#and the fact that neither of them even try to deny it to themselves they’re both just like ugh yeah he’s hot this is going to be a problem

[allthethoughtsandstuff]

my favorite thing about the sunshine court so far is how terribly unsubtle both jean and jeremy are

[misssakuramochi]

GENERAL RELATIONSHIP HEADCANONS FOR SENKU

Age Rating: N/A

Warnings: None

Genre: General, Fluff

○ Senku is the most practically-minded and goal-driven man currently alive; romance is neither practical, nor his goal. What I'm trying to say is it takes both a person as unique and as patient as Senku himself to put it into his mind. Any romantic feelings on Senku's end are extremely gradual, and develop over time spent together, learning to trust and rely on one another. By the time Senku realizes how he feels he's too far gone to fight it.

○ Much as Senku can't fight his own brain, he still hopes things will pass over time if he focuses on other things. It probably takes Senku's romantic interest to initiate, picking up on him drawing away and confronting him about it, before anything will truly progress anywhere. It takes Senku some time to ease into the idea of a romantic relationship though, so he'll need some time to process before giving them a proper answer. In the end, he's upfront that his own goals and love of science will always be his first priority, but if they can put up with that he can't deny that he finds them exhilarating.

○ Dating Senku, honestly, isn't all that different from being his friend. For the most part Senku treats his partner the same way after he starts dating them as he did before. Mushy, flowery words that don't mean anything are a waste of time in Senku's mind, and cute little dates are a waste of valuable production time. He's probably the least romantic boyfriend in recorded history. That being said, there are some differences in how he treats his partner once they start dating - they just tend to be more subtle. Senku takes to teasing his partner more often to see their cute flustered face, is a touch more protective socially, and puts up with much more from them then he would most others. 

○ Additionally, once Senku has settled into a relationship, he actually relies on his partner more heavily. If he’s dating them he certainly admires them in some way or another, and holding back their talents because he’s worried unnecessarily would be illogical - it would also hold them back from growing, and having a relationship where he and his partner constantly inspire and push one another to be the best they can be is important to Senku. As such, Senku makes even fuller use of his partner’s abilities once they’re together as he’s able to get a much more intimate understanding of the strengths, weaknesses, and limitations. Of course, they always have his support ten-billion percent behind them in whatever task he’s appointed them to, or anything they take on for themselves. They’re partners in every sense of the word, and they work together with full trust behind them.

○ Senku's lack of use for dramatic prose shouldn't be confused for either a lack of communication nor a lack of praise. Quite the opposite, in fact, Senku is an extremely honest and forthright partner. Though his bluntness can absolutely be harsh and hard to hear, Senku's partner never has to worry what he thinks or where they stand. He'll just tell them. While this does mean he's expecting to be able to have the hard conversations at least productively, it also means his partner knows he's not just flattering them when he compliments them. Senku encourages the same kind of honesty and communication from his significant other, too. After all, how can they work together if they can't communicate?

○ As aforementioned, Senku's first and greatest love will always be science. Sharing this passion is one of the biggest ways Senku tries to show his partner he loves them. Though he's perfectly happy indulging in his version of quality time (read as: being in the same room as his partner while he experiments and researches and they do… whatever they want, really) he's elated whenever he has an opportunity to explain something he's working on and how it works. Though he hardly expects his partner to follow every equation and formula, he can't help but feel his heart flutter when they ask questions and try their best to follow - just a little bit.

○ Eventually Senku sharing his love of science as a way to show his partner he loves them evolves into gift giving; specifically, he’ll make gadgets for them of varying complexity. Of course, these creations are always extremely practical in nature (Jewelry? Why would he make them something useless like that? Flowers? What, do they want to try making medicine?? You get the idea.) but they’re romantic in Senku’s own way. Very often whatever gift he provides them with is a direct solution to some complaint they’d brought up at some point or another, even if he won’t tell them that directly.

○ Which brings us to the point of Senku having an impeccable memory when it comes to his partner. Of course, Senku has a sterling memory in general, but he’s extra sure to keep any information about his partner locked away for safekeeping, regardless as to how mundane it may seem at the time. Senku wants to understand how the person he’s learning to love ticks, how they think and why. It’s rather often than Senku will surprise his partner by bringing up something they’d mentioned what feels to them like ages ago - though he always downplays their obvious surprise that he cared enough to remember as if was an obvious thing to do (it is for him, but admitting it would be cringey.) Senku’s genuine interest in his partner makes him a fantastic listener.

○ It’s also that genuine interest that makes him scarily perceptive when it comes to his partner. He’s studied them, consciously and not, and he knows their tells. If something seems to be wrong Senku isn’t the type to let it go, either, and his complete lack of fear around blunt confrontation make it almost impossible for his partner to lie to, or hide anything from him. If there’s a problem the most obvious thing to do is to find a solution and fix it, so that’s his goal and he won’t let up until he’s able to start working on that solution. Unfortunately, this also makes it almost impossible for Senku’s partner to surprise him with anything ever - at least without a little help from friends.

○ It’s almost subconscious, but Senku involves his partner in every consequential project he can get them on board for. It isn’t that he’s clingy; far from it, actually. Senku is perfectly happy to spend time on his own and has absolutely no trouble entertaining himself for extended periods of time. Senku’s partner is more often than not the one seeking him out to spend more time together if anything. All that is to say that it’s less that he requires his partner’s company, and more that he becomes rather attached to being able to share accomplishments with them. The closer they become, the more the idea of finishing a sizable project without their smiling face cheering for the victory next to him makes him feel dissatisfied.

xxxxxxxxxx

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! Dr. Stone has had me in a vice grip recently, and this perfect little leek will not leave my brain alone. I hope you enjoyed reading these as much as I enjoyed writing them!

Requests are currently OPEN, so feel free to ping my inbox with anything you'd like to see written!

Safe travels, reader!

[jclolz22]

multi bot release

i thought i’d release some bots while i’m still finishing up my next big release, so here are some randoms that i’ve worked on lately. i hope you guys enjoy, and thank you again for all the support and love!!

note: yes i am aware that for the kate sharma bot, it is a combination of two different scenes, that did not happen at the same time, nor did they even happen consecutively. i was mistaken when i first made the bot and just kept it the way i did it. also, whoever requested the professor!tashi bot, i love you because this one is a new fave of mine.

aubrey posen and chloe beale — recruitment

ever since aubrey’s mishap at last year’s icca finals, things went downhill for the barden bellas. now, it’s a new school year, and they’re looking for new members. seeing them at the activity fair, neither chloe nor aubrey can stop themselves from trying to recruit you and rebuild the bellas’ image.

cece parekh — in love (gn!user)

you’ve tried so hard to deny your lasting feelings for cece, knowing that it’s the best thing for both of you, especially considering the fact that she doesn’t feel the same way. at least, that’s what you’ve thought for the longest time now. hearing jess’ confession of cece’s feelings for you has you ready to find her on that mountain and tell her the truth. that is, until you have an unexpected visitor at the loft.

kate sharma — bee fright

your pall-mall ball, along with kate’s, got lost in the forestry surrounding your home, so you and her go to search for them. after spotting the balls, you notice that they’re near an area you’d prefer to avoid. kate went over to her ball, ready to hit it when you saw a bee land on her, sending you into a deep panic. the memories of your father flashed in your mind, and you couldn’t stop yourself from being overcome with anxiety.

quinn fabray — real you

quinn is discouraged by lauren exposing her past, yet you want to make sure that she knows you don’t care about who she used to be— you love her anyway and want her to know that she shouldn’t be ashamed of her younger self.

quinn fabray — reuniting (req./gn!user)

dating quinn was more than wonderful, but going to different colleges and trying to do long distance just didn’t work out. four years later, you’re both college graduates, and she’s more than excited to see you again. but when she shows up at your apartment and comes inside, the sight that surrounds her is one that shocks her all at the same time. she’s left with many questions, and wants the answers.

santana lopez — rumours

ever since you said that santana “plays for the other team,” it’s been the newest piece of hot gossip in the muckraker, mckinley’s student-run paper. it’s safe to say that seeing that in the latest edition did not make her happy; not at all.

tashi duncan — office hours (req.)

you love going to stanford, and you always enjoy going to class as you’re truly interested in what you’re studying. having tashi as one of your professors may or may not be your sole motivation when it comes to going to office hours consistently. well, every single day, actually. she’s even offered to provide you assistance on the weekends.

[drdemonprince]

Re: nonmanogamy “evolution” anon

Hot take, but if someone ever claims that some group of people is “more evolved” than another group, that is an immediate and serious red flag. It’s supremacist rhetoric, and even if they’re doing it out of ignorance and not malice, it’s still a red flag just based on the fact that they didn’t clock that as what they’re doing.

This is something I see a lot in autistic communities and it drives me up the wall. If you catch yourself thinking you’re inherently superior to another kind of person for reasons neither you nor they can change, I’d really recommend checking yourself because that can sometimes be the start of a rather slippery slope.

I agree -- and no shame to the original anon, as what they're asking about is an evaluation many nonmonogamous people try to make about themselves.

It's understandable I think that both Autistics and nonmonogamous people attempt to overcorrect for society's biases against them by portraying themselves as more virtuous than other people --it's an emotionally sensible defensive reaction after being told by the majority culture that you're either defective or evil. But it's still dehumanization to portray a marginalized group as superior to other groups, because it denies the reality of human diversity that exists within those groups. Autistics can be abusers, nonmonogamy can be coercive, and most of the time we're just as much a mess as anyone else is, because we are human beings.

I suppose this gets complicated by the fact that for many, nonmonogamy is a choice -- and a person can believe it to be the healthier, more realistic, more accepting, more loving, or more virtuous choice for either themselves or others. And for some people it unquestionably seems to be a better fit, and going nonmonogamous opens up an new relational possibilities for people in ways that can be quite freeing.

But it's also a social practice common among certain communities, and those communities form their own ideologies about what nonmonogamy must mean and how a person ought to be nonmonogamous, and so in actual practice it can be beset with pressure and biases in its own right. None of this is an argument against nonmonogamy, I think it's good that more and more people have the option to pursue it openly -- it's just never gonna be a panacea for relational problems. and when people expect it to be, they wind up doing a lot of destructive shit to themselves and others.

[mywitchyblog]

Can someone please explain to me who the hell is so upset with me that they’ve resorted to going into other shifters' ask boxes as an anonymous user and started bullying them in my name? It honestly baffles me that someone would stoop so low. If you have an issue with me or something I’ve said, be direct. I’m not one to hide behind anonymity or drag innocent people into something they have nothing to do with. If I had a problem with you, trust me, I’d say it to your face. I don’t need to hide in the shadows.

Now, there are only two possibilities for what’s going on here, and neither of them reflect well on the person responsible:

The first possibility is that this person is intentionally creating drama by sending themselves an anonymous ask. Maybe they’re looking for attention or trying to stir up conflict where there is none. It's sad, honestly, if that’s what’s happening because it just shows how far some people are willing to go to manufacture chaos.

The second possibility is that I’ve managed to piss someone off to the point where they’re now impersonating me, using my name to spread hate and start fights in spaces where I’m not even involved. If this is the case, I can’t say I’m surprised that someone would go this route rather than confront me directly, but it’s still frustrating. I don’t hide from criticism, and I won’t shy away from addressing issues head-on. But to use my identity in such a toxic way? That’s crossing a line.

To the person this happened to (I found out about this through a mutual, and I want you to know that I’m aware), I am truly sorry. I hate that this situation has dragged you into something you didn’t ask for, and I genuinely wish it hadn’t happened. But let me be absolutely clear: it wasn’t me. I did not send those messages, and I would never engage in that kind of behavior. It’s not how I handle things, and it’s certainly not how I treat others.

You are fully entitled to your own opinion, just like I’m entitled to mine. I’ve never denied that right to anyone, and I wouldn’t start now. We don’t have to agree on everything, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to attack you for your perspective or allow someone else to use my name to do so. That’s not how this works.

And just to set the record straight for the final time: I am not a pedophile, nor do I endorse, encourage, or support anything related to that disgusting behavior. It’s beyond insulting that I even have to keep repeating this, but here we are. In fact, I went out of my way to age myself up by a few years or to completely discard the DRs that felt problematic or uncomfortable. I’ve always been mindful of the spaces I navigate, especially when it comes to shifting, and I’ve made conscious decisions about what I’m comfortable with.

If you’re unhappy or confused about something I’ve said or done, talk to me like a human being. Bring it to me, and let’s figure it out. Don’t jump to conclusions or, worse, involve other people who aren’t even a part of the conversation. It’s cowardly and completely unnecessary. This whole thing could’ve been avoided with a little bit of maturity and honest communication.

At the end of the day, it’s honestly pathetic to bully other people just because they happen to have a different opinion than yours. Why are you so bothered by someone else’s perspective that you’d go out of your way to hurt them or cause unnecessary drama? We’re all individuals here, and our experiences with shifting, our journeys, and our beliefs are going to vary. No two people will see everything the same way, and that’s okay. It’s actually something to be embraced. What’s not okay is tearing each other down because of those differences. That only reflects poorly on you and shows how little respect you have for other people’s paths.

So, let’s try a little harder to be civil and respectful. You don’t have to agree with me, and I don’t have to agree with you, but at the very least, we can treat each other with decency.

[vernalloy]

🥭 [that damn rabt ik but id like to hear any more on it if you have any more Thoughts] 🍋 and 🫐? for the f/o ask game

[ask game] for ac!Norman

🥭 - did your f/o have stuffed animals growing up? do they still have stuffed animals? do they have a favorite?

BUNNY!!! He has other old toys but they’re up on a shelf and unused— the rabbit is the only one down on his bed. It is interesting to me that it doesn’t even exist within the script or the novel, and yet I and the rest of the world have latched onto it. Such an expression… Anyway, one thing about Norman I find interesting is his habit of projection— beyond relating to others by telling them about his own thoughts, his mother’s existence is on her corpse, rather than a detached voice, even though she communicated that way in the hospital.

So. The rabbit. A prey animal. A stuffed one, even, haha. Something that can’t fight, can’t run, can’t even scream for help. Designed purely for comfort. A gift from his mother, and one he’s now tasked with taking care of. As a kid, he used to take a knife (and later, teeth) to its neck and then sew it back up.

He doesn’t do that anymore; he hardly thinks about the plush beyond occasionally waking up with it in his arms, when he’s certain he didn’t go to sleep like that.

🍋 - if your f/o could change one thing about themselves, what would they change and why?

He’d prefer to take up less space, both physically and emotionally. His bed is still for a child; he has to curl up to fit. The rest of his room is much the same, the claustrophobia only worsened by the fact he is an adult, and as such has his own variety of interests that fill the walkways and shelves. To some extent he prefers it that way… open spaces are unfamiliar. Smaller areas are controlled, claimed. His mother never came into his room.

Taking a drag on the Freud pipe, it is a call for regression. Life was simpler when he was younger. His mother still loved him, instead of her current emotional and physical coldness. It was kinder to receive love when he didn’t want it than to be denied any at all, but he deserves it for trying to kill her. He deserves it for being born. He was always so selfish and inconvenient. Perhaps it’s childish to resent her neglect. After all, adults are supposed to go away from their parents, make their way in the world, live on their own, but he isn’t… quite an adult. He is, he should be, but he isn’t, you understand?

🫐 - is your f/o more of a writer or an artist? would you say your f/o is more left or right brained?

This isn’t relevant beyond left/right-brain pseudoscience but! He is naturally left-handed, and trained to be ambidextrous. (Bisexuality W.) You wouldn’t be able to tell, because the times he does choose to write with his left hand the result is a large-lettered scrawl more typical of a ten-year-old than a 28-year-old man. But that’s neither here nor there.

Writer or artist? Craft artist (taxidermy and practical sewing) with a great enjoyment of literature. He isn’t one for the creation of fine prose or poetry, but he does admire it! Preference for nonfiction, just because that tends to align with his interests more.

[hannahssimblr]

Chapter Seven

I adjust the cat ears on my head for the fourth time, despite only being there for ten minutes. They’re a bit slap-dash, the construction isn’t great, because I made them by following a YouTube tutorial on my laptop the night before the party with bleary eyes and a bit of a tension headache. Izzy let me borrow her glue gun so that I could attach triangles of white foam to black and curl the ears around an old plastic hair band I had that I had lying under my bed, but I’ve been finding myself pulling glue strings off it constantly.

“You look nice.” She assures me now, dressed as a pirate. “Very cute.”

I feel too cute for Halloween. Everyone else is dressed either scary or funny, while all I’ve done is paint whiskers on my face, the result being that I’m neither, I’m just lazy. The tight pleather skirt and corset that I never gave back to Marnie after I borrowed it two years ago makes me feel naked and self conscious, too uncovered, too done up, like a little girl play-acting like an adult. Nobody else is even wearing high heels, not even Claire, who’s in a witch costume from Dealz, and I feel ridiculous in mine. It’s only Shane’s house anyway, Shane’s friends, who I don’t know, and are certainly not bothered about the fact that I can balance in five inch heeled boots that come all the way up to my thighs and have me paranoid that my mother will somehow appear and ask me to change. 

Shane is dressed as Darth Vader, helmet under his arm, because when he’s wearing it he’s not able to eat or drink anything. Someone already got a video of themselves trying to shove Doritos through the tiny mouth slits to no avail, and now there’s crumbs all over the floor that nobody will take responsibility for. Every time he walks into a room, be it the kitchen or the living room, somebody chants “Shane-oooooo” and then all the boys make these weird animalistic sounds with the grace and decorum of gorillas at the zoo. He just grins like he’s used to it. 

“Eviiiiiieeee.” He musses up my hair as he saunters by, as if to subtly remind me that while I might have made an attempt to be sexy tonight, I’m still perpetually twelve in his eyes. He’s also been drinking, and Shane, on account of the rules of the football team, is not allowed to drink. We’ve all been warned that if his coach finds out he’ll be in trouble, hence why nobody is allowed to take a picture of him with a beer in his hand. I’ve seen the scene play out about three times already. The flash of a digital camera and then him, waving his hand around. “Nah, man, delete, delete.”

I think it’s been three years since I’ve seen him this way, and while he’s the merry kind of drunk, I can’t help but wonder if all of this has anything to do with the argument I accidentally overheard between him and Claire earlier this evening. I haven’t asked her about it, as she will deny it, but as I watch her from across the room, her body seems wound tight, tension emanating from her like an aura. Even as she’s laughing with the guy in a cow costume, I can tell her heart isn’t in it. I know her fake laugh from her real one, when she really wants to be somewhere and when she’d rather be at home snuggled in blankets and watching Say Yes to the Dress. 

I wander into the kitchen and take a moderately warm beer out of a box. The fridge is full up with lunchboxes of chicken and rice meals and eight litres of milk, a carton for each of the four guys who lives here and refuses to split one with anybody else. I go into the living room but vacate soon after I come in, as some lad with a big square UCD head has cleared the room by trying to show everyone how he can rap the song from the end credits of Men in Black without looking up the words.

Michelle and Simon are just arriving, and are unloading a shopping bag full of mixers onto the cluttered counter when I return. They wave me over when I wander in. “Are you drinking Galahad?” Simon says in a voice caught between outrage and disgust. I stare down at my hand. I suppose I am. 

“It’s all that was going for free.” I admit. “I didn’t bring any of my own drink.” I’m too cheap. And trying not to drink, clearly unsuccessfully.

“You like that shit?”

“Um.” I crack it open for an experimental sip. “Not really, no. It’s not the best.” 

“Oh, have some of ours then” Michelle says brightly. She lightly grabs my forearm and pulls me closer to them, out of the path of another man in another obstructing helmet who cannot see where he is going. I realise, as she’s rummaging in her giant handbag that there’s actually something quite disarming and pleasant about her. I never thought she seemed particularly friendly before, there’s something tough and no-nonsense about her, but now for the very first time she seems rather sweet. 

She yanks out a bottle of El Jimador Tequila and my palms prickle at the sight of it. I didn’t really intend on diving right into spirits tonight, but something about the way that droplets of condensation are clinging to the outside of the cold glass bottle while the can of Galahad warms even further in my hand makes my mouth feel twice as dry. 

“You alright with tequila?” She asks, reaching around for a few plastic cups stacked on the counter. 

I shrug. “I’ve no issue with tequila.”

“Grand.” Michelle unscrews it and starts pouring glugs into a cup. “I know someone who vomits at just the smell of it, which is why I asked.”

“Great image to have while you’re serving it up to me.” I comment, and she laughs. “Sorry, yeah, I just can’t really think about tequila without thinking about that.” I help her by reaching for a nearby bottle of orange juice. It’s what Marnie and I would always mix it with when there was nothing more sophisticated to be found. As I pour it into the cup, Simon gets distracted by someone nearby and strikes up his own conversation, and I take advantage of my moment alone with Michelle. 

“Hey, sorry if it’s awkward, but I was talking to Jude the other day…”

She nods, still looking at the cup. 

“…and he was wondering if he could have your new number. He said you’ve changed phones or something? He didn’t say why or anything, I just told him I’d get it for you.”

Her eyes flit to mine. “Oh yeah, no worries. You have your phone handy?”

“Uh, yep.” I wrestle it out of the tight waistband of my skirt, embarrassed by the imprint on my skin on the screen. She taps in her details, then I offer his number to her, and transfer the details from one phone to the other. The middle man, just here to facilitate whatever weirdness this is without any insight into why. 

“He didn’t say anything to you about Jen, did he?” She asks, a tinge of vulnerability behind her words, and I blink. “Um, no, he didn’t. Not really.”

“Alright cool.”

“Should he have?”

“Ah, no, it’s nothing, like, I was just wondering. She hasn’t replied to my messages in a few days. I thought maybe he might have heard from her.”

“Isn’t she coming tonight?”

“I doubt it. She was invited, but she didn’t respond to the invitation, as far as I know.”

“Oh. Well, Jude didn’t mention that he heard from her, but I have a feeling he hasn’t. I didn’t think they were talking at all.”

“Yeah, well, they’re not not talking. She’s just a bit off the grid at the moment. He said something to Pamela once that pissed her off, but honestly, I can’t really keep up with everything that’s been said or not said…” She fiddles with the torn collar of her zombie school girl costume. “I just hoped that since she’s not replying to me she might have replied to him.”

“Well you can ask him yourself now.” I say with a smile that I hope says please don’t involve me, which prompts her to smile back. A wide, even smile that calls to mind a photo I saw in the depths of her facebook profile before where she was wearing braces. I wonder if Jude’s dad was her orthodontist. They’ve made her look very pretty, but even with crooked teeth I think she’d still be. As if somebody like Jude Turner would have ever settled for anything less than the prettiest girl at his school. As if he’d ever have to. 

She looks down at her phone, staring at his number in her contacts. “Yeah I’ll text him tomorrow, or he’ll text me, I suppose. Whichever. It’s honestly a bit weird to see his number in my phone again, but…” her eyes flick to mine. “What’s the story with you two anyway? Jen said you liked each other, or you’re together or something?”

I bark out a laugh, surprised. “No, well, I fancied him once, and he didn’t like me back. That’s all, nothing really happened.” 

She frowns. “Oh right? Because I-”

“Well, okay, that’s a lie. We kissed once.” I blurt out. “Twice, actually, but it was like, I heard he kisses all of his female friends so it’s a bit classic, you know? I know it didn’t mean anything.” I bury my nose into my cup and take anxious sips from it. I probably shouldn’t have said that. She probably doesn’t need to know it, but her face softens into a smile. “Right. I know how he is. He can get a bit swept away.”

“Right, because you were together… how long?” I say, even though I already know the answer. I’ll have to do this dance, regardless of how stupid and awkward it makes me feel so that I won’t have to admit that I scoured her Facebook page with the kind of intensiveness that could only be rivalled by a full time private investigator. 

“Eleven months. We broke up when he got into that Berlin school, he just didn’t want to do long distance with me, so,” She shrugs, pouring herself a drink. “It didn’t feel great but I got it. I get it. You either have the personality for it or you don’t. Maybe I could have done it, but he couldn’t.” She exhales a laugh. “He definitely couldn’t. He needs too much contact with people. I think he’s a bit ‘out of sight, out of mind’.”

“Still, mustn’t have been easy.”

“No. I liked him a lot. It just felt really hard to understand why we broke up at the time, like there was nothing wrong with our relationship and it felt like he was just chucking it out and that pissed me off for ages.”

“I get it, like if he was your first-”

“Oh, no.” She interrupts. “We weren’t each other’s first anything. He was just my friend who became my boyfriend and then all we ended up doing was making things weird for Jen when we split up. The whole thing was a stupid idea, honestly. I was just young and I was…” She trails off in search of the right word. “Enticed by him.”

“He’s enticing.” I agree, and she nods.  “He is. He’s always had that specific american brand of charisma, we all used to make fun of his accent and stuff when we were younger, I mean, to the point that he tried to disguise it, but actually it was one of the things that made him interesting. You know?”

“I do.”

“And if it means anything to you at this point, I mean, I don’t know how much you even care, Jen told me that he fancied you once.”

“Hm?”

“Ages ago.” She waves her hand dismissively. “Like, years probably. I forced it out of her when we were hanging out, I dunno why, like, I suppose I was feeling self destructive or something, I asked her if she knew about any other girls and she’s so bad at keeping things in, I knew she’d eventually just tell me, and she said that he liked this girl he met on the beach.”

“Oh.” I say with deliberate neutrality, “Well, it was so long ago, I suppose it hardly matters now.”

“Bit late, yeah?” She says with a laugh. “But I think it’s nice to know those kinds of things. It’s good for the ego. I was mad jealous, by the way.”

“You were?”

“Yes of course! I looked up your Facebook page and everything.”

“Oh God” I shield my face. “The state of my Facebook page back then. I bet that made you feel better about yourself.”

“No! I was raging, you were so pretty.” I roll my eyes but she insists. “There was this one picture I remember fuming over, where you were standing by the edge of a swimming pool, and I just thought ‘for God sake, her legs.’”

I stare down at my legs now, poking out of the bottom of this pleather skirt, and they look perfectly average to me. Paler than average, maybe, but that’s about the extent of their uniqueness. “My legs?”

“Yeah obviously. They’re perfect. I almost cried looking at you, like, knowing that he’d never want me again when he’d already wanted someone like you. Then we ran into you that time at that horrible cocktail bar and I had to pretend not to recognise you, I was so scared that you’d somehow figure out what I’d been doing.”

“God, Michelle, that’s so crazy. I did the same thing as you. When I found out who you were I stalked your Facebook for hours.”

“You didn’t!”

“I swear to God.”

“What did you think?”

I tell her, and we laugh about how silly we were, and how much cleverer we are now, and all the things that used to fill our heads and ruin our days, and it’s the most strangely healing thing to know that I wasn’t the only crazy girl, and even she, the sharp, intimidating person I pictured, was unravelling on the inside just like me. 

When I finish my drink she pours me another, and I find myself warming to her utterly. She’s funny, she’s honest, she’s charming, which only makes me feel worse about the horrible, envious thoughts I had about her years ago. Eventually Simon rejoins our conversation, so we pivot to other things, like art and film. The party swirls around us and the music gets louder, and eventually, by the time Macklemore’s Thrift Shop is on its fourth rotation and my cup has been filled and emptied twice more I excuse myself and head out to the front steps for some fresh air.

Beginning // Prev // Next

[notyournightsky]

I checked back on that blog out of curiosity and by god it’s gotten worse. I’m going to summarize it bc I just don’t care anymore. I’m not god’s strongest warrior

So this person wrote a xreader fic between the reader and 2 adopted brothers

An anon then told the person that their story was borderline incest (do I think the anon should have just moved on? Yeah but that’s beside the point)

The person replied to anon by basically saying “well actually it’s not incest because they’re not biologically related and also I don’t see them as brothers since they’re sometimes antagonistic towards each other 🤓☝️” and then they accused anon of not having read the source material

At least 2 other anons then sent an ask mocking the first anon. One of those anons said that it can’t be incest because then two other characters who have (1) dated in canon, (2) are not biologically related nor are they considered family in the legal sense, and (3) do not consider themselves siblings, so the comparison doesn’t even work

The OP has made a post about how they’re mad that people don’t like how they interpret these characters (fair enough)

Another anon (maybe the original anon idk) has said “if you have to say it’s technically not incest, it probably is incest and you should just own it” and they were like I have read the source material, so I know you’re wrong etc.

OP went off in their response

They once again emphasize how they don’t see the characters as brothers

I, personally, would like to point out that these two characters are canonically adopted siblings and this is the relationship that these characters identify their relationship as. It’s not something up to interpretation like OP is trying to make it out to be

My conclusion: it seems like OP thinks that family only includes those who are blood related to one another, and that adopted families are not legitimate. People also need to learn how to tag better because OP could have probably avoided this debacle if they tagged the two brothers’ ship name. People should also just embrace the kinds of ships they write. If you get mad at people saying you’re writing incest and have to justify why it’s not incest, you should either stop writing for that ship or embrace the fact that that’s what it is. You make yourself look worse by denying it

Also ship and let ship even if you personally find said ship problematic

Anyway, I got all this because one of the anon replies was improperly tagged. The anon didn’t mention the characters and neither did OP’s reply

Saw a post so bad in a character tag and instead of posting the vague post I made about it, I deleted it #GodsStrongestWarrior 😔✊

[joyswonderland1108]

This is so fucking tiring.

Notice how my posts keep on being rants despite me trying to see the bright side of things? But the way this goddamn fandom treats both Jimin and Jungkook is absolutely disgusting (Again i’m not talking about the good ones out there, y’all know yourselves, kudos to you).

No wonder solos hate “OT7″ asses, i don’t condone any “solo’ness” but this fucking fandom gives them every right to hate their guts. Imagine loving a person so very dearly and a group of people who are supposed to treat that person with respect actually treats them like shit, how the fuck can you like these people or respect them. How do these oh so-called OT7s enjoy calling out solos when they can’t even call out themselves on some bullshit they pull out, learn to admit your own flaws before seeing other people’s flaws. 

Not only did people completely fail to see Jimin’s pov through his album, completely denied the symbolism in it, pulled lots of homophobic comments from their asses because they just can’t fucking accept that his album was queer-coded, wanted so bad to make “Like Crazy” a break up song when Jimin himself explained that it wasn’t inspired 100% by the damn movie’s story, ignoring completely that the boy made a whole album about his struggles and frustrations, something deep something that needed an open-mind and lots of understanding.

But now they’re completely ignoring the fact that “Seven” is a fucking single not just some images. Remember my post about Tiktok Army? Well they’re still at it. I keep on clicking on “not interested” but the way these videos are just so endless that they still pop up on my fyp.. Again i’m not linking any Tiktok i’ll post screenshots feel free if you want to consult the page but honestly i don’t want to give them clout

It’s all about the MV, explicit version, JK was topless in the ONE picture that dropped, y’all thirsty motherfuckers can’t even bother be excited for the actual single, and this is not even the worse Tiktoks out there, everybody is more concerned about it being explicit and having a woman in the MV, they’re all like “Oh well he was topless in the schedule picture that dropped which means the MV will be sexy, JK will be naked, JK will be grinding on Sohee” MOTHER.FUCKERS! Do y’all even care about JK? 

For all i know y’all smartasses, Jimin’s concept photos had him topless too, or specifically naked under a blazer but he was NOT in “Like Crazy” and in “Set me free pt2″ he was because he had a whole ass poem written on his chest, now what? Are we going to pretend this never happened? I swear it’s sickening they’re not even allowing us to enjoy the build up until July 14th, i try to distract myself but it ends up being there on my face no matter what. 

And to answer @milan1013 on your reblog about the live

There’s nothing wrong with the tiktok but the caption got me, because tell me why tf are people now shipping JK with Mingyu from a damn less than 2min Live knowing damn well these two are very dear friends. Again, i will say it again and again and FUCKING AGAIN!!!! JK is shipped with every living being, everything and everyone that breathes his way is shippable with JK that at some point do people even see him as a human being or.. ?

Sure it’s fun when it’s innocent all jokes ha ha but God fucking dammit the fact that out of an MV of a song that neither one of them even dropped, he’s already shipped with an actress and from a damn mini live he’s shipped with his friend now seriously where the fuck are we going, it’s becoming less and less fun each day to be in this fandom..

[ironwoodprotectionsquad]

I just I’m raging at this weeks episode and I know I should be happy but I’m not I’m so pissed off.

So the girls knows what happened in Atlas but they’re bickering about if it's really as bad as it seems and if they completely failed or not which leads to this:

“What good is saving anybody if Salem just destroys the world anyway.”

“That’s how Ironwood thought, you don’t mean that.”

NO RUBY IS RIGHT YANG SHE IS RIGHT IF THE PLANET IS DESTROYED EVERYONE ON THE PLANET IS ALSO DEAD GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY UNDERSTOOD THIS WHY CAN'T YOU.

Also are we now really trying to "but the economy" the entire fucking planet? How are they deluding themselves into thinking protecting the relics shouldn't be a top priority? Why are we trying to act like Ruby is wrong for recognizing Ironwood was right when he was very concerned about Salem getting the world ending relics? It's absolutely disgusting how the show in continuing to drag James's name through the mud like I knew it would happen but fuck it's got me so annoyed.

Salem ending the world is a real problem to be worried about, handwaving it away as "something only a bad person like Ironwood" would think is just insane to me. She wants everyone and everything dead, Salem getting half the items she needs to do that should scare the shit out of everyone but as we find out later in the episode this is not the case and it is the last thing on their minds.

Yes, saving people is important, but the mains are ignoring the very real problem of no amount of people saving from disasters like Atlas will matter in a world ending scenario. Everyone will die if Salem gets the relics. And even if the gods lied about ending the planet if humanity isn't united that won't fix the fact that as of right now they have every reason to believe they will and need to be acting as if that will happen. And saying Ironwood was totally wrong and we did everything right, shows a callous disregard for the consequences if Salem unites the relics. Why is the show trying to make us root for these girls again?

Now you remember the damn cat???? The one who literally was sacrificing themselves for you? It took you this long to wonder if they're okay? Once again we find out the cat might not be so good a person this episode, but at this point the mains have been thinking they are a friend and can be trusted so once again them forgetting about the cat and the civilian is just a gross disregard for peoples lives that feels so weird right after the girls try and boost themselves up as better then James for trying to save the people.

Also Jaunes explanation on the story is so confusing because we don’t fucking know the story so we don’t know what went wrong or why. Or why their storm isn't as bad or violent and Blake and Yangs given they should be in a really bad emotional position right now with everything they have found out.

Let's also finally talk about the elephant in the room. Yes the bee's being canon is a very good thing. They said I love you and kissed so we cannot deny they are canon. This is very good and needed to happen but it happened five episodes late if I'm being generous and 3 seasons too late worst case. But even how they got together wasn't....great. A storm that forces them to tell the truth? They aren't saying it because they're ready to? They're being forced to? Okay. This is so weird and awkward.

I also have to wonder how they started mentally talking to each other and why neither thought it was weird. This whole scene feels so awkward and forced and even if it leads to a good thing we've been demanding that doesn't make the writing work. I also have to wonder, why is the bee's relationship "more important" then finding out about Salem getting the relics? Why isn't that a bigger concern for literally all of the girls? It should be that's for sure. And just do not even get me started on the damn comedy surrounding them all getting out of the damn storm just. Don't. This post is way to long as it is.

Aaaannnndddddd Jaune has Crescent Rose how boring. This is the dumbest way to get Ruby her weapon back. All of the theorizing about how her losing her weapon was a sign of her losing herself and finding it again would be tied to her finding herself again just got tossed out the window. The interesting and complex storytelling tied to that arc are just gone and I am so damn annoyed. It's been established for a long time a persons weapon is apart of themselves and we could have had a great arc about Ruby's search for Crescent Rose mirroring her search to find herself again. It could have actually been a good use of wonderlands weirdness that is once again not utilized in a meaningful way.

[celestialdusks]

Tangled Web [a short story]

⇢ what starts off as a mission turns into something much more... oh, and there are cookies. 

Happy birthday, L! The first birthday celebrations for the characters of this wip.

L is very much an interesting and complex character with a whole load of layers to uncover, here you'll get to see their sweet, worried, confident and selfless side. They just need a little bit of love every now and then—and in the end, it'll be worth it.

I hope you enjoy this. Please tell me what you think. 

•

L huffs. “This feels like a stake out.”

“That’s because this is a stake out,” you murmur back, turning to L as your hand slips from the steering wheel. 

Their lips purse together, a hand goes over their curls. They watch the rain droplets race each other on the car window before glancing back over at you. 

“Is this a good time to mention that I find stake outs incredibly boring?” L drones when their eyes fixate to the large building complex in front of you. 

You refrain from rolling your eyes. “Why? Did you think it’d be all guns, and tasers, and running for our lives?” 

L goes serious for a moment. “We’re trying to take down the Order, we’re already doing the latter.” They’re right, you can’t deny it, and the fact that L’s admitted shows that this isn’t going to be an easy feat. “But I didn’t think we’d be hanging around a building all night waiting for…” L arches a brow. “What are we waiting for exactly?”

“Piper,” you answer.

“And we’ve been here how long?”

“A few hours.”

The sound of a seat belt unbuckling gets your attention. “Well, the stake out tactic clearly isn’t working.” L opens the car door after they say that.

“Wait! What are you doing?”

L slips out of the vehicle, places their hand on top of the car and crouches down a little to talk to you. “Being proactive,” they respond with ease. 

You had known what you were getting with L, they’re confident, probably full of themselves, a bit of a nightmare at times — this being one of those nightmares — but them being proactive can also be seen as reckless. But it could be exactly what you need.

“We can’t just storm in there.”

L doesn’t even stop themselves rolling their eyes, they glance to the building before their eyes fall on you. “We’re the ones that found the Order’s second headquarters, and I’ll be damned if we have to spend another minute watching out for the people that are blackmailing us. I might as well just go in there and see what they’ve got on us, or what they’ve got to hide.” 

They don’t bother closing the passenger door, they just leave and stride towards the back entrance. You groan, unbuckle your belt and open your own door. 

“L, I’m not going in there just to save your ass.” 

You hear them chuckle at that. They twist on their heels with ease and give you a nonchalant shrug. “I’m wounded, surely I’ll be the one saving you. I bet you’re glad I’m not your initiate anymore, huh?”

It’s not like L’s initiation was ever going to last long, a week tops just to show them the ropes. L’s an exceptional asset, there’s no denying that… but you also can’t leave them to wander in ‘enemy’ territory on their own — and considering they haven’t looked back once, you know that they have no thought than to head into a metaphorical burning building. 

You leave the car and lock it behind you before jogging up to the entrance L went through. The building is far from being the headquarters you and the others first visited, this one is less grand, so much more industrial and silent, a little dimly lit too so when a flashlight immediately shines in your direction, you know there’s an issue. 

Being skilled is one of the best attributes you have, but even so, you know you aren’t able to move your feet quickly enough to get out of the guard’s path. You’re sure he’s going to spot you, and you’re sure that you’ll either have to fight your way out or charm him into letting you go — neither will be easy. 

As you try to plan your next move as the guard’s footsteps approach, you feel a hand grab yours and pull you in. You barely let out a gasp, and you’re ready to protect yourself until your eyes connect with L’s. Warmth and relief washes over you. Their hand stays over yours whilst their free one puts a finger to their lips to tell you to stay quiet. 

You do. 

The two of you are stuck in a tight, out of sight corner, listening for the guard’s footsteps to quieten before you proceed on. 

All there is to look at is L. The most you can do is hold your breath, let your eyes flit over their features as you take in each one. The dust of freckles scattered over their face that they usually cover with make-up, if the situation you were in was any different, you’d probably question them on that insecurity. Their light brown eyes lock with yours, and knowing L, they’d usually come out with a fun remark — but the look on their face is as serious as ever. 

Their eyes close for a brief moment as the guard’s footsteps get louder. They brace themselves for your hiding spot to be revealed, and L knows that if it was, they’d take the blame in an instant — but then the footsteps start to quieten. The guard is gone. 

L opens their eyes, lets out a breath, and you watch as their gaze softens when they look at you. “Told you I’d be saving you,” they whisper teasingly.

•

You eventually find an office, and you know it’s the right one considering the plaque has Piper’s name written on it. You and L step in, you flick on the light switch and turn to them. “I guess we’ll see what we find.” L nods and approaches Piper’s desk first, you opt for the laptop on the side. You groan a little because of course it’s password protected, Piper’s not stupid enough to leave electronics hanging around with no protection. 

You look around at the rest of the side table: the pen holder, a leather jacket on the hook above it, a picture of what looks like a young Piper and an older woman — from your first meeting with her, you’d think she didn’t have a heart, but from that picture alone, you could be swayed in a different direction. 

“Hey,” L mutters out, “come look at this.”

You twist around and saunter over. “You find something?”

You notice that L has a stack of files in their hand, they place them on the desk and slide one over to you first. You lean your head down and see that it has your brother’s name written on the front. With pursed lips, you brush your index finger over it before glancing back up. 

“What do you think is in it?” you ask, almost ready to flip the front cover.

“I’m not sure,” L answers, “but don’t open it here, it might trigger an alarm, an alert, anything. It’s better we take it with us.”

You give a nod and glance down at the other file that’s on the table. It reads L Corrales. 

“Are you going to take yours too?” 

L sniffs, drums their fingers on the file and shakes their head. There’s a small frown on their lips, as though they are deep in their own thoughts. “She’ll know we’ve been here if more than one is missing. Take your brother’s.”

It’s a selfless act from L. More than selfless. So much so that you almost reach out to them and ask them what’s wrong because the look on their face is far from their usual carefree attitude. 

“It could be important, L.” You swallow hard glancing between them and the file. “Detrimental, even.”

L opens the drawer and drops their file back in there. They clear their throat. “I’ve buried my past a lot, the good parts, the bad ones, the really fucked up shit that I never want to remember. It’s all there, but buried.” They slide the draw closed. “I don’t tell people that. And I don’t know if I’m saying this because we’re friends, or we’re close, or because I trust you.” 

L sucks in a breath before their ramble continues. “Or whether all of that is bullshit and I mean nothing to you, and it’s just because we’re deep in this situation. But whatever Piper thinks she has on me, she would’ve gone through a whole heap to get it. For now, I can live without knowing what she wants to blackmail me with.” They point to the file in my hand. “That’s your family, and family’s important.” The last of their words come out in a whisper, and they mask the pain in their voice with a soft smile. You’re almost unsure of what to say. 

“That’s— I…” you begin, the words stuck in your throat. 

L shakes their head. “It’s fine. Truly.” The witty remark, the sarcastic one, the confident one — it still hasn’t come from them. “We should get out of here.”

The two of you go towards the door, leave the office and close the door behind you. 

“You two! Stop there!” a guard screams from across the corridor. 

Your grip on the file tightens that bit more as you turn to L. “Run.” 

•

You’re back at your apartment building, and to be specific, you’re at L’s place. They’re in the kitchen, you’re leaning on the kitchen island whilst they open the oven. “I’ve always been a fan of baked midnight snacks, well, early morning ones now considering the time.”

They transfer the fresh cookies onto a plate, it’s done with such grace that you realise tonight, you’ve discovered a whole other side of L. They place the plate of cookies in front of you. 

“When they cool, I’ll be offended if you don’t try one,” they say. 

You snort. “I can’t come to someone’s house and offend them.” Silence engulfs the two of you, the same way it did on the car ride home. L didn’t say a word, and you were too concentrated on getting out of there and making sure no one was following you. But you can feel something between you and L, something unsaid, something lingering in the air.

“L,” you murmur. 

They swallow hard. “We don’t have to talk about what I said.” 

“I feel like we should.” We’re friends, or we’re close, or because I trust you. Or whether all of that is bullshit and I mean nothing to you. “You don’t mean nothing to me.” 

They scoff a little. “Anndd you don’t have to tell me that because you’re pitying me right now.”

“I’m not,” you whisper. “You’re—”

“I can’t do this tonight,” L interjects, “I can’t think about the fact that Piper has that heavy file on me, I can’t think about the past, I can’t think about letting people down.” They sigh. “And I can’t… wonder about how you feel about me, or how I feel about you because I don’t want to put you in a bad headspace, or ruin whatever small thing we’ve got.” 

You swiftly move to stand across from them. “You’re not ruining anything.”

L instinctively goes to reach out for your hand, their fingers brush yours. “We’ve been through a lot. When we’ve eaten cookies, and slept, and all the adrenaline wears off we’ll… I don’t know, talk properly about whatever topic you want.”

“About us,” you whisper.

L smiles at that, one that dances over their lips and makes their face sparkle, makes their freckles look like sweet constellations. “Us.” They take a step back, as though they’re stopping themselves from indulging. “I mean it. I’m not going to kiss you and do something one of us might regret later on.”

“You’d regret kissing me?” you question with an arched brow.

L picks up one of the cookies and pops a piece in their mouth. “I’d regret kissing you if I knew it wasn’t going to lead to an us.” They slide the plate of cookies nearer to you before slipping past you to exit the kitchen. “So, like I said, sleep on it. There’s no pressure, or anything. I promise.”

L leaves after that. All you can do is sigh, pick up a cookie and take a bite of the delicious treat. All in the span of a few hours you’ve gotten another piece of information about your brother. And after all of that, you almost sorted out the tangled web of feelings between you and L.

Almost.

[paintingformike]

milevens desperately trying to deny the byler and rockie parallels by saying that will being blurred in the background makes it different will never not be funny to me because...they know what it means if they acknowledge that it was intentionally done. they know it would be game over for them. it would immediately debunk all their arguments that

they wouldn’t make a character queer if they’re already dating/dated someone of the opposite gender (it actually doesn’t matter if you think a character “appears straight” they can still do an uno reverse card on you!)

they wouldn’t break up a straight couple for a gay one (surprise! they’re breaking up vickie and her bf for rockie so following that pattern...)

the writers are trying to be realistic in the 80s context...because if they can give robin reciprocated love and her own happy fullfiling relationship then why wouldn’t they be able to do the same with will 🤷‍♀️ so much for “realism” right? because they already went to hell with that for robin!

also maybe their argument would hold a bit more water...if not for the fact that...

they pretty much even paralleled m!leven’s storyline this season with vickie and her bf’s LMFAO (and here’s a more comprehensive comparison of both relationships)

i mean...neither of those spring break visits ended up going well, did they 🤔

they used the same music for the scene of vickie ranting to robin about her relationship problems and mike ranting to will about his relationship problems in the van 😭 sawrry but this one is simply an unavoidable connection that you can’t just call an accident!

like the parallels arent just visual. the dynamics and arcs of BOTH relationships/love triangles are actively being paralleled whether people like it or not! the sooner they’re able to accept this, the sooner they’ll realize they’re setting themselves up for disappointment 🥱

[dearinglovebot]

my unpopular take of the day is I will defend the choice to break claireowen up in the sequel. is it an overused sequel trope? yes. BUT it does add something!! it’s not just breaking up to break up!!

the subtext is that it’s a difference in PTSD coping strategies. it’s presented as the generic misunderstanding break-up between the couple who can’t agree on anything, but that’s not what the narrative says. the story itself says claire is so overwhelmed with guilt that she’s obsessed with the island to a destructive degree. conversely, owen is so set on denial and moving on that he’s denying that an animal he raised means anything to him. the problem isn’t with the relationship itself; it’s the fact they can’t let themselves be vulnerable, even in their own heads.

then the rest of the movie is rectifying that. they’re broken up on paper but she’s still going to ask him to come and he’s still going to ask time and place. and then you have them experiencing a disaster together again which is cementing the fact that this has all gone too far and neither really wanted to “break up” in the first place. which all culminates in the scene of them having that conversation in the cell.

the admission that claire is trying to redeem herself for the park and for the dinosaurs she did wrong by while owen accepts that running away won’t stop the repercussions of what they did from existing. and it’s in that theme of vulnerability that they find maisie, a crying child, and add her into the family.

in fundamental ways, that scene marks the reconciliation of the relationship and the fact separation wasn’t more than a word. it’s very much the turning point of mentalities for both of them in that movie. keeping claire, and now maisie, is more important than not feeling the pain of losing the raptors for owen. claire can’t let others suffer for assuaging her own guilt so the dinosaurs can’t go free.

it strengthens the depth of the relationship to have them come back together in that way, and you can see that in dominion in how they’re still going strong. four years stuck in the middle of nowhere with someone and they’re still happy because they’ve established the core idea of a) they’re kind of miserable without each other b) the bond/relationship was never the issue. it’s always been communication (fear of vulnerability)

[clanofjones]

Ghosts of Our Days - Chapter Four

Start

<- Chapter Three

Ao3 (full work)

Co-written with @theosb0rnway

If you like, you can enter this fic to the @tmntausummit! It would help us a lot!

Chapter Four: A Lover's Desperation

The walk back to the lair was the quickest one April had taken in years thanks to her run-in with Casey. Not only was he still alive, but Raph also had to be too, and they were somewhere in the city! She skipped into the lair, the Hostess's donut bag shaking in her right hand, a bright smile on her face.

"I brought donuts!" They all turned to stare at her and her very peculiar good mood.

"Is it somebody's birthday or something?" Donnie questioned before letting out a loud gasp. "DID I FORGET YOUR BIRTHDAY, APRIL?!?" She shook her head and sighed.

"No, Donnie, it's nobody's birthday." The boys sank into their shells, going back to their usual moping.

"But I found Casey!" Now that got their attention. All three turtles had different reactions, but they all could be summed up in lots of cheering and shocked facial expressions. Mikey even added a fist pump or two.

"Casey's alive?!?"

"Yeah, and he was acting weird as hell,” April recalled. “As soon as he saw me, he ran out of the store, and stole almost forty bucks of snacks!”

“Well, if he’s stealing food, then Raph is going to be with him,” Leo started. “He must not be at his apartment in that case, I’m not sure if his family knows about us.”

“Even if they did, they’re both on the… Impulsive side,” Donnie remarked, and April nodded. 

It wasn’t as if it were untrue. They were prone to making decisions without thinking about them for more than five seconds, no matter how much they denied it on any given day.

“Think Casey took Raph because he got injured in the… Fight?” Mikey said with a bit of a delay in his tone, a clear attempt to keep it light. Leo nodded.

“Most likely. If Casey’s already left wherever they’ve staked out for themselves, then Raph should be healing fine,” Leo reasoned. “Best course of action, we wait for them to show their faces.”

And so, for days, that was what they did. Eyes and ears open for any sign of communication that Casey or Raph might be trying to orchestrate with them. Neither of them had even been seen in any alleyways on patrol, which was even stranger. This fact had begun to drive the remaining three turtles into a bit of a tizzy, so April decided on a peace offering of their favorite pizzas. She had also gotten Raph and Casey’s, in the blind hope that one or both would catch her drift and reveal themselves for the sake of the food.

But alas, no such thing occurred. So April returned to Donnie, Leo, and Mikey with a stack of boxes almost as tall as her, which Donnie and Mikey immediately relieved her of. 

With a clean view free of cardboard, she could properly take in the numerous conspiracy boards – some looking only half completed, some on bulletin boards on wheels, some tacked to boards on the walls, some were just photos and magazine cuttings taped, tacked, nailed, or stapled to the wall with no respect for the structural integrity of the place, with red string connecting them. She was almost certain they’d been forced there by nails and a mallet once Donnie had run out of tacks, tape, and staples.

“What’s all this for?” she asked, without expecting an answer most people would call sensible.

She wasn’t disappointed when Donnie set the pizza boxes down, cleared his throat, and straightened his mask. “We have our very own Jack the Ripper.”

When she only blinked, Donnie elaborated.

“Somebody has been running around murdering people. Not innocents,” he added when April’s eyebrows surely receded past her hairline, “to be honest, it’s just been the scum of New York, but enough that it has caught the eye of the media.”

He moved to a conspiracy board and wheeled it next to one attached to the wall so they made one, conjoined board. 

“And,” he continued, “Whoever’s behind it has either stolen Casey’s gimmick, Casey’s actual gear, or Casey!” He gestured wildly to several news clippings of a figure that did seem to have lots of Casey’s gear if Casey had been thrown into a horror film. Whoever it was, they acted alone and brutally. As April’s gaze lingered on the description of several of the killer’s victims – some gang members who Donnie had suspected of aligning with Shredder whose faces didn’t look a lot like faces anymore – Donnie spoke up: “No sign of Raph yet, which is a little surprising.”

In April’s mind, Raph and Casey had both been kidnapped, or Raph was still out of commission because there was no way he didn’t know yet.

Leo took over from there. “It could just be someone with a similar build to Casey, shapeshifters, mind control, we’re not too sure, no run-ins yet.”

“Pizza aliens, dude,” Mikey offered, and poked a haphazardly thrown-together piece of paper, to Donnie’s credit, also tacked up with a red string connecting it to other concepts, labeled ‘Pizza Aliens’ with artistic renderings of them.

"Pizza aliens don't exist, Mikey" April sighed. "Plus, Casey doesn't kill, he's a good guy, just like all of us! Maybe he's just in trouble, and that's why he didn't talk to me in the store!" 

"That would make sense, but this is Jones we're talking about!" Donnie replied. 

"So?" April questioned. 

"So, he can be a dangerous guy, April! He has a flamethrower on his bike! A flamethrower!!" The turtle screamed, causing the other three to cringe and cover their ears. 

April was the first to respond, after a few seconds of recovery. "Flamethrowers don't make people evil, Donnie." 

And with that, she kissed him on the lips, cutting off whatever he was going to say. That was fine with Donnie, she could win the argument. 

This time.

Casey’s POV

Crunch. Crunch. Swoosh! Thud. 

Casey let out a cheer as the knife landed right into its target on the wall: A grainy, garbage-looking picture of Shredder from back when he looked like a decently shaped human being. He continued to crunch on his convenience store Doritos, his smile making it a little harder to chew, but he didn’t care, until he heard something that made him stop smiling. 

'You're getting that cheesy shit all over your hands.' His lips dropped into a frown. 

"And why do you give a shit?" 

'Cause it's gross and your aim is shit. You'll never kill THE Super Shredder, that's practically impossible!' 

"Don't fuckin' tell me what's possible or not, fuckface! Now leave me alone!" 

'Alright, douchebag. Have fun sweepin' up crumbs from your careless eating that isn't doing anything to solve your problems.' 

Casey grinned again, wider than before. "Oh, my problems are already solved. I just needed my friends: bombs, knives, a LOT of bullets, and some new shoulder spikes! The old ones kept falling off," He complained, acting as if spikes falling off his battle gear was a normal pain to have. He paused for a second, his eyes widening like he'd forgotten something. "But of course, my best, best, best, best, BEST, best, bestest friend is my Raphie! He'd hate it if I thought my knives were better than him! He wins over them any day, right annoying voice?" 

'The only one who won anything is Shredder, dumbass.' 

Casey growled throwing a knife towards his left ear from where the voice was coming. It hit one of the three remaining walls instead. "SHUT. UP! Raphie's fine, he's totally fine, he's just... resting in that box, cause Shredder hurt him, but I won't let that horny, no good, asshole FREAK do anything to anyone EVER AGAIN!" 

Another knife, this time right into Shredder’s face. "YES!! BULLSEYE!" 

'Nice shot, I guess.' 

"Thanks. Gotta start the day off on a good note, right? Wouldn't want a bunch of Foot cronies escaping 'cause I couldn't hit em'!" 

'I didn't think Casey Jones liked knives or guns.' 

"I like knives, they're fun, but yeah, guns are a 'Hey this is like the only way to get through Super Shredder's armor' kinda resort." 

The voice didn't say anything back, silence filling the room. Casey Jones had grown to hate silence. "Aaannywaaays! Once I take down some of these lowlifes, maybe I can find out where that dickhead is! After all, nobody ever talks until there's blood on the ground!" 

Silence. Sliiiide. And then a thud. 

Casey jumped, turning around with one of Raph's throwing stars in his hand to see that his newly acquired gun, found loaded underneath the threadbare couch, which was placed far away from the edge of the ice box, had fallen on the ground. 

"What the fudgenutters...? If there's anyone here, show yourself! O-or you're gonna fuckin' die!" 

'Hi.' 

"Not you!"

'Yeah, me, dumbass. Who else could move something in an empty apartment?' 

Casey shook his head in disbelief. "You're a VOICE. And unlike me or my Raphie, you can't do jackSHIT. Now let me do my job and I'll stop getting chips on your precious fuckin' floor, alright? Alright." 

Once again, silence. This time, Casey used it wisely, grabbing the rest of his gear and muttering things under his breath. "...Gonna stab that guy like this... shoot this guy in the chest... then maybe I could light this one on fire- ooh YEAH! MY FLAMETHROWER!! Sick! And then this guy..." 

All the voice did was sigh, but Casey couldn't hear him. 

'If you really loved me that much, you'd listen, Case. But whatever. The ice box feels better than your cold ass stares.' 

The vigilante never made any movements that indicated that he'd heard anything, walking towards the door still mumbling, his disgusting corpse paint distorting his smile. 

"Alright, Raphie. Time to make some people wish they stayed home in their cozy little beds and never joined that son of a bitch." 

If Casey hadn't launched into another rant as he walked out the door, he might have heard a 'Go get 'em, babe!' 

But he didn’t. Because the voice was just a voice and Casey Jones had better things to do than talk to himself. Murder was a great stress reliever and also really easy to commit! So he chose that instead. 

Sounded more fun.

.

.

.

.

Chapter Five ->

[bloodiedflint]

i’ve withheld from severely interacting with the whole black sails vs our flag means death in terms of lgbt representation debate but i was discussing this all with a friend last night so now i’m fired up and i have points to make and i’ll try to be as nice as possible.

first of all, the utter thoughtlessness in the one tweet who said, “ofmd is doing what black sails never had the balls to do.” are you all really that shortsighted? i’ve said this before and i’ll say it now, it fucking sucks that the majority of today’s consumers have legitimately begun to separate gay media created for gay audiences into categories of, “well, this one is the GOOD one, the REAL one cause it has ____” and, “that’s the BAD one though cause they wouldn’t or didn’t ____.” get the idea of baiting vs not baiting out of your minds and please just admit that you’ve lost the ability to invest in multiple, different gay stories with varying levels of intimacy and nuance outside of “fandom” and “shippable-ness.”

secondly, i’m going to get into black sails itself as it has been, and always will be, a pioneering work of lgbt media and representation. i won’t deny its faults and shortcomings in its narrative, i myself have pointed them out more than once and will continue to. but quite frankly, ofmd would not exist without black sails paving the way. it wouldn’t. and even if it did or could and you want to argue that, you can’t argue that the creators of black sails created it for the purpose of showing real, authentic, complex lgbt relationships not as a joke, or a side piece, but in a pivotal and impactful historical and narrative context. the creators wrote captain flint as a gay man. toby stephens (who played him) has spoken proudly of this fact. silver and flint didn’t kiss or have sex onscreen but neither steinberg (the show runner), nor luke arnold (silver), nor stephens denied the love those two characters shared. you also have to understand, especially if you haven’t watched black sails, that the story itself was written to be a tragedy, not a romance. their love wouldn’t and couldn’t be fully reciprocated solely due to both of their complex histories and fated separation tied to their future and source material, “treasure island.” and regardless of silver and flint’s relationship, are you really going to overlook the other just as crucial lgbt characters and relationships? black sails still gave us eleanor and max, max and anne, max and anne and jack. for fuck’s sake, flint’s entire war stems from the tragedy of being separated from his first love, thomas. so please don’t be ridiculous and tell me black sails didn’t represent our community when it did more than just represent, it lead with us.

and doesn’t all of that, make the existence of ofmd all the more sweeter (for gay audiences and gay audiences who specifically love gay pirates)? in the words of my friend ailith (@aseaofhoney), who really co-wrote this entire post, “black sails is a tragedy in which everything comes from love, our flag is a romance in defiance of all calls towards tragedy.” so stop pitting two masterworks against each other, please and thanks. they’re best friends. they told me themselves.

and please stop ignoring and being blatantly obtuse to both of these wonderful stories, and any other works of gay media, that were made for us by cast and creators who care.

[logicalbookthief]

Thinking about how both Touya and Shouto began to freeze other people out after a traumatic childhood incident in which they were burned. How both used it as a form of self-defense and to sever their ties to people, after the pain these connections caused, not only physically but emotionally. 

As a child, we see Touya express his emotions without restraint. He’s loud. He’s boisterous. He cries openly and wears his heart on his sleeve. 

It makes sense that he would be taking cues from his father, who he spent the majority of his time with when he was younger, and who is also an expressive person (although this is often to the detriment of those on the receiving end of his emotions). Not to mention it was his father’s quirk that Touya inherited. Since his emotions fuel his flames, it is likely Endvr encouraged his exuberance for the purposes of training. By Dabi’s own reckoning, his father “only ever taught [him] to turn up the heat.”

Which might be the approach you take when training a hero to control their fire, but it isn’t one you should take when raising a child. Children need to be taught to regulate their emotions and express them in a healthy manner. Something that it was clear Touya needed guidance on the moment he started to hurt himself with his quirk and for sure when he tried to attack Shouto.

No matter how loudly or plainly he expressed himself, however, Touya’s feelings were were never properly addressed by the adults in his life. 

He was brushed aside, rather than taught how to deal with his feelings, or how to “cool down” when needed. 

Instead of receiving the support and guidance he needed, the neglect culminates in an outburst that “kills” him and leaves the majority of his body horrifically scarred.  

Compare how he acted in his childhood to when we meet Dabi in the present, where he comes across as cold and detached. 

Initially, it is hard to get a read on what exactly he wants or feels since he purposefully keeps that distance. Remind you of anyone?

He went from one extreme (and one parent’s example) to another -- letting all his emotions pour out without restraint vs repressing everything to the point where he claims he can’t feel anything. Obviously, this isn’t actually the case, because the destructive strength of his flames continuously indicates the depth of his emotions. Touya never stopped feeling as deeply as he did as a child, but he began to repress them in order to prevent himself from being burned again, physically or emotionally. 

The way he disassociates from himself is contradictive in itself, as it is both a method of survival and a self-suicide. He conceals his true identity from people while denying he is that person anymore. His past is his motivation for all his present actions, even as he claims to have cut ties with those from his past.

It is quite the parallel to Shouto’s own struggle between the duality of his quirk. Like with Touya, the snippets we see of Shouto as a child show that he was once more expressive, too.

Unlike his older brother, Shouto has an equal amount of fire and ice at his disposal, and where Touya overextended his flames in his desperation to be acknowledged, Shouto refused to use his flames because he associated them with his father. He lost his mother, the single person who he was ever able to form a connection to, because of his father and because his father had passed along those parts of himself to Shouto.

Rightfully, Shouto recognizes his father as the one to blame for his mother’s breakdown and the scar she gave him. However, his decision to only use his ice quirk from that point on implies that he holds the half of himself that resembles his father accountable for losing his mother, too. It is still a form of self-detriment. Why else would he suppress what is his power, no matter where it came from? This is why his growth is sparked by Deku’s reminder that it is his power, his choice to do with it what he wants. It is why Shouto’s story centers around reconciliation, both with his family and with the parts of himself he once found detestable. 

Honestly, what makes the Todoroki family so compelling is if you strip away the quirks, the superheroes and the villains, you have a story that revolves around the baggage you inherit from your parents and how it affects your relationship to yourself and to other people.

Although Rei’s breakdown was 1000% spurred on by her husband’s abuse, she hurt Shouto because she looked at him during her breakdown and saw only his father, which is why she lashed out -- to her immediate regret and horror. But you can very clearly see how after this incident, her baggage gets passed on to Shouto, who consequently has a difficult time separating his own self-image from that of his father. 

Lashing out at the reminder of her husband fits, too, when you remember Rei never truly wanted to marry Enji. She may not have even wanted children and it definitely seemed like she didn’t plan for any after Fuyumi. She thought it was something she could grin and bear, that her feelings were something she could repress and endure, until it escalated beyond her control.

Similarly, Enji abandoned Touya because he inherited too much of Rei, going so far as to say he was born with her “weak constitution.” He looked at Touya and saw too much of her, the ice quirk user he never truly wanted to marry -- he never even wanted to start a family. All he wanted was quirk that would enhance his own, so he could build a better version of himself. But he didn’t get it on the first try, he got it on the fourth, and subsequently had three children he was responsible for when he obviously didn’t know what to do with them. Ignoring his “failure” children, Touya in particular, checks out since it aligns with his own baggage. 

Just as it checks out when Touya inherits this baggage, believing his entire existence to be a mistake if he can’t achieve the expectations Endvr wanted met in his chosen child. And when Touya continued to defy his wishes and train despite the toll it takes? How did he lash out?

With a loud, aggressive outburst that showed no restraint towards whoever it was unleashed on. 

You can see both of their parents in how Shouto and Dabi interact with / react to others. They bottle everything inside until they reach a breaking point (like their mother) and once they’re over the precipice, they overflow in the form of a destructive outburst (like their father).

It isn’t a healthy manner of expressing themselves, because they need to find a balance of “hot” and “cold” -- allowing themselves to express and feel, without doing harm to themselves or others. Neither fire nor ice are inherently good or bad, it depends on how they’re used. Fire can burn and blister, but it can also warm and thaw. Ice can soothe and balm, but it can also freeze and distance. 

Likewise, what they inherited from their parents has no bearing on whether they’re good or bad, hero or villain, worthy or a failure. Shouto isn’t deserving of scorn for being half of his father and Touya isn’t undeserving of love for having a fire quirk incompatible with with his mother’s constitution. It is merely a fact of their existence.