#understand at such a young age. its no excuse. you were a kid too.

[sokkastyles]

I feel like there's this kind of... Schrodinger's Aang problem, both in the show and the fandom, that gets to me because Aang is simultaneously presented to be so wide beyond his years, yet the argument that he's a twelve year old kid is trotted out constantly to defend and absolve him of any possible wrongdoing. He's supposedly wise and worldly enough at twelve to preach to Katara about forgiving her mother's killer, but he's also twelve and therefore too young to understand not, yknow, kissing Katara without her consent or blaming a fictional portrayal of her on her. (Obviously both things are examples of Aang just blowing past Katara's emotional and physical boundaries, I don't think it's talked about much how Katara never actually asks Aang for any advice about going to confront Yon Rha, he just comes out swinging, but the show and KA/wider fandom don't treat it that way). Do you think if Aang was written to be even a little older, say Katara's age, this would happen so much, even if the writing stayed the same? Defense of the EiP kiss, for eg, is already awful, but often relies on the "he's just twelve so its 'not that bad'" excuse.

I do think if Aang were older, or more physically imposing, people would recognize these things as Aang disrespecting Katara's boundaries, yes. We have this image that men who behave that way look a certain way and are threatening to women in ways that are easily identifiable. For example, the stereotype of the big angry man or the scary rapist hiding in the bushes, when in reality, most assaults are committed by someone the person already knows, a friend or a boyfriend. Just look at the "Nice Guy" belief and the way it manifests itself in KA vs Zutara discourse. Zuko is the scary bad boy who isn't good for Katara and probably an abuser, while Aang can't possibly hurt Katara because he's "just a kid" and "so nice." The problem is that this kind of rhetoric is entirely manipulative and incredibly coercive, and Aang hurts Katara by the very premise that he's so innocent and wise that she's not allowed to feel hurt by him, and if she does, it must be because there is something wrong with her. That idea, that Katara just doesn't know what is actually good for her and what she wants, and needs Aang to tell her, is implicitly presented in the show both in Ember Island Players and The Southern Raiders. And both episodes use Zuko as the underlying threat that is leading Katara away from good guy Aang.

[butchbarbieagainstterfs]

i was a terf when i was 16-17 (im almost 20) and let me tell you about the amount of minors that were in those circles, getting lovebombed by 30 year old women.

i was a gender-questioning child who had an... incredibly unfortunate experience with a misogynistic family member. basically, i thought terfs were the only people who understood my rage and i took out my gender insecurities out on transgender people. every time i wrote a stupid ass post a 16 year old clearly wrote i would be applauded by women MUCH older than me. the amount of grooming behavior i witnessed and experienced myself is nothing ive ever experienced before online. i had my age in my bio too so none of them have any excuse.

anyway like i said earlier i was far from the only minor in radfem circles. i saw kids as young as 15 making posts. and these kids were very popular bloggers.

i have strong feelings of guilt about my own actions which i have since grown from but i also have strong feelings of disgust towards these adult women who think its a-ok to rope in minors to a doomerism ideology that believes all men are out to rape you and transgender people are gladly enabling them.

i guess in their minds, seeking minors and messaging them about how they should think and feel about complicated and intense issues they simply do not have the capacity to understand very well isnt grooming but instead an act of sisterhood.

point of this is: radfems are vile, they go after children all the time, and have no remorse about manipulating said children into adopting hateful political beliefs.

I am so sorry that happened to you ❤️

I always remember one quite well known TERF on here that has frogs in the url. I think even now she might only be 17 so still a minor, but she’s been making terf posts since she was like 14 years old and, like you, getting lovebombed for it by grown adult women. It’s honestly disgusting and why I haven’t really engaged her here. She’s just a kid who got groomed :(

[hadescabin]

TW// GROOMING, MANIPULATION breaking down tigerheartstar and dovewing and why i think its awful ik I said that I dont really like warrior cats anymore but recently i've been thinking about some stuff regarding the series and its fandom and there's one thing that's been particularly bothering me. dovewing and tigerheart. it's just crazy to see the shift of support for tigerdove considering early 2010s warriors fandom seemed mixed on them. now there seems to be this equivocal support for them, probably because most of the fandom's exposure to the couple has been the recent books which frames them as man who loves his wife x burnt out prophecy kid who will do anything for her malewife. which theres nothing wrong with that dynamic, i think it's cute, but people really seem to forget about how tigerheart straight up groomed and treated dovewing awfully throughout oots and even in tigerheart's shadow. it seems to be a forgotten fact that tigerheart was a full grown warrior by the time he was pursuing dovepaw, who was a newly made apprentice. for perspective, this was a 6-7 moon teenager with someone almost the age of her mentor (a little younger). people try to use the excuse "oh but they're cats" and "the age gap isnt that bad" but even the recent books acknowledge with frostpaw and splashtail, that a warrior and apprentice dating is WEIRD. tbf oots was released in the early 2000s, but the fact that canonically speaking the age gap is seen as a teenager and adult relationship gives me the ick. it really puzzles me to see people get on ships like dustfern and bramblesquirrel (both of which i hate btw) for their age gaps but come up with every excuse in the books to defend tigerdove. its not even just the age gap too, again, their relationship has consisted of tigerheart manipulating and grooming dovepaw to do what he wants. in the first two books (esp the second book of oots) dovepaw is presented as someone who got attached to the cats from the journey and doesnt necessarily understand why they must act like they shouldnt exist anymore due to the borders. this is something that tigerheart LEARNS and actively takes advantage of when dovepaw questions why hes at their borders (tldr its dark forest stuff). he shifts the topic and then goes on about the journey and how he felt that they almost became friends, and that if they were in the same clan things would be easier. this may not seem like a big deal, but this goes on for the rest of their interactions whenever tiger needs to pressure her to do something she doesnt want (meeting up, trusting him, etc.) He realizes that the subject of different borders resonates with her and uses it to his advantage whenever he wants something out of her. This can especially be seen in the next book, “Night Whispers”, which kickstarted their relationship. Dovepaw accidentally ran into ShadowClan territory while hunting, and Tigerheart happens to find her there. Once again, he gives her a speech about borders being meaningless, before asking her to meet up with him before the ShadowClan patrol catches them. There’s also other examples in later books where he coerces her into meeting up or trusting him since “that’s what friends are for” or even later in that book, where he manipulates her into using Ivypaw as a captive for herbs. 

When you take this into account, plus him as a full grown warrior, starting a romantic relationship with a barely apprenticed Dovepaw who is shown as having a childish/ immature perception on romance/mates (such as her argument with Ivypaw and claiming that she should “find her own mate”), Tigerdove feels very much like grooming to me. According to the dictionary definition grooming is, “the action of attempting to form a relationship with a child or young person, with the intention of sexually assaulting them”. Of course, in this case, since it’s a young adult book, it’s to form a romantic relationship, which could also be another goal of grooming. Groomers tend to display manipulative behaviors towards the victims in order to coerce them into trusting them more. Whether that be through compliments, gifts, trying to resonate with them or make them feel special. They tend to try to get them to keep and “share” secrets, which is another tactic they utilize both to isolate the victim and to get them to feel more comfortable. 

A lot of behaviors that Tigerheart displays towards Dovepaw falls under this, including the examples I mentioned. There are a couple of other comments that he makes which come off as creepy such as Dovepaw “being his favorite sister”, which as I established, is something a groomer would say in order to make the victim feel as though they’re special and garner their trust. Which is especially the case when you note that he makes that comment in reference to Dovepaw asking about his ties to Ivypaw, which he actively lies about, and quickly reassures her that there’s nothing going on. 

This tactic of manipulation, where he either makes her feel special, or even love bombs and dissuade her from standing up for herself, doesn’t stop when she’s an apprentice. It continues when she’s a warrior, and is constantly used throughout OOTS and “Tigerheart’s Shadow”. At one point in the series, Dovewing and Tigerheart get into an argument about Dawnpelt wrongfully accusing Jayfeather of murder. When Tigerheart defends his sister, Dovewing stands up for Jayfeather, which prompts Tigerheart to try and manipulate her out of the conversation. He jumps straight to talking about how much he loved and missed her, and guilts her by asking why they had to argue like this, and why they couldn’t just “meet like before”. As for Tigerheart's Shadow, he actively goes against what she wants (to raise her kits outside the clan) and actively pressures and guilts her into coming back, before she finally relents. He doesn't care about what SHE wants, it's always about him. Whether it be secretly meeting up, or in The Last Hope, he tries to pressure her to date him again (which she FINALLY refuses and scolds him for thinking about his own needs when they're right before a final battle. as she should). It's especially upsetting in the newest book that tigerheart seems to be the only think at the center of her character. when she argues with ivypool, it's less about the two sister's interpersonal conflicts and more about her and tigerheart's relationship. which...feels like a lot of missed potential to me? i want them to argue, i want dovewing to stand up to herself against ivypool, but why does the entire conflict have to revolve around him? why can't dovewing have her own thoughts and feelings without it tying back to her awful husband?

[umbran6]

The Roasting of the Deadbeat

I know I've posted this before, but I felt like this should be repeated since its... Father's Day. Or maybe its already past Father's Day if you're reading this post on some other part of the world. My least favorite holiday each year, second only to Columbus Day (I formally recognize Native American Day, TYVM). But I feel like I must say this, otherwise we forget that these people deserve this.

SCREW YOU HEPHAESTUS. Yes, I'm focusing on him, not Zeus.

Leo has every right to hate this bastard and if he could, spit on his throne. This hermit of a god abandoned Leo for nearly sixteen years, apparently too obsessed in either making stuff or screwing other people to even care about his son. Hephaestus isn't there to comfort Leo when his mother died, much less intervene in the actual matter when he, as god of the forge and flame, had every capability to do so.

The god doesn't even have the willingness to confess that he badly messed up with Leo, favoring his other children who get to Camp Half-Blood — his many, many children that ranged from either 18 (Charles freaking Beckendorf) to young Harley who was 8 years old. They get there young, they get there to stay for several years or months, and they get the training and knowledge to understand the world they truly live in.

Leo is extremely high up in that age range, at 16 years old when most demigods are brought to camp by age 12. Leo is apparently blessed with extremely rare fire powers not seen for several centuries, yet its a kid like Harley who is young to the point his demigod powers shouldn't even have manifested that gets the special treatment. When Medea looked into the future, she saw Leo as such a big threat to the Primordial Mother that Gaea herself made a personal visit at an attempt to psychologically break Leo when he was eight years old. Eight years old, the same age Harley is during The Lost Hero, yet Hephaestus does nothing as Leo's life falls apart around him.

HERA has a stronger relationship with Leo because she was actually there to help raise the kid. When the mother that tossed you off of Mount Olympus, the goddess that cursed each and every child of Zeus that was ever born (as far as we know of) is treating your child in a better way than you are, there is something wrong with you, you emotionally stunted goblin of a god.

ZEUS cared more about his children in his own warped way despite being an abusive bastard `and practically rival to Hephaestus in being a deadbeat. When Thalia was about to be killed by monsters Hades unleashed upon her, because, you know, Zeus broke a pact on the River Styx by sticking his dick in Beryl Grace (twice!), he at least had the decency to turn her into a tree so that she didn't die. It was severely implied in The Demigod Diaries that Zeus led her to find Luke and Annabeth. In Percy Jackson's Greek Gods its shown that he at least had an overprotective side to Athena and spoiled Artemis and satisfied several of her demands. Now I'm not excusing Zeus' own abuse towards his other children like Apollo and Ares. Zeus gave crumbs, you didn't even have the decency to give Leo anything at all.

HERMES, who screwed the pooch with Luke twice over, tried to do his best with him or by him. When Luke searched for a quest to prove his worth to the gods, Hermes offered it only unfortunately for the quest to end in failure. He left Luke in the care of his mentally unstable mother. Yet Hermes recognized the fact that he severely fucked up and tried to make amends, even apparently forgiving Luke despite the fact that he came inches to toppling Olympus. Hermes was willing to try to make amends and honored his son's wishes by helping Percy find the rest of his demigod children that were unclaimed. Hermes accepted that he had a hand for Luke's hatred towards Olympus and the he wronged Luke, Hephaestus has so far done zilch.

HADES did his best to protect Nico and Bianca when Zeus tried to kill them all, hiding them in the Lotus Hotel and Casino. When Marie Levesque was going to bring Hazel to Alaska, he tried to intervene and stop them from doing so because he knows Gaea was manipulating her and backed off at her wishes. When Nico is going through severe emotional turmoil during Blood of Olympus, he goes out of his way despite the Greco-Roman schizophrenia to help guide and comfort his son.

Hephaestus didn't even get Leo to Camp Half-Blood directly. Coach Hedge found Leo completely by accident. If it weren't for Hera literally rigging things so that Jason, Piper, and Leo were picked up at the Grand Canyon Skywalk, Leo would never have known that his life was screwed over by higher powers than him. His first direct interaction with Leo isn't even to give a sincere apology about the fact that he's been the shittiest deadbeat in millennia, its about to info-dump about the Giants. When Leo calls him out about this, Hephaestus doesn't even apologize for that and sweeps it under the rug and never speaks with Leo again.

So screw you Hephaestus. Decent fathers should be worth honoring, respecting at the very least. He deserves nothing, and should get nothing. His mother, who threw him off of Olympus, has a better relationship with his own son than he does. The rest of his fellow Olympians, even his shitbag of an adoptive father, have done better than him. He can do better, and he should be doing better. Hephaestus, the victim of abusive, neglectful parenting and parental favoritism should know the pitfalls of this and how to avoid them. Yet you're the divine equivalent of starting the cycle all over again, and it shows.

Let me finish on this note for you:

He is a god who is dedicated to forging inventions and fixing that which is broken. Yet for everything he has learned, he does not have the capability of fixing the bonds that he broke by his own hand.

[dream-meister-translations]

DREAM MEISTER & THE RECOLLECTED BLACK FAIRY

ALMA PAST #1

━

I was born in a small village on the outskirts of Norpli, Land of Clergymen. Allegedly, my cries echoed loudly from the moment I was born.

My father was a confessor, and so naturally, from a young age I found myself imbued with knowledge of confession and penance.

Equally naturally, for any boy growing up in such an environment, I had followed in my father's footsteps and became a confessor myself.

Working full time at the nearby church, I also made it my duty to take care of the orphaned children left at our sanctuary.

It was a humble but very impassioned way of life.

ALMA : Now, during this period of purification and enlightenment, you will clean the church for four days and four nights until it shines as bright as the day it came to be.

ALMA : With this penance, your sins shall be redeemed, and your soul will be as pure as freshly fallen snow!

CHILD : Ugh! But four days is so long!

ALMA : Stealing your friend's snack is a serious sin, you know?

CHILD : But...

ALMA : It may seem trivial to you, but all stealing is one sin under God.

ALMA : This you must understand.

CHILD : ...Y-Yes, Father.

ALMA : Alright, now go!

??? : Do you truly think that boy will reflect on his actions, Alma?

ALMA : Hm? Oh, Chris! Good morning!

CHRIS : That kid… He stole from his friend once already. I scolded him in much the same way. I truly wonder if he’ll ever learn his lesson...

ALMA : It's okay. He came to confess on his own this time!

ALMA : He finally understands that what he did was wrong. I have faith he won't do it again, hahaha!

CHRIS : Well, as long as he’s learning... The penance you hold for confessions is far too lenient, Alma. Just like your father's.

Chris was actually one of the orphans living at the church. Being so close in age, we got along well.

And we did so in spite of my carefree nature and Chris's astute seriousness, or perhaps we got along so well because of it...

Yes, I think that so. I think that was exactly why.

ALMA : Hahaha, you worry too much…

ALMA : There is no such thing as a person with a truly evil heart. Sure, they may be tempted by the demons from time to time, but...

ALMA : But so long as one has the will to change, anyone can redeem one’s self. And once they do, they can live the life of a truly righteous man once again.

CHRIS : ...The way you say it, Alma, I can’t help but believe it.

CHRIS :  I will never forget the time you spent three days and nights talking to that man whose sins had shaken the world to its core, and in the end, you made them repent.

ALMA : Oh yeah, that takes me back! He sure could talk a lot! Hahaha!

Being a confessor felt like a destiny of the highest calling. Being an arbiter of the people and enabling them to save their own hearts was my greatest joy.

I would talk to many people in my days as a confessor, from many walks of life, and with each and every person I met, I felt with ever more certainty that there were no inherently bad people.

Often times, the mistakes they made, the sins they would commit, would be a direct result of their unavoidable circumstances.

ALMA : Right! Well, then, let's see who has come to confess today. I'm looking forward to it!

CHRIS : Looking forward to it…? Would it not be more peaceful if nobody came?

ALMA : You might be right, hahaha!

WELL-DRESSED MAN : Excuse me. Is the confessor here?

ALMA : Yep, that's me! Are you here to confess your sins?

WELL-DRESSED MAN : Oh, I’m not here for me, but rather… my son.

MOODY YOUNG MAN : ...................

ALMA : Alright, got it! Then let's talk over here!

Today, as it was every day, I could cleanse another person's sins and purify their heart.

My heart was so full of hope for that…

[yuzuyoon]

To me watching the third episode, it looks lik JM babies both JK and Tae but he seems to especially coddle Tae which honestly doesn't make sense to me since Tae is same age as him. Who even cares about the 2 months difference lol but I do think that JMs maturity is at another level. That was always going to be the case anyways since it's been pretty apparent from the beginning but this episode was noticeable too.

I personally don't think Tae and Jk were rude to Jimin. JM knows how to handle them both and if something wasn't working out for him, he would have told them off. He was just feeling motion sickness and needed a rest to gain his power back which he did halfway through the episode.

People need to stop trying to make Jimin look like a damsel in distress. He literally climbed the fucking wall and if those two were pissing him off, he can literally pick them up lol. I think people sometimes forget how strong JM is mentally and physically. Just because he doesn't feel the need to mention his strength doesn't mean he isn't strong.

I do however think JK was pretty rude to Tae. Like I know people excuse that as him being sassy, he is young and all that colourful word but I found it quiet rude. Generally I don't find him rude because I can only imagine how hard it is for them all but he isn't a baby anymore. I didn't find him rude in the USA part because I don't personally think he was rude to JM. He is obviously an awkward kid and trying to fill that silence without JM is hard. JK doesn't have the natural charisma that JM has. Plus they were both unwell so I could understand a bit there. But I thought the attitude towards Tae was a bit harsh and Tae didn't seem to deserve it.

I also think it's okay to call out certain behaviors without attacking the person. I saw shippers make fun of his rudeness saying how he didn't want Tae there. Even if he didn't want him there, he should be showing it in a better way. That's no reason to make someone feel crap. It also doesn't prove anything others than the fact that he can be an ass sometimes which I don't know why anyone would celebrate that about their favourite. This isn't to say I think JK is an asshole. I think he was being a bit of a dick in the episode. But also maybe he just wasn't having a good day.

I saw some people drag Tae for joining but I didn't see JM have any problem. Infact he seemed happy to have him there and he hung out with him a lot. The level of easiness JM has with Tae is quiet nice and that doesn't seem to change overtime. JM treats him like a fucking baby even more than he treats JK. When V is around, JMs attention also seems to go to V.

I also don't understand what people are saying when it comes to their bodies lol. I just saw two skinny dudes whose body I could have lived without seeing lol. I would say the same about it if Jimin was showing his body as well haha.

jimin's a big brother by blood so it doesn't surprise me that he babies his younger non blood related brothers.

i don't think they were necessarily rude but they certainly do not know how to read the room. if jimin wasn't feeling well and was just laying down to try to rest, getting him soaked was not the move. nausea is no joke. i had some trouble with it a month ago and i was nauseous all week but i wasn't sick. it sucks. the last thing i would've wanted was to be sprayed with water guns while trying to rest.

i also personally think ppl are reading too much into the th joining the show thing. it's not like he was one of jimin or jk's friends from outside the group like kai or mingi. jimin and jk could've said no to him coming if they really didn't want him there. they're all friends and they all clearly enjoy their time together, so i dont get the problem. you can be annoyed he's on the show but 🤷‍♀️

i honestly dont get the big deal with seeing them shirtless. there have only been a few instances when i've gotten excited to see jimin's body, and its very rare. it's kinda weird how stans of boy groups have gotten so comfortable expecting their idols to go shirtless or give them an ab flash. like it's not something that's surprising anymore but anticipated. they are not entitled to showing off their bodies, just like how female idols shouldn't be expected to wear incredibly revealing clothing. why has kpop gotten to a place where we value seeing skin over liking the music we listen to?

[theselfshippingwitch]

Random Act of Ask.

If you and Ray went to high school together, what would that be like? Would y'all have been friends? Sweethearts? Classes in common? 😁

thank u for giving me an excuse to talk about my au where ray and violet are childhood friends, but it's still the same time period as when they meet as adults. i call it the "my s/i gets to indulge in 80s stuff for kids (while being age appropriate for it for once)" au.

ray and violet meet and fall in love when they're very young, but they're SO young they don't know it yet. Janine is violet's best female friend and they're both the weird girls in school. all the ghostbusters are also childhood friends. violet and janine have sleepovers on summer nights and watch scary movies and those horror anthology shows that are on at 11pm that theyre not supposed to be watching. the ghostbusters just happen to also be having a sleepover that night and they and the girls all end up at the 7 Eleven after sunset. ray and violet buy big gulps and trade marvel trading cards in the parking lot. they go back to the houses they were sleeping over at and their friends tease them about their obvious crushes on each other, but they've been friends for so long they can't imagine their lives without the other. peter prank calls janines house at 11:45pm.

by the time prom comes around, its not even a question that ray and violet will be going together. ray has been violet's best friend even through that weird phase boys go through where they're supposed to stop being friends with girls. at prom, ray confesses that he's in love with violet, but he never wants to ruin their friendship, because she's the most special and important friend he's ever had, the person who understands him the way no one else has ever understood him, the only person who never made him feel bad for all the weird stuff he likes, the person he could count on to go to the comic book store with him and marathon star wars movies with him. violet is overjoyed because OF COURSE she loves him too!!! he's the sweetest boy she ever met, the one who always makes her feel safe from all the bullies in school, who never thought she was weird for liking horror and cartoons and that alien autopsy special. after that night, they've been together ever since.

[gamegem92]

What Lies Deep (Jelly Jamm AU)

(Made this for mermay, and I might make it a full AU!)

(Your prompt: Bello is a merperson who gets injured and washed up on the shore of a beach unconscious, and is found by Goomo.) Soooo, trigger warnings for injuries, and of course, slight platonic Goomello/Honey-Cinnamon-Tea. Also, the language Bello originally speaks in is mermish, but he learns English/Jammbonian along the way!

~~~~~~~

He didn’t think it was real.

The very few times that Goomo went to the beach, he found a couple of shells or coastal dodo species, but he didn’t expect to find someone washed up on the shore, much less a kid his age.

The young boy had a complexion of red with matching hair that smelled like sea salt, a missing tooth on one side, and odd glowing marks across his body. There was one thing that bugged him, however: he didn’t have any legs, just a long tail with a heart-shaped fin at the end, and there were more fins across his body.

He didn’t expect to find the odd creature, per se, for it was actually Rita, who he was taking on a trip there, who found the strange boy on the beach. They immediately brought it back to the castle and informed the Queen about the boy with a tail, and she told the other kids to help while Goomo kept the boy at home with him. Ongo patched up his injuries, and Mina was building an enclosure for the boy from the water.

Rita usually came over to check on him and his damp friend, which she called “Ruby” because of his ruby red scales. Mina usually came over to study the odd creature while it was unconscious, and found out that it was scarred and wounded. Ongo… well, he knew something about it that could help, but none of the other kids could understand what he tried to say.

Now was an eventful day; the water boy was finally waking up! What do I say, what do I say?! “Hi, I thought you were dead!” No, no, no, he’ll think I’m trying to kill him! Maybe, “Welcome to the neighborhood”? He probably doesn’t know what that is! I know! I’ll ask if he’s okay! What can go wrong? The other boy’s eyes slowly opened up, a similar ruby red to his scales, and fins flaying outward as if he was trying to stretch.

“Excuse me, are you…” but before he could finish the sentence, he was lost in its gaze, stumbling over each syllable in awe. The creature was curious, and its markings lit up. The markings included, but weren’t limited to, a stripe across the chest patterned with gold scales in a lightning bolt shape, rings and stripes around his arms in a silvery white and a deep blue, and scales of the different colors dotting his tail and making odd little patterns.

It stared in confusion before trying to get closer, only to be stopped by the walls of his tank. “Y-you… you’re beautiful…” After hearing this, the water-dwelling boy pouted. “I-I-I’m so sorry! I just… never saw anything like you, a-and-“ it seemed to laugh a little, before answering in a language unknown to him. All he could hear was “Dal em setanim…” 

“So… I found you on the beach, and you were unconscious, so I thought I’d keep you here, is that okay?” He said nothing, but his scales did light up. The smile on the odd water-dwelling boy’s face was enough of an answer for Goomo. “Great! So, do you have a name? I, uh, don’t want to call you ‘it’ all the time…” “…Name?” “Y-Yeah, what do you call yourself? For instance, my name is Goomo! And… you are?”

“B-Bello.”

~~~~~~~

Bello was adjusting nicely to his tank, but he got bored easily. Mina brought some books for him to read- or rather, for him to have Goomo read them- and tried teaching them how to speak each other’s language.

Rita began to accept that the odd fishy boy was part of the neighborhood now, and even helped him adjust, even if she still called him “Ruby” sometimes. Ongo sort of spoke to Bello too, even understanding what he said. But Goomo still felt like a stranger to the ocean dweller.

Bello has learned how to speak Jammbonian as well, but he could only parrot little phrases and words here and there. Whether he knew what they meant or not was another story altogether. Even so, they had little talks in order to understand each other. 

Today, it was Mina’s turn to visit them, and the boys were genuinely interested in hearing a story today! “What’s the book about today?” “What? What?” “This,” she opened the book to a page with a  picture of a young woman with a long coat and a sword, “is the journal of Lady Kazamira.” She read them tales of seafaring adventures and daring sword fights, but then one story peaked Bello’s interest.

It was about something that Kazamira called “merpeople,” and Bello immediately spoke up after hearing some depictions. “Ffuegane! Dat… is mee!” Mina and Goomo looked up at him as he said this. “Wh-what did he say?” Mina thought for a moment, and then she began to realize and speak up, increasingly energetic. “Ffuegane is how they say merpeople in second order Mermish! Of course! His tail, a-and his need for constant hydration or contact with water, the markings… your roommate is a young merperson!”

Goomo couldn’t believe it. They were real. Kazamira’s stories were based on something true. “Y-You’re a-“ Bello emitted a quick grunt before realizing that the others couldn’t understand, and tried speaking their language again. “…eeas. I am!” “That’s so cool! C’mon! Let’s hear more stories about merpeople!”

“If you like this book so much, you can keep it. There’s even a translator in there!”

~~~~~~~

The few days that went by, Goomo learned how to speak Mermish and how to care for and maintain his merman roommate. Bello learned a little, too- he learned some of his own kind’s history! Meanwhile, the enclosure was almost complete! Maybe I should enjoy a little fly-by and check on the progress?

Carefully placing a blanket over Bello’s tank, he started up the flight function and began to plink away on the built-in piano keys. “Looks great so far…” The tune he played was nothing too fancy, just a little song that flowed like water and could easily be hummed to… but then… he heard something.

Was that… singing?

Before he turned around, he engaged autopilot and looked for the source. It was Bello singing! Goomo could NOT believe it. “Y-You’re a great singer!” “Krrr?” The young merman hid under the blanket yet again. “No, no, no! It’s okay! You’re really good at singing, too!” “…thank you.” It was obvious that Bello was not used to having others hear him sing.

“You know…” Goomo walked up to the tank. “I’m a little shy about my piano skills… what do you say? It can be our little secret!” “See-crit?” Oh, right… he doesn’t understand certain words… “I won’t tell anyone about your singing, and you don’t tell anyone about my ability to play piano, okay?” “…Truth.” What was the young merman saying? Tell the truth? But he was so scared!

“I-I can’t do that! What if they laugh at me?!” Bello didn’t change his response at all, restating “truth” in a much more firm tone. “…You’re right. But what if-“ “They laugh… their problem!” After hearing that, he felt a little better. As he turned off autopilot, he safely landed his home and began to head for the door- “Mrrrrrr!”

Bello seemed to be making lots of sounds, as if he wanted him to stay for a little longer. The words that he were focused on were “Oowii” and “Hhu-hng,” meaning that he wanted his attention, and something about the heart… “What is it? What are you trying to say?” “…Why I was… hurt…”

He explained to Goomo that in the beginning, he was hunting for a bit, and he was considered the oddball of his own little schooling, but he ran- er, swam- away, trying to find a place of his own where he was the leader. Unfortunately, he couldn’t exactly stay on task, and he got distracted by the surface easily.

As a result, hunters easily spotted and captured him aboard their ship. He managed to escape, but not without scars from the sharp sticks they held and bruises from his attempts to swim after his tail became weak from the lack of water. “I’m sorry you had to go through that… I promise, with all my heart, that you will never have to go through that again as long as I am here!”

Bello seemed to smile after hearing that. “So, what are we waiting for? Let’s go check on your new home!” “New home!” Goomo picked up Bello’s tank of water and placed it on top of a rolling cart that he was provided, dragging it over to the exact area where Mina said the tank was.

Gently eyeing the handiwork, it was perfect. There was an area for everyone to walk in and see the charming little merman swim around, and steps to walk up and interact with him. The actual tank part had a water filter to keep it fresh and a bed of sand with aquatic plants and small prey creatures to simulate Bello’s hunting and foraging instincts, and the best part: he could see all his new friends, including his best friend.

“It’s still a work in progress,” Mina added, “but I assure you, soon enough, it’s going be perfect!” “What do you mean? It’s already perfect! And Bello really seems to like it, too!” “But there needs to be waterways so he can travel Jammbo and visit you! It-“ Bello immediately tried climbing into the special containment zone for him, and immediately loved it. “…alright, I guess we could do the waterways together for now.” “Where should we start?”

Bello immediately traced a line from his containment to Goomo’s house.

“I think Bello has a good idea.”

[httpiastri]

i’m so sorry if this sounds stupid (i am american 😭) but being from sweden, have you learned english since you were little in school or something? your english is incredible 😭😭 im from new york and here we don’t start learning a language until you’re like 11–12, and its only for 6 years(unless you choose to pursue it further in college). i am, in no way, as fluent in italian as you are in english and it too is my second language 😅 sorry if this sounds dumb or something i am just so curious LOL

omg no it's not stupid at all!! thank you so so much for your sweet words 🥺

i'm not sure about when kids here start getting taught english, but i would assume it's at around age 8? maybe?? i can't remember 😶 but then it's mandatory up until you're 17, but i took two years of extra english bcs it's always been my fave subject :) apparently the first time i spoke in english was when i was about 7, my parents found me talking to some americans (in a headset) while playing online video games, and they were so shocked because i hadn't started taking english classes yet so they didn't understand how that could happen 🤠 in sweden everyone also chooses a third language in grade 6 (age 12 ish), most schools offer spanish, french and german classes. then you study that language for four years, and usually one more year in high school. so i had 5 years of german but pretty much all i can remember is how to say "i'm a potato" 🤡

but i mean i think it's much easier to get fluent-ish in english in today's society, especially if you spend as much time online as i do lmao. you just get exposed to the english language everywhere, in a way that i'd assume you don't get to italian? (excuse me if i'm wrong!!) like even young kids watch tiktoks or yt vids or read instagram comments... and i have this memory of me sitting in a car with two girls that i used to coach a few years ago (when they were maybe 10 years old) and seeing them play roblox and chatting (in perfect english)(or, at least perfect roblox-english) with strangers about trading some items......

[lovelymessybubbly]

hello tama/egg!

this is my first time going to someones asks with courage to talk about my tickling fetish.

im a minor and ive had this since i was 9 or younger. its really hard to talk about, and im actually going to share something extremely personal with you because i know its not okay, and i might aswell for the first time get someone’s opinion on my change of ways.

im not fully ashamed of it anymore, and for a very long time i hated myself bc of it.

im currently 15, and when i was 12 i used to, USED TO, think of children in my mind around the ages of 5-6, they were my ocs, getting tied up and tickled. i dont know why i went through that faze, it was really hard for me to change that for some reason. it hurts alot to talk about it to anyone, but going out here in public to tell you about it makes me proud.

i changed to thinking of only adult ocs, and i left the kid part behind because i felt like a pedofile, and thought i would be a pedofile when i grew up. i never really wanted to be hated for this, but i was, and i get why. i’ve had several close friends early in life tell me to fuck off or just unfriend/block me after i told them about this, and i get why they did that too.

im still working up to telling friends i know now about this personally, because you never know if someone’s going to hate you still, even though you think you’ve made a huge change in your life.

i also wanted to ask how you told your friends/partner ever about your fetish? its always been so hard for me. some advice would be nice, because i usually am somehow approaching in the wrong way.

anywho, thank you so much for your time, and im honestly proud of how you’ve handled that person who is sending alot of blogs that message, you did well!

sincerely, and ticklishly, your friend ruby!

hi ruby ! nice to hear from you ヾ(^ω^*)

this is quite a bit of personal information ! i will be honest with you, ruby - those kind of thoughts you were having are definitely not okay. it sounds like you were incorporating bondage into some of these thoughts with such young children and that is definitely not a harmless fantasy. but it sounds like you have come to terms with that, owned up to your perhaps harmful actions, and worked through it in your own way. recognizing your mistakes and putting in work like that is very respectable, so i would not hold i against you !

make sure you just understand how that might have negatively affected others, especially those who are triggered by situations like that. i am proud of you for being honest with yourself and not making excuses.

anyway! on the subject of telling partners about the whole tickling thing… Σ(-᷅_-᷄๑) that’s hard because the two people in my life who know just found out lol. i didnt tell them. my best friend stumbled across a sketchbook that i had drawn tickling art in, and my bf, well… he’s just intuitive.

when it comes to being comfortable with yourself, though, it’s not easy! i would definitely say to always remember, it is really not as weird as you may think. yes, it still is definitely “weird,” but… it’s just tickling. lots of people have weird kinks, even the most vanilla people have their quirks ! it is no biggie. and even for those who just like tickling nonsexually… it’s no different then enjoying back scratches, or having your hair played with.

if you are working up the courage to tell a partner, i say go for it ! especially if you have been with them for a while and trust them a lot. i am at the point with my bf where i feel like i could tell him anything and he would still wholeheartedly love me. i think that if you have a good relationship with someone, they will find such a quirky thing endearing and adorable. it is harmless enough anyways.

and, as always, never feel pressured to tell someone! it is no rush, go at your own pace. but remember tickling is just a unique part of your personality! nothing to be ashamed of, as long as you are respectful and follow consent, of course.

thank you for stopping by and sharing such a personal story ! and thank you for your support ! i wish you well as you continue your journey of self-discovery !! ( ˊᵕˋ )♡.°⑅

[tetsunabouquet]

96, 98, 79 <3

79 - My first playground boyfriend, we met at elementary school. Whilst I've heard its actually only mandatory from the age of 5 and up, in the Netherlands most kids start going to school at the age of 4. Most kids treated me differently and excluded me, and he was one of the kids who always treated me well. To this day, my biggest regret is that I lost my vriendenboekje. This translates to, 'friend booklet' and its this thing in the Netherlands that we exchange with our friends as small kids and their parents fill in questions like their kid's favorite color and musician.

He had covered all the blank spots on his two pages with these thick fake-rhinestone heart stickers and I could no longer properly close the booklet because of it. It was really cute.

But then came the day that another girl had an unfortunate accident and she was temprorarily left in a wheelchair. He kept including her in our plays and as his girlfriend it reached the point that I got jealous with him constantly giving her attention and feeling like I was turnt into the third wheel of our play sessions. So I ended up ignoring him to oblivion afterwards and basically ghosted the poor boy because I was too young to understand I was jealous and have the tools to deal with said jealousy.

(I'm sorry Tommy, I really am)

96 - My mom chose my name based on historical national reasons. Have you ever heard of the technique, 'polderen'? This is a form of water related engineering that basically pumps away all water and creates landmass. It's a technique that was basically pioneered by the Netherlands and we own the majority of polder-landmass in Europe with only the USA and a few Asian countries having created polder areas themselves.

If you ever seen Disney's Pinokkio, then you are familiar with the Dutch polder-area where I was born, the Zuiderzee. Originally, this was a lake that through a small stream was connected to the sea. The Romans were the first to give it a recorded name, the Flevo lake which is why the name of my birth province is Flevoland. However, through circumstances, the lake started flooding nearby villages around the beginning of the Dark Ages. It first expanded into an even bigger lake, that was renamed the Aelmere. This is where the name of my birth town, Almere, comes from. Then, it expanded once more into an internal sea, the Zuiderzee/ Southern sea- remember the sea next to the Netherlands is the North Sea.

Through the polder-technique, we reclaimed the lands of the sunken villages and created the landmass I was born on. Almere was barely 2 decades old when I was born. In the city, you will find a man-constructed lake that was build for monumental reasons. The hospital is located close to the northern beach of the lake and my mom happened to have some really good view on the day I was born. So she gave me a name with an obvious water theme as she was inspired by the history.

It's also why she likes to call me her mermaid and often makes the story of my birth sound like the birth of Venus when she starts talking about it.

98 - More like, on which body part do I not have scars, that would be the better question. I have so many, and for all kinds of reasons. Like, the most noticable is the big scar in my face that I got from an accident at school when I was 14.

Our school was going to have a culture day with each class representing a country- we were going to be Italy. Me and another girl were the most artistic gifted of the class so we were in charge of stuff like the decorations. I wanted to do charcoal sketches of Italian buildings to cover our classroom walls so my teacher sent me to another class to see if they had charcoal. A stupid underclassman threw the door open in my face when I knocked, and stammered some kind of excuse about a game he plays with his friend as my face started to bleed as the blow split the skin at my brow in two.

It's similar in length and location as Harry Potter's famous thunderbolt scar (mine being just a little lower and a straight line), so I got teased with 'Harriet Potter' amongst things.

The only scar I have that's longer and also pretty visible is the one at the back of my right hand. That was done by my beloved Poosie when she got anxious at my neighbor's bulldog (I certainly can point to my cats for several of my scars).

[skztuary]

˚₊ ˚ ‧₊ .:･˚₊ ˚ ‧₊ .:･˚₊ *˚

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ 23일 9월 2023년

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ now playing: 승전가 (victory song) performance video by stray kids

i don't know where to start. earlier, i was thinking about what i wanted to say but now i feel i don't know,, empty? like, there's nothing to say. god, the world just pisses me off. its not in a "god i'm so depressed" way anymore its just, disappointment? all of you just make me tired, annoyed. sometimes i wish i still had that childlike thought of "why cant everyone just get along?" i don't even know why i had that thought as a kid because my life back then wasn't even that good.

last week, i went out with my younger cousins and my grandparents. i wanted to scream, cry, break down, etc. i hate what they've become. i remember when i would see them more often, when they were 8 and 4. i was young too, but i was older than them both and i looked after them. i stopped seeing them so much. the thing about them is that they're white. my dad's side of the family (which is the side they're on) is korean. fully. my grandparents were both born in korea but moved to london (my nan) and australia (my grandpa) at a young age. then, they moved back to korea when they had my dad in ulsan but moved back to the uk before having my aunt.

my aunt is really young, so are my parents & grandparents, but to put it in perspective she was 17 when she had her first kid and 21(?) when she had her second. their baby daddy wasn't the best (or so i've heard from multiple people, i've gotten to the age where i can start to hear family drama lol) but she no longer has the kids even though she was a much better parent. i'm not too sure what happened to those kids, the dad didn't take them, i think they live in korea with another family member now?

but she adopted two kids, my nan said she "always liked kids a bit too much" when i was looking at baby photos and there was one of me and her. there was one of me and her under a cherry blossom tree, she was holding me while in her school uniform. but the point of this ramble is both of the adopted kids are white. she has two other biological kids. they're mixed. third korean, third english and third bengali. i wouldn't bring this up unless it was important.

uh yeah but i hated every second of seeing them again. they pulled their eyes back, called me slurs, said shit i don't even wanna repeat not only about asians but africans too. all i'm saying is they made some comments about their brothers being more tan than them.

my grandparents didn't even say anything. my grandfather even encouraged them by making asian jokes. i'm fine with asian people making asian jokes, hell i've probably said some when i was younger. but it's not ever okay to teach white kids that it's okay to do that. my mum said it's because he's from a more white exclusive area of australia and not from an area with more diversity like us. but he's asian? he's a grown man he needs to deal with own internalised racism.

my nan tried to subtly excuse it (whether she realised it more not) by saying he's autistic so he doesn't understand, i am autistic and i understand why i shouldn't do that‽ he just started high school so teach him‽‽‽

i'm fucking sick of it lol but whatever. i don't even remember what i was talking about originally but i guess this is why my blog is here, to let it all out.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ╱|、 ok lolol byeeeeee ♡ (˚ˎ 。7 |、˜〵 じしˍ,)ノ

[ilovetobiko]

on debuting minors in kpop...

this is not directed at any fandom, just those who make excuses for debuting middle schoolers... or whatever My Teenage Girl tried to do with letting an 11 year old on their show...

to preface, i used to be an active member of a fandom that supports an idol group with the undisclosed concept being that they never grow up, and throws away members when they age out to replace their spots with younger idols... this fandom is small, and i do not mention the group or fanname purposefully.

this fandom, at least the parts that i engaged with as an international fan, were very against the fact these kids debuted. we discouraged buying albums, and wished disbandment on the group. the most we could do was listen to the music, because that generates the least revenue. the company was and still is very exploitative, and the members are often put in uncomfortable situations. spending much of my teenage years as a fan, it became increasingly obvious the older i got. fans telling fans not to watch the new uploads because of the content, mass reporting creeps all the time.. i was a teenager in highschool, and even if i didnt understand all of the shit that went down, it was disturbing regardless.

i got very emotionally attached to many of the same-age idols in the line-up. i still got sad when they were kicked out, but i was happy for them too! and that's not something i wish any other teen experience with their idols..

so seeing all these new idol groups of 14 year olds being very obviously exploited, and having fandoms of people of all ages siding with their companies over their personal morals... Is so sickening? its crazy to me to see even young fans of these groups buying albums.. that was and still is very forbidden in my previous similar (but truly nothing alike) fandom...

but people say. but you like these idols even though they debuted at 13! so why are you so against....?

and that take just feels ignorant and sometimes even plain edgy! those idols [who debuted as kids] are usually the perfect examples of why school aged idols should not even be permitted or standard in k-pop, and have usually spoken about how horrible it was publicly. i get a lot of these k-pop fans who defend this are also newer to the subgenre, but if they really want to show dedication to a young idol, they should take all the free options they have to communicate with them and deny the payments. and stop siding with the companies, because i promise not one music company has a clean record on the way their artists are treated by their ceos and/or staff. also the fact that some of these notable names in the behind the scenes of these current groups are known pedophiles.. yeah.

i dont want to use any group or idol as any kind of case study, im just disgusted and confused why there is little pushback against obvious child exploitation in big k-pop fandoms... and im asking anyone who reads this who might make excuses for why its okay to ask themselves why they do it.

to be blunt— and im not the most sorry to be— but its giving very 'map/no-map/pro-map' and its extremely depressing and creepy to see as an outsider.

[traumasurvivorshelpingsurvivors]

I need a. i guess second opinion on this? TW: mentions of sexual content, potential incestual sexual harassment, mention of addiction. I hope these are satisfactory im sorry if im forgetting anything

I'm trying to figure out if some things my older brother did to me when we were kids count as sexual harassment. he would tell me about sexual topics, make sexual comments at me (but not like. about me. like moans and stuff to me but not about me at all), and occasionally showed me porn at a very young age (he was young too, but him showing me some is one of my earliest memories of seeing pornography, and I've had a porn addiction for as long as I can remember). I wouldn't put it above him to do because he does sexually harass our mom to this day. the main thing that makes me nervous is that i don't think he knew exactly what he was doing, he's autistic and struggles to understand when things aren't appropriate and stuff. I know that's more of an explaination than an excuse but...i really don't know what to do. coming to the conclusion that that might've been sexual harassment is really throwing me for a loop and i just need outside commentary to tell me if im over-labelling or if its as uncomfortable as i think. - popcorn (so i can find this later)

Hi popcorn,

I'm so sorry about what you've been going through.

I think it's important to remember that just like intentions don't matter, whether someone comprehends the gravity of their own actions doesn't necessarily matter either. Because regardless, he is still perpetuating abusive behavior that is having an impact on those he is targeting. What you described can definitely count as sexual harassment or incest.

If you can access or afford it, a mental health professional such as a therapist could help you process these experiences and equip you with some useful coping mechanisms that you can take with you along your healing journey.

I hope I could help and please let us know if you need anything.

-Bun

[xbarrjallenx]

Dancing At A Funeral

Pairing: Ben Hargreeves x Gender-Neutral!Reader Summary: (Y/N) reminisced some of their memories with Ben during his funeral. Requested: Yes / No Word count: 2.592 Posted: 23.06.2022 Warning(s): Ben’s death, fluff, grief, mentions of blood, season two spoilers, unedited imagine Song inspiration: Good Grief - Bastille A/N: I wrote this imagine way back in 2020, after finishing Season 2, so it’s been sitting in my drafts for way too long and just posting it to celebrate Season 3. Yay! It’s too long, I know, but I hope you still like it. Also, should I keep this with Vanya or should I change to Viktor now? The happening dates back to Season 1, so I am not sure. Feedbacks are always appreciated, because my writing is very rusty. Help your girl to improve, please! Also, English is not my first language, so mistakes can be found. I’m sorry and thank you! - G. x Take note: (Y/N) and the Hargreeves siblings were twenty-one years old during the funeral. 

It was one gloomy afternoon for six loving young adults: five of them were his extraordinary siblings and the remaining one was you, his beloved best friend.

The group was still shaken up for the heartbreaking news, but all of you managed to suppress the overflowing emotions by putting up your best poker face whilst you formed two neat semi-circles on both sides of his snow-covered casket.

“Why don’t you ever talk to your siblings about your feelings? Look at you right now: messy and all over the place.” You questioned while you pulled him in a gentle and comforting embrace.

“Emotions aren’t welcomed nor appreciated in the Hargreeves’ household, (Y/N). We’re all messed up, my siblings are just stronger than me.” He calmly informed you, lingering the warmth and comfort that your body emitted.

Ben Hargreeves - the sweetest and the most caring person that you have ever met in your life. He was loyal and understanding, an extraordinary person, abilities and character-wise.

“(Y/N), is everything all right?” Vanya derailed your train of thoughts, noticing how fixated your eyes were on your best friend’s picture - he seemed so happy and light-hearted.

“Yes. Thank you, Vanya!” You forcefully smiled, glancing at her with your slightly watery eyes. You were glad that she was still concerned about you, even though you barely saw her when Ben was still alive.

The rest of the Hargreeves siblings gave you a solace stare soon after, silently letting you know that they had your back at all times. It was a cold and snowy day, but their kindness and sympathy were enough to warm your body and your miserable heart.

“Kudos to you for staying strong, (Y/N)!” Klaus proudly exclaimed, slightly making you smile for his kind remarks.

Klaus. Klaus was the most supportive Hargreeves ever. He was the contrary of Ben, who was introvert, silent and shy. Klaus was rather extrovert, dorky and talkative. In fact, when the former wasn’t in the mood of talking, he was more of a listener, the latter was your companion on sputtering nonsense.

You were very grateful of them, Ben and Klaus were surely the reason that you have met each other, that you have become friends.

“Hey, dear!” A boy about your age startled you as he approached you whilst you bit on you calorie bomb pastry. “I’m so sorry to scare you, but I want to inform you that you have a stalker over there.” He pointed a booth with six twelve year olds, wearing immaculate and familiar uniforms: The Umbrella Academy.

They were famous. Well, the daily news were always full of them, so it was impossible to not acknowledge them.

“Excuse me?” You confusedly corrugated your forehead as you put your dessert back on its plate. “Aren’t you part of that group?”

He hummed and nodded. “Yes, but do you see that little kid there: shiny jet black hair, cute almond eyes, so handsome?” He moved his hands as he sincerely described the boy. “He’s my brother and he’s been admiring you since we came in.”

“That’s creepy, but he’s cute.” You chuckled as you waved your hands towards the children’s direction and the concerned boy covered his face with his both hands out of embarrassment, watching you and his brother through his fingers.

That moment was the beginning of your friendship with the Hargreeves siblings and, as they snuck out of their house almost every night to meet you at Griddy’s Doughnuts, you slowly learnt everything about them: from how their superpowers functioned to how dysfunctional their family was.

Although you got along very well with all of them, it was needless to say that your relationship with Ben, Klaus and Vanya were stronger. They were the most vulnerable ones in the Academy and they were never afraid to open up to you.

The friendship was amazing and it quickly grew, but, as the years went by, you also started falling apart - less siblings came to your daily meet ups, until Ben and Klaus were the only ones left. It didn’t mean that you hated the other siblings, though, you were still very fond of them, you were just not as close as before.

“Your bed is so soft!” Klaus exhaustedly commented as he messily plopped himself on your bed. The three of you decided to change your location since the pastries at Griddy’s Doughnuts started making you feel nauseous. You surely have tasted everything in that diner!

“Bookworm!” Ben shrieked at the sight of your huge book collection - it was his comfort object, mostly after using his powers during a mission.

Your friendship was not rocket science at all: they found their comfort person and they were grateful to have you. You were their only best friend and they perfectly knew that they could count on you, and vice versa. They were your safe haven, the ones who kept you safe and warm, and you were their pole star, the one who guided them when they were feeling lost or overwhelmed of their powers and Dad’s rules.

The two teenagers enjoyed visiting you almost every night, sometimes both of them would knock on your window, most times it would just be Ben, but never only Klaus, until one day, that very specific day.

“(Y/N)!” A trembling Klaus entered your window, despair and sorrow behind his voice. “(Y/N)!”

He was shaken up and felt uneasy. You were almost sure that something bad has happened in the Academy. “Klaus, breathe. Settle down and we’ll talk about it.”

You gave him your water bottle, letting him catch his breath. “(Y/N).”

“Klaus, take your time.” You gently announced, calming him down as you rubbed his back. What could have possibly happened? Nothing really bad, you hoped.

You both remained in silence for a little while - Klaus defeated his breathlessness and you watched him as he halted his emotions from spilling.

“Are you ready?” You carefully asked, getting the empty water bottle from Klaus’ hand. He just nodded in response. “All right, slowly and calmly.”

He started trembling once again and you continued rubbing his back, letting him know that he was not alone. He hardly swallowed as he gathered his courage to tell you everything.

You started panicking by seeing his actions, but you were the fortress between the two of you, you couldn’t break nor fall. Not right now.

“Something in the mission went wrong,” He sadly started, staring straightly in your eyes. “and Ben is gone.”

A big lump in your throat suddenly formed and it was very hard to swallow. Your shoulders fell down like teardrops, salted water started streaming down your face and your world fell apart.

Your hand and knees started to shake, not knowing how to take the news in. “It’s not a good joke, Klaus. You are lying!” You blurted out, eyes started to sting badly.

Ben meant so much to you and he perfectly knew it. He couldn’t just come over and joke about Ben’s life, it was illegal.

“(Y/N), honey.” Klaus engulfed you in a comforting hug, calming you down as you started to messily sob against the crook of his neck. You were hurt and your chest was so tight, heart breaking in small smithereens - he was now the one who needed to stay strong, for the both of you. “Yes, I know, I know. Just let it out, don’t be afraid.”

Well, so much for being the fortress. You felt that you weren’t strong, not at all - the enemy has attacked you one time and you quickly fell, you quickly broke. Ben and Klaus were the ones who gave you strength, but one of them brought all of it with him, in his grave.

“(Y/N),” A deep voice quickly shooed your thoughts away: Sir Reginald Hargreeves. “would you like to say a few words?”

You were so busy in reminiscing that you didn’t notice Reginald, Grace and Pogo arriving. Those memories with Ben made you happy, but a huge horde of sadness washed you away once the old man brought you back to reality: Ben was still dead.

Reginald Hargreeves never liked you and it was strange that he didn’t throw a fit as soon as he saw you in one of his kids’ funeral - perhaps it was out of respect for Ben. He has always reputed you as a bad influence to his children, mostly to Ben, but the teenagers stood up for you uncountable times, breaking the rules just to see you and Ben happy and smiling.

“No, Sir Hargreeves. Thank you!” Your voice broke in the middle of the short sentence and the siblings hastily gave you a comforting look, nonetheless their distressed faces. They hated seeing you suffer, just as much as you all hated Reginald and that meant a really lot.

The old man nodded in response and, as soon as he started walking back inside his mansion, Grace and Pogo following soon after, the sobbing of the Academy members intensified, pouring their hearts out whilst tears uncontrollably streamed down their faces.

“It’s nobody’s fault!” Vanya strongly pointed out, trying to make her siblings feel better after the eulogy that you have just missed.

“How would you know, Vanya? You weren’t even on the mission.” Diego sputtered and your heart ached at Vanya’s failed attempt of consoling her siblings.

Vanya softly gasped, tightly holding her black umbrella before leaving the courtyard. She must have felt left out, again.

“Nice going, asshole!” Luther fiercely spat, defending Vanya - a thing that Ben usually did.

You faced the remaining siblings and they started arguing between them again, sending you back to remembering your memories of Ben, of how he would run to your house to avoid his siblings’ futile fight.

“Hey, can I stay for a little while with you?” He shyly asked, hoping you wouldn’t turn his request down.

“Are your siblings fighting again?” You empathically questioned him, putting down the book that you were reading on your desk.

“Unfortunately.” His shoulders dropped down, sadly looking in your eyes. It hurt him to see his siblings argue over everything.

You smiled at him and put a vinyl record on your player, Stand By Me, sung by Ben E. King, starting. “I dedicate this song to you, Benerino!”

He quickly smiled and hummed to the song, both of you proudly singing when the chorus would come.

“Thank you.” He quietly murmured in your ear after you pulled him into a heartwarming hug.

You missed him. You missed him so damn much.

“(Y/N),” Klaus softly called you, thread of thoughts cut once again. “shall we dance?”

You raised an eyebrow and the waterworks turned on once again: Vanya was playing Stand By Me with her violin and Klaus remembered how Ben would ask you to dance whenever his favourite song played.

“Gladly!” You grabbed Klaus’ hand, letting go of your umbrella, snow flakes quickly resting on your head and shoulders.

You and Klaus slowly danced around Ben’s coffin. It seemed like you two were celebrating that the Horror was gone, but you were just cherishing the memories you shared with his beloved brother.

“Dad’s not around anymore, you can let your tears fall freely.” Klaus reminded you, knowing how much you were trying to contain your emotions.

“I just miss him, Klaus,” You truthfully admitted. “I miss him so much.”

Klaus’ glance shifted from you to something behind you, but he still listened to your confession. “I am sure that he misses you, too.”

When the song finished, you asked the boy to leave you for a little while, wanting to talk to the unanimated Ben for a few minutes. He gladly respected you decision and he went towards the gazebo, eyes fixated on you, or maybe on the empty spot next to you. Your eyes were blurry because of the tears, so you couldn’t really figure it out.

“Hey, Benerino!” You sweetly chuckled as you caressed the photo on his casket, snow slowly melting because of your hand’s warmth. “You’re gone too soon, but I hope you feel better wherever you are right now, albeit I still think that it’s just unfair. What’s going to be left of the world, if you’re not in it, huh?”

The thought of not growing old with him destroyed you. You were perfect for each other, you had loads of amazing things with him, and you wished you had Klaus’ powers to conjure Ben up. You wanted to see him again.

“You’ll be now missing from the photographs in the mansion. You gave me another reason to stop coming in this hellhole.” You softly laughed.

God, how much you missed hearing his laugh after your horrible jokes and puns.

“I’ve always told you to take care, Hargreeves.” You frowned. “We’d be on my bed right now, laughing and cuddling to battle the cold whilst Klaus intoxicated us with his messily rolled joint.”

You hated it when Klaus was drugged, but it was the anaesthesia to his awful life.

“Ben, I am so sorry if I never had the courage to tell you this, but I love you so much. I love you more than anything in my life and it just hurts because you would never know anything about it and I would never know what you think about it.” You messily wiped your eyes with the back of your hand.

“(Y/N)!” A Ben Hargreeves covered in dried blood approached you as soon as he entered your window. Your eyes nearly popped out of their orbit at the sight of him and you rushed towards his direction, wanting to engulf him in a huge bear-hug. “Don’t!”

You feigned offence and raised an eyebrow. “All right, but, at least, tell me that none of it is yours.”

He quietly chuckled, softly shaking his head. “Don’t you worry about it.”

“Well, thank goodness!” You sighed in relief. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

He refused at first, but he caved in soon after. He came up to the terms that he couldn’t hug you if he was covered in blood and vice versa.

“You know, I’m the one with superpowers here, but you are way more powerful than me.” He confessed as you both plopped yourselves on your bed.

“How could you even say that, dummy?” You wondered, looking at his perfect face.

His face turned serious. “You perfectly know how I feel about myself after a mission, after killing people,” Absolutely! He would be disgusted to the point of despising his powers and existence. “but just with the sight of your gleeful smile, I already feel better and stronger.”

Ben was able to make you smile widely, thinking that he was very sweet to say those words. Little did you know he has just  professed the feelings he had for you.

“Thank you so much for these nine years of friendship, Ben.” You shortly nodded. “You have been an awesome best friend.”

As soon as you finished, you called Klaus. He was looking on the spot next to you and you furrowed your eyebrows.

“Are you fine, Klaus?” You gently checked on the Séance, worrying about his sanity. “Are ghosts bothering you again?”

“Please don’t forget him.” He blurted out, ignoring your questions. Was Ben around you? Did he conjure him?

You shook your head to stop yourself from being delusional and answered Klaus. “How can I forget him? Every minute and every hour, I miss him, I miss him more.”

[feriowind]

i wrote up a whooole feral luffy AU bit on twitter last night so am posting it here too (slightly cleaned up) hahaha

Feral luffy AU where the basis is that Luffy is the one who, somehow, set sail the day the celestial dragons arrived and had his boat shot down. 

 He's considerably further out to sea when this happens, and when he falls into the water, he's swept away by a strange ocean current. He winds up on a deserted island surrounded by the same strange currents and it keeps him stranded. 

 Ace and Sabo are devastated by the loss of Luffy, as is Garp, Makino, Dadan and the bandits, and later on Dragon and Shanks when they find out, attempts are made to locate Luffy's body but they never find him, the assumption that he sank too far out into the ocean due to his devil fruit. Ace & Sabo grow up significantly less cheerful without Luffy's presence, but their bond to one another is as strong as ever.

 Sabo fakes his death after begging Garp for help, anything to throw off his family from ever finding him again. Garp agrees because his hatred of certain nobility has grown significantly after Luffy's "death", and he can't stand the thought of losing another grandson.

 Luffy meanwhile, adapts as best he can. Surviving in this new jungle is painful, but doable despite the constant near brushes with death. The true hardship is how lonely he is without his brothers. Luffy has always thrived in the company of others, and without any he struggles, but again, Luffy adapts. 

 He manages to befriend some of the animals in the jungle, and accidentally discovers conqueror's haki when he nearly loses his hat to a predator, his one link to something beyond this island.

 The animals can't replace his brothers, but they ward off the loneliness. Throughout this time, Luffy makes multiple attempts to sail off the island with handmade rafts. Craftsmanship has never been his strong suit however, so they crumble instantly in the harsh currents.

 Perhaps due to luck, the currents always wash him back ashore instead of allowing him to sink and drown. Luffy's speech also slowly degrades over time. As much as he loves talking to his animal friends, the inability to hear someone else speak causes his words to slur and distort

 Ace and Sabo still hold true to their promise to set sail at age 17, but decide that they want to sail together instead of separating. When they finally set sail, they decide to take their time getting to the Grandline, exploring more of the East Blue at a leisurely pace.

After roughly a week of sailing, they get caught in a freak storm and are swept away by a giant wave where they too end up caught in the same strange current that stole Luffy all those years ago. The two wind up unconscious on Luffy's island, where Luffy finds them on the beach.

Luffy doesn't recognize them however, only that wow! For the first time since he arrived, there are other humans on the island with him that are alive! It's an exciting occurrence, and Luffy drags their bodies to the jungle where the tide won't reach.

When poking and prodding don't wake the two, Luffy sets off to gather food for his guests. He still remembers how tired and hungry he was when he first washed ashore, and figures they'd feel the same. As Luffy comes back, Ace wakes up in a panic.

Luffy rushes Ace in excitement and babbles. It's nearly incomprehensible to Ace however, especially in his panicked just-woken hazy-brained state. All Ace wants is to know where Sabo is and where this place is, and pushes Luffy away.

That's when Ace notices Sabo is lying just a few feet away asleep. The tension leaves him immediately and he's able to actually pay attention to the stranger trying to talk to him. 

Luffy is young and shorter than what he would have been had he been able to grow up on Dawn Island. His hair is long, wild and tangled, and he's dressed in furs and leathers. As Ace is studying him, he asks if he's the one who saved him and Sabo. 

For a moment Luffy stares silent, mind untangling the words until they make sense, and then he nods exuberantly. He tries to explain that he found them unconscious on the beach along with their boat, but Ace can barely decipher Luffy's speech. It sounds like someone speaking with a heavy accent at lightning speed.

But it’s then Ace notices the faint scar under Luffy's eye, and the strawhat hanging off his back. That in combination with Luffy's excited movements and speech sets off confusing alarms in his head.

Luffy's dead, Ace knows this, but he forces this strange kid to calm down and asks for his name. Again it takes a moment for Luffy to understand, and he replies. There's that same strange lilt to his words, but it's clear. Monkey D. Luffy! and it's said with a wide, proud grin.

Ace's world tilts then. Luffy? MONKEY D. LUFFY? His brain feels like its shorting out, refusing to register this new bit of information. He thinks he chokes a reply of some kind, but his mind feels blank. Luffy only laughs, not noticing Ace's shock.

In broken speech he asks for Ace's name too, but Ace doesn't hear his question, can only stare at Luffy's face. It can't be Luffy, he thinks. Because if it is... IF IT IS... They're only roughly a week's sail from Dawn Island. Just 7 days.

Is this boy trying to tell Ace that Luffy, in these past 7 years, was only a 7 days boat ride away? And they simply didn't look hard enough? He was here all alone while Ace and Sabo moved on? Ace's heart feels like it's constricting as his vision tunnels in on Luffy.

Luffy's finally noticed that this stranger is looking pale and ill, and pats him in worry. Is he sick? Does he need food? Are you okay, he asks. Ace grabs Luffy's arm then and stares at him with a strange expression. Luffy, it's me, he says, voice shaking. Ace.

Luffy's brows furrow in confusion and he tilts his head. Ace repeats himself, voice growing stronger. I'm Ace! he exclaims, and waits (prays) to see the light of recognition in Luffy's eyes.

Luffy mouths Ace's words silently to himself with frown. Ace? ...ACE! Luffy suddenly leaps towards Ace, landing directly on his chest and crushing him against a tree. He's directly on him and he's got Ace's head clasped roughly between his hands as he stares at his face intently

Ace? Luffy asks out loud, and starts repeating it over and over as he studies Ace's face. Luffy's grip is stronger than expected but Ace manages to give a jerky nod. The piercing stare breaks and Luffy's eyes water. ACE! he cries out in joy and it's the only word he can say.

Luffy wildly paws at Ace's face, then shoulders and arms, as if trying to make sure he's really there, and he's laughing and crying all at once. He then suddenly turns to Sabo on the ground and starts patting his body. He looks up at Ace with a hopeful smile and asks, Sabo?

Ace chokes back a sob because oh. OH. It's really Luffy! He was here this whole time and they never knew! Why hadn't they just looked HARDER? Luffy meanwhile crows in joy and triumph that BOTH his brothers are here with him. 

Ace gets down next to Sabo and starts violently shaking him. Wake up WAKE UP, how can he be SLEEPING when the greatest thing they thought they had lost was BACK. Sabo groans awake and is greeted by the pained teary face of Ace and an equally teary, but grinning stranger

 the shock of the scene jolts Sabo upright and he asks what's wrong? What happened? Ace just points to the boy beside him. It's Luffy, he says through clenched teeth, as if he were trying his best to stave off a breakdown. Huh? Sabo replies, what about Luffy?

 it's LUFFY, Ace grits out again, and this time Luffy chimes in with a cheery, Sabo! and leans in close to his face. Sabo is still confused and Ace nearly snarls in frustration. Luffy's ALIVE, Ace growls, and Luffy laughs. Sabo stares at Luffy and understanding slowly dawns.

 Luffy? he asks in disbelief, and Luffy nods excitedly before crowding in Sabo's face even more. Sabo! Luffy says with a smile and starts repeating his name like he had done with Ace earlier. Sabo, Luffy's been here this whole time, Ace says in a pained whisper.

 This whole time? And the same realization that Ace had grows in Sabo. Luffy, you've been here, all alone...? And we were so close? Sabo's body moves and wraps Luffy's body in a bone crushing hug. Luffy, I- we didn't know! Sabo stammers but it sounds like a terrible excuse.

 Guilt is devouring both Ace and Sabo but Luffy is only smiling. He's overjoyed that his brothers are here, and with their help he can definitely get off this island now! Things do work out!

 We have to go back to Dawn Island, Sabo says suddenly. We need to take Luffy home and we- we gotta tell Gramps! And Dadan and Makino! Luffy's okay! He's okay! And it's like a dam breaks and Sabo is the first one to break down into a full-body sob.

 Luffy gives a cry of dismay and does his best to comfort Sabo. Ace gives in and wraps both Luffy and Sabo in a hug. Both older brothers are whispering apologies to Luffy responds with just wrapping his arms several times around them both in one of his infamous rubbery hugs.

 like luffy had tried to explain earlier, the brothers' ship is beached on the coast and, surprisingly, only suffering a few minor scuffs. their departure is fairly swift, only waiting for the ideal weather after gathering some supplies and luffy's scant belongings

 Perhaps one or two of Luffy's animal friends joins them, but regardless, with the help of a 3 man crew, a sturdy ship, and an actual navigator, Luffy finally escapes the island, and the 3 brothers head home.

 Now all Ace and Sabo have to worry about is helping Luffy readjust to human civilization........