#yes. yes i have. have you tried recommending things that aren't stupid

[drop--pop--candy]

deeply hilarious that i am Absolutely Fucked Up and yet i have never been to a hospital for my own medical reasons. i don't even go to the doctor that often

[caramel-maive-chiato]

Stuck with you pt. 2 - Viktor ⋆⭒˚｡⋆

✦ summary: You two are figuring out this whole unexpected pregnancy thing (mostly by arguing). It’s late, raining outside, and you’re both still at the lab, too stubborn to go home, somehow, he’s actually not being an asshole.

Requests open! recommendations and prompts list

masterlist | Part 1

✦ genre: drama/hurt-comfort

✦ pairing: fem!reader (afab)

✦ warnings: mild cursing, Viktor being kind of an asshole to you (a bit softer now)

✦ author`s note: godddd I'm so nervousss, I rewriten this like 3 times, I was scared this part couldn’t reach the same hype part 1 did :(, so I really hope you enjoy it! (no proofread btw)

Some weeks had gone by, now you were three months pregnant, your bump started to be more noticeable even when you tried to cover it up with your clothes.

You and Viktor fell into a steady rhythm of serious conversations about paternity and then came back to insulting each other like any other Friday afternoon.

Though his concern for your health started deepening, the worst part wasn’t that you were pregnant.

It wasn’t even that it was Viktor’s. No, the worst part was that Viktor was being Viktor about the whole thing.

Annoying. Sharp-tongued. Infuriatingly composed. And somehow, somehow, still the most brilliant person you’d ever met, which only made it worse.

Life had settled into a bizarre phase at the lab. No screaming, no dramatic arguments. Instead, it was small things;

Viktor shoving a glass of water at you in the middle of a long work session, making sure you didn’t forget to eat, tossing out a casual, accented: "perhaps you should sit down"

'don’t dive your head into a fantasy that does not exist'

That was the mantra you kept repeating to yourself whenever that warm feeling started to swell in your chest, whenever he wasn't being an asshole. As if his bare minimum of decent behavior was enough to set off a whole internal war within you.

But he was still him. Still determined to get under your skin.

Which was probably why, after days of suspiciously thoughtful behavior, you weren’t at all surprised when he ruined it. One rainy, stormy afternoon;

“Your calculations are wrong” he said, not even looking up from his notes.

You glanced up from the blueprints you were working on, unimpressed. “Excuse me?”

“Your stabilizer formula for the gem holder. It is incorrect, very incorrect actually." Viktor tapped a page in front of him, his usual smirk edging into something even more insufferable.

“Oh, please. I’ve been refining this formula for months. There is nothing wrong with it.”

You saw a flash of light before a raging thunder made the windows tremble. His eyes flicked up, sharp and amused.

“Then you will not mind if I...” He took your notebook from the table before you could stop him, scanning the equations.

Your blood pressure spiked. “Viktor—”

“Ah, here it is.” He tapped a line of calculations with his pen. “a rounding error, pretty basic mistake for the mastermind you pretend to be.”

“It’s fine” You grabbed the notebook back before he could say another word.

“Hmm.” He leaned back. “It is unlike you to make such mistakes. Distracted, aren't you?”

“Maybe I am, in fact, distracted. I wonder why” You huffed, rolling your eyes.

His gaze flickered to your stomach—just briefly, just enough for your heart to do something stupid in your chest—before he looked back at your face, unimpressed.

“Do not blame me for your inability to multitask.”

You wanted to throw something at him. Instead, you exhaled through your nose, willing patience into your voice. “You are so lucky that I am too tired to fight you today.”

“Lucky,” he repeated dryly. “yes, that is exactly how I would describe this situation.”

Your fingers curled into fists. “You are so infuriating—”

“and you are exhausting”

“You don’t listen to anything”

“You always have to control everything”

“I am very frustrating, after all, you have said it many times actually" he hummed, shifting his weight onto his cane.

“because you clearly are" you muttered.

"And yet, I am offering you emotional support," Viktor continued, his tone light, almost playful."a noble man, truly a gentleman."

"Such a noble man, nothing screams chivalry like making fun of a poor single mother."

The words hit like punches in a boxing match, neither of you willing to back down.

Then it came out of your mouth before you could stop it—

“no matter how much you hate me, we still have to raise a child together.”

Silence.

Viktor’s expression flickered, just for a second. He exhaled slowly, tapping his fingers against the desk.

“…I don’t hate you.”

His voice was softer than you expected.

Your anger didn’t vanish completely, but it dulled around the edges.

His tall -cane suported- figure getting outlined by the lightings that cracked behind him made your body tingle in waves, as if the thunder had strucked you.

You frowned, arms still crossed.

“you sure act like it sometimes.”

Silence.

The next time you saw Viktor around the lab, it was late, far past when either of you should have still been in there.

You were sitting at your desk, staring down a half-eaten sandwich with the kind of exhaustion that came from too many late nights and too many unspoken thoughts.

If Jayce wasn’t a complete mess at doing his annotations, you would probably be sleeping at your cozy, warm house.

Away from your emotionally supportive co-parenting bastard.

The only sound was the scratch of chalk against the board, the occasional tap of his cane against the floor, and the rain outside.

Until, of course, he broke the silence.

“You are eating that as if it’s your last meal on death row, it’s pathetic.”

“I am tired.” you sighed, setting it down, your hand sliding down your face.

“Well, you are here, but you could be cozy at home already." Viktor hummed, flipping a page in his notes.

“So are you.”

He smirked, not denying it. “I have an excuse. This is my life, I do what I want, and what I want is to work.”

For all his stubbornness, all his arrogance, you knew he was carrying this research like a burden. That he had convinced himself he had to solve it, no matter the cost.

"Well, let me tell you something that might surprise you, I work here too," you said, tapping the desk. “Monday to Saturday from 8 to 8."

“So do I" Viktor tilted his head, studying you. “But you never stay this late.”

“Yeah, well. Things change.” You hesitated, fingers tightening around your pen.

There was a long silence. A pause, like he wasn’t sure whether to step past whatever invisible line had been drawn between you since this whole mess started.

Then, quietly, “Are you feeling unwell?"

You blinked. The question was so… simple. Not teasing, not smug. Just genuine worry.

“…I’m fine” you said, but even you didn’t believe it.

Viktor didn’t continue further, just nodded. But something in his expression softened just a fraction, just enough to make your chest tighten.

A few more minutes passed in silence before you let out a breath.

“You know,” you said, your voice quieter, “I still haven’t figured out how I’m supposed to tell everyone.”

"Perhaps not like you told me, you almost gave me a heart attack"

There was a pause, a beat where neither of you spoke. Your voice was softer when you continued.

“I didn’t know how to tell you.” Your fingers traced patterns on the desk. “I thought I was going to be a sad single mom"

“You thought I would leave?” Viktor’s smirk faded. His fingers stilled as he fidgeted with a loose screw, and his gaze flickered toward you.

You swallowed.

“I didn’t know.”

His brow furrowed. “Do you really think so little of me?”

“No!” you said quickly, then sighed. “I just… I didn’t want to assume you’d want this.”

You motioned vaguely, meaning the baby, the responsibility, the entire future that came with it.

Viktor studied you for a long moment. His voice was softer when he finally spoke.

"I was an ass," he admitted. "Stomping over you, claiming your research. I shouldn’t have done that."

His hand rested on your shoulder—not pressing, just there, warm through the fabric of your shirt.

His thumb idly brushed against your spine as he moved it down, waiting, patient. Giving you flashbacks you didn’t want to have right now.

"Wow, you are the most morally intelligent person I have ever met, Vik" you said with the most mock-serious tone you could produce.

"I think it is way too late for an apology, sorry buddy.” you continued

"I hand you the best material to argue with me like old times, and you just bitch me around?” he said, eyebrow raised

“You want my attention so bad?"

You didn’t know who moved first, if it was you or him. But the space between you vanished, and then—

Then you kissed him.

Or maybe he kissed you.

It wasn’t rushed, wasn’t some heated, reckless moment.

It was slow. Gentle. Like neither of you wanted to admit how long you had been waiting for it.

Viktor exhaled softly against your lips, like he had finally given up trying to fight something inevitable. Rain drops tickling the windows still.

When you finally pulled away, you were still close enough to feel the warmth of him.

“Hmm.” he tilted his head slightly.

“What?” you frowned.

“That was… unexpectedly pleasant.”

You let out a small laugh, shaking your head.

“Shut up.”

His smirk was small, shy even.

“Make me.”

You kissed him again.

Just once. Just because you could. And somehow, that was the most dangerous part of all.

Requests are open, here is my request and recommendations list!

thank you for commenting on part one my loves! @ocean-mochi @21-princess @biscuitsaredelish @spongelll @zanate-in-the-stars @rainyforest777 @iviorienne @demigoddesofchimichangagod @my-horniness-is-okay

[harunayuuka2060]

Ace: Oi~ Grim~!

Grim: Mryah! What do you want?!

Ace: Ask your guardian for help~.

Grim: Mryah! No! My hench-human is already busy! And they're going to tease me if they find out what happened!

Ace: What? They're going to know because of that sea anemone on your head.

Grim: Mrhmm... I can just play dumb!

Ace: Tch. You're being stubborn. I'll tell them and you cannot stop me.

Grim: Mrryaaaahhhh!!! No!!!! *starts tackling Ace*

Ace: Wha— Get off me!

Grim: Don't tell my hench-human!

MC: Tell what?

Ace and Grim: AHH!

MC: What's that stupid thing on your head, Grim? Dummy hat? *smirks* Suits you.

Grim: ...

Grim: *starts crying* NRYAAAAAAHHH! Hench-human! *flies to their arms*

MC: Hm? Why are you crying? Don't tell me it's because I called your hat stupid?

Ace: That's not really... You see that on his head and on mine? They're sea anemones.

Ace: We got this after not reaching the top 100 in exams.

MC: Ah... *looks at Grim* Pft—

Grim: Don't laugh at me! Huu...

MC: So... Is that permanent?

Grim: *cries even more*

Ace: It will last a year, unless you help us?

MC: And why would I do that? You botched your exams. That's not my problem.

Ace: But aren't you worried about Grim? He's crying and feeling helpless!

MC: Nah~. That should teach you a lesson. Let's go, Grim. There's a huge steak waiting for you at the dorm.

Grim: I can't... *sniffles* I need to work at the Monstro Lounge...

Ace: Yeah! All of us with sea anemones are forced to work!

MC: Huh. So this stupid thingy is not just for embarrassment?

MC: ...

MC: Alright. Now I'm part of the business.

Azul: I can't possibly allow that...

MC: Why not?

Azul: The students involved signed a contract and they've agreed to follow all the terms.

MC: Huh. Is that so?

Azul: Yes. I know it's unfortunate, however—

MC: I'll work for you instead of Grim and the two dudes over there. *pointing at Ace and Deuce*

Azul: ...

Azul: For free?

MC: Don't be stupid. I'd still want a minimum wage.

Azul: That won't do.

MC: I'm a fucking skilled worker. Sure you heard I cleaned the whole school on my own.

Azul: ...

Azul: Can you work until closing?

MC: What do you take me for?

Azul: *smiles* Then, it's settled. Here are their contracts.

Ace: My name's Ace Trappola!

Deuce: And mine is Deuce Spade. Thank you so much!

Grim: Hench-human...

MC: What's your order?

Student A: Can you recommend something that is not on the menu? *snickers with his other classmates*

MC: Huh? Are you a fucking idiot?

The students: ...

MC: You go to a pizza place, you are expected to buy a pizza. It's the same when you go to a meat shop or steak house.

MC: You stupid bitch don't ask for a damn shit that is not on the menu. What? You think you're smart for doing that?

Student A: U-Um...

MC: What's your order and you better give me an answer that is on the fucking menu.

Student A: ...

Student A: Carbonara...

MC: *smiles* Now we're talking. Floyd! Four carbonaras on table 4!

Floyd: Coming right up~.

Ace, Deuce, and Grim: *watching them*

Deuce: Your guardian is amazing, Grim.

Ace: Yeah, yeah. Sure. But when are we going to order—

Jade: *sets dishes on their table*

Jade: *smiles* It's on the house.

Ace and Deuce: ...

Grim: Nyaha! These look good!

Ace: Uh... No offense. But why?

Jade: Azul is thankful that he accepted MC's offer. We have reached our quota and it isn't even closing yet.

Ace: Huh? Do you mean to say you've been getting more customers than before?

Jade: Yes.

Ace: Whoa...

Deuce: Hey, Grim! Don't just eat all the food by yourself!

Grim: What? It's my hench-human's hard work.

MC: *yawns* Go to sleep now, Grim.

Grim: Nryah... I'm so full..

MC: *when they're just about to close their eyes, receives a call* *tries to ignore it*

*their phone continues to ring*

MC: *clicks their tongue* *answers it* What?

MC: ...

MC: A modelling job?

MC: ...

MC: Nah. *hangs up*

Vil: ...

Vil: What the—

[akirathedramaqueen]

CBT and Exposure Therapy: Blitzø Showcase

An important (really, don't skip) disclaimer

If you are contemplating whether or not you would benefit from any kind of therapy, consider consulting with your medical provider first. While I did my best to validate all the points made using publicly available resources, I am not a medical professional. At the very least, I strongly advise that you do your own research and not take some amateur's opinion about a character from a silly demon show for granted.

"Everyone in this show needs fucking therapy STAT!"

We hear fans screaming into the void every now and then. Me too. I plead guilty and I willingly put myself in custody. But I am not taking these words back.

Especially often it is being said with Blitzø in mind, who, as hinted earlier and clearly shown in the latest episode, Ghostfuckers, is not doing okay. Not in the slightest.

Which is . . . yes. Indeed, trauma-ridden Blitzø is a major problem for both him and those around him. Yes, we see him reaching his lowest point now exactly because he left these gaping wounds untreated for so long.

But the tricky question is—how, though? What to do? Will a good talking to a confidante help? Or, maybe, some kind of shock would snap him out of the spiral?

I've been pondering on this topic for more than 4 months, and, as the Ghostfuckers came out, I finally got all the data I need to prove a point. The show did all the job for me and effectively made Blitzø go through improvised versions of two popular therapy techniques. And, before I even start, I want to say—I am so glad with what we ended up with. What they did, and, more importantly, didn't do, aligns well with how it would likely happen in real life.

So buckle up, and let's see where it gets us!

Therapy # 1. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, or CBT

This is, in essence and with some corrections, your good old talking. Here you can find more information about it, so, if you're not familiar with the topic, I recommend following the link first.

But, very shortly: CBT is an extremely common approach to be tried while you're dealing with anxiety, depression, and a number of other mental disorders. What it aims to do is to help you get past unhelpful thinking (distortions) and learn not to act on it.

Looks like it fits the bill, right? Blitzø has a lot of issues with self-fulfilling prophecies, infuriatingly stupid assumptions, poorly thought-out actions . . .

But he's not like, you know . . . w-we're not, like . . . we're not doing a . . . w-we . . . what's betw— It's a transactional fucking, you see.

If you don't feel like coming, that's OK! I'm sure I can do without it for one month. :)

Stolas only cares about having a rugged peasant raw-dog him into his matress! It's nothing, ya know . . . it's nothing else.

You . . . no longer have any obligation to see me, to touch me, to bed me . . . You are— you are free of me.

He sees things which aren't truly there.

It's not Stolas giving him space after the disaster in the 'Ozzie's.' It must be Stolas not needing him anymore, getting tired of him.

It's not Stolas caring about Blitzø. He is a royal, why would he care how an imp's day he happened to be fucking was?

It's not Stolas setting Blitzø free and putting an end to a problematic transaction they had with the hope for it to grow into something more. It's him getting rid of Blitzø.

As a result, he ends up hurting himself and the relationship he had with that one sad gay bird he happened to fall deeply for but literally trashed in his own house twice, acting on nothing more than frenetic fear of losing Stolas, but in reality, driving him away even more . . . for good.

I mean, you royal fucks think you can do this every time, like you can just play with our feelings because we're smaller and not as important!

Ha! I'm right, aren't I? You get off getting plowed by people you look down on!

And I can sorry more people, everyone but you! 'Cause I don't owe you dick! Everyone, but you . . .

So, the case's closed? Let someone—say, Millie—talk to him and tell him how wrong he was about himself and the others?

Well, here's the thing. Despite him being infinitely wrong about Stolas's intentions, we can't deny the fact that every one of his beliefs was not, in fact, a distortion. It'd led him to wrong conclusions, yes, but it was built on the information he received and legitimate experiences he had in his life. Here are only some of the facts connected to only this situation with Stolas, but there are other problematic behaviors and other reasons for him acting the way he does.

Fact # 1. The circus fire did happen, and Blitzø was the reason for it. Unintentional, and of course it wasn't his fault, but it still ruined the lives of many people—him included. Blitzø cannot act like it never occurred.

Fact # 2. Hell is divided by class and race. Their situationship with the grimoire was an embodiment of that inequality. A lot of Blitzø's outburst during the Full Moon and later in the Apology Tour was connected to it, to his beliefs that Stolas is the same as the rest of the privileged circle. Beliefs, I stress, justified by the real world. Stolas is more of an exception, and even then, his behavior is only different when it comes to Blitzø. He still acts the same toward other imps.

Fact # 3. We knew about Stolas's intentions all along, but before that fateful Full Moon, what Blitzø saw was Stolas avoiding him and not communicating the issue the Ozzie's date had raised. And before Ozzie's? Stolas did act entitled and inappropriate. He was baby-talking to Blitzø and used derogatory terms while addressing him. The dude literally called him an impish plaything in the Truth Seekers.

Fact # 4. Blitzø's heavily implied (though not officially confirmed by the show) existing conditions—ADHD*, BPD**, PTSD, and dyslexia/dyscalculia***—do affect his life, and while Hell seems to be somewhat receptive of neurodivergence, he still has to deal with it every single fucking day. He is going to be avoidant and afraid to be abandoned at the same time. He is going to hate himself. His learning disabilities are going to make his life harder. No way around it.

Note: *, **, and *** contain links to separate meta-analyses from @timkontheunsure and @tealvenetianmask about the respective conditions and how they show themselves in Blitzø's case.

And my beef with CBT here is exactly that. CBT's goal is to gaslight you into believing your distortions hold no water and suggests you just ignore them. And, as I've shown with Blitzø, these reactions and assumptions aren't baseless. They are legitimate, and, in fact, sometimes help to get by. Even though it's a crooked crutch, you can't learn to walk properly by just throwing that crutch away. You're still going to limp, and oh, will it be painful.

This is oversimplistic and dismissive. Anxiety and depression don't come out of the blue, and with mental disabilities, it's even deeper. The class/disability stigma is alive and strong, and just slapping a "you're fine" bandaid on your traumatized self isn't going to help.

Therapy # 2. Exposure therapy.

Exposure therapy is another approach commonly used while dealing with traumatic past and its aftermath—PTSD, anxiety, phobias, and such. Again, if you're not familiar, there's the link for you, but very shortly—the therapist puts the patient in a safe environment and 'exposes' them to the feared object in question for limited periods of time. The goal is to eventually get rid of the targeted fear and decrease avoidance.

And Blitzø has got some phobias for sure.

The fear of letting everyone down. Again.

And the fear of abandonment. Again.

All of it is a result of self-hatred, sitting so deeply it rules his life and his vision of how others perceive him. Said it himself. Almost.

So, where and how does the show expose Blitzø to his traumatic past?

First, the most recent, and the most obvious one—Rolando and his slideshow of all traumatic events Blitzø ever had in his life.

Second—Blitzø's drug trip in the Truth Seekers. While it does not contain the events of the past as they were, it does force him to face his fears.

Are you worried I might have enough of it one day as well? . . . You're going to die alone! . . . You're going to die alone, Blitzo!

With some stretch, the third one is Verosika's 'Blitzo sucks' party. Where Blitzø was forced to see the consequences of his avoidance and rejection.

Note: to be clear, I do think the party does not show the true extent of Blitzø's actions and how much he'd hurt people. It was exaggerated by Verosika, and here I explain why this is the case.

So, what gives? Or, rather, what gives it not?

It might sound funny now, considering I brought it up myself, but I, once again, say this is not therapeutic, just as CBT kind of 'talking.' If anything, all these three events did more harm than good.

The D.H.O.R.K.S.'s goal in the Truth Seekers was to torture the information out of Blitzø. He was not supposed to overcome it. He was supposed to crack.

The Verosika's goal was to ruin Blitzø's reputation. She was working her ass off to prove he's just a heartless freak.

The Rolando's goal was to fucking kill Blitzø.

And okay, their motivations had nothing to do with helping him, but maybe it did, in its own twisted way?

No. The writers added this to push Blitzø past the breaking point, not to heal him, and to show us more of his lore. Each time he was forced to face his past or fears or consequences, he was only spiraling more.

The only thing which did him some good was . . . well, Millie finally seeing his bravado mask falling off. But the cost of it was way too high. Not worth it.

To the therapy's defense, some points why it would never work in the way it was done in the show:

Blitzø had never given his consent and was not ready to face it. I might be very rude right now, but go and try producing some explosion-like sounds in front of war veterans without letting them know first and see what happens.

The amount of fearful experience exposed was way too overboard. He couldn't possibly digest it in a healthy way.

The environment was not safe. It was straight-up retraumatizing, an intentional one.

So there's that.

But what helped then?

We've briefly brushed over the fact Millie did talk to Blitzø. While I did imply this might be an example of CBT, here are some key deviations from the classic therapy which made all the difference.

Millie didn't sugarcoat all the shit Blitzø did. He was hurting their business. He didn't pay her. He was reduced to Bethanie. It showed her opinion can be trusted.

Millie apologized for not being there for him sooner. She admitted she relied too much on Blitzø being bulletproof, unbothered by everything. She admitted she didn't support him in a way he always did.

While proving she could never hate Blitzø, she used their common story, one he knows and can recall. She used evidence to prove him wrong, not a "it's all in your head" bandaid. And more than that, later she proved it with action—not for one second did she believe Rolando and his shittalk about what Blitzø supposedly was thinking about her. Her unwavering faith spoke more than any words ever could.

Getting back to exposure therapy . . . Metaphorically, she reminded Blitzø he can handle a beating or two. And physically beat the infestor demon out of him, which, as we can see later, didn't really affect Blitzø that much. He wasn't even battered. So, apparently, when the said exposure is done by someone who genuinely tries to make you feel better and knows your limits well, it might just work?

And finally, Millie acknowledged Blitzø's pain. She didn't brush it away. She validated him.

What all of this is about?

Like every treatment, too much of a medicine can become poisonous. So are CBT and exposure therapy.

They might help, and lots of research shows they do in certain cases. But there are limitations to what they can and cannot achieve, and they have to be adjusted to each individual story, to each trauma, and they should not be applied as a way to mend the outcome of the trauma without taking into account the story it comes with. Again, legitimate concerns and experiences cannot be brushed away or ignored.

Actualy . . . we've seen where it leads in the show too. In the beginning, Millie was quite dismissive of Blitzø's worries—all of this over a . . . breakup?

And here it comes full circle.

Only when Millie started taking Blitzø seriously, did it help them progress. And look how quickly we've switched from a complete despair to a glimmer of hope! Isn't that a beautiful closing scene?

As a closing note—we do not need to 'fix' Blitzø. After all this shit he went through, there won't be a day where he wakes up and be like, "Hey, I don't hate myself anymore! And look, I'm not afraid to be abandoned or misunderstood!"

I'm sorry to break it to you, but this is a lifelong battle. Being mentally whole, healthy, and constantly happy is no more than a myth, and everyone has their own demons and skeletons to deal with.

What Blitzø needs is some good support system to pull him back when he's down.

And boy, do I hope that one particular owl will fill in that role of unyielding pillar for Blitzø each time our lizard will fall into that pit again. Look, I love Millie, but there's only so much she can do. She can't be always present, she has her own life . . . and her own disaster of a husband to look after (affectionate <3). Here and here @lost-romantique talks about Stolas's capacity of loving, with me occasionally nodding, ha-ha. But to be short—it's fucking immense. And since he loves words, I do believe he has all the energy to tell again and again and again how awesome Blitzø is. Even if Blitzø wouldn't believe it himself.

[therealvinelle]

I want to get into old movies (say 1930s to maybe 1980s) because I watched Casablanca and it was really good, so I followed it up with Sunset Boulevard (1950) which was also really good. Then a friend recommended Night of the Comet (1984) which was very different but really good too. I think the old movies which survived this long were better written then most of the stuff that comes out now.

Sooo... do you have any favorite old movies? Or just general recommendations (would also be interested in Muffin's recs if she's got any)

This is my third time typing this out for you... browser keeps reloading.

I do love older movies, you have come to the right place, @theoriginalcarnivorousmuffin loves older movies too (I'm saying "older", not "old", since 1980's movies aren't old and I refuse to believe they are).

I'll give you my recs by genre, not decade.

And this list is really a list of the movies that came to mind as I sat down to type this, so please, please come back with a more specific request as 1930's-1980's really covers... most of the movies that have been made.

Action

Jaws Very famous movie, this is Henrik Ibsen's Enemy of the People but with sharks.

Terminator What do you do if you lose the war, but you have a time machine? Travel back in time to kill your enemy's mother before she can birth him. Meanwhile in the 1980's Sarah Connor is having a very bad day.

Epics, romance, biographical and historical (yes, I'm lumping these together)

Amadeus About a man who is not Mozart, and upset about the fact.

Bridge on the River Kwai One of my all-time favorite movies: man is torn between loyalty to his country, and building a great bridge (this is a misleading summary: he's not torn at all, bridge wins hands down). The ending is parodied in Tropic Thunder, if you've seen that movie.

Dangerous Liaisons (1988) Sexy French aristocrats conspire to ruin each other's lives with sex.

Doctor Zhivago By my favorite director, this is a love story that really feels like Lawrence of Arabia if Lawrence was a woman and they were in Russia.

Godfather I and II Not overrated.

Lawrence of Arabia Man keeps trying to quit his job because sometimes all desert and no break from desert makes Lawrence a homicidal boy. Allenby says "Nonsenese, chap, you're doing wonderfully!" Cinematic history is made.

Horror and thrillers

The Exorcist I sometimes wonder if this movie should not have been made, because lesser movies have tried to recreate what Exorcist managed so well for decades, and all they've done is make bad movies that make me wish I was watching the Exorcist.

Nosferatu The year was 1922, no real precedent for copyright infringement had been had, and the producers of this movie which is definitely not Dracula by Bram Stocker were shocked and appalled they were... sued?? For theft of intellectual property? No!!! Coincidentally the most faithful adaptation of Dracula by Bram Stoker in existence. And free literally everywhere since it's 102 years old, you can watch this movie on its wikipedia page.

Sunset Boulevard While it's a well-known fact that a lot of silent movie actors and actresses were unable to adjust to the change when "talkies" were introduced, and they subsequently lost their careers, the window for casting one such washed up actress has long since closed. Sunset Boulevard, released in 1950, was able to do this however which makes it all the more meta and delightful.

Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? The only two people who hate each other more than the sisters this movie is about, were the actresses who played them. To the point of Joan Crawford sabotaging the movie's chances with the Oscars, because she hated Betty Davies that much (Betty Davies called her a stupid idiot for doing this).

Musicals

Fiddler on the Roof Just watch it.

My Fair Lady "The rain in Spain falls mainly on Henry Higgins because he's stupid."

Westerns

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kidd Fun romp about two charming criminals, and how good things don't always last.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly I frankly forget what the plot was for this one, I just remember having a great time watching it.

Foreign section

Det syvende innseglet (The Seventh Seal) A knight plays a game of chess with Death.

Jean de Florette + Manon des Sources French accountant moves to the countryside to farm rabbits, this does not go well for him. In the sequel, his daughter has gotten interesting.

La vita è bella (Life is Beautiful) When we watched this in Italian class I had to leave during the first half to go the school nurse, came back during the second half. Greatest whiplash of my life.

Ladri di bicicletta (Bicycle Thieves) Some poor fool looked at Italy after WWII and thought "I bet people want a depressing movie about poverty". The movie bombed, but it's very good and I recommend it.

Ran King Lear, but in Japan.

Veiviseren (Pathfinder) First ever Saami movie, based on an old legend. Strongly recommend.

Bonus: TV shows

Columbo (first two seasons only) Sometimes you're the cleverest little criminal in the world :) but there's a stupid man in a stupid coat who won't stop asking you stupid questions about things he shouldn't be so obsessed about because it's making you look guilty (which you are but he's being rude!)

I, Claudius Fantastic about the imperial Roman family in the Julio-Claudian dynasty. And available for free on youtube!

The Prisoner Unnamed man tries unsuccessfully to leave a beautiful village. You can watch the episodes in any order you like, doesn't matter, he's not getting out of that village.

Bonus: 90's movies

Goodfellas Hilarious, horrible, and so entertaining. A mafia movie about horrible people who like money.

Se7en One of the only noir movies I've liked, this is something of a comfort movie for me. This and Silence of the Lambs are mandatory yearly watches for me. Watch this and you'll finally get all those "WHAT'S IN THE BOX??" jokes.

Silence of the Lambs Possibly my favorite feminist movie, to the point where I sincerely believed this was appropriately described as a chick flic. It's the film where Clarice Starling discovers the only person who'll treat her like an equal is the serial killer cannibal.

The Usual Suspects Your parents have seen this movie, and it was huge for them.

Total Recall Just a great adaptation of one of my favorite short stories.

Unforgiven THE Western movie, what you should do is watch a bunch of Clint Eastwood Westerns and then wrap it up with this one because it's a sequel to all of them.

Bonus: directors to look for

Ingmar Bergman (watch his movies and discover a lot of the films you like are just remakes of his things)

Clint Eastwood (a lot of his movies are newer, but he's so good. You should watch his things, I promise you will find one you like.)

Blake Edwards (fantastic comedic director, same sense of humor as Muffin and myself if that tells you anything)

Alfred Hitchock (he's not in fact overrated)

David Lean (god of directors)

Pier Paolo Pasolini (huge name in Italian cinema)

Steven Spielberg (also not overrated)

Billy Wilder (Sunset Boulevard, among others. Hilarious director)

Please. Give me a more specific genre.

[krispycreamcake]

sakamaki with a latin gf!!! pleasee

From author: I fucking love poc asks so much. Also to make this just a tiny bit easier on myself since I have writer's block rn, I'll just do something a bit short today

Sakamaki's with a Latin gf

Shu Sakamami

🎻- Slightly intrigued by the culture

🎻- Would honestly ask a couple questions if he was up to listening to you rant about your customs

🎻- Honestly likes the music you play sometimes (he has a playlist of Celia Cruz but shh)

🎻- Also yes yes before you shoot me, I know he likes classical but he seems like the type of guy who could appreciate the way how salsa music incorporates different instruments to have a specific kick to the genre

🎻- Once you told him about paella and now he asks you to make it for him almost all the time

🎻- Terrified of meeting your family and avoids it at all costs but tries to pretend it doesn't bother him

Reiji Sakamaki

☕️- Extremely educated on Latin culture

☕️- Asks you for local book recommendations

☕️- Genuinely wants your opinion on Japanese culture and how much of a difference it is compared to your own

☕️- Like Shu, he enjoys the music and if he had to pick he'd say Los Tres Diamantes was his favourite band from that genre

☕️- Invested in learning Spanish and takes pride in tackling another language alongside German

☕️- Since Latino culture is extremely diverse, he'd ask you about your OWN personal experience a lot of the times

Ayato Sakamaki

🏀- "Of course the great ore-sama could obviously get any girl he wants from around the world!"

🏀- Cocky asshole

🏀- See it's one thing being able to charm those around you that you share similarities with, but it takes something special to make someone completely different than yourself fall in love with you

🏀- And Ayato knows this, takes pride in it even

🏀- Hmm when it comes to how interested he is about the culture I'd give it 5/10

🏀- He cares about you more than all those fancy songs and food, but that is YOUR culture, so by extension he kinda has to care even if it's just a little bit

🏀- Asks you to speak Spanish and if you can't, he'll make fun of you for it and tease you by telling you to go learn a thing or two from Reiji

Laito

🃏- Lorddddddd

🃏- LORDDDDDD

🃏- Well before I start, let me just say that he's also educated on the culture just maybe not as much as Reiji, so anything he does is a means to tease you by playing coy and outright stupid

🃏- Just also would like to add, if you're from Brazil and happen to have a curvy body, he WILL comment on that

🃏- If you have a flatter body type, he'll tease (annoy) you by asking how come you don't have more uh curves in certain areas because that's supposed to be what you're "known for"

🃏- Trust me, he's only saying this to get a reaction, he loves you in his own weird fucked up way

🃏- But expect a lot of comments like that and at some point you'll probably need to tell him off

🃏- Midnight salsa dancing because well, do you honestly expect anything else from him?

🃏- One of his favourite things to do is watch those cliche over dramatic Spanish dramas and eats it up every single time there turns out to be a twin brother

Kanato Sakamaki

🧸- Like Ayato, doesn't care that much about the culture, rather his main focus is on you

🧸- Probably likes to hear you tell scary folklore stories from wherever you're from

🧸- And on that note, he already knows about La Lloronoa and Sihuanaba

🧸- Makes Teddy™ cover his ears when you get to the scary parts

🧸- Comments on how he'd still love you as a vengeful ghost and might even prefer it that way

🧸- Like Laito, he has this preconceived notion that you're meant to be curvy but doesn't care if you aren't

🧸- Besides if he only liked you for your body, he'd kill you and preserve you somewhere, hiding you away from the rest of the world where only he could see you. But he'd never do that riiiiiiight?

Subaru Sakamaki

🥀- Learns how to salsa when no one is around so he could impress you one day

🥀- Like Laito, he also watches those cliche Spanish soap operas but pretends he doesn't like them and think they're overrated (He's on the second season of Monarca)

🥀- Secretly interested in the culture and would ask Reiji for some books so he could learn more

🥀- Doesn't want to seem dumb in front of you but also doesn't want make a fool of himself by saying words he doesn't understand or asking dumb questions

🥀- If you speak Portuguese or Spanish, likes hearing you talk in your native tongue

🥀- Out of all the brothers, he'd be the one to treat you the most "normally" by not pestering you with questions or flaunting you off like a trophy he just won

🥀- You try to teach him your native language so you could both shit talk his brothers right in front their faces

From Author: It has been so long since I opened this app omfg but I've been busy with a lot of irl things so now I should have a bit more time to produce more content yay (I'm this close to jumping off a bridge with how dead the fandom is rn)

[justicefortheunderground]

omfg I swear this is the last post I'm making on this. I'm so tired of it going over screenshots sent in the discord in order so it might be off, sorry. I don't HATE anybody, im uncomfortable with people and thus don't want to interact. In fact I was one of the last people in the discord server to voice my concerns. It's not something to be 'fixed', it's simply a boundary. All I'm asking is not to interact, if you don't want drama change or just abide by our requests to not interact?? We aren't like banning you from roleplay or anything that'd be stupid. Just make your own space if you aren't going to change, please. Also. I've never told anybody specifically to avoid any of the blogs. This was a decision most of you collectively agreed on, this blog is just being focused on fsr so that's where we're directing the posts. 1// Queer erasure is essentially intentionally or unintentionally removing a character or person's queerness. This is a bad thing to do for tons of reasons which you can research on your own time. This post will be long enough already. They/them Clover IS strictly canon, as a quote DIRECTLY from the developers says. Please get your facts in order. The issue isn't that Clover's gender is being changed, it's that their pronouns are being changed from more genderqueer pronouns, to more cisgender pronouns. Regardless of if this is intentionally or not, this IS queer erasure, and makes a lot of people extremely uncomfortable. 2// Try not to think about yourself that way, it comes off as guilt-trippy to people. And I was trying to go over each of your points to debunk, it was just a short quip. Sorry. 3//"it's just the internet" is a bad way to excuse your behavior. Don't. 4//Aging up characters in order to ship them in a less controversial way is almost universally a REALLY gross thing to do for so many reasons. There are a ton of videos that dive really deep into this topic, highly recommend. No NSFW should already be a given. 5//I didn't say choose another ship, I said another character. Yaknow. An adult. Also yes PLEASE stop interacting with underblog. We are not attacking anybody, we've only been responding to when you guys come to us. Genuinely we just don't want to interact. We have never EVER wished death on anybody. Seriously if anybody has I'm EXTREMELY sorry about that, if anybody has please let us know that's literally the worst thing somebody could do. In the discord KYS JOKES are even banned. I don't hate you, I don't think any of us underblog folks really do. We just are genuinely really uncomfortable and don't want to interact but this keeps escalating. I assume it's because you guys are young but honestly, please genuinely grow up. I don't believe any of this was intentional but the way it was handled was extremely poor. I genuinely hope you guys realize with time because I know I was absolutely like this when I was younger. It's not an attempt to flame any of you, I've never tried to flame any of you, only responded in ways I wish I'd gotten responded to when I was like this. I don't think any of us on either side are bad people, I think reactions were just handled badly. You can make your own roleplay space, honestly we really just don't like interacting with you guys. It's extremely draining. Please stop. And this is NOT just from me. I review these messages with the rest of underblog before posting. We're all just really fucking tired. Speaking of any of you (underblog) are more than free to add on your own thoughts below just keep it respectful.

[zombietoilets2234]

I don't know how it happened. I was walking down the road late one Friday night after looking for this club my mate had recommended. After several hours of looking I'd given it up as a stupid joke and was returning to my car. Boy it was cold out my nipples could cut glass. I was getting some pretty funny looks from the local population as I was wearing nothing, but some tight leather pants and a mesh net shirt. I was getting really nervous and started to walk faster. Finally I reached my car and unlocked the door shivering I started the car and turned on the heat rubbing my hands together and trying to get warm again if I hadn't been so busy warming up I would have noticed the man in the back seat. Just as I looked up he reached up and put a wet rag on my face it smelled horrible like stale piss I struggled like mad but he was so strong I started panicking as the lights from the head lights started to get dim and with one finally jerk I passed out cold. After I don't know how long I woke up in what I could only guess as a hospital room because all I could see was bright florescent lights I tried to raise my head and look around but something was wrong I couldn't move an inch. Panicking I took stock of my surroundings I was on a table cold and hard. My eyes got used to the bright lights and I noticed a large laser looking instrument that's when I heard the soft but steady sound of someone walking nearby. Look who's finally awake and I thought you sleep right though you procedure you see you're a lucky one you get to be turned into the very thing you were looking for tonight. I looked at him in confusion but couldn't speak all I could get out was a muffled gagging. Ahh don't try to talk son. Your tongue has been fused to the bottom of your jaw. So as I was saying you are going to be turned into the very thing you wanted. You see my employer has paid a good deal of money to replace his as it got destroyed by his Husband. Looking confused you start to scream at him but no words or sound came out. He laughed, still confused. Well your going to be turned into an ass boy with your mouth being the ass hole aren't you pleased. You'll get to constantly taste ass and get face fucked but don't worry you'll enjoy it. Your ears start to ring as he says that. This can't be true what the fuck is he mad or something. He steps closer holding a syringe he places it your arm and you start to feel all tingly and happy. There I've given you some pain meds to help as this will be painful this laser will rearrange you cells to fit the shape and purpose of your new position by this time tomorrow you be nothing but ass fat and ass lips. you'll keep you tongue and nose but they won't be noticeable for all intensive purposes you'll be a sphincter. He starts the machine and points it at your face and turns it on. You feel a burning sensation like hot wax as you slowly start to reform into your new shape what feels like days takes only minutes and there you sit all senses are near your mouth. What you don't know yet is your already attached to your new host with such precision that you're unrecognizable from the back. There you go Wyatt how do you like your new ass. It's perfect, doc dead ringer. I'm glad, well before you can leave you will need to take a shit for me so I can tell if everything is working fine. Do you need to shit Wyatt sir. Now that you mentioned it yes doc, really bad. The doctor leads him to the bathrooms. Ok I'll need to watch to make sure everything works right but go ahead and sit down. Wyatt sits on the toilet. You noticed a change in pressure around your lips and can smell fresh air but something else is coming. you feel it slowly build up behind your cheeks as Wyatt pushes and bears down your lips start to be pushed apart and you start to smell shit as it comes out slowly you can feel it dragging over your tongue you can taste it. You know nothing but that taste that's when you finally realize you are an ass you are nothing but a shit hole and you love it this is home.

Thank you for reading this is my first story I've ever written. please be honest and tell me your opinions. This is my fantasy and something I want done to me.

[cursedvessels]

There's an immediate flinch at the way the word flies past her lips without thinking. Months. Yes, that's what he'd said, but the hope was that it wouldn't take that long in the end. The trouble was, he would rather deal with her frustration now than later down the line if it did happen to take longer than expected. He swallows hard, lips pressing into a thin line as she goes on, staring at her through wide, innocent eyes.

"Well, um, I..." He's trying to find the right words, the right way to reassure her, but the problem is she isn't wrong. The likelihood that it wouldn't last another month was high. In fact, he would recommend simply not running water at all until the new unit arrived. It would last if she didn't use it. No pressure changes meant it wouldn't try to start leaking again, which meant the pipes wouldn't burst and cause bigger problems. But that probably isn't what she wants to hear either. He clears his throat, blinks hard a few times.

"I'm...sorry..?" The words come out in a whisper so soft it might as well not have been spoken at all, wincing alongside them like he expects it to only make things worse. So when she starts cussing, he's not all that surprised. He blinks rapidly a few times as his gaze lifts again. He's not so much staring at her as he is staring through her. Just checking out completely for a few long, heavy moments in which he expects it all to go south. He would take the blame for her anger, probably be fired, and be right back where he had started...Frick.

There's a tugging feeling on the back of his head that makes him dizzy, makes his face go numb...He swallows forcefully, to try and ground himself. Then, he's forcing himself to blink, to suck in a breath and hold it as he manages to look at her again.

I'm sorry.

The words are barely there and they pull a frown across his face easily, like he can't believe that they had actually been spoken. It isn't like she'd done anything wrong, he's just...sensitive. This version of him is, anyway...

She goes on and now he's blinking at her in shock, eyes a bit wider than intended. "Oh! No, no, no that- that- that's okay," he assures her quickly, a lopsided smile quirking up the corner of his mouth. "I- I- I understand. It's...frustrating, I- I know, but..." He swallows. "If there's...anything else I can do to- to- to, uh... help, I--" Her next question gives him pause. He starts to shake his head, brows furrowing in thought, lips parting like he's trying to find the right words to say.

"Look, I- I- I'll be honest, they aren't going to listen to me, um...I mean I can try to get- to get them to speed it up, but it..." He scratches at the back of his neck. "It's not...likely to do anything." Teeth begin to tear at his bottom lip in anxious thought.

"If you...don't use it until the unit gets here or- or- or- or at least...not too much, then you should be fine, but, uhhh...I know that's easier said than done, so, um..." He pats down his pockets for a moment until he finds a pen and a crumpled up receipt, which he flips over and smooths out on the countertop. An awkward clearing of his throat as he clicks the pen and scratches something down on the back of the slip of paper.

"Here..." He holds it up to her in a slightly shaking hand, brows quirking up. "My number. Keep an eye on it and, um, if- if it...gives you more trouble or- or- or you notice the leak coming back, just..." A deep breath. He could get in a lot of trouble for this...but he feels far too guilty not to try and help her.

"Call me. I'll do another patch-up job, free of charge." A slightly tense smile is offered, eyes shifting from the paper to her and back. "A- and if there's...anything else you need." He nods. This is stupid. He shouldn't be offering this. "And you don't wanna pay an arm and a leg, then just..." What if she tries to take advantage? She probably would...Who wouldn't? But it's too late to go back on it now, so...Another nod towards the paper. "I can handle electric, gas, plumbing, car mechanics, repairs, uh...just about anything that might give you trouble, so..."

holly wasn’t someone prone to blow-ups. every curve ball life had hurled her way—she’d caught them with a steady hand and a practiced smile. deaths, sickness, overdue bills, even parents who somehow made her childhood feel like a burden. she handled it all with grace, with kindness, with this calm resilience that nobody had taught her but she’d learned anyway. she never saw the point in letting bitterness take root. especially not when she spent her days around kids who needed softness. she wouldn’t be much of a pediatric nurse if she had a temper, after all. nothing ever really rattled her. nothing ever really got under her skin. or at least, nothing ever had—until now.

hearing barry say a week, maybe months hit like a gut punch. it wasn’t just the time. it was the timing. the way everything always seemed to pile up the second she came up for air. it felt like the straw that broke the camel’s back—or whatever the hell the phrase was. part of her wanted to cry, part of her wanted to scream, and neither reaction was even remotely fair to barry, who was just doing his job. but it wasn’t about him. it was the universe she wanted to yell at. because being a good person fucking sucked. at least for her, it really, really did.

“months?” the word flew out before she had the chance to catch it, pitched somewhere between disbelief and desperation. “what if the sink crumbles by then? i’m serious, you don’t know my luck—this house is gonna fall apart the second you’re gone.” her voice was shaky, her words tumbling one over the other like a damn landslide, and she could feel it—the edge of a panic attack creeping in, curling tight around her chest.

“shit, shit, shit, shit, shit—” the word became a mantra, pointless but all she had to fill the air. maybe she was overreacting. maybe this wasn’t that big of a deal. but it didn’t matter, not really, because it wasn’t just about the sink. it was everything. all of it. the pressure of being responsible for too much, for too long. something inside her had finally cracked, and now there was water everywhere, metaphorically and probably literally.

and just like that, it passed. she sucked in a slow breath, then another, and forced herself to meet his eyes again, already feeling the heat of embarrassment climbing up her neck.

“i’m sorry,” she said quietly, voice edged with exhaustion more than shame. “that wasn’t aimed at you. not even a little bit.” she pressed her fingers to the bridge of her nose again, trying to will away the pain blooming behind her eyes. “i like you, barry. you seem like someone i can trust, and i know this isn’t your fault. i just…” she trailed off, exhaled, then tried again. “is there any way we can speed it up? i don’t need anything fancy. the unit you showed me, it’s good enough. but if i’m understanding you right—it needs to be changed soon, right? like… really soon?”

[inkskinned]

there are a lot of posts out there that are positive and healthy coping mechanisms for handling the holidays. this is not one of them :)

i think there's like. going to be times in your life you will be stuck in a social situation that you cannot escape from gracefully. i do not know why the internet doesn't believe these times exist. it's not always just that your physical safety is at risk - sometimes it's legit like "i just don't currently have the energy or time to put in the effort of responding to this." sometimes it's a coworker you hate so much. sometimes it's just like, fine, you know? like you know you can handle your aunt when she's cheerily horrible, but if you actually set a boundary around her, it's going to be weeks of fallout with your father.

i don't know why people think the answer is always just "cut them out!" or "don't let them get away with that!" because ... the real world is tricky and complicated. i think kind of a lot of us have an internal "radiation poisoning" meter for certain people. like - i'm talking about the ones who are absolutely giving you gradual ick damage. like, you can handle them, but you'll be exhausted.

and yes. you absolutely should listen to your therapist and the good posts about handling others and set good boundaries and take care of yourself. prioritize peace.

HOWEVER :) ...... since im often in a situation with a Gradual Sense of Ick person i cannot just "cut out" of my life (without losing someone else precious to me) - i have sort of developed the most. maladaptive form of mischief possible. because like, if i'm going to have to listen to this shit again, i like to have a little bit of private fun with it.

now! again, i am physically safe, just mentally drained by this man. you should only do this with people you are not in danger with. which leads me to my suggestions for when your Unfortunate Acquaintance shows up and says oh everyone pay attention to me.

my favorite word is "maybe!" said as brightly and happily as possible. whenever the Horrible Person starts in on a topic you do not want to go further with, particularly if they make a claim that you know to be inaccurate, do not respond to it. you and i have both tried to actually argue with this person, and it hasn't gone well, because this person just wants the drama of an argument. however, "maybe!" gives them literally nothing to go on. it is incredibly disarming. they are used to people having some response. they know they can't prove what they're saying, and maybe! treats them like the child they are. it dismisses them in the politest way possible.

i like to say maybe! and then, in their stunned silence, immediately change the subject. this is because i have adhd and i will have something unrelated to talk about, but if you can't think of topics fast enough, i recommend just pointing to something and saying, "isn't that lovely?" because fuck you let's bring in some positivity.

by the way. that second trick - of pointing to something and stating an opinion about it? - that just works on its own, like, 70% of the time. i picked it up from teaching preschoolers. it's an intentional "redirect". it stops children crying and it also stops grown adults from finishing their explanation on why women belong in kitchens. dual wielding!

keep it silly for yourself. i absolutely do not care if people think i'm fucking stupid (it's more fun if they do) and as a result i will purposefully misunderstand things just to see how long it takes them to realize i've completely removed them from the subject at hand. when they say "women aren't funny" i get to be like. "which women." "all women." "all women in america?" "no in the world." "like the mole people? the people in the world?" "what? no. like, alive." "oh are we not counting the mole people?" "what the fuck are you talking about." "you don't believe in the mole people?"

similarly, i play a personal game called "one up me." my Evil Acquaintance literally knows this game exists (my family & friends caught onto it and now also play it) and it always fucking gets him. i don't know why. you have to be willing to be a little free-spirited on this one, though. the trick is that when they make one of those horrible little bigoted or annoying comments they are always making, you need to go one unit weirder. not more intense, mind you - just more weird. "you don't look good in that dress." "yeah, actually, my other dress was covered in squid ink due to a mishap at the soup store." "you shouldn't wear such revealing clothes." "wait, what? oh shit. sorry, your son tears off strips when no one is looking and eats them. i swear it was longer before we left the building."

the point of "one up me" is to completely upend this person's narrative. we both know this person likes setting up situations where you cannot "win" and then they really like telling other people how badly you handled it. in a usual situation, if you respond "please don't say something that rude", you're a bitch. but if you let it happen, you're letting yourself be debased. they are not usually expecting door number three: unflappably odd. because what are they going to say when they're telling everyone how badly you behaved? "she said my son eats her dresses" ".... okay?"

if you can, form an allyship with someone whomst you can tagteam with. where they can pick up on your weird "soup store" story and run with it.

the following phrase is amazing and can be deployed for any situation: "oh, be nice :) it's the holidays!" i do not know why this works as often as it does. i'll say it for the most random shit. i think this is bc most of the time these people know they're being impolite, they just like to fight.

godbless. when in doubt, remember that you could always start stealing their pens.

the whole point of this is - if you can't escape. maybe see how long you can just be. like. a horrible little menace.

[leffee]

resending the ask about lps fic recs! :]

Yes, thank you! I already had a list done and then I deleted the ask like a dumbass and was scared my efforts would come to waste. So I might have went a lil overboard, but on the other hand, you might have a bigger choice if you haven't read those. There aren't many lps fics unfortunately so if you ever looked for them you might have seen a lot of them, but I tried. A lot of them are of course Vinnie/Vinnil-centric though because I'm biased. And a lot of those are unfinished, unfortunately.

First of all:

LPS High School AU

Littlest Pet Shop: High School AU

Both of those are done by two different authors who, if I understand correctly, are friends and so the stories are similiar in some ways which was mutually agreed upon. Just so you know. But they are literally so good omg and you know what's even better? They are still being updated to this day. Rather sparily but still, they are on-going in the holy year of 2023! Each of those authors also have a correlating story but in the style of a chatroom. Here they are respectively:

LPS Chatroom

LPS High School AU: Chatrooms

The first author also has this book with kind of different Aus and stuff with those lovelies:

Littlest Pet Shop Human AU: Side St...

Now some stuff from ao3:

Fame, Love & Drama - just short, unfinished Vinnil fic, honestly it's very adorable (there's a tiny bit of nsfw in there, unfortunately for me)

Stupid With Love - I don't exactly remember much about this one, but I do remember enjoying it, plus it's a Russell x Vinnie one and that's always welcomed

Can't Sleep Love - this one is an absolute materpiece and the most important one amongst all those, seriously, if you haven't yet I really, really recommend it. It is genuinely so good and filled with realistic feelings and I absolutely love it. I hope every single day it updates because it's just too good. Oh yeah, it's Vinnil.

Crush Roulette - just a cute shot with a lot of crushes.

A New Home - okay, this one, to summarize i,t is kind of what if the pets met their half-human counterparts. But besides that there's a lot of Blythe and those humanized pets interactions and especially with Vinnie.

warm embrace, cold soul - an one-shot, this one focused on Vinnie and his cold-bloodness (which is basically my favourite thing ever). Very cute, platonic Sunil and Vinnie.

Some of that old fanfiction.net goodness:

Surname, a littlest pet shop fanfic | FanFiction - basically a cute Vinnil one shot

Spines, a littlest pet shop fanfic | FanFiction - my stars the tasty Vinnie angst mmmmmmmmm, there's Sunil x Russell and Vinnie's not happy :( it's basically a perfect combination of understanding and angst

Waiting, a littlest pet shop fanfic | FanFiction - basically a description of the pets missing Blythe after her departure to F.U.N. at the end of season 1. Actually really well written and sweet.

Breaking Chapter 1: The break, a littlest pet shop fanfic | FanFiction - what do ya know, another Vinnil one with that sweet sweet mostly Vinnie angst. Definitely one of my favourite lps works.

Holding Hearts, a littlest pet shop fanfic | FanFiction - Sepper happens and Vinnie is really, really not fucking happy. It's short but absolutely wonderful and has that little bit of Penny and Vinnie which I absolutely love.

Littlest High Chapter 1, a littlest pet shop fanfic | FanFiction - this one I actually recommend chapter 4. It's an OC x canon based fic which I don't like in general, but chapter 4 is basically about the main seven (as humans) talking about their over-the-top fucked up life xd. No, but it's actually good, and some of my headcanons are at least based on this thing.

Something About Pirates Chapter 1, a littlest pet shop fanfic | FanFiction - Vinnie and Sunil are adorable and Russell goes insane. Yeah.

Littlest High Chapter 5, a littlest pet shop fanfic | FanFiction - just a fanfic with humanized pets attending high school while the humans from the original are teachers. Basically a highschool fic but I liked it. (Plus is clearly makes Vinnie the shortest and I live for that. Yeah, I'm biased)

Warmth, a littlest pet shop fanfic | FanFiction - oh boy, another very sweet Vinnil one-shot, and again, Vinnie's cold blood is an important point and I am in love.

HouseCity101 REQUEST - Only for Zoe - a Vinnie x Zoe Fanfiction, a littlest pet shop fanfic | FanFiction - ok, surprise surprise, this and is Vinnie and Zoe one. Basically, Vinnie tries to change himself for Zoe and trying to be better than Digby. Yeah. Good thing.

Being a guy, a littlest pet shop fanfic | FanFiction - a big, juicy Vinnie angst (starting to see a pattern here? I love traumatizing him ^^) and Sunil and Russell are worried. And angry.

Choose Your Ship Chapter 4: Zoinnie, a littlest pet shop fanfic | FanFiction - this one is just a few one-shots with different ships. Good one-shots. And yes, there's another Vinnie x Zoe.

Opposite Personalities Chapter 1, a littlest pet shop fanfic | FanFiction - just a fun story with pets having their personalities changed 180. Very much unfinshed though.

Little Moments Chapter 1 - Sunil, a littlest pet shop fanfic | FanFiction - absolutely adorable stories with Blythe caring and loving the lps pets. More like Russell and Sunil because there are 2 chapters but they are lovely. Especially the Sunil one.

Will You Go With Me? (Re-Edit), a littlest pet shop fanfic | FanFiction - another Vinnie x Zoe one-shot. It's short, it's sweet, I like it.

Sunil's Romantic B-day, a littlest pet shop fanfic | FanFiction - this was absolutely my favourite one-shot when Sunil was still my favourite character and, oh yes, he was for quite a while. Vinnil of course.

The Trials of Vinnie Terrio, a littlest pet shop fanfic | FanFiction - another very much unfinished fic about Vinnie becoming smart because of that classic bonk on the head. We were robbed of such episode, tell me I'm wrong.

LPS College AU Chapter 1, a littlest pet shop fanfic | FanFiction - the pets go to college, yes, as pets. Very Sunil and Vinnie centric thing but others are there as well. I derived some of my Vinnie headcanons from there, and yup, there's angst which is unrequited love mmmm my favourite.

Vinnie Falls For A Monkey, a littlest pet shop fanfic | FanFiction - a lot of Vinnie/Minka interactions but in a sort of angsty manner. It's kinda hard to describe it, but it's just really good, believe me. They argue :o

College Boys Chapter 1: Work it Off, a littlest pet shop fanfic | FanFiction - basically a few stories about the boys in college with each chapter focusing on a different one. Adorbs.

The Hunger Games Chapter 1: The Lives Beforehand, a littlest pet shop fanfic | FanFiction - okay, okay, this is something else entirely. It's like Hunger Games with the humanized pets. It's actually really, really good! I kid you not I had been craving something like that for a long time when I started liking the show and this person delivered. It's very well-written with long chapters and deep indications. Very much unfinished though :(.

I Love You, a littlest pet shop fanfic | FanFiction - another Vinnil one-shot with them being adroable and others being happy about this :>

My fingers ouchie now. Worth it though. Hope you find something for yourself that you haven't seen yet and like :>

[theladyofbloodshed]

Obviously your blog is mostly centered around the shit storm that is ACOTAR. I'm curious, how do you feel about TOG? If you've read it that is. I've always preferred TOG to ACOTAR, mostly besides Dorian owns my heart, it also seemed more sculpted I guess (that's not the exact word I was looking for, but it works), and less focused on "romance" or whatever the fuck this wasn't meant to be a pun but the fact that it was my first thought for word choice is funny. Feysand and Nessian are, even tho romance is something that happens throughout the series and becomes more of a focus in later books, and I just preferred Celaena overall to Feyre. I know the series has its issues and isn't perfect by any means at all, my very strong prescription rose-colored glasses aren't that tinted. 😂 I read the series for the first time when I was a teenager, technically I read ACOTAR at the same age but we'll overlook that for now, the characters and the story have a special place in my heart and I'm not sure if it's actually good-aside from it's clear problems-or just my aforementioned rose colored glasses.

Totally okay if you don't answer questions about SJM's other series, if you do answer pls be gentle despite telling myself I'm not I'm Soft 😂. I trust your opinion, which is why I'm asking despite being Soft. Hope you have a better day tomorrow and Hercules is an incredible choice after a difficult day. 💜

Buckle up, this will be long!!!!

Weirdly, I was living in Copenhagen and I was in a group for young people new to the city and somebody wrote about making a book club. 4 of us turned up - one from USA, one from Netherlands, one from Spain, and me - so we were just chatting about books in a coffee shop and somebody recommended throne of glass. I'd tried to read books like divergent and the mortal instruments and did not like the "chosen girl who is the best at everything" cliche so I was like HARD PASS. (At that point Empire of Storms and ACOMAF had come out that year).

I didn't think about that book again but I did keep going to the library and I read Maze Runner which I loved and still pair with my time in Denmark lmao.

Anyway. I also did reddit gift exchanges and one year (maybe 2017/2018), somebody sent me Tower of Dawn and ACOTAR. I didn't touch either for ages. They just sat on my shelf because neither appealed.

Anyway, in a bid to read the books piling up on my shelves, I started acotar and my thoughts were "this girl is so dumb" "i cannot believe she can be this stupid" "my goodness she is annoying". I then borrowed the others from a library and was a fan of the side characters rather than feyre THEN I moved onto ToG.

I really enjoyed the first book. Loved a fun competition between assassins. I wanted her and Nox to get together rather than Chaol or Dorian. 2nd one felt off? Then the rest felt like a different series. I'll be honest, I did enjoy them but it didn't hook me the same way ACOTAR did. Cannot pinpoint why.

Feyre is annoying. Caelena is annoying

Rhys is annoying and abusive. Rowan is annoying and abusive.

Side characters make both series.

One thing that I really didn't like about Tog was how Kaltain was made to be that mean, man-hungry girl in the first... she didn't need "redemption", she was literally just a courtier set in a time where women needed to marry up. Again it was SJM's nasty side coming through like she did to Nesta/Elain in book one.

I loved Lorcan and Elide. They were probably my favourite chapters to read. Plus Manon's. I really enjoyed tower of dawn too - Yrene and Chaol were also one of my favourite couples.

This is so disjointed, sorry.

Overall yes i liked tog but I've only read it once. Don't love it enough to write fan fiction, but also there's not enough to make me angry like acotar.

[anthropwashere]

Replying as a chronic migraineur and person with multiple chronic pain problems (confirmed diagnosis of fibromyalgia, aka Joint Hurty Syndrome, and New Daily Persistent Headache, aka Fuck Your Skull Forever problem, probably also have or am on the cusp of having Sjögren's Syndrome too, aka Fuck Your Soft Tissues Forever Problem)

I strongly suggest getting your neck and spine checked out. My shoulder blades, mostly my right, are absolutely wrecked 100% of the time. Not presuming anything on your behalf here, but IF you experienced a sudden serious headache/migraine, can remember the specific day or even time it started, and your daily pain has fluctuated but never stopped entirely since that initial "Huh, weird and miserable" headache started, you MIGHT be dealing with NDPH

I fucking hope you aren't. NDPH is a chronic headache pain 100% of the time. The severity and location can vary, but you are always in SOME amount of distractable pain. NDPH is aggressively resistant to any and all migraine treatments. Mine, personally speaking, radiates from my C2-3 vertebrae down to my right shoulder, leaving most everything in the general vicinity of that sore, achy, or outright headache-y as well.

IF your pain has persisted (fluctuated, but persisted) for like, more than a week in a way that you feel justifies "Serious Headache" or outright "migraine," and every OTC hasn't touched it in the slightest, then I hope you're talking more serious migraine meds with your neurologist. Again, speaking from a very specific type of chronic pain-endurer, I really hope what you're dealing with is a pinched nerve kind of business. Because I've tried 15 different migraine medications, Botox, chiropractors (DON'T), acupuncture (DON'T), physical therapy, and fucking nerve ablation (where they BURN the nerves in your neck to DEATH), without relief

So like, god I hope you just have a shitty type of chronic migraine. I hope the basic migraine meds help. Or a muscle relaxer! I absolutely recommend muscle relaxers. Never slept better in my LIFE than when I was on those, never mind the infuriating auditory hallucinations.

Seriously though, chiropractors are dangerous (how I went a year of 1-2x WEEKLY visits and didn't get seriously injured is sheer luck) and acupuncture will simply infuriate you OR make it much worse (electrocuting your skull isn't something I'd wish on my enemies). Neurology, rheumatology, and physical therapy are your best bets.

Okay. Well. In acupuncture's defense when they WEREN'T electrocuting my skull and instead did dry needling in my shoulders that was THE BEST RELIEF, holy crap. People talk about knots in their shoulders but you really don't GET it until some old dude stabs you 47 times and you FEEL that tension melt away

I'll also say (god this got so long) that the only person to ever acknowledge the Significant Crook/Bump on the right side of my neck (the EXACT SOURCE OF MY CHRONIC PAIN, HELLO?) was a massage therapist, who went out of his way to try and work out the kinks on the right side of my body. So like, get ye a massage. They're not experts, but sometimes a stranger beating the shit out of your locked muscles helps even for a couple days, and for chronic pain 'a couple of days' is fucking forever, innit?

Also have you tried a body pillow? Hugging a Big Thing while you sleep can help loads more than you think for shoulder pain, it's stupid but true

Is there like... a word for this thing where I can sleep a bit wrong and my muscles in my shoulders will sit just wrong on the major nerve that runs up my shoulder blade and neck and causes me horrific migraines that no pain killers can touch?

Like is this a nerve disorder I've just never had diagnosed or treated because I am... so sick of this shit.

constant raging pain from my shoulder all the way up over and into my left eye socket that can't be stopped by being awake or asleep is some kind of fucking sick joke, fr. The nerve gets pissed at the pressure, which sets off the muscle, which sets off the nerve more, and now this could go on for days and I can't take more painkiller than i'm already taking. And it has killed no pain.

[gettin-bi-bi-bi]

Hi. I hope my question is okay. So, I'm sure I like women but I feel like I'm not attracted to most of queer women. I've always been attracted to traditional femininity and I'm not saying feminine queer girls don't exist, it seems like they aren't a lot. These days I've kinda tried to broaden my horizons but I don't feel romantic interest towards certain aesthetics. Am I an asshole? I feel like people can have preferences but in my very personal case it seems like I'll never find a girl...

First of all you are not an asshole for having a type. Most people have a type, as in there are certain characteristics and physical features that they are more attracted to than others. What those characteristics are can be influenced by many things but it can also be random/a coincidence.

Secondly: there are PLENTY of feminine queer women. I think the real problem here is what's called "femme invisibility" which is that femme-presenting queer women often don't "look queer" in the stereotypical sense and thus don't get registered as queer. Many of the feminine women you see and find attractive might actually be queer but you assume they are straight because of the stereotype that all queer women look masculine or butch. Though it is true that some queers do present in a way that is obviously queer (through clothing, hair styles, etc.) that doesn't mean that someone who does not present that way is any less queer but it does make them invisible.

So my recommendation would be to try not to jump to conclusions about someone's sexuality just based on how they look. There are many queer women out there who look the way that you find attractive. And it certainly doesn't make you a bad person or whatever that you are looking for a partner that looks the way you find appealling. If you have the chance to connect to the queer community offline (like in a queer café, meetings or Pride events) then take that chance and you'll see that queer women come in all kinds of looks, aesthetics and gender-presentations. When I first started connecting to the queer community I was scared I'd "look too straight" (because I was/am fairly feminine) and when I got there I realised how stupid that was. Yes, there were some people with rainbow hair but there were also people who didn't "look queer" at all; people that I would have thought to be straight if I had seen them in a different context. That really opened my eyes to my own prejudices about what it means to be or look queer. So once you have unlearned this prejudice you will also realise that there are many feminine queer women and (other obstacles of dating and especially queer dating aside) it shouldn't be that hard to find someone who likes to date you and who looks attractive to you.

Maddie

[a-blue-secret]

GENRES: elf!beomgyu, fairy!taehyun, magic au, fluff, lots and lots of fluff, an ittle wittle bit of angst, ambiguous/open ending

PAIRING: taegyu

WARNINGS: this is not edited in the slightest so beware of rambling

WORD COUNT: a whopping 3.2k+ I'm sorry

AN: A little bit of fluff for Valentine's Day! And yes! I managed to get this out before Valentine's Day ended in Korea! Whoo!! I recommend listening to Smile Flower by Seventeen, especially towards the end. I hope you enjoy :) -on ao3 here-

SUMMARY: Just a bunch of scenarios showcasing how Beomgyu taught Taehyun to love.

Taehyun loved Beomgyu. There was no doubt about it. Even he himself knew it, and readily embraced that fact.

Taehyun had loved people before. He loved his mother, and his father, and even his pet ladybug who could sometimes be a little grumpy and snappy. He knew it was love, because he smiled and laughed with them, and grew a warm feeling in his tummy when they were happy. He knew love.

But Beomgyu made him feel… different. He knew it was love; he recognised the warm happiness he received around him. But this love was different. It was a giddy feeling, and Taehyun became hopelessly flustered around him. This love was different, because it felt more playful and intimate than the love he shared with his family.

Taehyun thought he knew love well enough, until Beomgyu came along, and taught him so much more.

.・。.・゜♡・

Beomgyu taught him to love in a carefree, courageous way.

"Beomgyu!" Taehyun said in a panicked whisper. "You shouldn't be here!"

"Shh! I wanted to see you, can't I do that?" Beomgyu said, pouting as he rested his head on the leaf Taehyun was sitting on. The fairy had been resting on the leaf, relatively obscured from view by the long grass stems, so they were hidden from other fairies. Still, Taehyun didn't want to take any chances.

"Go! What if someone sees you?" Taehyun said, trying to push Beomgyu away. Beomgyu refused to be pushed, instead struggling up to sit next to Taehyun. He nudged Taehyun with his shoulder.

"I'll do anything for you," he said.

"Even get caught in fae territory?"

"No boundary will ever hold back my love for you, Taehyun," Beomgyu said seriously. Taehyun flushed, and fiddled with his fingers.

"I just don't want them to find you," Taehyun spoke worriedly. "Elves aren't allowed anywhere near here, and you know what they do to elves they find in fae territory. I don't want that happening to you just because you missed me."

"Please," Beomgyu smiled, bopping Taehyun's nose. "I think that's an incredibly valid reason. And besides, I'd do anything for you. Anything at all."

Taehyun had pondered over Beomgyu's words that night, thinking about what he'd said. Loving Beomgyu was dangerous, he and the elf both knew it, but it seemed that Beomgyu was willing to do anything for Taehyun. That day, Taehyun learned another thing about love.

.・。.・゜♡・

Beomgyu taught Taehyun to love in a messy, silly way.

Someone tentatively knocked on Taehyun's door, and he immediately threw a cushion at it. "Go away!" he yelled.

"Taehyuuunnn," the voice said in a whiny, sad tone. "You promised you'd play with me after you finished your homework. Momma said you're done, so you're free to play now!"

"I don't want to play with you!" Taehyun said in frustration, pulling open his door to see his younger sister looking up at him, wings drooping sadly. He sighed. "I don't want to play, okay? The games you play are too childish and silly."

His younger sister pouted. "Hmph. You used to play with me all the time, but now you don't want to anymore. It's like you don't care anymore."

"I do care," Taehyun said exasperatedly,"but it's too childish to play games like hide and seek now. I don't want to."

"Hmph! Whenever I ask you to play, you always say that! You never want to play with me!" With that, she stomped off. Taehyun sighed, closing his door.

That evening, when he met up with Beomgyu, he told him all about how annoying his sister had been. The elf listened to him carefully. When Taehyun finished speaking, Beomgyu spoke up. "Hey, wanna play catch?"

He was slightly confused at the change of subject, but readily agreed. "Sure." He got up, picking up a dewdrop from one of the flower petals. "Be careful though, you don't wanna get caught!"

The two of them played games that Taehyun hadn't played in ages. They spent hours and hours playing games. They played catch with the dewdrop, played chase around the dandelions, Grandma's Footsteps by the daffodil bulb, and then played hide-and-seek in the dark, both of them giggling when the other accidentally tripped over their own feet.

"Beomgyu? Beomgyu?" Taehyun called out. There was complete silence. He glanced around. One of the rules was that he wasn't allowed to fly, since it would be unfair for the elf, but Beomgyu couldn't see him, right? It wouldn't matter if he flew, just for a few seconds…

He'd hovered just a few centimeters above the ground when hands suddenly grasped his ankles, preventing him from going higher.

"Taehyunnie! No cheating!"

Taehyun squeaked and suddenly dropped to the ground, Beomgyu's arms still around his legs. Beomgyu blinked, before laughing.

"Hey! I could have died!" Taehyun huffed jokingly.

"That yell! Wah, I didn't think anyone could make such a high-pitched shriek!"

"It's not funny! You surprised me!" Taehyun reached out and tickled Beomgyu's sides, making the elf laugh even more. Then suddenly, Beomgyu let out a squeak- even higher than the one Taehyun had made. They both stared wide-eyed at each other. Then Taehyun began to tickle Beomgyu even more, in fits of laughter himself.

"Oh my god, hyung! What was that??"

"I- Taehyun! Stop! It- it tickles! Ah!!"

Eventually, Beomgyu couldn't breathe from laughing so much, so they lay down looking up at the night sky, still giggling slightly. Their giggles died down, and they stared silently up at the dark canvas above them, studded with small silver stars.

"That was fun, wasn't it?" Beomgyu smiled, turning to look at Taehyun.

"Yeah," Taehyun said. "It's been ages since I've played those sorts of games."

"I remember when I was younger I used to pester my elder brother to play them with me," Beomgyu said. "He never wanted to. But it's okay." He nudged Taehyun's shoulder. "Now I can pester you to play with me, can't I?"

"You'll never pester me into playing them," Taehyun replied, turning to face Beomgyu. "I'll play them willingly."

Beomgyu gave a soft smile to the fairy. He pecked his nose, before regretfully standing up. "I'm going to have to go now," he said. Taehyun pouted, but stood up too.

"See you tomorrow?" he asked the elf hopefully.

"See you tomorrow," Beomgyu smiled, giving him a kiss. "Goodbye, my fairy."

The next day, Taehyun spotted his sister as she walked past his door. He remembered how harshly he'd turned her away yesterday, and winced in regret.

"Wait," he called out. "I have some free time right now. Do you… do you maybe want to play?"

She turned around, and her eyes lit up. "Really?"

He laughed at how adorable she looked. "Yeah, really."

"Yay!!” She clapped her hands delightedly, before reaching out and dragging Taehyun outside. "Can we play catch???"

"Of course! Hey, want me to teach you how to make dewdrop balls?"

.・。.・゜♡・

Beomgyu taught him that being in love wasn't complete without occasionally clashing with the other.

"What are you doing here?" Beomgyu hissed, pushing Taehyun's head down so it was out of sight. Taehyun immediately bobbed up again, blond curls bouncing on his forehead. He stared up at the elf, confused.

"What, so it's fine for you to see me in fae territory, but I'm not allowed to visit you in elven land?" he said.

"Well, it's just…" A few more elves walked past, and Beomgyu pushed Taehyun down again. Once they were out of sight, Taehyun peeked up.

"Just what?" he asked.

"Elven territory is more dangerous," Beomgyu said in a low whisper. "You know what they can do to you."

Taehyun tilted his head thoughtfully. "Hmm… well, what they can do to me is no less harsh than what they could have done to you. The dangers are just the same." He beamed up at Beomgyu. "But even so, I wanted to see you!"

Beomgyu didn't smile back, and frowned. "That's not a good enough reason. I don't want you potentially getting hurt just because you wanted to see me."

Taehyun recognised those words as being extremely similar to his own from a few weeks back. "What, so you're allowed to visit me when you miss me, but I'm not?"

Beomgyu sighed exasperatedly. "Love, that's not it, it's just that–”

"No, that's exactly it," Taehyun said, hurt. "You don't think I'm capable of looking after myself, do you? For your information, I am perfectly capable. No– don't you touch me." When Beomgyu tried to reach out to the fairy, Taehyun moved back. Beomgyu's outstretched hand curled into a ball, before hanging by his side.

"Taehyun, please, stop overreacting. I'm just worried about you, okay? You can get hurt."

"Overreacting?" Taehyun repeated. "I'm not overreacting."

Beomgyu sighed frustratedly. "Taehyun, come on, think clearly here! You're in elven land, and you're just a fairy. Do you seriously think that's safe?"

"So you think I'm weak?"

"No,Taehyun, just stop being ridiculous–"

"Oh, I see. I see what's going on. It's clear you think I'm weak and need protecting, because I'm a fairy. Well that's just a stupid stereotype! I thought you of all people would know not to believe stereotypes, Beomgyu," Taehyun said, tears in his eyes. "You of all people! You're in love with a fairy, for goodness' sake, and that goes against all stereotypes that fairies and elves should be enemies."

"Well who says I'm in love with you?"

At that, Taehyun paused, shocked. Beomgyu's eyes widened as he realised what he'd just said.

"No wait, love, I didn't mean it–”

Taehyun wiped his eyes angrily. "No, it's fine, 'love'. I get it. You don't want me pestering you. If you don't want me around, I'll go. I'm not going to come back."

Before he could call out, Taehyun had already flown back down, through the grass roots and out of sight. Beomgyu closed his mouth, swallowing. He felt the guilt close in on his throat, and his eyes burned with tears. He hadn't meant to say that at all. Even now that he thought about it, he was shocked with himself for even managing to say something so horrible. God, Taehyun must hate him now. Beomgyu's eyes blurred with tears, and sat forlornly down on the leaf.

"I'm sorry, Taehyunnie," he whispered.

.・。.・゜♡・

However, Beomgyu also taught him love meant forgiveness, because no one was perfect, and love was about navigating those imperfections together.

It had been five days. Five days since Taehyun had visited Beomgyu in elven land, only to be pushed away. He couldn't even think about the day, because it made his heart hurt too much. Taehyun's eyes filled with tears, and he furiously wiped them with the back of his hand. No. He shouldn't cry. Beomgyu had made it clear he thought Taehyun to be weak, and that he didn't love him at all. He shouldn't cry over someone who didn't love him.

Despite his words, this was exactly what Taehyun did. He moped in his room for five days, refusing to leave the cottage. Though he didn't want to admit it, Taehyun was heartbroken. It may have only been a short, sudden sentence said in the heat of the moment, but it still hurt that Beomgyu could even think such a sentence. He tried to blink away the tears which had for some reason welled up yet again. He vigorously wiped them away, eyes bright with anger. If Beomgyu ever came to apologise, he wasn't going to accept. He wasn't going to forgive him. No. Not at all. Taehyun glanced out the window. That is, he wasn't going to forgive the elf… if he ever came to apologise at all.

.♡.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" Taehyun's mum asked, nudging him.

"Mmm," Taehyun answered absent-mindedly, staring blankly out the window. When his mother still continued to look at him, he turned to face her. "I'm okay, Mum." He gave a weak smile. "Seriously."

"If you say so," she responded skeptically, watching him carefully as Taehyun resumed staring out of the window.

Once she had left the room, Taehyun gave a sigh, resting his cheek on his hand. He'd been watching their garden, hoping that maybe Beomgyu would turn up. Despite the bold words he'd said to the elf the last time he'd seen him, it seemed that he did need and depend on the elder. He missed Beomgyu. Missed those stolen little moments they had in the evenings, missed seeing Beomgyu's face randomly peep up from behind a leaf, and jokingly pushing him away. Goddammit, he even missed the annoying jokes he told.

Taehyun scanned the empty greenery again, before slumping and reluctantly moving away from the window. He understood why Beomgyu wouldn't come to him. If he were in the elf's place, he'd be too proud and annoyed to admit his faults. But a part of him hoped that Beomgyu wouldn't be like that.

"Taehyun, darling?"

At the nickname, Taehyun perked up, before he realised it was his mother, hovering by his door.

"A dragonfly dropped a letter for you by our door. It said it was strictly confidential, so I didn't look at it." Taehyun's eyes brightened hope. Could it be Beomgyu? He thanked his mother, and waited until she left before opening it. His lips twitched into a smile as he spotted the handwriting, but he quickly smothered it.

'My lovely Taehyunnie, I'm sorry it took so long for me to reach out. I just want to say that at sundown, I'll be by the maple tree, waiting for you. If you don't come, I understand, but just in case you don't hate me even a little, please, meet me there. I love you.'

Taehyun frowned, putting the letter down. No. He wouldn't go. Beomgyu had hurt him too much. He wasn't going to go. Nope.

.♡.

Taehyun went. No matter how many times he told himself he didn't care, deep down, he still loved Beomgyu a lot.

Coming up to the maple tree, his face creased into a frown when he saw that no one else was there. Had Beomgyu come already? Had he been fooling him? Maybe the elf wasn't coming at all.

Then, he heard the faint sound of guitar strings being played.

"Look up," a voice called, and Taehyun looked up, face melting in wonder. Beomgyu was floating down on a maple leaf, held at the corners by fireflies. He was holding the guitar he'd made himself, a nervous smile on his face. As soon as he opened his mouth, Taehyun knew what was going on. He couldn't help a smile spread across his own face, as his hands came up to cover his mouth. It was horribly cliche, romantic and such a Beomgyu-like gesture, that he couldn't help but love it.

"I can smile because we're together, I can cry 'cause it's you. So what can't I do?" Beomgyu landed gently next to Taehyun. "Don't say it's the end, forever, because I'll stay by your side." He took Taehyun's hands into his, and Taehyun realised with a start that Beomgyu was trembling. His eyes were bright with tears. "Whatever happens, like always, can we be together?"

Taehyun's own eyes filled with tears and he nodded his head vigorously. "I love you," he whispered, holding Beomgyu's hands tighter. "I love you, so much." Beomgyu bit his lip, the tears finally spilling out of his eyes. "I- I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you away like that. I wasn't thinking. You were just doing what I always do, and I didn't think. I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean a single word."

"It's okay," Taehyun said, pulling Beomgyu into a hug. "I understand how you want to protect me. It's what I feel when you sneak over here. I'm sorry I overreacted like that."

"No, no, you didn't overreact," Beomgyu quickly said, stroking Taehyun's hair. "It was me. I shouldn't have been so hypocritical, or try and push you away when you just wanted to see me. I'm so sorry, Taehyunnie." He pulled back, and took Taehyun's hands in his own. "I was being too overprotective over you," he whispered. "And I kept making you seem weaker than you were, when in fact you are the strongest person I know. I love you, so so much. Will you forgive me?" His eyes searched Taehyun's, hopeful and sad at the same time.

"Yes, I do," he said through tears, hugging Beomgyu again. "It's okay, I forgive you."

"Oh, thank goodness." Beomgyu buried his face into Taehyun's shoulder. "If you didn't, I was going to abandon all my pride and just beg at your feet, right here."

Taehyun laughed, and gave Beomgyu a short, sweet kiss.

"You don't need to ever do that," he said, smiling. "I love you too much to stay mad at you forever." He looked up at Beomgyu. "Could you sing me the rest of the song?"

Beomgyu smiled, and picked up his guitar. "Don't say it's the end, forever what happens, just like always, our smile flowers will bloom." He pressed a long, loving kiss onto Taehyun's lips, smiling. "Whenever, wherever, even if we’re not together, just like always, our smile flowers bloom."

"I’ll be the spring to your smile," Taehyun finished, laughing when Beomgyu left light, ticklish kisses along his neck and collarbone.

"I love you, okay?" Beomgyu said earnestly. "So much. No matter what happens, that will never change."

Taehyun buried his head into Beomgyu's shoulder, unable to stop smiling. "So do I," he murmured. "I love you more than anything. Forever."

.・。.・゜♡・

All these things we're infinitely important: there was no doubt about it. But, perhaps the most important thing Beomgyu taught Taehyun was that love was in the little things. The small, stolen moments they shared were the most important things in the world for them.

Taehyun rested his head on Beomgyu's shoulder as their feet dangled off a branch of the maple tree. The sun was low, and the light was rapidly fading. The fireflies danced playfully around them, providing their own golden lights against the warm sunset. Neither the elf nor the fairy said a word, content with each other's presence alone.

When Taehyun thought about it, it was funny how they'd managed to fall in love. A fairy and an elf, destined to be enemies until the end of time, managed to defy all odds and become united. Taehyun smiled. It wasn't even meant to be possible. And yet, here they were, very much in love with each other despite it being something that should have been impossible.

Taehyun gazed up at Beomgyu's side profile in adoration. The elf had his eyes closed, head tilted backwards, a golden glow settling over his features from the setting sun. Beomgyu was beautiful. It made Taehyun a little sad that he couldn't show the world how much he loved the elf, but it also made him appreciate these small moments even more. Every minute they spent together felt even more special. Beomgyu opened his eyes and caught Taehyun staring, smiling and winking at the fairy. Taehyun blushed, burying his face into the other's shoulder. Beomgyu hummed a wordless tune, arm around Taehyun's waist as they rocked side to side in time with the gentle wind.

One day, Taehyun said to himself. One day, we'll be able to show our love to the world. But until then, I'll love you through these small moments.

-fin.

[tumblebee-the-smol-bean]

What about another classification universe but everyone is a cg. Everyone but Logan. Logan's on the baby side of regressing and once he found out (he's younger then the rest) he hid. The others had already subconsciously been babying him. He breaks down one day when him and Roman get into another playful fight and everything comes to light. Maybe he has an accident and tries so hard to prove he's big but the others aren't having it and baby him to no end.

.””okie dokie! this took sooooo long to get out. apologies but motivation to write is hard, I appreciate the ask. (:

Logan sat in his living room staring blankly at the TV as it played a nature documentary he’d seen a thousand times. He’d gotten his letter today. Everyone else had gotten theirs a year ago since they were all older than him. Thats just what happens when you’re in highschool and have a summer birthday.

He’d known what he was going to get of course, in terms of class. He’d picked up on his own tendencies and the questions were fairly obvious, at least to him. No Logan wasn’t shaken up because he got classified as a regressor, he’d known that would be the result for quite some time. What freaked him out was how young his age range was estimated to be.

0-18 months. That didn’t even reach the two year mark. It was ridiculous, he was clearly intelligent, he had aced all of his classes thus far, being a baby just didn’t make any sense. He sighed to himself, perhaps a mistake was made, that happened sometimes, he would go back and get retested as soon as possible, perhaps swing the questionnaire just to make sure.

While he was thinking about it his phone pinged and he glanced over at it reflexively, a message from patton.

Hey kiddo! Congrats on getting your classification today! I’m so so so excited for you!!! Why don’t you come over and we can talk about it? Ro and Dee are here too.  :D 

Logan shook his head, of course. He should have expected a message such as this. Patton was a caregiver as was everyone in the group it seemed, everyone except him...As such they tended to all baby him without really thinking about it even though for all they knew he could have been a caregiver himself. 

Roman would always try and defend his honor, whatever that meant, Virgil tended to be overprotective of Logan and very cautious around him and for him, Janus would always be the one to convince him to take a break from his much overdone essay and take a nap, Remus didn’t threaten to disembowel him at the drop of a hat, and Patton while he acted as everyone’s father figure to an extent was always much more so with Logan.

He wasn’t sure he wanted to go over and “discuss” seeing as he didn’t know how he felt about it himself, he knew it was unlikely Patton would drop it seeing as they seemed to have these discussions every time someone in the group got classified, something Patton’s psych major brother Emile had recommended. Logan had always been behind it, it made logical sense, but just not with himself. Sorry. I cannot as I am busy, my apologies.

Then he locked his phone, he didn’t feel like getting in a texting war with Patton asking about his feelings. He suddenly felt very very drained. It was time for a nap.

oOo

Logan woke up to 20 missed messages and a knocking at the door. He groaned, whoever it was could- “Lo? It’s Patton. are you in there?”

of course Patton had come to check on him. No doubt Virgil convinced him something terrible had happened but he really wasn’t in the mood right now. He swung open the door to tell him he was fine and to go away and let him sleep but before he could Roman, who apparently had come with him as well as Janus pushed his way past him into his house.

“Roman! what are you doing?!”

He snorted “Well I’m coming in and making myself comfortable for the chat obviously. Shame on you for scaring Patton like that.”

Logan purses his lips. Of course Roman was doing this. He always did. It wasn’t fair! He felt like stomping his foot for a moment before realizing how ludicrous and unhelpful it would be. “Roman, kindly get out of my home. I have no intention of discussion, my class is my business” well at least it was out in the open now. “Lo...” Patton had shuffled in behind Roman and looked torn between apologizing for the dramatic one’s behavior and having a ‘talk’ with Logan. Janus puts a hand on his shoulder to stop this. “Hold on a second dear Patton, their banter always is fun to watch.” Patton looks very disapproving at him for that but its too late, the playfight has already started. “Ohoho! So the nerd wants to be all secretive huh?” Roman smirked “Roman, I am not in the mood” Logan glared “Go home and take Patton and Janus with you” he turned around to go back to his room. “goodbye”

“Awww, but that’s no fun!” he smiled and it looked as mischievous as one of Remus’s which Logan decided was definitely worrying and not at all comforting “Buuuuut I bet you hide all your stuff in a boring place...under your bed maybe? If you won’t tell me maybe I’ll just have a little look-see” he dashes off in that direction before Logan can do anything. Patton dashes after him. “ROMAN NO!”

A cold feeling seized in Logan’s chest. This didn’t feel playful anymore, at least not to him. Normally he would stop Roman himself and proceed to yell at him and berate him for a half hour but now...He broke down sobbing and fell to the floor. someone is saying something. His ears told him. Someone is saying your name, someone is crying, oh wait...that’s you. “Logan?” Janus tried. The boy had just collapsed and started wailing, he knew things were getting heated but he never expected this reaction from him unless....of course.  “Logan darling, its okay,” he put on his caregiver voice and cautiously placed a hand on his shoulder to try a bit of physical contact “Shhhhh, shhh, love it’s okay, you’re alright.” 

“N-no! gonna, f-fin me out!”

“oh sweetheart” Jan sighed “I think we already have” He began to cry harder upon hearing that and Janus was quick to move to the couch with him as Patton finally emerged from Logan’s bedroom with a very guilty looking Roman after stopping him from snooping.  “Oh poor thing!” he cooed and rushed over “Aww, I’m so sorry baby, Ro didn’t mean to make you sad. He shouldn’t have done that” he shot a pointed glance at Roman “But he didn’t mean to hurt you little star, how old are you baby?”

Logan raised his head from where he had burried it in Janus’s shirt and blinked owlishly at Patton.

“mmm” “well that wasn’t exactly an answer” Roman mumbled only to yell “OW! Hey!” when Janus swatted him atop the head “Do try not to be stupid right now Roman, we need all the braincells you have to take care of this one, and that was an answer, since he didn’t respond with actual words he’s obviously a baby. Patton will you go get a few of the supplies I keep in my car?” Patton nodded and went to go do as requested while Logan frowned. He wasn’t a baby, he couldn’t be a baby. He was supposed to be smart. He was Logan Berry. He was not a baby. So he pushed himself as far as he could out of that warm soft space. Turns out he couldn’t push very far since he ended up in the mindset of a toddler. “Not a baby!” he insisted to Janus, with what said side personally thought was an adorable pout. “Oh no?” he raised an eyebrow, two seconds ago Logan wasn’t even forming words and now he was in an arguing mood it seemed. “Well color me surprised, are you by chance repressing your headspace Logan”

Crap Janus was onto him and his friend was scarily good at detecting lies. Still, he had to try, 

“Noooo”

Janus tutted, “Thats what I thought, why are you doing that to yourself little one? You know we don’t mind you being extra small.  But that was just it wasn’t it? Logan started to tear up again. Why couldn’t he have just been an older regressor? Preferably nine or ten. That would be so much easier and he wouldn’t feel so helpless and stupid. However when he tried to articulate that all that came out was, “Don wanna be extra small!” Janus to his credit didn’t even seem remotely phased. “And why is that?”

“Cuz m’ Logan! supposed to work hard nd be smart”

Janus nods along for a moment before he turned his gaze back to Logan and without missing a beat asked,  “And have you ever considered the fact that you work so hard is why you regress so young?”

He blinked, he hadn’t but...it did make sense. “And therefore you regressing so young is a good thing and very clever of your subconscious”

Logan could have a thousand arguments to that, could debate his way out if he really wanted to and insist he didn’t need it but...now that someone had shown him affection and assured him they didn’t mind...he didn’t want to. He just wanted to return to that soft happy place and let all his worries melt away, let someone else worry for him for a change. So he nodded and let go, let himself slip back and just relax and bask in the care.

“There you are baby” Janus cooed with a smile as Patton returned with the gear. He waved at Logan and smiled, taking him from Janus. “Hey there baby boy! you wanna get in some comfier clothes?” Logan whined, suddenly realizing his tie was very uncomfy around his neck and pawed at it causing Patton to giggle. “I’ll take that as a yes. Don’t worry kiddo, lets go raid your closet yeah?”

Logan nodded and Patton made sure to keep a tight hold of him as he carried the boy to the bedroom where he shyly picked out a pastel blue sweatshirt with floppy sleeves and mathematical patterned pajama pants to wear. Patton cooed over him the entire time and about how cute he was in the ensemble. “Such a cute lil math baby!”

by the time they returned to the living room Janus had everything set up. There was a big soft blanket spread out with multiple baby toys like keys, soft toys, building blocks etc. Logan was immediately reaching for the blanket, but then he was whining as Roman pulled his hand away from his mouth. huh, when had that gotten there?  “Fingers are yucky little prince, try this instead” A pacifier was gently pushed into his mouth as a substitute and he sucked on it experimentally. Luckily he deems it acceptable and flops twoards the blanket again where Patton sets him down. He immediately heads for the shape puzzles.

The three watch him for as long as he needs. He’s played with, cooed over, and snuggled within an inch of his life. When the day comes to a close and he’s still regressed Janus holds him in his lap and feeds him a bottle before Roman tells him a bedtime story and Patton tucks him in. Logan loves them all so much, and he knows they love him too.