#selfl

[tenspontaneite]

One of my iterator OCs, Chiral Dalliance. She wears the hat always, (almost) no exceptions.

[lovelyladyofthelight]

Heard some people need saving

[drellenkenner]

• This episode is at https://bit.ly/3B8VsCN • Hundreds of podcasts sorted by topic https://bit.ly/3qh6BX7 ✦ Free Relationship Advice ~ download chapter one of Dr. Kenner’s romance guidebook for free at https://www.drkenner.com • Listen to caller's personal dramas four times each week

#self_esteem #do_gooder #selfless #relationships #dating #communication #emotions #counseling #mental_health #self_help #objectivism #stress #therapy #psychology #happiness

[trash-bin-ary]

I’m really almost to tears cause my rsd was acting up and then within an hour so many good things happened that I think I could just destroy my rsd for ages based off that

[hunn1e-bunn1e]

Leviathan, Riddle & Idia - Past Cheater Reader

🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.

Here's a PSA from me; don't cheat on your partners. If you've fallen out of love with them, sit them down and talk to them about it and go from there. If you're doing it to hurt your partner, shame on you, you're an asshole. It's better to end the relationship than turning to infidelity. If you're unhappy break it off and focus on yourself for however long you need before looking for love again. (and yes, I did purposely write this in a way that would make some people feel guilty, because fuck cheaters) —Benny 🐰

                                                                                                   

🐡•♡•🐡•♡•🐡•♡•🐡•♡•🐡•♡•🐡•♡•🐡•♡•🐡

🐠 Leviathan was shocked, confused, worried, and scared when he learned that you had cheated on your previous partners before. This poor demon already has such low self-worth; his mind whirled around with questions of whether you would cheat on him as well. He would try to tell himself you wouldn't, but he's just a loser otaku; of course, you'd leave him for someone else.

🐠 He'd lock himself in his bathroom and curl up in his tub thinking about how your relationship had been going since you started dating. How you acted around him and everyone else since you chose him and not his brothers, Solomon, Simeon, Barbatos or, Lord Diavolo. But what if he's not enough? He's so jealous. So envious. Leviathan loves you so much but he can't help but wish he never learned what you did in the past.

🐠 You'd end up having to force your way into his bathroom to have a talk with him because he would refuse to leave for an entire week; surviving on his snacks. It would take a long time to get him to stop thinking that you'd discard like trash him at any given moment. He'd be a lot quieter with you and a lot more possessive of your time. Leviathan would likely always distrust you a bit after this.

🐡•♡•🐡•♡•🐡•♡•🐡•♡•🐡•♡•🐡•♡•🐡•♡•🐡

"Y‐you— you wouldn't cheat on me... r‐right? I know I'm just a gross otaku... b‐but you love me right? Y‐you're my Henry... I don't want to believe... No— I‐I can't believe that you would betray me like that. You wouldn't. Or... a‐at least I hope not..."

🌹•♡•🌹•♡•🌹•♡•🌹•♡•🌹•♡•🌹•♡•🌹•♡•🌹

👑 Oh dear. As soon as Riddle finds out you've been unfaithful to any of you're previous partners, your relationship begins to sour pretty fast. He'll avoid you for a few days after initially finding out. He'll straight up ignore you even; complete radio silence is all you'll get from him. But even after he stops avoiding you, he'll still be distant for a bit.

👑 The first words Riddle had said to you after days of silence was: "I thought you were different— that you were better than that...". He sat the two of you down and you both talked about it at length. Riddle expressed how he was now having trouble trusting you and how he felt insecure about the stability of your relationship. How; if you cheated on previous partners before, what's stopping you from cheating on him? He wondered if you loved him enough to stay faithful.

👑 It would take him a long time, but eventually, Riddle would come to accept that, even though you had cheated on a previous partner(s), you were with him now and things were different. He reluctantly put his heart into your hands and expected you— trusted you to hold it close and keep it safe and never break it. Trey will make sure of that.

🌹•♡•🌹•♡•🌹•♡•🌹•♡•🌹•♡•🌹•♡•🌹•♡•🌹

"How... could you have done something like that? It's... wrong. I— I don't know if I can trust you after hearing that... but I love you... I can tell that the you from before is different from the you standing here in front of me now... so, I'll give you a chance."

🎮•♡•🎮•♡•🎮•♡•🎮•♡•🎮•♡•🎮•♡•🎮•♡•🎮

🎮 Idia would be at a loss for words. He's never had to deal with something like this before. It would be difficult for him to wrap his head around the fact that you, his selfless and kind boyfriend, would go out of your way to hurt someone just for fun. In fact, he wouldn't be able to wrap his head around it. Idia would just try and rationalize it instead, thinking that the cheating must have been warranted. (cheating is never warranted)

🎮 Idia wouldn't acknowledge it after that. Well— he would, but he would never let you know that. He was so lonely all the time before you came into his life; he can't lose you now. So he pushes it to the back of his mind and tries to please you instead. Convincing you to stay with him in exchange for him doing anything you want him to. He'll never say no, because he's scared you'll leave him for someone better.

🎮 When you catch on to the change you'll have to get Ortho to help you corner him and sit him down to talk. You'd have to admit that you were in the wrong and work incredibly hard to gain Idia's full trust again. But eventually, he'll loosen up. It won't be Idia who distrusts you after all this, it will be Ortho.

🎮•♡•🎮•♡•🎮•♡•🎮•♡•🎮•♡•🎮•♡•🎮•♡•🎮

"I‐I don't— I don't know what to say... I'm— I don't— Should we... break up then? I mean... I would leave me too... wait no I— I didn't mean that, please don't leave me. I trust you. I love you. Please stay."

🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.

Wanna see similar content? Check out my Maste‐rlists!

[vodrae]

Red carpet with the batkids, asked about an important figure in their life:

Dick: Clark ? I have never seen someone so upright in my life, as a reporter he's always trying to write about what matter the most for the people and not a political agenda by some bald billionaire you know. I'm trying everyday to follow his path of honesty and truth.

Barbara: Dad ? There is a picture of him next to the word "resilience" in the dictionnary. Nobody could have done what he did for this city while staying on the good side of the law.

Jason: Talia Head ? Yeah, she was there when I got caught in this attack in Ethiopia. She spared nothing for my réhabilitation when I couldn’t return to Gotham because of witness protection. I know I can trust her with my life because I had to for years. I wouldn't have enough time in my two lives to thank her enough for her patience with me.

Tim: Selina ? You know a lot of people who'd hire Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy and Catwoman to stole back what Black Mask robbed in the museum ? Iconic I have to say.

Steph and Cassandra: Diana, just look at her to understand. She knows history like she was there the whole time. She's the biggest expert on ancient greece on the planet ! She's even the mythology advisor on the percy jackson's show ! 6'3 olympic wrestling champion nerd. I'm in love. 💖💖💖

Damian: Alfred is the most wise, elegant, selfleness being. And he doesn’t scratch the couch.

(I don't know enough about Duke, sorry)

And what about Bruce Wayne ?

Batkids:...Batburgers...He buys batburgers sometime.

[afyrian]

phase 3 - a fluff piece m.list

    street lamps flicker in an out of view, the dead of night filling the streets with a chill. a rolling cloud of mist carries down the street, dead leaves bouncing against the asphalt as a gust of wind rushes through. staring out at the street, your hands rest in your pockets. the soft inner lining of the jean jacket you stole from kuroo so long ago feels warm against your hands.

  its cuffs roll once up your forearm, the edge just barely reaching your wrist. taking in a deep breath of the night air, you turn back into the park. it's small, resting just on the outside of the college atmosphere. reserved for children's play dates, dogs' restrooms, and late night hook ups. walking further into the park, the blades of grass crumple under your worn-out shoes.

  your finger taps against the back of your phone as it rests in your pocket. the recorder app lingers in the background of your screen, chest moving up and down in a consecutive motion. clenching your jaw, you lean against an old picnic table. the rotting wood splinters off in places, pieces feeling rough against your palms. staring out the cityscape, you wonder when he'll be, if any of this is real. 

  breathing in the fresh scent of the trees, you close your eyes. listening to the rustling of the leaves, a few cars passing by with their engines revving. opening them again, you can see someone in the mist. walking confidently through the cloud of mist, a large drape-like item resting over his shoulders. 

  standing up straight, your hand shoves into your jean pocket, fiddling with the small pocket knife. "eclipse?" you question, taking a step back as the cloaked figure takes a few too many steps towards you. 

  his outfit his dark, nearly everything in a black cloth. the man's mask ends on his nose, a tan strip wrapped around his knuckles and wrists like he’s some boxer. his cloak rests comfortably on his back, hands resting on his hips as a smile widens. "the one and only, you here for the interview, y/n?" 

  your eyebrows furrow, wondering how oikawa could possibly be so close to the vigilante. taking in a deep breath, you narrow your eyes, tongue running along your teeth. “how do i know you’re the real eclipse and not some poor excuse for flattery?”

  “what? don’t trust your source?” the smile dances on his lips, a clear sense of cockiness laced between his words. 

  “never really have… so, should i leave or do you have something to show me?” taking in a deep breath filled with a crisp chill, you bring your hands to your hips, trying to hide the anxiousness inside.

  instead of saying anything else, he rises slowly from the ground, just barely hovering. staring at him, you wonder if you’re finally about to have your breakthrough article. ‘eclipse hero gives first interview ever’ written as the title. the byline ‘y/n l/n’ typed out in a crisp ink that surpasses time. 

  your phone rests idly, waiting for any sort of noise to leave on the recording. “well shit, he was telling the truth,” you remark, hand raising to scratch the back of your neck, suddenly every part of you feeling uncomfortable. 

  “now that we have that covered, sweetheart, let’s get down to the nitty gritty,” his feet return to the ground, taking another step towards you, sending a spike in your heartbeat.

  the word sweetheart rattles through your brain. an uncomfortable feeling raises your heart pressure, foot pressing harder into the grass. crossing your arms in front of your chest, you swallow an uncomfortable about of saliva. “okay, so, why did you want to meet with an interviewer? why now?” 

  “because, there’s enough bad press about me. the cops are on my ass constantly, so i figured an interview would help clear my name. like i save puppies on the weekend and help old ladies cross the street,” eclipse takes a few more steps towards you, hands behind his back.

  nodding your head, you walk to the side, leaning against the old picnic table. “right. you’re this selfless vigilante who barely wants recognition for his work. and yet you’re coming to me, for a story that’ll exemplify how adoring you are. why the change? the quiet doesn’t just go to shouting,” you narrow your eyes, partially from the dark, unable to really see him.

  “the change? yesterday night, i saved someone, but not before getting shot at by the police. i can’t help if i’m dead, you understand?” eclipse crosses his arms over his chest, tilting his head slightly, reminding you of a supervillain with a habit of fearful stares.

  thinking back to last night, you remember him standing on the rooftop. watching as his cape flapped in the wind, distinctly remembering seeing a soft light behind him, showing his silhouette. shaking your head, you write it off as it being two times in the evening. him bounding across rooftops to save more than one person per evening.

  “right, i do. so i’m writing a story about a misunderstood antihero of sorts. working against the law but for the greater good. garnering support from civilians until the point you become japan’s very own spiderman,” you nod, hands pressing into the old wood again, feeling it splintering once more.

  his smile falls into something smaller, more meaningful, “yeah, i’m hoping you won’t be my jameson.”

  “just depends on if you are a menace,” you shrug, raising your wrist to check the small watch wrapped around your wrist. 

  it’s getting late, far too late for you to walk home alone. cracking your knuckles, you give him a smile, “alright, i’ll start writing for you. just give me something to talk about. a story on why you’re japan’s hero, why the police should respect your work. i don’t just write fluff, not when it comes to tokyo’s safety.”

a/n: god i love writing cocky stupid ass men :D taglist (open): @eggyrocks @causenessus @applepi25 @unhelpfulnpc @phoenix-eclipses

@iiwaijime @cupidsblonde @yogurtkags @s1ckntw1st3d @mfcherry

@just-coreee @cherrypieyourface @csbnova @keeboismine

[primordialsoundmeditation]

DAILY ANGEL MESSAGE!

Take a deep breath, let it out slowly, say this prayer and then keep reading: “Thank you angels for revealing to me what I need to know!”

MESSAGE

Charity is part of a holy trinity of divine feminine angels, along with Faith and Hope. As the divine counterpart of Chamuel, she emanates from the energy of unconditional love and acceptance. She is all about selfl ess service, as her name suggests, and she helps us recognize that through helping others we can surmount any feelings of helplessness and fear. Charity also encourages us to open our heart and give generously. When we serve generously, without resentment or resistance, we create an aura that is magnetic to angels and so miraculous solutions are delivered to us.

EXTRA GUIDANCE

You want joy and you are ready to experience contentment, but this will only arrive when you dedicate yourself to forgiving others and making peace. You may feel that forgiveness is excusing bad behavior, but it’s not, it’s severing the cords that bind you in pain to another. It’s essential for you to tune in to the angelic energy you have within and be ready to see those who have hurt you in a more universal way, recognizing that only those who are hurt will hurt others, and those who seek healing will bring healing to the world. You are here to heal, so heal.

ACTIVATION

I am ready to understand and forgive.

DECK: Angelic Activations Oracle

ARTIST: Jessica Tumminello

Now available from all major booksellers! Please share this card if it relates to you.

Kyle Gray

[eden2134]

It bothers me a lot when i see people down play Husk's abuse in the show. Some of them even imply that he actually deserves to be in the situation he's in.

I think this all stems from the Valentino vs. Alastor, in which of them is the worst person. This is a horrible debate. There is no real way to judge who is the least evil person because that's not really an objective thing. It's even more stupid when you notice that we don't even see all that Alastor does to Husk. He 100% did worst things with him, especially when he first got his soul.

I do understand why the comparison since the show frames some moments as parales between Husk's and Angel's situations. Their experiences are similar and intertwined. However, there are differences in their experiences, and the main difference is the themes that Angel and Husk have and are exploring to the audience.

Angel has never really done anything really bad in Hell. The only 2 things that he's done are cross Husks boundaries and killing some egg boys in a war for territory. He was tricked by Valentino into this situation, and his only real sin is using drugs. He can easily redeem, and he is going in that direction, remove Val, and then he would be redeemed prety quickly.

Husk is not that easy to redeem because he thinks he can't be redeemed. He hates himself for betting his soul and for possessing souls know that he knows how bad and evil that act really is even if he only gambled with them and never did nothing to the people he possessed. He thinks he is irredeemable even though he only does good actions in the show. He helps Angel multiple times with his problems, he encourages Angel to redeem himself, he puts other people's lives first in fights, and protects them, he takes care of Niffty when she's drunk, he always listens to people's problems and gives advices and even confronts Alastor beacouse he's worried that Mimzy could bring harm to the hotel just to get treated horribly by his boos.

Despite all the good he does, he still doesn't think he can be redeemed, so he doesn't even try "I'm not the one trying to get into heaven" -episode6. He has actually done bad things, and because of the suffering he endures, he can't see thar he has actually become a nice selfles person. He is very human in that sense. The idea that people pass that "o he's a hypocrite for owning souls him self in the past" or "Alastor doesn't even treat him that badly" is absurd to me.

The point is that no one deserves to be abused like he is, and if you can't see that he's actually suffering abuse, then you are just blind or choosing not to see it. Husk deserves a second chance as he's seen the error of his ways "I know what it's like to regret the choices made"-episode 4. He doesn't deserve to be abused like this. Who is worse, Val or Alastor? It does not matter. They both are monsters who should not treat people like that. That being not so sutelly shown to us by Wendigo=monster, Alastor becomes Wendigo there for Alastor=Monster

Both of them are vilains, and that's it. Don't go downplay someone's abuse just because you think the guy doing it is cool or because you think other people suffered more.

[felixcloud6288]

PMMM ep 5-8 recap

So now I'm two-thirds through the main series and there's a whole lot to unpack.

First off, @sailor-arashi clued me into this so if I'm wrong, please direct all your hate to her. I'm also getting my info from jisho.org.

The kanji for "witch" and "magical girl" both use the same kanji 魔 which means things such as "demon" or "evil spirit". The full kanji for witch is 魔女 which adds the kanji for woman to the name. Magical girl meanwhile is 魔法少女. It has the same kanji as witch but includes 法少 in the middle. 法 means "law" or principle, while 少 means "little". The word for witch is pronounced "majo" while magical girl is "mahou shoujo".

So essentially, the big twist is something that a Japanese viewer could realize if they pay attention to the word play, but it's harder to notice for non-Japanese viewers.

Most of these last four episodes have been focused on Sayaka. Back in episode 3, Mami strongly recommended against making a selfless wish and we're seeing the reason why. @sailor-arashi told me there's a prequel manga where Mami mentored Kyouko until the fallout from Kyouko's wish happened. So Mami would be speaking from experience.

Sayaka holds herself to too high a standard. She wants to be a hero who protects the weak and a selfless, caring soul. She doesn't like admitting to her selfish desires. She spent her wish on something that didn't benefit her at all and she was upset that she regretted saving Hitomi because Hitomi likes Kyousuke.

She hates Homura and Kyouko because they exude an absolutely selfish aura. They do not hide that they don't care about saving the world and are only interested in their own selfish goals. But being selfish lets them deal with what they are. Being a Magical Girl is just a job they do while they pursue their own interests. Meanwhile Sayaka insists on carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders and finds no joy in anything she does.

It's kind of like devoting your life to a corporate job where the boss will fire you in an instant.

Now some parallels between Sayaka and Kyouko. Both of them made a selfless wish to help someone they loved. And both of their wishes ultimately got them nothing. Sayaka wished for Kyousuke's hand to be healed, but he ended up getting with Hitomi. Kyouko wished that people would listen to her father's sermons but when he found out the truth, he killed himself and his family.

Both of them made a surface-level selfless wish with an underlying selfish motive (Sayaka wanted Kyousuke to love her; Kyouko wanted a happy family life) but the wish ultimately led to their true desire being completely unattainable and giving their soul for nothing.

Kyouko's response was to take her powers and decide to do whatever she wants. Sayaka however opted to double down and be a magical girl who acts selflessly.

And I have to say, I love how Kyubey is ultimately an amazing mix of the benevolent, jerkass, and literal genie trope. When he's not forcibly coercing girls into becoming magical girls, he adheres to the spirit of what the person's wish was. He doesn't twist their words or make it true in a way that makes them wish they didn't have it. He grants exactly what you asked for, nothing more and nothing less.

And based on Sayaka and Kyouko's story, the problem is the wishes are disingenuous. Sayaka really just wanted Kyousuke to love her, and she could have wished for that. But instead she wished for something that she thought would give her what she wanted instead. So Kyubey makes them regret their wish without actually having to do anything. They are the victims of their own despair.

And at first, I figured that witches were magical girls who got corrupted by negativity or something like that. And that is true, but it seems to be intentional. Kyubey is intentionally turning girls into witches for some reason. So girls with the "aptitude" to be magical girls are likely girls who aren't willing to be honest with themselves and think they have to be caring and selfless.

So now I just need to find out his intentions. His true name is Incubator. Is that referring to how he incubates witches?

Finally, Homura. Her magic is related to time travel. Sayaka has healing magic because she made a wish to heal someone. So I assume Homura's wish was to either restart something or undo something.

And with that emotional breakdown she had in front of Madoka, it obviously has something to do with her. My guess is she wished to save Madoka from becoming a magical girl. Madoka would be just as much of a selfless person as a magical girl. She'd be driven by love rather than justice, but she would try to carry the world on her shoulders as well. So in one timeline, she probably was crushed by the world and became a witch.

Homura has stepped in four times now to stop Madoka from becoming a magical girl: She tried to kill Kyubey on their first contact, saved her when Mami was killed, stepped in when Sayaka and Kyouko were trying to kill each other, and killed Kyubey when he suggested wishing Sayaka wasn't a magical girl.

I'm not going to say Homura has freedom to travel back in time when she wants, but she does have excellent timing. She's definitely gone back at least once.

And the nature of her powers seems to be somewhat stronger than Kyubey since he wasn't aware of what her powers were and he doesn't remember making a contract with her.

Maybe that opening thing from episode 1 was the previous timeline.

And does Homura's magic or wish make it so she can't tell anyone what's happened in a previous timeline and that's why Madoka seemed to forget her when Homura opened up to her?

At this point, I'm most interested in finding out why Kyubey is making witches. He's interested in the grief seeds since he took the one Sayaka had. But there definitely has to be more to it. This process seems a bit too complex if the goal is to collect concentrated grief.

back

[awfullordhenry]

I don't usually do selfles, but I feel like doing this for pride month sooooo

(Oh, and my hair is dyed also)

[tenspontaneite]

what's up with there being 10(ish) Sigs?

Covered this a lil in my reblog of Res' post, but-

Iterators in Assembly AU can't do the fandom standard off the string thing, just not how they work, they gotta make lil extra versions of their own mind and slap em in mobile bodies instead. Most iterators find the resulting quasi-plurality kind of uncomfortable, and merge their minds together whenever possible to avoid having multiple separate minds active in the same area. However! Some, like Sig, are actually more comfortable that way, and embrace it as a new part of their identity and self expression.

My Sigs have more selflings than any other iterator, mostly because they were one of the first to have access to the tech and just didn't stop making them. There are many many more than just 10, depending on where you look in the timeline. They also play with their bodily configuration much more than most iterators, making a wide variety of varyingly biological or mechanical bodies to house their selflings in, and enjoying the subtle differences in their personal expression, selfhood, and identity they experience depending on what body they're in. They're just funky little guys 🙏

[huariqueje]

Selfl portrait   -   Renato Guttuso , 1936.

Italian,  1911-1987  

Indian ink on paper ,  45 × 32 cm.

[spacecadet-ticklesinspace]

Helloooo, heard your prompts were open :))

Could I maybe request some ler!steven cheering up a lee!reader who had a bad day? (May or may not be a little self-indulgent ,_,)

Take your time writing this, and I hope you’re doing well :)) ❤️❤️❤️

(Sorry I could not finish this sooner @just-a-fluffy-knight ❤️ I hope you enjoy this and that things are getting better for you ❤️ Have a great day :))

Steven and Reader

Summary: See prompt above :)

You collapsed face first on to your bed. Today had been the worst day in a while and you just wanted to forget it had ever happened.

As you wallowed in your sorrow, you heard your phone go off. Without looking at the caller ID, you quickly ended the call and dropped the phone back on to the nightstand. A few seconds later, your phone rang again.

Slightly annoyed, you ended the call a second time before dropping the phone back on the nightstand again. You were way to done with today to talk with anyone. However, whoever was calling did not share the same sentiment as you because your phone rang for a third time.

In frustration, you ended the call and turned off your phone. For an added good measure, you chucked your phone across the room. Whatever it was, it would have to wait until tomorrow. After a few moments of quiet, you felt yourself slowly begin to slip off asleep.

A half hour later, you bolted upright. Something had woken you up, but everything was quiet. After a moment, a knock came from the front door. You groaned and dropped your face back on to your pillow, debating whether or not it was worth opening.

A slightly louder knock made you pull yourself out of bed and stomp to the door. Without even looking through the peep hole, you yanked the front door open. On the other side of the door stood Steven Grant.

Steven smiled and held up two bags of food from your favorite takeout place. "Can I come in?"

You stepped to the side. "How did you know?"

Steven stepped into your apartment. "After you ignored all of my calls and texts, I figured something was wrong. And there's nothing a good takeaway can't fix."

After closing the front door, you wrapped Steven in a hug. "Thank you."

"You're welcome love. Now, while I get everything set up, you go pop on your favorite comfy clothes and we'll watch something on the telly while you tell me everything."

You smiled as you left to do just that. "Can't argue with the doctor's orders."

Steven let out the most adorable giggle. "Thahat's rihight."

A smile overtook your face as you hurried to your room to throw on some sweats and an oversized top. You also stopped in at the bathroom to wash off your face before grabbing your phone and heading back into the living room. The whole space smelled amazing! Your stomach rumbled rather loudly as you stepped to the kitchen to grab drinks and napkins only to find Steven coming from that direction.

He handed you your drink before guiding you to the couch. "Right, sit down, here's your food, and here's your listening ear."

You chuckled as Steven plopped down beside you.

"Tell me everything."

Two hours and two empty containers later, you felt so much better. You had a belly full of delicious food and a good friend beside you. It made every care from today, every single irritant, slide off your shoulders.

Steven sat down his drink. "I'm sorry you had such a rough day Y/N. How are you feeling now?"

"So much better." You wrapped Steven in a hug. "Thank you for doing all of this."

Your friend immediately returned the hug. "Of course mate. What kind of friend would I be if I wasn't there for you?"

"But seriously, dinner on top of that? I don't know what to say."

"Wehell yohou've already sahaid thank yohou so I think we have ihit covehered."

You playfully shoved him away. "I'm paying you back."

"It was a gift Y/N. You don't pay for a gift."

"Please Steven? It's my way of saying thank you!"

Steven shook his head. "You're not paying me anything!"

You stared at your friend in front of you. How could someone be so selfless? It simply wouldn't do!

You stood to your feet. "I'm paying you back."

Steven stood too. "Y/N, I already told you no."

A playful tension settled between you two. You were both stubborn when it came down to it, but you were determined to get out of this argument on top.

So you grabbed a throw pillow and shoved it in Steven's face before bolting to your room. "Try and stop me!"

"Ack! You cheeky little buhugger!" Pounding feet started after you. "Get back hehere!"

A squeal left your mouth as you ran into your bedroom and shut the door. You then raced over to your dresser to slip a twenty out of your wallet. As the money was coming out of your wallet, the door flew open.

Steven spotted the money in your hand and charged. "Oi! What did I say!"

You threw down your wallet whilst bolting to the other side of your room. "I didn't lihisten!"

"Fine, you want toho pahay?" Steven tackled you to the floor. "Pay me in lahaughteher!"

Two hands immediately latched on to your sides and you broke down into laughter. "Jeherk!"

"Aww, thank you Y/N. This is the peherfect pahayment."

"Shut ihit!"

One hand continued spidering along your side as the other tried to get the money out of your hand. "Lehet it go."

You yanked it away. "Nohot untihil yohou agree toho take ihit!"

Steven spidered up to your ribs. "Drop it . . . Drop it!"

"Tahake ihit with yohou!"

"Blimey you're stubborn." Steven's fingers spidered up your ribs.

You pressed your arm to your side to stop his upward tickle attack. "NO!"

"Aww, ahare your pitties too ticklyhy?"

You shoved the money in his face. "Take ihit ahand behe done!"

"No, you let ihit go."

With a smirk on your face, you shook your head.

"Right then." With a little extra wiggling, Steven's hands wormed their way into your armpits.

You squealed and did your best to keep the grip on the money. However, it was hard to keep the grip when a hand was mercilessly attacking one of your more ticklish spots. After another minute of tickling, you final let the twenty flutter to the floor.

"Thank you." Steven placed his hand on the bill and slid it across the carpet until it was out of your reach.

You attempted to bend yourself in a way to grab the twenty, but then Steven's fingers immediately attacked your ribs, pulling you back into place. "Noho, you're not getting it back until yohou agree nohot to pay me!"

"Ack! Neveher!"

Steven shrugged. "Suit yourself then love."

You tried to stop him, but those arms spidered out of your armpits and through the neck hole of your shirt before attacking your neck. "Noeeeee! Nohot thehehere!"

Steven pushed his hands up further to trace your ears. "I'd get your tummy buhut yohou just ate. So I'll get this neheck ahand ears instehead."

You turtled into your shoulders as your laughter turned high pitched. "Ruhude!"

"You know what you have to sahay."

A snort slipped out before you could stop it. "Fihine!"

Steven paused his tickles. "Fine what?"

"Yohou dohon't have toho tahake my money."

Your friend took his hands out. "Because . . ."

"Because ihit wahas aha gihift."

"Thank you." Steven picked up the twenty dollar bill. "Glad you cohould see it my way."

You giggled as Steven tucked the twenty into your sweats pocket. "Yohou're such aha jeherk."

"For being a caring mate?" Steven teased as he helped you up. "I'll take ihit."

You playfully shoved your friend again. "I hahate yohou."

"Love you to Y/N." Your friend pulled you into a hug.

You returned the hug. "Thank you fohor comihing over. Ihi really needehed this."

"Of course love. I'm always here if you need me."

Both of you stayed in the hug for a long while. After such a rough day, this is exactly what you needed.

Once you were out of the hug, Steven helped you to your feet and you walked him to the front door. Before Steven left through the open door, you pulled him in for one more hug, carefully sliding the twenty into his pocket. "Thanks again Steven."

"No problem Y/N." Your friend squeezed you tight before heading out the door. "Have a great night. Call me if you need anything else."

"I wihill. Night."

"Night love."

You smirked as you closed the door. Steven said he wouldn't take the money from you, but he never said anything about carrying out without him knowing. He'd probably call to complain, but it was the least you could do.

After all, you really were lucky to have a friend like him.

[ghoulierstudio]

Latest and current favorite ✨Selfling✨ (March 26, 2024)

[juniperhillpatient]

The Siege of the North Part 2 Re-Watch

This is a fantastic season finale & just a stunning episode of television. It's by far the most intense episode of the show yet. Last episode - part 1 - we spent a lot of time in quiet anticipation. In this episode, all Hell breaks loose & zero punches are pulled.

We get to meet Koh - possibly the most terrifying character we've met so far - & learn that the Avatar has a mysterious history with this spirit stealing the face of someone he loves. We also learn that the Koi Fish from the Spirit Oasis represent Tui & La, the Yin & Yang of the Avatar world - the ocean & moon spirits. I'm continuously obsessed with the amazing way that this show deals with narratives surrounding balance, & Tui & La are some of my favorite - characters? narrative tools? spirits? - they're some of my favorites, alright? I love them.

I feel like this episode & Aang's encounter with Koh touched on some themes that will be touched on again later. Aang has to hide his emotions to avoid having his face stolen. Even when he learns that this spirit stole the face of someone he loved in a past life. It reminds me a lot of the teachings of Guru Pathik which Aang later rejects - the message that you have to let go of everything including - especially - emotion.

This episode also gives us one of my favorite Zuko speeches:

I finally have you, but I can't get you home because of this blizzard. [Stands up and looks outside the cave.] There's always something. Not that you would understand. You're like my sister. Everything always came easy to her. She's a fire-bending prodigy, and everyone adores her. My father says she was born lucky. He says I was lucky to be born. I don't need luck, though. I don't want it. I've always had to struggle and fight and that's made me strong. It's made me who I am.

Two things: 1. Zuko gets a lot of shit from Azula fans for this mindset, & I don't disagree that he's wrong to think that everything comes easy for Azula but I can understand why he thinks it & I have a lot of sympathy for him. From Zuko's perspective, everything does come easy to Azula. He's been told flat out from a young age that his sister was born lucky & he was lucky to even be born - what else is he supposed to think? 2. I'm so normal about Zuko giving a speech about how much he hates Azula for being so perfect to an unconscious Aang. I have no thoughts or feelings about how Azula's introduction to the present timeline is her literally kneeling before her father after Zuko gives this speech & how her relationship with her male family members is all about placing her on a pedestal & also wanting to control her & have her submit to them ("do you want to help me put Azula in her place?" "she's crazy & she needs to go down" *everything about Azula & Ozai*) & her relationship with her mother is about feeling isolated & rejected. It's not interesting at all that Azula's name isn't even mentioned yet, she's only referred to & shown as Zuko's sister, as Ozai's daughter. I have no thoughts on any of that & I think we've established that clearly, so let's move on.

Zhao's speech about destroying the moon would be comical if I didn't know the tragedy it was destined to create. The man is literally batshit. Iroh's comments about how history is not always kind to its subjects are SO funny to me & I want to know what was written about Zhao in the history textbooks now. "They'll call me Zhao the invincible" BESTIE YOU WANT TO MURDER THE MOON they will call you Zhao the insane lmao

This is the first time we officially see Iroh working with Team Avatar. He knows that the Fire Nation needs the moon too & without it, there will be chaos, but is there more going on? Iroh's loyalties to the Fire Nation are brought heavily into question in this episode, & I feel more uncertain than ever about his true motivations.

Yue's death is the most tragic moment of the show so far. It's gut-wrenching. This sixteen-year-old girl sacrifices herself for the good of the world. That level of selflessness & honor is just unthinkable. It's a beautiful & memorable moment & I will always love it even if I also hate it because PAIN.

If ever a character's death had meaning both narratively & to the other characters though, I do think that Yue's death was impactful. I do wish she had haunted the narrative in more obvious ways after this, but it's also hard to condemn the show too harshly when they did so much so beautifully. Also, it was a children's show so they did have to maintain a certain balance (wow, we're talking about "balance" a lot here huh) with the vibe.

Zhao's death was very satisfying & honestly (I'm sorry) hilarious because Zuko literally holds out his hand & Zhao just doesn't take it. What a fitting end for him. His hubris literally killed him. Get Wrecked.

The final scenes set up the next season beautifully while giving a satisfactory conclusion to Book 1. We get Iroh & Zuko having a very interesting moment. Zuko just says "I'm tired" when asked about hunting the Avatar, & we see that Iroh looks almost hopeful about this. Again, fascinated by what is going through Iroh's head. This scene is a touching moment between them but it also leaves a lot of questions about what we can expect of them & their missions next season. Also - does Zuko know that Team Avatar saved his life? I'm unclear on that, to be honest. Then of course we have a lovely moment between Aang, Katara, Sokka, Momo, & Appa. Also, Katara is a Master now! That's certainly noteworthy.

Lastly, we have the real most important scene, the introduction of her royal highness & the character that I am SOOO capable of being completely normal about. I care about Azula's introduction to the present narrative a normal amount.