#or he does but he knows rick is not healthy for him

[dirty-bear-rick-sanchez]

Last night when I was on my Birdrick binge (I literally just scrolled through the tag reblogging until the webpage crashed and reloaded 😅) I was listening to a Grateful Dead show and they played They Love Each Other and there was a minute where I was looking at Birdrick posts to the lyrics ‘They love each other, Lord you can see that it’s true’ and it was nice but also very bittersweet

[hannibals-favourite-meal]

Rick/reader/Daryl are a throuple and the Alexandria residents don’t know how to react.

.⋆｡Her Poor Cat｡⋆.

Daryl x plus size reader x Rick

Obviously the Alexandrians were pretty vanilla

Warnings: mentions of pregnancy and smut, bit of a crack fic, humour, fluff

WC: 900

Minors DNI

Library- @hannibals-favourite-meal-library

The welcome party was an interesting touch to the new-comers. It was so weirdly reminiscent of the old world with the nice clothes and good food and alcohol but at the same time, many in the room carried that haunted look in their eyes from the hell just outside the walls. But the food was fresh and the company was pleasant enough.

Carl had scrambled off a couple minutes ago, presumably to try and sneak some whiskey behind his father’s back, leaving you alone with a sleepy Judith perched on your wide hip. Her chunky hand tightly clutched at your shirt as her big blue eyes fluttered.

“Mama.” She muttered, nuzzling further into your hold. You gently cupped the back of her head and began to sway softly. 

“We’ll leave soon, just need to find your dads and make sure they don’t get into any trouble.” Your eyes skipped over the crowd but you were quickly stopped by someone coming up beside you.

“It’s so good to see healthy children during these times.” Deanna seemed less focused on you and more on the now half-asleep child in your arms, which you were incredibly grateful for considering that your poker face wasn’t as good as it used to be and she legitimately freaked you out.

Judith grumbled as you hitched her higher on your hip. “Judy is an easy baby, pretty much eats anything that gets put in front of her.” You chuckled and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

“You and Rick must be very proud of your kids.” 

Your eyes widened. “Oh, it’s not-“

A strong arm was suddenly wrapped around your thick waist and you were tugged back into their hard stomach. The scent of cigarettes and motor oil filled your senses as Daryl’s lips brushed against your earlobe. You watched as Deanna went pale, obviously coming to her own conclusion about your relationship with the archer.

“I-I didn’t realise, given how affectionate you are with the kids, I thought Rick was your partner.” You could feel Daryl’s broad chest rumble with discontent.

“So what if he is?” The noise from the party faded away to a faint whisper as all eyes turned to you. Internally, you groaned, vowing to get some sort of revenge on your boyfriend.

“I’m sorry?” Deanna seemed genuinely confused but you knew that whatever was about to come out of Daryl’s mouth would not serve to lessen that feeling.

With your free hand, you dug your fingers into his hip, urging him to shut the hell up but like always, Daryl refused to listen. “So what if we’re both fucking her?”

And there it was. Your body sagged with embarrassment as heat raced up your neck, blooming across your cheeks. “You fucking asshole.” Your group all seemed to be holding back their laughter as the Alexandrians were suddenly incredibly uncomfortable. You heard Carl groan loudly from somewhere behind you. “Not again.”

“Both of them?” Spencer materialised beside his mother, jaw practically on the floor. “At the same time?”

Just as Daryl’s mouth opened once more to very rudely answer the mayor’s son, Rick’s hand on his shoulder stopped him. His grip was light enough to appear friendly but the way his fingers curled into his collarbone kept the other man silent. “What Daryl meant to say is that we are all in a relationship together.”

You then made the mistake of making eye contact with Maggie and Carol who both seemed to be on the edge of suffocation as they desperately tried to stop giggling. You glared at the women and got back a rather rude gesture from Carol that restarted their laughter anew.

“I think I need to get Judy to bed.” You tried to pull away from Daryl’s grip but the stubborn man he was, he just held you tighter.

“How does that work?” The question came from a woman towards the back. You could practically feel Rick’s smirk as he cleared his throat but very quickly, another woman decided to answer for him.

“Obviously they take turns.” A murmur of agreement filled the room followed by- “Oh her poor vagina.” This makes Glenn snort into his drink.

With a horrified look on her face, Deanna spoke again. “This is highly inappropriate.” Yet no one seemed to hear her because someone else piped up.

“I can’t believe that she isn’t pregnant all the time.”

“I think that’s enough of that! Thank you all for the wonderful party, but we really should be going now.” Your voice boomed, starling Judith awake but that was the least of your concerns at the moment. Daryl went easily enough as your fingers clamped down on his wrist and you pulled him along, although there was a prideful smile on his lips.

But Rick had other ideas. “It’s not like we don’t try every chance we get.” Faster than you thought you were capable of, you dropped Daryl’s hand and your arm darted out, grabbing Rick’s ear with a force that made him visibly flinch.

“I said that’s enough.” You snarled and tugged him towards the front door, Daryl trailing close behind you. “Goodnight.” The door slammed shut behind you, leaving behind a room full of stunned Alexandrians and your friends who were all laughing loudly.

“Well, I guess that cleared that up.” Deanna murmured and took a long pull of her drink.

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[whateverisbeautiful]

♥️Reveling in Richonne - TOWL

#44: The Family Gifts (1.05)

I love that they have this scene take place in a souvenir shop. 😊 Rick already turns the whole world into a gift shop when it comes to finding things to gift to Michonne so it’s only fitting that he’d find the perfect thing to get her in this place.

But what's extra special is now Rick's history of getting Michonne gifts has expanded to thinking about gifts for the son she gave him too - with RJ being the ultimate gift for them both. And seeing these two converse as parents in this scene was super heartwarming 🥰...

The scene starts with Rick knocking on the shop's door and then they open it and have the cutest little look exchange before entering the shop. It’s so subtle but I love it. 😊 They’re in such a good, peaceful, lighthearted mood and I always love those moments where it’s so clear that on top of being husband and wife, Rick and Michonne really are best friends. And yes I got all that just from a quick playful look. 😋

They enter and when Michonne walks pass those touristy license plates she taps them with her stick and keeps walking. I love that when she hits the rack Rick immediately looks over at her wondering what that’s about. He looks like if the license plates did something to her then he's gonna have beef with them too lol.

gif cred: @nat111love

Michonne says, “Never did like those” and I love that Rick immediately knows why as he says, “No 'Michonnes,' huh?” Michonne says, “Not even once” and I like that in TOWL we’re even just getting these tiny insights into the characters from the world before.

I know so many with unique names could relate to this license plate moment. And 'Michonne' really is such a unique and pretty name and uncommon as Okafor noted. 'Michonne' is also Rick’s favorite word. I’m convinced. 😌 And ever since this scene, my headcanon is that Rick, RJ, and Judith definitely work together to create some type of 'Michonne' license plate and gift it to her. 

gif cred: @nerd4music

As Rick continues to look at the license plates he stops and sees one that says 'Junior.' And y’all, the second I saw the junior license plate my heart was already bursting knowing exactly where this was going.

I love that they make it a point to show that there are Rick and even Richard license plates available too but the one that catches his eye is 'Junior.' It just shows how Rick is already so proud that his son is his Junior. 🥲

And then my heart just does flips and leaps hearing Rick say RJ’s name for the first time as he so sweetly asks Michonne, “Is this a terrible gift to bring to RJ?” Y'all, I'm smiling and crying at the same time. 🫠 Like how precious is this. 😭

You just know on this road trip home Rick and Michonne have been talking a lot about their kids and I love that Rick is thinking about his son and wants to bring him a gift. Especially because, as I mentioned in an episode 4 breakdown, they have a book they're bringing to Judith so I'm sure Rick wants to make sure they have a gift for RJ too.

I knew after episode 4 we were going to be seeing Healthy & Alive Rick all through episode 5 and that was so clear in this scene. Cuz this is the real Rick right here. Being a whole father. Being his affectionate gift-giving self. I love to see it. 😌

gif cred: @kris-lulu

There’s also something so sweet about him wondering if it would be a 'bad' gift. It’s bittersweet because it’s a reminder that Rick hasn’t had a chance to know his son or what he'd like but it’s great knowing he soon will have the chance to learn it all. 

Michonne smiles and then informs Rick that “No one has ever once called him Junior.” I love that when so many of us heard that we immediately decided that this means Rick will be the only one to call RJ 'Junior' and it’ll be their father/son thing. 👌🏽

gif cred: @krislulu

Rick says, “Ah okay” and puts the license plate back, and then Michonne smiles at him clearly finding him so cute in this moment and knowing the father of her child is the best man on earth.

And then she has the warmest kindest tone as she tells Rick, “You’re bringing yourself back. That’s more than enough.” I love this so much. 😭

gif cred: @kris-lulu

It's so touching that Michonne wants Rick to know he’s the gift. The gift that’s more than enough too. 🥹 Like truly their family is going to be so much more whole with his return.

The wording of 'bringing yourself back' also always makes me think of how he’s literally coming back but also he’s been acting like himself again, so it’s like Rick is bringing his true self back rather than burying it. And that’s also more than enough.

I love that Michonne is always reminding Rick of how cherished he is. And it’s also this reminder that him being with them is the best thing he can do. Just like when she said I only feel safe with you, Rick is again getting this confirmation that his presence is as needed and valued as his protection. 👌🏽

Rick says, “The Brave Man, huh?” and I like how this shows that Rick has been thinking a lot about who he is to his kids.

This got me thinking about how when Rick decided to die he had to surrender the idea of ever seeing his wife and daughter again. He accepted that all he’d ever have is the fading memories and just the honor of having got to love and protect them at all, even if for far briefer a time than he’d hoped. So now, it has to be pretty surreal for him to know he really will be back with them and with the son he wanted but didn't know he had.

gif cred: @nat111love

And if he’s at all worried if he’ll live up to his kids' expectations of him being The Brave Man, Michonne so wonderfully quells those doubts when she again so sweetly and sincerely says, “You are. More than ever.” 🥹🥹🥹

I know I’ve said it 1000 times but I adore the way Michonne believes in and uplifts Rick and this line right here might be my favorite example of that.

gif cred: @nat111love

I love how Michonne can always sense Rick's subtext and underlying feelings and then address them in the perfect way. Because she can sense that Rick is nervous about meeting his son for the first time and maybe worried about how it’ll go just showing up in his life after all these years. But Michonne saying this is reminding Rick that by choosing to come home, especially when he had been so convinced prior that he couldn’t and shouldn’t, is a brave thing and very commendable and he really is the great man his kids think he is.

It’s so precious too that Rick gets to see that it’s not just his kids but his wife who truly views him as The Brave Man. Like even tho Rick said last ep that he’s not the brave man, Michonne wants him to know their babies got it right with that title. 💯

And by pushing through all the fear that was keeping him chained to the CRM, Michonne thinks he’s the bravest he’s ever been for doing that. 🥹 I appreciate how Michonne and Rick find so many ways to say 'I love you' even without saying the three words directly. And this was 100% that. They really breathe life into each other with every encouraging word and gesture.

gif cred: @nat111love

As Michonne turns around we get even more adorableness as Rick spots a name bracelet and thinks what he thinks when he sees most any item, “this could be turned into a gift for Michonne.”

gif cred: @coolpartytimefan

So being cute and sneaky trying to not get caught with the jewelry since he wants to surprise her with it later, he grabs the 'Michelle' bracelet and breaks it so that it becomes an M bracelet.

gif cred: @nat111love

Can my extra self break down all the reasons I adore this real quick? 😋

One; I absolutely love that because Rick notes every detail of Michonne he knows she’s missing her signature M necklace and so, as he’s always been so good at doing, he finds a way to essentially replace the one she lost.

Two; I love that Rick said if this place doesn’t have ‘michonne’ gifts he’ll find a way to make one.

Three; Something about him making the M bracelet on his prosthetic felt symbolic to me. He literally lost that hand because he’d choose being with Michonne over his own limbs. And now after doing everything he could to be with her, he has her and is still finding ways to give her every good thing he can.

Four; if I'm not mistaken, I believe it was said by Danai that the initial M necklace was from Michonne's mom and so I love that Michonne’s two M pieces of jewelry came from two of the people that love her most. 🥲

Five; After all those years of Michonne wearing that wedding ring with her necklace, I love that her husband is now with her and getting her new jewelry…and he’ll also be giving her some even more meaningful jewelry by the end of the ep. Amen. 😏

Six; It’s just so romantic and thoughtful. It’s so Rick to do this. And I love all these heartfelt gestures that add to Richonne’s epic love story. 

gif cred: @coolpartytimefan

Rick pockets the bracelet, waiting for the right moment to gift his wife. Michonne then says, “He might be ready for this” as Rick turns around and sees Michonne holding a hatchet, similar to one of Rick's signature weapons in TWD. I adore that she saw that weapon and was like this would be a good fitting gift for Rick’s mini-me. 😋

And then something I always appreciate so much is hearing Rick ask, “Is that who he is?” I think it’s so sweet and such a sign of what a good dad Rick is. Of course, he’d be flattered if his son followed in his footsteps but the question shows that he also wants to know who RJ is regardless of him. You just know he’s prepared to love RJ whether he’s like him or not and I just love that he wants to know all about what RJ is like. 

And then it’s great that Michonne gets to tell him just how much she meant it when she said their kids are some Richonne kids when she says, “Judith has a sword. They’re us.” Hearing her say their kids are her and Rick never fails to elate me. 🥰 It’s such a true statement.

I love imagining that now that they’ve reunited Rick has got to see firsthand that Judith doesn’t only have a sword, she’s a whole pro with the sword just like her mom. 😌

I love how proud Michonne is of her kids. She raised them to be survivors while still giving them a childhood. And seeing Rick and Michonne talk as RJ and Judith’s parents in this scene was everything. The best mom and dad. 💛

But they’re also the best husband and wife and I love how that got to take center stage in TOWL.

So after this lovely parents moment, Rick is back to reminding us why he’s Husband of the Year ever year when he spots the absolute perfect minty fresh gift to give his wife.

And y’all, I gotta do a part two because this next part has Rick saying one of my favorite things of all time and it needs its own post. 😇

But as for this moment, Rick and Michonne are such a gift to each other. And their kids are such a gift to them. And this scene is such a gift to me. 🥰 And honey, because we’re spoiled rotten with this miniseries, this gift of a scene just keeps on giving with what comes next. 👌🏽😌

[the-awful-falafel]

I really hope Rick and Morty as a series will finally move on from portraying Rick's love for Morty / his family as this special, redemptive trait that Morty just needs to open his eyes to. Or portraying it as something Rick just needs to be emotionally honest about, finally admit in a grand gesture, and then everything will be healthy and resolved.

Two things can be equally true: Rick can sincerely care about Morty, deeply enough to be tender with him, showing gestures of affection, being protective of him, being truly proud of him... and can also constantly let Morty down, put him in mortal danger, make Morty feel responsible for his emotional health, treat him awfully and in manipulative controlling ways, and not be there for him when it matters most. His love is real, but is also a fickle thing that Morty cannot always rely on. That uneven dolling out of affection is exactly what entrenches the abuse and damages Morty further. Even now that Rick is slowly improving as a person, his simultaneous love and unreliability persists in milder ways, and the long pattern of abuse leaves deep scars on his grandson.

In my opinion, it makes perfect sense for Morty to see Rick's care for him as this unreliable, dangerous, and potentially non-existent thing, but also to paradoxically crave it nonetheless. Every time he lets his guard down and starts to trust Rick too much, he's been kicked in the nuts for it to varying extents-- even recently. I don't think he actually believes Rick cares nothing for him, but he's been trapped in this cycle of good and bad for so long that his self-worth is eroded and wholly defined by his grandpa's conditional affection, and he's scared of and dependent on it simultaneously. Even if Rick became truly healthy and openly caring from now on, that won't change how he's screwed up Morty with his behavior.

The series isn't going to make any meaningful progress if the writers keeps cycling around the superficial "does Rick care? does Morty know how deeply Rick cares?" question that they've asked since Season 1, instead of progressing to more meaningful, realistic questions about what Rick's love even means after all the past seasons of codependent abuse, and how much it should be worth to Morty in the end. (Ideally, much, much less than it's worth now.)

Yes, Rick cares. Yes, he loves his family deeply. But as with many forms of abuse, that's part of the problem.

[brainddeadd]

general TWD violence and angst, fluff, suggestive

hinted that reader has a chronic illness but not specified

i have daryl brain rot

Darly Dixon, who can't believe he's got a damn crush in the middle of the damned apocalypse 🙄

(Even though he doesn't know that's what it is. All he knows is that he can't stop thinking about you, worrying about you, wanting to protect you, wants you to eat well and be healthy, will fight anyone and everyone who looks at you wrong and always occasionally gets a fucken boner when thinking about you)

Darly Dixon, who keeps you in his sight when you're on a run together.

Daryl Dixon, who brings you shit he thinks you'd like and leaves it somewhere you find it.

(like when he gave Carol the flower for Sophia)

Darly Dixon, who catches you before you fall when you come across the corpse of someone you sued to know.

Daryl Dixon, who brings you a flower that night, perched in a beer bottle he cleaned out and filled with water, a supportive hand being placed on your shoulder briefly, before he's gone, leaving you to find comfort in Carol's arms.

Daryl Dixon, who refuses to let you go on a run with him for a few days after, claiming it's because you're emotional and need to rest, but telling Rick that it's because this was your home and there are likely to be more people you used to know.

Daryl Dixon, who makes sure to help you climb over shit and up walls when it's a necessary movement.

Darly Dixon, who complains when he's being nursed for the gun shot to the head but settles down when you walk in, knowing you won't let him argue.

Daryl Dixon, who cleans out your cell in the prison for you, telling you to rest and keep up your strength.

Darly Dixon, who freaks out when you hug him for the first time. Arms suspended in mid-air, body tense. Eventually, he rests them around you, hands flattening along your back, pulling you into him. His face sinks to your neck, and he relaxes into your hold.

Daryl Dixon, who knows something has changed between the two of you but can't pinpoint what it is. He doesn't ask, though. Doesn't want to scare you. So he let's the change happen. You spend more time by his side than you do away from it, hand brushing his when you walk.

Daryl Dixon, who finally asks one day, when you're preparing for a night away from camp, and he just can't seem to control the words from falling from his mouth. He's shocked when you tell him it's because you love him.

"Why?" It's a simple question, but it shocks you to your core. Does he really not know?

"Becayse you're you, Daryl Dixon." You say it like that's enough, like that makes it all make sense.

Darly Dixon, who let's you sit in silence for a while, unable to make his brain work well enough to tell you.. anything.

"I love ya, too, ya know."

"I know." He's not surprised that you know. He hasn't exactly tried to hide it from you. Couldn't even if he wanted to. But he wants you to feel the love he has for you, to feel any love in this world. Even though he can't bring himself to say it.

Daryl Dixon, who holds you close that night, body pressed to yours, his arms around your waist and his face pressed into your neck. Neither of you sleep, too aware of the other, of the particular issue he has. Neither of you make a move. It's not the right time. Not the right place.

Daryl Dixon, who kisses you gently in the morning, after he's made you eat. His hands stay by his sides, his crossbow on his back, and he catches you so off guard you barely manage to kiss him back.

"Ls go home."

[apollosgiftofprophecy]

I saw a couple of posts here and on ao3 where you talked about how TOA Apollo has a stilted view of romantic relationships. Would you be comfortable explaining that, it got me really interested!

OKAY

SO

gonna be putting this under a cut for length

Apollo and relationships. Specifically, ToA Apollo and relationships.

let's see if I can formulate the thoughts into words.

Right off the bat, Apollo does have a hard time avoiding those red flags (hello, Commodus), so much so that he can see them...he just ignores them.

This already tells us that he doesn't have the healthiest view on relationships, or what specifically a healthy partner would be like.

In RRverse canon, these are all of his confirmed, canon relationships/love interests;

Hyacinthus

Commodus

Naomi

Darren

Latricia

Cyrene

Daphne

Sibyl

(I probably missed some asdfhjk)

Anyway, I've noticed that in canon, Apollo's relationships tend to fall into two categories; Sweet or Sour, we'll call them.

Now the majority on the list are Sweet! They are fulfilling relationships with no indication of any bitter feelings- Apollo is not shy about telling us about his love life, and certainly doesn't keep it from us when a relationship went south.

What I find interesting is that all three of the Sours can help pinpoint Apollo's more jaded/stilted view on romance.

Let's kick off with Daphne.

First things first, Apollo is quite literally forced to fall in love with her. Like. That has GOT to screw with a guy. What's more, is that when Apollo explains to us how Eros's arrows work;

What people do not understand: Eros’s arrows can’t summon emotion from nothing. They can only cultivate potential that is already there. Daphne and I could have been a perfect pair. She was my true love. She could have loved me back. Yet thanks to Eros, my love-o-meter was cranked to one hundred percent, while Daphne’s feelings turned to pure hate (which is, of course, only the flip side of love). Nothing is more tragic than loving someone to the depths of your soul and knowing they cannot and will not ever love you back. The stories say I chased her on a whim, that she was just another pretty dress. The stories are wrong. - The Hidden Oracle

There's an implication that he and Daphne may have actually been...friends. Or at the very least acquaintances.

It's never stated in canon when Daphne happened, and the mythology itself is weird about the timeline, but it certainly happened earlier in Apollo's life.

Imagine being forced to fall madly in love with someone you know and they are made to despise you.

The self-confidence definitely took a blow here.

What's more...

When she begged Gaea to turn her into a laurel tree in order to escape me, part of my heart hardened into bark as well.

Apollo tells us plainly that what happened with Daphne shook his views on romantic endeavors. Though, it didn't keep him from engaging in romance, either.

Now, back to Commodus real quick. We already covered the No Red Flag Bell with him, and honestly, I won't spend too much time here because I got a whole meta list waiting to dissect these two XD

But Sibyl reveals something else about Apollo and romance- sometimes, he sees it as transactional.

The story of Apollo and Sibyl does differ from the mythology of them- in mythology, Sibyl tricks Apollo into granting her a long life, and he kinda just shrugs and says 'okay, but you didn't ask for eternal youth either so...whoops?'

In ToA, Rick switches it up a bit by having Apollo grant Sibyl a long life after she jokes about it, and when she further rebuffs him, he curses her with no eternal youth.

Alas, I knew what I’d been thinking—that she was a pretty young woman I wanted to get with, despite the fact that she was my Sibyl. Then she’d outsmarted me, and being the bad loser that I was, I had cursed her. - The Tyrant's Tomb

I promised you life, not youth. You can have your centuries of existence. You will remain my Sibyl. I cannot take those things away, once given. But you will grow old. You will wither. You will not be able to die.

Yeah, it sounds like Apollo more or less curses her with no eternal youth here.

(Daily disclaimer that mythology Apollo's love life is actually very good and you should read up on it :3)

Back to the transactional thing-

"You cannot refuse payment." “Payment?” She balled her hands into fists. “You dare think of me as a transaction?” “I didn’t mean—Obviously, I wasn’t—”

Now, do I think Apollo sees all relationships as transactional? No. But let's consider the Olympian influence for a moment here.

Olympus in the RRverse is rather fucked, no doubt about it. The gods do not help without first being given something, and that permeates through their whole lifestyles.

Apollo's not being transactional because ✨misogyny✨. He's being transactional because that's what he's been raised to believe. If he gives something, he gets something back. That goes for all the gods, male and female and everything in between.

Bacchus helps the demigods in Mark of Athena because they paid tribute to him. Whenever a god extends aid, burnt offerings are made in thanks- which is probably part of the reason why Hera got angry with Annabeth when she refused to give her burnt offerings in The Battle of the Labyrinth after she helped her on her quest.

Apollo doesn't seem to be as picky as some (ie, The Titan's Curse, where he helps out to help out. You can argue he got his sister back in exchange but that's not really typical godly exchange lol), but it's clear that mindset has somewhat transferred over into relationships.

Now, I also want to talk about how Hyacinthus affected him- because let's be real, he was the one that affected him the most without outside interference (looking at you, Eros).

Apollo has told us time and again that Hyacinthus was one of, if not his greatest, love. His death really left a mark on him, and I am of the firm belief that it's that mark that made him wary of forming too close of a relationship with others- even when he tries to convince them and himself they are his One True Love™️, it falls flat inside his own head.

Because let's face it- that spot is occupied by Hyacinthus, and the hole he left in Apollo's heart.

This isn't to say Apollo loves his other lovers less- heck no! Love is one of his defining qualities. He has much love in him!

It's just that Hyacinthus had a particular impact on him, and how he views relationships.

*vibrates in Hyapollo multific* I have...my own personal ideas...on what that entails...

And we see how touch-and-go Apollo is with other lovers! As soon as Commodus becomes emperor, he's gone. And only comes back in disguise, never revealing himself until he kills him.

Naomi, Darren, and Latricia are all obviously loving relationships from what we can gather, but it's clear it was never long-term.

Cyrene, really, is where I'd argue he got the closest to a long-term relationship with a mortal-ish person, but even so, they aren't in a permanent long-term relationship either.

Hyacinthus, however? I can see he and Apollo maintaining an everlasting romance.

...Also because that is exactly what happens according to the Spartans and who are we to deny what the Spartans declared about their national hero?

The only other exceptions to this I can see are his relationships with the Muses and (hello, fellow Apricity shippers) Boreas.

But even so...the Muses give off like, 'married co-workers' vibes, if that makes sense, and Boreas is more or less a winter fling (fandom forgive me, you know I am a shipper🫡)

Anyway. Hope this rambling makes sense or at least provides a platform for someone to put coherent thoughts together lmao

In conclusion: sometimes Apollo is transactional in relationships because of the culture he was raised in, and he has commit issues because of just how hard Hyacinthus's death hit him :)

have fun pondering :3

[hazelnut-u-out]

Rewatching some of s6 tonight and and ‘Analyze Piss’ really puts into perspective how drastic Rick’s relapse is at the end of the season. Rick is actively trying to do the right thing. At the same time, the family is so supportive of him making the effort to heal, but completely incapable of trusting that his actions aren’t malicious.

The main thing that stuck out to me on this rewatch was the bit where Rick says ‘Jerry, I give you raw power, you’ll end up miserable like me. Trust me, I’m helping by not helping.’

I think this line of thinking is a great way to explain a lot of Rick’s shitty behavior— it’s just tragic that he’s only now getting to the point where he can communicate that.

It made me wonder if this view of power is what led to some of his behavior in ‘The Vat of Acid Episode’. I think he thought giving Morty ‘raw power’ would eventually lead to Morty being ‘miserable’. Rick has experience with having power— and it fucked him up. It comes back to Rick viewing his own mind as an ‘inescapable curse’ that he wouldn’t wish upon anyone else. It’s sad to see his ability to communicate that healthily manifest itself later on, only to be met with criticism.

Just look at how he flinches:

I know that it’s his responsibility to deal with the fallout caused by his own actions, but it does hurt that the family assumes he’s trying to be shitty by refusing to help.

I think that the negative reactions the family had to his effort to communicate, especially when he opens up to Morty at the end of the episode, must have something to do with his resistance to that later in the season. He was being unfair to Morty, but I think he struggles with understanding what is and isn’t appropriate to communicate in a healthy family dynamic.

[snailpebbles]

Cuddling With Carl Grimes

he's so ⁽⁠⁽⁠ଘ⁠(⁠ ⁠ˊ⁠ᵕ⁠ˋ⁠ ⁠)⁠ଓ⁠⁾⁠⁾♡⁠(⁠>⁠ ⁠ਊ⁠ ⁠<⁠)⁠♡ yk

****

You're laying on his chest, eyes closed with his heartbeat right in your ear just to know he's alive. earlier that today he had a very close call ( cough 8x9 cough) that scared the living shit out of both of you.

Now you're curled up together in his bed with dried tears and many whispered sweet nothings still lingering in the air.

His hand would be rubbing your back, maybe lightly scratching up and down your spine.

I can imagine the other one is either resting on your hip, or has a full on death grip if it's you who had a close call.

On those days though.. this boy is cuddled up against your chest and listening to your heartbeat with an actual earplug in his other ear 💀

he's a little a lot clingy

Carl's arms are tightly around your midsection while your hands are playing with his hair; scratching his scalp, running your hands through it, and brushing his bangs back to kiss his forehead.

oh your legs are tangled and I mean tangled as in it takes a second to get up.

On normal days though he'll hold you gently, running his blunt nails along your forearm.

He only lets you hold him when he's vulnerable. Otherwise, you're the one being cuddled no matter what.

except that one time at the prison where y'all passed out in the library and his head was nuzzled into your neck..

He used to be embarrassed of getting caught cuddling because big strong manly man yk?

but after the whole Rick and Michonne bow chika wowwow ordeal? bro is shameless.

"Hey Carl your dad needs you to-" Michonne pauses as she opens the door to see a very soft looking Carl cradling a even softer looking ____.

"Hello Michonne." Carl's voice that she previously heard sounding so gentle now sounded cool and collected. Michonne does a double-take as she realizes this little shit now looks smug as hell.

this is it. this is him.

****

I love him sm it's not healthy I DREAMED OF CUDDLING WITH HIM AND JUST DIED ‼️‼️‼️‼️

I'm mentally ill (⁠●⁠’⁠3⁠)⁠♡⁠(⁠ε⁠`⁠●⁠) <-- me+him fr

[everythingannoyingpjo]

I hated everything Bob the Titan. Like I was a PJO super fan, so I read all the books (so I did know who Bob was BEFORE reading HoH), but that doesn't excuse having him be such a titular part of Percy and Annabeth's Tartarus experience while being introduced in a side book. In what world does that make sense?

This isn't even mentioning how strange it is to blame Percy for not wanting anything to do with Bob/manipulating him. Sure, perhaps Percy MAY have been a little out of line there (truly, I don't think so, though, it IS an argument), and it also didn't help that he was being blamed by the narrative for Bob and Calypso, as if either were ever really HIS fault.

(Finally, Percy has ALWAYS been like that. Bob wasn't needed to show him to be a slightly manipulative person. There were much more interesting ways to go about introducing Tartarus and exploring both Percy and Annabeth as characters. Percy especially).

Not much for me to add here. Bob being in the book never bothered me personally, but I can see how it would be annoying to have the focus taken away from Annabeth and Percy. Percy's POV is actually largely absent in Tartarus, and I think the reason for this (the only reason I can think of) is that Percy's PoV was probably quite dark during this part of the narrative, especially since it's the lead up to his break down when confronting Akhlys.

Percy has always been prone to blaming himself for others misfortune, so the fact that he blamed himself for what happened to Calypso, Bob, and Nico is not surprising to me, what did surprise me is that the narrative played it completely straight. Honestly the scene with Leo and Percy also really bugged me and I know I'm not alone in this. I honestly think Rick bit off more than he could chew with HoO trying to balance the arcs of about 10 different characters with conflicting viewpoints. (I'm counting Reyna, Nico, and Misc side characters here too.)

I think Leo suffers the most from this since his character arc required the most development imo, but so do Hazel, Frank, Piper, and Jason. These characters all have relatively "healthy" coping mechanisms so they didn't need as much focus and were pushed to the side as a result. Percy, whether because we know him better or because he's easier for Rick to write (experience will do that to you) didn't have as much of a problem, except again for those things which required a certain amount of nuance, which is a weak point in Rick's writing already!

I never considered the point of Bob's character was to show that Percy could and would mislead people in order to survive, but it's an interesting point and I like it. I slightly disagree, but only because I'm of the opinion that Percy was being honest with Bob when he said he would let Bob bring Hyperion back if he really wanted to. And we never find out if he is, because that scene is from Annabeth's point of view and she admits she isn't sure if he's lying or not. Another one of those things it would have been nice to come back to. ALAS!

But also we already knew Percy was willing to trick people to survive, didn't we? He tricks his opponents into doing stupid shit all the time in the first series. I guess this is just the first time we as the audience feel sympathy for the character he is potentially deceiving so it FEELS like a betrayal. Definitely something for me to think about. Thanks for your submission.

[punkeropercyjackson]

Team Parent Percy Jackson headcanons

Before i forget to do them again!!He is canonically but Rick dosen't expand on it and i also don't wanna hear any critisism because this is based off irl experiences and Percy used to his full potential because he deserves better

I wanna start off with the canon evidence:He's the eldest main hero in the franchise(T.oa is Not Real)and the most experienced one too,he feels the need to look out for younger people all the time and this is a springoff growing up a bully beater that was so set on protecting the innocent he never stopped even after getting kicked out of 6 schools by age 12,he's constantly compared to Poseidon as a foil to him whos's him but better,Hazel said he looked like a roman god which her dad is and Percy himself even compared his relathionship with Nico to acting like Sally does with him

He also said Sadie looks like his daughter and he specifically used 'mother' for the Nico part so darkskin afro-dominican and transfem bigender Percy is hashtag real <3

Nico and Hazel are his platonic soulmates by choice in every universe and they're known as 'The Dead Sea Siblings'.No Hoo retcons for Nico and Percy's dynamic and in fact between Botl and Tlo they spent the year bonding and reconnecting so when Hazel comes in to complete them they're a proper trio like they were always meant to be and Sally legally adopts Nico and Hazel after Tlo and after Boo respectively but they keep their birth surnames just for shortness' sake

He calls them 'Papito' and 'Mamita' and helps them take care of their hair and they have wash day together with Percy doing the work most often and Nico and Hazel lean on him for support both emotionally and literally when they're exhausted.They hang out almost 24/7 and the younger two are enrolled at a Special ED school as Percy convinced them to out of regret from rejecting Sally's offer to him when he was in elementary school because his internalized ableism was so bad already he had a meltdown and then a shutdown about it.He made sure to tell Nico and Hazel how smart they are too since he knows what it's like to have almost nobody say it to you

He guiltrips Poseidon into giving him money for Nico's chronic pain meds and mobility aids and helps Hazel out with girls,with her love life being as Mabel Pines-esque as she is(Nico is Dipper obviously)

He radicalized them as a multitype punk(afropunk,crustpunk,seapunk and solarpunk-The sea does not like to be restrained)so Nico's goth punk and Hazel's pastel goth punk.He taught them all they needed to know and takes them to safer punk activities like charity events and shows until they get old enough he's comfortable taking them on riots with him too.His battle jacket patches include a skull and a yellow diamond to represent them and a part of punk culture that appealed to him big time was the emphasis on children's rights in the form of older punks taking care of and protecting baby punks.Naturally he did Nico and Hazel's piercings for them too

He uses his powers to make beach days straight up tropical for them and just in general loves making kids happy by doing water tricks for them.He himself is pretty kiddy as a way of healing his inner child and having intergenerational friends where he gets to be the caretaker so he can give kids who're like he used to be a better childhood than he had which includes not making them be his therapist but the reverse is a huge help(Percy just like me fr fr).He loves legos,video games,cats,cartoons,princesses(also his type in women,specifically BLACK princess-y girls since i mean Andromeda?Duh)and pink is his second favorite color after blue

He looks like as much of a dad as he acts like.He's 6'4,thick as fuck(healthy fat and muscles mix),has long hair,super darkskinned and strongfeatured and radiates a vibe that puts off normies and makes children think he's trustworthy.The piercings(tongue ring,eyebrow,spider bite and forward helix on both ears)give him an edge that's oddly friendly

His cooking skills are on par with Sally's so he packs Nico and Hazel lunch and leaves them little sticky notes with positive words/gentle reminders on them.They share the bed often so they can all have good sleep schedules and it was Percy's idea with Hazel's convincing Nico after his initial hesitance out of worry his boney cold build would be uncomfortable to sleep with but they think he's as snuggly as a teddy bear and Percy having boobs thanks to being on estrogen in the past makes his chest comfortable to lay on(Nonsexually for them.If you make it sexual please repent and disintegrate,i literally grew up doing this with my relatives who're girls like me)

Has a 'Protect Trans Kids' banner in his room and a pin of it on his battle jacket.He's known as the cool punk Manhattan dude you go to if you're having gender troubles because he knows his shit and just what to say because of his extreme gender fuckery and obviously Nico and Hazel are his trans kids and inspired him to start handing out knowledge of transgenderism to younger generations in general and same goes for autism,even more so because he's literally the most autistic character ever

The little kids at camp consider him more their parent than their godly ones and some of them even call him 'Dad' or 'Mom'.It makes Percy tear up every time because it makes him feel like really succeeded in breaking the cycle of abuse and changing the system(as if he didn't straight up kill Zeus and cause a revolution he helped out on a lot)

Owns matching Aquapets with Nico and Hazel and it was their idea to buy them so they searched for ones together at thrift stores

He gets maddddddd if someone hurts younger people even if he dosen't even know them and jumps to their defense because it's a built in instinct at this point

Carries around a backpack with emergency items in case anything happens and has important facts about the kids memorized

Wholesome memes connoiseur.These are literally Percy core but he has an entire phone gallery of them saved for when his loved ones are sad:

I wanna make the obvious nsfw jokes but i also want to keep this post to be pg so imma just say Dilf Percy.Yeah that's it

[keeksybee]

Just watched ‘Fear no Mort’ and wow was it a gut punch, I mean ooft “You’re irreplaceable” being the thing to tip him off, but that’s already been done to death, I’m personally more fascinated with Morty’s subconscious interpretation of his Grandmother, IMO it was a curious direction for the writers to take her, she’s a little too much like Rick for my taste, her her being intellectual definitely tracks, I doubt Rick would have married stupid but I always imagined she’d be…gentler, kinder, Rick’s grounding point.

They were happy when they were married, he loved her, there’s no reason for her to be a drinker or cruel or have that mean streak like Rick does because he didn’t really do those things before her lost her, she was the catalyst for his self sabotaging behaviours, I can see her being witty, knowing how to reel Rick back but I never thought she’d be like him, then I realised this *wasn’t* Diane it was Morty’s subconscious creating what he thought his Grandmother was like and since he’s never had any other reference for Diane except Rick’s anecdotes, nor seen Rick when he was healthy it makes sense he assumes Diane had to be like Rick for them to have been compatible.

He can’t actually fathom that Rick might have married a perfectly normal, intelligent woman and stayed in their small Washington town, raising their daughter in their little suburb, in their little nuclear family and he would have been content with that, because Rick can’t be content, he’s always chasing the next physical or metaphorical high, the exceptional, something he (Morty) is not, as Rick takes great relish in reminding him, I found it kinda sad that he sees Diane as competition for his Grampa’s affection rather than a new figure to create a relationship with, this is his Grandmother whom he’s never gotten to meet, that most children would be ecstatic to get to know a long lost family member, especially one held so dear by another close to them, but he doesn’t seem to want to get to know her because she takes Rick away, and let’s be honest Morty doesn’t have anyone else, his life is intrinsically tied to his Grandfather, he doesn’t have friends that we can see, his family either treat him like a burden or ignore him completely so the only person to give him attention, positive or negative is just Rick, they’re parasitically codependent to the point he is nothing without Rick. He’s more competent than he ever was and yet he still doesn’t get half the care or consideration that a fake simulation of his Grandmother gets.

I honestly interpret this version of Diane as not canonically how she was as much as this version is what Morty’s jealousy over Rick never moving on from her manifests as, he’s jealous that Diane got normal, family man Rick, that there was a time when he was decent and good and selfless that he’ll never get to experience, Rick won’t even help with his damn homework and he’s just willing to die for HER, she doesn’t even EXIST, Rick who never gives up, never accepts failure, will happily walk like lamb to the slaughter for HER, he’ll just stay in the hole until it consumes him. Why isn’t Morty good enough? He deals with all Rick’s Bullshit ALL the time, he’s the one losing limbs, he’s the one Rick leaves at the drop of a hat for two crows, he’s the one that he trusts less than Summer, he’s the one taking the blame for too many of Rick’s fuck ups to count and he won’t LEAVE THE DAMN HOLE.

He doesn’t see himself as important enough to leave the hole for, he makes Diane mean and selfish because it makes her easier to resent, because if she was sweet and loving and considerate she’d be so much harder to despise so he makes her selfish and compatible with the Rick *he* knows so he’s not forced to think about who Rick would chose if push really came to shove because he has a nauseating feeling it wouldn’t be him, that Rick wouldn’t hesitate.

I wonder what Rick would think if I’d he’d gotten to see just what his Grandson thought of himself.

[fandomwe1rd0]

In defense of Rick

Now ik this might be confusing because of the title, but I am NOT defending any of his actions, he is most definitely a piece of shit (I still love him though) but I feel like a lot of people who hate Rick Sanchez don't take enough stuff into account, so that's what this post will be about!

Now Rick has done many, MANY bad things, if I even attempted to list them, we'd be here all day, but I'll mostly be focusing on the way he treats Morty, now the way he treated him in the earlier seasons, especially season 4, is inexcusable, and I'm not defending him, but I would like to explain why he did it, he did it, and to do that, we need to get into his backstory.

So everyone knows the basics, right? Rick Prime went over, offered him the portal gun, but if he takes it, he'll have to leave his family, Rick C-137 refuses, Rick Prime takes it EXTERMELY PERSONALLY and kills his entire family in front of him, Rick C-137 goes on a decades-long revenge trip in an attempt to find Rick Prime, but it was to no avail, and when he finally fell in love again with Birdperson, he got rejected and Rick C-137 distances himself away from the first person he fell in love with after Diane, this could NOT have had a good impact on him, the only good influence on him is no longer a prominent presences in his life, then he helps with the citadel, he hates the citadel, but he helped with it. He created something he hates. This couldn't of done anything good for his self-esteem, which we already know is low since he literally made a Diane AI that was meant to torture him because he felt like he deserves it, he blames himself. Diane and Beth died, Bird person left, see a pattern?

Then he goes back to Prime's dimension and lives with Prime's family, his worst enemy's family, he lives in his house, sleeps in his bed, and due to this, he meets Morty, one of the only things that made him happy after decades of just misery. But in his experience, bad things happen to people he loves.

And it keeps happening, Bird person gets shot in front of him, Unity left him, Daphne left him, no matter what happens, he can't hold onto someone he loves, they either get hurt or leave him. Rick couldn't handle it if something happened to Morty, he needs him, it's not healthy, but it's the truth.

So he protects Morty in the only way he knows how, using insults as a defense mechanism, this isn't ok, this isn't healthy, Morty clings to Rick being his only friend, and Rick, despite knowing it's unhealthy, lets Morty cling to him. He clings to Morty as well, and does whatever he can to keep Morty around. He can't let himself love. So he insults Morty as an attempt to also stop himself from loving Morty, but it doesn't work. Morty is his favorite person and he hates it. He wants to care, but he knows he can't. He can't care or else they'll die.

Then comes the heist episode, one of the major bad things Rick did to Morty, now this is nondefendable, but here's why he did it. Morty was already skipping out on adventures to write his heist script, he's drifting away from Rick and Rick can feel it and it fucking terrifies him. He can't show his true feelings, so he hides it behind insults, then Summer mentions that he could lose him, this terrifies Rick more than anything, he'll do anything to keep Morty with him.

Anything.

So he manipulates Morty into giving up on his dream and it works. Morty stays codependent. Rick should feel horrible, but it's hard for him to hate himself more. He's just proud, proud that he was able to pull this off. To keep Morty by him.

Vat of Acid, Morty starts getting a lower opinion of Rick, this again terrifies Rick, the more Morty insults Rick, the more Morty will realize how true the insults are, the more likely he is to leave him, Rick traumatizes Morty in hopes that Morty will stop insulting him. It works for the moment, but it's not permanate.

The season 6 finale, this is when Rick truly thinks Morty doesn't care. This complety breaks Rick. He gets to the lowest point we've ever seen him at. He completely stops taking care of himself, looks for Prime, isolates himself from everyone else, then when Morty was rightfully pissed at finding out that Rick replaced himself with a robot, Rick doesn't get why, Morty should be happy! He stopped caring about him, so why is he upset that he replaced himself with a more loving version of himself. Rick doesn't understand that Morty still loves him and cares about him, because he didn't hear the words Morty said to Rickbot which was "I love you, Rick." Rick didn't hear this, he thinks, and I quote, "I've become dogshit to you (Morty)"

The things I've mentioned are horrible, but what Rick haters fail to realize is that Rick doesn't do this because he thinks it's fun or because he wants to. He's a broken man clinging to the only thing that makes his life stable, one of the only things that makes him happy. It's not healthy. Rick knows that. But he needs it. He needs Morty. Rick is not a good person, but there's more to him than what he does, and a lot of people that hate Rick don't get that.

[thefuzzzz]

Ranking Nico Di Angelo ships as a multishipper with a crazy imagination, a Nico hyperfixation of 3 years, and the willpower of a god:

1. Solangelo - 8/10 I love them!! I adore Will in TSATS and he’s easily one of my favorite characters. I wish Rick had let us get to know Will separately before he was immediately made Nico’s boyfriend, but I love him anyway. I think they’re good for each other and very supportive. I think I spend too much time consuming media of them than their actual book interactions, because in media I hate their fanon portrayals, but I adore them in cannon. I only had the chance to read half of TSATS, but I thought it was cute!

2. Jasico - 10/10 I love them for the same reasons I love Solangelo, but Jason got character development and Will didn’t. Also, they had a cool moment with Cupid that I think about once a week at least. Jason is constantly someone Nico trusts and (I may be wrong) hugs at some point in the series. The only people Nico has shown direct physical affection to within the series (to my knowledge) are Will, Jason, Hazel, and Reyna. This proves how much Nico trusts Jason, even after Cupid. Also they’re silly and dumb and I love them so I’m right always

3. Nico x Conner - 10/10 I FUCKING LOVE THEM SO MUCH. Lemme explain. So when Nico came to camp he stayed with the Hermes cabin, but Luke was already fucked off (I think) so Conner and Travis were probably in charge of the cabin. Conner’s age changes several times, so I headcannon him to be just a tad older than Nico. I think since he knew Nico when he was a kid he can make present day Nico less doom and gloom and know when he’s truly happy. Also, Nico went to a notably strict military school before coming to camp, yk what they say, strict conditions raise sneaky kids. Thats right, these two are fucking nuts. They are little thieves. And I don’t even wanna mention the implications of Conner’s dad (Lin Manuel Miranda) being the god of travelers and Nico essentially being an eternal traveller. They make me so sick I love them

4. Nico x Clovis - 7/10 they were mentioned as friends MAYBE once and I took that shit and ran with it tbh. I don’t even remember if it’s cannon. I just love them. I THINK it was mentioned that Clovis helps Nico with his nightmares, but atp this shit might just be my imagination or a fic I read once. Anyways, Nico is noted as a very anxious person, and Clovis is very laid back. I really like that duo and the idea that Clovis can help to ground him a lot and help him relax

5. Valdengelo - 6/10 while I do adore them, they have hardly any time together or any bonding moments at all (Note: I am a hypocrite over Clovis let’s fight abt it) I do love media about them and consume it at rates not comprehendible by mankind though. Aside from no time together, I think they’re epic. Nico experiences a lot of the same things as Leo, such as losing his mother and general sadness, but they cope in wildly different ways (neither of which are healthy). Also, Nico grew up in the lotus casino. I’m sick of us all acting like he doesn’t understand technology. Let them be engineer boyfriends PLEASE

6. Pernico. - 0/10 I don’t care at all if other people ship them, since it’s fandom and you can do whatever you want. I just personally don’t enjoy their chemistry and see them more as brothers. You do you tho.

Keep in mind this is just my opinion please don’t take anything too personal!! I love all ships (almost.) equally and if you have any fic recommendations for any of these please give them to me I’m desperate

(Also, this doesn’t represent my FAVORITE Nico ship, just a ranking based on how much I giggle when I see them. It does not take many logistics into account)

[whateverisbeautiful]

♥️ Ranking Richonne

#11: I See Things (S3E12)

Something I appreciate so much is that Richonne's journey is a love story, not a fairytale. Their story feels grown and grounded, healthy, and realistic, while also feeling perfect and aspirational between two flawed people doing their best in a broken world. And through each season of their slow burn, we got to organically watch the many building blocks of what makes their love so genuinely strong and special. So I cherish these early moments that laid Rick and Michonne's foundation, especially here in my favorite scene from the masterpiece OG Richonne ep that is Clear...

Rick, Michonne, and Carl pack up to leave King County after a stellar episode with both Rick and Morgan’s storyline and Carl and Michonne’s storyline. The acting was superb all across the board in this ep. 👏🏽

The three really do look like a family as they pack up and head out. And in their own ways, this scene has Carl and Rick both telling Michonne...

I love that it just took one trip for Carl to be completely warmed up to Michonne. And he admits this in the best possible way to his dad. Because Rick, in such a dad way, asks if everything went okay with her, and again, I always feel like Rick really really wants the answer to be yes because deep down he knows he wants Michonne around.

And to me, it isn’t just Rick asking if everything went okay on their trip but if everything is okay with Michonne as a whole. This episode was about Rick and Carl beginning to truly accept Michonne and learn that not only does she not have a problem, but in fact she is the beautiful solution to so much in their life. 

It’s also just great to watch this scene back knowing Rick is asking Carl about the woman who will become his wife and mother to all three of his children. 🥰

And then I will forever love Carl saying, “I think she might be one of us.” Just the absolute best. 😭 That statement is the gospel truth too. And it’s so meaningful because of how much Michonne will end up being not just a vital member of tf but a true blue member and matriarch of the Grimes family.

Michonne truly belongs in this group and this Grimes family, and I love that intuitive little Carl picked up on that so quickly. That seal of approval from him is huge because it allows Rick to feel like he can slowly but surely stop fighting the clear undeniable connection between himself and Michonne. 

I also absolutely love Rick’s dramatic reaction to Carl saying Michonne is one of them. He can’t hide that this is great news to him, and you know Rick's extra side is so loved by me. 😋

Rick acts taken aback and asks, "What?" and I think part of it is actually being surprised that Carl made such a big statement because he could have just said 'yeah she was cool' but instead Carl lets him know she’s truly meant to be with them. And also part of the reaction is because our man Rick has for sure been catching some sorta feelings, even if just the earliest stages of attraction.

I know Rick's happy to hear his son likes her as much as he deep down wants to like her too. Also I really don't think Rick would be having a low-key tickled reaction like this over just any newcomer getting a good report.

Then Carl is just the cutest when he gives a little laugh and tells Rick "Everything went okay." This is all just so precious, especially after Michonne helped Carl retrieve a photo of his family all while planting the seed of Grimes 2.0 at the very same time.

And think about it - this moment is occurring so freshly after losing his mom. Carl probably hasn’t had many smiling moments since then, so I know it means the world to Rick to see that Carl and Michonne bonded and that she brought some joy back into his son's life. She's the best. 🥰

Then, because our lovely leading man is always expressive when it comes to his kids and Michonne, Rick has the biggest smile hearing this.

And again, we gotta be so for real for a second because this smile from him is not just cuz it in-general worked out with a newcomer. I feel this is specific to Michonne. Because like I said, Rick really wanted Michonne to check out (partly so he could keep checking her out🤭) and so he’s really glad to hear that she more than did.

I love that even this early, Michonne is putting smiles on Rick and Carl’s faces. After everything they’ve been through leading up to this ep, it’s refreshing to see.

So Rick is happy, but then he pauses as tho he’s seeing something - likely Ghost Lori. And my theory has long been that Ghost Lori stayed showing up in moments like these to let Rick know his soulmate had now arrived and he should get with Michonne, just like Lori got with her soulmate while Rick was in a coma.💁🏽‍♀️ 😋

Like I just know in this moment Lori's ghost was looking at Rick like...

It’s interesting how we the audience don’t see what he’s hallucinating like we have in other episodes. I like this choice tho because in just seeing Rick staring off it shows how much Michonne was able to read and understand him.

Like all Rick was doing was standing there, and from the outside looking in, it could easily be missed that he was having another hallucination - but Michonne knew Rick was having a moment of seeing things cuz she gets him. Always has. 😌

So Michonne notices it right away and her look of care and concern is really sweet. Throughout the series, Michonne so often looks at Rick like her heart is tugged by this honorable man in all his humanness.

I also love that she brings it up. She could’ve just noticed him seeing things and not said anything, especially because it’s personal and they're still mostly strangers. But this choice to bring it up immediately established that she and him can talk on a deeper level, even this early in the relationship.

And it shows Rick that he doesn’t have to feel misunderstood or ashamed for these episodes he's been having. Someone else sees it, and not only that - relates to it too.

So she gently asks if he saw something and Rick silently looks surprised that she could tell exactly what was happening.

Michonne says, "I know you see things - people." And then in one of the first examples of Richonne doing their signature thing of leveling with each other through being vulnerable, she tells Rick she used to talk to her dead boyfriend. Saying reassuringly, “It happens.” I repeat, Michonne is the best. 👑

It is lovely to see Michonne open up about this, and I love how innately she knew she could share this with Rick. We saw in a s3 scene by a fire with Michonne and Andrea that Michonne was not the type to fully open up about her past family, and yet here with Rick she's willing to share something personal and offer up this part of herself. It just further suggests that Rick and Michonne have a different and uniquely intrinsic connection. And I repeat - they trusted each other before they knew they trusted each other.

It’s also sweet that Michonne is willing to be vulnerable to help Rick feel less alone. This is such a big reason why their union is so special. With each other, they're never in it alone.

They are cut from the same cloth and understand each other deeply. And despite living in a world that would suggest you should always have your guard up, I love that Michonne and Rick instead allowed themselves to open up to each other, slowly but surely. 🥰

Also, more and more, I realize that the making of Richonne was actually so obvious from season 3 forward, and especially here in Clear.

Like this episode really plants the seed of Rick, Michonne, and Carl becoming a whole family because that family theme runs all throughout.

I mean even just the fact that the episode takes place in Rick and Carl's old hometown, bringing only Michonne on this run where she gets to gain insight into the past of her future husband and son, R&M essentially co-parenting together when Michonne offers to go with Carl to get the crib, and then Carl wanting the family photo and needing Michonne's help to retrieve it, and then Michonne finally opening up a bit about her family.

Richonne was looking like Morgan's apartment in this ep because, honey...

So then Rick is quiet for a sec after Michonne addresses him seeing things and letting him know it happens, and I know deep down he appreciates this moment from her. It's a rare moment of someone looking at him not to lead or provide an answer but simply to know he's not crazy or on his own.

And then Rick definitely gets flirty as he asks her if she wants to drive. (and again, letting Michonne drive is another establishment of trust) Also, I just love that throughout their pre-canon era, Michonne is the one Rick most wanted to be sociable with from team family.

I adore this scene for being the first moment of flirting between them as he asks if she wants to drive and she smiles and says "yeah." Rick then says "good" and takes the scene to new levels of adorable with his playful flirty energy when he adds, “Cuz I see things”  and hands her the keys to his heart and the car. 😊

It’s a nice way for him to admit Michonne was right that he sees things but still keep things light. And it's adorable how quickly Rick would go into flirtation mode with Michonne, even this early on.

(Side note: Y'all sometimes I used to want a body language expert who has never seen TWD to analyze these pre-canon Richonne scenes because I just know they'd confirm that Rick and Michonne's pre-canon moments read as more than platonic. But truly there is no body language expert needed for it to be known that Rick's energy is flirtatious here.)

And same for Michonne's energy afterward because I love how she smiles as she holds the keys and watches him go. #SmittenKitten 😋

They’re both real fond of each other, y’all. Even in season 3. Like this moment lets you know Rick and Michonne really do have “common interests” lol.

And while of course Rick and Michonne are still on their own individual healing journeys atp so they aren't yet aware that they're meant to be, it's still nice that in this scene they at least now know they like each other as people.

I love that Michonne who can read people so well, knew Rick was a good man doing his best in this world as a leader and father, and as she closes the trunk she looks like she knows she might have found her new home with these people, which I love that for her. 🙌🏽

This beautiful scene is just such a great and foundational moment in Rick and Michonne's love story and gives an excellent peek into how their dynamic will be going forward as they evolve into a husband and wife. 👏🏽

And how spoiled are we that Gimple was planting the Richonne seeds back when he was writing for Season 3 (before Richonne's journey had even aired for us to see), and now here we are 11 years later with Scott, Danai, and Andy having created a whole miniseries dedicated to Richonne and constantly confirmed to be an epic love story. 🤩🥳🤗

Like this is me and every Richonners' energy for a reason lol...

I'm forever thankful to Danai, Andy, and Scott for loving Richonne like we do and returning to give Rick and Michonne Grimes closure. And I'm grateful that we stan a married ship that always flourishes within the actual franchise. #WinningSinceTheBeginning 🥰

There's also just something so poetic about the fact that way back during the season 3 Clear days, Scott said Danai was able to pick up on the Richonne trajectory because she was a writer - and now we'll have the privilege to watch a whole TOWL episode written by the illustrious talent Danai, herself, as she gets to help shape the final chapter of Richonne's years-long love story. What. A. Journey. 😭🙌🏽

So as the classic and fitting 'Home' song concludes this phenomenal 3.12 ep and the three drive away, it shows how these three entered that town as strangers and left as a family more than they could ever imagine. They didn't know it entirely yet, but after Clear, Rick, Michonne, and Carl were on pace to become home to each other.

Imo, Richonne was written in the stars from the moment they laid eyes on each other at at that prison fence. But after Clear, it was set in stone, with no going back, that Richonne was bound to happen. They were too perfect together, too much passion and attraction emitting from them in these early stages for it to not eventually blossom into more.

Rick and Michonne were destined to be Mr. and Mrs. Grimes. And heartwarming scenes like this just made that so, well, clear. 😌🤍

[sendmebacktomysecondlife]

I'll say it, I didn't like the PJO series. Now, I've been a book reader since I was 12, I'm almost 22 now, I have bias. But the series does not do the books any justice, and it's very meh in execution.

First of all, the lack of mention of the "battle reflexes" and "hardwired to read Greek" just left a bitter look on Percy's ADD. As someone diagnosed with ADD in the really early 2000s, PJO was the only thing that didn't call me broken for it. So for the series only mention of his ADD be to have him saying he was broken and messed up with no explanation otherwise when that was the entire point of the series left a sour taste in my mouth.

Second, I understand Rick loves these kids, but damnit, it's so obvious they are quickly growing too old for their roles as children. PJO would have benefited much more from being an animated series, if anything for consistent character appearances and visuals concerning the gods and powers.

Third, I hated the actors for Zeus and Hephaestus. I'm sure the actor for Zeus, may he rest in peace, was a wonderful guy, but it was so clear he was not healthy in those scenes and I was genuinely put off and uncomfortable being stared at by him when it was clear his health was failing. As for Hephaestus, call me picky, he came out looking and sounding stupid as fuck, and I was honestly annoyed they didn't find a disabled actor for him [yes I know the actor has a cane, I don't want to hear it, he's still a conventionally attractive actor who's disability wasn't even visible on screen]

I didn't like the casting for Annabeth. Leah, she's a lovely actress, but I'm just tired of characters described one way or having specific traits for a reason being changed, and it's the same for me with Luke and Percy, but Annabeth frustrated me most as a fellow geeky blonde little girl who was never good enough

I also didn't like the massive changes to Percy. Overhauled from a troubled kid with a sketchy past due to being a demigod to the most soft, sanitized crap ever.

This was something my fiance and I both noticed, they practically inverted Percy and Annabeth. Annabeth was the insecure one, and Percy was always taking the lead. Personal nitpick, didn't like

There was only eight episodes, and jesus christ if you weren't a book lover there was nothing to hook you into this fandom. No filler, no small reprieves. Just straight plot for 45 minutes.

these are all my personal opinions, I'd love to hear you guys thoughts. Please don't send a crap ton of hate, if you disagree move on or be nice.

[thesoftboiledegg]

It's not just merchandise roundup day: it's also my birthday! ✨🎄 Yep, I was born on Christmas Eve. Everyone I know is afraid of aging, but I couldn't wait to turn 30 last year. 31 isn't too bad, either. I don't see myself as old, but does my age make me a fandom elder? 🤔

Anyway, much as it pains me to say this, the Rue 21 near my place is still closing. I went inside for what's probably the last roundup in that store. I didn't expect to find anything, but they had one new item: a pair of boxers that are entirely black except for a picture of Rick and Morty screaming on the waistband.

I hope the location in the mall doesn't close, but that particular mall is hanging on by a thread. Most of the stores are just empty space. The other Rue 21 locations are almost an hour away!

I also stopped by one of the local head shops. I've posted pictures of it before, but I had to share this plumbus pipe again because it's so well-crafted. (The colors come from the backlighting.)

No weird clip art with Rick as Pennywise or Mr. Jellybean creeping on Morty: just a well-made piece of glass.

These pictures aren't the greatest, but they also had new backpacks. I love the vibrant colors.

I tried to find pictures online. All I could find from the Dabtized brand was this Alice in Wonderland backpack. I've actually seen those illustrations in another head shop (probably ripped off from Dabtized, if Dabtized is even the original owner.)

Mad Hatter Rick is a good look for him.

Five Below had new winter-themed socks and a poster set. Honestly, I don't see the appeal of merchandise where the characters look scared or pissed off?

Off to the thrift store. The shelves were pretty sparse, but I love these Mr. Sparkle boxers. That's one of my favorite Simpsons B-plots. I actually thought it was the main plot when I was a child, probably because it was so weird and entertaining.

Snowflake boxers!

Another gift set, this time featuring a mug, socks and key chain.

I had extra time, so I browsed the graphic tees. This one was so big that I had to step back to get the whole illustration in frame:

And finally: this one cracked me up. Are you naughty like Toxic Rick or nice like "Healthy" Rick?

"Healthy" Rick was cold and uncaring toward Morty. A better comparison would be Rickbot and disheveled Rick searching for Prime in his hideout. Rickbot was an angel!

Today, I wondered if I saw Rick and Morty merchandise when I worked in a department store in 2015. That's when the series really blew up. I don't remember anything, but I also didn't watch the show until 2019, so I wasn't looking for it. Maybe Rick was shilling sneakers alongside Kim Kardashian perfumes.

And if he wasn't, he's got a pretty good gig endorsing fast food on the show. Who wants Denny's? 🥞