#when you don't have a relationship with your family your friends fill that role

[nostalgic-shamefest]

As someone with abandonment issues who had three best friends leave- not to another state, but another country- I can confidently testify that yes I did indeed crash tf out. But you know what I didn't do. Not express it. Keep it in and play it cool. Do you know why? Because I knew I could bitch and moan about it, and they would bitch and moan about it back, cause there wasn't anything unspoken between us, and we weren't building a life together LIKE SOME FUCKING GAY ASS FUCKING FIREFIGHTER PEOPLE OUT THERE *COUGH BUDDIE*COUGH

[nyahsworld14]

A part of Jason Todd as a character that I will always find tragic is his inability to return to the life he had like other superheroes could. Like nearly every other superhero who has died and come back in DC was fully able to slip right back into the lives they had before. This isn't to say death didn't affect them, but when they came back their relationships were still there. The friends they made even and their superhero personas were still their to pick back up once they were ready.

Not Jason, though Jason comes back from the grave, and nobody even notices. His superhero mantle has already been taken by someone else and the role that he plays in his families life is already being filled by another child who everyone across the board agrees is better than him.

You're telling me that wouldn't drive you insane everyone else gets to slot back into their lives like they never even hit the grave, but not you. Everything that was once yours has been taken away and given to another character while you were rotting in the ground. The worst part being that when you are mentioned at all after your death you're the failure, you are what no one should ever aim to be.

I don't know if it was up to me, I would have also tried to get back at the people who claimed to love me in every way possible and then immediately never spoke a good word about me once I was in the grave.

[allthornsnopetals]

We are not Friends D.Bridgerton

Description: A falling out results in a lost friendship, between Y/n and Daphne, due to this, the two have not been friends for some time. But a sticky situation occurs and they are to come back together again. Let's hope the truth comes out, or God help these women.

"Mama!" Daphne cries, clenching the newest Lady Whistledown gossip in hand, pacing the drawing room, breaking closer to tears.

Violet Bridgerton rushes in, barely having a moment to steady herself before Daphne is crashing into her arms, weeping a set of worked up emotions.

"What seems to be the matter?" Violet takes her hand, sitting them both on the sofa, ringing for tea.

"Look!" She shoves the parchment in her chest, sulking in her handkerchief.

Violet's eyes blew open, shock visible on her face. "Oh, no... Anthony!"

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Y/n gasps, her mouth agape, caring not for her breakfast, storming out of her room.

"This has to be some sort of joke."

"Papa! Edger! Look at what Lady Whistledown had published!" She almost screams, running to the drawing room, slamming the parchment down on the breakfast table.

Damon jumps, spilling his tea with Y/n slumping herself on the sofa, visibly hopeless. "Must you be so loud, Y/n." He hisses, taking the paper with a scowl. "Sorry, papa but just read it."

Dearest gentle readers,

It seems, a simple ruse, can stain even the purest fabrics, even a Baudelaire and Bridgerton. Something new has come to this authors attention... Something rather fake, such as a false friendship. It seems, Miss Y/n Baudelaire and Miss Daphne Bridgerton, have never been allies, let alone friends for almost a year. You see, before the season of debutantes and marriage, the close friends had a falling out, one that led to tears, unspoken words and unfortunately an unmendable relationship. If it were me, I would have guessed a man had been involved. They have fooled us all with their plastic grins, gentle tones and 'friendly' banter. All this time behind closed doors, the two ladies loathed each other with a burning passion, all over a man.

Of course, Daphne and Y/n have not been friends for some time, but they both assumed their roles to be well-kept, keeping a distance and only conversing when need be. But that did not fool Lady Whistledown and now everyone in town knew of their broken alliance, leaving a gaping hole in their family relations. You see, both dynasties held a strong relationship, one of favors and marriage. They were like kin to each other, all relying on their relationship, like kings and queens to neighboring nations, for here in London their is always some sort of war among the tons.

"What did you do!" Damon booms, tossing the paper to the floor in a rage.

"Nothing, I swear it, papa. It's blaspheme, lies. Lady whis-"

"Lady Whistledown, is never wrong, child. In this situation, you best hope she is." Damon marches off, rage fuming from his ears.

A long silence fills the air, one thick and angry. Edger, her eldest brother hunches over, squeezing the bridge of his nose, frowning deeply, breathing harshly, clearly angry. Y/n tries to speak, feeling the need to smooth the tension over but nothing comes.

"Don't speak, your words will only upset me," He sighs sharply, legs crossed, trying to calm himself. "I don't want to know what happened but only, how are you going to mend your friendship with Miss Bridgerton." He's staring at her now, eyes calm, body still tense

"What am I going to do? It is but a rumor, Daphne and I are, thick as thieves." She nods, setting herself up with haste, leaving him alone before she suffocates herself on the tension.

What was she to do, indeed? Y/n, had not a clue. Her heart was not yet ready to be fixed, let alone face the girl who had shattered it with her lies. She was done with her but it seems the ton is not.

If she is to face Daphne Birdgerton again, she will have the truth.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Daphne paces the room, sure to burn a hole through the carpet, waiting on Y/n, if she shows up of course. Surely she would, surely she is to care about the reputation of here family. But as the time drew to midnight, the ball soon to end, Daphne began to slowly lose hope.

"My apologies gentlemen, but my dance card is full. Better luck, next event, yes?" Y/n slides past the double doors, closing them with a shaky breath, turning the lock as she enters.

"Where have you been?" Said Daphne, her tone strained and irritated.

Y/n does not answer, pouring herself a glass of bubbles, no doubt a method to pull it together. "My feet do hurt." She flops on the cushioned sofa, past Daphne, near the fire, slipping her feet wear off, tucking her them under herself, getting comfortable.

The library of the host wasn't as large as the Baudelaire Mansion, but it were a library and a private place, certain to keep unwanted eyes and ears away.

"Sit, I do prefer our conversation to be comfortable." She says, lazily waving Daphne over, ignoring her exasperated groan as she sits on the other end of the sofa.

She could see in the corner of her eye, Daphne pouting, legs crossed with her dainty arms folded over her chest. If the circumstances were different, Y/n would tease and even draw a laugh, but they were no longer friends, so the thought of making fun and jokes were nothing but a past-time, forgotten and never to be forged again. Anyways, she's exhausted, feet aching, Y/n was in no mood for banter or going through memory-lane, as if they could.

"Why were you late." Daphne turns to her, stern and still sulking. Y/n laughs, sipping her drink, effortlessly turning her head, staring at her, as if she were a child. "I am to marry before the end of the season, can't do that if no man asks for my hand." She explains, rather plainly as if she were bored.

A sharp pang jabs Daphne's chest. She knew Y/n would stop at nothing, until she had found a Suitor and wed. It's the goal of every young lady present at the party, except hers. Daphne wanted to make her dynasty proud and wed out of love, but she could not do that, if the one she loved stared back at her, wanting not a woman but a man. Oh, how she wished, she were a man, not a woman. Perhaps, she could wed Y/n, run to the countryside and build a family together. But the longer she stares at her, the more doubt she felt, for the eyes that looked at her were filled with bitter anger and unforgiveness.

"I don't want to be your friend anymore, Y/n. I think it's best, that you and I make our separate ways."

Daphne could still recall the pain in her eyes, her smile erased in a few simple words, their long lasting friendship gone in a few moments. Guilt still loomed over her, like a shadow. But she couldn't pretend anymore, her heart became far too great for her to handle, Daphne could not trust herself to be alone with her, afraid she might flip and do something she'll regret. It had to be done, even if the eyes she once found comfort in hated her, wishing her dead.

If only things were different.

Y/n waves a hand in her face. "Hello, did you not hear a single word I said?" Her tone harsh, expression tight and clearly annoyed.

"Yes, of course!"

Y/n laughs humorlessly, visibly unconvinced. "You were spacing out again." She scoffs, setting the empty glass on the small wooden coffee table.

"You always do that! Especially when under hot water! Do you not car-"

Daphne zones out, losing herself in Y/n's visible rage. She were the only woman who could make anger look effortlessly beautiful, even if her words stung, which most of the time they did. But she cared not, for she knew Y/n did not mean what she said, only saying what comes to her mind when overwhelmed with fits of anger. She couldn't help the grin curving her lips, she's been starved of her company for too long, she had missed her yelling, her anger, her imperfections, that made her so perfect. She has missed every part of her, even her most messyest parts.

"What are you grinning at?" Said Y/n, frowning deeply, her tongue laced in poison, readying to kill.

"Nothing," Daphne snorts, clapping a hand over her lips, as if it could stop her uncontrollable chuckles. "Truly, nothing. My apologies, continue."

Y/n stood, furious and exhausted. "If this is how you defend your reputation— my reputation, you can kindly sod off!"

She picked up her skirts, making a b line for the exit. "Wait! You can't walk out there looking like that!" Daphne shields the only way out, blocking Y/n's path, trying her best not to buckle under glare.

"Looking like what."

Daphne swallows thickly, afraid of the wild fire before her: beautiful, stunning, luring, but dangerous and even deadly.

"You look displeased, angry, mad, furious... may I say, beautifully deadly." Daphne squeezes her eyes shut, waiting for another applause of sharpened words, but they never came.

Silence fell, like rain, cooling and even putting out the angry fire. Opening her eyes, she watches Y/n pour herself another drink, this time offering her a glass, eyes soft and gentle.

So that is all it took to calm her. Complements and sweetened words, is all that was needed to extinguish the flame. If only Daphne knew sooner, she could have saved her plenty of burns. Taking their places back on the sofa, Y/n slipping her slippers off once again, finding a comfortable position, they sat awkwardly, no words spoken.

"What I said before was, acting, pretending. We are already doing that, but we have to be closer, and spend a lot more time in public. Form a believable ruse." Y/n went on to explain, shifting in her spot, attention glued to Daphne.

Ruse.

The word made Daphne's stomach stir, making her sick. She did not want to pretend, did not want to act. She wanted her company to be raw, genuine. But she's fairly aware of her shortcomings, she just hoped that she could keep her wandering heart under control. There were many things Daphne wished for, but she will never wish for the falling of another's dynasty because she simply couldn't keep it together.

"Deal?"

"Deal." They shook hands in agreement, unknowingly dooming themselves in an unbreakable contract.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

The spring sun bloomed a great deal of heat and light, the park bustling with noise of joy, celebrating the thaw, signifying the beginning of warmer weather in the ton. Y/n kept safe under the provided shade of her family camp, fanning herself and sipping pink lemonade, doing her best to keep up chatter with another possible Suitor, completely ignoring the second party drawing near her family tent.

"Well, good afternoon Miss Daphne! It has been much time since we last had your company over for tea." Edger curtsied, offering her a chair beside Y/n.

"It has, hasn't it? I have been preoccupied with far too difficult things, I'm sure you'll understand." She grins in thanks, taking a glass of pink lemonade.

"Yes, of course. I'm sure Mr Deluca would be happy to join me and the other gentlemen, elsewhere." He looks between Daphne and Y/n, sending him a silent message.

He nods, leaving a kiss to Y/n's gloved knuckles, curtsying, acknowledging both women in farewell.

Y/n flutters her lashes, grinning as Stephen takes his leave, his gaze still glued to the young lady, incapable of tearing it away, fumbling behind Edger. Once out of view, she turns her attention to Daphne, finding a rather nasty scowl.

"Fix your face, it appears to me that you have sucked a sour lemon." Y/n shifts in her seat, trying to get comfortable, watching her younger brothers: Harwin and Hamish, fly their kites with Hyacinth and Gregory, Daphne's youngest siblings.

She gasps, insulted, hitting Y/n in the shoulder with her fan. "I do not!"

Y/n winches with irritation, hitting Daphne back, acting like children. "Don't hit me, you sour lemon." She chuckles, dodging her attackers next move with a swift stance, ready to run. Without a second thought, she pokes her harshly in the thigh with her fan, making a run for it when Daphne decides to stand, surly for revenge, starting a chase.

Ladies should not run but in this case, Y/n saw it rather fitting to make chase from the woman hot on her tail, she sure were fast for someone rather slow. With the possibility of being physically harmed she couldn't help but laugh, a smile permanently stuck to her face, swiftly sliding past Daphne as she drove forward, fan in hand. Y/n gave a gentle tap with her fan to her behind, watching Daphne gasp, grinning as she shook her head, recollecting herself before continuing with the chase.

"You're going to regret that, Y/n."

With a squeal Y/n ran, dodging and weaving past young and old, even through the Bridgerton tent. "Sorry!" She yells, passing Violet, using her as a shield from her attacker.

"Using my mama, is rather cowardice, don't you think?" Daphne pants, trying to find a way past Violet who stood with a smile, finally happy to see her daughter and dearest friend frolic.

"Not at all, I'm sure your mama is enjoying herself. Aren't you ma'am?"

Violet rolls her eyes, stiff as a board. "Oh, Y/n what's that!" Daphne stills, pointing at something past Y/n's gaze, distracting her.

With her distraction she catches her, holding her in her arms, making it impossible for Y/n to escape. "Cheat!" She cries, laughing and without thinking, embraces Daphne, panting and grinning.

The two held each other, completely out of breath and out of hatred. The Bridgerton and Baudelaire girls back together again, even though it were a false friendship.

"Y/n would you join us for a glass of peach tea and perhaps chat about the season, so far? I see plenty of Suitors have swept to your feet." Violet offered a glass, acknowledging her state of jovial exhaustion.

"Yes, of course, Violet! I do adore your peach tea, I find it the most refreshing." She beams, taking the glass with Daphne's hand intertwined with her own.

Even with the presence of the spring heat, they chat for hours, drawing laughs, terrible jokes and even worse memories. "No, he didn't!" Daphne gasped, squeezing her hand.

"Oh, yes! Violet saw and had to step in. If she didn't I would have smacked him senseless." Y/n explained, high on story telling, completely oblivious or unbothered to her head resting on her shoulder, chuckling at the sudden throw back.

"Oh, yes... He was rather, rude and arrogant. His mother needs to teach him better manners." Violet gave a disapproving shake, sipping her peach tea, the pitcher almost empty.

"The worst part is, the young gentlemen came back! The nerve... And with his mother, no less." Violet tsk's, rolling her eyes.

"His mother!" Daphne chokes on her peach tea.

"Yes! A nasty blob of a woman."

"Mother!" Daphne scolds, Y/n laughing harder than intended.

"Your mother can be quite the... Bear." Y/n mutters, laying her empty glass down on the small white table, holding a silver tray.

"What? Would you have preferred that I do nothing? That witch bore an ugly heart of a boy, with a face of a donkey." She shrugged, pouring her guess another glass.

Y/n whizzed a laugh, Daphne slapping her on the arm, clearly not wanting her to encourage her mothers antics.

"Don't encourage her, she'll never stop." Daphne warns with a playful grins. "My apologies. Violet, next time go for the eyes before the crutch."

Violet chuckled with a wink, Daphne nudging Y/n.

At this time tents were slowly being stored away and the sun began to draw behind the clouds, dipping away for the night. With that, Y/n's lady Maid, Daisy strolled over, fetching the young lady.

"We are to leave in five, Edger wishes everyone to make haste to the carriage." She informs her, bobbing a curtsy, leaving faster than she came.

"Right, well the tea has been splendid, thank you Violet," She stands, sweeping her dress clean, bowing in farewell and thanks. "I do wish to spend another day like this, perhaps sooner than later."

"Oh, the thanks is all mine, you truly are missed. Our door is always open to you, if you ever need an escape from your brothers, but I can't promise much relief." She returns her bow, hugging her farewell.

"I'll walk you back." Daphne offers, high on a day filled with someone she missed, even with the sense of a ruse

She took her arm, moving rather slowly, not wanting to let her other half go, just yet.

"Stephen seems smitten with you, like all of your Suitors. He'll make an excellent husband and a great father, if you wed of course. You are to be wed?" Daphne asks, her tone and expression worried, searching for Y/n's gaze.

For a moment, her eyes pooled with fear, something Daphne thought she would never witness, for Y/n was always knowing, always confident and strong. Did she not wish to be wed?

Patting Daphne's arm, Y/n stops, looping her arm free, clearing her throat, her smile genuine to the eyes of a fool but Daphne is no fool, she sees right through her, like one sees through glass. Her smile seemed strained, pained, worried and hurt.

"I do thank you for today, it truly was a treat but I best go now and with haste, don't want to keep Edger waiting, you dare keep him waiting and he's all on you with claws. Hopefully Lady Whistledown buys our little ruse and our families reputation... Will be mended," She pauses, rolling her thumbs over Daphne's gloved hands, comforting and reassuring.

"I am sure you want me gone as much as Eloise, wishes to rid the world of men."

No, I do not want you gone, I want you near, close, incapable of leaving... I want you, as one wants oxygen.

But Daphne could not say that, not to anyone. To harbor affection for a fellow woman is forbidden, wrong, worse compared to her current situation. If Daphne were to bring speech to her hidden affirmation, she could be ruined─ her entire dynasty will be ruined, all because she couldn't stop her stubborn heart for loving this woman, who loathed her most. Would she hate her more, if she were to be honest? Would she kill her or out her if she were to give voice for her love?

Daphne wanted to scream, shout, yell and cry until her throat ran dry. She needs Y/n, like oxygen... Like a bed of roses that craves for water. But she couldn't have her, not in this life... Not in any.

Parting, broke Daphne, as if a weight had landed on her chest, crushing her heart.

"With haste, Daphne!" Eloise calls, her voice booming over the chatter of the bustling park, scaring a flock of birds, that took flight, frightened by the sudden noise, flapping and gobbling their own sounds.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Daphne is not the only person who eyed Y/n, as if she were the main course of the dinner party──"She's beautiful." Said Benedict, sipping his cocktail, eyeing the girl he's been trying to court for the entire season.

Of course, she were beautiful, it's Y/n, beauty came naturally to her and so did Suitors. She had not yet made it to the floor when a swarm of men crowded her, offering her a dance, a drink, a hand and even food. "Of course, she's beautiful, Benedict, only a fool will think otherwise." Said Daphne, gritting her teeth at her brother and the other men swooning for someone she wish were her's.

Y/n, wore her award winning smile, promising a dance to the first few boys, who pooled to her pink jeweled feet. Tonight she bared a rose quartz color dress, her neck donned with a matching gem necklace. Her hair flowed in ringlets, decoder with pink jeweled flowers, drawing back half her mane in a lovely back crown. Her ears, clipped with pink diamonds, rolling out a theme with her outfit. She stuck out.

Half way through the night Daphne had danced, performing that best she could, her gaze constantly shifting to the girl in pink, chatting to a ring off men, containing of lords, viscounts, dukes and even a prince.

She's growing tired at watching them frolic around her, making her laugh, gritting her teeth to dust. If she were a man, she would have courted Lady Y/n, long ago, asking for her hand with the most expensive flowers, gems, jewels and food─she loves her food, the best way to Y/n's heart is always food. Daphne is sure, that if Y/n had a choice between a husband and an infinite supply of her favorite foods, this season would have been short lived, less then a second spent on finding a husband, she'll be with a food child, living her best life.

By the expression on Y/n's face, she is growing exhausted, tired of these men, ready for sleep and perhaps a hearty meal. But the night was not over and the room is becoming far too warm. Fanning herself, Y/n excuses herself, gliding past men and women, young and old, shifting through until she were out, venturing to the fountain, relieved to finally have silence.

"I didn't expect you to leave such handsome men behind. Many looked rather wounded at your departure, I'm sure you shattered a few hearts." The sound of Daphne's voice makes Y/n jump, hand slamming against her chest in fright.

Calming herself, Y/n breaths an exhausted laugh, fanning herself still. She did not expect company, especially not Daphnes.

"Excuse my behavior but you gave me a fright. I was not anticipating your presence, not after Lady Whisledown's latest update." Said Y/n, scooting over, allowing Daphne to sit with her in the lip of the fountain.

"Uh, yes Lady Whistledown's paper, she seems rather impressed with our ruse, she even called us 'two peas in a pod'." The two shared a short laugh, consumed by awkward silence and embarrassing sniffs.

Lady Whistledown seemed pleased with their act, that she published two columns regarding their false friendship, speaking great praise for their public fondness. Thinking their friendship to be mended, fixed and thriving. So, why spend another minute in the same environment, pretending to enjoy their company.

Clearing her throat, Y/n turned her attention to Daphne. "Do you need something?" Her eyes wander, bottom lip stuck between her teeth, waiting for an answer.

Daphne paused, thinking for the best excuse possible. "No, I just wanted to see you... Perhaps offer a stroll around the gardens."

"I don't want to be your friend anymore, Y/n. I think it's best, that you and I make our separate ways."

Y/n scoffs, lowering her gaze to the gravel floor, an irritated grin, spreading across her face. "What are you doing?" She questions, her tone angry and steady, fire blooming under her gaze.

What is Daphne doing, indeed?

She had made it abundantly clear, their friendship meant nothing to her, that she wanted no part with Y/n at all. So, what were she doing, indeed?

Daphne swallowed thickly, guilt pooling in her stomach, knowing what she meant. She could be honest and risk her friendship a second time, or lie, and simply never see Y/n's face again.

"Don't say you don't know what I speak, because you do." Said Y/n, leveling her eyes with Daphne's, killing the slightest light in her eyes. "Must I recall what you said to me... What you never want me to forget. I don't want to be your friend anymore, Y/n. I think it's best, that you and I make our separate ways." Her tone, sharp and mean.

"You lied to me, to yourself. You never thought it best for us to go our separate ways. If you did, you would not be here, you would be happy with Lady Whistledowns latest publish, leaving me be... Like nothing had changed."

Y/n spoke with confidence, anger, bitterness and unforgiveness. But behind her words, something sad, hurt and betrayed lived there. Something Daphne did not miss, hurting herself in the process, shifting her gaze to her hands, wanting to disappear, hating herself for allowing her heart to fall so far.

"Why did you lie?" The crack in her voice, sounded false, fictional, but one glance in her eyes, Daphne was sure her heart shattered. She had missed Daphne, wanting to let her go as quickly as she had come. Heal quickly and move on. But her heart wouldn't allow it, wouldn't allow her to patch and sew herself back up again, until she had the truth.

Daphne's throat ran dry, she didn't know where to start, or even say anything, but her chest ached, she had to tell her. Sucking in a breath, Daphne steadied herself, bracing the threshold.

"I didn't want to let you go. I wanted to keep you, to steal you, to force you to stay and never leave my side... Not even for a man, for a Suitor, or for a husband." Daphne shook her head, laughing at herself. "Frankly, I wish I were a man, for a far different reason than Eloise. I wish I were born with a penis, because my affection for you... They're abnormal, wrong, forbidden... Strangling me, starving me of oxygen." Daphne sniffles, tears clogging her speech, her smile strained and tight.

"I wish to have you as a Suitor wishes to court you. Y/n I never wanted to go our separate ways, but what were I to do! You wish to wed a fine man, but I am a woman... You hate me, you don't feel the slightest affection for me... You'll love, and I'll die." She cries into her palm, body shaking, nose sniffling.

Y/n's mouth fell open, gaping, soundless. She did not expect her own friend to spill her heart out to her, to love her as a husband loved his wife. Y/n was speechless.

"You wish to be a man, for me?" Y/n leans forward, freeing Daphne's hands from her face, staring into her puffy eyes, searching for truth.

Daphne quivers. "Disgusting, for a woman to wish to be a man, so she could be free to love the woman her heart longs for." She chokes, leaning into Y/n's shoulder, her hand guiding her head, cuddling her closer.

Y/n grins, stroking Daphne's hair.

"You say disgusting, I say romantic." She giggles, rolling her thumb over Daphne's arm.

Daphne tilts her head up, gazing up at Y/n, clearly confused.

"What?" Her question barely, audible.

"If you wish to be a man for my heart, why not have it?" Y/n held her chin between her fingers, gently kissing her, sealing her vow.

"You do wish to have my heart?" She asks once a part, allowing Daphne to process the moment.

"Yes! A thousand times yes!" Daphne smiles, snatching another kiss, holding Y/n so very close, their chests embrace each other.

[whiteirisif]

"Living with yourself is hard. Living without yourself is even harder."

Demo (release date: when the time is right)

Part One: Memories of the Phoenix

Intro: In this world, magic is split in two, no longer something one individual could wield all on their own. Instead, the art is now divided and shared between those who write spells on enchanted talismans and those who unleash the power. From this discovery, the roles of Casters and Enchanters were born. This brings us to Nanta, the ever-bustling port city near the shores of Fen – known as the sea of stars – that is home to many who seek knowledge rather than fish. Some claim that it's the epicentre not only of trade but also magic across the continent of Yulan, and they're right. Stationed on its hills is the proud Academy of Dives, which houses thousands of children and young adults of all upbringings and social standing, teaching them the art of either enchanting or casting.

You are one of those lucky students - a caster with the highest magical strength across the entire Academy paired with an equally impressive enchanter to write talismans for you. Life handed you the easiest path to glory on a silver platter.

So, what was preventing you from dominating the world at the tender age of fourteen?

Merely the fact that you want none of it.

Features:

Play as a depressed kid in a fantasy world filled with magic. It's not the best place to have mental issues. Either you or the world will have to adapt.

Try to change your bad habits - wake up on time and attend classes like everyone else. You could even show up to write the midterm exam! Or succumb to the endless cycle of running away from your problems. There's no shame in that, only consequences.

Meddle with the life of another student and help them decide their fate. You could even stop an ancient ritual from happening if you're lucky.

Mend or worsen the relationship between you and the enchanter assigned to you. Just how deep does his patience run?

Characters:

Nadir - Enchanter

Nadir is your enchanter and the first-ever friend you made after arriving in the Academy, though you doubt he shares your opinion. He is everything a student should be and everything you are not. Even though you both share a rare gift, only one of you appreciates it, which often leads to arguments between you.

Shuli - Enchanter

Shuli is your beloved roommate. She agreed to stay behind with you in the abandoned dorms, which has made your life easier. Her kindness and patience towards you knows no bounds, and when you squint, you can almost see a shining halo on top of her head. If you hadn't seen her beat up a bunch of thieves with her bare hands, you, too, would be fooled into thinking of her as someone on the weaker side.

Eris - Caster

Eris is called ‘The Darling of the Academy’ due to being everyone's favorite despite being quite the troublemaker. You even heard that so far they never lost in a single popularity contest due to their beautiful doll-like face, but that is pretty much all you know about them. That is, until - all of a sudden - they start randomly approaching you all the time.

Other Characters:

Sol & Leto

Leto and Sol - the inseparable duo with completely opposing personalities. Sol glares at people like she never had a peaceful day in her life - while Leto is a walking cloud full of smiles. People wonder how these two get along so well. You may find the answer to that soon enough.

Kara

Kara is the spirit you bonded with when you were seven. He is the closest thing you have to a family.

Gias

A carefree soul that also happens to be a teacher. Gias is a mysterious person, and you suspect they know more than they let on.

Not recommended for people that don't like:

Slice of life, age progression - or who want to play a touch-averse or a completely blank mc

Credits:

Help with the intro post @unsanctioned-if

[soleminisanction]

I've always really liked DC's in-house choice of referring to their various superhero groupings as "families," but it has gotten a little frustrating recently with people both in canon and in fandom seeming to forget that families aren't just a parental-unit-and-kids formation. They're complicated, and a lot of the DC families are too messy to fit into that neat little nuclear family mode.

Which is to say... here's some scattered thoughts/summaries about how these families are actually structured in canon, because I think it's interesting:

Supers -- The smaller, more traditional Superfamily (Clark, Lois, Kara, Kon, etc.) is a pretty traditional Midwestern nuclear family, with Jimmy Olsen filling the role of close family friend/goofy neighbor sidekick (in the Silver Age, he was Kara's would-be suitor) and Steel feeling more like part of Clark's personal circle of friends. The recent line up, though, with Jon, the twins, Kong and Nat? Starts to feel more like some old dynasty or noble house, complete with fostered foundlings and the Steels acting almost like knights under a noble's banner, possibly reflective of what the House of El would have been on Krypton.

Arrows -- Might currently be the closet to a traditional nuclear family structure. You've got Ollie and Dinah, their younger sisters, Ollie's adopted and biological children, and Ollie's granddaughter through Roy, plus by some counts Roy's co-parent and her sister as "in-laws." Bonnie and Cissie King-Jones are adjacent to but not technically "part" of the family, though I believe it's implied at one point that Ollie might also be Cissie's bio-dad. Pretty straightforward, these guys are actually family and they act like it, for good and ill.

Shazam Family -- Also a literal, actual family. Not originally, the original golden age "Marvel Family" was considerably more complicated and only Billy and Mary were full siblings, but nowadays the whole point of the modern Shazam family is that they're foster siblings united by familial love and that's fantastic. Meanwhile your average Black Adam story is 75% angsty family drama, 25% Egyptian mythology references.

Flashes -- Technically closer to three nuclear families (the Allens, the Wests and the Garricks; four if you include the Quicks), two of whom are united by marriage and all of whom are bound by the Speedforce, which, given its semi-spiritual connections to things like Speedster afterlives, can act almost like a religious force that connects them to the additional members like Avery, Circuit Breaker and Max as Bart's foster-dad. They're a big, sprawling tree with more cousins than siblings, the kind of family that functionally has a reunion every Christmas and Thanksgiving.

Lanterns -- Now these guys are the exception that proves my point about the whole 'family' thing not being straightforward. The lanterns aren't a family, they're a corps. Soldiers. Space cops. Comrades-in-arms. They respect each other, have each other's backs, might even like or care about each other, but those last two are optional, and they don't have the same kind of assumed obligations towards each other that a family would have. They're friends and co-workers, not family, but that doesn't mean their relationships are less significant, they're just different.

Wonders -- Roughly half of them are either one of Hippolyta's daughters (Diana, Donna, Nubia pre-Crisis) or related to them through the gods (Cassie), and the other half (Artemis, Yara, modern-age Nubia) use sister as a term of endearment more in a utopian lesbian commune kind of way. I think they brought Steve Trevor back recently? He's basically the Ken in this equation and perfectly fine with that role. None of which should be surprising if you've seen Professor Marston and the Wonder Women.

Bats -- This is the one that people get really wrong when they try to force it into a traditional family structure. Don't let WFA fool you, the Bats are and have always been way more a snarled mess of tangled interpersonal relationships than they've ever been a cohesive family. Whether Dick is Bruce's son or his brother depends on what era you're talking about, and the former reading is much more recent than you think -- as in "started cropping up in the early 2000s" recent. Barbara is both Cassandra's sister and her mother. Duke and Steph both have living parents and neither of them want or would ever dream of treating Bruce like their dad; Tim was the same way until his dad died. None of the Robins ever lived in the mansion together, nor did Cass. Babs considered Jean-Paul Valley her brother and Huntress is so close to Tim she once hallucinated him calling her Big Sister. They're a beautiful mess of people finding places where their broken edges fit together into something that works for them and trying to reduce it down to a cozy nuclear family is just so goddamn reductive and lazy.

Blue Beetles -- Are only tangentially related to each other. Seriously, they never even get direct mentoring, each one just takes over when the previous one dies and works on completely different rules from the other two. They're complete strangers bound by a legacy and that's honestly pretty fun.

Zataras -- There's only three of them and they're literally a father, daughter and cousin.

Martians -- Not really a family because there's only the two of them, but an interesting case where the two survivors of what was functionally a war of mutually assured destruction came together in an attempt to find some peace in the aftermath of what they'd lost.

Titans -- The JLA and JSA aren't really in the "family" category, but the Titans lean into it hard, mostly because they're a textbook found family. They don't mirror a nuclear family structure, they're simply a group of people who came together to form a mutual support network. They're the idealized college friends you grew into your own with, some of them childhood companions and others you only met once you leave home for the first time, but all of them friends that you manage to maintain contact with for life, with everyone coming back together even as you scatter and do your own things.

Young Justice -- Meanwhile, this team is the chaotic group of misfits you hung out with when you were a teenager, especially when you were just starting to be allowed to act without adult supervision. You drive each other crazy, none of you know you're all queer as fuck, and you'd fight a bear for any of them even if they asked you not to. They'd probably be insulted if you tried to call them a family. They come out here to get away from their families, thank you very much.

[sundrop-writes]

How would Spencer, Emily and Elle react to getting proposed to?

(I love this so much omg.)

(The reader here is entirely gender neutral.)

Requests are currently - OPEN

I feel like Elle would lowkey hate it? I think even if she was in a long-term relationship, she wouldn't be into traditional romance. She wouldn't be the PDA type of person, she would be the type of person to flirt with teasing insults and she wouldn't like things to get 'too sappy'.

I think Elle wouldn't even be too fond of the idea of marriage - she would be okay with just existing in a long term relationship (and would not want to open the door of 'I am terrified of someone leaving me so I don't want to get married because I don't want to get divorced'.) If she was with someone who did help her get over that, and she did want to get married, then she would want the marriage proposal to be simple, non-romantic, and predictable. (And most likely, Elle would want to be the one proposing, rather than the one getting proposed to.)

She would hate one of those very traditional, very romantic, public or semi-public proposals - especially if it was one that she didn't see coming. She would love the kind of proposal where you gave her a ring randomly while handing her the Sunday paper and when she asked what the ring was, you say "I think we should get married."

If that was the case, then she would smile and put the ring on, and tell you that it's a bother because she has to 'go to HR and get some BS paperwork about changing her marriage status' - but she says it with a fond smile, and you know that it's her way of saying she's looking forward to spending her life with you.

Emily would be shocked. Even if the two of you discussed marriage in the past and the possibility of getting married, she would still be shocked if you set up a proposal for her. She thought that she would be the one to propose to you, but she never had much romantic flare, and she got so caught up in working that she never set aside too much time to plan a proposal - and you got ahead of her and planned one before she could think too much about it. (You were very romantic, and even though she never said it much, you knew that she loved being romanced and swept off her feet.)

She is still a private person, so she wouldn't want it to be a public or even semi-public proposal - she would be okay if her close friends were there (basically, her BAU family), but that's about it.

I think she would love something like this - you waiting at the office when the team gets back from a case. You have had the help of Garcia (who just lives for this kind of stuff, and practically squealed with glee when you told her that you needed her help setting up a proposal for Emily) (and she had the hardest time not blabbing the secret to everyone, but she managed to keep it under wraps, even if everyone knew she was acting weird for some reason) - you printed out pictures of your relationship with Emily and decorated the round table room with them, themeing the room with pictures of beauty and happiness instead of all the horrific crime-scene photos that Emily has had to see there before.

Derek insisted that he needed Emily's attention in the room (because of course, on the way back, Penelope had called him, and talked his ear off about how he could help, all to excited about the prospect of romance and love) - and Emily stood in loving awe at seeing you in the middle of the room, candles lit, as you got down on one knee - and everyone funnelled in to watch as you gave an epic speech, summarizing how much you loved her and how, even if the world could be filled with horrors, you wanted to be with her through it all.

Naturally, she said yes - and there wasn't a dry eye among the team.

Spencer would absolutely love it.

Of course, because of traditional gender roles (and the heteronormative idea being planted in his head that he was likely going to end up in a straight relationship) - Spencer always pictured himself as the one who would perform the proposal, rather that the one being proposed to. Even when he first got into a relationship with you, it lingered in the back of his mind that he would probably be the one to plan the proposal and execute it - so when marriage was heavily discussed between the two of you, and it seemed like the true next logical step in your relationship, Spencer found himself delightfully surprised when you planned a marriage proposal for him.

He was the super romantic type. He loved doing hyper romantic things for you, but he was never prepared when you returned that romance for him. He wouldn't care if the proposal was public or not, but he would feel shy about things being centered around him for once and all the attention being on him - but he would love how much effort you put into it.

You made it perfect for him. You took him out on a date - going to his favourite restaurant, and then you took him to the planetarium. You proposed to him under a beautiful sky full of stars, with a simple ring that he could wear to show off the commitment - he tried to hide his tears of happiness in the darkness of the room, and he kissed you with the utmost passion after he said yes. He couldn't have been happier, knowing that this was the start of a long life that the two of you got to spend together.

Criminal Minds Masterlist

[thrawnalani]

why thralani? like doesn't it ruin the context and backstory he has on how he longs for a big sister figure, in place of vurika?

like thranto is already weird to me, thralani is worse. the most i think is that he is either gay or ace. not bi, never straight, and neither is aralani.

just really weird

idc if its "your au" its severely ooc. at least other aus TRY to make it in character geez.

The basic answer is 1. Because it makes me happy 😊. And 2. i'm also straight, so it's something I can more closely relate to and enjoy. 3. I like drawing masculine men and powerful women.

Thrawn and Ar'alani are not sexual characters. I don't believe it was implied in any of the novels. Maybe it could be implied when Ar'alani believed she was going on a date with Thrawn, and it ended up with a museum monologue adventure? Not to mention Ar'alani took Thrawn to her homestead, 👀👀👀 oooo taking a boy to your homestead sounds quite scandalous. . . but even that's stretching it. . .) I perceived Wutrow and Ar'alani's relationship as admiration for one another professionally. Sisters in arms! So to speak.

I try not to base a character, or any person's sexuality on interests or behaviors. There are masculine men who are with other men, and feminine women with other women. Would it be fair of me to ask why you believe Thrawn and Ar'alani are gay? What if I thought that was weird. . . See how that mindset gets confusing (respectfully 🙏🙏🙏). I suppose what makes Thrawn a fun character to sexualize is because it's never stated in the books. So the possibilities are endless.

*takes hop onto soap box*

I suppose I'd want to ask you all to try not to base any person's sexuality on behaviors or interests, it places people into even smaller boxes than the ones they are already in. I speak of this for friends and family who have been affected by bullying in the LGBT+ community. A community where they were supposed to take comfort in.

*scoots soap box away*

I like the idea of two leaders understanding the burdens they carry and taking comfort in each other. Chracters who have strong exteriors but only expose the softer side when with one another is something that interests me. I suppose I always believed Thrawn would not be attracted to any other species than his own. After all, the Chiss viewed other species as lesser beings. I feel like even if Thrawn did not share the same views, the mindset would continue to be deep-rooted. In my head, Thrawn and Ar'alani were best friends, not necessarily siblings. It isn't uncommon for people to hook up simply to fulfill desires. I like to toss around the idea that Thrawn and Ar'alani's relationship was one such as this, and then blossomed into something more. Additionally, I viewed Thrass as the one to take the role of sibling. Even if he wasn't necessarily a sister. Thrass filled the hole that was left by Vurika

Honestly, I can't sincerely envision Thrawn being with Eli Vanto. I always saw them as a Father/Son, brothers in arms, Master/Apprentice vibe, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy fanfiction, because phew! That Thranto fanfiction makes me tear up sometimes.

But that's the beauty of literature! Everybody can interpret it in a different lense! I create content only for myself, and to visualize my strange desires. I post because I'm sure someone else out there has the same twisted mind as me.

Wow that turned philosophical. My bad! I hope I answered your questions 🤗.

[byunpum]

Auntie Sully: New tail, new family

Pair: Auntie sully reader x sully children x Rotxo x spider

Warning: None, cute <3

Request: (@kennleespain) Is I possible for you to do one where the new kids find out that aunt y/n has a mate. And they meet him for the first time. Over time he notices that Roxto follows his mate around and his response. (Anon) You mentioned once the Roxto was like aunt y/n sully’s tail. Can you do some scenario of that and the other kids noticing and bringing it up.

Note: I am going to adopt as many children as I can, because I can and I want to!!!! -auntie sully

Avatar masterlist | Part 2

The first time the metkayina kids met their new aunt's mate y/n, was after the boat crash. The sully's were already part of the clan and jake was able to bring ruk'e to live with the family. The man was his younger sister's mate, but he was also his best friend (jake joked that he was his bestie, don't ask why<3).

Everyone would accept him right away, ruk'e's personality is kind and calm. So he would take his time to greet each child. Of course, next to him would be a jealous spider. He might be big now, but he was still his father. And he didn't want to share. You'd give him a tug on his hair. "Spider…come here!" you'd scold spider, grabbing him by the arm.

Ruk'e would notice the relationship all the boys have with you. Tsireya wants to be like you, ao'nung always tries to show off his skills to show he's the best. But rotxo, he just likes to sit next to you and talk. This would fill him with curiosity. Because a boy his age is not doing things his age.

From what he could tell, Rotxo had cut down on his activities just to be around you. And yes, he could confirm, Rotxo was your new blue tail. If you went to the beach, he was there. A walk in the nearby jungle, he would accompany you. Weave a basket, he would look for the materials. Of course, always with the help of spider. He loved rotxo, the bond these two boys had created was adorable.

"Mom…can rotxo sleep over today" spider would ask, you would accept. Giving your mate a look. Ruk'e would accept, watching as both boys made some kind of giant hammock. They were playing and laughing. Ruk'e could see your eyes sparkle as you watched the scene. You always wanted spider to have a brother or sister. It was no secret that it was almost impossible for you to have a baby. Even the baby you had hoped for months ago before everything took a turn for the worse could never come.

Ruk'e would be curious as to why Rotxo would be so attached to you. And I think this makes a lot of sense. Someone has seen rotxo's parents, he was always alone. And he used to get sad when the kids would make fun of his fondness for aunt y/n. Not knowing that he had no one. This was revealed, one day when all the kids were talking. Lo'ak made an off-hand comment, and rotxo ran out of the place.

Ao'nung would get upset, and explain to them what had happened. Rotxo's parents had died when he was little. He never met them, so from that moment on he lived in a common area, where there were other children going through the same situation. Spider heard this, and felt more attached to Rotxo. The two of them shared more in common than he thought.

Of course, this came to your ears. Your heart breaks to hear the story. That's why Rotxo was looking for you. He felt safe with you, even though he was much bigger than you. You gave him the love and attention he craved. He didn't have to look elsewhere for attention, because he had it in your family, even if it was just for a little while.

That same week, you would invite him to your home for more dinner. You would even prepare a special hammock for him. "Look rotxo…right next to mine!!!" says spider, bumping thumbs with spider. Ruk'e would take his role very seriously, taking his two boys to help him be his labors. Rotxo enjoyed the new company he had. He felt loved and safe.

One afternoon, after being with you all day. Rotxo would be getting ready to leave. Saying goodbye to spider. You would be approaching. "Hey…don't you want to rest here today?" you speak up. "I don't want to intrude," Rotxo says. You would take rotxo's hand. " Darling…I don't mind you being my new tail, huh? What's up?" you say. Rotxo would laugh, and get a little shy. Ruk'e would get up from the floor, inviting the boy to stay with them. "Come on son…come here!!!" says ruk'e. The boy would sit next to you, you would stroke his face. "My pretty new little tail" you speak, feeling rotxo settle in next to you as he always did.

[radical-revolution]

In Memory

After I got the call that Ram Dass had died yesterday, I closed my eyes.

He is still here.

I could feel the vast field of love that was shining from Ram Dass when Trudy and I taught with him just a couple of weeks ago. And I always will.

On the final day of this last retreat, called “Open Your Heart in Paradise,” Ram Dass was frail and didn’t have access to many words. But he was there in the most powerful way. He swam delightedly with the group in the ocean, chanting “Oh Joy, Oh Joy.”

And on the retreat’s last morning, he put his hands on a basket of 350 wrist malas, each tied with a thread of his guru’s blanket, to tenderly bless them. Then, as participants came by slowly to receive their malas, he silently looked into each face, offering to all what is sometimes called “the glance of mercy,” a gaze so full of love that it left many of us speechless and weeping, drunk with blessing.

I have known Ram Dass for 48 years, as master teacher and inspiration and role model, as a dear friend and benefactor who helped me begin to teach, as a companion on the path, as a truth teller and prankster, as a profound healer and whisperer of souls, as a kind of prophet for a generation. Out in public with him across the years, over and over people would come up to him and speak lovingly, tentatively, urgently, offering thanks, “Ram Dass, I just want to let you know you changed my life!” And he did… for so many of us.

Yes, his book “Be Here Now” changed countless lives. Yes, his work with Seva Foundation cured 5 million people of blindness. Yes, he taught almost nonstop for 50 years, spreading wisdom and humor, wild devotion and love and a vast timeless mystical perspective across the world. His obituaries will be filled with his many other accomplishments.

For me he is family and Sangha, even now still spreading his playful, tough, delicious love everywhere, connecting with our hearts. “Yum, yum,” as he would say.

He was so ready to leave the wheelchair and skinny and broken body, to go home.

Home is not somewhere else.

It is here, in life and death, in the eternal dance of consciousness, weaving together form and the formless mystery from which it all comes.

Ram Dass is the vastness reminding us that in the end, there is only love.

~ Jack Kornfield, two years ago🙏

Be Here Now

Please read aloud, pause in-between, and listen to the poetic heart-words of a Great Teacher...a Beloved Guru, and a true inspiration for so many of us throughout this life.

_________________________________________

We're fascinated by the words--but where we meet is in the silence behind them.

The quieter you become, the more you can hear.

It is important to expect nothing, to take every experience, including the negative ones, as merely steps on the path, and to proceed.

The most exquisite paradox… as soon as you give it all up, you can have it all. As long as you want power, you can't have it. The minute you don't want power, you'll have more than you ever dreamed possible.

I would like my life to be a statement of love and compassion - and where it isn't, that's where my work lies.

In most of our human relationships, we spend much of our time reassuring one another that our costumes of identity are on straight.

The heart surrenders everything to the moment. The mind judges and holds back.

Your problem is you are too busy holding on to your unworthiness.

As long as you have certain desires about how it ought to be you can't see how it is.

Treat everyone you meet like God in drag.

The most important aspect of love is not in giving or the receiving: it's in the being. When I need love from others, or need to give love to others, I'm caught in an unstable situation. Being in love, rather than giving or taking love, is the only thing that provides stability. Being in love means seeing the Beloved all around me.

Suffering is part of our training program for becoming wise.

What you meet in another being is the projection of your own level of evolution.

The spiritual journey is individual, highly personal. It can't be organized or regulated. It isn't true that everyone should follow one path. Listen to your own truth.

Let's trade in all our judging for appreciating. Let's lay down our righteousness and just be together.

Only that in you which is me can hear what I'm saying.

Everything changes once we identify with being the witness to the story, instead of the actor in it.

We are all affecting the world every moment, whether we mean to or not. Our actions and states of mind matter, because we are so deeply interconnected with one another.

A feeling of aversion or attachment toward something is your clue that there's work to be done.

The next message you need is always right where you are.

I would say that the thrust of my life has been initially about getting free, and then realizing that my freedom is not independent of everybody else. Then I am arriving at that circle where one works on oneself as a gift to other people so that one doesn't create more suffering. I help people as a work on myself and I work on myself to help people.

I'm not interested in being a "lover." I'm interested in only being love.

The game is not about becoming somebody, it's about becoming nobody.

Learn to watch your drama unfold while at the same time knowing you are more than your drama.

If you think you're free, there's no escape possible.

Every religion is the product of the conceptual mind attempting to describe the mystery.

It's only when caterpillarness is done that one becomes a butterfly. That again is part of this paradox. You cannot rip away caterpillarness. The whole trip occurs in an unfolding process of which we have no control.

We're here to awaken from the illusion of separateness

We're all just walking each other home.

~ Ram Dass now, just as before,

at home with Divinity

[king-mera]

what are your thoughts on frozen empire? What are its failures?

Oy Vey…

I've already ranted my thoughts both in posts and in private, so what can I say that hasn't already been said? I'll just try to summarize my main gripes.

The cast is bloated with too many characters and none of them have enough screentime to properly showcase or develop their personalities. It's honestly a shame too, because Afterlife set up Phoebe, Trevor, Lucky, and Podcast as the new main four Ghostbusters to parallel to the OGs, who could be their mentors. Instead we got the Spengler family, along with Nadim, and lars. It's not as tight and focus as it should be, in my opinion. I don't hate Lars, but his inclusion bothers me in particular because his role could easily be filled by other characters. I don't know why he's being pushed as "the new Egon" either when Phoebe was already shown to have so much in common with him.

Speaking of Phoebe, what the Hell were the writers trying to do with her? In her first appearance she was funny, clever, and brave. She had a temper sure, but only when she was pushed to her breaking point. She also knew how to be a team player, working with her friends and family to prevent the apocalypse. In just her second appearance, suddenly she's snapping at her parents, recklessly causing damage, arrogantly taking all credit for saving the world, and preferring the company of a ghostly stranger over people. Disturbingly enough, she develops a morbid fascination with becoming a ghost herself. Where did this come from? She behaves more like Rowan North from the 2016 film. What happened to the determined young girl who stood up to the god of destruction and refused to die? Now she's locking herself into a metal box and painfully electrocuting herself in a scene that resembles self-harm or suicide. All this to separate her soul from her body just to be closer to this girl she's hinted to have a crush on.

Phoebe never needed a love interest of any gender, explicit or implied. It doesn't serve her story when there were so many other interesting things about her that could've been explored instead. How does she live up to the legacy of her grandfather? Is she worried about repeating his mistakes? Does she struggle to be taken seriously as a child doing an adult's job? There were already two other romantic subplots that deserved focus anyway: Callie with Gary and Trevor with Lucky. Adding a third one at this point just comes out of nowhere. Not to mention all the other elements of Phoebe and Melody's relationship that make it weird, like the age gap between the actors or the fact that melody is DEAD. Even if you ignore the flirty undertones and interpret their interactions as platonic, it's still a toxic situation because Melody is only manipulating Phoebe to release the real villain Garakka.

Garakka fails to impress me, too. He has little in the way of personality or motive. His visual design has a striking silhouette at first glance, but it's rather plain compared to other ghosts in the series. There’s nothing about him that suggests the culture he’s from (what was a frost giant/lich doing in India?). I don't understand why they make such a big deal out of his horns either, they're the source of his power yet he's able to do things without them. The horns are also conveniently locked in the same room as his orb, so he's able to quickly retrieve them. They might as well have stayed stuck on his head the whole time! What's so scary about this guy anyway? He's cold, naked, and skinny. That's not scary, it's just me stepping out of the shower.

Well, I guess Garakka deserves some credit for killing that random store clerk. The only on-screen kill in GB film besides Shandor in the last movie, and it’s some poor innocent bystander. Normally I wouldn’t mind such a thing, but it sucks that Phoebe and Nadim are indirectly responsible for this dude’s death through their irresponsibility. All the characters seem incompetent here. The Firehouse and the new lab don’t have adequate safety measures, and apparently Egon never thought to plan ahead for if the containment unit got full. That last point is a non-issue that just wastes time since the lab has backup units and Garakka breaks the main one from the outside anyway.

There are several moments that come across as mean-spirited and cynical, from Podcast crushing the old lady’s watch (that belonged to her late husband) to Lucky and Trevor cracking sex jokes about Nadim’s dead Grandmother. I complain about Phoebe’s attitude, but it’s not like she has a good support network. Her parents are dismissive of her and Ray doesn’t ask her what’s wrong when she asks if he ever wondered what it’s like to be a ghost.

We get a happy ending when Garakka is trapped and Melody crosses over, but it rings hollow when nobody acted as they should. They only acted how the convoluted plot demanded them to.

Oh and those mini-pufts, how I despise them. They were fine in Afterlife but now they’ve overstayed their welcome and become the new minions.

This whole movie feels like a bad dream and as far as I'm concerned, it's not canon.

[ao3-top-batfam-ships-bracket]

My problem with Bat/ Bat ships isn't that they exist, it's how many people like them.

Wait! Hear me out. I swear I have a reason.

I'm good at ignoring ships that squick me, so I do. I also want to make it very clear I am not I am not hating on individuums who ship Bat/ Bat.

But to me, how much people ship them is kind of indicative of how little we value adopted children in our society. People say they aren't "really related" so it's fine.

Because you just don't see that level of engagement with ships involving biologically related family.

And it's that attitude shining through more than the shipping itself I dislike.

"Fiction isn't reality" no, it isn't, write the darkest thing you want. Explore fucked up concepts. That doesn't make you a bad person. It's completely normal.

However oftentimes Fiction is often still a reflection of reality. From reading, we can learn about our society (or other societies, if we venture beyond our own culture.) It says something, whether the author meant for it to mean something or not.

We understand where you're coming from and agree that adopted children/siblings are real family and shouldn't be valued less. We also agree that fiction mirrors reality which mirrors fiction, although that process is much more complex than many people claim.

However, 1) not every family is your typical nuclear family. Everybody defines their family and their relationships with its members in their own way. Some people call all adults that are close to them uncles and aunts, regardless of any actual biological connection. Someone could have been raised by their biological parents, but don't claim them as parents because of personal reasons and even view other adults who filled the parental roles better as their actual parents. Someone could have a biological sibling that is much older than them, grow up without them in their life and due to that think of them as more of a cool friend than a sibling. (All examples are taken from our own personal experiences.)

It's especially apparent in cases of found family, which batfamily certainly is. Tim and Jason haven't met until Jason was 18 and Tim was 16. Both were adopted by the same man, but they didn't know each other. Does that automatically makes them brothers? Even though without the adoption papers they would be total strangers? If Jason's death invalidated the adoption papers does it mean he and Bruce stopped thinking of each other as parent and child? Bruce and Dick have an age difference between 10 to 20 years and viewed each other more as brothers, partners and mentor/mentee at first. Bruce and Tim for a long time also thought of each other as mentor/mentee, especially since Tim still had a living father. That was also the case of Dick and Damian. Tim had a crush on Cass in the comics at the beginning of their friendship. Jason and Dick were technically brothers before Jason's death, but they weren't close at all and only met a few times. Barbara is a mother/sister figure to Cass even when she was dating Cass' adopted brother Dick. We don't think Jason and Cass even met once in post-crisis comics, despite technically being siblings. (Sorry we're only mentioning that one era, we aren't as knowledgeable about new52 and rebirth.)

The recent push to make the batfamily a nuclear family in our opinion does a huge disservice to the characters and their interesting and complicated relationships that can't fit neatly into boxes labeled "sibling" or "parent".

2) some people think of batfamily as a family AND still ship them at the same time. Yes, some claim they aren't "really related", but there's another side that absolutely views them as related and wants to explore what happens when two brothers or a father and son fall in love.

3) there's actually a pretty big engagement with ships involving biologically related family. Wincest (ship between biological brothers Sam and Dean from Supernatural) is the 15th most popular ship on AO3 of all time. We still remember how prominent the fandom discourse about shipping the Weasley twins from Harry Potter was. In almost every fandom, there're at least a few incest ships. Are they more popular than adopted sibling incest ships? We don't know, but if anyone wants to measure it in some way, we'd love to find out.

Edit: 4) as people have rightfully pointed out in the comments and reblogs, a lot of fics are AUs where one or both characters weren't even adopted and met in different circumstances. You can see that in a lot of fandoms, people will imagine close friends or even strangers as biological family and vice versa: write biological or adopted family as just friends or even strangers.

We're looking forward to hearing what other people think about this topic!

[fleurlia]

pairing; seunghan x idol reader

genre; angst, kinda fluff, lovers to exes

note; i hope you guys like this! riize has been really on my mind lately, and it was fun writing about them. i think i'll continue if you enjoy it;

your biggest dream was to debut as an idol. it always had been.

and when you finally made at the age seventeen and after some time of relentless work and effort, you could hear the words "congratulations, you did it" and then make your debut alongside your four closest friends. you felt complete, nothing in the world could take away what you now had.

although you were not paid enough for the hours of effort and the amount you did and all the other thousands of negative points, you never felt so happy in your short life and that was enough for you. the sensation of stepping onto the stage once more always rekindled a sense of fulfillment, filling a void you didn't even realize existed.

the first year was magical, creating a bond with your new four best friends who had essentially become an integral part of your family, revived something within you. the amount of trips, especially for someone who had never left the city, the absurd love that you received from the fans. all the experiences that you might remember for the rest of your life had been in that first year as the main vocalist of your group.

you never experienced emptiness like before; everything was consistently whole and fulfilling. even the various roles and positions you held within the group occupied a significant space within you.

until the day you laid your eyes on hong seunghan.

it was obvious that you would fall for him, who wouldn't?

it was like blinking, natural and predictable. you remembered the feeling of simply looking at him and thinking "it's him", nothing like love at first sight or that you were destined to be together – although seunghan sometimes swore to you that you had been made molded for each other. the feeling of falling in love with him was like sleeping and waking up, you didn't notice or remember how you slept but as soon as you opened your eyes in the morning you knew you had slept. you knew you loved seunghan.

your relationship lasted two years. you would remember these years fondly for the rest of your existence.

from his contagious laughter and humor to his sweet voice singing for you to rest in his arms as you both slept. your relationship was filled with love, passion and missing each other, you spent some time in the united states promoting your group and seunghan was preparing for riize's debut since the first months of dating. you more than anyone else hoped for the day he would be on stage with all eyes on him.

the void that was once filled only by stages and fans now also welcomed you with open arms every day as you returned home.

everything started to go wrong just before the group's debut. pictures of seunghan with an old girlfriend began to be uploaded on the internet a few weeks before the official debut day. you knew him, you would recognize his laugh amid thousands, knew exactly what displeased him and even the way he sneezed, so it was obvious that you knew about it and it was never something to bother you because when you two met you were almost adults.

that was the first ugly fight you had, you had never seen him so upset and nervous before that day. you had a stable career, SM had given a preview of your debut as an actress that year and would officially debut you in your fourth year with the group in a drama as the protagonist, you were extremely popular in the eyes of everyone and seunghan was not, he was far from it and would need to try hard to fix the situation, even though it was not a mistake.

you should have broken up, you and him knew that, but it didn't happen. you still don't know how but after practically begging your manager and him compassionately trying to resolve it, your relationship was 'forgotten' and the concern was turned to how to fix the situation.

and then seunghan finally debuted, it was one of the happiest days for both of you and despite all the confusion, the eyes really turned to him. now both shared that feeling of affection to the stage and fans, and at the end of the day returned to each other's arms.

everything seemed fine, but you knew it wasn't deep down, it seemed like a countdown to something neither of you could avoid. around him, he never seemed worried and nervous, always maintaining his sweet smile and calmly passionate eyes for you, but sometimes you could see how he drifted into a worried expression. it was a matter of two months until you broke up.

you didn't see that coming, you never would have.

you had been called to one of those meetings by your manager, it was nothing new. there was always an alignment or agenda adjustments meeting. you left the practice room as if nothing could happen, innocently even smiled at some people on the way. when you opened the door to the meeting room, you could see seunghan and his manager sitting on the other side of your manager's table.

the same boy you woke up that same morning. in his arms.

you can't remember what was said, what was agreed or arranged, but you broke up there, on that silly tuesday, in such a simple and cruel way. two years of your life were erased there in that small room of that big building. seunghan didn't look you in the eyes once or spoke. both of you spent all those minutes in pure silence. while you couldn't take your eyes off the transparent table and then him, he just sat there with no emotions in his face or eyes, it was as if you didn't know him at all. in the end when both of yours managers discussed about the risky relationship and how you and him couldn't keep it for the sake of both careers, he stood up with his manager from the room and then disappeared behind the door.

after that day, you never saw him again.

his hiatus was announced the next day and despite seeing the other members of his group and even interacting with them, you never heard his name or voice again. you didn't return to the apartment that once belonged to both of you until his things disappeared from there and you could move, and even if you had tried to contact him in moments of pure anger at how he could give up on you so easily, he never answered you, and you understood him. you could understand why he had given up, maybe in his place, you would do the same.

a month passed, all the awards and events came, Christmas and New Year also passed, all of them being the first time in two years that you did it without your boyfriend. he was nowhere to be found. the hearts of everyone around you forgot about it, but yours never did. despite all of that, the emptiness you felt was not even filled by fans, projects, or stages, and it continued to haunt you for a while.

until the day you laid your eyes on hong seunghan again, in the winter of the first month of the new year announcing his return to riize.

[boykingscourt]

Ooh! Who is who in your Lost Boys au & what are the best protectiveness parts?

ok so lost boys au that lives in my brain. this might be long for no reason so I apologize for that. two things to keep in mind:

idk if you've seen the lost boys before, but don't try to think of the characters as a 1:1 ratio, not in their relationships to each other nor their personalities. some of this will make more sense given their relationships in the movie and some of it will not

vampires-only universe. and the winchesters are just normal people with no prior knowledge of them

so most importantly dean is michael (older brother who falls in with the vampire gang and is unknowingly turned) and sam is... well sam! it makes almost too much sense given michael also calls his little brother sammy

dean is early 20s and sam is late teens

in this, john is lucy. lucy is technically divorced in the movie, but we can just keep it canon and have john be a widower (sorry, mary). certainly a version where mary is alive and john is dead can exist, but it's not this one

okay so this next part is kind of embarrassing. I know the lost boys is about well the lost boys, the gang of four vampire boys, but I really only have the most important member planned out.

benny is david, the leader. it makes sense given his relationship with dean in canon. can be homoerotic if you prefer. I can't find any photos of ty olsson around the age I'd want him to be here, but you can imagine him as dean's age (at least at the moment he was turned)

cassie robinson is star, who in the movie is david's (unwilling) girlfriend and is herself a fledgling vampire. if you want dean and cassie to be together the way michael and star were, then that's fine too! cassie is gorgeous; star is gorgeous, and both are brave. makes sense to me

btw I don't care about that little kid who hangs around star in the movie, so we're not gonna care about him here

my favorite role to fill was the frog brothers, two teens who work at a comic book store, befriend (movie) sam, and try to warn him about the existence of vampires. making them charlie and garth seemed like a no-brainer. they can still call themselves the frog brothers (even though charlie called the men of letters' name sexist, being a frog brother is just much cooler and I think she'd like it). they don't have to be literal siblings. sam, charlie, and garth will work to cure dean of his vampirism by attempting to locate and kill the head vampire

oh the grandpa is going to be bobby, a family friend john and the boys move in with for the time being. I don't think this needs further explanation

okay so now max, the head vampire

I want him to be rowena. now HEAR ME OUT

I love rowena and of course I don't see her as a villain by the end of spn but damn it let me have fun!! let her seduce john with the motive of turning him and his boys into vampires so they can all be one big happy vampire family. let sam, charlie, and garth try to prove she's a vampire in front of john and have that hilarious and iconic dinner scene from the movie ensue

because vampire mother is much cooler than a dorky vampire dad, yeah?

so now the best instances of michael protecting sam in the movie that I can then use for dean and sam? while it's true michael is not as outwardly protective of (movie) sam as dean is of (spn) sam, it is clear he cares for sam a lot and is not letting any vampire near him (including himself)

there's another iconic scene where sam is in the bathtub and michael nearly feeds on him, only to be mauled by the family dog lmao. so dean can indeed nearly feed on sam and get mauled by the family dog, sam's dog, bones in this case!

bones is a very good boy

when the vampires make their final attack on the winchester brothers, cassie, and the frog brothers, (who are all at bobby's house while both bobby and john are away) bones will run out into the yard, leaving sam to run after bones and dean to run after sam, shouting at him the entire time. bones will be fine!

there was also a part earlier in the movie where sam and the frog brothers sneak into the vampires' lair to kill them. this is where that gifset came from. michael (dean) is weak from the sunlight and nowhere near as powerful as david (benny) and his gang, warning sam (sam lol) that he can't protect him down there, to which sam replies that he has to protect dean this time

if you are still having a hard time seeing the vision, please imagine these two scenes as sam, dean, john, and rowena and then sam, dean, and cassie, respectively

and there you have it! lost boys au that lives in my head. ending and in fact the majority of the plot is up to you

if you know anything about the movie and want more specifics, and if I've thought of those specifics, ask away again!

[foundmywei]

i think the main relationship conflict buddie should have once they get together, while their relationship is still fresh, is buck getting jealous again when eddie starts hanging out with another man. everyone is trying to reassure him that eddie only has eyes for him, but it's not about that. buck knows that he is eddie's boyfriend and that eddie isn't looking for another one, but now that their relationship has changed, technically the spot for 'best friend' in eddie's life is empty. eddie could meet someone and they could become his best friend, and it would be alright, because buck is his boyfriend (and hopefully will become his husband), so it should be fine for eddie to find a new best friend.

only it's not fine. it's not fine at all. buck doesn't want eddie to have a best friend that isn't him. buck is his best friend, and he wants to be his best friend forever. and not in the way some couples claim they're "marrying their best friend" in their wedding speech while their actual best friend is sitting somewhere in the crowd. he wants to be his best friend, like he's been all those years. but he can't, right? because they're a couple now, so it makes sense that they could have another person to fill that role.

he's so upset about it, and he's struggling to express that to eddie, because he doesn't want to make him feel like he can't get close to other people just because buck is selfish and he wants to take over all the important roles in eddie's life. eddie should be free to get new friends and new best friends without buck losing his mind about it.

eddie is genuinely confused about the whole situation, maybe also a little hurt about buck seemingly not trusting him, until the guy he had been befriending makes a move on him (eddie didn't see that coming), and he thinks it's best to tell that to his boyfriend, only for their conversation to go like:

-buck, visibly relieved: oh thank god he was just hitting on you

-eddie, even more confused: you are happy that he was hitting on me? i thought you were jealous

-buck: yeah, i was jealous about him becoming your new best friend

-eddie: my new best friend? but you are my best friend

-buck: I'm your boyfriend. so you could technically have a different best friend

-eddie: why would i do that? just because we are in a relationship now it doesn't mean we can't still be best friends

it takes a little more conversation, but eventually eddie manages to convince buck that no, just because their relationship has evolved into a romantic one, it doesn't mean that its foundations have changed. friendship is at the core of it, and that's not something that could ever get lost. they don't have to act all that differently now that they're a couple, they can just be themselves around each other like they've always been, only now with the added bonus of intimacy with no worries that there's a line they shouldn't cross.

they are buck and eddie. best friends and partners and family and lovers and everything in between. maybe it's not conventional, but when has their relationship ever been?

[cherubshert]

You don't know idols irl

But Jungwon has been nothing but a fucking sweetheart to engenes, he's constantly updating us, constantly posting content for our enjoyment, constantly doing his job as an idol

But some ungrateful 'fans' are now hating on him, for a rumor based of off there i say bullshit proof, like photos that are so blurry that it could be anyone(lemme tell you if you took those 'proof' to court, a good judge will laugh in your face and kick you out, that's how shitty they are), and proof from crazy individuals detailing how they stalked him.

Like instead of coming together worried about his privacy being so disgustingly violated, there r ppl, screaming and shouting at Jungwon??

Same on winter's side, i have seen the clips from that aespa fan meeting, where these 'fans' were screaming and cursing at her. over a rumor that if you had common sense you could see are false.

I don't think these people are really fans, these individuals are just people jumping on an opportunity to hate, and be vicious. I saw the email template they were planning to send to hybe, and it's just filled with stupid delusions.

Jungwon has admitted that he isn't in a relationship (even if he was, he is 20, who gives a shit) and these people have deluded them selves that he is, because of proof thaf can soo easily be disproven.

Kpop idol's mental health is so important, from torturous trainee life, to torturous idol life, Multiple idols have passed, because of crazy insane stupid rumors, that ruined their mental health. Yet, to this day so many people don't feel shame when they toy with an idols mental health like this.

And if something awful does happen, which i fucking pray not, these people will be the loudest about mental health. Please remember that idols are HUMANS not things or property. Jungwon has been so mentally strong, but i don't know how he's actually doing bts, as a my and engene, this situation is hurting my eyes.

If u r one of the insane individuals still angry at this, plss plss leave, i promise Jungwon and enha wouldn't care about losing 'fans' like you. Jungwon has said, on camera, by himself, that he's not dating, and you still delude yourself to thinking he is because???

It just seems like you have nothing fun or special going on in your life, please go hang out with family and friends, if you don't have friends make some, get a job, get a more productive hobby, go to the gym and do some boxing, since you are so desperate to let out rage. You say you love enhypen, yet you are so quick to treating them like this, because you lack respect not only for yourself, but for him.

we are going into 2025, a stranger, which is what jungwon is to all of us at the end of the day, dating, should not, and I repeat should not get you THIS riled up, you're mad at a human for falling in love?

And if you believe idols shouldn't date still, i better not see you dating either, cause by your logic, you also belong to said idol, and you dating is also a betrayal, you should also lose your job and everything you've worked hard for. You see how dumb you sound?? if not i really pity you, cause there is something insanely wrong with you.

Therapy is expensive, but human connection is mostly free, if you had friends, a job and a life to look forward to, you wouldn't care so much about this.

Parasocial relationships at the end of the day are not real, jungwon isn't really your friend, your boyfriend or your husband, he's a guy doing his job, being a singer, dancing and making music. your role as a fan, is to support him, so no he doesnt owe you any more than what he's given you(making good songs, dancing, concerts, albums/ the lives, photos and content r extras for your entertainment, he doesn't have to do that either if he doesn't want to, but he does(a lot),so shut up and know your place). he is a person, a human, and like yunjin said, an idol doesn't mean a dol(l) to fuck with.

[omegaversetheory]

i’m a little new here (just started going down an omegaverse rabbit hole) but do you have any thoughts or headcanons on like people displaying traits and behaviors that are more aligned with different dynamics? like an omega or beta that’s more dominant/take charge in the way that people would normally associate with alphas, or an alpha that’s more of a softer caregiving type the way people would expect an omega to be

it seems like with traditional omegaverse stuff that’s just not a thing that really happens since those traits are kinda hardwired in for lack of a better term, but i’m just so interested in how that could manifest and why, like would a really stubborn and headstrong omega be frowned upon?

totally get that with a lot of this it’s kind of just “you can do whatever you want” lol but i’d love to hear about your take on this type of thing if you’ve got any

Howdy and happy new year!

In a traditional omegaverse (the most conservative and rigid type) I think it would work similarly to real life gender dynamics - where traits associated with higher ranked dynamics (alphas and betas typically) are always seen as favorable for all, while traits associated with lower dynamics (omegas) are unfavorable unless you happen to be a part of that group. Here are some examples.

An omega is praised for speaking up for herself and prioritizing facts/logic over emotion when making a big decision.

A beta honors her family by becoming a military general, making her pack frequently brag about her strong committment and focus.

An alpha is chided for tearing up when she watches movies, and people don't understand why she's comfortable just becoming a nurse instead of a doctor.

An omega who loves following sports, playing them, and attending matches is seen as something like a novelty among his friends, they think it's awesome and sort of funny that he gets so competitive.

A beta forgoes his pursuit of becoming a fancy college professor after he takes a student-teaching position in a pre-school. Other people think this is very unserious, and not becoming for a beta like him who should strive higher than the jobs omegas normally fill.

An alpha has a difficult time explaining to people why he wants to be a stay at home dad and homemaker, letting his omega partner continue their career "instead".

Your right, traditionally, people expect to see some inherent qualities present in each dynamic. I guess there are two options that could allow this to manifest in-world.

A: based on generations, if not centuries, of culturally distinct roles that meant that as time passed - people were unable to seperate the individual from an ideal. Unable to see the ideal as being something that was created instead of genetic, it would mean people get slotted into different boxes because of who they are.

B: does have a genetic component, but this would get complicated as the writer would have to consider how much of this actually are genetic rules (like how on average women are shorter than men, men have more muscle and other genetic traits that make them stronger and faster than women), versus how much could fall into a nature/nurture debate (men are less in touch with their emotions and form relationships differently, while women are better at multi-tasking, many outwardly enjoy being around babies, etc..)

While I'm always a fan of letting people do whatever they want, I think it works best when it's well thought out. It's easy to be blind to the interconnectedness of life, and if you were to make a adjustment to how something like this would work compared to the real would, that would reverberate and likely change how other things in that society worked as well.