#she deserved someone better

[wewetkes]

vent again

[booksandpaperss]

Tbh biggest byler proof is that in the camera shot when Mike says “I love you” to El in ep 9, Will is fully in the frame meanwhile we can’t even see El’s face 💀🖐🏻

[uselessnbee]

neither Will or Jonathan can die in s5 because Joyce Byers deserves to have her happy fucking ending.

seriously this woman has been through so much

She was abused by the motherfucker Lonnie

Her son went missing and was presumed dead. she may have not believe it but she still had to go to his funeral and see his body fake or not and that shit must be so traumatising. it's her son. and when they finally found him he almost died (seriously we do not talk enough about that scene)

and when she finally had her son back and was in a happy and loving relationship with Bob (like she fucking deserves) her son got posessed and she almost lost him again.

she had to watch her boyfriend literally get ripped by some monster. then she had to torture her own son to save his life. and then when after all this loss she had this slight hope she could try it again and be with Hop she had to watch him "die"

and then she had to go through another traumatising event to get him back.

this strong beautiful amazing woman has been through so much shit. we really do not talk enough about her traumas.

right now she has Hop back she has her sons and her daughter.

let her keep that. let her have that. let her be happy. she deserves to be fucking happy. don't fucking take that away from her.

[thranduel]

mike being all cute as he excitedly talks about 20 sided dice 🥰

[missmarthanightingale]

okay so my read on dan's whole interaction with this relationship between his friends is like. from his perspective he's just spent actual years watching yaz be in love with the absent doctor, & like, he's seen the ugly parts of it too, the way that yaz absolutely clings to this idea, this wild hope that she'll see the doctor again & that's sometimes the only thing that makes all of this worth it, so i feel like he knows that these feelings run deep, & to a degree that could most certainly be considered, uh, less than healthy. like this is not some harmless crush this is obviously a deeply important relationship for her

& then he spends like, a week with the both of them together & it rapidly becomes extremely clear that a) yaz hasn't ever said out loud that she has these feelings b) she is under the impression that no one else knows c) it is extremely unlikely that the doctor does not know but she's acting like she doesn't d) this situation is not healthy for yaz in the long run

so dan, as a reasonably emotionally mature older person & yaz's friend, has now set himself this mission of trying to help her out of this mess. starts by getting her to confront & acknowledge her own feelings & being supportive about it, as any good friend would, & then talking to the other party & going "hey. this girl is in love with you & we both know you know. you can't just pretend that it isn't happening, bc that is going to hurt her in the long run. stop ignoring this"

so despite the phrasing used, i don't think this is at all a middle school situation of "omg my friend likes you so you two should totally get together!!" i think this is a very deliberate effort on his part to get these two to accept the situation they're in & have a conversation about it, whatever the outcome of that conversation may be. he just wants them to communicate. like adults

[beammetothemoon]

Dragon Age Absolution is so true to the games, right down to the mage romance betrayal.

[justalilhime]

Cw: (fictional) physical and emotional abuse

I find it so amusing that a lot of people when discussing YZY'a abuse of WWX either claim that it wasn't that bad (in fact, it was that bad, and it's even clearer in the lotus pod extra), that it was acceptable in that society's culture/is historically correct (ignoring the fact that the author is a modern person with modern values telling you through the text how fucked up that was and how in the text no one else exhibited the same behavior as her despite it being supposedly their right to; they had better morals and ethics than her) or that WWX was supposed to be singled out and endure the punishment because he was the Head Disciple and this is the point that really gets to me because... Why do people think YZY has any right to punish any disciple?

She forced her way into marrying JFM, then made it her personal mission to make everyone's lives hell with her entitlement and abuse (a side note: I do think most of JFM's passiveness and apathetic nature is actually a result of said abuse, a self-preservation mechanism of sorts, but that's both personal and topic for another post). YZY married into the clan and gave birth to two children, one of them the heir, but that's literally the only thing she does for YMJ. She rarely spends time at Lotus Pier, what little she spends there are unpleasant to everyone involved. Her vitriol poisoned JC against the values of his own clan, the one he's supposed to inherit, and made it impossible for JFM to even try to teach him (and I honestly commend him for still trying anyway, as seen post-Xuanwu incident). She disrespects the dead and drags their names as though they're trash — one of them being WCZ, who used to be a part of YMJ and (possibly) made good contributions to the clan, as he was let go peacefully. And, the most important of them, she rejects the title of Jiang-furen. She always goes by Yu-furen (a title that belongs to her older sister, not her; at best, by logic, if she was still in Meishan Yu, she'd be third madam Yu, instead of simply Yu-furen). While some may argue it's her way to fight patriarchy and show love for her natal clan, it's still downright insulting to the Jiang clan and her husband.

She chooses not to associate herself with them by name and behavior. She doesn't even share the same servants and lives in completely different quarters. But of course, despite all this, she still enjoys the power of being the madam of the Jiang clan. All because no one dares go against her, lest they become the next target of her hatred. That, too, is another form of her abuse. But she doesn't have the right to when she chooses to reject everything the Jiangs stand for.

So yeah, what she did to WWX was fucked up beyond imagination, because 1) he was a child, 2) it was abuse, and 3) she was using an authority and power she shouldn't have the right to after everything.

If you read this and come saying any "buts" I will block you, btw 😂 Unless you're a mutual, which we shall agree to disagree, but I won't discuss further if your opinion differs. I have no patience and no will to hear/read abuse apologism of any kind (again, for personal reasons). I just wanted to type out some thoughts. Thanks for reading I guess 😂

[stellarlex]

I literally had somebody on YouTube tell me that Marinette isn’t traumatized by Chat Blanc.

[mmmairon]

*lord farquaad voice* the hunter has fallen in love with the doll!

[black-and-yellow]

Destroyed.

[pige0ns]

this is just legit so romantic to me

[thranduel]

"el would be so heartbroken without mike, she needs him"

meanwhile el: her happiest moments were with max when mike wasn't around, she was happy after she dumped mike, max was the only person who truly allowed her to be herself and taught her how to discover her own interests, she chose to go with owens even though she was warned she might not ever see mike again, she has proved over and over again that she doesn't need him

"will can just move on and find someone else, he can get over mike"

meanwhile will: has been in love with mike since the beginning, had an emotional breakdown and destroyed castle byers after his fight with him, thought about mike when he was away and made him a special painting that meant the world to him, considers mike "the heart", only feels fully safe and comfortable with mike ("you make me feel like i'm not a mistake at all. like i'm better for being different. and that gives me the courage to fight on"), literally told mike that he'll ALWAYS need him, had another emotional breakdown and cried in the van because he confessed his feelings to mike and loves him so much but he thinks that mike will never love him back and he's so afraid of losing him, still finds it hard to watch mike and el to the point where his brother notices and has to remind him that everything will be okay and that he'll always be there for him because will is really struggling mentally

like seriously come on

[dylanaz]

"What's wrong with attachment? He loves her"

No. He doesn't. If seeing her with anyone other than himself is so hard for him that he will do things in blind rage, that's not love.

And you know what it reminds me of? Those men who throw acid into faces of women who say no to them.

It's "Me or no one" selfish mentality and it needs to be taken seriously and punished.

I'm not exactly saying that Aang would do that. But in the comics, he literally opened a lava because Katara didn't wish to talk to him about her feelings. So, it's not so far from the truth.

Katara deserved better.

And guess who would still wish the best for her even if she doesn't feel the same way?

[tuiyla]

i don’t know how else to tell people that the problem with Leighton’s story isn’t Leighton’s story, for which I would love to be so proud of her, but that it simply wasn’t written well

i’m sorry y’all can’t “Tatum was meant to represent this!!!” and “Leighton has realized that!!” your way out of this when the writing simply did not put in any of the effort. also lmao you wanna know why I’m salty over Tatum’s treatment? cause how she ended was literally not what they’d been writing for 3 episodes. not once did Leighton look like Tatum was reminding her of bad parts of herself, not once prior to the fundraiser was Tatum anything but chill, supportive, and into Leighton for exactly who she was

it just feels so cheap and like I’m still happy for Leighton and happy for y’all if you can run with poor writing but I simply cannot tolerate it, I have to hold the show to higher standards than Leighton kissing any girl at any given moment in time

[leporinelou]

I love how the duffers said there wasn't any room or whatever for Billy and Steve's potential story line... but then they somehow had more than enough room/time to add the karen scene 💀

right ??

they really flipped a coin and picked grooming over character development.. gotta hand it to the duffers tbh they really know how to fuck their show up even more

the way the karen thing was never necessary for any plot either

like billy could’ve gotten flayed in literally any other situation if that’s what had to happen

the duffers just decided that their weird ass little fantasy was more compelling than fleshing out one of the most two dimensional characters on the show (steve)

and another character needed to die because he was too complex for their shitty writing and they were jealous of him (billy)

a billy and steve plot would’ve done so fucking much for both of their characters like now can you drop the ball that bad

like steve needed that development and just.. never got it - and look how that turned out *cough* s4

[ragnarlothcat]

1/2 1/2 Pls talk more about your love triangle au! I’m so in love! Imagine Obi-wan, who has been in love with anakin for years, having to silently suffer as anakin regales him with more reasons why he & padme are perfect for one another. Anakin: “so turns out we have nothing in common, but! 1. Pads has curls! Like me! 2. She does her laundry on Tuesdays! Also like me!! 3. & she doesn’t /hate/ podracing & I love podracing!! SO!! (Or whatever the French 17th equivalent of podracing is).

2/2 Meanwhile Obi-wan: “I’ll keep all my emotions right here (in my poems), and then one day I’ll day 🙂”

Gladly, thank you!!! I'm so glad you're liking it because it's suddenly got a hold of me. I still don't know if I'll write it in its entirety because a) I have so many WIPs and b) it's not a time period I'm super familiar with. I know the broad strokes of 17th century France but I'm struggling with some of the details.

However, I did just write a little snippet from it. The backstory: Celebrated poet Obi-Wan used to be Anakin's tutor but now they are close friends. I toyed with making them the same age but the simple truth is that I'm really into older bearded Obi-Wan. So sue me! Here is the scene where Anakin devises his objectively terrible plan to win Padmé's heart.

Love triangle au (or whatever I'm calling it)

The doors to Obi-Wan’s study bang open in Anakin’s haste and he sighs at the sight that greets him. It’s a beautiful day outside: bright sunlight, flowers in bloom, birdsong whistling among the bustle of the streets.

And yet here is Obi-Wan, as always, hunched over his writing desk in nothing but trousers and a loose linen shirt with his windows shuttered and his eyes fixed on the paper before him.

This cannot stand, not when Anakin needs him so desperately. “Obi-Wan,” Anakin says reproachfully. “I have to talk you.”

“Can it wait?” Obi-Wan asks, scratching at his paper. “I’m nearly done this verse.”

“It cannot,” Anakin declares. “Obi-Wan: I’m in love.”

That has Obi-Wan glancing up from his manuscript. “What?”

Obi-Wan looks shocked, Anakin thinks, or maybe confused. His eyes are wide and very blue and he seems not to notice a bead of ink dripping off the end of his quill to spatter on the paper beneath it.

Anakin can understand the confusion. He’s never shown any particular interest in anyone before. He can acknowledge Aayla’s famous beauty or Rex’s rugged handsomeness but he’s never felt that spark, that warmth and longing and adulation that the poets say comes with romance.

Until now.

“With Padmé Amidala,” Anakin continues, and Obi-Wan rolls his eyes and turns back to his now messy page.

“Yes, Anakin, I remember. You were nine years old. She gave you a blanket and smiled prettily and you thought that was the same thing as—”

“But that’s just it,” Anakin interrupts, perhaps rudely. He cannot find it in himself to mind, not while he’s bursting with love and needs Obi-Wan, his dearest, most beloved friend, to share in it. “She’s back in town!”

Obi-Wan’s quill twitches between his fingers. “Oh?”

“Yes! Her sister is getting married and so the whole Amidala family came to celebrate. I had been training in the yard—”

“That does rather explain the smell.”

“—when I saw her. She looks exactly as I remembered when I was a boy. Like a princess, Obi-Wan, or an angel.” Anakin sighs wistfully and drops down to the soft red rug by Obi-Wan’s feet. “I even got to talk to her.”

Obi-Wan shifts so that his knee is no longer brushing Anakin’s shoulder. “Oh yes? What did you say?”

Anakin twists until he can lean his head against Obi-Wan thigh and peers up at him, upside down. “Well, I introduced myself, again, because she didn’t recognize me at first because of how much I’ve grown.”

Obi-Wan hums and Anakin feels it against his skull. “You are a great deal taller than you were at nine.”

Anakin laughs and smiles up at Obi-Wan. “Thankfully, or else my only sparring partner would be old Master Yoda.”

“You could do worse,” Obi-Wan replies, a smile in his voice.

“But after she realized who I was she very kindly asked about my studies and my training and so I asked her how she had spent the last eleven years and she told me about her family’s travels and how they’d been to the sea and I said I hoped she didn’t get any sand in her belongings because it’s impossible to get rid of, and I should know, and then—”

“And then?”

“Well, she was with her friend who said they really did have to hurry to make their next engagement. So she said her goodbyes and said she hoped we’d see each other again.”

Obi-Wan stares down at him and his eyebrows draw together, causing a funny little crease between the auburn hair. “That’s it?”

Something in Obi-Wan incredulous tone has Anakin huffing, suddenly defensive. “What’s wrong with that?”

“You had a two minute conversation with a woman you knew for a few hours over a decade ago, and on that basis you believe yourself to be in love?”

“Believe? I am in love!”

Obi-Wan scoffs. “I’m sure she’s beautiful. I’m sure she’s elegant. But what about her mind? Her soul? What does she do for fun, Anakin? Do you know her favourite songs? Her favourite poems?”

 “You know I don’t care much for poetry,” Anakin says, bristling. Other than Obi-Wan’s, of course. As a rule he finds the medium too opaque, too layered in hidden meanings that Anakin cannot dream of parsing. “And anyway, what does that matter? I’ll have plenty of time to learn her favourite songs once we’re married.”

“Once you’re—Anakin, you cannot be serious. You’re only a boy.”

“A boy?” Anakin draws away from the warmth of Obi-Wan’s legs to kneel up and face him, outraged. “A boy? I’m twenty years old, Obi-Wan. I’ve seen combat. I’ve seen death. I know what I want, and I want her.”

Obi-Wan swipes a hard across his face and a lock of hair flops down to meet it. “I know, of course you do. I apologize. But Anakin, you can learn these important things during courting, perhaps. Why don’t you arrange to meet Lady Amidala and get to know her. Discover the woman beyond the soothing angel of your childhood.”

Anakin wants to bite back that he doesn’t need to know more about Padmé because she’s already perfect, already the most beautiful, kindest person who has ever lived.

But maybe Obi-Wan has a point. Padmé deserves to be wooed, doesn’t she? If Anakin is going to be her husband he needs to first demonstrate his suitability. They’re soulmates, surely, but there’s propriety to keep in mind, and Padmé is a lady.

“Fine,” Anakin agrees, slumping down. “How do I do that?”

Obi-Wan settles back in his chair. “How do you declare your intention to court her?”

“No, well, yes, but how do I actually woo her? What kinds of things do women like?” Obi-Wan is older and Anakin knows he’s had dalliances before. He knows what it meant when Obi-Wan showed up to their lessons slightly rumpled and smelling of perfume.

He hasn’t noticed that recently but then, Obi-Wan has been rather busy of late, throwing himself into his work. His most recent poem is still the talk of the town, a story of two tragic lovers kept apart by fate.

“How—Anakin, I know I was your tutor for a decade,” Obi-Wan says, frowning down at him. “But this really goes beyond what Master Qui-Gon wanted me to teach you.”

“Please? You’re well-liked,” Anakin says, biting his lip even as he says it. Obi-Wan is universally adored. He’s popular at court, with the other knights, with the servants, even with his rivals. “I just want her to like me.”

Obi-Wan’s gaze softens, just slightly. “I’m sure she does,” he says, and then stares up at the ceiling. “Just…talk to her about your interests. Your beliefs. Ask her about hers. Try to compliment her dress, Lady Amidala is well-known for her bold fashions.”

Anakin tries and fails to remember what she was wearing in the courtyard. He thinks it was blue, maybe? “I can do that.”

“Be personal, but not too personal. Compliment her wit, her beauty, but be sincere. Tell her—I don’t know, tell her why you like her, specifically. Anything you tell her will be fine, as long as it’s honest.”

Anakin cocks his head. “She reminds me of my mother.”

Obi-Wan blinks, once, and then heaves a sigh. “I stand corrected. You absolutely cannot tell her that.”

“I don’t mean it like that,” Anakin whines, falling forward and burying his face in the rough fabric of Obi-Wan’s breeches. “My mother was sick and I was so scared, so alone, and then Padmé was there and she was so beautiful, so shining—”

“Yes, I know, like an angel.” Obi-Wan’s hand tentatively drops down to Anakin’s damp, tangled curls. “Tell her that, then. Without comparing her to your mother.”

Anakin’s brow creases and he pushes back into the gentle pressure of Obi-Wan’s touch. “But I’m not well-spoken like she is,” Anakin complains, throwing an arm over his eyes. “Or like you. I can’t—”

Hang on.

Anakin looks up at Obi-Wan, who is saying something, and thinks. That's an idea, isn't it?

“—romance is about more than pretty words," Obi-Wan is saying, when Anakin bothers to listen again. "It’s about fundamental compatibility, about waking up every morning and looking forward to nothing more than your beloved’s company and their smile, about knowing that you’ve found—” Obi-Wan stops and purses his lips. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Padmé is clever and well-read,” Anakin says slowly. “She has an eye for beauty.”

“Yes, Anakin, but yours cannot be the—”

“—and an ear for it, I’d wager.” Anakin looks up at Obi-Wan, his mind racing. Obi-Wan is one of the most celebrated poets in the land. His verses win prizes, are quoted amongst the court, are passed around by the other knights who pretend they aren't moved, even as their eyes stream with tears. “She would love a poem dedicated to her,” Anakin finishes, eyeing Obi-Wan’s manuscript meaningfully.

Obi-Wan fails to hide a grimace. “Maybe, but you really have other strengths. Why not…sing to her? You have a lovely voice.”

“No,” Anakin says, shaking his head. “I need your help.”

“I spent ten years trying to teach you how to write, Anakin, I don’t know what you think I could possibly—”

“Not teach me,” Anakin corrects, pressing into Obi-Wan’s space fully now. “Help me. You know I have no talent for pretty words, Obi-Wan, you’ve read my compositions. But if you were to write something, on my behalf, mind, and I could present it to her…” Anakin pauses, lets Obi-Wan process—

Obi-Wan exhales heavily. “I’m not going to help you trick her, Anakin.”

“It wouldn’t be tricking!” Anakin objects. “The sentiment would be true, the compliments, the feeling behind it. Just the actual words would be yours. She’d never need to know but she’d be so impressed, she’d finally see me as the man I am now, as her equal.”

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan says again. “I just don’t think it’s a very good idea.”

It’s the best idea Anakin has ever had. Why can’t Obi-Wan see that? Anakin’s words aren’t clever enough for an angel like Padmé, but Obi-Wan’s? Padmé would have no choice but to be swept off her feet. “Please?” Anakin begs, “haven’t you ever been in love?”

Obi-Wan’s cheeks colour delicately and he averts his eyes. “That isn’t the point.”

“But it is,” Anakin insists, pushing closer until Obi-Wan’s thighs dig into his shoulders and the rug bunches up under his knees. “Remember how you felt then? How you’d do anything for her, how her happiness was the only thing that mattered. That’s how I feel now, that’s why I need you, Obi-Wan.”

“You don’t need me—”

“I do,” Anakin says, solemnly, and then tilts his chin so he’s looking up at Obi-Wan through his eyelashes, begging with his eyes like he did when he was a boy and he wanted Obi-Wan to let him do his lessons outside.

Maybe Obi-Wan’s thinking of those days too because his eyes go soft and hazy. “Anakin,” he says, like the repetition of his name alone will convince him of his folly. “It’s unwise.”

“Just one or two poems,” Anakin pleads, letting his eyes go big and sad, letting his lips settle into a pout. “Just to break the ice with her. I promise that’s it, just a few. You’d make me incomparably happy, Obi-Wan, if you’d lend me your gifts. I’d be forever in your debt, if you were the cause of my everlasting bliss.”

“Anakin—”

“Please,” Anakin says once more, desperately. “For me.”

Obi-Wan’s eyes flutter shut and his hand drifts to Anakin’s forearm. “Fine,” he breathes. “Fine. But just a couple. Just until you—”

But Anakin doesn’t wait to hear the end of that sentence. He scrambles up from the floor and throws himself into Obi-Wan’s chair, which rocks back on two legs for a moment before settling down with a creak under their combined weight.

“Thank you,” Anakin says, nuzzling against Obi-Wan’s scratchy beard. “Thank you so much, Obi-Wan. You’re such a good friend, such a good man. I just know this is going to go perfectly.”

Obi-Wan’s hands settle against Anakin’s waist and he sighs into Anakin’s messy hair. “I’m glad you think so,” he says, resignation in his voice. “I, for one, have a bad feeling about this.”