#they're my emotional support old married couple

[asexual-doctor]

Help I've fallen down the Threegado rabbit hole

[isaacswhy]

could we please get some poly!isaac & nick hcs w gn!reader pretty pretty please🥺👉🏼👈🏼

dating isaac & nick hcs

the chillest guys ever. if you're all three hanging in a room together usually you're just vibing together.

they both love quality time. you could just sit in a room on your phones for three hours and it's the highlight of their days.

isaac is more into physical affection and is always holding you while nick is a little more subtle, casually wrapping an arm around you while you're sitting together.

if nick is chilling with an arm around you and isaac wants love, he will become whiny about it. he's a tough man to please (not really)

you guys do gaming discord calls almost every night. not always the three of you gaming together, sometimes it's one of you streaming a game while the other two watches

it can be a battle of overprotective dogboys at times. whenever youre out in public they are genuine guard dogs.

if someone tries to flirt with you while they're around, they'll appear behind you and just. stare menacingly until they leave you alone

if you're honest isaac does a better job since he's like 6'6 but nick is pretty built so he gets the job done if he's solo

tattoos. you will get tattoos with them if you like them and take them to their tattoo appointments. maybe matching ones?

in the groupchat of you 3, it's a lot of you guys sending posts/photos and saying "us"

isaac LOVES to send photos of dogs and cats and saying "us". it's literally his favorite thing you hear him giggling from his room when he does it

so much clothes shopping. isaac needs his shoes and they both share a love for japanese streetwear. so you're constantly being the judge of their online shopping/irl fits.

although isaac likes to be the guy taking photos, you three take SO many photos of each other. your instagram feeds are stacked and curated

if you're a cc, the trio streams are elite. mostly isaac and nick bickering like an old married couple but it's cute

so many vlogs. nick makes you be in them and if you're in them, isaac will be in them. it works out for his content creation

you're also in all the LTLVCs. you're not exactly the strongest contender but then you turn into the person that grabs other people's foods etc

you're always in isaac and nick's rooms acting as emotional support and hanging out while they edit videos. isaac especially because he needs it for those 15 hour sessions

you wear all their hoodies. isaac's are naturally oversized for you but nick buys oversized ones so they're all guaranteed to be big.

isaac loves to make you music playlists and it also got nick into making playlists too. but isaac does it way more frequently

they write songs about you !!!!

so many dates. individually and as a group. isaac loves to plan things and nick always gets roped into it

most common trio activity: sitting in isaac's room eating doordash'd takeout on your phones and sending each other tiktoks

these are my favorite poly ship so like. send more of these pls and thank you i loved writing this

[renthony]

Perhaps a 🏳️‍🌈?

(Drop a 🏳️‍🌈 in my inbox and I’ll respond with a queer media recommendation!)

OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes is a show I'm astounded didn't hit my radar when it was still airing. I only started watched it this year. Created for Cartoon Network by Ian Jones-Quartey, it follows the titular K.O., a kid training to become a hero in a world where superheroes and supervillains are totally commonplace.

Here's the teaser:

OK K.O.! really feels like it should have been a hit with the exact same people who loved Steven Universe, Adventure Time, Gravity Falls, and The Owl House. That's not to say there's no fandom around it, it's just...way smaller than I expected. Which is a shame, because the show is in that exact same vein of "kids'/family show, but with a great emotional narrative, made by nerds who love old cartoons and want to put in as many easter eggs for older viewers as possible." There's a crossover episode with Captain Planet, of all things. It's great.

There are multiple queer characters, and I love all of them. There's an absolutely fantastic duo of queer villains who are depicted with wedding rings by the end of the series, and they're what first made me want to watch the show. They literally get a Brady Bunch parody episode after moving in together. Aside from them, one of the major hero characters is bisexual (confirmed by both word-of-god and a small bi pride sticker included in-show), and she gets a girlfriend. There are a couple other side characters that get confirmed as queer, too.

The vibes of Steven Universe and OK K.O. are very similar. Rebecca Sugar sings the outro to OK K.O.. There's a crossover episode where Garnet helps K.O. and a few other Cartoon Network heroes. Rebecca and Ian are married and their shows very obviously influenced (and directly reference) each other, so if you liked Steven Universe even a little, go check out OK K.O., because chances are high you'll love it. Ian Jones-Quartey deserves way more recognition for his work on both Steven Universe and O.K. K.O., imho.

Ask For a Rec | Other Media Recommendations | Support Links

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for decrying my close friend letting an e-boy close to her when it's caused problems before? a friend of mine (25) who i've known for 8+ years is a roleplayer (+ERP) in a videogame and i (27) have watched a couple of dudes now meet them and catch feelings for them through these roleplays and instantly become obsessive creeps. [ for the record, i used to roleplay as well but stopped because of similar situations. so i'm not a stranger to roleplay or anything. I am also aware of the "it's in character so it doesn't matter" "it's in-game so it doesn't matter" mindsets but these events are creating real emotional / sexual connections between the people so it's growing beyond being just "in-game" ] recently they broke connection with someone over this, but it took them weeks of debate to do it, and they were dealing with the falloff for a while. it really hurt them! [for additional context, it's happened before that these people have talked such sweet nothings to her that she's gotten feelings back and would send sexual images and videos to these people, just for them to instantly 180 and start being sleazeballs] she recently started roleplaying again and already another dude is in her dms telling her he has a crush on her, and all these sweet nothings etc. i went out and met the guy because we played together and not only is he frequently seen hitting on other girls (also has a stripper pole in his in-game bedroom??) in-call he was extremely objectifying. bragging about all the people he's been with, talking about wanting "goth mommy" (which my friend is extremely outspoken about despising), he would ONLY talk about sexual shit, and anytime anyone said anything he would make a sexual comment, etc. red flag city. when i told her about it she said she had no idea and that they talked it out, but it sounded a lot like they just passed over the problems. not even a week later now and they're getting in-game married (big social event, costs a good bit of money) and i'm not attending because i won't support it. she's upset about this and we're at odds because to her it's "just roleplay" despite the real money being spent, and the people who have come before who had done the same things nearly 1:1 and created massive problems. i even found an old DM from her complaining about a friend of hers who had done the same thing (guy had feelings for her, in a week he was into someone else and getting married) the outcome of all of this is me feeling like i'm an asshole for not just ignoring the red flags and wishing her well. i'm conflicted because i don't want to just let her hurt herself but i also don't want to be like controlling or mean AITA?

What are these acronyms?

[the-ace-with-spades]

Almost finished with the last chapter of just hold my hand and questioning whether to write one more, so here are some bits that didn't (won't) make it into the fic

tw mpreg

• Jake and Bradley won't ever name their kid after someone, at least not exactly the same way, but they're okay with using some version of their parents' names, or will use it as a second names if exact same, like with the twin girls (Tommy Carole and Nicky Patricia). The exception is of course their boy, PJ (Peter Jacob), because Jake wanted some kind of name that can be shortened to XJ, like CJ, AJ, etc. Peter is also Jake's (late) dad's second name. Jake's family has a tradition of doing all of the above with all their kids.

• PJ is definitely daddy's boy (Bradley's) and he's extremely shy around strangers. Even when he was an infant and technically couldn't recognize people, he'd get very fussy when someone who wasn't Bradley or Jake's mom would hold him. Yes, this applies to Jake as well - he was on deployment the first few months after PJ was born and when he came back, PJ would regard him as stranger for the first couple of months. He accepts only a couple of people, including his favorite aunt, Nat. He's also a quiet, angel of a baby.

• Ronnie is also quiet but not as much of an angel. I've mentioned it but she has speech development issues and instead communicates in different ways - this includes being a bit more touchy and more expressive with her body language as well as simply trying to do/get what she needs herself without asking for help. They've taken her to her paediatrician but she wasn't too worried as she seems to be developing well socially and has plenty of support and examples at home.

• Both Ronnie and PJ are a bit clingy, just because Bradley spent a lot of time with them when he was on maternity leave/pregnancy leave/office duty due to the timing of the both pregnancies being so close. The twins were more used to staying with Jake's ma and had been going to the nursery/preschool most of their lives so they're the most social and the most independent of the kids. (I also think they have ADHD and are a bit oblivious to social cues...)

• The first pregnancy wasn't planned. (I might allude to it in the fic so spoilers) Bradley and Jake were actually broken up when Bradley found out - it had been Bradley who started getting a bit scared and had his issues resurfacing and did the breaking up when Jake started being more serious about them. This has happened before and Bradley would always come back within a month so Jake was going to just wait it out - he didn't know it, but this time Bradley was more adamant and had planned to be transferred and have that break up be permanent. The whole plan changed when he was pregnant just because he couldn't be stationed at Atsugi and because he felt like Jake should have a chance to be present in the baby's life. It took Jake half the pregnancy for him to actually get them to move in back together (and that only happened because Bradley was having trouble getting by alone in his apartment) and then almost another month for Bradley to actually let them get back together - he had a lot of issues before but after he found out he was pregnant it was like he started worrying about them about three times as much. It was a very emotional time for them.

• Bradley started therapy before the twins were born and Jake proposed to him when they were still in the hospital after labour (not very romantic but Bradley liked it) and married when the twins were around six months old, no ceremony, just them, the twins and Jake's ma

• The second pregnancy was planned. It was Bradley who brought up that he wanted another kid - Jake had been thinking about it for some time but remembering that pregnancy wasn't easy on Bradley, he didn't want to pressure him. It took them ten very frustrating months but another nines months later Ronnie (Veronica Rose) was born. Her second name was Jake's memaw's first name and Veronica is a name Bradley's mom really liked for a girl.

• The third pregnancy was kinda planned - they knew they wanted another kid, they just thought they would wait a couple of years before trying so it was a surprise when not even a few months later and during Bradley's flight fitness physical it turned out he was pregnant again.

• Obviously, the fourth pregnancy wasn't planned at all. They haven't talked about having more kids, but neither was opposed to, even if it was implied they would wait at least a couple of years so Bradley could get back into service for some time.

• Bradley did have problems with work related to having kids -- each time there had been offers (that sounded more like orders...) of early retirement or switch to non-flight positions and a lot of pressure to take them. Each offer and its rejection was followed by some shit happening - first time around, they put Bradley on alternative jobs that were too physical for his condition or gave him minimal maternity leave ultimateum; second time around, it was Jake's deployment being moved from after the due date to before and during the due date, Jake being sent abroad for special training way more often than anyone else. It was also why Bradley was held back from being sent to Top Gun, the argument being 'we send you there, you take a place of someone who won't get pregnant and be out of action for months'. It changed when he and Jake transferred from Oceana to Lemoore, partially due to Ice's influence behind scenes. 

• Jake had been amazing through each pregnancy, even if the first one was an adventure of trials and errors. Bradley was very stubborn and emotional and Jake had the patient of a saint and didn't take it that personal whenever Bradley would explode/reject/etc at him. But also pregnancy wasn't the easiest on Bradley (each time, the last 2-3 months he'd end up on med leave, not because he was high risk but because the symptoms were quite intense), also in the emotional sense (he's really sensitive to hormone changes) so Jake tried to make it as easy as possible on him each time.

• Further into the future, Mav will pretend he can actually tell no to the kids (he can't) but Ice straight up melted and doesn't even try to say otherwise. It's enough that they mention something once and Ice already makes up a plan to get/do it for them...

• Mav is also absolutely hypnotized by Bradley's baby bump once it shows, always so taken back when he sees it. He'd be glued up to his side if he didn't know how much it annoys him (and if Hangman was always nearby and taking the spot already...)

• Jake's ma, Pat, is quick friends with Ice (she teaches him to knit and quilt). Mav is friendly with her but it takes him awhile to warm up to her completely - mostly because he's kinda jealous? that she was there for the boys the whole time, since the twins were born, while Bradley never even thought to reach out to them or even just tell them about the kids (even if he knows it was his own fault)

• Mav and Ice also have different perspectives on Bradley having kids. Mav never thought about it, having Bradley stuck on being barely 18 in his head, and Ice always knew that Bradley would eventually make his own family, he just prayed they would be included in it.

• The first time Mav watches the kids, the twins lose their front teeth. They trip and don't even cry but when Mav checks them out, they're each missing one of the front teeth. He absolutely panics, thinking that Bradley will absolutely hate him and will never let him watch or even see the kids and then Hangman comes to pick them up and he's ready to be ripped to shreds and Jake just goes, "Oh, yeah, they've been moving the whole week. Did you keep them for the tooth fairy?" Ice makes fun of him for weeks for this even though he'd be scared shitless too, if that happened with him.

• Jake and Mav eventually do have a truce, even if they still are a bit sharp with each other. It's the typical (if less toxic) in-laws relation where Mav still thinks Bradley could do better and where Jake still thinks Mav had been a bit of a crappy dad and has a slightly limited trust in him (mostly follows Bradley's cur tho). Ice likes Jake for Bradley a lot tho.

Could go on but I'll leave it here...

[iris-sistibly]

Throughout the years, King Cheoljong and Queen Cheorin ruled Joseon together. Peace reigned for many years, the country prospered, their people were happy, and so were the royal couple. The heavens blessed them with five healthy and handsome princes, and they have been happier than ever.

However, a couple of months before their 10th year of marriage, they found out that the queen has conceived once more, and on that very same day when her mother and father got married, the princess came into the world.

Of course, the kingdom rejoiced...

Lady Choi however, had mixed emotions, she dreaded the day that a tiny Kim So-yong would come into this world. The queen was already a handful, then the crown prince came. After that, a series of pregnancies and childbirths which brought the second, third, fourth and fifth princes, all born within the decade.

The queen didn't really expect to fall pregnant again, but Lady Choi did, especially when her majesty swore not to conceive again...a vow she makes every single damn time she gives birth. In all fairness, the queen loves all of her children more than life itself, perhaps she just hated the whole pregnancy process. The older lady couldn't blame her, no mother enjoys the nausea and vomiting, being sensitive to everything, weird food cravings, feeling tired all the time, back pains and so on. Not to mention the endless pre-natal education which she already memorized by now, and of course, labor pains and actual childbirth are always the worst.

The king had been supportive of course, always making sure to provide everything his wife needs, comforting her, being with her at the birthing bed while enduring her loud mouth (Lady Choi lost count on how many times the queen cussed her husband while pushing their child into the world). However, when the princess was finally born they were ecstatic, she inherited her mother's beauty. But Lady Choi swore she heard the king mumble a prayer for her daughter to NOT inherit her mother's...unusual personality, at least not all of it. For the record, each of his sons had gotten some of the queen's traits, but he has a feeling that the princess is going to inherit much more.

The royal couple always say that their children are the most wonderful gifts they've ever received, but for the nannies who look after the royal children, it's a nightmare. The chaos brought about by five young boys in the palace has become a normal thing, so it's no longer surprising for someone who sees or comes across a nanny running after or frantically looking for a royal child. They're at their wits end, and who understands them better than Lady Choi herself? That explains why she and the royal cook have been getting more company at the bamboo forest.

"I'll give her a year, when the princess learns how to walk, the new nanny will be joining us," said Man-bok.

Lady Choi scoffed, "Oh please, the moment the princess starts to crawl it will be hell for the nanny, I'd say it's about seven months," she said with confidence.

Placing a bet for how long a nanny would last until they snap had been the old couple's habit since the birth of the king's heir. So far, Lady Choi had a more precise prediction than the royal cook.

It wasn't long after they heard rustles, like someone was coming. To their surprise it was the new nanny, she looked like she hadn't slept for days and was clearly exhausted. "Oh my are you alright? You seemed so stressed out," the royal cook worriedly asked.

The new nanny looked like she was about to cry, "The princess is driving me insane! She really doesn't like me."

"How can you say that?" it was Lady Choi's turn to ask.

"She's the calmest baby when she's with her parents, but when she's with me she won't stop crying and squirming! And her brothers..."

"Why? What did the princes do?"

"They said their sister despises me," the nanny said miserably.

"Those little rascals," Man-bok muttered under his breath.

"Well...children do prefer to be with their parents than other people, the crown prince was like that when he was a baby," said the first prince's nanny, "Just give it some time, she'll get attached to you. I'm not saying it'll get easier after that, no way. In my case, I've been hearing complaints from some elders saying that the first prince is arrogant. But he's not, he's actually confident and assertive, kind, wise and just, he has all the qualities of a king this country needs."

The other nannies joined the conversation. The second child prefers being outdoors (meaning he escapes from the palace almost all the time which stresses the shit out of his guards and nannies), but his adventurous side has made him brave, bold, and street smart. The third born is a smooth talker, he knows how to get himself out of trouble with words, but he is the most level-headed and a true gentleman. The fourth son is usually quiet and prefers to read or practice calligraphy, but when he talks he is very direct and brutally honest. The fifth son, the youngest prince and a ball of energy can already identify almost all of the ingredients used to prepare their meals and likes to banter with the royal cook, however he is also the sweetest and most loving among the siblings.

They may differ in personalities but if there's one thing the boys have in common, it's their love for the king and queen. They have immense respect for their father and they take good care of their mother even at such a young age. Lady Choi commends how the king and queen are raising their children.

"The royal children aren't who you'd expect them to be, but when you really think of it, they're just...children," said the nanny to the second prince.

"They're not perfect, but seeing them grow into fine young princes, you'll realize that our job isn't so bad after all." said the fifth prince's nanny.

"Come to think of it, it's actually amusing how the queen birthed six charming yet mischievous babies, isn't it royal cook?" asked Lady Choi.

"Oh Lady Choi, we have the king to thank for their charms, and their mischievousness? We all know where they got it from."

They all laughed, the bamboo forest had been a safe space for Lady Choi since coming into the palace. It also brought her and Man-bok together, and now the nannies whom they have formed a close friendship with. At least now Lady Choi and the royal cook know that they aren't the only ones who are losing their minds yet still continue to serve the royal family as best as they could.

"But if it really bothers you dear child, you may let all of your feelings out, it will be our little secret," Lady Choi winked at her.

The new nanny nodded, took a deep breath and yelled as loud as she could. With her newfound friends and the bamboo trees as witnesses, "I can't wait until the princess gets older," Man-bok whispered to Lady Choi, they both snickered as they watched the poor young woman pour out her emotions.

She sure has a lot to rant about, and probably more in the future.

The Bamboo Forest (by: Iris)

*

This fanfic is solely based on the KDrama, Mr. Queen and has nothing to do with the real Cheoljong and Cheorin, as well as Korea's history.

Also, this has been sitting in my drafts for a couple of weeks. I've been imagining what Cheoljong and Cheorin's (from the show) kiddos would be like since I kinda feel sad that I didn't get to see their baby be born but...oh well.

[lacilou]

I'll start out by saying that I'm a 45 year old woman. I'd like to think I've learned a few things in my journey. My entire life does not revolve around every minute detail of the SPNverse and/or the actors associated with the show. I love the show. I love the characters. And I absolutely adore Jared & Jensen. Now I could just let this go and ignore it, buuuut I can't. What in the hell is wrong with people?! The pernicious, monomaniacal, fatal attraction-like zealots who have crossed a line by pushing their narrative onto the ACTORS and not the fictional characters. These actors are people, just like us. They have families, jobs, stress, kids, and car payments. They are fellow human beings. One, you do not personally know these people. Their personal lives are theirs and theirs alone. Two, your malicious desires for J2 to have a relationship that YOU want them to is terrifying. You cannot put YOUR narrative onto other people just because YOU want it to be true. These men have spent 15 years working together, starting in their younger, formative years. They grew up together. They've been through all the ups and downs we all have. Just because they act doesn't mean it's an easy job. Fifteen years of the entire scope of emotions. They started young and by the time the show ended, they had fell in love with their spouses. They had children. Their families are extremely close. As best friends, brothers who went through the trenches together for 15 years, their love language is physical.

These men love each other. And yes, I think they're soulmates. But what some of you don't seem to understand is that there are many different forms of love and diverse kinds of soulmates. This does NOT mean they are romantically linked. In my 45 years, I have found three soulmates: my husband, my best friend of 40 years, and my mother. My BFF and I absolutely love each other. We hug. We hold hands. We act just like Jared & Jensen do. We're not romantically linked. We are absolutely in love; a sister-from-another-mister kind of love.

Some of you are so vicious and mean that that it affects not just J2, but their families. You treat them like circus monkeys, making them do whatever it is you want. They give their time, their blood, sweat and tears for all of us and some of you take it for granted. There will come a time when they have both had enough of the drama, the hate, the lies, the ungratefulness that the toxic part of this Fandom spews. And then we'll all miss out. And knowing how some of you are, you'll just turn around and hate on them for doing that. Leave these memories alone. Sure, be fans. Love them, support them, take comfort in them, but don't put YOUR narrative onto them. It's disrespectful, it's dangerous and it could ruin lives. Oh, one more thing - one of you mentioned Jared & Gen's "couples vacations"...well, when you're married and in love with said spouse (and you have the money to take these extravagant trips), you take VACATIONS TOGETHER. Maybe once you find your person, and you travel with them, you'll understand why Jared & Gen take so many vacations together. Also, he works so fucking hard and is away from his family going from convention to convention that he NEEDS these trips to rekindle their love. I'm just sick and tired, and beyond baffles, with some of this Fandom. Do better. Be better people. Massive eye roll on this childish post.

Lesson to learn: Their lives are none of our fucking business. They give us so much of themselves already. To us. And what do some of us give them in return? Lies. Your narratives. Insults thrown at their wives and families. All this on a public forum!! That's cyberbullying. And it's cowardly, childish & leads to nothing but trouble.

J2 are brothers for life. I said what I said.

[oneminutefiftysixseconds]

oh well I simply have to hear more about pretty in pink

ahah yes!! of course, here you go💗

so. this actually started as a discussion with you, i opened the doc while we were having that conversation i believe; what if tadej was outed as gay and basically forced to leave UAE. yes he's their beloved superstar and their most valuable asset. but. the majority of the team's money comes from a sponsor that would have an inherent "issue" with their main rider being gay, and although the initial outing is against his will, good old cycling media getting invasive and awful, he doesn't deny it (even though it's something he's tried very hard to hide since entering the at times hypermasculine world of professional men's sports, where it feels like everyone's married with a kid or two by the time they're 27)

it follows tadej through the initial aftermath (which timeline wise actually happens in a couple of weeks, just at the end of december '23) and through trying to find a new contract in a relatively short space of time. in a pinch, desperate just to get back to racing again, he ends up on the first team that has a spot and will have him. that's EF <- giving the piece its working title

for the first time in his career - he started with UAE when he was 20 - he has to be the New Guy all while the peloton and everyone knows this secret he's kept for practically his whole life. there is a fair amount of Emotion and hypothetical events of the 2024 season, and hopefully some fun mixed in there too

here is a buffet breakfast of random bits, featuring:

well meaning yet unhelpful jasper!

“So,” Jasper folded his arms, “who’s the hottest in the peloton? I’ve always wondered, and there's that thing on Twitter, but maybe you could pass a better judgement.” His tone was clearly joking, but Tadej couldn't bring himself to match the humour. “Nobody. I don't– I don't look at anyone at work like that.” he scraped at the tabletop with his fingernail, tracing the patterns in the wood. “Come on, Tadej, I'm sure you can think of someone – Mathieu? Ganna? A teammate, maybe? There's got to be somebody that's not too bad to look at. Anyway, I won’t be offended if it isn’t me, but you know, I think I should really be in consideration here– ” Tadej sighed and set his cup down a little too firmly. The coffee swirled and wavered, nearly spilling over the edge. “No. There's not. Jasper, stop it, please.”

crashes!

“Please, please, médicale, I – need – help – with – my – shoulder,” Tadej half-shouted, pleading and pointing towards his arm. It hung at his side at an awkward angle. At last, the mechanic seemed to understand and leant the bike against the grassy roadside verge. Tadej’s elation was short-lived as he turned around and walked back to the service vehicle.

and last but not least the biking-liking bi king viking mads pedersen...

Their arms brushed as they walked down the narrow pavement, synchronised steps accompanied by the swish-swish of jacket sleeve against jacket sleeve. “When did you know?” Tadej asked. “When did I know what?” Mads stopped them at a junction, looking right and left before crossing. Tadej bit his lip.

thank you SO much for asking me about this i love it to bits even though it's often very hard to write. as a queer person who has been forcibly outed myself, it's tough sometimes to put that on paper and try and consider what a famous figure might go through, the situation being made 100x worse by media attention, losing his goddamn job and navigating an environment that from an outsider's perspective doesn't seem like the most supportive

ironically while searching through my docs i found another file also called pretty in pink but that is much much shorter and more lighthearted (and also about tadej! but in the other thing he wears a dress to a halloween party and has a lot of fun)

[mandsleanan]

Article text under cut.

Elizabeth Johnson and her husband hit the vacation circuit hard over the past couple of years.

They went boating in Florida, hiking in the Swiss Alps, snorkeling in Hawaii, waterfall exploring in Oregon, and leaf peeping in Canada. They saw moose and orcas in Alaska, manatees in the Dominican Republic, and sheep in the Irish countryside.

"We also volunteer at a local food bank each month, go to comedy shows at Mall of America, routinely go to concerts," she said.

Neither Johnson nor her husband grew up wealthy, and the couple never expected to have such an indulgent lifestyle. Johnson's husband, in particular, faced "a very bleak outlook" for his career when he graduated from college in 2008 at the height of the Great Recession.

But now, 16 years later, the 30-something couple make a generous joint income of just under $300,000. That income, their hard work, and a dash of savvy investing are largely responsible for the lifestyle they lead — but there's another big factor. The Johnsons are DINKS, a dual-income couple with no kids.

The costs of rearing a child have skyrocketed in recent years, especially as parents get less help from their families and communities. Raising a kid could cost parents upward of $26,000 this year. Being a DINK has always been a way to save money, but as the stigma around the choice to be child-free has faded, more and more Americans see being a DINK as the key to a new American dream of financial stability, freedom of choice, and a comfortable retirement. DINKs are proudly emerging as an aspirational class for young people — and they're ready to live it up.

Lifestyles of the DINKs and the child-free

Johnson's Tinder profile set her on her path to DINKhood. In early adulthood, she never felt the desire to have children but wanted to keep an open mind. As the years went on, even as she saw her peers having kids, she said her "beliefs just never changed and completely solidified." So when she set up her dating profile, Johnson included in her bio that she didn't want to have kids of her own.

"I just wanted to weed out the ones I wouldn't be compatible with," she said. It worked. Johnson recalled that on their second or third date, she and her now-husband discussed the topic to make sure they were on the same page. The pair married in 2022, and Johnson said their decision to live as DINKs had been enriching.

"It makes my life more meaningful," the occupational therapist said of her choice to be child-free. "I feel like I can give more to my patients at work. I have more time to see my loved ones and family."

Beyond the emotional value Johnson ascribes to her DINK status, there are the dollars-and-cents benefits to the lifestyle. Her husband, who works in banking, is "a very big spreadsheet guy," Johnson said, and the couple track their finances "religiously." Part of that maniacal focus is tracking their net worth. The latest tally? About $1.1 million, a combination of the equity they've been able to accumulate in their new-build, suburban Minneapolis townhome and their retirement accounts.

It makes my life more meaningful. I feel like I can give more to my patients at work. I have more time to see my loved ones and family.

As an occupational therapist who works with older people, Johnson said, she sees "one of the biggest downsides to being a DINK is not having your children there to support you and help you age in place as you get older." So in addition to enjoying travel now, it's important for the couple to have "the financial resources in place to support safe living when we're old," she said.

For many adults, having children holds a massive amount of intrinsic value, but there's no denying that those who choose to forgo parenthood gain a serious financial edge. In fact, the net-worth data from the Federal Reserve's most recent Survey of Consumer Finances showed there's never been a better time to be a DINK. Child-free couples' median net worth of $399,000 in 2022 was the highest of all types of family structures studied by the survey and almost $150,000 more than couples with kids. The median net worth of DINKs was also more than $100,000 higher than it was in 2019, and the gap between child-free couples and couples with kids has only widened as prices on items and services parents need most, such as childcare and food, have spiked.

Amy Blackstone, the author of the 2019 book "Childfree by Choice," said that the financial gap between DINKs and couples with kids wasn't solely because of the choice about children. In many cases, it's also a bit of selection bias.

"It's the people who already have higher incomes, higher education, and are generally more privileged who opt out of parenthood," she said.

Still, DINKs like the Johnsons demonstrate that as the American dream of homeownership and putting kids through college gets further out of reach, forgoing children is one way to achieve the upward economic mobility that many parents find more difficult to reach. Child-free couples have more free cash flow that can be invested in real estate or stocks. And while the pandemic's fiscal stimulus left pretty much everyone with more cash, DINKs seemed to emerge victorious in the battle to grow wealth. After a few years of saving, the Johnsons are free of student debt and said they're in a financial position to start planning for an early retirement in their 50s.

"I am from a middle-class family, and my husband from a lower-class upbringing," Johnson said. "He experienced paycheck-to-paycheck living, started his first job at age 11 delivering newspapers. We feel very fortunate for our current economic stability."

Of course, not all DINKs are raking in six-figure incomes and investing in real estate. Alex Killingsworth is a 25-year-old entrepreneur building a content-writing business, and his wife is a full-time graduate student. She makes $14,000 a year as a teaching assistant, while his business earned them $84,000 in 2023. Not having kids has allowed them to invest in his startup and her higher education, both of which they believe will pay off.

"I'm 'investing' in the work I'm doing," Killingsworth said. "Likewise for my wife, almost all of her income is going into research, so our actual take-home pay is quite a bit lower."

If they had kids, paying the bills could be tougher for them. Instead, they're buying wine and whiskey, maxing out a retirement account, and taking advantage of the freedom to spend Thanksgiving in Alaska, visit family in Texas, or go to Broadway shows in New York.

"I don't know if we have any hacks or tricks here, but I have been told all of the extra income has a tendency to dry up when you have kids," Killingsworth said. "I don't know if that's true, but it's better to overprepare than under, right?"

Growing acceptance

The financial upsides of being a DINK used to come with a cost: In 1974, a substitute teacher named Marcia Drut-Davis was fired from her job and received death threats after discussing her choice to be child-free on"60 Minutes."When another school asked her to give a speech on her decision, angry parents carrying signs calling her "the devil's sister" crowded the entrance, and the teacher who provided closing remarks after the speech denounced her in front of the auditorium.

In her 2013 book, "Confessions of a Childfree Woman," Drut-Davis recalls the teacher saying: "How will you feel when you're old and alone with no one to take care of you?How will you feel without a grandchild to give you chocolate kisses? You're a sad excuse for a woman."

For decades, the social stigma around choosing not to have children has been substantial, but Blackstone said that she'd noticed a major shift in acceptance since she began research for her book in 2008.

"I would say that it's millennials and Gen Z who have really done the heavy lifting in terms of bringing this conversation out into the open," she said.

That's not to say Gen X didn't contribute to the conversation — Blackstone is a child-free Xer — but she said the younger generations' experiences with the 2008 financial crisis, accelerated climate crisis, and increasingly divisive politics made the choice to forgo kids more acceptable to a wider group.

One 2022 Nature paper from the researchers Zachary P. Neal and Jennifer Watling Neal found that nearly half the adults they studied were parents and 22% were child-free by choice. The rest were ambivalent, undecided, unable to have kids, or planning to have them. In the 2020 US census, 87 million Americans were between the ages of 20 and 46. If you apply the findings from the Neals' study, that means roughly 19 million millennial and Gen Z adults of childbearing age were child-free by choice. That same research, which polled 1,500 Michigan adults, found that while parents felt warmer toward fellow parents, "both parents and child-free people feel about the same toward child-free people." The report concluded: "Although parents really like other parents, they don't dislike child-free people."

Sentiment actually seems to be shifting in the opposite direction: In a summer 2022 Harris Poll of 1,054 American adults, 20% of all adults — and 27% of millennials — agreed "that people should stop having children because of the harm it causes," specifically the harm to the environment, animals, and even other people. Similarly, about one-third of all adults — and over 40% of millennials — said that they agreed "people should stop having children because their children's quality of life will be poor."

And then there's social media and our identity-obsessed culture. Child-free people now have more and more platforms to connect with each other and flaunt their no-kids lifestyles of extensive travel, impeccable homes, and spoiled pets. The communities devoted to a child-free lifestyle are booming: The subreddit r/childfree, focused on "topics and links of interest to childfree individuals," boasts 1.5 million members. TikTok videos about DINKs rack up millions of views and hundreds of thousands of likes. DINKs, GINKs, "rich aunties," and DINKWADs — DINKs with a dog — have become aspirational identities for younger generations.

We hang out with other people's kids every once in a while, but then we happily just give them back to their parents.

Stigma against DINKS certainly remains — just look at the comments of "selfish" and "missing out" on child-free TikTok videos. But they're overshadowed by comments of support. As Blackstone, who wrote the 2021 book on the topic, said, what happened to Drut-Davis wouldn't happen today.

"I've gotten the random email telling me that I'm miserable and going to die alone or that I'm right, I shouldn't have kids anyway," she said. "But nothing like what Marcia got in the 1970s."

With the rise in childcare costs, education, and other parenting expenses that have outpaced inflation, it's hard to deny that a two-track economy has emerged. There are the DINKs who can seize the American dream and the parents who are struggling to stay afloat in a country without guaranteed paid leave or affordable childcare. It's no wonder that so many people are suddenly interested in becoming a DINK.

Johnson said that her DINK lifestyle kept her plenty busy. She invests time in her hobby of landscape photography, and though she's questioned whether it's a selfish choice, she overall feels more "well rounded and healthier" than she would if she had kids, she said.

"We hang out with other people's kids every once in a while," she said, "but then we happily just give them back to their parents."

[triviareads]

I was bound to hit a wall in terms of my reading and I feel like October was the month. Three books I was very excited about reading this month ended up mostly duds, and one Russian historical romance ended up disappointing me so deeply I wrote a five-paragraph essay on it. That being said, I also found some jewels this month:

Mickey Chambers Shakes It Up by Charish Reid

This was definitely a surprise favorite; Mickey is a college professor who moonlights as a cocktail waitress (the unfortunate reality for adjuncts trying to make ends meet when they're on expensive meds for chronic illnesses), and Diego is her boss... who also happens to be her student. This book has all the beats of a cute romcom but is also very Adult and Grown-Up sexy; Diego is 42 and Mickey is 33 (much to Diego's shock; look, he just wants to feel guilty about perving on his "25" year old professor in peace okay), so they're mature enough to acknowledge the conflicts of interest here and move on. I adored Mickey's brand of sunshine (if she has to flirt a little for tips, she's in it to win it regardless of Diego panickedly trying to drag her back behind the bar), and Diego was just the right amount of grumpy to make him endearing. Also, this book has the rare interracial couple where neither person is white which I did appreciate. If you like Talia Hibbert's style of writing, you'll love this one.

Hard Way by Katie Porter

I debated whether to put this book on here because the actual Air Force stuff was kind of a drag for me (if you like Top Gun however, this might be your jam— and yes, I am now aware Top Gun is about Navy pilots not Air Force pilots thanks to @viscountessevie), but the married couple angst made it too compelling to not include. Eric (Dash) and Sunita's (Sunny) marriage is slowly falling apart, but when Sunny asks for a divorce, their argument escalates into sex. They slowly start to rediscover each other by way of sex with consensual non-consent interspersed with dates including a yakshagana performance which... wow, that was startling to read, but in an extremely gratifying way because I never thought I'd read about a Kannadiga heroine in this particular situation (Sunita is a heroine people looooved to hate on on Goodreads, but I loved her more for it).

Wrong to Need You by Alisha Rai

This is such a gorgeously emotional book I didn't properly appreciate the first time I read it back in January. Sadia is a widowed single mom grappling with her attraction to her brother-in-law, Jackson. Both of them are haunted by her husband Paul’s (Jackson’s brother) death as well as the mysterious fire that drove Jackson out of town. I adored Sadia, who sees herself as the black sheep of her overachieving immigrant family, but she's actually a very capable woman who is quietly strong in more ways than one, while Jackson is equally capable and gives Sadia the love and support she needs. Also, don't ask me how, but I completely missed the fact that Sadia has some soft domme energy so that was a delight to discover.

Wayward One by Lorelie Brown

A historical romance marketed as Great Expectations That Fucks; Sera finds out that the mysterious benefactor who paid for ten years of schooling is a crime lord of the London underworld.... who intends to marry her eventually. This book reminded me a lot of Grace Callaway's Her Husband's Harlot; both heroes have underworld beginnings and see the heroine as someone who is too pure, too perfect for them, and the heroines in turn are unwillingly placed on this pedestal. Look, I love my bit o'rough heroes (who hate themselves; the self-loathing is a must), and Fletcher here delivers— there's some prime angst about being an *animal* who's been "brought to heel" by Sera and he haaaaates it, especially because Sera is actually freaked out by their chemistry and literally has no idea what to do with herself.

Fun fact, this book is written by one half of the previously mentioned Katie Porter (who is actually two authors writing together).

A Holly Jolly Ever After by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone

This book is adorable, sexy, and heart-warming like the best holiday-themed romances are (I say this as if I've read more than 3 holiday-themed romances). You can read my full review here, but I have to say, I loved the sexual exploration aspect of this book. Winnie slowly overcoming internalized purity-culture-inflicted shame in her thirties and experimenting with what make her feel good (including a peppermint stick vibrator; 'tis the season amirite) was genuinely such a joy to read. Also, the fact that she gets herself off to Kallum's sex tape (dw he licensed it after the initial leak), gets caught by Kallum, and he IMMEDIATELY offers to help her out?? A+++ hero right there. Reading Winnie and Kallum's nontraditional path to finding love and a safe space with one another was a highlight of the month.

[littlemonstert-blog]

Love Interests For Batgirl

I want to go through the best options for her instead of sticking her with Nightwing all the time.

First I'll start with my okay & itcks

I know people like Nightwing & Batgirl together. Sometimes they can be cute and good for each other. I really just like them as friends hell, they same to work pretty damn well as friends.

I'm also tired of them having her date/romantic with every guy in the batfamily

Batman & Batgirl

Just eww no, it was weird in the Animated Series/Movie (Killing Joke movie) and that one Lego Movie still weird till this day. BruceTimverse had her mess with him & Nightwing his adopted son.

Robin/Red Robin ( Tim Drake) & Batgirl

Honestly why? I know its not canon but, like out of all people why Tim?

Batwing (Luke Fox) & Batgirl

I mean they tried with this couple but honestly it was so damn boring. Truth be told Luke Fox (Batwing) he's lame to me.

Red Hood (Jason Todd) & Batgirl

They always try to push them together & it just feels weird doesn't really work at all. Even the non canon Joker(3 jokers) it doesn't feel right.

Like damn... who's next Duke, Alfred or Azrael?

Now on to my favorite exploring other love intrests

Ted Kord (Blue Bettle II) My top pick

To me they just clicked with each other so well.

he really brought out the best qualities in her in a way that her other romances didn't.

He genuinely didn't care about the wheelchair. In fact, I noticed rereading some old Birds of Prey stories that he's pushing her wheelchair around at many moments. That shows something. Babs doesn't let anyone push her wheelchair. Not even Canary or Grayson. Slowly pushed past her emotional defenses.

He made her laugh. He was loyal to a fault. Drew her out of her brooding and depression without pushing. Supported her without trying to take over. Encouraged her to go after her interests and shared alot of the same interests.

During that time in BOP, Grayson treated her like something broken that he needed to fix. Ted treated her like she was an amazing person that he wanted to be with.

Jason Bard

I mean they got engaged to each other they were together for a long time ago. I can't remeber much about his couple but how deeply they care for each other showed.

Nick Gage

They used to date it was alright.

Sam Young

they got married in one contiunity so I wonder about they're relationship is like seems nice and healthy. I do remeber he is they mayor & she is the commisoner(In the Batman Beyond)

Steve Harris

In Future's End, do know how it started but when reading a bit they are so both smitten lol its beautiful.

I'd say Ted Kord is my pick for her I wish they gave Babs & Ted another try. If not Jason Bard or another hero that be cool just not Batwing that relationship had me on a snooze fest.

[dracotheocracy]

CONGRATULATIONS DIPSHIT! YOU HAVE WON ONE FREE PASS TO TALK ABOUT A BLORBO FOR BEING MY FRIEND!

oh yeah let me just pause that ska cover of no children. engage's release reawakened (<- intentional wording) an old demon you are in for a treat

once upon a time in 2018 or 2017 idk time is fake i played a game called fire emblem awakening and my brain chemistry was altered forever. i got particularly attached to the avatar protagonist (read: character you're supposed to project onto despite being a more or less fully realized character) who's some person named robin. yes, i have had category 7 adhd moments about two characters named robin and you can make the argument that it happened back to back. sue me etc

fun fact i did the math, i've watched every single support conversation with robin in it multiple times. there's 43 characters in awakening according to my notes and because robin is an avatar they get a support chain (4 conversations but we're calling it 3 because i never watched most of the S supports) with every character in the game. across two genders and assuming that i included spotpass characters which i in all likelihood actually didn't, that's 252 conversations that each take 1 or 2 minutes to get through, or about 4 hours of content for one session of watching every single robin support.

point is i know a lot about the character and am so normal. so so normal i promise

now i can tell when i've taken a couple facets of a canon character and sprinted off into the sunset with them. absolutely, without question, i did that here. so robin's story potential in a setting where awakening could be better written contributes a normal amount to why i like the character so much. i'm just gonna talk about why

in short, the deal with robin fire emblem is that they woke up in a field with no memories and as it turns out that's probably for the best because they're the child of the high priest of the religion centered around reviving the BBEG, and also they carry the blood of the BBEG in them and can get possessed by it. and the BBEG wants to bring about the apocalypse also important note. in the original awakening timeline robin befriends chrom (mortal enemy by blood) and later betrays and murders him before being possessed by grima BBEG and bringing about the end of the world. it's also worth noting that chrom and robin have chemistry they're not just a popular ship because they're both major characters i really love chrobin and i do also fluctuate between reading robin as aro/ace and bi because like, look. maybe i'm projecting a little but disregarding the S supports because they have to write the C-B-A supports as almost entirely nonromantic due to how awakening's matchmaking mechanics function they really do strike me as married to the grind in a way that's pretty aro of them tbh

there's a part of my brain that sincerely believes they would not have gone the amnesia route if robin wasn't meant to be an avatar protagonist (they're a deuteragonist until act 3 but who's keeping track really (me. i am)), and if they had not gone the amnesia route awakening would have been a lot cooler, because the mortal enemies by blood thing would've been on the table way before halfway through act 2. it's a very good source of emotional conflict for both robin and chrom though i imagine chrom wouldn't really discover this information until the middle part of act 2 or potentially act 3. there's a lot of different ways to write robin in this scenario that are SO COOL AND INTERESTING also like on the one hand robin could be completely on board with the infiltrate the shepherds and kill chrom before ascending to satanhood bit but gradually become genuine friends with a lot of the shepherds and realize "oh what if... what if this is all really fucked up actually and i don't want to bring about the end of the world" there is so much potential in that, alternatively robin starts already wanting out of everything the grimleal stand for and has to grapple with knowing their time with the shepherds is not built to last, or at least thinking that, because you know they're the child of the high priest of a cult that is extremely influential in their home country, they would've grown up entrenched in certain rhetoric about the state of the world and their place in it. if robin's character arc was about cult indoctrination and escaping that it would FUCKING BANG! IT WOULD GO HARD AS HELL! and you don't have to ditch the wider story theme about defying destiny and how people are made strong by their relationships even a little bit to pursue that because adding that element in would synergize perfectly with the broader theme already

either way if robin wasn't an amnesiac it would create some fantastic points of tension in the story if handled properly because a) ylisse (good guy country) and plegia (grimleal bad guy country) have a very poor relationship politically for a good though severely underexplained reason, which either gives the shepherds a reason to be very wary of robin at first or gives robin a reason to be very wary of the shepherds at first depending on how you're playing out the prologue. as an aside frederick should have recognized robin's outift as that of a grimleal worshipper it's a stupidly minor detail that i will die mad about. b) idk i feel like the stuff that happens with robin in act 3 where they for real get possessed and forced to betray the shepherds a few times would hit more like a freight train if there was more context, mostly because i think it would affect robin a lot more knowing the amount of effort they had to put into to getting this far and distancing themself so much from grima only to succumb to something outside their control just by getting within like 20 feet of their dad or something idk c) if you go the covert enemies to found family route i don't think robin can be normal about that and it sets up for a potentially really fun confrontation about robin's motives that would have to happen in the late game after the character has progressed in the optimal direction for it

also they fit the bill for a [mars] character very well like i would play a character with that sort of personality and that sort of backstory in a TTRPG campaign and that's the condensed way to describe my blorbo formula. i've said this before but i like playing characters that are just some guy personality-wise, both robins fit the bill for that but m!robin a little more cause yeah i don't play a lot of women in TTRPGs and the [mars] character formula for women is a little bit different. not by a lot mind you but eh. generally though yeah sure they're a very shrewd tactician and pretty good at reading people from what i remember, their accomplishments and backstory in-game might make them seem larger than life but you know in reality they're a generally pleasant person albeit a bit sarcastic and prone to social blunders that are mostly benign. like as a character both robins are more grounded than a decent portion of the cast and my gimmick as a player and as an enjoyer of characters in silly media is going for the most grounded characters. you know like you could very believably meet someone like that in real life. anyway i'm a fan of characters that are hypercompetent in a specific field and at least a little dorky outside of that. robin is a hypercompetent dork so it's perfect

[artsiwych]

Hello, I'm C. If your free readings are open, may i ask for one please? I'm a bit old and I've been single for over a decade or two due to circumstances. However I do want to have a forever partner and get married to him, and have a life together. I'm also child free i.e. never had any children by choice. And even though I was very broody for just a couple of years, I've recently come to the conclusion that I don't want any children and this decision has made me feel very liberated! And I'm glad that i didn't go through any kind of process in the previous years to get a child. I love babies, but that's quite literally the only stage that I love of having a kid, nothing beyond that, lol. So I wanted to know, whether in future will I have a husband for me and will he be happily child free as well? I don't want to be a step-parent btw, whether of younger or older kids, nor do I want to adopt. I just want me and my husband and a dog or two, and our happy, cozy retired life (maybe babysitting our friends' kids once a while, lol). Thanks a lot for this opportunity! (I'm not really sure which option to go for for the reading. I think you'll be best to chose as per your expertise. Thank you again!)

I'm not sure about being able to predict your soulmate, I am doing this for practice so I'm not that far ahead yet lol but the best I can do is provide some advice so you can find your guy.

You/The Situation: King of Swords/The Hierophant (reversed) - I'm sensing that the King of Swords embodies your ideal partner. Someone who you can intellectually converse with and treats you with respect. The reversed Hierophant represents unconventionality, in that the type of relationship that's desired isn't typically common or expected in society.

Conscious/Subconscious: The Hanged Man/Death -  You realize that these things take time and are willing to be patient for the right person to come around. You've learned from your past experiences and you're ready for a new relationship. Transformation is a big theme with these cards too, so perhaps this new relationship may be a growing experience too.

Past: Two of Pentacles (reversed) - If you had been in a previous relationship, this card says you may have felt neglected. It could also indicate that you've been too busy or had different goals other than pursuing a relationship. 

Near Future: Three of Cups (reversed) - It is very possible you may meet someone in the future, but may not be "The One". It will start out fun and exciting but fizzle out quickly. Don't take it as a sign to give up though! Just have fun with dating and meeting new people lol 

Self-Perception/Advice: The Fool (reversed) - As much as you are ready for a new relationship, this card does advise to be careful with who you trust. Not everyone is going to have the same romantic goals as you, or even have your needs in mind. Much like what the 3 of Cups was referring to, it's probably not going to be the first person you meet, but there's bound to be someone for you out there. 

Environment: The Devil - I think this card supports the previous one in that you need to be cautious of who you trust. There are people out there who may take advantage of you and are only really in it for the physical stuff. Just keep it in mind.

Hopes and Fears: The Moon - While you desire a relationship, it's only natural to have doubts. Do you feel you're not worthy of love? Or that you'll fall into something toxic? Make sure you completely understand your own emotional boundaries first and ensure the intentions of your partner.

Outcome: Two of Swords - There will be obstacles ahead in pursuing your love life. You may be stuck between choosing your romantic life and other responsibilities. Or you meet someone but they're not what you had in mind, or you need to compromise to make the relationship work. Relationships are tricky and there's a lot to consider. The best thing you can do right now is stick to your truth and keep trying. All good things take time after all. :)

[rahleeyah]

I think my main problem with the TL final is that I actually liked and enjoyed it and, with the exception of Ted, Rebecca, and Beard, I was happy with where it left everyone. So it's been hard for me to properly reconcile these positive emotions with how sad and annoyed I am at the way Ted's and Rebecca's and Beard's stories ended. It feels like they got 'paper endings' - endings that they should have had, that made sense for them to have; endings that looked good on paper but that somehow failed to transition properly to the screen. Like Beard choosing his new life and girlfriend in Richmond over his old life in Kansas makes perfect sense. He doesn't appear to have anyone or anything waiting for him back in Kansas so of course he decides to stay. Except the show has spent three seasons showing both Jane and their relationship to be toxic (at best) and outright abusive (at worst) and I'm sad that (dream or not) married to Jane with a baby on the way was deemed the best ending for him.

After her relationship with Rupert Rebecca deserved to have a happy ending surrounded by her friends and with someone who loves her. And she gets that! And the chance to be a mother! And yet her ending feels so unsatisfactory because they put their female lead with a man with no name who was introduced halfway through the final season with only 20 minutes of screen time. But the thing that I'm really annoyed about is that I would have been fine with her ending up with him if they had put the effort into building their relationship. Amsterdam showed that there was something between them and they could have easily used that as a jumping off point to build something more solid between them that would make their ending satisfying. Instead, they chose to have Rebecca decide not to know his name; they chose for her to decide not to keep in contact with him; they drew a line under Amsterdam as soon as the episode had finished and now I can't be happy that a character I love is in a relationship that (appears to) make her happy because I have absolutely no emotional investment in it whatsoever. She got the ending I wanted for her and I cannot enjoy it and I am heartbroken by that. (1/2)

Hi ok I know it's been a minute but let's get into it:

(this is a lot I'm gonna try to do this in order)

I did like parts of it, sort of, and I agree with you on the 'paper endings' thing - it looks good on paper but it doesn't resonate, emotionally.

I hated what they did with Roy/Keeley/Jamie but that's a separate post.

Yes the Beard thing works on paper - he stays with his new love - but not in practice bc she's awful, and everything Brendan has said about it has raised huge red flags to me; it's not abuse why? Bc she's a woman and it's cute/endearing when women are abusive??

Rebecca finding a supportive man, and family, is great, except you're right - who is this guy? Why do we care? It was so on the nose, also; I was looking for "Rebecca is already a mother to the team, to the fans, and that is a valid way of nurturing and loving people" but instead we got "the traditional heterosexual family structure is the only valid family structure."

Ted doesn't really grow; he's right back where he started, putting aside his own needs and desires for other people, his life hopelessly entangled with the woman who left him for their couples therapist.

And Ted and Rebecca!! What was the point of the parallels with their fathers, their awful exes, the when Harry met Sally couple in the stands! What was the point of these deliberate choices that were made to draw a line between Ted and Rebecca only for the writers and cast to now mock people who thought all those choices meant something? That is a profound piece of cruelty; I've had ships that were fan creations, that weren't ever gonna be main text, and that is not what this was. This wasn't delusion; this was baked right in, and now they're shaking their heads at us?

And Ted, at the end, looks miserable.

I've been thinking lately that there feels like a lot about the ending of this show that is deeply masculine, by which I mean it is reflective of how our society says men are supposed to behave and what our society says men are supposed to believe.

Sport is one of the few places where men's emotions are encouraged. You're meant to love your team, your teammates, meant to laugh and cry and scream with them, but being on a sports team is by its very definition transient. Those relationships are so profound when you're in them, but they are meant to come to an end; the season's over, a player gets traded, you're too old to do it anymore, etc, and then the men have to go back to what society will allow them to have: family. A woman and child to love, not a found family of fellow men. The man can't aspire to stay with his team; he's only meant to be with them for a season.

And that's true of a lot of different kinds of relationships, but I just think it's very telling that we have a bunch of men running this show saying obviously the romance with Rebecca wasn't real - she's not Ted's wife, not the mother of his child, she can't take priority - saying Ted had to put Henry, had to put being a father (being a father in the strictest, most traditional way, no out of the box thinking or creative solutions here) above any other relationships he might have, bc he's not supposed to want kinship with those men, he's only supposed to want it with his family.

Idk this is something I'm still trying to articulate but it makes me very, very sad bc I think it reflects an attitude of people who think they don't deserve to stay with their friends, with their community, where they're happy, bc they have obligations that they are only permitted to fulfill in one very strict, structured, lonesome way.

[silvormoon]

💕 how about for your favorite fandom? c:

Do I have a favorite fandom? I have a lot of fandoms and they are all my favorite, so I'm just going to ramble about Tiger & Bunny for a bit because they're new here and I haven't had a lot of chances to talk about them yet.

Kotetsu T. "Wild Tiger" Kaubragi / Barnaby "Bunny" Brooks Jr. - I mean, they're the ones the show is named after, right? If you're not invested in their relationship there's really no reason to watch the show. On the surface they're the classic Red Oni/Blue Oni combo: Kotetsu is the reckless, fun-loving, personable guy who trusts in his gut because he sure can't rely on his brain, the lovable loser who keeps trying even though nothing ever seems to go right for him, and Barnaby is the calm, controlled, rational-thinking problem solver who seems to have it all together. Then you get to know them and realize that Barnaby is just a bundle of emotions and doubts held together by sheer determination who needs an emtional support like Kotetsu every bit as much as Kotetsu needs somebody to help him channel his reckless energy into a useful direction. They bring out the best in each other. They've both been marked by tragedy and loss and they've risen above it with each other's help. They are partners, best friends, they bicker like an old married couple, and they would absolutely lay down their lives for each other if it was ever necessary. Favroite moment: When Kotetsu is talking about how the first time Barnaby called him by his real name, he was so happy he stayed up all night celebrating.

Nathan "Fire Emblem" Seymour / Keith "Sky High" Goodman - Not something I thought I'd end up shipping but the idea has really grown on me. They do have a good balance! Keith is superficially very "socially acceptable" - blue eyed, blond, handsome, likes pizza and dogs. If he didn't live in the city he would definitely live in a suburb with a two-car garage and a picket fence. He's known as the "king of heroes", and yet off camera he's a shy, self-effacing person who can't figure out how to communicate to save his life (hence his habit of repeating everything twice out of fear that he won't get his point across) and who constantly worries about being good enough. So of course he gets partnered with this flamboyantly effeminate gay man who, we know from the movie, has suffered a lot of discrimination and rejection in the past, and has taken all that and decided the best way to deal with it is to be himself AS LOUD AS POSSIBLE and if the rest of the world doesn't like it, they can just suck it up and deal with it. And the two of them click! Nathan has the social skills, so he can help guide Keith through the choppy waters of interpersonal communication, and Keith gives Nathan all the unconditional devotion of the Golden Retriever he so resembles. In their own words, they feel safe with each other, and I think that's something they both need. Favorite moment: Nathan telling Keith that if everything goes south and they have to give up the hero business for good, Keith can come work for him as his secretary, and Keith being immediately on board with the idea.

Ryan "Golden Ryan" Goldsmith / Karina "Blue Rose" Lyle - I gotta say, thank goodness someone on the writing staff realized Karina needed a love interest closer to her own age, because no matter how wonderful a guy Kotetsu is, she is a teenager and he's in his late thirties and that was never going to work. So it's a good thing Ryan is here. Actually I really have learned to love Ryan - he's become one of my favorite characters. When you first meet him, he seems like a real jerk - possibly even a villain - and then you get to know him and realize he's just a big doofus who's afraid nobody really likes him so he feels like he needs to pre-emptively pump up his own ego. But he's really sweet to Karina in his way - taking her to her friend's concert, trying to protect her from Fugan and Mugan by distancing himself from her because her identity was still secret and his wasn't and he didn't want them getting to her through him, comforting her after she confronted the fact that Tiger's just not into her that way… She's good for him too; she stands up to him when he's putting on his "I'm so awesome" act and gives him someone he feels safe being emotionally vulnerable around. I feel like both of them know how it feels to get so caught up in their public persona that they don't know how to be their genuine selves sometimes, so it's nice that they're learning to be genuine around each other. Favorite moment: Ryan offering Karina his sunglasses so she can have a cry without being seen.

Antonio "Rock Bison" Lopez / Ivan "Origami Cyclone" Karelin - It is so cute how dedicated these two are to their partnership. They don't have much in common, they don't have the neat synchronicity in battle that, say, team KidCat or team FireSky have, and they keep getting things wrong, but by golly they are determined to make this thing work! And they are making it work by sheer determination, because at the end of the day the two of them have a genuine respect and liking for each other and they really seem to enjoy being able to make each other happy, and what else do you really need? Favorite moment: Antonio picking Ivan up and spinning him around after foiling a bank robbery.

Subaru "Mr. Black" Sengoku / Thomas "HIT" Taurus - Okay, yeah, they're "Tiger & Bunny Lite" but they're still cute. Thomas is just this deeply damaged guy, and he comes close to destroying himself out of bitterness and lack of trust. It's heartwarming watching Subaru go from "boy, this guy is annoying, I wish I didn't have to work with him" to being overjoyed to the point of tears to see Thomas finally putting his life back together again. Watching them fighting in sync for the first time was a beautiful thing. Favorite moment: Lasagna?! I wish I had been there to see the day Thomas finally took Subaru up on that offer.

Antonio Lopez / Agnes Joubert - This came totally out of left field in the very last episode. I honestly don't remember if we ever see them interact beyond the usual "Bonjour, heroes!" I have no idea if or how this is going to work out. The idea of them just pushes some of the same buttons for me that Ushio/Mikage did back in my 5Ds days and I think it's funny. Good luck, Antonio. You are probably going to need it.

[lyaenidae]

New years party (pt 1)

It's New Years and Miki and Kenta are still in Mt Komorebi. Their childhood friends are all gathered at Nanami's house for a small party. Of course, as soon as she arrives, Miki hugs her brother tight ! They've seen each other not that long ago, but she's still happy to get to see him in the setting they're more used to : amongst friends, rather than with the pressure of their parents around.

As soon as everyone has arrived, the drinks are served, and the party can start ! The spirits are high, everyone so happy to gather again after so long.

Before he can get carried away and forget the most important thing he's got to do tonight, Kenta asks Taku if he can talk to him in private. "Of course dude, come with me, we'll go to Nanami's bedroom."

"So what's up bro ?" "You know how I asked you and your parents your blessing to marry Miki ?" "Yeah..." says Taku, a bit confused, worried for a second that Kenta would change his mind.

"Well... I proposed last night and she said YES !" "OMG, that's so great !!! I'm so happy for you two !" "So now I need to ask you if you can help me pick out my suit once the time comes ? I don't always have the best sense of style, I know what to wear for a camping trip but not really for a wedding... Let alone mine ! And you'll be like our shared best man anyway, so you'll probably get to see the dress and can help me match it !" Kenta goes on and on about the wedding preparations. And of course, Taku being the supportive brother that he is, he says yes to everything and agrees to help with as much stuff as possible.

They go back to the living room so happy to have shared this moment of pure bliss, and as they sit down with everyone else, Kenta is still bursting with the need to tell everyone that they got engaged.

And his best friend can see it, so he clears his throat and says with a cheeky grin : "Hey everyone, Miki and Kenta have great news to share with us, listen up !" A bit surprised and embarrassed at first, after Miki gives him an encouraging smile, Kenta comes out with the big news :

"We're engaged !" he explains, pride and emotion in his voice. Everyone cheers, more or less loudly, and congratulates the couple. It's a party that is starting very well ! Indeed, Nanami now seems to also have an announcement to make, and just like before, Taku can see it and calls everyone's attention to her this time.

"Taku's moving in with me !" "You mean you're moving in together ?" "No, she means I'm coming to live here, in her parent's house" explains Taku with a laugh. "They're amazing, we all get along very well, and we all agreed it was the best choice."

Again, everyone cheers, drinks are downed and laughter fills the space. Until one person speaks. Masami... Who hasn't said much this far but choses to start speaking very loudly now, interrupting several conversations. "Huh, isn't it funny to think that Kenta will have seduced every single girl of our friend group in the end ?"

A long silence follows her statement and the fake laugh she punctuates it with. Kenta and Taku, sitting next to her, both seem very confused but tempted to go back to their conversation. And across from her, on the other couch, Nanami and Gabe are sending her death glares, while Miki tries to look unbothered. What does she mean, every single girl ?

Gabe's the one who breaks the silence : "Masami, no one likes you, why are you even here trying to create drama ?" "Oh Gabie, don't be mad just because I rejected you, it's old news at this point you know !" Masami answers, her tone quite condescending. "Oh I'm glad we're not a thing anymore, thanks, that's maybe the only good thing you've ever done."

He gets up, done with her, and the stunned spell seems broken. Conversations start again, although a bit hesitant, and as Gabe starts moving, everyone starts doing the same, getting a drink or going to check the time to be sure not to miss out on the countdown. The living room rearranges itself and Miki and Nanami both go grab some food at the same time. Miki's hesitating, unsure if she wants to find out the details of what Masami was talking about, but Nanami stops her on the way to the kitchen, when they're far enough away from the rest of the group.

"Miki, don't listen to her, yeah ? She's such a bitch, I don't even know why we invited her tonight !" "I guess I'm just confused at what she meant..." answers Miki, still hesitant. "When Kenta broke up with her, back in the day, I was the one who comforted her, somehow. And at some point, I told her that I used to crush on Ken too, when I was a kid, and she took that and ran with it, as if it was some dirt on Ken, or on me..." "Oh" is all that Miki says. This indeed makes so much more sense than whatever Masami had been trying to imply.

"Is everything okay then ?" asks Nanami. "I know I'm not always the nicest person, but I would never do anything like that, and to be honest, I don't think Kenta would either !" "No, you're right, it doesn't make any sense, for either of you ! I wasn't worried, I know you too well Na', you're not as bad a person as you like to think. Otherwise, I wouldn't be asking you to be my maid of honour !" "ARE YOU SERIOUS GIRL ?! Oh it's going to be such a great wedding !!!! I'm so excited !" "So it's a yes ?" Miki laughs her heart out at her friend's reaction. "Of course I'm IN !!"

When they go back to the living room, Miki goes to get another drink and tries to ignore the fact that Kenta and Masami are now sitting right next to each other and both seem extremely giggly.

Distracted for a second by her brother's renewed congratulations, she hugs him and tells him she's very happy to have him as their shared best man. She's so happy that the person she feels the closest to in her whole family will be the most involved one as well.