#therapy for relationship issues

[rawrsatthetree]

Tired: Tav that’s good for Astarion cause they play therapist and give him support and space to heal

Wired: Tav that’s good for Astarion cause they’re such a disaster he has to get his shit together cause gods above one of them needs to be a functional adult

[delicioustarong]

Fanart for this ACHINGLY GUT WRENCHING FIC! 'my body is young (but my mind is very old)' by green_tea_and_honey!!

Chapter 20 made me ugly sob y'all, I m not kidding (My eyes were puffy for the whole day LMAO) I can't express in words how this fic touched my soul so I decided to make fanart. This illustration is based on this part of the fic 👇 (under the cut) It's not biblically accurate but I like it. (Spoilers ahead!)

“Okay,” he whispered to himself, clenching and unclenching his fists. “Okay. You’re okay. You’re okay.”

The wave of panic he expected never came, even as water sloshed in, soaking his waist and rising more rapidly than ever now that Bill had been swept away. He could smell it, as if he had never left; salt, sand, and a hint of oil from a nearby factory that he suspected had stained the beach with its constant dumping in the ocean.

“I’m okay,” Ford said, looking at his hands, and taking a long, slow breath. “I’m okay.”

You guys should go read the fic and give it lots of love. I guarantee you all it's worth it!

(also small note; I have a lot of fanart for fics otw, I'm just busy with college and deadlines so it might take a while lolz)

[worldwidewandress]

the baggage

everyone comes into a relationship with baggage. most people drop it when carrying gets heavy. the right person helps you unpack. goes both ways. the question is - are you ready to unpack?

so you're either gonna trip over each other's stuff or you gonna unpack together. there's no other way. once you're ready for the latter, wash the dirty pieces first, handle them with care, then fold them nicely - in a shared closet.

home is built on all the stuff we carry around heavy trying to shake off or run away from, until we're ready to sit with them, unpack carefully, and eventually decorate our space with.

[jebiknights]

Sometimes I just remember that oh right it's apparently a slightly controversial opinion that I think if Palpatine hadn't been involved at all that Anakin could've been perfectly happy and fulfilled with the Jedi.

Like just from rots we see Anakin want to follow Jedi ideals, to seek advice and even help from the very Jedi that fandom loves to act like he hates and who hate him in return, and we see the Jedi around him actually have a lot of respect for him! But every time he makes progress Palpatine is whispering in his ear and pulling out the stitches and re-opening the wounds, making it near impossible for him to actually grow as a Jedi and instead he grows closer to Falling. Not to mention the war, which was orchestrated in part to actively challenge the Jedi's morals and make them make bad and questionable choices.

Plenty of Legends canon and even current canon in things like the marvel comics show Anakin actively wrestling and considering Jedi philosophy, the pros and cons, and working through all his trauma and trying to figure out what's right for him and what the Jedi code actually means. People act like he only ever does lightsaber training and that he never picked up a book in his entire padawanship (which not only is just not how the Jedi Order works from what we see but honestly is just a boring take on the character imo).

Like, I just don't think that Anakin is actually incompatible with the Jedi Order! I think he could've thrived there if he wasn't being actively sabotaged and also had more time.

[fiona-fififi]

Since I'm digging myself a hole tonight, I kind of actively hate the "But I am ready for something, and I think maybe that something could be with you."

Like, my first instinct was that it was sweet and that Buck was taking back a little bit of agency there and asking for what he wanted.

But I don't know. In so many ways, it also actually feels like it feeds into a very unhealthy pattern for Buck.

I mean, I might just be projecting because I cannot imagine ever being so infatuated with someone that I'd be like "I want to try a relationship with you" after only knowing them for 30 seconds and being left on the curb after a failed first date, but I digress.

But just. I don't know. This feels like such a pattern for Buck. Have someone express interest, only to then be rejected (Abby, Taylor, Natalia, now Tommy) and then chase them that much harder.

Like, Buck. Darling. PLEASE. Your value is not defined by the people for whom you have to prove your worth.

And I don't even mean this as anything directly against these partners. But Buck gets so caught up in forcing a relationship that he speedruns things without actually giving anyone (including himself) any space to grow into it, and it just feels kind of devastating that that's still where he is with himself.

[saintvainglorious]

Fics I Enjoyed in January - DC Comics Fic Rec List Part 2

I am still neck-deep in DC fandom this month and the fics have been so so good. Unlike last time, I am too tired to write mini summaries/reviews, so I'm going to feature my favorite quote from each fic instead.

My first DC Comics fic rec list is here!

Floor Plans by @oh-mother-of-darkness (Teen & Up, 1k, 2016) “I really didn’t want to die,” he finished. “I was kind of hoping if I laid here long enough, I would remember what that felt like.”

Losing two brothers in six months takes an emotional toll.

almost right by @bitimdrake (Teen & Up, 3k, 2020) He desperately wishes that he didn’t know what Dick’s cheekbone feels like under a gauntleted fist.

Bruce sucks in a breath, hand raising to fix the cowl. Dick flinches back.

but more with love by @danishsweethearts (Teen & Up, 3k, 2022) Dick wakes up one morning, groggy from a dream that he thinks might’ve been about the circus and also about his favourite car and also about how lonely he is, and realizes that he can’t remember what his mother’s voice sounds like anymore.

O Robin, Robin, wherefore art thou Robin?

The Mechanics of a Hug by @sohotthateveryonedied (General Audiences, 4k, 2017) “You know… that crushing sense of depression? Like,” Dick chews his lip. “It’s. A physical weight. Makes it hard to breathe?” “Yeah,” Tim says, soft. He smiles, wryly. “I sort of hoped you didn’t, though.”

“So,” Tim ventures. “It's… what, a cuddle pollen?” Bruce just shrugs. “Something like that.”

No Pain, All Gain by @sohotthateveryonedied (General Audiences, 1k, 2020) Tim’s eyes go even wider. “You stole my organs?” “Technically,” Jason chimes in, “the doctors stole your organs. We just gave them permission.”

Bruce checks Tim’s IV. “Are you in any pain? Do you need more morphine?” Tim’s pupils are so wide that only the faintest ring of blue can be seen. He watches Bruce the way a five-year-old watches cartoons. “I’m all good, B-dog. All Gucci, like we cool teens say." His words are slurred almost beyond recognition, but Tim doesn’t seem to notice or care. "I could fight Superman right now.”

The Wind Sits in the Shoulder of Your Sail by @birdchildsnest (Teen & Up, 7k, 2020) “Oh my god. Bruce. I can’t even tell if you’re serious. When everybody finally eats the rich—they’re going to eat you first.”

At least, back then, Tim had barely been a teenager. He could almost forgive his own volatility. And he’d been smart enough (scared enough?) not to tell Jack that he didn’t need him. What was his excuse now? Bruce was his dad (at least, in the legal sense), but (surprise, surprise) it turned out that Tim wasn’t any better at being a son. Or Tim and Bruce still have some things to sort through after the adoption.

I Left My Conscience On Your Front Doorstep by @dustorange (Teen & Up, 21k, 2022) He doesn’t want to be loved if being loved is like this.

"I think I'm leaving," Dick whispers. "I think I'm not coming back."

bad boys bad boys (whatcha gonna do) ♫ by @drakefeathers (Teen & Up, 20k, 2014) "They live their lives thinking they can charge through the city with the right to hurt and kill and destroy as many lives as they want. And they do it all without a shred of remorse." “But—” Damian begins, brow furrowed in confusion. “Isn’t that like you?”

a Jason and Damian as Batman and Robin AU!! featuring a bunch of graffiti, a rival dynamic duo, and Cat Jason (a cat named Jason).

The Biggest Mistake by @oh-mother-of-darkness (General Audiences, 1k, 2016) “I could ground him anyway, if it would make you feel better.” “He only said it because I called him ‘a garbage can so ineffective it actually became garbage.’”

"You know what really needs to be addressed? Bruce's truly terrible treatment of Damian." -Me, on a daily basis

been a number and a name by @wynterstars (Teen & Up, 35k, 2023) “Turns out if you just say ‘spacetime’ until people’s eyes glaze over they don’t really question anything you say. Also, somehow nobody expects me to be able to actually do enough math to explain it.”

On a field trip, Robin has a close encounter with the newest super in Metropolis, only to discover the hard way that Superboy secretly works for Lex Luthor. They agree to work together on a plan to free Superboy from Luthor’s hold, but Robin isn’t sure how far he can trust him—and his developing feelings only make things more complicated.

clean it like you mean it by @wynterstars (Teen & Up, 70k, 2024) "Wait, ugh, you're not my dead dad, right? If I'm getting a dying vision of my dead dad I want a do-over because he suuuuucked."

When Gotham's crooks have to scrub down their lairs, who do they call? Jason Todd, Gotham's first and only underworld crime scene cleaning specialist. He's spent his life dodging the Bat, but after a chance encounter he saves Robin's life. Tim Drake finds himself drawn to the conflicted rogue, and soon Jason becomes Robin's street informant. But they can only stay on opposite sides of the law for so long before something breaks.

3:16 by @wufflesvetinari (Teen & Up, 70k (WIP), 2023) “Try to decouple one thing from the other. I’m proud of you, but ice cream isn’t my grand statement about whether you’ve been good or bad today. Good things are good. Happiness is precious. Sometimes you just want caramel chocolate chip.”

The knife pushes thin along Dick’s carotid artery, cupping the indent between neck and jawline—forcing him to angle his chin. The metal is warm, pulled with execution speed from under Damian’s pillow. “Okay,” Dick says quietly, tracking the intricacies of his own heartbeat—counting the space between breaths. “Guess I did need a shave.” (With faltering steps, Dick and Damian become Batman and Robin.)

wolf-king of rome by @mysterycitrus (Not Rated, 25k, 2024) “You go after Joker, but you don’t kill him, because it’s not about the Joker dying, it’s about Bruce breaking his code for you. It’s about Bruce loving you enough to change himself for the worse. It’s about your idea of grieving.”

Jason doesn’t fear Dick Grayson. Fear itself has changed shape for him, since his return from the Pit - it tastes of dirt in his mouth, of drowning, of fire and blood and laughter, more than a tangible face. Still, he’d be stupid not to be cautious. Dick liked playing on an uneven field, and would do anything to keep him off balance, so he just had to stay focused. That’s the nature of the armistice, both waiting for the other to make a move. It’s like balancing on the head of a pin.

Declensions by @dustorange (Teen & Up, 13k, 2018) “Do not tell them your name. Do as I did to survive. I lied. I have always lied. Make one up. Do not let them have you. Say your name is…is…is…Richard Grayson. Or something. They are going to steal you; do not give them anything to steal.”

“My father,” Dick says, “worked the rope. It cut him. His hands were never clean.”

Passiontide by @bigdvmnhero (Teen & Up, 5k, 2025) Despite its faults, the day had tried to be good. He felt young, like someone's son.

On the 96th day Bruce didn't call, Dick remembered their old game. Three things he knew: 1) In three months, it would be Dick's death anniversary; 2) Bruce was still missing his check-ins; 3) Here Dick was, persisting. Imagine the things I'd survive, Dick thought distantly, if I loved Bruce less. Or: Agent 37 and his various crises of faith, on Day 277 at Spyral, Day 150, and Day -0.

the time you won your town the race by @silverwhittlingknife (Teen & Up, 4k (WIP), 2022) Tim. Tim is Dick’s. Death sharpens, clarifies these things. Who will receive the body, decide on the funeral, receive condolences, make all the decisions that matter. No one has questioned it, not even Tim’s friends. There’s a terrible clarity about death. If Dick said, let’s burn everything he owned, Alfred would do it.

He doesn’t know exactly what Tim would say. But he knows what Tim would do. Tim dies. Dick doesn’t take death for an answer. A Red Robin 12 AU.

door, opening by @cowboysorceror (Mature, 70k (WIP), 2024) Dick, with the keys to every locked door Jason has ever tried to open, tucked inside the cradle of his skull; all of that, snuffed out like a candle.

It’s barely audible, but he knows what he heard. A short, four-note whistle, chirping down – E, C#, then jumping up to A, F#, a little trill on the finish. He waits a moment, head turned slightly towards the dim shapes of storage containers between him and the ramp, eyes straining against the blackness. Long, stretching seconds. There it is again. His gloved hand, prickling with cold, closes into a fist. It’s a wood thrush. A small North American songbird that doesn’t sing at night, doesn’t live in the city. He knows what it means. It means hold, steady, not yet. It means wait for me, I’m behind you.

[blackberry-winter]

So my dad and I have never the bonding kind, alright? We're never really had a close relationship. However, the man has always been a big NCIS fan. I actually started to watch it when I was like 6 years old because he'd sit on the couch to watch it and I wanted to spend time with him without feeling the need of talking. We didn't always watch it but we went through most seasons (like 3 to 10) and important episodes together, like Ziva's exit and Tony's exit, too.

Today, I mentioned the spin off to him expecting nothing, to be honest. It's been SO many years since he watched NCIS. Same for me. Yet, his eyes lit up. "Really?" He asked. I nodded. He paused and said "with Tali and all?" I couldn't help but laugh. I nodded and we started to have a full conversation about the NCIS world. A world we haven't thought about in a while. We talked about Ducky, Gibbs, McGee, Palmer, Frank, Abby and of course Tony and Ziva. It was the longest conversation we've had in a while and it ended with a "let me know when it airs so we can watch it".

Don't mind me, I got a bit emotional. All this text is just to say... This spin off means more to me than you could ever think of and I'm so grateful for it.

I can't believe it's finally happening to us.

[cliveguy]

though honestly when people say "get therapy" they're not suggesting therapy, they're telling you to go be mentally ill somewhere else lol. if someone is struggling mentally in 2023 and not in therapy there's a pretty big chance that there's a reason for it beyond not considering it. and also most people who get therapy are still going to act mentally ill at times. because surprisingly a single session isn't enough to make someone act "normal"

[wangxianficrecs]

Tell Me To Stay by YilingSani

Tell Me To Stay

by YilingSani (@yiling-sani)

G, 14k, Wangxian

Summary: With heavy steps, Wei Ying walks back to the living room and plops down on the sofa again. His silver eyes travel around the room for a while, mind flooded by memories of sunny mornings, meals and cosy evenings together and all the surfaces they fucked each other on. Then they stop at the door of Lan Zhan's study. If he walked out right now... If Lan Zhan walked out right now and spoke to him, Wei Ying would throw the backpack away, hold his boyfriend close and never let him go. He begs. He begs it would happen. He begs Lan Zhan to somehow feel how much on the edge Wei Ying is balancing right now. "Please," he whispers - the tightening feeling in his throat is slowly choking him while the silver eyes threaten to fill with tears. "Please, Lan Zhan." Kay's comments: AKA the story that made me cry on public transit. Absolutely loved it though. A Wangxian break-up and make-up story and often those tend to bash Wei Wuxian or force him to do all the emotional labour, but this one doesn't. Instead, it's Lan Wangji who has to work on himself and start fighting for them. The worst person in this entire story is actually Lan Xichen, so if you like him... Maybe skip out on this one. Really loved the relationship development here, Wei Wuxian putting himself first for the first time and Wangxian finding their way back towards each other and that not magically fixing everything. Excerpt: He places the plate on the table and sits down on the edge, right next to Lan Zhan. "Sweetheart, you need to stop this," he finally says. "Stop what?" Lan Zhan asks, eyes never leaving the screen. "Working so much," Wei Ying points out. "You're hurting yourself. Why can't Huan-ge help you with this?" Lan Zhan exhales in frustration. "Because Huan-ge was the one who screwed this up in the first place." "You cannot fix the whole company by yourself." "I can try." "Lan Zhan," Wei Ying shakes his head and raises his hand to caress Lan Zhan's cheek. But the other man grabs his wrist, the golden eyes darting up, filled with sudden anger. His grip is so strong Wei Ying feels like his wrist will break in half. "I need to do this, Wei Ying," he says through gritted teeth. "You don't understand. The whole company depends on me. People depend on me."

pov wei wuxian, pov lan wangji, modern setting, modern no powers, established relationship, breaking up & making up, lan wangji has issues, lan xichen bashing, getting back together, developing relationship, angst with a happy ending, therapy, hurt/comfort, emotional hurt/comfort, good friend wen qing

~*~

(Please REBLOG as a signal boost for this hard-working author if you like – or think others might like – this story.)

[roumainzzzz]

As you heal, things become clear: attention isn't love, attachment isn't connection, and codependency isn't support. You begin to realize that disagreements aren't attacks, lacking boundaries isn't empathy, and no amount of external validation can replace self-love. Trauma bonding isn't healing, ignoring your needs isn't strength, people-pleasing isn't kindness, staying in toxic situations isn't loyalty, numbing your emotions isn't coping, and suppressing emotions or staying silent doesn't bring peace.

[bloomfish]

ive decided the comics arent that bad actually

[x3nshit]

me when i have to do another breathing exercise and count to 10 after my mom says the most vile, traumatizing thing to me because if i say what is really on my mind it would make the situation 100x time worse

[vulpinesaint]

forgot what i meant to be posting about earlier. was watching a video from a catholic priest on youtube the other day and one of the points was like. should we pray for the devil. and what he said was that unlike us, angels have a fixed nature, and that from the beginning of time satan chose to be the way that he is. so he cannot be saved. and therefore there is no reason to pray for him. which is fucking crazzyyyyyyyy!!!!! first of all what the fuck do you mean he's evil because he has always been that way. if he can't change then he doesn't really have free will. if he was that way from the very beginning then that means god created him that way. and if he was resigned to be fucked up and evil forever and ever then what was all the time he spent Not being fucked up and evil :| to rebel you have to be a part of the system first... is this implying that lucifer was sitting around going man i can't wait to try and overthrow god someday once he does something that upsets me... and god being omnipotent just went yeah this is fine. not going to address this until you do something ill advised at which time i will Cast You Down and Damn You Forever. not giving you a pass on this one god you literally made that guy that way :| and frankly just because he isn't going to change isn't a reason to pray for someone i think. we can never have too much compassion and hope and if we can carry it for someone reprehensible then we can carry it for everyone. and we Should carry it for everyone. that's like... the central thing... this is how we get discrimination by turning off our good will once we deem something evil or irreparable... which is all to say that that specific take on lucifer is fascinating and fucked up and wrong. and doesn't matter cause i like that guy better than god anyway. so.

[mikomikumi]

the Megatron divorce fics. Hand them over. Now 🤲

*Holds Hands in the air*

I-I only got the 3 I swear!

Jealous Type: https://archiveofourown.org/works/49307653/chapters/125634199

Don’t Look Back in Anger: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58282249

Hot And Cold: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48865633/chapters/123273310

That’s all I got! Honest 😭😭😭

[connecting-the-stars]

Carmy drawing Sydney with the same detail and dedication as he did the sketch for a beautiful dish he was brainstorming when.