#the immediate kinship i felt for this man

[takemetodragonstone]

you can just say autistic, it’s okay

[j-onedrabbles]

What do you think about Stray Kids and partner privileges, what do they let their partner get away with the other members can't? This keeps me up at night I won't lie to you

Hmmmmm good question lovely. Here are my thoughts;

wc: 0.7k

Chan ♡ chan definitely let's you get away with distracting him from work. He knows you’re really just trying to get him to take a break and take care of himself, but he rarely listens to anyone else when they do that. You could walk over to him when he’s busy working on a track and just pull the headphones off him, don't forget to kiss his cheek too! “Break time baby.”

He’ll immediately pull you down into his lap and cuddle up with you. He may try and keep working but the way you're giving him little kisses when you see him go for the computer mouse has him stopping and just loving on you until he moves you guys over to the bed.

Lee Know ♡ partner privileges with Lee Know are pretty much the same as Han privileges with him. Just a lot more kisses and cuddle than Han gets.

literally whatever you want from this man, at anytime, it’s yours. there's times where he will quite literally drop everything for you too, even if he's working. He will figure out a way to get you want you want or be where you need him to be

Changbin ♡ you could get away with getting him not to go to the gym. But even then, he'll opt to just take you with him and you just watch until he's done with his work out— he will smother you in sweaty kiss and hugs after though.

But if you're staying over and he plans to go to the gym, just through some puppy dog eyes and pouty lips his way and he'll do it later. His baby is more important than some weights, same thing if he's staying over at yours. Cuddle > gym when he's with you

Hyunjin ♡ jewelry sharing. He has so much omg. But he thinks it's cute when you ask if you can barrow a necklace just because you think it would good with you're outfit that day.

At some point would offer a piece of jewelry when you felt like your outfit was missing something. He'd take one look and just now he has a piece that would be perfect. Also just finds it a little funny when you guys are out and someone compliments his jewelry on you.

Han ♡ drink sharing. Man loves his americano's. My lord. I don't think he would share his coffee with anyone but if you asked for a sip, he could never say no. As long as you give him a kiss after!

It would be any drink too, especially if it was something you didn't drink often and just wanted to try that he had, he doesn't mind. Just random every day things when you're just parched enough for one sip of something and he just happens to have a drink. He'll share a little.

Felix ♡ video games! man's possessive of his computer probably—i mean, he did build it himself. It would probably start with just sitting on his lap while he plays then him asking you if you want a turn.

Even if you aren't good at whatever he's playing, he'll teach you. Always will offer you to go a round when you're hanging out and he was playing before you showed up. Find's games you could play together too! Might even offer to build you your own pc if you want

Seungmin ♡ clothes! I don't him really sharing his clothes with any one but his s/o. But he loves when you ask to borrow a shirt or a sweater from him. He will help you style it too.

He will sit there for hours with you planning out outfits for you. Maybe he'll even base it around a piece of jewelry you had. He's always offering a shirt, sweater, jacket, or whatever of his. Has so much fun with it

I.N ♡ You are the only person he willingly cuddle with. Rejects the guys all the time but you? He's just as clingy as the rest of the guys. Always wanting to hold onto you somehow.

Comes home to you and lays his head on your chest and hugs your waist. The first time it happened, the guys were really confused but gradually got used to it, thinking their maknae was starting to actually like kinship. After an attempt of trying to kiss his cheek and him shoving them away, they figured it was just because it was you

taglist: @junebug032 @the-sweetest-rose @hanjingin @hyunjinshairband01 @miintmochii @ohish @changbinisabigboy @dreamingaboutjisung @tattywood @stepout-09-15 @cello--190 @just-randomm-stuff @greysweaters @hazyspirts @mhasimp666 @slay-and-gay @smally97 @bloom4yu @itstorimf @linoyouknow @fjseung @jungsodesjoyyy @jjwhorehouse @carinathefairy @litepowee @babyphotos @inniecore @jeonginssa @dolceem @stvrfir3 @tasteskz-sworld @ultimatestayandminoronce @seungincore @tinyelfperson @greyyeti @dimpledsatan @camixiez @chansbabygirlsstuff @thatlonelyalto @hopefulrascalstatesmantoad @donut-crazs @meloryme @rubyshoedpixie @cecepop15 @punks-rad @somsungiex @mcratyomama @lilylouise @stayconnecteed @kiko-o-luck @hyunjinswifeee @red-airhead @niaalove @emyferra08 @lovesunshinefelix @bunniieesstuff @enhaskzbtstxtsvt @nandinxoxo @producedbyy3racha @squiishymeow @luvrhyune 

[dyingswanpavlova]

My secret obsession - Pt. 1 || 》 Aemond Targaryen 《

pairing: Aemond Targaryen, sister!reader

warnings: incest between siblings (implied)

summary: Aemond's younger sister is secretly in love with him.

The thing that hurt me the most was probably that he did not belong to me. A constant reminder of the painful truth that broke my heart every day all over again.

All I could do was silently observe from the sidelines.

His face was the most beautiful piece of art and it was engraved so deep in my memory, that I would see it whenever I closed my eyes.

His voice was...silk. Honey. Sweetness.

But at the same time he was so manly.

The was no man in the whole realm who could keep up with him. His abilities were beyond compare and so was everything else about him. Many people feared him because he had the biggest dragon. Others loathed him for his ability to be resentful for...well, forever.

I did not.

In my eyes, he was perfect. He was everything.

"Did you hear what I said, sister?"

My head snapped up and I stared at Aegon in confusion.

"What?" I muttered absentmindedly.

He groaned in annoyance.

"You have not been paying attention again." He said so slowly that it was almost offensive. I shook my head and shrugged.

"Forgive me. I was distracted. What did you say?"

Aegon shot me a suspicious look and I immediately knew I was in for a questioning. I suppressed the urge to sigh. Or flee.

"You have been distracted quite a lot lately." He said thoughtfully. "What are you so dreamy about?"

I rolled my eyes. "People tend to think, Aegon, even if you do not."

Aemond was currently swinging his sword at Criston Cole. It did not take him longer than two minutes to defeat him. Again.

I let my gaze wander along the training yard. Despite Aegon's rather weak attempts at perceptiveness, there were some things he was good at reading.

I was one of them.

I did not need to look at him to see the lazy smirk that slowly plastered across his face.

"Thinking, hm? And what is it you are so thinky about?" He raised a brow and ruffled my hair.

I rolled my eyes again and gave him a quick shove.

"None of your business."

His smirk widened and he brought his face down so he could whisper in my ear.

"I think I know the answer. And I think it indeed is part of my business, considering our kinship."

"Aegon, do not dare-"

"Do you think I am blind, sweet sister? I see the way you look at him."

My face flushed so hard it was bordering on painful.

"You know noth-"

"In fact." He interrupted me, feigning thoughtfulness. "I think everyone knows it."

"Aegon, shut up!"

He laughed and raised his hands in mock surrender.

"Aw, come on. I am your big brother after all. Who is going to tease you if not me?"

I kept my gaze glued to the ground firmly. Suddenly I felt extremely uneasy. Nauseous even.

Aegon seemed to notice my discomfort and his eyes softened. He tipped my chin up with his index finger. I tried to look away but he made me look up anyway.

"It is more than mere infatuation, is it not?" He asked softly.

I looked down and remained silent. Infatuation. What a ridiculous word. No, I was not infatuated with Aemond. I was starstruck, I was obsessed, I was insane.

I swallowed thickly and nodded, unable to meet his gaze. The pavement was suddenly very interesting.

"Does he know?"

My head snapped up and my eyes widened in horror.

"No! No, Aegon, you cannot-"

He placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed it.

"Calm down. I will not tell him."

I took a shaky breath and nodded. "Thank you." I muttered.

Aegon shrugged and returned his gaze to Aemond, who was currently busy tackling Ser Criston to the ground. That drew a smirk from Aegon. Aemond was better than him.

Aemond was better than anyone.

"You should tell him." He said suddenly.

"No." I said firmly and without hesitation.

Aegon snorted and shook his head. "Are you so sure that he does not feel the same for you?"

I swallowed and shook my head. "Even if he did. It is futile. Mother did not betroth us. She betrothed you and Helaena years ago. If she wanted me to marry Aemond-"

"She only betrothed us, because she holds on to the ridiculous thought that I will be king one day." Aegon said calmly. "Aemond needs a wife. And you most certainly need a husband."

I frowned and shot him a glare.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It simply means that nothing goes against you and Aemond together."

Was it really that simple? But then again...

Aemond was currently helping Criston back up, before he shot a nonchalant look at Luke. The tension was thick, but he would not act on it. Not yet. Aemond was not one to act recklessly. But he was one for retaliation.

Everything in the right time.

"He does not love me." I said quietly.

"How do you know?"

"He never...showed..."

"And did you?" Aegon raised a teasing brow.

I shot him a helpless look. "That's different."

"Oh, yeah? And why?"

I knew no answer to that. But a part of me was so mortified to find out the truth, that I preferred dying without ever finding out.

"You are not even in love with him. You are obsessed."

I gasped in shock.

"What?" I said in a choked whisper.

He nodded. "I can see it in your eyes. You would die for him."

"I would die for you, too, idiot. Or for Helaena. We are family."

Aegon let out a mirthless chuckle and crossed his arms infront of his chest. I hated it when he got smartassy like that.

"That is not what I mean and you know it."

"Aegon, shut your-"

"Sister. Brother."

I froze and swallowed before I looked up and met Aemond's intense gaze.

"You defeated Ser Criston." I said in a breathless voice. Aegon snorted. I would have gladly pushed him off a cliff, was there a cliff anywhere nearby.

Aemond nodded once.

"He taught me well." Was all he had to say.

We stood there in an awkward silence, before he cleared his throat.

"I shall go and get myself ready for dinner." He finally said and shot me a soft look. "Shall I take you to your chambers on my way?"

I was already about to respond, when Aegon pushed me and I crashed into Aemond's steel hard chest. He immediately wrapped his arms around me to steady me and looked at our older brother with increduloucy.

"You better, brother. I was just about to try my luck with Criston." Aegon said innocently. I glared at him before he vanished further into the training yard.

Aemond's hand lingered for a moment longer on my back and I tried not to look too affected.

"Are you alright?" He asked in that sweet voice. I forced a smile and nodded.

"Aegon was just being an idiot. As per usual." I muttered as he started walking me back towards my chambers.

"What did you talk about? You seemed agitated."

You seemed agitated.

He had paid attention? While engaging in a sword fight with our most skilled knight?

"He was merely being his annoying self. Nothing in particular." I muttered.

He was silent for a while. He had his hand on the small of my back while we walked. I tried my hardest to keep a straight back and appear like the effortlessly perfect princess I was supposed to be. As effortlessly perfect as he was. But for some reason it just got harder and harder for me.

"You were really good. The way you feinted to attack him, but then spun around and made him fall was splendid. The look on his face was priceless. He told me how proud he is of you the other day."

Aemond raised a brow in surprise. "You saw that?"

I tried my best not to blush as I nodded.

"You know that I have been watching you train for years." I smirked and added: "I have been watching Aegon as well, but after a while it got boring to watch Criston constantly beat him. It was like watching the same fight over and over again."

Aemond let out a rare chuckle.

"I get your point."

After a moment, he added: "Did you read the book I gave you?"

"The philosophy one?"

He nodded. I nodded as well.

"I did not know being would be considered such a fragile thing. But considering how quickly life finds its end, it should not have surprised me so much."

He smiled. It was subtle. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

"It is indeed. The metaphor with the flower reminded me of you."

"Me?" I spun around in surprise. "Why?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "You, too, seem to need other people around you to some degree, but you prefer the solitude of your own mind. Soliture and tranquility." After a moment, he said in a softer voice: "I am like that."

I looked at him thoughtfully.

"That could be applied to many people though."

He smirked softly. "Also, it reminded me of that book you read when you were younger."

"Ah, yes. The secret flower language." I smiled. "You remember that?"

"Mhm." He hummed softly. "Of course. You spent hours and hours explaining each flower to me and what they meant."

I bit my lip and shook my head. "Forgive me for the inconvenience."

His head spun around so quickly that he looked very unlike himself. "What are you apologizing for?"

"I thought...Well, I thought..."

"I was fascinated. Not annoyed." He said quietly. I blinked slowly, then my lips twitched into a soft smile.

"Oh."

He shook his head and smiled as well. A moment later we reached my chamber door. I looked up at him only to realize he was staring at me.

After a long moment, I said: "What?"

"You look pretty."

Without hesitation, I blushed furiously. And of course, instead of being a gentleman and ignoring it, he had to smirk knowingly.

"Can you not even handle a little compliment without blushing?"

I rolled my eyes, but I smiled, still blushing.

"Not from you." When I realized how that sounded, I quickly added: "You are my brother after all, how genuine can your compliment be then?"

He shook his head and sighed.

"I will see you at dinner." He said, reached out his hand and gently touched my cheek. Seemingly nonchalant and trivial, but my heart was pounding wildly in my chest. Every touch of his felt like the short, delicate moment of being ice, seconds away from melting. And then you are no longer ice, but water. Bland and sad.

The moment he withdrew his hand, I was exactly that.

Bland and sad.

"I will see you at dinner." I repeated in a soft whisper.

[codenamesazanka]

Shigaraki's memories I want Deku to see:

Shigaraki having genuinely wanted to recruit Bakugou because he saw Bakugou get chained up and gagged during the Sports Festival and felt a sort of kinship with the boy

Shigaraki accepting a paper-bag-over-head-wearing, too-traumatized-to-use-his-quirk-properly, incoherent Twice into the League

Heck, just Shigaraki accepting everyone into the League. Took in a bitter middle schooler. Managed to get Muscular and Moonfish - two people true to their bloodthirsty desires - to restrain themselves enough to work in a team towards a specific goal.

Shigaraki watching over a recovering Compress who just had his arm torn off by Overhaul

the League giving Magne a proper burial and keeping her magnet

Shigaraki revealing his face to Toga and Twice and saying he believes in them

Shigaraki telling Toga and Twice to grab "the girl in the middle of the Shie Hassaikai operation"

The League being buddies who stuck together even after losing comrades and resources, even when they're on the run with no money and no food and no clear purpose. Even when they have to fight a giant naked man nearly 24/7 on a mountain in the middle of winter.

The League rushing into great danger to save a kidnapped friend

Shigaraki not dusting ReDestro immediately when the man was bleeding out on the ground, despite having every reason to do so - ReDestro had condescending challenged him, harmed his friends, insulted him, maimed him, and destroyed The Hands. Shigaraki had every reason to just finish off his opponent while ReDestro was down, but he didn't; and especially not after ReDestro apologized and kowtowed.

Shigaraki ordering sushi for Mr. Compress and the League

[dead-girl-prolific]

Masky/Tim x GN!Reader oneshot (Fluffruary) pt 2

A/N:

as you can see i'm very very VERY late on writing these oneshots, but i have everything organized now so it shouldn't be too bad lol. Here's the playlist!~

TW: discussion of eating troubles, themes of depression and abandonment issues, one mention of alcohol and cigarettes. mentions of murder(?)

Prompt: finding you wearing his clothes.

You were cycling down a rabbit hole of memories, especially about the past. You used to be a hard-ass who didn’t give a fuck about anything or anyone, even before the mansion. Now you are a socially awkward, clingy partner who still fights the urge to be a bitch from time to time. Tim sees it as progress; you think it's tedious, but you’d do it for him. Tim’s always saying he used to be almost exactly the same; the only difference is he was chosen to be a proxy, and well, you strive to be a proxy.

There were a few reasons you wanted to be a proxy; the main reason was for Tim. As soon as you met him, you felt a kinship and friendly rivalry with the man. If you had to be honest with yourself, you loved him, and although he would never admit it, he loved you too. Tim didn’t throw around "I love you a whole lot.

While you were drifting into dissociation, you heard the door to the foyer open and close. You were immediately pulled from your trance and watched the open doorway. You knew it’d be hard to hope for Tim to walk through the doorway, but you hoped anyway.

Time seemed to be frozen in place as you stared at the doorway into the foyer. You were in a trance until you heard your name being called by none other than Jeff.

“Y/n! What’re you staring at? Waiting for your prince's shining armor or sumn’?” Jeff joked at you, and your face flushed ever so slightly, but as you were distracted, someone entered the room.

Your head snapped in the direction of the doorway again, and there he was. Tim. Sweaty, muddy, hasn’t showered in seven days, covered in blood, Tim. You flashed a goofy grin when he looked in your direction.

“Tim!” you yelled and got out of your seat, forgetting all about the food Hoodie so graciously gave you. You bounded over to him and hugged him.

“Did ya’ miss me?” Tim asked, melting into the hug.

“Of course I did.” You nodded and let go of him.

“Y/n?” Tim asked, looking you up and down.

“Yes?” Your sing-song tone indicated that you were enjoying the attention after a week of not receiving it from him.

"Heh, are you wearing my flannel?” He smugly asked, crossing his arms and smirking.

“I-” You looked down at the shirt you were wearing, and your grin faltered. Your face flushed, and you grasped your face, concealing your blush.

“Maybe?” You said it sounded more like a question than an answer.

“Uh-huh…alright.” He turned around and headed up the stairs, which you quickly followed.

“Y/n! You’re forgetting your food!” Hoodie shouted from the dining room, and you cursed at yourself.

“I’ll do the dishes in the morning if you clean it up for me!!!” you hollered in response.

"Alright," you heard him huff and the sound of a chair scratching the floor.

You quickly made your way up the stairs after Tim. Tim’s crowbar dangled from his hand, dragging across the hall’s floor, and his mask was pushed to the side of his face.

You both made your way to the end of the hall and walked into his room, shutting the door behind you. He dropped his crowbar and took his mask off, carefully setting it on his nightstand. You can’t count the number of times you’ve stubbed your toe on his crowbar when you had to get water or pee in the middle of the night, from it being discarded on the floor. He plopped himself on the bed and shut his eyes, rubbing them with his palms. You sat next to him.

“So how did it go? Well, I'd hope.” You said you were leaning back into the bed.

“Did I get the job done? Yes. Did I enjoy it? I never do," he responded dryly.

“Ah…” You sighed and shut your eyes.

“I’d rather talk about you," he said after a long pause.

“Well, I mainly stayed in your room for the past seven days," you paused. “and wore your clothes. I’ve been wearing the same three shirts over my own.” You smiled up at the ceiling.

“Have you been eating well?” he asked.

“As well as someone could while missing somebody.” You rescinded, avoiding the question.

“Y/n? Did you eat?” He asked again, which made you flinch. You wouldn’t admit it, but you struggled to take care of your health, mainly wounds and feeding yourself.

“Not a lot, no," you responded.

“You need to work on it," he said as he pulled you in close, wrapping his arm around you and letting you nuzzle your head into his shoulder or cheek. He chuckled, and you inhaled, expecting to smell his usual scent, but instead you were met with body odor, blood, and an earthy aroma. You pushed him away and grimaced.

“Go shower! You stink!” You chided him, and he only chuckled again.

“Only if you fall asleep in my arms afterwards?” he asked as he stood up.

“I’d love to, but right now you need to go shower!” You responded, plugging your nose in childish mockery.

It's safe to say you both fell asleep pretty fast that night.

A/N:

thank you for reading stay tuned for part two, if you want the full story that isn't separated check my Quotev and Wattpad!

[rist-ix]

How do you think sparked!valtor and tbhtbh!valtor would react to bloom saying he's good enough to f*ck but not good enough to love?

Do fingerguns and say damn right I’m good enough to fuck. Then he waits a respectable 10 minutes just to demonstrate he's not at all affected before going to his room to cry.

Seriously though, I think sparked!Valtor's reaction within the canon of that fic already somewhat explores this. He proclaims his love for Bloom, she laughs at him a little bit, they fuck nasty and then later go their separate ways. Bloom even asks him how he's so ok with her lack of romantic reciprocal, which does seem untypical after his weeks of stalking, attempted kidnapping, and altogether just constant need for her attention, positive or negative. To which Valtor admits readily that he intends to Woo Her For Reals in the future, but given the very eventful past 36 hours, can afford not to throw a tantrum right away. Basically, he copes with a mix of delulu for the present and some resolute aspirations for the future. His absolute confidence in his charm and ability to seduce people certainly helps.

Now, Tbhtbh!Valtor… he's not gonna lie (except he absolutely is), Bloom not being madly in love with him does grate on him, a little bit. I think he has convinced Bloom, and himself for the most part, that he does not care much about whether she loves him or not, so long as she hates him so passionately she's always thinking about him. And it’s true! Her singleminded hatred is balm on his soul after he had absolutely nothing of her for three years. He can suffer many things (and enjoy them, even, like he does her animosity) but he cannot bear indifference. If he ever felt insignificant to her he would lose it, 100%. You can kind of see it whenever the Winx come up in conversation, he HATES not being Bloom's highest priority.

Deep down, though, he does crave her affection. He adores it when she initiates any sort of contact, he softens up immediately when she implies any regard for or feeling of kinship with him. Man is starving for CRUMBS, and still deluding himself into thinking that he does not care that Bloom will likely never love him back. It's such a funny conundrum, because on the one hand, he does every cruel thing within his power to ensure he can keep her captive, on the other hand, all those cruelties effectively deny him any chance of the thing he wants the most. He's sacrificing the possibility of Bloom's love for the certainty of her presence and attention. In a way, he has to delude himself to keep this up, because the alternative would be losing even the little bit of Bloom he has now.

In conclusion, Valtor values attention over romantic feelings. As long as he is her highest priority, (because he's her most dangerous enemy, or because he's really good with his tongue, doesn’t really matter which) he's a-ok with the whole Her Not Being In Love With Him — Yet! situation.

[la-principessa-nuova]

It’s weird being 5’10” and transfem

because, like, my older relatives are all like, “Wow, you’re so tall!” but then relative to people my own age, back when i was judged as a guy, i was average height (according to whatever i read at the time 5’9” was average, and 5’10” if you only looked at younger adults).

but i’d hear shallow girls talking about how anyone under 6 feet tall is short, so I always thought of myself as “technically average, but unfairly called short, and that’s fine”.

but i always had this weird feeling when i was in a room with only women (especially a large one like a storeh, and i was so much taller, that i think Taylor Swift described well with “and I’m a monster on the hill”

but like a (figurative) voice in my head was like, “You should be fine with this because you’re supposed to be a big, tall man”, but, like, i wasn’t okay with it at all.

and then if a guy walks in, i feel like i want to throw up or cry or something bc it’s like this immediate recognition over the heads of all the women in the store that there is some similarity between us and that just felt wrong in a way i did not understand.

but if a tall woman walked in, i did feel that kinship that i “should have” felt with the men who walked in. And especially if there were a few tall women, or a mixture of people of various heights with enough that i no longer stood out as tall, i felt so much better, like i could breathe in the anonymity of it.

i felt this a lot recently (except understanding what it was now) when at Habitat for Humanity ReStore looking at the used furniture, and it was entirely women in the store, mostly older women (and maybe some short kings blending in), and i was by far the tallest person in the whole store as far as i could see, and i just felt so other. but then a couple women about my height walked in and i felt so relieved to not be the monster in the room.

but yeah, now my older relatives are right, and i’m a bit taller than average now, but also i don’t feel, like, freakishly tall. like, i know plenty of cis women my height and taller, so like, compared to other traits that technically overlap with ranges for cis women but are so extreme, this one just isn’t a big deal. it only makes me feel weird in the same way it makes many cis women feel weird when you happen to not have any other tall friends around.

[mitamicah]

Bojan meeting his danish doublegänger :3

I might need to give some context for this one x'D (look under the line if you are curious)

On April 22 I was at a concert in Copenhagen (it too was my birthday but that's not important for this part of the story x'D). The very first band on stage was called Cold Culture and my heart skipped a beat when I realised that the front man looked familiar; he sort of looked like Bojan!! (if Bojan was a slight bit taller, blue eyed and danish that is). The rest of the show I couldn't unsee this resemblance and so - as brainrotted as I am - I immediately felt a kinship to Mads (the name of the frontman). I even met him and his bandmembers afterwards and he was so kind and silly and very much Bojan coded in personality as well :'D xD

8 days later and my mind still hasn't let go of this thought so here's Bojan meeting Mads x'D.

The band itself btw was really good - probably the one making the best impression on me that evening. I have had their EP on repeat together with Kot Kot for a week now x'D. If you like bands such as Blind Channel and Bring Me the Horizon I can recommend Cold Culture ^V^

Comparison pictures of Mads (taken by me 04.22.24 in Copenhagen) and Bojan (taken by me 03.15.24 in Malmö)

Me with the band + Mads and Andy (drummer) hanging out around the venue after midnight.

[genderkoolaid]

i don't wanna speak for transfems on this but i feel like a lot of self-proclaimed "TME" people who claim to be supporting trans women are pushing ideas that only really support certain Good Trans Women who always felt like women and never feel any sympathy or kinship with cis men and come out immediately and never benefit in any way from being perceived as a cis man and don't have any male-aligned gender themselves. like jennifer coates' famous essay literally talks about how she got shut down for trying to talk about issues as a "man", even though those people would have let her speak if she came out to them, and they don't seem to realize you can't treat cis men like shit without ever hurting a closeted trans woman or an egg. and its also pretty fucking weird to expect every trans woman to feel super loved and supported by people who literally only see her as worthy of any support after she came out. & again that relies on forcing trans women to out themselves, or to know that they are trans, before they receive the support that could let them come out/realize they are trans. and this doesn't even get into nonbinary identity and how i rarely ever see support for like, multigender trans women who are also men or trans women who want to stay in the gay men's community.

id like to hear transfem takes on this but just from where im standing it feels like so much "support" relies on trans women&fems being both completely disconnected from manhood on any level + being 100% comfy with "men are evil" jokes

[rpfisfine]

an overview of the things we watched during my turbofolk seminar for @roadwhores @lofimp3 and my other balkan (and non-balkan) followers who might be interested

(my professor is bulgarian for context and unfortunately she hasn’t made the presentation with all the additional information public yet so these r just my personal notes & things ive remembered.Thumbs up)

we started with the only balkan song that is on the voyager golden record which i thought was sooooo beautiful as someone from a country who didn’t have anything interesting to contribute to the golden record besides the greeting to the universe i feel very humbled and reverent to have listened to it

goran bregović - bella ciao & kalashnikov at sziget festival 2012 (our professor mentioned that he’s kind of a piece of shit who steals songs from marginalized communities and profits off of it and has been actively sued for it in the past so i made sure to shake my head while i was listening to show that i didn’t agree with his actions)

recordings of traditional folk songs being performed at serbian weddings I forgot to write the performer’s name down but he played the clarinet beautifully and someone stuck a bill to his forehead while he was playing to show their appreciation which I think we need to bring back)

we talked abt ceca quite extensively and also looked at one paparazzi photo of her with some politician guy who besides being her biggest fan in the world is also apparently a huge fan of vinnetou & robert de niro which i thought was kind of a slay personally

we watched one lepa brena video from the 80s and one from the 90s to see the transformation of her style and the sound of her music throughout the years

+ also clips of her wedding to boba which we compared to ceca’s wedding to the serbian mobster who then ended up being assasinated (we didn’t touch on ceca’s personal criminal history too much but after a brief glimpse at her wikipedia page I think we should have im slightly obsessed with her i think)

the most aggressively 90s and vaguely bisexual music video by saška vaseva abt clubbing and drinking….loved it

neshto netipichno (probably not spelled right but i copied it from the yt title) by ivana

azis!!!!!!!!! he’s such an icon to me our professor showed us a selection of his mvs ranging from the time when he wasn’t out as a gay man yet to i think his most recent song so we kind of witnessed his whole transformation from his like full blown drag stuff (i.e "hop" - SLAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) to his most recent very aggressively masculine & americanized style but i am literally actually legitimately obsessed with his look from his old videos i need to look exactly like him immediately like . Are you kidding me

we ended with dubioza kolektiv - USA & no escape from balkan and i kind of want to tattoo the lyrics of the second song on my body if im being honest i respect what these guys have going on

overall it was definitely the best seminar from this course and im so glad i dragged my lifeless body out of bed in the morning to attend it bc i cannot even imagine missing out on it you guys have a very wonderful culture and i loved that 80s & 90s balkan music videos literally look identical to czech mvs from that time I felt a deep sense of kinship while watching them. Long live yugoslavia ❤️

[saiyanmazen]

Your fiery nature

Another Vegebul ficlet written for the Vegebulocracy's D&D event. I would've finished it yesterday, but I've been struck down by a virus.

The prompt I used for this is obviously rage. This piece is rated somewhere between T and M. Nothing explicit or sexual, but very direct about the topic of sex.

Can also be read here on AO3.

------------------------------------

Vegeta didn't think he would ever have anything in common with the Earthlings. He knew there were similarities between him and Kakarot given their shared race, but he'd been more than disappointed by how corrupted the third class Saiyan had been by the humans. There was very little of his heritage in his blood, beside the physical attributes he reaped the benefits of.

No, there wasn't anyone on this forsaken planet that could measure up to the Prince of All Saiyans.

Or so he'd thought.

The first time he felt the strange sense of kinship was when Baldy was visiting the compound. The small so-called warrior (although Vegeta begrudgingly admitted that he was the only one he carried a tiny amount of respect for - he had at least been ready to kill Vegeta until Kakarot stopped him) hadn't turned his back to Vegeta the entire time he was there; a good instinct to be honest. The midget's fear of him was justified. The Prince was the most dangerous being in the entire universe.

He hadn't paid attention to the conversation, only watched as the Earthlings interacted with each other. Maybe it could prove useful in the future. But it appeared that Baldy said something to the woman that made her angry. Her voice rose to mind-boggling shrillness as her eyes threw daggers at the midget and her mouth spewed the most heinous things at him.

The tiny man was quick to respond, backing away in fear of her wrath, and actually turned his back to Vegeta, leaving him open to attack. In fact, the bald man backed directly into Vegeta where he was leaning against the wall. Baldy didn't even flinch when he felt himself collide with the genocidal alien, still keeping his attention on the furious woman.

Vegeta was frankly offended. Why was a warrior afraid of a person as weak as her? She practically had no ki at all.

He pushed the midget to the side, possibly through the wall, and approached the hysterical female. Her rage was no match to his and, though he'd given his word that he would do no harm to her and her family, he wasn’t going to let her behave this way in front of him. Her screeching was awful to his ears and her language some of the foulest he'd heard in his life, but he would stop her. He shouted with all his might that she better shut up right this instant.

She quieted a moment, her blue eyes zeroing on him with blinding white rage, and then she directed everything at him. Her ferocity shocked him and, even as he returned her fire, she didn't back down, not once.

He'd never experienced anything like it. No one, even Frieza, had ever spoken to him like that. But he suddenly found something in another that he could relate to: an intense and burning rage.

She was magnificent. A wildfire hidden right beneath the surface of her deceptively weak appearance. In spite of the insults he flung at her, he was enchanted by her fiery nature.

After their fight somehow came to an end (which might have ended with him walking away in anger after she'd threatened to dismantle the gravity room), he felt invigorated in a whole new way. He knew that he would never look at her the same way again.

It quickly became clear to him that it wasn't just Baldy who feared the force of her wrath. Her little boytoy lost all his (unearned) bravado whenever her temper spiked, Kakarot would immediately do his best to placate her and even the Namekian was quick to disappear at signs of her nasty behavior.

Vegeta could never act so cowardly. He stood his ground and gave back, making her rage flare to almost explosive levels. It caused a strange sensation in him, an attraction to her that he eventually acknowledged had something to do with his Saiyan genes. The women of his race had been fierce and unafraid of even the greatest warrior, no matter how inferior their strength was. And Bulma’s steely gaze and cutting words made him feel more at home than he ever had before.

He began seeking her out, goading her into fight after another, relishing the sparks flickering between them as they exchanged blows.

It inevitably became physical, albeit in a way he was unfamiliar with. Not that it stopped any of them from pursuing this new passionate dance. They wrestled for dominance every time and it blew his mind every time. It drew him even more to her, much to his chagrin.

Over the time spent together, they learned not to come to blows at every turn. It took the birth of their infant child and the death of their future son for them to find a peaceful co-existence. They still argued, often to the point that the other inhabitants would clear out for a while until the dust had settled. It was usually after they'd aggressively worked things in a physical manner.

At times they'd be forced to put their quarrels to the side. Those were his favorites. She would pounce at him at an unexpected moment, push him into the mattress, a wall or wherever she attacked, wrath burning in her eyes, and put her whole body into releasing that anger at him. She would move like a wild beast, scratch and bite at him, pull his hair and even yell at him while they both reached the peak.

She was glorious, a true Queen worth of any throne, passionate and strong in all ways that mattered. He was lucky to have found a woman whose temper could match his own if not outdo him. After all, her rage could even make a god cower in fear. And Vegeta wouldn't have it any other way.

[leggerefiore]

Just saw something that I immediately applied to Ingo and Nero.

Nero comes over to Erin’s to hang out and play, and accidentally takes a bit of a tumble. Ingo comes over to check and cheer him up.

“How many times have you scraped your knee when playing with your dad?”

“Lots.”

“And what’s the first thing he always says?”

“Um… ‘Here’s ten dollars; don’t tell Mom.’”

“What?!”

His reaction makes Nero laugh, at least. But Ingo is giving Grimsley the most unimpressed side-eye when he comes to pick up his son.

Ingo felt panic rush through his heart as Nero tripped over something as the park and crashed to the ground. Erin stopped instantly in his path and tensed up at the sight of his friend. For a moment, the Subway Boss was conflicted on whether to comfort Erin before he inevitably started crying or to help Nero. But, bravely, Erin seemed to shake off his tears while Nero shifted to holding his knee with his lips pulled back into a grimace and one eye squinting. Ingo knelt down before the black-haired boy and gently pulled away his hand to examine the damage. Thankfully, there was no blood to be seen, just an abrasion.

His eyes met Nero's own. “… How often have you scraped your knee playing with your dad?” he asked, wanting to attempt to cheer up the boy. It was sad seeing such a usually confident child so meek and hurt. Erin had come over as his side and checked out his injury.

“… A few times…” Nero replied, averting his gaze. Was that embarrassment? Ingo certainly hoped not.

“What does your dad usually say after that?” he continued, hoping that thinking of something his father said would help improve his mood. Instead, Nero eyebrows scrunched together. He was quiet for a few moments following, clearly deep in thought.

“… Don't… tell your other parent…? I'll buy you that thing you have been asking for…” Nero repeated his father's usual words after he got injured. Ingo's facial expression grew sterner. Erin blinked a few times. Both turned to look at each other. Ingo's go-to response was to gently reassure Erin that it would heal, and he was doing good whenever he did not burst into tears. What was Grimsley doing…? Ingo felt annoyance growing towards the gambler. He already was not a fan of Grimsley showing up smelling of tobacco and cologne when picking up Nero, but this was something he would have to glare at the other man for.

~

“Thanks for watching him,” Grimsley waved at Ingo while holding Nero's hand with his other one. The Subway Boss gave an unimpressed glare at him. A brow was cocked up in response. “What? Don't want to be thanked?”

“… Why isn't he supposed to tell someone when he gets injured?” Ingo questioned, a hit concerned. Grimsley's smug face – his poker face – steeled onto his expression.

“Because I get made to sleep on the couch,” was his reply. Ingo blinked. What…? “He exaggerates things,” Grimsley shrugged, “But he's my boy, so I forgive him.” And bribe him. Ingo deeply debated the home life around Nero. Perhaps it was a certain kinship he felt with the boy as an older twin. He felt similarly towards one of his nieces, after all.

“… Hey, Nero, what does your dad do most nights?”

“He goes out drinking and gambling.”

Grimsley gave another shrug in reply to Ingo's more intense glare.

Apparently, he had not given up all his vices.

[kumeko]

A/N: For the @zackfairzine! I haven’t played the remake yet but please let there be more Angel/Genesis/Sephiroth and Sephritoh/Zack, we got such a tiny bit of their friendship before all things went to hell and I. Need. More.

…

…

…

…

i.

Zack jumped back, narrowly dodging the swipe at his face, the blade just grazing his nose. True to form, Sephiroth relentlessly pressed the attack, his long sword moving as quickly as a blade half its size. There was something unnatural about how smoothly he fought. It was like watching perfection.

An elbow to his gut jerked Zack out of his thoughts and he tumbled onto the ground face first. He rolled over to the left immediately and Sephiroth’s katana impaled itself on the metallic floor.

And then disappeared entirely. As did Sephiroth, the platform, and everything that wasn’t part of the original, small training room. Flat on his back, Zack glanced at his right as the doors to the simulation room opened and Angeal stepped in. He waved weakly. “Hiya, sir.”

Angeal merely frowned, crossing his arms. Utterly unimpressed, he leaned against the wall. It couldn’t have been a comfortable position, especially with his ever-present sword strapped to his back. “I’m starting to think you like losing.”

Offended, Zack immediately sat up. While he was used to Angeal’s barbed teachings, that didn’t make them any easier to handle. “Hey, I’m getting better. I lasted longer this time. And he didn’t even kill me.”

“Better isn’t good and those are terrible metrics.” Angeal shook his head, disappointment dripping from his voice. His expression remained blank and impossible to read. “You still have a ways to go before you can even dream of becoming first class.”

“It’ll happen,” Zack replied confidently, puffing his chest and jabbing his thumb at it. “And my dream is to be a hero. First-class is just a stepping stone.”

“Big words from someone who can’t even face a hologram.” Angeal chuckled, pushing off the wall. Stopping next to Zack, he leaned down, offering his hand. “I’ve never seen a rookie as cocky as you.”

Zack grinned as he grabbed Angeal’s hand. For all his mentor talked about loyalty and honour, he was more cat than dog. The man just couldn’t be honest. “I knew you liked me. And that just means I have a chance, right? You haven’t seen anyone like me fail either.”

Angeal sighed as he yanked Zack up like a straw doll. The difference in their strength was jarring. He muttered, “I never said I liked you.”

“Sure.” Zack laughed, running a hand through his hair and smoothening down any stray bangs. Heroes had to look their best, after all. Though, the sweat dripping down his face wasn’t helping him any. “Say, you got any tips?”

Angeal snorted. Bluntly, he stated, “There are no shortcuts.”

Zack shot him a grumpy glare. “That’s not what I meant. And you know it.” Sometimes it felt like Angeal was being obstinate just because he could. “Shinra’s training program is amazing and all, but I need a little human touch. What do I need to become a hero?”

“You really want me to answer that?” Angeal asked, his expression as flat as his voice.

“…good point.” He’d heard enough lectures to last a lifetime. Angeal probably had a laundry list of flaws and issues. No, Zack would have to try a different approach. “Alright, what do you think is the most important part of being a hero?”

If anything, Angeal’s expression grew flatter. “Again, do you really need me to answer that?”

“Does he say anything aside from honour?” The door slid open as Genesis entered the room. He smirked and cocked his head. “I sometimes think that is the only word you know.”

Zack nodded, a sense of kinship welling up within him. “I understand the feeling.”

“Don’t start.” Angeal lightly cuffed Zack on the head. He turned to Genesis. “And I don’t want to hear that from you of all people. You’re early.”

“I didn’t think I’d get here before Sephiroth.” Genesis smiled softly. “The goddess—”

Angeal cut him off immediately with a glare. “I have enough of a headache without another quote. That’s probably the reason he’s late in the first place.”

Zack had heard that the two were close, but it was one thing to hear it, another to see it. This banter sounded like every other conversation he’d heard in the locker room. Angeal, gruff stand-offish Angeal, had a friend. It was almost enough to forget the fact that he was in a room with two first class soldiers.

Almost.

There was only one reason they’d both be here, in the training simulator. Zack grinned as he looked from one to the other, taking note of their weapons, their uniforms. “Are you two training together?”

Genesis glanced at him. “Why? Do you want to join?”

“Don’t give him any ideas,” Angeal grumbled before Zack could reply. He crossed his arms. “Zack, you’ve done enough for the day.”

“I can do more!” Zack exclaimed. When Angeal merely looked at him in disbelief, he shifted to his default tactic: squats.  This was unfair. Three first-class SOLDIERs in one place? Training? Just within reach? How could anyone expect him to leave? “See? Lots of energy!”

“Do you really want me to give you a list of flaws?” Angeal asked seriously. His glare grew more pronounced. “Because we will treat this like an extension of your training.”

Zack flinched. He’d had enough lectures today without getting three of them. “Alright, alright, I get it.” Pouting, he stretched his arms above him and sauntered toward the door. “But next time…”

“Next time, I’ll make sure you get the list,” Angeal snapped, no longer in the mood for games.

Maybe it really was time to beat a hasty retreat. Zack picked up the pace. “Thanks but no thanks!”

He could hear Genesis laughing as the door slowly slid shut. Before it could fully close, the man added, “My answer is friendship.”

ii.

Sephiroth tapped his chin as he leaned forward, his silver hair gleaming in the light. As bright as he looked, he paled in comparison to the flower wagon in front of him. Made of steel and iron, riveted together with bolts, glue, and a little bit of faith, the flower wagon was impossible to look away from.

Zack would know. Ever since he and Aerith had brought it out, kids and adults alike couldn’t stop staring at it. Granted, those stares were a mixture of fear (adults) or awe (children), but all attention was good attention in the world of business. The more people admiring the flower wagon, the more the flowers would sell.

Finally done his inspection, Sephiroth stood straight. “It’s a weapon,” he quietly declared. For a man as famous and powerful as he was, his voice was oddly soft.

The complete opposite of Aerith, who crowed loud enough to wake the dead. She smirked, vindicated. “Told you so.”

Zack scowled. They’d had this argument all morning and all he could conclude was that he was surrounded by blind fools who couldn’t understand a true masterpiece. He protectively hugged his flower wagon, trying to shield it from the harsh comments. “Come on! It’s really cool. Why do you keep saying that?”

“Keep?” Sephiroth questioned, glancing at Aerith. For someone who acted so cold in the office, he had a curious teasing streak to him.

It was like fuel to a fire when it came to Aerith. She leaned closer, whispering conspiratorially, “A scientist from Shinra came by earlier. He wanted to buy it for the weapon’s lab. I guess Zack has a backup job if the hero-business doesn’t work out?”

Zack clutched his chest. That was a far more mortal blow than anything else he’d put up with this morning. “Don’t say that.”

Paying him no mind, Sephiroth ran a finger across the wagon. “I’m impressed,” he stated, sounding absolutely unimpressed. “I didn’t think you had this in you.”

“His other wagons were cuter.” Aerith tapped the wagon sadly and shook her head. “And this one is so heavy. I’m afraid to leave it alone. What if it starts a war?”

“I highly doubt Zack would leave you with something that dangerous.” Sephiroth finally examined the flowers in the wagon. He brushed a finger against the petal. “I didn’t know flowers grew down here.”

Now this was familiar territory. Zack bounced back immediately, wrapping an arm around Aerith. “She’s amazing, isn’t she?” He squeezed her lightly. “You can’t have her.”

Aerith giggled, playfully flicking his forehead. “No fair.”

“Why?” Zack asked, gently head-butting her back.

“Because I can’t say the same thing.” Aerith pouted, balefully staring at Sephiroth. “He’s taking you away, isn’t he?”

“He will be back soon enough,” Sephiroth replied, not reacting to their antics. He turned around and started to walk away. “We’re leaving soon.”

Aerith whistled. “Wow, is he always like that?”

“Tall, dark, and mysterious? Yep, though I think he likes me,” Zack laughed, resting his chin on her head as he watched Sephiroth walk away. He wasn’t sure what he’d call the relationship between them, the odd bond that had formed after Angeal’s and Genesis’s death. Sometimes he almost felt like it was friendship.

“So, do I need to mark my territory?” Aerith asked, raising a brow.

Reluctantly, Zack pulled away and plucked a flower from the basket. He tucked into his uniform’s pocket, the flower sticking out just enough that it didn’t get squished. “There. Property of Aerith.”

Aerith glanced at him, then at the flower. Gently, she patted the bloom. “You better be back before it withers.” She reached down and squeezed his hand. “So I can give you a new one.”

Something soft and warm bubbled up within him and he grasped her hand. “Don’t worry, it’s not that dangerous.” Zack smiled reassuringly. “Just some normal hero work.”

“Mmm…” Aerith hummed, studying their intertwined fingers. “Do you know what’s the most important part of being a hero?”

The question brought back memories of a time long gone. Zack cocked his head. “Saving the day?”

“No.” She looked up at him. “Coming home safely.”

iii.

Zack was bored. It was the only reasonable explanation as to why he was on a winding path on a mountain in the middle of winter searching for a strange fire monster for a kid’s superstition. If he told Aerith about this, she’d rightly mock him.

Still, it was better than getting cooped up in an abandoned mansion while Sephiroth muttered to himself and read books. If only barely.

“I’m sure it should be around here,” Cloud mumbled, nervously checking their surroundings.

Well, at least Zack had a good guide. He glanced at the rookie. They were alone and this was as good a time as any to ask. “This is your hometown, right?”

“What?” Cloud turned to him. It was hard to see his expression through his helmet, though he sounded surprised. “You doubted me?”

“No, that’s not it.” Zack scratched his cheek. There wasn’t an easy way to say this. “It’s just…why haven’t you taken off your helmet?”

“Huh?” Cloud stiffened. It was obviously a sore point. It was definitely not something Zack had imagined. “That…well, uh…” He scuffed his feet on the ground, embarrassment ringing through his voice.

“That?” Zack prodded. He’d felt a kinship to the kid ever since he’d found out they were both hicks from backwater towns. If it was something he could help with, he wanted to.

“It’s just…when I left, I promised I’d be something. Someone.” Cloud tapped his helmet. “Now I’m just a grunt. Not a SOLDIER.”

“Oh.” Zack tried not to laugh. He hadn’t visited his parents either for the longest time because of that too. They really were alike.  “So that’s what’s bothering you?”

“Yeah.” Cloud slumped forward and hung his head. “I know, it’s stupid, but…”

“That’s not it.” Zack slung an arm over his shoulder. “Don’t forget, you’re a SHINRA grunt. That’s already impressive. It’s the first step to being a SOLDIER.”

“It’s not that impressive,” Cloud replied weakly. “Most people get this far.”

“And you were a hero earlier, remember when we were in the mountains before? And you helped keep an eye on the patrols and investigate? None of the other guys could keep up with us.” Zack squeezed his friend. “You’re doing great. You’ll be a hero in no time.”

“If you say so…” Cloud peeked at him shyly before looking away. “What…what do I need to become a hero?”

“That…” Zack laughed now. They might as well have been brothers; even their questions were the same. Though, he hadn’t found the answer to this question yet, despite how much time had passed. Sephiroth had once told him following orders, but he was certain that was because the man had been tired of cleaning up after Zack. “I don’t know.”

Cloud stared at him in disbelief. “You don’t know?”

“Nah.” Zack shrugged. “I’m still figuring it out. If it were that easy, anyone would be a hero, right? I’m sure the answer’ll come to me.”

iv.

A monster stared at Zack. No, not one, many. They stayed in their chambers, unable to move, unable to do anything but just stare as a fire raged in the reactor. Zack could only stare back. This wasn’t what he’d come for, what he’d expected when he’d taken on this mission. He’d only hoped to find the truth.

Well, he had found it. Every ugly bit of it. Shinra wasn’t good. Shinra wasn’t helping anyone. His pride as a SOLDIER, his pride in Shinra’s technology, all of it was for nothing.

A wet cough reminded him that there was more at stake than his shattered beliefs.

He forced back bile as he tore his eyes away from Shinra’s experiments. Tifa lay at his feet, blood spilling out of her as she covered her father’s limp body. In front of Zack, Sephiroth stood with a maniacal smirk, his eyes bright with a dark wish.

“Why?” Zack snarled, his hands tight around his blade. “We’re supposed to be heroes.”

Sephiroth’s smirk grew colder. “I am.”

The blood at his feet told Zack otherwise. His fingers shook. A white-hot rage filled him.

If this was what a hero was, he didn’t want any part of it.

[melishade]

Number 74?

This ask game

asked so far.

I wanted to expand on Lara for chapter 94 because I didn't have the room to talk about it in the actual chapter.

Spoilers ahead.

Lara felt a gentle tap on her forehead, causing her to open her eyes. When she did, she was met with someone that was looking down at her in a squatted position. She saw a grin on his face, and his eyes and the energy surrounding him were...pink?

The being rested an elbow on his knee and his cheek on his knuckles. "Lara Tybur, well done."

The titan shifter gasped and immediately sat up to scramble away. What the hell was that?! A woman and a man were just speaking in that moment! "Who are you?! What do you want with me?!"

"Nothing." Both voices spoke as the being stood. "In fact, I wanted to congratulate you!"

"Congratulate me on what?!" Lara demanded before finally taking in her surroundings, realizing that the two of them were in a giant field of flowers, "And where are we?!"

"We are in the Paths, and you are here because of your bravery and sacrifice." The scenery shifted around them and Lara saw a memory of herself using the last of her powers and strength to hold back the Colossal Titan threat so that everyone else could flee onto the flying ship.

Lara felt a hand on her shoulder and saw the being staring at her with pride. "What a marvelous display. What strength and prowess."

"I..." Lara took a step back, "I don't know if I deserve your praises. My strength and honor-!"

"Was finally earned," the being cut her off, "Despite your fear and chances at survival, you chose to do the right thing, and those people will get to live longer because of you."

Lara couldn't help but get emotional at the being's statements, feeling tears prick her eyes. "I...I still don't feel like I deserve this type of praise from you...who are you?"

"For now...you can call me Solus." the voices declared.

"Solus?" Lara raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"I am an old soul. You would not know where I come from." 'Solus' waved off, "That being said, I do have a gift for you."

Lara yelped as 'Solus' grabbed her shoulders and turned her around, and the woman was suddenly met face to face with her father.

"Lara?" he spoke in surprise.

"How did you-!"

"It's a secret." 'Solus' placed a finger over his lips and winked before patting her head. "Now you go and have fun."

Lara felt 'Solus' gently push her forward, and the titan shifter ran into her father's arms and the two of them embraced. Lara was about to turn back and that 'Solus', but the being was already gone.

Primus cracked his neck as he returned to the souls that had still been infested with dark energon. "I never thought that you would feel such kinship with the Tybur, Solus."

"Well, she has become a strong warrior. I had to give my congratulations." The pink orb echoed as it floated around his head, "I do wish I had more time to speak with her."

"Well, we have much to do now, and I still need to speak with Mikasa and Armin," Primus declared as he grabbed a soul with dark energon.

(6 left!: 51, 57, 66-68 and 76. I messed up the count. Lol)

[phantomdialogue]

˗ˏˋ. ݁₊ ✶ ˖ 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐲 - 𝟔/𝟓 ☆ . ݁ ˖ˎˊ˗

premise: nora stephens is a cutthroat literary agent in new york city whose sister begs her for a girl's trip in the small town of sunshine falls. charlie lastra is an broody editor from the big city who happens to be there at the same time, much to nora's annoyance. as they keep meeting again and again, things change and their stories start to intertwine more than they ever could have expected.

couple: charlie lastra and nora stephens

tropes: could be considered a slight workplace romance, vacation-esque romance as well, small town, rivals to lovers (ish), eldest sibling trauma

review below!

review:

yes. emily henry has done it again. except this time even more so. i LOVED this book. i really loved people we meet on vacation but this... this one took my heart and ran so fast away from that. charlie and nora are everything to me. their story, their love, their dynamic, everything about them is just insane to me in the best way possible. i found myself relating so deeply to both of them that i think that's why i loved this one even more but at it's very core, i think i just love emily henry's style and voice and storytelling.

charlie lastra... what a man. charlie is everything to me. i love him as a mmc. i think he's so complex and even though we never read his pov, i think that the way that emily henry writes him really makes you see the way that he thinks and feels so clearly. he's never a huge mystery without the intention of it. he's very clearly written and you understand him on a really personal level even from nora's pov. nora stephens is just like me in every way that tugs on my heart strings and rips it out. i love her so deeply. i think she just immediately became a character i connected to on a deeper level and she's such an understandable fmc that i feel such a kinship to her.

charlie and nora's romance is so realistic and i think that's a lot of what draws me to it. the ending is so sweet and yet still feels real and possible rather than a super romcom ending. i cried so much through the last few chapters (and the epilogue) because it just felt so right to them and their love and i was so happy. i really adore this book so so much and it's easily top three of the year so far for me now. i can't wait to keep reading the rest of her books as she's quickly becoming an "auto-buy" author for me.

q & a:

are they endgame? - yes. yes. yes. i think they have such an interesting way of communicating with each other that works so well for them in the long run. they know and understand each other so well and i think it will serve them well forever. i can just imagine them growing older together in years to come and their banter becoming cute old people bickering and it makes me so happy.

did i cringe? - not really. i think there are some moments where i'm like "that character's an ass" but nothing that deters from the book at all. there is a certain character that did make me cringe but that's because he's an asshole. it was a purposeful cringe, ya know?

favorite part? - how do i choose? i think adding on to what i said before about charlie and nora's romance being realistic, it's that they are both realistic characters too. they have plenty of reasons that are explained and explored for why they are the way they are. nora specifically is a beautifully thought out character. you read her thoughts and emotions and you don't question where they came from. you know why she thinks that way and i think that says so much about emily henry's understanding of her character. everything is purposeful and the way it is for a reason and it really makes you feel like she is a real living human rather than some trope (which is a funny comparison considering the book's topics).

least favorite part? - it's such a nitpicky thing but i detest the font used to differentiate between email/text and normal writing. it's not the most accessible thing. but writing/plot/character wise, i couldn't choose a least favorite. that's not a cop out it's just the truth.

favorite quotes (some spoilers here, of course, but minimal):

I’m a grown man, Nora. I can buy my own Bigfoot erotica, thank you very much.

Over the years, I’ve developed a finely tuned filter—with pretty much everyone except Libby—but Charlie always manages to disarm it, to press the exact right button to open the gate and let my thoughts charge out like velociraptors.

I’m not ashamed of my upbringing, but the more you tell a person about yourself, the more power you hand over.

It feels like my outline is dissolving, like I’m turning to liquid.

A minute later, Charlie appears and thrusts two velvet throw pillows at us. “Your majesties,” he says, scowl/ pouting before returning to his post.

It feels like there’s poison inside of me. No matter how hard I run, I can’t burn through it.

“You said wait,” he challenges. “Yes, and you apparently heard I’m going to tase you in the crotch.”

“It’s how he realized I wanted to learn how to put things together. I thought the world made sense, and I wanted to find the sense.

“There isn’t for women either. There’s just tall women,” he says, “and the men too insecure to date them.”

I wonder how many times we’ve passed each other in our city of millions.

I don’t feel like Nadine Winters when he’s this close. I feel like I’m sugar under a blowtorch, like he’s caramelizing my blood.

“It’s hard to think in words right now, Nora.”

Even when we’re agreeing with each other, our conversations feel less like we’re taking turns carrying the torch and more like we’re playing table tennis while said table is on fire.

A minute later, he adds, you okay? Like even from separate rooms, with multiple screens between us, he is reading my mood.

I feel haunted by him, and I’m determined to haunt him right back.

“How do you do that?” His brow furrows. “Do what?” “Say the right thing.” The corner of his mouth quirks. “No one thinks that.” “I do.”

“Until you got here,” he rasps, “all this place had ever been was a reminder of the ways I was a disappointment, and now you’re here, and—I don’t know. I feel like I’m okay. So if you’re the ‘wrong kind of woman,’ then I’m the wrong kind of man.”

We really are two opposing magnets, incapable of being in the same room without drawing together.

“You fucking undo me,” he says.

“I already told you, Nora,” he murmurs, his fingers splaying on my stomach, just beneath my shirt. “I’ll go anywhere with you.” Sometimes, even when you start with the last page and you think you know everything, a book finds a way to surprise you.

Thank you, I mouth. His chin dips as he smiles. Anything for you, he mouths. In my chest, something heavy turns over.

“If I had to pick one person to be in my corner, it’d be you. Every time. You take care of shit.”

“You do have me, Nora. I never stood a chance.”

Little by little, Charlie kisses away the ache of these past three weeks.

“I thought about you everywhere,” he says. “There’s nowhere in this town we haven’t done this.”

“For what it’s worth,” he says, “I doubt I will ever like anyone else in the world as much as I like you.”

“I know,” he says. “I can read you like a book.”

[parker-d-bloodrose]

Reading older queer fiction, when we can is incredibly important and useful. Ofc keep in mind whether that person is a terf or does some really fucked up shit, but like. For example, Clive Barker's Imajica contains a non-binary person named Pie oh Pah who uses it/its pronouns. Imajica was published in 1991. Over thirty years ago. And something that I've noticed is a kinship with Pie because most male cishet characters view Pie as a woman and misgender it.

They're not doing it intentionally - Pie's powers make people see it as whatever it is they desire most at that time - and when one of the characters is corrected he apologizes immediately and while he stumbles a bit at first, he eventually gets it and uses the correct pronouns. But its just. Wow I felt seen, as somebody whose body still gets read as "male" more often than I would like. And like, sure Pie is more amused by people's assumptions that its a woman, but the cis male its married to actually goes out of his way to correct somebody and I'm just like "damn".

For context, Barker is a gay cis man himself, and the novel features an incredibly diverse cast of queer characters and relationships.