute or two on bad days and good days it kicks after 1-10 minutes

- heat and shower makes dizzy worse. A sitting think in the shower would make it better

- i have too high blood pressure if i don't take the meds.

- no, the dizzy doesn't come from any ear organ stuff. Tested that.

- the dizzy had gotten. Better after the meds, now its hard to tell.

- sometimes my gravity just says no.

- after maybe 30 min to an hour of walking, my feet/heels hurt. After a certain point i get dizzy. Then no amount of break will fix it. I need to lay down.

- without my cane, walking feels heavy. Please let me use my cane for fucks sake im going to hit the next doctor who says i don't need it i swear to GOD.

- growth pain. After a day of walking. Or cleaning. My knees and shins hurt. Especially once im laying again. They hurt so much that i want to claw at them. Take them out. Agony. Luckily ive started to recognize the kinda pain early and take a paracetamol- but without it? Not matter what position, im in pain

I don't think im supposed to have growth pain anymore with almost 19, right?

- when i get dizzy, the ground feels like its zooming away from me

- i was born at the end of the 6th month? If that helps any-

- inherited migraines from my dad- also just side info

[raayllum]

Been rewatching Infinity Train (3rd show of all time for me) and reflecting on how they write relationships:

The first is that they let characters have real issues with each other — actually unhealthy / toxic individual traits and subsequently unhealthy patterns with each other — even when those characters don’t know anything is wrong! They think they’re fine, fun, healthy, as a dynamic and as a person, the way most people do. The second thing is that in letting the characters be wrong, the show lets both characters, every time, be wrong. [...] It would be so easy for Infinity Train to just go “one half has all the problems, the other just has to help them through it”.

and it just filled me with so much love for how S4 and S5 of TDP but especially S4 wrote its main character relationships.

Rayla was wrong to leave, and Callum isn't wrong to be angry, but they both leave a lot to be desired when it comes to relationship repair; Rayla is awkward and kind of aloof, and Callum is cold and closed off. He mandates that he doesn't want to talk about what happened and she respects that, but then the next day he's jabbing at her over it. And we see in late s4 and early s5 that despite coming back, Rayla isn't really breaking old patterns of behaviour, either. Callum had to burn through his anger and hit a turning point of giving her a solid basis to work from — if he withholds help, she'll never learn how to accept it; if she never shares, they'll never be anywhere but square one — that lets them both do repair on their wound(s).

Janai and Karim are mutually bad at communication. Initially, Karim doesn't plan to divulge his worries at all, but Janai gently nudges him. Then when he expresses them, because they're borderline bigoted, Janai doesn't want to hear them, which is fair, but does leave the concerns he does express completely unaddressed as she shuts him down. Karim isn't wrong that both Lucia and Amaya are being insensitive over what happened, and Janai doesn't communicate her changing feelings regarding being queen, so Karim bites himself in the ass by assuming she'll step down. Was Karim being a bit unhinged and stupidly dangerous by orchestrating the Blood Duel? Of course. But did he actually 100% think Janai would step aside (when in the same episode, Janai was considering that maybe Karim would be a better king to begin with)? Also yes. But neither communicated well, and that's part of why things escalated to the degree that they did in s4.

Viren and Claudia are another great example, and honestly reminded me the most of the pair from S3 of Infinity Train, in which one starts to back out of the Literal cult they've formed while the first 'follower' refuses to consider any other paths till they end up destroying each other. We see something reminiscent here. Viren is responsible for setting Claudia on her path and for bringing Aaravos into their lives, but Claudia has been making her own choices independent of what Viren wants for a while now as of S4, bringing him back because she couldn't afford to lose him and slapping his concerns out of him for the same reason, when Viren thinks he may ultimately want something else. She's been through too much to have her turning point with clear eyes, and we see Viren in S4 steadily building up to have his own (circa S5). I'll be very interested to see the two interact and this massive divide in choices/priorities come to a head, should Viren live into S6, especially as it teaches the hard lesson arc 2 keeps reaffirming over and over: you cannot save someone who doesn't want help, and you cannot change someone who isn't willing to change. They have to do those things and accept your viewpoints / accept your help piece by piece when they're ready or willing to. And that's life

[thatbeluga]

Wet Sock 2x06: The Mikus That Bind Us

Season One / 2x01 / 2x02 / 2x03 / 2x04 / 2x05

"You know what," Rad said, wiping a glob of Hastune Miku off her shirt. "If the multiversal court wants to hunt down and kill Beluga and Fuck, far be it from me to stop them."

She turned on her heel, flipping off Y/N. "Suck my sack."

Y/N's lip trembled at such a frequency that her nerdy glass shattered. Between the fact that there were shards of glass in her orbs, and that now Jason could never slowly and sensually take them off to reveal how she was secretly pretty, Y/N began to cry.

"Uh, Mom," Misp said, cerulean tears sinking into the holes in their Crocs. Y/N had already disappeared beneath a fountain of her tears, sparkling and shining so brightly that looking at them would permanently burn the retinas of any blonde named Jessica.

"Look kid, your grandparents are great, but they also suck, and I'm sick of bailing them out when they clearly do not want to be," Rad said, pushing the door of Y/N's room open. A wavelet of tears pushed Misp up next to Rad.

"Don't say that," Misp said. "Sure, they're... eccentric. And they hate taxes, and rules and society and having a conscience and doing good for the world, but like... I think it's a bit?"

"Imprisoning gods, breaking multiverse law, reanimating dead parrots to perform Mamma Mia... is a BIT?"

At that moment the wall behind them cracked and shattered outward, blasting Rad and Misp right out of the top floor of UWU Enterprises. The cringe landscape of the My Immortal Dimension spread out below them, and it was in that moment that they realized that the hills and valleys and rivers of limpid tears actually formed a perfect portrait of Gerard Way.

"Huh, that's neato burrito," Misp said, before gravity remembered to do its job and hurl them towards the cringe soil.

"Welp. This is annoying," Rad said, crossing her arms. "Is it still okay for me to blame Beluga and Fuck?"

"Can't blame them if we're dead," Misp said, eyeing the rapidly growing ground. "Cause like, we hit the ground and we're dead. Like dead."

"Nah, I'm immortal I'll be fine," Rad said, picking a congealed glob of Miku that had dried behind her ear. "The whole god thing?"

"Oh right! I forgot," Misp said. "I mean I'm not immortal, but it's chill you'll be fine."

About halfway down the length of UWU Enterprises, it finally clicked for Rad. "Oh."

"Yeah."

"Hm. If only someone could help us."

"Yeah."

"Someone like, oh, I don't know. A president?"

"A president?"

"Maybe? But I don't know any presidents."

"Girl you're not special, neither do I."

At that point, a rift in space and time opened up, a giant pickle slice rebounding off the side of UWU Enterprises. Something flew out of the rift on a jetpack, throwing two ropes to Misp and Rad. They held on, looking up at their savior.

"I know some presidents," Wombat said, the sun shining behind him, silhouetting his marsupial glory.

"I am one."

[2346khith]

The night the black dragons found true fear (and the day Kabal's plan went into motion)

A man walks down the street until he gets approached by a group of arm men in an ally way. They had tattoos with a dagger being surrounded by two dragons on either side. Black Dragons. It's been a few years since they last made this city apart of their territory but since then they been quite busy, killing off politicians and extorting money off of the the innocent. They've been waging war with the police for years now neither side backing down but neither actually making any progress.That was until that one night. Every now and then a few goons will go out of their way to wander the streets looking for anybody to rob. Or kill. It didn't matter to them, only that they were having fun. That night a group of 15 of them were heavily drunk and wander around looking to pick a fight when they stumbled across that man.

Goon 1: Oi!! You there. They hell you doing out so late? Don't yah got a curfew.

The man didn't say anything.

Goon 2: Hey!! He talking to you yah bitch!! What are yah deaf?

Goon 3: Nah maybe he's some mute.

Goon 4: Hey tell yah what, you gives all yah got and maybe we won't kill you for this disrespect.

The man slowly turns around to show a rugged man with a stubbled beard, long silky black hair, eyes as blue as the sky with a long and deep looking scar on his right eye. Part Chinese, part Caucasian. His a lot more well physic than they expected having a bulky yet nimble build and a very tired yet feel to him.

The man: Look I had a long day. I had to take my sisters car to the shop in traffic, the grocery stores were crowded so I barely got anything and my niece has the flu. So I'll be the ones making the demand. Get out of the way and let me get home. And while you're at it quit your jobs so I don't have to run into you guys again. One of them scoffed.

Goon 5: Oooh look who thinks he all that!! Shame really you seem like a nice guy.

Goon 6: Not for me. I needed an excuse to break some bones.

The man: I see. Tell me though. Do you have any families? Anybody body to go home to.

Goon 7: What the... I'm mean Jeff got his dame back home. And Carl and Mark got a bunch of brats they always complain about.

He pointed to the three men, one looking afraid, one looking ashamed and one looking pissed.

The man sighed: Good to know.

Suddenly an Ice pillars appear hitting the three men launching them across the street. They're not dead though one of them might have a broken jaw but other wise there just unconscious.

Goon 6: What the...

But before he can complete what he was about to say he turned to see himself face to face at the man charging at him clearing the distance in record time. Behind him he held a giant great sword out of ice.

The man: Don't say I didn't give you the chance.

...

The next morning cops were everywhere at the site, staring agasp at the aftermath of carnage that was left behind. Bodies mutilated, torn from the waist, limbs stuffed and broken, eyes leek out of skulls with ice all around the area.

Cop 1: What the fu... how the hel... how is this possible?

Cop 2: Not sure... we tried interrogating the three survivors but they not sure what happen, extensive brain damage made it so they don't got any recollection of what happened that night.

Cop 1: Well what ever happened, I don't think it was an isolated event. We've been monitoring some members of interest for a while but they went mysteriously missing out of nowhere. Are undercover members only manage to get that they we're apparently on break but I don't believe it.

Cop 2: You think this has something to do with the disappearances?

Cop 1: Precisely. Wait what that.

The cop picks up a strange piece of meddle with a strange marking on it. It had an inverted triangle of it on top of a circle that had three circles cut out of it from where the point were.

Cop 2: Huh that kinda looks familia... wait that gives me an idea. I got some friends I can call up about this.

Cop 1: What do you mean frie... this is a private investiga...

Cop 2: Trust me I know what I'm doing.

Cop 1: Who the hell even are you?

Cop 2: Kurtis Stryker sir, NYPD finest.

Cop 1: Nyp... this isn't new y...

Kurtis: I transfered.

He walked away before the commanding officer could finish his sentence. On his way to his cruiser he began to text a number marked SF.

Kurtis: Sonya gonna love this. That or be extremely pissed.

...

Back at the Black Dragon based everyone is currently on edge hearing the news of of their own members being slaughtered by cattle. That is except for one member. The man was sitting at ,what was technically a personal bar for the Black Dragon, sipping on some cheap beer lost in thought. He had tannish skin, if you can see past all the burn marks, a messy mohawk wearing a respirator with multiple tubes tied to a pack. He was thinking about how much he hated here. How he wanted to get out of here. About how much he wanted to kill kano with his bare hands. How he wanted to go back to New York. To see Kurtis again. To be with him again. Just then another man sat at the bar. He was in a attire reminiscence of those a stereotypical cowboy, though more revealing and made out of leather, with a mask covering the lower half of his face. He grabs a glass and pours himself a glass of their good whiskey, chugging it down in one gulp.

Erron: Your taking the news pretty well.

Kabal: Nah just don't care that much. Didn't know the guys personally. You asked me they had it coming?

Erron: Oh I don't deny that they had it coming, I'm talking about the whole thing the ice in July. Surprised you ain't freaking out about it.

Kabal: I got super speed out of nowhere, you're an immortal cowboy, we got a guy who made of rocks who are bouncer and a cyborg for a boss. To be honest I stopped being surprised a long time ago.

Erron: Heh Fair. Still must be nice , a new challenge, somebody unexpected, somebody .... who might give you a helping hand at getting out.

Kabal eyes widen reaching for his hookswords before being stopped by Erron pointing a gun at his midsection.

Erron: I ain't going to give you know trouble.

Kabal: Says the guy point a gun at me.

Erron: Okay fair. But I want to help... in a sense.

Kabal: What do you mean...

Erron: Like I said things been boring around here lately, this could be pretty fun. And I'm just as sick of working under Kano as you are. So how bout after this drink we go searching a bit for that ice fellow.

Kabal: To get help or to pick a fight?

Erron: Why not both? So what do you say partner?

He raises a glass towards him. Kabal ponders for a bit, then sighs.

Kabal: Fine.

He clinks his bottle to Erron's.

Kabal: But if I get any sense your using me I'll rip your jaw and shove it down your throt.

Erron: Heh don't tempt me.

...

Also to just let you know I got the idea of Kabal and Erron leaving the Black dragon from @running-with-the-feels defection au. Please don't be mad at me.

...

Liang switches through the various channels on the tv until settling on a nature documentary on scorpions. He's never really used a tv before. I mean he watched stuff on a tv a while on missions and there was a monitor at the the Lin Kuei based but they just used that to play back missions. He stares at the screen thinking about his now that he's found his sister. It absolutely nothing like his old life in the Lin Kuei. I'm sure he would kill a few off black dragon members but that was of his own will now instead of the command of a grandmaster. Compared to that. Life been more tame, no harsh training, more opportunities for down, different experiences like zoos, and museums and other things. One hand it felt so wrong. He was a warrior, he shouldn't be contempt to live in such bliss. But on the other hand it felt right, like this was a life he should've had if it hadn't ben taken from him at such a young age. It like the he been finally handed something that belong to him but the something is holding him back from truly enjoying it. Just then a little girl with a stuffy nose and pjs clutching a blanket walks down the stairs and into the living room.

Frost: Morning Uncle Liang.

Liang: Morning Holly. (By the way Holly is the name I've given my version of frost) Shouldn't you be asleep still?

Frost: yeah but my stomach hurts too much.

Liang: Oh I'm sorry to hear that dear. Let me boil you some tea.

Frost: Ok. Can it at least have honey in it?

Liang: Let me check.

It's so alien to him. This domestic feeling, especially being an uncle. Even when he's been on missions he's never needed to be around children much less look out for one. Maybe things would have been different if he was raised by his mom. His... mom. Then he heres rthe fire alarm.

Liang: Oh shit the stove!!

He knock the kettle out of the way and and turning the stove completely off.

Liang: Ok, that was a close call.

Frost: Uhh... Uncle Liang...?

She points towards the kettle which had been severely dented.

Liang: Uhh... okay this maybe a weird question to ask a seven year old but do you know how to fix it this.

Frost: No but I think mom mentioned something about an antique shop down the road that fixes stuff.

Liang: Great your coming with me.

Frost:What why? Didn't say that I should be getting back to sleep.

Liang: You help me we'll get to watch your movie pick tonight.

They got dressed and headed out towards the old car that once belonged to his mother.

Frost: Hey uncle Liang. Me and mom always told you on how our lives were, why don't you tell us about your life.

Liang...Maybe some other time kay kiddo.

The entered the car and began to drove away. All while a man in yellow cloth and armor watches from the shadows with his pale white eyes.

...

And that was a scenario in my au but don't leave yet because I have something to share and a question for all of the three people who follow me.

If you haven't seen from my post a large some of Palestinian refugees have been messaging me asking for my help. Unfortunately I do not have either a bank account, a job or money to donate to so I've been just reblogging posts and asking people to donate to them or reblog the post themselves. However these post aren't very popular and thus don't get enough attention. I once thought I could just put a bunch of random tags underneath so it would reach more people but then I found out that would be consider as reaching so I stopped. So I'm proposing a solution to this. I would end up doing regular post about my interest, opinions, headcanons and aus but at the end of every post I would also advertise one or more of the people asking for donations and then ask people to either donate to those people or ask them to reblog their pin post to spread out the word. Now I've stated this before but I'm completely unexperienced towards the mechanic of tumblr and their policys so I do not know if this would go against anything. Hence why I'm asking all of you. Again I don't have the money available to help them so I need to find a different way.

Here are all the people who have asked me for donation. Please go to their blogs and donate if you can and if you're like me and you can't please reblog their pinned post to spread the word.

@familyetaf1234567

@hanehomed12345

@savesmahfamily

@yasermohammad

@maram-gaza @familygazaamal

@mohammedswierh2

@aboodalqedra-3

@mahaibrahim13

@hashemsamar

@aboodalqedra-2

@hamdialisstuff

@emily4pali

@alaakhaled00

@anasalshrofa

@mahmodjesy

@majedgh2

@noor678

@monashamali90

@ibrahimmo

@mohameddsaker

@ahmad-syam-blog

@abujaradfamilyfromgaza

@save-mohammed

@mahmoudayyad

@abdala1

@save-amal-family

@hala-blo

@joyfultidalwaveobject

@motazmohammed

@huda-yousef

@zainsami

@abood-gaza2

@majedalgherbawi

@ahmadkhalid9725

@haninahed

@shadowyavenuetaco

@rewaa08

@karamrafeek

@aya2mohammed

@hanangaza24

@hayanahed

@hanangaza

@mn-mohammed109

@mohamed-resh0

@maysaayahya85

@fadiafamily11

@samarsh11

@alaasyam

@save-belal-family

@savebelal-life

@nour1132

@transmutationisms

@savepalestineinfamily19

@hadeelandali

@d-lmthael

@abdallahfares

@basel1995s

@ahmedhells-blog

@yara-family

@ahmedomar3

@rawannail25

@kawla-family4

@dodiahmed123

@sondos220

@noorabd-1992

@aiamaher

@salman-1990

@tarneem-sami

@alaakhaled00

@ranensworld

@mahmoud-gaza

@hebamater492

@jomana-ha

@ronzaanqar

@ayoosh-gaza

@zainsami

@osama-family

@farahhh2

@mahmoidsy

@ahmedaldani

@maysaayahya85

@emanhajjaj86

@motaz352

@mohmad40

@mohmad77

@fattmawurd

@save-my-daughter

@yasminfamily

@mohamedmoneralanqar

@omar2002sblog

@ahmedsobeh2009

@nourasissue4

@rodainaayyad-11

@moomensblog

@areej1982

@ezzaldeens-blog

@abdallahblog0

@khalil92hilles

@samirafamily

@youseffamily

@mohammed-gaza

@soperfectionbasement

@superbperfectionwolf

@kareem-family2

@ahed-family2

@mashailmars

@ezzaldeens-blogdeens-blog

@yousefalyazjii1

@save-fatma-gaza3093

@tarneemsblog

@anas--basil

@ahmed-elhabil

@amanyayyad11

@walaafamily

@laana289

And if you have any ideas on how I can spread the word let me know. Also since this post is so long I'm not going to tag palestine stuff on it so I don't get flagged for reach or seen as offensive.

[racke7]

Me vs FF14

I've been raising the levels on my DPS-jobs (trying to get them all to fifty), and so I've been using the leveling-queue.

(Ifrit is still fucking bullshit and shouldn't fucking be there)

Had a WHM get completely lost in a dungeon, and had to talk them through how to get to us.

Saw another DPS with some kind of "go tank and pull everything"-chat macro, which... is kind of none of their fucking business as a DPS? The ones deciding on how fast and hard we should go are the tank and healer who are the ones making sure we don't fucking wipe. The fucking disrespect.

A tank actually used their Limit-Break during the final boss-fight. Against a boss that does basically fuck-all damage. Had to take a moment after that dungeon to stare at a wall, because what the fuck.

On a not-actually related note to that last one, I've now mapped the "target-priority"-button to a hotkey, so I can tell people to not bother with targeting the adds when they don't need to.

I've also created a few chat-macros of my own for things like "sound alert telling the tank to set tank-stance" and "basic rules a tank should know" which are as follow:

"Pull until your healer asks you to stop"

"Never stop using your AOE"

"Don't move around unless you have to"

The reasons for the first is that the tank sets the tempo of the dungeon, and some tanks are scared of wiping. Wipes happen. Inattention, greed, random chance.

Your job is to go as fast as you can, and to try and not-die when everything catches up to you, and the one who gets veto on how you do that? Is the healer. So pull as much as you can, and if you wipe or your healer complains? Slow down.

(Everyone else can shut their fucking mouths about it.)

The second one is there because I kept seeing tanks who lost the fucking aggro, despite having tank-stance active. And this is usually because they either don't use their AOE-skill (probably not helped by the novice-tutorial shit telling tanks to "stop using" AOE once a target is "captured" which is bullshit and bad math), or they're not standing in a place where they actually hit the enemies.

But if it's the latter, then they can usually be caught by the tank by just having the targeted sucker run into the tank's AOE-range. Which only works as long as the tank keeps using the AOE.

(The math in this case is: there aren't really a single-target skill that does more than 300~ dmg. Even the shit AOE-skills do 100. So up against three targets? AOE is just more DPS. And you should be up against groups of like... six or more.)

The third and final bit was added specifically for that one tank who thought he was a fucking bard and was running back and forth like an idiot.

There are a few different reasons for it though.

First is that if the tank stands in one place? Everyone else can move so that they don't get hit by things like non-telegraphed cleave-attacks.

Second is that if the tank doesn't move? Then neither does the enemies, so it's a lot easier for the DPS to do their positionals correctly (ie, "hit from behind" etc).

Third is that if reinforcement shows up? The non-tanks can just move to stand behind the tank, forcing the new arrivals to go through the tank first (at which point the tank's AOE would pick them up).

So. Those are my three "tank 101"-macros.

Since I'm suddenly on the subject. Added tank-lesson for anyone wanting to try it is that ranged mobs? They have to attack through line-of-sight. So running behind a corner before you stop will force ranged-mobs into AOE-range.

However, it'll also break your healer's line-of-sight though, so they won't be able to heal you until they can catch up. Be warned.

(An easier option is often to just run past their base-range until they mass, and then run back to them.)

Speaking of fun buttons, I also found out that the "confirm"-button actually lets you select nearby objects. So if you bind it to a convenient button and double-press, you don't have to worry about people blocking your mouse-clicks.

[hopetorun]

brady/quinn kidfic!

one hundred years later because i needed to let this cook in my brain for a while. i think this is only supposed to be 5 things that happen in the story but yolo. i do what i want.

the thing is, brady’s always been a natural with kids. he loves kids, and kids love him, and quinn knows he wants so bad, and maybe it's a sore spot that quinn has a kid and brady doesn't but brady's too nice to ever sulk in front of quinn about it. but brady's tried so many times, a couple of serious girlfriends and, most recently, a boyfriend quinn knows he talked about wanting kids with.

the kids weren't even the sticking point -- the boyfriend wanted kids too -- it was the everything else. he didn't want to be a secret and he didn't want the publicity of being brady tkachuk's boyfriend, either, and those were pretty much the only options. so they broke up.

brady's not handling it great. he doesn't say it in so many words, but quinn's known him for more than decade at this point. it's in the way brady calls more often, hitting in those hours where it's a little too late on the east coast but quinn's just winding down for the night. they're facetiming when brady asks him -- quinn's in the middle of brushing his teeth, so it's mostly just brady rambling -- and brady says, "you know, chris and i had this vacation planned for bye week. i guess i could get the money back but if you and mila want to come instead ..."

the first thing quinn thinks about isn't how much he'd like to see brady, it's how when the senators were in vancouver a couple weeks after the breakup, brady wanted to eat dinner at quinn's and watch a movie with quinn and mila. mila fell asleep in his lap and he helped quinn put her to bed and afterward he wouldn't look quinn in the eye for a full twenty minutes.

mila doesn't usually stay with quinn during the season. her mom lives in vancouver and it's easier to just not be shuttling her back and forth and subjecting her to quinn's crazy hours and crazy schedule. he's over there all the time anyway, for lunches and dinners and weekend breakfasts when he can and as many bedtimes as he can wheedle his way into.

it was an amicable breakup. (it wasn't really a breakup, because they were never really together, and quinn was about seventh-eighths of the way to being done sleeping with women entirely, but he was drunk and lonely and sophie was there and her mouth was warm when quinn kissed her and, well, you get the gist.) anyway: they're friends for real now. sometimes sophie looks at him and he can see that she's a little sad he didn't end up wanting to marry her. but this more or less works.

(when mila was three they had a bout of temporary insanity and tried having sex again and had barely made it to being naked when it became clear that it wasn't going to work, which made sophie laugh so hard she got the hiccups. which wasn't good for quinn's ego, but it was probably for the best. it turns out neither of them had a condom anyway, and it did finally diffuse the lingering okay but maybe you're not actually totally gay that was simmering under the surface)

anyway: quinn and mila go on vacation with brady. it's a nice long break, neither of them tapped for all-star weekend for once, and sophie seemed delighted about the prospect of a kid-free week in the middle of the season. (quinn normally takes mila for most of the summer, when he doesn't have to travel and he's back in michigan surrounded by eager babysitters of varying levels of responsibility.)

it's a lovely vacation! brady gets so sunburned he looks like a tomato and whines while quinn rubs aloe on his back and laughs at him. mila likes to poke the sunburn and see how the red skin turns white under her fingers, which absolutely hurts and brady does not complain about at all. it's not something they've ever done before, just the two of them and quinn's kid, but they settle into the routines pretty easily. upgraded the place at the resort to a suite so they aren't all crammed into one room, and after two nights it goes from being brady's room and quinn-and-mila's room to being mila's room and quinn-and-brady's room, because mila goes to sleep at 8 and they can watch like a whole movie after that.

brady doesn't realize until he's back in ottawa that it was fucking him up. it was so nice while it was happening and now he's back home and he can see like he's looking at his own life from the outside how he was putting way too much of his own longing on quinn and just substituting quinn (and mila) in for what he really wants, which is a family of his own. quinn has his own life, his own family (even if it's not a traditional one), and brady can't just steal that for himself!

it takes him another month to realize that it isn't just the abstract. he doesn't just want a family with someone. he wants the specifics: quinn's wrinkled nose when brady's snoring wakes him up. quinn's stupid bedhead. quinn's resigned sigh when mila gets tired and wants to be carried even though she's getting so big that it's honestly pretty exhausting. the fond look in quinn's eyes when he watches brady and the way he laughs at brady's stupid jokes and the mischievous curl of his mouth when he's gonna start winding brady up about something.

so. that's a problem.

[llatimeria]

I've been conflicted about voting for a very long time, but recently it has clicked for me that Not Voting is supposed to be a threat. If you don't do what we want, you lose your job, and possibly get publically humiliated if your defeat is funny. Do what we say or else.

When people started rallying for Vote Blue No Matter Who in 2020, it was because the Red was so deeply unconscionable that not wanting to risk another Trump presidency was legitimately a somewhat reasonable stance to take. We saw the Vote Blue No Matter Who thing fail in 2016 and the next four years were awful, turmultous and violent, featuring immesurable damage to the causes left-wing people most strongly care about (climate change, social justice, etc). I completely understand the impulse to just press the "ANYTHING BUT THAT GUY AGAIN PLEASE" button as a hail mary, even for a candidate as mediocre and uninspiring as Biden.

However, we're now nearly four years out from 2020 (jesus christ), preparing for a new presidential election that might become extremely violent once again, and we do not live in a world where powerful people exist in a bubble completely separate from us common folk. They heard us. They saw we'd vote for anyone with a (D) next to them, because we all thought the alternative would be catastrophically worse. We proved it by electing Biden, an uncharismatic, resoundingly disliked septegenarian with a past riddled in his own stupid scandals. They now know they can serve us shit because we know we'll pay the bill anyway, so they're going to start cutting corners and doing whatever benefits them the most, since they think they'll be safe as long as they're "not as bad as the other guy".

Picking the lesser of two evils feels reasonable in the moment, but it's a fundamental part of why conservatism has taken over America. The right moves further right, so a significant block of voters will always vote for the left, so the left can get a little more loosey-goosey with their quality, moving a little bit to the right themselves. At what point do we end the cycle? What's the point at which this block of voters will snap? When does the difference between the evils become so scant that it doesn't matter?

Disappointingly, it seems like "supporting a genocide" is not the breaking point for many in this block. I get it, I really do, I also don't want a genocide to start in America (a somewhat feasible outcome if we re-elect Trump), but... like... because I don't like genocides, not because I happen to be partial to Americans. I want to do what I can to make no genocides happen anywhere, because Genocides... Are Bad. Yeah, of course that includes my own backyard, but it also includes far-off places I have never visited, never thought much about until now, don't have any particular cultural connection to, and probably has hundreds of people that hold beliefs that could actively harm me or I just simply find abhorrent.

I just feel like I've hit my breaking point. Neither evil feels "lesser" anymore. It's probably always been like this, and I might just be a dumb idiot for not seeing it until now, but I can't in good conscious vote for any of these morons anymore, even if it's to vote against someone I like less. It feels like they're all just going to do what they want no matter what, and we're just giving them a free pass by reflexively voting against the right, no matter how similarly the left and right behave.

If "left-wing" democratic candidates want to get the votes of the "vote blue no matter who" block forever, they better start actually, like, doing things for left-leaning causes. If enough people realize both parties are the same, and they're both going to be actively hostile to human life, there could be a huge shift in the status quo that could take power away from all these fuckers, including the "lesser evil" ones, so they do have to be careful. Maybe that shift should happen, too, and honestly it probably will, but Dems have a choice to make now: be violently overthrown by people sick of their shit, or adapt to the modern political climate by actually doing shit that matters, moving with that hypothetical shift instead of against it.

[lavenoon]

absolutely no rush on this, idle blorbo thought that rolled around: how would Dawn/Dusk react to seeing Robin coming into work, or joining them on a mission, looking under-the-weather? the kind of level where a person might try to shrug it off but is 100% going to bite them hard afterwards

also I hope you're doing okie, may you be able to have a lil treat during your day - @clxckwork-sun-n-moon

Given that I am not feeling my best, I'm tackling this ask now and afterwards I'm going to nap this migraine away fr. Some (mild) caretaking coming up!

Neither of them likes seeing Robin come in just-slightly-sick-but-it's-fine-really. But, depending on where they are with their rivalry, there's not much they can do about it.

Dusk has the stronger case, and in the case of an actual field mission he'll put his foot down and, if necessary, strong-arm Robin back to their office. There is no way he's letting them parkour if they're not feeling their best - what if a coughing fit hits them mid-jump, or they zone out a bit just as they land and fall flat on their face? No way, he'd rather not have to explain that to the higher ups. If it's bad enough that he notices, it's bad enough to keep them away from the field. Will threaten of making a scene and involving Agent River - and by then Robin would cave. They don't want negative attention, so they'll begrudgingly accept that it's a paperwork kind of night only. He's making their office his office for the night, too, occupying the ground if necessary and either wordlessly leaving every now and then just to return with a snack and something to drink, or grumbles about them taking a break whenever he gets the impression that they're struggling through a bit too much of a haze.

May urge them to just go home if he feels it's bad enough - or ask them to rest the next day, maybe even telling them that they should just ask their neighbor for help so they can actually catch a break. That'll grate at him, because he can't help more than this, but someone else might - but when Robin reacts with an offended gasp and "It's really not that bad, I don't need to bother him about something silly like this!" he feels just a tad better, because at least they let him help. Will tell them point blank that if they're still feeling sickly next night they better stay home, or he'll do all this again, night for night, until he deems them fit enough for the field again. Will still be worried when they stay out the next night, because he's a goober. Once they're back, he'll pretend nothing ever happened, but keep a closer eye on them anyhow, just to be safe <3

Dawn will have a bit more of a struggle. Their job isn't as physically taxing, and Robin would wave off any concerns for their mental state with the insistence that they're fine, they've been doing this for years, they know themself and know they can handle this. Doesn't even think of involving River, because he's also a little particular about attention from the higher ups. (Dusk isn't. Dusk will be a menace to anyone, and won't be sorry). So he'll just watch them like a hawk if they won't let themself be convinced to take it easy, and cover for any blunders from their side by either being charming, or scathing, or both. Draws the attention back to himself, and that's easy, after all. Similarly to this scenario, he'll tell them to get some fresh air whenever possible, with the distinction that if they're sick, and not just out of it, he won't let them go alone. Will claim the truth - they aren't feeling to well, but the two of them will be right back, not to worry!

Will give them another out once they're alone, tells them he'll cover the rest and to please just go rest, they're only making things worse for their recovery. Don't they have that helpful neighbor who likes helping them, anyway? They should just go home and let Dawn cover this for them - he won't even mention it in the report, so no one has to know. (How do you know Dawn has it bad for you? He suggests breaking the rules for you. Unfortunately, Robin is too dense to realize). But, same as above, Robin will insist on staying, and not bothering their nice neighbor over something so trivial. But, well... They wouldn't mind if Dawn takes the lead this time, and maybe they can use the sickness as a strategy, play it up a little (i.e. stop hiding it as much), to convince certain people to perhaps "let them rest" in restricted access areas. That's a compromise he can live with - he gets to watch them, be as caring as he rarely gets to be, and the job gets done. Tomorrow, though, they better stay home or he'll personally lock them in their office, promise and a threat <3

[chaotic-aro-incarnate]

Only Friends main cast and how & why they hook up with each other headcanons

Boston & Nick, Sand & Ray, Boston & Top: already happened so we know how that'll go

Top & Mew: with all their 4D chess that they're playing, something's gotta give at some point and that's how they'll finally have sex

Top & Sand: Sand mentioned being hit on a lot + having one night stands somewhat frequently and Top goes to the bar that Sand works at. Totally feasible that they hooked up at one point. Though in the preview for Ep 3 Sand says that he only has sex with someone once if it's just a hook up, which I wonder became his rule before or after Top

Ray & Boston: messed up proxy fucking where they're both thinking about Mew and Top respectively and are making things worse for themselves by doing it

Mew & Boston: happens after Top hooks up with Boston again and before Mew and Top actually have sex. Mew finds out about Top and Boston and gets revenge on Top by hooking up with Boston instead of him (also a very pointed "well I had to see what was so good about him that you'd pick him over me" from both parties)

Mew & Ray: alternate way where Mew gets revenge on Top for cheating on him, sine it seems like Boston is planning to play on Mew and Ray's relationship to make Top sleep with him instead (Mew: oh you thought I was messing around with him so you got with Boston? well, I guess now I actually do need to hook up with him). Poor Ray doesn't know how to say no to Mew, even if he knows he's just being used to get back at Top

Sand & Boston: similar situation to Sand & Top. Boston is a frequent customer at the bar where Sand works and hooks up with people all the time, statistically it probably happened and neither one thought too much about it and have kinda forgotten it happened and only remember when Boston runs into Sand after hooking up with Nick at their apartment.

Sand & Nick: they're roommates who have both been dragged into this mess of a friend group and are both in less than ideal situations with their fuck buddy/friend with benefits. enough depressed heart-to-hearts about the matter and they decide it might be better to simply fuck each other instead

Ray & Nick: Nick finds out that Boston is still sleeping with other people and has a crisis, Ray is being self-destructive and gets into an argument with Sand. they run into each other without knowing all the connections between them and hook up in a hopes of solving their problems, completely unaware how many more problems that they are causing for themselves

Top & Nick: Nick finds out that the guy Boston is still hung up over is Top and decides that he's going to fuck him as well because why shouldn't he? If Boston can do it, he should be able to do it too and maybe he'd find out what all the fuss is about. Probably after Mew found out about the cheating so he's not talking to Top at the moment, and Top figures out that he might as well sleep with the guy propositioning him because how much worse can things get?

Ray & Top: this is just straight up hate-fucking, no two ways about it. Ray resents Top for hurting Mew, Top doesn't like Ray due to the jealousy as well (since Ray's closeness to Mew seems to be what breaks him with Boston). Mew is mad at them both and off doing something (or someone) else. They run into each other at the bar while drunk and then pick a fight that escalates to them having sex

Mew & Sand: I don't know exactly how this would happen, I just know it's probably the worst thing to happen to Ray and he will make some bad decisions if he finds out it happened

Mew & Nick: .......ok I've been thinking but I seriously can't come up with a situation where they would end up hooking up together. they might be the only ones who won't have sex within the main cast because I'm at a loss of thinking how this one would happen. unless Nick and Top hook up and Mew finds out and then goes on a mission to have sex with every boy that Top has in order to prove a point to him

[spokelseskladden]

Hey, I'm sorry to bother you, I just wanted to ask if you still have ideas about the Time Travel AU (the CK one) cause I've been a little obsessed with it (I really love you art ♥️)

Omg CK time travel AU... I'm so happy people still like it, I haven't thought about it in so long :') sadly I don't have any new art of it, but I can add a few notes

The whole idea was always about Miguel and Robby from the end of season 4 waking up around the start of season 2. Neither one knows the other is in the same boat, and it creates some problems as both try to change events in their own ways, thus making different situations harder to predict. They also go about it the wrong way until they get Demetri on board, like they focus on the wrong things to solve the problems.

I was always imagining Miguel waking up on the day he gets his braces removed, because everything will suck for him for a while but at least he'll get to experience that twice ( my people who wore braces will know what I'm talking about)✌️✌️

Before Robby and Miguel figure out they're time travelling buds they try to sabotage each others non-existent relationships. This makes Sam think Miguel still is a jealous douchebag, Tory thinks Robby is...weird. basically, those relationships are soooo dead. I like Robby/Tory (controversial, I know) but it would be complicated. There's a chance for them being endgame, but I'm on the fence about it, cause the point of this AU was more about friendships, especially for Robby.

This one drawing I made where Robby and Miguel sort of talk about juvie/the paralysis was supposed to take place after this big fight they had. Because they're not friendly towards eachother after finding out they're both from the future. They're forced together due to the circumstances, but there's a lot of tension between them that culminates into this big fight where they nearly repeat the event they're trying to avoid. It shakes them to their core, and they realise they don't want this -> they try to talk about it and figure out that they have more in common than they thought.

This was supposed to be the turning point in the au. Pre them making up, everything just went from bad to worse, every situation they tried to fix ended with something else going straight to hell, but once they become friends? Everything suddenly seems to go smoothly. Until it doesn't. (enter fucking Hawk and the feelings they didn't take into account. Because they were all clueless about it.)

Hawk is in love with Miguel. This is true in all universes, I take no criticism on this lol. The AU was never supposed to be migueli centric, but it makes him extra jealous of Robby. Like, if the guy you like suddenly start sneaking around with someone you both used to talk shit about, keeping secrets, blowing off a potential girlfriend for this person, and now they suddenly seems to get along a bit too well? Yeah he thinks they have something going on. Which sucks for him, cause it's one thing if Miguel can't like him back because he's straight, if he's actually into guys as well? Ouch. It's a total misreading of the situation, but Hawk isn't going to jump to time travelling buddies as the first answer :/ There's a lot of hurt feelings here, and his go to coping mechanism is ofc anger and overreactions. Miguel is so used to Hawk listening to him (especially in his champ era) he didn't ever count on him doing the exact opposite in order to spite him. Cause he kinda...took Hawk for granted I guess 😔

While I made a joke about Hawk hitting on Tory (because she never got with Miguel there's nothing stopping him from doing that) I never planned on them getting together. They would go on one date maximum, Tory would realise they're way better as friends because they would've had a toxic fucking dynamic, and break it off. Which also makes Hawk spiral, but this ain't about him. Tory hangs with Aisha more because she's not with Miguel, and they have their own theories on what's going on with Miguel (and hawk tbh). I think they're the ones who accidentally starts this whole "Miguel and Robby might be...👀👀👀👀" Thing. They also realise what Hawk's deal is.

Sam v. Tory is waaaay more focused on Aisha, as it always should've been imo. I don't think their rivalry gets as bloody, and I think all three can learn some important lessons way faster. Also Aisha never disappears, because there's no school fight.

The adults are the biggest challenge, because neither Miguel nor Robby knows what the hell they were up to most of the time, and they're the ones who creates the mess. Miguel is from the end of s4, so from his perspective his relationship with Johnny is strained, while Johnny has no clue why their dynamic feels so off now(when he finds out Miguel and Robby are friends now, he assumes it's because of his shit relationship with Robby. Which isn't far off from the truth, once Miguel and Robby start talking they actually bond quite a bit over failed fathers/father figures which in turn puts even more strain on the Johnny-Miguel dynamic)

Originally I was considering Miguel being in a similar accident in the end, but under different circumstances. I'm not sure if it would work, but there's something about doomed narratives that compels me.

At least one character will be disappointed in Robby and Miguel for not even trying to win the lottery once they find out they're from the future. Robby and Miguel say they were a bit preoccupied with stopping the karate-gang-wars. Idk which character this should be but let's be real, it's Bert.

[pokeglitchden]

✖ - a repressed memory

✖ - a repressed memory

✖ - a repressed memory

✖ - a repressed memory

✖ - a repressed memory

[OOC- Since this is five different memories they are all going to be short. But they are each still a repressed memory in some way.

1)

[First memory is a very young one. Simon must be only around seven or eight years old at this point. He sits at the kitchen table, swinging his feet uncomfortably as both parents stand and discuss his latest grades.

Neither of them seem to even be looking at him, or even considering the fact that he's still in the room as they speak.

"Well, you know he's a bright enough kid. He just doesn't apply himself." his father says a little sternly.

"It's just the new school." his mother at least seems to be TRYING to be on his side, "Too many distractions. It'll settle once he's actually made a friend or two."

"Well, he'd better work on getting his grades up. It's really the only thing he's got going for him."

He stays there a long time past when his parents leave the kitchen.]

2)

[The memory begins inside the Silph Co. during lunch break. He is walking with his lab p�rt�er(?) as they try to find a seat.

It is the first day they've spent in the department of Glitch Research, and for once it looks like people are watching them. It's the look someone gives a person they believe will probably be dead by the next week. Pitying, a little sad, but not enough to do anything about it.

Everyone they pass seems to have that same knowing look on their face.

Someone says behind them.

"They're really going through them fast in Department H. Poor bastards. Hope they hold together."]

3)

[ He stands before Grant for the first time. The man's eyes are the most striking thing about him, glazed and almost hollow looking. And a dull white in color. Simon can barely look at him.

He has with him a young woman who is clearly a ZZaZZ victim. Her body is lined with spots, mimicking the pattern of a Bulbasaur, and she fragments wildly every few steps she takes. Her eyes look a little vacant, a far cry from the endless aggression she'd been expressing only moments ago.

He'd done this to her.

"I believe this does settle our little deal." Grant says with a smile. He hands over what seems to be a small tape recorder, "I hope you'll find it in you to work with us again."

When Simon takes it, there is a flicker of green in his shadow. It is so... SO tempting to end this all right now.

Once again. No one would have to know. After all, they already never would.

That night he sits in the dark and recounts every one of his regrets. He knows he can't ask Q to take this memory, but sitting with it is agony. A message from �aver lights the screen of his Dex Nav, and instead of answering it, he throws it against the wall. The screen cracks.]

4)

[A memory from the Mystery Zone. An endless expanse of trees stretch before him on every side, and he walks, limping, sometimes barely moving forward, as he counts each minute that passes meticulously.

The bottle of water he'd brought with him is now thoroughly empty, and he knows that if he doesn't find the exit to this place soon, it will likely not happen at all.

He has stopped recording, for now, and only a minute after he does, he feels his legs buckle. He barely feels himself hit the ground.

Without the sound of his own shuffling feet it is deathly quiet in the Mystery Zone. He can't move, and his entire body feels like it is about to unravel.

"Simon? Are you coming back?"

�aver's voice sounds so clear in his ears he could swear it was real. For a moment, just a moment, he turns and he can see him.

"I'm trying." He says back, his voice barely a whisper, "I'm trying, really."

"Do you need a hand? Come on."

He is so sure he can see his hand. It looks so real in front of him that when he goes to grab it, it is startling how fast it slips through.

He feels like he could cry. He knows he cannot trust anything he sees or hears any more.

He tries to just focus on counting the passing minutes until he can move again. ]

5)

[ Simon flies on Gilligan's back as they soar over the cluttered landscape of Glitch City. Beside him �aver is starting to pull ahead on the back of Lullaby, his ▶️A.

He is such an adept scout that he seems to already have a flight path all set out to cover as much searchable ground as possible. He is darting back and fourth, a deep red tint easily tracking his movements.

"Look! I think that's them! Over there!" He shouts, pointing to a spot Simon can barely see in the middle of the chaotic urban sprawl of half formed houses. It is the ZZaZZ victim that ran away. The hybrid.

He smiles at Simon with a confidence he knew he would never see in him again.

"Come on! Let's go get them." He says as he descends.

Simon slowly gives the signal to descend after him. He says nothing. ]